Philippine military bares completed peace, development projects

A photo released by the Philippine military shows one of military projects in northern Samar.

QUEZON CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Sept. 23, 2010) – The Philippine military on Thursday said it has completed more than 1,600 peace and development projects across the country the past years.

Officials said a total of 1,691 projects were completed from 2005 to 2010, mostly from the government’s Kalayaan sa Barangay Program which had been undertaken through the National Development Support Command.

Among the projects were school buildings, daycare and health centers, rural electrification, potable water system and farm-to-market roads. “Most of these projects were completed in cooperation and support of local government units, government agencies, nongovernment organizations and other stakeholders nationwide,” said According to Army Captain Emmanuel Garcia, of the National Development Support Command.

Garcia said 54 more infrastructure projects across the country are ongoing and nearing completion by military engineers.

He said Major General Carlos Holganza, commander of National Development Support Command, is happy with the projects because of the contribution of troops in nation- building.

“These worthwhile projects were made thru the peace and development initiatives of the government and genuine care of our peace builder-soldiers for our people,” Holganza said.

Of the total number of completed projects, 794 are in Luzon, 511 in the Visayas and 386 Mindanao. (Mindanao Examiner)

Former Hostage Dismayed At Zambo "Adopted son" Declaration For Yano

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (ABS-CBN / September 21, 2008) - A former hostage during the 2001 Cabatangan siege by Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) separatists was dismayed over the passage of a Zamboanga City council resolution declaring Armed Forces’ Chief of Staff Gen. Alexander Yano an "adopted son."

Bong Bue said Yano was never the liberator of the Cabatangan siege on November 21, 2001 when MNLF forces held hostage more than 100 people, including children, in Zamboanga City.

Bue said the late Interior and Local Government Assistant Secretary Abraham Iribani was the real liberator.

Bue said it was Iribani who negotiated with the late MNLF commander Julhambri Misuari for the release of the hostages. Bue described Yano's stint as Task Force Zamboanga commander during that time as a failure.

He stressed Yano failed to secure Zamboanga City.And with the council resolution making Yano an adopted son of the city, Bue said it refreshes the wounds they inflicted during the hostage taking.

Last week, the city council approved the resolution making Yano an adopted son despite opposition from some residents. Some councilors admitted they have some reservations on this matter but explained their resolution was based on Yano's stint as Task Force Zamboanga chief, his contribution to the tranquility of the city and his being a native of Zamboanga peninsula who now holds the highest position in the military.

Yano, meanwhile, in an earlier interview, said he did not ask for this title from the city council. He said he will respect the sentiments of some Zamboangueños, particularly the victims of the Cabatangan siege. Yano is set to be guest speaker during the biggest festivity in the city in October - the Zamboanga Hermosa festival. (Leila Vicente)

Asian Democrats Welcome Release Of Peace Advocate

Freed Abu Sayyaf hostage Octavio Dinampo. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)

The World Forum for Democratization in Asia (WFDA) warmly welcomes the release of one of its partners, Prof. Octavio Dinampo, from kidnappers who abducted him along with three Filipino TV journalists in Jolo, Mindanao.

While we are pleased with this development, we condemn in the strongest terms his abduction: under no circumstances can such a barbaric act be justified.

Moreover, we are disturbed by the military's prolonged "detention" of Prof. Dinampo for "de-briefing" purposes after he was released. Family and friends had no immediate access to him, as he was instead flown to Zamboanga City for further "de-briefings". Furthermore, we strongly reject the insinuations made by certain ranking officers within the security forces that Prof. Dinampo was not a genuine "victim."

Prof. Dinampo is a renowned peace advocate who joined WFDA's solidarity and peace mission to Timor Leste during the 2006 crisis that hit the region's newest nation. He also joined us in our biennial conference in Manila last September when we gathered the region's leading democrats and activists in exploring common paths to peace and democracy.

WFDA is distressed by the culture of violence that has beset many countries and territories left marginalized due to historical injustices perpetuated by incumbent governments. The kidnapping of a peace advocate together with neutral journalists is reflective of the desperation of marginalized peoples to attain their goals of survival and acceptance into mainstream society and the body politic.

We are deeply concerned that this kidnapping may have further complicated the stalled peace process in Mindanao while preparations are also being made for the impending controversial election in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao.

We call on all related authorities and sectors to work for the elimination of the conditions that led to the kidnapping of Prof. Dinampo. We pray that such egregious violations of human rights will not happen again.

Peasant Leader Killed In Southern Philippines

Militant labor leader Celso Pojas, of the Farmers' Association of Davao City, during a rally May 12, 2008 in Davao City in southern Philippines. Pojas, also the vice chairman of the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, was killed by two motorcycle gunmen May 15, 2008 just outside the FADC office. (BAYAN photo)

DAVAO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / May 15, 2008) - A militant labor leader was gunned down Thursday in the southern Philippines, where security forces are battling communist insurgents.

Celso Pojas, leader of the Farmers’ Association of Davao City and spokesman for the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas, was killed by two motorcycle gunmen outside their office in Davao City.

Pojas, 45, was also the vice chairman of the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN), tagged by the Philippine military as a front of the communist New People’s Army rebels.

“He is a good man who had been fighting for the rights of the oppressed. We condemn the killing of a good man and we accused the military as behind his murder,” Jeppie Ramada, BAYAN Secretary-General, told the Mindanao Examiner.

He said Pojas had been receiving death threats from suspected military men who had been tailing the militant leader since last year. “Armed men, sporting military haircut, had previously warned Ka Celso that he would be killed because of his activities as a peasant leader,” Ramada said.

“The killing of Ka Celso is politically motivated because he was a staunch supporter of human rights and his being against continued militarization in many parts of Davao and Compostela Valley provinces and other areas in southern Mindanao” Ramada said.

No group or individual claimed responsibility for the murder and the military flatly denied any involvement in the killing of Pojas.

“We have nothing to do with it. We respect human rights. Let us wait for the investigation of the police,” Major Raymundo Aguada, a spokesman for the Army’s 10th Infantry Division, said in a separate interview.

The Philippine military previously tagged Pojas’ groups as fronts of the New People’s Army rebels fighting for the establishment of a Maoist state in the country. (Mindanao Examiner)

Marine Killed In Basilan Attack

BASILAN (Mindanao Examiner / 24 Feb) – A Filipino soldier was killed in an attack on the island of Basilan, south of Zamboanga City in the southern Philippines, the military said Saturday.

The military said the soldier, assigned with the Philippine Marines, was shot by motorcycle gunmen in Lamitan town.

No group claimed responsibility for the attack, but the soldier was new on the island and part of a marine contingent that replaced the army forces early this month.

Abu Sayyaf militants are still hiding in Basilan, although their numbers have dwindled in the past years and many of them fled to nearby Jolo island to evade government operation.

Aside from the Abu Sayyaf, the larger Moro Islamic Liberation Front and criminal gangs operate are active in Basilan.

The military did not release the name of the soldier, but other reports identified the victim as Corporal Rodel Algaba. (Mindanao Examiner)

Philippine Military Corrects Report, Says 6 Abus Are Killed

JOLO ISLAND (Mindanao Examiner / 06 Jan) – The Armed Forces of the Philippines corrected late Saturday its report that 7 Abu Sayyaf militants were killed in fierce sea gun battle off the southern Tawi-Tawi island.

Military spokesman Lt. Col. Bartolome Bacarro said only six gunmen were killed in the clash and apologized for the mistake.

“Only six and not seven Abu Sayyaf terrorists are killed in the battle,” he said without elaborating.

The Western Mindanao Command headquarters in-charge of the operation also said that 7 militants were slain in the sea battle.

“Joint AFP units encountered ASG elements onboard a speedboat and after a 30 minutes firefight at sea, the group of Abu Hubaida and Black Killer was completely neutralized. The result, seven enemies are killed, all body counts, and the double-engine boat and weapons have been recovered,” Bacarro earlier told the Mindanao Examiner.

Soldiers attacked the enemy boat after it tried to escape from a sea blockade near Panglima Sugala town at around 4.45 a.m. The boat’s passengers traded automatic gunfire with soldiers until they were all killed, officials said.The fighting broke out just two days before President Gloria Arroyo is to hold a military conference in Jolo island near Tawi-Tawi. (Mindanao Examiner)