ILIGAN CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Sept. 24, 2010) – Gunmen seized at least 7 people in the Muslim province of Maguindanao in the restive region of Mindanao in the southern Philippines, officials said Friday.
Officials said the victims were in two passenger vehicles bound for Marawi City in Lanao del Sur province when gunmen seized them on a road block in the village called Bayanga Norte in Matanog town.
At least 15 gunmen were involved in the abduction, said Lieutenant Colonel Randolph Cabangbang, a regional army spokesman. He said the abduction was believed to be in connection to the September 13 kidnapping of Aris Lidasan in Lanao del Sur’s Lumba Bayabao town.
“The motive of the abduction is believed to be in retaliation to the kidnapping of Lidasan,” he told the Mindanao Examiner.
Lidasan is still being held hostage by his captors.
It was unknown whether those abducted are family members of relatives of the kidnappers, Cabangbang said troops were sent to the province to track down the perpetrators and their hostages.
Last year, gunmen abducted and murdered at least 57 people, more than half of them were journalists accompanying a political caravan of town official in Maguindanao.
The governor of the Muslim autonomous region, Zaldy Ampatuan; his father, Andal Ampatuan Sr. and brother Andal Ampatuan Jr. and other relatives have been accused of masterminding the killings.
Ampatuan’s deputy governor Ansaruddin Adiong and a staunch ally now sits as the acting governor of the troubled Muslim autonomous region. (Mindanao Examiner)
Friday, September 24, 2010
Gunmen seize 7 people in Muslim Maguindanao
Justice For Maguindanao Massacre Victims; 10 Months Had Passed!
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Philippine military bares completed peace, development projects
Officials said a total of 1,691 projects were completed from 2005 to 2010, mostly from the government’s Kalayaan sa Barangay Program which had been undertaken through the National Development Support Command.
Among the projects were school buildings, daycare and health centers, rural electrification, potable water system and farm-to-market roads. “Most of these projects were completed in cooperation and support of local government units, government agencies, nongovernment organizations and other stakeholders nationwide,” said According to Army Captain Emmanuel Garcia, of the National Development Support Command.
Garcia said 54 more infrastructure projects across the country are ongoing and nearing completion by military engineers.
He said Major General Carlos Holganza, commander of National Development Support Command, is happy with the projects because of the contribution of troops in nation- building.
“These worthwhile projects were made thru the peace and development initiatives of the government and genuine care of our peace builder-soldiers for our people,” Holganza said.
Of the total number of completed projects, 794 are in Luzon, 511 in the Visayas and 386 Mindanao. (Mindanao Examiner)
6 killed in clan war in Philippines
Relatives bury the victims of attack in Patikul town in Sulu province in the southern Philippines. (Mindanao Examiner Photo - Nickee Butlangan). ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Sept. 23, 2010) – Gunmen killed six people in an attack on a Muslim village in what police claimed was triggered by a long time clan war in the southern Filipino province of Sulu.
Police said it launched an operation on Thursday to track down the murderers in the town of Patikul. The attack late Wednesday also left two more people wounded.
“We are still investigating the attack, but initial reports pointed to rido or clan war as the motive of the killings,” said Senior Superintendent Joseph Ramac, chief of the Sulu police force.
He said more policemen were sent to the village to prevent the escalation of hostilities between the warring clans. "We have additional forces in the area," he told the Mindanao Examiner by phone from Sulu province.
Clan war is not uncommon in the southern Philippines, particularly among Muslim clans and the U.S. Agency for International Development and think-tank The Asia Foundation have said more than 3,000 people have been killed over the past seven decades in family feuds in the restive region.
Rido can involve disputes among family members or among two or more rival families, pitting neighbors or different ethnic groups against each other. The disputes center on issues of land, money, marriage or political power and involve revenge killings.
The violence increases with each act of retaliation, broadening to include those not directly involved in the dispute, including women and children, according to the Asia Foundation, adding, some feuds lasted for decades. (With a report from Nickee Butlangan)
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Davao Hosts Asia's 1st Regional Bird Conservation Fair
DAVAO CITY, Philippines - Birdwatchers, conservationists and eco-tourism promoters from all over Asia and elsewhere have their eyes on the Philippines, which is hosting Asia's first-ever region-wide bird festival.
The Wild Bird Club of the Philippines said the First Asian Bird Fair will be held in Davao City from September 24 to 26, tandem with the 6th Philippine Bird Festival, the country's premier avian conservation and eco-tourism event. The milestone event is co-hosted by the Philippine Eagle Foundation and the Davao City government.
The First Asian Bird Fair-themed "Nurture Nature, Save our Future"—is a common initiative of the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines, the Bird Conservation Society of Thailand, the Chinese Wild Bird Federation, the Wild Bird Society of Taipei, the Malaysian Nature Society and the Nature Society (Singapore).
The Asian Bird Fair, which highlights the respective bird festivals of the participating countries, seeks to enrich eco-tourism through birdwatching and promote the natural and cultural heritage of host cities.
The Asian Bird Fair and 6th Philippine Bird Festival will be held at the Waterfront Insular Hotel Davao on 24-25 September. Entrance to the Asian Bird Fair exhibit area is free of charge, according to organizers.
Highlights of the fair include the Bird Conservation Forum and turn-over ceremony to representatives of the Chinese Wild Bird Federation, host of next year's Asian Bird Fair in Tainan City. International and Philippine delegates will also tour the Philippine Eagle Center and Eden Garden Resorts while in Davao.
WBCP president Michael Lu said the fair will include photo exhibits, presentations and fun activities for all.
Children can also look forward to a guided tour at low tide of the tidal flats fronting the Waterfront Insular Hotel, where children can have a close look at marine species like fiddler crabs and mudskippers as well as spectacular views of herons, egrets and shorebirds.
Lu expects the event to draw bird watchers, conservationists, eco-tourism promoters, sustainable development providers, and nature lovers from around the country, Asia and Europe.
Alice Real, chairperson of the committee organizing the 1st Asian Bird Festival and 6th Philippine Bird Festival, said the latest initiative is a significant move to draw attention to pressing conservation issues.
"We can make a significant difference to protect the rich bird life and habitats of our islands, whilst promoting responsible enjoyment of nature and encouraging related sustainable businesses in the local communities," Real said in a statement.
International groups participating in the Asian Bird Festival are Chinese Wild Bird Federation, Bird Conservation Society of Thailand, Malaysian Nature Society, Nature Society of Singapore, Wild Bird Society of Taipei, Shanghai Wild Bird Society, Wild Bird Society of Tainan, Hong Kong Birdwatching Society, Asian Raptor Research and Conservation Network, Borneo Bird Club, Hornbill Research Foundation, the Biodiversity and Nature Conservation Association, Bird Conservation Nepal and the Oriental Bird Club.
Local organizations joining are Conservation International, Fauna and Flora International, Katala Foundation, WWF-Philippines, Isla Biodiversity Conservation, Birding Adventure Philippines, KAAKBAY, Malagos Garden Resort, Monfort Bat Cave & Conservation Foundation, Philippine Association of Wildlife Veterinarians, Philippine Wild Bird Photographers, My Zoo Foundation, Earth Island Institute, City of Alaminos (Pangasinan), City of Balanga (Bataan) and the Municipality of Candaba (Pampanga).
Troops rescue kidnapped Zamboanga junk shop owner
ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Sept. 21, 2010) – Government troops rescued Monday a kidnapped Chinese-Filipino trader in a daring raid on a hideout in Zamboanga City in the southern Philippines, officials said.
Officials said four gang members were captured in the raid in Talon-Talon village where Vinton So was recovered at around 3:30 p.m. The raiders, led by Colonel Santiago Baluyot, commander of an anti-terror task force, swooped down on the gang’s hideout and rescued the 47-year old junk shop owner without firing any shots.
“It was quick. The kidnappers were surprised by the raid and we rescued Vinton So without any shots fired,” Baluyot said, adding, the rescue was part of an intelligence operation with the police.
He said the four kidnappers – two of them women – were being investigated if they have links with the Abu Sayyaf rebels, whose group is tied with the al-Qaeda and Jemaah Islamiya, blamed for the spate of kidnappings and terrorism in the restive region.
“Most of the kidnappers are from Jolo (town) in Sulu (province) and we still don’t know if they have links or members of the Abu Sayyaf. They are still being interrogated,” Santiago said.
Gunmen abducted So inside his junk shop in the village of Santa Maria on Sunday afternoon, but his family only reported the incident later in the day.
So was among several prominent people kidnapped this year in Zamboanga City where suspected Abu Sayyaf militants also seized Vicente Barrios, a fish pond operator; and Charlie Reith, a land owner. Both had been freed in exchange for ransoms.
Dozens of traders and businessmen in Zamboanga said they have also received threats from kidnappers and urged authorities to put efforts in protecting them.
Several people were also kidnapped in Zamboanga City in recent years and were released after their families paid huge ransoms.
Suspected Abu Sayyaf kidnappers are also holding two Malaysian seaweed farmers and have demanded two million ringgits in exchange for their safe release.
The duo - Tsen Vui Chung, 42, and his cousin Lai Wing Chau, 33, - were seized in February from their farm in the island of Pulau Sebangkit in Sabah and were taken to Tawi-Tawi province in the southern Philippines. (Mindanao Examiner)
RP faces new tensions with China over Spratly Islands: VERA Files
MANILA, Philippines - Even before the diplomatic tension created by the Aug. 23 hostage crisis has subsided, President Benigno Aquino III will have to deal with another strain on the country’s relationship with China: the dormant yet sensitive issue of the contested Spratly Islands.
The Spratlys dispute will be high on the agenda when Aquino meets his counterparts in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and U.S. President Barack Obama on Friday in New York.
The ASEAN-U.S. Leaders Meeting is expected to tackle the territorial dispute in the context of maritime security under the broad agenda “Maintenance of Regional Stability.”
The meeting comes after the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) announced on Tuesday it was pushing through with the plan to develop Pag-asa Island, which is part of the Spratlys group, into a tourist spot.
AFP spokesman Brig. Gen. Jose Mabanta said major repairs are underway for the airstrip and the pier on the main island of Pag-Asa that needed “a lot of renovation due to poor maintenance, longstanding neglect and deterioration.”
Last Thursday, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) received a call from China’s Ambassador to the Philippines Liu Jianchao, who said the plan was not a welcome pronouncement at a time when the two countries were still ironing out the issue of the Aug. 23 hostage incident that killed eight Hong Kong tourists.
The ambassador also asked about the final report of the government probe on the incident which was still not ready then. The report was presented to the President only last Friday.
But in an interview with defense reporters last month, Navy Flag Officer-in-Command Rear Admiral Danilo Cortez said repairs on the eroded part of the Pag-asa airstrip were on-going. As a result, supply missions to the Philippine-claimed Kalayaan Island Group had to be done monthly now, compared to the previous quarterly.
Cortez also confirmed that an incident at the Ayungin shoal became the subject of a Chinese protest in July. Soldiers stationed there were accused of firing a warning shot at a Chinese vessel. A Philippine Navy ship is beached at Ayungin shoal and serves as housing facility for AFP troops manning the area.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry in Beijing summoned the Philippine embassy in Beijing over the incident, but Cortez clarified that Philippine troops stationed there never fired a warning shot.
“Based on our inquiry, there was no shooting that happened. Actually we just flashed a light at them. To actually fire—that needed clearance from the top because that's an act provoking the other country. We had that investigated and there was none really,” Cortez said.
Before the July incident, the DFA also received a diplomatic protest from the Chinese ambassador on alleged construction activities on the same shoal, which the Philippines denied.
The Philippines occupies nine of the islands in the disputed Spratlys chain or Nansha islands in the South China Sea (SCS). Five countries lay overlapping claims to the Spratlys which are believed to be oil-rich. The Philippines along with fellow ASEAN members Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei contest ownership with China and also with Taiwan.
During the ASEAN-U.S. Leaders Meeting in New York on September 24, other items on the agenda also include “Regional Architecture and Plans for the Future” that will cover US eventual participation in the East Asia Summit (EAS).
There is also an item in the agenda called “Economic Cooperation” where the U.S. will talk about the Trans-Pacific Partnership and other areas of ASEAN-US economic cooperation.
In the draft joint statement of the 2nd ASEAN-U.S. Leaders Meeting prepared by the U.S., the leaders are expected to “oppose the use or threat of force by any claimant attempting to enforce disputed claims in the SCS [South China Sea].”
ASEAN prefers to limited the text to “reaffirming the importance of freedom of navigation, regional peace and stability, unimpeded commerce in respect for relevant universally agreed principles of international law and the peaceful settlement of dispute in the SCS.”
Both the U.S. and ASEAN, however, agreed on the text that supported a full implementation of the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the SCS and encouraged the eventual conclusion of a regional code of conduct in the SCS.
Among those agreed upon by ASEAN and China in the declaration is to “undertake to exercise self-restraint in the conduct of activities that would complicate or escalate disputes and affect peace and stability including, among others, refraining from action of inhabiting on the presently uninhabited islands, reefs, shoals, cays, and other features and to handle their differences in a constructive manner.”
In a meeting in Washington preparatory to the 2nd ASEAN-US summit, U.S. State Department Assistant Secretary Kurt Campbell and National Security Council Senior Director for Asia Jeffrey Bader briefed ASEAN ambassadors about their discussions with the Chinese government during a recent visit to Beijing.
The State Department officials said the meeting “provided clarity on expectations and behavior of all states in SCS and that they explained to China that the US statement on SCS do not seek to single out China but was a message to all states.”
In a DFA report about the highlights of that meeting, the exchange of views on regional issues showed that “the US wants to strike the exquisite balance” on issues involving maritime security to ensure that they do not create new venue for US-China tensions. However, they will remain supportive of regional efforts without having to create new mechanisms to discuss the issue.” (Tessa Jamandre - VERA Files)
Monday, September 20, 2010
Sulu launches coffee processing center
SULU, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Sept. 20, 2010) - Sulu province has formally launched its coffee processing center and is expected to boost coffee production and eventually helped local cooperatives as part of a massive agricultural program that aims to provide additional livelihoods to farmers.
Governor Sakur Tan said Sulu is one of the major producers of high quality coffee beans - Arabica and Robusta – and is the most sought after not only in the Philippines, but other Asian and European countries as well because of its distinct aroma and flavor.
Tan said the Sulu Coffee Processing Center is a joint project of the Sulu provincial government and the Act for Peace Programme headed by its area manager Suharto Abbas.
The Act for Peace Programme under its industry-based component provided some P999, 300 for the purchase of machineries while the provincial government shouldered the construction of the building that houses the coffee processing center.
The main proponent of the project is the Task Force Kahawa Sug which literally means “Sulu coffee.”
Tan said at least 56 cooperatives will benefit from the project. “We are really working hard to come up with more projects like this coffee processing center and more cooperatives will also benefit from this,” he said.
The governor has urged farmers and fishermen to form themselves into cooperatives and avail of the many various projects of the provincial government. Tan said he would also built a school which would specialize in agriculture and fisheries and offer free education to all in Sulu. (With a report from Jung Francisco)
Sunday, September 19, 2010
After the flood
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Villagers in Kidapawan City in Mindanao rebuild what is left from flash floods that submerged many areas and destroyed small houses and structures over the weekend. There were no reports of casualties, police say. (Mindanao Examiner Photo – Geo Solmerano)Troops clash with Sayyafs in Basilan province
ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Sept. 19, 2010) – An Abu Sayyaf militant was killed in a clash Sunday with Philippine soldiers in the southern province of Basilan, officials said.
Officials said the fighting erupted at dawn on a village in Lantawan town, a known stronghold of the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf group blamed for the string of attacks and kidnappings in Mindanao.
Troops also recovered an automatic rifle and munitions from the slain militant – Abdulkarim Sali - whose body was brought to Zamboanga City. But the family and relatives of the slain militant denied he was a member of the Abu Sayyaf.
“Abdulkarim Sali is a wanted Abu Sayyaf member and involved in the kidnapping (of three US citizens and over a dozen Filipinos) in Sipadan,” said First Lieutenant Jinky Perez, a regional army spokeswoman.
Perez was referring to a posh resort in Palawan province the Abu Sayyaf raided in 2001. She said Sali was also involved in several kidnappings in Basilan and included in the government’s wanted list. (Mindanao Examiner)
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Gunman attacks village official inside Zamboanga hospital
ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Sept. 18, 2010) – A village official who was shot and wounded in an attack in Zamboanga City escaped death the second time after he was attacked inside a hospital in Zamboanga City in the southern Philippines.
Edgar Mali, who was recuperating at the state-run Zamboanga Medical Center for gunshot wounds in an earlier attack, had been shot twice by one of two unidentified gunman who entered his ward late Friday.
The gunman and his accomplice fled immediately after the shooting leaving behind the bloodied official slumped on his bed. No individual claimed responsibility for the daring attack.
It was unknown how the gunman was able to sneak with his gun, but the hospital’s security is notoriously poor and the few private guards manning its compound are ill-equipped.
The hospital also has no security cameras and visitors come and go without even passing through security checks.
The motive of the attack was unknown, but Mali was shot recently while driving his motorcycle. It was not the first time that a village official was attacked in Zamboanga City where clan war or family feud are not uncommon.
Clan war or locally known as “rido” is common in many parts of the southern Philippines. The U.S. Agency for International Development and think-tank Asia Foundation have said more than 3,000 people have been killed over the past seven decades in family feuds in the southern Philippines.
In Zamboanga City, more than two dozen vengeance killings occurred in recent months in three villages involving Christian and Muslim families. And this is also common in Basilan, Sulu, Maguindanao and other parts of the Muslim autonomous region in Mindanao.
Rido can involve disputes among family members or among two or more rival families, pitting neighbors or different ethnic groups against each other. The disputes center on issues of land, money, marriage or political power and involve revenge killings.
The violence increases with each act of retaliation, broadening to include those not directly involved in the dispute, including women and children, according to the Asia Foundation, adding, some feuds lasted for decades. (Mindanao Examiner)
Zamboanga City villages brace for 8-hour blackout
ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Sept. 17, 2010) – The local electric cooperative on Friday announced an eight-hour blackout in several areas to allow maintenance work on a 69 kilovolt line in Zamboanga City in Mindanao.
Reinerio Ramos, general manager of the Zamboanga City Electric Cooperative, said the power interruption would start at 8 a.m. on Sunday and would end at 5 p.m. in areas which draw electricity from the San Roque powerhouse.
He said the repair is necessary and maintenance workers would replace an old wooden pole of Structure No. 6. “The shut-off schedule will also give ample time for the replacement of broken insulators on Structures Nos. 13 and 16 and the armoring of conductor between Structures No. 1 and 2,” Ramos said.
He said the work is part of regular transmission line maintenance for this year which is being undertaken by the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines.
“Please bear with us during this power interruption. This work is being done to upgrade the NGCP power system for safe energy delivery to our cooperative,” he said. (With a report from Jung Francisco)
Friday, September 17, 2010
Robin Padilla, itinakwil ng mga Muslim!
Si Robin ay isang Balik-Islam at isinuko na nito noon ang buong buhay sa pagpapalaganap ng kanyang relihiyon matapos na makulong ng mahabang panahon sa kasong illegal possession of firearms.
Ngunit nabigla ang maraming Muslim sa Mindanao matapos na mabalitaanang tinalikuran nito ang Islam matapos na ikasal kamakailan kay Mariel ng isang “mambunong” o katutubong pari ng mga Ibaloi o Nabaloi, isang indigenous tribe sa hilagang Luzon at sa Cordillera region at kabilang sa mga hanay ng Igorot.
Kasama ni Robin ang ilang kaanak nito, gayun rin si Ali, ang kanyang bunsong anak sa unang asawa na si Liezel Sicangco.
Sa pangalan pa lang ng anak ni Robin ay Muslim rin ang dinala nito at gayun rin si Queenie na ilang ulit nagtungo sa Mindanao para sa ibat-ibang humanitarian mission na pinakinabangan ng maraming mga Muslim.
Nabatid pang gumamit sina Robin at Mariel ng mga bahag na tradisyon naman ng mga Igorot. Mistulang ibinasura na rin ng action star ang lagging gamit nitong skull cap at shawl na tradisyonal naman sa mga Muslim. May lahing Igorot ang angkan ni Robin dahil ang ina nitong si Eva Cariño ay isang Igorot.
Ayon naman sa ulat ng ABS-CBN ay benindisyunan ng Ibaloi priest sina Robin at Mariel. “Pinainom ng tapuy o rice wine bilang simbolo ng kanilang pagmamahalan. At sumayaw pa raw ng tayao, isang katutubong sayaw para ipaalam sa publiko na sila'y kasal na.”
“Nagkatay din daw ng baboy. Ipinahid sa pisngi ang dugo para ipakita na sila'y legal na kasal sa kulturang Igorot,” ani sa ulat.
Nagtagal umano ng isa't kalahating oras ang kasalan at matapos nito ay muling ikinasal ang dalawa sa isang pastor sa loob ng bahay sa Baguio.
Binatikos naman ng isang religious leader na nagpakilalang si Imam Abdul Malik ang biglaang pagtalikod ni Robin sa kanyang paniniwala kay Allah at sa relihiyong Islam at mas matindi umano ang pagkatay ng baboy at pagpahid ng dugo nito sa mukha ng action star na isa umanong “haram” o mahigpit na ipinagbabawal sa mga Muslim.
Bawal kasi sa Islam ang anumang may kinalaman sa baboy dahil marumi ang tingin ng mga Muslim sa nasabing hayup base na rin sa turo ng Quoran, ang holy book ng mga ito.
“That is blasphemy. Robin has indirectly relinquished his Islamic faith when he accepted the fact that the animal was sacrificed and its blood wiped on his face as part of the Ibaloi ritual. That is haram, that is forbidden,” ani ng Imam sa panayam ng Mindanao Examiner.
Idinagdag pa nitong: “He shall be punished (by Allah) in the afterlife. Robin is deemed incommunicado.”
Maging ang rebeldeng Moro Islamic Liberation Front ay nagulat at nadismaya rin sa balita at sinabing mahina ang pananalig ni Robin sa kanyang relihiyon at paniniwala.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
4th Infantry Division plays teacher, tour guide to children in Mindanao
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Sept. 16, 2010) – The Philippine Army’s 4th Infantry Division has opened its doors to school children, allowing them to tour the sprawling camp in Cagayan de Oro City in northern Mindanao.
Officials said it was part of a commitment to reach out to children and inspire them to become responsible citizens and at the same time educate them about the role of the military in peacekeeping efforts and as a partner in nation-building.
The children were amazed by sights of armor tanks and howitzer cannons and even posed for photos with soldiers who acted as their guides and storytellers. Troops led by Major General Victor Felix, the commander of the 4th Infantry Division, warmly welcomed and interacted and mingled with the children.
“The 4th Infantry Division personnel proved that they are not only the protectors of the land, but they are also their partners in community and nation-building and that these children and their parents can depend on them in their dream of having a better and brighter atmosphere that is viable for their growth and well-being,” said Lieutenant Colonel Triumph Bagaipo, the army spokesman.
He said through these efforts, troops are leading the way in showing their concern and commitment to the children in also helping promote a better environment and opportunity for them to live peacefully and harmoniously as the future and hope of the country.
Bagaipo said as part of the army’s commitment, it would provide support to the Batang Himsog Program, an in-school health and nutrition feeding and livelihood program and initiative of the Anak Mindanao party list group.
The program is also in partnership with the Department of Education, the local government units and the Katilingbanong Pamahandi sa Mindanaw Foundation Incorporated. It aims to help lessen and slowly eradicate malnutrition in rural villages in Misamis Oriental province.
The program aims to address the problem of malnutrition by providing daily breakfast to at least 4,000 Grade 1 pupils in 85 schools of Gingoog City, Claveria, Magsaysay and Misoret town.
“The 4th Infantry Division is optimistic in this program that could help children in the rural areas to receive proper nutrition and education so that they can become healthy and ready to take on any challenge and opportunity that they shall meet as they grow up,” Bagaipo said. (Mindanao Examiner)
Tropang Kano, pinalalayas sa Pinas!
Naglunsad ng isang protesta ngayon Huwebes, Setyembre 16, 2010 sa lungsod ng Cotabato sa Mindanao ang ibat-ibang grupo na tutol sa pananatili ng mga tropang Amerikano sa bansa. (Larawan ng Kawagib Human Rights)Pinangunahan mismo ng US Troops OUT Now! Mindanao Coalition ang nasabing protesta kaugnay ng paggunita sa pagpapasara sa mga base militar ng Estados Unidos sa bansa nuong 1991.
Ayon sa OUT Now! Coalition ang September 16 ay makasaysayang araw dahil nagpapakita lamang ito ng tagumpay ng diwa ng patriyotismo ng sambayanang Pilipino laban sa pananatili ng mga tropang Amerikano at ang panghihimasok ng gobyerno ng Estados Unidos sa pamahalaan ng bansa.
“Hindi pa natatapos ang ating laban para sa tunay na kalayaan, hanggang sa ngayon ay nananatili pa rin ang presensya ng mga tropang kano lalo na sa Mindanao at ang pagsali nila sa mga operasyong militar sa lugar na mayroong armadong tunggalian na nagreresulta sa mga paglabag sa karapatang pantao,” ani Michael Dumamba, ang convenor ng koalisyon ng ibat-ibang progresibong grupo.
Nanawagan din ang grupo na muling sariwain ang diwa ng pagiging palaban ng mga Pilipino at isulong ang pagbabasura sa Visiting Forces Agreement dahil sa maraming kaso diumano ng paglabag sa karapatang pantao at pagyurak sa pambansang soberanya ng Pilipinas.
Filipino farmers’ group asks additional flatbed dryers
ILOILO, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Sept. 16, 2010) - A group of rice farmers in the town of Pavia are requesting for additional flatbed dryers to accommodate their drying needs during harvest season.
Eduardo Alcazarem, president of Palacat-tian Irrigators Association, said their lone dryer is insufficient to dry all the harvests of their members.
He said association has more than 800 hectare service area.
“We cannot dry all the produce of our members simultaneously, this is why we would like to ask for additional units of flatbed dryer. It is really a big help to us,” he said.
According to Alcazarem, the FBD gave work to the community since it started its operation in August 2008. Out-of-school youth were hired as laborers to earn additional income.
He said the quality of the grains dried using the FBD is much better compared to solar drying. The National Food Authority offers higher price to FBD-dried grains because of the quality and moisture content of the grains.
Likewise, the traders in the area also prefer to buy and mill FBD-dried grains because of good milling recovery, he added. “With the flatbed dryer, we can dry our harvest even at night and store it the following day,” he said.
Before the association acquired the dryer, the farmers were forced to sell their harvest at a lower price to avoid rotting, he said.
“Now, the members just bring their harvest here and they can get it the next day. The 30 pesos drying fee includes the fuel and the payment for the laborers and operator,” Alcazarem said, adding, members of the association who avail of the drying services are charged 30 pesos per sack.
According to Sharon Rose Jucaban, senior institutional development officer of the National Irrigation Administration in Region 6, the dryer operates 24 hours to serve the members of the association.
To continuously use the dryer, the association makes sure the damaged parts of the dryer are replaced immediately. Some of the improvements made by the association include the replacement of the flooring from perforated screen to bamboo slat and the extension of the shed.
The distribution of the flatbed dryers to irrigators association is part of the mechanical drying program to farm cluster of the Department of Agriculture. (Erwin S. Embuscado)
3 soldiers killed in Sayyaf ambush in southern Philippines
Police said the soldiers were patrolling the village of Bohe Lebung when the militants attacked them at around 6:15 a.m. The soldiers belong to the 32nd Infantry Battalion, it said.
It said the attackers were followers of Nur Hassan Jamiri and Long Sulayman, both had been tagged as behind the spate of ambuscades and kidnappings-for-ransom in Basilan, one of five provinces under the troubled Muslim autonomous region.
The fighting lasted about 30 minutes. It was not immediately known whether any of the ambushers were killed or wounded.
Army troops have been deployed in Basilan, just several nautical miles south of Zamboanga City, to help marine and police forces in fighting the insurgents.
Philippine authorities said the Abu Sayyaf also has links with the Indonesian terror group called Jemaah Islamiya. (Mindanao Examiner)
Bagong armas ng militar, dumating sa Mindanao
Hindi naman nagbigay ng pahayag ang pamunuan ng militar ukol sa armada, ngunit ayon naman sa Moro Islamic Liberation Front ay dumating umano ang mga ito sakay ng Taras Oceanic Douglas kamakailan. Kabilang umano sa mga dumating na armas ay mga amphibian tanks at high-speed boats na mayroong global positioning system.
Umabot umano sa 21 amphibian tanks at 21 airboats ang ibinaba ng nasabing barko. Ang airboats ay kalimitang gamit sa mga marshlands sa ibang bansa at sa central Mindanao na kung saan naroon ang malalaking kampo ng MILF ay napapalibutan naman ng Liguasan marsh.
Hinihinalang bahagi ang armada sa tulong na ibinigay ng Australia sa pamahalaan, ayon sa MILF, at aabot umano ang halaga ng nito sa AU$3 milyon kada taon.
Nabatid pa sa MILF na dinala ang mga bagong gamit pandigma sa kampo ng 6th Infantry Division sa Maguindanao province, na sentro naman ng puwersa ng MILF, na nakikibaka upang makamtam ang karapatan ng mga Muslim sa Mindanao.
Bukod sa MILF ay patuloy pa rin ang pakikibaka ng New People’s Army para sa sarili nitong estado katulad ng bansang Tsina. (Mindanao Examiner)
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
'Ampatuan gave bribe money to officials’: ABS-CBN
MANILA, Philippines - Prosecution witness Lakmudin Saliao continued on Wednesday his explosive testimony against his former boss, this time tagging the Ampatuan patriarch in a bribery spree to have criminal charges against the members of the family dropped.
During the 2nd day of trial of the Maguindanao massacre case, Saliao said former Maguindanao Governor Andal Ampatuan, Sr. ordered his spiritual adviser to transmit millions of money to several government and police officials to make life easier for his family.
On top of his list is former Presidential Adviser on Mindanao Affairs Jesus Dureza who was allegedly bribed P10 million to have a separate rebellion charge dropped.
The Ampatuans were also slapped with a rebellion case for allegedly disrupting government offices at the height of investigations. The government had implemented martial rule in some parts of Maguindanao to rein in the Ampatuans.
The rebellion case came after the massacre of 57 civilians on November 23. The Ampatuans allegedly masterminded the killings.
The Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 77 quashed the rebellion charges early this year. A motion for reconsideration has yet to be resolved.
Saliao, who directly linked Andal’s son and namesake to the execution of the killings, said Chief Inspector Sukarno Dicay and police officer Rainier Ebus were given P10 million each for them to retract earlier testimonies.
Another P20 million was also given to Maguindanao board member Mike Midtimbang to ensure the family’s welfare while under incarceration.
The Ampatuan patriarch supposedly gave the directives on March 11.
Prior to that, on February 28, Ampatuan Sr. supposedly instructed his spiritual adviser to give P200 million to Umbra Sinsuat, the Ampatuan’s then candidate for the position of Maguindanao governor.
The adviser, known only as Ustaj Sarid Agas, was also ordered to give P36 million to Omar Sayadi, the husband of a Maguindanao administrative officer.
Saliao also revealed that Ampatuan Sr., then under hospital arrest inside a military camp in Panakan, Davao City also ordered a son-in-law working with the Land Transportation Office to tweak the records of cars registered under their names.
Private prosecutors said they will ask the Anti-Money Laundering Council to track the bank records of the Ampatuans.
They will also start the filing of administrative charges against those who supposedly took part in bribing witnesses and families of the victims. – (Reports from Ces Drilon, ABS-CBN News)
Link:
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/09/15/10/%E2%80%98ampatuan-gave-bribe-money-officials%E2%80%99
Filipino kidnappers demand ransoms for 2 Malaysian hostages
ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Sept. 15, 2010) – Filipino gunmen holding two Malaysian seaweed farmers have demanded two million ringgits in exchange for their safe release, reports said.
The duo - Tsen Vui Chung, 42, and his cousin Lai Wing Chau, 33, - were seized in February from their farm in the island of Pulau Sebangkit in Sabah and were taken to Tawi-Tawi province in the southern Philippines.
Malaysian authorities initially said the kidnapping was connected to a labor dispute among workers in the seaweed farm and that the hostages are being held in Sabah.
But Malaysia’s The Star newspaper reported on Wednesday that the kidnappers have demanded ransoms to the families of the hostages.
“We are ordinary people. Where can we find such money?” The star quoted Tsen's wife, Chua Mui Ling, who confirmed the ransom demand.
The woman claimed they received a phone call just recently from Tsen who said they are okay and were not harmed by their captors. It was the second time the kidnappers contacted the family since the duo was seized.
It was unknown whether the kidnappers are members of the militant group Abu Sayyaf, which had kidnapped 21 mostly Western holidaymakers in Sabah’s resort island of Sipadan in 2001. The hostages were then ransomed off to Libya, which negotiated for their release, for millions of dollars. (Mindanao Examiner)
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Villagers decry militarization in Davao City
Villagers and church people hold a candlelight protest late Tuesday, September 14, 2010 to condemn the continued militarization of a village in Davao City in Mindanao. (Mindanao Examiner Photo – Karlos Manlupig)Church people and member of the Exodus for Justice and Peace also joined the rally and urged security operators to demilitarize the Paquibato District which the military claimed is under the influence of communist rebels.
The villagers lit candles and offered prayers for two civilians – Reynaldo Labrador and Julius Tamondes in Paquibato in Davao City -allegedly killed by troops and government militias since last month.
Another civilian, Vicente Felisilda, was also murdered allegedly by the military in Mawab town in Compostela Valley Province.
The communist National Democratic Front also condemned the murders and said it occurred in less than a month since President Benigno Aquino formally took office in June.
“The National Democratic Front of the Philippines-Southern Mindanao strongly condemns the continuing policy of extra-judicial killing of civilians by the new Aquino regime. Aquino has only contradicted himself when he vouched for his armed forces' commitment to champion human rights parallel to the extension of the US-sponsored and dictated counter-insurgency Oplan Bantay Laya II,” said Rubi del Mundo, the group’s spokesman for Mindanao.
Del Mundo was referring to the government’s anti-insurgency campaign in the country.
“Aquino has only unmasked himself as no different from his predecessor, the criminal Gloria Arroyo, for destroying civilian lives and livelihood in the guise of the regime's counter-revolutionary policy,” he said, adding, “all these murders happened amid the intense fascist operations in Southern Mindanao which is considered a priority region for Oplan Bantay Laya.”
“Similar to other extra-judicial killings, all the victims are civilians; and have been threatened earlier, and arbitrarily tagged by the military as "supporters" of the revolutionary movement - or like Tamondes, killed in an indiscriminate AFP-supported tribal vendetta to sow terror in the Davao City hinterlands,” Del Mundo said.
Del Mundo said since 2006, the military allegedly violated the rights of villagers and in many cases mauled, tortured, illegally detained and interrogated, and even threatened innocent people who were accused of supporting the rebels.
The military denied all the accusations and said troops were deployed in villages to protect them from the rebels. (With a report from Karlos Manlupig)
Children's groups protest, demand respect for human rights in Mindanao
Organizers said the military often tagged minors suspected or accused as supporters of rebel groups as “child soldiers” and worse, some of them had been arrested or killed by troops in counter-insurgency operations.
The rally was spearheaded by members of the Children's Rehabilitation Center and KABIBA Alliance for Children's Concerns in Mindanao. At least 10 children also joined the dozens of advocates during the rally.
Organizers said security forces should respect the rights of the children as the protesters condemned the tagging of children as “child soldiers.”
“We only want respect for human rights for these children who are innocent and had been dragged into this counter-insurgency operations by the military,” one protester said by phone.
Organizers said just this year, three minors, two girls from Monkayo town in Compostela Valley and a boy in Makilala town in North Cotabato province was tagged as New People’s Army child soldiers and had been subjected to mental torture and forced to admit they were rebels.
The protesters claimed that it has now become a habit of the military to tag children-victims of rights violations as “child soldier” apparently to escape from their accountability and at the same time misrepresenting them as such for their war propaganda. They said the senseless yet brutal campaign of Oplan Bantay Laya is not only targeting perceived enemies of the State, but innocent children as well.
Oplan Bantay-Laya is the codename of the military’s anti-insurgency campaign in the country.
The groups also demanded justice for Grecil Buya, the nine-year old girl, who was killed by government soldiers in an alleged clash with communist rebels in 2007 in Compostela Valley.
Buya’s family said the girl was only fetching water from a river when soldiers opened fire on her. She was shot in the head.
The rally, which was also participated by human rights groups Hustisya and Karapatan, last about two hours. (With a report from Karlos Manlupig)
Monday, September 13, 2010
MILF ready for peace talks, names negotiators
The announcement came with the MILF retaining Mohagher Iqbal, a senior rebel leader, as the head of its peace panel. The MILF also named lawyer Datu Michael Mastura, Maulana Alonto, Abdullah Camlian, Professor Abhoud Swed Linga, Datu Antonio Kinoc, as members of the peace panel.
Two prominent members, lawyers Lanang Ali and Musib Buat, were replaced due to health concerns. Both lawyers underwent heart bypasses and are deemed unfit for long travel, hectic schedules, and strenuous, prolonged, and tiring negotiations, said Mohammad Ameen, chairman of the MILF Secretariat.
Camlian, the MILF said, was a former chairman of the MILF technical committee, and at times served as alternate member of the peace panel during negotiations with the Arroyo government.
Camlian is a native of Zamboanga City and Basilan and belongs to the Sama-Bangingi-Tausug tribe. Kinoc on the other hand is a member of the indigenous B’laan tribe from Sultan Kudarat province and had served in the past in the MILF technical working group and the front’s technical committee, while Lingga is the chairman of the Institute of Bangsamoro Studies.
The MILF said it also formed a board of consultants, but their names were not made public, although two of its members are women – one represents indigenous tribes and the other an Islamic theologian.
Peace talks between the Manila and the MILF, which is fighting for decades for self-determination, was temporarily suspended in June after President Gloria Arroyo, who ended her term, stepped down without new agreements that would put an end to decades of bloody fighting in the restive region of Mindanao.
But new Filipino leader Benigno Aquino III said he would resume the negotiations after the holy month of Ramadan.
The MILF chieftain, Murad Ebrahim, said the rebel group is ready to resume the peace negotiations, but stressed that Manila should honor all previous agreements signed by both sides. “The two parties have to continue from where we stopped, and following the stipulations agreed by both parties as provided for in the Declaration of Continuity for Peace Negotiation between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front signed in Malaysia on June 3, 2010,” Ebrahim said.
He said if the Philippine leader is sincere in pursuing the peace talks with the MILF, Aquino can resolve the Moro problem in Mindanao within his 6 years in office.
“The greatest challenge to the peace process is whether this time the President has the political will to surmount all obstacles and oppositions including well-entrenched spoilers once the peace talks start or when an agreement will be signed. Running parallel is whether the peace process is truly a problem-solving endeavor or just an exercise to manage the conflict, as what previous presidents, deliberately or otherwise, did. We wish to tell you that whether in negotiation or in the normal course of our Islamic revolutionary struggle, the political aspirations of our people remain the same and constant – we want genuine governance for our people. We want our people to decide for themselves.”
“It is our hope that the Moro question and armed conflict in Mindanao will be settled in our lifetime, otherwise, this struggle of our people for freedom and right to self-determination will drag on for generation after generation. To ensure this, we are preparing the young generations to carry on the great task of liberating our people from the yoke of oppression and thralldom,” Ebrahim said.
MILF chief peace negotiator, Mohagher Iqbal said Manila previously offered the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao instead of what was previously agreed upon in the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain.
Arroyo opened peace talks with the MILF in 2001 and the negotiations nearly collapsed seven years later after both sides failed to sign any agreement on the most contentious issue — ancestral domain – which refers to the rebel demand for territory that will constitute a Muslim homeland.
The failed agreement triggered deadly rebel attacks in 2007 in Mindanao after the Supreme Court stopped the formal signing of the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain.
Politicians and lawmakers, many of them wealthy landowners in Mindanao, opposed the ancestral domain deal and filed their petitions to the High Court and asked Manila to make public the rest of the agreement. They claimed the accord was made without public consultations.
The MILF said it will not renegotiate the ancestral domain agreement. "It is already a done deal; we have already initialed the memorandum of agreement on the ancestral domain. We will not revisit or renegotiate the agreement," Iqbal said.
But despite the ancestral domain deal, there is still a need to amend the Constitution to allow plebiscite on areas under the ancestral domain that would make up the so-called Bangsamoro Juridical Entity and give Muslims their own homeland.
Ancestral domain is the single most important issue in the peace negotiations before the rebel group can reach a political settlement with the Philippine government.
It covers the whole of the Muslim autonomous region – Sulu, Tawi-Tawi-, Basilan, Maguindanao and Lanao, including Marawi City. And some areas in Zamboanga Peninsula, North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat and Sarangani provinces in Mindanao where there are large communities of Muslims and indigenous tribes. And also Palawan Island, off Mindanao.
Last year, Tawi-Tawi Representative Nur Jaafar filed House Bill 4963 and Arroyo, now a member of the Philippine Congress, also filed a similar bill, proposing to divide the Muslim autonomous region into two – the South Western Autonomous Region and the Central Mindanao Autonomous Region – and that a plebiscite will be held in every village in the provinces of Sulu, Basilan, Tawi-Tawi, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga Sibugay and the cities of Isabela, Pagadian, Dipolog, Dapitan and Zamboanga. And also in the provinces of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Lanao del Norte, Sultan Kudarat, North Cotabato, South Cotabato, Sarangani and the cities of Cotabato, Marawi, Iligan, Kidapawan, General Santos, Koronadal and Tacurong. (Mindanao Examiner)
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Zambo, ibang bahagi ng Mindanao, balot na naman ng blackout!
Ilan sa mga himpilan ng radio naman ay nagsabing nasira ang kanilang mga computers dahil sa blackout. Maging ang boltahe ng kuryente ay madalas bumaba sa 220 volts kung kaya’t lalong nadagdagan ang hinaing ng publiko dahil sa naapektuhang mga appliances.
Isang tanggapan naman ang nagsabi sa Abante na nasira ang baterya ng kanilang UPS o universal power supply dahil sa eratik na blackout at mababang kuryente mula sa Zamboanga City Electric Cooperative.
Sa ibang bahagi ng Mindanao ay 9 na oras naman ng blackout ang inanunsyo ng National Grid Corporation of the Philippines upang maayos diumano ang daloy ng kuryente sa kahabaan ng Maramag-Kibawa 138-kilovolt transmission sa lalawigan ng Bukidnon.
Saklaw nito ang buong lalawigan ng Cotabato, Davao, Maguindanao, Sultan Kudarat at katabing mga lugar.
Nitong taon lamang ay napeste ng ilang buwan ang malaking bahagi ng Mindanao, kasama ang Zamboanga City sa 9 na oras na rotational blackout dahil sa kakulangan ng kuryente sa rehiyon. (Mindanao Examiner)