MNLF Rebels Free Jolo Hostages

Hostages arrival in Zamboanga City

Dolorfino

Cedo, Santos
Dureza, Cedo, Santos, Dolorfino

Philippine troops guard the airport in Jolo island. While a military chopper flies a reconnaissance mission over the island where Moro National Liberation Front rebels seized senior Philippine defense officials and soldiers on Friday and freed two days later after a successful negotiations. The separatist rebel group signed a peace agreement with Manila in September 1996, but many disgruntled rebels accused the Arroyo government of reneging on the peace deal and threatened to wage war. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)

ZAMBOANGA CITY (Mindanao Examiner / 04 Feb) – Philippine Muslim rebels freed Sunday a defense official and a marine general along with soldiers they seized after a peace meeting on the troubled island of Jolo, about 950 km south of the country.

Moro National Liberation Front rebels under Habier Malik and Khaid Ajibun have held since Friday Major General Mohamad Dolorfino, of the Philippine Marines; Colonels Davy Ramon and Cipriano Bayan, of the Philippine Army; Defense Under Secretary Ramon Santos and 21 soldiers and staff of Presidential peace adviser, Jesus Dureza.

“General Dolorfino, Under Secretary Santos and all members of the Office of the Presidential Assistant and their security team have boarded two helicopters. In other word, they are already out of the MNLF camp on their way here. They will fly back to Manila,” said Brigadier General Juancho Sabban, commander of the 3rd Marine Brigade in Jolo island.

Dolorfino’s group was freed shortly before 4 p.m.

Sabban said the incident did not affect the government’s anti-terror campaign on the island. “This has no effects on our operation,” he said.

Dolorfino’s group was seized after reports of a scheduled tripartite meeting between the MNLF, the Organization of Islamic Conference and the Philippines on Feb. 6-8 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia had been shelved off by the Arroyo government.

Philippine military officials denied that the general’s group was held hostage.

Dolorfino said rebels prevented them to leave Jolo island until the issue on the holding of the tripartite meeting has been resolved. “We were asked to stay in Jolo until such time the issue of the holding of the tripartite meeting is resolved,” he said.

“Actually, we were asked to stay (in the camp) so that the government could be pressured to push through (with the tripartite meeting),” he told radio station dxBB on Sunday.

The rebels, who signed a peace agreement with Manila in September 1996, have previously accused the Arroyo government of failing to comply with the accord.

Manila has agreed to proceed with the OIC-led conference next month. The OIC, which brokered the peace talks, organized the tripartite meeting to discuss the full implementation of the agreement.

The gunmen earlier demanded Manila to free detained rebel chieftain Nur Misuari, who is facing rebellion charges in Manila, so he can lead the MNLF to the tripartite conference.

Dureza flew to Jolo Saturday and negotiated with the rebels to free Dolorfino’s group. He said Manila agreed to preliminary meetings that will eventually lead to the holding of tripartite conference. Dureza said Dolorfino’s group was treated well.

Misuari signed a peace deal with Manila that ended more than 20 years of bloody fighting in the southern Philippines. After the peace agreement was signed, Misuari became the governor of autonomous region.

Despite the agreement, many former guerrillas were disgruntled with the peace deal, saying, the Arroyo government failed to comply with some of its provisions and uplift their standards of living. They accused Manila of failing to develop the war-torn areas in the south, which remain in mired in poverty, heavily militarized and dependent financially on the government.

And in November 2001, on the eve of the elections in the Muslim autonomous region, Misuari also accused the government of reneging on the peace agreement, and launched a new rebellion in Jolo island and Zamboanga City, where more than 100 people were killed.

Misuari then escaped by boat to Malaysia, but had been arrested and deported to the Philippines.

The OIC also wanted Misuari freed from jail to head the MNLF delegation to Saudi Arabia for the tripartite meeting. OIC representatives, led by Egyptian Sayed El-Masry, who is adviser to OIC Secretary General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, visited Jolo island in May last year.

Masry said the Philippines and MNLF leaders must sit together and discuss the problems affecting the implementation of the peace accord. He said the tripartite meeting is important to finally settle the problems. (Mindanao Examiner)

Jolo Rebels To Free Hostages

ZAMBOANGA CITY (Mindanao Examiner / 03 Feb) – Moro National Liberation Front rebels holding senior Philippine defense officials and soldiers in the southern island of Jolo may soon free all hostages after a series of government negotiations.

The rebels, led by Habier Malik and Khaid Ajibun, have held since Friday Major General Mohamad Dolorfino, of the Philippine Marines; Colonels Davy Ramon and Sibayan, of the Philippine Army; Defense Under Secretary Ramon Santos and 21 soldiers and staff of Presidential peace adviser, Jesus Dureza.

"The group of General Dolorfino may soon go home," a source privy with the ongoing negotiations, said without elaborating.

They were demanding the government to free detained rebel chieftain Nur Misuari, who is facing rebellion charges in Manila, so he can lead the MNLF to a tripartite conference with Philippine officials and the influential Organization of Islamic Conference in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia this month.

Muslimen Sema, the MNLF secretary general and mayor of Cotabato City, said his group is confident that the problems would be resolved peacefully.

"We are confident the problem can be overcome with both sides sincerity and open mindedness," Sema told the Mindanao Examiner late on Saturday.

Misuari signed a peace deal with Manila in September 1996, ending more than 20 years of bloody fighting in the southern Philippines. After the peace agreement was signed, Misuari became the governor of autonomous region.

But many former guerrillas were disgruntled with the peace accord, saying, the government failed to comply with some of its provisions and uplift their standards of living. They accused the government of failing to develop the war-torn areas in the south, which remain in mired in poverty, heavily militarized and dependent financially on Manila.

And in November 2001, on the eve of the elections in the Muslim autonomous region, Misuari also accused the government of reneging on the peace agreement, and launched a new rebellion in Jolo island and Zamboanga City, where more than 100 people were killed.

Misuari then escaped by boat to Malaysia only to be arrested there and deported to the Philippines.The OIC wanted Misuari released from jail to head the MNLF delegation to Saudi Arabia for the meeting.

Dolorfino flew to Jolo island on Friday morning for a meeting with MNLF leaders, but had been taken captive later in the day after the rebels thumbed down a government proposal to postpone the tripartite meeting.

Southern Philippines military commander Lt. Gen. Eugenio Cedo denied the reports about the hostage-taking. “It’s not true. They are there in Jolo to talk about the peace agreement with the MNLF,” he said in a separate interview on Saturday.

Dureza, accompanied by Jolo governor Benjamin Loong, flew to the island Saturday to verify the reports. “I was told that the MNLF has asked the group of General Dolorfino to stay in Jolo to clarify some matters, especially on the matters of the holding of the tripartite meeting in Saudi,” Dureza said.

He said Manila agreed to preliminary meetings that will eventually lead to the holding of tripartite conference in Jeddah. Dureza said Dolorfino’s group is being treated well. “They are all fine and well treated and their only complaint was that it is so cold up there (in the mountain),” he said.

Dolorfino on Saturday said rebels prevented them to leave Jolo island until the issue on the holding of the tripartite meeting has been resolved. “We were asked to stay in Jolo until such time the issue of the holding of the tripartite meeting is resolved,” he said by mobile phone from a rebel base in Jolo.

The OIC brokered the peace talks between Manila and the MNLF until a formal agreement. (Mindanao Examiner)

Photo: Suspected Mindanao Bombers

Police released photos of three men linked to October bombings in the southern Philippines. The trio,along with over 40 other prisoners, escaped from the North Cotabato provincial jail after gunmen stormed the facility before dawn Friday, 02 Feb 2007. Security forces mounted a massive manhunt to recapture the prisoners, described as dangerous. Provincial officials offered P20,000 reward for each of prisoners captured dead or alive. (Mindanao Examiner Photo/Mark Navales)

OIC Statement After Delegation Visited Philippines In May 2006 To Ensure Implementation Of 1996 MNLF Peace Agreement

The Mindanao Examiner is republishing this statement released by the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) after a delegation met with leaders of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in Jolo island and Mindanao in May 2006, who accused the Philippine government of reneging on the 1996 Peace Agreement.

Hundreds of disgruntled MNLF rebels are now holding a group of senior Philippine defense officials in Jolo island because of the government's failure to honor the 11-year old peace deal.



"The Secretary-General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, Prof. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, has dispatched a fact-finding mission to the Republic of the Philippines, headed by Ambassador Sayed Kasim El Masri, Adviser to the Secretary-General, to mark the tenth anniversary of the conclusion of the Peace Agreement between the Government of the Philippines and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).

This mission comes after this agreement has become dysfunctional, leading to increased tension in the region and to the outbreak of fighting in various areas in the province, particularly in the Sulu Island, southern Philippines. This tension has been caused by the arrest of the MNLF President, Prof. Nur Misuari, who became governor of the province after the conclusion of the Peace Agreement in 1996.

The mission visited Mindanao, southern Philippines, where the Government of the Philippines has declared a six-day ceasefire in order to enable the mission to complete its field visits. After negotiations with the parties concerned, the fact finding mission has succeeded in obtaining the approval of the Government of the Philippines and the MNLF fighters to extend the ceasefire in Mindanao sine die.

The fact finding mission has requested the convening in Jeddah of a tripartite meeting of the representatives of the Government, the MNLF and the OIC in order to examine the reasons why the Peace Agreement is not fully implemented, and to find ways and means to remove the obstacles to the completion of the implementation process.

The mission also demanded the release of the MNLF leader, Prof. Nur Misuari, in order to allow him to attend the meeting proposed to be held at the OIC Headquarters next July.

At the end of the visit, the President of the Republic of the Philippines, Mrs. Gloria Arroyo, will meet the head of the mission and his accompanying delegation, together with the Ambassadors of OIC Member States who are members of the Committee of the Eight, entrusted with following up on the question of Muslims in Southern Philippines.

The Committee is composed of Saudi Arabia, Libya, Malaysia, Indonesia, Bangladesh, and Brunei Darussalam. The MNLF has been fighting for the past fifty years for the right to self determination for the Muslims of Mindanao in Southern Philippines.

Mindanao was an independent Islamic Sultanate, known as the Sultanate of Sulu before the Spanish invasion of the region five centuries ago. Since 1973, the OIC started to provide assistance to the Muslims of the Philippines and to dispatch fact-finding missions.

The Organization also launched an appeal to the Government of the Philippines for negotiation within the national sovereignty in order to reach a political solution that responds justly and fairly to the demands of the Muslims in the Philippines.

On 23 September 1976, the negotiations held in Jeddah and Tripoli, Libya, resulted in an agreement by which the MNLF renounced to its demand of full independence in return for self-rule in 13 regions and 9 cities in Southern Philippines. The implementation of this agreement, however, faced numerous obstacles; fighting broke out again until serious negotiations were launched in the early 1990s under the aegis of the OIC.

The Final Peace Agreement was signed on 2 September 1996 for the implementation of the Tripoli Agreement.Almost ten years have elapsed since the conclusion of the final agreement without reaching the aspired peace. This has pushed the OIC to re-establish contacts with the parties concerned in order to reach a formula that would ensure the full implementation of the provisions of this agreement."

Jeddah : 22 May 2006

Hostage-Takers Demand Release Of Jailed Leader

ZAMBOANGA CITY (Mindanao Examiner / 03 Feb) – Muslim rebels continue to hold top Filipino defense officials and soldiers in the southern island of Jolo and demanded Manila to free jailed rebel chieftain Nur Misuari.

A faction of disgruntled Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) rebels are holding Major General Mohamad Dolorfino, of the Philippine Marines; Colonels Davy Ramon and Sibayan, of the Philippine Army; Defense Under Secretary Ramon Santos and 21 soldiers and staff of Presidential peace adviser, Jesus Dureza.

A report Saturday by cable news network ANC, quoted Abdurahman Jamasali, an aide of Misuari, as saying that rebels were holding Dolorfino’s group hostage in Jolo island since Friday.

The rebels wanted Misuari freed so he can attend an important conference between the Organization of Islamic Conference, the Philippines and the MNLF next week in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Misuari is facing rebellion charges and is currently detained in Manila. He signed a peace deal with Manila in September 1996, ending more than 20 years of bloody fighting in the southern Philippines.

After the peace agreement was signed, Misuari became the governor of autonomous region. But many former rebels were disgruntled with the accord, saying, the government failed to comply with some of its provisions and uplift their standards of living.

They accused the government of failing to develop the war-torn areas in the south, which remain in mired in poverty, heavily militarized and dependent financially on Manila.

In November 2001, on the eve of the ARMM elections, Misuari accused the government of reneging on the peace agreement, and launched a new rebellion in Jolo island and Zamboanga City, where more than 100 people were killed.

Misuari escaped by boat to Malaysia, but was arrested there and deported to the Philippines.
The OIC also wanted Misuari released from jail to head the MNLF delegation to Saudi Arabia for the meeting.

Dolorfino’s group is being held at a jungle rebel base in Bitan-ag village near Panamao town, a stronghold of MNLF rebels in Jolo island, where hundreds of gunmen under Habier Malik and Khaid Ajibun are guarding them, said Jamasali.

“Maybe, we will stay here longer here (in Jolo island) unless the tripartite issue is resolved,” Jamasali told the Mindanao Examiner.

Dolorfino flew to Jolo island on Friday morning for a meeting with MNLF leaders, but had been taken captive later in the day after the rebels thumbed down a government proposal to postpone the tripartite on February 6-8.

Southern Philippines military commander Lt. Gen. Eugenio Cedo denied the reports about the hostage-taking. “It’s not true. They are there in Jolo to talk about the peace agreement with the MNLF,” he said in a separate interview on Saturday.

Dureza, accompanied by Jolo governor Benjamin Loong, flew to the island Saturday to verify the reports. “I was told that the MNLF has asked the group of General Dolorfino to stay in Jolo to clarify some matters, especially on the matters of the holding of the tripartite meeting in Saudi,” Dureza said.

He said Manila agreed to preliminary meetings that will eventually lead to the holding of tripartite conference in Jeddah. Dureza said Dolorfino’s group is being treated well.

“They are all fine and well treated and their only complaint was that it is so cold up there (in the mountain,” he said.

Dolorfino on Saturday said rebels prevented them to leave Jolo island until the issue on the holding of the tripartite meeting has been resolved. “We were asked to stay in Jolo until such time the issue of the holding of the tripartite meeting is resolved,” he said by mobile phone from a rebel base in Jolo.

The OIC brokered the peace talks between Manila and the MNLF until an agreement was signed in September 1996. But the MNLF, a decade after the peace accord, accused the Arroyo government of failing to honor the agreement.

Muslimen Sema, MNLF secretary general and also mayor of Cotabato City, has previously accused the government of failing to honor some provisions in the peace deal and also told this to the OIC representatives, led by Egyptian Sayed El-Masry, who is adviser to OIC Secretary General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, who visited Jolo island in May last year.

"We told the OIC mission about the failure of the government to fully implement the 1996 peace agreement and many of our members are disgruntled about this," Sema said.

Under the peace agreement, Manila would 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.

The government later granted autonomy to five Muslim provinces in the south called the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).Some of the disgruntled former rebels have either joined the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the country's largest separatist rebel group, and the smaller and ruthless Abu Sayyaf group.

And Muslims in the south are most likely to fight for or support an armed separatist front when they perceive no alternative means to overcome discrimination and improve their living conditions.

Masry said the Philippines and MNLF must sit together and discuss the problems affecting the implementation of the peace accord. He said the tripartite meeting in Saudi Arabia is important for the Philippines and the MNLF to finally settle the problems.

The OIC delegation was sent to the southern Philippines following the 32nd Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers (ICEM) at Sana'a Yemen in 2005 to check on the status of the remaining implementation requirement for peace accord. (Mindanao Examiner)

Death Toll In Zamboanga Gas Explosion Climbs To 50, Officials Say

ZAMBOANGA DEL SUR (Mindanao Examiner / 03 Feb) – At least 50 people have been confirmed killed and more than 40 seriously injured from a deadly fuel gas tanker explosion in the southern Philippines, officials said on Saturday.

Major General Raymundo Ferrer, commander of the Army’s 1st Infantry Division, said soldiers were still recovering body parts from a large area in the village of Lacupayan in Zamboanga del Sur’s Tigbao town where the truck transporting liquiefied gas overturned and exploded.

A passing provincial bus was totally destroyed, its passengers killed, many had been decapitated from the powerful blast, Ferre said.

“The death toll from have climbed to 50 and more than 40 are still in critical condition. Our soldiers are still combing the area for body parts,” Ferrer told the Mindanao Examiner.

Authorities on Friday placed the casualties as 28, but many of the injured remain in serious condition in hospitals in Pagadian City. Rescuers said most of those killed were mutilated by the powerful blast. (Mindanao Examiner)

BREAKING NEWS: Muslim Rebels Take Hostage Senior Defense, Military Officials And Troops In Strife-Torn Jolo Island

Government troops disembark from a military truck in Jolo island. Moro National Liberation Front rebels held hostage Friday 02 Jan 2007 senior military and defense officials and soldiers in Jolo and warned Manila not to postpone a scheduled tripartite meeting between the Organization of Islamic Conference, the MNLF and the Philippines next week in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The OIC wanted jailed MNLF leader Nur Misuari released to attend the conference. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)

JOLO ISLAND (Mindanao Examiner / 03 Feb) – Disgruntled Muslim rebels who signed a peace agreement with Manila in 1996 have taken hostage senior military and defense officials and soldiers in Jolo island, about 950 km south of the Philippine capital.

Members of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) are holding Major General Mohamad Dolorfino, of the Philippine Marines; Colonels Davy Ramon and Sibayan, of the Philippine Army; Defense Under Secretary Ramon Santos, 21 soldiers and staff of Presidential peace adviser, Jesus Dureza, rebel sources told the Mindanao Examiner.

They were being held at a jungle rebel base in Bitan-ag village near Panamao town, a stronghold of MNLF rebels in Jolo island. Government negotiations are going on for the release of all the hostages held by hundreds of rebels under Habier Malik and Khaid Ajibun.

Dolorfino’s group flew to Jolo island on Friday morning for a meeting with MNLF leaders, but had been taken captive later in the day after the rebels thumbed down a government proposal to postpone a scheduled tripartite meeting by the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), the Philippines and MNLF in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on February 6-8.

Southern Philippines military commander Lt. Gen. Eugenio Cedo denied the report, but Dureza confirmed that Dolorfino’s group flew to Jolo and were in Bitan-ag village. “They are sleeping by now in Bitan-ag. We will have validated reports in the morning,” he said.

The OIC brokered the peace talks between Manila and the MNLF until an agreement was signed in September 1996. But the MNLF, a decade after the peace accord, accused the Arroyo government of failing to honor the agreement.

Muslimen Sema, MNLF secretary general and also mayor of Cotabato City, has previously accused the government of failing to honor some provisions in the peace deal and also told this to the OIC representatives, led by international human rights expert Egyptian Sayed El-Masry, who is adviser to OIC Secretary General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, who Jolo island in May last year.

"We told the OIC mission about the failure of the government to fully implement the 1996 peace agreement and many of our members are disgruntled about this," Sema said.

Nur Misuari, chieftain of the MNLF, signed a peace deal with Manila in September 1996, ending more than 20 years of bloody fighting in the southern Philippines.

After the peace agreement was signed, Misuari became the governor of autonomous region. Despite the accord, there was a widespread disillusionment with the weak autonomy they were granted.

Under the peace agreement, Manila would 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. The government later granted autonomy to five Muslim provinces in the south called the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

But many former rebels were disgruntled with the accord, saying, the goverment failed to comply with some of its provisions and uplift their standards of living. They accused the government of failing to develop the war-torn areas in the south, which remain in mired in poverty, heavily militarized and dependent financially on Manila.

Some of the disgruntled former rebels have either joined either the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), now the country’s largest separatist rebel group, or the smaller and ruthless Abu Sayyaf group.

And Muslims in the south are most likely to fight for or support an armed separatist front when they perceive no alternative means to overcome discrimination and improve their living conditions.

In November 2001, on the eve of the ARMM elections, Misuari accused the government of reneging on the peace agreement, and launched a new rebellion in Jolo island and Zamboanga City, where more than 100 people were killed. Misuari is facing trial on rebellion charges.

The OIC wanted Misuari released from jail to head the MNLF delegation to Saudi for the tripartite meeting.

"What we need now is the religious implementation of the peace agreement, so we can realize permanent peace and progress in the southern Philippines. The region is neglected, the Muslims are discriminated and many live in poverty. We need to rebuild everything, social and physical infrastructure are important to sustain the little peace that is left," Sema said.

Masry said after his visit last year to Jolo that Manila and MNLF must sit together and discuss the problems affecting the implementation of the peace accord. He said the proposed tripartite meeting in Saudi Arabia is important for the Philippines and the MNLF to finally settle the problems.

The OIC delegation was sent to the southern Philippines following the 32nd Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers (ICEM) at Sana'a Yemen in 2005 to check on the status of the remaining implementation requirement for peace accord.

In 2006, more than 1,400 disgruntled MNLF members in Mindanao threatened to abandon the 1996 peace agreement they signed with Manila after accusing the government of reneging on its pact with the former separatist rebel group.

“MNLF commanders all over Mindanao are getting restless over the perceived failure of the government to fulfill its obligations. I am afraid that if the government does not take this seriously, the negative sentiments of our armed combatants can run out of proportion and might lead to eventual abandonment of the agreement,” Sema said.

The MNLF also boycotted the ARMM elections in 2005 after the government supported Maguindanao town mayor Datu Zaldy Ampatuan, a staunch ally of President Gloria Arroyo, instead of MNLF candidates. (Mindanao Examiner)

Taiwan Signs MOU With RP's Central Bank

MANILA (Mindanao Examiner / 02 Feb) - The Financial Supervisory Commission of Taiwan on Friday announced it had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Philippines’ Central Bank which is aimed at establishing a formal basis for financial cooperation between the two sides, the Radio Taiwan International reported.

It said the signing of the accord will strengthen the sharing of financial supervisory information between the two countries. Taiwan is the Philippines’ sixth largest trading partner.

There was no immediate statement from the Central of the Philippines about the agreement. (Mindanao Examiner)

Photo: Aftermath Of Gas Explosion In Southern Philippines

Photos courtesy of the Philippine Information Agency Western Mindanao Region 9.

ZAMBOANGA DEL SUR (Mindanao Examiner / 02 Feb) - Authorities said at least 28 people were killed and over three dozens injured in a massive explosion from a truck transporting cooking gas on Friday in Zamboanga del Sur province in the southern Philippines.

But the number of casualties are expected to increase as more of the injured remain in serious condition in hospitals in Pagadian City.

The explosion, which occurred at around 10.40 a.m. in Tigbao town, literally obliterated a packed passenger bus passing near the truck that overturned on a highway in Lacupayan village.

Rescuers said most of those killed were mutilated by the powerful blast.The photographs of the scene above released to the Mindanao Examiner by the Philippine News Agency-Western Mindanao Region 9 contained graphic images. (Mindanao Examiner)

RP Military Accused MILF Rebels Of Murdering Soldier, 2 Others In Mindanao

COTABATO CITY (Mindanao Examiner /02 Feb) – The Philippine military accused Friday the country’s largest Muslim rebel group, Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), of murdering three people, including a soldier kidnapped in the southern Philippines.

The three had been killed in separately near Midsayap town in North Cotabato province, where rebels are actively operating, said Colonel Julieto Ando, spokesman for the Army’s 6th Infantry Division.

“We have filed criminal complaints to the courts about these murders perpetrated by MILF rebels. The murders were also a violation of the cease-fire agreement and we also filed a protest to the government panel negotiating peace with the MILF,” Ando told the Midnanao Examiner.

The MILF is currently negotiating peace with the Arroyo government, but despite a truce signed in 2001, sporadic clashes still continue in many areas in the troubled region.

Ando said guerrillas seized an army sergeant, Isidro Elas and his unidentified companion on Wednesday while returning home on a motorcycle from. He said the bodies of the two had been recovered by soldiers and brought Friday to the army base.

He said rebels also kidnapped a Muslim farmer, Ontong Abdullah, last week in Midsayap town and had been shot dead. “His body was thrown in the river. Abdullah was a civilian; he was a farmer and killed by rebels on suspicion that Abdullah was a military spy,” Ando said.

Eid Kabalu, a spokesman for the MILF, said his group was investigating whether rebels were behind the killing of the soldier and his companion. “We are investigating the report, whether MILF rebels were involved in the soldier’s killing. We can’t say anything at this time,” he said in a separate interview.

But Kabalu admitted that Abdullah, who was seized by rebels to stand trial for an alleged crime, was accidentally killed after he tried to grab the M16 automatic rifle of one of his captor. An MILF guard, who saw the commotion, hit Abdulah on the head with a rifle and the man never regained consciousness, he said.

Kabalu did not say what crime Abdullah committed. But the MILF is known to arrest criminals and put them on trial in their own so-called rebel court, and the group had publicly executed several prisoners who were founded guilty, in the past. (Mindanao Examiner)

Dozens Fear Dead, Wounded In Gas Explosion In Southern Philippines

PAGADIAN CITY (Mindanao Examiner / 02 Feb) – At least 30 people were feared dead after a gas explosion Friday in the southern Philippine province of Zamboanga del Sur, officials said.

The fiery blast also injured dozens of people in the village of Lacupayan in Tigbao town where a delivery truck carrying tanks of liquefied petroleum gas had earlier overturned.

Officials said an electrical spark from the engine or exhaust of a passing bus may have triggered a fire from leaked gas tanks that caused the explosion. The bus, which came from nearby town of Buug, was on its way to Pagadian City.

“Initial reports said as many as 30 people had been killed and that there are many people injured from the blast, mostly bus passengers,” Major General Raymundo Ferrer, commander of the Army’s 1st Infantry Division, told the Mindanao Examiner.

He said troops were sent to the area to help bring the victims to hospitals in Pagadian City, several miles from Tigbao.

“Military trucks and ambulances are now being used to transport the victims to hospitals. This is a terrible day and we really cannot tell when accidents would occur,” Ferrer said.

He said the explosion occurred at around 10.40 a.m. and that soldiers from a detachment near the village rushed to the area after they heard the powerful blast.

The area had been cordoned off, he said, to allow investigation by authorities. (Mindanao Examiner)

Pinoy Group In Massachusetts To Raise Funds For Mudslide Victims In RP

The Central Massachusetts Filipino-American Association, Inc. (CMFAA) cordially invites the Filipino-American community to their 2007 Valentine's Party Saturday, February 17, 2007 at the American Legion 159 Hartwell Street, West Boylston, MA.

The event starts at 6 p.m. with entertainment by DJ Phil Wayman. Part of proceeds from the event will go directly to the Philippines December 2006 Albay Mudslide Victims.

CMFAA was incorporated on October 18, 2005 and from their website states that their mission is 'based on Filipino and American values, seeks to create, improve and foster connection within the Filipino-American community in central Massachusetts by sponsoring events that promote knowledge and understanding of the Philippine culture as well as remaining an integral part and valuable contributor in multi-ethnic/multicultural America.

CMFAA's vision is for 'the Filipino-American community in Central Massachusetts recognizes us as their second family. To realize their mission and vision, officers and members follow four principles, caring, being respectful, encouraging learning and growing as an organization as well as always seeking ways to improve.

For more details, go to: www.cmfaa.org/Events.html

Contact Person: Grethel Bolandrina
Phone: 508-476-0009

P56-M Commercial Center To Rise In Cotabato City

Cotabato City Mayor Muslim Sema speaks with a Muslim woman during a medical mission held inside the CIty Hall. Sema signs an agreement with the Growth With Equity in Mindanao, of the United States Agency for International Development, for the construction of a P56-million Cotabato City Commercial Center. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)

COTABATO CITY (Mindanao Examiner / 02 Feb) – A P56-million commercial center is expected to rise in Cotabato City after the local government and the Growth with Equity in Mindanao (GEM II) Program signed a memorandum of agreement to build one of the biggest structure here.

The construction would take at least six month, said Cotabato City Mayor Muslimin Sema. "We are happy to announce the construction of this Cotabato City Commercial Center, with the help of GEM II, and we are optimistic that more investments would come to our beautiful place," Sema told the Mindanao Examiner.

Sema and Carlos Canda Tan, GEM II deputy program manager, both signed the agreement this week in Cotabato City. Under the agreement, GEM II will shoulder the main bulk of the project cost amounting to P42.64 million while the local government shall put up an equity fund totaling P14.21 million.

Just recently, the City Council has authorized Sema to secure a loan amounting to P6.2 million as counterpart money for the project.

GEM II will be primarily responsible for site development including concreting of interior road system, drainage system, potable water line, landscaping & lighting, and construction of 60 units (30 sq.m. each) stalls, toilets, parking area, fountain, an open space for gatherings, an administration office, passenger waiting shed and perimeter fence.

The city government already cleared the proposed 1.5-hectare site of the Cotabato City Commercial Center of illegally-built houses and structures and had relocated tenants to Tamontaka 1 and some portions of Malagapas Resettlement Phase 2 here.

This month, it will begin embankment works that would cost P6.25 million as its major counterpart for the project. (Abdullah Cusain)

Gunmen Storm North Cotabato Jail, Free 46 Prisoners

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Jose Maria Sison Versions Of Italian Partisan Song & Andres Bonifacio's Own Now On YouTube

A Filipino activist raises his clenched fist during a rally in the Philippines. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)

MANILA (Mindanao Examiner / 01 Feb) – A song by Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founder Jose Maria “Joma” Sison has been posted on YouTube and so far gathered almost 4,000 views in just over 3 months.

Sison sung the Italian partisan song, Bella Ciao, (http://www.youtube.com/v/3IZ31IZ339A) in Spanish version and Filipino interpretation. A guitar accompanied his version of the World War II song. Aside from Bella Ciao, he also sung the Filipino revolutionary “Pag-ibig sa Tinubuang Lupa” (http://www.youtube.com/v/iJ3qeaIu-7w) by national hero Andres Bonifacio.

Bella Ciao, which runs for 3 minutes and 46 seconds, drew various comments from pro-Sison supporters to anti-communist advocates.

YouTube is a popular Web video sharing site that lets anyone store short videos for private or public viewing.

One comment from a Sison supporter, who goes by the alias “revenger64”, had this posted on YouTube: “Mabuhay si Ka Joma! Xa ang tunay na bayaning Pilipino! Ituloy ang laban sa makalumang naghaharing sistema! Rebelyon ang tunay na buhay ng mga Pilipino sa panahon ng krisis at pagsasamantala! Wakasan ang lumang at sinungaling na demokrasyang naghahari sa lipunan, palitan ng tunay at makamasang demokrasya!”

But emilio1969, an anti-Sison, said: Communism is dead! Get over it and get a life! If you truly love the Filipino masses go home and fight in the Philippines. Do not hide in Europe and live comfortable life while your comrades are eating coconuts for breakfast and guavas for dinner. Pabigat ka lang sa Dutch government. Mahiya ka naman!

Sison is currently living in exile in The Netherlands. The CPP’s armed wing, the New People’s Army is fighting in the Philippines for the establishment of a Maoist state.

Both the CPP and NPA and their political group, the National Democratic Front were listed as foreign terrorist organizations on Manila’s prodding after the peace talks collapsed in 2004. (Mindanao Examiner)

Basilan Governor, Mayor Join Liberal Party

MANILA (Mindanao Examiner / 01 Feb) – A former ally of ex-President Joseph Estrada, Basilan Island governor Wahab Akbar and one of his town mayor Paruk Majirul, have finally joined the Liberal Party.

Akbar was said to be running for a seat in Congress and his wife, Chery, as mayor of Isabela City in Basilan in the May national elections. The former Muslim rebel-turned-politician and Majirul, of Tipo-Tipo town took their oaths as members of one of the country’s premier political party in Manila on Wednesday.

Manila Mayor Lito Atienza presided over the ceremony held at the Manila City Hall, according to the official Liberal Party blogsite which can be found on the URL http://liberalpartyphilippines.blogspot.com.

It said the Liberal Party presence in Mindanao continues to grow with the swearing-in of Akbar.

"As you can see, we continue to grow,” said Liberal Party director general Eli Quinto. “The marching orders of the Mayor (Atienza) is to strengthen the Party, most of all through expansion, especially in areas we’ve been historically weak in like Mindanao and Negros."

"We welcome Gov. Akbar, Mayor Majirul and Mr. Dy to our ranks, and hope this is the start of an increased and effective Liberal presence in Mindanao and the province of Negros," Quinto said.

Akbar could not be reached for confirmation.

Estrada was ousted in 2001 by a popular people power revolution that catapulted Vice President Gloria Arroyo, with whom Akbar later sided.

Akbar is on his third and last term and Basilan Island Congressman Abdulgani Salappudin is reportedly planning to run as governor.

Like Akbar, Salappudin was a former commander of the separatist rebel group, Moro Islamic Liberation Front, and also on his third and last term. (Mindanao Examiner)

Reporters Sans Borders Releases 2007 Report On RP Press Freedom

The International media watch dog, Reporters Sans Borders, has released Thursday its 2007 Annual Press Freedom Report that showed the Philippines failed to stem the wave of violence against Filipino journalists.

It said despite new arrests of murderers, Philippine authorities failed to stem the wave of violence against journalists. At least six were killed in 2006. And the press also found itself facing a new enemy: José Miguel Arroyo, the husband of President Gloria Arroyo, who took out a raft of defamation suits.

While her husband was lodging "defamation" complaints against more than 40 journalists, President Arroyo said, on 18 November 2006, that her government was "respectful of press freedom, an institution of Philippines democracy".

On the same day, journalist Ellen Tordesillas, a stern critic of the government received an email warning her: "Your days are numbered". Murders, assaults, arrests, abusive law suits and censorship were the hallmark of 2006 in this country.

The avalanche of suits brought by the "first gentleman" in a country where defamation is still a criminal offence, put the liberty of scores of journalists in danger. In October, eight members of the management on privately-owned daily Malaya narrowly escaped arrest after publishing an editorial accusing the head of state's husband of "corruption".

In a total of 43 suits brought against journalists, José Miguel Arroyo claimed a total of 70 million pesos (almost 1.1 million euros) in damages. In December, journalists' organisations counter-attacked by bringing a complaint in their turn against the president's husband for violating press freedom and demanding one peso in damages for each Philippine citizen.

Faced with a rebellion within the army, the president declared a state of emergency, on 24 February 2006. Several generals were locked up and the crackdown extended to the opposition press. Police searched The Daily Tribune on the same day and seized documents.

At least six journalists were murdered while doing their job in 2006, the majority of them were presenters on one of the country's very numerous FM radio stations. In the Philippines, local stations sell airtime to private individual known as "block timers" who can then put out their own commercial or political programmes.

Rolly Canete, gunned down in January 2006 in the city of Pagadian, Zamboanga del sur province in the south, presented programmes on local radio on behalf of a deputy and his wife, the province's governor.

Hit-men sometimes show extreme determination. Fernando Batul, commentator on dyPR radio was shot dead on his way to work on Palawan Island, south-west of Manila in May. A few weeks earlier he narrowly escaped a murder bid in which two grenades were thrown at his home.

His assailants had left a letter advising him to "hold your tongue". A police officer was arrested a few days later and the instigators were reportedly local politicians.

The local press can also be targeted in the same way. Orlando Mendoza, aged 58, editor of the newspaper Tarlac Patro in Luzon province was murdered in April after receiving threats from a paramilitary group.

Gloria Arroyo's administration has been widely criticised for its inability to act against the murderers of opposition and human rights activists. Some politically committed journalists have been victims of this political violence as in the case of Mazel and George Vigo who were killed on Mindanao Island in June. Community media defending the rights of peasant farmers were also targeted.

In July, armed men torched a building housing Radyo Cagayano, one of whose presenters, a peasant union leader, was killed a few months later. The military is suspected of being behind these attacks.Police and the courts have chalked up some successes in their struggle against the murderers of journalists. Four men found guilty of the murder of Marlene Esperat, a journalist specialising in corruption, who was killed in March 2005, were sentenced to life imprisonment.

But collusion inside the justice system allowed those who ordered the killing to escape court for the time being. On the other hand, a former police officer suspected of being the "brains" behind the June 2004 murder of journalist Ely Binoya, was acquitted in March.

The regional court in General Santos, southern Philippines, said that there was insufficient evidence against him. There were at least 25 murder attempts and assaults and ten arrests during 2006. Censorship also bit deeper, often because of local politicians seeking to silence opposition media.

In March the mayor of Valencia City, south of Manila, ordered the closure of radio DXVR, some of whose presenters were close to their political opponents. In the capital, a programme of reports on ABS-CBN was banned by the regulatory authority over the controversial subject of drug use in the country.

Finally the authorities in Aurora province, north-east of Manila, failed to mount any search for radio presenter Joey Estriber, a specialist on environmental issues, who was kidnapped in March. He had spoken out against illegal logging in the region. (Reporters Without Borders)

TVIRD Launches First Social Development Project In Zamboanga Province

ZAMBOANGA DEL NORTE (Rochelle Hilario / 01 Feb) - Shortly after securing final government approval of its Social Development and Management Plan (SDMP), TVI Resource Development Philippines (TVIRD), through its Community Relations and Development Office (CReDO), recently conducted its first Information-Education-Communication (IEC) campaign and Action Planning Activity under the Plan in Barangay Makiang, one the Company’s impact communities near its gold-copper mine at Sitio Canatuan in Barangay Tabayo in Siocon town here.

These activities form part of the process that CReDO personnel will observe in the implementation of projects identified by these communities in the series of consultations held during the drafting of the SDMP.

For Barangay Makiang – a multi-ethnic village composed of mostly Muslims and a minority Subanon and Visayan population – TVIRD will provide, among others, a water system, to be constructed with help from volunteer residents and under the supervision of barangay officials.

On hand at the IEC and Action Planning activity were Makiang leaders Myrna Villaluna, barangay chair; Isan Wahab, barangay councilman; and Imam Awalalu Danduh, a former commander of the Moro National Liberation Front, a Muslim secessionist movement which has signed a peace agreement with the Philippine government.

They were joined by some 50 Makiang residents who eagerly listened to the details of the TVIRD presentation on the water system for their community.

CReDO Officer Oscar Covarrubias provided Makiang folks an orientation on the SDMP, while CReDO Infrastructure Supervisor Arnold Caban and Abe Dotimas, gave a background on the construction of the water system and a safety orientation, respectively. CReDO SDMP Consultant Lito Donia led the Action Planning Activity, even as CReDO IEC Officer Jose Dagala covered the documentation of the event.

A medical outreach was also conducted by TVIRD Nurse Lois Esnane, and CReDO Liaison Officer Guada Miranda. Imam Danduh expressed the Makiang residents’ appreciation for TVIRD’s infrastructure project in their community, as well as support for the Company’s operations in Canatuan.

“We had been waiting for this Project for so long now; many came here and gave us promises. Now that TVI is actually doing something about it, I will face any one or any group who will question the Project,” he expressed in the vernacular.

“We are glad that our relationship with residents of neighboring communities have grown stronger following our efforts to reach out to them through development projects that we jointly undertake,” Felice Yeban, TVIRD CReDO director, said.

“We expect this relationship to further strengthen as we implement in the Company’s impact communities the other projects spelled out in the SDMP.”

Some 70 percent of the materials for the construction of the water system were already delivered to Makiang. The service contract has been signed and construction work is slated to begin in the first week of February.

Barangay Makiang is one of the four barangays in Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte in Southern Philippines that are covered by the 8,213.42-hectare Subanon Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT).

The other three are barangays Tabayo, Candis, and D. Riconalla. The CADT also covers Barangay Kilalaban in Baliguian Municipality.

TVIRD’s other impact communities (defined as such due to the Company’s use of its thoroughfares or to the relative location of these communities to the gold-copper project vis-à-vis watershed concerns) are barangays JS Perfecto, Malubal, New Sagay, San Fernandino, and San Antonio, all in the Municipality of R.T. Lim in adjacent Zamboanga Sibugay Province.

A barangay or village is the smallest political unit in the Philippines. (Rochelle Hilario/TVI)

Muslim Refugees Return Home After 3 Days Of Fighting Between MILF, Soldiers In Mindanao

A Philippine Army armored personnel carrier guards a village in Midsayap town in North Cotabato province in the southern Philippines Thursday, 01 Feb 2007. (Mindanao Examiner Photo/Mark Navales)

NORTH COTABATO (Mindanao Examiner / 01 Feb) – Muslim villagers have began returning home after three days of clashes between Muslim rebels and troops in the town of Midsayap in North Cotabato province forced thousands of people to flee.

Hundreds have started going back to their villages after Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels and Philippine Army soldiers agreed to a cease-fire this week.

Philippine military chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon ordered troops to halt attacks against MILF forces after both sides agreed to a cease-fire.

The fighting erupted January 26. At least 2 people were killed and two others injured in the fighting. Thousands of civilians fled their homes in at least 5 villages after rebels and soldiers clashed sporadically.

Government planes, backed by combat helicopters and ground forces, assaulted Saturday rebel strongholds after accusing some MILF fighters of attacking Christian farmers and army-led militias in the province.

Mohager Iqbal, chief rebel peace negotiator, accused the military of violating a fragile, six-year old truce, a charge that security officials denied.

He said the fighting broke out after armed militias and Christian landowners tried to drive away local Muslim villagers, some of them members of the MILF, who owned lands in the area. Iqbal said the soldiers sided with the militias and attacked rebel forces, sparking sporadic, but fierce clashes.

Col. Julieto Ando, a spokesman for the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, said the rebels attacked farmers and government militias harvesting coconuts in the village of Ranaban, triggering a firefight.

“It was the rebels who started this fight. They attacked people who were just harvesting coconuts. The MILF violated the truce and we will file a protest with the government peace panel,” Ando said.

Iqbal said at least 5 villages have been bombed by military forces.

The MILF, the country’s largest Muslim rebel group, is currently negotiating peace with Manila, but despite a cease-fire accord signed in 2001, sporadic clashes still continue in many areas in the troubled region. (Mindanao Examiner)

US Navy's "Blue Cruiser" Sails To Philippines For Goodwill Visit

USS Blue Ridge

MANILA (Mindanao Examiner / 01 Feb) – A U.S. Navy ship, the USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19), is expected to arrive in the Philippines for a goodwill mission, the U.S. Embassy announced Thursday.

The 19,600 ton ship, nicknamed “Blue Cruiser”, will deliver donated goods, such as clothes, toys, food, and medical supplies. The crew will also provide free health clinics for citizens in poor or remote communities and conduct engineering projects to construct and improve schools and public buildings.

U.S. officials declined to say the exact date USS Blue Ridge, the third Navy ship named after the Blue Ridge Mountains, a series of ranges in the Appalachian Mountains of the eastern United States, would arrive for security reason.

But U.S. Ambassador Kristie Kenney the ship’s crew is eager to visit the country and work with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in assisting people in need of humanitarian outreach. The ship will visit select locations in the Philippines.

"The American people are committed to working with our friends and partners in the Philippines. I am proud that the USS Blue Ridge is visiting the Philippines, and I know that the dedicated men and women on board are excited to visit this beautiful country and to partner with the Armed Forces of the Philippines to assist the Filipino people,” Kenney said.

The ship has a crew of 52 officers and 790 enlisted personnel. Aside from them, the Blue Ridge also has a Command Staff with 268 officers and 1173 enlisted men.

In addition to medical personnel, USS Blue Ridge will also deploy with a small team of engineers composed of “Seabee” Sailors from the Naval Mobile Construction Battalion THREE and Marines from the First Marine Air Wing in Okinawa to perform repair and minor construction projects ashore.

They will be joined by a group of Philippine military engineers who will embark onboard the ship. The U.S. 7th Fleet Band is also deployed aboard the ship and will be performing in select locations during its visit to the Philippines.

Since October 1979, the USS Blue Ridge has been forward-deployed to Yokosuka, Japan as the flagship for Commander, U.S. 7th Fleet.

The 194-meter ship participates routinely in U.S. and allied training exercise each year with countries throughout the Western Pacific and Indian Ocean and frequently makes port calls in countries like South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Australia. (Mindanao Examiner)

Top Al Qaeda Financier Dead, Denied Links to Osama to His Dying Day By Zachary Abuza

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RP Economy Remains Robust, Says Arroyo Official

ZAMBOANGA CITY (Mindanao Examiner / 01 Feb) – The Philippine economy is growing at a robust rate with traditional goods, such as garments and agricultural sectors now being overtaken by information and communication technology (ICT) and the electronics industries, a senior Filipino government official said.

Cabinet Secretary Ricardo Saludo said since 2001, the Filipino exports, particularly in IT and services, remain very strong. In January to October 2006, exports grew by 16.4%, while full-year shipments from economic zones were recorded at $36 billion.

He said (IT) services are growing much faster than merchandise exports. By 2007, BPO (Business Process Outsource) exports are expected to exceed by $5 billion, bigger than the agriculture and garments exports combined.

"These new sectors are now the major drivers of the country's economy," he said, noting that the "country will build on its leading position in several key ICT products and ICT-enabled services."

He said the Philippines has become an IT and services-driven economy.

"The country is currently No. 4 in IT-enabled services exports after India, Canada and Ireland. We are also the 4th largest exporter of notebook PCs (personal computers) and DVD-ROMs (Digital Versatile Disc—Read Only Memory), and 5th in disk drives, while exports of semiconductor and BPO services match those of India," he said at a news conference in Zamboanga City.

With the boom in IT-enabled companies, "cyber-services" employment has nearly tripled since 2002 -- from 65,000 to 266,000 hired employees in 2006, he said.

Saludo said the information technology earnings are expected to increase to $11.7 billion in the following years -- almost equaling the current level of OFW (Overseas Filipino Workers) remittances going through the banking system.

Further growth is expected in the Cyber-services Industry. The data is broken down by key sectors. The total workforce forecast is expected to grow to more than 1 million by 2010 almost four times the 2005 level, he said.

Saludo, who was here as guest speaker in a forum sponsored by the Western Mindanao State University, said the country has at least 555 information technology-related companies.

Of these companies, one is located in Northern Luzon; 425 in the so-called Luzon Urban Beltway; 102 in Central Philippines; and 27 in Mindanao.

And the 105 Call Centers, 40 Animation Studios, and 60 BPOs and 50 Medical Transcription companies, are all part of the Global O&O (Off shoring & Outsourcing) Industry. The 300 Software Development companies service both local & Global O&O.

In addition, Saludo noted, the country's economy has been moving remarkably for the last six years.

"The Philippines has moved to a markedly higher growth plane, while inflation has moderated and job creation has surged. The country has the fastest yearly progress in economy, smallest increase in the prices, and the most number of new jobs created in the last 20 years," he said.

“As a result, the number of poor Filipinos has dropped by 5.5 million, based on the poverty incidence of 23% of families by 2006, as estimated by the National Statistical Coordination Board. Self-rated poverty is averaging 57.3%, the lowest since SWS (Social Weather Station) began the SRP survey in 1986."

He said the economy's uptrend is clear from charts showing sustained increase in Growth Domestic Product and Gross National Product since 2001.

"The Philippine economy proved resilient, owing to vital economic reforms and new industry opportunities. The linchpin sector of consumption, services and overseas Filipino workers' remittances continues to deliver, guaranteeing steady growth despite the challenging environment," Saludo explained.

He noted that the country's economic growth had reached on the level of what used to be in 1960's where the Philippine was 2nd in terms of economic ranking in Asia.

"The growth under the administration of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is inching its way up towards the level experienced during the terms of former presidents Quirino, Magsaysay and her father Diosdado Macapagal.”

“The current growth upgrade builds on earlier momentum under President Ramos, with growth averaging 5.02% in 1992-96 until the Asian financial crisis the next year stopped the surge," he pointed out.

Quoting World Bank's country manager Joachim von Amsberg, Saludo said that it is possible for the Philippines to takeoff by 2010. He said the World Bank pledged to support the government’s economic reform. "World Bank and the IMF (International Monetary Fund) raised their 2007 growth forecast for the Philippines, expecting the country to do better than the rest of East Asia," he said.

Saludo claimed that local businessmen, together with traders from China, India, Ireland and South Africa were optimistic with the current economic growth performance of the Philippines.

"With increasing investors’ confidence, the prices of stocks and property are back to levels before the 1997 Asian financial crisis. Foreigners are particularly bullish. Net foreign buying of RP stocks jumps 191% to P68.5 in 2006.”

“Net portfolio investment went up to 24% in 2006, after increasing six-fold in 2005. Net foreign direct investment in January-October rose to 75% increase from the same period in 2005," he said.

"There are evident reasons for the resurgent economy of the country like increased exports, increased remittances from Filipinos abroad,increased tourism and the increasing numbers of call centers and other business process outsourcing. And Philippine commerce will strengthen further with the slide in oil prices since July 2006," he said. (Darwin Wee)

Troops Kill Abu Sayyaf Bomber, Leader Captured In Manila Raid

MANILA (Mindanao Examiner / 01 Feb) – Security forces raided early Thursday a hideout of the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf group in Manila’s suburb and killed a suspected bomber and captured four others, including their leader, officials said.

Officials said soldiers and policemen stormed the hideout in the village of Santa Ana in Taytay district at around 3 a.m. and clashed with gunmen, killing Mohamad Utto.

The fighting, which lasted for about 10 minutes, left Abu Sayyaf members, Abdulla Alimudin and Badruddin Anggoto wounded. Another militant, Jukarnen Utto, was also captured along with their leader, Sanjali Utto,said Marine Major General Mohammad Dolorfino.

“We have planned this operation for a long time and it paid off. We have captured Sanjali Utto and foiled his plan to bomb civilian targets around Manila,” Dolorfino told the Mindanao Examiner. He did not elaborate.

Utto is the leader of an Abu Sayyaf unit called UTG or Urban Terrorist Group, whose chieftain, Binang Sali, had been killed in a clash with troops in the southern Philippines last month.

Dolorfino said security forces have recovered automatic weapons, fragmentation grenades, improvised explosive devices, C4 explosives and equipment used in manufacturing homemade bombs from the Abu Sayyaf hideout.

“This operation is part of the government’s anti-terror campaign and there is an ongoing operation to track down other members of the Abu Sayyaf hiding in Manila,” he said.

Utto, he said, was also smuggling weapons to the Abu Sayyaf in the southern Philippines.

“Sanjali Utto is one of the Abu Sayyaf’s arms suppliers and he is currently under interrogation,” the general said.

He said Utto’s group is operating in Manila. “This group is very dangerous,” he said.

The Abu Sayyaf previously bombed civilian targets around the Philippine capital the past years that left scores of people dead and wounded. In February 2004, the Abu Sayyaf also bombed a ferry off Manila Bay, killing more than 100 passengers.

The 10,000 ton SuperFerry 14, carrying about 900 people, was heading for Bacolod City in the central Philippines when the Abu Sayyaf detonated the bomb, hidden inside a television set.

Last month, Filipino troops, guided by U.S. military intelligence, raided an Abu Sayyaf hideout on Mount Daho in the southern island of Jolo and also killed a senior militant leader, Jainal Antel Sali, Jr. alias Abu Solaiman.

In September, the Abu Sayyaf chieftain, Khadaffy Janjalani, was also killed by soldiers in fierce battle in Jolo island. His remains were recovered in December from a shallow grave in Jolo’s Patikul town.

Aside from the Abu Sayyaf, troops were also pursuing two Jemaah Islamiya militants, Dulmatin and Umar Patek, blamed for the 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202 mostly foreign tourists, including 88 Australians.

The Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiya are both in the U.S. list of international terrorist organizations, blamed for the kidnappings of foreigners and spate of bombings in the Philippines and Indonesia.

Southern Philippines military commander Lt. Gen. Eugenio Cedo said the Abu Sayyaf is coddling Dulmatin and Patek. (Mindanao Examiner)

NDF Fears Widespread Rights Violations, Militarization In South RP

DAVAO CITY (Mindanao Examiner / 01 Feb) - The National Democratic Front accused Manila on Thursday of militarization after authorities designated many areas in the southern Philippines as election “hot spots”.

The NDF fears of widespread violations of human rights and harassment of civil and militant groups opposed to President Gloria Arroyo’s rule.

Rubi del Mundo, NDF spokesman for Southern Mindanao, said police and military authorities tagged the towns and cities of Bansalan, Digos, Don Marcelino, Hagonoy, Jose Abad Santos, Kiblawan, Magsaysay, Malalag, Malita, Matanao, Sta. Cruz, Sta. Maria and Sulop in Davao del Sur province as election hot spots.

And also Asuncion, Kapalong, New Corella and Talaingod in Davao del Norte, Laak, Monkayo, New Bataan and Pantukan in Compostela Valley, and Banaybanay, Cateel and Lupon in Davao Oriental provinces.

“The NDF-Southern Mindanao maintains that this is only part and parcel of the plan of the Arroyo government of ensuring the victory of its national and local candidates and puppets in the upcoming elections by pinning down its vocal critics including the opposition and progressive party-lists,” Del Mundo said.

Del Mundo said government militias and soldiers harassed and killed members of militant groups every ime elections were held. Most of those killed were political activists opposed to Arroyo’s rule.

During the May 2004 Presidential and National elections, Del Mundo said at least 36 people had been killed in Mindanao, especially in “hot spot” areas where security forces were deployed.

Hundreds of political activists and members of progressive and militant groups and journalists had been killed since Arroyo was catapulted into power in 2001. Most of the killings were allegedly perpetrated by soldiers and hired assassins.

The NDF is the political wing of the outlawed Communist Party of the Philippines, whose armed group, the New People’s Army is fighting the past three decades for the establishment of a Maoist state in the country.

Peace talks between the government and rebels collapsed in 2004 after the United States, on Manila’s prodding, tagged the CPP-NDF and the NPA as foreign terrorist organizations and froze its assets abroad. (Mindanao Examiner)

Political Killings In RP Leaves 21 Church People Dead

MANILA (Mindanao Examiner / 01 Feb) - At least 21 church people had been killed in a spate of attacks the past years in the Philippines, aside from hundreds of militant leaders and activists opposed to the Arroyo government.

Dozens of journalists were also killed because of their work. An independent commission investigating the killings linked soldiers to most of the murders.

The Church Office for International Network in the Philippines (CONTAK Philippines) listed the following casualties:

1. PASTOR MARCELINO DELA CRUZ
28 May 2001 - Killing of Marcelino dela Cruz, a United Methodist Church Pastor in San Jose, Tarlac.

2. PASTOR JOSE BUENDIA
19 November 2003 - Killing of Jose Buendia, 39 years old who was former Born-Again Pastor. Around 5:30AM a group of alleged soldiers under the 71st Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army raided the house of Jose Buendia in Barangay Matawi, Dingalan, Aurora, Philippines. Without any warning and under the cover of the night they surrpinded the house and started shooting at it. Jose came out to plead for their lives but was hit and instantly died. His face was shattered due to the strength of the firepower. Josie and their children managed to stay inside the house unharmed but very much shaken.

3. ISAIAS MANANO
28 April 2004 - Killing of Isaias Manano, resident of Brgy. Nacoco, Clapan City, Mindoro, Oriental, Member of the UCCP-Christian Youth Fellowship (CYF) and Anakpawis Party-list Mindoro.

4. JOEL BACLAO
10 November 2004 - Killing of Joel Baclao, member of UCCP/ coordinator of Andurog Mayon, the Relief and Rehabilitation work of the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP) for victims of the Mayon Volcano eruption, National Council Member of the Promotion of Church People's Response (PCPR) in Bicol.

5. JUANCHO SANCHEZ
16 November 2004 - Massacre of 7 workers and supporters of Hacienda Luisita strike, including Juancho Sanchez, member of UCCP-CYF Tarlac.

6. VICENTE OLEA23 November 2004 - Killing of Vicente Olea, 71-year old UCCP member in San Vicente, Palawan.

7. ABE SUNGIT
5 February 2005 - Killing of Abe Sungit, leader of indigenous people in Palawan, member of United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) - IDPIP (Indigenous People's Program), Karapatan-Palawan and PAGSAMBATAN.

8. FR. WILLIAM TADENA
13 March 2005 - Killing of Fr. William Tadena, resident of Brgy. Matindeg, Pura, Tarlac, member of IFI and PCPR in Tarlac; frustrated killing of 3 companions - Carlos Barsolazo, Charlie Gabriel and Ervina Domingo (church workers). Fr. Tadena was an active supporter of the Hacienda Luisita workers.

9. PASTOR HABLITO SOLINA
11 April 2005 - Killing of Hablito Solina, a church worker of People's Missionary Church.10. ALFREDO DAVIS15 April 2005 - Killing of Alfredo Davis, member of UCCP Mahaplag, Leyte at the vicinity of Mahaplag, Leyte. His father was a former chairperson of a regional alliance of peasant organizations.

11. REV. EDISON LAPUS
12 May 2005 - Killing of UCCP Conference Minister Edison Lapus, of Sitio Motor, Brgy. Crossing, San Isidro, Leyte, member of PCPR, Karapatan and Bayan Muna.

12. REV. RAUL DOMINGO
20 August 2005 -Rev. Raul Domingo, of Brgy. San Jose, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, member of UCCP and Kapatirang Simbahan para sa Bayan (Kasimbayan) and Secretary General of Karapatan in Palawan was shot and seriously wounded. On September 4, Rev. Domingo died at the hospital.

13. JOSE MANEGDEG III
29 November 2005 - Killing of Jose ‘Pepe' Manegdeg III, of Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte, member of Rural Missionaries of the Philippines (RMP), former staff of the Regional Ecumenical Council in the Cordillera (RECCORD) and former volunteer of the NCCP Ecology Program. He was killed along the National Highway at Barangay Apatot, San Esteban, Ilocos Sur.

14. JUNICO HALEM
6 December 2005 - Killing of Junico Halem, member of UCCP and Bayan Muna municipal coordinator in Aluran, Misamis Occidental.

15. MATEO MORALES
24 January 2006 - Killing of Mateo Morales, lay worker for the Religious of the Good Shepherd's Tribal Filipino Ministry, which assists Banwaon and Manobo tribal communities in Agusan del Sur. He was shot at his home in Brgy. Dona Flavia, San Luis, Agusan Del Sur province.

16. NESTOR ARINQUE
7 March 2006 - Nestor Arinque of Brgy. San Roque, Mabini, Bohol, was shot to death by three unidentified men in a motorcycle. Nestor Arinque was the chairman of Hugpong sa Mag-uuma sa Mabini or Organization of Peasants in Mabini (HUMABI), a municipal chapter of Hugpong sa Mag-uumang Bol-anon (HUMABOL), a province-wide federation of farmers in Bohol province. HUMABOL is an affiliate of Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas or Peasant Movement of the Philippines (KMP), a nationwide farmer's organization in the Philippines. Arinque was also an active member, and previously the local church council chairman of the UCCP in Mabini, Bohol. The incident happened at Brgy. Abaca, Mabini at around 12:30 in the afternoon, in front of the house of a certain Gregorio Fostanes.

17. REV. JEMIAS TINAMBACAN
9 May 2006 - around 5:30 pm, while traveling in Oroquieta City, Rev. Jemias Tinambacan of UCCP Calaran, Misamis Occidental, was shot to death by four armed men riding in motorcycle. His wife Rev. Marilou Tinambacan was also injured.

18. PASTOR ANDY PAWICANMay 21, 2006 - Pastor Andy Pawikan, 30 years old, Licenciate Pastor of UCCP Pantabangan, Nueva Ecija, forcibly taken, tortured and believed killed around 4pm when a gunshot was heard, on May 21, 2006.

His body was recovered at 8am the following morning. Pastor Andy was on his way home from Sunday Worship with his wife, children and other women. He was forcibly taken away allegedly by troops from the 48th Infantry Battalion-AFP. It is alleged that the motivation of the 48th Infantry was to extract information on a recent encounter of the AFP and the NPA; insurgents were alleged to have hidden somewhere near the area.

Two other persons are also still missing (both were companions of Pastor Andy Pawikan in resolving the Kaingin issue against possible landowners). PNP-San Jose City reported a legitimate encounter as the cause of Pastor Pawikan's death; the absurdity of this claim is not only backed by eye-witness but the reality that Pastor Pawikan was wearing a Barong Tagalog when killed. Furthermore, the municipality of Pantabangan refused the UCCP-Fact Finding Team entrance to the area.

19. NOEL NOLI CAPULONG
May 27, 2006 - Mr. Noel Noli Capulong, 51 years old, Member of UCCP Calamba, Laguna and Chairperson of the Christian Witness and Service of UCCP Northeast Southern Tagalog Conference, gunned down around 6pm, May 27, 2006. Noli Capulong left a meeting with a Barangay Captain at Barangay Paraian, Calamba, to attend a prayer meeting for his ill siblings.

He was driving a private jeep. He was gunned down by two men on a motorcycle wearing bonnets. He sustained four gunshot wounds and was declared dead on arrival when taken to a hospital only 50 meters away. Mr. Noli Capulong was Deputy Secretary General of Bayan Muna TK, regional staff of Bagong Alianza Makabayan, and spokesperson for the Southern Tagalog Environmental Advocacy Movement (STEAM).

20. TITO MARATA
17 June 2006 - Tito Marata was the provincial officer of the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines and a member of the Farmers for Agrarian Reform Movement.

21. PASTOR ISAIAS STA. ROSA
3 August 2006 - Pastor Isaias Sta. Rosa, a United Methodist Church Pastor in Daraga, Albay, was found dead on Thursday night near a creek moments after being shot by 10 masked gunmen outside his house. Cpl. Lordger Pastrana of the Philippine Army was also found dead beside Pastor Sta. Rosa.

The gunmen went first to the house of his brother, Jonathan, who lives in the same compound, before they went to Pastor Sta. Rosa. Jonathan identified Cpl. Pastrana as one of the 10 alleged gunmen who went to his house moments before Pastor Sta. Rosa was killed.

Church Office for International Network in the Philippines (CONTAK Philippines)

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Photo: Jamal Khalifa's Relief Organization In Zamboanga City

Filipino students walk in front of the abandoned International Islamic Relief Organization in Zamboanga City in the southern Philippines. The IIRO, its facade painted white after the 9/11 attacks in the United States, was previously ran by Jamal Khalifa, brother-n-law of al-Qaeda chief Usama bin Laden. Khalifa was shot dead Wednesday 31 Jan 2007 inside his home in Madagascar in an apparent robbery attack. Khalifa lived in Zamboanga City until he escaped after RP authorities linked tagged IIRO and his Al-Makdum University as front to channel funds to terrorists and Muslim rebels in Mindanao. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)