Military suspects abductors from Sulu

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Sep 25): Military suspects abductors from Sulu



In this April 5, 2010, file photo, government troopers search an area near the house of 72-year-old Charlie Reith in the southern port city of Zamboanga, where he was abducted by at least five gunmen on board three outrigger. The military is looking into reports that the gunmen who abducted three Westerners and a Filipino woman from Samal Island in Davao del Norte province on the night of Monday, Sept. 21, 2015, are from Sulu province, a senior military officer said on Thursday, Sept. 24. AP PHOTO
The military is looking into reports that the gunmen who abducted three Westerners and a Filipino woman from Samal Island in Davao del Norte province on Monday night are from Sulu province, a senior military officer said on Thursday.

Around 800 policemen and elite Army troops, backed by the Philippine Navy and the Philippine Coast Guard, were pressing the search for the gunmen, who may have taken their victims to Sulu.
The abductors are believed to be a group from Sulu, according to Lt. Gen. Aurelio Baladad, Eastern Mindanao Command chief.

“It might be possible that the primary suspect is the Abu Sayyaf group but I would not immediately conclude that it is they … It’s possible that it’s a group not the Abu Sayyaf but wanting to make money,” Baladad said.

Baladad did not provide details of ongoing operations for the rescue of Canadians John Ridsdel and Robert Hall, Norwegian Kjartan Sekkingstad and Filipino Maritess Flor, whom the gunmen snatched from Holiday Oceanview Marina on Samal Island on Monday night.

He said, however, that the military had a “good lead” on the kidnappers’ moves and whereabouts in eastern Mindanao.

Col. Restituto Padilla, spokesman for the Armed Forces of the Philippines, said the military had a cartographic sketch of one of the kidnappers, based on the statement of a Japanese tourist who was nearly abducted at the resort on Monday night.

Technical experts were also reviewing video from the security camera at the resort, enhancing the images to capture clear pictures of the gunmen, he said.

Padilla said the pursuit operations were mostly in Davao, where the gunmen and their captives were reportedly sighted.

Good leads not divulged

“We have good leads as to the location but we cannot divulge this,” Padilla said.

Sources from the military intelligence service said the gunmen could be from Sulu and may have taken the victims there.

The leader of the group could be Hatib Hajan Sawadjaan, a subcommander of the al-Qaida-linked terrorist group Abu Sayyaf, the sources said.

Sawadjaan is in his 60s and commands a group of Abu Sayyaf members who are orphans of slain commanders and fighters of the terrorist group, the sources said.

The members of Sawadjaan’s group are mostly in their 20s, the sources said.

Patikul landing

The sources said military agents received information that a white speedboat docked at Barangay (village) Kaunayan in Patikul, Sulu, on Tuesday night.

On the boat were known members of the Abu Sayyaf and with them were three Caucasians and a woman whose hands were tied, the sources said.

In an interview with Radyo Inquirer on Thursday, Padilla confirmed an intelligence report published by the Inquirer about a threat to abduct foreigners on Samal Island, but said the report was “two years old.”

The intelligence report obtained by the Inquirer was dated Aug. 22 this year, issued by a foreign security agency based in the Philippines and working for multinational companies in the country.

Told that the old kidnapping plan could have been revived and carried out on Sept. 21, Padilla said, “We are not discounting that possibility.”

Another source said the Patikul group of the Abu Sayyaf worked with the Sibuco group of the terrorist organization, which cased Holiday Oceanview Marina on Samal Island.

“Last month, people arrived in Davao and went to Samal, posing as fishermen,” the source said.

Those people were from Sibugay and their leader was known as Commander Waning, who operated in Zamboanga and Davao, the source said.

Davao pursuit

Supt. Antonio Rivera, spokesman for the Southern Mindanao Police Office, said an Army battalion and a Scout Rangers company were pursuing the kidnappers in the mountains of Davao Oriental province.

“Helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft from the Air Force are conducting air patrols,” Rivera said.
Rivera said, however, that the authorities still had no definite information about the identities of the kidnappers.

As of Thursday, he said, the police and the military were still looking into the possibility that the kidnappers were either the communist New People’s Army (NPA) or a Moro rebel group called Bangsamoro Army or the Abu Sayyaf.

The Bangsamoro Army is an alleged splinter group of the Moro National Liberal Front.

The NPA has not issued a statement about the Samal kidnappings.

Capt. Alberto Caber, spokesman for the military’s Eastern Command, said the “probability of the success” of the rescue operation was “very high.”

Caber said that based on “information about sightings,” the kidnappers and their victims were still in the Davao region.

“We cannot say where, because that would be like telling the suspects that we know where they are,” Caber said.

He said the military did not have information that the victims had been taken to the mountains of Southern Mindanao.

Real focus

But another military officer, who asked not to be identified for lack of authority to speak on the matter, said the rescue operations were focused on Davao del Sur and Sarangani provinces.

“It’s not in Davao Oriental or Compostela Valley,” the officer said.

Senior Supt. Federico Dulay, head of the Special Investigation Task Group Oceanview, said information had been received about sightings in Davao del Sur, but this was unverified.

“[Beyond] Davao del Sur is Sarangani, which is [Central Mindanao,” Dulay said.

He refused to disclose the locations of the sightings, as these needed verification.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/725191/military-suspects-abductors-from-sulu

Troops, cops closing in on Samal kidnappers

From the Daily Tribune (Sep 25): Troops, cops closing in on Samal kidnappers

Government security forces yesterday claimed to have “solid leads” and are expecting a breakthrough soon in the ongoing all-out search and pursuit operations for the gunmen now holding three foreigners and a Filipina somewhere in Eastern Mindanao region.

Lt. Gen. Aurelio Baladad, commander of the military’s Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom), said the kidnap group and the hostages are still within his area of responsibility (AoR).

He expressed optimism that a breakthrough in the ongoing operation is coming soon.

“We have good leads but I cannot compromise the operations but we have a good lead… something will happen in the next (days),” Baladad stressed.

“They are still in my AoR,” he added.

While Baladad admitted the possibility that the gunmen who raided Ocean View resort on Samal Island last Monday night were Sulu based, he could not say whether they are members of the terrorist Abu Sayyaf group.

But he said the terrorist Abu Sayyaf group remains a suspect.

“Not necessarily Abu Sayyaf. We know it’s from Sulu but not necessarily (ASG)…maybe there are others who are trying to make a living but not ASG. I do not preclude that possibility,” the military official added.

“The primary suspect is ASG but I would not conclude that it’s ASG,” Baladad said.

There were reports tagging Sulu-based Abu Sayyaf leader Muammar Askali as responsible in the Ocean View raid.

Col. Restituto Padilla, spokesman of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), said all military and police units in Davao areas remained on alert in pursuit of the kidnap group and to safely rescue the victims.

He added operations are focused on the provinces of Compostela Valley, Davao Oriental and adjacent Davao areas.

“We will not leave any stone unturned in the pursuit of the perpetrators but as to the exact place, we apologize we cannot reveal that for our police and military troops to do their job better,” Padilla stressed.

He echoed Baladad’s pronouncement that authorities have “solid leads” in tracking down the kidnap men.

“Suffice to say we have good leads,” Padilla said.

“We have to exert all efforts so that these victims will be rescued at the soonest possible time,” he added.

Late Monday night, around a dozen armed men raided Ocean View resort on Samal Island and took Norwegian Kjartan Sekkinstad, owner of the posh resort; Canadians John Ridsdel and Robert Hall and a Filipina identified only as “Tess.”

The Philippine National Police (PNP) already released a cartographic sketch of one of the suspects based on the description made by Kazuka Tripp, a Japanese who escaped from the abductors.

The PNP has created special investigation task group “Ocean View” to closely conduct probe of the latest kidnapping, primary to identify the suspects and establish the motive.

Malacañang, for its part, said the Samal kidnapping will not affect the overall image of the country as a peaceful and as a favored tourism and investment destination, assuring the military and police authorities are doing their best to trace the perpetrators.

“The police and military authorities are doing their best to track and arrest the perpetrators so they can be brought to the bar of justice and they are working for the early and safe release of those that were abducted from Samal Island,” said presidential Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr.

With the analytical ability and vigilance of the military and police authorities, the Palace official stressed “they were able to maintain peace and order in our county despite the lack of resources.”

“That’s why, overall, we can say that our peace and order condition remains stable and we can see that the overall image of the Philippines as a peaceful and stable country and as a favored tourism and investment destination will not be affected,” he said.

Coloma assured that the foreign nationals will be protected amid travel advisories issued by some countries urging their respective citizens not to travel in some areas in Mindanao, including Davao provinces except for Davao City.

“We are doing our best to assure the safety of the foreign nationals in our country and to get the criminals because we want to maintain peace and order in every part of our country,” he added.

Also, Coloma affirmed the commitment of the government to maintain the 2016 elections peaceful as concerns over poll-related abductions were raised following the kidnapping incident.

“If we will based it on the 2013 elections, the record of the PNP and our security authorities in ensuring peace and order condition is good,” the Palace official stressed.

“They have conducted house-to-house campaign on areas with firearms holders and known election hot spots where criminality and occurrence of violent incidents have toned down. The government’s confidence is still high that the good peace and order situation will be the same,” he said.

http://www.tribune.net.ph/headlines/troops-cops-closing-in-on-samal-kidnappers

Government sets stage for disbandment of private armies in Mindanao

From the Business World (Sep 24): Government sets stage for disbandment of private armies in Mindanao

A task force is being organized by the government for the disbandment of Private Armed Groups (PAGs) in the proposed Bangsamoro and adjacent regions while civil society organizations (CSOs) have been urged to form “pressure groups” to help ensure a peaceful process.

The dismantling of PAGs is included in the eight phases of the normalization process under the Framework Agreement of the Bangsamoro, which serves as the foundation for the peace agreement between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and for the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law.

 

On Sept. 8, Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa, Jr. issued Memorandum Circular No. 83 creating the National Task Force for the disbandment of private armies in the areas covered by the proposed Bangsamoro and the surrounding Regions 9 to 12 (Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Soccsksargen and Davao).

Section 24, Article XVIII of the 1987 Constitution also mandates the dismantling of private armies and other armed groups not recognized by duly constituted authorities.

The organizational process for the task force is in progress and may be operational by October, said Maj. Gen. Leo Cresente M. Ferrer, a government panel member of the Joint Normalization Committee (JNC) during the Security Summit held in the city Monday.

“We need your help. We need pressure groups so the disbandment will not turn bloody, will be peaceful,” he told representatives of Mindanao-based CSOs during the forum.

Section 24, Article XVIII of the 1987 Constitution also mandates the dismantling of private armies and other armed groups not recognized by duly constituted authorities.

“The Annex on Normalization is an integral part of the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro. It aims to ensure human security of the Bangsamoro,” Mr. Ferrer said.

Kristian Herbolzheimer, program director for the Philippines and Colombia of nongovernment organization Conciliation Resources, said the Mindanao peace process has become a “reference for people finding peace.”

“The rest of the world is watching you. This is not to scare you but to encourage you,” Mr. Herbolzhemeir told the summit participants.

“Many peace process fail at exactly this stage where the Philippines is now after signing the peace process agreement,” he also noted.

The CSO representatives, meanwhile, expressed the need for a more defined and institutionalized role for them within the government’s program for achieving and maintaining peace in Mindanao’s conflict areas.

 

http://www.bworldonline.com/content.php?section=Nation&title=government-sets-stage-for-disbandment-of-private-armies-in-mindanao&id=115928

Video: 'Samal kidnappers still in eastern Mindanao'

Posted to ABS-CBN (Sep 25): Video: 'Samal kidnappers still in eastern Mindanao'

Authorities say they are close to locating the armed group that abducted foreigners and a Filipina in Samal island. - ANC, The World Tonight, September 24, 2015

[Video Report]

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/video/nation/regions/09/24/15/samal-kidnappers-still-eastern-mindanao

MILF: Editorial -- Who is going to be blamed?

Editorial posted to the MILF Website (Sep 24): Editorial -- Who is going to be blamed?

President Benigno Aquino III promised recently to push the BBL “in all directions’.

But the lack of quorums in the Lower House has continued to haunt those who appear to be pushing for it. The spoilers led by Congressmen Celso Lobregat dug-in for the continuing showdown. They know that their number one ally is the conscripting time left for the passage of the bill.

Certainly, only the commitment of President Aquino keeps the ember of hope still alive. So far no one in government has ever said the BBL is already dead on track.  But if one compares this commitment with what is happening in both Houses, especially in the Lower House, the least that can be said is that the BBL is passing through the proverbial eye of the needle.

Of course, in the Senate, it is moving. Senate President Franklin Drilon and most, if not all, of the senators, are in good cooperation mode. But the main obstacle is the kind of the substitute bill introduced by Senator Bongbong Marcos. The deliberation could have been faster if he had not only crafted his version of the BBL from out of the blue. He set aside almost completely the original BBL, which was crafted on the basis of the letter and spirit of the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB) and the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB).

Again, in the Senate version, the original BBL has been severely diluted or revised, and many of the provisions thereof were deleted to make it way far below the present Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). Worse, there are deletions or additions that are clearly unconstitutional; for instance, “inland waters” which are already conferred to the ARMM by law was deleted. Republic Act Number 9054 provides that the Regional Government has authority, power, and right to explore, develop, and utilize the natural resources, including surface and sub-surface rights, inland and coastal waters, and renewable and non-renewable resources in the autonomous region. The other is about the “sultanates rights”. The sultanates embody the political structure of the Moros’ self-governing past, and for this reason, the MILF wants it preserved but it will not revive it, but whoever wants it revived, the MILF will not stand on the way. In fact, the MILF can even offer some constructive ideas, if necessary. But to enshrine this in law, such as in the proposed law in the Senate, is problematic, nay dangerous, because it violates the constitutional principle that the state will not recognize the title of nobility or royalty.

According to legal luminaries, the Supreme Court will not only rule on the unconstitutionality of any provision of a proposed law that confers power, authority, or right to an entity, say the Bangsamoro, more than what the Constitution provides but if the same entity is given less than what the Constitution provides the Supreme Court will also rule (against it). The deletion of “inland waters” as among the powers already given to the ARMM may appear innocently proposed, but this has negative impact on the proposed law. Similarly, proposing to recognize the “sultanates rights” appears to be a good gesture especially to the heirs of the Sultanates of Sulu, who lobbied for it vigorously, but did it ever come to anybody’s mind that this will surely be stricken out by the Supreme Court?

 If in the end, the BBL does not pass, who is going to be blamed or do we need to blame anyone?  Of course, many people blamed the Mamasapano Incident on January 25. But this incident was not an accident; it had all the signatures of a deliberate plan.  The debate as to which is primary, peace-making or “war on terror” showed its ugly face here. While we never doubted that the government has firmly hold on to the “primacy of the peace process” but that fateful moment the “unanticipated” happened. To this day, we are still reeling from its devastating effects.

http://www.luwaran.com/index.php/editorial/item/587-who-is-going-to-be-blamed

MILF: Iqbal: “There is life even after non-passage of BBL”

Posted to the MILF Website (Sep 24): Iqbal: “There is life even after non-passage of BBL”



BTC Chairman Mohagher Iqbal allayed the growing fears of the religious community by reassuring them that the MILF will continue in peace building even if the BBL would not be enacted by the present Congress.

In a forum organized by the Interreligious Council of the Philippines on September 21 at the Ramon Magsaysay Center in Manila, Iqbal explained that the MILF has already gained milestones in its political struggle and would not compromise its gains by unnecessarily reverting to armed struggle.

In fact, the MILF is already readying for democratic struggle once a good BBL is passed, Iqbal said in that whole-day workshop convened by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines-Episcopal Commission on Interreligious Dialogue (CBCP-ECID), National Ulama Conference of the Philippines (NUCP), Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches (PCEP), Focolare, Religions for Peace Philippines and Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation.

Iqbal likened the current discourses on the BBL to a lost traveller.

“But unlike a lost traveller, those who want to solve the Bangsamoro Problem, which is the sole agenda of the GPH-MILF peace negotiations since 1997, have at their disposals all the agreements especially the earlier ones signed by the Parties, not only to base their formulations or textual comprehensions, but also to understand the context and frame of mind of the Parties…,” he stated.

Iqbal also said that he is still “tempted to believe that Congress has the collective wisdom to pass a good BBL”, but it has been “hijacked by delays and lack of quorums.”

After the forum, Iqbal and some BTC commissioners went to the Senate to observe plenary session. Unfortunately no interpellation on the BBL happened because Sen. Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., principal sponsor of SB 2894, was absent.

In the House of Representatives, while a quorum was met, the principal sponsor of HB 5811 Cong. Rufus Rodriguez was also absent.

“I stopped analyzing whether a good BBL is forthcoming or not,” Iqbal frankly told the priests, pastors, ulama, professors and theologians.

He reiterated the stand of the MILF that it will not accept a watered down version of the BBL because it would “just be a continuation of the (Bangsamoro) problem.”

http://www.luwaran.com/index.php/new/item/586-iqbal-there-is-life-even-after-non-passage-of-bbl

MILF: CHD conducts “Training on Advocacy and Constituency Building for Da’wah Committee members”

Posted to the MILF Website (Sep 24): CHD conducts “Training on Advocacy and Constituency Building for Da’wah Committee members”



The Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (CHD) conducted “Training on Advocacy and Constituency Building for Da’wah Committee members”  composed of twenty-four (24) participants from Provincial Da’wah (Islamic Propagators) of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in Western Mindanao comprising the provinces of Zamboanga Peninsula, Sulu, Basilan and Tawi- Tawi Province on September 2012, 2015 at Marcian Garden Hotel, Zamboanga City.

The Chairman on Da’wah of MILF –Central Committee talked on the program overview and its noble objectives where he emphasized the importance of the activity and expressed gratitude to Allah (SWT) and his appreciation to those involved in the productive gathering.

Another aleem facilitated the activity while Tirso S. Tahir, from Bangsamoro Leadership and Management (BLMI) Research Unit officer documented the proceedings.

A Director of Shariah College of Law in Maguindanao, lectured on “Islamic Leadership” He accentuated various aspects of Islamic leadership and its application according to the time and situation.

“In Daw’ah, we need insights and techniques that suit the peoples’ level of understanding, situations and issues that concerned them, leadership with perseverance and uprightness as well as equipping oneself with knowledge are among the key factors of successful leaders and advocates”, he stressed.

In the afternoon session, a Dean of College of Education on Islamic Studies touched on “Islamic Management”. He emphasized the comparison between secular and Islamic concepts and practices on matters of leadership and management.

Under a secular practice, a person concentrates much on personal prestige even to the expense of sacrificing people’s welfare. In Islamic perspective, the ultimate goal of leadership and management is to serve our fellowmen with utmost dedication and honesty that conforms to the injunctions laid down by Allah (SAW) and Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), he said further.

On day 2 session, the Chairman of Daw’ah Committee, stressed the importance of having a strong organization by making it inclusive and putting a right person with knowledge to administer the affairs where the interest of the public must be secured and sustained. The three resource persons were from MILF- Central Committee on Daw’ah.

Two Commissioners from the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) Commissioner Abdulla Camlian and Commissioner Ali Ibrahim who arrived at the venue gave inspirational message and updates on the current status of Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) still under deliberation in Congress.
In culmination messages, the participants expressed their profoundest gratitude to CHD, the resource persons as well as to the BTC Commissioners for their efforts and knowledge imparted to them.

(The Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (CHD) is a Swiss-based private diplomacy organization founded on the principles of humanity, impartiality and independence. Its mission is to help prevent, mitigate, and resolve armed conflict through dialogue and mediation since 1999. It has been helping to prevent and resolve armed conflict, and to alleviate the suffering of those affected by violence and to assist them in their search for peace. HD is a member of International Contact Group (ICG) along with others members in GPH-MILF Peace negotiation. ICG is mandated to maintain trust between the parties and ensure the implementation of mutually agreed approaches in Peace-building endeavor).

http://www.luwaran.com/index.php/new/item/585-chd-conducts-training-on-advocacy-and-constituency-building-for-da-wah-committee-members

Police search outside Davao for kidnapped foreigners, Pinay

From Rappler (Sep 25): Police search outside Davao for kidnapped foreigners, Pinay

Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte debunks reports that the New People's Army was behind the incident



ABDUCTED. From left to right: Robert Hall, Kjartan Sekkingstad, and John Ridsdel are among the 4 people abducted from a resort in Samal Island, Davao del Norte, on September 21, 2015. Photos from the PNP

Four days after armed men snatched 3 foreign nationals and a Filipina from a resort in Samal Island, Davao del Norte, state security forces have expanded their search operations outside Davao region.

Senior Supt Federico Dulay, head of the Special Investigation Task Group Ocean View, said that authorities in Region 12 – provinces of Cotabato, Sarangani, and Sultan Kudarat – were already advised to join the hunt.

Dulay said they have received information that the victims were seen in Davao del Sur, but this has yet to be verified. "At the back of Davao del Sur is Sarangani, which is already Region 12," Dulay said.

"We cannot let our guard down because we have a very long shore line and anyone can always dock their motorized banca there," Dulay said.

"All sightings are considered potential information but must be validated," Dulay said. "We have received initial information about the identities [of the kidnappers] but we can't divulge their identities yet because we are taking into consideration the safety of the teams," he added.

No group has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping.

Police identified the victims as Norwegian resort manager Kjartan Sekkinstad, 56; Canadian guests John Ridsdel, 68, and Robert Hall, 50; and Hall's Filipina girlfriend identified only as "Tess."

 

ABDUCTION SITE. Yachts are seen at the marina of the Holiday Oceanview resort in Samal island on September 23 2015. Two days earlier, armed men abducted 4 people from the site. Photo from EPA

Duterte: Not the NPA

 

At least 11 armed men stormed the Holiday Oceanview Resort late evening of September 21 and forcibly took the 4 victims with them.

Investigators said the perpetrators attempted to kidnap a Japanese couple but failed after spouses Steven and Kazuka Tripp fought back.

Authorities noted the lax security at Holiday Oceanview Resort, where the abduction took place. The vast resort located along the Camudmud shoreline in Babak District had only two security personnel armed with .38 caliber pistol when the incident happened Monday night.

(READ: Samal resort owners urged: Boost security, let police in)

Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte noted that the incident was a "pretty good plan" that could only have been implemented by "professionals."

"They must be professionals. [What] we saw on the CCTV, the movement was very, very precise," Duterte said.

 

SUSPECT. In this file photo, authorities release a cartographic sketch of one of the suspects in the Samal Island abduction on September 23, 2015. Photo by Editha Caduaya/Rappler

He debunked reports that the communist New People's Army was behind the abduction despite a supposed handwritten note left behind by the kidnappers saying they belonged to the NPA.

No. Definitely that is not the style of the NPA. The NPAs do not kidnap for money. It is an ideological thing," Duterte said.

The tough-talking mayor said that while the NPA may have been involved in taking captive several people, they only targeted soldiers and cops. "But not civilians who have no part in this war," Duterte said.

http://www.rappler.com/nation/107039-police-expand-search-samal-kidnapping

PH, US coast guard units eye ‘Balikatan’

From Rappler (Sep 24): PH, US coast guard units eye ‘Balikatan’

’The trend now is white to white,’ PCG commandant Admiral Rodolfo Isorena says, referring to a ‘coast guard to coast guard’ set-up



The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the US Coast Guard (USCG) plan to conduct their own civilian version of the Balikatan joint military exercises between the Philippines and the US, an official said.

“The trend now is ‘white to white,’” PCG commandant Admiral Rodolfo Isorena said, referring to a “coast guard to coast guard” set-up.

 

“It will be better if we will have familiarity with the USCG in case there will be a scenario that assistance is needed. Our people would know what to do,” Isorena added.

 

The Philippine and US armed forces regularly hold Balikatan (Shoulder-to-Shoulder) military exercises under the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), ratified by the Philippine Senate.

 

The difference is that the PCG and USCG remain civilian organizations, and do not engage in military exercises.

 

In his interview with reporters, Isorena added that the Balikatan exercise between the PCG and USCG has long been planned. He said he initially suggested this to the regional director of the USCG in Hawaii, Rear Admiral Cari Thomas.

 

Isorena said he hopes the PCG and USCG can conduct their joint maritime exercise next year.

 

This comes as the Philippines and China remain embroiled in a dispute over the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea). Many analysts see the maritime row as a proxy battle between the US and China.

 

The PCG is also mulling joint exercises with its Chinese counterpart.

 

http://www.rappler.com/nation/106993-philippines-us-coast-guard-balikatan

Faulty wiring eyed as cause of fire in AFP Medical Center

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Sep 24): Faulty wiring eyed as cause of fire in AFP Medical Center

Faulty electrical wiring is being eyed as the cause of the fire that razed the nurses’ quarters of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Medical Center (V. Luna Hospital) on Wednesday night.

“There is no final report yet, but faulty wiring is being looked upon [as the cause of the fire],” Major Francis Herrera, public affairs officer of AFP Medical Center said on Thursday.

Fire broke out on the second floor of the nurses’ quarters of the military hospital at about 7 p.m. and was put out was shortly before 8 p.m.

Herrera said 43 firetrucks responded to the incident.

The second floor of the building was destroyed, but the other half was spared, he said.
The nurses were temporarily accommodated at the hospital’s training hall.

There were no casualties from the incident, Herrera said.http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/725019/faulty-wiring-eyed-as-cause-of-fire-in-afp-medical-center

Artist’s sketch of one Samal Island kidnapper bared

From GMA News (Sep 23): Artist’s sketch of one Samal Island kidnapper bared

Police officials on Wednesday released the composite sketch of one of the suspects in the abduction of three foreigners and their Filipina companion from a resort on Samal Island in Davao del Norte, GMA News has reported.

Unidentified gunmen abducted Canadian tourists John Ridsdel, 68, and Robert Hall, 50, on Monday night.

The other hostages were Norwegian resort employee Kjartan Sekkingstad, 56, and Hall's 40-year-old Filipina girlfriend, identified only as Tess.

The suspects have reportedly slipped past a naval cordon and escaped to remote mountains in Mindanao without making ransom demands, police have said.

Police said the suspect was 25 to 30 years old with dark skin, of average body build and standing 5'2" to 5'3".

The composite sketch was based on the description of the suspect by two foreigners who escaped the abductors, the Special Investigation Task Group has said.

The foreigners escaped after jumping from the abductors' boats.

Authorities have yet to identify the group behind the incident but initial investigation showed the hostages were taken from the Oceanview Resort Monday night and used two boats to escape.



SITG head Chief Superintendent Frederico Dulay said they had high hopes that the suspects have yet to leave the Davao Gulf area.

The police said a Moro National Liberation Front camp was near the area but no suspicious movement had been observed so far.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines has already asked the MNLF to avoid leaving their camp while pursuit operations were ongoing.

Authorities already set up strategic cordons in the Davao Gulf to prevent the suspects from entering the Zamboanga Peninsula en route to Basilan and Sulu—known hideouts of the Abu Sayyaf Group, which is notorious for kidnap for ransom activities.

Info on ASG kidnap plan received in June

Prof. Rommel Banlaoi, chairman of the Philippine Institute for Peace, Violence and Terrorism Research, indicated that the recent abduction of three foreigners and their Filipino woman companion could have been prevented.

Banlaoi said information that the Abu Sayyaf Group had been planning to kidnap foreigners and tourists in some of the resorts on Samal Island had been going around the intelligence community as early as June.

According to Banlaoi, the group is led by an ASG sub-commander known as Sawadjaan.

"Anong nangyari sa pagma-manage natin ng intelligence information? Kung 'yung intelligence information ay nakarating sa akin, ina-anticipate ko na nakarating 'yun dapat sa otoridad at nagkaroon na ng tamang measures para ma-prevent 'yung mga plano nila," Banlaoi said.

Banlaoi added that a civilian group known for kidnapping for ransom was behind the abduction and passed the hostages to the ASG.

"'Pag nakuha na niya ang target, tina-transfer niya sa Abu Sayyaf Group para ang ASG na ang makipag-negotiate for a higher ransom payment," Banlaoi said.

Senior Superintendent Robert Fajardo of the PNP Anti-Kidnapping Group told GMA News that the group received the information on the ASG's plan to kidnap individuals on Samal Island and intensified security in the area.

Even the Armed Forces of the Philippines confirmed receiving the same information.

"We have that information but hangga't hindi natin nako-confirm, it's just only raw information," said Col. Noel Detoyato, chief of the AFP Public Information Office.

Travel advisory

Meanwile, Canada has advised its nationals against traveling to several areas in Mindanao, including Davao provinces, following the kidnapping incident.

Canada said its nationals should avoid travel to the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, Zamboanga Peninsula and the provinces of Sarangani, Lanao del Norte, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao Occidental, Davao Oriental, Cotabato, South Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat.

It was, however, specifically noted in the advisory that "urban areas of Davao City" are not included in the travel advisory dated September 22.

The Canadian government said travel in the concerned areas should be avoided "due to the serious threat of terrorist attacks and kidnapping."

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/538071/news/regions/artist-s-sketch-of-one-samal-island-kidnapper-bared

VIDEO | Family of Filipina kidnapped in Samal appeals for help

From InterAksyon (Sep 25): VIDEO | Family of Filipina kidnapped in Samal appeals for help



Vehicles pass through a military checkpoint on Samal Island Sept. 24, 2015. (Photo: Dante Diosina Jr./InterAksyon.com)

The family of the Filipina, who was taken hostage with three other foreigners from a Samal Island resort, on Thursday appealed to the government to rescue her and expressed apprehension for her life because they don’t have the money to pay the kidnappers in case ransom was demanded.

From Quezon town in Bukidnon province, Remigio and Rodney Flor, father and brother of Marithes, went to the Police Regional Office in Davao City to seek help from authorities upon learning that she was one of the victims.

The identity of the armed group that staged the abduction Monday evening remains a mystery.

Police and military authorities have been scouring the Davao Gulf as well as surrounding provinces in Mindanao for clues as to the whereabouts of the abductors and their hostages but their efforts have turned up empty so far.

The task of looking for the kidnappers in the Davao Gulf seems very challenging because the region is so big that it is surrounded by four provinces – Davao del Sur, Davao del Norte, Davao Oriental and Davao Occidental – and securing the area, especially the resorts in Samal Island, is very difficult because the PNP has only 80 men.

The commander of the Task Group Oceanview is convinced that the management of the Oceanview Resort in Samal may have been at fault in securing its guests since only three security guards were detailed in the resort.

The Task Group has ruled out the involvement of the New People’s Army in the abduction.
There are speculations that private armed groups run by politicians are behind the kidnapping.
Here’s a News5 video report by Ed Lingao in Samal Island:

[Video report]

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/117985/video--family-of-filipina-kidnapped-in-samal-appeals-for-help

Davao prosecutor dismisses kidnap complaint vs lumad guardians

From InterAksyon (Sep 24): Davao prosecutor dismisses kidnap complaint vs lumad guardians



Lumad leaders at the UCCP Haran compound. Photograph from DavaoToday

The Davao City prosecutor's office has dismissed for insufficiency of evidence the kidnapping with serious illegal detention complaints filed against 15 persons – religious, activists and lumad leaders – accused of keeping some 700 Manobo refugees in a church compound allegedly against their will, the independent outfit Kilab Multimedia reported.

Neither did the accused engage in trafficking, as alleged by the complainants from the Matigsalug-Manobo tribe in Sitio Inayaman, Barangay San Jose, San Fernando, Bukidnon, said the resolution penned by Prosecutor II Samuel Alencia and approved by City Prosecutor Nestor Ledesma, a copy of which was obtained by Kilab.

See also: Lumad decry airborne 'abduction' of 14 in Bukidnon but military says operation targeted 'NPA'

The claims of kidnapping and trafficking echoed the accusations hurled by the military and North Cotabato Representative Nancy Catamco against the groups and individuals who had been sheltering and providing succor to the Manobo refugees in Davao City.

This was the second legal action dismissed this week, Kilab said, following the dismissal of rebellion complaints against 13 indigenous people arrested by the military and police in Barangay White Culaman, Kitao-tao, Bukidnon late last month for allegedly being New People's Army rebels.

The 13 were released from the provincial jail in Malaybalay on September 22.

The so-called strategic lawsuit against public participation (SLAPP) suits are cases apparently intended to intimidate and burden critics into abandoning their criticism through the legal costs of litigation.

The kidnapping charges in Davao were filed against Rev. Jurie Jaime, Sheena Duazo, Hanimay Suazo, Ryan Laniba, Tony Salubre, Jimboy Marciano, Mary Ann Sapar, Jaja Necosio, Pedro Arnado, Kerlan Fanagel, Sister Stella Matutina, Sister Restita Miles, Isidro Andao, Kharlo Manano, Riuz Valle and an unspecified number of "John", "Peter" and "Mary Does."

The plaintiffs were accused of misleading the complainants into going to Davao City in the last week of January, supposedly by promising them rice, groceries and farm tools, in exchange for which they were to attend a dialogue with President Benigno Aquino III, Davao Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and Sarangani Representative Manny Pacquiao.

They were then supposedly provided free transportation and taken to the Haran Mission House of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines at Fr. Selga St. in Davao City where, not only were the promised goods not given, but they were also allegedly indoctrinated and made to join an anti-military rally.

Until they returned home to Bukidnon in late February, the complainants claimed they were barred from leaving the UCCP compound. They said they decided to escape, but were held back because they lacked the fare money home although they also said "one of them was able to escape the compound but was caught at the Davao terminal and brought back to the compound."

However, the prosecutor, noting that "it is essential in the crime of illegal detention that there be actual confinement or restriction" of the victims, said the fact that one of them managed "to leave the premises where she was allegedly confined, the crime of illegal detention cannot rise because she was not deprived of her liberty."

The resolution also pointed out that the Haran compound "is right near the Bankerohan Market," thus the claims of a mass kidnapping "in the heart of the city and confinement in a church compound is, to say the least, not plausible."

"It would have been hard not to notice this forced confinement" and "there were no armed guards to restrict their movement," it added.

The resolution also noted that none of the alleged kidnappers were properly identified except through pictures taken of them facilitating a dialogue.

As for the trafficking claims, the resolution said, none of the qualifiers of the crime – "prostitution, pornography, sexual exploitation, forced labor, slavery, involuntary servitude, debt bondage or armed activity" – were evident.

 http://www.interaksyon.com/article/117966/davao-prosecutor-dismisses-kidnap-complaint-vs-lumad-guardians

China to host ASEAN defense ministers amid South China Sea tension

From InterAksyon (Sep 24): China to host ASEAN defense ministers amid South China Sea tension

 

Chinese dredging vessels are purportedly seen in the waters around Mischief Reef in the disputed Spratly Islands in this still image from video taken by a P-8A Poseidon surveillance aircraft provided by the United States Navy May 21, 2015. REUTERS/US Navy/Handout via Reuters

China said on Thursday it will host defense ministers from the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) next month, amid tension between some of its members and China over the disputed South China Sea.

The Oct. 15-16 informal summit will take place in Beijing and China has invited the defense ministers of all 10 members, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Wu Qian told a regular monthly news briefing.

Chinese Defense Minister Chang Wanquan will have a "deep exchange of views" with participants, he added, without elaborating.

China has overlapping claims with Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei in the South China Sea, through which $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year.

China's increasingly assertive moves to press its sovereignty claims have rattled its neighbors and aroused concern in the United States, though China says it has no hostile intent.

A US expert said this month, citing satellite photographs, China appeared to be carrying out preparatory work for a third airstrip in contested territory in the South China Sea.

[Read related story: China building third airstrip on disputed South China Sea islets – expert]

Wu declined to comment when asked whether China was indeed building a third airstrip, repeating the government's standard line that its construction work in the South China Sea was to satisfy "necessary defense needs".

China stepped up creation of artificial islands in the South China Sea last year, drawing strong criticism from Washington.

 http://www.interaksyon.com/article/117976/china-to-host-asean-defense-ministers-amid-south-china-sea-tension

VIDEO | Youth activists blast 'virtual martial law' in Iloilo

From InterAksyon (Sep 25): VIDEO | Youth activists blast 'virtual martial law' in Iloilo



The 11 activists arrested by police in Iloilo City after the dispersal of a protest against budget cuts for state universities and colleges. (photo courtesy of Sine Panayanon)

Youth activists said “virtual martial law” exists in Iloilo City, where 11 protesters, including two professors as well as students of the University of the Philippines Visayas, were arrested Friday as they protested cuts in the budgets of state universities and colleges.

The protesters had just exited the UP campus in Iloilo City for a march to the provincial capitol when they were stopped on General Luna Street by around 200 riot police who split up their ranks, forcing the bulk back to the school and pushing the remaining hundred or so to the sidewalk where a standoff ensued for an hour, Anakbayan said.

The standoff ended when police arrested those they perceived to be the protest leaders, among them Fr. Marco Sulayao, vicar general of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente’s Iloilo diocese, UPV teachers Erick Dasig Aguilar and Gretchen Velarde, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan-Panay chair Hope Hervilla and Karapatan-Panay secretary general Reylan Vergara.

A video taken by the independent media collective Sine Panayanon of the protest and arrests showed, among others, police handcuffing an activist even as he demanded to know what he was being arrested for and to be read his rights.

Those arrested were taken to Iloilo City police headquarters where they were charged with illegal assembly and “disobedience to lawful order.”

They were eventually released early Saturday morning.

WATCH A VIDEO OF THE PROTEST AND ARRESTS BY SINE PANAYANON:



It was the second dispersal of a protest action in Iloilo this week, following that of activists commemorating the 43rd anniversary of the declaration of Martial Law near the Iloilo capitol Monday.

“This is virtual martial law,” Anakbayan chairman Vencer Crisostomo said in a statement. “We are outraged by the brazen violation of the UP community’s right to peaceful assembly and free expression.”

Noting that the dispersal was apparently the offshoot of security measures for Iloilo’s hosting of an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference, Crisostomo said: “The Aquino government can spend millions to host lavish occasions like the APEC meetings but cannot even give the sufficient budget for UP and other state universities. They are only too eager to please APEC delegates to the point of inflicting violence on protesting students.”

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/117989/video--youth-activists-blast-virtual-martial-law-in-iloilo

Army platoon leader to face court martial over lumad killings

From InterAksyon (Sep 24): Army platoon leader to face court martial over lumad killings



Major Gen. Eduardo Ano and Major Gen. Oscar Lactao in Cagayan de Oro City. Photographed by Erwin Mascarinas.

An army officer is to face court martial proceedings over recent killings in the town of Lianga, Surigao del Sur, Army chief Major Gen. Eduardo Año said during a visit to the 4th Infantry Division headquarters on Thursday. 

Last September 1, gunmen allegedly belonging to the Magahat militia murdered Emerito Samarca, executive director of the Alternative Learning Center for Agricultural and Livelihood Development (ALCADEV), an award-winning tribal school in Barangay Diatagon, Lianga town. Samarca's death, along with that of two other lumad leaders, heightened charges from indigenous communities that military and military-backed militias have in recent months been harassing lumads out of their areas.

A few meters from the school, the chairman of the Malahutayong Pakigbisog Alang Sa Sumusunod (MAPASU) and his cousin Bello Sinzo, were shot dead in front of residents as well as staff and students of the school, whom they had rounded up.

The residents alleged that government soldiers were near the area when the incident happened, but did not respond or send help when the militia opened fire on the victims.

"The 4th ID here in Cagayan de Oro, headed by Major Gen. Oscar Lactao, conducted a board of inquiry into the incident in Lianga. The result is out and one of the officers who was assigned in the area will undergo a court martial," Año told journalists.

"This is based on what we call command responsibility, our way of implementing what we call administrative responsibility - in an area where you have a responsibility to maintain the peace and order, or you might have neglected something which might have lead to a certain incident," he said. 

He added, further: "As a professional organization, administratively we are also looking at the possible liability of our soldiers who are assigned in the area. Were they supposed to do anything that they did not do? So we looked into these aspects, so that we would be able to help in resolving the issues."

Año also assured the full cooperation of the army if a senate inquiry would be conducted into the incident, "because it will help shed light and give our side into the incident amid all that has been said about us from the left leaning groups. In fairness for everyone, it is better for us to be transparent about this situation," the army chief emphasized. 

"Our soldiers respect human rights and international humanitarian law and, most especially, our soldiers are the protectors of the people. No matter what a community's political leaning may be, it is our mandate and duty to protect the people and the state," he said.

Captain Joe Patrick Martinez, spokesman of the 4th ID, confirmed the court martial and the rank of the officer.

"We cannot yet reveal the name of the officer, but I can say that he or she is a platoon leader under the 75th Infantry Battalion. The Board of Inquiry made several recommendations, in which the company commander was reprimanded and the officer-in-charge of the battalion was relieved of his post," said Martinez.

Army chief Major Gen. Eduardo Año (left) walks with Major Gen. Oscar Lactao, commander of the 4th Infantry Battalion after a command conference at 4ID headquarters in Camp Evangelista, Cagayan de Oro City.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/117969/army-platoon-leader-to-face-court-martial-over-lumad-killings

3 datus abducted by rebels freed

From the Mindanao Times (Sep 24): 3 datus abducted by rebels freed
 

THREE Lumad leaders allegedly abducted by members of New People’s Army months ago were released on Sunday morning in Talaingod, Davao del Norte.

Datu Nestor Apas of Langilan-Manobo tribe, in a phone interview yesterday, said that Datu Danilo Angcomog, Datu Laris Landakay and Datu Jovanie Angcomog,. all residents of Sitio Inayaman in San Jose, San Fernando, Bukidnon were freed by their abdcutors.

“I haven’t talked to them yet because of the trauma they suffered,” he said in Visayan.

Apas said the three were released after negotiations between the Tribal Council of Bukidnon and the New People’s Army led by Kumander Jose.

Datu Kalumpot Dalon, also a resident of Sitio Inayaman, was already released last month after the Talaingod Tribal Council paid a whole pig to the rebels.

He said the Datus were sighted at the boundary of Talaingod and the tribal council immediately contacted the rebel group for their safe release. They were turned over on Tuesday to their community and are now under custody with the Bukidnon Tribal council.

They were released after the council paid a horse to the rebels. However, they could not comply with the second demand for them to withdraw the case against the activist leaders.

He said the one who filed the case against the activists was Tata Lundia who already committed suicide inside the UCCP Haran compound.

Reportedly, the abducted tribal leaders were said to be witnesses who were willing to give their testimonies on the alleged human trafficking against legal front organizations of the NPAs which resulted to the death of Datu Lito “Lolong” Lundia inside UCCP Haran compound in Davao City.

Relatives of Datu Dalun told the military that prior to the incident, they saw Kumander Jose convince Dalun to drop the case.

Accordingly, the victims were waylaid by the rebels and forcibly brought to unknown place.
The villagers condemned the kidnapping saying that they are already fed up with the abuses, harassments and deception of the communist rebels in the area, the army officer said.

http://mindanaotimes.net/3-datus-abducted-by-rebels-freed/

Authorities have no clue yet on group behind Samal kidnapping

From MindaNews (Sep 24): Authorities have no clue yet on group behind Samal kidnapping

The joint military and police forces have not established the identity of the group that abducted three foreigners and a Filipina at Holiday Oceanview Samal Resort here nearly midnight Monday.

In a press briefing at the Police Regional Office (PRO) 11 on Wednesday, Chief Supt. Federico Dulay, Jr., chief of the Special Investigation Task Group Ocean View said they are trying to establish the group’s identity by comparing its tactics with the modus operandi of other groups who previously figured in kidnapping incidents.

He added that it is not conclusive that the rebel group New Peoples Army (NPA) was behind the incident just because of a note that was left at the gate of the resort, treating this as a possible diversionary tactic by the group who was behind the kidnapping.



Yachts dock at Holiday Oceanview in Barangay Camudmud, Island Garden City of Samal two days after three foreign nationals and a Filipina were abducted at the resort, Monday evening in this photo taken on September 23, 2015. One of the guests is Canadian national John Ridsdel who is the president of TVI Minerals Processing Incorporated. MindaNews photo by Toto Lozano

“The NPA is part of the investigation but we are also investigating other groups,” he said. The NPA usually issues formal statements if it has perpetrated an act.

“There are so many groups, maybe gangs in other areas. We are consolidating all our efforts that will lead to the identification of the group,” he said.

A composite sketch was released Wednesday, describing one of the suspects as male, between 25 to 30 years old, medium built, dark, and between 5’2 to 5’3 in height, based on the description given by couple Steven and Kazuka Tripp who managed to jump off the yacht after resisting the kidnappers.



Special Investigation Task Group Ocean View head Chief Superintendent Federico Dulay admits that they still have to identify the group or groups behind the abudction of three foreign nationals and a Filipina at a resort in Island Garden City of Samal last Monday evening. He made the statement during a press conference in Camp Quentin Merecido, Buhangin, Davao City on September 23, 2015.MindaNews photo by Toto Lozano

On Monday evening, 11 fully armed men forcibly took Kjartan Sekkingstad, 56, a Norwegian, and Canadian nationals John Ridsdel, 68, and Robert Hall, 50, and Hall’s Filipina partner Marites Flor from the resort.

Dulay said they could not confirm if Ridsdel is an executive of a mining company, pending results of the investigation. He added they have yet to confirm with Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is he is doing any business in the country.

Ridsdel is president of TVI Minerals Processing, Inc. a firm providing mineral mining services, with main office in Pasig City but with business interests in Mindanao. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees for 2015-2016 of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, Inc. (CanCham Philippines).

 Ridsdel was Senior Vice President and Chief Executive officer of the TVI Resource Development from August 2008 to April 2011. TVIRD, which first operated a gold and silver mine in Canatuan, Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte, is the Philippine affiliate of TVI Pacific, Inc., a publicly listed Canadian mining company focused on the exploration and production of precious and base metals from district-scale, large-system, high-margin projects located in the Philippines.

In a separate press conference before noon at the Task Force Davao, Police Regional Office (PRO) 11 spokesperson Superintendent Antonio Rivera said what they know of two the Canadians is that they are just tourists.

He identified Sekkingstad as the resort’s operation manager who went outside to check on the commotion.

No ransom money has been demanded for the release of the victims.

Citing eyewitness accounts, Rivers said there was a sighting of two motorized bancas, the other boat was smaller, plying nearby.

He added they have coordinated with the PNP’s Cybercrime Division what they can do to enhance the closed circuit television camera (CCTV) footage to make the images of the suspects much clearer.

Reports also reached the authorities that there were motorized bancas heading to Davao Oriental prompting them to deploy security forces but when the troops reached the area, it turned out negative.

“There are so many foreigners visiting our places so anybody can report they have sighted a foreigner in this particular area because Davao Region is a tourist area,” he said.

The military and the police have already dispatched sea patrol boats and helicopters to monitor the gulf.

He said they cannot exactly pinpoint the suspects’ location but they are hoping that they are still within Davao Region.

He said they are having difficulty monitoring the entire Davao Gulf because it is so wide that boats that can run faster can possibly escape. But he claimed all exit points have been blocked to prevent the suspects from escaping by sea while checkpoints have also been mounted across the region.

“All probable exits are being monitored. Lahat ng personnel on the ground, police stations, members of the AFP are in areas na pwedeng daanan,” he added.

The entire Davao Region is on high alert status, Rivera said.

Dulay added they have already coordinated with other regions in Mindanao to report to them if there’s sighting of any suspicious boats plying within their areas of jurisdiction.

 Davao del Norte Provicial Police Office director Senior Supt. Samuel Gadingan said they have beefed up security measures in the island city by their increasing police presence.

He encouraged resort owners to coordinate with local authorities to assess how many security guards should be deployed in resorts, considering the land area, to ensure the entire facility is well monitored.

He said some of the private resorts are not cooperating with the authorities.

In the case of Oceanview, for instance, he added that there were lapses in the security as there were only three security guards deployed at the time of kidnapping.

“There are resorts that are private in nature that even our security forces cannot enter those resorts. We need cooperation,” he said.

He added that the city government has called for a meeting with resort owners on how they can implement a better security plan in the island.

Newly-installed Task Force Davao commander Col. Cristobal Zaragoza said they are extending assistance to TF Samal for the next three to four days.

“There’s no absolute security, kahit itaas ang bakod mo mananakawan ka pa rin. Davao City has a very good security system. Mas lalo pinag-igting ang security,” he said.

Off limits

The Oceanview resort has suspended operations.

Davao and Manila-based journalists who went to the resort were told operations have been suspended pending investigation on the abduction.

The security personnel who were there told reporters they had just been assigned there to replace the guards on duty at the time of the kidnapping.

But a few yachts were still docked at the resort.

Gloria Manlapos, 59, whose husband works as a laborer at the resort, said they were shocked and worried that the kidnapping might drive the tourists away.

A resort owner who declined to be named said the security in the island has been lax, perhaps because no one was expecting an abduction would happen.

“Pati kami walay contact details sa mga police dire (We don’t even have the contact details of the police here),” he said.

http://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2015/09/24/authorities-have-no-clue-yet-on-group-behind-samal-kidnapping/

Mamasapano mayor worried over innocents tagged as behind SAF 44 killing

From MindaNews (Sep 24): Mamasapano mayor worried over innocents tagged as behind SAF 44 killing

MAMASAPANO, Maguindanao – Municipal Mayor Benzar Ampatuan  expressed concerns over the safety of innocent civilians in his town tagged by a government panel probing the January 25 Mamasapano carnage as among those responsible for the killing of 44 Special Action Force troopers.

He said there are innocent civilians identified with the Ampatuans but tagged as members of private armed group (PAGs) who may have been among the 90 individuals charged by the National Bureau of Investigation and the National Prosecution Service.

“I will help them. In the first place, I personally know they were not involved,” the mayor vowed.

Ampatuan also expressed willingness to help government authorities in identifying those charged who are members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).

Aside from the 44 SAF operatives killed, the MILF also suffered 17 casualties. Three civilians were likewise killed in what is now known as the Mamasapano massacre.

The government forces were after Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli Bin Hir alias “Marwan,” wanted by both the Philippines and United States governments.

On Tuesday, charges of multiple murder, direct assault and theft were filed against 90 persons, 26 of whom were MILF members, 12 from the BIFF and 52 belonging to private armed groups.

Abu Misri Mama, speaking for the BIFF, warned there could be another “Mamasapano massacre” if government security forces would enter the BIFF bailiwick to serve the warrants of arrest.

Mama insisted that the BIFF “only defended our turf” when the police elite force entered Barangay Tukanalipao.

“The government must be joking when it said it has warrants of arrest for the BIFF. They cannot get any of those charged,” Mama said.

http://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2015/09/24/mamasapano-mayor-worried-over-innocents-tagged-as-behind-saf-44-killing/

Solon calls for military pullout, disbandment of Alamara

From MindaNews (Sep 24): Solon calls for military pullout, disbandment of Alamara

A partylist representative on Thursday called for total pullout of military troops and disbandment of the paramilitary group “Alamara” who the lumads claimed have perpetrated several human rights violations in their communities, forcing them to seek refuge in Davao City and other areas since May this year.

Gabriela partylist Rep. Luz Ilagan appeared before the public inquiry on the “human rights situation of the IP in Mindanao facing threats of displacement and those encamped in UCCP Haran” conducted by the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) at the Apo View Hotel in Davao City on Thursday.

She said military presence frightens the lumads in the hinterlands after a string of reported human rights abuses and the alleged recruitment of lumads to join the paramilitary group.

“If their reasons are they have been harassed and their communities have been militarized, then the reasons should be removed,” she said.

The representative also wanted the soldiers and the members of Alamara, who were allegedly behind the abuses such as killing, rape, and harassment, be held accountable, otherwise the culture of impunity will continue.

Ilagan was part of the team that set out on a fact-finding mission last July 13 in Talaingod, Davao del Norte. Other members of the team were Bayan-Muna partylist Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate and North Cotabato 2nd distirict Rep. Nancy Catamco, who is also present chair of the House Committee on Indigenous Peoples.

This after some 700 lumads fled their homes in Talaingod and Kapalong in Davao del Norte and San Fernando in Bukidnon reportedly due to militarization.

The fact-finding team attested that there were indeed military troops encamping a few meters away from the school grounds.

Citing the residents, Ilagan added that the lumads were told by the military to stop sending their children to Mindanao Interfaith Services Foundation Inc. (MISFI) Academy, calling the institution as an “NPA school.”

In the dialogue, she said some military men in civilian clothes sat in to “spy” on the discussion and later took pictures of them. After which, she said they returned to a tent that was set up across where the forum was held.

From July 13 to 15, the legislators also held a dialogue with the lumads in Haran, an evacuation center run by the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP).

But Ilagan narrated she was shocked when Catamco brought military men that earned the ire of the lumads, forcing them to continue their dialogue at the Apo View Hotel in the city with some of the lumad leaders.

Catamco also reportedly raised her voice at Ilagan when the latter told her she could no longer join in the next dialogue. “She told me ‘just go, you can go’. That was so unparliamentary of her,” Ilagan said.

In her previous statement, Catamco said her emotional outburst stemmed from her desire to send the lumads back home, considering their poor situation in the evacuation center.

“I’d rather be emotional and passionate. Hindi ako marunong maglambing kung alam ko na tama ang pinaglalaban ko,” she added.

On July 15, a commotion between Catamco and the lumads happened after she berated the IPs for staying in the evacuation center and called their kids stinky. Since then, she was declared persona non-grata by the lumads and has since been barred from entering the facility.

On July 23, Catamco and some 500 policemen in anti-riot gear, stormed Haran in a failed attempt to force them to return home. A total of 10 buses and 12 trucks coming from the lumads’ respective local government units were provided.

Human rights defender Sheena Duazo, secretary general of Bayan-Southern Mindanao Region, who also appeared in the public inquiry, added it was a violent raid in the guise of rescue operation.

Zarate said they could have reached an agreement with the lumads had Catamco behaved properly.

“Then and there, she wanted the lumads to go home,” he said.

He added everything needs to undergo a process, including a dialogue with the lumads, and reach an agreement with them.

The House of Representatives’ Committee on Human Rights conducted a hearing last month where teachers of the lumad schools recalled the human rights abuses of the soldiers against them.

Ronnie Garcia, principal of Salugpongan Ta Tanu Igkanugon Community Learning Center (STTICLC) in Sitio Dulian, Barangay Palma Gil, Davao Del Norte, complained that military forces allegedly harassed them by putting up military encampments inside their school campuses and by labeling their institution as a “communist school.”

He said the first direct military encampment in their campus in Sitio Dulian, Davao del Norte happened in 2011 and had since spread to other campuses until 2014. Garcia added that even as there has been no case of direct military encampment inside their campus since last year, the red-tagging of their institution and their teachers as members of the NPA has continued until today, forcing some of the parents to stop their children from attending classes

In his sworn affidavit, Ricky Balilid, a Grade 5 teacher of Mindanao Interfaith Services Foundation Inc. Academy (MISFI Academy) at Sitio Muling, Brgy. Gupitan, Kapalong in Davao del Norte, narrated that last February 6, more than 100 members of the paramilitary group “Alamara,” who he surmised was the Citizen Armed Forces Geographical Unit (Cafgu) headed by a certain Lito Masaloon, arrived in their community at 3:15 p.m. passing through their school campus.

“The teachers of MISFI Academy, together with the students, felt anxious since they (Alamara/Cafgu) were carrying high-powered rifles. And since the school is 150 meters away from the community, the teachers decided to suspend the classes and the students were sent home early. The Alamara/Cafgu stayed and rested in their community,” he said.

The teachers demanded that the military pull out its forces and stop the vilification that they are NPA members and their institutions as that of the rebel group’s.

Capt. Alberto Caber, chief of the Public Information Office (PIO) and spokesperson of the Eastern Mindanao Command (EastMinCom), said the military cannot just pull out its troops in the communities because they are there to protect the villagers and government projects, and stop alleged extortion activities by the NPA.

He also denied that the military has hands in the paramilitary group “Alamara.”

“That is not true. We are doing security patrols because the villagers themselves report to the military units for protection,” Caber said. He added they risk the lives of their men while conducting operations to give protection.

A directive was also reportedly issued for military personnel to stay out of the school campuses.

http://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2015/09/24/solon-calls-for-military-pullout-disbandment-of-alamara/