ANGAY-ANGAY LANG: Reflections on the GRP-MNLF Interim Agreement of 1995 (1)
1st of 2 parts [Paper delivered on the occasion of the Policy workshop on Peace and Growth Prospects in Mindanao, CASS Audio Visual Room, MSU-Iligan Institute of Technology, Iligan City, March 25-26, 1996, sponsored by the Department of Sociology of CASS, MSU-IIT, and the International Strategic Research Consultants. I was a Professor of History, Department […].....»»
ANGAY-ANGAY LANG: Reflections on the GRP-MNLF Interim Agreement of 1995 (2)
Last of 2 parts: Prospects of the Talks By Rudy Buhay Rodil [Paper delivered on the occasion of the Policy workshop on Peace and Growth Prospects in Mindanao, CASS Audio Visual Room, MSU-Iligan Institute of Technology, Iligan City, March 25-26, 1996, sponsored by the Department of Sociology of CASS, MSU-IIT, and the International Strategic Research […].....»»
ANGAY-ANGAY LANG: Kalinaw Mindanaw: The Story of the GRP-MNLF Peace Process, 1975-1996 (16)
16th of 18 parts Part XVI Chapter 7. It is Time for New Relationships To complete the story of the formal peace process, it would have been fitting to also provide an account of the progress of implementation of the Peace Agreement. But until the plebiscite on the revised Organic Act of the Autonomous Region […].....»»
ANGAY-ANGAY LANG: The Story of the GRP-MNLF Peace Process, 1975-1996 (6)
6th of 18 parts (This is a revised version of the book “KALINAW MINDANAW: The Story of the GRP-MNLF Peace Process, 1975-1996” published in 2000.) Chapter 3 Long Rugged Road to Tripoli From local Peace talks to the Tripoli Agreement was a long rugged road to peace. There was plenty of give and take. In […].....»»
HABAGATNONG HINAGAWHAW: Higwaos
Daghan nga panghitabonagkadaiya ug makasubo,ingon sa wala tay mahimogawas na lang sa pag-ampo. Mga panghitabong makaguolduna ba kahay angay mabasol?Igo na lang ba ta sa pagbagulbol?O angay ba hinuon ta maghinulsol? Hay, balak-balak na langpahungaw sa kahigwaos sa dughantungod sa dagan sa kalibotannga ingon sa dili na masabtan......»»
CDRRMO: Epekto sa LPA sa Davao Region angay ikabalaka
CDRRMO: Epekto sa LPA sa Davao Region angay ikabalaka.....»»
MMFF 2023 REVIEW: ‘Mallari’ pang Hollywood, Piolo pang best actor
Usa sa mga all-time favorite Pinoy horror movies ang “Feng Shui” nga gibidahan ni Kris Aquino ubos sa direksyon ni Chito Roño. Apan dili angay nga kahibudngan kun maapsan kini sa pinakauna nga horror ug psychological thriller movie ni Piolo Pascual — ang “Mallari” nga ubos sa Mentorque Productions. Gipahigayon niadtong Disyembre 20 ang premiere.....»»
Miuso nga trangkaso dili angay kabalak-an
Miuso nga trangkaso dili angay kabalak-an.....»»
Editoryal: Oras sa Sinulog angay bang usbon?
Editoryal: Oras sa Sinulog angay bang usbon?.....»»
Editoryal: Korihian, di angay bungkagon
Editoryal: Korihian, di angay bungkagon.....»»
Governor’s fight vs EDCA
Despite political pressure, Cagayan Governor Manuel Mamba continues to oppose the Enhanced Defense Cooperative Agreement or EDCA sites in his province. Since April this year, he has been announcing publicly his opposition. Mamba also urged Cagayanos to make a united stand and voice their opposition following the announcement by the Presidential Communications Office that EDCA sites were to be established at Naval Base Camilo Osias in Santa Ana and the Lal-lo Airport in the province. I had a chance to meet Mamba last 25 August, and he said he is against any form of neo-colonialism, which is perhaps why he is not in favor of having American military personnel, facilities, and structures in the country, particularly in his province. During the occasion, he was also commended by a retired Philippine National Police general. I suppose we are aware that Governor Mamba is under heavy political oppression due to his opposition to PH-US military relations and new EDCA sites. To Cagayanos, Governor Mamba is undoubtedly the national hero of the new century because his courage and determination are worthy of admiration. Observers said his opposition to the military ties with the US and the new EDCA sites had alienated him from President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr., to whom he was once close. In early May, in reaction to Governor Mamba’s opposition to the new EDCA sites, House Speaker Martin Romualdez reiterated that the President’s determination to strengthen cooperation with the US with new EDCA sites was “unshakable.” There were rumors the Speaker asked the Governor to keep quiet on the matter. To Governor Mamba’s supporters, this was a severe warning and a humiliation from the President and the US. On 9 February this year, US embassy personnel met with an assistant of Cagayan Vice Governor Melvin Vargas, named Agatep, mainly to get an update on Governor Mamba’s alleged “irregular vote buying” in the last election. During the meeting, dissatisfaction was expressed with the Governor’s public opposition to the new EDCA sites in Cagayan. Well, should the vote-buying case push through, what could we expect? Should Governor Mamba’s election be overturned, Vice Governor Vargas, who supports the PH-US alliance, would be the likely successor. A friend from the north told me that Katrina Enrile, like her father Juan Ponce Enrile, the Presidential Chief Legal Adviser, is pro-EDCA. To eliminate the local opposition to EDCA, Katrina Enrile allied with Governor Mamba’s political rivals — Vice Governor Vargas and the Lara family. Vice Governor Vargas met with Katrina Enrile on 19 April and stated that he had garnered the support of a majority of the provincial officials regarding the establishment of the two EDCA sites in Cagayan. The new EDCA sites were the President’s decision, and they should not speculate on this. Katrina Enrile’s efforts paid off, as the President appointed her Administrator and Chief Executive Officer of CEZA, the office that manages the Cagayan Special Economic Zone. Interestingly, the Cagayan Special Economic Zone Act of 1995 was proposed and drafted by Juan Ponce Enrile. On 7 April, representatives of the US government met with Mayor Florant Pascual of Lal-lo and president of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines-Cagayan Chapter. During the meeting, the American government promised to carry out energy projects through USAID and provide local assistance in exchange for Pascual’s support of the new EDCA sites. On 20 April, Pascual and 18 other mayors publicly announced their support for the new EDCA sites in Cagayan. Soon after, on 15 June, USAID representatives visited the Philippines and announced a $65-million fund for Cagayan and Isabela to support local energy planning and introduce renewable energy technologies, such as solar roofs. The US embassy said the communities near the new EDCA sites in Santa Ana and Lal-lo would also benefit from the grant. The post Governor’s fight vs EDCA appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘NBN-ZTE, China’s first salvo’
Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito on Monday refuted a claim that it was his father, former President Joseph “Erap” Estrada, who promised China the BRP Sierra Madre would be removed from Ayungin Shoal. Ejercito pointed out that it was his father who ordered in 1999 that the World War II-era ship be run aground to bolster the Philippines’ sovereignty claim to what was also called the Second Thomas Shoal. The senator was reacting to a former government official’s claim in an opinion piece in a national daily that it was Estrada who promised the Chinese the Sierra Madre would be removed. “That claim seems inconsistent. The mere fact that President Estrada was the one who ordered the BRP Sierra Madre be grounded on Ayungin Shoal, it’s impossible that he would commit to removing the same,” he told reporters in a Viber message. Ejercito also took a swipe at the ex-official in connection with a controversial project the administration he worked for entered into with China. “At least President Erap had the courage to fight for our sovereignty,” the senator said. “Unlike them who paved the way for the NBN-ZTE, the first salvo of Chinese intrusions in our country.” Estrada’s son to former actress Guia Gomez was referring to the canceled National Broadband Network project with ZTE Corp., a Chinese telecommunications firm. China continues to insist it has territorial rights over Ayungin Shoal, which is located 105 nautical miles west of Palawan and is part of the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, as affirmed by a 2016 arbitral ruling. No such pledge After a China Coast Guard vessel used a water cannon in an attempt to drive away Philippine Coast Guard-led resupply boats headed to the BRP Sierra Madre last 5 August, Beijing claimed the Philippines had pledged to tow away the scuttled tank landing ship that serves as the Philippines’ outpost on Ayungin. In reaction, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he knew of no such promise by the Philippine government to remove the Sierra Madre, adding that if there was such a pledge made by a past administration, he was rescinding it. “Who was closer to China? Was it Erap? The VFA (Visiting Forces Agreement) was in fact approved during his time,” Ejercito averred, referring to the military cooperation deal between the Philippines and the United States. According to the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Philippines decided in 1999 to deploy the BRP Sierra Madre as a permanent station on Ayungin Shoal in response to China’s illegal occupation of Panganiban Reef in 1995. The deployment was years ahead, according to the DFA, of the conclusion in 2002 of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea. “[It] is therefore not a violation of the DOC,” the DFA pointed out. The post ‘NBN-ZTE, China’s first salvo’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Fear no China
One could find reason to disagree with the view that a warship of the Philippine Navy at Ayungin Shoal had been deliberately run aground as a “symbol of Philippine sovereignty over that area.” The ongoing word war between Beijing and Manila only strains diplomatic relations and bilateral cooperation through confrontational media hype over deference to China as the “natural leader of the Third World.” A few well-defined observations may be drawn and serious questions may be raised. China’s averment of the Philippines’ commitment to remove the BRP Sierra Madre, beached the past 24 years, and the latter’s refusal since it never expressed any commitment to do so only aggravates the growing tension that has hogged the headlines recently and instilled an ideological clash of world views. Wasn’t there a “bilateral code of conduct” signed to put to rest such a dispute or conflict, at least in the case of Mischief Reef? Call to mind that in November 1995, Chinese President Jiang and President Fidel V. Ramos, on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in Osaka, reportedly discussed the joint development of marine resources in the disputed regions. Ramos also proposed an “interim solution” where “each littoral state assumes stewardship over the sea closest to it without prejudice to the sovereignty claims.” In fact, when a new Visiting Forces Agreement with the United States was signed in 1999, the Philippines practically shelved its plans to strengthen its fortifications in the Spratlys. Whereas China would want the Sierra Madre removed to bring Ayungin Shoal back to its unoccupied state, an irreverent National Security Council official only amplified the rhetoric by saying that such removal is tantamount to “abandoning our sovereign rights and jurisdiction over West Philippine Sea.” It must invite a congressional review as to whether or not — using the same ploy at Scarborough Shoal — another Philippine Navy ship (LST 507) was towed away when the China Coast Guard made a veiled threat to blow it up. It becomes understandable why the China Coast Guard that monitors its claim over the South China Sea deems in accordance with “maintaining China’s ‘national face’ on the world stage” its response to Philippine vessels on a resupply mission to the Sierra Madre. China also believes that the “introduction of third-party forces will only complicate the situation,” its reference to the G7 (US, UK, Japan, Australia, Canada, France, Germany) — consequent to President Benigno Aquino’s unilateral move “to humiliate China before the global public.” Note that Chinese nationalism cannot be undermined as the prime mover behind its tough stance against “recalcitrant neighbors” (e.g. Vietnam). The truth is that we failed to reach a level of “bilateral harmony” with China’s rise, a thing that Malaysia has done so effortlessly. If scholars are to be believed, the dynamics in play differ, viz., Malaysian politicians aim at giving face to China while Filipino politicians actively aim at destroying China’s public image to the pitch of a “global flashpoint.” Still, it’s best not to miss the forest for the trees. It sounds like a child’s game for the country’s national security official to unabashedly dismiss as a “figment of the imagination” the statement made by China’s envoy of a purported Philippine commitment to tow its grounded navy vessel from Ayungin. The dilapidated hulk is in a dismal state — gaping holes, corroded decks, unseaworthy, even worse than a decommissioned ship. How can you call that a “symbol of Philippine sovereignty?” Wherever these unfolding developments lead, the absolute fact remains that there is no single navy, marine, or soldier that the China Coast Guard has killed. If the Sino-Malaysian relationship resulted in highly profitable bilateral relations over the past four decades, why don’t we reconfigure Philippine threat perceptions of China precisely “to deny any external power’s hegemonial grip on the regional order,” as scholars suggest? Ought we follow what Brantly Womack describes as the “positive equilibrium between asymmetrical neighbors,” as well as Malaysia did? Perhaps let’s write new laws, draw new maps, then build installations over our territorial claims?” The post Fear no China appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
JV: Not my father who made ‘deal’ to remove BRP Sierra Madre
Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito on Monday refuted claims that it was his father, former President Joseph “Erap” Estrada, who made an alleged agreement with China to remove the BRP Sierra Madre from the Ayungin Shoal. Ejercito said the claim that it was his father who committed to removing the BRP Sierra Madre from Ayungin Shoal is “impossible,” since it was Estrada who ordered the grounding of the World War II ship in the low-tide elevation. “That claim seems inconsistent. The mere fact President Estrada was the one who ordered the BRP Sierra Madre be grounded in Ayungin Shoal, it’s impossible he will commit to remove the same,” he told reporters in a Viber message. He also took a swipe against columnist Rigoberto Tiglao, who claimed it was his father who made such a commitment to China. “At least President Erap had the courage to fight for our sovereignty,” he said. “Unlike them who paved the way for NBN-ZTE, the first salvo of Chinese intrusions in our country,” he added, referring to the canceled National Broadband Network project with ZTE Corp., a Chinese telecommunications firm, during the time of former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, now Pampanga 2nd District Representative. Tiglao served as the former presidential spokesperson and Chief of Staff of Arroyo, who served as the 14th president of the Philippines following the ouster of Estrada during the second People Power Revolution or EDSA II in 2001. China is insisting on its territorial rights over the Ayungin Shoal, which is located 105 nautical miles west of Palawan and is part of the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone. It also claimed the Philippine government had repeatedly made promises to tow away the grounded BRP Sierra Madre from Ayungin Shoal. “Who was closer to China? Was it Erap? The VFA was in fact approved also during his time,” said Ejercito, referring to the Visiting Forces Agreement between the Philippines and the United States. According to the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Philippines decided in 1999 to deploy the BRP Sierra Madre as a permanent station on Ayungin Shoal in response to China’s illegal occupation of Panganiban Reef in 1995. It also explained that the Philippine station on Ayungin Shoal was deployed in 1999, years ahead of the conclusion in 2002 of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea. “[It] is therefore not a violation of the DOC,” the DFA pointed out. The post JV: Not my father who made ‘deal’ to remove BRP Sierra Madre appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Phl ‘promise’ to tow away BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin, not under my Pa’s term – Ejercito
Senator Joseph Victor "JV" Ejercito on Thursday asserted that it was not his father, former President Joseph "Erap" Estrada, who allegedly promised China that the Philippines would remove the BRP Sierra Madre in the Ayungin Shoal. “It was former President Joseph Estrada who ordered that BRP Sierra Madre be placed in Ayungin Shoal in 1999 as a symbol of our sovereignty and to mark our territory,” Ejercito said in a statement. “I cannot recall such a commitment from the Philippine government to remove the Sierra Madre,” he added. Over the weekend, China claimed that the Philippines had promised to tow away the grounded BRP Sierra Madre at the Ayungin Shoal. "The Philippine side has repeatedly made clear promises to tow away the warship illegally 'stranded' on the reef," the Chinese Foreign Ministry said. Ayungin Shoal, also known as Second Thomas Shoal, is located 105 nautical miles west of Palawan and is part of the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone. In a separate statement, the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines further supports Beijing's claim that the Philippines promised to tow away the vessel several times. “For instance, in November 1999, the Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines met with Secretary of Foreign Affairs Domingo Siazon and Chief of the Presidential Management Staff Leonora de Jesus to make another round of representations. Many times the Philippines promised to tow away the vessel, but it has taken no action,” the embassy said. “In September 2003, upon the news that the Philippines was preparing to build facilities around that military vessel illegally run aground at Ren'ai Jiao, China lodged immediate representations. The Philippine Acting Secretary of Foreign Affairs Franklin Ebdalin responded that the Philippines had no intention to construct facilities on Ren'ai Jiao and that, as a signatory to the DOC, the Philippines had no desire to and would not be the first to violate the Declaration,” it added. On Wednesday, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. denied that the Philippine government made such a promise to China. “I’m not aware of any such arrangement or agreement that the Philippines will remove from its own territory its ship, in this case, the BRP Sierra Madre from the Ayungin Shoal,” Marcos said in a video message. He also asserted that he is rescinding any commitment should there be an agreement between the two countries to remove the vessel. "And let me go further, if there does exist such an agreement, I rescind that agreement now,” Marcos said. According to the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Philippines decided in 1999 to deploy the BRP Sierra Madre as a permanent station on Ayungin Shoal in response to China’s illegal occupation of Panganiban Reef in 1995. “The deployment of a Philippine military station in its own areas of jurisdiction is an inherent right of the Philippines and does not violate any laws,” it added. The agency also explained that the Philippine station on Ayungin Shoal was deployed in 1999, years ahead of the conclusion in 2002 of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea. “[It] is therefore not a violation of the DOC,” it pointed out. The DFA also reiterated that China Coast Guard’s actions on 5 August which includes the use of water cannon and dangerous maneuvers against Philippine vessels were in violation of the relevant provisions of the 1982 UNCLOS, the Award on the 2016 South China Sea Arbitration, the 1972 COLREGS, and the 2002 ASEAN-China DOC. “The 2016 Arbitral Award is based on UNCLOS and affirms UNCLOS. It is final, legal and binding,” the agency said. The post Phl ‘promise’ to tow away BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin, not under my Pa’s term – Ejercito appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Prince Harry to make history with UK court testimony
Prince Harry will become the first senior British royal to give evidence in court for more than a century when he testifies this week against a tabloid newspaper publisher. Harry, 38, is expected to take the witness stand at London's High Court in a trial considering unlawful information-gathering claims against Mirror Group Newspapers. King Charles III's younger son and other high-profile figures allege that the publisher engaged in illegal activities, including phone hacking, at its titles and are seeking damages. The case is one of several that Harry has brought against British newspaper groups since stepping down from royal duties in early 2020 and relocating to the United States. The MGN trial, which is expected to last up to seven weeks, kicked off last month, days after Charles's May 6 coronation which Harry attended. The California-based prince also made a surprise appearance at the High Court in March for a privacy claim he and others have launched against Associated Newspapers, publisher of the Daily Mail. Harry, the Duke of Sussex, made written submissions in that case but did not give in-person evidence, sitting near the back of the court during several days of proceedings. His appearance on the stand, expected Tuesday, is said to be the first time a senior royal has given evidence in court since Edward VII, who took the stand in an 1890 slander trial before becoming monarch. Harry battles Harry, who is fifth in line to the throne, has had a difficult relationship with the media, especially since he and his American wife Meghan left Britain. As well as filing multiple lawsuits, the couple has repeatedly lashed out over alleged privacy invasions by photographers in particular. Just weeks ago, they claimed to have been involved in a "near catastrophic car chase" with paparazzi in New York, an incident police and other officials played down. Harry's mother, Princess Diana, was killed in a 1997 Paris car crash as she was being pursued by photographers. He has also challenged the UK government in court over his security arrangements when he is back from the United States. But on May 23, he lost his bid for a legal review of a decision refusing him permission to pay for specialist UK police protection himself. In television interviews and his explosive memoir "Spare" -- released in January -- Harry hit out at other royals, accusing them of colluding with the press. In court filings unveiled in April, Harry claimed the royal family as an institution had struck a "secret agreement" with one UK publisher that had prevented him from suing, to avoid a royal entering the witness box. He also alleged the monarchy wanted to prevent the opening of a "Pandora's Box" of negative coverage that could tarnish the royal brand. Tapping claims The MGN case centers on claims its tabloids conducted unlawful information-gathering, including voicemail tapping, to obtain stories about Harry and other high-profile figures. The other claimants are two television soap opera actors and the ex-wife of a comedian. At the outset of the trial on May 10, MGN apologized and admitted to "some evidence" of unlawful information-gathering and assured that "such conduct will never be repeated". But it denied voicemail interception and argued that some claims had been brought too late. The claimants' lawyer David Sherborne submitted that "industrial scale" illegal activities were happening at MGN and had been approved by senior executives. Harry's unofficial biographer Omid Scobie -- who co-authored a best-selling 2020 book about Harry and Meghan -- claimed in a submission that he was shown how to hack voicemails while on work experience at MGN title The Sunday People. Scobie also said that while on work experience at its sister paper The Mirror he overheard the then-editor Piers Morgan being told that information for a story about Australian pop star Kylie Minogue had come from voicemail. Morgan, editor of the tabloid between 1995 and 2004, has denied any involvement in phone hacking. The post Prince Harry to make history with UK court testimony appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Wala Pay Dengue Outbreak sa Cebu City
Matod sa Cebu City Health Department (CCHD) dili pa angay madeklara ug “dengue outbreak” sa syudad bisan pa sa taas nga kasong natala karong tuiga. Si CCHD Head Jeffrey Ibones niingon na ang usa sa hinungdan maong taas ang kasong natala sa syudad mao ang pagmonitor na sa mga city health officials sa matag baranggay […].....»»
ANGAY-ANGAY LANG: The Minoritization of the Indigenous Communities of Mindanaw and Sulu (3)
3rd of 16 parts (Done in 1992 at Iligan City, published initially as two versions. First as the abbreviated edition published by The Minority Rights Group, London entitled The Lumad and Moro of Mindanaw, July 1993. The Philippine edition carrying the full draft was printed by AFRIM in Davao City 1994. This was later updated […].....»»
ANGAY-ANGAY LANG: The Minoritization of the Indigenous Communities of Mindanaw and Sulu (2)
2nd of 16 parts (Done in 1992 at Iligan City, published initially as two versions. First as the abbreviated edition published by The Minority Rights Group, London entitled The Lumad and Moro of Mindanaw, July 1993. The Philippine edition carrying the full draft was printed by AFRIM in Davao City 1994. This was later updated […].....»»
ANGAY-ANGAY LANG: The Minoritization of the Indigenous Communities of Mindanaw and Sulu (4)
(Done in 1992 at Iligan City, published initially as two versions. First as the abbreviated edition published by The Minority Rights Group, London entitled The Lumad and Moro of Mindanaw, July 1993. The Philippine edition carrying the full draft was printed by AFRIM in Davao City 1994. This was later updated in 2003, summarized in […].....»»
ANGAY-ANGAY LANG: The Minoritization of the Indigenous Communities of Mindanaw and Sulu (1)
Done in 1992 at Iligan City, published initially as two versions. First as the abbreviated edition published by The Minority Rights Group, London entitled The Lumad and Moro of Mindanaw, July 1993. The Philippine edition carrying the full draft was printed by AFRIM in Davao City 1994. This was later updated in 2003, summarized in […].....»»