ZAMBOANGA SIBUGAY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Oct. 28, 2010) – Government troops killed two communist rebels in a raid on a jungle encampment in the southern Philippine province of Zamboanga Sibugay, an army commander said Thursday.
Colonel Santiago Baluyot, who heads the 102nd Infantry Brigade, said troops raided the encampment in the town of Siay on Wednesday and killed the rebels in a firefight.
He said there were no military casualties and that troops also recovered weapons and anti-government propaganda.
Santiago said the camp was being used by the New People’s Army as a springboard to attack government forces in the town. He said troops tracked down the camp after civilians provided information about the rebels who are fighting for a separate Maoist state in the country.
“Civilians are constantly providing us information about lawless groups not only in the town, but in other areas in the provinces as well. The villagers are cooperating with the authorities,” he said.
The fighting broke out ahead of the government proposed resumption of peace talks with communist rebels in an effort to end decades of bloody insurgency in the country.
Peace negotiations collapsed in 2004 after rebel leaders accused then President Gloria Arroyo of reneging on several accords, among them the release of political prisoners languishing in jails across the country.
New Philippine President Benigno Aquino said the government is committed to end the communist insurgency. “As our people power is enshrined in the ways of peace, so will be my resolve to address the root causes of the armed conflict and bring about societal reforms,” he said. (With a report from Becky de Asis)
Showing posts with label Zamboanga Sibugay. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Zamboanga Sibugay. Show all posts
Thursday, October 28, 2010
2 commies killed in Zamboanga province
Monday, October 25, 2010
Militia goes berserk, kills 5 companions in Zamboanga town
The bodies of slain militias in the town of Ipil in Zamboanga Sibugay province in the southern Philippines. (Mindanao Examiner Photo - Jung Francisco).ZAMBOANGA SIBUGAY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Oct. 25, 2010) – A pro-government militia went berserk killing five of his companions in an attack at an army detachment in the southern Philippine province of Zamboanga Sibugay, police said Monday.
The weekend attack occurred in the village called Palid in Ipil town and police said the militia escaped after murdering the five men. The motive of the attack is unknown, but police mounted a manhunt to capture Oligario Bucal Jr.
Bucal’s father who is also a government militia said his son ran away with his rifle, the same weapon used in the shootings.
“There is a manhunt and police forces are searching for the suspect,” said Inspector Boni Aranas, the town’s police chief. (Jung Francisco)
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
2 killed, 4 wounded in Zamboanga strafing
ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Sept. 28, 2010) – Motorcycle gunmen strafed a crowded bus depot on Tuesday and killing at least 2 people in the southern Philippine province of Zamboanga Sibugay, reports said.
The attackers, who were on three motorbikes, escaped after the noontime shooting that also wounded four people in Tungawan town. The motive of the attack is still unknown, but the reports said the gunmen fled toward the neighboring Zamboanga City.
No individual or group claimed responsibility for the attack, but rebels are also actively operating in the town.
The military did not give details of the attack, but confirmed the incident had occurred.
“There is a report about the incident, but we still have no details (of the attack),” said Army First Lieutenant Jinky Perez, a spokeswoman for the Western Mindanao Command headquarters in Zamboanga City. (Mindanao Examiner)
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Sunrise in Zamboanga Sibugay province
The sun rises in Zamboanga Sibugay whose new governor Rommel Jalosjos pledged to make the province a regional hub in western Mindanao. (Mindanao Examiner Photo - Becky de Asis)
Thursday, July 01, 2010
New Zamboanga Sibugay Governor Takes Over From Hofer Clan
The Fantasy Land of the Jalosjoses in Zamboanga del Norte province in the southern Philippines. Newly elected governor of Zamboanga Sibugay province, Rommel Jalosjos, formally assumes office after taking his oath in the capital town of Ipil on Wednesday, June 30, 2010. (Mindanao Examiner Photo - Mark Navales)
ZAMBOANGA SIBUGAY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / July 1, 2010) – Newly elected governor of Zamboanga Sibugay province formally assumed office after taking his oath in the capital town of Ipil.
Governor Rommel Jalosjos, a son of former Zamboanga del Norte congressman Romeo Jalosjos, said promised to bring progress to the province long ruled by the Hofer clan.
The 36-year politician was a former chef who worked in different renowned hotels and restaurants in Australia. His family is one of the wealthiest and most influential in the southern Philippines and behind the Philippine version of the Walt Disney in Zamboanga del Norte, among other tourism destinations, including the Dakak beach which is famous for its white, powdery sand.
"Politics is good if you are truly and sincere in all do as a public servant. I ran for governor because I wanted to help our people and bring change and progress to Zamboanga Sibugay,” he said, adding, he would the footsteps of his father, a known political kingpin and philanthropist in Mindanao.
His supporters were also urging the Jalosjos clan to run in 2013 elections in Zamboanga del Sur province and Zamboanga City and bring about progress and development in those areas similar to what Zamboanga del Norte is now enjoying under the Jalosjoses. (Becky de Asis. With a report from Mark Navales))
Governor Rommel Jalosjos, a son of former Zamboanga del Norte congressman Romeo Jalosjos, said promised to bring progress to the province long ruled by the Hofer clan.
The 36-year politician was a former chef who worked in different renowned hotels and restaurants in Australia. His family is one of the wealthiest and most influential in the southern Philippines and behind the Philippine version of the Walt Disney in Zamboanga del Norte, among other tourism destinations, including the Dakak beach which is famous for its white, powdery sand.
"Politics is good if you are truly and sincere in all do as a public servant. I ran for governor because I wanted to help our people and bring change and progress to Zamboanga Sibugay,” he said, adding, he would the footsteps of his father, a known political kingpin and philanthropist in Mindanao.
His supporters were also urging the Jalosjos clan to run in 2013 elections in Zamboanga del Sur province and Zamboanga City and bring about progress and development in those areas similar to what Zamboanga del Norte is now enjoying under the Jalosjoses. (Becky de Asis. With a report from Mark Navales))
Friday, April 09, 2010
3 people wounded in Zamboanga blast
ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / April 9, 2010) – Three people were injured in a grenade attack in Zamboanga Sibugay province in the southern Philippines, officials said Friday.
Officials said the grenade exploded late Thursday outside the house of a police officer in Kabasalan town, several kilometers from Titay where two improvised bombs were detonated earlier near the house of George Castillo, a mayoralty candidate of the ruling coalition; and at a village hall in nearby Titay town.
The grenade attack occurred 30 minutes after two improvised explosives went off, although there were no reports of casualties in the bombings.
It was unknown if the three attacks were connected.
“The attacks are being investigated by the police,” said Army First Lieutenant Steffani Cacho, a regional military spokeswoman.
On Monday, a grenade attack wounded one person outside a radio station in Titay town owned by Zamboanga Sibugay governor George Hofer, an ally of Castillo. The facility is just several meters away from Hofer’s house.
Hofer, who is on his third and last term, is running for mayor in the town of Ipil, while his daughter, Dulce Ann Hofer, the congresswoman of Zamboanga Sibugay, is running for governor in the province. His son Jet Hofer is also running for a congressional seat.
No group or individual claimed responsibility for the spate of attacks.
A local newspaper, Sibugay Express, quoted the radio station manager Kim Porras as saying the attack could be retaliation for the political commentaries of freelance broadcasters. Porras, himself, is also receiving subtle threats though text messages warning him to take it slowly, it said.
The explosion occurred minutes after Porras’ radio program ended, but it was unknown whether he was the target of the attack or the Hofers, who held a grip in the province’s political power for many years now. (Mindanao Examiner)
Tuesday, April 06, 2010
Zamboanga radio station bombed, 1 person injured
ZAMBOANGA SIBUGAY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / April 6, 2010) – One person was wounded in an explosion in front of a radio station in the southern Philippine province of Zamboanga Sibugay, police and military reports said Tuesday.
It was unknown whether the explosion came from a hand grenade or homemade bomb, but the attack late Monday on the radio station in the town of Titay was believed to be politically-motivated. Its owner, George Hofer, is the incumbent governor of Sibugay province.
Hofer, who is on his third and last term, is running for mayor in the town of Ipil, while his daughter, Dulce Ann Hofer, the congresswoman of Zamboanga Sibugay, is running for governor in the province. His son Jet Hofer is also running for a congressional seat.
No group or individual claimed responsibility for the attack, but reports said two men on a motorcycle were spotted near the radio station before the blast. The facility is just several meters away from Hofer’s house.
A local newspaper, Sibugay Express, quoted the radio station manager Kim Porras as saying the attack could be retaliation for the political commentaries of freelance broadcasters. Porras, himself, is also receiving subtle threats though text messages warning him to take it slowly, it said.
The explosion occurred minutes after Porras’ radio program ended, but it was unknown whether he was the target of the attack or the Hofers, who held a grip in the province’s political power for many years now. (Mindanao Examiner)
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Illegal miners flock to Zamboanga gold mountain; environment under threat
Government militias patrol a mountain where small scale miners and child laborers dig for gold in the remote town of Diplahan in Zamboanga del Sur province in the southern Philippines. Small scale miners digging for gold use mercury and cyanide in extracting the precious metal from rocks and soil and threatening streams and rivers in the province. (Mindanao Examiner Photo) ZAMBOANGA DEL SUR, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Mar. 20, 2010) – Mercury and cyanide used by illegal miners searching for gold is threatening the environment and health of thousands of villagers in the southern Filipino province of Zamboanga Sibugay.
And small scale miners have been operating the past decade in the province, particularly in Diplahan, a remote mountain town where tunnels dotted the once beautiful mountain.
“These illegal miners have been operating here for many years now, perhaps over a decade after gold was discovered in the area. Now the environment is under threat since miners still use mercury and cyanide to extract precious metals from the earth and these chemicals find their way into streams and rivers and pose a danger to the health of thousands of people,” said a government militia deployed in the village of Balabag.
And the tunnels dug by miners – some under their houses – are also in danger of collapsing due to poor construction and the lack of safety equipment.
There are no hard hats or gloves for miners working inside the tunnels. And authorities are hapless in preventing, if not, stopping the illegal mining operation.
“This mountain is our home, our life and future and gold is life. We have sent our children to schools, gave them good education because of our hard work and same with the others,” said Ofelia, an elderly woman who operates a ball mill in Balabag.
Her house also serves as center of the family’s gold mine operation, milling and office as well. Three workers operate the mill – one doubles as a rock crusher and the two help each other in running the 24 hour facility.
Although there is no electricity in Balabag, miners and ball mill operators use generators to power their facilities. Gas sells for more than P60 a liter - at least 25% more than the prevailing retail price of fuel.
“We are not harming the environment. This is our livelihood. We only dig for gold and that’s it,” said Armando, a small scale miner, who uses horses and paid labors to haul tons and tons of rocks taken from the tunnels and mountain.
He said he earns at least P50,000 a month and enough to feed his family and two dogs. But despite the high prices of gold, basic commodities in the mountain also cost like gold with a bottle of soft drink selling for P25.
And as many as 5,000 small scale miners, he said, are operating in Balabag alone. “There could be more,” he said, pointing to a nearby mountain where villagers are also digging for gold.
Even children, some as young as seven years old, are also mining for the yellow metal – helping their father to earn money instead of going to school. Child labor is common in the area, some earn as low as P30 a day.
Aside from the hazards to environment, prostitution and child trafficking have become a big problem in Diplahan. Many were lured into prostitution in exchange for money – P1,500 for three-hour of sex at thatched houses that served as dens to miners wanting a good time after a day’s hard work.
“Child trafficking and prostitution are a big problem here. We have filed criminal cases against some people involved in these nefarious activities and as a matter of fact some of them have already fled Balabag because of the warrants for their arrest,” Inspector Arnel Galaben, the town’s chief of police, said.
For the miners, Balabag is a haven – gold, women and more gold. (Mindanao Examiner)
And small scale miners have been operating the past decade in the province, particularly in Diplahan, a remote mountain town where tunnels dotted the once beautiful mountain.
“These illegal miners have been operating here for many years now, perhaps over a decade after gold was discovered in the area. Now the environment is under threat since miners still use mercury and cyanide to extract precious metals from the earth and these chemicals find their way into streams and rivers and pose a danger to the health of thousands of people,” said a government militia deployed in the village of Balabag.
And the tunnels dug by miners – some under their houses – are also in danger of collapsing due to poor construction and the lack of safety equipment.
There are no hard hats or gloves for miners working inside the tunnels. And authorities are hapless in preventing, if not, stopping the illegal mining operation.
“This mountain is our home, our life and future and gold is life. We have sent our children to schools, gave them good education because of our hard work and same with the others,” said Ofelia, an elderly woman who operates a ball mill in Balabag.
Her house also serves as center of the family’s gold mine operation, milling and office as well. Three workers operate the mill – one doubles as a rock crusher and the two help each other in running the 24 hour facility.
Although there is no electricity in Balabag, miners and ball mill operators use generators to power their facilities. Gas sells for more than P60 a liter - at least 25% more than the prevailing retail price of fuel.
“We are not harming the environment. This is our livelihood. We only dig for gold and that’s it,” said Armando, a small scale miner, who uses horses and paid labors to haul tons and tons of rocks taken from the tunnels and mountain.
He said he earns at least P50,000 a month and enough to feed his family and two dogs. But despite the high prices of gold, basic commodities in the mountain also cost like gold with a bottle of soft drink selling for P25.
And as many as 5,000 small scale miners, he said, are operating in Balabag alone. “There could be more,” he said, pointing to a nearby mountain where villagers are also digging for gold.
Even children, some as young as seven years old, are also mining for the yellow metal – helping their father to earn money instead of going to school. Child labor is common in the area, some earn as low as P30 a day.
Aside from the hazards to environment, prostitution and child trafficking have become a big problem in Diplahan. Many were lured into prostitution in exchange for money – P1,500 for three-hour of sex at thatched houses that served as dens to miners wanting a good time after a day’s hard work.
“Child trafficking and prostitution are a big problem here. We have filed criminal cases against some people involved in these nefarious activities and as a matter of fact some of them have already fled Balabag because of the warrants for their arrest,” Inspector Arnel Galaben, the town’s chief of police, said.
For the miners, Balabag is a haven – gold, women and more gold. (Mindanao Examiner)
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Kidnapped ex-soldier freed in Zamboanga province
ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Feb. 20, 2010) – A former soldier kidnapped in Zamboanga City was released by his captors after two weeks in captivity, police and military said on Saturday.
Authorities said Benjamin Almonte was abducted by gunmen February 6 while fishing off the coast of Zamboanga City.
“He was freed near the town of Ipil in the neighboring province of Zamboanga Sibugay,” said Rear Admiral Alexander Pama, head of the anti-terror Task Force Trillium, and commander of the naval forces in Western Mindanao.
Officials did not give details of the release of Almonte or whether ransom was paid to his captors.
No group claimed responsibility for Almonte’s kidnapping or the motive behind this and police said it still investigating the case. But other sources said members of the so-called Moro Islamic Liberation Front special operation group under Waning Abdusalam was behind the kidnapping.
Abdusalam was also linked to the kidnapping last year of Irish Catholic priest Michael Sinnott last year in Zamboanga del Sur province.
Sinnott, 80, was taken by six gunmen on October 11 from his missionary house in Pagadian City and brought to Lanao province and freed in Zamboanga City after a month in captivity. (Mindanao Examiner)
Monday, June 08, 2009
Administrator Jet Hofer mo-Aproba sa 90 mil pesos alang sa Hog Raising Project sa PH-839 Parents Association sa lungsod sa Titay.
ZAMBOANGA SIBUGAY (Mindanao Examiner / June 8, 2009) - Ang PH-389 Parents Association sa lungsod sa Titay sakop ning Probinsya sa Zamboanga Sibugay usa sa mga asosasyon sa mga ginikanan sa maong lungsod nga kasamtangan nga naglaom sa kagamhanan sa probinsya nga matagaan sa dakong pagtagad aron aduna sila egong panginabuhian diha sa nagkadaiyang programa aron epektibo usab sila sa ilahang mga kabanahan.
Ang ilahang gipangandoy gitagaan sa kasulbaran human ang Administrador sa Probinsya ikatakdang mo-aproba sa 90 mil pesos alang sa livelihood project ang gitawag nga Hog Raising Project alang sa maong kapunungan.
Sa kasayuran direkta kang Ely Patriarca nga konektado sa buhatan ni Assistant Nelsie Lazo ang kasamtangan nga PESO Manager sa lalawigan sa Zamboanga Sibugay nga sanga usab sa Department of Labor and Employment kon DOLE sa Probinsya ubos sa pagdumala ni Provincial Officer Emilda Gatinao.
Nasayran nga human ang DOLE sa lalawigan sa Zamboanga Sibugay mipagawas sa huna-huna diha sa maayong plano nga ang mga kabus nga mga ginikanan sa lungsod sa Titay matagaan sa maong proyekto.
Mibutyag si Patriarca nga ang 90 mil pesos ipalit sa mga baktin kon mga Peglets nga maoy gipang-apod-apod unya sa mga ginikanan nga adunay mga kabataan sa Kender Garten hangtod sa Grade Six nga kasamtangan nga nngatungha sa nagkadaiyang tulunghaan sa nahisgutang dapit.
Samtang misuporta gayod si Gobernador George Hofer sa mga maayong tinguha sa mga nagdumala sa maong proyekto kay matod pa sa Amahan sa Probinsya nga ang kinasing-kasing nga serbisyo isip maoy mikopot sa renda sa pangatungdanan dinhi sa lalawigan sa Zamboanga Sibugay makahatag unya sa dakong kahigayonan ug paglaom sa mga kabus nga mga Sibugaynon nga makabinipisyo sa nagkadaiyang proyekto susama sa gihisgutan nato sa unahan. (Ely Dumaboc)
Ang ilahang gipangandoy gitagaan sa kasulbaran human ang Administrador sa Probinsya ikatakdang mo-aproba sa 90 mil pesos alang sa livelihood project ang gitawag nga Hog Raising Project alang sa maong kapunungan.
Sa kasayuran direkta kang Ely Patriarca nga konektado sa buhatan ni Assistant Nelsie Lazo ang kasamtangan nga PESO Manager sa lalawigan sa Zamboanga Sibugay nga sanga usab sa Department of Labor and Employment kon DOLE sa Probinsya ubos sa pagdumala ni Provincial Officer Emilda Gatinao.
Nasayran nga human ang DOLE sa lalawigan sa Zamboanga Sibugay mipagawas sa huna-huna diha sa maayong plano nga ang mga kabus nga mga ginikanan sa lungsod sa Titay matagaan sa maong proyekto.
Mibutyag si Patriarca nga ang 90 mil pesos ipalit sa mga baktin kon mga Peglets nga maoy gipang-apod-apod unya sa mga ginikanan nga adunay mga kabataan sa Kender Garten hangtod sa Grade Six nga kasamtangan nga nngatungha sa nagkadaiyang tulunghaan sa nahisgutang dapit.
Samtang misuporta gayod si Gobernador George Hofer sa mga maayong tinguha sa mga nagdumala sa maong proyekto kay matod pa sa Amahan sa Probinsya nga ang kinasing-kasing nga serbisyo isip maoy mikopot sa renda sa pangatungdanan dinhi sa lalawigan sa Zamboanga Sibugay makahatag unya sa dakong kahigayonan ug paglaom sa mga kabus nga mga Sibugaynon nga makabinipisyo sa nagkadaiyang proyekto susama sa gihisgutan nato sa unahan. (Ely Dumaboc)
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
Bomb explodes in Zamboanga town
ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Apr. 01, 2009) – A homemade bomb exploded early Wednesday in front of hardware store in a southern Philippine town previously pillaged by Abu Sayyaf militants, officials said.
Officials said the blast at around 4.10 a.m. damaged the façade of the L & A Construction and Electrical Supplies in downtown Ipil in Zamboanga Sibugay province.
No one was reported killed or injured in the explosion, said Army Lt. Steffani Cacho, a spokeswoman for the Western Mindanao Command.
She said the motive of the bombing is still being investigated by authorities and no group or individual claimed responsibility for the attack.
“Suspects remain unknown for the moment while the motive of the blast is being investigated. The army is actively assisting the police in the investigation,” Cacho told the Mindanao Examiner.
Abu Sayyaf militants had pillaged the town in 1995, killing 53 people and burned the business district of Ipil before escaping. More than 200 militants, headed by Abu Sayyaf chieftain Abdurajak Abubakar Janjalani, led the attack. Janjalani was killed three years later in a clash with police in nearby Basilan Island. (Mindanao Examiner)
Officials said the blast at around 4.10 a.m. damaged the façade of the L & A Construction and Electrical Supplies in downtown Ipil in Zamboanga Sibugay province.
No one was reported killed or injured in the explosion, said Army Lt. Steffani Cacho, a spokeswoman for the Western Mindanao Command.
She said the motive of the bombing is still being investigated by authorities and no group or individual claimed responsibility for the attack.
“Suspects remain unknown for the moment while the motive of the blast is being investigated. The army is actively assisting the police in the investigation,” Cacho told the Mindanao Examiner.
Abu Sayyaf militants had pillaged the town in 1995, killing 53 people and burned the business district of Ipil before escaping. More than 200 militants, headed by Abu Sayyaf chieftain Abdurajak Abubakar Janjalani, led the attack. Janjalani was killed three years later in a clash with police in nearby Basilan Island. (Mindanao Examiner)
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Kidnapped teacher is alive in Mindanao
ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Mar. 28, 2009) – Philippine police said a kidnapped teacher in Mindanao who was reported to have died in captivity is alive.
Kidnappers have contacted the police to deny reports that Noemi Mandi, who was one of three government teachers kidnapped March 3 in Zamboanga Sibugay’s Naga town, had died in captivity, according to a report by the television network ABS-CBN on Saturday.
Police earlier said that it received reports that Mandi had died and that the remaining hostages Jocelyn Enriquez and Jocelyn Inion were handed over to Abu Sayyaf terrorists in Basilan province, where they are also holding three kidnapped teachers, a boy and a Sri Lankan peace worker since early this year.
Senior Supt. Federico Castro Jr., commander of a police task force working for the release of the hostages, said the kidnappers allowed him to talk with Mandi on the phone.
“This time at least we are sure that they are all alive," Castro told ABS-CBN.
He said they recorded the phone conversation, but Mandi was complaining about their living condition in the hands of the kidnappers.
Police did not say whether Mandi was calling from Basilan or in Zamboanga Sibugay province. The kidnappers have earlier demanded P10 million ransoms for the safe release of the three teachers. (Mindanao Examiner)
Kidnappers have contacted the police to deny reports that Noemi Mandi, who was one of three government teachers kidnapped March 3 in Zamboanga Sibugay’s Naga town, had died in captivity, according to a report by the television network ABS-CBN on Saturday.
Police earlier said that it received reports that Mandi had died and that the remaining hostages Jocelyn Enriquez and Jocelyn Inion were handed over to Abu Sayyaf terrorists in Basilan province, where they are also holding three kidnapped teachers, a boy and a Sri Lankan peace worker since early this year.
Senior Supt. Federico Castro Jr., commander of a police task force working for the release of the hostages, said the kidnappers allowed him to talk with Mandi on the phone.
“This time at least we are sure that they are all alive," Castro told ABS-CBN.
He said they recorded the phone conversation, but Mandi was complaining about their living condition in the hands of the kidnappers.
Police did not say whether Mandi was calling from Basilan or in Zamboanga Sibugay province. The kidnappers have earlier demanded P10 million ransoms for the safe release of the three teachers. (Mindanao Examiner)
Friday, March 27, 2009
Kidnapped Filipino teacher dies in captivity, police says
ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Mar. 27, 2009) – Filipino authorities on Friday said it received reports that one of three kidnapped teachers had died in captivity in Mindanao island.
The teachers - Jocelyn Enriquez, Jocelyn Inion and Noime Mande – were seized by bandits March 13 while on their way home in the village of Bangkaw-Bangkaw in the town of Naga in Zamboanga Sibugay province.
Police said it received reports that Mande had died from complications from a previous surgery. Military officials said they heard about the report from the local media, but there were no confirmation whether it was true or not.
“We heard about it, but we have no reports whether the report is true or not,” Army First Lieutenant Steffani Cacho, a spokeswoman for the Western Mindanao Command in Zamboanga City, told the Mindanao Examiner.
Police said the kidnappers have previously demanded P10 million ransoms in exchange for the safe release of the hostages.
Another report said the teachers had been handed over to the Abu Sayyaf in Basilan Island, where the terrorist group is still holding three other government teachers kidnapped in January in Zamboanga City; a nine-year old boy snatched in Lamitan City and a Sri Lankan peace worker seized.
An Abu Sayyaf faction is also holding three Red Cross workers kidnapped in January in the province of Sulu. (Mindanao Examiner)
The teachers - Jocelyn Enriquez, Jocelyn Inion and Noime Mande – were seized by bandits March 13 while on their way home in the village of Bangkaw-Bangkaw in the town of Naga in Zamboanga Sibugay province.
Police said it received reports that Mande had died from complications from a previous surgery. Military officials said they heard about the report from the local media, but there were no confirmation whether it was true or not.
“We heard about it, but we have no reports whether the report is true or not,” Army First Lieutenant Steffani Cacho, a spokeswoman for the Western Mindanao Command in Zamboanga City, told the Mindanao Examiner.
Police said the kidnappers have previously demanded P10 million ransoms in exchange for the safe release of the hostages.
Another report said the teachers had been handed over to the Abu Sayyaf in Basilan Island, where the terrorist group is still holding three other government teachers kidnapped in January in Zamboanga City; a nine-year old boy snatched in Lamitan City and a Sri Lankan peace worker seized.
An Abu Sayyaf faction is also holding three Red Cross workers kidnapped in January in the province of Sulu. (Mindanao Examiner)
Friday, March 13, 2009
Gunmen seized 3 teachers in southern Philippines
ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Mar. 13, 2009) – Gunmen have seized three government teachers on Friday afternoon in the southern Philippine province of Zamboanga Sibugay, officials said.
Officials said the three - Jocelyn Enriquez, Jocelyn Inion and Noime Mande – were teachers at an elementary school in the village of Bangkaw-Bangkaw in the town of Naga.
They were seized at around 3.40 p.m. and forced to a pump boat. “The navy already deployed ships for possible maritime interdiction,” Army Lt. Steffani Cacho, a spokeswoman for the Western Mindanao Command, told the Mindanao Examiner.
No group claimed responsibility for the latest abduction, but rebels are actively operating in the province.
In January, suspected Abu Sayyaf militants also kidnapped three state teachers – Quizon G. Freires, 28; Janette C. Delos Reyes, 29; and Rafael L. Mayonado, 24 – at sea after intercepting their boat while they were returning to Zamboanga City from Sacol Island.
The teachers are being held captive in Basilan Island, south of Zamboanga City. The kidnappers demanded P6 million ransoms for the freedom of the trio. (Mindanao Examiner)
Saturday, September 06, 2008
Zamboanga Peninsula Still In Alert
Zamboanga City, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / September 6, 2008) – Police have maintained full alert status in Zamboanga Peninsula in the southern Philippines because of threats of terrorism and possible attacks by rebels, officials said.
Regional police chief Jaime Caringal directed all provincial and city police offices to adopt ample security precaution to protect civilians from terror threats. The order comes amidst continuous threats of attacks from Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels, blamed by authorities for recent deadly rampage in Lanao del Norte and North Cotabato provinces.
The rebels launched attacks after the aborted signing of the Muslim territorial deal between peace negotiators. Zamboanga City had been disturbed by rumors and text messages of sightings of MILF gunmen in several villages.
Security forces were pursuing MILF leaders Ameril kato and Abdurahman Macapaar, whom led the series of attacks that killed dozens of innocent civilians in Mindanao.
Local legislators and authorities have recently activated police auxiliary forces, whose primary task is to support and maintain peace and order, especially in far-flung areas here.
At least 48 villages here had been included in the proposed Bangasamoro Juridical Entity, which sparked protests from residents and politicians opposed to the deal.
Provincial authorities in nearby Zamboanga Sibugay also beefed up its security for fear that rebels would mount attacks there. The Abu Sayyaf had previously pillaged the town of Ipil in Zamboanga Sibugay in 1995 that left at least 53 people dead.
Ipil Mayor Edwin Alibutdan said he has already conferred with the police and military authorities, including other agencies and the private sector about the added security precaution in the town. (Erico Rosco)
Saturday, August 30, 2008
First Filipino Capuchin Bishop Ordained Amid Tension
IPIL, Philippines (UCAN / August 30, 2008) - Roads leading to the local cathedral were closed to traffic in mid-August for the security of guests attending a bishop's ordination in this southern Philippine city.
Senior Superintendent Federico Castro, police director of Zamboanga Sibugay province, told UCA News the closure was part of a "security plan" to ensure that apostolic nuncio Archbishop Edward Joseph Adams and other guests attending the August 19 ordination of Bishop Joseph Amangi Nacua of Ilagan would be "safe."
More than 500 religious and lay guests attended the ordination at St. Joseph the Worker Cathedral in Ipil, 770 kilometers southeast of Manila. Archbishop Adams delivered the homily. Archbishop Diosdado Talamayan of Tuguegarao served as the ordaining prelate.
Bishop Nacua, the first Philippine Capuchin bishop, was parish priest of St. Isidro Labrador, an interior parish in Ipil prelature, prior to being appointed to Ilagan diocese on June 10.
The diocese, which has been without a bishop for more than a year, is based in Ilagan town, capital of Isabela province, 290 kilometers northeast of Manila. It belongs to Tuguegarao ecclesiastical province.
The tight security was ordered after Armed Forces chief General Alexander Yano announced on August 18 that about 300 members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) had attacked Kolambugan and four other towns in Lanao del Norte province, northeast of Ipil.
Kolambugan Mayor Bertrand Lumaque told UCA News that the MILF burned houses that morning and used people as human shields during their withdrawal, as the military reclaimed the town. Text messages circulated around Ipil the following day, warning residents of impending attacks by the rebels.
The MILF was formed in the 1970s to fight for an Islamic state comprising claimed ancestral domain territories mostly in Mindanao, the southern Philippine region. It and the government began talks and in 2001 agreed to a cease-fire to make way for formal peace negotiations.
Clashes flared 13 days after the Supreme Court on Aug. 4 stopped the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain between the government and MILF chief negotiators, scheduled for the next day in Kuala Lumpur. Mindanao Christian officials, leaders of indigenous groups, legislators, the Church and residents protested that details of the agreement, which would affect them, had not been made known.
The agreement concerns land and maritime resources to be designated as part of an autonomous Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE), pending approval in a plebiscite one year after the signing of the agreement. It calls for the signing of a "Comprehensive Compact" to provide a political structure and system of governance for the BJE, which is to have executive, legislative, judicial and administrative institutions.
Castro noted police personnel were positioned as close as 100 meters from the cathedral. "We cannot afford to be complacent at a time when the peace situation is uncertain," he said.
At the ordination, Bishop Nacua acknowledged the "tense" security situation and thanked people "for coming here to witness my ordination amid rumors of war."
Wilfredo Ampong, a government employee and former seminarian, observed the turnout was "thin" compared to last September's installation of Bishop Julius Tonel to head the prelature. "This could be due to the tension," Ampong told UCA News.
Nevertheless, Bishop Nacua's supporters were enthusiastic.
Brother Rosauro Gonzales from General Santos City, southeast of Ipil, told UCA News he was "very happy to witness" his fellow Capuchin's ordination.
Margarita Francisco, a member of the Ipil parish council, told UCA News that "despite threats," she shared the "happiness" of the rest of the Catholic community in welcoming the new bishop.
Bishop Nacua was born on January 5, 1945, in Mankayan town, Benguet province, northwest of Manila. He studied philosophy in India and theology in Spain before being ordained a priest on June 26, 1971.
Between then and 1986, he served in Philippine seminaries. He was appointed Capuchin Philippines provincial in 1994 and served in his order's international council 2000-2006 as counselor for the Capuchins in Asia.
He is scheduled to be installed in Ilagan on September 9.
The Capuchins have 45 priests and 12 brothers working in seven parishes, 13 missions and two schools in nine dioceses in the Philippines. There are now six Filipino Capuchins working overseas, mostly in western Asia.
Senior Superintendent Federico Castro, police director of Zamboanga Sibugay province, told UCA News the closure was part of a "security plan" to ensure that apostolic nuncio Archbishop Edward Joseph Adams and other guests attending the August 19 ordination of Bishop Joseph Amangi Nacua of Ilagan would be "safe."
More than 500 religious and lay guests attended the ordination at St. Joseph the Worker Cathedral in Ipil, 770 kilometers southeast of Manila. Archbishop Adams delivered the homily. Archbishop Diosdado Talamayan of Tuguegarao served as the ordaining prelate.
Bishop Nacua, the first Philippine Capuchin bishop, was parish priest of St. Isidro Labrador, an interior parish in Ipil prelature, prior to being appointed to Ilagan diocese on June 10.
The diocese, which has been without a bishop for more than a year, is based in Ilagan town, capital of Isabela province, 290 kilometers northeast of Manila. It belongs to Tuguegarao ecclesiastical province.
The tight security was ordered after Armed Forces chief General Alexander Yano announced on August 18 that about 300 members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) had attacked Kolambugan and four other towns in Lanao del Norte province, northeast of Ipil.
Kolambugan Mayor Bertrand Lumaque told UCA News that the MILF burned houses that morning and used people as human shields during their withdrawal, as the military reclaimed the town. Text messages circulated around Ipil the following day, warning residents of impending attacks by the rebels.
The MILF was formed in the 1970s to fight for an Islamic state comprising claimed ancestral domain territories mostly in Mindanao, the southern Philippine region. It and the government began talks and in 2001 agreed to a cease-fire to make way for formal peace negotiations.
Clashes flared 13 days after the Supreme Court on Aug. 4 stopped the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain between the government and MILF chief negotiators, scheduled for the next day in Kuala Lumpur. Mindanao Christian officials, leaders of indigenous groups, legislators, the Church and residents protested that details of the agreement, which would affect them, had not been made known.
The agreement concerns land and maritime resources to be designated as part of an autonomous Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE), pending approval in a plebiscite one year after the signing of the agreement. It calls for the signing of a "Comprehensive Compact" to provide a political structure and system of governance for the BJE, which is to have executive, legislative, judicial and administrative institutions.
Castro noted police personnel were positioned as close as 100 meters from the cathedral. "We cannot afford to be complacent at a time when the peace situation is uncertain," he said.
At the ordination, Bishop Nacua acknowledged the "tense" security situation and thanked people "for coming here to witness my ordination amid rumors of war."
Wilfredo Ampong, a government employee and former seminarian, observed the turnout was "thin" compared to last September's installation of Bishop Julius Tonel to head the prelature. "This could be due to the tension," Ampong told UCA News.
Nevertheless, Bishop Nacua's supporters were enthusiastic.
Brother Rosauro Gonzales from General Santos City, southeast of Ipil, told UCA News he was "very happy to witness" his fellow Capuchin's ordination.
Margarita Francisco, a member of the Ipil parish council, told UCA News that "despite threats," she shared the "happiness" of the rest of the Catholic community in welcoming the new bishop.
Bishop Nacua was born on January 5, 1945, in Mankayan town, Benguet province, northwest of Manila. He studied philosophy in India and theology in Spain before being ordained a priest on June 26, 1971.
Between then and 1986, he served in Philippine seminaries. He was appointed Capuchin Philippines provincial in 1994 and served in his order's international council 2000-2006 as counselor for the Capuchins in Asia.
He is scheduled to be installed in Ilagan on September 9.
The Capuchins have 45 priests and 12 brothers working in seven parishes, 13 missions and two schools in nine dioceses in the Philippines. There are now six Filipino Capuchins working overseas, mostly in western Asia.
Monday, December 03, 2007
Zamboanga Sibugay Hosts Coastal Resource Management Summit
ZAMBOANGA SIBUGAY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Dec. 03, 2007) - “It is exciting and full of thrill,” said municipal agriculturist Edgar Apao, of Ipil town.
He was referring to the slated provincial coastal resource management summit, December 4-7, to be conducted by cruising a bay that covers 13 coastal towns of the province.
Dubbed as “Cruising Sibugay: 2nd Coastal Resource Management Summit,” it is organized by the Philippine Environmental Governance Project (EcoGov 2 Project) funded by the United States Assistance for International Development (USAID).
The EcoGov2 Project is providing technical assistance to selected local government units (LGUs) on coastal resource management (CRM). The CRM sector seeks to reduce illegal and destructive fishing and at the same time regulate fishing effort through the improvement of management practices of coastal management zones and the strengthening of marine protected areas (MPAs) in strategic areas in the Philippines.
“Through this summit, the participants will have an actual assessment and visit to the various project sites of the LGUs in Zamboanga Sibugay,” Cleto Nañola, EcoGov’s regional coastal resource management specialist, said.
These project sites include the marine protected areas, mariculture and mangrove reforestation sites, and eco-tourism.
The 1st Coastal Resource Management Summit of Zamboanga Sibugay was held in Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay last year. It was participated in by all 13 coastal municipalities of the province.
A joint declaration of support for the protection and proper management of Sibuguey Bay and Dumanquilas Bay together with their commitment to cooperate, collaborate and participate in protection and management activities was signed during the summit.
Among the major activities being undertaken was the formulation of a unified fisheries ordinance for the 13 coastal municipalities of the province. The draft unified fisheries ordinance was completed last October 2007 and ready for review by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (Provincial Board) prior to adoption by the respective local government units.
Aside from the formulation of the unified fisheries ordinance, core members of the technical working group for all coastal towns and the provincial government have undergone series of trainings on information and education campaign, navigation and plotting, and biophysical monitoring of corals and reef fishes.
Nañola said “the main objective is for the participants from various municipalities in the province to determine the actual status and share experiences on the different initiatives and catalyze possible collaborative efforts particularly on enforcement and biophysical monitoring and evaluation.”
This year’s summit, according to Nañola, is expected to draw some 80 participants from the 13 local coastal towns and the provincial government.
EcoGov expects that the summit will be a vehicle to increase awareness on the various coastal resource management programs of the 13 coastal towns in the area through cross site visits.
“We are also expecting that this summit will strengthen collaborations among local government units particularly in support of the unified fishery ordinance and other projects,” Nañola said, adding “it is also our way o promoting the different marine protected areas and eco-tourism sites of the province.”
Tungawan Mayor Richard Climaco said the summit “is a great help for Tungawan since we are starting to develop our town as an eco-tourism destination” after being informed that the first night of the summit will be spent in Looc Labuan.
Tungawan is proud of Looc Labuan as its premiere ecotourism site, which still water and white sands is ideal for those who seek to be close to nature.
The culminating activity, which will be held in Kabasalan town on Dec. 7, will be the reporting and formulation of strategies to improve the implementation of the CRM program, Nañola concluded. (Tony Manaytay)
Monday, November 05, 2007
Zamboanga Town Hall Bombed
IPIL, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Nov. 05, 2007) – A crude bomb planted on a municipal building in southern Philippines exploded, but the military on Monday said there have been no reports of deaths.
Officials said the blast caused little damage to the façade of the building in the town of Talusan in Zamboanga Sibugay province.
The explosion late Sunday destroyed the door of the building housing the Association of Village Chairmen, said Army Maj. Eugene Batara, spokesman of the Western Mindanao Command.
“We are still investigating the motive of the attack and who was behind it,” Batara told the Mindanao Examiner.
Army Colonel Joven Magalso, commander of 102nd Infantry Brigade in the province, said they have deployed soldiers in the area to help police forces patrol the town.
“The blast could be related to last month’s village polls. We are coordinating with the police to track down the perpetrator,” he said in a separate interview.
Police said dozens of people were killed and wounded in poll-related violence in the Philippines. Elections in the country are traditionally bloody. (Joseph Danda)
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Commies Accuse US, Arroyo Of Exploiting Kidnap Crisis In Zamboanga
Communist rebel leader Gregorio Rosal. Rebels have accused the United States and the Philippines of exploiting kidnap crisis in Mindanao.ZAMBOANGA SIBUGAY (Mindanao Examiner / 13 Jun) – Communist rebels on Wednesday accused the United States and President Gloria Arroyo of exploiting the kidnapping of an Italian missioner to allow U.S. forces to freely operate in Mindanao.
Rogue Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels kidnapped Fr. Giancarlo Bossi on June 10 after celebrating mass in the coastal village of Bulawan in Zamboanga Sibugay’s Payao town.
Manila sought U.S. deployment of an EP3 reconnaissance plane in Mindanao to help soldiers track down the kidnappers and their hostage.
“The U.S. and Arroyo governments are taking advantage of the abduction of Italian priest Giancarlo Bossi to allow the U.S. military free range in its intelligence operations in Mindanao, including flying spy planes around the island purportedly to assist in the rescue operations,” CPP spokesman Gregorio Rosal said in a statement.
Marine Maj. Gen. Mohammad Dolorfino said the kidnappers on Tuesday tried, but failed to escape Zamboanga Sibugay and hand over their hostage to the Abu Sayyaf group tied to al-Qaeda terror network because of blockade in the province.
Rosal scoffed at the government's gratitude for U.S. participation in the search, saying, it violate the Filipino people's sovereignty. “In reality, U.S. intelligence operations in the country cannot be belittled as these are used by the U.S. military to control and direct troop deployment and ground operations."
"They also want to show in this way that U.S. military assistance, including intelligence operations, has become indispensable even at the expense of making the local military and police looking stupid and incapable," Rosal said.
"In fact, the hidden principal agenda of U.S. intelligence operations in the Philippines has always been the monitoring of revolutionary and anti-U.S. imperialist forces, such as the New People's Army and the Moro revolutionary forces," he said.
The New People's Army is the military wing of the CPP, which is fighting to topple the democratic government and install a Maoist state in the Philippines.
While the Moro revolutionary forces refer to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), also fighting for separate homeland in Mindanao, but is currently negotiating peace with the Philippine government. (Mindanao Examiner)
Friday, April 27, 2007
Hailstones Rain In Southern Philippines
ZAMBOANGA CITY – A freak weather phenomenon rained hailstones on a remote town in the southern Philippine province of Zamboanga Sibugay, but there were no reports of injuries or damages to properties.
It was the second time in almost four decades that hail - the precipitation in the form of pellets composed of ice or of ice and snow, occurring at any time of the year, usually during the passage of a cold front or during a thunderstorm - struck the town of Imelda.
Villagers reported hailstones over the weekend following a heavy rain and thunder and lightning storms, according to the official Philippine Information Agency in Zamboanga City.
Guillermo Dulay, meteorological expert of the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical Astronomical Administration, said hail can cause damage and injury to crops, livestock, property, and even airplanes.
Dulay said hailstorm was also reported in Baguio City in northern Philippines in 1990 and in South Cotabato and Lanao del Norte in 1999. “The increase in temperature is beyond doubt, as gradual temperature changes were detected as early as 1950’s. Cases of hailstorm in the country are manifestations of global warming.”
“In some case, the effects may already be occurring but difficult to attribute to global warming. But things like backyard tree planting and limiting the use of chlorine and air conditioners, are few of the things each one can do to minimize the global warming impact,” Dulay said.
Small hailstones have a soft center and a single outer coat of ice. They are formed when the surfaces of snow clumps melt and refreeze or become coated with water droplets that subsequently freeze. Large hailstones usually have alternate hard and soft layers.
There are various explanations of how these large stones form and grow. Some believe that they form in clouds when super cooled raindrops freeze on dust particles or snowflakes.
These tiny hailstones are then blown repeatedly up and down by the winds in a cloud. Each time they are blown downward to a region whose temperature is above freezing, the stones collect more moisture, and each time they are blown upward to a region below freezing, the moisture solidifies into ice, and some snow may collect.
The stones continue to grow, adding layer after layer, until they are too heavy to be supported by the winds and fall to the ground. In another explanation, it is suggested that hailstones continuously descend, gaining layers by passing through regions of the air that contain different amounts of water.
Hailstones are spherical or irregularly spherical and usually vary in diameter up to 1/2 in. (1.3 cm); in rare cases hailstones having diameters up to 5 in. (12.7 cm) have been observed.
Just last, during the Earth Day celebration, President Gloria Arroyo called for an action plan of several components to place the Philippines in the front line of the global effort to combat global warming, starting with the incorporation into the public school curriculum of subjects dealing with global warming and climate change. (Mimi Bern-Edaga)
It was the second time in almost four decades that hail - the precipitation in the form of pellets composed of ice or of ice and snow, occurring at any time of the year, usually during the passage of a cold front or during a thunderstorm - struck the town of Imelda.
Villagers reported hailstones over the weekend following a heavy rain and thunder and lightning storms, according to the official Philippine Information Agency in Zamboanga City.
Guillermo Dulay, meteorological expert of the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical Astronomical Administration, said hail can cause damage and injury to crops, livestock, property, and even airplanes.
Dulay said hailstorm was also reported in Baguio City in northern Philippines in 1990 and in South Cotabato and Lanao del Norte in 1999. “The increase in temperature is beyond doubt, as gradual temperature changes were detected as early as 1950’s. Cases of hailstorm in the country are manifestations of global warming.”
“In some case, the effects may already be occurring but difficult to attribute to global warming. But things like backyard tree planting and limiting the use of chlorine and air conditioners, are few of the things each one can do to minimize the global warming impact,” Dulay said.
Small hailstones have a soft center and a single outer coat of ice. They are formed when the surfaces of snow clumps melt and refreeze or become coated with water droplets that subsequently freeze. Large hailstones usually have alternate hard and soft layers.
There are various explanations of how these large stones form and grow. Some believe that they form in clouds when super cooled raindrops freeze on dust particles or snowflakes.
These tiny hailstones are then blown repeatedly up and down by the winds in a cloud. Each time they are blown downward to a region whose temperature is above freezing, the stones collect more moisture, and each time they are blown upward to a region below freezing, the moisture solidifies into ice, and some snow may collect.
The stones continue to grow, adding layer after layer, until they are too heavy to be supported by the winds and fall to the ground. In another explanation, it is suggested that hailstones continuously descend, gaining layers by passing through regions of the air that contain different amounts of water.
Hailstones are spherical or irregularly spherical and usually vary in diameter up to 1/2 in. (1.3 cm); in rare cases hailstones having diameters up to 5 in. (12.7 cm) have been observed.
Just last, during the Earth Day celebration, President Gloria Arroyo called for an action plan of several components to place the Philippines in the front line of the global effort to combat global warming, starting with the incorporation into the public school curriculum of subjects dealing with global warming and climate change. (Mimi Bern-Edaga)
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