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DAVAO CITY – The Philippine military on Friday announced the surrender of over a dozen communist insurgents in the restive southern region of Mindanao where guerrillas are fighting for a separate Maoist state. Army Major General Felimon Santos Jr., chief of the Eastern Mindanao, said 13 insurgents had surrendered to the 25 th Infantry Battalion in Compostela Valley’s Monkayo town. He said the group also handed over three rifles, one improvised explosive device and 40 kilos of ammonium nitrate and 190m pieces of blasting caps, including documents from the New People’s Army or NPA.   Military photos released to the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner show the surrendered NPA rebels and assorted weapons.  He said another NPA squad leader, whose name was not made public by the army, also yielded to the 88 th Infantry Battalion in Arakan town in North Cotabato province. “The surrenderees are presently undergoing custodial debriefing by our military units. They will be subsequent...

COTABATO CITY – The Office of the Bangsamoro Youth Affairs (OBYA) of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) has completed the very first document that identifies key issues and problems affecting the youth sector and it offers recommendations on how to resolve those challenges. “We are happy and proud to share to you the very first Bangsamoro Youth Development Agenda (BYDA). We hope that this would inspire others to engage and participate more in contributing to the development of the region,” said Nizam Pabil, who was appointed Executive Director of OBYA in 2018. Pabil said he and his team have painstakingly worked one whole year in order to achieve a milestone in addressing the region’s youth development issues and others concerns. The document also aims at articulating the ARMM’s development goals, which guided regional government offices, nongovernmental entities, and other key players on youth development these past years. Previously, several activities and documentations...

ZAMBOANGA CITY - Governor Mujiv Hataman of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM)  visited 36 of the dozens of wounded victims of the twin bombings of Sulu's Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral to provide both moral support and cash assistance of P20,000 for their medical needs.   The survivors, who were transferred here, are undergoing treatment at the Zamboanga City Medical Hospital. DSWD ARMM Secretary Laisa Alamia said their staffs in Sulu are also ready to assist the victims and their families.    According to the ARMM HEART (Humanitarian Emergency Action and Response Team), the regional government released some of P320,000 in cash and distributed the money to the victims in the hospital.   A total of P400,000 was earmarked as initial assistance for the people affected by the bombings, and will be distributed equally among the blast survivors and the families of the people killed by the attacks. And cash assistance of P500,000 will also be give...

COTABATO CITY – Governor Mujiv Hataman, of the Muslim autonomous region met with Moro Islamic Liberation Front chieftain Murad Ebrahim, and Presidential peace adviser Carlito Galvez have assured a smooth transition of the ARMM to the new Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao following the ratification of the law that created the new regional government.   Hataman said he hopes for an autonomy that makes full use of good governance to make a positive impact on the lives of the region’s constituents.  “We must put a premium on the welfare of our people and ensure open and transparent governance if we are to build a lasting peace that benefits all,” he said.   The trio recently met and discussed important matters ahead of the formal transition. Hataman also highlighted the importance of the meeting and said: "It was a fruitful meeting, we discussed substantial steps on how to go about the transition from ARMM to BARMM’s Bangsamoro Transition Authority.”   The ...

SULU – A former fighter of the Indonesian militant group, Jemaah Islamiya, said the deadly twin bombings on a cathedral in the southern Filipino town of Jolo was largely funded by ransom paid to free an Indonesian hostage of the pro-ISIS Abu Sayyaf group. Abdullah Sandakan, who is based in Sabah, told BenarNews that the attack on the church on January 27 was planned by the Abu Sayyaf. “This attack was on their calendar. This is done by the pro-Islamic State faction of ASG and they have been planning it for quite some time. They were just waiting for the ransom money, which they used for the bombing. Twelve days is more than enough time for them to source and buy the explosives, prepare their people to carry out the bombing,” he said. The ex-JI militant was referring to Indonesian fishing boat captain Samsul Sanguni, who was released by the Abu Sayyaf on January 15 in Sulu province. Sanguni along with another Indonesian fisherman, Usman Yusuf, were kidnapped at sea near Gaya Island ...

ZAMBOANGA CITY – Two unidentified men attacked a local mosque, exploding a fragmentation grenade before dawn Wednesday that killed 2 Islamic missionaries or Tablighi Jamaat in Zamboanga City in southern Philippines. Five other missionaries were wounded in the attack on Kamalhaldikan Mosque. At least 11 people were sleeping at the mosque when the attack occurred, killing Sattal Bato, 47, and Rex Habil, 46. No individual or group claimed responsibility for the desecration of the mosque, but the attack drew condemnation from Muslim groups and local leaders. The attack occurred 3 days after a pair of ISIS bombers blew themselves up at the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral in Jolo town in Sulu province that left dozens of casualties. It was not immediately known whether the attack was connected to the suicide bombings or perpetrated by rival groups. Mayor Beng Climaco condemned the attack on the mosque and called for sobriety and vigilance. Climaco ordered the police to conduct a thorough ...

THE DEADLY blast in Jolo of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral ushered gory memories of similar vicious bombing incidents of San Pedro Cathedral in Davao City. These dastardly and bestial attacks especially on the house of worship are condemned by both Christian and Islamic religions and can only be carried out by extremists. The first attack on the San Pedro Cathedral and the Mt Carmel were carried out under the aegis of martial law. The Davao incident was during Marcos and now this assault on The church in Jolo. The Davao tragedy happened in the waning days of martial law regime. I must say that in both incidents the enforcement of martial rule is not as tight and the security measures wanting. Pres. Rodrigo Duterte has not hide his anger on how the twin blasts were carried in and out of the church. What happened in Jolo should give an expensive lesson to our law enforcers. I have personally witnessed the lackadaisical attitude of police elements that are supposed to keep the securit...

ZAMBOANGA CITY – Police commandos killed a suspected Abu Sayyaf bomber in a firefight in Zamboanga City in southern Philippines, officials said Tuesday. Officials said Admar Asilon, an alleged member of the Abu Sayyaf’s urban terrorist group under Marzan Ajijul, traded gunfire with police in the village of San Jose where he was tracked down late Monday. The 35-year old Asilon was cornered in a building where he was eventually killed. According to a police report, Asilon was also a member of a gun-for-hire syndicate operating in Zamboanga City and neighboring province of Basilan. “Moreover, subject person is known to be an active member of UTG under the leadership of Marzan Ajijul who operates in the East Coast of Zamboanga City and also a member of City Hunter a gun-for-hire group operating in Isabela City, Basilan and this city (Zamboanga),” the report said. The operation against Asilon was launched by the 904 th Mobile Company of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion 9. The killing of...

SULU – The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria or ISIS has claimed responsibility for the deadly twin cathedral blasts in Jolo town in the southern Philippines and was carried out by a pair of suicide bombers.     SITE Intelligence Group  ISIS, in a statement released by its Amaq News Agency, said the first bomber detonated an explosive belt, while the second attacker blew himself up outside the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral over the weekend and killing and wounding dozens of people, including soldiers deployed in the area. The SITE Intelligence Group, a U.S. company that tracks online activity of jihadist organizations, reported that ISIS has owned to the bombings. Rita Katz - SITE Intelligence Group  “ISIS, through Amaq and communiqué, claim deadly bombing on Christian church in Jolo, stating it was carried out by two suicide bombers. One detonated belt at church gate and second in church’s private lot where Filipino security forces gathered after first blast,” s...

PAGADIAN CITY – Dozens of people killed and wounded in two simultaneous bombings during Sunday’s mass at a cathedral in Sulu’s capital town of Jolo in southern Philippines, reports said.   Military photos show the aftermath of the twin bombings at the Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Jolo town in Sulu province. The first bomb went off inside the Our Lady of Mount Carmel and a second blast occurred just as people were rushing out of the church. Among the fatalities were soldiers and civilians. Reports said over 2 dozen people were killed in the twin attacks and that dozens more had been wounded in the bombings. No individual or group claimed responsibility for the bombings of the cathedral which is located at the heart of Jolo. The deadly attacks occurred barely a week after local residents and their leaders voted to reject the controversial Bangsamoro Organic Law or BOL in a referendum January 21 and demanded not to be included in the new Muslim autonomous under the rule of the rebel gr...

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ZAMBOANGA CITY – Inaalam ngayon ng pulisya kung may plano ba ang Abu Sayyaf na maghasik ng lagim o dumukot sa Zamboanga City matapos na madakip ang isang miyembro nito na sabit diumano sa mga kasong kidnapping sa kalapit na Basilan province. Hindi pa naglalabas ng resulta ng imbestigasyon ang pulisya dahil patuloy pa ang imbestigasyon kay Daud Isnani, 33, na nadakip sa Barangay Talon-Talon ng mga operatiba ng Regional Anti-Criminality Task Group ng Regional Intelligence Division 9 ng pulisya. Galing umano sa Basilan si Isnani at hinihinalang sa coastal area ito lumusot upang makapasok sa naturang barangay. Nabatid may mga warrants of arrest laban kay Isnani mula Isabela City sa Basilan, ilang milya lamang ang layo mula dito. Kinumpirma naman ni Chief Superintendent Emmanuel Luis Licup, ang regional police commander, na hawak nga nila ang suspek. May 7 kaso ng kidnappings si Isnani, ayon pa sa opisyal. “Daud Isnani y Baluan was arrested by virtue of the warrant of arrest for the crime o...

DAVAO CITY – The Philippine military has dispatched more soldiers on Friday to help search for 3 missing miners after a landslide buried them inside tunnels in Mount Manhupao in Agusan del Norte’s Jabonga town. The trio were missing since January 20 after torrential rains triggered the landslide in the village of Bangonay that had killed 4 people, according to Lt. Col. Ezra Balagtey, a spokesman for the Eastern Mindanao Command. He said the deployment of additional military rescuers was ordered by Maj. Gen. Felimon Santos, the division commander, to help search for the missing miners. “Provide search and retrieval capability and other humanitarian assistance to the province without compromising the safety and security of our responding troops and other search and rescue groups,” Santos said in his order. The missing miners were identified as Rex Penig, Jay-ay Matanog and another who is only known by his first name Gang-gang. Mount Manhupao is a known gold rush area in Agusan del Norte ...

BAG-O PA lang nga nagsulat ko og kolum bahin sa headline sa “Abante” sa Manila ug sa iyang website nga nagyamayama ug naghugawhugaw sa reputasyon ug integridad ni Energy Sec. Al Cusi, PNOC Pres. Reuben Lista ug TRANSCO Pres. Melvin Matibag. Natingala ko gilayon sa mga isyu nga ilang gipasangil batok kang Matibag nga sa akong tan-aw pwerteng layoa sa kamatuoran. Ang magsusulat sa headline ning-alegar nga ang Presidente saTransco nangayo kuno og milyones gikan sa mga kompaniya sa elektrisidad sa Mindanao aron kuno makonekta sa grid sa Transco sa Visayas. Ang headline nag-insister nga kuno si Matibag namugos nga hatagan siya og bahin sa bayad sa right of way gikan sa mga tag-iya sa yuta kun asa tukoron ang mga torre ug maagian sa kutay sa mga kable sa transmisyon sa kuryente. Makahimuot ang dagan sa istorya. Nakahinumdom ko nga sa maong panahon nagwarning ko sa pagpangamang sa nagkalainlaing grupo sa politika, taong-simbahan, media ug mga pwersang ideyolohikal aron magkomplot nga dauton a...

EX-MAJORITY Floor Leader Rolando Andaya’s attempt at dramatics is a foolishly childish adventurism it only invited speculations why he cannot come to terms with Budget Sec. Ben Diokno on the figures which he claimed were insertions made by the former. He assailed the idea of having P114-billion for DPWH flood control projects and went on with his careless allegation that Diokno has a favored contractor to undertake the project. What a preposterous notion. Here in Davao City for example, we urgently need funds to fortify riverbanks and de-silt river beds which had become too shallow due to unimpeded soil erosion thereby causing flood waters to breach through embankments. This is happening now as I write this piece and that makes Andaya’s objections to the world’s typhoon and flood-prone country misplaced if not idiotic.   Some quarters had therefore speculated that Andaya’s attempt to shake the Palace by the Pasig might just be a symptom of some inevitable development. Something tha...

COTABATO CITY - As Bangsamoro areas transition to the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), a total of 75 provinces and towns in the current Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) have passed the Department of the Interior and Local Government’s (DILG) standards for Seal of Good Financial Housekeeping in 2018. This is a huge leap from zero passer in 2015, when local government units (LGUs) in the region were still adjusting to the good governance drive of the ARMM’s current administration. Passers of the Seal of Good Financial Housekeeping in the region comprise three provinces, one city, and 71 municipalities. Two of these LGUs are even non-IRA (internal revenue allotment) municipalities from the province of Maguindanao, specifically Pandag and Northern Kabuntalan. Non-IRA towns, which receive meager assistance instead from the regional government, are LGUs created prior to 1991 that failed to meet the requirements in the creation of municipalities under the Lo...

PAGADIAN CITY – Government troops were deployed Friday to the Muslim province of Lanao del Sur following fierce fighting between pro-ISIS militants and soldiers that wounded 3 infantrymen, officials said. Capt. Clint Antipala, a spokesman for the 1 st Infantry Division, said the fighting erupted in Sultan Dumalondong town where two army battalions - the 55 th and 82 nd Infantries - clashed with a group of militants under Abu Dar, who was one of the leaders that laid siege in Marawi City in 2017. He said fighting broke out on Thursday after troops tracked down Dar’s group on a remote village in the town. Antipala said there were reports that an undetermined number of militants were slain in the clash. “There are enemy casualties, but we still do not know how many were dead or wounded from the side of Abu Dar’s group. Pursuit operation is going on,” he said. Col. Romeo Brawner, commander of the 103 rd Infantry Brigade, also called on the villagers to stay vigilant as troops were trac...

KIDAPAWAN CITY - Patay ang isang National Irrigation Administration o NIA engineer matapos tambangan ng mga armadong lalalki na nakasakay sa motorsiklo sa bayan ng Datu Montawal sa magulong lalawigan ng Maguindanao.   Kinilala ang nasawing biktima na si Engr. Joseph Adam, dating Municipal Engineer ng Datu Montawal at ngayo’y NIA engineer na nakatalaga sa Mallitubog Maridagao Irrigation Project sa bayan ng Pikit sa North Cotabato.   Ayon sa pulisya, tinambangan si Adam nitog Martes ng hapon habang pauwi sa bayan ng  Kabacan sa North Cotabato lulan ng kanyang sasakyan. Dinikitan ng mga armado ang biktima at pinagbabaril gamit ang .45-caliber pistol base sa mga basyo ng bala na nakuha sa lugar ng krimen.   Mabilis namang tumakas ang mga suspek patungo sa liblib na bayan ng Datu Montawal. Naisugod pa ang biktima sa ospital pero ideneklarang dead on arrival ng mg attending physicians. Nagtamo ng sugat mula sa tama ng bala si Adam sa ibat-iban...

ISABELA CITY – The capital of Basilan province, Isabela City, has joined Sulu province in the Muslim autonomous region in rejecting the controversial Bangsamoro Organic Law or BOL. Isabela, led by Vice Mayor, Cherrylyn Akbar; and Jann Akbar, a strong advocate for the establishment of a federalism government, spearheaded the “NO to BOL” campaign in the city even before Monday’s plebiscite. Wednesday’s final plebiscite tally showed Isabela with 22, 441 voting for No to BOL and 19, 630 voting for Yes. “We are so happy and the voice of the people is heard loud and clear. We rejected the BOL,” Akbar said after receiving the news of the results of the referendum. Although Isabela rejected BOL, municipalities in the province voted for the ratification of the organic law. “What’s important here is that Isabela will never be a part of the so-called Bangsamoro autonomous region,” Akbar said. Sulu also rejected the BOL with 163, 523 Tausugs voting No and 19, 032 for its ratification. “It will not...

PAGADIAN CITY – Security forces killed a member of a kidnapping group following a firefight in Zamboanga del Norte’s Sirawai town in southern Philippines, officials said Wednesday. Army Capt. Clint Antipala, a spokesman for the 1 st  Infantry Division, said policemen and soldiers were patrolling the village of Sipakit when they ran into a group of bandits and firefight ensued. He said Jul Hassan was killed in the fighting, but other gunmen managed to escape from the running gunbattle. Hassan was a member of the Jamilon Tukalan Group, blamed by authorities for the spate of ransom kidnappings and extortion activities in the province. Antipala said a report by Lt. Col. Danilo Ambe, commander of the 42 nd  Infantry Battalion, said security forces also recovered a .45-caliber pistol, a .38-caliber revolver and one fragmentation grenade, including a cell phone. He said there were no police or military casualties in the clash. Maj. Gen. Roseller Murillo, the division commander, prais...