Photo: Bird Watch Zamboanga

A photo of songster taken in Zamboanga City in the southern Philippines on Saturday, January 31, 2009. Songster is a Philippine endemic that frequents the vines and tangles of the forest undergrowth, according to Birding Adventure Philippines. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)

Moro rebels burn construction equipment in South RP

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4 abducted and feared killed near Zambo town

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Jan. 31, 2009) – Government troops were deployed in the outskirts of Zamboanga City in the southern Philippines to help search for four people abducted and feared killed by unidentified gunmen, officials said Saturday.

Officials said the a 16-year old villager, Mark Endido, who was shot and wounded by the gunmen managed to escape to tell authorities what happened to them. Among those missing was father, Benjamin, and three neighbors – all from the Curuan district, east of Zamboanga City.

Endido said the incident occurred on Wednesday and reported the incident the next day after seeking help from authorities in Curuan where he was treated for gunshot wound.

He told reporters they were panning for gold in the village of Lakiki in Sibuco town near the boundary of Curuan district when 15 armed men seized them. He said they were tied and herded, but he managed to flee and that gunmen opened fire and hit him on the shoulder.

He said he heard automatic gunfire and that those who were left behind were probably executed. Endido, who is now being guarded at a hospital in Zamboanga City, appealed to the authorities to recover the bodies of his father and neighbors Josel dela Cruz, Audy Valiente and Jonas Valiente.

“We have sent soldiers in the area to search for the missing villagers. We are closely coordinating with the police in the area,” said Army Col. Santiago Baluyot, commander of an anti-terror task force in Zamboanga City.

The military’s Western Mindanao Command in Zamboanga City said the search for the missing men began on Friday after it received reports about the incident.

“We are awaiting reports, but there are soldiers in the area conducting search and rescue operation,” said Lt. Steffani Cacho, a regional military spokeswoman.

The motive of the attack is still unknown, but officials said it could have been connected to gold panning activities in the area. Moro rebels are also actively operating in the province.

Early this week, Moro rebels torched a dump truck owned by Bendimil Construction in the village of Jatian in Sibuco town after the firm failed to pay extortion money.

It was the second attack this month, on January 16, rebels also torched a backhoe owned by ESR Construction in the village of Malabuhanginan in Siocon town, also in Zamboanga del Norte province. (Mindanao Examiner)

Calling All Band Owners, Artists, Filmmakers, Animators!

Calling All Band Owners, Artists, Filmmakers, Animators - Promote Your Groups.

In our desire and effort to support local bands (Zamboanga , Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi) the Mindanao Examiner Productions and the Mindanao Examiner Television (Sky Cable Zamboanga) are calling all band owners to send their demo DVD to the Mindanao Examiner Productions for free airing on Channel 54 (for promotional purposes only).

Please include in the demo reel your contact details, bio or how you started as a band. Suportahan natin ang local bands, suportahan ang musikang Pinoy!

This call is also open to all talents and artists, independent filmmakers and animators!

Medicines sent to ICRC hostages in the Philippines; Italian captive suffering from hypertension

Kidnapped ICRC team Filipino Mary Jean Lacaba, Sulu deputy governor Nur Anna Sahidulla, Italian Eugenio Vagni and Swiss Andreas Notter.

SULU, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Jan. 31, 2009) – One of three members of the International Committee of the Red Cross kidnapped by Abu Sayyaf militants in the southern Philippines is suffering from hypertension and that medicines have been delivered in Sulu island where the trio is being held captive.

A bulletin issued late Friday by the Task Force ICRC said Italian Eugenio Vagni is suffering from high blood pressure. Vagni, along with Swiss national Andreas Notter and Filipino Mary Jean Lacaba, were kidnapped January 15 after inspecting humanitarian projects at a prison facility in Patikul town.

Police said a dismissed prison guard was among five gunmen who seized the trio and later handed them over to an Abu Sayyaf faction headed by Albader Parad and Abu Pula.

Sulu deputy governor Nur Anna Sahidulla, who heads the local Red Cross chapter, was allowed by the kidnappers to their camp on Wednesday and she spoke with the hostages.

“TF ICRC reported that Vice Governor Nur Ana Sahidulla was able to establish contact with the kidnap victims. According to the lady vice governor Andres Notter, Eugenio Vagni and Mary jean Lacaba seem to be well, although Vagni was suffering from high blood pressure.”

“She confirmed that the victims were able to receive the books, medicines and other personal effects. This development is vital for the authorities to establish proof of life on the part of the victims,” the bulletin said.

The kidnappers said they wanted no ransom, but government livelihood and development projects in exchange for the hostages.

Sulu Governor Sakur Tan on Friday reiterated Manila's strict no-ransom policy and said any payment of money for the release of three kidnapped Red Cross workers would only be used by the Abu Sayyaf to purchase more weapons.

“We will not pay ransom to the kidnappers. Any ransom paid to the kidnappers will only be used to buy new weapons and that will be a big problem for us,” said Tan, head of the Task Force ICRC.

Alain Aeschlimann, head of the ICRC's operations for East Asia, South-East Asia and the Pacific, said the hostages have also been able to make telephone calls on a number of occasions since their abduction.

“Talking with them and hearing that they are doing as well as can be expected in these difficult circumstances has brought some relief for their loved ones and, of course, their colleagues. But as time passes, those who love and care for them are understandably growing more and more worried about their well-being,” he said.

Aeschlimann did not give details about Vagni’s health condition, but in several phone calls to the ICRC, the hostages said they are okay.

“I think it's important for medical information to remain private. No one would want their health information to be made available for the world to know. They tell us they are in good health and the photo indicates likewise. Of course, every time we talk to them we let them know that their families and friends miss them and are waiting for them to come home. We tell them everyone sends their love,” Aeschlimann said.

The ICRC has also ruled out paying ransom to the kidnappers for the freedom of the hostages and appealed repeatedly for their safe release.

“I can confirm that a contact with the kidnappers has been established but I'm simply not willing to comment beyond this. I wouldn't want to say anything that could compromise their safety or our chances of getting them home safe and sound as soon as possible,” Aeschlimann said.

With the kidnapping of the aid workers, the ICRC said the humanitarian project in Sulu was suspended. “Their abduction has meant that the water and sanitation project they were working on in Sulu has had to be put on hold, but the ICRC's work in the rest of the Philippines is continuing as planned,” he said.

Filipino authorities have blamed the Abu Sayyaf for the spate of kidnappings-for-ransom and bombing attacks in the southern Philippines. (Mindanao Examiner)

Photo: Kidapawan City Sports Competition

Filipino students compete against each others Friday, January 30, 2009 during a sports meet in Kidapawan City in North Cotabato province in Mindanao. (Mindanao Examiner Photo / Geonarri Solmerano)

Brunei Sultan Arrives in Manila

Philippine President Gloria Arroyo welcomes HM Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, Sultan of Brunei on January 30, 2009 at the Malacañang Park in Manila. (Photo by Julius Reyes)

MANILA, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Jan. 30, 2009) – Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei Darussalam arrived in the Philippines for a three-day state visit.

President Gloria Arroyo welcomed Bolkiah and government media said the visit further deepen the friendly relations between the two countries.

In a joint press statement issued after their bilateral meeting Friday in Malacanang, the two leaders cited the potentials for stronger trade and investments relations between the Philippines and Brunei Darussalam and the role of the private sector in enhancing the economic cooperation between the two countries.

Bolkiah’s visit coincided with the commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Brunei Darussalam.The Philippines and Brunei are both members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Brunei hosts 22,000 Filipino workers.

Zambo man stabbed to death near military base

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Jan. 30, 2009) – Two unidentified killed a villager in Zamboanga City in the southern Philippines, police said Friday.

Police said the victim Ramil Solis, 22, was stabbed repeatedly until he died near the Philippine Air Force base along Governor Camins Avenue.

Solis was just sitting at a road corner when the duo arrived and without provocation suddenly attacked him. (Charlotte Yola Mira)

No ransom for kidnapped Red Cross workers in the Philippines

MANILA, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Jan. 30, 2009) – Sulu Governor Sakur Tan on Friday reiterated Manila’s strict no-ransom policy and said any payment of money for the release of three kidnapped Red Cross workers would be used by the Abu Sayyaf to purchase more weapons.

The Abu Sayyaf, tied to al-Qaeda and Jemaah Islamiya terror groups, is holding hostage Swiss national Andreas Notter, Italian Eugenio Vagni and Filipino Mary Jean Lacaba since January 15.

“We will not pay ransom to the kidnappers. Any ransom paid to the kidnappers will only be used to buy new weapons and that will be a big problem for us,” the governor, who heads the crisis committee in-charge of negotiating with the kidnappers, said in an interview with radio network dzRH.

The three were kidnapped after inspecting a water and sanitation project at a prison facility in Patikul town. Police said a dismissed jail guard was among five gunmen who kidnapped the trio and handed them over to Abu Sayyaf leaders Albader Parad and Abu Pula.

On Wednesday, the kidnappers allowed Sulu deputy governor Nur Anna Sahidulla, who is the local Red Cross head, to see and talk to the hostages on a hinterland village in Indanan town.

The hostages said they are being treated fairly and were allowed by their captors to use their laptop and cell phones.

Photographs of the meeting were also released to the media. They were taken from a mobile phone and showed Notter, Vagni and Lacaba posing with Sahidulla.

The kidnappers said all they wanted are livelihood and development projects, but other sources said the Abu Sayyaf is also asking for government amnesty.

The U.S. offered millions of dollars in bounties for known Abu Sayyaf leaders and the Philippine government also put aside P100 million as rewards for the capture - dead or alive – any of the group’s commanders.

Since 1997, the Abu Sayyaf has been designated by the State Department as a “foreign terrorist organization.”

Both Pula and Parad, who were former members of the Moro National Liberation Front, are included in the Philippines’ most wanted terrorists.

They have been accused by authorities of involvement in bomb attacks and kidnappings for ransom, including the abduction of 21 people, mostly European tourists, from a Malaysian resort in 2000, including U.S. tourist Jeffrey Craig Schilling in Sulu.

Schilling was held hostage for more than seven months by the Abu Sayyaf and during his captivity, some of the demands made by the Abu Sayyaf were the release of international terrorist Ramsey Yousef and the blind Muslim cleric Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman from U.S. prison, the withdrawal of American forces from the Middle East and the payment of $10 million in ransom. (Mindanao Examiner)

Thousands Get Free Bags, Books In Zamboanga City

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Jan. 30, 2009) – Zamboanga City Representative Maria Isabelle Climaco distributed thousands of school bags, ID slings and books to students here.

The distribution was held at the Capisan National High School. Some 7,000 bags were distributed to students and 5,000 pieces of ID slings to teachers and students. The distribution of the books was also made possible through the efforts of Ateneo de Zamboanga University.

She said the donation was an effort to promote youth development and education. (Charlotte Yola Mira)

10 wounded in Maoist rebel attacks in the southern Philippines

A file photo of the KIA KM450 truck, also known as M715 truck.

DAVAO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Jan. 30, 2009) – Communist rebels ambushed a military convoy and raided a police station in separate attacks and wounding at least 10 people in the southern Philippines.

New People’s Army rebels detonated a roadside bomb while the military convoy was passing on a village in Paquibato District in the outskirts of Davao City on Thursday.

“Seven infantry soldiers were wounded in the landmine attack,” an army spokesman Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner told the Mindanao Examiner.

He said the soldiers also exchanged automatic gunfire with at least 5 rebels, but there were no reports of NPA casualties.

The soldiers were traveling on a convoy of eight KM450 trucks when the rebels detonated a landmine, he said. “One truck was destroyed in the blast,” he said.

Another group of NPA rebels also raided a police station in South Cotabato’s Tampakan town later in the day. At least 3 policemen were reported wounded in the raid.

The attacks coincided with demands by NPA to free three rebels arrested by government soldiers on January 26 in Compostela Valley province. Rebel leaders said the trio Ruel Cabales, 41; Nelson Carvajosa, 35; and Catherine Cacdac, 31 was abducted by soldiers.

“The January 26 incident is a blatant abduction. The 10th Infantry Division which prides itself on torturing captured NPA combatants and finishing off NPA hors de combat employs treachery and makes a mockery of the international humanitarian law and the GRP-NDFP Comprehensive Agreement on the Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law.”

“We demand that the 10th Infantry Division surface Ka Rael, Ka Janggo and Ka Kulay, and to treat their captives humanely according to universally acceptable norms and to desist from subjecting the said NPA cadres to barbaric and inhuman torture,” said Rigoberto Sanchez, a rebel spokesman.

Last year, the outlawed Communist Party of the Philippines have ordered the NPA to intensify attacks as part of its new offensive, whose main purpose it said, is to seize weapons and increase the number of rebel forces in the country.

he CPP broke off peace talks with Manila in 2004 after the United States listed the communist groups as foreign terrorist organizations and froze their assets abroad on government's prodding. (Mindanao Examiner)

Ateneo de Zamboanga to hold job fair

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Jan. 30, 2009) - In the midst of the global economic meltdown and massive layoffs of workers all around the world, the College of Guidance and Counseling Office (CGCO) of the Ateneo de Zamboanga University will hold a two-day annual job fair on February 12-13 at the Carlos Dominguez Conference Hall, Ateneo Campus.

The Job Fair 2009, with the theme “Oh, The Places You Will Go!,” aims to provide the university’s graduating college students with a range of job opportunities.

CGCO is inviting government agencies and private companies around the city and the region to join and hold job recruitment procedures such as filing applications, testing for employment and job interviews.

CGCO Director Estesa Xaris C. Que-Legaspi believes that over the years Job Fair has been proven to be helpful and beneficial in preparing graduating students for job searching and placement.

She also added that the event itself gives the students a chance to feel and see the complicated world of employment. (Amilbahar Mawallil and Sheri Gay Catague)

Over 100 groups launch alternative plan to respond to crisis in RP

MANILA, Philippines - No less than a complete overhaul of the government’s economic policy framework is required to stave off the worst impacts of the deepening economic crisis.

This was the gist of the comprehensive plan unveiled by a group of over 100 civil society organizations representing at least 100,000 workers, farmers, urban poor, teachers, and other basic sectors concerned about the potential fall-out from the crisis.

Convinced that the global crisis has proven the failure of the government’s prevailing pro-“free market” framework, they are instead calling for “a more decisive role of society over the market, more democratic access to resources, as well as greater public participation in economic decision-making.”

“The crisis should once and for all compel us to abandon the myth of trickle-down growth peddled by the government and by technocrats,” said Josua Mata, one of the plan’s proponents. “We either overhaul our economic governance – or we suffer from the worst that the crisis will unleash,” Sr. Arnold Ma Noel, added.

Called People over Profits, Society over the Market: The Balay Kalinaw People’s Agenda to Respond to the Financial Crisis, the plan calls for, among others:
- recovering state ownership in strategic industries and utilities
- reversing privatization of social services an unprecedented “social pump-priming program” that would allocate more funds for education, health care, housing and other social services
- repeal of the Automatic Appropriations Act and elimination of the pork barrel system
- massive employment-generating investments in renewable energy
– allowing us not only to weather the crisis but to emerge from it with a more sustainable economy,” said Jean Enriquez, one of the plan’s drafters.

Proponents of the People’s Agenda sought to contrast their plan with the government’s economic stimulus package which Chester Amparo, another proponent, describes as “wasteful at best and criminal at worst.” They warned that the package is being set up to “line the pockets of corrupt politicians, who need more money for their 2010 campaign kitty, instead of going to those who really need help.”

The People’s Agenda was the result of over three months of brainstorming and deliberation that began after the spectacular collapse of banks in the United States in September. Two conferences on the topic were held at the University of the Philippines’ Balay Kalinaw while a series of smaller meetings were also conducted.

Firecracker factory explodes in the Philippines

MANILA, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Jan. 29, 2009) – At least six people were killed and dozens more wounded and missing after a firecracker factory exploded on Thursday in the Philippines, police said.

Police said the explosion at the Star Maker factory in the town of Trece Martires in Cavite City was so powerful that shock waves shook small building and shattered glass windows up to 5 kilometers away.

At least six people were confirmed dead, but television footages showed rescuers picking up pieces of human flesh and charred remains around the site. The factory was leveled to the ground.

The death toll may rise as 20 people were reported missing and that many are still unaccounted for, although police said more than 70 others were injured in the explosion which occurred at around 10.45 a.m.

Police said a spark could have triggered a chain of explosions inside the factory where workers were conducting an inventory. (Mindanao Examiner)

Southern Philippine Town Mayor Killed in Ambush

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Jan. 29, 2009) – Unidentified gunmen ambushed on Thursday a town mayor in the island of Basilan, one of six provinces under the restive Muslim autonomous region in Mindanao, officials said.

Officials said Al-Barka Mayor Karam Jakilan was killed when gunmen opened fire on his vehicle and that several of his aides were also wounded. Two of his aides were also killed and four more wounded in the attack near the village of Lagayas in Tipo-Tipo town.

Jakilan was returning to Al-Barka when he was ambushed.

"We are investigating the ambush and is looking into clan war as one of the motives in the killing of the mayor," said Chief Supt. Bensali Jabarani, the regional police chief.
He said he ordered police forces to hunt down the killers of Jakilan.

Marine Brig. Gen. Rustico Guerrero, commander of military forces on the island, said troops have been deployed to track down the assailants. "We still don't know who were behind the ambush, but we have troops tracking down the killers," he said.

The attack was believed connected to the earlier shooting of a village chieftain in Tipo-Tipo by one of Karam’s bodyguard.

Al-Barka is a known lair of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and Abu Sayyaf militants blamed for the killing of 14 soldiers, ten of them beheaded in July 2007. (Mindanao Examiner)

Midwife kidnapped in Basilan Island in South RP

BASILAN, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Jan. 29, 2009) – A Filipino midwife was kidnapped in the Basilan island, a known stronghold of Abu Sayyaf militants blamed by Manila for the spate of abductions and terrorism in the troubled region of Mindanao.

Kidnappers had phoned the victim’s superior on Thursday to say they are holding the midwife, Elizar Gomera, who is working for the Lamitan City government. The 45-year old victim was reported missing on Wednesday after he went to the village of Parangbasak to help deliver a baby.

No group claimed responsibility for the latest kidnapping, but authorities suspect the Abu Sayyaf could be behind it. The group is still holding a trader Eliseo Hablo and three government teachers Freires Quizon, Janette delos Reyes and Rafael Mayorada – all kidnapped in Zamboanga City and brought by boat to Basilan island.

The gangs holding the teachers have demanded P6 million in exchange for the freedom of the hostages, but authorities said the government has a strict no-ransom policy and ruled out payments of ransom to the kidnappers.

But copycat attacks had also been carried out by criminal gangs from Basilan victimizing innocent civilians in Zamboanga City in an effort to raise money from ransom collected for the purchase of weapons and to finance future kidnappings.

More than a dozen people had been kidnapped in Basilan and Zamboanga City in recent months and most of those freed had paid millions of pesos in ransoms. (Mindanao Examiner)

Don't risk self, Moro rebels tell Filipino actor who wants to negotiate with Sayyaf to free Red Cross staff

Three kidnapped Red Cross workers Swiss national Andreas Notter, Italian Eugenio Vagni and Filipino Mary Jean Lacaba pose with Sulu deputy governor Nur Anna Sahidulla on Wednesday, January 28, 2009 in the hinterland of Indanan town. (Mindanao Examiner Photo / Nickee Butlangan)

SULU, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Jan. 29, 2009) – Moro rebels have dissuaded a Filipino movie star from negotiating with Abu Sayyaf militants holding hostage three members of the Red Cross in the southern island of Sulu.

This after Robin Padilla, who converted to Islam, was reported to be helping in the negotiation for the safe release of Swiss national Andreas Notter, Italian Eugenio Vagni and Filipino Mary Jean Lacaba.

“This is an unsolicited advice, but we are offering this as a sign of our concern to you and to protect the image of Islam and the Muslims now defiled by most or all of the current leaders of the Abu Sayyaf Group,” said Muhammad Ameen, a senior leader of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the country’s largest Muslim rebel group.

Ameen said: “The kidnappers have only one thing in mind and that is money and they don’t discriminate whether you are their co-religionists or not, as long as you have the capacity to pay ransom.”

Padilla, who was in Zamboanga City on Wednesday, previously negotiated with the Abu Sayyaf for the release of several students and teachers kidnapped in 2000 in Basilan Island.

Nur Misuari, head of the Moro National Liberation Front rebel group which signed a peace treaty with Manila in 1996, also offered to help in the negotiations to free the Abu Sayyaf.

The three aid workers were kidnapped January 15 after inspecting a humanitarian project at a prison facility in the town of Patikul. Police linked a dismissed jail guard, Raden Abu, to the kidnapping, and said he handed over the hostages to the Abu Sayyaf headed by Albader Parad and Abu Pula.

On Wednesday, kidnappers allowed Sulu deputy governor Nur Anna Sahidulla to see and talk to the hostages on a hinterland village in Indanan town. The hostages said they are being treated fairly and were allowed by their captors to use their laptop and cell phones.

The hostages have also asked for books and personal grooming items that will be delivered by a contact, according to Filipino Senator Richard Gordon, who is the head of the Philippine National Red Cross.

Photographs of the meeting were also released to the media. They were taken from a mobile phone and showed Notter, Vagni and Lacaba posing with Sahidulla.

The International Committee of the Red Cross has confirmed the meeting, but declined to make any further details available regarding the location or how the contact was made in order not to jeopardize the safety of captives.

“It's a positive sign that this face-to-face contact took place,” said Alain Aeschlimann, the head of the ICRC's operations for Asia Pacific in Geneva. “According to Vice-Governor Sahidulla, they are fine and in good health.”

He said there has been regular phone contact between the Red Cross and the abducted staff since they were snatched. The latest call with the three took place on Wednesday morning.

”They continue to sound calm and composed and say they are doing alright,” said Aeschlimann. “We are always glad to be able to hear their voices and know they are together. Their loved ones are thinking about them all the time and trying to stay strong, while continuing to hope that Eugenio, Mary-Jean and Andreas will be home soon.”

Sulu Governor Sakur Tan maintained that the government will not pay ransom in exchange for the freedom of the captives. “We are firm with that policy. The government will not pay ransom to the kidnappers in exchange for the release of the aid workers,” he said.

Tan, head of the crisis committee, said the photos released to the media are proof that the negotiations are positively developing. "It shows that the task force is doing alright and that we are doing something on our level to address the problem," Tan said in a television interview on Thursday.

The ICRC said it is aware of other information circulating in the media regarding discussions with the kidnappers and efforts to try to resolve the situation.

“At this stage, the ICRC can only confirm that direct contact was established with the kidnappers. We are not in a position to comment or disclose any further information.”

“We appreciate everyone's understanding during this difficult time that we must be very cautious in what we say to avoid any risk of jeopardizing the safety and well-being of Mary-Jean, Andreas and Eugenio, or the possibility of achieving a positive outcome,” Aeschlimann said. (With a report from Nickee Butlangan)

PADAYON, KALILINTAD!

A CALL FOR PEACE AND HUMANITARIAN PROTECTION.

The present conflict between the Government of the Republic of Philippines (GRP) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has displaced more than 700,000 innocent people who continue to suffer in misery, hunger and unsecured lives. The conflict has left millions of people in emotional distress and uncertainty, and has caused damage to properties, structure, investments and previous efforts of communities to rebuild a broken land.

It is a cycle of war and continuous armed conflict which threatens to rip apart our families and communities that we want to STOP NOW!

Hear the VOICES of our women and men, our TRIBE, our PEOPLE, our CHILDREN. RESUME PEACE TALKS AND PROTECT HUMAN RIGHTS!

We are a community-based alliance of peace advocates represented by the Sindaw ko Kalilintad coming from different cultural identities and backgrounds in Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao and Sultan Kudarat who yearn for PEACE in our lands;

We condemn the continuous violations of human rights experienced by our Muslim, Christian and Lumad brothers and sisters;

We condemn the massive displacement, innocent killing of people caught in the crossfire, burning of houses and the irreparable damage wrought upon victims who are crying for peace;

We are alarmed by the growing incidences of kidnapping and harassment of those who sacrifice their lives as they continue to work for humanitarian protection and we urge the authorities to immediately get to the root and act on this problem;

We do not want another “All-out-War” to happen! We seek to sustain the peaceful initiatives that we have collectively woven together!

We believe that a hundred times of peace talks are better than a day of battle. Together with other peace-loving individuals and groups, we therefore appeal for a resumption of the peace talks.

We call on the newly composed GRP-panel to build on the gains of the peace process and pursue in-depth analysis and study of the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on Ancestral Domain.

We also call on the MILF to be open to a more thorough and inclusive discourse on the issues surrounding the MOA-AD which should reflect the diverse voices of the many ethnic groups whose identities seek to be recognized in the continuing pursuit of self-determination.

THIS IS OUR CALL. CEASEFIRE, LISTEN AND NEGOTIATE. PEACE IS THE ONLY WAY.

Muslim Religious Leaders Form National Ulama Conference of the Philippines

MANILA, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Jan. 29, 2009) - Some 200 Muslim religious leaders gathered in the 2nd National Ulama Summit of the Philippines have formed the National Ulama Conference of the Philippines (NUCP) to serve as the vehicle for unity among thousands of Ulama in the country.

Ulama are Muslim scholars trained in Islam and Islamic law and are the interpreters of Islam's sciences, doctrines and laws.

The ulama on Wednesday elected 14 members of the board, coming from the different sectors of the Muslim communities, to the 15-member interim board of trustees. The Philippine Council for Islam and Democracy (PCID) was given the 15th seat on the Board.

Those elected to the board of NUCP included: Dr. Hamid Barra from Marawi City, Dr. Abhoulkhair Tarason from Basilan, Sulu Mufti Sharif Jul Asiri Abirin, Tawi-Tawi Mufti Abdulwahid Inju, Aleem Abdul Majid Said from Cebu, Aleem Ahmad Darping Nooh from Davao, Dr. Abdussalam Disomimba from Lanao del Norte, Prof. Moner Bajunaid from General Santos City, Shari'a Court Judge Aboali Cali from Marawi City, Aleem Jaafar Ali from Cotabato City, Aleem Abdulhadi Daguit from Manila, Bro. Hassan Garcia from the Balik Islam community, Ustadza Albaya Badrodin and Aleema Khadijah Mutilan from the Aleemat (Muslim women religious scholars). Former Senator Santanina Rasul, Chair of Magbassa Kita Foundation, Inc (MKFI) and Advisor of the PCID, was given the honor of occupying the 15th seat.

The newly elected officers of the NUCP interim board are scheduled to meet and elect from among themselves a chairperson, a vice-chairperson and a secretary general. They are expected to set into motion plans that will empower Muslim religious scholars to provide leadership to Muslim communities in terms of peace and development.

The approval of the bylaws and the election of the members of the interim board came after a series of regional consultations held in Zamboanga City, Cagayan de Oro City, Manila and Sarangani province culminating the 2nd Ulama Summit in Quezon City.

The Philippine Council for Islam and Democracy (PCID) and the Magbassa Kita Foundation, Inc (MKFI) are responsible for organizing the 2nd National Ulama Summit, with the support of the Embassies of the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.

"Not By Fatwa Alone"

The summit of Muslim religious leaders opened Monday night with dinner ceremonies attended by the Ulama, representatives of the diplomatic corps, government officials and other guests. Senator Aquilino Pimentel, Jr., GRP Peace Panel Chair Ambassador Rafael Seguis, Court of Appeals Justice Hakim Abdulwahid, Defense Undersecretary Ernesto Carolina, Ambassador Robert Gerard Brinks of the Netherlands Embassy and Mr. Chris Wright of the British Embassy were among those who attended.

PCID lead convenor Amina Rasul, stated that it is important for the Ulama to come together because "In today's world, society demands a wider and more participative role of the ulama, that they get involved directly in the transformation or reformation process. Our societal problems today can no longer be solved by the formulation of a fatwa alone."

Dr. Endang Turmudi Secretary General of Nadhlatul Ulama, considered as one of the largest independent Islamic organizations in the world with estimates of their membership ranging as high as 40 million, gave the opening keynote address.

As Islam continues to spread globally, Turmudi said that it becomes incumbent upon all Muslims "to review and put in an appropriate way" their relationship with their fellow Muslims and with people of other religions as well. He also urged the Ulama to lead in the effort to inform the whole world that the "violence done by Muslims or those who acknowledge themselves as Muslims is not derived from the doctrine of Islam but from certain interpretations affected by the political situations surrounding them."

"Engage the Changing World"

The summit also featured Muslim academics from Australia and Britain. Dr Abdullah Saeed who holds the Sultan of Oman Professorial Chair of Arab and Islamic Studies at the University of Melbourne, argued that while the Ulama need to be versed in the classical tradition of Islam they also need to understand the contours of the changing world so they can lead their people in addressing the challenges faced by Muslims in the modern world.

Dr. Hisham Hellyer, a British Muslim who is currently a Principal Research Fellow at the International Institute of Advanced Islamic Studies in Malaysia, emphasized the great and noble role of the Ulama but noted that the Ulama should gain the respect and acceptance of the people noting that the loss of religious authority will negatively impact the world at large. He also urged Muslims "to critically engage in the changing world".

"Peace and Development Sessions"

In the morning of January 29, the summit will feature sessions with some members of the international donor community doing work in Mindanao. Expected to address the Ulama and discuss possible areas of collaboration with the new Ulama organization are US Ambassador Kristie Kenney, European Union Ambassador Alistair Macdonald and Australian embassy's deputy head of mission Mr. Stephen Scott.

The afternoon session will feature a workshop on electoral reforms with Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) Chair Ambassador Henrietta de Villa, former COMELEC Commissioner Mehol Sadain, and former Human Rights Commissioner Nasser Marohomsalic.

Former President Fidel Ramos is scheduled to lead the officers of the NUCP in their oath taking during the closing dinner ceremonies on January 29.

Photo: Philippine President Gloria Arroyo in South Cotabato province

Filipino leader Gloria Arroyo with children during a food feeding program on Wednesday, January 28, 2009 at the Saint Anthony Parish Covered Court in Koronadal City in South Cotabato province. (Photo by Merlyn Acosta)

Dipolog Holds Anti-Chacha Rally

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Jan. 28, 2008) – Residents held a rally on Wednesday in Zamboanga del Norte's Dipolog City protesting a government proposal to change to Constitution.

Dipolog Archbishop Jose Manguiran led the rally. President Gloria Arroyo is to step down in 2010 when her term ends, but her allies in Congress, led by House Speaker Prospero Nograles, are campaigning to amend the Constitution and at one point proposed to turn the lower house into a constituent assembly that would tackle changes in the fundamental laws on the land.

Militant groups and political activists said amending the Constitution would eventually prolong Arroyo's stay in power. Arroyo's allies said the change in the Constitution is needed to introduce reforms in the economy, among others.

Under the presidential form of government, Arroyo is allowed only one six-year term. In the charter change proposal suggested by her political allies who dominate Congress, she can be elected as prime minister should Congress dissolve the Senate and change the system of government to parliamentary and eventually prolong her into power beyond 2010.

Arroyo deposed President Joseph Estrada in a people power revolution in 2001, but corruption scandals in her government and allegations of poll fraud has made her extremely unpopular among Filipinos. (Mindanao Examiner)

Photos of kidnapped ICRC staff surface in the Southern Philippines

Photos obtained by television giants GMA-7 and ABS-CBN show the three kidnapped ICRC staff Filipino Mary Jean Lacaba, left, and Sulu deputy governor, Lady Ann Sahidulla, second from left, Italian national Eugenio Vagni and Swiss Andreas Notter, right. (GMA-7 / ABS-CBN)

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Jan. 28, 2009) – At least two photographs of three kidnapped Red Cross workers have surfaced on Wednesday in the southern Philippine island of Sulu, where the Abu Sayyaf is holding them captive the past two weeks.

The photographs showed Swiss national Andreas Notter, Italian Eugenio Vagni and Filipino Mary Jean Lacaba posing together with Sulu deputy governor Nur Anna Sahidulla.

The kidnappers reportedly wanted to talk to Sahidulla, but details of the meeting were not disclosed. The hostages said they are being treated well and were allowed by the kidnappers to use their cell phones and laptops.

Two of the photographs were obtained by rival television networks GMA-7 and ABS-CBN.

Former Moro rebel leader Nur Misuari has offered to held in negotiating with the Abu Sayyaf for the safe release of the hostages.

It said Misuari, former chieftain of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), is willing to help in the negotiations to free the hostages.

The three were kidnapped January 15 after inspecting water and sanitation project at a prison facility in the town of Patikul. Police linked a dismissed jail guard, Raden Abu, to the kidnapping and said he handed over the hostages to the Abu Sayyaf headed by Albader Parad and Abu Pula.

But reports said Misuari was asking for government permission to negotiate with the Abu Sayyaf after a mayor in Sulu, Isnaji Alvarez, of Indanan town, was charged last year with kidnapping when he helped negotiate the release of television reporter Ces Drilon and her two cameramen, including their guide.

Drilon was held by the Abu Sayyaf whom they sought to interview clandestinely in Sulu Island. They were freed weeks later after private negotiators reportedly paid P20 ransom.

It was unknown whether the Abu Sayyaf is willing to negotiate with the former rebel leader. But the Abu Sayyaf previously rejected Misuari, who was tapped in 2001 by Manila to negotiate for the release of 21 Asian and European holidaymakers kidnapped by the Abu Sayyaf in the Malaysian resort island of Sipadan.

Filipino movie star, Robin Padilla, was also in Zamboanga City on Wednesday and had been reported also to be helping in the negotiation for the release of the hostages. Padilla previously negotiated with the Abu Sayyaf for the release of several students and teachers kidnapped in 2000 in Basilan Island. (Mindanao Examiner)

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Photo: Floods submerged Mindanao farms

Hundreds of families evacuate from their flooded villages after the Allah River overflowed in the town of Isulan in Sultan Kudarat province since Tuesday, January 27, 2009. At least 5 people have died from rampaging flood waters triggered by continuous rain in Mindanao.

Farmers in North Cotabato also are forced to harvest their wet crops.

(Mindanao Examiner Photo / Mark Navales)

Maitum Town To Launch Bangsi Festival In Mindanao

A Filipino woman, Nerissa Ovalo, 23, collects half-dried bangsi (flying fish) in the village of Old Poblacion in Maitum town in Sarangani province, which is celebrating its 2nd annual Bangsi Festival on January 30-31. Maitum’s is promoting its “One Town, One Product” – the marinated flying fish. (Photo by Cocoy Sexcion)

SARANGANI, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Jan. 27, 2009) – The town of Maitum in the southern Philippine province of Sarangani is all set for the launching of the two-day Bangsi Festival dubbed as “Sugba Sugba sa Dalan” on Saturday.

Local officials said some 1,000 kilograms of fresh flying fish popularly called Bangsi would be offered free to residents and grill (sugba) them in front of the town hall.

A Bangsi Cooking Contest would also be held in the town. Officials said Bangsi has come a long way to become Maitum's One Town One Product (OTOP) from decades of providing livelihood to coastal households.

Maitum’s number one value-added product, the marinated and half dried flying fish, is popular among the locals and visitors.

“Marinated bangsi alone, roughly its P10-million industry, includes processors in Old Poblacion," said Engr. Nenita Barroso, the Provincial Director of Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

“Other products were introduced last year,” she said, adding, entrepreneurs have also developed other value-added products such as bola-bola, tocino, siomai, rolls, chorizo, lumpia, embutido, burger patties and nuggets which are all made of bangsi.

“Packaging has improved from ordinary plastic pack into a branded and
labeled packaging,” Barroso noted.

Barroso said the DTI distributed a vacuum packing machine for some 125 households in Old Poblacion.

“Around a thousand households depend on bangsi industry, with average annual catch of more or less 600 tons,” said Beth Ramos, Palma Gil municipal information officer. (Serafin Ramos)

Two bike riders killed, 2 others wounded in Zamboanga road mishap

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Jan. 27, 2009) – Two motorcycle riders were killed when they collided with each other on a village in Zamboanga City in Mindanao, police said Tuesday.

Police said the accident occurred Monday in the village called Boalan. It said the two riders Rainier Saavedra and Manuel Epanto were coming from opposite directions when their motorcycle collided. Both drivers died instantly.

“Both drivers of motorcycle were pronounced dead on the spot by the responding medical team from STOP DEATH due to severe head injuries,” Police officer Arnold Espares told the Mindanao Examiner.

Police said Saavedra was traveling from north heading south when his motorcycle collided with another. Epanto was with his son, Mannix Epanto. The boy was also injured.

It said another motorcycle rider, Roberto Jammang, passing near the crash site was also injured by debris from the collision. Jammang and the boy were both rushed to hospital. (Sheri Gay P. Catague)

Kidnapped Red Cross workers in the Philippines phone aid organization

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Al Jacinto / Jan. 27, 2009) – Three kidnapped Red Cross workers in the southern Philippines phoned the aid organization to say they were alright.
The trio – Swiss national Andreas Notter, Italian Eugenio Vagni and Filipino Mary Jean Lacaba – were seized at gunpoint on January 15 after visiting a prison facility in Patikul town in Sulu province.

“We have had contact by telephone with Mary-Jean, Eugenio and Andreas over the past 48 hours. They say that considering the circumstances, they are doing alright. Their voices sounded composed and calm and we hope that this is a positive sign. The ICRC reiterates its call for their rapid and unconditional release,” said Alain Aeschlimann, who heads the organization’s operations for Asia Pacific in Geneva.

Filipino authorities said a jail guard, Raden Abu, who was dismissed after 12 prisoners escaped early this month masterminded the kidnapping. Abu later handed over the three hostages to Abu Sayyaf militants who group has links with the Indonesian terrorist Jemaah Islamiya.

Security forces have sealed off a mountain in the town of where Abu Sayyaf militants are believed to be hiding with their captives. Local troops, aided by US military intelligence, have sealed off the area to prevent the Abu Sayyaf from escaping.

Police last week said the hostages were spotted in Talipao town, a known stronghold of the Abu Sayyaf.

“We genuinely appreciate all efforts to bring our colleagues safely home and the concern of so many people inside and outside the ICRC for their welfare and we are grateful for their support.”

”However, we are concerned that any further public comments by us at this stage could complicate efforts to bring about the safe and rapid return of Marie-Jean, Eugenio and Andreas. I am sure both the media and the public understand this,” said Aeschlimann.
Aeschlimann last week also appealed to the kidnappers to free all the hostages.

“I appeal to those who are holding Mary-Jean, Andreas and Eugenio to let them go as quickly as possible,” Aeschlimann said. “We want to have them back safe and sound. Their children, spouses, parents, siblings and loved ones are anxious and waiting for them to come home.”

The ICRC said it has no direct contacts with the kidnappers and ruled out paying ransom in exchange for the safe release of the victims.

Authorities said the hostages are being held by Abu Sayyaf leaders Albader Parad and Abu Pula, who were both former Moro National Liberation Front rebels. (Mindanao Examiner)

Media Organizations Assail Rough Eviction Of Journalists From Dinagyang Festival

Joe Haresh Tanodra being dragged away by policemen. (Press Photographer of the Philippines / Arnold Almacen)

MANILA, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Jan. 27, 2009) – Media groups have denounced how two photojournalists were forcibly ejected by policemen from covering the celebration of the Dinagyang Festival in Iloilo City in central Philippines.

The two photographers – Joe Jaresh Tanodra and Ricky Alejo – were physically removed from an area near the Iloilo Freedom Grandstand where journalists were covering the festival. The incident over the weekend was witnessed by hundreds of spectators and shown on television news.

The Press Photographers of the Philippines (PPP) in Iloilo has condemned the actions by the policemen and accused them; including a former police officer Dionisio Duco, the chief security of Mayor Jerry Treñas, for their brutality.

“The Press Photographers of the Philippines Iloilo Chapter condemns in the strongest term possible the callousness and insensitivity of retired Police Chief Inspector Dionisio Duco, chief security of the Iloilo City Mayor’s Office, and several policemen in physically removing internationally acclaimed photojournalist, Joe Haresh Tanodra, also president of PPP Aklan-Boracay chapter, and Ricky Alejo, of Pinoy Paparazzi from the Iloilo Freedom Grandstand while covering the festivities,” it said in a statement.

Duco‘s group reportedly evicted the two photographers after they failed to secure the proper accreditation card.

Witnesses said Tanodra was forcibly dragged out of the area in front of hundreds of shocked spectators and photojournalists. Different media groups have denounced how policemen manhandled Tanodra and demanded an apology from local officials and the authorities over the incident.

“Even if Mr. Tanodra and Mr. Alejo had failed to secure accreditation from the festival organizers to cover events at the Iloilo Freedom Grandstand, this does not justify the harsh treatment they suffered from the hands of Duco and his men, an act that befits only criminals and those who are threats to national security.”

“The physical removal of Mr. Tanodra from Iloilo Freedom Grandstand is a blatant display of contempt and disrespect to the Fourth Estate which has been an indispensable partner of the Iloilo Dinagyang Foundation and the Iloilo City Government in promoting Dinagyang and other tourism events in this part of the Philippines,” said Chris Fernandez, president of the PPP in Iloilo City.

Fernandez said the incident sends a wrong signal that the press can be bullied by anyone in power.

“This sends a wrong signal that the press can be bullied by anyone with power and authority from top guns to the lowly chief security officer like the brute Mr. Duco, that they can be hogtied and thrown out like pigs, or worse, can be slaughtered like the scores of journalists killed in the Philippines since the restoration of democracy in 1986,” he said.

The Dinagyang is a religious and cultural festival held on the fourth Sunday of January, or right after the Sinulog Festival In Cebu province and the Ati-Atihan in Aklan. It is held both to honor the Santo Nino and to celebrate the arrival Malay settlers in Panay and the subsequent selling of the island to them by the natives.

“Dinagyang may be the best tourism event in the Philippines, but if the likes of Mr. Duco are allowed to spoil the spirit of the festivities, then festival organizers – the Iloilo Dinagyang Foundation and the Iloilo City Government – there is really nothing to be proud about it.”

“We therefore call on Mayor Jerry Treñas and Chief Supt. Isagani Cuevas (the regional police chief) to mete necessary disciplinary actions on Mr. Duco and the policemen involved in this unfortunate incident, without prejudice to our right to file appropriate legal actions not only on the harm that Mr. Tanodra has suffered but also on the damages incurred on his camera,” Fernandez said.

Remy Pampolina, of the PPP in Manila, said different media groups also denounced the incident. “This is not good, we are condemning this incident,” he told the Mindanao Examiner. (Mindanao Examiner)

Media Groups Denounce Arrogance, Brutal Actions Vs Photojournalists In Central RP

PHOTOJOURNALIST OUT, PRETTY LADY STAYS. Retired policeman Dionisio Duco, chief security of Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas, in white shirt, and several policeman talked to international photojournalist Joe Haresh Tanodra to get out of the Judging Area No. 1 in front of the Iloilo Freedom Grandstand, a public area, during the staging of the Dinagyang Festival, for the simple reason that his accreditation indicates that he should be in Judging Area No. 2, but not taking into consideration that a woman who is not a member of the press is also busy taking photos and yet allowed to stay in her post. Tanodra was later dragged out physically by the men out of the area. Tanodra, President of Press Photographers of the Philippines Aklan-Boracay Chapter, was forcibly dragged out of the area in front of hundreds of shocked spectators and photojournalists. Different media groups have denounced how policemen manhandled Tanodra and demanded an apology from local officials and the authorities over the incident. Aside from Tanodra, policemen also ejected Ricky Alejo, of Pinoy Paparazzi. (PNS / Jessie Casabar, Jerry Carual and Arnold Almacen)



PRESS STATEMENT

The Press Photographers of the Philippines (PPP) Iloilo Chapter condemns in the strongest term possible the callousness and insensitivity of retired Police Chief Inspector Dionisio Duco, chief security of the Iloilo City Mayor’s Office, and several policemen in physically removing internationally acclaimed photojournalist, Joe Haresh Tanodra, also President of PPP Aklan-Boracay chapter, and Ricky Alejo of Pinoy Parazzi from the Iloilo Freedom Grandstand while covering the festivities.

Even if Mr. Tanodra and Mr. Alejo had failed to secure accreditation from the festival organizers to cover events at the Iloilo Freedom Grandstand, this does not justify the harsh treatment they suffered from the hands of Duco and his men, an act that befits only criminals and those who are threats to national security.

The physical removal of Mr. Tanodra from Iloilo Freedom Grandstand is a blatant display of contempt and disrespect to the Fourth Estate which has been an indispensable partner of the Iloilo Dinagyang Foundation and the Iloilo City Government in promoting Dinagyang and other tourism events in this part of the Philippines.

This sends a wrong signal that the press can be bullied by anyone with power and authority from top guns to the lowly chief security officer like the brute Mr. Duco, that they can be hogtied and thrown out like pigs, or worse, can be slaughtered like the scores of journalists killed in the Philippines since the restoration of democracy in 1986.

While keeping order at the Iloilo Freedom Grandstand is a must during the holding of the Dinagyang festival, the role of security personnel is not above the role of the press in covering it. Having an orderly conduct of the Dinagyang may be a welcome sight, but such tourism spectacle can never achieve its ends without the reporters writing about it and without photojournalists capturing its colors and grandeur.

Dinagyang may be the best tourism event in the Philippines, but if the likes of Mr. Duco are allowed to spoil the spirit of the festivities, then festival organizers – the Iloilo Dinagyang Foundation and the Iloilo City Government – there is really nothing to be proud about it.

We therefore call on Mayor Jerry Treñas and Chief Supt. Isagani Cuevas to mete necessary disciplinary actions on Mr. Duco and the policemen involved in this unfortunate incident, without prejudice to our right to file appropriate legal actions not only on the harm that Mr. Tanodra has suffered but also on the damages incurred on his camera.

Signed this 25th day of January 2009 in Iloilo City, Philippines.

A.CHRIS FERNANDEZ

PPP President, Iloilo Chapter

Muslim Aid - Gaza Emergency Appeal.

Muslim Aid is the name of a British-based charity organization founded in 1985 by Yusuf Islam, who left his position as Chairman in 1999.Its objective is to "relieve the poor, the elderly, children and all those who are in need in any part of the world as a result of natural disasters, such as floods, earthquakes, droughts, famine epidemics, poverty and plagues and the relief of those who are refugees fleeing from war zones and war victims."

Its trustees include Sir Iqbal Sacranie OBE and Muhammad Abdul Bari, giving it a close connection to the Muslim Council of Britain.It has carried out its work in areas such as Indonesia, following the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake (tsunami) and then the two earthquakes in Java, one in May 2006, the other in July that year.

It also worked in Bosnia following the Yugoslav wars of the 1990s. It worked in Pakistan following the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, and has continuously worked in the Palestinian territories, as well as Darfur, Eritrea, Afghanistan, Lebanon, India and Bangladesh. It also worked in China following the 2008 Earthquake.

Philippine Education Officials Appeal For Safe Release Of Kidnapped Teachers

File photos of kidnapped teachers Quizon Freires, Janette Delos Reyes and Rafael Mayonado.

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Jan. 26, 2009) – Philippine education officials on Monday made new appeals to suspected Abu Sayyaf militants to release three teachers kidnapped in Zamboanga City.

The trio - Quizon G. Freires, 28; Janette C. Delos Reyes, 29; and Rafael L. Mayonado, 24 – were on a motorboat returning to Zamboanga from a working break when gunmen intercepted them at sea near Zamboanga and brought them to nearby Basilan Island.

Education Secy. Jesli Lapuz expressed concern over the safety of the hostages.

“We are deeply concerned with the safety of our teachers. They preferred to be teachers here than abroad. Why do they have to go through this ordeal? In taking them, the children under their care are deprived of the education they so rightfully deserve,” Lapuz said.

The kidnappers have demanded P6 million ransoms for the safe release of the government teachers.

“Our teachers come from poor families and wish nothing more than support their parents, brothers, and sisters,” said Dolores Alcantara, local schools superintendent.

“These teachers give their time to nurture the children of Zamboanga City to be better citizens and contribute to the economic growth of Mindanao. The parents cannot raise the amount demanded and the government follows a no ransom policy. We pray that the teachers be released,” she said in a statement.

Authorities tagged Abu Sayyaf as behind the kidnappings. (Mindanao Examiner)

Photo: Chinese New Year Celebration In The Philippines

Lion and Dragon dancers perform in the streets of Binondo in Manila's Chinese community, Monday January 26, 2009. The Filipino-Chinese community celebrates the 2009 New Lunar Year to welcome the Year of the Ox. (AKP Images / Buck Pago)

Poor Davao families get gov't cash subsidy

DAVAO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Jan. 26, 2009) - The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) released Monday a total of P702,100 cash subsidy to at least 425 poor families in Davao City in Mindanao.

The subsidy was part of the government's Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program.

DSWD Assistant Regional Director Priscilla Nidea-Razon said they have identified 3,400 household beneficiaries in Davao City, specifically in Talomo, City Poblacion, Panacan, Bunawan, Toril, Agdao, Calinan and Tibungco.

“In the last quarter of 2008, about 5,838 grantees from Caraga and Manay towns received their monthly subsidy through the Land Bank Branch in Mati City,” Razon said.

In Davao Region, the 4Ps is being implemented in Manay and Caraga, Davao Oriental and in the three congressional districts of Davao City, and to date over P7 million have been released to the 4Ps grantees in the three areas.

4Ps is a five-year social protection program which grants health, nutrition and education cash packages to qualified extremely poor households. Five hundred pesos will be extended per month per family for health check-ups, vaccinations and food while P300 shall be provided every month per child for school needs.

A household with three qualified children can obtain a subsidy of P15,000 annually as long as it meets some conditionality, but they must also comply with the conditions to continue receiving the cash grants.

And among the conditions are parents must ensure that their children attend school at least 85% of the time, and receive vaccinations and health care; pregnant women must receive pre- and post- natal care and be attended during childbirth by a skilled health professional; and parents must attend responsible parenthood seminars, mother’s classes, and parent effectiveness seminars.

The goal of 4Ps is to break the inter-generational cycle of poverty by fostering change in behavior among parents and encouraging them to invest in their and their children’s future with respect to health, nutrition and education.

The program uses a scientifically formulated Proxy Means Test to target the poorest of the poor in the poorest municipalities (based on Small Area Estimate) of the 26 poorest provinces and 12 cities with large pockets of poverty. Data are gathered per household in those municipalities through a saturation household survey in the poorest barangays. Every household is surveyed by competent enumerators trained and supervised by DSWD.

In 2008, some 694,214 households were surveyed in 159 municipalities in 23 provinces and 12 cities to find the poor households. Some 337,416 household beneficiaries nationwide are now receiving their cash assistance under the program. (Carmela Duron)

Troops seal off vast area in Sulu where kidnapped Red Cross workers are spotted

One of two Philippine Air Force choppers flies over Zamboanga City on Monday, January 26, 2009. Philippine troops, backed by US military intelligence, are tracking down three members of the International Committee of the Red Cross kidnapped by Abu Sayyaf militants in Sulu island on January 15. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Jan. 26, 2009) – Security forces have cordoned off a vast mountainous area in the southern Philippine island of Sulu where Abu Sayyaf militants are believed holding hostage three Red Cross members, officials said on Monday.

Officials said the militants and their hostages were said to be hiding in Indanan town and that local troops, aided by US military intelligence, have sealed off the area to prevent the Abu Sayyaf from escaping.

The hostages, Swiss national Andreas Notter, Italian Eugenio Vagni and Filipino Mary Jean Lacaba, were seized January 15 by five gunmen, among them a dismissed jail guard, after inspecting a water and sanitation project at a prison facility in Patikul town.

Police last week said the hostages were spotted in Talipao town, a known stronghold of the Abu Sayyaf.

The International Committee of the Red Cross appealed to the kidnappers to free all the hostages.

"I appeal to those who are holding Mary-Jean, Andreas and Eugenio to let them go as quickly as possible," Alain Aeschlimann, the ICRC's head of operations for East Asia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific in Geneva, said.

"We want to have them back safe and sound. Their children, spouses, parents, siblings and loved ones are anxious and waiting for them to come home."The ICRC has been in contact with the three staff members several times since they were kidnapped and the last time the three were able to call was on January 19.

"We hope that we'll hear their voices again soon and that they remain unharmed," Aeschlimann said. "We also continue to hope that this difficult situation will have a positive outcome."

The ICRC said it has no direct contacts with the kidnappers and ruled out paying ransom in exchange for the safe release of the victims.

Authorities said the hostages are being held by Abu Sayyaf leaders Albader Parad and Abu Pula, who were both former Moro National Liberation Front rebels. (Mindanao Examiner)