Mindanao Examiner Regional Newspaper (Oct. 29 - Nov. 4, 2018)

Sulu guv draws praises for various projects

China will never give up an inch of territory, defense minister says

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SULU – Governor Toto Tan continues to draw praises from the public for his many infrastructure projects and programs in the southern Philippine province of Sulu.

Just recently, Tan donated a water system – Continue on page 7

President Rodrigo Duterte and President Xi Jinping (Presidential photo)

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Gov. Toto Tan and President Rodrigo Duterte (Toto Tan FB page)

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Misinformation and intelligence failures ‘How the Philippines underestimates ISIS’

D

espite the presence of multiple militant groups in the Philippines who have made pledges of allegiance, or bayah, to IIslamic slamic S tate hilippine v er nment and Ar med F or ces State tate,, the P Philippine hilippine’’ go gov ernment Armed For orces (AFP) have downplayed this threat.

The statements they’ve made something they’ve admitted to. At the continuously ignore the reality of ISIS same time, the Philippine government in the Philippines. and the AFP have also managed to This is partially due to the AFP genuinely underestimate ISIS, likely in deliberately downplaying the threat part due to the public downplaying of Continue on page 2 from ISIS by making false statements,

ISIS supporters in Marawi City in this photo taken in 2014.

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President Rodrigo Duterte is welcomed by his strong political ally, former Sulu Governor Sakur (Datu Shahbandar) Tan and his son, Governor Totoh Tan, during a visit in Sulu. province.The Tans broke away from the Liberal Party during the presidential campaign in 2016 to support and campaigned for Duterte – which earned the ire of then President Benigno Aquino and presidential candidate Mar Roxas. The Tans are now one of the most ardent supporters of Duterte in Mindanao.

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The Mindanao Examiner

Oct. 29 - Nov. 4, 2018

Misinformation and intelligence failures “How the Philippines underestimates ISIS”

Continued from page 1 the threat as well as systematic intelligence failures.

Underestimating ISIS gave it the opportunity to stage major attacks that should have been preventable.

The Philippines has seen decades of conflict in the southern region of Mindanao, where the majority of the country’s Muslim minority live. Successive militant groups have fought the AFP in an attempt to form an independent state, and two major separatist militant groups have signed peace treaties with the government, agreeing to end fighting in return for various levels of autonomy.

However, splinter factions and other more recently founded organizations have led to a patchwork of extremist groups that continue to fight. Some of the most notable of these groups are the Bangsamoro

Militants in the Philippines pledging allegiance to ISIS Islamic Freedom Fighters, various Abu Sayyef Group battalions, and the Maute group.

Philippine groups pledge allegiance to alBaghdadi In 2014 some Philippine groups began to give bayah to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, including senior Abu Sayyef commander Isnilon Hapilon, and BIFF. In the following years, more groups pledged allegiance to ISIS, including the Maute group.

ISIS later discussed the Philippines through various parts of their media apparatus. In 2014, the fifth edition of the group’s Dabiq magazine stated that groups in the Philippines had pledged allegiance to Baghdadi, and “announced the acceptance of the bay’at from all of these groups and individuals.” Both the group’s spokesperson Abu Muhammad al-Adnani and Baghdadi himself made appeals to Filipinos to resist the “crusaders” and “rise against the apostate.”

In February and March 2016 ISIS’s official Al Furat Media released videos of Hapilon and commanders from several other groups pledging allegiance to Baghdadi. It should have been clear that these groups were now part of ISIS. The Philippine government and AFP responded by stating that ISIS did not exist in the Philippines, with the then president Benigno Aquino saying, “It’s difficult to call them Islamic State groups.”

Philippine officials would for years treat Abu Sayyef, Maute, BIFF and other militant groups as if nothing had changed, seemingly failing to understand that they were now part of ISIS because they had pledged allegiance and it had been recognized.

In an effort to justify this position, officials made the distinction that, while the various militant groups in the southern Philippines may be ISIS-inspired, they were not ISIS-directed. They argued that while some individuals within Philippine groups, or even entire groups may be inspired by the extremist ideas of ISIS, they were not directed by ISIS in any way, implying there was no communication with ISIS and that groups did not receive orders from them.

This argument was flawed, as it ignored known communications between ISIS in the Philippines and its core in Iraq and Syria.

Videos and statements about groups in the Philippines were released by official ISIS outlets, suggesting a line of communication.

Filipinos had been known to travel to fight for ISIS in Iraq and Syria, often facilitated by communication with ISIS members. Communication with ISIS by militant groups in the Philippines is believed to have occurred as early as 2014, while certain militants, often Malaysians, enabled lines of communication between Philippine groups and ISIS in Iraq and Syria.

Connections would deepen over time, with ISIS encouraging fighters to travel to the Philippines, giving direct orders to Filipino commanders, and even

An ISIS training camp in the Philippines, taken from a video released in December 2015. Image: Long War Journal sending funds to support the activities of groups that had pledged allegiance to ISIS. Deepening connections Even if this inspired-versus-directed distinction wasn’t false, it risked a dangerous complacency. The fact that these groups had all pledged allegiance to ISIS made them potentially more dangerous than before. It risked greater cooperation amongst historically fragmented groups with their support of ISIS overpowering geographic, clan, and ethnic divisions. There was also the risk of groups emulating the more extreme tactics of ISIS. Finally, in an attempt to win approval and recognition from ISIS, militant groups may have attempted to stage more significant attacks.

All of these things would later happen in the Philippines.

As deepening connections became more apparent, the Philippine government and the AFP continued to deny the presence of ISIS. In 2015, a video surfaced online showing what was described as a Philippines ISIS training camp.

In response, the Philippine National Security Adviser said, “ISIS has no training camps in the Philippines.”

This ignored evidence in the video itself, and in other videos and pictures showing militants training in the Philippines which were often uploaded to social media. In the minds of government officials, these were not ISIS camps because they did not view the militants operating them as part of ISIS. While the government denied the presence of ISIS, the camps were used to train new militants, people preparing to stage terror attacks, and even foreigners who had traveled to the Philippines for training before returning to their home countries.

The 2016 Basilan attack In April 2016, a particularly bloody clash between militants and the AFP on the island of Basilan in the southern Philippines led to more denials about the role of ISIS. While attempting to target Hapilon and another commander, Furiji Indama, soldiers were ambushed, which led to a 10-hour gunfight that left 18 soldiers dead and more than 50 wounded, the worst losses in a single day for Philippine security forces that year.

ISIS claimed the incident through their Amaq news agency shortly afterwards, and a May 2016 edition of Al Naba reported on clashes in the Philippines over the previous few weeks, including the one in Basilan.

Finally, an infographic released that June by Amaq talked about soldiers killed by ISIS forces, including those in the ambush.

In response, the AFP denied ISIS had any role, saying that it was mere propaganda and that Abu Sayyef was responsible, again, seemingly ignoring that the group was by then part of ISIS. The fighting had been led by Hapilon himself, who that month ISIS publicly named as emir of all their forces in the Philippines. In addition, one of the slain militants was a Moroccan named Mohammad Khattab, who was reportedly building links between Abu Sayyef and ISIS. Further indications of the connections between ISIS and groups in the Philippines came two months later when a video released by ISIS showed a Filipino, a Malaysian, and an Indonesian beheading three men in Syria. In the video they again recognized Hapilon as emir and called on jihadist groups in the Philippines to unify under him. They also urged people who could not travel to Syria to travel to the Philippines to fight for ISIS. In response, military spokesperson Brigadier-

General Restituto Padilla described the video as “propaganda.”

“People should not be bothered by this,” Padilla added.

The Battle of Marawi begins Terrorist incidents continued through late 2016 and early 2017, the most notable being the September 2016 Davao city bombing and the brief takeover of the town of Butig two months later by the Maute group. These bolder attacks, sometimes involving multiple groups, in hindsight predicted what was to come.

On May 23, 2017, the AFP launched a raid to arrest Hapilon, who had been spotted in the city of Marawi, on Mindanao. Security forces stumbled into a city full of militants, triggering long-made plans by ISIS to seize the city. The botched raid by Filipino security forces had kicked off the Battle of Marawi.

An AFP statement released a day after the start of fighting said: “The situation in Marawi has stabilized,” and that “security forces are in full control of the situation.”

As the AFP denied the presences of ISIS, the group’s Amaq news agency released pictures from within Marawi showing ISIS fighters in broad daylight

A screenshot from a video released by Amaq showing the ISIS presence in Marawi on May 24, 2017, a day after the Armed Forces of the Philippines said the security forces were in “full control.” Image: @abraxasspa/Twitter standing on streets, raising flags, and manning checkpoints unmolested by Philippine security forces.

The military claimed that there were only “sporadic clashes” from “harassment actions by terrorist sympathizers.” Most erroneously it was claimed that the militants in Marawi were “not members of the ISIS, but members of a local terrorist group.”

Two days later Secretary of National Defense Delfin Lorenzana said in a statement that the fighting would be over in a week at most, while AFP Chief of Staff General Eduardo Año said there were fewer than 100 militants in the city.

Throughout the battle similar false claims about the number of ISIS militants and how long until the city would be captured were repeated. There were even several instances when the military claimed the recapture of locations within the city despite them remaining firmly under ISIS control.

It would be five months of hard fighting before Marawi was recaptured, defying claims made by the government and security forces throughout. The battle saw the deaths of Hapilon and the leaders of the Maute group along with over 900 of their men, according to the government.

But victory came at a price. The city was left in ruins, 165 AFP soldiers were killed, more than 1,000

Local officials of Lanao del Sur province visit Ground Zero – also known as the Main Battle Area – in Marawi for the first time after the Battle of Marawi, November 14 2017. Image: Philippine Information Agency.

Oct. 29 - Nov. 4, 2018 wounded, and ISIS achieved a significant propaganda victory.

Philippine military ordered to downplay ISIS threat Due to the Battle of Marawi, President Rodrigo Duterte declared martial law across all of Mindanao.

Documents submitted to the Supreme Court of the Philippines justifying the declaration revealed one reason why the AFP continuously made these false claims about ISIS. It had been deliberate.

In a memorandum submitted to the Supreme Court on June 19, 2017, Año was quoted as saying the threat of ISIS was deliberately downplayed, and that “despite the actual threat of ISIS in the Philippines,” the AFP had been ordered to “downplay any news or information” relating to ISIS. The memo also said statements made about ISIS by the AFP were “propaganda.”

The justification for this was to not “give them recognition and fan the flames of rebellion” as well as to “encourage foreign investments and maintain confidence in the Philippine economy.”

Deliberately misleading the public about the threat from ISIS is a concerning prospect on its own, but worse, it doesn’t work as a full justification. Statements made by police and other officials appeared to show that the government also underestimated ISIS. It is unknown if similar orders to those given to the AFP were given to police and other members of the government, but these statements also spanned two administrations as well as many departments.

That the government was not fully aware of the threat from ISIS is evident in private statements by Philippine officials that repeatedly ignored intelligence warnings; the AFP so often being wrong-footed against them; and multiple officials admitting to underestimating ISIS. Duterte himself said officials were aware of the build-up of militants before the Battle of Marawi but “underestimated” the threat.

Major-General Carlito Galvez, head of the West Mindanao Command, said: “We knew this was coming,” and he has reportedly implied that Manila downplayed the threat.

Lorenzana, the defense secretary, said the government was “in denial” over the involvement of foreign ISIS fighters and that the army was unprepared.

While factors such as poor intelligence led the Philippine government and AFP to underestimate ISIS, publicly downplaying the threat likely reinforced this.

Downplaying the threat was part of AFP’s psychological operations with the stated intentions to “mislead” and “influence the perceptions” of a group. These psychological operations were not targeted in any way, being made publicly and widely repeated by the media, often at face value.

This could have had the effect of making it harder for lower-level officials and members of the security services to take the threat seriously, while the inaccurate statements downplaying ISIS could also reinforce the poor intelligence members of the

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The Mindanao Examiner estimate seems broadly accurate.

In response to that statement, Philippine Defense Undersecretary Ricardo David said the number was new to him.

“I really don’t know, my figure is about 250-400, a lot less,” David said.

Not only does this illustrate the apparent inability of the government to accurately assess the threat from

Philippines as a terrorist organization. While the effect of such a designation was welcomed, as it criminalizes providing support and resources to the group and denies access to U.S. financial systems, the concept of an “ISIS-Philippines” was discounted by some Philippine officials.

“There is no ISIS-Philippines,” Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said in March.

Duterte’s spokesperson Harr y Roque did acknowledge the presence of ISIS but limited it to just the Maute group.

“That’s ISIS-Maute. I think it’s specific since Maute is known to be the local ISIS,” he said in a statement.

The U.S. designation referred to the whole of the ISIS-affiliated organization in the Philippines. The description referenced the June 2016 ISIS video that featured Hapilon and several other Abu Sayyef militants belonging pledging allegiance to ISIS, and called Maute an “integral part of ISIS-Philippines.”

This July saw arguably the most significant attack

by ISIS in the Philippines since Marawi, when a suicide

‘Respected Sulu leader to run for governor, others join midterm polls’

ISIS militants with captured armored vehicles in Marawi, the Philippines. Image: @Terror_Monitor/Twitter government and security officials received suggesting the group wasn’t as serious a threat as in reality.

Poor intelligence gathering and assessment The poor gathering and assessment of intelligence was a key reason for the Philippines underestimating ISIS. Indonesia’s Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu recently described an exchange he had when he traveled to the Philippines on June 6, 2017, shortly after the start of the Battle of Marawi.

He said he was told by unnamed Philippine officials that there were only 50 militants in Marawi, supported by up to 500 men from drug cartel networks. After the battle, Philippine officials said more than 900 militants had been killed, highlighting that they were clearly underestimating the strength of ISIS both in public and in private.

Not only did Philippine officials not have the intelligence information to more accurately assess the strength of militants in Marawi, but they completely misjudged their nature. They were not men from “drug cartel networks” but loyal ISIS militants, willing to fight to the death for their cause.

Shortly before this meeting, Ryacudu said that Indonesia estimated there were 1,000 to 1,200 ISIS militants in the Philippines. Considering that over 900 fighters were apparently killed in Marawi, and that multiple other groups were not active in the battle, this

An ISIS training camp in the Philippines, taken from a video released in December 2015. Image: Long War Journal ISIS, but it showcases that even foreign countries had managed to achieve a more accurate assessment.

Intelligence failures Speaking more generally, Ryacudu also expressed disappointment in Philippine intelligence-gathering and sharing as well as country’s assessment of the threat from ISIS. He said he believed that that “governments underestimated the extent of the IS threat in our region.”

Even more damningly, Ryacudu said that with better use of intelligence the Battle of Marawi “could have been prevented or pre-empted.”

In the aftermath of major terrorist incidents it would repeatedly be revealed that the Philippines had failed to act on intelligence that should have prevented or prepared them for attacks. There was a pattern of failing to assess intelligence, suggesting officials underestimated the actual danger.

In fact, there had been repeated intelligence pointing towards an attack in Marawi in the month leading up to the battle.

The AFP’s Año has stated that intelligence had been received about armed men entering the city. He also said that commanders on the ground had failed to assess intelligence. Major General Rolando Bautista, commander of forces in Marawi, said the military had even received information saying that terrorists would seize the city.

It was only when following up on both this intelligence and reports that the leaders of the Maute group were in Marawi that they discovered Hapilon, the most important ISIS commander in the Philippines, was also there. Bautista immediately decided to capture him, ordering the failed raid that triggered the seizure of the city.

While Marawi is the most prominent example of the Philippines underestimating ISIS and having issues with gathering and following up on intelligence, it is not the only one.

The April 2016 Basilan clash that killed 18 soldiers was a well-prepared ambush. Militants attacked from high ground and all sides using various weapons, including mortars and grenade launchers. The soldiers also had to contend with improvised explosive devices planted by militants. As well as inflicting high casualties, militants beheaded some of the dead soldiers and captured an unconfirmed quantity of weaponry.

Concerns were raised in the aftermath about the handling of the operation and the AFP’s failure to address the ISIS threat. Two generals speaking anonymously called for a probe and suggested there were serious failings in how the operation was carried out.

“What happened was a failure of leadership from top to bottom” as well as a “failure of intelligence,” one general said.

Officials should have addressed their failings on multiple occasions, but the Battle of Marawi should have been a clear wakeup call.

Marawi did force the Philippine government and security forces to admit some of their failings, but there has been no attempt to rectify them. Both continue to downplay the threat from ISIS, and there are still apparent intelligence failings, with Ryacudu stating on October 4 that since Marawi the flow of intelligence

A still from an ISIS propaganda video, calling on people to travel to East Asia to join the group. has not been effective and has even become “less accurate.”

There is no ISIS-Philippines In February the United States designated ISIS-

An ISIS training camp in the Philippines, taken from a video released in December 2015. Image: Long War Journal car bomb was detonated at a military checkpoint on Basilan, killing 11 people.

ISIS claimed the attack via their Amaq news agency.

The claim stated that it was a suicide attack and named the perpetrator as Abu Khatir Al-Maghribi, a Moroccan.

A picture was also released showing the attacker.

In response, AFP spokesperson Colonel Edgardo Arevalo said that there was no indication that ISIS was involved. He said intelligence pointed to Abu Sayyef, and that there was no indication the attacker was a foreigner. He also said there was “no indication that the Basilan blast was a suicide bombing.”

These denials came despite the photographic evidence released by ISIS as well as witnesses who said the driver was a foreigner, and the group responsible was also behind the 2016 Basilan clashes.

Almost two weeks after the attack Lorenzana finally stated that it was believed the attacker was Moroccan, but he still downplayed the possibility of it being a suicide attack and denied that ISIS was involved.

There had also been reports that intelligence had warned about the bombing before it occurred.

A government intelligence report reportedly stated that as early as June 19 officials were aware of a plan to carry out a bombing at any time in Lamitan, the area of Basilan where the attack took place. The day before the bombing there were reports of Malaysian militants arriving on the island, who are now believed to be connected to the attack. Finally, the AFP had intelligence reports that a van containing explosives would pass by Lamitan City.

Like Marawi, despite receiving intelligence pointing towards an imminent attack, authorities had been unable to prevent it.

It has also become common for ISIS groups in the Philippines to be discussed as “remnants” following the Battle of Marawi. This is despite it being over a year since the start of the battle, with the groups involved actively recruiting since. Other ISIS factions – such as BIFF – also had minimal involvement in the battle, meaning their operational strength was not significantly affected by the fighting. Meanwhile, ISIS has upgraded their East Asia region including the Philippines to an official Wilayat, or province, and increased propaganda releases about the Philippines.

The Philippine government and security forces knowingly released inaccurate statements about the threat from ISIS, downplaying the dangers in an attempt to not legitimize the group and to maintain foreign investment and faith in the Philippine economy. The Battle of Marawi and the declaration of martial law that followed shattered both of those justifications.

Yet this downplaying continues to be a tactic used by the Philippine government and the AFP despite its ineffectiveness and role in leading to the genuine underestimation of ISIS’s true strength. The repeated intelligence failings that plagued operations against the group were and still are a key factor in that inaccurate assessment.

Like many instances before it, the Battle of Marawi should have seen the Philippine government and security forces address their failings in the interest of preventing another such attack, yet they appear to continue to make those same mistakes.

Those mistakes come at the expense of security personnel and civilians caught up in the next preventable ISIS attack.(By Robert Postings - The Defense Post)

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The Mindanao Examiner

Oct. 29 - Nov. 4, 2018

Pro-ISIS fighters continue to yield PAGADIAN CITY – Security officials said that 6 pro-ISIS militants have surrendered to municipal officials in the southern Filipino province of Lanao del Sur as the military continues its antiterror campaign in the troubled region.

Capt. Clint Antipala, a

spokesman for the 1st Infantry Division, said the militants – whose identities were not disclosed – surrendered recently to Mayor Jamel Kurangking, of Sultan Dumalungdong town.

He said the militants, who took part in last year’s

deadly siege of Marawi City, handed over a Barrett sniper rifle, three M79 grenade launchers and a Carbine rifle.

They were eventually turned over to the 49th Infantry Battalion under Lt. Col. Edgar Allan Villanueva for interrogation.

“Custodial debriefing still on-going,” Antipala said.

Last week, 3 militants also surrendered in Lanao del Sur’s Masiu town and they handed over an antitank rocket launcher and a .45-caliber pistol. Maj. Gen. Roseller Murillo, the division commander, has

repeatedly urged pro-ISIS fighters to surrender peacefully.

The militant group, along with other pro-ISIS fighters occupied Marawi and battled security forces for 5 months until their leaders and key commanders had been

killed, but the military assault destroyed much of the city and displaced all residents there. Until now, government rehabilitation has been slow and residents continue to blame the government for Marawi’s destruction.

(Mindanao Examiner)

China will never give up an inch of territory, defense minister says CHINA WILL NEVER give up an inch of its territory, whether the self-ruled island of Taiwan it claims as its own, or in the disputed waters of the South China Sea, the country's defense minister said.

Beijing has been infuriated by recent U.S. sanctions on its military, one of a growing number of flashpoints in ties with Washington that include a bitter trade war, Taiwan and China's increasingly muscular military posture in the South China Sea. Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe made the remarks at the opening of the Xiangshan Forum in Beijing, which China styles as its answer to the annual Shangri-La Dialogue security forum in the wealthy city-state of Singapore.

China's military ties with the United States are important and sensitive, Wei said, adding that Taiwan was a "core" interest of China's and Beijing opposed

displays of strength by "outside forces" in the South China Sea. The world's two largest economies needed to deepen high-level ties so as to navigate tension and rein in the risk of inadvertent conflict, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told his Chinese counterpart recently.

Mattis saw firsthand last month how mounting Sino-U.S. friction can undermine military contacts, when Beijing upended plans for him to meet Wei in October.

China has been angered by the U.S. sanctions on its military for buying weapons from Russia, and by what Beijing sees as stepped-up U.S. support for democratic Taiwan, which it claims as sacred territory.

China has also expressed concern after U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington would withdraw from a landmark Cold War-era

treaty that eliminated nuclear missiles from Europe because Russia was violating the pact.

China is not a party to that treaty, but Trump has also suggested Beijing's military strength played a role in his decision, which China has described as "completely wrong".

Last week, the United States sent two warships through the Taiwan Strait in the second such operation this year.

China-Taiwan relations have deteriorated since the island's President Tsai Ingwen, of the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party, swept to power in 2016.

Beijing, which has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control, has also viewed U.S. overtures toward the island with alarm, such as a new de facto embassy there and passage of a law to encourage visits by U.S. officials. (Reuters)

Zamboanga City’s senior citizens from Barangays Capisan and Calarian receive their birthday cash gifts from popular Mayor Beng Climaco, who personally led the distribution of cash gifts pursuant to local government Ordinance 466. (Kathy Wee Sit)

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The Mindanao Examiner

Oct. 29 - Nov. 4, 2018

DILG starts federalism roadshow in ARMM

COTABATO CITY – The roadshow aimed at raising public awareness on the proposed shift to a federal form of government has started in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) leading the drive.

The forum is part of the federalism roadshow in the ARMM with the theme “Pederalismo para sa Tunay na Pagbabago” as DILG reiterated that “shifting to a federal form of government perfectly aligns with the Bangsamoro’s hope for local autonomy.”

DILG Assistant Sec. Jonathan Malaya assures that federalism will not undo the developments of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL), but rather would serve as the necessary push and support that the Bangsamoro people need for the autonomy they have been fighting for.

Sec. Gary Olivar of the Center for Federalism and Constitutional Reform, explained the proposed system – its principles and advantages – vis-a-

vis the Bangsamoro Organic Law and the policy direction of President Rodrigo Duterte on shift to federal form of government are consistent with each other.

He also urged the participants to take part in the upcoming plebiscite on the BOL. When asked by the media on why most Filipinos are still not in favor of changing the present system of government to a federal system, Professor Eddie Alih, a member of the Consultative Committee (Concom) to Review the 1987 Constitution, said, “…it is because they don’t have a broad and deep idea on federalism that’s why we are doing this information drive to build their understanding toward federalism.”

Prof. Alih, during the forum, discussed the economic reforms and fiscal administration, political and social reforms, constitutional bodies and public accountability and transition provisions.

“While federalism is not a panacea to all the problems of the Filipino

people, it is a step along the way in our journey for better governance and progressive Philippines,” he said.

As stated in Article XI of Concom’s proposal, the federal republic will have 18 regions, 16 of which will be symmetrical.

However, the Bangsamoro and Cordilleras will have asymmetrical setups due to provisions of their autonomy, which recognizes ethnicity, culture, customs, traditions, language and distinct identities.

In the case of the Bangsamoro, the BOL provides the new region would have a 75% share of net revenues in the exploration, development, and utilization of its own natural resources. This is unique compared with the system operating in other regions.

“A vast array of potentials awaits the ARMM under a federal setup. We are also excited to see the Bangsamoro finally attain autonomy if it wins the January 2019 plebiscite for the BOL,” Asst. Sec. Malaya said. (Bureau of Public Information)

Reynold Ong, Eireen Dayne Kwan, Nicole Timtim, Rosel Rodriguez, Charlene Ruelan, Marites Fernandez, Joszelene Perez. (Courtesy of Mindanao Examiner)

SUPPORT PEACE IN MINDANAO

Zambo con woman arrested ZAMBOANGA CITY – Police arrested a woman who allegedly conned dozens of unsuspecting victims in Zamboanga City and promised them jobs at City Hall in exchange for money.

The suspect, Julie Ann Francisco, 35, was accused of collecting P1,500 from about 50 people she duped in different villages here. Francisco told her victims that she could put them at work or provide them jobs in different

departments and that the money would be used to pay for their uniforms.

Once Francisco collected the money from her victims, she would go to another village to recruit workers for City Hall.

Mayor Beng Climaco has repeatedly warned the public to be careful with unscrupulous people who will claim to be recruiting workers for the local government in exchange for money. She

said Francisco duped at least 50 people as she urged those victimized by the woman to file criminal charges. “I myself would file a case against her,” Climaco said. “Reports of unscrupulous individuals also misrepresenting the City Government offering medicines in exchange of monetary considerations have also reached the authorities and these impostors are now being hunted,” she added.

(Mindanao Examiner)

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The Mindanao Examiner

Oct. 29 - Nov. 4, 2018

Across: 1. Lived 6. Mama's boy 9. Mar. follower 12. Weird 13. Habit wearer 14. Baked dessert 15. Interest benchmark (2 wds.)

17. Farm enclosure 18. Chick's sound 19. Tax inits 20. Small pastry 21. Pittsburgh player 23. Pronoun 26. Holiday hunter's prize (2 wds.)

29. Greased 31. Pester 32. Respected leader 36. Actor ___ Cruise 37. Shows (a movie) 38. Bubble ___ 40. Jogged 41. Eden dweller 45. Buddy (Fr.) 46. Pierce 48. 1/60th of a minute (abbr.)

49. Billfold item 50. Movie star 51. Printing measures 52. Eternally, in verse 53. Essay topic

Answer to last week’s crossword:

Down : 1. Johnny ___ of "Finding Neverland" 2. "Wish You ___ Here" 3. Buffalo's canal 4. Floppy 5. Kickoff device 6. Traps 7. Beginning 8. Wind dir.

9. Obvious 10. Fishing spot 11. Budget item 16. Glamorous ___ Hayworth 20. Coastal bird 21. Passover meal 22. Tilts 23. Distress inits.

24. Great success

25. Stretchable fabrics 27. Sticky stuff 28. Workout place 30. Engrave 33. Unruffled 34. Nastier 35. Actress ___ Bancroft 38. ___ jumping 39. Prayer finale 41. Curve 42. Escort 43. Power source 44. Insignificant 46. "The Raven" poet 47. Make a doily

Weekly Sudoku:

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The Mindanao Examiner

Oct. 29 - Nov. 4, 2018

OPINION:

7

Washing dir ty linen dirty

By JJun un Ledesma

THIS CONTROVERSY OVER a load of shabu allegedly slipped through the Bureau of Customs in Cavite via a magnetic lifter is getting to be curiouser and curiouser.

That surprises me however is the seemingly childish whining of PDEA Director Gen. Aaron Aquino blaming Customs Commissioner Sid Lapena for the lapses and other insinuations.

And I thought that duties and responsibilities had been delineated before Lapena and Aquino assumed their respective posts. The marching order of DoF Sec. Sonny Dominguez to Lapena was to increase revenue collection target and he delivered. When he was PDEA head, he dismantled

nearly all of the shabu laboratories in the country and intercepted a number of shabu shipments that enter Philippines shores.

It is now the turn of Director Aquino and all we heard is passing the buck.

And then comes Atty.

Lourdes Mangaoang, Deputy Customs Collector at NAIA, joining the fray. She used to be head of the X-ray Division of BOC and for sure she knew that those magnetic lifters cannot escape her X-ray vision. If she had previous knowledge, how come she surfaced only now? What prompted Lapena to transfer her (she was not dismissed) to another division? What prompted her to go to Cavite to inspect the lifters by

herself then reported to Lapena that the lifters had residues of shabu. Am curious.

A whistle blower had talked under investigation

by Sen. Dick Gordon. He had pointed the masterminds and for as long as he is alive we will have the chance to go to the bottom of this mysterious P6.8-billion shabu shipment which seemed to be the only cheap commodity peddled in Manila today. Should not Aquino focus on this problem now and stop blaming others and washing dirty linens in public? By the way things are going PDEA is helpless and hopeless in finding out where that huge volume of shabu went.

Sulu guv draws praises for various projects

Sulu residents cheer assistance provided by Gov. Toto Tan. (Bus-Bus FB Page) Continued from page 1 through the “Kilusang Pagbabago Sulu” – for residents of Kambing in Kalingalang Caluang town.

He also donated hundreds of pieces of lumber for the construction of foot bridges in Bus-Bus village in the capital town of Jolo.

And Tan as well procured 3 utility vehicles

for the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office for use in times of disaster and relief missions. The vehicles were handed to the officials of the PDRRMO following a simple ceremony led by Erwin Tan, the provincial administrator.

The ceremony was

witnessed by members of the Provincial Government Bids and Awards C o m m i t t e e , representatives from Commission on Audit, Provincial Treasurer’s Office, Provincial Accountant’s Office, and Fazlur Rahman, of the Sulu Area Coordinating Center.

(Mindanao Examiner)

Dear Sir, I am a language teacher and researcher living in Spain. I find Chavacano a very interesting creole language, so I am studying it, and, knowing Spanish, I have the satisfaction of progressing quite fast.

When I was in Zamboanga City recently, I “discovered” The Mindanao Examiner, and I just thought that, having finished (and had reviewed by a Chavacano expert) a onepage research into the many meanings and uses of the “mysterious” Chabacano word ERA, maybe you would like to publish it in your newspaper. Here it is, as an attached PDF file. I hope to hear from you… Vaya con Dios.

Juan Valverde Barcelona, Spain (jvalverdeg@hotmail.com)

The Chabacano word ERA: a bilingual Spanish-English explanation. The Chabacano era is one of the many words that will tell you that the speaker is very fluent in Chabacano. This word has multiple uses.

1-To make some subjunctives and conditionals, especially polite ones: Quiere era yo (DO) = Quisiera / Querría… I would like… // Cortesía: Quiere era yo saca el de ustedes consentimiento. = (Yo) quisiera (querría) obtener su consentimiento. // El propio manera que conviene era sila toma amo el temprano publicacion. = La decisión adecuada que les convendría tomar es la pronta publicación.

2-(There / S) should (have + part.) = debiera / debería haber + part…. Ya visitá era tu con éle. = Deberías haberle visitado. // Era ya hace tu acaba tuyo estudio. = You should have finished your studies. // Ya dormi era anay yo. = I should have slept first / before…

A note on word order: the word era (when it means ‘should have’) can come at the beginning of the sentence or after the verb root. To put these sentences in the negative (i.e. should not have), put no hay at the beginning, followed by era.

Now let’s put the two above sentences in the negative: No hay era yo hace acaba mio estudio.= I should not have finished my studies. No hay era anay yo dormi. = I shouldn’t have slept first / before…

3-“Ay, Jesus…! Cerca ya era yo man ipit… cosa ya esos maga militar dao hende man ta mira gente?” -Here, (YA) ERA means that it nearly happened… casi, por poco (no)… a punto de… almost… about to… Ya olvidá ya era le andá na escuéla. = He

almost forgot to go to school.

Note that you only use the word era to mean almost (nearly, por poco) when you mean that you almost (por poco!) were or weren’t able / about to do something, but still ended up not doing or doing it (respectively).

4-In this song… https:// w w w . y o u t u b e . c o m / watch?v=nsaCFIMdPC4 Bien simple lang yo ta pedi \ ERA sinti tu el cosa yo ya sinti. \ (I) hope I wish, ojalá Na dimio reso ta pidi yo / hopefully que + pres. subj ERA olvida yo contigo. / Era gusta tu (DO). = (I) hope you like (DO). = Esperando que te guste (DO). = Ojalá te guste (DO).

5-For attenuation. Ta habla lang man era yo… = I was just / only saying… Of course, this sentence is also correct without era in it.

Regarding the Spanish origins of Chabacano ERA: it comes from the ending of the 1PS and 3PS of the subjunctive imperfect past simple: If I went… = Si yo fuera… / If he wanted… = Si él quisiera… -BUT that subjunctive is also used (incorrectly, in Spain) as a conditional, so instead of saying “Querría carne” (I would like some meat), you hear “Quisiera carne”… That’s why Chabacano “era” is also used to make conditionals: “Quiere era yo carne” = I would like some meat. (And remember: “should” and “could” are also conditionals). Keeping that in mind helps a lot to interpret sentences with ERA, but this word has many other tricky “nonSpanish” meanings, as you can see.

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New Israeli envoy meets with Cebu biz leaders

C

EBU CITY – New Israeli Ambassador to the Philippines Rafael Harpaz met with Cebuano business leaders and discussed ways to boost economic cooperation between the two countries.

“I’m here in Cebu to further strengthen our economic relations with the Philippines,” Harpaz told reporters during his recent visit here where he met with members of the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

H a r p a z , accompanied by his wife, Shulamit, and honorary consul Emily Chioson, said Cebu has also become a favorite tourist destination among Israelis, adding,

more tour operators in Israel are promoting packaged holiday trips to the province. “The Philippines is easy to sell in Israel. This is why we encouraged the Philippine Airlines to open direct flights to Tel Aviv from Manila and vice versa,” he said.

He said these direct flights translate to economic growth for both countries through tourism because these would bring more Filipino

pilgrims to the Holy Land and Israeli tourists to the beautiful islands of the Philippines.

More joint business ventures between Israel and the Philippines could also be forged with the opening of the direct Manila-Tel Aviv flights, he said.

Harpaz said the Israelis owe the Filipinos a great deal as the Philippines did not only open its doors for the more than a thousand Jews during the Holocaust,

Israel Ambassador to the Philippines, Rafael Harpaz (middle), and his wife Shulamit (second from right) pose for a picture with some officials of the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry. (Photo by Luel Galarpe) but was also the only Asian country to vote for the independence of Israel in the 1947 United Nations

General Assembly.

Harpaz also met with Governor Hilario Davide III, Cebu City Mayor Tomas

Osmeña, and Mandaue City Mayor Luigi Quisumbing. ( Luel Galarpe)

Cebu spends over P200-M on infra projects THE CEBU PROVINCIAL

Capitol said it has spent

more than P200 million

this

year

for

Governor Hilario Davide III (third from right) spearheads the groundbreaking ceremony of the Cebu Provincial Sports Complex in Sudlon, Barangay Lahug in Cebu City. Former PBA star Ramon Fernandez (third from left) attended the event. (Photo courtesy of the Cebu Provincial Government)

infrastructure projects, inclduing water facilities and farm-to-market roads in different villages and municipalities.

Provincial Barangay Affairs Office chief Charlton James Canoy said some P212.9 million worth of financial assistance were also released to the municipal government and villages for their respective projects, such as construction of covered basketball courts, barangay halls, and daycare centers.

Canoy said the provincial government has already spent P22 million for infrastructure projects in the 1st District; P56 million in the 2nd

District, and P33 million in the 3rd District.

Projects in the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th Districts cost the provincial government some P32 million, P48 million, P9 million, and P 12 million, respectively.

Just recently, Governor Hilario Davide III spearheaded the groundbreaking of a sports complex in Cebu City together with former basketball superstar and Commissioner Ramon Fernandez of the Philippine Sports Commission.

The P19.9-million Cebu Provincial Sports Complex is targeted to be completed in March next year. (Luel Galarpe)

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