President Arroyo Cancels Trip To Sulu

A Filipino photojournalist speaks to soldiers guarding the Sulu airport Thursday, November 20, 2008. President Gloria Arroyo has canceled her trip to Sulu where she would have graced the conference on peace of dozens of Catholic and Protestant bishops and ulama because of bad weather condition.

National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzalez, center, and President Peace Adviser Hermogenes Esperon, left, feast on durian with Gov. Sakur Tan in Sulku province Thursday, November 20, 2008. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)

SULU, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Nov. 20, 2008) – Philippine leader Gloria Arroyo canceled her trip Thursday to Sulu province where she was invited to grace the conference on peace of the Catholic and Protestant bishops and ulama.

Francis Dacer, of the Presidential Management Staff, said the President aborted her trip because of bad weather condition. “We are so sorry but the President cannot come to Sulu because of bad weather condition. She waited for an hour in Zamboanga for the weather to clear, but there is no way the President can come,” he told local officials and reporters here.

Supporters of President Arroyo and local officials were dismayed by the cancellation of the trip, saying, they had prepared a huge welcome in Sulu.

But Sulu Gov. Sakur Tan said the safety of the President is more important than the preparation of her visit. “The safety of President Arroyo is more important than anything else. The President will visit us soon,” he said.

President Arroyo’s security and peace advisers Norberto Gonzales and Hermogenes Esperon arrived earlier in the day and attended the Bishops-Ulama Conference held at the Notre Dame University.

Security was tight the entire day. The President canceled her trip two days after Abu Sayyaf militants ambushed a Filipino and US military convoy in Indanan town.

There were no reports of casualties from the military side, but one militant was wounded in the exchange of gunfire, according to a report by the local ABS-CBN television network, quoting, Col. Eugene Clemen, commander of the Philippine Marines 3rd Brigade in Sulu.

He said the soldiers were on their way to inspect an infrastructure project when they were ambushed, it said. The attack coincided with the capture of an Abu Sayyaf bomber Almid Jundam in Sulu on Tuesday. Jundam is a notorious member of the Abu Sayyaf's urban terrorist group, who was behind the planting of a homemade bomb at the Sulu airport runway on Saturday.

But Maj. Gen. Juancho Sabban, commander of military forces in Sulu, quickly denied the report. “That's not true. It did not happen,” he said.

Col. Joseph Mouer, commander of US forces deployed in Sulu, did not want to give any statement and told reporters to interview local military officials.

“I cannot give any statement, you should ask the local commanders,” he said.In August, Abu Sayyaf militants also ambushed a Philippine and US military convoy in Sulu, killing four Filipino soldiers and wounded ten more in the village of Bonbon in Patikul town.

The incident was also not reported to the local media, but the Guam Army National Guard released a brief statement confirming that one of its servicemen was unharmed following an attack on his unit in Sulu.

The US soldier was not identified, but the Guam Army National Guard said the serviceman is attached to a platoon with the 294th Infantry Regiment deployed in May in Sulu to aide in the ongoing conflict there.

The Philippine military and the US Embassy in Manila insisted no US soldiers were in the attacked convoy.

American troops are training and assisting local soldiers in defeating terrorism in the southern Philippines on the request of the Philippine government. Earlier this month, Filipino soldiers also captured an Abu Sayyaf sub-leader Sakirin Andalan Sali and killed another militant, Faidar Hadjadi, in a firefight in Sulu. (Mindanao Examiner)

Sulu gets more US-funded projects

SULU, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Oct. 20, 2008) – US and Philippine soldiers involved in humanitarian missions in the southern province of Sulu are to hand over a finished road project, Governor Hajji Sakur Tan said Sunday.

Tan said the soldiers are also to begin the construction of an Area Coordinating Center, a facility that is established as a proactive, reactive, and post conflict mechanism to address various concerns at regional and local levels of governance and to solve problems of coordination and response.

The ACC, which cost over $150,000 each, will also function both as a system and as a council for planning, integrating, directing, supervising, and implementing line-up government programs and projects particularly on political, socioeconomic, cultural, religious, development, security and information issues.

Just last month, US and Philippine military officials also handed over to Tan and Mayor Hussin Amin an ACC building in Jolo town. More than a dozen ACC buildings have been handed over to provincial government since 2006 when US and Philippine troops began joint military trainings in Sulu dubbed as "Oplan: Balikatan," which means "shoulder-to-shoulder."

Tan said the 500-meter road project in Buansa village in Indanan town would be handed over to local government officials on Thursday in a ceremony to be attended by American and Filipino military officials.

"These projects are symbols of true democracy and unity. These ACC buildings and many other humanitarian and development projects will surely benefit our people and again we thank President George Bush and the American people for their support to our efforts to bring peace in the province," he said in a statement.

Marine Major General Juancho Sabban, commander of military forces in Sulu, said more than P1 billion have already been spent by US and Philippine militaries on various humanitarian and development projects in the province the past two years.

"It is not just about infrastructure or humanitarian projects, but we really wanted to help the poor communities and support peace efforts in Sulu. Peace efforts are our mandate, which do not only comprise the fight against terrorism, but as well as development initiatives, which incorporate reforms and investments in education and other social services to pave way for progress," Sabban said.

He said: "By winning the minds and hearts of the people, we can successfully break the will of those who rebel against the government and bring them back to the folds of the law."

Just recently, US Ambassador Kristie Kenney was in Sulu where she launched various development projects, among them the repair of the airport runway and the water system in the capital town of Jolo.

Tan said the projects are worth some $3.7 million and on top of the more than $190 million pledged by Washington last year for infrastructure and other development and humanitarian projects in Mindanao.

US troops are deployed in Sulu on the request of the Philippine government to train and advise the local military. They are also active in humanitarian missions and were working alongside with Filipino soldiers in development projects on poor areas in the province. (Mindanao Examiner)

US, RP Troops Finish School Buildings In Sulu

Photos released by the Philippine Marines shows Gov. Sakur Tan and Vice Gov. Lady Ann Sahidulla with Marines Maj. Gen. Juancho Sabban and US military commander Maj. Joseph Mouer during the hand-over ceremony of the school buildings in Maimbung town.

SULU, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Oct. 13, 2008) – Filipino and US soldiers have formally handed over to Sulu provincial officials three new school buildings they jointly constructed as part of humanitarian and development projects aimed at helping the local Muslim communities.

The projects were inaugurated over the weekend in Maimbung town by Sulu Gov. Sakur Tan and his deputy Lady Ann Sahidulla with Maj. Gen. Juancho Sabban, commander of the Philippine Marines and Maj. Joseph Mouer, the chief of US forces deployed in Sulu.

The buildings were handed over to representatives of the Department of Education and Bato Ugis Elementary School under Abdulmoin Lakibul and local town officials headed by Mayor Najib Maldisa.

“We may only be able to fully achieve our peace objective if we complement it with development. By doing so, we must do it together. Progress comes easily for a community where people are educated and well-informed,” Sabban said.

Tan, on the other hand, stressed the importance of education in Sulu and praised the soldiers for their efforts in building the schools. More than 50 schools have been built by Philippine and US troops since 2006 in Sulu.

“We will continue to support these humanitarian efforts to sustain the achievements of Sulu in promoting peace and development. My administration will always be behind these benevolent projects of the Armed Forces and the US military. We appreciate the efforts of the soldiers in bringing peace to this beautiful province we call home,” Tan said.

US troops have been training Philippine soldiers in Sulu and are active in humanitarian missions. The US has spent more than $10 million in various development projects in Sulu, according to Sabban. (With a report from Erico Rosco)

Sayyaf Falls In Sulu Island

A Philippine Marine photo shows arrested Abu Sayyaf militant Marcial Jabarot who was implicated in the kidnapping of a television presenter Ces Drilon in the southern island of Sulu.

SULU, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Oct. 12, 2008) – Philippine soldiers arrested an Abu Sayyaf militant implicated in the kidnapping of a television presenter in the southern island of Sulu, officials said.

Officials said soldiers arrested Marcial Jabarot alias Abu Cesar, after an operation in Jolo town before midnight Saturday.

Jabarot was one of four militants who escaped a police operation Saturday in Jolo town. Three of his companions were also captured late Friday afternoon after a firefight with police commandos that killed one Abu Sayyaf member, Adjili Sakilan.

“Our troops have been relentless in carrying out operations to seize the remaining outlaws. The government forces will continue to keep a close watch on other kidnappers on the loose,” said Marines Maj. Gen. Juancho Sabban, commander of military forces on the island.

Police foiled an Abu Sayyaf attempt to kidnap a grocery store owner in Jolo on Friday. But four militants managed to escape during the clash until soldiers captured Jabarot.

The militants were on a jeep and waiting for their victim when they noticed the presence of policemen and opened fire on them, sparking a firefight that left one gunman dead, said Senior Superintendent Julasirim Kasim, Sulu police chief.

Kasim said the captured militants were behind the kidnappings in June of an ABS-CBN television presenter Ces Drilon and her cameramen Jimmy Encarnacion and Angelo Valderama, including a Muslim university professor Octavio Dinampo, in Sulu's Maimbung town. They were freed a week later in exchange for a huge ransom.

Another Abu Sayyaf faction is holding two aid workers Esperancita Hupida and Millet Mendoza it kidnapped in Tipo-Tipo town in Basilan province last month. (Mindanao Examiner)

Nur Misuari pledges to support government peace efforts in South RP

A US soldier scribbles a note as former Moro National Liberation Front rebel leader Nur Misuari speaks to Sulu Governor Sakur Tan during a meeting on Thursday, October 2, 2008 in Patikul town in the southern Filipino island of Sulu. Misuari has committed to help peace and development efforts in Sulu, one of six provinces under the Muslim autonomous region, where US forces are currently deployed and helping Governor Tan in various humanitarian and development projects and at the same time training Filipino troops. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)

SULU, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Oct. 3, 2008) – Former Moro National Liberation Front rebel leader Nur Misuari has pledged to support government peace efforts in the southern Philippines, a far cry from his previous criticism of President Gloria Arroyo, whom he previously accused of failing to implement the 1996 peace agreement with the MNLF.

“We want peace. We don’t want war and I am helping President Arroyo to bring peace in the South,” Misuari said when he held a meeting with Sulu Governor Sakur Tan and senior military and government officials on Thursday at the Provincial Capitol in Patikul town.

Misuari, accompanied by dozens of supporters, said he was asked by Mrs. Arroyo to help in bringing peace in Mindanao, where troops are battling Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels.

Misuari spoke with Tan and Major General Juancho Sabban, commander of military forces in Sulu, and Undersecretary Nabil Tan, a presidential adviser, about his role as a peace maker.

He also met with his loyal forces in Sulu led by Habier Malik, who is wanted by the Philippine authorities for previously leading a series of attacks on government troops on the province.

In August, Misuari strongly criticized Mrs. Arroyo for her failure to honor the provisions of the peace accord the government signed 12 years ago.“We want freedom from the government. We don't need a limited freedom,” Misuari told his supporters at a mosque when he visited Zamboanga City.

“I have gone to all of the most dangerous places in Mindanao to tell our people to pray to almighty Allah for freedom. I call on our people to consolidate their unity and solidarity for freedom,” he said.

It was unknown whether Misuari would also meet with the leaders of the MILF, a breakaway faction of the MNLF. Manila suspended the seven-year old peace talks with the MILF after rebels launched a series of deadly attacks in Mindanao.

The MILF said the rebels mounted the attacks after the Supreme Court stopped the signing of the territorial deal between Manila and the MILF because many of its provisions were unconstitutional. But the MILF said the peace panels have initially signed the Muslim homeland agreement in July in Malaysia, which is brokering the talks and it would not renegotiate the agreement.

It said government peace negotiators and Mrs. Arroyo's emissaries rushed the signing of the memorandum of agreement on the ancestral domain so she can include it in her state of the nation address on July 28.

The controversial deal also sparked massive protests from politicians opposed to the agreement that would have granted about four million Muslims their homeland in more than 700 villages across Mindanao.

Arroyo later scrapped the Muslim homeland deal and abolished the government team negotiating with the MILF and suspended the peace talks and vowed to achieve peace in the restive region through dialogues and consultations with the communities and political leaders.

Misuari in the past said his group has nothing to do with the peace talks between the government and the MILF. “We are not involved (in the peace process). We are not a party to that. We are not bound by any consequences of any peace agreement,” he said.

The MNLF, under Misuari, signed the peace deal with Manila in September 1996 ending decades of bloody war. After the peace agreement was signed, Misuari became the governor of the Muslim autonomous region. But despite the peace accord, there was a widespread disillusionment with the weak autonomy they were granted.

Under the peace accord, Manila would have to provide a mini-Marshal Plan to spur economic development in Muslim areas in the South and livelihood and housing assistance to tens of thousands of former rebels to uplift their poor living standards.

Misuari is now facing rebellion charges after his followers tried, but failed to overrun a major military base in Sulu province and another group held hostage over 100 people in Zamboanga City in 2001 in an attempt to stop the elections in the Muslim autonomous region. He fled to Sabah, his former refuge, but was arrested by the Malaysian authorities and sent back to Manila. Misuari is currently out on bail.

Early this year, the MNLF Central Committee said it removed Misuari as chairman of the former rebel group and installed Muslimin Sema, the Front's Secretary-General.

But Misuari insisted that he is still the chieftain of the MNLF and accused Sema, also the mayor of Cotabato City, as a traitor and so were those who supported Sema.

Misuari also earned the ire of the Malaysian government after he renewed calls of the claims of the Philippines to Sabah. In retaliation, Sabah Progressive Party President Datuk Yong Teck Lee, furious over the rumblings from Misuari, has called for stricter laws on Filipinos traveling to the oil-rich state.

The Malaysian official also said that the National Security Council should closely watch developments in the southern Philippines. Lee said the NSC and the Sabah State Security Committee should act on the problems brought about by Misuari's revival of the Sabah claims.

He also urged Kuala Lumpur to suspend the ferry service between Zamboanga and Sandakan and impose bonds on incoming visitors and to require ferry passengers to have return tickets and to step up operations against illegal Filipino immigrants.

The Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo lays claim to Sabah.

The Sultanate of Sulu was founded in 1457 and is believed to exist as a sovereign nation for at least 442 years. The Sultanate of Sulu obtained Sabah from Brunei as a gift for helping put down a rebellion on the Borneo Island.

The British leased Sabah and transferred control over the territory to Malaysia after the end of Second World War. Even after Borneo became part of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur still pays an annual rent of 5,000 ringgit to the heirs of the Sultan of Sulu Ismail Kiram.

Misuari said what Malaysia pays to the Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo is but a pittance. (Mindanao Examiner)

US, RP troops finish school building in Southern Philippines, pledge more humanitarian projects

SULU, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Oct. 3, 2008) – US and Philippine soldiers deployed in the southern island of Sulu have finished a school building, the 50th since 2006, and humanitarian and infrastructure projects have reached almost one billion pesos, a senior Filipino military commander said Friday.

Major general Juancho Sabban, the island’s military commander, said they handed over on Thursday to Sulu Governor Sakur Tan the four-room building worth more than six million pesos in Panamao town.

“The US has poured almost one billion pesos in various humanitarian and infrastructure projects in Sulu and the Armed Forces of the Philippines have been supporting efforts to bring peace to the province through development projects,” he told the Mindanao Examiner.

Sabban said the project was funded by the US military in support to Manila’s peace and development efforts. “This is the 50th school buildings we have handed over to Governor Sakur Tan since 2006 and US and Philippine soldiers are hand-in-hand in helping the communities in Sulu in partnership with the provincial government,” he said.

Major Joseph Mouer, US Army commander, pledged more humanitarian projects in Sulu, where American forces are also training Filipino troops.

Tan, for his part, agreed to maintain the school buildings and other infrastructure projects built by the US and Philippine forces.

He praised US President George Bush for his support to peace and development in Sulu and also Kristie Kenney, the American ambassador to Manila, and the USAID (United States Agency for International Development), an independent government agency that provides economic development and humanitarian assistance to advance US economic and political interests overseas.

“Words are not enough to thank President George Bush and the American people for the continued support of the US in efforts to bring peace and development to Sulu,” Tan said.

He said the US also funded the renovation of the air port in Sulu worth $3 million. (Mindanao Examiner)

New Projects Inagurated In Sulu Province

Philippine Marines Maj. Gen. Juancho Sabban and Sulu Gov. Sakur Tan during the inauguration of various development projects in the Sulu province. (Philippine Marines Photos)

SULU, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / August 29, 2008) – Philippine and United States soldiers have finished various development and infrastructure projects in the southern Sulu province, officials said Friday.

Officials said the projects, which were inaugurated Thursday, are part of joint undertakings with the Sulu provincial government and will benefit the civilians in the town of Patikul.

Maj. Gen. Juancho Sabban, a Filipino marine commander, said four artesian wells have been handed to local officials in the villages of Timpook, Taung, Tanum, and Liang, all in Patikul town.

Aside from the wells, military and provincial officials, led by Gov. Sakur Tan, also inaugurated a new school building in the village of Bonbon and two road projects in Liang and Bud Datu, also in Patikul.

“The inaugurations are the result of successful unity of efforts among the Joint Task Force Comet, Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines and the Provincial government in accomplishing these humanitarian goals,” Sabban said.

Sabban said while development is the primary responsibility of the local government, there is growing recognition on the significant benefits derived from partnership and teamwork in the delivery of basic services to the people.

“We believe in a teamwork approach in fulfilling the aspirations of our people towards access to basic necessities. The people’s welfare has always been our top priority, and is one to which the military has devoted time and energy.”

“The local government officials deserve commendation for their unrelenting support. And though there are still a variety of development challenges, we are very certain that we can brave the odds with everyone’s continued cooperation,” Sabban said.

Tan, for his part, said he would continue supporting various military humanitarian activities. “We will support efforts of the military, both from the Philippines and the United States, to bring about change and hope for brighter future through humanitarian activities and infrastructure and development projects across Sulu. With the cooperation of the people, we are sure Sulu will be one of the peaceful places in southern Philippines,” he said.

The provincial government, Tan said, has lined up various development projects in mostly poor areas in Sulu’s 19 towns. In April, 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.

At least 50 more bamboo houses in Luuk town will be constructed soon, including basketball courts in the villages and Tan 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.

The US military was also represented by Maj. Joseph Mouer. (Mindanao Examiner)