Source: Manilatimes 

‘Surgical strikes’ poised in Basilan
By Anthony Vargas Reporter

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Source: Sunstar Online

COMBINED operatives from the police, marines, coastguard, and navy arrested 19 Chinese fishermen for poaching within the waters of Tawi-Tawi province.

Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Police Director Joel Goltiao on Thursday said the Chinese fishermen were arrested last September 1 near Turtle Islands, which had been declared as a marine sanctuary.

Goltiao said the arrested fishermen are now in the custody of the Provincial Committee on Illegal Entrants (PCIE) in the town of Bongao, the capital of Tawi-Tawi province.

Based on the report submitted to the Armm police office, the arresting team seized 19 live turtles and 108 carcasses of turtles including 50 pieces that were already dried.

The arrested fishermen were reportedly all from the province of Hainan in China.

Goltiao said the presence of the arrested Chinese fishermen poaching in Turtle Islands was discovered by Pasu Minda Bairulla, an environment officer based in Taganak Island, who immediately reported the mater to the police.

The police, marines, coastguard and navy are closely working together to protect the turtles from poachers in the area.

Turtle Islands is a municipality that consists of a remote group of islands in the province of Tawi-Tawi.

Access to the Turtle Islands is difficult as there are no regular means of transportation to the area.

The islands are located at the southwestern tip of the country, at the edge of the international treaty limits separating the Philippines and Malaysia. 

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COTABATO CITY (MindaNews/5 Sep) -- If the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) intends to lure in investors, it should work to develop education, infrastructure and tourism in the area, according to an official of the Makati Business Club (MBC).

MBC executive director Alberto Lim said that while a peace agreement is essential to be able to attract investors, stakeholders in the ARMM should work hard to enhance the three vital support facilities.

Good education, he said, would provide the manpower with the skills needed by the industries.

Infrastructure, on the other hand, would facilitate timely transport of goods from the farms to key trading centers, Lim pointed out.

Tourism’s role, he explained, is a sort of advertisement, with satisfied visitors spreading the potentials of the area to the whole world.

Lim promised that the MBC would help ARMM attract more investors.

For a start, the ARMM Business Council (ABC), which is currently spearheading the 6th ARMM Business Congress, formally affiliated with the MBC here on Tuesday with the forging of a memorandum of understanding.

"It is essential to link with outside groups such as the MBC because investment opportunities of our region can be bridged with their networks," said ABC chairman Datu Haron Bandila.

Lim said his group is composed of over 700 business leaders representing 450 corporations in the country.

"We are aware of what ARMM can offer to investors such as its fertile land, its pool of workers, and the low rates of basic utilities, to name only a few. The region has so much potential indeed, but negative impressions overshadow its attractive qualities," he noted.

Lim urged business and government leaders in the ARMM to focus on the development of tourism, citing the pristine beaches of Tawi-tawi and Sulu.

"Tourism can help in the investment promotion," he pointed out. He noted, too, that in the tourism industry, even people who have limited education can be hired as tourist guides. 

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Source: Luwaran 

Political Affairs Minister of the Embassy of Japan, Yasunori Nakayama, met yesterday Al Haj Murad Ebrahim, Chairman of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Central Committee, at Camp Darapanan, Sultan Kudarat, Shariff Kabunsuan. Yoshihisa Ishikawa, Embassy Secretary, Nagaishi Masafumi, Japanese representative with the IMT, Muhammad Ameed, Secretary of the MILF Central Committee, Mohagher Iqbal, Chairman of the MILF Peace Negotiating Panel, Atty. Datu Michael Mastura, Member of the MILF Peace Negotiating Panel, and Engr. Aida Silongan of the Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA) were present in the meeting.

Nakayama was recently posted as the Minister for Political Affairs of the Embassy of Japan in Manila replacing Her Excellency Taeko Takahashi, the popular strong lady minister among the Bangsamoro people.

Minister Nakayama conveyed that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, just like Malaysian Prime Minister Dr. Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, is so concerned about the progress of the peace process between the government and MILF.

He said that the government of Japan is deeply committed in attaining peace in Mindanao, even as he said “Japan will extend substantial help for the progress of the peace process.

Appealing to both the government and the MILF to resume the peace talks, Nakayaman cited the good teamwork and tremendous accomplishments on the ceasefire accord as positive indications.

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Source: Inquirer Online News 

By Jeoffrey Maitem
Mindanao Bureau
Last updated 04:18pm (Mla time) 09/05/2007

PARANG, Shariff Kabunsuan -- The British government has earmarked some $49,000 for the training of Marawi City policemen in a bid to turn them into model law enforcers, Chief Superintendent Joel Goltiao, chief of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) police, said on Wednesday.

Goltiao told the Philippine Daily Inquirer that aside from training the Marawi police force on crime documentation and community policing, the British government would also construct a new police station there.

"This is big help for our cops. Once completed, we will make the police force there as our model in the entire region," Goltiao said.

Marawi City will be the second recipient of the British-assisted project that aims to standardize systems and procedures; technical and equipment capabilities and physical infrastructure of police stations nationwide.

The Marikina City police had also received the same assistance from the British government.

($1=P46.78, as of September 4)

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Source: Inquirer Online

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- Counterterrorism experts investigated Wednesday the suicide attacks that killed 25 government employees near the Pakistani capital, officials said.

More than 60 people were wounded when the bombers carried out separate attacks on a Defense Ministry bus and a commercial area in Rawalpindi, a garrison city just south of Islamabad.

There has been no claim of responsibility, but officials have pointed toward Islamic militants fighting security forces in remote regions near the Afghan border.

On Wednesday, two senior security officials told The Associated Press that they suspect the involvement of pro-Taliban groups in Tuesday's suicide attacks.

"There is no doubt that militants from Waziristan were behind these attacks," one of the officials said.

North and South Waziristan lie in a belt of tribally governed territory along the Afghan frontier and are considered strongholds of pro-Taliban militants. US officials have raised concern that al-Qaeda may be regrouping there.

The second official said rebels from the tribal areas recently sent suicide bombers to Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

"We got this information from some people who were caught recently, and who were from North and South Waziristan," the official said.

He said investigators from various security agencies who were probing the blasts had yet to find out more about the people involved.

Both officials asked for anonymity because they are not authorized to speak openly to the media.

There were conflicting reports about the identity of the victims.

The two intelligence officials said the bus was carrying members of the Inter-Services Intelligence agency. However, Pakistan's Interior Ministry said on Tuesday that 18 civilian and military employees died in the bus blast.

Pakistan, a key ally of the United States in its war on terror, has deployed about 90,000 troops in its tribal regions to flush out remnants of the al-Qaeda and Taliban, who often security forces.

Pakistan says it has captured more than 700 al-Qaeda suspects since the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, and US officials have praised the ISI agency's role in making those arrests.

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Less than three years before President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo gets out of the presidential palace in 2010, one high ranking official of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is skeptical whether she is really determined to leave behind a legacy of peace in Mindanao by signing a peace pact with the MILF that really addressed the Bangsamoro Problem. Muhammad Ameen, chairperson of the MILF Secretariat, told Luwaran by phone that he doubts very much the decisiveness of Arroyo on this matter, saying that as far the peace process with the MILF is concerned three cabinet members are now the ones steering it to an unknown direction.


He said there are many spoilers of the peace process especially in Mindanao, but all those are secondary and the main or worst spoilers are those in the government itself.

He said that he received very reliable report that Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, Secretary Ronaldo Puno, and Secretary Norberto Gonzales are the ones setting the direction of the peace process with the MILF.

Sometimes in 2003, representatives of non-government organizations (NGOs) based in Mindanao had an audience with President Arroyo in Malacanang and the subject of appointment was about the peace process in Mindanao.  Knowing this as the matter of discussion, Arroyo called for Ermita, a veteran of the peace process in Mindanao, to be at her side. One of the questions asked was about the GRP-MILF peace negotiations. Instead of answering the question, she it tossed to Ermita, who quickly answered, without knowing that some of those present were sympathizers of the MILF, said: “Gaya rin ng MNLF, paikutin lang natin ang MILF” (Like the MNLF, we will just tricked the MILF).

The MILF and government peace panels have just returned from Malaysia for a special meeting on August 27, to discuss the extension of the tour of duty of the Malaysian-led International Monitoring Team (IMT) which expired last August 31, 2007.

The two Parties agreed to extend the IMT’s mandate to one more year up to August 31, 2008.

However, they failed to schedule the next round of talks after a preliminary and informal discussion on territory, which after all caused the impasse of the talks since September 2006, yielded uncompromising positions by both sides.

They ended their meeting with the understanding that they will continue to find common grounds on territory in order to resume their exploratory talks.

Secretary Rodolfo Garcia headed the government peace team while Mohagher Iqbal led the MILF delegation.

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Source: Luwaran 

The ceasefire pillars of the Government of the Republic Philippines – Moro Islamic Liberation Front (GRP-MILF) peace process, Coordinating Committees on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) and International Monitoring Team (IMT), had neutralized a fierce clash yesterday in some barangays of Datu Piang, Maguindanao between the MILF forces and government militias. Brunei officers with the IMT led by Maj Muhammad Wata bin Abdullah Awat and Sgt Azmain and volunteers of the Bantay Ceasefire Group were actively involved in defusing the clash.


Sporadic firefight started in the afternoon of September 2, 2007 when, allegedly, a group of around 30 MILF forces was ambushed by the civilian volunteers organization (CVO) as they passed in lower Barangay Balanaken, Datu Piang.

Two MILF elements were hit during the ambushed. But MILF Commander Wahid, in an interview with luwaran, belied the reports saying his son was one of the wounded who died eventually.

Exchanged of high powered firearms ensued after the ambush until 9pm of September 2 causing large exodus of civilians to safer grounds.

Unfortunately, two elements of the 4th reconnaissance unit of the 6th Infantry Division, Philippine Army, were hit at passed eight in the evening when the MILF forces were allegedly pursuing the CVOs that withdrew towards the detachment of the reconnaissance unit.

64th Infantry Battalion, 601st Brigade, Philippine Army sent reinforcement to the area at 10pm prompted by the fires that hit their men inside at their command post stationed at nearby Barangay Buayan, Datu Piang..

Earlier, the Joint GRP – MILF CCCH relayed order to both the AFP and MILF forces in the area not to be involved in the firefight. The order was observed accordingly not until the military detachment was hit in the cross fire.

The joint ceasefire bodies failed to separate the warring forces of the 105th Base Command and CVOs that day since they arrived at the scene of the encounter at passed 5pm and darkness was already catching up.

However, Joint GRP-MILF CCCH explained that it was able to relay the orders for immediate ceasefire while on their way the area of encounter. It cited that both the government forces and MILF fighters were obeying the orders not to get involved.

But it was unfortunate that the command post of the reconnaissance unit was hit and two officers were wounded who were identified as Platoon Leader 2Lt Dexter Apsai and PFC Efren Lamoneros.

At 5am the following day, firefights erupted between the MILF forces and the CVO elements being joined already joined the 64th Infantry Battalion.

Col Danilo Garcia, Brigade Commander of the 601st infantry Brigade, said the 64th IB was just forced to be involved in the firefight following the firings that hit the military command post in Barangay Buayan, adding that “it is also the sworn duty of the military to protect the civilians in any given situation at all times.”

In an interview, Ustaz Umbra Kato, Base Commander of the 105th Base Command, admitted that he also sent reinforcement when the military was already involved.

He said, however, that he do not blame Col Garcia for sending their troops to be involved in the encounter since two of his men were hit in the crossfire.

The local government of Datu Piang accused the recent movement of the forces of the 105th Base Command in its areas as geared towards taking over the municipal government.

Ustaz Kato assailed the accusation of the local government as baseless and malicious durng a dialogue held in the middle of the encounter area yesterday between the GRP-MILF CCCH, IMT and Bantay Ceasefire and commanders of the 105th Base Command.

“We are convince that somebody, not the mayor of Datu Paing, is orchestrating a plan that will create a situation that will trigger a full blown encounter between the government forces and the 105th Base Command,” Kato said.

He pointed out that his men had been passing the area for so many years and they were never ambushed. He admitted though that there could have been lapses on coordination but we did not imagine that an ambush would be perpetrated against his men in the area.

Kato urged the GRP-MILF CCCH and IMT to conduct further investigation on the incident to find out the truth of the incident and be able to identify the parties who intend to ignite big clashes between the forces of the government and MILF.

At 2pm yesterday, the GRP-MILF CCCH and IMT succeeded to enforce the ceasefire and facilitate the withdrawal of both forces to their original barracks after highly tensed dialogue. Other commitments forged during separate dialogues involving all the parties were to put up a Joint Monitoring and Assistance Team (JMAT) in Datu Piang, enhance coordination of activities and movements of troops to avoid confrontational situations and misencounters, immediate return of the internally displaced persons and provision of relief assistance, and conduct of joint fact-finding inquiry on the incident

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Source: Luwaran

In a rare public appearance, Al Haj Murad Ebrahim, chairman of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, told a huge gathering of workers of the MILF Committee on Da’wah that what is needed in the MILF-led struggle is patience and hard work. He was addressing about 3,000 da’wah workers, who held their 6th annual conference on Da'wah at Darapanan, Sultan Kudarat, Shariff Kabunsuan yesterday, September 2. Da’wah, an Arabic term, means an advocacy calling people to follow the straight path. It simply means a “all to Islam”.

He said that as the jihadic struggle enters its 35th year, the more we persevere and strive further to make sure that we consolidate the MILF and ready to confront any obstacle along the route to victory.

He reminded the participants, who came mostly from Central Mindanao, that there is double victory awaiting every sincere striver: Liberation of our people and paradise in the day hereafter.

“If you live to see the fruit of your sacrifices, that is victory, but if you die, that is another victory,” he exhorted the audience.

He said that Allah never said to the strivers in the Qur’an to be brave but to be patient always and to persevere in all hardships and trials.

Also invited to that gathering were members of the International Monitoring Team (IMT) from the Malaysian and Brunei contingents and senior members of the MILF Central Committee, including Mohagher Iqbal, who rendered an update of the GRP-MILF Peace Process.

Iqbal had just returned from Kuala Lumpur on August 30 after attending the executive session of the MILF and government peace panels on August 27.

The two Parties discussed and decided to extend the tour of duty of the IMT, which expired last August 31, 2007 and to include the provinces of Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Basilan, and Palawan as additional jurisdiction of the foreign ceasefire monitors.

Also present were Sammy Al-Mansoor, chief of staff of the MILF armed forces, Sheikh Omar Pasigan, Mufti of the MILF, and Khaled Musa, deputy chairman of the MILF Committee on Information.

The IMT officials were accompanied by six others other officers from Malaysia and Brunei.

 

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