US-backed RP troops hunt for JI, Sayyaf terrorists in Sulu

Mist envelopes the magnificent Tulay Mosque in Sulu province in the southern Philippines, where security forces are battling Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiya militants since Sunday, September 20, 2009. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / September 22, 2009) – Philippine troops backed by US military intelligence on Tuesday continue to hunt for Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiya militants in the southern island of Sulu, where dozens of rebels and soldiers were killed in fierce clashes since last week, officials told the Mindanao Examiner.

Regional military chief Major General Benjamin Dolorfino said troops were tracking down at least four most senior Abu Sayyaf leaders – Dr Abu, Albader Parad, Isnilon Hapilon and Yasser Igasan – including two foreign Jemaah Islamiya terrorists Mauiya and Quayem and some 200 gunmen.

Mauiya, believed to an Indian national, was among those previously tagged by the Philippine authorities as behind the kidnappings early this year of three international Red Cross workers in Sulu. But little is known about Quayem.

“Our forces are pursuing the Abu Sayyaf and JI terrorists. We will get them sooner or later,” Dolorfino said.

He said at least 34 Abu Sayyaf militants and 8 soldiers were killed in the fighting since Sunday in the hinterlands of Indanan town. Among those killed on the side of the Abu Sayyaf was Ustadz Muktar, a cousin of Hapilon, whom is wanted by the US for terrorism.

Dolorfino said the US military has been providing intelligence to the Philippine military in the hunt for the terrorists. “The US military is providing intelligence support,” he said without elaborating.

But US Special Forces are deployed in Sulu province since 2006 and assisting the local military in defeating the Abu Sayyaf.

Police are also on alert for retaliatory attacks by the Abu Sayyaf after security forces captured one of their main camps in Indanan town.

Chief Inspector Usman Pingay, head of police in the capital town of Jolo, said he had received intelligence reports that the Abu Sayyaf plans to attack after their largest camp on the island was overran by troops.

He said police had set up more road checkpoints and were conducting more foot patrols.

“We are in heightened alert. We have intelligence reports that the Abu Sayyaf may launch an attack in Jolo, probably as retaliation to the ongoing military offensive,” Pingay told the Mindanao Examiner by phone from Jolo.

Dolorfino said the fall of the Abu Sayyaf camp was a big blow to the al-Qaeda-linked terrorist group. “The capture of the Abu Sayyaf camp is a big blow to the enemy because it is one of their main strongholds in Sulu,” he said.

The seized Abu Sayyaf camp was near to the base of former Moro National Liberation Front rebels, who were believed coddling the militants, according to Dolorfino.

“The Abu Sayyaf camp was a convenient sanctuary because of the presence of the MNLF base and some former rebels are protecting these terrorists because either they are relatives or family members,” he said.

The MNLF signed a peace deal with Manila in September 1996, but many former guerrillas were disgruntled with the accord, saying, the Arroyo government failed to comply with some of its provisions and uplift their standards of living. They accused Manila of failing to develop war-torn areas in the south.

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

Many of the former MNLF fighters have joined the Abu Sayyaf and the larger Moro Islamic Liberation Front, which is now negotiating peace with the government. (Mindanao Examiner)

Get The Root!

Root the beer. Get the root. Mug! (Mindanao Examiner Productions)

Sayyaf ambushed troops in Sulu

Policemen patrol the sea off Jolo town in the southern Philippine province of Sulu where 8 marines are killed in an Abu Sayyaf ambush Monday, September 21, 2009. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)

SULU, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / September 21, 2009) – Abu Sayyaf militants ambushed a group of marines Monday afternoon sparking a fierce firefight that killed at least 8 soldiers and wounded nine more.

The fighting also killed three militants in the village of Bato-Bato in Indanan town, said Major Ramon David Hontiveros, a spokesman for the military’s Western Mindanao Command.

Hontiveros did not say how many soldiers died in the attack, but independent sources said at least 8 marines were killed when Abu Sayyaf militants opened fire on them. Nine other soldiers were injured in the ambush.

“We are getting conflicting reports as to the number of military casualties,” Hontiveros said.

The military earlier said fighting subsided in the province after Sunday clashes in Indanan killed an Abu Sayyaf militant and wounded four government soldiers.

Hontiveros said troops clashed with more than 200 militants in the town and that dozens had come from the nearby province of Basilan and reinforced the group of Abu Sayyaf leader Isnilon Hapilon.

It was unknown why the military failed to detect or intercept about 40 Abu Sayyaf gunmen who arrived by boat in Sulu on Sunday morning.

The fighting in the province erupted after security forces shelled suspected Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiya lairs in Indanan town, but a senior rebel leader of the Bangsamoro National Liberation Front, Madarang Sali, said the offensive targeted former Moro rebels under Khaid Ajibun.

Sali said the military attacked Ajibun’s camp without provocation, an accusation strongly denied by the military.

“We are not attacking the MNLF camp. The operation is directed at the Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiya position in the village of Buanza in Indanan town,” Hontiveros said.

Military and police intelligence reports said several Jemaah Islamiya terrorists are hiding and being by Abu Sayyaf militants in Sulu - among them are Mauiya, Dulmatin, Zulkifli bin Hir and Umar Patek - who are all wanted by Indonesia for the spate of deadly attacks in the Philippines and Indonesia, including the Bali bombing in 2002. The US has offered at least $16 million rewards for their capture.

The United States listed the Abu Sayyaf and the Jemaah Islamiya as foreign terrorist groups alongside with Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network.

Philippine authorities said the Jemaah Islamiya terrorists fled to Mindanao where they sought refuge under the protection of the Abu Sayyaf and rogue members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the country’s largest Muslim rebel group. (With a report from Nickee Butlangan)

Sulu fighting subsides; leaves Sayyaf gunman dead, 4 soldiers wounded

A private security guard is silhouetted by the sun as he mans his post at the Jolo port in Sulu province in the southern Philippines. Military and Abu Sayyaf militants clashed in Sulu’s Indanan town over the weekend, leaving a gunman dead and four soldiers wounded.

(Mindanao Examiner Photo)

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / September 21, 2009) – Fighting subsided on Monday between security forces and al-Qaeda-linked militants in the southern Philippine province of Sulu, officials told the Mindanao Examiner.

Officials said four soldiers were wounded in the weekend fighting that also left one Abu Sayyaf militant dead in the hinterland of Indanan town. “We are now on a defensive position,” said Major Ramon David Hontiveros, a spokesman for the military’s Western Mindanao Command.

He said troops clashed with more than 200 militants in the town and that dozens had come from the nearby province of Basilan and reinforced the group of Abu Sayyaf leader Isnilon Hapilon.

It was unknown why the military failed to detect or intercept about 40 Abu Sayyaf gunmen who arrived by boat in Sulu on Sunday morning.

The fighting in the province erupted after security forces shelled suspected Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiya lairs in Indanan town, but a senior rebel leader of the Bangsamoro National Liberation Front, Madarang Sali, said the offensive targeted former Moro rebels under Khaid Ajibun.

Sali said the military attacked Ajibun’s camp without provocation, an accusation strongly denied by the military.

“We are not attacking the MNLF camp. The operation is directed at the Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiya position in the village of Buanza in Indanan town,” Hontiveros said.

Military and police intelligence reports said several Jemaah Islamiya terrorists are hiding and being by Abu Sayyaf militants in Sulu - among them are Mauiya, Dulmatin, Zulkifli bin Hir and Umar Patek - who are all wanted for the spate of deadly attacks in the Philippines and Indonesia, including the Bali bombing in 2002. The US has offered at least $16 million rewards for their capture.

The United States listed the Abu Sayyaf and the Jemaah Islamiya as foreign terrorist groups alongside with Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network.

Philippine authorities said the Jemaah Islamiya terrorists fled to Mindanao where they sought refuge under the protection of the Abu Sayyaf and rogue members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the country’s largest Muslim rebel group. (Mindanao Examiner)

Noted Davao Lawyer Tells Victims of Violence To Seek Justice

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – A noted Filipino lawyer in the southern Philippine city of Davao has called on victims of violence and injustice to have the courage and come out in the open.

Nograles, son and chief of staff of House Speaker Prospero Nograles, made the calls during his weekend radio program called “Kalamboan Dala Tanan,” to put an end to the pervading “culture of violence and abuse” in Davao City.

Extrajudicial killings are common in Davao City and hundreds had been murdered so far the past years and many of these cases remain unresolved. Many of the killings were blamed to the so-called Davao Death Squad, a shadowy armed group.

The young Nograles said the families of victims of extrajudicial killings and violence could seek assistance to government agencies, nongovernmental agencies or the Church to seek justice.

He suggested that police conduct a thorough investigation and match confiscated guns to evidences retrieved from murder scenes involving the death squad. “For all we know, one or more of these confiscated firearms were used in many unsolved killings,” Nograles said.

Hundreds of guns were seized by police and military in a campaign against illegal weapons in recent years. And Nograles said ballistic tests on those weapons could establish whether or not the guns were directly linked to the killings that already affected Davao City’s tourism, the peace and order and caused a worldwide embarrassment and fears among investors.

He said the issue on Davao City killings was among the topics raised during the recent visit of Speaker Nograles in the United States where he met President Barrack Obama and his counterpart, Senator Nancy Pelosi.

The issue of summary killings in Davao City was also the subject in the recent ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Conference in Thailand where Speaker Nograles represented the Philippines.

“It cannot be denied that these killings have brought Davao more harm than good,” the young lawyer said, adding, some victims were killed due to reasons other than peace and order.

He lamented that no suspect was arrested, including those behind the killings of journalists Jun Pala, who was gunned down in 2003, and Ferdinand Lintuan, shot in 2007 in Davao City.

Last week, a widow of one of six murder victims in Davao City, Belinda Palmero, said she does not expect to get justice just like the many other victims of the Davao Death Squad.

Appearing on a local television show, Palmero said the killing of her husband, had left them with no one to fend for the family.

Nograles told the woman not to lose hope. “Many people and organizations are willing to help families of victims of extrajudicial killings to end the violence and abuses,” the lawyer assured.

Acknowledging fears that some of the killings could be “state-sponsored,” Nograles said victims could go to nongovernmental organizations like the Integrated Bar of the Philippines for legal help, or Church groups that offer spiritual counseling.

“It is necessary for us to find the courage,” the lawyer said, adding, he and his father and their group are willing to help those who need legal assistance.

Military offensive disrupts Muslim festival in Southern Philippines

Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) chieftain Murad Ebrahim leads the breaking of fast on Sunday, September 20, 2009 in the southern Philippines. In Sulu province, the military launched offensive against Abu Sayyaf and Moro rebels, disrupting the celebration of the Hari Raya, which signals the end of the holy month of Ramadan. (Mindanao Examiner Photo / Mark Navales)

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / September 20, 2009) – Government forces shelled Sunday a mountain stronghold of suspected Abu Sayyaf militants in the southern Philippine province of Sulu.

The attack, which occurred shortly before 7 a.m. in the town of Indanan coincided with the start of Hari Raya festival which signals the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.

Several Muslims said the sounds of explosions from the shelling had disrupted solemn prayers in mosques. Angry Muslims cursed the military for disrespecting their tradition.

The Malay words ‘Hari Raya' translate as 'Day of Celebration' or the ‘Festival of Breaking the Fast'. Muslims usually attend Eid prayers in mosque in the morning. The celebrations begin with the birth of the new moon of Syawal, the 10th month of the Islamic calendar.

The military said the offensive was aimed at capturing wanted persons. “There are some identified suspects who have standing warrants. I regret I can’t discuss operational details yet,” Major Ramon David Hontiveros, a spokesman for the military’s Western Mindanao Command, told the Mindanao Examiner.

There were no immediate reports of casualties in the shelling.

Police said it received unconfirmed reports the military operation was directed at Abu Sayyaf leader Albader Parad in the mountain village of Talibang.

But a Moro rebel leader, Madarang Sali, deputy supreme commander of the Bangsamoro National Liberation Front, said the military offensive targeted a stronghold of Khaid Ajibun, a senior leader of the Moro National Liberation Front in Camp Marang near the village of Talibang.

“The Muslims are celebrating the Hari Raya, but what greeted us are bombings from military aircrafts,” he said in a statement sent to the independent regional newspaper, the Mindanao Examiner.

Sali accused the military of terrorizing the Muslims in Sulu, an accusation strongly denied by the armed forces.

“The Bangsamoro National Liberation Army declares publicly and calls and manifest our Islamic solidarity behind our brothers-in-Islam and to support the declaration of Jihad against the Philippine Government and Armed Forces of the Philippines for the restoration of sovereign states of the Bangsamoro Homeland. There are no terrorists in our homeland, but we are being terrorized by Armed Forces of the Philippines,” he said.

The MNLF signed a peace deal with Manila in September 1996, but many of its members were disgruntled by the agreement and accusing the government of failing to honor the provisions of the accord.

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

It was unknown who ordered the offensive or what triggered the shelling, but Hontiveros said: “The suspects might be mustering a lot of conventional resistance necessitating the use of indirect fire weapons. We sincerely hope that these people who are suspected of complicity in crimes will peacefully submit to the courts where they can defend their name.”

Hontiveros said the offensive was part of a surgical operation against terrorists who were blamed for the spate of bombings in Sulu, but cut short of tagging the Abu Sayyaf in the attacks.

“It’s our common fight against the evils of society. This is surgical operation directed against terrorists who are destroying the image of Islam. They bombed and disturbed us twice during Ramadan. They hurt two Muslim soldiers going to mosque to pray. We are doing this for the good of peace and law-abiding Muslims. The disturbance and inconvenience now may make our Ramadan peaceful in the future,” Hontiveros said. (Mindanao Examiner)

Catholic News, paiigitingin sa Pinas!

DAVAO CITY (Mindanao Examiner / Setyembre 19, 2009) – Pinaiigting ng Union of Catholic Asian News o UCAN ang operasyon nito sa bansa upang lalong pagtibayin ang mga balitang may kinalaman sa Katolismo.

Ang Pilipinas ay ang natatanging Katolikong bansa sa Asya at ito ang pinagtutuunan ng UCAN upang maipabatid ang magagandang pangyayari na may kinalaman sa mga komunidad hindi lamang sa mga Kristiyano kundi maging ibang relihiyon.

Pinangunahan ni Norma Jean Viehland ng UCAN-Manila ang pagtitipon sa Davao City na dinaluhan ng mga beteranong mamamahayag, peace advocates, at pari.

Ang UCAN ang pangunahing source ng mga ibat-ibang bansa sa mga balitang may kinalaman sa mga Katoliko.

Bukod sa UCAN ay ang Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines ay naglalabas ng mga balitang ukol sa Simbahan at mga mahahalagang isyu. (Mindanao Examiner)

MILF nagmatigas, hindi isusuko ang mga lider na sabig sa atake sa Mindanao

COTABATO CITY (Mindanao Examiner / Setyembre 19, 2009) - Nagmatigas ang Moro Islamic Liberation Front kahapon na hindi nito isusuko ang mga lider na isinabit ng militar at pulisya sa madugong atake sa Mindanao nuong nakaraang taon.

Unang hiningi ng pamahalaang Arroyo sa MILF na isuko sina Abdurahman Macapaar, Ameril Kato and Sulayman Pangalian na siyang itinuturong nasa likod ng paglusob sa Lanat at Sarangani, gayun rin sa North Cotabato at Maguindanao nuong nakaraang taon.

Maraming nasawi sa naturang atake at sinunog pa ng mga rebelde ang ilang kabahayan sa mga lalawigan.

Mismong si MILF chieftain Murad Ebrahim ang nagsabing hindi nito isusuko ang mga lider dahil iimbestigahan pa ang mga ito ng shariah court.

Ito rin ang unang sinabi sa Abante ni Mohagher Iqbal, chief MILF peace negotiator, at Eid Kabalu, spokesman ng nasabing grupo. Itinanggi na noon ng mga lider ang kanilang pagkakasangkot sa atake na naganap matapos na mabasura ang Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain nuong Agosto. (Mindanao Examiner)

Church joins protest against Jolo rapes

People at the Jolo rally protesting the increase in rapes. (Photo by UCAN)

JOLO, Philippines (UCAN) - A Jolo vicariate official has joined the call for action against gang rapes in his southern Philippine town, where at least 25 rape cases have been reported in the past two months.

Oblate Father Romeo Villanueva, director of the vicariate's Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation commission, denounced lack of government support for victims of the reported rapes, mostly young Muslim women returning from night classes.

Father Villanueva addressed hundreds of people representing more than 60 civil society groups in Sulu province demanding government action to stop violence against women.

Jolo vicariate, based in the provincial capital, covers Sulu and neighboring Tawi-Tawi province, which comprises 457 islands and islets. Roughly 2 percent of the territory's 1.1 million inhabitants are Catholics, while the vast majority are Muslims.

Under a sweltering sun, young women from religious and government schools carried placards at the September 4 rally demanding action to stop the rapes as well as justice for the victims. One placard read, "Women must be loved and respected and not abused."

The rally resolution, read out by Anwar al-An, convener of the interreligious and multisectoral Sulu People's Congress (SPC), lamented local authorities' failure to act competently and protect women.

Father Villanueva urged local authorities to document the abuse carefully, so their investigations could lead to successful prosecution of wrongdoers.

The government also should promptly provide protection to victims, he said at the rally, broadcast over local radio.

The priest also signed a two-page resolution prepared by the SPC.It appealed to the Philippine National Police, National Bureau of nvestigation, Commission on Human Rights, other government bodies and elected officials to create immediately a fact-finding mission on the mounting rapes.

Father Villanueva told UCA News on September 17 that one recent victim, an 80-year old woman, reportedly was raped by 10 men. He added that he went to see her, but was told she fled Jolo out of fear the rapists would return for her.

Fear is common among the victims, who complain that police do not follow up on their complaints, he added.

"Usually, the reports about gang rapes involve young Muslim girls walking home after classes, usually alone," the priest said. He described the attacks as coordinated: "A number of motorcycle riders who spot a victim contact a covered van that then picks up the victim, who the gang will rape."

He said no Christians have reported being raped, but pointed out that if some had become victims, they might be reluctant to report this to police.

"We are upset because the police are in a state of denial and refuse to accept the accounts of the victims," he stated.

Father Villanueva explained that his Church commission joined the prayer rally because its role is to promote human rights and freedom and to share the task of peace-building. Catholics, though a minority, form networks with other civil society organizations hoping to help transform Sulu, he said.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development and the Women's Desk of the Sulu provincial police conducted a two-week information drive on the Anti-Violence against Women and Children law in all high schools and colleges in Jolo, since majority of the victims are students.

The National Statistical Coordination Board ranks Sulu 13th-poorest among the 80 Philippine provinces. (UCAN)


Link: http://www.ucanews.com/2009/09/18/church-joins-protest-against-jolo-rapes/

Audit Body Begins Work In Davao City

DAVAO CITY, Philippines - The Office of House Speaker Prospero Nograles has belied claims that it was behind the move by the Commission on Audit (COA) to look deeply into the use of (Davao) City Hall of its huge budget for peace and order funds.

“The COA, just like the Commission on Human Rights, is a constitutional body which Congress has no control over,” said lawyer Karlo B. Nograles, son and chief-of-staff of the Speaker.

“Like any government office, we are also subject to a COA audit,” the young Nograles said during his weekly radio program called “Kalamboan Dala Tanan” over radio station dxAB.

Nograles was reacting to claims that fund releases in City Hall have been stopped on account of an ongoing audit by COA. The city’s peace and order funds amounted to about P450-million a year, or a shade above P1.2-million per day.

Davao enjoys up to P4-billion annual budget which is among the biggest in the country.

“The Office of the Speaker is also being audited by COA, but fund releases do not stop, we have continued with our projects and public services,” the lawyer said. “Audit is a simple turnover of proof of disbursements to COA, but it does not mean a stop to fund releases.”

Nograles said disbursement of funds could be stopped if there is no liquidation of all cash advances. “But that is not during the conduct of audit, but in the course of upright fiscal handling,” the lawyer said.

He said judicious use of government funds is the main reason why the Office of the Speaker has been transparent in the implementation of its projects. Aside from the regular publication of the Nograles Accomplishment Report, many public distributions of government aids are all recorded, including video documentation.

Public works projects are also marked by signboards because it is mandated by law.

In his Saturday afternoon radio program, Nograles confirmed that there are plans in Congress to conduct a legislative inquiry into the use of intelligence and peace and order funds. “But that is not in the lower house, but in Senate,” he said.

The lawyer said the Office of Senator Benigno Aquino III has proposed the investigation on the use of intelligence funds by local governments.

Quoting his father, the young Nograles said the lower house would be satisfied to exercise its oversight powers over local government expenditures during the marathon hearings on the 2010 national budget set to begin next week.

Another Sayyaf terrorist arrested in Zamboanga City

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / September 18, 2009) – Security forces arrested an Abu Sayyaf militant in his hideout in Zamboanga City in the southern Philippines, officials announced on Friday.

Officials said soldiers and policemen arrested Suhudi Ocenyo Jawani alias Abu Masib and Ibno Madja in the village of Mampang.

“He is facing four counts of kidnapping and serious illegal detention,” said Major Ramon David Hontiveros, a spokesman for the military’s Western Mindanao Command in Zamboanga City.

No other details were made available about Jawani except that he was arrested on Wednesday by a joint team of military and police.

A local radio network, dzRZ-Radyo Agong which quoted unnamed police sources reported that Jawani was also implicated in past bombings in Zamboanga City.

Last week, security forces also arrested an Abu Sayyaf militant, Almujahid Susukan, on charges of kidnappings.

Susukan, a sub-leader of the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf group, is the brother of militant leaders Jawawi and Mujiv Susukan, who were both killed in separate military operations in Sulu province the past years.

Susukan was implicated in the kidnappings of 21 Asian and European holidaymakers from the Malaysian island-resort of Sipadan in 2000. Susukan was a former fighter of the Moro National Liberation Front who joined the army, but later deserted his unit and joined the Abu Sayyaf.

He was previously arrested by the military in Sulu province, however, it was unclear whether Susukan had been freed or escaped or working with the armed forces as a spy.

Many of arrested Abu Sayyaf had been used by the military as a spy, often working for bounties offered by the Philippine and US governments for the capture of known militant leaders in Mindanao. (Mindanao Examiner)

No law was violated in Lakas-Kampi's announcement of preferred bets in 2010 polls

MANILA, Philippines - Speaker Prospero Nograles said the Wednesday meeting of the Lakas-Kampi-CMD Executive Committee where Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro and Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno emerged as the preferred presidential and vice-presidential bets of the party in 2010 national polls contravened no law.

The Speaker made the statement following concerns posed by some quarters of the possibility or violations of the election law and a Supreme Court ruling against premature announcement of official candidates.

"Why pick on us?" the House leader asked following the executive committee meeting which conducted an "intelligent and secret consensus taking" vote among the party's leaders nationwide.

Nograles even pointed out possible "hairline" transgressions that could be a concern for other parties who have declared presidential candidates. The administration party, he added, have no officially declared bets yet as the party is still in the selection process.

"We violated nothing. Compare this now with other political parties with declared candidates like the Club Filipino gig of the Liberal Party," Nograles noted.

He also is asking about the nationwide caravan of the Partido ng Masang Pilipino or PMP of former President Joseph Estrada and the barrage of infor-commercials costing hundreds of millions of certain declared presidential candidates.

"Even the so-called live television debates of declared presidential candidates aired by ABS-CBN's ANC channel. Talk shows like Wowowee...the Strictly Politics radio interviews of declared presidential candidates and their countrywide mini-rallies including the launch of campaign contributions dubbed as 'piso-piso' are held even in Davao City and elsewhere," Nograles said.

The SWS Pulse Asia surveys publishing the status of the race of candidates for president and related activities "could be defeating the essence" of our election law relative to the prohibited early campaign activities, he said.

"These acts are designed to promote or defeat a candidate or candidates. Under this legal observation, everyone could be disqualified from running especially those leading in surveys. And that is precisely the heart of dissenting opinions of the now celebrated early campaign doctrine of the Supreme Court," Nograles surmised. (Gil Bugaoisan)

Mindanao Examiner Special: Zamboanga del Norte Subanon Reunification Ritual

Mindanao Examiner Special: Zamboanga del Norte Subanon Reunification Ritual Part 1



Mindanao Examiner Special: Zamboanga del Norte Subanon Reunification Ritual Part 2

Mindanao Examiner TV Week In Review September 6-12, 2009

Mindanao Examiner TV Week In Review September 6-12, 2009 Part 1



Mindanao Examiner TV Week In Review September 6-12, 2009 Part 2

Troops attack MILF camp in Zamboanga province

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2 killed, 15 wounded in South RP grenade blast

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / September 17, 2009) – Two villagers were killed and more than a dozen injured in a grenade attack in the southern Filipino province of Sulu, the military said on Thursday.

It said the explosion occurred shortly before midnight Wednesday at a carnival on a village called Tubig Puti in the town of Luuk.

“Two civilians were killed and 15 are wounded in the explosion. They were hit by shrapnel,” said Major Ramon David Hontiveros, a spokesman for the Western Mindanao Command.

He said authorities are still investigating the motive of the attack. No individual or group has claimed responsibility for the blast, but the terrorist Abu Sayyaf group is actively operating in the area. Clan war is also common in Sulu.

On Monday night, an explosion also rocked the port of Jolo in the province where US troops, escorted by a small team of Filipino soldiers, were unloading cargoes from a boat.

The soldiers, who panicked by the explosion, indiscriminately fired their weapons, hitting a mosque and several small buildings at the port.

US and Filipino troops involved in the shooting ignored investigations by the police and port authorities. The US troops previously closed down a hospital in the province on suspicion wounded rebels were being treated there.

American Special Forces are deployed in Sulu since 2006 and have been assisting the local military in defeating the Abu Sayyaf. (Mindanao Examiner)

Davao farmers get loan assistance

Lawyer Karlo Nograles, son and chief of staff of House Speaker Prospero Nograles, distributes loan checks to coconut farmers in Davao City.

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Coconut farmers in Davao City in Mindanao received loan assistance from House Speaker Prospero Nograles and the Philippine Coconut Authority.

The beneficiaries of the two million pesos loan assistance were members of the Davao City Coconut Farmers Federation Incorporated.

The lawmaker’s son and chief of staff, lawyer Karlo Nograles, facilitated the release Friday of the loan without interest to help coconut farmers.

He said the money was part of the five million pesos earlier pledged to coconut farmers during a memorandum of agreement signed by the solon, the PCA and Davao City Coconut Farmers Federation Incorporated.

Nograles said the remaining three million pesos will be given to the farmers if they are religious in paying their loan within five years without interest. The amount received by the coconut farmers corresponded to the size of their farms.

“A total of 610 hectares corresponding to 225 coconut farmers in Talomo District and 100 more coconut farmers in Toril District are the beneficiaries of this loan assistance,” the young Nograles said.

He said the Office of the House Speaker acted as guarantor to the loan which can help the farmers improve their situation.

“This is the first time that such kind of loan assistance is given to coconut farmers in Davao City. We hope the farmers use the money wisely and repay them back so others can benefit also from the loan assistance,” Nograles said.

The loan, he said, is part of the so-called “Oplan Kabuhayan” program of the solon to help improve the lives of many poor families in Davao City.

Sayyaf militant arrested in Zamboanga City

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / September 16, 2009) – Security forces have arrested an Abu Sayyaf militant in the southern Philippines port city of Zamboanga, officials said on Wednesday.

Major Ramon David Hontiveros, a spokesman for the military’s Western Mindanao Command, said a joint team of soldiers and policemen arrested Almujahid Susukan on charges of kidnappings.

“An AFP-PNP (Armed Forces of the Philippines-Philippine National Police) team recently arrested Almujahid Susukan in Zamboanga City by virtue of warrants of arrest for 21 counts of kidnappings and serious illegal detention,” Hontiveros said.

He did not say when the arrest took place or give details of the operation in Zamboanga City, but the ABS-CBN television reported that Susukan was nabbed by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group at the local port on September 9.

It said Susukan, a sub-leader of the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf group, is the brother of Jawawi and Mujiv Susukan, both militants who were killed in separate military offensive in Sulu province the past years.

Susukan was implicated in the kidnappings of 21 Asian and European holidaymakers from the Malaysian island-resort of Sipadan in 2000.

The report said Susukan was a former Moro rebel who later joined the army, but later deserted his unit and joined the Abu Sayyaf. He was previously arrested by the military in Sulu province, however, it was unclear whether Susukan had been freed or escaped or working with the armed forces as a spy.

Many of arrested Abu Sayyaf had been used by the military as a spy, often working for bounties offered by the Philippine and US governments for the capture of known militant leaders in Mindanao. (Mindanao Examiner)

Fractured opposition makes Defense chief a viable administration presidential bet, says House Speaker

Defense chief Gilberto Teodoro, left, shakes hands with Governor Sakur Tan during his visit in Sulu province in the southern Philippines. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)

MANILA, Philippines - House Speaker Prospero Nograles said the obviously discordant tunes emanating from the various opposition camps could spell good omen to Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro or whoever the administration party, Lakas-Kampi-CMD would finally choose as its standard bearer in 2010.

"Faced with a fractured opposition, Gibo is now emerging as a viable candidate. While the opposition is singing discordant tunes as to their presidential candidate, the administration remains very solid and its machinery remains very intact. This is a welcome and a most likely scenario," Nograles said, but he added that a square-off between Teodoro and Senator Benigno Aquino III in what is dubbed as the "Battle of Tarlac" or a four-cornered fight among Teodoro, Aquino, Senator Chiz Escudero and Senator Manuel Villar will be a very exciting political match.

Teodoro and Aquino are first cousins and are natives of Tarlac province where they both started and nurtured their political careers. Teodoro, Aquino and Escudero on the other hand belongs to the same generation of political leaders.

"These are three young men of the same generation making a political statement for the future. It will be a very exciting match," Nograles said.

This position of Nograles is in sync with the declared preference of Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno for Teodoro as his running mate in the 2010 elections as he noted the groundswell of support for the defense chief by key provincial political stalwarts.

Puno said that out of 81 governors nationwide, an overwhelming 49 governors have already committed their support for Teodoro.

"Sec. Teodoro is certainly one of the most viable and able nominees ready to assume leadership," said Nograles, who is also party Vice-Chairman as he pointed out last week's announcement of the administration's standard bearer would now signal Lakas-Kampi's nationwide mobilization to ensure the party's victory in 2010 polls.

In terms of experience, capability, dependability, maturity and leadership, Nograles thinks that "Teodoro is steps ahead among our options," the House leader said. (Gil Bugaoisan)

Army man who killed 2 soldiers is captured in Mindanao

MAGUINDANAO, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / September 15, 2009) – Government troops have captured an infantryman who killed two soldiers and wounded another in a shooting spree near an army base in the southern Philippines, officials said Tuesday.

Colonel Jonathan Ponce, a spokesman for the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, said the soldier - Private First Class Jefferson Brillo – was captured late Monday after he was tracked down on a remote village in Barira town in Maguindanao province.

“He will face charges for killing the two soldiers and the wounding of another army trooper,” Ponce said told the Mindanao Examiner.

Brillo shot his commander Sergeant Alex Guimata and Corporal Ernesto Dumaboc in a fit of rage after he was reprimanded for drinking.

Another soldier, Corporal Randy Lainera, is recuperating at a military hospital after being shot also. Brillo escaped after the shooting. Ponce said the soldier broke several bones after he jumped from a cliff to evade pursuing troops. He was brought to hospital, he said.

The sergeant confronted Brillo, a sentinel at a detachment of 38th Infantry Battalion in Tugaig village in Barira town, after he was caught drinking at a store near the battalion headquarters.

Brillo, who was supposed to man the detachment, went to his bunker and returned armed with automatic rifle and then without warning opened fire on the soldiers before escaping on foot, Ponce said.

Early this month, an infantryman, Technical Sergeant Policarpio dela Cruz, also shot and killed two army soldiers and injured five others after he opened fire on them at an army base also in the town.

The shooter was also shot and wounded by other soldiers. Those killed in the shooting were identified as Sergeant Bernard de Guzman and Private First Class Christopher Pagatpatan. While the wounded were Lieutenant Colonel Aniceto Vicente, Major Fe Ea, Second Lieutenant Grace Sumalbag, Sergeant Ronaldo Saraza and Corporal Dennis Bergante.

The motive of the shooting is still unknown, but the army spokesman said Dela Cruz was observed to be acting abnormally before the attack. (Mindanao Examiner)