Davao City Hosts 2nd BIMP-EAGA Scout Jamboree

DAVAO CITY (Zamboanga Journal / 25 May) -- Some 3,000 scouts from different countries trooped Thursday to the southern Philippine city of Davao for the 2nd BIMP-EAGA (Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines-East Asean Growth Area) Urban Scout Jamboree, officials said.

Officials said Ghana and South Korea also sent their delegations to the international jamboree, which aims to foster camaraderie among scouts.

With the theme, "Shared Culture for Peace and Unity," the jamboree also aims to provide activities for scouts to share their cultures and promote a spirit of brotherhood and mutual respect.

The BIMP-EAGA and the Boy Scout Councils of its member countries spearhead this year's jamboree in collaboration with the Davao City government. Davao City is the second to host the jamboree after Sarawak, Malaysia.

The jamboree is part of the measures that the BIMP-EAGA is undertaking to further strengthen linkages among its member countries and to accelerate socio-economic growth in the region.

The BIMP-EAGA initiative was launched by the four governments in 1994. The objective was to hasten, through regional cooperation, the development of the economy of Brunei and subregions of the three other countries.

BIMP-EAGA consists of Brunei Darussalam, Central Kalimantan, North Sulawesi, South Sulawesi, Maluku, Sabah and Sarawak states and the Federal Territory of Labuan in Malaysia.East and West Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, Central Sulawesi, Southeast Sulawesi, Irian Jaya in Indonesia. The island of Mindanao and Palawan province in the Philippines.

BIMP-EAGA is eyed as a major location in ASEAN of high value added agro-industry, natural resource- based manufacturing, and high-grade tourism as well as nonresource-based industries.

WE DEMAND JUSTICE, NOT GUNS! NUJP

NATIONAL UNION OF JOURNALISTS OF THE PHILIPPINES

www.nujp.org

WE DEMAND JUSTICE, NOT GUNS!

Secretary of Justice Raul Gonzales' confirmation that government is considering arming journalists as a solution to the continued murder of our colleagues proves once and for all that the media community and the citizenry in general can no longer trust this administration to fulfill its sworn mandate to protect and defend us.

It was bad enough when this harebrained suggestion was first broached by the Philippine National Police long before the toll of journalists slain during the first half of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's term surpassed both that of the 14-year Marcos dictatorship and the combined record of all three previous presidents.

We rejected it then, we reject it now. Such a suggestion is nothing but an abject admission that government is either unable or unwilling to protect us.

While we will not dispute the right of citizens, including journalists, to legally arm themselves for self defense, we contend that this is not the solution to the continued murders of our colleagues. We would like to point out that a number of our recently slain colleagues had, in fact, armed themselves, albeit in vain.

Gonzales goes so far as to ask media to "tell us what they want from the government" to end the killings. Either he is playing dumb or he is clearly unfit for his job.Nevertheless, we will deign to answer him.

The best and only way to end these killings is for authorities to relentlessly pursue arrest, prosecute and convict the killers and their masterminds. Only the surety that the guilty will be punished will dissuade those with murder in their minds.

The bedrock of democracy, indeed, of civilization itself, has ever been free discourse.Now comes the man singularly mandated with upholding our laws suggesting that the best way to settle differences is not through civilized discourse or even the courts but with the barrel of the gun.

It is particularly galling when Gonzales attempts to justify the killings as the result of "drinking sprees or because of a woman."

We admit that the media, both the institution and individuals, are not perfect. But Mr. Gonzales, we speak here of justice and of the simple fact that there exists absolutely no reason for murder!

No, Mr. Gonzales, sir, we do not need and do not want bodyguards or guns. We do not wish to add to the bloody mayhem that has claimed the lives of so many of our colleagues, of hundreds of activists and dissenters, of countess more ordinary citizens as government vainly seeks an explanation for a breakdown of law and order it has been unable to prevent or, as many are beginning to believe, actually abetted.

Our only demand, Mr. Gonzales, sir, is that you do your job. Or failing that, to spare us your continued presence in a position you have miserably failed to fill.

Sweden Cites 3 Nations As Examples Of Peace For RP

MANILA (Mitch Confesor / 24 May) The Swedish Foreign Ministry has encouraged Manila to consider the process of disarming, demobilizing, and reintegrating of rebels into society like those in the war-torn regions of Africa and the nations of Ireland and Cambodia to build peace in the community.

The Stockholm Initiative on Disarmament, Demobilisation, and Reintegration (SIDDR) cited as one example the decommissioning efforts of the respective governments of the Protestant-majority United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UKGBNI) and of the Catholic-majority Republic of Ireland on the armed conflict involving Irish militants on both sides of the politico-religious fence.

Ambassador on Conflict Management Lena Sundh of the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs said the Philippines could very well adopt the SIDDR as a process which gathers representatives from donors and host nations, international organizations, academic institutions, and civilian, military, and police experts.

“Reintegration is a conflict resolution mechanism that can substantially contribute to security and longer term development for individuals, communities, and nations,” Sundh explained during the two-day Roundtable Discussion on Social and Economic Reintegration held recently at the Manila Peninsula Hotel in Makati City.

Together with the Swedish Embassy in Manila, the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) organized the roundtable discussion with the participation of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

Ambassador Annika Markovic, Sweden’s envoy to the Philippines, hosted the gathering with resource speakers that included Canadian Brigadier General John de Chastelain discussing the British-Irish situation and Cambodian civil society member Neb Sinthay tackling the Khmer Rouge issue.

The SIDDR forum also discussed the conflict involving Indonesian military forces and Acehnese rebels and how the process of disarmament, demobilization, and social and economic reintegration had affected the people of the conflict region of Aceh before and after the December 2004 tsunami.

The roundtable forum also revealed that Stockholm’s approach had run parallel with the “Integrated DDR Standards” of the United Nations (UN), the policy work on small arms and light weapons of the African Union (AU), and the regional program for central Africa of the World Bank called the “Multi-Country Demobilisation and Reintegration Program.”

As part of the DDR’s centrality in any peace process, the Swedish government cited possible reintegration programs as land and agricultural projects, better public works, vocational training and apprenticeship, micro-credit and micro-enterprise schemes, and integration into the organic military and police force.

Jet Flies Low In Zambo

A passenger jet flies over residential area in Zamboanga City in the southern Philippines. (Zamboanga Journal)

Huge Croc Captured In Zamboanga

The 15-footer female crocodile captured by villagers in Siay town in Zamboanga Sibugay province in southern RP is now in police care in Zamboanga City. (Zamboanga Journal)

ZAMBOANGA CITY (Zamboanga Journal / 23 May) Villagers captured a 15-foot crocodile on a mangrove area in the southern Philippine province of Zamboanga Sibugay, police said Tuesday.

Police said it took custody of the reptile captured last week in the coastal town of Siay, about 150 km east of Zamboanga City.

"We are temporarily taking care of the reptile and would hand it over to environment officials whenever they are ready," Chief Superintendent Jaime Caringal, the regional police commander, told the Zamboanga Journal.

The crocodile bore hack wounds on its thick armor, but it did not pose any danger to the life of the animal.

It was the first time that a wild crocodile was captured in the area, although smaller crocs can be found in many wild habitats on Mindanao. The huge reptile was placed in a caged pond inside a police camp in Zamboanga City.

Small crocodiles feed on fish and small aquatic animals, while larger ones also catch land mammals and birds that approach the water. Members of some large species sometimes attack and eat humans.

The female crocodile lays her eggs, usually about 20 in number, in a nest of rotting vegetation or in a shallow pit on the river bank, and digs them up when she hears them hatching.

In most species the average adult length is between 6 and 10 feet. Saltwater crocodile is the largest and often measures 14 feet long and may exceed 20 feet. The smallest crocodile -- the Congo dwarf -- averages 3 feet.

The crocodile skins -- used for leather bags, shoes and belts and other fashion accessories -- are widely sought after in international market, while the reptile's meat is considered a delicacy and usually cooked as steaks in some countries and its internal organs are believed to have aphrodisiac properties.

4 Soldiers Killed In Jolo Attacks

ZAMBOANGA CITY (Zamboanga Journal / 23 May) Four government soldiers were killed in separate attacks by unidentified gunmen in the southern Philippine island of Jolo, the military said.

The military said a soldier was gunned down by a sniper while he was jogging near the Jolo airport and another soldier shot dead in downtown area in attacks at the weekend.

Two more were killed separately Monday on the island, about 950 km south of Manila, according to military reports from Jolo.

Southern Command officials did not release any statement about the killings which coincided in the arrival in Jolo of representatives from the Organization of Islamic Conference investigating the implementation of the 1996 peace agreement between Manila and the Moro National Liberation Front.

Local security officials in the past hid news of killings of soldiers in the troubled southern region, where Abu Sayyaf militants tied to al-Qaeda terror network and communist insurgents are operating.

The Abu Sayyaf is on a US list of terrorist organizations and Washington has offered as much as $10 million bounty for the capture of the group's chieftain Khadaffy Janjalani and other known leaders.

Kid's World In Zamboanga, The Poor's World!

An eight-year boy Nul Jumadi stops going to school three years ago. Finishing only second grade, he dreams of continuing his studies, but to help his poor family, he prefers to sell cigarettes and candies on dangerous sidewalks in downtown Zamboanga City in the southern Philippines. (Zamboanga Journal)

ZAMBOANGA CITY (Zamboanga Journal / 23 May) At the age of eight, Nul Jumadi is already working to help the family. Selling cigarettes and candies on dangerous streets and sidewalks in Zamboanga City, Nul says helping his family is the best thing he does now.

"I want to study of course, but I need to help my poor family. I only finished second grade and I don't know if I can go back to school again," he says, biting his lips as he talks and a little shaken and nervous about the interview.

"I am a Muslim, and I lived just on the other block. I am helping my mother sell these cigarettes. I have brothers and sisters too," Nul says, breathing deeply for every question asked about him and his family.

Nul's mother, who just returned from the market, says her boy will go back to school. "He will study, my boy will study again. He finished second grade and he will study again, I hope," she says.

Nul is only one of many children in Zamboanga City who was forced to abandon school to work and help their poor family. Street children are many in Zamboanga. They sniff chemicals on sidewalks and some smoke cracks to get high. Despite occasional government drive to round up the children, authorities seem helpless to stop their growing number.

Street children say they find happiness in the company of other abandoned kids rather than their own family. "My family is not good. My father and mother had abandoned us and my sisters and brothers are thieves. I live on the streets and I am happy now. I don't want to go to school, I rather stay here with my friends," says a 10-year old boy, Maco.

Like the children in Lumbangan village in the eastern coast where the government dump is located, many also abandoned school to dig for scrap and help feed their family.

There are no sustainable livelihood programs for the poor, they say and the children are often sick in Lumbangan because of the strong stench of garbage, and worse, no politicians ever visited the area to check on the situation there.

Children, as young as two years old, are now regular diggers in the garbage dump, about 10 km from the bustling downtown Zamboanga. Rodel Cabayacruz, 13, has spent half of his lifetime in Lumbangan scavenging for scrap — papers, tin cans, and even rotten food — just to be able to help his family.

"I come here every day and I don't mind the stench. What is important to me is I bring a little money for my brother's milk. We are so poor that my mother cannot even send me to school," he says. And like Nul, the children in Lumbangan also dream of going back to school again.

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Fr. Joaquin Bernas Is Guest Speaker At Ateneo Cha-Cha Forum In Zamboanga

ZAMBOANGA CITY (Zamboanga Journal / 23 May) The Ateneo de Zamboanga University is hosting a forum on Charter Change next Tuesday, May 30, with Fr. Joaquin Bernas, SJ, as guest speaker.

The forum would start at 5.30 p.m. at the Carlos Dominguez Conference Hall, LRC Building. Bernas was a member of the 1986 Constitutional Commission and a noted constitutional lawyer. He is presently the Dean Emeritus of the Ateneo De Manila University Law School.

He was also a former Dean of the Ateneo De Manila University Law School and participated in the 33rd and 34th sessions of the Society of Jesus General Congress.

A former president of the Ateneo De Manila University and author and newspaper columnist, Bernas is a well respected academician in the Philippines.

The forum on "cha-cha" is open to the public. Civic groups, academe, regional government directors, city officials and employees and the religious and business groups are invited to attend the forum.

For more details, please call contact Regina Junio at the SACSI Office at telephone (062) 991-0871, local 2224 or Rafael Derick G. Evangelista III at the Ateneo Corporate Resource Office at local 2023.

Got ya! Video Grab Of Journalist Abused By Government Official

NATIONAL UNION OF JOURNALISTS OF THE PHILIPPINES

www.nujp.org

See video grab of journalist Iring Maranan, of Deretso Balita, attacked May 16 by San Pablo City Councilor Edgardo Adajar.

The assault, witnessed by many people, took place during the regular session of the San Pablo City Council. Maranan is a reporter/columnist of Deretso Balita and host of a local cable TV public affair program of Telmarc channel 17, titled "SAPOL WALANG SABLAY." (Video courtesy of Deretso Balita)

Adajar told a television interview that he was allegedly maligned by the journalist in his reports.The attack was triggered when the two crossed path inside the San Pablo City Council in Laguna province. (Ed.Zamboanga Journal)

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Investigate Killing Of Journalist: CPJ

The Committee to Protect Journalists called on the Philippines government to investigate the shooting death Monday of provincial radio journalist and commentator Fernando Batul.

Two gunmen on motorcycles shot Batul six times as he drove to work at radio station dyPR in Puerto Princessa on Palawan Island, media reported.

The killing came one week after two hand grenades and a letter were left at Batul's home. The letter threatened harm to his family if Batul continued with critical broadcasts.

Deputy chief of national police, Avelino Razon, said it was not clear whether Batul was killed for his radio work. Batul was a former vice mayor of Puerto Princessa and had been highly critical in broadcasts of the current mayor.

Mayor Edward Hagedorn told journalists he was not involved in the killing and offered a 2 million peso ($38,000) reward for information leading to the arrest of the killers.

Several journalists have been shot and wounded in recent weeks even as the government claims success in prosecuting those responsible for attacking journalists.

On May 5, Philippine National Police Senior Superintendent Samuel Pagdilao said that many murders of journalists had been solved, and he denied the existence of a culture of impunity.

"Unfortunately, we have seen in the weeks since the authorities' attempt to play down the dangers faced by journalists that reporters and commentators continue to be at high risk," Ann Cooper, CPJ's executive director, said.

"The problem has not gone away, as the killing of Fernando Batul shows. We call on the authorities to investigate this and all killings of journalists thoroughly and bring those responsible to justice."

In an open letter to Philippines President Macapagal Arroyo on May 15, CPJ discredited the claims made by Pagdilao and presidential spokesman Ignacio Bunye that many of the cases of journalists killed in the country had been solved.

According to CPJ research, there has been just one conviction in the cases of 23 journalists killed for their work since 2000.

Eye Of The Storm!

Eye of the digital storm. (Zamboanga Journal)

A Fifth Filipino Journalist Killed Since Start Of 2006

Reporters Without Borders expressed dismay at the murder Monday of Fernando Batul, a commentator on dyPR radio, shot dead by two men on a motorbike as he was on his way to work in Puerto Princesa on Palawan island, south-west of Manila.

Provincial police chief Elpidio de Asis said the killing was probably linked to his work. The press freedom organisation said that murders of journalists investigating corruption were a frequent occurrence and that, after Iraq, the Philippines was viewed as the most dangerous country in the world for journalists.

A press photographer was murdered there less than a week ago.Police said the murder of Batul appeared to be the work of hired killers and the instigators were most likely local officials whose corruption the journalist had exposed.

He had just uncovered and broadcast a case of illegal recruitment of workers in which officials were implicated.The respected journalist was the target of an earlier attack on April 24, 2006 when two grenades were thrown into his home in Puerto Princesa but failed to detonate.

His attackers had left a letter written in red ink in front of his house threatening to kill him and advising him to "hold his tongue"."We urge the investigators to give full consideration to the professional lead," said Reporters Without Borders.

"We also call on the authorities to do their utmost to improve the security of journalists in the country and to fight against impunity," it added.

This latest killing comes less than one week after the murder of journalist Albert Orsolino. Two men shot dead the photographer of the tabloid Saksi Ngayon in Caloocan, north of Manila on May 16. A link with his work also seemed highly likely since he often worked on sensitive cases.

UN CINQUIÈME JOURNALISTE TUÉ DEPUIS LE 1er JANVIER 2006

Reporters sans frontières est indignée par l'assassinat, le 22 mai 2006, de Fernando Batul, commentateur de la radio dyPR. Deux individus à moto l'ont tué par balles alors qu'il se rendait à son travail à Puerto Princesa, dans l'île de Palawan (sud-ouest de Manille).

Selon le chef de la police provinciale, Elpidio de Asis, il est probable que le meurtre soit lié à son travail.L'organisation rappelle que les assassinats de journalistes enquêtant sur la corruption sont fréquents et que les Philippines sont considérées comme le pays le plus dangereux au monde pour la presse après l'Irak.

"Nous demandons aux enquêteurs d'exploiter avec attention la piste professionnelle. Nous appelons également les autorités à mettre en ¦uvre tous les moyens possibles afin d'améliorer la sécurité des journalistes dans le pays et de lutter contre l'impunité", a déclaré l'organisation.

Selon la police, les assassins semblent être des tireurs professionnels et les commanditaires de l'assassinat sont probablement des fonctionnaires locaux corrompus que le journaliste a dénoncés à l'antenne.

En effet, Fernando Batul était connu pour ses critiques des autorités locales sur son programme "Bastonero" et avait souvent révélé des cas de corruption.

En particulier, il venait de traiter d'une affaire de recrutement illégal d'ouvriers dans laquelle des fonctionnaires étaient impliqués.Journaliste respecté de l'île de Palawan, il avait déjà été victime d'une attaque, le 24 avril dernier.

Deux grenades avaient été jetées à l'intérieur de son domicile de Puerto Princesa, mais n'avaient pas explosé. Ses agresseurs avaient laissé devant sa maison une lettre à l'encre rouge le menaçant de mort et lui conseillant de "tenir sa langue".

Cet assassinat intervient moins d'une semaine après la mort du journaliste Albert Orsolino. Le photographe du tabloid Saksi Ngayon a été assassiné, le 16 mai, par deux inconnus à Caloocan (nord de Manille). La piste professionnelle semble également être privilégiée, car la victime avait souvent travaillé sur des dossiers sensibles.

Vincent Brossel

Asia-Pacific Desk

Reporters Sans Frontières

5 rue Geoffroy Marie 75009 Paris

33 1 44 83 84 70

33 1 45 23 11 51

asia@rsf.orgwww.rsf.org

Read The Arab News!

http://www.arabnews.com

A Well-Knit Global Web of Reporters

Syed Faisal Ali


A wounded journalist in Iraq

"People first” is not a mere slogan at Arab News; it is a philosophy that guides the dynamics of its worldwide network.

The Kingdom’s premier English-language daily prides itself on having a corps of correspondents around the world to bring you full access to current, general-interest, news and views that inform, educate and entertain you every morning. It also brings alive Saudi Arabia in all its dimensions to readers outside the Kingdom.

In 30 years of its publication, it has always remained fiercely independent and neutral, presenting the true picture of the world around you. Bias in reportage is anathema to Arab News. It reports both sides of the story without taking sides and its analyses and views are invariably balanced.

With the news market changing dramatically in recent years, people have less free time and, as a result, are more picky about how they spend it. Keeping that in mind, Arab News makes it a point to ensure accuracy, brevity, selectivity, immediacy and interactivity.

With a well-knit network of correspondents worldwide Arab News always tries to be doggedly objective while reporting events and gives an insight into the issue with value addition carefully gleaned from various dependable sources and means.

Where there is news there is Arab News. Arab News Editor in Chief Khaled Almaeena gives great emphasis on stories from our own sources than taking the easy route of cutting and pasting from the wire services.

Almaeena himself is a widely read columnist and journalist of international repute. His incisive columns appearing in Arab News are eagerly read, analyzed and commented upon by its print edition readers as well as online fans.

His studied observations appear in Asharq Al-Awsat, Al-Madina, Urdu News and Gulf News and in many other publications. Besides he appears regularly on CNN and world radio networks to comment on Saudi and regional affairs.

He led the Arab News team up front throughout the 1990 Gulf War.

Since all is fair in war what is said by both belligerents is mostly propaganda, so we made sure that our readers get a realistic, first-hand, blow-by-blow account of what is going on.

So we sent out our own never-say-die type reporters to the war front, and history bears witness to the fact that during such crises like the one in Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq or Iran Arab News correspondents have brought you the true picture and won your confidence.

That the reporters came unscathed from the jaws of death at the war fronts is beside the point; the dare devils are only too eager to do it again!

From its inception, the paper has been serving the interests of both Saudis and a large expatriate community and in the process introduced them to each other.

The challenge which is successfully accomplished each morning is meeting the needs of the different cultural communities which make up the diverse population of the Kingdom.

Arab News offers regional news from Europe, America, India, Pakistan, Philippines and Middle Eastern countries for the heterogeneous mix of its readers.

Your newspaper is not given to exaggeration and misrepresentation of facts in order to gain one-upmanship or cheap popularity like many other publications do. Stories are taken and displayed on their merit.

Arab News believes in a strong personal rapport between reporter and readers. As a proactive paper, we value that relationship. Our readers are familiar with our reporters by name. We hope this is the right time and occasion to bring the two closer. Below are pen sketches of the people who make us great:

United States:

Our main source of information from the melting pot of civilization, is Barbara Ferguson, our ever reliable Washington Bureau chief. She covered the Iraq War for Arab News.

After studying and working as a reporter in Paris and London for 18 years, Barbara returned to the United States in the early 1990s to work as a journalist in Washington. She has been a correspondent for Arab News since 1998.

We have one more seasoned journalist in Tim Kennedy — a contributing writer. Tim is a Washington-based defense analyst specializing in US foreign policy, arms proliferation, military technology, and foreign military sales.

Canada:

Latafat Ali Siddiqui — once worked in Arab News and now settled in Canada writes from this part of the world. He is an experienced journalist of Pakistani origin.

England:

Neil Berry — a free-lance journalist from London is a regular contributor to Arab News.

Pakistan:

Salauddin Haider — a seasoned journalist with over 20 years of experience.

Nasim Zehra — an Islamabad based security analyst and a fellow of the Harvard University Asia Center.

Huma Aamir Malik — a Karachi based journalist reports on daily events and news from

Pakistan. She worked with the Daily Star and is presently working with a news agency.

India:

Nilofar Suhrawardy — a Delhi based journalist — she has been with Arab News for the past 10 years. She has worked with the Indian Express and writes for several newspapers.

Syed Amin Jafri — a Hyderabad based journalist who also writes for some international news agencies.

S.N.M. Abdi — a Calcutta-based journalist has tackled many a thorny subjects. His human touch to the stories provides a different perspective.

Shahid Burney — another former Arab News employee, now covers the Western region with an accent on political and crime stories.

Syed Asdar Ali — worked as intern with the Statesman and The Pioneer daily and has been reporting for Arab News for last 5 years.

Mohammed Ashraf — a Kerala based journalist who writes for several newspapers and news agencies is the lynchpin for news from an area that boasts a large presence in the region.

Bahrain:

Mazen Mahdi — a roving reporter also provides some illuminating features.

Shireen Busheri — concentrates on political and economic reports.

Yemen:

Khalid Al-Mahdi — an experienced reporter is the pivot who reports from Sanaa.

Egypt:

Ala Abdul Ghani — a former employee of Arab News, pitches in with some spot stories but concentrates on editorials.

Summer Said — a Cairo-based veteran covers a wide beat. She combines day-to-day stories with some general and entertainment features giving Arab News a strong regional presence.

Palestine:

Hisham Abu Taha — provides the window of the action in Middle East.

Jordan:

Abdul Jalil Mustafa — has the pulse of Amman for our readers.

Syria:

Dahi Hassan — is stationed in Damascus, a key area for news.

Philippines:

Julie Javellana-Santos — has been contributing special and spot stories since 1992.

Al Jacinto — specializes in Mindanao affairs.

We also have Naseer Al-Nahr in Baghdad, Danielle Hosri in Beirut, Arif Ali in Muscat, P.V. Vivekanand in Sharjah and C.P. Ravindran in Doha and a host of other stringers who provide the news as it happens.

Enough Is Enough: NUJP

NATIONAL UNION OF JOURNALISTS OF THE PHILIPPINES

www.nujp.org

The Arroyo government may argue until it is blue in the face that a culture of impunity does not exist in the country.

It should tell that to the family of Palawan broadcaster Fernando "Dong" Batul, murdered early this morning on his way to anchor his regular Bastonero program on DYPR in Puerto Princesa.

And to the families of Albert Orsolino, gunned down in Caloocan City on May 16, Iring Maranan, mauled just hours after Orsolino's murder by San Pablo City, Laguna Councilor Edgardo Adajar in full view of 100 people, including other journalists, and our 40 other colleagues who have lost their lives in the five years since Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo came to power.

With a death toll of journalists that has already far outstripped the 34 claimed by the 14-year dictatorship and the unabated murders of activists in numbers human rights groups say is fast catching up to the Marcos regime's record, we no longer see how this administration can claim to preside over a society that claims to be the freest in this part of the world.

The murder of Batul happened just three days after UNESCO Director-General Koichiro Matsuura warned Friday that, "When violence poses a permanent threat for journalists, it poses a threat to the whole of society."

"When crimes against journalists remain unpunished, the future of a country is endangered and organized crime or corruption becomes the main beneficiaries of this impunity," he said.

Indeed, the Philippine National Police itself has acknowledged that, of the 79 killings of journalists since the so-called democratic restoration of 1986, only five cases have been resolved by the courts.

And we stress that, while the killers in these cases may have been convicted, NOT A SINGLE MASTERMIND has ever been brought to justice. Not to mention the fact that, in many cases, the killings may be traced to agents of state security.

We hold Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her administration accountable for the murders of our colleagues under her watch and the increasingly brazen manner in which they have been killed.

For not only has this administration's inaction emboldened those who would impose on us the ultimate form of censorship – death – it has actually attempted to muzzle the independent Philippine press.

In its obsession with national security and its own survival, this administration has failed to protect the lives and respect the rights of the Filipino people, journalists included, and consequently failed to defend democracy.

To our legitimate demands for justice and security, what we get are empty promises, inutile task forces, and fatuous claims by the likes of National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales that "forces out to destabilize" the government are behind our colleagues' deaths and those of hundreds of activists.

We reject and condemn such facile attempts to trivialize our colleagues' deaths and make them another pawn in the political games this government plays.

Today, we say enough is enough. We have condemned enough. We have issued statement enough. We have marched in the streets and called government's attention enough.
Today, we call on all our colleagues to fight back.

Let us cease to be just observers and recorders to the death of democracy.

United, we can fight back the threats to our lives and liberties with the weapon we know best how to use – our profession, our pens, our cameras, our microphones.

We call on the people, the public, the audiences we serve, to stand with us. For the Freedom of the Press we struggle to uphold is not ours alone but the logical extension of the people's right to free expression and to know from which all other rights emanate.

It is clear that the survival of democracy now rests solely in our hands.

MAGHUSAY TA! By Uriel Cruz Vallecera

PAGBANTAY SA MGA PANTALAN


DILI pa lang dugay naalarma ang probinsiya sa Cebu mahitungod sa posibleng pagpangatake sa mga terorista. Nunot niini, higpit karon nga gimando ang pagbantay sa mga pantalan sa Mandaue City tungod kay gikabalak-an nga mahimo kining agianan sa mga terorista nga magsakay og sakyanan sa kadagatan nga gustong motakas sa yuta sa Cebu.

Akong nakita nga haom sa panahon kining maong lakang tungod kay ang Pilipinas karon maoy usa sa giinitan pag-ayo sa mga terorista. Bisan pag unsaon nato paghunahuna, ang Sugbo dili gayod hingpit nga luwas gikan sa pagpangatake niining maong mga elemento.

Nunot niining lakang sa higpit nga pagbantay sa mga pantalan sa dakbayan sa Mandaue, si Mandaue City Police Director Eduardo Catabas nakigtagbo sa mga sakop sa Philippine Coast Guard ug Maritime Police alang sa koordinasyon.

Matod pa ni Catabas sa dihang nahinabi sa mga tigbalita nga dako ang kahigayonan nga ang pier area sa Mandaue maoy himoong agianan sa mga terorista nga magsakay og pumpboat.

May sukaranan ang maong pangagpas ni Catabas mao nga alang nako, husto ang lakang nga higpitan gayod pagbantay ang pantalan sa Mandaue City. Mao ra ba kini ang sagad nga dunggoan sa mga sakayanon nga magsakay lang og pumpboat.

Gihigpitan na ang pagbantay ang dunggoanan sa Cebu City mao nga maglisod na ang mga terorista paglusot bisan pag magsakay silag kaugalingong sakayan sa kadagatan. Samot na kon mosakay sila sa mga barkong pasaheroan kay higpit man kaayo ang pagpatuman sa paghiling sa mga pasahero nga mosulod-gawas sa pantalan.

Samtang ang uban dili kombinsido nga ang Sugbo usa sa gitarget karon sa mga terorista, mas maayong manegurong daan ang atong kagamhanan nga luwas ang tanang mga molupyo ug bisita sa Sugbo batok sa terorismo.

Kon modagsang ang mga terorista, posibleng mokunhod usab ang pagdagsa sa mga turista. Mao nga dako kaayog epekto sa ekonomiya sa Sugbo kon makasulod ang mga terorista. Busa angay gayod higpitan ang pagbantay sa mga pantalan arpn pagseguro nga dili gayod makalusot ang mga terorista.

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Alang nako, ang gihimo sa dakbayan sa Mandaue nga higpit nga pagbantay sa mga pantalan angay usab himoon sa ubang mga siyudad ug kalungsoran sa probinsiya sa Cebu nga adunay mga pantalan.

Daghang kalungsoran ug mga siyudad nga nahisakop sa lalawigan sa Sugbo nga adunay mga pantalan nga kadunggoan. Ang maong mga pantalan posibleng maoy mahunahunaan sa mga terorista nga dunggoan kon ilang makita nga lugak ang pagbantay sa seguridad sa maong mga pantalan.

Mao nga kon gihugtan ang pagbantay sa seguridad sa mga dunggoanan sa Cebu City ug Mandaue City, mao usab unta kini ang angay buhaton sa mga pantalan sa kalungsoran nga nahisakop sa lalawigan sa Sugbo aron pagseguro nga dili gayod makalusot ang mga terorista.

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Ang Camotes Island nga nahisakop sa lalawigan sa Sugbo usa ka matahom nga dapit. Adunay eco-tourism sa maong dapit ug ang lungsod sa San Francisco maoy usa karon sa gidugok sa mga turista sa maong isla.

Mas makabig pa unta ang mga turista sa pagbisita sa maong lugar, partikular na sa Lake Danao, kon may manuyhakaw na unyang mga dagkong hotel nga kaistaran nila sa maong isla.

Lain pang akong nakita nga gikinahanglan sa usa ka lugar nga duawon sa mga turista mao ang mga internet cafe. Daghan man gong mga turista nga mahilig nga mag-research diha sa internet kalabot sa mga dapit nga buot nilang adtoan dinhi sa Pilipinas.

Ang isla sa Camotes usa karon sa gihatagan og prayoridad ni Cebu Gov. Gwen Garcia ug ni Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano. May airport na ang maong isla nga katugpahan sa gagmay nga mga sakyanan sa kahanginan. May pantalan na usab kini nga dunggoan kanunay og barko mao nga dili lisod abton ang maong dapit bisan tuod nga nahibulag kini sa mainland Cebu.(Zamboanga Journal-Cebu)

4 Wounded In Cotabato Grenade Attack

ZAMBOANGA CITY (Zamboanga Journal / 22 May) At least four people were wounded in a grenade attack Monday in Cotabato City in the southern Philippines, police said.

Police said a man tossed the grenade inside the compound of the Philippine Ports Authority in downtown Cotabato and wounding four people. "The motive of the attack was unknown, but investigation is ongoing," said police officer Presty Cabhubatan. "The assailant fled on motorcycle after the attack."

Cotabato City police station commander Abdulwahid Tukasan ordered a tightened security in the area and mounted operations to track down the attacker, the police officer said. "The suspect broke the glass window of the office and threw the grenade inside the compound where it exploded."

Cabhubatan said the wounded were rushed to hospital. "They were wounded alright, but not seriously and they are being treated for their wounds," the officer said.

Cotabato City has been previously attacked and police and military authorities blamed Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiya terrorists and rebels for the spate of bombings that left dozens of people dead over the past years.

Aside from terrorists and rebels, extortion syndicates also operate in Cotabato City, once tagged by the United States as a "doormat" of terrorists in the southern Philippines.

The tag caused the suspension last year of a P54-million road project funded by the US Agency for International Development, saying, terrorist and rebel groups might use the project for their illegal activities.

Cotabato City Mayor Muslimen Sema denounced the tag made by US Ambassador Francis Ricciardone and denied accusations that terrorists were hiding in the area.

He said the members of the city's peace and order council passed a resolution condemning Ricciardone's unfair statement since security forces in Cotabato have also scored in the fight against international terrorism.

Several foreigners with alleged links to al-Qaeda terror network had been arrested in Cotabato City the past years.

US Navy Musicians To Awe Pinoy With Free Concert In Manila

US Navy musicians who are part of the crew of the USNS Mercy will perform a free concert Monday 22 May 2006 in Manila's Robinson Place Mall.

Music lovers are invited to another free public concert by the United States Navy Showband. The band, which is coming to the Philippines with the U.S. Navy hospital ship Mercy, boasts 16 talented Navy musicians who have toured internationally to places as diverse as Africa, Central and South America, and the Caribbean.

The band performs popular music and never fails to entertain crowds of all ages with its rousing sounds.

The band is part of the crew of the USNS Mercy, a hospital ship that was last deployed to Southeast Asia following the December 2004 tsunami. In addition to disaster response, Mercy provided humanitarian assistance to the people of Alor, Indonesia; Dili, East Timor; and Papua New Guinea.

This is the first time a Navy Band has deployed aboard a hospital ship, and it is the first deployment to Asia for this group of musicians, who are part of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet Band.

Carrying on the proud tradition of Navy Music, the Atlantic Fleet Band continues to be an outstanding representative of the pride and professionalism of the United States Navy.

The band presented a free public concert on May 21 on Roxas Boulevard, and performs today at Robinson Place Mall.

An additional performance has been arranged for Tuesday, May 23 at Glorietta Mall in Makati City. The concert will take place at 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. in the Central Court of the mall.

USNS Mercy is returning to the Western Pacific region and Southeast Asia as part of a five-month humanitarian tour to work together with friends and partners to help the people of the region.

USNS Mercy can provide various medical and dental services, and has special medical equipment and a team of multi-specialized medical professionals to provide services ashore and on board the ship.

For more information about the Atlantic Fleet Band,

visit their web site at

http://www.cffc.navy.mil/band

and for information about the USNS Mercy’s visit to the Philippines,

visit http://philippines.usembassy.gov.

Another Filipino Journalist Is Killed!

Stop killing journalists! Fernando Batul, himself a victim of senseless killing in Palawan province. (Photo courtesy by National Union of Journalists in the Philippines)

We condemn the killing of Palawan radio commentator Fernando Batul, who was shot dead Monday morning by two gunmen in Puerto Princesa City on his way to work.

Batul, who worked with radio station dyPR, escaped two grenade attacks April 24 from unidentified men who tossed the explosives into his home, but did not explode.

He was the fifth journalist to be killed this year.

Radio station dzMM reported that two men riding tandem on a motorcycle drove up to Batul who was on his way to the radio station in Valencia Street around 6 a.m. and opened fire using 9mm and .45 automatic pistols, killing him instantly.