Duterte expresses gratitude to Congress for extending martial law in Mindanao

FORT BONIFACIO, Taguig City (13 Dec 2017) - President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on Wednesday, December 13, thanked the House of Representatives for heeding his request to extend martial law for another year in Mindanao.


In his speech at the ceremonial demilitarization of seized weapons during the Marawi conflict at the Philippine Army headquarters here, the President sent his gratitude to Congress "for understanding the plight of the Filipino."

The President admitted that without martial law, it would be impossible for the government to curb rebellion and terrorism in Mindanao.

"Alam mo mahirapan talaga ako 'pag walang martial law sa Mindanao.  I will make it public and maybe telegraph also to the other side," Duterte said.

"You know because there are processes to follow, procedures to honor.  Kaya itong martial law, without the martial powers, the ancillary powers attached to the implementors, the implementing agency, mahihirapan tayo," he said.

The Congress earlier today voted in favor of the extension of martial law in Mindanao with a resounding 240-27 decision with no abstention vote.

Meanwhile, President Duterte said the demilitarized firearms shall symbolize the government's resolve to defend its people against individuals who sow fear through violence and destruction.

The demilitarized firearms were recovered by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) at the height of the five-month-long firefight against ISIS-inspired Maute group.

"It is through this that we will honor our heroes and those who lost their lives defending our way of life," he added.

According to the AFP, the firearms will be burned and its metal residues and scrap will be kept for final disposal following the AFP policies and directives.

During the event, the Chief Executive also conferred Order of Lapu-lapu medals to soldiers who were wounded in various actions all over the country.  Of this number, 75 were awarded with the Kampilan Medal and 30 others with the Kamagi Medal.

Duterte then said that he already ordered the National Housing Authority (NHA) to provide and build houses for soldiers who are still undergoing therapy.

The Chief Executive also assured good future for the soldiers' children, saying that if any of them want to study in the country's top schools, then he will finance it.

"As a matter of fact, now, kung sinong gustong mag-aral ng UP, La Salle, Ateneo, San Beda, tell me.  Ako na ang magbayad sa tuition ninyo," Duterte promised.

By virtue of Executive Order No. 17, the Order of Lapu-Lapu is given to government officials and personnel and private individuals who have shown invaluable service to the President's campaign or advocacy.

"To those who were wounded in action and are here with us today, we confer upon you the Order of Lapu-Lapu as a recognition of your extraordinary and exceptional service to the nation," Duterte said.

"May our soldiers continue to inspire our people, especially those from Marawi, to rise above all challenges as we rebuild from the ruins of war and look forward to brighter future," he added. 

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Congressman Siao votes to extend Martial Law in Mindanao

ILIGAN CITY (13 Dec 2017) - Iligan City Lone Congressional District representative Frederick W. Siao votes for the extension, to another one-year, of the state of Martial Law and the Suspension of the Privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus in Mindanao, Wednesday, during the Joint Session of Congress of the Philippines.  He explains his vote, thus:

"As a Mindanaoan and as the Representative of Iligan City, security and political stability are among my top concerns. 

"Recovery and rehabilitation efforts for Marawi will not prosper if the people's safety is not assured, and the remaining pockets of terrorism are not quashed." 

"I am with consonance with the citizenry of Iligan in extending martial law in Mindanao by one year.  However, any kind of abuse made by the military should and will not be tolerated." 

"Mindanao is ready to forge ahead as the new economic powerhouse of the Philippines, not just in agriculture, but also in manufacturing, services, and tourism." 

"The security and safety of our citizens, investors, tourists will be assured in the short term by the extension of martial law and political solutions such as progressive charter change, the BBL and more economic legislation empowering local governments and creating jobs for the long term."

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Pope Francis appoints Bishop Caermare to oversee Iligan diocese

ILIGAN CITY (8 December 2017) - Pope Francis appoints Dipolog Bishop Severo C. Caermare, on Wednesday, as the Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Iligan, the CBCPNews announced today.

The forty-eight-year-old bishop-caretaker was appointed a day after Bishop Elenito Galido, who served the diocese for 11 years, passed away at 10:11 in the evening of Tuesday at the Mercy Community Hospital Inc., this city.

Bishop Caermare will oversee the concerns of the diocese until Pope Francis appoints a new bishop.

Galido passed away on December 5, years after battling with cirrhosis of the liver.  He was 64.

Bishop Caermare, who hails from Sibutad town in Zamboanga del Norte, was ordained priest, at 26 years old, in 1996.  

At the age of forty-five, he was appointed bishop of Dipolog in 2014.



Bishop Severo Caermare delivers his valedictory address during his installation as Bishop of Dipolog.


Bishop Caermare holds a Master's degree in Theology and Pastoral Ministry.

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Iligan diocese's Bishop Galido passes away at 64

Bishop Elenito Galido officiating mass for Sendong victims on 

25 January 2012 [PHOTO by BOBBY TIMONERA]

ILIGAN CITY (6 December 2017) - Bishop Elenito Galido of the Diocese of Iligan in Lanao del Norte passed away at 10:11 p.m. Tuesday, December 5, 2017.  He was 64.

The bishop has been undergoing medication after he was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver few years ago.  He was also diabetic.

Duterte to order mass arrest of communists out on bail

MANILA (7 December 2017) - President Rodrigo Roa Duterte said Wednesday he will soon order the mass arrest of communists who are temporarily out on bail.

LTO to start issuing license plates in March 2018

Edgar Galvante

MANILA (7 December 2017) - The Land Transportation Office (LTO) will start issuing license plates by March next year, assuring motorists it will proceed with the procurement in accordance with the law.

In a statement Thursday, the LTO said it has issued a notice of award to the winning bidder in the procurement of license plates worth Php978.8-million last December 1.

The winning bidder Trojan Computer Forms Manufacturing Corporation and J.H. Tonnjes E.A.S.T. GmbH & Co. KG Joint Venture will provide the performance security with the initial delivery license plates scheduled sometime in March 2018.

"The LTO assures the public that the agency is doing the best it can, in compliance with existing laws and regulations, to deliver the license plates," LTO chief and Department of Transportation Assistant Edgar Galvante said in a statement.

The delay in the issuance of license plates was caused by the temporary restraining order of the Supreme Court (SC) on June 2016 preventing the LTO and then Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) from distributing 700,000 license plates turned over by the Bureau of Customs after the plates' supplier-importer failed to pay the required customs duties.

The 2013 procurement of motor vehicle (MV)/ motorcycle (MC) plates, which covers the supply of license plates from 2014-2018, was questioned before the courts and the Commission on Audit which remains pending to date.

"Thus, when the present administration came in July 2016, there was no budget allocation for procurement of license plates for 2016, 2017 and 2018.  Unconvinced that the procurement of license plates is dependent on the resolution of the cases involving the previous procurement, Asec. Galvante then requested for additional funds to be included in the LTO's 2017 budget in the amount of Php 400-million in order to proceed with the procurement of license plates," the LTO said.

Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur Tugade approved the request and allocated Php 1-billion from the department's budget for LTO's procurement of license plates in November last year.


House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez on Wednesday urged Galvante to resign over the agency's failure to release new license plates with an estimated backlog reaching 6-million. [Aerol John Patena, PNA]

Iligan gov't, creditors battle to control NSC

ILIGAN City (2 Dec 2017) - The Iligan City government and a liquidator acting on behalf of creditors of what was formerly the National Steel Corp. (NSC) are fighting for possession of the company after the former insisted that it acquired the firm's assets after it failed to pay more than PhP 4-billion in real property taxes, which the latter disputes.

According to Iligan City Administrator Dexter Sumaoy, liquidator Danilo L. Concepcion's move to take back NSC was based on the October 7, 2011, decision of Branch 57 of the Makati Regional Trial Court (RTC) in a civil case that favored the company.

In that case, Concepcion argued that the NSC paid its taxes on real properties - which included land, building, equipment and support facilities - from the fourth quarter of 1999 to October 15, 2004.

Iligan Mayor Celso Regencia filed an appeal to overturn the Makati RTC's decision with the Court of Appeals (CA), and later with the Supreme Court (SC), which dismissed it on June 21, 2016.

The accumulated taxes on the NSC properties reached P4.698 billion by October 2016.  These consisted of the basic tax (38.99 percent), special education fund (44.44 percent) and share of the villages (15.44 percent).

The Iligan city council held an auction of the NSC's assets on October 19 that year in compliance with the Local Government Code.  City Treasurer Louela Maybituin bought all the assets on the city government's behalf after no one bid for them and declared them forfeited in accordance with Section 263 of the Local Government Code.

 The accumulated taxes on the properties reached about P5.843 billion in 2017.  Maybituin declared the assets free from any hindrance or third-party claim after the NSC failed to redeem them and no injunctive order was issued.  The city government acquired the properties on October 19 this year with the approval of the mayor and the city council.

The NSC was first established as state-owned National Shipyards and Steel Corp. (NASSCO) in 1951.  Jacinto and Sons took over NASSCO in 1962 and renamed it as Iligan Integrated Steel Mills (IISM).  In 1974, the National Development Corp. (NDC) reorganized the IISM as NSC, which was later sold to Wing Tiek/Westmont in 1994.

Renong/Hottick Investments Ltd. took control of the company from 1996 to 1999, when the creditors assigned a liquidator to it.  NSC became known as Global Steel Philippines from December 2004 to August 2005. [Ted Khan Juanite, The Manila Times]