GOTCHA By Jarius Bondoc
The Philippine Star
The Philippine Star
Parañaque Mayor Edwin Olivarez had no choice but admit it to DZMM anchor Ted Failon yesterday: sidewalk vendors abound in his city’s Baclaran district by paying protection money. To whom they pay, whether city hall or police officials, the inheritor of the mayoralty from his father is unsure. It’s likely to both, as new Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada has found out in his own turf. The racket is the same in the Balkanized cities of the national capital region. ABS-CBN reporter Doris Bigornia drew admissions Monday from Parañaque and Quezon City hawkers that they have been paying P20- to P100-bribes per day for decades.
The racket is so deeply rooted that bribers and bribees have come to call it “kalakaran (the norm).” They will resist relocation to neat markets specially built for them and where they would pay legal rent to maintainers. They will cry human rights violation if forcibly taken off the streets to let pedestrian and vehicular traffic flow freely for once.
Some will even slay innocents, if murmurs in Cagayan de Oro City are true. Six conventioneers from out of town and a provincial alderman were killed the other week when a bomb burst between two pubs inside a mall. Unable to swiftly secure the crime scene, local cops have yet to nab any culprit. But many Cagay-anons say the mad bomber is one of the disgruntled hawkers rightly removed by new Mayor Oscar Moreno from the crowded streets.
Such killings by ousted vendors have happened too in Baclaran, Parañaque; Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City; Baguio City; and Marawi City. There’s an obvious lesson here. A racket, if let to fester for years, like squatting or smuggling or sand quarrying, evolves into a “cause” to kill for.
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For China it’s all for resources. It occupied the Mischief Reef and Bajo de Masinloc Shoal for the rich fishing grounds, and is invading the Recto Bank for the offshore oil. It is also into illegal, destructive mining in the Philippine mainland to feed its industries with precious and rare earth metals.
All is not so much for a peaceful economic rise than a militaristic expansion. While sustaining China’s factories, the aquatic, oil, and mineral extractions also equip its armed forces — the easier to subjugate the Philippines. Nickel, cobalt, chromite, and magnetite taken by China from Zambales, Surigao, Cagayan, and elsewhere are used for its steel and hi-tech products. These include military applications: sophisticated weapons, naval, and surveillance systems.
Modern-day Makapilis make possible a creeping Chinese invasion of the Philippine mainland. National and local officials take bribes in issuing bogus permits and clearances. Unscrupulous businessmen, small-scale miners, NGOs, and indigenous people’s organizations too are paid as fronts.
The Constitution forbids foreigners from exploring and extracting minerals, except in financial and technical assistance agreements. Yet none of the two-dozen or so Chinese miners has an FTAA. All have mineral production sharing agreements, reserved only for Filipino citizens or firms with at least 60-percent Filipino equity. Such MPSAs are non-transferable. How they fell into Chinese hands, only the Department of Environment and Natural Resources can explain.
And so in Surigao del Norte are such nickel, chromite, and cobalt operations of Chinese giants: Jinchuan Nonferrous Metals Inc., Macao Quanta Mining Corp., Oriental Synergy Corp, Shanghai Bao Steel Corp., Shenzhou Mining, and Zhongli Mining Corp.
The law also forbids foreigners from small-scale mining. It is in fact reserved for Filipino subsistence miners, using only brawn, picks, and shovels. In Masinloc and Sta. Cruz towns alone in Zambales, however, 94 “small” mines operate with huge excavators, extractors, and thousands of dump trucks. The governor granted their permits all in one day in July 2011. At least five of them are owned by Chinese conglomerates: Jiangxi Rare Earth & Metals Tungsten Group, Wei-Wei Group, and Nihao Mineral Resources Inc.
The Supreme Court last month temporarily stopped the mines that have been poisoning the air and water. Townsfolk cried that the DENR secretary had allowed the governor to grant the permits. The DENR and local police have yet to report their enforcement, if any, of the SC order.
Meanwhile, local quislings also let Chinese steal magnetite from their black-sand beaches. Lian Xing Stone Carving Co. operates in Cagayan, Hua Xia Mining in Ilocos Sur, and Nicua Mining in Leyte. All have Filipino fronts that possess MPSAs with the DENR. The National Bureau of Investigation recently raided the Cagayan and Ilocos mines, arresting 34 Chinese illegals.
The Chinese mines sabotage the economy. They pollute the environment, injure people’s health, pay no taxes, report no productions or exports, and operate illegal foundries and processing plants. In Ghana the government cracked down on such Chinese extractors. In the Philippines government officials welcome them.
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The Sigma Kappa Pi will celebrate its 45th anniversary this year with a three-day program, themed “Kapit Bisig sa Patuloy na Pakikibaka”.
Activities kick off on Aug. 29, Thursday, with a commemoration of the 150th birth anniversary of Gat Andres Bonifacio. The EKIT Alumni Council will lead the wreath laying at the Vinzons’ Hall, U.P.-Diliman. On Aug. 30, Friday, is a Chapter Residents’ Jamboree, with Founder Luzvimindo David and alumni president Jojo Salas, in Lucban, Quezon. Following the convention is a dinner-dance, coordinated by Brod Ariel Simon of host-Lucban chapter. In the morning of Aug. 31, Saturday, are medical missions and soup kitchens in Lucban, led by Drs. Jake Reyes and Socrates Soltura. Coinciding are free haircuts and giveaways of slippers, coordinated by Brod Jonathan Ludovice, Lucban. After that are an inter-chapter basketball tournament and motorcade, overseen by Brods Noel de Ramos, Amado Babista, and Ramsel Baldovino.
Capping the events is the EKIT Anniversary Fellowship Night, emceed by Brods Jonathan Pansacola (73A, UPD) and Michael Jeff Conrado (99B, Lucban), with Sis Lani Larosa (Lucban).
Leading the EKIT 45th Anniversary Committee is Brod Tom Valencia (73B, UPD), assisted by Brods Lito Nucum (73A, UPB), Jojo Maestro (77E, UPD), Resu Sumistrado (92C, UPLB), Martin Cruz (93B, UPD), and adviser Bing Villarta (71B, UPD).
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Catch Sapol radio show, Saturdays, 8-10 a.m., DWIZ, (882-AM).
Gotcha archives on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jarius-Bondoc/1376602159218459, or The STAR website http://www.philstar.com/author/Jarius%20Bondoc/GOTCHA
E-mail: jariusbondoc@gmail.com
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