Police detonate bomb in South Cotabato

GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Philippines—Police bomb experts safely detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) discovered under a tree beside the national highway in Tantangan, South Cotabato (an earlier report said it was found planted in a targeted passenger bus).

Chief Superintendent Felicisimo Khu Jr., head of the Directorate for Integrated Police Operations in Western Mindanao, said the bomb, fashioned out of an 81-millimeter mortar shell fitted with a mobile phone as trigger device, was found in Barangay (village) Magon around 8 a.m.

He said the police suspected that the bomb was intended for buses of the Yellow Bus Line (YBL) Inc., which services southern and central Mindanao areas and had previously been the target of terrorist bombings.

“This was the third IED intended for the YBL so far,” Khu said, adding that the Tantangan police had earlier received a text message stating that a YBL bus would be bombed along the national highway.

He said the police talked with the YBL management on the latest attempt but that nobody would confirm if it was related to previous acts of extortion against the company.

The authorities had earlier warned of possible bomb attacks in South Cotabato and other parts of Central Mindanao.

On December 26, two improvised bombs were defused by the police’s explosive ordnance disposal team in Polomolok, South Cotabato.

The bombs were discovered by two teenagers hidden in baggage left near the gate of the Polomolok National High School.

Two other IEDs earlier recovered in the region were also made of 81-mm mortar shells and fitted with mobile phones as detonating devices.

Meanwhile, threats to blow up bombs in Alabel and Maasim towns, both in Sarangani Province, anytime on Wednesday or Thursday were being closely monitored, Khu said.—With Jamie Marie Elona, INQUIRER.net

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By Aquiles Z. Zonio
Inquirer Mindanao

4:45 pm | Wednesday, January 4th, 2012

Link

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

Local Terrorists Robbed A Villager, Responding Policemen Ambushed

CAMP ELIAS ANGELES, Pili, Camarines Sur – Five members of the 509th Police Provincial Mobile Group (PPMG) were killed and two others were wounded while one rebel was killed in an ambush staged by the Local Terrorist Group (LTG) in Barangay Antipolo, Bulan, Sorsogon at around 1:30pm yesterday (November 9).

Quoting a report from the 903rd Infantry Brigade that reached 9ID Headquarters, Major Harold Cabunoc, the Division Spokesman, said that the incident was directly related to the robbery perpetrated by heavily armed CTs on the home of a certain Mr Gary Goyala, reported to be one of the employees of Congressman Jose Solis in Brgy J.P. Laurel, Bulan, Sorsogon. Responding to the urgent call by terrified neighbors, elements of 509th PPMG led by Police Inspector Jeffrey De Leon proceeded to the area on board a PNP Mobile patrol car. Unfortunately, the blocking elements of the armed robbers strategically positioned in Brgy Antipolo of the same municipality conducted a treacherous ambush using landmines and Molotov bombs.

Receiving an urgent call from heavily engaged PNP personnel, LTC SANTIAGO ENGINCO, battalion commander of the 49th Infantry Battalion, sent a platoon led by 1LT ALFIE LEE to reinforce the beleaguered police personnel. With their swift action, the Army troopers were able to repulse the attackers and killed one of the ambushers. Recovered in the scene were four M16 rifles owned by the PNP, 1 PNP mobile patrol car, unexploded ordnance/IEDs, and the 5 cadavers of PNP personnel. The Army troopers were able to rescue also two (2) wounded police officers, who were immediately rushed to nearby hospital.

The five (5) PNP personnel who were killed were identified as P/Ins Jefferson De Leon, PO1 George Jordan, SPO1 Johson Gerola, PO2 Darwin Detoito and PO1 Ryan Padrigue and the wounding of two others namely, PO1 Franz Guamos and PO1 Alain Lanuza. Initially, PO1 Jordan was reported missing but he was found later by responding Army soldiers.

The LTG activities were significantly hampered by series of setbacks from 9ID troopers. In September 25, 2009, nine (9) LTG members led by a certain Ka Ely, were killed in a daring raid conducted by the Scout Rangers from the 3rd Scout Ranger Battalion. It was followed by the capture of four (4) LTG rebels in Brgy Maalo, Juban, Sorsogon by the 11th Scout Ranger Company and the capture of another four CPP-NPA-NDF members and the recovery of 4 high-powered firearms during a raid on November 7, 2009 in Sitio Sagpang, Siuton, Magallanes, Sorsogon.

Major Cabunoc also said that the effective ISO campaign conducted by the 9ID has pressured the CPP-NPA-NDF rebels. “They are now engaged in plain banditry to sustain their operations”, he added. In a TV interview on November 9, 2009, Nilo Escullar aka “Ka Omar” has admitted that they were indeed involved in extortion activities in remote barangays. “Mga kapatid, bumaba na kayo. Walang kabuluhan itong ipinaglalaban natin!”, Escullar was quoted over ABS-CBN Bicol.
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http://pio9id.blogspot.com/2009/11/local-terrorists-robbed-villager.html