From InterAksyon (Feb 4): Kin of NPA victims in Negros Occidental ambush won't accept apology
The relatives of those killed in an ambush by the New People’s Army in the central Negros town of La Castellana last week are not yet ready to accept the rebels’ apology for the death of nine people, including two civilians. This was a week after the incident that has drawn condemnation from various sides of the political spectrum.
“I have talked to the families and they said it’s really hard to accept the NPA’s apology,” Puso village chief Florencio Nellis told InterAksyon.com after the rebel group’s Leonardo Panaligan Command issued a statement admitting that one of its operating units was responsible for the incident. “It was supposed to be a disarming operation,” the command’s spokesman, JB Regalado, said in an Ilonggo tape-recorded statement sent to media outlets here.
The NPA spokesman said the rebels were able to confiscate seven firearms, among them two M16 assault rifles with serial numbers 181540 and 183397, a submachine gun with serial number 45N3, an M2 Carbine with serial number 690874, a shotgun, a 45 caliber pistol, and a .357 revolver. They were also able to retrieve night vision goggles, magazines, and ammunitions. More firearms were not recovered because it was dark at the time, Regalado said.
The NPA official also said the rebels started firing only after they heard shots from the truck in response to the warning shot fired by an NPA guerrilla.
‘We just fired back’
Killed that early morning of January 27 were Police Officer 1 Richard Canja, and Teotimo Esplegera and Mario Ricablanca, all members of the Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team; the driver, Ricky Dingcong; Lito Lucban, Jonathan Mateo, Ulysses Tamayor, Ramil Complesa, and the lone female fatality, Virgenia Ordoñez.
The nine who were wounded were PO3 Constantino Villegas, PO2 Jeffrey Alvarez, Bonifacio Bayate, Cristoto Perolino, Jerry Lacquedo, Roger Bajar, Jamil Roma, Victoriano Donasco, Jason Ocsimar, all residents of the village of Cabacungan.
Apologies and assurances of punishment
“We are sorry for the deaths of Virginia Ordoñez and Ricky Dingcong and the wounding of a 14-year-old teenager,” Regalado added as he assured the families of the victims that there the NPA will conduct its own investigation and punish the fighters and commanders responsible for the deaths. He said the process will follow the provisions of the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and the International Humanitarian Law.
CARHR-IHL is a landmark agreement signed between the Philippine government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines, representing the NPA and the Communist Party of the Philippines, as a result of peace negotiations on the first substantive agenda, respect for human rights and the IHL.
Regalado said the rebels will talk to the families of the civilian victims and indemnify them even as he scored Negros Occidental Gov. Alfredo Marañon, Jr and acting provincial police chief, Senior Supt. Celestino Guara. “To call it a massacre is ‘non-rational’ and illogical,” he said, referring to Guara’s statement. Regalado added that the NPA rebels are not drug addicts, describing Marañon’s declaration as “not responsible and lacks thought.”
No executions
The NPA spokesman also denied claims that his group executed some of the victims by finishing them off with a shot to the head. “That is not true,” Regalado said.
But this claim that was quickly contradicted by Guara who went to the crime scene hours after the incident.
“(Didto) gid ko ya sa crime scene, (eight) cadavers wasak ulo (I was there at the crime scene, eight cadavers had their skulls blown off),” he said in a text message to InterAksyon.com when asked if the results of the post-mortem autopsy had already been released by the Philippine National Police.
Radio reports had earlier quoted Berino Ordoñez that the rebels could have fired at some of the victims even though they were already sprawled dead.
He said he heard gunshots but did not see if the rebels finished off some of the victims, including one who crawled under the truck but was seen after one of the attackers shone a flashlight on him.
“I told one of the rebels we are civilians but he shot back: if you are civilians, why are you with the police?” he added.
Ordoñez survived after his wife reportedly covered him with her body.
He also took off his BPAT uniform during the firefight, which he believes is the reason why he is still alive.
“If I was still using it when they were doing the clearing operations they could have also killed me,” he said in the vernacular in an interview with dyEZ Aksyon Radyo-Bacolod.
Regalado also reminded police and military personnel not to allow civilians to ride with them in vehicles because they are simply using them as “shields.”
Armed BPAT members?
But were the members of the Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team really armed?
Officials are unsure about it.
Guara told InterAksyon.com that while he might be sure that the policemen – Canja and PO3 Constantino Villegas and PO2 Jeffrey Alvarez – were armed, it has not been established in the police investigation that the BPAT members were also carrying firearms.
The three policemen brought with them the BPAT members from the Cabacungan police sub-station to help guard the benefit dance during the village fiesta of Puso.
Nellis, on the other hand, said he has not seen the Cabacungan BPAT members carrying firearms or if they were, were simply carrying them for the policemen.
Guara said BPAT members are not allowed to carry firearms unlike members of the Police Auxiliary Unit that are supposed to be established in “red areas” or places where there are armed elements of the CPP or the NPA.
The BPAT is only for those in the “white areas” or places where there are no armed elements of the rebel movement. It is also possible that officials in the two villages could not have known about whether BPAT members carried arms.
Intelligence reports have indicated that Canja was a target by the rebels for being active in setting a counter-insurgency network in the area, Guara had said days after the incident.
What is BPAT?
Launched in 2009 during the term of then PNP chief Director General Jesus Versoza, the BPAT’s mission as described in a PNP manual is “to conduct peacekeeping activities in association with the various sectors of the community and ensure their continuous support towards the maintenance of peace and order and safety.”
The manual also contains a discussion on the concept of the BPAT that: “It is along this line that a peacekeeping concept responsive to the unique peace and order condition in the Philippines needed to be crafted. The concept basically calls for PNP members to lead in the fight against all forms of criminality (including insurgency) distinct to their areas of responsibility, utilizing active citizen involvement and community empowerment.”
It also pointed out that the BPAT is also “…in response to the CPP-NPA Barangay Module being implemented by left-leaning groups in their community campaigns; their activities are characterized by deception as they profess noble intentions but actually seek to destroy the democratic institutions of our country.”
Regalado said in the same statement that they have received reports that some members of the BPAT are also being used to spy on the CPP-NPA operating in the two villages.
While Guara cannot comment if some of the BPAT members are ex-rebels, a resident of barangay Puso told dyEZ Aksyon Radyo-Bacolod that some of them could have become targets of the NPA because they “surrendered” to authorities and were made to carry firearms.
The woman, who asked not to be named, is an aunt of Canja who added that these BPAT members “strutted about” after they were allowed to carry guns.
http://www.interaksyon.com/article/54268/kin-of-npa-victims-in-negros-occidental-ambush-wont-accept-apology
Monday, February 4, 2013
Destroyer due in Subic amid protests vs rising US presence
From InterAksyon (Feb 4): Destroyer due in Subic amid protests vs rising US presence
Militant groups wage another protest outside the US Embassy in Manila on Monday, burning the US flag, denouncing the presence of US troops and mounting a call to save Tubbataha Reef, the marine sanctuary damaged by a US minesweeper earlier this month. PAULO VECINA, INTERAKSYON.COM
As militant groups continue to protest what they perceive to be a disguised stepping up of US military presence in the country, yet another vessel, the destroyer USS Stockdale, is set to make a “routine visit” to Subic Bay in Zambales.
The United States Embassy said the USS Stockdale (DDG-106) due Tuesday is scheduled to replenish supplies and provide its crew opportunities for rest and relaxation.
The Embassy said the visit is Stockdale’s first to the Philippines. “The visit is part of the ship’s nine-month deployment to the Western Pacific that began in January 2013,” it said.
The Stockdale was commissioned on April 18, 2009, and is home-ported in San Diego, California. The ship is named after Vice Admiral James B. Stockdale, the highest ranking US naval officer to be held as a Prisoner of War in Vietnam.
“Visiting Subic Bay provides us with a great opportunity to continue the long-term relationship between the Philippines and the United States and that is very important to us,” Commander Lex Walker, of USS Stockdale, said.
“We have quite a few Filipino-American sailors among our crew, and I hope that the citizens of the Philippines can look at our ship and see that their people and their culture are well represented and respected in the US Navy,” he added.
On board the warship are 15 Filipino-Americans, some with family ties to Baguio City, Manila, Marikina City, Orion, Olongapo City, Quezon City, and Santa Monica.
“Some, like Geno C. Uy (GSM2) and Ryan Angeles (AM2), were born in the Philippines and immigrated to the US in recent years. Others, including Joel Marsigian (AM2) and Dean Rivera-Villanueva (ADAN), were born in the United States but still have relatives in the Philippines. Many of the Stockdale’s Sailors plan to visit family while in port,” the US Embassy said.
According to Walker, the US servicemen are also scheduled to conduct community relations projects including visits to local orphanages.
Port calls raise alarm
The increasingly frequent visits of US warships to Philippine waters and facilities, especially Subic—once the US’s largest naval base outside the mainland until the bases treaty lapsed in 1991---has lately struck a raw nerve among some Filipino sectors.
The alarm raised by some groups, that the US may be using the aggressive Chinese moves in disputed waters in the South China Sea as an excuse for muscling in, was aggravated by the January 17, 2013 accident involving the minesweeper USS Guardian in Tubbataha Reef in the Sulu Sea.
The minesweeper, for still unclear reasons, strayed into the marine sanctuary, a protected area tagged in all maps as a no-navigation zone, damaging over 1,400 square meters of coral reefs. Tubbataha is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the last rich marine biodiversity areas on the planet.
As strong currents keep sending the warship scraping deeper into the reefs, US authorities have said they will dismantle the Guardian, an operation seen to last till March.
US and Philippine authorities invoke the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), which came into force seven years after the bases treaty expired, to justify the port visits of US warships and the long-term stay of US troops.
http://www.interaksyon.com/article/54273/destroyer-due-in-subic-amid-protests-vs-rising-us-presence
Militant groups wage another protest outside the US Embassy in Manila on Monday, burning the US flag, denouncing the presence of US troops and mounting a call to save Tubbataha Reef, the marine sanctuary damaged by a US minesweeper earlier this month. PAULO VECINA, INTERAKSYON.COM
As militant groups continue to protest what they perceive to be a disguised stepping up of US military presence in the country, yet another vessel, the destroyer USS Stockdale, is set to make a “routine visit” to Subic Bay in Zambales.
The United States Embassy said the USS Stockdale (DDG-106) due Tuesday is scheduled to replenish supplies and provide its crew opportunities for rest and relaxation.
The Embassy said the visit is Stockdale’s first to the Philippines. “The visit is part of the ship’s nine-month deployment to the Western Pacific that began in January 2013,” it said.
The Stockdale was commissioned on April 18, 2009, and is home-ported in San Diego, California. The ship is named after Vice Admiral James B. Stockdale, the highest ranking US naval officer to be held as a Prisoner of War in Vietnam.
“Visiting Subic Bay provides us with a great opportunity to continue the long-term relationship between the Philippines and the United States and that is very important to us,” Commander Lex Walker, of USS Stockdale, said.
“We have quite a few Filipino-American sailors among our crew, and I hope that the citizens of the Philippines can look at our ship and see that their people and their culture are well represented and respected in the US Navy,” he added.
On board the warship are 15 Filipino-Americans, some with family ties to Baguio City, Manila, Marikina City, Orion, Olongapo City, Quezon City, and Santa Monica.
“Some, like Geno C. Uy (GSM2) and Ryan Angeles (AM2), were born in the Philippines and immigrated to the US in recent years. Others, including Joel Marsigian (AM2) and Dean Rivera-Villanueva (ADAN), were born in the United States but still have relatives in the Philippines. Many of the Stockdale’s Sailors plan to visit family while in port,” the US Embassy said.
According to Walker, the US servicemen are also scheduled to conduct community relations projects including visits to local orphanages.
Port calls raise alarm
The increasingly frequent visits of US warships to Philippine waters and facilities, especially Subic—once the US’s largest naval base outside the mainland until the bases treaty lapsed in 1991---has lately struck a raw nerve among some Filipino sectors.
The alarm raised by some groups, that the US may be using the aggressive Chinese moves in disputed waters in the South China Sea as an excuse for muscling in, was aggravated by the January 17, 2013 accident involving the minesweeper USS Guardian in Tubbataha Reef in the Sulu Sea.
The minesweeper, for still unclear reasons, strayed into the marine sanctuary, a protected area tagged in all maps as a no-navigation zone, damaging over 1,400 square meters of coral reefs. Tubbataha is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the last rich marine biodiversity areas on the planet.
As strong currents keep sending the warship scraping deeper into the reefs, US authorities have said they will dismantle the Guardian, an operation seen to last till March.
US and Philippine authorities invoke the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), which came into force seven years after the bases treaty expired, to justify the port visits of US warships and the long-term stay of US troops.
http://www.interaksyon.com/article/54273/destroyer-due-in-subic-amid-protests-vs-rising-us-presence
5 more foreigners being held hostage by Abu Sayyaf, police say
From InterAksyon (Feb 4): 5 more foreigners being held hostage by Abu Sayyaf, police say
The Al-Qaeda-linked extremist group Abu Sayyaf is holding at least five more foreigners hostage in the island-province of Sulu, police said.
Senior Superintendent Renato Gumban, chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Anti-Kidnapping Group, said that aside from Jordanian journalist Baker Abdulla Atyani, also being held hostage are Australian Warren Rodwell, European birdwatchers Ewold Horn and Lorenzo Vinciguerra, two Malaysians and a Japanese.
The Japanese kidnap victim, however, reportedly refused to leave the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG)'s stronghold as he was facing numerous charges both here and in Japan, Gumban said.
Authorities are still working for the rescue of the victims.
The ASG is reportedly demanding $3 million for Atyani while undisclosed amount of ransom was also being demanded from the other victims.
Meanwhile, the Abu Sayyaf reportedly posted a photo of Australian kidnap victim Rodwell on the internet and warned the Australian government that the victim would suffer an "unusual way of death" if the ransom would not be paid immediately.
In an article posted on British news website Daily Mail on January 31, the kidnappers warned that without a ransom, Rodwell would be executed.
Accompanying the threat was a photo of an emaciated Rodwell, seated, holding a copy of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, and surrounded by three armed men whose faces were covered by balaclavas.
Rodwell, a former member of the Australian Army, was taken by the ASG in December 2011 in Zamboanga.
http://www.interaksyon.com/article/54302/5-more-foreigners-being-held-hostage-by-abu-sayyaf-police-say
The Al-Qaeda-linked extremist group Abu Sayyaf is holding at least five more foreigners hostage in the island-province of Sulu, police said.
Senior Superintendent Renato Gumban, chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Anti-Kidnapping Group, said that aside from Jordanian journalist Baker Abdulla Atyani, also being held hostage are Australian Warren Rodwell, European birdwatchers Ewold Horn and Lorenzo Vinciguerra, two Malaysians and a Japanese.
The Japanese kidnap victim, however, reportedly refused to leave the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG)'s stronghold as he was facing numerous charges both here and in Japan, Gumban said.
Authorities are still working for the rescue of the victims.
The ASG is reportedly demanding $3 million for Atyani while undisclosed amount of ransom was also being demanded from the other victims.
Meanwhile, the Abu Sayyaf reportedly posted a photo of Australian kidnap victim Rodwell on the internet and warned the Australian government that the victim would suffer an "unusual way of death" if the ransom would not be paid immediately.
In an article posted on British news website Daily Mail on January 31, the kidnappers warned that without a ransom, Rodwell would be executed.
Accompanying the threat was a photo of an emaciated Rodwell, seated, holding a copy of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, and surrounded by three armed men whose faces were covered by balaclavas.
Rodwell, a former member of the Australian Army, was taken by the ASG in December 2011 in Zamboanga.
http://www.interaksyon.com/article/54302/5-more-foreigners-being-held-hostage-by-abu-sayyaf-police-say
Freed ASG hostages: 'We don't know anything'
From Rappler (Feb 4): Freed ASG hostages: 'We don't know anything'
FINALLY OVER. Hostage victims Ramilito Vela and Rolando Letrero face media for the first time since their release with Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas. Photo from PNP-PIO.
After 7 months and 20 days as kidnap victims, the long turmoil of cameraman Ramilito Vela and audio man Rolando Letrero comes to an end -- but the explanation for their release is still unknown.
In a press conference on Monday, January 4, the freed men faced media upon their arrival in Manila from Sulu to briefly recount their release. According to Vela, he and Letrero, who were hired by Jordanian journalist Baker Abdulla Atyani to do a documentary on Muslims in Mindanao.
On the night of their release Saturday, February 2, they were given horses by the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), which the victims rode down the mountains.The ride brought them to the capital, Jolo. Vela and Letrero then checked into a hotel, and called authorities.
"We don't know if there was money given or a negotiation, we don't know anything, we were just surprised. We were shocked that all of a sudden we were in the province of Sulu. I was shocked," Vela said in Filipino.
Interior Secretary Manuel "Mar" Roxas said the details surrounding the release remain unclear, but said the two will undergo a debriefing. Their accounts will help law enforcers get a better picture of how they were first taken captive, the kidnapping ordeal, and their release.
"We don't know if ransom was paid, we don't know the reason why they were let go… so it's very important for us to have a thorough debriefing in order for us to get operational details on what happened," Roxas said.
In June 2012, Vela, Letrero and Atyani were kidnapped by the ASG. The crew had met up with the extremist group for an interview, but were no longer allowed to leave.
Atyani is still with the ASG.
Atyani's status
Anti-Kidnapping Group chief Senior Supt Renato Gumban confirmed Atyani is still alive, and regularly calls his family in Dubai through a cellphone. Their last conversation, though, was in December 2012.
Gumban said the ASG has refused to change their ransom demand of US $3-M or about P122-M. He said they are constantly communicating with Al-Arabiya network, Atyani's employer. ASG members are also reportedly in touch with Atyani's family, their last communication having taken place in January.
Aside from accounts of Vela and Letriro, Roxas said PNP intelligence are working to help the police find Atyani. Vela also shared that Atyani was deeply angry at his captors over the kidnapping. "If Muslims were allowed to kill other Muslims, Baker would've already tried to kill the ASG," he said.
Tough ordeal
Vela and Letrero briefly recounted their days with the ASG.
Sitting in a wheelchair, Vela, who is suffering from severe cramps, told media they were guarded by about 400 ASG members who treated them well. "They treated us like children. They were good, they didn't hurt us. Whatever they ate, we ate. Whatever fruits we wanted to eat, we were permitted to take as long as we asked for their permission," said Vela.
Vela and Letrero said they traveled around the area on foot and sometimes were asked to wear military fatigue.
http://www.rappler.com/nation/21049-freed-asg-hostages-we-don-t-know-anything
FINALLY OVER. Hostage victims Ramilito Vela and Rolando Letrero face media for the first time since their release with Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas. Photo from PNP-PIO.
After 7 months and 20 days as kidnap victims, the long turmoil of cameraman Ramilito Vela and audio man Rolando Letrero comes to an end -- but the explanation for their release is still unknown.
In a press conference on Monday, January 4, the freed men faced media upon their arrival in Manila from Sulu to briefly recount their release. According to Vela, he and Letrero, who were hired by Jordanian journalist Baker Abdulla Atyani to do a documentary on Muslims in Mindanao.
On the night of their release Saturday, February 2, they were given horses by the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), which the victims rode down the mountains.The ride brought them to the capital, Jolo. Vela and Letrero then checked into a hotel, and called authorities.
"We don't know if there was money given or a negotiation, we don't know anything, we were just surprised. We were shocked that all of a sudden we were in the province of Sulu. I was shocked," Vela said in Filipino.
Interior Secretary Manuel "Mar" Roxas said the details surrounding the release remain unclear, but said the two will undergo a debriefing. Their accounts will help law enforcers get a better picture of how they were first taken captive, the kidnapping ordeal, and their release.
"We don't know if ransom was paid, we don't know the reason why they were let go… so it's very important for us to have a thorough debriefing in order for us to get operational details on what happened," Roxas said.
In June 2012, Vela, Letrero and Atyani were kidnapped by the ASG. The crew had met up with the extremist group for an interview, but were no longer allowed to leave.
Atyani is still with the ASG.
Atyani's status
Anti-Kidnapping Group chief Senior Supt Renato Gumban confirmed Atyani is still alive, and regularly calls his family in Dubai through a cellphone. Their last conversation, though, was in December 2012.
Gumban said the ASG has refused to change their ransom demand of US $3-M or about P122-M. He said they are constantly communicating with Al-Arabiya network, Atyani's employer. ASG members are also reportedly in touch with Atyani's family, their last communication having taken place in January.
Aside from accounts of Vela and Letriro, Roxas said PNP intelligence are working to help the police find Atyani. Vela also shared that Atyani was deeply angry at his captors over the kidnapping. "If Muslims were allowed to kill other Muslims, Baker would've already tried to kill the ASG," he said.
Tough ordeal
Vela and Letrero briefly recounted their days with the ASG.
Sitting in a wheelchair, Vela, who is suffering from severe cramps, told media they were guarded by about 400 ASG members who treated them well. "They treated us like children. They were good, they didn't hurt us. Whatever they ate, we ate. Whatever fruits we wanted to eat, we were permitted to take as long as we asked for their permission," said Vela.
Vela and Letrero said they traveled around the area on foot and sometimes were asked to wear military fatigue.
http://www.rappler.com/nation/21049-freed-asg-hostages-we-don-t-know-anything
Fines to wait until US ship pulled out of Tubbataha - Palace
From Rappler (Feb 4): Fines to wait until US ship pulled out of Tubbataha - Palace
The amount of the compensation to be paid by the US Navy for the grounding of its ship in Tubbataha Reef Natural Park will depend on the final assessment of damage to the coral, Malacañang said on Monday, February 4.
"We still have to determine the amount of fines that are going to be imposed based on a final assessment on the damage caused to the reef and that has not been done yet,” presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda told reporters.
Lacierda clarified that the reef restoration aid for Tubbataha announced on Sunday by the US Embassy in Manila is assistance, "not compensation."
“We’ve done initial dives and we’re waiting for a final assessment dive which will happen only after the ship has been extricated from the reef. So the press release (…) only provides what they have been doing for the past years and that’s insofar as assistance is concerned—nothing about payment of the fines,” he said.
Lacierda however welcomed the aid “over and above the fines that we are going to impose based on the law that we have in place.”
"The Philippine government values US efforts to preserve the marine park as an acknowledgement of the importance of the richness of the biodiversity that is found in Tubbataha Reef,” the spokesperson added.
Salvage operation on hold
Almost 3 weeks after the USS Guardian ran aground inside the protected area, Malacañang cannot say exactly when the salvage operation will begin, but the government stressed it wants the vessel pulled out as soon as possible.
“The instruction is as soon as possible. Certainly you would not want to create further damage so it has to be done meticulously but at the soonest possible time. That’s our preference and I think that’s being done also," Lacierda said.
The US Navy draft plan for cutting the ship into pieces and removing it by sections to be transferred to a barge is currently being reviewed by the Philippine Coast Guard.
Lacierda said the public “should not be concerned” about the final extent of the damage, which will take some time as it can only be done after the USS Guardian is extricated from the reef, a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the world's top dive sites.
“All this extent of damage that we hear right now are all preliminary. You cannot have a final assessment until the ship is extricated,” he said.
http://www.rappler.com/nation/21050-fines-to-wait-until-us-ship-pulled-out-of-tubbataha-palace
The amount of the compensation to be paid by the US Navy for the grounding of its ship in Tubbataha Reef Natural Park will depend on the final assessment of damage to the coral, Malacañang said on Monday, February 4.
"We still have to determine the amount of fines that are going to be imposed based on a final assessment on the damage caused to the reef and that has not been done yet,” presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda told reporters.
Lacierda clarified that the reef restoration aid for Tubbataha announced on Sunday by the US Embassy in Manila is assistance, "not compensation."
“We’ve done initial dives and we’re waiting for a final assessment dive which will happen only after the ship has been extricated from the reef. So the press release (…) only provides what they have been doing for the past years and that’s insofar as assistance is concerned—nothing about payment of the fines,” he said.
Lacierda however welcomed the aid “over and above the fines that we are going to impose based on the law that we have in place.”
"The Philippine government values US efforts to preserve the marine park as an acknowledgement of the importance of the richness of the biodiversity that is found in Tubbataha Reef,” the spokesperson added.
Salvage operation on hold
Almost 3 weeks after the USS Guardian ran aground inside the protected area, Malacañang cannot say exactly when the salvage operation will begin, but the government stressed it wants the vessel pulled out as soon as possible.
“The instruction is as soon as possible. Certainly you would not want to create further damage so it has to be done meticulously but at the soonest possible time. That’s our preference and I think that’s being done also," Lacierda said.
The US Navy draft plan for cutting the ship into pieces and removing it by sections to be transferred to a barge is currently being reviewed by the Philippine Coast Guard.
Lacierda said the public “should not be concerned” about the final extent of the damage, which will take some time as it can only be done after the USS Guardian is extricated from the reef, a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the world's top dive sites.
“All this extent of damage that we hear right now are all preliminary. You cannot have a final assessment until the ship is extricated,” he said.
http://www.rappler.com/nation/21050-fines-to-wait-until-us-ship-pulled-out-of-tubbataha-palace
5 hurt in Lanao del Norte blast
From Rappler (Feb 4): 5 hurt in Lanao del Norte blast
At least 5 people were reported injured when an improvised explosive device (IED) was detonated in Lanao del Norte on Monday, February 4.
At least 5 people were reported injured when an improvised explosive device (IED) was detonated in Lanao del Norte on Monday, February 4.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said the IED attack happened at the Ysmael Restaurant in Purok G-A of Poblacion, Tubod town at around 11:05 in the morning.
Initial police reports say the IED was installed on a motorcycle, the NDDRMC said.
The wounded were identified as Saipoden Omar Bucay, Judith Padilla Gomez, Pamel Dalman, Cherrie Molina Barnaldez, and Peter de la Vega.
All victims are presently receiving proper medical treatment at the Lanao del Norte Integrated Provincial Health Office.
Local authorities are still conducting investigation in the area to identify the perpetrators and the motive behind the incident.
37 killed in Sulu clashes, says MNLF
From Rappler (Feb 4): 37 killed in Sulu clashes, says MNLF
Fierce fighting between members of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and the Abu Sayyaf subsided late Monday, February 4, in Sulu but the death toll from both sides has reached nearly 40.
According to Habib Mujahab Hashim, chief of the MNLF's Islamic Command Council, about 20 of their men, including a field commander, have died in clashes with the Abu Sayyaf in the jungles of Patikul, Sulu. Of the total, 7 of them were beheaded, he said.
Hashim said the unarmed men they dispatched to the site of encounter to gather vital information reported to him that 17 Abu Sayyaf were also killed.
The military deployed Marine units to contain the fighting.
“The fighting resumed this morning but it already subsided,” Hashim said. The hostilities began on Saturday night, February 2, following the release of two Filipinos who went to Sulu in June 2012 with Jordanian journalist Baker Atyani. The foreign journalist is still being held captive by the Abu Sayyaf, according to intelligence officials.
Atyani's Filipino crew arrived in Camp Crame on Monday for a debriefing.
In a press statement Monday, AFP spokesman Col. Arnulfo Burgos could only confirm 4 victims who were beheaded. "The situation is now under control and AFP troopers are now working closely in assisting the municipal government and the Department of Social Welfare and Development in addressing Internally Displaced Persons from MNLF families near Barangay Kabuntakas, Patikul, Sulu," he said. At least 60 families had been evacuated.
Apart from Atyani, Abu Sayyaf gunmen are also holding a Japanese, Malaysian, Australian European tourists Elwold Horn, 52, from Holland; Lorenzo Vinciguerra, 47, from Switzerland.
http://www.rappler.com/nation/21053-37-killed-in-sulu,-says-mnlf
Fierce fighting between members of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and the Abu Sayyaf subsided late Monday, February 4, in Sulu but the death toll from both sides has reached nearly 40.
According to Habib Mujahab Hashim, chief of the MNLF's Islamic Command Council, about 20 of their men, including a field commander, have died in clashes with the Abu Sayyaf in the jungles of Patikul, Sulu. Of the total, 7 of them were beheaded, he said.
Hashim said the unarmed men they dispatched to the site of encounter to gather vital information reported to him that 17 Abu Sayyaf were also killed.
The military deployed Marine units to contain the fighting.
“The fighting resumed this morning but it already subsided,” Hashim said. The hostilities began on Saturday night, February 2, following the release of two Filipinos who went to Sulu in June 2012 with Jordanian journalist Baker Atyani. The foreign journalist is still being held captive by the Abu Sayyaf, according to intelligence officials.
Atyani's Filipino crew arrived in Camp Crame on Monday for a debriefing.
In a press statement Monday, AFP spokesman Col. Arnulfo Burgos could only confirm 4 victims who were beheaded. "The situation is now under control and AFP troopers are now working closely in assisting the municipal government and the Department of Social Welfare and Development in addressing Internally Displaced Persons from MNLF families near Barangay Kabuntakas, Patikul, Sulu," he said. At least 60 families had been evacuated.
Apart from Atyani, Abu Sayyaf gunmen are also holding a Japanese, Malaysian, Australian European tourists Elwold Horn, 52, from Holland; Lorenzo Vinciguerra, 47, from Switzerland.
http://www.rappler.com/nation/21053-37-killed-in-sulu,-says-mnlf
Military, police assure full control of peace, order in 'Pablo'-hit Davao Oriental provinces
From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 4): Military, police assure full control of
peace, order in 'Pablo'-hit Davao Oriental provinces
Authorities assured full control of the peace and order condition in Boston, Cateel and Baganga, Davao Oriental two months after typhoon "Pablo" hit the East Coast communities last December 4.
Col. Rey Leonardo Guerrero, commander of the 701st Infantry Brigade based in this city, who handles the anti-insurgency campaign in the area said on Monday that police and military authorities were able to thwart efforts of communist rebels to regain lost grounds after they were displaced by the storm.
Guerrero said typhoon "Pablo" also destroyed the known rebel fronts in Davao Oriental. He said the rebels took advantage of the cessation of hostilities to recover the areas they previously had influenced on during the Yuletide Season, but their plans were pre-empted by the government security forces. “We are taking advantage of the rebels’ absence here by maintaining our presence in the mobility corridors in order to prevent their influx in our areas,” Guerrero said.
He said the rebels practically left the East Coast area and sought refuge in Compostela Valley Province. He also lauded the local residents who made a stand in driving away members of the progressive organizations which allegedly attempted to organize them to stage protest rallies against the relief distribution effort of the government, the day after a barricade was set up in Montevista and Compostela, along the Agusan-Davao National Highway.
Guerrero also said the peace and development teams earlier deployed in the barangays were reconfigured into community development teams to help in the reconstruction of houses and to revive the livelihood projects.
He said a contingent from the Naval Construction Battalion arrived in Cateel on Thursday and the 544th Engineering Battalion reinforced the reconstruction effort spearheaded by the Task Force Tambayayong of the Eastern Mindanao Command (EastMinCom). “We are working closely with the Davao Oriental Provincial Government. The police and military support not only in the security but also in manpower assistance,” Guerrero said.
Sr. Supt. Jose Carumba, director of the Davao Oriental Police Office, said the local police now provide security in the delivery of goods to the typhoon survivors after shifting its activities from retrieval operation. He said in order to reach out to more number of survivors, the food distribution is being done by the barangays.
Carumba said they also investigated barangay officials who allegedly hoarded relief goods. "We deployed our intelligence units to check the veracity of the alleged hoarding of goods by local officials. Incidentally, the investigation turned out negative,” he said.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=493950
Authorities assured full control of the peace and order condition in Boston, Cateel and Baganga, Davao Oriental two months after typhoon "Pablo" hit the East Coast communities last December 4.
Col. Rey Leonardo Guerrero, commander of the 701st Infantry Brigade based in this city, who handles the anti-insurgency campaign in the area said on Monday that police and military authorities were able to thwart efforts of communist rebels to regain lost grounds after they were displaced by the storm.
Guerrero said typhoon "Pablo" also destroyed the known rebel fronts in Davao Oriental. He said the rebels took advantage of the cessation of hostilities to recover the areas they previously had influenced on during the Yuletide Season, but their plans were pre-empted by the government security forces. “We are taking advantage of the rebels’ absence here by maintaining our presence in the mobility corridors in order to prevent their influx in our areas,” Guerrero said.
He said the rebels practically left the East Coast area and sought refuge in Compostela Valley Province. He also lauded the local residents who made a stand in driving away members of the progressive organizations which allegedly attempted to organize them to stage protest rallies against the relief distribution effort of the government, the day after a barricade was set up in Montevista and Compostela, along the Agusan-Davao National Highway.
Guerrero also said the peace and development teams earlier deployed in the barangays were reconfigured into community development teams to help in the reconstruction of houses and to revive the livelihood projects.
He said a contingent from the Naval Construction Battalion arrived in Cateel on Thursday and the 544th Engineering Battalion reinforced the reconstruction effort spearheaded by the Task Force Tambayayong of the Eastern Mindanao Command (EastMinCom). “We are working closely with the Davao Oriental Provincial Government. The police and military support not only in the security but also in manpower assistance,” Guerrero said.
Sr. Supt. Jose Carumba, director of the Davao Oriental Police Office, said the local police now provide security in the delivery of goods to the typhoon survivors after shifting its activities from retrieval operation. He said in order to reach out to more number of survivors, the food distribution is being done by the barangays.
Carumba said they also investigated barangay officials who allegedly hoarded relief goods. "We deployed our intelligence units to check the veracity of the alleged hoarding of goods by local officials. Incidentally, the investigation turned out negative,” he said.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=493950
Scores wounded in Lanao Del Norte explosion
From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 4): Scores wounded in Lanao Del Norte
explosion
Cagayan de Oro City -- Scores of bystanders were reportedly hurt in an explosion Monday morning in a bus stop in Tubod, Lanao Del Norte, based on a police report here.
Initial investigation showed that a motorcycle left on a bus stop exploded around 11:00 a.m. Monday wounding bystanders in nearby eatery and store. Police were still establishing the identities of those wounded rushed to a hospital in Tubod, Lanao Del Norte. Investigators were still verifying whether there were victims killed in the blast.
Police said they were trying to establish the motive and the group behind the explosion. Early this month, a bicycle with a planted explosive and parked near a jewelry store in Quezon Avenue in Iligan City, Lanao Del Norte exploded wounding six passersby.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=493960
Cagayan de Oro City -- Scores of bystanders were reportedly hurt in an explosion Monday morning in a bus stop in Tubod, Lanao Del Norte, based on a police report here.
Initial investigation showed that a motorcycle left on a bus stop exploded around 11:00 a.m. Monday wounding bystanders in nearby eatery and store. Police were still establishing the identities of those wounded rushed to a hospital in Tubod, Lanao Del Norte. Investigators were still verifying whether there were victims killed in the blast.
Police said they were trying to establish the motive and the group behind the explosion. Early this month, a bicycle with a planted explosive and parked near a jewelry store in Quezon Avenue in Iligan City, Lanao Del Norte exploded wounding six passersby.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=493960
PNP-ARMM assures no spill over in ASG-MNLF fighting in Sulu
From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 4): PNP-ARMM assures no spill over in
ASG-MNLF fighting in Sulu
Police officials in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Monday assured there are efforts to prevent any spill over to other areas of the on-going skirmishes between the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and Abu Sayyaf (ASG) bandits in the town of Patikul in Sulu.
"The fighting between MNLF and Abu Sayyaf is confined to a hinterland area and far from residential areas," Senior Supt. Noel delos Reyes, ARMM police regional director, told reporters here. Quoting a report from Senior Supt. Antonio Freyra, Sulu police provincial director, Delos Reyes said at least 20 people from both the MNLF and ASG have been killed following the fighting which started Saturday night.
Acting Regional Governor Mujiv Hataman also ordered all mayors in the island province to help prevent the spread of hostilities to other communities.
The hostilities started Saturday, when MNLF members, led by Ustadz Habier Malik, tried to rescue Jordanian TV reporter Baker Atyani from his Abu Sayyaf captors. Earlier, Malik and the kidnappers have agreed to turn over the two Filipino TV crews who accompanied the Jordanian reporter to the MNLF. Instead, ASG handed over the two to other groups that angered Malik.
Following the firefight, several families have fled to safer grounds for fear the conflict might escalate. Hataman said Governor Sakur Tan has directed the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to attend to the needs of displaced families.
Delos Santos said 13 ASG members were confirmed dead while the MNLF suffered eight casualties. About three other MNLF were also wounded.
Citing intelligence reports, Delos Reyes said about 1,000 MNLF are now engaged with about 200 Abu Sayyaf members and the fighting was "very close." He said the police and the military will not intervene in the conflict but will act once the skirmishes would affect civilians.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=494066
Police officials in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Monday assured there are efforts to prevent any spill over to other areas of the on-going skirmishes between the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and Abu Sayyaf (ASG) bandits in the town of Patikul in Sulu.
"The fighting between MNLF and Abu Sayyaf is confined to a hinterland area and far from residential areas," Senior Supt. Noel delos Reyes, ARMM police regional director, told reporters here. Quoting a report from Senior Supt. Antonio Freyra, Sulu police provincial director, Delos Reyes said at least 20 people from both the MNLF and ASG have been killed following the fighting which started Saturday night.
Acting Regional Governor Mujiv Hataman also ordered all mayors in the island province to help prevent the spread of hostilities to other communities.
The hostilities started Saturday, when MNLF members, led by Ustadz Habier Malik, tried to rescue Jordanian TV reporter Baker Atyani from his Abu Sayyaf captors. Earlier, Malik and the kidnappers have agreed to turn over the two Filipino TV crews who accompanied the Jordanian reporter to the MNLF. Instead, ASG handed over the two to other groups that angered Malik.
Following the firefight, several families have fled to safer grounds for fear the conflict might escalate. Hataman said Governor Sakur Tan has directed the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to attend to the needs of displaced families.
Delos Santos said 13 ASG members were confirmed dead while the MNLF suffered eight casualties. About three other MNLF were also wounded.
Citing intelligence reports, Delos Reyes said about 1,000 MNLF are now engaged with about 200 Abu Sayyaf members and the fighting was "very close." He said the police and the military will not intervene in the conflict but will act once the skirmishes would affect civilians.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=494066
Gov't working to secure civilians in the ongoing Sulu fight
From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 4): Gov't working to secure civilians in
the ongoing Sulu fight
The government is working to ensure that no civilian will be harmed in the ongoing fighting between the members of the Moro National Liberation Front and the Abu Sayyaf Group in Sulu, Malacanang said Monday.
Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda made the assurance during a press briefing in Malacanang, saying “the clash is occurring in a specific isolated area. "Majority of occupants are either part of ASG or MNLF. What we have done as government is to secure the safety of the civilians in those areas. “So right now they’re being evacuated and Secretary Dinky Soliman is in fact in Mindanao right now and we have identified evacuation centers. "The civilians in those areas are now in evacuation centers.”
The Sulu police said 13 people have been killed from the ASG side, while eight were recorded from the MNLF side after the fire fight in Kabbun Takas in Sulu. Lacierda said the government is verifying information whether there are any integrees to the military in the fighting.
The Palace official also allayed fears the MNLF, which forged a peace agreement with the government in the mid-1990s, will abide by the law and not target other armed groups in Mindanao. “Well, there’s no concern right now on that point. A lot of MNLF members have returned to the fold of government. In fact, some of them are already occupying positions of public authority so we’re not concerned with that,” he said.
The Abu Sayyaf, which allegedly has links with Osama bin Laden’s al Qaeda network, is one of the major threats to the country’s peace and security. The group carried out several kidnapping operations in the past particularly against foreign nationals.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=&sid=&nid=&rid=494028
The government is working to ensure that no civilian will be harmed in the ongoing fighting between the members of the Moro National Liberation Front and the Abu Sayyaf Group in Sulu, Malacanang said Monday.
Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda made the assurance during a press briefing in Malacanang, saying “the clash is occurring in a specific isolated area. "Majority of occupants are either part of ASG or MNLF. What we have done as government is to secure the safety of the civilians in those areas. “So right now they’re being evacuated and Secretary Dinky Soliman is in fact in Mindanao right now and we have identified evacuation centers. "The civilians in those areas are now in evacuation centers.”
The Sulu police said 13 people have been killed from the ASG side, while eight were recorded from the MNLF side after the fire fight in Kabbun Takas in Sulu. Lacierda said the government is verifying information whether there are any integrees to the military in the fighting.
The Palace official also allayed fears the MNLF, which forged a peace agreement with the government in the mid-1990s, will abide by the law and not target other armed groups in Mindanao. “Well, there’s no concern right now on that point. A lot of MNLF members have returned to the fold of government. In fact, some of them are already occupying positions of public authority so we’re not concerned with that,” he said.
The Abu Sayyaf, which allegedly has links with Osama bin Laden’s al Qaeda network, is one of the major threats to the country’s peace and security. The group carried out several kidnapping operations in the past particularly against foreign nationals.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=&sid=&nid=&rid=494028
PNP presents 2 Filipino crew of abducted Jordanian
From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 4): PNP presents 2 Filipino crew of
abducted Jordanian
Two freed Filipino crewmen of Jordanian journalist Baker Atyani Monday recounted to media their 8-month ordeal while held captive by their Abu Sayyaf captors in the jungles of Sulu.
The two -- Ramelito Vega, 38, seated on a wheel chair, and Rolan Letreto, were freed Saturday evening -- were presented during a news conference in Camp Crame.
Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, PNP chief Director General Alan Purisima and Police Sr. Supr. Renato Gumban, head of PNP Anti-Kidnapping Group, presented the two after they were released to freedom.
The duo were kidnapped eight months back along with Atyani, a Jordanian national and bureau chief of the Middle East Broadcasting Network in an undisclosed place in the Sulu capital of Jolo. Vega said the abductors treated them well and did not hurt them, although he admitted shock when he and his companion were in Jolo last weekend.
Vega said he was not aware if there were demands for ransom or any negotiations for their release. “Wala kaming alam na perang negosyayong, nagulat na lang kami nun...nabulaga ako na nasa bayan ako ng Sulu... ang trato namin duon parang anak, ni kurot di kami sinaktan, kung anong kinakain nila, kinakain namin, puwede kaming kumuha ng prutas magpapaalam ka lang. Kapag nililipat kami naka military fatigue kami,” Vega said.
He added they were releaseb by more or less 20 abductors in the hinterlands of Sulu because of the escalating firefight between the Moro National Liberation Front and the Abu Sayyaf Group.
For his part, Purisima said for now, the two are undergoing debriefing for the possible identification of the perpetrators and they are also gathering information from the pair in preparation for filing a case against the abductors.
Gumban said the two have no idea on the whereabouts of Atyani whom they last saw five days after they were seized. He added Atyani was still in the Sulu area and still alive, according to their intelligence reports and also with the coordination of Atyani’s family in Dubai.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=&sid=&nid=&rid=494063
Two freed Filipino crewmen of Jordanian journalist Baker Atyani Monday recounted to media their 8-month ordeal while held captive by their Abu Sayyaf captors in the jungles of Sulu.
The two -- Ramelito Vega, 38, seated on a wheel chair, and Rolan Letreto, were freed Saturday evening -- were presented during a news conference in Camp Crame.
Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, PNP chief Director General Alan Purisima and Police Sr. Supr. Renato Gumban, head of PNP Anti-Kidnapping Group, presented the two after they were released to freedom.
The duo were kidnapped eight months back along with Atyani, a Jordanian national and bureau chief of the Middle East Broadcasting Network in an undisclosed place in the Sulu capital of Jolo. Vega said the abductors treated them well and did not hurt them, although he admitted shock when he and his companion were in Jolo last weekend.
Vega said he was not aware if there were demands for ransom or any negotiations for their release. “Wala kaming alam na perang negosyayong, nagulat na lang kami nun...nabulaga ako na nasa bayan ako ng Sulu... ang trato namin duon parang anak, ni kurot di kami sinaktan, kung anong kinakain nila, kinakain namin, puwede kaming kumuha ng prutas magpapaalam ka lang. Kapag nililipat kami naka military fatigue kami,” Vega said.
He added they were releaseb by more or less 20 abductors in the hinterlands of Sulu because of the escalating firefight between the Moro National Liberation Front and the Abu Sayyaf Group.
For his part, Purisima said for now, the two are undergoing debriefing for the possible identification of the perpetrators and they are also gathering information from the pair in preparation for filing a case against the abductors.
Gumban said the two have no idea on the whereabouts of Atyani whom they last saw five days after they were seized. He added Atyani was still in the Sulu area and still alive, according to their intelligence reports and also with the coordination of Atyani’s family in Dubai.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=&sid=&nid=&rid=494063
Palace welcomes release of 2 Filipino hostages in Sulu
From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 4): Palace welcomes release of 2 Filipino hostages in Sulu
Malacanang Monday welcomed the release of two Filipino crewmen of Jordanian television journalist Baker Abdulla Atyani who were kidnapped last year by the Abu Sayyaf Group, hoping the reporter and other foreigner captives would be released soon.
"We certainly welcome the release of the two Filipino cameramen and, of course, we hope that all the captives will be released but, again, that will take some time,” Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said in a press briefing in Malacanang.
Abu Sayyaf bandits released cameraman Ramel Vela and audio technician Roland Letriro last Saturday in Jolo, Sulu. The two, together with Atyani, have been held by the notorious bandit group since June last year. Authorities believed Atyani is still alive and is still in the hands of the ASG.
Vela and Letriro, meanwhile, were brought to Camp Crame in Quezon City to undergo further investigation. The two earlier said that they were clueless why they were released by the bandit group and there was also no information whether ransom money was paid for their freedom. The Abu Sayyaf reportedly had demanded P130 million (3.1 million dollars) for the release of Atyani and his team.
Meantime, Malacanang said the government will continue to impose a news blackout in efforts to save the remaining hostages of the ASG. “Any sensitive operation would require government not to disclose to the public for operational reasons and I’m sure the public would sympathize with why we do not disclose sensitive operations,” said Lacierda.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=&sid=&nid=&rid=494099
Malacanang Monday welcomed the release of two Filipino crewmen of Jordanian television journalist Baker Abdulla Atyani who were kidnapped last year by the Abu Sayyaf Group, hoping the reporter and other foreigner captives would be released soon.
"We certainly welcome the release of the two Filipino cameramen and, of course, we hope that all the captives will be released but, again, that will take some time,” Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said in a press briefing in Malacanang.
Abu Sayyaf bandits released cameraman Ramel Vela and audio technician Roland Letriro last Saturday in Jolo, Sulu. The two, together with Atyani, have been held by the notorious bandit group since June last year. Authorities believed Atyani is still alive and is still in the hands of the ASG.
Vela and Letriro, meanwhile, were brought to Camp Crame in Quezon City to undergo further investigation. The two earlier said that they were clueless why they were released by the bandit group and there was also no information whether ransom money was paid for their freedom. The Abu Sayyaf reportedly had demanded P130 million (3.1 million dollars) for the release of Atyani and his team.
Meantime, Malacanang said the government will continue to impose a news blackout in efforts to save the remaining hostages of the ASG. “Any sensitive operation would require government not to disclose to the public for operational reasons and I’m sure the public would sympathize with why we do not disclose sensitive operations,” said Lacierda.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=&sid=&nid=&rid=494099
Aquino names AFP vice chief of staff, OCD chief
From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 4): Aquino names AFP vice chief of staff,
OCD chief
President Benigno Aquino III has appointed a new vice chief of staff of the Armed Forces as well as an acting administrator of the Office of Civil Defense.
Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte, in a text message Monday, said: "We are pleased to announce that President Aquino has approved the designation of Lt. Gen. Alan R. Luga as AFP as vice chief of staff, effective Feb 1, 2013."
Luga is a former commander of the Army's 7th Infantry Division and worked as a plans officer of the Force Headquarters of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in East Timor.
Meanwhile, Valte said the President has also appointed Eduardo del Rosario as OCD Acting Administrator, also effective Feb. 1. She said Del Rosario will also take over as executive director of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
Del Rosario replaces Benito T. Ramos, who earlier resigned from his post. He is the former commander of the 2nd Infantry Division and former head of the Civil Relations Service of the AFP.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=&sid=&nid=&rid=494117
President Benigno Aquino III has appointed a new vice chief of staff of the Armed Forces as well as an acting administrator of the Office of Civil Defense.
Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte, in a text message Monday, said: "We are pleased to announce that President Aquino has approved the designation of Lt. Gen. Alan R. Luga as AFP as vice chief of staff, effective Feb 1, 2013."
Luga is a former commander of the Army's 7th Infantry Division and worked as a plans officer of the Force Headquarters of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in East Timor.
Meanwhile, Valte said the President has also appointed Eduardo del Rosario as OCD Acting Administrator, also effective Feb. 1. She said Del Rosario will also take over as executive director of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
Del Rosario replaces Benito T. Ramos, who earlier resigned from his post. He is the former commander of the 2nd Infantry Division and former head of the Civil Relations Service of the AFP.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=&sid=&nid=&rid=494117
Senate passes bill strengthening AMLA law
From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 4): Senate passes bill strengthening AMLA
law
The Senate unanimously passed Monday night a bill seeking to further strengthen the Anti-Money Laundering Law by expanding the list of unlawful activities and predicate crimes to include terrorism and conspiracy to commit to terrorism, bribery, malversation of public funds, forgery and counterfeiting and tax evasion.
Voting 15-0 with no abstention, the Senate approved the Senate Bill 3123 on second and third reading after President Benigno Aquino III certified it as urgent, effectively fast-tracking its enactment.
During the period of amendments, Sen. Joker Arroyo was able to convince Sen. Teofisto Guingona III, the bill's sponsor, to delete the retention of “25 percent” of the forfeited assets to the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC).
Arroyo also inserted an amendment which reads: “both the penalty of imprisonment ranging from 4 to 7 years and a fine corresponding to not more than 200 percent of the value of the monetary instrument or property laundered shall be imposed upon the covered persons, directors, officers or personnel who knowingly participated in the commission of the crime of money laundering.”
Last Wednesday, the Senate excluded real-estate brokers and agents from those covered by the AMLA but retained persons who buy and sell real estate with the proviso that transaction involves “at least P25 million.”
The Senate also amended last week the inclusion of casinos and internet gaming among the bill covered institutions, providing reporting “shall only arise when there is knowledge or suspicion of money laundering.”
Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago, who is on sick leave, sent written amendments but Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile rejected the lady senator’s proposals “because she did not respond to the roll call.”
Other persons covered by the AMLA amendments include: foreign exchange dealers and money changers, remittance agents, dealers of precious metals and persons managing of client money and securities.
The Senate named Senators Guingona, Sergio Osmena III, Francis ‘Kiko’ Panglinan, Franklin Drilon, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Antonio Trillanes IV, Pia Cayetano, Ralph Recto, Manny Villar, Ramon Revilla Jr. and Joker Arroyo as representatives to the bicameral conference committee. The bicam meeting is set at 1pm on Tuesday at the Philippine Senate.
Senate Bill 3123 is one of the three proposed AMLA amendments being pushed to spare the country from being blacklisted by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). The Senate has already passed SBs 3127 and 3009 which recently signed by President Aquino into law.
SB 3127 or the Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act seeks to allow authorities to freeze terrorist funds and punish any person who assisted in acts of terrorism. On the other hand, SB 3009 seeks to allow the AMLC to inquire into bank deposits based on an ex-parte application and allow courts other than the Court of Appeals to issue freeze orders.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=&sid=&nid=&rid=494161
The Senate unanimously passed Monday night a bill seeking to further strengthen the Anti-Money Laundering Law by expanding the list of unlawful activities and predicate crimes to include terrorism and conspiracy to commit to terrorism, bribery, malversation of public funds, forgery and counterfeiting and tax evasion.
Voting 15-0 with no abstention, the Senate approved the Senate Bill 3123 on second and third reading after President Benigno Aquino III certified it as urgent, effectively fast-tracking its enactment.
During the period of amendments, Sen. Joker Arroyo was able to convince Sen. Teofisto Guingona III, the bill's sponsor, to delete the retention of “25 percent” of the forfeited assets to the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC).
Arroyo also inserted an amendment which reads: “both the penalty of imprisonment ranging from 4 to 7 years and a fine corresponding to not more than 200 percent of the value of the monetary instrument or property laundered shall be imposed upon the covered persons, directors, officers or personnel who knowingly participated in the commission of the crime of money laundering.”
Last Wednesday, the Senate excluded real-estate brokers and agents from those covered by the AMLA but retained persons who buy and sell real estate with the proviso that transaction involves “at least P25 million.”
The Senate also amended last week the inclusion of casinos and internet gaming among the bill covered institutions, providing reporting “shall only arise when there is knowledge or suspicion of money laundering.”
Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago, who is on sick leave, sent written amendments but Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile rejected the lady senator’s proposals “because she did not respond to the roll call.”
Other persons covered by the AMLA amendments include: foreign exchange dealers and money changers, remittance agents, dealers of precious metals and persons managing of client money and securities.
The Senate named Senators Guingona, Sergio Osmena III, Francis ‘Kiko’ Panglinan, Franklin Drilon, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Antonio Trillanes IV, Pia Cayetano, Ralph Recto, Manny Villar, Ramon Revilla Jr. and Joker Arroyo as representatives to the bicameral conference committee. The bicam meeting is set at 1pm on Tuesday at the Philippine Senate.
Senate Bill 3123 is one of the three proposed AMLA amendments being pushed to spare the country from being blacklisted by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). The Senate has already passed SBs 3127 and 3009 which recently signed by President Aquino into law.
SB 3127 or the Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act seeks to allow authorities to freeze terrorist funds and punish any person who assisted in acts of terrorism. On the other hand, SB 3009 seeks to allow the AMLC to inquire into bank deposits based on an ex-parte application and allow courts other than the Court of Appeals to issue freeze orders.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=&sid=&nid=&rid=494161
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