PRISONERS to be put in ONE ISLAND by Duterte!

Rodrigo Roa Duterte, the colorful and controversial Mayor of Davao City, never dreamed of becoming a politician.

A former public prosecutor and a street parliamentarian who joined the movement against injustices in government during the Martial Law years, all that he wanted to be was to be a Sandiganbayan justice.

"To be a justice in the Anti-Graft court was my ultimate dream," Duterte told me when I asked him about his dreams when he was a young lawyer.

All that changed when after the EDSA Revolution of 1986, he was appointed as OIC Vice Mayor of Davao City, a position which was first offered to his fiery mother, Soledad Roa Duterte, who declined the appointment.

The lawyer's keen sense of knowing right from wrong, however, has never left Duterte even when he waded into the world of politics where the only thing that mattered was winning elections at all cost.

Two weeks ago, when the story came out in the media about the corruption in the country's national prisons, the New Bilibid Prison, in Muntinlupa, Metro Manila, I picked Duterte's mind on what he would do if he had the power to reform the country's judicial and prison system.

The problem of corruption in the country's judiciary and the prisons system is very serious, Duterte admitted adding that a total overhaul of the system is needed.

It is very serious indeed.

The horrifying Maguindanao Massacre where 57 people, including journalists, were killed which is still unresolved after four years and reports of the drug "shabu" being manufactured right inside the National Bilibid Prisons are grim proofs of the degree of corruption in the judiciary and the prisons.

Emphasizing that the fair dispensation of justice is the foundation of a strong and stable nation, Duterte said corruption in the judiciary could be addressed by making the tough decision of weeding out corrupt prosecutors and judges.

"When the poor lose out to the rich in the courts of law, we have a very serious problem because they either take the law into their hands or they go up to the hills to take up arms," he said.

"There should be no second chance. At the first instance, the full force of the law should fall on them," Duterte said.

"It is easy to know who they are," he added, a statement which, coming from a former public prosecutor himself, is easy to believe.

Duterte, however, agrees that the campaign to cleanse the ranks of the judiciary of the misfits and the corrupt, however, could only be undertaken by a President with an iron will who has a deep understanding of the judicial system.

Duterte said corruption in the prisons, however, is a more complicated problem because it involves independent "kingdoms" where the warden or the prisons director is the king.

Duterte said the major reform in the prisons system could be achieved once the country adopts a Federal Parliamentary form of government.

"Each Federal Government will have its own federal prison while the State will establish a national penitentiary for the hardened criminals, terrorists and those who committed crimes against the State," he said.

Reminded of the sad state of the Muntinlupa Prisons where moneyed prisoners bribe the guards to allow them to continue their criminal and drug operations, Duterte the national penitentiary should be moved out of its present location in Muntinlupa, Metro Manila where it occupies about 400 hectares of prime government property.

He said the State Prison should be located in an isolated island similar to the Alcatraz Prison in San Francisco Bay in the United States of America.

"Let's put them all in an island where only scheduled visits would be allowed and they would have no access to communications facilities," he said.

"We should have our own Alcatraz where prison rules and regulations are applied to the fullest so that criminals will understand that in the Philippines crime does not pay," the former public prosecutor added.

Duterte said that only when people begin to understand that they will suffer hardships and serious consequences when they violate the law, will criminality in the country be reduced.

"Today, if you have the money and you have the influence, you could make a mockery of the justice and prison system," he said.

This, he said, must end.

By Manny Piñol

Mga SANGKOT sa DROGA in 6 Months na PLANO, INIHAYAG NA!

Sa loob ng 6 na buwan, inihayag na po ng kampo ni Duterte ang plano nila sa mga sangkot sa droga sa bansa. Si Matin Dino ng PDP-Laban at tagasuporta ni Mayor Duterte sa kanyang kampanya ay isinaliwalat ang planong tutuligsain nila ang lahat ng mga drug lords sa bansa!

Inilantad niya ang plano nila sa mga drug addict na ipaparehab nila sila at parusang bitay naman para sa mga kriminal na mga rapist, car napper, at mga Mayor na sangkot sa ilegal na droga.

Para po sa buong detalye ng balita ito po ang buong VIDEO.

PEACE at Last in Mindanao Under Duterte's Presidency!

The Muslim Tribes of the country went all out for Mindanaoan presidential candidate Rody Duterte just as I projected before the elections.

Even with the hundreds of millions poured into the Bangsamoro Area by the administration Liberal Party (LP), its candidate Manuel Roxas III did not win in any single province of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

The Muslims of the South identify with Duterte because of the fact that he carries a quarter blood of the Maranao tribe in him.

But more than that, it was only Duterte who dared to talk about the Bangsamoro problem, including the historical inequities which gave the Muslim tribes of the Southern Philippines the feeling that they do not belong.

He was the only candidate who related the story of the oppression of the Muslim tribes which started in 1521 with the coming of the Spaniards and the only one brave enough to shout "Allahu Akbar!" during his rallies but adequately assuaging the fears of Christians by explaining that the chant did not mean violence but love of God.

In the many Federalism forums he held all over the country, Duterte exerted extra efforts to project a different image of the Muslims of the South who have long been feared as trouble-makers, killers, kidnappers and terrorists.

Détente's efforts yielded positive results as the country now sees a different image of the Muslims and more than that, he was able to rally behind him about 5-million voters who were not swayed by money or intimidated by their political leaders who supported Roxas.

Now, there is a discernible sense of pride among the Muslims of the South and a buoyed hope that the conflict which has claimed thousands of lives and spawned an atmosphere of distrust between them and the Christians would soon come to an end.

But just how would Duterte end the problems in the South?

First, it must be understood that there are two issues in the so-called Mindanao Problem and these are political and security.

The political problem, represented by the struggles of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), is expected to be addressed with the commitment by Duterte to fully implement the peace agreements signed by the government with the Moro rebel groups.

While this may look complicated because of the presence of two documents - the 1996 Final Peace Agreement signed between government under President Fidel V. Ramos and the MNLF and the Comprehensive Peace Agreement on the Bangsamoro between government under President Benigno S. Aquino, Duterte has placed on the table a Federal Philippines which proposes the establishment of two States for the Bangsamoro - one for those in mainland Mindanao who are identified with the MILF and those in the Western Mindanao islands under the MNLF.

Actually, when Duterte repeatedly pronounced during the campaign that he will pursue the implementation of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), I explained to those who expressed alarm that the context of that statement should be reconciled with his advocacy for a Federal Philippines.

The BBL, minus the mistrust between Christians and Muslims, is actually a perfect model for a Federal State in the Federal Republic of the Philippines.

In fact, I believe that the BBL should be the template of the Federal States to be established in the country, especially in the sharing of resources between the states and the central government.

So, when do we expect the changes to happen?

If we follow the Duterte timetable, 2019 would be the time when the nation decides on the changes in the Constitution and 2022 would be the election of new leaders under a Federal Republic of the Philippines.

And for peace to reign?

Hopefully, it starts as soon as Duterte assumes office on June 30.

By throwing their support to Duterte, the Muslim Tribes of the Southern Philippines know that they have a President who is sincere in addressing the issues that they have long raised and fought for.

They have struggled and waited for almost half a century. Three more years would not be a very long wait for them.

There is still another issue though - security - and this involves the threats presented by the new group called the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighter (BIFF), the terror group Abu Sayyaf and the kidnap-for-ransom groups in the South who have been victimising foreigners.

On April 26, Duterte was asked what he would do with the kidnapping of foreigners by the Abu Sayyaf in the South.

His response was terse and clear: "I categorize that (kidnapping) as criminality and I will deal with criminality."

Indeed, how could this government be so helpless in addressing the terror activities of these ragtag groups who are puny compared to the whole Armed Forces of the Philippines?

This should serve as a fair warning to terror groups in the South because unlike the outgoing President who acted like a puppy with his tail between his legs when the Abu Sayyaf threatened to decapitate him, Duterte is a different kind of dog.

Duterte is the Alpha Dog, one who is sure of his directions and confident in his decision-making.

Peace at last, Alhamdulillah!

Peace at last, thank God!

By Manny Piñol

Roasted Chicken Gift of Manny Pinol IMPRESSES Pastor Apollo Quiboloy!

Yesterday, years after we last met when I was still Governor of North Cotabato, I visited an old friend and spiritual leader Pastor Apollo Quiboloy in his headquarters in Davao City.

It was a meeting which I requested and was arranged by the staff of Davao City Mayor Rody Duterte to discuss the airing of agricultural programs in Pastor Quiboloy's television network, the SMNI, which has worldwide reach.

For so long, I have complained about the lack of attention the Philippine media, most especially television, give to the agriculture sector in spite of the fact that this country is agriculture-based.

For hours and hours everyday, Philippine television networks air reality shows, games and other inane programs but hardly is there a serious agriculture program which would guide the Filipino farmer on what to do and where to go.

In North Cotabato, for example, rubber farmers are crying and grieving over the very low prices of rubber cuplumps and they are asking whether the price in the province is the real market buying price of their produce. But nobody listens, nobody cares.

Yesterday, in a meeting which was supposed to involve veteran TV personality Jay Sonza and has since retired to do farming in his area in Bansalan, Davao del Sur, I found an answer to my yearnings.

(Jay Sonza suffered an allergy early in the morning and had to beg off from the meeting.)

Pastor Quiboloy eagerly welcomed the idea of SMNI playing a role in promoting agriculture, including sports and asked that the proposal be submitted in details.

What made the meeting more memorable for me was Pastor Quiboloy's reaction to my gift to him which came all the way from my farm in Kidapawan City.

Knowing of Pastor Apollo's concern for healthy food, I brought with me two roasted Manok PiNoy which the boys in the farm prepared as a gift to him.

Right in front of me, Pastor Quiboloy feasted on the litson Manok PiNoy stuffed with lemon grass and green tamarind leaves.

"I love your manok. It's so natural and it's not oily," he told me, words which came not only as a complement but a crown that I will always wear as a farmer.

"If I have special activities here, can I order chicken from you?" he asked me.

That was enough to send me to Cloud 9.

For a farmer like me, the greatest accolade is when people say the fruits in the farm are the sweetest or the free-ranged chicken the tastiest.

More so if the words of appreciation come from somebody like Pastor Apollo Quiboloy.

By Manny Pinol