Mindanao Daily Westmin (December 17, 2014)

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Mindanao Daily NEWS northmin . westmin . caraga . davao Bringing Good News of Mindanao

Wednesday

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P20-million worth of rice, logs seized in Zamboanga Volume III, No. 167

web portal: www.businessweekmindanao.com

Z

AMBOANGA City–– Na v a l au thorities and Customs police have s e i z e d Mon d ay more than P20 million worth of rice and logs in Zamboanga City in southern Philippines, officials said. See full story, page A6

Bus firms told to beef up security CAGAYAN de Oro City-The Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC) in Region 10 adopted during its meeting on December 11 resolutions enjoining bus companies to designate bus stops and observe security measures. In a press conference, Atty Rene K Burdeos, regional director, Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), region 10, and head of the RPOC X secretariat, revealed that the members of RPOC’s core group convened on Thursday to discuss action points as an aftermath of the bus explosion killing 10 passengers and leaving 42 wounded. He added that along the discussion of the meeting there were few recommendations. Among of these is for the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to issue a memorandum to bus companies plying within the region to designate bus stop areas in coordination with the Philippine National Police (PNP). Burdeos further said they discussed during the RPOC meeting the resolution of the Regional Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee (RLECC) requesting bus operators and See bus, page A11

30 govt soldiers volunteer for ALS By PJ TREMEDAL Misoc News Bureau

CAMP Burgos, Oroquieta City--Some 30 enlisted personnel from the 55th Infantry “Vigilant” Battalion of the 1st Infantry Tabak Division, Philippine Army, are now ready to become Alternative Learning System (ALS) volunteers after undergoing a two-day training conducted by the schools division of Misamis Occidental under Rey Tabil, ALS focal person and education supervisor. The ALS is a joint project of the Department of Education (DepEd) and STILL HOPING. Alma Beromoy, 36, holds the pictures of her missing children in her house at the Sendong the Armed Forces of the relocation site in Phase 1, Barangay Indahag, Cagayan de Oro City on Dec. 15, 2014. Beromoy hopes DNA tests can Philippines (AFP) to to bring closure to the fate of her five missing children who were washed away by flashfloods triggered by tropical pursue its campaign storm Sendong on Dec. 17, 2011. MindaNews photo by Froilan Gallardo

See soldiers, page A11

3 years after, 300 ‘Sendong’ victims still unidentified By Froilan Gallardo of MindaNews

CAGAYAN de Oro City––Over 300 victims of tropical storm Sendong (international name: Washi) buried in unmarked graves here and in nearby Iligan City have remained unidentified despite DNA tests conducted by the National Bureau of Investigation medico-legal teams three years ago. Dr. Tammy Uy, NBI Region 10

medico-legal chief, said money to buy the chemicals to complete the identification process had run out in 2012 forcing the agency to stop matching the extracted DNA with those of family members. “We extracted the DNA from the bodily fluids of the cadavers, taken swabs from the family members but we cannot complete the matching with their family members. There is no more money for it,” Uy said. Tropical storm Sendong inun-

dated riverside communities in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan cities in the early morning of Dec. 17, 2011 killing some 1,100 residents and affecting around 660,000 families. Three years after Sendong, the NBI has yet to issue a single death certificate for the unidentified bodies Uy said NBI Disaster Victims Identification (DVI) teams took DNA samples from 200 unidentified bodies in Cagayan de Oro

and another 124 bodies in Iligan. He said the bodies were buried in an unmarked vault in Bolonsori Public cemetery in Cagayan de Oro and in a cemetery in Iligan. He said over 800 family members came to the NBI office in Cagayan de Oro to have their DNA taken by the NBI DVI teams. Three years after, Uy said the money to complete the DNA tests ran out in 2012. See victims, page A11

6 officials in Bukidnon, COA state auditor indicted for bidding mess FIVE local officials of San Fernando in Bukidnon province and a state auditor are now facing charges for the alleged irregular procurement of heavy equipment worth P14 million. Facing charges for falsification of public documents are Municipal Mayor Laurencia Edma, Municipal Treasurer Agapito Baldo, Municipal Accountant Feli-

pa Catanus, Municipal Budget Officer Nestor Lopez, Private Secretary Menchie Landicho, COA State Auditor (SA) Carlito Matias, and Bernardita Basay, proprietor of the Mindanao Philippine Sunday Journal. Aside from Falsification, Edma, Baldo, Catanus and Lopez face a separate charge of violation of Section 3(e) of Republic Act No. 3019

(Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act). The Resolution stated that in 2004 the local government unit (LGU) of San Fernando, Bukidnon entered into a term loan agreement with the Development Bank of the Philippines for the acquisition of a brand new soil compactor and tractor. Instead of public See mess, page A11

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