Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Oro media wear black to protest violence

CAGAYAN DE ORO JOURNAL (Ben Balce / April 25) - Mediamen in Cagayan de Oro yesterday wore black to show protest on the recent killing of a police reporter and a provincial correspondent that was wounded last week.

The Cagayan de Oro Press Club (COPC) and the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) in Cagayan de Oro on Tuesday asked their colleagues to wear black and make yesterday (Wednesday) “black”.

Palacios was found dead on April 18, in Mapalad Village, Sta. Rosa, Nueva Ecija at about 6:00 a.m. Palacios was the 51st mediaman killed under the Arroyo regime.

Police report said his body showing signs of torture and shot through the chin.

The following day Philippine Daily Inquirer correspondent Delfin Mallari Jr. was wounded when he and DZMM correspondent Johnny Glorioso were ambushed in Lucena City.

COPC president Gerry Orcullo said wearing black is the protest of the recent killing Palacios and a murder attempt against Mallari.

“We expressed outrage at the murder of Palacios and a murder attempt against Mallari in a black day today for press freedom,” said Orcullo.

Orcullo also called on President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to "take fresh steps to counter violence against the press.

“This government should not wait for these journalists to abandon their pens and cameras,” said Orcullo adding these killings should completely stop now.

The killings of journalists made our country the world’s most dangerous country for journalists after Iraq according to Orcullo.

The COPC and NUJP, called wearing black “a day of action” in reaction to the wave of violence against the media all over the country.

Last week the NUJP also called the killing of Palacios and murder attempt to Mallari as another "dark period for Philippine media.”

Orcullo also said that journalists in Cagayan de Oro would be definitely holding protests against the latest assaults soonest as possible.

“Mindanao media men are decrying to unsolved cases since democracy was restored in the Philippines in 1986,” said Orcullo.


Home

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Kiram gets an enthusistics welcome in Agusan


THE SULTAN'S SUPPORTERS. Team Unity candidate Sultan Jamalul Kiram gets an enthusiastic welcome as he enters the Bayugan multi-purpose gym in Bayugan, Agusan del Sur, where the administration slate held a rally before a jampacked crowd. ( Team Unity Photo)

Sunday, April 22, 2007

Team Unity has one big push in Mindanao

(Advertorial)

CAGAYAN DE ORO JOURNAL (April 22) - Team Unity’s campaign juggernaut will mount this week its first major solid push in central Mindanao in a two-day caravan covering five provinces and three cities in the Socsksargen (South Cotabato-Sultan Kudarat-Saranggani-General Santos City) corridor, a region long hobbled by armed conflicts between government forces and secessionist rebels but which is now fast becoming the island’s economic gem.

The region’s political moguls – General Santos (GenSan) City Mayor Lita Nunez, Sarangani Gov. Migz Dominguez, Koronadal City Mayor Fernando Miguel, Sultan Kudarat Datu Pax Mangadadatu, Maguindanao Gov. Datu Andal Ampatuan and Vice Gov. Datu Bimbo Sinsuat, Cotabato City Mayor Muslimin Sema – will host the caravan and political rallies and are expected to pledge to work for a 12-0 win for Team Unity.

Team Unity’s caravan, scheduled to start from Cotabato City today (April 18), will end the following day in another motorcade in GenSan City. A proclamation rally, hosted by GenSan Mayor Lita Nunez, will be held at the city’s Freedom Park shortly after a scheduled dinner at the residence of newly crowned WBC super-featherweight champion Manny Pacquiao, who is also seeking a congressional post representing the city.

“This is Team Unity’s first major campaign push in Mindanao,” Tourism Secretary and Team Unity spokesman Joseph Ace Durano said yesterday. He recalled that the team of senatorial bets Joker Arroyo, Luis “Chavit” Singson, Vicente Sotto, Tessie Aquino-Oreta, and Ralph Recto had their Pulong Sulong campaign huddle with the voters in the provinces of Misamis Oriental and Lanao del Norte in the first week of March, but said “this happened at the time when the Team Unity’s slate was divided into teams.”

Durano said a series of rallies in the provinces of North Cotabato, Maguindanao, Sultan Kudarat, South Cotabato, and Sarangani would be squeezed into the two-day caravan.

As scheduled, today’s caravan will start from Cotabato City, the administrative center of Mindanao’s former Region 12 (Central Mindanao), and end in Koronadal City, the administrative center of the newly formed Socsksargen region.

Tomorrow (Thursday), the Team Unity senatorial bets will motor to General Santos City where they are to hold a news conference and later join Sarangani Gov. Dominguez in a proclamation rally in the town of Alabel, near the border of Gensan City. They will then return to GenSan City in a motorcade to have dinner at Pacquiao’s residence and join the proclamation rally hosted by Mayor Nunez.

Socsksargen is Mindanao’s fast-booming economic area, accounting for the country’s largest total daily fish landings. It is also the country’s leading producer of sashimi-grade tuna.

TU senatorial candidates Sultan Jamalul Kiram of Sulu and Juan Miguel Zubiri of Bukidnon vowed to work for peace and development in Mindanao, citing President Arroyo’s commitment to bring peace and progress in the country’s second biggest island. Another TU candidate, Prospero Pichay, represented Surigao del Sur in the House of Representatives.

Aside from the three bets who represent Mindanao in Team Unity senatorial slate and the five fellow candidates who first conducted their Pulong Sulong there, other TU senator-hopefuls to join the Mindanao caravan are Edgardo Angara, Michael Defensor, Vicente Magsaysay and Cesar Montano.

The twelve TU senatorial candidates are hoping to score a 12-0 win in Mindanao, owing to a solid network of dedicated political workers belonging to the six political parties within the ruling coalition.

They are batting for the continuation of President Arroyo’s “8 by ‘08” agenda which aims to sustain the country’s economic growth and spread among the people the fruits of this growth.

Home

Thursday, April 19, 2007

Ledesma to Jarales: "Go ahead!"

*FICCO backs Jarales for Misor Board

Cagayan de Oro Archbishop Antonio Ledesma (left) 2nd District Misamis Oriental provincial board aspirant Fermin Jarales (right) pose for lensman after a few hours talk at bishop’s palace.

CAGAYAN DE ORO JOURNAL (Ben Balce/April 19) - "Go ahead!"

Thus said Cagayan de Oro Archbishop Antonio Ledesma days after provincial board aspirant for 2nd District Misamis Oriental Fermin Villaroya Jarales visited him seeking his guidance at the bishop’s palace.

Jarales, 28, among the youngest provincial board aspirants in the province, decided to file his certificate of candidacy a day after Ledesma’s "spiritual" guidance.

"I wish you (Jarales) all the luck in your candidacy," said Ledesma adding: "As you want to serve people for the common good is also serving God."

Earlier, Ledesma, vice-president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), through the "Magsilingan Ka!", an interfaith, businessmen’s movement and similar groups that were recently created for clean and credible elections in the entire archdiocese.

Ledesma said, they are taking this step because of the lessons from the May 2004 elections that were widely believed to have been marred by massive cheating.

Jarales is running under Partido Demokratiko Sosyalista ng Pilipinas (PDSP) and is also the PDSP’s Cagayan de Oro chairman.

"My visit to the bishop is part of my decision to serve a larger number of people. Serving our people is one of my purposes being a member of Columbian Squire Marshall in the archdiocese," said Jarales.

In 1923, Christian Brother Barnabas McDonald, a noted expert in the field of social welfare work with young people, created an official youth organization of the Knights of Columbus. What Brother Barnabas devised is the Columbian Squires. Jarales is also a Legion of Mary worker.

"To talk to the bishop seeking guidance is not to get attention from the Church, but an intention to continue serving the people as Columbian Squires member and a Christian," said Jarales.

Meanwhile, Ledesma reiterated that the Catholic Church would not endorse any politician or political party during their campaign sorties.

Ledesma said that candidates could only seek support from any religious group and not from individual priests.

"The leaders of the bishops’ organization through ‘Magsilingan Ka’ movement had a "free wheeling" discussion and openly expressing support for platforms of governance espoused by candidates through trans-partisan politics. " said Ledesma.
In a related development, the First Community Credit Cooperative (FICCO) expressed support to Jarales’ bid for the provincial board.

The 100 thousand-strong’ Ficco endorsed Jarales, himself being a Ficco board member.

Jarales is the second son of the 7 children of Mr. Ban Jarales and Mrs. Jocelyn Villaroya of Gimangpang, Initao, Misamis Oriental.

As to professional experience, Jarales was employed as human resource development manager of Misamis Oriental - 1 Rural Electric Service Cooperative, Inc. (Moresco) in Laguindingan, Misamis Oriental from November 2006 to April 13, 2007.

"I resigned from my position at Moresco to prove that I’m serious with my candidacy," said Jarales, taking a snipe at his detractors.

He also used to the municipal administrator of Opol LGU from January 2002 to November 2006.

Jarales also worked as legal researcher at Dela Rosa Gomos Dayao Cantago & Narrido Law Firm in Cagayan de Oro from January 1998 to 2002.

He was also the assistant regional coordinator of the Federation of free Workers (FFW) Region 10 in January 2002.

He was an intern of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Region 10 (Trade Promotions Division) in May 1997 and was employed at Cagayan de Oro – Iligan Corridor – Project Management Office (CIC – PMO) in April 1997.

Jarales is a product of Xavier University (Ateneo de Cagayan) graduated (full scholar, Dean’s list) with the degree of BS in Development Communication
(Major in Journalism) from June 1994 to March 1998.

At present, he is taking up Bachelor of Laws (Third Year) at the same institution.

During his college days at Xavier University, Jarales was president of XU Aggie Student Council in 1997-1998; chairperson, Directorate XU Central Student Government in 1997 – 1998; Editor – In – Chief of ‘Communique’ college organ in1996; a ‘Crusader’ college organ correspondent in 1996-1997 and founder of Mastersonian Scythe Fraternity in 1997.

Home