Terrorists Again Plotting To Bomb Manila: Military

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

Bright Prospect For Sarangani's Muscovado Sugar

Kiamba's muscovado (natural or unrefined brown sugar) goes well for weight maintenance and as well as on the health of those afflicted with diabetes, according to the Philippine Coconut Authority. (Photos by Sarangani Provincial Information Office/CAS)

SARANGANI, Philippines – Soon after Eliseo Ganibe Sr attended a seminar on muscovado coco-sugar, he realized what his son Dexter told him: "Baka magsisi po kayo kapag hindi kayo pumunta" (You might regret it if you don't go).

Looking at his eight-hectare coprasan back home after the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) seminar, he saw things differently.

"Maganda ito dahil maraming materyales na pwedeng gamitin (This is very good because we have the materials to be used)," he recounted. Obviously, Ganibe thought of his coconut trees from the land his father acquired in 1921 and has been the family's farm. Kiamba then was yet a community of Tbolis and a wave of Ilocano migrants.

Ganibe, 65, was immediate to conclude of the livelihood and employment the coco-sugar business can provide to the community.

"Producing muscovado sugar from the coconut is far more profitable than copra, and lesser labor," he said in vernacular. He said his muscovado (natural or unrefined brown sugar) is sold P150 per kilo here, and P450 elsewhere.

Ganibe uses plastic containers in gathering coconut sap from the inflorescence. When the inflorescence is bent, the sap begins to gather inside the container sealed with a screen in order not to permeate alien objects. Then, he would ask a mananggite (coconut wine gatherer) to gather the sap within six hours and cook it right away.

Ganibe has to use firewood in cooking the sap. He also needs a pH gauge to examine the sap's salinity.
"That's why I ask the mananggite to get the sap within five hours so that it won't lapse," he explained. The sap has to be pasteurized or cooked not later than six hours to acquire a pH of 6 which is required in producing the coco-sugar.

The sap or sweet toddy (tuba) turns milkish white in a pan during stirring. When nearly cooked, it becomes reddish and jelly. It is then air cooled where it solidifies and, presto, muscovado coco-sugar is ready to use.
According to the PCA, result of tests conducted on the glycemic index (GI) of sugar obtained from the sap of the coconut revealed a GI of 35 (low). "Low GI food is good for proper control and management of diabetes mellitus and has been shown to lower total and LDL cholesterol," The PCA said. "It is also good for weight maintenance therefore prevents overweight and obesity."

The PCA report added the PCA is optimistic that this new discovery will make a difference in the lives of million of coconut farmers and as well as on the health of those afflicted with diabetes.

And it seems Ganibe can't stop. He tried on experimenting more from the sap. Those that he gets past the required six hours he still cooks, and comes up with a medicinal coco-juice.

Such a family affair. On the side, his wife Nelly busies herself selling her home-made bukayo and bico using the coco-sugar. Ganibe's eldest, Eliseo Jr., a therapist, tells his patients to drink the coconut juice against high blood and hyperacidity.

According to Dr Florentino Aquino, once a community doctor here who now works abroad, the coco-juice reduces the body's sugar count while the moscuvado cooked from a seven-hour sap is a cure for insomnia. That's why it is called inverted sugar. Dr. Aquino brought samples of Ganibe's products last year and did his findings abroad.

And more. Ganibe wishes the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to identify an herbal plant the locals call labintanos, which bark he uses in producing his latest discovery, coco-beer, in order to protect it. Coco-beer. Anyone? (Russtum Pelima/Sarangani Provincial Information Office)

Philippines In New Brand Of People Power

MANILA, Philippines - The country is experiencing a “new brand” of People Power in various archdioceses and dioceses according to CBCP President and Jaro (Iloilo) Archbishop Angel N. Lagdameo.

“Various activities in the form of people’s response to calls for communal action are borne out of discussions in the parishes, groups and associations for truth, justice and accountability,” Archbishop Lagdameo said over Catholic-run Veritas 846 early Thursday morning.

He said communal action comes after prayers, discussions and reflections on the prevailing issues affecting the country.

Archbishop Lagdameo said Social Action Center directors have began to take part and spearhead small group discussions and the formation of Truth Centers in various areas of the country. He emphasized communal action comes from prayers, reflections and thorough discussions of issues affecting the country and its people.

“The perceived meddling of the Catholic Church in civil affairs is based on our desire to foster and strengthen programs for the common good as it involves moral issues,” he said.

In a previous interview with a ranking wire agency correspondent, Archbishop Lagdameo said the country may no longer have activities and “peaceful uprisings” similar to EDSA People Power I in 1986. He said there has been a paradigm shift.

“The street parliamentarians of EDSA People Power I are now nearly a quarter of a century older and may no longer have the strength and stamina,” Archbishop Lagdameo noted.

He added the most of the country’s young generation seem not to care about political issues because their concerns are personal “going to school, finding decent jobs, acquiring modern mobile phones and have regular access to the internet.”

The prelate however noted more and more people are getting exposed to the almost unimaginable accounts of graft and corrupt practices and scandals over the past few years. (Melo M. Acuña)

French Alim Urges Local Muslims To Exercise Tolerance And Show Kindness

VISITING DIPLOMATS. (From left to right) Dr Abdul Wahhab Meddeb, a French Muslim Scholar and H.E. France Ambassador to the Philippines Gerard Chesnel and lawyer Abdurahman Canacan, chancellor of MSU-Gensan, as Sheikh Salih Musa, World Assembly of Muslim Youth Country Director, shares his knowledge on “tolerance in Islam” during the lecture tour of Dr Meddeb in Mindanao State University on General Santos City recently. Dr Meddeb handled a “Lecture on Tolerance in Islam” in four universities in the country spearheaded by the UP-Institute of Islamic Studies with the support of the French Embassy. And lawyer Canacan treats the French Ambassador and French Dr Meddeb with local coffee brew. (Mindanao Examiner Photo/Gandhi C. Kinjiyo)

GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Feb. 21, 2008) - A visiting French alim has urged local Muslims to exercise “tolerance” and be a model of “good and civilized people” in addressing discrimination.

Despite discriminations being faced, Dr Abdulwahab Meddeb urged Muslims to refrain from reacting violently, rather to, “continue showing yourselves as Muslims: good and patient persons,” he said during a visit here last week.

Islam describes the character of a Muslim” as a person who obeys what is good and avoids what is forbidden.

Many Muslims in the largely Catholic Philippines said they are being discriminated and have been tagged or branded by authorities as terrorists or rebels every time there is trouble. Others claimed job opportunities are less for Muslims.

Meddeb said Islam gained a bad image after the September 11 attack of the World Trade Center in New York.

Meddeb was tapped by the UP-IIS (University of the Philippines-Institute of Islamic Studies) as a resource person for a lecture series in four universities in the Philippines including UP-Diliman, Mindanao State University in General Santos City and the University of Southern Mindanao.

The French scholar is a Tunisian-born poet, novelist and a famous lecturer on “Islam and Tolerance” in France. He has already written 20 books and directs the “Culture of Islam” radio program in his country.

“If you read Suratul Al Maida, you will learn that we can merge and live with the Christians and the People of the Book (Jews),” Meddeb told more than 200 Muslims, mostly students, Madaris teachers, young professionals, members of the academe and Muslim elders.

“I suggest, you talk with them (non-Muslims) in a forum, dialogue or any gathering and find ways where you agree,” he said. “Having dialogues with other religions is a nice initiative that fosters harmony.”

He related how he reacted with the Danish caricature that besmirched the image of the Prophet, “I talked with non-Muslims and explained to them that Prophet Mohamad is not what the caricature depicts,” he said, “thus, we avoided war or clashes.” Meddeb also noted that some Muslims would rather talk about their groups and tribes ignoring other Muslims.

The visiting scholar was accompanied by French Ambassador to the Philippines, Gerard Chesnel who supported the lecture series.

Chesnel said he is looking forward to find ways on how their embassy can assist some Muslim students in availing scholarship opportunities in France. (Gandhi Kinjiyo)

Is US Losing War Of Hearts And Minds In Philippines?

An unidentified US military medical personnel, armed with a 9mm automatic pistol, plays with a Muslim child during a medical mission on February 18, 2008 in the village of Pang in Kalingan Caluang town in the southern Filipino province of Sulu, where hundreds of American troops are currently deployed and assisting the Philippine military in defeating the Al-Qaeda and Jemaah Islamiya linked Abu Sayyaf group. And anti-US protests in Mindanao is spreading like wildfire with Muslims demanding American troops to leave the southern Philippines. (Mindanao Examiner Photos/Mark Navales)

SULU, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Feb. 21, 2008) – Instead of winning hearts and minds, US soldiers involved in humanitarian mission in Sulu province may be losing more than gaining the support of local Muslims.

Dozens of villagers said they waited for hours outside a school in Kalingalan Caluang town before they were provided free medical check up by US military personnel Monday. "We have been standing and waiting outside the school for hours. They let villagers go inside one by one, sometimes in pairs, but why? Isn't this for us? It's hot outside and we have to endure this for hours," one Muslim villager said.

But Major General Ruben Rafael, commander of Philippine military forces, said the medical mission held jointly with Filipino troops and local health workers in the village of Pang was a big success. "We have served more than 900 people. It was a success," he said.

Sulu Vice Governor Nur Anna Sahidullah also inspected the medical mission and an infrastructure project by US and Filipino troops in the village.

Last week, about a thousand people flocked a small village in Siasi, an island-town off Sulu province, where US and Filipino troops also held a similar mission. Tens of thousands of people also held street protests since last week in different parts of the Muslim autonomous region, where US troops held medical and humanitarian missions. They demanded that US troops pull out from Mindanao.

Hundreds of US troops are currently deployed in Sulu province on the request of the Philippine government to assist and advice local soldiers in fighting terrorism.

Aside from Sulu, several hundreds of US troops are also stationed at the headquarters of the Philippine Army's 6th Infantry Division in Maguindanao province and in Western Mindanao Command in Zamboanga City, including Cebu in central Philippines.

Earlier this week, members of the Citizens Peace Watch (CPW) walked inside the Western Mindanao Command and confirmed the presence of a little known fortified US military base.

It said the base, headquarters of the Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines, has communication facilities and is heavily guarded that even Filipino soldiers are not allowed without a pass.

The JSOTF-P is the unit of US Special Forces that – unknown to many Filipinos – has been headquartered in Western Mindanao Command since 2002 and has been deploying troops to various parts of Mindanao since then, the group said.

It said Filipino soldiers contacted by the US military sent the group away.

"The 'visitors' have not only stayed on, they have set up camp in our house and told us – their hosts – to go away," lawyer Corazon Fabros, a CPW member, said.

The group said the US military base stands out and is sealed from the rest of Western Mindanao Command by walls, concertina wire, and sandbags. The actual size of the area it occupies could not immediately be established from the outside. But communication facilities such as satellite dishes, antenna, and other instruments are visible.

US Marines provided protection for the facility; some workers were seen wore IDs identifying them with DynCorp, a controversial US military contractor.

The citizen fact-finding group said other facilities inside the base were unknown."What exactly are they hiding here? Why all this secrecy?" asked Amabella Carumba, of the Mindanao People's Peace Movement, a member of the fact-finding mission.

A Bangkok-based international research organization that has been following the US military in the Philippines previously warned that American troops deployed in Mindanao are not only involved in the ongoing war, but that they have also established a new kind of US base in the southern region.

Contrary to previous efforts by the US and Philippine governments to portray the troops as participating only in temporary training exercises called the Balikatan, it has since been revealed that this unit has stayed on and maintained its presence in the country for the last six years, according to the Focus on the Global South.

Contradicting claims that they are not involved in the fighting, Focus has gathered pronouncements by US troops themselves who have gone on record to say that their mission in the south is "unconventional warfare" – a US military term that encompasses combat operations.

With the Philippine government not giving a definite exit date, and with US officials stating that this unit – composed of between 100 to 500 troops depending on the season – will stay on as long as they are allowed by the government, it is presumed that it will continue to be based in the Philippines for an indefinite period.

Beyond being involved in the war, Focus draws attention to this unit having effectively established a new kind of basing in the Philippines.

According to Focus' research, the JSOTF-P's stationing in the south is a prototype of the new kind of overseas basing that the US has introduced as part of its ongoing effort to realign its global basing structure.

Since 2001, the US – which has more than 700 bases and installations in over 100 countries around the world – has embarked on the most radical realignment of its overseas basing network since World War II.

Part of the changes is the move away from large permanent bases – such as the ones in Subic and Clark – in favor of smaller, more austere, more low profile bases such as the JSOTF-P's presence in Zamboanga and in other places in Mindanao.

In terms of profile and mission, Focus pointed out that the JSOTF-P is very similar to the Combined Joint Task Force–Horn, which was established in Djibouti in western Africa in 2003 and which has been described as a sample of the US austere basing template and the "model for future US military operations."

Focus said the Philippines is one of the "nodes for special operations forces" that former Defense Secretary Donald Rusted himself revealed the Pentagon would establish as part of its changes in Asia.

Focus notes that US troops themselves refer to their base in Sulu as "Advance Operating Base-920."

It also said the US Naval Facilities Engineering Command NAVFAC) had in June 6, 2007, awarded a six-month $14.4-million contract to a certain "Global Contingency Services LLC" of Irving, Texas for "operations support" for the JSOTF-P.

According to its own website, the NAVFAC is the unit within the US military that is in charge of providing the US Navy with "operating, support, and training bases."

It "manages the planning, design, and construction and provides public works support for US Naval shore installations around the world." Among their business lines are "bases development" and "contingency engineering."

The Pentagon said the contract awarded to Global Contingency Services LLC includes "all labor, supervision, management, tools, materials, equipment, facilities, transportation, incidental engineering, and other items necessary to provide facilities support services."

Global Contingency Services LLC is a partnership between DynCorp International, Parsons Global Services, and PWC Logistics. The $14.4 million contract is actually part of a bigger $450-million five-year contract for Global Contingency Services to "provide a full range of world-wide contingency and disaster-response services, including humanitarian assistance and interim or transitional base-operating support services."

According to DynCorp's website, this will include "facility operations and maintenance; air operations; port operations; health care; supply and warehousing; galley; housing support; emergency services; security, fire, and rescue; vehicle equipment; and incidental construction."

Contingency Response Services LLC describes its work as encompassing "operating forces support," "community support," and "base support." According to the Defense Industry Daily publication, the contract also includes "morale, welfare, and recreation support."The specific contract for work for the JSOTF-P was expected to be completed last month, but other contracts may follow as part of the $450 million-package.

According to Focus' research, the JSOTF-P has not only been involved in the Philippine military's operations in the south, it also represents the new kind of more austere, more low-profile kind of overseas presence that the US has been striving to introduce as part of its comprehensive restructuring of its forward-deployment. (With reports from Mark Navales and Nickee Butlangan)

Be A Part Of Change, Help The Children!

MANILA, Philippines - Boknoy, nine-year old with his father, 40, watched the violent conflict between the state and the non-state armed groups through TV.

Boknoy asked his Tatay, "Tay when you're still like me, was our place like this?" His Tatay looked at him and answered, "Somehow. But this is worse than before." Boknoy is in silent for a long moment and then asked again, "What have you done? Did you not try to be like Zaido or Lastikman?"

In the eyes of a child caught in a suffering community of violence, there could be possibility to see himself or herself as a hero. Maybe "Zaido" of GMA or "Lastikman" of ABS-CBN. In the midst of this suffering peace situation, by his little understanding, Boknoy has imagined many times being Zaido or Lastikman to end the war, or maybe just to have fun.

When you know what attracts a child, they say, and you see it would help in his/her growing up, then make use of it to mold him/ her. It is in this light that the Asia and American Initiative, Inc - Philippines (AAI) is a part of the HELP Humanitarian Caravan initiated by the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP), which seeks to let communities, especially the children feel the presence of love and support of the government and the people surround them.

In four villages of municipalities in Sulu and in Basilan of around 3,000 kids, AAI will try to bring out the "heroes and fun" in those children through fun activities and fun games with the help of our invited supporters.

AAI is inviting you and your company to join us as we raise funds for AAI's KIDDIE FUN DAY which includes magic show, face painting and balloon art. AAI will bring mascots as they party in a new world of peace they may not have seen or felt before.

HELP Humanitarian Caravan will simply bring a new world, a peaceful community and a hopeful tomorrow to our young generation.

Tatay and Nanay always want the best and the good for their children. Help us be a Tatay or a Nanay to those kids on April 15-17 in Basilan and on April 20-22 in Sulu. Please keep in touch with us before March 31 through the contact details provided. We are most willing if we could discuss your proposed help with us.

Contact Persons: Sheena Acero or Neil Erich Galicia
Asia America Initiative, Inc. - Philippines
Unit 2009 Medical Plaza Amorsolo Street, Legaspi Village, Makati City, Philippines
Telephone: (02) 816 3305
Fax: (02) 816 2613
Mobile: 0917 522 2808 or 0906 239 3753
E-mail: acero_aai@yahoo.com or galicia_aai@yahoo.com

Appeal from Rohaniza M. Sumndad
Philippines Officer-in-Charge and Program Coordinator

Sample of donations:- Food (eg. cupcakes, tetra-pack juices, biscuits, noodles, cereals, canned goods, powdered milk)- Toys (eg. cars, action figures like Superman or Batman, dolls)- Toiletries (eg. shampoo, bath soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, powder, cotton) - Party Hats- Clothes (eg, shirts)- Volunteers (eg. face painters, clowns/ magicians, mascots, balloon artists)- Monetary (cash or check payable to Asia America Initiative, Inc BPI Family Bank Legaspi Amorsolo Branch Acct No. 6735-0500-34)

Malaysian Truce Observers Hailed, Praised In South RP

Malaysian doctor Meor Adzary from the GRP-MILF International Monitoring Team gives free check-up to a T’boli woman in the village of Maligang in Kiamba town in Sarangani province. (Mindanao Examiner Photo/Gandhi Kinjiyo)

SARANGANI, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Feb. 21, 2008) – Malaysian truce observers deployed in southern Philippines provided free medical care to hundreds of indigenous people as part of their commitment to help poor communities in Mindanao.

The Malaysians, members of the International Monitoring Team, were assisted by local health volunteers during the day-long humanitarian mission held in the town of Kiamba in Sarangani province.

Most of those who benefited from the medical mission were T’boli natives in the villages of Maligang and Gasi on Tuesday. “Dubbed as “Joint Medical Mission for Peace,” the activity was sponsored by the GRP-MILF International Monitoring Team, the Local Government Units of Kiamba and Kalinaw Sarangani Unit under the Office of the Governor of Sarangani,” said Kiamba Vice Mayor Dr. Elmer de Peralta.

Malaysian doctor Meor Adzary, from the Medical Team of IMT, was joined by Dr. Harry Famular, from the Department of Health-Region 12 in providing free services the villagers.

“The Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace Process and the Malaysian Government provided the medicines and vitamins,” Cmdr. Zainudin Mat Zain, RMN, Team Site 4 leader of the IMT revealed.

Zainuddin also praised local government units of Kiamba and the Office of the Governor for the assistance to the medical mission. “If we work as a team, we can achieve whatever we plan,” he said.

In order to maximize services to the beneficiaries, free birth registration by the Local Civil Registrar, distribution of free seedlings of trees immunization and branding of live stocks by the Municipal Agriculture Office was also held.

The regular session of the Sangguniang Bayan of Kiamba was held simultaneously during the medical mission. “This is done in order to let the people know we’re trying to reach them out and hear their voice,” the vice mayor said.

The staff of the Kalinaw Sarangani Unit (KSU) and Maligang Health Workers served as interpreters and assisted in the distribution of medicines.

Maligang is identified as one of the 35 Peace and Development Communities (PDCs) of the province. PDCs receives intervention from the Peace and Development Program of the province through the KSU such as seminars on mediation, culture of peace, provision of Tindahan para sa Kalinaw, Botika ng Barangay, and other social services.

T’bolis comprise 95% of the population of both villages with high illiteracy rate among the adults. Abaca, corn and copra are the major produces of the two villages. Farming is the major economic activity of the constituents. The IMT, composed of contingents from Malaysia, Libya, Brunei, and Japan, is tasked to monitor the ceasefire agreement between the GRP and the MILF while the peace talks in ongoing. The Malaysian government facilitates the GRP-MILF peace process.

With the presence of the IMT for more than two years, there was a remarkable reduction of incidence of skirmishes between forces of government and MILF.

The MILF is the largest group of Moro secessionist in the country.

Governor Miguel Rene A. Dominguez and Kiamba Mayor Rommel Falgui expressed their appreciation to the IMT team for their humanitarian mission. (Gandhi Kinjiyo)

RP Military Recovers Body Believed That Of Jemaah Bomber

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Feb. 19, 2008) – The Philippine military said it could have found the body of wanted Indonesian Jemaah Islamiya bomber, Dulmatin, tagged as behind the deadly 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202 mostly tourists.

"We are awaiting DNA results to determine whether the body belongs to Dulmatin," Major Eugene Batara, a spokesman of the Western Mindanao Command in Zamboanga City, told the Mindanao Examiner.

Dulmatin's body, he said, was found on a shallow grave on Monday in a village in the town of Bato-Bato in Tawi-Tawi where troops previously clashed with the Abu Sayyaf, a local militant group that is believed to be protecting the Jemaah Islamiya bomber and other Indon militants hiding in the Sulu Archipelago.

In Zamboanga City, US and Philippine forensic experts took tissue samples from the body to determine whether the corpse was really Dulmatin. It would take at least a week before the results would be available, Batara said.

Troops clashed with the Abu Sayyaf on January 15 in Bato-Bato after a failed operation to rescue a kidnapped Muslim teacher, Omar Taup.Taup was seized by the Abu Sayyaf after raiding the Nortre Dame High School and killed a Catholic priest, Jesus Reynaldo Roda.

Batara said the body was buried in Zamboanga City on Tuesday. 'If indeed it was Dulmatin, it really shows that we are winning the war against terrorism, not only in the Philippines, but also in the Southeast Asian region where the JI is operating," he said.

The grave, he said, was discovered after the owner of the land reported to authorities that somebody had buried a cadaver. Batara said Dulmatin was wounded in a clash with government troops on January 31 in Lubbok village in Panglima Sugala town.

"From what we know, Dulmatin was wounded. He was shot in the body and probably wounded in the face and ankle," Batara said.Aside from Dulmatin, the Philippine authorities said as many as 30 Jemaah Islamiya militants are hiding in the Sulu Archipelago, including another Bali bomber, Umar Patek.

At least 88 Australians were killed in the attacks.US troops are currently assisting the Philippine military forces in tracking down known leaders of the Abu Sayyaf and the Jemaah Islamiya in the southern region.

On Tuesday, US officials handed over several infrastructure projects to Sulu Gov. Sakur Tan and pledged more support top help Manila in peace and development efforts in the province, where hundreds of American soldiers are deployed and conducting joint medical mission with Filipino forces. (Mindanao Examiner)

MILF Hails Human Rights Report On Sulu Massacre

COTABATO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Feb. 17, 20080 – The Philippines' largest Muslim rebel group, Moro Islamic Liberation Front, hailed the findings of an independent probe in the killings of eight people by government soldiers in Sulu province.

Muhammad Ameen, chairman of the MILF Secretariat, said the findings of the Commission on Human Rights detailed how troops attacked the village of Ipil in Maimbung town and plundered the houses of villagers, among them an off-duty army soldier and seven civilians. The MILF previously condemned the killings.

The raid February 4, the military insisted, was a legitimate operation that targeted the Abu Sayyaf, which is holding a kidnapped trader, Rosalie Lao, in the town. Seven of those killed by soldiers were two children, two teenagers and a pregnant woman, including a seaweed farmer and a village councilor.

CHR Regional Director Jose Manuel Mamauag said there was no Abu Sayyaf in the village and that seven of those slain in the military attack were innocent civilians. "None of them was an Abu Sayyaf member. Seven civilians and a government soldiers were killed in that attack," he said.

The MILF also praised Mamauag for his unbiased report of the CHR investigations into the killings. "Conscience-guided men, like Mamauag, deserved to be commended by everyone, despite differences of loyalties and orientations," he said, adding, only men of conscience and commitment to the rule of law could decide on the side of truth and justice, especially if the victims were only lowly seaweed workers.

Mamauag has recommended the filing of criminal charges against the soldiers involved in the raid. The military restrained the more than 50 soldiers who took part in the operation and most of them are members of the so-called elite and US-trained Army Light Reaction Company and the Navy's Special Warfare Group.

The military has ordered a separate probe of the killings after Sulu Gov. Sakur Tan vowed to file criminal charges against the soldiers. The killings also sparked massive protests from international and local human rights organizations and civil society groups.

"We will respect the outcome of the investigations," said Army Maj. Gen. Ruben Rafael, commander of the military forces in Sulu.Survivors of the carnage testified in investigations that soldiers opened fired on villagers as they pleaded for their life. Four of those killed were shot at sea as they fled for safety on boat.

One of the survivors Rawina Wahid, wife of the slain soldier, Pfc. Ibnul Wahid, said her husband was hogtied and tortured by soldiers before being shot at the back of his head.

"My husband told the soldiers that he is a member of the Philippine Army, but they never listened and dragged him out of the house, bound his hands behind his back and then shot him. They did not listen to our pleading and they killed my husband," she said.

She said she saw four US soldiers on a navy boat where the body of her husband was brought. "I saw four American soldiers on the boat before Filipino troops blinded folded me," she told reporters. Wahid said she boarded the boat that took her husband's remains to a military base in Jolo town.

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro assured the governor that there will be no cover up in the ongoing investigation into the killing of the civilians. He said President Gloria Arroyo ordered a probe into the incident. "The instruction of President Arroyo is to have a credible investigation," he said.

Teodoro met last week with families of those killed in the raid and heard the testimony of Wahid. Tan branded the killings as "barbaric and dastardly".

One of the victims had been shot at close range in the forehead, his right eye was gorged out and right ear missing. One had a missing finger while another had burns on his body and legs.

The slain civilians were identified as Marisa Payian, 4; Wedme Lahim, 9; Alnalyn Lahim, 15; Sulayman Hakob, 17; Kirah Lahim, 45; Eldisim Lahim, 43; Narcia Abon, 24. Two of the raiders were also killed and four others wounded after armed villagers retaliated.

Reps. Yusop Jikiri, of Sulu province and Mujiv Hataman, of Basilan have separately called for a congressional investigation into the killings in Maimbung town.

Jikiri, a former rebel leader of the Moro National Liberation Front, said the off-duty soldier killed along with seven civilians was shot in front of his wife.

"Wahid was reportedly hogtied first before he was shot in front of her. The wife, in fact, showed the military uniform of her husband, but the soldiers merely ignored the plea of Mrs. Wahid. Later, Mrs. Wahid was taken by the soldiers to the rubber boat allegedly driven by an American soldier," Jikiri said in a privilege speech.

Hataman also filed a resolution seeking for an urgent investigation of the killings, which he described as "despicable, loathsome and ruthless." He said: "There is no valid reason, especially for the soldiers who are supposed to be the protector of the people, to kill innocent civilians, particularly children." (Mindanao Examiner)

Ang Bayan Ko!

Ang Bayan Ko!

Photo: Anti-US Protests In Southern RP

WE NEED INDEPENDENCE, NOT BALIKATAN: Members of the civil society groups and human rights activists hold an anti-US protest rally in Marawi City in Lanao province in southern Philippines where American and Filipino troops participating in the Balikatan 2008 were stoned and driven away by locals opposed to the presence of the foreigners. US troops have been accused of violating human rights in Sulu province after one of them, Sgt. Ron Berg, forcibly closed down a government hospital every night in Panamao town for three weeks late last year. Four US troops were also spotted by a Muslim woman, Rawina Wahid, whose husband Pfc. Ibnol Wahid, was killed by Filipino troops during a raid on a fishing village in the town of Maimbung, also in Sulu on February 04, 2008. (Mindanao Examiner Photos/Merlyn Manos)

RP, US Troops Begin Humanitarian Mission In Muslim South

Sulu's First Lady Nurunisah Tan gives Vitamin A to a child as Dr Farah Omar, the provincial health officer, looks on during a medical mission in the town of Patikul. US and Philippine troops begin a two-week medical and humanitarian mission in Sulu province, Philippine Army commander Maj. Gen. Ruben Rafael says Saturday, February 16, 2008. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)

SULU, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Feb. 16, 2008) – Filipino and American soldiers have began a joint medical mission on a remote Muslim island off Sulu province ahead of a larger outreach mission in Mindanao in southern Philippines, officials said Saturday.

More two dozen soldiers from both countries and local dentists and dozens of volunteer health workers also helped in the medical mission. More than 1,000 people in Siasi town benefited from the humanitarian mission. It is part of the Balikatan 2008, which means "shoulder-to-shoulder," an annual Philippine and US bilateral military humanitarian assistance and training activity.

About 600 US troops will work with civilian authorities and the Armed Forces of the Philippines in various humanitarian projects that include free medical, dental and veterinary care in Sulu province and also in other parts of Mindanao where there are large Muslim communities.

The soldiers will also build schools and other community infrastructures in those areas.

“The medical mission in Siasi is successful and is only one of many that Philippine and US troops will undertake together with local health workers and government agencies in the coming days. We are happy with the result of the medical outreach in Siasi,” Philippine Army Major General Ruben Rafael, commander of the Joint Task Force Comet in Sulu province, told the Mindanao Examiner.

He said the town’s mayor Arthur Muksan led local officials in welcoming the soldiers and others involved in the medical mission. “The support of the locals is overwhelming,’ Rafael said.

He said more than 500 people were given medical attention and treatment in Siasi, including some 200 children, many of them suffering from respiratory diseases. They also conducted dental and minor surgeries on some 150 villagers and ophthalmology services to over 150 people in the area.

The two-week joint RP-US humanitarian and medical missions will formally begin on Monday.

Sulu Governor Sakur Tan said the humanitarian mission will help many poor families in the province. “These humanitarian undertakings will help a lot of people and we are supporting these efforts and we appreciate what the United States is doing in Sulu,” he said.

US Ambassador Kristie Kenney said the humanitarian assistance and training activities enable the soldiers to get to know each other, train together, and provide assistance in communities where the need is greatest.

“True to the meaning of the word Balikatan, Americans and Filipinos are shouldering the load together to help the greatest possible number of people in need,” she said.

While US and Filipino troops focus on humanitarian activities in Sulu and Mindanao, others participating in the Balikatan 2008 will conduct combined staff exercises and field training in Luzon and Palawan islands to improve contingency planning and strengthen maritime security.

Balikatan 2008 will be the 24th annual event of its kind held under the auspices of the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) and Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA).

In 2006, the United States Navy hospital ship Mercy had treated more than 60,000 mostly poor Filipino patients in separate medical missions in Sulu, Basilan and Tawi-Tawi islands, including Zamboanga City, as part of the Project Bayanihan.

It was also in 2002 that the U.S. committed 1,300 troops, mostly Special Forces, to the Philippines under the Joint Special Operations Task Force–Philippines (JSOTF-P) and $93 million in military aid to assist the Arroyo government defeat the local terror group called the Abu Sayyaf in the so-called “Operation Enduring Freedom–Philippines”.

The codename was originally from the “Operation Enduring Freedom”, the official name used by the US government for its military response to the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States. It was previously planned to have been called "Operation Infinite Justice."

Operation Enduring Freedom–Philippines was later renamed “Oplan: Balikatan”. The US troops provided anti-terrorism trainings and supplied intelligence to the Philippine military from 2002 up to now that led to the killings of many known Abu Sayyaf leaders, including its chieftain Khadaffy Janjalani in 2006.

Philippine and U.S. authorities linked the Abu Sayyaf to the spate of bombings in Mindanao and Sulu, including executions of civilians and kidnappings for ransom to raise fund and support its terror campaign.

The Abu Sayyaf, which means “Bearer of the Sword”, has pillaged small towns, bombed passenger ships, commuter buses, Catholic churches and public places, including malls and department stores and killed hundreds of innocent people since the time it was founded in the early 1990s. (Mindanao Examiner)

Embattled RP Leader Vows To Fight Corruption

Philippine leader Gloria Arroyo.

MANILA, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Feb. 15, 2008) - Filipino leader Gloria Arroyo on Friday said that she will focus on reform in the remaining years in the government and vowed to fight corruption even as thousands gathered in Manila to demand for her resignation.

Political oppositions and civil society groups joined by militant organizations marched in Makati City, the country’s financial district where they accused the Arroyo government of corruption brought about by the controversial and failed national broadband deal with Chinese firm, ZTE.

Stressing that one of the key areas of focus for reform in her remaining years in office until 2010 is fighting corruption, Arroyo said she is determined to put a stop to a “legacy of corruption”

In her message at the Philippine Economic Briefing at the Rizal Ballroom of the Makati Shangri-La Hotel this morning, Arroyo cited the need for moral transformation where government must redouble its efforts.

“We want to fight corruption…We do not want to tolerate corruption,” she said.

Arroyo said it is a sad fact that the Philippines has a “legacy of political corruption” which could not be stopped overnight. However, she said the Arroyo administration has made great strides in its fight against corruption through tough reforms.

She said that these reforms include the creation of the Anti-Red Tape Task Force headed by Trade Secretary Peter Favila, and the Procurement Transparency Group led by Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya Jr.

She added that to put more teeth in the implementation of anti-corruption measures, she ordered last week the two Cabinet men to “link up with the business sector, academe, and the Church to implement reforms in government procurement systems.”

“Our day in the sun will come if we redouble our efforts to achieve moral transformation, social justice and economic equality,” Arroyo said.

North Cotabato Urges PGMA To Focus On NBN-ZTE Scandal

An anti-Arroyo protester in Manila, where activists and politicians opposed to the President's rule are holding daily protests.

COTABATO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Feb. 15, 2008) – North Cotabato province in southern Philippines passed a strongly-worded resolution urging Filipino leader Gloria Arroyo to focus attention on the National Broad Band project controversy, which local legislators said is now eroding public trust on her government.

“It’s not enough for Malacañang to say that it’s alright because the project has been aborted and the Filipinos did not lose anything at all. The President should fire all of her people implicated in the mess,” said Vice Gov. Emanuel Piñol, also the presiding chairman of the North Cotabato Provincial Board Council.

Piñol, a member of the administration’s Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats party, said they passed the resolution to set the pace for reactions by local officials in Mindanao on the controversy and prod Malacañang to do something more serious other than just canceling the controversial NBN deal with Chinese firm, ZTE.

Piñol said several board members even wanted the resolution to also call on Arroyo to file her leave of absence and allow a deeper investigation on the NBN controversy.

“We want her to fire all of the people around her that were implicated in the controversy to prevent the public from losing whatever remaining trust they have in the government. If the people will lose trust and respect for government, we shall have a failed state,” Piñol said.

Piñol said in North Cotabato alone, residents believe in the veracity of the testimonies of NBN scam witness Rodolfo Lozada, Jr., on the allegedly overpriced $329-million national broadband network project. “And for people in North Cotabato, all of the people around the President are lying about the issue,” Piñol said.

In Manila, militant groups and political activists were calling for Arroyo's resignation because of the scandal. (Jerick Wee)

Philippines President Maintains Desire To Hold Position

Philippine leader Gloria Arroyo and husband, Jose Miguel Arroyo pray at a church in Baguio City in this photo taken December 30, 2007.

Philippine President Gloria Arroyo has vowed to remain in office until her term ends in 2010 despite mounting calls for her resignation over a kickbacks scandal.

She says she is proud of bringing record growth to one of Asia's slowest-moving economies, and that allegations against her are political noise.

The opposition, many in the powerful Catholic Church and an influential business group, have backed street protests for tomorrow to demand her resignation over revelations in a Senate inquiry into kickbacks that may involve her husband.

The army and police are on full alert.

An Army spokesman says there are intelligence reports that elements from the communist New People's Army plan to infiltrate the ranks of protesters and instigate violence.

President Arroyo's critics have been holding daily protests around Manila, calling on her to resign.(Radio Australia)

Sunday Silence Is Now Sunday Sirens!

Break your silence.

Stand against repression and corruption!

Sunday Silence is now Sunday Sirens.

Sound off to gather as one – artists, students, professionals, religious, workers, peasants, teachers, children, rich and poor.

We stand facing the glorious Philippine sunset together as one nation. Magingay tayo. Isama niyo na ang boses niyo dito.

Bring bongos, guitars, whistles, kaldero, banig, etc. February 17, Sunday, 3pm at the Baywalk Stretch across Malate Church, Roxas Boulevard, Manila.

The Filipino people are not stupid. Tama na ang GAGOhan. Manindigan.

DAKILA-Philippine Collective for Modern Heroism

http://www.dakilacollective.multiply.com

http://www.dakila.org.ph

Sulu Schools Get USAID Support

EQuALLS is helping communities in Luuk town in Sulu province in southern RP craft an education and skills plan from which their municipal government would base its education projects, like reconstructing classrooms in this devastated school building at Kan Muni elementary school. Buroh Elementary School Principal Mrs. Hulman Sali (left) receives a copy of the joint support agreement which will guide her in using the schools improvement grant from USAID’s EQuALLS project and the local government of Talipao. With her are EQuALLS-Save the Children Project Director Joe Agarano and Talipao Mayor Hadja Sitti Raya Tulawie. And school principals sign the joint support agreement after receiving their schools improvement grants from USAID-EQuALLS2 and the local government of Talipao, Sulu. Mrs. Parisia Lerios (left) earnestly points out the importance of implementing priority projects. (Photos by Abdel Amilhamja)

SULU, Philippines – The tell-tale signs of the town’s delicate history with armed conflict are pock-marked on the few concrete structures in Talipao. A short distance away, a pillar that once was part of a school building stands like a monument to the fierce clashes between Moro bandits and government troops a few years ago.

But the land’s harsh history is softened by the lush greenery and the people’s gentle ways. It is probably because of this past that people are forward-looking and have that eager desire to put things aright.

This is particularly apparent among teachers and educators. Mrs. Parisia Lerios is the school principal of Bilaan Central Elementary School in Talipao. When the school was reopened last year, structures and facilities were in a sorry state. Here, a classroom of 100 pupils must make the best of 40 chairs.

To help fill the school’s need Mrs. Lerios trekked a good distance to Camp Bayog, seeking donation for chairs from the American soldiers in the Balikatan program (mutual peace agreement program between the US and Philippine governments) last year.

But the teaching force also needs attention. “There are 291 grade one pupils in my school. Two of their teachers are under probationary status and do not report regularly. If nobody assumes their role, 100 kids will be deprived of learning for a day. So I set aside my reports and go to their classroom,” Mrs. Lerios explained.

In nearby village of Tiis, Mr. Jun Sali, a principal of five years, reflects on the hurdles his tiny school has to overcome. Out of five teachers, three are on probationary status. These teachers have been working without pay since June 2007, spending for their transport to and from Tiis out of their own pockets.

“We only have 2 regular teachers for 295 pupils. Still, the students are coping. We have managed to land in the median rank in the achievement test given by the Department of Education (DepED),” Mr. Sali said.

The Bilaan Central Elementary School and Tiis Elementary School are just two examples of schools struggling to survive amidst poverty and threats of conflict in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). Help comes to them, and to over a hundred other schools in Sulu province, from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through its Education Quality and Access for Learning and Livelihood Skills (EQuALLS2) project.

On January 29, USAID awarded a total of P700,000 as schools improvement grants to 14 schools in Talipao which will be used for rehabilitation and improvements of classrooms and school facilities, launching a reading program and trainings like English language enrichment for teachers.

This amount was augmented with P100,000.00 by the local government under the leadership of municipal Mayor Hadja Sitti Raya Tulawie. EQuALLS2 advocated with Mayor Tulawie to invest in projects that respond to the education problems in her municipality.

The award has brought school principals one step closer to the realization of their dreams. For the first time, they felt empowered to take the lead in providing better quality education to their children. The grant from EQuALLS2 and the local government came with an education and skills plan embodying the voices of various sectors in their community – children and youth, parents and teachers, barangay leaders, and religious leaders.

“Now we can accomplish our priority projects. First is the training of teachers. Second is the repair of our dilapidated classrooms,” Mrs. Lerios thought aloud, her tone disclosing her happiness.

Mr. Sali also presented his priorities, “We will focus on pupils’ development. We will run a reading program for our school’s struggling and non-readers.” In a low but obviously cheerful voice, he added, “And the principal’s office.” He related that he never had an office since the start of his tenure as the school principal. His school records and reports are kept at home.

When in school, he stays on the stage, a flat and open structure whose zinc roofing is his only shield from the sun.

Elsewhere in Region 9, Region 12 and ARMM, USAID’s EQuALLS2 project has advocated to local governments in upgrading Mindanao’s education sector. It involves a process that sounds clear cut: consult the grassroots, engage the local government. In between, however, are the key elements: rare and bold educators wanting that lasting change.

“You have to go out, source out. If you only wait for blessings, it’s not going to work.” Wise words from Mrs. Lerios. (Floreen Bartulaba)

US Warns Of New Terror Threats In Philippines

MANILA, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Feb. 14, 2008) – The United States warned its citizens Thursday not to travel to the Philippines because of possible threats of terrorism.

The US State Department said citizens contemplating travel to the Philippines should carefully consider the risks to their safety and security while there, including those due to terrorism.

“While travelers may encounter such threats anywhere in the Philippines, the southern island of Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago are of particular concern. Travelers should exercise extreme caution in both central and western Mindanao as well as in the Sulu Archipelago,” it said.

Terrorist groups, such as the Abu Sayyaf and the Indonesian Jemaah Islamiya, and rogue members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front or Moro National Liberation Front, have carried out bombings resulting in deaths, injuries and property damage.

The State Department also cited the January 3, 2008 bombing of a disco pub in the southern Filipino city of Cotabato that killed one and injured eight others. It said the central and western areas of Mindanao have also experienced bombings targeting bus terminals and public buildings.

“US Government employees must seek special permission for travel to Mindanao or the Sulu Archipelago. When traveling in Mindanao, US official travelers attempt to lower their profile, limit their length of stay, and exercise extreme caution. Some foreigners who reside in or visit western and central Mindanao hire their own security,” the State Department said.

It said communist insurgents, the New People’s Army could also threaten US citizens engaged in business or property management activities, and it often demands so-called “revolutionary taxes.”

Filipino security forces on Thursday were on high alert after the discovery of an alleged plot by the Abu Sayyaf and the Jemaah Islamiya to kill President Gloria Arroyo. The Philippine military previously said the Abu Sayyaf and the Jemaah Islamiya militants were on the run after suffering defeats in government offensive in the south.

“There is a threat to assassinate the President,” said Philippine military chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon.
Esperon’s announcement came a day before Arroyo’s political opponents and militant groups were to hold a huge rally calling for her resignation over corruption allegations.

The threats forced Arroyo to cancel a trip to Baguio City on Saturday where she would speak at the Philippine Military Academy homecoming. But she was photographed singing with Claire dela Fuente and Richard Carpenter at a Valentine’s Day luncheon Thursday at the Presidential Palace in Manila.

Rodolfo Lozada Jr, a witness in a Senate corruption inquiry, has implicated the President’s husband, Jose Miguel Arroyo and another political ally, former elections chief Benjamin Abalos Sr, to the failed national broadband deal which he claimed was overpriced by as much as $130 million. Both Arroyo and Abalos’ families strongly denied the allegations.

Arroyo’s government has been rocked by corruption scandals and the President is hounded with accusations that she cheated in the elections to keep herself and allies in power against the popular Fernando Poe Jr., a movie actor, who died while campaigning.

Poe’s supporters and opposition politicians and civil groups accused Arroyo of electoral fraud in 2004 after an alleged military wiretapped conversation between her and an election commissioner that linked them to cheating surfaced.

Arroyo’s allies in the House of Representatives are also pushing to amend the Constitution to change the system of government from presidential to parliamentary or federalism and eventually prolong her into power beyond 2010.

Under the presidential form of government, Arroyo, who deposed President Joseph Estrada in a people power revolution in 2001, is allowed only one six-year term.

In the charter change proposal suggested by her political allies who dominate Congress, she can be elected as prime minister should Congress approve a proposal to dissolve the Senate and change the system of government to parliamentary. (Mindanao Examiner)

Palace Coup, Martial Law At Cha-Cha: Abante

MAYNILA, Pilipinas - Tinalupan kahapon ni Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay ang tatlong diskarteng ilalarga diumano ni Pangulong Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo para malusutan ang krisis na nilikha ng Lozada exposé sa kontrobersyal na National Broadband Network (NBN) project.

Ngunit agad din namang nagpahayag ng kumpiyansa si Binay, pa¬ngulo ng United Opposition (Uno), na hindi magtatagumpay ang mga desperadong hakbang na ito para maisalba ni Arroyo ang sarili mula sa tulu¬yang pagbagsak.

Ang tatlong ‘opsyon’ umano ng pamahala¬ang Arroyo ay: ‘palace coup’ o isang constitutio¬nal coup d’etat na pakana rin o ‘scripted/directed by Malacañang’ kung saan ang iuupong kapalit ni Arroyo ay si Vice President Noli De Castro; Charter change (ChaCha) o pagretoke sa Saligang Batas na walang ibang layunin kundi ang mapalawig ang termino ng mga nakaupo; at deklarasyon ng Martial Law.

Alinman sa tatlo ay imposible umanong paya¬gan ng taumbayan dahil rin¬ding-rindi na sa garapalang katiwalian sa gob¬yerno ang taumbayan.“The people are fed up with lies, corruption and violation of human rights under the regime of Mrs. Arroyo. But in these three options, we will only have more of the same. We still have Mrs. Arroyo and her husband calling the shots,” anang alkalde.

Kung ipipilit umano ng pamahalaang Arroyo alin¬man sa tatlong ‘barahang’ ito para malusutan ang implikasyon ng Jun Lozada exposé o kaya ay para mailihis kahit paano ang atensyon ng taumba¬yan palayo rito, ibinabala ni Binay na kakaharapin ng administrasyon ang ngit¬¬ngit ng sambaya¬nan sa anyo ng malalaking kilos-protesta sa mga susunod na araw na maaaring humantong sa ‘political unrest’. (Tina Mendoza)

ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION – URGENT APPEALS PROGRAMME

ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION – URGENT APPEALS PROGRAMME.

Urgent Appeal Case: AHRC-UAC-027-2008

13 February 2008

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
PHILIPPINES: Soldiers kill eight persons in Sulu on pretext of "legitimate encounter"

ISSUES: Extrajudicial killings; administration of justice; impunity
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you that eight people, including a four year old girl and a pregnant woman, were killed by soldiers on the pretext of a "legitimate encounter" in a coastal village in Maimbong, Sulu on 4 February 2008. The soldiers claimed the shooting was supposedly in pursuit of an illegal armed group holding a kidnap victim. However, testimonies from survivors indicate the soldiers shot at frightened fleeing villagers on a boat as they tried to escape when the soldiers raided their villages killing six. Two other victims were also shot dead in open view of their relatives. An investigation disclosed that there were no armed groups holding a kidnap victim in the victinity.

CASE DETAILS: (based on the information received from the Consortium of Bangsamoro Civil Society, Inc. (CBCS))

On 4 February 2008 at 2:30am, elements of the Special Warfare Group of the Philippine Navy and Light Reaction Company raided a coastal village in Barangay (village) Ipil, Maimbong, Sulu in pursuit of an illegal armed group, Abu Sayyaf Group, holding a kidnap victim Rosalinda Lao, a local Chinese businesswoman. The soldiers, riding in a rubber boat, were reportedly acting on information relayed to them by one of their assets of the supposed group's presence there. The place, an islet populated with mangroves, had over 30 households.

Soon after arriving in the area, the soldiers reportedly started shooting at the house of Eldisin Hashim, a member of the village council. Eldisin was seen by his wife, whose name was not mentioned, running towards their door to avoid being hit by bullets. But when the soldiers ceased shooting, she found her husband lying dead outside their house. The soldiers then ordered her to come outside. Upon doing so she saw that some of her neighbours had also emerged from their houses.

Eldisin's wife, her children and her neighbours were told to kneel down the ground. As they were kneeling to the ground, she could hear the soldiers shooting close by.

Later it is learned that at least three of their neighbours' families, the Lahims, Akubs and Failans, have tried to flee to a safer place because of fear after having been awakened by the loud burst of gunfire. All the eleven of them rushed to the shore to ride on a small wooden boat or bangka towards another island close by. Those inside the boat were Kirah Lahim, his daughter Arnalyn and son Rismin; Myrna Lahim; Rudy Failan, his wife Saida and their daughter Marisa; Risalyn and Sherdalyn Failan; Sulayman and Nasriya Bin Akub.

However, as they paddled towards Sitio (a sub-section of the village) Kaluong in the town of Maimbong, they were seen by soldiers onboard a rubber boat closing in on them. They overheard from a distant one of the soldiers' shouted to open fire before they started shooting at them. While the soldiers were shooting at them, two of those inside the bangka jumped into the water to steer their boat towards the opposite direction. Saida repeatedly shouted at the soldiers pleading to them to stop shooting because those inside are civilians but the soldiers did not. Six of those onboard the bangka died instantly while five others survived. Those killed were Kirah Lahim and his daughter Arnalyn and son Rismin; four-year-old girl Marisa Failan; Sulayman Akub and four-month-pregnant Nasriya Bin Akub, 24 (Photo 1). They were taken to Barangay Kandang and were buried there near the house of a village head. One of those who survive, Myrna Lahim suffered injuries to her neck (Photo 2).

Also at the same time, Corporal Ibno Wahid, a former member of the Moro National Liberation Front (MILF) who joined the Philippine Army (PA) as integree, was visiting there where his parents-in-law are residing. Ibno, a resident of Cotabato City, had arrived there three days before the incident. It was when Ibno and his wife Rawina were in their sleep when awakened by thuds of footsteps and stones thrown at a store owned by the latter's mother in front of their house. Later someone from outside shouted at them to come out threatening they would be shot if they refused.

Ibno and his wife Rawina and her parents immediately went outside. Ibno had then introduced himself to the soldiers by saying "Papa Alpha", a military language to suggest that he was a member of the Philippine Army (PA). Ibno is attached to the 40th Infantry Battalion (IB), Philippine Army assigned in San Mateo, Cotabato City. But the soldiers did not listen nor believed him. They instead had his hands tied behind his back with a plastic and forced him to drop facing to the ground. Rawina pleaded from the soldiers not to stomp on her husband's back with combat boots because he was also a soldier like them. But instead they shot him dead in open view of his wife to his back.

Meanwhile, Rawina's father was also taken by the soldiers close by where he was placed in seaweeds drier. They also had his hands tied with plastic behind his back. Rawina's parents were also told to drop facing to the ground. The names of Rawina's parents though were not mentioned.

Rawina later asked the soldiers to carry her husband's dead body inside their house as it started to rain which they did. After it stopped raining, the soldiers then took Rawina and her husband's corpse to a small boat towards another boat by the Philippine Navy anchored at the sea. Inside she allegedly saw four U.S. soldiers together with Filipinos soldiers. She also found some of their properties taken earlier from their place; a boat engine, chainsaw, generator, jewellery and some of their livestock. She was later ferried to commercial wharf in Jolo, Sulu where she was dropped and was later transferred to a van going towards a military camp. There she was held inside a room for hours.

Only in the afternoon of the same day she was released when Sakur Tan, Governor of Sulu, had come to the military camp to negotiate for her release with the soldiers. Governor Sakur had asked to take custody of Rawina and her husband's body. Ibno's body was taken by his family to their ancestral home in Barangay Bualoh in Maimbong, Sulu where it was buried. Upon returning home, Rawina noticed that several of their personal properties have also gone missing. Her husband's two-way radio, a.45 cal. pistol and its license, wallet containing P3,000 (USD 73), an ATM card and Identification card.

When the regional office of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) later conducted their investigation into the incident in the area, they concluded that the villagers were shot at and their village was raided while in their sleep.

In a report published by SunStar on February 8, an online regional news organisation, CHR regional director Jose Manuel Mamauag was quoted to have said:" It was an attack on the sleeping residents as far as our team's finding in concern". In rejecting the soldiers' claims it was a legitimate encounter, CHR Commissioner for Mindanao Dominador Calamba claim the wounding of soldiers could have come from their fellow soldiers' guns and not from the villagers whom they claimed to have exchanged fire at them. He also added that there was "no proof" of the Abu Sayyaf Group present there when it happened.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:

This is yet another incident wherein security forces admitted killing villagers but justifies their deaths on pretext of a legitimate encounter. In the past, similar cases were also documented, however, some of those cases the soldiers were eventually charged in court or had their versions of the killings rejected following an investigation as in this case mentioned above.

Take the case of the killing of eight farmers in Palo, Leyte in November 2005. The soldiers immediately announce their deaths were a result of a legitimate encounter and the victims were all members of an illegal armed group. They also claimed the victims were armed and had exchanged fires with them. However, investigation conducted by the regional office of the CHR rejected their claim and recommended the filing of charges of murder against them in court. (For details, please see: UP-141-2005; UP-053-2006).

In another case, on September 2004 Bacar Japalali and his wife Carmen were also killed in Tagum City when the soldiers open fired at their house while in their sleep. Bacar died on the spot as he was lying inside his mosquito net while Carmen died as she was being taken to a hospital. The soldiers likewise continued on shooting at her and a neighbour who tried taking her to hospital for treatment. The soldiers also claimed the couple were rebels and they had exchanged fire with them. But forensic examination on Bacar's corpse was found negative of powder burns. The court later recommended the filing of charges against the soldiers. In September 2007, the soldiers involved were arraigned in court after years of delay in the case. (For details, please see: UA-72-2005; UP-110-2007)

In the Philippines, the policemen and soldiers involved in killing persons on pretext of legitimate encounter are in practice the same person who decides whether or not it was legitimate. The possibility of holding those responsible for the death to account is extremely difficult as the police authorities themselves heavily depends on reports from the field. For instance, after the death of eight farmers in Palo, Leyte, the police conducting investigation entirely depends on the soldier's version. There was no sort of an independent and credible investigation being done by the police. (For details, please read: UP-019-2006). This practice has long threatened and undermined the security of villagers living in remote areas.

The AHRC has already raised serious concern on these incidents of killings on pretext of a "legitimate encounter" in its Statement: "Legitimate encounter" is not a license to kill"

SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write letters to concerned authorities requesting their intervention to ensure that a credible investigation is conducted in this case. The soldiers involved must be investigated to answer allegations against them and that the families of the dead are afforded with adequate compensation. The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) must also ensure that its findings are given meaning by recommending immediate filing of appropriate charges in court against the soldiers involved.

The AHRC is writing separate letters to the UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary, or Arbitrary Executions calling for an intervention in this case.

To support this appeal, please click here:

SAMPLE LETTER:

Dear __________,

PHILIPPINES: Soldiers kill eight persons in Sulu on pretext of "legitimate encounter"

Name of the victims killed:
1. Kirah Lahim, 35 years old, a seaweed farmer
2. Arnalyn, 19, daughter of Kirah
3. Rismin, 9, son of Kirah
4. Sulayman Akub, 25, seaweeds farmer
5. Nasriya Bin Akub, 24, four months pregnant
6. Marisa Failan, 4
7. Eldisin Hashim, 40, a member of the village council
8. Corporal Ibno Wahid, a member of the 40th Infantry Battalion (IB), Philippine Army assigned in San Mateo, Cotabato City; a former member of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) who joined the army as an integree
Alleged perpetrators: Elements of the Special Warfare Group, Philippine Navy and Light Reaction Company
Date of incident: At around 2:30am on 4 February 2008
Place of incident: Barangay (village) Ipil, Maimbong, Sulu

I am shocked to learn about the killing of eight villagers, including a four-year-old girl and a four months pregnant woman in Maimbong, Sulu on 4 February 2008. Though the soldiers, whose unit is mentioned above, involved in the killing claim the incident was supposedly a "legitimate encounter" in pursuit of an illegal armed group holding a kidnap victim, I have learned though that subsequent investigation by the regional office of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) concludes this is not the case.

The villagers, who live in a small island where at least 30 household are, were in their sleep when the soldiers raided the village and started shooting at them. One of the victims, Corporal Ibno Wahid, was shot dead in open view of his wife, Rawina. The couple were inside their house sleeping when awakened by thuds of footsteps and stones thrown at a store owned by Rawina's parents. Soon after coming outside their house, they had Ibno's hands tied behind his back and forced to drop facing to the ground. The soldiers did not listen nor believe him when he introduced himself as a soldier. They shot him dead to his back.

Rawina's parents, whose names were not mentioned, were also taken by soldiers close by. Like what they did to her husband, they likewise had their hands tied and forced to drop facing to the ground.

I have also learned that another villager, Eldisin Hashim, a member of the village council, died when hit by bullets when soldiers started shooting at their house. Eldisin was with his wife inside their house when it happened. He tried avoiding being hit by rain of bullets by dropping outside their house. But when the shooting stopped, his wife found him fatally wounded and his body lying outside the house. His eyes were damage and one of his finger cut-off.

Also at that time close by, six frightened villagers who tried to flee for safety on a small boat were killed when the soldiers shot at them. The names of those who were killed, which includes a four-year-old girl and a four month pregnant woman, are mentioned above. I have learned that they were with five others as they paddle to a nearby island when the soldiers, riding on a rubber boat, close in and started shooting at them. Those in the boat are composed of three families, the Lahims, Akubs and Failans. Even though they shouted and pleaded to stop shooting because they are civilians the soldiers continued on. Though five had survived the attack, one of them, Myrna Lahim, suffered injuries to her neck.

I am extremely shock by this yet another incident of killing on pretext of a "legitimate encounter" taking place. I am aware of this continuing practice and phenomenon of killing of persons, particularly those living in remote villagers, being justified on pretext of an encounter. As in this case, the CHR has itself concluded in its investigation that the victims' village were raided in their sleep and were shot at. It also rejects the soldiers' claims that an illegal armed group holding a kidnap victim was present there when it happened. These are serious allegations that require concerned authorities' adequate action.

I therefore urge you to ensure that the CHR's findings are given meaning by ensuring that appropriate charges are filed against those involved. The families of the dead should also be given adequate compensation and those requiring protection in the process of prosecuting the case in court, once it is filed, are given such arrangement. The identity of the soldiers involved must be disclosed and that appropriate sanctions are imposed on them. This is necessary to ensure that further investigation are credible and effective; and that it would prevent them from possibilities of taking harsh action against the complainants.

I also urge the police authorities to ensure that investigation into this case is effectively and adequately done. I am concerned that their investigation may be heavily depending on the versions of the soldiers involved, as it usually happens in the past on cases similar in nature, which is completely unacceptable. Apart from the CHR's findings that should also be considered in this case, the police must ensure the families of the dead and those who had survived the incident, are properly informed of their actions.

Yours sincerely,

----------------------
PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:

1. Mrs. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
President
Republic of the Philippines
Malacanang Palace
JP Laurel Street, San Miguel
Manila 1005
PHILIPPINES
Fax: +63 2 736 1010
Tel: +63 2 735 6201 / 564 1451 to 80
E-mail: corres@op.gov.ph

2. Mrs. Purificacion Quisumbing
Commissioner
Commission on Human Rights
SAAC Bldg., Commonwealth Avenue
U.P. Complex, Diliman
Quezon City
PHILIPPINES
Fax: +63 2 929 0102
Tel: +63 2 928 5655 / 926 6188
E-mail: drpvq@yahoo.com

3. Deputy Director General Avelino Razon
Chief, Philippine National Police (PNP)
Camp General Rafael Crame
Quezon City
PHILIPPINES
Fax: +63 2724 8763
Tel: +63 2 726 4361/4366/8763
E-mail: bluetree73@gmail.com

4. Mr. Raul Gonzalez
Secretary
Department of Justice (DoJ)
DOJ Bldg., Padre Faura
1004 Manila
PHILIPPINES
Fax: +63 2 521 1614
E-mail: agnesdeva@yahoo.com

5. Gen. Hermogenes Esperon
Chief of Staff
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)
AFP-GHQ Offices, Camp Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo
Quezon City
PHILIPPINES
Fax: +63 2 911 6436
Tel: +63 2 911 6001 to 50

Thank you.

Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ua@ahrchk.org)



Please support the online petition for a UN monitoring mission in Sri Lanka. Help us to get 5000 signatures until the end of the month. Sign here
---------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe from this list visit
To update your preferences visit
---------------------------------------------------


Asian Human Rights Commission
19/F, Go-Up Commercial Building,
998 Canton Road, Kowloon, Hongkong S.A.R.
Tel: +(852) - 2698-6339 Fax: +(852) - 2698-6367