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
Solon backs Lopez order to close 23 mining firms Volume VI, No. 205
Website: www.mindanaodailynews.com
Monday
February 6, 2017
NBI-11: None of us is corrupt
By RUEL V. PELONE of Mindanao Daily News and ROEL N. CATOTO of MindaNews
HOUSE Natural Resources committee chairperson and Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate is backing the plan of Secretary Gina Lopez of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)to close down 23 abusive mining companies and the suspension of 5 others. On Thursday, Lopez ordered the closure of 23 mining firms in the country and suspended 5 more for serious environmental violations discovered during the industry-wide audit conducted by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) since July last year. In a news release posted on its website, Lopez was See backs, page 7
Destruction. This is Hinatuan Island in Surigao del Norte ravaged by mining. The HInatuan Mining Corp. operating here is among the 14 mining firms in the Caraga Region ordered closed by Environment Secretary on 1 February 2017. Photo courtesy of Sec. Lopez’s Facebook page
Mass, candles lighted at the foot of ‘Flight 387’ memorial By CRIS DIAZ, Executive Editor
Mt. Sumagaya Tragedy.
A relative of one of the people who died when Cebu Pacific flight 387 crashed in Mt. Sumagaya in Claveria, Misamis Oriental on 02 February 1998, visits the marker for the victims at Oro Garden Memorial Park in Cagayan de Oro City on Thursday, the 19th anniversary of the tragedy. The crash killed 104 passengers and crew members. MindaNews photo by Aries Sandino M. Mordeno
CLAVERIA, Misamis Oriental--Hundreds flocked to this landlocked town last Thursday to hold a mass and light a candle in a shrine dedicated to those who perished in a plane crash, 19 years ago on Feb. 2, 1998. Cebu Pacific Air Flight 387 crashed in Mt. Sumagaya , a 7,375 ft. mountain in
Claveria, about 50 kilometers from the Lumbia Airport in Cagayan De Oro City, killing all the 104 passengers and crew on board 19 years ago. As early as 8:00 a.m. Thursday, the convoy of private and public vehicles moved toward the foot of Mt. Sumagaya where the memorial shrine now stood
Pursue peace by shunning violence CAGAYAN de Oro City--If the Communist rebels want lasting peace in the country, they must show their intent is real by surrendering their weapons and shun violence, a ranking military official said Friday. Major Gen. Benjamin Madrigal Jr., commander of the Phil. Army’s 4th Infantry Division covering the Caraga and Northern Mindanao areas, questioned
the New People’s Army’s sincerity in the ongoing peace talks as the Maoist insurgents decided to end its self-imposed unilateral interim ceasefire starting Feb. 10. As the NPA made the announcement to suspend cessation of hostilities on Wednesday, one of its a guerrilla units operating in the region shot to death three soldiers in Bukidnon. Madrigal, in a statement, lambasted the killing See peace, page 7
See FOOT, page 7
DAVAO City--The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in Region 11 assured none of its are involved in illegal activities. NBI-11 director Atty. Arnold Rosales was reacting to President Rodrigo Duterte’s order to suspend their anti-illegal drug operations while measures are being undertaken to cleanse the agency of alleged scalawags. “Wa l a naman kami magagawa kasi utos yun pero (we can do nothing because it’s an order but) I can assure that walang corrupt dito sa amin (no one among us is corrupt),” Rosales said. On Thursday, Duterte ordered NBI along with the Philippine National Police to suspend their anti-illegal drug operations after some of their officials were implicated in the kidnap-slay of a Korean businessman. Rosales said that since he is confident that there are no corrupt agents in their office they will not be perform internal cleansing. “Wala kami dapat icleansing here in NBI-South Eastern Mindanao Regional Office kasi hindi naman involve ang mga investigator ko sa corruption lalo na See none, page 7
‘Thick forest’ cover prevented floods in San Francisco town
Military official to NPA:
By GERRY LEE GORIT Correspondent
P15.00
By CHRIS V. PANGANIBAN, Contributing Editor
THE magnificent view of Mt. Magdiwata with forest cover fully restored after two decades of reforestation initiated by San Francisco Water District in San Francisco town in Agusan del Sur. Photo by Chris V. Panganiban for Mindanao Daily News
SAN Francisco, Agusan del Sur--The town center here was spared from the onslaught of massive flooding that hit the entire province since last month thanks to the thick forest cover of the watershed of Mt. Magdiwata, according to a local forest expert. Bonifacio Narca, forester of San Francisco Water District (SFWD), said the 95 percent forest cover of the 1,650 hectares watershed especially the topmost part of the mountain prevented the huge bulk of heavy rains to cascade down to the five villages of the town center that avoided flooding. Narca particularly cited the large crack with a hectare in diameter found atop Mt. Magdiwata in January 2014 which was rehabilitated by naturally grown trees See floods, page 7