Mga Aquino Appointees Pinagsusumite na ng Courtesy Resignation

Binigyan ng 7 araw ng Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte ang mga presidential appointee ng nakalipas na Aquino administration para magsumite ng kanilang courtesy resignation.

Sa memorandum circular na pirmado ni Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, exempted sa direktiba ng Pangulo ang mga bagong talagang cabinet secretaries, undersecretaries at assistant secretaries sa kani-kanilang departamento kabilang ang presidential advisers and assistants, iba pang opisyal sa executive department kabilang ang state universities and colleges at government owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs) na itinalaga ng kasalukuyang Pangulo.

Bukod pa ito sa career officials na tinutukoy sa civil service laws, rules at regulations, miyembro ng judiciary, mga opisyal na ang tanggapan ay binuo sa ilalim ng konstitusyon tulad ng Constitutional Commissions at Ombudsman gayundin ang mga appointments na pinoproseso pa o mga itinalaga ng Pangulo matapos ang effectivity ng nasabing memorandum circular.

Nakasaad din sa memo na hiwalay na tututukan ng administrasyon ang mga presidential appointee sa Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) at Philippine National Police (PNP).

Tanging ang Pangulong Duterte o si Medialdea sa pamamagitan ng kapangyarihan ng Pangulo ang uubrang umakto sa courtesy resignations subalit maaari nilang ikunsider ang rekomendasyon ng appointee ng tanggapan o agency head.

Bar-owners Pupulungin ng PNP laban Illegal Drugs

Nakatakdang pulungin ni Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa ang mga may-ari ng clubs at bars sa MNetro Manila bilang bahagi ng kanilang kampaniya kontra iligal na droga.

Ayon kay Southern Police District (SPD) chief Superintendent Tomas Apolinario, ilalatag ng PNP ang mga polisiya at direktiba sa mga club owners kung paano nila maiiwasan ang pagkalat ng iligal na droga sa kani-kanilang mga establishments.

Dagdag pa ni Apolinario, nakipagkoordina na ang SPD sa mga local government units para magpatupad ng mas mahigpit na ordinansa sa mga clubs at bars.

Tatanggalin aniya ang business permit ng mga bars na hindi susunod sa mga polisiyang ilalatag sa meeting sa Miyerkules.

Inaasahang dadaluhan ang meeting nina National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) Chief Superintendent Oscar Albayalde, mga kinatawan ng Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), mga LGUs ng Makati at Taguig na gaganapin sa isang club sa Bonifacio global City Taguig.

Mga ‘PANINIRA’ ni Senator De Lima di nakatutulong sa Gobyerno

Nakakasira sa diskarte ng isang malinis na gobyerno ang ginagawang paninira ni Senadora Leila de Lima sa pamahalaan.

Ito ang reaksyon ni Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Atty. Sal Panelo sa umiinit na alitan sa pagitan ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte at ng senadora.

Aniya, matagal ng binalaan ng Pangulo ang Senadora na dapat ay tigilan na nito ang mga paratang sa pamahalaan na tila lumalabag sa batas ang kampanya ng pamahalaan kontra sa droga.

Sinabi pa ni Panelo na matagal ng pinaparatangan ni De Lima ang Pangulo na nasa likod ng mga extrajudicial killings sa Davao noong mayor pa lamang ito subalit wala naman naisampang kaso kahit na naging kalihim pa ng Department of Justice (DOJ) ang Senadora.

Nakiusap rin umano ang Pangulo noon sa Senadora na hwag sirain ang ginagawang nitong paglilinis sa bansa.

Serbisyong Publiko Hindi apektado ng pagsibak sa libu-libong presidential appointees

Matapos sibakin ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte ang mga presidential appointee, epektibo ngayong araw, tiniyak ng Malakanyang na hindi mako-kompromiso ang serbisyo sa publiko ng mga kinauukulang regulatory agencies.

Paliwanag ni Presidential Communications Office (PCO) secretary Martin Andanar, malakas naman ang burokrasya ng bansa na kayang magpatakbo sa gobyerno kahit pansamantalang walang pinuno sa ilang ahensya.

Dagdag pa ni Andanar, sa kawalan ng mga appointees simula ngayong araw, wala naman aniya silang nakikitang problema dahil may mga deputy naman at career officers ang mga ahensiya, na maaaring magpatakbo sa trabaho ng mga government offices.

“Ang ating burokrasya ay malakas po naman, eh nakatayo po naman ang burokrasya kahit po wala iyong mga pinuno. Mayroon namang mga deputy, mayroon naman tayong mga career officers, so wala hong problema, tatakbo po ang ating gobyerno,” ayon kay Andanar.

Una rito nagpasya ang pangulo na gawing bakante, ang libu-libong presidential appointee positions sinula ngayong araw dahil sa laganap pa rin aniyang ang korupsyon sa gobyerno.

Partikular na pinuntirya ng pangulo ang korupsyon sa LTO at LTFRB.

Una nang sinabi ni Andanar na ngayong araw ay nakatakdang maglabas ng memorandum ang Malakanyang na magdedetalye ng nasabing kautusan ni Pangulong Duterte.

Duterte to UN Experts Limang Tanong lang

Hinamon ngayon ni Pangulong Rodrigo ang mga nagpapakilalang eksperto mula sa United Nations (UN) na humarap sa kanya at magprangkahan.

Ito'y kasunod ng pahayag ng UN na imbestigahan ang mga extrajudicial killings sa bansa kasunod ng anti-illegal drugs operations ng Duterte administration.

Sinabi ni Pangulong Duterte, nais niyang ipamukha sa UN experts ang mga statistics, turuang magbilang at ipaunawa ang giyerang ginagawa ng gobyerno ng Pilipinas laban sa iligal na droga.

Ayon kay Pangulong Duterte, kahit limang tanong lang daw ay kaya niyabg ipahiya at payunayan sa mundo na 'stupid experts' ang mga taga-UN.

Ang mahirap daw sa UN, umaasa lamang sa NGOs at mga news clippings kung saan ibinabatay ang mga komento at kritisismo.

Una ng tinawag ni Duterte na inutil ang UN dahil hindi nagagawa ang mandatong pigilan ang giyera at pagpatay ng libu-libong katao.

"But you do not just throw that kind of allegation or statement, without coming, even here to just, relying on the reports of the news papers. That's what you do, FUCKING, that's what you do. Newspapers and these tabloids. And you you make criticisms, against the, remember that I am the, not the mayor anymore.

I represent the country. Kindly do not do it. So I'd like to talk to that said, alleged, expert of the UN. I demand that he comes here. Or if you want, we can go somewhere else with the red country. Let them talk to me, and Let Him face me with hard facts, not newspaper clippings, because, na. Unless it is edible. You do not do that to a , just go around insulting people.

You now, United Nations, if you can say one bad thing about me, I can give you 10. I tell you, you are an inutil. Because if you are really true to your mandate, you could have stop all these wars and killing. Five hundredthousands already killed. They go to call my attention, e nagpapadala ka jan sa mga NGO NGO. Mga news paper clipping and critics, all you do is to read, editorials, what have you done for the world, Mister United Nations. At ang tao na yang expert ninyo, let me you now, he comes here.

Mayor Duterte would as only 5 questions to prove that you are stupid. Only 5 questions. He will just ask you to answer five questions. I will prove to the world that you are a very stupid expert. As if I did, we must remember, baka akala nito, I took AB foreign service. Check it out in Lyceum," ani Pangulong Duterte.

Erap Nanawagang Irespeto ang desisyon ni Duterte sa Hero’s burial ni Marcos

Nanawagan si dating Pangulo at ngayon ay Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada sa lahat ng Filipino na mag move-on at irespeto na lamang ang desisyon ni Presidente Rodrigo Duterte na pahintulutang mailibing si dating Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos sa Libingan ng mga Bayani.

Ayon kay Erap, mas makabubuti kung mas pagtutuunan ng pansin ang iba pang problema ng bansa at mag-move on na sa nakaraan.

Sinabi din ng alkalde na nararapat din na igalang ang namayapang dating pangulo ng bansa. Hindi na dapat aniya nauuwi sa bangayan ang nasabing isyu lalo pa’t ang pinakamataas na opisyal na ng bansa nagdesisyon.

Nabatid na nakatakdang ihimlay ang namayapang Marcos sa Libingan ng mga Bayani sa September 18.

Una nang ipinag-utos ni Duterte ang preparasyon sa nasabing hero’s burial.

Iginiit ni Duterte na nararapat lamang mailibing si Marcos sa Libingan ng mga Bayani dahil dati siyang sundalo at pangulo ng bansa.


Noong nakaraang linggo, daan daan indibiduwal na pawang mga anti-Marcos ang nagtungo sa Lapu Lapu Shrine sa Rizal Park upang magsagawa ng kilos protesta kontra sa nasabing hero’s burial.

Duterte - All Appointive Positions sa Gobyerno "Bakante Bukas"

Sinabi ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte na kanyang idedeklara lahat ng appointive government positions sa Lunes na bakante dahil hindi tumugon ang burukrasya sa kanyang panawagan na itigil na ang korapsyon.

yon kay Duterte kanyang idedeklara lahat ng appointive positions sa buong bansa dahil sa laganap pa din ang korapsyon dito.

Binigyang diin ni Duterte ang korapsyon sa Land Transportation Office and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board.

Kaugnay nito, sinabi ng pangulo na hindi maapektuhan ang mga career officials.

Ipinahayag ni Duterte na lahat ng appointive positions sa gobyerno kahit nasa libu-libo ang bilang.

Sinabi din ni Duterte na galit siya sa korapsyon at ayaw niyang bigyan ng sakit na ulo ang kanyang kapwa.

Binanggit din ng pangulo na kanyang babalikan ang kaso ng businesswoman na si Janet Lim-Napoles nan aka-detain dahil sa mga kasong kinakaharap nito kaugnay ng pagkakaroon ng conspiracy sa mga mababatas sa pagnakaw ng milyun-milyong piso mula sa pork barrel.

Ayon kay Duterte meron siyang ibubunyag kaugnay ng nasabing isyu.

Duterte - "Pilipinas Nagbabalang Kakalas na sa United Nation"

Tahasang nagbabala si Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte na kakalas ang Pilipinas sa aniya'y bastos at inutil na organisasyong United Nations (UN).

Ginawa ni Pangulong Duterte ang pahayag kaninang madaling araw kasunod ng pagpuna nina UN special rapporteurs Agnes Callamard at Dainius Puras sa mga nagaganap na extrajudicial killings dahil sa anti-drug crackdown ng administrasyon.

Inihayag din ng mga UN experts na mananagot ang mga responsable sa mga summary killings at dapat itong maimbestigahan.

Sinabi ni Pangulong Duterte, hindi malayong aalis na lamang ang Pilipinas kung ganyan daw kabastos ang UN.

Ayon kay Pangulong Duterte, puro naman daw pagbatikos ang ginagawa ng UN at walang pakinabang dito ang Pilipinas na nagbabayad ng kontribusyon.

Inihayag ni Duterte na dapat ibalik ng UN ang mga kontribusyon ng Pilipinas bago kakalas at balak nitong bubuo ng bagong international organization kasama daw ang China, Africa at Middle East.

Labis na ipinagdaramdam umano ni Duterte ang pagbatikos ng UN sa dami ng mga napapatay na drug criminals pero wala man lang masabi sa napakaraming inosenteng napatay din ng mga nasabing kriminal.

"Maybe we'll just have to decide to separate from the United Nations. Eh kung ganiyan kayo kabastos eh, umalis na kami diyan sa inyo," ani Pangulong Duterte.

"When were you here the last time? Never. Except to criticize... When have you done a good deed to my country? We are contributing money."

Gabriela sa Pangulong Duterte "Mali ka"

Kung mayroon mang pagkakamali si Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte sa away nila ni Sen. Leila de Lima, ito ay ang ‘sexist attack’ ng una, ayon sa women’s party na Gabriela.

“Resorting to sexist attack is likewise wrong and unacceptable,” anang grupo ng kababaihan.

Ayon kay Rep. Emmi de Jesus, hindi katanggap-tanggap ang ginawa ni Duterte sa kanilang kapwa babae na si De Lima at nangangamba pa ang personal na away ay hindi makakatulong sa pagresolba ng problema sa droga sa bansa.

“Personal attacks muddle investigation and steer people further away from truth and justice. We urge President Rodrigo Duterte and Senator Leila De Lima to both stick to facts in both the investigations on extrajudicial kil­lings and the probe on drug trafficking and coddling,” ani De Jesus.

Suportado din ng grupo ang ginagawang imbestigasyon ni De Lima sa extrajudicial killings sa gitna ng kampanya sa ilegal na droga ng admi­nistrasyon ni Duterte kaya hindi umano ito dapat masapawan ng pesonalan ng Presidente at ng senador.

Isa namang mambabatas na hindi na nagpabanggit ng pangalan dahil mi­yembro siya ng supermajority ang nagsabing,

“Ang resulta ng away na iyan nina President at Sen. De Lima, wala nang magsasalita sa amin dito (sa Kongreso) lalo na kung mayroon kang itinatago na lihim dahil baka i-reveal ng Pa­ngulo in public.”

De Lima 'Mapapahiya Ka lang Duterte sa mga Pekeng Ebidensya at Testigo'

Tahasang binalaan ngayon ni Sen. Leila de Lima si Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte na mapapahiya lamang siya kung ipipilit ang alegasyong 'coddler, protector' at nakikinabang siya sa mga drug lords.

Ginawa ni Sen. De Lima ang pahayag sa kanyang muling pagharap sa media ngayong hapon sa Quezon City.

Sinabi ni Sen. De Lima, tinitiyak nitong ang mga ebidensyang hawak ni Pangulong Duterte ay hindi totoo, peke, bogus, manufactured at fabricated. Ayon kay De Lima, kung hindi man ngayon, darating ang panahong mapapahiya si Pangulong Duterte at lalabas na walang katotohanan ang paratang laban sa kanya.

Inihayag ni De Lima na kung sino man ang nagsu-supply ng impormasyon, dapat harapin na ngayon ni Duterte para piliting magpakatotoo dahil siya ang masisira.

"Mapapahiya kayo. Not now perhaps later. Wala pong katotohanan 'yan. Ayaw ko po na kayo mismo ang mapapahiya. Kung sino man ang nagsusupply ng mga impormasyon na 'yan, na nagtuturo, harapin niyo na ngayon, piliting magpakatotoo sa inyo dahil kayo po ang masisira. Hindi ngayon, pero there will be a time," ani De Lima.

Hepe ng Special Operation Unit ng Antipolo PNP Patay matapos makipagbarilan sa mga Pusher

Pumanaw na ang pulis na nanguna sa isang drug buy bust operation sa Antipolo City. Base sa record ng Antipolo District Hospital 9:05 ng pumanaw si Police Senior Inspector Mark Gil Garcia, nasa tabi niya ang kanyang asawa at kapamilya.

Dumagsa rin ang kasamahan nito sa PNP sa ospital, at inaaaahan na darating din si PNP Chief Director Gen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa. Si Garcia ay nabaril ng hinuhuling nitong drug suspek sa Antipolo pasado 7:35 kagabi.

Habang dead on the spot ang dalawang suspek na nakilala lamang ang isa sa alyas William. Pinangunahan ni Garcia ang buy-bust operation sa Sitio Maagay 1 Brgy. InaRawan.

 

Isang pulis nito ang nagpanggap na bibili ng shabu, matapos na makumpirma na nagtutulak ng shabu ang mga nasawing ay dapat aarestuhin na ang dalawa ngunit nagpaputok ang isa sa mga suspek gamit ang isang sumpak at tinamaan sa may kanang pigi ang operatiba.

Gumanti ng putok ang mga back up pulis dahilan para ikamatay ng dalawang suspek.

Nakuha sa crime scene isang sumpak, paltik at 38 caliber.

Nakakumpiska rin ang mga pulis ng 30 plastic heat sealed na naglalam ng pinaghihinalaang shabu at P620,000 pesos na drug money.

Bank Secrecy Law, Paluluwagin ng Pangulong Duterte

Pinaplano umano ngayong paluwagin ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte ang bank secrecy law upang pataasin ang nakokoletang tax sa ating bansa.

Ito ay kinumpirma ng pangulo sa mga miyembro ng Kongreso sa kaniyang plano sa 2017 national budget sa pamamagitan ni Senate President Aquilino Koko Pimentel at Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez.

Ayon sa pangulo, hindi magiging mainam na ilagay sa alanganin ang revenue sa pagpapababa ng income tax kung kaya't inatasan niya nang magpanukala ang Kongreso na mag-eexpand ng Value Added Tax (VAT) para sa tax reform package ng bansa.

Bagaman hindi niya tinukoy kung paano ito gagawin, sinabi ni Senate Minority leader Ralph Recto na inihayag ng pangulog posibleng mawala ang exemption ng mga senior citizens mula sa 12-percent VAT.

Una nang ipinanukala ang pagpapaluwag sa naturang batas noong Aquino Administration para siguruhin ang secrecy ng bank deposits at transaksyon.

RIP PSINSP Mark Gil Garcia

Nakakalungkot isipin na sa kabila ng pag pupursige ng awtoridad sa pag sugpo sa illegal na droga sa ating bansa ay nananatili parin sa ilan sa mga isipan ng ating mamamyan ang pag mamalabis ng pulis sa kapangyarihan.

Napatay po ang isa sa pinaka mabuting leader ng anti illegal drug team ng RIZAL sa isang drug buybust operation sa antipolo kagabi matapos syang barilin ng isa sa mga hinihinalang drug pusher sa nasabing lugar.

Napatalikod ako kanina kasi kitang kita ko kung paano tumangis ung mga naging kasamahan nia sa trabaho at kaklase sa pgiging plebo mapa babae o lalake opisyal at hindi, habang pinag mamasdan ang labi nia sa district hospital katabi ng kanyang may bahay na tila hindi pa pumapasok sa isip nia na wala na ang asawa nia. bigla kong naisip at tinanong ko sarili ko.

Bakit ganon.. ganon ganon nalang ba kami pag napatay sa encounter.? minsan kaya naapreciate ng tao ung pag bubuwis ng buhay ng isang pulis? naiisip kaya nila ung kaba namin kapag nag ooperate kami? minsan ba naisip ng isang sibilyan ung lalabas ka ng bahay pero hindi mo alam kung uuwi kang buhay?

Pano ung anak at pamilya mo pag namatay ka... ang babata pa ng anak ni sir Garcia at kapapanganak lang asawa nia...sobrang grabe tlaga ang sasama na ng tao ngaun...wala ng lugar na ligtas kahit saan anong oras..

De Lima Inamin ang Ilan sa akusasyon ni Duterte

Inamin ngayon ni Senator Leila de Lima na totoo nga ang ilan sa mga akusasyon ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte laban sa kaniya ngunit karamihan umano dito ay pawang mga kasinungalingan lamang.

Ayon sa senadora, kasinungalingan umano ang lahat ng ibinibintang ng pangulo kaugnay sa pagkakasangkot umano niya sa iligal na droga sa ating bansa.

Isa na rito ang akusasyon ni pangulong Duterte na na kasama umano siya sa payroll ng mga druglords at ang mga nakubra niya sa mga ito ay ginamit sa kaniyang pangangampaniya nooong nakaraang eleksyon.

Paliwanag pa ni De Lima,. ang kaniyang pananahimik kaugnay sa mga ibinibintang sa kaniya dahil nahihirapan pa umano siya matapos ang naturang public shaming.

Hindi Akusasyon kundi Impormasyon ang Pahayag ng Pangulo vs. De Lima

Iginiit ni Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo na hindi akusasyon kundi impormasyon ang binitawang mga pahayag ni Presidente Rodrigo Duterte kontra kay Sen. Leila de Lima.

Sa intreview ng Bombo Radyo kay Panelo, sinabi nito ang hakbang ng presidente ay kabilang lamang sa kaniyang responsibilidad sa pagpatupad ng mandato na makapagbigay ng impormasyon sa totoong pag-uugali ng senadora.

Ito rin ang paraan ayon sa kaniya upang malaman ng publiko ang ginagawa ng isang public official.

Dagdag pa ni Secretary Panelo, na hindi character assassination ang ginawa ng presidente dahil wala naman umanong maririnig na pagtatanggi mula sa senadora.

Nilinaw rin ng kampo ni Duterte, na hindi paghihiganti kay De Lima ang ginagawa ng presidente dahil matagal na taon na rin naman ang nakalipas noong alkalde pa lang ang presidente kung saan marami ng ibinabato sa kaniya si De Lima.

Hindi rin aniya ito magiging sanhi upang magkaroon ng "chilling effect" dahil ito ay nangyayari lamang sa mga opisyal na hindi sumusunod sa batas.

DUTERTE SUPPORTERS DEFY LOCAL POLITICAL WARLORDS

North Cotabato revolt!

DUTERTE SUPPORTERS DEFY
LOCAL POLITICAL WARLORDS

By Manny Piñol

This is the story of a province and its people who stood up against the dictates of their local political leaders and went all out to vote for their preferred presidential candidate.

North Cotabato, the province where I was born and raised, was a problematic area for the presidential campaign of Rody Duterte.

The Governor, the three Congressmen and most of the Mayors belonged to the administration Liberal Party.
In fact, three of my siblings who were running for local political positions officially belonged to the LP while the two others ran under PDP Laban. (All of them though campaigned openly and hard for Duterte.)

I realized this problem early on. This was the reason why I gave my approval to the political group of the Duterte campaign to reach out to the political family which holds sway in North Cotabato.

You see, when I was convincing Duterte to consider the Presidency I made a promise to him that I will not run for a political position so I could focus on his campaign.

I hoped that this move would also convince my political opponents in the province that I was no longer a threat to them and it would pave the way for a political reunification.

In fact, towards the last few weeks of the campaign, I made a pitch in the radio programs aired locally, which I was handling, asking local political leaders to set aside political differences and get behind the candidacy of a Mindanaoan, Duterte.

I had to handle a radio program which was aired twice a week since January over seven local radio stations to campaign for Duterte to support the local PDP Laban team which did not have the finances and the machinery to wage a province-wide campaign.

I said a Duterte Presidency would be beneficial to the province. Besides, Duterte has always been there to help the people of North Cotabato in the past, including coming to the succor of victims of bombings in the province who were brought to the Southern Philippines Medical Centre in Davao City.

I also made personal efforts to reach out to the other political family controlling North Cotabato through common friends assuring them that I have no plans anymore to go back to politics in the province.
My appeal fell on deaf ears.

In the town of Carmen, where the other political family holds sway and virtually controls the lives of people, voters were intimidated and instructed to vote for anybody but not Duterte.

This tactic worked in the past but on Monday, the people of North Cotabato defied their local political leaders and voted for the candidate of their choice.

The result was a resounding rejection of traditional politics.

Yesterday, when I came home to the province of my birth, I felt so very proud of my people.
In spite of the pressures exerted on them, administration candidate Manuel Roxas III only managed to get 67,971, Grace Poe 34,955, Jejomar Binay 21,991 and Miriam Defensor Santiago 2,334.
And Duterte?

He got a whopping 395,370 votes!

The 395,370 votes are more than just a number for me.

This number represents people in my province who have reached a higher level of political maturity who who were willing to defy their local political leaders and vote for who they believe should be their next President.
It would be preposterous for me to claim credit alone for what happened in North Cotabato in the last Presidential elections.

So many volunteer groups worked hard, including a group of doctors who formed a team to campaign for Duterte.

The local PDP Laban group sacrificed a lot to campaign even without resources.

But most of all, the people themselves pressured their local political leaders.

T-shirts given out by local political candidates were rejected if these did not carry the name of Duterte.

The Muslim tribes of North Cotabato were among the most die-hard Duterte supporters because of the fact that he has a quarter Bangsamoro blood.

They also consider the Duterte Presidency as historic because he will be the first President who carries Moro and IP lineage

Many of the local political leaders capitulated to the wishes of their people. Aside from a few mayors, including in the town of Arakan, who openly campaigned for Duterte, a congresswoman switched sides and went for Duterte at the last minute.

Many others, except the political family based in the town of Carmen, simply abandoned the campaign for Roxas.

In the end, the people of North Cotabato triumphed.

Of the over 500,000 who voted, 395,370 showed me that there is hope in my province.

I am sad, however that in two other provinces in Mindanao - Zamboanga del Norte and Agusan del Sur - people's right to vote is still trampled upon by the local political warlords.

This would end soon with the Duterte Presidency. What happened in North Cotabato could happen in these provinces soon.

Change is coming.

(Image shows the results of the presidential elections in North Cotabato; a color coded Philippine map shows how the country voted - yellow went Roxas, orange went Binay, light blue went Poe while blue went for Duterte. John Pagaduan)

Duterte Supports the Launching of "Feeding Millions" Book

Presidential frontrunner Rody Duterte will lay down the Food Security Agenda of his Presidency in a forum to be attended by farmers representing the different agriculture sector on April 21 in Davao City.

During the same occasion, Duterte will also witness the launching of the book "Feeding Millions" which I wrote recently.

 A book signing will also be held after the launching.

The forum, "Feeding the Nation: Philippine Agriculture 2016 and Beyond," is expected to provide stakeholders an opportunity to take a first look at Duterte's plans for agriculture and fisheries.

Duterte will elaborate on his vision to provide "Available and Affordable Food" for the Filipino people even beyond his expected six-year term.

The forum will also allow farmer-leaders to provide additional inputs to the Food Security Blueprint.
Those who will be invited to the forum are farmer-leaders representing the different agriculture sectors - rice and corn, banana, rubber, oil palm, vegetable, fisheries, livestock, poultry, hogs, goats and small ruminants, dairy, processors and manufacturers, agriculture cargo transporters and others.

The one-day forum to be held at The Royal Mandaya Hotel in downtown Davao City will start at 9 a.m.
Registration fee is P1,500. This would cover reading materials, free meals and snacks and one copy of the "Feeding Millions" book.

Interested buyers of the "Feeding Millions" book will also be served by staffers in a booth outside of the forum venue.

Duterte Now Number 1 In Standard Survey

A day after presidential frontrunner Rody Duterte topped the Manila Broadcasting Corporation/DZRH nation-wide survey, the Standard/Laylo national survey came up with its latest poll showing the Davao City Mayor breaking away from the 5-person pack.

“We have seen our numbers getting even bigger, validating what we are seeing on the ground. That Rody is on top means the people are on top. However, that Rody is on top exposes him to attacks. We believe that his popularity now is the reason why the Aquino administration has unleashed a string of attacks against Duterte, hoping that they can prevent his surge,” Bohol Mayor Leoncio Evasco, Duterte’s national campaign manager was quoted by the Standard as saying.
 

With a little over a month to go before the elections, political forces are consolidating behind Duterte whose ratings have consistently climbed since he declared his bid for the Presidency.

City Council Of Davao Approves 31 Million Pesos Aid For Farmers in Cotabato

The Davao City Council today approved a P31-million calamity assistance to provide 15,000 bags of rice to farmers of North Cotabato whose farms were rendered unproductive by the 4-month-long drought.

Leo Villareal, information officer of Davao City, confirmed that the measure was approved in a session today of the Sangguniang Panglungsod.

The amount will be used to purchase 15,000 sacks of rice which will be distributed to the farmers of the neighboring province of North Cotabato through the Philippine National Red Cross and the City Social Services and Development Office (CSSDO), Villarreal said.

Also approved during the session was an allocation of over P300-M as part of Davao City's own preparation for the effects of El Niño on the city's fisherfolk and farmers.

The approval of the P31-m calamity assistance for the farmers of North Cotabato affected by the drought came five days after Duterte was informed of the mass action staged by farmers and supported by militant groups in Kidapawan City.

The North Cotabato Provincial Government earlier said it could not provide the 15,000 bags demanded by the protesters and negotiations between the government and the protest leaders ended in a stalemate.
On April 1, on the day when Duterte was tentatively scheduled to meet with the rallyists, policemen dispersed the protesters.

A melee which turned bloody and deadly left two protesters and a bystander dead and dozens injured, including ill-equipped policemen who were ordered to disperse the protesters.

Villarreal said it will take a few more days before the rice calamity assistance would reach the beneficiaries as the city government will have to coordinate with he Commission on Elections (Comelec) first and then engage the Red Cross for the distribution.

He added that the rice assistance will not only be for those who participated in the protest in Kidapawan City but also for other farmers who were severely affected by the long drought.

Villarreal said details on the mode of the distribution will be announced later.

Davao City has earlier extended assistance to other areas hit by calamity, including the Leyte Provinces and Tacloban City which were ravaged by Typhoon Yolanda.

The Local Government Code allows inter-LGU assistance in times of calamity and emergencies.

By:MannyPiñol

DUTERTE CANDIDACY AGRICULTURE'S HOPE

Late last year, I read a news item, apparently a media release from the Department of Agriculture, which said that the country was expecting a shortage in the supply of meat chicken.

As a farmer and an agriculture advocate, I was expecting that the government would announce next that it would allocate funds to support poultry raisers in the country for after all it would only take 30 days to raise broilers to satisfy the demands of the market.

But no. The next news release I read in the papers was an announcement that the government would allow the importation of dressed chicken to fill up the shortage.

Now, why in the world would we import chicken, or even pork, onion, garlic, rice and other agricultural products, when the Filipino farmers, given the needed support by government, could easily produce this?
I will provide four answers:

1. Agriculture programs in the country are never planned long enough to anticipate the food requirements of the growing population. It has always been knee-jerk planning.

2. There is no money to make for corrupt agriculture officials when the chicken, pork, garlic, onion and rice are produced by the Filipino farmers. But there is a lot of money in issuing import permits to big-time businessmen who would bring in these food products from other countries.

3. While the agriculture department is teeming with experts in the different fields, the priorities and programs of the department are determined by the political appointees who lord it over in the department for six years. Then, they turn over the department to another political appointee who implements programs not to feed the Filipino people but to please his President.

4. The Philippines never had a President who truly understood agriculture, who was able to touch the soil and who felt the hardships and pain suffered by the Filipino farmer.

Philippine agriculture's heyday was during the early years of the presidency of Ferdinand E. Marcos and it was not because Marcos was an agriculturist. He was a lawyer. It was simply because he was wise enough to hire the most brilliant agriculture men, specifically Arturo Tanco.

Under the administration of President Benigno Aquino agriculture has been in the doldrums with a growth rate of a pathetic 1%.

Proceso Alcala has been a mediocre agriculture secretary and perhaps the only distinction he earned was that he was the first among President Aquino's men, not Generals Purisima and Napenas, who fed the President the wrong info.

"Si Alcala ang unang naka-bola kay PNoy," says my older brother, Patricio, a true-blooded farmer.
In 2010, Alcala, after his appointment as agriculture secretary, made President Aquino believe that the country would be rice sufficient by 2013, a projection which PNoy proudly announced in his State of the Nation Address.

The year 2013 has come and gone, in fact it is already 2015, but the Philippines is still importing rice.
This is where I submit a very strong contention that unless the Philippines elects a President who truly understands agriculture and who has a solid agricultural development plan which emphasises not only production but more importantly marketing and distribution, the country's agriculture will never get anywhere.

So, who are the Presidential prospects who truly understand agriculture?
Vice President Jejomar Binay? Nope. He reportedly raised hogs as a boy but there is more to agriculture than just raising hogs.

Secretary Manuel A. Roxas? Nope. His family owns a sugar mill in Ma-ao, Negros Occidental but i do not believe he even knows how to plant sugarcane or even realises how hard it is for the sacada to plant sugarcane for only P75 a day.

Senator Grace Poe? Certainly not. I do not believe she has gone anywhere near a farm who even knows the difference between a doe and an ewe.

Of all of the names being floated as prospective Presidential materials, it is only Davao Mayor Rody Duterte who truly understands agriculture and the importance of available and affordable food for his people.

As Mayor of the only city in the whole Philippines which produces bananas, durian, coconut, vegetables, cut flowers, pomelos, mangoes, and other fruits, it is only Duterte who believes that a political leader's obligation includes producing healthy food for his people.

While the neighbouring areas of Davao rake in so much money from digging gold, Duterte has remained steadfast in his opposition to mining saying it would destroy Davao City's environment and affect food production.

Philippine agriculture's best hope is Rody Duterte and if we miss this chance of installing a President who truly understands agriculture, we will have to go through another six years of very expensive and scarce food supplies and the country will have to rely on importation once again.

This is the reason why I am 100% behind the move to convince Rody Duterte as President of the Philippines.

By MannyPiñol