By Ronron
June 29, 2007
Charges of murder were filed Friday before the prosecutor’s office against a policeman, a retired policeman, and three civilians over the killing last Saturday of a Japanese national in Manila City’s Ermita District.
Chief Inspector Alex Yanquiling, chief of the Manila Police Homicide Section, said the City Prosecutor of Manila immediately ordered the arrest of and recommended no bail for PO2 Raffy Habil, 20, of Manila Police Station 5.
However, the rest – Eduardo Reyes, 59, an ex-cop; Ronald Magtira, 29; Noel Magtira, 27; and, Edgar Crisostomo, 21 - were ordered released for further investigation.
"As to the participation of the other suspects, the undersigned finds the evidence on record INSUFFICIENT to prove CONSPIRACY and therefore, recommends their Release for Further Investigation," reads an order of the city prosecutor.
A sixth suspect, an unidentified Japanese national who is believed to have masterminded the killing, remains at large, Yangquiling said.
Yangquiling said the five identified suspects were implicated by witnesses as those who planned and executed the shooting to death of Kazuyuki Harashina, 34, last June 23 at about 2:15 am.
The real motive is still being investigated, he said./DMS
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Missing UP student showed up over a month ago – militant group
By Ronron
June 29, 2007
Militant groups disclosed Friday the “popping up” of a student of the University of the Philippines whom they claim was abducted by government troops last year in Bulacan.
Karapatan and Desaparecidos groups said Sherlyn Cadapan, a student from the UP College of Human Kinetics, showed up at the residence of her mother-in-law in a northern Luzon province (Bulacan or Bataan) sometime late April or early May of this year.
“She (Cadapan) just popped up. Apparently, she just hugged that person (her mother-in-law) and left without a word after collecting personal belongings,” Karapatan spokesperson Ruth Cervantes said in an interview.
Militant groups said Cadapan was in an immersion and research study in Hagonoy, Bulacan together with fellow UP student Karen Empeño when they were abducted, along with peasant Manuel Merino, by soldiers last June 26, 2006.
The militant groups said the military suspected the three to be members of the New People’s Army (NPA).
Cervantes said during Cadapan’s quick appearance, “it seems that she is under duress” because two women and four burly men, wearing civilian clothes, were in her company, thus preventing her from talking.
Cervantes said they suspect Cadapan’s military custodians to have purposely brought her out so that people will believe she is not being kept by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
She also sees it as means for the military to know other relatives of Cadapan.
But Cervantes said the development just bolstered belief of Cadapan’s family that indeed, she is being held by the AFP.
“It still does not change the suspicion of the family that it was indeed the military who is holding her in custody because in the hearings at the Court of Appeals, we have presented so many evidence and witnesses testifying that the military really took the person,” Cervantes said.
The family of Cadapan and Empeno have filed last year a petition for habeas corpus before the CA against the AFP in relation to their disappearance. The court hearing has yet to wrap up but the AFP had made initial pronouncements of denial about the allegation.
Cervantes reiterated that if the AFP believes Cadapan is a communist rebel, they should just charge her in court and not detain her.
Sought for comment, Philippine National Police (PNP) Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management (DIDM) chief Director Geary Barias said that though the disappearance case is not under the mandate of the PNP Task Force USIG, which he now heads, he will order for an investigation into the said development.
“As chief of the DIDM, we will have that investigated by the Regional Investigation and Detection Management in Police Regional Office III. I will order my men there to get in touch with the family, particularly the mother-in-law, of Ms. Cadapan,” Barias said.
Barias said he hopes the family of Cadapan and Empeno will cooperate in their investigation so the case can be solved.
Barias lamented that during the time of the incident, the family refused to cooperate with TF USIG on the suspicion that they were influenced by Karapatan, which is anti-government.
The Desaparecidos claims there have been 180 victims of forced disappearances since 2001 up to this day, the most recent of whom was Jonas Joseph Burgos./DMS
June 29, 2007
Militant groups disclosed Friday the “popping up” of a student of the University of the Philippines whom they claim was abducted by government troops last year in Bulacan.
Karapatan and Desaparecidos groups said Sherlyn Cadapan, a student from the UP College of Human Kinetics, showed up at the residence of her mother-in-law in a northern Luzon province (Bulacan or Bataan) sometime late April or early May of this year.
“She (Cadapan) just popped up. Apparently, she just hugged that person (her mother-in-law) and left without a word after collecting personal belongings,” Karapatan spokesperson Ruth Cervantes said in an interview.
Militant groups said Cadapan was in an immersion and research study in Hagonoy, Bulacan together with fellow UP student Karen Empeño when they were abducted, along with peasant Manuel Merino, by soldiers last June 26, 2006.
The militant groups said the military suspected the three to be members of the New People’s Army (NPA).
Cervantes said during Cadapan’s quick appearance, “it seems that she is under duress” because two women and four burly men, wearing civilian clothes, were in her company, thus preventing her from talking.
Cervantes said they suspect Cadapan’s military custodians to have purposely brought her out so that people will believe she is not being kept by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
She also sees it as means for the military to know other relatives of Cadapan.
But Cervantes said the development just bolstered belief of Cadapan’s family that indeed, she is being held by the AFP.
“It still does not change the suspicion of the family that it was indeed the military who is holding her in custody because in the hearings at the Court of Appeals, we have presented so many evidence and witnesses testifying that the military really took the person,” Cervantes said.
The family of Cadapan and Empeno have filed last year a petition for habeas corpus before the CA against the AFP in relation to their disappearance. The court hearing has yet to wrap up but the AFP had made initial pronouncements of denial about the allegation.
Cervantes reiterated that if the AFP believes Cadapan is a communist rebel, they should just charge her in court and not detain her.
Sought for comment, Philippine National Police (PNP) Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management (DIDM) chief Director Geary Barias said that though the disappearance case is not under the mandate of the PNP Task Force USIG, which he now heads, he will order for an investigation into the said development.
“As chief of the DIDM, we will have that investigated by the Regional Investigation and Detection Management in Police Regional Office III. I will order my men there to get in touch with the family, particularly the mother-in-law, of Ms. Cadapan,” Barias said.
Barias said he hopes the family of Cadapan and Empeno will cooperate in their investigation so the case can be solved.
Barias lamented that during the time of the incident, the family refused to cooperate with TF USIG on the suspicion that they were influenced by Karapatan, which is anti-government.
The Desaparecidos claims there have been 180 victims of forced disappearances since 2001 up to this day, the most recent of whom was Jonas Joseph Burgos./DMS
PAG-ASA warns of three typhoons in the country from July to October
By Ronron
June 29, 2007
The Philippine government weather station warned on Friday of three typhoons to hit the country from July to October of this year.
PAG-ASA Director Martin Rellin, Jr. told a news briefing in Camp Aguinaldo on the National Disaster Consciousness celebration for the whole of next month that if the weather disturbances push through, it would be the second to fifth out of 20 expected typhoons for the year.
Rellin said two tropical cyclones were forecast to happen this month but they moved away due to the weakening of the southwest monsoon (locally called as habagat).
“The southwest monsoon is what triggers typhoons… We are blessed this month because we expected two but fortunately, nothing happened,” Rellin said.
So far, only one tropical cyclone has entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility this year. “Amang” came in May but did not touch land, said Rellin.
Rellin said if the expected typhoons push through next month, the first of the three will be called “Bebeng.”
“We have to be prepared. We hope the three (typhoons) will not materialize. But we have to prepare,” Rellin said.
National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) Executive Officer Glenn Rabonza said the most common disaster that hits the country is typhoon or those triggered by water, including landslides and flashfloods, followed by volcanic activities.
While strong earthquakes happen rarely, they leave heavy damages both on people and properties, he said.
Rabonza said the declaration of July as the National Disaster Consciousness Month is cited in Executive Order 137, issued in 1999.
“The objective of this is to raise the level of awareness of the people and communities to disaster so they will know how to respond. We all know how intense the disasters have been during the last few years,” said Rabonza, who is also the Administrator of the Office of Civil Defense.
Among the activities lined up for the month are disaster seminars and workshops among local government units, a Crash and Rescue Exercise, an Oil Spill Response Exercise, a National Multi-Stakeholders’ Dialogue on Disaster Risk Reduction, and earthquake drills.
Rabonza bared that following the February 2006 major landslide in St. Bernard, Southern Leyte, the government is now working on an “extensive hazard mapping” covering 43 provinces all over the country that are vulnerable to landslides.
The program is expected to be finished in 2010, although those done in Surigao del Sur, Surigao del Norte, Bohol and parts of Leyte have already been completed, he said.
As to the worst oil spill to hit the country that happened last year in Guimaras, Rabonza said there are moves now to “advance the implementation of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) regulation, requiring all carriers of black cargo or industrial oil to be double-hulled ships.”
Discussions among local officials are also ongoing about the proposal of making a strategic traffic route in Philippines seas for carriers of hazardous materials like industrial oil.
“The strategy is for us to move towards declaring the Philippines as a particularly sea-sensitive area before the IMO so we can reroute the traffic of tankers. Although, this effort is still in its early infancy,” Rabonza said.
Rabonza said the Philippine government is “learning from the lessons” of the Guinsaugon landslide and the Guimaras Oil Spill, both having caused major damage against life and natural resources./DMS
June 29, 2007
The Philippine government weather station warned on Friday of three typhoons to hit the country from July to October of this year.
PAG-ASA Director Martin Rellin, Jr. told a news briefing in Camp Aguinaldo on the National Disaster Consciousness celebration for the whole of next month that if the weather disturbances push through, it would be the second to fifth out of 20 expected typhoons for the year.
Rellin said two tropical cyclones were forecast to happen this month but they moved away due to the weakening of the southwest monsoon (locally called as habagat).
“The southwest monsoon is what triggers typhoons… We are blessed this month because we expected two but fortunately, nothing happened,” Rellin said.
So far, only one tropical cyclone has entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility this year. “Amang” came in May but did not touch land, said Rellin.
Rellin said if the expected typhoons push through next month, the first of the three will be called “Bebeng.”
“We have to be prepared. We hope the three (typhoons) will not materialize. But we have to prepare,” Rellin said.
National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) Executive Officer Glenn Rabonza said the most common disaster that hits the country is typhoon or those triggered by water, including landslides and flashfloods, followed by volcanic activities.
While strong earthquakes happen rarely, they leave heavy damages both on people and properties, he said.
Rabonza said the declaration of July as the National Disaster Consciousness Month is cited in Executive Order 137, issued in 1999.
“The objective of this is to raise the level of awareness of the people and communities to disaster so they will know how to respond. We all know how intense the disasters have been during the last few years,” said Rabonza, who is also the Administrator of the Office of Civil Defense.
Among the activities lined up for the month are disaster seminars and workshops among local government units, a Crash and Rescue Exercise, an Oil Spill Response Exercise, a National Multi-Stakeholders’ Dialogue on Disaster Risk Reduction, and earthquake drills.
Rabonza bared that following the February 2006 major landslide in St. Bernard, Southern Leyte, the government is now working on an “extensive hazard mapping” covering 43 provinces all over the country that are vulnerable to landslides.
The program is expected to be finished in 2010, although those done in Surigao del Sur, Surigao del Norte, Bohol and parts of Leyte have already been completed, he said.
As to the worst oil spill to hit the country that happened last year in Guimaras, Rabonza said there are moves now to “advance the implementation of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) regulation, requiring all carriers of black cargo or industrial oil to be double-hulled ships.”
Discussions among local officials are also ongoing about the proposal of making a strategic traffic route in Philippines seas for carriers of hazardous materials like industrial oil.
“The strategy is for us to move towards declaring the Philippines as a particularly sea-sensitive area before the IMO so we can reroute the traffic of tankers. Although, this effort is still in its early infancy,” Rabonza said.
Rabonza said the Philippine government is “learning from the lessons” of the Guinsaugon landslide and the Guimaras Oil Spill, both having caused major damage against life and natural resources./DMS
Thursday, June 28, 2007
ASG has new leader
By Ronron
June 27, 2007
The terrorist Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) has a new leader in the person of Yasser Igasan.
Philippine Army chief Lt. Gen. Romeo Tolentino said Igasan was elected after a voting done by the ASG members two to three weeks ago in Indanan, Sulu.
“We got the information from the group itself. We have men inside the group,” Tolentino told reporters yesterday in a chance interview at Camp Aguinaldo.
Former Police Intelligence Group director Chief Supt. Ricardo Romeo, who is now chief of the Civil Security Group, said Igasan is an Islamic scholar who was among the original founders of the ASG in the mid-1980’s.
Romeo, however, together with Sulu-based Brig. Gen. Ruperto Pabustan, commander of the RP-US Joint Special Operations Task Force, is saying that Igasan’s leadership is not yet confirmed and is still being validated.
Tolentino said the assumption of Igasan to the top ASG post was learned after some ordinary members complained of his being a weak commander.
Reached by phone, Pabustan said Igasan was the money man of the group when ASG leaders Khadaffy Janjalani and Jainal Antel Sali, alias Abu Solaiman, were still alive. Janjalani was killed in an encounter in Patikul in September 2006, while Sali was shot dead in an operation last January in Talipao town.
“He (Igasan) facilitates resources coming from abroad. He is the one who goes abroad to get funding (for the ASG), areas where Al Qaeda is present like Afghanistan and Indonesia,” Pabustan said.
Though weak, the Sulu-native Igasan, who is in his 40’s, is really one of the candidates for the top ASG leadership, said Pabustan.
Asked if Igasan therefore does not have the caliber of Sali by describing him as weak, Pabustan said: “We can’t say that because he is not a warrior. He is just in charge of funding.”
It can be recalled that after the neutralization of Janjalani and Sali, reports surfaced that Radullan Sahiron and Isnilon Hapilon took over the leadership.
The ASG has been tagged as a terrorist group by foreign governments following a number of bombing, kidnap-for-ransom, and other activities it carried out over the last decade./DMS
June 27, 2007
The terrorist Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) has a new leader in the person of Yasser Igasan.
Philippine Army chief Lt. Gen. Romeo Tolentino said Igasan was elected after a voting done by the ASG members two to three weeks ago in Indanan, Sulu.
“We got the information from the group itself. We have men inside the group,” Tolentino told reporters yesterday in a chance interview at Camp Aguinaldo.
Former Police Intelligence Group director Chief Supt. Ricardo Romeo, who is now chief of the Civil Security Group, said Igasan is an Islamic scholar who was among the original founders of the ASG in the mid-1980’s.
Romeo, however, together with Sulu-based Brig. Gen. Ruperto Pabustan, commander of the RP-US Joint Special Operations Task Force, is saying that Igasan’s leadership is not yet confirmed and is still being validated.
Tolentino said the assumption of Igasan to the top ASG post was learned after some ordinary members complained of his being a weak commander.
Reached by phone, Pabustan said Igasan was the money man of the group when ASG leaders Khadaffy Janjalani and Jainal Antel Sali, alias Abu Solaiman, were still alive. Janjalani was killed in an encounter in Patikul in September 2006, while Sali was shot dead in an operation last January in Talipao town.
“He (Igasan) facilitates resources coming from abroad. He is the one who goes abroad to get funding (for the ASG), areas where Al Qaeda is present like Afghanistan and Indonesia,” Pabustan said.
Though weak, the Sulu-native Igasan, who is in his 40’s, is really one of the candidates for the top ASG leadership, said Pabustan.
Asked if Igasan therefore does not have the caliber of Sali by describing him as weak, Pabustan said: “We can’t say that because he is not a warrior. He is just in charge of funding.”
It can be recalled that after the neutralization of Janjalani and Sali, reports surfaced that Radullan Sahiron and Isnilon Hapilon took over the leadership.
The ASG has been tagged as a terrorist group by foreign governments following a number of bombing, kidnap-for-ransom, and other activities it carried out over the last decade./DMS
US open to include NPA as targets of RP-US military exercises
By Ronron
June 27, 2007
The United States Armed Forces is open to the idea of including the New People’s Army (NPA) in the target of joint annual Philippine and US military exercises in the coming years.
US Pacific Command chief Admiral Timothy Keating told reporters in Camp Aguinaldo Wednesday that if the Philippine government makes such a request, the US will gladly respond.
Currently, joint and combined military training exercises of the Philippines and the US are geared at addressing the threat of terrorism posed by Moslem extremists, particularly the Abu Sayyaf Group and the Jemaah Islamiyah, both believed to have links with Osama bin Laden’s Al Qaeda network.
Keating is in Manila for a three-day visit, which includes holding a meeting with AFP chief of staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. for the Mutual Defense Board’s planned activities in the next five years.
“We’re just right now focused on the Abu Sayyaf Group but if the government of the Philippines tells us that they need help on the People’s Army, we would consider and respond,” Keating said in an ambush interview.
He said their assistance could even extend to the fight against illegal drugs and other transnational crimes, if requested by the Philippine government.
“In fact, we have an integrated task force in Honolulu helping with the Philippines and other countries in the area … on (the fight against) drugs,” Keating said.
Asked for his part if the neutralization of the NPA can also be included as among the goals of the MDB-approved activities, AFP Public Information Officer Lt. Col. Bartolome Bacarro said: “I have to refer that to the AFP leadership because that is a policy. I will not be in a position to answer that.”
Though it has been calling the NPA as a terrorist movement, the government has been warning the group that it faces the risk of being proscribed as a terrorist organization once the Human Security Act of 2007 or the so-called Anti-Terrorism Bill takes effect after July 14.
The 7,100-strong NPA has been waging guerilla warfare in the countryside in the last 38 years in pursuit of a socialist form of government. Among the violent activities it has done are harassing and destroying telecommunication facilities, raiding police stations and other government establishments, and hitting government troops with landmines.
But Keating said the US makes sure that once it extends support in the Philippine’s drive against any organization, it is not against the law.
“We’re very careful about sovereignty issue and it is only in response to the Philippine government request that we respond,” Keating said./DMS
June 27, 2007
The United States Armed Forces is open to the idea of including the New People’s Army (NPA) in the target of joint annual Philippine and US military exercises in the coming years.
US Pacific Command chief Admiral Timothy Keating told reporters in Camp Aguinaldo Wednesday that if the Philippine government makes such a request, the US will gladly respond.
Currently, joint and combined military training exercises of the Philippines and the US are geared at addressing the threat of terrorism posed by Moslem extremists, particularly the Abu Sayyaf Group and the Jemaah Islamiyah, both believed to have links with Osama bin Laden’s Al Qaeda network.
Keating is in Manila for a three-day visit, which includes holding a meeting with AFP chief of staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. for the Mutual Defense Board’s planned activities in the next five years.
“We’re just right now focused on the Abu Sayyaf Group but if the government of the Philippines tells us that they need help on the People’s Army, we would consider and respond,” Keating said in an ambush interview.
He said their assistance could even extend to the fight against illegal drugs and other transnational crimes, if requested by the Philippine government.
“In fact, we have an integrated task force in Honolulu helping with the Philippines and other countries in the area … on (the fight against) drugs,” Keating said.
Asked for his part if the neutralization of the NPA can also be included as among the goals of the MDB-approved activities, AFP Public Information Officer Lt. Col. Bartolome Bacarro said: “I have to refer that to the AFP leadership because that is a policy. I will not be in a position to answer that.”
Though it has been calling the NPA as a terrorist movement, the government has been warning the group that it faces the risk of being proscribed as a terrorist organization once the Human Security Act of 2007 or the so-called Anti-Terrorism Bill takes effect after July 14.
The 7,100-strong NPA has been waging guerilla warfare in the countryside in the last 38 years in pursuit of a socialist form of government. Among the violent activities it has done are harassing and destroying telecommunication facilities, raiding police stations and other government establishments, and hitting government troops with landmines.
But Keating said the US makes sure that once it extends support in the Philippine’s drive against any organization, it is not against the law.
“We’re very careful about sovereignty issue and it is only in response to the Philippine government request that we respond,” Keating said./DMS
RP eyes future trilateral exercises with Australian and American forces
By Ronron
June 27, 2007
The Philippine military is eyeing holding trilateral exercises with Australian and American forces in the future as the ratification of the RP-Australian Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (SOVFA) is expected in a few months.
In a joint press conference Wednesday at Camp Aguinaldo with visiting US Pacific Command chief Admiral Timothy Keating, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. said: “We expect that there will be an expansion from bilateral activities to multilateral, where it is legally permissible. We will do it as addressing security threats could not be limited to bilateral arrangements.”
Keating and Esperon led a meeting of the RP-US Mutual Defense Board (MDB) and Security Engagement Board (SEB) at Camp Aguinaldo where a five-year plan of activities, including military exercises and civil-military actions, were laid out.
The MDB seeks to address the traditional threats to security such as terrorism, while the SEB is about the non-traditional threats, such as disaster-relief and international crime syndicates.
In May, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Australian Prime Minister John Howard signed the SOVFA, which allows the entry of Australian forces in the Philippines and vice versa for the conduct of training exercises. The agreement, however, takes effect only once the Philippine Congress and Australia’s Executive body ratify it.
The RP-US MDB, in particular, laid out the following activities for next year: Balikatan, Talon Vision, Amphibious Landing Exercises, and Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT), while the SEB includes the Kapit-Bisig civil-military operations (CMO), which is actually ongoing now in Jolo, Sulu, said Esperon.
Under the MDB are command post exercises, field training exercises, and subject-matter/expert exchanges.
“What we have drawn up now is what we will have for the next five years in terms of reaffirming our commitments to the Mutual Defense Treaty, and they are mutually agreed upon programs,” Esperon said.
Keating said the activities would be opportunities for the US military to share its capabilities like off-shore operations, and intelligence gathering methods and systems.
“They (AFP) will have that support from the United States Pacific Command. That was our pledge to Gen. Esperon and we will reinforce that,” Keating said.
Among the equipments they have promised to provide are those that will help the AFP troops in conducting operations at night. Keating did not elaborate, however.
The US military, Esperon said, is also currently providing assistance to the Philippine Defense Reform Program (PDRP), which aims to modernize the AFP.
“All those we hope and we expect to contribute towards mission accomplishment, better training, better intelligence, better operations, and better results in our operations,” Esperon said.
Asked if the US intends to add more troops in the Philippines with these planned activities, Keating said: “We did not discuss or include increased US military presence in the Philippines. We at the Pacific Command, and I know, the United States policy very much understand and respect the Philippine sovereignty. And so, we understand our role to provide support to the Armed Forces of the Philippines… There are no plans to increase troop strength in the Philippines.”
Keating, meanwhile, expressed appreciation to the efforts of Philippine troops in the southern island province of Sulu, fighting out with Abu Sayyaf Group and Jeemah Islamiyah elements.
In his visit to the jungles of Patikul town last Tuesday, Keating said he met Filipino soldiers who have engaged and are preparing to engage with terrorists in the island.
“I came away very, very impressed and confident of the efforts of the Armed Forces of the Philippines down there, and we’re confident they are making progress,” he shared.
“Another point. As we’re driving in our armored vehicles from the airfield up to the combat area, little children were along the side who are waving at Gen. Esperon and the Philippine Marines. That was a very good sign… We enjoy the support of the residents and we think that is a terrific step, significant progress,” he added.
The government troops are currently tracking down the remnants of the ASG and JI, including wanted Bali bombers Dulmatin and Omar Patek, in Sulu following the successful neutralization in September last year of the ASG leader, Khadaffy Janjalani, and in January this year of second-ranking leader, Jainal Antel Sali, alias Abu Solaiman.
“I know we’re making significant efforts to improve security with our Armed Forces of the Philippines partners, our allies. Our goal is to make the Philippines, the entire world safer for our children and grandchildren. And that means, capturing or killing the JI. That’s our mission,” said Keating.
Esperon said that with the upcoming ratification of SOVFA, addressing terrorism would be easier if a trilateral effort with Australia and US is carried out by the Philippines.
“There are benefits in working together at the same time with other countries because that saves us time and resources. So, in the region, we see a lot of multilateral activities, trainings, exchanges of information, and we don’t see any reason why we could not go to that direction,” he said.
Despite the absence of SOVFA, Australia has been extending help to the Philippines by sending bomb experts, training Filipino authorities on the matter and sponsoring trainings and seminars in their homeland.
Australia has taken active role in the US-led global war on terror after many of its citizens fell victims to a number of terror attacks, most prominent of which was the bombing in Bali, Indonesia.
Keating, meanwhile, is expected to end his three-day visit in the country today (Thursday)./DMS
June 27, 2007
The Philippine military is eyeing holding trilateral exercises with Australian and American forces in the future as the ratification of the RP-Australian Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (SOVFA) is expected in a few months.
In a joint press conference Wednesday at Camp Aguinaldo with visiting US Pacific Command chief Admiral Timothy Keating, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. said: “We expect that there will be an expansion from bilateral activities to multilateral, where it is legally permissible. We will do it as addressing security threats could not be limited to bilateral arrangements.”
Keating and Esperon led a meeting of the RP-US Mutual Defense Board (MDB) and Security Engagement Board (SEB) at Camp Aguinaldo where a five-year plan of activities, including military exercises and civil-military actions, were laid out.
The MDB seeks to address the traditional threats to security such as terrorism, while the SEB is about the non-traditional threats, such as disaster-relief and international crime syndicates.
In May, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Australian Prime Minister John Howard signed the SOVFA, which allows the entry of Australian forces in the Philippines and vice versa for the conduct of training exercises. The agreement, however, takes effect only once the Philippine Congress and Australia’s Executive body ratify it.
The RP-US MDB, in particular, laid out the following activities for next year: Balikatan, Talon Vision, Amphibious Landing Exercises, and Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT), while the SEB includes the Kapit-Bisig civil-military operations (CMO), which is actually ongoing now in Jolo, Sulu, said Esperon.
Under the MDB are command post exercises, field training exercises, and subject-matter/expert exchanges.
“What we have drawn up now is what we will have for the next five years in terms of reaffirming our commitments to the Mutual Defense Treaty, and they are mutually agreed upon programs,” Esperon said.
Keating said the activities would be opportunities for the US military to share its capabilities like off-shore operations, and intelligence gathering methods and systems.
“They (AFP) will have that support from the United States Pacific Command. That was our pledge to Gen. Esperon and we will reinforce that,” Keating said.
Among the equipments they have promised to provide are those that will help the AFP troops in conducting operations at night. Keating did not elaborate, however.
The US military, Esperon said, is also currently providing assistance to the Philippine Defense Reform Program (PDRP), which aims to modernize the AFP.
“All those we hope and we expect to contribute towards mission accomplishment, better training, better intelligence, better operations, and better results in our operations,” Esperon said.
Asked if the US intends to add more troops in the Philippines with these planned activities, Keating said: “We did not discuss or include increased US military presence in the Philippines. We at the Pacific Command, and I know, the United States policy very much understand and respect the Philippine sovereignty. And so, we understand our role to provide support to the Armed Forces of the Philippines… There are no plans to increase troop strength in the Philippines.”
Keating, meanwhile, expressed appreciation to the efforts of Philippine troops in the southern island province of Sulu, fighting out with Abu Sayyaf Group and Jeemah Islamiyah elements.
In his visit to the jungles of Patikul town last Tuesday, Keating said he met Filipino soldiers who have engaged and are preparing to engage with terrorists in the island.
“I came away very, very impressed and confident of the efforts of the Armed Forces of the Philippines down there, and we’re confident they are making progress,” he shared.
“Another point. As we’re driving in our armored vehicles from the airfield up to the combat area, little children were along the side who are waving at Gen. Esperon and the Philippine Marines. That was a very good sign… We enjoy the support of the residents and we think that is a terrific step, significant progress,” he added.
The government troops are currently tracking down the remnants of the ASG and JI, including wanted Bali bombers Dulmatin and Omar Patek, in Sulu following the successful neutralization in September last year of the ASG leader, Khadaffy Janjalani, and in January this year of second-ranking leader, Jainal Antel Sali, alias Abu Solaiman.
“I know we’re making significant efforts to improve security with our Armed Forces of the Philippines partners, our allies. Our goal is to make the Philippines, the entire world safer for our children and grandchildren. And that means, capturing or killing the JI. That’s our mission,” said Keating.
Esperon said that with the upcoming ratification of SOVFA, addressing terrorism would be easier if a trilateral effort with Australia and US is carried out by the Philippines.
“There are benefits in working together at the same time with other countries because that saves us time and resources. So, in the region, we see a lot of multilateral activities, trainings, exchanges of information, and we don’t see any reason why we could not go to that direction,” he said.
Despite the absence of SOVFA, Australia has been extending help to the Philippines by sending bomb experts, training Filipino authorities on the matter and sponsoring trainings and seminars in their homeland.
Australia has taken active role in the US-led global war on terror after many of its citizens fell victims to a number of terror attacks, most prominent of which was the bombing in Bali, Indonesia.
Keating, meanwhile, is expected to end his three-day visit in the country today (Thursday)./DMS
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Sulu cop killed by ASG
By Ronron
June 26, 2007
A policeman from Sulu was killed by a suspected Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) member last Monday afternoon while conducting intelligence operations in Kalingalan Caluang town.
Belated reports from the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Police Office identified the victim as PO2 Musaowil Sahiyal Usman, assigned with the Panglima Estino Municipal Police Station in Sulu.
Initial investigation said Usman was “conducting an intelligence monitoring to a reported sighting of ASG members in the area” when he was shot by the suspect, identified as Sarri Ahmad. The report did not explain, however, why he was operating at an area outside of his place of assignment.
The shooting incident happened at around 1pm in Barangay Tunggol of Kalingalan Caluang
Usman was riding a motorcycle with his relative, identified as Jubarri Abdul, when Ahmad, backed up by five companions, shot him.
Usman was hit in the face, causing his death, while Abdul escaped, unharmed.
The suspects then took Usman’s issued firearm, a caliber 9mm pistol, and his yellow Honda motorcycle before fleeing to an unknown direction.
Police in Sulu is now conducting manhunt operations against the suspects as criminal charges against them are being prepared.
The ASG is listed as a terrorist group by the United States government because of the bombings, kidnappings and other crimes it has carried out over the last several years in the country./DMS
June 26, 2007
A policeman from Sulu was killed by a suspected Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) member last Monday afternoon while conducting intelligence operations in Kalingalan Caluang town.
Belated reports from the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Police Office identified the victim as PO2 Musaowil Sahiyal Usman, assigned with the Panglima Estino Municipal Police Station in Sulu.
Initial investigation said Usman was “conducting an intelligence monitoring to a reported sighting of ASG members in the area” when he was shot by the suspect, identified as Sarri Ahmad. The report did not explain, however, why he was operating at an area outside of his place of assignment.
The shooting incident happened at around 1pm in Barangay Tunggol of Kalingalan Caluang
Usman was riding a motorcycle with his relative, identified as Jubarri Abdul, when Ahmad, backed up by five companions, shot him.
Usman was hit in the face, causing his death, while Abdul escaped, unharmed.
The suspects then took Usman’s issued firearm, a caliber 9mm pistol, and his yellow Honda motorcycle before fleeing to an unknown direction.
Police in Sulu is now conducting manhunt operations against the suspects as criminal charges against them are being prepared.
The ASG is listed as a terrorist group by the United States government because of the bombings, kidnappings and other crimes it has carried out over the last several years in the country./DMS
Bedol may be charged with illegal possession of firearms – PNP
By Ronron
June 26, 2007
The Philippine National Police (PNP) said on Tuesday that Maguindanao Election Supervisor Atty. Lintang Bedol may be charged with illegal possession of firearms if they can ascertain that he owns firearms that are not licensed with its Firearms and Explosives Division (FED).
FED Director Chief Supt. Florencio Caccam said based on records, Bedol is only authorized to own two firearms – one short and one long.
In a television interview, Bedol claimed he owns a Magnum .357, four pistols and some 20 baby Armalites. He also claimed he used to own an Uzi but he gave it to his mother.
“If indeed he has more than the allowed number of firearms, then he could be charged with illegal possession of firearms or violation of Presidential Decree 1866,” Caccam said of Bedol.
Caccam even pointed out that the PNP can only allow 10 firearms at the most, with the approval of the chief PNP.
He said any local police which has jurisdiction over Bedol can initiate investigation against him for said crime.
If any investigation would prosper, Caccam said the local police can utilize the certification from FED regarding Bedol’s licensed firearms.
Bedol is on the hot seat because of alleged irregularities in the recently concluded elections in Maguindanao.
He claims he owns his personal armory because of threats against his life./DMS
June 26, 2007
The Philippine National Police (PNP) said on Tuesday that Maguindanao Election Supervisor Atty. Lintang Bedol may be charged with illegal possession of firearms if they can ascertain that he owns firearms that are not licensed with its Firearms and Explosives Division (FED).
FED Director Chief Supt. Florencio Caccam said based on records, Bedol is only authorized to own two firearms – one short and one long.
In a television interview, Bedol claimed he owns a Magnum .357, four pistols and some 20 baby Armalites. He also claimed he used to own an Uzi but he gave it to his mother.
“If indeed he has more than the allowed number of firearms, then he could be charged with illegal possession of firearms or violation of Presidential Decree 1866,” Caccam said of Bedol.
Caccam even pointed out that the PNP can only allow 10 firearms at the most, with the approval of the chief PNP.
He said any local police which has jurisdiction over Bedol can initiate investigation against him for said crime.
If any investigation would prosper, Caccam said the local police can utilize the certification from FED regarding Bedol’s licensed firearms.
Bedol is on the hot seat because of alleged irregularities in the recently concluded elections in Maguindanao.
He claims he owns his personal armory because of threats against his life./DMS
9 killed, 10 wounded in demolition operations in Kalinga province
By Ronron
June 26, 2007
A demolition operation last Monday in Kalinga province resulted to the death of nine men who fought out with government troops in resisting the activity, police said.
Sr. Supt. Severino Cruz, provincial police commander, said on Tuesday that joint police and military men were implementing a demolition order of the municipal government of Rizal in said province when armed residents of the community to be cleared opened fire at them.
A report from Cordillera Region Police Information Officer Supt. Arni Dean Emock said the incident happened at Sitio Malapiat, Barangay San Pascual in Rizal starting 7:30 am until 5pm.
Cruz said the local government wants a vast farmland in Sitio Malapiat cleared of the illegal settlers, consisting of at least 30 families, thus, the assistance of the police and the Philippine Army was sought.
In the course of the implementation of the demolition order, which was authorized by a Sangguniang Bayan Resolution of the Municipality of Rizal, armed male residents opened fire at the arriving troops, ensuing a firefight.
Wounded in the incident were 10 policemen, while nine of the suspects were killed. Five other suspects were arrested, according to Cruz.
Emock said recovered from the suspects were two M16 rifles with short magazine and live ammunition, one US Carbine with one magazine and three live ammunitions, two long homemade shotguns with two live ammunitions inserted on its chamber, one short homemade shotgun, one hand grenade and two empty shells for gauge 12 cartridges.
Two of the wounded policemen were brought to the Cagayan Valley Regional Hospital in Carig, Cagayan where they underwent surgical operations, while the rest were evacuated to the Kalinga Provincial Hospital.
The cadavers of the slain suspects, meanwhile, were brought to the Carbonel Funeral Parlor for identification and autopsy, Emock said.
Cruz said he is not discounting the possibility that the suspects include communist rebels since the area is known to be under the influence of the New People’s Army.
Cruz said after the heavy firefight, the local government successfully took control of the area and it is now being guarded by policemen./DMS
June 26, 2007
A demolition operation last Monday in Kalinga province resulted to the death of nine men who fought out with government troops in resisting the activity, police said.
Sr. Supt. Severino Cruz, provincial police commander, said on Tuesday that joint police and military men were implementing a demolition order of the municipal government of Rizal in said province when armed residents of the community to be cleared opened fire at them.
A report from Cordillera Region Police Information Officer Supt. Arni Dean Emock said the incident happened at Sitio Malapiat, Barangay San Pascual in Rizal starting 7:30 am until 5pm.
Cruz said the local government wants a vast farmland in Sitio Malapiat cleared of the illegal settlers, consisting of at least 30 families, thus, the assistance of the police and the Philippine Army was sought.
In the course of the implementation of the demolition order, which was authorized by a Sangguniang Bayan Resolution of the Municipality of Rizal, armed male residents opened fire at the arriving troops, ensuing a firefight.
Wounded in the incident were 10 policemen, while nine of the suspects were killed. Five other suspects were arrested, according to Cruz.
Emock said recovered from the suspects were two M16 rifles with short magazine and live ammunition, one US Carbine with one magazine and three live ammunitions, two long homemade shotguns with two live ammunitions inserted on its chamber, one short homemade shotgun, one hand grenade and two empty shells for gauge 12 cartridges.
Two of the wounded policemen were brought to the Cagayan Valley Regional Hospital in Carig, Cagayan where they underwent surgical operations, while the rest were evacuated to the Kalinga Provincial Hospital.
The cadavers of the slain suspects, meanwhile, were brought to the Carbonel Funeral Parlor for identification and autopsy, Emock said.
Cruz said he is not discounting the possibility that the suspects include communist rebels since the area is known to be under the influence of the New People’s Army.
Cruz said after the heavy firefight, the local government successfully took control of the area and it is now being guarded by policemen./DMS
Government sends three emissaries to establish contact with Bossi
By Ronron
June 26, 2007
The government sent three men yesterday to the mountains in Lanao provinces in Mindanao to establish contact with abducted Italian Catholic priest Fr. Gian Carlo Bossi.
Maj. Gen. Mohammad Ben Dolorfino, government chairman of the GRP-MILF Adhoc Joint Act Group (AHJAG), said the three emissaries were expected to leave for the mountains after they were given a cellular phone at 1pm yesterday, which they will use to prove to authorities that Bossi is still alive.
Dolorfino, who is also the commander of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) National Capital Region Command (NCRCom), said the three will go on their own and will not escorted by government or Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) troops.
“They are here to establish contact. Then, after that, assuming they could produce proof of life, that will be relayed to authorities. Then, probably, that will be resolved by those concerned in the national leadership,” Dolorfino told reporters yesterday in Camp Aguinaldo.
He refused to identify the three for their security but assured that the men, who are concerned members of the civil society, can be trusted enough because they are willing to risk their lives in going up the mountain.
He did not disclose as well their destination so as not to jeopardize their plan. Dolorfino only said that the three will walk some eight kilometers away from a highway to reach the alleged hideout of the captors.
Dolorfino said the three surfaced after he talked with a Sultan in Ditsaan-Ramain town in Lanao del Sur, seeking for assistance for the release of Bossi, who was abducted last June 10 in Payao, Zamboanga Sibugay.
“The three claimed they have established contacts through cellular phone several days ago with the abductors,” Dolorfino said.
One of them claimed he was part of the negotiating team during the abduction several years ago of another Italian Catholic priest Fr. Guiseppe Pierantoni. Pierantoni was snatched in October 2001 and was set free in April 2002.
Dolorfino said the dispatch of the three had the blessing of Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza, and was relayed to the MILF, which has sent troops in the boundary of Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur to cordon the area where the abductors are allegedly keeping Bossi.
To ensure that the emissaries will be able to use the cellphone, Dolorfino said he ordered that two simcards – one from Globe and one from Smart – be given to them.
If they see Bossi and the suspects in the mountain, Dolorfino said the emissaries are expected to put the 57-year-old priest on the phone and have him talk to a person from the lowland who is capable of confirming Bossi’s voice.
“I would give probably a 60 percent probability that they can establish contact,” Dolorfino said.
He said the only message he gave the three is not to rush things as “things really take time.”
Dolorfino said that even with the dispatch of the three, the search and rescue operations of the military and the MILF in Lanao will continue, as well as that in Zamboanga Sibugay by a separate Army unit and a small contingent from the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).
“It’s wise to pursue all information… We can easily solve the problem if all stakeholders help each other,” Dolorfino said.
Bossi was about to officiate mass in Barangay Bulawan in Payao when he was snatched by 10 armed men. He has been a parish priest in Payao since April of this year, police said./DMS
June 26, 2007
The government sent three men yesterday to the mountains in Lanao provinces in Mindanao to establish contact with abducted Italian Catholic priest Fr. Gian Carlo Bossi.
Maj. Gen. Mohammad Ben Dolorfino, government chairman of the GRP-MILF Adhoc Joint Act Group (AHJAG), said the three emissaries were expected to leave for the mountains after they were given a cellular phone at 1pm yesterday, which they will use to prove to authorities that Bossi is still alive.
Dolorfino, who is also the commander of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) National Capital Region Command (NCRCom), said the three will go on their own and will not escorted by government or Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) troops.
“They are here to establish contact. Then, after that, assuming they could produce proof of life, that will be relayed to authorities. Then, probably, that will be resolved by those concerned in the national leadership,” Dolorfino told reporters yesterday in Camp Aguinaldo.
He refused to identify the three for their security but assured that the men, who are concerned members of the civil society, can be trusted enough because they are willing to risk their lives in going up the mountain.
He did not disclose as well their destination so as not to jeopardize their plan. Dolorfino only said that the three will walk some eight kilometers away from a highway to reach the alleged hideout of the captors.
Dolorfino said the three surfaced after he talked with a Sultan in Ditsaan-Ramain town in Lanao del Sur, seeking for assistance for the release of Bossi, who was abducted last June 10 in Payao, Zamboanga Sibugay.
“The three claimed they have established contacts through cellular phone several days ago with the abductors,” Dolorfino said.
One of them claimed he was part of the negotiating team during the abduction several years ago of another Italian Catholic priest Fr. Guiseppe Pierantoni. Pierantoni was snatched in October 2001 and was set free in April 2002.
Dolorfino said the dispatch of the three had the blessing of Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza, and was relayed to the MILF, which has sent troops in the boundary of Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur to cordon the area where the abductors are allegedly keeping Bossi.
To ensure that the emissaries will be able to use the cellphone, Dolorfino said he ordered that two simcards – one from Globe and one from Smart – be given to them.
If they see Bossi and the suspects in the mountain, Dolorfino said the emissaries are expected to put the 57-year-old priest on the phone and have him talk to a person from the lowland who is capable of confirming Bossi’s voice.
“I would give probably a 60 percent probability that they can establish contact,” Dolorfino said.
He said the only message he gave the three is not to rush things as “things really take time.”
Dolorfino said that even with the dispatch of the three, the search and rescue operations of the military and the MILF in Lanao will continue, as well as that in Zamboanga Sibugay by a separate Army unit and a small contingent from the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).
“It’s wise to pursue all information… We can easily solve the problem if all stakeholders help each other,” Dolorfino said.
Bossi was about to officiate mass in Barangay Bulawan in Payao when he was snatched by 10 armed men. He has been a parish priest in Payao since April of this year, police said./DMS
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Reds raid police station in Bukidnon, cop killed
By Ronron
June 25, 2007
Suspected communist rebels raided a police station in the northern Philippine province of Bukidnon last Sunday, ensuing a firefight with cops on duty.
Sr. Supt. Juan Ratunil, provincial police director, said one of the policemen died while in the act of defending the Dangcagan Municipal Police Station from some 30 raiders from the New People’s Army (NPA).
Ratunil said the raid happened at around 12:40 pm when the station was only manned by two policemen. Two other cops on duty reportedly were out at that time.
The heavily armed rebels wore police uniforms and arrived aboard two vans.
The firefight lasted for at most 10 minutes, leaving SPO1 Danilo Noblefranca dead. The other policeman was able to run away for safety.
Carted away by the rebels from the police station were five M16 rifles, a caliber 45 and a 9mm handgun.
Maj. Samuel Sagun, spokesman of the Cagayan de Oro City-based 4th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army, said the suspects left towards Kitaotao town of same province, leaving one van in Barangay Dolorosa, and the other at Barangay Miaray, both still in Dangcagan.
Sagun said a platoon from the Alpha Company of the Philippine Army’s 26th Infantry Battalion pursued the rebels, who were believed to have moved to the interior of Kitaotao and the southern part of Quezon town.
Ratunil said Dangcagan used to be infested heavily by communist guerillas.
Citing the principle of command responsibility, Dangcagan Police chief Sr. Insp. Henry Pañares was relieved Monday as he undergoes investigation for possible administrative lapses, Ratunil said.
The 7,1000-strong NPA has been waging guerilla warfare for almost four decades now. The government hopes to crush the movement by 2010./DMS
June 25, 2007
Suspected communist rebels raided a police station in the northern Philippine province of Bukidnon last Sunday, ensuing a firefight with cops on duty.
Sr. Supt. Juan Ratunil, provincial police director, said one of the policemen died while in the act of defending the Dangcagan Municipal Police Station from some 30 raiders from the New People’s Army (NPA).
Ratunil said the raid happened at around 12:40 pm when the station was only manned by two policemen. Two other cops on duty reportedly were out at that time.
The heavily armed rebels wore police uniforms and arrived aboard two vans.
The firefight lasted for at most 10 minutes, leaving SPO1 Danilo Noblefranca dead. The other policeman was able to run away for safety.
Carted away by the rebels from the police station were five M16 rifles, a caliber 45 and a 9mm handgun.
Maj. Samuel Sagun, spokesman of the Cagayan de Oro City-based 4th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army, said the suspects left towards Kitaotao town of same province, leaving one van in Barangay Dolorosa, and the other at Barangay Miaray, both still in Dangcagan.
Sagun said a platoon from the Alpha Company of the Philippine Army’s 26th Infantry Battalion pursued the rebels, who were believed to have moved to the interior of Kitaotao and the southern part of Quezon town.
Ratunil said Dangcagan used to be infested heavily by communist guerillas.
Citing the principle of command responsibility, Dangcagan Police chief Sr. Insp. Henry Pañares was relieved Monday as he undergoes investigation for possible administrative lapses, Ratunil said.
The 7,1000-strong NPA has been waging guerilla warfare for almost four decades now. The government hopes to crush the movement by 2010./DMS
Two military generals differ on belief about Bossi’s whereabouts
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Calderon irked by mishandling of gun used to kill Harashina, orders review of police procedural lapses
By Ronron
June 25, 2007
Irked by an apparent mishandling of the gun used to kill a Japanese national over the weekend in Manila City, Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Gen. Oscar Calderon ordered on Monday a review among police investigators and scene of the crime operatives on proper handling of evidence.
PNP spokesman Chief Supt. Samuel Pagdilao, Jr., in a statement, said Calderon was peeved at newspaper photographs that showed a police investigator holding the suspected murder weapon used in the killing of Kazuyuki Harashina dawn of Saturday in Ermita, Manila City.
“Gen. Calderon directed National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Deputy Director General Reynaldo Varilla to conduct refresher trainer for first responders and case investigators on the basics of crime scene processing procedures,” Pagdilao said.
“The PNP chief said crime scene procedures must be observed by all police personnel involved in every case investigation,” he added.
Pagdilao said the refresher courses will be jointly conducted by the NCRPO and PNP Crime Laboratory, in cooperation with the National Forensic Science Training Institute of the Philippine Public Safety College.
To be included in the course are the administrative procedures on the chain of custody of evidence in criminal cases, Pagdilao said.
Pagdilao quoted Calderon to have said that, “every police officer is expected to know the basics of crime scene procedures to preserve vital evidence that will determine the outcome of cases under investigation.”
On Sunday, SPO2 Virgo Villareal of the Manila Police District (MPD) Homicide Section said they will no longer attempt to lift fingerprints from the caliber 45 recovered from the crime scene of the Harashina killing because it is already contaminated after many people held it before it reached him.
The fingerprints that could be lifted would have been used to match with the fingerprint of the suspect that will be arrested for confirmation purposes.
Because of the absence of the fingerprints, Villareal said they will just rely instead on the testimony of their witness to identify and prosecute the suspected gunman.
Pagdilao said the information reaching Calderon showed there were at least eight police officers who held the gun before it was brought to the office of the MPD Homicide Section.
“These procedural lapses are inexcusable and should serve to remind other PNP personnel on the proper procedure in handling evidence in criminal investigation,” Calderon said in a statement.
He did not say, however, if those who held the gun used in killing Harashina will be held accountable and slapped with sanctions.
Harashina had just left a karaoke bar in Ermita and was riding a motorcycle when the lone gunman fired at him past 2am last Saturday. Police suspect that a fellow Japanese national masterminded the incident./DMS
June 25, 2007
Irked by an apparent mishandling of the gun used to kill a Japanese national over the weekend in Manila City, Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Gen. Oscar Calderon ordered on Monday a review among police investigators and scene of the crime operatives on proper handling of evidence.
PNP spokesman Chief Supt. Samuel Pagdilao, Jr., in a statement, said Calderon was peeved at newspaper photographs that showed a police investigator holding the suspected murder weapon used in the killing of Kazuyuki Harashina dawn of Saturday in Ermita, Manila City.
“Gen. Calderon directed National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Deputy Director General Reynaldo Varilla to conduct refresher trainer for first responders and case investigators on the basics of crime scene processing procedures,” Pagdilao said.
“The PNP chief said crime scene procedures must be observed by all police personnel involved in every case investigation,” he added.
Pagdilao said the refresher courses will be jointly conducted by the NCRPO and PNP Crime Laboratory, in cooperation with the National Forensic Science Training Institute of the Philippine Public Safety College.
To be included in the course are the administrative procedures on the chain of custody of evidence in criminal cases, Pagdilao said.
Pagdilao quoted Calderon to have said that, “every police officer is expected to know the basics of crime scene procedures to preserve vital evidence that will determine the outcome of cases under investigation.”
On Sunday, SPO2 Virgo Villareal of the Manila Police District (MPD) Homicide Section said they will no longer attempt to lift fingerprints from the caliber 45 recovered from the crime scene of the Harashina killing because it is already contaminated after many people held it before it reached him.
The fingerprints that could be lifted would have been used to match with the fingerprint of the suspect that will be arrested for confirmation purposes.
Because of the absence of the fingerprints, Villareal said they will just rely instead on the testimony of their witness to identify and prosecute the suspected gunman.
Pagdilao said the information reaching Calderon showed there were at least eight police officers who held the gun before it was brought to the office of the MPD Homicide Section.
“These procedural lapses are inexcusable and should serve to remind other PNP personnel on the proper procedure in handling evidence in criminal investigation,” Calderon said in a statement.
He did not say, however, if those who held the gun used in killing Harashina will be held accountable and slapped with sanctions.
Harashina had just left a karaoke bar in Ermita and was riding a motorcycle when the lone gunman fired at him past 2am last Saturday. Police suspect that a fellow Japanese national masterminded the incident./DMS
Broadcaster shot dead in Tawi-tawi, two colleagues hurt
By Ronron
June 25, 2007
A radio broadcaster in the southern Philippine province of Tawi-tawi was killed while his two companions were hurt after they were shot by two suspects in Bongao town on Monday morning, police said.
Vicente Sumalpong, in his mid-30’s, was on his way to the government-run Radyo ng Bayan DXTC to report to work when the suspects, one of whom was identified as Nur Suang, opened fire at around 8am.
Sumalpong was riding then a motorcycle driven by a certain Ruelan Hope Borja, and with co-worker Maria Vema Antham. The three had just left Sumalpong’s residence at Sea Orchid Housing Project in Barangay Nalil of said town.
Tawi-tawi Police Director Sr. Supt. Emlanie Anni said Sumalpong sustained four fatal gunshot wounds to his body, causing his instantaneous death.
Anni said Suang, who was positively identified by Antham, used a caliber 45 in the attack. Suang and an unidentified companion left the crime site on foot heading towards the forested area of the mountain.
Antham and Borja were also hit by the gunfire but the injuries were only minor in nature, said Anni. The two were taken to a hospital in town for medical treatment.
Anni said Suang may have gotten back at Sumalpong because the latter was helping the family of a guest relation officer (GRO) pursue a case against Suang. Suang was said to be the main suspect in the murder of the GRO last June 20 in Barangay Sanga-sanga in Bongao.
Anni said police are now pursuing Suang, with the help of Marine soldiers from the Marine Battalion Landing Team II.
In April of this year, a volunteer radio reporter for Radyo ng Bayan was also found dead in Sta. Rosa, Nueva Ecija.
Latest data from the Philippine National Police (PNP) Task Force USIG showed there are already 26 journalists killed in the country due to their work since President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo assumed power in 2001.
Independent groups, however, said there are more than the official count of the PNP./DMS
June 25, 2007
A radio broadcaster in the southern Philippine province of Tawi-tawi was killed while his two companions were hurt after they were shot by two suspects in Bongao town on Monday morning, police said.
Vicente Sumalpong, in his mid-30’s, was on his way to the government-run Radyo ng Bayan DXTC to report to work when the suspects, one of whom was identified as Nur Suang, opened fire at around 8am.
Sumalpong was riding then a motorcycle driven by a certain Ruelan Hope Borja, and with co-worker Maria Vema Antham. The three had just left Sumalpong’s residence at Sea Orchid Housing Project in Barangay Nalil of said town.
Tawi-tawi Police Director Sr. Supt. Emlanie Anni said Sumalpong sustained four fatal gunshot wounds to his body, causing his instantaneous death.
Anni said Suang, who was positively identified by Antham, used a caliber 45 in the attack. Suang and an unidentified companion left the crime site on foot heading towards the forested area of the mountain.
Antham and Borja were also hit by the gunfire but the injuries were only minor in nature, said Anni. The two were taken to a hospital in town for medical treatment.
Anni said Suang may have gotten back at Sumalpong because the latter was helping the family of a guest relation officer (GRO) pursue a case against Suang. Suang was said to be the main suspect in the murder of the GRO last June 20 in Barangay Sanga-sanga in Bongao.
Anni said police are now pursuing Suang, with the help of Marine soldiers from the Marine Battalion Landing Team II.
In April of this year, a volunteer radio reporter for Radyo ng Bayan was also found dead in Sta. Rosa, Nueva Ecija.
Latest data from the Philippine National Police (PNP) Task Force USIG showed there are already 26 journalists killed in the country due to their work since President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo assumed power in 2001.
Independent groups, however, said there are more than the official count of the PNP./DMS
Monday, June 25, 2007
30 hurt as bus loses brakes in Batangas
By Ronron
June 24, 2007
Thirty people were hurt after a passenger bus lost control and almost fell off a ravine on Sunday afternoon in Batangas province, police said.
The Supreme Bus (plate number DUR-375), driven by Carlito Amular, was negotiating a downward curve in Barangay Sabang, Ibaan town when its brakes allegedly failed to function, forcing Amular to bump the vehicle against the concrete blocks and trees beside the highway.
SPO1 Jose Maralit, duty desk officer of the Ibaan Municipal Police Station, said the incident happened at around 4:30 pm as the bus was about to reach its final stop in Batangas City. Barangay Sabang is the last village in Ibaan before Batangas City.
Maralit said fortunately, the concrete roadblocks and trees cushioned the speed of the bus and prevented it from falling off a 30-meter deep ravine. “Just a little more and the bus would have fallen into the ravine,” he said.
Unfortunately, however, all 30 passengers of the non-airconditioned bus sustained different kinds of injuries, such as fractures and bruises, as a result of the impact, said Maralit.
They were all brought to the Batangas Regional Hospital in Batangas City for medical treatment.
Amular and his conductor, on the other hand, were detained at the Ibaan Police Station for investigation. The two could be charged with reckless imprudence resulting to multiple physical injuries, said Maralit.
Maralit said the ill-fated bus came from Lucena City in Quezon province./DMS
June 24, 2007
Thirty people were hurt after a passenger bus lost control and almost fell off a ravine on Sunday afternoon in Batangas province, police said.
The Supreme Bus (plate number DUR-375), driven by Carlito Amular, was negotiating a downward curve in Barangay Sabang, Ibaan town when its brakes allegedly failed to function, forcing Amular to bump the vehicle against the concrete blocks and trees beside the highway.
SPO1 Jose Maralit, duty desk officer of the Ibaan Municipal Police Station, said the incident happened at around 4:30 pm as the bus was about to reach its final stop in Batangas City. Barangay Sabang is the last village in Ibaan before Batangas City.
Maralit said fortunately, the concrete roadblocks and trees cushioned the speed of the bus and prevented it from falling off a 30-meter deep ravine. “Just a little more and the bus would have fallen into the ravine,” he said.
Unfortunately, however, all 30 passengers of the non-airconditioned bus sustained different kinds of injuries, such as fractures and bruises, as a result of the impact, said Maralit.
They were all brought to the Batangas Regional Hospital in Batangas City for medical treatment.
Amular and his conductor, on the other hand, were detained at the Ibaan Police Station for investigation. The two could be charged with reckless imprudence resulting to multiple physical injuries, said Maralit.
Maralit said the ill-fated bus came from Lucena City in Quezon province./DMS
Police won’t lift fingerprints from gun used to kill Japanese in Manila
By Ronron
June 24, 2007
Policemen investigating the killing of a Japanese national in Ermita, Manila City dawn of Saturday will just have to rely on the testimony of witnesses to identify the gunman.
This, after the recovered caliber 45 gun is believed to have been contaminated already after many people held it before it reached the hands of investigators.
Officer-on-case SPO2 Virgo Villareal of the Manila Police District said Sunday that they will no longer attempt to lift fingerprints from the gun used to kill Kazuyuki Harashina, 34, because aside from the contamination, it is not really a required element that would lead to the identification of the suspect.
“That gun was thrown beside the road and many people touched it before we got hold of it. So, it is already contaminated,” Villareal said in Filipino.
“Besides, the fingerprint is not really the basis for the identification of the suspect… It is just a supporting piece of evidence to affirm the guilt of the accused,” he added.
Villareal said they will just rely instead on the testimony of their witnesses to establish the identity of Harashina’s gunman, who escaped aboard a taxi after shooting his victim three times around 2:15 am the other day (Saturday) along Mabini Street in Ermita.
Harashina, who comes from Ibaraki, Japan, was riding on his motorcycle with a Filipino friend when the incident happened.
Villareal said they have yet to establish a lead as to the motive of the crime, saying that none so far has provided information about any existing rifts Harashina is in, or any possible enemy.
He said they will continue to investigate the case by gathering information from people close to or associated with Harashina./DMS
June 24, 2007
Policemen investigating the killing of a Japanese national in Ermita, Manila City dawn of Saturday will just have to rely on the testimony of witnesses to identify the gunman.
This, after the recovered caliber 45 gun is believed to have been contaminated already after many people held it before it reached the hands of investigators.
Officer-on-case SPO2 Virgo Villareal of the Manila Police District said Sunday that they will no longer attempt to lift fingerprints from the gun used to kill Kazuyuki Harashina, 34, because aside from the contamination, it is not really a required element that would lead to the identification of the suspect.
“That gun was thrown beside the road and many people touched it before we got hold of it. So, it is already contaminated,” Villareal said in Filipino.
“Besides, the fingerprint is not really the basis for the identification of the suspect… It is just a supporting piece of evidence to affirm the guilt of the accused,” he added.
Villareal said they will just rely instead on the testimony of their witnesses to establish the identity of Harashina’s gunman, who escaped aboard a taxi after shooting his victim three times around 2:15 am the other day (Saturday) along Mabini Street in Ermita.
Harashina, who comes from Ibaraki, Japan, was riding on his motorcycle with a Filipino friend when the incident happened.
Villareal said they have yet to establish a lead as to the motive of the crime, saying that none so far has provided information about any existing rifts Harashina is in, or any possible enemy.
He said they will continue to investigate the case by gathering information from people close to or associated with Harashina./DMS
Arroyo cites Japan’s lead role in East Asia
By Ronron
June 24, 2007
Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Sunday cited Japan’s lead role in East Asia in the coming years as she foresees the region to play a dominant role in the world economic and political affairs in the future.
A Palace statement said Arroyo issued the statement in her opening speech before 200 participants at the World Economic Forum on East Asia 2007 at the Shangri-la Hotel in Singapore.
“We would like to see Japan playing a lead role in contributing to integration in the region and maintaining and pursuing international peace and security as we try to forge the East Asia community,” Arroyo was quoted to have said, noting Japan’s role as the largest source of official development assistance (ODA) in the region.
According to the statement, Arroyo pointed out that Japan is already stepping up its game with China in facilitating peace on the Korean Peninsula, apparently referring to the issues of nuclear tests by North Korea and the World War II crimes of Japanese in South Korea.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was not only vocal about said issues, he even visited Seoul last year.
Arroyo said the emergence of the East Asia Community is already inevitable and Japan will be joined in the lead role by China and India, which, she said, “have become true political and economic giants.”
The challenge for these countries now is “how the region will handle the next 20 to 40 years,” she said.
The Philippine leader conceded that “when we think ahead and ponder the next 40 years, we see increasing integration and prosperity, and at the same time, the likelihood of greater income disparity.”
“We see a more peaceful world, yet more countries with nuclear capability. We see a cleaner environment, yet in achieving that, we must first address the challenge of global warming,” she said.
Balancing these contradictions would therefore be the test in the region, Arroyo said.
With the leadership of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which the Philippines chairs this year, Arroyo said the “vision of an East Asia Community, once unthinkable and believed unattainable in this lifetime, is gradually taking shape.”
She cited the declaration of an ASEAN Charter during the ASEAN Summit in Cebu last January as among the bold steps taken “to create a regional community by 2015.”
“I am bullish on Asia, what we have accomplished and what we will achieve in the next 20 years. Our time has come. Asia will be up to the task of leading our people and our region into a more dominant role in world economic and political affairs,” said Arroyo./DMS
June 24, 2007
Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Sunday cited Japan’s lead role in East Asia in the coming years as she foresees the region to play a dominant role in the world economic and political affairs in the future.
A Palace statement said Arroyo issued the statement in her opening speech before 200 participants at the World Economic Forum on East Asia 2007 at the Shangri-la Hotel in Singapore.
“We would like to see Japan playing a lead role in contributing to integration in the region and maintaining and pursuing international peace and security as we try to forge the East Asia community,” Arroyo was quoted to have said, noting Japan’s role as the largest source of official development assistance (ODA) in the region.
According to the statement, Arroyo pointed out that Japan is already stepping up its game with China in facilitating peace on the Korean Peninsula, apparently referring to the issues of nuclear tests by North Korea and the World War II crimes of Japanese in South Korea.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was not only vocal about said issues, he even visited Seoul last year.
Arroyo said the emergence of the East Asia Community is already inevitable and Japan will be joined in the lead role by China and India, which, she said, “have become true political and economic giants.”
The challenge for these countries now is “how the region will handle the next 20 to 40 years,” she said.
The Philippine leader conceded that “when we think ahead and ponder the next 40 years, we see increasing integration and prosperity, and at the same time, the likelihood of greater income disparity.”
“We see a more peaceful world, yet more countries with nuclear capability. We see a cleaner environment, yet in achieving that, we must first address the challenge of global warming,” she said.
Balancing these contradictions would therefore be the test in the region, Arroyo said.
With the leadership of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which the Philippines chairs this year, Arroyo said the “vision of an East Asia Community, once unthinkable and believed unattainable in this lifetime, is gradually taking shape.”
She cited the declaration of an ASEAN Charter during the ASEAN Summit in Cebu last January as among the bold steps taken “to create a regional community by 2015.”
“I am bullish on Asia, what we have accomplished and what we will achieve in the next 20 years. Our time has come. Asia will be up to the task of leading our people and our region into a more dominant role in world economic and political affairs,” said Arroyo./DMS
Arroyo cites Japan’s lead role in East Asia
By Ronron
June 24, 2007
Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Sunday cited Japan’s lead role in East Asia in the coming years as she foresees the region to play a dominant role in the world economic and political affairs in the future.
A Palace statement said Arroyo issued the statement in her opening speech before 200 participants at the World Economic Forum on East Asia 2007 at the Shangri-la Hotel in Singapore.
“We would like to see Japan playing a lead role in contributing to integration in the region and maintaining and pursuing international peace and security as we try to forge the East Asia community,” Arroyo was quoted to have said, noting Japan’s role as the largest source of official development assistance (ODA) in the region.
According to the statement, Arroyo pointed out that Japan is already stepping up its game with China in facilitating peace on the Korean Peninsula, apparently referring to the issues of nuclear tests by North Korea and the World War II crimes of Japanese in South Korea.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was not only vocal about said issues, he even visited Seoul last year.
Arroyo said the emergence of the East Asia Community is already inevitable and Japan will be joined in the lead role by China and India, which, she said, “have become true political and economic giants.”
The challenge for these countries now is “how the region will handle the next 20 to 40 years,” she said.
The Philippine leader conceded that “when we think ahead and ponder the next 40 years, we see increasing integration and prosperity, and at the same time, the likelihood of greater income disparity.”
“We see a more peaceful world, yet more countries with nuclear capability. We see a cleaner environment, yet in achieving that, we must first address the challenge of global warming,” she said.
Balancing these contradictions would therefore be the test in the region, Arroyo said.
With the leadership of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which the Philippines chairs this year, Arroyo said the “vision of an East Asia Community, once unthinkable and believed unattainable in this lifetime, is gradually taking shape.”
She cited the declaration of an ASEAN Charter during the ASEAN Summit in Cebu last January as among the bold steps taken “to create a regional community by 2015.”
“I am bullish on Asia, what we have accomplished and what we will achieve in the next 20 years. Our time has come. Asia will be up to the task of leading our people and our region into a more dominant role in world economic and political affairs,” said Arroyo./DMS
June 24, 2007
Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Sunday cited Japan’s lead role in East Asia in the coming years as she foresees the region to play a dominant role in the world economic and political affairs in the future.
A Palace statement said Arroyo issued the statement in her opening speech before 200 participants at the World Economic Forum on East Asia 2007 at the Shangri-la Hotel in Singapore.
“We would like to see Japan playing a lead role in contributing to integration in the region and maintaining and pursuing international peace and security as we try to forge the East Asia community,” Arroyo was quoted to have said, noting Japan’s role as the largest source of official development assistance (ODA) in the region.
According to the statement, Arroyo pointed out that Japan is already stepping up its game with China in facilitating peace on the Korean Peninsula, apparently referring to the issues of nuclear tests by North Korea and the World War II crimes of Japanese in South Korea.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was not only vocal about said issues, he even visited Seoul last year.
Arroyo said the emergence of the East Asia Community is already inevitable and Japan will be joined in the lead role by China and India, which, she said, “have become true political and economic giants.”
The challenge for these countries now is “how the region will handle the next 20 to 40 years,” she said.
The Philippine leader conceded that “when we think ahead and ponder the next 40 years, we see increasing integration and prosperity, and at the same time, the likelihood of greater income disparity.”
“We see a more peaceful world, yet more countries with nuclear capability. We see a cleaner environment, yet in achieving that, we must first address the challenge of global warming,” she said.
Balancing these contradictions would therefore be the test in the region, Arroyo said.
With the leadership of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which the Philippines chairs this year, Arroyo said the “vision of an East Asia Community, once unthinkable and believed unattainable in this lifetime, is gradually taking shape.”
She cited the declaration of an ASEAN Charter during the ASEAN Summit in Cebu last January as among the bold steps taken “to create a regional community by 2015.”
“I am bullish on Asia, what we have accomplished and what we will achieve in the next 20 years. Our time has come. Asia will be up to the task of leading our people and our region into a more dominant role in world economic and political affairs,” said Arroyo./DMS
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