When this sort of thing happened in the Philippines back before September 2001 no one cared or noticed. Does the West care now?
8 dead in suspected Manila mall bomb
An explosion rocked a Manila shopping mall on Friday in a suspected bomb attack, killing at least eight people and injuring dozens more, police and Red Cross officials said.
Red Cross records showed that 89 more were injured in the explosion at the Glorietta shopping centre in metropolitan Manila's financial district of Makati.
Initial police reports said the blast could have been triggered by a liquified petroleum gas (LPG) tank in one of the restaurants inside the Glorietta shopping centre but investigators began to consider a bombing after surveying the damage.
Randy Naive, who suffered deep cuts on his arms and hands from broken glass, said he was just thankful that he was able to survive the blast.
Naive said he was on the way out of the mall after window shopping when the explosion occurred.
"A few steps after I got down from the escalator, there was a deafening explosion," he said. "Then it went very dark. There was smoke, very thick smoke and I was choking."
Naive said he was lucky he felt water running from where he sat and he washed off his face to avoid choking.
"After a few minutes of darkness, I saw a light. I moved toward it slowly. I heard cries behind me but I continued moving toward the light because I could feel my arm bleeding profusely," he added. "I called for help and I saw people moving toward me."
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo convened an emergency meeting of the National Security Council to evaluate the incident.
Arroyo appealed for unity in sobriety in the light of the recent incident, noting that there were indications that the explosion was caused by a bomb.
"The police and the armed forces are on highest alert and are fielding an additional 2,000 personnel to secure our public place and to prevent possible similar occurrence," she said in a statement.
"We urge all sectors to remain vigilant as the government steps up security measures to protect our people," she added.
Deputy Director General Geary Barias, chief of the police in the Philippine capital, admitted the damage from the explosion was too extensive for an LPG blast.
"Earlier I told the media that the cause of the explosion was supposed to be an LPG," he said. "This time we are not discounting the possibility of anything."
Barias said he ordered the setting up of checkpoints in key areas. He also directed the deployment of additional police forces in shopping malls and vital installations.
Police Director General Avelino Razon, who also visited the explosion area, said he was sure that the blast was not caused by LPG.
"From the destruction that I saw, this wasn't caused by an LPG," he said. "This was a bomb, but beyond that I cannot say anything because this is still being investigated."
Alfie Reyes, spokesman for the Ayala Land Corporation which operates the mall, said it was unlikely the explosion could have occurred in one of the restaurants in the area.
"At this time we are not in a position to tell you exactly what type of explosion occurred," he said. "It does not appear at the moment that (the explosion) could have emanated from any of the restaurants."
Makati City Councillor JonJon Binay who led the rescue operations said the explosion produced a crater about eight metres wide, while the sunroof of the mall was also blown off.
Part of the walkway leading to the mall was also destroyed and debris was strewn around in the vicinity of the blast area.
Showing posts with label Philippines. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Philippines. Show all posts
Friday, October 19, 2007
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Malaysia Threatens to Pull Out Monitors
Someone please tell the increasingly pompus and self-righteous Islamic busy-body known as Malaysia to take a hike. Why the Pinoys even waste their time "talking" to the MILF after all this time is a mystery. Just defeat them and be done with it.
Malaysia may pull peace monitors from Philippines
Malaysia has threatened to withdraw monitors overseeing a four-year ceasefire between the Philippine army and the country's biggest Muslim separatist guerrilla group because of delays in peace talks, sources said on Tuesday.
Tension has risen lately between the army and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), with both sides accusing the other of breaking the truce during a skirmish on the island of Basilan last week.
On Tuesday, at least four Navy commandos and six rebels died in another firefight on Basilan, as Philippine troops pursued the Abu Sayyaf group, which has close links with the MILF.
A resumption in peace talks, scheduled to take place in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur next month, is in doubt again after four postponements. The talks broke down a year ago amid disagreements over the size and wealth of a proposed ancestral homeland for Muslims on the southern island of Mindanao.
Government and rebel sources told Reuters the Malaysian government was getting impatient, and threatened during an informal meeting in Kuala Lumpur last week to recall its 60 monitors to pressure the sides to resume talks.
Mohaqher Iqbal, the rebels' chief negotiator, told Reuters in a phone interview from his hideout on Mindanao that any withdrawal of Malaysian soldiers would endanger the truce and harm implementation of development projects.
"If that happens, it would have a big impact on the peace process," Iqbal said.
Unarmed Malaysian soldiers have been in Mindanao since 2004 as part of an effort to end nearly 40 years of conflict that has killed more than 120,000 people and displaced 2 million. Libya and Brunei also have small contingents in the monitoring team.
Iqbar said last week's meeting in Kuala Lumpur had been "productive" but had failed to fix a date for formal talks.
"Our differences were not really poles apart, we've narrowed the gaps from where we started two years ago," Iqbar said.
"But our counterparts could not commit to anything without the approval of the political leadership in Manila," he said.
"The government must have political will to conclude the peace process."
Last week, the military accused MILF members of helping a band of Abu Sayyaf rebels during a firefight on Basilan island and threatened to file a protest to a ceasefire panel.
The MILF countered by saying Philippine troops had entered rebel territory without coordinating with the panel, and had attacked one of its camps.
There was no word on any MILF involvement in Tuesday's fighting, sparked by a pre-dawn raid on a suspected Abu Sayyaf hideout.
Mindanao has been a focus of international attention because Western governments believe it has been a training base for islamic militants with links to Al Qaeda and regional group Jemaah Islamiah.
Japan has been funding about $1 million worth of social and economic projects, including repairs of school buildings and installation of potable water systems.
The World Bank has a separate $3 million project helping set up cooperatives to start and manage small businesses, such as copra and rice production.
Canada, Sweden and the United States have also expressed keen interest in funding post-conflict livelihood projects and helping facilitate the negotiations brokered by Malaysia since 2001.
"I hope the government realises what it stands to lose if the peace process fails," Iqbal said.
Oh well then, we all should just surrender to Allah's Army of Halfwits and be done with it.
Malaysia may pull peace monitors from Philippines
Malaysia has threatened to withdraw monitors overseeing a four-year ceasefire between the Philippine army and the country's biggest Muslim separatist guerrilla group because of delays in peace talks, sources said on Tuesday.
Tension has risen lately between the army and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), with both sides accusing the other of breaking the truce during a skirmish on the island of Basilan last week.
On Tuesday, at least four Navy commandos and six rebels died in another firefight on Basilan, as Philippine troops pursued the Abu Sayyaf group, which has close links with the MILF.
A resumption in peace talks, scheduled to take place in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur next month, is in doubt again after four postponements. The talks broke down a year ago amid disagreements over the size and wealth of a proposed ancestral homeland for Muslims on the southern island of Mindanao.
Government and rebel sources told Reuters the Malaysian government was getting impatient, and threatened during an informal meeting in Kuala Lumpur last week to recall its 60 monitors to pressure the sides to resume talks.
Mohaqher Iqbal, the rebels' chief negotiator, told Reuters in a phone interview from his hideout on Mindanao that any withdrawal of Malaysian soldiers would endanger the truce and harm implementation of development projects.
"If that happens, it would have a big impact on the peace process," Iqbal said.
Unarmed Malaysian soldiers have been in Mindanao since 2004 as part of an effort to end nearly 40 years of conflict that has killed more than 120,000 people and displaced 2 million. Libya and Brunei also have small contingents in the monitoring team.
Iqbar said last week's meeting in Kuala Lumpur had been "productive" but had failed to fix a date for formal talks.
"Our differences were not really poles apart, we've narrowed the gaps from where we started two years ago," Iqbar said.
"But our counterparts could not commit to anything without the approval of the political leadership in Manila," he said.
"The government must have political will to conclude the peace process."
Last week, the military accused MILF members of helping a band of Abu Sayyaf rebels during a firefight on Basilan island and threatened to file a protest to a ceasefire panel.
The MILF countered by saying Philippine troops had entered rebel territory without coordinating with the panel, and had attacked one of its camps.
There was no word on any MILF involvement in Tuesday's fighting, sparked by a pre-dawn raid on a suspected Abu Sayyaf hideout.
Mindanao has been a focus of international attention because Western governments believe it has been a training base for islamic militants with links to Al Qaeda and regional group Jemaah Islamiah.
Japan has been funding about $1 million worth of social and economic projects, including repairs of school buildings and installation of potable water systems.
The World Bank has a separate $3 million project helping set up cooperatives to start and manage small businesses, such as copra and rice production.
Canada, Sweden and the United States have also expressed keen interest in funding post-conflict livelihood projects and helping facilitate the negotiations brokered by Malaysia since 2001.
"I hope the government realises what it stands to lose if the peace process fails," Iqbal said.
Oh well then, we all should just surrender to Allah's Army of Halfwits and be done with it.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Erap Appeal
Estrada asks Sandiganbayan to reverse conviction
Former president Joseph Estrada has filed a motion for reconsideration asking the Sandiganbayan anti-graft court’s special division to reverse its September 12 verdict convicting him of plunder.
In his motion, Estrada, through his lawyers, said the court erred when it convicted him by acquitted his alleged co-conspirators.
The motion also said Estrada had been denied his right to be presumed innocent and had been convicted “on the basis of surmises, inferences and speculative evidence,” and that “the court had pyramided inference upon inference to build a case for conviction against President Estrada.”
"This cannot be done under our rules of evidence," it stressed.
"The crime of plunder is basically a crime involving conspiracy by many persons, and the two alleged conspirators of President Estrada, namely, Attorney Edward Serapio and Senator [Jose] Jinggoy Estrada, were acquitted by the court. Due to the failure of the information to include the other co-conspirators, this is fatal to the prosecution," the motion said
"An allegation of conspiracy, or one that would impute criminal liability to an accused for the act of another or others, is indispensable in order to hold such person equally guilty with the others. Failure to include in the information the co-conspirators as defendants would deprive the accused of his right to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation against him, in violation of the constitutional guarantee," it added.
Estrada’s motion also claimed the anti-graft court admitted “inadmissible hearsay” evidence, "which violated the right of the accused to confront [the] witnesses against him."
They pointed that while the court rejected the testimony of former Ilocos Sur governor Luis "Chavit" Singson, which led to the acquittal of Serapio and the younger Estrada, Singson’s testimony about Estrada was accepted, along with other collaborating evidence.
"The court used, by way of corroboration, the listahan, or ledgers, prepared by or under the supervision of the same witness. This is a bootstrapping argument, where the written ‘ledgers’ of the witness were used to corroborate the oral testimony of that witness,” the motion said.
The motion said this was against the rules of evidence and was “also unusual because it was proven that Chavit Singson manufactured formal documents to show that the P200 million tobacco excise tax was fully liquidated and settled,” it said.
The motion also said Estrada was convicted based on “circumstantial evidence” although “the factual bases for such evidence were not proven.”
It said the Sandiganbayan also erred when it assumed that the four counts of plunder he had been charged with were separate and independent acts instead of being considered the means through which only one crime of plunder was committed.
"As a result, under the decision of Sept. 12, 2007, the accused was burdened four times heavier than the prosecution,” it said.
“In other words, the accused, if he worked for an acquittal, would have to prove his innocence four times, while the prosecution would have to prove only one of the four counts to obtain a conviction,” it added. “This violates the sporting idea of fair play, which is the essence of due process, and it resulted in mistrial."
The motion also said the prosecution failed to prove that the crimes Estrada was accused of had been committed “by reason of his public office.”
"The decision of the Sandiganbayan, while calling the acts attributed to the accused as ‘plunder,’ actually convicted him of illegal gambling,” the motion said.
But even then, it said, “no evidence was presented to prove this allegation. In fact, there was even no evidence to prove that there was illegal gambling. Since the money allegedly collected by the principal witness, Chavit Singson, [was] all private moneys, the other element of plunder alleged…’unjustly enriching himself or themselves at the expense and to the damage of the Filipino people and the Republic of the Philippines,’ had no proof to stand on.”
“An accused can be convicted of an offense only when it is both charged and proved," it stressed
Estrada was convicted after the court said the evidence showed he had accepted kickbacks from the illegal numbers game “jueteng” and receiving a commission from the sales of shares of stock in Belle Corp.
He was sentenced to reclusion perpetua, which carries a jail term of between 20 to 40 years imprisonment.
Former president Joseph Estrada has filed a motion for reconsideration asking the Sandiganbayan anti-graft court’s special division to reverse its September 12 verdict convicting him of plunder.
In his motion, Estrada, through his lawyers, said the court erred when it convicted him by acquitted his alleged co-conspirators.
The motion also said Estrada had been denied his right to be presumed innocent and had been convicted “on the basis of surmises, inferences and speculative evidence,” and that “the court had pyramided inference upon inference to build a case for conviction against President Estrada.”
"This cannot be done under our rules of evidence," it stressed.
"The crime of plunder is basically a crime involving conspiracy by many persons, and the two alleged conspirators of President Estrada, namely, Attorney Edward Serapio and Senator [Jose] Jinggoy Estrada, were acquitted by the court. Due to the failure of the information to include the other co-conspirators, this is fatal to the prosecution," the motion said
"An allegation of conspiracy, or one that would impute criminal liability to an accused for the act of another or others, is indispensable in order to hold such person equally guilty with the others. Failure to include in the information the co-conspirators as defendants would deprive the accused of his right to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation against him, in violation of the constitutional guarantee," it added.
Estrada’s motion also claimed the anti-graft court admitted “inadmissible hearsay” evidence, "which violated the right of the accused to confront [the] witnesses against him."
They pointed that while the court rejected the testimony of former Ilocos Sur governor Luis "Chavit" Singson, which led to the acquittal of Serapio and the younger Estrada, Singson’s testimony about Estrada was accepted, along with other collaborating evidence.
"The court used, by way of corroboration, the listahan, or ledgers, prepared by or under the supervision of the same witness. This is a bootstrapping argument, where the written ‘ledgers’ of the witness were used to corroborate the oral testimony of that witness,” the motion said.
The motion said this was against the rules of evidence and was “also unusual because it was proven that Chavit Singson manufactured formal documents to show that the P200 million tobacco excise tax was fully liquidated and settled,” it said.
The motion also said Estrada was convicted based on “circumstantial evidence” although “the factual bases for such evidence were not proven.”
It said the Sandiganbayan also erred when it assumed that the four counts of plunder he had been charged with were separate and independent acts instead of being considered the means through which only one crime of plunder was committed.
"As a result, under the decision of Sept. 12, 2007, the accused was burdened four times heavier than the prosecution,” it said.
“In other words, the accused, if he worked for an acquittal, would have to prove his innocence four times, while the prosecution would have to prove only one of the four counts to obtain a conviction,” it added. “This violates the sporting idea of fair play, which is the essence of due process, and it resulted in mistrial."
The motion also said the prosecution failed to prove that the crimes Estrada was accused of had been committed “by reason of his public office.”
"The decision of the Sandiganbayan, while calling the acts attributed to the accused as ‘plunder,’ actually convicted him of illegal gambling,” the motion said.
But even then, it said, “no evidence was presented to prove this allegation. In fact, there was even no evidence to prove that there was illegal gambling. Since the money allegedly collected by the principal witness, Chavit Singson, [was] all private moneys, the other element of plunder alleged…’unjustly enriching himself or themselves at the expense and to the damage of the Filipino people and the Republic of the Philippines,’ had no proof to stand on.”
“An accused can be convicted of an offense only when it is both charged and proved," it stressed
Estrada was convicted after the court said the evidence showed he had accepted kickbacks from the illegal numbers game “jueteng” and receiving a commission from the sales of shares of stock in Belle Corp.
He was sentenced to reclusion perpetua, which carries a jail term of between 20 to 40 years imprisonment.
2 Soldier Killed in Pinoy Duffy
How is it in the Philippines they are "Islamic Extremists" but in Thailand they are "Seperatists" or just "Restive"?
Two Philippine soldiers dead in assault on Muslim extremists
Two soldiers were killed and nine wounded in a clash with Al-Qaeda-linked Muslim extremists on the southern Philippine island of Basilan, military officials said Wednesday.
The Abu Sayyaf Muslim extremist group also suffered an undetermined number of casualties as the government stepped up its operations against rebels who killed 14 Marines -- beheading 10 of them -- in an ambush in July.
Abu Sayyaf members were seen dragging their fallen comrades away from the battle site, said regional military spokesman Major Eugene Batarra.
Intelligence reports indicated they suffered several dead and wounded, he added.
The two soldiers killed were members of Philippine special forces who were spearheading an assault on a group of Abu Sayyaf led by Furuji Indama who were involved in the July 10 ambush, said Brigadier General Arturo Ortiz, head of the army special forces.
The government responded to the July ambush with a massive military offensive leading to a clash on August 18 that left 16 Marines dead and about 30 Abu Sayyaf militants dead or wounded. However, Indama's group escaped the offensive.
Since then, there have been no reports of heightened fighting between the government and the Abu Sayyaf, which has been linked by intelligence agencies to Osama bin Laden's Al-Qaeda network.
The Abu Sayyaf has been blamed for the worst terror attacks in Philippine history including bombings and mass kidnappings of foreigners and Christians.
US Special Forces are in the southern Philippines helping local troops hunt down members of the group.
Two Philippine soldiers dead in assault on Muslim extremists
Two soldiers were killed and nine wounded in a clash with Al-Qaeda-linked Muslim extremists on the southern Philippine island of Basilan, military officials said Wednesday.
The Abu Sayyaf Muslim extremist group also suffered an undetermined number of casualties as the government stepped up its operations against rebels who killed 14 Marines -- beheading 10 of them -- in an ambush in July.
Abu Sayyaf members were seen dragging their fallen comrades away from the battle site, said regional military spokesman Major Eugene Batarra.
Intelligence reports indicated they suffered several dead and wounded, he added.
The two soldiers killed were members of Philippine special forces who were spearheading an assault on a group of Abu Sayyaf led by Furuji Indama who were involved in the July 10 ambush, said Brigadier General Arturo Ortiz, head of the army special forces.
The government responded to the July ambush with a massive military offensive leading to a clash on August 18 that left 16 Marines dead and about 30 Abu Sayyaf militants dead or wounded. However, Indama's group escaped the offensive.
Since then, there have been no reports of heightened fighting between the government and the Abu Sayyaf, which has been linked by intelligence agencies to Osama bin Laden's Al-Qaeda network.
The Abu Sayyaf has been blamed for the worst terror attacks in Philippine history including bombings and mass kidnappings of foreigners and Christians.
US Special Forces are in the southern Philippines helping local troops hunt down members of the group.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Pinoy Shootout
10 killed in ambush of ex-vice governor in south Philippines
Ten people were killed and three others were injured including a former vice governor in an exchange of fires in the south Philippines' North Cotabato province, a military official said on Wednesday.
The shootout occurred at around 9:45 a.m. Wednesday morning when the convoy of Norodin Matalam, former vice governor of the neighboring Maguindanao province, was chased by armed villagers.
"Matalam's escorts and the villagers got out of the vehicles and opened fire against each other," said Col. Pedro Soria, commander of the Army's 602nd Brigade.
Matalam and his wife survived the shootout but were injured. The leader of the attacking villagers, Tayatog, and six of his men were killed on the spot. Three men from the other side were also dead after the crossfire, Soria said.
Soria said Matalam is recovering in the hospital and the cause of the shootout is under investigation.
Local news network ABS-CBN News said Matalam belongs to an influential Muslim political clan, and police are investigating whether the attack was politically motivated.
Ten people were killed and three others were injured including a former vice governor in an exchange of fires in the south Philippines' North Cotabato province, a military official said on Wednesday.
The shootout occurred at around 9:45 a.m. Wednesday morning when the convoy of Norodin Matalam, former vice governor of the neighboring Maguindanao province, was chased by armed villagers.
"Matalam's escorts and the villagers got out of the vehicles and opened fire against each other," said Col. Pedro Soria, commander of the Army's 602nd Brigade.
Matalam and his wife survived the shootout but were injured. The leader of the attacking villagers, Tayatog, and six of his men were killed on the spot. Three men from the other side were also dead after the crossfire, Soria said.
Soria said Matalam is recovering in the hospital and the cause of the shootout is under investigation.
Local news network ABS-CBN News said Matalam belongs to an influential Muslim political clan, and police are investigating whether the attack was politically motivated.
Monday, September 17, 2007
MILF Pulls Back?
The MILF has aparently abandoned some areas and now is offering to "pull out" others. Is this a sign of success or a tactic? Only time will tell.
Military welcomes MILF pull-out offer
As far as the military is concerned, there are no recognized camps of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in Basilan.
But the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) nonetheless welcomes the MILF's offer to pull out of the province to enable the military to go after Abu Sayyaf extremists.
"It's up to them. But ever since, we do not recognize any MILF camp in Basilan," Marine Brigadier General Juancho Sabban, deputy commander of the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom), told reporters in a phone interview on Monday.
He said the MILF claimed to have a battalion, or some 500 men, in Basilan.
Sabban also heads Task Force Thunder, the military's offensive against the Abu Sayyaf terrorist group in retaliation for the killing of 14 Marine soldiers, 10 of whom were beheaded, in Basilan last July.
Sabban said the MILF's offer would "definitely help" the military offensive.
He said the MILF rebels could temporarily stay in Barangay (village) Ginanta in Al-Barka to avoid the military operations against the Abu Sayyaf.
MILF spokesperson Eid Kabalu said over the weekend that their group would abandon strongholds in Basilan and Sulu to give way to a "big military offensive" against the Abu Sayyaf bandits and avoid "misencounters" with government troops.
The offer was also seen as a gesture of goodwill on the part of the MILF ahead of the resumption of the stalled peace talks between the rebel secessionist group and the government.
Military welcomes MILF pull-out offer
As far as the military is concerned, there are no recognized camps of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in Basilan.
But the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) nonetheless welcomes the MILF's offer to pull out of the province to enable the military to go after Abu Sayyaf extremists.
"It's up to them. But ever since, we do not recognize any MILF camp in Basilan," Marine Brigadier General Juancho Sabban, deputy commander of the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom), told reporters in a phone interview on Monday.
He said the MILF claimed to have a battalion, or some 500 men, in Basilan.
Sabban also heads Task Force Thunder, the military's offensive against the Abu Sayyaf terrorist group in retaliation for the killing of 14 Marine soldiers, 10 of whom were beheaded, in Basilan last July.
Sabban said the MILF's offer would "definitely help" the military offensive.
He said the MILF rebels could temporarily stay in Barangay (village) Ginanta in Al-Barka to avoid the military operations against the Abu Sayyaf.
MILF spokesperson Eid Kabalu said over the weekend that their group would abandon strongholds in Basilan and Sulu to give way to a "big military offensive" against the Abu Sayyaf bandits and avoid "misencounters" with government troops.
The offer was also seen as a gesture of goodwill on the part of the MILF ahead of the resumption of the stalled peace talks between the rebel secessionist group and the government.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Erap Gets Life
Deposed Philippine president given life sentence for plunder
A Philippine court convicted deposed President Joseph Estrada of plunder and sentenced him to life in prison Wednesday, following a six-year trial in which the constitutionality of the law was challenged.
Estrada, 70, was found not guilty of perjury. Prosecutors alleged he falsely declared his financial assets.
In a phone interview with CNN, Estrada said the next step for his legal team would be to appeal his conviction in the Sandiganbayan anti-graft court to the country's Supreme Court.
"It's not yet the end of the road, we still have (an) option to appeal our case to the Supreme Court," the former president said.
Estrada's son Jose "Jinggoy" Estrada and Attorney Edward Serapio were co-defendants in the case, but were acquitted of the plunder charges.
Prosecutors, however, lauded the decision in news reports. "This is the last chance for the state to show that we can do it, that we can charge, prosecute and convict a public official regardless of his stature," special prosecutor Dennis Villa-Ignacio said in an Associated Press report. "It shows that our judicial system really works."
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Abu Sayyaf Bombers Busted
Arrests in the Philippines
Philippine police seize 7 men suspected of tourist island bomb plots
Police have disrupted plots by Muslim militants to bomb tourist and shopping locations in the volatile southern Philippines with the arrests of seven suspects, officials said Tuesday.
Police deputy director Avelino Razon identified those detained as operatives of the al-Qaida-linked Abu Sayyaf group and the Indonesian-based Jemaah Islamiyah who were suspected of plotting attacks to divert attention from an ongoing military offensive against militants on Basilan and Jolo islands.
The arrests included three suspected Abu Sayyaf bomb experts on southwestern Palawan island, a resort province and popular tourist destination northwest of Basilan and Jolo. Some of the seven detained were armed with explosives.
Razon said the suspects told interrogators they had assembled four improvised explosive devices, one of which was recovered Sunday near a mosque in Puerto Princesa, Palawan's provincial capital. The three other devices have not been found, he said.
One of those arrested, Omar Jakarain, also known as Abu Moguera, was wanted for his involvement in the 2001 kidnapping of American and other tourists from Palawan's Dos Palmas resort. That yearlong kidnapping saga left several hostages dead, including two Americans.
Military chief Hermogenes Esperon said Moguera was a member of a terror cell connected with Jemaah Islamiyah fugitive Dulmatin, who has been evading a U.S.-backed offensive in the southern Philippines since fleeing Indonesia shortly after the 2002 Bali bombings.
Moguera was arrested with two other people. Police raided the house of another Abu Sayyaf suspect in Puerto Princesa on Sunday, and apprehended two more people amid fears that terrorists may target the city hall, public markets and beach resorts.
Another man was caught in General Santos city Saturday, on the main southern island of Mindanao, carrying a homemade bomb he allegedly planned to set off inside a shopping mall, Chief Superintendent Felizardo Serapio said.
Military spokesman Lt. Col. Bartolome Bacarro said the arrests were proof the military was closing in on militants hiding on Basilan and Jolo, where more than 50 troops were killed in clashes in August.
Philippine police seize 7 men suspected of tourist island bomb plots
Police have disrupted plots by Muslim militants to bomb tourist and shopping locations in the volatile southern Philippines with the arrests of seven suspects, officials said Tuesday.
Police deputy director Avelino Razon identified those detained as operatives of the al-Qaida-linked Abu Sayyaf group and the Indonesian-based Jemaah Islamiyah who were suspected of plotting attacks to divert attention from an ongoing military offensive against militants on Basilan and Jolo islands.
The arrests included three suspected Abu Sayyaf bomb experts on southwestern Palawan island, a resort province and popular tourist destination northwest of Basilan and Jolo. Some of the seven detained were armed with explosives.
Razon said the suspects told interrogators they had assembled four improvised explosive devices, one of which was recovered Sunday near a mosque in Puerto Princesa, Palawan's provincial capital. The three other devices have not been found, he said.
One of those arrested, Omar Jakarain, also known as Abu Moguera, was wanted for his involvement in the 2001 kidnapping of American and other tourists from Palawan's Dos Palmas resort. That yearlong kidnapping saga left several hostages dead, including two Americans.
Military chief Hermogenes Esperon said Moguera was a member of a terror cell connected with Jemaah Islamiyah fugitive Dulmatin, who has been evading a U.S.-backed offensive in the southern Philippines since fleeing Indonesia shortly after the 2002 Bali bombings.
Moguera was arrested with two other people. Police raided the house of another Abu Sayyaf suspect in Puerto Princesa on Sunday, and apprehended two more people amid fears that terrorists may target the city hall, public markets and beach resorts.
Another man was caught in General Santos city Saturday, on the main southern island of Mindanao, carrying a homemade bomb he allegedly planned to set off inside a shopping mall, Chief Superintendent Felizardo Serapio said.
Military spokesman Lt. Col. Bartolome Bacarro said the arrests were proof the military was closing in on militants hiding on Basilan and Jolo, where more than 50 troops were killed in clashes in August.
Monday, September 3, 2007
Pinoy Duffy Claims Two Rebel Rebels
The fighting continues.
Two Muslim rebels killed in clash in southern Philippines: military
Two Muslim secessionist rebels were killed in a clash with government security forces in the southern Philippines, an army commander said Monday. Colonel Danilo Garcia said the fighting erupted Sunday when Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels entered a village in Datu Piang town in Maguindanao province, 930 kilometres south of Manila, without coordinating with pro-government militiamen there.
Garcia said the rebels violated a provision of a three-year-old ceasefire agreement between the MILF and the Philippine government, while the two sides are engaged inpeace negotiations.
"We filed a protest with our ceasefire committee," he said.
But guerrilla spokesman Eid Kabalu said it was actually the militiamen who attacked MILF forces while on their way back to their families in the village of Buayan.
Kabalu also belied the claim of the military that two MILF rebels were killed in the fighting. He, however, admitted that two guerrillas were wounded in the clash.
"It was the (pro-govenrment) militiamen who violated the ceasefire agreement, not us," he said. "We don't need to coordinate with the military when we enter Buayan because their (MILF guerrillas) families live there."
Peace talks between the MILF and the government have been stalled since September last year over disagreement on the scope of the territory to be included in a proposed Muslim homeland in the southern region of Mindanao.
Both sides, however, have agreed to resume the negotiations within the month.
The MILF has been fighting for an independent Islamic state in Mindanao since 1978.
Two Muslim rebels killed in clash in southern Philippines: military
Two Muslim secessionist rebels were killed in a clash with government security forces in the southern Philippines, an army commander said Monday. Colonel Danilo Garcia said the fighting erupted Sunday when Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels entered a village in Datu Piang town in Maguindanao province, 930 kilometres south of Manila, without coordinating with pro-government militiamen there.
Garcia said the rebels violated a provision of a three-year-old ceasefire agreement between the MILF and the Philippine government, while the two sides are engaged inpeace negotiations.
"We filed a protest with our ceasefire committee," he said.
But guerrilla spokesman Eid Kabalu said it was actually the militiamen who attacked MILF forces while on their way back to their families in the village of Buayan.
Kabalu also belied the claim of the military that two MILF rebels were killed in the fighting. He, however, admitted that two guerrillas were wounded in the clash.
"It was the (pro-govenrment) militiamen who violated the ceasefire agreement, not us," he said. "We don't need to coordinate with the military when we enter Buayan because their (MILF guerrillas) families live there."
Peace talks between the MILF and the government have been stalled since September last year over disagreement on the scope of the territory to be included in a proposed Muslim homeland in the southern region of Mindanao.
Both sides, however, have agreed to resume the negotiations within the month.
The MILF has been fighting for an independent Islamic state in Mindanao since 1978.
Sunday, September 2, 2007
AFP Not Taking Break During Ramadanadingdong
Why should they stop during the Musim holy month? The MILF and Abu Sayuuf certainly haven't stopped their terror attacks during any Christian holidays.
Defense chief says offensive to continue during Ramadan
Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said Friday the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) will not stop its offensive against the terrorists in Western Mindanao during the observance of the Muslim’s holy period Ramadan.
“We cannot stop the operations,” Teodoro told reporters in Camp Auginaldo after the graduation of students of the National Defense College of the Philippines who took up their master's degree on national security administration.
Teodoro made the declaration following appeals by some sectors, including Muslim religious groups, to temporarily halt the operations against the Abu Sayyaf during the duration of the month-long Ramadan which begins September 12.
“On when and where the operations will be conducted are up to the (military) commanders but we (defense department) cannot go above their heads and stop it,” he added.
The government has stepped up operations against the Abu Sayyaf, specifically in Basilan and Sulu provinces, following bloody fightings that have left over a hundred soldiers and Abu Sayyaf men dead.
The bandit group members in Sulu are said to be in the company of at least two leaders of the Southeast Asian regional terrorist network Jemaah Islamiyah – Dulmatin and Umar Patek – who are responsible for the 2002 attack in Bali, Indonesia that killed some 202 people.
The group, which has about 300 to 400 members throughout the country, is responsible for a number of high-profile kidnappings and bombings in the country, among them the attack on a passenger ferry off Manila Bay in 2004 that left 200 people dead.
There has been a lull in the fighting after last Monday’s brief fighting in the outskirts of Tipo-tipo town in Basilan between patrolling Marine soldiers and the Abu Sayyaf terrorists that left two soldiers wounded.
Asked on the lull in the offensive, Teodoro said: “That’s up to the commanders.
"I cannot speak for the commanders. They exercise their own independent judgment as to when and where to conduct the operations.”
Defense chief says offensive to continue during Ramadan
Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said Friday the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) will not stop its offensive against the terrorists in Western Mindanao during the observance of the Muslim’s holy period Ramadan.
“We cannot stop the operations,” Teodoro told reporters in Camp Auginaldo after the graduation of students of the National Defense College of the Philippines who took up their master's degree on national security administration.
Teodoro made the declaration following appeals by some sectors, including Muslim religious groups, to temporarily halt the operations against the Abu Sayyaf during the duration of the month-long Ramadan which begins September 12.
“On when and where the operations will be conducted are up to the (military) commanders but we (defense department) cannot go above their heads and stop it,” he added.
The government has stepped up operations against the Abu Sayyaf, specifically in Basilan and Sulu provinces, following bloody fightings that have left over a hundred soldiers and Abu Sayyaf men dead.
The bandit group members in Sulu are said to be in the company of at least two leaders of the Southeast Asian regional terrorist network Jemaah Islamiyah – Dulmatin and Umar Patek – who are responsible for the 2002 attack in Bali, Indonesia that killed some 202 people.
The group, which has about 300 to 400 members throughout the country, is responsible for a number of high-profile kidnappings and bombings in the country, among them the attack on a passenger ferry off Manila Bay in 2004 that left 200 people dead.
There has been a lull in the fighting after last Monday’s brief fighting in the outskirts of Tipo-tipo town in Basilan between patrolling Marine soldiers and the Abu Sayyaf terrorists that left two soldiers wounded.
Asked on the lull in the offensive, Teodoro said: “That’s up to the commanders.
"I cannot speak for the commanders. They exercise their own independent judgment as to when and where to conduct the operations.”
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Pinoy Communist Riot
No Super Champ Burgers for you!
Police clash with activists protesting arrest of Philippine communist leader
Philippine police used truncheons and shields to beat back some 100 left-wing activists who tried to march to the Dutch Embassy on Thursday to protest the arrest of a Philippine communist leader in the Netherlands.
Rally organizers said their affiliates in the United States, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Australia, Canada and Europe launched similar protests against the arrest of Jose Maria Sison. They also called for a boycott of Dutch products until Sison is released from jail.
Sison, founder of the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing, the New People's Army, was arrested Tuesday in the Netherlands for allegedly ordering the murders of two former allies in Manila.
The Philippines has braced for fallout from the arrest, with the military going on red alert as Sison's supporters vowed to intensify their insurgency. Leftist groups worried about a possible crackdown and all-out war.
Senior Superintendent Jaime Calungsod, the district police chief, said the rally had no permit. He ordered police to arrest organizers and confiscate their streamers and other rally materials. Negotiations averted arrests, but Calungsod said police will pursue illegal assembly charges.
Luis Jalandoni, chairman of the communist umbrella organization National Democratic Front, in a statement issued from the Netherlands, called the arrest "a conspiracy between the Dutch and Philippine governments" to force the NDF to capitulate in stalled peace negotiations with the government.
At least five protesters suffered bruises in a scuffle with police shortly after the start of Thursday's march, said Carl Ala, spokesman of the Philippine Peasants' Movement.
The activists demanded Sison's immediate release from jail in the central Dutch city of Utrecht, chanting "Arrest Gloria, not Joma," referring to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Sison's nickname.
"The Arroyo government is sorely mistaken when it thinks that it can intimidate the people's movement for national liberation and democracy," said Carol Araullo, chairwoman of the left-wing group Bayan. "The whole world is seeing the insincerity of the Philippine government in pursuing the peace negotiations."
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Pinoys Shelling Abu Sayyaf
Shelling may work better than talking with these nutters
Philippines troops shell Islamic militant stronghold
Government forces shelled an Islamic militant stronghold in the southern Philippines in preparation for an offensive, the military said on Tuesday.
Mortar fire started on Monday on a suspected Abu Sayyaf hideout in the jungles of the island of Basilan, said Captain Niel Estrella, spokesman for its counter-terrorist task force.
"It's part of our offensive, to soften the target defence. This is to support our ground troops" massed around the Al-Qaida linked group, he said by telephone.
No casualties have been reported. President Gloria Arroyo ordered an offensive against the Abu Sayyaf last month after an ambush on a troop convoy in Basilan on July 10 that left 14 marines dead. Fighting has since spread to the nearby island of Jolo.
Some 24,000 people from the two mainly Muslim islands have fled their homes with the government deploying 17 army and marine battalions to pursue some 120 Abu Sayyaf members in Jolo and 58 others in Basilan.
"They are mobile but their movement is limited," Estrella said of the Basilan-based militants. "Anywhere they go they are vulnerable. We are trying to close off all possible escape routes."
The Abu Sayyaf group has been blamed for the worst terror attacks in the Philippines, including the 2004 bombing of a passenger ferry that killed over 100 people.
Blamed for? Or taken credit for?
Philippines troops shell Islamic militant stronghold
Government forces shelled an Islamic militant stronghold in the southern Philippines in preparation for an offensive, the military said on Tuesday.
Mortar fire started on Monday on a suspected Abu Sayyaf hideout in the jungles of the island of Basilan, said Captain Niel Estrella, spokesman for its counter-terrorist task force.
"It's part of our offensive, to soften the target defence. This is to support our ground troops" massed around the Al-Qaida linked group, he said by telephone.
No casualties have been reported. President Gloria Arroyo ordered an offensive against the Abu Sayyaf last month after an ambush on a troop convoy in Basilan on July 10 that left 14 marines dead. Fighting has since spread to the nearby island of Jolo.
Some 24,000 people from the two mainly Muslim islands have fled their homes with the government deploying 17 army and marine battalions to pursue some 120 Abu Sayyaf members in Jolo and 58 others in Basilan.
"They are mobile but their movement is limited," Estrella said of the Basilan-based militants. "Anywhere they go they are vulnerable. We are trying to close off all possible escape routes."
The Abu Sayyaf group has been blamed for the worst terror attacks in the Philippines, including the 2004 bombing of a passenger ferry that killed over 100 people.
Blamed for? Or taken credit for?
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Malaysia Becomes Asia's Islamic Busy-Body
Malaysia, where tourists get hassled by the religious police, Hindu, Sikh and Christians can't get into the better schools and their secular Constitution gets over-ridden by Islamic law, has really begun to take itself far to seriously as of late.
Malaysia urges Philippines, Muslim rebels to resume peace talks soon
Malaysia has urged the neighboring Philippines to quickly resume peace talks with Muslim rebels, saying Kuala Lumpur is closely watching efforts to bolster security in the southern Philippines, a news report said.
Philippine government officials had been scheduled to restart Malaysian-brokered talks with Moro Islamic Liberation Front guerrillas on Aug. 22, but the meeting in Kuala Lumpur was abruptly canceled last week. Chief government negotiator Rodolfo Garcia said he sought the postponement to give him more time to consolidate data and the government's position.
Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar said late Saturday the reasons behind the delay "should be identified quickly so that resumption of the negotiations can begin," the national news agency Bernama reported.
"It requires faith on the part of the parties involved," Bernama quoted Syed Hamid as saying. "Whatever happens in southern Philippines, it is very important for us to identify the implications and effects on Malaysia."
Syed Hamid's aides could not immediately be reached to confirm the report.
The talks have stalled since September last year over territorial demands by the rebels, who have been fighting for self-rule in predominantly Muslim areas in the southern Philippines.
Despite suspicions that the Moro Islamic Liberation Front has ties to al-Qaida-linked militants, Philippine and U.S. officials have continued to promote the talks, hoping the guerrillas would end their rebellion and not become potential allies of terror groups.
Talk yes, that has helped so many times in the past dealing with Islamic groups. Just look at all the examples of peaceful resolutions to conflicts with Islamic groups. It should be as easy as making Jello.
Malaysia urges Philippines, Muslim rebels to resume peace talks soon
Malaysia has urged the neighboring Philippines to quickly resume peace talks with Muslim rebels, saying Kuala Lumpur is closely watching efforts to bolster security in the southern Philippines, a news report said.
Philippine government officials had been scheduled to restart Malaysian-brokered talks with Moro Islamic Liberation Front guerrillas on Aug. 22, but the meeting in Kuala Lumpur was abruptly canceled last week. Chief government negotiator Rodolfo Garcia said he sought the postponement to give him more time to consolidate data and the government's position.
Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar said late Saturday the reasons behind the delay "should be identified quickly so that resumption of the negotiations can begin," the national news agency Bernama reported.
"It requires faith on the part of the parties involved," Bernama quoted Syed Hamid as saying. "Whatever happens in southern Philippines, it is very important for us to identify the implications and effects on Malaysia."
Syed Hamid's aides could not immediately be reached to confirm the report.
The talks have stalled since September last year over territorial demands by the rebels, who have been fighting for self-rule in predominantly Muslim areas in the southern Philippines.
Despite suspicions that the Moro Islamic Liberation Front has ties to al-Qaida-linked militants, Philippine and U.S. officials have continued to promote the talks, hoping the guerrillas would end their rebellion and not become potential allies of terror groups.
Talk yes, that has helped so many times in the past dealing with Islamic groups. Just look at all the examples of peaceful resolutions to conflicts with Islamic groups. It should be as easy as making Jello.
Friday, August 24, 2007
One Less Abu Sayyaf
Let's get this straight. The Abu Sayyaf are not "rebels". Technically you could call the MILF rebels. Abu Sayyaf are terrorists. What qualifies them as such? Cutting the heads off of kidnapped tourists, setting bombs off on commuter trains, blowing up shops, killing Priests and Nuns.
Muslim rebel killed in military raid in southern Philippines
A Muslim Abu Sayyaf rebel was killed during a raid on a suspected guerrilla hideout on a southern Philippine island, an army spokesman said Friday. Army troops swooped down on the suspected Abu Sayyaf lair in Umbay village on Jolo island, 1,000 kilometres south of Manila, before dawn on Thursday.
Army spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Ernesto Torres said one Abu Sayyaf rebel, identified as Abdul Majid, was killed in the raid.
Torres said Majid was wanted for kidnapping and illegal detention.
"Seized from his house were a magazine for M16 rifle and ammunition for a 45-caliber pistol," he said.
The Philippine military has stepped up offensives against Abu Sayyaf rebels in Jolo and nearby Basilan province after suffering heavy casualties in the battlefield.
Since last month, more than 50 soldiers have been killed in clashes with Abu Sayyaf rebels and other Islamic militants in Jolo and Basilan.
General Hermogenes Esperon, armed forces chief of staff, said the military aims to neutralize the Abu Sayyaf in Basilan and Jolo within two months.
"We will apply the full force of our large presence in the two areas if only to see an early neutralization of the Abu Sayyaf," he said.
"They would be put off balance and will not be able to launch any terrorist activities," he added.
Esperon said that once the military has neutralized the Abu Sayyaf's threat, the armed forces would then launch civic and humanitarian missions in affected areas.
Muslim rebel killed in military raid in southern Philippines
A Muslim Abu Sayyaf rebel was killed during a raid on a suspected guerrilla hideout on a southern Philippine island, an army spokesman said Friday. Army troops swooped down on the suspected Abu Sayyaf lair in Umbay village on Jolo island, 1,000 kilometres south of Manila, before dawn on Thursday.
Army spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Ernesto Torres said one Abu Sayyaf rebel, identified as Abdul Majid, was killed in the raid.
Torres said Majid was wanted for kidnapping and illegal detention.
"Seized from his house were a magazine for M16 rifle and ammunition for a 45-caliber pistol," he said.
The Philippine military has stepped up offensives against Abu Sayyaf rebels in Jolo and nearby Basilan province after suffering heavy casualties in the battlefield.
Since last month, more than 50 soldiers have been killed in clashes with Abu Sayyaf rebels and other Islamic militants in Jolo and Basilan.
General Hermogenes Esperon, armed forces chief of staff, said the military aims to neutralize the Abu Sayyaf in Basilan and Jolo within two months.
"We will apply the full force of our large presence in the two areas if only to see an early neutralization of the Abu Sayyaf," he said.
"They would be put off balance and will not be able to launch any terrorist activities," he added.
Esperon said that once the military has neutralized the Abu Sayyaf's threat, the armed forces would then launch civic and humanitarian missions in affected areas.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Arroyo Visits Troops
Very nice of her. I wonder if she brought them Jolibee for lunch.
Arroyo visits southern Philippines to meet troops battling al-Qaida-linked militants
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo flew to the southern Philippines amid tight security Thursday to confer with the military's top brass and meet families of troops slain in recent battles with al-Qaida-linked militants.
Shortly after arriving at the military's Western Mindanao Command in Zamboanga city, 860 kilometers (535 miles) south of Manila, Arroyo handed cash assistance to families of slain soldiers. She then went into a closed-door conference with security commanders, officials said.
Arroyo warned Tuesday the military offensives on nearby Basilan and Jolo islands may prompt militants to sow terror elsewhere in the country. She said she ordered the military and police to bolster security.
Hours later, however, a bomb exploded in a crowded square in Zamboanga, wounding 14 people. The bombing, carried out amid already-tight security in the city, may have been set off by the al-Qaida-linked Abu Sayyaf group to divert the military's focus from the offensives, officials say.
The government will not ease off the campaign, Arroyo said. She also ordered officials to launch a "humanitarian offensive" on Basilan and Jolo to balance the military assault.
Arroyo was to have lunch with marines at their brigade camp on Basilan island.
U.S.-backed troops bombarded Muslim militant strongholds on the island on Sunday, a day after 15 marines and 40 militants were killed in fierce fighting, officials said.
The marines were killed when their unit attacked a jungle hide-out of the Abu Sayyaf near Basilan's remote Ungkaya Pukan township, sparking a daylong clash during which an air force pilot also died when his helicopter crashed at sea, the military said.
The military claimed about 40 insurgents were killed, including two commanders who allegedly took part in last month's beheadings of 10 marines on Basilan.
Police forces have been placed on full alert in the capital, Manila, and the southern Mindanao region, beefing up security in public areas and transport hubs.
The U.S. government has blacklisted the Abu Sayyaf — notorious for deadly bombings, beheadings and ransom kidnappings — as a terrorist organization.
Arroyo visits southern Philippines to meet troops battling al-Qaida-linked militants
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo flew to the southern Philippines amid tight security Thursday to confer with the military's top brass and meet families of troops slain in recent battles with al-Qaida-linked militants.
Shortly after arriving at the military's Western Mindanao Command in Zamboanga city, 860 kilometers (535 miles) south of Manila, Arroyo handed cash assistance to families of slain soldiers. She then went into a closed-door conference with security commanders, officials said.
Arroyo warned Tuesday the military offensives on nearby Basilan and Jolo islands may prompt militants to sow terror elsewhere in the country. She said she ordered the military and police to bolster security.
Hours later, however, a bomb exploded in a crowded square in Zamboanga, wounding 14 people. The bombing, carried out amid already-tight security in the city, may have been set off by the al-Qaida-linked Abu Sayyaf group to divert the military's focus from the offensives, officials say.
The government will not ease off the campaign, Arroyo said. She also ordered officials to launch a "humanitarian offensive" on Basilan and Jolo to balance the military assault.
Arroyo was to have lunch with marines at their brigade camp on Basilan island.
U.S.-backed troops bombarded Muslim militant strongholds on the island on Sunday, a day after 15 marines and 40 militants were killed in fierce fighting, officials said.
The marines were killed when their unit attacked a jungle hide-out of the Abu Sayyaf near Basilan's remote Ungkaya Pukan township, sparking a daylong clash during which an air force pilot also died when his helicopter crashed at sea, the military said.
The military claimed about 40 insurgents were killed, including two commanders who allegedly took part in last month's beheadings of 10 marines on Basilan.
Police forces have been placed on full alert in the capital, Manila, and the southern Mindanao region, beefing up security in public areas and transport hubs.
The U.S. government has blacklisted the Abu Sayyaf — notorious for deadly bombings, beheadings and ransom kidnappings — as a terrorist organization.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Oakwood Mutiny Sentences Passed
If you were going to stage a Coup why would you take over the Oakwood? Only in the Philippines.
Philippine army tribunal sentences 12 mutineers
A Philippine military tribunal dismissed 12 young army and navy officers from service on Wednesday for a failed mutiny in 2003, part of a deal which allows them to escape doing further jail time.
Brigadier-General Nathaniel Legaspi said the officers had pleaded guilty to a lesser offence of conduct unbecoming of an officer and a gentleman.
"This general court martial hereby imposes the sentence of dishonourable discharge," Legaspi said.
The sentence has to be confirmed by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. The officers will remain in custody until then.
The 12 officers were among 29 leaders of the "Oakwood Mutiny", when soldiers took control of a service apartment block in the centre of Manila's Makati financial district for several hours. It ended without violence.
Another 15 officers were expected to enter into deals with the government, lawyers for the coup leaders told reporters. Only two officers, including one who won a senate seat in the May elections, have refused to make deals and will fight it out in court.
About 80 officers and 200 enlisted men were court martialled for the mutiny.
A few dozen were cleared because they were found to have been misled into taking part.
In 2005, the enlisted men were freed from army detention and restored to active service after they agreed to enter into plea bargaining deals, accepting minor punishments.
In April 2007, 54 officers also agreed to similar deals and would be freed on Jan. 27 next year after serving their prison terms. But they are deemed discharged dishonourably and cannot expect to be reinstated into active duty.
Arroyo, first propelled to power in a military-backed popular revolt in 2001, remains unpopular due to allegations of graft and vote-rigging and fraud in the 2004 presidential elections.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Pinoy Gold Mine
The fans of Gaia sure do love anyone who's "tribal". I don't know what the real background on this story is but the article has all the hallmarks being written my some Luddite. Read it if you dare.
NZ-listed gold miner faces Philippines opposition
Violence is feared likely to break out in a mountainous area of the Philippines – near the site of a multi-million-dollar gold and copper mine venture by New Zealand's largest gold miner, Oceana Gold Ltd.
The Philippine Star newspaper reported that anti-mining villagers – already stirred up over having New Zealand-listed Oceana's operation in the area – are blockading an Australian-owned company, Oxiana Philippines, which is moving in equipment for prospecting another site.
The villagers, led by tribal elders and supported by environmental groups and the local Catholic Church, have vowed to stand their ground against the miner, despite a court order for them to clear the road leading to the exploration site.
Last week, provincial sheriffs tasked to implement a court injunction gave the residents of Kasibu until Tuesday to vacate the road leading to the exploration site or else be forcibly dispersed.
But the anti-mining villagers vowed to stay on,the Philippine Star reported.
"It is our roads they will be passing through," said Denny Dugay, a community official. "And besides, we will never be in favour of mining." He alleged that Oxiana did not consult local leaders on the project, an allegation which the mining firm denied.
But Mayor Romeo Tayaban said the New Zealand and Australian-owned companies continued to explore mining prospects in their villages despite the stiff opposition from residents, composed of various tribal communities.
His villagers were struggling to fight off three mining projects by Oxiana Philippines Inc. and Oceana Gold Philippines Inc.
The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples both said residents in the primary impact zone had endorsed Oxiana's exploration project.
Engineer Jerrysal Mangaoang, MGB's Cagayan Valley regional director, said their national office granted Oxiana a two-year exploration permit covering 3000ha for explore gold, copper and other minerals of commercial value.
The Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement and various local environmental groups said the government should not have issued an exploration permit to Oxiana since its site is part of an important watershed.
Since July 12, tribal men have been guarding a barricade on a mountain road to prevent OPI's entry.
In nearby Papaya village, residents have also been protesting the entry of equipment to be used by Oceana Gold for its exploration, fearing possible destruction of the watershed forest there. Water from the watershed irrigates the vegetable gardens and citrus plantations in the area.
In Didipio village, eight farmers were charged by environment officials with illegal occupancy of forest lands after they rejected Oceana Gold's offer to pay for their occupational rights.
Didipio is the site of Oceana Gold's proposed gold-copper project, with about 90ha of its 375-hectare production area occupied by tribal farmers.
The Kasibu area is considered the citrus capital of the country, with an annual output of about 10 million kilograms of oranges from an estimated 20,000 hectares of citrus plantations.
Ramoncito Gozar, associate director of communications for the NZ-owned Oceana, said mining projects in the town would benefit the country.
"The mayor should realize that (the Didipio venture) is a government project for the good of the majority," he said.
"He doesn't like mining, but (OceanaGold) is a contractor of the Philippine government," Mr Gozar said.
Oceana Gold which owns the McRaes mine near Dunedin, is taking over Philippines gold and copper explorer Climax Mining Ltd and aims to become a major player in the region alongside giants such as Newcrest Mining Ltd and Lihir Gold Ltd.
Oceana Gold has said it expects to be producing 550,000 ounces of gold annually by the time Dinkidi is commissioned at the end of next year.
The Philippines ranks among the world's top five countries for deposits of copper, nickel and iron ore and is geographically closer to resource-hungry China than the region's other major mining centre, Indonesia.
Now... note that they are EXPLORING for gold. Not MINING it. As you have to EXPLORE AND FIND the gold first. There may be no gold to be found. Exploration gear would be a few rigs to drill for core samples, possibly some seismic survey gear and some equipment to clear a road to get to the drill sites. Yet in this article it is reported like the strip mining has begun and the trees are being clear cut by giant corporate-industrial-gaia-rape-machines driven by white men in suits smoking cigars and crushing the tribal elders as the sit in their drum-peace-circle.
What beef the locals have may very well be legit. I'm sure I wouldn't what kill-dozer and his family rumbling through my back yard. But this sort of reporting just makes the whole thing a joke by soaking it in all the tired cliches of the dirt worshippers. It also shows a frightening ignorance of mining and and exploration companies.
Of course "Oceana Gold has said it expects to be producing 550,000 ounces of gold annually by the time Dinkidi is commissioned at the end of next year". They aren't about to say "oh we don't actually have a clue what might be in the ground" as the shares would drop like a stone and they'd have no financing to continue looking for the gold.
NZ-listed gold miner faces Philippines opposition
Violence is feared likely to break out in a mountainous area of the Philippines – near the site of a multi-million-dollar gold and copper mine venture by New Zealand's largest gold miner, Oceana Gold Ltd.
The Philippine Star newspaper reported that anti-mining villagers – already stirred up over having New Zealand-listed Oceana's operation in the area – are blockading an Australian-owned company, Oxiana Philippines, which is moving in equipment for prospecting another site.
The villagers, led by tribal elders and supported by environmental groups and the local Catholic Church, have vowed to stand their ground against the miner, despite a court order for them to clear the road leading to the exploration site.
Last week, provincial sheriffs tasked to implement a court injunction gave the residents of Kasibu until Tuesday to vacate the road leading to the exploration site or else be forcibly dispersed.
But the anti-mining villagers vowed to stay on,the Philippine Star reported.
"It is our roads they will be passing through," said Denny Dugay, a community official. "And besides, we will never be in favour of mining." He alleged that Oxiana did not consult local leaders on the project, an allegation which the mining firm denied.
But Mayor Romeo Tayaban said the New Zealand and Australian-owned companies continued to explore mining prospects in their villages despite the stiff opposition from residents, composed of various tribal communities.
His villagers were struggling to fight off three mining projects by Oxiana Philippines Inc. and Oceana Gold Philippines Inc.
The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples both said residents in the primary impact zone had endorsed Oxiana's exploration project.
Engineer Jerrysal Mangaoang, MGB's Cagayan Valley regional director, said their national office granted Oxiana a two-year exploration permit covering 3000ha for explore gold, copper and other minerals of commercial value.
The Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement and various local environmental groups said the government should not have issued an exploration permit to Oxiana since its site is part of an important watershed.
Since July 12, tribal men have been guarding a barricade on a mountain road to prevent OPI's entry.
In nearby Papaya village, residents have also been protesting the entry of equipment to be used by Oceana Gold for its exploration, fearing possible destruction of the watershed forest there. Water from the watershed irrigates the vegetable gardens and citrus plantations in the area.
In Didipio village, eight farmers were charged by environment officials with illegal occupancy of forest lands after they rejected Oceana Gold's offer to pay for their occupational rights.
Didipio is the site of Oceana Gold's proposed gold-copper project, with about 90ha of its 375-hectare production area occupied by tribal farmers.
The Kasibu area is considered the citrus capital of the country, with an annual output of about 10 million kilograms of oranges from an estimated 20,000 hectares of citrus plantations.
Ramoncito Gozar, associate director of communications for the NZ-owned Oceana, said mining projects in the town would benefit the country.
"The mayor should realize that (the Didipio venture) is a government project for the good of the majority," he said.
"He doesn't like mining, but (OceanaGold) is a contractor of the Philippine government," Mr Gozar said.
Oceana Gold which owns the McRaes mine near Dunedin, is taking over Philippines gold and copper explorer Climax Mining Ltd and aims to become a major player in the region alongside giants such as Newcrest Mining Ltd and Lihir Gold Ltd.
Oceana Gold has said it expects to be producing 550,000 ounces of gold annually by the time Dinkidi is commissioned at the end of next year.
The Philippines ranks among the world's top five countries for deposits of copper, nickel and iron ore and is geographically closer to resource-hungry China than the region's other major mining centre, Indonesia.
Now... note that they are EXPLORING for gold. Not MINING it. As you have to EXPLORE AND FIND the gold first. There may be no gold to be found. Exploration gear would be a few rigs to drill for core samples, possibly some seismic survey gear and some equipment to clear a road to get to the drill sites. Yet in this article it is reported like the strip mining has begun and the trees are being clear cut by giant corporate-industrial-gaia-rape-machines driven by white men in suits smoking cigars and crushing the tribal elders as the sit in their drum-peace-circle.
What beef the locals have may very well be legit. I'm sure I wouldn't what kill-dozer and his family rumbling through my back yard. But this sort of reporting just makes the whole thing a joke by soaking it in all the tired cliches of the dirt worshippers. It also shows a frightening ignorance of mining and and exploration companies.
Of course "Oceana Gold has said it expects to be producing 550,000 ounces of gold annually by the time Dinkidi is commissioned at the end of next year". They aren't about to say "oh we don't actually have a clue what might be in the ground" as the shares would drop like a stone and they'd have no financing to continue looking for the gold.
Whole Lot of Shaking
The ring of fire is really active these days. I've sort of become weary of posting reports on Quskes in Indonesia because they have been happening every few days. Now the Philippines are shaking.
Earthquake hits S Philippines
A 6.6 magnitude earthquake hit the waters 209 km southeast of Mati, Davao Oriental in southern Philippines, Monday night, said the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.
No casualty or injury has been reported so far.
The earthquake occurred at 21:46 local time (1346 GMT) and was tectonic in origin and shallow with 10 km from surface.
The earthquake was felt in Butuan City and Bislig in Surigao del Sur, San Francisco in Surigao del Norte, Davao City, KidapawanCity and Casteel in Davao Oriental.
Earthquake hits S Philippines
A 6.6 magnitude earthquake hit the waters 209 km southeast of Mati, Davao Oriental in southern Philippines, Monday night, said the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.
No casualty or injury has been reported so far.
The earthquake occurred at 21:46 local time (1346 GMT) and was tectonic in origin and shallow with 10 km from surface.
The earthquake was felt in Butuan City and Bislig in Surigao del Sur, San Francisco in Surigao del Norte, Davao City, KidapawanCity and Casteel in Davao Oriental.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Abu Sayyaf Base Captured
Westerners often seem to think of the conflict in the Philippines as some sort of side show in the War on Terror. It's not. In fact IF the West had been paying attention to the region a little better back in the mid-90's they would have seen the same of things to come, right down to the idea of flying planes into buildings.
Philippines overruns base of Abu Sayyaf militants
The Philippine military said Sunday that it had overrun an elaborate base of operations constructed by Abu Sayyaf insurgents on the southern island of Basilan.
Lieutenant Colonel Ariel Caculitan, a marine spokesman, told Reuters that the base was seized after a protracted firefight Saturday morning that left 15 troops and at least 20 militants dead. The facility was laced with underground bunkers, tunnels and well-developed trenches, Caculitan said.
The military operation on Basilan was prompted by an encounter there July 10, when insurgents killed 14 members of the Philippine Marines who marched into a village known to be an Abu Sayyaf stronghold. Ten marines were later found beheaded.
In the past month, the government has increased the number of troops on Basilan and the adjacent island province of Sulu to more than 12,000, the biggest such deployment since 2001.
"The firefight is ongoing," Lieutenant Colonel Bartolome Bacarro said in a news briefing Saturday. "Our troops are now concentrating in the area. We will press on with the fight."
Philippines overruns base of Abu Sayyaf militants
The Philippine military said Sunday that it had overrun an elaborate base of operations constructed by Abu Sayyaf insurgents on the southern island of Basilan.
Lieutenant Colonel Ariel Caculitan, a marine spokesman, told Reuters that the base was seized after a protracted firefight Saturday morning that left 15 troops and at least 20 militants dead. The facility was laced with underground bunkers, tunnels and well-developed trenches, Caculitan said.
The military operation on Basilan was prompted by an encounter there July 10, when insurgents killed 14 members of the Philippine Marines who marched into a village known to be an Abu Sayyaf stronghold. Ten marines were later found beheaded.
In the past month, the government has increased the number of troops on Basilan and the adjacent island province of Sulu to more than 12,000, the biggest such deployment since 2001.
"The firefight is ongoing," Lieutenant Colonel Bartolome Bacarro said in a news briefing Saturday. "Our troops are now concentrating in the area. We will press on with the fight."
Saturday, August 18, 2007
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