Ilang tao, arestado sa anti-illegal drug raid sa Kalinga

The day before that raid, February 28, 2012 at about 2:00 p.m., Barangay Captain Virgillio "illo" Gunnawa dashed into the compound of St. Tonis College - Elementary Department, ordered one of his bodyguards who in turn crashed into one of the classrooms while the class is going on and grabbed a small boy and dragged him outside. There Mr. Gunnawa, who was then fuming with anger, shouting with profuse harsh words and embroiled bizarre body movements, berated the boy. Mr. Gunnawa while lunging got his 45 Caliber pistol and nearly shot the boy. One of the teachers hastily came in and hugged the boy hoping to spare him from harm's way. Mr. Gunnawa was shouting - "Kayat mo ta patayin ka?" (Do you like that I'll kill you?).

The boy, who appeared bewildered, confused, shocked and did not know what to do, was crying profusely while trying to look for safety.

That incident caused a ruckus in the school campus; all students went out and just watched helplessly - because of fear. They all appeared shocked and motionless. Maybe Mr. Gunnawa got his senses and hurriedly went away together with his paramour and bodyguards.

According to reports, that was the second time Mr. Gunnawa did the same unthinkable, shameful, scandalous thing.

Government authorities must do something. Likewise, the school authorities must do something.

Can you imagine the trauma caused by that incident?

On NPA Ambushes in Kalinga

The New People's Army (NPA) in Kalinga staged a series of ambushes against the military during the past few weeks. The latest of which was in barangay Dao-angan, Balbalan, Kalinga that resulted to the death of two men from the military. On November 12, 2011, the military together with the members of the Kalinga Lion's Club, a civic organization, were supposed to conduct a medical mission and at the same time to distribute some goodies in Dao-angan when the ambushed happened. Many individuals  and some sectors condemned the incident simply because such kind of situation is counterproductive to the province of Kalinga.

Below is the official statement of the Lejo Cawilan Command: New People's Army - Kalinga regarding the incident. You can access same copy of this statement at http://tabuk.gov.ph/npa.doc.

Red Salute to the Marcial Daggay Command

Against the Fascist OPlan Bayanihan Forces!

Ka Tipon Gil-ayab, LCC Spokesperson

November 13, 2011

      At 5:10 in the morning of October 19, 2001, an  NPA  unit  from the Marcial Daggay Command (MDC) ambushed the operating platoon of the 21^st IB between Sitio Sassalong and Sitio Kobiil, all in Barangay Poswoy, Balbalan, Kalinga.  Instantly, a certain Corporal Bagasin, the guide of the  fascist troops, was killed.  Some others of the reactionary forces were wounded either by bullets from the people’s  army or by stones and thorns as they fell down the cliff and below  the brook.  After the firefight, the people’s guerrillas disappeared safely and unharmed.

      Another  NPA unit from the same MDC ambushed another combat platoon of the 21^st IB at 9:25 yesterday morning. The successful ambush was staged in a mountain slope in between the two barangays of Daoangan, Balbalan and of Baay, Pinukpuk,  all  in Kalinga.  Two (2) high-powered rifles – M16 and M203 –  were seized by the Red fighters from the 21^st IB.  There were two KIA and several others were wounded from the people’s enemy. Again, there was no casualty on the side of the people’s army.

       The MDC is the Front Operational Command (FOC) of the NPA in the North-West Kalinga Front.  For these two victorious TOs, the LCC, the overall operational command of the whole NPA in Kalinga, gives the  highest  military commendations to the entire MDC!

      It behooves that the fascist AFP formations are the legitimate targets of the NPA military attacks as these OPlan Bayanihan troops are actually the security forces of large-scale mining (LSM) firms, which are  allowed nationwide by the US-Aquino Regime (USAR) under its economic program of Public-Private Partnership that is directed by the US imperialist policy of liberalization and privatization for the sole interests of foreign capitalists and of the big landlord-comprador businessmen in the Philippines.  Here in Kalinga alone, 8 LSM firms – Facets Minerals, Inc.; Cordillera Exploration Co., Inc.; Asia Pacific Basin Mining Corp.; Vegas Exploration & Mining Corp.; Malibato Mining Co., Inc.; Makilala Mining Company; Phil Mining Development Co.; Wolfland Resources, Inc. – have already applied for Exploration Permits (EPs) which cover a total of 110,820 hectares of the ancestral lands in the municipalities of Balbalan, Pasil, Lubuagan, Tinglayan and Tabuk. Two of these  – Wolfland Resources, Inc. and Makilala Mining Company (MMC) – have already been approved.  The MMC has already begun its exploration in Pasil since 2007. Also three LSM firms – Patrick Resources Corp. (Lepanto), Mt. Franz Mining Corp. (also Lepanto) and Newcrest Exploration Phil., Inc. – have already applied for Financial or Technical Assistance Agreements (FTAAs) that will cover more than 140,506 hectares of ancestral lands in the municipalities of Balbalan, Pasil, Lubuagan, Tinglayan, Tanudan, Tabuk and Pinukpuk and in other municipalities of Mt. Province, Abra and Apayao.

      Also under the Public-Private Partnership of the reactionary USAR and the US imperialist policy of liberalization and privatization, a geothermal power plant is to be constructed by the Chevron Corp., the Guidance Management Corp. and the Aragorn Power and Energy Corp.  This project will affect many of the barangays of the towns of Pasil, Tinglayan and Lubuagan. It  would  involve 17,580 hectares in the ancestral domains of the tribes of Balatoc, Dalupa-Ableg, Dangtalan, Guina-ang and Culayo in Pasil;  Uma tribe in Lubuagan; and the tribes of Sumadel, Bangad, Tulgao, Dananao and Tongrayan in Tinglayan.  Under dubious and manipulated processes, the NCIP has claimed that majority of these tribes to be affected have already and fully given their Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC).  Of course, the LSM firms that will operate in these areas will be the main beneficiaries of the hydro-power plant.   These projects are the main reasons why the 5^th ID stationed the 501^st Bde, the 21^st IB, the 53^rd DRC, two companies of the 77^th IB  as well as the CAFGUs, the CPLA remnants and  the PNP in Kalinga, as all of these reactionary troops  would serve as security forces of LSM and hydro-power plant projects that will plunder  wantonly the rich ancestral lands of the indigenous peoples. Thus, it is just to summon all other NPA units and Front operational commands here in Kalinga  and in other provinces to launch more tactical offensives  against these anti-people and fascist security forces of the multi-national and landlord-comprador companies.

      For the people’s war to advance in order to defeat US imperialism, feudalism and bureaucrat capitalism and establish a national-democratic coalition government, it is just and necessary to expose the OPlan Bayanihan and launch more tactical offensives against the OPlan Bayanihan operating forces. It is very clear to the Filipino people that the USAR’s Oplan Bayanihan, the new campaign plan in the counterrevolutionary war of the AFP, has the overall objective to safeguard the semi-colonial and semi-feudal system, maintain the rule of US imperialism and the local puppets of the big comprador bourgeoisie and landlord class, and smash or defeat the armed revolution and other forces fighting against their anti-national, anti-mass and anti-democratic rule.

      While the reactionary USAR makes use of “peace,” “development” and “human rights” as deceitful catch words and as empty slogans of the fascist AFP in its OPlan Bayanihan campaign plan, this has no fundamental or qualitative difference with the OBL I and II under the terrorist US-GMA Regime.  OPlan Bayanihan and its deceptive schemes are based on the 2009 US Counter-Insurgency Guide. Its main focus is the implementation of the Triad Operations, i.e., the synchronization of combat, intelligence and civil military operations in order to crush threats for the security of the puppet state. Meaning, the CMOs as the non-combat aspect of the counterinsurgency primarily serves to strengthen the intelligence network of the fascist AFP and to escalate the combat operations of the people’s enemy.  Thus, the main objective of the non-combat military operations is to deceive the people, demonize the revolutionary movement, widen the mobilization of the civilian agencies and organizations for the unjust and counterrevolutionary war of the reactionary and puppet state, and deodorize the rotten image of the fascist AFP.

            We, therefore, call on all tribes to send their best men and women to the NPA.  Let us continue to expand and consolidate the guerrilla bases, implement the agrarian revolution, and launch more tactical offensives against the people’s enemy in order to contribute for the advancement of the people’s war into the strategic stalemate stage nationwide.

Peace be with you. For God's sake let us move on and work for the development of our country!

Kalinga provincial capitol ransacked

Provincial Capitol employees of Kalinga were shocked when they came to office morning of July 14, 2011 as they saw everywhere a yellow line bearing "POLICE LINE DO NOT CROSS". The provincial capitol was pillaged! The Landbank's ATM machine and the Provincial Treasury's Vault were smashed and destroyed. The perpetrators were not able to open the vaults and no cash amounts were taken. The tools used were left and obviously they are fresh from the hardware. The Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) have already finished investigating area.

Where were the guards on duty?

Here are some of the pictures provided by someone who saw the scene.

Other side of the story

There are two sides of a story. The recent hullaballoo over what happened noontime of June 7, 2011 at the DzRK Radyo ng bayan, Bualnao, Tabuk City, Kalinga is a disturbing one. It even caught the attention of Malacañang. The mainstream media issued left and right statements condemning the incident, particularly the alleged inappropriate action of Gov. Jocel C. Baac. The mainstream media have already said a lot the past few days about the story side of Mr. Jerome Tabanganay. Still, the governor was not given enough space to explain his side. This is acknowledged even by Malacañang hence, it directed the DILG to conduct an impartial and objective investigation.

In the name of fairness, below is the full text of the statement of explanation of Gov. Baac regarding the incident, which was read just this morning over Radyo Natin – Tabuk by no less than the Provincial Administrator, Grace Kidang-Flores.

STATEMENT OF EXPLANATION

At this very moment I assumed that you have heard already about the incident at the DZRK Radyo ng Bayan during the Agenda Program yesterday afternoon. That there is no truth that I intentionally hit Mr. Jerome Tabanganay with a microphone and that he suffered cuts and bruises on his face as reported by him. What happened was that his lips may have been accidentally hit when I got from behind the microphone in front of him for the purpose of stopping him for I could no longer endure his personal attack upon my person and the Kapehan body of which I am the chairman. His uncorrected act of irresponsible broadcasting and unfair way in handling the Agenda Program of the DZRK Radyo ng Bayan, Tabuk is already damaging to the image of the province which the provincial government is trying to uplift through its various development programs. It should be noted that the Provincial Government volunteered to shoulder the cost of repair of the transmitter tower of the DZRK previously destroyed by typhoon in order that the radio station will assist the provincial government in promoting its various programs especially our tourism program.

This irresponsible and unfair way of Mr. Tabanganay in handling the Agenda program and in his indiscriminate act of airing unverified text messages which are damaging in nature was already brought out during the Kapehan sa Kapitolyo last May 2, 2011. The Kapehan members suggested to the Manager that the Anchorman of the agenda program should verify first the veracity of the text messages and to give opportunity to his subjects to explain or give their side to a certain matter or issue before he will air and give comment.

That there were also suggestions to the Manager of DZRK that the Agenda program be abolished but the manager responded that he cannot do it for reason that the Agenda program is patterned after the national program of the Radyo ng Bayan. A member of the Kapehan suggested to the manager to change the anchorman. The manager answered that he requested Mr. Tabanganay to give way to other staff to anchor the Agenda program but the latter insisted that he will continue to be the anchorman. Nevertheless, he informed that if the Kapehan has a problem or question with the agenda program, they can request anytime for a recorded copy of the airings of the agenda program.

That despite the suggestions and comments brought to the manager of the radio ng bayan by the Kapehan body, Mr. Tabanganay continued his irresponsible broadcasting and unfair way of handling the agenda program and the worst on May 24, 2011, Mr. Tabanganay was even convincing the New People's Army (NPA) to open their cellphones so that they could talk relative to the apprehension of jueteng cobradors and so that he can submit the names of these cobradors. His act in acknowledging on air the authority and ability of the NPA to implement government duties and responsibilities has no good effect but only to cause our people to lose faith to the government and it will mislead our people to think that the NPAs are better than the elements of the Government. These should never countenance or tolerate, otherwise the government will lose its standing over its people.

That on June 7, 2011, he was again airing false information that Manager Baluyan of DZRK was scolded and insulted during the June 6, 2011 Kapehan sa Kapitolyo making it appear that the Kapehan is not a credible body.

There was no truth that I or the Kapehan body scolded or insulted Manager Basilio Baluyan of DZRK Radyo ng Bayan during the Kapehan at the Capitol last June 6, 2011 as repeatedly being announced by Mr. Tabanganay in the Agenda Program of the Radyo ng Bayan. What really happened during the Kapehan meeting during the review of the minutes of the May 2, 2011 Kapehan, Mr. Baluyan requested me as chairman of the Kapehan body that his statement on the said minutes be changed because that was not his statement and I replied that the request cannot be granted because it was really his statement but Mr. Baluyan was allowed to explain and correct his statement during the issues arising from the minutes portion because that is the most appropriate part of the meeting that he can explain what he really mean to say during the May Kapehan.

Perhaps there was a time during the course of the said Kapehan meeting that I raised my voice but it was purely for the purpose of emphasizing something important or crucial and not for the purpose of maligning a persons or any other purpose. Those who are present during that Kapehan meeting can attest to what really had happened.

The continued act of Mr. Tabanganay in acknowledging and encouraging the participation of the NPA to implement government duties and responsibilities and airing false information that makes it appear that the Kapehan which is composed by all the department heads of both the Local and National line agencies in the Province of Kalinga is not a credible body is a serious matter which really affects the peace and order situation of the province of which I am responsible being the governor of the province.

All these prompted me to go to the DZRK radio station on June 7, 2011 purposely to talked to Mr. Tabanganay of his irresponsible and unfair attitude and at the same time to talk to him so that he will be more circumspect and balanced in his reporting considering that there was no effort from the DZRK management to check Mr. Tabanganay despite the many complaints brought to the manager.

I do not have any intention to hurt Mr. Tabanganay in any way. My purpose was to sit down with him to answer the issues or text messages being attributed to me but upon entering the booth he arrogantly said “APAY?” which prompted me to get the Mic so that our conversation will not be aired live. He insisted and grabbed the other Mic to continue airing but I got hold of the same and then my companions came to usher me outside the booth.

Mr. Tabanganay should have inquired before hand from Manager Baluyan himself or any members of the Kapehan relative to the truthfulness of the said information or report so that he could have avoided broadcasting false and damaging statements.

I know that my presence in the Radyo Ng Bayan might have caused inconvenience to the people who were there but my purpose in going there was for the good of the Province and our people.

Rest assured that I will stand firm in my advocacy for good governance, true and balanced reporting and fair in bringing information to the people.

Thank you.

Peace be with you! Let us move on...

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Happy birthday to Kenji and Nicolle. God bless!

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When is enough?

A lesson to learn. Whether we are in the media, public office or whatever if we do not know our own boundaries chaos follows. Oh when will we ever learn...

You can follow comments of this video here.

Kalinga governor attacks broadcaster - NUJP

MANILA, Philippines – The governor of Kalinga province allegedly attacked a commentator of a government-run radio station who was hosting his program Tuesday morning, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines reported.

An alert released by the NUJP qyuoted Regie Wacas, president of the Kalinga Media Club, as saying Jerome Tabanganay was five minutes from signing off his program “Agenda” over dzRK Radyo ng Bayan-Kalinga when Governor Jocel Baac allegedly barged into the announcer’s booth and hit the broadcaster in the lip with a microphone. Read more...

Fashioning the youth for peace-building

Tabuk City, Kalinga – Driven by the desire to educate the youth and eventually make them partners in peace advocacy, the Kailian Peace-building Institute (KPI) of the St Louis College of Bulanao conducted a three-day seminar on indigenous peace mechanism last May 4-6, 2011. The sessions were held in one of the spacious classrooms of SLCB.

The seminar zeroed-in the Bodong, which is a social institution and a system of governance between and among the Kalingas, established since time immemorial and has evolved through the years. Topics include the history and origin of the bodong; processes, rites and rituals in forging, restoring and as well as in sustaining the bodong; working principles on which the bodong is based; provisions of the Pagta (Law of the Bodong); factors that may have had influences in the bodong such as religion, education, commerce and technology, politics and governance, migration and marriage, peace and order, and the Indigenous Peoples Right Act (IPRA) - however these were presented in a succinct manner. How the bodong itself affected these phenomenon was briefly discussed as well.

This lecture-type seminar was attended initially by 34 youths coming from the different municipalities. An open-forum was allotted after presentation and discussion of each topic to give the participants an opportunity to ask questions and express their views and observations.

The group is composed of 18 males (52.9%) and 16 females (47%). Majority of the participants came from Tabuk, the capital town; although almost of them have Tinglayan origins (38.2%) followed by Balbalan (23.5%), Tanudan (14.7%), Pasil (5.8%), and 2.9% for each of the other municipalities.

Meanwhile, a quick survey was conducted to determine what they feel about regional autonomy for the Cordillera. It is believed that cultures in the Cordilleras will be further preserved and enhanced under the regional autonomy setup. There were three questions asked from the participants. They were asked whether or not they have heard before about Cordillera Regional Autonomy, and will they vote favorably or not if the third organic act will be presented to them for approval in a plebiscite. Lastly, they were asked to indicate their level of knowledge about Cordillera Regional Autonomy. In this instance however only 25 youths participated in the survey of which 44% (11) are males and 52% (13) are females. There was one who did not reveal his/her sex identity.

Of the 25 youths, 76% (19) said they have heard about the regional autonomy while 20% (5) did not. What is interesting to note is that these 20% are all females. For those who heard about it, according to them they got such information from the school, media, and “tsismis” or from acquaintances. Likewise, asked if they will vote favorably for the third organic act, 60% (15) said “Yes” while 4% (1) said “No”, and 36% (9) were undecided.

In terms of the level of knowledge, the respondents generally have a mean knowledge of 5.7 (based on a scale of 10) about the issue of the Cordillera regional autonomy. The 20% (5) youths who said earlier they have not heard about regional autonomy for the Cordillera are the same individuals who indicated they have zero knowledge about it, and these are all females.