6 Maguindanao drug suspects surrender, turn in 5 firearms

RAJAH BUAYAN, Maguindanao  --- An Army battalion commander here presented last February 24 six suspected drug personalities who surrendered and vowed to become law-abiding citizens.

During simple ceremonies held at the town's covered court, Lt. Col. Elmer M. Boongaling, head of the Army’s 33rd Infantry Battalion, presented the former drug personalities and their surrendered firearms to Col. Jose H. Narciso, commander of the 601st Infantry Brigade, and Col. Arnold Santiago, Maguindanao police provincial director.

Rajah Buayan Mayor Yacob Ampatuan and other local officials also witnessed the ceremonial surrender.

Boongaling said the identities of the surrenderers were withheld for security reasons. They also surrendered two M16 rifles, an Uzi machine pistol, a 12-gauge shotgun, and a FAL automatic rifle.

"The brigade’s endeavors on the operation against illegal drugs and proliferation of loose firearms are set in the Joint Task Force Central campaign plan to entice the lawless armed groups to surrender and live normal lives once more,” Narciso said during the ceremony.

He added that the voluntary surrender of the drug personalities was the result of the convergence of concerned stakeholders anchored on the implementation of the government's "whole-of-nation approach," which emphasizes cooperation among government agencies to address insurgency and other peace and order problems.

Narciso assured the people of Rajah Buayan that the military is ready to protect the communities in Maguindanao at all times. He was also optimistic that more drug personalities in the area would surrender.

Ampatuan also assured the local government is ready to accept the surrender of lawless elements who want to return to the fold of the law.

“We will process their livelihood assistance through the help of the provincial government as, more than anybody else, we want peace and development in our community,” the mayor said.

Initially, Ampatuan said the six former drug personalities were given financial assistance of an undetermined amount by the town government. (EDWIN FERNANDEZ, PNA – COTABATO, MINDANAO EXPOSE')

BARMM kicks-off Women’s Month

PARTICIPATION --- The Bangsamoro Transition Authority Parliament is one with the nation as it observes this year’s National Women’s Month.  Led by Secretary General Prof. Raby B. Angkal (center front), the BTA Parliament joins the parade during its kick-off ceremony on  March 2, 2020 in the morning.  (BTA PARLIAMENT, MINDANAO EXPOSE') click photo abpve to read more.....

COTABATO CITY ---  The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, through its Bangsamoro Women Commission (BWC), officially started the celebration of this year’s National Women’s Month (NWM) through a parade Monday, March 2, inside the BARMM Government Center, this city.

The parade, followed by a program at the Shariff Kabunsuan Cultural Complex (SKCC), was attended by officials and employees of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority Parliament together with the different ministries and offices.

The BARMM celebration carries the theme: “We Make Change Work for Bangsamoro Women.”

In her message, BWC Chairperson and Member of the Parliament Hadja Bainon G. Karon said they want to show the world that the Bangsamoro women of today are stronger despite the challenges.

BTA conducts ‘Parliamentary Rules and Procedures’ training

Seeing through the Parliamentary way of legislation as the BTA Members and staff undergo series of training (PHOTO SUPPLIED, MINDANAO EXPOSE') 

 COTABATO CITY --- In the pursuit of offering excellent delivery of public services in the Bangsamoro, the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) Parliament conducted a three-day training on ‘Parliamentary Rules and Procedures’ for its members and chiefs of staff on February 22 to 24 in Cotabato City.

Prof. Raby Angkal, BTA Secretary-General, said the training was designed on the basis of Bangsamoro Government’s objectives, efforts and struggle to help attain the Chief Minister’s ‘Moral Governance’ in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

Angkal added that the aim of the training was for the BTA members to understand further the “basic concepts in Parliament, composition in the Parliament, and Parliament-related legislation and documents,” among others.

Tokyo inks $1.35-M project for ex-combatants in BARMM

CAPACITY-BUILDING --- Japan Ambassador to the Philippines Haneda Koji shakes hands with UNFPA country representative Iori Kato during the signing of USD1.35-million capacity-building projects in the Bangsamoro. Together with the two is International Organization for Migration Chief of Mission Kristin Marie Dadey. (PNA PHOTO BY AVITO DALAN, MINDANAO EXPOSE') 

MANILA  --- Japan inked last February 24 a USD1.35-million project for the reintegration of former women combatants in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

The project, which will be implemented by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), will assist former female members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front - Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (MILF-BIAF) by “transforming them into the community-level service providers as para-social workers to provide psycho-social support to the survivors of gender-based violence.”

SAF 44 suspect arrested while in Cotabato hospital

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WHO raises Covid-19 risk to ‘very high’

VERY HIGH’ RISK --- World Health Organization  Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (center) speaks at a daily briefing in Geneva, Switzerland on Covid-19. In an update, WHO has raised its risk assessment of the deadly disease from ‘high’ to ‘very high.’ (PHOTO BY XINHUA, MINDANAO EXPOSE')

GENEVA --- The World Health Organization (WHO) has raised the risk assessment of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) from “high” to “very high” at global level. 

“Our epidemiologists have been monitoring these developments continuously and we have now increased our assessment of the risk of spread and the risk of impact of Covid-19 to very high at a global level,” said WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at a daily briefing.

WHO is concerned over the continued increase in the number of cases and affected countries over the last few days.

Philippines ‘ready’ as Covid-19 threat reaches highest level

MANILA --- After the World Health Organization (WHO) raised the risk assessment of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) to "very high" at a global level, a Palace official said the government is “ready” to step up efforts to contain the pathogen

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo assured that the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Disease tasked to prevent the spread of the disease will act in response to the WHO’s recommendations. 

“Ready naman tayo dun kasi ang mga protocols naman natin well-placed (We are ready for it because our protocols are well-placed),” Panelo said in an interview over DZIQ on Sunday (March 1).

Protest greets casino in GenSan

NO TO GAMBLING --- More than 200 people led by Catholic priests and nuns from the Diocese of Marbel stage a prayer rally last February 25 to protest the opening of the Grand Imperial Casino in Barangay Lagao. Church leaders alleged that there have been no proper consultations before the gambling facility was allowed to operate. (PNA PHOTO BY RICHELYN GUBALANI, MINDANAO EXPOSE')

GENERAL SANTOS CITY --- Catholic church leaders and members of various civic groups denounced the opening here last February 25 of a casino operated by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor). 

More than 200 people led by priests and nuns from the Diocese of Marbel staged a prayer rally last February 25 in front of the Grand Imperial Casino in Barangay Lagao to protest its operations.

The rally coincided with the soft opening of the casino, which is situated at the Robinsons mall compound along the Bula-Lagao Road here.

Fr. Angel Buenavides, vicar general of the Diocese of Marbel, condemned the “abrupt” opening of the casino, which he said was given the green light to operate without proper consultations.

Buenavides said the diocese had not been informed and consulted about the matter and that they were surprised when announcements came recently regarding its opening.

“We acknowledge that the local governments have the final say whether to accept these ventures or not but the problem here was, it made a decision without properly consulting its constituents,” he said during the rally.

Buenavides said the diocese strongly opposed the operation of the Grand Imperial Casino as it will "only promote gambling" and "encourage other immoral activities such as prostitution."

Benjamin Sumog-oy, action officer of the Defense of Human Rights and Dignity Movement-GenSan, said operation of the casino could result in the surge in crimes and other illegal activities. 

Sumog-oy also expressed skepticism about whether the casino can contribute to the local economy. 

“The supposed income that it will bring to the city will not be enough to justify the harm that it will bring to our communities,” he said.

Councilor Franklin Gacal, Jr., the chairperson of the City Council’s committee on games and amusement, said the City Council has already conducted consultations with various sectors before the legislative body decided to allow the casino to operate.

Gacal said the concurrence resolution, which was passed on November 12 last year, was unanimously approved by Council members and did not meet any objection from City Mayor Ronnel Rivera.

“We believe that the presence of the casino in the city will further boost local tourism and our economy and will especially create jobs for our residents,” he said in an interview. (RICHELYN GUBALANI, PNA, MINDANAO EXPOSE')