Mindanao Examiner Newspaper Feb. 17-23, 2014

Battle-tested general is new Philippine Army chief PAGE 2

IMT pays courtesy call to Sulu governor

White spot syndrome hits Zamboanga village

PAGE 3

PAGE 4

PHL pursues peaceful dialogue with HK over deaths of tourists

6 soldiers wounded in NPA clash in Davao del Sur

PAGE 5

Farmers' peaceful rally dispersed near Presidential Palace

PAGE 7

PAGE 8

FOR SALE TOYOTA Innova E P570,000

Call 0917-7103642 Zamboanga City Founded 2006

mindanaoexaminer.com

FOR ADVERTISEMENTS, PLEASE CALL (062) 9925480

P10

Feb. 17-23, 2014

Chief MILF peace negotiator Mohagher Iqbal and 14 other members of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission pay their courtesy to Sulu Gov. Totoh Tan and other provincial officials whom they meet in a dialogue on the Bangsamoro Framework Agreement in the province.

Iqbal says they were insulted and booed at a forum by local participants opposed to the inclusion of the city to the proposed new Muslim autonomy region in Mindanao. (Mindanao Examiner Photo - Ahl-Franzie Salinas)

M

embers of the 15-man B Bangsamor angsamoro angsamor o Tr ansition y M ohagher Iqbal, the by Mohagher C ommission headed b chief MILF peace negotiator negotiator,, held a dialogue in the souther nF ilipino pr ovince of S ulu wher e losouthern Filipino pro Sulu where cals mly w elcomed the gr oup – a far cr y fr om insults they warmly welcomed group cry from c als war exper ienced in Z amboanga City experienced Zamboanga City..

Abdullah Cusain, head of progress of the peace process the Bangsamoro Transition and various issues related to Commission's communica- the peace talks between the tion group, said provincial of- Aquino government and the ficials led by Gov. Totoh Tan Moro Islamic Liberation Front, welcomed them to Sulu, one the country’s largest Muslim of five provinces under the rebel group.

Muslin autonomous region.

“It was far from what hap“It was really a warm recep- pened to us in Zamboanga. tion in Sulu and we were wel- Here in Sulu the discussion was comed by the people there friendly and cordial and we apand we thanked Governor preciate the support of the Totoh Tan and all provincial province and its people to officials,” he told the regional peace in Mindanao,” Cusain newspaper Mindanao Exam- said. iner by phone from Sulu.

Sulu Representatives He said Iqbal’s group paid Maryam Arbison and Tupay their courtesy call to Tan and Loong and town mayors were to his father, Vice Gov. Sakur also present during the diaTan and other officials and logue held at the indoor amlater briefed them about the phitheater of the Area Coordi-

ARMM

Southern Mindanao

nating Center.

But not all Tausugs support the new Bangsamoro region because of various reasons, but many of them wanted the 1996 peace deal between Manila and the rival Moro National Liberation Front under Nur Misuari fully implemented.

Misuari's group is also opposing the current government peace talks with the MILF because any peace accord between the two sides would violate the government peace agreement with the MNLF. Others wanted Sulu to separate from the autonomous region or be part of the new Bangsamoro region for the simple reason that development projects are not equally distributed among the provinces under it. While others believe Sulu belongs solely to the Tausug tribe just as Samal belongs to Tawi-Tawi and Yakan

Davao

to Basilan - and run their own affairs or even put a separate autonomous region for the three provinces.

I nsults In Zamboanga, Iqbal’s group was booed and insulted by residents who are opposed to the inclusion of the city to the proposed Bangsamoro autonomous region. But Iqbal said Zamboanga is not even included in the new Muslim autonomy.

The BTC was supposed to pay its cour tesy call to Zamboanga Mayor Mar ia Isabelle Salazar on its way to Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, but the politician wanted Iqbal’s group to hold a forum so residents would be able to ask questions about the proposed autonomy for Muslims in Mindanao, and whether the city may be annexed in the new region.

Manila

During the forum, a BTC member, lawyer Akmad Sakkam, has told those in the forum to join them in the Bangsamoro autonomous region despite the strong opposition of the locals to be included in the new Muslim homeland.

Sakkam’s comment sparked a heated debate that led many in the forum to walk out and left Iqbal’s group. Locals also felt insulted by Sakkam's comments.

P ursuing peace But Iqbal said they hold no grudge to those who are not in favor of the Bangsamoro homeland, saying, his group is campaigning for peace in Mindanao which would benefit not only the Muslims, but all Filipinos in the mineral-rich region.

Iqbal said they were only

Continue to P age 2 Page

Zamboanga Peninsula

2

The Mindanao Examiner

Feb. 17-23, 2014

Insults, praises greet MILF peace campaign Continued fr om P from Page age 1 supposed to pay their courtesy to Salazar, but she declined to meet them at the City Hall.

“Originally, it was a courtesy call and the original plan was to hold it at the Office of the City Mayor, but at the last hour, it was change to that forum to some sort of a meeting with many people, kami naman our intention is good, our purpose is good so okay and sabi namin kahit ano ang importante eh makiusap namin ang mayor to convey to her that our message is about peace, about reaching out to people who will understand, who will listen to us because after all what we intend to do as far as the writing of the basic law is concer ned is for everybody’s benefit,” he told the Mindanao Examiner.

Iqbal said they received reports that they had been set up in the forum by Salazar’s group.

“There were reports that everything was set up, the report went further to say that it was a frame up, but I don’t believe that. We were booed, there were some questions raised and harsh voice, but for us we held our composure, we are there to communicate, we are there to reach out, and we are there to transmit information that are necessar y for building peace in Mindanao.

So we prepared ourselves for whatever situation that we may encounter,” Iqbal said.

In the end, Iqbal said the BTC and the MILF is willing to listen to all sectors of society just to be able to pursue peace in the country, particularly in the restive region of Mindanao.

“Our message is ve r y simple, it’s like playing ‘Jack and Poy’ (rock-paper-scissors), when people use stone, we use paper; if the other side uses scissors, we use stone; so it’s just about having a situation which is not confrontational so that we can maintain the level of communication with all groups whether they are hostile to us or friend with us, the Bangsamoro Transition Commission and the MILF are willing to listen, are willing to argue with reasons, after all we are all civilized people,” he said.

The other members of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission are Ibrahim Ali, a member of the MILF; Maulana Alonto, of the MNLF, Talib Abdulhamid Benito, a Shar i’ah lawye r; Abdulla Camlia, also of the MILF; Pedrito Eisma, a politician in Basilan province; Raissa

Iqbal's group in Sulu province where members pay their courtesy to Gov. Totoh Tan and other provincial officials on February 13, 2014 and held a dialogue on the Bangsamoro Framework Agreement. (Mindanao Examiner Photo - Ahl-Franzie Salinas) Jajurie, a lawyer from Sulu province; Froilyn Mendoza, a

member if the Teduray tribe from Maguindanao; Hussein

Munoz, also a member of the MILF; Fatmawati Salapuddin,

a peace advocate in Sulu; Said Shiek, of the MILF; Asani Tammang, a lawyer from Sulu; Timuay Melanio Ulama, also a member of the Teduray tribe; Johaira Wahab, an advocate of women's rights.

B angsamor o land angsamoro Zamboanga City Rep. Lilia Nuño has openly supported the peace process and said the peace deal between government and MILF would bring prosper ity not only in Zamboanga, but the whole of Mindanao.

She said Malaysia, which is brokering the peace talks, has immediately pledged P 20 billion for Bangsamoro areas after the signing of the Annex on Normalization by peace negotiators just recently.

“Even if we are not part of Bangsamoro but we would still benefit because Zamboanga City is the center of business in the region. All the trade and commerce will still come to our city,” Nuño was quoted as saying.

Zamboanga City serves as the trading and commercial hub of the Muslim provinces of Basilan, Sulu and TawiTawi, all part of the autonomous region, but majority of its inhabitants and their officials do not want to be part of the Bangsamoro region.

Zamboanga was a for mer Moro capital.

President Benigno Aquino is also actively campaigning for the passage of the Bangsamoro basic law, saying, this will bring peace, progress and development in the southern Philippines.

“Nananabik na po tayo sa araw na maipasa na ang Bangsamoro Basic Law, upang tuluyan na ngang mabuksan ang bagong kabanata ng kasaysayan sa Muslim Mindanao. Pagkatapos nating sunod-sunod na nalagdaan ang mga bahagi ng Framewor k Agreement on the Bangsamoro, abot-kamay na natin ang ganap na pagtutuwid ng sistema sa rehiyong ito, at ang permanenteng pagbabago sa Lupang Pangako,” he said.

“Ang taumbayan ang siya na pong nagkukumpas ngayon sa direksyong tinatahak ng ating bayan— ang landas ng pangmatagalang kaunlaran at kapayapaan...iyan din ang nakikita nating magiging bagong mukha ng Bangsamoro sa mga darating na panahon,” Aquino said.

(Mindanao Examiner. With a report from Ahl-Franzie Salinas in Sulu province.)

Battle-tested general is new Philippine Army chief MANILA – President Benigno Aquino has named Major General Hernando Iriberri as the new Philippine Army chief, breaking a long military tradition to appoint the most senior officer to head a major branch of service in the armed forces.

Iriberri, who was a former commander of the 7th Infantry Division in Luzon Island, overstepped several generals who are most senior to head the Philippine Army. Iriberri, a former aide of Defense chief Voltaire Gazmin, replaced Lieutenant G eneral Noel Coballes, who retired.

But unknown to many

Iriberri – as an intelligence officer - was a key figure and instrumental in hastening the healing process between the militar y and surrendered members of the Young Officers Union ( YOU), the group of junior military officers who staged the bloodiest coup alongside with the Reformed The Armed Forces Movement and Soldiers of the Filipino People against Aquino’s mother, then President Corazon Aquino in 1989.

“He achieved this by circumspectly studying the psyche or frame of mind of the detained rebel officers by

sleeping, eating and living with them at the 808th Detention Center in Fort Bonifacio.

Such efforts gave him valuable insight on how to reach a winwin solution for both the rebel group and the AFP.” “His hard work and sacrifice effectively created an open line of communication between the two and paved the way for the reconciliatory stance from the YOU members which culminated in the signing of the manifesto of support to the Gover nment by its members which was handed to and accepted by the then DND Secretar y Renato De

Villa. The Government then agreed to release from detention the YOU members and reinstated them in the active military service,” according to Iriberri’s profile in the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Iriberri, who holds a Masters degree in Management and Defense Studies from the University of Canberra in Australia - also fought Moro and communist rebels, including the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf group in southern and northern Philippines earlier in his career and later became chief of the Philippine Army’s Public Affairs Office and

served with the United Nations Guards Contingent in Iraq.

He is also a recipient of various awards, including 5 Distinguished Service Stars Medals, an Outstanding Achievement Medal, two Gold Cross Medals and numerous Military Merit and Commendation Medals.

Aquino has all praises for Iriberri – of Philippine Military Academy Class 1983 - for his long accomplishments throughout his military career and also instr umental in peaceful elections in Central Luzon. (Mindanao Examiner)

The Mindanao Examiner

Feb. 17-23, 2014

3 MILF hinihimok ang BIFF na bumalik sa kapayapaan COTABATO CITY - Bubuksan umanong muli ng Moro Islamic Liberation Front ang pintuan ng kapayapaan sa grupo ng Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Movement-Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters upang matigil ang kaguluhan at isulong ang pagbabago sa Mindanao.

Ayon kay chief MILF peace negotiator Mohagher Iqbal ay handa ang grupo nito na muling tanggapin si Ameril Umra Kato dahil mahalaga ang kapayapaan sa lahat ng mga Muslim sa bansa.

Inamin rin nito na ilang ulit ng tinanggka ng MILF na himukin ang grupo ni Kato na bumalik sa kapayapaan, ngunit bigo ito.

Ang paghihimok ni Iqbal kay Kato ay muli nitong inilabas sa pagbubukas ng headquarters ng Bangsamoro Transition

Commission sa Cotabato City kamakalawa. Naroon rin si peace adviser Teresita Deles, Interior Sec. Mar Roxas at Maguindanao Gov. Esmael Mangudadatu.

Tumiwalag si Kato sa MILF noong 2011 matapos na makipagkita ang lider nitong si Murad Ebrahim kay Pangulong Benigno Aquino sa Tokyo, Japan na kung saan ay pinagusapan ng dalawa ang pagpapatuloy ng peace talks.

Matatandaang inatake ng grupo ni Kato ang ilang lugar sa Lanao at napatay ang maraming sibilyan matapos na pumalya ang Muslim homeland deal sa pagitan ng MILF at pamahalaan ng ideklara ng Supreme Court na ilegal ito. (Mindanao Examiner)

Troops capture gunman in Marawi City PAGADIAN CITY – Government soldiers arrested a man who is allegedly behind the shooting of a civilian in Marawi City in Lanao del Sur province, an army spokesman said.

Capt. Jefferson Mamauag, of the 1st Infantry Division, said troops were patrolling when the shooting occurred in the village of Bangon. Soldiers pursued the gunman, Lito Mala, and cor-

nered him at a bridge.

Mamauag said Mala, who is being implicated in the shooting of Usoph Manalusog, 23, was handed over to the police. Initial investigation said family feud was the motive behind the attack.

Mala’s weapon, a .380-caliber pistol, was also recovered by the soldiers. Police are investigating the case. (Mindanao Examiner)

Zambo City village councilman killed Malaysian army Col. Zolkipli bin Hashim, leader of Site 3 of the International Monitoring Team, pays courtesy call to Sulu Gov. Totoh Tan. (Mindanao Examiner Photo – Ahl-Franzie Salinas)

IMT pays courtesy call to Sulu governor SULU – Members of the International Monitoring Team (Site 3) have visited the southern Philippine province of Sulu and paid their courtesy call to Gover nor Totoh Tan at the Capitol Building in Patikul town.

The Malaysian-led IMT headed by army Col. Zolkopli bin Hashim met with Tan and they discussed briefly the role of the cease-fire observers monitoring the truce accord between the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

Zol also handed the governor a memento. Tan thanked the IMT for visiting Sulu.

The officer was accompanied by Lt. Col. Syed Islam Shahajam, Deputy Superintendent Hussin bin Rimon, Major Agus Ekos, of Indonesia Major Abdulmubin bin Hadji Timbang and WO1 Suhaimi bin Rajab, both from Brueni; and Major Abdurasad Serajan and Sergeant Kaidar Dugasan, of the Philippine Army.

The IMT-Mindanao was established in October 2004 and responsible for observing, monitoring, verifying, investigating, and reporting on the enforcement of the Mutual Cessation of Hostilities between the Philippines and MILF.

Cops hunt fishing crew in companion slay POLICE ARE hunting down a crew man of a fishing boat who ccidentaly shot his companion while at sea off Basilan province, just several nautical miles south of Zamboanga City in southern Philippines, police said.

Police said Nonito Batioon, 18, was shot in the thigh by Edward Hinaldo while cleaning his pistol inside one of the boat’s room.

Bati-on, a native of Zamboanga del Norte’s Salug town, died due to loss of blood even before reaching Zamboanga City.

“The victim sustained a lone gunshot wound in his left

thigh and suffered hemorrhage that caused his death. The incident occurred at the fishing ground of the high seas of Basilan province,” said Chief Inspector Ariel Huesca, a regional police spokesman.

Hinaldo jumped off the boat, FB Voyager 58, upon reaching their base in the coastal village of Cawit for fear of being arrested by the police.

Police recovered Hinaldo’s weapon, a .45-caliber pistol, and authorities are investigating the shooting. Hinaldo’s employer, Oceanic Fishing Company, did not give any statement about the incident.

(Mindanao Examiner)

In 2007, the Terms of Reference on the Socio-Economic Assistance Aspects was agreed upon by the Parties for Japan to par ticipate in IMT. Subsequently, the Agreement on the Civilian Protection Component of the IMT was signed on October 27, 2009. (Ahl-Franzie Salinas)

POLICE said four motorcycle gunmen shot and killed a village council man in an attack in Zamboanga City in southern Philippines.

Chief Inspector Ariel Huesca, a regional police spokesman, said the 40-year old Sinunuc council man Armilette Aquino was killed instantly in the shooting in Maasin village.

Aquino was driving his motorcycle when the four assailants tailed him on two motorcycles and shot the official at a secluded place in the village. Huesca said the victim was heading to the dockyard

of YL Fishing Company, where he also worked as a machine operator, when gunmen attacked him.

“The victim was shot twice and died on the spot,” Huesca said, adding the assailants escaped after the killing.

Policemen, who responded to the shooting, recovered the victim’s cellular phone and tablet computer, including two bullet casings of .45-caliber pistol. The motive of the killing is still unknown, but Huesca said police launched an investigation into the murder. (Mindanao Examiner)

4

The Mindanao Examiner

Feb. 17-23, 2014

Sulu cooperatives hinimok na pagtibayin at palaganapin

Arthur de la Merced shows prawn and crabs affected by White spot syndrome in Vitali village in Zamboanga City in southern Philippines. Fishpond operators are complaining about the spread of the disease. (Mindanao Examiner Photo – E. Dumabo)

White spot syndrome hits Zamboanga village ZAMBOANGA CITY - A lethal and contagious virus has killed shrimps and crabs in many fishponds on a village in Zamboanga City in southern Philippines and local officials have ordered an investigation into the origin of the infection.

Government experts blamed White spot syndrome for the infection that is creeping in Vitali village and has affected fishpond owners, but local legislators wanted more studies and tests after some villagers living near the river developed skin rashes and fear that a mining company conducting exploration in the area may be dumping toxic chemicals into streams.

But Atro Mining said it has not started operation in Vitali and denied allegations blaming the company for the spread of the disease.

“Our company categorically and vehemently denies all these unfounded

allegations and hasty generalizations without first looking at the facts and making scientific investigations. Amid this threat to the fishpond sector, which is also happening elsewhere, our company is saddened by the recent events as it affects the livelihood of Vitali residents especially those who rely on the fishpond industry.

However, it is disheartening to note that this unfortunate incident is being linked by some people, for whatever reasons, to our company as the cause of the said viral infestations,” it said.

Atro Mining said it is still on the exploration stage of its iron ore project in Vitali and in the conduct of the exploration activities, the company is not using any form of chemicals.

White spot syndrome is a viral infection killing shrimps and even crabs quickly.

According to the Journal of Virology of the Ameri-

The Mindanao Examiner Media, Film and Television Productions Maritess Fernandez Publisher/Executive Producer (On Leave) Al Jacinto Editor-in-Chief/Producer (OIC) Ahmed Baldomero Joanna Valerie Wee Graphics/Video Editor Mindanao Examiner Productions Web Master REGIONAL PARTNERS Mindanao Daily Business Week Mindanao Star NEWS/ADVERTISING OFFICES Mark Navales Central Mindanao Richard Suarez Pagadian City Zamboanga del Sur

Alan Navales North- South Cotabato Maguindanao, Sultan Kudarat

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS: Richard Falcatan Basilan Province Ely Dumaboc Zamboanga Peninsula The Mindanao Examiner Regional Newspaper is published weekly in Mindanao, Philippines.

The Mindanao Examiner Television is broadcast in KISMET Cable TV and Pagadian Cable Television Channel 63.

Our business and editorial offices are located at Units 15, 3rd Floor, Fair Land Bldg., Nuñez St., Zamboanga City Phone & fax: 062- 9925480 Mobile: 0917-7103642 URL: mindanaoexaminer.com E-mail: mindanaoexaminer@gmail.com

can Society for Microbiology, White spot syndrome virus occurs worldwide and causes high mortality and considerable economic damage to the shrimp farming industry and has no adequate treatments against this virus are available.

The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry of Australia said the virus is known to occur in fresh, brackish and marine water and rapid mortalities have been reported in many countries of up to 80% or more within three to 10 days.

It said viral multiplication and disease appears to be induced by environmental and handling stress such as eye-stalk ablation, spawning, moulting, and changes in salinity, temperature and pH and during plankton blooms.

It added that all life stages are potentially susceptible, from eggs to broodstock and that the virus transmission occurs from infected broodstock via cannibalism of sick or dying prawns, or directly through contaminated water. Birds can also transmit the disease from pond to pond by releasing caught prawns over neighbouring ponds. (With a report from E. Dumabo)

HINIMOK ni Sulu Governor Totoh Tan ang nagtataglay ng pinakamataas na antas ng mga ibat-ibamg stakeholders sa lalawigan kahirapan. Kami po ay naniniwala na ang na pagtibayin at palaganapin ang kooperatiba ay isa sa mga hakbangin na kooperatiba upang lalong paunlarin ang kahi’t sa munting paraan mapagkalooban mga industriyang nakikinabang dito at ang ating mga taong-bayan na magkaroon makatulong sa kabuuang aspeto ng ng inisiyatibo at kaalaman at sama-samang makapagpundar para maka-ahon at ekonomiya.

Si Tan ang nagsilbing keynote and maibsan ang mga hamon ng mahirap na pamumuhay. The guest speaker sa Provincial Governkadaraos lamang ment is consistent na 4th General Asin calling for comsembly ng Sulu munity involveProvincial Coopment in efforts erative Union leading to the over(SPCU). Sa temang all progress and de“Sulu Provincial velopment of the Cooperative province,” dagdag Union, a driving pa ni Tan. force for SocioSinabi ni Tan economic Develna patuloy nitong opment,” ay bibigyan ng praSinigurado ni Tan yoridad ang proang suporta ng mosyon ng kook a n y a n g peratiba tulad ng administrasyon sa ginawa ng kanyang pagpapatibay ng ama upang lalong kooperatiba sa mahimok ang lalawigan. m a r a m i n g Punuri rin nito mamamayan sa ang dating goveribat-ibang sektor na nor ng Sulu na si bumuo ng koopeSakur Tan, na ratiba at pakinangayon ay ang vice Sulu Gov. Totoh Tan bangan ito ng mas governor ng lalawigan dahil sa malaking naiambag nito nakakarami.

“Ang pama-halaang panlala-wigan, sa sa pagpapatibay ng kooperatiba dito sa ilalim pangangasiwa ng inyong abang kanyang kapanahunan.

“Cooperative development in Sulu lingkod ay patuloy na susuporta sa lahat ng took a turn for the better when former Gov- mga hakbangin sa ikabubuti ng ating mga ernor Abdusakur M. Tan issued Executive taong-bayan at lalawigan. Malaki ang aming Order No. 1 creating Task Force Coopera- pagtitiwala na ang Sulu Provincial Cooperative so that the creation of cooperatives at tive Union ay higit pang magtatagumpay sa the barangay and community level will be mga adhikain na inilaan nilang organized in an orderly and effective man- gagampanan. I hope you will have a successner. The Executive Order was a milestone ful assembly and make the right choices in as far as cooperative development in Sulu selecting the people who will lead the union is concerned. It is indeed a remarkable feat. towards a brighter horizon,” sabi pa nito.

Sa ngayon ay may 82 affiliates cooperaBilang bagong punong ehekutibo ng lalawigan ng Sulu, nagpapasalamat po ako tives ang SPCU. Kabilang sa mga dumalo sa general asna namana ko ang malakas at masiglang mga kooperatiba na kalat na ngayon sa sembly ay sina Abdulrashid D. Ladayo, Sr., buong lalawigan,” ani Tan sa kanyang ng regional administrator ng Cooperative Development Authority-ARMM; Celia L. talumpati.

“Ang maraming bilang ng mga Atienza, presidente ng League of Cooperakooperatiba sa ilalim ng SPCU ay isa pong tive Officers of the Philippines; Rehamna M. malaking palatandaan ng matagumpay na Espinosa, pinuno ng Amanah Islamic Bank pamamalakad, pangangasiwa at gabay na sa Jolo; Laneli F. Elum, manager ng Land ipinagkakaloob ng unyon sa mga kasapi Bank of the Philippines sa Jolo; at mga Board nito. Ang kahirapan po at mga hamon sa of Directors at opisyal ng SPCU at mga pang araw-araw na pamumuhay ng mga miyembro ng affiliate cooperatives at mga mamamayan ay isa pong national concern, bisita mula sa ibat-ibang sektor sa Sulu. (Ahlat ang rehiyon ng ARMM ay kabilang sa Franze Salinas)

5

The Mindanao Examiner

Feb. 17-23, 2014

Special anti-kidnapping task force formed in Sulu province SULU – Police authorities and the Sulu provincial government have put up a special anti-kidnapping task force to address the threats of kidnappings and abductions here.

Gov. Totoh Tan, who was invited as speaker to a recent seminar on “Community Awareness and Actions on Kidnap for Ransom” held at the Sulu Area Coordinating Center, said the creation of the Special Anti-Kidnapping Task ForceSulu is long overdue “if we take into consideration the spate of incidences in the province, but nevertheless, as they say, better late than never.”

“Ang mga hakbangin po tulad ng pagsugpo sa kaganapan ng mga kidnapping ay hindi lamang po nakasalalay sa ating mga kapulisan at kasundaluhan. Ang mga lokal na pamahalaan at ating mga komunidad at taong-bayan ay dapat rin po na gampanan ang kanilang bahagi kaagapay ng ating sektor sa seguridad upang magkaroon ng tagumpay sa pagsugpo at paglutas ng mga

Sulu Gov. Totoh Tan and provincial police chief Abraham Orbita and other members of the anti-kidnapping task force. (Mindanao Examiner Photo - Ahl-Franzie Salinas) insidente ng kidnapping na lubusang nakasira sa pangalan

at reputasyon lalawigan.”

ng

ating

“ Ang mga nangyari sa Sulu, kung ito’y mangyari sa mga

lungsod ng Kabisayaan at Luzon ay sari-saring ingay na ang maririnig natin sa telebisyon at sa mga kalsada upang maiparating sa mga kinauukulan ang mga naisin ng tao sa kanilang kapaligiran.

Bagama’t ang mga tao natin ay hindi matimpi at hindi masyadong lantad sa kanilang mga napupuna, hindi po ibig sabihin na ang kanilang pagsasawalang-kibo ay palatandaan ng kanilang pagsang-ayon sa mga pangyayari,” ani Tan sa talumpati nito.

Tan, in one media interview, said many kidnapped victims were taken from other provinces and cities only to bring and hide them here and dragging the province to a situation that gives a bad impression to the peace and order situation in Sulu.

The seminar was attended by various municipal governments, non-governmental organizations, traders and business groups, police and militar y, among others. (AhlFranzie Salinas)

PHL pursues peaceful dialogue 3 NPA tigok sa militar sa Compostela with HK over deaths of tourists MANILA - The Philippines government said achieving understanding and closure, and not retaliation, will be the guiding principle in dealing with the diplomatic sanctions imposed recently

by Hong Kong over the failure of President Aquino to apologize over the death of 8 tourists in a hostage crisis in Manila in 2010.

Hong Kong has revoked visa-free privileges for holders of official Philippine passports after Aquino rejected anew fresh appeals from Filipino lawmakers and various groups to apologize.

“Sa anumang sitwasyon na may pag-kakaiba ng pananaw, ano ba ang magpapalapit sa posisyon, ano ba ang option na dapat tahakin para madagdagan imbis na mabawasan ang pagti-tiwala at pagkakaunawaan? (Ang) retaliatory options, kabahagi ba sila ng magpapalapit sa pagkakaunawaan o papalayo doon (In situations where there is a difference of opinion, what will bring the parties closer to an understanding and what would lessen trust and understand-

ing? Will retaliatory options bring us closer or move us far away from an understanding)?” asked Herminio Coloma, a government spokesman.

“Ang focus ay sa hakbang na makapagpalapit sa pagkaroon ng pagkaunawaan at pagkalinga sa mga affected families. Yan ang primary concern natin (Our focus is to reach an understanding and help the affected families.

That is our primary concern),” he said, adding both sides are still continuing to engage each other through continuing dialogues and conversations that hopefully would lead to achieving mutually satisfactory results and closure.

Coloma said the government is pursuing all avenues for the possible attainment of closure on the matter. He said the focus now is on being able to provide direct support to the affected families, which is part of the framework for reaching and understanding.

He said that in the face of all recent developments, the Philippine government

remains determined to pursue the attainment of a mutual agreement and reassured Filipinos working in Hong Kong that the Aquino government is prepared to help them and ensure their rights, including those of ease of travel and employment opportunities.

“Kaya sinasabi natin naghahanda naman ang ating pamahalaan ng karampatang hakbang para tiyakin ang kapakanan ng ating mamamayan ay mapa-ngalagaan (The government is preparing the proper steps to uphold the welfare of Filipinos),” he said.

“Hindi natin makokontrol ang action ng external parties (We cannot control the actions of external parties).

We can only control our response to these issues.”

Hong Kong’s demanded for an apology stemmed from the August 2010 crisis where a dismissed policeman took a busload of tourists hostage to demand his reinstatement.

The policeman and eight of the tourists were killed in a failed police rescue operation.

NOTICE Please report to us any individual or persons who are illegally soliciting money or donations for or in behalf of THE MINDANAO EXAMINER REGIONAL NEWSPAPER and/ or MINDANAO EXAMINER TELEVISION – PAGADIAN CITY. We have a strict company policy against solicitation in any forms and the Company shall not be responsible for illegal practice of unscrupulous persons, who pass themselves off as Reporter, Stringer, Correspondent or Sales Executive of The Mindanao Examiner.

When in doubt, please call or SMS us at these numbers (062) 9925480 or SMS (0917) 7103642 or email us – mindanaoexaminer@gmail.com

DAVAO CITY – Patay ang tatlong rebelde at sugatan naman ang isang sundalo sa panibagong sagupaan sa grupo ng New People’s Army sa Compostela Valley province sa Mindanao.

Sinabi ni Capt.

Alberto Caber, ang spokesman ng Eastern Mindanao Command, na umabot ng isang oras ang labanan sa Barangay Casoon sa bayan ng Monkayo na kung saan ay humihingi diumano ng salapi ang NPA sa mga

mamamayan.

Nabawi naman ng mga tropa ng 25th Infantry Battalion ang dalawang automatic rifles, dalawang landmines, 200 metro ng detonating cord at mga medical kit at sari-saring mga kagamitan, kabilang ang mga anti-government propaganda.

“Tuloy-tuloy yun operation natin sa area at hinahanap natin yun iba pang mga pampasabog ng mga rebelde,” ani Caber sa Mindanao Examiner.

Pinuri rin ni Lt. Gen.

Ricardo Rainier Cruz III, pinuno ng Eastern Mindanao Command, ang tropa sa pagkakabawi sa mga bomba na mahigpit na ipinagbabawal ang gamit nito sa buong mundo.

Kamakalawa lamang ay anim na sundalo ang sugatan sa labanan sa NPA sa Digos City sa Davao del Sur na kung saan ay patuloy ang banta ng rebeldeng grupo laban sa militar at pamahalaan. (Mindanao Examiner)

NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC This is to inform the public that Pilar Gina Fernando is no longer connected with the Mindanao Examiner Newspaper and Television effective May 15, 2013.

Any transaction entered by Pilar Gina Fernando shall not be honored by the company.

HR Department 062-9925480 Email mindanaoexaminer@gmail.com

The Mindanao Examiner

7

The Mindanao Examiner

Feb. 17-23, 2014

Sulu village gets farm mesh wire

SULU – The Sulu provincial government handed over more than a dozen rolls of hinge joint wires to a village in the town of Maimbung to help local residents protect their farms.

The mesh wire used for farm fencing was handed over by Gov. Totoh Tan to Tanduh Patong village chieftain Nurhusin Apah and village council man Muid Asjali.

The officials, who repre-

sented their village during a simple handover ceremony, praised Tan for supporting agricultural projects in Tanduh Patong.

In return, Tan urged local villagers to sustain their farm through various agricultural methods and told them to plant different varieties of fruit trees, among others and strengthen cooperatives in the town. (AhlFranzie Salinas)

Rebels bomb power pylon in Maguindanao COTABATO CITY – Suspected rebels bombed, but failed to topple a power pylon in the southern Philippine province of Maguindanao.

The 6th Infantry Division has blamed the attack on the tower to the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters who are waging a separatist war in the restive region of Mindanao.

It said the bombing targeted the steel pylon of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines in the town of Sultan Kudarat.

No individual or group

claimed responsibility for the attack, but previous bombings of power pylons were also blamed by the army to the larger Moro Islamic Liberation Front which is currently negotiating peace with Manila.

NGCP is a private corporation solely responsible for the operation and maintenance of the country’s power transmission network.

Last September, rebels also blasted a steel pylon in the same town cutting electricity supply in several provinces. (Mindanao Examiner)

Maimbung's Tanduh Patong officials pose with Sulu Gov. Totoh Tan with donated mesh wires. (Mindanao Examiner Photo - Ahl-Franzie Salinas)

Van carrying athletes rolls down Zamboanga cliff ZAMBOANGA CITY – A van carrying mostly athletes flee in a cliff in the town of Buug in the south-

6 soldiers wounded in NPA clash in Davao del Sur DAVAO CITY – The Philippine military said six soldiers were injured in clash with communist rebels in the southern region of Mindanao where insurgents are fighting for decades for the establishment of a separate state.

Capt. Alberto Caber, a spokesman for the Eastern Mindanao Command, said the fighting erupted in Digos City in Davao del Sur province. Citing reports from the 10th Infantry Division, Caber said several members of the New People’s Army were believed killed or wounded in the fighting.

“We have six soldiers wounded in the battle and there could be more casualties on the enemy side,” Caber told the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner.

The rebels detonated a roadside bomb while troops were patrolling a village and sparking a gun battle in the area. Caber said villagers provided information to the military about the presence of gunmen extorting money from locals.

Lt. Gen. Ricardo Rainier Cruz III, the Eastern Mindanao Command chief, condemned the

Photo released by the Eastern Mindanao Command to the Mindanao Examiner show troops helping a wounded soldier out from a chopper. rebels' continued use of landmines, saying, the NPA violated an accord that banned the use of landmines in the country.

The Geneva Convention also banned the use of landmines, he said.

Security forces have launched a follow up operation against the insurgents who broke into smaller groups and fled to the hills.

The small offensive coin-

cided with the visit of Philippine military chief Emmanuel Bautista at the Eastern Mindanao Command in Davao.

Caber said the arrival of Bautista was part of his visits to all unified commands in order to directly oversee their respective operational thrust in connection with the implementation of the Internal Peace Security Plan called “Bayanihan.”

Communist groups and leftist activists have blamed “Oplan: Bayanihan,” the government’s anti-insurgency campaign, to the deaths of innocent civilians caught in the military offensive in the region. The military has strongly denied the accusations and branded them as communist propaganda.

Lt. Gen. Ricardo Rainier Cruz III, the Eastern Mindanao Command chief, briefed Bautista on the progress of the Bayanihan.

Caber said Bautista praised Cruz for the success of the Bayanihan in Mindanao and for continuously winning the peace in the region.

The NPA, armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, have vowed to launch punitive actions against military forces and government targets in Mindanao. (Mindanao Examiner)

ern Philippine province of Zamboanga Sibugay and killing its driver and injuring 14 passengers, police said.

Police said the van was on its way to Marawi City in Lanao del Sur province to bring the athletes to the venue of the annual sports competition of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Athletic Association.

The athletes were part of a delegation from Sulu province, police said, adding the driver Abdulajid Lukman, a resident of Zamboanga City, lost control of the wheel on a curve road and fell into a cliff.

“Initial investigation revealed that the driver had lost his control of the vehicle on the curve road and rolled down the cliff. The driver was instantly killed and his passengers were also injured in the accident,”

Chief Inspector Ariel Huesca, a regional police spokesman, told The Manila Times.

The wounded, including teachers and a school nurse, were rushed to hospital.

They were identified as Ayub Ramsani, Kuril Taludjud, Nurhaima Ramsani, Ramsani Mahmud – all teachers; and Andan Tammang, a sports assistant; school nurse Nur Aina Ramsani, and the student athletes Ferdiliza Ainul, Alhaina Banbon, Marhama Sarri, Ummal Nabri, Rasma Mahmud, Gerry Hamin, Arjaida Atiulla and Alhaina Bando.

The regional sports competition is a project of the Department of Education of the autonomous government which is participated by Basilan, Sulu, TawiTawi, Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao. (E. Dumabo)

Twister hits Philippine village A TORNADO hit a village in Zamboanga City in southern Philippines, destroying a warehouse and a nearby house and injuring one man who was hit by debris, police said.

Police said the twister appeared in the village of Tugbungan, surprising residents in the area who claimed the tornado just ripped off the warehouse from its base and damaged a neighboring house.

A 52-year old man, Kimbok Lindangan, was rushed to hospital after being hit on the head by debris in the village.

“It was quick and in a matter of several seconds it’s all gone and destroyed the warehouse and another house. It’s scar y alright,” one villager

said.

Last year, ten people were killed – six of them children and two other minors went missing, after their pump boat was hit by a twister in the middle of the Liguasan Marsh in the southern Philippine province of Maguindanao.

The victims were heading home when the powerful tornado swooped down on them.

A tornado also hit a small southern Philippine town of Kabasalan in Zamboanga Sibugay province and destroyed the roof of the main market and damaged several small stalls, including the garage of the local police headquarters. (Mindanao Examiner)

For all your publications and advertisements in Pagadian City and Zamboanga del Sur, please call Richard Suarez 062-2142706 and 0910-7348600

8

The Mindanao Examiner

Dakung premyo hustong paghipos sa mga basura DAVAO ORIENTAL – Mogahin og dakung kantidad si Mayor Justina Yu dinhi nga lungsod sa San Isidro aron iganti ngadto sa mga barangay nga aktibo ug maayong modumala sa hustong paghipos sa mga basura.

Kini ang gibutyag ni Mayor Yu atubangan sa mga kapitanes ug sa sobra 200 ka mga Barangay Health Workers (BHWs) nga nanambong sa oryentasyon mahitungod sa hustong paagi sa pagdumala sa basura nga gipahigayon didto sa Convention Center dinhi nga lungsod.

Matud pa sa Mayor nga kinahanglan gayud nga hatagan og dakung gibug-aton ang paghipos sa mga basura sa husto nga paagi ug kinahanglang ang dakung pag-abag sa mga opisyales sa barangay ug mga purok.

Si Mayor Tina Yu nga bag-ohay pa lamang nahibalik gikan sa pagtambong sa usa ka tigum didto sa Manila, iyang giingon nga sa mao nga tigum daghang mga Kabinete ni Pangulong Pnoy Aquino nga nanambong usab ug nangumosta kaniya kung unsa nay iyang lakang karon mahitungod sa Solid Waste Management (SWM).

“Didto kami nagtigum

sa isa ka 5-Star Hotel sa Manila ug ang gihimo nga flower base sa mao nga hotel mao ang plastic nga basiyo sa baligyang tubig, gikuha ang panit nga maska sa tubig, gipulihan og putos, gibutangan og balas unya gisoksokan sa mga bulak ug mao ang

Mayor Justina Yu gidekorasyon pagdispley ibabaw sa mga lamesa,” matud sa Mayor.

Karong umaabot nga bulan sa Hunyo, isaulog ang Araw ng San Isidro ug adunay indigay nga pagahimuon ug gantihan ang pinaka-epektibong magduma sa paghipos sa basura ug sa paghimo og mga butang ginamit ang mga mapuslan pa nga basura, sila gantihan.

Matud pa ni Mayor Yu nga ang unang mananaog nga barangay makadawat og ganti nga dili moubos sa P50 ka libo.

Ang mga kawani gikan sa buhatan ni Gobernador

Corazon Malanyaon sa kapitolyo partikular sa Environment and Natural Heritage Center pinangulohan ni Provincial Government Assistant Department Head Dolores Valdesco ug sa Environment and Natural Resources Office pinangulohan ni OIC-ENRO Dante Ganir nga naglangkob nila Sarx Lanos, Leo Gene Solamo, Torts Valles ug Nestor Silva Llana inabagan sa mga kawani sa Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office sa San Isidro nga sila MENRO Jose Dela Cruz ug Maryjane Yap, sila nanudlo sa mga Kapitanes ug mga BHW unsaon pagila ug paglahi-lahi sa nagkalainlaing klase sa basura.

Ang mga BHW manghatag og selopen matag panimalay aron sudlan sa basura matag adlaw sulod sa tulo ka adlaw ug timbangon aron sayron kung unsa kadaghan ang basura matag panimlay.

Gitumong kini nga lihok aron mahibaw-an kung unsa kadaghan ang basura nga dili na gayud mapuslan sulod sa tibuok lungsod aron himuong basehan sa gidak-on nga pagahimuon nga sanitary landfill o kaha controlled dump facility. (Cesar Lanos)

Feb. 17-23, 2014

WANN A HA VE Y OUR O WN NEWSLETTER? WANNA HAVE YOUR OWN Are you in a corporation, a company, a club or organization, a school or institution, church or religious group, in government or cooperative? Make your own NEWSLETTER now!

Why send your press releases when you can have your own NEWSLETTER just like APER this NEWSP NEWSPAPER APER? No more expensive magazines as your quarterly or monthly NEWSLETTER when you can have a cheaper alternative just like APER this NEWSP NEWSPAPER APER! Mindanao Examiner Productions offer NEWSLETTER printing at a very low price.

AYOUT and we And it comes with FREE L LA can even make a digital copy of your NEWSLETTER also for FREE FREE! We will also assist you in editing your articles for FREE FREE! For inquiry, call us now at (062) 992-5480 or 0917-7103642 or email us at mindanaoexaminer@gmail.com

Farmers' peaceful rally dispersed near Presidential Palace MANILA - Policemen and soldiers dispersed a peaceful rally of farmers outside a road leading to the Presidential Palace in Manila.

The farmers - who are members of the Task Force Mapalad - were demanding the Aquino government to fully implement the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).

Task Force Mapalad President Alberto Jayme said they trooped to Manila from various provinces to seek an audience with President Benigno Aquino and remind him of his promises made in June 2012 that he will distribute lands to CARP beneficiaries.

Jayme said the backlog for land acquisition and distribution has risen and the accomplishment rate has hit rock bottom and

that they see the impossibility of government meeting the agrarian reform mandate.

He said: “We had asked for a revamp at Department of Agrarian Reform in 2012, but government did not want it, as if it were changing horses in midstream.

We agreed. The result has been calamitous. The accomplishment rate in Negros Island alone was 8.5 percent from 2010 to 2012.”

He said it is now too late for the Aquino to seek dialogues when it had engaged in such dialogues since 2010 but “its action did not match its words.”

“We wanted a dialogue and what we got were bruises and aching bodies after the Presidential Security Group and the police ganged up on us, as if they do not want us to submit a

letter to the President that contains our grievances,” Jayme said in a statement sent to the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner.

The farmers also assailed government spokesman Hermino Coloma for saying that work is being undertaken to address the issues raised by TFM. “There has been a glut of dialogues in the past two years, and we have been shuttling from department to department and from office to office to see to it that notices of coverage are issued and Certificates of Landownership Awards registered,” Jayme said.

“We had a dialogue with the President and what we heard was the promise of Mr. Aquino that we would have land within a year. That was in 2012. We also heard the President tell

Policemen and soldiers disperse farmers near Presidential Palace in Manila.

us that who among the people at the Department of Agrarian Reform are not achieving their targets and those who need to work diligently. We also talked with Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman and Budget Secretary Butch Abad, and we even cooperated with a multi-stakeholder task force that would monitor the compliance of the DAR with the promises made by the President,” he added.

Jayme told Coloma that thousands of farmers have become more disgruntled as DAR Secretary Virgilio de los Santos not only turned back the hands of time by imposing Administrative Orders 7 and 9 that stopped CARP implementation dead in its tracks.

De los Santos allegedly barred DAR personnel from proceeding with the distribution of lands to the farmers in areas still subject to judicial dispute or when the landowners are determined to block the CARP implementation.

A g r a r i a n Undersecretary Jose Grageda, who promised to proceed with the installation of farmers and the registration of CLOAs, also has failed miserably in subjecting areas considered to be least contentious to the coverage of CARP, Jayme said.

“The undersecretary has becoming a most promising official and he continues to promise the completion of CARP barely four months before it ends

officially,” Jayme said, adding “Undersecretary Anthony Parungao had countermanded the Supreme Court and the DAR Secretary by stopping action on the Rabat property in Davao Oriental, arguing that the large hacienda in the province is the subject of an appeal for exemption before the Office of the President.”

The exclusive jurisdiction of the DAR has, indeed, been compromised by this latest legal theory promoted

by Parungao since the law is clear that only the DAR Secretary has the authority to pass judgment on properties that are within the ambit of CARP and those that are not, Jayme said.

De los Reyes was also accused of lawyering for landlords, with Mindanao farmers saying he was responsible for land conversions and the inexplicable delay in the LAD component of CARP. De los Reyes had been a "weakling" and "wishywashy" DAR secretary, claimed the TFM farmers from Batangas, who also denounced the secretary, their provincemate, "for being at the beck and call of wealthy landlowners."

The Mindanao farmers had been particularly aghast at De los Reyes' allowing one big landowning family in Davao Oriental control of their large parcel of land since they are pleading with the Office of the President to exempt their land from CARP. Another family, also of

Davao Oriental, wants to retain part of their holdings on the pretext that it would be converted to industrial use, the actual operation of which never required a big parcel of land, and De los Reyes acceded to this plea, Jayme said.

Farmers have called on De los Reyes to resign for allegedly failing to do his job.

The farmers supported the January 22 letter of 10 Roman Catholic prelates and hundreds of organizations pushing for another CARP continuation. In their letter, the various groups covered CARP's June 30, 2014 deadline, strategic directions, rising human rights violations in rural areas and the commitments of the Aquino administration on agrarian reform.

They said the proposed law, crafted in December 2013, gives a two-year breathing spell for CARP and would permit the administration to work "full steam ahead" in completing the task of distributing land to landless peasants.

The CARP backers said the issuance of notices of coverage must likewise be extended.

Jayme's group has been hounding De los Reyes to work harder in issuing notices of coverage to all parcels of land covered by CARP but the issuances of NOCs, but he had not acted on it and because of this farmers nationwide have resorted to mass actions to denounce the the government's failure to implement the CARP.

Feb. 17-23, 2014

9

The Mindanao Examiner

Zamboanga City is venue of 9th Philippine Birds Festival

Gina Mapua and Michael Lu, of the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines, speak to journalists in Zamboanga City. (Mindanao Examiner Photo – E. Dumabo)

THE SOUTHERN FILIPINO port city of Zamboanga is the venue of this year’s 9th Philippine Birds Festival and the three-day event is expected to draw various wildlife photographers and bird watchers not only in the country, but from other nations.

This year’s theme is “Pajaros: Bula Sin Miedo, Sin Lingasa” (sic) which translates to “Birds: Fly without fear, without worries.” (Pajaros: Volar sin miedo, sin preoccupaciones).

Gina Mapua and Michael Lu, from the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines, have visited Zamboanga City where they met with local government officials and the local media and briefed them about bird watching in the country.

“Zamboanga is a fantastic city for bird watching,” Mapua, president of the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines, said.

Bird watchers are also expected to climb Mount Baluno. Mapua’s group would also hold a series of lectures for high school students at Paseo del Mar Park and bird watching trips in Pasonanca Park.

Zamboanga is famous for the thousands of birds that seek shelter in high tension wires at dusk and fly at the break of dawn to find food in marshes and forests around here. The Pasonanca Park here, which is one of the oldest forests in the southern Philippines, is not only rich biodiversity but is also home to various bird species, some of them are even endemic to the region.

Documentation un-

dertaken by international and local ornithologists has recorded not less than 200 bird species in Pasonanca and for this reason the park is classified as an important bird area in the country and is considered as one of the bird watching destination in the Philippines.

The bird festival - an annual event organized by the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines and participated by its more than 200 members from all over the country and members of other wild bird clubs in the ASEAN region - starts on February 28 and ends on March 1.

It was originally scheduled on October 4 and 5 at the Paseo del Mar, but a rebel attack in several villages here in September shelved the project. (E. Dumabo)

ARMM attracts new investor, introduces ABSCOR Multi-Trading Co. Continued fr om P age 10 from Page

country as well. We are also seriously looking into the manufacturing sector – among them the processing of seaweeds which ABSCOR can export, we will deal with agricultural and marine products, construction and hardware materials, food stuff and groceries, including scrap metals – those would be our main line of business,” he added.

Menor said their company would also provide jobs, aside from their social responsibility or commitment to the communities or in areas where they operate.

“There is a lot projects and programs that we are now working on and we also would like to do our share in helping the country, in nation building and promote the ARMM, the Philippines in other countries as a place to come and invest and in the end, it is our people who will reap the fruits of all our labor,” he said.

Menor said they are concentrating their import-export business in

BIMP-EAGA which consists of Brunei Darussalam, Central Kalimantan, North Sulawesi, South Sulawesi, Maluku, Sabah and Sarawak states and the Federal Territory of Labuan in Malaysia. East and West Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, Central Sulawesi, Southeast Sulawesi, Irian Jaya in Indonesia, and Mindanao and Palawan province in the Philippines.

BIMP-EAGA is eyed as a major location in ASEAN of high value-added agroindustry; natural resource- based manufacturing, and high-grade tourism as well as non resource-based industries.

Mastura said they recognize ABSCOR's trading activities in the BIMPEAGA.During the consultation, Mastura urged dozens of investors and traders to explore new investment opportunities in the autonomous region.

He said last year the top company to register with the Board of Investment with P707 million worth of investments was nickel-mining operator, Al

Tawitawi Nickel Corporation in Tawi-Tawi province in the Sulu Archipelago and that two other nickel-mining firms operating there are set to register with them.

Mastura said oil palm plantations and infrastructure projects are being eyed by the Board of Investment as sources of more investments for the Muslim autonomous region, adding palm oil is a leading industry in Malaysia. He said the year 2013 finished with a resounding investment boom in the region with a record of P1.463 billion.

He said that the new investments are mostly from local investors, who are registering with theRBOI because of their increased confidence in the improving peace and order situation in the area, brought about by the success of the peace negotiations. “We are actually getting more inquiries about how to invest in the ARMM than is usual from foreign companies,” he said. (With a report from E. Dumabo)

ABSCOR Multi-Trading Company President Abraham Menor and his wife, Mrs. Corazon Lao, with Malaysian partners. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)

Advertising Department Tel. (062) 9925480

Founded 2006

mindanaoexaminer.com

FOR ADVERTISEMENTS, PLEASE CALL (062) 9925480

P10

Feb. 17-23, 2014

ARMM ATTRACTS NEW INVESTOR, INTRODUCES ABSCOR MULTI-TRADING CO.

ABSCOR Multi-Trading Company President Abraham Menor and his wife with Malaysian partners - Hajja Sidang Ahmad, of Rosita Enterprises; Raiza Zainal Abidin, of Raiza Enterprises, and Susan Binti Ladjaguni, of Susan Hardware Enterprises.

And Mr. Abraham Menor with lawyer Ishak Mastura, Chairman and Managing Head of ARMM Board of Investment.

(Mindanao Examiner Photo) A NE W MUL TINEW MULTITRADING C OMP ANY COMP OMPANY in the M uslim autonoMuslim mous rregion egion is expected to br ing mor e inv estbring more investments in M indanao and Mindanao a gr eat oppor tunity for great opportunity Philippines to sho wcase show its pr oducts abr oad, par products abroad, par-ticularly in S outheast Southeast Asia.

This, after the Board of Investment in the Muslim autonomous region announced the entry of ABSCOR Multi-Trading Company to its growing list of investors.

ARMM

ABSCOR stands for ASEAN Business System Company Organizing Resources.

Lawyer Ishak Mastura, the BOI Chairman and Managing Head, said the entry of the new trading firm only shows the region is improving drastically in terms of investors’ confidence and improved economic condition in the area brought about by reforms in the government, among other factors.

“We are working really to attract investors and

with the entry of ABSCOR, we are sure that more and more companies are coming to invest in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao,” he said during a consultation with various Filipino and Malaysian investors in Zamboanga City.

Muctar Muarip, who sits in the Board of Governor of the Board of Investment, said with ABSCOR, the economic trading in areas where it operates is likely to improve because goods would now be readily available to the

Southern Mindanao

Davao

consumers.

ABSCOR president Abraham Menor said he and his Malaysian and Filipino partners were elated over the assistance provided by the Board of Investments in the registration of their company.

Menor said his Malaysian partners, who are respected and reputable business people in Sabah, were also present in the investment meeting. Among them were Hajja Sidang Ahmad, of Rosita Enterprises; Raiza Zainal Abidin,

Manila

of Raiza Enterprises, and Susan Binti Ladjaguni, of Susan Hardware Enterprises.

He said ABSCOR has set up headquarters in Port Holland in Maluso town in Basilan, one of five provinces under the Muslim autonomous region; and another satellite office in Zamboanga City, just several nautical miles south of Basilan.

“We are trading company that deals with import and export in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and

this is also one way to help small traders who are not capable or cannot put up their own firm, but now through ABSCOR MultiTrading Company, we can help them in importing or exporting products and commodities to other countries and vice versa,” Menor said.

“Our aim now is to strengthen ABSCOR and help in the economy, not only in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, but the whole Continue to P age 9 Page

Zamboanga Peninsula