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. 231
Website: www.mindanaodailynews.com
Monday
March 6, 2017
P15.00
Solons eye Oro, Norcot as ‘mining-free zones’
THE members of the House Committee on Natural Resources is strongly backing the proposals to declare Cagayan de Oro City, including the province of North Cotabato, as miningfree zones. The committee, chaired by Bayan Muna partylist Rep. Carlos Isagani T. Zarate, is also set to declare as closed to mining applications the two areas as among the country’s nomining zones. Zarate is author of House Bill 1618, seeking to declare as closed to mining application those areas declared by local government units (LGUs) as no-mining zones, amending for the purpose Republic Act 7942, also known as the Philippine Mining Act of 1995. Being an extractive industry, he said mining poses great threats to the fragile environment thus See MINING, page 7
SLAIN SOLDIERS. Above, the parents of slain soldier Pvt. Oshin Rosala look at their son’s coffin
at the Loyola Chapel inside Camp Edilberto Evangelista, the headquarters of the Philippine Army’s 4th Infantry Division, in Cagayan de Oro City Friday. below, A soldier stands at attention as the widow and child of Cpl Marzon Morales look at his coffin. Photo by Gerry Lee Gorit for Mindanao Daily News
Onset of 2017 rainy season likely normal By Catherine J. Teves of PNA
THERE will likely be no delay in the onset of the country’s 2017 rainy season despite international forecasts indicating the possible recurrence of the drought-driving El Niño phenomenon this year, a weather expert has said. See rainy, page 7
INSIDEstory
SSS pensioners withdraw P1,000 additional benefit /p.2
Soldiers wounded in Sulu clash get medals By LINO DELA CRUZ Contributor and SONNY SUDARIA Armm News Bureau
ILIGAN City--President Rodrigo Duterte awarded with medals the 14 soldiers who were wounded in a recent clash with some 150 members of the notorious Abu Sayyaf Group in Taglibi, Patikul, Sulu. Jo Ann Petinglay, spokesman of the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) said President Duterte pinned the medals to the 14 wounded soldiers during his visit in Sulu the other day. Pe t i n g l ay s a i d t h e wounded soldiers who received medals were from the 2nd Scout Ranger Battalion under the Joint Task Force Sulu. They were Sargeant (Sgt.)Martin Oliveros, Sgt. Renato Geverola, Corporal (Cpl.). Robert Esperon, Cpl. Julius Dupagan, Cpl. Camilo Vertido, Cpl. David Mark Anthony Leyno, See wounded, page 7