Headlines - June 30,2008

MAJOR ACTION IN PROGRESS AFTER NPA RAIDS IN SOUTHERN PHILIPPINES

2008-06-29 10:18:54 - War planes and attack gunship helicopters of the Philippine Air Force's (PAF) strike wing and helicopter wing of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) were deployed to extend air cover to the pursuing Army combat maneuvering battalion who encountered Sunday morning the withdrawing communist insurgents in Surigao del Norte, sketchy reports reaching the tactical advance command post (ACP) of the Army's Northeastern and Northern Mindanao Fourth Infantry (Diamond) Division stated.

http://www.pr-inside.com/major-action-in-progress-after-npa-r672440.htm

11 dead as rebels attack Philippines resort island

BUTUAN - A HUNDRED communist guerrillas raided a southern Philippines resort island and clashed with security forces, leaving nine rebels and two policemen dead, officials said on Sunday.

The New People's Army (NPA) blew up telecommunications links to Siargao island, the country's surfing capital, late Saturday, and ransacked the municipal police armories, local Philippine Army spokeswoman Major Michelle Anayron told reporters.

Soldiers and police ambushed the rebels in nearby Lapinigan island, off the coast of the main southern island of Mindanao on Sunday, as the guerrillas attempted to retreat.

In addition to the dead, five policemen were wounded in total, although no tourists or other civilians were hurt, the army spokeswoman said.

'Skirmishes are still ongoing,' said regional military spokesman Major Armand Rico.

http://www.straitstimes.com/Latest%2BNews/S-E%2BAsia/STIStory_252957.html

New People's Army attacking a resort island... COWARDS!!!!

(Update) 1 of 5 kidnapped workers of Basilan Electric Cooperative freed

06/28/2008 | 02:14 AM

ZAMBOANGA CITY — Captors, believed to be Abu-Sayyaf and rogue members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, released one of their five kidnapped victims in the nearby province of Basilan on Thursday night.

Supt. Joel R. Goltiao, police director for the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, said the kidnappers released Ronnie Tansiyung, an employee of the Basilan Electric Cooperative (Baselco), at around 7 p.m. in Barangay Sinulatan, Tuburan town.

"He is carrying with him a letter from the kidnappers. Unfortunately, we haven’t seen the letter. It’s with the officials of the electric cooperative," he told BusinessWorld.

Mr. Tansiyung, with other four colleagues — Alberto and Emilberto Singson, and Paul and Ian Helwig — were seized by armed men led by Abu-Sayyaf sub-leader Nur Hasan Jamiri in Sitio Batubabag, Barangay Sinulatan, Tuburan around 10 a.m. on Thursday.

He said the team were doing the "usual meter reading in the area" when they were at held at gunpoint by the armed group.

"One motivation is the ARMM election. It’s a local way of political fund raising," he said, adding, "every time election nears, there’s always a kidnapping incident."

http://www.gmanews.tv/story/103806/(Update)-1-of-5-kidnapped-workers-of-Basilan-Electric-Cooperative-freed

Political fund raising?? Look at what these people do..Because of there laziness, they used kidnapping as fund raising..This is also true to almost all muslim armed groups here in Mindanao. MILF,MNFL, and the Abu Sayyah use kidnapping as a means of income.. Because they have the guns and the laziness of a caveman!!! This is why peace here is nearly impossible to attain..Some muslims do work..and some do work hard but the actions of an armed muslim group has tainted the general image.

Headlines

‘MILF rebels’ in Cotabato assaults Army, Cafgus

06/28/2008 | 09:17 AM

KIDAPAWAN CITY, Philippines - Some 30 suspected Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels attacked on Friday militia and Army camps in Midsayap and Aleosan towns, both in North Cotabato, reports reaching police headquarters said.

Suspects first harassed the 11th Citizen Armed Forces Geographical Unit (Cafgu) detachment manned by a certain Army S/Sgt. Pagsugiron in Pagangan-Uno village in Aleosan, around 10:30 p.m. Friday, said Sr. Supt. Lester Camba, North Cotabato Philippine National Police provincial director.

Another group of alleged MILF rebels also attacked an Army detachment under the command of Army S/Sgt. Torres in Ranggaban-Dos village in nearby Midsayap town.

The police said the rebels fired at the detachments in separate attacks but none among the government troops was injured.

Army Col. Julieto Ando, spokesman of the 6th Infantry Division, said the suspects could be coming from the 105th Base Command of the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces of the MILF under Commander Umbra Kato.

The troops were still on a defensive stance. “We retaliate once we’re attacked," Ando said.

Camba said the PNP and the Army’s 602nd Brigade in North Cotabato have been placed under heightened alert since last week after hundreds of MILF rebels were sighted massing up in towns of Pigcawayan, Libungan, Midsayap, Aleosan, Kabacan and Pikit.

He said that the insurgents attacked Wednesday two power facilities in M’lang and Matalam towns. They first bombed a steel tower of the National Transmission Corporation in Bagontapay village around 9:45 p.m.

Two hours later, they fired anti-tank rockets at Cotelco’s biggest sub-station in Matalam, he added.

http://www.gmanews.tv/story/103841/MILF-rebels-in-Cotabato-assaults-Army-Cafgus

MILF are gearing for war because their unjust and very unfair demands are not being met by the Government. This shows again and again that they (MILF) are just thieves in disguise as soldiers for bangsamoro people. They are a bunch of selfish people with power in their mind because they carry guns..And yes, they are again toppling transmission towers and bombing power stations to again show how ruthless and selfish they are..They are the pigs of the mindanao conflict..Pigs..Greedy selfish people who claims ownership of the whole of Mindanao..
IF we really look at history, the real owners of Mindanao are not them..but those pagan natives that they drove,killed or massacred if the natives did not accept their religion..Those pagan natives are the real owners of Mindanao...

MILF shells military command post in Central Mindanao

Philippine Star - Thursday, June 26

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) attacked two military camps in central Mindanao at dawn yesterday to warn the government that further delays in the peace talks would spell trouble. At 5 a.m., mortars were fired almost simultaneously at military camps in Maitum, Sarangani and in Tugaig, Shariff Kabunsuan provinces, sending residents in nearby areas scampering in panic.

No casualties were reported among the soldiers.

However, two civilians were killed in the attack, according to Maj. Armando Rico, Armed Forces Eastern Mindanao Command chief.

Armed men were sighted in nearby Sultan Kudarat province to have boarded pump boats and headed towards Maitum town to reinforce the MILF, according to military reports.

Eid Kabalu, MILF civil-military affairs chief, said the attacks were launched by "some of our ground forces," who "are fed up with the government's delay" of the peace talks over the issue of a Muslim homeland in large tracts of Mindanao.

"Maybe this is already the warning that was brewing up as a result of the maneuvering and delays in the peace process employed by the government," he said.

However, the MILF leadership will order an investigation as they have "no knowledge" of the attack, he added.

Lt. Col. Julieto Ando, Army 6th Infantry Division regional spokesman, told The STAR troops were ordered not to retaliate to maintain the strict observance of the ceasefire with the MILF.

"The attack was a clear violation of the ceasefire," he said. "This is a desperate move of the MILF just to get attention."

Troops took cover as 81mm mortars hit the Army 37th Infantry Battalion command post near Camp Iranon in Tugaig town, a part of the former MILF stronghold of Camp Abu Bakr.

In 2000, the military captured Camp Abu Bakr after President Joseph Estrada ordered an all-out war against the MILF.

Ando called on the International Monitoring Team (IMT) and the Bantay ceasefire to investigate the MILF's ceasefire violation.

"The Bantay ceasefire must look into this impingement of the MILF," he said.

"They (MILF) should not resort to shelling of mortars if they want to resolve demands."

- Roel Pareño, Edith Regalado/Philstar

http://beta.ph.news.yahoo.com/star/20080626/tph-milf-military-central-mindanao-541dfb4.html

This just shows how ugly the MILF are..They are just a bunch of thieves, cowards, and liars..
I hope the international community condemns them..If they want peace,LAY DOWN YOUR WEAPONS and NO MORE DEMANDS!!