DAVAO CITY — Officials of the Pilipino Banana Growers and Exporters Association, Inc. (PBGEA) and the military’s Eastern Mindanao Command met over the weekend to firm up the establishment of special civilian armed units to help secure the banana industry’s assets and operations against continued rebel attacks.

The meeting was prompted by the March 18 incident in Tagbina, Surigao del Sur where a pilot was killed after suspected members of the communist New People’s Army (NPA) shot at his aerial spraying aircraft.

Based on the military report, Capt. Lynbert G. Laguda, Sr. died at a hospital after he maneuvered his aircraft into a crash, ensuring that no surrounding community would be hit.

Ralph P. dela Cruz, PBGEA security committee chair, told BusinessWorld that the death of Mr. Laguda has created a “huge impact on the operations of companies” in the remote areas as other pilots no longer want “to do the job because of fear that they, too, might suffer the same fate.”

Mr. Dela Cruz said while the number of NPA attacks have decreased so far this year compared to previous years, the rebels appear to have shifted their strategies, such as the airplane incident.

“Unless we are able to find ways, with the help of the government and the host communities, then the attacks are a huge problem to the operations of the farms,” he said at the sidelines of the meeting.

As previously agreed, the military will help the banana companies form a new security unit — a dedicated Citizen Armed Forces Geographical Unit (CAFGU) that will help in protecting the farms and the surrounding communities from the NPA threats.

The military will screen, train and provide firearms to the CAFGU members while the companies will provide logistical support, including salaries.

Some corporate growers, however, have expressed reluctance over the hiring of paramilitary units due to negative experiences in other countries such as in Colombia.

PBGEA Executive Director Stephen A. Antig said the issue is “something that we need to sort out because time is of the essence.”

Last week, the association came out with a one-page advertisement in local newspapers calling on President Rodrigo R. Duterte to help them, citing the case of Mr. Laguda.

The industry group said they are making the “appeal to the only Philippine President who has rightly pronounced the CPP (Communist Party of the Philippines)-NPA as a terrorist organization and has the guts to publicly declare a no-holds barred war against terrorism for more definitive and decisive action in obtaining justice for all those affected and for the protection of a vital industry for Mindanao and the Philippines.” — Carmelito Q. Francisco

PARENTS of the 10 Aegis Juris fraternity members who have been charged for the death of hazing victim Horatio “Atio” T. Castillo want their children to remain under the custody of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and have sought to stop their transfer to the Manila Police District (MPD).

In a letter submitted Monday to NBI Director Dante A. Gierran, the parents said, “(I)n behalf of our children… we would like to request from your good office to keep and maintain custody of our children and to inform RTC-Manila not to transfer them to the custody of the MPD because it will not be safe for our children to be in the custody of the MPD.”

Accused Min Wei Chan, Jose Miguel Salamat, John Robin G. Ramos, Marcelino Bagtang, Jr., Arvin A. Balag, Ralph Trangia, Axel Munro Hipe, Oliver Onofre, Joshua Joriel Macabali and Hans Matthew Rodrigo voluntarily surrendered to the NBI last Friday, March 23 after the Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 40 issued arrest warrants against them for their connection to Mr. Castillo’s death on Sept. 17, 2017.

The letter cited an earlier incident where MPD operatives forcibly entered the house of accused Mr. Trangia and attempted to apprehend him without an arrest warrant.

“From the foregoing, it is quiet clear that our children will not be safe under the custody of MPD. We wish that you will not place the safety and lives of our children under imminent danger by allowing the transfer of their custody to MPD,” the parents said.

Meanwhile, Manila RTC Branch 40 Presiding Judge Alfredo D. Ampuan has also announced that he is inhibiting himself from the case to dispel any thought of bias after it was discovered that he is the brother-in-law of Dante Jimenez, a supporter of the Castillos. — Dane Angelo M. Enerio

THE Bureau of Customs (BoC) on Monday filed charges against two importing companies and two customs brokers “for gross undervaluation of imports and large-scale agricultural smuggling,” according to a statement released by the agency.

The first complaint filed by the Bureau’s Action Team Against Smugglers (BATAS) before the Department of Justice (DoJ) accuses Subic-based vehicle retailer Granstar Premiere Sports Corp. (GPSC), its owner Fabian A. Go, and customs broker Norinel O. Quezana of smuggling 112 brand-new Vespa scooters in Jan. 22, 2014.

According to the press statement, “the declared value of the shipments plus duties and taxes amount to only P3,647,770, but based on the value provided by the Import Assessment Service (IAS), the actual dutiable value of the shipments plus duties and taxes amount to P28,297,167.46.”

The second complaint is against Manila-based importer Seven Myth Marketing (SMM), its owner Leoncio Victor S. Mangubat, and customs broker Mary Faith D. Miro for misdeclaring 15 containers of rice as ceramic tiles last Dec. 7, 2017.

The two shipments from China had only one container of ceramic tiles while the rest contained “7,150 sacks of 50 kilograms Sinandomeng Aguila and Sinandomeng Mayon rice with estimated duties and taxes of P10,013,503,50.”

Apart from tariff and falsification charges, the consignee and the broker are also facing economic sabotage for large-scale agricultural smuggling as the shipments’ value are more than P10 million.

“We will make sure that importers and brokers blatantly violating Customs rules and regulations will face legal action and revocation of Customs accreditation,” said Customs Chief Isidro S. Lapeña.

“I have given BATAS Executive Director Yasser Ismail Abbass strict instructions to go hard on smugglers and intensify the filing of cases against the, big or small,” Mr. Lapeña added. — Dane Angelo M. Enerio

Malacañang accuses HR groups of drug ties

THE PALACE said on Monday that human rights groups’ “vicious and nonstop” attacks against President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s nationwide campaign against illegal drugs could be sign that they are being funded by drug lords.

“The attacks against the President’s war on drugs have been vicious ad nonstop. We therefore do not discount the possibility that some human rights groups have become unwitting tools of drug lords to hinder the strides made by the Administration,” Presidential Spokesperson Herminio Harry L. Roque, Jr. said in a statement.

He added: “To continue to do and thrive in the drug business, these drug lords can easily use their drug money to fund destabilization efforts against the government.”

In a press briefing last week, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter S. Cayetano had likewise claimed that “nongovernment organizations (NGOs) are being used by drug lords” for their political and business interests.

“The illegal drug trade is a multibillion-peso industry and billions have been lost with the voluntary surrender of more than a million drug users, arrest of tens of thousands of drug personalities, and seizure of billion-peso clandestine drug laboratories and factories,” Mr. Roque said.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) Asia Director Brad Adams said the statements by Messrs. Cayetano and Roque “are shockingly dangerous and shameful.”

“Are they trying to have death squads target human rights activists? Cayetano and Roque   provide no evidence. They should withdraw their comments immediately,” Mr. Adams said in a statement issued today, March 26.

In response to Mr. Adams, Presidential Chief Legal Counsel Salvador S. Panelo said, “There is no need to withdraw, there is nothing naman, its not even a disparaging statement.” — Arjay L. Balinbin

DENR’s Holy Week reminder: Waste not

THE DEPARTMENT of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) reminded those going back to their provinces or visiting beaches and mountains during the Holy Week to observe proper waste management.

In a statement on Monday, DENR Secretary Roy A. Cimatu said visitors should help maintain cleanliness and observe environment-friendly practices to avoid pollution and other negative impacts on a tourist destination.

“In the past weeks, we have seen how many of our prime beaches particularly Boracay, El Nido and Puerto Galera, to name a few, have suffered from degradation,” he said.

“The sad thing is that destruction is not confined to these areas alone.”

Mr. Cimatu last week ordered the DENR regional offices to draft management plans for their respective tourist destinations to avoid the same environmental degradation that hit Boracay.

The DENR is expecting solid waste production to increase amid the week-long holiday, especially in beach resorts, which the department sees as the areas most likely to suffer from pollution.

“When our seas are polluted, marine life is affected, fishermen have less to catch, and the very waters that provide livelihood to many through eco-tourism cease to be a source of income,” Mr. Cimatu said. — Anna Gabriela A. Mogato

THE Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP) filed before the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) on Monday, March 26, a petition for a P104 daily wage increase across-the-board and region-wide.

“We still don’t have feedback from the employers’ group since we just filed the petition with RTWPB early this morning,” ALU-Southern Mindanao Region Education and Information Officer Melba L. Tampakan said in an interview.

Ms. Tampakan said the wage increase should be across-the-board and region-wide since “all workers are subject to the same changes in the prices of goods and services and the distortion provision in wage orders is cumbersome, unjust and does not respond to the needs of other workers.”

The last wage adjustment in the region took effect May 1 last year, with rates currently at P335 for agriculture workers; P325 for those in the retail and service sectors in an establishment with up to 10 workers; and P340 for those in nonagriculture, industrial, commercial and retail, and service with more than 10 workers.

ALU-TUCP National President Michael Democrito C. Mendoza, who represents the group in the petition filed, said the past increases “have been overtaken by increases in the power and water rates, health, and education cost, prices of oil and its products, LPG and of basic goods and services.”

Mr. Mendoza said that despite gains in the economy and productivity, the region’s workers have not been granted a single peso in real wage increase since 1989, the year when Congress passed Republic Act 6727 or the Wage Rationalization Act.

“According to government figures, in February 2018 the purchasing power of the latest legislated P340 daily minimum wage in Region XI is only P295.14,” he said, adding that their proposed P104 increase still does not factor in the impact of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) law that took effect in January this year. — Carmencita A. Carillo

OIL COMPANIES are raising the prices of gasoline and diesel this week, on the observance of the Catholic Holy Week when many Filipinos travel to their hometown or a holiday destination. Both gasoline and diesel will record their biggest price increase so far this year at P1.15 and P1.10 per liter (/L), respectively. The price of kerosene, meanwhile, will increase by P1 per liter, the second biggest price hike for the petroleum product after the P1.15-per-liter increase on the last week of February. The price hike takes effect 6 a.m. on Tuesday, March 27. Last week, the price of gasoline was unchanged after the P0.35/L reduction on the second week of March. Diesel prices rose by P0.40/L last week, which is in contrast to the P0.55/L price cut for kerosene. — Victor V. Saulon

QUEZON CITY Mayor Herbert M. Bautista on Monday personally served the order closing down the main office of Dimple Star bus terminal in Cubao. This comes after President Rodrigo R. Duterte directed the bus firm’s closure after one of its units fell off a ravine in Occidental Mindoro, which killed 19 and injured 21.

“We don’t want another tragedy to happen. Both the national and local governments have been trying to implement measures to minimize the risks on the road. The public should also do its share by not patronizing colorum and noncompliant buses,” Mr. Bautista said. The mayor also inspected other bus terminals in the area. — Minde Nyl R. dela Cruz

TROPICAL STORM Jelawat, which will be locally named Caloy when it enters the Philippine area, has maintained its strength but has been moving slower at 20 kilometers per hour (kph) more than a 1,000 kms east of the country.

Weather bureau PAGASA, in its 11 a.m. bulletin today, March 26, said Jelawat is expected to become a tropical storm by Tuesday morning, with the center located 945 kms east of Guiuan, Eastern Samar. It is forecasted to move northeast with maximum sustained winds of 65 kph near the center. Jelawat has remained on its recurving track and is not expected to make landfall in the country.

THE TAGUM CITY government is giving a boost to its coastal communities by organizing boat owners for systematic monitoring and implementation of livelihood programs. The program started with the recent registration of all local seacraft, both motorized and non-motorized (locally known as banca de bugsay) and identifying those used for passenger services, fishing, and other activities. The registration was undertaken in partnership with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Smartseas under the World Wide Fund as well as the police and coast guard.

In a statement released last week, the city government said the registration is intended to “protect our fisherfolks against various forms of abuse from fellow fisherfolks and the authority (and) serve as a means to monitor the docking areas of the boats.” During the registration, authorities also urged the coastal community members to be vigilant and assist in monitoring illegal fishing activities, other environmental threats, and terror attacks. Meanwhile, members of the city council announced plans to develop and promote tourism activities and other livelihood projects for the fishing communities. There are currently 185 motorized and non-motorized boats officially registered, which will be painted a uniform apple green with an orange stripe.