AN estimated 3,000 people from representing the workers, farmers, women and children, church people, professionals, lumad, students, lawyers and local politicians will gather today at the Cagayan de Oro City Kiosk to commemorate the 124th International Labor Day. On this day, the Makabayan Coalition will hold a Meeting de Avance with the theme “Mayo Uno: [...]

MODEL BY THE FALLS. A photo hobbyist,  his model and assistant, enjoy the scenery at the foot of Mimbalut Falls, one of at least 20 waterfalls in this City of Majestic Waterfalls, Iligan City. MindaNews photo by Bobby TimoneraMODEL BY THE FALLS.

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/29 April) —  “I am telling you now. There will be attempts to cheating… In fact, the cheating has begun. Some money is being distributed already… There will be attempts to bribe our armed forces and (these have) already begun”  Acting Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales said in his closing remarks at the Bishops-Ulama [...]

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/29 April) —   “What will we do in the religious sector if there is a major failure of elections?” Davao Archbishop Fernando Capalla asked at the 5th BUC-PNP-AFP Forum for peace among the Bishops-Ulama Conference, Philippine National Police and Armed Forces of the Philippines. “Things will happen only if people will allow things [...]

ILIGAN CITY (MindaNews/29 April) — The El Niño phenomenon has severely affected this city’s agriculture sector, causing damage to farm lands to the tune of P15 million and affecting 4,000 farmers City agriculture officer Octavio Molo said about 2,000 hectares of farm lands in 23 of Iligan’s 44 barangays have been damaged. Affected crops are [...]

ILIGAN CITY (MindaNews/29 April) — A network of non-governmental organizations here has appealed to local politicians to refrain from verbal violence and mudslinging in their campaign. The Civil Society Organization-Forum for Peace Inc.(CSOFP) instead called on candidates to focus on their development and social services plans. CSOFP head Janina Bernardo said they are tired of [...]

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/29 April) — The government peace panel negotiating with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) have been consulting with stakeholder, including officials of North Cotabato, a press statement from the government peace panel said. The consultations included getting their views and [...]

Dr. Salipada Tamano representing Dr. Hamid Barra of the Ulama League, Acting Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales, Davao Archbishop Fernando Capalla and Armed Forces Chief of Staff Delfin Bangit, along with Philippine National Police Chief Jesus Versoza (not in photo) gather ed at the Waterfront Insular Hotel in Davao City Wednesday for the 5th Forum for [...]

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/28 April) — North Cotabato Vice Governor and gubernatorial candidate Emmanuel F. Piñol and his younger brother, Rep. Bernardo F. Piñol, Jr. (LP-2nd District) today asked the Supreme Court to compel the national government to “divulge to the public the contents of a reported draft peace agreement” between the Government of the Republic [...]

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/28 April) — A book on weapons proliferation and armed groups in Mindanao will be launched Wednesday afternoon at the Apo View Hotel. Titled “Primed and Purposeful: Armed Groups and Human Security Efforts in the Philippines,” this “comprehensive book on Philippine armed groups” has limited copies only. Two organizations co-published the book written [...]

(Review of Marites D. Vitug, Shadow of Doubt: Probing the Supreme Court (Quezon City: Newsbreak, 2010),  267+ pp. KYOTO, Japan  (MindaNews/27 April) — While writing the first lines of this review, I received word that one of the Supreme Court justices that Marites Vitug wrote about in this engrossing book had filed 13 counts of [...]

ILIGAN CITY (MindaNews/27 April) — Two towns in Lanao del Norte might be placed under the control of the Commission on Elections in view of violent incidents between contending parties, Rep. Abdullah Dimaporo of the province’s second district said. Dimaporo, speaking in the program Balitang Panlalawigan over radio station dxLS on Monday, was referring to [...]

LAWFUL ELECTION PROPAGANDA?  The Omnibus Election Code says posters or streamers should not exceed two by three feet except during a public meeting or rally, where three by eight feet streamers are allowed.  Congressional candidate Joji Ilagan Bian is not the only violator. Team Nograles’ “Change” and  the Duterte camp’s “What for?” are oversized, too. [...]

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/26 April) – The roadside bomb attack on a convoy of Sarangani Gov. Miguel Rene Dominguez before noon Monday was reportedly considered a minor blast as only the explosive’s blasting cap went off, police officials said late Monday afternoon. Senior Supt. Restito Gatera, Sarangani police director, said results of their investigation showed [...]

MALAYBALAY CITY (MindaNews/26 April) – The National Museum is set to declare a sacred tribal burial site in Bukidnon a national cultural treasure, a Lumad rights advocacy group today said. In a statement, the Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center (LCR) quoted National Museum curator Angel Bautista as having said the centuries-old Apu Mamalu burial [...]

TARP WAR. The word war between the Duterte and Nograles camps has gone to the streets through the tarpaulin. The Nograles camp wrote “Change we need, Change we must” to which the Duterte camp replied “Change? What for? We have the best.” The Nograles camp replied “Change is coming 10 May 2010.” Both tarps are [...]

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/26 April) – The ceasefire committees of the  Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF)  have signed a four-page “Guidelines for Mutual Understanding”  of  ceasefire-related functions during the election period from May 3 to 13. The Guidelines were signed  by both parties on April 23  “with the concurrence of the 5th [...]

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/26 April) – Joseph Estrada and Jejomar Binay were leaving  at around 10:57 a.m. when Brother Eddie Villanueva and Perfecto Yasay arrived at “Sonshineland” at the Jose Maria College in Catitipan, transformed into  a “Disneyland” of sorts last Sunday. Inside the cathedral of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ The Name Above Every Name, [...]

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/26 April) – An “oversized squad” of the NPA’s Magtanggol Roque Command-Front 51 Operations Command in Southern Mindanao ambushed the 16-man section of the Cafgu/39th Infantry Battalion of the 10th Infantry Division of the Eastern Mindanao Command at around 6 a.m. in Patulangon, Sta. Cruz, on  Sunday, April 25, a press statement from [...]

KIDAPAWAN CITY (MindaNews/25 April) — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has granted the petition of the Citizens Coalition for ARMM Electoral Reforms (Citizens CARE) for accreditation as citizens’ arm during the synchronized automated national and local elections on May 10 in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). The accreditation was granted en banc on [...]

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews25 April) —  The shipment of official ballots (OB’s) that will be used for the May 10 general elections in Davao Region is expected to arrive Monday (April 26) in this city, Election supervisor Atty. Ma. Febes Barlaan said. Barlaan said the ballots will be delivered by Air Speed Cargo, one of the [...]

ILIGAN CITY (MindaNews/25 April) — The city’s contenders in the May 10 polls are a mixture of old and new faces. Incumbent congressman Vicente Belmonte of the first district of Lanao del Norte and Iligan city ran for reelection for the newly-created lone district of Iligan city. The lone district was created through Republic Act [...]

WITH APPOINTED SON OF GOD. Vice Presidential bet Perfecto Yasay, Presidential bets Jamby Madrigal, Brother Eddie Villanueva and Richard Gordon with Pastor Apollo Quiboloy (second from right) at the latter’s birthday celebration today at Sonshineland, Davao City. Quiboloy describes himself as the “appointed son of God.” (MindaNews photo by Carolyn O. Arguillas)

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/25 April) – A Paris-based media group that fights for press freedom and denounces violations of human rights has urged President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to “order the confiscation of some of the Ampatuan clan’s property so that the proceeds from its sale could be distributed among the affected families.”

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/25 April) –  The Halalang Marangal (Halal) Convenors led by former Senator Wigberto Tanada wrote  the Commission on Elections (Comelec) last Friday saying it is “very late in the day to return to the old manual system which may not save us either (because) it will simply mean business-as- usual for the cheats.” [...]

COOL. A couple spends the afternoon under a rainbow amidst the waters of the scenic Tinago Falls in Iligan City. MindaNews photo by Bobby Timonera

CANITOAN, Cagayan de Oro City – The Oro Habitat Persons With Disabilities Homeowners Association (OHPWDHA) is spearheading “Basketball On Wheels” on May 1, 2010 at the Calaanan Relocation Site Covered Court, as a pre-fiesta presentation and contribution of the organization. “Basketball on Wheels” is a basketball game for persons on wheelchairs and this very exciting [...]

COTABATO CITY (MindaNews/24 April) – A businessman from Tacurong City and his driver were abducted at in Salipada K. Pendatun town in Maguindanao Friday afternoon. A combined team from the military and Maguindanao police are in pursuit of the kidnappers. Businessman Jose Lagon, Sr., and his driver, German Anghag, visited the project site in SK [...]

KIDAPAWAN CITY  (MindaNews/24 April) — A suspected communist rebel was killed while another was wounded when they exchanged fire with a platoon of soldiers from the 57th Infantry Battalions in a remote village in Makilala, North Cotabato, on Thursday. Lt. Andolong Durado, chief of the civil military operations of the 57th IB, identified the slain [...]

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/23 April 2010) — No, they did not post a notice of eviction or forfeiture but for 43 minutes last Friday afternoon, the Alliance Against Impunity (AIM) picketed the street fronting the main gate of the mansion along Kalamansi St. in Juna Subdivision, allegedly owned by suspended ARMM Governor Datu Zaldy Ampatuan. The [...]

MALAYBALAY CITY (MindaNews/23 April) — We can say goodbye to El Niño soon. Ann Fortich, chief meteorological officer of Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA)—Malaybalay said the rains are expected as early as May or later in June. “(El Niño) is expected to end soon, hopefully,” Fortich said, although the monthly record of [...]

MALAYBALAY CITY (MindaNews / 22 April) — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) and government security forces assured that Bukidnon is ready for the May 10 elections. “We are ready,” said Atty. Lordino Salvaña, Comelec provincial office supervisor. Salvaña said the Comelec has conducted information activities among voters and has trained in basic information technology (IT) [...]

RAGE!  The Alliance Against Impunity in Davao City marched to the mansion allegedly owned by  suspended ARMM Governor Zaldy Ampatuan  at  Kalamansi St., Juna Subdivision on Friday for a 43-minute picket in front of its main gate.

MALAYBALAY CITY (MindaNews / 23 April)— The days of 3.5 hour brownouts will soon be over,  Juancho Chiong, branch manager of the Bukidnon II Electric Cooperative, Inc (Buseco), said. Buseco plans to implement a two-way solution to the energy problems  through the  Interruptible Load Program (ILP), which would ask large companies and establishments to use [...]

Photo by Bobby Timonera GOOD MORNING OPOL! Opol Beach, in Misamis Oriental, at sunrise. MindaNews photo by Bobby Timonera

DSC_5788 (2) A participant of the Scubasurero 2010 gathers trash, which apparently drifted to Samal Island from Dafvao City, at the shores of Malipano in Samal on Thursday. Contributed Photo

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/23 April) – North Cotabato Vice Governor Emmanuel Pinol, his brother, Rep. Bernard Pinol (2nd district, North Cotabato) and two board members of the province in a letter Thursday to the

GRASSROOTS communities and Mindanao’s internally displaced persons (IDP) warmly welcome the formal entry of the Royal Norwegian Government in the International Monitoring Team (IMT) particularly on its “specific coordinating role” in the Civilian Protection Component (CPC) as mentioned in the April 21, 2010 Joint Statement of the GRP-MILF peace panels. Norway’s experience in various conflict [...]

In memory of our slain colleagues and other victims of the Ampatuan Massacre of November 23, 2009, media workers of Davao City along with civil society groups will stage a die-in and rally at 5 p.m. today at the Centennial Park. We urge everyone to join us. If you can’t, we ask you to please [...]

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/21 April) – No interim agreement was signed by the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) at the end of the two-day 18th Exploratory Talks in Kuala Lumpur Wednesday but the parties vowed to meet again in early May to “craft the interim document.” The two panels on Tuesday exchanged [...]

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/21 April) — The Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) on Tuesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Tripoli, Libya to continue working on the implementation of the Final Peace Agreement of  September 2, 1996, the  Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace [...]

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/21 April) — The government needs a panel of “permanent negotiators” to push the peace negotiations with the Moro and communist rebels to its logical conclusion and bring lasting peace to Mindanao, a senatorial candidate under the administration party said. Lakas-Kampi-CMD senatorial candidate Silvestre Bello III said he will propose the creation of [...]

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/20 April) –  Presidential aspirants have agreed on a common issue: they disagree with Acting Justice Secretary Alberto Agra’s order to dismiss the multiple charges against Datu Zaldy Ampatuan, suspended governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and  his brother in law Akmad, for alleged lack of probable cause. Lakas-Kampi-CMD standard-bearer [...]

23ukay Looking for cheap ukay-ukay, just visit the stalls  along City Hall drive in Davao City.