CINEMALAYA: Support Philippine Independent Film Festival

CINEMALAYA

The Philippine Independent Film Festival

The Philippine Independent Film Festival 2006 is a project of the Cinemalaya Foundation,Inc.,in partnership with the Cultural Center of the Philippines CCP),the University of the Philippines Film Institute(UPFI),the Philippine Multi-Media Systems,Inc.(PMSI)and Dream Satellite TV.

Slated for 17-23 July 2006, the festival features,a competition
film exhibitions, a film expo & market seminars, conferences and an indie congress other film-related fringe events.

In the spirit of independent expression, the Cinemalaya Awards seeks to discover, encourage and honor the cinematic works of Filipino filmmakers that boldly articulate and freely interpret the Filipino experience with fresh insight and artistic integrity.

The works will be narrative features that articulate the Filipino identity and culture. In digital video format - to take advantage of this new, more accessible technology.

Open to both new filmmakers who have not yet directed a full-length commercial film, and filmmakers who have directed not more than three (3) full-length commercial films.

There will be two (2) categories:

Short Feature (from 15-20 minutes)

Full-length Feature for first-time filmmakers and filmmakers who have not directed more than 3 films (from 90 to 120 minutes)

Ten (10) finalists will be selected from the Short Feature CategoryTen (10) finalists will be selected from the Full-Length Feature Category

The ten (10) finalists for the Full-length Feature film category will receive a P500,000.00 seed grant from the Cinemalaya Foundation, Inc. as investment for the production.
Awards are: The Best Short Feature Film will receive a grant of P100,000.00 and a Balanghai Trophy.

The Best Full-length Feature Film will receive a grant of P200,000.00 and a Balanghai Trophy.

Awards for all categories will be given at the culminating program of the festival at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

Cinemalaya is a non-stock, not-for-profit, non-government foundation dedicated to the development and promotion of Philippine Independent Film.

It aims to help develop and support the production of cinematic works of Filipino independent filmmakers that boldly articulate and freely interpret the Filipino experience with fresh insight and artistic integrity.

And to discover, encourage support, train and recognize gifted Filipino independent filmmakers; to promote Filipino independent films locally and internationally; to establish a network for exchange, communication, and cooperation among members if the independent film sector.

Photo: Troops Guard Maguindanao Province

Government soldiers, backed by tanks, guard Saturday 15 July 2006 a village near Shariff Aguak town in Maguindanao province, scene of fierce clashes between Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels and militias last week. More than 30,000 people have fled their homes because of the fighting. (Mark Navales)

MNLF Website Plagiarized Our Photo!

Sayed El-Masry

The MNLF website has plagiarized our photo of Egyptian Ambassador Sayed El-Masry ref.: posted May 20, 2006 on Zamboanga Journal at http://zamboangajournal.com entitled: "MNLF Urges Manila To Comply With Peace Agreement, Seeks Release Of Jailed Leader Nur Misuari."

The photo captioned: "Egyptian Ambassador Sayed El-Masry, head of the OIC mission and adviser to the OIC Secretary General, says the Philippine government has not fully complied with the 1996 peace agreement it signed with the Moro National Liberation Front," appeared on the front page of the MNLF website http://mnlf.net without our permission.

We demanded the MNLF based in Cotabato City to remove the photo from the MNLF website or write and ask Zamboanga Journal for permission to use the image and with the appropriate credit for the author and Zamboanga Journal.

All our photos are copyrighted by its author/s and Zamboanga Journal and cannot be republished, or use for whatever purposes or in any form without permission from Zamboanga Journal.


Al Jacinto
Editor-in-Chief

Photo: Rains And Flood In Maguindanao

Above, trash and debris clogged a river, while an old woman tries to cross the flooded village of Bulalo in Sultan Kudarat province in Maguindanao in the southern Philippines. Torrential rains have flooded many villages in the province. (Mark Navales)

Cops, Sayyaf Man Killed In Zamboanga Shootout

Chief Inspector Francisco Clavecillas, Zamboanga City port police commander, gestures as he tells reporters how a suspected Abu Sayyaf militant (below) is killed in a firefight Friday 14 July 2006. Two policemen are also killed and a port security guard is wounded in the gun battle, he says. (Zamboanga Journal)

ZAMBOANGA CITY (Zamboanga Journal / 14 Jul) Two maritime policemen and a suspected Abu Sayyaf militant were killed Friday in a firefight inside the busy port of Zambonga City in the southern Philippines, officials said.

Officials said a port security guard was also wounded in the gun battle that erupted around 6.30 a.m. after policemen stopped the man for body inspection after his back pack yielded a magazine for .45-caliber pistol.

"The man quickly pulled a pistol from under his shirt and shot the two policemen and on our security guard. The assailant was later killed," Chief Inspector Francisco Clavecillas, the port police commander, told the Zamboanga Journal.

He said aside from the magazine, they also recovered a Qur'an with Arabic text in the man's back pack.

"The man was well trained in handling gun. He was quick and really trained to kill. He was a determined assassin and we suspect that he was a member of the Abu Sayyaf terrorist group," Clavecillas said, adding, the man did not have identification cards. "Investigations are still going on to determine his real identity," he said.

Clavecillas said he ordered more security guards and policemen deployed in the port to thwart possible retaliation and to secure the safety of travelers. "We have deployed additional forces to secure the port and the travelers," he said.

International cargo and passenger ships from Manila pass in Zamboanga City en route to southern Philippines and vice versa. Zamboanga has one of the busiest ports in the country, but the city was previously bombed by the Abu Sayyaf and had been used by the group in the past as hideout and springboard for terror attacks in the restive region.

Washington listed the Abu Sayyaf as a foreign terrorist organization and offered as much as $5 million bounty for its top leaders, including Khadaffy Janjalani, believed to be the al-Qaeda contact in the Philippines.

Police Detains Soldier Implicated In Slay Of Pagadian Journalist

ZAMBOANGA CITY (Zamboanga Journal / 13 Jul) Police have detained a government soldier who was implicated in the killing of a journalist in the southern Philippines, officials said Thursday.

Officials said Army Sgt. Herbert Liguan, assigned with the 1st Infantry Division, is facing charges in the alleged killing of Rolly Canete, who was gunned down January 20 in Pagadian City in Zamboanga del Sur province.

"We have the soldier in custody. We had a warrant for his arrest for the alleged killing of the journalist," Superintendent Ramon Ochotorena, the provincial police chief, told the Zamboanga Journal.

The 65-year old Canete was driving a motorcycle with his son on his way to the provincial Capitol office when one of two motorcycle-gunmen shot him in Cawit village in Pagadian City. His son survived the attack and positively identified the 46-year old soldier.

Ochotorena said the military surrendered the soldier on Wednesday to the police in Pagadian City.

"The Philippine National Police and the National Bureau of Investigation were tracking down the soldier until his surrender on Wednesday. The close coordination between law enforcement agencies and the military resulted in the recovery of the suspect," he said.

Canete was hosting two radio programs in Pagadian City and was also working with Aurora Cerilles, the provincial governor, as information officer. Police said it is still investigating the motive of the killing.

Another Pagadian journalist, Edgar Damalerio, of the radio station dxKP, was also shot dead by a policeman Guillermo Wapile on May 13, 2002, while driving home from work in a jeep with two colleagues.

Wapile was arrested and sentenced to life in prison last year for murdering the journalist. At least 3 witnesses in the slay of Damalerio were also killed one after the other.

The Philippines now ranks second to Iraq on the list of deadliest countries for journalists in 2005, according to international media group Reporters without Borders. Dozens of journalists were killed in the Philippines the past decade and most of the killings remain unresolved.

Photo: Rain-Soaked Children Rush To Seek Shelter In Cotabato

School children, wet by heavy rain, rush to seek shelter in Cotabato City in the southern Filipino province of Maguindanao. Tropical Storm Bilis, which hit the Philippines, killed four people and injured two others Tuesday 11 July 2006 in Olongapo City, northwest of Manila, when a tree fell on their house. Bilis is heading towards Taiwan. (Mark Navales)

Photo: Muslim Refugees Receive Food Aid In Maguindanao

Social workers distribute rice Thursday 13 Jul 2006 to Muslim refugees in Maguindanao province in the southern Philippines. More than 30,000 people have fled their homes because of weeklong clashes between Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels and pro-government militias. (Mark Navales)

MAGHUSAY TA! By Uriel Cruz Vallecera In Cebu

DILI ANGAY I-BAN

USA sa nakapagubot pag-ayo sa mga driver sa Sugbo mao ang pag-ban sa rota sa PUJ nga magbiyahean gikan sa Mandaue City maingon sa uptown area ug sa Osmena Boulevard sa Cebu City. Dili lang ang mga driver ang nagbagulbol kondili lakip na usab ang mga pasahero nga naapektohan sa maong lakang.

Alang nako, dili gayod angay i-ban ang maong rota tungod kay daghang mga Sugboanon nga makapahimulos niini. Naghatag kinig convenience sa mga sumasakay ilabi na kadtong nagtrabaho sa mga lugar nga maagian sa maong rota sa PUJ.

Uyon ko nga dili na sila pasubayon sa Osmena Boulevard tungod kay tinuod man usab nga huot na kaayo ang maong dalan tungod sa kadaghan sa mga sakyanan nga misubay niini. Pero dili sab maayo nga i-ban sa hingpit ang rota sa 21-B tungod dili malalis nga dako kinig gikatabang sa mga pasahero.

Alang nako, mahimong pasudlon ang rota nga 21-B kutob ra sa Fuente Osmena ug did-an na sila sa paglahos sa Colon area subay sa Osmena Boulevard.

Niay ubos nga alternatibo nga akong nahunahunaan base lang usab sa akong naobserbahan. Gikan sa Fuente Osmena, ang rota sa 21-B mas maayo nga adto motipas sa B. Rodriguez St. lahos na ngadto sa V. Rama. Anha na mosubay ang maong PUJ sa V. Rama lahos ngadto sa Taboan.

Sa akong obserbasyon, dako gayod nga kaluag ang masinati kon sa V. Rama mosubay ang 21-B tungod kay ang nagsubaysubay nianang maong dalan karon mao ra man ang mga PUJ nga magbiyahean paingon sa Guadalupe. Ug lapad kaayo ang maong dalan.

Gikan sa Taboan, mahimo nang molusot ang 21-B ngadto sa C.Padilla unya moliko sa Leon Kilat lahos na ngadto sa Magallanes. Kon matun-an lang kining maong ideya, nagtuo kong epektibogayod kini.

Pero nasayod ko nga dili mahataganog gibug-aton ug igo nga pagtagad sa mga opisyal sa Cebu City kining pinobre kong sugyot. Walay arang kanila.Pero mas maayounta kon ila usab nga sutaon ang convenience sa mga pasahero ug sa tanan nga walay kaugalingong sakyanan nga nagsalig lang sa serbisyo sa mga public utility vehicles.

-o0o-

Bisan ting-ulan na apan nagpadayon gihapon sa pag-igo ang sunog sa nagkadaiyang dapit sa siyudad og lalawigan sa Sugbo. Dili pa lang dugay, naigo ang lungsod sa Consolacion sa dakong sunog nga gisundan sa sunog nga miulbo sab sa barangay Pasil, Cebu City.

Mas dako ang danyos sa sunog sa Pasil kon itandi sa kadaot nga namugna sa kalayo nga milamoy og mga panimalay sa Consolacion. Pero gamay man o dako ang kadaot, ang bottomline mao nga dili gayod unta kita gusto nga mahitabo ang mga katalagman nga ingon niini.

Angay gayod kitang mag-amping sa kalayo ilabi na kon ang atong balay gigama lang sa light materials. Ilabi na gayod kon magdikitdikit ang kabalayan tungod kay dali rang mokaylap ang kalayo sa maong kahimtang.

New RP Military Chief Esperon Gets Overwhelming Support In Mindanao

President Gloria Arroyo names General Hermogenes Esperon as the 35th Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Esperon replaces General Generoso Senga, who retires July 21. (Zamboanga Journal)

MAGUINDANAO (Juan Magtanggol / 12 Jul) Military commanders in the southern Philippines have thrown their support to Lt. Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, the chief of the army, who was named as the next Armed Forces Chief of Staff.

The 54-year old Esperon, a decorated war veteran in Mindanao, will replace Gen. Generoso Senga, the AFP chief, when he retires July 21. Troops in the southern region were also supporting Esperon and that sergeants-major are coming with a manifesto renewing their loyalty to Esperon.

News of Esperon's appointment broke out Wednesday and radio and television reports said President Gloria Arroyo has named him as the 35th Armed Forces chief.

Sergeant-major is not a rank, but the senior non-commissioned appointment in an army unit. The sergeant-major of a unit is normally directly responsible to the Commanding Officer for all matters pertaining to dress, deportment, discipline, and morale of the [non-commissioned members (NCMs) of that unit.

"There are only good adjectives about General Esperon. He is a good leader and is well-respected by fellow generals and soldiers. We supported him as the Army commander and we will continue to support him as the incoming AFP Chief of Staff," Maj. Gen. Rodolfo Obaniana, commander of the 6th Infantry Division in Mindanao, told the Zamboanga Journal.

Esperon served as commander in Mindanao and was largely credited for numerous successful campaigns against communist insurgents and terrorists.

"We know him and he commands as a military man and we can say that General Esperon's leadership and character are unquestionable and beyond reproach. Even ordinary soldiers respect him a lot," said Brig. Gen. Mohamad Dolorfino, deputy commander of the Southern Command in Zamboanga City , the largest military installation outside Manila.

In Basilan, Brig. Gen. Raymundo Ferrer, commander of the 103rd Infantry Brigade, said thousands of soldiers on the island are also supporting Esperon. "The morale of the troops is high and the soldiers continue to support General Esperon and we also welcome news of his appointment as the next Armed Forces chief," Ferrer said in a separate interview.

Esperon also commanded the 103rd Infantry Brigade before he became army chief and was instrumental in the defeat of Abu Sayyaf militants and rescue of many kidnapped villagers on Basilan island. "General Esperon has become a model for every soldier in Basilan to strive hard. He is well respected by many and is a very good leader," Ferrer said.

Basilan government officials also lauded the news of Esperon's appointment and pledged to support him. "He is a good man. General Esperon was instrumental in restoring peace and order in Basilan. He led soldiers in defeating the terrorists here and we are all happy about the news that the President named him as the next AFP chief. We are all supporting him," Basilan Mayor Roderick Furigay said by phone from the island.

In Zamboanga City, Vice Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco also welcomed Esperon's appointment, saying, he could very well lead the Armed Forces to stay united.

"He was instrumental in quelling several uprisings in Manila and General Esperon would surely be a good leader, but there is a greater challenge ahead of him and we hope that he would continue to listen to the voices of our soldiers and stay loyal to the Constitution and the country," the influential politician told the Zamboanga Journal.

Cotabato officials also expressed their support to Esperon. Even the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) welcomed Esperon's appointment and urged him to continue supporting the government peace process in Mindanao.

"We welcome the news of General Esperon's appointment. He served in Mindanao for a long time and being the new Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines might spell well for us in Mindanao . We are sure he would continue to strengthen peace and order in Mindanao. He knows very well the problems here," Abdullah Cusain, the spokesman for Cotabato government, said in an interview.

The MILF said it is optimistic the new military leadership would continue supporting the peace talks in Mindanao. "The MILF is optimistic that General Esperon, who was previously assigned in Mindanao, will continue to support the peace process and help us attain peace for everybody in Mindanao ," said Eid Kabalu, the MILF spokesman.

Last month, troops in the southern Philippines, disgusted over the long delay in Esperon's appointment with the Commission on Appointments (CA), hanged banners and streamers at roadblocks and checkpoints.

Senator Rodolfo Biazon, a CA member, threatened to by-pass Esperon if President Arroyo did not surrender the controversial report about the alleged cheating in the May 2004 national elections.

He said he would only approve Esperon's appointment only if Malakanyang provides the Senate of a copy of the report of Navy chief Admiral Mateo Mayuga, the head of the inquiry board who investigated the alleged fraud in the past elections that accused Esperon and Southern Command chief Maj. Gen. Gabriel Habacon and two other military officers of rigging the polls in favor of President Gloria Arroyo.

Esperon and Habacon repeatedly strongly denied the accusations. The Mayuga report also cleared both of them of any wrongdoings.Many soldiers said they were disgruntled by how some politicians try to blackmail or influence the military for their own interests and caprices.

"We know a lot who tries to exert influence or ask favors from our commanders, but if they were not granted, then expect something worse in return, and we feel bad about these things," said Pfc. Jaime Fernandez.

They also defended Esperon. "Look at him, General Esperon, well decorated and respected by the soldiers, is having a hard time now because of too much politics. And many foot soldiers, like me, are disgruntled with what is happening now with General Esperon and how politicians try to get back at him because of all accusations about his role in the May (2004) elections.

"And I always remember what General Esperon told us every time his visits us -- stay united, all of you, and most all stay loyal to the Constitution and remain nonpartisan," said Pvt. Efren dela Cruz.

One sign hanged at a military checkpoint in Zamboanga City reads: "Lt. Gen. Esperon, CG, PA -- We are behind you, you can make it!" Soldiers also hanged similar banners in Davao , Cagayan de Oro and Cotabato cities.

"Our support to General Esperon is unquestionable. The soldiers respect him and he introduced a lot of reforms already that is now benefiting us," said Sgt. Allan Abisa, of the Army's 15th Division Reconnaissance Company.

Even government militias were supporting Esperon, said Sgt. Rogelio Regalado, of the First Composite Company of the military's anti-terror task force in Zamboanga City.

"He is a good officer; General Esperon is like a big brother and a father to all of us. He talks to us and we respect him a lot and they should spare him from dirty politics. Generan Esperon is not a corrupt general, he is not a thief, but a very good leader and deserves high respect," Regalado said. (With a report from Mark Navales)

"Hello Garci" Animation Now On Google Video

From a popular cell phone ring tone, now comes...the "Hello Garci" animation. The video is now posted on Google Video, but it was unknown who was the author of the comical clip now fast becoming popular in the Philippines.

Hello Garci

If you're having trouble watching the video, try copying the following URL into your browser:http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7250647647104179833&pr=goog-sl

MILF Signs Truce With Maguindanao Militias

A Muslim refugee returns Tuesday 11 July 2006 to his home in Shariff Aguak town in Maguindanao province only to find their thatched house burned. More than 30,000 people fled from a weeklong fighting between Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels and provincial militias that left dozens of people dead on both sides. (Mark Navales)

MAGUINDANAO (Mark Navales / 11 Jul) Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels and government-backed militias agreed to a formal truce on Tuesday, ending more than a week of fierce clashes that sent more than 30,000 people fleeing in Maguindanao province in the southern Philippines.

"We have signed a formal truce agreement with the militias and both sides agreed to halt the fighting and draw a demilitarized zone in Shariff Aguak (town) in Maguindanao," Eid Kabalu, a spokesman for the MILF, told the Zamboanga Journal.

Kabalu said representatives from the Philippine military, Department of National Defense, the Malaysian-led international truce observers and Maguindanao Gov. Andal Ampatuan signed the cease-fire accord.

"This is a good development and those who fled their homes can now return to their villages," he said.

The MILF blamed militias loyal to Ampatuan for the violence, which they claim was in retaliation for a roadside bombing last month that killed five people. The target of the bombing was allegedly the governor, who escaped unhurt.

Police and military accused the MILF of masterminding the attack and ordered the arrest of two senior rebel leaders Jamil Ombra, commander of the 105th Base Command in Camp Omar and his deputy Sajid Pakiladato.

Both were tagged as behind the bombing in Shariff Aguak. The MILF denied the accusations and refused to surrender the duo.

In February, security and rebel forces clashed for weeks in Shariff Aguak and left more than a dozen people dead from both sides. The fighting erupted after the MILF opposed a provincial government road construction that rebels claimed would encroach into their territories in the village of Datu Unsay.

President Arroyo opened peace talks in 2001 with the MILF in an effort to put an end to more than three decades of bloody fighting in the strife-torn, but mineral-rich Mindanao. (With a report from Juan Magtanggol)

Quick Police Response Rescues Abducted Isulan Girl

Cotabato City Police chief Peraco Macacua hands over a 5-year old girl, abducted in Sultan Kudarat province, to her grandmother. (Mark Navales)

COTABATO CITY (Mark Navales / 11 Jul) Police and Coast Guard authorities rescued a five-year old girl abducted by her two nannies in a joint operation in the southern Philippine port city of Cotabato.

Police said the girl Gabriela Victoria Cabico was rescued late Monday -- hours after she was abducted from their home in Isulan town in Sultan Kudarat province -- at a port in Cotabato City where the two women Lilibeth Sangrita and Mercy Cabasag planned their escape.

The duo were allegedly planning to bring and hide the girl to Pagadian City in Zamboanga del Sur province, police said.

Police said it is still investigating the motive of the abduction.

“The successful rescue of the girl can be attributed to the quick response and good coordination between the Philippine National Police in Isulan and Cotabato and the Coast Guard,” Senior Supt. Peraco Macacua, chief of the local police force, told the Zamboanga Journal.

Macacua said the two women were arrested inside a ferry that would supposedly bring them to Pagadian City. “The timely arrival of the authorities prevented their escape,” Macacua said.

He said members of the Cotabato’s PNP City Mobile Group led by Supt. Saiben Akmad and the Coast Guard District commander under Salvador Valenzuela sealed off the port to prevent the escape of the two women.

Police said the girl was reunited with her grandmother Fe Lacuda in Cotabato City. It was not immediately known if the family would file charges against the two women.

NPA Praises Bishops For Condemning Political Killings

MANILA (Zamboanga Journal / 11 Jul) Communist rebels on Tuesday praised the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) for condemning the rash of political killings in the Philippines.

The rebels also assured the CBCP that the New People’s Army (NPA) does not target innocent civilians.

Gregorio Rosal, spokesman of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), said: "It is significant that the CBCP has joined the swelling ranks of democratic organizations, human rights advocates and other sectors of the people opposing the fascist extra-judicial killings that are being carried out and intensified by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and its death squads mainly against activists and suspected supporters of the revolutionary movement in line with Gloria Arroyo's declaration of an all-out war" against the revolutionary forces."

Human rights organizations reported that at least 110 activists have been killed since early this year and that more than 700 people had been executed since Arroyo assumed power in 2001.

The influential CBCP on Monday issued a pastoral statement on various political issues, including the impeachment charges against Arroyo.

A group of clergymen on Monday also signed a new impeachment complaint against Arroyo, who was accused by the oppossition of cheating in the May 2004 elections.

Monsignor Ernesto de la Cruz, of the San Miguel Parish Church near the Presidential Palace, led 13 religious leaders in signing the complaint. It was the fifth complaint filed against the Arroyo.

Caloocan City Bishop Deogracias Iñiguez last month filed a similar complaint against Arroyo. Private organizations also filed four impeachment complaints against the President.

Militant groups and other peoples’ organization and political oppositions have demanded that Arroyo resigns, but she insisted that she won the elections and denied all accusations against her.

Cops Clash With Gunmen In Zamboanga City

ZAMBOANGA CITY (Zamboanga Journal / 11 Jul) Police clashed Tuesday unidentified gunmen on a coastal village in the southern Philippine port city of Zamboanga, where security forces are tracking down members of the Abu Sayyaf group, blamed for the series of bombings and killings in the strife-torn region.

Police said one suspect was captured, but his companions escaped at sea after they seized a motorized pump boat and briefly held three passengers hostage on the village of Arena Blanco. The passengers were later thrown at sea and drowned.

"We are still interrogating the prisoner," a police investigator said.

Police said villagers informed authorities about the presence of armed men in the area. The men opened fire on security men in the village, triggering a running gun battle. There were no reports of casualties on both sides.

Other reports said the men were notorious drug dealers in Zamboanga City.Security forces were tracking down Abu Sayyaf militants in Zamboanga City, which was previously bombed by the group.

Muslim Rebels Rescue Kidnapped Social Worker In Lanao Del Norte

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Photo: US-RP Military Launch VETCAP In Zamboanga

A man assists a U.S. military veterinarian in the village of Lamisahan in Zamboanga City during a recent Veterinary Community Action Program (VETCAP). American and Filipino veterinarians treated 75 cattle, 11 carabao, 52 goats, 295 pigs, 1554 chickens and 32 dogs for area residents who rely on livestock and animals for their livelihood.

Aside from vaccinations, the veterinarians also provided medical checkups and minor surgery for injured and sick animals. The U.S. Military’s Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines (JSOTF-P) is deployed to the southern region of the Philippines in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, where they work with partners in the Armed Forces of the Philippines on myriad community programs to assist area residents. (Photo courtesy of the U.S. Embassy)

FEATURE/PHOTO: Muslims In The Philippines

Muslims from Jolo, Basilan, Maguindanao, Sultan Kudarat and Zamboanga City in the southern Philippines. (Zamboanga Journal)

ZAMBOANGA CITY (Zamboanga Journal / 11 Jul) Filipino Muslims is the largest non-Christian group in the country. It comprise about 5% of the Philippine population and most live in Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago in the southern region and also in Palawan island. Muslims also live in major cities like Zamboanga, Cebu, Manila and as far as Baguio in the north.

There are at least ten cultural Muslim groups based on the language they use; those who live in Maguindanao and Sultan Kudarat, the Maranaos of Lanao, Tausugs of Jolo island, the Samals and Bajaus or Badjao, from the Sulu Archipelago, the Yakans of Basilan and Zamboanga del Sur, the Ilanon or Iranun and Sangirs or Sangil of southern Mindanao, Melabugnan or Molbog of southern Palawan, the Jama Mapuns of the Cagayan de Tawi-Tawi island in far south. There are also the smaller Kaagan in Davao provinces and Kolibugan in Zamboanga Peninsula. (Read more)

TVI Mining Partners With Zambo Norte Press Club, Sponsors Seminar-Workshop For Journalists

DIPOLOG CITY (Rochelle Hilario / 11 Jul) The Zamboanga del Norte Press Club, Inc. (ZNPCI) has formally launched its 2006 Campus Journalism Seminar-Workshop, with TVI Resource Development Phils., Inc. (TVIRD), the provincial government, and the Department of Education (Dep Ed) as partners.

TVIRD becomes the first major corporate sponsor of the program since it was first held 39 years ago. (FULL STORY)

Winning Hearts And Minds In Misamis Oriental

MISAMIS ORIENTAL (Mike Banos / 11 Jul) In an effort to win the hearts and minds of the people, provincial Gov. Oscar S. Moreno on Tuesday said his administration would pursue a different tack from the national government in its bid to address the communist insurgency here.

"The national government has to adopt a policy it can implement to demonstrate its resolve and decisiveness to address the insurgency once and for all," Moreno said. "Being the national government, it has to implement a policy that is applicable in all areas."

This was also what Moreno said in his 2nd State of the Province Address (SOPA) Monday before a special session of the Misamis Oriental Provincial Board.

"But here in Misamis Oriental we are adopting a strategy which we hope will prove better and that is to bring government closer to the people," Moreno stressed.

Moreno said the provincial government would be fighting a different kind of war. "It's a war to win the hearts of the people."

Moreno cited the "threshold case" of a faming hamlet Lantad in the village of Kibanban in his hometown of Balingasag as a showcase of how teamwork between various agencies of government and a resolute commitment to bring peace and prosperity to the people has successfully converted the former enclave and regional headquarters of the New People's Army (NPA) into a growing, vibrant community of forward looking and optimistic residents.

"It is easier to make war than peace. I hope we will exert every effort to achieve peace that is lasting, fulfilling and satisfying,"Moreno said.

He also thanked Maj. General Cardozo Luna, commander of the Army’s 4th Infantry Division, "for giving us the lead in local strategy and acknowledging the constitutional guarantee that civilian authority at all times remains supreme."

Two years ago, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo also pushed for peace talks at the local level, ordering the implementation of the terms of a peace pact with a splinter rebel faction, the Revolutionary Proletarian Army-Alex Boncayao Brigade.

However, the peace process with the RPA-ABB and another splinter group in Northern Mindanao, the Rebolusyonarying Patrido ng Mamamayang Pilipino (RPMM) have continued.

Luis Jalandoni, chairman of the negotiating panel of the National Democratic Front, the political arm of the Communist Party of the Philippines, called for a renewed peace talks July 5 after Arroyo's declaration of an all-out war against the NPA last week. Arroyo released P1 billion war chest to finance the renewed campaign against the NPA.

The NDF and CPP’s armed wing, the NPA, and 13 other underground organizations, pulled out of the peace talks in August 2004.

"In repudiation of the regime's all-out war policy and the extra-judicial killings and involuntary disappearances of political and leftist activists, we call for the resumption of formal peace talks between the GRP and the NDF as soon as possible," Jalandoni said.

Photo: Picturesque Bungalow On Zamboanga Hill

A picturesque bungalow on a virgin hill in Zamboanga City in the southern Philippines. A proposal to divide Zamboanga City's 98 villages and create a province called Zamboanga Hermosa is fast gaining popular support among local residents. (Zamboanga Journal)

Priests Sign New Impeachment Complaint Against Arroyo

MANILA (Zamboanga Journal / 10 Jul) A group of priests on Monday signed a new impeachment complaint against President Gloria Arroyo, accused of cheating in the May 2004 elections.

It was the fifth complaint filed against the embattled Filipino leader. Monsignor Ernesto de la Cruz, of the San Miguel Parish Church near the Presidential Palace, led 13 religious leaders in signing the complaint at the office of House Minority Leader Francis Escudero.

The influential Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines also issued a pastoral statement on various political issues, including the impeachment charges against Arroyo.

Caloocan City Bishop Deogracias Iñiguez last month filed a similar complaint against Arroyo. Private organizations also filed four impeachment complaints against the President.

Militant groups and other peoples’ organization and political oppositions have demanded that Arroyo resigns, but she insisted that she won the elections and denied all accusations against her.

Troops Recover Human Remains In Misamis Oriental

ZAMBOANGA CITY (Zamboanga Journal / 10 Jul) Southern Philippine military officials on Monday announced that soldiers exhumed at least 10 skeletal remains believed victims of summary executions by communist insurgents in the mountain province of Misamis Oriental.

Officials said the remains were exhumed from 5 shallow graves that troops discovered in the village of Kibanban in the town of Balingasag where fighting between military and rebel forces erupted at the weekend, leaving one soldier dead.

They said soldiers were still searching for more graves in the area, a known stronghold of the New People's Army, the armed wing of the outlawed Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its political arm the National Democratic Front (NDF).

"The skeletal remains are believed to be victims of summary executions by the communist terrorists. It is believed that other shallow graves are still at the area," Captain Ritche Pabilonia, a spokesman for the Southern Command, said in a report.

A group of government forensic experts are arriving this week in the province to try to identify the remains and the cause of their deaths. A military report said one skeletal remains still had a yellow jacket, another had underwear, and the other a jute sack covered its skull.

The spokesman did not say how the soldiers discover the graves or who led them to the sites.

Government soldiers killed at least 7 communist insurgents in two days fierce fighting in Compostela Valley province in the southern Philippines, an army spokesman said Sunday.

The weekend fighting came barely a week after soldiers and rebels clashed in Compostela Valley province that killed 7 NPA members.

Last month, security forces occupied a huge jungle encampment of the NPA after days of fighting the village of Busdi in Malaybalay City in Bukidnon province near Misamis Oriental.

Fighting in the countryside have escalated after peace talks between communist rebels and the government collapsed in 2004 after the Communist Party of the Philippines and the National Democratic Front pulled out from the negotiations because of its inclusion to the terror lists of the United States and the European Union on Manila's prodding.

Rebels demanded that President Gloria Arroyo asks the United States and the European Union to strike them off from the terror lists before they resume peace talks. Manila rejected the demand and suspended safety and immunity guarantee for rebel peace negotiators following the collapse of the talks.

President Arroyo has ordered the military to crush the NPA, the armed wing of the CPP-NDF, and set aside one billion pesos for the military to help fight insurgency and terrorism.

MAGHUSAY TA! By Uriel Cruz Vallecera

ID SYSTEM

HIGPIT karon nga nagtinguha si Mandaue City Mayor Thadeo Ouano sa pagpatuman sa ID system sa kabarangayan sa dakbayan nga iyang ginsakpan alang sa pagmintinar sa kahusay ug kalinaw.

Kining maong tinguha alang usab sa paghatag og kasegurohan sa mga molupyo sa maong dakbayan gikan samga daotang elemento sama sa mga tulisan, terorista ug sparrow unit sa New People's Army (NPA).

Nindot baya ang tumong ni Ouano. Pero dili ko kombinsido nga ang ID system epektibong sulbad batok samga daotan. Bisan gani ang nationalID system, dili ko kombinsido nga makapugong kini sa pag-atake sa mga kriminal.

Hinuon, walay komo kon ato kining sulayan. Wala man usay mawala nato kon ato kining eksperimentohan. Basin diay kon mosalir gayod kini ug mahimo kining epektibong panagana batok sakriminalidad.

-o0o-

Hayan mawagtang na ang mga fixers sa Land Transportation Office (LTO) tungod sa bag-ong machine nga giinstalar sa matag licensing division sa mga LTO district office sa Cebu. Ang maong makina o kahimanan gitawag og Application for Drivers License System (ADLIS) nga gituohang makapitol na sa modus operandi sa mga fixers sa maong buhatan.

Maayo hinuon kon matinuod kini. Daghan na ra ba gyod kog nadawat nga mga reklamo mahitungod sa puwerhisyo nga gidulot nianang mga fixers ngadto sa atong kaigsuonan nga may ipahigayon nga transaksiyon sa buhatan sa LTO. Atong ikahinangop kon mosalir ba kining maong makina batokfixers.

Una, may garantiya ba nga kining maong machine dili gayod malutsan sa mga badlongong fixers? Ikalipay nato kon mao kini. Hasol man god kaayo kanang mga fixers sa LTO!

Mao nga nahinangop ko niining maong balita. Kon mosalir man gayod kining ADLIS, angay usab kining sagopon sa ubang mga buhatan sa LTO dili lang sa Sugbo kondili sa uban usab nga kaprobinsiyahan.

-o0o-

Tuod, may nag-report nako nga daghang kaayo ang mga fixers sa LTO sa Jagna, Bohol. Maayo unta nga ma-monitor kinitungod kay sayon ra kuno kaayong makalusot ang transaksiyon sa maong mga fixers sa buhatan sa LTO.

Lakip gani ang certificate sa drug testing maniobrahon usab sa maong mga fixers basta mobayad lang ang aplikante og P150.00. Maayong masusi kon unsa kini ka tinuod. Kasaligan ang akong tinubdan niining maong kasayoran tungod kay usa siya ka driver nga nakasinati nag ingon niini sa maong buhatan.

Ambot kaha kon may kasayoran ba ang mga kawani sa LTO Jagna mahitungod niining maong modus. Hinaot unta nga magbantay sila nga dili malutsan sa mga fixers.(Columnist Uriel Vallecera is based in Cebu province)

Kidnapped Boy Freed In Maguindanao

Freed Kurt Degracia with Parang Mayor Talib Abo. (Mark Navales)

MAGUINDANAO (Mark Navales / 09 Jul) Kidnappers released Sunday an 11-year old boy after two weeks in captivity in the southern Philippines, officials said.

Officials said Kurt Degracia was freed before dawn on a remote village called Makabisu in the town of Sultan Mastura in Maguindanao, one of five provinces under the Muslim autonomous region.

"The boy is okay and is reunited with his family. There is an ongoing operation against the kidnappers," Marine Brig. Gen. Mohammad Ben Dolorfino, deputy commander of the Southern Command, told the Zamboanga Journal.

Gunmen seized the boy June 23 inside the Landasan Central Pilot Elementary School in Parang town, also in Maguindanao. His family owns a chain of hardware stores.

Dolorfino said the hostage was handed to Talib Abo, the mayor of Parang town, and taken to his anxious family. He did not say whether ransom was paid by the boy's family. "We have no idea whether ransom was paid or not, but the government has a strict no-ransom policy," he said.

The release, Dolorfino said, came just a week after Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels, helping government soldiers rescue the boy, raided a hideout of the kidnappers in Maguindanao, but they failed to find the hostage. One soldier, he said, died after he drowned in a river while pursuing the kidnappers.

Dolorfino said local bandits were behind the boy's kidnapping. "We have identified the kidnap gang leader and he is now the subject of a joint AFP-MILF operation in Maguindanao," he said without elaborating further.

He said the MILF, which is currently negotiating peace with Manila, is working closely with the military through the ad-hoc joint action group to track down the kidnappers.

Just this month, kidnappers also freed a Muslim poll official after private negotiators allegedly paid some 100,000 pesos in exchange for his life in Lanao del Norte province.

The 56-year old Disalungan Pulala, of the Commission on Election, was released in the remote village of Ulangu in the town of Balo'i. He was kidnapped on his way to mosque in Iligan City.

Last month, gunmen seized Pala-o Diamla, a court sheriff in Marawi City in Lanao de Sur province on orders from a politician who lost in the May 2004 elections. Diamla was returning home May 30 when kidnapped by a band of armed men.

He was freed a week later after MILF rebels, backed by government soldiers, threatened to assault the kidnappers' hideout in the province. The military said a defeated town vice mayoralty candidate, who has a pending electoral protest, allegedly masterminded the kidnapping to forcethe court to rule on his favor.

Even judges in the provinces who were hearing election protests were also under threat.

MILF forces also rescued in May a nine-year old girl, Donna May Ramos, kidnapped by Abu Sayyaf bandits in the southern island of Basilan.

The MILF, the country's largest Muslim separatist rebel group, forged an agreement in 2004 that paved the way for rebel forces to help government hunt down terrorists and criminal elements in areas where the MILF is actively operating. (With a report from Juan Magtanggol)

Beggar, Street Children Rounded Up In Zamboanga

Some street children in downtown Zamboanga City. (Zamboanga Journal)

ZAMBOANGA CITY (Zamboanga Journal / 09 Jul) Dozens of street children and beggars were rounded up in downtown Zamboanga City over the weekend in an effort to curb the growing number of mendicants, largely blamed for petty crimes.

At least 53, mostly children, were taken into custody since the crackdown started Friday, according to a police report. The children were turned over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

"The campaign to rid off vagrancy in the city streets has been going on for many years already, but these children continue to come back," Insp. Esperanza Santiago, chief of the Women and Children Protection Unit of the local police force, told reporters.

Police said the street children are likely to be future criminals if this situation continues. Many street children were hooked into illegal drugs and some had resorted to robbery and snatching to sustain their vices.

"That’s not true, maybe some are into drugs, but not all of us are like that," said Orlando Santiago, 12, a beggar. "We are forced into this kind of life because of poverty. We don’t even have food on the table and my parents have no jobs. People should understand our predicament and not readily condemn us," he told the Zamboanga Journal.

Other street children here have stories similar to that of Orlando Santiago, and they collectively blame the lack of opportunity for a decent living or government job program addressing the poor.

Local politicians call these street children and beggars an eyesore that lends Zamboanga City a bad name. But there are not enough social centers to provide mendicants food and shelter or rehabilitation and livelihood programs.

Many children in Zamboanga City have abandoned their chances for education to sell scraps and help feed their poor families. Other young girls and boys have been forced into prostitution. Just last week, at least 30 of the street children separately rounded up had indications of sexually transmitted diseases.

Zamboanga City’s street children rarely become beneficiaries of valuable aid. There are instances when some politicians provide them porridge, not because they care about their plight, but largely for publicity purposes. During the Christmas season, politicians extend financial assistance to some local organization that take care of orphans or the elderly, not to street children.

"We have really nothing at all," said Felimon Cruz, 14, who has begging in the streets of Zamboanga City the past six years. "We eat food that people throw away, that we find in the garbage. I sometimes cry and ask God why I have to suffer like this, like why my family is poor and why nobody is helping us. I don’t know the answers."

Like the children in Lumbangan village in the eastern coast where the government dump is located, they dig for scrap to help feed their families. They also despair that no sustainable livelihood programs are made available for them. These children are often sick in because of the strong stench of garbage, and no politicians ever visited the area to check on the situation there.

Children, as young as two years old, are now regular diggers in the garbage dump, about 10 km from the bustling downtown Zamboanga.

Rodel Cabayacruz, 13, spent half of his lifetime in Lumbangan scavenging for scrap—papers, tin cans, and even rotten food—to help his family.

"I come here every day and I don’t mind the stench," he said. “What is important is for me to bring a little money for my brother’s milk. We are so poor that my mother cannot even send me to school."

Bus Falls Into Ravine, 40 Hurt In Zamboanga City

ZAMBOANGA CITY (Zamboanga Journal / 09 Jul) At least 40 passengers were injured when an overloaded mini bus lost its breaks and plowed into a ravine on a remote village in Zamboanga City in the southern Philippines, police said.

Police said the bus was on its way to downtown Zamboanga City from the farming village of Sibulao when the accident occured Saturday near Curuan district, about 40 km east of here.

Its driver, Joel Rojas, claimed he lost control of the bus after its breaks mulfunctioned. "The bus rolled over and fell into the ravine," he told police investigators.

Police said there were no casualties.

Northen Mindanao Village Under Reds Now Back To Government Control

BALINGASAG, Misamis Oriental (Mike Banos / 09 Jul) Nineteen years after reaching its nadir as the center of the communist insurgency in Northern Mindanao, government was officially restored in the village of Kibangan with the re-opening of the Kibanban-Lantad provincial.

Spearheaded by Misamis Oriental Gov. Oscar Moreno, the inter-agency government task force returned Saturday in triumph aboard a 16-vehicle convoy to link up with elements of the Philippine Army's 8th Infantry Battalion led by Lt. Col. Andrelino Colina which has earlier secured the local hamlet of Lantad in village of Kibangan from the New People's Army latest effort to wrest it back.

"When I arrived here, I shed tears of joy at the realization we have fulfilled our promise to you, and together we have accomplished what everybody said was impossible," an emotional but jubilant Moreno told a crowd of around 500 residents and visitors at simple rites to turn over a brand new multi purpose dryer and P30,000 worth of livelihood assistance to village officials led by Kibanban village chieftain Adelina Santua.

Lantad was earlier identified by the Moreno administration as a high-profile target for development. "We focused on bringing government back to Lantad because it was the symbol of past neglect, the province's wealth in agriculture, especially abaca, and not the least, Lantad's role in history as the symbol of the communist insurgency," the governor told the Star.

In 1987, the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army set up a shadow government in Lantad. It became the NPA's Front Committee 4B, North Central Mindanao Command's guerrilla base which supplied logistics to communist guerillas in present day Northern Mindanao and the Caraga Region.

All former government services were taken over by the rebels including health and education. A cooperative store was even set up to ostensibly serve the residents but in reality served as the logistics center for arms, ammunition and supplies for the rebels.

"We had up to 200 guerrillas training here in 1990," recalls Kibanban village councilor Bruno Lindahay, himself a former NPA guerrilla. "Our comrades would come down every week to buy around P30,000 worth of food and supplies from our cooperative store."

Lindahay, like 95 percent of Lantad's 400 residents, is a member of the indigenous tribe Higa-onon. The NPA used their native bush craft and knowledge of the local terrain to effectively isolate Lantad from the rest of the province using indigenous booby traps such as the abo-abo, batik and gahong.

They also used land mines making the enclave impregnable from military and police forces who had no recourse but to bomb and strafe the area from the air using MG-520 helicopter gunships, and the prop-driven T-33 "Tora-Tora" COIN aircraft and OV-10 Broncos.

The CPP-NPA functioned as the de facto government in Lantad from 1987-1990 and control of the area see-sawed back and forth between the NPA guerrillas and military troopers until late last year when soldiers under Colina effectively wrenched control of the area from the insurgents.

Moreno, with Misamis Oriental Mayor's League Chairman and Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental Mayor Yevgeni Emano, first attempted to reach Lantad on foot during Holy Week in 2005. The Capitol team finally reached the enclave during the Lantad fiesta celebrating the feast of Sto. Niño in October 24-25, 2005 after which the decision was made to bring back government to the place through the restoration of the Kibanban-Lantad road.

During the team's latest visit previous early February 2006, they had to trek the 11-kilometer stretch from Kibanban's center on foot and back due to inclement weather which turned the road into an impassable morass of mud.

"I promised you the next time I would come back, I would arrive here with no mud on my shoes," Moreno recalled. "I myself did not expect this would be realized so soon and I share this moment of victory of our commitment, unity and teamwork as members of the team which brought back government to Lantad."

Provincial Board Member James Caiña, chairman of the Misamis Oriental Infrastructure Committee, said he fielded practically the entire complement of the Provincial Engineer's Office under Engr. Roland Pacuribot to restore the 18-kilometer road from Kibanban to Lantad.

"I consider this project only 50 percent finished since we still have to upgrade it to provincial road standards of 6-8 meters from its present 4-5 meters," Caiña, known as "Mr. Infrastructure" to his fellow board members and capitol department head said. "So far, we have spent some PhP1.5 million in fuel and other supplies, and quarried the gravel and sand we needed from the creeks below."

Although they have already fielded three dump trucks, a payloader, a road roller and a road grader in addition to the original bulldozer deployed earlier, Pacuribot admitted their work has often been delayed by the weather since it usually starts raining in the afternoon in Lantad, situated some 890 meters above sea level.

Santua said motorcycles for hire, know locally as habal-habal , have started plying the road since May. A one way trip from the national highway in Balingasag town costs P150 and takes less than two hours, though residents have petitioned operators to bring it down to P70-100 since the road is constantly being improved.

Previously, it took residents a three hour walk to reach the Kibanban, some 11 kms. away and the only means of transporting their farm produce was on horseback, which cost P120 and took 2-3 hours.

"Since the road was restored in May 2006, our people have been encouraged to plant more coffee, banana, abaca and corn," Lindahay said. "Our greatest need now is for electricity but we are hesitant to approach Gov. Moreno for this since he has already done so much for us and also needs to take care of other areas in the province."

Moreno concurs there's not time for resting on their laurels. "Caiña's army is here in tandem with Colina's army," he said. "This is a teamwork I hope will be replicated in other areas of the province; a partnership that can become a showcase for others to follow. It is difficult to attain peace through peaceful means, but it is more rewarding."

Arroyo Visits Cotabato, Launches UN World Food Program

Above, President Gloria Arroyo shakes hands with a woman dresed in traditional ethnic costumes during the launching Saturday 08 July 2006 of the United Nation’s $20 million World Food Program in Cotabato City in the southern Philippines. With Arroyo are Cotabato City Mayor Muslimin Sema, Wurie Alghassim, UN-WFP Country Representative and an unidentified foreigner.

And Cotabato City police chief, Senior Superintendent Peraco Macacua and his deputy Superintendent Pendatun Salilama speak to policemen during Arroyo’s visit, while
Secy. Mike Defensor, an aide of Arroyo, briefs reporters in Cotabato City on the ongoing government development programs in the southern Philippines. (Mark Navales)

COTABATO CITY (Mark Navales / 08 Jul) Philippine leader Gloria Arroyo visited Saturday the southern city of Cotabato, where she held a series of meetings with Cabinet and local government officials.

Arroyo also led the launching of the United Nation's $20 million food aid program to Mindanao island, home to many indigenous and Muslim tribes. Security was tight during her visit as hundreds of well wishers welcomed the President.

Many were chanting "Gloria...Gloria" and supporters carried banners and streamers with images of her.

Mayor Muslimin Sema also led local leaders in welcoming Arroyo and her entourage. "We are so happy that the President visited Cotabato City and this speaks well of the prevailing peace and order here," Sema told the Zamboanga Journal.

Arroyo pledged to bring more development aid to the southern Philippines, where the government is currently negotiating peace with the country's largest Muslim rebel group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

The President opened peace talks with the MILF in an effort to end more than three decades of bloody fighting in the strife-torn, but mineral-rich Mindanao region.

Zamboanga Debuts "Tour De Fabian"

ZAMBOANGA CITY (Zamboanga Journal / 08 Jul) Some 100 cyclists joined a grueling 95-kilometer mountain race Saturday from the outskirts of Zamboanga Sibugay province to Zamboanga City in the southern Philippines.

Called the Tour de Fabian, the bikers, some as far as Cebu province in the central Philippines, raced from a dirt road in the remote Licomo village down to highway in Zamboanga City as hundreds of spectators lined up to cheer the athletes. "It was really a grueling race and we hope to see them race again," Arvin Santi, a cyclist, told the Zamboanga Journal.

Security was also tight on the highway during the 4-hour race. Policemen and soldiers were spotted guarding the stretch from Licomo village to the finish line in Zamboanga City . Dozens of paramedics, backed by a convoy of vehicles and ambulances, trailed the cyclists up to the finish line.

Influenced by the world's most high profile and difficult bicycle race, the Tour de France (French for "Tour of France"), organizers said they hope to attract more cyclists probably next year for the second competition.

The Tour de France often referred to as La Grande Boucle, Le Tour or The Tour, is comprised of about 20 professional teams of nine riders per team. The competitors race a collective distance of approximately 3,600 km traveling through France, Belgium, Italy, Germany and Spain.

It is the most famous and prestigious road bicycle race held annually since 1903 and the winner is the individual rider who finishes the course of the race in the least accumulated time.

But unlike the Tour de France, the local race based its winners on the team that finishes first the course of the race.

The most prestigious and biggest bicycle race in the country was the Tour Pilipinas. It began as the Tour of Luzon in 1955 and evolved into the Marlboro Tour, but was scrapped in 1999 when sponsors could no longer support the race.

It was again revived in 2002, but the race was not as huge as the Tour Pilipinas and competition was only around Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon provinces collectively known as the Calabarzon.

Gold Star Daily Celebrates 17th Year, Still Going Strong As Mindanao's Only Widely Circulated Newspaper

Above photo shows veteran writer and Zamboanga Journal contributor Mike Banos (left) and Totoy Munoz, bureau chief of Gold Star Daily in Zamboanga City; and middle photo is GSD's chief editor Herbie Gomez (center) and other journalists. And below, the man behind the success of the newspaper, Ernesto "Toto" Chu (second from left) and newsmen. The GSD recently celebrated its 17th year. (Photos courtesy of Mike Banos, of the zamboanga.com)

Cebu Pacific Registers High Record Sales In Philippine Market

MANILA -- Cebu Pacific (CEB), the country’s low fare leader, registered a record high domestic market share of more than 41% for the month of June. The market share figure relates to all competitive domestic jet markets and is the highest level ever reported in the more than 10 year history of the airline, CEB executives said Friday.

June, traditionally, is a lean travel month in the Philippines, but CEB reported a load factor of more than 79% for the same period carrying 65% more domestic passengers in June than in the month of the previous year. CEB market share for June 2005 was 31%.

The steady growth in market share and load factor can be attributed to the more aggressive pricing strategy that the airline has adopted, starting with the launch of its ‘Go’ fares in November 2005, executives said.

CEB also offered 10 peso and 1 peso promo fares in March 2006. CEB had a further 2 Airbus A319 aircrafts joined its fleet in June as part of a continuing upgrading program and replacing older DC9 aircrafts.

By the end of July, CEB will be operating an all Airbus fleet and will have the youngest fleet in the country and one of the youngest in Asia.

“Cebu Pacific has always been committed to serve the Filipino. Our vision is to make it possible for every Juan Dela Cruz to fly by offering the lowest fares possible to wherever Cebu Pacific operates. And now with our brand new, bigger Airbus planes, we will be able to offer more seats at lower fares to the public,” said Lance Y. Gokongwei, CEB President and CEO.

He said: “We are very much encouraged by the growth in traffic since the introduction of ‘Go’ fares and the various seat sales because we see that domestic tourism can be stimulated even during the lean season. And very importantly, this also means that we, as a country, can develop tourism to become a year-round industry.”

“We will continue to offer our low fares and high quality service because we really believe it’s time every Juan flies,” Gokongwei emphasized.

Tight Security Ahead Of GMA Visit In Cotabato Following Failed Attack On Ally

Members of the Cotabato City Police Office inspect Friday 07 July 2006 the site where a grenade is thrown inside the bungalow compound of Gov. Andal Ampatuan of Maguindanao province. The grenade did not explode. (Mark Navales)

MAGUINDANAO (Zamboanga Journal / 07 Jul) Police tightened security in Cotabato City ahead of President Gloria Arroyo’s visit following a failed grenade attack Friday on a bungalow owned by the powerful governor of Maguindanao province.

Arroyo is expected to arrive Saturday in Cotabato City where she would hold separate meetings with her Cabinet and the regional peace and order council, local government officials said.

Police said the target of the failed attack was Gov. Andal Ampatuan, but the politician, an ally of Arroyo, was not in the bungalow when an unidentified man tossed the grenade inside compound. The assailant escaped on a motorcycle, said Senior Inspector Samson Obatay, commander of a local elite police unit.

"We have deployed additional police forces and tightened security to prevent similar attempt on the lives of government officials. We have undertaken extra security measures, put up road blocks and more foot patrol in Cotabato City," Obatay told the Zamboanga Journal.

Ampatuan also escaped an assassination attempt June 23 when a bomb exploded near his convoy in Shariff Aguak town, but 5 people were killed in the attack, including the politician's nephew.

It was not immediately known whether the failed grenade attack was connected to Wednesday killing of the wife of one of two senior Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) leader tagged as behind the Shariff Aguak bombing.

The military said Nora Pakiladatu was gunned down in Cotabato City. The woman was the wife of Zaid Pakiladato, deputy chief of the MILF's 105th Base Command in Camp Omar in Shariff Aguak town in Maguindanao, where rebel and militiamen loyal to Ampatuan clashed for about a week.

The woman was shot inside her van in the busy business district of Cotabato, said Eid Kabalu, the MILF spokesman said. He said the woman's family blamed the killing to the skirmishes in Shariff Aguak. The killing came just hours after Zaid Pakiladato denied in a local radio interview any involvement in the bombing in Shariff Aguak town.

The bombing also wounded 14 people and police and military blamed Pakiladato and Jamil Ombra, commander of the 105th Base Command, as behind the attack. The target of the bombing was allegedly the governor.

Kabalu said militiamen executed 3 captured rebels in Shariff Aguak town. He said Ampatuan's militia was behind simultaneous attacks on a major MILF headquarters Camp Omar in the town in retaliation to the bombing.

Ampatuan, a former rebel leader of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), escaped unhurt, but the bombing killed nephew. Police ordered the arrest of Ombra and Pakiladato, but the MILF denied the accusations and refused to surrender the duo.

Dozens of militias and rebels were killed and wounded in the fighting, Kabalu said.

The MILF, the country's largest Muslim rebel group, is currently negotiating peace with Manila. Arroyo has ordered the military to work closely with the Coordinating Committee for the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) and the Malaysian-led International Monitoring Team (IMT) to maintain peace and order in Maguindanao.

Arroyo also instructed the military to work closely with government relief agencies and the local governments to address the plight of thousands of Muslim evacuees and ensure their safe return to their homes.

Government spokespersons said the fighting between the rebels and militias was an isolated case and have not affected the current peace talks.

Similar fighting also erupted in February in Shariff Aguak and left more than a dozen militia and rebels dead. The fighting broke out after the MILF opposed a provincial government road construction that rebels claimed would encroach into their territories in the village of Datu Unsay.

Kabalu said guns fell silent on Friday after rebels and militia agreed to an informal truce, but negotiations still continue to prevent future clashes in Shariff Aguak.

He said government negotiators led by Secy. Jesus Dureza, presidential peace adviser, met separately with MILF leaders and Ampatuan's group to further discuss a permanent cease-fire between rebels and militia.

"There is a temporary cease-fire in Maguindanao and we are still discussing the possible declaration of a peace zone in Shariff Aguak and prevent future fighting," Kabalu said.

The MILF previously warned that the fighting could escalate and affect the peace talks if militiamen continue attacking rebel forces. (With reports from Mark Navales in Cotabato City and Juan Magtanggol in Maguindanao)

Photo: GMA Sends Peace Broker To Maguindanao

Secy. Jesus Dureza, Presidential peace adviser, speaks with Gov. Andal Ampatuan, of Maguindanao province Thursday, 05 July 2006. President Gloria Arroyo sent Dureza to Maguindanao to meet also with leaders of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front to try to forge a truce between rebels and pro-government militias fighting in the province since last week. (Photo courtesy of MedCo/Text Zamboanga Journal)

Photo: Armed MILF Fighters Show Firepower In Maguindanao

Armed soldiers of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front show their weapons in these undated photos taken in Maguindanao province, where rebel and pro-government militia forces are battling since last week. Dozens of rebels and militias are killed and wounded in the clashes. (Mark Navales)