THE MOUNT BALATUCAN MONITOR

empty slogans of progress

people lining up for NFA rice

Poor child eating

A busy day in Carmen market

“Nineteen years ago, an unknown local daily took on a trailblazing journey against all odds and survived to tell its story. The rest is history.”

These are the lines of mediaman Bingo Alcordo on the occasion of the 19th anniversary of Mindanao’s widely circulated daily, the Mindanao Gold Star Daily based in Cagayan de Oro City.

Here are some excerpts of his column.

“On its 19th anniversary-on a scale of 1 to 10, Gold star Daily should score a perfect 10 in terms of sheer staying power and its pioneering effort to change the makeup of community newspapering forever in the entire Mindanao area. Up to this moment, no Mindanao based community newspaper can lay claim to the title “The National Newspaper of Mindanao” except the Gold Star.

“Nineteen years ago, it would have been preposterous to imagine a scenario for the Gold star daily of today. Gold Star Daily President and Chief Executive officer Ernesto “Toto” Chu has his apprehensions then but his unbending resolve to establish a national newspaper based in Mindanao got the better of him. “

My own humble comment:

When I first sift to the pages of this upstart newspaper. I was amazed at its novelty for it is not only covering Cagayan de Oro but the neighboring regions as well. Somehow, it made closer the places in Mindanao which I only heard from friends and strangers who set foot on those places. Suddenly, places like Tandag, Bislig, Bayugan, Surigao City, Cabadbaran became nearer and more real to me.

I have seen so many dailies. They come and go. But not Gold Star Daily. It stayed, it survived and it become stronger than ever.

Congratulations Gold Star and more power!

The Philippine military has reported to the media that at least 15 NPA rebels are killed in the fightings in Panatao, Claver, Surigao del Norte.

Troops kill 15 NPAs, nab 12 more in Surigao Norte
MARK MERUEÑAS, GMANews.TV
06/30/2008 | 11:29 AM

MANILA, Philippines – At least 15 suspected members of the New People’s Army were killed while 12 others were captured in a clash with government troops in Surigao del Norte that began over the weekend, the spokesman for the Philippine Army said Monday.

Lieutenant Colonel Romeo Brawner said that the suspected insurgents were slain and arrested in pursuit operations by the Army’s 30th Infantry Battalion and the 42nd Military Intelligence Company in Siargao Island.

Brawner said the pursuing troops were augmented by the local police, which helped in the follow-up operations launched after the NPA rebels attacked a police station and burned a cellular phone transmission in Dapa and General Luna towns late Saturday.

Eastern Mindanao regional military spokesman Maj. Armand Rico earlier said two policemen were killed and four others were wounded in the encounter.

The big question is, if there are 15 rebels killed, where are the bodies? If there are none, then what is the basis of these projected deaths? These rebels, if they are really killed, should be properly identified to inform their families and must be accorded proper burials. Otherwise, if there are no bodies presented, then it can be concluded that the military is just engaged in psy war tactics to weaken the resolve of the rebels.

Also, its been observed that media was only taking the side of the military. It would be better if some diligent and resourceful media people can communicate with the rebels also to give their side of the incident. Reports should not be too one sided as too sound more like a a propaganda of the other.

It saddens me to know that people are killed in this battle, whether military or the rebels. Both rebels and military men are just victims. The real culprit is the unjust system and the greedy people behind it. While the elites enjoyed a very good quality of life, poor people, like ordinary soldiers and rebels,  are being pitted against each other to preserve the unequal system.

What should the people do is to unite and confront the real enemies which are the greedy elite and the unjust and unequal system that they are running.