Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
in Yemen attack
Yolanda death
toll hits 5,786
By JAIME LAUDE
By ZINNIA DELA PEA
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The death toll from
Super Typhoon Yolanda
in the Visayas is ap-
proaching 6,000, with
more than a thousand
people still missing, ac-
cording to the National
Disaster Risk Reduction
and Management Coun-
cil (NDRRMC).
As of yesterday, 5,786
people were reported
dead, 26,233 injured
and 1, 779 mi ssi ng,
NDRRMC executive
director Eduardo del
Rosario said.
The number of con-
rmed dead is 27 more
than last Thursdays
5,759, while the number
of injured and missing
remains unchanged.
A total of 2,379,887
families or more than
11 million people were
affected by the mon-
ster storm that ravaged
12,118 barangays in nine
regions in the Visayas,
Southern Tagalog and
parts of Mindanao, the
NDRRMC report said.
Of the affected fami-
lies, 872,727 or more
than four million peo-
ple were displaced and
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DOJ may look
into JPE crimes
By EDU PUNAY
The Department of
Justice (DOJ) is inclined
to look into alleged
crimes committed by
Senate Minority Lead-
er Juan Ponce Enrile,
which Sen. Miriam De-
fensor-Santiago raised
in a privilege speech last
Wednesday.
In an interview, Jus-
tice Secretary Leila de
Lima said she is particu-
larly considering an in-
vestigation into Enriles
alleged involvement
in illegal activities in
the Cagayan Economic
Zone Authority (CEZA)
as insinuated by San-
tiago. After her scathing
privilege speech last
Wednesday, Santiago
WB, ADB approve $1-B additional typhoon aid
Story on Page 2
VOL. XXVIII NO. 133 SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2013 11 SECTIONS, 80 PAGES
P20 MM
=
www.philst ar.com ThePhilippineSTAR PhilippineStar philstarnews philstarnews
JOHANNESBURG Nelson Mandela, the
icon of South Africas anti-apartheid struggle
and a colossus of 20th century politics, died late
Thursday aged 95, prompting mass mourning
and a global celebration of his astonishing life.
The Nobel Peace laureate, who was elected
World mourns South Africas great black hope
South Africas rst black president after spend-
ing nearly three decades in jail, died at his
Johannesburg home surrounded by his family,
after a long battle against lung infection.
The news was announced to the nation and
A shining
beacon of
inspiration
Christmas parole for Leviste, 34 others
Meralco record rate hike:
3-phased collection urged
When 2 freedom icons met
When former President Corazon
Aquino and her daughters Ballsy
Cruz and Pinky Abellada met Presi-
dent Nelson Mandela in Pretoria
in August 1996, the anti-apartheid
revolutionary leader told Cruz she
was very lucky.
You really know how to pick the
best mom! Mandela told her, in his
deep, booming voice, Cruz recalls.
President Aquino yesterday
joined world leaders in mourn-
ing the death of South African
leader and freedom icon Nel-
son Mandela.
My mother admired him.
Like all of us, she would have
been deeply saddened by his
passing, Aquino said as he
extended his condolences to
the family of Mandela.
Aquino recalled his encoun-
ter, when he was a congress-
man, with the anti-apartheid
hero when the latter visited
Manila.
On behalf of the Filipino
people, I extend our deepest
condolences to the family of
Mr. Mandela, the people of
South Africa, and all men and
women of peace and goodwill
who mourn the passing of a
truly great man, Aquino said.
Mandela was conferred
an honorary doctorate by the
University of the Philippines
during his visit in 1997.
Mal acaang descri bed
Mandela as a global democ-
racy icon who will always be
a shining beacon of inspiration
to all freedom-loving peoples.
We grieve over the death
of Mandela, a revered world
leader, who led his nation and
people to freedom by treading
the path of peace, Press Secre-
tary Herminio Coloma Jr. said.
The Philippines will forever
be honored to have hosted
By DELON PORCALLA
DFA spokesman Raul Her-
nandez said other workers
pretended to be dead to sur-
vive the assault, which left 12
other Filipinos injured with
one requiring head surgery.
The DFAs toll of Filipino fa-
talities is higher than the report
by Yemens Saba news agency,
which reported that two Fili-
pina nurses were among the
52 killed.
The bomber rammed an
explosives-packed car into the
ministry, allowing gunmen
to launch an assault on the
complex.
We condemn this senseless
and barbaric act. We call on the
Yemeni government to bring
the mastermind to justice and
take appropriate measures to
ensure the safety of Filipinos
and other foreigners there,
Hernandez said.
The DFA withheld the iden-
tities of the victims until their
families have been informed.
The victims are among 4O
Filipino workers in the hospi-
tal inside the complex, the DFA
By PIA LEE-BRAGO
Seven Filipino medi-
cal workers, including
a doctor, were killed in
Thursdays suicide car
bomb attack on Yemens
Defense Ministry com-
plex in Sanaa, the De-
partment of Foreign Af-
fairs (DFA) confirmed
yesterday.
By JOANNE RAE RAMIREZ
Former Batangas governor
Jose Antonio Leviste stepped
out of the New Bilibid Prison
(NBP) in Muntinlupa City a
free man yesterday after be-
ing granted parole almost ve
years since his conviction for
the 2007 killing of his long-
time aide.
The 73-year-old Leviste,
former husband of Sen. Loren
Legarda, was released from the
national penitentiary before
noon and was picked up by his
three daughters.
NBP superintendent Ve-
nancio Tesoro told The STAR
HONG KONG With a
P3.4397 per kilowatt increase
in electricity rates for this
month and in January inevi-
table, energy ofcials said they
wanted to have the adjustment
implemented at least in three
phases to ease its impact on
consumers.
The Manila Electric Co.
(Meralco) said it has to imple-
ment the adjustment due to
the month-long maintenance
In this Dec. 7, 2005 le photo, former
South African President Nelson Mandela
is in a jovial mood at the Mandela
Foundation in Johannesburg, where he
met with the winner and runner-up of
the local Idols competition. AP
FREE AGAIN: Former Batangas
governor and convicted killer
Jose Antonio Leviste shows
his release papers outside the
New Bilibid Prison yesterday.
EDD GUMBAN
South Africans hold an artwork of Nobel Peace laureate Nelson Mandela as they pay tribute
following his death in Johannesburg. Inset shows Mandela with former President Corazon
Aquino in Pretoria, South Africa in 1996. AFP
WB, ADB approve $1-B additional typhoon aid
The Philippine STAR
NEWS 2
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2013
Emergency loan facilities amounting to $1 billion have been
approved by the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank
(ADB) for areas devastated by Super Typhoon Yolanda.
The World Bank board formally approved the $500-million
loan facility in Washington part of nearly $1 billion commit-
ted to the Philippines by the WB. Axel van Trotsenburg, WB
regional vice president for East Asia and the Pacic, told The
By TED TORRES
Turn to Page 6
STAR about the expected approval of the loan facility after he
visited Tacloban yesterday.
Trotsenburg said the review of the supplemental loan was
done in record time, cutting short the process by 90 to 95 percent.
The ADB also approved a $500-million emergency loan at
record speed to help Yolanda victims.
The speed of assistance is critical to ensure that loss of
shelter, assets or livelihoods is only temporary, and quickly
resolved with skills programs, income generating activities,
and high-quality rehabilita-
tion and reconstruction, ADB
president Takehiko Nakao said
before the weekend.
Natural disasters, espe-
cially those occurring in poor
and developing nations force
families further into poverty,
Nakao added.
Trotsenburg, who ew to the
Philippines from South Korea
to personally inspect the dam-
age from the typhoon, said he
was impressed by the resilience
of the victims and eagerness to
rebuild and restart their lives.
Axel van Trotsenburg visits
Tacloban yesterday.
WB, ADB From Page 2
The Philippine STAR 6
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2013
NEWS
He said he expected reconstruction to take years, and the WB
is committed to be a partner of the Philippines for the long term.
We are willing to partner with the government in this and
if you require additional resources, we will positively consider
this, he told The STAR.
Relief eorts are expected to continue well into 2014, posing a bud-
get challenge for the Philippines which had been hit by 23 typhoons by
the end of October and a 7.2-magnitude earthquake that struck Bohol.
Additional funding from external sources would then allow
the Philippine government to provide support in ve priority
areas, including shelter and reconstruction; power restoration;
livelihood and employment; resettlement and psycho-social
care, and environmental protection.
Earlier, the ADB released a $3-million grant from the
Asia Pacific Disaster Response Fund which the bank ad-
ministers.
Another $20 million grant from the Japan Fund for Poverty
Reduction will be made available by mid-December. These,
together with the $500 million, will support the governments
eorts in the immediate recovery phase.
To immediately supplement the rst phase of support, the
ADB is designing a community-driven development project
that will help rebuild communities and assist reconstruction
in aected areas.
ADB also organized a Typhoon Yolanda Response Team and
plans to set up an extended mission in one of the aected areas
to support the implementation of ADBs assistance.
Two technical assistance projects will help implement and
monitor the reconstruction plan.
Poe: Study Europes recovery plan
As this developed, Sen. Grace Poe called for a study on the
possibility of adopting the European Recovery Program or
Marshall Plan to help facilitate the reconstruction, rehabilita-
tion and revival of areas ravaged by Yolanda.
Crafted by the United States after the second World War, the
Marshall Plan was focused on bringing back what was lost after
the war and improving the conditions through modernization,
utilization of high-e ciency models, reducing trade barriers,
and instilling a sense of hope and self-reliance.
Aid for Yolanda victims continues
Poes resolution came as the Philippines continues to receive
various assistance from the international community even
one month after
Typhoon Yolanda
and the latest is the
$1 million donation
pledged by Mexico.
Vice President
Jejomar Binay an-
nounced Thursday
night that Mexican
Ambassador Ju-
lio Camarena-Vil-
laseor personally
made the pledge
to him during their
meeting Thursday
afternoon.
Binay also bared
yesterday that the
assistance from the
United States has
now reached $60
million.
With Marvin
Sy, Jose Rodel Cla-
pano
The Philippine STAR
7 SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2013
NEWS
7 Pinoys
From Page 1
said. There are around 1,000 Filipino
workers in Yemen.
Philippine Honorary Consul in Ye-
men Mohammad Al-Jamal and Filipino
community leader Esther Galahan were
visiting hospitals to check if there are
other Filipino casualties.
Based on accounts of survivors, the
incident started when the rst suicide
bomber detonated his explosives at the
gates of the ministry complex.
Another suspect was apprehended be-
fore he could enter, but the third bomber
managed to pass through and detonated
his explosives, causing the building to
collapse.
Vice President Jejomar Binay, mean-
while, condemned the bombing in the
Yemen capital.
It was a senseless act that has no place
in the world, Binay said.
He called on the Yemen government
to assist the families of the blast victims.
Jose Rodel Clapano, AFP, AP
DOJ may From Page 1
wrote De Lima a letter seeking a probe
on Enrile.
Offhand, we can look into allegations
pertaining to alleged smuggling, alleged
illegal logging, and alleged gambling, es-
pecially online, those related to CEZA,
De Lima revealed.
She said the government had in fact
initiated an investigation into online
gambling operations at CEZA during the
tenure of the late interior secretary Jesse
Robredo.
The Philippine National Police has
undertaken operations against online
gambling there but the operators justi-
ed it on the basis of license issued by
the CEZA. They were also able to get
temporary restraining order (TRO) from
local courts and even turned the tables
on the law enforcers, she recalled.
With Santiagos request, the DOJ chief
said she would again contest the TRO
and ask the Ofce of the Solicitor Gen-
eral to submit to her a status report on
the cases related to online gambling in
the CEZA.
In that aspect (illegal gambling), we
already started that, so we will just look
into it further. In those kinds of allega-
tions, I think we can pursue the investi-
gation, she said.
On Santiagos claim that Enrile not
Janet Lim Napoles had masterminded
the pork barrel scam, De Lima explained
that the Ofce of the Ombudsman is in-
vestigating the matter.
She admitted, however, that it would
be hard to dredge up evidence to link En-
rile to human rights abuses during mar-
tial law.
We will rst evaluate because even if
were willing to investigate, the chance
of uncovering those things would be re-
mote or difcult because of the long pe-
riod which already lapsed, she said.
Insult
Meanwhile, Santiago said she felt in-
sulted by her colleagues calling for a
truce with Enrile while seeking to have
some of her harsh words against him
stricken off Senate records.
If, after the Enrile personal attack
against me, certain senators had moved
to strike off the record, I would not have
delivered my own response, Santiago
said in a statement. Sen. Sergio Osmea
III on Thursday described Santiagos
speech as unparliamentary and moved
that some portions of it be removed from
Senate records.
Why are they proposing the motion
only now? Do they mean that Enrile is
allowed to insult me on a personal level,
but I am prohibited from paying him
back in his own coin? If any of these sen-
ators were insulted personally, would
each one have consented to remain si-
lent? Santiago asked.
In the judiciary, Santiago noted that
when opposing counsel moves to strike
off the record, and the judge grants the
motion, the testimony will remain on the
record.
This procedure is followed, so that in
case of appeal, the appellate court will be
able to see from the record what the testi-
mony was. Thus, striking off the records
is nominal, because the testimony will
stay, she explained.
For Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, Santiago
was right about calling for an investiga-
tion into Enriles alleged involvement in
criminal activities including smuggling
and killing of activists during martial
law.
I believe that the privilege speech of
Sen. Miriam was not only made to de-
fend herself from the personal attacks
made by Sen. Enrile but it also contained
valuable information that could be
used as basis for further investigation,
Trillanes said.
Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano echoed
Trillanes position and recommended
that the Senate review its own Code of
Ethics.
No effect
At the House of Representatives,
Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. expressed
belief the word war between Enrile and
Santiago would not derail the passage of
pending bills.
He said both the Senate and the House
of Representatives have their respective
legislative mechanisms, like the bicamer-
al conference committee, that make sure
pending bills are processed.
Needing prompt attention from law-
makers are the proposed P2.68-trillion
national budget for 2014 and the P14.6-
billion supplemental budget aimed to
boost funds for the rehabilitation of ca-
lamity-hit areas.
Whether the intramurals in the Sen-
ate affect (pending bills)? I dont see it
happening, Belmonte said.
The Speaker said the bicameral con-
ference committee is scheduled to meet
on Monday to reconcile the Senate and
House versions of the proposed national
budget.
Meralco
From Page 1
shutdown of the Malampaya gas line and
the stoppage of operations of major power
plants in Luzon.
In a brieng yesterday, Meralco presi-
dent Oscar Reyes said the generation
charge would increase to a record P9.107
per kilowatt-hour and that the hike would
be implemented
in two tranches to
soften the blow on
consumers.
The Malampaya
gas facility is where
most of Meralcos
power suppliers
source their fuel to
produce electricity.
These plants have
turned to more ex-
pensive diesel fuel
to produce power
amid tight supply
conditions.
The rate hi ke
doesnt need any
further approval as the computation of
the increase in generation charge is based
on a formula pre-approved by the Energy
Regulatory Commission.
Reyes assured the power rms customers
that the increase would be temporary and
that rates would normalize by February 2014.
Meralco was forced to source more
power from the wholesale electricity spot
market (WESM) due to tight supply condi-
tions. Prices in the spot market have gone
up three-fold as most of the power plants
are on scheduled maintenance shutdown.
Were talking to Meralco if they can
stagger it but only with the approval of the
ERC, Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho Petil-
la said, referring to the impending rate hike.
With Iris Gonzales, Christina Mendez
8 SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2013 The Philippine STAR
NEWS
Binay welcomes Lacson as possible opponent in 2016
Vice President Jejomar Bi-
nay believes rehabilitation czar
Panlo Lacson is qualied to
run for president in 2016.
In an interview at the Coco-
nut Palace Thursday night, Bi-
nay said it would be merrier if
many would run for president.
By JOSE RODEL CLAPANO
Why not? All are quali-
ed, he said.
Binay said he has been con-
sistent in his declaration that he
will run for president in 2016.
As for myself, I have al-
ready declared right after the
(2010) elections that, yes, I will
that Leviste was in high spirits
when he left the NBP.
Aside from Leviste, 34 other
inmates were also granted pa-
role by the Pardon and Parole
Administration (PPA).
In an interview, PPA head
Manuel Co said Leviste has
met the requirements to qual-
ify for parole.
Co said Leviste had served
the minimum period of his sen-
tence for homicide conviction.
The penalty was six years
minimum to 12 years maxi-
mum. He already served more
than six years, he said.
be a candidate (for president),
he said.
Binay said he is not worried
over the possibility that Lac-
sons star would shine again
when he does well in his job as
rehabilitation czar of the areas
that Super Typhoon Yolanda
had devastated.
Like what I said, it is getting
to be music to the ear, he said.
Binay said he and Lacson
have no issue with each other.
He is from Cavite, while
I am from Batangas, he said.
He is good.
Binay said he is saddened
that Interior Secretary Manuel
Roxas II appears to be getting
out of the picture in the 2016
presidential elections.
The more, the merrier,
he said.
Binay said he would have
no problem working with
Lacson as the rehabilitation
czar.
We are indispensable in the
rehabilitation because our job
is in shelter, he said.
Christmas From Page 1
Leviste was convicted by
the Makati City Regional Trial
Court on Jan. 14, 2009, two
years after he shot dead Rafael
de las Alas inside his ofce in
Makati City on Jan. 12, 2007.
He was in jail for almost seven
years almost ve years in the
NBP and another two in the
city jail while standing trial.
Co said the PPA also consid-
ered Levistes old age which
makes him no longer a threat
to the community.
He added that there is no
longer any reason to hold Lev-
iste at the NBP, especially after
the family of De las Alas did not
object to his parole application.
How come?
Malacaang yesterday said
it sees no problem in Levistes
being granted parole.
Its in accordance with our
laws and as per consultation
with my legal resource, it does
not need any presidential ac-
tion. This is a parole process,
Press Secretary Herminio Co-
loma Jr. said.
When asked how come Lev-
iste was given a good conduct
time pass when he was seen
going in and out of the national
penitentiary, Coloma said
there are rules that are being
observed regarding the matter.
We can conduct a review
of the process if and when it
can be proven that he violated
such laws, he said.
Leviste was slapped with
another case for evasion of
service of sentence after he
was caught roaming in his
LPL building in Makati City
in violation of his living out
privilege in May 2011.
But the Metropolitan Trial
Court Branch 62 of Makati
acquitted the inmate and his
driver Nilo Solis de Guzman,
buying Levistes defense that
he was legitimately outside
because he was given a green
light by the prison ofcers.
Four prison superinten-
dents and a prison guard
were dismissed as a result of
Levistes caper.
Co, however, claried that
Leviste still needs to appear
before a parole ofcer while
outside the prison as a condi-
tion of the grant.
Parole is a temporary lib-
erty. Technically, he remains
under the custody of the state,
he said.
Co added that it would be
up to the parole ofcer to allow
Leviste to leave the country.
Justice Secretary Leila de
Lima, meanwhile, said there is
a list of inmates recommended
for presidential pardon sub-
mitted to the Palace, which
could also be released this
month.
Family time
Batangas Vice Gov. Mark Le-
viste told The STAR yesterday
that his uncle wants to spend
quality time with his family now
that he is out of prison.
For now he does not want
to receive media interviews.
He wanted to just go home
straight to Lipa, Batangas and
make up for the lost time with
his family, Leviste said.
Mark said they were grate-
ful for the freedom of Leviste.
Edu Punay, Delon Porcalla,
Perseus Echeminada, Arnell
Ozaeta
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2013 The Philippine STAR 9 NEWS
Yolanda From Page 1
are now staying at 385 evacuation centers
set up by foreign volunteer groups and the
national government.
Damage to infrastructure and agricul-
ture has been estimated at P35.2 billion
including the 1,212,100 houses that were
destroyed, partially or totally by Yolanda,
mostly in Samar, Leyte, Bantayan, Cebu;
Antique, Iloilo, Capiz, Aklan and in north-
ern Palawan.
Bodies retrieved daily
Local o cials, as well as the devas-
tated residents in Guiuan, Eastern Samar
and Burauen and Tanauan towns in
Leyte, said they expect more bodies to
be recovered.
We are still retrieving bodies daily. The
other day, we recovered 15 and yesterday
(Thursday) we recovered 30 more. We
retrieve bodies everyday, said a local vol-
unteer who joined the retrieval operations
in coastal towns of Palo and Tanauan.
Another local o cial conrmed their
list of deaths, mostly unidentied, has
been increasing daily.
Here in Tanauan alone, the number
of recovered cadavers is already close to
2,000. Of this number, only around 600
have been identied to be from here. The
rest, we dont know. Maybe they came
from other areas, the o cial said.
As the recovered bodies were al-
ready in the advanced state of de-
composition, the local government in
Tanauan buried them in a mass grave
located near the town plaza, as they
could no longer be accommodated in
the town cemetery.
O cials had to bury the bodies im-
mediately to prevent outbreak of diseases.
The Department of Health (DOH) re-
minded residents from typhoon-aected
areas to take the necessary precautions
against possible spread of diarrhea and
other water-borne diseases.
Health Secretary Enrique Ona said
Leyte and Samar residents should ei-
ther boil or chlorinate their drinking
water so they could avoid water-borne
diseases.
Ona noted that water samples from
typhoon-aected areas were found posi-
tive for fecal coliforms or E coli indicating
that water supplies in those places are
contaminated.
He said a team composed of repre-
sentatives from the DOH, Local Water
Utilities Administration, Maynilad Wa-
ter Services, Inc., and Manila Water Co.
conducted the water testing for drinking
water potability in Sta. Fe, Tacloban,
Tanauan and Eastern Samar, with 10
municipalities including Hernani and
Guiuan from Nov. 27-30.
Ona urged local water districts to con-
tinue monitoring water safety for fecal
contamination and residual chlorine.
It is also important that broken pipes
should be xed and that residents should
not tamper with these pipes as this will only
increase risk of contaminating the water
supply and those who source out water of
unknown quality (shallow wells) should
also disinfect their water, Ona said.
Ona further urged residents from
Leyte and Samar to boil their drinking
water from one to two minutes and
then let cool before putting it in clean
containers.
Health experts said food and water
are common sources of pathogens that
could easily spread diseases and out-
breaks.
On the other hand, the Department of
Education (DepEd) said the repair and
reconstruction of classrooms destroyed
by Yolanda would start next year.
DepEd said at least 4, 498 classrooms
from Regions IV-B, 6, 7, and 8, were se-
verely damaged by the typhoon.
Education Secretary Armin Luistro said
the 2014 budget for classrooms might be
realigned for the replacement and reha-
bilitation of classrooms.
He said DepEd could also request
replenishment of budget using the Quick
Release Fund (QRF), which usually
amounts to P500 million a year.
With Mayen Jaymalin, Helen Flores
World From Page 1
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2013 12 The Philippine STAR
NEWS
A shining From Page 1
Mandelas visit in 1996 and his historic meet-
ing with fellow icon of democracy, former
President Corazon Aquino, in Capetown in
the same year, the Department of Foreign
Affairs (DFA) said yesterday.
Mandela had credited the late president
for restoring democracy in the country.
Nelson Mandela was not only a cou-
rageous and compassionate champion
of democracy and racial equality for his
own country, but also stood as a beacon
of inspiration and hope for all those who
sought freedom in every corner of the globe,
including the Philippines, the DFA said in
a statement.
Senate, House
honor Mandela
Senate President Franklin Drilon yes-
terday led senators in paying tribute to
Mandela, whom he described as a truly
extraordinary man.
Today we have lost a man, who through-
out his life, has served as a potent symbol for
honor, peace, courage and magnanimity,
Drilon said.
Sen. Loren Legarda, who met Mandela
during his state visit to the Philippines in
1997, described him as a man whose cour-
age inspired the dawning of a new South
Africa.
Former Senate president Edgardo An-
gara also paid tribute to Mandela as a true
icon of peace and freedom.
Sen. Nancy Binay said that Mandela
served as an inspiration and a beacon of hope
not only to the people of South Africa during
the struggle to end the dark days of apartheid
but to every nation, rich and poor.
At the House of Representatives, Speaker
Feliciano Belmonte Jr. mourned the death
of Mandela, saying the world is fortunate
to have beneted from and born witness to
his rm life-long struggle, not only to end
apartheid and racism, but to his continued
ght against poverty, and HIV/AIDS.
His life was fully dedicated toward
world peace for which he has received
numerous awards, recognition and earned
the great respect of a global nation, Bel-
monte said.
Quezon City Rep. Winston Castelo
described Mandela as the conscience of
humanity.
Former President Fidel Ramos and his
family offered prayers that Mandela will gain
his eternal reward for his unwavering devo-
tion to God, South Africa, its people and the
equality of all races around the world.
For his part, Vice President Jejomar Bi-
nay said that Mandela is an inspiration to
freedom-loving people all over the world.
His life inspires us to strive for a world
where freedom, equality, tolerance and
understanding reign, he said.
Albay Gov. Joey Salceda lauded the
greatest South African leaders lack of
vindictiveness. With Marvin Sy, Paolo
Romero, Pia Lee-Brago, Jose Rodel Cla-
pano, Celso Amo
the world by an emotional South African Presi-
dent Jacob Zuma, in a live late-night broadcast.
Our beloved Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela,
the founding president of our democratic na-
tion, has departed, said Zuma, whose own
role in the struggle against white rule saw him
imprisoned with Mandela on Robben Island.
Our nation has lost its greatest son. Our
people have lost a father.
Zuma announced Mandela will receive a full
state funeral and he ordered ags to remain at
half-mast until after the burial. National ags
were also lowered in countries including the
United States, testament to the anti-apartheids
titanic status far beyond South Africa.
Barack Obama, Americas rst black presi-
dent, paid tribute to a man who took history in
his hands and bent the arc of the moral universe
towards justice.
Obama was joined in mourning by a roll
call of gures from across the worlds of poli-
tics, business and sport, reecting how much
Mandela had touched hearts as a rallying point
for justice and good causes after he drew a
Rainbow Nation out of his diverse homeland.
His death had long been expected, coming
after a spate of hospitalizations with lung in-
fections and three months of intensive care at
home. But the announcement came as a shock
nonetheless.
Mandelas two youngest daughters were in
London watching the premiere of his biopic
Long Walk to Freedom when they were told
of his death.
After huddling around radios and televi-
sions to hear the news, South Africans poured
onto the streets near his Johannesburg home,
walking arm-in-arm to join a crowd of hun-
dreds singing songs celebrating his struggle
against apartheid.
My heart is full of joy and sadness at the
same time, said Ashleigh Williams, one of
those outside the house, where struggle-era
songs lled the air.
He left a great legacy. I dont think anyone
will ever be able to ll his shoes.
Archbishop emeritus Desmond Tutu lauded
his fellow Nobel laureate as the man who
taught a deeply divided nation how to come
together.
To suggest that South Africa might go up in
ames - as some have predicted - is to discredit
South Africans and Madibas legacy, Tutu said
in a statement.
The sun will rise tomorrow, and the next
day and the next... It may not appear as bright
as yesterday, but life will carry on.
Terrorist turned icon
Once considered a terrorist by the United States
and Britain for his support of violence against the
apartheid regime, at the time of his death he was
an almost unimpeachable moral icon.
Mandelas extraordinary life story, quirky
sense of humor and lack of bitterness towards
his former oppressors ensured global ap-
peal for the charismatic leader.
He spent 27 years behind bars before
being freed in 1990 to lead the African Na-
tional Congress (ANC) in negotiations with
the white minority rulers which culminated
in the rst multi-racial elections in 1994.
A victorious Mandela served a single
term as president before taking up a new
role as a roving elder statesman and
leading AIDS campaigner before nally
retiring from public life in 2004.
The man he replaced, South Africas
last white president FW de Klerk, also
paid tribute.
South Africa has lost one of its found-
ing fathers and one of its greatest sons,
he said.
Born in July 1918 in the southeastern
Transkei region, Mandela started a career
as a lawyer in Johannesburg in parallel
with his political activism.
He became commander-in-chief of Um-
khonto we Sizwe (Spear of the Nation), the
armed wing of the by now-banned ANC,
in 1961, and the following year underwent
military training in Algeria and Ethiopia.
While underground back home in
South Africa, Mandela was captured by
police in 1962 and sentenced to ve years
in prison. AFP
When 2 From Page 1
13
The Philippine STAR
NEWS
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2013
Mandela, 95, died at home in Johannes-
burg yesterday after struggling with a series
of lung infections for the past two years.
Mrs. Aquino was conned in hospital for
over a month herself before succumbing to
colon cancer on Aug. 1, 2009.
My mother admired Mandela very
much, Cruz recalls, adding how impressed
her mother was with Mandela whom she
found so humble despite his fame and de-
void of bitterness despite his 27 years of in-
carceration for his stand against apartheid.
Despite the great heights he reached, wala
siyang kayabang-yabang (he had no hint of ar-
rogance). He was so warm and he had no hint
of bitterness in him, Cruz told The STAR.
Mrs. Aquino, an icon of democracy her-
self for leading a bloodless people power
revolution in the Philippines, was in Preto-
ria in 1996 to be the keynote speaker of the
Nelson Mandela Award on Human Rights
(for Public Health), sponsored by the Kaiser
Family Foundation.
A few months after that, she paid formal
tribute to Mandela when she received the
Fulbright Prize at the US State Department
in Washington, which honored Mandela
himself with the award the year before.
I am greatly honored yet deeply hum-
bled to receive this award. For I am pre-
ceded in this distinction by one who took
upon himself, what seemed for centuries,
the impossible struggle of a people for
equality, dignity and freedom in their own
country, Mrs. Aquino said.
She praised Mandela for vanquishing
racism, so that when he danced on the
stage of his inaugural as the rst black presi-
dent of South Africa, good men and women
throughout the world followed his steps.
And he achieved this, not by force but
with reason; never with hate but with, I
think, something like love; not with re-
criminations but with an unyielding resolve
never to look back in anger but forward,
with the enemy of his people, to the time
when they can regard each other as one.
When Mrs. Aquino told former US em-
bassy charge daffaires Joseph Mussomeli
how honored she was to have been in the
company of Mandela, he reportedly told
her, You, too, Mrs. President, have done
much to vanquish oppressors. You are both
freedom icons.
5 soldiers, 3 others hurt in Leyte helicopter crash
Five soldiers and three civilians, in-
cluding two personnel of the Department
of Social Welfare and Development, were
injured when an Air Force helicopter car-
rying them crashed in Leyte yesterday
afternoon.
Air Force spokesman Col. Miguel Okol
said the Huey 940, involved in relief op-
erations, went down between the towns
of Burauen and La Paz. All its crew and
passengers managed to get out of the
helicopter safely. Alexis Romero
Used by Special Permission, Radio Bible Class, Grand Rapids, Michigan.
OPINION
The Philippine STAR
Our Daily Bread
The Bible in one year:
Daniel 5-7
2 John
ROMAN F. FLORESCA, JUANIYO Y. ARCELLANA,
RAMON M. LIM, DULCE A. SANCHEZ,
PATRICIA P. ESTEVES
MILLET M. MANANQUIL, RICARDO F. LO,
LITO A. TACUJAN, DOREEN G. YU,
ANTONIO R. PAO, MARICHU A.VILLANUEVA
INTERNATIONAL
PRESS INSTITUTE
IPI
MEMBER:
PHILIPPINE
PRESS INSTITUTE
ISAAC G. BELMONTE
Head, Editorial Board
Section Editors/Desk:
MIGUEL G. BELMONTE
President/CEO
ANA MARIE PAMINTUAN
Editor-in-Chief
Published daily by the Phil-
STAR Daily, Inc. with ofices
at R. Oca, Jr. and Railroad
Streets, Port Area, Manila; Tel.
No. 527-7901 to 15. Advertis-
ing Dept.: Tel. Nos. 527-2495,
526-1991. E-mail address:
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BETTY GO-BELMONTE
Founding Chairman (1986-1994)
FERNANDO R. LOPEZ
Vice President for Circulation
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Vice President for Operations
LUCIEN C. DY TIOCO
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MAXIMO V. SOLIVEN
Founding Publisher (1986-2006)
ROMEL A. LARA
Managing Editor
Associate Editors:
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2013 14
EDITORIAL
First Person
By ALEX MAGNO
My Four Centavos
By DEAN ANDY BAUTISTA
When [Jesus] had given thanks, He
broke it and said, Take, eat; this is My
body which is broken for you.
1 Corinthians 11:24
When a US Navy vessel arrives or
departs from the military bases in Pearl
Harbor, the crew of that ship lines up in
dress uniform. They stand at attention
at arms length on the outer edges of the
deck, in salute to the soldiers, sailors,
and civilians who died on December 7,
1941. It is a stirring sight, and partici-
pants often list it among the most memo-
rable moments of their military career.
Even for spectators on shore, the sa-
lute triggers an incredible emotional
connection, but especially between the
servants of today and the servants of yes-
terday. It grants nobility to the work of
todays sailor, while giving dignity to the
sacriice of those from the past.
When Jesus instituted the Lords Sup-
This do in remembrance
per (Matt. 26:26-29), it was surely with
an eye toward creating this same kind
of emotional bond. Our participation
in the Lords Table honors His sacriice
while also granting us a connection to
Him unlike any other act of remem-
brance.
Just as the Navy carefully prescribes
the way it salutes the fallen, so too Scrip-
ture teaches us how to remember Jesus
sacriice (1 Cor. 11:26-28). These acts of
reverence and thanksgiving serve to
honor past action while giving purpose
to present service. Randy Kilgore
Action Suggestion:
Read with fresh eyes the detailed in-
structions Scripture offers for the Lords
Supper in 1 Corinthians 11, and experi-
ence anew its power in your spiritual
journey.
READ: 1 Corinthians 11:23-34
The Lords Supper Christs
memorial that He left for us.
It is still a failure in planning.
In the next billing cycle, con-
sumers will be treated to a surge
in power costs. That will be on top
of last weeks spike in LPG prices
and an upward crawl in fuel prices.
There will be grumbling ev-
erywhere, to be sure, and some
angry marches in the streets. Mega-
phones, however, have never been known to inluence
energy costs.
The forthcoming surge in power costs is temporary,
authorities say. It is due to the simultaneous main-
tenance shutdowns of power plants using cheaper
energy sources, such as the ones that run on natural
gas from the Malampaya ield.
The militants, waving their red banners, say this
government is deliberately inlicting misery on the
people. They demand royalties from the Malampaya
ield be used to subsidize power costs.
The Department of Energy (DoE), for its part, is
suggesting there might be collusion among the power
producers to create an artiicial shortage and push
prices up. It will, as this administration is wont to,
launch an investigation into the matter.
If there is any failure leading to this impending
surge in power costs, however, the DoE ought to take
the major portion of the blame.
It should be the agencys task to orchestrate things
in the power sector, including maintenance sched-
ules, to ensure reliable power supply using the most
eficient cost structure. The clustered shutdowns of
the most eficient plants that we see today should not
have happened.
It is likewise the task of the DoE to ensure we have
ample energy reserves. Over the past three-and-half
years, no new power generation project was added to
our energy stock. Rene Almendras, the man who failed
to improve on our energy stock, was kicked upstairs
to become secretary for the whole Cabinet as well as
the impromptu spokesman for the chaotic disaster
response in the wake of the super typhoon.
On a more strategic level, the task of the DoE is to
ensure continuous improvement in the cost structure
of the nations power supply. The cost structure de-
termines the average cost of power generated by the
mix of eficient and ineficient, green and dirty power
producers.
If we improve the cost structure of our power sup-
ply, using more eficient baseload plants using natural
gas instead of bunker oil, thermal instead of coal, our
people will beneit from cheaper energy. We could
become competitive in energy-intensive industries
one again.
Alas, the cost structure for our power supply re-
mains one of the highest in Asia. The maintenance
closure of the more eficient plants means skewing the
cost structure upwards, causing the energy price surge
we anticipate. This is not good news for the economy.
Last Thursday, the irst of what could be numerous
street protests against the impending power price
surge was staged before the main ofices of Meralco.
That is unfortunate. Meralco is only the distributor
of power priced by the producers. The company col-
lects from the end-consumers but does not determine
pricing.
It is like attacking the bearer of bad news. What
confronts us is a truly complicated energy problem
that must not be oversimpliied.
Mandela
Nelson Mandela passed away yesterday at 95. The
whole world mourned the passing of this great man,
no one sadder than his own nation he helped resur-
rect from the hell of apartheid and transformed into a
genuine community.
What else can I add to the great outpouring of elo-
quence from all the worlds leaders?
Simply this: Mandela defined what leadership
meant for this day and age.
The apartheid regime kept this man in a dark prison
cell for 27 years but never once came close to breaking
his spirit. From that dark cell, the light he personiied
shone through to as far as these distant, forsaken is-
lands in the Paciic.
Those of my generation participated in the irst truly
global political crusade to free Mandela and end apart-
heid. The crusade was surely about something more
than Mandela and the African National Congress. It
was about establishing the norms of modern civility
everywhere. We named our children after this man and
embraced tightly the tenet of racial equality.
That global crusade would not have gained the
traction it did without the force of Mandelas personal-
ity. He was a warrior without hate, a victim without
bitterness and eventually a leader without prejudice.
When the apartheid regime inally yielded to global
pressure and opened the way to a new democratic na-
tion, something more than the termination of one gov-
ernment happened. The day Mandela walked out of
prison was also the day a new South Africa was born.
It was almost in the natural course of things that
Mandela walked from prison to the presidency of a
nation that could have easily descended into racial
war and communal chaos as the apparatus of the
white supremacists scuttled. The worst did not hap-
pen, fortunately, as Mandela provided the persona to
inspire a whole people to build together rather than
destroy one another.
Never once did Mandela blame the previous regime,
although there was ample reason to do so. Instead, he
kept his people looking forward to a brighter future. His
people responded with aplomb. South Africa is now well
on its way to becoming a global economic power.
Mandela led not by grabbing credit by but maintain-
ing moral ascendancy. He provided what modern lead-
ership should: a clear moral compass for his people,
a irm basis for investing hope in the community. By
his eloquence, a nation was born.
To his last days, Mandela was bafled by all the
adoration coming his way. His humility was real.
H
Power surge
The ongoing word war of destruc-
tion in the Senate is an exercise in
distraction. As the country continues
to cope with the devastation brought
about by Typhoon Yolanda, you
would think that our Senators could
devote their time to more productive
endeavors. And to think that the two
protagonists are senior members of
the legislature who are acknowledged legal experts
in their respective ields. Instead of engaging in eye
for an eye lex talionis legal parlance for the law
of retaliation they should perhaps focus on drafting
laws for rehabilitation.
Without a doubt, the so-called Clash of Titans
makes interesting viewing and reading. It has been
likened to an action-packed teleserye drama complete
with hate speech and grand gestures. If these words
were uttered outside of the Senate hall, for sure they
would constitute grounds for slander. Indeed, this is
a clear case of abuse of parliamentary privilege and
immunity so much so that their more sober colleagues
are moving for the deletion of the privilege speeches
from the Senate record. On the brighter side, at least
the two kept their war to words as opposed to parlia-
mentarians from other countries where disagreements
can lead to physical brawls. But then again who knows
how and when this spat will end?
This public washing of the Senators dirty laundry
does not bode well for the institutions image especially
since it is still recovering from the PDAF scandal taint.
And the Pandoras box of serious accusations that have
been let loose cannot be left uninvestigated. Otherwise,
future Senate investigations may not be viewed with the
same credibility and accorded the same respect. To the
viewing voters, perhaps this is a timely reminder that we
should be careful whom we vote for.
* * * *
Ironic and tragic: The news of American actor
and Fast & Furious star Paul Walkers unfortunate
accident has been widely reported in the media. The
fact that the star of a Hollywood franchise built upon
street racing died while riding in the passenger seat
of a Porsche Carrera GT (driven by professional racer
Roger Rodas) which crashed against a light pole is
ironic; passing away at the relatively young age of 40,
in the middle of a still rising career, and after attend-
ing a beneit dinner to raise funds for the victims of
typhoon Yolanda is tragic.
Walker was planning on becoming a marine biolo-
gist until his role in Pleasantville in 1998 made him
a Hollywood star. Its unfortunate, however, that with
great fame comes great insensitivity. Since the accident,
there have been numerous hoax posts on social me-
dia sites from people preying on the gullibility of his
fans. Alleged gruesome photos of Walker and Rodas
have turned out to be photoshopped. Certainly, the
last thing his family and loved ones especially his
young daughter, Meadow Rainneed right now is to
be subjected to such banality. Alas, such is part of the
price of being in the public eye. By way of appreciation
and small consolation, Resolution No. 577 was iled
last Wednesday at the Philippine House of Represen-
tatives by Negros Occidental Rep. Alfredo Benitez to
honor the late actor for his humanitarian efforts. Aside
from providing inancial assistance, his foundation,
Reach Out Worldwide, had already organized and
dispatched a group of 12 disaster responders to areas
hit by typhoon Yolanda.
* * * *
Today in history: The United States is commemo-
rating the 72nd anniversary of the surprise attack at
Pearl Harbor in the Hawaiian island of Oahu which
marked the start of World War II in the Paciic. The
110-minute, two-wave attack resulted in 2,403 killed,
1,211 wounded, 188 planes destroyed and a crippled
US Paciic leet that included eight sunk or severely
damaged battleships.
For those old enough to remember the movie Tora!
Tora! Tora! (Tiger! Tiger! Tiger!), Commander Mitsuo
Fuchida uttered these words upon lying over Pearl
Harbor to convey the message to the Japanese navy that
the attack was a smashing success. The day after, US
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt remarked that De-
cember 7, 1941 would be a date that will live in infamy
and the US Congress formally declared war on Japan.
Remember Pearl Harbor become the battle cry of the
Americans for the next four years.
* * * *
Greetings: Birth anniversary best wishes to long
time faithful friend Angel Mang Boy Suarez and to
high school classmate Jun the man Labadan.
* * * *
In memoriam: Long time political prisoner turned
President (in the Philippines it is the other way around
Presidents become prisoners) Nelson Mandela who
tirelessly fought to promote racial equality in his be-
loved South Africa passed away last Thursday at the
age of 95. Imprisoned for close to three decades for
opposing white minority rule, Mandela was praised
by the countrys last white President, F.W. de Klerk,
as a great uniier who was able to understand and
soothe the fears of white South Africans in the transi-
tion to democracy.
Paying tribute, Sir Anthony OReilly had this to
say: Few men tower, in modern history, with the moral
certitude or the political wisdom, the forgiving patience
or the lordly humility of Nelson Mandela.... It seemed,
as the inal, costly decades of apartheid wore on, that a
peaceful transition was implausible and the likelihood
of the country, of its history, delivering a leader strong
enough and forgiving enough to subdue the fears and the
anger of centuries was remote, to say the least. It can only
be considered remarkable that against this history, and
the most unlikely circumstances of a country with such
profound racial, linguistic, ethnic and political divisions
that a igure arose by some magical alchemy to codify
by forgiveness a dispensation that is the root cause of all
the prosperity that is now accruing to this country. Rest
well great Madiba!
* * * *
I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but
the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not
feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.
Nelson Mandela
* * * *
Email: deanbautista@yahoo.com
H
Destructive distractions
Icon of freedom
The United Nations Security Coun-
cil observed a minute of silence as
the world joined South Africans
yesterday in mourning the passing
of Nelson Mandela. The Nobel Peace
laureate was a great leader in every
sense: a man with greatness of heart
who led by example.
Twenty-seven years in detention,
18 of them at hard labor in the dusty
quarries of Robben Island, failed to
break the spirit of Mandela, who
inspired his nations relentless
struggle against apartheid. When the
battle was won and Mandela became
his countrys irst black president,
he showed greatness of spirit, for-
giving his jailers and torturers. He
urged his nations black majority to
do the same as they dismantled the
apparatus of state-sponsored racial
oppression.
Mandela then showed exemplary
leadership in the difficult path of
national reconciliation. The worlds
most famous political prisoner did not
want his nation to be consumed by ha-
tred and descend into post-apartheid
violence. Instead he sought to rally
black and white behind common pas-
sions such as sports. He worked for
more equitable economic growth, so
that his countrys enormous natural
wealth could beneit even impover-
ished black communities.
The anti-apartheid struggle took
a toll on Mandelas personal life,
and some quarters complained that
more should have been done to
make apartheid oppressors account
for their crimes. But South Africas
great black hope opted for unity and
peace in the dificult transition from
white minority rule.
In another gesture of leadership,
Mandela did not hang on to his post,
instead presiding over the peaceful
transfer of power in a democratic
setting at the appointed time. Many
things could have gone wrong when
the apartheid apparatus was disman-
tled. South Africa pulled off the tran-
sition in an impressive way, thanks
largely to Nelson Mandela. South
Africas icon is deeply mourned by
the world.
The Philippine STAR
OPINION
Editor: RAMON M. LIM 15
From A Distance
By CARMEN N. PEDROSA
Sundry Strokes
By ROSALINDA L. OROSA
At Ground Level
By SATUR C. OCAMPO
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2013
Shooting Straight
By BOBIT S. AVILA
Turn to page 18
How time ies indeed! Today is
the 72nd anniversary (it is Dec. 8
here) of the surprise attack by the
Japanese Imperial Navy against
the US Naval base in Hawaii
called Pearl Harbor, which turned
the already raging war in Europe
against the Nazis into a global
conict, called World War II. This
war resulted in at least 50 million
casualties and in the Philippines at least 10% of the
Filipino population died during that war.
If the anniversary of Pearl Harbor is already 72
years old, just imagine how old would our World War
II Veterans be? Last Thursday, Nov. 28, my uncle, the
elder brother of my mother, Col. Manuel Segura (Ret)
died at the Asian Hospital at 94 years old. After a vigil
in Quezon City, his remains arrived in Cebu City last
Tuesday. Yesterday, his remains were brought to the
Cebu City Hall because Mayor Michael Rama wanted
to honor him.
Tio Manning as we fondly called him, was our lo-
cal World War II hero in Cebu, having been with the
guerrilla force under the Command of Col. James
Cushing, a mining engineer who during the Japanese
occupation was, President, Governor, Mayor, King or
Chieftain of Cebu.
But more importantly, since no one in his guerrilla
Last Dec. 3 (International Solidarity
Day with Political Prisoners), human
rights defenders and former political
detainees marched to Mendiola (now
Chino Roces) Bridge, after picketing the
Department of Justice. They urged the
government to release all of the countrys
449 political prisoners, 154 of them ar-
rested under the Aquino administration.
Come Dec. 10 (International Human
Rights Day), contingents will again march
to Mendiola. This time theyll call the gov-
ernment to account for its failure to stop
extrajudicial killings and other human
rights violations, and to end impunity
as President Aquino publicly promised to
do in July 2010.
How serious is the impunity problem?
Just consider:
1. On May 29, 2012, the UN Human
Rights Council issued its universal peri-
odic review of the Philippines human-
rights performance: 22 member-nations
deplored the Aquino governments
dismal record in prosecuting violations
that happened under its watch and its
predecessors.
They urged the government to take
decisive measures to end impunity.
The cases recorded then: 76 extrajudicial
killings, 49 frustrated EJKs (under the
Aquino government only).
2. The following September, the gov-
ernment told the UNHRC that it had
taken measures to address the problems
raised. Yet the number of incidents rose
to 112 EJKs, and 68 frustrated EJKs.
3. By August 2013 more cases piled up:
152 EJKs, 168 frustrated EJKs, 18 enforced
disappearances (as recorded by Karapa-
tan, the human rights alliance recognized
by the UNHRC).
Compounding the failure to fulll his
promise in 2010, P-Noy is being casti-
gated on another human rights issue:
failing to implement a new law he signed
last February, granting recognition and
compensation to tens of thousands of
martial law victims.
It took Congress 18 years to pass the
Human Rights Victims Reparation and
Recognition Act of 2013. It provides P10
billion to compensate the victims (the
money will be taken from a part of the
Marcos ill-gotten wealth recovered by
the government).
But the law cannot be implemented
because P-Noy either hesitates, or re-
fuses (as one of its authors charged
in a privilege speech Monday at the
House of Representatives), to appoint
the members of the Compensation Board
mandated to draw up the implementing
rules and regulations and administer the
compensation. Meantime, many of the
prospective beneciaries have been dy-
ing without receiving any compensation.
Thus theres just ground for the de-
fenders and victims of human rights vio-
lations to rail against the P-Noy govern-
ment, and to solicit and win the sympathy
of supporters around the world.
A lifelong human rights
defender from Switzerland
As the international campaign un-
folds, four names come to my mind:
Alba Viotto of Switzerland, Renee Des-
tribats of France, Gloria Fairclough of
Australia, and Teresa Davis of Canada.
As a political detainee under the Mar-
cos dictatorship, and the Cory Aquino
and Ramos administrations, I cherished
the long-standing personal and politi-
cal interactions with these wonderful
women.
Sadly, Alba Viotto is no longer with
us. Weeks ago I was informed that Alba,
whom I last met in Geneva in 2007,
passed away in May at age 88.
Her demise will surely sadden the
hundreds of former political detainees
who beneted from Albas relentless
endeavors to help regain their freedom.
Sending modest nancial aid, she kept
their morale high through her heart-
warming letters. In the late 1970s, Alba
visited us at the Bicutan Rehabilitation
Center in Taguig.
Thanks to Albas friend, Carol
Sheller, and to Rose Salvador-Palma,
widow of a fellow political detainee
who passed on to me Shellers English
translations from French of testimoni-
als to Alba, Ive learned other aspects
of Albas superb lifetime dedication to
human rights. Here are excerpts from
two testimonies:
There is no word in French for what
English speakers and the United Na-
tions refer to as empowerment. But if
anyone has ever lived the meaning of
this word, it is Alba Viotto, said Stella
Jegher, Amnesty International Swiss
branch coordinator. She added:
Her whole life long she dedicated
her competences, her resources and her
energy to the cause of people deprived
of their rights. Not that she wanted to
help victims but rather to give the op-
pressed the means to act as their own
agents of change.
Whether they were students in
nursing, Filipino trade union activists,
women raped in Rwanda, or workers
without a legal status in Switzerland,
Alba worked to bring to public light
the situations of individuals whose
basic rights were denied. She made
their voices heard, insisting that
their dignity as human beings be
respected.
From Olivier Dufour, head of the
department of mental health and psy-
chiatry at Geneva University Hospital,
I glimpsed another aspect of Albas
humanitarian commitment.
Well-known as a psychiatric nurse,
Alba mentored generations of students
whom she taught that work with
mental patients meant reaching out to
them as people suffering from psychic
problems, searching for a meaning to
life She urged them to draw on our
professional capacities and personal
experiences and take a strong ethical
viewpoint in defense of our patients
as human beings, against their being
excluded or passed over in silence.
Alba, said Dufour, did not hesitate
to upset or question what was taken
for grantedand insist(ed) on the re-
sponsibility of one human being for the
wellbeing of another.
She was, as the mayor of Geneva so
aptly said, the Great Lady of Human
Rights.
* * *
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