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Just a temporary furlow..
A bit of what happened in the past weeks since our last posting.
- GRP-MILF nearing its goal but now in the most crucial stage of negotiations.
- BIFF active again after announcements of GRP-MILF peace deal breakthroughs.
- Communist rebels clash with soldiers in Davao del Sur and other parts of AOR of EASTMINCOM
- and other stories..
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Philippine Defense Today
Showing posts with label philippine news. Show all posts
Showing posts with label philippine news. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Andal Ampatuan Jr. carried out massacre, says witness
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/182584/andal-ampatuan-jr-carried-out-massacre-says-witness
Andal Ampatuan Jr. carried out the massacre of 57 people in Maguindanao province last November 23, having ordered victims to lie face down and later checking their faces one by one before they were brought to a nearby hill and gunned to death.
The Datu Unsay town mayor's black pick-up was at the scene of the bloodbath, with two women forced to enter the vehicle at one point before the killings, witness Mohammad Sangki told a Quezon City court on Wednesday.
Mohammad, a Sangguinang Bayan official in Datu Abdullah Sangki town in Maguindanao, corroborated the testimony of his nephew, Amapatuan town Vice-Mayor Rasul Sangki, who took the witness stand two weeks ago.
The court is hearing multiple murder charges against Ampatuan Jr., who has applied for bail.
In his testimony, Mohammad claimed to have received a call on November 19 from Datu Bahnarin Ampatuan — Ampatuan Jr.'s brother and mayor of Mamasapano town — ordering him to deploy a police auxiliary force in Crossing Saniag until December 2.
Crossing Saniag is in Ampatuan town, an area two minutes away from the Sitio Malating checkpoint where the convoy led by the wife of Buluan Vice Mayor Ismael "Toto" Mangudadatu was ambushed last November 23.
Police deployment
Mohammad Sangki said Bahnarin had told him to coordinate with Tammy Masukat, a Sangguniang Bayan member in Mamasapano town, for the police deployment.
He told the court presided by Judge Jocelyn Solis Reyes that Masukat had told him the police team was in preparation for the convoy coming from Buluan town.
A day later, on November 20, he and Masukat went to the home of Ampatuan Jr. in Shariff Aguak, where the mayor gave him P15,000 to buy food for the police team at Crossing Saniag.
During the weekend of November 21 and 22, Mohammad said he was with his family in Datu Odin Sinsuat town.
On the morning of November 23, the witness said he was surprised that several checkpoints had been set up in Ampatuan town.
He then went to the Sangguniang Bayan in Ampatuan town capitol, where he saw his nephew, Vice-Mayor Raul Sangki. The two went to Crossing Saniag, where they both saw Ampatuan Jr. with several armed men.
At about 10 a.m. that day, Mohammad and Rasul proceeded to Sitio Malating in a car to meet with Ampatuan Jr.'s group.
He said his nephew had told him that the convoy of the Mangudadatus was already there.
Mohammad said he saw two women being forced to enter Andal Jr.'s black pick-up.
He also said he saw the convoy's passengers being forced to lie face down, with Andal Jr. checking their faces one by one.
The convoy was later told to proceed to Sitio Malasay, two kilometers away from the checkpoint.
According to Mohammad, Rasul had told him to remain on the highway. Rasul then went with Ampatuan Jr. (See Andal Sr. hatched Nov. 23 massacre — witness)
After hearing successive gunfire for 30 minutes, Rasul returned and told him that the shooting had been orchestrated by Ampatuan Jr., Datu Kanor Ampatuan, Datu Bahnarin Ampatuan, a certain Datu Uka and the armed men they were with.
The trial was ongoing as of posting time.
Expected to testify later in the day is Toto Mangudadatu himself. It will be his first time to take the witness stand. His wife Genalyn was among those killed in the massacre.
Earlier in the day, Geoffrey Lizada of Smart Communications, Inc. authenticated the billing statement of Genalyn from November 17 to December 18, 2009.
Genalyn supposedly phoned her husband that she had seen Ampatuan Jr., his husband's political rival, among the men who had blocked the convoy. — NPA, RJAB Jr./GMANews.TV
SOPHIA M. DEDACE, GMANews.TV
01/27/2010 | 01:34 PM Andal Ampatuan Jr. carried out the massacre of 57 people in Maguindanao province last November 23, having ordered victims to lie face down and later checking their faces one by one before they were brought to a nearby hill and gunned to death.
The Datu Unsay town mayor's black pick-up was at the scene of the bloodbath, with two women forced to enter the vehicle at one point before the killings, witness Mohammad Sangki told a Quezon City court on Wednesday.
Mohammad, a Sangguinang Bayan official in Datu Abdullah Sangki town in Maguindanao, corroborated the testimony of his nephew, Amapatuan town Vice-Mayor Rasul Sangki, who took the witness stand two weeks ago.
The court is hearing multiple murder charges against Ampatuan Jr., who has applied for bail.
In his testimony, Mohammad claimed to have received a call on November 19 from Datu Bahnarin Ampatuan — Ampatuan Jr.'s brother and mayor of Mamasapano town — ordering him to deploy a police auxiliary force in Crossing Saniag until December 2.
Crossing Saniag is in Ampatuan town, an area two minutes away from the Sitio Malating checkpoint where the convoy led by the wife of Buluan Vice Mayor Ismael "Toto" Mangudadatu was ambushed last November 23.
Police deployment
Mohammad Sangki said Bahnarin had told him to coordinate with Tammy Masukat, a Sangguniang Bayan member in Mamasapano town, for the police deployment.
He told the court presided by Judge Jocelyn Solis Reyes that Masukat had told him the police team was in preparation for the convoy coming from Buluan town.
A day later, on November 20, he and Masukat went to the home of Ampatuan Jr. in Shariff Aguak, where the mayor gave him P15,000 to buy food for the police team at Crossing Saniag.
During the weekend of November 21 and 22, Mohammad said he was with his family in Datu Odin Sinsuat town.
On the morning of November 23, the witness said he was surprised that several checkpoints had been set up in Ampatuan town.
He then went to the Sangguniang Bayan in Ampatuan town capitol, where he saw his nephew, Vice-Mayor Raul Sangki. The two went to Crossing Saniag, where they both saw Ampatuan Jr. with several armed men.
At about 10 a.m. that day, Mohammad and Rasul proceeded to Sitio Malating in a car to meet with Ampatuan Jr.'s group.
He said his nephew had told him that the convoy of the Mangudadatus was already there.
Mohammad said he saw two women being forced to enter Andal Jr.'s black pick-up.
He also said he saw the convoy's passengers being forced to lie face down, with Andal Jr. checking their faces one by one.
The convoy was later told to proceed to Sitio Malasay, two kilometers away from the checkpoint.
According to Mohammad, Rasul had told him to remain on the highway. Rasul then went with Ampatuan Jr. (See Andal Sr. hatched Nov. 23 massacre — witness)
After hearing successive gunfire for 30 minutes, Rasul returned and told him that the shooting had been orchestrated by Ampatuan Jr., Datu Kanor Ampatuan, Datu Bahnarin Ampatuan, a certain Datu Uka and the armed men they were with.
The trial was ongoing as of posting time.
Expected to testify later in the day is Toto Mangudadatu himself. It will be his first time to take the witness stand. His wife Genalyn was among those killed in the massacre.
Earlier in the day, Geoffrey Lizada of Smart Communications, Inc. authenticated the billing statement of Genalyn from November 17 to December 18, 2009.
Genalyn supposedly phoned her husband that she had seen Ampatuan Jr., his husband's political rival, among the men who had blocked the convoy. — NPA, RJAB Jr./GMANews.TV
Andal Jr. to face Mangudadatu at trial
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/182560/andal-jr-to-face-mangudadatu-at-trial
01/27/2010 | 09:15 AM
Andal Ampatuan Jr., the key suspect in the massacre of 57 people in Maguindanao last November 23, appeared relaxed on Wednesday hours before his court showdown with the husband of one of the victims.
The mayor of Datu Unsay town in Maguindanao smiled at media and even held up his handcuffs before being whisked before dawn to the venue of his ongoing trial.
Earlier, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said a prosecution witness would shake Ampatuan's camp at Wednesday's hearing.
"Our case is going smoothly and every week we present new evidence. Today we will present an eyewitness, an official from one of the Maguindanao towns, to shake up the defense," NBI spokesman and lawyer Ricardo Diaz told dwIZ radio in Filipino.
The mayor was also to have his first court confrontation with Buluan Vice Mayor Esmael Mangudadatu, whose wife Genalyn was among the victims of the gruesome Nov. 23 bloodbath.
Mangudadatu was expected to testify against the mayor's petition for bail.
A report on dwIZ radio said Ampatuan, wearing a pink polo and denim pants, appeared nonchalant at the NBI while a team checked his blood pressure.
The mayor was handcuffed and made to wear a bulletproof vest, as in past instances when he was whisked to the trial venue at Camp Crame.
Security remained tight for the mayor as he left the NBI headquarters in Manila towards the Philippine National Police headquarters in Camp Crame.
Radio dzBB's Carlo Mateo reported that the trip had taken some 14 minutes as the NBI, Manila Police District, and PNP Highway Patrol Group escorts cleared the path.
The convoy bearing the mayor arrived at Camp Crame before 6:30 a.m.
At Crame, dzBB's Sam Nielsen reported that 300 policemen were placed on full alert inside and outside the police camp.
Security was also tight for media, who were allowed to enter on a first-come-first-served basis.
Outside Camp Crame, Quezon City police were in full battle gear while yellow steel railings were placed near the two security gates. — NPA, GMANews.TV
01/27/2010 | 09:15 AM
Andal Ampatuan Jr., the key suspect in the massacre of 57 people in Maguindanao last November 23, appeared relaxed on Wednesday hours before his court showdown with the husband of one of the victims.
The mayor of Datu Unsay town in Maguindanao smiled at media and even held up his handcuffs before being whisked before dawn to the venue of his ongoing trial.
Earlier, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said a prosecution witness would shake Ampatuan's camp at Wednesday's hearing.
"Our case is going smoothly and every week we present new evidence. Today we will present an eyewitness, an official from one of the Maguindanao towns, to shake up the defense," NBI spokesman and lawyer Ricardo Diaz told dwIZ radio in Filipino.
The mayor was also to have his first court confrontation with Buluan Vice Mayor Esmael Mangudadatu, whose wife Genalyn was among the victims of the gruesome Nov. 23 bloodbath.
Mangudadatu was expected to testify against the mayor's petition for bail.
A report on dwIZ radio said Ampatuan, wearing a pink polo and denim pants, appeared nonchalant at the NBI while a team checked his blood pressure.
The mayor was handcuffed and made to wear a bulletproof vest, as in past instances when he was whisked to the trial venue at Camp Crame.
Security remained tight for the mayor as he left the NBI headquarters in Manila towards the Philippine National Police headquarters in Camp Crame.
Radio dzBB's Carlo Mateo reported that the trip had taken some 14 minutes as the NBI, Manila Police District, and PNP Highway Patrol Group escorts cleared the path.
The convoy bearing the mayor arrived at Camp Crame before 6:30 a.m.
At Crame, dzBB's Sam Nielsen reported that 300 policemen were placed on full alert inside and outside the police camp.
Security was also tight for media, who were allowed to enter on a first-come-first-served basis.
Outside Camp Crame, Quezon City police were in full battle gear while yellow steel railings were placed near the two security gates. — NPA, GMANews.TV
Police witness in massacre case in trouble for going AWOL
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/182508/police-witness-in-massacre-case-in-trouble-for-going-awol
01/26/2010 | 04:48 PM
A police lieutenant considered as a potential witness in the Maguindanao massacre case is in hot water for going to the Justice Department office in Manila to seek protective custody without informing his custodians in Camp Crame about it.
Inspector Rex Ariel Diongon was reported missing last Friday and was declared Absent Without Official Leave (AWOL), according to Senior Superintendent Benito Estipona, deputy chief for operations of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).
“We found out yesterday [Monday] that he is at the [Department of Justice] seeking protective custody under the witness protection program. [But] he was already declared AWOL so he might face administrative charges for not informing his custodians of his whereabouts," Estipona said.
Section 3, paragraph (d) of Republic Act No. 6981, however, states that a law enforcement officer cannot be admitted into the Witness Protection Program although the immediate members of his or her family may avail themselves of the protection provided for under the particular law.
ARMM police
Before learning of Diongon’s whereabouts, the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Police (ARMM) Regional Police, which supervises his restriction, gave him until last Monday to surface.
Estipona said they turned Diongon over to the ARMM Police after getting his statements regarding the massacre.
Senior Superintendent Salik Macapantar, operations chief of the ARMM Police, said they immediately alerted their forces in the region upon learning of Diongon’s disappearance in Camp Crame.
"We have ordered police forces to search for Diongon and take him in custody immediately if he returns to Mindanao," he said, adding that his phone calls to Diongon were all left unanswered.
Diongon, commander of the 1508th Provincial Police Mobile Group, was among those manning the checkpoint where the ill-fated convoy in the massacre passed last Nov. 23. At least 57 people were killed in the carnage blamed on the powerful Ampatuan clan.
Diongon affidavit
Estipona said Diongon pinned Datu Unsay Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr. when the police officer executed his affidavit in connection with the November 23 massacre.
A total of 206 respondents, including 66 policemen, were recommended for filing of multiple murder charges with the DOJ in connection with the massacre. Of these, only three – Andal Jr. and militiamen Takpan Dilon and Esmael Canapia – have so far been formally charged by the department.
Dilon and Canapia, both members of the Civilian Volunteer Organization (CVO), were charged after the firearms seized from them matched with the shells found in the massacre site. - with Al Jacinto/KBK/RSJ, GMANews.TV
01/26/2010 | 04:48 PM
A police lieutenant considered as a potential witness in the Maguindanao massacre case is in hot water for going to the Justice Department office in Manila to seek protective custody without informing his custodians in Camp Crame about it.
Inspector Rex Ariel Diongon was reported missing last Friday and was declared Absent Without Official Leave (AWOL), according to Senior Superintendent Benito Estipona, deputy chief for operations of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).
“We found out yesterday [Monday] that he is at the [Department of Justice] seeking protective custody under the witness protection program. [But] he was already declared AWOL so he might face administrative charges for not informing his custodians of his whereabouts," Estipona said.
Section 3, paragraph (d) of Republic Act No. 6981, however, states that a law enforcement officer cannot be admitted into the Witness Protection Program although the immediate members of his or her family may avail themselves of the protection provided for under the particular law.
ARMM police
Before learning of Diongon’s whereabouts, the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Police (ARMM) Regional Police, which supervises his restriction, gave him until last Monday to surface.
Estipona said they turned Diongon over to the ARMM Police after getting his statements regarding the massacre.
Senior Superintendent Salik Macapantar, operations chief of the ARMM Police, said they immediately alerted their forces in the region upon learning of Diongon’s disappearance in Camp Crame.
"We have ordered police forces to search for Diongon and take him in custody immediately if he returns to Mindanao," he said, adding that his phone calls to Diongon were all left unanswered.
Diongon, commander of the 1508th Provincial Police Mobile Group, was among those manning the checkpoint where the ill-fated convoy in the massacre passed last Nov. 23. At least 57 people were killed in the carnage blamed on the powerful Ampatuan clan.
Diongon affidavit
Estipona said Diongon pinned Datu Unsay Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr. when the police officer executed his affidavit in connection with the November 23 massacre.
A total of 206 respondents, including 66 policemen, were recommended for filing of multiple murder charges with the DOJ in connection with the massacre. Of these, only three – Andal Jr. and militiamen Takpan Dilon and Esmael Canapia – have so far been formally charged by the department.
Dilon and Canapia, both members of the Civilian Volunteer Organization (CVO), were charged after the firearms seized from them matched with the shells found in the massacre site. - with Al Jacinto/KBK/RSJ, GMANews.TV
Gibo dares Ampatuan lawyer: Sue me over weapons fiasco
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/182439/gibo-dares-ampatuan-lawyer-sue-me-over-weapons-fiasco
AIE BALAGTAS SEE, GMANews.TV 01/25/2010 | 09:08 PM
Administration presidential bet Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Monday dared the lawyer of the Ampatuan family to charge him in court over his alleged involvement in the proliferation of loose firearms in Maguindanao province.
“I am daring him to file charges against me in court. And he better present strong documentary and physical evidence to back up his allegations," said Teodoro, a former Defense secretary.
Teodoro reiterated that the accusation hurled against him by lawyer Philip Pantojan was baseless.
Pantojan had earlier said that Teodoro should be charged for allegedly having a hand in the arming of the Ampatuan political dynasty.
The Ampatuans, some of whom occupy key local government positions in Maguindanao, are implicated in the Nov. 23 massacre of at least 57 people in the town named after them.
Pantojan said it was under Teodoro’s watch as Defense chief that the Civilian Volunteers Organization (CVOs), which reportedly comprised the Ampatuans’ private army, was armed by the national government.
GMANews.TV sought Pantojan's side on Teodoro's challenge but the lawyer declined to comment on the issue.
During the eight-day imposition of martial law in Maguindanao early December, security forces seized around 1,500 pieces of high-powered rifles, machine guns, mortars, and assorted weaponry near and inside some of the Amptuans’ properties.
In a vacant lot in Barangay Poblacion Tres in Shariff Aguak, the recovered weapons bore the markings “Department of Defense (DND) Arsenal" and “Arms Corporation of the Philippines."
Teodoro said the Defense Department has no policy for the issuance of weapons to civilian armed groups.
“It is clear that the Defense Department has no operational control over the distribution of firearms and ammunition to the units of the Armed Forces of the Philippines," Teodoro stressed.
The military is currently conducting an investigation on the alleged pilferage of firearms and ammunition. - KBK, GMANews.TV
AIE BALAGTAS SEE, GMANews.TV
Administration presidential bet Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Monday dared the lawyer of the Ampatuan family to charge him in court over his alleged involvement in the proliferation of loose firearms in Maguindanao province.
“I am daring him to file charges against me in court. And he better present strong documentary and physical evidence to back up his allegations," said Teodoro, a former Defense secretary.
Teodoro reiterated that the accusation hurled against him by lawyer Philip Pantojan was baseless.
Pantojan had earlier said that Teodoro should be charged for allegedly having a hand in the arming of the Ampatuan political dynasty.
The Ampatuans, some of whom occupy key local government positions in Maguindanao, are implicated in the Nov. 23 massacre of at least 57 people in the town named after them.
Pantojan said it was under Teodoro’s watch as Defense chief that the Civilian Volunteers Organization (CVOs), which reportedly comprised the Ampatuans’ private army, was armed by the national government.
GMANews.TV sought Pantojan's side on Teodoro's challenge but the lawyer declined to comment on the issue.
During the eight-day imposition of martial law in Maguindanao early December, security forces seized around 1,500 pieces of high-powered rifles, machine guns, mortars, and assorted weaponry near and inside some of the Amptuans’ properties.
In a vacant lot in Barangay Poblacion Tres in Shariff Aguak, the recovered weapons bore the markings “Department of Defense (DND) Arsenal" and “Arms Corporation of the Philippines."
Teodoro said the Defense Department has no policy for the issuance of weapons to civilian armed groups.
“It is clear that the Defense Department has no operational control over the distribution of firearms and ammunition to the units of the Armed Forces of the Philippines," Teodoro stressed.
The military is currently conducting an investigation on the alleged pilferage of firearms and ammunition. - KBK, GMANews.TV
Moro rebels, groups hit Ampatuan party-list
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/davao/moro-rebels-groups-hit-ampatuan-party-list
Monday, January 25, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
A PARTY-LIST group now seeking votes in the May elections is criticized by the Moro rebels and civil society groups as the Ampatuan clan’s “front” that seeks to benefit members of the family alone.
In a report by Luwaran.com, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) said the party-list Adhikain ng Dakilang Anak ng Maharlika (Adam) represented by Department of Energy (DOE) Undersecretary Zamzamin Ampatuan is aimed at benefiting the Ampatuan family.
The Luwaran report based its story on the statement issued by a certain Ma. Cecilia L. Rodriguez and was emailed to the MILF. It was learned that Rodriguez writes for the Philippine Daily Inquirer and is involved in various non-government organizations.
"We, in the civil society organizations here in Mindanao, cannot stop wondering why a party-list organization, such as the one organized by the Ampatuans, can acquire accreditation where in fact it does not qualify as a marginalized sector and it was organized mainly for the benefit of the Ampatuan clan," the statement read.
"[Undersecretary] Zam and Andal Sr. had come a long way in deceiving our government with their schemes in providing alternative views of the Bangsamoro problem. Back in early 2000, their campaign was to fight the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). They used broadcast media to expose the corruptions in the ranks of the MILF and their clinging to Islamic extremism. It was a noble cause at first. Their fight was able to convince many Maguindanaons that it was the right thing to do to stop the MILF. It convinced the datus and big clans to form alliance with them and fight the MILF. But, the fight is for the benefit of the Ampatuan clan and the family of Andal Sr.," it added.
The statement added that in June 2009, Andal Sr. gave the blessing for Zamzamin Ampatuan to organize his party-list organization named Adam.
It also said that the first division of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) handled the Adam's petition for accreditation. On August 17, 2009, Adam was filed with the Clerk of the Comelec, and in November 2009, Adam was accredited as a party-list organization approved by Commissioner Rene Sarmiento.
Sun.Star Davao tried to get the reaction of Zamzamin Ampatuan on the issue but his aide said it would be better if it be discussed extensively over coffee.
Maharlika is a Sanskrit word meaning "noble". Its equivalent term among Moros and Indios during the pre-Spanish times was "datu", a term or title that is still retained and practiced among the former and in recent centuries by the indigenous peoples in Mindanao.
In its older context, maharlikas or datus were the ruling elites, the powerful, and the wealthy. Today, they are still largely the ruling groups in most Moro provinces in Mindanao. Even in the Philippines today, many or most of those elected into the higher echelon of government are descendants of former maharlikas.
Roughly translated, Adhikain ng Dakilang Anak ng Maharlika is rendered into English as "Aspiration of the great son of the noble or datu". (BOT/With PR)
------------Anger, justice after massacre's 2nd month
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/davao/anger-justice-after-massacres-2nd-month
Monday, January 25, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
ANGER and thirst for justice still reigned among those who attended the second month commemoration of the November 23 Maguindanao massacre that killed 57 people, including 30 journalists.
In a visit to the massacre site at Sitio Masalay of Barangay Salman in Ampatuan town, relatives, friends and supporters of the victims are one in demanding justice for the victims of the most gruesome election-related violence in the country.
Family and relatives of the massacre victims went to Sitio Masalay on Saturday, along with around 500 delegates of the National Interfaith Mission for Justice and Peace in Maguindanao that also gathered lawyers, human rights workers, progressive groups, and journalists together.
Initiated by Kalinaw Mindanao, the mission aimed to continue the call for justice by remembering the victims of the massacre. Part of the mission is to visit the site.
"The mission will also document further accounts on the incident that will be of use in the pursuit of the case against the suspects of the massacre and in demanding accountability from all levels of government found complicit or negligent in the crime," said the Kalinaw Mindanao paper.
The participants of the mission will conduct interviews with families of victims, military officials and civilian residents in Maguindanao.
Lawyer Carlos Isagani Zarate, of the Alliance Against Impunity in Mindanao and one of the convenors of Kalinaw Mindanao, said the November 23 massacre showed the link between the suspects’ brutality and the kind of government the Philippines has.
"Our aim is not only to further expose the brutality of the butchers of massacre but more importantly, to unmask the monstrous complicity of the Arroyo government, its culpability in backing not just the private armies of the warlord Ampatuans but also in maintaining the public army--the AFP--that has engendered the violence," said Zarate, also the secretary general of the Union of People's Lawyers in Mindanao.
"This journey is also a show of solidarity with the families of the victims. All of us here lost a family, a colleague and a friend on that fateful day of the massacre, and we are united in fighting for justice and in saying that we will never forget this incident," Zarate added.
Bayan Muna Representative Satur Ocampo, who joined the mission, said justice will only be delivered for the victims of the massacre if more and more people from all sectors will come together and pressure the National Government.
"Condemnation of the massacre must continue until justice will be served. And efforts to end impunity in Maguindanao must not even end if justice is finally served because we all know that there could be more victims of human rights abuses and killings in this province," Ocampo said.
He said there is a need for the government to really show its sincerity in dismantling private armies that are local official’s killing machinery.
The government, he said, must also show that it has the capacity to protect and serve its people.
"Massive decay of injustice happens when the justice system is partial. If this injustice continues, he said, the people's anger and disgust against the government will remain," he added.
---------------7 soldiers hurt in roadside bombing in NCotabato
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/182550/7-soldiers-hurt-in-roadside-bombing-in-ncotabato
01/26/2010 | 11:24 PM
MAKILALA, North Cotabato - Seven soldiers, including an official, were injured in roadside landmine blast in this town Tuesday evening, police said.
“The victims are on the way to their camp in Barangay (village) Old Bulatukan after playing basketball when the military truck they were riding accidentally hit the explosive," said Chief Inspector Jerson Birrey, the town’s chief of police.
The explosion occurred at about 6 p.m. in Barangay Old Bulatukan, some 150 meters away from the military camp.
Hurt in the incident were Cpl. Geruel Hipe; Pfc. Levie Faranal; Pfc. Josel Miravalles; Pfc. Ariel Tambagan; Pfc. John Edward Tangub and Pfc. Jester Pancho, all members of the 57th Infantry Battalion Bravo Company of the Philippine Army.
The company's commanding officer, who has yet to be identified as of posting time, was hit by a shrapnel in the shoulder.
Birrey said the wounded soldiers were brought to the Makilala Medical Specialist Center where they were pronounced out of danger.
Bomb experts in North Cotabato recovered some electrical wires, masking tapes and pieces of shrapnel from the blast site.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. - Williamor Magbanua/KBK, GMANews.TV
01/26/2010 | 11:24 PM
MAKILALA, North Cotabato - Seven soldiers, including an official, were injured in roadside landmine blast in this town Tuesday evening, police said.
“The victims are on the way to their camp in Barangay (village) Old Bulatukan after playing basketball when the military truck they were riding accidentally hit the explosive," said Chief Inspector Jerson Birrey, the town’s chief of police.
The explosion occurred at about 6 p.m. in Barangay Old Bulatukan, some 150 meters away from the military camp.
Hurt in the incident were Cpl. Geruel Hipe; Pfc. Levie Faranal; Pfc. Josel Miravalles; Pfc. Ariel Tambagan; Pfc. John Edward Tangub and Pfc. Jester Pancho, all members of the 57th Infantry Battalion Bravo Company of the Philippine Army.
The company's commanding officer, who has yet to be identified as of posting time, was hit by a shrapnel in the shoulder.
Birrey said the wounded soldiers were brought to the Makilala Medical Specialist Center where they were pronounced out of danger.
Bomb experts in North Cotabato recovered some electrical wires, masking tapes and pieces of shrapnel from the blast site.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. - Williamor Magbanua/KBK, GMANews.TV
Abu Sayyafs, rouge Moro rebels bomb another bridge
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/zamboanga/abu-sayyafs-rouge-moro-rebels-bomb-another-bridge
By Bong Garcia
COMBINED forces of the Abu Sayyaf group and rouge Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) detonated Saturday an improvised bomb, damaging a bridge in Sulu province.
Brigadier General Rustico Guerrero, Joint Task Force Comet (JTFC) chief, said the explosion took place around 2:30 p.m. in the village of Bato-Bato, Indanan town, hitting the Talatak Bridge.
Guerrero said the combined bandits and rouge MNLF rebels led by Tahil Sali and Abraham Joel set off the improvised bomb to prevent the government troops from advancing.
The explosion happened at the height of a firefight, which ensued when the troops responded to a report from civilians about the presence of heavily armed men placing an unidentified package at the Talatak Bridge.
He said no one among the troops were either killed or injured during the explosion and firefight.
The bandits and rebels then fled towards an MNLF camp in Sitio Marang, Barangay Buansa in Indanan, Guerrero said.
Three days before the bombing, the same rebel groups attacked Marine troops guarding the Baitamal Bridge in Indanan Town.
The Baitamal Bridge is located just a kilometer away from Talatak Bridge.
Troops were deployed to secure the workers who are undertaking the repair works on Talatak Bridge, Guerrero said.
----------
By Bong Garcia
COMBINED forces of the Abu Sayyaf group and rouge Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) detonated Saturday an improvised bomb, damaging a bridge in Sulu province.
Brigadier General Rustico Guerrero, Joint Task Force Comet (JTFC) chief, said the explosion took place around 2:30 p.m. in the village of Bato-Bato, Indanan town, hitting the Talatak Bridge.
Guerrero said the combined bandits and rouge MNLF rebels led by Tahil Sali and Abraham Joel set off the improvised bomb to prevent the government troops from advancing.
The explosion happened at the height of a firefight, which ensued when the troops responded to a report from civilians about the presence of heavily armed men placing an unidentified package at the Talatak Bridge.
He said no one among the troops were either killed or injured during the explosion and firefight.
The bandits and rebels then fled towards an MNLF camp in Sitio Marang, Barangay Buansa in Indanan, Guerrero said.
Three days before the bombing, the same rebel groups attacked Marine troops guarding the Baitamal Bridge in Indanan Town.
The Baitamal Bridge is located just a kilometer away from Talatak Bridge.
Troops were deployed to secure the workers who are undertaking the repair works on Talatak Bridge, Guerrero said.
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Intel: Missile kills Filipino militant in Pakistan
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100121/ap_on_re_as/as_pakistan_militant_killed
By ISHTIAQ MAHSHUD, Associated Press Writer Ishtiaq Mahshud, Associated Press Writer
DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan – A Filipino militant wanted by the United States is believed to have been killed in an American drone strike close to the Afghan border earlier this month, Pakistani intelligence officials said Thursday.
If confirmed, the death of Abdul Basit Usman would represent another success for the U.S. covert missile program on targets in Pakistan. There have been an unprecedented number of attacks this month following a deadly Dec. 30 militant attack on a CIA base in Afghanistan.
Two military intelligence officers in northwestern Pakistan said Usman was believed killed on Jan. 14 on the border of Pakistan's South and North Waziristan tribal regions. Another 11 militants were also killed in the strike on a militant compound. Authorities have previously said the attack had targeted the leader of the Pakistani Taliban, Hakimullah Mehsud.
There had been no previous indication Usman was in Pakistan. If the reports of his death in Pakistan are true, it may indicate stronger ties between al-Qaida and Southeast Asian terrorist groups than previously thought.
The U.S. State Department's list of most-wanted terrorists identifies Usman as a bomb-making expert with links to the Philippines-based Abu Sayyaf militant group and the Southeast Asian Jemaah Islamiyah network. It puts a bounty of U.S. $1 million for information leading to his conviction, and says he is believed responsible for bombings in the southern Philippines in 2006 and 2007 that killed 15 people.
Waziristan and other parts of Pakistan's border region have long been home to militants from all over the world, primarily Arabs and central Asians. Up to several hundred Filipino and other Southeast Asian militants traveled to Afghanistan and Pakistan in the 1980s and '90s to fight the Soviets and attend al-Qaida run camps, but they are no longer believed to be in the region in significant numbers.
The apparent presence of Usman in Waziristan may raise fresh questions as to links between al-Qaida in Pakistan and militants in Southeast Asia, which has seen several bloody bombings and failed extremist plots since 2000. Many were carried out by militants who had returned from Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The Pakistani officials cited militant informers as the source of the information on Usman's death — which could not be independently confirmed. One of them said Usman had been in Waziristan for one year after arriving from Afghanistan. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media on the record.
In the Philippines, two senior intelligence officials said they were unaware of any report regarding Usman's death. A U.S. military official based in the southern Philippines, the stronghold of the Abu Sayyaf, said he also had not received any report. They too spoke on condition of anonymity.
Pakistani government officials, who rarely confirm the identities of those killed in U.S. attacks, were not available for comment late Thursday. Islamabad publicly complains about the missile strikes because admitting to cooperating with the United States would be politically damaging, but it is believed to provide intelligence for many of them.
U.S. officials, also, do not often talk about the missile strikes or their targets, but they have in the past confirmed the deaths of several mid- and high-level al-Qaida and Taliban fighters.
Most of the missiles are fired from unmanned drone aircraft launched from Afghanistan.
Visiting U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates was asked about the drone program during an interview with local Express TV.
"I'm not going to discuss operations but I will say this: These unmanned aerial vehicles have been extremely useful to us, both in Iraq and in Afghanistan," he said.
Gates said he is expanding the program by buying more of the aircraft. He also said the United States was considering ways to share intelligence with the Pakistani military, including possibly giving it U.S.-made drones for intelligence and reconnaissance purposes.
U.S. officials said Gates was referring to a proposed deal for 12 unarmed Shadow aircraft. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military cooperation.
___
Associated Press writers Jim Gomez in the Philippines and Chris Brummitt and Anne Gearan in Islamabad contributed to this report.
By ISHTIAQ MAHSHUD, Associated Press Writer Ishtiaq Mahshud, Associated Press Writer
DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan – A Filipino militant wanted by the United States is believed to have been killed in an American drone strike close to the Afghan border earlier this month, Pakistani intelligence officials said Thursday.
If confirmed, the death of Abdul Basit Usman would represent another success for the U.S. covert missile program on targets in Pakistan. There have been an unprecedented number of attacks this month following a deadly Dec. 30 militant attack on a CIA base in Afghanistan.
Two military intelligence officers in northwestern Pakistan said Usman was believed killed on Jan. 14 on the border of Pakistan's South and North Waziristan tribal regions. Another 11 militants were also killed in the strike on a militant compound. Authorities have previously said the attack had targeted the leader of the Pakistani Taliban, Hakimullah Mehsud.
There had been no previous indication Usman was in Pakistan. If the reports of his death in Pakistan are true, it may indicate stronger ties between al-Qaida and Southeast Asian terrorist groups than previously thought.
The U.S. State Department's list of most-wanted terrorists identifies Usman as a bomb-making expert with links to the Philippines-based Abu Sayyaf militant group and the Southeast Asian Jemaah Islamiyah network. It puts a bounty of U.S. $1 million for information leading to his conviction, and says he is believed responsible for bombings in the southern Philippines in 2006 and 2007 that killed 15 people.
Waziristan and other parts of Pakistan's border region have long been home to militants from all over the world, primarily Arabs and central Asians. Up to several hundred Filipino and other Southeast Asian militants traveled to Afghanistan and Pakistan in the 1980s and '90s to fight the Soviets and attend al-Qaida run camps, but they are no longer believed to be in the region in significant numbers.
The apparent presence of Usman in Waziristan may raise fresh questions as to links between al-Qaida in Pakistan and militants in Southeast Asia, which has seen several bloody bombings and failed extremist plots since 2000. Many were carried out by militants who had returned from Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The Pakistani officials cited militant informers as the source of the information on Usman's death — which could not be independently confirmed. One of them said Usman had been in Waziristan for one year after arriving from Afghanistan. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media on the record.
In the Philippines, two senior intelligence officials said they were unaware of any report regarding Usman's death. A U.S. military official based in the southern Philippines, the stronghold of the Abu Sayyaf, said he also had not received any report. They too spoke on condition of anonymity.
Pakistani government officials, who rarely confirm the identities of those killed in U.S. attacks, were not available for comment late Thursday. Islamabad publicly complains about the missile strikes because admitting to cooperating with the United States would be politically damaging, but it is believed to provide intelligence for many of them.
U.S. officials, also, do not often talk about the missile strikes or their targets, but they have in the past confirmed the deaths of several mid- and high-level al-Qaida and Taliban fighters.
Most of the missiles are fired from unmanned drone aircraft launched from Afghanistan.
Visiting U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates was asked about the drone program during an interview with local Express TV.
"I'm not going to discuss operations but I will say this: These unmanned aerial vehicles have been extremely useful to us, both in Iraq and in Afghanistan," he said.
Gates said he is expanding the program by buying more of the aircraft. He also said the United States was considering ways to share intelligence with the Pakistani military, including possibly giving it U.S.-made drones for intelligence and reconnaissance purposes.
U.S. officials said Gates was referring to a proposed deal for 12 unarmed Shadow aircraft. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military cooperation.
___
Associated Press writers Jim Gomez in the Philippines and Chris Brummitt and Anne Gearan in Islamabad contributed to this report.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Ampatuans entrust arsenal to MILF leader
By John Unson (The Philippine Star) Updated December 21, 2009 12:00 AM
SHARIFF AGUAK, Maguindanao, Philippines — The Ampatuans have entrusted their arsenal for safekeeping to a Moro Islamic Liberation Front commander related to patriarch Maguindanao Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr. after the military seized more than 800 of the clan’s firearms, according to relatives.
A relative of Ampatuan Sr. said many of his firearms were brought out of Shariff Aguak immediately after the Nov. 26 arrest of his son, Datu Unsay Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr.
“The old man (Ampatuan Sr.) has very strong connections with the police and the military before the incident so there was really no problem for him building a very strong private militia,” said an Ampatuan who is a hadji, one that has gone on pilgrimage to Mecca.
A source who asked not to be named said the firearms seized by soldiers and policemen in Shariff Aguak and nearby towns are not even half of the Ampatuan arsenal.
“Talks have been circulating that they have turned over hundreds to certain rebel groups whose leaders are related to them,” the source said.
Ampatuan Sr. is a relative of Adan Abdullah, commander of the MILF 106th Base Command.Local sectors in Maguin-danao are convinced the Ampatuans’ acquisition of a huge ammunition supply was connected with the mysterious fire that razed a military ammunition depot inside Camp Siongco in Maguindanao almost two years ago.
At the time, the Army 6th Infantry Division Headquarters Service Battalion commanding officer prevented radio reporter Loreto Rosario of Catholic station dxND from covering the dawn fire that destroyed the military ammunition storage facility atop a hill inside Camp Siongco.
About a year before the fire, the ammunition depot’s caretaker, an Army major, was relieved from his post due to pilferage of ammunition under his custody.
The officer’s subordinates found dozens of ammunition and empty bullet boxes scattered along a trail leading to an open window in one of the warehouses to a fence at the rear of the building.
Col. Julieto Ando, who was 6th ID spokesman when the fire hit the ammunition depot, told reporters then military investigators believe that rodents or a snake could have cause the fire.
Just months after a big fire destroyed the ammunition depot, a fire razed the armory of the Maguindanao police in Shariff Aguak.
Police officials told investigators dozens of firearms and thousands of ammunition for assault rifles were destroyed in the fire.
However, an official of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao said not a single burnt metal gun part was found at the scene.
“It also appeared that there seemed a premeditated arson there,” said the source.
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http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=534578&publicationSubCategoryId=63
Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Rebellion charges vs Ampatuans to be filed Wednesday
12/08/2009 | 11:46 PM
Government prosecutors on Tuesday recommended the filing of rebellion charges against seven members of the powerful Ampatuan clan, including its patriarch, former Maguindanao Governor Andal Ampatuan Sr.
Other clan members who will be charged are Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Governor Zaldy Ampatuan, Akmad Tato Ampatuan, Anwar Ampatuan, Sajid Islam Ampatuan, Goldo Ampatuan, and Abdulla Kaliangat Ampatuan.
Seventeen (17) others are also included in the list, according to Justice Undersecretary Ricardo Blancaflor.
Blancaflor said the prosecution panel led by Senior State Prosecutor Leo Dacera would file the case on Wednesday at the Cotabato Regional Trial Court when government offices there resume operations.
The charges were supposed to be filed Tuesday, but government offices in Cotabato City were closed in celebration of the Holy Feast of the Immaculate Conception, a local holiday.
The case was in connection with the alleged armed uprising being hatched by the Ampatuans to stop government authorities from arresting them in connection with the Nov. 23 massacre of 57 people in Maguindanao province.
Other witnesses also testified on the role of the Ampatuans in allegedly planning and implementing the withdrawal of allegiance from the government.
Ampatuan Sr. and Zaldy Ampatuan are now under government custody, as well as Datu Unsay Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr., who is now facing 40 counts of murder in connection with the Maguindanao massacre after prosecutors added 15 to the earlier 25.
One of the lawyers of the embattled clan, meanwhile, said Ampatuan Sr. should be taken out of government custody.
Lawyer Victor Emmanuel Fontanilla, who stands as the clan's spokesman, said the 72-hour period given to determine if Ampatuan Sr. has to be charged has expired Tuesday without any complaints being lodged.
In his Balitanghali report, GMA News reporter Ian Cruz said no one from the Department of Justice (DOJ) has arrived to subject Andal Sr. to an inquest proceeding as of Tuesday noon.
Andal Sr. was initially brought to the Davao Doctors Hospital for health reasons Saturday, but was later transferred to a military hospital at Camp Panacan in Davao City, where he remains under observation due to hypertension.- with Mark Merueñas/KBK,GMANews.TV
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http://www.gmanews.tv/story/178858/rebellion-charges-vs-ampatuans-to-be-filed-wednesday
Government prosecutors on Tuesday recommended the filing of rebellion charges against seven members of the powerful Ampatuan clan, including its patriarch, former Maguindanao Governor Andal Ampatuan Sr.
Other clan members who will be charged are Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Governor Zaldy Ampatuan, Akmad Tato Ampatuan, Anwar Ampatuan, Sajid Islam Ampatuan, Goldo Ampatuan, and Abdulla Kaliangat Ampatuan.
Seventeen (17) others are also included in the list, according to Justice Undersecretary Ricardo Blancaflor.
Blancaflor said the prosecution panel led by Senior State Prosecutor Leo Dacera would file the case on Wednesday at the Cotabato Regional Trial Court when government offices there resume operations.
The charges were supposed to be filed Tuesday, but government offices in Cotabato City were closed in celebration of the Holy Feast of the Immaculate Conception, a local holiday.
The case was in connection with the alleged armed uprising being hatched by the Ampatuans to stop government authorities from arresting them in connection with the Nov. 23 massacre of 57 people in Maguindanao province.
Other witnesses also testified on the role of the Ampatuans in allegedly planning and implementing the withdrawal of allegiance from the government.
Ampatuan Sr. and Zaldy Ampatuan are now under government custody, as well as Datu Unsay Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr., who is now facing 40 counts of murder in connection with the Maguindanao massacre after prosecutors added 15 to the earlier 25.
One of the lawyers of the embattled clan, meanwhile, said Ampatuan Sr. should be taken out of government custody.
Lawyer Victor Emmanuel Fontanilla, who stands as the clan's spokesman, said the 72-hour period given to determine if Ampatuan Sr. has to be charged has expired Tuesday without any complaints being lodged.
In his Balitanghali report, GMA News reporter Ian Cruz said no one from the Department of Justice (DOJ) has arrived to subject Andal Sr. to an inquest proceeding as of Tuesday noon.
Andal Sr. was initially brought to the Davao Doctors Hospital for health reasons Saturday, but was later transferred to a military hospital at Camp Panacan in Davao City, where he remains under observation due to hypertension.- with Mark Merueñas/KBK,GMANews.TV
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http://www.gmanews.tv/story/178858/rebellion-charges-vs-ampatuans-to-be-filed-wednesday
5 of recovered weapons belong to Ampatuan militiamen, military says
12/08/2009 | 08:47 PM
At least five of the weapons unearthed last Monday have been identified to belong to members of the Civilian Volunteers Organization (CVO) who reportedly remain loyal to the Ampatuans accused of masterminding the massacre of 57 people in Maguindanao.
The serial numbers of five M16 assault rifles matched the weapons assigned to five CVO members based on a list signed by CVO leader Mohamad Sangki. The list was obtained by the military from the municipal hall of Ampatuan town in Maguindanao. [See: Third arms cache dug up behind Ampatuan town hall and also Firearms recovered in suspected ranch of Andal Sr. to be subjected to ballistics test]
For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV
The five CVO members with the corresponding serial numbers of the M16s assigned to them are: Brods Daulog (434236); Mahdi Kamsa (120080); Mastura Limba (003401); Gapor Limba (003401); and Rakman Sugadol (245498).
Lt. Col. Edgardo de Leon, commander of the Philippine Army's 73rd Infantry Battalion, said the identification of the CVO members could help solve the November 23 crime.
"Pagka positive ang ballistic examination (If the ballistic examination is positive), then we will have positive identities already of the perpetrators. Kumbaga, yung (It means) firearms have links already to specific persons," said De Leon.
Meanwhile, Chief Supt. Leonardo Espina, spokesman of the Philippine National Police (PNP) said on Tuesday said that more high-powered firearms were found in a septic tank at the back portion of the house owned of CVO chief security Macapagal "Marlboro" Kamendan in Cotabato City.
The weapons recovered include: one M60 machine gun; five M14 rifles, five M203 grenade launchers; and 14 M16 rifles. The firearms were turned over to the PNP's Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in Region 12, according to Espina. - GMANews.TV
______________________________________
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/178846/5-of-recovered-weapons-belong-to-ampatuan-militiamen-military-says
At least five of the weapons unearthed last Monday have been identified to belong to members of the Civilian Volunteers Organization (CVO) who reportedly remain loyal to the Ampatuans accused of masterminding the massacre of 57 people in Maguindanao.
The serial numbers of five M16 assault rifles matched the weapons assigned to five CVO members based on a list signed by CVO leader Mohamad Sangki. The list was obtained by the military from the municipal hall of Ampatuan town in Maguindanao. [See: Third arms cache dug up behind Ampatuan town hall and also Firearms recovered in suspected ranch of Andal Sr. to be subjected to ballistics test]
For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV
The five CVO members with the corresponding serial numbers of the M16s assigned to them are: Brods Daulog (434236); Mahdi Kamsa (120080); Mastura Limba (003401); Gapor Limba (003401); and Rakman Sugadol (245498).
Lt. Col. Edgardo de Leon, commander of the Philippine Army's 73rd Infantry Battalion, said the identification of the CVO members could help solve the November 23 crime.
"Pagka positive ang ballistic examination (If the ballistic examination is positive), then we will have positive identities already of the perpetrators. Kumbaga, yung (It means) firearms have links already to specific persons," said De Leon.
Meanwhile, Chief Supt. Leonardo Espina, spokesman of the Philippine National Police (PNP) said on Tuesday said that more high-powered firearms were found in a septic tank at the back portion of the house owned of CVO chief security Macapagal "Marlboro" Kamendan in Cotabato City.
The weapons recovered include: one M60 machine gun; five M14 rifles, five M203 grenade launchers; and 14 M16 rifles. The firearms were turned over to the PNP's Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in Region 12, according to Espina. - GMANews.TV
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http://www.gmanews.tv/story/178846/5-of-recovered-weapons-belong-to-ampatuan-militiamen-military-says
Mindanao governors, lawmakers support martial law
JOHANNA CAMILLE L. SISANTE, GMANews.TV
12/08/2009 | 07:58 PMSeveral Mindanao governors and congressmen on Tuesday expressed their support to the declaration of martial law in Maguindanao province, saying it should serve as a wake-up call for “warlords" in the country.
"With what's been found all over the area, I think the declaration is justifiable. No one knows what's going to happen," said Davao del Norte Rep. Antonio Lagdameo at a press conference inside the Batasan Pambansa in Quezon City.
Davao del Sur Rep. Marc Douglas Cagas IV said the existence of warlords is a reality in the whole country. “Realistically speaking, warlords do not only exist in Maguindanao. There are also other warlords in other areas."
“This [martial law] is a wake-up call for them to stop the rule of tyranny and start abiding by the rule of law," he added.
Through Proclamation 1959, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo placed Maguindanao under martial last Friday night to contain what her government said a looming rebellion there allegedly led by supporters of the Ampatuan clan.
The Senate and the House of Representatives are set to hold a joint session on Wednesday afternoon to discuss whether they would revoke or extend Proclamation 1959 – the first use of martial law since the late President Ferdinand Marcos imposed it on a nationwide scale more than 30 years ago.
The Mindanao officials, however, stopped short of saying that martial law should also be imposed on areas believed to be dominated by powerful political clans.
"Essentially we support the full implementation of the rule of law," said Sarangani Governor Miguel Dominguez when asked whether or not they support the expansion of martial law to other areas.
Aside from Dominguez, Cagas and Lagdameo, also present at the press conference were Sulu Governor Sakur Tan, Basilan Governor Jum Akbar, and North Cotabato Rep. Emmylou Talino-Mendoza. - KBK, GMANews.TV
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http://www.gmanews.tv/story/178839/mindanao-governors-lawmakers-support-martial-law
132 private armed groups exist in RP - DND chief
KIMBERLY JANE TAN, GMANews.TV
12/08/2009 | 06:15 PMThere are at least 132 armed groups connected to political clans in the country, most of them in Mindanao, according to Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales.
Gonzales said these private armed groups – composed of more or less 10,000 men - could be used by several candidates to intimidate their opponents in next year’s elections. He did not identify the politicians who are maintaining these armed groups.
“I think there is a tendency by some of our local candidates to engage again [in] their habits of using violence to ensure their victory in 2010," he told reporters at the Commission on Elections (Comelec) main office in Manila Tuesday.
“We cannot allow that to happen," he added.
Gonzales dropped by the Comelec office to discuss with officials the conduct of next year’s elections in Maguindanao province, now under martial law following the turmoil caused by the massacre of 57 people, including women and journalists, there last November 23.
He added a total gun ban should be instituted during next year’s polls to prevent these armed groups from sowing fear among voters.
Heavily armed
Citing a military report, Gonzales said these groups are in possession of high-powered firearms as evidenced by the armaments uncovered in Maguindanao recently.
The discovered firearms in Maguindanao allegedly belonged to the private armies of the powerful Ampatuan clan, who is being linked to the Nov. 23 mass killing.
He said these politically-connected armed groups may be in possession of some of the more than 800,000 unaccounted firearms in the country.
Gonzales said they are currently making a city-per-city and a province-per-province assessment in Mindanao to gather more information about the armed groups and their weaponry.
“It is normal for the [Armed Forces of the Philippines] and the police to monitor armed groups wherever they are. What I’m trying to do now is put this all together and convert it into a plan," he said.
Crackdown
Philippine National Police chief Director General Jesus Verzosa has ordered tactical police units to go after private armies in their jurisdictions.
In a directive to the Directorate for Operations, Verzosa instructed the PNP Regional and Provincial Mobile Groups to dismantle and neutralize all known private armed groups that are widely believed protected by local warlords and politicians.
Armed Forces chief Gen. Victor Ibrado had earlier said that at least 2,000 members of Civilian Volunteers Organization (CVO) were monitored to have been massing up in different areas near Shariff Aguak in Maguindanao.
He said they would launch a military operation if these men would not surrender together with their firearms.
The CVOs were reportedly under the command of former Maguindanao Governor Andal Ampatuan Sr., who is facing rebellion charges in connection with his private army that was allegedly planning to act independently of the government.
"I have designated the Regional and Provincial Mobile Groups to spearhead our campaign to run after and dismantle all private armed groups in the country, especially in places considered by the PNP as election areas of concern," he said. - KBK, GMANews.TV
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http://www.gmanews.tv/story/178831/132-private-armed-groups-exist-in-rp-dnd-chief
Military launches ‘persuasion flights’ vs. Ampatuan supporters
12/08/2009 | 08:48 PM
Two OV-10 Bronco attack planes hovered on Tuesday over three areas in Maguindanao to urge civilian supporters of the Ampatuans to surrender, following the arrest of key members of the clan either as suspects in the November 23 massacre of 57 people in Ampatuan town.
Col. Leo Ferrer, 601st Infantry Brigade commander and current military governor of Maguindanao, said the military launched “persuasion flights" in the towns of Mamasapano, Rajah Buayan and Datu Piang as part of its crackdown on militiamen reportedly supporting the Ampatuan clan.
“This is to show these groups who still insist not to be disarmed that they will suffer the wrath of these bomber planes if the Armed Forces decides to launch a tactical offensive against them," he told reporters in Filipino.
Ferrer added that two other military helicopters dropped about 6,000 leaflets over the province to urge civilian volunteer organizations (CVOs) still loyal to the Ampatuans to turn themselves in to government forces.
For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV
These leaflets, which where dropped over 15 villages in the province, read: “Sa mga police auxiliaries: Huwag na kayong magtago sa batas. Sumuko na kayo alang-alang sa katahimikan ng Maguindanao. (To police auxiliaries: Stop hiding from the law. Surrender now for the peace and order of Maguindanao.) "
The leaflets likewise contained a contact number where civilians can inform the military of the whereabouts of the CVOs. These numbers were flooded with messages minutes after the military finished dropping the leaflets, Ferrer explained.
“These leaflets urge CVOs to stop hiding to avoid violence and to facilitate the restoration of peace and order in Maguindanao," he said.
The military likewise made rounds in the province with megaphones and called for the immediate surrender of the Ampatuans’ militiamen.
“These leaflets urge CVOs to stop hiding to avoid violence and to facilitate the restoration of peace and order in Maguindanao," he said.
The province of Maguindanao except certain areas covered by a government agreement with the secessionist Moro Islamic Liberation Front has been under military rule since Friday night after President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, through Proclamation 1959, declared martial law over the area.
In a report to Congress, Arroyo cited the threat of "lawless elements" taking up arms and committed to launch public uprisings as one of the reasons why it placed the province under martial law. [See: 'Lawless elements have taken up arms:' Arroyo report to Congress on martial law declaration in Maguindanao] - Andreo C. Calonzo/JV, GMANews.TV
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/178842/military-launches-persuasion-flights-vs-ampatuan-supporters
Two OV-10 Bronco attack planes hovered on Tuesday over three areas in Maguindanao to urge civilian supporters of the Ampatuans to surrender, following the arrest of key members of the clan either as suspects in the November 23 massacre of 57 people in Ampatuan town.
Col. Leo Ferrer, 601st Infantry Brigade commander and current military governor of Maguindanao, said the military launched “persuasion flights" in the towns of Mamasapano, Rajah Buayan and Datu Piang as part of its crackdown on militiamen reportedly supporting the Ampatuan clan.
“This is to show these groups who still insist not to be disarmed that they will suffer the wrath of these bomber planes if the Armed Forces decides to launch a tactical offensive against them," he told reporters in Filipino.
Ferrer added that two other military helicopters dropped about 6,000 leaflets over the province to urge civilian volunteer organizations (CVOs) still loyal to the Ampatuans to turn themselves in to government forces.
For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV
These leaflets, which where dropped over 15 villages in the province, read: “Sa mga police auxiliaries: Huwag na kayong magtago sa batas. Sumuko na kayo alang-alang sa katahimikan ng Maguindanao. (To police auxiliaries: Stop hiding from the law. Surrender now for the peace and order of Maguindanao.) "
The leaflets likewise contained a contact number where civilians can inform the military of the whereabouts of the CVOs. These numbers were flooded with messages minutes after the military finished dropping the leaflets, Ferrer explained.
“These leaflets urge CVOs to stop hiding to avoid violence and to facilitate the restoration of peace and order in Maguindanao," he said.
The military likewise made rounds in the province with megaphones and called for the immediate surrender of the Ampatuans’ militiamen.
“These leaflets urge CVOs to stop hiding to avoid violence and to facilitate the restoration of peace and order in Maguindanao," he said.
The province of Maguindanao except certain areas covered by a government agreement with the secessionist Moro Islamic Liberation Front has been under military rule since Friday night after President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, through Proclamation 1959, declared martial law over the area.
In a report to Congress, Arroyo cited the threat of "lawless elements" taking up arms and committed to launch public uprisings as one of the reasons why it placed the province under martial law. [See: 'Lawless elements have taken up arms:' Arroyo report to Congress on martial law declaration in Maguindanao] - Andreo C. Calonzo/JV, GMANews.TV
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/178842/military-launches-persuasion-flights-vs-ampatuan-supporters
Monday, December 07, 2009
Philippine massacre suspects face rebellion raps
SHARIFF AGUAK, Philippines – Prosecutors drew up additional charges of rebellion Monday against members of a powerful southern clan suspected in the Philippines' worst political massacre, as troops uncovered more hidden weapons.
Civil rights groups were set to challenge at the Supreme Court President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's declaration of martial law in Maguindanao province, which authorized thousands of troops to make arrests without court warrants and crack down on the Ampatuan clan and its private army.
Andal Ampatuan Sr., the clan's patriarch and former governor who has ruled unopposed for years, has been arrested with at least six other family members and about 60 followers on suspicion of planning and carrying out the Nov. 23 killing of 57 people — including 30 journalists and their staff — traveling in a convoy of a political rival. The Ampatuans have denied involvement.
Ampatuan's son, Andal Ampatuan Jr., who turned himself in last month, is the only one charged with multiple counts of murder. Justice Secretary Agnes Devanadera said prosecutors would file murder charges against the other Ampatuans who were arrested over the weekend, as well as additional charges of rebellion for allegedly organizing armed resistance.
Thirty-nine firearms and crates of ammunition were dug up Sunday at a farm believed owned by the Ampatuans near the provincial capital of Shariff Aguak, army Brig. Gen. Gaudencio Pangilinan said. Other stockpiles, including mortar shells, were retrieved last week outside the Ampatuans' compound. Officials said the weapons, some stamped with Defense Department markings, were enough to arm a battalion.
Army troops and police said they were pursuing about 4,000 armed followers of the Ampatuans, some reportedly massing in eight Maguindanao towns. Security forces sealed off Maguindanao's exit points and mounted checkpoints, police Director Andres Caro said.
Pangilinan told reporters the gunmen were capable of carrying out bombings, arson attacks and abductions.
The Ampatuans are notorious for running a large private army, many of them pro-government militia who are meant to be an auxiliary force to the military and police in battling insurgents and bandits.
The clan helped Arroyo win crucial votes from Maguindanao during 2004 elections, but the administration's party expelled them after the massacre.
Citing a breakdown in law and order and massing up of Ampatuan's supporters, Arroyo on late Friday imposed martial law in Maguindanao — the first use of military rule in the Philippines since late dictator Ferdinand Marcos declared it nationwide more than 30 years ago.
Pro-democracy advocates accused her of overreacting, and a group of human rights lawyers argues that there are insufficient grounds for martial law and plan to challenge it in the Supreme Court later Monday.
An Ampatuan ally, Rep. Didagen Dilangalen, filed a separate motion against martial law.
Arroyo sent a report on her martial law declaration to Congress, which will convene Tuesday to approve or reject it. Her allies dominate the lower house.
___
Associated Press writers Jim Gomez, Teresa Cerojano and Hrvoje Hranjski in Manila contributed to this report.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091207/ap_on_re_as/as_philippines_massacre
Sunday, December 06, 2009
Warehouse serves as Ampatuan arms depot
MARK D. MERUEÑAS, GMANews.TV 12/05/2009 | 05:01 PM
Following a tip from a "concerned citizen," soldiers on Saturday raided a warehouse beside a National Food Authority (NFA) establishment in Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao, where they found stockpiles of weapons believed to be owned by the Ampatuans.
The warehouse was filled with an unusual inventory: at least two armored vehicles, three police mobile patrol cars, and thousands of rounds of ammunition, among others.
Just outside the warehouse, authorities discovered freshly dug soil and unearthed M16 assault rifles and 10 cases of magazines.
"May nagsabi sa amin na concerned citizen na may nakatago dito at iyon na-discover nga natin ito... nung pinasok natin kanina 'to nakakandado," said Lt. Col. Michael Samson, public affairs officer of the Philippine Army in Shariff Aguak, in a radio interview.
(A concerned citizen told us that something is being hidden there and that's when we discovered...when we went in it was locked.)
An expired license and a permit to carry firearms were also recovered. Authorities have yet to determine the owner of the stash of weaponry and armored vehicles, but an ammunition box found inside the warehouse bore the name of Sajid Ampatuan, son of Maguindanao Governor Andal Ampatuan Sr., who briefly took over the post of his father.
Suspicions that the stash of firearms belonged to the local government grew after authorities found a black Suburban SUV with plate number GOV888, which appears to belong to the governor of the province.
At least 60,000 rounds of M16 ammunition were found stored inside an 18-wheel truck. Authorities said the volume of ammunition was more than enough to arm an entire battalion.
A policeman usually carries around 300 rounds of M16 ammunition, according to Samson.
A military-grade Humvee (red plate SJA 336), with armor for a 50-caliber machine gun mounted on top, was also inside the NFA warehouse, as well as a military truck with plate number LFP 195.
The military attributed the success of the raid to the declaration of martial law earlier in the day, which gave powers to the military to conduct warantless search and arrest in the province.
The military said they had been monitoring activities in the warehouse for a long time, but could not get inside the establishment because they could not secure a search warrant. - JHU, ARCS, TJD, GMANews.TV
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