By Ronron
August 24, 2007
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFF) announced on Friday the activation of its National Development Command (NDC) that will undertake infrastructure projects as directed by the national leadership.
AFP chief information officer Lt. Col. Bartolome Bacarro said the new command is in support to “national development to transform conflict-affected communities into peace and development areas.”
“To support the realization of the Medium Term Philippine Development Plan agenda of ending all hostilities by year 2010, the AFP has activated the AFP National Development Command,” Bacarro told reporters late yesterday afternoon.
Bacarro said President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the commander-in-chief of the AFP, approved the designation of Army Maj. Gen. Jaime Buenaflor as the first commander of said command.
“Maj. Gen. Buenaflor, a well-rounded officer with vast experience in Civil Military Operations (CMO) suits well to the task of overseeing the AFP’s involvement in developmental activities having been the Assistant Chief of Staff for CMO (G7) of the army and commander of the Civil Relations Service, AFP, and currently the Deputy Chief of Staff for CMO (J7),” said Bacarro.
Bacarro said the AFP-NDC will not only orchestrate engineering efforts but other CMO activities as well, like medical and dental assistance, in coordination with concerned agencies like the Department of Health and the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
National in scope, the command will initially be based in Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City, where the AFP General Headquarters is, said Bacarro.
The military spokesman could not immediately tell reporters the strength of the command since it is still in the process of being organized.
“The command will have its own troops but the Corps of Engineers will be under its operational control and the health services can be under its functional supervision,” Bacarro said.
Replacing Buenaflor as J7 is Army Brig. Gen. Alfredo Cayton, the current commander of the General Headquarters and Headquarters Services Command.
Cayton, meanwhile, will be replaced by Army Col. Ireneo Espino, the commander of the Army’s 101st Infantry Brigade based in Zamboanga del Norte.
Espino will be replaced by Army Col. Romulo Bambao, the current deputy commander of the National Capital Region Command (NCRCOM).
Bacarro said the new NCRCOM Deputy Commander will be Army Col. Romeo Fajardo, the deputy commander of the 303rd Infantry Brigade.
Meanwhile, Maj. Gen. Delfin Bangit, the current chief of the Intelligence Service of the AFP (ISAFP), will replace Maj. Gen. Fernando Mesa at the Army’s 2nd Infantry Division. Mesa was earlier announced as the new NCRCOM chief, replacing Maj. Gen. Mohammad Ben Dolorfino who will head the Philippine Marine Corps.
Taking over Bangit at the ISAFP is Brig. Gen. Arsenio Arugay, the current commanding general of the 9th Infantry Division, which covers the Bicol Region.
Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Sodusta, the AFP Internal Auditor, will replace Arugay at the 9th ID.
The new AFP Internal Auditor will then be Brig. Gen. Roland Detabali, the current Army Internal Auditor, said Bacarro.
Meanwhile, Maj. Gen. Melchor Dilodilo will be the new commander of the Army’s 5th Infantry Division based in Isabela province, replacing Maj. Gen. Rodrigo Maclang, earlier appointed as Northern Luzon Command chief.
Dilodilo’s post as chief of staff of the Philippine Army will be taken over by Brig. Gen. Ralph Villanueva, currently the Commandant of Cadets of the Philippine Military Academy.
Bacarro said Villanueva will be replaced by Army Col. Jesse Dellosa, who will turn over his post as chief of the Army’s 302nd Infantry Brigade to Col. Cesar Yano, the current Assistant chief of staff for Operation (G3) of the Philippine Army. The 302nd IB is based in Bohol province.
Furthermore, Commodore Rafael Dacanay will be the incoming chief of the AFP Real State Office. He is currently the commander of the Naval Construction Brigade.
And, Air Force Col. Antonio Bautista will the incoming Adjutant General of the AFP, replacing Commodore Paterno Labiano who is due for retirement, said Bacarro./DMS
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Yano takes over as Army chief, told to continue operations in Basilan and Sulu
By Ronron
August 24, 2007
Lt. Gen. Alexander Yano took over on Friday the Philippine Army command post left by Lt. Gen. Romeo Tolentino, who reached the mandatory retirement age of 56.
Yano, 54, is the former commander of the Southern Luzon Command based in Lucena City, Quezon. His assumption makes him the 49th commander of the 80,000-strong Philippine Army.
On his first day as Army chief, Yano was ordered by Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, Jr. to continue the offensives against terrorists in Basilan and Sulu, which has began since July of this year.
“My order of the day is that there should be no let up or change in tempo in pursuing the Abu Sayyaf Group and other lawless elements in Sulu and Basilan. We must be uncompromising against those who seek to disobey the law, especially the terrorist elements,” Teodoro said in his speech during the turn over of command ceremony held at the Army headquarters in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.
Sought for his response, Yano told reporters after the ceremony: “We will fully support it. There will be no let up in the operations.”
“We will so to it that our soldiers will be properly sustained and supported… Rest assured that we will fully support our combat troops to make them fit to fight,” he added.
In his speech, Yano acknowledged that the threat posed by the terrorists, as well as of the secessionist movement in the southern Philippines and the communist movement all over the country, “are real and continue to be an impediment to the full realization of our economic goals.”
Asked if he will frequently go to Zamboanga City, Basilan and Sulu to oversee the operations against the Moslem extremists, Yano said: “That depends upon the situation. There may be no need for me to always go there because there are commanders there and we do not want also to interfere in their ongoing operations.”
Yano said that as Army chief, he will also strictly impose “standards of physical fitness” for commanders as he believes that “a healthy body equates to a sound mind.”
“I believe that our commanders must be with the men in the filed, sharing their difficulties and closely supervising their actions,” he said. “Good leaders do what they preach, and we shall walk the talk.”
If commanders do that, he said their men will be inspired to “take the extra step and walk the extra mile, all for the accomplishment of their mission.”
“It will provide a moral high ground for the institution to be able to defeat its enemies,” said Yano./DMS
August 24, 2007
Lt. Gen. Alexander Yano took over on Friday the Philippine Army command post left by Lt. Gen. Romeo Tolentino, who reached the mandatory retirement age of 56.
Yano, 54, is the former commander of the Southern Luzon Command based in Lucena City, Quezon. His assumption makes him the 49th commander of the 80,000-strong Philippine Army.
On his first day as Army chief, Yano was ordered by Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, Jr. to continue the offensives against terrorists in Basilan and Sulu, which has began since July of this year.
“My order of the day is that there should be no let up or change in tempo in pursuing the Abu Sayyaf Group and other lawless elements in Sulu and Basilan. We must be uncompromising against those who seek to disobey the law, especially the terrorist elements,” Teodoro said in his speech during the turn over of command ceremony held at the Army headquarters in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.
Sought for his response, Yano told reporters after the ceremony: “We will fully support it. There will be no let up in the operations.”
“We will so to it that our soldiers will be properly sustained and supported… Rest assured that we will fully support our combat troops to make them fit to fight,” he added.
In his speech, Yano acknowledged that the threat posed by the terrorists, as well as of the secessionist movement in the southern Philippines and the communist movement all over the country, “are real and continue to be an impediment to the full realization of our economic goals.”
Asked if he will frequently go to Zamboanga City, Basilan and Sulu to oversee the operations against the Moslem extremists, Yano said: “That depends upon the situation. There may be no need for me to always go there because there are commanders there and we do not want also to interfere in their ongoing operations.”
Yano said that as Army chief, he will also strictly impose “standards of physical fitness” for commanders as he believes that “a healthy body equates to a sound mind.”
“I believe that our commanders must be with the men in the filed, sharing their difficulties and closely supervising their actions,” he said. “Good leaders do what they preach, and we shall walk the talk.”
If commanders do that, he said their men will be inspired to “take the extra step and walk the extra mile, all for the accomplishment of their mission.”
“It will provide a moral high ground for the institution to be able to defeat its enemies,” said Yano./DMS
AFP sends engineering battalions to Sulu and Basilan for humanitarian mission
By Ronron
August 24, 2007
Three engineering battalions of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) will be sent to Basilan and Sulu to help accomplish civil-military projects as part of the government’s total approach in addressing the peace and order problem in both island provinces.
AFP chief of staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. said Friday that two battalions will go to Sulu, one will go to Basilan where an engineering battalion is already assigned. The three battalions, all from the Philippine Army and a small component from the Philippine Navy, will come from Zamboanga City.
A battalion has about 400 to 500 personnel, said AFP information officer Lt. Col. Bartolome Bacarro.
“This (dispatch of engineering battalions) is all part of the humanitarian invasion in Basilan and Sulu, concentrated on development project,” Esperon said.
Navy information officer Commander Giovanni Carlo Bacordo said those to be deployed to Sulu will most likely be from the Philippine Army, while those for Basilan will be joined by elements of the Navy Construction Brigade.
Esperon said the engineer-soldiers in Basilan will be tasked to help finish the circumferential road project in the island province, while those in Sulu will help construct market roads, repair of school buildings, ad day care centers, among others.
He disclosed that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo yesterday already ordered Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya to release P50 million for the completion of the circumferential road project in Basilan, which still needs about 60 to 70 kilometers for cementing or asphalt overlay.
Arroyo learned of the unfinished road project in Basilan when she visited troops there last Thursday.
“Actually, the circumferential road in Basilan is already open but there are some areas, which have a lot of potholes… We have to work on that together with the local government,” Esperon said.
The military chief said they will undertake the humanitarian projects even if the offensives against the Abu Sayyaf Group and other Moslem extremists are still ongoing.
“We can undertake these things even during operations against the armed groups, specifically the Abu Sayyaf. After all, the fighting is confined to just the hinterlands,” he said.
Asked if the military has already identified the location of their target terrorists, Esperon said: “Yes. We will not launch operations unless we have good intelligence on them. And so, let’s just wait. They should be forthcoming as soon as we have the correct intelligence.”
The AFP has poured in a total of about 5,000 troops in Basilan, and at least 4,000 in Sulu with the objective of finally neutralizing the terrorists.
“We will apply the full force of our large presence in the two islands if only to see an early neutralization of the Abu Sayyaf. Neutralization, meaning, that they would be put off balance and will not be able to launch any terroristic activities,” Esperon said.
The series of fighting in Sulu and Basilan since July has resulted already in the death of 57 soldiers and the wounding of over a dozen others, while an estimated of more than 80 bandits were reportedly killed also, a few of them leaders and subleaders./DMS
August 24, 2007
Three engineering battalions of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) will be sent to Basilan and Sulu to help accomplish civil-military projects as part of the government’s total approach in addressing the peace and order problem in both island provinces.
AFP chief of staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. said Friday that two battalions will go to Sulu, one will go to Basilan where an engineering battalion is already assigned. The three battalions, all from the Philippine Army and a small component from the Philippine Navy, will come from Zamboanga City.
A battalion has about 400 to 500 personnel, said AFP information officer Lt. Col. Bartolome Bacarro.
“This (dispatch of engineering battalions) is all part of the humanitarian invasion in Basilan and Sulu, concentrated on development project,” Esperon said.
Navy information officer Commander Giovanni Carlo Bacordo said those to be deployed to Sulu will most likely be from the Philippine Army, while those for Basilan will be joined by elements of the Navy Construction Brigade.
Esperon said the engineer-soldiers in Basilan will be tasked to help finish the circumferential road project in the island province, while those in Sulu will help construct market roads, repair of school buildings, ad day care centers, among others.
He disclosed that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo yesterday already ordered Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya to release P50 million for the completion of the circumferential road project in Basilan, which still needs about 60 to 70 kilometers for cementing or asphalt overlay.
Arroyo learned of the unfinished road project in Basilan when she visited troops there last Thursday.
“Actually, the circumferential road in Basilan is already open but there are some areas, which have a lot of potholes… We have to work on that together with the local government,” Esperon said.
The military chief said they will undertake the humanitarian projects even if the offensives against the Abu Sayyaf Group and other Moslem extremists are still ongoing.
“We can undertake these things even during operations against the armed groups, specifically the Abu Sayyaf. After all, the fighting is confined to just the hinterlands,” he said.
Asked if the military has already identified the location of their target terrorists, Esperon said: “Yes. We will not launch operations unless we have good intelligence on them. And so, let’s just wait. They should be forthcoming as soon as we have the correct intelligence.”
The AFP has poured in a total of about 5,000 troops in Basilan, and at least 4,000 in Sulu with the objective of finally neutralizing the terrorists.
“We will apply the full force of our large presence in the two islands if only to see an early neutralization of the Abu Sayyaf. Neutralization, meaning, that they would be put off balance and will not be able to launch any terroristic activities,” Esperon said.
The series of fighting in Sulu and Basilan since July has resulted already in the death of 57 soldiers and the wounding of over a dozen others, while an estimated of more than 80 bandits were reportedly killed also, a few of them leaders and subleaders./DMS
ASG rebel killed in Sulu
By Ronron
August 24, 2007
An alleged member of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) was killed by government troops last Thursday while he was being arrested in Sulu, a military spokesman said yesterday (Friday).
Lt. Col. Ernesto Torres, Jr, Philippine Army spokesman, identified the slain bandit as Abdul Masjid, alias Jade, a suspect in the abduction of an ABS-CBN news crew in July 2000 in the same island province.
Quoting the commanders on the field, Torres said Masjid was shot dead at around 1am the other day while he was jumping off a bamboo bridge near his alleged bunk house in the coastal barangay of Umbay in Jolo town.
Torres said the raid on Masjid’s house was conducted by intelligence operatives of the Army’s 35th Infantry Battalion and 2nd Scout Ranger Battalion.
An alleged ASG urban terrorist, Masjid has a standing arrest warrant for kidnapping and serious illegal detention from the Regional Trial Court of Jolo over the 2000 abduction of the ABS-CBN news crew.
The raiding operatives recovered from Masjid’s house one magazine for an M16 rifle and several ammunitions for a caliber 45 pistol, Torres said.
Government troops are currently running after the ASG in Sulu as well as in Basilan following the series of encounters since July this year./DMS
August 24, 2007
An alleged member of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) was killed by government troops last Thursday while he was being arrested in Sulu, a military spokesman said yesterday (Friday).
Lt. Col. Ernesto Torres, Jr, Philippine Army spokesman, identified the slain bandit as Abdul Masjid, alias Jade, a suspect in the abduction of an ABS-CBN news crew in July 2000 in the same island province.
Quoting the commanders on the field, Torres said Masjid was shot dead at around 1am the other day while he was jumping off a bamboo bridge near his alleged bunk house in the coastal barangay of Umbay in Jolo town.
Torres said the raid on Masjid’s house was conducted by intelligence operatives of the Army’s 35th Infantry Battalion and 2nd Scout Ranger Battalion.
An alleged ASG urban terrorist, Masjid has a standing arrest warrant for kidnapping and serious illegal detention from the Regional Trial Court of Jolo over the 2000 abduction of the ABS-CBN news crew.
The raiding operatives recovered from Masjid’s house one magazine for an M16 rifle and several ammunitions for a caliber 45 pistol, Torres said.
Government troops are currently running after the ASG in Sulu as well as in Basilan following the series of encounters since July this year./DMS
Friday, August 24, 2007
Manila-bound man with explosives nabbed in Cebu
Ronron
August 23, 2007
A man bound for Manila was nabbed on Wednesday afternoon in Cebu City for bringing explosive devices, police said yesterday (Thursday).
Sr. Supt. Agustin Manalo, Region 7 chief of the Police Maritime Group, identified the man as Gino “Noy” Ampuan, 18, a native of Parang, Shariff Kabunsuan.
Manalo said intelligence agents from the regional police and the military are still investigating if Ampuan is a member of the terrorist Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) or a local trainee of the Al Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) in Central Mindanao.
“He claims that he was just asked by a certain Basit Usman to bring to Manila the sack that was recovered from him… He said he does not know the content of that sack,” Manalo said of Ampuan.
Manalo and his men, together with Coast Guard personnel intercepted Ampuan at the port of Cebu City upon the arrival at around 3:15 pm the other day (Wednesday) of the Superferry ship he was riding from Cotabato City.
Manalo said they have been alerted by the intelligence community that Ampuan was carrying explosive materials bound for Manila. The ship Ampuan was riding was making a stop-over in Cebu City.
“At least, we were alerted by our intelligence monitoring team that’s why we intercepted him,” Manalo said, adding, “he was just alone.”
A check at the sack Ampuan was bringing yielded a mortar for a 90mm recoilless rifle (M371-A1) and an anti-tank projectile, mixed in several pieces of bananas and sweet potatoes.
Manalo said the explosive materials were not yet assembled and were not ready to explode.
“He did not actually resist arrest because he was surprised and he said he was just asked to bring that sack to Manila. He said somebody would supposedly meet him at the port of Manila upon his arrival,” Manalo said.
Manalo said Ampuan was paid P400 for the delivery.
Usman is a notorious bomber in Central Mindanao who was allegedly trained by JI bombers. A member, according to authorities, of the renegade Special Operations Group (SOG) of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), Usman has several arrest warrants for a number of bombing activities in Central Mindanao over the last few years.
Asked if the delivery of the bombing material to Manila was part of the anticipated diversionary attack of the ASG and their allied groups due to the military offensives in Basilan and Sulu, Manalo said: “It could be.”
The police had earlier placed the entire Mindanao and Metro Manila on full alert status since Monday, as well as the National Capital Region Command (NCRCOM) of the military, in anticipation of possible diversionary or sympathy attacks by Moslem extremists.
On Wednesday, Philippine National Police chief Gen. Oscar Calderon said they are not discounting the possibility that the spillover will reach Metro Manila.
Manalo said Ampuan is now undergoing tactical interrogation at the Region 7 Police Intelligence Unit and the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP)./DMS
August 23, 2007
A man bound for Manila was nabbed on Wednesday afternoon in Cebu City for bringing explosive devices, police said yesterday (Thursday).
Sr. Supt. Agustin Manalo, Region 7 chief of the Police Maritime Group, identified the man as Gino “Noy” Ampuan, 18, a native of Parang, Shariff Kabunsuan.
Manalo said intelligence agents from the regional police and the military are still investigating if Ampuan is a member of the terrorist Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) or a local trainee of the Al Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) in Central Mindanao.
“He claims that he was just asked by a certain Basit Usman to bring to Manila the sack that was recovered from him… He said he does not know the content of that sack,” Manalo said of Ampuan.
Manalo and his men, together with Coast Guard personnel intercepted Ampuan at the port of Cebu City upon the arrival at around 3:15 pm the other day (Wednesday) of the Superferry ship he was riding from Cotabato City.
Manalo said they have been alerted by the intelligence community that Ampuan was carrying explosive materials bound for Manila. The ship Ampuan was riding was making a stop-over in Cebu City.
“At least, we were alerted by our intelligence monitoring team that’s why we intercepted him,” Manalo said, adding, “he was just alone.”
A check at the sack Ampuan was bringing yielded a mortar for a 90mm recoilless rifle (M371-A1) and an anti-tank projectile, mixed in several pieces of bananas and sweet potatoes.
Manalo said the explosive materials were not yet assembled and were not ready to explode.
“He did not actually resist arrest because he was surprised and he said he was just asked to bring that sack to Manila. He said somebody would supposedly meet him at the port of Manila upon his arrival,” Manalo said.
Manalo said Ampuan was paid P400 for the delivery.
Usman is a notorious bomber in Central Mindanao who was allegedly trained by JI bombers. A member, according to authorities, of the renegade Special Operations Group (SOG) of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), Usman has several arrest warrants for a number of bombing activities in Central Mindanao over the last few years.
Asked if the delivery of the bombing material to Manila was part of the anticipated diversionary attack of the ASG and their allied groups due to the military offensives in Basilan and Sulu, Manalo said: “It could be.”
The police had earlier placed the entire Mindanao and Metro Manila on full alert status since Monday, as well as the National Capital Region Command (NCRCOM) of the military, in anticipation of possible diversionary or sympathy attacks by Moslem extremists.
On Wednesday, Philippine National Police chief Gen. Oscar Calderon said they are not discounting the possibility that the spillover will reach Metro Manila.
Manalo said Ampuan is now undergoing tactical interrogation at the Region 7 Police Intelligence Unit and the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP)./DMS
Gov’t won’t interfere in the delisting of MILF members from the arrest warrant over the July 10 incident
By Ronron
August 23, 2007
The government will not interfere in a decision of the local court in Basilan whether or not it will delist members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) from the arrest warrant issued over the July 10 incident in Al-Barka town between military forces and Moslem rebels.
Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, Jr. told reporters Thursday in Zamboanga City that it will be up to the court, or the subject of the arrest warrant for MILF members to be removed from the charge sheet.
The MILF has sought for the removal of 74 of its members from the list of suspects with arrest warrant over the July 10 incident, where 14 Marine soldiers were killed and nine were wounded. Ten of the 14 slain Marines were mutilated, prompting the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to file a case of multiple murder and multiple frustrated murder against at least 127 suspects, mostly from the MILF and the rest from the Abu Sayyaf Group.
“In so far as the warrant of arrest is concerned, there are legal processes for that. The government cannot unilaterally interfere with the processes of the court of law… The President cannot dictate on the court as to what to do,” Teodoro said.
He said “those probably who may be affected by a warrant of arrest” have legal remedies that they can avail of.
The government is currently holding peace talks with the MILF, which has been seeking autonomy for how many decades now.
The exploratory talk was supposed to resume last Wednesday in Kuala Lumpur but the government sought at the last minute for a resetting as it reportedly needs more time for refinement of its negotiation position, particularly on the issue of territory.
The peace talks bogged down in August last year after the two parties failed to agree on the number of villages to be included in the MILF’s Bangsamoro Juridical Entity. The MILF is proposing over a thousand villages, but the government is only amenable to some 600 of those.
The peace negotiations was in peril when the July 10 incident happened because the MILF owned up the attack against the Marine forces, 10 of whom were found to have been beheaded later by suspected Abu Sayyaf bandits.
The MILF said it attacked the government forces because it entered its territory without making prior coordination as provided for by the ceasefire agreement of both parties./DMS
August 23, 2007
The government will not interfere in a decision of the local court in Basilan whether or not it will delist members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) from the arrest warrant issued over the July 10 incident in Al-Barka town between military forces and Moslem rebels.
Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, Jr. told reporters Thursday in Zamboanga City that it will be up to the court, or the subject of the arrest warrant for MILF members to be removed from the charge sheet.
The MILF has sought for the removal of 74 of its members from the list of suspects with arrest warrant over the July 10 incident, where 14 Marine soldiers were killed and nine were wounded. Ten of the 14 slain Marines were mutilated, prompting the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to file a case of multiple murder and multiple frustrated murder against at least 127 suspects, mostly from the MILF and the rest from the Abu Sayyaf Group.
“In so far as the warrant of arrest is concerned, there are legal processes for that. The government cannot unilaterally interfere with the processes of the court of law… The President cannot dictate on the court as to what to do,” Teodoro said.
He said “those probably who may be affected by a warrant of arrest” have legal remedies that they can avail of.
The government is currently holding peace talks with the MILF, which has been seeking autonomy for how many decades now.
The exploratory talk was supposed to resume last Wednesday in Kuala Lumpur but the government sought at the last minute for a resetting as it reportedly needs more time for refinement of its negotiation position, particularly on the issue of territory.
The peace talks bogged down in August last year after the two parties failed to agree on the number of villages to be included in the MILF’s Bangsamoro Juridical Entity. The MILF is proposing over a thousand villages, but the government is only amenable to some 600 of those.
The peace negotiations was in peril when the July 10 incident happened because the MILF owned up the attack against the Marine forces, 10 of whom were found to have been beheaded later by suspected Abu Sayyaf bandits.
The MILF said it attacked the government forces because it entered its territory without making prior coordination as provided for by the ceasefire agreement of both parties./DMS
Esperon: Government casualties in Mindanao operations is not an issue
By Ronron
August 23, 2007
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. said Thursday that the number of casualties the military has incurred in the operations in Basilan and Sulu since last month should not be an issue to the public.
In a news conference in Zamboanga City, Esperon explained that suffering casualties is normal to the military organization since it is part of their job.
Since July 10, 57 soldiers have already died in separate operations against Moslem rebels in Basilan and Sulu. Over a dozen others were also wounded.
“We must remember that we are fighting terrorists here. We are not going to picnics. We are getting into close quarter battle. We are in the pursuit,” Esperon said.
He said that even if there are many soldiers’ lives lost, many leaders of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) were also neutralized in the spate of operations.
“And you must take note that we have been recovering body count. It’s very hard to do that,” Esperon said.
During the command conference at the AFP Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) in said city yesterday, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo commended the soldiers involved in the separate operations for their professionalism, heroism and strength, said Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, Jr.
“In view of the fact that the soldiers have displayed professionalism and heroism, she would like to honor these soldiers and she has instructed myself and the chief of staff, in coordination with the DBM (Department of Budget and Management), to study the possibility of increasing combat pay of the troops actually involved in combat operations,” Teodoro said.
Soldiers are only receiving P240 per month in combat pay, said AFP information officer Lt. Col. Bartolome Bacarro.
In closing, Esperon said: “So the question really is not why are there a lot of casualties. The question, probably, is why are our soldiers willing to do it, go for the enemy? (That will) tell you a lot on the state of morale and discipline (of the soldiers).”
He went on: “It tells you a lot on the commitment to defeat the Abu Sayyaf. It tells you also that your soldiers are willing to sacrifice for the safety of the people not only here in Basilan, Sulu, and Zamboanga, but also for the people in other areas.”
Esperon refused to give a timeline as to when the government forces will finally put an end to the estimated 350-strong ASG, but he assured that the operations in Basilan and Sulu will be relentless, side by side with development projects for the provinces.
“You watch out for it, we will speed it up,” he said when asked how long will the military operations last.
“If you have noticed, we have a large presence. We have been very quiet since July 10 exactly because we wanted some pre-positioning. And now, we are there, we are ready to hit,” the military chief added.
In the same press conference, Sulu Governor Abdusakur Tan expressed support to the military operations as he also acknowledged that it has already caused the displacement of 2,751 families in his province.
“We cannot also allow lawless elements to continue roaming the hinterlands of our respective provinces because we have to go by the rule of law,” Tan said.
After the command conference in Zamboanga City, Arroyo proceeded to Basilan where she joined soldiers in a “boodle fight” for lunch. From there, she went to Bohol where she attended the Local Peace and Security Assembly for Central Visayas sponsored by the National Security Council./DMS
August 23, 2007
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. said Thursday that the number of casualties the military has incurred in the operations in Basilan and Sulu since last month should not be an issue to the public.
In a news conference in Zamboanga City, Esperon explained that suffering casualties is normal to the military organization since it is part of their job.
Since July 10, 57 soldiers have already died in separate operations against Moslem rebels in Basilan and Sulu. Over a dozen others were also wounded.
“We must remember that we are fighting terrorists here. We are not going to picnics. We are getting into close quarter battle. We are in the pursuit,” Esperon said.
He said that even if there are many soldiers’ lives lost, many leaders of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) were also neutralized in the spate of operations.
“And you must take note that we have been recovering body count. It’s very hard to do that,” Esperon said.
During the command conference at the AFP Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) in said city yesterday, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo commended the soldiers involved in the separate operations for their professionalism, heroism and strength, said Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, Jr.
“In view of the fact that the soldiers have displayed professionalism and heroism, she would like to honor these soldiers and she has instructed myself and the chief of staff, in coordination with the DBM (Department of Budget and Management), to study the possibility of increasing combat pay of the troops actually involved in combat operations,” Teodoro said.
Soldiers are only receiving P240 per month in combat pay, said AFP information officer Lt. Col. Bartolome Bacarro.
In closing, Esperon said: “So the question really is not why are there a lot of casualties. The question, probably, is why are our soldiers willing to do it, go for the enemy? (That will) tell you a lot on the state of morale and discipline (of the soldiers).”
He went on: “It tells you a lot on the commitment to defeat the Abu Sayyaf. It tells you also that your soldiers are willing to sacrifice for the safety of the people not only here in Basilan, Sulu, and Zamboanga, but also for the people in other areas.”
Esperon refused to give a timeline as to when the government forces will finally put an end to the estimated 350-strong ASG, but he assured that the operations in Basilan and Sulu will be relentless, side by side with development projects for the provinces.
“You watch out for it, we will speed it up,” he said when asked how long will the military operations last.
“If you have noticed, we have a large presence. We have been very quiet since July 10 exactly because we wanted some pre-positioning. And now, we are there, we are ready to hit,” the military chief added.
In the same press conference, Sulu Governor Abdusakur Tan expressed support to the military operations as he also acknowledged that it has already caused the displacement of 2,751 families in his province.
“We cannot also allow lawless elements to continue roaming the hinterlands of our respective provinces because we have to go by the rule of law,” Tan said.
After the command conference in Zamboanga City, Arroyo proceeded to Basilan where she joined soldiers in a “boodle fight” for lunch. From there, she went to Bohol where she attended the Local Peace and Security Assembly for Central Visayas sponsored by the National Security Council./DMS
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Court martial metes dishonorable discharge to 12 Magdalo officers
By Ronron
August 22, 2007
A military tribunal on Wednesday ordered the dishonorable discharge from the service of 12 Magdalo junior officers after their admission of guilt to staging the attempted mutiny in Makati City last July 27, 2003.
The 12 are Captains Milo Maestrecampo, Albert Baloloy, Gerardo Gambala, Elvin Ebreo, Laurence Luis Somera, and John Andres; and First Lieutenants Rex Bolo, Von Rio Tayab, Audie Tocloy, Cleo Dongga-as, Florentino Somera, and Kristoffer Bryan Yasay, all of the Philippine Army.
Maestrecampo and Gambala are among the six core leaders of the so-called Magdalo group. The others are former Navy Lt. Senior Grade Antonio Trillanes IV, now a Senator; Navy Lt. SG James Layug; and Marines Captains Gary Alejano and Nicanor Faeldon.
According to General Court Martial (GCM) President Brig. Gen. Nathaniel Legaspi, the 12 brought dishonor to the noble profession of arms when they seized the Oakwood Hotel and Apartment over four years ago to air their grievances against the government and the military leadership.
In a hearing last July 10, the 12 pleaded guilty to violating Articles of War 96 (Conduct unbecoming of an officer and a gentleman).
“This General Court Martial hereby imposes the following sentence, the sentence of dishonorable discharge,” Legaspi told the 12 during yesterday morning’s hearing at Camp Aguinaldo.
But Legaspi said the sentence will only take effect upon the approval of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
The 12 will also continue to receive their salaries pending the finality of the sentence, or unless ordered otherwise by higher authorities. “No change in the status quo shall be made. They shall continue to do so unless otherwise ordered,” said Legaspi.
But their freedom is not yet imminent since they are among 29 officers (the alleged leaders of the attempted mutiny) facing coup d’ etat charge before the Makati City Regional Trial Court, together with two discharged enlisted personnel, over the same incident.
“If they are already discharged and they have become civilians, what matters is I have gained jurisdiction over them. So their custody remains with me,” AFP chief of staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. told reporters yesterday afternoon, citing an order from Makati City Judge Oscar Pimentel.
“You remember that I wrote Judge Pimentel?... He has ruled so they remain under my custody,” Esperon said.
Esperon said he may also act on the issue about the salaries of the 12 when he reviews the decision of the GCM before it reaches the level of the President.
“I’m studying that. If they are discharged, that means they are no longer in the service. So what’s the point of giving them salaries?” Esperon said.
With the discharge of the 12, only 24 junior officers remain on trial before the GCM, including Trillanes, Layug, Alejano, and Faeldon, for alleged violation of various Articles of War.
Last June 12, Arroyo approved the plea-bargaining agreement entered into by 54 other Magdalo junior officers with the GCM. They were sentenced to jail until January 27 next year and will then be meted with dishonorable discharge.
A few other accused officers have been cleared of the charges earlier by higher military authorities, while over 180 enlisted personnel, who also participated in the takeover, were absolved in May 2005 and restored to full duty status after also entering into a plea-bargaining agreement./DMS
August 22, 2007
A military tribunal on Wednesday ordered the dishonorable discharge from the service of 12 Magdalo junior officers after their admission of guilt to staging the attempted mutiny in Makati City last July 27, 2003.
The 12 are Captains Milo Maestrecampo, Albert Baloloy, Gerardo Gambala, Elvin Ebreo, Laurence Luis Somera, and John Andres; and First Lieutenants Rex Bolo, Von Rio Tayab, Audie Tocloy, Cleo Dongga-as, Florentino Somera, and Kristoffer Bryan Yasay, all of the Philippine Army.
Maestrecampo and Gambala are among the six core leaders of the so-called Magdalo group. The others are former Navy Lt. Senior Grade Antonio Trillanes IV, now a Senator; Navy Lt. SG James Layug; and Marines Captains Gary Alejano and Nicanor Faeldon.
According to General Court Martial (GCM) President Brig. Gen. Nathaniel Legaspi, the 12 brought dishonor to the noble profession of arms when they seized the Oakwood Hotel and Apartment over four years ago to air their grievances against the government and the military leadership.
In a hearing last July 10, the 12 pleaded guilty to violating Articles of War 96 (Conduct unbecoming of an officer and a gentleman).
“This General Court Martial hereby imposes the following sentence, the sentence of dishonorable discharge,” Legaspi told the 12 during yesterday morning’s hearing at Camp Aguinaldo.
But Legaspi said the sentence will only take effect upon the approval of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
The 12 will also continue to receive their salaries pending the finality of the sentence, or unless ordered otherwise by higher authorities. “No change in the status quo shall be made. They shall continue to do so unless otherwise ordered,” said Legaspi.
But their freedom is not yet imminent since they are among 29 officers (the alleged leaders of the attempted mutiny) facing coup d’ etat charge before the Makati City Regional Trial Court, together with two discharged enlisted personnel, over the same incident.
“If they are already discharged and they have become civilians, what matters is I have gained jurisdiction over them. So their custody remains with me,” AFP chief of staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. told reporters yesterday afternoon, citing an order from Makati City Judge Oscar Pimentel.
“You remember that I wrote Judge Pimentel?... He has ruled so they remain under my custody,” Esperon said.
Esperon said he may also act on the issue about the salaries of the 12 when he reviews the decision of the GCM before it reaches the level of the President.
“I’m studying that. If they are discharged, that means they are no longer in the service. So what’s the point of giving them salaries?” Esperon said.
With the discharge of the 12, only 24 junior officers remain on trial before the GCM, including Trillanes, Layug, Alejano, and Faeldon, for alleged violation of various Articles of War.
Last June 12, Arroyo approved the plea-bargaining agreement entered into by 54 other Magdalo junior officers with the GCM. They were sentenced to jail until January 27 next year and will then be meted with dishonorable discharge.
A few other accused officers have been cleared of the charges earlier by higher military authorities, while over 180 enlisted personnel, who also participated in the takeover, were absolved in May 2005 and restored to full duty status after also entering into a plea-bargaining agreement./DMS
Marine brigade commander in Basilan relieved
By Ronron
August 22, 2007
The commander of the Marine brigade in Basilan was relieved on Wednesday due to his non-“forward” type of leadership during the recent operations against Moslem extremists in the island province.
1st Marine Brigade commander Col. Ramiro Alivio was replaced by Col. Rustico Guerrero, chief of the Marine Corps Training Center, said Marines spokesman Lt. Col. Ariel Caculitan.
“We have put in another commander in Basilan because we have to do more in Basilan… I think we have to have a brigade commander that will be with the troops, that would prefer to be with the troops during operations,” Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. told reporters in a separate interview.
Esperon said that during the encounter last August 18 in Ungkaya Pukan town, where 15 Marine soldiers died and seven others were injured, Alivio just stayed at his headquarters in Barangay Tabiawan, Isabela City, and not with the engaged troops on the ground.
“It’s not because Col. Alivio has failed in his job… I don’t contest the assessment of Col. Alivio that he has to remain in his headquarters while the operations is going on. But I believe a brigade commander will be more effective if he will be near the troops during operations,” Esperon said.
During the July 10 incident in Al-Barka town, where Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) fighters ambushed Marine troopers who had just finished looking for Fr. Gian Carlo Bossi, Alivio was also just at the 1st Marine Brigade headquarters.
Esperon said that in the August 18 incident, “I wish Col. Alivio would have been more forward.”
“I know that he could control the troops from where he was, but I would have preferred that he be nearer the troops,” the military chief said.
Asked if it would make a difference if Alivio was on the ground during the operations, Esperon said: “Probably.”
“What we are after is more aggressive pursuit against the Abu Sayyaf in the area. So we believe that Col. Rustico Guerrero fits the bill… We have put in there a commander, who, I think, would take all the opportunity to be with his troops,” Esperon said.
Esperon said the change of leadership was a decision of the board of generals of the AFP.
He said Alivio will be assigned to another position “where his intelligence background will serve our organization best.”
“If you ask me if this is the end of his career, no. He is a very good officer and therefore, we will put him in another position,” Esperon said.
He acknowledged that the morale of the brigade, which has Marine battalions 1, 6, 7, 8 and 9 under it, may be affected with the relief of Alivio, “but it is not something that will disrupt the operations.”
Sought for comment, Alivio said by phone from Basilan: “That’s (relief) part of the job. When the orders come out, you have to follow it. But it’s a sigh of relief for me. It’s a great unburden on my part.”
Told about the reason for his relief as disclosed by Esperon, Alivio said: “My command and control is at the headquarters… That’s where the communication facilities are.”
Told further that Esperon wanted him to be on the ground with the troops, he said: “I’m already on the ground. It’s just that I’m in another location… Of course, you have to respect the echelon of command. If it’s at the level of the battalion headquarters, you have to leave it to the battalion commander.”
Alivio said he has “no regrets” with whatever decision he made during his stint as brigade commander.
“My conscience is clear… I planned for my battalions. If the higher headquarters thinks I failed in my responsibilities, they should review my plans,” he said.
Alivio said he has yet to learn his new assignment at the Marine headquarters in Manila. “Que sera sera (whatever will be, will be),” he said./DMS
August 22, 2007
The commander of the Marine brigade in Basilan was relieved on Wednesday due to his non-“forward” type of leadership during the recent operations against Moslem extremists in the island province.
1st Marine Brigade commander Col. Ramiro Alivio was replaced by Col. Rustico Guerrero, chief of the Marine Corps Training Center, said Marines spokesman Lt. Col. Ariel Caculitan.
“We have put in another commander in Basilan because we have to do more in Basilan… I think we have to have a brigade commander that will be with the troops, that would prefer to be with the troops during operations,” Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. told reporters in a separate interview.
Esperon said that during the encounter last August 18 in Ungkaya Pukan town, where 15 Marine soldiers died and seven others were injured, Alivio just stayed at his headquarters in Barangay Tabiawan, Isabela City, and not with the engaged troops on the ground.
“It’s not because Col. Alivio has failed in his job… I don’t contest the assessment of Col. Alivio that he has to remain in his headquarters while the operations is going on. But I believe a brigade commander will be more effective if he will be near the troops during operations,” Esperon said.
During the July 10 incident in Al-Barka town, where Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) fighters ambushed Marine troopers who had just finished looking for Fr. Gian Carlo Bossi, Alivio was also just at the 1st Marine Brigade headquarters.
Esperon said that in the August 18 incident, “I wish Col. Alivio would have been more forward.”
“I know that he could control the troops from where he was, but I would have preferred that he be nearer the troops,” the military chief said.
Asked if it would make a difference if Alivio was on the ground during the operations, Esperon said: “Probably.”
“What we are after is more aggressive pursuit against the Abu Sayyaf in the area. So we believe that Col. Rustico Guerrero fits the bill… We have put in there a commander, who, I think, would take all the opportunity to be with his troops,” Esperon said.
Esperon said the change of leadership was a decision of the board of generals of the AFP.
He said Alivio will be assigned to another position “where his intelligence background will serve our organization best.”
“If you ask me if this is the end of his career, no. He is a very good officer and therefore, we will put him in another position,” Esperon said.
He acknowledged that the morale of the brigade, which has Marine battalions 1, 6, 7, 8 and 9 under it, may be affected with the relief of Alivio, “but it is not something that will disrupt the operations.”
Sought for comment, Alivio said by phone from Basilan: “That’s (relief) part of the job. When the orders come out, you have to follow it. But it’s a sigh of relief for me. It’s a great unburden on my part.”
Told about the reason for his relief as disclosed by Esperon, Alivio said: “My command and control is at the headquarters… That’s where the communication facilities are.”
Told further that Esperon wanted him to be on the ground with the troops, he said: “I’m already on the ground. It’s just that I’m in another location… Of course, you have to respect the echelon of command. If it’s at the level of the battalion headquarters, you have to leave it to the battalion commander.”
Alivio said he has “no regrets” with whatever decision he made during his stint as brigade commander.
“My conscience is clear… I planned for my battalions. If the higher headquarters thinks I failed in my responsibilities, they should review my plans,” he said.
Alivio said he has yet to learn his new assignment at the Marine headquarters in Manila. “Que sera sera (whatever will be, will be),” he said./DMS
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
New military commanders named
By Ronron
August 21, 2007
The Defense establishment named on Tuesday the new commanders in key military posts around the country with the retirement of some officers in the coming days.
“The Department of National Defense (DND) has announced today President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s approval of the recommendation of the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) Board of Generals and the Secretary of National Defense of seven senior military officials to key positions in the Armed Forces of the Philippines,” a statement of the department reads.
According to the statement, Lt. Gen. Alexander Yano will replace Lt. Gen. Romeo Tolentino as Army commanding general when the latter retires on Friday.
Yano will be replaced at the Southern Luzon Command by Lt. Gen. Rodolfo Obaniana, the Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom) chief.
Obaniana, meanwhile, will be replaced by the current commander of the Central Command (Centcom), Lt. Gen. Cardozo Luna.
Replacing Luna at the Centcom will be Maj. Gen. Victor Ibrado, the current head of the Special Operations Command of the Philippine Army. Ibrado’s replacement was not yet identified.
Meanwhile, replacing Lt. Eugenio Cedo as Western Mindanao Commander (Westmincom) chief when he retires on September 6 is Maj. Gen. Nelson Allaga, the Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) commandant.
Allaga will be succeeded by Maj. Gen. Mohammad Ben Dolorfino, the current National Capital Region Command (NCRCOM) chief.
Maj. Gen. Fernando Mesa of the Army’s 2nd Infantry Division will then become the new NCRCOM chief.
“The newly-appointed officials will replace the senior military officers who are set to retire from the military service to ensure the continuity and momentum of the AFP efforts against threats to national security,” the statement said./DMS
August 21, 2007
The Defense establishment named on Tuesday the new commanders in key military posts around the country with the retirement of some officers in the coming days.
“The Department of National Defense (DND) has announced today President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s approval of the recommendation of the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) Board of Generals and the Secretary of National Defense of seven senior military officials to key positions in the Armed Forces of the Philippines,” a statement of the department reads.
According to the statement, Lt. Gen. Alexander Yano will replace Lt. Gen. Romeo Tolentino as Army commanding general when the latter retires on Friday.
Yano will be replaced at the Southern Luzon Command by Lt. Gen. Rodolfo Obaniana, the Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom) chief.
Obaniana, meanwhile, will be replaced by the current commander of the Central Command (Centcom), Lt. Gen. Cardozo Luna.
Replacing Luna at the Centcom will be Maj. Gen. Victor Ibrado, the current head of the Special Operations Command of the Philippine Army. Ibrado’s replacement was not yet identified.
Meanwhile, replacing Lt. Eugenio Cedo as Western Mindanao Commander (Westmincom) chief when he retires on September 6 is Maj. Gen. Nelson Allaga, the Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) commandant.
Allaga will be succeeded by Maj. Gen. Mohammad Ben Dolorfino, the current National Capital Region Command (NCRCOM) chief.
Maj. Gen. Fernando Mesa of the Army’s 2nd Infantry Division will then become the new NCRCOM chief.
“The newly-appointed officials will replace the senior military officers who are set to retire from the military service to ensure the continuity and momentum of the AFP efforts against threats to national security,” the statement said./DMS
MILF to government forces: Continue coordinating movements to avoid misencounters
By Ronron
August 21, 2007
The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is hoping that the government will continue to abide by the 1997 ceasefire agreement of the two parties as regards making coordination when the Philippine military operates against lawless groups in nearby MILF communities.
MILF chair for the Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) Von Al-Haq said Tuesday that the coordination made by the government during last Saturday’s operation against the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) in Ungkaya Pukan, Basilan shows that indeed misecounters can be avoided between government forces and the MILF.
Members of the Philippine Marines attacked some 70 to 80 ASG rebels at their suspected camp in Ungkaya Pukan town last Saturday morning as part of the government’s efforts to get the beheaders of 10 Marine soldiers last July 10 in Al-Barka town.
Al-Haq echoed MILF information officer Mohagher Iqbal’s earlier statement that no MILF rebel was involved in that firefight because the government forces coordinated with the MILF in the area.
But Al-Haq disclosed yesterday that the coordination was only made when the firefight had already begun.
“We did not know that the Marines were already in combat position. We only learned about it when the firing already erupted. So we told our men in the area to stay put, not open fire, or better, move out to safer places,” Al-Haq said in Filipino in a phone interview.
“We are just thankful that it did not result to another problem,” he added, apparently referring to the same incident last July 10.
Al-Haq said some 150 MILF fighters based in Barangay Baguindan, which is adjacent to the encounter site in Barangay Selangkum, were advised to move to Barangay Guinanta in Al-Barka town.
Al-Haq’s counterpart with the Philippine government, Brig. Gen. Edgardo Gurrea, said the government will always comply with the ceasefire agreement, that’s why it informed immediately the MILF about the operations last Saturday.
Asked why there are still no arrests made of MILF members tagged in the July 10 incident, both Al-Haq and Gurrea said it is because the court in Basilan has yet to resolve an MILF motion for the conduct of a reinvestigation on the case filed for a change of the subjects of the arrest warrant.
Al-Haq said the MILF has asked the court to clear the 74 members of the MILF included in the arrest warrant because the government is only running after the beheaders.
The arrest warrant released by a Basilan court in late July named at least 127 respondents, mostly MILF members, based on the complaint filed by the military.
A joint fact-finding mission of the government and the MILF has identified members of the ASG as the beheaders./DMS
August 21, 2007
The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is hoping that the government will continue to abide by the 1997 ceasefire agreement of the two parties as regards making coordination when the Philippine military operates against lawless groups in nearby MILF communities.
MILF chair for the Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) Von Al-Haq said Tuesday that the coordination made by the government during last Saturday’s operation against the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) in Ungkaya Pukan, Basilan shows that indeed misecounters can be avoided between government forces and the MILF.
Members of the Philippine Marines attacked some 70 to 80 ASG rebels at their suspected camp in Ungkaya Pukan town last Saturday morning as part of the government’s efforts to get the beheaders of 10 Marine soldiers last July 10 in Al-Barka town.
Al-Haq echoed MILF information officer Mohagher Iqbal’s earlier statement that no MILF rebel was involved in that firefight because the government forces coordinated with the MILF in the area.
But Al-Haq disclosed yesterday that the coordination was only made when the firefight had already begun.
“We did not know that the Marines were already in combat position. We only learned about it when the firing already erupted. So we told our men in the area to stay put, not open fire, or better, move out to safer places,” Al-Haq said in Filipino in a phone interview.
“We are just thankful that it did not result to another problem,” he added, apparently referring to the same incident last July 10.
Al-Haq said some 150 MILF fighters based in Barangay Baguindan, which is adjacent to the encounter site in Barangay Selangkum, were advised to move to Barangay Guinanta in Al-Barka town.
Al-Haq’s counterpart with the Philippine government, Brig. Gen. Edgardo Gurrea, said the government will always comply with the ceasefire agreement, that’s why it informed immediately the MILF about the operations last Saturday.
Asked why there are still no arrests made of MILF members tagged in the July 10 incident, both Al-Haq and Gurrea said it is because the court in Basilan has yet to resolve an MILF motion for the conduct of a reinvestigation on the case filed for a change of the subjects of the arrest warrant.
Al-Haq said the MILF has asked the court to clear the 74 members of the MILF included in the arrest warrant because the government is only running after the beheaders.
The arrest warrant released by a Basilan court in late July named at least 127 respondents, mostly MILF members, based on the complaint filed by the military.
A joint fact-finding mission of the government and the MILF has identified members of the ASG as the beheaders./DMS
PNP goes on full alert in MM and Mindanao in preparation for possible diversionary attacks of Moslem rebels in Basilan and Sulu
By Ronron
August 21, 2007
The Philippine National Police (PNP) has implemented a full alert status beginning last Monday in Metro Manila and Mindanao in preparation for possible diversionary attacks by Moslem extremists being hunted by government forces in Basilan and Sulu.
PNP spokesman Chief Supt. Samuel Pagdilao, Jr. said Tuesday that the move, which took effect starting 11am the other day (Monday), is also in line with the ongoing Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Economic Ministerial Meeting in Makati City.
“It’s full alert for the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) and in Mindanao regions. But in Visayas regions, it is downgraded to heightened alert,” Pagdilao said.
Pagdilao said the raising of the alert level is “to preclude spillover or diversionary activities from the ASG (Abu Sayyaf Group) or its allied groups to release pressure coming from military offensives in Basilan and Sulu.”
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. said Monday night that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has ordered the government forces to prepare for total security in Mindanao “in anticipation of possible spillovers” of the fightings in Basilan and Sulu.
He admitted that they are not discounting the possibility that Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) members based in Central Mindanao, particularly in the Lanao and the Cotabato provinces, could launch sympathy attacks, even if he expressed confidence that the ceasefire agreement stands strongly.
“We have already deployed sufficient forces in those areas starting July 10. There had been an additional five battalions that were deployed to those areas to secure infrastructures, government centers and population centers,” Esperon said.
The government’s representative with the joint Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH), Brig. Gen. Edgardo Gurrea, said Tuesday that his counterpart with the MILF has assured him that their fighters in Central Mindanao will not launch sympathy attacks.
“There were information but the International Monitoring Team verified it on the ground and found it to be negative,” Gurrea said in a phone interview.
Pagdilao said the police regional directors in Mindanao (Regions 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 or CARAGA, and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao or ARMM) were given the discretion by PNP chief Gen. Oscar Calderon to downgrade or upgrade the alert level, “depending on the situation obtaining in their area of responsibility.”
Heavy fighting last erupted in Basilan last Saturday between ASG rebels and Marine troopers, resulting in the death of 15 Marine soldiers, one Air Force pilot, and reportedly 42 bandits.
Over a week ago, Army and Marine troopers also clashed in Sulu against ASG and renegade Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) members in four different instances, killing 27 soldiers and wounding several others.
On July 10, government troops looking for abducted Italian priest Fr. Gian Carlo Bossi were ambushed in Al-Barka, Basilan by MILF members, but 10 of the 14 killed soldiers were allegedly beheaded later by ASG rebels./DMS
August 21, 2007
The Philippine National Police (PNP) has implemented a full alert status beginning last Monday in Metro Manila and Mindanao in preparation for possible diversionary attacks by Moslem extremists being hunted by government forces in Basilan and Sulu.
PNP spokesman Chief Supt. Samuel Pagdilao, Jr. said Tuesday that the move, which took effect starting 11am the other day (Monday), is also in line with the ongoing Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Economic Ministerial Meeting in Makati City.
“It’s full alert for the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) and in Mindanao regions. But in Visayas regions, it is downgraded to heightened alert,” Pagdilao said.
Pagdilao said the raising of the alert level is “to preclude spillover or diversionary activities from the ASG (Abu Sayyaf Group) or its allied groups to release pressure coming from military offensives in Basilan and Sulu.”
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. said Monday night that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has ordered the government forces to prepare for total security in Mindanao “in anticipation of possible spillovers” of the fightings in Basilan and Sulu.
He admitted that they are not discounting the possibility that Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) members based in Central Mindanao, particularly in the Lanao and the Cotabato provinces, could launch sympathy attacks, even if he expressed confidence that the ceasefire agreement stands strongly.
“We have already deployed sufficient forces in those areas starting July 10. There had been an additional five battalions that were deployed to those areas to secure infrastructures, government centers and population centers,” Esperon said.
The government’s representative with the joint Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH), Brig. Gen. Edgardo Gurrea, said Tuesday that his counterpart with the MILF has assured him that their fighters in Central Mindanao will not launch sympathy attacks.
“There were information but the International Monitoring Team verified it on the ground and found it to be negative,” Gurrea said in a phone interview.
Pagdilao said the police regional directors in Mindanao (Regions 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 or CARAGA, and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao or ARMM) were given the discretion by PNP chief Gen. Oscar Calderon to downgrade or upgrade the alert level, “depending on the situation obtaining in their area of responsibility.”
Heavy fighting last erupted in Basilan last Saturday between ASG rebels and Marine troopers, resulting in the death of 15 Marine soldiers, one Air Force pilot, and reportedly 42 bandits.
Over a week ago, Army and Marine troopers also clashed in Sulu against ASG and renegade Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) members in four different instances, killing 27 soldiers and wounding several others.
On July 10, government troops looking for abducted Italian priest Fr. Gian Carlo Bossi were ambushed in Al-Barka, Basilan by MILF members, but 10 of the 14 killed soldiers were allegedly beheaded later by ASG rebels./DMS
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Radio commentator survives shooting incident in Surigao City
By Ronron
August 20, 2007
A radio commentator in Surigao City in northeastern Mindanao survived a shooting incident on Monday noon near the station he is connected with, police said.
City police director Supt. Francisco Dungo, Jr. said Manuel “Manny” Kong, who is in his 50’s, had just finished his radio program on DXSN (Radio Veritas) when he was shot by an unidentified suspect at around 12:15 pm yesterday along Magallanes Street.
“He (Kong) boarded his car some 10 meters away from the radio station when the gunman approached and shot him in the face,” Dungo said.
Kong sustained a gunshot wound to his left cheek and was brought to the Miranda Family Hospital for medical treatment.
But Dungo said the victim was set to be airlifted to Cebu City later in the day to undergo surgical operation to remove the bullet inside his head.
Dungo said the suspect escaped aboard a motorcycle driven by another man.
Recovered from the crime scene was an empty shell for a caliber 45.
Asked about the motive, Dungo said: “We do not know yet. It is still being investigated.”
Dungo said he is not also familiar with Kong, particularly his broadcasting style, and whether or not he has public enemies.
“We are not aware yet if there is a threat to his life,” Dungo said.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) Task Force USIG is currently investigating more than 20 cases of killings of journalists in the country since the start of the Arroyo administration in 2001./DMS
August 20, 2007
A radio commentator in Surigao City in northeastern Mindanao survived a shooting incident on Monday noon near the station he is connected with, police said.
City police director Supt. Francisco Dungo, Jr. said Manuel “Manny” Kong, who is in his 50’s, had just finished his radio program on DXSN (Radio Veritas) when he was shot by an unidentified suspect at around 12:15 pm yesterday along Magallanes Street.
“He (Kong) boarded his car some 10 meters away from the radio station when the gunman approached and shot him in the face,” Dungo said.
Kong sustained a gunshot wound to his left cheek and was brought to the Miranda Family Hospital for medical treatment.
But Dungo said the victim was set to be airlifted to Cebu City later in the day to undergo surgical operation to remove the bullet inside his head.
Dungo said the suspect escaped aboard a motorcycle driven by another man.
Recovered from the crime scene was an empty shell for a caliber 45.
Asked about the motive, Dungo said: “We do not know yet. It is still being investigated.”
Dungo said he is not also familiar with Kong, particularly his broadcasting style, and whether or not he has public enemies.
“We are not aware yet if there is a threat to his life,” Dungo said.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) Task Force USIG is currently investigating more than 20 cases of killings of journalists in the country since the start of the Arroyo administration in 2001./DMS
Air Force personnel shot dead in Batangas
By Ronron
August 20, 2007
A personnel of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) was shot dead on Monday morning by two unidentified assailants in Batangas province, police said.
The victim was identified as Sgt. Samuel Acar, 31, a PAF member assigned at the Fernando Air Base in Lipa City, and a resident of Barangay Lumang Lipa in Mataas na Kahoy town.
Batangas Provincial Police investigator PO2 Ernesto Chavez said in a phone interview that Acar was shot dead at around 6:30 am yesterday (Monday) at Barangay Manggahan in Mataas na Kahoy.
“He (Acar) was aboard his owner-type jeep, with plate number DST-856, when he was shot by two men riding in tandem on a motorcycle… He came from his house and was on his way to work,” Chavez said.
Chavez said Acar sustained multiple gunshot wounds all over his body, causing his instantaneous death.
Responding policemen from the Mataas na Kahoy Police Station recovered from the crime scene six empty shells and two slugs for a caliber 45, said Chavez.
Chavez said the motive for the killing is being investigated and the municipal police are looking at two angles at the moment.
Asked if the communist New People’s Army have a hand in the killing, Chavez said: “They (local investigators) are saying that it is quite remote. It would be like the last possible motive.”
Chavez said the killing possibly has something to do with personal, work or business issues of Acar.
“Mataas na Kahoy is not known as infested with NPA rebels because it is just near the center of the province, Lipa City, and Fernando Air Base,” Chavez said./DMS
August 20, 2007
A personnel of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) was shot dead on Monday morning by two unidentified assailants in Batangas province, police said.
The victim was identified as Sgt. Samuel Acar, 31, a PAF member assigned at the Fernando Air Base in Lipa City, and a resident of Barangay Lumang Lipa in Mataas na Kahoy town.
Batangas Provincial Police investigator PO2 Ernesto Chavez said in a phone interview that Acar was shot dead at around 6:30 am yesterday (Monday) at Barangay Manggahan in Mataas na Kahoy.
“He (Acar) was aboard his owner-type jeep, with plate number DST-856, when he was shot by two men riding in tandem on a motorcycle… He came from his house and was on his way to work,” Chavez said.
Chavez said Acar sustained multiple gunshot wounds all over his body, causing his instantaneous death.
Responding policemen from the Mataas na Kahoy Police Station recovered from the crime scene six empty shells and two slugs for a caliber 45, said Chavez.
Chavez said the motive for the killing is being investigated and the municipal police are looking at two angles at the moment.
Asked if the communist New People’s Army have a hand in the killing, Chavez said: “They (local investigators) are saying that it is quite remote. It would be like the last possible motive.”
Chavez said the killing possibly has something to do with personal, work or business issues of Acar.
“Mataas na Kahoy is not known as infested with NPA rebels because it is just near the center of the province, Lipa City, and Fernando Air Base,” Chavez said./DMS
AFP blocking Basilan to prevent ASG from escaping
By Ronron
August 20, 2007
To prevent the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) from escaping Basilan following Saturday’s fierce fighting, naval blockades have been set up by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) around the island province, the military officer spearheading the operations said Monday.
“They might be withdrawing by sea so we have naval assets blocking them, conducting blockade,” Brig. Gen. Juancho Sabban, deputy commander of the AFP Western Mindanao Command (Wesmincom) and commander of the Task Force Thunder, said in a phone interview with Camp Aguinaldo reporters yesterday.
“I cannot say 100 percent that they can’t escape but we are trying our best,” he added.
Sabban said the military is watching for 40 to 50 ASG rebels that survived the clash last Saturday in Ungkaya Pukan town where 15 Marine soldiers and 42 rebels died.
“We believe they are in one vicinity. Of course, they will no longer move together. They have scattered in small groups, but they are within the vicinity of each other,” Sabban said.
Sabban said no firefight has so far occurred since Saturday’s incident, although there was mortar shelling conducted last Sunday morning “to soften the defense of the enemy.”
But he said that while there is still a lull in the fighting, the search for the probable escape route of the rebels is continuing.
Sabban expressed confidence that the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) will not mix up with the ASG although there are adjacent MILF camps in the encounter site.
“We were able to forewarn them. If they join, we consider them as allies of the Abu Sayyaf,” Sabban said of the MILF fighters in the area.
The AFP has around 5,000 troops in Basilan province, mostly assisting policemen in the service of arrest warrants for suspected beheaders of Marine soldiers last July 10 in Al-Barka town.
AFP chief of staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. has ordered the troops in the province to finish off the ASG now that they have already been located in last Saturday’s incident./DMS
August 20, 2007
To prevent the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) from escaping Basilan following Saturday’s fierce fighting, naval blockades have been set up by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) around the island province, the military officer spearheading the operations said Monday.
“They might be withdrawing by sea so we have naval assets blocking them, conducting blockade,” Brig. Gen. Juancho Sabban, deputy commander of the AFP Western Mindanao Command (Wesmincom) and commander of the Task Force Thunder, said in a phone interview with Camp Aguinaldo reporters yesterday.
“I cannot say 100 percent that they can’t escape but we are trying our best,” he added.
Sabban said the military is watching for 40 to 50 ASG rebels that survived the clash last Saturday in Ungkaya Pukan town where 15 Marine soldiers and 42 rebels died.
“We believe they are in one vicinity. Of course, they will no longer move together. They have scattered in small groups, but they are within the vicinity of each other,” Sabban said.
Sabban said no firefight has so far occurred since Saturday’s incident, although there was mortar shelling conducted last Sunday morning “to soften the defense of the enemy.”
But he said that while there is still a lull in the fighting, the search for the probable escape route of the rebels is continuing.
Sabban expressed confidence that the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) will not mix up with the ASG although there are adjacent MILF camps in the encounter site.
“We were able to forewarn them. If they join, we consider them as allies of the Abu Sayyaf,” Sabban said of the MILF fighters in the area.
The AFP has around 5,000 troops in Basilan province, mostly assisting policemen in the service of arrest warrants for suspected beheaders of Marine soldiers last July 10 in Al-Barka town.
AFP chief of staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. has ordered the troops in the province to finish off the ASG now that they have already been located in last Saturday’s incident./DMS
Four suspected ASG rebels nabbed in Sulu
By Ronron
August 20, 2007
Four suspected members of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) fell Sunday in the hands of government troops in Sulu following a raid of their suspected hideout, a military statement said Monday.
The four suspected Moro rebels were caught by surprise, said Maj. Gen. Ruben Rafael of the Sulu-based Armed Forces Joint Task Force Comet, when their suspected lair was raided at around 2am the other day (Sunday) in Barangay Tanjung in Indanan town.
Rafael said the raid was conducted by the Special Operations Command, augmented by the Air Force and the Navy after receiving reports from civilians about the presence of said suspected rebels in the area.
Recovered from the apprehended suspects were an M653 assault with bi-pod, three M16 rifles, three bandoleers with three long and five short magazines for M16 and 300 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition, and one Motorola GP 68 radio with charger.
The M653 is reportedly being used by a leader of the ASG.
“The safehouses are believed to be used by the ASG as arms cache and transshipment point for ammunition and food stuffs they purchased in Sulu and other outlying areas,” Rafael said.
“The raid on the ASG safe houses had cut off their support system, denying them much needed ammunition and other resources necessary for their survival,” he added.
The suspects are now undergoing tactical interrogation with the military.
Twenty-seven soldiers died while several others were wounded in a series of firefight over a week ago in Sulu province against suspected ASG rebels and renegade members of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF)./DMS
August 20, 2007
Four suspected members of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) fell Sunday in the hands of government troops in Sulu following a raid of their suspected hideout, a military statement said Monday.
The four suspected Moro rebels were caught by surprise, said Maj. Gen. Ruben Rafael of the Sulu-based Armed Forces Joint Task Force Comet, when their suspected lair was raided at around 2am the other day (Sunday) in Barangay Tanjung in Indanan town.
Rafael said the raid was conducted by the Special Operations Command, augmented by the Air Force and the Navy after receiving reports from civilians about the presence of said suspected rebels in the area.
Recovered from the apprehended suspects were an M653 assault with bi-pod, three M16 rifles, three bandoleers with three long and five short magazines for M16 and 300 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition, and one Motorola GP 68 radio with charger.
The M653 is reportedly being used by a leader of the ASG.
“The safehouses are believed to be used by the ASG as arms cache and transshipment point for ammunition and food stuffs they purchased in Sulu and other outlying areas,” Rafael said.
“The raid on the ASG safe houses had cut off their support system, denying them much needed ammunition and other resources necessary for their survival,” he added.
The suspects are now undergoing tactical interrogation with the military.
Twenty-seven soldiers died while several others were wounded in a series of firefight over a week ago in Sulu province against suspected ASG rebels and renegade members of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF)./DMS
Army deploys CMO troops in Marikina City
By Ronron
August 20, 2007
For the first time, the Army leadership deployed on Monday civil-military operatives (CMO) in Marikina City to help thwart the spread of insurgency in the metropolis.
At the same time, 98 Army troopers were deployed in Payatas, Quezon City to participate in the house-building project of Gawad Kalinga and the Ateneo Foundation.
Col. Ricardo Visaya, commander of the CMO battalion of the Philippine Army, said the fresh deployments bring to almost 500 the Army personnel spread around Metro Manila for civil military operations since the first dispatch last month.
“We are expanding the deployment. This is a preventive measure because they (communists) are intensifying their recruitment, especially in barangays,” Visaya told Camp Aguinaldo reporters yesterday.
Visaya said one platoon each for Barangays Parang, Tumana and Fortune in Marikina City, or a total of 80 personnel, were deployed at 2pm yesterday.
Earlier in the day, the 98 Army soldiers for Payatas were already dispatched, complementing 100 troops already in Quezon City.
The Army already has 30 personnel in Taguig City, and 160 personnel in Manila City.
But Visaya said more troops may be deployed within the week in Manila City and Quezon City in response to pleas of barangay officials.
He said the deployment in Caloocan City remains undecided upon as discussions with local officials are still ongoing.
Visaya disclosed the Army has also conducted information drive in schools, particularly the Central Colleges of the Philippines, the Philippine Women University, the Philippine Normal College, and Adamson University.
There are also plans to conduct similar activities at the Far Eastern University, Fiate University, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, and the University of the Philippines in the coming weeks, he said.
Visaya said it is important to conduct anti-insurgency drive in schools because students are being targeted by the communist movement to act as strategists or tacticians or planner.
“Normally, those who lead the armed group are from the labor sector. But they don’t really have the brains. So who should be the strategist, tacticians? It’s the students,” Visaya said.
The first deployment of Army CMO troops in Metro Manila from November 2006 until May of this year was highly criticized by various sectors, including the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), as it was allegedly intended for the May 14 elections and risks of violating the civil liberties of ordinary people./DMS
August 20, 2007
For the first time, the Army leadership deployed on Monday civil-military operatives (CMO) in Marikina City to help thwart the spread of insurgency in the metropolis.
At the same time, 98 Army troopers were deployed in Payatas, Quezon City to participate in the house-building project of Gawad Kalinga and the Ateneo Foundation.
Col. Ricardo Visaya, commander of the CMO battalion of the Philippine Army, said the fresh deployments bring to almost 500 the Army personnel spread around Metro Manila for civil military operations since the first dispatch last month.
“We are expanding the deployment. This is a preventive measure because they (communists) are intensifying their recruitment, especially in barangays,” Visaya told Camp Aguinaldo reporters yesterday.
Visaya said one platoon each for Barangays Parang, Tumana and Fortune in Marikina City, or a total of 80 personnel, were deployed at 2pm yesterday.
Earlier in the day, the 98 Army soldiers for Payatas were already dispatched, complementing 100 troops already in Quezon City.
The Army already has 30 personnel in Taguig City, and 160 personnel in Manila City.
But Visaya said more troops may be deployed within the week in Manila City and Quezon City in response to pleas of barangay officials.
He said the deployment in Caloocan City remains undecided upon as discussions with local officials are still ongoing.
Visaya disclosed the Army has also conducted information drive in schools, particularly the Central Colleges of the Philippines, the Philippine Women University, the Philippine Normal College, and Adamson University.
There are also plans to conduct similar activities at the Far Eastern University, Fiate University, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, and the University of the Philippines in the coming weeks, he said.
Visaya said it is important to conduct anti-insurgency drive in schools because students are being targeted by the communist movement to act as strategists or tacticians or planner.
“Normally, those who lead the armed group are from the labor sector. But they don’t really have the brains. So who should be the strategist, tacticians? It’s the students,” Visaya said.
The first deployment of Army CMO troops in Metro Manila from November 2006 until May of this year was highly criticized by various sectors, including the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), as it was allegedly intended for the May 14 elections and risks of violating the civil liberties of ordinary people./DMS
Monday, August 20, 2007
NDCC records three deaths, one missing as a result of “Egay” wrath
By Ronron
August 19, 2007
The National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) has recorded three deaths, one missing person, and one injured as a result of the heavy rains brought by typhoon “Egay” (International Code: Sepat) over the last few days.
In its report Sunday, the NDCC said the cause of death of the three was drowning, while the injured person was hit by a fallen tree. The missing person, meanwhile, remains unaccounted for after his banca capsized in Maragondon, Cavite.
The report identified the three fatalities as Willie dela Cruz and Jesus Rebong, 48, both of Barangay San Roque in Victoria, Laguna, and Erickson Claro, 15, of Las Piñas City. The injured person, on the other hand, is identified as Eleno Estrada of Barangay Nangalisan in Bacnotan, La Union.
According to the NDCC report, signed by its Deputy Administrator, Dr. Anthony Golez, a total of 113,569 families or 542,371 persons coming from 380 barangays from Metro Manila, the Cordilleras and Regions 1, 3, 4-A, and 4-B were affected by typhoon “Egay.”
Of these, 793 families or 3,573 persons sought temporary shelters at 29 evacuation centers.
The typhoon has totally wrecked 43 houses while 55 were partially destroyed.
The estimated coast of damage to agriculture, fisheries and infrastructure was pegged at P20,608,433.00, the report said.
Among the affected roads were the Bontoc-Kalinga Road in Mt. Province, which was closed due to road wash-out.
“Egay” was already outside the Philippines as of Sunday as it moved closer to Taiwan. It entered the country last Tuesday./DMS
August 19, 2007
The National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) has recorded three deaths, one missing person, and one injured as a result of the heavy rains brought by typhoon “Egay” (International Code: Sepat) over the last few days.
In its report Sunday, the NDCC said the cause of death of the three was drowning, while the injured person was hit by a fallen tree. The missing person, meanwhile, remains unaccounted for after his banca capsized in Maragondon, Cavite.
The report identified the three fatalities as Willie dela Cruz and Jesus Rebong, 48, both of Barangay San Roque in Victoria, Laguna, and Erickson Claro, 15, of Las Piñas City. The injured person, on the other hand, is identified as Eleno Estrada of Barangay Nangalisan in Bacnotan, La Union.
According to the NDCC report, signed by its Deputy Administrator, Dr. Anthony Golez, a total of 113,569 families or 542,371 persons coming from 380 barangays from Metro Manila, the Cordilleras and Regions 1, 3, 4-A, and 4-B were affected by typhoon “Egay.”
Of these, 793 families or 3,573 persons sought temporary shelters at 29 evacuation centers.
The typhoon has totally wrecked 43 houses while 55 were partially destroyed.
The estimated coast of damage to agriculture, fisheries and infrastructure was pegged at P20,608,433.00, the report said.
Among the affected roads were the Bontoc-Kalinga Road in Mt. Province, which was closed due to road wash-out.
“Egay” was already outside the Philippines as of Sunday as it moved closer to Taiwan. It entered the country last Tuesday./DMS
Esperon to killed soldiers in Basilan: “Their sacrifices will not be in vain”
By Ronron
August 19, 2007
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. vowed on Sunday that the death of 15 Marine soldiers and an Air Force pilot in an encounter the previous day in Basilan against Abu Sayyaf bandits will not go to waste.
“Their sacrifices will not be in vain because we will follow this up,” Esperon told Camp Aguinaldo reporters in a phone interview.
“We are making a promise to make the province unfit for those who want to rule it with arms,” he added.
Esperon said he has directed the troops on the ground “to continue their operations against the Abu Sayyaf” until the group is destroyed.
“We have seven battalions in the area and 28 CAFGU companies. If there is a confirmed presence of the enemy, then we will operate,” he said.
Esperon revealed that the ASG top leader for Basilan, Isnilon Hapilon, remains on the island province, although they are not sure if the was with the engaged bandits in Ungkaya Pukan town last Saturday where 15 Marine soldiers were killed.
The Air Force pilot who died was on an MG520 that was providing close-air support to the ground troops but crash landed at the shoreline of Bubuan Island in nearby Sumisip town at past 4pm allegedly due to engine trouble. The main pilot survived the accident that immediately caused the grounding of all MG520 attack helicopters of the Philippine Air Force.
So far, the military has only confirmed the presence and the deaths of ASG leaders Furuji Indama and his brother Umair, in last Saturday’s encounter. The military said there were 42 ASG rebels killed, but only seven bodies, including those of the two Indama’s, were recovered.
“Furuji’s group was involved in the beheading of Guillermo Sobero,” Esperon disclosed. Sobero, an American national, was among tourists abducted by the ASG in May 2001 from a posh resort in Palawan and was beheaded, according to the ASG, in June of that year as an Independence Day gift to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Esperon said the involvement of Furuji’s group in the July 10 incident in Al-Barka town where 14 Marine soldiers were also killed, 10 of whom were mutilated, was further proven by the recovery from the encounter site of an M16 rifle that belongs to one of the beheaded Marine soldiers.
“We will remain our large presence in the area… Casualties can be high but that is part of the fight against terrorism… The actions of the soldiers are commendable,” Esperon said.
Of the 15 slain Marine soldiers, five were junior officers.
Armed Forces Western Mindanao Command chief Lt. Gen. Eugenio Cedo said the Marine troopers, who belong to the 64 Force Reconnaissance Company and the Force Reconnaissance Class 13, must have failed to assess the strength of the ASG, that is why they suffered heavy casualties./DMS
August 19, 2007
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. vowed on Sunday that the death of 15 Marine soldiers and an Air Force pilot in an encounter the previous day in Basilan against Abu Sayyaf bandits will not go to waste.
“Their sacrifices will not be in vain because we will follow this up,” Esperon told Camp Aguinaldo reporters in a phone interview.
“We are making a promise to make the province unfit for those who want to rule it with arms,” he added.
Esperon said he has directed the troops on the ground “to continue their operations against the Abu Sayyaf” until the group is destroyed.
“We have seven battalions in the area and 28 CAFGU companies. If there is a confirmed presence of the enemy, then we will operate,” he said.
Esperon revealed that the ASG top leader for Basilan, Isnilon Hapilon, remains on the island province, although they are not sure if the was with the engaged bandits in Ungkaya Pukan town last Saturday where 15 Marine soldiers were killed.
The Air Force pilot who died was on an MG520 that was providing close-air support to the ground troops but crash landed at the shoreline of Bubuan Island in nearby Sumisip town at past 4pm allegedly due to engine trouble. The main pilot survived the accident that immediately caused the grounding of all MG520 attack helicopters of the Philippine Air Force.
So far, the military has only confirmed the presence and the deaths of ASG leaders Furuji Indama and his brother Umair, in last Saturday’s encounter. The military said there were 42 ASG rebels killed, but only seven bodies, including those of the two Indama’s, were recovered.
“Furuji’s group was involved in the beheading of Guillermo Sobero,” Esperon disclosed. Sobero, an American national, was among tourists abducted by the ASG in May 2001 from a posh resort in Palawan and was beheaded, according to the ASG, in June of that year as an Independence Day gift to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Esperon said the involvement of Furuji’s group in the July 10 incident in Al-Barka town where 14 Marine soldiers were also killed, 10 of whom were mutilated, was further proven by the recovery from the encounter site of an M16 rifle that belongs to one of the beheaded Marine soldiers.
“We will remain our large presence in the area… Casualties can be high but that is part of the fight against terrorism… The actions of the soldiers are commendable,” Esperon said.
Of the 15 slain Marine soldiers, five were junior officers.
Armed Forces Western Mindanao Command chief Lt. Gen. Eugenio Cedo said the Marine troopers, who belong to the 64 Force Reconnaissance Company and the Force Reconnaissance Class 13, must have failed to assess the strength of the ASG, that is why they suffered heavy casualties./DMS
15 Marines, 42 ASG rebels killed in Saturday clash in Basilan
By Ronron
August 19, 2007
Fifteen Marine soldiers and 42 Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) rebels died in an encounter last Saturday in Basilan province as government troopers continued to search for Moslem rebels suspected to be responsible for the death of 14 Marine soldiers last July 10 in Al-Barka town, military officials said.
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief information officer Lt. Col. Bartolome Bacarro said over the weekend that seven other soldiers were also wounded in the firefight that began at 6:25 am at Sitio Kurelem, Barangay Selangkum in Ungkaya Pukan town, while a pilot officer died after the plane he was commanding to provide close air support to the engage Marine troopers crashed later in the day.
“The firefight ensued inside an ASG camp,” Bacarro told reporters in a text message Saturday afternoon.
Officials said there were 70 to 80 rebels in said camp headed by Furuji Indama and his brother Umair Indama, alias Abu Jihad, both suspected to be involved in the beheading of 10 Marine soldiers last July 10.
Bacarro said the two Indama’s were confirmed dead and were among the seven dead ASG rebels recovered by the government troops when the heavy fighting stopped at past 2pm. Another dead rebel was identified as a certain Barad, Bacarro said.
Recovered from them were several firearms and personal belongings.
Asked how did the military confirm Furuji Indama’s identity, Bacarro said: “The report I received is that the cellphone of Furuji Indama was recovered… but I don’t want to discuss details of that.”
Furuji was among those charged by the Philippine National Police (PNP) with multiple murder and multiple frustrated murder over the July 10 incident, while Umair was one of the four ASG rebels positively identified by a witness as one of the beheaders of the Marine soldiers.
Bacarro clarified that no Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) or Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) was involved in the fighting.
“The MILF are apparently listening to the advise of the CCCH (Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities of the government and the MILF) to confine themselves in specific areas in Basilan,” AFP Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) chief Lt. Gen. Eugenio Cedo said yesterday in a television interview.
Bacarro said elements of the 64 Force Reconnaissance Company and Force Reconnaissance Class 13 of the Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) were on a mission to locate the suspects behind the July 10 mutilation of their fellow soldiers when they sighted the camp of the ASG on Friday evening.
He said the camp was fortified with bunkers and snipers were posted on strategic areas, that was why the Marines waited for the sun to rise before striking.
“In the face of danger, and in the face of death, our Marines really showed their bravery. They did not waiver. What is at the back of their mind is mission accomplishment. It is so difficult if you attack what is on defensive position,” Bacarro said in Filipino in a radio interview yesterday.
Among those killed on the government side were five junior officers, officials said.
The dead bodies of the soldiers and those wounded were immediately brought to the Westmincom headquarters in Zamboanga City, where the latter were given medical treatment.
Cedo said the bodies of the killed soldiers who are from Luzon will be flown to Manila most likely today (Monday) while those from the rest of the country will be ferried to their respective home provinces.
Officials said an MG520 attack helicopter, which was among those providing close air support to the engaged Marine troopers, crashed past 4pm at Bubuan Island in nearby Sumisip town due to alleged engine trouble.
Philippine Air Force spokesman Lt. Col. Epifanio Panzo, Jr. said the co-pilot died while the main pilot survived, although hurt.
“That aircraft has been flying the whole day, and there was an engine trouble. According to the findings, it encountered an engine quit. So, it was not an enemy fire that brought her down, it was engine trouble,” Cedo said.
Panzo said the chopper came from Zamboanga City.
Despite the heavy casualties it has been suffering, the Armed Forces maintain that it is on the upper hand in the ongoing battle in Basilan. Following the July 10 clash in Al-Barka where 14 soldiers were killed and nine were injured, a three-day firefight in Sulu from August 7 resulted also in the deaths of 27 soldiers and the wounding of 16 others.
Bacarro said even the morale of the soldiers, especially the Marines, according to ground commanders, remains high.
“The directive of the Chief of Staff (Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Jr.) is to continue running after the said group (of the ASG)… We will take this momentum to locate them and the objective is to engage them,” Bacarro said.
Cedo said it is believed that the surviving ASG rebels “scampered in the lower portion of Basilan,” particularly in the towns of Ungkaya Pukan, Al-Barka and Tipo-tipo.
He expressed confidence that the current strength of seven battalions on Basilan island is “more than enough” to secure the province.
“Gen. Cedo and (Brig.) Gen. (Juancho) Sabban (the deputy Western Mindanao command and concurrent Task Force Thunder commander) are concentrating the joint operations in Basilan to really fix the enemy and to destroy them… We will push, we will continue the operations with the end state of destroying the Abu Sayyaf,” Bacarro said.
According to the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC), 1,791 families or 11,887 persons from 15 barangays in Al-Barka, Tipo-tipo, Sumisip and Ungakay Pukan remain displaced as of Sunday due to the ongoing fighting.
“The situation in Basilan remains critical due to ongoing AFP offensives against the ASG in the boundary of Tipo-tipo, Sumisip and Ungkaya Pukan,” the NDCC report yesterday, signed by its spokesman, Dr. Anthony Golez, said.
It said that at 6:30 am, the military bombarded suspected ASG positions in those municipalities using 105mm howitzers. Bacarro could not immediately confirm the report.
Meanwhile, in the southern island province of Sulu, the NDCC said there are still 2,775 families or 12,072 persons displaced from 25 barangays in Indanan, Parang and Maimbung towns. Some of them are staying in five evacuation centers, the report said.
“The situation in Sulu remains very fluid as the AFP continues to recon suspected ASG positions in Indanan, Parang, and Maimbung,” the report said./DMS
August 19, 2007
Fifteen Marine soldiers and 42 Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) rebels died in an encounter last Saturday in Basilan province as government troopers continued to search for Moslem rebels suspected to be responsible for the death of 14 Marine soldiers last July 10 in Al-Barka town, military officials said.
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief information officer Lt. Col. Bartolome Bacarro said over the weekend that seven other soldiers were also wounded in the firefight that began at 6:25 am at Sitio Kurelem, Barangay Selangkum in Ungkaya Pukan town, while a pilot officer died after the plane he was commanding to provide close air support to the engage Marine troopers crashed later in the day.
“The firefight ensued inside an ASG camp,” Bacarro told reporters in a text message Saturday afternoon.
Officials said there were 70 to 80 rebels in said camp headed by Furuji Indama and his brother Umair Indama, alias Abu Jihad, both suspected to be involved in the beheading of 10 Marine soldiers last July 10.
Bacarro said the two Indama’s were confirmed dead and were among the seven dead ASG rebels recovered by the government troops when the heavy fighting stopped at past 2pm. Another dead rebel was identified as a certain Barad, Bacarro said.
Recovered from them were several firearms and personal belongings.
Asked how did the military confirm Furuji Indama’s identity, Bacarro said: “The report I received is that the cellphone of Furuji Indama was recovered… but I don’t want to discuss details of that.”
Furuji was among those charged by the Philippine National Police (PNP) with multiple murder and multiple frustrated murder over the July 10 incident, while Umair was one of the four ASG rebels positively identified by a witness as one of the beheaders of the Marine soldiers.
Bacarro clarified that no Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) or Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) was involved in the fighting.
“The MILF are apparently listening to the advise of the CCCH (Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities of the government and the MILF) to confine themselves in specific areas in Basilan,” AFP Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) chief Lt. Gen. Eugenio Cedo said yesterday in a television interview.
Bacarro said elements of the 64 Force Reconnaissance Company and Force Reconnaissance Class 13 of the Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) were on a mission to locate the suspects behind the July 10 mutilation of their fellow soldiers when they sighted the camp of the ASG on Friday evening.
He said the camp was fortified with bunkers and snipers were posted on strategic areas, that was why the Marines waited for the sun to rise before striking.
“In the face of danger, and in the face of death, our Marines really showed their bravery. They did not waiver. What is at the back of their mind is mission accomplishment. It is so difficult if you attack what is on defensive position,” Bacarro said in Filipino in a radio interview yesterday.
Among those killed on the government side were five junior officers, officials said.
The dead bodies of the soldiers and those wounded were immediately brought to the Westmincom headquarters in Zamboanga City, where the latter were given medical treatment.
Cedo said the bodies of the killed soldiers who are from Luzon will be flown to Manila most likely today (Monday) while those from the rest of the country will be ferried to their respective home provinces.
Officials said an MG520 attack helicopter, which was among those providing close air support to the engaged Marine troopers, crashed past 4pm at Bubuan Island in nearby Sumisip town due to alleged engine trouble.
Philippine Air Force spokesman Lt. Col. Epifanio Panzo, Jr. said the co-pilot died while the main pilot survived, although hurt.
“That aircraft has been flying the whole day, and there was an engine trouble. According to the findings, it encountered an engine quit. So, it was not an enemy fire that brought her down, it was engine trouble,” Cedo said.
Panzo said the chopper came from Zamboanga City.
Despite the heavy casualties it has been suffering, the Armed Forces maintain that it is on the upper hand in the ongoing battle in Basilan. Following the July 10 clash in Al-Barka where 14 soldiers were killed and nine were injured, a three-day firefight in Sulu from August 7 resulted also in the deaths of 27 soldiers and the wounding of 16 others.
Bacarro said even the morale of the soldiers, especially the Marines, according to ground commanders, remains high.
“The directive of the Chief of Staff (Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Jr.) is to continue running after the said group (of the ASG)… We will take this momentum to locate them and the objective is to engage them,” Bacarro said.
Cedo said it is believed that the surviving ASG rebels “scampered in the lower portion of Basilan,” particularly in the towns of Ungkaya Pukan, Al-Barka and Tipo-tipo.
He expressed confidence that the current strength of seven battalions on Basilan island is “more than enough” to secure the province.
“Gen. Cedo and (Brig.) Gen. (Juancho) Sabban (the deputy Western Mindanao command and concurrent Task Force Thunder commander) are concentrating the joint operations in Basilan to really fix the enemy and to destroy them… We will push, we will continue the operations with the end state of destroying the Abu Sayyaf,” Bacarro said.
According to the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC), 1,791 families or 11,887 persons from 15 barangays in Al-Barka, Tipo-tipo, Sumisip and Ungakay Pukan remain displaced as of Sunday due to the ongoing fighting.
“The situation in Basilan remains critical due to ongoing AFP offensives against the ASG in the boundary of Tipo-tipo, Sumisip and Ungkaya Pukan,” the NDCC report yesterday, signed by its spokesman, Dr. Anthony Golez, said.
It said that at 6:30 am, the military bombarded suspected ASG positions in those municipalities using 105mm howitzers. Bacarro could not immediately confirm the report.
Meanwhile, in the southern island province of Sulu, the NDCC said there are still 2,775 families or 12,072 persons displaced from 25 barangays in Indanan, Parang and Maimbung towns. Some of them are staying in five evacuation centers, the report said.
“The situation in Sulu remains very fluid as the AFP continues to recon suspected ASG positions in Indanan, Parang, and Maimbung,” the report said./DMS
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