Posts by Jesus G. Dureza
Peace talks deadlock is good!
The on-going media blast coming from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) saying some of its ground commanders and armed followers are now “frustrated and angry” at what is taking… »
ADVOCACY MINDANOW: Old-fashioned counting better
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/27 May) — If you ask me, I still prefer the manual, old-fashioned counting of ballots for the local positions. The credibility of the local count with machines… »
ADVOCACY MINDANOW: Comelec chair drama?
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 28 April) – The recent caper of Comelec Chair Sixto Brillantes reminds me of that favorite medieval scenario: slaying one’s own self-invented imaginary dragon to show… »
ADVOCACY MINDANOW: Why peace talks stalled
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/15 April) — I got several calls asking my views on the current peace talks with the MILF. It’s clear that nothing came out from the latest round… »
ADVOCACY MINDANOW: Korean juvenile’s deadly game
DAVAO CITY — UNPREDICTABLE — Will North Korea pull the trigger? Everyone is waiting with bated breath. The new and young North Korean president (said to be below 30 years… »
ADVOCACY MINDANOW: A Day in Baganga and Cateel
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/2 April)–Last Monday, I joined retired Archbishop (Emeritus) NANDING CAPALLA together with retired publisher NILO CLAUDIO and visited “Typhoon Pablo’s” whacked areas Baganga and Cateel in Davao… »
ADVOCACY MINDANOW: Another Sy Generation
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/26 March)– I took the SM private plane back to Davao from Manila the other day with Mr. HANS SY of SM for the inaugural opening of PARK INN… »
ADVOCACY MINDANOW: Sabah fallout on MILF peace talks
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/10 March) — I was in Zamboanga City over the weekend to attend the Jaycee Senate Zamboanga Chapter Induction there. I was glad I took the trip. When… »
ADVOCACY MINDANOW: Sabah: Let’s All Cool It
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/04 March) — I am sad with what happened several days ago in Lahad Datu, Sabah. The violence and the killings were tragic. And from all indications, my… »
ADVOCACY MINDANOW: The Sabah Affair
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/18 February) — I was shaken a bit when I learned that a group loyal to the Kiram family of Sulu publicly announced their intentions of pushing for… »
ADVOCACY MINDANOW: I know why the floods!
FLOODING –Early dawn of Sunday, I was already receiving text messages about the rising of the floodwaters in the Davao river and its tributaries. Even friends in Manila whose families… »
ADVOCACY MINDANOW: Duterte as President?
DAVAO EXPERIENCE — Fireworks must now be banned all throughout the country. It can be done. Davao City has proven this can be done. Depriving the whole fireworks industry some… »
ADVOCACY MindaNOW: No crisis manager!
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/16 December) — With the situation getting worse everyday, handling the aftermath of Typhoon Pablo should be left in the hands of a competent crisis manager. Unfortunately, there… »
ADVOCACY MindaNOW: One day as a rookie race driver
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/08 Nov) — I was at Clark in Pampanga earlier this week to attend a race driving lessons at the Clark International Speedway racing school and race track.… »
ADVOCACY MindaNOW: Early Campaigning
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/ 26 October)–EARLY BIRDS. I seldom watch TV but lately, I caught several “senatoriables” endorsing this or that product. Or simply making motherhood statements for some advocacies that… »
ADVOCACY MindaNOW: Don’t disparage Nur Misuari
DAVAO CITY (MIndaNews/21 October) — As I wrote this column yesterday, thousands of MNLF (Moro National Liberation Front) followers started flocking to the popular Crocodile Park outside the Davao City… »
ADVOCACY MINDANOW: The devil is in the detail
LOS ANGELES (MindaNews/10 October) — I was in Vancouver, British Columbia on my way to Los Angeles when I got word that a Peace Framework Agreement was signed between the… »
ADVOCACY MINDANAO: Dangers of back channeling
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/ 24 September)—I am watching with great interest — and amusement –the on-going new “telenovela” now gripping the nation. No, not the popular “Walang Hanggan” nightly episode on… »
ADVOCACY MINDANOW: Remembering Martial Law
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/20 Sept) – Forty years ago, in September 1972, I was in Manila undergoing orientation and preparing to take on a new job at the Philippine Press Institute… »
ADVOCACY MindaNOW: Waging war easier than winning peace’
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/23 July) — CHANGING OF GUARDS. On my way to Davao del Sur last Tuesday, I dropped by at the Army headquarters of the 39th battalion in Tuban,… »
ADVOCACY MINDANOW: Justice Carpio as CJ
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/25 June) — JUSTICE CARPIO There’s a guy who’s been silent but had shown all these years his independence of mind and judicial fortitude. Justice Antonio Carpio was… »
ADVOCACY MINDANOW: On Mistresses
MISTRESSES – While in Manila last week, I met an old dear friend (but still young looking) Journalist Julie Yap Daza (lately with the Manila Bulletin). She gave me a… »
ADVOCACY MINDANOW: Go fly a kite!
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/10 April) – When someone tells you “Go fly a kite”, it’s not only about its literal meaning of flying a kite but also an admonition for you… »
ADVOCACY MINDANOW: Hello, what’s happening?
“RELOAD ” – I was in Iloilo last weekend to bury an uncle. But it was a good occasion to “reload” on the now famous Ilonggo “tical”. You see, many Ilonggos like me proudly admit, of course at our expense, that we are braggarts (“ticalon” or boastful). The joke is on us but we relish the reputation. Before, we used to say that we visited Iloilo “para mag renew tical”. Today, it’s to reload like cell phones. We need to reload from time to time by visiting our hometown Janiuay. This time “unli” guid!
ADVOCACY MindaNOW: China stops bananas
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/24 March) — BANANAS REJECTED — There are new dangers facing our banana industry and this can be due to our government’s mishandling of the Spratly’s issue with… »
ADVOCACY MindaNOW: Rationalize, not kill, mining!
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/05 February) — “Let’s not kill mining. Instead, we should rationalize it.” The mining industry today is at a crossroad. Both for small scale and large scale mining.… »
ADVOCACY MINDANOW: Mining’s big fight
DIPOLOG VISIT — I was back in Dipolog City a few days ago. There’s an interesting and important court case now before the Regional Trial Court there. And it’s worth… »
ADVOCACY MINDANOW: If I were PGMA
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/22 November) CRUELTY? — My good ol’ friend, journalist Jun Ledesma related to me yesterday his one-on-one interview on Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile (JPE) over a TV… »
ADVOCACY MINDANOW: If I were the MILF
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/01 November) — Last week, I wrote an item titled “IF I WERE THE PRESIDENT” where I mentioned what I would have done in the recent Basilan incident… »
ADVOCACY MINDANOW: If I were the President
STRING OF INCIDENTS –It saddens me to see these series of violent incidents in several parts of Mindanao just over the last few days. First, it was the Tagamito attack… »
ADVOCACY MINDANOW: Malacanang revisited
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/10 October) — Last Monday, I returned to Malacanang. As Mindanao trustee of the Philippine Press Institute (a private media organization) our oath taking was administered by President… »
ADVOCACY MindaNOW: Unsolicited advice: “Please lang!”
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/14 September) — POSITIVE NOISE. Despite the outright rejection by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) of the government’s (GPH) reply draft, we are hearing very positive “noise” from… »
ADVOCACY MINDANOW: Back to the table, everyone
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/29 August) — ‘NO SHOW’ –Last week, when the MILF decided to suddenly leave the negotiating table, hastily packed its bags to head back for home and did… »
ADVOCACY MINDANOW: I wuz hacked–again!
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/02 August) — “MONEY BADLY NEEDED” –Early dawn three days ago, I heard a message alert from my cellphone. I saw it was from my daughter Ning, who… »
ADVOCACY MINDANOW: Replace This Government?
SOMETHING’S AFOOT? — That video statement of Marine Col. Generoso Mariano released during the last few days calling on everyone that “this government must be replaced” etcetera is something Malacanang… »
ADVOCACY MINDANOW: My famous cabinet prayer
“PUNCHIN’ LADY MAYOR”– I met a newly-arrived Canadian the other day in Manila and the first thing she asked when she learned that I was from Davao was; “Wow. How’s… »
ADVOCACY MINDANOW: Spratlys, Sabah and BIMP EAGA
DAVAO CITY (04 July) — LISTEN ALL! –Elder statesman Fidel V. Ramos is at it again! And somebody ought to listen ! This time, he called on everyone to put at the “backburners”… »
ADVOCACY MINDANOW: A press journey of 40 years
RETURN TO PPI –I attended the 2-day annual conference of the Philippine Press Institute (PPI) in Manila last week. It was a sentimental “return” to an organization which I wanted… »
ADVOCACY MINDANOW: DAPECOL Hostage Taking
DAY FOUR – “THE ASSAULT” — March 8, Sunday. After hearing Sunday mass with my family, I was ready to fly back to Dapecol earlier than usual that morning. But the chopper taking MILF’S Atty Lanang Ali from Cotabato was delayed. I was in constant touch by phone with some operatives who stayed vigil in Dapecol to monitor things. While waiting to rendezvous with my friend Atty Lanang, I got word that the atmosphere at the hostage area had radically changed overnight. There were also notes smuggled out by hostages through food couriers that night warning that “mag sample sila” meaning they would harm or kill hostages that morning to force us to allow them to leave the prison compound for their escape. Then another information was received saying that the prisoners were overheard planning to take me hostage that morning the moment I would enter the room, then demand that they be flown by helicopter to Camp Abubakar or somewhere else. They would also order the prison gates opened and in their escape, other prisoners would make a rush to escape. A possible mass jailbreak in the offing. I did not anticipate that scenario.
ADVOCACY MINDANOW: My Disastrous Moments: Davao Prison Hostage-taking
(This is Part 2 of a 3- episode series of a firsthand account chronicling the hostage taking incident in the Davao Penal Colony [DAPECOL] that happened 13 years ago while the author was still presidential assistant of Mindanao of former President Ramos.)
ADVOCACY MINDANOW: My ‘disastrous moments’; Davao Prison hostage-taking
DAVAO CITY (10 June) — I was invited two weeks ago to speak on disaster management before some media practitioners and disaster management workers. I shared with them some insights… »
ADVOCACY MINDANOW: My disastrous moments: Cebu Pac Flight 387 (Part 2)
DAVAO CITY (01 June) — I have to hurriedly write this after my first story about the plane crash of Cebu Pacific Flight 387 was published yesterday. Instead of the… »
ADVOCACY MINDANOW: MY disastrous moments (Episode 1: Flight 387)
DAVAO CITY (30 May) — I was invited by MindaNews to speak before a motley group of media practitioners and workers in disaster management a few days ago. I gladly… »
ADVOCACY MINDANOW: MILF ‘invades’ Makati
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/9 May) – A few days ago, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front left the jungles of Mindanao and “invaded” the concrete jungles of Makati. They came in full… »
Maguindanao one year ago: Day Two. By Jesus G. Dureza
2nd of a 4-part series Nov 24 (Tuesday) At the break of dawn, Sec Bert Gonzales and I took the earliest flight to Gen Santos City. The medical checkup can… »
PEACETALK: Let's all be patient By Jesus G. Dureza
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/16 November) — I heard so many people asking what is happening to President Noynoy’s bold announcement that peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) will… »
ADVOCACY MindaNOW: Who’s afraid of coal-fired power plant? By Jesus G. Dureza
By Jesus G. Dureza on January 11 2011 8:17 am
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/10 January) — As the old saying goes: Yes, Virginia, but who’s afraid of a coal-fired power plant in our midst? Before you answer, I strongly propose that… »