Teodoro’s take on peace: be practical

Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro wants to approach peace with a “strong dose of practicality, pragmatism and political realism” as he questioned the approach of solving the root causes of conflict” because “has any society been able to solve the root causes of conflict?”

He told the 8th Mindanao Island Conference of the Provincial Board Members League of the Philippines on Wednesday night that the first lesson he learned in approaching the problem of peace and order is to do it with “the backing of some values and some idealism and with strong dose of practicality, pragmatism, and political realism”.

Inihanay sa:ARMM, Access to Information, Blogging and Bukidnon, Blogging and Mindanao, Bukidnon, Economy, Freedom, Governance, Justice, Local Governance, Malaybalay City, Mindanao, Mindanao's communities, Peace Process, People Power, Philippines, Politics , 8th PBMLP Mindanao Island Conference, Bukidnon, Malaybalay City, MILF, Mindanao, Mindanao conflict, NPA, PBMLP, Peace Process, Philippines, PRovincial Board Members, Republic of the Philippines, Sec. Guilbert Teodoro

I joined RP2010 Election Watchblog

I just want to announce that I joined RP2010 The Election Watch Blog created recently by Davao blog icon Blogie Robillo.

Here’s what I got from the new blog’s “About” page:

The RP2010.com blog endeavors to be the poll watchdog for the Philippine Presidential Elections in the year 2010. As such, we, the bloggers behind it, commit to helping ensure clean and honest elections through non-partisan coverage of election-related news and commentary.

I like poll blogging. I think this blog is different, however, because it will not only be a venue for just ANY commentary. This one leans towards and focuses on advocacy for clean and honest elections.

Inihanay sa:Elections in Mindanao, Freedom, Governance, Human Rights, People Power, Philippines, Politics , Blogging, Elections, Philippines, RP 2010 Elections

Rethinking campus journalism

The better way to teach journalism in campus is to train them to write for life.

Perhaps, that’s a motherhood phrase.

What I really wanted to say is to go beyond competition mode.

The holding of competitions to test the skills of school children on campus journalism might have worked to a certain point.

But making the students practice campus journalism more might do miracles and fish more youth to the craft of factual reporting.

Inihanay sa:Access to Information, Blogging and Bukidnon, Bukidnon, Education, Freedom, Life in the Plateau, Malaybalay City, Mindanao, Mindanao's communities, People Power, Philippines

Time to harvest?

The Bukidnon Forest Incorporated has initiated its clearance process to cut down trees in its industrial forest plantation project in Bukidnon. Read news report here.

This must be subject to scrutiny especially viewing it from the firm’s reported dismal record of reforestation since it started operating in 1989.

The firm might be good in cutting but are they as good in planting? This should be considered in the approval of its application for Environmental Compliance Certificate.

Its Industrial Forest Plantation Management Agreement (IFMA, yes silent “P”), which will expire in 2016, should be reviewed if they have cut more than they planted.

Communities near those areas subject for reforestation and cutting should be empowered to monitor this endeavor.

Inihanay sa:Agriculture, Bukidnon, Business, Economy, Environment, Governance, Indifgenous Peoples, Life in the Plateau, Local Governance, Malaybalay City, Mindanao, Mindanao's communities, Nature and Environment in Bukidnon, People Power, Philippines

Bukidnon tribe seeks endorsement from city for ancestral domain claim

The Bukidnon tribe is seeking endorsement from the city government of Malaybalay for its Daraghuyan ancestral domain claim over at least 4,700 hectares inside the Mt. Kitanglad Range and Natural Park. Bae Inatlawan Adelina Tarino, head claimant, said the city government’s endorsement is the last requirement for the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) to process their application.

“We hope you will help us in this requirement, which is the last document we need for the application,” Tarino’s September 23 letter to Mayor Florencio Flores, said. Tarino’s letter was written in Cebuano.

Flores endorsed the request to the city council on the same day. The legislators have calendared it for October 7, Tarino said, adding Councilor Manuel Dinlayan, the council’s committee on indigenous people’s chair, assured here it will be tackled this week.

She noted the tribe’s great difficulty in acquiring an endorsement from the barangay government in Dalwangan village, where the tribe is based.  Read full story here.

Inihanay sa:Access to Information, Art and Culture in Mindanao, Bukidnon, Burma, Business, Economy, Environment, Freedom, Governance, Human Rights, Indifgenous Peoples, Life in the Plateau, Local Governance, Malaybalay City, Mindanao, Mindanao's communities, People Power, Philippines, Women

The never ending story of war —right in our backyard

Waking up to a broadcaster howling against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front one morning, I was tempted to turn the radio off.

 

The grain of his voice has pestered me in my space in that corner of the house.

 

“Maayo ng girahon sila kay gusto man diay nila og Independence!” Gusto pa gyod nila iapil ang tibuok Bukidnon aron mohimo sila og regional government!” (It’s good to go to war with them since they wanted independence. They also like to cover the whole Bukidnon in a bid to form a regional government!).

 

I was really forced to get on my feet even if I only had three hours of sleep yet and dialed the radio station.

Inihanay sa:Access to Information, Art and Culture in Mindanao, Business, Economy, Education, Every Day Mindanao, Governance, Human Rights, Indifgenous Peoples, Justice, Local Governance, Malaybalay City, Mindanao, Mindanao Media, Mindanao's communities, Peace Process, People Power, Philippines, Politics, Safety, Security

Waway Saway on videos and books on peace for children

“Iitsa, tamoka, yataki, tumbi!”  ”Iitsa, tamoka,
yataki, tumbi!”

Iitsa, tamoka, yataki, tumbi! (That’s throw, catch, step and stamp!)

I thought for a while it was a line in a Kenyan song I learned from
someplace else, but the words sounded familiar even if it was belted
out in a universal beat.

Waway Saway’s song lingered in my hearing perimeter even hours after
watching a video on it, which he posted at Youtube.com.

The song was about care for the environment in which the singer urged
the listeners to throw, catch, step and stamp on one’s fear against
caring for the environment.

The video showed Gali (“fellow” or Binukid equivalent to Cebuano’s
“Bai”) perform in an international audience with fellow Talaandig
artist Balugto Necosia in a peace concert in South Korea’s tourist
favorite Naminara Island.

Inihanay sa:Art and Culture in Mindanao, Art from Mindanao, Bukidnon, Governance, Human Rights, Human Rights in Mindanao, Indifgenous Peoples, Looking Back, Lumads and Mindanao, Malaybalay City, Mindanao, People Power

Transparency in peace negotiations

Those who are familiar with peace negotiations could understand the nature of talks being held there. Important but confidential, these are only two of the important considerations.

Any point being brought up or agreed upon bears impact to people —the respective constituencies of each negotiating party.

In the case of the government negotiating peace with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, each peace panel was entrusted with their stands on major talking points.

But major stands on the talking points may have to be brought open for consensus, if not compromise in the negotiating table — a market place of options. A major stand have to stand some modifications, which require consultations with their constituencies or what they call in the GRP-MILF peace panels as their “principals.”

All these come in the limelight now as both panels signal optimism for an upcoming return to formal talks early next year—well, after breaking from more than a year of impasse on ancestral domain issues.

Inihanay sa:ARMM, Access to Information, Business, Davao, Economy, Governance, Human Rights, Human Rights in Mindanao, Mindanao, Mindanao's communities, Peace Process, People Power, Philippines, Security, Social Security

GMA, Esperon, Razon respondents in first writ of amparo petition in Mindanao

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Armed Forces Chief of  Staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon and Philippine National Police chief Avelino Razon and three other military officials are respondents in the first petition for writ of amparo in Mindanao.

The petition was filed by Bebelita Bustamante of Paquibato district, whose only son, 21-year old Luicito, disappeared on October 27.

The other respondents are Major General Ernesto Boa of the Army’s 10th Infantry Division based in Davao City; Lt. Col. Alexander Ambal, chief of the division’s 73rd infantry batallion in Sto. Thomas, Davao del Norte, Col. Allan Luga, commander of Task Force Davao, a certain Noli Obat and seven  John Does, or unidentified respondents.

The Karapatan human rights group, who accompanied Ms Bustamante at the Hall of Justice, said her son was reportedly taken by elements of Task Force Davao. Read the rest of the report on MindaNews.com.

Inihanay sa:Bukidnon, Crime, Davao, Freedom, Governance, Human Rights, Human Rights in Mindanao, Justice, Mindanao, People Power, Philippines, Politics, Safety, Security

Chief Justice says writ of amparo may be filed any time, any day

Any time, any day.

Chief Justice Reynato Puno wants the public to know that any time or any day, relatives of missing persons can petition the judge for a writ of amparo, a measure intended to protect the missing person from becoming a victim of extrajudicial killings or a desaparecido (disappeared or victim of enforced disappearance).

The writ is enforceable anywhere in the country.

“We don’t compromise the life of the aggrieved party just because one feels sleepy,” Puno told members of the local judiciary, prosecutors, lawyers, the military and police officials, human rights groups and representatives from civil society at a forum at the University of Mindanao late Tuesday. Read the rest of the report on MindaNews.com.

Inihanay sa:Crime, Davao, Freedom, Governance, Human Rights, Justice, Malaybalay City, Mindanao, People Power, Philippines, Politics

Juicy incentives await barangay officials

 Juicy economic benefits await winners of Monday’s barangay elections, officials of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) said.

Rodolfo Razul, DILG regional director for Southeastern Mindanao, said economic perks are among the drawing points why the number of candidates for the barangay polls has increased.

In 1991, when governance was devolved to the local government units down to the barangays, the honorarium of a barangay kagawad was P600 and the barangay chair, P1,000 per month at the lowest.

“Now, officials in Davao City’s upland barangays would receive at least P2,000 per kagawad and P3,000 per barangay chair,” Merilou Limbaro, DILG city director, told MindaNews.

In the more urbanized areas Limbaro said the honorarium could be at least P3,000 for kagawads and P5,000 for barangay chair.Read the rest of the report on MindaNews.com.

Inihanay sa:Davao, Elections 2007, Elections in Mindanao, Governance, Local Governance, Mindanao, People Power, Philippines, Politics

Fewer voters trooped to polls in Davao City

Police reported a generally peaceful election here, citing only one election-related violence as of midday. 

But there was a “very” low voter turnout, prompting  Mayor Rodrigo Duterte to say Dabwenos lack interest in their barangay government.

“It makes me sad because people do not realize the importance of the barangay elections. This unit of government plays a crucial role in the totality of governance,” Duterte told reporters before entering Precint 1245 – A of the Daniel R. Aguinaldo High School in Matina district by around 1:50 p.m. as the 21st voter out of 188 registered. Read the rest of the report on Mindanews.com.

Inihanay sa:Davao, Elections 2007, Elections in Mindanao, Freedom, Governance, Local Governance, Mindanao, People Power, Philippines, Politics