Who is Norberto Manero, Jr?

April 11, 1985: Edilberto Manero shot dead Fr. Tullio Favali in Tulunan, North Cotabato, while Manero’s armed gang stood by revelling at the sight of the priest’s body.

Earlier that day, the Manero brothers — Edilberto, Norberto Jr., and Elpidio had conspired with a few others to liquidate a number of suspected communist sympathizers. Among those whom they suspected of having links with the communist movement was Fr. Peter Geremia, an Italian priest. The gang agreed that should they fail to kill Fr. Geremia, they would kill another Italian priest in his stead.

Priest killer. Norberto Manero meeting shortly after his release from prison with Fr. Peter Geremia, the slain Fr. Tullio Favali’s friend.

Hours later, the group spotted Fr. Favali, who had just arrived onboard his motorcycle. When Favali entered a house, Norberto Jr. dragged the vehicle to the center of the highway and set it on fire. This prompted Fr. Favali to approach him, but Edilberto cut in and shot the priest.

Edilberto trampled on Favali’s body and fired again, shattering the priest’s head. Norberto Jr. picked the victim’s brains and mockingly displayed them to horrified spectators. The rest of the gang, including a third Manero brother, Elpidio, stood by, laughing and heckling.

1987: Branch 17 of the Regional Trial Court of Kidapawan, Cotabato found the Manero brothers and five others guilty of murder and sentenced them to reclusion perpetua. The court also found Norberto Jr. guilty of arson.

1992: Norberto Jr. escaped from the Davao penal colony. He was re-arrested within the year and sent to the National Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa.

January 29, 1993: The Supreme Court affirmed the lower court’s decision convicting Norberto Jr. et al of murder.

1998: President Fidel Ramos commuted the sentences of the Manero brothers. Norberto Jr.’s sentence was commuted to 24 years.

December 1999: President Joseph Estrada granted conditional pardon to Norberto Jr..

March 2000: Malacañang revoked the conditional pardon it granted to Norberto Jr., because it turned out that Norberto Jr. still had a pending criminal case in South Cotabato. The case involved the kidnapping and double murder of two former Moro rebels in 1977.

Norberto Jr. was subsequently detained at the Sarangani Provincial Jail, pending trial of the 1977 case.

March 22, 2001: Norberto Jr. escaped from the Sarangani Provincial Jail. He surrendered to authorities the following month. He was brought to the Davao penal colony for a while and was later transferred to the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa.

May 29, 2003: Edilberto and Elpidio were released from the New Bilibid Prison. The Department of Justice confirmed the news of the Manero brothers’ release in June 2003.

Talks on to revive Davao City-Manado direct air flights

By ROGER M. BALANZA

Davao City tourism players are discussing with their counterparts from Indonesia plans to revive direct air flights between Davao City and Manado, the provincial capital of North Sulawesi in Indonesia is a welcome development.

Angel Puentespina, president of the Davao Association of Travel Agencies, said the first of a series of round table discussions this week between DATA and tourism players from Indonesia brought in by the Indonesian Consulate in Davao City. Puentespina said Indonesia tourists would perk up local tourism that depends mostly on domestic tourists.

The Davao-Manado air route was previously serviced by Indonesian airline Merpati ten years ago. But the weekly flights—seen as a big boost to efforts to increase trade and tourism traffic between members of the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines/East Asean Growth Area (BIMP/EAGA)–was stopped shortly after a few flights for lack of passengers.

Puentespina said the passenger load of airlines in the city also increased by 15 percent for the first quarter of 2008 compared to the passenger load of airlines for the same period in 200, crediting it to more air flights from Manila and Cebu. He said the Davao-Manado direct flights could further boost glowing figures on the growth of local tourism.

Army spokesman denies hand in militant farmer leader’s slay

Absurd and ridiculous.

Major Medel Aguilar, chief of the Armed Forces of The Philippines 5th Civil Relations in Southern Mindanao, said this yesterday following accusation by militant groups that he military was behind the killing of peasant leader Celso Pojas.

Pojas was shot dead around 6:30 am on Thursday in front of the Farmer Center Office in Bugac, Ma-a in Davao City.

Kelly Delgado, chair of the human rights group Karapatan, said Medel had earlier warned progressive groups fronting as legal fronts for the communist movement. Pojas is spokesman of the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas and secretary of the Farmers Association of Davao City.

As protector of human rights, Delgado should be the first to know that proof is needed before he could be accused, said Aguilar. “This is absurd and ridiculous.”

Davao City Police chief Senior Superintendent Jaime Morente said Task Force Celso Pojas, composed of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) 11, Davao City Police Office and the Talomo Police Station, would probe the killing.

Sicao Falls, Tamayong, Calinan, Davao City

PARADISE OR HELL? This hidden natural wonder at the foot of Mt. Apo is Sicao Falls, eight hours of climbing through rugged mountains and thick forests from Purok 6, Tamayong, Calinan in Davao City. Sacred to indigenous people now being driven from ancestral domain, the majestic falls is said to be at the core of the land grabbing spree by greedy businessmen wanting to get control of Sicao Falls.

Pastor Quiboloy under probe for tribal leader slay

Davao City councilors to invite Quiboloy in Diarog slay probe

By ROGER M. BALANZA

Pastor Apollo Quiboloy would be invited by the Davao City Council in an investigation on the strafing death of tribal leader Datu Dominador Diarog.

He should be given a chance to present his side, said a city councilor, who chairs one of the committees tasked by the city council to probe the April 29 killing of the Clata-Guiangan tribal leader.

The Committee on Human Rights chaired by councilor Kaloy Bello, Committee on Peace and Order headed by councilor Nilo Abellera, and the Committee on Tribal and Muslim Affairs chaired by councilor Arnolfo Ricardo Cabling, have been tasked by the city council to probe the killing.

Pastor Quiboloy, the head of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ The Name of Above Every Name, has been linked to the killing after initial police showed that a member of his church had forced Diarog to sell his farm lot in Kahusayan, Manuel Guianga in Tugbok District.

Tamayong barangay captain Greg Canada, a pastor of Pastor Quiboloy’s church, has been named by relatives of Diarog as a primary suspect in statements to the police. The Diarog kin said Canada fronted for Pastor Quiboloy’s land buying spree in Manuel Guianga. The tribal leader was killed because he refused the offer of Canada.

Diarog died after gunmen, that his relatives said were militiamen assigned with the military and detailed with Pastor Quiboloy, strafed his house on the night of April 29. Diarog’s wife and two young children survived the attack.

The joint committee probe comes after Emily Diarog, wife of the slain tribal leader, appeared at the council’s session on Tuesday to plead justice for her husband.

A councilor, who chairs one of the committees, who asked he not be named, said the joint committees would be holding a hearing next week.

But he intimated the hearing would be touching lightly on the criminal angle and the human rights violations of the incident, which are already being looked into by other government agencies.

The National Bureau of Investigation and the Davao City Police Office are investigating the killing, while the Commission on Human Rights headed by lawyer Alberto Sipaco has assigned a team to probe if human rights have been violated.

The burden of the council probe would lie on councilor Cabling, who chairs the committee that should tackle issues on ancestral domains being chair of the committee on tribal affairs, said the councilor. The Diarog killing reportedly involved bi business encroachment into ancestral domain, a violation of tribal rights enshrined in the Indigenous People’s Right Act (IPRA).

Priest-killer Manero under surveilance in Davao City

Police on watch vs. Manero henchmen

By ROGER M. BALANZA

The Davao City Police Office is on tight watch for armed men that convicted priest-killer Norberto Manero vowed would hunt down New People’s Army rebels who snatched his brother Sunday in Davao City.

We are monitoring the situation, said police chief Jayme Morente yesterday as Manero called on the communist rebels to free his brother or he would send his men to abduct their relatives and sympathizers of the leftist movement..

This developed as Calinan Police precinct chief Dionisio Abude said retired Army MSgt. Jose Manero could be in trouble after questioning banana planter Rafael Lorenzo, for whom the soldier acted as security officer.

Communist rebels snatched Lorenzo, Manero and three farm managers from the Lapanday Group of Companies banana farm in Calinan, after emptying the armory of the banana company.

The rebels, said to be led by Leonardo Pitao alias Kumander Parago, would later release the hostages but brought with them the brother of the Manero, who had served sentence for the 1986 murder of Father Tulio Favali in Tulonan, North Cotabato.

Abude said the NPA might bring the retired soldier in a trial in a rebel court for his “sins” against the communist movement, to explain why he was not released.

At last we met, Parago reportedly told the retired soldier, quoting Lorenzo during an interview with police investigators shortly after the release of Lorenzo and the farm managers.

Abude said Parago told Lorenzo they are not releasing Manero to answer for the killing of NPA commander Ka Lambo.

Norberto Manero also known as Kumander Bucay, and his brother Jose, were the prime movers in the 80s of the civilian anti-communist movement in North Cotabato in the 80s.

Military officials in the Davao Region said troopers have been sent to track down Kumander Parago and his rebel band,

Morente said he ordered the monitoring for Manero’s henchmen following reports the convicted priest-killer would sow terror in Davao City is his brother is not freed by the rebels.

“If the NPAs will not release my brother Jose, we will get their allies and Davao City would be in shambles,” said Manero.

DAVAO CITY ANTI-SMOKING ORDINANCE

NO SMOKING COUNTRY. This sign at the covered pathway leading to the state hospital Davao Medical Center in Davao City says it all as the city ordinance banning smoking in public places remains in force with no less than Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, a staunch oppositor to smoking, watching violators.

Governor Uy slams human rights group Karapatan; farmer leader shot dead

By ROGER M. BALANZA

LAND NOT BULLETS. This is the message on the hat of farmer leader Celso Pojas during the peasant month press conference in October last year. Celso Pojas, former secretary-general of the Farmers’ Association of Davao City and spokesman of the KMP in Southern Mindanao, was gunned down today, the first militant leader assassinated in Davao City.

Pojas was shot dead this morning in Davao City, two days after leading a protest against displacement of tribal people and farmers by military in Compostela Valley province.

Pojas of the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) was shot dead around 7:30 pm outside his house by two gunmen who fled on a motorcycle. Pojas was on his way back to Compostela Valley when ambushed.

The killing happened a day after a fuming mad, Compostela Valley Governor Arturo “Chiongkee” Uy lashed at militant groups who picketed the Capitol on Wednesday protesting human rights violations against indigenous people and farmers in the ongoing military operations against the communist New Peoples Army.

They should go to the Commission on Human Rights, said Uy, as hundreds of protesters led by the human rights group Karapatan and the farmers association Kilusang Magbubukid sa Pilipinas (KMP) urged a stop to the military operations in the towns of New Bataan and Compostela displaced farmers.

Uy lamented the militant groups played up the plight of farmers who fled their farms to avoid crossfire, at the capitol grounds when he has already set into motion emergency relief operations to house and feed the displaced farmers.

Uy said he himself had asked the military to stop the operations and sympathized with the farmers. They should lodge their complaint at the Commission on Human Rights not at the capitol, he said.

Col. Allan Luga, commanding officer of the 1001st Army Brigade, said 3 communist rebels have been killed in sporadic battles that started on Monday.

Uy said while he supports the military campaign against the NPA, his heart bled at those who are forced to leave their farms. Uy is coordinating with the mayors of New Bataan and Compostela to provide food and shelter to the farmers which numbered more than 100.

The problem with the militant groups is that they are injecting too much drama in this sad incident. I am on their side and they should not abuse my kindness with that misplaced picket at the capitol grounds, he said.

Lumads up in arms vs. Australian mining firm

Davao Oriental mining firm wants Aussies out of nickel project

By ROGER M. BALANZA

A local mining firm in Davao Oriental wants to rescind its joint venture agreement with an Australian mining firm it accused of moving slow on the Pujada Bay nickel project.

Asiaticus Management Corp. (Amcor) said its partnership with BHP Billiton has remained on the exploration stage six years after the agreement was signed in 2002 in Singapore.

Ruben C. Tan, Armcor vice president, has expressed worry over the Australian firm’s announcement it would start actual operation only in 2019, in what he said was an apparent “mine banking” by its foreign partner. Mine banking means a mining company lays claim on as many potential mine sites through exploration, to be reserved for future operations.

With actual operation still years ahead, we cannot get our royalty fee and with the community not getting any benefits, said Tan, who asked the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Joselito Atienza, in an April 4, 2008 letter, to rescind the joint venture agreement. “We could not wait for that very long duration of time. We want to start now,” Tan said, adding actual mining operations appears to be not a priority of the Australian firm at this point in time.

Meanwhile, an indigenous peoples tribal council also wants BHP Billiton out of the province, for not respecting tribal customs, in a resolution on April 11 by the Mandaya Tribal Council of Macambol in Mati City.

Rufino A. Mapinogos, tribal chieftain, accused BHP Billiton of fencing off indigenous people from their ancestral domain, intruded into their land without consent, and desecrated secret grounds by taking pictures of them.

After the signing of the agreement with Amcor, BHP Billiton said it would start mine production in 5 yeas, build a $1.5 million melting plant after completing an $85-million exploration program.

But Tan said these never happened. He said their partner even allegedly “took absolute control of the project, particularly by making the time table for the exploration and mining activities, infusion and utilization of funds and other important management decisions subject to its sole whim, in violation of the Philippine Constitution and existing laws.” He feared the Davao Oriental nickel would go the way of BHP Billiton’s project in Surigao del Sur, which its partner Clarence Pimental also wanted rescinded due to years of delay in actual mining operations.

Davao City Council leadership questioned anew

SP non-lawyer floor leader under fire

Members of the Davao City Council are again questioning the capability of its floor leader, who is being accused of “cornering” legislative items to prop up his performance ratings.

Two former floor leaders of the City Council gave a lecture on legislative management to floor leader Danilo Dayanghirang, after skewering the agenda in yesterday’s session that led to seven items being taken away from the committee on rules, privileges, laws and ordinances, which is chaired by the floor leader.

Dayanghirang as floor leader is tasked with preparing the agenda and referring legislative items to the various standing committees for public hearing. The latest assault on Dayanghirang puts into focus apprehension by several councilors he may not be up for the job of floor leader being a non-lawyer. The position that requires legal background has been traditionally handled by lawyer councilors.

A city councilor, who asked anonymity, said he understands why Dayanghirang is commandeering legislative items despite violation of rules. He wants to prove he is capable by cornering as many items to prop up his performance ratings, he said.

The council secretariat is coming up with the half-year performance report in July. Before he took the post in February, the report had showed Dayanghirang had authored a measly one resolution in the July-December 2007 period.

Councilor Bonifacio Militar, replaced by Dayanghirang in February, yesterday during the regular session rapped Dayanghirang for assigning to the rules committee, chaired by the floor leader, legislative items that should go to other committees.

Councilor Victorio Advincula, also a former floor leader, backed Militar in a 20-minute verbal exchange as Dayanghirang defended his move to refer to his committee several legislative items mostly pertaining to housing issues.

Militar said the floor leader’s act to corner legislative items not belonging to his committee on rules is a blatant violation of house rules and would leave no work for other committees.

Backtracking, Dayanghirang agreed to surrender the items that included an application for reclassification of a lot from light industrial to heavy industrial in Toril, a probe on fund mishandling by a homeowners association in Bago Gallera, and a request to reconsider declaration of nine informal settlers in Ilang as squatters by the Committee Against Professional Squatters and Squatting Syndicates, which were referred to the committee on housing chaired by councilor Arnolfo Ricardo Cabling; a protest against confiscation by shellfish vendors and a prohibition on cigarettes and alcoholic drinks near gasoline stations, which went to the committee on trade chaired by councilor Pilar Braga; and a memorandum of agreement on livelihood generation between the city government and a multi-purpose cooperative, which was referred to the committee on cooperatives of councilor John Louie Bonguyan.

Last month, Dayanghirang also came under fire from councilors after he released a performance report of the city councilors. Militar and Cabling, consistent top performers in the city council semi-annual performance reports, had scored Dayanghirang for media interviews where he cited their committees as having the biggest backlogs. Militar took offense at Dayanghirang’s statement to media that he is saddled by the backlogs passed on to his committee by former floor leader Militar. Militar said Dayanghirang should not publicize himself at the expense of the other councilors.