Army brigade chief: CPP-NPA violates IHL, CARHRIHL
By
Jennifer P. Gaitano
PROSPERIDAD,
Agusan del Sur, Jan. 23 -- “The Communist Party of the Philippines – New
People’s Army (CPP-NPA) committed a blatant violation of the International
Humanitarian Law (IHL) and the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human
Rights and IHL (CARHRIHL).”
This
was the statement of Brigadier General Andres Centino, commander of the 401st
Brigade, as he cited groundless demand of the said terrorist group in exchange
of the two soldiers and 14 Cafgu Active Auxiliaries (CAAs) who were abducted in
Sibagat, Agusan del Sur last December 19, 2018.
BGen.
Centino said the statement of the North Eastern Mindanao Regional Committee
(NEMRC) which demands for a ceasefire before they will release the victims is
proof enough that they are using the soldiers and CAAs as hostages in order to
demand for the stoppage of military operations in the area.
“The
14 Cafgu Active Auxiliaries and two soldiers are used as human shields by this
local terrorists up to this date,” said Centino.
Centino
reiterated that based on the provisions of the CARHRIHL, “persons taking no
active part in the hostilities, including members of armed forces who have laid
down their arms and those placed 'hors de combat' by sickness, wounds,
detention, or any other cause, shall in all circumstances be treated humanely,
without any adverse distinction founded on race, color, religion or faith, sex,
birth or wealth, or any other similar criteria.”
“It
also stated that persons who do not participate anymore in hostilities shall
not be used as hostages by any party. Likewise, CARHRIHL also protects the
victims against 'violence to life and person, in particular murder of all
kinds, mutilation, cruel treatment, and torture,” he added.
It
can be recalled that on January 18, the CPP-NPAs terrorist released a statement
to the media blaming the AFP for the non-release of the soldiers and CAAs.
“If
they truly care, the CPP-NPA can release their hostages at any time without
calling for any ceasefire. They do not need a ceremony, they just need to let
their victims walk away, I’m sure the soldiers and CAAs know where to go when
released,” said Centino.
It
was learned that the family of the victims last December 2018 have filed a
human rights complaint with the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) Caraga
Regional Office for the CPP-NPA’s violations of the victim’s rights
particularly on the right to be visited by their loved ones or to have
communications with them.
These
rights are all guaranteed by the IHL and CARHRIHL where the CPP-NPA was a
signatory to the agreement. (JPG/PIA-Agusan del Sur)
DAR namahagi ng makinarya sa mga magsasaka sa Caraga
By
Venus L. Garcia
LUNGSOD
NG BUTUAN, Enero 23 (PIA) - Matapos ang ilang taong pagtitiis sa kakulangan ng
'transport facility' ay masayang tinanggap ng mga Agrarian Reform Beneficiary
Organizations o ARBOS sa rehiyon ng Caraga ang anim na hauling trucks mula sa
Kagawaran ng Repormang Pansakahan o DAR na nagkakahalaga ng humigit kumulang
P21.2 milyon.
Ang
mismong blessing at turn-over ng 6-wheeler hauling trucks ay pinangunahan nina
DAR-Support Services Office Undersecretary Emily Padilla, Field Operations
Office Undersecretary Karlo Bello at DAR-Caraga Regional Director Leomides
Villareal.
“Sa
atin pong kababayan dito sa Caraga. Itong programa ng DAR ay parte ng misyon ng
ahensya na tumulong sa ating magsasaka. Sa ngayon, maliwanag po ang tinatahak
ng DAR na talagang isagawa ad tatlong mandato ng ahensya,” sabi ni Padilla.
Tinukoy
ni Padilla ang mapadali ang pagreresolba ng lahat ng kaso na nakapending ngayon
sa lahat ng tanggapan ng DAR sa buong Pilipinas, mapadali ang pamamahagi ng mga
natitira pang lupa na umaabot sa 561,000 ektarya at ang support services na
talagang kailangan na kailangan pagkatapos na maibigay ang mga lupa sa mga
magsasaka.
“Lalo
nating pinalawig itong programa ng DAR sapagkat sa likod ng programang ito ay
ang ating Pangulo Duterte kung saan ipinapakita niya yung kanyang totoong
malasakit at pagmamahal sa lahat ng Pilipinong magsasaka,” sabi ni Padilla.
Bukod
sa traktora, harvester, transplanter at iba pang makinarya, may siyam napu’t
pitong units ng hauling trucks ang ipapamahagi pa ng dar sa iba’t ibang ARB sa
buong Pilipinas.
Dagdag
pa ni Padilla, ang natitira pang P142 milyong piso na alokasyon para sa
makinarya sa pagsasaka noong nakaraang taon ay idadagdag sa P300 milyong piso
na pondo ngayon sa ilalim ng Climate Resilient Farm Productivity Project. Kaya aabot sa P442 milyong piso na pondo ang
naitalagang ida-download sa iba’t ibang rehiyon.
“Gusto
ng ating Pangulo at kalihim na si Sec. John Castriciones na ipakita sa ating
mga magsasaka na ang pagsasaka ay hindi mahirap kaya ang pakay natin ngayon ay
full mechanization kasi noong araw ay backbreaking ang pagsasaka. Pero sa
tulong ng mga makinaryang ito ay maipakita natin na hindi mahirap at mahikayat
natin ang iba na bumalik sa pagsasaka,” sabi ni Padilla.
Laking
tuwa at pasasalamat naman ang ipinaabot ni Wenefredo Maldo, chairperson ng
Beleguian Organic Farmers Irrigators Association dahil malaking tulong umano
ito sa pagbabawas ng labor cost at
mapapadali ang pagbiyahe ng mga produkto galing sa malalayong taniman.
“Nagpapaalamat
ako kay Pangulong Duterte dahil alam ko ‘man of the masses’ siya. Pinapangako
namin na aalagaan yung hauling trucks hanggang sa makabili na rin kami at
madagdagan ang mga yan dahil mas mapapabuti na ang kita namin,” sabi ni Maldo.
Samantala,
sinabi naman ni Villareal na patuloy ang kanilang ahensya na tulungan ang mga
magsasaka sa pamamagitan ng kanilang programa upang mas lalo pang pagyamanin
ang kani-kanilang lupain at mapalago ang produksyon.
Kabilang
sa nakatanggap ng hauling trucks ay ang Palmavera Small Coconut Farmer
Beneficiaries Cooperative o PASCOFBEC, Beleguian Organic Farmers Irrigators
Association o BOFIA, Cebolin Multi-Purpose Cooperative o CEMPCO, La Fortuna
Multi-Purpose Cooperative o LAMUPCO, Esperanza Farmers Credit Cooperative o
ESFARCRECO, at San Isidro Multi-Purpose Cooperative o SIMPUCO.
Ang
naipamigay na makinarya ay napabilang sa proyektong nasa ilalim ng Agrarian Reform Community Connectivity
Economic Support Services (ARCCESS). (VLG/PIA-Caraga)
DA turns over P9.6-M FMR in Butuan City
By
BUTUAN
CITY, Jan. 23 - The Department of Agriculture (DA) turns over the
Farm-to-Market Road (FMR) of Purok 7 to Purok 4 Pigdaulan Road Section worth
P9.6-million to the city government of Butuan last January 17, 2019.
The
concrete road from the Department's FMR Development Program covers 423 hectares
of the service area and would benefit 445 farmers in the locality.
Per
record from DA’s regional validation team, there are 327 hectares of rice, 50
hectares of coconut and 46 hectares of banana in the area.
“Our
barangay is mostly an agricultural area. An intervention like this encourages
the residents here especially the farmers to be more productive,” said Barangay
Captain Dindo Hidalgo.
Hidalgo
said the farm areas of Pigdaulan before was less utilized and some areas were
just filled with grass.
“Residents
have started to utilize their areas, they’re now planting different high-value
crops since most of our roads are already concreted and it’s now easy to bring
our products to the market,” Hidalgo added.
Field
Operations Chief Rebecca Atega stressed that the Department has been finding
ways on how to support the production of farmers and farmers’ associations.
“We’re
glad that Brgy. Pigdaulan together with the city government of Butuan really
worked out for the realization of this project. The Department can finance
projects from those LGUs who submit proposals,” Atega said.
Butuan
City is among the highly urbanized cities who desire that all of its road
sections will be concreted.
“It’s
the LGU’s desire that in the near future, all of our farm roads will be
concreted,” said Congressman Lawrence Fortun.
Republic
Act 8435 or the Agriculture and Fisheries Act of 1997 mandates the DA to be on
top of FMR projects.
It leads the construction, restoration,
and rehabilitation of infrastructures like irrigation systems, post-harvest
facilities, and FMR in partnership with the Department of Public Works and
Highways (DPWH) and local government units (LGUs). (DA
Caraga/PIA Caraga)
Carmen town bans liquor during calamities
By
Justine V. Lumonsod
CARMEN,
Agusan del Norte, Jan. 23 - The local government of Carmen, Agusan del Norte
will now strictly ban the buying and selling of intoxicating liquors during
emergencies and disasters to ensure public safety and security within the
municipality.
It
will be implemented under Municipal Ordinance No. 14-2018, authored by
Sangguniang Bayan Member Wilfredo T. Taglucop.
Local
officials believe that alcohol intoxication limits the physical capacity of the
individual thereby putting them more at risk to potential danger, especially in
times of emergencies where their alertness is required.
Under
the said ordinance, there will be imposed a sanction on the person who violates
the local ordinance with Php500.00 fine for the first offense, Php1,000.00 for
the second offense and the third and succeeding offense a fine of Php1,500.00.
The said municipal ordinance was
approved through Sanggunian Resolution No. 410-2018, authored by Provincial
Board Member Aquino W. Gambe. (LGU Agusan del Norte/PIA Agusan del Norte)
PNP Caraga may panawagan sa mga kandidato para sa 2019 Midterm
Elections
By
Jennifer P. Gaitano
LUNGSOD
NG BUTUAN, Enero 23 (PIA) - Kasabay sa isinagawang command conference at
pag-reactivate ng Regional Joint Security Control Center (RJSCC) kamakailan
dito sa lungsod, nanawagan si Philippine National Police (PNP) Caraga Regional
Director Police Chief Superintendent Gilberto DC Cruz, sa lahat ng kandidato
para sa 2019 Midterm Elections na huwag tatangkilin ang Permit to Campaign at
Permit to Win ng teroristang grupong New Peoples Army (NPA).
Dagdag
pa ni RD Cruz na sinumang kandidato na hinaharass ng teroristang grupo sa
permit to campaign at permit to win scheme ay dapat na makipag-ugnayan sa PNP o
sa Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
Ayon
naman kay Commission on Elections (COMELEC) Caraga Regional Director Atty.
Francisco Pobe, maliban sa security personnel ng mga kandidato, naka-alerto
naman ang pulisya at militar sa kanilang area of responsibility para maseguro
ang kaligtasan hindi lamang ng mga kandidato kundi maging ang publiko.
Samantala,
handang-handa na rin ang PNP, kasama ang AFP, COMELEC, Department of the
Interior and Local Government (DILG) at iba pang ahensya ng pamahalaan para sa
gaganaping eleksyon sa buwan ng Mayo ngayong taon.
Sa
ngayon ay pinaghahandaan din nila ang anumang glitches o aberya na posibleng
mangyari hinggil sa nalalapit na eleksyon.
Ayon
pa ni PNP director Cruz, bagaman naging generally peaceful ang mga nagdaang
eleksyon sa rehiyon, mas paiigtingin pa rin ang security measures ng mga
kinauukulang ahensya para mapanatiling maayos, ligtas, at makabuluhan ang
gaganaping eleksyon.
Patuloy
din ang kanilang isinasagawang checkpoints sa mga designated areas, maging ang
implementasyon ng Election Gun Ban. Magdadagdag din aniya ng checkpoints sa
ibang lugar na sa tingin ng pnp ay posibleng may mangyaring election-related
incidents.
pinaalalahanan naman ni Dir. Pobe ang
publiko na maging responsableng botante ngayong eleksyon. (JPG/PIA-Caraga)
