NORWEGIAN FREED AFTER A YEAR IN CAPTIVITY By John Paolo Bencito NORWEGIAN national Kjartan Sekkingstad, in captivity for nearly a year in remote jungles in the country’s far southern island of Sulu, was released Saturday by his captors the extremist Abu Sayyaf, Peace Process Secretary Jesus Dureza has confirmed. Dureza said in a statement the bearded Sekkingstad, released at around 2 p.m. in far-flung Patikul town, a known lair of the bandit group in Sulu, was the last of four hostages taken from a luxury resort on Samal Island on Sept. 21, 2015. VOL. XXX • NO. 218 • 4 SECTIONS 20 PAGES • P18 • SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2016 • www.thestandard.com.ph • editorial@thestandard.com.ph
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‘Sayyaf seeks caliphate’ By Francisco Tuyay
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RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte said Saturday Abu Sayyaf Islamic militants were hungry to establish a caliphate, as he toughens his stance on the kidnapfor-ransom group accused of a deadly bombing in his home city this month.
Several units of the Abu Sayyaf in the strife-torn southern Philippines have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group but analysts have said they are more interested in funding than ideology. “They are hungry for a fight to establish a caliphate in Southeast Asia. Caliphate is a kingdom for the Muslims,” Duterte said in a speech to soldiers at a military camp in Gamu, Isabela. “The problem is that they do not talk on the basis of what school you can give them,” he said referring to previous local services the militants have asked for. “It’s either the caliphate or nothing.” It was the first time Duterte confirmed suspicions that the terrorist Islamic State has established a presence in the country through Abu Sayyaf militants who have sworn allegiance to the global jihadist network. Security forces have launched an extensive intelligence operations against jihadists in the country and applied stricter security procedures on public convergence points have been in place following reports that terrorist are out to pulled-off attacks in two key cities in Mindanao. Security experts claim the terrorists have plans to stage an attack on still unknown targets in Cagayan de Oro City and General Santos City. But the Armed Forces of the Philippines said it still has to detect any presence of the Abu Next page
PEÑAFRANCIA FESTIVAL. An ocean of devotees follow an image of the Lady of Peñafrancia, the patroness of the Bicol region, during a procession in Naga City. Danny Pata
Du30 gives ‘narco-list’ to military for action By John Paolo Bencito PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday turned over a more complete “narco-list” to the Armed Forces of the Philippines as he accused former police general and now Daanbatayan, Cebu Mayor Vicente Loot of operating on a nationwide scale. Showing a thick folder containing a list of people suspected of being involved in illegal drugs, Duterte reminded the military that it’s main responsibility is to “protect the people” on top of de-
fending national security. “I will give this to the Armed Forces, to the commanding general. I’m just saying that the ultimate warriors of the Constitution, to protect the people is the Armed Forces of the Philippines,” Duterte told soldier during a visit to Camp Melchor F. Dela Cruz in Gamu, Isabela. “This is the problem. The Philippines has been brought down, like in a runway full of explosives... because of corruption in government. You’re right, including the Next page
Rody to AFP: Suffer thy comrades SAYING communist rebels have been their “natural enemies” for quite some time, President Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday appealed for understanding from the military why he has to negotiate with the communist National Democratic Front for the sake of peace in the country. “Let me tell you from the heart: This is hard. Because you know, natural enemy. But let me also remind you that this natural enemy who wants to kill also, are Filipinos,” Duterte told government troops at Camp Melchor F. Dela Cruz in Gamu, Isabela. “My job is to look for a way
to end the killing of fellow Filipinos,” the President said. “In the fullness of God’s time, I pray we’ll have that. We’ll have peace in the land.” Duterte, a former member of the leftist Kabataang Makabayan founded by his former Lyceum of the Philippines professor Jose Maria Sison, said the demands of Filipino communists have changed little in the past five decades. “We have all grown, since we’re students. I am now President. Read the Constitution, even if I toss and turn it every which way, it is really my duty to seek peace for the land,” he said.
‘Ferdie’ makes Batanes declare calamity state
WE SUPPORT YOU. Just like when he was campaigning, President Rodrigo Duterte is still deluged by supporters in visits across the country as shown by these supporters who scrambled to shake his hands outside the San Agustin Church in Intramuros, Manila where he attended a wedding. Malacañang Photo
House panel calls for drug summit By Maricel V. Cruz THE House committee on dangerous drugs and the country’s law enforcement agencies will hold a drug summit to ensure a uniform and systematic approach to the problem of illegal drugs, a
House official said on Saturday. Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, the panel chairman, said they are finalizing a request to agencies involved in the campaign against illegal drugs to hold a drug summit soon. The request is addressed to twitter.com/ MlaStandard
the Dangerous Drugs Board, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, the Philippine National Police, and the National Bureau of Investigation. Barbers said the last time the country had a drug summit was
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BATANES province declared a state of calamity due to the damage wrought by Typhoon “Ferdie” as the Department of Social Welfare and Development pledged to airlift relief aid to the province if weather permits on Sunday. DSWD Secretary Judy Taguiwalo said Saturday assistance will be delivered to families affected by Typhoon “Ferdie” once the Philippine Air Force confirms the deployment of C-130 cargo plane. She said her department has prepared 20,000 pieces of readyto-eat brown rice bars, 800 family food packs, 5,000 pieces of Malong, 5,000 bottles of water, three generating sets from the Office of Civil Defense, 40 rolls of rope, and 30 rolls of laminated sack. “These goods have been at the Villamor Airbase since September 14,” she said, adding that it was agreed that the relief aid would be flown to Batanes as soon as a window of opportunity opens. The department will also send a Rapid Emergency Telecom-
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munications Team (RETT) and a Rapid Damage and Needs Analysis (RDANA) team from the Cagayan Valley region. Meanwhile, officials of the regional Office of Civil Defense have estimated damage to agricultural crops at about P37 million. OCD regional director Norma Talosig has estimated that power supply will be restored in two to three weeks’ time. Batanes residents have been pleading for potable drinking water, food, generating sets, water pumps, transformers, galvanized iron for damaged roofs and construction materials, she added. As of 6 a.m. Saturday, some 2,710 families or 10,344 persons from the Ilocos and Cagayan Valley regions have been displaced due to Typhoon “Ferdie,” of which 20 families or 151 persons are still in three evacuation centers in Basco, Batanes. Some 2,651 families or 10,063 persons have also taken temporary shelter in relatives’ and friends’ houses. Next page
Duterte made the remarks as the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process announced that the second round of talks with NDF has been pushed forward. “The Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the NDFP have agreed to adjust the schedule of the second round of the peace negotiations in Oslo from October 8-12 to October 6-10,” the OPAPP said in a media advisory. It also announced that the next round shall be at the Holmenfjord Hotel, venue of the only formal talks between the Benigno Aquino government and the NDFP in February 2011. Next page
‘Leila got P5m from govt exec’ SENATOR Leila de Lima personally received at least P5 million in drug profits in every visit of a high-ranking official when she was still Justice secretary of the Aquino administration, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre said Saturday. Aguirre said they will be presenting two witnesses at the congressional inquiry next week to prove that De Lima supposedly condoned drug transactions at the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa. Aguirre also debunked claims by Senator Franklin Drilon, who claimed that the Senate has the power to place witnesses under its own protective custody, saying that the Senate has no power to protect witnesses. “[The money] was personally received by Secretary De Lima and when it was delivered in the morning, she was wearing a duster and Ronnie Dayan was there,” Aguirre said in an interview over radio station Next page dzMM.
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