High-ranking communist terrorist group leader in E. Visayas captured in Baguio City

By DPAO, 8ID PA
July 15, 2024

CAMP LUKBAN, Catbalogan City – High-ranking officers of the Communist Terrorist Group (CTG) in Eastern Visayas, who have standing warrants of arrest, were apprehended in two separate operations on July 8, 2024, in Baguio City.

Law enforcement officers served warrants of arrest in Brgy. Guisad, Baguio City, to Terrence Eder, alias Anjo/Islao, also known as Terencio Eder Jr. y Matiga, a resident of Barangay 88, San Jose, Tacloban City.

Eder was the former Secretary of the Sub-Regional Committee (SRC) Emporium of the Eastern Visayas Regional Party Committee (EVRPC).

Also apprehended was his wife, Annalyn Eder, alias Anya/Ninya, also known as Analyn Eder y Sacan, 42, a resident of Brgy 88, San Jose, Tacloban City. She was the former Educational Officer and Finance Officer of the SRC Emporium, EVRPC.

The Eder couple has standing warrants of arrest for violating Section 4 of RA 11479, the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, and for the crime of arson.

Major General Camilo Z. Ligayo, Commander of the 8th Infantry Division, Philippine Army, stated that the apprehension of the Eder couple demonstrates the government's commitment to holding those who commit serious crimes, especially violations of anti-terrorism laws accountable. He praised the government force that contributed in the successful operation.

"The successful operation shows the government's commitment to delivering justice to victims of terrorism. We will not remain idle and will continue to intensify our efforts to apprehend individuals with outstanding violations," Maj. Gen. Ligayo emphasized.

NMP and NEDA VIII sign MOA to expand maritime training to Luzon

By National Maritime Polytechnic
July 11, 2024

TACLOBAN CITY – The National Maritime Polytechnic (NMP) and the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Regional Office VIII signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on July 11, 2024 at the Zamal Hall, NEDA Regional Office VIII, marking a significant milestone in the enhancement of the Philippines' maritime training capabilities. This agreement aims to conduct a feasibility study on expanding NMP’s training operations to Luzon, an initiative aligned with the government's transformational strategies in social and human development as outlined in the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2023-2028 and the Maritime Industry Development Plan (MIDP) 2028.

This expansion is crucial for the continuous development and competitiveness of Filipino seafarers in the global maritime industry. By extending NMP's reach to Luzon, the project aims to upgrade the skills of Filipino seafarers, thereby enhancing their employability and reinforcing the Philippines as a primary source of skilled maritime professionals. The primary objectives of this MOA include strengthening the NMP-NEDA institutional set-up to support a responsive and timely expansion, conducting project preparation activities, and establishing an efficient maritime management structure for NMP-Luzon.

The MOA outlines critical activities essential for advancing the project, including organizing a Project Management Development Team to prepare necessary documents. Key task is developing a comprehensive Terms of Reference (TOR) for consultancy services procurement, with a writeshop scheduled on 16 July 2024. This session will gather NMP and NEDA VIII teams to formulate TOR standards, supported by preparatory activities like writeshops and data provision.

NMP Executive Director Victor A. Del Rosario expressed his sincere appreciation to NEDA for sealing the MOA. 'Your technical expertise in crafting a TOR for consultancy services to conduct a feasibility study for NMP's Luzon expansion is critical,' he emphasized. 'We are thrilled by the successful securing of P10 million funding, underscoring President Marcos's commitment to enhancing maritime training post-EMSA. The seafaring industry's $7 billion annual contribution to the economy is significant, and expanding NMP's services across Luzon aligns with our strategic national objectives," he added.

Meanwhile, NEDA Regional Director Meylene C. Rosales conveyed her appreciation for the collaboration and commitment to advancing maritime training and development in the Philippines. "I am deeply grateful for the trust placed in NEDA, and I want to reaffirm my continued commitment to NMP, where I have been involved in special activities for the longest time. I am thrilled that NEDA Region 8 will support us on this journey, and I am also thankful to my team. With this dedicated group, I assure NMP that you have our full support," she affirmed.

The roles and responsibilities of each party have been clearly delineated to ensure effective cooperation. The agreement takes effect upon signing and remains in full force unless terminated by either party with a written notice of termination, requiring the other party's consent within thirty days upon receipt of the notice. It will terminate upon the completion of the feasibility study.

This undertaking is poised to have a profound impact on the Philippine maritime industry. By increasing accessibility to high-quality maritime training, the project will help meet the evolving demands of the international maritime labor market. This initiative builds upon NMP's historical investment in maritime training infrastructure, with the acquisition of a 2.2-hectare lot in Tanza, Cavite in 1995. It ensures that Filipino seafarers remain competitive and continue to contribute significantly to the global shipping industry.

Furthermore, the project underscores the government's commitment to enhancing the income-earning abilities of Filipinos, thereby contributing to the socio-economic prosperity of seafarers and their families.

CMDI inaugurated another facility in Lubao, Pampanga

By MARY ROSE JAVIER
July 10, 2024

SAN PABLO CITY – CARD-MRI Development Institute, Inc. (CMDI), the training institute of CARD MRI, officially opened its facility in Ruthay’s Place Lubao, Pampanga on June 22, 2024.

“The opening of this new facility signifies CMDI's commitment to extending its training services to more CARD MRI staff, clients, and external stakeholders. We continue to provide exceptional enhancement courses and enterprise development trainings to help develop and improve their current skills and practices,” said CARD MRI Founder and Chairman Emeritus Dr. Jaime Aristotle Alip.

Dr. Alip emphasized, "We continue to offer opportunities for the community of learners to invest in its future and provide a safe and welcoming environment to hone knowledge and skills. Our goal is to foster growth in our facilities, a conducive place where we can develop future leaders and successful business owners."

Present at the inauguration are CARD MRI Property Management (CMPMI) President Maida Decano, CMDI President Dr. Edzel A. Ramos, with the CARD MRI advisers, key officers and clients.

The CMDI Lubao facility is located at Jose Abad Santos Avenue, Lubao, Pampanga.

The opening of this CMDI Pampanga facility is an addition to its existing campuses in Bay and San Pablo City in Laguna, Pasay in National Capital Region, Baguio in Benquet, Tagum City in Davao del Norte, and Buenavista in Agusan del Norte.

CMDI is dedicated to providing exceptional practitioner-led training and education services to create competent and dedicated individuals who can empower, and uplift socio-economically challenged families. Since its establishment in 2000, CMDI has been instrumental in producing passionate and skilled men and women who manage and lead various institutions and enterprises.

The opening of their new training facility demonstrates CMDI's continuous efforts towards providing accessible and quality education, fostering growth in communities across the Philippines.

BotiCARD, Inc. expands operations with its 20th branch in Infanta, Quezon

By MARY ROSE JAVIER
July 4, 2024

SAN PABLO CITY – The pharmaceutical arm of CARD MRI, BotiCARD, Inc., opened its new pharmacy in Infanta, Quezon on June 28, 2024. This expansion is significant to fulfill the pharmacy's goal of giving communities access to high-quality healthcare products and services.

BotiCARD aims to ensure that more individuals have access to convenient and affordable but high-quality healthcare products. The Infanta branch will offer a variety of affordable generic and branded medications, basic medical supplies, hygiene products, and other essential pharmacy items to the local community.

"Generic medicines offer the same dosage, quality, and effectiveness as brand-name drugs, but at a more affordable price that is accessible to most individuals. We strongly advocate for the use of generic medicines because they meet the needs of our clients," Aquino explained, said BotiCARD President Rosenda P. Aquino during the inauguration.

Located at Bonifacio Street, Poblacion 1, Infanta, Quezon, the new BotiCARD branch is now open to the public, ready to serve the healthcare needs of the Infanta community. As part of the opening celebration, customers got up to 28% discount on selected medications and vitamins, free health checkups, free tooth extraction, and free blood pressure monitoring.

Established in 2011, BotiCARD, Inc. is part of the CARD Mutually Reinforcing Institutions (CARD MRI), a group of institutions dedicated to eradicating poverty and improving the lives of Filipino families.

BotiCARD continues to strengthen its commitment to improving the health and wellness of communities across the Philippines.

CARD MRI holds tour program for media in Tacloban City, Leyte

By MARY ROSE JAVIER
July 4, 2024

SAN PABLO CITY – The CARD Mutually Reinforcing Institutions (CARD MRI) invited media practitioners from Laguna, Davao, Leyte, and Samar to participate in its Panaghiusa: CARD MRI Exposure Tour Program in Tacloban City from June 19 to 21, 2024.

CARD MRI Publishing House President Marilyn Manila said, “The goal of this exposure tour program is to give media participants a chance to interact with communities and see how microfinance and microinsurance services empower the socio-economically marginalized communities.”

Led by CARD MRI Publishing House, the media participants visited the centers and clients of CARD, Inc. (A Microfinance NGO) and CARD Bank Tacloban Branch where they learned the stories of success of microentreprises. A short Tacloban City Tour was also held, facilitated by CARD MRI Hijos Tours, to highlight the rich history of the city. The media attendees gained an understanding of the company’s microfinance and microinsurance products and the positive impact CARD MRI creates in communities through its financial services and community development programs after their exposure to the Kaunlaran Caravan in Basey, Samar.

"To grow and strengthen connections with individuals and organizations who share the same purpose is one of CARD MRI's missions. This Lakbay Aral Program is our way to connect with media to help us spread the information about our mission of eradicating poverty in the country," Manila stated.

The three-day event in Leyte was participated by 12 media practitioners from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. The participants were Carmela Estrope from Newscore Bulacan, Kervin Roi Katigbak from Ang Dyaryo Natin, Dexter Visitacion from Periodico Norte, Jefferson Crisostomo from Balitang Parehas, Dominic Abrematea from the Tacloban Star, Marie Tonette Marticio from Manila Bulletin, Justine Grace Traya from RMN Tacloban, Tito Tepase from the Leyte-Samar Daily Express, Roel Amazona from the Philippine News Agency Tacloban, Ruby Espina from the West Leyte Express, and Ricky Bautista from the West Leyte Weekly Express.

The Media Lakbay Aral is a program organized by CARD MRI Publishing House, an institution under CARD MRI that hopes to elevate the capacity of CARD MRI clients by providing progressive and positive stories. The institution plans to organize another tour program in Tuguegarao in August of this year.

University of Perpetual Help levels up its energy efficiency initiatives with a procurement management strategy

Press Release
July 4, 2024

TAGUIG CITY – The University of Perpetual Help (UPH) Dalta and Jonelta Groups, renowned for their top-tier medical centers and Catholic-oriented universities, announced a groundbreaking five-year agreement with AECO Energy. This partnership empowers UPH to optimize its energy procurement and management across six of its campuses.

Through this collaboration, UPH's four universities and two tertiary hospitals will benefit from AECO Energy's expertise in securing the most competitive, fixed-rate electricity plans. This comes at a crucial time as the Philippines grapples with rising energy costs.

“We want to leverage our 15-year open electricity market expertise from Singapore and Australia to empower commercial and industrial customers with an efficient way of procuring and managing their electricity. This collaboration will fulfill our promise of delivering the best-priced electricity rates to contestable customers. And we are truly grateful to UPH for the trust and confidence,” said Louise Schirmer, Marketing Director of AECO Energy.

This milestone agreement ensures UPH's stable electricity supply while enjoying the best-priced, fixed-rate electricity prices with the help of a professional and data-driven energy procurement strategy led by AECO Energy.

“As we expand our facilities, we see an opportunity to use different energy strategies, and this means changing how we renew and procure our electricity contracts. AECO Energy came at an opportune time when we tried to renew our contracts on our own but ended up with high-priced offers. AECO offered us a unique service, a service we’d never heard of before but made clear business sense. Thanks to our collaboration with AECO, we received competitive offers and secured the best rate,” said Lt. Col. Richard Antonio Tamayo, President of UPHDMC.

“We are lucky to find the best-fit energy partners for both our schools and hospitals. As we move to our 50th anniversary and with guidance from our chairman, we need to level up our systems and processes and this collaboration is one of our ways of leveling up. Our 5-year relationship with AECO will benefit our cost-saving initiatives,” added Norman Biola, EVP of Administrative Affairs UPHDMC.

This partnership aims to drive market efficiency in a deregulated energy market, lower electricity rates for contestable customers in collaboration with AECO’s Retailer partners, and provide customers the freedom to choose through the Retail Competition and Open Access (RCOA) program.

Filipino civil society organizations laud the UN Special Rapporteur, debunk PH government’s lies at the UN Human Rights Council session

By Philippine UPR Watch
July 2, 2024

GENEVA, Switzerland – Filipino civil society representatives from the Philippine UPR Watch today lauded the report of the United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on Climate Change on the mandate’s country visit to the Philippines. The report was presented at the 56th session of the UN Human Rights Council Session in Geneva, Switzerland.

According to the report presented by the new Special Rapporteur Elisa Morgera, “the Philippines is considered to be a climate hotspot where strong hazards, large exposure and high concentration of vulnerable people coincide” and that “the impacts of global climate also have profound social implications.” Among the issues highlighted in the report were Typhoon Yolanda (international name: Haiyan), land reclamation, and environmental defenders.

“Typhoon Yolanda has caused widespread damage but local communities have not yet fully recovered. We denounce the attacks on development organizations like LCDE (Leyte Center for Development, Inc.) that support disaster-affected communities. Threats against development organizations will affect the delivery of much-needed aid that the government has not sufficiently provided. RA 101168 should be repealed, along with the ATA,” said Lia Mai Torres, Executive Director of the Center for Environmental Concerns - Philippines (CEC). In May, the bank accounts of the staff of LCDE were frozen under Republic Act No. 101168, also known as the Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act of 2012 (TFPSA).

“Reclamation is one of the most urgent climate issues in the Philippines, yet the Marcos Jr. administration's promised moratorium remains unfulfilled. We are grateful for the Special Rapporteurs' visit to the reclamation-affected areas and for affirming the fisherfolk communities’ unresolved concerns,” said Jonila Castro, Advocacy Officer of the Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment. Castro was abducted on September 2 last year while conducting research on reclamation in coastal communities. "The impacts of reclamation are so undeniable, but the government failed to address them, as noted in the report," she added.

According to MC Mace Sulayao of Defend Panay Network and the Iglesia Filipina Independiente - Youth, “The Philippine government tried to invalidate the Tumanduk indigenous people’s claims, saying that they were part of a ‘CSO that is openly critical of the dam project.’ However, they (the government) did not respond to the issues the community raised regarding the Jalaur Dam.” She added: “For the families of the victims, the government claims that the massacre and arrests of the Tumanduk people are unrelated to their opposition (to the dam) adds insult to injury. Local communities have reported being harassed to silence over the construction of the dam.”

Daisy Macapanpan, an elderly woman community leader violently arrested in 2022 in Laguna said, “I affirm the report’s statement about a systematic program to coerce communities to approve dam projects. I was arrested and charged with rebellion for speaking out against the Ahunan Pump Storage Project in my hometown. This pattern persists from the previous to the present.” Macapanpan is part of the Protect Sierra Madre for the People Network’s secretariat.

“It is concerning how the Marcos Jr. administration is greenwashing the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA). The law has been weaponized against environmental defenders engaged in climate action. Similarly, the NTF-ELCAC (National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict) has not brought peace and stability but a climate of fear and shrinking civic space for climate activism,” CEC’s Torres said.

“The continued existence of the NTF ELCAC and the red- and terrorist-tagging of activists create a chilling effect on our exercise of rights. Similarly, the use of terror laws creates a climate of fear not only among the organizations whose bank accounts were frozen but more importantly, in the communities they serve, which are now being heavily militarized on false allegations of terrorism. These draconian legislations should be repealed immediately,” said Sol Taule, legal counsel of KARAPATAN.

“Our abduction is living proof that environmental defenders and climate activists are being attacked in the Philippines and that the culture of impunity exists under the Marcos Jr. administration,” said Castro.

“If the Marcos Jr. administration has nothing to hide, then it should allow more visits of UN Special Rapporteurs and other independent experts to the Philippines,” Castro said. She was referring to the government’s denial of the bombings in communities in Kalinga, Cagayan Valley, Lanao del Sur, and Negros Occidental.

The delegates of the Philippine UPR Watch and Filipino civil society organizations thanked former Special Rapporteur Ian Fry for his efforts to learn about the impacts of climate change in the Philippines and for exposing the truth from the ground. We also support the mandate’s recommendations namely on the moratorium of reclamation projects, the revocation of the ATA, disbanding of the NTF-ELCAC and the investigation of its past operations, as well as the judicial inquiry on cases against environmental defenders.

KARAPATAN on the recent release of oldest political prisoner in PH

By KARAPATAN
July 2, 2024

QUEZON CITY – Eight-five year old Gerardo dela Peña, the oldest political prisoner in the Philippines, was finally released from the New Bilibid Prisons at 9:30 p.m. of June 30, 2024 by virtue of executive clemency. He had been behind bars for more than 11 years for a trumped-up murder charge.

Tatay Gerardo’s release was the result of a campaign by human rights organizations here and abroad. In recent months, various groups steadily stepped up the pressure to secure his release.

Coming from a family of land tillers, Dela Peña was a peasant organizer in Bicol. In his younger years as an activist, he was detained and tortured by the police and military under the Marcos dictatorship in 1982. After his release, he chaired the SELDA (Samahan ng Ex-Detainees Laban sa Detensyon at Aresto) chapter in Camarines Norte. He persisted in his activism, working with various other people’s organizations in the region, despite threats to his life and liberty.

Dela Peña’s arrest in 2013 was for a murder that had allegedly occurred 12 years before. His brother Armenio was also arrested in 2013 on the same charges, but died in prison of a heart attack.

Dela Peña began losing his vision due to cataracts and became hard of hearing as he counted his days in prison. The campaign for his release had resulted in the commutation of his 20- to 40-year sentence to 12 years last March 2024. At that time, counting time served for good behavior, Tatay Gerardo should have been released forthwith, were it not for bureaucratic rigmarole. The grant of executive clemency facilitated his eventual release, but should have been a superfluous measure given the circumstances of his case.

Nonetheless, Tatay Gerardo can now spend his twilight years with his family, who have missed him for more than a decade.

The struggle continues for about 90 other elderly political prisoners like Tatay Gerardo who should likewise be released on just and humanitarian grounds.

IBP stands with Filipino fishermen

Press Release
June 30, 2024

PASAY CITY – In a statement released over the weekend, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines urged government to provide protection to Filipino fishermen who ply their trade within the 200-mile Philippine exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

IBP president Antonio C. Pido and the IBP governing board unanimously adopted the position that “Filipino fishermen have the legal right to go fishing” within this EEZ. The IBP added that “the Philippine government is duty-bound to provide protection to our fishermen inside this zone.”

Article 13, section 7 of the 1987 Constitution requires the State to uphold the right of subsistence fishermen to have preferential treatment in the use of communal fishing grounds, both inland and offshore. This right is extended to protection against “foreign intrusion.”

The IBP also cites the Treaty of Paris signed in 1898 when Spain ceded the Philippine archipelago to the United States of America. This was reinforced and clarified in the Treaty of Washington of 1900 where the parties listed the additional islands that Spain turned over to the U.S.

“When the Philippines gained independence, all these islands covered by the Treaty of Paris and Treaty of Washington that form part of the Philippine archipelago became part of our country’s territory,” the IBP said.

In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration issued a decision confirming that the Philippines has sovereign rights over its EEZ in the West Philippine Sea. This decision clarified that “the Philippines shall enjoy all economic rights within its EEZ, including fishing, resource exploration, and marine conservation,” the IBP concluded.

The IBP is the official and mandatory organization of all lawyers in the Philippines.

KARAPATAN at the 56th UNHRC session: Human rights situation in PH remains as bleak as ever

Press Release
June 27, 2024

QUEZON CITY – In a side event at the 56th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Switzerland on June 20, 2024, KARAPATAN’s Atty. Maria Sol Taule said that under the Marcos Jr. administration, “the human rights situation remains as bleak as ever, with intensifying human rights and international humanitarian law violations and worsening climate of impunity, while justice for victims of human rights violations committed in the name of the “war against drugs” and “counter-terrorism” remains elusive.”

Taule will co-lead a delegation of human rights defenders from the Philippines to participate in the UNHRC session, as the UN Special Rapporteur on Climate Change and Human Rights is set to deliver a report on the expert’s official visit in the country last November 2023 and as the UN Joint Programme on Human Rights ends this August.

In the side event, KARAPATAN noted “an alarming escalation of the weaponization of the Anti-Terrorism Law (ATL) and the Terrorist Financing Prevention and Suppression Act (TFPSA)” citing trumped up charges against at least 112 activists and human rights defenders are facing charges under these laws.

“The Anti Terrorism Council unjustly and arbitrarily designated Dr. Naty Castro, Windel Bolinget, Steve Tauli, Sarah Alikes, Jennifer Awingan and peace consultants as terrorists, using perjured testimonies of so called rebel returnees. The bank accounts of humanitarian and development NGOs such as the Leyte Center for Development Inc (LCDE), the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines (RMP), Paghida-et sa Kauswagan Development Group Inc. (PDG) and Citizens' Disaster Response Center (CDRC) have been frozen for alleged terrorist financing,” Taule said in the side event.

“Extrajudicial killings of peasants, indigenous peoples, workers, environmental defenders, among others, are committed by State security forces in the guise of military encounters with armed rebels. The patterns of enforced disappearances, illegal arrests and detention, red-tagging, threats, harassment and intimidation remain to appear as State-sanctioned as State actors commit them with impunity. Indiscriminate bombing and firing continue especially in the countryside away from the attention of mass media and civil society organizations. Hundreds of political prisoners remain because the campaign of political repression includes not just violent attacks but also arresting activists on trumped-up criminal charges,” according to KARAPATAN.

Taule added that in this context, “while the UNJP has kept the HRC’s spotlight on the Philippines, its impact on the ground has been hardly felt. It had weak and low baseline indicators; weaker policy reform work; no visible substantial results in investigations, prosecutions and convictions of human rights violations perpetrators; and limited meaningful participation of civil society.”

In a joint written statement submitted to the HRC by the Commission of the Churches on International Affairs of the World Council of Churches, Franciscans International, World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), KARAPATAN, Aktionsbündnis Menschenrechte Philippinen (AMP), In Defense of Human Rights and Dignity Movement (iDefend) and Caritas Philippines, they called on the Philippine government “to put an end to the practice of red-tagging activists and support the recommendation made by the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression to abolish the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).

They likewise called on the Marcos Jr. administration to fully cooperate with the investigation by the International Criminal Court into alleged crimes against humanity in the context of the “war on drugs” led by Rodrigo Duterte.