LOREN TO AFP: WE ARE NOT UNDER MARTIAL LAW

Visiting Camp Capinpin yesterday to meet with the 43 detained medical trainees, Senator Loren Legarda urged the AFP to expedite the investigation to determine whether the detainees are indeed members of the NPA, and barring any proof, to release the detainees at the soonest time.

“AFP should do two things right away: first, look into the allegations of torture by their men and punish them if found guilty, and second, expedite the investigation to determine whether there was legal basis to keep the Morong 43 detained,” Loren told the officers at the Camp.

“We are not under Martial Law. We cannot tolerate this practice. We cannot allow our soldiers to be doing this,” she said.

Before the media, the AFP officers admitted to having blindfolded the detainees on the way to the Camp but denied any sexual abuse or torture.

“Why are they still detained? If we cannot prove they are members of the NPA, they have no reason to be detained here,” she said.

Loren added, “the anti-subversion law has been revoked in 1992. Therefore, the 43 cannot be charged even if they are found to have any association with the NPA”

“This is not just an issue of whether they are NPA. More than that, it is our capacity as a government to launch an objective investigation and follow due process of law that is on the line,” said Loren, a lieutenant colonel in the Air Force Reserve Corps.

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LOREN SEEKS SUPPORT FOR LOCAL VEGETABLE INDUSTRY

Senator Loren Legarda, chairman of the Senate committee on agriculture and food, said there is a need to fully support and develop the local vegetable industry to enhance the productivity of vegetable farmers and enable them to compete with their counterparts in developed countries.

At the same time, Loren lauded the efforts of vegetable growers in providing the Filipinos the food necessary to develop a healthy body and sound mind, even as she cited their important role in the nation’s quest for food sufficiency and food security.

In a speech delivered for her by Executive Director Charito Sebastian of the Congressional Oversight Committee on Agricultural and Fisheries Modernization (COCAFM) at the opening of the National Vegetable Congress in Puerto Princesa, Palawan , Loren said “a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grain and high-fiber foods, fish, lean protein and fat-free or low fat dairy products is the key to fight cardiovascular diseases.”

“Ang pagkain po ng gulay at prutas ay mabisang panlaban sa heart attack. Kailangan natin ang malulusog na mga mamamayan upang magkaroon ng sigla ang ating buhay tungo sa sama-samang pag-unlad,” sinabi niya.

“Kung kaya po kailangan nating suportahan ang vegetable industry tungo sa pagkakaroon ng seguridad sa pagkain – seguridad sa kasapatan at kalidad ng pagkain – at maging sa pagsabay sa pag-unlad ng industriya ng gulay sa mga higit na mayayamang bansa,” dugtong pa niya.

Loren, who also chairs the COCAFM, said the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act of 1997 or AFMA has laid down everything for the sector to know and do stressing that the law guides all the commodity sub-sectors.

“AFMA anchored agriculture and fisheries modernization in this country on four core goals: food security, farmer and fishers’ prosperity, sustainable development and rational allocation of resources,” she said.

“The AFMA lays down the central strategy in the achievement of these goals – the identification, integrated planning for, and development of the country’s Strategic Agriculture and Fisheries Development Zones (SAFDZs) that shall serve as engines of sustainable countryside growth. SAFDZ catalyzes integrated countryside development, which, in turn, generates jobs. It has high degree multiplier effects especially in both rural and urban sectors,” Loren elaborated.

“There are four AFMA provisions which we should have used and started twelve years ago to mitigate climate change. We could have prepared for the many ill effects of El Nino of 2010 having experienced El Nino in 1997-1998, the worst El Nino in our memory and which occurred in the country with a lingering drought that lasted for a year,” Loren, who also chairs the Senate committee on climate change said.

“What are these provisions? What should we have done using these provisions?” she asked.

“First, we should have delineated the SAFDZs where conversion to other uses of the most productive agricultural lands is prohibited and where the protection of healthy coastal and marine ecosystems will reduce the vulnerability of coastal communities, especially in the face of climate changes,“ she explained.

Loren reported that she asked the Department of Agriculture (DA) to use the P800-million fund for SAFDZ appropriated by Congress for 2010 as seed money for local government units (LGUs), state universities and colleges (SUCs) of agriculture, private sector like the National Vegetable Growers, and the National Mapping and Resource Inventory Agency (NAMRIA) to participate.

”An effective SAFDZ plan should be developed in a highly participatory manner, and implementers especially at the local level should have a strong sense of plan ownership,” Loren said.

“Second, we should have strengthened the convergence between the DA and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). These two departments could have worked together by sharing their resources in rehabilitating and protecting watersheds that are crucial for both upland and lowland irrigation,” she stated.

“Third, we should have maximized resources for Research and Development under AFMA. We should have spent for research on drought-tolerant or flood-tolerant vegetable varieties. To date, what varieties have we developed? According to Bureau of Plants Industry, the old vegetable varieties are currently better adapted to dry weather, “ Loren said.

“Last year, we had super typhoons that filled our reservoirs to almost overflowing volume. Research should have guided us and developed the technologies to store some of this water for our use today. The DA is currently promoting the use of organic fertilizers as this would help conserve water around the roots of plants,” the lady senator asserted.

“And fourth, we should have maximized our extension system to teach our farmers and fisherfolk on climate change mitigation and adaptation. Therefore, I am enjoining SUCs , particularly their extension program managers, to help local extension workers teach our farmers and fisherfolk as they face the challenges of climate change,” Loren said.

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GLOBAL WORKERS IN ILIGAN CITY STAGED WILD CAT STRIKE

By Juanito C. Enriquez, Jr

Iligan City- 500 workers walked out of the Global Steel Philippines, Incorporated (GSPI), the former National Steel Corporation, this city, owned by Mittal family, an Indian National, of Global Steel Holdings Co..

The plant operations were totally paralyzed right after a mediation conference on February 15, 2010 conducted by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to resolve issues on non compliance of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA); unpaid salaries and wages; non-payment of 13th month benefits of 2009 as mandated under PD 851; non-remittances of SSS, Philhealth and Pag-ibig premiums; non compliance of safety standards; non payment of overtime premiums for six months; and non compliance of environmental standards on industrial waste disposal that causes allege fish kills in Iligan Bay.

During the mediation conference, the management of GSPI managed by the Indian Nationals, did not commit to comply all of those obligations to settle the labor dispute that triggered the mass walkout of the workers. The workers stopped the operations of the plant and go out in their workplaces and staged a mass action outside the plant. Labor experts said that it is a wild cat strike, a normal reaction of the workers whose rights were grossly violated by the management. The GSPI management only wanted the workers to go back to work without any commitments or compromise agreement to resolve the issues.

Mr. Elmer Nelson V. Nayon, President of the Global Steel Labor Union, said that the workers are now in danger situation struggling in their workplaces inside the plant of poor maintenance and safety by no provisions of new machine parts and safety apparels to the workers.

The management is insensitive to purchase new parts for maintenance instead they will only utilize parts from other machines. Rotten cables of overhead cranes still in use to lift hundreds of tons of steel products endanger the workers on the ground. Nayon said that the mass action is an individual decision of the workers and it snowballed spontaneously to other workers with the same feeling of redress of their grievances against the management.

A dialogue was called by the office of the City Mayor Lawrence Cruz, on February 16, 2010, between the GSPI management and workers with the same talking points of the unresolved labor issues and without any development, in response, the workers continued their mass actions.

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) continued of doing their best to resolve the labor dispute despite of the failed mediation in the previous conferences. However, the Global workers questioning the 25 percent of their 13th month pay for 2009 was released by the Global management through the office of the DOLE Iligan office.

The GSPI workers is now calling for interventions of President Arroyo to help resolve the labor dispute and to penalize the management of the Global Steel Corporation for the violations they committed. Nayon said that the Indian company is flagrantly violating Philippine Labor and economic laws since it took over in year 2004 up to the present on the pretext of alleged liquidity problems and profitability issues by the abusive Indian investors in collaboration with the corrupt government officials.

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Using solar power technology LANECO sets to energize 100% barangays

By MT News Network

Tubod, Lanao del Norte---Using the latest technology in generating electric power, the Lanao del Norte Electric Cooperative (LANECO) here is set to energize 100% of its franchise area before the end of the month, GM Resnol Torres said.

Top officials of LANECO meet the representatives of Propmech, the company that will install 60 solar power machines to 6o homes along the hinter barangays of Magsaysay, Nunungan, Munai, Poona Piagapo and Tangkal, all in the province of Lanao del Norte starting on February 9 and set to be finish on February 28, 2010.

GM Resnol Torres said that the installation of these solar power machines will make LANECO franchised area hundred percent energized because according to the 2009 Annual General Membership Assembly souvenir program that as of May 12, 2009, the electric coop had already energized 61,423 residences, business establishments, public buildings and others posting 93% accomplishments.

Since, the 2009 accomplishments is not available as of press time, top officials of the electric coop said that with the installation of the solar power machines, the mission of LANECO to energized 100% of its franchised area is realized because the areas set for installation are the remaining un-energized areas under its jurisdiction.

LANECO franchised area covers the towns of Linamon, Matungao, Kauswagan, Baculod, Maigo, Kolambugan, Tangkal, Tubod, Magsaysay, Baroy, Lala, Salvador, Kapatagan, Sapad, Sultan Naga Dimaporo, Poona Piagapo and Munai. The areas outside its franchised area that are partially served as the town of Baloi and some parts of Aurora and Tukuran of Zamboanga del Sur including Barangays Abaga, Maria Cristina, Nangka and Matampay of Iligan City. The poblacions of Nunungan and Tagoloan are being served with solar power.

The technical working committee of LANECO met the representatives of Propmech in threshing all the problems of installation especially the security arrangement of the personnel of the company that will install these solar power machines.

Two barangays of Magsaysay town is being targeted as the pilot barangays on the installation, the barangays of Tawian and Tumbador.

Meanwhile, the electric coop is hiring bright, intelligent, development-oriented, serious and faithful young professionals to boost new brains that will usher LANECO on its vision to make the electric cooperative globally competitive, in fact new faces can now be seen working side by side the older determined workers that catapult LANECO to stratum.

LANECO is one of the top ten most outstanding electric cooperatives among the 119 in the country. The electric coop featured as one of the most advance in terms of new technology.

Their operations is being guided by the latest computer technology comparable to those large private power industry and at present, through the dynamic leadership of GM Resnol C. Torres with the steerage of the Board of Directors led by BOD President Reinario B. Bihag, accomplish where others failed especially that its franchised area covers the areas being contested by the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

The electric coop has been recipients of numerous awards and recognitions since the assumption of GM Resnol C. Torres as its general manager.

Torres who occupied several top positions on electric cooperatives association be regional or Mindanao-wide, has been very consistent in his exemplary leadership making the electric coop a very successful one.

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PGMA swears in Icban as Press Secretary

By PIA Pagadian

Malacañang - President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo this morning inducted into office Acting Press Secretary Crispulo Icban Jr.

Icban took over the position left vacant by the death of Press Secretary Cerge Remonde.

The induction, held at the Ceremonial Hall of Malacanang, was witnessed by Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, Icban’s wife, Zenaida, his children and grandchildren, close friends and officials of the Office of the Press Secretary. Manila Bulletin chairman Don Emilio Yap was also present.

The President thanked Icban for accepting the post. The new secretary, for his part, asked the President how she manages such a taxing schedule as hers.

“I told her that I truly admired her stamina and hard work and joked that septuagenarians like Secretary Ermita and myself could not keep pace with her,” Icban said later in an interview.

Icban officially assumed office today. He attended a private lunch in his office, followed by a tour of each of the offices under OPS in the New Executive Building and the News and Information Bureau at Gate 7.

Seated behind the Press secretary’s desk, Icban told the editors that he will take his cue from them because “you know better than I do what our work is all about around here.

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121 Families flee from Brgy Naburos

By PJTremedal

Baliangao, Misamis Occ – At least 121 families including children, women fled their barangay in Barangay Naburos as a result of an alleged harassment of armed men believed to be men of a political figure.

Barangay Captain Alberto Garcia told this paper that on January 29, 2010 at around 11 in the morning informed the local police here through cellular phone that 6 armed group were sighted at said village and threatened the residents.

Police Inspector Jerry Sandugan Paronia, chief of police together with the 55th Infantry battalion of the Philippine army immediately proceeded to the said barangay.

Paronia said that when the military arrived at the area the armed group already left.

The next day more than 60 families fled their homes and evacuated at the gymnasium of the poblacion and some stayed with their relatives nearby village. A resident asked not to be identified told this paper that they will not go back to their resident if Garcia will go with them.

They even experienced of gun toting from this group and broken windows of their houses.
Garcia identified one of the suspects as his nephew, Francisco Daque an alleged wanted person who is supporter of Svetlana Jalosjos a candidate for mayor, a daughter of former congressman Romeo Jalosjos and an opponent of incumbent vice mayor Agne Yap.

Garcia said that armed men roamed the village since Friday January 28 and allegedly forced residents to sign a document for them to be a supporter of the Jalosjos He added that this group warned them to shot their heads if they refuse to sign the said paper.

Meanwhile, Mayor Haneya Theresa Yap Chiong in her speech after the flag ceremony told her employees that this situation will affect everyone and she told them to be vigilant.

Vice mayor Agne Yap also told their employees that this problem affects everyone and urged them to be more cooperative and supportive to the administration.

The local government unit of Baliangao is now providing these displaced persons of their needs.
Dr.Rodante Chiong, municipal physician and husband of the mayor is conducting a medical mission for these evacuees .

Plaridel mayor and former congressman Ernie Clarete visited the evacuees and assured them of what their demand that a military and police personnel to establish checkpoints at barangay Naburos until the day of the election period.

As of this writing, troop from the Regional Mobile Group established a checkpoint at the affected barangays. Clarete also promised them assistance from the provincial government.(with reports from Ric Clet/Mangagawang Media Ng Mindanao)

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February 9 kicks off May 2010 election campaign

By PJTremedal

Oroquieta City - Next week will kick off the start of the national candidate’s campaign who’s who will win these local and national election in May 2010.

Moneyed or principled politicians in the national level will start campaigning the whole nation, as COMELEC warns on the prohibited acts embedded in its resolution. The RJSCC are now implemented and even ballots are now printed, but unfortunately the PCOS (Precinct Count Optical Scan) that will be used are still under testing.

82,200 of them are expected to be brought to precincts a day before the election that will commence on May 14, 2010 however, internet signals are yet to be solved and making plan B’s if ever this will not function.

In Northern Mindanao which composes the provinces of Misamis Oriental, Misamis Occidental, Bukidnon Lanao Norte, and Camiguin with the cities of Cagayan de Oro, Gingoog, Tangub, Ozamis, Iligan, Oroquieta and El Salvador is now undergoing PCOS information and education campaign with only one PCOS machine against hundreds of voters watching and BEI’s (Board of Election Inspectors) trainings to be ready on the day of the election.

Meanwhile, with COMELEC Resolution 8714 or the implementation of the total gun ban, hundreds of violators are now facing charges violating the said prohibitions. The joint security coordinating centers are established but more problems arising from gun holders, private armed groups and even form the armed forces and the national police to its exemption.

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AMIN praises PNP chief for addressing dysfunctions in the force

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY—Anak Mindanao (AMIN) Party-list Rep. Ariel C. Hernandez yesterday praised Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Jesus Verzosa for initiating a number of measures aimed at addressing dysfunctions in the police force.


Hernandez, the brains behind the Operation Peace Course (OP Kors!) currently being implemented by the International Center for Peace (IC Peace) in Mindanaw of the Balay Mindanaw Foundation, Inc. (BMFI), said Verzosa’s order of a review of police procedures and possible security lapses that resulted to some policemen being implicated in the Maguindanao Massacre should be supported by all sectors of society, especially in the Legislative Branch of government.


OP Kors! is a series of training and workshop specifically designed for the policemen and soldiers in how to become peace-builders and how to respond and manage conflict.


“Whatever the causes of the dysfunctions within the PNP should be corrected. And Director General Jesus Verzosa is in the right track for correcting this. And he should get all our support for his initiative,” Hernandez said.


Some 66 policemen were implicated in the Maguindanao Massacre.


Hernandez stressed that the uniformed personnel, most especially policemen and soldiers, must have a change of mindset – from being warriors to peacemakers and conflict managers. “This is the end result of what we are doing in OP Kors! We always dreamed of peace, but our uniformed friends in the PNP and AFP are always being left behind in all peace initiatives, which is why we have designed this program especially for them because they are the ones called upon to respond to conflict,” he said.


Hernandez said that there is no other time in the country’s history that the role of the police as peacemakers is most urgently needed than the present, because of uncertainties brought about by the prevailing apprehensions regarding the automated elections as well as the fragile peace and order situation in some parts of Mindanao.


Hernandez also said the country needs a solid and dependable police force especially during this critical election period. And the only way for the PNP to capture its status once again as a dependable force is to change the police’s mindset and start a clean-up revolution from within the force itself.
The AMIN congressman also praised Verzosa for his strong commitment to law and order and his relentless enforcement of the Comelec gun ban which resulted to the arrest of hundreds of gun ban violators all over the country.


“Director General Verzosa’s commitment to strictly implement election laws without fear or favor deserves all our praise,” he said.


“His pronouncements that only through peaceful, orderly and clean elections can the will of the people triumph, plus his dedication to seeing it through by a strong enforcement of election laws and the gun ban, are attributes of a true officer and a gentleman,” Hernandez added.


AMIN, however, take a strong exception to Verzosa’s pronouncement that “bad- performing policemen will be assigned to the Mindanao.”


“The image of Mindanao is so bad already that making it a dumping ground of undesirables from the uniformed services from Metro Manila will only make it worst. What we need are professional policemen, not bad policemen from Metro Manila,” Hernandez said. (AMIN)

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MAZA SEEKS IMMEDIATE AND INDEPENDENT PROBE ON “ARTIFICIAL SUGARSHORTAGE” AND SUGAR PRICE HIKES

Nacionalista-Makabayan senatorial bet Rep. Liza Maza today challenged the Department of Agriculture to explain the sugar shortage scenario it has apparently projected, resulting to sugar prices soaring up to P60 in Metro Manila.

“The Department of Agriculture (D.A) must clarify how it came up with its recommendation for the National Food Authority to import at least 150,000 metric tons of sugar supposedly to stabilize the price of the commodity despite the Sugar Regulatory Administration’s declaration that the domestic inventory of sugar is at normal level,” Maza said.

Maza stressed the need for an immediate and independent probe on this concern. “Those manipulating the prices of sugar must be held accountable. Sugar no longer tastes sweet because of its bitterly high price. Ironically, even sugar workers can’t afford it, because their wages are nailed below the minimum wage despite the skyrocketingincreases in prices,” Maza said.

Maza, a three-term representative of Gabriela Women’s Party, earlier assailed the barefaced inutility of the Arroyo administration in price monitoring and control that has allowed the unrelenting increases in the prices of basic and prime commodities especially food.

Maza, who is attending the Makabayan Assemblies in Victorias City, EB Magalona town, Silay City and Bacolod City, also stressed the need for the immediate passage of laws that would ensure the protection of consumers against undue price hikes.

She has filed House Bill 1133 known as the Act amending Sec 12 of R.A. 7581 otherwise known as an Act providing protection to consumers by stabilizing the prices of basic necessities and prime commodities and by prescribing measures against undue price increases. She has also filed House Resolution 697 directing the House Committee Trade and Industry to look into the system of price monitoring and control. (PR/Liza Maza for Senator Movement)

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