DAVAO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / June 18, 2010) – Communist rebels attacked a group of policemen Friday and wounding three in the southern Philippines, officials said.
Officials said as many as five New People’s Army rebels were either killed or wounded in the fighting after a failed raid on a police station in Davao Oriental’s Cateel town.
Army Captain Emmanuel Garcia, a spokesman for the 10th Infantry Division, said at least 40 rebels were involved in the fighting.
“The NPAs were seen dragging at least five of their companions who might be dead or wounded as they fled for safety,” he said, adding, security forces recovered one of two trucks the rebels used in escaping.
He said the trucks were earlier stolen by rebels.
The NPA is the military wing of the outlawed Communist Party of the Philippines which have been fighting for decades for the establishment of a Maoist state in the country. (Mindanao Examiner)
Showing posts with label Davao Oriental. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Davao Oriental. Show all posts
Friday, June 18, 2010
3 cops wounded in rebel attack in South RP
Friday, May 07, 2010
NPA rebels attack troops guarding poll machines in South
DAVAO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / May 7, 2010) – Communist insurgents on Friday opened fire on government troops guarding polling machines in the southern Philippines, wounding two infantrymen, officials said.
Officials said New People’s Army insurgents attacked the soldiers in the village of Taguibo in Davao Oriental’s Mati town where security forces were guarding the precinct count optical scan machines which will be used in the country’s first automated elections on Monday.
“The two wounded soldiers were rushed to hospital,” said Captain Emmanuel Garcia, a spokesman for the Army’s 10th Infantry Division.
Garcia said troops were pursuing the attackers. “This is another terror act of the Communist Party of the Philippines, the New People’s Army and the National Democratic Front. They are sowing terror to prevent people from freely exercising their right to vote. This is hooliganism at its worst.
While soldiers are sacrificing to safeguard the election process, these terrorists breed anarchy to the detriment of the Filipino people,” he said.
On Thursday, insurgents also bombed a truck of troops escorting a convoy delivering precinct count optical scanner machines in Palanas town in Masbate province in the Bicol region, although no was injured or killed in the roadside attack.
The NPA is the military wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines while the National Democratic Front is the organization’s political arm. The Communist Party of the Philippines is fighting for decades for the establishment of a Maoist state in the country. (Mindanao Examiner)
Tuesday, May 04, 2010
Davao Oriental kicks off summer job
Environment and Natural Resources Officer Dante Ganir briefs five students assigned to his office as part of the 150 students who will render services in the Summer Job 2010 in Davao Oriental province which started May 4, 2010 and ends on June 1. the students will receive P162.50 a day as compensation which shall be paid by the provincial government (60%) and the Department of Labor and Employment (40%). (Photo by Sarx Arces Lanos)
Monday, April 12, 2010
Rebels abduct mayoralty candidate, aide in Mindanao
DAVAO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / April 12, 2010) – Communist rebels abducted a mayoralty candidate and his aide after his group was intercepted in the southern Philippines, security officials said Monday.
Officials said New People’s Army rebels are holding former Lupon town mayor Arfran Quinones who is running as an independent candidate for the May 10 national polls and an ex-village official, Ronisito Pedro.
The politician was campaigning along with his eight supporters when rebels seized them on Sunday in Marayag village in Davao Oriental’s Lupon town.
Captain Emmanuel Garcia, a spokesman for the Army’s 10th Infantry Division, said the rebels released seven of Quinones’ supporters on the same day, but the gunmen held on to the former mayor and Pedro after they failed to pay so-called “permit-to-campaign” fees to the New People’s Army, which has been waging a secessionist war the past decades for the establishment of a Maoist state in the country.
“Former Lupon town mayor Arfran Quinones who is running as an independent was with eight of his supporters in a campaign sortie when about 30 armed NPAs clad in military uniforms led by a certain Benjie of Sentro de Gravidad, of the Local Terrorist Front-18, held them at gunpoint.”
“The terrorists freed seven of the victims three hours later while Quinones together with a former village councilor of Marayag identified as Ronisito Pedro are still being held against their will,” the spokesman said, adding at least 30 rebels were involved in the abduction.
Quinones’ group was in a car when rebels stopped them at a checkpoint. The provincial governor, Arturo Uy, is currently negotiating for the safe release of the hostages, the military said.
Last month, two political campaigners were briefly held by rebels in Davao City after they failed to pay protection money. The military said the NPA is also campaigning for some candidates and party list groups with links to the Communist Party of the Philippines. (Mindanao Examiner)
Sunday, July 12, 2009
NPA rebels ambush army truck in South RP
DAVAO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / July 12, 2009) – Communist rebels ambushed an army truck ahead of ahead of a scheduled peace talks and killed a soldier and wounded three more in the southern Philippine province of Davao Oriental, officials said on Sunday.
Officials said some 30 New People’s Army rebels opened fire on the government soldiers after a roadside bombing in the village of Pintatagan in the town of Banay-Banay.
The attack occurred on Saturday afternoon hours after rebels also toppled three electrical poles in the village, said Captain Rosa Maria Cristina Manuel, a spokeswoman for the Army’s 10th Infantry Division.
“One soldier was killed and three others were wounded in the ambush,” she told the Mindanao Examiner. She said the truck was transporting more than a dozen soldiers.
She said the soldiers, members of the 2nd Light Armor Brigade, were on their way to secure government projects in the town when the rebels ambushed their truck.
“The troops were supposed to replace the personnel tasked to secure the construction of government projects when a pressurized landmine hit their vehicle,” Manuel said.
Troops, who were sent to rescue the soldiers, also clashed with the ambushers and the fighting lasted more than 20 minutes. She said the rebels briefly seized an undetermined number of civilians in the neighboring village of Puntalinao and used them as shield against pursuing soldiers.
Manuel said Colonel Romeo Calizo, commander of Army’s 1001st Infantry Brigade, has ordered troops to track down the rebels. “The rebels cannot face the soldiers squarely. They inhumanely used the civilians as shields for their escape and this is a gross disrespect to Human Rights and a violation of the International Humanitarian Law,” she said, quoting Calizo.
“Likewise, the Philippines is a signatory to the Ottawa Convention banning the use of landmines and under the United Nations’ Law on Armed Conflict, the uses of landmines are banned under article 809,” Calizo added.
Manila said it would resume stalled peace talks with communist rebels next month after negotiations collapsed in 2004. The NPA is fighting the past four decades for the establishment of a Maoist state in the country. (Mindanao Examiner)
Officials said some 30 New People’s Army rebels opened fire on the government soldiers after a roadside bombing in the village of Pintatagan in the town of Banay-Banay.
The attack occurred on Saturday afternoon hours after rebels also toppled three electrical poles in the village, said Captain Rosa Maria Cristina Manuel, a spokeswoman for the Army’s 10th Infantry Division.
“One soldier was killed and three others were wounded in the ambush,” she told the Mindanao Examiner. She said the truck was transporting more than a dozen soldiers.
She said the soldiers, members of the 2nd Light Armor Brigade, were on their way to secure government projects in the town when the rebels ambushed their truck.
“The troops were supposed to replace the personnel tasked to secure the construction of government projects when a pressurized landmine hit their vehicle,” Manuel said.
Troops, who were sent to rescue the soldiers, also clashed with the ambushers and the fighting lasted more than 20 minutes. She said the rebels briefly seized an undetermined number of civilians in the neighboring village of Puntalinao and used them as shield against pursuing soldiers.
Manuel said Colonel Romeo Calizo, commander of Army’s 1001st Infantry Brigade, has ordered troops to track down the rebels. “The rebels cannot face the soldiers squarely. They inhumanely used the civilians as shields for their escape and this is a gross disrespect to Human Rights and a violation of the International Humanitarian Law,” she said, quoting Calizo.
“Likewise, the Philippines is a signatory to the Ottawa Convention banning the use of landmines and under the United Nations’ Law on Armed Conflict, the uses of landmines are banned under article 809,” Calizo added.
Manila said it would resume stalled peace talks with communist rebels next month after negotiations collapsed in 2004. The NPA is fighting the past four decades for the establishment of a Maoist state in the country. (Mindanao Examiner)
Monday, July 06, 2009
Mati folks reject mining operation in Davao Oriental
DAVAO ORIENTAL, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / July 6, 2009) – Filipino environmentalists marched on Monday to protest continued mining operations in the southern Philippine province of Davao Oriental.
The protesters, led by a multi-sectoral group called Kabukiran, Kapatagan, Kadagatan Panalipdi (KKKP), said the mining operations caused pollution, flash floods and landslides in the town of Mati.
Fishermen and peasants and interfaith groups also joined the protest dubbed as “Baktas Katawhan Para sa Kinaiyahan.” They were protesting against the operation of the Bearbull Mining, Inc. in the village of Dawan. The environmental rights network PANALIPDAN-Southern Mindanao Region also participated in the march.
Gil Gentiles, KKKP chairperson, said that the mining operations started without prior consultations with the people of the affected communities.
“These hazards would also cause destruction to agricultural lands and protected area of Pujada Bay,” Gentiles said.
Sister Stella Matutina, head of the Saint Scholastica’s Institute Education to Faith and Integral Development based in Mati town, said the “Baktas Katawhan Para sa Kinaiyahan” is a unity walk for the protection, justice and integrity of creation particularly aimed to stop all destructive mining and logging operations in Mati.
“The whole world continues to feel the effects of global warming and climate change. It is a good news that there are still many people who continue to spread consciousness and awareness of the need to uphold the integrity of creation through different forms such as forest conservation, proper waste management, sustainable-organic-bio-diversified farming and strong opposition to destructive logging and mining,” she said.
Francis Morales, PANALIPDAN-SMR spokesperson, urged the provincial government to listen and take action on the just calls and demands of the citizens.
There was no immediate statement from the mining firm about the accusations.
The protesters, led by a multi-sectoral group called Kabukiran, Kapatagan, Kadagatan Panalipdi (KKKP), said the mining operations caused pollution, flash floods and landslides in the town of Mati.
Fishermen and peasants and interfaith groups also joined the protest dubbed as “Baktas Katawhan Para sa Kinaiyahan.” They were protesting against the operation of the Bearbull Mining, Inc. in the village of Dawan. The environmental rights network PANALIPDAN-Southern Mindanao Region also participated in the march.
Gil Gentiles, KKKP chairperson, said that the mining operations started without prior consultations with the people of the affected communities.
“These hazards would also cause destruction to agricultural lands and protected area of Pujada Bay,” Gentiles said.
Sister Stella Matutina, head of the Saint Scholastica’s Institute Education to Faith and Integral Development based in Mati town, said the “Baktas Katawhan Para sa Kinaiyahan” is a unity walk for the protection, justice and integrity of creation particularly aimed to stop all destructive mining and logging operations in Mati.
“The whole world continues to feel the effects of global warming and climate change. It is a good news that there are still many people who continue to spread consciousness and awareness of the need to uphold the integrity of creation through different forms such as forest conservation, proper waste management, sustainable-organic-bio-diversified farming and strong opposition to destructive logging and mining,” she said.
Francis Morales, PANALIPDAN-SMR spokesperson, urged the provincial government to listen and take action on the just calls and demands of the citizens.
There was no immediate statement from the mining firm about the accusations.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
The Beauties Of Mati In The Southern Philippines
Shiela Mae Bel, a 20-year old BS Agriculture student at the Davao Oriental State College of Science and Technology, is new Miss Mati 2009. The other winners in the recently concluded beauty pageant held Tuesday, June 23, 2009 in the town of Mati in Davao Oriental province are (left-right) 2nd Runner Up Miss Crisha Joy Enad; 1st Runner Miss Rachel Lingaw-lingaw; 3rd Runner Up Miss Jane Labrador and 4th Runner Up Miss Shiela Maeson. The contest coincided with the celebration of the Pujada Bay Festival. (Photo by Jonald Mahinay)Sunday, March 08, 2009
Troops clash with NPA, JI in southern Philippines
DAVAO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Mar. 8, 2009) – Government troops clashed separately before sunrise Sunday with communist rebels and local Jemaah Islamiya members in the southern Philippines, officials said.
Officials said troops and government militiamen clashed with New People’s Army rebels at around 4.30 a.m. on a village in Davao Oriental’s Banganga town. One militia and an undetermined number of rebels were killed in the fighting, said Lt. Col. Roland Bautista, a spokesman for the Army’s 10th Infantry Division.
“One militia was killed and an undetermined number of rebels were believed slain and wounded in the clash,” he said, adding, troops recovered an M16 rifle, radio transceivers and combat packs from the fighting.
Bautista said another group of army soldiers also clashed with Jemaah Islamiya militants at around 4.40 a.m. in the village of Napnapan in Pantukan town in Compostela Valley province and capturing a Filipino bomb expert, Giovanni de Ocampo.
He said the captive admitted during interrogation that he is a member of the Indonesian militant group Jemaah Islamiya and is also an alleged commander of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.
“Initial report revealed that he is a trainer and an expert in manufacturing of improvised explosives which has caused the death of many innocent civilians and destruction of properties in this part of Mindanao,” Bautista said without further elaborating, saying, security forces were still hunting down other Jemaah Islamiya militants in the province.
There were no reports of military casualties in both clashes.
The MILF has denied the military report and disowned De Ocampo. “We have repeatedly denounced terrorism and the MILF has nothing to do with the Jemaah Islamiya,” said Eid Kabalu, a senior MILF leader.
The MILF is the country’s largest Muslim rebel group which is fighting the past decades for independence in the southern Philippines. (Mindanao Examiner)
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Fisher Folk Battle Huge Mining Proposal And Its Defenders
DAVAO ORIENTAL, Philippines (Philippine Human Rights Reporting Project / Nov. 25, 2008) – Waves lap up the shallow shores of Sitio Wagon in Barangay (village) Macambol as fishermen and their families work and live off the bountiful waters of Pujada Bay.
The noise of the waves mixes with that of an electric plainer being used to shape the belly of a new banca – a simple fishing boat -- under the shade of some coconut trees. A much bigger boat which can carry more than a ton of fish approaches the shore after having spent days, possibly even weeks at sea.
Many boats are still out and six more colorfully painted bancas lie on the sand, their fishing nets and traps left to bleach and dry out under the sun.
A sand spit away from the boat shop, Martina Baldapan is sun-drying a basket of different fish just outside her kitchen. They were caught by her son and prepared simply by being dipped in salt and water. Martina leaves them for a day before taking most of the basket to sell for PhP 80 (USD 1) a kilo. The rest she keeps for her family to eat.
Martina is just one of an estimated 3,000 people in the coastal village of Macambol who rely on Pujada Bay for a living.
Other villagers work the lands round Mt. Hamiguitan which, like the Bay has been declared a protected area.
Both though now face the threat of large-scale mining operation dubbed as the Pujada Nickel Project.
The project is funded by BHP Billiton (BHP), self-styled as the “world’s leading natural resources company” through a joint venture with local partner Asiaticus Management Corporation (Amcor).
Pujada is said to have a reserve of about 200 million metric tons of nickel and according to Reuters, BHP has committed to invest up to USD 2 billion which is expected to provide about 3,000 jobs to on its full operation by 2013.
The joint venture however has currently run into difficulties due to a legal dispute between BHP and its local partners as reported by BHP management at its own annual general meeting held on October 23. For now, the project seems to be on hold.
This is good news for many – but not so good news for others who believe the mining may bring jobs and development.
The project site was originally due to cover the two towns and a city of the peninsula of Davao Oriental – Governor Generoso, San Isidro and Mati City. But due to opposition from the authorities in Governor Generoso and San Isidro in 2003, the mining claim has been reduced to Mati only.
Seven Mineral Production Sharing Agreements (MPSA) have been issued covering at least 11,000 hectares. Mining permits overlapped the declared Mt. Hamiguitan protected area.
Mining in protected areas?
On July 1994, the government declared the Pujada Bay as protected seascape by virtue of Presidential Proclamation No. 431. Mt. Hamiguitan was declared a protected area in July 2004.
But on June 8, 2004, just a month before Mt. Hamiguitan was declared protected, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) issued MPSA to a series of local mining companies.
In 2004 the Supreme Court controversially allowed foreign companies to own 100 per cent of local mining projects and the Philippine Government hopes to attract upwards of USD 10 billion worth of mining investment over the next few years.
These seven mining areas, which cover at least 17, 000 hectares, overlap the protected area, which has five major drainage and watershed systems because of the mountain. The major streams either drain towards the Pujada Bay or the Davao Gulf. The bodies of freshwater are the main source of water supply for communities living in the vicinity.
Pujada Bay is home to the endangered sea cows (dugong) and sea turtles while the Mt. Hamiguitan range is known both for its pygmy forest and also as a home of the endangered Philippine Eagle which is itself a protected species.
The 6,800-hectare Mt. Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary is also home to the Mandaya Lumads or indigenous peoples.
Mining divides villagers
Virgie Mabato, chair of the local anti-mining group Macambol Multi-Sectoral Alliance for Integral Development (MMSAID), said that the arrival of the mining groups began to polarize people with some favoring the companies in the hope these would bring development and opportunities to the community.
Mabato added that even relationships between families have been affected by divisions in views as to whether the arrival and the companies will turn out to be a blessing or a curse.
But she explained: "We reiterate our position against the mining operation because it will destroy our source of living and source of our food. It's not just Mt. Hamiguitan but Pujada Bay which will be polluted once the mine opens.”
Like Baldapan, Mabato also depends on the marine resources in Pujada Bay. Mabato's family runs a small fish pen in Sitio Supsopon in Macambol.
From the shoreline, the proposed mining site is at least four kilometers away – though it shares the same water basin. During heavy rains, some portions of the bay become murky due to siltation carried down from the hinterland.
Roger Billote, also a member of MMSAID, said that even if the mining company is already outside the protected area, it is still not an assurance that mining operation will not destroy the biodiversity in the area.
"Like the spider web, once one of its strands will be cut, the spider will be outbalanced. Even if there is a buffer zone, it will still affect the entire biodiversity," he said.
Billote pointed out that for him and many others "biodiversity is not just the protected land itself but as everything around the mountain."
Yet two tribal councils in Magum and Cabuaya, also part of Macambol, are apparently in favor of the mining operations.
In a joint resolution, the tribal councils have expressed their support for BHP Billiton to continue mining operations in Macambol and Cabuaya areas.
Other indigenous tribal councils have come out against of the mining operation and argue the government in Manila should push for other means of helping the people in Macambol.
Narciso "Datu Silang" Salang, member of the Macambol-Mamali United Mandaya tribal council, says the government and the mining companies should respect the position of the people. "The rift between these two mining companies divided the people especially the indigenous peoples," Salang pointed out, adding that both the government and the mining company should consider those who depend in Mt. Hamiguitan and Pujada Bay.
The mining operations, he said, will only destroy the beauty of Pujada Bay and Mt.Hamiguitan, adding that both are potential eco-tourism spots in the province.
Meanwhile, only the government officials of this city are apparently in favor of the Pujada Nickel Project believing the mining could bring development in the region.
The province reportedly has rich deposits of gold, nickel, copper, chromite, and manganese. The Mines and Geosciences Bureau of the DENR disclosed that Davao Oriental has 37,000 of the 87,000 registered sites of mining interest in the country. (Philippine Human Rights Reporting Project, Keith Bacongco, the author is a journalist based in Davao City and the campaigns paralegal of the non-government organization Legal Rights Center - Kasama sa Kalikasan or LRC-KsK Davao office. He is also one of the founders of AKP Images, an independent photo agency in the Philippines.)
The noise of the waves mixes with that of an electric plainer being used to shape the belly of a new banca – a simple fishing boat -- under the shade of some coconut trees. A much bigger boat which can carry more than a ton of fish approaches the shore after having spent days, possibly even weeks at sea.
Many boats are still out and six more colorfully painted bancas lie on the sand, their fishing nets and traps left to bleach and dry out under the sun.
A sand spit away from the boat shop, Martina Baldapan is sun-drying a basket of different fish just outside her kitchen. They were caught by her son and prepared simply by being dipped in salt and water. Martina leaves them for a day before taking most of the basket to sell for PhP 80 (USD 1) a kilo. The rest she keeps for her family to eat.
Martina is just one of an estimated 3,000 people in the coastal village of Macambol who rely on Pujada Bay for a living.
Other villagers work the lands round Mt. Hamiguitan which, like the Bay has been declared a protected area.
Both though now face the threat of large-scale mining operation dubbed as the Pujada Nickel Project.
The project is funded by BHP Billiton (BHP), self-styled as the “world’s leading natural resources company” through a joint venture with local partner Asiaticus Management Corporation (Amcor).
Pujada is said to have a reserve of about 200 million metric tons of nickel and according to Reuters, BHP has committed to invest up to USD 2 billion which is expected to provide about 3,000 jobs to on its full operation by 2013.
The joint venture however has currently run into difficulties due to a legal dispute between BHP and its local partners as reported by BHP management at its own annual general meeting held on October 23. For now, the project seems to be on hold.
This is good news for many – but not so good news for others who believe the mining may bring jobs and development.
The project site was originally due to cover the two towns and a city of the peninsula of Davao Oriental – Governor Generoso, San Isidro and Mati City. But due to opposition from the authorities in Governor Generoso and San Isidro in 2003, the mining claim has been reduced to Mati only.
Seven Mineral Production Sharing Agreements (MPSA) have been issued covering at least 11,000 hectares. Mining permits overlapped the declared Mt. Hamiguitan protected area.
Mining in protected areas?
On July 1994, the government declared the Pujada Bay as protected seascape by virtue of Presidential Proclamation No. 431. Mt. Hamiguitan was declared a protected area in July 2004.
But on June 8, 2004, just a month before Mt. Hamiguitan was declared protected, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) issued MPSA to a series of local mining companies.
In 2004 the Supreme Court controversially allowed foreign companies to own 100 per cent of local mining projects and the Philippine Government hopes to attract upwards of USD 10 billion worth of mining investment over the next few years.
These seven mining areas, which cover at least 17, 000 hectares, overlap the protected area, which has five major drainage and watershed systems because of the mountain. The major streams either drain towards the Pujada Bay or the Davao Gulf. The bodies of freshwater are the main source of water supply for communities living in the vicinity.
Pujada Bay is home to the endangered sea cows (dugong) and sea turtles while the Mt. Hamiguitan range is known both for its pygmy forest and also as a home of the endangered Philippine Eagle which is itself a protected species.
The 6,800-hectare Mt. Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary is also home to the Mandaya Lumads or indigenous peoples.
Mining divides villagers
Virgie Mabato, chair of the local anti-mining group Macambol Multi-Sectoral Alliance for Integral Development (MMSAID), said that the arrival of the mining groups began to polarize people with some favoring the companies in the hope these would bring development and opportunities to the community.
Mabato added that even relationships between families have been affected by divisions in views as to whether the arrival and the companies will turn out to be a blessing or a curse.
But she explained: "We reiterate our position against the mining operation because it will destroy our source of living and source of our food. It's not just Mt. Hamiguitan but Pujada Bay which will be polluted once the mine opens.”
Like Baldapan, Mabato also depends on the marine resources in Pujada Bay. Mabato's family runs a small fish pen in Sitio Supsopon in Macambol.
From the shoreline, the proposed mining site is at least four kilometers away – though it shares the same water basin. During heavy rains, some portions of the bay become murky due to siltation carried down from the hinterland.
Roger Billote, also a member of MMSAID, said that even if the mining company is already outside the protected area, it is still not an assurance that mining operation will not destroy the biodiversity in the area.
"Like the spider web, once one of its strands will be cut, the spider will be outbalanced. Even if there is a buffer zone, it will still affect the entire biodiversity," he said.
Billote pointed out that for him and many others "biodiversity is not just the protected land itself but as everything around the mountain."
Yet two tribal councils in Magum and Cabuaya, also part of Macambol, are apparently in favor of the mining operations.
In a joint resolution, the tribal councils have expressed their support for BHP Billiton to continue mining operations in Macambol and Cabuaya areas.
Other indigenous tribal councils have come out against of the mining operation and argue the government in Manila should push for other means of helping the people in Macambol.
Narciso "Datu Silang" Salang, member of the Macambol-Mamali United Mandaya tribal council, says the government and the mining companies should respect the position of the people. "The rift between these two mining companies divided the people especially the indigenous peoples," Salang pointed out, adding that both the government and the mining company should consider those who depend in Mt. Hamiguitan and Pujada Bay.
The mining operations, he said, will only destroy the beauty of Pujada Bay and Mt.Hamiguitan, adding that both are potential eco-tourism spots in the province.
Meanwhile, only the government officials of this city are apparently in favor of the Pujada Nickel Project believing the mining could bring development in the region.
The province reportedly has rich deposits of gold, nickel, copper, chromite, and manganese. The Mines and Geosciences Bureau of the DENR disclosed that Davao Oriental has 37,000 of the 87,000 registered sites of mining interest in the country. (Philippine Human Rights Reporting Project, Keith Bacongco, the author is a journalist based in Davao City and the campaigns paralegal of the non-government organization Legal Rights Center - Kasama sa Kalikasan or LRC-KsK Davao office. He is also one of the founders of AKP Images, an independent photo agency in the Philippines.)
Thursday, November 06, 2008
Rebels snatch policeman in Mindanao
DAVAO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Nov. 6, 2008) – Communist insurgents abducted a policeman in the southern Philippine province of Davao Oriental, officials said Thursday.
Officials said about 40 New People’s Army insurgents seized Police Officer 3 Eduardo Tumol in the village of San Antonio in Caraga town on Wednesday. Tumol is a member of the 1105th Provincial Mobile Group.
Officials said Tumol was with his commander, Senior Inspector Angel Sumagaysay, who was driving a pick-up truck, when the insurgents flagged down the vehicle and seized the victim.
The duo was on their way to attend a court hearing and officials believed that Sumagaysay was the real target. The insurgents probably mistook Tumol as the police commander because Sumagaysay was the one driving the vehicle, officials said.
The NPA has reportedly demanded the government to stop military offensive in the province, a known lair of the outlawed communist group which has been fighting for decades for the establishment of a Maoist state in the country. (Romy Bwaga)
DAVAO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Nov. 6, 2008) – Communist insurgents abducted a policeman in the southern Philippine province of Davao Oriental, officials said Thursday.
Officials said about 40 New People’s Army insurgents seized Police Officer 3 Eduardo Tumol in the village of San Antonio in Caraga town on Wednesday. Tumol is a member of the 1105th Provincial Mobile Group.
Officials said Tumol was with his commander, Senior Inspector Angel Sumagaysay, who was driving a pick-up truck, when the insurgents flagged down the vehicle and seized the victim.
The duo was on their way to attend a court hearing and officials believed that Sumagaysay was the real target. The insurgents probably mistook Tumol as the police commander because Sumagaysay was the one driving the vehicle, officials said.
The NPA has reportedly demanded the government to stop military offensive in the province, a known lair of the outlawed communist group which has been fighting for decades for the establishment of a Maoist state in the country. (Romy Bwaga)
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
NPA Rebels Raid Davao Prison
DAVAO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / May 19, 2008) – Dozens of communist rebels raided a provincial jail in the southern Philippines and carted assorted weapons after disarming stunned prison guards in a daring broad daylight attack Monday.
Security officials said troops were tracking down more than 70 New People's Army rebels who attacked the prison facility in Davao Oriental. "They took at least 13 assorted firearms and transceiver radios after disarming the guards," Major Raymundo Aguada, a spokesman for the Army's 10th Infantry Division, told the Mindanao Examiner.
"Our soldiers are pursuing the NPA rebels, but there is no report yet of any armed encounter," Aguada said.
He said the rebels, disguised as government soldiers, swooped down on the prison at around noontime and taking the guards by surprise. It was not immediately known if the prison guards put up a fight or whether the rebels had freed some of the inmates.
It was the most daring raid the NPA had carried out this year. The rebels had kidnapped soldiers and pro-government militias in the past and attacked military targets as well in the southern region where it is active.
Last week, government and rebel peace negotiators met in Norway in an effort to revive talks which had collapsed almost four years ago. But so far nothing has been achieved by both sides and the NPA said it would only resume peace negotiations if Manila complies with at least 13 agreements it signed in the past.
The rebels accused Manila of reneging on its commitment, especially on issues of human rights and extra-judicial killings and disappearance of political activists in the country. The NPA is fighting the past four decades for the establishment of a Maoist state in the Philippines. (Mindanao Examiner)
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
Photo: Filipinos Protest BHB Billiton Mining In South
Villagers oppose stage a rally Monday, March 3, 2008 in front of the BHP Billiton's office in Mati town in Davao Oriental province to protest its mining operation in Mount Hamiguitan, a protected area and considered as a sacred mountain, in the southern Philippines. BHP Billiton is the worlds largest mining company as a result of a merge between Australia's BHP and the UK's Billiton. (Photo by Keith Bacongco/LRC-KSK)
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
5 Soldiers Killed In Southern RP Clash
DAVAO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Jan. 30, 2008) – At least 5 soldiers were killed and six more wounded in fierce clashes Wednesday with communist insurgents in the southern Philippines, army commanders said.
The fighting broke out near the village of Campawan in the seaside town of Baganga in Davao Oriental province where troops attacked a stronghold of the New People’s Army (NPA). It was not immediately known how many insurgents were killed in the fighting, but General Ernesto Boac, commander of the 10th Infantry Division, said security forces were pursuing about 70 gunmen.
“Five of my soldiers are killed and there is an ongoing operation in the area. We are pursuing NPA terrorists,” Boac told the Mindanao Examiner.
He said villagers were also helping authorities by providing information about the NPA, blamed for the string of attacks on government and civilians targets in the province the past years.
Col. Benito de Leon, a regional army spokesman, said at least six soldiers were also wounded in the fighting and that villagers have reported undetermined number of enemy casualties. “We are awaiting reports from our ground commanders in Baganga town. Six soldiers are wounded in the fighting,” he said in a separate interview.
There was no immediate statement from the NPA about the clashes or its casualties, but Philippine military chief General Hermogenes Esperon has previously ordered a heightened offensive against the insurgents, which are fighting to overthrow the democratic government and install a Maoist state in the country.
The Philippine government opened peace talks with the insurgents, but negotiations collapsed in 2004 after the United States listed the Communist Party of the Philippines and the NPA and its political arm, the National Democratic Front, as foreign terrorist organizations on Manila's prodding.
The NPA is estimated to have about 7,500 armed members, but the military said the number has dwindled to a little over 5,000. Aside from communist insurgency, Manila is also fighting Muslim secessionist rebels and Abu Sayyaf terrorists in the southern region. (Mindanao Examiner)
The fighting broke out near the village of Campawan in the seaside town of Baganga in Davao Oriental province where troops attacked a stronghold of the New People’s Army (NPA). It was not immediately known how many insurgents were killed in the fighting, but General Ernesto Boac, commander of the 10th Infantry Division, said security forces were pursuing about 70 gunmen.
“Five of my soldiers are killed and there is an ongoing operation in the area. We are pursuing NPA terrorists,” Boac told the Mindanao Examiner.
He said villagers were also helping authorities by providing information about the NPA, blamed for the string of attacks on government and civilians targets in the province the past years.
Col. Benito de Leon, a regional army spokesman, said at least six soldiers were also wounded in the fighting and that villagers have reported undetermined number of enemy casualties. “We are awaiting reports from our ground commanders in Baganga town. Six soldiers are wounded in the fighting,” he said in a separate interview.
There was no immediate statement from the NPA about the clashes or its casualties, but Philippine military chief General Hermogenes Esperon has previously ordered a heightened offensive against the insurgents, which are fighting to overthrow the democratic government and install a Maoist state in the country.
The Philippine government opened peace talks with the insurgents, but negotiations collapsed in 2004 after the United States listed the Communist Party of the Philippines and the NPA and its political arm, the National Democratic Front, as foreign terrorist organizations on Manila's prodding.
The NPA is estimated to have about 7,500 armed members, but the military said the number has dwindled to a little over 5,000. Aside from communist insurgency, Manila is also fighting Muslim secessionist rebels and Abu Sayyaf terrorists in the southern region. (Mindanao Examiner)
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Extreme Poverty Drives Woman To Kill Self In South RP
DAVAO CITY (Mindanao Examiner / 30 May) – A Filipino woman, despondent over the family’s extreme poverty condition, committed suicide in the southern province of Davao Oriental, police said on Wednesday.
Police said the 44-year old Berlita Cahilig was found dead inside her room next to a bottle of pesticide in the village of Mahayag in Lupon town on Tuesday.
Investigators said the woman had been telling her neighbors about their poverty and the failure of government to help the poor.
Many Filipinos live below the poverty line and the lack of government livelihood programs have aggravated the situation in many areas in the Philippines’ poorest provinces. (Romy Bwaga)
Sunday, May 06, 2007
Rebels Confirm Holding Army Soldier As Prisoner Of War In Southern Philippines
DAVAO CITY (Mindanao Examiner / 06 May) – The New People’s Army on Sunday said it is holding captive a government soldier and will try him for war crimes in a people’s court in the southern Philippines.
Army detachment commander, Sgt. Albert Balodoya, was seized April 16 at a rebel checkpoint in the village of Aliwagwag in the town of Cateel in Davao Oriental province.
Police said the soldier was on his way to the town when rebels stopped him at the checkpoint. It said Balodoya may have mistaken the rebels for government soldiers because they were clad in military uniform.
Roel Agustin II, spokesman of the NPA’s Conrado Heredia Command, said they are holding Balodoya as a prisoner of war.
“A special investigative body was set-up by the Merardo Arce Command-Southern Mindanao Regional Operations Command-NPA to look into the possible war crimes and other serious violations of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law which may have been committed by POW SSgt. Balodoya in his 17 years of active participation in the counter-revolutionary war.”
“POW SSgt. Balodoya is the detachment commander of the 72nd Infantry Battalion-AFP; his detachment is nestled right in the midst of civilian communities in Aliwagwag, Cateel in Davao Oriental,” Agustin said in a statement sent to the independent regional newspaper, the Mindanao Examiner.
The NPA, armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, is fighting the government for more than four decades now for the establishment of a Maoist state in the country.
The rebels have previously seized government soldiers and policemen in the countryside and put them on trial on their so-called people’s court.
Those found guilty of war crimes and serious human rights violations are executed, but most of the victims are freed after months of captivity to neutral groups, such as the International Committee of the Red Cross. (With a report from Juan Magtanggol)
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