5 kids hurt in Zamboanga City blast

MANILA, Philippines—Five children were wounded in Zamboanga City after a home-made bomb they were playing exploded Thursday, police said Friday.

In a text message to reporters, Chief Superintendent Napoleon Estilles said the incident happened in Barangay (village) Lunzuran, Zamboanga City around 6:55 a.m. Thursday.

Estilles said initial investigation showed that one of the children was playing with the explosive he made with his friends when it suddenly went off. Reports said that the other victims were in the near during the explosion.

The case was being investigated, Estilles said.

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Jamie Marie Elona | INQUIRER.net | April 27, 2012 | Article Link

Three dead, 33 wounded in Philippine bombing

Three people were killed and 33 others wounded after a man hurled a grenade into a cockfighting arena in the southern Philippines on Saturday, a police official said.

More than a hundred people had gathered at the makeshift cockpit in the small rural town of Aleosan when a fragmentation grenade went off, said provincial police chief Superintendent Conrado Salinas.

Survivors saw the man who threw the grenade and recognised him as a local resident, Salinas said, adding that he is now being hunted by police.

"We suspect that the man lost (money) in previous cockfights and he wanted to get even," the police chief added.

Cockfights are a popular past-time in the Philippines, attracting scores of gamblers who bet on the fights between the birds.

The southern Philippines has long been troubled by the widespread availability of weapons such as grenades due to decades of fighting involving soldiers, communist rebels, Muslim separatists and other armed groups.

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AFP News/Yahoo News Online | April 14, 2012 | Article Link

2 dead, 5 wounded in North Cotabato bus blast - military

DAVAO CITY, Philippines -- (UPDATE 4 - 2:15 p.m.) Two persons were killed and at least five wounded when a bomb exploded on a passenger bus in North Cotabato Wednesday morning, the military said, drastically scaling down its original casualty count.

Lieutenant Colonel Benjie Hao told reporters the death toll was confirmed after soldiers reached the scene of the blast.

Colonel Leopoldo Galon, spokesman of the Eastern Mindanao Command, had initially announced 10 fatalities and two wounded.

Galon said the Rural Area Transit bus with the body number 2922 had just reached the terminal in Carmen town around 10:25 a.m. when the improvised explosive device planted in the vehicle’s baggage compartment went off.

All the casualties were passengers on the bus, which was traveling from Tacurong City to Cagayan de Oro.

The Eastmincom identified the fatalities as Analyn Sioco, 33, of Malanduage in Kabacan, and Rona Mae Causing, 18, of Bukidnon.

Four of the wounded were identified as Denia Causin of Bukidnon, Alan Hampiso, 36, of Magpet, his six-year old son, Janel Cosca, 11, from Bukidnon. They were rushed to the Kabacan Medical Specialist hospital.

The Rural Area Transit has been attacked in the past in which authorities believe to be extortion attempts by criminal syndicates.

On October 21, 2010, a powerful bomb ripped through a bus of the firm, which was en route to Tacurong City, killing 10 people and wounding several others.

On March 13 this year, a bomb also exploded in a bus at the public terminal in Tacurong City, wounding one.

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Jefry M. Tupas/Abigail Kwok | InterAksyon.com/TV5 Davao | April 11, 2012 | Article Link

Rebels attack convoy in Cotabato

DAVAO CITY, Philippines (Xinhua) - Suspected leftist rebels detonated two improvised bombs along a road in a southern Philippine city early today, barely missing a passing convoy of military and civilian vehicles, a military official said.

No one was hurt following the 6:25 a.m. blasts at San Mateo village, Kidapawan city, in Mindanao's North Cotabato province, " but several civilian commuters have been traumatized," according to Colonel Leopoldo Galon, Eastern Mindanao Command spokesperson.

The loud explosions rocked the village as a military truck carrying soldiers of the army's 57th Infantry Battalion, a mini- jeepney and two motorcycles full of civilians were passing by, said Galon.

"Everyone escaped the blasts but the civilian commuters were terrified," the military official told Xinhua by text message, adding the incident happened near a populated area just several kilometers from the city proper.

Galon suspected New People's Army rebels could be behind the latest attack as it happened just days after a series of clashes between government troops and the leftist rebels in the province that left six people dead.

He said the provincial army commander Colonel Cesar Sedillo was readying the filing of criminal charges against the NPA for allegedly employing landmines, long banned by the Ottawa Treaty which both the Philippine government and the insurgents' political umbrella Communist Party of the Philippines were signatories.

The 4,000-strong NPA is fighting a leftist insurgency in 60 Philippine provinces since March 29, 1969.

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The Philippine Star | April 1, 2012 | Article Link

Rebels bare hardships in mountain

“WE THOUGHT joining the New People’s Army (NPA) will change our life. But nothing happened.”

These were the words of Gevion Balamban, a rebel returnee and a youth leader operating at Cabanglasan area in Bukidnon.

Balamban said they joined rebellion because their life in the mountains was hard even before the NPA came.

He said they trusted the NPA to change their life.

“Until we join, many lives of my relatives were wasted (killed),” he said.

Balamban was one of the 47 NPA rebels who surrendered to government authorities last week. They were presented to Bukidnon Governor Alex Calingasan on Thursday in Malaybalay City.

Balamban said they decided to surrender and return to the government after realizing that whatever they do, their lives would still be the same.

“We think that it is best to surrender because whatever we do, we are still the same and we are just treated as a ‘money-making’ tool by the rebels,” he said.

The 47 NPA rebels who surrendered are comprised of 12 regular members and 35 Militia ng Bayan. Of the number, 27 belong to the Umayamnon tribe operating under Nestor Manlahag in Cabanglasan, Bukidnon; while 17 operated under Rene Dal-anay in San Fernando, Bukidnon (Tigwahanon/Matigsalog Tribe).

Three of them were previously operating under Johnny Boy Masandong Andin-o also in San Fernando, Bukidnon.

The rebels surrendered at least 43 various firearms and explosives that include a Grand Rifle caliber 30, carbine, caliber 45 pistol, caliber 38 revolver, caliber 22 revolver, rifle 7.62 M14 improvise, rifle springfield, rifle caliber 22, homemade shotgun, hand grenade and improvised explosive device.

Calingasan said at least 276 rebels have already surrendered in Bukidnon, while the Provincial Government has released financial assistance amounting to P3.4 million.

He said the rebel-returnees will be given financial assistance, despite the effects of low internal revenue allotment (IRA) of the Provincial Government.

“We want them (rebel returnees) to see that the local and National Government expressed sincerity to help their situation and that we want to help them alleviate their lives especially those who are living in the mountains,” Calingasan said.

Lieutenant General Arthur Tabaquero of the Eastern Mindanao Command said he hoped that other local governments will follow what Calingasan has done in obtaining peace.

“We hope that our occasion today will facilitate the further strengthening of community and convergence in the aspect of helping out our constituents and attain a meaningful life, a society that provides them an opportunity to succeed in their chosen endeavor. I hope it will not just end on helping our brother returnees who return to the government,” Tabaquero said during Thursday’s presentation of the NPA rebels.

“After this ceremony, the most important thing is to look after how they are properly integrated back to their community so that they can immediately start building their lives and will no longer become susceptible to manipulation and exploitation of the communist terrorist,” Tabaquero added.

Earlier, Colonel Romeo R. Gapuz, commander of the 403rd Infantry Brigade, said the large number of surrenderees will surely have a negative impact on the NPA’s morale.

“While the NPAs are celebrating their anniversary and flaunting their ‘empty’ successes against the Filipino people, their comrades here in Bukidnon are surrendering and denouncing this rebel group who duped them. Because of this, we believe there will be more NPA rebels who will go down the mountains as they all realize that their government is truly working for the Filipino people,” he said.

Meanwhile, at least 79 rebel returnees under Benjamin “Ka Nonong” Salusad who surrendered last November were also recognized during the activity after they have finished a training on March 8.

The former rebels are now members of the Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit guarding their areas in San Fernando, Bukidnon.

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Michael Andrew W. Yu | SunStar.Com.Ph | March 30, 2012 | Article Link

2005 bomb plot suspect arrested in O. Mindoro

MANILA, Philippines - An alleged Rajah Solaiman Movement (RSM) leader tagged in a 2005 plot to bomb establishments in Metro Manila was arrested in Oriental Mindoro Sunday, officials said yesterday.

Dinno Amar Pareja – who uses the aliases Khalil Pareja, Rash, Abu, Jihad, Mohammad, Arlan, Al Luzon and Ahmad – did not resist when he was cornered by Philippine National Police (PNP) Intelligence Group (IG) in Barangay Libertad, Roxas town.

“He expressed willingness to cooperate in our investigation of incidents involving RSM terrorists,” IG director Chief Superintendent Manny Barcena said.

Police said the RSM is a local militant cell composed of Muslim converts with links to the Abu Sayyaf, Jemaah Islamiyah and the al-Qaeda.

Barcena said Pareja, is the subject of an arrest warrant issued by Pasig Regional Trial Court Branch 154 Judge Abraham Borreta for murder and multiple frustrated murders.

The PNP said Pareja took over command of the RSM after its leader, Hilarion “Akmad” Santos, was arrested and detained at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City in 2005. Pareja was arrested for rebellion in 2009 but was released from detention in 2010 after the evidence against him was found to be weak.

“He went into hiding in Oriental Mindoro after getting wind that several arrest warrants for his role in killings and bombings in Mindanao were issued against him by various courts,” Barcena said.

Borreta recommended no bail for Pareja, who is being subjected to tactical interrogation at the IG headquarters in Camp Crame.

According to the PNP, Pareja was reportedly trained by Jemaah Islamiyah terrorists Dulmatin and Umar Patek on demolition and explosives, firearms familiarization and radical Dawah training in Camp Jabel Guba at Mt. Caranao, Central Mindanao in 2004.

Pareja is allegedly a key participant in the foiled bomb plot – codenamed “Big Bang” or “Great Ibadah” – targeting establishments in Metro Manila, especially those frequented by Americans.

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Non Alquitran |  The Philippine Star | March 07, 2012 | Article Link

Abu Sayyaf behind Sulu bombing

Death toll in Sulu bomb explosion rises to 4

Philstar.com | March 04, 2012 12:00 PM | Article link 

COTABATO, Philippines (Xinhua) - The death toll in the bomb explosion blamed on militants on Saturday night in a commercial area in the southern Philippine province of Sulu rose to four, authorities said today.

Randolph Cabangbang, spokesman of the military's Western Mindanao Command, said two more wounded had died at the hospital after an improvised explosive device blast along Serantes Street in Jolo town at around 6:55 p.m. Saturday, which killed two people instantly.

Besides the four casualties, there are six others injured in the terror attack. "We have four fatalities, only two died soon after the explosion," he said.

Felicisimo Khu, chief of the Directorate for Integrated Police Operations in Western Mindanao, said investigation by the police indicated that the bomb was planted at the generator of the store in the area.

No one group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but government security forces said they are looking into possible involvement of the Abu Sayyaf terror group.

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Police suspect Abu Sayyaf in Jolo bombing

Agence France Presse, AbsCbnNews.com | 03/04/2012 12:34 PM | Article link 

ZAMBOANGA - Islamic extremists with links to the Al-Qaeda network are suspected of carrying out a deadly bomb attack that left two dead and 13 wounded in the southernPhilippines, police said Sunday.

The Abu Sayyaf group likely planted the bomb that exploded in a commercial district of the southern island of Jolo late Saturday, said provincial police chief Senior Superintendent Antonio Freyra.

A street vendor and a schoolteacher were killed and 13 others were wounded when the home-made bomb exploded in Jolo, which has been a stronghold of the Abu Sayyaf for over a decade, police said.

"Our initial report is that the Abu Sayyaf was behind the bombing. It is possible that this was in retaliation for the killing by the police of an Abu Sayyaf member last week," Freyra said.

The bomb went off in the same commercial area where the Abu Sayyaf member was shot dead when police caught him extorting money from shop-owners, Freyra said.

Security has been tightened on the heavily-forested island to prevent future attacks from the group, which has long used kidnappings for ransom and extortion to raise funds, Freyra said.

The Abu Sayyaf is a small group of Islamic militants founded in the 1990s with seed money from Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

It has been blamed for the worst extremist attacks in Philippine history including a ferry bombing in Manila in 2004 that killed more than 100 people.

Despite the arrest and killing of many of its key leaders, the group remains an enduring security threat with about 300 fighters still active, authorities have warned.