Police dispel rumors of terror cadres in town

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Aug 10): Police dispel rumors of terror cadres in town



Stay calm. It’s just a hoax.

The region’s top police official yesterday denied reports that a group of Abu Sayyaf cadres are in Cebu to sow terror as part of a test mission.

“Wala pong katotohanan ‘yon (That’s not true at all),” said Chief Supt. Danilo Constantino, director of the Police Regional Office 7, said after a meeting with police and security officials to assess the reported threat.

He said heads of various police intelligence units who were directed to verify the report which spread via text messaging, said there was no basis to say that Central Visayas was being targeted by terrorists.

“We assure (the people) that we are on top of the situation,” Constantino said.

“I’m appealing to the public not to glorify these rumors. It’s not good for our economy, particularly our tourism industry. Let’s put a stop to these jokes,” he said in Filipino.

One hoax text message said Abu Sayyaf cadres were holed up in a safehouse in Lapu-Lapu city.

Text messages had circulated in the last two days claiming that after the bombings in Mindanao theVisayas will be Abu Sayyaf’s next target, specifically the cities of Cebu, Dumaguete and Bacolod.

Constantino appealed to the public not to immedidately believe such reports and to refrain from forwarding alarming text messages that fan public anxiety.

“There’s no cause for the public to be alarmed, but we cannot discount the probability and we are ready (to respond to threats),” Constantino said

The meeting at Camp Sergio Osmeña involved the regional anti-terrorism committe convergence group.

Nonetheless, authorities are not letting their guard down.

As a precautionary measure, Constantino ordered all provincial and city directors to field more police patrols.

“There’s no truth to the report that Cebu is being targeted for bombing,” said Supt. Paul Labra II, chief of the Regional Intelligence Division (RID) after the meeting.

MISUNDERSTANDING

Jitters and overreaction almost got a woman in trouble yesterday.

The 27-year-old woman, a former sales agent, was intercepted by police at the Mactan Cebu International Airport after the ground staff of a local airline reported that she had made a bomb threat over the phone.

It turned out to be a “misunderstanding”, said the police. The airline’s call center agent who attended to the woman misinterpreted her query.

Senior Supt. Ritchie Posadas, chief of the regional Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) said they received a call from the Police Center for Aviation Security (PCAS) seeking their intervention.

The airline ground staff alerted them that the female caller told them about a bomb explosion in the airports in Cebu and Cagayan de Oro City. A team was immediately sent to the MCIA departure area to intercept the caller.

The woman denied making a bomb threat. She said she merely asked about a text message she received about an alleged bombing threat in airports in Cebu and Cagayan de Oro.

The woman, a regular passenger of the airline, was immediately released and was allowed to board her flight to Bacolod.

In North Cotabato, Mindanao, four people were wounded when a grenade went off last night outside a house of a militiaman in Kabacan.

A 40mm grenade ammunition was fired at the residence of Eddie Antolin, who was wounded in the attack together with his 9-year-old son and his in-laws Benjamin and Lucena Ferrer.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/462613/police-dispel-rumors-of-terror-cadres-in-town

Another blast hits Maguindanao

From the Sun Star (Aug 10): Another blast hits Maguindanao

MAGUINDANAO - Another bomb was detonated in an uptown municipality of Upi in Maguindanao on Saturday but nobody was hurt, authorities said.

Colonel Dickson Hermoso, 6th Infantry Division spokesperson, said the blast occurred at 7:10 a.m. Saturday in sitio Payong-Payong, Barangay Kebleg in Upi town. It was the third explosion in Maguindanao since Wednesday.

Upi Mayor Ramon Piang said the blast at a road leading to the town proper triggered panic among the residents in the village.


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Piang said the improvised explosive device was detonated by still unidentified men at an open field in Barangay Kebleg. Following the incident, elements of the 1st Marine Battalion Landing Team were deployed around the town center.

No one has claimed responsibility but an Army intelligence operative said the blast in Barangay Kebleg could be a test mission for new recruits of Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).

On Wednesday afternoon, nine members of an Army mechanized unit were injured when members of the BIFF set off a roadside bomb along a farm-to-market road in Barangay Nabundas in Shariff Aguak town.

It was followed by another blast on a bridge in Barangay Lintokan, Datu Piang, Maguindanao, which authorities blamed on the BIFF.

At dawn on the same day, an IED went off in front of a pawnshop in Midsayap, North Cotabato. Nobody was hurt. It was followed by a rifle grenade attack in Poblacion Kabacan, North Cotabato around 7 p.m. that left four persons wounded.

Soldiers and policemen were visible along major highways here as government forces were placed on heightened alert.

 

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/breaking-news/2013/08/10/another-blast-hits-maguindanao-297131

Army launches offensive on rebel group

From the Sun Star (Aug 10): Army launches offensive on rebel group

The Philippine military said it has launched an offensive against a breakaway Muslim rebel group that opposes a peace deal and has claimed responsibility for a bomb attack that wounded seven soldiers in the country's south.

Regional army spokesman Col. Dickson Hermoso said there was "intense fighting" early Saturday between troops and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Movement in North Cotabato province's Aleosan township.


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The rebel group set off a roadside bomb that wounded seven soldiers on Wednesday and warned of more attacks. It broke away from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, which has signed a preliminary peace accord with the government.

A similar offensive has been launched earlier against the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf in Basilan province farther south to stop the militants from manufacturing bombs for attacks.

 

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/breaking-news/2013/08/10/army-launches-offensive-rebel-group-297127

Be wary of false terror threats, Palace says

From ABS-CBN (Aug 10): Be wary of false terror threats, Palace says

The public should be wary of false reports about terrorism threats in the country, a Palace official said Saturday.

Deputy Presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte, in a press briefing aired over Radyo ng Bayan, issued the statement in response to a rumor that members of the separatist Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) are in Metro Manila to allegedly conduct a "test mission".

"Let's be careful about reports like this. Let's make sure that it comes from the correct sources because as it is, we don't want to be spreading incorrect--may perhaps incorrect information," she said.

"Gumagalaw ho lahat ng kawani ng pamahalaan para siguraduhin ho naman na matigil na po 'yung mga ganitong pangyayari katulad ho ng sinabi ng Pangulo noong nakaraang araw," she added.

The BIFF, which broke away from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), is opposing peace talks with the government.

The group has been tagged in two of three bombings that occurred in Mindanao Wednesday. http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/regions/08/08/13/biff-tagged-2-3-minda...

Another grenade blast hurt 4 people in Kabacan town, North Cotabato Friday night, while an improvised explosive device went off in North Kupi, Maguindanao on Saturday morning.

No one was injured in the Maguindanao blast.

Valte said the bombings seem to be random.

"Alam niyo, kung mapapansin ho natin, 'yung mga ganitong pagsabog, talagang random ho 'yung ginagawa nilang targets," she said.

"It's not about religion, it's not about your affiliation but it's being done randomly.

Ongoing naman po 'yung operations. Of course, given the nature of the operations, we can't really discuss the details," she added.

She said security forces are investigating the attacks. "Mayroon na po silang mga imbestigasyon na ginagawa po doon para makita naman ho kung sino 'yung responsable para ho doon sa pagsabog."

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/08/10/13/be-wary-false-terror-threats-palace-says

Roadside bomb defused 3 hours after blast rocks town in Maguindanao

From GMA News (Aug 10): Roadside bomb defused 3 hours after blast rocks town in Maguindanao

Bomb experts defused what could be a powerful roadside bomb they found along the national highway in North Upi town in Maguindanao before noon Saturday.

The improvised explosive device was found three hours after the explosion of an IED fashioned from a 60mm mortar and planted in a area in Sitio Payong-Payong in Barangay Kibleg, also in North Upi.

Mayor Ramon Piang Sr. said authorities had again ordered the closure of the national highway as clearing operations are still underway.

Piang said minutes after the roadside blast took place at about 7:10 a.m., members of the Philippine Marines and the North Upi Police blocked the road to ensure safety of the commuters.

But while elements of the Explosives and Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Team of the Army were scouring the area for possible explosives, they found another IED, also fashioned from a 60mm mortar, planted just few meters from the blast site.

The IED was placed in separate packages in different areas, Piang said, adding that EOD experts defused the bomb.

Due to the blast the highway was closed for hours and was opened only shortly before 1 pm.

“No one was hurt in the blast,” he said.

Meanwhile, soldiers securing the Cotabato-Maguindanao highway conducted a pursuit operation against an armed group that allegedly orchestrated an attack in Sitio Habitat, Barangay Pagangan in Aleosan town at about 9:30 a.m.

Captain Antonio Bulao, chief of the civil military operations of the 602nd Brigade, said the attack resulted in the wounding of a member of the 40th Infantry Battalion assigned in Pagangan.

Bulao said they strengthened the highway security after they received reports these armed men were out to sow terror against commuters and vehicles plying the route.

The blast in North Upi came hours after a 40mm shoulder-fired grenade exploded in front of a house of militiaman Eddie Antolin, 49, in Kabacan, North Cotabato, wounding him; his son Ezekiel, 9; and parents-in-law Lucena and Benjamin Ferrer.

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/321440/news/regions/roadside-bomb-defused-3-hours-after-blast-rocks-town-in-maguindanao

MNLF--Eid message from Nur Misuari

Posted to the Nur P. Misuari Facebook page (Aug 8): Eid message from Nur Misuari



https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=599531733423911&set=a.188564007854021.41920.185093644867724&type=1&theater

MNLF: Photo -- Misuari visits MNLF forces in Datu Piang, Maguindanao

Reposted to the Nur P. Misuari Facebook page (Aug 4): Photo: Misuari visits MNLF forces in Datu Piang, Maguindanao



Central Committee Chair Nur Misuari visited MNLF forces in Datu Piang, Maguindanao (Posted July 19).

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=258180400959436&set=p.258180400959436&type=1&theater

MILF: MILF conveys sympathy to Cagayan de Oro Mayor over the tragic bombing

From the MILF Website (Aug 10): MILF conveys sympathy to Cagayan de Oro Mayor over the tragic bombing



Maulana M. Alonto, a senior member of the MILF Peace Negotiating Panel and also a member Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC), paid a courtesy call on Mayor Oscar Moreno of Cagayan de Oro City at his office last August 7, 2012.
  

Alonto was mandated by the Chair of the MILF Peace Negotiating Panel and concurrent Chair of the BTC, Mohagher Iqbal, to convey to the mayor the condolences and sympathies of the MILF, particularly Al Haj Murad Ebrahim, Chairman of the MILF Central Committee, to the families of the victims of the tragic bombing that occurred in the city on July 28, 2013.

Seven innocent people were killed, including medical doctors who were holding a convention in the city, and more than forty others were injured in the blast that took place on Friday night in one of the city’s premier malls, Limketkai.

Alonto emphasized and informed the mayor that the MILF as a policy vehemently condemns such an act of senseless violence that victimizes innocent civilians.

Alonto also reiterated the support of the MILF for the mayor’s sincere initiatives to defuse the tension as a result of the bombing and to put a stop to the wild speculations that point accusing fingers at Muslims as the ones responsible for this act of senseless violence.

He also discussed with the mayor the developments in the peace talks and gave in advance a copy of the signed Wealth Sharing Annex.

Alonto explained to the mayor that the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB) provides for the protection by both the future Bangsamoro Government and the Central Government of the Bangsamoro communities living outside the territory of the Bangsamoro.



(A) significant number of Bangsamoro Muslims are residing in Cagayan de Oro. They are government officials and employees, long-time residents, and traders who have established businesses in the city. Most are from the Ranao provinces.

Mayor Moreno, on his part, was grateful for the visit and profusely thanked the MILF for showing concern over the tragedy in Cagayan de Oro City.  He expressed his profound his grief over the recent tragedy that happened to his city and told Alonto and his party that it is his policy not to put fuel on the tragic event that could detrimentally affect the good relations between Muslims and Christians.

It should be recalled that when Moreno was still the governor of Misamis Oriental, he honored the MILF Peace Negotiating Panel with a dinner when the latter was in Cagayan de Oro for an advocacy sortie. In that dinner, majority of his mayors and board members were present, including the leading Catholic leader in Cagayan de Oro, Archbishop Antonio Ledesma.

Moreno especially informed the group that right after the bombing took place, Archbishop Ledesma of the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro, who is a leading proponent of inter-faith dialogue, went out of his way to tell the public not to believe rumors and rush judgment that tend to create division and tension between Muslims and Christians.

The mayor also disclosed that he felt relieved when leads in the investigation of the bombing did not point to either the MILF or the MNLF as behind it.

He stressed repeatedly that the visit of Alonto as a representative of the MILF will generate a positive impact on the people of Cagayan de Oro who have been traumatized by the bombing. He called the visit “crucial”.

In the course of the discussion, both Mayor Moreno and Alonto also discussed the current problems of the Bangsamoro Muslim community in Cagayan de Oro in the light of the recent tragedy. On suggestion of Alonto, the mayor will be establishing a Muslim Desk in his office that would focus on Moro concerns in Cagayan de Oro and coordinate activities geared toward resolving any problem affecting the Bangsamoro community such as security.

Alonto was accompanied by his official staff in the Transition Commission, Zaynab Javier, his Executive Assistant, and Atty. Muhammed Alonto, his Legal Researcher. Present were also the representatives of KAAPED, a federation of Muslim organizations based in Cagayan de Oro City: KAAPED President Sultan Cosain Macalungan, Secretary-General Ibra G. Macapanton, and two other officials of the federation.

At the end of the meeting, the mayor and Alonto went into a hug symbolizing the friendship and sincerity that marked the visit.

They were also briefly interviewed together by the local media wherein both announced the purpose of the meeting for the information of the public.

Meanwhile, a day before the courtesy call on the mayor, Alonto and his staff broke fast (iftar) with the officers of KAAPED and discussed their problems. Alonto also briefed them on the FAB and updated them on the on-going negotiations with the Government of the Philippines (GPH) in Kuala Lumpur.  He also dispelled the unfounded speculation going around that Lake Lanao has been excluded in the peace negotiation.

The Moro leaders vowed to support the negotiation and even volunteered their services through advocacy and to work for the approval of the Bangsamoro Basic Law when it goes through a plebiscite.

http://www.luwaran.com/index.php/welcome/item/495-milf-conveys-sympathy-to-cagayan-de-oro-mayor-over-the-tragic-bombing

MILF: BangsamoroTransCom holds 4th session; two other activities

From the MILF Website (Aug 9): BangsamoroTransCom holds 4th session; two other activities



The Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) held its 4th session at New Kutawato Diamond Township,Cotabato City On July 28 and tackled several important agenda. The agenda include a review of internal rules; committee membership, schedule of activities and a public engagement with the possibility of tie-up with civil society groups (CSO’s) and universities.
  

The Commission agreed that the BTC Chairman be given the go signal to craft a term of reference (ToR) for public engagements to be presented to the body for final disposal during its next session after Ramadan.  The body also agreedon the proposed amendments on the House Rules formulated during its 3rd session in Tagaytay City last May 7, 2013. Mohagher Iqbal, BTC Chair presided the session with all members in attendance.

In his opening statement, Chairman Iqbal said that, “The BTC is one body with one agenda and sole objectives for the Bangsamoro. He stressed that the, “Moro people should be given what is due to them and there is need for them to ask for it.” “The BTC is bound by the Framework Agreement (FAB) and is intended to solve the Bangsamoro question”. That is the very purpose of the peace process,” he pointed out. The session wound up before iftar (breaking of fast) with no hassles or arguments on the various items in the agenda. The commissioners acted very professionally and contributed to the smooth flow of the deliberations.

Meanwhile, the BTC held a general orientation for BTC commissioners and staff on July 26 in the same venue with Chairman Iqbalgiving his opening statement to about 60 or more participants comprising legal officers, research and technical staff, members of the secretariat headed by Mr. Ismail “Mike” Pasigan and security personnel. Ms. HellieBiruar of the CSC Regional Office No. 12 and Mr.Deity Manampan of GSIS Region 12 discussed the policies of their respective offices. They also answered queries from participants.

On the 27th, a “Special Convention on the Status of the Peace Process” was also held at the same venue with Professor Miriam Coronel-Ferrer and Professor Abhoud Syed Lingga, MILF Peace Panel member as resource persons.. Chairman Iqbal in his opening message said that, “We are about to conclude our task in finding solutions to the Bangsamoro question”, hopefully and that is the endgame”. “The GPH is most knowledgeable on what is going on in our quest for peace”. I would like to thank Madame Ferrer for being with us today”, he further said.

Professor Ferrer discussed the Framework Agreement signed on October 15, 2012 and the Transitional Arrangements and Modalities; and Revenue Generation and Wealth-Sharingannexes signed on February 27 and July 14, respectively. The latter include fiscal administration in the proposed Bangsamoro region. The two remaining annexes on power-sharing and normalization will be discussed in the upcoming exploratory talks in September at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The open forum ended past noon as Professor Ferrer and her group has to catch-up with their flight for Manila.

In the afternoon, Professor Lingga similarly discussed the signed annexes as well as the two remaining annexes on power-sharing and normalization. Among others, he said that under the annex on normalization, an independent commission shall be organized by the parties GPH-MILF) to recommend appropriate policing within the Bangsamoro. The Commission shall be composed of representatives from the GPH and the MILF and may invite local or international experts to assist them.

http://www.luwaran.com/index.php/welcome/item/492-bangsamorotranscom-holds-4th-session-two-other-activities

Preparations for dry-docking of BRP Ramon Alcaraz ongoing

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 10): Preparations for dry-docking of BRP Ramon Alcaraz ongoing

The Philippine Navy (PN) on Saturday announced that preparations for the dry-docking of BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PF-16), the second Hamilton-class cutter in the country's service, is now ongoing.

"Preparations are now ongoing for the dry-docking procedures," PN spokesperson Lt. Cmdr. Gregory Fabic said.

He added that the ship's officers and other ranking Navy officials in the midst of several meetings which will decide on when and where the BRP Ramon Alcaraz will be dry-docked.

Dry-docking refers to the maintenance procedure where the entire ship is place in a large basin which is then empty of water so that repair work can be done all over its hull, including those below the waterline.

Dry-docking period of the Filipino frigate, which is now moored at the Alave Pier, Subic Bay, is expected to start this August up to October.

"The additional armaments which will be fitted to the BRP Ramon Alcaraz is part of our enhancement program," PN flag-officer-in-charge Vice Admiral Jose Luis Alano said during the sidelight of the ship's welcoming ceremony Tuesday.

He declined to specify what weapons that will be fitted to the BRP Ramon Alcaraz.

But PN sources said that this include two Mark 38 Model "Bushmasters" auto cannon which will be mounted in between four to six .50-caliber and M-60 machine guns.

"The weapons are already here and it will be installed during her dry-docking period," the Navy source said.

Additional heavier weapons are also on the way to make the BRP Ramon Alcaraz a much combat capable ship, he added.

The Filipino frigate is presently armed with a quick-firing 76-mm Oto Melara main gun which has a range of 20 nautical miles.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=553475

Naval Forces Western Mindanao troops place on alert amidst spate of bombings

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 10): Naval Forces Western Mindanao troops place on alert amidst spate of bombings

The Philippine Navy has placed its forces on alert in this part of the region amidst the spate of bombings in the different areas of Mindanao.

Rear Admiral Isabelo Gador, commander of the Naval Forces Western Mindanao (NFWM), disclosed that all “assets” of the NFWM command “are strategically being deployed in key areas” as part of the intensified Maritime Surface and Air Patrol in its Area of Responsibility (AOR).

The move is aimed to prevent lawless elements from using the sea lanes in staging atrocities like bombings within its AOR.

The AOR of the NFWM encompasses all the seas within the area of the armed forces’ Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom).

Gador said all units under his command, including the marine forces in the provinces of Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, have been ordered to be extra vigilant and “ready to respond to any emergency situation.”

Gador said that the NFWM’s Quick Reaction Force composed of the Naval Special Operation Unit-6 (NAVSOU-6) and the Multi-Purpose Attack Crafts (MPACs) are also placed on alert.

“They are on standby and ready for dispatch,” Gador added.

Aside from that, Gador said he has ordered an intensive intelligence gathering that could be useful for timely response against any atrocities to be carried out by the lawless elements.

Meanwhile, Mayor Ma. Isabelle Climaco-Salazar has called on all constituents to exercise vigilance and to relay proper and timely information to authorities to help prevent atrocities including bombing incidents in this city.

Five bombing incidents have rocked Mindanao since July 26 until early Saturday, August 10, that killed 16 people and injured 83 others including seven soldiers.

 http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=553457

Another IED found in Maguindanao; BIFF harass North Cotabato village

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 10): Another IED found in Maguindanao; BIFF harass North Cotabato village

Government bomb experts found another improvised bomb in Upi, Maguindanao in an area where a home bomb went off Saturday morning, authorities said.

Mayor Ramon Piang Sr. of Upi town said the first blast occurred around 7:10 a.m. in an open field in Sitio Payong-Payong, Barangay Kebleg in Upi. It was fashioned from a 60-mm mortar with mobile phone as trigger mechanism.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, Piang said, adding that the lone highway linking Cotabato City and Upi was closed to public transport beginning at 7:10 a.m. until past noon Saturday while investigation was on going.

While investigating, Army and Marine bomb experts found another IED about 10 meters away from the spot where the IED exploded earlier.

“Bomb experts found another IED at 10:30 a.m. in the same area where the first blast occurred,” Piang said. “Clearing operation is still on going for there might be more IEDs in the area,” Piang said.

The second IED was detonated by Army and Marine bomb experts shortly before noon Saturday.

“Upi is a very peaceful area, we cannot understand why it will be targeted for bombings," he said. “I appeal to our people to remain calm and vigilant.”

The Upi blast came hours after a 40-mm rifle grenade was fired from a distance toward a house of a militiaman in Kabacan, North Cotabato, leaving four persons wounded.

Senior Supt. Danny Peralta, North Cotabato police director, said the blast on Rizal Avenue, Kabacan on Friday night wounded Eddie Antolin, 49, a member of the Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit (CAFGU), his son Exequiel, 9; and parents-in-law Benjamen Ferrer, 68 and his wife, Lucena, 66.

The bombing in Upi came after the rash of bombings in Mindanao which started in Cagayan de Oro on July 26 that left six dead and in Cotabato City on August 5, killing eight persons.

Authorities blamed the local terrorists trained by al-Qaida-linked Jemaah Islamiyah group. Intelligence agents said the JI had partnered with Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) who set off two IEDs in Shariff Saydona Mustapha which hurt nine soldiers and on a bridge in Barangay Lintokan, Datu Piang, Maguindanao.

Colonel Dickson Hermoso, 6th Infantry Division spokesperson, said suspected BIFF members also set off a powerful IED in front of a pawnshop in Midsayap, North Cotabato.

While bombings occur in various areas in Maguindanao, BIFF guerillas harassed government forces stationed in the borders of Pikit and Aleosan, also in North Cotabato Saturday morning.

The fighting between government forces and BIFF occurred in Barangay Bualan, Pikit, North Cotabato and in Sitio Tubak, Barangay Pagangan, Aleosan.

The two areas are situated in the tri-boundaries of Aleosan and Pikit in North Cotabato and in Datu Piang, Maguindanao where the BIFF was stationed.

About 100 families from the villages of the affected villages have fled to Panicupan, Pikit and in the center of Barangay Pagangan.

Moro residents were seen hauling their valuables and work animals along portions of the Cotabato-Davao highway which remained passable.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=&sid=&nid=&rid=553466

Civilians flee fighting between army, rebels in N. Cotabato

From Rappler (Aug 10): Civilians flee fighting between army, rebels in N. Cotabato

 

Government forces launched ground offensives Saturday, August 10, against members of renegade Muslim rebels allegedly coddling a Malaysian terror bomb expert.

The firefight started when the rebels attacked a military camp in Brgy Tubak, Aleosan, North Cotabato.

North Cotabato Gov Emmylou Mendoza said the gun battle involved soldiers under 40th Infantry Battalion and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) rebels.

Since Friday night residents from 3 villages in the towns of Aleosan and Pikit vacated their houses as BIFF rebels arrived in the area.

According to Lt Col Donald Gumiran, commanding officer of 40th IB, residents of Brg Pagangan in Aleosan and village folks from Nalapaan and Bualan in Pikit evacuated near the national hiighway.

“At the moment continuous exchange of fires could be heard in Lagundi, Pagangan, and Nalapaan”, Gumiran said.

Mendoza said around 2,000 people have been evacuated. "Authorities will secure from rebels’ harassment the main Cotabato-Davao highway," the governor added.

'Kumander Bulldog'

Abu Misry Mama, spokesman of the BIFF, said the rebel ground unit fighting right now is led by a Kumander Bulldog.

"He's called Bulldog because he's like a crazy dog when fighting," Mama said.
Mama said they started the fight after they received reports that the military is preparing to launch a siege against them Saturday night, August 10.

"We heard that they will attack us tonight that is why we launched an attack a step ahead of them," Mama said.

He also warned the government not to underestimate the fighting capacity of the rebel group.

"The government should not underestimate us. They said that we are small but this perceived small group will be the dust that will sting their eyes," Mama said.

Peace advocate Fr. Bert Layson who is monitoring closely with other monitors, said the military offensive has clearance from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) targeting only the intruding BIFF rebels.

"Military officials and local MILF commanders, in the spirit of the peace accord, are closely coordinating with each other avoiding mis-encounters. We pray this will not worsen," Layson said.

The skirmishes in a remote village of Aleosan were sporadic, Von Al Haq, spokesman for the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), said by phone.

"We are in constant communication… blow by blow… with our counterparts in the government to prevent a miss encounter between our men and soldiers," Al Haq said.

"The central committee have reiterated with our ground troops not to participate or to augment their former comrades now subject of military operation," he added.

Marwan wanted

Earlier, Al Haq said a Malaysian wanted by the US government for terrorist activities in Southeast Asia, Zulkifli bin Hir, also known as Marwan, is being coddled by the BIFF in Maguindanao.

Marwan has been monitored in the country since 2003. He has also been reported hiding with Abu Sayyaf bandits.

He is believed to be behind the series of bomb attacks in the region, including the August 5 blast in Cotabato City that left 8 people dead and dozens wounded.

Last year, a military report said Marwan had moved to Central Mindanao, an area of operation for the MILF.

It was not clear if Marwan was in "Habitat," a lair of BIFF situated in the village of Bualan.

Al Haq said they are currently checking existence of Khilafa Islamiya, a young jihadist group based in Lanao del Sur with links to the regional terror network Jemaah Islamiyah (JI).

"Our men in Lanao have not heard of it. We also learned about that organization from our counterparts in the government’s ceasefire body.

Earlier, Prof. Rommel Banlaoi, executive director of the Philippine Institute for Peace, Violence and Terrorism Research, said his group received information that the Khilafa Islamiyah and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters recently held a joint training on bomb-making with the help of JI-linked individuals.

Khilafah in Islam means caliphate which refers to an Islamic state representing political unity for the entire Muslim community.

"So far we are not sure if this organization is real or not. It could be fictitious and created by people against in the peace process," Al Haq said referring to Khilafah.

Denial

However, Mama said it the speculations that Marwan is the target of the military.
"He is not here. We do not even have camps for him to take shelter on," Mama said.

The rebel spokesman added that they cannot confirm the existence of a new local Islamist group called Khilafa Islamiya.

"We are still confirming it. We still have no intelligence reports about this group," Mama said.

Government chief negotiator Miriam Ferrer for her part said the operation against BIFF fighters will not hamper the ongoing peace talks with the MILF.

He said a mechanism was in place to prevent a miss encounter between soldiers pursuing BIFF and MILF rebels.

http://www.rappler.com/nation/36096-fighting-soldiers-biff-rebels-cotabato

Hundreds flee as military, BIFF clash in North Cotabato

From MindaNews (Aug 10): Hundreds flee as military, BIFF clash in North Cotabato

ALEOSAN, North Cotabato -- Hundreds of residents fled their homes as the military launched offensives Saturday against the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) in the neighboring towns of Pikit and Aleosan in North Cotabato.

Lt. Col. Donald Gumiran, 40th Infantry Battalion commander, said the military operation came after BIFF forces attacked a military camp in Barangay Tubak in Aleosan town.

The evacuation of residents from three villages in the towns of Aleosan and Pikit reportedly started Friday night as BIFF elements were sighted in the area.

Gumiran said that residents from Barangay Pagangan in Aleosan and Barangays Nalapaan and Bualan in Pikit have evacuated near the national highway.

“Exchange of gunfire could be heard in [Barangays] Pagangan, Lagundi [in Pikit] and Nalapaan,” Gumiran said at around 8 a.m. Saturday.

 

MindaNews was at Barangay Pagangan at around 2 p.m. and gunfire could be heard here where evacuees were massing.

Peace advocate Fr. Bert Layson, who is closely monitoring the situation with other local peace monitors, said the military offensive has been coordinated with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front to avoid misencounter with MILF fighters.

The target of the operation is the BIFF rebels, he said.

“Military officials and local MILF commanders, in the spirit of the peace process, are closely coordinating with each other to avoid misencounter. We pray this will not worsen as time goes on,” Layson said.

The BIFF is a breakaway group of the MILF.

Jessie Enid, executive assistant of North Cotabato Gov. Emmylou Mendoza, said they have so far recorded 49 families from Barangay Tubak in Aleosan that sought refuge at an evacuation center in Barangay Pagangan on Saturday morning.

“That’s just an initial record,” he told MindaNews on the phone.

Enid added that some of the displaced families from Barangay Pagangan have yet to be validated since they fled to their relatives in the neighboring town of Pikit.

As of 1:20 p.m., he disclosed that the military pounded suspected lairs of the BIFF in Barangay Tubak using 105mm howitzers, as clashes continue.

Enid said the local government of Aleosan has already deployed trucks in Barangay Bago Libas to transport residents to evacuation centers should fighting escalates.

Saturday’s clashes came a day after the celebration of Eid ul Fitr, a Muslim holiday marking the end of Ramadhan.

http://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2013/08/10/hundreds-flee-as-military-biff-clash-in-north-cotabato/

Thousands flee fighting between military and BIFF in North Cotabato

From InterAksyon (Aug 10): Thousands flee fighting between military and BIFF in North Cotabato



BIFF fighters (InterAksyon file)

Thousands of residents of three villages in Aleosan and Pikit towns, both in North Cotabato, have been fleeing their homes since Friday night, when government forces mounted an offensive against rebels from the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters who attacked a military camp.

Fighting, reportedly involving hundreds of BIFF fighters, continues to rage as of this posting, a day after Eid'l Fitir, which marks the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

“At the moment, continuous exchange of fire could be heard in (the villages of) Lagundi, Pagangan and Nalapaan,” Lieutenant Colonel Donald Gumiran, commanding officer of 40th Infantry Battalion, said.

The hostilities were triggered by the BIFF attack on a camp in Tubak village, Aleosan.

The BIFF is a rebel group that broke away from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, which is engaged in peace talks with the government.

Gumiran said villagers from Pagangan in Aleosan and from Nalapaan and Bualan in Pkit had evacuated near the national highway.

Peace advocate Fr. Bert Layson said he and other local monitors are keeping close watch on the military operation, which he described as having the clearance of the MILF.

"Military officials and local MILF commanders, in the spirit of (the) peace accord, are closely coordinating (with) each other, avoiding misencounters. We pray this will not worsen as time goes on," Layson said.

Early last month, BIFF forces also launched simultaneous attacks and IED blasts in Pikit and several towns in Maguindanao that left scores dead and wounded.

Meanwhile, in Maguindanao, adjacent to North Cotabato, a roadside bomb went off in the town of North Upi, but caused no casualties.

Following the blast, another improvised explosive device and two grenades were found in Sitio Payong-payong, Barangay Kibleg, the same village where the explosion happened.

The highway linking North Upi to Cotabato City has been temporarily closed to allow security forces to conduct clearing operations.

It was not clear whether the North Upi blast was related to the fighting in Pikit and Aleosan, although the BIFF has, since last month, owned responsibility for several bombings in Maguindanao, including a roadside attack earlier this week that left seven soldiers wounded in Shariff Saydona Mustapha town.

On August 5, a powerful car bomb was set off in Cotabato City, killing eight people and wounding at least 30 others.

Although no one has claimed responsibility, Cotabato Mayor Japal Guiani Jr. has accused criminal syndicates linked to politicians of targeting him and his sister, city administrator Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi, who had passed by the site of the explosion in a bulletproof van just seconds before the bomb went off. Two of her bodyguards were among the dead.

The Cotabato blast happened 10 days after another bombings in Cagayan de Oro City killed eight people and wounded more than 40 others.

North Upi Mayor Ramon Piang, who is also a member of the government panel in peace talks with the MILF, would only say that “some groups” were “sowing terror” by “riding (on) the situation of terror attacks in Central Mindanao.”

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/68314/thousands-flee-fighting-between-military-and-biff-in-north-cotabato