2 hurt as Army, NPA clash in North Cotabato

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 6): 2 hurt as Army, NPA clash in North Cotabato

MAKILALA, North Cotabato -- A New Peoples Army rebel and a soldier were hurt when government forces and communist rebels clashed in a remote village here Monday afternoon, authorities today said.

 

Lt. Nasrullah Sema, speaking for the 57th Infantry Battalion, said soldiers were patrolling in Sitio Tambis, Barangay Luayon, Makilala, North Cotabato at 3 p.m. when they chanced upon a group of rebels under Guerilla Front 72.

The clash left Private First Class Ryan Quiem-quime wounded and forced about five families to flee to safer grounds in Barangay New Baguio, Makilala, North Cotabato.

An NPA member was also wounded in the encounter but he and his companions fled deep into Mt. Apo, the country's highest peak where the rebels operate.

Sema said prior to the incident the Army have received an information about the presence of NPAs in Sitio Tambis mulcting farmers who are harvesting farm products.

He added the farmers have been complaining of regular and forced taxation by the rebels.

"They (NPAs) have been mulcting on hapless farmers," he said.

The military forces in the towns of Magpet, Makilala, Tulunan and Kidapawan City have been placed on heightened alert following a series of offensives launched by the NPA through roadside bombing, ambuscade and grenade attacks.

Civilians claimed the Army harassed the civilians in Sitio Tambis, Barangay Luayon but Sema denied the allegations claiming it was a legitimate Army operation.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=551853

Army says anti-insurgency drive moving, rebuffs NPA claims

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 6): Army says anti-insurgency drive moving, rebuffs NPA claims 

Anti-insurgency drive in Eastern Visayas has gained headway during the first seven months of the year, the Philippine Army said, rebuffing the New People’s Army (NPA) claims.

Capt. Amado Gutierrez, spokesperson of the 8th Infantry Division, rejected the NPA statement that the government Internal Peace and Security Plan was a failure, as several soldiers were killed and wounded during the first seven months of the year.

Gutierrez said that it’s the communist rebels who are weakening as 15 of their members were arrested from January to July 2013, including high ranking officials. At least 77 NPA camps were discovered by soldiers.

Government troops have recovered 40 firearms during encounters and camp seizures. Seven insurgents have been neutralized during encounters while 101 rebels went back to the fold of law during the first seven months.

The 8th ID has no figures on number of NPA members killed and hurt in clashes but he said they are sure that insurgents have suffered casualties during encounters because of traces of blood after firefights.

In a statement posted in its website, the NPA’s Rodante Urtal Command based in Northern Samar claimed that 17 soldiers were killed and 11 other were hurt in several clashes from January to June 2013.

“These figures are misleading. I don’t know how they came up with those numbers,” Gutierrez said.

The official stressed that the military is on track of minimizing the NPA threat in Eastern Visayas especially in three Samar provinces.

In a press statement, the army said that the most significant of their performance this year was the joint declaration of Eastern Samar as “Manageable Conflict-Affected and Development-Ready Area (MCADRA)” in a ceremony held last March 26, 2013 at the Capitol Building in Borongan City, Eastern Samar.

“That makes the province ready for economic investment and sustainable development as experienced in Cebu, Bohol, Biliran, Leyte and Southern Leyte where businesses started to thrive and attract investments when they were declared as MCADRA."

The army is eyeing to make Samar and Northern Samar insurgent-free by 2016.

The military lauded the stakeholder’s acceptance to the achievement of in the implementation of Internal Peace and Security Plan (IPSP) “Bayanihan.”

“Through this, we have become effective agents of peace in the region showcasing adherence to and observance of human rights, rule of law and International Humanitarian Laws,” the statement said.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=551894

3rd Marine Brigade commander in Palawan now 1 star general

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 6): 3rd Marine Brigade commander in Palawan now 1 star general

The Western Command (Wescom) here rendered military honors Sunday to newly-promoted Brigadier General Andrei Costales at the Wescom Grounds at Camp Gen. Artemio Ricarte with the unified command chief Lt. Gen. Rustico O. Guerrero as host.

Guerrero tendered a simple reception party for the honoree at Hall of Flags with the Command Staff and Commanders of Post and Tenant Units in attendance. The honoree was delighted to receive a memento from the Wescom commander.

In his short message, Costales thanked Guerrero and each and every Wescom trooper for the honor and great hospitality.

“I’ve acted as host to a lot of honorees who visited this Command but, it feels distinctly different when you’re the one being honored,” Costales said.

He also expressed his appreciation to former Wescom commander, retired general Juancho Sabban for giving him the opportunity to serve as Brigade Commander.

Guerrero congratulated the honoree and reminded him of the greater responsibility that is laid now on his shoulders.

“Brig. Gen. Costales has been serving this Command with utmost dedication and faithfulness. His promotion is not only timely but well-deserved as well,” Guerrero said.

Costales is the incumbent commander of 3rd Marine Brigade based in Palawan. His Brigade’s area of jurisdiction covers the first, second and third districts of Palawan with the 4th and 12th Marine Battalion Landing Teams under his command.

He formally received his first star and the rank of Brigadier General effective July 5, 2013.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=551958

Bomb in CDO has traces of bombs used by Moro rebels, terrorists -- army official

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 6): Bomb in CDO has traces of bombs used by Moro rebels, terrorists -- army official

The bomb that exploded in Cagayan de Oro’s crowded entertainment joints at the Rosario Arcade in Limketkai Complex 13 days ago could be the handiwork of terrorists, an army official said on Tuesday.

Brig. Gen. Ricardo Visaya, commanding general of the army’s 4th Infantry Division here, said the improvised explosive device that exploded in Cagayan de Oro City was an 81-mm ammunition used to arm mortar.

Visaya said “only Moro rebels and terrorist groups use the 81-mm ammunition for mortar” although our intelligence operatives were still trying to confirm whether the attack in Cagayan de Oro was that of the terrorists.

He said that the military has not received intelligence reports that the terrorist group of Al Qaida or Jemaah Islamiya would launch a terror attack in the 4th ID’s area of responsibility.

However, Visaya confirmed that the army’s 4th ID received the US issuance of global travel alert on the report of possible Al Qaida’s attacks.

“We are not taking the US alert lightly,” he said.

Visaya also did not say whether the bomb that exploded in Cotabato City on Monday was executed by the terrorist or that the bomb was similar to that explosive that blasted in Cagayan de Oro.

Visaya admitted that Limketkai bombing have several leads and one of them could be by terrorism.

“Although we are still trying to establish a lead at kung sino ang gumawa (who did the bombing) but then sa amin na lang po muna iyon” (just leave it to us), said Visaya.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=552135

Army chief goes after officers behind 'white paper'

From Rappler (Aug 6): Army chief goes after officers behind 'white paper'



FACT OR RUMOR? Army chief Lt Gen Noel Coballes faces the media on August 5. Photo by Carmela Fonbuena/Rappler

An anonymous, almost incoherent "white paper" has made Army chief Lt Gen Noel Coballes the talk in military circles. Yet, while he thinks it "doesn't deserve any attention," the Army boss held a rare conference with the media Monday, August 5, to dispute the allegations in it.

Coballes is accused of coddling a supposedly misbehaving and underperforming trainee at the Officers Candidate School (OCS) to the point of discharging at least 3 officers who admonished him.

The unsigned page of complaints is calling for the early retirement of Coballes, who is scheduled to retire in February 2014 yet. A 1980 graduate of the Philippine Military Academy, he belongs to the class that has among its "adopted classmates" the sisters of President Benigno Aquino III.

"Our concern is that these juniors if not educated and guided properly would most probably cause endorsements which will rebound to OCS. Just because of one kid, the OCS tradition that we so dearly love would be trampled just like that," the unedited statement says.

It also talks about the trainee's mother who has supposedly been meddling in the OCS training. But Coballes said it's normal for parents to ask how their children are doing.

It says the favored trainee has flunked the physical fitness training and the neuro exam and that he was supposedly caught in drinking sessions inside the barracks.

Coballes came to the defense of the unnamed trainee. He described him as the leader of his class, adding this is perhaps the reason why he's being singled out. "In a class, there is always a born leader. His classmates respect him," Coballes said. "In my view, his classmates trust him."

Coballes called a press conference Monday to say he needed to explain because even his colleagues have been asking him about it.

Military probe?

"I ignored it at first. This is the product of an immature person.... But I have been persistently asked about it by colleagues. They asked me why I haven't done anything about it," he said.

The commander of the 80,000-force that's fighting at least 3 armed movements said he has launched a probe to identify the person or persons behind the anonymous complaint. "If he cannot substantiate what he is saying, probably there is some disciplinary problem," Coballes added.

"Ang hinahanap namin ngayon kung sino nagsusulat ng ganito. Let him face the consequences, if there are, of what he has done. If he can't prove his allegations, he has to suffer consequences," he added. "They shouldn't go to the media outlets. They have to show themselves," he added.

Coballes said he already has his suspects, primarily an "immature" officer. He also talked about portions of the unsigned paper being lifted from a Facebook page but he did not elaborate.

For at least 3 months now, the military has been abuzz with snippets of this controversy regarding the Army chief, according to an Army insider. A so-called "white paper" reached defense reporters last week, and they began asking the military about it.

This prompted Coballes to hold a press conference.

Favoritism or maltreatment?

Coballes turned the tables on his accusers. He said the people behind the allegations are officers who continue to "harass" trainees and oppose the Army's rules against body contact during training.

"Lately we implemented a normal treatment policy among our schools. Some of these people probably do not want changes in the school," he said.

"The Army is one of the supporters of removing violations of human rights in our operations and every action of soldiers of the Army. We have to start in the training of officers," Coballes said.

"We should remove practices of maltreatment against trainees. It breeds human rights violations later on," he said. It's all part of the efforts to enhance the performance of new officers, he said.

"Sa pamunuan ng Army, kung hindi mo kayang sundin ang utos na hindi naman masama, dapat umalis ka sa institution na yan. Masisira mo ang programa na dapat i-implement doon sa institution," Coballes said. (If you can't follow the rules, then leave the Army. Otherwise, you end up destroying its programs.)-

http://www.rappler.com/nation/35695-army-chief-goes-after-officers

'Cotabato bombers deserve wrath of Allah'

From Rappler (Aug 6): 'Cotabato bombers deserve wrath of Allah'

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) slammed the car bomb attack in Cotabato City on Monday, August 5, that left at least 8 people dead.

Muhammad Ameen, chair of the MILF secretariat, said the MILF condemns the bombing calling it barbaric where civilians are "deliberately targeted as means to deliver message for an evil agenda." 


"Whoever did this deserved the wrath of Allah," Ameen said.

The MILF's Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces spokesman Von Al-Haq said the incident is a terrorist attack and that similar attempts in the future must be stopped.

"We strongly condemn this inhuman, dastard and terroristic act that caused the lives of innocent people. This group, whoever they are, should not have a place in our society," Al-Haq said.

Ameen said that fighting and attacks are prohibited during the month of Ramadan even if there is an ongoing conflict in the area.

No group has claimed responsibility for the bombing.

BIFF's denial

Despite text messages and Facebook posts saying that the splinter group Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters has established an alliance with the Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiyah and is planning to set off more bombs in several locations in Mindanao, Abu Misry Mama, spokesman of the BIFF, said the rebel group has not participated in attacks against civilians.

"We know that the bomb is not an ordinary bomb. The question here is that how was the bomb transported inside the city," Mama said, explaining that the rebel group has no capacity to make such explosives.

"I am asking the public not to fear the BIFF because it is not the doing of Mujahedeens to hurt civilians," added Mama.

Like the MILF, Mama said the BIFF is condemning the attack and that the perpetrators must pay for it.

http://www.rappler.com/nation/35753-cotabato-bombing-milf-reaction

New PH warship stays in Subic - for now

From Rappler (Aug 6): New PH warship stays in Subic - for now



The Philippine Navy's newly acquired Hamilton-class cutter BRP Ramon Alcaraz will be based at the former US military base here.

"For the moment, this is where they are (warships) to be initially based. The Philippine Navy now is in the process of developing some of our ports and bases. This is part of current modernization program," Navy chief Vice Admiral Jose Luis Alano told reporters on the sidelines of the arrival ceremony for Alcaraz held at the Alave Pier here.

Subic is 140 nautical miles away from disputed territory Scarborough or Panatag Shoal. The twin ship of Alcaraz, BRP Gregorio Del Pilar, previously figured in a standoff with Chinese fishing vessels there.

But Alcaraz will not get missions until it is officially commissioned in October. It will be dry docked for the next two months and will be painted gray, the navy's official color. Its armaments will be upgraded, too.

Like Del Pilar, the main weapon of Alcaraz is a MK75 76 Main Battery. It also has an MK36 SRBOC Missile Decoy Chaff. MK38 25mm Machine guns and M2HB .50 caliber Machine Guns will be added.

Intensified sea patrol

President Benigno Aquino III welcomed the arrival of Alcaraz as a "boost" to the country's "capability to counter any threat."

READ: Philippines vows intensified sea patrols

Alano said patrolling the West Philippine Sea will be one of the first missions of Alcaraz, although it will also be deployed to other parts of the country.

These are part of the areas where they will be deployed, Western Philippine Sea is part of that," he said.

A large ship, Alano said Alcaraz allows the navy a lot of time to patrol the entire country.

"Because of its large size and endurance capabality, we would be able to deploy it in any part of the country. The endurance of this vessel is 45 days. To patrol or go around the Philippines, it would take 7 days. You have a lot of time to patrol all parts of the country," Alano said.

The defense department earlier presented plans to move navy and air force camps to Subic.

"As part of what we are doing, we are trying to look for where we could be able to best base our assets," said Alano.

Foreign Secretary Albert Del Rosario also talked about increased military aid from the US and the possibility of acquiring a third Hamilton-class cutter. This is on top of the 2 new frigates that the defense department is going to buy and the naval helicopters that are arriving in December.

"Whatever resources we have, we commit ourselves to make do with whatever capblities provided for us," said Alano.

http://www.rappler.com/nation/35768-new-philippines-warship-stays-in-subic

Aquino vows arrests as Cotabato blast toll rises

From Rappler (Aug 6): Aquino vows arrests as Cotabato blast toll rises



President Benigno Aquino III vowed to find and arrest those behind a powerful bomb that hit a southern Philippine city as the death toll rose to eight on Tuesday, August 6.

Thirty-six people were caught in Monday's (August 5) roadside blast, with 4 killed at the scene and another 4 dying in local hospitals overnight, Cotabato City police chief Rolen Balquin said.

Earlier, the total number of people caught in the blast had been given as 32.

Aquino branded the perpetrators as "terrorists", adding: "I'm sure that we'll be able to get all these culprits in due time."

He said investigators had "suspects (who) have been the object of our concern for a very long time," although he did not identify them.

Aquino also said the blast may be linked to groups opposed to the government's continuing peace talks with Muslim rebels.

Earlier, Balquin said they were looking at the possibility that the deadly attack was aimed at a convoy carrying a sister of Cotabato city mayor Japal Guiani.

"Our initial investigation is leading to that conclusion," the police chief told AFP.

He said none of the main armed groups in the southern island of Mindanao, a hotbed to decades-old rebellions by minority Muslims, have claimed responsibility for the attack.

Police interviewed Cynthia Sayadi, the mayor's sister who is also the city
administrator, at her hospital bed where she was treated for minor injuries, said Balquin. He did not disclose what she told blast investigators.

"Isn't it obvious? Do I have to state the obvious?" Sayadi said in an interview by ABS-CBN, apparently supporting the police theory.

Her brother had won a second 3-year term in May, defeating a former Cotabato mayor and senior leader of a Muslim guerrilla group that signed a peace treaty with the national government in 1996.

Two of Sayadi's bodyguards were among those killed by the bomb, which was apparently planted in a vehicle parked at the side of the road, Balquin said.

However, he said the authorities were not ruling out the possible involvement of Islamic militants or groups opposed to ongoing peace talks between Manila and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), Mindanao's main Muslim rebel group.

The attack came a month after the United States, Australia and Canada warned their citizens against traveling to Cotabato and two other Mindanao cities.

The nature of the threat was not specified but related to "terrorist and insurgent activities", the US embassy had said.

"We have intensified visibility patrols and are closely monitoring the activities of various threat groups," Balquin said.

Cotabato, a city of 300,000 people, was tense Tuesday as police and Philippine Marines stepped up patrols and roadside checkpoints, residents told AFP by telephone.

Philippine Army spokesman Colonel Dickson Hermoso told AFP among those groups being monitored is the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), who oppose the MILF peace talks with the government.

"They are quiet now because we have been able to contain them. But we expect them to be active again in two days' time. They are only capable of hitting soft targets," he added.

Three BIFF guerrillas were killed last week near Cotabato in clashes after they fired on a petroleum delivery lorry and laid two roadside bombs.

The fasting period of Ramadan is officially set to end on Friday, August 9, for the minority Muslims in the largely Catholic country of 100 million.

http://www.rappler.com/nation/35752-aquino-vows-arrests-cotabato-blast

Police recover Malaysian hostage who escapes in Jolo

From InterAksyon (Aug 6): Police recover Malaysian hostage who escapes in Jolo

The police recovered a Malaysian national who escaped from captivity in the hands of the Abu Sayyaf bandits in the island province of Sulu, a top police official disclosed Tuesday.

Recovered by policemen around 7:00 a.m. Tuesday in Barangay Pasil, Indanan, Sulu was Tung Wee Jie, according to Sulu Police Director Sr. Supt. Abraham Orbita.

Tung, 26, was kidnapped together with his cousin, Tung Wee Fei, 33, by the Abu Sayyaf bandits on November 13, 2012 at a Palm Oil Plantation in Lahad Datu, Sabah.

He said they were informed by Tung that the other hostage died of sickness while in captivity in the jungles of Sulu.

The younger Tung is the assistant palm oil plantation manager while the older Tung is the plantation manager.

Orbita said the policemen led by Senior Police Officer 1 (SPO1) Baltazar Zawabe were conducting security patrol when they spotted Tung wandering along the side of the road in Barangay Pasil, Indanan municipality.

Orbita said Tung was immediately brought to his headquarters in Camp Asturias, Jolo, the capital of Sulu, where the Malaysian underwent a medical check-up.

Tung claimed to have escaped from his Abu Sayyaf captors “while they were preoccupied,” Orbita said.

“Generally, he is in good health except that he is thin and with so many rashes from mosquito bites,” Orbita said in a text message.

He said Tung will be flown to Manila “once the plane could land” at Jolo airport, where a heavy downpour was being experienced.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/68079/police-recover-malaysian-hostage-who-escapes-in-jolo

CIDG holds 3 suspects seen on CCTV in Cotabato bombing site

From InterAksyon (Aug 6): CIDG holds 3 suspects seen on CCTV in Cotabato bombing site



Three persons believed to have carried out the Monday bombing here that left eight people dead and more than 30 others wounded have been arrested and are undergoing interrogation by police authorities, Mayor Japal Guiani Jr. said on Tuesday.

Guiani refused to identify the three men captured on close circuit TV cameras (CCTV) of one of the business establishments near the blast site along Sinsuat Avenue, Cotabato City.

He said the suspects are now in the custody of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).

The mayor who claimed he and his sister lawyer Cynthia Guiani Sayadi were the target of the car bomb attack said police authorities are in possession of documents containing conversations, calls and text messages of personalities who had planned and carried out the bomb attack and previous violent incidents in the city.

The mayor said he would make public the personalities behind the bomb attack once charges have been filed against them.

Earlier, he hinted that the attack could be a retaliation for his administration's campaign against illegal drugs. He said crime organizations with links to politicians are after him.

Senior Supt. Rolen Balquin, city police director, said drugs was one of the many angles police investigators were looking into, including politics and terrorism.

But Balquin said the attack was more of a personal vendetta by those affected by the implementation of law and order in the city.

Guiani, since becoming the city's chief executive, had been receiving death threats when he started cleansing the city government of misfits.

The most recent was his directive, and carried by his sister Guiani-Sayadi, to clear the tributaries and waterways in the city clogged by informal settlers.

Illegal structures in canals and tributaries criss-crossing the city contributed to the frequent floods that displaced thousands of families in low-lying barangays.

5 car bomb attacks since 2002

Since 2002, five car bomb attacks had been carried out in Maguindanao and Region 12---composed of North and South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and the cities of Cotabato, Kidapawan, Tacurong, Koronadal and Gen. Santos.

In June 2002, a tricycle loaded with explosives was set off in Datu Piang, Maguindanao that killed then Datu Piang Mayor Saudi Ampatuan, son of former Maguindanao Governor Andal Ampatuan Sr.

In 2003, a car bomb was set off near the terminal of Cotabato airport which killed two and wounded more than 20 others.

In 2005, a car bomb was set off in Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao while Ampatuan Sr and his convoy were passing by in Shariff Aguak town. The blast left eight persons dead.

The most recent before last Monday’s blast was the car bomb set off in Tacurong City targeting Maguindanao Governor Esmael Mangudadatu’s convoy.

The bomb attack left provincial board member Russman Sinsuat and a bystander killed.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/68081/cidg-holds-3-suspects-seen-on-cctv-in-cotabato-bombing-site

COTABATO BLAST | Mayor sees crime rings linked to politicians; PNP eyes 'bomb for hire'

From InterAksyon (Aug 6): COTABATO BLAST | Mayor sees crime rings linked to politicians; PNP eyes 'bomb for hire'



Investigators look for clues in the wreckage a day after a car bomb explosion in Cotabato City killed eight persons and woundd 30 others. (photo by Mark Navales, AFP)

Cotabato City Mayor Japal Guiani Jr. said Tuesday Monday’s car bomb that killed eight persons and wounded 30 others was set off by crime organizations linked to “politicians” out to get him and his sister, city administrator Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi.

The Philippine National Police, on the other hand, proffered another possible angle, that the attack could have been a case of “bomb-for-hire.”

“We could look at the possibility kung bakit bomb ang ginamit (why a bomb was used) instead of ambush type. Instead of gun-for-hire, baka (it may have been a) bomb-for-hire,” PNP spokesman Senior Superintendent Reuben Theodore Sindac said.

The powerful explosion barely missed Sayadi, whose bulletproof vehicle had just passed the vehicle where the bomb was planted when it went off.

Two of her security aides, in another vehicle following her, were killed in the blast.

Guiani said the perpetrators “have already been identified and may mga (there are) witnesses … even the mastermind is already identified,” adding he had documents he intended to turn over to authorities.

Asked who the mastermind was, Guiani replied: “These are big people, wala namang big people kundi mga politicians ‘di ba (there are no other big people but politicians right)? So I would say that these are private armed groups na ang motive e kung ano-ano na. Makakalaban mo ‘yung masasamang loob. Kung titingnan mo for the past years wala nang kidnapping ang Cotabato City, so I think this is one of the reasons na itong grupo na ito ay nagagalit sa amin (whose motives are diverse. You will go up against the criminals. If you see for the past years there have been no kidnappings in Cotabato City, so I think this is one of the reasons this group is angry at us).”

Region 12 police director, Chief Superintendent Charles Calima reiterated that Sayadi was the likely target of the attack, noting: “Unang-una bakit malakas ‘yung explosion? Dahil nga du’n sa ang ginagamit ng target nila ay bulletproof na sasakyan (First of all, why was the explosion so powerful? Precisely because the target was in a bulletproof vehicle).”

However, he dismissed the notion that the attack was linked to recent security warnings by several Western countries, particularly the US, which have shut down their embassies in the Middle East because of threats Al Qaeda was poised to strike.

The Cotabato explosion happened 10 days after a bomb went off at a popular bar in Cagayan de Oro City, killing eight persons and wounding more than 40 others.

Sindac said the Cotabato blast “could be a new modus (operandi)” of hired assassins, “especially pag ‘yung (especially if the) subject or target ay nakasakay sa isang (is riding a) bulletproof vehicle.”

Authorities have yet to say what the Cotabato bomb was made of.

The explosion was so powerful it wrecked several vehicles and set fire to buildings at the blast site along busy Sinsuat Avenue.

On Tuesday, investigators returned to the scene of the bombing to gather more evidence.

Traffic enforcers on duty at the time of the attack said they thought an electric transformer had exploded until they saw a huge fire.

Abdulmaguid Andong, who heads the city’s traffic enforcers, said he realized it ewas an attack only when he saw “nakabulagta na yung dalawang tao na nakasakay sa motor tapos may nagsisigawan na (two men riding a motorcycle sprawled on the ground as the screaming started).”

Andong said aside from trying to seek help from motorists who were spared from the explosion to get the victims to hospitals, he also had to warn people to get off the streets “kasi alam po natin sa bomba baka merong (because we know that in bombings there could be a) secondary explosion.”

Of the 30 injured in the explosion, only eight are still confined at the Cotabato Regional and Medical Center, among these a nurse who is seven months pregnant and who would allow herself to be identified only as “Cookie.”

Cookie sustained burns and shrapnel wounds but said that, despite the pain of her injuries, the child she is carrying is safe.

“Sa ulo at saka sa paa niya ... kahapon kasi galing sila ng bahay so ang balak nila mag-grocery sila so ‘yun na, pagdating nila ng grocery pumutok na ‘yung bomba (Her wounds are in the head and legs … yesterday they left the house to buy groceries so, when they reached the grocery, the bomb exploded),” said Cookie’s cousin, Alsaima Ulama.

Another survivor, Exequiel Almiroda, took himself to the hospital after the explosion but has yet to undergo surgery to remove the shrapnel in his body.

He said he saw blood pouring from his back and then felt the pain.

“Nataranta ako (pero) wala naman magtulong doon (kaya) nagtakbo na lang ako papunta ng hospital (I got scared but no one would help me so I ran to the hospital),” he said.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/68069/cotabato-blast--mayor-sees-crime-rings-linked-to-politicians-pnp-eyes-bomb-for-hire

PH vows intensified sea patrols as BRP Ramon Alcaraz arrives at Subic Bay

From InterAksyon (Aug 6): PH vows intensified sea patrols as BRP Ramon Alcaraz arrives at Subic Bay



Students wave mini-Philippine flags to welcome the BRP Ramon Alcaraz at Subic, which once hosted the largest US naval base outside the US mainland. AFP PHOTO

The Philippines promised intensified sea patrols Tuesday as it welcomed the arrival of a second warship from the United States to bolster its defenses during a maritime dispute with China.

President Benigno Aquino III led the navy in welcoming the BRP Ramon Alcaraz, a Hamilton-class cutter that had been decommissioned by the US coast guard and acquired by Manila.

The ship berthed at Subic, a former American naval base on the west coast of the main island of Luzon facing the South China Sea where the Philippines has festering territorial disputes with China.

"Now that BRP Alcaraz has arrived, we will surely intensify our patrols in the Philippines' exclusive economic zone," Aquino said in a speech as the US envoy to Manila and other officials cheered.

"It will also boost our capability to counter any threat," he said.

Photos by Malacanang Photo Bureau

 

Aquino made no direct reference to China, which has claims in the South China Sea overlapping those of the Philippines and other nations.

The Alcaraz, named after a Filipino commodore and World War II hero who battled Japanese warplanes, is the second warship acquired by the Philippines from its US ally in recent years, significantly upgrading its poorly-equipped military.

The first, BRP Gregorio del Pilar, was acquired in 2011 and immediately sent to patrol the country's waters to counter what the government says is increasing militarization by China of the disputed areas.

In 2012 the Gregorio del Pilar confronted Chinese ships in a tense standoff at Scarborough Shoal, a small outcrop just off the coast near Subic.

The Chinese eventually gained control of the shoal after the Philippines backed down.

The 3,250-ton (2,950-tonne) Alcaraz can withstand strong waves and can stay longer at sea than any of the Philippines' current vessels, allowing for more extensive patrols, the navy said.

The Philippine military is considered one of the weakest in the region and it has been seeking more US aid to boost its capabilities.

The government last week said US military aid to Manila would increase more than 60 percent to $50 million this year, with a possible acquisition of a third naval cutter.

Small numbers of US forces rotate for training in the Philippines, although the defense department has recently said it was in talks with its American counterparts for joint use of Philippine bases.

US Navy P3 Orion surveillance aircraft have also been helping the Philippines gather intelligence on what Manila has said is an increasing Chinese military build-up in the South China Sea.

China claims nearly all of the South China Sea, even waters close to its smaller neighbours. The dispute has long been considered a potential flashpoint of conflict in the region.

Subic, along with the nearby Clark air base, were longtime US military facilities, playing key roles from World War II to the Vietnam War and during the Cold War.

The Philippine Senate voted in 1991 to shut down US bases in the country.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/68061/ph-vows-intensified-sea-patrols-as-brp-ramon-alcaraz-arrives-at-subic-bay

Kidnapped Malaysian national escaped from Sayyaf, but another hostage dies in captivity

From the Mindanao Examiner blog (Aug 6): Kidnapped Malaysian national escaped from Sayyaf, but another hostage dies in captivity



Google map of the area in Indanan town in Sulu province where kidnapped Malaysian national Chong Wei Jie is recovered by a patrolling policeman on August 6, 2013. (Mindanao Examiner)

Philippine authorities said a Malaysian national kidnapped last year in the eastern state of Sabah had escaped Tuesday from his Abu Sayyaf captors in the southern Filipino province of Sulu.

Police said Chong Wei Jie, 25, was spotted by a policeman, Baltazar Sawadi walking alone in the village of Pasil in Indanan town and brought him to the headquarters where he was fed and interviewed by authorities.

Chong told police investigators that his cousin Chong Wei Fei, 33, died in captivity from a lingering illness and that he alone escaped from his kidnappers.

“SPO1 Baltazar Sawadi, who was patrolling the village, spotted the man who turned out to be one of two Malaysian nationals kidnapped in Sabah. He said he escaped from his captors, but his cousin died in captivity,” Senior Superintendent Abraham Orbita, the provincial police chief, told the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner.

No other details were made available by the police and the Malaysian embassy and the Filipino government have not issued any statement about Chong’s daring escape.

It was also unknown whether Chong was telling the truth or not, but his sweet freedom came just recently after Malaysian police said it wanted to establish contact with the kidnappers to pave way for negotiations for the safe release of the victims.

The statement came after their captors sent a photo of the duo taken in March 7 to the Malaysian newspaper The Star.

The two cousins, managers of a palm plantation in Lahad Datu town, were kidnapped in November 13 by five gunmen disguised as Malaysian policemen and dragged them to a waiting speed boat and sped towards the southern Philippines.

Sabah Police Commissioner Hamza Taib was quoted by Malaysia Chronicle as saying that they wanted to re-establish contact with the kidnappers.

Ransom negotiations for the safe release of the hostages were disrupted by the intrusion in February of Sulu Sultanate forces in Lahad Datu which eventually ended in a fierce battle that left dozens of people dead and wounded.

The Abu Sayyaf is still holding several foreigners and Filipino captives in the southern region. And Manila has not released any progress reports on the Abu Sayyaf hostages.

In 2010, suspected Abu Sayyaf gunmen also kidnapped two Malaysian seaweed farmers - Vui Chung, 42, and Lai Wing Chau, 33 – in a daring raid on Semporna near Lahad Datu and brought them to Tawi-Tawi where they had been ransomed off for two million ringgits.

And on 2001, the Abu Sayyaf raided the island-resort of Sipadan and seized 21 mostly Western holidaymakers and ransomed them off to Malaysia and Libya for millions of dollars.

 http://mindanaoexaminer.blogspot.com/2013/08/kidnapped-malaysian-national-escaped.html

3 soldiers killed in Basilan fighting

From the Mindanao Examiner blog (Aug 6): 3 soldiers killed in Basilan fighting



Government troops patrol Basilan province in southern Philippines. Mindanao Examiner Photo

Three government soldiers were killed in a clash with suspected Abu Sayyaf rebels in the southern Philippine province of Basilan.

According to the Mindanao Human Rights Action Center, the weekend fighting erupted in the village of Silangkum in Tipo-Tipo town. The soldiers were patrolling the village when they ran into a group of rebels, sparking the clashes.

The fighting also triggered a mass evacuation and the some 300 villagers have fled their homes for fear they would be caught in the cross-fire.

Village officials said some of the civilians have returned home. The human rights center said it is monitoring the situation in the town.

There was no immediate statement from the army about the fighting or the displacement of civilians due to the violence.

http://mindanaoexaminer.blogspot.com/2013/08/3-soldiers-killed-in-basilan-fighting.html

Fil-Ams urge new US envoy to push for stronger military ties

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Aug 5): Fil-Ams urge new US envoy to push for stronger military ties

Newly named Ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg PHOTO FROM STATE.GOV

Filipino American leaders are calling on newly appointed US Ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg to push for stronger military relations between the United States and the Philippines.

They agreed that the dispute between the Philippines and China over territory and maritime lanes in the East and South China Sea (West Philippine Sea) should be the new ambassador’s top concern.

“The United States is already ‘pivoting’ towards Asia because of the prominent and aggressive role China has been playing in the past 10 years,” said Loida Nicolas-Lewis, chair of the US Pinoys for Good Government.  “Because of the strategic position of the Philippines in South East Asia, it is in the interest of the United States to be more present in our area.”

The disputed territories are believed to be rich in oil and mineral deposits. Claimant countries Vietnam, Japan and the Philippines have complained about various incidents and “acts of aggression” allegedly initiated by China that threaten and encroach upon its stakes in the disputed areas.

Jay Gonzalez, professor of Asian studies and international politics at the University of San Francisco believes the US should strengthen its military cooperation with and increase military aid to the Philippines.

“American military exercises are very critical, because of the US’ capacity to invite more participants [other countries],” said Gonzalez. “If the US doesn’t conduct these multicountry exercises in West Philippine Sea, it [would] only make the Philippines more insecure vis a vis China’s growing presence in that area.”

The Philippines has participated in the American-led  Pacific Rim joint military exercises with  Australia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, France, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Tonga, and the United Kingdom. Notably absent in the exercises was China.

Court of public opinion

While both the USPGG and Gonzalez agree that “negotiating a just and fair solution to China and the Philippines is the objective,” they differ on the means to achieve that end.

“The (USPGG) will continue to ‘internationalize’ this issue of China’s aggression and imperialist moves in Asia,” said Lewis, whose group has spearheaded worldwide protests, against Beijing.

Chinese media has downgraded the protests, but USPGG legal counsel Rodel Rodis believes the mass actions are making an impact. “Was it really just a coincidence that (five days after) our July global protests against China’s repeated violations of the territorial sovereignty of the Philippines, the US Senate passed a resolution expressing concern over China’s actions in the South China Sea?” Rodis asked.  “Perhaps in our own way we were able to influence US public opinion and the US government to condemn China’s actions.”

“With a long history of engagement in the region, the United States has a vital interest in working with all nations in developing, institutionalizing, and sustaining a rules-based order for the area. That starts with putting in place effective mechanisms to manage maritime disputes that destabilize the region, and supporting and encouraging the peaceful resolution of disputes in the Asia-Pacific maritime domain,” said Senate Committee on foreign relations chair Senator Robert Menendez (Democrat-New Jersey), in a statement about the resolution.

Beijing said it has made “stern representations” with the US over the resolution, according to the Chinese foreign ministry’s official statement. China has insisted that disputes be dealt with bilaterally, that is one-on-one, with individual claimant nations, rejecting intervention by third parties not directly involved, such as the US or the United Nations.

While China is one of the signatories in the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea that defines rights and responsibilities in the use of international waters, no nation is legally bound to abide by the agreement.

Saving face the Asian way
 
Gonzalez believes the US could play a more significant role in resolving the conflict by acting as an honest broker to quietly settle the dispute, as a face-saving device for China. “In a closed door meeting, I think they might be able to come out with a mutually harmonious agreement,” said Gonzalez. “The problem with a very bilateral approach is that it’s very open and the media [will be] there. China has to act aggressively and defensively. Behind closed doors, China can be less defensive.”

Gonzalez believes that the trade relationship between Washington and Beijing would ultimately affect the outcome of US-brokered talks between aggrieved nations disputing with China. The US is now the biggest buyer of Chinese merchandise exports, helping fuel China’s rapid rise as an economic power.

“If you look at the larger relationship between the US and China, trade is still the bigger picture. (China and disputing nations) will still be in dialogue approach, and the US can be in the room,” said Gonzalez.

Back to bases?
 
In the worst-case scenario, however, that Beijing does not reach a mutually agreeable resolution with Manila, Lewis said she would back a controversial move to bring back foreign military bases in the Philippines. “Our only recourse is to ask the US and Japan to establish military bases (in Philippine territory) as a defensive measure against China’s aggression,” she said.

The Philippine Constitution bans continuous foreign military presence in the country, after the Philippine Senate voted to kick out America’s biggest overseas military bases in 1992.

“Yes, it would mean a constitutional change. I am in favor of having US (military) presence rather than be occupied piece by piece by a powerful neighbor, and possibly arming (rebel groups) to undermine the country’s security,” Nicholas-Lewis added. “(There are) two options. China or the United States.”

Gonzalez believes the US should instead invest in the Philippines by beefing up its meager arsenal with discounted military hardware. “I want to see the Philippines become a maritime power. That cannot happen without the US supplying hardware,” he said.

Seek out Fil-Am advice

“(Filipino American) leaders continue to be concerned about the welfare of the Filipino people,” said spokesperson Ted Laguatan, in a USPGG statement.

“They are an important influence group in Washington and with the Philippine government. Discussions and consultations with them on various issues can help (Goldberg) very much in his job as US ambassador to the Philippines.”

Human trafficking of Filipinos to America, the presence of Al Qaeda and its allied groups in the Philippines, the trade imbalance between the US and Philippines, and the appropriate use of Millennium Grant funds are among the other big issues that Filipino Americans leaders say Goldberg should target.

http://globalnation.inquirer.net/82323/fil-ams-urge-new-us-envoy-to-push-for-stronger-military-ties