From the Manila Bulletin (Mar 24): Poe: Revive Talks With Communists
An administration senatorial bet has urged the Communist Party of the Philippines-National Democratic Front (CPP-NDF) to return to the peace negotiating table with the government to help ensure the peaceful conduct of elections in May.
Team PNoy senatorial bet Grace Poe aired the call as the New People’s Army (NPA), the paramilitary group of the local communist organization, continued to sow terror in the countryside.
The communists are being blamed for the death of over a dozen soldiers and civilians in ambushes staged by NPA guerrillas.
Poe said the resumption of peace talks could spell an orderly and peaceful election in the country but the two parties appeared adamant at returning to the negotiating table.
Government chief negotiator Alexander Padilla admitted that the talks have bogged down as he expressed exasperation over the seeming lack of sincerity of the CPP-NPA to discuss peace at this time.
“I don’t think we should waste our time (negotiating with the CPP-NDF). They always find ways and means to look for an issue,” Padilla said last week.
A proposed meeting between President Benigno Aquino III and CPP founding chairman Jose Ma. Sison was also not expected to take place anytime soon.
NDF chief negotiator Luis Jalandoni chided government for alleged “duplicity”.
Poe said continued hostilities between the military and the CPP-NDF-NPA have threatened hopes for an orderly election.
She said that rather than focusing on maintaining peace and order until election day, police and military forces have to channel men and logistics to guarding “soft targets” as a long-term ceasefire remains elusive.
“A truce can be agreed upon by both sides once both sides decide to come forward to resume discussions. A more permanent cessation of hostilities can be counted upon once the peace talks gets underway once more,” Poe stated.
“As of now, either side can declare a unilateral ceasefire which is tenuous at best as there is no guarantee that the other party will steer away from an armed clash,” she explained.
Attacks allegedly staged by NPA terrorists have scared away candidates from conducting campaigns in the countryside.
http://www.mb.com.ph/article.php?aid=4823&sid=1&subid=5
Sunday, March 24, 2013
US Navy Vessel Visit Set
From the Manila Bulletin (Mar 24): US Navy Vessel Visit Set
CEBU CITY, Cebu – Submarine tender USS Frank Cable is set to dock in the port of Cebu in the next few days for routine maintenance and various community assistance and outreach activities.
According to USS Frank Cable Command Master Chief Roger Schneider, this port visit will give the vessel’s crew the opportunity to act as goodwill ambassadors as they interact with local communities while out on liberty and participating in community engagements.
USS Frank Cable (AS-40) is the second Emory S. Land-class submarine tender built by the Lockheed Shipbuilding and Construction Company of Seattle, Washington for the United States Navy.
The United States Embassy in Manila said two other vessels, the submarine USS Ohio and the destroyer USS Decatur arrived the other day in Luzon. The USS Ohio docked in Subic, and USS Decatur in Manila; both vessels, similarly are in the country for routine maintenance, replenishment of supplies, rest and recreation, and community assistance and outreach activities.
The nearly 650-feet long USS Frank Cable has a crew of 1,500 and serves as the US 7th Fleet’s mobile repair and support platform.
http://www.mb.com.ph/article.php?aid=4782&sid=1&subid=5
CEBU CITY, Cebu – Submarine tender USS Frank Cable is set to dock in the port of Cebu in the next few days for routine maintenance and various community assistance and outreach activities.
According to USS Frank Cable Command Master Chief Roger Schneider, this port visit will give the vessel’s crew the opportunity to act as goodwill ambassadors as they interact with local communities while out on liberty and participating in community engagements.
USS Frank Cable (AS-40) is the second Emory S. Land-class submarine tender built by the Lockheed Shipbuilding and Construction Company of Seattle, Washington for the United States Navy.
The United States Embassy in Manila said two other vessels, the submarine USS Ohio and the destroyer USS Decatur arrived the other day in Luzon. The USS Ohio docked in Subic, and USS Decatur in Manila; both vessels, similarly are in the country for routine maintenance, replenishment of supplies, rest and recreation, and community assistance and outreach activities.
The nearly 650-feet long USS Frank Cable has a crew of 1,500 and serves as the US 7th Fleet’s mobile repair and support platform.
http://www.mb.com.ph/article.php?aid=4782&sid=1&subid=5
NPA set to free prisoner in Mindanao
From the Manila Times (Mar 24): NPA set to free prisoner in Mindanao
The New People’s Army (NPA) on Sunday announced that it would free a policeman being held as a prisoner following appeals by his family and peace advocates in Mindanao to release him.
Rebels captured Police Officer 3 Ruben Magno Nojapa, Jr., on March 18 at a checkpoint in Compostela Valley’s Nabunturan town. His companion, Senior Police Officer 2 Randy Masambo managed to escape.
The National Democratic Front, the political wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, has ordered the NPA to free the policeman.
The order came on the same day that fighting broke out in Malaybalay City in Bukidnon province that left one rebel dead.
Major Eugenio Osias, a spokesman for the 4th Infantry Division, said troops clashed with about 15 NPA gunmen in Dalwangan village. Troops were patrolling the area when they ran into a group of rebels.
“The release decision was based on purely humanitarian grounds in the wake of the appeal made by Nojapa’s family and peace advocates that have expressed support for a negotiated settlement within the bounds of international humanitarian law,” Rubi del Mundo, a spokesperson for the NPA, said.
Del Mundo said that the policeman was also investigated by a rebel court which found no reason to detain him any longer.
“After Nojapa’s capture, he was investigated by the responsible organ of the NPA custodial force and no sufficient evidence was established to warrant his prosecution for serious crimes committed against the Filipino people and the revolutionary movement,” Del Mundo said.
“The prisoner’s order of release is an exercise of the political power and authority of the People’s Democratic Government. It is in compliance with the NDFP’s long-standing policy of lenient treatment of prisoners of war and its Declaration of Undertaking to Apply the Provisions of the 1949 Geneva Conventions and Protocol I and the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law,” he noted.
Del Mundo also urged the Philippine military to cease its military offensive in Compostela Valley to pave the way for the safe and orderly release of Nojapa.
The NPA has been fighting for decades for the establishment of a Maoist state in the country.
http://www.manilatimes.net/index.php/news/regions/44195-npa-set-to-free-prisoner-in-mindanao
The New People’s Army (NPA) on Sunday announced that it would free a policeman being held as a prisoner following appeals by his family and peace advocates in Mindanao to release him.
Rebels captured Police Officer 3 Ruben Magno Nojapa, Jr., on March 18 at a checkpoint in Compostela Valley’s Nabunturan town. His companion, Senior Police Officer 2 Randy Masambo managed to escape.
The National Democratic Front, the political wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, has ordered the NPA to free the policeman.
The order came on the same day that fighting broke out in Malaybalay City in Bukidnon province that left one rebel dead.
Major Eugenio Osias, a spokesman for the 4th Infantry Division, said troops clashed with about 15 NPA gunmen in Dalwangan village. Troops were patrolling the area when they ran into a group of rebels.
“The release decision was based on purely humanitarian grounds in the wake of the appeal made by Nojapa’s family and peace advocates that have expressed support for a negotiated settlement within the bounds of international humanitarian law,” Rubi del Mundo, a spokesperson for the NPA, said.
Del Mundo said that the policeman was also investigated by a rebel court which found no reason to detain him any longer.
“After Nojapa’s capture, he was investigated by the responsible organ of the NPA custodial force and no sufficient evidence was established to warrant his prosecution for serious crimes committed against the Filipino people and the revolutionary movement,” Del Mundo said.
“The prisoner’s order of release is an exercise of the political power and authority of the People’s Democratic Government. It is in compliance with the NDFP’s long-standing policy of lenient treatment of prisoners of war and its Declaration of Undertaking to Apply the Provisions of the 1949 Geneva Conventions and Protocol I and the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law,” he noted.
Del Mundo also urged the Philippine military to cease its military offensive in Compostela Valley to pave the way for the safe and orderly release of Nojapa.
The NPA has been fighting for decades for the establishment of a Maoist state in the country.
http://www.manilatimes.net/index.php/news/regions/44195-npa-set-to-free-prisoner-in-mindanao
Malaysian police name captured ‘royal army’ commander
From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Mar 24): Malaysian police name captured ‘royal army’
commander
The Malaysian police on Sunday released the identity of the Sulu “royal army” commander, who was captured in Semporna district on Saturday, amid speculations in Sabah he could be Agbimuddin Kiram.
Malaysian police deputy chief Khalid Abu Bakar told a Sabah-based radio station that the arrested commander was Amirbahar Hushin Kiram, 50.
Amirbahar was arrested with his wife, Gina Teves, 47, at a marshy area in Kampung Sri Melor Bugaya around 1:30 a.m. Saturday following a tip-off, Khalid said.
He said seized from the couple were various items such as mobile phones, a money transfer card, cash amounting to over RM3,000 and various documents.
But Khalid would still not name the two other suspects, who were earlier arrested, except for saying one of them was the son of a former Tanduo village chief, who has Filipino ancestry.
He said the arrested suspects would be charged with terrorism and rebellion, or abetting these two acts, before the courts.
Khalid also said the latest arrests had brought to 408 the number of people taken into police custody under Operasi Daulat and over 100 of them were being directly linked to the Feb. 9 Sabah intrusion by the “royal army.”
Since Ops Daulat was launched on March 5, Malaysian security officials said 63 suspected Sulu gunmen had already been killed while the Malaysian side suffered 10 deaths – eight of them policemen.
Out of the number of slain gunmen, Khalid said 38 bodies had been retrieved.
For more than a week now, the Sulu gunmen had not launched any attack against Malaysian security forces on Sabah and the recent skirmishes were prompted by Malaysian ground operation.
Khalid said the main reason was that the “Sulu terrorists” had become leaderless with the arrest of Amirbahar, the death of Commander Musa more than two weeks ago, and when Agbimuddin fled to the Philippines.
But Agbimuddin’s son-in-law, Danilo Datu Abdullah Virtudazo told the Philippine Daily Inquirer in Cagayan de Oro City that the Sulu “royal army” – or what remains of it – was in defensive stance in deference to a ceasefire declared by Sultan Jamalul Kiram III based on a recent letter of appeal from UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.
“The sultanate respected the call for ceasefire but Malaysia did not,” Virtudazo, who is married to Agbimuddin’s fourth daughter, Dayang Mura Napsa, said.
For Malaysian Defense Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, the lack of aggressiveness on the side of Agbimuddin’s men might have been brought about by the fact that their number had been greatly reduced with the high death toll and arrests, their being leaderless, or because they had feared about not getting paid anymore.
“We received similar feedback from the Philippine government that the armed men were paid to carry out the attacks in Sabah,” Ahmad was quoted by state-run Radio 24 as saying on Saturday.
Malaysian Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said his agency was working closely with Philippine intelligence agencies, such as the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (Nica), in gathering facts behind the Sabah intrusion.
As Malaysia continues to clamp down on the “royal army,” a descendant of the Sulu royal house – Prof. Rita Tuban of the state-run University of Southeastern Philippines in Davao City – urged Sulu royals to retry the diplomatic way of settling the Sabah claim.
Tuban traces her ancestry from Sultan Jamalul Kiram I (reigned 1823-1842) and is known among Tausugs as Princess Jamala-Rah II.
She said a meeting among Sulu royals should be facilitated by the government so that any peaceful solution agreed would be acceptable to all.
“I think it should be the government to call all the members of the sultanate, just to represent the houses, to unite them in whatever decision they will arrived at on the Sabah claim,” she said.
Prof. Julkipli Wadi of the University of the Philippines had also said during a forum on the Sabah issue, which was organized by Universiti Malaya, on Friday was quoted by state-run media Berita Nasional Malaysia as saying that Malaysia and the Philippines should find ways to immediately resolve the Sabah issue as it could create a larger problem, especially if a third party steps in.
Also speaking during the same forum, Romel Bagares, director of the Manila-based Center for International Law (CenterLaw), warned that the Sabah crisis will eventually have “adverse impacts on security…of the Asean region as a whole.”
“If it escalates, it will not be a Malaysia-Philippines issue anymore. It will cause power imbalance and instability in the region. This is something Asean does not want to happen,” Bagares was quoted as saying.
Prof. Mohamad Abu Bakar, head of the International and Strategic Studies at Universiti Malaya, said in settling the issues, Malaysia and the Philippines should also involve the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and the heirs of the sultanate of Sulu.
Malacañang has made it clear that the Philippine government will bring the country’s Sabah claim before an international arbiter if evidence could support claims the disputed territory indeed belongs to the Philippines.
Malaysian historian Dr. Khoo Kay Kim said this was welcome development but said he was optimistic that “Malaysia would win the case, based on historical records and evidence which clearly showed that Sabah belonged to Malaysia.”
“All records are in our favor,” Bernama quoted him as saying.
But Malaysian historian Dr. Ranjit Singh, a professor emeritus at the Universiti Utara Malaysia, disagreed on the idea to involve the ICJ over the Sabah issue saying there was no need for Malaysia to argue its case before the international court.
“Apart from historical facts, the Sulu Sultanate and the Philippines had in fact lost their sovereignty rights of Sabah to Malaysia based on the principle of effectivity,” Bernama quoted him as saying.
He said the sultanate has not ruled over Sabah since 1878 until its demise. The Philippines has no basis to claim the territory either because it was never a Sabah administrator.
“If you don’t do anything to it, don’t administer it, don’t pass any law (in that area), you lost that title,” he said, citing the ICJ ruling that favored Singapore on the issue of ownership of Pulau Batu Puteh.
He said the ICJ decided in favor of Singapore even if Malaysia presented a title for the area “because (Malaysia) had never administered or was present physically on the island.”
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/70091/malaysian-police-name-captured-royal-army-commander
The Malaysian police on Sunday released the identity of the Sulu “royal army” commander, who was captured in Semporna district on Saturday, amid speculations in Sabah he could be Agbimuddin Kiram.
Malaysian police deputy chief Khalid Abu Bakar told a Sabah-based radio station that the arrested commander was Amirbahar Hushin Kiram, 50.
Amirbahar was arrested with his wife, Gina Teves, 47, at a marshy area in Kampung Sri Melor Bugaya around 1:30 a.m. Saturday following a tip-off, Khalid said.
He said seized from the couple were various items such as mobile phones, a money transfer card, cash amounting to over RM3,000 and various documents.
But Khalid would still not name the two other suspects, who were earlier arrested, except for saying one of them was the son of a former Tanduo village chief, who has Filipino ancestry.
He said the arrested suspects would be charged with terrorism and rebellion, or abetting these two acts, before the courts.
Khalid also said the latest arrests had brought to 408 the number of people taken into police custody under Operasi Daulat and over 100 of them were being directly linked to the Feb. 9 Sabah intrusion by the “royal army.”
Since Ops Daulat was launched on March 5, Malaysian security officials said 63 suspected Sulu gunmen had already been killed while the Malaysian side suffered 10 deaths – eight of them policemen.
Out of the number of slain gunmen, Khalid said 38 bodies had been retrieved.
For more than a week now, the Sulu gunmen had not launched any attack against Malaysian security forces on Sabah and the recent skirmishes were prompted by Malaysian ground operation.
Khalid said the main reason was that the “Sulu terrorists” had become leaderless with the arrest of Amirbahar, the death of Commander Musa more than two weeks ago, and when Agbimuddin fled to the Philippines.
But Agbimuddin’s son-in-law, Danilo Datu Abdullah Virtudazo told the Philippine Daily Inquirer in Cagayan de Oro City that the Sulu “royal army” – or what remains of it – was in defensive stance in deference to a ceasefire declared by Sultan Jamalul Kiram III based on a recent letter of appeal from UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.
“The sultanate respected the call for ceasefire but Malaysia did not,” Virtudazo, who is married to Agbimuddin’s fourth daughter, Dayang Mura Napsa, said.
For Malaysian Defense Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, the lack of aggressiveness on the side of Agbimuddin’s men might have been brought about by the fact that their number had been greatly reduced with the high death toll and arrests, their being leaderless, or because they had feared about not getting paid anymore.
“We received similar feedback from the Philippine government that the armed men were paid to carry out the attacks in Sabah,” Ahmad was quoted by state-run Radio 24 as saying on Saturday.
Malaysian Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said his agency was working closely with Philippine intelligence agencies, such as the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (Nica), in gathering facts behind the Sabah intrusion.
As Malaysia continues to clamp down on the “royal army,” a descendant of the Sulu royal house – Prof. Rita Tuban of the state-run University of Southeastern Philippines in Davao City – urged Sulu royals to retry the diplomatic way of settling the Sabah claim.
Tuban traces her ancestry from Sultan Jamalul Kiram I (reigned 1823-1842) and is known among Tausugs as Princess Jamala-Rah II.
She said a meeting among Sulu royals should be facilitated by the government so that any peaceful solution agreed would be acceptable to all.
“I think it should be the government to call all the members of the sultanate, just to represent the houses, to unite them in whatever decision they will arrived at on the Sabah claim,” she said.
Prof. Julkipli Wadi of the University of the Philippines had also said during a forum on the Sabah issue, which was organized by Universiti Malaya, on Friday was quoted by state-run media Berita Nasional Malaysia as saying that Malaysia and the Philippines should find ways to immediately resolve the Sabah issue as it could create a larger problem, especially if a third party steps in.
Also speaking during the same forum, Romel Bagares, director of the Manila-based Center for International Law (CenterLaw), warned that the Sabah crisis will eventually have “adverse impacts on security…of the Asean region as a whole.”
“If it escalates, it will not be a Malaysia-Philippines issue anymore. It will cause power imbalance and instability in the region. This is something Asean does not want to happen,” Bagares was quoted as saying.
Prof. Mohamad Abu Bakar, head of the International and Strategic Studies at Universiti Malaya, said in settling the issues, Malaysia and the Philippines should also involve the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and the heirs of the sultanate of Sulu.
Malacañang has made it clear that the Philippine government will bring the country’s Sabah claim before an international arbiter if evidence could support claims the disputed territory indeed belongs to the Philippines.
Malaysian historian Dr. Khoo Kay Kim said this was welcome development but said he was optimistic that “Malaysia would win the case, based on historical records and evidence which clearly showed that Sabah belonged to Malaysia.”
“All records are in our favor,” Bernama quoted him as saying.
But Malaysian historian Dr. Ranjit Singh, a professor emeritus at the Universiti Utara Malaysia, disagreed on the idea to involve the ICJ over the Sabah issue saying there was no need for Malaysia to argue its case before the international court.
“Apart from historical facts, the Sulu Sultanate and the Philippines had in fact lost their sovereignty rights of Sabah to Malaysia based on the principle of effectivity,” Bernama quoted him as saying.
He said the sultanate has not ruled over Sabah since 1878 until its demise. The Philippines has no basis to claim the territory either because it was never a Sabah administrator.
“If you don’t do anything to it, don’t administer it, don’t pass any law (in that area), you lost that title,” he said, citing the ICJ ruling that favored Singapore on the issue of ownership of Pulau Batu Puteh.
He said the ICJ decided in favor of Singapore even if Malaysia presented a title for the area “because (Malaysia) had never administered or was present physically on the island.”
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/70091/malaysian-police-name-captured-royal-army-commander
4 dead, 2 hurt as Sulu ‘royal’ troops, Malaysian forces clash anew
From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Mar 24): 4 dead, 2 hurt as Sulu ‘royal’ troops, Malaysian forces clash anew
Four people, including two children, died while a Malaysian soldier and another boy were hurt as Malaysian security forces and members of the ill-equipped Sulu “royal army” clashed anew in Tanjung Batu in Lahad Datu Sunday, the Malaysian military reported.
Malaysian Armed Forces Chief General Zulkifeli Zin said in a news conference, reported on by a Sabah-based radio station, that the injured boy had been airlifted to a hospital and the bodies of the four people with Filipino ancestry had been sent to a morgue.
He said Malaysian security forces had entered a house in Tanjung Batu around 9:15 a.m. as they tailed “two terrorists” but they were fired instead, prompting them to retaliate.
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/70125/4-dead-2-hurt-as-sulu-royal-troops-malaysian-forces-clash-anew
Four people, including two children, died while a Malaysian soldier and another boy were hurt as Malaysian security forces and members of the ill-equipped Sulu “royal army” clashed anew in Tanjung Batu in Lahad Datu Sunday, the Malaysian military reported.
Malaysian Armed Forces Chief General Zulkifeli Zin said in a news conference, reported on by a Sabah-based radio station, that the injured boy had been airlifted to a hospital and the bodies of the four people with Filipino ancestry had been sent to a morgue.
He said Malaysian security forces had entered a house in Tanjung Batu around 9:15 a.m. as they tailed “two terrorists” but they were fired instead, prompting them to retaliate.
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/70125/4-dead-2-hurt-as-sulu-royal-troops-malaysian-forces-clash-anew
Phl leading probe on stuck USS Guardian off Sulu Sea: official
From the Philippine Star (Mar 24): Phl
leading probe on stuck USS Guardian off Sulu Sea: official
The Philippine government is leading the investigation into the grounded Navy ship of the United States in Tubbataha reef off Sulu Sea, a senior government official insisted today.
Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte made the statement contrary to the accusation of some people that the United States is the one leading the probe on the stuck USS Guardian in the world heritage site.
"Apparently, the Maritime Casualty Investigation Team that is being led by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) is conducting an independent investigation on the grounding of the USS Guardian," she said in an interview over a state-run radio station.
She clarified that the invitation to Filipino officials by the United States to visit the Joint US Military Assistance Group (JUSMAG) headquarters in Japan was just part of the ongoing investigation, adding that the PCG-led investigation team is separate from the US probe.
Dismantling operations have been ongoing to remove the US minesweeper, which has been stranded in the reef since it ran aground on Jan. 17 while enroute to its next port call in the Philippines. Authorities were hoping to complete the extrication of the vessel by April.
http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2013/03/23/923333/phl-leading-probe-stuck-uss-guardian-sulu-sea-official
The Philippine government is leading the investigation into the grounded Navy ship of the United States in Tubbataha reef off Sulu Sea, a senior government official insisted today.
Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte made the statement contrary to the accusation of some people that the United States is the one leading the probe on the stuck USS Guardian in the world heritage site.
"Apparently, the Maritime Casualty Investigation Team that is being led by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) is conducting an independent investigation on the grounding of the USS Guardian," she said in an interview over a state-run radio station.
She clarified that the invitation to Filipino officials by the United States to visit the Joint US Military Assistance Group (JUSMAG) headquarters in Japan was just part of the ongoing investigation, adding that the PCG-led investigation team is separate from the US probe.
Dismantling operations have been ongoing to remove the US minesweeper, which has been stranded in the reef since it ran aground on Jan. 17 while enroute to its next port call in the Philippines. Authorities were hoping to complete the extrication of the vessel by April.
http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2013/03/23/923333/phl-leading-probe-stuck-uss-guardian-sulu-sea-official
As talks with MILF resume in KL Monday, PH govt sees no fallout from Sabah crisis
From InterAksyon (Mar 23): As talks with MILF resume in KL Monday, PH govt sees no fallout from Sabah crisis
Efforts to find a lasting solution to the Mindanao problem resume Monday as government and Moro Islamic Liberation Front peace negotiators meet anew for the 37th exploratory talks in Kuala Lumpur.
Mohaqher Iqbal, chief MILF negotiator, said next week's exploratory talks will dwell more on the annexes on power-wealth sharing and normalization, two of the remaining vital issues.
"I hope we can agree on these issues during our next meeting," Iqbal said in a phone interview.
Iqbal, who heads the Transition Commission created by the President to draft the Bangsamoro Basic Law, is optimistic Monday's meeting will not be disturbed by the conflict in Sabah.
Iqbal refused to comment on the matter, claiming silence would be the best MILF could do in the current situation.
During the 36th exploratory talks, also in Malaysia, both the government and MILF peace negotiators signed one of the four annexes, the transitional arrangements and modalities or TAM.
As the Sabah issue intensified last month, government chief negotiator Prof. Miriam Coronel-Ferrer said she was very optimistic the peace deal will be signed next month.
Iqbal said the power and wealth sharing has been agreed upon but the signing is yet to take place.
After the signing, the Transition Commission is expected to convene immediately to draft the proposed basic law.
The draft will then be forwarded to Congress for approval and once signed by the President it will sent to the people for ratification.
It will replace the current Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao where most of the Bangsamoro people reside.
ARMM is composed of the provinces of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi and the cities of Marawi and Lamitan.
Simultaneous with the resumption of the peace talks, peace rallies will be spearheaded by the Mindanao peace advocates groups in Cotabato City, Marawi City and Pikit in North Cotabato.
http://www.interaksyon.com/article/57787/as-talks-with-milf-resume-in-kl-monday-ph-govt-sees-no-fallout-from-sabah-crisis
Efforts to find a lasting solution to the Mindanao problem resume Monday as government and Moro Islamic Liberation Front peace negotiators meet anew for the 37th exploratory talks in Kuala Lumpur.
Mohaqher Iqbal, chief MILF negotiator, said next week's exploratory talks will dwell more on the annexes on power-wealth sharing and normalization, two of the remaining vital issues.
"I hope we can agree on these issues during our next meeting," Iqbal said in a phone interview.
Iqbal, who heads the Transition Commission created by the President to draft the Bangsamoro Basic Law, is optimistic Monday's meeting will not be disturbed by the conflict in Sabah.
Iqbal refused to comment on the matter, claiming silence would be the best MILF could do in the current situation.
During the 36th exploratory talks, also in Malaysia, both the government and MILF peace negotiators signed one of the four annexes, the transitional arrangements and modalities or TAM.
As the Sabah issue intensified last month, government chief negotiator Prof. Miriam Coronel-Ferrer said she was very optimistic the peace deal will be signed next month.
Iqbal said the power and wealth sharing has been agreed upon but the signing is yet to take place.
After the signing, the Transition Commission is expected to convene immediately to draft the proposed basic law.
The draft will then be forwarded to Congress for approval and once signed by the President it will sent to the people for ratification.
It will replace the current Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao where most of the Bangsamoro people reside.
ARMM is composed of the provinces of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi and the cities of Marawi and Lamitan.
Simultaneous with the resumption of the peace talks, peace rallies will be spearheaded by the Mindanao peace advocates groups in Cotabato City, Marawi City and Pikit in North Cotabato.
http://www.interaksyon.com/article/57787/as-talks-with-milf-resume-in-kl-monday-ph-govt-sees-no-fallout-from-sabah-crisis
Over 3,000 soldiers hunt down Abu Sayyaf in Basilan
From InterAksyon (Mar 24): Over 3,000 soldiers hunt down Abu Sayyaf in Basilan
At least six battalions are now deployed to hunt down some 200 Abu Sayyaf bandits to neutralize the “remnants” of the group that has plagued Basilan province for a long time and prevented vital infrastructure from being completed.
The doubling of the military hunters was revealed a day after a former Australian soldier was released by the Abu Sayyaf, reportedly in exchange for some P7 million in ransom.
The 3,000 soldiers now in the island province represent a doubling of the force deployed last year. “At present, we’ve six battalions in Basilan from only three battalions last year. So we’ve already a hundred percent increase of troops there,” Maj. Gen. Ricardo Rainier Cruz, commander of the 1st Infantry Division, said Sunday.
Some of the battalions were from elite military units: the Special Forces (SF) and Scout Rangers.
Besides the goal to “neutralize” the Abu Sayyaf remnants in Basilan, the government, Cruz explained, also wants to “finish the construction of the Basilan circumferential road network,” a vital infrastructure for the island province.
Work on the Basilan circumferential road had been repeatedly disrupted by lawless groups, including the Abu Sayyaf. There were reports that some American servicemen in Mindanao who were involved in the construction were among the casualties of attacks.
The AFP operations against the Abu Sayyaf temporarily gave way to the release of Warren Rodwell, 54, who was recovered Saturday at the port area in Pagadian City amid reports of ransom having been given to the ASG---a matter that Cruz claims they have no knowledge of.
Rodwell, a former soldier now married to a Filipino, was abducted by armed men on December 5, 2011 in Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay.
http://www.interaksyon.com/article/57845/over-3000-soldiers-hunt-down-abu-sayyaf-in-basilan
At least six battalions are now deployed to hunt down some 200 Abu Sayyaf bandits to neutralize the “remnants” of the group that has plagued Basilan province for a long time and prevented vital infrastructure from being completed.
The doubling of the military hunters was revealed a day after a former Australian soldier was released by the Abu Sayyaf, reportedly in exchange for some P7 million in ransom.
The 3,000 soldiers now in the island province represent a doubling of the force deployed last year. “At present, we’ve six battalions in Basilan from only three battalions last year. So we’ve already a hundred percent increase of troops there,” Maj. Gen. Ricardo Rainier Cruz, commander of the 1st Infantry Division, said Sunday.
Some of the battalions were from elite military units: the Special Forces (SF) and Scout Rangers.
Besides the goal to “neutralize” the Abu Sayyaf remnants in Basilan, the government, Cruz explained, also wants to “finish the construction of the Basilan circumferential road network,” a vital infrastructure for the island province.
Work on the Basilan circumferential road had been repeatedly disrupted by lawless groups, including the Abu Sayyaf. There were reports that some American servicemen in Mindanao who were involved in the construction were among the casualties of attacks.
The AFP operations against the Abu Sayyaf temporarily gave way to the release of Warren Rodwell, 54, who was recovered Saturday at the port area in Pagadian City amid reports of ransom having been given to the ASG---a matter that Cruz claims they have no knowledge of.
Rodwell, a former soldier now married to a Filipino, was abducted by armed men on December 5, 2011 in Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay.
http://www.interaksyon.com/article/57845/over-3000-soldiers-hunt-down-abu-sayyaf-in-basilan
No Holy Week break for demolition team of grounded US minesweeper
From InterAksyon (Mar 24): No Holy Week break for demolition team of grounded US minesweeper
The salvage team of the Jascon-25 will work throughout the Holy Week as it races to finish, by mid-April, the job of dismantling the USS Guardian (MCM5), the US Navy minesweeper grounded since January at the Tubbataha Reef in the Sulu Sea in Palawan.
Commodore Enrico Efren Evangelista, commander of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Palawan district, said the April 15 timeframe includes a cleanup.
The final cutting of the boat’s parts is expected to be finished on March 26; and this will be followed by the lifting of the parts.
The Coast Guard spokesman, Commander Armand Balilo, said the salvage team will start the cutting on Tuesday.
“It seems they will not go for a Holy Week break. They do not want any more delays except if bad weather comes again. We need six more consecutive days without weather disturbance to completely finish the cutting and then followed by hauling,” he said.
The salvage team, he said, is very precise in their moves so as not to cause further damage to the reef, one of the world’s richest marine biodiversity sites and listed a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Nearly 5,000 square meters of the reef were damaged when the minesweeper hit it. Further attempts to extricate the boat as is failed, and only resulted in making it plow further inward into the reef, owing to strong waves.
“Actually, the salvage operation is very satisfactory. They’re so precise and very orderly. Debris floating on the water is immediately removed and placed inside a container van. They have a high consideration for safety of the team and prevention of further damage to the reef,” he said.
Last week, militant groups slammed an invitation by the US government for Philippine authorities to participate in an investigation they are making into why the warship landed on Tubbataha. Officers initially claimed they strayed into the reef because they were misled by faulty digital navigation equipment.
The militant groups said it’s the Philippine government that should investigate the illegal entry of the warship on prohibited maritime territory and the fact that the area is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The captain and crew of the warship defied warnings not to enter the reef that led to its grounding on January 17. The US Navy whisked its personnel to Sasebo, Japan, apparently to avoid arrest for violating maritime laws and legal responsibility in Philippine [article incomplete]
http://www.interaksyon.com/article/57855/no-holy-week-break-for-demolition-team-of-grounded-us-minesweeper
The salvage team of the Jascon-25 will work throughout the Holy Week as it races to finish, by mid-April, the job of dismantling the USS Guardian (MCM5), the US Navy minesweeper grounded since January at the Tubbataha Reef in the Sulu Sea in Palawan.
Commodore Enrico Efren Evangelista, commander of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Palawan district, said the April 15 timeframe includes a cleanup.
The final cutting of the boat’s parts is expected to be finished on March 26; and this will be followed by the lifting of the parts.
The Coast Guard spokesman, Commander Armand Balilo, said the salvage team will start the cutting on Tuesday.
“It seems they will not go for a Holy Week break. They do not want any more delays except if bad weather comes again. We need six more consecutive days without weather disturbance to completely finish the cutting and then followed by hauling,” he said.
The salvage team, he said, is very precise in their moves so as not to cause further damage to the reef, one of the world’s richest marine biodiversity sites and listed a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Nearly 5,000 square meters of the reef were damaged when the minesweeper hit it. Further attempts to extricate the boat as is failed, and only resulted in making it plow further inward into the reef, owing to strong waves.
“Actually, the salvage operation is very satisfactory. They’re so precise and very orderly. Debris floating on the water is immediately removed and placed inside a container van. They have a high consideration for safety of the team and prevention of further damage to the reef,” he said.
Last week, militant groups slammed an invitation by the US government for Philippine authorities to participate in an investigation they are making into why the warship landed on Tubbataha. Officers initially claimed they strayed into the reef because they were misled by faulty digital navigation equipment.
The militant groups said it’s the Philippine government that should investigate the illegal entry of the warship on prohibited maritime territory and the fact that the area is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The captain and crew of the warship defied warnings not to enter the reef that led to its grounding on January 17. The US Navy whisked its personnel to Sasebo, Japan, apparently to avoid arrest for violating maritime laws and legal responsibility in Philippine [article incomplete]
http://www.interaksyon.com/article/57855/no-holy-week-break-for-demolition-team-of-grounded-us-minesweeper
Palace: Kiram's commander to be given legal aid
From Rappler (Mar 24): Palace: Kiram's commander to be given legal aid
Malacañang said on Sunday, March 24 that it will extend legal assistance to one of Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III's commanders who was captured by Malaysian authorities in Lahad Datu,Sabah .
Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said the Palace will extend assistance to Datu Amir Bahar Hushin Kiram and his wife, both of whom were captured by Malaysian security forces on March 23. Amir Bahar and his wife were captured at 1:30 am in a swampy area in Kampung Sri Melor Bugaya, Semporna.
Malacañang said on Sunday, March 24 that it will extend legal assistance to one of Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III's commanders who was captured by Malaysian authorities in Lahad Datu,
Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said the Palace will extend assistance to Datu Amir Bahar Hushin Kiram and his wife, both of whom were captured by Malaysian security forces on March 23. Amir Bahar and his wife were captured at 1:30 am in a swampy area in Kampung Sri Melor Bugaya, Semporna.
"As the President
said, we would be extending assistance even if… It’s not dependent on whether
you believe in their cause or not but, the fact is, they will be facing charges
and we will be extending assistance," she said.
The New Straits Times
reported that Amir Bahar was arrested under the Security Offenses (Special
Measures) Act of 2012, which gives the police the special power to arrest
people who are suspected of committing acts of terrorism, espionage and sabotage.
Deputy Inspector-General
of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said in the same report that they have
arrested 416 people so far in connection with the Sabah
standoff. Malaysian police is hunting members of the Royal Army who went to Sabah in early February to stake their claim on the
Malaysian-controlled state.
Kiram III refused to
withdraw the Royal Security forces from Sabah
and also turned down the Palace's offer to shelve charges
against his men in exchange for their retreat.
The Department of
Justice will now file charges against 38 of Kiram III's alleged followers
for violating the election gun ban and Article 118 of the Revised Penal Code,
which prohibits inciting to war or giving motives for reprisals.
http://www.rappler.com/nation/24624-palace-kiram-commander-legal-aid-sabah
The men Rodwell leaves behind with the Abu Sayyaf
From Rappler (Mar 24): The men Rodwell leaves behind with the Abu Sayyaf
At numbers 3 and 4 are well-known European birdwatchers: 53 year old Dutch Ewold Horn and 48 year old Lorenzo Vinciguerra. They were bird-watching for 4 days on Tawi-Tawi when they were kidnapped by armed men on February 1, 2012. They were ultimately brought to the Abu Sayyaf in Jolo, Sulu. That same classified document says they were held captive by Radullan Sahiron in Bud-Bud, Talipao in Jolo.
Number 5 is Jordanian “Abdulla Atyani” – better known as Baker Atyani, a well-known journalist with Al-Arabiya who interviewed Osama bin Laden. He was kidnapped on June 12, 2012, along with two Filipino crew members. Intelligence officials said they were initially unsure whether he was a kidnap victim because they believed he was holding lectures for senior Abu Sayyaf leaders.
A classified Philippine intelligence document obtained by Rappler states Atyani coordinated not just with the Abu Sayyaf but also with Malaysian Jemaah Islamiyah member Amin Bacho (known as Abu Jihad). Over time, however, a relatively “public” fight between Amin Bacho and Radullan Sahiron over Atyani’s captivity pushed Bacho to leave Sahiron’s group.
When ABC Australia asked me if ransom had been paid for the release of
Australian Warren Rodwell, there was only one answer: yes. Despite the denials
of the Australian and Philippine governments, money changed hands or else he
wouldn’t have been freed by a group that has turned kidnap-for-ransom into a
cottage industry.
The ransom demand went as high as US$2 million, and when negotiations hit a snag, the kidnappers turned to technology. For the first time, proof-of-life video messages and photos were posted on YouTube and Facebook, the kidnappers’ clumsy attempt at crowdsourcing his ransom. The kidnappers' threat to kill him was also posted on Facebook. Interestingly, a small group of Australians also turned to Facebook to keep Rodwell’s plight in the public eye.
A little more than 15 months after Rodwell was kidnapped, military and police intelligence sources told Rappler the Abu Sayyaf and other armed men who held him hostage agreed to release him for P5 million or about US$125,000 on Thursday, March 21. However, his release was delayed until early Saturday morning because, the same sources said, most of the money expected by the kidnappers never reached them, apparently taken by conduits and middlemen.
After initially denying ransom was paid, Basilan Vice Governor Al Rasheed Sakalahul said he saw P4 million or about US$100,000 counted in front of Abu Sayyaf leader Puruji Indama and Roger Gutang, the brother of Rodwell’s wife. Sources say a total of P7 million was paid with only P4 million reaching the kidnappers.
Looking tired and emaciated, Rodwell is free, but as one intelligence official told me, “there’s a United Nations” left behind in Jolo, Sulu.
A classified intelligence document obtained by Rappler from a western nation showed that as of January 18 this year, the Abu Sayyaf held 11 hostages, 10 of them in Jolo. The 11th, Rodwell, was in Basilan.
By the time of Rodwell’s release a little more than 2 months later, there are 6 foreign hostages left - a Japanese, Swiss, Dutch, Jordanian and two Malaysians.
Left behind
Japanese Toshio Ito was kidnapped nearly 3 years ago fromPangutaran
Island United States
54 year old Warren Rodwell is second. Here’s a timeline of key events from the time he was kidnapped on December 5, 2011 until his release on Saturday, March 22, 2013. Rodwell's kidnappers were turned away from Jolo by Sahiron, a member of the Abu Sayyaf told me. Puruji Indama, who allegedly received the ransom, works with Nurhassan Jamiri for the overall leader of the Abu Sayyaf in Basilan, Khair Mundus.
The ransom demand went as high as US$2 million, and when negotiations hit a snag, the kidnappers turned to technology. For the first time, proof-of-life video messages and photos were posted on YouTube and Facebook, the kidnappers’ clumsy attempt at crowdsourcing his ransom. The kidnappers' threat to kill him was also posted on Facebook. Interestingly, a small group of Australians also turned to Facebook to keep Rodwell’s plight in the public eye.
A little more than 15 months after Rodwell was kidnapped, military and police intelligence sources told Rappler the Abu Sayyaf and other armed men who held him hostage agreed to release him for P5 million or about US$125,000 on Thursday, March 21. However, his release was delayed until early Saturday morning because, the same sources said, most of the money expected by the kidnappers never reached them, apparently taken by conduits and middlemen.
After initially denying ransom was paid, Basilan Vice Governor Al Rasheed Sakalahul said he saw P4 million or about US$100,000 counted in front of Abu Sayyaf leader Puruji Indama and Roger Gutang, the brother of Rodwell’s wife. Sources say a total of P7 million was paid with only P4 million reaching the kidnappers.
Looking tired and emaciated, Rodwell is free, but as one intelligence official told me, “there’s a United Nations” left behind in Jolo, Sulu.
A classified intelligence document obtained by Rappler from a western nation showed that as of January 18 this year, the Abu Sayyaf held 11 hostages, 10 of them in Jolo. The 11th, Rodwell, was in Basilan.
By the time of Rodwell’s release a little more than 2 months later, there are 6 foreign hostages left - a Japanese, Swiss, Dutch, Jordanian and two Malaysians.
Left behind
Japanese Toshio Ito was kidnapped nearly 3 years ago from
54 year old Warren Rodwell is second. Here’s a timeline of key events from the time he was kidnapped on December 5, 2011 until his release on Saturday, March 22, 2013. Rodwell's kidnappers were turned away from Jolo by Sahiron, a member of the Abu Sayyaf told me. Puruji Indama, who allegedly received the ransom, works with Nurhassan Jamiri for the overall leader of the Abu Sayyaf in Basilan, Khair Mundus.
At numbers 3 and 4 are well-known European birdwatchers: 53 year old Dutch Ewold Horn and 48 year old Lorenzo Vinciguerra. They were bird-watching for 4 days on Tawi-Tawi when they were kidnapped by armed men on February 1, 2012. They were ultimately brought to the Abu Sayyaf in Jolo, Sulu. That same classified document says they were held captive by Radullan Sahiron in Bud-Bud, Talipao in Jolo.
Number 5 is Jordanian “Abdulla Atyani” – better known as Baker Atyani, a well-known journalist with Al-Arabiya who interviewed Osama bin Laden. He was kidnapped on June 12, 2012, along with two Filipino crew members. Intelligence officials said they were initially unsure whether he was a kidnap victim because they believed he was holding lectures for senior Abu Sayyaf leaders.
A classified Philippine intelligence document obtained by Rappler states Atyani coordinated not just with the Abu Sayyaf but also with Malaysian Jemaah Islamiyah member Amin Bacho (known as Abu Jihad). Over time, however, a relatively “public” fight between Amin Bacho and Radullan Sahiron over Atyani’s captivity pushed Bacho to leave Sahiron’s group.
The classified Western intelligence
document states that as of early this year, Atyani and his crew were held
captive by one of Sahiron's sub-commanders, Hatib Sawadjaan, in Kabbon Takas,
Patikul in Jolo, Sulu.
His two Filipino crewmembers, Ramilito Vela and Rolando Letrero, were freed on February 2 this year
after 7 months and 20 days in captivity. This was after sustained pressure by
MNLF leader Habier Malik, who went to Jolo to push for Atyani’s release. A few
days after the Filipinos’ release, Malik attacked the Abu Sayyaf camps but
Atyani and his captors escaped.
Finally, there are 2 Malaysians,
Wai Tung and Jie Tung, listed on the Jan. 18 intelligence document. Rappler
cross-verified with a classified Philippine report, which lists them as 35 year
old Tung Wee Wei and 25 year old Tung Wee Jie. They were kidnapped on November
14, 2012 by 3 armed men from Lahad Datu, Sabah .
They used a twin-engine, green speed boat to take them to Sitangkai island in
Tawi-Tawi before bringing them to Jolo and handing them over to another Sahiron
subcommander, Jul Asman Sawadjaan in Indanan, Sulu.
Cottage industry
The Abu Sayyaf has turned
kidnapping-for-ransom into a cottage industry. Handing hostages to larger,
better armed groups is a common practice. Larger groups can better protect and
evade authorities. All involved then get a cut of the ransom, according to
members of Abu Sayyaf.
There have been 4 waves in the
Abu Sayyaf’s evolution, alternating between terrorism and crime.
It was formed and funded in the
early 90’s by a splinter group from the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF),
then the largest Muslim separatist group in the Philippines
The second wave happened after
the death of its ideological founder, Abdurajak Janjalani and ran from 1998
till 2002. A spate of kidnappings bringing in millions of dollars in ransom
happened during this time period: in March 2000, the Abu Sayyaf kidnapped more
than 50 teachers and students from Basilan, followed a little more than a month
later by the kidnapping of 21 people from 7 countries from a Malaysian diving
resort on the island
of Sipadan
The third wave of the Abu
Sayyaf’s development began after the Bali
bombings on October 12, 2002. Some leaders from Jemaah Islamiyah, then
functioning as al-Qaeda’s arm in Southeast Asia, fled to the Philippines
During that time, the Abu Sayyaf
carried out the region’s worst maritime terrorist attack, the Superferry
bombing in 2004. A year later, it carried out near-simultaneous, coordinated
attacks, including one in Manila
Finally, the fourth wave began in 2008 with the kidnapping of an ABS-CBN news team,
signaling the degeneration of the Abu Sayyaf back into kidnapping for ransom.
That was followed 6 months later by the kidnapping of members of the
International Committee of the Red Cross.
The January 18 classified
document obtained by Rappler ends with this assessment: "Abu Sayyaf
members on Sulu and Zamboanga have recently demonstrated a willingness and
ability to coordinate target surveillance for potential kidnapping operations.
Cooperation between KFR [kidnap-for-ransom] groups expand potential holding
areas and increases the support network available to the kidnappers. Funds
received through KFR's, extortion and other criminal acts enable the Abu Sayyaf
to purchase components needed to create IEDs [improvised explosive devices] to
support extortion operations as well as acquire weapons and transportation
necessary for future kidnapping attempts."
http://www.rappler.com/thought-leaders/24580-the-men-rodwell-leaves-behind-with-the-abu-sayyaf
http://www.rappler.com/thought-leaders/24580-the-men-rodwell-leaves-behind-with-the-abu-sayyaf
$97,750 paid to free Rodwell
From Rappler (Mar 24): $97,750 paid to free Rodwell
SYDNEY, Australia (3rd UPDATE) - Islamic militants in the lawless southern Philippines were paid US$97,750 for the release of Australian Warren Rodwell who survived 15 months in captivity, a report said on Sunday, March 24.
A gaunt Rodwell, a former soldier, 54, was set free at Pagadian, a port city on Mindanao island, Saturday, some 100 kilometers (60 miles) east of where he was kidnapped on December 5, 2011.
Philippine and Australian authorities refused to say if a ransom was paid, butAustralia
This was substantially less than the $2 million the kidnappers, members of the Abu Sayyaf militant group, had initially demanded soon after they broke into the house Rodwell shared with his Filipina wife in Ipil town.
The negotiator, Al Rashid Sakalahul, toldFairfax
But what they accepted was far less, he said. (The amount verifies Rappler's original estimate on the money paid to free theAustralia
'Middlemen' did not profit from ransom - Sakalahul
Sakalahul said he had succeeded in getting them to lower their demand to P4 million.
"It was really a tough negotiation but in the end, with God's help, we managed to secure the release of Rodwell," Sakalahul, vice-governor of theprovince
of Basilan , told Fairfax
He said he was revealing how much was paid to douse speculation he benefited from negotiating with the kidnappers and deny speculation fromManila
"I don't want to be accused by anyone that I benefited from this negotiation -- that's why I came up with this admission," he said.
"My only mission is to save the life of Rodwell by getting him out of the Abu Sayyaf. I am clean. My conscience is clean," he said.
Sakalahul said he did not know where the money was sourced but it was passed through Rodwell's wife Miraflor Gutang and her brother Roger.
He said the negotiations were conducted with an emissary of Puruji Indama, an Abu Sayyaf commander in Basilan feared for beheading and mutilating his victims.
Indama gained prominence after he and other Muslim militants attacked a Philippine military convoy, killing and mutilating 14 marines in 2007.
In November 2009, Indama kidnapped three ethnic Chinese factory workers and beheaded one of them before releasing the other two.
PH,Australia
Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr saidCanberra
"Just be clear that the Australian government never pays ransoms," he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
"I won't comment on arrangements that may have been made by Mr Rodwell's family and Abu Sayyaf, made through thePhilippines
Rodwell was Saturday flown by helicopter to a military base in Zamboanga, one of the major cities in the southernPhilippines
Regional military spokesman Colonel Rodrigo Gregorio also said he had no knowledge of any ransom.
Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte also could not confirm whether or not a ransom was paid.
"We have no information," she told a radio interview.
However, she stressed that the government's policy on ransom has not changed. "The policy of the government remains that we do not pay ransom."
Australian media said he was expected to remain in hospital for up to a week.
Senior Philippine military sources said he was being cared for in a tightly-secured, specialUS
A rotating force of 600 US Special Forces has been stationed in the southernPhilippines
The Abu Sayyaf is one of many armed Islamist groups operating in the southernPhilippines
It is believed to have only a few hundred members but has been blamed for the worst terror attacks in recent Philippine history. It also has a history of kidnapping foreigners, Christians and local business people for ransom.
Nigel Brennan, an Australian photojournalist who was held hostage for 462 days after he was kidnapped inSomalia
http://www.rappler.com/nation/24575-ransom-rodwell-kidnapping
SYDNEY, Australia (3rd UPDATE) - Islamic militants in the lawless southern Philippines were paid US$97,750 for the release of Australian Warren Rodwell who survived 15 months in captivity, a report said on Sunday, March 24.
A gaunt Rodwell, a former soldier, 54, was set free at Pagadian, a port city on Mindanao island, Saturday, some 100 kilometers (60 miles) east of where he was kidnapped on December 5, 2011.
Philippine and Australian authorities refused to say if a ransom was paid, but
This was substantially less than the $2 million the kidnappers, members of the Abu Sayyaf militant group, had initially demanded soon after they broke into the house Rodwell shared with his Filipina wife in Ipil town.
The negotiator, Al Rashid Sakalahul, told
But what they accepted was far less, he said. (The amount verifies Rappler's original estimate on the money paid to free the
'Middlemen' did not profit from ransom - Sakalahul
Sakalahul said he had succeeded in getting them to lower their demand to P4 million.
"It was really a tough negotiation but in the end, with God's help, we managed to secure the release of Rodwell," Sakalahul, vice-governor of the
He said he was revealing how much was paid to douse speculation he benefited from negotiating with the kidnappers and deny speculation from
"I don't want to be accused by anyone that I benefited from this negotiation -- that's why I came up with this admission," he said.
"My only mission is to save the life of Rodwell by getting him out of the Abu Sayyaf. I am clean. My conscience is clean," he said.
Sakalahul said he did not know where the money was sourced but it was passed through Rodwell's wife Miraflor Gutang and her brother Roger.
He said the negotiations were conducted with an emissary of Puruji Indama, an Abu Sayyaf commander in Basilan feared for beheading and mutilating his victims.
Indama gained prominence after he and other Muslim militants attacked a Philippine military convoy, killing and mutilating 14 marines in 2007.
In November 2009, Indama kidnapped three ethnic Chinese factory workers and beheaded one of them before releasing the other two.
PH,
Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr said
"Just be clear that the Australian government never pays ransoms," he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
"I won't comment on arrangements that may have been made by Mr Rodwell's family and Abu Sayyaf, made through the
Rodwell was Saturday flown by helicopter to a military base in Zamboanga, one of the major cities in the southern
Regional military spokesman Colonel Rodrigo Gregorio also said he had no knowledge of any ransom.
Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte also could not confirm whether or not a ransom was paid.
"We have no information," she told a radio interview.
However, she stressed that the government's policy on ransom has not changed. "The policy of the government remains that we do not pay ransom."
Australian media said he was expected to remain in hospital for up to a week.
Senior Philippine military sources said he was being cared for in a tightly-secured, special
A rotating force of 600 US Special Forces has been stationed in the southern
The Abu Sayyaf is one of many armed Islamist groups operating in the southern
It is believed to have only a few hundred members but has been blamed for the worst terror attacks in recent Philippine history. It also has a history of kidnapping foreigners, Christians and local business people for ransom.
Nigel Brennan, an Australian photojournalist who was held hostage for 462 days after he was kidnapped in
Shots fired to thwart Rodwell escape
From Rappler (Mar 24): Shots fired to thwart Rodwell escape
FREE AT LAST. This handout photo taken on March 23, 2013 and released by the Australian Foreign Ministry shows Rodwell (C) being escorted by US military personnel shortly after arriving at a military airbase by helicopter in Zamboanga. AFP PHOTO / Australian Foreign Ministry
PAGADIAN,Philippines
Even when finally released, Warren Rodwell had to paddle a boat to a distant town and wade ashore through the mud to reach safety, said Inspector Eurem Macasil, the first policeman to meet him.
Rodwell, 54, was abducted from his home in the southern Philippine town ofIpil
The militants were paid US$97,750 in ransom, a negotiator said.
Wharf supervisor Nathaniel Campos was the first person to spot the Australian as he waded ashore in darkness in the port city ofPagadian
A surprisedCampos
"No, I'm not a tourist. I am a kidnap victim. Please help me!" Rodwell replied.
Campos
Rodwell was so weak he could barely bring the cup to his lips, Macasil said.
He told the police officer some of his experiences, like how his captors had repeatedly transferred him from one small island to another to elude pursuit.
Rodwell not shackled or caged
During his captivity, he was not shackled or caged but was always closely watched by the gunmen.
"He said he had several opportunities to escape but was not successful. They would open fire and force him to stop," said Macasil.
"He said he was worried after he heard in a conversation (among the gunmen) that there was an (armed) encounter and that they cut off someone's head," the police officer said.
Rodwell said he was in the southernmost island group of Tawi-Tawi, near the maritime border withMalaysia
They left him in a rowboat off Pagadian and told him to paddle to safety. But when he reached the shore, the tide was out and was forced to wade through the mud.
Rodwell was later picked up by Philippine and Australian authorities who flew him to the southern city ofZamboanga
His kidnappers, the Abu Sayyaf, are a Muslim extremist group that was founded in the early 1990s with seed money from al-Qaeda chieftain Osama bin Laden.
The group has been blamed for the country's worst terror attacks including a series of bombings and kidnappings, mainly targeting foreigners and Christians.
http://www.rappler.com/nation/24620-shots-fired-to-thwart-rodwell-escape
FREE AT LAST. This handout photo taken on March 23, 2013 and released by the Australian Foreign Ministry shows Rodwell (C) being escorted by US military personnel shortly after arriving at a military airbase by helicopter in Zamboanga. AFP PHOTO / Australian Foreign Ministry
PAGADIAN,
Even when finally released, Warren Rodwell had to paddle a boat to a distant town and wade ashore through the mud to reach safety, said Inspector Eurem Macasil, the first policeman to meet him.
Rodwell, 54, was abducted from his home in the southern Philippine town of
The militants were paid US$97,750 in ransom, a negotiator said.
Wharf supervisor Nathaniel Campos was the first person to spot the Australian as he waded ashore in darkness in the port city of
A surprised
"No, I'm not a tourist. I am a kidnap victim. Please help me!" Rodwell replied.
Rodwell was so weak he could barely bring the cup to his lips, Macasil said.
He told the police officer some of his experiences, like how his captors had repeatedly transferred him from one small island to another to elude pursuit.
Rodwell not shackled or caged
During his captivity, he was not shackled or caged but was always closely watched by the gunmen.
"He said he had several opportunities to escape but was not successful. They would open fire and force him to stop," said Macasil.
"He said he was worried after he heard in a conversation (among the gunmen) that there was an (armed) encounter and that they cut off someone's head," the police officer said.
Rodwell said he was in the southernmost island group of Tawi-Tawi, near the maritime border with
They left him in a rowboat off Pagadian and told him to paddle to safety. But when he reached the shore, the tide was out and was forced to wade through the mud.
Rodwell was later picked up by Philippine and Australian authorities who flew him to the southern city of
His kidnappers, the Abu Sayyaf, are a Muslim extremist group that was founded in the early 1990s with seed money from al-Qaeda chieftain Osama bin Laden.
The group has been blamed for the country's worst terror attacks including a series of bombings and kidnappings, mainly targeting foreigners and Christians.
http://www.rappler.com/nation/24620-shots-fired-to-thwart-rodwell-escape
MILF lauds OPAPP for informing UN on Mindanao peace process
From the Philippine News Agency (Mar 24): MILF lauds OPAPP for informing UN on
Mindanao peace process
The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has lauded the effort of the Philippine government to bring to the attention of the United Nations (UN) inNew York
A day before the GPH-MILF peace panels meet for the 37th exploratory talks in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Mohammad Ameen, head of the MILF Secretariat, said the MILF fully appreciates the effort of Secretary Teresita “Ging” Deles of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) in bringing to the attention of the UN the gains of the 17 year old peace negotiation.
“These efforts redound to the common interests of the government and the MILF,” Ameen said in a statement Sunday.“We are not discriminating in our praise. As long as it is for the people’s common good, we extend it to where it is due,” Ameen added.
During her meeting with Special Adviser and Assistant Secretary-General of Civilian Capacities to UN Sarah Cliffe at the sidelines of the recent 57th session of the Commission on the Status of Women, Secretary Deles underscored the importance of the road map that has been put in place to move the peace process resolutely forward between the GPH and the MILF.
Assistant Secretary-Cliffe oversees the UN's CAPMATCH, a “self-service online platform whose purpose is to better match the demand and supply of specialized civilian capacities for countries emerging from conflict. It is owned and monitored by the UN Civilian Capacities Team."
CAPMATCH focuses on the five areas most commonly identified as the critical capacity gaps for countries emerging from conflict or crisis: safety and security, justice, inclusive political processes, core government functionality and economic revitalization.
Secretary Deles, cited by the OPAPP website, also underscored that capacity building programs were needed to enhance the capabilities of stakeholders but also stressed that such programs should be “stakeholder owned and driven.”
For her part, Assistant Secretary-General Cliffe agreed that vital capacity building programs that would support the Bangsamoro in the Southern Philippines “need to be worked out” by internal stakeholders and that any possible assistance and cooperation would have to be “tailor-made for the Philippine context.”
The website also said that Assistant Secretary-General Cliffe likewise lauded the efforts of the Philippine Government in the peace process and commended areas of expertise and best practices from which other stakeholders in the international community can learn from.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=510145
The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has lauded the effort of the Philippine government to bring to the attention of the United Nations (UN) in
A day before the GPH-MILF peace panels meet for the 37th exploratory talks in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Mohammad Ameen, head of the MILF Secretariat, said the MILF fully appreciates the effort of Secretary Teresita “Ging” Deles of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) in bringing to the attention of the UN the gains of the 17 year old peace negotiation.
“These efforts redound to the common interests of the government and the MILF,” Ameen said in a statement Sunday.“We are not discriminating in our praise. As long as it is for the people’s common good, we extend it to where it is due,” Ameen added.
During her meeting with Special Adviser and Assistant Secretary-General of Civilian Capacities to UN Sarah Cliffe at the sidelines of the recent 57th session of the Commission on the Status of Women, Secretary Deles underscored the importance of the road map that has been put in place to move the peace process resolutely forward between the GPH and the MILF.
Assistant Secretary-Cliffe oversees the UN's CAPMATCH, a “self-service online platform whose purpose is to better match the demand and supply of specialized civilian capacities for countries emerging from conflict. It is owned and monitored by the UN Civilian Capacities Team."
CAPMATCH focuses on the five areas most commonly identified as the critical capacity gaps for countries emerging from conflict or crisis: safety and security, justice, inclusive political processes, core government functionality and economic revitalization.
Secretary Deles, cited by the OPAPP website, also underscored that capacity building programs were needed to enhance the capabilities of stakeholders but also stressed that such programs should be “stakeholder owned and driven.”
For her part, Assistant Secretary-General Cliffe agreed that vital capacity building programs that would support the Bangsamoro in the Southern Philippines “need to be worked out” by internal stakeholders and that any possible assistance and cooperation would have to be “tailor-made for the Philippine context.”
The website also said that Assistant Secretary-General Cliffe likewise lauded the efforts of the Philippine Government in the peace process and commended areas of expertise and best practices from which other stakeholders in the international community can learn from.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=510145
Palace maintains 'no ransom' policy for victims of kidnapping
From the Philippine News Agency (Mar 24): Palace maintains 'no ransom' policy for
victims of kidnapping
Malacanang maintained on Sunday that the government’s policy of not paying any ransom for victims of kidnapping remains in effect and “has not changed.”
Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte issued this statement in light of reports that the government paid P 7-million for the release of Australian Warren Richard Rodwell, after being held captive by the Abu Sayaf bandits for the last 15 months.
She said that while the government is looking into the circumstances in the release of Rodwell, these reports of ransom being paid remain just allegations.
“The policy of the government remains that we do not pay ransom. Having said that, we have no information or confirmation on that alleged ransom that was paid,” Valte said.
“The policy of the government has not changed,” she added. Rodwell, 54, was released in Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur province, on Saturday.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=&sid=&nid=&rid=510170
Malacanang maintained on Sunday that the government’s policy of not paying any ransom for victims of kidnapping remains in effect and “has not changed.”
Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte issued this statement in light of reports that the government paid P 7-million for the release of Australian Warren Richard Rodwell, after being held captive by the Abu Sayaf bandits for the last 15 months.
She said that while the government is looking into the circumstances in the release of Rodwell, these reports of ransom being paid remain just allegations.
“The policy of the government remains that we do not pay ransom. Having said that, we have no information or confirmation on that alleged ransom that was paid,” Valte said.
“The policy of the government has not changed,” she added. Rodwell, 54, was released in Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur province, on Saturday.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=&sid=&nid=&rid=510170
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