Friday, March 27, 2009

1 of 3 Naga teachers kidnapped is dead

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines– The Crisis Management Committee (CMC) handling the kidnapping case of the three teachers in Zamboanga Sibugay has received information that one of the hostages died while in captivity, an official disclosed.

The information disclosed that Noime Mandi passed away due to complications arising from Mandi’s recent medical surgery, the official said.

Chief Insp. Alex Lorenzo, Zamboanga Sibugay police spokesman, on Friday disclosed that the information about Mandi’s death was confirmed by an informant based in Basilan province, where the teachers were taken.

Mandi along with Jodelyn Enriquez and Jocelyn Inion were seized by a group of pirates led by Kamsa Asdanal last March 13 while they were traveling from the village of Bangkaw-Bangkaw to the town proper of Naga, Zamboanga Sibugay.

Asdanal’s group has turned over the teachers last Sunday to the Abu Sayyaf group led by Furuji Indaman in the island province of Basilan, south of this city.

However, Lorenzo said it was not immediately known as to when Mandi died except that the hostage passed away while they are already in Basilan province.

Lorenzo said Mandi was bringing with her medicines that were good “only for that day” when the pirates kidnapped them last March 13 off shore Zamboanga Sibugay province.

Lorenzo disclosed that the CMC contacted the kidnappers last March 23 and requested them to show proof of life “but the hostages were not allowed to talk.”

He disclosed that the CMC is working it out to retrieve Mandi’s body.

88 power consumers to put off light at Earth Hour in Zamboanga

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines - The city is expected to be enveloped in darkness for one-hour Saturday, March 28 evening in celebration Earth Hour 2009, global campaign to reduce impact of global warming.

City’s power distributor Zamboanga City Electric Cooperative (ZAMCELCO) estimates around 88 thousand power consumers – residential, commercial, industrial, public buildings and street lights, will be shut off for 60-minutes in an imposed city-wide blackout.

Earth Hour, the activity initiated by Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF), spearheaded in the country by Department of Energy, wants to create awareness on the detrimental effects of global warming.

In the “switch off” ceremony to be held at the Multi-Purpose hall of ZAMCELCO, a video presentation will show the cause and effects of global warming.

The organizers of Earth Hour hoped that the “total black out” will encourage people to be more aware of their energy usage, as producing electricity pollutes the atmosphere through the burning of fossil fuels thus contributing to global warming.

Global warming is the term used to describe the gradual increase in the average temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere and its oceans, a change that is believed to be permanently changing the Earth’s climate.

City Mayor Celso Lobregat together with ZAMCELCO General Manager Reinerio R. Ramos will switch off the city’s power line at around 8:30 pm Saturday.

After the “switch off” and lighting of candles, an ecumenical prayer will follow to be led by Rev. Ben Villaflores, Rev. Pastor Berlie Yap and Mr. Amilpasa Bandaying.

After the ecumenical prayers, restoration of power will be done gradually by feeder at an interval of 15-minutes.

The last feeder will be switch on will be the northside feeder, which covers Nunez street, where the residence of the Mayor is located.

After the restoration of power, a ceremonial signing of covenant to support to the campaign against global warming will highlight the event. Expected to join in the signing of the covenant of support are the business sector, AFP, PNP, industrial group and other members representing the cross sector of the society.

No hoarding of rice - NFA

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines - The National Food Authority denies hoarding NFA imported rice in the city as a way to control its prices in the region.

The NFA does not hoard imported rice as it will “eat up the space” at the warehouse, NFA provincial director John Robert Hermano renounce accusations of local rice retailers in the city.

The city of Zamboanga alone consumes an average of five thousand bags of NFA rice a day, said Hermano.

Most of its rice, imported from Vietnam and Cambodia are being sold at NFA accredited rice dealers, Bigasan sa Parokya and Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Tindahan Natin.

Hermano also said, imported rice has a quality life span of six months.

“It will be a lost for NFA,” if NFA rice will not be disposed to accredited rice retailers, said Hermano.

Local rice retailers earlier complain NFA intentionally sells high priced imported NFA rice to them as a way to hoard the rice for the advantage of “capitalist rice traders”.

Hermano urges local rice traders to come in the open and report to them, of any hoarding being perpetuated by other traders in collusion with NFA personnel.

With the average rice consumption of Zamboanga City, Hermano said, they still have enough stocks of rice.

The NFA is not allowed also to sell above the allowable rice consumption “ceiling” of the area.

NFA rice are being sold at the average of 25 – 32 pesos per kilo, depending on the source of import.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Zamboanga City to join Earth Hour 2009


ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines –The City of Zamboanga will join other cities in the worldwide observance of Earth Hour, a simple action of turning off the lights for one hour on Saturday, March 28 to deliver a powerful message about the need for action on global warming.

Mayor Celso Lobregat on Monday met with different sectors in the city to inform about the planned action that is organized by the Earth Day Network Philippines chaired by Elisea Gozun, former Environment Secretary.

Last year, Zamboanga City also actively supported the campaign by shutting off lights for one hour, simultaneously with other cities globally on March 29.

Lobregat appealed for public support to the campaign and stressed that the activity will help reduce effects of global warming, which is the most significant threat to life on Earth.
Continued reliance on electricity sourced from coal-fired power stations is causing a dramatic increase in the Earth’s temperature, resulting in rising sea levels, an increase in drought and severe storms and massive changes to the environment.

Zamboanga City has not been spared by climate change. In November 2007, the city was struck by two storm surge incidents which brought devastating effects to the city.

The Zamboanga City Electric Cooperative (ZAMCELCO) has prepared a power turn-off and restoration schedule for the 60-minute blackout on Saturday.

Present during the meeting at City Hall Monday were representatives from the government sector, the military, police, business sector, media, ZAMCELCO, members of the City Council and other groups.

Gozun in a letter to Mayor Lobregat invited Zamboanga to join the millions around the world in celebrating Earth Hour. “Let us join nations around the world as they literally “turn off their lights” for Earth Hour”.

Earth Hour is expected to create awareness on climate change and be a symbol of the fact that people of the world working together can make a difference in the fight against global warming.

Zambo kidnapped teachers made contacts

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – The three (3) kidnapped Zamboanga teachers have made contacts to emissaries Police here proving they are “all in good condition and all alive”, the city government declared Monday.

“There is proof of life and they are in good condition,” Zamboanga City Mayor Celso Lobregat said of Frairez Quizon, Rafael Mayonado and Janette de los Reyes, teachers of Landang Laum and Guwa School.

Acting City Police Director P/Sr. Supt. Mario B. Yanga and PNP Regional Director P/Chief Supt. Angelo Sunglao met Lobregat in a close door meeting recently and relayed the information to the latter.

The trio has been held by Abu Sayyaf gunmen, believed to have ties with Al-Qaeda’s Asian terrorist group, Jemaah Islamia for two months to date.

Police and military information claim the victims are being held in the mountains of Tuburan, Basilan.

Authorities are also holding a picture of the three teachers seen in a hut less their captors which was shown to relatives, a source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said.

Lobregat admitted having contacts with the group holding the three teachers, but declined to give further details.

What was certain, according to Lobregat, the kidnapped teachers are all “in good condition” and are all alive.

The three teachers were snatched last January 23, while on board a motorized pumpboat on the way to mainland Zamboanga by four armed men and were brought to nearby island province of Basilan.

The kidnappers demanded 6-million pesos ransom (US$ 124,000), for the three teachers, who come from very poor families and barely live on their salaries.

Lobregat reiterated his appeal for the release of the victims as “they (victims) did not fault anyone and that they serve wholeheartedly to educated children of our Muslim brothers and sisters on the island barangays.”

The city government and Department of Education stand pat of the government’s “no ransom policy” in dealing with kidnapping incidents.

Refrain from recruitment - AFP told MNLF

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – The military on Tuesday urged a faction of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) to refrain from recruiting young Muslims in the city and create alarm and apprehension to residents.

“They (MNLF) should not subject people of Zamboanga to alarm and apprehension,” as what happened the other week in an east coast village, said Col. Santiago Baluyot, Commander Task Force Zamboanga.

Task Force Zamboanga together with Sangali Barangay officials persuaded last Thursday, around 70 uniformed MNLF Mutallah Force to disperse peacefully. Baluyot said, the MNLF leader, a certain Commander Usman obliged after authorities explained the nature of their action.

The MNLF raised their flag and with uniformed “but unarmed” followers doing a formation in celebration of the MNLF’s anniversary.

Baluyot said, based on their initial investigation most “recruits” were young and were “lured” into a pending integration to the AFP or PNP.

The integration of MNLF regulars into the AFP and PNP was a thing of the past, described Baluyot. One of the provisions of the 1996 Peace Accord was the integration of the MNLF to the government military and police, but all were filled up and complied with.

One thing alarming was the “collection of membership fees” made from the recruits, Baluyot said. Some “recruits” admitted to Task Force Zamboanga, “membership fees” can be paid on installment basis, ranging from 500 to 700 pesos per membership.

The Task Force Zamboanga is utilizing its “integrated soldiers” in closely coordinating with the MNLF faction in the city. They are closely monitoring reported pending “training” of the MNLF in two east coast barangays in the city.

Such activity was earlier denied by the village officials, Baluyot said. He did not made mention the name of Barangays identified as possible grounds for training of the MNLF.