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MINDANAO DAILY T H E P U RV E YO R O F T R U T H , J U S T I C E , A N D D E V E LO P M E N T
2016: The year that was Volume VI, No. 177
Website: www.mindanaodailynews.com
Saturday
December 31, 2016
P15.00
A1
A Yearend Review COMPILED BY ALLAN M. MEDIANTE, Editor In Chief
The series of tragedies that have befallen this country this year, has led many to believe that this is the “ugliest year.” A Worst Drought coupled with massacre: A mature and “strong” El Niño from December 2015 to February 2016 led to severe drought which hit Mindanao provinces, particularly North Cotabato. More than 60 provinces including the provinces in Mindanao were affected by the end of April. PAGASA in its drought/dry spell assessment reported that 11 provinces were affected by dry spell and 1 province by drought in Mindanao. Bullets instead of rice The drought led Kidapawan farmers to stage a protest over the government’s no action on their hunger. But a violent dispersal of protesters on April 1, 2016 left three farmers dead and around 200 others wounded. Now deceased, former senator Miriam Santiago who was then running for president said the government should be held accountable for the tragic incident. Santiago who was in the thick of the presidential campaign said: “It is vile enough that this administration has failed to support the farmers and lumads of Kidapawan during the prolonged drought in Mindanao,” “But it is downright inhuman for them to shoot at the same people begging for help.” Santiago lambasted the Aquino administration for lack of compassion when it answers pleas for help with bursts of gunshot.” Mayor Rodrigo Duterte said, on the incident, that the government had been
“impervious to the suffering of the people.” “Duterte said the blood of the victims was on President Benigno Aquino III’s hands and that he cannot escape blame and responsibility for the “barbaric” PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS incident — alluding to other infamous events like the Mamasapano encounter, Hacienda Luisita clash and the so-called Mendiola massacre.,” a report stated. “It all the more becomes more tragic and despicable that the same bloodline that benefited from the ESDA 1986 revolt have soiled their hands with the blood and tears of the Filipino people that allowed them into power,” Duterte said as he called the Aquino-Cojuangco clan a symbol of the landlord class or ruling elite. Global Woes Even in the global arena, FLOODS 2016 was dubbed as the worst ever due to : Brexit (British exit), Donald Trump’s election as US president, and the rise of atrocities committed by the ISIS. These, the observers, say could change the economic and political life of the ingernational communities. In the Philippines, however, many predicted that the election of Davao City mayor Rodrigo Duterte as President in the May 2016 hotly-contested elections is the realization of the long-dreamed CHANGE for the better life of Filipinos. Duterte’s landslide victory with a whopping 16 million votes was seen as the chance of Mindanao to be in the frontline of national See yearend, page A7 TYPHOON DESTROYS BOSTON, DAVAO
KIDAPAWAN MASSACRE
DROUGHT IN NORTH COTABATO
DELIMA CONTROVERSY
MINDANAO KIDS SUFFER IN ARMED CONFLICTS
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