Tag: Mindanao

News, The News Media

Monday morning news (underreported) 11-5-2012

“Mindanao warned vs flashfloods, landslides

from sunstar.com: “Sunday, November 4, 2012. THE state weather bureau warned areas in Mindanao against flashfloods

IMG_1086 name
IMG_1086 name (Photo credit: PHBascon)

and landslides as the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) continues to cause rainshowers and thunderstorms in the southern region….”

(blog admin’s note: the so-called “intertropical convergence zone” is  an area near the equator where strong winds from the north and the south join, causing the formation of clouds and heavy rains (from the American Heritage Science Dictionary); in other words, when strong winds join,  clouds build up, bringing heavy rains. “warned areas” — awkward; people are warned, not areas.)

(all photos are either public domain or under License CreativeCommons NonCommercial NoDerivs)

“Philippines missing activists

The Agony of Crispin (San Rafael, Bulacan)

from saudigazette.com.sa from a report of the Associated Press:   “Last Updated : Sunday, November 04, 2012 12:59 AM. Relatives of missing activists known as “Desaparecidos” or The Disappeared, display portraits of their missing kin during a rally at the ancestral home of Philippine President Benigno Aquino at suburban Quezon city, northeast of Manila, Philippines Saturday….”

(blog admin’s note: that’s the head, no verb. Also, Times Street is not suburban Quezon City; it’s residential but not suburban) (geez, why am i editing, i’m such an OC, stop na. this is just supposed to be curating five underreported stories for the day. i should just copy-&-paste mindlessly,  like most people do. )

“Fil-Ams Top Amerasian Voters in US

Manila Bulletin

Polling station
Polling station (Photo credit: warrenski)

MANILA, Philippines — Among Asian American citizens, there will be more Filipino Americans who will troop to the polls in the Nov. 6 United States presidential elections, a report by the National Asian American Survey (NAAS) said….”

(here i go again. this can still be edited — wanna make a go at it?)

“Canadian miner prepares Zamboanga del Sur project

Open Pit Mine
Open Pit Mine (Photo credit: Storm Crypt)

    from bworldonline.com: “ZAMBOANGA CITY — Canadian-backed TVI Resource Development (Phils.) Inc. (TVIRD) said on Friday last week that it is now in preparation phase for its gold and silver project in the town of Bayog in Zamboanga del Sur…”

(blog admin’s note: if an indirect quote, tense should be consistent. sowee; OC.)

 “Palaro host 

from tempo.com.ph: “Manila, Philippines – The Department of Education (DepEd) announced yesterday that the      provincial government of Negros Oriental (Dumaguete) won the bid for the hosting of the Palarong Pambansa 2013…” (blog admin’s note: that’s the head, no verb)

xxx

(all photos are either public domain or under License CreativeCommons NonCommercial NoDerivs)

Armed conflict, constitutional law, international law, media law, The News Media, The President

An end to War. The Bangsamoro peace pact. Civil liberties. The Cybercrime Law.

    War, portents of war, and breakthroughs in war,  are always elements of news — ask any news editor. Uncharacteristically, Malacañang not only released information  but announced the Bangsamoro “framework agreement” in a highly publicized press con, on a slow news day, a full week ahead of its signing.   They could not have chosen a better element of news — war ranks way up there in any editor’s book. And so, Malacañang knows, it thinks, this would outrank any news  story or discussion on the Cybercrime Prevention Act.

     When they were “out-of-power”,  in 2008, the Liberal Party questioned the constitutionality of the initial Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the MILF, which provided for a future comprehensive peace pact, hammered out by Gloria’s government. They  found enough adherents in the Supreme Court: By a narrow vote of  8 to 7, the Supreme Court struck down the peace agreement as “unconstitutional” – betraying everybody’s  ignorance that negotiated political settlements are always outside the legal frameworks of the State-parties . Now that they are in power, they forged a “framework agreement” honoring a “Basic Law” for the Bangsamoro.   Good. Finally.   I’m glad that potentially there will now be a negotiated political settlement of the armed conflict in Mindanao – the Liberal Party delayed it by four years on the argument that the proposed “Bangsamoro Juridical Entity” mentioned in the 2008 MOA required Charter Change. They, and everyone else of course, were not willing to grant that to Gloria (Cha-cha under Gloria – no way).

      Don’t look at me, I’ve  been consistently in favor of negotiated political settlements over war,  regardless of who were in power (look at the history of this blog and previous blog posts). But look at them. It took a maelstrom of a social media frenzy over the Cybercrime Law,  for an advanced announcement of a peace agreement to be made,  and to go on headlong with this.

     An end to war — civil liberties. Choose.

Armed conflict, breaking news, Criminal law, Film paintings photos, News, The News Media, The President

combatants, fugitives, bandits, murder victim, the President, ghosts: Weekend News

combatants, fugitives, bandits, murder victim,

the President, ghosts: Weekend News

(Photo of Bhangarh Fort, India,  right-clicked from Yahoo Philippines as part of the story curated, for non-commercial purposes)

Yahoo Philippines: “The Spookiest Places to Visit in Asia” (story below)

xxx   xxx    xxx   xxx

inquirer.net: “Next AFP target: Al-Barka. By Julie Alipala. Inquirer Mindanao   Local execs seek prior warning, cooperation Basilan leaders want the military to first coordinate with them before launching any combat operation, particularly in the town of Al-Barka where 19 soldiers were slaughtered on Oct. 18.”

Philippine Star: “Ligots missing after arrest order. By Edu Punay and Iris Gonzales (The Philippine Star) Updated October 29, 2011 12:00 AM Comments (114)  . MANILA, Philippines – Justice Secretary Leila de Lima yesterday said she would order a manhunt for former military comptroller Jacinto Ligot and his wife Erlinda after the couple reportedly went missing following the issuance of an arrest order by the Court of Tax Appeals (CTA) for tax evasion.”

gmanewsonline: “Banditry may undo 2001 ceasefire with MILF – AFP. KIMBERLY JANE TAN, GMA News10/28/2011 | 05:10 PM. (Updated 9:20 p.m.) The military on Friday emphasized that the 2001 ceasefire agreement between government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) can stand some review and even changes because the active presence of bandits and criminal gangs in western Mindanao has altered the variables that led to what is now a shaky truce.”

abs-cbnnews: “Bong Revilla’s brother killed. MANILA, Philippines (4th UPDATE) – Ram Bautista Revilla, a half-brother of Senator Ramon ‘Bong’ Revilla Jr., was killed in his home in Parañaque City past midnight on Saturday. xxxSen. Revilla told dzMM that a gunman wearing a bonnet entered the house of his half-brother in BF Homes and then shot and stabbed him and his girlfriend, Janelle Manahan.”

Sun Star news: “Government: Aquino can’t be impeached for funding MILF. MANILA — The Palace dismissed the possibility of impeaching President Benigno Aquino III for approving a P5-million aid for the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF)”

Yahoo Philippines: “Halloween Specials. The Spookiest Places to Visit in Asia: 1. Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, Cambodia. xxx In the late 1970s, the Khmer Rough used Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, known then as Pol Pot’s Prison, as a detention and torture centre. Out of the approximately 17,000 people who entered the complex, only a handful of them were known to have emerged alive. xxx 2. Bhangarh Fort, India. xxxThere are a number of myths as to why the city was abandoned almost overnight, and never re-inhabited, but almost all of them conclude that it’s due to a curse (although there are disagreements as to who put it there), and that ghosts now haunt the city.xxx One popular story goes that a magician, Singha Serva wanted to marry the fort’s Princess Ratnavati, and when she foiled his plot to seduce her, he cursed the fort and all its inhabitants.3. Lipe Island, Thailand.xxxAsk a resident if he’s seen a ha-too recently (the Chao-le word for “ghost”), and he’ll tell you he’s seen many on the island – sometimes too many. Not only a belief held by the older generation, Chao-le kids are regularly seen tracking ghost prints left in the sand 4. Himuro Mansion, Japan.xxxThe complex is rumoured to be the home to one of the most gruesome murders in modern Japanese history. The members of the Himuro family, who were is said to be involved in their own dark rituals, were killed by their housemaster, who then in turn fell on his own blade. 5. Liu Mansion of Minsyong, Taiwan. xxx Some believe a maid who died in the mansion’s well still roams the grounds, while others support the theory that the spirits of dead Japanese soldiers who lived near the mansion during World War II have taken up residence there. If you’re in the mood to travel this Halloween, find out who’s right for yourself.xxx”