Learning from the lapses of intelligence
We have already written that the death of the last two members of the Abu Sayyaf Group, Abu Asis and Abu Ubayda, meant that peace has finally returned to Bohol. However, a news item from Police Regional Office-7 Chief Superintendent Noli Taliño stated that the military and police authorities would remain on a heightened alert even after the ASG threat has been neutralized.
Rather than have more troops inside Bohol for this heightened alert, I would rather that that Philippine National Police task the PNP Intelligence Group to look into their intelligence lapses that allowed the ASG to enter Inabanga, Bohol. Apparently, Taliño admitted that they are already looking into this. Indeed, military intelligence failed to put a red flag on Joselito Melloria who apparently converted from his Christian faith to become a Muslim when he married his Muslim wife who was related to a top ASG leader. If the intel people only looked into the family of his wife, they would have found his links to the Abu Sayyaf.
With the ASG terror threat gone, it is also time for the intel people to go on a thorough search as to who helped the ASG during their month-long stay in Bohol? That the PNP would also investigate the deaths of the old couple, Constancio and Crisanta Petalco is very important to gain more information whether they were really what we call "collateral damage" or killed in the crossfire or they really did help the ASG? Constancio was the uncle of the Joselito Melloria who acted as the tour guide of the ASG. More importantly, as I already wrote earlier, it is high time that Governor Edgar Chatto commit all the barangay officials in the entire Bohol province to search and identify potential caves within their jurisdictions and map all of them so that in the future, any terror groups who would be stupid to try and disturb the peace in Bohol can no longer seek refuge in those caves. In short, Boholano leaders must learn from the lapses that happened when the ASG disturbed the peace in Bohol.
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I read a SunStar report that the Department of Environment and Natural Resources ordered Island Ferry owner Alex Tan to stop development of a Coastal Barangay in San Remigio, which is off the Tañon Strait and therefore protected by the Tañon Strait Protected Seascape. So last Monday a cease and desist order was issued against Island Shipping. However I was intrigued by what my good friend and SunStar reporter Ely Baquero wrote in this Facebook page the other day. So with his permission I will reprint what he wrote.
"NEWS! The Cease and Desist Order (CDO) issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) against Island Shipping Corporation is a violation of due process of law. Atty. Benjamin Cabrido said the DENR also erred in issuing such CDO because the yard in Punta, San Remigio, Cebu is not owned by Island Shipping Corp. but Elite Fabrication Yard.
Cabrido said Elite is operating for several years without trouble until Island Shipping Corporation owner Alex Tan was allegedly harassed by Sta. Fe, Cebu Mayor Jose "Titing" Egana, a member of the Protected Areas Management Board (PAMB) of DENR. Cabrido said he wants newly-appointed DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu to investigate this anomalous CDO of DENR. Cabrido said the DENR CDO is illegal. Under the law, there must fact-finding first before CDO. The CDO is to stop the legal business, while fact-finding or Show Cause Order is to give Elite a chance to explain. Who influence DENR to issue such illegal CDO?"
It seems that this issue is a continuation of the troubles that Mr. Alex Tan is having with Sta. Fe Mayor Jose Esgana, which we earlier wrote when he had an encounter with Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña three weeks ago. Doesn't he know that when he was elected as mayor of Sta. Fe, it did not give Mayor Esgana the right to harass people doing business in his municipality? Firstly Mayor Esgana is a public servant and therefore he serves at the pleasure of the public. But what he is doing is harassing legitimate businessmen. At this point, perhaps an investigation by the Department of Interior and Local Government should be conducted on this harassment by Mayor Esgana.
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