Three NPA Rebels Killed In South RP Clash

Police crime investigators take fingerprints of slain rebels in Compostela Valley province in southern Philippines. Three New People's Army rebels are killed in two days of sporadic fighting in the province. (Army Brigade Photo)

DAVAO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / May 13, 2008) – Government soldiers killed at least three communist rebels and wounded a still undetermined number of gunmen in two days of sporadic clashes in the southern Philippines, officials said Tuesday.

Officials said fresh fighting erupted on Tuesday in Compostela Valley barely a day after government soldiers killed two rebels in two separate clashes in the province, a known stronghold of the New People’s Army (NPA), blamed for the spate of attacks on government and military targets in recent weeks.

“Three rebels were killed in the fighting and many are believed wounded in the clashes. We have no casualties and the government offensives still continue in the area,” a local army commander, Colonel Roland Bautista, told the Mindanao Examiner.

He said soldiers recovered the bodies of the slain rebels, including weapons and medical kits left behind by the fleeing NPA gunmen.

Bautista said the rebels were behind the series of attacks on military forces and mining sites in Compostela Valley. “The NPA is also engaged in extortion activities, victimizing innocent people and the military operations are hampering all these,” he said.

He also accused militant groups of supporting the NPA. “This is the reason why left-leaning, cause-oriented groups are putting pressure to the military to stop the military operations in the province to allow unhampered movements of rebels who are extorting money from innocent civilians and traders,” he said.

Bautista did not identify these groups, but said the military will continue its operations and finish off the NPA.

“We will finish them off to free the people from the bondage of abuses and atrocities of the NPA in Compostela Valley and other areas in Mindanao. We want peace to reign and civilians are supporting us in this campaign,” he said.

Just last week, NPA rebels freed two captured government soldiers and warned of more attacks in the province.

Rigoberto Sanchez, a rebel spokesman, said the duo - Napoleon Gerasmio and Huberto Corbita - were released 12 days later after their families appealed to the NPA to spare the lives of the soldiers.

The NPA is the armed wing of the outlawed Communist Party of the Philippines and the National Democratic Front, fighting for the establishment of a Maoist state in the country. (Mindanao Examiner)

Peace Talks Sa Mindanao, May Pag-asa Pa Kaya?

COTABATO CITY (Mindanao Examiner / May 12, 2008) Unti-unting nawawalan ng pag-asa ang Moro Islamic Liberation Front sa peace talks ng pamahalaang Arroyo at lalong nalalagay sa alanganin ang siguridad ng kapayapaan sa Mindanao.

Ito’y matapos na ipahayag ng MILF ang kawalan ng solusyon sa naantalang peace talks at mula pa nuong nakaraang taon ay wala pa rin linaw ang isyu ng ancestral domain na kahilingan naman ng rebeldeng grupo. Ito ang magsisilbing teritoryo ng tinatayang apat na milyong Muslim sa Mindanao.

Inakusahan ng MILF ang Pangulong Gloria Arroyo ng pagsasawalang bahala sa naunang memorandum of agreement ng peace panels na ibigay ng tuluyan ang ancestral domain o manawagan ng isang independence referendum sa Mindanao.

Sinisi rin ni Mohagher Iqbal, chief MILF peace negotiator, ang pamahalaang Arroyo sa patuloy nitong pagsasawalang bahala sa peace talks na nagresulta naman sa pull out ng mga Malaysian truce observers sa Mindanao.

“The Philippine government has reached the end of its pretension. The MILF to insist the resumption of the peace talks, with the government already treating it as a mockery, is a humiliation,” wika ni Iqbal.

Bagamat umalis na nuong Sabado ang halos dalawang dosenang Malaysian truce observers ay hindi naman mapigilan ni Iqbal ang kanyang hinanakit sa pamahalaang Arroyo. At pinuri rin nito ng lubos ang Malaysia sa suporta nito sa MILF at sa peace process.

“We do not know how to repay your government headed by His Excellencies Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Najib Mohammad Bin Abdul Razak, and all those Malaysian IMT since 2004, except by saying thank you may Allah reward you in the day hereafter,” ani Iqbal. (Mindanao Examiner)

Transport Strikes Leave Thousands Stranded

DAVAO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / May 12, 2008) – Thousands of passengers were stranded Monday after transport strikes paralyzed major cities across the southern Philippines.

The transport strikes, organized by various organizations and militant groups, left commuters stranded in the cities Davao, Iligan, Cagayan de Oro and General Santos and several areas in the provinces of Davao, Cotabato and Agusan.

Jeepney operators were demanding a roll back in prices of oil and petrol and for the government to scrap the Oil Deregulation Law.

“Reports from our groups in different areas in Mindanao showed that thousands were affected by the strikes. We don’t want these things to happen, but we need to send a strong message to the government that poor people are suffering from high prices of oil and basic commodities,” Roger Santos, a militant leader, told the Mindanao Examiner.

The militant Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) said the transport strikes paralyzed about 95 percent in those areas. Bayan was backing the strikes called by the Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operators Nationwide or PISTON.

Aside from Bayan and PISTON, the protest was also participated by various militant groups such as the Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap, Farmers Association of Davao City-KMP, Kilusang Mayo Uno, Gabriela, Promotion of Church People's Response, Consumer Alert, Anakbayan, Barangay Council for Women, and Kalitawhan.

In Davao, more than 200 protesters manned at least five different areas where they persuaded other transport operators to join the strike.

“We have anticipated such support from the people of Davao City and we are positive that the strike will be successful especially with the supports that have been coming from the drivers themselves,” said Jeppie Ramada, Bayan secretary-general.

Ramada said they have the support of the public.

“The drivers are not alone in the fight against the relentless price increases of oil. The broad support from the people who always bear the brunt of high cost of living will be with them,” he said.

There were reports of violence and the strikes ended peacefully later in the day, he said. (Mindanao Examiner)

MNLF Holds Peace Summit In Southern RP

Nur Misuari, left, and Muslimin Sema, both claiming to be the chieftain of the Moro National Liberation Front. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / May 12, 2008) – Some 300 former Moro National Liberation Front rebels gathered Monday in Zamboanga City in the southern Philippines to campaign for peace.

“We are here gathered to unify our people and to work for everlasting peace in Mindanao,” said Muslimin Sema, the new leader of the MNLF, once the largest Muslim rebel group fighting for independence in the southern Philippines.

The MNLF Central Committee named Sema, the group's Secretary General, as its new chairman, replacing Nur Misuari. But Misuari did not recognize Sema as the legitimate ruler of the MNLF.

It was the second time in nearly a decade that Misuari, who founded the MNLF, was removed by his own commanders. Sema is a member of the so-called MNLF Council of 15, which first ousted Misuari. The Council of 15 accused Misuari of being incompetent as governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Misuari signed a peace deal with Manila in September 1996 ending decades of bloody war. After the peace agreement was signed, Misuari became the governor of the Muslim autonomous region.

And in November 2001, on the eve of the elections in the Muslim autonomous region, Misuari accused the government of reneging on the peace agreement, and launched a new rebellion in Sulu province in an effort to stop the elections.

Misuari then escaped by boat to Malaysia, where he had been arrested and deported to the Philippines.

Sema's group previously appointed Misuari as chairman emeritus, but rejected the position. The Council of 15 accused Misuari of being incompetent as governor of the Muslim autonomous region.

The three-day summit, Sema said, is also aimed at strengthening the MNLF and to review the provisions of the peace agreement.

He said a new MNLF charter is expected to be approved by the MNLF Central Committee at the end of the summit. Sema said a “twelve-point policy of direction” of the MNLF will be presented during the conference.

Sema said they would also propose to President Gloria Arroyo to appoint a member of the MNLF as governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao instead of holding elections every three years.

He also insisted that the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao was created as part of a peace deal the MNLF with Manila. And under its provisions, an MNLF member must sit as governor of the six-province autonomous region.

“Admittedly the existence of the ARMM is the product attributed to the Bangsamoro people's struggle for self-determination in a way to address the age-long political conflict. Undoubtedly, therefore, the MNLF is the legitimate claimant to ARMM to speak of its role in governance,” Sema said.

He said the MNLF has endorsed Alvarez Isnaji, the mayor of Indanan town in Sulu province, to be the governor of the autonomous region.

“In order to get rid of election related violence, excessive spending and corruption, the MNLF is seeking preferably the prerogative of the President to appoint MNLF candidate to be the ARMM governor. Anyhow, the President plays a vital role insofar as ARMM governorship is concerned," Sema said.

Zaldy Ampatuan, a former town mayor in Maguindanao province, is the current governor of the Muslim autonomous region after he won the polls against Parouk Hussin, a senior MNLF leader.

Ampatuan, as governor of the Muslim autonomous region, introduced reforms and fought corruption in government. He also prioritized development projects in areas where there are MNLF communities in support to the peace agreement.

Sema said the MNLF has been eased out from the mainstream of governance in the ARMM. “This situation is an obstacle to the peace agreement. In as much as the MNLF is still aspiring for active participation in all levels of governance appropriate both in regional and national political mainstreams, power sharing in governance to involve the MNLF principally should be taken as a measure to erase the obstacle,” he said.

Although Sema is pushing for an MNLF leadership in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, he also praised Ampatuan because of his many accomplishments in the Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Lanao, Maguindanao and Shariff Kabunsuan. (Mindanao Examiner)

Hurry, Join The Television Commercials Directing Workshop From May 19-29, 2008

Sponsored by Adobo Magazine, Wide Angle Digital Post Manila, in cooperation with the Commercials Directors Club of the Philippines and International Institute for Film and Arts. Radio parters: 98.7 DZFE, 93.1 RX and 103.5 Max-FM.
Please see poster or visit mindanaoexaminer.net

Rebels Restless Over Stalled Mindanao Peace Talks

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Photo: Sulu Government Projects

For the first time in many years, this dirt road in Sulu’s Talipao town is finally being cemented as part of many infrastructure and development projects implemented by Governor Sakur Tan. Workers are also repairing a drainage system in Jolo town. A tornado hit a mountain side in February, uprooting trees and eroded a huge portion of the vegetation that caused flooding in Jolo. President Gloria Arroyo and ARMM Gov. Zaldy Ampatuan vowed to help Tan develop Sulu province into a new economic gateway in Southern Philippines. (ARMM)

Photo: Waves Slam On Break Wall In Zamboanga City

A wave slams on a break wall Sunday, May 11, 2008 in Zamboanga City in southern Philippines. Typhoon “Butchoy” (International Code Rammasun) has ravaged many parts of Mindanao. Filipino weather experts warned small vessels and fishing boats not to venture out into the sea due to high waves brought about by the typhoon. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)

Photo: US Air Force C-17 Globemaster

A US Air Force C-17 Globemaster cargo plane takes off Sunday, May 11, 2008 from a Philippine military base in Zamboanga City in Mindanao Island. American forces are assisting and training local troops in battling terrorism and engage at the same time in numerous development and humanitarian projects in the southern Philippines. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)

Philippine Rebels Ready If Peace Talks Collapse

MAGUINDANAO, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / May 11, 2008) – The Philippines’ largest Muslim separatist rebel group, Moro Islamic Liberation Front, warned that fighting may erupt in Mindanao if peace talks with the Arroyo government fail.

The MILF accused President Gloria Arroyo of reneging on an earlier commitment that would grant a separate homeland for about four million Muslims in the country’s second largest island which is home to more than 17 million Christians and indigenous tribes.

Talks had been stalled since last year after Manila rejected MILF demands for territories in the strife-torn, but mineral-rich region in Mindanao.

MILF leader Muhammad Ameen said Arroyo will have blood on her hands if hostilities break out in the south. “President Arroyo is reversing her policy from all-out peace policy to an all-out war,” he said.

Arroyo opened up peace talks with the MILF, an army of about 12,000 mujahideen, and signed a cease-fire deal in 2001. But the slow progress of the negotiations is threatening the volatile peace and security in the region. Many rebel commanders are getting more restless and wanted to abandon the peace talks.

“This is a tragic decision. She has done an irreversible damage to the pacific ways of resolving conflicts, which the two parties, the Malaysian government, Libya, Brunei, and Japan, and other members of the international community, have nurtured for years.”

“She will be hounded by her conscience, if she has one, until she dies for abandoning the peace talks in favor of a bloodbath in Mindanao,” Ameen said.

Malaysia, which is brokering the seven-year old peace talks, has already recalled about two dozens cease-fire observers deployed in Mindanao over the weekend because of the stalled negotiations. Kuala Lumpur said it wanted progress in the peace talks and blamed Manila for the delay in the negotiations.

The MILF said government troops are beefing up firepower in Mindanao and is causing tension in the region, considered as a hotbed of insurgency and terrorism. And the extreme poverty situation, especially in Muslim areas, is further aggravated by the lack of basic government services.

Ameen said they wanted peace to reign, but his group is also prepared to defend their freedom. “We do not like war, war is a menace to everyone, but for those who want peace to prevail must prepare for war,” he said. “Readiness and preparedness are normal tasks in a revolutionary struggle such as the MILF.”

The MILF, a breakaway faction of the larger Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), has been fighting more than three decades for the establishment of a Muslim state in the southern Philippines.

The MNLF, under Nur Misuari, signed a peace deal with Manila in September 1996 ending decades of bloody war. After the peace agreement was signed, Misuari became the governor of the Muslim autonomous region. But despite the peace accord, there was a widespread disillusionment with the weak autonomy they were granted.

Under the peace agreement, Manila would have to provide a mini-Marshal Plan to spur economic development in Muslim areas in the south and livelihood and housing assistance to tens of thousands of former rebels to uplift their poor living standards.

Misuari is now facing rebellion charges after his forces tried, but failed to overrun a major military base in the southern Sulu province and another group held hostage over 100 people in Zamboanga City in 2001 in an attempt to stop the elections in the Muslim autonomous region. (Mindanao Examiner)

Revenue Officer Killed In Southern Philippines

ZAMBOANGA DEL SUR, Philippines (Mindanao / May 11, 2008) – Police launched a manhunt for a gunman who killed a senior government revenue officer in a daring broad daylight attack in Pagadian City in Zamboanga del Sur province.

Officials said policemen were hunting down the suspect in the murder of Lolita Molina, who was shot Friday in downtown Pagadian. The 54-year old executive of the Bureau of Internal Revenue was gunned as she disembarked from a motorcycle taxi.

The gunman fled after the killing. The motive of the killing is still unknown, but the woman’s family claimed she was receiving death threats before the attack. It was unclear whether the murder was connected to her work or not.

Hired killers operate in Pagadian City and there had been dozens of unsolved killings the past years. Pagadian is home to many regional government agencies after Manila ordered their transfer several years from Zamboanga City in the tip of western Mindanao. (Mindanao Examiner)

Do Not Sensationalize News On British Man, Zamboanga Mayor Appeals

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / May 10, 2008) – Zamboanga City Mayor Celso Lobregat has appealed to the local press not to sensationalize the news on a British man who was reported missing here.

Lobregat’s appeal came after media reports suggested the disappearance of James David Rowe was related to kidnapping.

“Mayor Celso Lobregat yesterday appealed to the media not to blow up the story concerning the alleged missing British national suspecting it to be a case of a transaction that has gone sour,” a statement said.

Senior Superintendent Lurimer Detran, Zamboanga City police chief, told Lobregat that Rowe’s companion, Kung Kwan Kung, a Chinese national, reported that the Briton had been missing for two days already.

“Detran brought the complainant to Mayor Lobregat to explain the circumstances that led to the report on the missing British national, as media members try to pass the incident as a kidnapping case,” the statement said.

It said based on investigation, Rowe, who is residing in San Carlos City in Negros Occidental and Kung, of Paranaque City in Luzon, are partners in a business deal involving outboard engines.

Rowe was supposed to provide the engines amounting to P400, 000 that Kung paid to him earlier. The two were billeted at a local hotel but a day after they checked in, Rowe disappeared causing Kung to report the incident, it said.

“My appeal is to the media, please do not blow this up, this is probably a transaction that has gone sour. These two individuals have a business transaction that hash not pushed through,” Lobregat said.

Prior to his disappearance, Kung told the police that Rowe was asking about the fastest way to go to Cebu City near Negros province, which led authorities to suspect that the British man had flown out of Zamboanga.

Lobregat has ordered Detran to closely coordinate with the San Carlos City Police and agencies concerned to trace the whereabouts of the British national.

Detran said local investigators have coordinated with the San Carlos Police and are waiting for reports. “He vowed to look into the matter even if it is a case of a bitter transaction,” the statement said.

The Mindanao Examiner Productions

Mindanao Examiner Productions.

We offer photography and video production services, private and corporate media consultancy. Please visit also our online news sites at mindanaoexaminer.com and mindanaoexaminer.net.

For inquiries, please call our Marketing and Advertising Department at telephone & fax: +6362 9925480 or mobile phones: +63915 2756606, +63919 3587983 or e-mail us at mindanaoexaminer@gmail.com.

Pabahay At Proyekto Para Sa Mahirap, MNLF Pinuri

Pinangunahan ni Sulu First Lady Nurunisah Tan ang pormal na hand over sa mga pabahay para sa mahihirap na Badjao sa bayan ng Luuk. Bakas sa mukha ng mga Badjao ang lubos na kasiyahan dahil sa pabahay na pinondohan ni Sulu Gov. Sakur Tan sa proyektong inilunsad sa bayan ng Luuk na kung saan ay humingi ng tulong ang mga mahihirap upang magkaroon ng tirahan. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)

COTABATO CITY (Mindanao Examiner / May 10, 2008) – Umani ng papuri ang lalawigan ng Sulu mula sa Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao at Moro National Liberation Front dahil sa mga ibat-ibang proyektong at magagandang programa nito.

Magandang halimbawa umano ang ginagawa ni Sulu Gov. Sakur Tan at mga opisyal ng lalawigan, partikular sa mga pabahay sa mahihirap na Badjao at MNLF communities. Maging ang mga pro-poor organizations ay nagpahayag na rin ng kagalakan sa mga proyekto at katunayan ay mahigit sa 100 kabahayan ang ilalaan ng Gawad Kalinga sa Sulu sa pakikigtulungan kay Tan.

Natuwa ang MNLF dahil si Tan lamang umano ang nakapagpagawa ng mga proyektong pinakikinabangan ngayon ng mga dating rebeldeng Muslim at kabilang dito ang proyekto ng pabahay sa bayan ng Luuk.

Hiniling ng mga residente sa Luuk kay Tan na sila ay tulungan magkaroon ng pabahay, klinika at iba pa. Kamakailan lamang ay pinangunahan ni Tan at ng First Lady nitong si Hajja Nurunisah Tan ang inagurasyon ng mahigit sa 50 pabahay para sa mahihirap na Badjao sa Luuk.

Hindi maipaliwanag ng mga taga-Luuk ang kanilang kagalakan sa mga proyektong inilaan ni Tan para sa mga mahihirap. Maging ang Armed Forces of the Philippines ay katuwang ni Tan sa maraming mga proyektong isinagawa sa Luuk.

Naunang sinabi ni Tan na palalawigin pa nito ang pagbubuo ng mga cooperatives sa Sulu upang mabigyan ng hanap-buhay ang mga MNLF communities.

Nakahanda na rin ang ibat-ibang mga programang pang-agrikultura at livelihood trainings sa Sulu at ang tanging kahilingan lamang ni Tan ay huiwag samantalahin ng mga negosyante ang mga magsasaka.

Nabatid kasing binabagsak ng mga tiwali at sakim na mga negosyante ang presyo ng cassava na pangunahing pagkain sa Sulu at dahil dito ay nawawalan ng karagdagan kita ang mga magsasaka at napipilitang mangisda na lamang. Nagsumbong na rin kay Tan diumano ang mga magsasaka sa Sulu. (Chris Navarra)

Philippine Police Tracks Down Missing Briton

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / May 10, 2008) – Philippine police have tracked down a British national who was reported missing in the southern port city of Zamboanga, officials said Saturday.

Police mounted a search Friday for James David Rowe after failing to return to his hotel. “He was tracked down in San Carlos City in Negros Occidental province,” said Senior Superintendent Laurimer Detran, chief of the Zamboanga City police force.

Negros province is near Cebu in central Philippines.

Local radio reports said Rowe went missing Thursday after he left the Amil Hotel with a Filipino man. A hotel clerk said they reported to the police that Rowe was missing, although his things are still in the room.

Detran said the foreigner fled to evade his Chinese business partner named Fong who was expecting the delivery of motorboat engines in Zamboanga City.

The engines, he said, were to be shipped to their owners in Tawi-Tawi province.

“From the reports we received, James Rowe owes his partner some four hundred thousand pesos and that he fled to San Carlos City where he has a Filipino girlfriend.”

“Our counterparts have made contact with Rowe, but police has nothing with him unless his partner, Mr. Fong, filed charges against the Briton to recover his money,” Detran told the Mindanao Examiner.

Police said it was Rowe’s partner who reported that he went missing after the foreigner failed to deliver the cargo. No other details were available about Rowe.

Mayor Celso Lobregat has ordered the police to search for Rowe after hearing radio reports. His spokesperson, Sheila Covarrubias, said Rowe is engage in buying and selling of automotive spare parts and authorities were investigating whether his business has anything to do with his disappearance.

The United States and Australia last month warned their citizens not to travel to Zamboanga City because extremists could be planning to kidnap Americans or other foreigners at hotels or other public places in Zamboanga City.

Zamboanga had been targeted in the past by Abu Sayyaf militants whose group is tied to al-Qaeda terror network.Two homemade bombs exploded in Zamboanga City a week after the US and Australian issued the warnings. (Mindanao Examiner)

Cops Search For Missing Briton In South RP

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / May 09, 2008) – Police mounted a search Friday for a British national who was reported missing while visiting the southern port city of Zamboanga, reports said.

Local radio reports said James David Rowe was missing since Thursday after he failed to return to his hotel in downtown Zamboanga. Rowe checked in at the Amil Hotel and left with a Filipino man, the Radio Agong reported.

“The foreigner left with a Filipino man and never returned. We reported the matter to the police. We don’t know what happened to him. His things are all inside the room,” a woman at the hotel’s front desk told the Mindanao Examiner.

She said Rowe was alone when he checked in at the hotel, but refused to elaborate further, saying, she is not authorized to talk about it.

Mayor Celso Lobregat has ordered the police to search for the missing foreigner, his spokesperson, Sheila Covarrubias, said. “Police is doing all it can to locate the foreigner,” she said in a separate interview.

Initial police reports, she said, showed that Rowe is engage in buying and selling of automotive spare parts and authorities are investigating whether his business has anything to do with his disappearance.

“At this time, we still do not know what really happened. We can only speculate,” Covarrubias said.

The United States Embassy last month said it received information that extremists may be planning to kidnap Americans or other foreigners at hotels or other public places in Zamboanga City.

It warned Americans not to travel to Zamboanga which had been targeted in the past by Abu Sayyaf militants whose group is tied to al-Qaeda terror network.

Australia also issued a similar warning last month and told its citizens not to travel to Zamboanga and other areas in the southern region. Two homemade bombs exploded in Zamboanga City a week after the US and Australian warnings. (Mindanao Examiner)

Extortion, Sinisilip Sa Motibo Ng Pagsabog Sa Cotabato

COTABATO CITY (Mindanao Examiner / May 09, 2008) – Patuloy ang imbestigasyon ng militar sa pagsabog na naganap sa Midsayap, isang bayan sa lalawigan ng North Cotabato.

Limang katao lamang ang sugatan sa pagabog, taliwas sa unang ulat ng militar na dalawa ang patay sa pambobomba sa isang commuter van sa terminal mismo ng nasabing bayan.

“Patuloy pa ang aming pagsisiyasat at hindi pa rin tapos. Hindi naming masabing kung sino talaga ang nasa likod nito,” ani Lt. Col. Julieto Ando, spokesman ng 6th Infantry Division, sa panayam ng Mindanao Examiner.

Hinila ng militar na may kinalamang ang extortion ng mga sindikato ang nasa likod ng atake. Wala pang umaako sa pambobomba, ayon kay Ando.

Ipinaliwanag rin nito na nagkaroon ng kaguluhan sa ibat-ibang mga ulat ukol sa casualties sa pagsabog kung kayat nagkamali ang militar sa pagsabing may nasawi sa atake. (Mark Navales)

Photo: Kidnapped Indian National Is Freed In South RP

Kidnapped Indian national Abdul Kadar Chenikandivil, 50, narrates his ordeal to Philippine policemen. The foreigner, who runs a cell phone store in Cotabato City, was kidnapped May 02, 2008. He was freed several days later. Police also arrested his driver, Edilberto Puna on suspicion he is involved in the crime, says the regional police director, Chief Superintendent Felizardo Serapio Jr. (Mindanao Examiner Photo/Mark Navales)

Southern Philippine Bombing Kills Two

A father whispers to his wounded son at the Cotabato Regional Medical Center as doctors attend to his wife and daughter who are also injured in a bomb attack May 08, 2008 in Midsayap town in North Cotabato province. (Mindanao Examiner Photo/Mark Navales).

COTABATO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / May 8, 2008) – A bomb explosion Thursday ripped through a commuter van in the southern Philippines, killing several people and wounding at least 8 others, officials said.

Lt. Col. Julieto Ando, a regional army spokesman, said the blast occurred at around 3 p.m. in the town of Midsayap in North Cotabato province. “We are getting conflicting reports, military in the area say only two people are were killed in the explosion,” he told the Mindanao Examiner.

Ando said the van was loading passengers bound for Davao City when the explosion occurred. “We still don’t know what type of explosive was used in the attack,” he said.

But other reports in province said as many as three people were killed and some of the wounded are in critical condition in hospitals. Some of those wounded were brought to hospitals in Cotabato City.

No group or individual claimed responsibility for the attack, but Ando said criminal gangs extorting from provincial bus firms and traders were behind previous attacks.

“We still do not know who were behind this explosion, but extortionists had been blamed in past attacks in the province,” Ando said.

He said police and soldiers have put up road blocks and were inspecting vehicles for weapons or explosives. “We have already intensified check point operation in the area,” Ando said.

Military and police authorities previously blamed the Al-Khobar and the Pentagon gangs and the Abu Sayyaf and communist insurgents in previous bombings in North Cotabato.

Last month, a homemade bomb exploded at a bus depot in Midsayap. Although there were no casualties, the blast April 26 however, damaged a commuter bus. The explosive, assembled from a mortar round, was left near the bus, owned by Weena Transit.

Three people were also killed and 15 others injured in a bomb explosion at a bus depot in Cotabato City. (With reports from Mark Navales)

NPA Owns Up Killing Of Militia Leader In South RP

DAVAO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / May 08, 2008) – The communist New People’s Army rebels on Thursday admitted to killing a village leader accused of leading anti-insurgency campaign and human rights violations in the southern Philippines.

Paterno Intes was killed after rebels raided his house in the village of Kapatagan in the outskirts of Digos City. Rebels also seized a cache of weapons from Intes’ house that included seven shotguns, a grenade launcher, an automatic rifle and fragmentation grenades and munitions.

Ricardo Fermiza, a rebel spokesman, said Intes was a notorious paramilitary leader working for the Army’s 39th Infantry Battalion.

“His liquidation should serve as a further warning to others who perform aggressive and armed counter-revolutionary activities,” Fermiza, of the NPA’s Magtanggol Roque Command, said.

Fermiza said the rebels had long warned Intes to stop his anti-NPA and anti-people activities, but he ignored the NPA. “Intes belonged to the 39th Infantry Battalion’s paramilitary and intelligence network in the hinterlands of Davao del Sur. He also maintained high powered weapons and used them in hostile actions against the NPA,” he said.

The army battalion was also accused of beating up civilians in North Cotabato province after an NPA ambush that left three soldiers dead. The army insisted the civilians knew of the ambush, but did not warn the military about it.

NPA rebels attacked early Monday a convoy of the 39th Infantry Battalion and killing three soldiers and wounding as many as 13 others. Civilians claimed soldiers returned on Tuesday and rounded up dozens of villagers and beat them up.

The rebels, military wing of the outlawed Communist Party of the Philippines and the National Democratic Front, broke away in 2004 from peace talks with the Arroyo government after the United States and the European Union included the rebel groups in the list of foreign terrorist organizations on Manila's prodding. (Mindanao Examiner)

Filipino Farmer Held Five Months On Without Charges In Court: AHRC

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you that a farmer whom soldiers had illegally arrested and detained in November 29, 2007 has since been in jail without having been charged in court.

He is detained at a provincial jail but there has not been a case filed against him in court. The police detaining him prior to his turn over to jail also did not release him promptly even though the charges they filed against him with the prosecutor's office should have been done in ordinary not inquest procedures.

CASE DETAILS: (According interviews to the victim made by the Task Force Detainees of the Philippines -- Luzon (TFDP).

On 29 November 2007, several soldiers had illegally arrested Zosimo Mariado in Sitio (sub-section of the village) Tambo-tambo, Barangay (village) Pagsangahan, General Nakar in Quezon province. Those who arrested him were soldiers attached to the 16th Infantry Battalion (IB) of the Philippine Army (PA). One of them was identified as Corporal Solomon Valderama.

Zosimo said it was around 11am that day he was at the house of his employer couple Danilo Garcia and his wife, Marina Suvedaria. About 30 soldiers wearing camouflage uniforms, each were carrying long firearms, had arrived.

Zosimo and the couple were at that time preparing for their lunch when soldiers came and move into a hut where the three were at the time staying.

Zosimo was standing close to the hut's entrance door when one of the armed men, Corporal Solomon, approached him and the couple introducing himself to them. Afterwards, Corporal Valderama had asked permission from Danilo to allow him and his men to enter to his house to which he agreed. He also accompanied him.

While they were inside the house, the soldiers who had claimed they are members of the Philippine Army's 16th IB had also come. The soldiers too had requested to use the kitchen to cook food for their lunch. Zosimo said that he saw two soldiers preparing for their food while the others were outside the house. They looked as if they are waiting for someone or appearing to be looking for something.

Zosimo said he noticed one of the soldiers had asked Danilo as to how many persons have been staying in his house. Danilo said it is only him, his wife Marina and Zosimo who stays there.

Danilo had to play dumb introducing Zosimo as his brother. Shortly after, Danilo was told to go outside their house but was prevented by another group of soldiers who had instructed him to enter into one of their rooms. Danilo then went inside by himself and soon after followed by three soldiers.

Zosimo said the soldiers had already begun questioning him, one after the other, of his personal details and his relationship with the couple. Later, the soldiers then started forcing him to admit he is a member of a rebel group, the New People's Army (NPA).

He had also overheard from outside the room that soldiers were speaking to Danilo and his wife Marina. The couple, however, later admitted to the soldiers that Zosimo is neither Danilo's brother nor relative of theirs. Zosimo had been introduced by another person to them at the time he was looking for a job.

Upon learning this, one of the soldiers had approached Zosimo by going inside a room where he was staying and pointed his gun at him. The three other soldiers, who positioned themselves close to Zosimo, began hitting him to his chest and stomach with the butt of an M-16 armalite rifle. This, time Zosimo was forced to admit his membership with Rebolusyonaryong Hukbong Bayan (RHB), another rebel group. At the time Valderama and other soldiers had began torturing him.

While Zosimo was being forced to admit that he was a member of RHB, he had overheard from the soldiers who were outside the house shouting they were able to recover an M-16 armalite rifle and a grenade. It is not clear though how, where and who is in possession of those weapons when they were recovered. Zosimo, too, was completely unaware of the weapons. Zosimo added that the soldier's beatings were so severe that it nearly killed him. He, too, could no longer recall how many times he had been punched and beaten by the soldiers.

Later that afternoon, the soldiers left taking only Zosimo with them. They had his hands handcuff and his eyes blindfolded while they were walking. They had walked several kilometers before reaching a place where he had sensed that a passenger jeep was waiting. Then the soldiers took him towards their detachment in Barangay Magsaysay in the municipality of Infanta of the same province. While inside the said military detachment, Zosimo recalled having been once again subjected to questioning and torture. He was never given opportunity to seek for a legal counsel.

On the same day, Zosimo was then taken to a police station of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in General Nakar, Quezon.

From the day the police took him into custody, it is only on December 4 that they were able to file criminal charges of illegal possession of firearm, ammunition and explosives against him before the Office of the Assistant Provincial Prosecutor in Infanta, Quezon. It is Senior Police Officer (SPO2) Cipriano Juniosa Pujeda who had filed the charges with the Office of the Prosecutor and booked as IS Number 2007-267-I.

The police' reasoning as to why they find Zosimo held accountable for possession of illegal firearms and explosives could not be immediately known. As mentioned earlier, the circumstances as to how those firearm and explosive were recovered and who owned them was never clarified. The prosecutor too has not been able to resolved and file the case in court.

Thus, given the circumstances the person accused should have not been charged thereof unless ascertained. Even so, he should have been subjected to inquest procedures otherwise he should have been released from the police' custody beyond 36 hours, which is the maximum allowable period of detention for persons held without having been charged in court.

On December 10, Zosimo was transferred to the Quezon Provincial Jail in Lucena City where he is presently detained. For the time being, it could not be immediately known on what basis or order the police had been able to remand him to jail. Under the procedures, only when the court orders for a person's detention in jail he can be remanded; however, it is learned that no formal charges have been filed against him in court yet.

On 29 February 2008, a follow up was made on Zosimo's case at the Office of the Provincial Prosecutor (OPP) in Lucena City. However, a clerk has told a TFDP staff that they are not handling the case and was told to check at the municipality of Infanta instead.

On March 5, a TFDP staff had written to lawyer Cresencia V. Pedrosa of the regional office of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) Region IV requesting for their intervention on this case. However, there has not been any action taken by them. The last information was that the CHR investigator in charge for the case was at that time attending a seminar.

On April 1, once again another follow up was made on whether the charges have already been filed in court now that the case is with the office of the Prosecutor in Infanta Quezon as previously been suggested to them. However, the clerk told her that no charges have been filed yet.

On May 1, when a visit was made at the jail where Zosimo is presently detained, he continuously complains about pain at the lower portion of his back towards his legs. As was the case before, there was neither immediate action to provide him medical assistance nor any notice from the court about any case filed against him.

Grenade Blast Injures Boy In Zamboanga

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / May 06, 2008) – A grenade attack in the southern Philippine port city of Zamboanga wounded a boy and the rising criminalities here are worrying traders and government officials.

The blast occurred in the village of Ayala and police is investigating the motive of the attack late Monday afternoon. A spate of gun attacks and extra-judicial killings since last month have worried officials.

On Monday, an unidentified motorcycle gunman shot a shipping employee in the head as his vehicle slowed down on a stop light near downtown Zamboanga.

A lawyer was also shot in the head inside a church during a mass, sending worshipers scampering for safety. Just last week, a university professor was also gunned down by unidentified assailants near him house and previous killings remain unsolved.

And all these killings occurred despite a total gun ban in Zamboanga City, but many hired killers also operate here and this is aggravated by threats of terrorism and kidnappings.

Last month, two homemade bombs were detonated at a Catholic cathedral and a commercial building here. Police blamed the Abu Sayyaf group and the separatist rebel, Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

The United States, Canada, Australia and Britain had previously warned their citizens not to travel to Zamboanga and other parts of Mindanao because of threats of terrorism.

Mayor Celso Lobregat has assured the public that Zamboanga City is safe and police said the killings were “isolated cases” and mostly triggered by feud. (Mindanao Examiner)

MILF Appeals Anew For Peace, Patience Over Stalled Philippine Peace Talks

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Commies Free 2 Army POWs

DAVAO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / May 06, 2008) – Two government soldiers seized by communist rebels have been freed Tuesday after 12 days in captivity in the southern Philippine province of Compostela Valley, a rebel leader said.

Rigoberto Sanchez, of the New People’s Army (NPA), said the two soldiers Napoleon Gerasmio and Huberto Corbita were freed after their families appealed to rebels to spare the lives of the duo.

“The issuance of this order is a unilateral act of the revolutionary political authority over the prisoners of war and is based on humanitarian grounds. We have given due consideration to the appeals made by their respective families and those that emanated from well-meaning friends in the various sectors, including those from the local government units,” Sanchez said.

He did not say where the two soldiers were released or whether they have been handed over to their families or negotiators.

Gerasmio and Corbita are both sergeants in the Philippine Army. They were captured at a rebel checkpoint on April 24 in the mountain village of Upper Ulip in Monkayo town.

Sanchez previously said that the soldiers were being investigated by a rebel court of any human rights abuses and crimes against civilians.

The NPA earlier warned that any attempt to rescue the two soldiers will put their lives at risk.

Military officials did not give any statement on the release of the soldiers, but it coincided with a massive military offensive in the province aimed at rescuing the duo.

Last year, communist rebels also seized an army soldier Sgt. Raul Reyes in Compostela Valley and freed him three weeks later on humanitarian grounds after his family appealed to rebels to spare his life.

Reyes was seized with two other militiamen Glorieto Mahumas and Rudy Villaflor, also a village chieftain, in October 7 after NPA forces raided a government post in the village of Canidkid in Montevista town. Mahumas and Villaflor later escaped from their captors.

The NPA said it seized the soldier after villagers complained that military units deployed in the town had been notorious in committing human rights abuses and violations. The rebels previously said the three would be tried for crimes committed against civilians. They had in the past kidnapped military and police officers, but also freed them to the International Committee of the Red Cross after negotiations.

The rebels, armed wing of the outlawed Communist Party of the Philippines and the National Democratic Front, are fighting the Filipino government for the establishment of a Maoist state in the country. (Mindanao Examiner)

Clan War Erupts In Sulu Province

SULU, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / May 05, 2008) – Fierce fighting between two Muslim clans broke out Monday and triggering an exodus of civilians in the southern Philippine province of Sulu, police and government officials said.

The fighting erupted in the town of Luuk and at least one person was reported killed and six more injured from both sides of the warring groups. Police said the fighting erupted between armed followers of Allayon Arbison, the town's vice mayor, and the group of Salip Amiril.

"We are closely coordinating with the military to prevent hostilities from spreading further," Senior Superintendent Julasirim Kasim, the provincial police chief, told reporters.

He said the town's mayor, Ahmad Omar, an ally of Arbison, is trying to broker a cease-fire. Arbison is the brother of Sulu Rep. Munir Arbison, while Amiril is a trader, whose family is engaged in buy and sell of local and imported goods.

Khalil Tan, a member of the Sulu Provincial Board, said one person was killed on the side of Amiril and two others wounded. And that four of Arbison's followers were also injured in the clash.

"We are waiting for reports about the fighting and the status of those civilians who fled the fighting," he said.

Police said the fighting was triggered by an old family feud. "There is gun fight going on and we are trying to pacify the warring groups," Kasim said.

It was unknown how illegal weapons fell into the hands of civilians. Sulu Gov. Sakur Tan previously ordered police and military authorities to dismantle private armies and seize all illegal weapons and declared a total gun ban in the province.

Police said it was not the first time the groups of Arbison and Amiril clashed in Luuk town. (Mindanao Examiner)

Philippine Rebels Ambush Military Convoy In South

DAVAO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / May 05, 2008) – Communist rebels attacked early Monday a Philippine military convoy killing three soldiers in the southern province of North Cotabato, officials said.

“Three of our soldiers are killed and initial reports said three others were wounded in the ambush,” Maj. Raymundo Aguada, spokesman for the Army’s 10th Infantry Division, told the Mindanao Examiner.

Other reports said as many as 13 soldiers were wounded in the ambush staged by the New People’s Army, which is fighting the past four decades for a separate Maoist state in the country.

Aguada said the rebels detonated a roadside bomb and then attacked the convoy transporting troops in the town of President Roxas. “There is an ongoing pursuit operation in the province,” he said.

He said the ambushed soldiers were part a larger group that launched a fresh offensive against rebel forces in the province, a known NPA stronghold in the southern Philippines.

There was no immediate statement from rebel leaders, but the NPA has previously warned that it would mount more attacks against government and military targets in the country.

The NPA is also holding two government soldiers, Napoleon Gerasmio and Huberto Corbita, who are both army sergeants. They were captured at a rebel checkpoint on April 24 in the mountain village of Upper Ulip in Compostela Valley's Monkayo town.

Rigoberto Sanchez, a rebel spokesman, said the two soldiers are being investigated by a rebel court of any human rights abuses and crimes against civilians.

The rebels, military wing of the outlawed Communist Party of the Philippines and the National Democratic Front, broke away in 2004 from peace talks with the Arroyo government after the United States and the European Union included the rebel groups in the list of foreign terrorist organizations on Manila’s prodding. (Mindanao Examiner)

Philippine Peace Process: Muslim Rebels Welcome British Mediation

SULTAN KUDARAT, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / May 04, 2008) – The Philippines’ largest Muslim rebel group, Moro Islamic Liberation Front, praised Britain for its offer to send experts to help in peace negotiations in the strife-torn region of Mindanao.

The MILF is currently negotiating peace with Manila, but talks had been stalled since last year after over demands for territories in Mindanao, the country’s second largest island and home to more than four million Muslims and over 17 million mostly Christians.

It said the Philippine peace panel headed by Rodolfo Garcia agreed on the scope of the Muslim ancestral domain, but later reneged on the accord that will constitute a separate homeland for Muslims and at least 18 indigenous tribes in Mindanao.

The ancestral domain is the single most important issue in the peace negotiations before the rebel group can reach a political settlement and with the talks stalled; the hope of ending more than three decades of bloody hostilities remains dim.

Many rebel commanders are getting frustrated and restless over the failure of the seven-year old peace talks with the Arroyo government.

British ambassador Peter Beckingham said three or four experts who were involved in peace talks in Northern Ireland are arriving soon in the Philippines to help re-start the stalled peace talks.

The British also launched a two-year, P14 million leadership training program in the Philippines to develop Islamic leaders who will actively work in reforming education and governance, among others, in a bid to help counter radicalism.

“This is good news. It is a positive development and we hope the British experts will arrive very soon so we can meet with them and discuss the peace process in Mindanao. We welcome the British support to the peace process and we appreciate it very much,” Eid Kabalu, a spokesman of the MILF, told the Mindanao Examiner.

Malaysia, which is brokering the peace talks, said it would pull out its cease-fire observers deployed in Mindanao if there is no progress in the negotiations.

Kabalu said the pull out of the Malaysia-led International Monitoring team will put the cease-fire agreement and the peace talks at risk because Filipino troops in the past had always encroached in so-called MILF territories sparking sporadic clashes that often lead to bigger clashes in central Mindanao.

Since the IMT arrived, fighting between security and rebel forces drastically decreased from 698 armed clashes in 2004 to just 7 incidents last year.

The IMT is composed of at least 41 officers from the Malaysian Defense Forces, the Royal Malaysia Police, and the Prime Minister's Department and is also supported by 10 military officers from Brunei Darussalam and 5 from Libya. Canada and Japan have also members on the team.

The MILF has repeatedly urged Manila to resume the stalled talks, but either it had been ignored or was overtaken by corruption scandals in the government and anti-Arroyo protests in Manila.

Murad Ebrahim, the MILF chieftain, also appealed to rebel forces and supporters for patience over the failure of peace talks with Manila.

"The road to freedom is always full of twist and turn and to overcome, we must work, persist, and sacrifice," Ebrahim said.

It was the second time the MILF appealed to Muslims and rebels for patience over the slow progress of the peace talks. Mohagher Iqbal, chief MILF peace negotiator, also appealed to Muslims to remain calm and patient over the failure of the talks.

Iqbal said that the ugly turn of event in the peace process is taxing the patience of the MILF and the Muslims, who may be compelled to resort to other means of resolving the Mindanao conflict when they are pushed to the wall and become hopeless in the peace process.

President Gloria Arroyo has opened up peace talks with the MILF in 2001, but since then no substantial agreements have been signed between the two sides, expect for the cease-fire accord.

The MILF ancestral domain covers the whole of Muslim autonomous region and other areas in Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay, North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat and Sarangani provinces where there are large communities of Muslims and indigenous tribes.

And even Palawan Island in central Philippines and the Sulu Archipelago.The Philippine military previously demanded MILF rebels to lay down their weapons before peace talks could resume. (Mindanao Examiner)

MILF Vows To Pursue Self-Determination In Troubled Filipino South

Philippine military chief General Hermogenes Esperon and his Malaysian counterpart General Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Zainal during their visit Saturday, May 3, 2008 in Maguindanao province in the southern Philippines. They are assisted by Maj.Gen.Datuk Mat Yasin bin Mat Daud, head of the Malaysian-led International Monitoring Team. (Mindanao Examiner Photo/Mark Navales)

MAGUINDANAO, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / May 03, 2008) – Philippine Muslim rebels negotiating peace with Manila on Saturday vowed to fight for independence, as talks remain stalled over demands for ancestral domain in the troubled South.

"We are firm with our demands for self-determination. We cannot compromise our determination and our freedom," Eid Kabalu, a spokesman for the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, told the Mindanao Examiner.

Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, the Philippine military chief, said soldiers are supportive of the peace process and also wanted peace in Mindanao. “We are all supportive of the peace process,” he said.

Esperon arrived in Maguindanao province with his Malaysian counterpart Gen. Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Zainal and met with senior military leaders. Esperon, who is retiring next week, later spoke to soldiers and thanked them as part of his exit calls. While Zainal separately spoke to Malaysian troops who are part of the International Monitoring Team.

Peace talks had been stalled after both sides failed to agree on the scope of the ancestral domain, which is the single most important issue in the peace negotiations before the rebel group can reach a political settlement.

The MILF said the government peace negotiators led by Rodolfo Garcia last year agreed on the scope of the ancestral domain, but later reneged on the accord that will constitute a separate homeland for over 4 million Muslims in Mindanao, also home to about 17 million mostly Christians and other indigenous tribes.

It said Garcia completely disregarded the agreement on the ancestral domain and insisted again that the granting of homeland to Muslims in Mindanao would solely be through Constitutional process which the rebel group previously opposed. But the Philippine Constitution prohibits the dismembering of the country.

The MILF said the stance of the government peace panel virtually jeopardized the integrity of the peace process and to continue with the talks would virtually turn it into a circus.

"Under the agreement, the Muslim autonomous region will be part of the independent Bangsamoro homeland and those areas outside the region would vote on an independence referendum," Kabalu said.

He said the ancestral domain covers the whole of Muslim autonomous region and other areas in Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay, North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat and Sarangani provinces where there are large communities of Muslims and indigenous tribes. And even Palawan Island in central Philippines and the Sulu Archipelago.

Malaysia which is brokering the peace talks said it would start pulling out its truce observers deployed in Mindanao if there is no progress in the negotiations.

Kabalu said the government is now building up its military firepower in Mindanao and is causing apprehension in areas where the MILF is active. "The truce and the peace talks are shaky right now and there is apprehension because of this build-up of military firepower in Mindanao and the withdrawal of the truce observers."

"The MILF will remain vigilant. We are not sure how the cease-fire will hold without the Malaysian-led international truce observers," Kabalu said, adding, the MILF respects Malaysia's decision to withdraw all its observers unless there is a significant progress in the stalled peace talks.

Murad Ebrahim, the secluded leader of the MILF, said Manila is to be blamed should the peace talks collapse. "If the peace process fails as a result of the GRP's dilly-dallying and spoiling, we are left with no choice, but to seek other means of achieving our objective. Should that happen the government is to blame for failing to settle the conflict through diplomatic means," he said.

The MILF previously appealed to rebels and supporters for patience as the talks stalled over demands for a separate Muslim homeland.

"The Philippine Government bears the responsibility to comply with its commitment to adhere to the consensus points and agreed Memorandum of Agreement draft proposal on ancestral domain. Such moves will avert the peace process from falling apart," Ebrahim said.

"Let me reiterate to all, including the international community that the MILF leadership is very serious and fully committed to resolve the conflict between the Bangsamoro people in Mindanao and the Government of the Republic of the Philippines through the current peace process," he said.

Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said Kuala Lumpur wanted progress in the peace process. Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim also said Kuala Lumpur will not be sending any more truce observers to Mindanao after the mandate of its current team ends in September. Members of the Malaysian Defense Forces had been in Mindanao since 2004 as part of the International Monitoring Team (IMT).

The monitoring team is composed of 41 officers from the Malaysian Defense Forces, the Royal Malaysia Police, and the Prime Minister's Department and is also supported by 10 military officers from Brunei Darussalam and 5 from Libya. Canada and Japan have also members on the team.

Since the IMT arrived, fighting between security and rebel forces drastically decreased from 698 armed clashes in 2004 to just 7 incidents last year.Lt. Col. Julieto Ando, a regional army spokesman, doused the apprehensions of the MILF and said the military is committed to the peace process and would further strengthen the mechanism of the cease-fire agreement in Mindanao.

"Like the MILF, we are also for peace and we wanted to see an end to the conflict in Mindanao. We respect the decision of the Malaysian government to pull out its truce observers and we appreciate Malaysia's commitment to peace in Mindanao," Ando said.

Mohammad Ameen, a senior rebel leader, said the MILF will only sign a peace deal with Arroyo government if it establishes genuine governance for Muslims either in the form of "state" or "sub-state".

President Gloria Arroyo opened up peace talks with the MILF in 2001 and signed a cease-fire agreement, but some rebel commanders see the negotiations as a strategy which is aimed at temporarily stopping the hostilities in Mindanao until her term ends in 2010 and pass on the secessionist problems to the next president. (With reports from Mark Navales)

Letter To The Editor: A Mindanaoan's Tale Of Racism And Discrimination

Greetings.

I'm a job seeker from Zamboanga City. I am a graduate of Western Mindanao State University where I finished my Bachelor of Laws.

I applied in ESS Manufacturing Company, Inc. (EMCI) which holds its offices at the 41st, 42nd and 23rd floor of PBCOM Tower, Ayala Avenue, Makati, for the position of Legal researcher/legal indexer.

They called me to take their written examination. The next day, they called me again and told me that I passed the written examination. Furthermore, I have to pass their assessment (I don't have any idea on what's their procedure on this). Later, they called me and told me that I passed the examination and was invited for an interview.

On the day of the interview, I was asked by this interviewer: Where did I take my Bachelor of Laws? And I told her that I finished my degree from Western Mindanao State University. She replied: "Pardon again." I repeated my answer. Then she blurted: "Oh! Mindanaooo..." as if there's an expression of awe and surprise. I felt a bit insulted because I sensed a negative connotation from the tone of her voice.

And they say that they would call within this week if ever they will decide to hire me.

I know that it is management prerogative to select and hire whom they want to be employed in the company. But as an applicant, we also have a right to be respected. Of our being human, because we have feelings, too. Emotions. We get hurt. We're not automatons or machines.
Also, as emphasis we have the right to be respected of our roots.

I wrote this letter as a preemptive strike if ever I will not be hired because of the word MINDANAO in my resume.

And as always, I will not be ashamed to be called a MINDANAOAN! I am a MINDANAOAN! and I will always be a MINDANAOAN!

People might say that I am overreacting. No, I'm just offended by the way that certain intelligent interviewer uttered the word MINDANAO. As if there's an air of derision and disgust. As if such word MINDANAO will put my application into damnation. Into one of their shredding machines or trash cans.

If they are smart as they think they are, they should have noticed the word MINDANAO in my resume before I was called to take their written examination. Also, why did I pass their assessment? I don't have any clue to how they did it. And only to dump my application because of the word MINDANAO.

They should have had saved me from the expenses of going back and forth from my residence in Ermita, Manila to their place. I should not be experiencing asthmatic attacks right now brought about by the stress of traveling and city pollution.

This goes to show that these Corporate Indios don't really know how to read. I used the word Indios on these pathetic people because I have Spanish and Mexican blood running in my veins. And I speak a Creole Spanish language called Chavacano. Now, that's throwing their trying hard Racist attitude back at them.

Also, I wrote this letter to warn other Mindanaoans that these trying hard Racist exists. And we, as MINDANAOANS, should stand up and fight for what we believe is right.

After passing all the requirement, tests, examinations, assessments, etc. then dumping your application in the end because you're a MINDANAOAN is tantamount to "economic abuse," as defined by law and construed in a liberal and broader context.

This local racism phenomenon must be stopped!

Thank you very much. God bless us all!


Fernan Soria <soria_fernan@yahoo.com>


P.S. This letter is a rough draft and I didn't do some editing or proofreading. I have done this on the spot to capture the essence, emotion and energy of my sentiment as a MINDANAOAN.

8 Injured In Zamboanga LPG Blast

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / May 02, 2008) – A cooking gas explosion injured eight people in the southern Philippine port city of Zamboanga, police said Friday.

Police said the blast on Thursday also injured a four-year old boy in the village of Talon-Talon. Four of the victims suffered burns on their body and were rushed to hospital by neighbors who rescued them from the ruins of their house.

Investigators said the blast was caused by a leak from a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinder.

LPG is a mixture of hydrocarbon gases also used as a fuel in heating appliances and vehicles. Ethanol, a powerful odorant, is added so that leaks can be detected easily, but it is also flammable and burns in air with a blue flame

LPG is manufactured during the refining of crude oil, or extracted from oil or gas streams as they emerge from the ground.

There had been several incidents involving cooking gas explosions in the past in Zamboanga, but authorities blamed human factor in the safety of using LPG.

LPG is also widely used by commercial vehicles in Zamboanga City and other cities in Mindanao, especially on taxis and cargo trucks because it is cheaper than diesel fuel and gasoline.

It is also cleaner than diesel and petrol, but domestic LPG explosions were the main cause of fire in many homes because of faulty gas cylinders. Hundreds of fires had been attributed to LPG explosions the past years in the Philippines. (Mindanao Examiner)

Photo: US Troops In Southern Philippines

A convoy of US and Philippine troops pass on a village in Jolo town in the southern Filipino province of Sulu, April 27, 2008. At least 30 US soldiers from the Guam Army National Guard are expected to arrive in the southern Philippines to secure American forces assisting and training local troops in battling terrorism and engage at the same time in numerous development and humanitarian projects. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)

Sayyaf Leader Wounded, Son Killed In Sulu Clashes

Private and commuter vehicles pass through a road in Sulu province in the southern Philippines. Government projects still continue in Sulu despite the fighting between troops and rebels. (Minanao Examiner Photo)

SULU, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / May 01, 2008) – Government soldiers shot and wounded a leader of the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf group and killed in his son in fierce clashes in the southern Filipino province of Sulu, officials said Thursday.

Officials said Isnilon Hapilon, both wanted by the Philippine and the United States on terrorism and kidnapping charges, managed to escape pursuing troops, but his son Tabari was killed in the town of Indanan on Wednesday.

One soldier was also killed in the fighting that displaced more than a thousand Muslim villagers. “Isnilon is wounded and is being pursued by security forces,” said Army Maj. Eugene Batara, spokesman for the Western Mindanao Command.

Clashes subsided late Wednesday after gunmen retreated deeper into the jungle and troops occupied an area said to be a bomb factory abandoned by the Abu Sayyaf.

Hapilon is one the country’s most wanted terrorist and is facing a string of criminal charges, including the kidnapping of three US citizens in 2001. Two of the hostages were later executed, one of them beheaded and the mutilated body fed to wild animals in the jungle of Basilan island.

Former fighters of the Moro National Liberation Front said they were attacked by troops, shelling a major base in Indanan town. But Sulu military chief Brig. Gen. Juancho Sabban said soldiers were fighting the Abu Sayyaf and not the MNLF.

“We are targeting the Abu Sayyaf and not the MNLF,” he said.

A police patrol on Thursday also recovered an improvised explosive device planted on a dirt road at a village in Panglima Estino town in Sulu. It was unknown whether the IED was planted by the Abu Sayyaf or the MNLF.

Marines Commandant Gen. Mohammad Dolorfino flew to Sulu on Thursday and met with Gov. Sakur Tan about the fighting. Tan said the fighting is affecting the peace and order in Sulu.

“We don’t want any fighting in Sulu, especially at this time that many visitors are coming over and looking into prospects of investing in the province. Our tourism efforts and economy are also affected by this conflict,” he said.

Tan, head of the Provincial Crisis Committee, ordered the social workers to look into the situation of those who fled their homes because of the clashes. “We want peace and development, not war and refugees,” he said.

Tan led town and provincial officials in a ground breaking ceremony for a housing project for the poor in Indanan before the fighting broke out Wednesday. A similar ceremony will be held Friday in Indanan, Patikul, Luuk and Maimbung towns, he said. (Mindanao Examiner)