Du30’s war backed Most Pinoys ‘appreciate’ anti-crime drive—poll
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OST Filipinos approve of the way the administration is handling the fight against criminality, but they find the government lacking in addressing an issue that 34 percent of them find urgent—controlling inflation, the latest Pulse Asia survey showed.
VOL. XXX • NO. 336 • 4 SECTIONS 20 PAGES • P18 • SATURDAY, JANUARY 14, 2017 • www.thestandard.com.ph • editorial@thestandard.com.ph
DURIAN DIPLOMACY. Visiting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe winds up his Davao City experience Friday by adopting and naming a Philippine eagle and sampling some durian on his last day in the country, naming the bird Sakura, a Nippongo term meaning ‘cherry blossoms’ with Abe’s wife Akie. AFP
Japan premier takes female eagle under his wings By Lilian C. Mellejor DAVAO CITY―Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday adopted a twoyear-old juvenile female Philippine Eagle rescued last Dec. 12 from Pantaron Range in Talaingod town, Compostela Valley province.
The eagle was named Sakura, Nihongo for cherry blossoms, in honor of Japan, which has been helping the Philippine Eagle Foundation and funded the establishment of an education center located in Malagos, Baguio District here. The naming of the eagle was held at the garden of
the Waterfront Hotel where President Rodrigo Duterte also presented an eagle stuff toy symbolic of the adopted Philippine eagle to Mr. Abe. Part of the backdrop of the naming ceremony was also a stuffed Philippine eagle named “Diola”―mother of Pagasa, which is the first
hatched and bred Philippine eagle. In an interview on the sidelines of the naming ceremony, PEF Director Dennis Salvador said the ceremonial naming involved goodwill. The Philippine eagle is iconic to the Philippines and a symbol of Filipino resilience.
The adopted eagle was seen by an Ata Manobo (a tribe in Talaingod) standing at a river bank with a wound at the lower left of her abdomen sustained from a gunshot. The eagle could not fly and was limping when turned over to the center. The bullet remains embedded in the Next page eagle’s tissue.
The survey, conducted among 1,200 respondents from Dec. 6 to 11, 2016, showed that 84 percent of Filipinos approved of the administration’s anti-crime efforts, while 12 percent said they were ambivalent about it. Only 4 percent disapproved. President Rodrigo Duterte’s anti-crime efforts have focused on his war on illegal drugs, which has drawn widespread criticism abroad because of the rising bodycount of drug suspects. The administration also drew high marks for responding to disasters (80 percent), fighting corruption (76 percent), protecting the welfare of overseas workers (75 percent), increasing peace (72 percent), protecting the environment (69 percent), enforcing the rule of law (69 percent), defending territorial integrity (65 percent), creating more jobs (58 percent), improving workers’ pay (57 percent), and poverty reduction (51 percent). On the other hand, only 44 percent of respondents approved of the way the government was fighting inflation. Most—or 36 percent—were undecided, while 20 percent expressed disapproval. The approval ratings showed little change from the September survey, Pulse Asia said, except for a decline in efforts to increase workers’ pay and to control inflation. The latest survey, conducted from Dec. 6 to 11, 2016 had a ±3 percent margin of error at Next page the 95 percent confidence level.
Duterte assures Abe of continuing teamup minister’s visit, he pointed out By John Paolo Bencito and F. Pearl A. Gajunera that the… strong relationship PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte assured visiting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that the Philippines would continue to cooperate with the United States, which will remain an important force in the region, a senior Cabinet official said Friday. “In one of the significant things I heard from the prime
and friendship between Japan and the Philippines will also open the door for us to engage in other areas of joint cooperation,” said Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. These include how to deal with the United States and let them understand the geo-political situation and realities on the ground, Yasay said. Next page
Health, pay hike Pinoys’ main concerns—Pulse Asia By John Paolo Bencito “GETTING a salary increase” and “staying healthy” are the leading urgent national and personal concerns of many Filipinos, the latest Pulse Asia survey revealed. The survey, conducted among 1,200 respondents from Dec. 6
to 11, 2016, found that the need to increase workers’ pay was the most urgent national concern for 45 percent of Filipinos, followed by controlling inflation (34 percent), reducing poverty (33 percent), fighting criminality (33 percent), creating more jobes (31 percent) and fighting corruption (31 percent). Next page
JOYFUL ARRIVAL. Miss Universe Sri Lanka Jayathi de Silva and Miss Universe Ecuador Connie Jimenez give samples of their wit when interviewed Thursday night during their arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport for the beauty pageant this month. PNA
Moro leader’s son detained in KL
UN vows aid to RH efforts THE United Nations Population Fund on Friday lauded President Rodrigo Duterte’s issuance of Executive Order No. 12 which supports the full implementation of the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Law. “The full and immediate implementation of the RPRH Law is critically important for the government to deliver on its family planning program, which has been identified by President Duterte as one of his Next page
By Charmaine Deogracias THE son of a leader of the Moro National Liberation Front and a Mindanao lawmaker has been in Malaysian custody for almost two months now in connection with the Sept. 2 Davao City bombing, multiple police, military and
diplomatic sources said. Datu Mohammad Abduljabbar Sema, 26, was arrested on Nov. 24, 2016 at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport upon his arrival from Bangkok aboard Air Asia flight AK 891. Sema is the son of Muslimin Sema, chairman of the largest group in the MNLF, and Rep.
Bai Sandra Sema, congresswoman of the first district of Maguindanao. Muslimin Sema was former Cotabato mayor and is being considered to be member of the Bangsamoro Transition Council. His mother belongs to the influential Sinsuat clan of Maguindanao. Next page
Rights watchdog seeks end to EJKs praised the killing of suspected says in its World Report 2017. By Sandy Araneta and drug dealers and drug users and Carlos Conde of Human Sara Susanne D. Fabunan
CONTRABAND SEIZED. Members of the Philippine Coast Guard seize
58 pangolins, 14 boxes of seahorses and 1 carton of sea dragons at the anchorage area of Pier 4 at North Harbor in Manila, with the animals, costing millions of pesos in the contraband trade, allegedly being exported to other Asian nations and sold there as aphrodisiacs. Norman Cruz
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PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has initiated a “war on drugs” in which police and “unidentified gunmen” have killed several thousand people, Human Rights Watch
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Rights Watch Philippines released the report to reporters on Friday. Since taking office on June 30, 2016, Duterte and senior government officials have
resisted holding those responsible to account. In the 687-page World Report, its 27th edition, Human Rights Watch reviewed human rights practices in more than 90 countries. Next page
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