Sandigan affirms Isabela town mayor’s conviction

STO. TOMAS, Isabela -- The Sandiganbayan has upheld the conviction of Sto. Tomas Mayor Antonio Talaue for failing to remit the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) premium contributions of municipal employees.

In a six-page resolution promulgated on July 19 and released Wednesday, the anti-graft court’s second division denied Talaue’s motion to reverse its March 15 decision that found him guilty of violating Section 52 (g) of Republic Act 8291 or the GSIS Act.

The court also denied Talaue’s supplemental motion not to impose the accessory penalty of perpetual disqualification from public office. 

The case stemmed from non-remittance of GSIS premium contributions from January 1997 to January 2004 amounting to P22.436 million.

“His self-serving statement that he instructed the municipal treasurer to remit the contributions does not absolve him from non-compliance with his legal obligations as head of agency,” the court ruling read.

“From the time that he received the first notice from the GSIS in 2003, he had ample time and opportunity to check whether the municipal treasurer had been regularly performing his duties, especially in remitting the GSIS contributions which had long been overdue,” it said.

Talaue did not respond to five more notices issued by the GSIS, the Sandiganbayan added.

In its earlier ruling, the court sentenced Talaue to up to five years in prison. He was also ordered to pay a fine of P20,000.

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Mt Prov Rep Dalog files 10 bills; all pass first reading

By Erlindo Agwilang

QUEZON CITY -- Mountain Province Rep. Maximo Y. Dalog, Jr. filed 10 measures on his first day of office last July 1, all of which were approved on first reading by majority members of the House of Representatives on July 23.

All bills were referred to appropriate committees for evaluation and deliberation.

Most of the priority bills Dalog filed to passed into law were on education, particularly separation and conversion of several high schools into independent national high schools like Guina-ang National High School Mainit Extension in the municipality of Bontoc to Mainit National High School, Lubon National High School Mabalite Extension in the municipality of Tadian to Mabalite National High School, Guinzadan National High School Mayag Extension in the municipality of Bauko to Mayag National High School, and the establishment of Wellie Maclinic Elementary School located at Bacarri, Paracelis.

Dalog also re-filed significant edicts previously championed by his father, the late Rep. Maximo B. Dalog, Sr., which did not see passage into law due to his demise and time constraint.

This are House Bill 728 declaring the municipality of Barlig as a tourism development area, HB 730 converting the Besao, Mountain Province – Tubo, Abra Road into a national road, HB 732 converting the Sagada-Besao-Quirino, Ilocos Sur into a national road, HB 733 converting the Mountain Province -Benguet Road via Guinzadan-Mankayan Section into a national road.

He also refiled HB 2714 which will abolish the Baguio-Bontoc Halsema Highway national toll road and stop collection of fees.

In related developments, Benguet Rep. Nestor Fongwan committed to file and co-sponsor another measure which will also terminate the collection of toll fees along the portion of Benguet (Kennon Road) from Klondyke’s Spring to camp six, repealing Executive Order No. 34, series of 1954.

In an interview, Dalog said the house measures he filed are all consistent with his resolve to pursue the legislative agenda as promised during the campaign and to continue the plans, programs and projects of his late father, the late Congressman Maximo B. Dalog, Jr.

“Much will still be done and we are going to sponsor more laws to benefit the legislative district of Mountain Province as we move further,” he said.

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‘Tanim-bala’ at Cagayan Airport victimizes mayor

By Marjaleen Ramos

ALCALA, Cagayan -- Mayor Cristina Antonio of this town appealed on Tuesday to the Dept. of Transportation to conduct a fair investigation on the alleged “tanim-bala” that victimized her at the Tuguegarao Airport in Cagayan.

“Please conduct a fair and partial investigation, kasi ano po yung basehan na sinabing may natagapuan, na merong bala, yun lang pong salita ni Mr. Bulan, wala namang cctv, wala namang x-ray,” Antonio said.

“On our part, wala talaga kaming ganon, at talagang ilalaban namin, na wala po kami ganung bala. Lumalabas pa na kami ang may kasalanan,” she said.

Antonio also denied that they have a gun. “Naku wala po, wala po kaming baril, wala pong dala ang aming mga kasama. Hindi po kami naniniwala sa ganon. We are just ordinary, simple people. Maliit lang po na bayan ang Alcala.”

“Ako very confident ako na truth will really come out pag tinignan yung mga ganong objective na basehan,” the mayor said.

On July 15, Antonio and her family were scheduled to fly to Manila.

She said they went through the first X-ray machine at the airport departure area entrance without any incident.

Antonio said she was holding her 10-month old baby so it was her housemaid who placed their hand-carry backpacks to the second x-ray machine at the boarding gate area entrance.

She said she was called by the x-ray operator and showed the image of a bullet in one of their bags.

Antonio said that the image of the bullet was seen in their baby’s bag but instead of pointing at it, the security personnel singled out their housemaid’s floral backpack.

She said she and her housemaid searched all the compartments of the bag and found nothing, but when the security personnel, identified as Herbert Bulan, inserted his hand into the bag’s exterior pocket, a bullet came out.

Antonio added that Bulan even volunteered to not report the incident.

“My suspicion was confirmed. We are the victims of tanim-bala, and the guy was asking for bribe money, no doubt about it. My God,” the mayor said.

Despite the commotion, Antonio said two policemen seated merely five feet away from her were acting nonchalant as if nothing was happening.

“I am dismayed that some Tuguegarao airport officials have resorted to victim-blaming and shaming — dapat daw kasi hindi kami nagdadala ng bala sa airport. At best, that’s prejudgment; at worst, those officials are probably in cahoots,” she said.

“I repeat, I would never bring anything dangerous near my ten-month old baby. Please also look at the cohesion, detail, intrinsic credibility, and merit of our account.”

Antonio said she and her husband have already written complaints to the DOTr and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP).

“I can’t believe I have to justify and defend ourselves like this. It’s like being victimized all over again,” Antonio said.

“We were played for fools. And the whole time this was happening, I was holding my baby. Evil was unfolding in front of my baby. Saan ko naiturturog. I feel sick in the stomach.”

On Monday, the Office for Transportation Security (OTS) denied that the “tanim bala” extortion attempt at the airport involving Antonio ever took place.

“The incident involving Security Screening Officer Herbert Bulan (baggage inspector who was accused by Mayor Antonio of asking for bribe money) was in fact, baseless,” it stated.

It also said that, Bulan, with 12 years of service in government, was found without any derogatory record.

“On the other hand, the OTS assures the public that any attempt to extort, or ask for any material items in exchange for allowing any prohibited item will not be tolerated nor ignored. “

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Candon bypass road opening in Ilocos Sur, a ‘game changer’

By Leilanie Adriano

CANDON CITY -- The opening of the 7.3-km. bypass road here has immediately eased traffic congestion and opened new doors of opportunities in this northern part of Luzon.

Candon Mayor Ericson Singson said the construction of the “Heroes bypass road” under the administration of President Rodrigo R. Duterte is a dream come true for Candonians.

“We are grateful for this project, which serves as a gateway to the proposed ecotourism zone in Candon. It’s a game changer in the city’s economic growth and the spread of development in Ilocos Sur and its neighboring provinces,” Singson said in his welcome remarks as Duterte led the ceremonial drive-through and unveiling of the marker of the newly-constructed road on Thursday afternoon.

Started on April 15, 2015, the bypass road was completed last April 22.

During that period, construction worker Jerome Buenavista of Candon City said he was able to establish his own tiangge (store) near the bypass road, which has nurtured his family’s daily needs.

Singson said the road opening has inspired the Candon local government to develop an ecotourism zone, along with the construction of a 5,000-seater sports coliseum.

He said they now look forward to hosting major events, such as out-of-town Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) games, concerts, and conventions of both public and private organizations.

To strengthen the city's trademark as a center of commerce, education and trade in southern Ilocos Sur, Singson said they also embarked on three major infrastructure development -- the ongoing improvement of the Ilocos Regional Training and Medical Center that will be upgraded into a 100-bed capacity, a new building of the Land Transportation Office in Bagani Campo, and the construction of a community airport in Barangay Parioc, this city.

In his speech during the inauguration of the bypass road, Duterte acknowledged the efforts of the Department of Public Work and Highways (DPWH) and thanked the Candon government and its surrounding towns for their support for the overall development of the country.

The President also expressed his admiration for the hardworking Ilocanos who help develop Mindanao and the rest of the country wherever they are.

According to Public Works Secretary Mark Villar, more high-impact projects will be expected in Ilocos Sur in support of the “Build, Build, Build” project of the Duterte administration.

These include the construction of the Bantay-San Ildefonso bypass road, the Cabugao-Nueva Era-Danglas road, and diversion roads in Bantay and Vigan City, as well as the improvement of public buildings and evacuation centers in Barangay Bucao, Tagudin and Barangay Ayusan, Vigan City. (PNA) 

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PCSO, Mt Province government give PWDs free devises

BONTOC, Mountain Province -- The provincial government through the Provincial Persons with Disability Affair Office has partnered with the Philippine Charity Sweepstake Office and MVRN Prosthesis Center in helping orthopedic persons with disabilities acquire assistive devices.

MVRN Prosthesis Center based in Pangasinan recently assessed 94 PWDs in the province in need of assistive devices.

Based on data of the PDAO, 50 of those assessed were in need of wheelchairs; 14 in need of prosthesis and crutches, four in need of quad cane, walker and body brace; three needs leg brace, while one needed ortho shoes. The total cost of these assistive devices is P805, 000.

The MVRN issued each of the assessed PWD a quotation stating the needed device and its specification and the price, and a Certification certifying that MVRN is willing to accept the Guarantee Letter issued by PCSO.

In support to PWDs, the provincial government has allotted the amount of P45, 000 under the PDAO funds which was used to procure two wheelchairs, 15 crutches, 7 canes and 4 walkers for 28 of the assessed PWDs.

PDAO-designate Maria Codeo informed that the PCSO which partnered with the MVRN shoulders the funding of the other assistive devices through the issuance of a Guarantee Letter after the PWDS have complied with the other requirements such as any valid ID, medical certificate and implant specification issued by the Municipal Health Officer based on the assessment of the needed assistive devices as specified by the MVRN.

Codeo said the Guarantee Letter is issued by Branch Head/Administrative Officer III Evilio Andy S. Timario of PCSO Bontoc Branch Office.

The PCSO has already released Guarantee Letters of 30 PWDs to PDAO which were  forwarded to MVRN. The assistive devices of these 30 PWDs are expected to be delivered on July 29, 2019. 

All the assistive devices are given free except for the prosthesis and wheelchairs wherein each of the beneficiaries of prosthesis which costs P30,000 and wheelchair costing P6,000 pay a counterpart of P5,000.00 and P1,000.00 respectively. Some of the prosthesis and wheelchair beneficiaries were able to request from the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office a financial assistance to pay their counterpart, Codeo added.

She said there are still assessed PWDs who have not yet complied with the requirements like PWDs without valid IDs, difficulty in transporting PWDs for medical check-up for the issuance of a medical certificate.

In related development, the PDAO in partnership with the Philippine Red Cross-Mountain Province Chapter conducted fund raising activities such as the  Mt. Mogao Trail Run, Tickets-for-a-Cause during the Begnas di Bauko and the Lang-ay Festival. Net proceeds amounting to P111, 160 was divided equally among ten PWDs undergoing medication. (JDP/JBS-PIA CAR, Mt. Province)

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Sagada caves deteriorating; DPWH urged: Fix dug area

By: Francis B. Degay  

SAGADA, Mountain Province – Caves of this tourist town are deteriorating as rock formations and biodiversity inside and outside are being destroyed, said a team from the government Environment office which assessed these.

The burial caves have been also vandalized even as the top of a cave bulldozed by the Dept. of Public Works and Highways has not yet been backfilled, the team said.

Barangay officials of Taccong, Suyo and Ambasing, municipal tourism officer and staff of the Provincial Tourism Office attended a presentation by the Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources of the result of cave appraisal.

Facilitators from the regional Cordillera office of DENR represented by mining engineer Wrexton Afidchao and forester Cristopher Bosaing of CENRO- Sabangan urged barangay officials and stakeholders of caves to unite and cooperate for  preservation of caves.

Afidchao presented his team’s assessment on the two caves being frequented by tourists in Sagada, particularly Balangagan and Lumiyang.

He urged the barangay officials to follow up with the DPWH backfilling of the top of the cave that was leveled for the proposed construction of government building.

The DPWH stopped construction of the building following opposition from local folks who said the environment should be preserved considering the proposed building would sit atop a cave.

Bosaing said the “head” of the cave must be planted with trees and shrubs.

“Trees hold water,” he said. “As water sips into the cave, it is essential in forming stalactites and stalagmites.”         

Afidchao said Balangagan Cave has nine chambers and one had been a burial ground as manifested by presence of old coffins.

He urged barangay officials of Suyo and Taccong to put a fence so vandals will not destroy coffins and skeletons.

Lumiyang, once a famous burial ground, is the entrance of the  renowned cave connection to the “big” cave, which is called Sumaguing.

According to Afidchao, it is the 2nd longest cave in Cordillera at 800 meters.

Vanessa Pineda of the National Museum office urged barangay officials to include in their ordinances preservation of cultural values of caves.

DENR staff also discussed features of Republic Act 9072 (An Act to manage and protect caves and cave resources and classification of caves.)

Class I are caves with delicate and fragile geological formations with presence of threatened species and archeological and paleontological values and conditions are extremely hazardous. 

Caves under class II are those with sections that have hazardous conditions and contain sensitive geological, biological, archeological, cultural, historical, and biological values or high quality ecosystem.

They can be visited by well-experienced cavers and visitors but with experienced guides.  

Class 3 are those considered generally safe to inexperienced visitor with no known threatened species, archeological, geological, natural history, cultural and historical values.

These caves may also be utilized for economic purposes such as guano extraction and edible birds nest collection.

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Leptospirosis cases in Pangasinan rise to 26

By Jan Carlo Anolin

DAGUPAN CITY -- At least 26 cases of leptospirosis have been reported in Pangasinan following the continuous flooding in certain areas due to heavy rains.

The Public Health Office-Pangasinan disclosed that among these, there have already been five reported deaths from January to July 2019 as reported by DZMM.

Leptospirosis is caused by the Leptospira bacteria which can be found in dirty floodwaters or mud contaminated with animal’s urine, mostly from rats and even pigs.

Dr. Anna De Guzman, PHO officer, has given a directive to all their hospitals to monitor all incoming patients with leptospirosis symptoms.

Symptoms include high fever and joint pain which eventually leads to flu.

Dagupan, Binmaley, Pozorrubio, Rosales, and San Fabian have the most cases of leptospirosis while farmers, who soak their feet in mud and floodwater for a long time, were the most affected individuals.

The PHO encouraged the public to wear boots when crossing floodwaters, and not to wade in waters if their feet have open wounds.

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200 establishments encroached on Marcos road: City gov’t, DPWH

By Dexter A. See

BAGUIO CITY – The city government in coordination with the Dept. of Public Works and Highways-Baguio City District Engineering Office found some 200 establishments encroached on road-right-of-way of the Palispis-Aspiras highway, known as Marcos highway.

Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong said there is a need to immediately dismantle the encroachments introduced by these establishments to restore these areas as part of the road thus ensuring the smooth flow of traffic along one of the major roads leading to the city proper.

However, he said dismantling of encroachments must pass through the required due process to prevent issues with property owners against the demolition to be done by the city in coordination with the DPWH-BCDEO.

Initially, the City Buildings and Architecture Office (CBAO) and the DPWH-BCDEO issued notices of demolition to some 7 establishments that reportedly encroached on the road-right-of-way of the Palispis-Aspiras highway and that the same were due for implementation.

Under the prevailing rules and regulations, owners of establishments who were issued notices of demolition for encroaching on the road-right-of-way of the Palispis-Aspiras highway or other national roads in the city can file their appeal to the Public Works Secretary.

Owners of establishments that encroached on the road-righty-of-way of national roads will be issued 3 notices for them to voluntarily remove or dismantle the structures they built over portions of the road within a 21-day period and that their refusal to do so will constrain the local government and the DPWH-BCDEO to facilitate the dismantling of those illegal structures.

 Magalong ordered the CBAO, in coordination with the DPWH-BCDEO, to already issue the appropriate notices to the identified owners of establishments that encroached on the road-right-of-way of the Palispis-Aspiras highway so that the dismantling of the structures could immediately be done once they refuse to comply with the request of voluntary demolition.

The city mayor conducted an ocular inspection along the Palispis-Aspiras highway to ascertain the areas where encroachments on the road-right-of-way were done by the identified establishments and to remind business owners to voluntarily remove such encroachments to prevent the local government from doing it for them.

Earlier, the CBAO and the DPWH-BCDEO conducted an inspection along major roads around the city to identify the establishments that encroached on the road-right-of-way of the national roads and subsequent notices were issued to the establishment owners but no concrete actions were done by the establishment owners to dismantle the structures they erected on the roads.

He appealed to the owners of establishments along national roads who were already issued notices to dismantle their structures that encroached on the roads and not to wait for the city demolition team to do the removal of the encroachments.

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Irisan lot eyed Baguio housing, evacuation center

BAGUIO CITY – The local government is setting its sights on the city’s 1.8-hectare property in barangay Irisan as the site for the put-up of tenement housing for the city’s socialized housing project and the establishment of an evacuation center to cater to the needs of calamity victims who will be displaced during the natural and man-made calamities.

Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong ordered the City Planning and Development Office, in coordination with concerned offices, to fastrack the plans for the area to accommodate the proposed tenement housing project and the put up of the city’s evacuation center to complement its evacuation center within the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (CDRRM) building located within the City Engineering Office compound in Lower Rock Quarry barangay.

The local chief executive claimed he was able to access some P50 million from the National Housing Authority (NHA) for the city’s socialized housing project thus concerned offices must fastrack the completion of the requirements to cause the release of the funds for the implementation of the tenement housing project for the housing needs of the marginalized sectors in the city.

Earlier, the previous administrations of the local government identified the city-owned property as a site for the housing project of government employees but the same did not materialize through the years.

Magalong asserted tenement housing is the most practical way of providing decent housing to the marginalized sectors as the city does not have sufficient land area for single-detached houses for the beneficiaries of socialized housing project.

According to him, the local government’s socialized housing project and the planned evacuation center will have to be built side-by-side to maximise the space and fastrack the implementation of the said projects at the same time that the city is working on the implementation of other priority development projects beneficial to the greater majority of the populace.

The city mayor explained that once the proposed evacuation center is established in the city-owned property, the local government will forego the evacuation center within the CDRRM building and convert the same to other worthy uses, especially related to disaster risk reduction and management, among other purposes in the future.

He emphasized the need for informal settlers and other marginalized sectors to have decent housing to prevent them from squatting on private properties and public lands that have been identified to be used for public needs, among others, that often complicate the proliferation of informal settlers in the different barangays.

He stated the urgency of having to access the funds committed to him by NHA officials, thus, the need for concerned offices to closely coordinate with each other for the completion of the requirements that will warrant the release of the funds for the immediate implementation of the city’s socialized housing project pursuant to its established local shelter plan compliant with the prevailing standards of housing prescribed by the housing-related national government offices. -- Dexter A. See 

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Crackdown against squatting in Baguio

EDITORIAL

The city government’s crackdown against illegal squatting and structures in this summer capital is a step in the right direction, considering Baguio had become a haven of a huge number of squatters during past administrations.     

These squatters have been tolerated for so long. Some have formed groups and defied legal owners and authorities by standing pat on their illegal structures some of which have been erected even on watersheds like Busol.   

Mayor Benjamin Magalong assumed chairmanship of the city’s anti-squatting and anti-illegal structures committee tasked to head action on complaints and issues on illegal structures, illegal activities of professional squatters and squatting syndicates.

In Executive Order No. 21-2019, the mayor retained members: City Legal Office, City Building and Architecture Office, Baguio City Police Office Director, Presidential Commission on Urban Poor representative and the Public Order and Safety Division chief.

The mayor also retained restructured procedures and guidelines in the demolition of illegal structures as spelled out in Administrative Order No. 72 series of 2013 of former mayor Mauricio Domogan save for the involvement of the POSD in the investigation which was now fully relegated to the CBAO.

As per the approved process, complaints for alleged illegal constructions will be filed with the CBAO which will conduct an investigation on the complaint based on their own investigation procedures.

The city imposes different demolition procedures depending on the circumstances of the structures being complained.

For ongoing illegal constructions situated on titled properties or areas covered by an order of award, the owner of the structure if he happens to also be the owner or awardee of the lot will be given 60 days to legalize his structure.

Otherwise, the owner will be charged for violation of Presidential Decree 1096 and the structure will be subject for demolition.

For illegal structures built on lots not owned by the structure owner and for structures built on unregistered lots, the structure owner will be asked to discontinue the construction or dismantle the structure within 24 hours.

If the owner refuses, then the city will undertake the demolition and file a criminal complaint against the owner.

For illegal structures completed or built after January 1, 2006, the same procedure apply for those where the owner of the structure is also the owner of the lot if the lot is titled while for those who do not own the titled lot and for those who built on unregistered lots, the investigation report will be endorsed to the anti-squatting committee for deliberation and appropriate action.

For structures built within the right of way of national roads, the complaint will be endorsed to the Dept. of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Baguio City Engineering District pursuant to Dept. Order No. 52 while those built on public places, right of way of city or barangay roads and danger areas, forest reservations, water reservation and similar areas, the investigation report and notices of violations will be endorsed to the city administrator for immediate issuance of demolition order.

Appropriate offices will be tasked to issue the certifications regarding the location of the structure. "All complaints not covered by the order shall be dismissed without prejudice to the parties taking alternative legal remedies. However, even if the complained illegal structure was constructed prior to January 1, 2006 if the same is already the subject of an issued demolition order and a case has been filed in court, the said complaint shall not be dismissed to allow the case already filed in court to continue until its judicial determination and resolution," the order said, .

As to the guidelines for the implementation of demolition orders to be implemented by the city demolition team, the owner of the property subject of the demolition order will be duly notified by furnishing him a copy of the Demolition Advice and Demolition Order at least 30 days before the date of demolition.

The implementation of the order will be done in coordination with the BCPO.

The following safeguards will be complied with: Notice through the Demolition Advice at least 30 days prior to the date of demolition; Proper identification of all persons taking part in the demolition; execution of demolition will be done only during regular office hours from Mondays to Fridays except during inclement weather and disasters unless the affected parties consent otherwise; no use of heavy equipment for demolition except for permanent and concrete structures; and use of proper uniforms for PNP who should occupy the first line of law enforcement and observe proper disturbance control procedures; and all those provided in Republic Act 7279.

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Mystery over ‘missing’ Ifugao vice mayor / ‘Broken promises’

BEHIND THE SCENES

Alfred P. Dizon

TINOC, Ifugao Vice Mayor Fernando Gapuz, who was reported missing on Friday last week, surfaced on Wednesday.

Police confirmed that Gapuz is now with his family, but did not give details.

In posts on Facebook, Gapuz’s family members thanked those who helped and prayed to find the vice mayor.

When contacted through his cell phone by newsmen, Gapuz did not give any explanation on why he went missing.

Gapuz was last seen boarding a bus in Barangay Impugong bound for Buguias, Benguet where he was last seen before he surfaced. He did not contact his family since then.

Reports said this prompted his family to report the incident to a TV station which aired the incident. Netizens said his being “missing in action,” could have been due to some factors, but we won’t speculate on this. Let us leave the family in peace.                   

***

After three years in power, the Duterte administration continues to fail workers and the poor as labor and human rights violations heighten, according to the Center for Trade Union and Human Rights (CTUHR)

 “Broken promises, broken further by a combination of laws and practices that Duterte government created while making the Filipino poor poorer and sending the Philippines to indebtedness to China,” the CTUHR said commenting on the President’s fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) and three years in power.

 “Duterte actually inflicted more harm than uplifted the lives of the ordinary Filipinos, especially the working class. He forced us to tighten further our belt with the enactment of the Tax Reform Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law and send farmers deeper to destitution with the Rice Tariffication law,” said CTUHR executive director Daisy Arago.

 “His three years in power is marked with 43 killings of workers, informal and agricultural workers and labor rights defenders; 15 major violent dispersal of workers strikes and collective protests this year; vilification and persecution of critics, activists and human rights defenders; allowing China plunder and trampling of country’s sovereignty and high-handed governance that brings the police and military to rule the country,”

 Arago said Duterte unleashed his wars on drug, terrorism and insurgency, simultaneous to his threat to kill unions in late 2016.  

“Attacks became more vicious when he issued his Executive Order 70 last December 2018 red-tagging organizations and individuals critical of his policies as communists and communist sympathizers.  Murder of unidentified riding in men and `tokhang-style’ EJK became a common pattern for those who fell victims of government hysteria.

“Surveillances and harassments became common against known trade union leaders – 17 cases of surveillance and 22 cases of harassment. Moreover, arbitrary arrests and filing of trumped up criminal charges also became a trend to vilify labor rights advocates. Six (6) unionists and labor organizers in fact remain in detention - Marklen Maga, Juan Alexander Reyes, Ireneo Atadero, Julio Lusania, Oliver and Weng Rosales were arrested and charged with trumped-up cases. A peace consultant on economic and socio-cultural rights, Adelberto Silva also remains in jail.  Rafael Baylosis who was detained for a year was freed early this year after the  cases filed against him were dismissed due to lack of evidence. Two hundred seventy three (273) individuals are slapped with various fabricated criminal charges due to their political beliefs and involvement in labor disputes. 

The CTUHR said in a statement Duterte had open pronouncements and threats to kill unions and unionists if they will continue to organize and hold strikes, because they kill businesses. 

“The President must  be reminded that organizing unions and strikes are basic worker’s rights, constitutionally and internationally recognized. If such statements is coming from a President, it becomes a policy and it is not surprising that his men, uniformed and non-uniformed are blatantly violating these rights, with impunity.” 

According to CTUHR, “Martial Law in Mindanao was used against the striking workers of Shin Sun Tropical Fruits in Davao last June 2, 2017. Other violent strikes and protest dispersals that followed were those of Coca-Coca in Davao; NutriAsia in Marilao, Bulacan last June and July last year and NutriAsia Cabuyao, Laguna a year after; and PEPMACO, also in Laguna over common issues of long-term contractualization, low wages and unsafe working conditions.  Hired goons and police brutally dispersed and arrested the striking workers and their supporters and then slapped with trumped up criminal charges. 

 “With concern for businesses to thrive, while removing all barriers to businesses, the Duterte government’s hatred to unions and unionists critical of his policies is a dictum.

“He disregard the clamor for P750 National Minimum wage, an end to all forms of contractualization and considered them bad for business.  His supporters much peddled new law on occupational, safety and health and expanded maternity leave won after decade of people’s struggle are yet to see its implementation as employers express their reservations.

 According to the CTUHR, the administration’s combined use of violence and law on its people, including Martial Law in Mindanao,  is also plunging the country’s unions to a mere 4.6 percent of an estimated of almost  27 million wage and salaried workers or a total of  4,689,568 workers.  Majority or 64,933 (as of Dec 2018) are actually workers’ associations that do not have bargaining powers to improve their conditions in the workplaces.

Arago also highlighted the impact of the Tax Reform Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law that the administration promised would help the poor. “This law plunged the workers and the poor into deeper poverty, cut the amount of food that daily wage can buy. The unemployed and precarious informal workers often sleep at night with just noodles and eggs or just water. As oil prices continuously to soar as high as more than P20/liter when TRAIN law was implemented, the prices of basic commodities logically rose emptying the pockets of the poor,” she added. 

“If there is something positive that this administration had done, it is emboldening workers to assert their rights despite threats of reprisal. In fact, in Duterte’s 3 years, 155 unions covering 137,288 workers filed their Notices of strikes and 12,687 workers actually participated in 38 strikes, excluding those workers who camped-out outside the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) office in Intramuros.  This figure already doubles the 15 strikes recorded in Benigno Aquino’s six-year term. 

“These labor standards violations to extrajudicial killings and policies that favor the capital, revalidate the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) Global Rights Index Report 2019 which included the Philippines as one of the 10 worst countries for workers. 

“The consistent low ranking of the country in Global Rights Index reflects the continual structural failure of the Philippine government to stem the deteriorating state of human rights of the Filipino people. It also raises the necessity to push for the ILO High level Mission to investigate these labor rights violations.” the CTUHR concluded.

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The Quest for Truth

 TRUTH FOR TODAY

Jun Malazo

SAGADA, Mountain Province -- According to the latest statistics, there are well over 4,200 different religious groups in the world today.  These include the major religious groups that are well-known in the world as well as hundreds of minor groups that are often unfamiliar to most people.

 This number is staggering especially to those who are sincerely wanting to find the truth.  To compare and contrast each of these religions would not only be very time consuming but also would lead to a lot of confusion and frustration.

I don’t know if you are a member of a particular religious group or sect, but have you ever stopped and asked yourself, “How do we know who’s telling truth?”  With so many religions having overwhelming differences in beliefs and practices, it is hard to determine who is really telling the truth. 

Nowadays, even churches know how to “market” their particular church.  They can make their church attractive and appealing to people simply by employing marketing techniques.  But the question still remains:  “How do we know who is telling the truth?”

If you are one that is seeking for truth this is a serious matter.  You can spend your entire life dedicated to sincerely following what you thought was the truth and then in the end find out it was a lie.  I have good news for you. You can know the truth.  God promises that to us.

“And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. "  (John 8:32)

So then back to the question:  “How do we know who is telling the truth?”  In order to answer this question, you must first understand what truth is.  Truth can either be relative or absolute.  Relative truth is truth that changes.  These truths are subjective.  This means that they are based upon feelings and traditions of men. 

They are not based upon concrete evidence but on one’s feelings and personal experiences.  There are groups of people today which hold to the view that there is no such thing as an absolute truth.  They believe that truth is based upon individual personal views.

Absolute truth, on the other hand, is truth that never changes.  It is derived from truth that is not based on one’s personal experience or opinion.  Notice the remarkable fact found in this following verse:

"Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth."  (John 17:17)

The Bible is the absolute source of truth.  It never changes.  It contains God’s Word which is powerful.  It has the power to change lives.  It has the power to cleanse our lives as the verse above proclaims. 

There are groups of people today that say there is no such thing as an absolute truth.  They believe that truth is based upon individual personal views. They say, “What is true to you may not be true to me.”  This is called Relativism. 

Truth, to them, is decided by their own morals and standards in life.  There are serious implications with this view.  For example, the issue of abortion has been a global concern for many years.  Lawmakers over the years have debated about the morality and legality of abortion.  Governments all over the world have made laws not based upon absolute truth but upon the personal views of people.  The human rights activist’s protest is, “This is my body, I can do whatever I want with it.”

We already see serious implications with this view in our day.  Millions of innocent unwanted babies are murdered in their mother’s womb every single year.  Belief in Relativism ignores the clear and distinct line between right and wrong.  You may think there’s nothing wrong with what you do with your own body, but it doesn’t make it morally right. 

Is it right to murder?  It is right to steal?  Is it right to lie to get what you want?  The obvious answer is “no”.  You can come out with all the reasoning and justification for those actions you can think of, but they are still wrong morally.  These are just some of the issues that are prevalent in our day.  There are many more issues such as that of redefining marriage between a man and a woman.  The question is, where do we draw the line?

 If you are on a quest for truth, there are a few guidelines to follow.  First of all, truth must have a reliable source. Truth must have an infallible source.  Otherwise, it is not absolute truth.  We must test everything in light of what the Bible teaches.  The Bible is not just a source of truth, but rather, it is the Truth!  It will guide you as you navigate through life.

"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."  (Psalms 119:105)

How do we know who is telling the truth?  We must find their source of truth.  Is what they believe based upon the Bible?  Or is what they are teaching based upon man-made traditions?  Any religious belief or practice that is not based upon the Bible is not absolute truth. 

We must also be careful not be deceived with half-truths.  Satan is an expert at giving counterfeit truths.  He injects lies into the truth.  Since he is the master of deception, he can make lies seem truthful.  Without careful discernment, people are led to believe lies.  Jesus doesn’t mince His words when he describes Satan.

"Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. "  (John 8:44)

Rat poison makers tell us that 99.99% of the rat poison is actually edible food.  Only .01% represents the actual poison.  The point is that something can look right and sound right, but it may be contaminated with lies.  It may only take .01% of lie to make the truth dangerous.  There are many religious groups that claim to teach the Bible, but a closer look would reveal that what they believe is not based upon absolute truth. As a pastor, I often get asked if something is true or not about religious practices.  My answer is always to ask the question, “Is it based upon the Bible, and what does the Bible say about the particular issue?"

The Bible will also help you make wise decisions in every aspect of life.

"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:"  (2 Timothy 3:16)

Please don’t get me wrong, there are, though limited, principles and philosophies from man that may be helpful.  But we must understand that man is capable of error.  Man’s best intentions can still lead people astray.  We must trust the one source of absolute truth—the Bible.

Truth has always been under attack.  Satan’s first blow against God and creation was rooted in lies.  In Genesis 3, Satan lied by making Eve believe that what God said was not true.  It is interesting to note that in verse 1 Satan repeated God’s command: 

“Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?"  (Genesis 3:1)

You see, Satan knows the truth.  This is why he wants to do all that he can to hide or twist the truth.  He proceeded by putting doubt in Eve’s mind by saying, “Ye shall not surely die.”  Satan then concluded by saying that God was trying to hide something from her in verse 5.  Satan wants you to doubt truth and make you question God’s goodness.

In your quest for truth, it is also important to have an open mind.  Truth is sometimes hard to bear especially when it goes against something that you have always believed.  This is a common mistake that people make.  They don’t want to listen and obey anything else for fear of rejection from family and community.  Religious groups are also guilty of this.  They threaten their followers that if they ever decide to change their beliefs and follow something else, they will be forever condemned by God.  There’s more that could be said about this, but let me just say that salvation from the eternal punishment for our sins, in not found by joining any particular religious body or performing religious practices. It is only found in a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. 

There are some who deny the truth simply because it would bring inconvenience to their lives. 

Smoking tobacco had been around for centuries before it was discovered that it causes cancer.  During the 1920’s the link between smoking and lung cancer was confirmed.  However, many newspaper editors refused to report these findings as they did not want to offend tobacco companies who advertised heavily in the media.  It wasn’t until the late 1950’s that a series of major medical reports were published confirming the dangers of smoking. 

That was close to thirty years before the truth came out.  I wonder how many people’s lives were lost because the truth was concealed for that long.  I wonder how many young people would not have become addicted to such a vice if they knew of its dangers. 

The point is that conforming to the truth may mean a change of lifestyle—a price which only few are willing to pay.  However, I would submit to you that ignoring the truth has far greater consequences.  Today, tobacco is a multi-billion dollar industry, and cancer remains the number one killer of people.

Jesus declares exclusively about himself that He is the truth.  Notice the following verse:

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."  (John 14:6)

What you do with the truth will determine your destiny.  Let’s say I gave you directions how to get to my house, but you decided to get there by following your own directions. In turn, you get lost.  Whose fault would that be?  Is it my fault?  I know where I live and how to get there.  Is it the location of the house?  A building is a fixed structure, and it never moves.  Is it yours?  I gave you directions, but you decided to follow your own way. 

The answer is obvious.  If you are seeking for real truth, it can only be found in Jesus Christ.  In the verse above, Jesus made a very exclusive statement.  He did not say, “I am a way, a truth.”  Rather He says, “…I am the way, the truth…”  There’s nothing else.  What you do with truth today will determine where you will be tomorrow.

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‘Moon River’, Digong version

LETTERS FROM THE AGNO

March L. Fianza

BAGUIO CITY -- It was the first time that sound of music filled the halls of the House of Representatives, and the first time that a musical group was invited to grace the occasion of the State of the Nation Address or SONA delivered by a president of a country.

In other countries like in the US, oath taking of presidents are graced by musicians like James Taylor, Aretha Franklin, Beyonce who sang during the inauguration of President Obama in 2013.

During President Bill Clinton’s inauguration, 10 brass players consisting of seven saxophone heroes and three clarinet blowers occupied the makeshift stage fronting the White House.

It is “kanya-kanyang style” in running the affairs of an event. For Duterte’s SONA, I heard a presidential spokesperson say it was the President himself who requested for the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra to play our National Anthem.

After the speech that lasted 1 hr. and 45 minutes, and after the selfies and picture-taking, President Duterte found his way to the orchestra that backed him in rendering his version of “Moon River” by songwriters Henry Manicini and Johnny Mercer.

Just like the song goes, Duterte is “crossing you in style”. And so, unfortunately too, he admitted in his SONA that he might not finish his drug war before his term ends. After three years, thousands of collateral deaths and thousands of arrests; more drugs and offenders are uncovered.

The dream to stop corruption and realize Federalism during the time of the “dream maker” as partly mentioned in the song, is a “heart breaker” too. Perhaps Duterte’s dreams are as elusive as the “rainbow’s end” in the song.

Digong’s style of running his term is something his critics hate. It is incomparable to the styles of past presidents that his enemies were used to. Maybe that is what irks them, in addition to having the nerve to straightforwardly spit out bad words and expletives.   

“Wherever you're goin', I'm goin' your way” says the song, and so despite the curses in public, his popularity rating is still up – an indication that the masses look at his fight against drugs and corruption in government as something sincere.

He is one president who has the nerve to physically face an organized street rally consisting of student-activists, urban poor orgs, market vendors, jeepney drivers, squatters, cause-oriented groups, political enemies, and other detractors.

An unusual move he made in his first year as president is to appoint to his cabinet distinguished personalities belonging to left-leaning organizations, if only to show seriousness in wanting to end decades of a hopeless anti-insurgency war.

A musician-friend used to sing Moon River but intentionally sings the line “Moon River, wider than a smile” instead of “mile”. Truly, a smile as wide as a mile paired with a shrug is all that many of us can do now whenever Digong coughs up remarks that are no longer for the headlines.

***

DJ Louis Eric Barrier once said, “Where the poison wind blows a deadly plague spreading negativity, viciously unto every city.” I hope this is not applicable in the affairs involving our new set of officials in the city.

I do hope they put forward new initiatives and seek genuine solutions to old problems that the past officials failed to resolve in their nine years of running this city.  

I wish them good sense to avoid listening to dead rumour being spread by quarters who have axes to grind against certain personalities. They only result to disagreement and misunderstanding instead of unity.

Indeed, it is rubbish to elect into office one who will act as an extension of the past and wasteful for one to believe on info given to him by people of the past administration.

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