ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / September 24, 2009) – Three Japanese treasure hunters and their Filipino guides escaped from a group of gunmen on the southern Philippine province of Zamboanga Sibugay in what police said could be a kidnapping attempt.
Gunmen on Wednesday opened fire on a van carrying the foreigners Hiro Nakano, Koichirou Yoshioka and Yoshitel Miyake and their local guides Fedelito dela Penia, Rolito Berberio Jr., Rolando Doronila and Romeo Santos Jr., in the village of Timbang-Timbang in the town of Alicia.
The group escaped unhurt from the attack and reported the incident to the police. Local television news said a Filipino guide of the Japanese men, Hassanal Alsree, was arrested by the police on suspicion of being involved in the botched kidnapping.
Alsree was with the foreigners, but took off to speak to his contacts to guide them to a cave in the town where Japanese treasure had been allegedly found. But armed men later appeared and the van’s driver, sensing danger, sped off leaving Alsree behind.
Gunmen fired on the van hitting the vehicle; however, no one was hurt in the attack, the local ABS-CBN television reported.
It said the attackers escaped and that policemen recovered four empty shells of M16 rifle from the area. It was unknown whether the attackers were members of a rebel group, but the Abu Sayyaf and Moro guerrillas are actively operating in the province.
Police said the foreigners left Thursday for Manila. It gave no further details about the Japanese men or their Filipino companions. (Mindanao Examiner)
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Japanese treasure hunters, Filipino guides escape kidnapping attempt in Zamboanga province
The Mindanao Examiner Blog Gets The Yellow Ribbon
The Daily Reviewer Award. ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines - The blog of the independent regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner was selected Thursday by The Daily Reviewer as one of the world’s top blogs.
The Mindanao Examiner blog can be accessed on this URL: http://www.mindanaoexaminer.net and http://zamboangajournal.blogspot.com.
The Daily Reviewer selects only the world's top blogs and RSS feeds. It sifts through thousands of blogs daily to present the world's best writers. The blogs that it includes are authoritative on their respective niche topics and are widely read.
To be included in The Daily Reviewer is a mark of excellence, said Angelina Mizaki, Selection Committee President of The Daily Reviewer.
The Mindanao Examiner blog can now be accessed also on this URL: http://thedailyreviewer.com/top/regional-news.
The Mindanao Examiner, which was founded in 2006, also has its news website – http://mindanaoexaminer.com.
Kidnapped Zamboanga teachers freed, not rescued
BASILAN, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / September 24, 2009) – Three kidnapped government teachers whom police claimed had been rescued from Abu Sayyaf militants in the southern Philippines were actually released after private negotiators paid millions of pesos in ransom.
Police said the public school teachers Noemi Mandi, Jocelyn Enriquez and Jocelyn Inion were rescued Wednesday in separate places in the towns of Tipo-Tipo and Ungkaya Pukan in Basilan province, south of Zamboanga City.
Sources said ransom ranging from three million pesos up to five million pesos was believed paid to the kidnappers for the safe release of the hostages.
The trio was kidnapped in March 13 in Zamboanga Sibugay’s Naga town and brought to Basilan where they had been held captive. The kidnappers had threatened to behead the teachers if ransom is not paid.
Police insisted the teachers were rescued.
The kidnappers released Enriquez and Mandi in Tipo-Tipo’s Bangkuang village, while Inion was freed in Kabangkalan village in Ungkaya Pukan town where police teams recovered them.
It was unknown who negotiated for the release of the teachers. But the Crisis Management Committee of Zamboanga Sibugay provincial government was previously negotiating with the kidnappers.
The freed hostages who are teachers of the Bangkaw-Bangkaw Elementary School in Zamboanga Sibugay province had been brought to the regional police headquarters in Zamboanga City on Wednesday and were kept away from journalists.
“This is the result of a close coordination between police forces in Western Mindanao and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and long intelligence work. We got the teachers without bloodshed,” said Chief Superintendent Salik Macapantar, the head of the Directorial Staff of the police force in the Muslim autonomous region.
He gave no details about the rescue, but said police forces were pursuing the kidnappers. “The Abu Sayyaf was behind the kidnappings of the three teachers,” he said.
The kidnappers originally demanded ten million pesos ransom in exchange for the safe release of the teachers. The freed hostages were brought to Zamboanga City from Basilan.
In January, Abu Sayyaf militants also kidnapped three teachers - Janette de los Reyes, Freires Quizon and Rafael Mayonado in Zamboanga City and held them in Basilan province and freed four months later after private negotiators paid millions of pesos in ransom. (Mindanao Examiner)
MILF fighters train in the southern Philippines
Oil price rollback, not enough
DAVAO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / September 24, 2009) – A pro-poor organization KADAMAY or the Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap has called the recent 25 centavos rollback on petrol prices as an insult to Filipino consumers, saying, giant oil companies are earning huge profits enough to feed millions of hungry people.
Franchie Buhayan, KADAMAY Secretary General, said it is not only insulting for the ordinary Filipinos to be given such cheap token, but it is more insignificant seeing how the pump-pricing of leading oil firms is taking a toll on the living conditions of consumers, especially those who belong to the poorest sectors.
“While research institution GALLUP international has placed the country as the 5th poorest in the world and surveys have consistently placed the number of hungry Filipinos at a 4:10 ratio, oil cartels have also been reaping millions in profit daily,” Buhayan, who is also the spokesperson of the progressive group Anakpawis, said in a statement sent to the Mindanao Examiner.
She pointed out that Chevron and Exxon Mobil, two of the worlds’ biggest oil companies, come in 1st and 2nd place in Fortune 500’s most profitable corporations in 2008 with earnings reaching 46-billion dollars and 24-billion dollars, respectively.
Buhayan said a recent study published by the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan showed Shell Filipinas, Petron and Chevron Philippines earn additional earnings of approximately 167-million pesos daily from jacked - up petroleum products.
Buhayan maintained that no rollback or pleadings from the Department of Energy and the Palace will resolve the crisis wrought by the continued skyrocketing of oil price as the crux of this crisis is the continued implementation of the Oil Deregulation Law and the tax-greedy Arroyo regime.
“The scrapping of the Oil Deregulation Law is long overdue as it is unconstitutional to begin with. The damages it has caused to our economy and the burden it has passed on to millions of poor Filipino families are already unbearable and unacceptable,” Buhayan said.
She added: “The government’s incapacity to regulate oil prices has worsened the grueling conditions of our economy and of our people. Gloria Arroyo has nailed our nation to endless abuse of the US economic hegemony through its dominance in the World Trade Organization and imperialist globalization.”
The Anakpawis Party lists together with Representatives Satur Ocampo, Teodoro Casino and Liza Maza have filed house resolutions that call for the repeal of the Oil Deregulation Law and the centralized importation of oil and the re-nationalization of Petron.
“Unfortunately, such relevant house bills are ignored by the lower house and by the Arroyo regime,” Buhayan said
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
House Speaker welcomes committee action on tax on text measure
MANILA, Philippines - Speaker Prospero Nograles lauded the action taken by the House Committee on Ways and Means which reconsidered its decision to conduct further deliberations on the proposed tax on "text bill" as he pointed out that the measure can only gather support if it can guarantee that it will not increase the existing text cost now being billed on millions of consumers.
Nograles also shrugged off renewed threats by Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez that he will challenge the Speaker's leadership if he cannot facilitate the passage of the tax on text measure and stressed that he is supporting the measure provided it is free from any pass-on provisions that will mean additional burden to the consuming public.
"I'm not going to be blackmailed by such threats. All I want is to make sure that we will pass a measure that is palatable not only to the public but also to our peers in Congress, including the Senate. I support this measure especially if it will mean additional classrooms and modern educational facilities for our children but any tax on texting should be solely shouldered by the service providers and not by the consumers," Nograles said.
"Chairman Exequiel Javier and his committee did the right thing. We are never insensitive to the plight of the people," Nograles added as he urged all concerned to voice their proposals to ensure that justice prevails in all matters pertaining to taxation policies.
The House leader said that the intent behind the measure is to bolster the country's education program and the good of the youth.
"We will always listen to our people. We will listen to all the stake holders. Congress is the right place for an intelligent, comprehensive and open debate on issues of public concern," the House leader stressed.
Nograles pointed out that the decision to reconsider the approval by the ways and means panel is not a show of surrendering its position but to find the best way to address the needs of the country to promote development.
"We are not giving up on a viable idea. What we are trying to do is find ways to promote development without doing injustice to the people. This is what democracy is all about," Nograles stressed.
Congress, Nograles added, is also considering several bills promoting tax reforms, including the proposed revision on the tax levels on the so-called tax on sin products, without jeopardizing the growth of industries and the government's jobs generation programs.
"Somewhere along the way, each of us will have to sacrifice for the good of the country in general. We also have to take into consideration our efforts to attract investments," Nograles added. (Gil Bugaoisan)
Filipino, US troops honor slain marines in Zamboanga City
Philippine marines in Zamboanga City carry Wednesday, September 23, 2009 the coffin of one of eight soldiers killed in a clash with Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiya militants in Sulu province. (Mindanao Examiner Photos)The caskets of seven of eight soldiers killed in Tuesday fighting were paraded in military camps in Zamboanga City, where Filipino and American troops paid their last respects.
A group of US soldiers were spotted saluting with Filipino troops as hearse of the soldiers arrived at the Western Mindanao Command. The caskets were later brought to a chapel inside a Filipino naval base where a chaplain said a requiem.
Soldiers also paid their last respect for their fallen companions. “This is reality here. We have to risk our lives to save others. We are soldiers,” one marine said.
Marine spokesman Major Ramon David Hontiveros said operations to capture Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiya militants continued on Wednesday in Sulu province.
US Special Forces were aiding the Philippine military in the hunt for militants, according to Major General Benjamin Dolorfino, chief of the Western Mindanao Command.
He said the US military is providing intelligence to the local troops in the hunt for the Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiya militants in Sulu.
Dolorfino said troops were tracking down at least four most senior Abu Sayyaf leaders – Dr Abu, Albader Parad, Isnilon Hapilon and Yasser Igasan – including two foreign Jemaah Islamiya terrorists Mauiya and Quayem and some 200 followers.
Mauiya, believed to an Indian national, was among those previously tagged by the Philippine authorities as behind the kidnappings early this year of three international Red Cross workers in Sulu. But little is known about Quayem.
Dolorfino said at least 34 Abu Sayyaf militants and 8 soldiers were killed in the fighting since Sunday in the hinterlands of Indanan town. Among those killed was an Abu Sayyaf sub-leader Ustadz Muktar, a cousin of Hapilon, who is wanted by the US for terrorism.
US Special Forces are deployed in Sulu province since 2006 and assisting the local military in defeating the Abu Sayyaf. (Mindanao Examiner)
Three kidnapped Zamboanga teachers freed
BASILAN, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / September 23, 2009) – Police forces rescued Wednesday three government teachers after more than six months in captivity in the southern Philippine province of Basilan, officials told the Mindanao Examiner.
Officials said the hostages - Noemi Mandi, Jocelyn Enriquez and Jocelyn Inion - were rescued in separate places in the towns of Tipo-Tipo and Ungkaya Pukan.
The three teachers of the Bangkaw-Bangkaw Elementary School in Zamboanga Sibugay province were kidnapped March 13 while on their way home in Naga town.
“This is the result of a close coordination between police forces in Western Mindanao and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and long intelligence work. We got the teachers without bloodshed,” said Chief Superintendent Salik Macapantar, the Chief of the Directorial Staff of the ARMM police force.
Macapantar said Mandi and Enriquez were rescued together in the village of Bangkuang in Tipo-Tipo town, while Inion was rescued in Kabangkalan village in nearby Unkaya Pukan town.
He gave no details about the rescue, but said police forces were pursuing the kidnappers. “The Abu Sayyaf was behind the kidnappings of the three teachers,” he said.
The kidnappers originally demanded ten million pesos ransom in exchange for the safe release of the teachers. The freed hostages were brought to Zamboanga City from Basilan.
In January, Abu Sayyaf militants also kidnapped three teachers - Janette de los Reyes, Freires Quizon and Rafael Mayonado in Zamboanga City and held them in Basilan province and freed four months later after private negotiators paid millions of pesos in ransom. (Mindanao Examiner)
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
House Speaker urged to run in 2010 Davao City mayoralty race
DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Village leaders in the southern Mindanao city of Davao said there is a strong clamor for House Speaker Prospero Nograles to run for mayor in next year’s polls.
Village chieftain Rommel delos Reyes said residents are urging Nograles to seek the mayoralty post so he can continue his various humanitarian programs and development projects in Davao City.
“If I say the Speaker is not running for mayor because that is what he said, they would ask us why, and they say how they wished Speaker Nograles would run,” De los Reyes, of the village of Barangay 6-A, said in a radio talk show in Davao City.
Nograles belongs to the 1st Congressional District where most of his projects benefited the poor from livelihood programs to infrastructure projects.
“Our constituents are urging the House Speaker to run for mayor of Davao City because they know he is for the progress of Davao City,” one supporter said.
Lawyer Prospero Mojica, who was also guest in the same show, said: “As a friend, I would advice against it. But as a Dabawenyo and for the sake of the people, I want Boy Nogie to run for mayor.”
Mojica was referring to Nograles whose nickname is Boy Nogie. The lawyer, a schoolmate of Nograles in Ateneo de Manila College, said it would be a sacrifice for the solon to seek the mayoralty post, but the clamor for his to run is difficult to ignore.
Nograles, who is on his third and last term, previously said that running for a local post is not part of his plan, but would campaign for his son, noted lawyer Karlo Nograles, who is said to be eyeing a congressional seat – the 1st District of Davao City.
The young Nograles is also the solon’s chief of staff.
Another village leader, Joel Santes of Matina Crossing, said the public clamor for the solon to run as mayor is strong. “People are clamoring for change…for the development and progress of Davao City,” Santes said.
MILF leader captured in South RP
COTABATO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / September 22, 2009) – Philippines security forces captured Tuesday a senior leader of the country’s largest Muslim rebel group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, in the troubled region of Mindanao, officials told the Mindanao Examiner.
Army spokesman Colonel Jonathan Ponce said a joint team of soldiers and policemen captured Camarudin Hadji Ali alias Commander Mudi at the house of one his wives in Cotabato City after a long intelligence and surveillance operations.
“Ali is a leader of the MILF’s 105th Base Command under Ameril Umbra Kato, who are both wanted for a series of deadly attacks last year in Mindanao,” said Ponce.
The rebel leader has a bounty of more than a million pesos for his capture.
There was no immediate statement from the MILF which is currently negotiating peace with Manila. The MILF is fighting the past three decades for self-determination.
Peace talks collapsed in August last year after rebel and government negotiators failed to sign a homeland deal which the Supreme Court ruled as unconstitutional.
President Gloria Arroyo resumed the peace talks this year in an effort to put an end to bloody fighting in Mindanao. (Mindanao Examiner)
Pablo Cornel Jr. and his Vintage Cameras
Pablo Cornel Jr., a camera technician, shows some of his vintage camera collections - the J&B View camera 1907 model, Yashica viewfinder 1957 model and his all time favorite, the Rollie 35 viewfinder 1950 which is now on display at the Antiques of Gensan exhibit. The exhibit is part of the General Santos City’s celebration of 5th National Tourism Week with this year's theme “TOURISM-Celebrating Diversity”. (Photo by Cocoy Sexcion)Team Nograles Praised In Davao City
Lawyer Karlo Nograles, son and chief of staff of House Speaker Prospero Nograles, is flanked by residents in Davao City in the southern Philippines. (Mindanao Examiner Photo / Geo Solmerano)
The group, headed by noted lawyer Karlo Nograles, is composed of eight prominent personalities whose vision is to help uplift the condition of the poor and promote peace and development in Davao City.
Nograles is the son and chief of staff of House Speaker Prospero Nograles whose humanitarian and development projects had helped thousands of mostly poor families in Davao City.
Residents and supporters of Nograles, are also pushing members of the Team Nograles to run for City Council in next year’s national and local polls so they can help more people and continue their projects for the benefit of the poor. They praised the team for their dedication to public service.
The young lawyer lauded “Team Nograles” for its accomplishments.
Speaking in his weekly radio program “Kalamboan Dala Tanan” over dxAB, the young Nograles said he is satisfied with the dedication of the Team Nograles members in reaching out to the District 1 constituency. “With more hands doing public service, we are able to push services more deeply in District 1,” he said.
“The kind of dedication they have in doing public service, of course, makes them good choices for the City Council,” said the young Nograles, who belongs to the ruling Lakas-Kampi-CMD.
He said party officials will still have to make the decision on who would be its candidates for the 2010 elections. “What I can say at best is that we in Lakas-Davao City are organized and ready.”
Nograles said the character and acceptability of would-be candidates of Lakas-Davao City will be major criteria in the upcoming polls. “That’s why we have good members in Team Nograles,” he said, adding, among its members are a doctor, lawyers, former council member, civic leaders, village officials and a youth leader,” he said.
Nograles has named them as Dr Jeff Ho, who is known for his sincere services to the poor and also a leading figure in many Nograles medical and health missions. And the lawyers are Prospero Mojica and Rene Villarente who are both idealists and serve as legal advisers of the Team Nograles. Shane Dolor, a 4-time city councilor, who also advises the Team Nograles on local governance.
He also named civic leader Billy Parilla, a former governor of the Rotary Club and village officials Joel Santes and Rommel delos Reyes as among those that are included in the Team Nograles along with former Sangguniang Kabataan chairwoman Jo Anne Bonguyan.
US-backed RP troops hunt for JI, Sayyaf terrorists in Sulu
Regional military chief Major General Benjamin Dolorfino said troops were tracking down at least four most senior Abu Sayyaf leaders – Dr Abu, Albader Parad, Isnilon Hapilon and Yasser Igasan – including two foreign Jemaah Islamiya terrorists Mauiya and Quayem and some 200 gunmen.
Mauiya, believed to an Indian national, was among those previously tagged by the Philippine authorities as behind the kidnappings early this year of three international Red Cross workers in Sulu. But little is known about Quayem.
“Our forces are pursuing the Abu Sayyaf and JI terrorists. We will get them sooner or later,” Dolorfino said.
He said at least 34 Abu Sayyaf militants and 8 soldiers were killed in the fighting since Sunday in the hinterlands of Indanan town. Among those killed on the side of the Abu Sayyaf was Ustadz Muktar, a cousin of Hapilon, whom is wanted by the US for terrorism.
Dolorfino said the US military has been providing intelligence to the Philippine military in the hunt for the terrorists. “The US military is providing intelligence support,” he said without elaborating.
But US Special Forces are deployed in Sulu province since 2006 and assisting the local military in defeating the Abu Sayyaf.
Police are also on alert for retaliatory attacks by the Abu Sayyaf after security forces captured one of their main camps in Indanan town.
Chief Inspector Usman Pingay, head of police in the capital town of Jolo, said he had received intelligence reports that the Abu Sayyaf plans to attack after their largest camp on the island was overran by troops.
He said police had set up more road checkpoints and were conducting more foot patrols.
“We are in heightened alert. We have intelligence reports that the Abu Sayyaf may launch an attack in Jolo, probably as retaliation to the ongoing military offensive,” Pingay told the Mindanao Examiner by phone from Jolo.
Dolorfino said the fall of the Abu Sayyaf camp was a big blow to the al-Qaeda-linked terrorist group. “The capture of the Abu Sayyaf camp is a big blow to the enemy because it is one of their main strongholds in Sulu,” he said.
The seized Abu Sayyaf camp was near to the base of former Moro National Liberation Front rebels, who were believed coddling the militants, according to Dolorfino.
“The Abu Sayyaf camp was a convenient sanctuary because of the presence of the MNLF base and some former rebels are protecting these terrorists because either they are relatives or family members,” he said.
The MNLF signed a peace deal with Manila in September 1996, but many former guerrillas were disgruntled with the accord, saying, the Arroyo government failed to comply with some of its provisions and uplift their standards of living. They accused Manila of failing to develop war-torn areas in the south.
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.
Many of the former MNLF fighters have joined the Abu Sayyaf and the larger Moro Islamic Liberation Front, which is now negotiating peace with the government. (Mindanao Examiner)
Monday, September 21, 2009
Sayyaf ambushed troops in Sulu
Policemen patrol the sea off Jolo town in the southern Philippine province of Sulu where 8 marines are killed in an Abu Sayyaf ambush Monday, September 21, 2009. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)The fighting also killed three militants in the village of Bato-Bato in Indanan town, said Major Ramon David Hontiveros, a spokesman for the military’s Western Mindanao Command.
Hontiveros did not say how many soldiers died in the attack, but independent sources said at least 8 marines were killed when Abu Sayyaf militants opened fire on them. Nine other soldiers were injured in the ambush.
“We are getting conflicting reports as to the number of military casualties,” Hontiveros said.
The military earlier said fighting subsided in the province after Sunday clashes in Indanan killed an Abu Sayyaf militant and wounded four government soldiers.
Hontiveros said troops clashed with more than 200 militants in the town and that dozens had come from the nearby province of Basilan and reinforced the group of Abu Sayyaf leader Isnilon Hapilon.
It was unknown why the military failed to detect or intercept about 40 Abu Sayyaf gunmen who arrived by boat in Sulu on Sunday morning.
The fighting in the province erupted after security forces shelled suspected Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiya lairs in Indanan town, but a senior rebel leader of the Bangsamoro National Liberation Front, Madarang Sali, said the offensive targeted former Moro rebels under Khaid Ajibun.
Sali said the military attacked Ajibun’s camp without provocation, an accusation strongly denied by the military.
“We are not attacking the MNLF camp. The operation is directed at the Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiya position in the village of Buanza in Indanan town,” Hontiveros said.
Military and police intelligence reports said several Jemaah Islamiya terrorists are hiding and being by Abu Sayyaf militants in Sulu - among them are Mauiya, Dulmatin, Zulkifli bin Hir and Umar Patek - who are all wanted by Indonesia for the spate of deadly attacks in the Philippines and Indonesia, including the Bali bombing in 2002. The US has offered at least $16 million rewards for their capture.
The United States listed the Abu Sayyaf and the Jemaah Islamiya as foreign terrorist groups alongside with Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network.
Philippine authorities said the Jemaah Islamiya terrorists fled to Mindanao where they sought refuge under the protection of the Abu Sayyaf and rogue members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the country’s largest Muslim rebel group. (With a report from Nickee Butlangan)
Sulu fighting subsides; leaves Sayyaf gunman dead, 4 soldiers wounded
A private security guard is silhouetted by the sun as he mans his post at the Jolo port in Sulu province in the southern Philippines. Military and Abu Sayyaf militants clashed in Sulu’s Indanan town over the weekend, leaving a gunman dead and four soldiers wounded. ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / September 21, 2009) – Fighting subsided on Monday between security forces and al-Qaeda-linked militants in the southern Philippine province of Sulu, officials told the Mindanao Examiner.
Officials said four soldiers were wounded in the weekend fighting that also left one Abu Sayyaf militant dead in the hinterland of Indanan town. “We are now on a defensive position,” said Major Ramon David Hontiveros, a spokesman for the military’s Western Mindanao Command.
He said troops clashed with more than 200 militants in the town and that dozens had come from the nearby province of Basilan and reinforced the group of Abu Sayyaf leader Isnilon Hapilon.
It was unknown why the military failed to detect or intercept about 40 Abu Sayyaf gunmen who arrived by boat in Sulu on Sunday morning.
The fighting in the province erupted after security forces shelled suspected Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiya lairs in Indanan town, but a senior rebel leader of the Bangsamoro National Liberation Front, Madarang Sali, said the offensive targeted former Moro rebels under Khaid Ajibun.
Sali said the military attacked Ajibun’s camp without provocation, an accusation strongly denied by the military.
“We are not attacking the MNLF camp. The operation is directed at the Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiya position in the village of Buanza in Indanan town,” Hontiveros said.
Military and police intelligence reports said several Jemaah Islamiya terrorists are hiding and being by Abu Sayyaf militants in Sulu - among them are Mauiya, Dulmatin, Zulkifli bin Hir and Umar Patek - who are all wanted for the spate of deadly attacks in the Philippines and Indonesia, including the Bali bombing in 2002. The US has offered at least $16 million rewards for their capture.
The United States listed the Abu Sayyaf and the Jemaah Islamiya as foreign terrorist groups alongside with Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network.
Philippine authorities said the Jemaah Islamiya terrorists fled to Mindanao where they sought refuge under the protection of the Abu Sayyaf and rogue members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the country’s largest Muslim rebel group. (Mindanao Examiner)
Noted Davao Lawyer Tells Victims of Violence To Seek Justice
DAVAO CITY, Philippines – A noted Filipino lawyer in the southern Philippine city of Davao has called on victims of violence and injustice to have the courage and come out in the open.
Nograles, son and chief of staff of House Speaker Prospero Nograles, made the calls during his weekend radio program called “Kalamboan Dala Tanan,” to put an end to the pervading “culture of violence and abuse” in Davao City.
Extrajudicial killings are common in Davao City and hundreds had been murdered so far the past years and many of these cases remain unresolved. Many of the killings were blamed to the so-called Davao Death Squad, a shadowy armed group.
The young Nograles said the families of victims of extrajudicial killings and violence could seek assistance to government agencies, nongovernmental agencies or the Church to seek justice.
He suggested that police conduct a thorough investigation and match confiscated guns to evidences retrieved from murder scenes involving the death squad. “For all we know, one or more of these confiscated firearms were used in many unsolved killings,” Nograles said.
Hundreds of guns were seized by police and military in a campaign against illegal weapons in recent years. And Nograles said ballistic tests on those weapons could establish whether or not the guns were directly linked to the killings that already affected Davao City’s tourism, the peace and order and caused a worldwide embarrassment and fears among investors.
He said the issue on Davao City killings was among the topics raised during the recent visit of Speaker Nograles in the United States where he met President Barrack Obama and his counterpart, Senator Nancy Pelosi.
The issue of summary killings in Davao City was also the subject in the recent ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Conference in Thailand where Speaker Nograles represented the Philippines.
“It cannot be denied that these killings have brought Davao more harm than good,” the young lawyer said, adding, some victims were killed due to reasons other than peace and order.
He lamented that no suspect was arrested, including those behind the killings of journalists Jun Pala, who was gunned down in 2003, and Ferdinand Lintuan, shot in 2007 in Davao City.
Last week, a widow of one of six murder victims in Davao City, Belinda Palmero, said she does not expect to get justice just like the many other victims of the Davao Death Squad.
Appearing on a local television show, Palmero said the killing of her husband, had left them with no one to fend for the family.
Nograles told the woman not to lose hope. “Many people and organizations are willing to help families of victims of extrajudicial killings to end the violence and abuses,” the lawyer assured.
Acknowledging fears that some of the killings could be “state-sponsored,” Nograles said victims could go to nongovernmental organizations like the Integrated Bar of the Philippines for legal help, or Church groups that offer spiritual counseling.
“It is necessary for us to find the courage,” the lawyer said, adding, he and his father and their group are willing to help those who need legal assistance.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Military offensive disrupts Muslim festival in Southern Philippines
Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) chieftain Murad Ebrahim leads the breaking of fast on Sunday, September 20, 2009 in the southern Philippines. In Sulu province, the military launched offensive against Abu Sayyaf and Moro rebels, disrupting the celebration of the Hari Raya, which signals the end of the holy month of Ramadan. (Mindanao Examiner Photo / Mark Navales)The attack, which occurred shortly before 7 a.m. in the town of Indanan coincided with the start of Hari Raya festival which signals the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.
Several Muslims said the sounds of explosions from the shelling had disrupted solemn prayers in mosques. Angry Muslims cursed the military for disrespecting their tradition.
The Malay words ‘Hari Raya' translate as 'Day of Celebration' or the ‘Festival of Breaking the Fast'. Muslims usually attend Eid prayers in mosque in the morning. The celebrations begin with the birth of the new moon of Syawal, the 10th month of the Islamic calendar.
The military said the offensive was aimed at capturing wanted persons. “There are some identified suspects who have standing warrants. I regret I can’t discuss operational details yet,” Major Ramon David Hontiveros, a spokesman for the military’s Western Mindanao Command, told the Mindanao Examiner.
There were no immediate reports of casualties in the shelling.
Police said it received unconfirmed reports the military operation was directed at Abu Sayyaf leader Albader Parad in the mountain village of Talibang.
But a Moro rebel leader, Madarang Sali, deputy supreme commander of the Bangsamoro National Liberation Front, said the military offensive targeted a stronghold of Khaid Ajibun, a senior leader of the Moro National Liberation Front in Camp Marang near the village of Talibang.
“The Muslims are celebrating the Hari Raya, but what greeted us are bombings from military aircrafts,” he said in a statement sent to the independent regional newspaper, the Mindanao Examiner.
Sali accused the military of terrorizing the Muslims in Sulu, an accusation strongly denied by the armed forces.
“The Bangsamoro National Liberation Army declares publicly and calls and manifest our Islamic solidarity behind our brothers-in-Islam and to support the declaration of Jihad against the Philippine Government and Armed Forces of the Philippines for the restoration of sovereign states of the Bangsamoro Homeland. There are no terrorists in our homeland, but we are being terrorized by Armed Forces of the Philippines,” he said.
The MNLF signed a peace deal with Manila in September 1996, but many of its members were disgruntled by the agreement and accusing the government of failing to honor the provisions of the accord.
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.
It was unknown who ordered the offensive or what triggered the shelling, but Hontiveros said: “The suspects might be mustering a lot of conventional resistance necessitating the use of indirect fire weapons. We sincerely hope that these people who are suspected of complicity in crimes will peacefully submit to the courts where they can defend their name.”
Hontiveros said the offensive was part of a surgical operation against terrorists who were blamed for the spate of bombings in Sulu, but cut short of tagging the Abu Sayyaf in the attacks.
“It’s our common fight against the evils of society. This is surgical operation directed against terrorists who are destroying the image of Islam. They bombed and disturbed us twice during Ramadan. They hurt two Muslim soldiers going to mosque to pray. We are doing this for the good of peace and law-abiding Muslims. The disturbance and inconvenience now may make our Ramadan peaceful in the future,” Hontiveros said. (Mindanao Examiner)
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Catholic News, paiigitingin sa Pinas!
DAVAO CITY (Mindanao Examiner / Setyembre 19, 2009) – Pinaiigting ng Union of Catholic Asian News o UCAN ang operasyon nito sa bansa upang lalong pagtibayin ang mga balitang may kinalaman sa Katolismo.
Ang Pilipinas ay ang natatanging Katolikong bansa sa Asya at ito ang pinagtutuunan ng UCAN upang maipabatid ang magagandang pangyayari na may kinalaman sa mga komunidad hindi lamang sa mga Kristiyano kundi maging ibang relihiyon.
Pinangunahan ni Norma Jean Viehland ng UCAN-Manila ang pagtitipon sa Davao City na dinaluhan ng mga beteranong mamamahayag, peace advocates, at pari.
Ang UCAN ang pangunahing source ng mga ibat-ibang bansa sa mga balitang may kinalaman sa mga Katoliko.
Bukod sa UCAN ay ang Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines ay naglalabas ng mga balitang ukol sa Simbahan at mga mahahalagang isyu. (Mindanao Examiner)
MILF nagmatigas, hindi isusuko ang mga lider na sabig sa atake sa Mindanao
COTABATO CITY (Mindanao Examiner / Setyembre 19, 2009) - Nagmatigas ang Moro Islamic Liberation Front kahapon na hindi nito isusuko ang mga lider na isinabit ng militar at pulisya sa madugong atake sa Mindanao nuong nakaraang taon.
Unang hiningi ng pamahalaang Arroyo sa MILF na isuko sina Abdurahman Macapaar, Ameril Kato and Sulayman Pangalian na siyang itinuturong nasa likod ng paglusob sa Lanat at Sarangani, gayun rin sa North Cotabato at Maguindanao nuong nakaraang taon.
Maraming nasawi sa naturang atake at sinunog pa ng mga rebelde ang ilang kabahayan sa mga lalawigan.
Mismong si MILF chieftain Murad Ebrahim ang nagsabing hindi nito isusuko ang mga lider dahil iimbestigahan pa ang mga ito ng shariah court.
Ito rin ang unang sinabi sa Abante ni Mohagher Iqbal, chief MILF peace negotiator, at Eid Kabalu, spokesman ng nasabing grupo. Itinanggi na noon ng mga lider ang kanilang pagkakasangkot sa atake na naganap matapos na mabasura ang Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain nuong Agosto. (Mindanao Examiner)
Friday, September 18, 2009
Church joins protest against Jolo rapes
People at the Jolo rally protesting the increase in rapes. (Photo by UCAN)JOLO, Philippines (UCAN) - A Jolo vicariate official has joined the call for action against gang rapes in his southern Philippine town, where at least 25 rape cases have been reported in the past two months.
Oblate Father Romeo Villanueva, director of the vicariate's Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation commission, denounced lack of government support for victims of the reported rapes, mostly young Muslim women returning from night classes.
Father Villanueva addressed hundreds of people representing more than 60 civil society groups in Sulu province demanding government action to stop violence against women.
Jolo vicariate, based in the provincial capital, covers Sulu and neighboring Tawi-Tawi province, which comprises 457 islands and islets. Roughly 2 percent of the territory's 1.1 million inhabitants are Catholics, while the vast majority are Muslims.
Under a sweltering sun, young women from religious and government schools carried placards at the September 4 rally demanding action to stop the rapes as well as justice for the victims. One placard read, "Women must be loved and respected and not abused."
The rally resolution, read out by Anwar al-An, convener of the interreligious and multisectoral Sulu People's Congress (SPC), lamented local authorities' failure to act competently and protect women.
Father Villanueva urged local authorities to document the abuse carefully, so their investigations could lead to successful prosecution of wrongdoers.
The government also should promptly provide protection to victims, he said at the rally, broadcast over local radio.
The priest also signed a two-page resolution prepared by the SPC.It appealed to the Philippine National Police, National Bureau of nvestigation, Commission on Human Rights, other government bodies and elected officials to create immediately a fact-finding mission on the mounting rapes.
Father Villanueva told UCA News on September 17 that one recent victim, an 80-year old woman, reportedly was raped by 10 men. He added that he went to see her, but was told she fled Jolo out of fear the rapists would return for her.
Fear is common among the victims, who complain that police do not follow up on their complaints, he added.
"Usually, the reports about gang rapes involve young Muslim girls walking home after classes, usually alone," the priest said. He described the attacks as coordinated: "A number of motorcycle riders who spot a victim contact a covered van that then picks up the victim, who the gang will rape."
He said no Christians have reported being raped, but pointed out that if some had become victims, they might be reluctant to report this to police.
"We are upset because the police are in a state of denial and refuse to accept the accounts of the victims," he stated.
Father Villanueva explained that his Church commission joined the prayer rally because its role is to promote human rights and freedom and to share the task of peace-building. Catholics, though a minority, form networks with other civil society organizations hoping to help transform Sulu, he said.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development and the Women's Desk of the Sulu provincial police conducted a two-week information drive on the Anti-Violence against Women and Children law in all high schools and colleges in Jolo, since majority of the victims are students.
The National Statistical Coordination Board ranks Sulu 13th-poorest among the 80 Philippine provinces. (UCAN)
Link: http://www.ucanews.com/2009/09/18/church-joins-protest-against-jolo-rapes/
Audit Body Begins Work In Davao City
DAVAO CITY, Philippines - The Office of House Speaker Prospero Nograles has belied claims that it was behind the move by the Commission on Audit (COA) to look deeply into the use of (Davao) City Hall of its huge budget for peace and order funds.
“The COA, just like the Commission on Human Rights, is a constitutional body which Congress has no control over,” said lawyer Karlo B. Nograles, son and chief-of-staff of the Speaker.
“Like any government office, we are also subject to a COA audit,” the young Nograles said during his weekly radio program called “Kalamboan Dala Tanan” over radio station dxAB.
Nograles was reacting to claims that fund releases in City Hall have been stopped on account of an ongoing audit by COA. The city’s peace and order funds amounted to about P450-million a year, or a shade above P1.2-million per day.
Davao enjoys up to P4-billion annual budget which is among the biggest in the country.
“The Office of the Speaker is also being audited by COA, but fund releases do not stop, we have continued with our projects and public services,” the lawyer said. “Audit is a simple turnover of proof of disbursements to COA, but it does not mean a stop to fund releases.”
Nograles said disbursement of funds could be stopped if there is no liquidation of all cash advances. “But that is not during the conduct of audit, but in the course of upright fiscal handling,” the lawyer said.
He said judicious use of government funds is the main reason why the Office of the Speaker has been transparent in the implementation of its projects. Aside from the regular publication of the Nograles Accomplishment Report, many public distributions of government aids are all recorded, including video documentation.
Public works projects are also marked by signboards because it is mandated by law.
In his Saturday afternoon radio program, Nograles confirmed that there are plans in Congress to conduct a legislative inquiry into the use of intelligence and peace and order funds. “But that is not in the lower house, but in Senate,” he said.
The lawyer said the Office of Senator Benigno Aquino III has proposed the investigation on the use of intelligence funds by local governments.
Quoting his father, the young Nograles said the lower house would be satisfied to exercise its oversight powers over local government expenditures during the marathon hearings on the 2010 national budget set to begin next week.
Another Sayyaf terrorist arrested in Zamboanga City
Officials said soldiers and policemen arrested Suhudi Ocenyo Jawani alias Abu Masib and Ibno Madja in the village of Mampang.
“He is facing four counts of kidnapping and serious illegal detention,” said Major Ramon David Hontiveros, a spokesman for the military’s Western Mindanao Command in Zamboanga City.
No other details were made available about Jawani except that he was arrested on Wednesday by a joint team of military and police.
A local radio network, dzRZ-Radyo Agong which quoted unnamed police sources reported that Jawani was also implicated in past bombings in Zamboanga City.
Last week, security forces also arrested an Abu Sayyaf militant, Almujahid Susukan, on charges of kidnappings.
Susukan, a sub-leader of the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf group, is the brother of militant leaders Jawawi and Mujiv Susukan, who were both killed in separate military operations in Sulu province the past years.
Susukan was implicated in the kidnappings of 21 Asian and European holidaymakers from the Malaysian island-resort of Sipadan in 2000. Susukan was a former fighter of the Moro National Liberation Front who joined the army, but later deserted his unit and joined the Abu Sayyaf.
He was previously arrested by the military in Sulu province, however, it was unclear whether Susukan had been freed or escaped or working with the armed forces as a spy.
Many of arrested Abu Sayyaf had been used by the military as a spy, often working for bounties offered by the Philippine and US governments for the capture of known militant leaders in Mindanao. (Mindanao Examiner)
Thursday, September 17, 2009
No law was violated in Lakas-Kampi's announcement of preferred bets in 2010 polls
MANILA, Philippines - Speaker Prospero Nograles said the Wednesday meeting of the Lakas-Kampi-CMD Executive Committee where Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro and Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno emerged as the preferred presidential and vice-presidential bets of the party in 2010 national polls contravened no law.
The Speaker made the statement following concerns posed by some quarters of the possibility or violations of the election law and a Supreme Court ruling against premature announcement of official candidates.
"Why pick on us?" the House leader asked following the executive committee meeting which conducted an "intelligent and secret consensus taking" vote among the party's leaders nationwide.
Nograles even pointed out possible "hairline" transgressions that could be a concern for other parties who have declared presidential candidates. The administration party, he added, have no officially declared bets yet as the party is still in the selection process.
"We violated nothing. Compare this now with other political parties with declared candidates like the Club Filipino gig of the Liberal Party," Nograles noted.
He also is asking about the nationwide caravan of the Partido ng Masang Pilipino or PMP of former President Joseph Estrada and the barrage of infor-commercials costing hundreds of millions of certain declared presidential candidates.
"Even the so-called live television debates of declared presidential candidates aired by ABS-CBN's ANC channel. Talk shows like Wowowee...the Strictly Politics radio interviews of declared presidential candidates and their countrywide mini-rallies including the launch of campaign contributions dubbed as 'piso-piso' are held even in Davao City and elsewhere," Nograles said.
The SWS Pulse Asia surveys publishing the status of the race of candidates for president and related activities "could be defeating the essence" of our election law relative to the prohibited early campaign activities, he said.
"These acts are designed to promote or defeat a candidate or candidates. Under this legal observation, everyone could be disqualified from running especially those leading in surveys. And that is precisely the heart of dissenting opinions of the now celebrated early campaign doctrine of the Supreme Court," Nograles surmised. (Gil Bugaoisan)
Mindanao Examiner Special: Zamboanga del Norte Subanon Reunification Ritual
Mindanao Examiner Special: Zamboanga del Norte Subanon Reunification Ritual Part 2
Mindanao Examiner TV Week In Review September 6-12, 2009
Mindanao Examiner TV Week In Review September 6-12, 2009 Part 2
Troops attack MILF camp in Zamboanga province
2 killed, 15 wounded in South RP grenade blast
ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / September 17, 2009) – Two villagers were killed and more than a dozen injured in a grenade attack in the southern Filipino province of Sulu, the military said on Thursday.
It said the explosion occurred shortly before midnight Wednesday at a carnival on a village called Tubig Puti in the town of Luuk.
“Two civilians were killed and 15 are wounded in the explosion. They were hit by shrapnel,” said Major Ramon David Hontiveros, a spokesman for the Western Mindanao Command.
He said authorities are still investigating the motive of the attack. No individual or group has claimed responsibility for the blast, but the terrorist Abu Sayyaf group is actively operating in the area. Clan war is also common in Sulu.
On Monday night, an explosion also rocked the port of Jolo in the province where US troops, escorted by a small team of Filipino soldiers, were unloading cargoes from a boat.
The soldiers, who panicked by the explosion, indiscriminately fired their weapons, hitting a mosque and several small buildings at the port.
US and Filipino troops involved in the shooting ignored investigations by the police and port authorities. The US troops previously closed down a hospital in the province on suspicion wounded rebels were being treated there.
American Special Forces are deployed in Sulu since 2006 and have been assisting the local military in defeating the Abu Sayyaf. (Mindanao Examiner)
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Davao farmers get loan assistance
The beneficiaries of the two million pesos loan assistance were members of the Davao City Coconut Farmers Federation Incorporated.
The lawmaker’s son and chief of staff, lawyer Karlo Nograles, facilitated the release Friday of the loan without interest to help coconut farmers.
He said the money was part of the five million pesos earlier pledged to coconut farmers during a memorandum of agreement signed by the solon, the PCA and Davao City Coconut Farmers Federation Incorporated.
Nograles said the remaining three million pesos will be given to the farmers if they are religious in paying their loan within five years without interest. The amount received by the coconut farmers corresponded to the size of their farms.
“A total of 610 hectares corresponding to 225 coconut farmers in Talomo District and 100 more coconut farmers in Toril District are the beneficiaries of this loan assistance,” the young Nograles said.
He said the Office of the House Speaker acted as guarantor to the loan which can help the farmers improve their situation.
“This is the first time that such kind of loan assistance is given to coconut farmers in Davao City. We hope the farmers use the money wisely and repay them back so others can benefit also from the loan assistance,” Nograles said.
The loan, he said, is part of the so-called “Oplan Kabuhayan” program of the solon to help improve the lives of many poor families in Davao City.
Sayyaf militant arrested in Zamboanga City
ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / September 16, 2009) – Security forces have arrested an Abu Sayyaf militant in the southern Philippines port city of Zamboanga, officials said on Wednesday.
Major Ramon David Hontiveros, a spokesman for the military’s Western Mindanao Command, said a joint team of soldiers and policemen arrested Almujahid Susukan on charges of kidnappings.
“An AFP-PNP (Armed Forces of the Philippines-Philippine National Police) team recently arrested Almujahid Susukan in Zamboanga City by virtue of warrants of arrest for 21 counts of kidnappings and serious illegal detention,” Hontiveros said.
He did not say when the arrest took place or give details of the operation in Zamboanga City, but the ABS-CBN television reported that Susukan was nabbed by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group at the local port on September 9.
It said Susukan, a sub-leader of the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf group, is the brother of Jawawi and Mujiv Susukan, both militants who were killed in separate military offensive in Sulu province the past years.
Susukan was implicated in the kidnappings of 21 Asian and European holidaymakers from the Malaysian island-resort of Sipadan in 2000.
The report said Susukan was a former Moro rebel who later joined the army, but later deserted his unit and joined the Abu Sayyaf. He was previously arrested by the military in Sulu province, however, it was unclear whether Susukan had been freed or escaped or working with the armed forces as a spy.
Many of arrested Abu Sayyaf had been used by the military as a spy, often working for bounties offered by the Philippine and US governments for the capture of known militant leaders in Mindanao. (Mindanao Examiner)
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Fractured opposition makes Defense chief a viable administration presidential bet, says House Speaker
Defense chief Gilberto Teodoro, left, shakes hands with Governor Sakur Tan during his visit in Sulu province in the southern Philippines. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)MANILA, Philippines - House Speaker Prospero Nograles said the obviously discordant tunes emanating from the various opposition camps could spell good omen to Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro or whoever the administration party, Lakas-Kampi-CMD would finally choose as its standard bearer in 2010.
"Faced with a fractured opposition, Gibo is now emerging as a viable candidate. While the opposition is singing discordant tunes as to their presidential candidate, the administration remains very solid and its machinery remains very intact. This is a welcome and a most likely scenario," Nograles said, but he added that a square-off between Teodoro and Senator Benigno Aquino III in what is dubbed as the "Battle of Tarlac" or a four-cornered fight among Teodoro, Aquino, Senator Chiz Escudero and Senator Manuel Villar will be a very exciting political match.
Teodoro and Aquino are first cousins and are natives of Tarlac province where they both started and nurtured their political careers. Teodoro, Aquino and Escudero on the other hand belongs to the same generation of political leaders.
"These are three young men of the same generation making a political statement for the future. It will be a very exciting match," Nograles said.
This position of Nograles is in sync with the declared preference of Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno for Teodoro as his running mate in the 2010 elections as he noted the groundswell of support for the defense chief by key provincial political stalwarts.
Puno said that out of 81 governors nationwide, an overwhelming 49 governors have already committed their support for Teodoro.
"Sec. Teodoro is certainly one of the most viable and able nominees ready to assume leadership," said Nograles, who is also party Vice-Chairman as he pointed out last week's announcement of the administration's standard bearer would now signal Lakas-Kampi's nationwide mobilization to ensure the party's victory in 2010 polls.
In terms of experience, capability, dependability, maturity and leadership, Nograles thinks that "Teodoro is steps ahead among our options," the House leader said. (Gil Bugaoisan)
Army man who killed 2 soldiers is captured in Mindanao
MAGUINDANAO, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / September 15, 2009) – Government troops have captured an infantryman who killed two soldiers and wounded another in a shooting spree near an army base in the southern Philippines, officials said Tuesday.
Colonel Jonathan Ponce, a spokesman for the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, said the soldier - Private First Class Jefferson Brillo – was captured late Monday after he was tracked down on a remote village in Barira town in Maguindanao province.
“He will face charges for killing the two soldiers and the wounding of another army trooper,” Ponce said told the Mindanao Examiner.
Brillo shot his commander Sergeant Alex Guimata and Corporal Ernesto Dumaboc in a fit of rage after he was reprimanded for drinking.
Another soldier, Corporal Randy Lainera, is recuperating at a military hospital after being shot also. Brillo escaped after the shooting. Ponce said the soldier broke several bones after he jumped from a cliff to evade pursuing troops. He was brought to hospital, he said.
The sergeant confronted Brillo, a sentinel at a detachment of 38th Infantry Battalion in Tugaig village in Barira town, after he was caught drinking at a store near the battalion headquarters.
Brillo, who was supposed to man the detachment, went to his bunker and returned armed with automatic rifle and then without warning opened fire on the soldiers before escaping on foot, Ponce said.
Early this month, an infantryman, Technical Sergeant Policarpio dela Cruz, also shot and killed two army soldiers and injured five others after he opened fire on them at an army base also in the town.
The shooter was also shot and wounded by other soldiers. Those killed in the shooting were identified as Sergeant Bernard de Guzman and Private First Class Christopher Pagatpatan. While the wounded were Lieutenant Colonel Aniceto Vicente, Major Fe Ea, Second Lieutenant Grace Sumalbag, Sergeant Ronaldo Saraza and Corporal Dennis Bergante.
The motive of the shooting is still unknown, but the army spokesman said Dela Cruz was observed to be acting abnormally before the attack. (Mindanao Examiner)
US troops escape blast in Jolo
Undated photos show US troops in the southern Philippine province of Sulu. A blast hit a wharf in the capital town of Jolo where US troops are unloading equipment from a boat on Monday, September 14, 2009. (Midnanao Examiner Photo)Officials said the blast occurred late Monday, but there were no reports of casualties.
“There is an ongoing investigation into the blast. Soldiers found no shrapnel in the area and we still don’t know who was behind it,” said Major Ramon David Hontiveros, a spokesman for the Philippine military’s Western Mindanao Command in Zamboanga City.
He said the explosion occurred near a military detachment adjacent a building where stalls are selling small electronic appliances and textiles. Hontiveros said a pillbox was probably used in the attack since no fragments of explosive were found in the area.
The military earlier said a grenade exploded in the wharf where the American troops were unloading cargoes from their boat.
Locals also reported they heard a burst of automatic gunfire following the explosion. Other reports said soldiers indiscriminately fired their weapons, hitting a nearby mosque and small buildings, but this was denied by Hontiveros.
“That’s not true,” he told the Mindanao Examiner.
Police has begun an investigation into the explosion. “We have dispatched a team to investigate the blast,” Inspector Usman Pingay, the town’s police chief, told by phone from Jolo.
Pingay said the wharf was tightly secured by local soldiers and policemen at the time of the blast.
Dozens of US troops are deployed in Jolo the past years and have been assisting local military in defeating Abu Sayyaf terrorism. They have put up a base inside a military headquarters, but it is off-limits to Filipino soldiers.
American soldiers are also helping in various humanitarian projects aimed at winning hearts and minds and get the support of the local Muslims. (Mindanao Examiner)
Monday, September 14, 2009
House Speaker's son gets overwhelming support; to run for Congress in 2010 polls
Nograles, a lawyer by profession and son and also chief of staff of House Speaker Prospero Nograles, thanked all who continue to support him. The young Nograles celebrated his birthday with supporters, well-wishers and family members and relatives at simple bash at Felis Resort in the village of Matina Aplaya last week.
Majority of those who attended the party praised the lawyer and his father for their many humanitarian programs in Davao City’s 1st District. One villager gifted Nograles with a basket of fruits and promised to support his political plan.
Nograles is said to be eyeing to replace his father as congressman in the 1st District. The elder Nograles, who is also noted lawyer, is on his third and last term.
Many supporters of the father and son tandem praised them for their various projects – from health care to education and infrastructure - that benefited tens of thousands of their constituents.
Another soldier runs amuck, kills 2 infantrymen at army post in Mindanao
Army soldiers guard a bridge in the Maguindanao town of Datu Saudi Ampatuan in the southern Philippines as an old man bikes his way through. Two soldiers were killed in Maguindanao after an infantryman went on a murderous rampage. (Mindanao Examiner Photo / Mark Navales)
COTABATO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / September 14, 2009) – The Philippine Army mounted a massive search on Monday for a foot soldier who killed two infantry men and wounded one more in a shooting spree in Mindanao.
The soldier, Private First Class Jefferson Brillo, shot his commander Sergeant Alex Guimata and Corporal Ernesto Dumaboc in a fit of rage after he was reprimanded for drinking.
Another soldier, Corporal Randy Lainera, is recuperating at a military hospital after being shot also. Brillo escaped after the shooting, said Colonel Jonathan Ponce, a spokesman for the Army’s 6th Infantry Division in Maguindanao province.
“The perpetrator is still at-large,” he told the Mindanao Examiner.
Ponce said the sergeant confronted Brillo, a sentinel at a detachment of 38th Infantry Battalion in Tugaid village in Barira town, after he was caught drinking at a store near the battalion headquarters.
Brillo, who was supposed to man the detachment, went to his bunker and returned armed with automatic rifle and then without warning opened fire on the soldiers before escaping on foot, the official said.
Early this month, an infantry man also shot and killed two army soldiers and injured five others after he opened fire on them at an army base in Maguindanao’s Tugaig town.
The shooter, Technical Sergeant Policarpio dela Cruz, was also shot and wounded by other soldiers.
Those killed in the shooting were identified as Sergeant Bernard de Guzman and Private First Class Christopher Pagatpatan. While the wounded were Lieutenant Colonel Aniceto Vicente, Major Fe Ea, Second Lieutenant Grace Sumalbag, Sergeant Ronaldo Saraza and Corporal Dennis Bergante.
The motive of the shooting is still unknown, but the army spokesman said Dela Cruz was observed to be acting abnormally before the attack. (Mindanao Examiner)
Philippine Air Force chief visits Maguindanao air base
The Philippine Air force Tactical Operation Group 12 headed by Colonel Laurcris Tumanda welcomes Philippine Air Force chief Lieutenant General Oscar Rabena, left, during his weekend visit in Datu Odin Sinsuat town in Maguindanao province. (Mindanao Examiner Photo / Mark Navales)Davao village benefits from medical mission
Lawyer Karlo Nograles, son and chief of staff of House Speaker Prospero Nograles, joins a recent medical mission in Barangay Bago Aplaya in Davao City in the southern Philippines.DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Some 1,000 villagers benefited from a medical mission launched by House Speaker Prospero Nograles in the southern Philippine city of Davao.
The medical mission was launched Barangay Bago Aplaya in coordination with the Davao Medical Center, whose doctors and nurses provided free consultation and medicines, said lawyer Karlo Nograles, the lawmaker’s son and chief of staff.
The mission, he said, is part of the “Oplan Kalusugan” program, which aims to provide better health services for residents of the 1st District where the solon belongs.
“This medical mission is a year-long activity initiated by the House Speaker to promote good health and well being of his residents,” the young Nograles said. “Aside from medical missions, the Office of the House Speaker also offers free Phil health cards and medical assistance to poor residents in the first district lessen their burden if ever they are sick.”
Residents praised the Nograleses for their humanitarian programs.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Philippine rebels to target US troops deployed in Mindanao
A Filipino and US soldier patrol the southern Philippine town of Jolo. A US chopper also hovers in the town while a military transport plane takes off in Zamboanga City in Mindanao. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)Rebels were told wage an all-out struggle against the deployment and intervention of American soldiers in the internal armed conflict in the Philippines.
Jorge Madlos, a spokesman for the NDF in Mindanao, said the all-out war was in response to the statement by US Defense Secretary Robert Gates that Pentagon would continue to involve itself in the "counter-insurgency" war in the Philippines.
Gates earlier said that some 600 US counter-terrorism troops will remain in the southern Philippines, where Filipino soldiers are battling communist and Muslim insurgents that past four decades.
Madlos said the US position was echoed by Filipino Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro who was in the US last week for a meeting with Gates and Central Intelligence Agency Director Leon Panetta.
“US imperialism has become ever more arrogant and overbearing in asserting its imperial power over the Philippines. It is trampling on Philippine sovereignty with utter impunity emboldened by the outright puppetry and servility of the Arroyo government,” Madlos said in a statement.
He said the US military has established its permanent presence in the Philippines through the auspices of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA). Many of the US soldiers are currently deployed in Mindanao under the Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines headquartered in Zamboanga City.
Madlos said US military forces have been increasingly involved in counter-guerrilla operations.
He said US troops are engaged in electronic and satellite surveillance as well as provide battlefield logistical support to the Philippine military. Teams of US soldiers have been seen embedded in Armed Forces of the Philippines units in combat field operations as well as in tactical command posts.
“The patriotic people of Mindanao do not welcome the permanent presence and intervention of US troops in Mindanao and elsewhere in the Philippines. They are not deceived by the so-called humanitarian operations being conducted by the US that aim to camouflage their military interventionism,” Madlos said as he warned American troops against encroaching in guerrilla fronts in Mindanao where there is a great possibility of armed encounters with the NPA.
The Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, which is composed of various progressive organizations, has also opposed to the presence of US troops in Mindanao and said the VFA violates the Philippines’ sovereignty and justifies the prolonged presence of American forces in the country despite the absence of any basing treaty.
The US military has denied it is involved in combat in the southern Philippines, but there were many reports about its clandestine intelligence operations and the crashes of unmanned aerial vehicles in areas where communist and Muslim rebels are actively operating. (Mindanao Examiner)
Saturday, September 12, 2009
2,400 get free health cards in Davao City
DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Some 2,400 residents of the Davao City’s 1st District received their health cards as part of a program by House Speaker Prospero Nograles.
The solon’s son and chief of staff, lawyer Karlo Nograles, led the distribution of the Philhealth (Philippine Health) cards for Barangay 35-D and residents of Talomo District.
Nograles started distribution of the health cards in 2004 and since then more than 25,000 Philhealth cards have been given mostly to poor residents as part of the so-called “Oplan Kalusugan.”
Aside from Philhealth cards, Nograles also provides medical assistance to those the sick through his Congressional Medical Assistance Program (CMAP) which is primarily implemented at the Davao Medical Center.
The lawmaker and his son have also led various medical and humanitarian missions in Davao City.