MARAWI CITY (Mindanao Examiner / Oct. 6, 2010) - Katarungan ang isinisigaw ng mga Muslim sa Marawi City sa Lanao del Sur province para kay Ustadz Aswani na pinatay kamakailan lamang habang nagdadasal sa Masjid Islamic Center.
Si Aswani ay isa lamang sa maraming binaril at napatay habang nagdarasal sa kanilang mga mosque. Tinangay ng mga salarin ang limang libong pisong dala ni Aswani na ayon sa mga kaibigan ay kawi-witdraw lamang sa bangko upang gamitin sa pagpapagamot sa ospital.
Ayon kay Superintendent Cosanie Degorongan, ang hepe ng pulisya sa Lanao del Sur, ay nadakip na nila ang tatlong armado na tinuturong pumatay kay Aswani.
Pero ang sigaw ng mga kamag-anakan at pamilya ng biktima ay hustisya pa rin at katunayan ay nagsagawa pa ng rally ang mga Muslim sa harapan ng korte ngayon Miyerkoles upang iparating sa awtoridad ang kanilang hinagpis sa pagkakapatay sa ustadz.
Talamak ang patayan at iba pang krimen sa Marawi na tinaguriaan Islamic city sa Mindanao. Ang Lanao del Sur ay isa sa limang lalawigan sa ilalim ng magulong Muslim autonomous region na pinamumunuan ni Governor Ansaruddin Adiong. (May karagdagang ulat ni Becky de Asis)
Wednesday, October 06, 2010
Ustadz pinatay sa Marawi, mga Muslim umalma!
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Gunmen seize Muslim trader in Marawi City
Police said the Abdulkarim Magarang, 42, was on a pedicab when gunmen seized him in the village called Lilod Madaya at around 6 a.m.
“We are still investigating the motive of the abduction,” said Senior Superintendent Cosanie Derogongan, the provincial police chief.
He said the gunmen dragged Magarang to a waiting car and sped off. No group or individual claimed responsibility for the abduction.
It was the second abduction in Marawi City since June this year after gunmen also seized Nuraldin Yusoph, 22, son of Elections Commissioner Elias Yusoph. The young Yusoph was freed weeks later after ransom was allegedly paid to his captors. (Becky de Asis)
Saturday, August 21, 2010
2 students killed in attack outside school in Mindanao
ILIGAN CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Aug. 21, 2010) – Unidentified gunmen killed two students Saturday in a broad daylight attack just in front of the government-run Mindanao State University in Marawi City in the Muslim province of Lanao del Sur, police said.
Police said the gunmen who were on a jeep shot the duo - Mark Anthony Ticson, 21, and Ever Sosillo, 17 – both engineering students. Provincial police chief Cosanie Derogongan has ordered an investigation into the killings and deployed policemen to hunt down the gunmen.
The victims came from an Internet café and were on their way home when gunmen attacked them. Derogongan said Ticson sustained one gunshot wound in his chest while Sosillo was hit in the head.
The motive of the attack was unknown, the police chief said. (Merlyn Manos)
Friday, July 02, 2010
Marawi, Quo Vadis?
Just recently, gunmen shot and woman after she refused to yield her bag. In another incident, unidentified armed men also barged into several stores and robbed its owners in broad daylight strikes.
While most of the locals are known to be religious who pray at mosques many times during the day, criminals continue to sow fear and citizens were urging authorities to put a stop to these nefarious activities. Extortion is also not uncommon in Marawi where small shops regularly receive demands from various groups and owners risk being kidnapped for ransom or their establishments bombed if they do not pay up.
Last month, gunmen kidnapped Nuraldin Yusoph, a son of Commission on Elections Commissioner Elias Yusoph, and demanded the annulment of poll results in at least four towns in exchange for the safe release of the hostage.
Kidnappers after failing to get their demands then asked for P25 million ransoms. (With a report from Becky de Asis)
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Tropang Kano, na-eskandalo na naman sa Mindanao
MAYNILA (Mindanao Examiner / Mar. 9, 2010) - Pormal ng magsasampa ng reklamo ang pamilya ng Pinoy interpreter ng US Forces na di-umanoy nagpakamatay sa barracks ng US Forces sa Camp Ranao ng Philippine Army's 103rd Infantry sa Marawi City, ayon sa mga human rights groups.
Si Gregan Cardeño, 33, ay natanggap bilang interpreter ng US Forces na nagsasagawa ng Balikatan at umalis noong Pebrero 01 nitong taon at kasama ang mga US Troops patungong Camp Siongco sa bayan ng Datu Odin Sinsuat sa Maguindanao province.
Laking gulat na lang ng pamilya ng mapag-alamang sa Marawi City pala ito dinala. Sa huling tawag nito sa kanyang asawa at kapatid ay nabanggit niyang hindi interpreter ang pinapatrabaho sa kanya kaya’t gusto niya nang umuwi.
Kinaumagahan, Pebrero 03, sa pamamagitan ng tawag ng pulisya ay nalaman ng pamilya ni Gregan na nagbigti umano ito gamit ang sariling kumot, ngunit ang malaking ipinagtataka ng mga nagdadalamhating pamilya ay kung bakit may mga tusok sa paa at sugat sa leeg at ulo si Gregan na tila dumanas ito ng tortyur.
Dahil hindi kumbinsido ang pamilya ni Gregan, nagsagawa sila kasama ang mga human rights group (Justice for Gregan Cardeño Movement) ng Fact-Finding Mission noong Marso 03 sa Marawi City. Nakunan ng fact-finding mission team ang Philippine National Police, 103rd Infantry Brigade at US troops team leader na nakilala lamang sa pangalan Capt. Kaye ng magkakaibang salaysay kaya’t mas lalong nakumbinsi ang grupo na hindi nagpakamatay ang biktima kung hindi may foul play na nangyari.
Dismayado rin ang fact-finding mission team lalo na ang pamilya ng hindi pumayag ang US troops na makapasok sa US barracks ang pamilya upang makita ang kwarto ni Gregan kung saan nangyari ang insidente.
Isasampa ng pamilya ng biktima ang reklamo sa tanggapan ni Commission on Human Rights Chairperson Leila de Lima upang maimbestigahan ng husto ang pagkamatay ni Gregan.
Nanawagan rin ang pamilya sa mga kinauukulan na magsagawa ng malayang imbestigasyon upang mabigyang linaw ang nangyari kay Gregan at papanagutin kung sinuman ang mapapatunayang may kinalaman o responsable sa pagkamatay ni Gregan.
Ilang ulit ng na-eskandalo ang tropa ng mga Kano sa Mindanao dahil sa ibat-ibang kaso mula sa akusasyon ng rape ng isang Pinay na tubong-Zamboanga hanggang sa mga paglabag sa karapatang pantao sa nasabing rehiyon.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Filipino terrorist arrested in Mindanao
It said Ansar Venancio, who tagged as behind the spate of bombings in Mindanao and Manila, had been arrested in Marawi City after a long surveillance operation.
Venancio was implicated in the bombings of a commuter train in Manila in 2000 and the airport in Davao City in Mindanao three years later. Dozens of people were killed and wounded in the bombings.
He was said to be with the group of Jemaah Islamiya bomber Fathur Roman Al-Ghozi, who was killed in a clash with Filipino policemen in Mindanao. (Mindanao Examiner)
Friday, April 17, 2009
ARMM praises Marawi City's peace and development efforts in Mindanao
MARAWI CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Apr. 17, 2009) – Governor Zaldy Ampatuan of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) praised Marawi City for its efforts in sustaining peace and development that brought positive in the region.
Ampatuan also congratulated the City Government which recently celebrated Marawi’s 29th Founding Anniversary. In a message read by Department of Tourism (DOT) Regional Secretary Nadjemah Mokiin Salic-Malna, Ampatuan reaffirmed his commitment to do all necessary efforts to address the challenges that confronts the region.
Ampatuan emphasized that one of the projects of the ARMM is to create a positive environment by sustaining the distinct Maranao culture that will promote Marawi as the city by the lake and the center of Islamic education, culture and arts.
"This city has numerous historical, socio-cultural, and education landmarks which could make it a tourist and educational center of the region," he said.
He also said that he will continue efforts to bring the government closer to the people and the people closer to the government by intensifying the linkages with the provincial and city governments.
"Together, let us prove to the whole country, neighboring countries, and most importantly our constituents that indeed, we can make a difference in the ARMM", Ampatuan said.
With the theme "Revival of Cultural Values: A Key to Peace and Unity", the celebration focused on the unique cultural values of Maranaos.
Marawi City Mayor Sultan Fahad Salic said they opted to celebrate the anniversary with the theme that focused on cultural values. “Maranaos traditional culture and way of life plays a vital role in peace-building and local governance,” Salic said.
While Vice Mayor Noryasmin Calandada said that every Maranao must work together to revive their very rich and good cultural values that are founded based on love, unity, peace and justice.
"Reviving cultural values will also revitalize the traditional way of resolving conflicts and feuds. I believe, if this will be materialized, it will eventually lead to development and progress" she said. (With reports from Apipa P. Bagumbaran and Merlyn Manos)
Ampatuan also congratulated the City Government which recently celebrated Marawi’s 29th Founding Anniversary. In a message read by Department of Tourism (DOT) Regional Secretary Nadjemah Mokiin Salic-Malna, Ampatuan reaffirmed his commitment to do all necessary efforts to address the challenges that confronts the region.
Ampatuan emphasized that one of the projects of the ARMM is to create a positive environment by sustaining the distinct Maranao culture that will promote Marawi as the city by the lake and the center of Islamic education, culture and arts.
"This city has numerous historical, socio-cultural, and education landmarks which could make it a tourist and educational center of the region," he said.
He also said that he will continue efforts to bring the government closer to the people and the people closer to the government by intensifying the linkages with the provincial and city governments.
"Together, let us prove to the whole country, neighboring countries, and most importantly our constituents that indeed, we can make a difference in the ARMM", Ampatuan said.
With the theme "Revival of Cultural Values: A Key to Peace and Unity", the celebration focused on the unique cultural values of Maranaos.Marawi City Mayor Sultan Fahad Salic said they opted to celebrate the anniversary with the theme that focused on cultural values.
“Maranaos traditional culture and way of life plays a vital role in peace-building and local governance,” Salic said.While Vice Mayor Noryasmin Calandada said that every Maranao must work together to revive their very rich and good cultural values that are founded based on love, unity, peace and justice.
"Reviving cultural values will also revitalize the traditional way of resolving conflicts and feuds. I believe, if this will be materialized, it will eventually lead to development and progress" she said. (With a report from Apipa P. Bagumbaran and Merlyn Manos)
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Muslims hold rally in the Philippines, demand Arroyo gov't to honor homeland deal with MILF rebels
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Troops Put Up Checkpoints, Secure Highway From Lawless Groups In Mindanao
Government soldiers inspect vehicles passing in front of the Army's 104th Infantry Brigade in Iligan City in the southern Philippines.Army Col. Benito de Leon, commander of the 104th Infantry Brigade, said villagers have sought the help of authorities and urged the military and police to put up roadblocks and checkpoints after the presence of gunmen were reported along the stretch of the highway.
“These checkpoints would curb those who plan to impersonate persons in authority, and allow the military to monitor the passage of security forces. Certain individuals were also reported carrying firearms without authority and even on board government vehicles or ambulances, hence the checkpoints,” De Leon said.
The checkpoints, he said, were intended to complement police enforcement activities and contribute to peace and order in the two areas.
De Leon assured the public that soldiers manning the checkpoints would not violate rights of civilians. He advised drivers of vehicle approaching a checkpoint to slow down and prepare to stop if signaled; dim their lights; open their windows; and turn on their cabin lights.
“Rest assured that we will establish any security arrangement allowed by our laws and regulations, including the conduct of checkpoints, if only to protect the people we are duty-bound to serve,” De Leon said. (With a report from Merlyn Manos)
Friday, October 17, 2008
Gunmen Seize School Executive In Mindanao
Police said Hipolito Minoza was seized by gunmen on Thursday afternoon on a highway near the village of Bubong in Saguiran town in Lanao del Sur in the Muslim autonomous region in Mindanao.Minoza was on his way to Iligan City from Marawi City when seized, it said.
"Minoza was on a vehicle when gunmen stopped him on the highway," Chief Superintendent Bensali Jabarani, the regional police chief, told the Mindanao Examiner.
No group has claimed responsibility for the kidnappings, but Jabarani has ordered police forces to track down the assailants in the province. "We still don't know who were behind this and the motive of the kidnapping," he said.
But the military was quick to blame the Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels and even implicated one of its leaders Abdurahman Macapaar in the kidnapping. The rebel leader is being hunted by security forces for leading deadly attacks in August in Mindanao.
The MILF strongly denied the military allegation. "Why blame us for everything? This is absurd and the MILF has nothing to do with the kidnapping, we are not kidnappers, but revolutionaries," Eid Kabalu, a rebel spokesman, said in a separate interview.
The MILF is the country's largest Muslim rebel group fighting for self-determination in Mindanao. (J. Magtanggol)
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Marawi City, Where East Meets West
The lone Islamic City in the Philippines, Marawi, marks its 28 years as a chartered city celebrating the modern and the past. Showing it has much to offer to ward off perception of lawlessness here, the local government held colorful rites to commemorate its founding.
Gongs resounded, kulintangs played as residents wore blazing traditional yellows, reds and violets to join the city government’s parade around the city.
In a city of more than 130,000 residents, Marawi is one of the component units of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).
Nestled in a plateau 833 meters above sea level, the place is little known to tourists but is a haven for cultural advocates and Muslim religious travelers. The climate here is envigorating and fine grazing land stretches into the distance.
Home of the Maranaos, or lake dwellers, Marawi hosts the majestic Lake Lanao, the country’s largest freshwater lake. The lake is surrounded with myths and legends with a commanding view from the Mindanao State University.
The Darangan, one of the longest Filipino epics, is inspired by the lake. An image of a mountain shaped like a sleeping woman, called the Sleeping Beauty, catches visitors in awe.
The city is surrounded by beautiful rolling hills and mountain. Signal Hill, Arumpac Hill, and Mt. Mupo are considered beautiful and mysterious. Angolo Hill served as a natural watch over tower to the water of Lake Lanao. Mt. Mupo is known for its untouched trees, beautiful and perfectly cone.
Maranaos are said to be the most devout among the Moro tribes, with every barangay having two or more mosques. Marawi City also hosts the most number of mosques and Islamic schools or madaris, with the oldest Islamic university in the country here.
Dansalan, Marawi's old name, was explored by the Spaniards as early as 1639. It is said that at the time, Marawi was already the citadel of Malayan-Arabic Culture in Mindanao.
Meranaw folklore holds that Islam came to the area via the northern coast and brought by a certain Sharif Alawi. In the 17th century, the Meranaws were allied with the powerful Maguindanao Sultan Kudarat.
Feeling the pulse of strong refusal among its inhabitants to adopt Christianity, the Spaniards abandoned the project of colonizing the area.
On May 24, 1904, Dansalan was proclaimed a regular municipality by the American Colonial Government. The Philippines was still under the Commonwealth Regime of the Americans when Dansalan was chartered into a city in 1904.
The Americans built the first public hospital, the Amai Pakpak and several schools. But many Maranaos then did not want to go to school fearing they would be Christianized.
The Maranaos are serious about their royalty. They have managed to maintain their traditional system of government, a system composed of the Sultan, the Bae A Labi (or Queen), the Datus, the Bae or princess.
Up to the early 1980s, the traditional government held more power than the local government units, but these days the scope of their duties is social concerns rather than administration.
The last remaining Maranao royal house – the Torogan – is a fine example of the lifestyle of early Maranao royalty. And in every home, one finds intricately carved brassware and Arabic-inspired sequined decorations.
The Maranao's flair for the creative is exhibited by their numerous ceremonial artifacts and everyday tools trimmed with the sensuous "okir" (carving) and colorful "nagas" (serpent figures). (Samira Gutoc)
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Photo: Anti-US Protests In Southern RP
Friday, January 11, 2008
Muslims March For Peace In Mindanao
The marchers, many chanting “Allahu Akbar” which means “God is Great,” came from the provinces of Lanao del Sur and Lanao del Norte and converged at the Tomas Cabili Plaza in the village of Banggolo.
They also carried streamers and banners and many wearing shirts printed with the word “Allahu Akbar.”
It was the second leg of the series of Mindanao-wide peace rally led by the Consortium of Bangsamoro Civil Society (CBCS), a network of 164 Moro civil society organizations in Mindanao.
The Ranaw Regional Management Committee of CBCS, led by Aenodin Cali, organized the rally in Marawi.
“The failure of peace agreements in the past can be attributed mainly to the non-participation of the Bangsamoro people, because non-participation means they do not own a peace agreement,” said Abdullah Dalidig, of the Islamic Movement for Electoral Reform and Good Governance (IMERGG) and Muslim Multi-sectoral Movement for Peace and Development (MMMPD).
“As real stakeholders, their collective voice should be basis of authority and the last word in the solution of the problem.”
“The consequences of war in Mindanao have been very painful and costly. More than 150,000 people died and 100,000 were estimated to be injured. Millions were displaced from their homes and several hundred thousands, including more than 200,000 Bangsamoro who sought refuge in the Malaysian State of Sabah have not returned home,” Dalidig said.
Anwar Saluwang, deputy secretary-general of United Youth for Peace and Development (UNYPAD), an organization of Muslim youths based in Cotabato City called for the immediate return to the negotiating table of both the Philippine government and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) peace panels.
“We the Bangsamoro in Central Mindanao feel exactly what is felt by people in Ranaw. The Government should not wait for the Bangsamoro people to become the Bangsamoro Armed Forces,” he cited. Saluwang was there with the Marawi-based members of UNYPAD.
The first leg of the peace rally was held in Cotabato City and participated by some 30,000 people from Maguindanao, Shariff Kabunsuan, and North Cotabato provinces.
“The Bangsamoro does not belong to the MILF or the MNLF (Moro National Liberation Front) but the MILF and the MNLF belong to the Bangsamoro people,” said Sammy Maulana, Secretary-General of CBCS. The marchers urged the government and MILF peace negotiators to resume negotiations after talks stalled last month over the issue of the Muslim ancestral domain which will constitute a separate homeland in Mindanao. (With a report from Consortium Maulana)
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Lanao del Sur After The Special Polls...
Security officials said the counting held in Marawi City was peaceful and that there were no reports of post-elections violence in the province, one of five under the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).
Armed clashes and violence marred Saturday’s polls in Lanao. Three government soldiers guarding the polls were killed and three others, including two civilians, had been injured in separate attacks in the province.
The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) held special polls in 13 towns in Lanao del Sur where massive fraud and cheating had been reported by an independent elections watchdog, the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV).
“The counting of ballots in Marawi is peaceful. There are no reports of violence,” the head of the regional police force, Chief Superintendent Joel Goltiao, told the Mindanao Examiner newspaper.
Tension was high before and after elections in the province where gunmen randomly attacked polling places with grenades and rifle fires. Authorities blamed armed supporters of politicians as behind the attacks.
A villager in Marawi City said they heard gunshots during the counting of votes and could not say whether it was connected to the canvassing.
But Goltiao said the shot was fired by a government soldier in the air to control a huge crowd trying to disturb the counting of votes.
“It was just a warning shot to control the unruly crowd, but everything turns out to be alright. We are on top of the situation,” Goltiao said.
Major General Nememias Pajarito, commander of the Philippine Army’s First Infantry Division, said troops were deployed in Lanao del Sur to secure the polls and the counting of votes.
“We are happy to report that the counting day turned out to be peaceful. Military and police forces are on top of the situation. We are in control,” Pajarito said in a separate interview.
Many villagers in Lanao del Sur said they failed to cast their votes Saturday because of the presence of gunmen, who were followers of opposing politicians.
The head of the PPCRV, Tita de Villa, who was in Lanao del Sur on Saturday, said she was a witness to massive cheating and fraud in the province.
“You can’t really vote freely because everybody is at your neck. The climate is impossible for people to vote freely and orderly. From what we see, I think there will be failure of elections again,” De Villa said. (With reports from Mark Navales, Merlyn Manos and Juan Magtanggol)