MENRE holds exam for 1st batch of applicants

CHOOSING THE BEST --- The initial batch of 528 out of some 2,000 job applicants for plantilla positions at the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources and Energy of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao take the pre-qualifying test at the Shariff Kabunsuan Complex, the seat of BARMM, in Cotabato City from February 10 to 13, 2020. The next batch of applicants’ examination is scheduled in Zamboanga City for the island-provinces of Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-tawi later this month. (Photo courtesy of MENRE-BARMM, MINDANAO EXPOSE')                  

COTABATO CITY ---  A total of 528 applicants took the pre-qualifying examination for 76 high-level plantilla positions at the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources and Energy of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (MENRE-BARMM) last week, a regional environment executive said last February 13.

MENRE-BARMM Minister Abdulraof Macacua, concurrent regional executive secretary, said the examinees for Salary Grades 18 to 24 were part of the first batch of some 2,000 applicants who passed the preliminary evaluation earlier conducted by the ministry.

118K R-12 tech-voc graduates in 2019 now employed

GENERAL SANTOS CITY ---  About 118,000 graduates of various technical vocational (tech-voc) programs in Region-12 (Soccsksargen) last year have already landed jobs locally and abroad.

Rafael Abrogar II, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA)-12 director, said last February 12 that the employed graduates represent about 88 percent of the 134,371 who completed the skills training programs facilitated by the agency in 2019. 

He said the data was based on the preliminary result of the Survey of Employability of Technical and Vocational Education and Training Graduates (SETG) released by the TESDA Planning Office.

PNP to intensify drive vs. 'fake news' purveyors

PNP chief, Gen. Archie Gamboa

MANILA  --- The Philippine National Police (PNP) ordered last February 14 its Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) and attached units to intensify operations against purveyors of fake news on social media platforms. 

PNP chief Gen. Archie Gamboa has ordered the ACG "to monitor misinformation circulating in social media involving national or immediate concern, conduct validation and fact-check to provide reports and updates with Facebook for appropriate action."

“This time, we need to double our effort against the proliferation of false information, most especially about national concerns. We will conceptualize legal offensive against those netizens posting misinformation on social media platforms,” Gamboa said in a statement.

House panel OKs proposed division of Maguindanao

MAGUINDANAO BREAK-UP --- Maguindanao 2nd District Representative Esmael Mangudadatu, together with Maguindanao 1st District Representative Datu Roonie Sinsuat, Sr. (4th foreground) and Maguindanao Governor Bai Mariam Sangki- Mangudadatu (center), leads other provincial executives in flashing hand gestures to signify their support to the division into two of the province for faster development. The House of Representatives’ committee on local government unanimously approved last February 11 the proposed division of the province into Northern and Southern Maguindanao provinces. (PHOTO COURTESY OF THE OFFICE OF MAGUINDANAO 1ST DISTRICT REP. DATU ROONIE SINSUAT, SR. , MINDANAO EXPOSE')  

COTABATO CITY  ---  A proposal to divide the province of Maguindanao into two has been approved by the House committee on local government, a Maguindanaon lawmaker said last February 12.

The committee approved the bill on the “Creation of Two Provinces of Maguindanao,” which is a consolidation of two earlier House bills, namely the Northern Maguindanao Province House Bill 4840 of Maguindanao 1st District Rep. Datu Roonie Q. Sinsuat, Sr. and Southern Maguindanao Province House Bill 3405 of Maguindanao 2nd District Rep. Esmael G. Mangudadatu.

Soldiers discover BIFF guns, bullets in Maguindanao

CAMP SIONGCO, Maguindanao  --- Soldiers stumbled upon a house with assorted high-powered firearms while pursuing a wanted person in Gen. SK Pendatun, Maguindanao last February 11.

Elements of the 40th Infantry Battalion were serving a search warrant for attempted murder charges against a certain Sukarno Buka, alias “Boba,” in Barangay Midconding at 5 a.m. when gunmen believed to be members of the outlawed Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) fired at them.

Maj. Gen. Diosdado Carreon, 6th Infantry Division commander, said Buka is a sub-commander of the BIFF terror group.

“As the troops were approaching a safe house, they were fired at by the gunmen, triggering a five-minute exchange of gunfire,” Carreon said, adding that Buka and his men managed to escape.

Recovered inside Buka’s safe house were one KG9 rifle, an M79 grenade launcher, a homemade shotgun, a caliber .40 pistol, an M14 rifle, one riflescope, a gas cylinder of an M60 machine gun, assorted magazines, and ammunition.

The arrest warrant against Buka was issued by Judge Melanio M. Guerrero of Regional Trial Court Branch 20 in Tacurong City on May 4, 2017.

Carreon, concurrent head of Joint Task Force Central, vowed to "relentlessly pursue" wanted persons and lawless elements in its area of assignment. He also commended the troops for the recovery of high-powered guns and ammunition. (EDWIN FERNANDEZ, PNA - COTABATO, MINDANAO EXPOSE')

Ombudsman clears NorCot guv of graft

North Cotabato Governor Nancy Catamco

COTABATO CITY  --- Three members of the Islamic State-inspired Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) yielded to the Army’s 7th Infantry Battalion  in Pikit, North Cotabato, a military official said last February 13.

Lt. Col. Neil Roldan, commander of the 7th IB, identified the surrenderers as Terek Nao, Tato Bantas, and Tatuan Gandawali, all of Barangay Barungis, Pikit and members of the notorious BIFF-Karialan faction operating in the border of North Cotabato and Maguindanao provinces.

“They grew tired of always running away from pursuing military forces, prompting them to rethink their future and their families,” Roldan said in a statement.

The surrenderers also yielded a homemade .50-caliber sniper rifle, an M79 grenade launcher, a 40-mm. grenade explosive, and a homemade 9-mm. machinegun.

The surrender ceremony was held at the 7th IB headquarters in nearby Barangay Lower Paatan, Kabacan, North Cotabato in the presence of local officials led by Pikit Mayor Sumulong Sultan.

Sultan extended an undetermined amount of “immediate cash assistance” to the three surrenderers during the ceremony. In the same event, the surrenderers vowed to never return to their life as rebels.

“We will be law-abiding citizens from now on,” Nao, one of the surrenderers, said in the vernacular. (NOEL PUNZALAN, PNA - COTABATO, MINDANAO EXPOSE')

AIR POLLUTION

AIR POLLUTION --- Air pollution from fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and gas, is attributed to cause an estimated 27,000 premature deaths each year in the Philippines and can cost the country up to approximately 1.9 percent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP) in economic losses annually, according to the new research by Greenpeace Southeast Asia during the press briefing and launch of the Greenpeace report, “Toxic Air: The Price of Fossil Fuels,” held last February 12 in Quezon City. In photo are  Khevin Yu (left) and Rhea Jane Mallari, campaigners, Greenpeace Philippines Southeast Asia. (PNA PHOTO BY JOEY O. RAZON, MINDANAO EXPOSE')