Death toll of eastern Indonesia's earthquake rises to 6

Photo by Antara

JAKARTA -- The death toll of Sunday's 7.2-magnitude quake in eastern Indonesia has risen to six, with 51 others being injured, Agus Wibowo, spokesman of the National Disaster Management Authority (BNPB), said on Wednesday.

The quake struck off Indonesia's North Maluku province, with the epicenter located 62 km northeast of Labuha in the province and at the depth of 10 km, according to the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency (BMKG).

"Five of the casualties were hit by debris and falling blocks of concrete and another was an old person who died during escape," Wibowo told Xinhua via phone.

On Monday, BNPB reported that two people were killed by the natural disaster.

Wibowo said that nearly 1,000 houses were destroyed and almost 3,000 residents have been taking shelter in evacuation centers.

"Most of them stay in mosques, government office buildings and other buildings in several spots, but the disaster agency also sent tents for them," said Wibowo.

Indonesia is prone to earthquakes as it sits on a vulnerable quake-impacted zone dubbed the Pacific Ring of Fire.

In 2018, Indonesia was hit by a total of 11,577 earthquakes, including several of them that caused serious casualties, according to BMKG chief Dwikorita Karnawati.

Several of the earthquake-related events that occurred in Indonesia last year were never witnessed before, such as the liquefaction in Palu, a tsunami that struck before the issuance of a warning in Palu, and the Sunda Strait Tsunami, she pointed out. (Xinhua/Antara)

FVR impressed with new Westmincom chief credentials

Former President Fidel V. Ramos (right) and Lt. Gen. Cirilito E. Sobejana 

MANILA -- Former President Fidel V. Ramos has lauded President Rodrigo R. Duterte for appointing Lt. 

Gen. Cirilito E. Sobejana as the new commanding general of the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom), citing the army officer’s credentials as a battle-tested officer whom he awarded the Medal of Valor in 1996.

The Medal of Valor is the highest award of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) given to a soldier for gallantry in combat.

Duterte promoted Sobejana as Westmincom commander last week.

Sobejana was formerly commander of the 6th Division of the Philippine Army based in Central Mindanao.

Sobejana made a courtesy call on Ramos at the latter’s Ramos Peace and Development Foundation, Inc. (RPDev) office in Makati City on Tuesday, to thank the former Commander-in-Chief, who pinned the Medal of Valor during the 61st AFP anniversary held in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City on Dec. 21, 1996.

Ramos, or FVR as he is fondly called, vividly remembered the day he pinned the medal on Sobejana, who was then an army captain at that time.

“You are a hero,” Ramos told Sobejana, who now holds the rank of lieutenant general.

When he saw Ramos, Sobejana made a snappy salute which FVR acknowledged and congratulated the army general for a job well done in defending the country against terror groups.

Sobejana got the highest military award for leading a 16-man team of Scout Rangers of the Philippine Army when they encountered more than 150 fully armed Abu Sayyaf terrorists in Sitio Sweet Jackal in the town of Matarling, Basilan on the Friday the 13th of January 1995.

At the height of the close-quarter battle, Sobejana was badly wounded on his right arm, but he and his men continued the fight without retreating.

In an interview with the Philippine News Agency, Sobejana said seven of his men were killed in action.

“But the remaining nine of us, all wounded, continued the fighting without let-up. I had with me an M-16 Baby Armalite assault rifle, and I gathered five other firearms left behind by men who were killed near me. I also had 300 rounds of ammunition,” Sobejana recalled.

“When my right hand was hit, the pain was excruciating. I could hear bullets buzzing just a few inches from where I was lying down. Mortar shells and rockets fell all over,” he said.

With a wounded right hand, he used his left hand to fire his weapon at several Abu Sayyaf militants, who tried to advance towards their defensive line, “but we fired at the terrorists, who were killed one after the other”.

“With our heavy volume of fire, the Abu Sayyaf thought we were many,” he said.

“I glanced at my watch; it was 1430H (2:30 p. m.). My men and I continued fighting and firing at the enemy. I was again hit. This time, it was my right hand,” Sobejana added.

“I applied a tourniquet to stop the bleeding (then) I saw one of my men get hit in the abdomen. His intestines came out and we bandaged him,” he said.

During the gun battle, 42 Abu Sayyaf members were killed, and the wounded were brought along by the terrorist group in their retreat.

On Scout Rangers’ side, seven were killed and all the remaining nine, including Sobejana, were wounded.

Sobejana also thanked FVR for sending him to the United States for medical treatment for his severely shattered right arm to save it from being cut-off.

It was then-Defense Secretary Renato S. de Villa, who recommended to then-President Ramos to send Sobejana to the U.S. for further treatment of his badly wounded right arm.

Today, Sobejana has his right arm intact, but the marks of the bullet wound are visible.

Nonetheless, Sobejana is proud as a soldier who defended the country to preserve the republic at all cost, including his life if need be. (PNA/ By Ben Cal )

Mindanao still a safe destination: DOT exec

Mt. Apo, one of the tourist attractions in Mindanao

MANILA -- Mindanao remains a safe place to visit, a tourism official said on Wednesday.

Department of Tourism (DOT) Assistant Secretary Roberto Alabado III made this remark after President Rodrigo R. Duterte warned of “very dangerous times ahead” particularly in Sulu and Basilan Islands.

Alabado said the agency will always abide with the President, however, noted that there were several areas in Mindanao that are not “troubled”.

“Regional offices (in Mindanao) are doing good efforts introducing all of the good parts of what the destinations have to offer,” Alabado said in an economic briefing in Malacañan Palace.

“If you go to Zamboanga, I don’t think it’s a troubled area. I would encourage our Filipino tourists to visit Zamboanga and you will be pleasantly surprised how the pink beach of Santa Cruz island is,” he added.

Doubled efforts

Alabado, meanwhile, emphasized that regional offices are also doubling efforts to change the perception of a Mindanao that has been under martial rule since the May 2017 Marawi siege.

“(It’s) doubled because we are working on changing a perception. That’s why we are here to show you what is actually real on the ground,” Alabado said.

“What we’re looking at right now, there are some safe places but there are places in Mindanao where the (travel) advisories are better,” he added.

Alabado said domestic tourism is going very well with hotels in Davao City always “fully-booked” which is a good indicator that tourists continue to visit Mindanao.

“It’s full of attractions and destinations now we would like all Filipinos to come visit Mindanao and see another culture,” Alabado said.

More routes

There are also measures being taken to fan interest of investors in establishing direct routes to the Davao International Airport, the international gateway to Mindanao.

”We see that there’s a renewed interest in establishing direct routes to our international gateway in Mindanao and the Department of Tourism Routes Development Team is busy talking to these carriers to consider Davao International Airport as one of the destinations,” Alabado said.

“They are busy talking to all of these chartered flights to establish more routes going to Mindanao. That would be a key action needed to have more people visit Mindanao,” he added.

At present, there are four international connections to Davao including Singapore-Davao (Silkair), Jinjiang-Davao (XiamenAIr), Hong-Kong Davao (Cathay Dragon), and Qatar-Davao (Qatar Airways).

Davao is known for various tourist attractions including the Mt. Apo, the Philippine Eagle Center, and the Crocodile Park, among others. (PNA /By Azer Parrocha  )

DPWH completes 3 evacuation centers in Soccsksargen

MANILA — The Department of Public Works Highways (DPWH) on Wednesday reported the completion of evacuation centers in the three provinces of Region 12 (Soccsksargen).

DPWH Regional Director Basir Ibrahim noted that the newly-constructed structures are hazard‐adaptive and needs‐sensitive evacuation centers in Barangay Bunao, Tupi, South Cotabato; Barangay Buayan, General Santos City; and Barangay Rosal Street, Carmen, North Cotabato.

“In an effort to provide safe and efficient shelter in times of typhoons and other calamities, we are building disaster-resilient evacuation centers complete with necessary facilities in strategic areas of Soccsksargen,” he said in a statement.

The construction of the project in Tupi started last June 6, 2017, while the undertakings in General Santos City and North Cotabato began on January 18, 2018.

Ibrahim added that each evacuation center is built on an area not less than 2,610 square meters to provide enough space and facilities receptive to the needs of up to 400 persons displaced by disasters.

Each center includes a well-lit and sufficiently ventilated accommodation building, an office and infirmary building, separate toilet and bathrooms for male and female.

It also has laundry and drying area, water tank building, generator room, pump room, garbage disposal area, parking area, and assembly area.

On the other hand, the DPWH official noted that the construction of five more evaluation centers in Isulan, Sultan Kudarat; Kiamba, Sarangani; Cotabato City, Maguindanao; Lebak, Sultan Kudarat; and Tulunan, North Cotabato. is ongoing.

"So far, we have completed three and five are under construction,” Ibrahim added. (PNA / By Ferdinand Patinio )

PRRD approves promotion of 9 PNP officials

President Rodrigo Duterte

MANILA -- A total of nine officials of the Philippine National Police (PNP), including its spokesperson, were promoted to the next higher rank.

In a letter dated July 17, President Rodrigo Duterte approved the promotion to Major General (two-star rank) of Brigadier General Timoteo Pacleb and promoted to Brigadier General (one-star rank) were Colonels Bernard Banac, the PNP spokesperson, and Walter Castillejos.

Prior to his designation as PNP spokesperson, Banac was the assistant chief of the PNP Supervisory Office for Security and Investigation Agencies, the police group which regulates security agencies.

Banac, 48, is a member of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Class of 1992, who also served as Provincial Director of Sorsogon, Chief of Diplomatic Protection Unit of the Police Security and Protection Group.

Banac was former Chief of Staff of the PNP Engineering Service and Senior Executive Assistant to the Chief, PNP in 2015-2016.

He obtained his Master’s Degree in Development Management from the Asian Institute of Management in 1999 and also underwent various training courses in Washington and Louisiana in the United States, Kosovo, Ivory Coast, and Thailand.

He also served as a Company Commander of the Special Action Force, as a field-grade officer in 1992.

Banac is a veteran of United Nations peacekeeping missions, where he served as Operations and Planning Officer in the UN Mission in Kosovo in 2009 and Technical Adviser of the UN Police Arms Embargo Cell in Abidjan, Ivory Coast in 2005

Meanwhile, promoted to Colonels were Lieutenant Colonels Hermogenes Cabe, Benliner Capili, Edilberto Leonardo, Judy Lopez, Fernando Ortega, and Brimar Rodica. (PNA /By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan  )

Davao tourism summit seeks to sustain air connectivity

Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. DCCCII president Arturo Milan speaks to the local media in this file photo. (File Photo by Digna Banzon)

DAVAO CITY -- The Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (DCCCII) will host a stakeholder's tourism summit at a still unannounced date this month.

DCCCII president Arturo Milan said the summit seeks to strengthen Davao products and services and encourage more tourists to come.

Milan sees the need to sustain connectivity noting that there are already four direct international flights to this city.

Davao City's four direct flights are the Davao-Singapore serviced by Singapore Airlines' Silk Air and Cebu Pacific; Davao-Jinjiang by Xiamen Air; Davao-Hong Kong by Cathay Dragon of Dragon Airlines, Ltd.; and Davao-Doha by Qatar Airways.

Milan said there are also three ongoing negotiations for direct flights from Davao to Haneda (Japan) and the revival of the Davao-Manado (Indonesia) and the Davao-Kota Kinabalu (Malaysia) routes.

The air connectivity will boost tourism not only in the Davao Region but the island of Mindanao, Milan said.

Milan said: "We have to collaborate with all our Davao stakeholders on tourism to be able to improve and work on programs on how tourists could come."

Davao City Tourism head Generose Tecson also underscored Saturday the need to sustain connectivity, saying the city "badly needs" to "come up with plans and propositions" to be able to do this.

Tecson also sees the need for the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) to help, noting that the observations that emerged during tourism roadshows that Davao was not promoted by the TPB.

She said: "Now that we have these international flights already then they should promote us and help us because if they just rely on the city -- we cannot do it alone."

Tecson said private and government sectors of the region have forged partnerships for the promotion of tourism programs. (PNA/By Digna Banzon  )

Duterte has yet to act on Piñol’s resignation

President Rodrigo R. Duterte

MANILA -- President Rodrigo Duterte has yet to accept the courtesy resignation tendered by Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol last week, Malacañang said on Monday.

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said Piñol is still expected to attend and participate in the scheduled Cabinet meeting on Monday afternoon.

“The President has not yet accepted his (Piñol) resignation. Courtesy resignation lang naman ‘yun (It’s just a courtesy resignation),” Panelo said in a Palace briefing.

Panelo said Duterte wanted to speak first to Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) interim Chief Minister Al-Hajj Murad Ebrahim before deciding whether or not he will accept Piñol’s resignation.

“Di ba sinabi ni Presidente, ‘I will ask Mr. Murad kung okay sa kanila’, di ba (Didn’t the President say, ‘I will first ask Mr. Murad if it’s okay with him)?” he added.

On June 27, Senator Christopher “Bong” Go bared that Piñol has offered to resign following reports that the President is no longer satisfied with his performance.

Piñol resigned “with the best interest” of his department but at the same time, expressed willingness to be reassigned to whichever agency he will be effective, including the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDa).

In a chance interview the same day, Duterte clarified that he is still trusts the Agriculture chief noting that he has no record of corruption.

“He is not corrupt. He's just talkative,” Duterte told reporters.

Piñol offered to step down amid criticisms following a controversy over his response to the Recto Bank incident where a Chinese vessel allegedly rammed and abandoned a Philippine fishing boat and the 22 Filipino fishermen on June 9.

Last year, critics called for Piñol’s resignation amid spikes in the prices of rice, vegetables, meat and fish that increased inflation. (By Azer Parrocha /PNA)

Suicide bomber behind Sulu attack: Lorenzana

MANILA -- Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Monday said the bomb attack at the tactical command post of the 1st Brigade Combat Team (1BCT) in Barangay Kajatian, Indanan, Sulu that killed eight persons and wounded 22 others last June 28 is a suicide bombing.

"That is evident from the report of the soldiers because this guy (the alleged bomber) knocked on the gate (of the tactical command post) so the guard went near to ask what the person need, when the guard was at the gate the person exploded so this is obviously a suicide bombing," he added when asked about this possibility.

He issued this comment in an interview with reporters shortly after the inauguration of the Disaster Emergency Logistics Systems for Asean (DELSA) Phase II warehouse in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City Monday.

"Yes, personally I think it's a suicide bombing because he was carrying the bomb and he detonated it within the perimeter, there were two of them actually," the DND chief added.

He also stressed that martial law is not the answer to every security threat in response to comments on how could such an attack happen when Mindanao is still under the martial law.

Also, the movement of the people is not restricted in the island.

"Martial law actually is not the solution to all these because anybody, an individual or two individuals can just go anywhere because we have not controlled the movement of people in Mindanao, you can basically go anywhere you want without any checkpoints sometimes, you just go, let them go, we just have checkpoints in areas that are dangerous, from one island to another but within the island you can go anywhere you want to go," the DND chief emphasized.

Regarding ISIS claims of having perpetrated the bombing, Lorenzana said that they are still checking and waiting for DNA test results to back up their conclusions.

"ISIS claimed responsibility but we are checking, in fact somebody said the bombers were Indonesians, somebody said Filipinos but let us wait our conclusion until we get (to) the, checking of the DNA of these people," he added.

Earlier reports claimed that the remains of the alleged bomber were recovered by investigators on the scene and submitted for forensic test. The DND chief also emphasized that they are still checking the extent of ISIS' networks in the Philippines along with reports that Abu Sayyaf sub-leader Hatib Sawadjaan is the leader of Islamic State-linked groups in the country.

"We're still checking, that's the news coming out but we still have to check with, our friends in the Middle East, the Americans, the other security agencies," he added. Also, Lorenzana said the security forces in Metro Manila and other urban centers nationwide have to be very vigilant to prevent a repeat of the incident.

As this developed, President Rodrigo R. Duterte on Sunday honored one of three troopers of the 1BCT, killed in the June 28 bombing attack, through the awarding of the Order of Lapu-Lapu Sunday.

The Chief Executive attended the wake of Cpl. Richard Macababbad at the Libingan ng Mga Bayani, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City and handed to the fallen soldier’s mother the Kalasag Medal under the Order of Lapu-Lapu, Philippine Army (PA) spokesperson, Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala said in a statement Monday.

He added the trooper was posthumously awarded for losing his life as a direct result of the PA’s operations in support to the anti-terrorism campaign of the President.

Macabaddad died in Indanan, Sulu, on June 28 along with Pfc. Recarte D. Alban Jr. and Pfc. Dominique C. Inte. Twelve other soldiers were also wounded during the bombing.

The Order of Lapu-Lapu was created in 2017 through Executive Order 35. This is an award given to officials and personnel of the government in recognition of their invaluable service in support to the President’s advocacy.

It is composed of four medals namely the Magalong, Kalasag, Kampilan, and Kamagi.

“The PA is grateful for the Commander-in-Chief's concern to our fallen comrades and their families. Our soldiers are aware of the risks that they have to face as they fulfill their duty to serve and protect the people. 

This recognition serves as a reminder to each of us that our sacrifices matter to our people,” Zagala added. (By Priam Nepomuceno/PNA)