Troops Capture Sayyaf Leader In Southern Philippines

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Nov. 5, 2008) – Government soldiers, aided by a former Abu Sayyaf militant, have captured Wednesday a sub-leader of the terrorist group tied to Jemaah Islamiya in the southern Philippines, officials said.

Officials said Sakirin Andalin Sali, who is facing a string of murder charges, was nabbed at around 9.45 a.m. in the town of Jolo in Sulu Island. “Sali was positively identified by a former Abu Sayyaf member, who is now working for the JTFC,” said Army Major Eugene Batara, a regional military spokesman.

Batara was referring to the military’s Joint Task Force Comet based in Sulu Island.

“The apprehension was successfully conducted with all units under the Joint Task Force Comet providing information about the suspect,” Batara said. “Sali did not offer any resistance when apprehended by the troops, who were quickly organized when information was received that the said personality is in the vicinity of Jolo town.”

He said Sali, who has P2 million bounties on his head, was under Abu Sayyaf leader Galib Andang and involved in kidnappings and attacks on soldiers on the island.

Andang, captured in 2003 in Sulu, was killed along with 22 mostly Abu Sayyaf prisoners in 2005 after police commandos ended an uprising at a maximum security prison in Manila.

Andang was one of Abu Sayyaf leaders who led group that kidnapped 21 Western tourists and local resort workers on the Malaysian island of Sipadan in 2001 and another resort in the central Philippines where 20 guests, including three US citizens were seized.

Authorities have tagged the Abu Sayyaf group in the February 2004 bombing of the Super Ferry 14, which killed more than 100 people in the worst maritime terrorist attack in the Philippines.

The 10,192-ton ship was sailing out of Manila, with about 900 passengers and crew, when a television set filled with TNT exploded. The Abu Sayyaf owned up the bombing.

The group was also behind the spate of kidnappings and bomb attacks across Mindanao, although the military said the number of militants had dwindled in recent years with the killings of many of its known commanders, including their leader Khadaffy Janjalani.

The Abu Sayyaf – which means The Bearer of the Sword - is one of four Moro rebel groups operating mostly in the southern Philippines.

It has been labeled a terrorist organization by both Manila and Washington, and is believed by the US to have links with the al-Qaeda terror network. The Philippine government, aided by the US military, has deployed thousands of troops in the south in an effort to eradicate Abu Sayyaf.

A faction of the Abu Sayyaf is still holding an aid worker, Millet Mendoza, who was kidnapping almost two month ago in Basilan Island, south of Zamboanga City. (Mindanao Examiner)

Photo: Jolo Fishermen Return

A group of fishermen return Wednesday, October 1, 2008 to Jolo town in the southern Philippines province of Sulu. The United States funded more than $13 million in various development projects in Sulu, one of six provinces under the Muslim autonomous region, since early this year as part of Washington's commitment to support Manila's peace efforts, according to Governor Sakur Tan. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)

Philippine Army Recalls Troops In Sulu

Policemen, armed with assault rifle, man the traffic at a busy road in the town of Jolo in the southern Philippine province of Sulu. Hundreds of soldiers have been recalled by the Army and will be redeployed in Mindanao Island as part of a new strategy to combat insurgency. Marines have taken over the role of the Army in counter-insurgency in Sulu and also in the province of Tawi-Tawi and Basilan, all part of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)

SULU, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Apr. 15, 2008) – The Philippine Army recalled hundreds of soldiers from the southern province of Sulu as part of the military’s new deployment strategy, officials said Tuesday.

In January, thousands of army soldiers were also pulled out from Sulu and deployed to other provinces in Mindanao Island. The Philippine Marines will solely take over the security operation in Sulu, about 950 kilometers from Manila.

Officials said the latest pull out of soldiers, which began Sunday, will realign marine and army forces in the Sulu Archipelago and Mindanao. Marine soldiers are also in Tawi-Tawi and Basilan provinces.

The army troops would be deployed in central Mindanao, a stronghold of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the country’s largest Muslim separatist rebel group.

Ten of thousands of troops were sent to Sulu the past years to fight the Abu Sayyaf group tied to al-Qaeda of Usama bin Laden and the Indonesian militant Jemaah Islamiya.

But many of the Abu Sayyaf’s known leaders had either been killed or captured and the group has dwindled over the past decade from more than a thousand fighters to about 200. And the group is fragmented and without a leader after Army special forces killed Khadaffy Janjalani, its chieftain, in a firefight in September 2006.

Janjalani, a former government spy, took over from his elder brother, Abubakar Abdurajak Janjalani after the Libyan firebrand was killed in a gun battle with policemen in Basilan Island in December 1998.

Marine Brigadier General Juancho Sabban, Sulu military chief, said there is no need to maintain a huge number of soldiers in the province because the troops have already accomplished their earlier missions with the killings and capture of many Abu Sayyaf members.

“Sulu needs fewer troops since the threat problems have remarkably dropped and the threat level is now more manageable,” Sabban said.

He attributed the success of the military operations to effective intelligence and through various development and humanitarian projects in partnership with the Sulu provincial government.

Sulu Governor Sakur Tan is active in humanitarian mission and has lined up various development projects in mostly poor areas in the province’s 19 towns. Just last month, Tan funded the construction of at least 50 bamboo houses, worth over P26,500 each, for poor Badjao families in Tandu Bato in Luuk town.

The project called “Operation Kandili – Preserving a unique culture through providing homes for the Badjao,” is a partnership between the Philippine Marines and the Sulu provincial government, Tan said.

At least 50 more bamboo houses in Luuk town will be constructed soon. Tan also donated a basketball court in the village and pledged to release more funding for education and poverty alleviation programs.

”We have been funding and implementing a lot of projects in Sulu and all these are part of our peace and development programs. We want a culture of peace and this can be achieved through education and basic infrastructure projects and with the participation of course, of the people themselves,” he said

Sabban said the Abu Sayyaf is now on the run because of the sustained military campaign and the lack of support from Muslims in Sulu.

“Intelligence reports disclosed that the Abu Sayyaf group is experiencing leadership and funding problems which barred them from launching more major attacks. The ASG is losing its appeal and influence. Even within their ranks, followers are no longer convinced of the groups’ aspirations.” “Nevertheless, the remaining soldiers will continue to uphold the utmost level of vigilance and defense. They will stand tall and unfazed in confronting terrorism and defeat it,” Sabban said.

Last week, policemen and soldiers rescued a local trader, Rosalie Lao, kidnapped by the Abu Sayyaf in Jolo town in January, after a brief running gun battle. Lao was the last Abu Sayyaf hostage in Sulu.

Six local traders selling gasoline were also kidnapped last week, but freed later after their families paid ransom. Police said the old debt triggered the kidnapping of the men.

Authorities have blamed the MILF and the Abu Sayyaf in the twin bombings over the weekend in Zamboanga City. Although no one was killed or injured in the attacks, the military appealed to citizens to stay vigilant.

“We appeal to the public to remain calm and we assure the situation is under control and now back to normal. Police and military have intensified its efforts to keep the city and other places secure and safe from terrorist threats,” said Air Force Major Gamal Hayudini, commander of the military’ 4th Civil Relations Group. (Mindanao Examiner)

Photos: Sulu Tourism Campaign Posters

Sulu province tourism campaign posters for April 2008. (Mindanao Examiner Productions)

Photo: Jolo Wharf In South RP

A ship is anchored Tuesday, April 06, 2008 at the port of Jolo in the southern Philippine province of Sulu. Sulu province, considered a gateway to the oil-rich Malaysian state of Sabah, is a major trading point in the southern region and is rich in marine resources and famous for its crabs, lobsters and tiger prawns. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)

Now Accepting Sponsorships, Ads For TV, Cable Debut Of Documentary Film "Sulu"

Mindanao Examiner Productions are now accepting sponsors for the television and cable television premiere of the documentary film “Sulu,” which will be shown in January in Zamboanga City and Sulu province.

Sponsors will also receive a free copy of “Sulu,” one of more than two dozens films shown Dec. 5-11, 2007 at the film festival held in Manila. The film, along with others, will also be shown in Japan, Canada and East Timor in 2008.



Minor Sponsor P 10,000 ($250) – 2 spots at 15 seconds each (for Zamboanga City or Sulu showing)



Major Sponsor P 20,000 ($450) – 2 spots at 15 seconds each (for both Zamboanga City and Sulu showings)



For advertising insertion, please submit all text, video, photos or logos by to the Mindanao Examiner.



Please make all checks payable to: Mindanao Examiner C/A 9525 8057 32, Bank of the Philippine Islands, Veterans Branch, Zamboanga City.



Or call our Marketing and Advertising Department at telephone & fax: +6362 9925480 or mobile phones: +63915 2756606, +63919 3587983 or e-mail us at mindanaoexaminer@gmail.com.



Production & Sales Offices: Units 1 & 2, 3/F MP Towers, Nunez St., Zamboanga City 7000 Philippines














"SULU" - 2007 / Documentary.



KONTRA-AGOS RESISTANCE FILM FESTIVAL December 5-11, 2007 at Indie Sine, Robinson’s Galleria, Manila



Plot:

Born of a Muslim mother, young writer Arthur Sakaluran Abasalo decides to visit Sulu despite the perceived strife and presence of Muslim rebels and Abu Sayyaf terrorists. In Sulu, he meets a former Muslim rebel-turned policeman who tells him about his life story and how he got separated from his family for more than a decade.



He returns to Sulu to start a new life after being reunited with his family.Arthur returns to Manila after a short stay in Sulu, bringing with him memorable stories and truths about the island feared by many as a dangerous place to go.



This film, along with six other short films from Mindanao, had its World Premiere on December 6, 2007 at Indie Sine, Robinson's Galleria, Ortigas Center in Pasig City. A Mindanao Examiner Production. Directed by Al Jacinto



Part of the proceeds will go to the street children in Sulu province.

Sulu Province – The Land Of Treasures

A diver examines his scuba gear at Ramos beach in Panglima Tahil town in Sulu province in southern Philippines. (Photo courtesy of Sulu Provincial Tourism Council)

SULU, Philippines - Far-flung Sulu is the southernmost part of the Philippines, lying between the Sulu Sea on the north and the Celebes Sea on the south. With fishing as its most important industry, it is classified as a First Class Province in terms of income.

The glorious Sulu Sea is dotted with coral reefs, such as the pearl farm at Marungas Island, and provides some of the world's best dive spots. Tubbataha Reef is its best known site, a 33,200-hectare underwater splendor drawing divers from all over the world with its marvelous marine wilderness and special ecosystem.

Because of its fabulous beauty, the Tubbataha Reef Marine Park was honored by UNESCO in December 1993 as the first natural site in the Philippines to be inscribed in the prestigious World Heritage List.
It is the best known site in the Sulu Sea, drawing divers from all over the world with its underwater splendor and the rich marine life that abounds in the reef. Snappers, sweet-lips, groupers, angel fish, and morays can be found amid huge fan corals and sponges.

Large schools of barracudas, jacks, rainbow runners, and surgeons pass by while tunas race about.

The Sulu provincial capital is Jolo town. Its walled city is the smallest in the world, with its historic brick walls that lay proof to the city’s historic past.

Another attraction of the city is the Provincial Capitol with its moorish-inspired architectural design.

The province nurtures a harmonious coexistence of the two most dominant religions in the Philippines, Islam and Catholicism. There are beautiful Muslim mosques situated in each village, most notable being the majestic Tulay Mosque which now towers the Sulu skyline.

The existing churches of Christian faith in the province are the Jolo Parish Church, Sacred Heart of Jesus Chapel, and Jolo Evangelical Church.

Geography

Sulu consists of over 400 scattered and almost isolated islands, stretching from the tip of Zamboanga southwestward towards Borneo.

It forms one of the three connections of the Philippines with Sabah. Sulu Gov. Sakur Tan is planning to convert some of these islands into world-class resorts because of their pristine and white sand beaches to help promote tourism.

Climate

Sulu is outside of the typhoon belt. Its climate is warm. Humidity is generally moist, but precipitation is constant throughout the year. February is considered the coldest month while May to August are the hottest, with mean relative humidity of 86%, one of the hottest in the country.

January to April is considered the dry period, with a monthly average of 7 to 9 inches of rainfall. The mean annual temperature is 26 degrees centigrade and the maximum is 27 degrees centigrade.

Language and Dialect

The principal dialect of the natives of Sulu is Tausug. The rest speak Samal and other dialects such as Visayan, Chavacano and Tagalog. English is widely spoken in Sulu.

Major Industries

While there is an absence of huge mineral deposits, Sulu nevertheless abounds in marine and timber resources and is believed rich in fossil fuel. Lying outside the typhoon belt, it is blessed with a year-round bounty from both land and sea.

Due to the character of the soil and climate, the province of Sulu grows a greater variety of products than any other part of the country. In addition to all the crops of the islands, which are abaca, coconut, and fruits like oranges, lanzones, and jacks, other fruits that do not grow in the northern islands are harvested here, such as the mangosteen berries and durian.

In September, some six tons of mangosteen and durian were shipped out to supermarkets in Manila and the fruits were completely sold out in hours. The shipment, Sulu Gov. Tan says, is part of the Fruits for Hope program. The international non-government organization, the Asia-American Initiative and Filipino Senator Richard Gordon also helped in the Fruit for Hope program.

Fishing is the most important industry. Sea turtles and fish of all kinds are caught. Otherwise the people engage in the industries of boat building, mat weaving, coffee processing, and fruit preservation (durian and mangosteen).

Trepang and pearls are extensively gathered in Sulu. Trepang, also called bêche-de-mer, is a sea cucumber of the genus Holothuria of the southern Pacific and Indian oceans, and is often dried or smoked for use as an ingredient in soup, especially in China and Indonesia. (Department of Tourism/Sulu Provincial Tourism Council)

US, RP Move Supplies, Infra Equipment In Sulu

A US convoy transporting supplies and equipment for infrastructure passes Thursday 27 Sept, 2007 through a village in Indanan town in Sulu province in southern Philippines. Washington has poured $3.7 million in development projects in Sulu to help in Manila's peace efforts. Sulu Gov. Sakur Tan said the money will be used for the repair of the Jolo airport and the putting up of a potable water system in the province. Last month, the US signed a $190 million grant aid for various infrastructure projects in Mindanao island. (Mindanao Examiner Photo Service)

SULU ISLAND, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / 27 Sept) – US and Filipino soldiers deployed in Sulu have began moving supplies and equipment for infrastructure projects on Thursday as more countries pledged to help develop the southern Philippine province.

The soldiers were spotted passing in the town of Indanan in several trucks and jeeps transporting equipment to the delight of the locals. “We have projects to do here…for the people,” one Filipino soldier yelled as their truck headed to Indanan.

Hundreds of US troops are stationed in Sulu and helping Filipino soldiers carry out humanitarian missions on the request of the Philippine government. The US is also training local troops in anti-terrorism warfare.

Sulu Gov. Sakur Tan said some countries, including Syria, have expressed to help in peace and development projects in the province.

“We welcome all assistance and aid from donor countries and international nongovernmental organizations to promote peace and development in the region,” he told the Mindanao Examiner.

Tan did not say what other countries have pledged to help Sulu, but on Monday the United States and Britain unveiled a huge package of development projects in the province in an effort to help Manila bring peace and progress in the region.

Ambassadors Kristie Kenney, of the United States, and Peter Beckingham, of the British Embassy, arrived in Jolo town and announced a $3 million funding for the repair of the local airport and the installation of a $700,000 potable water system in Sulu.

Tan said the US and British projects will help a lot of people in Sulu, one of five provinces under the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

It was on top of the $190 million development and economic growth agreement the US signed last week to help fund other projects in Mindanao. (Mindanao Examiner)

Sulu To Become Like RP's Boracay Resorts Or Thailand's Phuket

One of the many white sands beach in Sulu province. Sulu is embarking on an ambitious tourism program that will make it like world-famous resorts similar to Phuket in Thailand. (Mindanao Examiner Photo Service)

SULU, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / 16 Sept) – Sulu province in the southern Philippines may soon become an island resort similar to Boracay in central Philippines or even Phuket in Thailand as part of a new tourism plan to lure Filipino and foreign visitors.

Governor Sakur Tan said they would convert some of Sulu’s islands and pristine beaches into resorts, complete with amenities and business centers and land and water vessels to transport holiday-makers.

“We wanted to develop Sulu into one of the most beautiful places in the Philippines and we are pursuing an ambitious program to promote tourism and also trade and investments,” Tan told reporters.

Tan said the plan to put up world-class resorts in Sulu would probably begin in 2008 and would take between one to two years to finish. “We are now working on this project,” he said.

Aside from Sulu’s white-sands beaches, Tan said the province also boasts of dive sites and is rich in marine resources.

Tan said Sulu would also begin shipping live marine products, such as groupers and lobsters and abalone to buyers in Manila and Hong Kong, Japan and Taiwan.

He said that there is plan to put up an air cargo and passenger airlines in Sulu to further help local fishermen and cooperatives sell their products, from coffee beans to live marine animals.

“This is a long-term plan that will help many people and cooperatives in Sulu and eventually the province will become a center of marine trade in the southern Philippines. We can supply huge marine products to buyers,” Tan said.

He said the province is also abundant in copra and exotic fruits, such as durian and mangosteen berries and has a steady supply of high-grade abaca ropes.

Just this month, Sulu shipped out about six tons of durian and mangosteen to markets in Manila as part of the so-called “Invest in Peace and Prosperity - Fruits of Hope program.”

The international nongovernmental organization, Asia-America Initiative, headed by Albert Santoli, has supported the program and promised to help even more by tapping other NGOs to help support the peace and development in Sulu.

Sen. Richard Gordon said the government is putting more efforts in Sulu and other areas in Mindanao to help farmers sell their products.

President Gloria Arroyo in August ordered a "humanitarian and development offensive" in Jolo island.

Sen. Loren Legarda has filed a bill proposing the creation of a special economic zone and free port in Jolo island to promote and hasten the industrial and economic development of the area.

The SSEZA shall be provided with transportation, telecommunication, and other facilities needed to attract legitimate and productive foreign investments, generates linkage with industries and create employment opportunities for the people of the province, she said. (Mindanao Examiner)

Sulu Provincial Government Launches Own News Organ

The Sulu Gazette, official newsletter of the Sulu Provincial Government. It provides latest news and information about the provincial government under Governor Sakur Tan. The monthly Sulu Gazette is also distributed by the Mindanao Examiner in some areas in the Muslim autonomous region, Zamboanga Peninsula, Davao City, Cebu City and Manila.

Military Engineers Arrive In Basilan Island For Humanitarian Projects

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / 08 Sept) – Some 500 soldiers arrived Saturday in Basilan to take part on a massive government infrastructure projects aimed at winning hearts and minds of Muslims on the island, south of the Philippines where security forces are pursuing Abu Sayyaf militants.

The soldiers were part of the four army and air force engineering battalions that left Manila on Sept. 5 on orders from President Gloria Arroyo. They arrived in the town of Lamitan, where senior military and provincial government officials welcomed them in a ceremony witnessed by hundreds of locals.

The soldiers also unloaded bulldozers and other heavy equipment they will use to finish a P800 million, 165-kilometer circumferential road projects on the island stalled since 1995.

While the engineers work to finish the road projects, security forces on the other hand are pursuing more than a hundred Abu Sayyaf militants and Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels implicated in the killings of about 3 dozen soldiers since July in Basilan.

Arroyo released tens of millions of pesos for the projects and at the same time ordered the military to finish off the Abu Sayyaf before her presidency ends on 2010.

The government also began a massive developmental and humanitarian project for the island of Jolo, where local provincial officials headed by Gov. Sakur Tan have embarked on a massive program to promote tourism and investments.

On Monday, a C-130 military transport plane will fly to Jolo island with Senator Richard Gordon, former Tourism Secretary, to pick up tons of exotic fruits, such as durian and mangosteen berries and help market the produce in Manila.

Tan said the fruits would be sold to supermarkets and in agricultural trade fairs. He said aside from fruits, Jolo island is also exporting coffee beans, which is abundant in the province.

“We are now embarking on tourism promotion and investment programs in coordination with the different government agencies,” he told the Mindanao Examiner. (Mindanao Examiner)

9 Cops Hurt In Jolo Ravine Fall

JOLO ISLAND, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / 03 Sept) – A police patrol car fell off a ravine injuring 9 passengers in the southern Philippine island of Jolo, their commander said Monday.

Superintendent Ahiron Ajirim said the driver lost control of the wheel while negotiating a road in the village of Gagil in Panglima Estino town on Saturday.

“It was an accident. Five of my policemen are still in the hospital and one cop broke his hand while the others are recuperating at home,” Ajirim told the Mindanao Examiner.

He said the car was part of a convoy of three vehicles heading to the town’s center to inspect policemen. “The patrol car fell ten feet into the ravine,” he said. (Mindanao Examiner)

Jolo Officials Hold Seminar On Responsible Reporting

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Jolo Island Sheds Off Bad Image, Gets New Face

Clouds cover a mountain and the magnificent Tulay Mosque in Jolo island in the Sulu Archipelago in southern Philippines. Jolo Governor Sakur Tan is embarking on a massive tourism program aim at luring investors and visitors to the island, about 950 kilometers south of Manila. (Mindanao Examiner Photo Service)

JOLO ISLAND, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / 31 Aug) – Jolo is undergoing a major face-lift, literally, shedding its skin of bad news and putting on a new face to once more bring back its lost glory as one of the most beautiful island in southern Philippines.

Jolo Governor Sakur Tan said he is embarking on an ambitious tourism program that will lure travelers to the island, where dive sites, pristine beaches and virgin forest resorts are the main attractions, of course aside from its rich cultural heritage and exotic fruits and fresh seafood and mother-of-pearls.

“There is always this wrong impression that our place is dangerous or that there are fighting everywhere. Taosug or the local people are friendly and hospitable. There is no strife here, although operation to maintain peace and order is just but natural in any place.”

“We have a good and sound economy. We exports our famous coffee and exotic fruits and other products to other regions and provinces. Air and sea travel is not a problem. We want to be known as one of the best place to go in the Philippines,” Tan told the Mindanao Examiner.

Next week, a C-130 transport plane will pick up a cargo of mangosteen berries and durian fruits for shipment to supermarkets and agriculture and trade fairs in Manila.

Sen. Loren Legarda has filed a bill proposing the creation of a special economic zone and free port in Jolo island to promote and hasten the industrial and economic development of the area.

She said the bill allows foreign individuals and organizations to invest in the zone. Investors shall be granted fiscal incentives and tax exemptions.

“The bill answers the need for development in the area through the creation of a special economic zone and free port,” Legarda said.

Tan welcomed the proposal and said the zone will attract Filipino and foreign investors and give livelihood opportunity to many people.

“This is a good proposal. Put up an economic zone and turn the province into a trading hub that will open new gateway to Malaysia and neighboring countries to promote business and tourism,” he said.

Once approved, it shall be managed and operated by the Sulu Special Economic Zone and Free Port Authority (SSEZA) headed by a board of directors.

The SSEZA shall be provided with transportation, telecommunication, and other facilities needed to attract legitimate and productive foreign investments, generates linkage with industries and create employment opportunities for the people of the province, she said.

Tan said he would invite newspaper editors, television and radio reporters to Jolo and see for themselves that there is no truth to all the negative publicity journalists have written about the island.

“We are appealing to the Philippine media to be responsible and write only the truth about the island. We are not a war-torn island as depicted in news articles about Jolo. We are inviting every one to come and visit us and see the beauty of the island we call home,” he said.

Jolo island, known in the Philippines as Sulu province, was once under the Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo. Although consisting of a mixed community of Muslims and Christians, the Taosugs dominate the Sulu Archipelago.

The Taosugs were among the first Filipinos to embrace Islam as a religion and a way of life. Their traditional religion-political structure is the sultanate. The sultan is the head of all ranks within the sultanate. (Mindanao Examiner)

RP Army Chief Flies To Jolo Island To Lead Fight Vs Terrorists, Insurgents

Philippine Army chief General Romeo Tolentino is welcomed at the Western Mindanao Command headquarters in Zamboanga City. (Mindanao Examiner Photo Service)

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / 13 Aug) – Philippine Army chief General Romeo Tolentino flew to Jolo island to lead fresh offensive against the al-Qaeda-linked terrorist groups Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiya.

Thousands of soldiers are on the island, about 950 kilometers south of Manila, where two Jemaah Islamiya bombers Dulmatin and Umar Patek are fighting alongside with the Abu Sayyaf.

Philippine military chief General Hermogenes Esperon on Monday said the two bombers helped local militants and other insurgents fight security forces that killed 26 soldiers since last week.

“We have a report that they were in the encounters,” Esperon said at news conference in Manila.

Jakarta tagged Dulmatin and Patek as behind the 2002 bombings in the island resort of Bali that killed 202 people, mostly tourists. They are believed to have fled in 2003 to the southern Philippines and provided bomb-making to Filipino terrorists.

The United States has offered as much as US$10 million bounty for Dulmatin's capture and US$1 million for Patek's and US$ 5 million for known Abu Sayyaf leaders under the Rewards for Justice System.

Jolo army chief Colonel Antonio Supnet said the two bombers and some leaders of the Abu Sayyaf were being protected by rogue members of the Moro National Liberation Front, which signed a peace treaty with Manila in 1996.

He said as many as 40 gunmen were killed in fierce clashes in Jolo island. Troops were also pursuing an Abu Sayyaf faction and members of another rebel group, Moro Islamic Liberation Front, implicated in the killing of 14 Marines, ten of whom beheaded and mutilated in ferocious battle last month.

President Gloria Arroyo had ordered Tolentino to “pitch camp in Zamboanga” and oversee the theater of operations from the Western Mindanao Command headquarters.

“I am sending my army chief to the frontlines where he can be near my soldiers,” she said.

Esperon on Sunday accompanied Defense chief Gilbert Teodoro to Jolo and Basilan island where they inspected troops and visited the wounded. (Mindanao Examiner)

JI Bombers, Sayyaf Terrorists Protected By MNLF, Says RP Military

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / 11 Aug) – The Philippine military has accused the country’s former rebel group Moro National Liberation Front of coddling Jemaah Islamiya bombers, including Abu Sayyaf terrorists in Jolo island.

Troops are pursuing the bombers Dulmatin and Umar Patek, who masterminded the deadly 2002 Bali bombings, and leaders of the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf group in Jolo island, about 950 kilometers south of the Philippine capital.

But Colonel Antonio Supnet, the island’s army chief, said MNLF members, whose group signed a peace deal with Manila in 1996, are protecting Dulmatin and Patek and Abu Sayyaf militants. They also attacked government soldiers pursuing the terrorists, sparking fierce clashes since Wednesday in Jolo.

He said Dulmatin and Patek and other Abu Sayyaf terrorists are hiding inside MNLF areas and being shrouded by the peace accord.

Manila blamed the Abu Sayyaf and the Jemaah Islamiya for the series of deadly bombings in the country. The U.S. listed the two groups as foreign terrorist organizations.

Officials said 26 soldiers were killed and that more than a dozen injured in the clashes. “We will pursue the terrorists no matter where they hide or whoever is protecting them,” Supnet told the Mindanao Examiner.

The fighting, which erupted Wednesday, have already killed at least 57 people from both sides and sporadic clashes still continue in at least three towns – Parang, Indanan and Maimbung.

More government troops arrived Saturday in Jolo island to help more than 4,000 soldiers fighting the terrorists and rebels. At last 10,000 villagers have fled their homes for fear they would be caught in the battle, according to the island’s governor Sakur Tan.

Tan has ordered security forces to ensure the safety of the refugees and also social workers delivering humanitarian aids.

“We must ensure the safety of everybody and the security of vital government installations. We don’t want the fighting to escalate in civilian areas,” he said in a separate interview.

Supnet said troops have killed two sub-leaders of the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf group, Marag Asti and Salip Edimar, including a veteran commander of the Moro National Liberation Front in a clash in Jolo.

He said Asti and Edimar were working for Radulan Sahiron, one of the most senior Abu Sayyaf leaders on the island wanted by the United States and the Philippines for the spate of kidnappings of foreigners and terrorism in the troubled South.

“And when we recovered the body of Salip Edimar, we also got his wallet and there was his identification card – he’s a member of the MNLF and his ID card bore the signature of Nur Misuari, the chieftain of the MNLF,” Supnet said.

Misuari is currently in jail on rebellion charges after his forces tried, but failed to overrun a military base on the island in 2000. Misuari, disgusted with the peace agreement, fled to Malaysia, but was arrested there and later deported to Manila.

He accused Manila of reneging in the peace deal and for failing to uplift the poor living standards of many Muslims in the South. Under the agreement, the Philippines is to provide a mini-marshal plan and housing and livelihood to tens of thousands of former rebels. (Mindanao Examiner)

2 Sayyaf, MNLF Commanders Killed In Jolo Island

Funeral parade in Zamboanga City on Friday Aug.10, 2007 for slain soldiers in Jolo island. (Mindanao Examiner Photo Service)

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / 10 Aug) – Philippine soldiers have killed two sub-leaders of the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf group, including a veteran commander of the Moro National Liberation Front in fierce fighting in the southern island of Jolo, officials said Friday.

Officials said the fighting, which erupted Wednesday, have already killed at least 57 people from both sides and sporadic clashes still continue in at least three towns.

Thousands of villagers have fled their homes for fear they would be caught in the battle.

Officials said 26 soldiers were killed and that more than a dozen injured in the clashes in the towns of Parang, Indanan and Maimbung.

Colonel Antonio Supnet, the island’s army chief, told the Mindanao Examiner that troops killed Marag Asti and Salip Edimar, both sub-leader of the Abu Sayyaf.

“Troops killed the two Abu Sayyaf sub-leaders in the fighting,” he said, adding the two terrorists were under Radulan Sahiron, one of the most senior Abu Sayyaf leader on the island wanted by the United States and the Philippines for the spate of kidnappings of foreigners and terrorism in the troubled South.

One soldier, Pfc. Abdulhari Bittong, who was wounded in the fighting, said his group also killed a MNLF rebel leader Jahili in the fighting on Thursday in Indanan town.

“We slew MNLF leader Jahili in fierce fighting,” he said Friday from his hospital bed in Zamboanga City.

The bodies of five soldiers have arrived in Zamboanga City on Friday and officials said 14 more are arriving on Saturday by boat. The seven remaining cadavers of Muslim soldiers were buried in Jolo island.

Supnet said they were pursuing Abu Sayyaf gunmen coddling Jemaah Islamiya bombers Dulmatin and Umar Patek in Jolo island when dozens of militants aided by the MNLF attacked troops on Thursday, sparking daylong clashes.

Jakarta tagged both Dulmatin and Patek as behind the 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202 people, including 88 Australian holidaymakers.

Army Lieutenant General Eugenio Cedo, chief of the Western Mindanao Command, has ordered the military to step up offensive against the terrorists in Jolo island, where hundreds of U.S. troops are helping local soldiers fight terrorism.

Manila blamed the Abu Sayyaf and the Jemaah Islamiya for the series of deadly bombings in the country. The U.S. listed the two groups as foreign terrorist organizations.

While the MNLF, despite signing a peace deal with the Philippine government in September 1996, had attacked troops in Jolo many times in the past. Its chieftain, Nur Misuari, is currently in jail on rebellion charges after his forces tried, but failed to overrun a military base on the island in 2000. (Mindanao Examiner)

Blast Kills 4 In Jolo Island, AFP Says

ZAMBOANGA CITY (Mindanao Examiner / 21 Jul) – The Philippine military said four people had died and four others wounded in a blast in the southern island of Jolo.

The blast destroyed a market store in downtown Jolo, a regional army spokesman, Maj. Eugene Batara.

“Four people were killed in the blast inside a market store in Jolo. Four people were also wounded and rushed to hospital,” Batara told the Mindanao Examiner.

Army Brig. Gen. Ruperto Pabustan, commander of an anti-terrorist task force in Jolo, earlier said that the explosion ripped through a house in downtown Jolo. Its occupants, he said, were allegedly assembling homemade bombs.

He said the explosives would probably be used in illegal fishing, which is rampant in the Sulu Sea.

Pabustan has ordered security forces to arrest those involved in illegal fishing and individuals engaged in selling explosives and chemicals used in the manufacture of homemade bombs.

Troops are battling the Moro National Liberation Front rebels and members of the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf group and the Jemaah Islamiya on the island.

Soldiers in April seized 600 kilos of ammonium nitrate from a mini-bus in Jolo's Panamao town and another 25 kilos at a government checkpoint in Zamboanga City in the western part of Mindanao island. (Mindanao Examiner)

4 Killed In Explosion In Restive Philippine Island

JOLO ISLAND (Mindanao Examiner / 21 Jul) – A powerful explosion killed four people and wounded two others at dawn Saturday in the restive southern island of Jolo, where US-backed Filipino troops are hunting down Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiya militants, officials said.

Officials said the blast ripped through a house in downtown Jolo island where its occupants were allegedly assembling homemade bombs.

Other reports said six people had died from the explosion.

But Army Brig. Gen. Ruperto Pabustan, commander of an anti-terrorist task force in Jolo, said four people were killed in the explosion at around 3.30 a.m.

“Initial reports said the blast inside the house was apparently accidental after a dynamite suddenly exploded, wounding two persons,” Pabustan told the Mindanao Examiner.

He said the explosives would probably be used in illegal fishing, which is rampant in the Sulu Sea.

Pabustan has ordered security forces to arrest those involved in illegal fishing and individuals engaged in selling explosives and chemicals used in the manufacture of homemade bombs.

Troops are battling the Moro National Liberation Front rebels and members of the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf group and the Jemaah Islamiya on the island.

Hundreds of US troops are stationed in Jolo island and helping local troops fight terroris.

Soldiers in April seized 600 kilos of ammonium nitrate from a mini-bus in Jolo’s Panamao town.

The chemical is widely used in the manufacture of homemade explosives in the troubled southern Philippine region. It was the second time that troops seized such chemical. In Zamboanga City, soldiers manning a checkpoint also recovered 25 kilos of ammonium nitrate from a passenger bus during a security check.

The chemical, concealed in a cardboard box, was discovered by soldiers in a bus at military checkpoint in the village of Mati in the outskirts of Zamboanga also in April. (Mindanao Examiner)

2 Soldiers Killed In Abu Sayyaf Ambush In South RP

ZAMBOANGA CITY (Mindanao Examiner / 17 Jul) – Suspected Abu Sayyaf militants attacked a Philippine marine patrol Tuesday morning, killing two soldiers and wounding another in the southern island of Jolo, officials said.

Officials said the attackers, numbering about 50, ambushed the soldiers while they were patrolling the village of Tugas in Patikul town at around 6 a.m. The ambushers also carted two automatic rifles from the slain soldiers.

Last week, Abu Sayyaf and Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels also ambushed marine soldiers in nearby Basilan island and killed 14 of them – ten beheaded.

‘There is an ongoing operation in Jolo against the Abu Sayyaf terrorists responsible for this attack,” Army Maj. Eugene Batara, a regional military spokesman, told the Mindanao Examiner.

Last month, the US Pacific commander, Adm. Timothy Keating, in a surprised visit in Jolo island, inspected a captured Abu Sayyaf mountain base in Tugas village in Patikul town, where the soldiers were ambushed.

Troops were pursuing Abu Sayyaf militants tied to al-Qaeda terror network and Jemaah Islamiya bombers on the island, about 950 km south of Manila.

The US is helping the Philippines defeat terrorism and have deployed hundreds of American troops in Jolo and other parts of restive southern region.

Army Lt. Gen. Eugenio Cedo, Western Mindanao Command chief, was quoted Monday by The Australian as saying that his group is close to capturing Jemaah Islamiya explosives expert Dulmatin hiding in Jolo island after an informant contacted the military offering to surrender the 2002 Bali bombing mastermind.

Security forces are also tracking down another Bali bomber Umar Patek, who is being coddled by the Abu Sayyaf group, in Jolo.

Cedo said he received a message last week from a member of the former rebel group, Moro National Liberation Front, who promised he could lead government soldiers to Dulmatin’s hideout in Jolo island, about 950 km south of Manila. “I think we have a good prospect of finding him,” Cedo said. “I received this message saying Dulmatin would be surrendered to us.”

He said the informant had even pinpointed the precise location of Dulmatin’s lair in Jolo island.
The US has offered a $10 million bounty for Dulmatin’s capture and $1 million for Patek’s head.

The Bali bombings killed 202 people, mostly foreigners, including 88 Australian holiday-makers.

The Philippine military, backed by US intelligence, mounted new offensive early this month against the Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiya terrorists. In many instances, villagers reported seeing heavily armed US soldiers in armored vehicles, with Filipino troops.

The offensive, codenamed Oplan: Ultimatum 2, is aimed at capturing - dead or alive - leaders of the Abu Sayyaf and the two Jemaah Islamiya bombers. Indonesian authorities also tagged the Jemaah Islamiya as behind the 2003 JW Marriott hotel car bombing that killed a dozen people and wounded over 150 others.

The US military provides technical intelligence to local troops because they are not allowed to participate in combat operation against the Abu Sayyaf or Jemaah Islamiya, both included in the US terror list. (Mindanao Examiner)