Miyerkules, Mayo 18, 2011

CAR SMUGGLER : A REACTION PAPER


Bigcas grilled at House, decries lost business 

By Jess Diaz (The Philippine Star) Updated May 17, 2011 12:00 AM Comments (49) View comments

MANILA, Philippines - Suspected vehicle and firearms smuggler Lynard Allan Bigcas made a tearful denial of the accusations against him during a House committee hearing yesterday.
In an opening statement, Bigcas told the House sub-committee on Customs chaired by Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas that he was not dealing in stolen vehicles.
“I am a victim here. This whole thing even almost cost my life because the authorities launched a manhunt for me. They called me a terrorist, but I didn’t do anything illegal. I am not a bad person,” he said.
He said he came from a poor family and went to the US in 1997 with P6,000 in his pocket given by his father. He said it was his uncle who paid for his plane ticket.
“I worked hard, I worked long hours in the US to be able to save money until I put up a moving company in Houston, Texas. Last week, I lost my company and my employees because of this controversy,” he said.
Bigcas added that he was a motorbike enthusiast and had joined motorbike competitions.
“I love them (bikes), I worked to have them. They are like trophies to me. When I was a child, I didn’t have a bicycle,” he told the committee.        
He said he was willing to part with his bikes and vehicles “as long as I get my freedom and my safety back.”
In the course of making his statement, he became so emotional that he could not speak, prompting Fariñas to declare a short break so he could regain his composure. 
In yesterday’s hearing, Bigcas’ so-called “black book” was also presented. The names of at least one governor, two mayors and a Customs official were listed in the “black book,” which Bigcas described as his diary.
The names of a Gov. Jalosjos, a Bullet Jalosjos, a Mayor Ali, a Mayor Dimaporo, a Col. Pimentel, a Boy Plaza, and Noah Dimaporo, who is deputy customs collector in Cagayan de Oro City, were in the black book.
Bigas did not say, nor was he asked about, the exact identities of the Jalosjoses. The governor of Zamboanga Sibugay is Rommel Jalosjos while Zamboanga del Norte Rep. Seth Frederick Jalosjos is called Bullet by his friends in the House.
Responding to Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez’s questioning, Bigcas said no congressman or government official is protecting him.
“Certainly not, your honor. You are not even mentioned in my diary,” he said.
He said officials mentioned in his black book were his customers for bike and car parts, which he bought in the US and shipped to the Philippines through balikbayan boxes.
Bigcas, who is a green card holder and had lived in the US, said he did not pay taxes on the spare parts since he knew that balikbayan boxes are tax-exempt.
His “diary” also listed collectibles from his customers. For instance, there was P200,000 due from a Gov. Jalosjos and P150,000 from Boy Plaza.
Fariñas said collectibles in one page totaled P2.1 million.
Also listed in the suspected car smuggler’s black book are guns, gun parts and conversion kits.
Fariñas said five firearms are listed under the name of a Mayor Ali.
He said the guns include an AK-47, an AR (possibly Armalite rifle) and an FN 5.7 (a Belgian firearm) worth a total value of more than $14,000.
There is also a note opposite the mayor’s name that says, “250k down,” which could mean that there was a P250,000 down payment, he said.
Under Noah Dimaporo’s name, there were entries about bike parts and Daewoo (South Korean industrial firm) guns and ammunition.
The entries under Bullet Jalosjos were about parts for Toyota sport utility vehicles (SUVs).
Committee members said Bigcas apparently dealt in guns, in addition to bikes and parts for bikes and cars.
This was denied by Bigas, who admitted that he had only brought in bikes and not firearms. “I was into bikes, not guns,” he said.
He said the entries in his diary about guns and parts were just inquiries from his friends.
“They inquired how much these would cost them if they bought these in the US, since they know that I lived there. I researched the prices through the Internet and informed them about these,” he said.
“But I never brought in guns or gun parts,” he assured congressmen.
Fariñas and his colleagues also could not believe Bigcas’ claim that he did not know that 11 of the 20 bikes and SUVs seized by the police, NBI and US Federal Bureau of Investigation agents from his two houses were vehicles stolen in the US.
The stolen vehicles include an $80,000 big “chopper” bike owned by screenwriter Skip Woods.
The FBI reported that Woods’ bike was stolen in Houston, Texas, where Bigcas used to live and operate a moving company, in January this year.
But Bigcas said he bought the bike from a Gregg Cook in Beaumont, Texas three years ago for $30,000.
He said Cook claimed he was the vehicle’s first owner, though he didn’t check the claim and the bike’s registration papers.
“I didn’t think that a bike worth $30,000 would be a stolen vehicle,” he said.
He said he dismantled the bike, “chop-chopped it and shipped it here through balikbayan boxes.”
The FBI discovered the bike when Bigcas posted it in his Facebook account along with some of his other bikes.
“I posted it because I was proud of it, it was like a trophy for me. I was not selling it. If I knew it was stolen, why would I post it? I am not that stupid,” he said.
The bikes and vehicles are still with the NBI and the police in Cagayan de Oro, except for Woods’ “chopper,” which the NBI had turned over to the FBI.
Committee members questioned the turnover, saying the big bike was part of the evidence in the case the authorities might file against Bigcas who, so far, is only facing charges for illegal possession of a shot gun and ammunition.
He promised to furnish the Fariñas committee with documents on the vehicles seized from him. He has petitioned a Cagayan de Oro City court to order the NBI and the police to return the vehicles.


            Lynard Allan Bigcas recently faced a house investigation regarding smuggling and stealing cars. Bigcas defended himself saying that he only loves motocross which was the only reason why he bought these expensive cars. Bigcas also claimed innocence from theft. According to him, he did not know that the Martin Brothers big bike he bought was stolen in the United States. He also denied the “black book”, which was recovered from his house, contained anything suspicious and that it was just his personal diary. However the authorities have found names of former governors and mayors and other prominent family of politicians which they believed he had transactions with.


            Car smuggling and other types of smuggling have greatly affected our country. Economically, the government cannot control the smuggled goods since they are illegally brought in. As a result, they cannot collect taxes. The government has a great loss especially with the expensive cars like the ones smuggled in by Bigcas. The government could have earned a huge amount of money from these goods. The name of the Philippines is also affected. The country already has a bad image in the international market. Other countries would think that they can easily smuggle their goods in the country since the authorities are not strict with their rules. They will bring more goods illegally to avoid paying taxes. 


            The taxes that are supposed to be collected from these goods would have been a great help to the Filipinoes. More taxes collected would mean more money for the government and more funds for their projects. The government could have had more projects for the people. They could have improved the education system by building more schools and hiring more competent teachers. The money could have been used to build more factories and hire more workers. This would mean more jobs for the people and lower unemployment rate. They could have built better roads and infrastructures for the people. Better roads would mean better transportation and faster distribution  of goods. Improving the infrastructures in the country could attract more investors which would eventually lead to a better life for everyone.

            The government stop smugglers if they really want to. After all, nothing is impossible especially if you are really dedicated to it. The “black book” that was confiscated from Bigcas shows some of his big time clients which, unfortunately, include names of prominent politicians in the country. This means that they know the illegal activities of Bigcas and tolerate it because they can benefit from it. If you will really think about it, they are the ones who are supposed to be protecting the country from smugglers. However, in this case, they are the ones who are tolerating these criminals. We could also say that they may not be Bigcas’ clients but his protectors. Of course, you have to write down the names of the people whom you have to pay to let your business go on.

            Again, I stand by my opinion that the Philippines has sufficient laws but ineffective implementation of these laws. I know that nobody is perfect but could these politicians at least try to be good? If they cannot follow the laws, it is better that they do not run for a position because they are setting a very bad example for the people. If the people see their leaders going the wrong way, do you think they would bother going the right way? The people will go the same way as their leaders since they are supposed to lead them.

            We can stop these illegal activities if we work together and with God’s glory. We have to work with each other to improve the country. We have to cooperate and do our part in the society. Let us stop disobeying the laws and start following them. We have to submit to the authority and stop thinking that anyone is above it. The most important of all is to have faith in ourselves, in our country, and in God. We can do this today and live in a better Philippines tomorrow.  

Lunes, Mayo 2, 2011

PANTUKAN LANDSLIDE : A REACTION PAPER

New Compostela landslide feared; death toll rises to 8

Manila BulletinMB – Mon, Apr 25, 2011 7:40 PM PHT
MANILA, Philippines - Compostela Valley, still reeling from the landslide that has left at least eight people dead in Pantukan town, is facing another tragedy after experts found two tension cracks that may lead to another avalanche near the site. 

Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) Director Leo Jasareno, who is on the site, Monday recommended to acting Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Ramon Paje that he advised the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) to immediately relocate residents near the area as the huge cracks may lead to another landslide.

Jasareno said at least 50 houses may be affected if another landslide occurs.

Paje directed a team of geologists to begin a more detailed geo-hazard assessment of Compostela Valley that will identify the province's landslide risks.

Continuous rains had saturated the soil triggering a landslide in Sitio Panganason, Barangay Kingking, in Pantukan town on Good Friday, leaving eight people dead and 14 others still missing and believed buried in mud.

As operations at the landslidehit mining community in Compostela Valley shifted to retrieval, from search and rescue mode, three more bodies were pulled out from mud yesterday morning, raising the death toll to eight with authorities unable to say exactly how many more miners are still missing.

Authorities also announced a forced evacuation of at least 30 families at the other side of the landslide-hit village noting that another disaster looms in the area.

Lt. Col. Lyndon Paniza, Army 10th Infantry Division (10ID) spokesman who is currently at the command post in Compostela Valley province, said three more bodies were retrieved from the mud that buried 13 shanties situated at the mouth of a tunnel in Sitio Panganason-B, Barangay Kingking, Pantukan town.

One of the latest fatalities was identified as Cristituto Torrejos Sr., while the other two have yet to be identified.

The other fatalities have been officially identified as John Ric Torrejos, 15; Marjun Guilabtan, 18; Rolieto Tabag, 29; Danny Prendo, 26; and Marvin Anglai, 19.

Lt. Col. Leopoldo Galon, Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom) spokesman, said that based on official data of the Pantukan Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (MDRRMC), the three bodies were retrieved at 8:55 a.m., 10:40 a.m., and 12 noon Monday.

He added that as of 1 p.m., the Pantukan MDRRMC record shows 13 rescued, eight dead - six of them identified - and 16 still missing.

President Benigno S. Aquino III, meanwhile, ordered a thorough investigation into the landslide tragedy to prevent a similar incident.

Deputy Presidential Spokeswoman Abigail Valte said acting Environment Secretary Ramon Paje was tasked to lead the probe into the incident after the search and retrieval operations are completed.

Valte said they want to know what went wrong in the landslide-hit small mining village in order to avert a repeat of the tragedy that left eight miners dead and several others still missing.

"The President has already tasked Secretary Paje to conduct an investigation after the rescue efforts are done to see what did go wrong," she said in Palace news conference.

Valte likewise called for stricter enforcement of mining rules by the environment department, saying most of these rules have been ignored by some groups.

She said local government executives of Compostela Valley have suspended small-scale mining operations pending the retrieval operations as well as the investigation into the incident. She said local officials have the power to order a temporary mining ban in their area of jurisdiction.

Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo, chairman of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) National Secretariat for Social Action, Justice and Peace (Nassa-JP), also called on President Aquino to issue a moratorium on all mining operations in the country following the tragedy.

"There should be a moratorium (in mining operations)... not only in Compostela Valley but also in other provinces," he said.

"They should temporarily ban it until such time that there is proper monitoring," added Pabillo.

Meantime, Valte said the national government is focused on the retrieval operations in the landslide-hit mining community in Compostela Valley.

She noted that Paje and Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo have been giving the President constant updates about the retrieval operations.

Authorities earlier acknowledged that that people buried by the landslide had slim chances of surviving after three days underneath the mud. Residents living in the landslide-prone area were also advised to evacuate and move to safer grounds.

Based on the government's geohazard mapping project completed in 2010, Compostela Valley has been identified as most prone to landslides, along with the provinces located in the eastern seaboard -Quezon, Aurora, Southern Leyte, and the areas running from Sierra Madre up to the Bicol Region.

Paje said the maps that were completed last year have a scale of 1:50,000.

"I have pulled out the team of geologists conducting geohazard mapping in St. Bernard, Southern Leyte, to go to Compostela to expand geohazard assessment in the area," Paje said, citing that a densified 1:10,000 map will be produced by DENR's Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB).

"Because Compostela is a highly critical area to landslides, we will be producing a map with a scale of 1:10,000 to determine further the landslide risks of the province. We can already see the area's fissures in this scale," he added.

The DENR chief said MGB has repeatedly warned the residents in the province, particularly in Pantukan town, of its vulnerability to landslides.

The landslide-hit area in Pantukan town, which is inside the Kingking mining site, is covered by mining firm Nationwide Development Corporation's Mineral Production Sharing Agreement (MPSA).

"Mining firm NADECOR is telling us that they were infiltrated by illegal miners. These illegal small-scale miners are the ones being suspected to be operating in the landslide area," Paje said. 


(With reports from Genalyn D. Kabiling and Leslie Ann G. Aquino)






             The landslide in Sitio Panganason, Barangay Kingking, Pantukan which killed eight people and left fourteen more buried under thick mud was an unfortunate accident which happened last April 22, Good Friday. The people who died were the miners and their families including their children.

            One of the issues which surfaced after the accident was child labor. The children who died in the landslide were not just members of the family of the miners but were also workers. They did not mind the dangers of their job because they had to do.The little amount that they earn is a big help for their families. These children who are supposed to be at school are working at mine fields. against the law to hire minors but some companies still do it. Hiring minors will yield greater profit for these companies since hiring them means cheap labor.

            Another issue was how the mining company managed to secure a permit when some barangays in Pantukan, including Barangay Kingking, were declared to be dangerous zones for mining. This will surely be impossible if they did not get support from the authorities. Some officials say that they allowed these people to mine because they were just being humanitarian. They permitted mining to help the people have a job. Obviously, this is not the whole picture. These officials are not only helping the people but are also gaining for themselves. As the saying goes, there is no such thing as free lunch.

            Did they really help the people or just made the situation worse? If you think about it, their humanitarian help took the lives of these people, including children. Is this the thing they call help? Did they really allow small-scale mining for the people and not for themselves? Is the money they get as a consolation more important than the lives of the people they govern?

            Many people say that the Philippines has a good set of laws but a very bad way of implementation. For me, this statement is really true. We have all the good laws which also cover mining. One thing I am sure of is that the DENR does not allow mining in these places because it is too dangerous. Also, they will be damaging a lot of natural resources including forests and rivers. There are also punishments for violations of these laws, but do we see anyone punished? How come with all the violations people commit no one actually goes behind bars? Where are the policemen? Where are the officials who are supposed to look over these things?

            The government must do their duty to the country. Their top priority must be for the country and not for themselves. However, we must not put all the blame on them because we also have our share in these anomalies. If we did not allow these things to happen, they will not. We are also to blame for letting our officials engage in illegal activities. I know we all want the best for our country but we must do it the right way. We have to obey the laws that are implemented by the government. We must stop thinking that there are alternatives and people can be paid, because they are not. The best thing to do this is by following God’s law. I am sure that if we do things that will please Him, we will be on the right path. If we really want the Philippines to improve and prosper, we have to walk the talk.












                                                                                                                                                            

Biyernes, Abril 15, 2011

DRUG MULES : A REACTION PAPER

China executes 3 Pinoy drug mules 
(The Philippine Star) Updated March 30, 2011 09:34 AM


MANILA, Philippines - Despite the whole nation’s prayers and pleadings, China today pushed through with the executions of three Filipinos convicted for drug smuggling.
Vice President Jejomar Binay, who was in the Middle East, announced the news during a television interview.
"Hindi po tayo tumigil sa ating pakiusap na kahit isa o dalawa man lang sa kanila ang maisalba. Pero ang malungkot dito, hindi na po tayo napagbigyan at in-execute na po ang ating tatlong kababayan," Binay said.
While he incessantly appealed for clemency for the three, he said the Chinese government was adamant on the request, insisting on the execution of the three convicted drug mules.
Binay said that Sally Ordinario-Villanueva, Ramon Credo and Elizabeth Batain were executed by lethal injection.
At past noon, Binay said in another television interview that the family of Villanueva has identified her body while Credo’s remains were to be cremated and the process will be over by 3 p.m.
He said he has yet to obtain information on Batain.
Villanueva, 32, was convicted for smuggling 4,110 grams of heroin on Dec. 24, 2008. Credo, 42, four days later was likewise convicted for smuggling a slightly bigger amount of heroin. Batain was sentenced to death on May 24 in the same year also for drug trafficking.


                Villanueva, Credo, and Batain were three Filipinos executed last March 30 in China for bringing drugs inside the country. They are only three of the many Filiipinoes caught around the world for being drug mules. An OFW said on a recent interview that some OFWs are recruited with a promised job of being a vendor. However, this is not the reality because they are made to smuggle drugs in China and in other countries. Some are made to swallow bags of drugs while others carry luggage with sewn bags of drug inside the pockets.
                Why would people risk their lives for this job? The answer is really simple, for money. People are paid about $4000 or P80,000 per trip. Who would not agree to this offer? Of course a lot of our country men would agree to do it because they can easily earn a large amount of money. They know the risk of what they will do but are still willing to take it for their families.

                I really feel bad for these people because they seem to value money more than their lives. They are willing to do anything just to earn. Money has really become a basic necessity or a commodity in our world today but is the value more than the happiness to be with your family? I guess people have already mixed their priorities in life. We have become more materialistic than ever. We seem to never be contented and always feel unsatisfied. We do not thank God for what we have but instead, we demand for more.

                The government must take this matter seriously. How many more lives must be sacrificed before they realize how severe the condition of the Philippines is? How many more Filipinoes must engage in these illegal activities before the government do something about poverty. The government must act now. They have to provide jobs for everyone. After all, they were elected by the people and for the people. They were placed in their positions for the welfare of the country. In the mean time, the government must ensure public awareness regarding this issue. They must educate the people about the modus of the syndicate so that Filipinoes will not be victims. The government must make the people understand the risk of taking such jobs. The people must realize that although the benefit is large, it is still not worth the cause – which in this case, their lives.