Thursday, April 23, 2009

Troops pursuing Italian aid worker’s captors move deeper into Sulu jungle



Monday, April 06, 2009

Unfair, needless public criticism of our Marines

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE
By Marit Stinus-Remonde

Andreas Notter, Eugenio Vagni and Mary Jean Lacaba of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) were kidnapped in Sulu on January 15. Because ICRC is an “independent, neutral organization ensuring humanitarian protection and assistance for victims of war and other situations of violence” (ICRC website), the three had refused military security.

A Marine general told me that Andreas Notter is a personal friend of his and that he talked to the Swiss about security but the latter said no thanks. A police officer who once had his car bumped by Mr. Notter’s car, told me that Mr. Notter’s vehicle had a “Guns not allowed” sticker on it. An official of a Manila-based corporate foundation who visited Sulu last year was heavily guarded by the Marines throughout her visit. According to her the group that snatched the three ICRC volunteers last January had been waiting for the opportune time to strike.

The ICRC volunteers turned down the offer of the Philippine Marines to secure them to maintain the ICRC’s image as neutral and independent. Unfortunately, Aldaber Parad and his men do not respect such image or desire. They saw three prospective victims and grabbed them when the opportunity presented itself. The Philippine Marines, whose offer of protection was turned down by the ICRC volunteers, have since then been risking lives and limbs to rescue the three. Marine Cpl. Jo-Kris Figura, Cpl. Jeflor de la Torre and Pfc. Franklin Castillo were killed and scores were wounded during clashes between government troops and the kidnappers last March 16 and 17. Figura and de la Torre were 27 years old, Castillo 24.

Sadly, Sen. Richard Gordon, the chairman of the Philippine National Red Cross, has been publicly accusing the Philippine Marines, especially Maj. Gen. Juancho Sabban, of sabotaging his—Sen. Gordon’s—negotiations with Aldaber Parad and thus compromising the lives of the ICRC workers.

The situation should be seen in its proper perspective. The ICRC should review its policies of “neutrality and independence” because these lofty ideals are not respected by everybody. In fact, insisting on these ideals in a place like Sulu has already led to loss of lives among the very people who had wanted to prevent any harm to come to the three humanitarian workers. Violence and war, not neutrality and “no guns allowed” stickers rule the day in certain parts of Sulu. Something we all know. It’s less than a year ago that broadcaster Ces Drilon went through a horrible ordeal in the hands of kidnappers in Sulu. Her fame and connections were as inutile in protecting her from the kidnappers as the ICRC’s badge of neutrality and independence.

Of course, this is a free country and anybody can go anywhere anytime without coordinating their movements with military or police. But if local authorities and the military or police recommend security, we should not refuse, especially if we are foreigners or for some other reasons potential kidnap victims. Not that military security is a 100 percent guarantee against assault or kidnapping, but it does lessen the risk. And we know that should anything happen—like it did with Ms. Drilon, her companions, and the three ICRC workers—it becomes the responsibility of the military to rescue the hostages, whether or not the victims had refused military escorts.

Senator Gordon, concerned as he is for his colleagues from the ICRC, can negotiate with the kidnappers but he doesn’t have to publicly criticize the people who risk their lives and limbs to protect the community from ruthless kidnappers. We might disagree with the particular approach adopted by the military but maybe we could disagree with them in a more respectful manner. Let us not lose sight of the fact that the bad guys are the kidnappers not the Marines who risk their lives to rescue the victims of the former.

There are unfortunately places in our country that are not safe. In Cotabato City, a local businessman and his young daughter were kidnapped some weeks ago, and released upon paying ransom. School teachers and engineers are being kidnapped in Basilan, nurses in Zamboanga. Depriving law-abiding citizens of any nationality of their freedom, holding them against their will for ransom or political demands, and threatening to kill them unless the demands are met, are heinous crimes, the perpetrators criminals.


http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2009/march/31/yehey/opinion/20090331opi6.html

opinion@manilatimes.net


Sunday, April 05, 2009

Gordon's role in Sulu crisis 'destructive' - Defense chief

SOPHIA DEDACE, GMANews.TV
04/05/2009 | 02:24 PM

MANILA, Philippines – Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. for the first time voiced his displeasure on what he called as "destructive attempts" to interfere in the hostage crisis in southern Philippines involving two European Red Cross volunteers.

Interviewed by radio dzBB’s Nimfa Ravelo on Sunday, Teodoro particularly vented his ire on Sen. Richard Gordon, who he said seems to favor the Abu Sayyaf hostage-takers more than the government.

“Sen. Gordon’s latest statements only serve to strengthen the hand of the kidnappers," he said, referring to Gordon’s statement that the fate of the hostages, Italian Eugenio Vagni and Swiss Andreas Notter, is on the hands of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

“The fate of the hostages is not in the hands of the President but of the kidnappers," Teodoro said.

Another hostage, Filipino Mary Jean Lacaba, was freed by Abu Sayyaf Thursday night after days of negotiations.

Gordon said the life or death of Vagni and Notter of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) depended on whether or not President Arroyo, as the military’s commander-in-chief, would order government troops to pull back from the area surrounding the Abu Sayyaf’s camp in Sulu.

Gordon, chairman of the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC), also said President Arroyo "must determine the policy" on how to secure the release of the two foreign aid volunteers.

No pullout

Teodoro, along with Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno, had repeatedly insisted that a massive military pullout would only endanger the locals in Sulu and could possibly make them more vulnerable to kidnapping not only by the Abu Sayyaf but by other lawless elements operating in the troubled province.

“The military pullout demanded by the [Abu Sayyaf] is a criminal attempt to allow them to wreak havoc elsewhere," he said.

The Defense chief likewise said that by putting the blame on President Arroyo, Gordon had virtually cleared the Abu Sayyaf of any liability should anything happen to Vagni and Notter, now on their 80th day of captivity.

“Ang bintang ay nawawala sa Abu Sayyaf [The Abu Sayyaf is being cleared of any liability]. This is already unacceptable, to lay the blame on the President," Teodoro said.

“There should be a stop to these destructive attempts at interfering with the crisis management committee’s work," he added, stressing that the local crisis committee is the one in charge of talking with the Abu Sayyaf.

Teodoro said President Arroyo’s policy of limiting the hostage crisis at the level of the crisis committee has been so far correct, referring to the release of the Lacaba and of the three policemen taken as prisoners of war by the New People’s Army in Rizal last month.

“Experience has proven that we are correct and the President’s policy is correct, we will let the crisis management committee deal with the situation.

Mouthpiece?

In an earlier interview also by Nimfa Ravelo, Gordon denied meddling with the government as he scoffed at insinuations that he was acting as the Abu Sayyaf’s mouthpiece. He said that it was Albader Parad, the leader of the Abu Sayyaf faction that is holding the hostages, who communicated with him.

“I’m just being called. I can’t ignore it. I’m a human being, I will never stop being a humanitarian," he said.

Gordon said he last spoke with Parad Friday night, a day after Lacaba was released. He said the rebel leader reiterated his demand for a large-scale military pull out or they would behead one of the remaining hostages.

Gordon said Parad promised to start negotiations for the release of Notter and Vagni after the pullout of Philippine Marines, police and armed civilian volunteers. He said the bandits wanted an area to move around.

The senator also said that he was merely relaying to the government what had transpired in his phone conversations with Parad, adding that he should also not be faulted for being concerned for the hostages.

“In Red Cross, I have to take the fall. Nasa konsensiya ko ‘yan [My conscience tells me to do so]," Gordon said. - GMANews.TV

http://www.gmanews.tv/story/155698/Gordons-role-in-Sulu-crisis-destructive---Defense-chief

Thursday, April 02, 2009

Negotiators try to contact Red Cross captors

04/02/2009 | 02:44 PM

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine authorities were trying to re-establish contact with al-Qaeda-linked militants threatening to kill three Red Cross hostages, officials said Thursday.

Gov. Abdusakur Tan of southern Sulu province, where the Abu Sayyaf threatened to behead one hostage this week, said the militants and captives were on the run as the government redeployed troops around a hilly area on Jolo island close to their camp.

Tan declared a state of emergency on Jolo on Tuesday, hours after the beheading deadline set by the militants lapsed. Tan later said he had information but not proof the hostages were alive as troops rumbled off in tanks and trucks to try to prevent the militants from escaping.

Provincial police chief Julasirim Kasim said Thursday government forces were "sealing off" areas where the gunmen and the Italian, Swiss and Filipino hostages were sighted.

He said police were continuing to set up road checkpoints around Jolo but refused to give other details.

Italian Eugenio Vagni, Swiss Andreas Notter and Filipino Mary Jean Lacaba were seized Jan. 15 after visiting a Red Cross water sanitation project at the provincial jail.

Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno said Jolo Rep. Yusop Jikiri, a former Muslim rebel commander with extensive connections among the militants, talked with Abu Sayyaf commander Abu Pula on Tuesday but failed to win the hostages' release.

In a later interview with a television network, Puno said the kidnappers were moving within a 9.4-square-mile (15-square-kilometer) jungle area on Jolo.

He said the area was drenched in rain, making travel and living conditions difficult. The gunmen could not readily abandon the hilly area because it has been their only source of drinking water in the jungle, Puno said.

"This has been their situation for a while now, and although there has been no offensive action taken against them, they have absolutely no possibility of getting away from the area," he said.

He said the focus of government efforts was to make sure that kidnappers "head back in the direction of negotiation with anyone."

The Swiss federal government appealed to the militants to release the hostages.

"We implore the kidnappers to show compassion and to release Mary Jean, Andreas and Eugenio without further delay and in good health. The three hostages have dedicated their lives to the cause of peace and to helping the most disadvantaged people in the world," a statement said.

The Abu Sayyaf group has beheaded hostages in the past, including an American in 2001 as well as seven Filipinos in 2007.

The U.S. government has placed the Abu Sayyaf, which has about 400 gunmen, on its list of terrorist organizations. - AP
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/155293/Negotiators-try-to-contact-Red-Cross-captors

Sayyaf trapped in Sulu jungle; no words from Red Cross hostages

AL JACINTO, GMANews.TV
04/01/2009 | 11:28 PM

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – Security forces have cordoned off a huge area in the jungle of Sulu province, trapping Abu Sayyaf terrorists holding hostage three Red Cross workers, officials said.

An Abu Sayyaf commander Albader Parad have repeatedly threatened to behead the hostages – Swiss national Andreas Notter, Italian Eugenio Vagni and Filipino Mary Jean Lacaba – if security forces do not withdraw from at least five towns.

Marine Lt. Gen. Nelson Allaga, commander of military forces in-charge of the operation to safely free the aid workers, said they have reports that all the hostages are alive.

“We have reports that the hostages are all alive. Military forces have encircled the jungle of Indanan town where the Abu Sayyaf is holed out. They are trapped, but they are also highly mobile," Allaga said.

The kidnappers have been reported radioing for reinforcements from other Abu Sayyaf groups in Sulu and Basilan provinces, anticipating a possible show down with military forces should Manila orders a rescue operation.

Allaga said the deployment of troops around Indanan have prevented Abu Sayyaf forces from Patikul town in merging with Parad’s group.

The Abu Sayyaf warned it would behead one hostage on Monday at 2 p.m. if the government fails to pull out security forces.

The trio was kidnapped on January 15 after inspecting a water and sanitation project at a prison in Patikul town. Police said a former jail guard, Raden Abu, led the group that kidnapped the aid workers and handed them over to the Abu Sayyaf days later. Abu was dismissed after 10 prisoners escaped from jail on January 13.

The latest video released last week by the Abu Sayyaf showed the three hostages tied together and behind them about a dozen gunmen clad in what appeared to be new Army uniform and their faces covered, except for Parad, who is also the group’s spokesman.

The video also showed Parad’s group now equipped with dozens of rifle grenades, M203 grenade launchers and machine guns. In previous videos, they were armed only with several grenade launchers and a few munitions.

It was not immediately known who were supplying weapons and provisions to the Abu Sayyaf.

Military and police intelligence reports said among those holding the aid workers are members of the Indonesian terror group Jema’ah Islamiyah.

JI militants led by Malaysian Zulkifli bin Hir also known as Marwan is believed to be among the Abu Sayyaf holding the hostages. Two more JI terrorists Dulmatin and Umar Patek are also said to be hiding in Sulu.

Zulkifli, who also heads the Kumpulun Mujahidin Malaysia (KMM), was believed to be involved in multiple deadly bomb attacks in the Philippines and has been added to most-wanted list of the U.S. Rewards for Justice Program.

The U.S. offered as much as $5-million bounty for the capture of Zulkifli and other known Abu Sayyaf leaders, while Dulmatin carries a $10-million reward on his head and $1-million for Patek. Manila also put aside P100-million bounties for the capture of Abu Sayyaf leaders dead or alive.

The provincial governor of Sulu, Sakur Tan, on Monday declared a state of emergency after the Abu Sayyaf ultimatum for a military pull out ended. Tan said military and police will arrest suspected Abu Sayyaf members and their supporters in a bid to crack down on terrorism in Sulu, one of six provinces that comprise the Muslim autonomous region. - GMANews.TV
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/155223/Sayyaf-trapped-in-Sulu-jungle-no-words-from-Red-Cross-hostages

Hackers deface PRC Web site

04/01/2009 | 11:41 PM

MANILA, Philippines - Amid the scare about the Confliker computer worm, hackers managed to deface the Web site of a government agency Wednesday.

The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC)'s home page remained defaced as of 10 p.m. Wednesday, with the page blank except for a message from the "culprits."

"Hacked by linuXploit_crew =) by DeRf-, Hualdo and _serial_killer_," the message said on the home page (www.prc.gov.ph).

It was not immediately clear if the defacing was an April Fool's prank, as shown by the smiley =) emoticon in the message.

On the other hand, the defacing came less than a week after an international group bared results of a study that showed the Department of Foreign Affairs among the agencies hacked by "cyber-spies." - GMANews.TV
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/155225/Hackers-deface-PRC-Web-site

Troops, tanks advance to Sayyaf stronghold after beheading deadline expires

03/31/2009 | 09:01 PM

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine troops and tanks are advancing toward a jungle stronghold of al-Qaeda-linked extremists after a deadline expired for the beheading of one of three Red Cross hostages.

Officials redeployed government forces near the Abu Sayyaf camp in Indanan township on southern Jolo Island and put the predominantly Muslim region under a state of emergency after talks for the safe release of the hostages became bogged down and the militants threatened to behead them by 2 p.m. Tuesday.

There was no immediate indication that any of the Swiss, Italian and Filipino hostages, who have been held since Jan. 15, were killed after the deadline expired.

Jolo Governor Sakur Tan said an informant told him that all the hostages were still alive but his source had no proof. - AP

http://www.gmanews.tv/story/155014/Troops-tanks-advance-to-Sayyaf-stronghold-after-beheading-deadline-expires

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