Anti-private armies body steps up action plans; PNP lists 117 armed groups
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The seven-man Independent Commission Against Private Armies, also known as the Zenarosa Commission,
has stepped up meetings and liaison with the Philippine National Police (PNP) and other law enforcement
groups to firm up urgent action plans against private armed groups, which now number 117 nationwide.
“Just like candidates and political parties, we too are in a race with time because the private armed groups
(PAGs), by their nature and intentions, are principally election accessories and are very disruptive ones,” said
Commissioner Herman Z. Basbaño, spokesman of the presidential body. President Arroyo created the
Commission last December 8.
Basbaño said that upon directives issued by Commission chairman, retired Justice Monina Arevalo Zenarosa,
the Commission has been holding daily meetings and consultations to coordinate its action plans with law
enforcement agencies, including the military, the prosecution arm of government and anti-crime groups and
non-governmental organizations.
He said the Commission has been briefed by PNP Intelligence about the existence of 117 PAGs in all the
regions, with members running close to 5,000 many of them with arms.
The PNP said the Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), which includes Maguindanao province,
scene of the gruesome massacre of 58 persons last November, accounts for 25 PAGs, the biggest for any of
the country’s 13 regions..
Although individually operating and not exactly linked to each other, the PAGS constitute a significant threat to
peace and order, especially during the election period.
He said the Commission, whose members are Bishop Juan de Dios M. Pueblos, Mahmod L. Adilao of the
Ulama League of the Philippines, Army Gen. Jaime Echeverria (ret), Dante L. Jimenez of the Volunteer Against
Crime and Corruption, and Police Director General Virtus V. Gil (ret), met again Monday through Wednesday this
week to receive intelligence updates from PNP and to assess the reports.
PNP Intelligence officials said that while a number of PAGs have already been neutralized, and its members
disarmed and charged in court, many of these groups remain active and at the sides, waiting for possible
election engagements.
PNP officials said 117 special police task forces, one for every active PAG, have been formed to intensify
monitoring of PAG movements, checkpoint operations, and intelligence build up.
Former Armed Forces General Edilberto Adan, a permanent adviser to the Commission, said the body will
press for the detailed inventory of PAGs, a sort of an “order of battle” to enable the commission to determine
PAG profiles, membership, and capability. Adan said it is not remote that some PAGs could be employing not
only private bodyguards of politicians, but also retired, inactive, and even active policemen and soldiers.
According to Basbaño, the whole Commission is slated again to go to another Mindanao province for another
consultative dialogue with various sectors.
Zenarosa declared earlier that Commission was bent on exhausting all means so that none of the reported
PAGs can possibly disrupt the forthcoming elections.
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PGMA: Aurora is now insurgency-free
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BALER, Aurora -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today commended the province of Aurora, the Armed
Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police for setting a precedent: making Aurora an
“insurgency free province”.
The President witnessed here the signing of a “Joint Declaration of an Insurgency-Free Aurora Province” by
Aurora Governor Bellaflor Angara-Castillo, Northern Luzon Commander Lt. Gen. Ricardo David Jr., PNP-
Provincial Regional Command 3 Chief Superintendent Leon Nilo de la Cruz, 7th ID Commander Brig. Gen.
Ireneo Espino.
The joint declaration formally recognizes Aurora, formerly a hotbed of the Communist New People’s Army, as
the first province to be cleared of NPA rebels.
At the start of the 70’s Aurora was an operational area of the so-called Forest Region unit of NPA based in
nearby Isabela. In July 1972 in Digoyo Point, Palanan, Isabela the military foiled an arms-smuggling attempt of
the NPA and the Communist Party of the Philippines, which was among the immediate reasons for the
declaration of martial law in the country by then President Marcos.
The joint document was presented to the President as local authorities thanked her for the financial assistance
and development programs she gave to the province.
Gov. Castillo.Castillo timed the announcement of the joint declaration with the celebration of the 122nd birth
anniversary of Dona Aurora Aragon-Quezon and the 31st founding of the province.
The President said she is proud that Aurora is the very first province to be declared insurgency free.
She said peace in the province plus the support she and Senator Angara give will ensure that “our youth will
have a better future than their parents.”
The Chief Executive acknowledged that although Aurora’s population is just equivalent to the smallest barangay
in Manila, “the support we give you is equivalent to one region of the country.”
The President also lauded Senator Angara’s efforts to promote the Aurora special economic zone where
industries can locate. She also praised the senator for his efforts to attract foreign and local tourists, who came
in big numbers for this year’s 31st founding anniversary celebration.
She also cited the rehabilitation of the Casiguran airport, a “no-frills airport” that will spur the arrival of tourists in
the province and further improve the movement of agribusiness products.
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PGMA orders use of bamboo desks in public schools
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BINALONAN, Pangasinan – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo launched today the Engineered Bamboo
Project, which may require about 25 percent of all public schools to use environment-friendly bamboo desks.
“Makakatulong sa edukasyon at sa kalikasan ang isang proyektong ilulunsad natin ngayon, ang Engineered
Bamboo Project ng Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) at Department of Trade and
Industry (DTI). Inaasahan natin na 25 percent sa mga kinakailangang mesa ng Department of Education
(DepEd) ay manggagaling sa kawayan at hindi sa punong gubat,” the President said during the launching of the
Aeronautical Highway of Northern Luzon at the Binalonan Airfield in Barangay Linmansangan here.
Under the project, DENR will establish bamboo nurseries and distribute the shoots to farmers for the project
while the DTI will manufacture the bamboo desks through the Cottage Industry Technology Center.
As part of the project launch, DTI will provide Binalonan with a bamboo desk-making machine, which costs
P185,000, by next month.
After her speech, the President launched the Ilocano translation of Carlos Bulosan’s semi-autobiographical
book “America is in the Heart.” Entitled “Adda Iti Puso Ti America”, the book and mini exhibit followed Bulosan’s
immigrant journey from Binalonan to the United States, where he lived most of his adult life.
Aside from Favila, the President was accompanied by Senator Ramon Revilla Jr., Presidential Adviser on
Climate Change Secretary Heherson Alvarez, DENR Secretary Horacio Ramos, and Cabinet Officer for Regional
Development (CORD) Hermogenes Esperon Jr.
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PGMA visits “Aeronautical Highway” of Northern Luzon
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BINALONAN, Pangasinan – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo introduced here today the Aeronautical Highway
of Northern Luzon project which will link air services from Binalonan Airfield to under-serviced airports in
Northern Luzon such as the provinces of Isabela, Cagayan and Batanes.
As planned the Binalonan airport will be a hub for small aircrafts and for an “aeronautical” highway that will
speed up movements of people and products in the region. The 800-meter airport will also be an alternate route
for small airplanes in case Baguio City becomes inaccessible to air travel.
In a speech, the President said the Aeronautical Highway of Northern Luzon is part of her “super regions”
development strategy to spread development to the countryside.
In partnership with privately-owned WCC Aviation Co., managers of the Binaloan Airfield started six months ago
the “Sky Pasada”, routes as Maconacon-Tuguegarao, Maconacon-Cauayan, Cauayan-Palanan, Tuguegarao-
Batanes and Laoag-Batanes.
Fare for the 19-seater plane costs P1,800 while going to Batanes costs P4,000.
Binalonan Mayor Ramon Guico Jr. said Sky Pasada air service cuts the travel time between Cauayan and
Palanan, which is 16 hours by land, to only some 20 minutes.
Vice Mayor Ramon Guico III, an active pilot and founding chairman of WCC, said the Sky Pasada will also open
more tourist destinations in northern Luzon with the planned opening of flights to Bagabag, Baguio, Baler,
Casiguran, and even Caticlan.
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DOT chief to LGUs: Develop more tourism products
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Tourism Secretary Ace Durano today called on local government units (LGUs) nationwide to develop more
tourism products to make their respective localities key tourist destinations.
At the same time, Durano urged media and other stakeholders to vigorously support the campaign to muster
international acceptance of the famous underground river in Puerto Princesa, Palawan as one of the New 7
Wonders of Nature.
Durano told reporters from the Visayas, Palawan and Bicol regions attending a media briefing and open forum
at the Heroes Hall of Malacañang that tourist attractions are all over the country, but only a few are considered
destinations that bring in tourists the whole year round.
Other resource speakers at the forum were Press Secretary Crispulo Icban Jr., Director Dennis Arroyo of the
National Economic and Development Authority, and Presidential Management Staff Undersecretary Andy Cui.
The Tourism chief explained that such festivals as Dinagyang in Iloilo, Sinulog in Cebu and Ati-Atihan in Aklan
are held only once a year and do not attract a continuous flow of visitors unlike beaches and other ecotourism
magnets.
The visit to the Palace by the regional journalists ushers in President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s weeklong sortie
around the Central Philippines Tourism Super Region, one of five growth areas identified by the government
under its Super Regions development strategy.
In his remarks, Icban said the President’s Super Regions travels were meant to underscore her milestone
achievements over the past nine years which she intends to turn over to the next President “who will build on
them further.”
Central Philippines Tourism Super Region is composed of Regions 4B, Regions 5 to 8, as well as the
provinces of Romblon, Palawan, Camiguin and the island of Siargao “whose natural wonders and cultural
heritage, complemented by the extraordinary hospitality and warmth of the people, make these places potential
world-class tourist detinations.”
“Central Philippines accounts for more than 50 percent of the country’s tourism industry,” Durano said. He
added that the Philippines’ tourism sector remained afloat, while other countries suffered setbacks.
Government records showed that the country’s tourism industry remained resilient, posting a 6-percent growth
in foreign tourist arrivals in the first half of 2009 amidst an 8.5-percent decline worldwide.
A total of 3.14 million foreigners visited the country in 2008, compared to only 869,665 in 2000. Local and foreign
tourists in the country’s top destinations totaled 5.2 million from January to September 2009, representing a 17-
percent increase from the 4.5 million in 2008.
Cebu topped the list of 14 leading tourist destinations in the Philippines, followed by Camarines Sur and Metro
Manila in that order.
Camarines Sur, however, posted the highest growth last year with a hefty 117.25 percent, or from 721,024 local
and foreign visitors in 2008 to 1,566,447 last year. Cebu had only 1.24 percent improvement, or from 1,596,238
in 2008 to 1,615,982 in 2009.
Palawan’s capital city of Puerto Princesa, ranked 10th on the Department of Tourism list, posted the second
highest growth with 21.29 percent.
President Arroyo will fly to Puerto Princesa on Tuesday for the second stop of Central Philippines Tourism travel,
next to Donsol, Sorsogon which has made its mark on the world map of tourist spots because of the awesome
whale sharks that habituate its coastal waters.
Puerto Princesa boasts of the subterranean or underground river and the world-renowned Tubbataha diving
reef, among other natural wonders.
The slight growth of the tourism sector despite global economic slump was traced in part to massive
investments in tourism-related infrastructures in the Central Philippines Super Region since 2001. These
included 42 airport projects, costing P27.31 billion; 108 ports constructed by the PPA, costing P8.76 billion, and
145 municipal ports, costing P1.23 billion; 8,783.07 kms of roads and 18,741 meters of bridges constructed,
improved , and rehabilitated, costing P54.14 billion; and the P52.44-billion Southrail Project.
Complementing these was the development of other tourism support infrastructures and services including
communications, banks and hospitals and health facilities. To address the energy requirements of Visayas, five
power plants were commissioned in Central Philippines, providing power to almost all of the16,690 barangays
in the region.
Private sector investment in tourism facilities in Central Philippines increased by 50 percent from P389.2 million
in 2000 to P658.72 million in 2008. From 2001 to January 2009, 20 projects, mostly resorts and hotels, were
registered with the BOI, costing P6.6 billion. At the same time, hotel rooms capacity in the Central Philippines
increased by 16 percent from 8,046 in 2006 to 9,361 in 2007 while resort rooms increased by 41 percent from
2,780 rooms in 2006 to 3,917 in 2007.
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DFA 5th Among 177 Agencies in Integrity Development
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12 February 2010 - The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) ranked fifth among 177 government agencies last
year for meeting the integrity standards set by the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission-Office of the President
(PAGC).
The PAGC awarded the DFA a Certificate of Recognition last February 9 for its high ranking in terms of
compliance to the requirements of the Integrity Development Action Plan (IDAP) for 2009.
"The DFA is committed to developing and nurturing a culture of integrity among its officers and personnel to
better serve and give the public what they deserve," DFA Secretary Alberto G. Romulo said.
He added that the DFA is working closely with PAGC in implementing one of the major thrusts of the current
administration to improve moral standards in government through the formulation and adoption of programs
that will enhance transparency and accountability in its systems and processes
The DFA improved its ranking from sixth last year. Topping the list is the Department of Social Welfare and
Development and the Department of Health.
The DFA received the Certificate at the Land Bank of the Philippines Head Office in Manila on the occasion of the
First IDAP/MRAP Follow-up Meeting for the Year 2010.
IDAP is a national anti-corruption framework of the executive department which is focused on systems reforms
to minimize the opportunities for graft and corruption. It was crafted in 2004 and is being implemented in 186
agencies/offices nationwide.
The IDAP ranks government agencies in terms of a number of measures including prevention, education,
deterrence, and strategic partnership. END
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