Daily Journal

Radioman shot dead in Surigao del Sur

2009-07-28T19:33:00.000-07:00

By Ronron

An FM radio host in the southern Philippine province of Surigao del Sur was shot dead by unidentified men last Monday morning inside a commercial establishment in Barobo town of said province, police said.

Godofredo Linao, Jr., said to be an anchorman of 94.5 FM Love Radio and host of "Pamukaw" program which airs on Radio Natin FM in the neighboring city of Bislig, was attacked at around 1:15 AM of July 27 while inside Bogac Lodge and Restaurant in Purok 1, Poblacion, Barobo.

Initial investigation revealed that Linao was seen talking to the establishment owner, Jocelyn de Monteverde, and the latter's two lady employees before the incident happened.

De Monteverde clarified though that Linao was just a new acquaintance and not a regular visitor of the establishment, police said.

"The Police Regional Office 13 Task Force USIG has taken cognizance of the case and is now working with Barobo Municipal Police Station and Surigao del Sur Police Provincial Office... In particular, the Task Force is now checking the veracity of his being a media man," Chief Inspector Nelly Villagarcia, public information officer of the Region 13 Police, said in a statement.

Aside from job-related matters, police are not discounting personal grudges, love triangle, and other angles as possible motives behind the killing.

"It is too early to categorically state the motive..., according to the task force, as they vow to leave no stone unturned until the case is solved," Villagarcia said.

Recovered from the crime scene are one slug and four empty shells of a caliber 45 pistol./END

87 new soldiers and 97 soldier-trainees in northern Mindanao delisted from AFP

2008-04-01T19:50:00.001-07:00

By Ronron
April 1, 2008

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) delisted 87 newly hired soldiers and 97 soldier-trainees in its unit in northern Mindanao in the light of the investigation conducted against the former military commander there.

Philippine Army spokesman Lt. Col. Ernesto Torres, Jr. told reporters Tuesday in Camp Aguinaldo that the cancellation of the appointment orders of the 184 personnel at the 4th Infantry Division in Cagayan de Oro City took effect last March 25.

“The appointment orders of the candidate soldiers and Privates who were found to be not qualified were cancelled,” Torres said.

“Admission into the military without going through the prescribed process is considered fraudulent and may result to separation from the service,” he added.

The 184 personnel were investigated after former 4th ID commander Maj. Gen. Jose Barbieto and his staff, Staff Sergeant Roseller Echipare, were accused of having collected some fees from them in exchange of assured entry into the service despite non-compliance with some requirements.

The 87 newly hired soldiers belong to a batch of 133 new Privates, while the 97 candidate soldiers belong to a batch of 150 trainees.

Torres said their appointment was cancelled because some of them were found to be under-height, while some submitted fake birth certificates, among other reasons.

But he said the Army leadership has yet to ascertain if indeed, these personnel were willing victims of Barbieto’s alleged extortion activities.

“These (under-height, fake birth certificates) are the main grounds for their cancellation, and not necessarily because they paid. These things will probably be asked of them in due time,” said Torres.

“Definitely, it (cancellation of appointment orders) affected the ongoing training, which commenced last January 10, if I’m not mistaken, wherein 150 trainees reported for training,” he added.

But Torres said the Army leadership assured these affected personnel that they can still re-apply in the service, provided they meet the requirements.

At the moment, Torres said the 4th ID will “double time” in their recruitment of new soldiers to make up for those cancelled.

Barbieto and Echipare have already been restricted inside the Philippine Army headquarters in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City starting March 18 as they face pre-trial investigation by the Army Judge Advocate General’s Office.

Barbieto and Echipare are being investigated for possible violations of Article of War 55 (Officer Making Unlawful Enlistment), Article of War 96 (Conduct Unbecoming of an Officer and Gentleman), and Article of War 97 (Conduct Prejudicial to Good Order and Military Discipline).

The pre-trial investigation will determine whether or not Barbieto and Echipare will face court martial proceedings.

Asked if Barbieto has already denied the allegation, Torres said: “I’m not privy regarding those details, but definitely those things would be asked of Maj. Gen. Barbieto.”

Torres assured the even if Barbieto is a classmate of AFP chief of staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. in the Philippine Military Academy, there will be no whitewash in the investigation.

“We are doing the investigation based on the existing military laws… We are applying this equally,” he said.

But at the same time, Torres assured Barbieto, Echipare and their families that they will be given due process and a fair trial by the military tribunal, if ever./DMS

PNP entices young lawyers to join the service

2008-04-01T19:48:00.000-07:00

By Ronron
April 1, 2008

Three days after a list of new lawyers in the country was bared by the Supreme Court, the Philippine National Police (PNP) on Tuesday is enticing them and those who passed within the last few years to join the service “for love of country.”

PNP Legal Service Executive Officer Sr. Supt. Benjamin delos Santos told reporters in Camp Crame yesterday that the PNP currently needs about 80 lawyers so that every province in the country has a legal counsel each.

“If all the provinces have lawyers, even policemen in the municipal level will have proper legal advice. If we have sufficient lawyers in the service, our police stations can be guided like on the latest laws, issues on human rights, and criminal issues,” delos Santos said.

The PNP Legal Service is tasked to provide legal service to members of the organization facing suits that are service-related.

It has 101 lawyers only at present, said delos Santos. For this year, they are entertaining 32 applicants to fill up the 80 vacant positions.

Delos Santos admitted it is difficult to entice lawyers to join the service because the salary offer is smaller compared to those in private practice.

A newly-accepted lawyer in the PNP will only get a monthly salary of P23,000 equivalent to a cop with a rank of Senior Inspector. Lawyers in private sectors, however, get as much as P30,000 to P50,000 a month.

“We just call on your sense of patriotism, love of country, and sense of duty and adventure because police work is very exciting,” delos Santos said when asked how they can convince new lawyers to join the PNP in spite of the relatively meager salary.

On Sunday, the Supreme Court has announced that 1,289 out of the 5,626 bar takers passed last year./DMS

Reds burn trucks in Iloilo province allegedly over extortion demand

2008-03-31T04:15:00.001-07:00

By Ronron
March 31, 2008

Suspected communist rebels burned on Sunday night two cargo trucks in Iloilo province used in rice and palay delivery allegedly due to the owner's refusal to pay the so-called revolutionary tax, police said Monday.

The incident happened at around 10:30 pm at the warehouse owned by a certain Maximo Tamisen in Barangay Balicua, Tubungan town. Tamisen is said to be a known rice dealer/trader in said town.

Tubungan Police chief Insp. Edencio Gregorio told Manila Shimbun in a phone interview yesterday that the perpetrators, numbering about 15 including an amazon, first held hostage the village captain and two village watchmen who were posted near Tamisen's warehouse.

Gregorio said the suspects, who were armed with long firearms, introduced themselves to the village captain and watchmen as members of the New People's Army (NPA).

"They told the barangay captain and tanods to stay put because they are not their targets. They pointed guns at them and asked them to lie on the ground. The other rebels proceeded inside the warehouse and poured gasoline on the two trucks parked there," Gregorio narrated in Filipino.

He said the suspects used gasoline that they brought along to set fire the Elf and Fighter trucks at the warehouse.

In less than 15 minutes, the trucks were totally burned and the rebels escaped on foot towards the mountain area nearby, said Gregorio.

"There were no casualties because no one was inside the warehouse at that time," he said. There were also no other parts of the warehouse that caught fire because firemen immediately responded after the incident.

Quoting Tamisen, Gregorio said the estimated cost of damages to both trucks is P400,000.00.

Gregorio said the only time that the perpetrators pulled the trigger of their guns was when they were already on their way to escape to the mountains.

He said elements of the Tubungan Municipal Police Station, the 608 Police Mobile Group, and the 31st Recon Company of the Philippine Army conducted pursuit operations against the suspects.

Gregorio disclosed that in 2005, Tamisen received a letter from a local NPA leader, asking for an appointment for a meeting. Tamisen told him it could be that it was to seek for an arrangment on the so-called "revolutionary tax."

Tamisen, however, did pay much attention to it so the meeting never took place, said Gregorio. Thus, the businessman surmises that Sunday night's attack could already be the NPA's retaliation.

The ,5760-strong NPA has just celebrated its 39th anniversary last Saturday, although police it was an uneventful day.

The Arroyo government has vowed to defeat the insurgency problem by 2010 when President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ends her term.

Peace talks between the government and the communists bogged down in August 2004 after the latter was tagged as terrorists by the European Union and the United States./DMS

Defense chief urges business establishments to be vigilant against NPA

2008-03-31T04:14:00.001-07:00

By Ronron
March 31, 2008

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, Jr. on Monday conceded that the New People’s Army (NPA) may indeed intensify its attacks against private firms in the country as they have recently threatened, thus he is urging them to be vigilant.

In an interview with reporters, Teodoro said the communist rebels have become “more desperate” now because they have been “weakened” by the persistent efforts of government forces against them in line with their self-imposed deadline of 2010 to make the NPA an “inconsequential force.”

“We have to guard against that. Desperation, you know, conjures up more violent or more vile forms of reactions sometimes,” Teodoro said.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has claimed reducing the NPA strength to 5,760 by the end of 2007, the lowest in more than 20 years. They intend further to make the NPA just a concern of the Philippine National Police (PNP) by 2010 when President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ends her term.

In their 39th anniversary statement last Saturday, the NPA said their fighters are targeting certain enterprises “because these are detrimental to the interest of the people.”

“It is of strategic importance to disseminate mining, plantation, logging and other operations of foreign and big comprador firms because the people do not want to be robbed of their natural resources and because they wish to use these in the future for the development of their own country,” it said.

Just last Sunday evening, two rice delivery trucks in Iloilo province were burned by suspected NPA rebels due to the owner’s alleged refusal to pay the so-called “revolutionary tax” of the movement.

“Given that kind of a statement by the NPA, we enjoin vigilance on the part of business establishments to be more security conscious and aware of their surroundings,” Teodoro said.

He said that “unfortunately,” it is “quite easy to do damage to any establishment,” and this, to him, “already borders on terrorism.”

“The statement that they will intensify attacks specifically on businesses, to me, is a function of their thinking and their mentality, which is really adverse to the national interest. And I condemn that kind of thinking,” Teodoro said.

Among the measures being taken by some business firms in the provinces is hiring para-military men as their guards. The security personnel belong to Special CAFGU companies being controlled by the Philippine Army.

But aside from urging the private firms to do their share in thwarting the NPA threat, Teodoro directed military commanders in the field to also “factor in to their preparations” the threat of the NPA against businesses “through adequate intelligence work.”

“The general plan to guard the specific communities is there,” he assured.

The most common targets of the NPA are the Globe Telecommunications facilities, heavy equipment of construction companies, and mining firms./DMS

Three of 13 missing people in Davao Sur sea mishap recovered dead; six remain missing

2008-03-30T04:13:00.000-07:00

By Ronron
March 30, 2008

Six of the 13 people who went missing since Wednesday last week at an island municipality in Davao del Sur province after a sea mishap are still nowhere to be found as of Sunday, local authorities said.

Edgar Salanio, information officer of the Region XI Disaster Coordinating Council, told Manila Shimbun in a phone interview yesterday that the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) had already rescued four survivors and recovered three fatalities last Saturday.

When the incident happened in the afternoon of March 26 in the waters of Sarangani town, only one of the 14 people aboard the ill-fated motorbanca “Judi Ann” immediately survived after it capsized.

Ranilo Ulivo, 26, one of the passengers, was able to swim his way back to shore after MB “Judi Ann” overturned due to big waves some two nautical miles off Barangay Camalig of said island municipality.

The 13 others, including the boat operator, were initially reported as missing. They include two infants, two toddlers, and three other minors, among others. The oldest is a 55-year-old woman.

“We received a report from the Philippine Coast Guard Southeastern Mindanao yesterday (Saturday) that they rescued four additional survivors and recovered three dead bodies. So six are still missing, “ Salanio said.

The PCG, however, was not able to immediately provide information on the identities of those recovered and rescued.

Salanio said “the big waves” at the accident site over the weekend is “hampering” the continuous search and rescue operations being conducted by the PCG, the 5053rd Search and Rescue Squadron of the Philippine Air Force, and local authorities.

He said the PCG and the Air Force will continue with their search and rescue operations Monday.

Local fishermen were also told to be on alert for possible sightings of the remaining missing victims, said Salanio./DMS

RP leader leaves for Hongkong for investment conference

2008-03-30T04:12:00.000-07:00

By Ronron
March 30, 2008

Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo left for Hongkong on Sunday afternoon to speak at an investment conference and meet with Filipino workers there.

Arroyo left via Philippine Airlines flight PR 306 shortly past 3pm together with First Gentleman Jose Miguel-Arroyo, their son Camarines Sur Rep. Diosdado “Dato” Arroyo, and some Cabinet Secretaries.

“Our trip to Hongkong is dedicated to meeting with our strong OFW (Overseas Filipino Workers) contingent in Hongkong and to meet with business leaders to encourage them to continue to make strong investments in the Philippines,” Arroyo said in her departure statement.

On her first night in China’s Special Administrative Region, Arroyo will be received by the Hongkong’s Filipino community at the Tiffin Lounge of the Grand Hyatt Hotel where the First Couple will be billeted.

According to a statement from the Presidential Palace on Saturday, the reception “will feature a presentation by the Development Bank of the Philippines about its Peso Hedging Program, and by the Land Bank of the Philippines about its I-Net Negosyo Program and OFW Cash Card.

“We are taking the opportunity to meet with our precious OFW’s and introduce a series of programs we are taking to mitigate the strengthening of the peso against the dollar,” Arroyo said.

Arroyo will then deliver a keynote speech during Monday’s 2008 Credit Suisse Asian Investment Conference, which runs until April 3 at the Island Shangri-la Hotel and the Conrad International Hotel.

“The fact that I have been asked to deliver the keynote address at the Asia Investment Conference in Hongkong to over a thousand investors and fund managers underscores the interest the outside world has in the growing stability and economic fortunes of the Philippines,” Arroyo said.

“I am proud to once again carry the banner of our nation and lead the charge for even more investments in our great nation,” she added.

The chief executive said her trip is consistent with her government’s efforts to strengthen the economy “through aggressive outreach to investors and to enhance our cooperation with governments in the region like Hongkong.”

“One central component of our economic plan has been steady and consistent investment by my government in strengthening our regional political and economic engagement,” she said.

This is on top of what she said as having diversified the domestic economy, “built up our foreign reserves, stimulated a surge of foreign investment and made heavy government investments in human and physical infrastructure.”

“Taken together, all of these efforts – our economic plan at home and our foreign engagement abroad – have helped prepare us for the global economic forces that are affecting the Philippines today,” Arroyo said, referring to the “major economic slowdown in North America, a historic spike in the price of oil and a near crippling spike in the price of rice,” among others.

The President will return to the country Tuesday./DMS

No untoward incident on NPA anniversary day, says police and military

2008-03-30T04:11:00.000-07:00

By Ronron
March 30, 2008

The 39th anniversary of the communist New People’s Army (NPA) on Saturday lapsed without any reported untoward incident, the police and military declared on Sunday.

According to Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesman Sr. Supt. Nicanor Bartolome, the incidents involving communist rebels actually happened days before their anniversary.

But more are expected in the coming days, or within two weeks starting last Saturday, warned Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Deputy Chief for Operations Brig. Gen. Roland Detabali.

“There was no untoward incident on their anniversary. Normally, they celebrate it two weeks before or after (their anniversary day itself),” Detabali told Manila Shimbun in a phone interview.

“There was nothing untoward during the period of March 29, during their anniversary. The situation was okay nationwide,” echoed Bartolome in a separate phone interview yesterday.

Bartolome attributed the zero NPA atrocity rate last Saturday to the joint preparations of the PNP and the AFP.

It can be recalled that the PNP went on full alert, and the AFP on blue alert at 6pm last Friday in anticipation of offensives by the communist rebels as they celebrate their founding anniversary.

“The PNP was ready. In fact, even the AFP was also prepared to meet any eventuality. Both agencies were on their guard,” Bartolome said.

Hours before the NPA anniversary, two incidents of NPA atrocities happened separately in Camarines Sur and Compostela Valley provinces, belated reports reaching the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City showed yesterday.

The first incident happened at around 2:15 pm last Friday in Compostela Valley, resulting in the death of a barangay captain.

According to the police report, six armed rebels, led by Commanders Jinggoy and Jazzy, barged inside the residence of Barangay Captain Nelson Sam-o at Purok 9, Barangay San Jose in Monkayo town.

Sam-o and his wife were having lunch then when the guerillas, wearing camouflage military uniforms, arrived, the report said.

After forcibly dragging Sam-o, the rebels shot him at close range and went on to cart away one M16 rifle, one caliber 45 pistol, and one carbine rifle. It was learned that Samo-o is a para-military personnel.

The report said the six rebels who stormed Sam-o’s house were backed up with more than 20 others who were just stationed outside.

Four hours later, or at 6:15pm, another incident involving the NPA happened in Nabua town, Camarines Sur, resulting in the death of a suspected communist rebel, another police report said.

The report said that elements of the Philippine Army’s 42nd Infantry Battalion were conducting combat patrol at Barangay Franciso of said town when they encountered around eight fully armed rebels.

Firefight lasted for about 30 minutes, resulting in the death of an unidentified rebel and the recovery from said fatality of an M16 rifle, the report said.

The report said the cadaver of the slain rebel was brought to the Bula Municipal Police Station for proper documentation.

Bartolome, meanwhile, said the PNP will maintain its full alert status nationwide even after the NPA anniversary as a matter of standard operating procedure when the President of the country leaves.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo left for Hongkong on Sunday afternoon to speak at an investment conference there. She will be back on Tuesday./DMS

Defense department to train soldiers as para-legal personnel

2008-03-30T04:10:00.000-07:00

By Ronron
March 30, 2008

The Defense Department is finalizing its plan to train soldiers as para-legal personnel as part of the newly released Revised Defense Planning Guidance.

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, Jr. told reporters last Friday afternoon during the Philippine Army’s 111th anniversary celebration at Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City that they are eyeing next month as the start of the training activities.

“Crucial to our achievement of our goal in 2010 (to defeat insurgency) is the enhancement of the legal infrastructure and capability to conduct our operations in accordance with legal models,” Teodoro said in his speech at said affair.

“So we will have an introduction of a para-legal training program, particularly in the frontline battalions,” he added.

Teodoro said each battalion in the field should have one para-legal personnel who can “do the ground work” like “answer basic petitions” if any member of said unit is faced with legal predicament.

“At least, we can provide the proper legal advice to the units in the field… This should save us in our legal costs,” he said.

Those who can be tapped as para-legal counsels can be any of “active soldiers and the non-commissioned officers” in the battalions, said Teodoro.

Their training, particularly on “criminal and penal laws,” will last “for a few months,” to be held either at the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo, or in their respective unit assignments.

“Our personnel from the Judge Advocate General’s Office (JAGO) can actually go the field units for a pooled seminar,” Teodoro said.

The Defense chief, who is himself a lawyer, hopes that with this new program, each soldier will be conscious of any legal repercussions whenever they operate.

The military has been at the receiving end of accusations regarding extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances, especially if the victims are perceived to be sympathetic with Leftist organizations or critical with the present government.

Aside from the para-legal program, the new Defense Planning Guidance, which was released the other week, also provides for “investing on our younger soldiers in terms of training and education,” reiteration on “our adherence to Defense Resource Management,” and the reiteration “on our support to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources,” Teodoro said./DMS

13 missing as boat capsizes in Davao del Sur

2008-03-28T23:16:00.001-07:00

By Ronron
March 28, 2008

Thirteen people, including two infants and two toddlers, went missing since Wednesday after the pump boat they were riding off Sarangani province in Davao del Sur province capsized due to rough seas.

According to a report of the Region XI Disaster Coordinating Council (RDCC), the sea mishap happened at around 3pm of March 26, involving motorized banca “Judi Ann.” The victims remain missing as of Friday evening.

The report said the vessel, loaded with 14 persons including the operator, was sailing from Barangay Camalig to Barangay Camual, both of Sarangani Municipality, located on Sarangani Island.

The passengers of the ill-fated vessel were supposedly going to attend a wedding at Barangay Camual.

Because of big waves allegedly caused by strong winds, the pump boat capsized at the vicinity of two nautical miles off Barangay Camalig.

Of the 14 people aboard it, only one survived, identified as Ranilo Ulivo, 26, who swam his way to the shore and reported the incident to authorities.

The 13 others missing were identified as Alandro de Arce, Sr., 37, the boat operator; Judith de Arce, 37; Alandro de Arce, 18; Dianne de Arce, 16; Nene Kiawan, 55; Edna Kiawan, 39; Jeffrey Kiawan, 13; Remart Kiawan 4; Dennis Kiawan, 1; Ambert Kiawan, 11; Jennifer Galas, 21; Morjone Galas, 3; and, Jayjay Galas, eight-months-old.

The RDCC report said search and rescue attempts in the area by Coast Guard elements and local fishing boasts are occasionally hampered by big waves due to prevailing bad weather.

The RDCC said the Philippine Air Force had already been tapped to join the search and rescue operations./DMS

Air Force continues search for two missing pilots off Palawan

2008-03-28T23:15:00.000-07:00

By Ronron
March 28, 2008

The Philippine Air Force (PAF) has not given up in its search operations for its two pilots who remain missing after their AS-211 jet failed to be located in November 2007 while conducting maritime patrol mission over the Kalayaan Group of Islands (KIG) off Palawan province.

PAF commander Lt. Gen. Pedrito Cadungog told reporters Friday at Villamor Airbase in Pasay City that they remain hopeful Captains Gabino Mercado, Jr. and Bonifacio Soriano III will be found.

“Every day, we conduct search missions in the area. Unfortunately, we still haven’t found them,” Cadungog said.

Cadungog said they do not make presumptions whether or not the two are already dead, citing the seven-year legal prescription for presuming missing people as dead.

“We don’t even think of presumptions. We don’t presume them to be dead, until we reach the seventh year. That’s the legal prescription,” he explained.

Mercado and Soriano were flying an AS-211 last November 26, 2007 over the Spratly’s to assist in the search operations for possible survivors of a sunken fishing vessel in the area.

But unlike their buddy AS-211, they failed to return to Puerto Princesa City in mainland Palawan.

Cadungog assured that they continue to attend to the needs of the families of Mercado and Soriano “in these trying times.”

“The commanders of those particular pilots are regularly attending to the needs and requirements of their families,” he said./DMS

Air Force chief echoes Esperon and Vice Navy chief’s admission of weak military power to protect Spratly’s

2008-03-28T23:14:00.002-07:00

By Ronron
March 28, 2008

Another ranking official of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Friday admitted that its force may not be as strong as of other countries that are claiming ownership in part or in whole over the Kalayaan Group of Islands (KIG) or the Spratly’s in the South China Sea off Palawan province.

Like AFP chief of staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. and Philippine Navy vice commander Rear Admiral Amable Tolentino, Philippine Air Force (PAF) chief Lt. Gen. Pedrito Cadungog said yesterday that the Philippine military can only boast of its human resources, particularly their determination to fight, in terms of defending Philippine territory.

“Warm bodies. If we die, we die. That’s how simple our mission is,” Cadungog said when asked by reporters at Villamor Airbase, the PAF headquarters, in Pasay City on how they can defend Spratly’s.

The AFP has effectively lost its capability to address external threats when it decommissioned its F5 fighter planes in October 2005.

At present, the organization only banks on its AS-211 as alternative to the F5.

The capability to defend Spratly’s was revived recently after the Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking (JMSU) over said area between the Philippines, Vietnam and China was exposed.

The oil-rich and marine life-abundant KIG is a subject of contention by Philippines, China, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan.

“While it has already been pronounced by the chief of staff that it is really difficult to defend (the Spratly’s), it’s very near impossible that we can claim sovereignty. But as far as we are concerned, being truly Filipino and understanding what is sovereignty, we offer our service and our lives over that part of our country,” Cadungog said.

“Whether we like it or not, if they are saying that we have a problem there against another country – probably getting into our territory or intruding to our own occupied lands, then of course, we have to defend. That’s just how it is, no matter how lacking we are in our defense capabilities,” he added.

But Cadungog disclosed that the PAF is not stopping in its effort to improve its fleet for internal defense.

He said that in July of this year, 15 units of T41 trainer aircraft from South Korea will arrive in the country.

“This will be a big help to our training capabilities,” Cadungog said of the donation.

In the first quarter next year, 18 units of SF-260 (Marquetti) will also be acquired by PAF, worth P622 million, from Italy.

Cadungog said this will be used in their pilots’ “advance training.”/DMS

PNP goes on full alert, AFP on heightened alert for NPA anniversary

2008-03-28T23:14:00.001-07:00

By Ronron
March 28, 2008

The Philippine National Police (PNP) goes on full alert while the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is on heightened alert Friday night in preparation for the 39th anniversary of the New People’s Army (NPA) on Saturday.

PNP spokesman Sr. Supt. Nicanor Bartolome said the highest alert level of all police forces nationwide takes effect 6pm. The same goes for the alert level of the AFP nationwide, said Brig. Gen. Roland Detabali, the military’s Deputy Chief for Operations.

“We are on alert because normally, they (NPA) conduct intensified operations on their anniversary,” Detabali said in a phone interview yesterday afternoon.

“Historically, the NPA has been known to launch armed hostilities and tactical offensives against soft targets and other targets of opportunity as their way of commemorating their anniversary,” PNP chief Gen. Avelino Razon, Jr. said in a separate statement.

While there is no direct threat of an attack by the NPA, PNP Director for Operations Chief Supt. Silverio Alarcio, Jr., in a memorandum circulated among all regional offices and national support units, said: “There is a possibility that the NPA might launch terrorist acts against less secure police and military outposts, and vulnerable government installations including some business establishments and other soft targets.”

Putting the entire police force on the highest alert goes along with instructions for them to “implement counter-measures and precautionary plans, intensify intelligence operations to preempt and anticipate terrorist actions, establish listening posts, and mobilize Barangay Information Networks.”

Under a full alert status, all policemen are expected to be on duty, while under a heightened alert level, only 50 percent are expected to be in camps.

The NPA’s political arm, the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), said yesterday in a statement that it will mark its 39th anniversary with a celebration for their various successful operations in the last year.

“Even before the current NPA anniversary, we were already able to launch more than 500 major and minor tactical offensives against government forces,” the CPP said.

“It has been able to increase the number of NPA units as a result of the seizure of weapons from the enemy and the progress of mass work. It has been able to maintain 120-130 guerilla fronts and to expand and upgrade most of them,” it added.

The CPP said “it is now in a position to increase the number of guerilla fronts.”

“We can reap victories by continuing to seize the initiative and launching far more tactical offensives against the enemy last year,” it said./DMS

AFP bares plan to improve runway at Pag-asa Island

2008-03-28T23:13:00.001-07:00

By Ronron
March 28, 2008

An Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) official bared on Friday a plan to improve the runway of Pag-asa Island in the Kalayaan Group of Islands (KIG) in Palawan province.

Philippine Air Force (PAF) chief Lt. Gen. Pedrito Cadungog told reporters at the Villamor Airbase in Pasay City that the plan would have started last February had the private contractor not backed out.

Cadungog said the project to “harden the surface” of the runway of the Rancudo Airfield, which is worth P31 million, was awarded to a private firm, which he refuses to identify.

“Unfortunately, even before the contractor – who already signed the contract – they can perform the work, they backed out and claim that they cannot do it unless the amount to 100-something-million-pesos. So, that’s unfair to us,” Cadungog said.

Cadungog said the Filipino firm actually paid already a P3.1-million performance bond for the project, but was forfeited because of its backing out.

Because of the setback, Cadungog said the hauling of the materials will have to start only next month from Palawan mainland, courtesy of Philippine Navy ships, “if weather permits.”

He said that the original plan is to complete the project in six months.

Cadungog said the repair will be carried out by soldiers from the Western Command in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan and those stationed at Pag-asa Island.

Asked what benefit will this repair give to the AFP, Cadungog said: “We can avoid unsafe landing condition for our C130.”

Pressed if this is strengthening the Philippine’s position in the Spratly’s, he said: “Not necessarily strengthening, but providing our presence.”

The Air Force chief denied that the project is in violation of the existing Code of Conduct among claimant countries, saying that “we are the legitimate claimant.”

“They (other claimant territories) can’t complain about it,” he said.

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, Jr. echoed the same statement.

“It’s just an improvement of facilities and infrastructure that are existing already so we don’t see it as an aggravating factor,” Teodoro told reporters in a separate interview at the Army headquarters in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City later in the day.

Meanwhile, Cadungog said the Air Force leadership is now thinking of possible penalties to the private firm that backed out from the project, such as blacklisting it in future projects.

Aside from the runway, Cadungog said they also plan to refurbish the billeting barracks of their troops at Pag-asa Island.

Teodoro said these improvements are “essential for those who inhibit the island.”

There are about 30 military elements on the island, coming from the Air Force, Navy and Army.

“Definitely, we will improve their quarters. I was informed that the Air Force billeting there is already dilapidated so I immediately ordered for an estimate of the building materials… This is one thing that I cannot afford to neglect,” Cadungog said.

Barangay Pag-asa is part of the oil-rich and marine life-abundant KIG that is a subject of contention by Philippines, China, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan. But Kalayaan has since been a municipality of Palawan in1978 when then President Ferdinand Marcos signed Presidential Decree 1956.

The issue on the Spratly’s was revived recently after the Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking (JMSU) in the area between the Philippines, Vietnam and China was exposed./DMS

RP to rely on US FBI test on alleged remains of Dulmatin

2008-03-28T23:09:00.000-07:00

By Ronron
March 26, 2008

Philippine authorities are not yet losing hope that they could confirm the death of Indonesian bomber through the DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) test conducted by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on tissue samples from a cadaver recovered in Tawi-tawi last February.

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Avelino Razon, Jr. told reporters Wednesday that while the PNP Crime Laboratory failed to generate DNA profile from the same tissue samples due to their not-so-modern machine, the US has yet to release the result of the same analysis they made.

“That is just as far as the testing of the PNP Crime Laboratory. But let us bear in mind that the FBI has taken samples and brought them to their facilities for DNA testing,” Razon said.

Razon said the US FBI took tissue samples at the same time that the PNP Crime Laboratory did after the body was exhumed on February 18 in Barangay Balimbing, Panglima Sugala town.

The body was said to belong to a rebel who died in an encounter against Marine troopers last January 31 in the said town. The bandits were believed to be Abu Sayyaf elements who were responsible for the abduction attempt and murder of Fr. Rey Roda, head of the Notre Dame School in said province.

Razon said he is hopeful that there will be results from the US FBI because the latter uses mitochondrial machine.

He said there is no longer a similar test done at the Australian Federal Police as “due respect to the FBI study.”

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. said in a separate interview that he hopes to get a feedback on the study from United States Ambassador to Manila Kristie Kenney who is now in the United States and from officials of the US Pacific Command.

Esperon said that if the test turns negative, “I’m happy to say that it’s one terrorist less that we are hunting and fighting.”

“If it’s not Dulmatin, then we will go on looking for Dulmatin,” he said.

Dulmatin is wanted for his alleged involvement in the bombings in Bali, Indonesia a few years back, killing more than a hundred persons.

The US has offered a $10-million reward to those who could provide information that would lead to Dulmatin’s neutralization.

Dulmatin, along with fellow Indonesian bomber Umar Pater, reportedly entered the Philippines in 2003./DMS

Active and ex-cops killed, another one hurt in Cavite shootout

2008-03-27T23:12:00.000-07:00

By Ronron
March 27, 2008

An active and a former cop were killed while another one was hurt in a shootout incident Wednesday afternoon in Cavite province, an official said Thursday.

Sr. Supt. Fidel Posadas, provincial police chief, said the incident happened starting 4:30 pm of March 26 in Sitio Lingat, Barangay Litlit, Silang town.

Posadas said elements of the Silang Municipal Police Station, backed by elements of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Special Action Force (SAF), were responding to a shooting incident earlier that afternoon when they came under fire.

According to Posadas, a shooting incident first happened at said barangay before 4:30 pm, involving brothers Julian and Nick Lauriles as suspects.

The brothers allegedly shot dead a certain Avelino Ruiz, who is a caretaker of a land that is being claimed by the Lauriles family.

Posadas said Julian is a former police officer, with a rank of PO3, who was dismissed from the service due to a grave offense.

When police received a report about the killing of Ruiz, personnel from Silang PNP and the SAF rushed to the scene to respond.

“But the troops were ambushed by the Lauriles brothers as they were approaching their houses. So our troops fired back,” Posadas said.

He said the Lauriles brothers were armed with long firearms like M16 and carbines.

The firefight left Julian and PO2 Jimmy Tobias of the SAF killed, and PO1 Abelardo Maala of the Silang PNP wounded.

Nick, unfortunately, managed to escape, said Posadas. But manhunt operation against him is ongoing./DMS

Arroyo assured of non-revival of “Hello Garcia” scandal by incoming AFP chief

2008-03-27T23:11:00.001-07:00

By Ronron
March 27, 2008

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo can continue sleeping soundly even after her perceived most loyal officer, Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. finally bows down from the service on May 9.

This as Esperon’s successor as Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Alexander Yano, vowed not to release to the public the controversial Mayuga Report on the alleged involvement of some officers, including Esperon, in the alleged electoral fraud in 2004.

“If it’s not released now, then what’s the reason for me to do it,” Yano told Camp Aguinaldo reporters in a recent interview.

Only portions of the Mayuga Report were revealed in public, which mainly stated that there was lack in evidence to prove that any of the four senior military officers implicated in the alleged electoral fraud are liable.

The investigation was led by former AFP Inspector General Vice Admiral Mateo Mayuga, starting July 2005, on orders of then AFP chief of staff Gen. Efren Abu.

Those accused of taking part in the alleged electoral fraud to ensure the victory of Arroyo over her closest rival, the late Fernando Poe, Jr., are Esperon, retired Lt. Gen. Roy Kyamko, retired Brig. Gen. Francisco Gudani, and retired Maj. Gen. Gabriel Habacon.

Their names cropped up after those were heard in the so-called “Hello Garci tapes,” which bore alleged wiretapped conversations of Arroyo and former Comelec Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano.

The Mayuga Report was submitted to then Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz, Jr. Cruz has resigned from the Arroyo cabinet in November 2006.

Yano said the alleged illegitimacy of Arroyo as President due to the “Hello Garci” scandal is just a perception, and not a matter of fact.

“When you say legitimacy of the President, there are processes. She was declared (as President by Congress), so what other process do you think would strengthen or reinforce that legitimacy?” he said.

He said the matter of even releasing or not in public the Mayuga Report is “irrelevant” because “there are processes” to determine the legitimacy of the Arroyo leadership.

“That (releasing the Mayuga Report) is not part of the process,” said Yano.

Yano will have about 13 months to serve as AFP chief of staff, starting May 9 this year until he reaches the mandatory retirement age of 56 in June next year.

The alleged 2004 electoral fraud issue has been one of the many causes of attempted coups against the Arroyo government in the last few years./DMS

154 cadets graduate from PNPA

2008-03-27T23:11:00.000-07:00

By Ronron
March 27, 2008

The Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) produced another batch of graduates on Thursday with 154 cadets expected to join the PNP, the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), and the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP).

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was the guest of honor of the graduation rites held at the PNPA compound in Silang, Cavite. The event started 10am.

In her speech, Arroyo told the new junior officers of the PNP, BJMP and BFP to veer away from politics.

“There are certain civil rights that you have to give up and that is the right to speak politically. That is part of your discipline,” Arroyo told the graduates.

In response, class valedictorian Clent Ven Inciso said: “To my classmates, let us show them that we are worthy to be called public servants and defenders of democracy. The best way to edify our group is to live by example.”

Inciso, 21, of Southern Leyte province, is one of the 127 graduates who opted to join the PNP. The other 20 will join the BJMP and the remaining seven will be with the BFP.

As Valedictorian of the class, Inciso received the Presidential Kampilan Award from Arroyo.

In an interview on Wednesday at Camp Crame, Inciso had appealed to the public to support Arroyo until she finishes her term, instead of asking her to step down.

In attendance at the graduation rites are Vice President Noli de Castro, Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno, and Philippine Public Safety College President Margarita Cojuangco./DMS

PNP takes in 127 new graduates of PNPA

2008-03-26T23:10:00.000-07:00

By Ronron
March 26, 2008

The Philippine National Police (PNP) welcomed on Wednesday the 127 out of the 154 graduates of the PNP Academy (PNPA) this year.

The 127, consisting of 27 females and 100 males, have decided to join the PNP organization while the rest are with the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, and the Bureau of Fire Protection.

PNP chief Gen. Avelino Razon, Jr. hosted yesterday the traditional service lunch at Camp Crame for the PNPA graduates who opted to enter the service, a day before their graduation at the PNPA compound in Silang, Cavite.

Razon said the new members of the PNP officers’ corps will be assigned to the Regional Mobile Groups (RMG) in the mountains so they can be oriented to the actual problem of insurgency and terrorism.

Razon said they can start to be deployed in early June after enjoying a 30-day break and 30-day training at the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame.

Upon graduation, Razon said the 127 members of the “Oman-Silang” Class of 2008 (New Breed of Warriors) will have the rank of Inspector. Each of them will also be entitled to the monthly salary of P21,876.38.

Razon urged the graduates to always remain professional by adhering to their Constitutional mandate.

“We expect them to be professional officers, respect the law, uphold the law, especially the Constitution,” he said.

“You may now consider yourselves the younger brothers and sisters of Mamang Pulis and Aleng Pulis who will help the PNP family bring back the old glory of the police force,” he added./DMS

RP to rely on US FBI test on alleged remains of Dulmatin

2008-03-26T23:09:00.001-07:00

PNP plans to hire civilian personnel to replace police guards, technicians, mechanics and band players

2008-03-26T23:09:00.000-07:00

By Ronron
March 26, 2008

The Philippine National Police (PNP) intends to replace its personnel who are acting now as guards inside camps, technicians, mechanics and band players with civilian personnel.

PNP chief Gen. Avelino Razon, Jr. said they discussed the plan in a meeting Wednesday morning among top-level officials of the organization so as to maximize the utilization of their personnel for their anti-criminality campaign.

“We will do this so we can download these personnel to the streets and the police stations and precincts,” Razon told reporters yesterday at Camp Crame.

“Hopefully, we could do this (before I retire in September) so we could push the human resources to the field,” he added.

Razon said they will implement said plan at Camp Crame, the PNP main headquarters, and in all regional offices in the country.

The PNP Directorate for Personnel and Records Management (DPRM) is still trying to find out how many police personnel are being used as guards, technicians, mechanics and band players as of now.

But in Camp Crame alone, it is estimated that 100 personnel are acting as guards and traffic guides, Razon said.

Asked if the new plan would have security implications to the camps, Razon said: “I don’t think there will be implications to the security in the camps.”

“We will make sure that we will get the agencies that are reputable,” he added.

Razon had vowed when he stepped in as PNP chief on October 1, 2007 to download 90 percent of the entire police force to the streets and stations to better address the criminality problem./DMS

Two soldiers, one rebel killed in clash in Abra

2008-03-26T23:07:00.000-07:00

By Ronron
March 26, 2008

Two government soldiers and one suspected member of the New People’s Army (NPA) were killed in an encounter last Monday in Abra province ahead of the 39th anniversary of the armed communist group on March 29, the police and military said Wednesday.

According to a police report at Camp Crame,, the incident happened at around 10:15 last March 24 in Sitio Pananuman, Barangay Tubtuba in the municipality of Tubo.

The report said the government troops belong to two platoons from the Charlie Company of the Philippine Army’s 50th Infantry Battalion, while the suspected insurgents number about five only.

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Northern Luzon Command (NOLCOM) commander Lt. Gen. Rodrigo Maclang said the place is believed to be an encampment of the rebel group.

The police report said the firefight lasted for five minutes until some of the rebels escaped, leaving their camp to the control of the government forces.

Maclang said two soldiers and one rebel were killed, while six others soldiers were hurt after the exchange of gunfire.

One of the slain soldiers was identified in the police report as Private First Class Junior dela Cruz.

Maclang said the government troops also recovered two M16 rifles, two Garand rifles, two claymore mines, and 550 rounds of ammunition for Caliber 30 that were left behind by the rebels.

Meawhile, in Barangay Dibacung, Casiguran, Aurora, suspected NPA elements lobbed two grenades at 10pm of the same day inside the Bravo Company Command Post of the Philippine Army’s 69th Infantry Battalion, Maclang said.

He said the incident left two enlisted personnel injured. They were brought to the Casiguran District Hospital for treatment.

The 5,760-strong NPA has been waging guerilla warfare in the countryside for 39 years already on March 29.

The Arroyo government vows to crush the movement by 2010./DMS

Manila police precinct strafed

2008-03-25T21:39:00.001-07:00

By Ronron
March 25, 2008

A police precinct in Manila City was strafed before dawn Tuesday by an unidentified gunman, damaging its glass door, an official said.

Manila Police District (MPD) Station 8 commander Supt. Jimmy Tiu said the Palanca Community Precinct of his unit came under fire at around 3:10 am yesterday while there were two policemen inside.

Tiu said the suspect used a suspected caliber 9mm pistol in the attack, hitting twice the glass door of the precinct.

Fortunately, none between PO2 Arthur Fortes and PO1 Ismael Nor who were both inside, were hurt, he said.

“Our assessment is that was more of a scare tactic by criminals in the Islamic Center who are being affected by our continuous campaign against criminality like illegal drugs and unlicensed firearms,” Tiu said.

“But this just challenges us more to do our job, instead of getting scared,” he added.

Tiu said Fortes and Nor fired their guns after the attack, but it was more of to drive off the suspect. “They fired their guns in the upward direction,” he said.

Tiu said that at that time, there were four policemen on duty. The two others, however, were on patrol when the incident happened.

He said some policemen from the station headquarters were immediately deployed to the precinct after the incident for reinforcement purposes./DMS

PNP never got DNA profile of cadaver suspected as Dulmatin’s

2008-03-25T21:38:00.001-07:00

By Ronron
March 25, 2008

The Philippine National Police (PNP) admitted Tuesday that it never got a DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) profile from the cadaver exhumed in Tawi-tawi last January 31, which was suspected to be that of Dulmatin’s.

Chief Supt. Arturo Cacdac, Director of the PNP Crime Laboratory, said this means they never got to proceed to confirm whether or not the body was really that of the Indonesian bomber who is an alleged member of the Jemaah Islamiyah.

“We failed to extract DNA profile from the tissue samples we took from the cadaver because it was already in an advanced state of decomposition,” Cacdac told Manila Shimbun in a phone interview yesterday.

He said his office in Camp Crame, Quezon City attempted to generate DNA profile of the cadaver using their nuclear machine, but to no avail.

“It could be that the quality of the samples are already very poor so the cells are already dead, or our machine could no longer really find any profile,” he explained in Filipino.

While Cacdac opted not to comment on whether or not tissue samples from the same cadaver were also sent to the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Australian Federal Police (AFP) for the same examination, he said it is possible the US may generate DNA profile because its FBI has the more modern mytocondrial machine.

He disclosed that the AFP is only using the same nuclear machine that the PNP Crime Laboratory has.

Because of the absence of the DNA profile of the cadaver, Cacdac said they were not able to make a comparison with the available DNA profile of Dulmatin’s children.

“We need to get a DNA profile from that cadaver for us to compare and determine if that is really the remains of Dulmatin. But since we did not generate anything, so we were not able to compare and do a testing,” he said.

Cacdac refused to comment when told that no less than PNP chief Gen. Avelino Razon, Jr. disclosed that tissue samples were already taken to the US FBI for DNA analysis purposes.

Razon and his counterpart with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Jr., had earlier expected that a result of the DNA test on the cadaver will be out in a month’s time as in the case of Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) chieftain Khadaffy Janjalani in late 2006 until early 2007.

Cacdac said he could not comment on whether or not tissue samples were taken to the US and Australia because it is beyond his level. “That’s up to the higher level to disclose that, or to the respective countries,” he said.

Asked about the same matter in a news conference yesterday morning at Camp Crame, Anti-Terrorism Council spokesman Ricardo Blancaflor just said that the DNA testing is still ongoing.

“We still don’t have the official report... I’m not sure if there is a delay because in the Janjalani case, it was almost 90 days,” said Blancaflor, who is also an Undersecretary of the Justice Department.

He recounted that even the DNA tests conducted on the victims of the Superferry bombing in 2004 lasted for two to three months to get results.

Unlike Cacdac, Blancaflor believes that DNA profiles can still be generated from very decomposed remains.

“This is a three-country joint operation… That’s (DNA testing) very exhaustive because we can’t afford to make a mistake… If it’s a month now, I don’t think it’s a delay because there are many agencies involved here,” said Blancaflor.

The US government has offered $10 million reward money for the neutralization of Dulmatin.

Dulmatin is believed to be a key suspect in the bombings in Bali, Indonesia a few years back that claimed the lives of over a hundred people, mostly tourists.

Philippine authorities say he arrived in the country in 2003, together with fellow bomber and Jemaah Islamiyah member, Umar Patek./DMS

Japanese spends two night in jail in Cebu for acting “wild,” says police

2008-03-25T21:37:00.001-07:00

By Ronron
March 25, 2008

A Japanese national spent two nights in jail at a Cebu police station over the weekend after acting “wild” at the pension house where he was temporarily billeted and while on board a taxi, police said Tuesday.

The 42-year-old Japanese was first apprehended by police on Saturday afternoon hours after his arrival from Japan upon the complaint of a 24-year-old waitress at the restaurant of Mactan Pension House in Lapu-lapu City.

The Japanese reportedly threw at Viernes’ face some money bills that he tore apart after finding out that the bill for his lunch meal was too high.

Police said the Japanese thought his food was only worth 400 pesos. But he was surprised to learn that he was being charged with more or less 600 pesos.

The Japanese’ outrage reportedly bothered other guests at the restaurant, prompting the staff to seek police assistance.

The Japanese, who was described to be behaving abnormally and apparently not in his normal state of mind, was taken to the police station at around 2:50 pm.

He was supposed to be charged with slander by deed, and alarm and scandal, but Viernes opted not to pursue a legal action, the police said.

Thus, at 6:42 am of the following day, he was released from the detention cell of the Lapu-lapu City Police Office.

However, he returned there at around 11 am after the driver of the cab he was riding complained of his “abnormal and wild behavior.”

Ronie Cabilao, driver of CITRASCO taxi, told police that the Japanese hired him at around 8am at Pier 6 in Cebu City for a trip to Barangay Banilad. But when they arrived there, the Japanese wanted to be brought to the airport.

The Japanese reportedly turned wild again after learning that Cabilao cannot take him to the “Manila airport.” He reportedly grabbed the shirt of Cabilao and kept on pulling the hand brake.

At one point also, while still on the taxi, the Japanese took off all his clothes and just covered his face with newspaper.

Because of his behavior, the Japanese was brought back to the Lapu-lapu City Police Office by Cabilao.

The situation got worse there when the Japanese kicked the bumper of the taxi after alighting, causing it to deform. Cabilao told police that the Japanese got mad all the more apparently because he charged the Japanese more than the 1,000-pesos that he handed as payment for the trip.

The Japanese insisted he gave the driver 5,000-pesos, which the latter denied, the police said.

And with the damage to the taxi, Cabilao demanded an additional 10,000-pesos from the Japanese, which the latter refused to give. At this time, Cabilao decided to charge him for coercion and malicious mischief.

Thus, the Japanese was detained again until Monday morning when he agreed to pay 10,000 pesos to the driver as settlement with the help of a Japanese interpreter hired by city police chief Supt. Louie Oppus.

At 10 am of March 24, the Japanese was released from detention and was escorted by elements of the city police to the Consular Office of Japan in Cebu City.

However, the Consular Office refused to accept the Japanese as they reportedly feared he would behave wildly, the police said.

They brought him to the Immigration Office in Mandaue City, but was rejected also for the reason that he has not violated any Immigration laws.

So, the Japanese was brought back to the Lapu-lapu City Police Office where Oppus decided that he be flown back to Japan for his own safety, considering that he reportedly has some 500,000-pesos cash in various currencies (dollar, won, yen, and euro).

The police then escorted the Japanese to the Waterfront Hotel across the Mactan-Cebu International Airport in the same city so he can take the flight back to Japan the following day.

“We were instructed by our chief of police, Col. Oppus, to make sure that he is well-guarded because people might take advantage of him, especially because he was bringing huge amount of money,” said PO3 Christian Torres of the Lapu-lapu City Police Office Investigation Branch.

At around 6am yesterday (Tuesday), Torres and other elements of the Lapu-lapu City Police Office returned to the Waterfront Hotel to make sure that the Japanese is able to ride the Philippine Airlines flight to Narita, which he actually did at 8am.

Torres said the Japanese has no family in Japan, and only lives with his mother who owns apartments./DMS

Querubin rushed to military hospital due to breathing problem

2008-03-25T21:31:00.000-07:00

By Ronron
March 19, 2008

Marine Col. Ariel Querubin, one of the accused mutineers in February 2006, was brought to the hospital last Tuesday due to breathing problem, his wife told reporters Wednesday.

Maria Flor Querubin said her 51-year-old husband first complained of chest pains at around 3am Tuesday while inside his detention cell at the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) compound in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.

But he just endured the pain until 7am when he woke up and asked to be brought to the camp hospital.

“He had to walk out of the detention compound because no vehicle can go in the detention area,” Mrs. Querubin said.

However, the awarded officer failed to get the kind of medical attention he needed because the X-ray machine at said hospital was not working, and it also had no available muscle relaxant medicines, said Mrs. Querubin.

She complained that it took two hours before her husband was transferred to the AFP Medical Center along V. Luna Street in Quezon City, where he was promptly attended to by specialists.

Mrs. Querubin blamed the delay in the transfer of her husband to the AFP Medical Center to Col. Arnulfo Marcos, the military custodian, who told the camp hospital doctors that a clearance is needed from higher authorities.

Mrs. Querubin said that upon arrival at the AFP Medical Center, her husband was immediately brought to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and breathes with an oxygen supply until yesterday.

“They are monitoring if there is damage to his heart,” she said, adding that her husband is already in stable condition.

“According to the cardiologist this morning, he will recommend for coronary angiography to be done at the Philippine Heart Center to rule on any pathology of the heart,” she added.

But she said that this can only be done if AFP chief of staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. approves it.

Mrs. Querubin recalled that when her husband was still detained at Camp Capinpin in Tanay, Rizal, the camp doctor diagnosed him to have asthma bronchitis.

Querubin is facing Articles of War violation charges before a military court due to his alleged participation in the attempted power grab plot in February 2006.

He is a recipient of the highest military award, the Medal of Valor./DMS

Comelec officer killed after shot in Intramuros

2008-03-24T21:36:00.000-07:00

By Ronron
March 24, 2008

An official of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) was killed in a shooting incident Monday noon in Intramuros, Manila City perpetrated by two suspects, police said.

SPO2 Renato Garay of the Manila Police District (MPD) Station 5 said Director Wynne Asdala, 55, acting chief of the Comelec Law Department, expired at the Manila Doctor’s Hospital while undergoing operation.

Asdala was shot at around 12:40 pm at the corner of A. Soriano Avenue and Cabildo Streets while walking towards the Palacio del Gobernador, which houses the Comelec office.

Garay said Asdala had just taken his lunch then when two male persons aboard a red motorcycle approached him and fired once at close range, hitting him on his upper left chest, near his shoulder.

“I think it was close to his heart,” Garay, speaking in Filipino, described Asdala’s lone gunshot wound.

Comelec Commissioner Rene Sarmiento said Asdala expired sometime between 2:30 and 3pm.

Sarmiento and Garay said they are not yet still sure of the motive of the attack, although they are not discounting the possibility of it being work-related.

Sarmiento said they cannot hide the fact that the murder of Asdala causes alarm among Comelec officials and employees since it happened just a few months after former Law Department head Director Alioden Dalaig suffered the same fate.

“It is, so we are telling our people to take precautionary measures,” Sarmiento said when asked if the latest incident is already alarming them./DMS

Army on alert for NPA anniversary on March 29

2008-03-24T21:35:00.000-07:00

By Ronron
March 24, 2008

The Philippine Army is “on alert for possible attacks” by the New People’s Army (NPA) marking their 39th founding anniversary on March 29, its spokesman said Monday.

Lt. Col. Ernesto Torres, Jr. said the communists have already started to manifest their atrocities the last few days, such as the “murder of a barangay captain in Davao, and a barangay captain and his daughter in Camarines Sur;” and, the attacks on a Goldmine in Compostela Valley, sugar mills in Negros Occidental, and Globe facilities.”

“The military is always committed to prevent such incidents from happening. Troops assigned to field units are advised to be more vigilant as the NPA celebrates its anniversary,” Torres said.

“It can be noted that the rebel group usually celebrates their anniversary by staging terror attacks,” he said, “disrupting communities, and creating violence and terror.”

Acknowledging this, Metro Manila police chief Director Geary Barias said they could not discount also the possibility that communist rebels may extend their activities in the capital.

“But we are prepared for that. So there should be no cause for alarm,” he assured.

Torres appealed to the public to support the military’s efforts to end insurgency, noting the NPA’s efforts to “manipulate the people and blind them with the truth.”

“With the support of the peace-loving Filipino citizens, we shall not allow this rebel group to continue with their inhumane and atrocious activities. We are focused on our mission and that is to defeat communist insurgency,” he said.

The government aims to neutralize the 5,760-strong NPA by 2010 when President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ends her term./DMS

Crime rate in Metro Manila lower on Holy Week than in previous weeks

2008-03-24T21:34:00.001-07:00

By Ronron
March 24, 2008

The crime rate in the Metro Manila during the Holy Week, especially crimes against persons, was notably lower compared to the previous two weeks, the police chief in the capital said Monday.

“Last week, Holy Week, Metro Manila was relatively peaceful,” Director Geary Barias of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) declared in a news conference yesterday.

According to him, the number of crimes from March 15-21 was only 117, which is fewer than the 179 reported from March 1 to 7, and the 148 from March 8 to 14.

Specifically, while the crimes against properties were almost the same over the three-week period (89-90-89), crimes against persons posed a big reduction – 90 on the first week, 58 on the second week, and 28 last week.

Consistently, the most common crime against persons is physical injury, followed by murder.

Barias said that most of the crime incidents last week happened in the areas of the Southern and Northern Police Districts, although in the previous two weeks, the Quezon City Police District topped this category.

Asked where will police attribute the “relatively peaceful situation” last week, Barias said: “It’s more of the blessedness of the Lenten season, aside from our deployment of policemen in bus stations, churches and other crowded places.”

As of 4pm Sunday, the entire Philippine National Police (PNP) has already gone down to the normal alert status from heightened level, noting “the successful public safety and security operations during the traditional Holy Week retreat holiday.”

But it will maintain its Operation Plan Bantay Lakbay until May for the fiesta celebrations in different parts of the country, and on the first week of June when classes resume./DMS

MNLF renegades and ASG plan attacks to press Misuari’s release – police report

2008-03-24T21:34:00.000-07:00

By Ronron
March 24, 2008

Renegade members of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) elements are allegedly planning to attack government forces in Sulu province if MNLF chairman Nur Misuari will not be released from his being under house arrest.

According to a police report yesterday in Camp Crame, some 600 armed leaders and members of the MNLF and ASG met last March 18 starting 4pm until 4:45 am of the following day at Barangay Tiis in Talipao, Sulu to discuss the “refusal of the government to release MNLF Chairman Nur Misuari” from his “house arrest at New Manila, Quezon City.”

Misuari is in detention due to his rebellion case that stemmed from a raid in Jolo, Sulu in 2001.

The report bared that the meeting was presided by MNLF commander Khaid Ajibon as they observed the Bangsamoro Day. During the meeting, the rebel groups were reportedly armed with 12 units of 60 MM and 81 MM mortars, two 90 RR, and two 57 anti-tank/personnel recoilless weapons.

It said that the following MNLF leaders attended the meeting: Ustadz Khabir Malik, Tahil Sali, Ustadz Mahmor Gardan, Nidzmi Jabbar, and Hadji Idjan Adam.

While on the ASG side, the personalities in attendance were Commanders Raddulan Sahiron, Albader Parad, AngahAdja, Sihata Latip, and Sahid Susukan.

According to the report, the groups agreed that “once the government will not free the MNLF chairman, an armed offensive will be launched simultaneously by the MNLF and ASG forces against the government troops in the hinterlands of Panamao, Maimbung and Talipao areas to gain media mileage and foreign nations’ attention.”

The planned attack will reportedly be divided into two categories: the MNLF will stage harassments and assault towards government troop detachments, while the ASG will launch ambuscade at any government troop vehicles.

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Western Mindanao commander Lt. Gen. Nelson Allaga said “this could be a raw information picked up by our police counterparts.”

“But regardless if that is true or not, our troops there in Sulu and elsewhere are always prepared for possible attacks,” Allaga said in Filipino in a phone interview yesterday afternoon.

He said this report is not cause for alarm because they always receive this on a daily basis.

“That’s just normal to us,” said Allaga./DMS

PNP, AFP brace for possible heightened activities of Reds as their anniversary nears

2008-03-19T21:33:00.000-07:00

By Ronron
March 19, 2008

The Philippine National Police (PNP) and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) are bracing for possible heightened activities of the New People’s Army (NPA) as their 39th founding anniversary approaches.

While there are still no direct threats monitored from the NPA, which marks its anniversary on March 29, the PNP assured the public on Wednesday that they are not letting its guard down, its spokesman said.

“The PNP is always prepared. As of now, there is no specific threat but the PNP will always be there,” said Sr. Supt. Nicanor Bartolome,

AFP chief of staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Jr., for his part, said an intensified offensive of the NPA is expected by the military because “that is part of their overall preparation.”

“You expect that they would launch some activities if only to highlight their anniversary,” Esperon said, noting that there are still more than 5,000 armed fighters of the group.

But prior to the NPA anniversary, Esperon said the military could take advantage of the time by launching operations against the communists.

“The anniversary of the NPA comes (on) March (29), and … it’s time for them to be meeting. So, I think it’s a good time for us to be operating,” he said.

It is for this reason that Esperon said they will not declare a unilateral suspension of military offensives (SOMO) during the duration of the Holy Week.

The 5,760-strong NPA had already been active the last few days, attacking private firms and ambushing government troops.

The government vows to neutralize them by 2010 when President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ends her term.

The communist movement backed out from the peace negotiations with the government in August 2004 after it was tagged as terrorist by foreign governments./DMS

Querubin rushed to military hospital due to breathing problem

2008-03-19T21:31:00.000-07:00

Two alleged robbers killed in clash with Army and police in Camarines Sur

2008-03-18T03:51:00.001-07:00

By Ronron
March 18, 2008

Two suspected robbers were killed in an encounter with joint Army and police operatives on Monday night in Camarines Sur province, officials said yesterday.

The incident happened at around 10:45 pm at Barangay Cristo Rey in Bato town, said Armed Forces Southern Luzon Command spokesman Maj. Randolph Cabangbang.

PO1 Rico Dancalan of the Bato Municipal Police Station, in a separate interview, said elements of the Region 5 police had been tailing the elements of the so-called Dacer Robbery/Hold-up Group, which operates in Albay-Camarines Sur area, until they received information that it will strike in Barangay Cristo Rey.

But even before the five members of said group could strike at their target, Dancalan said the authorities hit them, ensuing a 10-minute firefight.

The incident left two suspects killed, identified as Reynaldo Tibi and Francisco Elarde. Tibi is allegedly the leader of the five.

The three other suspects managed to escape but two were later accounted for. One, identified as Michael Gregorio, was recovered on Tuesday morning at the neighboring Barangay Lubong, while another one surrendered to police in Iriga City also yesterday. The third one remains missing.

Dancalan said Gregorio sustained a gunshot wound near his knee.

No one was hurt on the government side.

Recovered from the slain suspects were a caliber 38, a caliber 357 and two motorcycles that the suspects used.

Police are now checking the criminal profile of the suspects./DMS

Suspected NPA members burn sugar transloading stations in Negros Occidental

2008-03-18T03:50:00.000-07:00

By Ronron
March 18, 2008

Two sugar transloading stations in Negros Occidental were burned by suspected communist rebels on Sunday night, incurring millions of pesos in damages, police said.

SPO1 Norberto Angelino said Tuesday that the incident happened at around 11:30 pm of March 16 at Barangay San Jose in Toboso town, some 113 kilometers away from the provincial capital of Bacolod City.

Angelino, desk officer at the Toboso Municipal Police Station, said in a phone interview that some 50 alleged members of the New People’s Army (NPA) perpetrated the attack simultaneously at the Victoria Milling Corporation (VMC) and the Central Lopez Sugar Corporation (CLSC) transloading stations.

He said some 30 rebels entered the VMC while another group of 20 went to CLSC. The two facilities are located about two kilometers away from each other, said Angelino.

The heavily-armed guerillas arrived on foot, coming from the mountainous area in the back, and left 15 to 20 minutes later to the same direction.

Angelino said that when the rebels arrived at the VMC transloading station, they told the lone watchman in the Cebuano dialect: “We will burn this because the company does not pay revolutionary tax.”

At the CLSC, the lone watchman, according to Angelino, was just told by the perpetrators also in Cebuano: “You are not included here so just sit down there.”

The suspects then proceeded to empty two containers of gasoline in each transloading station and set the facilities on fire.

Angelino said that at VMC, three 16-wheeler Prime Mover trucks, one 10-wheeler truck, the fuel tank, and a crane were totally burned. It also lost to the suspects one radio ICOM base and a digital weighing scale. Total worth of damages was pegged at P4 million.

While at the CLSC, totally burned were the scale house, a mounted crane, an electronic weighing scale and its accessories (computer, printer, AVR, and wirings), one unit of polaroscope, an electrical panel board, two units of generator set (10 KVA and 3 KVA), and the generator shed. Estimated worth of damage is P835,000.00.

Angelino said it was a revival of the attacks of the NPA in said town, the last of which was still in the 1980’s.

He said pursuit operations were conducted by the police and Philippine Army against the suspects at 4am of the following day but to no avail.

The 5,760-strong NPA has been waging guerilla warfare in the countryside for almost four decades now, and the government intends to put an end to it in 2010 as part of the legacy of the Arroyo administration.

Peace talks between the government and the communist movement bogged down in August 2004 after the latter was tagged as a terrorist by foreign governments./DMS

Military to deploy close to 200 troops in MM for Lenten security

2008-03-18T03:47:00.000-07:00

By Ronron
March 18, 2008

The military unit in the National Capital Region Command (NCRCOM) will be deploying close to 200 personnel starting Wednesday afternoon as part of its Oplan Tulong Lakbay program to assist police and traffic units in providing security to travelers during the Lenten break.

NCRCOM chief Maj. Gen. Fernando Mesa said Tuesday that the personnel consist of security forces, bomb experts with bomb-sniffing dogs, mechanics, and medical practitioners.

“We will have soldiers from the Explosives and Ordnance Division (EOD) who have canines with them who will go around bus terminals to see to it that nobody will succeed in attempting to sow violence in bus terminals,” Mesa told reporters in Filipino in an interview at his office at Camp Aguinaldo.

They will particularly help secure four bus terminals in Manila City, five in Quezon City, four in the southern district, and two in the northern distric.

Aside from bus terminals, Mesa said the military personnel will also secure highways like the Northern Luzon Expressway, Southern Luzon Expressway, the Coastal Road in Cavite, and Marcos Highway near Masinag Market in Antipolo City.

They will work with elements of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) and the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), he said.

“We must move forward. Our soldiers should always be ready not just in terms of security. Whatever resources we have, we will also share with our countrymen, like helping them in their trips to provinces,” Mesa said.

“Our assurance to our countrymen is that your soldiers, even if it is Lenten season, are here, ready to assist,” he added.

Mesa said the soldiers will provide assistance until Maundy Thursday, and resume on Easter Sunday. They will be on a break on Good Friday and Black Saturday because the people are expected to be confined to their houses or in churches.

Mesa said the NCRCOM will maintain its blue alert status, which started after the anti-government rally in Manila City Friday last week.

He said that so far, the NCRCOM has not received any security threat during the break.

“Right now, we don’t see any threat. But we don’t want to be caught unprepared already so we are on alert,” he said.

The Philippine National Police (PNP), for its part, is going on heightened alert status effective Wednesday noon, as it expects a zero-crime rate on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, citing their hope that criminals will also observe the Lenten tradition.

Chief Supt. Leopoldo Bataoil, director of the Police Community Relations and concurrent director of the PNP Oplan Bantay Lakbay, said: “Usually, it is zero-crime rate. So hopefully, that can be duplicated this year. Criminals should also ponder upon their acts.”

The PNP’s Oplan Bantay Lakbay was activated Tuesday afternoon./DMS

Hand-to-hand combat against foreign troops to defend Spratly’s, why not? – Esperon

2008-03-17T05:00:00.000-07:00

By Ronron
March 17, 2008

Conceding that indeed, the Philippines does not have the military capability to match that of China or other territories that lay claim on the Kalayaan Group of Islands or the Spratly’s off Palawan province in the eastern part of the country, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. on Monday went on to boast only of the Filipino soldiers’ determination to fight.

“We may not have the chance (to win in a war with other claimant countries) but that does not mean that the soldiers are not willing to go to fight for the country,” Esperon told reporters in Baguio City where he is to attend Tuesday’s graduation at the Philippine Military Academy (PMA).

“If it will be down to a hand-to-hand combat, why not?” he continued.

Esperon was asked of his view on defending the Spratly’s in the light of the controversy brought about by the Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking (JMSU) of private firms of the Philippines, Vietnam and China.

Esperon reiterated that as a military man, he is for the diplomatic means of addressing the issue concerning the Spratly’s not only because it is a more civilized approach, but also because a war might place the Philippines in the losing end.

“We can go to war. We can still go to war. But the next question is, can we win? Do we have the capabilities?” he said.

Esperon said a fight over the Kalayaan Group of Islands “would need some capital ships and fighter aircraft,” which “we don’t have.” It can be recalled that the AFP decommissioned its F5 fighter planes in October 2005.

“So if there are other ways, we will do it not by war,” he said.

Esperon said that there are about 60 AFP elements securing eight islands in the Spratly’s as of now.

The Spratly’s, believed to be rich in mineral and oil resources aside from marine resources, is being claimed wholly or partially by the Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, Brunei, China and Malaysia./DMS

Suspected Reds burn Globe facility in Compostela Valley province

2008-03-17T04:59:00.002-07:00

By Ronron
March 17, 2008

Another facility of Globe Telecommunications was attacked Monday dawn by suspected elements of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Compostela Valley province, officials said.

The incident happened at around 5:30 am at Purok 1, Barangay Linoan in Montevista town, a police report showed.

The report said the more or less 20 perpetrators first disarmed the guard of his caliber 38 service firearm, and then went on to burn the cabin generator of the facility using gasoline.

The estimated cost of damage is P1.5 million, the police said.

The incident resulted in the cut off of Globe signal in the area, said Col. Benito de Leon, spokesman and chief of staff of the Army’s Infantry Division.

Asked if it is another case of punishment to Globe for not paying the so-called “revolutionary tax” being collected by the communist movement, De Leon said: “It appears to be. What else should be the motive?”

The 5,760-strong NPA has been waging guerilla warfare in the countryside for almost four decades now, although the government aims to defeat them by 2010 when President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ends her term.

Peace talks with the movement bogged down in August 2004 after it was tagged as terrorist by some foreign governments./DMS

Court of Appeals receives bomb threat

2008-03-17T04:59:00.001-07:00

By Ronron
March 17, 2008

The Court of Appeals (CA) received on Monday morning a bomb threat from an unknown person, which authorities later declared to be a hoax.

A CA employee said a male-sounding person called up the court’s trunkline number (5241241) at around 8:20 am and first asked a female telephone operator if it was the CA.

The CA is located along Maria Orosa Street in Ermita District, Manila City.

When the operator responded in the affirmative, the caller said in Filipino: “Be careful, something will explode in a few minutes.” The caller then dropped the phone, the employee said.

Immediately, the operator reported the matter to Associate Justices Normandie Pizarro and Remedios Salazar-Fernando, and the guard on duty, who promptly sought police assistance.

The CA employee said there were some people in the CA building at that time, preparing to attend the court’s flag ceremony at 8:30 am.

But she said there was no commotion when everybody went out of the building to give way to members of the Manila Police District (MPD) Explosives and Ordnance Division in inspecting the entire edifice.

Elements of the MPD Station 5 and the National Bureau of Investigation also responded to the incident, said another CA employee.

The employees said the police officially declared the building as bomb-free shortly before 10 am, allowing the CA employees to go back to their normal job.

The office of Atty. Teresita Marigomen, the CA Clerk of Court, said there were no controversial cases to be heard during the day, which, possibly, may be the target of disruption by the bomb scare.

On January 31, 2006, a pillbox exploded outside the CA building, but authorities linked it to a fraternity war despite the claim of responsibility by the Taong Bayan at Kawal ng Pilipinas (People and Soldiers of the Philippines) shadowy group./DMS

PNP commissions 500 new vehicles

2008-03-17T04:58:00.001-07:00

By Ronron
March 17, 2008

The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Monday morning commissioned 500 new vehicles that were purchased under its 2007 Procurement Program.

PNP chief Gen. Avelino Razon, Jr. said the new mobile assets, which consist of 100 prowl cars, 266 police utility vehicles, and 145 motorcycles, is in addition to the existing 8,000 land vehicles of the organization.

Aside from the 500 vehicles, Razon also commissioned three newly-refurbished V150 armored tactical fighting vehicles.

Razon presented all said vehicles to Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno in simple ceremonies at the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City.

“These added logistics will ensure that the PNP will be more capable and effective in performing the mission to serve and protect the people,” Razon said.

Razon said that prior to the commissioning of the 500 new vehicles, there are 202 police stations all over the country that have no police vehicles.

“Now, there will no longer be any police station that has no mobile service,” he said.

For 2008, Razon said the PNP will acquire three helicopters, 211 patrol cars, 526 utility vehicles, 295 motorcycles, 1,000 shotguns, 10,000 handguns, and special equipment for anti-criminality and internal security operations.

Razon said Malacañang has approved the PNP’s P10-billion modernization program for logistics and recruitment, in addition to the separate P1.7-billion fund for housing and infrastructure development earlier approved by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

“The PNP leadership is pushing more resources and logistics to the field to meet the operational requirements of police units and personnel to develop all police stations in the country into fighting units against criminality, insurgency and terrorism,” PNP spokesman Sr. Supt. Nicanor Bartolome said./DMS

“Due recognition” awaits Pacquiao at Army headquarters

2008-03-16T04:07:00.002-07:00

By Ronron
March 16, 2008

The Philippine Army is preparing “due recognition” for its reservist soldier, Filipino boxing champion Manny Pacquaio, when he returns to the country with the title as new World Boxing Council (WBC) Super Featherweight Champion.

After Pacquiao’s victory against Juan Manuel Marquez on Saturday night (Sunday noon, Manila time) at the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, USA, Philippine Army chief Lt. Gen. Alexander Yano said “Army Master Sergeant Manny Pacquiao” deserves “due recognition for another mission excellently done.”

“The Philippine Army is one with the whole nation in jubilation for the international honor brought about by one of its outstanding reservists. We shall await with enthusiasm the homecoming of M/Sgt. Pacquiao,” Yano said in a statement.

The Army community watched the 48-minute, 12-round bout of Pacquiao and Marquez at the Army Gym in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City yesterday noon. Yano said there were “thousands” who witnessed the live telecast of the action-packed match.

Yano said that during the fight and upon Pacquiao’s victory, he sensed “once again that a genuine sense of nationalistic pride was generated” by the boxing champ among Filipinos – “the kind of pride that provides inspiration, unites the whole nation, and gives hope to everyone that greatness is possible amid enormous challenges.”

Pacquiao was accorded the Master Sergeant rank, the highest for enlisted personnel, in October last year after winning his fight against Marco Antonio Barrera.

After getting the two-rank promotion, he visited troops a month later in Basilan and Jolo to boost their morale as they continue the fight against enemies of the State.

Pacquaio was first conferred an Army reservist rank in April 2006 also because of his victory in the boxing ring. He became a sergeant then.

While he may not have a salary for getting a rank, Pacquiao is expected to serve in whatever means like civic actions and disaster response operations for at least 30 days a year.

But the Army leadership is not immediately aware how Pacquiao complies with the service requirement./DMS

PNP gets no report of crimes all over the country during Pacquiao-Morales fight

2008-03-16T04:07:00.001-07:00

By Ronron
March 16, 2008

The Philippine National Police (PNP) said Sunday that it did not receive a single report of criminal incident in any part of the country at the time Filipino boxing champ Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao and defending World Boxing Council (WBC) Super Featherweight Champion Juan Manuel Marquez fought for almost one hour at the boxing ring in Las Vegas, USA.

PNP spokesman Sr. Supt. Nicanor Bartolome said there was one criminal incident that transpired in Metro Manila but it happened several minutes after Pacquiao was declared the new WBC Super Featherweight Champion via a split decision by the judges.

“In all regions nationwide, we noted a zero-crime rate during the actual fight of Manny Pacquiao,” Bartolome said.

“In NCR (National Capital Region), there was a reported bus robbery/hold-up incident but it happened between 12:30 pm to 1pm,” he added.

The boxing match of Pacquiao and Marquez was viewed and heard in the Philippines starting 11:25 am up to 12:13 pm. The actual event was held at the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada Saturday night, US time.

Event host Michael Buffer officially announced Pacquiao’s victory at 12:16 pm, Philippine time.

Bartolome said regardless of whether the bus robbery incident in NCR happened during or after the fight of Pacquiao and Marquez, this statistics “indicate that there was really a very good situation all over the country.”

“The outpouring of support by the entire nation for the Filipino fighter resulted in zero-crime incident in all regions of the country,” he said.

Based on an initial report from the NCR Police Office (NCRPO), a Genesis passenger bus (TVJ-877) bound for Balanga, Bataan was plying EDSA from Pasay City when eight men aboard it declared a hold-up at around 12:30 pm while it was near Crossing Mall at the corner of Shaw Boulevard in Mandaluyong City.

The suspects were carrying handguns and a hand grenade, prompting passengers to surrender their “valuables.”

The report said one of the suspects fired one handgun in the upward direction during the heist, probably to scare the bus passengers.

Four of the suspects alighted at the corner of EDSA and Main Avenue in Cubao, Quezon City, while the remaining four did the same at the corner of Anonas Road and EDSA near Q-Mart Market.

Elements of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) Special Weapon and Tactics (SWAT) and from some stations conducted follow up operations against the suspects, while the Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit (CIDU) is conducting investigation on the incident.

The PNP had earlier expected a zero-crime rate in the country during Pacquiao’s bout, similar to past incidents, citing the people’s preoccupation in monitoring the fight on television and radio./DMS

Pacquiao is new World Boxing Council Super Featherweight champion

2008-03-16T04:06:00.001-07:00

By Ronron
March 16, 2008

Filipino boxing champion Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao is the new World Boxing Council (WBC) Super Featherweight (130-pound category) champion after he beat defending champion Juan Manuel Marquez of Mexico in a 12-round bout held in the United States Saturday night (Sunday noon in Manila).

The 29-year-old Filipino champion won by split decision by judges Jerry Roth (115-112 in favor of Marquez), Duane Ford (115-112 in favor of Pacquaio), and Tom Miller (114-113 in favor of Pacquiao).

“I suffered two cuts in the eye. It was tough and I got bothered, I could no longer concentrate because I could not see his (Marquez) punches anymore. I just survived through the 12 rounds,” Pacquiao, a native of the southern Philippine city of General Santos, said in Filipino in a televised interview after his victory was announced.

Pacquiao said that even if Marquez also suffered a cut in the face, he felt it was not as terrible as the ones he sustained because it affected his lead sight. “I just punched every time I could sense he was near me,” he revealed how he managed to pull it off.

Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo personally called Pacquiao over the phone after the fight and congratulated him for his victory.

In a statement to the media, Arroyo said she joins “the Filipino people in savoring this sweet moment of sweet victory and national unity prompted by the courage, discipline and fighting heart of our boxing hero, Manny Pacquiao.”

“Manny Pacquiao has again brought immense glory to the Flag and Filipino people with his hard fought victory today. Once more, he has inspired us with his big fighting heart, his determination and grit,” Arroyo said.

The President called Pacquiao as “one of our nation’s heroes who can unite us even in times of divisiveness.”

“Like him, we, too, shall overcome the battles ahead, with courage and a steadfast faith in ourselves, our country and the Lord Almighty,” she said.

“An icon of the masses, Manny Pacquiao mirrors the champ within every Filipino, here and abroad,” she added.

Pacquiao, himself, appealed to his countrymen “to unite” at all times, and not only when he wins a fight in the ring.

“I really exercised hard for this fight because first and foremost, whatever problems our country is facing, I take them as my own too. So I strived hard and took it as an inspiration to win the fact that this could unite my countrymen,” he said in Filipino.

Pacquiao said that even if it was already difficult to sustain the fight on the ring due to his injuries near the eye, he did not entertain the thought of giving up so as not to frustrate his countrymen.

“Even if I was hurt already, I endured the pain because, as I said, this fight is not just for my family, or for myself, but also for the Filipino people. As I have said, I will put my life on the line for the honor of our country and if only to make my countrymen happy,” he said.

Pacquiao said he is now prepared to take his boxing career to a higher level, the 135-pound category, and opts not to entertain anymore a rematch with Marquez, a move the latter did not welcome./DMS

Defense chief says US assessment on extrajudicial killing cases in RP is “unfair and not true”

2008-03-14T03:51:00.001-07:00

By Ronron
March 14, 2008

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, Jr. on Friday tagged as “unfair and not true” allegations of some international entities, like the US State Department, that Philippine authorities are remiss in addressing extrajudicial killing and other human rights violation cases.

Teodoro told reporters at Camp Aguinaldo that it is so convenient for others to accuse the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to be behind some cases of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances only because they perceive the perpetrators as “military-looking.”

“We are dealing with the issue of extrajudicial killing structurally in the department. So it will be on our own pace, on our terms, in our own programs… We cannot allow the agenda, the policy, and the pace of the reforms with respect to extrajudicial killings and all other forms of lawlessness to be dictated by outside events or outside pressures,” Teodoro said.

In its 2007 country report on human rights in the Philippines, the US State Department said that despite intensified government efforts to investigate and prosecute extrajudicial killing cases, many went unresolved and unpunished.

Teodoro said that while that was the assessment of the US State Department, he feels otherwise.

“I’ll read it (US State Department report) first, then I’ll judge. But right now, really, I feel that the incidents of reported political killings has gone down drastically,” he said without citing figures.

He said that among the measures taken by the military to strengthen their adherence to human rights policies is the recent seminar on the writ of habeas data held last Wednesday by senior commanders.

“The purpose of that is to let the senior commanders factor in to their operational planning, their SOP’s (standard operating procedures), the observance of new dictates and new rules of law, and the awareness of the public as to the effect of these laws and regulations on military operations,” Teodoro said.

He said the defense establishment “will comply with all those laws and rules and regulations.”

“We have set the agenda, directed as a matter of fact the Armed Forces a thorough review of their procedures to find out whether or not the adequate observance of human rights standards are factored in. And they’re coming out with it soon,” Teodoro said.

Teodoro conceded that while there may be some officials who violate human rights in the country, allegations that the “institution condones or even perpetrates it as a matter of policy” is “very unfair.”

“It is not true,” he said.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) Task Force USIG has taken cognizance of over 100 cases of killings of political activists and journalists since 2001, but it noted that most of these were perpetrated by the communist movement.

Local human rights group “Karapatan,” however, say that the number of cases since 2001 has already gone up to close to 900. This is on top of the more than 100 alleged cases of enforced disappearances during the said period./DMS

PNP, AFP show force for anti-government rally in Manila City

2008-03-14T03:50:00.001-07:00

By Ronron
March 14, 2008

Thousands of government forces were placed on standby on Friday in the main camps of the police and military as part of security measures for the anti-government rally in Manila City.

This even as Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesman Sr. Supt. Nicanor Bartolome admitted that they have not received specific threat to the mass action at Liwasang Bonifacio by various groups that are against the current administration.

Bartolome said that about a thousand policemen from regional police offices arrived at the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City starting Thursday night to augment the 3,000-strong Task Force Manila Shield of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO).

Across the other side at the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) headquarters, some 1,500 military men were placed on stand by at the grandstand of Camp Aguinaldo for their possible deployment if requested by the NCRPO.

While the NCRPO observed heightened alert status starting 6pm Thursday, the AFP National Capital Region Command (NCRCOM) raised its alert level to full status effective 8am yesterday (Friday), said NCRCOM chief Maj. Gen. Fernando Mesa.

Augmenting the 1,500 military men also are 14 tanks, more than 30 military trucks, a military jeep, and a military communication van.

Bartolome said the police augmentation force from Regions 1, 2, 3, 4-A and the Cordilleras was sought as part of their preparatory plans.

“If you plan, it is a must that you are always ahead of the situation,” he explained when asked why a need to reinforce the 3,000 elements of NCRPO who were deployed near the rally venue.

But he said the 1,000-strong augmentation force are just confined at Camp Crame and their deployment outside will only be made when the need arises.

Mesa said the NCRCOM came up with such security preparations to ensure that they are “ready to repel any power grab plot.”

“What is important is we are ready. We know that some groups are sympathetic to those conducting the rally so we are always ready,” he told reporters in a separate interview at Camp Aguinaldo.

No less than Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, Jr. inspected the fully-equipped military troops at Camp Aguinaldo yesterday afternoon, where he thanked them for “fulfilling their Constitutional mandate and following the chain of command always.”

For Teodoro, the threat to the stability of the Arroyo government has already waned, based on the failure of the attempt to unseat the President last November 29, 2007 by groups led by Army Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim and Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, and during the latest series of rallies in Makati City sparked by the NBN-ZTE deal scandal.

When asked if the trend is now leading to total disappearance of threats against the Arroyo government, Teodoro just said: “To me, you know, threats are dynamic. You cannot say that just because this day, there are none, there will be none in the future.”

“Our policy is whether or not these threats have waned, you prepare for any eventuality,” he added./DMS

Public Assistance Centers for travelers to be activated Tuesday next week, says PNP

2008-03-14T03:49:00.001-07:00

By Ronron
March 14, 2008

As part of the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) Oplan BANTAY LAKBAY this year, all public assistance centers in the different parts of the country will start to be put up this coming Tuesday.

PNP spokesman Sr. Supt. Nicanor Bartolome said the public assistance centers will be seen in the Northern Luzon Expressway, Southern Luzon Expressway, airports, seaports, bus terminals, and other highways in the country “to ensure that all motorists and vacationers will be safe during their travel to their respective provinces.”

“This OPLAN Bantay Lakbay is not necessarily for the Holy Week only. We will also use this for the rest of the summer period, like the observance of festivals in May and the trip of students,” Bartolome said in a news conference at Camp Crame Friday.

He said the public assistance centers will be activated at the start of 5pm Tuesday, although they will already start to deploy policemen to some bus terminals, airports and seaports in Metro Manila this weekend if the passenger influx turn out to be more than the normal size.

Asked how many public assistance centers in all will be established, Bartolome said: “All police stations will each have their respective public assistance centers. They will be deployed on necessity to the streets.”

The said centers, Bartolome said, will be tasked to assist problems in traffic, of vehicles, and accidents, among others. As such, the centers will be comprised of elements not just from police, but also from local government units, non-governmental units, volunteer organizations, radio communication groups, and others.

Similar centers will also be put up in tourist destinations, said Bartolome, to ensure the security of local and foreign tourists.

When asked if this means all policemen will be on duty during the Lenten break, Bartolome said: “During the Holy Week, we will be on normal alert status unless there is a need to upgrade. This will give our policemen the chance to observe the Holy Week too.”

While he assured that policemen will also patrol at residential communities during the holiday, Bartolome appealed to the public to also take their own security measures when they leave their houses.

Aside from ensuring that their vehicles are in good condition for their trip, Bartolome advised the public also to lock their houses tight, unplug their electrical gadgets, and if they can, ask their neighbors to look after their houses from time to time./DMS

PNP expects zero-crime rate during Pacquiao fight tomorrow (Sunday)

2008-03-14T03:48:00.000-07:00

By Ronron
March 14, 2008

The Philippine National Police (PNP) is expecting a zero-crime rate on Sunday when Filipino boxing champ Manny Pacquiao fights against Juan Manuel Marquez of Mexico in the United States of America.

PNP spokesman Sr. Supt. Nicanor Bartolome said in a news briefing at Camp Crame on Friday morning that based on history, crime incidents all over the country die down when Pacquiao enters the boxing ring because people, including criminals, are preoccupied watching the match.

“Just like the past fights of Manny Pacquiao, we expect again a tremendous decrease in crime volume this Sunday or even to the extent of anticipating a zero-crime rate during the period of the fight,” Bartolome said.

“This is because everyone wants to seek how good this Filipino is. Everyone is focused and very happy to see that another Filipino will shine in the international scene,” he added.

In the past encounters of Pacquiao, police has always reported an almost-zero crime rate in Metro Manila and elsewhere in the country supposedly because of the people’s preoccupation in front of their television sets to watch the boxing match.

While there are some criminal incidents that happen, Bartolome said these occur before or after the actual fight. Those that happen during the fight, he said, may not just have been reported to police.

In one fight of Pacquiao a few years back, a resident in Quezon City lost his motorcycle to thieves as he was too focused to watch the bout on TV inside his house.

Thus, Bartolome assured that “even during the boxing bouts of Pacquiao, the PNP is not relaxing.”

“This does not mean that the PNP is no longer working,” he said.

Bartolome said the PNP shares the anticipation of Filipinos to witness another good fight of Pacquiao on Sunday, as he did in the past, regardless of whether he won or not.

“This goes to show that we Filipinos are really in support of a countryman who will again show the true form of a Filipino boxer,” he said./DMS

Four persons found dead in a burned Olongapo City apartment

2008-03-13T05:33:00.001-07:00

By Ronron
March 13, 2008

Four persons – two men and two women - were found dead in a three-storey apartment that was burned dawn of Thursday in Olongapo City, Zambales, police said.

City police chief Sr. Supt. Abelardo Villacorta said in an interview on DZMM radio that the each of victims bore a gunshot wound when examined by scene of the crime operatives.

“We believe that prior to the burning (of the apartment), the four victims were first shot. (The arson was intended) to cover and destroy the evidence probably,” Villacorta said in mixed English and Filipino.

The victims were identified as George Castor, Scarlet Garcia, Rachel Estacio, and Van Mark Bandejas, all residents of Olongapo City.

Villacorta said Castor and Garcia rent the apartment at 52-A Acacia Street in Barangay Gordon Heights. They are live-in partners and have only occupied the second and third floors of said apartment for just a month. The groundfloor is a laundry shop.

Estacio, meanwhile, is Garcia’s cousin, and the girlfriend of Bandejas, said Villacorta. Estacio is supposed to be in Valenzuela City, said her mother, because she is a student at Fatima College.

Villacorta said the victims, who are believed to be in their 20’s, must have been killed between 2 and 3 am yesterday (Thursday) because the fire was discovered by a neighbor past 3am.

He said the neighbor who lives across the victims’ apartment saw flames coming out from the third floor level. This prompted him to seek assistance from the city’s fire department.

A check later after placing the fire under control led firemen to the dead bodies of the victims at the second floor of the apartment. Affected by the fire are the second and third floors, said Villacorta.

The fire department reported the discovery of the dead bodies to the police at 3:50 am.

Villacorta said the two male victims were found lying on the floor in the living room area, with their respective hands tied with an electrical cord.

The female victims, on the other hand, were at the shower area of the comfort room, slumped on the floor beside each other.

Villacorta said the two male victims sustained fire injuries in their head since they were near a sofa and piles of paper that caught fire.

Based on the recovered slug and shell, the perpetrators used a caliber 45 and a 9mm in shooting their victims.

Villacorta said some neighbors heard the victims singing on videoke at around 11pm of Wednesday.

Another neighbor then saw two men leave the apartment at around 3am. But before leaving, they were seen transferring some things from a car believed to be that of the victims to a second car. The two men left on the second car.

Villacorta said the neighbor did not find suspicion at first against the two men because they were perceived to be friends or relatives of the victims.

“After several minutes, a fire was then seen at the higher level,” Villacorta said.

Villacorta said they suspect that the perpetrators used butane in setting the place to fire because a punctured butane container and a lighter were recovered inside one of the two bedrooms on the third floor.

“We are looking at the angles of love triangle or robbery because at the third floor where there are two bedrooms, the things are in disarray, from the cabinets to the bags,” he said.

Police noted that missing inside the apartment, according to the families of the victims, are the following, among others: laptop, an Ipod, a PS3 (playstation), and other electronic gadgets.

Villacorta said he has already created a task force that will focus in the investigation of said case./DMS

Magdalo lawyers mull seeking separate judgment by Makati judge for other accused who already finished presenting case

2008-03-13T05:32:00.003-07:00

By Ronron
March 13, 2008

Some of the Magdalo officers charged with coup d’ etat at the Makati City Regional Trial Court already want a resolution of their case ahead of the others, one of their lawyers said Thursday.

Atty. Trixie Angeles, who represents Marine Captain Nicanor Faeldon, said co-defense counsel Theodore Te suggested the possible issuance of a judgment for some of the 31 accused when they approached the chamber of Judge Oscar Pimentel during yesterday’s hearing.

Angeles said the move came after accused Army Capt. Milo Maestrecampo and Air Force 1Lt. Ashley Acedillo manifested before the court their complaint against what they say as the dragging trial of their case, which stemmed from their participation the takeover of Oakwood Hotel in Makati City on July 27, 2003.

During yesterday’s hearing, Acedillo told the court he wants a speedy resolution of his case because he wanted to have “a second career” if he still has the chance and time, said Captain Carlo Ferrer, spokesman of the Armed Forces National Capital Region Command (NCRCOM).

Angeles said that should all lawyers agree unanimously on Te’s suggestion, they will formally move for it before Pimentel.

“We’re still exploring that possibility,” Angeles said.

Angeles said they will certainly consider the fact that all the accused are charged with “conspiracy to commit coup d’ etat” when they talk over Te’s suggestion.

Angeles said that as of now, only eight of the 31 accused remain unfinished in the presentation of their cases. The trial of the case started sometime in the second half of 2003.

The defense is trying to prove that there was no coup d’ etat that happened when some 300 soldiers took over the Oakwood Hotel. Rather, the soldiers were just out to air their grievances.

The next hearing will be on April 2, 10, and 24, when defense lawyer Atty. Ernesto Francisco will try to prove that the grievances of the Magdalo Group against the operations at the Buliok Complex in North Cotabato in February 2003 was valid.

In attendance at yesterday’s hearing were only 12 of the accused, as the rest, including Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, opted to waive their right.

The hearing began at 9:30 am and ended shortly past 11 am./DMS

NCRPO goes on heightened alert for Friday’s rally in Manila City

2008-03-13T05:32:00.001-07:00

By Ronron
March 13, 2008

The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) raised its alert level to heightened level effective 6pm Thursday in preparation for the anti-government rally in Manila City today (Friday).

NCRPO chief Director Geary Barias said in an interview yesterday at Camp Crame that some 3,000 policemen will be tasked to secure the mass action, which starts at 3pm at the Liwasang Bonifacio.

But he clarified that only 25 cops will be physically present at the rally venue, while the rest will be deployed at the Mejan Garden, in Mendiola, and the vicinity of Malacanang Palace.

“Hopefully, because of the coordination made, tomorrow’s (Friday) rally will be peaceful,” Barias said.

A meeting was held on Thursday morning at the Manila City hall between the rally organizers, led by Atty. Adel Tamano and Renato Reyes of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan), and Manila City Mayor Alfredo Lim and Manila Police District (MPD) director Chief Supt. Roberto Rosales.

The National Capital Region Command (NCRCOM) of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), for its part, is still on heightened alert status, which it maintained after the February 29 inter-faith rally in Makati City.

NCRCOM chief Maj. Gen. Fernando Mesa said in a phone interview that they might raise their alert level to full status if their assessment of the situation would call for it.

He said definitely, there will be civil disturbance management elements of the NCRCOM that will be placed on standby inside Camp Aguinaldo for their possible deployment if the NCRPO would request for it.

AFP Public Information Officer Lt. Col. Bartolome Bacarro said authorities have not received threats so far targeting the participants of the rally.

“Regarding threats, we have not monitored any. But we are ready just in case there will be groups that will take advantage of the situation. We are ready. We have the security emplacement as before,” Bacarro said in an interview at Camp Aguinaldo./DMS

PNP chief sees no new threats against Arroyo administration

2008-03-13T03:25:00.002-07:00

By Ronron
March 12, 2008

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Avelino Razon, Jr. said Wednesday that he sees no more threats against the Arroyo government except the communists and the Moslem extremists down south.

Razon said that with the arrest of suspected terrorists recently – details surrounding it he still refuses to divulge, the threat against President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in particular was addressed “partially.”

“I think the assessment of the National Security Adviser is sound because first, on the incident Manila Peninsula incident (in Makati City last November 29, 2007), we have arrested the leaders and we have accounted for some of participants,” he said.

Razon was referring to former Army Scout Rangers chief Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim, Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, and other Magdalo officers who took over Manila Peninsula Hotel to call for the ouster of Arroyo.

NSA Norberto Gonzales had said recently that the worst is over for the President after the recent rallies in Metro Manila sparked by the expose of alleged irregularities behind the aborted National Broadband Network project failed to overthrow the present administration.

“We have seen that these protest actions did not and are not drawing the crowd that they are anticipating,” Razon said, apparently referring to the last anti-government rallies on February 15th, 25th and the 29th.

He cited a Social Weather Station survey, which reportedly found that only 16 percent of Metro Manila residents “are willing to participate in this mass action or demonstration,” while the 84 percent do not like to as they “would like the country to continue on with their normal lives and benefit from the economic gains that we are enjoying.”

Asked if the PNP sees fresh threats against the Arroyo administration, Razon said: “We don’t see any new group. Of course, the threat of the CPP-NPA and the southern Philippines terrorists continue.”

But the threat specifically for the President remains under assessment by the PNP, he said.

Authorities reported in February an alleged assassination plot against Arroyo by alleged Moslem extremists. The report prompted the President to cancel her trip then to the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) in Baguio City for its foundation day celebration.

Razon said it will be up to the Presidential Security Group (PSG) to decide if the President should attend or not this year’s graduation at the PMA, which is set on March 18./DMS

PNP draws security plan for Holy Week

2008-03-13T03:25:00.001-07:00

By Ronron
March 12, 2008

The Philippine National Police (PNP) has already laid out its nationwide security plan for the Holy Week, its chief said Wednesday.

Director Gen. Avelino Razon, Jr. told reporters that they anticipate again local and foreign travelers to troop to provinces, especially in tourist destinations, as they “take advantage” of the long holiday from work and the school break.

“We have preparations already and it has always been a yearly preparation as the Holy Week approaches, the summer vacation, because of the activities that will be brought on by this period,” Razon said.

“The PNP will put in measures to ensure the peace and order, not just here in Metro Manila but also in places where our countrymen will go to take their vacation,” he added.

Razon said these measures include “police visibility; guarding of vital installations, tourist destinations, seaports, airports, and bus terminals; setting up of public assistance booths along highways for vehicular problems, health problems of travelers, and information guide for tourists; and, police patrolling in residential areas to guard against robbers;” among others.

He said the PNP will just be on normal alert status, saying that there is no reported security threat during the Lenten season.

The Holy Week, which marks the passion and death of Jesus Christ, will be commemorated next week by Christians in the country./DMS

PNP chief belies reports that children are being abducted in areas outside Metro Manila for internal organs

2008-03-13T03:24:00.002-07:00

By Ronron
March 12, 2008

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Avelino Razon, Jr. on Wednesday belied reports that a group is out in areas surrounding Metro Manila to abduct children to get their internal organs.

Razon said the reports are circulating in text messages and these are reportedly happening in Batangas, Cavite, Zambales and Rizal, among others.

“These text messages are not true. Let us not believe those. There are no incidents wherein children are being abducted, their internal organs are taken, and the dead bodies of these children minus their internal organs are just being thrown away,” Razon said.

He said that in fact, they verified with the Land Transportation Office (LTO) the plate number ZMM-507, which is allegedly being used by the suspects in their abduction operations, and they got a negative feedback.

“It was proven that there was on such plate issued by the LTO and this plate has not been done yet,” Razon said.

Razon encouraged the public not to “dignify these malicious text messages” by sending them further to others so as not cause more panic among parents.

He assured that the PNP is investigating the matter to identify the sources of the reports, they are even willing to coordinate with telecommunication companies on this.

“We have given warning and order to our regional directors and provincial directors to be aware that there are incidents like these being reported in Batangas, Cavite, Zambales and Rizal. So they should watch out and do something to assure the public that this is not true and that the PNP is taking steps to identify who are circulating these text messages,” Razon said./DMS

Army general now undergoing pre-trial stage for alleged extortion in Mindanao

2008-03-13T03:24:00.001-07:00

By Ronron
March 12, 2008

Army Maj. Gen. Jose Barbieto is now subject of a pre-trial investigation (PTI) at the Philippine Army headquarters for his alleged extortion activities back at the 4th Infantry Division based in Cagayan de Oro City where he last served.

Army chief Lt. Gen. Alexander Yano said Wednesday that a fact-finding probe of the Army Inspector General found merit in the complaint against Barbieto, prompting the elevation of the case to the PTI level to be conducted by the Judge Advocate General’s Office (JAGO).

“We are now in the stage of pre-trial investigation. It is being conducted this week. Here, we will determine if it warrants the conduct of court martial proceedings… If it warrants the conduct of court martial, then we will do that,” Yano said.

He said it is a “pre-trial investigation on possible charges of conduct unbecoming and other offenses that may be found.”

Yano said that as part of due process, Barbieto will be given the chance to submit his counter-affidavit.

But Yano clarified that Barbieto is not yet restricted or in detention because the regulations do not call for it yet.

Barbieto was already suspended by the Philippine Army leadership upon the recommendation of the Ombudsman, which conducted a parallel probe on the same allegations.

Barbieto is being accused of collecting fees from soldier applicants in Mindanao when he was 4th ID commander./DMS

One killed, several others hurt in vehicular accident in Mindoro Occidental

2008-03-13T03:23:00.001-07:00

By Ronron
March 12, 2008

One person died while several others were hurt after a passenger jeepney fell into a shallow ravine in Occidental Mindoro on Wednesday morning, police said.

The accident happened at around 10am at Sitio Burirawa in Barangay San Nicolas, Magsaysay town, said provincial police director Sr. Supt. Audie Arroyo.

Arroyo said in a phone interview that the jeepney (plate number VBE-624), driven by Hermogenes Escalante, was negotiating downwards a steep part of the national highway in said area when it allegedly experienced mechanical problem, causing it to bump on the right side of the road.

PO2 Leopoldo Quiloy of the Magsaysay Police Station told DZMM radio that the jeepney, which was carrying approximately 25 passengers, eventually lost one of its wheels in front, causing it to fall into the ravine beside the road.

Arroyo said passenger Danny Mauricio of Nueva Ecija died on the spot, while an undetermined number of other passengers were injured and brought to Magsaysay Clinic and Zapanta Hospital in San Jose town also in Occidental Mindoro for medical treatment.

Arroyo said Escalante escaped and is now subject of manhunt operations. But a talk by Quiloy with the owner of the jeepney, Juan Gregorio, resulted in an assurance that Escalante will later give himself up to authoritites. Quiloy said Escalante is a relative of Gregorio.

Quiloy said it is probable that overloading was a factor to the accident as he noted that the jeepney can only accommodate up to 20 people, including the driver. Quiloy said aside from the several passengers, the jeepney was also loaded with cargoes.

Arroyo said the jeepney came from Bulalacao in Oriental Mindoro and was heading to Magsaysay proper as its final destination./DMS

RP military admits it's not capable to fight against forces of other nations claiming ownership in Spratly's

2008-03-12T07:44:00.000-07:00

By Ronron
March 11, 2008

Aside from the fact that a peaceful resolution to any problem is always the best option, a diplomatic approach to the proposed exploration of resources in the Spratly's off Palawan in eastern Philippines is being pushed by a Philippine military official as he acknowledged that the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) might not be able to win or at least, sustain a war against forces of other claimant countries should this happen.

"We can't beat their military forces… That's the reality… That's why, with that reality, we are still suggesting a diplomacy," Philippine Navy vice commander Rear Admiral Amable Tolentino told reporters in Filipino Tuesday.

The Spratly's, believed to be rich in mineral and oil resources aside from marine resources, is being claimed wholly or partially by the Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, Brunei, China and Malaysia.

It is currently a hot issue with the disclosure of a Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking there (JMSU) between commercial firms of the Philippines, Vietnam and China, which some say as violative of the Philippine Constitution.

Tolentino said that currently, there are a total of 60 Philippine soldiers deployed in some islets there that are being claimed by the Philippines, half of which are on Pag-asa Island.

Tolentino said that while the JMSU may be good for the country as it leads "to our purpose of how to make use of the economic potential" of the area, doing so will always entail "a possibility of war."

"From a student of regional security, for us, diplomacy is still the best. We want to avoid war as much as possible… This is a political decision of those in the higher leadership. We in the military will only implement what is given us," he said./DMS

Two soldiers killed in ambush by suspected Reds

2008-03-12T07:43:00.000-07:00

By Ronron
March 11, 2008

Two soldiers were killed in an ambush Monday afternoon by suspected members of the New People's Army (NPA) in Camarines Sur province, a military spokesman said Tuesday.

Maj. Randolph Cabangbang, spokesman of the Armed Forces Southern Luzon Command, identified the victims as Privates First Class Alvin Nario and John Dave Tanay, both of the Bravo Company, 31st Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army's 9th Infantry Division.

Cabangbang said the two were aboard a motorcycle, unarmed and in civilian clothes when fired upon by undetermined number of guerillas at around 4:30 pm the other day (Monday) at Barangay Cawayan in Ragay town.

They died on the spot.

Cabangbang said the two were on their way back to their patrol base in Barangay Casay, Lupi town of said province after conducting a community work when the incident happened.

He said the two had just finished talking to local residents to listen to their problems in the community.

"The soldiers were conducting community work and unarmed at that time. The NPA's are that coward, not giving our soldiers some fighting chance," Cabangbang quoted 9th ID commander Maj. Gen. Jeoffrey Sodusta to have said.

Asked for the motive of the attack against the two, Cabangbang said: "It's an order from their Central Committee to liquidate soldiers involved in community work. Our operations in the communities are effective and they cannot counter it."

The 5,760-strong NPA has been waging guerilla warfare in the countryside in the last 39 years although the government vows to crush them by 2010 when President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ends her term.

Peace talks between the government and the communist movement bogged down in August 2004 after the latter backed out from the negotiating table in protest to their inclusion in the terror list of some foreign governments./DMS

Bureau of Fire notes slight increase in fire incidents in 2007 than in 2006

2008-03-12T07:41:00.000-07:00

By Ronron
March 11, 2008

The Bureau of Fire and Protection (BFP) reported Tuesday a slight increase in the number of fire incidents last year compared to 2006.

Sr. Supt. Carlito Romero, BFP Deputy for Operations, told a news forum at Camp Crame that there were a total of 9,042 fire incidents nationwide in 2007, posting a slight increase from the 8,823 incidents the previous year.

Romero said about a third of the incidents happened in Metro Manila, which, he said, is due to the fact that the bulk of the national population and the establishments are located in said region.

Romero said the number one cause of fire is electrical ignition, about 20 percent of which account for overheated electric fan. The second most common cause is open flame such as from candles and kitchen materials.

"Since this is Fire Prevention Month, we have launched fire prevention campaign through photo contests, essay-writing contests, and drawing contests to remind the public how to avoid fire. We started these activities last March 1," Romero said.

For this year, Romero said close to 500 fire incidents have so far been reported all over the country.

Nonetheless, he pointed out that despite the slight increase in the number of fire incidents last year, the damages were milder.

Romero said the cost of damages went down to P2.2 billion from P3.2 billion in 2006, and the number of injured and killed victims was fewer.

Romero said this was due to the "cooperation of the public in our fire prevention campaign," and the media's help in disseminating our "fire prevention tips and programs."

As of this time, Romero said the BFP only has 1,272 firetrucks nationwide, short of 1,891 to meet the ideal number of 3,163 firetrucks.

It also needs 16,406 firemen and personnel to add up to the existing 12,814-strong BFP to meet the ideal strength of 29,200 nationwide./DMS

PNP, AFP note peaceful transport strike in MM and nearby provinces

2008-03-12T07:39:00.000-07:00

By Ronron
March 11, 2008

Police and military units in Metro Manila noted a "generally peaceful" conduct of Tuesday's transport strike by various groups that protested the different traffic ticketing policies of local government units, among others.

Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesman Sr. Supt. Nicanor Bartolome said there were no reported untoward incidents like violent coercions by strikers of their fellow drivers and operators who opted to ply their daily routes.

The strike ended before noon yesterday after Malacañang issued Executive Order 172 that ordered the implementation of a single traffic ticketing policy in Metro Manila for erring public transport drivers.

The transport holiday began 12 midnight of Monday, although Bartolome said the worst time it was felt by commuters was between 9 and 10 am yesterday. Bartolome said among the badly affected areas are Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City, Quiapo District in Manila City and some areas in Pasay City.

Bartolome said traffic normalized at 10:45 am yesterday.

"It's generally peaceful. The strikers were able to make their point, while the government fulfilled its mandate and obligation to ease the burden of the people," Armed Forces National Capital Region Command (NCRCOM) chief Maj. Gen. Fernando Mesa said in a phone interview.

At 4pm, the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) downgraded its alert level from full to normal status as traffic normalized, said its chief, Director Geary Barias.

Mesa said the NCRCOM followed the same move at 6pm, but only at heightened level.

Both units went on full alert at 6pm Monday in anticipation of the strike.

But PNP chief Gen. Avelino Razon, Jr. said all policemen were ordered to remain on the streets for as long as there are stranded passengers.

The PNP and NCRCOM have deployed 33 and 68 vehicles, respectively, to ferry stranded passengers yesterdays, the officials said./DMS

Air Force personnel could face court martial proceedings over illegal drugs operation

2008-03-11T07:38:00.003-07:00

By Ronron
March 10, 2008

A Philippine Air Force (PAF) personnel could face court martial proceedings after he was caught on Sunday morning participating in an illegal drugs operation in Batangas province, the PAF commander said on Monday.

Lt. Gen. Pedrito Cadungog said Sgt. Joel Bua-o, a resident of Barangay Banay-banay, Lipa City, will be slapped with appropriate charges under the military justice system after he was caught "repacking shabu" in Barangay San Carlos of said city.

The apprehension was made at around 6am the other day (Sunday) by local policemen.

Cadungog said Bua-o, 29, who is assigned with the Air Education and Training Command based in Fernando Airbase in Lipa City, was caught doing the alleged illegal act with three civilians inside a room in Meadow Lodge in Barangay San Carlos.

Authorities recovered from them 13 pieces of rolled aluminum foil used for sniffing, four pieces of disposable lighter, a bundle of plastic sachet, a glass pipe, a roll of aluminum foil, a pair of scissors, and five pieces of rectangular transparent plastic sachet containing white crystalline substance believed to be shabu.

"He (Bua-o) will be harshly punished according to our Articles of War and military justice system. If there are others positively found as implicated, they will also equally face the harsh application of our penal system," Cadungog told reporters.

Cadungog said Bua-o remains under the custody of the Lipa City police pending the filing of charge against him and his three civilian cohorts for violating the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act.

The recovered pieces of evidence were already submitted to the PNP Crime Laboratory for examination.

"How I wish I could impose the punishment but we have to follow the law also. Rest assured, he can't get away from his wrong doing," Cadungog said of Bua-o./DMS

Confirmation of Dulmatin's death out in a few days, says Razon

2008-03-11T07:36:00.001-07:00

By Ronron
March 10, 2008

The confirmation or otherwise of the death of Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) bomber Dulmatin will be known "hopefully in a few days," Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Avelino Razon, Jr. said Monday.

In a news conference at Camp Crame, Razon said they hope "to come up with a report already" based on the DNA test conducted by the PNP Crime Laboratory, the United States government, and the Australian Federal Police (AFP)."

A body of a slain Moslem extremist was exhumed early last month in Tawi-tawi after a local informant tipped off Marine officials that that could be Dulmatin's. The unidentified rebel was killed in an encounter last January 31 in said island province.

Dulmatin, an Indonesian, has a $10-million bounty on his head for his alleged participation in the bombings in Bali, Indonesia a few years back.

Razon said the DNA test was conducted at the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) laboratory, similar to the case of Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) leader Khadaffy Janjalani.

The tissues samples collected from the unidentified rebel's cadaver were to be compared with tissue samples taken from Dulmatin's children who earlier fell into the hands of Philippine authorities.

Razon said no more parallel DNA test is being conducted at the PNP Crime Laboratory.

"It's the PNP Crime Laboratory personnel (who is leading the test), assisted by the US and the Australian governments," he said./DMS

NCRPO and NCRCOM go on full alert for Tuesday's transport strike

2008-03-11T07:34:00.001-07:00

By Ronron
March 10, 2008

Police and military forces in Metro Manila go on full alert Monday night ahead of the scheduled transport strike in the capital and some areas in nearby provinces by various groups in protest to ticketing policies of local government units (LGU's).

The highest alert level takes effect 6pm and is expected to last only until Tuesday evening, officials said.

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) National Capital Region Command (NCRCOM) chief Maj. Gen. Fernando Mesa said they will go on full alert to ensure that their personnel are inside camp and ready to augment the police when required.

National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) spokesman Sr. Supt. Rhodel Sermonia said different police units will be fielding vehicles to assist commuters who might be stranded due to lack of public transport vehicles.

The NCRPO will field 12 trucks; the five police districts with one truck each; the Quezon City Police District with another 192 multicabs; and, the Manila Police District with another 28 multicabs, said Sermonia.

The military, particularly from the NCRCOM, the Army, the Air Force and the Navy, will also commit their own transportation assets, said Mesa.

"We also seek the assistance of the private sector (in providing vehicles for stranded commuters)," Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Avelino Razon, Jr. said in a separate interview.

Razon and Mesa assured that these vehicles "are for free" to stranded commuters.

The "transport holiday" participants, led by the Federation of Jeepney Operators and Drivers Association of the Philippines (FEJODAP) and PASANG MASDA, among others, expect to have a hundred percent paralysis in the public transportation in the capital on Tuesday as they urged all jeepney, bus, FX, tricycle and pedicab drivers and operators not to ply their routes.

The strike begins at 12:01 am and ends midnight of Tuesday, FEJODAP National President Zenaida Maranan had said.

The groups complained that the traffic citation tickets of the LGU's, the collection of exorbitant fines, the proliferation of transport terminals particularly in the provinces, and the continuous issuance of new tricycle and pedicab franchises "breed widespread corruption on the road," to the detriment of their members.

In a meeting last week with said transport groups, Interior and Local Government Undersecretary Marius Corpuz said he will recommend that the Department of Transportation and Communication review the LGU ticketing policies and come up with recommended "uniform and equitable fees."

While the groups assured the PNP and the public that they will not turn violent as they hold their strike, Razon said "plain clothes policemen will be sent out to monitor areas of convergence of those participating in the strike."

"We will impose the No Permit, No Rally policy, but we will observe maximum tolerance," Razon said.

Asked how the police will deal with strikers who try to stop their fellow drivers from going about their daily routes, the PNP chief said: "We will enforce the law. It is unlawful to coerce others who do not want to participate in the strike."/DMS

Pro-government group marches to Mendiola and holds mass for "peace and unity"

2008-03-10T07:33:00.000-07:00

By Ronron
March 9, 2008

The pro-government Kongreso ng Mamamayan (Congress of the People) group marched on Sunday afternoon to the historic Mendiola site in Manila City from Liwasang Bonifacio to reiterate their appeal for "peace and unity" in the country.

Mae Lachica-Fuentes, media liaison officer of the group, told Manila Shimbun in a phone interview that the highlight of their activity was a holy mass near the monument of Don Chino Roces, which carried their "call for peace, unity and sobriety" amidst the current political crisis hounding the Arroyo government.

Fuentes said the activity was participated in by an estimate of 4,000 people, and the mass was officiated by Fr. Jimmy Giron.

"In the past few weeks, there is a clamor for students and the youth to go the streets and join the calls for the ouster of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. We're against that because they need to go to school and their work, instead of contributing to the downfall of our economy and their lives," Fuentes said in Filipino.

"Our position is let all these issues be brought to court and let the court decide on these," she added.

Fuentes said the group started leaving Liwasang Bonifacio at 1:30 pm, and formed a human chain as they marched to Mendiola. They arrived Mendiola at around 3pm.

The group dispersed around 4:30 pm after the holding of the mass.

Earlier in the day, another "Mass for Truth" was held at the De La Salle University along Taft Avenue in Manila City in support for Rodolfo Lozada, Jr., who had testified on the alleged irregularities behind the now-cancelled $329-million national broadband network project.

Former President Corazon Aquino was in attendance again, where she reiterated that there is still hope in her call for Arroyo to resign, citing the successful ouster of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos in 1986.

Lozada, for his part, urged the public, especially the students and the youth, not to get tired in their current struggle, saying that they should instill in their minds that public officials must always be held accountable for their acts, and that there is always a better alternative to the current leadership./DMS

NPA killed in Sorsogon clash against gov't forces

2008-03-10T07:31:00.000-07:00

By Ronron
March 9, 2008

A suspected communist guerilla was killed in a brief clash with government forces before dawn of Sunday in Sorsogon province, a military spokesman said.

Armed Forces Southern Luzon Command spokesman Maj. Randolph Cabangbang said the unidentified rebel died after a five-minute firefight ensued between Philippine Army elements and more or less five suspected members of the New People's Army (NPA) at 3am yesterday at the vicinity of Kilometer 7, Barangay Abuyog in Sorsogon City.

Cabangbang said the elements of the Philippine Army's 22nd and 9th Infantry Battalions conducted strike operations in said area after "disgruntled civilian residents" reported the presence of the armed rebels.

Aside from killing one rebel, the government forces also recovered two M16 rifles, two bandoleer containing 11 short magazines, three long magazines loaded with ammunition, and a backpack containing personal belongings, said Cabangbang.

There was no casualty on the government side, Cabangbang said.

The 5,760-strong NPA has been waging guerilla warfare in the countryside for almost four decades now, and the government aims to neutralize them by 2010 when President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ends her term.

Peace talks between the government and the communists bogged down in August 2004 after the latter were tagged as terrorists by some foreign governments./DMS

CHR inspects detention facility of Miranda, Querubin, et al at ISAFP

2008-03-08T07:28:00.000-08:00

By Ronron
March 7, 2008

Commissioner Wilhelm Soriano of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and Gina de Venecia, wife of former House Speaker Jose de Venecia, visited on Friday morning the detention facility of Marine Gen. Renato Miranda, Col. Ariel Querubin and other accused in the alleged February 2006 coup plot at the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) compound in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.

Soriano, who is Commissioner-in-charge for the the National Capital Region, said he was invited by de Venecia because she was not allowed by ISAFP and AFP Custodial Center officials to visit Querubin, whom she described as a friend.

Soriano said he was able to convince the ISAFP and AFP Custodial Center Officials to allow de Venecia access inside the detention facility after they failed to cite a legal ground for the prohibition.

He said they entered around 9;30 am but he left earlier at past 10:30 am. De Venecia and the wives of the other detained officers emerged later from the ISAFP compound at around 11:30 am. The wives include Mrs. Maria Flor Querubin, Mrs. Marife Aquino, and Mrs. Maze Cordero.

Soriano said that based on his inspection, he found out that the military leadership had already acted on their recommendation to improve the facility.

"During our initial ocular inspection two weeks ago, we found out that the compound is not suited or designed for pro-longed detention. So we recommended for their return to Tanay," Soriano said.

"But the military cited security reasons since their hearing was already transferred at Camp Aguinaldo. So we made some recommendations instead for the improvement of the facility," he continued.

The recommendations are the following: 1) a separate gate to the detention facility; 2) improvement of the receiving area for visitors; 3) provision of female guard to the only lady officer in detention; 4) not to lock up the detainees, especially those at the inner cells, due to poor lighting and ventilation; and, 5) not to use the two inner-most cells, which, Soriano said, are very substandard.

He said the detention facility was really just for interrogation and brief holding purposes only, so it was not equipped with materials for long-term detention.

So far, Soriano observed during his visit yesterday morning that all recommendations were already complied with.

"On the human rights perspective, the court martial proceedings should be speeded up so that if they are found guilty, then they are transferred to the proper jails, or if they are acquitted, then they can immediately be released. But I don't really think the court martial proceedings will be finished soon," he said.

Out of the 28 officers charged before the General Court Martial for alleged mutiny and other violations of the Articles of War in relation to the February 2006 incident, 24 are at the ISAFP.

Four others, namely Army Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim and Captain Dante Langkit, and Marines Cols. Januario Caringal and Armando Bañez, are in different facilities. Lim is at Camp Crame, Langkit at the Army headquarters in Fort Bonifacio, Caringal at the Cavite Naval Hospital, and Bañez at the Bonifacio Naval Hospital in Fort Bonifacio.

The detained officers were transferred from Tanay to Camp Aguinaldo last February 6.

"The main complaint of the detainees is that they should not be in ISAFP. They should be in a custodial center or confined to quarters/barracks, or tent, not in a detention cell," Mrs. Querubin said.

Mrs. Querubin complained yesterday that the military leadership has also suspended "conjugal visits" for the detained officers since February 15 when the AFP went on red alert status.

AFP spokesman Lt. Col. Bartolome Bacarro did not deny this, saying that is really their policy. But he said now that the status has gone back to normal, then the suspension of the conjugal visits is already lifted.

Nonetheless, Bacarro assured that the detained officers are not being maltreated.

"The Armed Forces of the Philippines are providing the regular meals and there are ongoing improvements in their detention facility. Actually, right now, a basketball court area there is being improved that would enable them also to have athletic facility and of course, their sunning privileges," Bacarro said.

"And then, there is a regular Sunday mass there… and then their regular medical check ups and visits to (the AFP Hospital) has been allowed," he went on./DMS

Suspected Reds raid mining firm in Compostela Valley

2008-03-08T07:18:00.000-08:00

By Ronron
March 7, 2008

Suspected members of the New People's Army (NPA) raided a mining firm on Thursday night in Compostela Valley province, burning some equipment and carting away firearms from the blue guards.

Col. Benito de Leon, chief of staff and spokesman of the Philippine Army's 10th Infantry Division, said Friday that the incident happened at around 7pm at the APEX Mining Co. in Barangay Masara, Maco town.

De Leon said about 50 armed rebels stormed the mining firm, burning four low-profile trucks and a payloader, and disarming the civilian guards of five M16 rifles, two shot guns, two caliber 38 revolvers and four handheld radios.

He said the perpetrators arrived and left aboard one bus and two dump trucks.

De Leon has yet to find out if there was a firefight that actually happened after the raid, as well as the motive of the attack.

There were no casualties reported.

The military estimates that there are about 800 NPA elements in eastern Mindanao area, which, De Leon said, are active in their efforts against the government.

The 5,760-strong NPA has been waging guerilla warfare in the countryside for almost four decades now, but the government vows to crush the movement by 2010 when President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ends her term.

The communist movement withdrew from the peace negotiations with the government in August 2004 after they were tagged as terrorist by some foreign governments./DMS

Transport groups Metro Manila strike on March 11

2008-03-08T07:15:00.000-08:00

By Ronron
March 7, 2008

Various transport organizations will stage a strike on Tuesday in Metro Manila and nearby provinces to denounce the alleged abuses of local government units (LGU's) against their members.

FEJODAP national president Zenaida Maranan said the "transport holiday" will start 12:01 AM and end midnight that day.

Participating in the strike are FEJODAP, MJODA, KKPPI, ALTODAP, Pasang Masda, ACTO, NTU Transporter, Nactodap, AUV Operators and Drivers Association of the Philippines, QC Tricycle TODA, Navotas TODA, Marikina TODA, PADYAK, Provincial Bus Operations Association of the Philippines, Rizal TODA, United Metro Manila Bus Operators Associtation, Pasig TODA, Alyansa ng mga AUV Driber at Operators, and I-UTAK.

Maranan said among their complaints are the use by LGU's of traffic citation tickets, the collection of exorbitant fines, the proliferation of transport terminals, and continuous issuance of new tricycle and pedicab franchises.

"Re-routing in violation of the franchise granted by the national government, ID's and mandatory stickers are just sample programs being implemented by various LGU's for fund raining purposes under the guise of regulation in clear violation of national transport policies and laws," the groups said in a statement.

Maranan said these practices actually "bred widespread corruption on the road."

She said these concerns are on top of their demand for fare increase due to high cost of fuel.

Maranan said they expect a hundred percent paralysis of public transportation in the capital as well as in some areas in Cavite, Laguna, Rizal and Quezon.

National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Director Geary Barias said they will provide five trucks to transport passengers on that day, apart from other vehicles that will be put on standby at the national headquarters in Camp Crame.

Interior and Local Government Undersecretary Marius Corpuz said the government cannot prevent the groups from holding the transport holiday, saying it falls within their rights.

He said what is important is the groups assured that it will be held "peacefully and orderly" and that the police will be ready to secure both the public and those participating the strike.

As to the concerns of the groups, Corpuz said he brought up with the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC), particularly the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and the Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board (LFTRB), the possible review of the different ordinances of the various LGU's pertaining to traffic violations by public transport vehicles.

Hopefully, a "uniform and equitable fee" can be arrived at and imposed soon.

Corpuz said the DILG cannot just revoke the ordinances of the LGU's because it only has supervisory powers, and no direct control over them.

"We are ready to cooperate with our public officials in all of their programs and policies for as long as they are legal and for the greater good. In the same vein, we are ready to escalate our cause even further, by way of nationwide transport holiday, in order to defend our rights and protect public interest," the groups said.

Representatives of the participating transport groups held a meeting Friday afternoon at Camp Crame with Barias, Corpuz, and other Metro Manila police officers./DMS

AFP mulls sedition charges against Aparri for attempting to recruit military officers in destab efforts against the government

2008-03-06T05:42:00.001-08:00

By Ronron
March 6, 2008

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. said Thursday that they are considering the possible filing of sedition charge against retired Commodore Ismael Aparri and other retired military officers who allegedly attempted to recruit active servicemen for destabilization moves against the government.

Esperon had identified Aparri as among those who approached the National ROTC (Reserve Officers Training Course) Alumni Association (NARAA) to solicit support allegedly in their fight against the Arroyo administration, particularly last February 29 when a mass gathering was held in Makati City to call for the ouster of the President.

“We are looking into the possibility of charging them with inciting to sedition or similar offenses,” Esperon said in an interview.

“Our legal teams will be looking into that,” he added.

In a news conference yesterday at Camp Aguinaldo, NARAA President Brig. Gen. Jerry Jalandoni, the AFP deputy chief of staff for logistics, said Aparri attempted to recruit twice – the first in January, and the second was third week of February.

“He has approached the Navy chapter of NARAA under Commodore Amado Sanglay (retired), also the NARAA Chairman, prior to the February 29 Makati rally, but he was outrightly rejected,” Jalandoni said.

Jalandoni said Aparri tried to get their support for the fight of his organization, YES-ARMS (Young Enlisted Soldiers – Active and Retired Military and Police for Solidarity), against the Arroyo government and “most probably” to get some NARAA members join the February 29 rally.

Following Aparri’s visits at the Navy chapter of NARAA in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City, Jalandoni said he “urged the 15,000 NARAA members and the nation’s half-a-million reservists to remain steadfast and carry out our mandated Constitutional role.”

Aparri has denied the allegation./DMS

PNP prepares for weekend rallies in Mendiola; Barias says despite many rallies in the first two months, crime rate was lower compared to last year

2008-03-06T05:41:00.000-08:00

By Ronron
March 6, 2008

The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) gears up for the rallies today (Friday) and tomorrow (Saturday) in Mendiola at Manila City, although it does not see the need to raise their alert level compared to the previous mass demonstrations.

NCRPO chief Director Geary Barias told a news conference Thursday in Camp Crame that the Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) will lead today’s mass action of at most 1,000 people, while Gabriela will do the same tomorrow in celebration of the International Women’s Day.

“I have directed Manila Police Director Chief Supt. Roberto Rosales to coordinate with the rally organizers because so far, I have no feedback that they have a permit for that,” Barias said.

“Our main concern is the peace and order there and nothing else. So, let’s try to find some middle ground if there is no permit,” he added.

Citing the small crowd that is expected on both activities, Barias expressed confidence that the Manila Police District (MPD) will be able to handle the situation well, thus no need for a raising of the alert level.

“There is no threat of violence tomorrow and on Saturday… In my consultation with the PNP Officer-in-Charge now, Deputy Director Gen. Jesus Verzosa, we have agreed that there will be no change of status of our alert. So we will be on normal alert status over the weekend because we feel that the district director can take care of the situation,” he said.

Melay Dapulang, vice president of the National Federation of Labor Union-KMU, said they will actually start their activity through a picket on Thursday night at the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), to be followed by a march to Mehan Garden near SM Manila at 8am Friday.

From Mehan Garden, the group will proceed to Mendiola.

“The issues to be raised involve the labor sector such as the unjust removal from work, low salary, contractualization, etcetera. Of course, we will bring up the sins of GMA (Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo) so we will call again for her resignation,” Dapulang said.

She said the group will also join the mass action on Saturday that will be led by Gabriela.

Gabriela spokesperson Joms Salvador said in a separate phone interview that their activity tomorrow will start at 9am as all groups converge at Welcome Rotonda, the boundary of Quezon City and Manila City.

From their, they will march starting 10am going to Plaza Miranda in Quiapo District. The activity will be called “Women’s March.”

Salvador said there will be a program at Plaza Miranda upon their arrival there up to 1pm. Expected to be there are former Senator Leticia Ramos-Shahani, film scriptwriter Bibeth Orteza, and former House Speaker Jose de Venecia’s wife, Gina.

They expect a total of 10,000 participants, which would also include the Concerned Women of Assumption where the President graduated, Salvador said.

“The theme for that day is to show the outrage of the women against Mrs. Arroyo… We will be chanting OUST GMA!,” said Salvador.

Barias said that for the Saturday event, he has directed Rosales to provide “extra-special nature of dealing with” the demonstrators because they are women.

While there may be male members of the Civil Disturbance Management that will be deployed there, Barias said female policemen will be placed at the frontfline.

Barias disclosed that so far, the number of rallies for the first two months this year has already outnumbered those held in the same period last year.

He said that a total of 128 rallies were already recorded in the capital from January up to February this year, an increase of 43 percent from the 80 in the same months last year.

But despite this, Barias proudly announced that the number of crimes for the said period this year was lower compared to last year’s.

Barias said that for the months of January and February last year, a total of 3,337 crimes were recorded. But for this year, an 11.57 percent decrease was noted, with only 2,961 incidents recorded.

“That tells us that your same policemen who are fighting criminality are also busy with these rallies. So they are working double time,” he said.

Among the new measures taken this year, he said, is the increased police visibility in the metropolis, which was done after a series of robberies hit Quezon City starting January.

Barias said that 300 additional policemen will be downloaded today (Friday) from NCRPO to the different areas in Metro Manila./DMS

AFP suspends Army General and other soldier upon Ombudsman's order over extortion allegations

2008-03-05T09:04:00.000-08:00

By Ronron
March 5, 2008

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) leadership suspended an Army General and another soldier upon the order of the Ombudsman over their alleged involvement in extortion activities in Mindanao.

Army spokesman Lt. Col. Ernesto Torres, Jr. said Wednesday that the suspension of Maj. Gen. Jose Barbieto, erstwhile commander of the 4th Infantry Division, and Staff Sergeant Roseller Echepare became effective upon the AFP's receipt of the February 29, 2008 order of the Ombudsman.

Ombudsman information officer Anna Sanchez said the Ombudsman had ordered Barbieto and Echepare to be placed on a six-month preventive suspension without pay, citing Section 9 of the Rules of Procedure, as they undergo investigation.

The two are charged with Violation of Republic Act 3019 (Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act) and RA 6713 (Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees) for allegedly collecting money from Army applicants, ranging from P25,000 to P30,000, to guarantee enlistment without having to pass the standard procedures adopted by the AFP, said Sanchez.

The complaint was made by "several personnel of the 4th ID," which is based in Cagayan de Oro City in northern Mindanao.

"They (complainant) stated that the money collected from the said candidate soldiers are being given to Barbieto thru his bagman, Echepare," Sanchez said, quoting the five-page Order of the Ombudsman.

Aside from the extorting Army applicants, the complainants alleged that Barbieto and Echepare were also doing the same to enlisted personnel who wish to be reinstated.

And they are also allegedly behind some anomalies hounding the implementation of the AFP's Balik-Baril Program at the 4th ID.

Barbieto had initially taken a leave as 4th ID commander last February 20 "to give way to an impartial investigation" that was conducted also by the Army Inspector General.

Taking over him was his deputy, Brig. Gen. Roland Rodriguez.

"As a consequence of the suspension order of the Ombudsman, the Army subsequently recommends the relief of Maj. Gen. Barbieto as the commander of the 4th ID. This administration option is resorted to in order to allow a just, fair and independent disposition of the case filed against him," Torres said.

The relief order will come from the AFP Board of Generals, said Torres.

Army chief Lt. Gen. Alexander Yano assured that there will be no cover-up in the probe as he also assured the accused "of due process."

"We strictly impose laws that govern military discipline, ethics and conduct, regardless of rank or position. We will not condone malpractices and abuses if such cases are proven. Such soldiers will be dealt with accordingly," he said./DMS

National ROTC Alumni Association confirms recruitment attempts of retired officers to join Feb. 29 rally

2008-03-05T09:03:00.000-08:00

By Ronron
March 5, 2008

The National ROTC (Reserved Officers Training Corps) Alumni Association (NARAA) confirmed Wednesday that some of their members were recruited by retired military officers to join the rally last February 29 at Makati City for the ouster of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

But no one from them heeded to the recruitment attempt, said NARAA spokesman Army Col. Juanito Dalmas.

"The (NARAA) President, Brig. Gen. Jerry Jalandoni, has confirmed that there were indeed attempts of recruitment from the ranks of the NARAA to join the destabilization moves," Dalmas said.

"But he (Jalandoni) has outright rejected these recruitment offers and has instructed all Chapter Presidents in the Army, Navy, Air Force and GHQ (General Headquarters) to do likewise," he added.

The NARAA is an organization outside of the Armed Forces of the Philippines but consists of alumni of the ROTC program in all schools nationwide. It has a member of 15,000 officers, about two-thirds or 70 percent of them are in the active service of the AFP.

Dalmas said the recruitment attempts were made "immediately prior to February 29" to get "active military men to join the rally."

But he said "the NARAA is committed to support the decision of the AFP leadership not to participate in the present call to take sides in the ongoing political exercise and instead focus on carrying out its Constitutional mandate and to follow the chian of command."

Dalmas identified the recruiters as "retired military officers," but would not name names.

AFP chief of staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Jr., however, did not hesitate to identify retired Commodore Ismael Aparri as among those who approached NARAA members.

"Commodore Aparri was trying to get in touch with some of the members of the NARAA… But he is not gaining headway, I tell you," Esperon said.

Aparri denied the allegation, saying he is focused on fighting to getting the benefits due to 256,000 veterans, which, he said, has ballooned now to about P40 billion.

Aparri said he does not even know Jalandoni, the NARAA President who is also the AFP Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics.

"No, I am not involved. But if he keeps on hitting me, and since there are more people recruiting now, I might as well join them, I will include my voice," Aparri said, referring to Esperon.

Aside from retired officers, Esperon said detained officers who were involved in the 2003 Oakwood Mutiny and the 2006 alleged coup plot are also actively recruiting their fellow soldiers for present destabilization efforts.

"They are even admitting that, that they will not stop (to fight this government)," Esperon said.

Asked how they could do that when they are detained, Esperon said: "Well, they can make statements. They are able to use some (to) relay messages through means that they are able to devise."

Sought for comment on this, Atty. Trixie Angeles, lawyer of some of the detained officers said: "My clients must be very good, they are already detained but they could still recruit."

"But let's formalize this… He (Esperon) is basically accusing people who are in jail, have no access to the media, who have had no visitors for over a week of recruiting, and he is basing this on hearsay," Angeles said.

Denying that his clients are recruiting fellow soldiers, Angeles hit Esperon's allegation as "an oppressive statement," and "baseless."/DMS

PNP forms task group to arrest Salappudin, three others over Batasan blast

2008-03-05T09:01:00.001-08:00

By Ronron
March 5, 2008

The Philippine National Police (PNP) is creating a task group to arrest former Basilan Representative Gerry Salapuddin and other accused in relation to the Batasan blast last year.

PNP Deputy Chief for Administration Dep. Dir. Gen. Jesus Verzosa told reporters in Camp Crame on Wednesday that the task group will be headed by the director of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), Chief Supt. Raul Castañeda, and will have elements of the Quezon City Police, the Police Regional Office 9, and the
Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) as members.

He said the task group will have about 20 personnel in all.

"We have received information that the warrant against the suspects of the Batasan bombing will be coming out. So, in anticipation, we have formed a task group specifically to implement the warrant when it comes out, and also as a matter of securing the other suspects in our custody," Verzosa said.

A personnel of Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 83 said an arrest warrant may be released in the coming days or weeks against Salapuddin and other individuals for the bombing at the House of Representatives last November 13, 2007.

The incident killed Basilan Rep. Wahab Akbar and some employees at Congress, and wounded several others. Police have said that it was a plot of Salappudin, intended to kill Akbar, a political nemesis.

The suspects are charged with multiple murder and multiple frustrated murder.

Verzosa said they expect that the subjects of the warrant will cooperate as he assured them of "according their rights" during the service of the warrants.

"We hope that the cooperation from the suspects will be held because in the preliminary investigation of the case, they have been cooperating, and they have submitted their counter-affidavits," he said.

Verzosa said that as of this time, three suspects are under police custody while four others have yet to be accounted./DMS

Razon attends Interpol meeting in Hongkong

2008-03-04T09:55:00.002-08:00

By Ronron
March 4, 2008

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Avelino Razon, Jr. and other top officers of the agency went to Hongkong Tuesday to attend the 20th Asian Regional Conference of the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol).

PNP spokesman Sr. Supt. Nicanor Bartolome said Razon was in the company of PNP Director for Plans Dir. Romeo Ricardo, PNP Director for Personnel and Records Management Dir. Edgardo Acuña, and PNP Director for Operations Chief Supt. Silverio Alarcio. They took a commercial flight at noon yesterday.

In a statement, Bartolome said Razon “will present before the Interpol body a country paper on current domestic and regional security concerns.”

Bartolome said the agenda of the event include regional issues on transnational crime involving trafficking in illegal drugs, commercial fraud, bank and internet fraud, currency counterfeiting, human trafficking, intellectual property crimes, transnational terrorism, and international fugitives.

The updates on the ongoing development of the I-24/7 Interpol Database Network, which is shared among 186 member-countries as a means to share crucial information on criminals and criminal activities, is also expected to be discussed, he said.

Bartolome said the conference will be attended by the heads of the National Central Bureaus (NCB) of Interpol from 47 countries in the Asian, Middle East, and South Pacific Regions.

This year’s event is hosted by the Ministry of Public Security of China, and the Hongkong Police Force (HKPF), which is a sub-bureau of NCB-China.

Interpol Secretary-General Ronald Noble and HKPF Commissioner Tang King-shing will formally open the conference at 9am today (Wednesday, Manila time) at the HKPF Headquarters in Hongkong’s Wanchai District, said Bartolome.

“It is an honor for the Philippine National Police to be represented in this international conference among heads of national police organizations in Asia who are committed to a common goal against transnational crime and terrorism,” Razon said in the statement.

Bartolome said Razon and his companions will be back in the country on Saturday.

In the meantime that he is not around, Razon designated Deputy Director General Jesus Verzosa, the deputy chief for administration, to be the PNP Officer-in-Charge, Bartolome said./DMS

Two kidnap victims rescued by police operatives in southern Metro Manila cities

2008-03-04T09:55:00.001-08:00

By Ronron
March 4, 2008

Two kidnap victims were rescued by police operatives last week, with the supposed P2 million ransom payment intact, an official said Tuesday.

Sr. Supt. Leonardo Espina, chief of the Police Anti-Crime and Emergency Response (PACER), identified the victims as Alberto Cabrera and Jerry Katigbak, both in their 40’s and of Molino in Bacoor, Cavite.

Espina said the two are half-brothers, with Cabrera engaged in the buy-and-sell of cars business.

Espina said the two are aboard Cabrera’s Toyota Fortuner sports utility vehicle (SUV) in Muñoz, Quezon City in the morning of February 26 when unidentified armed men commandeered their vehicle.

They were then taken to the suspects’ safehouse in BF Homes, Parañaque City, where Cabrera was asked by his captors later in the evening to call his wife and prepare the Official Receipt and Certificate of Registration (ORCR) of their SUV and his passbook.

“The suspects were interested in both getting ransom money and the SUV,” Espina said.

After receiving the call, Cabrera’s wife sought help with the PACER for possible entrapment operation, Espina said.

On the following day, at 2pm, Espina said the wife received again a call from the suspects and directed her to go to SM South Mall in Las Piñas City with the car’s document and Cabrera’s passbook.

But when the wife was already on her way to SM South Mall together with PACER operatives, she received a call again from the kidnappers, instructing her to proceed instead to Trinoma Mall in Quezon City.

This, after the kidnappers learned from Cabrera that the passbook was actually in the SUV. Thus, they brought Cabrera to the said bank to withdraw money, although only the victim got inside.

“It was the ransom demand of the kidnappers to withdraw all the money in Alberto’s account with the SM South Mall branch of China Bank,” Espina said.

At around 2:30 pm, the PACER operatives who went to China Bank in SM South Mall noticed Cabrera go out of bank. “When nobody approached Cabrera to take the ransom, PACER operatives rushed to rescue the victim. The ransom was recovered intact,” Espina said.

Cabrera then led the PACER operatives to the suspects’ safehouse in BF Homes to rescue Katigbak. However, while still on their way, they spotted the SUV of Cabrera being driven by the suspects.

“After a brief chase, the SUV was abandoned by the kidnappers in the parking lot of a fastfood store and victim Katigbak was rescued unharmed past 4pm,” Espina said.

Espina said Katigbak claimed that the suspects escaped on foot.

In the debriefing, the two victims claimed that the suspects numbered no less than seven and they were armed only with short firearms, Espina said.

Judging from the refusal of the suspects to immediately approach Cabrera upon his emergence from the bank, Espina described them as “amateurs” since they manifested panic.

In a separate statement yesterday, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Avelino Razon, Jr. said that he has “ordered the PACER to continue follow-up operations with the cooperation of the victims and their family, to identify and arrest the suspects.”

“Should the victims and their family feel the need for police protection, we will be glad to provide them with appropriate security,” Razon said./DMS

Two NPA fighters killed in raid by government troops in Quezon province

2008-03-04T09:54:00.001-08:00

By Ronron
March 4, 2008

After being on the receiving end in the last three days, government troops scored against the New People’s Army (NPA) on Tuesday when they raided some guerillas in Quezon province, killing two.

Armed Forces Southern Luzon Command spokesman Maj. Randolph Cabangbang said the incident happened at around 5am yesterday at Barangay Mamala Uno in Sariaya town.

Cabangbang said elements of the 740th Combat Group of the Philippine Air Force, led by 1Lt. Sangjan Panding, conducted the surprise raid against some 20 NPA members believed to be under the command of guerilla leader Tirso Alcantara.

“The NPA’s were on an extortion mission in the area. They have frequented the businessmen there for quite a long time already, so one of the businessmen there cooperated this time with the military,” Cabangbang said in Filipino.

The successful operation came after government forces were attacked in various ways by communist rebels in Davao City on Saturday, in Surigao del Sur on Sunday, and in Samar on Monday.

Cabangbang said that aside from killing two rebels, the government troops also recovered two M16 rifles and what he calls as “valuable enemy documents.”

He disclosed that the body of the first fatality was recovered immediately after the raid, while the second one was discovered at around 12:25 pm some 500 meters away from the raid site.

“He was initially wounded but was abandoned and left to die by his group to evade pursuing government troops,” Cabangbang said of the second NPA fatality.

Cabangbang said Philippine Army 202nd Brigade Commander Brig. Gen. Jorge Segovia, where the 740th Combat Group of the Air Force is attached, believes that they were able to foil a planned atrocity by the NPA group.

Pursuit operations, aided by helicopter gunships, were conducted against the NPA elements who managed to escape, said Cabangbang.

The 5,760-strong NPA has been waging guerilla warfare in the countryside for almost four decades now, and which the government intends to put to a stop by 2010 when President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ends her term.

Peace talks between the communist movement and the government bogged down in August 2004 after the former and its leaders were tagged as terrorists by some foreign governments./DMS

Four soldiers killed, three injured in alleged NPA-initiated landmine blast in Samar

2008-03-03T04:02:00.001-08:00

By Ronron
March 3, 2008

Four government troops were killed and three others were injured by an explosion Monday morning of several landmines planted allegedly by New People’s Army (NPA) elements at a barangay road in Motiong, Samar, a military spokesman said.

Maj. Armand Rico, spokesman of the Philippine Army’s 8th Infantry Division based in Samar province, said in a phone interview last night that the incident happened at around 8:15 am at Barangay Pange while the victims, who are elements of the Army’s 46th Infantry Battalion, were responding to alleged NPA presence in said area.

The attack came after Saturday’s ambush by suspected guerillas against Army troopers in Davao City, and Sunday’s harassment at a CAFGU detachment in Carmen, Surigao del Sur.

Rico said about 10 rebels first attacked a private residence at around 5am yesterday in Barangay Bliss in Paranas, Samar, thinking it was of their target’s, PO2 Servando Arellano of the Paranas Municipal Police Station.

“The neighbors just heard the suspected rebels shouting outside. They were asking Servando to surrender his firearms to them,” Rico recounted.

“Their contact must have erred in pointing the house of Arellano because the perpetrators went to the house of Gaspar Dacula, the supervisor of Samar Electric Company II. Their houses were just near each other,” he added.

When no Arellano came out, the guerillas fired at Dacula’s house using M16 and M14 rifles. They later threw a grenade that exploded inside the house, said Rico.

Fortunately, Dacula and his wife, who were the only people inside, were able to hide at their basement when the rifles started firing, and were spared from any injury, Rico said.

When the rebels left on foot, the incident was immediately reported to the military, prompting the deployment of a platoon from the Bravo Compnay of the 46th IB, which was based in Motiong town.

The troops, led by 2Lt. Leonard Orbase, headed to the reported route of withdrawal of the rebels at Barangay Pange, said Rico.

By this time, the 10 rebels already grew to at most 30 as reinforcement arrived.

But before the government troops could get closer to their targets, they were hit by the explosion of three landmines, Rico said.

This resulted in the death of four enlisted personnel and the woundning of Orbase and his two men, identified as Private First Class Julius Leyson and and Private First Class Priscilo Covarrubias.

Orbase, Leyson and Covarrubias are now being treated at the Camp Lukban Station Hospital in Catbalogan town. Rico said they are in stable condition, he even talked to Orbase.

The other men of Orbase who survived the attack and tried to fire at the withdrawing rebels recovered two unexploded landmines during clearing operations, said Rico.

“There were reports from civilians that there are bloodstains in their route of withdrawal so we believe they suffered some casualties, whom they brought along,” Rico said.

He said the Army “condemns” the attack of the NPA against civilians and the use of landmines against the government forces.

“We are pursuing them,” Rico said of the rebels.

Interviewed at Clark Airfield in Angeles City, Pampanga earlier in the day, Army chief Lt. Gen. Alexander Yano said the series of NPA attacks “is not really alarming, considering that we are telling the whole country of the positive developments in our pursuit to end the insurgency problem.”

Yano said the series of attacks only shows that their “soldiers are not sleeping” because there are efforts against them by the NPA.

The 5,760-strong NPA has been waging guerilla warfare in the countryside for almost four decades now.

The government vows to crush them by 2010 when President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ends her term.

Peace talks between the communist movement and the government bogged down in August 2004 after the former and its key leaders were tagged as terrorists by some foreign governments./DMS

Gunban lifted Monday midnight, three civilians nabbed - PNP

2008-03-03T04:01:00.001-08:00

By Ronron
March 3, 2008

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Avelino Razon, Jr. said the suspension of the Permit-to-Carry-Firearms-Outside-of-Residence (PTCFOR) is already lifted effective midnight of Monday as scheduled.

The PTCFOR was imposed Monday last week when several anti-government groups converged in some parts of Metro Manila and in other parts of the country to call for the resignation of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Razon had said then that the PTCFOR suspension was intended to limit the movement of firearms as several rallies were held that day and on February 29.

Sr. Supt. Nicanor Bartolome, PNP spokesman, said that during the weeklong implementation of the gun ban, three persons were nabbed in Metro Manila and will face illegal possession of firearms charges.

In other parts of the country, he said 20 different firearms were seized from February 25 until March 2 as the PNP implemented Presidential Decree 1866 and Republic Act 8294 on illegal possession of firearms and explosives.

Bartolome said that from the start of the year, a total of 163 illegally possessed firearms were already accounted for by police operatives in checkpoints.

The entire year of 2007 resulted in the confiscation by the PNP of 2,238 illegally-possessed firearms, said Bartolome./DMS

Incoming AFP chief says he will support VP de Castro in case there is vacancy in the Presidency before 2010

2008-03-03T04:00:00.000-08:00

By Ronron
March 3, 2008

Angeles City, Pampanga – Philippine Army chief Lt. Gen. Alexander Yano said Monday that he will support Vice President Noli de Castro in taking over the Presidential post if it becomes vacant before 2010.

“That (Vice President) is the Constitutional successor,” Yano said when asked by reporters here if he supports de Castro in case President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo fails to finish her term by 2010.

“If there’s any vacancy, but there is none,” he added.

Yano will takeover Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. when the latter’s extended term ends on May 9 of this year.

Calls for Arroyo’s resignation mounted this month after Rodolfo Lozada, Jr. bared the alleged irregularities behind the now-cancelled $329-million national broadband network project of the government.

Arroyo, however, is determined to finish her term by 2010.

Yano maintained that the 120,000-strong military will not heed to calls for them to intervene in current efforts to oust Arroyo, and sought instead for the public to take legal means.

“Every group, every individual can have his own perception. And if there are 90 million Filipinos, and we follow the individual perception of each, then we will have chaos,” he said.

Yano said the stand of the military is they are for the “Constitution and the duly Constituted authority, not for any group or individual.”

“If we have laws, let’s follow the rule of law,” he said./DMS

RP-US Balikatan ’08 ends, multi-lateral exercise with other force foreseen

2008-03-03T03:58:00.001-08:00

By Ronron
March 3, 2008

Angeles City, Pampanga - The 2008 Balikatan Exercises between the Philippines and the United States formally ended Monday with a hope from no less than Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. that it will eventually evolve into a multi-lateral activity in the coming years.

“We have built schools, renovated road, and constructed houses of worship. We have brought medical, dental and veterinary assistance to the remotest areas of the Philippine archipelago… This makes the success of Balikatan more than just a military accomplishment; it is more importantly also the success for the Filipino people,” Esperon said in a speech during the exercise closing ceremony here yesterday morning.

Some 6,000 American troops coming from the US 3rd Marine Expeditionary Unit and about 2,000 Filipino counterparts participated in the exercise that was held in various parts of the country, particularly in Luzon and Mindanao, starting February 18 of this year.

Esperon said what made this year’s Balikatan exercises different is the focus on humanitarian projects over the regular inter-operability trainings.

US Exercise Director Brig. Gen. John Ma said their government spent at least $5.6 million for all the activities conducted.

Exercise information officer Army Maj. Ramon Zagala III of the AFP said the civil-military operations component of the activity resulted in the following accomplished projects: nine engineering projects in Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-tawi, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Cotabato and Palawan; 20 medical events in the same provinces, plus Lanao del Norte, benefiting 20,235 people; 15 dental events, benefiting about 2,000 people, and six veterinary events, benefiting 600 animals.

The military exercise, on the other hand, included jungle survival trainings in Fort Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija; firing exercises in Crow Valley, Capas, Tarlac; and staff exercise on responding to volcano eruption incident, among others.

Ma said there was no specific enemy group cited in the military exercises component of the activity.

“Now, both of our Armed Forces are more prepared than even to face this challenge and timely event (volcano eruption) for a strong and swift response should that need arise,” Ma said.

Zagala said all military exercises were held in Luzon since in Mindanao, only the humanitarian missions were conducted.

Zagala’s counterpart with the US, Army Lt. Col. Mike Donnelly, said the US troops who participated in the Balikatan are expected to leave the country “within the week” when they complete packing their equipment.

Some will be aboard the USS Essex, which will sail to Okinawa, Japan, while the rest will take commercial and military flights going there and in other home bases in Hawaii, Alaska and other parts of the US, he said.

Asked on what benefits did the US side get from the exercises, Ma said: “A lot of it is the opportunity to train with our Filipino counterparts and subjected to how they do their thing.”

“Part of the benefit is being able to help those who need decent medical care… giving them livelihood,” he added.

Citing the presence of observer troops from Australia, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, Esperon said he hopes the bilateral activity will soon be joined by forces from other parts of the region.

“On a more important note, with the presence of observer teams, Balikatan need not remain bilateral. We hope that in the future, our Balikatan exercise can evolve into multilateral exercise,” he said.

Esperon said this can be done if the Philippines signs Visiting Forces Agreement with other countries, like the one it has with the US now.

So far, the Philippines is awaiting the ratification by the Philippine Senate of the RP-Australia Status of Visiting Forces Agreement. Efforts to forge the same agreement with Brunei and Singapore, among others, are still ongoing.

Ma said the US forces are willing to “execute” that if sanctioned by their “national” and US Pacific Command leadership./DMS

One soldier, at least one NPA killed in clash at Surigao Sur

2008-03-02T03:57:00.000-08:00

By Ronron
March 2, 2008

A government soldier and at least one communist rebel were killed in a four-hour firefight early Sunday morning in Surigao del Sur province, a military spokesman said.

Maj. Michele Anayron, spokesman of the Philippine Army’s 4th Infantry Division based in Cagayan de Oro City, said the incident started at around 3:30 am when at least 150 suspected members of the New People’s Army (NPA) harassed the detachment of the Army’s 23rd Infantry Battalion in Barangay Hinapuyan, Carmen town.

Anayron said the incident lasted until 7:30 am because all 25 personnel of the Army CAFGU detachment decided to fight it out with the perpetrators. He said the detachment was composed of former Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) fighters who have since been integrated with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

Anayron identified the government fatality as Corporal Jaire Jadjuri, the detachment commander, who was hit as the suspected rebels were withdrawing at around 7:20 am.

The slain rebel, on the other hand, has yet to be identified even if his remains were recovered by the government forces.

Anayron said recovered from the cadaver of the NPA fighter was an M16 rifle and a hand-held radio.

He said that civilians in the area have also reported seeing two wounded and one slain rebels being carried by their withdrawing comrades.

“That must have been a high-ranking rebel because they brought his body, while they left the other one,” said Anayron.

Anayron said further that they are checking the report of civilians that a Caucasian woman was seen in the company of the suspected rebels, and acting like a medic officer as she was seen administering intravenous procedures to the wounded soldiers.

“Pursuit operations are ongoing,” Anayron said.

The 5,760-strong NPA has been waging guerilla warfare in the countryside for almost four decades now, although the government intends to neutralize them by 2010 when President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ends her term.

Peace talks between the government and the communist movement bogged down in August 2004 after the latter was tagged as terrorist by some foreign governments./DMS

Two soldiers, four civilians hurt in blast in Sulu

2008-03-02T03:56:00.000-08:00

By Ronron
March 2, 2008

Two soldiers and four civilians were hurt in an explosion Saturday night at a videoke house in Sulu province, police and military officials said Sunday.

Army Maj. Roel Ebreo, spokesman of the military’s anti-terror Joint Task Force Comet based in Jolo town of said province, said the incident happened at around 9:30 pm at a videoke house in Sitio Tabak, Barangay Busbus of said town.

Initial investigation by police scene of the crime operatives and military bomb experts believe the explosion was caused by an improvised explosive device (IED) charged with an 81 mm mortar shell based on the shrapnel recovered from the blast site, said Sulu Provincial Police Director Sr. Supt. Julasirim Kasim.

Regional police director Chief Supt. Joel Goltiao said this is a signature of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG).

In a phone interview, Kasim said the IED was seen left by three men 30 minutes before it blew off right inside the videoke house that is owned by retired Marine Sergeant Felix Cordizal. A follow up operation is now conducted against the three.

“We are still conducting discreet investigation to apprehend the unidentified perpetrators… Our intelligent community is continuously conducting monitoring,” he told Manila Shimbun.

Kasim said the injured victims include two elements of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and four employees of the videoke house.

Ebreo said the two soldiers were identified as Privates First Class Mark Anthony Taborno, 26, and Jun Cani, 28, both from the Intelligence Security Group (ISG) of the Philippine Army. They were reportedly drinking and singing inside the videoke house at that time.

The civilians, on the other hand, include three females who are believed to be guest relations officer of the videoke house, and a gay employee, said Kasim. They are aged 24 and 25.

Kasim said they suffered shrapnel wounds and were initially brought to the Trauma Hospital inside the 3rd Marine Brigade camp in said town for medical treatment. Hours later, they were transferred to a public hospital in the same town.

Kasim said they are still investigating the motive for the attack, which includes possible retaliation against Cordizal over business matters and terrorism.

“There is an information that the other night (on Friday), there was an alteration at the said videoke house so we are following that up,” Kasim said.

Asked if this could be an act by the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), which is present in the island province, he said: “We can’t say yet if it’s by ASG. That is part of our in-depth investigation.”

Kasim said the investigation is being conducted jointly by the intelligence and investigation branch of the Sulu Provincial Office, and the Jolo Municipal Police Office./DMS

UST Rector bares objection to calls for Arroyo’s resignation in mass attended by Cory and Lozada

2008-03-02T03:52:00.000-08:00

By Ronron
March 2, 2008

The Rector of the oldest university in the Philippines, the University of Sto. Tomas (UST), did not call for the resignation of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in a mass he officiated Sunday at the school’s parish in Manila City attended by no less than former President Corazon Aquino and self-proclaimed corruption whistleblower Rodolfo Lozada, Jr., an alumnus of said school.

Instead, Fr. Rolando de la Rosa urged the people to start building up the fight against irregularities within themselves, and then exercise their democratic right to choose a good and able leader in 2010.

This was different from the stand taken by the UST Central Student Council, which joined Aquino and Lozada’s calls for Arroyo’s resignation after her family and administration were linked to the alleged anomalies behind the $329 national broadband network project.

Lozada, a former consultant of the NBN project, and former National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) Secretary and now Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Chairman Romulo Neri had implied that former Comelec Chairman Benjamin Abalos was soliciting commission from ZTE Corporation for making sure that it gets the NBN contract.

Lozada revealed further that First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo knew about and tolerated the actions of Abalos.

Just last Friday, Lozada and Aquino led thousands of people at Ayala Avenue corner Paseo de Roxas in Makati City in urging Arroyo to step down.

Arroyo, who has cancelled the project last year after learning about the alleged anomaly, denied the allegations of Lozada and insisted she will finish her term in 2010.

Because of this, Aquino organized a series of “Mass for Truth,” the first of which was at La Salle Greenhills on February 17, and then followed at the Adamson University. Yesterday’s mass was the third in a series of nine.

In his homily, de la Rosa said: “It would be simplistic and hypocritical to say the problem of our country is the President and the men and women who are behind her. This is a dangerous misunderstanding of the crisis we are facing today.”

“The integrity crisis involves not just the President and the men and women behind her. The integrity crisis involves us all,” he said.

De la Rosa, who was delivering his homily just about three meters in front of Aquino and Lozada, said, “if we want to restore truth and integrity in society, government and the churches, we must stop looking for scapegoats to ease our burden of guilt and failure.”

“If we want to restore integrity and honesty in government, the best way is not through a rigodon of leaders who are forcibly removed through People Power, but through an enlightened, educated and conscientious electoral process,” he said.

“We have 26 months before the next election. We have enough time to prepare ourselves so we can vote wisely. Let us use People Power during election time, not only before or after,” the priest continued.

To prove his point that this happens in reality, de la Rosa cited the election of Pampanga Governor Fr. Ed Panlilio and Isabela Governor Grace Padaca in the last elections.

“We can make it happen again,” he assured the mass-goers, which was estimated to be about 2,000 in strength, occupying both the seats inside and outside the Santisimo Rosario Parish.

Anticipating the objection of others that such suggestion takes time and those in power may not even allow it, de la Rosa said: “Don’t you notice? We are always in a hurry, but always late. Life is not a matter of speed but depth. The faster we go through life, the shallower our understanding of it becomes. Quick successes usually are a fluke. Real and lasting victories take time.”

He said the two previous People Power events did not really produce the desired result of restoring integrity and honesty.

“We delude ourselves if we think that by driving Gloria Arroyo away from Malacanang, as we did with Marcos and Erap, integrity and honestly will be restored,” de la Rosa said.

If any, he said it was democracy that was restored by the two People Power events. And this should be the one used to rid the country of “many present-day elected officials” who “are mere surrogates of hidden power-brokers, who, after election, take back what they had invested in.”

The priest said the people should now “discard that model of democracy, which portrays government leaders as the active molders, and we, their constituents as the passive clay.”

“Our task as voters is not only to elect our officials but to keep them in their proper place, which is to be our servants, not our lords and masters. We have to make them aware that they are accountable to us,” he said.

UST Central Student Council Reyner Villaseñor said he respects the decision of the University Rector, saying the latter in fact offered a wholistic approach in addressing the crisis.

“Actually, we agree on a common ground that this is beyond Lozada. The Rector tackled corruption, our election, and others… So, while we, the students of UST, call for the resignation of Arroyo, we were not surprised with the Rector’s homily,” Villaseñor told Manila Shimbun in a phone interview after the mass.

The same opinion was given by former Social Welfare Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman, who attended the mass along with former Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Delez, former Education Secretary Florencio Abad, former Trade Secretary Cesar Purisima, former Congresswoman Rosetta Rosales, Mrs. Gina de Venecia, Senator Benigno Aquino III, and Manila City Mayor Alfredo Lim, among others.

“That, I think, is okay because the people now are already thinking on their own,” Soliman said in a separate interview.

In a speech after the mass, Aquino said that “whatever difference we have now with each other,” what is important is these differences can be set aside “for a common, greater mission of searching for the truth.”

Dressed in her signature yellow color, Aquino appealed to the public, especially the youth, to be more patient on their advocacy for Arroyo’s resignation, citing the lack of enlightenment of other Filipinos.

“I am not losing hope. We have removed a dictator before, how much more now when we are not under Martial Law,” she said in Filipino.

As she thanked the people, especially the youth, for joining her in her “difficult but meaningful search for truth,” Aquino assured Lozada of her continuous support.

“Do not lose hope, many believe in you,” Aquino told Lozada, who was wearing a black shirt, marked with “WE ARE UST,” which stands for “We are United in the Search for Truth.”

The 1984 engineering graduate of UST, for his part, sought for the public’s continuing support as he carries what he calls his heavy cross, a decision, he said, he made in spite of being scrutinized in public and placing his life and that of his family at risk.

Lozada denied that he came out in the open upon the prodding of opposition Senator Panfilo Lacson, with whom he met first in December last year about the NBN controversy.

“This was a decision between me and my God… Many are insisting their speculations that Lacson came between me and God, or JDV did. Maybe, these people do not believe that there is a God,” Lozada said.

Lozada did not react directly to the homily of de la Rosa. But at one point, as a premise to his revelation about a priest’s piece of advice to him on what he should do in the situation he is situation in, Lozada disclosed that the UST Rector was once a part of the CHED leadership.

“He came from CHED. He was once part of the government. Like me, he also came home here (in UST). I know he also knows some truth in government. All of us in government knows some element of truth in government,” Lozada said in Filipino, drawing applause from the mass-goers.

The entire mass, which began shortly past 10 am and ended before 11:30 am, stuck to its sacred mood all through out its duration, until it ended with a political mood as the recessional hymn sang by the choir was “Bayan Ko.”

The same song was sung after Lozada’s speech.

Joining de la Rosa in administering the mass are at least 15 other priests./DMS

Makati rally ends peacefully, says PNP

2008-02-29T09:17:00.000-08:00

By Ronron
February 29, 2008

The rally in Makati City by anti-government forces ended peacefully, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Avelino Razon, Jr. said.

In a news conference last night at Camp Crame, Quezon City, Razon said the crowd at the rally swelled to 15,000 as it proceeded from 5pm to past 8pm.

"It was orderly and peaceful," Razon said in Filipino.

He said they also did not monitor any seditious or rebellious statement.

Southern Police District (SPD) Director Chief Supt. Luizo Ticman said the rally site at the corner of Ayala Avenue and Paseo de Roxas was cleared of the rallyists at around 9pm.

Razon said he has directed National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Director Geary Barias to maintain some forces in the area "until all rally participants have left and the city government of Makati has cleaned up the place."

So far, only minor incidents were reported during the rally – loss of personal items, some medical emergencies, and some inconvenience to motorists and commuters who were rerouted, Razon said.

In a statement, PNP spokesman Sr. Supt. Nicanor Bartolome confirmed that a "No-Fly Zone" was implemented by the Air Transportation Office (ATO) over Makati City from 5pm "to ensure the safety of the prayer rally participants."

Razon denied, however, in an interview that it was the PNP who recommended that.

At Camp Aguinaldo, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) National Capital Region Command (NCRCOM) chief Maj. Gen. Fernando Mesa ordered the soldiers who went on standby the entire day to go back to barracks at around 9:30 pm.

"Everything went well. Our efforts have bore fruits so Congratulations," he told the soldiers, who responded with cheers.

A total of three battalions, or about 1,500 soldiers, were placed on standby inside Camp Aguinaldo for possible deployment when requested by the PNP. With them were several tanks and military trucks.

About 200 of the soldiers were brought to the vicinity of Malacanang Palace in the morning, and 36 others to Makati City in the evening to ensure security as requested by the PNP, Mesa said.

But they were expected to be returned to the camp later on Friday night.

With the dispersal of the rallyists, Mesa said they no longer see any threat, particularly a power grab.

"We can sleep soundly. There is nothing to worry," he said.

But he said the NCRCOM will remain on Red Alert status until the PNP advises them that the situation has already normalized.

The forces from the regions will also remain in Metro Manila until they are already sure that there is no more threat to the stability of the government./DMS

Arroyo monitored Makati rally but was not worried, says AFP, PNP chief

2008-02-29T09:15:00.001-08:00

By Ronron
February 29, 2008

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo made an unscheduled visit to the Philippine National Police (PNP) headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City on Friday afternoon to get a briefing from police and military authorities on the inter-faith rally in Makati City last night.

Arroyo arrived at the National Headquarters building of the PNP shortly past 4pm after an official trip to Bulacan, and was joined by key Cabinet secretaries in the briefing given by PNP chief Gen. Avelino Razon, Jr. and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Jr.

"Initially, this meeting with her was not scheduled. Then, we got a word that she would want to pass by. She came from Bulacan," Razon told reporters in Filipino after the President left the camp at around 6:45pm.

He said the meeting supposed to be was just between the PNP and the AFP.

"She knew that we are monitoring here the situation (in Ayala). So she said that if she gets a chance to pass by, she will join us in monitoring the developments of the situation," Razon said.

Asked if the President was worried of the situation that was why she personally joined the monitoring of the situation and she even had her key Cabinet officials, Razon said: "No. In fact, she immediately went back to her normal duties now. She has a function at Malacanang."

The President was joined in the briefing by Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, Jr., Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo, Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez, Public Works and Highways Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane, Jr., Transportation and Communication Secretary Leandro Mendoza, and Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye,
according to Razon.

Razon said he does not know why the said key officials were at the briefing with the President.

"It's just that they wanted a briefing and to monitor. It's as simple as that," he just said.

Asked what is their assessment on the rally, Razon said: "Well, it was quiet, orderly. So, we thank the rally organizers. Hopefully, in an hour, we can conclude this protest action and return to normalcy."

According to him, the crowd was at its highest at 15,000 and went down to 9,000 shortly before Arroyo left the camp.

Esperon said the meeting was not "tensed," as there was no reason to be, citing the "few turnout" of the rally participants and the "orderly" conduct of the activity, "to the credit of the rally organizers."

Esperon and Razon said it took the President almost three hours before she left because they had to monitor the actual events aired on television.

They said that no other issues were discussed during the meeting, such as the apprehension of a foreign national in relation to the alleged kill plot on Arroyo, and the calamities in Bicol and Eastern Visayas regions.

Razon said it is very likely that the problem of the calamity-affected areas will be discussed when the President returns to Malacanang because she was to meet with governors and mayors there.

Asked how was the President when she left, Razon said: "Well, she was happy, and she was back to her normal schedule."

He said the President just directed them to continue their monitoring and then report to her the developments. She also thanked them for their security preparations.

Razon said the PNP may downgrade its alert level to normal status depending on how the rally would end. Based on that, the AFP may also take the same action, said Esperon./DMS

Faeldon dares Esperon, Razon to spill the beans on alleged irregularities in Arroyo government

2008-02-29T09:14:00.000-08:00

By Ronron
February 29, 2008

Fugitive Marine Captain Nicanor Faeldon challenged Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. and Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Avelino Razon, Jr. to disclose their knowledge about the alleged irregularities in the Arroyo government.

In a handwritten statement distributed Friday to Defense reporters by his lawyer, Trixie Angeles, Faeldon said in Filipino that the two should stop stressing that the chain of commands rests solely on President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

"I challenge the both of you: If you are really professionals and are not partisan, go face the Senate, which represents the people, and reveal the irregularities that you know in government," Faeldon wrote.

"I challenge Gen. Esperon and Mr. Razon: If it is true that you don't want the military and police to be mocked by politicians, stop being used by Arroyo. Arroyo is not the government," he added.

Faeldon reminded the two officials that those attacking Arroyo are not enemies of the people, but of those stealing from the coffers of the government.

He particularly told Esperon that there is still time for him to start again serving the country from the core of his heart.

This as the military chief, according to Faeldon, remains no longer credible because of his alleged participation in the alleged 2004 electoral fraud.

Faeldon said Esperon and Razon should help shed light on the Hello Garci scandal, the ZTE scandal and other anomalies that they allegedly help in covering up.

"You should not order the soldiers to spy on and threaten those fighting against Arroyo. The police must not also be used to disperse those who are rallying for the truth," he said.

As he did in the 2003 Oakwood Mutiny and on the November 29, 2007 takeover at the Manila Peninsula Hotel, Faeldon reiterated that Arroyo, whom he addressed as a fake President, must step down or otherwise, be removed through peaceful means.

He also assured the public that the soldiers will follow the will of the civilians, thus they should not lose hope that many soldiers will serve the country.

"We will defend you and our democracy," he said.

Faeldon has gone on hiding since the November 29 incident last year and authorities have already put up a P1 million reward for his re-arrest.

He had also escaped in December 2005, but was recaptured in Caloocan City in January of the following year./DMS

Foreigner nabbed over alleged Arroyo slay plot

2008-02-29T09:09:00.000-08:00

By Ronron
February 29, 2008

A foreign national was apprehended by authorities over the alleged assassination plot on President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said Friday.

PNP chief Dir. Gen. Avelino Razon, Jr. said the suspect was nabbed last Wednesday in a province near Metro Manila as a result of their follow up operations on the alleged kill plot against Arroyo that was bared on February 14.

"The PNP conducted operations and after that, a foreigner was nabbed. But we will not give his name yet because there are still operations to account for his other companions," Razon told reporters in Filipino in a news briefing at Camp Crame yesterday.

The assassination plot against Arroyo was first disclosed two weeks ago by the Presidential Security Group, the PNP, and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

Razon had said then that the information came from a document recovered from a park somewhere in Metro Manila. The document, which contained writings in Arabic, allegedly showed routes taken by Arroyo, including one at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC), and casing reviews of some embassies in the capital.

The embassies would reportedly be bombed, said Razon, while Arroyo will be hit by a sniper, said AFP chief of staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Jr.

Razon said the document was turned over to the PNP sometime in the first week of the month by a security guard who first saw it.

Immediately after receiving the report, Razon said the PNP not just exerted effort to hunt the people behind it, they also heightened the security at the "embassies and vital installations."

"The casing is the first step of their preparations. We can say that the plan of their group was already foiled," Razon said yesterday.

Razon said that after initial interrogation on the apprehended suspect, police learned that he has links with the Jemaah Islamiyah and the Abu Sayyaf Group terrorist organizations.

"We asked the foreigner if he could explain to us why he has that plan. He told us something," Razon said but did not elaborate.

The PNP chief said the authorities were not suppose to disclose the apprehension of the suspect so as not to jeopardize their ongoing follow up operations.

"Up to yesterday, our coordination with the Chief of Staff (of the AFP) is not to talk about the apprehension yet… We are careful about this, but we are forced to disclose it now because there are reports that this (assassination plot against the President) is just a staged plan," Razon said.

"So we hope we can protect our policemen and encourage them to pursue the case. We should not be demoralized… The public should know that we are working," he added.

Razon assured that in due time, they will present the foreigner to the media./DMS

Death toll in RP flood and landslide incidents rise to 45, NDCC reports

2008-02-28T21:22:00.001-08:00

By Ronron
February 28, 2008

The death toll due to the series of flooding and landslide incidents in some parts of the Philippines rose to 45 while eight remain missing as of Thursday evening, the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) said.

In its latest report dated 6PM of February 27, the NDCC said the cost of damages to infrastructure and agriculture has also reached P1.312 billion already, the bigger bulk of which come from Region 5 and 8, while the rest are from Regions 6, 10 and 12.

The NDCC report said 18 died in Region 5, one in Region 6, 18 in Region 8, seven in Region 10, and one in Region 12. The eight missing, meanwhile, come from Region 5 (five persons), Region 8 (two persons), and Region 10 (one person).

There were also 31 injured persons: seven from Sorsogon in Region 5; 15 in Eastern Samar in Region 8; and nine from Lanao del Norte in Region 10.

The victims either drowned, were electrocuted, or covered in landslides, among others.

The flooding and landslide caused by a low pressure area and the persistence of the tail end of cold front, according to the NDCC, have already affected 180,809 families or 873,009 persons, of which, 10,583 families or 41,472 persons are in 112 evacuation centers.

The affected population comes from Regions IV-B, 5, 6, 8, 10 and 12.

Some of them were left homeless after 2,001 houses from Regions 4-B, 5, 8 and 10 were totally damaged, and 3,740 partially destroyed by the calamity, said the NDCC.

The NDCC said the flooding and landslides have caused the damage of at least P1.015 billion worth of infrastructure and at least P296 million worth of fisheries, crops and palays in Regions 5, 6, 8, 10 and 12.

Eastern Samar, Albay, Sigma town in Capiz and Magallanes town in Sorsogon remain under a State of Calamity so they could avail of the calamity fund, which is equivalent to five percent of their Internal Revenue Allocation.

So far, the following agencies have already extended their assistance to the affected populace: 1) NDCC, worth P1.574 million, and some 1,725 sacks of rice; 2) Department of Social Welfare and Development, worth P2.680 million; 3) Department of Health, worth P165,389.89; 4) local government units, worth P3.302 million; and, 5) non-governmental organizations, worth P338,462.00./DMS

Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) Weather Branch chief Nathaniel Cruz said that even if the tail end of cold front will no longer be felt in the country early next month, rains will still be expected until June of this year due to the La Nina phenomenon.

“The tail end of cold front may leave the country but the chances of having rains not only here in Metro Manila but also in other parts of the country, especially in the Bicol region and Eastern Visayas will still be there,” Cruz said./DMS

PNP, AFP expect peaceful rally today (Friday) in Makati City; PAGASA says there will light rain

2008-02-28T21:21:00.000-08:00

By Ronron
February 28, 2008

Government security forces are ready to secure the rally today (Friday) in Makati City by various groups to call for the resignation of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) are already on red alert status, and their forces will be securing the inter-faith rally, as well as key areas in the capital, officials said.

On Thursday noon, policemen from Region 5 arrived at the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City to form part of the 5,000-strong Task Force Manila Shield that was activated for today’s activity.

PNP chief Gen. Avelino Razon, Jr. said 3,500 troops from Police Regional Offices 1 to 5 will arrive in Manila, while 1,500 others will come from the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO).

The AFP National Capital Region Command (NCRCOM), for its part, will put on standby some 1,500 “maneuverable force” in case the NCRPO will request for augmentation. The battalion-size force will stay at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.

Officials said the inter-faith rally will begin at 5pm and end at 8pm. Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay said at least 50,000 will participate in the activity, quite higher than the 10,000 estimate of Razon.

Aside from Makati City, the task force will also secure Mendiola in Manila City, which the easiest gateway to Malacanang Palace, and EDSA Shrine in Mandaluyong City, which has been the staging point of both the 1986 and 2001 People Power Revolutions.

Manila Police District (MPD) head Chief Supt. Roberto Rosales and Eastern Police District (EPD) head Chief Supt. Nilo dela Cruz said that although there are no scheduled rallies at Mendiola and the EDSA Shrine, respectively, they will deploy troops there.

Rosales said there will be 800 policemen at Mendiola, while there will be about 300 at the EDSA Shrine, said dela Cruz.

“There will be a deployment because we don’t want to be caught flat-footed,” Rosales said.

Quezon City Police District chief Sr. Supt. Magtanggol Gatdula said he will also put on alert his troops for today’s activity, even if there are no planned rallies in his area of responsibility.

Razon assured that people from the provinces who want to join the rally at Makati City will not be prevented if no law is violated.

“We will not stop them. In fact, I have been saying that we will allow protest actions because we respect the rights of the citizens to hold rally and demonstrations, so long as these are orderly and within the bounds of the law,” he said.

Asked if they will monitor seditious or rebellious statements during the rally, the PNP chief said they will leave it to the Department of Justice (DOJ) to determine that.

Razon disclosed that while there are intelligence reports that communist rebels and Moslem terrorists will penetrate the mass gathering, these remain not validated and unverified.

AFP National Capital Region Command (NCRCOM) chief Maj. Gen. Fernando Mesa said there are also no threats coming from rightists as he described the influence of Army Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim and the Magdalo Group to be dead already.

Mesa said he is certain that no member of the military will join the rally.

Like Razon, he appealed to the rally participants, especially the organizers, to police their own ranks for possible infiltrators.

“We foresee that the mass actions will be peaceful and orderly,” Razon said.

Among the measures already taken by the PNP is the week-long suspension of the permit-to-carry-firearms-outside-of-residence to control the movement of firearms, which began last Monday.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) warned that today’s rally may be marred with rains due to the prevailing tail end of cold front.

“It will be rainy… We will still experience cloudy weather. There will still be chances of rains for as long as the tail end of cold front affects us,” PAGASA Weather Branch chief Nathaniel Cruz said.

He denied that there are cloud-seeding operations being conducted to induce rains to discourage protesters from joining the mass actions.

Cruz said the prevailing bad weather is more than enough reason not to allow airplanes to fly for cloud-seeding operations.

The Arroyo government is being accused of having a hand in the anomalous national broadband network project deal with ZTE Corporation./DMS

Razon finds no problem with revocation of EO 464

2008-02-28T21:20:00.001-08:00

By Ronron
February 28, 2008

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Avelino Razon, Jr. said Thursday that he finds no problem with the revocation of Executive Order 464, which was recommended by the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) last Tuesday night.

Razon said in fact, even when the said EO was in effect since its issuance in September 2005, he still showed up at the Senate when invited for some hearings.

“For me, it’s okay to revoke EO 464 because I see no problem in facing our Senators and Congressman. I don’t think it will really be a problem,” he told reporters in an interview at Camp Crame yesterday afternoon.

Instead of joining the calls for the resignation of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the CBCP pressed on letting the truth out behind the allegations hurled against the current administration.

To achieve this, the CBCP urged the Arroyo government to junk EO 464, which Arroyo issued to let members of the Executive Branch seek her permission before appearing at Congressional hearings.

The EO was criticized by some sectors as a clear attempt of the Arroyo administration to evade scrutiny, especially that it came at a time when the Senate was probing the alleged electoral fraud in the 2004 Presidential polls.

Razon said he learned from Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno on Wednesday that the Cabinet will already be discussing for the possible review of the imposition of EO 464.

Razon disclosed that no less than Puno will be recommending to the Cabinet for a review on said order.

The police chief, meanwhile, hailed the CBCP statement, saying that by not calling for Arroyo’s resignation, it left a “calming effect on the Christian population.”

“What we can say on the stand of the CBCP not to call for the resignation of the President is that it has a calming effect on the Christian population amidst some calls for resignation, or coup d’ etat, or violence,” Razon said.

“What we are saying is that there should be no violence or resorting to extra-legal means because all these will put down our country again,” he added.

Arroyo’s family and administration is being linked to the alleged anomaly behind the $329-million national broadband network project that was cancelled last year./DMS

Two hurt in vintage bomb blast in Bacolod City

2008-02-28T21:19:00.001-08:00

By Ronron
February 28, 2008

Two persons were injured in an explosion Thursday morning in Bacolod City, police said.

The victims were workers of a machine shop at Barangay Singcang in said city were the blast happened at around 9:30 am.

One of the victims allegedly attempted to cut off a metallic tube using acetylene, without knowing that it contained a suspected 75 mm mortar.

It was not yet known if the suspected vintage bomb was newly acquired by the shop or had been there long before yesterday.

The victims were brought to a hospital in the city where they remain confined for medical treatment./DMS

One killed, five hurt in blast at General Santos City

2008-02-28T21:18:00.000-08:00

By Ronron
February 28, 2008

A man died after an explosive of unknown type that he was allegedly holding blew off late Wednesday night in General Santos City, the city police chief said Thursday.

Sr. Supt. Robert Po told Manila Shimbun in a phone interview that the incident happened at around 10:45 pm at the vicinity of the Old City Hall building in the center of the city.

The Old City Hall is just located at the back of the new city hall building where several people converged for the culmination of the 11-day Kalilangan Festival of the city.

Po said five passersby were also hurt slightly by the blast, which they are considering as “either a case of accidental explosion or pre-mature explosion.”

“The carrier himself was the casualty… His name is Gleen Octaviano, 26 years old, an ambulant vendor,” Po said.

He said they identified Octaviano through the pieces of document recovered from his cart and his co-ambulant vendors in the park.

The five wounded persons, Po said, include a 16-year-old, while the rest are already of legal age.

Po said the crime laboratory office of the Region 12 Police is still ascertaining if the blast was caused by a grenade, pillbox or an improvised explosive device (IED).

“We have not recovered IED parts. But we will still await for the scientific findings,” he said.

Based on that, they will then draw the possible motive behind the blast, Po said. “We don’t have specific motive yet now unless we are able to establish the source or the cause of the explosion – if it was a pillbox, a grenade or an IED.”

At the same time, they will check on the contents of the cellular phone of Octaviano, which police recovered intact.

The last time a bombing rocked the city was on January 30, which happened outside a tuna canning firm located some eight kilometers away from the center of the city.

The incident, which police say was motivated by an extortion attempt allegedly of the Al-Khobar Group, left five people killed./DMS

Student hurt in blast at Surigao del Sur school

2008-02-27T08:14:00.000-08:00

By Ronron
February 27, 2008

A fourth year male high-school student was slightly hurt in an explosion Wednesday afternoon inside a school in Bislig City, Surigao del Sur, the city police chief said.

In a phone interview, Supt. James Goforth said the incident happened almost 3pm inside the campus of Andres Soriano College (ASC) in Mangagoy District.

Goforth said the male suspect was on foot outside of the school when he threw the explosive over the gate and landed at the open field inside.

"We still don't know if it was a grenade or an improvised explosive device… But it's quite remote that it's an act of terrorism," he said in Filipino.

He said initial investigation showed that the suspect, according to an eyewitness, was under the influence of liquor while passing through Lauron Street outside the school.

"We now have a lead on this suspect. Somebody saw him so we are looking for him now," Goforth said.

He said part of their investigation is to find out if the suspect has a gripe against ASC.

The injured victim who was hit slightly in the abdomen was already sent him after he was treated, Goforth said./END

CPP's Ka Roger still alive but under treatment – AFP

2008-02-27T08:13:00.001-08:00

By Ronron
February 27, 2008

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) spokesman Gregorio "Ka Roger" Rosal is still alive, but is undergoing treatment.

AFP Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence Rear Admiral Leonardo Calderon told reporters that Rosal is being treated somewhere in Southern Tagalog.

"The reports indicate that he's sick and is undergoing treatment… within his territory," Calderon said.

Rosal had not been seen and heard for quite a period now, instead, he just issues statements through the internet./DMS

PNP goes on full alert on eve of Makati rally on Friday

2008-02-27T08:11:00.000-08:00

By Ronron
February 27, 2008

The Philippine National Police (PNP) will go on full alert at 6pm Thursday in preparation for Friday's rally in Makati City by militants, civil society, religious, and opposition groups, among others, calling for the ouster of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

At the same time, the PNP Task Force Manila Shield will be activated to secure the rally activities in the capital, said National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Director Geary Barias.

Barias told reporters in Camp Crame, Quezon City that the NCRPO will contribute 1,500 personnel, to be augmented by 3,500 others from Police Regional Offices 1 to 5.

"Although the rally will be basically at Ayala in Makati City, we would also like that we should be prepared in other areas just in case here will be rallies in some other areas. We're talking about EDSA Shrine or even Mendiola," Barias said.

The rally at Makati City was granted a permit by Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay, starting from 5pm up to 8pm, said Barias.

He explained that there is a need to raise the alert level nationwide so that the other regional offices are prepared to respond in case something happens in Metro Manila.

Barias said there is no monitored threat, however, to the gathering tomorrow.

Citing the preparations of the PNP like their dialogue on Tuesday with Binay and other rally organizers, Barias expressed hope that the rally will not turn violent.

"I will assure you, as it was assured by the Mayor of Makati that February 29 will be over with peace and tranquility… February 29 will not even be a threat to national security," he said.

Friday's rally will be held after last Monday's gatherings in Metro Manila and other parts of the country to call for the resignation of Arroyo, who is accused of corruption./DMS

Bomb threats hit QC hall of justice and main Comelec office

2008-02-27T08:10:00.000-08:00

By Ronron
February 27, 2008

A series of bomb threats was received by the Quezon City Hall of Justice and the main Commission on Election (Comelec) office in Manila City on Wednesday, officials said.

All turned out to be hoax after policemen and security personnel conducted clearing operations.

The first threat was made at around 8:15 am at Branch 39 of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court, said Quezon City Police Explosives and Ordnance Division (EOD) head Insp. Arnulfo Franco.

Branch 39 is located at the third floor of the QC Hall of Justice, which is beside the QC Hall.

In a phone interview, Franco said the caller had a female sound and said that there is a bomb inside the courtroom that will explode before 12 noon.

The second call was made at around 9:40 am at Branch 406 on the fourth floor, believed to be by the same caller.

After sweeping operations by the canines of the internal security and the EOD personnel, the entire building was declared bomb-free at around 10 am, Franco said.

He said the bomb threat prompted some people to leave the building in an orderly manner.

"Maybe, these are just people who want to delay some court hearings," Franco said when asked of the possible motive of the caller.

At the Comelec Office, the first bomb threat was received at 10:55 am at the Education and Information Division (EID), which holds office outside of the Palacio del Gobernador on General Luna Street, Intramuros, Manila City.

EID Director James Jimenez said in a separate phone interview that the caller, who had a male-sounding voice, claimed that the Palacio del Gobernador will be blown up at around 11 am.

A few moments later, the perceived similar caller called up another phone line at the EID and bad-mouthed the Comelec employee who received it.

Then, at around 11:05 am, the perceived similar caller made a final call at the same phone line and issued the same threat on blowing up the Palacio del Gobernador.

Upon learning about the calls, the occupants of the building "went out peacefully," and the inherent police personnel and private security proceeded to scour the entire edifice, Jimenez said.

"It was declared negative at around 1:30 pm and then the people started going back," he said.

Jimenez said the "most probable cause" of the bomb threat is the "existing activities at the Comelec such as election recounts or revisions."

"Some partisan groups could have gotten hot under the collar," he said, adding this "is not a novel thing" to the agency already./DMS

FPJ supporters join calls for Arroyo resignation

2008-02-27T08:07:00.000-08:00

By Ronron
February 27, 2008

Despite the death of Fernando Poe, Jr. (FPJ) in 2004, his supporters continue their fight for the ouster of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, whom they accuse of cheating her way to power in 2004.

With fresh allegations of corruption hurled against the Arroyo government stemming from the expose of Rodolfo Lozada, Jr. on the alleged anomaly behind the now-cancelled National Broadband Network (NBN) deal, supporters of FPJ on Wednesday revived their calls for Arroyo’s resignation.

Meeting for the first time at Club Filipino in Greenhills, San Juan after quite a long period, around 20 groups of FPJ supporters yesterday declared support to Lozada and other NBN witnesses, and vowed participation in efforts to oust Arroyo.

“The FPJ advocates will continue to be at the forefront of all protest activities and mobilizations, and be present at the February 29 inter-faith rally of all converging forces for truth and justice,” the group said in a statement.

Rez Cortez, chairman of the FPJ National Council of Concerned Volunteers (NCCV), said they will start joining the mass actions against Arroyo by attending the “Mass for Truth” on Thursday afternoon at the University of Makati.

After the February 29 rally at Makati City, the group will continue to actively campaign for the ouster of Arroyo, such as by joining another Holy Mass at the University of Sto. Tomas in Manila City on March 4th, he said.

“We will try to do it on a daily basis. We will not stop until Gloria Arroyo steps down from the position, which is not really hers,” Cortez said in Filipino, reiterating that Poe was cheated by Arroyo in the 2004 polls.

Oscar Valera, vice president of Filipinos for Peace, Justice and Progress Movement (FPJPM), appealed for Poe’s widow, Susan Roces, to join them in their activities.

“We are calling on Ms. Susan Roces that hopefully, she will join us now in making a stand. Her presence is very important in the crisis we are in now because she is the leader the FPJ supporters look up to,” Valera said in Filipino in the same gathering.

Nonetheless, even without Roces’ leadership, and despite the decision of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) not to call for Arroyo’s resignation, the hundreds of thousands of FPJ supporters will continue with their struggle, said Ed Bacungan of the FPJ Ideals group.

“The CBCP is just playing safe. It’s not that it’s gay or weak. It’s saying that the initiative must come from the people. So Gloria Arroyo should resign before it’s too late,” Bacungan said in the same event.

“We are not dismayed. In fact, we are challenged, we are determined to continue the fight until we see an end to this regime. So we are calling on all supporters of FPJ to join us,” Valera added.

Asked pointblank if there will be a march-to-Malacanang scenario in the coming days
involving FPJ supporters to force Arroyo’s ouster, Cortez just said: “We don’t know that yet. It should happen spontaneously. If that is what the people want, we will follow that. We will be sensitive to the true sentiments of the people.”/DMS

Kenney assures informant will get $10 million reward if Dulmatin’s death is confirmed

2008-02-26T08:05:00.000-08:00

By Ronron
February 26, 2008

US Ambassador to Manila Kristie Kenney assured Tuesday that the $10 million reward for the neutralization of Indonesian bomber Dulmatin will go to the informant if his death is proven through the DNA test.

“We’ll look to find who’s responsible and make sure they get the money,” Kenney said in an interview at Maragondon, Cavite where she graced the launching of a newly-built school courtesy of soldiers who took part in the 2008 RP-US Balikatan exercises.

Dulmatin’s reward come from the US State Department for his alleged involvement in the bombings in Bali, Indonesia a few years back that killed locals and
foreign tourist.

Dulmatin is among the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) members who have allegedly entered the Philippines through the southern backdoor. He is with Umar Patek, who has a $1 million reward, and Marwan, who has a $5 million reward, among others, authorities have said.

Philippine military officials said they are trying to determine if the cadaver retrieved last week in Panglima Sugala, Tawi-tawi belonged to Dulmatin’s. The body belonged to a fighter who allegedly fought against Marine forces last January 31.

They also said they are verifying if Umar Patek was wounded in said encounter.

Kenney said that regardless of the result of the DNA test on the alleged remains of Dulmatin, “I’d like to congratulate the Armed Forces of the Philippines for doing a tremendous job of giving their lives in the south to track terrorists and people who destroyed our ways of life.”

For his part, AFP chief of staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. thanked their US counterparts in the south “for their technical assistance.”

“Without their technical assistance and all other help in pursuing the terrorists in that part of the land, we would not have been as successful,” he said.

Kenney calls the RP-US military partnership as a “great” one, which, she said, not only makes “our lives more peaceful and safer, but… making our lives more prosperous.”

Like it did when they gave the $10 million reward to informants for the death of Abu Sayyaf top leader Khadaffy Janjalani, Kenney said “brave civilians” will also receive the reward for the neutralization of Dulmatin once confirmed.

“There is a process of evaluation all of those who have contributed to all the information that led to the successful operations. Anyway, we have to wait for the result, but the process is now ongoing just in case,” Esperon said.

Kenney said the result should come out “in a couple of weeks,” courtesy of the Philippine National Police and the US Federal Bureau of Investigation.

“If that is not Dulmatin, then it is very important to remember that that’s one terrorist less,” Esperon said./DMS

US watching RP political noise “with great interest”

2008-02-26T08:03:00.000-08:00

By Ronron
February 26, 2008

The United States is “watching with great interest” the current political noise in Manila brought about by allegations of corruption in the Arroyo government.

But US envoy to Manila Kristie Kenney said they just hope that “our Filipino friends… honors the rule of law, remains peaceful and within the bounds of the Constitution” in the exercise of their freedom of expression and other democratic rights.

“We regard it as healthy. The free expression of views is the cornerstone of democracy. The peaceful protests, the expression of views is what makes our democracies great,” Kenney told reporters Tuesday in Maragondon, Cavite during the launching of a newly-built school courtesy of soldiers participating in the 2008 RP-US Balikatan Exercises.

Mass actions have frequented the capital and other key cities elsewhere to call for the resignation of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo after her administration was linked to the alleged anomalous deal with ZTE Corporation for the implementation of
the $329-million National Broadband Network project.

After Monday’s rallies that coincided with the celebration of the 22nd anniversary of the 1986 People Power Revolution that ended the dictatorial rule of former President Ferdinand Marcos, another event will be held this Friday in Makati City.

Kenney refused to comment on the issues hounding the Arroyo administration, except: “I think, from the US perspective, we’re watching as we always do. It’s a
lively and energetic Philippine democracy. Lots of citizens with lots of views.”/DMS

Association of military and police generals seek "truth" behind Lozada expose

2008-02-26T08:01:00.000-08:00

By Ronron
February 26, 2008

The Association of Generals and Flag Officers (AGFO), which is comprised of active and retired officers of the military and police, is urging men in uniform not to intervene in the current political noise, instead they should join the calls in seeking for the truth behind the allegation of Rodolfo Lozada, Jr.

"AGFO is appealing to all military and other law enforcement personnel, as well as to every Filipino in all sectors of society, to exercise restraint, observe sobriety and circumspection in addressing the present political situation," AGFO President and Chairman retired Brig. Gen. Jaime Echeverria said in an interview Tuesday at Camp
Aguinaldo.

"AGFO supports the on-going quest for truth and justice… In resolving existing political issues, due process, the rule of law and full transparency and accountability in all government transactions… shall be adhered to," he added.

Echeverria, who participated in coup plots during the Aquino administration and was a security officer of the late Presidentiable Fernando Poe, Jr., said some key leaders of AGFP held a special meeting yesterday morning to discuss the current situation, which they consider "serious."

Lozada had testified that the now-cancelled $329-million National Broadband Network project, which was awarded to China's ZTE Corporation, was rigged with anomaly.

A former consultant to the project, Lozada alleged that the former Comelec Chairman Benjamin Abalos sought a $130 million kickback after brokering for ZTE Corporation.

He implied that First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo knew of the alleged act of Abalos, but tolerated it.

Former NEDA Secretary Romulo Neri also alleged that Abalos promised him P200 million if he made sure that the project is given a go-signal in favor of ZTE Corporation.

But when told about it, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo allegedly just told him to proceed with the project without accepting the alleged amount.

Calls for Arroyo's resignation have snowballed this month, the last to do it was former President Corazon Aquino yesterday.

Asked if AGFO supports these calls, Echeverria just said: "We are not saying we'll support or will not support. We do not get involve in such personal calls. We go for issues."

In directing those in the uniformed service not to intervene in the political turmoil, Echeverria echoed Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Jr.'s statement that soldiers and policemen should not be distracted from their focus on their mission and duties.

"In the midst of this political problem that we have, if our soldiers will get carried away and forget their mission, that is dangerous," he said.

Past mass actions of the people in 1986 and 2001 have effected regime change after the military intervened.

The AGFO is composed of 750 active and retired generals of the military and police, including Esperon and PNP chief Gen. Avelino Razon, Jr. who act as ex-officio chairmen.

But Echeverria said the AGFO did not consult Esperon and Razon in their meeting yesterday./DMS

Prescription of Articles of War violations of Feb 06 coup plotters not yet definite

2008-02-26T07:56:00.000-08:00

By Ronron
February 26, 2008

The supposed dropping on the basis of prescription of some charges against the 28 accused Army and Marine officers over the alleged February 2006 coup plot is not yet certain, a military court president said Monday.

Maj. Gen. Jogy Leo Fojas told Manila Shimbun in a chance interview that the matter of prescription is not automatic, rather it will have to be decided upon by them in the forthcoming hearings.

Defense lawyer Trixie Angeles said all charges, except violation of Articles of War 67 (Mutiny), against the group of Marine Maj. Gen. Renato Miranda and Army Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim should be dropped based on the case prescription rule.

She said that under Articles of War 38, "no person (in the military) shall be brought to trial" if the alleged offense he or she committed has lapsed two years since the commission without being arraigned.

Angeles said that in the next hearing, the defense lawyers will raise the prescription issue in a form of special plea or a demurrer.

The case that need to be dropped, she said, are the violations of Articles of War 63 (Disrespect Towards the President, Vice President, Congress of the Philippines, or Secretary of National Defense); 65 (Assaulting or Willfully Disobeying Superior Officer); 96 (Conduct Unbecoming of an Officer and a Gentleman); and, 97 (Conduct Prejudicial to Good Order and Military Discipline).

"We can say that our clients are not guilty on the basis that the alleged acts itself have already prescribed," Angeles said in a phone interview Monday.

All 28 accused officers are charged with violation of AW 67, which they allegedly conspired to commit on February 23, and AW 96.

However, Lim has an additional charge of violation of AW 63, 65, and 97; Marine Col. Ariel Querubin with AW 65 and 97; and Marine Lt. Col. Achilles Segumalian with AW 97.

These additional charges stemmed from acts allegedly committed on February 24 and 26.

The other accused Marine officers are the following: Col. Orlando de Leon, Col. Januario Caringal, Col. Armando Bañez, Lt. Col. Custodio Parcon, Maj. Francisco Domingo Fernandez, and 1Lt. Belinda Ferrer.

Their other co-accused from the Army are the following: Lt. Col. Nestor Flordeliza, Lt. Col. Edmundo Malabanjot, Maj. Jason Laureano Aquino, Maj. Jose Leomar Doctolero, Capt. James Sababan, Capt. Montano Almodovar, Capt. Joey Fontiveros, Capt. Ruben Guinolbay, Capt. Isagani Criste, Capt. William Upano, Capt. Dante Langkit, Capt. Allan Aurino, Capt. Frederick Sales, 1Lt Ervin Divinagracia, 1Lt. Jacon Cordero, 1Lt. Homer Estolas, 1Lt. Sandro Sereno, and 1Lt. Richiemel Caballes.

Lim's additional charges stemmed from his videotaped statement about his planned withdrawal of support from President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, and his defiance from then AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Generoso Senga's order that he order his men to go back to barracks on the eve of February 24 when the power grab plot was to be executed.

Querubin also has additional charges because he was with Lim when the latter talked to Senga and other top military brass on the night of February 23 about their men's plan to join the protest march on the following day on EDSA, which was the 20th anniversary of the 1986 People Power Revolution.

Segumalian, meanwhile, is slapped with an additional charge for figuring in at the standoff at the Marine headquarters in Fort Bonifacio on February 26 after learning that Miranda was unceremoniously relieved as Marine commandant.

Fojas said he expects a heated debate on the prescription issue in the coming hearing because he anticipates the prosecution to counter the Article of War 38 rule by citing a provision that says the prescription period starts from the filing of the charges, and not from the alleged commission of the crime.

"As far as the Articles of War 96 and 97, there are some opposing views, different views regarding their prescription. That is what we are studying, that is what we are trying to confirm. Because there are some who say that there is no prescription," Fojas said.

Fojas said that he himself is not yet certain if the time of reckoning for the prescription of the other cases should be from "the time the offense was committed or from the time the charges were filed," which was in December 2006 after Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. ordered the conduct of court martial proceedings against the group of Miranda.

Esperon, for his part, told Manila Shimbun in a separate chance interview Monday that while he believes that the date of reckoning is when the alleged crime was committed, the two-year period may have to be extended "due to manifest interruptions like unreasonable delays" on the part of the accused.

But Angeles said there is no law that backs this claim of Esperon.

She said that if there were delays in the proceedings, it is because the prosecution did not follow the proper procedures such as giving the accused copies of the pre-trial investigation report (PTIR), and the pre-trial advise (PTA).

The accused were only able to get copies of the PTIR in April last year even if it was already available in October of 2006.

The PTIR, which recommended for the dropping of charges against most of the accused including Mutiny, is supposed to be a basis of Esperon in deciding whether or not the 28 accused will proceed to court martial proceedings.

It was subjected to review by Esperon's Senior Judge Advocate (SJA) or legal adviser, Col. Pedro Davila, who later overturned its recommendations. Davila's recommendation was contained in the PTA.

When the defense got a copy of the PTA two months later or in June last year, it raised doubts on the veracity of the 171-page document since it did not indicate if Esperon approved it or not, as it only bore the signature of Davila.

Responding to the defense' queries, Davila explained that Esperon is not obliged to sign the PTA document as having been approved or not because he only has to manifest it in a separate memorandum.

"It can't be a delay on the part of the accused, rather an assertion of their rights (to have the PTIR and PTA)," Angeles stressed.

The defense lawyers had surmised that the military prosecution refused initially to furnish the accused copies of the PTIR and PTA out of fear that these could work to their advantage.

Another delaying factor in the arraignment process was the issue of arraigning the accused in batches, which the defense lawyers strongly objected to.

Esperon, nonetheless, is quite confident that the other charges against the accused will not prescribe. "I don't think it will prescribe," he said.

Angeles said if this happens, then they will take up the matter before the Court of Appeals. Although, she sees no reason why the court martial should not rule in the favor of the accused as to the prescription issue. Among the motions of the defense that the panel granted, she said, is the access to the PTIR and the PTA.

If the prescription is approved, on the other hand, Esperon said he has no problem with it "if it is within the rules." "What is important is the rules are followed," the military chief said.

Besides, whether the other cases prescribe or not, Esperon said the full force of the law will still be imposed on the accused.

Fojas said the accused will still be facing the more serious charge of Mutiny in case the other charges are dropped based on prescription.

"The bearing (of the prescription) is only on the number of charges against the accused. There will just be lesser charges against them. The mutiny, which is more difficult, still remains," he said.

He said they will also still be in confinement.

But Angeles said that somehow, if the other charges are dropped based on prescription, this will work for a "greater defense."

"Mutiny has specific elements such as disobedience to military authority. Considering the charge sheet and the alleged acts, and the PTIR, it is clear that there was no mutiny committed by the accused," she said.

While Angeles refused to admit that a prescription of the other charges means a greater chance of the exoneration of the accused with only mutiny left to defend, she said it would have been more difficult to defend the other cases because they are supposed to be "catch-all offenses."

Asked if the panel will entertain a motion of the defense in the next hearing on the prescription issue, Fojas said: "We will cross the bridge when we are there."

But when asked what is the most likely agendum, he said: "We will go for the arraignment next hearing."

He said the panel has yet to decide on the date of the next hearing./DMS

Two Reds killed in Aurora clash

2008-02-26T07:54:00.000-08:00

By Ronron
February 26, 2008

Two suspected communist rebels died in an encounter Monday with government troops in Aurora province, a military official said.

Maj. Gen. Rodrigo Maclang of the Armed Forces Northern Luzon Command(NOLCOM) said the clash happened at around 4:30 pm at Sitio Maligaya, Barangay Tabas, Casiguran town.

He said elements of the Philippine Army's 69th Infantry Battalion were patrolling said area when they encountered an undetermined number of suspected members of the New People's Army (NPA).

The clash resulted in the death of two rebels, whose remains were recovered, and the recovery of three M16 rifles and one M14 rifle.

Maclang said pursuit operations were conducted, but no results have been reported yet.

The 5,760-strong NPA has been waging guerilla warfare in the countryside for almost four decades now, although the government intends to neutralize them by 2010 when President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ends her term.

Peace talks between the communists and the Arroyo government bogged down in August 2004 after foreign governments tagged the former as terrorists./DMS