Basilan poll official killed ahead of village elections

Policemen guard Isabela City in Basilan province. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner/ Oct. 3, 2010) – Motorcycle gunmen killed a Filipino poll official ahead of village elections in the restive Muslim province of Basilan in Mindanao, police told the Mindanao Examiner on Sunday.

Police said the attack late Saturday occurred in San Rafael village in Isabela City where Entong Musa, an election officer in Basilan’s Tuburan town, was fatally shot. It said a special police team was formed to investigate the killing of Musa.

“We still do not know the motives of the killing, but police is investigating the murder,” said Chief Superintendent Bienvenido Latag, the chief of police forces in the Muslim autonomous region.

It was unknown whether the murder was connected to elections later this month, but police said at least 2 gunmen were involved in the attack that happened at around 7:30 in the evening. Police said the attackers fled after the shooting.

Basilan is one of five provinces under the Muslim autonomous region where elections are traditionally violent. The province, just several nautical miles of Zamboanga City, is also a hot bed of Abu Sayyaf insurgency. (Mindanao Examiner)

Operasyon kontra masaker suspek patuloy sa Mindanao

Isang supporter ni dating Muslim autonomous regional governor Zaldy Ampatuan habang naglalakad sa bayan ng Shariff Aguak sa Maguindanao. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)

MAGUINDANAO (Mindanao Examiner / Aug. 15, 2010) – Walang humpay ang paghahanap ng pulisya sa mga umano’y sangkot sa masaker ng 57 katao nuong nakaraang taon sa lalawigan ng Maguindanao habang patuloy naman ang kaso laban sa ilang miyembro ng angkan ng Ampatuan na iniuugnay sa brutal na pagpaslang.

Kamakailan lamang ay nadakip ang isa pang suspek na si Atutuhon Esmael, na umano’y tauhan ng mga Ampatuan na sabit sa pagpatay. Kabilang sa mga pinaslang ay 32 journalists na kasama sa convoy ng pamilya ni Esmael Mangudadatu, na noon ay bise alkalde ng isang bayan sa Maguindanao.

Kasamang nasawi ang asawa ni Mangudadatu at kapatid na noon sana ay patungo sa opisina ng Commission on Elelctions upang maghain ng kanyang papeles sa pagpatakbo bilang gobernador ng lalawigan.

Sinabi ni Chief Superintendent Bienvenido Latag, ang hepe ng pulisya sa Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, na ang suspek ay nadakip sa bayan ng Datu Hoffer.

Halos 200 katao ang isinangkot ng mga awtoridad sa masaker nuong Nobyembre 23 at kasama ditto ang gobernador ng Muslim autonomoua region na si Zaldy Ampatuan; ang amang si Andal Ampatuan, ang kapatid na si Andal Jr., at iba pang miyembro ng pamilya na ngayon ay nakapiit sa bilangguan sa Maynila.

“Walang tigil yun ating paghahanap sa mga suspek sa masaker at tuloy-tuloy ang ating operasyon upang sila ay madakip,” ani Latag.

Itinanggi ng mga Ampatuan ang akusasyon laban sa kanila at kumuha ng mga de-kalibreng abokado upang labanan ang mga kasong isinampa ng mga pamilya ng nasawi. (Mindanao Examiner)

Japanese national abducted in southern Philippines

Pangutaran group of islands in the Sulu archipelago in southern Philippines. (Wikipedia locator)

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / July 16, 2010) – Philippine authorities said a Japanese man was abducted Friday by gunmen on a remote island in the Sulu archipelago.

Police and military said at least 10 armed men seized Amer Katayama Mamaito in the village of Bangkilay in Pangutaran Island. “No other details are yet available,” said Army First Lieutenant Steffani Cacho, a spokeswoman for the Western Mindanao Command.

Police forces were also sent to the island to gather more information about the foreigner.

“Our forces are still in the area and gathering more information about Amer Katayama Mamaito. We don’t if he is fisherman or what, but reports stated that he was abducted by ten armed men at around 1.30 in the morning on an island off Pangutaran,” said Chief Inspector Amil Baanan, the deputy chief for operations of the Sulu police force.

No group claimed responsibility for the abduction, but Chief Superintendent Bienvenido Latag, the regional police chief, said they would form a task force to handle the latest abduction. “We will activate the crisis management committee and form a task force to give the background of the victim and also to monitor the incident,” he said.

Last year, Abu Sayyaf militants abducted three international aid workers in Sulu and freed them one after the other in exchange for ransoms.

It was unknown whether the Abu Sayyaf was involved in the latest abduction, but authorities have linked the group, tied to al-Qaeda and Jemaah Islamiya, to previous kidnappings for ransom in the restive southern region. (Mindanao Examiner)

Ambush leaves soldier dead, 5 others wounded in Lanao Sur

ILIGAN CITY (Mindanao Examiner / July 13, 2010) – A government soldier was killed and 5 others were wounded in a firefight Tuesday in the troubled province of Lanao del Sur in the Muslim autonomous region in the southern Philippines, police said.

Police said one civilian was also killed in the fighting that lasted more than 15 minutes in the village of Gata in the town of Poona Bayabao.

“Bandits attacked the soldiers who were traveling on a truck owned by Rodjunox Construction Supply and this sparked a 15-minute fire fight. One soldier was killed and five others were wounded in the fighting. A civilian was also killed in the fighting between the two groups,” said Chief Superintendent Bienvenido Latag, the regional police chief.

It was unknown why the soldiers were on the truck or whether they were escorting it or not, but police blamed bandits, led by Dimaporo Masacal, alias Commander Delta, for the attack.

The motive of the attack was unknown, but Latag said the bandits will attack government forces at every opportunity. “These bandits will attack at any opportunity,” he said, adding, he ordered police forces to help troops tracked down Masacal’s group, blamed for banditry and highway robberies in the province. (Mindanao Examiner)

Philippine town deputy mayor escapes ambush, driver killed

MARAWI CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / July 5, 2010) – A southern Philippine town deputy mayor escaped unhurt after gunmen ambushed his car, but his driver was killed in the attack that also left the politician’s wife and two cousins injured, police said on Monday.

Police said the attack on the group of vice mayor Dianaton Tanog occurred at the weekend in Lanao del Sur’s Madalum town. The politician was on his way home in Pualas town when gunmen opened fire on his car in the village of Dandamun.

Tanog’s driver was killed in the ambush and the other passengers were wounded in the strafing. Tanog just came from Marawi City where he took his oath along with other elected officials when the attack occurred.

Police would not say if the attack was politically motivated or an offshoot of a clan war which is not uncommon in Lanao del Sur, one of five provinces under the restive Muslim autonomous region.

No individual or group claimed responsibility for the ambush, but police said it is investigating the attack. “There is an investigation going on,” said Chief Superintendent Bienvenido Latag, the regional police chief. (Mindanao Examiner)