The Standard - 2015 November 21 - Saturday

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VOL. XXIX  NO. 282  3 Sections 32 Pages P18  SATURDAY : NOVEMBER 21, 2015  www.thestandard.com.ph  editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Leni admits government failures in land reform

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GOVERNOR HITS AFP FOR LUMAD PSY-WAR

By John Paolo Bencito and Florante S. Solmerin

SURIGAO del Sur Gov. Johnny Pimentel on Friday denounced the military for projecting themselves as “pro-lumad” despite their inept response to the killing of lumad leaders and the displacement of indigenous people in the province.

“It’s possible that they’re adapting this [stance] as [a form of] psychological warfare for them to divert attention but that doesn’t solve the problem we’re facing right now,” Pimentel told The Standard in an interview. The governor’s statement followed the announcement that Maj. Gen. Rey Guerrero, commander of the 3rd Infantry Division based in Western Visayas, would replace Eastern Mindanao Command chief Lt. Gen. Aurelio Baladad, who reaches retirement age next week.

The Panay People’s Organization, a lumad group organized by the military and led by Renato Casinao, lauded Guerrero “for consistently upholding the rights of the indigenous peoples (IPs) as an advocacy to continuously empower them” and even “adopted” him as a lumad. Pimentel said if Guerrero truly were part of the lumad, he should side with them. “He should see what the lumad need. At this point, it’s the Army that can solve

the killings and the problems of the lumad here in our province,” Pimentel said. Pimentel also slammed the military for presenting Manobo leader Jumar Bucales as a resource speaker before the House committee on indigenous people, where he said other lumad leaders such as Emerito Samarca, the slain executive director of the Alternative Learning Center for Agricultural and Livelihood Development Inc., were “poisoning the minds” of the Next page Manobos.

Last patrol. Security forces conclude their final patrol along Manila Bay as the delegates to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings like United States President Barack Obama (inset) all left Manila and proceeded to Kuala Lumpur for the 27th summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. AFP

Aquino to raise sea row at Asean Summit By Sandy Araneta PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III is expected to raise the country’s territorial dispute with China during the 27th Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. “After the successful hosting of Apec 2015, we will travel to Kuala Lumpur,

Malaysia this afternoon, to participate in the 27th Asean Summit,” said Aquino in a speech, delivered in Filipino, minutes before flying to Malaysia. “This gathering to be held this November is very significant because we will launch the Asean Community,” Aquino added, referring to a move to more tightly integrate the regional group by the end of the year.

The summit will be Aquino’s last as president as he leaves office in June 2016. In a meeting with Vietnam’s President Truong Tan Sang earlier this week, he called for a “full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea” and cited the urgent need Next page

Japan OKs P93-b loan for railway to Bulacan

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