Sultan Kudarat Province News September 2011

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Archdiocesan seminary to hold investiture ceremony

By Sandra U. Sandialan and Cristina U. Codilla


TEN Diocesan seminarian-students will take their investiture on September 24, 2011 at the Archdiocesan Seminary in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao.

The activity is one of the highlights of the Family Day, a once a year weekend celebration of the Archdiocesan seminary, to recognize their third year seminarians in the next step of their life towards their dream to become priests.

According to the rector of the Archdiocesan Seminary, Fr. Ben Torreto, they are the third year archdiocesan seminarian-students who passed their subjects and other requirements in school and the seminary.

Seven of them come from South Cotabato: Daryll Dhan Bibao, James Adrian Carcillar, and Ben Ryan Penuela of Sta. Catalina de Alexandria Parish in Dukay, Esperanza; Moises Daing, Jr., Danillo Diaz, and Thomas Francisco Paladin of Nuestra Sra. dela Candelaria Parish in Tacurong City; and Kevin Magbanua of San Carlos Borromeo Parish in Isulan, Sultan Kudarat.

The other two are from North Cotabato and one from Maguindanao. They are Gerald Uy and Kent Warren Zamora of San Blas Parish in Pigcawayan, Cotabato and Folrey Michael Magno of San Isidro Labrador Parish in Nuro, Upi, Maguindanao.

In the ceremony, the 10 seminarians will wear their “sutana” which symbolizes that they are expected to live virtuous life with pure motivation and intention as archdiocesan seminarians, Fr. Torreto said.

The 37 archdiocesan seminarians, their family and friends, the formators, and some Notre Dame University professors will be part of the program. The Serra Club has also been invited as guest to the activity.

Archdiocesan Bishop Collin Bagaforo will preside the ceremony.

74-year-old ex-judge gets 18 years for graft

By KBK, GMA News


A former presiding judge in Sultan Kudarat province has been found guilty of graft for demanding and receiving cash from a litigant two decades ago, among others.

Seventy-four-year-old Valentino Tablang, former presiding judge of the Regional Trial Court of Tacurong, appealed for leniency by noting his age, his disbarment by the Supreme Court, and the forfeiture of all his retirement and separation benefits, but the Sandiganbayan still convicted him and sentenced him to suffer six to nine years imprisonment for three counts of graft for a total of 18 to 27 years.

“This Court… cannot play blind to the fact that it was not only a single complaint that was filed against him but a series of charges wherein his judicial conduct was put into question and those charges have been substantiated," the court’s Special Second Division said in a 36-page decision promulgated last Sept. 20.

“Based on all the foregoing, the Court finds that the three counts of violation of Section 3 (e) of RA No. 3019 charged against the accused have been satisfactorily proven beyond reasonable doubt," the court added.

Tablang was convicted for refusing to pay P3,173.16 worth of gasoline that he bought from a gasoline station from October 1993 to July 1994. Prosecutors said when asked to pay, the former judge told the gas station owner to get the money from his father who had a pending case before the judge’s sala.

In the second case, the Sandiganbayan found sufficient evidence against the defendant for demanding and receiving P12,500 in cash from a litigant in his court in exchange for the lifting of an injunction against a building construction.

In the last case, Tablang was found guilty of skimming off P40,000 out of the P74,675 that was placed under his jurisdiction in connection with a pending case.

The Sandiganbayan said the prosecution presented enough evidence to establish that the accused converted the money for his own use after two of Tablang’s former clerks of court gave statements attesting to the fact that the dismissed judge took the sum.

Associate Justice Teresita V. Diaz-Baldos, division chairperson, penned the verdict with Associate Justices Samuel R. Martires and Oscar C. Herrera Jr. concurring.

Last stage of public consultation for $5.9 B proposed Tampakan mine on

By Manny Balbin


THE last stage of the series of public consultation for the $5.9 proposed Tampakan copper-gold project was held Thursday this week in Columbio, Sultan Kudarat where more than 3,000 attendees gathered for the presentation of the mine’s environmental impact assessment (EIA).

“We would like to thank SMI for conducting this consultation, this shows transparency, and this is the correct and right process,” said Columbio Mayor Amirh Musali.

The mayor encouraged the attendees to speak up and participate as this is the “right forum” to talk about the proposed project.

“We were looking forward to this public consultation because we need to know the impact of the project’s presence in Columbio,” said Musali.

According to Musali, the high attendance shows that the people of Columbio are vigilant and would like to learn more about the proposed mining project.

Sagittarius Mines, Inc. (SMI), government-contractor for the proposed mining project, clarified, however, that there will be no actual mining activities within the Columbio municipality.

According to John Arnaldo, SMI Corporate Communications manager, the EIA has considered “the potential impact of the proposed mining operation, which included the potential impact on communities in Columbio. For example, a detailed assessment was made for potential noise and air quality impacts in the areas of Columbio adjacent to the mine area and our proposed mitigation measures for these potential impacts.”

The series of public consultations that started last week for the four municipalities hosting the Tampakan mine, Tampakan in South Cotabato, Kiblawan in Davao del Sur, Malungon in Sarangani, and Columbio in Sultan Kudarat are steps toward a process to obtain an environmental compliance certificate (ECC) for the mining project.

Columbio local government unit data show that social development programs also continue to be extended to Columbio by the project proponent.

Barangay Captain Samirh Musali of Datal Blao, Columbio said that they are happy SMI has been helping their community with livelihood programs, especially technical support for organize upland rice production. Columbio is known as “rice granary” for both Sultan Kudarat and nearby South Cotabato.

Fishery support

By Mindanao newsbits


GENERAL SANTOS CITY (PNA) – The remote coastal town of Kalamansig in Sultan Kudarat is seeking the help of the Republic of Korea to support the growth of the local fishing industry, an official said.

Ambutong Pautong, Region 12 office of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BAFR-12) assistant director, said the Kalamansig government has proposed to the South Korean Embassy the funding of a wharf and cold storage facilities.

“The local government unit wanted to develop a fish port complex that includes cold storage and processing facilities,” he said in a phone interview

MILF chair to GPH: “let us be partners, not adversaries in solving contentious issues”

By Carolyn O. Arguillas


DARAPANAN, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao (MindaNews/07 September) – Moro Islamic Liberation Front chair Al Haj Murad Ebrahim says contentious and divisive issues it the peace negotiations can be resolved if both government and the MILF panels treat each other as partners instead of adversaries. Murad said he acknowledges there are contentious and divisive issues such as amending the Constitution but urges government to address, instead of avoid these, with the MILF as partners. “If you run away from the real issue of the problem, wala tayong magagawa, we cannot do anything. So we tackle this and find a way na itong mga divisive provision na sinasabi, we can discuss this and how can we come up with a solution na hindi masyadong maging divisive at saka hindi masyado maging contentious. So that’s what we can do, we can start with that rather than run away from it,” he told MindaNews Tuesday at the receiving room of the MILF peace panel’s office inside this camp. He said the peace process can be fast-tracked if the two parties will not tackle anymore those that had been previously agreed upon and instead concentrate on those issues where there no agreements yet. He estimates the latter comprises only about “30 to 40%.” The two panels, he said, “should work as partners in finding a way out (of the contentious issues), not as adversaries. That’s the only practical means to move forward. Because if you keep on seeing each other as adversaries, lahat ng sasabihin sa kabila, hindi yan magaling.. (everything the other side says, will be seen by the other as ‘not good.’) He said both panels can, jointly or individually, win over Congress, local officials by explaining the position of the MILF, to tell them there is nothing to fear, they will not lose their political powers. He said many of those opposing have no basis for their opposition. The two panels had agreed in February 2006 to set up a Joint Advocacy Group that would consult with various sectors and conduct joint activities to disseminate information on the peace process. The JAGs’ efforts were not continued when the talks reached an impasse in late 2006. But it managed to issue a primer on the GPH-MILF peace process in October 2006, in the midst of the impasse. Whose working draft? The MILF peace panel submitted its proposed peace settlement on February 10. The government submitted its proposal on August 22, 18 days after President Benigno Simeon Aquino III met with Murad in Tokyo, Japan, and agreed to fast-track the peace process to ensure implementation of the peace agreement before the end of the administration in 2016. The MILF peace panel, however, rejected on August 23 the government’s proposal and said it would recommend to its Central Committee the rejection of the same. The Central Committee listened to the report of the panel on August 29 and met again on August 31 but asked for more time to decide on the issue. On September 5, Murad told MindaNews: “We will not agree that that (GPH proposal) will be the working draft because it does not reflect past agreements which is very important in moving forward. We will not agree that we will start from scratch again.” Government peace panel chair Marvic Leonen had repeatedly said to look at the provisions of their proposal and that they are not starting from scratch. Murad said that during their meeting with President Aquino in Japan on August 4, the President started their conversation by explaining that he really wants to do something about the problem and to do it within his administration. “He started elaborating on improving basic services, governance strengthening.. (he said) there is no real governance in this area and the people need social services, development, so that is how he explained it. Then he said, ‘I want to do this with your group within my term. I will be good until 2013only because after 2013, I might be a lameduck President.’” Murad said he told the President that he agrees with him about the problems “but I said for us these problems are the fruit, the result of the real problem. What we see is there is a real problem, the root cause of the problem, the absence of peace and order, the absence of effective governance, the absence of development basic services, because there is an ongoing war in the area and the war is because the Bangsamoro people are struggling to achieve their aspirations for self governance and self determination. So that I think Mr President is the real problem and root cause of the other problems.” He said he told the President that “even if we address these problems, they are all palliatives because unless we solve the real problem, the root cause of the problem, this will keep on going on,” he said. He said he explained to the President that their proposal “is directly focused on addressing the root cause of the problem.” “The only alternative we see for aspiration of people for independence is a state for the Bangsamoro people that will reflect their aspirations to govern themselves according to their own way of life,” he said. “I will be very frank with you Mr. President, I said, the ARMM is not a self-governance. It does not reflect the aspirations of Bangsamoro people, there is no actual autonomy even though the name there is autonomous region,” he said, adding the ARMM has only become a “milking cow for politicians.” “We concluded by saying whatever you do with the ARMM cannot really solve the problem so we have to do away with this ARMM and then build another structure that can (reflect our aspirations),” Murad said. He recalled the President said solving the political aspect would take long so they should do first the “doables.” Murad said the two panels can agree on what can be done. “Let the panels talk. I even recommended to him, I said, the chair of the two panels are here, I recommend that they should not treat each other as on the opposite sides. I said they should treat each other as partners in solving the problem.” He said Leonen had proposed to MILF peace panel chair Mohagher Iqbal to meet in Kuala Lumpur on September 12 to 13 so they can move forward but the MILF proposed that the Malaysian facilitator shuttle first to “narrow the gap.” Iqbal had described the gap between the MILF’s proposal and government’s as “heaven and earth” while Leonen said it was “not too far apart.” Murad said they will not accept the government’s proposal as the working draft. Leonen had said upon receipt of the MILF draft in February that it was accepting it as the MILF’s opening position but not as the working draft. Asked about coming up with a working draft from both proposals, Murad said: “that is what we expect the shuttling facilitation can do. At least merong understanding, certain kind of agreement na magkakaroon ng middle ground.” “It can be a draft that will .. “ Murad said, but decided against finishing his sentence. “We will see how it will… “ “Contentious and divisive” He said he noticed from the GPH proposal that they want to do all those doables first and leave behind the contentious and divisive issues but “what is contentious and divisive? The actual political solution.” He said government is “dragging us to already join them to be their partner in doing the doables. Ang mangyayari, papasok na kami sa gobyerno witnout the actual political solution. So ganon din ang nangyari sa MNLF. Sabi nila ‘o sige kunin na ninyo ang ARMM we will reform the ARMM we will amend .. ‘so ganon ang nangyari sa .. but what happened after that? The ARMM nag-agawan sila ng position sa gobyerno so everyone wants to have a position….” He said the government’s offer is a repeat of what it offered to the MNLF in 1996. “It’s just the same process they want to do and just leave behind the actual solution. Maybe when there is no more time for the president, he will just pass on to the next administration.” Leonen had said in several consultations that President Aquino has committed “not to pass this problem again to the next administration,” and that “it is not within the worldview of this administration to say ‘i-dribble natin ito’ and pass on to the next president. After the adjournment of the talks in Kuala Lumpur on August 23, Leonen said Constitutional amendment is “immediately divisive” and it is difficult to muster ¾ vote in Congress and the majority in a plebiscite, but he said it does not mean this is a closed option. “We work at it.” In the peace forum at the Notre Dame University on August 31, Leonen said there is no mention of Constitutional change in their proposal but asked, “does that mean no possibility of constitutional change? Does that mean therefore that Constitutional change is forever not possible?” He said the position of government now is that amending the Constitution is not a priority. But he noted that for the government, “peace in Mindanao is a priority.”

Mindanao province to copy Suroy-Suroy

By Carmel Loise Matus


Sultan Kudarat province in Mindanao may adopt the Cebu province’s Suroy-Suroy sa Sugbo rural tourism program, said Rep. Arnulfo Go. The congressman representing Sultan Kudarat’s 2nd district made this statement after seeing a presentation of the program at the Capitol’s new conference room. Go, Sultan Kudarat Vice Gov. Ernesto Matias and other provincial and barangay officials paid a courtesy call to Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia yesterday. Go told Cebu Daily News that the Suroy-Suroy—a caravan that brings tourists to towns over several days—would encourage local government units to participating in promoting Sultan Kudarat. “With that move, local officials will be encouraged to develop tourism, eco-tourism,” he said. Go said his district has plenty of beaches that could be developed into tourist destinations. “In my district where coastal areas are predominant, resorts could be developed. But roads have to be developed first,” he said. “The paving of the road, however, is ongoing in the area. The place has to catch up with development.” Go said they want to establish sisterhood ties between Cebu and Sultan Kudarat provinces. “We want to learn more from the programs of Cebu. Based on the presentation of the governor, we have a lot to learn from her,” he said. However, sisterhood ties have yet to be discussed with Gov. Soharto Mangudadatu. Last month, South Cotabato through Gov. Arthur Pingoy Jr. established ties with Cebu province. Cebu’s sister provinces are Ilocos Norte, Albay and Antique. Sultan Kudarat officials invited their Cebu counterparts to their 38th Charter Day in Nov. 22. Sultan Kudarat in southwestern Mindanao was part of the empire province of Cotabato. It was made a province along with Maguindanao and North Cotabato

Tacurong is region 12's most child-friendly city

by Allan S. Freno


TACURONG CITY, Sept 5 (PIA) –- Tacurong City in Sultan Kudarat province is Soccsksargen Regions’ most child-friendly city under the component cities category, according to the Regional Council for the Welfare of Children (RCWC). In a letter sent to Mayor Lina Montilla last week, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Regional Director Bai Zorahayda Taja informed the mayor that Tacurong has satisfactorily passed the regional evaluation conducted last month. Taja added that being adjudged the region’s most child-friendly city, Tacurong will receive a child-friendly seal plus P50,00 cash prize. Tacurong also becomes the regional entry for the National Search for the Most Child-Friendly City to be launched this month. The city was evaluated based on its child-friendly policies and programs particularly in the areas of survival, protection, education, and development. Representatives from the Department of Health, Department of Interior and Local Government, Department of Education, and DSWD composed the regional evaluation team. During the validation on July 27, the evaluators checked various pertinent documents such as the annual budget of the city to determine how much funds go to programs that promote the welfare of children. Evaluators also paid a visit to the police station and inspected the latter’s Women and Children’s Desk along with its records. Three of the 20 barangays here were also subjected to ocular inspection to check on the functionality of each of their Barangay Council for the Protection of Children (BCPC). The City Council for the Welfare of Children (CCWC), being allowed to submit one barangay for inspection, chose Barangay Buenaflor, which has the most functional BCPC in Tacurong. The other two barangays, Tina and Calean, were randomly selected by the evaluators at random. Since the education aspect of the children were given equal consideration, evaluators also inspected one of its public schools, the Tacurong National High School, to determine how far did the City Schools Division go in providing quality education for all. After a whole day validation, the evaluators and members of the CCWC headed by Mayor Lina Montilla, sat down for an exit conference. The evaluation team declared that except for some minor comments, the city had done well in almost all areas, highlighted by the education sector getting relatively the highest rating. Nearly a month after the validation, Tacurong got the official word that it passed the evaluation and declared as the regional winner. Mayor Montilla, who also sits as the chairperson of CCWC, hopes that the city will be able to get the national award despite strong competition anticipated to be presented by other regions. CCWC Action Officer Nancy Bawe said that the council is making improvements based on the feedbacks offered by the regional evaluation team. “Before the national evaluation team visits our city for the validation, we hope to already make enhancements to boost our chances in the national search,” Bawe said. (DED/PIA 12/TACURONG CPIO)

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