PNP forms TF Apoyon

The top leadership of the Philippine National Police has ordered the creation of Task Force Apoyon to probe the circumstances behind the death of veteran Davao newsman Satur P. Apoyon.

The PNP said it will proceed with the investigations despite lack of interest on the part of the Apoyon family.

The police said it is under obligation to do the fact-finding, or file charges when appropriate, because the victim is a newsman.

Newsmen deaths have become a priority for government following international criticism of unsolved murders victimizing media men in the Philippines.

Chief Superintendent Jaime Morente, director of the Police Regional Office 11, earlier ordered the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) and the Governor Generoso Municipal Police Station to conduct a backtrack investigation to determine the circumstances behind the death of the former bureau chief of the Philippines News Agency (PNA) Davao.

Morente said the report of the medico-legal officer of Governor Generoso hinted foul play behind the death of Apoyon, 75, due to the stab wound on his right abdomen.

The wife of Apoyon, meanwhile, said she was not inclined to believe the foul play theory.

Annie Apoyon told a GMA News interview that the wound could had been sustained when her husband fell to the sea and carried by waves to Davao Oriental.

Insp. Emmanuel Caquilala, Governor Generoso chief of police, said Apoyon was found by fishermen at mid-sea about seven to 10 miles at the boundary of Malita, Davao del Sur and Governor Generoso, Davao Oriental. He was hooked by “payao,” a fish aggregating device made as temporary shelter for fish in the area.

Caquilala said Apoyon’s bloated body was seen around 10 a.m. Tuesday and they were able to bring him to Governor Generoso at 6 p.m. He theorized that he was already dead three or four days.

Morente said the police have to determine the actual cause and time of death and the person or persons behind the incident to give justice to the Apoyons. “An investigation must be pursued,” Morente said.

Senior Superintendent Rene Aspera, director of the DCPO, affirmed the conduct of a backtrack investigation and revealed that his investigators are already coordinating with Satur's family.

He said their earlier investigation revealed that Satur was last seen by a colleague walking aimlessly in one mall along J.P. Laurel Avenue at around 6:00 p.m. on May 19.

Aspera said Satur was also seen in Matina, kilometers away from his residence at 71 Opal Street, Bangkal, Davao City at around 2 p.m. on the same day.

“We theorize that he took a ride in one of the vans which took him to Davao Oriental. But we are still pursuing the investigation to shed light on the cause of his death,” Aspera said. (with PNA)

Duterte won’t forgive clerk for stealing P2.3-million

There is no plan to forgive, Davao City Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte said of his jailed secretary who stands accused of stealing from him P2.3-million.

Speaking with local reporters, Duterte said he valued the services rendered to him by his long-time secretary, 40-year old Hezelene S. Osiones, "but the amount is significant."

Duterte corrected earlier reports that the P2.3-million was only for his charity fund to help cancer patients. He said most of the money were intended to pay lawyers handling the election protest filed against his daughter, Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio.

Elements of the San Pedro police station arrested Osiones, at Jollibee store in Dipolog City on May 26 where she supposedly tried to hide after taking the P2.3-million cash from Duterte's vault in the office.

She was charged with qualified theft after Prosecutor Shahruddin Roberto Sencio Jr. found probable cause to hold her for court trial based on the affidavit executed by the vice mayor. No bail was recommended for the respondent's temporary liberty. It was learned that Osiones was among Duterte's trusted employees at the City Hall for the past nine years.

In March and May, this year, Duterte reportedly handed to his executive assistant, Christopher Go, P500,000 and P1,500,000 to pay for attorney's fees and other legal expenses in relation to the election protest filed and various cases filed against him before the Office of the Ombudsman and Sandiganbayan.

On March 11, Duterte also handed to Go P31,932 for cancer patients. Due to other administrative works, Go turned over the money worth P2,031,932 to Osiones for safekeeping.

Last May 25, Duterte instructed Go to get P500,000 from the vault inside his office and send it to Manila-based lawyers as payment for their legal services.

But when Go opened the vault, he found out that the money was missing. Witnesses testified that Osiones did not report for work on that day. (report from Mindanao Insider Daily)

Militant tribes stage rally against Quiboloy

Militant tribal groups are seeking the intervention of the Davao City government and have urged the City Council to conduct a probe on the reported violations of their rights in Sitio Kahusayan in Barangay Manuel Guianga, Tugbok District.

To press their case, the tribal groups staged rallies in front of the church led by Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy Sunday and near City Hall last week.

Security men at the Kingdom of Jesus Christ compound of Pastor Quiboloy, according to ABS-CBN News Davao reports, pleaded to the rallyists to disperse to no avail.

The Pastor, a “spiritual adviser” of the ruling Duterte family, has yet to issue his official statement on the claims of the rallyists.

In a press conference before Holy Week, the Kahugpongan sa mga Lumad (KSL) together with PASAKA Regional Confederation of Lumad Organizations in Southern Mindanao condemned "latest threats and harassment by forces" which they alleged were identified with the Pastor. These forces were supposedly backed by military soldiers under 84th Infantry Battalion.

The tribal leaders are claiming the religious leader ordered a road construction in the area, and just a day after 3 backhoe units were brought in the area, 84th IB soldiers also begun their patrol operations.

The road is allegedly in pursuit the Pastor's supposed desire to expand his prayer mountain and tourism project in Kahusayan village and even other villages in Barangay Manuel Guianga.

“We believe that the recent deployment of 84th IB elements prove how influential Quiboloy is in using for his vested interests the armed forces to secure his territorial expansion,” said the activist tribal groups.

The tribal groups claimed their ancestral lands were affected by the road-building.

“The land where Datu Dominador Diarog’s blood was spilled is the same land now being bulldozed,” said said Diolito Diarog, a Kahusayan leader and the PASAKA Deputy Secretary General.

Datu Dominador Diarog was killed three years ago over alleged land dispute. Pastor Quiboloy has denied any hand in the murder.

In the still unresolved murder case, armed men encircled and opened fire at the house of the Diarog family, killing in the process Datu Dominador aside from wounding his wife and two children.

The City Council conducted an investigation a few years ago on the reported land dispute case being the motive behind the killing of Diarog. Subsequent City Council resolutions ordered a status quo of “fences” around affected areas until lands had been surveyed.

But still, according to the tribal groups, the fences were moved and even built stronger by Quiboloy’s men.

“Despite this recent attacks on our human rights, we will never give up our struggle in regaining and defending our ancestral lands that our ancestors and Datu Doming Diarog fought and died for, it has been 3 years now since his death but we continue to call for justice for Datu Doming Diarog and respect the rights of the lumads,” said the PASAKA Deputy Secretary General. (report from Mindanao Insider)

Grateful South Korea makes PH biggest aid recipient

DAVAO CITY, Philippines — South Korea continues to be grateful to Filipinos for their role in the 1950-1953 Korean War, a Seoul official said here Thursday.

As a manifestation of its gratitude, South Korea has chosen the Philippines as the largest recipient of its development assistance fund, Kim Jinoh, resident representative of the Korea International Cooperation Agency (Koica), told the Inquirer.

At least 7,500 Filipino soldiers fought alongside Koreans against the communists during the war.

Among them was Fidel Ramos, who eventually became a Philippine president. The journalist Benigno S. Aquino Jr., who later became senator, covered the war, which saw the division of the Korean peninsula into the North and the South.

“Sixty years ago, the Philippines came to protect democracy in Korea and we would like to repay what they have done for the Koreans,” Kim said during the 6th founding anniversary of the Regional Training Center-Korea Philippines Vocational Training Center (RTC-KPVTC) here.

The South Korea-funded center recently received a silver accreditation from the Asia Pacific Accreditation and Certification Commission, the second highest accreditation given for a technical school.

He said each year, the South Korea government through Koica sends $15 million to the Philippines, making it the largest grant recipient among the 44 developing countries that the agency has been assisting.

Kim said Koica plans to increase that amount to $20 million starting this year.

“These are grant assistance and not loans,” he said.

Kim said Koica’s funds are being used in development projects such as construction of hospitals, post-harvest facilities, and educational training centers.

In Palawan, Koica helped construct an airport.

Kim said South Korea also wanted to foster much closer relationship with the Philippines – not just in terms of aid – but also by increasing bilateral ties.

He said Seoul has found that South Korean businessmen are very much interested in investing in the Philippines. He noted the presence of about 120,000 South Koreans in the country.

“Koreans have a great appreciation for Filipinos and we are very happy to discover that Filipinos feel the same,” he said. (report from Dennis Jay Santos, Inquirer Mindanao)

Rape charges filed against police official in Davao

MANILA, Philippines – The chief of police of Digos City, Davao del Sur is now facing criminal charges for allegedly sexually abusing his housemaid, a radio report said today.

Police Superintendent Ric Cuevas is now facing rape charges before the Prosecutor's Office in Digos for purportedly molesting his teenage maid the other night.

The report said a drunk Cuevas sent a text message to the victim around 10 p.m. asking if he could sleep with her because he is restless without someone beside him.

Around midnight, the police official allegedly entered the maid's quarters and raped her.

Cuevas reportedly sent another text message to the victim apologizing for what happened and after learning of the criminal raps. (report from Dennis Carcamo, Philstar.com)

NPA says military, not Davao mayor, was target of attack

DAVAO CITY, Philippines — The New People’s Army operating in the hinterlands of the city on Thursday denied military reports that it targeted Mayor Sara Duterte for an ambush in the Paquibato district using a command-detonated land mine on January 30.

Leoncio Pitao, leader of the Merardo Arce Command, said the explosion was meant for a supply unit of the 69th Infantry Battalion.

A soldier was wounded in the blast, which prompted Duterte to cancel a city government-sponsored service caravan to Paquibato district.

Pitao, also known as Commander Parago, said in an emailed statement that the soldiers did not act as Duterte’s advance security as claimed by Lieutenant Colonel Joshua Santiago of the military’s 10th Infantry Division.

“Santiago ludicrously referred to the 69th IB supply team as advance security forces for Sara Duterte to camouflage their combat and supply personnel that have been engaged in continuous full-scale combat operations in Paquibato since January 10,” he said.

Parago said the ambush could not have targeted Duterte as the blast occurred in Purok (zone) 5 in the interior barangay (village) of Mapula, which was “far away from the actual route and destination of Sara Duterte’s personnel in Barangay Paquibato Proper.”

“It is not in the best interest and principle of the NPA and the masses to attack GRP civil servants like Sara Duterte, who has worked for dialogue in base areas like Paquibato, where poor peasants have been at the receiving end of the 10th ID’s continuing brutality,” added Parago, whose daughter was allegedly abducted and killed by military intelligence agents a few years ago.

He said the NPA would like to assure Duterte that she will never be harmed in NPA areas.

“The revolutionary mass base looks forward to her visits and assures her safety,” Parago said.

The rebel leader, a known friend of Duterte’s father, Rodrigo Duterte, said “the Davao City mayor need not tag along an entourage of heavy military escorts just to deliver social services to the people.”

“Because the revolutionary mass base and the People’s Democratic Government shall be her protection,” he said.

Duterte has yet to respond to the NPA statement. (report from Allan Nawal, Inquirer Mindanao)

Soldier hurt in landmine explosion in Davao City

One soldier was injured in a landmine explosion in Paquibato, Davao City, a military spokesman said.

In a statement, Lieutenant Colonel Joshua Santiago said that troops from the 69th Infantry Battalion were securing a road near Paquibato proper when an improvised explosive device fashioned as a landmine exploded at around 6:30 a.m.

The identity of the injured soldier was withheld.

The Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army were tagged by Santiago to be behind the latest bombing.

Due to the explosion, authorities in Davao City postponed their “Service Caravan,” an outreach program by 14 government agencies to provide basic services for Paquibato residents in line with the celebration of “Araw ng Paquibato,” Santiago said. (report from Katherine Evangelista, Inquirer.net)

Militiaman killed in clash with leftist rebels in Davao

MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) – One militiaman was killed while nine soldiers were injured in today’s clash between government troops and leftist rebels in Davao City, a Philippine Army official said.

Army spokesman Col. Antonio Parlade said New People's Army rebels detonated a bomb that killed a militiaman identified as CAA Pangilinan.

Four members of the 69th Infantry Batalion and five members of the Special Action Force of the Philippine National Police were wounded. They are now being treated in a nearby hospital.

The government troops are pursuing the rebels. (report from Philstar.com)

Measles outbreak hit flooded Davao towns

DAVAO CITY, Philippines (Xinhua) -- At least three children have died in a measles outbreak that hit two towns in southern Philippines, local authorities today said.

The measles epidemic that hit Talaingod and Kapalong towns in Mindanao's Davao del Norte province came as the region is still reeling from rain-induced flooding and landslides that have already killed at least 15 people.

Over thirty people are also hospitalized due to the viral disease, and eight of them were confirmed to have contracted the disease, according to Basilio Libayao, mayor of the upland Talaingod town.

"What alarmed us was that even our town physician was not spared from the disease although he was lucky to have recovered from it," Libayao said.

The continuous rains and landslides hampered medical teams from reaching far-flung communities of this landlocked town, where most of the 20,000 inhabitants belonging to the Ata-Manobo tribe rely on crude farming and occasional hunting for subsistence, according to municipal health officer James Ian dela Cruz.

"We are expecting this number to increase as our medical teams reach other far-flung affected areas," Doctor Dela Cruz told Xinhua.

Libayao said he has declared the town under state of calamity so funds from the local and provincial government could be used to buy more vaccines and other medical supplies for the victims.

A similar outbreak of the disease was also reported in nearby Kapalong town, but according to Kapalong Mayor Edgardo Timbol, only about five patients are still undergoing treatment at the local hospital. (report from Philstar.com)