MINES CLOSURE VERY COSTLY—CABINET MEN By Julito G. Rada, Othel V. Campos and Anna Leah E. Gonzales THE country’s economic managers expressed concern that the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ decision to close down 21 mining companies could cost not only thousands of jobs but also hurt local government finances and the national economy. Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez said the closure of the mining companies will not only deprive jobs to thousands of people across the country but also affect the finances of local governments and also the national government. “In Surigao alone, one company employs 10,000 people. That’s my
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primary concern—the impact on employment in these rural areas,” Dominguez said. “My next concern is the impact on the local government finance because they pay a lot of taxes to the local governments. We are still assessing how different municipalities will be affected. We will check with local treasurers to give us a potential impact on the local communities,” Dominguez said. On the national front, Dominguez said, the mining closures could lower the projected growth of gross domestic product. As part of contingency planning, Dominguez said he already asked other members of the Cabinet if they have in place emergency employment programs to cushion the impact of job losses.
He said the Social Welfare and Development and Public Works and Highways are looking at emergency programs to create jobs, as are the Trade and Industry and Labor departments. Duterte’s economic managers, however, have not reached a unified position on the mining issue, he said. Dominguez said he has not yet spoken to President Duterte regarding the mine closures and said he might seek an audience with the chief executive. Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez admitted Friday that the closure of 21 mining companies would hurt exports and the economy. “Despite the small contribution to exports, the industry is still a dollarNext page earner,” he said.
FINANCE SECRETARY CARLOS DOMINGUEZ III
VOL. XXX • NO. 357 • 4 SECTIONS 20 PAGES • P18 • SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2017 • www.thestandard.com.ph • editorial@thestandard.com.ph
Du30: War with Reds resumes Ends unilateral truce two days after NPA attacks By John Paolo Bencito and Francisco Tuyay
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RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Friday ended the government’s unilateral ceasefire with the communist rebels after they staged a series of attacks on government troops.
Duterte declared an end to the ceasefire in a speech in North Cotabato, two days after the New People’s Army announced that the rebels were lifting their own unilateral ceasefire effective Feb. 10. “I told General [Eduardo] Año and said, I will lift the cease-fire tonight. No more ceasefire,” Duterte said in a speech at M’lang, North Cotabato on Friday. The government’s declaration will take effect immediately. “I lost so many soldiers in 48
hours, to continue the ceasefire, we will not produce anything... Go back to your camps, clean your rifles, and be ready to fight,” the President said. “I don’t want killings, but if my soldiers are dying, let’s resume anytime,” he added. “I tried my best, but I guess it wasn’t good enough,” the President said. “In my view, there will be no peace in this land… with the Communist Party. We will continue the war.”
CUT TO THE QUICK. President Rodrigo Duterte (above) takes down a peg yet once more Thursday on the Catholic Church in the Philippines while showing a book narrating the anomalies involving the Philippines in his speech during the 38th National Convention of the Philippine Association of Water Districts at the SMX Convention Center in his home city of Davao. On another war front, security authorities say the military will smash into communist insurgents (left file photo) after President Duterte calls off the ceasefire, after the New People’s Army admits carrying out at least 20 military actions nationwide in the past five days, with troops (file photo below) champing at bit for any encounter against enemies of the state.
Duterte’s instructions went against the advice of Peace Process Secretary Jesus Dureza and government chief negotiator and Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III to continue with the government ceasefire. In the same speech, Duterte, a self-confessed leftist, berated communist rebels for their “unreasonable demands,” saying that the release of some of the prisoners needed to go through the proNext page cesses of the courts.
‘ISIS men to move to PH if attacked’ By John Paolo Bencito
Pinoys still welcome in US, says embassy By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan nationals. THE US Embassy in Manila on Friday assured Filipinos they are still welcome in the United States, and that there is no change in American immigration and visa policies toward the Philippines. In a statement, Press Attache Molly Koscina said US President Donald Trump’s executive order does not restrict travel by Filipino
“Filipinos are still very much welcome to the United States,” Koscina said. Under Trump’s executive order on Protecting the Nation from Terrorist Attacks by Foreign Nationals signed on Jan. 27, 2017, visa issuance to nationals of the countries of Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen Next page has been suspended.
Dumlao out to destroy NBI—agency director AN NBI official who was sacked after being implicated in the kidnapping and killing of South Korean businessman Jee Ick Joo called police Supt. Rafael Dumlao III a “liar” for implicating him in the crime. Dumlao, who is said to be the mastermind of Jee’s killing, claims that some men of former NBI Director Ricardo Diaz had
been involved in the crime. Diaz, who was ordered to return to the NBI Regional Operations Service, his mother unit has denied the accusation against him. “You can look at our records. He says he is a lawyer but now we know he’s a liar,” Diaz said referring to Dumlao. “He just wants to destroy the Next page
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Cops, agents on indefinite freeze By Rey E. Requejo JUSTICE Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre on Friday ordered the indefinite suspension of the authority of the National Bureau of Investigation to handle cases involving illegal drugs. He gave the order to comply with President Rodrigo Duterte’s
pronouncement that the NBI, like the Philippine National Police, should also suspend its anti-drug operations. “The DoJ and the NBI will now focus their energy and resources on waging war against corruption and criminality,” Aguirre said. He ordered the PNP and the NBI to stop their operations against il-
legal drugs following the involvement of some of their members in the abduction and killing of South Korean businessman Jee Ick Joo. Superintendent Rafael Dumlao, Senior Police Officer 3 Ricky Santa Ana and SPO4 Roy Villegas have been tagged in Jee’s death. Sta. Ana and Villegas have already been charged in court. Next page
A RENEWED American offensive against the Islamic State in the Middle East could lead to a transfer of some of the terrorist organization’s operations to Southern Mindanao, President Rodrigo Duterte said Friday. “If [US President Donald] Trump decides to invade Middle East and if the ISIS loses its land base there, they will start to scatter around the world. Their favorite target would be the southern part of the Philippines,” Duterte said, citing intelligence reports. During the campaign, Trump vowed “to crush and destroy ISIS.” US forces were working in the last three months to liberate Mosul in Iraq, considered as the last stronghold of the terrorist group. Reports, however, claim that the jihadist group are scouting locations in Southeast Next page
Purisima, Napeñas barred from leaving PH By Rio N. Araja THE Sandiganbayan on Friday issued a hold-departure order against former police chief Alan Purisima and ex-Special Action
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Force director Getulio Napeñas Jr. in connection with the clash between Muslim rebels and Special Action Force commandos in January 2015 that resulted in the killing of 44 commandos.
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The anti-graft court’s Fourth Division ordered Immigration to stop Purisima and Napeñas from leaving the country without its approval. On Jan. 24, the Office of the Ombudsman filed graft and usurpation
charges before the Sandiganbayan against Purisima and Napeñas. Purisima “willfully, unlawfully and criminally” influenced Napeñas to violate the chain of Next page
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