The death toll from floods and landslides caused by heavy rains in past weeks rose to 75 Thursday, with the latest fatalities from Cebu and Agusan del Sur. The NDRRMC (National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council) said the causes of death of the 75 fatalities included drowning, landslide, electrocution and hypothermia. At least 21 remain missing while 13 were reported injured, it added. A total of 1,365 families or 6,135 people are still being served in 48 evacuation centers. At least 745 houses were destroyed while 4,550 were damaged. Damage to property was estimated at P2.025 billion, including P659.533 million in agriculture; and P1.345 billion in infrastructure.
State of calamity eyed in Mandaue City
Meanwhile, Mandaue City in Cebu province is considering declaring a state of calamity due to flash floods that hit parts of Metro Cebu this week. Affected by Tuesday's flash floods in Mandaue City were Tipolo, Subang-daku and Guizo villages where floodwaters were neck-deep.
The silted Mahiga Creek and Tipolo Creek overflowed, affecting the low-lying areas of Subang-daku, Panagdait, Palace of Justice in Mandaue and nearby Parkmall. Classes in Guizo Elementary School and A.S. Fortuna Elementary School were also suspended. In Cebu City, the vicinity of SM Mall, White Gold Department Store and Radison Hotel at Sitio Pinagdait were flooded. Some 254 passengers in the area near SM Macro were stranded and transported by the 51st Marine Reserve Battalion of the Cebu City disaster risk reduction and management council.
Showing posts with label Philippines. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Philippines. Show all posts
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
4 killed, 14 others injured in Manila bus explosion
Friday, January 07, 2011
Study German Language in Cebu
 |
| German Language Class |
The next exam for German A1 – the exam needed for visa – will held in Cebu in April.
A good opportunity to prepare successful for this exam is a one-on-one class with a German teacher. Those who wants to be ready until the exam in April in Cebu should apply soon. The available time slots for one-on-one tutorials are limited.
More Informations and Registration at Study German in Cebu
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Study English in a tropical island paradise
Cebu Languages have a standard package inclusive of indoor & outdoor courses, accommodation, meals and transportation. Cebu Languages offer a special package for students during their summer and winter vacations, and a family vacation and study package for families travelling on a holiday and want to learn English. However, you can customize your own package at Cebu Languages.
More info about Cebu Languages
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Philippines hit by two quakes
Two earthquakes rocked the southern Philippines in the past two days, but no casualties or damage were reported, the government said on Wednesday.
A magnitude 5.5 quake struck before dawn on Wednesday in Tawi-Tawi province, 1080 kilometres south of Manila, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.
The tremor's epicentre was located north-west of Tawi-Tawi. It was felt at intensity four, the institute said.
On Tuesday, a magnitude 6.2 earthquake hit nearby General Santos City and Davao City, but there were also no casualties or damage.
The tremor was felt at intensities three and two. Its epicentre was located south-east of General Santos City.
The Philippines, which lies on the Pacific "Ring of Fire," is hit by about 10 earthquakes everyday but only a few are actually felt.
The worst earthquake that struck the country was in 1990 when a magnitude 7.7 tremor killed nearly 2000 people in the northern island of Luzon.
A magnitude 5.5 quake struck before dawn on Wednesday in Tawi-Tawi province, 1080 kilometres south of Manila, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.
The tremor's epicentre was located north-west of Tawi-Tawi. It was felt at intensity four, the institute said.
On Tuesday, a magnitude 6.2 earthquake hit nearby General Santos City and Davao City, but there were also no casualties or damage.
The tremor was felt at intensities three and two. Its epicentre was located south-east of General Santos City.
The Philippines, which lies on the Pacific "Ring of Fire," is hit by about 10 earthquakes everyday but only a few are actually felt.
The worst earthquake that struck the country was in 1990 when a magnitude 7.7 tremor killed nearly 2000 people in the northern island of Luzon.
Don’t rush - Terrorist Attack or Accident?
We do not know who was the first to raise the possibility that a liquefied petroleum gas tank 
caused the explosion at the Glorietta 2 mall. Perhaps it was an eyewitness or perhaps it was a radio commentator speculating on air. But a few hours after the explosion, this theory was firmly set aside, and by responsible officers of the country’s armed services.
The blast was most likely caused by a “hard explosive,” Chief Insp. Reynold Rosero of the Philippine Bomb Data Center told reporters. (He also described the event as “most likely a deliberate attack.”) Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Avelino Razon echoed the line later in the day.
The day after the blast, Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon issued a categorical statement. “It is a terrorist attack,” he said.
That same day, the PNP Crime Laboratory and the Bomb Data Center told the National Security Council meeting in Camp Crame that they had found traces of RDX, an ingredient used in such explosives as C4, which is used by the military.
But the following day, Sunday, the wind began to change direction. The police director for Metro Manila, Geary Barias, soft-pedaled the previous day’s assertion that RDX was found, saying its presence would have to be verified by “additional testing.”
This change came on the heels of the rather odd announcement, late on Saturday, that the blast originated from the basement of the mall.
“The explosion came from the underground, that’s why there was a crater-like structure in the stairs going to the basement,” Rosero of the Bomb Data Center told reporters. Aside from the curious construction of that statement (did the police officer say a crater in the stairs?), there is also the inconvenient fact that Makati City Councilor Jun-Jun Binay had already told the media, on the day of the blast, that the explosion left an eight-meter-wide crater on the ground floor.
Even without that conflict in testimony, however, Rosero’s unqualified assertion that the blast started in the basement was rather premature. Why? Because on the day he said that, the basement in question was still heavily flooded. (There were mentions of the flooding in the early stories.)
Where did the water come from? From two tanks in the area, one containing water for firefighting purposes, the other water for ordinary use. Thus, in the first few days after the blast, not a single person entered the basement, because the water was filthy and deep.
How can anyone say on Saturday, and categorically, that the blast emanated from the basement?
By late Monday, the authorities had changed their principal theory. Without dismissing the possibility that the Glorietta tragedy was a terrorist bombing, the investigators said the blast could have been the result of an industrial accident.
Fire Supt. Fenniore Jaudian told police reporters an “accumulation of methane” in the basement could have caught fire and, in the process, caused the diesel tank in the basement (used to run emergency power generators) to explode.
Chemical engineers from the University of the Philippines have come forward to make their skepticism about the “methane + diesel” theory public. To be sure, they have not visited the site, and they have prefaced their remarks with qualifying statements. And yet in principle, their reservations about the theory should give any reasonable person pause. Diesel is famously non-volatile; methane build-up requires a confined space and a stagnant supply of solid waste.
It seems to us that for the new theory to work, the threshold of conditions assumed to exist is rather high.
We recognize, of course, that theories change as more facts emerge. We understand that, aside from that stray remark about RDX traces being found, not much else points to a bomb. But we also realize that in some high-profile terrorist acts, it took government investigators some time to prove that bombs were in fact used.
We acknowledge the investigators’ readiness to continue considering the bombing angle -- they were, after all, the first to consider it. We recognize their testing of new theories as consistent with the emergence of new facts. We believe, however, that their main duty, at this time, is to ascertain all the necessary facts. Unless these are established, any theory offered to the public is a rush to judgment.
caused the explosion at the Glorietta 2 mall. Perhaps it was an eyewitness or perhaps it was a radio commentator speculating on air. But a few hours after the explosion, this theory was firmly set aside, and by responsible officers of the country’s armed services.The blast was most likely caused by a “hard explosive,” Chief Insp. Reynold Rosero of the Philippine Bomb Data Center told reporters. (He also described the event as “most likely a deliberate attack.”) Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Avelino Razon echoed the line later in the day.
The day after the blast, Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon issued a categorical statement. “It is a terrorist attack,” he said.
That same day, the PNP Crime Laboratory and the Bomb Data Center told the National Security Council meeting in Camp Crame that they had found traces of RDX, an ingredient used in such explosives as C4, which is used by the military.
But the following day, Sunday, the wind began to change direction. The police director for Metro Manila, Geary Barias, soft-pedaled the previous day’s assertion that RDX was found, saying its presence would have to be verified by “additional testing.”
This change came on the heels of the rather odd announcement, late on Saturday, that the blast originated from the basement of the mall.
“The explosion came from the underground, that’s why there was a crater-like structure in the stairs going to the basement,” Rosero of the Bomb Data Center told reporters. Aside from the curious construction of that statement (did the police officer say a crater in the stairs?), there is also the inconvenient fact that Makati City Councilor Jun-Jun Binay had already told the media, on the day of the blast, that the explosion left an eight-meter-wide crater on the ground floor.
Even without that conflict in testimony, however, Rosero’s unqualified assertion that the blast started in the basement was rather premature. Why? Because on the day he said that, the basement in question was still heavily flooded. (There were mentions of the flooding in the early stories.)
Where did the water come from? From two tanks in the area, one containing water for firefighting purposes, the other water for ordinary use. Thus, in the first few days after the blast, not a single person entered the basement, because the water was filthy and deep.
How can anyone say on Saturday, and categorically, that the blast emanated from the basement?
By late Monday, the authorities had changed their principal theory. Without dismissing the possibility that the Glorietta tragedy was a terrorist bombing, the investigators said the blast could have been the result of an industrial accident.
Fire Supt. Fenniore Jaudian told police reporters an “accumulation of methane” in the basement could have caught fire and, in the process, caused the diesel tank in the basement (used to run emergency power generators) to explode.
Chemical engineers from the University of the Philippines have come forward to make their skepticism about the “methane + diesel” theory public. To be sure, they have not visited the site, and they have prefaced their remarks with qualifying statements. And yet in principle, their reservations about the theory should give any reasonable person pause. Diesel is famously non-volatile; methane build-up requires a confined space and a stagnant supply of solid waste.
It seems to us that for the new theory to work, the threshold of conditions assumed to exist is rather high.
We recognize, of course, that theories change as more facts emerge. We understand that, aside from that stray remark about RDX traces being found, not much else points to a bomb. But we also realize that in some high-profile terrorist acts, it took government investigators some time to prove that bombs were in fact used.
We acknowledge the investigators’ readiness to continue considering the bombing angle -- they were, after all, the first to consider it. We recognize their testing of new theories as consistent with the emergence of new facts. We believe, however, that their main duty, at this time, is to ascertain all the necessary facts. Unless these are established, any theory offered to the public is a rush to judgment.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Ousted Philippine president Estrada seeks pardon on plunder conviction
Ousted Philippine leader Joseph Estrada, jailed after a historic corruption conviction, dropped his appeal Monday and said he will seek a presidential pardon instead.
Estrada said he authorized his lawyers to withdraw his appeal to the special anti-graft Sandiganbayan court to reverse his Sept. 12 conviction for economic plunder.
The move takes away a key obstacle for President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to grant him a pardon that could free him from more than six years of detention.
"I don’t stand a chance of being acquitted in the courts," Estrada told The Associated Press by telephone, adding he would go straight to a suburban Manila hospital to visit his ailing mother if released.
Estrada, a former action movie star still adored by many of the country’s poor, has been allowed by the court to be detained in his sprawling villa near Manila while appealing his conviction.
Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno, a close Arroyo ally, welcomed Estrada’s move saying "it can help lower the political temperature."
Arroyo recently authorized Puno to hold talks with Estrada on a possible pardon. The talks stalled, however, after Estrada decided to appeal his corruption conviction, which legally barred Arroyo from issuing a pardon.
Estrada was ousted by a non-violent "people power" revolt that was co-led by Arroyo, then his vice-president, in 2001 over allegations of massive corruption and misrule. He was arrested and detained a few months later, angering his legions of followers.
Estrada was convicted last September after a landmark six-year trial on charges that he took bribes and kickbacks while in office. He was sentenced to life in prison.
He also was ordered to forfeit a mansion and more than US$15.5 million.
Estrada has denied the charges and accused Arroyo of masterminding his removal in a conspiracy with leaders of the Roman Catholic church and senior military officers.
A former action film star who once pulled off the biggest election victory in Philippine history, Estrada remains popular among impoverished Filipinos who adored his B-movies, where he often portrayed roles as a champion of the poor.
He served as an opposition icon, often criticizing Arroyo from behind bars.
The 70-year-old Estrada said he would not seek public office even if that right were restored by presidential pardon. He said, however, he would continue to criticize Arroyo.
"If she does good, I will support her. But I’ll go against any politics that’s not good for the country and the people," he said.
Estrada said he authorized his lawyers to withdraw his appeal to the special anti-graft Sandiganbayan court to reverse his Sept. 12 conviction for economic plunder.
The move takes away a key obstacle for President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to grant him a pardon that could free him from more than six years of detention.
"I don’t stand a chance of being acquitted in the courts," Estrada told The Associated Press by telephone, adding he would go straight to a suburban Manila hospital to visit his ailing mother if released.
Estrada, a former action movie star still adored by many of the country’s poor, has been allowed by the court to be detained in his sprawling villa near Manila while appealing his conviction.
Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno, a close Arroyo ally, welcomed Estrada’s move saying "it can help lower the political temperature."
Arroyo recently authorized Puno to hold talks with Estrada on a possible pardon. The talks stalled, however, after Estrada decided to appeal his corruption conviction, which legally barred Arroyo from issuing a pardon.
Estrada was ousted by a non-violent "people power" revolt that was co-led by Arroyo, then his vice-president, in 2001 over allegations of massive corruption and misrule. He was arrested and detained a few months later, angering his legions of followers.
Estrada was convicted last September after a landmark six-year trial on charges that he took bribes and kickbacks while in office. He was sentenced to life in prison.
He also was ordered to forfeit a mansion and more than US$15.5 million.
Estrada has denied the charges and accused Arroyo of masterminding his removal in a conspiracy with leaders of the Roman Catholic church and senior military officers.
A former action film star who once pulled off the biggest election victory in Philippine history, Estrada remains popular among impoverished Filipinos who adored his B-movies, where he often portrayed roles as a champion of the poor.
He served as an opposition icon, often criticizing Arroyo from behind bars.
The 70-year-old Estrada said he would not seek public office even if that right were restored by presidential pardon. He said, however, he would continue to criticize Arroyo.
"If she does good, I will support her. But I’ll go against any politics that’s not good for the country and the people," he said.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Philippines is not ‘small and weak’
An article (“‘Acceptable presence’ new US basing plan,” Inquirer, 10/15/07) stated that the Philippines is “one small and weak country.” This statement is not true. It is a myth. It is a lie.
The Philippines is the 12th largest country in the world. It is larger than any European country. It is larger than any but one country in Africa. It is larger than any but one country in South America. There are over 160 countries in the world smaller than the Philippines, most barely a fraction of its size; over 150 less than half its size. Metro Manila alone is bigger than half of all the countries of the world. The Roman Empire at its height only had 60 percent of the people that the Philippines has.
Neither is the Philippines weak. To put it simply, a country that is twice the size of 90 percent of all the countries in the world is not weak. A country whose largest city is larger than most countries is not weak. Further, the Philippine economy is in the upper quartile as is the size of its military. The Philippines is an English-speaking country, giving us, in this “English-speaking” world, influence much larger than our size. Filipinos also go abroad in disproportional numbers, making many important key industries dependent upon them.
Adding to the Philippines’ importance is that we are in Asia, a far more important corner of the world -- geopolitically that is -- than, say, Africa or Latin America. The Philippines has played important, influential roles in such events as World War II, the Vietnam War and the Cold War. We will be a key player in such continuing issues as the “War on Terror” and Chinese and Indian growth.
The statement that the Philippines is small and weak is only true when the country is compared with the United States. But the United States is a historical anomaly. No country has ever been as big, powerful or dominant as the United States, particularly in the last generation or so. That country is odd. We should not look to the United States for comparison but to countries more like the Philippines, countries like Indonesia or Columbia.
Instead of asking, “Why are we not like the United States?” we should look at countries like Nigeria, Congo, Ethiopia, Somalia, Afghanistan, and ask, “Why are we not like them?”
The Philippines is the 12th largest country in the world. It is larger than any European country. It is larger than any but one country in Africa. It is larger than any but one country in South America. There are over 160 countries in the world smaller than the Philippines, most barely a fraction of its size; over 150 less than half its size. Metro Manila alone is bigger than half of all the countries of the world. The Roman Empire at its height only had 60 percent of the people that the Philippines has.
Neither is the Philippines weak. To put it simply, a country that is twice the size of 90 percent of all the countries in the world is not weak. A country whose largest city is larger than most countries is not weak. Further, the Philippine economy is in the upper quartile as is the size of its military. The Philippines is an English-speaking country, giving us, in this “English-speaking” world, influence much larger than our size. Filipinos also go abroad in disproportional numbers, making many important key industries dependent upon them.
Adding to the Philippines’ importance is that we are in Asia, a far more important corner of the world -- geopolitically that is -- than, say, Africa or Latin America. The Philippines has played important, influential roles in such events as World War II, the Vietnam War and the Cold War. We will be a key player in such continuing issues as the “War on Terror” and Chinese and Indian growth.
The statement that the Philippines is small and weak is only true when the country is compared with the United States. But the United States is a historical anomaly. No country has ever been as big, powerful or dominant as the United States, particularly in the last generation or so. That country is odd. We should not look to the United States for comparison but to countries more like the Philippines, countries like Indonesia or Columbia.
Instead of asking, “Why are we not like the United States?” we should look at countries like Nigeria, Congo, Ethiopia, Somalia, Afghanistan, and ask, “Why are we not like them?”
World Bank: Philippines must shift farm spending to export crops
Agricultural investments in the Philippines must shift to high-value export commodities to help lift millions of farmers out of poverty, the World Bank said Monday.
The bank said 40 percent of the country's work force were in the farm sector even though it accounted for just 14 percent of economic output.
Like the rest of the developing world, the sector must be placed at the centre of the development agenda if United Nations millennium goals of halving extreme poverty by 2015 are to be realised, it said in a statement.
"In the Philippines, we think that the way to increase the benefits of agricultural public investments would be to improve the composition of expenditure, without necessarily increasing its level," said Maryse Gautier, World Bank country director for the Philippines.
"The country would be able to seize new opportunities presented by the global markets by shifting expenditures towards supporting dynamic, high-value added products with export potential.
"This will help increase incomes from agriculture, where more than 40 percent of the Philippine labor force is employed, but which (now) contributes only about 14 percent of national output," Gautier added.
Rice and corn output, used locally as the staple food and for animal feeds respectively, account for about half of the sector's production value.
The bank said 40 percent of the country's work force were in the farm sector even though it accounted for just 14 percent of economic output.Like the rest of the developing world, the sector must be placed at the centre of the development agenda if United Nations millennium goals of halving extreme poverty by 2015 are to be realised, it said in a statement.
"In the Philippines, we think that the way to increase the benefits of agricultural public investments would be to improve the composition of expenditure, without necessarily increasing its level," said Maryse Gautier, World Bank country director for the Philippines.
"The country would be able to seize new opportunities presented by the global markets by shifting expenditures towards supporting dynamic, high-value added products with export potential.
"This will help increase incomes from agriculture, where more than 40 percent of the Philippine labor force is employed, but which (now) contributes only about 14 percent of national output," Gautier added.
Rice and corn output, used locally as the staple food and for animal feeds respectively, account for about half of the sector's production value.
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
‘Ineng’ almost stationary in north Luzon
Tropical storm “Ineng” remained almost stationary in northern Luzon for the last six hours, the weather bureau said in its 5 a.m. bulletin Tuesday.
Ineng was plotted at 810 kilometers east of northern Luzon with maximum winds of 65 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 80 kph, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said in its website.
It was spotted earlier hovering over the Philippine Sea 730 km east of northern Luzon at 10 a.m. Monday.
Though it was not forecast to hit land, it was still expected to continue to enhance the southwest monsoon and bring rain over the western section of Luzon and the Visayas, weather specialist Joel Jesusa said Monday.
Ineng was plotted at 810 kilometers east of northern Luzon with maximum winds of 65 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 80 kph, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said in its website.
It was spotted earlier hovering over the Philippine Sea 730 km east of northern Luzon at 10 a.m. Monday.
Though it was not forecast to hit land, it was still expected to continue to enhance the southwest monsoon and bring rain over the western section of Luzon and the Visayas, weather specialist Joel Jesusa said Monday.
Philippine election chief resigns but maintains innocence in bribery scandal
The chief of the Philippines' Commission on Elections (Comelec) has resigned after being accused of trying to bribe another government official in order to win approval for a 330-million-US dollar broadband contract.
But Benjamin Abalos maintained his innocence and insisted that his decision to resign as Comelec chairman was intended to spare the poll body from further controversy over the deal.
'I am not admitting guilt for any wrongdoing. Neither am I giving up on my crusade to clear my name and reputation,' he said in a statement on Monday.
Last week, former socioeconomic planning secretary Romulo Neri said he was offered a bribe to help state-owned Chinese firm ZTE Corp win a broadband contract with the Philippine government.
Neri told a special Senate hearing into the scandal that Abalos had offered him the bribe.
The husband of Gloria Arroyo, president of the Philippines, has also been dragged into the controversy.
Abalos is considered an ally of the President, who has suspended the project.
Presidential spokesman Ignacio Bunye said 'we respect his decision and appreciate his desire to protect his family and the Comelec from vicious politics.'
'We wish him well as he carries on his fight to clear his name,' Bunye said in a statement.
But Benjamin Abalos maintained his innocence and insisted that his decision to resign as Comelec chairman was intended to spare the poll body from further controversy over the deal.
'I am not admitting guilt for any wrongdoing. Neither am I giving up on my crusade to clear my name and reputation,' he said in a statement on Monday.
Last week, former socioeconomic planning secretary Romulo Neri said he was offered a bribe to help state-owned Chinese firm ZTE Corp win a broadband contract with the Philippine government.
Neri told a special Senate hearing into the scandal that Abalos had offered him the bribe.
The husband of Gloria Arroyo, president of the Philippines, has also been dragged into the controversy.
Abalos is considered an ally of the President, who has suspended the project.
Presidential spokesman Ignacio Bunye said 'we respect his decision and appreciate his desire to protect his family and the Comelec from vicious politics.'
'We wish him well as he carries on his fight to clear his name,' Bunye said in a statement.
Monday, October 01, 2007
Tropical storm Lekima leaves 10 dead or missing in Philippines
Tropical storm Lekima killed nine people and left another missing in the Philippines after unleashing landslides, floods and big waves, rescuers said Sunday.
The weather bureau here lowered all cyclone alerts on the main island of Luzon as the storm dissipated into a weaker tropical depression in the South China Sea.
A landslide buried two houses in a mountain village near the town of Hingyon late Saturday, killing eight people, the civil defence office here said.
One other family member was missing while a nine year-old boy was injured, it said in an updated report.
Meanwhile, a military rescue unit recovered the body of a drowning victim in northern Manila, it said.
The storm swept across Luzon with maximum sustained winds of 65 kilometres (40 miles) an hour on Saturday, shutting down ferry services, swelling dams and rivers, and unleashing floods that displaced some 3,400 people, the government agency said.
Huge waves also smashed onto the Sarangani coast of the main southern island of Mindanao, damaging 29 houses in the village of San Nicolas.
Ferry services between Luzon and the central islands resumed Sunday, but small fishing boats and other craft were warned to stay in port due to big waves.
The weather bureau here lowered all cyclone alerts on the main island of Luzon as the storm dissipated into a weaker tropical depression in the South China Sea.A landslide buried two houses in a mountain village near the town of Hingyon late Saturday, killing eight people, the civil defence office here said.
One other family member was missing while a nine year-old boy was injured, it said in an updated report.
Meanwhile, a military rescue unit recovered the body of a drowning victim in northern Manila, it said.
The storm swept across Luzon with maximum sustained winds of 65 kilometres (40 miles) an hour on Saturday, shutting down ferry services, swelling dams and rivers, and unleashing floods that displaced some 3,400 people, the government agency said.
Huge waves also smashed onto the Sarangani coast of the main southern island of Mindanao, damaging 29 houses in the village of San Nicolas.
Ferry services between Luzon and the central islands resumed Sunday, but small fishing boats and other craft were warned to stay in port due to big waves.
Philippines President Orders Police To Address Extrajudicial Killings
Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ordered newly-installed Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Director General Avelino Razon to put a stop to the killings of political activists and journalists in the region.
The president issued the directive during the turnover of command of the PNP from Director General Oscar Calderon to Razon at Camp Crame in Quezon City.
The president said while Razon must continue Calderon's task to lead the fight against insurgency and criminality, he has an additional task of addressing extrajudicial killings.
"In addition, I instruct General Razon to continue to be on top of Task Force Usig. However, his perspective must be wider now: It must not only be on police action, but the entire criminal justice system," the president said.
She ordered Razon to immediately submit a report on updates on the murders.
"The first report I want to receive from him is an update on arrests, convictions and imprisonment of those responsible for the killings of political activists and journalists," the President said.
She said that if Gen. Calderon left a legacy on housing for the uniformed men, Razon's legacy must be the "protection of human rights."
"We deplore any and all killings of political activists and journalists," the President said, adding that she has met with the journalist community and human rights activists to resolve once and for all extrajudicial killings and put a stop to human rights abuses.
To put a stop to the killings, the president said her administration is following the recommendations of the Melo Commission to establish separate courts, expedite prosecutions, expand victim assistance and increase funding for more investigators.
The president issued the directive during the turnover of command of the PNP from Director General Oscar Calderon to Razon at Camp Crame in Quezon City.
The president said while Razon must continue Calderon's task to lead the fight against insurgency and criminality, he has an additional task of addressing extrajudicial killings.
"In addition, I instruct General Razon to continue to be on top of Task Force Usig. However, his perspective must be wider now: It must not only be on police action, but the entire criminal justice system," the president said.
She ordered Razon to immediately submit a report on updates on the murders.
"The first report I want to receive from him is an update on arrests, convictions and imprisonment of those responsible for the killings of political activists and journalists," the President said.
She said that if Gen. Calderon left a legacy on housing for the uniformed men, Razon's legacy must be the "protection of human rights."
"We deplore any and all killings of political activists and journalists," the President said, adding that she has met with the journalist community and human rights activists to resolve once and for all extrajudicial killings and put a stop to human rights abuses.
To put a stop to the killings, the president said her administration is following the recommendations of the Melo Commission to establish separate courts, expedite prosecutions, expand victim assistance and increase funding for more investigators.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Deposed Philippine president given life sentence for plunder
A Philippine court convicted deposed President Joseph Estrada of plunder and sentenced him to life in prison Wednesday, following a six-year trial in which the constitutionality of the law was challenged.
Estrada, 70, was found not guilty of perjury. Prosecutors alleged he falsely declared his financial assets.
In a phone interview with CNN, Estrada said the next step for his legal team would be to appeal his conviction in the Sandiganbayan anti-graft court to the country's Supreme Court.
"It's not yet the end of the road, we still have (an) option to appeal our case to the Supreme Court," the former president said.
Estrada's son Jose "Jinggoy" Estrada and Attorney Edward Serapio were co-defendants in the case, but were acquitted of the plunder charges.
Prosecutors, however, lauded the decision in news reports. "This is the last chance for the state to show that we can do it, that we can charge, prosecute and convict a public official regardless of his stature," special prosecutor Dennis Villa-Ignacio said in an Associated Press report. "It shows that our judicial system really works."
Plunder is a capital offense in the Philippines, although the death penalty was abolished recently, according to AP reports. The law, passed in 1994, was prompted by the outcry over the illegal wealth acquired by former President Ferdinand Marcos while in office and ironically, Estrada was one of its main proponents when he was a senator. Estrada was the first person prosecuted under the law.
He was convicted of pocketing tens of millions of dollars during the 31 months of his presidency. As a part of his sentencing, Estrada was ordered to forfeit about $15 million and a mansion.
He was acquitted of perjury related to allegations he falsely declared his assets, according to the AP
Estrada was ousted after three years in office in January 2001 in the midst of an impeachment hearing on corruption charges that had lost its credibility with the public.
Following massive protests, current President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo -- then Estrada's vice president -- was swept into power on a wave of public support and the backing of the military.
Estrada remains a popular figure in the Philippines and security forces have been on alert in the event his conviction stirs violence amongst his supporters.
"Of course, I'll try to calm them," Estrada told CNN.
Riot police and troops kept hundreds of Estrada backers several blocks from the anti-graft court in Manila that Estrada inaugurated before he was ousted, The AP reported.
Security also was very tight around the presidential palace as President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo worried about a repeat of violent protests that followed Estrada's arrest in April 2001.
Arroyo spokesman Ignacio Bunye appealed for calm.
"We hope and pray that the rule of law will prevail," Bunye said in AP reports. "Meantime, we have a country to run, an economy to grow and a peace to win. We hope that this sad episode in our history will not permanently distract us from this goal."
Estrada, 70, was found not guilty of perjury. Prosecutors alleged he falsely declared his financial assets.
In a phone interview with CNN, Estrada said the next step for his legal team would be to appeal his conviction in the Sandiganbayan anti-graft court to the country's Supreme Court.
"It's not yet the end of the road, we still have (an) option to appeal our case to the Supreme Court," the former president said.
Estrada's son Jose "Jinggoy" Estrada and Attorney Edward Serapio were co-defendants in the case, but were acquitted of the plunder charges.
Prosecutors, however, lauded the decision in news reports. "This is the last chance for the state to show that we can do it, that we can charge, prosecute and convict a public official regardless of his stature," special prosecutor Dennis Villa-Ignacio said in an Associated Press report. "It shows that our judicial system really works."
Plunder is a capital offense in the Philippines, although the death penalty was abolished recently, according to AP reports. The law, passed in 1994, was prompted by the outcry over the illegal wealth acquired by former President Ferdinand Marcos while in office and ironically, Estrada was one of its main proponents when he was a senator. Estrada was the first person prosecuted under the law.
He was convicted of pocketing tens of millions of dollars during the 31 months of his presidency. As a part of his sentencing, Estrada was ordered to forfeit about $15 million and a mansion.
He was acquitted of perjury related to allegations he falsely declared his assets, according to the AP
Estrada was ousted after three years in office in January 2001 in the midst of an impeachment hearing on corruption charges that had lost its credibility with the public.
Following massive protests, current President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo -- then Estrada's vice president -- was swept into power on a wave of public support and the backing of the military.
Estrada remains a popular figure in the Philippines and security forces have been on alert in the event his conviction stirs violence amongst his supporters.
"Of course, I'll try to calm them," Estrada told CNN.
Riot police and troops kept hundreds of Estrada backers several blocks from the anti-graft court in Manila that Estrada inaugurated before he was ousted, The AP reported.
Security also was very tight around the presidential palace as President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo worried about a repeat of violent protests that followed Estrada's arrest in April 2001.
Arroyo spokesman Ignacio Bunye appealed for calm.
"We hope and pray that the rule of law will prevail," Bunye said in AP reports. "Meantime, we have a country to run, an economy to grow and a peace to win. We hope that this sad episode in our history will not permanently distract us from this goal."
Friday, August 31, 2007
Former Philippine Communist leader arrested
Jose Maria Sison, the former Communist leader in the Philippines, has been arrested in the Netherlands, charged with the murders of two former political associates. 66-year-old Sison has been living in the Netherlands since 1987, and was the founder of the Philippine Communist Party. The party's military wing, the NPA or New People's Army, is waging an armed rebellion across the Philippines that has cost 40,000 lives.
The National Public Prosecutor for the Netherlands, John Lucas, explained the reasons for Sison's arrest.
"He's suspected of involvement in the murder of two people in the Philippines. We think that he was giving orders to commit the murder of his former political associates in the Philippines - Arturo Tabara and Romulo Kintanar. Mr Kintonar was shot dead in a Japanese restaurant in the Philippines. The people who did it were at that time in the restaurant, and they fired a lot of shots - at least ten - into Mr Kintonar, and he bled to death as a result of those shot wounds."
No extradition request
Kintonar and Tabara had split from the Communist Party for ideological reasons. Kintonar was killed in 2003 and his associate Tabara a year later. But John Lucas says there has been no extradition request from the Philippines:
"It's a totally Dutch investigation. We think that what he did was punishable by Dutch law, so we led the investigation because he ordered those two crimes."
Newsline's correspondent in Manila, Raisa Espinosa-Robles, shed some further light on why no extradition request has been made by the Philippine government:
"They don't want to do that because Mr Sison has managed to use the legal system in the Netherlands to prevent any extradition. It seems that the Philippine government, and even the public here, are watching very closely. Apparently this Friday the Dutch judicial system will decide whether or not to let him go out on bail. If he stays in prison, that would hamper his actions in the Netherlands, and that would also affect the Communist movement here."
In fact, Raisa Espinosa-Robles thinks that, even if he is convicted in the Netherlands, the Philippine government will still not ask for him to be extradited:
"I'm very sure that Manila will be very happy to have him serve in the Netherlands, far away from here."
Raisa Espinosa-Robles says that, while Sison has always advocated an armed struggle, nowadays there are Communists who are seeking a political solution instead.
"So we don't know exactly at this point how much of Mr Sison's arrest and trial there would affect the movement here."
Open source intelligence
National Public Prosecutor John Lucas did not reveal the source of the information that led the Dutch police to act, pointing out that since the investigation is still going on, he can't say too much about it. But he spoke of receiving "open source intelligence" that the NPA has claimed responsibility for the murders.
Although Mr Sison has been on the EU's terrorist list for some time now, he has nevertheless been allowed to continue living freely on Dutch soil. John Lucas says there are humanitarian reasons:
"Well, the suspect wanted political asylum. It was not granted to him, but we couldn't send him back to the Philippines because we can't guarantee his safety. That's why, for humanitarian reasons, he could stay here."
The National Public Prosecutor for the Netherlands, John Lucas, explained the reasons for Sison's arrest.
"He's suspected of involvement in the murder of two people in the Philippines. We think that he was giving orders to commit the murder of his former political associates in the Philippines - Arturo Tabara and Romulo Kintanar. Mr Kintonar was shot dead in a Japanese restaurant in the Philippines. The people who did it were at that time in the restaurant, and they fired a lot of shots - at least ten - into Mr Kintonar, and he bled to death as a result of those shot wounds."
No extradition request
Kintonar and Tabara had split from the Communist Party for ideological reasons. Kintonar was killed in 2003 and his associate Tabara a year later. But John Lucas says there has been no extradition request from the Philippines:
"It's a totally Dutch investigation. We think that what he did was punishable by Dutch law, so we led the investigation because he ordered those two crimes."
Newsline's correspondent in Manila, Raisa Espinosa-Robles, shed some further light on why no extradition request has been made by the Philippine government:
"They don't want to do that because Mr Sison has managed to use the legal system in the Netherlands to prevent any extradition. It seems that the Philippine government, and even the public here, are watching very closely. Apparently this Friday the Dutch judicial system will decide whether or not to let him go out on bail. If he stays in prison, that would hamper his actions in the Netherlands, and that would also affect the Communist movement here."
In fact, Raisa Espinosa-Robles thinks that, even if he is convicted in the Netherlands, the Philippine government will still not ask for him to be extradited:
"I'm very sure that Manila will be very happy to have him serve in the Netherlands, far away from here."
Raisa Espinosa-Robles says that, while Sison has always advocated an armed struggle, nowadays there are Communists who are seeking a political solution instead.
"So we don't know exactly at this point how much of Mr Sison's arrest and trial there would affect the movement here."
Open source intelligence
National Public Prosecutor John Lucas did not reveal the source of the information that led the Dutch police to act, pointing out that since the investigation is still going on, he can't say too much about it. But he spoke of receiving "open source intelligence" that the NPA has claimed responsibility for the murders.
Although Mr Sison has been on the EU's terrorist list for some time now, he has nevertheless been allowed to continue living freely on Dutch soil. John Lucas says there are humanitarian reasons:
"Well, the suspect wanted political asylum. It was not granted to him, but we couldn't send him back to the Philippines because we can't guarantee his safety. That's why, for humanitarian reasons, he could stay here."
Philippines Police Investigates Death Of Priest
Police on Thursday, August 30, stepped up an investigation into the killing of a Catholic priest in the Philippines' Illocos Norte province, amid fears of renewed attacks against the country's clergy.
In a statement police said armed men shot and killed 48-year-old Priest
Florante Rigonan late Tuesday, August 28, as he left a house in Pinili town, where he performed a prayer service around 10 pm [local time].
"He was about to board his vehicle when armed men shot him several times with an M-16 Armalite rifle. The victim sustained bullet wounds on his body, mostly on his back," Ilocos Norte Police official Roman Felix, told reporters.
Parishioner Elisea Macalma told the Union of Catholic Asian News (UCA News), that she heard gunshots after the priest left her family's house in Puritac, a village of Pinili town, and called the police.
No one claimed responsibility for the attack, but church officials said the killing underscored concerns that clergy will be targeted once again by militants, especially those involved in church advocacies.
MORE ATTACKS
Illocos Norte, a northern Philippine province, has seen attacks carried out by rebels of the New People's Army (NPA), a paramilitary group fighting for a Communist revolution in the Philippines. Several priests have been killed or kidnapped by different rebel groups in the country.
Priest Leonardo Ruiz of the Laoag diocese's Social Action Center said in a statement that the Catholic community mourned the death of Rigonan. "This is a sad day for the Catholic community. What are they doing to us priests?" he asked.
Ruiz, who leads church advocacies, including for environmental causes, protection, said Rigonan was mainly involved in administrative functions within the Laoag diocese.
Rigonan was a member of the diocese's Commission on Temporalities, which is tasked to look
into the properties of the church. He also looked into the welfare of priests, including their hospitalization and retirement, Catholic sources said.
"PERSONAL GRUDGE"
Police investigators have not ruled out that the priest was killed over a "personal grudge" or during a robbery. There "could be personal grudge on the part of our relatives, who were jealous because we gave Father Rigonan a large sum for the reconstruction of the parish church," confirmed Macalma.
After working in the United States for 40 years, she and her husband reportedly returned to Pinili last year and donated 5 million pesos ($107,000) for reconstruction of the parish church, which used to be a small chapel. They also gave another 250,000 pesos they had raised for the project from relatives in California. Bishop Sergio Utleg of Laoag, whose diocese serves the province of Ilocos Norte, "blessed" the church in May, UCA News said.
The Laoag parish territory has 20,654 people, 48 percent of them Catholics and others members of the Philippine Independent Church and other Christian denominations, according to estimates.
In a statement police said armed men shot and killed 48-year-old Priest
Florante Rigonan late Tuesday, August 28, as he left a house in Pinili town, where he performed a prayer service around 10 pm [local time].
"He was about to board his vehicle when armed men shot him several times with an M-16 Armalite rifle. The victim sustained bullet wounds on his body, mostly on his back," Ilocos Norte Police official Roman Felix, told reporters.
Parishioner Elisea Macalma told the Union of Catholic Asian News (UCA News), that she heard gunshots after the priest left her family's house in Puritac, a village of Pinili town, and called the police.
No one claimed responsibility for the attack, but church officials said the killing underscored concerns that clergy will be targeted once again by militants, especially those involved in church advocacies.
MORE ATTACKS
Illocos Norte, a northern Philippine province, has seen attacks carried out by rebels of the New People's Army (NPA), a paramilitary group fighting for a Communist revolution in the Philippines. Several priests have been killed or kidnapped by different rebel groups in the country.
Priest Leonardo Ruiz of the Laoag diocese's Social Action Center said in a statement that the Catholic community mourned the death of Rigonan. "This is a sad day for the Catholic community. What are they doing to us priests?" he asked.
Ruiz, who leads church advocacies, including for environmental causes, protection, said Rigonan was mainly involved in administrative functions within the Laoag diocese.
Rigonan was a member of the diocese's Commission on Temporalities, which is tasked to look
into the properties of the church. He also looked into the welfare of priests, including their hospitalization and retirement, Catholic sources said.
"PERSONAL GRUDGE"
Police investigators have not ruled out that the priest was killed over a "personal grudge" or during a robbery. There "could be personal grudge on the part of our relatives, who were jealous because we gave Father Rigonan a large sum for the reconstruction of the parish church," confirmed Macalma.
After working in the United States for 40 years, she and her husband reportedly returned to Pinili last year and donated 5 million pesos ($107,000) for reconstruction of the parish church, which used to be a small chapel. They also gave another 250,000 pesos they had raised for the project from relatives in California. Bishop Sergio Utleg of Laoag, whose diocese serves the province of Ilocos Norte, "blessed" the church in May, UCA News said.
The Laoag parish territory has 20,654 people, 48 percent of them Catholics and others members of the Philippine Independent Church and other Christian denominations, according to estimates.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Arroyo rallies Philippine troops
Tens of thousands of people are fleeing their homes in the southern Philippines as the military steps up its offensive against Abu Sayyaf fighters, sparking the heaviest clashes for years.
The fighting is centred on the mainly Muslim islands of Jolo and Basilan.
On Thursday Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, the Philippine president, travelled amid tight security to the southern city of Zamboanga to rally troops and receive a progress briefing from military commanders.
She has vowed to destroy the Abu Sayyaf group - which her government says has links to al-Qaeda – and has deployed thousands of troops to the region.
They are backed up by advisers from US special forces who are helping to train and provide intelligence to Philippine forces although they are barred by the Philippine constitution from taking part in combat operations.
Bomb warning
Earlier this week, Arroyo warned that the renewed military offensive may spark reprisal bomb attacks elsewhere in the country.
Her comments on Tuesday were followed hours later by a bomb explosion in Zamboanga that wounded 14 people.
Speaking after her arrival in the city on Thursday, Arroyo said the military would not be diverted from in its assault on the Abu Sayyaf group.
However, she said she had ordered officials to launch a "humanitarian offensive'' on Basilan and Jolo to balance the military assault.
Later, speaking on the island of Basilan, she praised Philippine troops during a 30 minute flying visit to one of the military's forward bases.
"Thank you for fighting terrorism," she told them.
The upsurge in fighting followed an ambush in mid-July, blamed on the Abu Sayyaf, in which 14 marines died, 10 of them beheaded.
In early August, gun battles in Jolo killed at least 27 army soldiers and 32 Muslim fighters.
The most recent fighting broke out last weekend on Basilan, with 15 soldiers and up to 30 Abu Sayyaf fighters killed.
Relief officials say the fighting has forced nearly 24,000 people to flee their homes in Jolo and Basilan, with 40 hamlets evacuated and 14 schools closed since early July.
"The situation in Basilan remains critical due to ongoing operations against Abu Sayyaf Group targets," the government relief agency said.
This week the government called off planned peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front - the largest Muslim separatist group - although it insists the move was not linked to the upsurge in fighting.
Questions asked
Al Jazeera's Veronica Pedrosa, who is in the southern Philippines, says that with amid mounting numbers of casualties and displaced civilians, more questions are being asked about the offensive.
The Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the Moro National Liberation Force, the two main rebel groups, also have a large presence on the two islands.
The military says neither group is being targeted by the current offensive, but army commanders on the ground admit some of their men are fighting alongside Abu Sayyaf.
As a result, there are fears that by stepping up the fight against Abu Sayyaf, the government could widen the conflict.
The fighting is centred on the mainly Muslim islands of Jolo and Basilan.
On Thursday Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, the Philippine president, travelled amid tight security to the southern city of Zamboanga to rally troops and receive a progress briefing from military commanders.
She has vowed to destroy the Abu Sayyaf group - which her government says has links to al-Qaeda – and has deployed thousands of troops to the region.
They are backed up by advisers from US special forces who are helping to train and provide intelligence to Philippine forces although they are barred by the Philippine constitution from taking part in combat operations.
Bomb warning
Earlier this week, Arroyo warned that the renewed military offensive may spark reprisal bomb attacks elsewhere in the country.
Her comments on Tuesday were followed hours later by a bomb explosion in Zamboanga that wounded 14 people.
Speaking after her arrival in the city on Thursday, Arroyo said the military would not be diverted from in its assault on the Abu Sayyaf group.
However, she said she had ordered officials to launch a "humanitarian offensive'' on Basilan and Jolo to balance the military assault.
Later, speaking on the island of Basilan, she praised Philippine troops during a 30 minute flying visit to one of the military's forward bases.
"Thank you for fighting terrorism," she told them.
The upsurge in fighting followed an ambush in mid-July, blamed on the Abu Sayyaf, in which 14 marines died, 10 of them beheaded.
In early August, gun battles in Jolo killed at least 27 army soldiers and 32 Muslim fighters.
The most recent fighting broke out last weekend on Basilan, with 15 soldiers and up to 30 Abu Sayyaf fighters killed.
Relief officials say the fighting has forced nearly 24,000 people to flee their homes in Jolo and Basilan, with 40 hamlets evacuated and 14 schools closed since early July.
"The situation in Basilan remains critical due to ongoing operations against Abu Sayyaf Group targets," the government relief agency said.
This week the government called off planned peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front - the largest Muslim separatist group - although it insists the move was not linked to the upsurge in fighting.
Questions asked
Al Jazeera's Veronica Pedrosa, who is in the southern Philippines, says that with amid mounting numbers of casualties and displaced civilians, more questions are being asked about the offensive.
The Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the Moro National Liberation Force, the two main rebel groups, also have a large presence on the two islands.
The military says neither group is being targeted by the current offensive, but army commanders on the ground admit some of their men are fighting alongside Abu Sayyaf.
As a result, there are fears that by stepping up the fight against Abu Sayyaf, the government could widen the conflict.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Think Tank Says U.S. Building Military Base In Southern Philippines
Asian-based think-tank Focus on the Global South (Focus) said on Wednesday there is a strong indication that the U.S. government is building a military base in southern Philippines, which is a violation of the country's Constitution.
Focus research associate Herbert Docena said the U.S. Naval Facilities Engineering Command or Navfac, awarded a $14.4 million contract to Global Contingency Services LLC of Irving, Texas to conduct "operations support" for the Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines.
The JSOTF-P is a component of the U.S. special operations command that were stationed in southern Philippines since 2002. Its primary goal is to provide assistance to the Philippines in its war efforts against terror groups.
"That is what I believe, I think Washington is in the process of building a military base," Docena said,
In a statement, Focus adds, "According to its own Web site, Navfac is the unit within the U.S. military in charge of providing the U.S. Navy with operating, support and training bases."
The group said Navfac gave Global Contingency Services a total five-year $450 million contract to "provide a full range of world-wide contingency and disaster-response services, including humanitarian assistance and interim or transitional base-operating support services."
"The specific contract for work for the JSOTF-P is expected to be completed in Jan. 2008 but other contracts may follow as part of the $450- million package," Focus said.
Docena adds, "JSOTF-P is involved in the Philippine military's operations in the South, and represents the new low-profile kind of overseas presence that the U.S. has been striving to introduce as part of its comprehensive restructuring of its forward-deployment since 2001."
The plan, he explains, is to put up smaller U.S. military bases in regions Washington believes it must have presence.
The governments of the Philippines and the U.S. denies speculations a military base is being planned in any part of the country.
Focus research associate Herbert Docena said the U.S. Naval Facilities Engineering Command or Navfac, awarded a $14.4 million contract to Global Contingency Services LLC of Irving, Texas to conduct "operations support" for the Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines.
The JSOTF-P is a component of the U.S. special operations command that were stationed in southern Philippines since 2002. Its primary goal is to provide assistance to the Philippines in its war efforts against terror groups.
"That is what I believe, I think Washington is in the process of building a military base," Docena said,
In a statement, Focus adds, "According to its own Web site, Navfac is the unit within the U.S. military in charge of providing the U.S. Navy with operating, support and training bases."
The group said Navfac gave Global Contingency Services a total five-year $450 million contract to "provide a full range of world-wide contingency and disaster-response services, including humanitarian assistance and interim or transitional base-operating support services."
"The specific contract for work for the JSOTF-P is expected to be completed in Jan. 2008 but other contracts may follow as part of the $450- million package," Focus said.
Docena adds, "JSOTF-P is involved in the Philippine military's operations in the South, and represents the new low-profile kind of overseas presence that the U.S. has been striving to introduce as part of its comprehensive restructuring of its forward-deployment since 2001."
The plan, he explains, is to put up smaller U.S. military bases in regions Washington believes it must have presence.
The governments of the Philippines and the U.S. denies speculations a military base is being planned in any part of the country.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Philippines' Arroyo says offensive against militants in south may prompt attacks elsewhere
A military offensive in the southern Philippines may prompt al-Qaida-linked militants to sow terror elsewhere in the country, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo warned Tuesday, saying she has ordered the military and police to bolster security.
The government will not ease off the offensive despite calls from some sectors to halt the fighting because doing so would endanger the country's security, fail to give justice to slain soldiers and embolden terrorists, she said in her opening statement at a meeting of the National Security Council.
U.S.-backed troops bombarded Muslim rebel strongholds with artillery on Basilan island Sunday, a day after 15 marines and 40 militants were killed in a fierce clash, officials said.
The marines were killed when their unit attacked a jungle hide-out of the al-Qaida-linked Abu Sayyaf group near Basilan's remote Ungkaya Pukan town, sparking a daylong clash during which an air force pilot also died when his helicopter crashed at sea, the military said.
The military claimed about 40 Abu Sayyaf insurgents were killed, including two commanders who allegedly took part in last month's beheadings of 10 marines on Basilan.
On nearby Jolo island, troops raided a suspected Abu Sayyaf safe house in Indanan township early Sunday and took into custody 19 men, women and children, army Maj. Gen. Ruben Rafael said. After questioning, 14 were released and investigators were trying to determine if the other five were Abu Sayyaf gunmen, he added.
"With the victory of our troops and police against terrorists in Basilan and Sulu, it is not farfetched for them to attempt to sow terror in other parts of the country," Arroyo said. "That is why I have ordered our national police and armed forces to coordinate with local governments and the people to safeguard our cities and communities against any terrorist plot.
"We will not back off from our offensive in order to give justice to our marines, to give peace and progress to our country," she said, urging Filipinos to unite behind security forces.
But the government will continue to pursue peace in the south and hopes to resume talks with a larger Muslim rebel group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, next month in Malaysia, she said.
MILF chief negotiator Mohaqher Iqbal said a scheduled meeting with government counterparts on Wednesday was canceled for unclear reasons.
Chief government negotiator Rodolfo Garcia said he sought the postponement to give him more time to consolidate data and the government's position.
Arroyo ordered a fresh offensive against the Abu Sayyaf, listed by Washington as a terrorist organization, after it was implicated in the July 10 beheadings of 10 marines after a clash in Basilan's Al-Barka township. The MILF admitted its rebels killed 14 marines during the clash, accusing them of encroaching into a rebel stronghold, but denied involvement in the beheadings.
The government will not ease off the offensive despite calls from some sectors to halt the fighting because doing so would endanger the country's security, fail to give justice to slain soldiers and embolden terrorists, she said in her opening statement at a meeting of the National Security Council.
U.S.-backed troops bombarded Muslim rebel strongholds with artillery on Basilan island Sunday, a day after 15 marines and 40 militants were killed in a fierce clash, officials said.
The marines were killed when their unit attacked a jungle hide-out of the al-Qaida-linked Abu Sayyaf group near Basilan's remote Ungkaya Pukan town, sparking a daylong clash during which an air force pilot also died when his helicopter crashed at sea, the military said.
The military claimed about 40 Abu Sayyaf insurgents were killed, including two commanders who allegedly took part in last month's beheadings of 10 marines on Basilan.
On nearby Jolo island, troops raided a suspected Abu Sayyaf safe house in Indanan township early Sunday and took into custody 19 men, women and children, army Maj. Gen. Ruben Rafael said. After questioning, 14 were released and investigators were trying to determine if the other five were Abu Sayyaf gunmen, he added.
"With the victory of our troops and police against terrorists in Basilan and Sulu, it is not farfetched for them to attempt to sow terror in other parts of the country," Arroyo said. "That is why I have ordered our national police and armed forces to coordinate with local governments and the people to safeguard our cities and communities against any terrorist plot.
"We will not back off from our offensive in order to give justice to our marines, to give peace and progress to our country," she said, urging Filipinos to unite behind security forces.
But the government will continue to pursue peace in the south and hopes to resume talks with a larger Muslim rebel group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, next month in Malaysia, she said.
MILF chief negotiator Mohaqher Iqbal said a scheduled meeting with government counterparts on Wednesday was canceled for unclear reasons.
Chief government negotiator Rodolfo Garcia said he sought the postponement to give him more time to consolidate data and the government's position.
Arroyo ordered a fresh offensive against the Abu Sayyaf, listed by Washington as a terrorist organization, after it was implicated in the July 10 beheadings of 10 marines after a clash in Basilan's Al-Barka township. The MILF admitted its rebels killed 14 marines during the clash, accusing them of encroaching into a rebel stronghold, but denied involvement in the beheadings.
Friday, August 10, 2007
Fighting in Southern Philippines Kills at Least 20 Soldiers
Philippine military officials say fighting between Muslim rebels and government forces on a southern island has killed at least 20 soldiers.
Suspected Abu Sayyaf militants ambushed a convoy of troops Thursday, killing at least 10 soldiers and wounding two others. The attack took place near the town of Maimbung, on the southern island of Jolo.
Another 10 soldiers were killed later in the day during a gunbattle, also near Maimbung.
The clashes are the latest in a recent wave of violence in the southern Philippines.
Troops have been massing in the southern part of the country since early July when 14 marines were killed on the nearby island of Basilan. Ten of them were beheaded.
The military and government have blamed Abu Sayyaf and another rebel group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), for the beheadings.
The United States considers Abu Sayyaf a terrorist group with ties to the radical Jemaah Islamiyah organization. Philippine forces have been on the offensive against Abu Sayyaf since 2005, fighting primarily on the island of Jolo.
The MILF has been fighting for self-rule on Basilan for nearly three decades. In 2003, the government signed a truce agreement with the group, but clashes continue.
Suspected Abu Sayyaf militants ambushed a convoy of troops Thursday, killing at least 10 soldiers and wounding two others. The attack took place near the town of Maimbung, on the southern island of Jolo.
Another 10 soldiers were killed later in the day during a gunbattle, also near Maimbung.
The clashes are the latest in a recent wave of violence in the southern Philippines.
Troops have been massing in the southern part of the country since early July when 14 marines were killed on the nearby island of Basilan. Ten of them were beheaded.
The military and government have blamed Abu Sayyaf and another rebel group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), for the beheadings.
The United States considers Abu Sayyaf a terrorist group with ties to the radical Jemaah Islamiyah organization. Philippine forces have been on the offensive against Abu Sayyaf since 2005, fighting primarily on the island of Jolo.
The MILF has been fighting for self-rule on Basilan for nearly three decades. In 2003, the government signed a truce agreement with the group, but clashes continue.
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