MORE NEWS, MOUNTAIN PROVINCE

HR worker’s kin, lawyer urge PNP, NBI to arrest Sadanga ABC prexy for murder
By Art L. Allad-iw

SADANGA, Mountain Province – The family, relatvi4es and lawyer of a human rights victim urged law enforcers to arrest the president of the association of barangay captains of this town for his alleged involvement of the murder of human Christopher Batan 15 years ago, saying he had been scot-free over the years.

They urged the regional and local offices of the Philippine National Police and National Bureau of Investigation to immediately arrest Betwagan Barangay Captain Mateo aka Mathew B. Fanao and his companion Kengeb Fayno, who are both freely roaming around the region and Mountain Province.

Lawyer Jose Mencio Molintas said concerned agencies failed to arrest Fanao while they can easily do it as he (Fanao) is a barangay captain who is also ABC vice president of Mountain Province.

“Usually in a case like this, they could have served the warrant easily. But not in this case,” added Molintas, who was Batan’s main private prosecutor since the case was filed in Bontoc and transferred Baguio.

Batan is one of the human rights celebrated cases being handled by Molintas, who is also national vice-president of the National Union of People’s Lawyers.

A member of the Batan family claimed that they had been vigilantly monitoring the case. Now that Fanao and Fayno are the remaining suspects, they should immediately arrest them, a family member added.

Fanao and Fayno are among the five members of the citizens armged forces geographical unit accused in the killing of Batan in 1993 near the Chico River in Betwagan.

Their other companions Bonifacio Chumacog and Agustin Agpawa were arrested while Panyong Rongan surrendered.

Other sources claimed Fanao enjoyed political and military protections. “If they (government security forces) are sincere, they could have arrested the remaining accused for a total justice for Cris Batan,” a source said.

On February 23, 1993, Batan and his companion Mila Fanaang and Anglican priest Eduardo Solang were on their way to Betwagan to document human rights cases that would be included in a class suit against the Marcoses.

After they crossed the Chico River and while approaching Betwagan, five armed Cafgu shot the trio. Batan was hit on the hip while and one went near and shot Batan causing his death.

A murder case was filed in Bontoc, Mountain Proviunce against the two identified Cafgu namely, Agpawa and Chumacog based on statements of Fanaang and Solang while the other three accused were included as John Does.

It was in 2003 when Chumacog identified the three as Mateo Fanao, Kengeb Fayno, Jr. and Panyong Rongan where afterwards warrant was issued against them.

After the filing of the case in Bontoc, the tension between the accused Betwagan tribe and the victim Lias tribe of Barlig, Mountain Province led Batan's family to petition the Supreme Court for transfer of venue which the said court granted.

Agpawan was arrested that same year of the killing and convicted in 1995 while Chumacog was arrested in 2003. Chumacog was convicted afterwards on June 29, 2004 for the Batan’ murder and is now at the National Bilibid Penitentiary in Muntinlupa together with Agpawan.

On Jan. 17, the PNP reported to RTC Branch 59 that Panyong Rongan surrendered to the PNP in Sadanga. He is now jailed at the Baguio City Jail, arraigned and pleaded not guilty on March 24, a Nordis source said.

In the first week of March this year, RTC Branch 59 issued another alias warrant of arrest for Mateo Fanao aka Mathew B. Fanao and his remaining co-accused Fayno who is at large.

The warrant amended the earlier warrant as accused Fayno has been using the first name Mathew in local government transactions including the elections.

The amendment was filed at the City Prosecutor’s Office in October last year based on the affidavits of witnesses.

RTC Branch 59 furnished the warrant first week this month to the PNP station command in Sadanga, Cordillera Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, National Bureau of Investigation and the PNP Regional Mobile Group for the arrest of Fanao and Fayno.

Regional PNP director Chief Supt. Eugene Martin said he is still verifying the development of the enforcement of the March warrant.

Batan’s tribes mate, friends, and human right workers joined the call to government agencies to arrest Fanao and Fayno.

“Like those who had been supporting Cris case, we call for the immediate arrest of the accused at-large,” Cris' tribe mate said.

Chris was 25 years old when he was murdered by the five CAFGUs in 1993. He was a provincial staff of the Tasked Force Detainees in the Philippines and active member of human rights group in the province upon his death.


Agreement forged to uplift lives of OFWs
SAGADA, Mountain Province – The Overseas Welfare Administration and provincial officials recently signed a memorandum of agreement here to uplift the lives of overseas Filipino workers in the province through livelihood activities.
The activity was scheduled during the inauguration of a “family center” wherein officials also pledged to build similar “centers” in other towns of the province.

The ceremony, held at the Banga-an Mission Building on March 6 was witnessed by over a hundred OFWs and their dependents.

Signed by OWWA administrator Marianito D. Roque and regional director Manuela Pena, the theme was “empowering OFWs and families for survival through skills and values development, relevant information and linkage.”

The MOA was also signed by the Sagada municipal government, Philippine National Red Cross-Mt. Province Chapter and the Damayan OFW Association of Northern Sagada represented by Governor Maximo B. Dalog, Mayor Eduardo Latawan Jr., OIC Administrator Marcellus Diaz and Veronica Malicdan respectively.

The PNRC-Mt. Province Chapter imparted a two-day skills training on artificial respiration, methods of emergency transfer; bandaging and water rescue as part of its disaster management and safety program.

In other related news, the on-going implementation of Project 143 (I Love You Red Cross) reached almost 100 percent when 124 out of the 144 barangays in Mountain Province recruited 43 volunteers of which nine became members of the barangay disaster action team.

The BDAT would act was health and welfare assistants while the remaining 25 will be blood donors, advocates and supporters.

This project is the brainchild of Sen. Richard Dick Gordon who is also chairman of the board of governors.


27 Mt Province groups benefit from animal dispersal scheme
By Juliet B. Saley

BONTOC, Mountain Province – Livelihood projects have been provided by the provincial government for marginalized families in the province.
Last year, there were 27 organizations with 250 members who availed of the projects under the provincial livelihood program.

Based on last year’s annual report of the Office of the Provincial Veterinarian, the province procured 112 goats, 67 swine, four cattle and 274 duck pullets with a total cost of P569,572.00.

With the assistance of the OPV, the animals were dispersed to organization beneficiaries. Since not all members of the organizations benefited during the distribution, a re-dispersal scheme of the project shall be done by the organizations to the other members to have access of the program.

To improve production of hog and large animal raisers, the breeding center maintained by the OPV conducted artificial insemination on 140 swine and 39 cattle and carabaos.

Semen used to inseminate large animals was provided by Department of Agriculture regional office.

The breeding center produces 15 piglets which were sold and had a total sales of P27,200.

Under its animal health program, OPV personnel had also conducted vaccination on 965 swine against hog cholera, 630 cattle and carabaos against blackleg, and 968 dogs against rabies, including deworming of 318 cattle, carabaos and 152 pigs.