Libel Case Filed by Samar Governor

STATEMENT ON THE LIBEL CASE FILED BY SAMAR GOVERNOR MICHAEL TAN AGAINST REPORTERS JAZMIN BONIFACIO AND GABRIEL CEJAS AND ITS DISMISSAL.

(May 25,2022)

Eastern Visayas News and Metro Tacloban Times faced squarely and with pride the libel case filed last March 4, 2022 by Samar Gov. Michael Tan , against reporters/journalists Jazmin Bonifacio and Gabriel Cejas relative to the airing of the "Reporter's Diary, episode 1- titled " An Kasakit han Samar "  (The Agony of Samar) via the said media outfits. 

Mayo 17, 2022 nakarawat han Eastern Visayas News ngan Metro Tacloban Times an desisyon han Catbalogan Prosecutors Office kasumpay han Libel nga kaso nga igin sampa kontra ha ira. Diin gin disisyonan han piskaliya han Catbalogan  nga IGBASURA ( DISMISS) an nasabi nga kaso.

 EV News and Metro Tacloban Times would like to express our thanks, First, to God,  for you have never failed us, giving us the courage and strength in times when we are weak.

Ha Piskaliya han Catbalogan nga nag tratar hin patas nga pag tagad han amon kaso.

Ngadto han amon legal counsel,  Atty. Alma Uy, thank you so much for your hard work, you worked tirelessly to ensure the best possible outcome han amon kaso, and we can't thank you enough.

To our friends, Atty. Edgar Navales, Atty. Annie Rose Labine, to  Mirriam Desacada of Phil. Star, Ronnie Yanuario of Magic Fm & to our Rappler Family,  and all the followers of EV News and Metro Tacloban Times, who stood for us, when there was none by our side. Thank you for all the support and love.

Transparency and accountability are non-negotiable.

Eastern Visayas News and Metro Tacloban Times, together with Jazmin Bonifacio and Gabriel Cejas will not be cowed by libel case which is clearly meant to harass and force them to stop airing the misfeasance, malfeasance and corruption committed by those in the government especially against those people who controls the reigns of the provincial government. Instead, the filing of the libel case/s against the Eastern Visayas News and Metro Tacloban Times, and against Jazmin Bonifacio and Gabriel Cejas, will not deter them, and all the more give them more zealousness and courage, to make public truthful  and issues and concerns that affect the interest of the people of Samar. It is the best interest of all the people of Eastern Visayas, and the people of the Province of Samar in particular, that the EV News and MT Times, and Jazmin Bonifacio and Gabriel Cejas, take pride in protecting above all other interests, political or otherwise. 

We will not stop bringing to light and to the knowledge of the people of Samar all the evils of governance committed by all the public officials who put their personal interests above the interest of the people whom they swear to protect.

JAZMIN BONIFACIO | GABRIEL CEJAS

Eastern Visayas News & Metro Tacloban Times

Manny Piñol Sorghum Contract Growing Starts In Central Mindanao

First 2,000 hectares by Manny Piñol

Sorghum Contract Growing

Starts In Central Mindanao

Even outside of government, I am pursuing the Sorghum Development Program which I believe would ease the pressure on the livestock, poultry and aquaculture industry because of the high cost of feeds and the unpredicatabiity of the supplies of raw materials.

Starting next month, a small agri-aqua ventures group which I have formed, will engage farmers with areas totaling 2,000 hectares in a contract growing scheme for Sorghum. 

The Sorghum seeds from Scott Seeds of Hereford. Texas have arrived and I will be flying to the US this week to finalize the seeds supply agreement between my group of Scott Seeds.

Sorghum is a grass which produces grains with high protein content and is used in the production of animal, poultry and aqua feeds.

When I was Secretary of Agriculture, I reintroduced Sorghum in the Philippines hoping that this would help boost the local poultry, livestock and aqua industries.

A budget of P100-M was allocated to start the program following successful field tests but when I resigned from the Dept. of Agriculture, the funds were realigned to other programs.

Today, as prices of corn and wheat skyrocketed and the supply had become unpredictable, the best option for us is to plant Sorghum.

Under the Contract Growing Scheme which I designed, we will select farmers who are willing to venture into Sorghum farming.

The farmers will be provided with Sorghum seeds payable after while their counterpart would be land preparation, planting and harvesting.

My group will buy the Sorghum produced by the farmers at an agreed price not lower than P12 per kilo which, assuming that his average harvest is 6-metric tons, would earn him a gross of P72,000 per hectare.

The good thing about Sorghum is its ability to survive with less water, the low-cost of seeds and it could harvested three times without replanting.

The additional benefits would be the stalks to be used as animal silage which could provide the farmer an additional income.

This program will be initially concentrated in areas surrounding our small village-level feed mill in Kidapawan City which means that the idea planting areas would be in North Cotabato, Davao Del Sur, Maguindanao, South Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat.

An orientation seminar will be conducted before the launching of the program.

#KungGustoMaramingParaan!

#TargetFoodSufficiency!