Twin bombings kill 1 soldier, 12 others injured in southern Philippines

BASILAN, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Feb. 2, 2010) – One government soldier was killed and 12 others wounded in separate roadside bombings Tuesday in the troubled province of Basilan in the southern Philippines, police told the Mindanao Examiner.

Police said the first explosion wounded 4 civilians, mostly relatives of Basilan Representative Mujiv Hataman, in the village of Giong in Sumisip town. The attack occurred at around 11 a.m. while the victims were traveling on a jeep.

Hataman, who is running for governor in Basilan province against the incumbent Jum Akbar, a widow of assassinated solon Wahab Akbar, was not with the group of civilians. It was not immediately known if the bombing was connected to the murder of Akbar, who was killed in a blast that ripped through a section of the House of Representatives in Manila in 2007.

Police said another roadside bombing in the village of Libog also in Sumisip town killed one government soldier and wounded eight more. The soldiers were in a military armor vehicle when the explosion occurred.

“We have reports that the Abu Sayyaf was behind the twin attacks,” said Senior Superintendent Antonio Mendoza, the provincial police chief. “We are still investigating both attacks.”

He said police and military forces were sent to the town to track down the militants headed by Puruji Indama.

It was unknown whether the two attacks were coordinated or not, but the Abu Sayyaf has been blamed for the spate of attacks and kidnappings-for-ransom in Basilan, a known stronghold of the militant group tied to Jemaah Islamiya and Al-Qaeda. (Mindanao Examiner)

Seaman's daughter kidnapped in Basilan island

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Nov. 26, 2008) – Unidentified motorcycle gunmen snatched late Wednesday a nine-year daughter of a Filipino seaman in the southern Philippine province of Basilan, officials said.

The girl, identified as Nicole Rabeche, was seized at gunpoint from her mother at around 7 p.m. near their house in Lamitan City. The kidnappers escaped with their victim on motorbikes, according to local government officials.

No group claimed responsibility for the latest abduction, but Basilan has been plagued by a series of kidnappings for ransom in recent months. Provincial and regional police officials ignored phone calls from journalists.

More than a dozen people had been kidnapped by suspected Abu Sayyaf militants in Basilan, including two aid workers, and most of them had been freed in exchange for huge ransoms.

The Abu Sayyaf is still holding the son of a another seaman, Joed Pilangga, a nursing student kidnapped Oct. 17 outside their house in Zamboanga City and brought to Basilan. Kidnappers have demanded P20 million from Pilangga's family.

The locals blamed the police and military authorities for their failure to secure the safety of the civilians.

An Abu Sayyaf faction, headed by Puruji Indama and Nur Hassan Jamiri, were largely blamed for the kidnappings. They also sent letters to Christians living on the island threatening them with harm if they do not embrace Islam.

A Catholic clergy, Bishop Martin Jumoad, also blamed the police and military for the breakdown of peace and order in Basilan after receiving also a signed letter from the Abu Sayyaf threatening his group. The clergy earlier sought the replacement of the Basilan police chief Salik Macapantar for his failure to secure the island from the Abu Sayyaf.

In October, gunmen also ambushed and wounded Claretian priest Felimon Libot in while on his way to say mass in Basilan's Sumisip town. (Mindanao Examiner)

Sayyaf frees remaining aid worker kidnapped in Southern Philippines

Freed kidnapped aid worker Millet Mendoza with Philippine Navy Captain Jeanne Lingan in Zamboanga City on Saturday, November 15, 2008.

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Nov. 15, 2008) – Suspected Abu Sayyaf militants have freed the last of two aid workers they kidnapped in Basilan island in the southern Philippines, officials said Saturday.

Philippine Marines chief General Mohamad Dolorfino said Millet Mendoza was released late Friday on a remote village in Basilan. “Kidnappers have freed Mendoza. She is okay,” Dolorfino told The Manila Times.

Mendoza was released in the town of Al-Barka, a stronghold of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. It was unknown if Mendoza’s family paid ransom or not, but the kidnappers previously demanded P7 million in exchange for her freedom.

Mendoza was seized Sept. 15 along with Esperancita Hupida, program director of the Nagdilaab Foundation, which is active in humanitarian and development works in Basilan island.

Hupida was also freed Oct. 30 also in Al-Barka town after her family paid P2 million ransom.

Just last week, Abu Sayyaf militants have released a kidnapped Filipino nurse, Preciosa Feliciano, after four months in captivity in Basilan in exchange for P2 million ransoms.

Feliciano, 24, was freed November 7 in Tipo-Tipo town. She was kidnapped July 7 in Zamboanga City and brought to Basilan by boat.

Kidnappers are still holding a Joed Anthony Pilangga, a nursing student snatched on October 17 outside their house in Zamboanga City. Kidnappers have demanded P20 million from Pilangga's family.

The Abu Sayyaf also kidnapped nine people in recent months in Basilan and sent letters to Christians living on the island threatening them with harm if they do not embrace Islam. The letters were signed by Indama and Jamiri. (Mindanao Examiner)

Help us, kin of kidnapped victims appeal to President Gloria Arroyo

Families of kidnapped victims in the southern Philippines - couple Manuel and Edna Pilangga, and Ben Feliciano - show photographs of hostages at a news conference in Zamboanga City on Friday, Nov. 7, 2008. They appealed to President Gloria Arroyo to help secure the safe release of Filipino nurse Presciosa Feliciano and Joed Anthony Pilangga, a university student, who were both kidnapped in Zamboanga City this year; and aid worker Millet Mendoza, seized in Basilan island. Abu Sayyaf gunmen are believed holding all the victims in Basilan's hinterlands, and kidnappers demanded at least P32-million in exchange for their freedom. Another kidnapped aid worker Esperancita Hupida was freed last week in exchange for P2 million ransom. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Nov. 6, 2008) – Families of kidnapped victims on Friday appealed to President Gloria Arroyo to help secure the release of three hostages being held by Abu Sayyaf militants in the southern Filipino province of Basilan.

Militants have demanded at least P32 million ransoms for the safe release of Preciosa Feliciano, Millet Mendoza and Joed Anthony Pilangga. A fourth victim, Esperancita Hupida, was freed October 30 after private negotiators allegedly paid P2 million.

“We appeal to Your Excellency’s urgent intervention, not only for the immediate release of the remaining captives, but to direct and provide all forms necessary support and assistance to the Philippine National Police, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Local Government Units, and the legal system and members of the civil society involved in trying to come up with short and long-term solutions to this social menace,” the victims’ kin said in their November 4 letter addressed to President Arroyo.

They said government authorities cannot seem to offer enough protection to citizens from lawless groups. “There is a sense of helplessness. No organized group is doing anything to prevent and address the issue of kidnapping. The captors are not brought to justice, and they continue their kidnapping operations. This problem of course relates with the broader conflict in Mindanao,” the kin said in a statement read during an emotional press conference here.

Feliciano, a nurse, was kidnapped July 7 in Zamboanga City and brought to Basilan island, where Abu Sayyaf gunmen are holding Mendoza, an aid worker seized in Tipo-Tipo town on September 15 along with Hupida, program director of the Nagdilaab Foundation.

Pilanga, a university student, was snatched on October 17 outside their house in Zamboanga City. Kidnappers have demanded P20 million from Pilangga’s family; P7 million for Mendoza’s freedom and P5 million ransom from the family of Feliciano.

Feliciano’s family said they had already paid P1.8 million to the kidnappers after selling their properties in Zamboanga City. “We have paid them already, but still they are holding my sister,” Ben Feliciano said.

The families of Pilangga and Mendoza said they cannot afford to pay ransom and have appealed to the kidnappers to free the hostages.

“There is a growing frustration and disappointment of the relatives and friends of the victims over the way authorities are dealing with the cases. There’s no public attention given since these victims are not well-known people. There’s no local initiative of crisis management team that is pursuing their release. The resolution of their cases is nowhere near,” the statement said.

Edna Pilangga, mother of one of the hostage, said the kidnapping has affected the family and appealed to the captors to free her son and the other victims. “Have pity on my son, have pity on us, please free him and the other victims,” she said, sobbing between words, as she appealed also to President Arroyo to look into the plight of the hostages. “Please help us President Arroyo.”

Joy Mendoza, sister of Millet Mendoza, also called on the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, which is active in Basilan island, to help secure the freedom of the hostages.

“To the MILF, we are appealing to them to help us secure the safe release of the hostages. We know they can help us. We believe in your humanitarian side and goodwill. Development workers like Millet (Mendoza) look at you like brothers,” she said.

There was no immediate statement from Basilan Governor Jum Akbar, who has been spending much of her time in Manila.

The Abu Sayyaf also kidnapped nine people in recent months in Basilan and sent letters to Christians living on the island threatening them with harm if they do not embrace Islam. The letters were signed by Puruji Indama and Nur Hassan Jamiri, known leaders of the local Abu Sayyaf group on the island. (Mindanao Examiner)