President Arroyo inaugurates Sulu airport runway

Photos released by the Sulu provincial government show the Jolo airport runway before and after improvement. Filipino leader Gloria Arroyo on Monday inaugurated the airport runway in the southern Philippine province of Sulu. US Ambassador Kristie Kenney joined Arroyo and Sulu provincial governor Dr Sakur Tan in the inauguration of the P251-million Jolo airport improvement project. (Airport photos by the Sulu provincial government and President Gloria Arroyo's photo by Jerry Carual)

SULU, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / December 14, 2009) – Filipino leader Gloria Arroyo on Monday inaugurated the airport runway in the southern Philippine province of Sulu.

US Ambassador Kristie Kenney joined Arroyo and Sulu provincial governor Dr Sakur Tan and Jolo mayor Hussin Amin and local officials in the inauguration of the P251-million Jolo airport improvement project.

The United States Agency for International Development’s Growth with Equity in Mindanao (GEM) granted most of the funding with Manila pouring in some P90 million for the development of domestic airport.

Tan said the project started in October last year. He said the runway was extended from 1,200 meters to 1,845 meters and widened from 18 meters to 30 meters.

“We appreciate the support of the US government and we would like to thank the American people for supporting peace and development efforts in Sulu. The appreciation also goes to President Gloria Arroyo and Ambassador Kristie Kenney who made this project possible,” he told reporters.

Tan said the airport can now accommodate large aircrafts and will hasten trade between Sulu and Mindanao, and even Malaysia and neighboring countries as well.

“We hope to attract investors with out new Jolo airport,” he said, adding, the facility can now accommodate aircrafts such as A-320s and B-373s.

He said they also handed over the upgraded water system to the Jolo Mainland Water District.

The project, carried out in partnership between the US government, the Jolo Mainland Water District (JMWD) and the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA), is worth P73.1 million. (Mindanao Examiner)

Southern Philippines hit by twin bombings; JI, Abu Sayyaf blamed for attacks

Police surround an area in Jolo town in Sulu province in the southern Philippines where a motorcycle bomb exploded Tuesday, July 7, 2009 and killed two people and wounded 24 others. A car bomb also exploded in Iligan City in Mindanao, killing one person and wounding 10 more. (Mindanao Examiner Photo / Nickee Butlangan and Merlyn Manos)

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / July 7, 2009) – Three people were killed and at least 34 others injured in separate bombings Tuesday in the southern Philippines, officials said.

Officials said two people were killed and 24 more wounded in a motorcycle bomb explosion near the Mount Carmen Cathedral in Jolo town in Sulu province. The blast, which occurred around 7.45 a.m., damaged several hardware stores.

“We are still investigating the motive of the attack and the type of explosive used in this attack. But there were scattered remains of a motorcycle in the area and confirming our suspicion that a motorcycle bomb was used in the attack,” Chief Inspector Usman Pingay, the town’s police chief, told the Mindanao Examiner by phone from Jolo.

He said the bomb exploded in front of the Go Teck Leng hardware and the blast killed Vicky Sia, 62, and Hamsirani Hamsi, 60. He said among the wounded were three policemen.

Jolo town Mayor Hussin Amin said a second improvised explosive, assembled from an 81mm mortar bomb, and planted at police booth outside the church was also disarmed by soldiers.

The wounded were rushed to hospital in Jolo. No group or individual has claimed responsibility for the blast, but Abu Sayyaf militants with links to the Indonesian terror Jemaah Islamiya are largely blamed by the police and military for the attack.

“We suspect that those behind the bombing could be the same group that detonated a motorcycle bomb at the convoy of Governor Sakur Tan,” Amin said.

The mayor was referring to the failed assassination of Tan in May. Tan’s convoy was bombed outside his office while returning home from work, injuring 10 people.

One person was also killed and at least 10 people wounded - three of them soldiers - after a car bomb exploded in Iligan City three hours later.

The car bomb exploded near an army jeep which was parked adjacent to a pawnshop in downtown Iligan and among the wounded were three soldiers. No group claimed responsibility for the attack, but previous bombings in Mindanao had been largely blamed by authorities also to Moro rebels and Jemaah Islamiya.

“The explosion occurred at around 10.30 a.m. We still don’t know who was behind the latest bombing. It’s too early to speculate, but the attacks are escalating,” said First Lieutenant Steffani Cacho, a regional military spokeswoman.

Justice Undersecretary Ricardo Blancaflor said the target of the bombing was the military convoy. “The bombing in Iligan targeted the convoy,” he said in a television interview.

Blancaflor, who also head a government anti-terror task force, said they still do not know if the attacks were coordinated or not. “But the effect of this is to sow terror,” he said.

It was the second bomb attack this week outside a Catholic church in the southern Philippines. On Sunday, an improvised bomb exploded outside a church in Cotabato City in Mindanao and killed 5 people and wounded 55 more. (With reports from Nickee Butlangan in Sulu and Merlyn Manos in Iligan City)

Sayyaf frees kidnapped Muslim school principal, but still holds to Chinese trader in the southern Philippines

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Dec. 16, 2008) – Suspected Abu Sayyaf militants have freed a kidnapped Muslim school principal, but are still holding a Chinese trader in the southern island of Sulu, police said Tuesday.

Police said the kidnappers released Kasim Pakkam late Monday in the village of Lanao Dakula in Parang town.

Pakkam, kidnapped on Dec. 12, was earlier identified by the police and military as Pakkam Hashim, the principal of Parang’s Kutah Sairap Elementary School.

Police said no ransom was paid for the safe release of Pakkam. It said the kidnapping was connected to family feud, but police could not say why the Abu Sayyaf had been dragged into the quarrel.

“Pakkam has been freed unharmed. He is okay and reunited with his family. We are still tracking down the other Chinese hostage, Xili Wu, who is still in the hands of the Abu Sayyaf,” Senior Supt. Julasirim Kasim, the Sulu police chief, told the Mindanao Examiner.

Abu Sayyaf militants kidnapped a Wu as he was closing his electronics store in Jolo town at around 7 p.m. on Saturday.

Unconfirmed reports said the kidnappers were demanding P10 million ransoms for Wu’s freedom, Kasim said, adding, the mayor of Jolo, Hussin Amin, has convened the crisis management committee, to tackle the kidnapping of the foreigner, who is a native of Fujian province in China.

Police said the 28-year old Wu was using the alias of Peter Go, who is staying in Jolo with four other Chinese nationals since December last year. Wu co-owns the Perlas Trading in downtown Jolo.

Authorities implicated Abu Sayyaf leader Albader Parad as behind Wu’s kidnapping.

Kasim said about four kidnappers; all clad in camouflage uniform and armed with automatic weapons, seized Wu after disarming his private security guards and dragged him to a waiting van in front of horrified civilians. Chief Inspector Usman Pingay, the Jolo police chief, said they are investigating how the foreigners were able to put up a business in Jolo.

The Abu Sayyaf group has been linked to the spate of kidnappings and bomb attacks in the Philippines and is labeled a terrorist organization by both Manila and Washington, and is believed by the US to have links with the al-Qaeda terror network and Jemaah Islamiya.

The Philippine government, aided by the US military, has deployed thousands of troops in the south in an effort to eradicate Abu Sayyaf. (Mindanao Examiner)

Man Killed, 5 Others Injured In Zamboanga Farm House Burglary

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Oct. 11, 2008) – Police killed a man in a firefight Saturday after he and three others broke into a farm house in Zamboanga City in Mindanao, officials said.

Officials said the gunmen barged in the house in Baluno village and shot and injured one of the house occupants, Helen Rebelleza after she screamed for help. Her 12-year old daughter was also injured by a stray bullet.

Police captured all three gunmen who were wounded in the fighting. The farm house is owned by Sulu Mayor Hussin Amin.

Chief Insp. Hado Edding, of the local police force, identified the slain burglar as Arnon Hermegildo. Those arrested were Joe Lie Evangelio and a man known only by his first name, Badie.

The woman’s husband, Eric Rebelleza, said the armed men broke into the farm house at around 1 p.m.

Edding said the men were involved in previous robberies and had been implicated in the murder of a motorcycle driver and carnappings in Zamboanga. (Erico Rosco)