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 VII, No. 003
Website: www.mindanaodailynews.com
Monday
May 22, 2017
P15.00
NPA seizes CAFGU in Tandag
SURIGAO CITY (MindaNews) — New People’s Army (NPA) rebels abducted on Thursday a member of the Civilian Armed Force Geographical Unit (Cafgu) at his home in Tandag City. The Army identified the Cafgu member as Jeremias E. Estrada, of Purok Lansones, Barangay San Agustin Norte, Tandag City, the capital of Surigao del Sur. Estrada was assigned at Matho Patrol Base, in Barangay Matho, Cortes town in Surigao del Sur. Reports said he was whisked away by heavily armed men inside his house at 7:00 a.m. Thursday. Lt. Col. Randolph P. Rojas, commanding officer of 36th Infantry Battalion, said Estrada was off-duty and spending time with his family when four armed men with AK 47 rifles barged inside his house and hogtied him before taking him with them. He said the armed men ignored pleas by his family not to take him away. Rojas said the victim’s wife Berlinda appealed to the abductors not to harm See seizes, page 11
A troop of young NPA guerrillas show off their combat capabilities during the release of a rookie police officer in Tandag City last year.
to go DAR chief to join GRP-NDF LTFRB-10 after anti-distracted talks socioeconomic reforms driving law violators By GERRY LEE GORIT Correspondent
By Antonio L. Colina IV of MindaNews
TAGUM CITY -- Agrarian Reform Ssecretary Rafael Mariano will participate in the fifth round of peace talks between the government (GRP) and National Democratic Front (NDF) on May 26 to June 2, 2017 in Noorwijk aan Zee, The Netherlands. The fifth round of talks will tackle, among others, agrarian reform and rural development provisions of the Comprehensive Agreement on Social and Economic Reforms (CASER). Mariano will sit as GRP panel’s consultant on CASER. Department of Agrarian Reform Secretary Rafael Mariano addresses farmers from Madaum Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Inc. after they were installed at the plantation in Madaum, Tagum City managed by Lapanday Foods Corporation on Thursday, 18 May
Department of Agrarian Reform Secretary Rafael Mariano addresses farmers from Madaum Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Inc. after they were installed at the plantation in Madaum, Tagum City managed by Lapanday Foods Corporation on Thursday, 18 May 2017. MindaNews photo by manman dejeto
2017. MindaNews photo by Manman Dejeto In an interview Thursday, the agrarian reform chief said he joined the meetings between the bilateral teams
of GRP and NDFP, which were created during the April 3 to 6 round of talks, also in the Netherlands, to work on the contentious provisions on socioeco-
nomic reforms. The bilateral teams composed of three members from each side and supervised by reciprocal See join, page 11
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board-10 (LTFRB-10) on Thursday said it will assist the Land Transportation Office (LTO) in the implementation of RA 10913 or the Anti-Distracted Driving Act which took effect yesterday. The law prohibits motorists from using communication devices and other electronic entertainment and computing gadgets while vehicles are in motion or temporarily stopped on a traffic light or an intersection. LTFRB-10 regional director Aminoden Guro said the enforcement of the new law does not only fall to the government agencies such as LTO and LTFRB but even to ordinary citizens as well. What concerned persons should do if they see any violators is to report them to authorities and, if possible,
take photos of the drivers who are either texting or calling on their cellphone. Violations also include motorists who are playing games or watching movies while driving or using their devices for other purposes. Exempted are drivers who are using Bluetooth or ordinary headset in making calls, or during emergency situations. Although road-related deaths due to texting or using the mobile phone are not that rampant, the law, he said, will surely help prevent any loss of life or property in the future. The top causes of road deaths are speeding, drunkdriving and mechanical error. “Before the law was passed, motorists who text or call while driving were not arrested. But now that we have this law, everyone should comply,” Guro said. He said they will also inspect public utility See law, page 11
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