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
Volume VI, No. 249
Website: www.mindanaodailynews.com
Wednesday
March 29, 2017
P15.00
Rebels claim shooting down aerial spray plane By CHRIS V. PANGANIBAN, Contributing Editor
SAN Francisco, Agusan del Sur--Communist guerillas claimed responsibility for the shooting down of a company plane spraying chemicals in the banana plantation in Tagbina town in Surigao saying this serves as a punitive action against environmentally destructive aerial spraying. Ka A r i e l Mont e ro, spokesman of the New People’s Army-Northeastern Mindanao Regional Command, said the airplane owned by SUMIFRU was piloted by Capt. Magbanua was shot down while aerial spraying the banana plantations in the village of Sta. Fe on Monday. “The wing and wheel of
First days of summer. Local tourists enjoy as they swim and hang around
at the Libuacan Cold Spring in Tagbina, Surigao del Sur on March 23, 2017. Located inside the Tagbina Eco-park, Libuacan is a popular destination to locals and started to attract other tourists as well. Photo by Jun Ayensa for Mindanao Daily
We will make Bangsamoro Basic Law our priority, says Alvarez By Carolyn O. Arguillas of MindaNews
Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez Jr. discusses the Bangsamoro Peace Pocess in an interview with MindaNews at the Park Inn Radisson in Davao City, late Sunday afternoon, 26 March 2017. MindaNews photo by ManMan Dejeto
COPC induction slated on March 30
TWO top government officials are expected to be the guests of honor of the induction of officers and directors of the Cagayan de Oro Press Club (COPC) set at Philtown Hotel on March 30 at six in the evening. Invited by the Club is Mr. Benito Ranque, undersecretary of the Department of Energy (DOE), as the inducting officer. Also to grace the induction is Mr. Martin Andanar, See induction, page 7
DAVAO City––The House of Representatives will give priority to the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) once the 21-member Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) submits it to Congress, Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said. Alvarez told MindaNews late Sunday afternoon that as soon as the draft is submitted to them, “we are going to schedule (it) for successive committee hearings. We will make it our priority,” he said. The Speaker, a Mindanawon representing the 1st district of Davao del Norte, is confident the bill will be passed immediately if Duterte certifies the bill as urgent. “Conservatively, sa House, give me a month or two” to pass it, he said. The Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) signed by the government (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Font (MILF) on March 27, 2014, provides that the draft BBL submitted by the BTC “shall be certified as an urgent bill by the President.” Then President See make, page 7
the plane were struck forcing its emergency landing. The pilot was not hit and was safe,” Montero said. He said the NPA has been warning against the continuing destructive aerial spraying in banana plantations to avoid serious damage to the environment and health of the people around the plantation. “This practice has been discontinued in other places like Davao City, because of the people’s opposition to its proven harmful effect. But with the capitalists’ greed for profit and utter disregard of the effects on the environment and the people, SUMIFRU, See PLANE, page 7