PRESIDENT RODRIGO R. Duterte has signed Administrative Order (AO) no. 3 creating an interagency task force for the revival of the besieged Marawi City.

Signed by Mr. Duterte on June 28, the AO directs the formation of task force “Bangon Marawi” that will be headed by Defense Secretary Delfin N. Lorenzana as chairperson and Public Works and Highway Secretary Mark A. Villar as vice-chairperson.

The AO spells out the functions of the newly-formed body, which include the deployment of a quick response team as well as the assessment of “post-conflict needs” of civilians affected.

The AO also commands the members of the body to organize themselves into sub-committees that will focus on reconstruction, housing, health and social welfare, business and livelihood, and peace and order.

Moreover, the task force is mandated to facilitate and oversee the construction of temporary shelters for displaced civilians and coordinate the “immediate” restoration of public utilities.

“The chairperson is hereby directed to consult with Muslim leaders in the rehabilitation of predominantly Muslim localities,” the document read in part.

“The resources needed for the implementation of this Order shall be sourced from available funds of the member agencies of the Task Force and such other appropriate funding sources as the Department of Budget and Management may identify,” it added.

President Rodrigo R. Duterte last month promised to increase the allotted fund for the rehabilitation of war-torn Marawi city, which is now at P20 billion from the initial appropriation of P10 billion.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) earlier said it plans to rehabilitate Marawi “as fast as it can,” although it has yet to determine when it can begin the rehabilitation and estimate the damage from the warfare.

“We are now preparing the mechanism to go into rehabilitation and recovery as soon as the fighting stops in Marawi,” Mr. Lorenzana said in a press briefing on Monday.

“We already have one engineering brigade, Army brigade, always on standby who will go there immediately once the fighting stops to start rebuilding the infrastructure of the city… and rebuilding of houses, buildings of the government,” he added.

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has so far released a total of P662.5 million for the government’s response operation for civilians affected by the ongoing battle in Marawi.

In her press briefing at Malacañang in June, Social Welfare Secretary Judy M. Taguiwalo disclosed that the said fund allotted by the DBM to her department as of June 6 will be used to buy food and non-food items for the evacuees.

Meanwhile, Mr. Lorenzana said the US has pledged to help restore Marawi, adding that Mr. Duterte and US Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Y. Kim will discuss Washington’s aid in a meeting at Malacañang on Monday.

“We do not know if they (US) are going to help in kind or in funds or whatever,” the Defense chief said. — Ian Nicolas P. Cigaral

A displaced woman using an American flag as a scarf lines up to receive food from the government in Baloi, Lanao del Norte. — REUTERS

By Kristine Joy V. Patag
Reporter

REFORMS AT the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) were among the Department of Justice’s (DoJ) achievements on the first year of his watch, Justice Secretary Vitaliano N. Aguirre said. Yet he also acknowledged that the illegal drug trade has made a comeback at the national penitentiary, even affecting the very police force tasked to end the illicit enterprise.

Interviewed by the media after a Thanksgiving Mass at the DoJ yesterday, Mr. Aguirre said: “When we changed the BuCor personnel with [Philippine National Police-Special Action Forces (PNP-SAF)] personnel on July 20, days after we assumed office, the SAF destroyed the syndicate there responsible for distributing illegal drugs.”

Mr. Aguirre earlier claimed that 70-75% of illegal drugs throughout the Philippines came from the New Bilibid Prison (NBP).

But he admitted that despite last year’s success, there has been a “resurgence” of the illegal drug trade at the NBP. “I have received reports that there were some reactivation. We are doing something about this. We are going to end this resurgence, some sort of resurgence by some inmates,” he added.

The Justice chief is among the first appointees of President Rodrigo R. Duterte, who was catapulted to the presidency on his platform of eradicating illegal drugs, criminality and corruption.

Among the leading targets of Mr. Duterte’ss avowed crusade is Mr. Aguirre’s predecessor in the DoJ, Senator Leila M. de Lima — who is currently detained at the PNP headquarters and is facing three counts of what her supporters describe as trumped-up illegal drug trading charges. Ms. De Lima’s case is pending before the Muntinlupa Trial Court.

Ms. De Lima on Monday challenged her former colleagues at the DoJ to “salvage” the department that she formerly led from “gross mismanagement and further embarrassment.”

She said in a statement that some of the department’s executives and employees “were forced to do jobs with questionable motives and comply with unreasonable orders.”

“I hope that my former colleagues and coworkers, whom I will continue to pray and look out for, can endure these dark times and remain above the dirty fray. The people at the top cannot define you and your institution if the vast majority do not follow the bad examples being set,” Ms. De Lima said.

SAF ‘TAINTED’
Mr. Aguirre for his part said members of the SAF may have been “tainted” due to its prolonged deployment in the NBP and the large amount of money involved in the trade.

“Because of their familiarity, they have stayed there for more than six months. Our original plan was for them to be in the area for only three months,” Mr. Aguirre said, adding, “Because of the huge amount of money involved, they may have been tainted.”

The elite members of the police force were supposed to guard the NBP for three to six months, Mr. Aguirre said. But he noted that the rotation did not push through since members of the Philippine Marines, who were supposed to take over, were deployed to augment the military forces in war-torn Mindanao.

“We have successfully curbed 75% of the illegal drug trade. If ever, the resurgence is about five to 10% only and we are going to clip it again,” Mr. Aguirre said, adding that BuCor Director General Benjamin C. delos Santos has proposed measures to stop the trade.

Mr. Delos Santos, for his part, said in a text message to reporters that the BuCor had “random raids and [were] able to seize sachets of users surreptitiously entered [in the NBP].”

The BuCor chief, however, said he has “no information” on Mr. Aguirre’s source regarding his estimate on the resurgence in the drug trade at Bilibid. — with Jil Danielle M. Caro

Members of the CIDG at the Bureau of Corrections following an altercation late last year that led to the death of convicted drug lord Anthony Co. — EDD GUMBAN/THE PHILIPPINE STAR

GASOLINE, DIESEL and kerosene prices are increasing this week, starting the month of July with a reversal of June’s general decline in pump prices. After four straight weeks of decrease, prices are up effective 6 a.m. today, July 4, with diesel higher by P0.70 per liter (/L), gasoline by P0.30/L, and kerosene by P0.55/L. During the weekend, on the other hand, retailers of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) advised of a decrease in the price of the regular 11-kilogram cylinder. Petron Corp. cut the price of its Gasul and Fiesta Gas brands by P1.65 per kilogram, or a savings of P18.15 per cylinder. The price of its Xtend autoLPG also dropped by P0.92 per liter. Eastern Petroleum Corp. also slashed the price of its EC Gas LPG by P1.65 per kilogram. It imposed the price cut on Saturday, July 1. “These reflect movements in the international contract prices of LPG for the month of July,” Petron said. — Victor V. Saulon

JAPANESE INVESTORS are interested in developing an eco- and agri-tourism project at the Lanao Lake in Daanbantayan, Cebu, according to Mayor Vicente A. Loot. “They are interested in the development of the 16-hectare Lanao Lake into an eco- and agri-tourism destination. They’re sold out to our idea of desilting the lake and constructing a theme park and water sports at the center of the lake as we have proposed,” Mr. Loot said. The lake project is one of several proposals pitched by the local government to the Japanese investors during a recent visit. The mayor said the other items in their investment portfolio include a roll on-roll off port, breakwater and economic zone at the Poblacion, Malapascua Tourism Center, and adventure and water sports facilities in Logon. “They are also interested in the construction of breakwater and boardwalk at the back of the municipal hall traversing the old fish port towards Malocbaloc area. Then they will reclaim the eight-hectare area,” Mr. Loot said, adding that the group from Japan are scheduled for another visit to discuss details of the projects. “My vision and thrust now is focused in exploring the tourism potentials of Daanbantayan,” he said, noting that in the first six months of this year, the local government earned P5 million in dive fees alone, the same amount earned for the full year 2015. Malapascua is a popular dive site for its thresher sharks and manta rays. — The Freeman

THE DEPARTMENT of Justice (DoJ) has ordered the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to investigate the brutal murder of a family in San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan. Justice Secretary Vitaliano N. Aguirre II, through Department Order No. 446, directed NBI Director Dante A. Gierran to conduct an “investigation and case build-up [on] the rape and killing” of Estrella Carlos and her mother Aurora Dizon, and the killing of Ms. Carlos’ three children last June 27. The victims, found dead in their home at Ridge Royal Subdivision, sustained multiple stab wounds, while the two mothers were also discovered to have been raped. The police is already in custody of construction worker Carmelino Ibañez, who admitted to committing the crime while under the influence of methampethamine, locally known as shabu. However, the drug test conducted on Mr. Ibañez turned out negative. In an ambush interview yesterday, Mr. Aguirre said that he “did not want to do it (order probe), but some people wanted the NBI to take a second look at the findings. — Kristine Joy V. Patag

THE REGIONAL Development Council has approved the construction of the Eastern Visayas Yolanda Memorial and Learning Center to serve as an educational venue and reminder of the super typhoon’s devastation, and of disaster mitigation and climate change adaptation. The project, proposed by the Tacloban City government, the Departments of Tourism, and of Science and Technology, would cost an estimated P602 million, including the operation and maintenance expenses during the first year of full operations. The project’s one-hectare site — at Barangay Suhi in Tacloban, where at least 8,000 Yolanda survivors are relocated — will have three buildings, a museum and knowledge center and a research laboratory. — The Freeman

MARKING HIS own first year in office, Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Director-General Ronald M. dela Rosa reaffirmed his vow to get rid of corrupt cops, citing that he had so far sacked 160 and plans to kick out 84 more due to alleged involvement in drugs and corruption. “I will never stop. I will be uncompromising. I will be unforgiving and I have no mercy for those corrupt and scalawag police,” Mr. Dela Rosa said in his speech before the police force on Monday. Last November, however, his boss, President Rodrigo R. Duterte made his own reaffirmation that he would protect the police and military. Mr. Duterte was speaking in a press conference within the context of the Espinosa-Yap killings of Nov. 5, 2016 for which 19 police officers have been originally charged with murder, and later downgraded to homicide. “But as I have said before, right at the start… I will protect and I will support the police in this drive against shabu (methamphetamine),” Mr. Duterte then said. Mr. Dela Rosa, for his part, said, “I will sign all [dismissal papers]. I don’t care. If you did wrong, I will really dismiss you.” — Jil Danielle M. Caro

AGRICULTURE SECRETARY Emmanuel F. Piñol has defended President Rodrigo R. Duterte from Albay Representative Edcel C. Lagman’s negative assessment of the administration’s first year. “I was deeply bothered and hurt by the statement issued by Albay Congressman Edcel Lagman, in assessing the first year performance of the Duterte Administration, that President Duterte has done nothing good for the country,” Mr. Piñol said in a Facebook post. “The statement of Congressman Lagman was not only an affront on the President but also a total and cruel disregard of the efforts of the Department of Agriculture (DA) to help his constituents,” he added, noting that the lawmaker had even joined in one of DA’s field visits for the distribution of various interventions to farmers. Mr. Lagman has been a staunch critic of the administration, especially on the alleged extrajudicial killings resulting from the government’s war against drugs. — Janina C. Lim