The

Nation TUESday, FEBRUARY 13, 2018

EDITOR marifi s. jara

#nationataglance Storm Basyang expected to make

landfall today in Caraga
TROPICAL STORM Basyang (international
Ex-Comelec head Bautista facing arrest order from Senate
FORMER COMMISSION on Elections (Comelec) chair Andres D. Bautista, who is currently abroad, is
facing an arrest order from the Senate for contempt following his failure to attend anew the inquiry
regarding his alleged questionable bank transactions despite a previously issued subpoena. Senator
name: Sanba), which has accelerated as
it moved closer to eastern Mindanao, is Francis G. Escudero yesterday said Mr. Bautista’s explanation for his absence was not acceptable. “I
forecasted to make landfall within the have requested the Senate to issue a warrant for Chairman Bautista so he can be arrested anytime
Caraga Region today, Feb. 13. Weather when he arrives in the country. The committee is compelled to do this after his obvious defiance of
OIL PRICE ADJUSTMENTS IN JAN.-FEBRUARY (per liter) bureau PAGASA, in its 5 p.m. report the Senate orders,” Mr. Escudero, chair of the committee on banks, financial institutions and curren-
yesterday, said “scattered to widespread cies, said in a statement. — Camille A. Aguinaldo
moderate to heavy rains will prevail in >> See full story on https://goo.gl/uWMvZB
the next 24 hours over Visayas, Caraga,
GASOLINE DIESEL KEROSENE Northern Mindanao, Zamboanga Pen-
insula and the provinces of Davao del Back
P1.00 P1.30 P0.85
Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao Oriental,
Compostela Valley, North Cotabato, Ma- from
February 13 February 13 February 13
guindanao and Lanao del Sur.” Basyang
was packing in maximum sustained
Kuwait
Filipino workers
P0.50 P0.35 P0.60 winds of 65 kilometers per hour (kph) who were
February 6 February 6 February 6 near the center and gustiness of up to repatriated from
80 kph. Sea travel was already affected Kuwait take part
P0.45 P0.50 P0.50 yesterday with the Philippine Coast Guard in a dialogue
January 30 January 30 January 30 reporting that as of 12 noon, the number with an official
of stranded were: 855 passengers; 99 of the Overseas
rolling cargoes; 40 vessels; and three Workers Welfare
motorbancas. Affected ports were in Min- Administration
Fuel prices drop after 7 weeks of increases danao and the Visayas. Tropical cyclone at the Ninoy
REUTERS
AFTER SEVEN straight weeks of increases, oil companies this week will be cutting the warning signal #2 was already up yester- Aquino International Airport in Metro Manila on Feb. 12. President Rodrigo R. Duterte has issued
price of diesel and kerosene by P1.30 per liter (/L) and P0.85/L, respectively. Gasoline day in Surigao del Sur Surigao del Norte, a directive to assist those who want to leave Kuwait and stop new deployments to the Gulf state
will also be down by P1.00/L after the series of prices increases since the start of the Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, while following numerous cases of abuse.
year that was broken only when prices were unchanged on the second week of Janu- several other areas were under signal #1.
ary. The decrease, which reflects the movement of prices in the international market,
will take effect at 6 a.m. today, Feb. 13. Seaoil Philippines, Inc. will be among those
that will cut prices earlier at 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday. — Victor V. Saulon
NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION
New MMDA general manager named
JOSE ARTURO S. Garcia has been appointed as officer-in-charge general manager of the Metropolitan
Manila Development Authority (MMDA). In a letter to MMDA Chairman Danilo D. Lim dated Feb. 9 and
released by Malacañang yesterday, Executive Secretary Salvador C. Medialdea confirmed the designa-
tion of Mr. Garcia, who previously served as MMDA assistant general manager for planning. “In refer-
ence to your letter dated 08 January 2018, please be informed that the Office of the President hereby
confirms the designation of Mr. Jose Arturo S. Garcia, Jr. as Officer-in-Charge-General Manager of the
MMDA,” reads the letter from the Office of the President.

DAVAO: TALAINGOD, DAVAO DEL NORTE

Murder of IP leader, son could spark clan war
THE RECENT murder of a tribal head and his son in
Talaingod, Davao del Norte could start a clan war
as village leaders might declare “pangayaw,” or
CENTRAL LUZON: CAPAS, TARLAC vendetta, against other tribal members suspected
BCDA, Japanese group ink deal of supporting the New People’s Army (NPA), the
with Surbana Jurong for Clark planning group tagged as responsible for the crime. “We
THE BASES Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) and the have been affected by the crime,” Datu Lumansad
Japan Overseas Infrastructure Investment Corp. (JOIN) yesterday signed Sibugan, a leader of the community, said last week.
an agreement with Singapore consultancy firm Surbana Jurong for Mr. Sibugan said village elders have identified 30
complementary planning of the New Clark City. Under the agreement, individuals so far as among those supporting the
signed in Cebu on Feb. 12, Surbana Jurong will assist BCDA and JOIN NPA, the armed group of the communist movement
in drafting the development management framework, design standard in the Philippines. NPA members are suspected to
guidelines and environmental guidelines to complement the master plan have killed Datu Banadjao Mampaundag and his
of New Clark City. “Surbana Jurong will also help in utilizing public-pri- son inside their house on Feb. 4. “The situation has
vate partnerships to entice investors to New Clark City. It will also advise gone out of hand,” Mr. Sibugan said, citing that the
in the implementation plan of pioneer developers in New Clark City such rebels have killed 14 of their tribal leaders as well
as Filinvest Land, Inc.’s mixed-use industrial real estate developments, as grabbing their lands. Declaring pangayaw, he
and MTD Capital Berhad’s National Government Administrative Center,” added, is necessary to sway tribe members to stop
BCDA said in a statement. — Patrizia Paola C. Marcelo supporting the NPA. Emmanuel Caccal, head of the
>> See full story on https://goo.gl/7569Vj National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (IP)-
Davao del Norte provincial office, said they cannot
intervene in the community’s decision. He said, “It’s
really beyond our control, if the tribal elders have
already decided.”— Carmelito Q. Francisco
KJ ROSALES/PHILIPPINE STAR

A farmer spreads fertilizer over his rice field while Mayon Volcano spews ash in Daraga, Albay
in this photo taken on Feb. 7.
CENTRAL VISAYAS: CEBU CITY PAUL ROSAROSO/THE FREEMAN

Stranded
A handwritten note is posted at Pier 1 in Cebu City yesterday, Feb. 12, announcing that sea trips are canceled for the
day after the island province of Cebu was placed under Signal No. 1 due to typhoon Basyang (international name:
Sanba).
DAVAO: DAVAO CITY
Turkish Airlines wants slice of Mindanao market
TURKISH AIRLINES is joining this year’s Davao Mega Travel Sale to get a slice of a growing
market of international travelers from Mindanao, particularly those going to Europe. “The
growth of the traveling population of Davao started like baby steps. Hong Kong, Singa-
pore, Malaysia. Japan was very popular last year, Korea and then surprisingly this year we
are expecting a lot of (travelers to) Europe that is why Turkish Airways wants to join the
sale,” said Gian Cagiat, a member of the Davao Travel Agencies Association (DTAA), which
organizes the event, scheduled this year on Feb. 16-18 at the Abreeza Mall. DTAA President
Alex L. Divinagracia said Turkish Airways became excited upon learning the success of last
year’s sale, which brought in P50 million gross sales, mostly from ticket sales of long-haul
travels. “The outcome of last year was very successful. We were able to hit the target
gross sales of P50 million from ticket sales,” Mr. Divinagracia said. — Maya M. Padillo
BICOL: ALBAY
DSWD ready to buy commercial rice for Mayon evacuees, other relief operations
THE DEPARTMENT of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) yesterday gave assurance that it
is prepared to procure commercial rice should there be insufficient supply from the National Food
Authority (NFA) for disaster relief operations relating to Mayon Volcano and other areas. “So far,
the Department has stocks of NFA rice that will last until the first week of March,” DSWD Officer-
in-Charge Emmanuel A. Leyco said in a statement. However, he added, “In case there will be a
shortage of NFA rice, the Department will explore purchasing commercial rice. As an institution
mandated to quickly implement relief operations in times of disaster, our paramount concern is to
ensure that ample family food packs are available for distribution to displaced families.” DSWD said
under Executive Order 58 series of 1998, the agency can consider other rice supply sources after
the NFA issues a certification stating its inability to provide the requirement.
LAVA FLOW
Alert Level 4 remains in place for Mayon Volcano, which continues to exhibit weak lava fountaining,
lava flow and degassing from the summit crater, according to the Feb. 12 bulletin of the Philippine
Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs). Lava flows from the summit crater have ad-
vanced to 3.3 kilometers (kms), 4.5 kms and 900 meters down the Miisi, Bonga and Basud Gullies,
respectively. Pyroclastic density currents have deposited to the 4.6-, 4.5-, and 4.2-km reaches of
the Miisi, Bonga and Basud Gullies, respectively. Phivolcs also reiterated that the “public is strongly
advised to be vigilant and desist from entering the eight kilometer-radius danger zone.”