MILF ang 'pumatay' sa Bangsamoro Basic Law -- Sen Alan Cayetano

Wala umanong dapat sisihin kapag tuluyang nabasura ang isinusulong na Bangsamoro Basic Law na nakabinbin ngayon sa Kongreso kung hindi ang Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), ayon kay Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano nitong Martes.

Ayon sa senador, hindi tapat ang liderato ng MILF sa isinusulong na usapang pangkapayapaan ng pamahalaan kasunod ng madugong sagupaan sa Mamasapano, Maguindanao na tinawag na "misencounter."

Mahigit 40 kasapi ng elite Special Action Force (SAF)  ng Philippine National Police (PNP) ang nasawi sa naturang engkuwentro sa tropa ng MILF noong Linggo.

“May it not be said that it was this administration, nor this Congress, that killed the Bangsamoro Basic Law but it is the MILF and its actions during and after this event which showed their lack of commitment to peace, development, and the rule of law,” pahayag ni Cayetano sa sulat na ipinadala nito kay Senate President Franklin Drilon.

Ang sulat ay naglalaman ng pormal na pagbibitiw ng suporta ni Cayetano bilang co-author sa BBL, na magiging gabay sa bubuuing Bangsamoro entity na papalit sa Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

Basahin: Doubtful of peace deal, Cayetano withdraws support for Bangsamoro Basic Law

Basahin: JV Ejercito also withdraws as co-author of Bangsamoro Basic Law

Ayon kay Cayetano, ang “masaker" na ginawa sa tropa ng PNP-SAF sa Mamasapano noong Enero 25, 2015 ang nagtulak sa kaniya para pagdudahan ang katapatan ng MILF na ipatupad ang "rule of law and democratic process."

Idinagdag niya na naging madali para sa MILF na bigyan katwiran ang umano'y masaker dahil sa paliwanag na hindi nakipag-ugnayan sa kanila ang pamahalaan na may isasagawang operasyon sa kanilang lugar.

“This is unacceptable,” giit ni Cayetano.

Idinagdag pa niya na nagawang punahin ng MILF ang pamahalaan sa kabiguan na makipag-ugnayan sa kanila, gayung hindi naman nila kinondena ang ginawang pag-atake ng Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighter (BIFF) sa mga kasapi ng PNP-SAF.

Sinasabing ang BIFF, na splinter group mula sa MILF, ang unang nakasagupa ng mga pulis kaya napapunta ang mga ito sa teritoryo ng MILF at doon na nangyari ang sinasabing "misencounter."

“In fact, if the MILF had called the attention of the government to the presence of the suspected terrorist within their areas, and even apprehended him on its own, there would have been no need for the SAF (Special Action Force) to enter the territory,” anang senador.

“It is important to note that these members of the SAF entered the territory of the MILF not as combatants but as law enforcement agents upholding Philippine law and apprehending a suspected criminal, whose presence should presumably be cause for alarm by all peace-loving citizens,” dagdag niya

Una rito, iniulat na nagtungo sa Mamasapano ang tropa ng PNP-SAF upang arestuhin ang bomb expert na Jemaah Islamiyah leader na si Zulkifli bin Hir o Commander Marwan, na isang Malaysian.

Ilan taon nang sinasabing nagtatago sa Mindanao si Marwan na kabilang sa most wanter person din ng Amerika, na naglabas pa ng $5 milyon reward sa kaniyang ikadarakip.

Nilinaw naman ni Cayetano na hangad pa rin niya na magkaroon ng kapayapaan at kaunlaran sa Mindanao pero ang pagbibitiw niya ng suporta sa BBL ay bunga nang naging aksiyon ng MILF na nauwi sa isang malagim na trahediya. — FRJ, GMA News

Days after clash, peace panels to discuss MILF disarmament in KL

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Apple profit hits record on ‘staggering’ iPhone sales

SAN FRANCISCO: Apple’s quarterly profit rocketed to a corporate record $18 billion at the end of last year on booming sales of big-screen iPhone models, especially in China.
The California tech titan also announced that it had sold its one billionth device powered by its iOS mobile operating system, on a day of dizzying figures — even by Apple’s high standards.
And it said that its highly anticipated Apple Watch wearable devices, unveiled last year to fanfare, are on track to begin shipping in April.
“We’d like to thank our customers for an incredible quarter which saw demand for Apple products soar to an all-time high,” declared chief executive Tim Cook.
“Demand for iPhone has been staggering, shattering our expectation.”
Blockbuster sales of the recently released iPhone 6, in particular, are signs of huge pent-up demand for larger-screen smartphones, likely to boost sales throughout this year, according to Forrester analyst Frank Gillett.
“I would expect the surge in China and elsewhere to hold for quite a while before it settles down,” Gillett said.
“People have been waiting for an iPhone with a bigger screen and smartphones are only increasing in importance in our lives.”
The record quarterly profit — on unprecedented revenue of $74.6 billion — was driven by the sale of 74.5 million iPhones, well ahead of most analysts’ expectations.
The staggering profit topped the $15.9 billion made by ExxonMobil in the second quarter of 2012, according to Standard and Poor’s, to write Apple into the history books.
As well as the larger screen iPhone 6 models, analysts credited a partnership with China Mobile as powering sales.
Sales of iPhones doubled in Greater China, its number two smartphone market, according to chief financial officer Luca Maestri.
Cook described the fevered excitement around the debut of iPhone 6 models in China as “phenomenal.”
“We are a big believer in China,” Cook said. “It is an incredible market. I think people there love Apple products.”
But it was not just China: iPhone sales leapt 44 percent in the United States and doubled in Brazil.
Sales of iPads dipped, but Apple set new records in the quarter for sales of Macintosh computers and revenue from digital goods bought from its App Store.
Cook remained optimistic about the long-term potential for Apple’s iPad line.
He noted that the ranks of first-time iPad buyers remain strong in China, Britain, the US and elsewhere and that the devices account for the bulk of online activity and shopping seen from tablets.
“I believe that, over the arc of time, the iPad is a great business,” Cook said. “I am thinking over the long run.”
Apple and others are still trying to tune into the rhythm of the market when it comes to how long people typically own tablets before replacing them.
Cook also noted that large-screen iPhones might be nibbling at one edge of iPad sales and Macintosh computers at another edge.
He was confident that an alliance between Apple and IBM announced last year will lead to iPads becoming more enticing for workplaces.
Cook also said Apple is seeing rapid adoption of the Apple Pay mobile financial transactions system, which is synched to the latest generation of iPhone.
Apple Pay is limited to the US, but the company has been barraged with requests for it from businesses in other countries, according to Cook.
“I think this is the year of Apple Pay,” Cook insisted.
Apple’s board of directors declared a cash dividend of 47 cents per share to be paid on February 12.
Apple shares rose more than five percent to $115.20 in after-market trades that followed release of the blow-out earnings figures.
Stellar iPhone 6 sales, especially in a China market considered more inclined to low-priced smartphones such as those powered by Android, are a major win for Cook, according to independent analyst Rob Enderle of Enderle Group in Silicon Valley.
“Tim Cook clearly took a position on iPhone 6 that Steve Jobs never would have taken, and it paid off magnificently,” Enderle said of Apple’s move to field the bigger screen smartphones.
“He is kicking ass.”

Airlines halt Baghdad flights after gunfire hits plane

DUBAI: Several airlines have suspended flights to Baghdad after a passenger plane arriving from the Mideast’s busiest airport in Dubai came under fire as it landed in the Iraqi capital.
A prolonged disruption in flights could seriously limit travel options for Iraqi travelers and overseas businesspeople, diplomats and aid workers who rely on foreign carriers to deliver them to larger international transit hubs, particularly in the Gulf.
Iraqi Transportation Minister Bayan Jabr said authorities believe the shooting was unintentional — possibly from someone firing off rounds at a social event such as a wedding or funeral — but they are not ruling out the possibility that it was an intentional terrorist attack.
He said three rounds struck the plane, including one that penetrated the passenger cabin, and that a girl onboard was slightly wounded.
Security was tightened around the airport after the shooting.
Officials have examined the location from where they believe the shots were fired, Jabr said, as he urged airlines to resume flights to Iraq.
Discount carrier FlyDubai said flight 215 was struck on the fuselage by what appeared to small-arms fire as it touched down on Monday. All passengers were able to disembark normally and none required medical attention at the airport, the Dubai government-owned carrier said.
Passengers heading back to Dubai were put on a different plane. A FlyDubai flight due to depart to Baghdad on Tuesday has been canceled.
The airline later said it was working with authorities to determine what happened but that the damage “at this early stage appears to be non-intentional.”
The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Iraqi ambassador to express its concern over the shooting and demanded that Iraqi authorities launch a “comprehensive investigation ... and take necessary measures to enforce international agreements on civil aviation safety,” according to a ministry statement.
Emirates, the region’s biggest airline, said it is suspending flights to and from the Iraqi capital because of “operational and safety concerns” until further notice. Emirates will continue to fly to the northern Iraqi city of Irbil and the southern oil hub of Basra.
Etihad Airways, based in Abu Dhabi, said it also was suspending its Baghdad service indefinitely following a directive from the Gulf country’s civil aviation authority. Air Arabia, based in Sharjah, also confirmed it was suspending flights.
Other regional airlines followed suit.
Both Gulf Air, the national carrier of Bahrain, and Lebanon’s Middle East Airlines canceled their Tuesday flights to Baghdad.

Customs intensifies bomb and drug checks

Saudi Customs has increased inspections at all the country’s entry points to counter the smuggling into the country of explosives, drugs, radioactive material and other contraband.
Customs officers are using hi-tech equipment and 452 specially trained sniffer dogs to help them during inspections, according to a report published recently in a local publication.
The dogs have already been able to detect thousands of illicit items at the country’s borders. Four dogs take seven minutes to inspect a vehicle and 25 minutes for a 747 plane, the report stated.
The department has deployed 363 teams specializing in the detection of illegal drugs, and 82 teams to detect explosives. In addition, it has posted 150 teams at land border points, 81 at airports and 64 at the country’s harbors. 
The department said it is using 86 specialized fixed and mobile systems to check for radioactive material in containers and trucks at all border checkpoints.
The department stated in a press release that it had seized 56 million narcotic pills and 109 fake and counterfeit items in 2014. 
It said that it would soon set up a training center in Riyadh, the first of its kind in the Middle East, to train local and regional officers.
Saudi Customs is currently working to integrate its operations with various government bodies to ensure efficiency and optimal performance.
To mark International Customs Day, the department said in a release that it would be working to ensure 2015 is dedicating to promoting the campaign “Coordinated Border Management — An inclusive approach for connecting stakeholders,” which has been adopted by the World Customs Organization.

Partners in progress: King Salman, Obama to continue strategic ties

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and US President Barack Obama pledged to work closely on a range of regional and international issues at a meeting on Tuesday, including terrorism, the Iranian nuclear talks and conflicts in neighboring states.
In their first formal meeting, the talks focused broadly on counter-terrorism and regional stability with special reference to bilateral Saudi-US relations. Obama’s meeting with King Salman comes just days after the death of King Abdullah, who was buried on Friday.
The White House said the main reason for Obama’s trip was to pay his respects to the country that has been a key ally in the region. Obama had arrived with his wife Michelle, accompanied by a delegation of about 30 members. During his four-hour stop in Riyadh, Obama also attended a dinner with Saudi officials at Erga Palace.
A member of the delegation said the trip was an opportunity to “pay respects to the legacy of King Abdullah, who was a close partner of the US, and also discuss some of the issues where we are working together, which include Islamic State, Yemen, the Iranian nuclear negotiations and the broader US-Saudi relationship.”
According to a Royal Court statement, the meeting was significant.
“During the visit, official talks were held between Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and President Obama on regional and international issues of common interest in addition to setting out the means to enhance bilateral relations.”
Earlier, Johann Schmonsees, press attache at the US embassy here, said: “We adjusted the president’s schedule in coordination with the Indian government so that he would be able to depart India on Tuesday, to stop in Riyadh during the return trip and meet with King Salman and other Saudi officials, and offer his condolences on behalf of the American people.”
The US delegation was met at the airport by King Salman with a full guard of honor and the playing of the national anthems of the two countries.
King Salman also introduced his senior ministers to Obama, including Crown Prince Muqrin; Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif, who is also Second Deputy Premier and Interior Minister; and Prince Khaled bin Bandar, chief of general intelligence.

Riyadh Gov. Prince Turki bin Abdullah, Saudi ambassador to the US Adel Al-Jubeir and his counterpart in Riyadh Joseph Westphal were also present at the airport.

According to the US embassy Riyadh, Obama led a delegation of current and former US officials, which include John Kerry, secretary of state; John McCain, senator from the state of Arizona; and Mark Warner, senator from the Commonwealth of Virginia.
The others included Valerie Jarrett, senior adviser and assistant to the president for intergovernmental affairs and public engagement; Susan Rice, assistant to the president and national security adviser; Jennifer Palmieri, assistant to the president and director of communications; Lisa Monaco, assistant to the president for homeland security and counter terrorism; and Peter A. Selfridge, United States Chief of Protocol.
The other members included John Brennan, director of the Central Intelligence Agency; General Lloyd J. Austin III, commander of US Central Command; James Baker, former secretary of state; Condoleezza Rice, former secretary of state; Brent Scowcroft, former national security adviser; and several other foreign policy leaders from past administrations. Vice President Joe Biden had remained in Washington.
Baker is revered in the Arab Gulf region, particularly Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, for his role in orchestrating the alliance against Saddam Hussein in 1990 and 1991.