The elder Duterte said the override was expected because the council had already voted in favor of the power plant.

“They voted in favor of the project before, it is expected that they will override it (veto). Do you think they will change their minds?” Duterte told reporters.  

He also lashed at the critics of the proposed coal-fired power plant, telling them to carefully study the technology first.

“To those who are very vocal, you don’t know everything in this world. If you think you are intelligent, we are more intelligent than you,” he said.

Mayor Duterte expressed frustration over the decision of the city council.

“I’m frustrated, I’m sad …They should have heeded the veto because it is a powerful message that the city mayor is against their measure,” she told reporters on Tuesday, a day after 21 of the 22 councilors present at the session voted to override her veto.

Councilor Paolo Duterte, an ex-officio member representing the Association of Barangay Captains (ABC), abstained.

When she issued her veto, the mayor said she also told the councilors to review all the materials related to the coal-fired power plant’s technology.

“But apparently, on the day itself I issued the veto, (it was) the same day also that the reports came out that they will override the veto,” she said Duterte-Carpio.

“Let history judge them na lang,” she added.

Last week, her father had already hinted of the override, saying the city council had the final say and leave the mayor no choice but to implement the project.

While Mayor Duterte acknowledged that the councilors were just exercising democracy, she said she had yet to consult the city legal counsel to explore other options to block the power plant.

The override has earned the council the ire of groups opposed to the power plant, with some 200 of them staging a protest at city hall as the session took pace.

Source: Interkasyon.Com

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/12 December) — Twenty-one councilors voted on Monday to override Mayor Sara Duterte’s veto of an ordinance reclassifying a parcel of land in Barangay Binugao, Toril District from protected medium industrial zone to protected heavy industrial zone, to allow Aboitiz Power Corp. to construct a 300-megawatt coal-fired power plant.

While the session was going on, some 200 protesters had already gathered in front of the City Council building to protest against the establishment of the coal-fired power plant.

Twenty-two councilors attended the session but Councilor Paolo Duterte, an ex-officio member being the chair of the Association of Barangay Councils (ABC), abstained from the voting.

After Majority Floor Leader Tomas Monteverde III read the veto order of the mayor before the council, presiding officer Councilor Karlo Bello granted his request for a three-minute recess during which the lawmakers agreed who would speak first.

After the break, Duterte told the council he would not participate in the voting.

Addressing his colleagues, Councilor Melchor Quitain acknowledged that there are alternative sources of energy which are less harmful such as solar, wind and hydro power.

He, however, added: “To say there are alternative sources of energy is not the same as saying that they are available. And to say that they are available is not the same as saying they are available now. And to say that they are available now is not the same as saying that they are doable and workable here in Davao City.”

In her previous media interviews, the mayor has been urging “to explore other alternative sources of energy instead of the coal.”

Opposition groups echoed the mayor’s suggestion to explore alternative sources of energy.

While Quitain was speaking, five protesters silently walked inside the session hall with placards showing their opposition to the coal-fired power plant project.

The council’s sergeant-at-arms tried to put the placards down but Bello signaled at him to allow the protesters to go on with their silent protest.

After Quitain’s speech, Bello called for a vote on whether or not to override the veto of the mayor. Except for Duterte’s abstention, the motion to overrule the veto got a unanimous vote.

They were: Nilo Abellera, Victorio Advincula  Jr., Bernard Al-ag, Al Ryan Alejandre, Dante Apostol, Conrado Baluran, Joanne Bonguyan, Louie John Bonguyan,  Pilar Braga, Arnolfo Ricardo Cabling, April Marie Dayap, Jimmy Dureza, Melchor Quitain, Edgar  Ibuyan,  Emmanuel Galicia Sr., Rene Elias Lopez, Tomas  Monteverde III, Jashera Gonzales, Myrna Dalodo-Ortiz, Jose Louie Villafuerte, and Rachel Zozobrado.

Councilor Jimmy Dureza then asked the presiding the officer if they could move to adopt the explanation of Quitain so that they would not have to explain their affirmative vote one by one.

The council moved to adopt Quitain’s explanation.

After the voting, the protesters marched out of the session hall while shouting “mga traidor sa katawhan” (traitors of the people).

Franchie Buhayan, secretary general of Bayan Southern Mindanao Region, led the protesters in a noise barrage in front of the City Council building.

Buhayan accused the councilors as traitors and of allegedly being more loyal to the Aboitiz Power Corporation than to their constituents.

“They refused to listen to the people, particularly those living in the project site,” she screamed.

Tom Villarin, convenor of Dabawenyo Ayaw sa Coal (DAC) claimed that scientific studies over decades have proven the negative impact of coal-fired power plants.

“We don’t need dead bodies before we say coal is unsafe,” Villarin said in a statement sent to media.

In her veto message, the mayor said: “As a mayor of our city, I should be at the forefront of effecting the observance of the right of our people to health and balanced ecology, and the correlative duty of the people, which I suppose rests largely upon the government, to refrain from impairing the environment.” (Keith Bacongco/MindaNews)

Source: MindaNews.Com

Sixteen-year old Rahima Usman from the Maranao tribe was crowned Hiyas sa Kadayawan 2011 on Wednesday evening at Davao Recreation Center beating.

Usman, a nursing student from San Pedro College, outshined nine other candidates who respectively represented the tribes of  Tausug, Matigsalog, Obu Manuvu, Maguindanao, Bagobo Tgabawa, Sama,  Bagobo Klata, Ata and Kagan.

After the seven Hiyas sa Kaliwatan (Tribal Gem)has been named, only three candidates were left: Usman  Bernalin Mamboo of the Ata tribe and Almeline Cheenee Hamid of the Sama tribe.

Mamboo was crowned as the first runner up and crowned as Hiyas sa Kauswagan (Gem of Progress) while Cheenee was the second runner up and named as the  Hiyas sa Tingusbawan (Gem of Fulfilled Promise).

The seven Hiyas sa Kaliwatan are Judelyn Ogos (Bagobo Tagabawa), Mia Rose Sarip Apadan (Kagan), Jhel Ann Oboc (Obu Manuvu), Fauzia Jamsuri (Tausog), Norie Fe Licomes (Bagobo Klata), Zarina Mangadta (Maguindanao), and Leah Jean Benito (Matigsalog).

Every week, garbage pile up at a vacant lot in front of our house especially a day before or two days before the scheduled pick up day, which is every Thursdays.

Last week, garbage collectors left a pile of unsegregated garbage. I have no choice but to douse it with diesel and burn it to prevent flies from feasting on the biodegradable materials.

Since the implementation of the Waste Segregation Ordinance in the city, garbage collectors are leaving the biodegradable wastes in the vacant lot. Then we noticed  the increase of flies in our surroundings.

In our case in Emily Homes, there should be a pick up point so that the residents would only dump their garbage in the designated area instead of leaving them anywhere.

The barangay officials should conduct  a symposium among its constituents regarding this policy. It is not enough to simply announce it on radio or TV.

Since Cabantian is a home to many subdivisions,   the barangay should visit these subdivisions and inform the residents.  I’m sure this is not just a problem in Emily Homes, this is also a problem in other subdivisions.

Who is telling these people when and where to dump their garbages? It’s the garbage collectors! Is this already part of their job to inform the people?

Just this morning, a garbage collector lectured some residents that they should not leave their garbage anywhere. Instead, they should wait for the garbage truck to arrive since it is blowing its horn as a signal that the garbage truck is in the vicinity.

It’s not just the residents  living near this vacant lot turned into a mini-dumpsite suffer this foul smell and pestering flies, it’s also the people passing by the street.

The barangay must deploy monitoring teams in subdivisions in coordination with the housing association presidents. I learned that the barangay has coordinated with the local purok leaders in the subdivisions to report violators. But it seems no one is monitoring the implementation of the policy.

Ang usa pud ka problema ani kay ang mga tag-balay, dili man nila ingnon pud ila katabang na hulaton ang truck. Karon, kinsa man pud masakpan kung naa na manakop, di ba ang katabang dili ang amo?

To Kapitan Joji Lumanog, our future city councilor, isn’t it hard to exert extra efforts to educate your constituents?

Just this afternoon, as much as we wanted to stay longer amid the heavy rain, the residents told us to leave area because another flood may hit the village again.

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/01 July) – Apparently incensed by the refusal of her request to delay the demolition of houses owned by informal settlers in a barangay here, Mayor Sara Duterte hit a court sheriff with a couple of punches in full view of residents and reporters.

Prior to it, a police officer and three others persons had been injured after the demolition this morning at Purok Soliman in Barangay Tomas Monteverde Sr. resulted in a scuffle when some residents offered resistance.

The violence prompted Duterte to punch court sheriff Abe Andres who was trying to enforce the demolition order on informal settlers in a 2,000-square meter land.

TV cameras were able to get footage of Duterte hitting Andres who just turned his back and tried to cover his face as the mayor’s aides tried to stop her.

Duterte admitted that she was unable to control her temper because the sheriff turned down her request to give her two hours before enforcing the demolition because she was still in Barangay Matina attending to the concerns of the flood victims.

“I have earlier requested the court that we will enforce the demolition order together because the residents will not follow any orders from the court except from the mayor,” she told reporters.

For humanitarian reasons, Duterte said she requested for the two-hour extension, or until 11a.m., so that she could still hold a dialogue with the residents before enforcing the demolition order. She added no violence could have ensued had the sheriff listened to her.

She, however, clarified that she did not order a stop to the demolition that would affect 220 families, but only wanted to have it enforced peacefully.

In an interview with GMA News Davao, Andres said he had no plans of filing a formal complaint against the mayor.

At 9a.m., the demolition team which was reportedly hired by the Davao Enterprises Corporation, and Andres arrived along with members of the City Disturbance Management of the police’s Davao City Public Safety Company.

Barangay Councilor Edgardo Robledo said that when the court sheriff ordered the demolition team to start dismantling the houses the residents barricaded the main entrance of the village.

Police Supt. Dionisio Abude, DCPSC chief, told MindaNews that they could not exactly determine who started the violence.

The police, who were armed with shields and truncheons, dismantled the barricade and led the demolition team as the residents fought back, Abude said.

“Then stones and bottles, some filled with urines, were hurled against the police and demolition team,” he said.

Inspector Peter John Muring, team leader of the anti-riot police, was hit by an “Indian pana” (sling dart) in the leg and was rushed to the hospital.

Abude could not yet identify who shot Muring.

Three other unidentified persons were also injured. Two of them were hit by stones in the head while the other one was injured during the melee.

The residents alleged that the demolition team was composed of some gang members from the Quezon Boulevard area.

A member of the demolition team told MindaNews that the landowner promised to pay them P300 each for the job.

Duterte also scolded the police for failing to control the situation. “Look at the demolition team, it seems they are not here to demolish, they are here for a riot,” she said in front of the police officers.

Tension eased when the mayor arrived at 10a.m. and held a dialogue with the residents, barangay officials and the police.

Under a scorching sun, Duterte convened the barangays officials with city councilors Tomas Monteverde Jr. and Al Ryan Alejandre in the middle of the street, which was closed to traffic from 9a.m. until the mayor left at 3:30p.m.

By 12 noon, two fire trucks arrived supposedly to be used against resisting residents. But Duterte refused to use them as she was still talking to the lawyers and wanted to resolve the row peacefully.

The mayor assured the residents that the city government already had a relocation site for them.

She explained to the residents that they had already lost the legal battle and the court had issued an order to demolish their houses.

She asked the residents to voluntarily submit their names to facilitate their relocation and voluntarily demolish their houses.

“So that you can still use some parts of your houses, you voluntarily demolish your houses and we will help you move to the relocation site in barangay Tugbok or Tibungco,” she told the crowd.

At 4pm, some residents started demolishing their houses.

Ignacio dela Peña, 71, said he would voluntarily demolish his house and move to the relocation site.

“I have no choice, we have lost the case and the mayor has assured us of our relocation site,” said dela Peña, who had lived in Purok Soliman since 1956.  (Keith Bacongco and Ruby Thursday More/MindaNews)

Pitao, daughter of New People’s Army (NPA) leader Leoncio Pitao a.k.a. Commander Parago, was abducted on her way home in Barangay (village) Bago in Davao City. The following day, her partially naked body was found in an irrigation ditch in Barangay San Isidro in Carmen, Davao Del Norte, about 50 kilometers north from this city.

While the government authorities are claiming that the case has not really progressed and the killers remained at large, her father admitted to have already killed three of the dozen suspects, all of them are military personnel according to the rebel leader.

But rights lawyer Carlos Zarate believes that the case of Pitao is not just a plain crime saying that it is more of a political issue given that the victim is a daughter of a revolutionary.

Zarate, along with his colleagues at the Union of Peoples’ Lawyers for Mindanao (UPLM), said that they are raising this issue before the government and the National Democratic Front (NDF) peace panels.

“We are urging both panels to discuss the issue of Comprehensive Agreement on Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CAHRIHL) because the victim is covered by the agreement,” he stressed, adding that the killing is also a clear violation of the agreement.

Signed in 1998, CAHRIHL enjoins both sides to respect the rights of civilians or non-combatants and observe Protocol II of the Geneva Convention (Protection of Victims of Non-International Armed Conflicts) in the conduct of war.

“Although we cannot exactly pinpoint who perpetrated the killing, who else is the enemy of her father?” Zarate asked. “So we are urging both panels to revisit the agreement to prevent another Rebelyn.”

Given the nature of the case, Zarate said no witnesses have surfaced to testify.

But police authorities clarified that the absence of witnesses does not mean closure to the case.

Days after the killing of Rebelyn, the local government has formed Task Force Rebelyn — composed of the Criminal Investigation and Detention Group (CIDG) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) — supposedly to lead the investigation of the case. Regional police spokesperson Superintendent Querubin Manalang admitted the lack of witnesses hindered the progress of the investigation. ”But we are still trying to look for other witnesses,” Manalang said.

Manalang recalled that weeks after the killing of Pitao, Danny Pelicano, the tricycle driver who ferried Pitao, surfaced and gave his testimony to the police.

Aside from the driver, Pitao’s fellow passenger identified as Dina Talaboc also testified. “But both of them failed to identify the suspects, whom Commander Parago identified. We also included the photos of the military agents but the driver and passenger also failed to identify them. But it is not conclusive,” Manalang disclosed.

The police spokesperson theorized that the witnesses are afraid to come out due to the nature of the case. “The two witnesses seems to have disappeared, we have no information now on their whereabouts.”

Manalang also confirmed the reports that unidentified men have been tailing the Pitaos.

He added that the police in 2009 offered them security but the family rejected the offer.

“The Davao City Police Office has visited them once in their residence in Bago. But when they returned days later, they were no longer around,” Manalang disclosed.

Revolutionary justice

But Commander Parago’s crusade for justice continues saying that he does not rely on the wheels of justice of the government.

The older Pitao admitted that the NPAs have liquidated Cpl. Orly Pedregosa, a certain Helvin Bitang and another suspected military agent just months after the death of his daughter.

Parago stressed that his family is not pinning their hopes on the government authorities to serve justice on the killing of her 20-year old daughter, who had just been employed as substitute teacher at St. Peter College of Technology in Toril when she was abducted, raped and killed.

In the revolutionary government, Parago said, the case is not also considered solved since they are still hunting down the remaining suspects.

“But our crusade for justice is not just limited to my daughter but as well as for those who were killed and were victims of injustices by the government forces,” the rebel leader said in an interview inside their guerilla base in the hinterlands of this city.

He vowed to hunt down the remaining suspects, whom he believe belonged to the Military Intelligence Battalion (MIB).

The military has repeatedly denied its involvement in the killing of the younger Pitao. Then 10th Infantry Division chief Major General Reynaldo Mapagu denied any military involvement in Rebelyn’s death, adding “it is not the policy of the Philippine Army to target civilians in its campaign against the communist insurgents.”

Family suffering

Pitao disclosed that his family has suffered so much even after the killing of Rebelyn.

“My wife and daughter keep on moving from one place to another because of some intelligence personnel. Who else would tail them? No one but our enemies,” he said in the vernacular adding that his wife visited her during the week-long ceasefire last month.

The military, the rebel leader demanded, should spare his family since they are not part of the revolutionary movement.

“Like them (the military), their family too wants to live a civilian and normal life. Why consider the families of the NPAs as enemies?” Pitao asked.

His wife Evangeline occasionally joined several protests on the streets – a task she did not bother to perform before the killing of her daughter.

In earlier interviews, Evangeline admitted that she has no plans to march the streets because she wants to live a normal life.

Hanimay Suazo, acting deputy secretary-general of rights group Karapatan, also acknowledged the police’s statements, saying that lack of witnesses slow the investigation.

Meanwhile, Suazo bared that the Pitao family is still in hiding because unidentified men are still tailing them. “They are still harassed,” she said.

Capture the killers alive

But the 53-year old rebel leader clarified that in hunting down the suspects, they wanted to capture them alive and try in the “Kangaroo Court” of the NPA.

“We want to provide them due process under our revolutionary justice system. But oftentimes, they resist and fight back. We have no choice but to defend ourselves,” said Parago.

Pitao added that he did not set a deadline in hunting down the suspects.

“Since they owe several lives to the revolutionary government, they have to pay for it. We have not forgotten it, we will hunt them no matter how long and how hard will it take.”

Even two years after the death of his daughter, Parago admitted: “I can still feel the pain, it’s not easy to forget it because she has nothing to do with the revolutionary movement, she was living a civilian life. Her killing motivated us more to seek justice for all the victims of injustices under the reactionary government.”

Challenge to P-Noy

Meanwhile, Zarate considers not just the Rebelyn Pitao case but as well as other extrajudicial killings as challenge to President Benigno Aquino III.

“Since he has been crowing to be an opposite of his predecessor and now Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, he must prove that he is way different and must do something to stop this culture of impunity,” Zarate told Target EJK.

But the rights lawyer understands that it is not an overnight job saying that the culture impunity has been carved in the system of the government for years.

Karapatan recorded 1,206 EJK cases under the Arroyo administration and blamed it on the Oplan Bantay Laya (Freedom Watch), an anti-insurgency strategy that has been linked to EJK.

Zarate also criticized the “task forces” being created right after any controversial killings of political activists saying that it is a mere propaganda to appease the aggrieved families – Task Force Rebelyn as among one of them.

“We understand that it is not easy for P-Noy to just wash away the stain, particularly in the military since they are the prime suspects in the killings. The culture (of impunity) has been there for years, it’s not easy to remove it. But we believe he can do something,” Zarate said. Project Target EJK/ED

(The author is a journalist based in Mindanao. He has extensively reported on and documented through his lens issues linked to human rights, peace, development, environment, media freedom and responsibility, and culture in the region.)

On December 17, the Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte ordered the uprooting of the Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) eggplants at the field test site inside the University of the Philippines-Mindanao campus in Mintal.

Is it really harmful to our health? Why does the government or some academic institutions is pushing for genetically-modified plants?

Personally, I’m not in favor of any genetically-modified plants. Why can’t the government support or promote indigenous practices instead of the multi-national companies? Farmers have survived for years using traditional methods.

Do we have a shortage of eggplant supply? Academic freedom, yes. But please show some respect to the local government officials.