MANILA, Philippines – Amid the celebratory tweets on Monday, October 22, hailing the “courageous” decision of Makati Judge Andres Soriano to keep opposition Senator Antonio Trillanes IV free, there was one that wasn’t quick to jump for joy.

“ST (Sonny Trillanes) lives to fight another day. But if the proclamation is valid…hmmm,” tweeted Liberal Party lawmaker Teddy Baguilat Jr, current Ifugao Representative.

A netizen replied to Baguilat: “I palpitated at the last part of your tweet.”

Soriano of Makati Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 148 on Monday rejected the government request to arrest and jail Trillanes, contradicting President Rodrigo Duterte on his factual basis to void the amnesty granted almost 8 years ago to the senator.

But there was a nuance to that decision: Soriano also upheld the legality of the issuance of Duterte’s Proclamation No. 572 that attempted to void the amnesty.

Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo fixated on that, saying “existing legal remedies under the law may be availed of” to keep pursuing the arrest of Trillanes, the most vocal enemy of the President.

But for former Supreme Court (SC) Spokesperson Ted Te, also a law professor at the University of the Philippines, Ateneo Law School, and De La Salle University College of Law, the government cannot use that part of the ruling in future cases simply because of a trial court's decision.

“The RTC ruling is not authoritative in that it does not bind all other cases, not having precedential value. Only SC decisions have precedential value, ie, they become precedent or doctrine,” Te said.

What Soriano said

Trillanes petitioned Branch 148 to declare Proclamation No. 572 unconstitutional, citing as basis its encroachment on the power of the judicial and legislative branches. 

One, it was argued that Duterte cannot unilaterally void an amnesty that was concurred in by Congress when it was granted. Two, void ab initio or declaring something void has long been assumed to be a judicial power, and not something that presidents can assume as theirs.

Soriano’s appreciation of it is that the proclamation was “purely an executive act and prerogative in the exercise of the President’s power of control and supervision over all offices and agencies of the executive department.”

Soriano explained that Duterte’s proclamation did not nullify Proclamation No. 75 of former president Benigno Aquino III, the proclamation that granted amnesty to Trillanes and his fellow mutineers.

“Given that Proclamation No. 572 does not declare as void Proclamation No. 75, the assertion that Proclamation No. 572 violates the Constitution insofar as it effectively encroached on the judicial power to review presidential proclamations exclusively vested in the courts, is at least misplaced, if not irrelevant,” said Soriano in his decision. (READ: DOCUMENT: Makati Judge Andres Soriano's decision keeping Trillanes free)

Just prudence

Did Soriano uphold Duterte’s power to unilaterally revoke amnesty in a manner he did with Trillanes? Te said he did not because Soriano’s ruling “is of limited value” and one that “cannot be cited as precedent in future decisions.”

A crucial line in Soriano's decision is this: “Proclamation No. 572 does not pretend to review the validity of Proclamation No. 75; only its implementation as to Trillanes." 

In effect, Soriano upheld Duterte’s executive power to issue such a proclamation on the Trillanes case, but he also said the proclamation's factual basis for voiding the amnesty was wrong.

“That’s why it was such a gutsy move,” said Te.

Constitutional Law professor Tony La Viña said that part of Soriano’s ruling was just prudence.

“There is nothing earthshaking about Judge Soriano’s finding on constitutionality of Duterte’s proclamation. The rule always is to find an interpretation that avoids a declaration of unconstitutionality. That’s what the Judge did,” said La Viña.

But as in all questions in law, the final say lies with Padre Faura.

The Supreme Court is currently discussing Trillanes’ petition which raises the same question on constitutionality. The Court initially denied Trillanes a Temporary Restraining Order, as the justices wanted the trial courts to resolve factual issues first.

Of course, Te said, Soriano’s ruling is not binding on the High Court. What the Supreme Court decides is the one that binds all.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra, the one tasked by the President to find a legal way to jail Trillanes, is confident in saying: “This is just the beginning, this is not the end, nobody has to claim total victory here, umpisa pa lang ito (this is only the beginning).”

This comes against the backdrop of the choice of a chief justice, where Duterte has to choose among incumbent justices who have applied for the top position. Among them is Associate Justice Diosdado Peralta, who is member-in-charge of the Trillanes case.

Judge Soriano said: "The law is vibrant. Jurisprudence is its lifeblood. Subsequent jurisprudence may forge new horizons.”

Where will the Supreme Court take us? – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – On Monday, October 22, Facebook took down a network – composed of 95 pages and 39 accounts – that violated their policies on spam and authenticity. (READ: Facebook removes pro-Duterte pages for violating policies)

The network, they said, shared a range of political and entertainment content, but were all sharing links to the same “advertising click farms” outside of Facebook.

Facebook, in a press release, identified 12 of the 134 total pages and accounts that were taken down.

We list down the false or misleading articles shared by these accounts and pages, which have been fact-checked by Rappler. These false stories had political content, particularly about former Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, Senator Leila de Lima, former senator Bongbong Marcos, and the accomplishments of President Rodrigo Duterte's administration.

Duterte Media 

• SA WAKAS! DELIMA ILILIPAT SA BILIBID BATO DELA ROSA EXCITED NA (from kantonewsph.xyz) 
  – Rated as FALSE in FACT CHECK: No transfer to Bilibid for De Lima unless convicted
• NABUKING! BULGARAN NA ITO SERENO INAMING SI LENI ROBREDO NAG-UTOS SA KANYA NA MANAWAGAN PARESIGN SI DUTERTE (from kantonewsph.xyz) 
  – Rated as FALSE in FACT CHECK: No Sereno admission of 'order' from Robredo in blog post video
• NAKAKAGULAT!!! ETO NA ANG FINAL RECOUNT 41 THOUSAND PALA ANG LAMANG NI MARCOS? (from kantonewsph.xyz) 
  – Rated as FALSE in FACT CHECK: No results yet in ongoing 2016 VP election recount
• ITO NA! BONGBONG MARCOS 49,000 NA ANG LAMANG LABAN KAY LENI ROBREDO VS MARCOS RECOUNT! (from kantonewsph.xyz)
  – Rated as FALSE in FACT CHECK: No results yet in ongoing 2016 VP election recount
• WATCH: INDAY SARA LANG ANG KARAPATDAPAT PUMALIT KAY DUTERTE AYON KAY SOTTO (from kantonewsph.xyz)
  – Rated as FALSE in FACT CHECK: Sotto did not endorse Sara Duterte as her father’s replacement
• GOOD NEWS!! PANGHUHULI NG MGA TAMBAY SA KALYE NG MGA PULlS NA UTOS NI PRES DUTERTE BUMABA ANG KRlMEN SA BANSA! (from kantonewsph.info)
  – Rated as FALSE in HOAX: ‘Anti-Tambay’ operations reduced crime incidence nationwide
• BREAKING NEWS: PNP REPORT TOP 5 SHABU HOTBED ANG NAGA CITY SA DROGA! (from: onelinebalita.xyz)
  – Rated as FALSE in WRONG: 'Naga top 5 city in crime volume'
• Trillanes positive sa random drug test ni Sotto sa Senado! (from: dutertards.info)
  – Rated as FALSE in HOAX: 'Trillanes positive in Sotto’s surprise drug test in Senate'

DDS

• [MUST WATCH] TINDI NI PRRD NATIKMAN NG MGA PASAWAY NA PULIS! DAAN DAANG PULIS SABAY SINIBAK! (from: astigtayopinoy.altervista.org)
  – Rated as FALSE in HOAX: Duterte 'fires' hundreds of errant cops

Duterte Phenomenon

• KUWAIT NAGSISI NA! HUMINGI NG PAUMANHIN KAY DUTERTE NAKIPAG AYOS KAAGAD! PANOORIN (from pinoynews.info)
  – Rated as FALSE in FACT CHECK: Kuwait did not apologize over diplomatic row
• BREAKING NEWS! KUWAIT TUMIKLOP NA! NATAK0T SA BANTA NI PRES. DUTERTE! PANOORIN (from pinoynews.info)
  – Rated as FALSE in FACT CHECK: Kuwait did not apologize over diplomatic row
• KUWAIT HINDI KAYANG WALANG OFW! MAY HILING KAY DUTERTE! PANOORIN (from pinoynews.info)
  – Rated as FALSE in FACT CHECK: Kuwait did not apologize over diplomatic row
• SA WAKAS! DELIMA ILILIPAT SA BILIBID BATO DELA ROSA EXCITED NA (from kantonewsph.xyz)
  – Rated as FALSE in FACT CHECK: No transfer to Bilibid for De Lima unless convicted
• NABUKING! BULGARAN NA ITO SERENO INAMING SI LENI ROBREDO NAG-UTOS SA KANYA NA MANAWAGAN PARESIGN SI DUTERTE (from kantonewsph.xyz)
  – Rated as FALSE in FACT CHECK: No Sereno admission of 'order' from Robredo in blog post video
• NAKAKAGULAT!!! ETO NA ANG FINAL RECOUNT 41 THOUSAND PALA ANG LAMANG NI MARCOS? (from kantonewsph.xyz)
  – Rated as FALSE in FACT CHECK: No results yet in ongoing 2016 VP election recount
• ITO NA! BONGBONG MARCOS 49,000 NA ANG LAMANG LABAN KAY LENI ROBREDO VS MARCOS RECOUNT! (from kantonewsph.xyz)
  – Rated as FALSE in FACT CHECK: No results yet in ongoing 2016 VP election recount
• WATCH: INDAY SARA LANG ANG KARAPATDAPAT PUMALIT KAY DUTERTE AYON KAY SOTTO (from kantonewsph.xyz)
  – Rated as FALSE in FACT CHECK: Sotto did not endorse Sara Duterte as her father’s replacement
• GOOD NEWS!! PANGHUHULI NG MGA TAMBAY SA KALYE NG MGA PULlS NA UTOS NI PRES DUTERTE BUMABA ANG KRlMEN SA BANSA! (from kantonewsph.info)
  – Rated as FALSE in HOAX: ‘Anti-Tambay’ operations reduced crime incidence nationwide
• BREAKING NEWS: PNP REPORT TOP 5 SHABU HOTBED ANG NAGA CITY SA DROGA! (from: onelinebalita.xyz)
  – Rated as FALSE in WRONG: 'Naga top 5 city in crime volume'
• Trillanes positive sa random drug test ni Sotto sa Senado! (from: dutertards.info)
  – Rated as FALSE in HOAX: 'Trillanes positive in Sotto’s surprise drug test in Senate'

DU30 Trending News

• SA WAKAS! DELIMA ILILIPAT SA BILIBID BATO DELA ROSA EXCITED NA (from tatakdu30.info)
  – Rated as FALSE in FACT CHECK: No transfer to Bilibid for De Lima unless convicted
• BULGARAN NA ITO! SERENO INAMING SI LENI ROBREDO NAG-UTOS SA KANYA NA MANAWAGAN PARESIGN SI DUTERTE (from goforwin.info)
  – Rated as FALSE in FACT CHECK: No Sereno admission of 'order' from Robredo in blog post video
• INDAY SARA LANG ANG KARAPATDAPAT PUMALIT KAY DUTERTE AYON KAY SOTTO! (from balitangtrending.top and newzflash.info)
  – Rated as FALSE in FACT CHECK: Sotto did not endorse Sara Duterte as her father’s replacement
• ENRILE SINAMPAL SI TITO SOTTO SA PLANONG PAGPALABAS KAY DE LIMA (from: dutrending.info)
  – Rated as FALSE in HOAX: Enrile hits Sotto over plan for De Lima release

– Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Farmers are undeniably among the most hard working in the country yet they remain the poorest. 

The lack of improvement in the lives of food producers in an agricultural country like the Philippines stems from receiving low wages and not owning the land they till, among others. 

Farmers have taken it upon themselves to fight for their rights, resorting to dialogues and strikes to protest unfair labor practices. But there have been several incidents when their cries for help were met with bullets and other threats to their lives. 

The recent killing of 9 sucargane workers in Hacienda Nene in Negros Occidental is not the first violent incident against farmers. Here are the others:

Maliwalu massacre
April 7, 1950
Maliwalu, Bacolor, Pampanga

At least 21 farmers from Maliwalu, Bacolor, Pampanga were executed on April 7, 1950 allegedly as “revenge” for the death of military captain Nonong Serrano. Serrano was reportedly killed by members of the  Hukbo ng Bayan Laban sa Hapon (Hukbalahap) allegedly from Maliwalu. 

Serrano was said to have headed the private army that gave protection to then Pampanga governor Jose Lingad. The politician lost his reelection bid in 1951 due to the massacre. 

Culatingan massacre
June 13, 1966
Culatingan, Concepcion, Tarlac

At least 5 farmers were killed by members of the Philippine Constabulary in Culatingan, Concepcion, Tarlac, according to historian Teodoro Agoncillo in his book History of The Filipino People.

Authorities, however, said that the victims were part of the Hukbalahap and engaged in battle with them. The town vice mayor belied this, claiming that they were “peaceful farmers.” 

Guinayangan incident
February 1, 1981
Guinayangan, Quezon 

More than 6,000 farmers on February 1, 1981 protested in Guinayangan, Quezon, calling the government’s attention to land reform, fair prices, and rampant militarization in the province. 

What was supposed to be a “peaceful” protest for their rights turned bloody when soldiers, according to witnesses, opened fire at the group – killing two farmers and injuring thousands in the process. 

Culasi incident
December 19, 1981 
Culasi, Antique

Five farmers were killed while several were injured on December 19, 1981 when members of the Philippine Constabulary (PC) opened fire at a group composed of at least 400 residents in Culasi, Antique. 

They were protesting high taxes on agricultural products and abuse of state forces. 

Escalante massacre
September 20, 1985
Escalante, Negros Occidental

At least 20 people were killed when government forces fired at a crowd of farmers on September 20, 1985 in Escalante, Negros Occidental. They were protesting the systematic oppression under the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos. 

Estimated to include 5,000 sugar workers, farmers, fishermen, and urban poor, the group was fired at by soldiers, policemen, and paramilitary forces when they held their line during dispersal. According to witness accounts, several were instantly killed while those who ran to hide were pursued by armed forces. 

A fact-finding commission chaired by then ombudsman Raul Gonzales was organized but was criticized for not holding the landlords and law enforcers to account. The low-ranking policemen jailed were eventually released on parole in 2003.  

Mendiola massacre
January 22, 1987
Mendiola, Manila

Thirteen people were killed and 39 were injured when government forces fired at a group of 2,000 farmers who trooped to Malacañang on January 22, 1987. 

The farmers, who initially spent a week camping outside the Department of Agrarian Reform in Quezon City, wanted to have a dialogue with then-president Corazon Aquino regarding equal land distribution and decent wages. 

No one has been held accountable for the deaths of the farmers but families of the victims and human rights groups continue to call for justice 31 years on.

Lupao massacre
June 23, 1987
Lupao, Nueva Ecija

Soldiers killed 17 people, including farmers, on June 23, 1987 in Lupao, Nueva Ecija. According to reports, the massacre of the civilians was in retaliation for the death of a platoon leader killed by the New People’s Army (NPA) the night before. 

Witnesses reported 20 soldiers arriving in the village early morning, gathered residents and killed them “with gunfire and bayonets.” The massacre was blamed on the anti-insurgency campaign of the administration of Corazon Aquino. 

The soldiers responsible faced the military court but were later acquitted. 

Hacienda Luisita massacre
November 16, 2004
Luisita, Tarlac

A clash between government forces and farm workers on November 16, 2004 in Hacienda Luisita led to the death of 7 while injuring at least 120 others. 

The violence erupted during a picket by hacienda workers who condemned the earlier retrenchment of farmers. They also called out the flawed distribution option that would have given them stocks instead of the land the farmers needed. 

Protesters maintained that the police called in to disperse the crowd started the violence, adding that they directly fired at the group of farmers. 

A 2001 report by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) concluded that "there were enough reasons to believe" that the government troops "may be responsible" for what happened. (READ: NBI report on Luisita massacre: Protesters more credible than gov't)

The Military and Law Enforcement Offices under the Office of the Ombudsman dismissed all charges against police and military respondents in 2010.

Kidapawan protest incident
April 1, 2016
Kidapawan, Cotabato

At least 50 people were injured while 3 were killed, including two police, when violence erupted between protesting farmers and government forces in Kidapawan, North Cotabato on April 1, 2016. 

The farmers, estimated to reach 3,000, demandde government assistance amid the drought that widely affected their farms. Initiated in March 2016, they called for the release of calamity funds and sacks of rice. (READ: Kidapawan and the rice riots)

But the dispersal after their permit to rally lapsed turned violent – protesters allegedly threw objects at the police while witness accounts said police shot at the group. Many groups questioned the use of guns but the police said there were also active shooters in the crowd.  

Hacienda Nene massacre
October 20, 2018
Sagay, Negros Occidental

Nine sugarcane farmers were killed inside Hacienda Nene in Sagay City, Negros Occidental on October 20.

The victims, including 4 women and two minors, were resting in their makeshift shelter when at least 40 men reportedly fired at them. 

The Philippine National Police (PNP) is investigating the case, adding that they are looking at a land dispute as the primary motive for the killing of the members of National Federation of Sugar Workers (NFSW).

Negros Occidental Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr has announced a P500,000-reward for any information on the suspects while Malacañang has called the killings a "dastardly act." – Rappler.com

Claim: The Vatican has excommunicated Father Robert Reyes, a known critic of the administration.

The claim was originally posted by satire website The Adobo Chronicles on May 15. The claim was written by a certain Pol Pinoy and has been shared thrice in different Facebook pages and groups. All of these accounted for a combined total of 207 interactions and 85,874 followers.

The post said an “excommunication letter” was sent to the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP). The pontiff allegedly said, “Mr. Reyes is banned from entering Catholic churches, presiding over the mass and other Catholic sacraments, or wearing the priestly robe.”

It was then recently posted by Facebook user Carmona Cholo on October 12. It garnered 1,300 reactions and 10,000 shares as of October 23. Commenting had been turned off after 3 comments.

According to the post, Pope Francis said:

Mr. Reyes is banned from entering Catholic churches, presiding over the mass and other catholic sacraments, or wearing the priestly robe when protesting in the streets of Manila. He also cannot use religious statues and sacred icons in his activities when protesting in the streets of Manila. He also cannot use religious statues and sacred icons in his activities.

The Adobo Chronicles post was made 4 days after Reyes declared, “Wake up or face death of democracy.” This was during the ouster of former Supreme Court chief justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.

Rating: FALSE

The facts: Father Reyes has not been excommunicated by the Vatican.

"We have not received such letter from the Holy Father Pope Francis excommunicating Fr. Robert Reyes," said CBCP secretary general Fr Marvin Mejia.

An excommunicated church official means one is “officially excluded from participation in the sacraments and services of the Christian Church.”

In the Vatican’s official and news website, there are no mentions of the claim.

Reyes is known to be an “activist priest.” He once declared there is a “war on the Church” after Duterte’s tirades against the Catholic Church.

He was still interviewed as a priest in an October 14 Inquirer article about the canonization of Salvadoran Archbishop Oscar Romero.

While The Adobo Chronicles describes itself as a satire website, its readers have been fooled in the past by headlines and content it produced. (READ: Satire vs Fake News: Can you tell the difference?)

Unlike some well known satirical sites, a number of content the site has published failed to highlight the absurd. Comments on the site's content show that readers were not able to identify the supposedly satirical pieces as satire.



— Miguel Imperial/Rappler.com

If you suspect a Facebook page, group, account, a website, or an article is spreading false information, let Rappler know by contacting us at factcheck@rappler.com. Let us battle disinformation one Fact Check at a time.

MANILA, Philippines – The election season is now in full swing as the country has started to see unrelenting violence that has spilled beyond Metro Manila.

On Thursday, October 25, the Newsbreak team sits down to discuss these top stories that dominated the news cycle in the past month.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) tallied a total of 152 individuals gunning for a Senate seat while 185 groups filed their applications to participate in the party-list elections. What's in store in next year's midterm elections?

Amid the election fever, however, is the reality that violence in Cebu City continues unabated. The number of deaths has risen within the past few months as Mayor Tomas "Tommy" Osmeña and local police continue their feud. 

How do we make sense of this situation? Do you have any questions you’d like the team to answer? Sound off in the comments below and join Thursday’s discussion with more comments and suggestions. – Rappler.com

MORE ON 'NEWSBREAK CHATS'

• Newsbreak Chats: Top stories for September
• Newsbreak Chats: Top stories for August
• Newsbreak Chats: Top stories for July
• Newsbreak Chats: Top stories for June
• Newsbreak Chats: Top stories for May
• Newsbreak Chats: Top stories for April
• Newsbreak Chats: Top stories for March
• Newsbreak Chats: Top stories for February

Claim: Philippine news groups may have used “fake news” content as a source regarding Facebook’s purge of pages and accounts.

The “independent tech news” website TechSabado posted the claim on October 24.

TechSabado, in its "fact check" article, headlined with the possibility that the news groups were misled into using fake sources in their stories on Facebook's decision to take down a network of fake accounts.

TechSabado pointed out “anomalies” in the article “Removing a Spam Network From Facebook in the Philippines” from newsroom.fb.com. This article was the source of most reports from Philippine news sites, including Rappler, about Facebook’s purge of 95 pages and 39 accounts for “violating spam and authenticity policies.”

Tech Sabado pointed out 4 supposed anomalies with the newsroom.fb.com article

1. The post’s URL was not consistent with the rest of the articles from the website.
   
   Brazil’s purge story had a URL of https://newsroom.fb.com/news/2018/10/ while the Philippine version had https://newsroom.fb.com/news/h/. 

2. The post did not have links of other news or a “Related News” part.

3. The post was not listed in the site’s News tab.

4. The post did not appear after an in-site search using the post’s exact title.

Rating: FALSE

The facts: Facebook said the newsroom.fb.com article is “correct, true, and legit.”

Newsroom is the official news website of Facebook.

Tech Sabado later updated their story to say that Facebook confirmed the authenticity of the purge story.

The full clarification now reads:

We got word from Facebook Philippines that the story link regarding the banned pages is correct, true and legit, as part of Facebook’s ongoing efforts to protect their services from abuse as stated in their news item. But then again, no one from the company could explain the “anomalies” we found after scrutinizing some details on the delivery of the said news coming from the Facebook Newsroom. That answer, we are still waiting.

Facebook also fixed the purge story’s link to be consistent with other newsroom.fb.com articles.

Previous link (still redirects to the article):
https://newsroom.fb.com/news/h/removing-a-spam-network-from-facebook-in-the-philippines/

Current link:
https://newsroom.fb.com/news/2018/10/removing-a-spam-network-from-facebook-in-the-philippines/

A “Related News” part was also added.

The story can now be found under the News tab.

The story can now be searched.

Facebook named 12 of the 95 pages that were taken down. These pages have shared false or misleading stories previously which Rappler has checked. (READ: LIST: False news shared by PH-based pages taken down by Facebook)

Despite this, Tech Sabado has not updated its false headline as of posting time. — Miguel Imperial/Rappler.com

If you suspect a Facebook page, group, account, a website, or an article is spreading false information, let Rappler know by contacting us at factcheck@rappler.com. Let us battle disinformation one Fact Check at a time.

MANILA, Philippines – He has been accused of facilitating the entry of the very shipments he was supposed to block.

The career of resigned Bureau of Customs (BOC) intelligence officer Jimmy Guban took a downturn after congressional probes pointed to his alleged involvement in the shipment of magnetic lifters found in Cavite, believed by all law enforcement agencies to have been packed with shabu (methamphetamine) worth P11 billion (earlier estimated at 6.8 billion).

On Wednesday, October 24, President Rodrigo Duterte ordered his arrest just minutes after lawmakers finished grilling him at the House of Representatives.

“Tell me who is this guy asking for money, extortion. I will call him here, I'll have him arrested. Kaya iyang si Guban pinapa-aresto ko (I'm ordering the arrest of Guban),” Duterte said.

Guban is currently under the custody of the Senate blue ribbon committee. He was initially detained after being cited in contempt for inconsistent testimonies. But on Thursday, blue ribbon committee chairperson Senator Richard Gordon disclosed that his panel will move to turn Guban into a state witness.

What makes him so controversial yet valuable in the probe? Guban is included in Duterte’s drug list, and has emerged in the House and Senate probes as the facilitator of the shipment of the controversial magnetic lifters. (READ: Duterte to Lapeña and Aquino: Stop blaming each other)

How Duterte knows him

Guban was named in Duterte's drug matrix which linked law enforcers to the Philippine narcotics trade.

According to the published intelligence report, Guban was part of a “network” of “fellows” spread across the Department of Finance, Department of Trade and Industry, Bureau of Internal Revenue, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, and the National Bureau of Investigation.

In this group, Guban supposedly played the role of the go-to guy “when they wanted illegal commodities to come in.”

Guban’s main modus operandi, as the dossier claimed, was that he kept ties with warehouse owners who receive contrabands. He is also alleged to have drug syndicate contacts abroad, especially in China and Taiwan, the major sources of illegal drugs in the Philippines.

He would allegedly let the warehouse owners keep 75% of the smuggled goods, while leaving 25% for staged raids organized by Guban to show progress in the BOC.

The intelligence information's description of Guban resembles his alleged involvement in the shipment of the 4 magnetic lifters believed to have stored the now missing one ton of shabu worth P11 billion.

Involvement in P11-B shabu case

As with any shipment, none would not be able to land on Philippine shores without a consignee.

It was Guban who looked for that requirement, tapping consignee SMYD Trading and owner Marina Signapan to take in the lifters.

According to Signapan’s initial testimony submitted to the House panels, it was a certain Joel Maritana who reached out to her and even paid her P180,000 for receiving the shipment for him. Signapan, who maintained her innocence in congressional probes, claimed she did not know that Maritana was bringing in contraband despite the large payment. 

It turned out that Maritana was only a welder and scavenger in Cavite found by Guban. He paid Maritana P2,000 to have him sign an affidavit which cleared Signapan and himself.

Guban was apparently in cahoots with Signapan to take the lifters into the country, and was preparing for the worst.

When that time came – in the Senate probe in September – Signapan said Guban threatened her and told her to follow a narrative to clear him. Guban allegedly told Signapan that he had companions “who knew how to hold guns.”

Guban has also been linked to the two magnetic lifters found at the Manila International Container Port which contained shabu worth P2.4 billion (earlier estimated to be worth P4.3 billion).

Senator Richard Gordon, chairman of the Senate blue ribbon committee, said it was "suspicious" that when the abandoned magnetic lifters were found, Guban knew how to open them more than his superiors in order to find the illegal drugs.

Guban would later admit before lawmakers at the House of Representatives that he had advance information about the P2.4-billion shabu shipment, but chose to withhold it from his bosses and colleagues. Before his colleagues opened the lifters, he was already certain that the lifters were packed with drugs.

Guban, however, was not alone in facilitating the shipments. He was only a part of the so-called “triumvirate” allegedly behind the magnetic lifters shipment.

Who his friends are

Guban is friends with two of the former law enforcers named in Duterte’s drug matrix who held the highest ranks back in service: dismissed police Senior Superintendent Eduardo Acierto and sacked PDEA deputy chief Ismael Fajardo.

Guban first met Fajardo when he studied at the Philippine College of Criminology. They were classmates.

As Fajardo eventually became an anti-drug cop, he met Acierto, a veteran anti-drug policeman. The 3 forged their relationship in anti-drug operations, Guban said, when they had gotten their assignments in their respective law enforcement agencies.

“Naging common friends na po kaming magkakasama sa law enforcement (We became common friends working in law enforcement),” he said in a House hearing. 

Testifying under oath at a House hearing, Guban claimed that Acierto ordered him to look for consignee SMYD Trading for “intelligence operations” even if consignee-for-hire schemes are prohibited.

Guban admitted he received at least P10,000 from Acierto for assembling the shipment of magnetic lifters for SMYD Trading.

Asked why he followed Acierto and received money, Guban replied, “‘Yun po ay normal na nangyayari sa Bureau of Customs (That normally happens at the Bureau of Customs).”

Would Guban be willing to challenge that norm and tell all? – Rappler.com 

MANILA, Philippines – How many people in the Philippines use Facebook monthly?

If you were a business owner or advertiser on the platform, you’d simply open up Facebook for Business to get the numbers: there were 60 million-70 million active Facebook users in the Philippines per month, as of October 2018.

This, and many other information are readily available through Facebook for Business’ “Audience Insights” tool, which grants access to brands with a page of their own, to their followers’ public information: from age, gender, and relationship status, to educational attainment and even location.

This data is a goldmine for advertisers, who can use it to understand their audience better and to create and release audience-specific targeted ads.

Despite its usefulness, however, it isn’t the most accurate tool.

In his 2017 analysis of Facebook demographics, Simon Kemp noted that “there are more 18-year-old men using Facebook today than there are 18-year-old men living on Earth.”

Kemp proposed 4 possible reasons for anomalies that he spotted that had to do with age: first, that younger users are over-stating their ages to appear over the legal age in their respective countries, and second, that older users are under-stating their ages due to vanity.

The 3rd and 4th reasons have to do with birth years that seemed rounded-up: he hypothesized that people input a birth year that ended in 0 or 5 (1990, 1995, respectively) because they didn’t want to share too much information or because they were fake profiles.

Facebook in the Philippines

Kemp observed Facebook’s numbers globally, but there are inconsistencies in Facebook’s numbers for the Philippines too.

Rappler divided Facebook’s 60 to 70 million monthly active users (MAU) in the Philippines by the Philippine Statistics Authority’s (PSA) latest population census from 2015. If their numbers are accurate, then Facebook’s penetration rate in certain cities would have reached somewhere between 100% to 300%.

The PSA’s population census includes people from ages zero to 80 and above. This means that for cities like Iloilo City, each person would easily have two or more accounts. 

Below are the 24 cities in the Philippines that have more than 100% Facebook penetration rates. Low and high estimates of MAU were based on the range that Facebook for Business gave for each city.

Iloilo City has the highest number of Facebook users with 223.22% to 334.83% of the population actively using the social media platform monthly. It's followed by Cebu City (216.78% to 270.97%), Makati City (171.64% to 257.55%), Manila City (224.70% to 252.79%), and Quezon City (170.29% to 204.35%).

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The PSA does not have 2015 census data on the number of people aged 18 and above per city, but they do have data on the number of females and males aged 18 and above. Facebook for Business disclosed data only for people aged 18 and over.

For the chart below, we derived the number of men and women aged 18 and above on Facebook in the Philippines from their estimated MAU data and from their numbers on age and gender. These were divided by the actual national population of men and women aged 18 and above.

The results showed that a low estimate implies that 99.6% of the female population in the Philippines, aged 18 or higher, uses Facebook. A high estimate would place 116.2% of the over-18 females in the Philippines on the social media platform.

For over-18 males in the Philippines, 92.04% to 107.38% of them are active on Facebook – more or less all of them. 

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‘Different data’

There are items on Facebook’s community standards that should be preventing this from happening. The first and most obvious one is that multiple accounts are prohibited.

Another is that Facebook requires all users to be 13 years old or above. Registering for someone under the age of 13 is also a violation of their rules too.

Still, fake accounts exist, and according to Facebook’s numbers, they are in the millions.

Facebook’s community standards disclose that in the last quarter of 2017 and first quarter of 2018, approximately 3% to 4% of their MAU worldwide were fake accounts. Based on the numbers presented in their quarterly financial reports, there were 63.9 million to 85.2 million fake accounts globally in the last quarter of 2017 and 66 million to 88 million in the first quarter of 2018.

All of these were removed, they said – some accounts because users reported them, but most because Facebook had identified them as fake through automatic detection.

Facebook is also aware that the numbers they present on Audience Insights don’t match actual census numbers and say so in a disclaimer on the tool:

"Estimates are based on the placements and targeting criteria you select and include factors such as Facebook user behaviors, user demographics and location data. They're designed to estimate how many people in a given area could see an ad a business might run. They aren't designed to match population or census estimates. Numbers may vary due to performance reasons."

Responding to Rappler’s questions on the discrepancy between their estimates and the PSA’s census, a Facebook spokesperson said:

“As we’ve stated, our reach estimator tool and census data are very different data sets, with different calculation methods, designed to show different results. Our estimator is designed to provide a sense of how many people in a given area are eligible to see an ad a business might run over the course of a campaign. It wasn’t designed to mirror census data, but rather give marketers an estimate of how to plan their campaigns on Facebook.”

‘Less effective campaigns’

In his analysis, Kemp expressed concern about how Facebook’s inaccurate demographic data could affect advertisers: “As a result, brands relying solely on demographic targeting will be reaching many people who claim to be a certain age, but who, in reality, are not in the brand’s desired audience at all. This will likely result in less effective campaigns, and reduced returns on investment.”

It’s because of this known inaccuracy that businesses and advertisers don’t treat Facebook’s user statistics as 100% true.

Miggy Azurin, a Subject Matter Expert for the Certified Digital Marketer Program, said he uses the Audience Insights tool for reference, but it isn’t something he’d completely depend on. “It's good for a conversation starter but I don't recommend it being the sole basis of your decisions,” he said.

The system is imperfect, said Azurin, based not only on his experience as a digital marketer, but also as a Facebook user.

“I catch so many glitches on the platform. Like for example, sometimes I will see ads in Cebuano. When I check ‘Why am I seeing this ad?’ it tells me that the ad is targeting people who are currently in Cebu. This is, of course, not true, because I'm in Manila.”

If Facebook’s numbers are known to be inaccurate – or at least include a number of fake accounts – why do business owners still use them?

Audience Insights, Azurin explained, is a way for Facebook to sell “billboards” on their platform. For an actual billboard, lessors will present numbers like how many people will pass by it and how many impressions a brand can get in effect. The same can be said of Facebook – they’re a business that is marketing adspace to other businesses through reports on Audience Insights.

For Azurin, Facebook’s data is still better than what he could get elsewhere: “They get [their numbers] closer than traditional platforms, but it's not perfect.” – with reports from Gemma Bagayaua-Mendoza and CJ Maglunog/Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Newsmakers have become the center of the news, as threats and violence against journalists dominated the headlines in the past few months.

Recently, the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi after visiting the Istanbul consulate shook the world. Almost 3 weeks after he was reported missing, Saudi Arabia admitted that the man was indeed killed.

Khashoggi’s case thrust Saudi Arabia into one of its worst international crises, with Turkish officials accusing it of carrying out state-sponsored killing and dismembering his body.

In Myanmar, Reuters journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo were sentenced to 7 years in jail last September for violating the Official Secrets Act during their coverage of the Rohingya massacre.

The Philippines is no exception, as Filipino journalists have fallen victim to countless troll attacks and threats on social media daily. (READ: Media groups record 85 attacks on press freedom under Duterte)

The year 2018 has been marred by various threats to press freedom globally. Here are the numbers as reported by media watchdogs.

Killed in 2018

In 2018, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has tallied 75 killings of journalists all over the world. The breakdown below includes killings recorded in October:

These numbers only reflect cases of violence which have been clearly established as resulting from, or in connection with, journalistic work. The most recent case recorded was TV broadcaster Mohammad Salim Inghar who was killed in a Taliban attack in Afghanistan last October 18.

Afghanistan has the highest number of journalists killed this year at 13, followed by Mexico at 7.

The Philippines also saw 3 killings this year, following the consecutive deaths of reporters Edmund Sestoso, Dennis Denora, and Joey Llana last May to July. (READ: Philippines down 6 spots in 2018 World Press Freedom Index)

Imprisoned in 2018

This year, there have been more journalists imprisoned than killed. More than 300 journalists  have been jailed in relation to work and coverage:

Turkey has the highest record, with 27 journalists serving time in prison for doing their work. Amnesty International has dubbed the country as a “dungeon” for the press amid increasing attempts to censor the media.

Saudi Arabia comes second with 13 detained. RSF has noted a rapid decline of press freedom in the country upon Mohammad bin Salman's appointment as crown prince in June 2017. The country currently ranks at a low 169 out of 180 countries in the 2018 World Press Freedom Index, and it is expected to worsen in the coming year.

More added deaths

A separate study by the independent organization Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) showed that at least 49 journalists have been killed per year on average from 1992 to 2018.

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There have been 1,324 journalists killed, with motives confirmed (CPJ however did not specify what motivated the killings). 518 journalists have been killed for reasons still unknown. Of these numbers, 137 journalists killed were Filipinos, with the year 2009 being the deadliest due to the Maguindanao massacre.

The death toll from 1992 to 2018 also showed murder as the top cause of death from 1992 to 2018, comprising more than 60% of all deaths.

60 journalists have also been recorded missing since 1992, with the most recorded in Mexico, followed by Iraq, Russia, and Syria. These cases remain unsolved.– Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – A number of those running for senator in the 2019 midterm elections have been in government or the public eye for long, and so they have surely made known their positions on key national issues. 

Rappler takes a look at where they stand on the issues that have so far made headlines in 2018 based on either statements they have made or votes they have cast on bills and resolutions as lawmakers.

Some of the issues here have been on the nation's plate for some time. Recent events and developments, however, have brought them back into the spotlight.

Among the top issues, divorce and the revival of the death penalty have met the strongest opposition among senatorial bets. The future of Train Law seems to be uncertain as well, as the support of the senatorial frontrunners for this tax reform measure has dwindled due its the unforeseen economic effects experienced by many Filipinos this year. 

On gender-based issues, majority are in favor of a bill that would penalize discrimination, especially against the LGBTQ community. However, they remain divided on same-sex marriage, as the idea does not sit well among more conservative bets.

Many senatorial bets have also shifted positions on several issues Senator Cynthia Villar, for instance, initially opposed the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law but later voted for its passage this May.

When the senatorial campaigns kick off, check the candidates' claims against this list

Divorce

According to a Social Weather Stations survey earlier this year, 53% of Filipinos support the passage of a divorce law. In the predominantly Catholic Philippines, however, the fight for the legalization of divorce continues to face many hurdles.

House Bill 7303, the bill that pushes for divorce, was approved on 3rd and final reading last March – the farthest any proposal on divorce has made in the lower chamber. The bill’s fate now lies in the Senate, but there seems to be a slim chance for a divorce law as most senatorial bets have expressed opposition to the idea.

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Cayetano was the only senatorial hopeful that expressed clear support for a divorce law. Colmenares, while not explicitly affirming, said in 2016 that the grounds for annulment prescribed in the Family Code already has elements of divorce.

Reelectionist senators Villar, Aquino, Ejercito, Pimentel, Binay, Angara, and Poe oppose the idea, opting instead to amend the annulment process. Pimentel, however, said that the Senate would remain open to review and discuss the proposal.

In 2011, Estrada filed a bill that would refine the definition of “psychological incapacity” – a ground for nullifying marriage. He suggested that violent behavior, drug addiction, and infidelity be covered by the term.

Alejano said that divorce might lead to more separated couples, while Osmeña in 2015 jokingly said he opposed it for fear of his wife. 

Federalism

President Rodrigo Duterte has been pushed for a shift to a federal system of government since he took office in 2016. While the House of Representatives is discussing a draft constitution while weighing benefits and risks of the the transition, the Senate has rejected the proposal outright.

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Known supporters of the President are in favor of federalism, while those who oppose it have apprehensions over the proposed constitution. Alunan said he supports federalism, but only if it meets certain preconditions. Aquino said he "used to be open" to the idea, but has since reconsidered his stand. Villar also suggested to amend the Local Government Code instead to make the local governments more autonomous. 

Reimposition of the death penalty

Talks on the capital punishment have resurfaced because of the ongoing drug war. In the lower chamber, most voted yes to House Bill 4727 that seeks to reimpose the death penalty in the country – 217 were in favor, and 54 were against. The ball is now with the Senate. 

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Revilla filed a bill seeking to restore the death penalty amid the rise in heinous crimes in 2011. The bill failed to rally support.

Pimentel stressed that the death penalty must only be reserved for perpetrators of the most heinous crimes. Angara remains open to the proposal, but has doubts because of police corruption and possible legal manipulation.

Passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law 

The Bangsamoro Basic Law was finally approved by the Senate in May upon Duterte's urging. Prior to that, the bill encountered many obstacles along the way. A number of legislators shifted positions in the process of debating the bill. Among these senatorial bets, more of them showed support for the BBL. 

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Ejercito formerly withdrew his authorship of BBL following the Mamasapano incident in 2015, but ended up voting for its passage last May. Alejano supported the BBL, but said that it should not have been rushed.

Colmenares and Alunan went against BBL as, according to them, it would not ensure lasting peace in Mindanao. Villar, along with Estrada, Angara, and Lapid, was among those who signed the late senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago's committee report on the unconstitutionality of the BBL draft in 2015. Both Villar and Angara have changed their stance following the Marawi conflict.

Martial law extension in Mindanao

In less than a day in 2017, majority of the members of Congress approved Duterte's request to extend martial Law in Mindanao for another year. Senate voted 14-4 while the House voted 226-23. 

Most reelectionist senators, as well as Duterte-aligned bets, voted for the extension of Martial Law in Mindanao. Among incumbent senators, only Aquino opposed the measure. 

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Gutoc, who hailed from the region, disapproved of it amid alleged human rights abuses by the military. Colmenares had similar sentiments about abuses, and raised concerns about a possible nationwide implementation of military rule.

Train Law

The Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (Train) Law faced tough criticism 10 months after it was passed. Implemented at a time of rising fuel prices, the law caused an increase in the prices of commodities unseen in years. Senatorial bets have also begun to see the effects of Train, making them rethink their stance.

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Poe first voted for the Train Law, but now recognizes its flaws. The same goes for Ejercito, who now calls for its suspension. Villar does not regret supporting the law and admits that lapses are being corrected. Enrile is also not completely against Train but suggested amendments to improve it.

Anti-Political Dynasty Bill

Senators approved Commitee Report 367 with consolidated Senate Bill 1765 or the Anti-Political Dynasty Act of 2018. The bill will undergo debates in the Senate, while its House counterpart is pending.

Most senatoriables are for the passing of an anti-dynasty law, even those who may be affected by the bill, like Aquino and Binay.

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Siblings Ejercito and Estrada have opposing stands on the issue. Estrada said that the decision lies on voters who would determine if they want two Estradas in the Senate.

LGBTQ rights

Most senatorial bets are for the passing of the bill that seeks to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity or expression (SOGIE) and promote equality especially among members of the LGBTQ community.

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The case is different on same-sex marriage. Senators Villar, Binay, and Enrile have voiced their opposition to the bill that seeks to legalize same-sex marriage. Former interior secretaries Roxas and Alunan are open to and support the motion. – Rappler.com

PANGLAO, Bohol – In the late '90s, then 10-year-old Mark would troop to Panglao Island with his friends to catch damang, an indigenous fighting spider that proliferated in the once dense forests of the island.

But by the time Mark reached his 20s and once the resorts started mushrooming, the damang disappeared. This, however, gave way to a consistent source of income for Mark: driving tourists to Panglao onboard his tricycle.

Now 32, Mark has been frequenting Panglao to drive tourists who seek the island’s teal waters and sprawling beachfronts. He’s been at it for the last 15 years.

“I go back and forth from Tagbilaran Airport carrying tourists…around 6 times per day on peak seasons, 3 times when the tourists are few,” he explained while driving on the familiar stretch of paved road that connects Tagbilaran City and Panglao Island.

Panglao Island has two municipalities – Dauis and Panglao, a 4th class municipality with 10 barangays. It’s got a landscape that’s perfect for tourism: 10 marine protected areas, 16 dive sites, and two snorkeling sites.

True enough, when Boracay closed last April 26, Panglao experienced a surge of tourist arrivals that bested its record last year in a matter of months.

Boracay’s loss, Panglao’s gain

The peak season in Panglao starts in October and lasts until February of the following year. Normally, tourist arrivals drop by June and plateaus until September, only to peak again in the 4th quarter of the year.

But in 2018, Panglao was able to exceed the previous year’s figures as early as May, the period when Boracay was closed.

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Aside from the closure, Leonidas Senica of the municipal tourism office said this might have also been driven by other factors: the municipality’s tourism campaign that is aligned with the opening of the new international airport. (READ: New Bohol ‘eco-airport’ to be completed in October 2018, says DOTr)

This is the highest recorded number of tourist arrivals in Panglao in 10 years. The municipality anticipates it would double by yearend. “As per our observation, the number of tourists really increased,” Senica said, adding that Tagbilaran also experienced an upsurge.

In the past, Panglao was only a side trip for Filipinos visiting Tagbilaran’s Chocolate Hills and was a hideaway for European divers exploring the underwater rainforests of Balicasag Island.

But times are changing. Bohol has made Panglao its major tourism come-on and the drive has created an impact on the whole province. In 2016, Bohol reached 1,000,186 arrivals, which increased to more than 1.3 million in 2017.

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But Panglao has something that Boracay doesn’t have: diving sites.

Since the ’80s, Panglao has been known as a diving site, beckoning to European divers to explore its spectacular coral reefs in Balicasag Island.

Banking on this, the local executives created the Coastal Resource Management Office (CRMO) through Municipal Ordinance No. 2, series of 2015, or “The Comprehensive and Sustainable Management, Development, and Conservation of the Fisheries, Aquatic and Coastal Resources in the Municipality of Panglao, Province of Bohol.”

Part of its mandate is to manage the marine protected areas in Panglao and impose a maximum carry-in capacity of 150 divers and 300 snorkelers per day in Balicasag Island.

The CRMO also implements an advance reservation system or queuing system that allows the office to limit and track visitors in Balicasag. “Now, you will notice that the demand is high. On several occasions, our reservation slots get filled up,” Senica added.

Last year, the system registered 44,000 divers visiting Balicasag.

Rise in tourism facilities, stable jobs

On the ground, Mark faces competition with tour agencies. He is among the 24 registered tricycle drivers for hire in Panglao who depend heavily on tourism.

“The number of tour agencies mushroomed,” he said. Nowadays, it’s common for his tricycle to share the road with closed air-conditioned vans with logos of tour agencies and big-named resorts.

“They are stealing our tourists. Now it’s harder to get tourists to hire us.”

But it’s not just the number of tour operators that increased.

The surge in tourism support facilities, and eventually, tourists, came after groundbreaking rites in 2013 of the Panglao International Airport – in the pipeline since 2010.

Tourism support facilities include accommodation establishments, tour agencies, restaurants, financial institutions, dive shops and schools, souvenir shops, transportation services, wellness, amusement centers, and other enterprises.

There has been an evident increase in arrivals starting 2014, as big chains of hotels and resorts with 400 rooms began to invest and operate in the municipality.

For the last 8 years, the streets, restaurants, and resorts were loaded with Chinese and Korean families, prompting a slew of Korean, Japanese, and Chinese restaurants along Alona Beach Road.

Since 2011, Panglao’s top foreign markets were from China, Korea, Japan, and Taiwan. Visitors from the United States, France, Germany, and Australia have been consistent as well. Russians have also entered the top foreign visitors list starting 2016.

Establishments and businesses have been steadily increasing over the years. Currently, 2,196 are registered with the Business Permits and Licensing Office (BPLO) as of April 2018.

Registered resorts, hotels, inns, pension houses, and apartments number 386 and rent out 4,378 rooms. There are 53 local dive centers, 5 equipment suppliers, and 13 transient or unregistered dive centers. 

These factors enable Panglao to depend on tourism as a major cash cow as it provides 80% of the municipality’s earnings.

Employment has also improved. From fishing, locals were able to penetrate the tourism market with support from the "Panglao First Policy," an ordinance that prioritizes locals.

“The income is more consistent with tourism. Some fishermen started to work for resorts so the salary is consistent,” said Senica. “Some who own pump boats rent these out for island hopping, dolphin- and turtle-watching.”

Provincial figures agree: the poverty rate in the province decreased in 2012 and employment increased starting 2015.

There are also those, like Mark, who drive tourists to resorts on board tricycles. If one rents a tricycle around Panglao, the common rate is P1,200. The same tricycle will charge P1,500 if headed for other scenic spots in Tagbilaran and Loboc.

Mark also earns from driving tourists from Tagbilaran Airport to Panglao, which costs P300 one way.

Transportation costs around the island are also standard: P150 for tricycles and P50-P80 for habal-habals (motorcycles). Jeepneys are limited and the municipality has yet to open routes into its thin transport service system.

After decades of laboring as a tricycle driver, Mark was able to save enough to acquire and manage a small rice farm in Carmen, Bohol.

The catch: trash

When Boracay closed, Panglao was among the tourism spots in the country that received warnings from the national government.

The reasons are the same as Boracay’s: unmanaged garbage proliferated on the shores and most establishments were without an environment compliance certificate (ECC).

The locals, however, are used to the trash. Every weekend, Mark brings his nieces and nephews to Panglao to bask in the afternoon sun as the young ones swim in the teal waters.

“The public beaches are dirty,” said Mark, who pointed out that a quick stroll includes a scenic view of the waves hitting the island’s white shores. But this is marred by sachets, plastic cups, beer bottles, and empty snack wrappers that litter the shores. – Rappler.com

To be continued: Part 2 | Garbage in Paradise

MANILA, Philippines – Not even at the end of his third year in power, Duterte has had 3 Customs chiefs, 3 presidential spokesmen, and 3 foreign secretaries. That’s one Customs chief, spokesman, and top diplomat for every year he’s been in office.

These are the 3 key government positions that have experienced the most number of leadership changes under the Duterte administration, excluding top positions affected by retirement such as those in the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine National Police, and the Supreme Court.

Customs: Faeldon to Lapeña to Guerrero

Only two days ago, on Thursday, October 25, Duterte announced the latest change  – Customs Commissioner Isidro Lapeña will be moved to the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda), to be replaced by retired military chief Rey Leonardo Guerrero, currently Maritime Industry Authority Administrator.

Guerrero will be the third Duterte appointee to hold that position which is critical to the administration’s crackdown on illegal drugs and corruption, and one constantly besieged by controversy.

Before Lapeña, the Bureau of Customs had been helmed by former mutineer and marine officer Nicanor Faeldon. Duterte decided to move Lapeña out of the BOC as Congress probed the missing P11-billion shabu shipment smuggled into the country through magnetic lifters in August. This is similar to circumstances surrounding Faeldon’s exit from the agency last year.

Duterte had accepted Faeldon’s resignation in August 2017 months after the latter was accused of involvement in the entry of P6.4 billion worth of shabu into the country. Senator Panfilo Lacson alleged that Faeldon received grease money from smugglers, which Faeldon denied.

Presidential Spokesman: Abella to Roque to Panelo

In Malacañang, the post of presidential spokesman has seen the most changes in appointments. 

The key communications position was first occupied by tight-lipped pastor Ernesto Abella. A year and 4 months later, a dissatisfied Duterte appointed lawyer Harry Roque, then Kabayan congressman, for the job.

But after a year, Roque too had to be replaced because he went on to chase his dream of running for senator. Duterte appointed his chief legal counsel, Salvador Panelo, to fill Roque’s shoes.

Foreign affairs: Yasay to Cayetano to Locsin

Duterte has also twice changed his foreign secretary in less than 3 years. 

His first, Perfecto Yasay Jr was rejected by the Commission on Appointments in March 2017 over citizenship issues. Faced with this sudden loss of a critical Cabinet member, Duterte quickly assigned seasoned diplomat Enrique Manalo to be acting Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) secretary. In May, Duterte tapped then senator Alan Peter Cayetano, his running mate in the 2016 elections, as new foreign secretary. 

But like his second spokesman, his second DFA chief had plans for the 2019 elections. Cayetano resigned to run for Taguig City-Pateros 1st District representative leading Duterte to summon the Philippines' Permanent Representative to the United Nations Teodoro Locsin Jr from New York to become his new chief diplomat. 

Leadership changes in any government office mean upheavals, changes in personnel, swerves in policy direction, and disruption of both bad and good practices introduced by previous agency heads.

Duterte, likely appreciating the critical role these 3 offices play, has been relatively quick to name the successors of their exiting heads. Only time will tell if these offices are in for more leadership changes and what impact these changes will have on Duterte’s key initiatives. – Rappler.com

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At a glance:

• Many of the pages that Facebook took down in the Philippines shared articles from highly-partisan websites that had also spread false news and had been fact-checked by Rappler.
• Almost all of these websites are newly-created and lack details to establish authenticity and accountability.
• These Facebook pages seem to be part of a "network" that extends reach and amplifies messages.

MANILA, Philippines – On Monday, October 22, Facebook announced that it had taken down 95 pages and 39 accounts in the Philippines that violated its spam or authenticity guidelines.

Facebook had initially made public the names of 12 pages and accounts, many of which had shared political content. The social media platform pointed out that all were sharing links from Facebook to the same advertising click farms.

The list that Facebook disclosed, however, is just the tip of the iceberg.

Based on data Rappler has collected through its social media monitoring tool called Sharktank, these pages are part of a "network" that shares the same partisan content from the same websites.

While some of the Facebook pages in the network have been taken down, there are others that remain online. Facebook has not disclosed how it decided what to take down and what to retain. It has also not categorically linked the takedowns to inputs from 3rd party fact check partners.

Wider network

A map of the websites and the Facebook pages that share them shows the interconnections that extend reach and magnify messages.

The blue dots represent the websites, while the red and pink dots represent the pages already taken down or are now inaccessible. The red dots are also the pages that match those identified and named by Facebook. The green dots represent pages still available and not included in the Facebook list.  

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A scrutiny of the false content shared by these Facebook pages shows that they targeted mostly members of the opposition, and rode on major news events during specific time periods: the ouster of then chief justice Maria Lourdes Sereno in May 2018 and the debates in mid-2018 on supposed 2016 election irregularities.

Of the 12 pages identified by Facebook, Duterte Media and Duterte Phenomenon shared the most times false articles which Rappler had fact-checked. (LIST: False news shared by PH-based pages taken down by Facebook)

Duterte Media and Duterte Phenomenon, along with 23 other pages– almost all riding on the name of President Rodrigo Duterte – have been observed in different time periods to have shared content from dubious websites with false content. Many of these had also been fact-checked by Rappler.

Multiple combinations of these 25 Duterte-named pages shared the false content of websites kantonewsph.xyz (from May 12 to June 17, 2018), du3onews.info (June 21 to June 25), aboutdu30.info (June 26 to July 2), kantonewsph.info (July 5 to 19), onelinebalita.xyz (July 21 to September 10), and balitaonline.xyz (September 11 to 30). In general, the content shared were pro-administration and anti-opposition.

The site kantonewsph.xyz, for instance, figured in many Rappler fact checks, like those involving detained Senator Leila de Lima, ousted chief justice Sereno, Senate President Vicente Sotto III and his "endorsement" of presidential daughter Sara Duterte, and the ongoing 2016 vice presidential election recount.

The website onelinebalita.xyz also posted hoaxes or misleading articles, such as the Philippines supposedly ranking among the world's fastest-growing economies, opposition senators allegedly being part of poll fraud in 2016, the supposed "entry" of a third telecommunications firm when the government's bidding process was still in progress, and actress Kris Aquino allegedly wearing a necklace from a collection seized from the Marcos family. It also posted wrong information about Naga City's crime volume.

Meanwhile, kantonewsph.info published a false article about the government's “anti-tambay” operations.

Among the 6 websites, only 3 remain up: aboutdu30.info, onlinebalita.xyz, and balitaonline.xyz. However, their last posts were one to 3 months ago.

Twelve of the Facebook pages in this network are still up as of this posting and continue to share content from dubious websites. The rest are now down or inaccessible (see network graph below).

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New websites

Starting October, different combinations of these Facebook pages began sharing 3 new websites, all equally dubious: todaystopnews.xyz, latestnewz.xyz, and casterph.xyz.

This group of websites is very new, as determined by domain information obtained via Whois lookup searches. Whois is a service that provides information about a registered domain or website, like its creation date and the domain name service provider. (RELATED: Facebook blocks websites believed to be peddling fake news)

Of the 3, the website todaystopnews.xyz was registered on September 27, followed by casterph.xyz on October 13, and latestnewz.xyz on October 18.

The 3 websites also noticeably carry the “.xyz” top-level domain (TLD). Because it is a new TLD, it is cheaper than the usual .com, .net or .org endings of websites, and therefore easier to buy from domain name hosting services. Armed with this, websites become easier to set up.

A combined 26 Facebook pages, in different subgroups (see network graph below), shared content from the 3 websites alone over certain periods in October. Most of these pages used Duterte's name.

The 1st website (todaystopnews.xyz) started to be shared on October 8, on average 6 times a day; the 2nd (casterph.xyz) starting October 15, on average 6 times a day for 8 straight days; and the 3rd (latestnewz.xyz) starting October 18, the same day it was registered, once every day.

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The first-ever articles posted on these websites were also published on the same days, except for casterph.xyz, which posted for the first time on October 10. All domains were created through the domain registry site namesilo.com.

The 3 websites are full of online ads, and have very similar layouts. The articles in all these sites have little to no text, and contain only videos that are very supportive of President Duterte and his administration.

Except for casterph.xyz which recently became inaccessible, the other two sites are still up as of this writing. 

Video too

The websites also don't have an “About Us” page, where staff members or office address should be seen. Their posts also do not have a byline or author. Only todaystopnews.xyz contains a disclaimer for each of its posts, but even then, it's only a generic one that says it does not own the copyright of the audio or video embedded on the site.

Many of the embedded videos are from the YouTube account, Tokhang TV. As seen in previous Rappler fact checks, this YouTube account usually reuploads videos of pro-Duterte vloggers (video bloggers) and makes use of exaggerated video titles that appear to provoke partisan reactions.

Another Facebook page, Duterte-News-Update-339448673234955, shared casterph.xyz 19 times but seems to have been taken down a week ago.

Two more pages – bonggoofficiaI and imeemarcosofficial – shared latestnewz.xyz daily in the past week and are still active.

The Facebook pages Duterte Media, Duterte Phenomenon, and 13 others that shared content from casterph.xyz also each shared the Facebook page IMEEParaSaMasa 31 times. This page does not link to external websites but instead contains graphics with quotes (insta-quotes) and other photos.

The pages that shared these sites present only a small portion of websites and blogs fact checked or tracked by Rappler to have been shared by propaganda groups and pages on Facebook since 2016.

To date, Rappler’s Sharktank – a database that monitors posts and comments on over 2,000 public pages and 900 public groups managed by partisan groups and local news organizations on Facebook – has monitored over 4,000 unique sites and blogs.

While these sites include websites of key news organizations in the country, a vast majority of them have unknown authors or owners.

A significant number have been fact-checked by local Facebook partner third-party fact-check groups, or they exhibit similar features as the spammy sites promoted by the pages that Facebook took down. – Michael Bueza, Wayne Manuel, and Gemma B. Mendoza/Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Was there or wasn’t there?

Former Bureau of Customs chief Isidro Lapeña’s changing answers to this simple question about the presence of shabu (methamphetamine) in magnetic lifters – brought into the country through the Manila International Container Port (MICP) – has added him to the fallen men of the bureau.

A multibillion-peso shabu smuggling controversy had cast the light on Lapeña and the discovery of 4 empty magnetic lifters that were later found abandoned in a Cavite warehouse.

They are believed to have been packed with up to P11-billion worth of shabu, making it the biggest drug smuggling controversy to hit President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration.

Despite the overwhelming circumstantial evidence, Lapeña had repeatedly denied the possibility of the lifters ever containing drugs. It’s this recycled denial that would eventually lead to his exit as accusations of cover-up piled up rapidly.

He aligned himself with the position of President Rodrigo Duterte, who at the outset of the controversy, dismissed the evidence gathered by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) as “pure speculation.”

Lapeña had his own reasons to believe that the lifters were empty.

But arguments and evidence had landed right on his lap, pointing to the lifters containing shabu. Lapeña, however, conceded too little and too late.

Keeping destructive information ‘under wraps’

From the beginning, Lapeña wanted to hold off speculations by limiting information passed on to the media. This was in contrast to Aaron Aquino, the eager chief of PDEA.

When the 4 magnetic lifters were found in a General Mariano Alvarez warehouse in Cavite on August 8, Lapeña was not in favor of holding a press conference to tell the media that at least 1,000 kilograms (kg) of shabu had possibly slipped through their checks.

“It was agreed by the officers on the ground that the matter will be put under wrap[s],” Lapeña said in a press briefing on October 23.

It makes sense for investigation, he said, as they didn't want suspects to find out that their probers found a trail. But Aquino briefed the media just a day after, right inside the warehouse where the lifters were found.

“We were surprised when DG Aquino held a press conference immediately after, burning the entire follow-up operations and backtracking efforts that [were] agreed upon,” he added.

It was in the same press conference that Aquino fired the first shots at Lapeña in what would later become their word war: “There really are still corrupt employees at Customs.”

Lapeña shot back in a briefing days later, saying it was too early to declare that the lifters contained illegal drugs. He also said that PDEA failed to give them information that would have allowed them to intercept the illegal drugs.

During the BOC’s flag-raising ceremony on Monday, August 13, Lapeña disputed PDEA’s claim, saying that their guess was only as good as theirs: both uncertain.

“I cannot allow our one year of sleepless nights, our efforts during weekends and wee hours to be destroyed because of a mere assumption,” Lapeña said.

He was not ready to concede early on that the lifters contained shabu or any contraband, because it would have been an admission that it slipped past under his leadership, which had only been known back then for intercepting then crushing luxury automobiles.

Ignoring Mangaoang

On the same Monday he announced the stakes to his personnel, Lapeña got a visit in his office from Lourdes Mangaoang, the former Customs X-ray chief who had worked in the division for 5 years.

Armed with copies of X-ray scans of the magnetic lifters, Mangaoang tried to convince Lapeña that the magnetic lifters contained something that was unknown.

“Pinagkatiwalaan ko siya at that time (I trusted him at that time),” said Mangaoang, who has been tagged as a whistleblower who exposed all of Lapeña’s mistakes.

“Sabi ko ‘Sir, klarong-klaro na may laman. May fuzz doon sa images,” she recalled telling Lapeña. (Sir, it's clear that they contain something. There is a fuzz in the images,)

Lapeña’s reply as Mangaoang recalled was: “Saan mo ito nakuha (Where did you get these)?”

It was unclear whether it was the first time that Lapeña saw the images, but they should have been easily accessible to him as the X-ray Inspection Project (XIP) of the BOC is under his direct supervision.

After hearing Mangaoang out, Lapeña consulted with his X-ray division chief Zsae de Guzman, who told him that their X-rays have no way of telling whether drugs were packed inside the lifters, thus they could not yet conclude that there were drugs inside. De Guzman at the time had only 10 months of experience in the post.

A day before the first day of probing at the House of Representatives, Lapeña had to choose and he stood with De Guzman.

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“The allegation of one ton of shabu is circulating in the market has no basis, your honor…As government authorities, we have to be prudent in providing unverified information to the general public to allay further fear or confusion,” Lapeña said, citing PDEA’s drug swab test that yielded negative results.

Asked in a chance interview days before he was removed from his post as to why he sided with De Guzman, Lapeña replied, “Attorney De Guzman is the chief of the XIP so I will listen to her first, and she was the one who investigated her own technicians.”

Ignoring Mangaoang would prove to be costly as she went on to testify before the Senate blue ribbon committee, telling them what she had relayed to Lapeña.

The turning point

A month later, an already disgruntled Mangaoang was invited by media outlets to get her side on the case.

Mangaoang crucified Lapeña as a commissioner covering up for illegal drugs because of his refusal to support PDEA’s conclusion that the lifters contained illegal drugs.

Lapeña could not refute the allegations because he was in the United States for his mother’s birthday. Besides, he did not think anybody would side with Mangaoang.

Probes by the House and Senate committees have not shown any evidence linking him to the group behind the magnetic lifter shipment: the so-called triumvirate of outcast law enforcers Jimmy Guban, Ismael Fajardo, and Eduardo Acierto.

With her sweeping statements delivered with a lot of fire, however, Mangaoang became an instant hit, delivering blows to Lapeña’s credibility.

When he got home, Lapeña was met with public outrage. When he spoke, Lapeña showed less conviction compared to his earlier statements. He no longer cited the swab test that yielded negative results or stood by their X-ray division to say the lifters were empty. Instead, he wanted the Senate and House committees to conclude for him.

“That matter has been presented to the committees. Attorney Mangaoang has said her piece, the X-ray, the XIP people of the BOC have said their piece, and that has been explained in the Senate, and let us hear what will be the result of appreciation of the Senate blue ribbon committee…Because I couldn’t preempt them,” Lapeña said in a mix of English and Filipino during his October 23 briefing at the BOC.

The next day, he completed the reversal.

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What it took was the expert opinion of an agency far from the rings of anti-drug law enforcers who surrounded him from the beginning: the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

Listening to DPWH Director Toribio Ylao, Lapeña learned that the magnetic lifters found in Cavite “are not fit for purpose in terms of lifting, and [they are] unsafe to use.”

The DPWH’s reasoning: The magnetic lifters were too big, and had too much space inside to work. The items packed inside them were not found in any other industrial-grade magnetic lifters, as asbestos fillers are used to shield goods from overheating, and lead is used to fuzz up X-ray scans.

Within minutes, he echoed what his colleagues from PDEA and Mangaoang had been telling him: “Talagang may nakalusot nga (There were really [drugs] that slipped past us).”

Lapeña’s cover-up

While he was not accused by lawmakers of trying to shield drug syndicates, Lapeña still stood out as being part of a cover-up, given that his personnel failed to stop the suspected shabu and given that they led him to believe for a long time that the lifters were empty.

“I do not believe you are part of a syndicate. I do not believe you are covering up for the network of illegal drugs. Ako ha (For me) personally, you are covering up for the incompetence or inefficiency of your people. That is what I can see,” Representative Romeo Acop said in the October 24 hearing.

The same thing was said by Senator Richard Gordon in an earlier Senate probe: “Your people are incompetent, replace them. They'll put you in trouble.”

Lapeña did fire people in relation to the probe, but he only isolated two X-ray inspectors who released the lifters from the MICP. He kept his deputy commissioners untouched, even X-ray chief De Guzman.

In the end, whoever incompetent or inefficient personnel Lapeña was trying to protect, were already taken care of by Duterte, who sacked all deputy commissioners and unit heads Lapeña himself recommended to take posts.

Lapeña himself, meanwhile, was saved by Duterte – ejected from Customs and rewarded with a Cabinet position as chief of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, an area beyond his field of expertise. – Rappler.com

TOP PHOTO: PROMOTED BUT OUT. Isidro Lapeña is promoted after controversy sparked during the biggest shabu smuggling controversy to hit the Duterte administration. BOC PIAD photo.

MANILA, Philippines – In the wake of a typhoon, there are tons of news articles and tweets about conditions in affected areas. Unfortunately, not all of them turn out to be true.

At a time when information becomes a form of "relief" for those affected by emergencies, it is important to spread accurate and relevant news to aid decision-makers and responders on the ground. (READ: Social media: Critical for disaster managers)

How can you tell if tweets and articles about a disaster are real? The graphics below point out the details you should look out for to know what's real and what's made up.

Read on, and stay safe!

– Rappler.com

If you suspect a Facebook page, group, account, a website, or an article is spreading false information, let Rappler know by contacting us at factcheck@rappler.com. Let us battle disinformation one Fact Check at a time.

(Part 2 of a series)

Part 1: Panglao: Riding the tourism cash cow

BOHOL, Philippines – Early on a Saturday, Jam Ungab leads a pack of volunteers from Plastic Free Bohol to pick up renegade trash along Libaong White Beach, a 3-kilometer stretch of white sand on the island of Panglao, Bohol.

Locals say this stretch could rival Boracay – it depends really on who you ask.

For they say the same of the other beaches on the island: a tricycle driver would point to Dumaluan Beach, a local favorite that's connected to Libaong Beach; a local official would claim the best are the undeveloped stretches of Doljo and Danao, both overlooking the bay and the flat reef; tourists say the vibe is closer at the famous Alona Beach that has been beckoning to tourists as early as the 1980s.

Panglao boasts of 555 hectares of shoreline and 5 major beaches. But all these stretches have one thing in common: they are peppered with trash.

The 3-hour clean-up drive in Libaong alone produced 30 sacks of garbage – mostly recyclables and residuals. In September 2017, the movement collected 1,504.78 pounds during a morning clean-up on the same beach stretch.

“It’s really getting worse. Every month, we keep on picking up more and more trash. Every time we return to the same area, the garbage increased,” Jam lamented.  

Plastic Free Bohol is a movement that raises awareness about plastic pollution in Bohol. It was an organization borne out of frustration that tourism is triggering the rise of unmanaged garbage that ends up on the coastlines, explained Jam. 

Jam said she has noticed this trend in other beaches in the country, even in areas without houses and establishments. But for Jam, Bohol is home. So when she returned in 2015, she started the movement to give the beaches some badly needed cleaning.

Recently, the focus of the movement was Panglao Island where tourists flock. The presence of the group, however, was not enough to limit waste on the beaches.

Source: Plastic Free Bohol 

Alona Beach in Barangay Tawala, where majority of the establishments in Panglao are clustered, is considered the “most touristy” part of the island, and Panglao, the most visited area in Bohol.

But even on Alona Beach, trash litters the beachfronts.

“We expect that there will be a small volume of garbage in Alona because there are numerous establishments there,” Jam said. “They should be initiating efforts to keep the area clean, but there’s still a lot of trash!” 

Sources of waste

Panglao has a long history of neglecting solid waste.

The island’s garbage problem has been widely reported since 2003, both by the local media and locals posting photos on social media.

In 2015, Panglao came up with a 10-Year Solid Waste Management Plan with support from the Solid Waste Management Commission of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). The plan is a requirement under the 2001 Ecological Solid Waste Management Act or Republic Act 9003.

In 2013, the main source of trash was the households. An estimated 69% of disposed waste come from the 6,141 households, while a small 30% are generated by tourism establishments, like resorts, dive shops, and food establishments.

This wasn’t surprising since Panglao was receiving its standard number of tourist arrivals at the time: 146,725. Also, Barangay Tawala, which covers Alona Beach, had only 70 establishments so businesses were not driving the rise in waste volumes.

These households were producing more recyclable and residual waste. Recyclable waste is the biggest with 36%, followed by biodegradables at 35%, residuals at 26%, and special waste at 5%.

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Expectation vs reality

But the situation has gotten out of hand since. Now Panglao has more than 700,000 tourists and more than 600 establishments.

According to Manuel Fudolin of the municipal solid waste management office, the garbage volume  increased after the tourists started coming in 2014.

“Compared to our regular volume, the waste that we get now increased significantly. Before, garbage was tolerable and could be managed. Now, it’s hard to manage. That’s based on our observation,” he said.

Data from the Alburqueque Sanitary Cluster Landfill (ASCLF) show that Panglao dumped a total of 61.360 tons of residual waste from April to December 2017 – the biggest compared to the 12 other municipalities the ASCLF caters to.

Panglao’s biggest one-time daily disposal is around 23.680 tons. The landfill accepts and records only residuals.

The municipality estimated that by 2017, total waste would reach 14,147.43 kilograms or 15.6 tons per day. The plan conservatively estimated that Panglao’s annual economic growth rate would be at a meager 1% and population growth at 2.4% as bases for the projections.

But comparing it to actual waste disposed at the landfill, the projection is plausible – but only for residuals.

In reality, the municipality generates more waste than it can manage. And these were either disposed through household backyard composting, sold to the recyclable plant in Cebu, or, worse, thrown in the beaches.

Despite the surge, the municipality has not kept track of actual waste generated by both households and non-households to update the solid waste management plan. This makes it hard to gauge whether interventions suffice in controlling the garbage problem that hounds its beaches.

‘Everything is allowed’

After looking at Panglao’s policies that affect tourists, we found out that there are only two that directly relate to waste: the ban on broken glasses in public and the anti-loitering policy. The municipality has a plastic bag ban that has yet to be implemented.

The policies, however, do not translate fully on the ground, especially with the quick turnover of tourists during peak seasons.

For independent tour guide Mai, who has been roaming the beaches of Panglao on a daily basis for the last 3 years, the garbage problem can be traced to the lack of cleanliness programs.

“I don’t notice that there’s any program to clean Panglao,” she said. “Smoking is allowed in the beaches so smokers just leave the cigarette butts everywhere.” She noted that these had become a common sight on Alona Beach.

There is also no standard training for tour guides and agents to brief tourists on how to handle the waste, especially mineral bottles they bring for island-hopping and animal interaction activities during the tours.

“Tourists, especially the Pinoys, have no discipline,” Mai said. “They just leave everything behind. They should bring a plastic bag, compile their trash, then throw it when they see a trash can.”

When asked if she orients tourists about proper trash disposal, Mai laughed, shaking her head. “No, I don’t.” – Rappler.com

To be continued: Part 3 | Panglao's struggle with solid waste: New system for old problems

Part 3 of a series

Part 1: Panglao: Riding the tourism cash cow
Part 2: Garbage in paradise: The price of Panglao's rise as tourist destination 

PANGLAO, Bohol – With the tourism boom around the bend, the municipality of Panglao is banking on its 3-year-old system to solve the tourism-waste nexus.

Celerina Mijos, a regular employee hired by the municipality, is a waste segregator, a key job in Panglao’s waste management system.

Stationed at the Lourdes Ecological Facility, the central Mineral Recovery Facility (MRF) of Panglao, she clusters garbage collected by the barangay MRFs and prepares the trash for two destinations: the piles of recyclables are sold to a private recycling plant in Cebu while the heaps of residuals are sent twice a week to the landfill.

“We were hired because we are familiar with this job. We’ve been garbage segregators for 5 years now,” she said. “The heaviest bag that we carry is 10 kilos… around 5 to 10 kilos. It’s heavy but we endure.”

Panglao’s solid waste management system follows the provisions of Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Waste Management Act, which identified the minimum requirement: the construction of one MRF per barangay.

All of Panglao’s 10 barangays have MRFs that are directly under the supervision of the barangay captains.

Starting 2015, the local government implemented the system in its 10-year solid waste management plan. It did so through the following:

• Financed the building of mineral recovery facilities (MRF) in each barangay in Panglao
• Provided each barangay with a mini-truck for collecting household and non-household waste
• Implemented a strict “no segregation-no collection” policy
• Began to close the Lourdes open dumpsite and transformed it into the central MRF
• Used a portion of the income earned from the environment user’s fees for solid waste management at the barangay level
• Established the “eco-warriors”, employed individuals who check on establishments’ garbage disposal system
• Provided penalties for establishments and individuals who fail to follow the policies

But aside from segregating the waste generated by the municipalities, Celerina and 9 other segregators are also handling the existing garbage in the facility, a feat since the unsegregated trash covers the entire 1.5 hectares.

In 3 years, Celerina and 9 other waste segregators were able to control the existing waste in the 1.5-hectare Lourdes facility. They were even able to “push back” the mountains of garbage that filled the facility when it was an open dumpsite in 2007.

A history of neglect

The half-hectare entrance to the facility has been cleared and is now a site of thriving plants and flowers, and a spacious parking lot for Panglao’s two dump trucks.

The garbage problem is not new in Panglao.

The whole province of Bohol has a history of “poor” waste collection and management. In 2003, Bohol’s garbage collection services reached only 14% of households in 48 municipalities.

With only one dump truck in 2003, Panglao’s waste collection could accommodate 15 households only, leaving 4,320 households to their own practices of disposing their trash: dumping in land or water, burying, or composting.

The Executive Legislative Agenda (ELA) for 2011-2013 acknowledges the “laxity on the strict imposition of existing regulations regarding solid waste management and non-compliance of the zoning ordinance” that is prevalent among all local units in Bohol.

“There was a waste management system before…but there were many problems when I assumed office,” Manuel Fudolin of the municipal solid waste management office recalled. “There are many gaps, many lacking resources. There’s really no focus on solid waste management.”

It was only when Fudolin was appointed officer of the solid waste management office that a firmer system was put in place.

But when the construction of the airport materialized, working groups were created to solve the garbage problem. Now Panglao has a 46% collection rate among households and non-households. This is how it managed its soid waste.

Overwhelmed by tourism

But having a system is not enough. Panglao’s house cleaning is overwhelmed by the volume of trash from tourism establishments that are brought on a daily basis to the MRFs.

“In barangays with a lot of tourism establishments, we assist the barangays in collecting garbage with the dump truck,” Fudolin said. “But one trip is not enough – they have to go back to collect the segregated waste.”

This was especially the case in Barangay Tawala, the center of tourism in Panglao.

“The MRF in Tawala is a mess because of the volume of recyclables and residuals the barangay collects every day. Tawala is a big problem because segregators cannot finish the collected garbage in one day.”

The poor waste collection practice of days past also had repercussions as locals developed bad waste management habits.

Because of the strict implementation of the “No Segregation at Source, No Collection” policy and the collection only of residuals and recyclables, establishments have resorted to disposing their trash by the roadside, on beaches, and vacant lots when nobody is looking.

“If you go around Panglao, you’ll notice that trash is everywhere,” he said. “And the trash doesn’t come from households. It comes from establishments that don’t assign segregators. If there’s no segregator, we don’t collect the garbage so these establishments throw their trash everywhere,” Fudolin added.

He also admitted that the municipality is overwhelmed by the rise in tourism visits and activities, especially after the temporary closure of Boracay. The opening of the new Panglao International Airport is expected to exacerbate the garbage problem and it is feared that the municipality will not have enough resources and capability to address it.

“Right now we are still solving the garbage problem at the Lourdes dump site while managing the daily waste outputs of existing businesses,” Fudolin said. “Once the airport opens… garbage will be a much bigger problem,” he lamented. – Rappler.com 

To be continued: Part 4 | Tourism fuels waste management, conservation efforts

MARAWI CITY, Philippines – If it were not for the balloons that day or the red stripes painted on the walls outside, the building would have been like any other. But in the Barangay Sagonsongan relocation site in Marawi City, there it stood: a long-awaited children’s center.

On Monday, October 22 – the eve before the anniversary of the end of combat operations in Marawi City – the place was ready to be opened. (Marawi: 153 days and more)

The sky was turning grey and the air humid, but children and their parents waited patiently in line. On the other side of a wired fence, after all, was a room filled with legos, colorful mats, big picture books, and a playground.

For health and social services consultant, Dr Elma Gandamra, here is where they hope that minds of children 4 years old and below could be reshaped.

“Ang pinaka-importante ay maalis nilang utak doon sa pinagdaanan nila…. Especially itong mga kabataan na 'to, na kumbaga dumaan sa paghihirap with the war and siege, para yung utak nila, magbago,” Gandamra said.

(The most important thing is they move past what they gave gone through…. Especially these children, who went through hardship with the war and the siege, their minds need to be renewed.)

Healing through play

Open daily, the center is where community social welfare and development officers help to facilitate play among children who fled the city during the Marawi siege. They also teach basic literacy and numeracy skills to kids who have yet to enrol in pre-school.

Raihana Makatoon, a mother of two, told Rappler she planned to bring her 3-year-old son to the center every day along with her 10-month old baby.

“Kung araw-araw iyan, araw-araw rin kami pupunta,” she said, noting she spent the better part of most of days at home as reconstruction of the city had yet to take place. (If it’s open daily, we’ll go every day.)

About two learning sessions will be held in the center daily for at least 70 children. During these sessions, Gandamra said they wanted to help children create new memories from after the war. This would be done through play as well as open and honest discussions with the children when needed.

“Alam mo naman yung bata eh, parang sponge. Kung ano yung nakikita nila, 'yon ang ano (natutunan). We will try to erase those bad memories na mapapalitan iyan ng mga magagandang bagay sa paraan ng paglaro at pagbasa,” Gandamra said.

(You know children, they’re like sponges. They learn through what they see. We will try to erase those bad memories and replace them with better things through playing and reading.)

A year after the war ended, the children's fears usually showed up in little ways. The sound of a popped balloon, for instance, left several of them children nervous and frightened.

“Takot sila pag narining sila ng mga putok, malakas na sound. Kaya nag-debriefing kami sa kanila na wala iyon, hindi sila tatamaan,” Gandamra said.

(They’re afraid when they hear loud popping sounds. But we tell them that it’s nothing and they won’t get hurt.)

According to Better Care Network's Child Protection Working Group – an international network of organizations that focuses on child protection during emergencies – some of the effects seen in children who are traumatized from war and violence are often exhibited as behavioral changes.

These can include sleeping problems, nightmares, withdrawal, difficulty concentrating, and feelings of guilt, among others. 

The Child Protection Rapid Assessment Report (CPRAP) done in October 2017 found this to be the case in a majority of the over 160,000 children who were displaced. The CRPAR was done by the Department of Social Welfare and Development with non-governmental organizations and international aid agencies.

Changes in behavior of affected children were often exhibited through an unwillingness to go to school, sadness, unusual crying and screaming, nightmares, as well as “disrespectful and aggressive behavior.”

According to Gandamra, the children will usually explain what they are afraid of and in these cases, social workers will use these discussions to debrief children. She also believed that so long as they learn and study, nothing bad will happen.

“(Sasagot kami na) Wala iyon, hindi parating pangayayari iyon. Kaya mag-aral sila ng mabuti para hindi na magkaroon ng ganoong pangyayari,” she said.

([We tell them] That’s nothing, nothing bad is coming. But they need to study hard so conflict won’t happen again.)

Preparing for the future

The place isn’t only for the children.

A little over a year before, more than 200,000 people fled Marawi after government forces and terrorists locked into what would be a fierce 5-month battle to reclaim the city.

The entire community needs this, Gandamra said, and all will benefit.

The Marawi local government chose to build the site in the Barangay Sagonsongan relocation center since many residents from the city’s most affected area lived near here. The MAA is a 250-hectare ground zero composed of the 24 barangays that sustained the most damage from the 5-month siege in 2017.

RMHC board member Adi Timbal said the Marawi Bahay Bulilit was also the largest of its kind and the first to have a separate playground to help facilitate the need for more play.

The creation of a protective environment for children in a community was among the recommendations of the CPRAP. 

According to the report's findings, key to preventing violence, abuse, neglect, and exploitation of children, was to reinforce positive social connections and coping strategies in a protective environment.

UNICEF guidelines on child-friendly spaces likewise pointed to the need of safe spaces as “bridges to early recovery and long‐term supports for vulnerable children.” This is because in child friendly spaces, activities are stable and structured with the focus of building youth's resilience as well as improving well-being.  

More than this, Gandamra also said residents and officials wanted it to be a place where they could instil in children early the importance of education. 

“Nangyari iyon (digmaan) dahil yung mga ISIS karamihan doon, yung mga hindi nakapag-aral…if you noticed, during the all-out war, yung mga age nila bata…kaya dapat mag-aral sila ng mabuti para mag-progress yung mga utak nila at hindi mabuhos sa masamang ilog,” Gandmra said.

(During the war, many of the ISIS were those who didn’t finish their studies….If you noticed, during the all out war, they were young…the children need to study so their minds will progress and move away from these influences.)

She added, “Kailangan 'to. Of course, kailangan.” (We need this. Of course, we need it.) – Rappler.com

Claim: A photo shows “nearly done” housing projects in Marawi City.

The Facebook page “General Bato for Senator Movement” posted the claim on October 25. The caption also says to be “patient” since President Rodrigo Duterte was “doing everything” for the once-besieged Mindanao city.

The post garnered 280 reactions, 180, comments, and 140 shares as of October 29.

The claim, sent to Rappler by a reader, surfaced after Marawi residents complained of slow rehabilitation after the war.

Rating: FALSE

The facts: This is not a photo of housing projects in Marawi City.

A Google reverse image search of the image shows the photo being used by a number of American companies.

For instance, the photo is used by DPMD, a Pennsylvania Limited Liability Company, in its page on residential listings.

The photo was also used by Haddon Communities, an Ohio real estate company, on the landing page of its website.

The photo is also used by Ecoflo Supply, an American plumbing wholesaler of conservation products. 

This is not the first time that a wrong photo was used to mislead the public about the status of housing projects in Marawi City.

On October 2, a photo uploaded on Facebook by a pro-Imee Marcos for Senator page supposedly showed the housing projects in Marawi City, but it was actually a photo of a Japanese housing project in Japan built after the 2011 tsunamis and earthquake in that country.

There is indeed a post-siege housing project in Marawi City. The project was inaugurated on March 1. Photos of the houses can be seen in Inquirer, Rappler, Philstar, MindaNews, and the Philippine Information Agency.

After delays, the groundbreaking for the rehabilitated Marawi City is set on October 30. The city mayor has appealed for more livelihood programs. — Miguel Imperial/Rappler.com

If you suspect a Facebook page, group, account, a website, or an article is spreading false information, let Rappler know by contacting us at factcheck@rappler.com. Let us battle disinformation one Fact Check at a time.

Part 4 of a series

Part 1: Panglao: Riding the tourism cash cow
Part 2: Garbage in paradise: The price of Panglao's rise as tourist destination 
Part 3:New system for old problems: Panglao's struggle with solid waste

PANGLAO, Bohol – While tourism created a garbage problem for the municipality of Panglao, it’s also financing its new solid waste management system and environment conservation efforts on the ground.

Ian, a cinematographer who frequently dives around the country, had been to the renowned 5 dive sites in Balicasag Island to interact and take snapshots of sea turtles, schools of jacks, and barracudas.

“If you like sea turtles, then go to Balicasag. It’s known for its abundant turtle population and they grow to humongous sizes,” Ian said.

“The turtles are cool, they’re not afraid of people. Even if you slam into them accidentally, they’re just chill,” he added, noting that in some diving areas, turtles shy away from people. “Balicasag is one of the best places in the world for turtles.”

But Ian noticed what is “common” among other dive sites in the Philippines: the underwater scenery is a landscape of grays and coral rubbles. The coral reef in Balicasag is not as vibrant as other dive sites in the Visayas.

“Balicasag is not known for its corals,” he added. “If you dive, you’ll notice that there is evident environmental degradation underwater,” he said.

True enough, coral rehabilitation has been at the forefront of the municipality’s conservation efforts as resources from collected environment users' fees (EUFs) are allotted for Panglao’s marine areas.

For coral rehab, fisheries

The degradation of corals can be attributed to a long history of fishing practices that are not sustainable, said Darwin Menorias of the municipal Coastal Resource Management Office (CRMO).

The coastal areas of Panglao are prime fishing grounds but through the years, the number of marine life has decreased. This, according to Menorias, was due to the degradation of the coral reefs in the area.

With legislative support from the municipality through Municipal Ordinance no. 12, series of 2014, the municipality started to charge EUFs for diving and snorkeling activities in the marine protected areas, including Balicasag.

The price for snorkeling was eventually amended through Municipal Ordinance no. 2, series of 2017. The new rates for snorkeling increased to P150 for Balicasag Island and P100 for other snorkeling areas in Panglao.

Registering 44,000 divers for 5 dive spots in Balicasag Island in 2017, the municipality earned approximately P11 million from environment fees alone. For the past 5 years, divers and snorkelers have been augmenting Panglao’s books, as the local budget rose to P167,647,061 in 2018.

The municipal share of the EUF gets clustered with the municipal treasury and a portion becomes part of the budget of the Coastal Resource Management Office, which eventually ends up for coral rehabilitation and marine life conservation.

Annually, during the International Coastal Clean-up day scheduled every third Saturday of September, the CRMO spearheads coral transplantation projects.

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The first coverage area for the project was in Barangay Doljo in 2015. Though boasting of a long stretch of white beaches, the barangay's 10,000-sqm marine area has only 10% live coral cover. After the program, the site had an enormous 80% live coral cover, albeit in juvenile stages in 2017.

“We intervened in that area because it’s 90% rubbles,” Menorias said. “After the intervention, we noticed a growing number of recruits of species but they are also small.” In the past, Doljo had damsels, which when fully grown, attract bigger fish.

By 2016, the coral rehabilitation turned to Barangay Libaong, whose location catches the yearly southwestern monsoon or habagat that mercilessly preys on the corals.

“The habagat causes an uproar underwater. After the waves crash on the shores and in the shallow parts, it does additional damage through backwash over the 3-hectare area,” Menorias said.

“When the waves hit the corals, they break. After the habagat season, you could already put in your pocket between 30-40% destruction,” he explained.

Last year, Barangay Bilisan became the priority area after a barge ran aground, causing 100% damage in the 2,000-sqm area.

Empowering the barangays

While in Balicasag Island, Ian didn’t notice any trash on the island and in the outlying waters. “The trash craziness is more noticeable on the mainland,” he noted.

True enough, Panglao’s beaches remain littered with garbage despite having a solid waste management system – and despite receiving allocations from the environmental fees.

The ordinance indicates how EUFs are to be allocated after making the necessary deductions:

• 40% goes to the Municipal Local Government Unit (MLGU). This allocation becomes part pf the general budget and is spent on priority programs.
• 30% goes to the barangays after they submit a specific Program of Works (POW).
• 25% goes to the Dive Site Management Teams and EUF monitoring teams.
• 5% goes to the Padayon BMT (Bohol Marine Triangle), a tri-municipality consortium that was created to protect the Panglao-Dauis-Baclayon Triangle.

Each of the 10 barangays propose projects for the allocations and since 2014 have been pooling their resources for barangay-level solid waste management systems.

Each barangay has received P393,581.62 for 2014 and 2015 respectively, but these were disbursed earlier this year only. According to Roque Cubar, the barangays have allotted these for garbage collection and managing the mineral recovery facilities (MRF).

The municipality is set to release an additional P764,659.14 to the municipality to cover the years 2016 and 2017.

The budget was used for the maintenance of the MRFs, manpower fees, transportation, and land rentals, as most of the barangays’ MRF are situated in public lands.

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Aside from the EUF, barangays also have a 40%-share from revenues collected by the municipality on licenses, concessions, and other businesses related to fisheries, as mandated by the ordinance.

Given all these resources, why are barangays short-handed in managing waste within their jurisdictions?

Factors abound, including problems pertaining to late disbursement of funds and lack of designated land for the MRFs.

According to Manuel Fudolin of the solid waste management office, barangays grapple with monthly rent of private lands to house the MRF buildings as barangays have no allocated areas for solid waste management. Because of lack of space, MRFs are located beside barangay halls or within residential areas.

In addition, deficiencies in updated policies to support the direct downloading of funds from the municipality to the barangays create a lag in operations, made worse by elections.

Earning from tourism, losing on disposal

But while the barangays’ share of the environment users' fees increased, the annual budget on solid waste management decreased.

The 2018 budget of the solid waste management office was based on the cost estimate projected in the 10-Year Integrated Solid Waste Management Plan. But the estimates were based on outdated projections since Panglao has accommodated more than P700,000 tourists and experienced more than a 1% increase in businesses since 2014.

(Click on the year below to see corresponding estimates.)

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It’s not surprising that actual expenses incurred by the municipality are higher than allocations.

Panglao collected P777,520 from establishments in 2013 but spent P1 million on solid waste operating expenses. A year after, in 2014, collections increased to P937,330 while expenses on solid waste ballooned to P3 million.

This creates a push-pull effect for the municipality as it balances two things on the fiscal front: while it is strengthening its new waste management system, it is also financing the cost of disposing voluminous trash from tourism facilities.

Businesses in the municipality are paying annual collection fees of P3,000 to P4,000 each, a small price to pay since the amount of garbage has increased. Every week, Panglao spends an average of P4,500 in dumping fees at the Alburqueque Cluster Sanitary Landfill (ACSLF) for 3 tons of residuals.

“The municipality is facing a deficit in terms of waste management,” Fudolin said. “The total collections from establishments are limited and not enough to pay for hauling, manpower, maintenance, and dumping costs at the landfill.”

Private establishments also pose the biggest challenge to the existing solid waste management system: they do not strictly follow waste segregation rules set by the municipality. Worse, establishments are caught illegally dumping trash in vacant lots on the island.

The municipality then made a rule charging violators for every instance they fail to follow regulations in hopes of adding resources for waste disposal. Despite the charges, the habits remain.

“We still have a lot of recorded cases of non-segregation at source and we catch illegal dumping activities,” Fudolin said. “And every year, it's the same establishments with the same types of violations.” – Rappler.com 

To be continued: Conclusion | Erring establishments add to Panglao’s garbage woes

This story is part of a series on tourism and waste management in the Philippines, and was supported by the Intranews’ Earth Journalism Network (EJN).