Difference between revisions of "Zamboanga Sibugay News"

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==Rebels torch construction trucks in Zamboanga==
*Source: http://mindanaoexaminer.com/news.php?news_id=20111223093718
*Friday, December 23, 2011 10:37:18 PM
:by  philstar.com
ZAMBOANGA SIBUGAY (Mindanao Examiner / Dec. 23, 2011) – Suspected communist rebels torched construction trucks owned by a private company working on an infrastructure site in Zamboanga del Sur province in the southern Philippines, police and military said Friday.
Authorities blamed the attack on the New People’s Army which is fighting for a separate Maoist state in the country. It said the attack occurred late Thursday in Josefina town.
There were no reports of casualties and police said extortion could be the motive for the attack.
No individual or group claimed responsibility for the raid, but the NPA is actively operating in the province. (Mindanao Examiner)
==Vice mayor of Zamboanga Sibugay town shot dead==
==Vice mayor of Zamboanga Sibugay town shot dead==
*Source: http://www.philstar.com/nation/article.aspx?publicationsubcategoryid=200&articleid=760733
*Source: http://www.philstar.com/nation/article.aspx?publicationsubcategoryid=200&articleid=760733
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Police operatives are still conducting hot pursuit operation against the suspect who flee on board a motorcycle.
Police operatives are still conducting hot pursuit operation against the suspect who flee on board a motorcycle.


==Seized Australian lands in Abu Sayyaf hands==
==Seized Australian lands in Abu Sayyaf hands==

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Dietary supplement is a product that contains vitamins, minerals, herbs or other botanicals, amino acids, enzymes, and/or other ingredients intended to supplement the diet. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has special labeling requirements for dietary supplements and treats them as foods, not drugs.

Manufacturers and distributors of dietary supplements and dietary ingredients are prohibited from marketing products that are adulterated or misbranded. That means that these firms are responsible for evaluating the safety and labeling of their products before marketing to ensure that they meet all the requirements of DSHEA and FDA regulations.

Wars of ancient history were about possessions, territory, power, control, family, betrayal, lover's quarrel, politics and sometimes religion.

But we are in the Modern era and supposedly more educated and enlightened .

Think about this. Don't just brush off these questions.

  • Why is RELIGION still involved in WARS? Isn't religion supposed to be about PEACE?
  • Ask yourself; What religion always campaign to have its religious laws be accepted as government laws, always involved in wars and consistently causing WARS, yet insists that it's a religion of peace?

WHY??

There are only two kinds of people who teach tolerance:
  1. The Bullies. They want you to tolerate them so they can continue to maliciously deprive you. Do not believe these bullies teaching tolerance, saying that it’s the path to prevent hatred and prejudice.
  2. The victims who are waiting for the right moment to retaliate. They can’t win yet, so they tolerate.

Rebels torch construction trucks in Zamboanga

by philstar.com


ZAMBOANGA SIBUGAY (Mindanao Examiner / Dec. 23, 2011) – Suspected communist rebels torched construction trucks owned by a private company working on an infrastructure site in Zamboanga del Sur province in the southern Philippines, police and military said Friday.

Authorities blamed the attack on the New People’s Army which is fighting for a separate Maoist state in the country. It said the attack occurred late Thursday in Josefina town.

There were no reports of casualties and police said extortion could be the motive for the attack.

No individual or group claimed responsibility for the raid, but the NPA is actively operating in the province. (Mindanao Examiner)





Vice mayor of Zamboanga Sibugay town shot dead

by philstar.com


MANILA, Philippines – Unidentified gunman shot to death a vice mayor of a Zamboanga Sibugay town this morning, a radio report said.

The victim was identified as Carlito Bayawa, vice mayor of Siay town, sustained multiple gunshot wounds in different parts of his body.

He was attack while he was on his way to an ATM machine in the province's capital town of Ipil.

The victim's wife, Susan, was also hurt during the incident and is currently recuperating in the local hospital in Ipil town.

Police operatives are still conducting hot pursuit operation against the suspect who flee on board a motorcycle.

Seized Australian lands in Abu Sayyaf hands

by AL JACINTO CORRESPONDENT


ZAMBOANGA CITY: Authorities said a kidnapped Australian is now being held by a notorious Abu Sayyaf group blamed for terrorism in Mindanao.

Warren Rodwell, 53, was kidnapped from his home on December 5 in the town of Ipil in Zamboanga Sibugay province, about 120 kms east of here.

“We have confirmation that Warren Rodwell is being held by the group of Abu Sayyaf leader Puruji Indama in Basilan province. We have stepped up efforts to locate Rodwell and his captors,” Army Colonel Ricardo Visaya, commander of the 104th Infantry Brigade, said.

The military said that Rodwell was kidnapped by a local gang with links to the Abu Sayyaf in the Muslim province of Basilan. Police also linked Barahama Ali, a commander of the larger rebel group Moro Islamic Liberation Front which is currently negotiating peace with Manila, to the kidnapping.

Visaya said they still do not know whether the two rebel groups had merged or if Rodwell was “sold” or handed over to the Abu Sayyaf. “We still don’t know whether the groups of Ali and Indama have merged or not, but Rodwell is now in the hands of Indama,” he said.

Rodwell - a former soldier in the Australian army and a prolific world traveler – married a Filipina Miraflor Gutang, 27, in June in Ipil town weeks after the two met through the Internet.

Gutang has appealed to the kidnappers to free her husband, saying he is not rich and ill, but she did not elaborate on his condition.

Authorities have tagged Indama as behind the kidnapping of a US woman Gerfa Lunsmann and her son Kevin Eric, and a Filipino relative in July in Zamboanga City. The trio was released separately after the woman’s husband Heiko Lunsmann paid a huge ransom to the Abu Sayyaf.

Indama was also blamed to numerous kidnappings in Basilan and Zamboanga City in recent years. Some of his victims were killed after their families failed to pay ransoms.

His group was also tagged as behind the beheadings of civilians and government soldiers in clashes in Basilan, just several nautical miles south of Zamboanga City.

The Abu Sayyaf, tied by the police and military to al-Qaeda and Jemaah Islamiya, has kidnapped over a dozen people in the past years in the southern Philippines and is still holding an Indian, two Malaysians and a Japanese man.

Australian’s kidnappers posed as policemen – witnesses

by AL JACINTO


ZAMBOANGA SIBUGAY: A Filipino farming couple said they have witnessed how gunmen dragged an Australian man they kidnapped in the southern Philippine province of Zamboanga Sibugay.

Joel Bulay, 44, and his wife, Rosanna, 41, said they witnessed how Warren Rodwell, 56, was being dragged away by gunmen who introduced themselves as policemen.

“We saw the man they call Warren Rodwell as he was being dragged away at gunpoint by four men. One of the men who was armed with an M16 rifle told us not to be afraid because they are policemen as they hurriedly dragged the white man and they disappeared in the dark over there in the bushes that lead to the river and the open sea,” said Joel as he points to the horizon outside the family’s grass hut in the village of Pangi where the kidnappers had escaped.

“I was really scared, so scared that I was trembling in fear and could do nothing because we fear for our safety. One of my girls, who is five years old, suspected it was kidnapping and I told her to keep quiet because we are scared the gunmen will take us and use our family as shield in their escape,” he said.

The farmer said he saw Rodwell in handcuffs as two of the gunmen were holding the foreigner tightly in both his arms and another man, armed with pistol, pushed him to walk faster as the fourth kidnapper pulled him by his cuffs.

Rosanna said they heard one gunshot in Rodwell’s house and then saw the gunmen dragging the foreigner to the bushes. “He could hardly walk as if he was in pain, but we did not hear anything from Rodwell as they passed by our house. He did not say anything and we are not sure if Rodwell saw us,” she said, adding the kidnapping coincided with a mysterious blackout in the subdivision.

“It was really mysterious. The kidnappers struck just as the lights went off and only in our subdivision and electricity came back an hour later,” the woman said.

Security officials said Rodwell might have been shot and wounded by the kidnappers during a struggle.

Government troops continue their search for Rodwell on Thursday, but there have been no reports about the former Australian army soldier. Rodwell married a 27-year old Filipina woman - Mariflor Gutang – in June this year after a short “Internet” love affair and moved to Ipil town where he bought a house which is heavily barbed and corralled.

Rodwell’s neighbors described him as a strict man, others said he is arrogant and would often drive away people staring or passing near his house. “He is really strict and perceived as arrogant. He would drive people away and he does not want neighbors near his house. He does not speak to us or mingles with his neighbors,” Joel said.

But Merly Suan, 18, described Rodwell as a silent man who goes by his everyday life alone. “He sometimes smiles at me if I see him in his motorbike. I think he is a good man and we pity him. We pray for his safety,” she said.

Rodwell’s wife left him after a fight last month and now lives with her parents in their ancestral home in the town of Naga also in Zamboanga Sibugay province. She has appealed to the kidnappers to free Rodwell, saying he is not rich and is ill.





Aussie's captors contacted gov, says security official

by Roel Pareño


ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – The kidnappers of an Australian national have reportedly contacted Zamboanga Sibugay Gov. Rommel Jalosjos to open possible negotiations for the victim’s release, a security official said yesterday. The source, who asked not to be named due to a “news blackout” on the kidnapping, said the captors of Warren Richard Rodwell did not demand anything yet, except saying that they wanted to negotiate directly with Jalosjos. The source could not immediately say when the kidnappers contacted the governor, adding though that they “apparently contacted twice.” Authorities could not confirm the reported contact, but expressed surprise how the kidnappers managed to get the cell phone number of the governor. Jalosjos, who imposed the news blackout, refused to answer calls or queries on the supposed contact by the kidnappers. Chief Superintendent Elpedio de Asis, Region 9 police director, declined to confirm or deny the information, saying only the local crisis management committee is authorized to make any statement on the case. Director Felicisimo Khu, chief of the Directorate for Integrated Police Operation in Western Mindanao, and Ipil Mayor Aldwin Alibutdan, head of the crisis management committee, also declined to answer calls. But a security source said the cell phone number used by the kidnappers in calling Jalosjos is now being tracked down. Authorities suspect the kidnappers may have brought 56-year-old Rodwell to Basilan, a known turf of Abu Sayyaf militants who have been involved in several ransom kidnappings. Rodwell was seized from his home in Barangay Upper Pangi, Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay last Dec. 5.

NPAs assault military post, 2 wounded

by Al Jacinto, Correspondent


ZAMBOANGA SIBUGAY: Communist rebels attacked a Davao City military detachment wounding two village women, officials said Wednesday. Officials said the attack occurred at around 6.40 p.m. in the village of Malabog in Paquibato district.

The woman, wife of a government militia, was in the house about 100 meters from the detachment when New People’s Army rebels sprayed the post with automatic gunfire.

Another woman, who belongs to the Ata Manobo tribe, was also wounded in the attack.

“The woman was injured when rebels harassed the Golden Shower detachment in the village. Estila Resaba, a mother of eight (children), the wife of government militia Jerry Resaba, was inside their house, about 100 meters from the outpost, when rebels opened fire,” said Army Lieutenant Colonel Lyndon Paniza, a spokesman for the 10th Infantry Division.

He said more troops would be sent to Paquibato to protect the civilians from rebel attacks. “With what happened, there is an urgent need for our troops in the areas of Paquibato. We will also intensify our forces to secure the safety of civilians in every community,” he said.

Kidnappers slip through military dragnet

by Al Jacinto, Correspondent


ZAMBOANGA SIBUGAY: Gunmen who kidnapped an Australian soldier-turned-teacher may have escaped a massive military and police dragnet in the small seaside town of Ipil here. Authorities have deployed hundreds of soldiers and policemen to search for the 53-year old Warren Rodwell of Sydney, following a daring kidnapping that had embarrassed security officials and triggered a new wave of travel warnings from Australia and the United Kingdom. Both countries are staunch allies of the Philippines in its fight against homegrown terrorism.

The Western Mindanao Command, which has control over half of the military forces in the volatile south, said Rodwell was kidnapped by a local gang with links to the small, but the most notorious terror group called the Abu Sayyaf – blamed for the spate of bombings and kidnappings of foreigners and wealthy Filipino traders in the past two decades.

“There is a possibility that the kidnappers are no longer in Ipil. It’s been a week now since the kidnapping and we don’t know where they are right now, but the operation is still going on to track down the kidnappers and their captive Warren Rodwell,” Mayor Edwin Alibutdan said in an interview.

Alibutdan, who heads the local crisis management committee handling the kidnapping case, said no individual or group claimed responsibility for the kidnapping. “There is no specific group that claimed responsibility for the kidnapping. There is no contact with the kidnappers and Rodwell’s family has not received any demand for ransom,” he said.

He said he would convene a joint police and military peace and order council to tackle the progress of the government’s rescue efforts and to determine whether the kidnappers and their hostage are still within the town’s hinterlands or had escaped the massive operation.

“We just want to be sure whether the kidnappers and their captive are still here or no longer here and to take the necessary steps to protect foreigners coming in and out of Ipil,” he said.

Alibutdan has ordered additional security patrol and told police and military to put up more detachments in coastal areas to prevent lawless elements from sneaking into the town which was pillaged by the Abu Sayyaf in 1995 that left 53 people dead.

“The fear of terrorism is deeply rooted among locals because of what happened in 1995. Even now we get news of impending attacks in Ipil and these cause great fear to my people and I assure them that I will not allow terror to again reign in their hearts and minds,” he said.

Locals said they always see Alibutdan leading village patrol during nighttime. “I have no fear. If I show fear, then all my people will be afraid, scared of everything. I don’t even bring bodyguards around with me. The people are vigilant here,” the Mayor said.

Rodwell, who now teaches English language in universities in China, is married to a Filipino woman Miraflor Gutang, 27. Rodwell met the woman in May this year on the Internet and married her the next month after dating her in Zamboanga City.

Alibutdan officiated the civil wedding in Ipil, but months into their rocky marriage, the woman filed two complaints with the police against Rodwell, accusing him of maltreatment, and left him last month after an argument, and stayed with her family in the neighboring town of Naga.

Police said Rodwell’s Filipino neighbors also complained about the foreigner’s arrogance and attitude and often chased away people who would go near his bungalow-type house surrounded by barbed fence and hanged a huge sign that reads “No Trespassing. Pribado.”

News blackout could endanger hostage - expert

by Lindsay Murdoch, Al Jacinto In Zamboanga City


AN EXPERT on insurgencies in the southern Philippines says the Australian government's news blackout on the abduction of Sydney adventurer Warren Rodwell could further imperil his life. Bob East from the University of Southern Queensland, who has written a PhD and other research papers on the insurgencies, says the media should be free to report all aspects of the kidnapping. If the kidnappers believe their hostage is unimportant then his chances of survival are indeed minimal, Dr East told the Herald.

After all, if the prime reason for the kidnapping is profit, and there is no profit to be made, then there is no point in keeping their quarry, he said. The governor of Zamboanga Sibugay, Rommel Jalosjos, imposed a news blackout on the kidnapping last week at the request of Australian officials who travelled to the restive Mindanao province to help efforts to free Mr Rodwell, 53, who was abducted by four men posing as policemen last Monday. The decision to impose a news blackout contradicts the recommendations of a Senate inquiry last month that Australian authorities handling the kidnappings of Australians overseas should co-operate with the media, not ignore it. Dr East, who has researched the insurgencies over years, said Mr Rodwell may have been kidnapped by criminals who like to be seen as members of the Abu Sayyaf terrorist organisation which is portrayed as having ambitions for creating a pure Islamic state in the southern Philippines. He said these criminals take advantage of inadequate law enforcement in that part of the Philippines to pursue their agenda - terrorism for profit. Dr East wrote in a research paper the organisation which used to be well disciplined is now only comprised of bandits and criminals whose only agenda is greed and violence and any claim to be doing so in the name of a higher authority is pure fantasy and heresy. The Philippine military says it suspects a gang linked to the Abu Sayyaf is behind Mr Rodwell's kidnapping. It has also not ruled out gangs with links to other claimed separatist groups or local criminal gangs. The release at the weekend of an American teenage hostage in the same area Mr Rodwell was abducted has raised hopes negotiators will be able to secure his release, if the same group is responsible. Fourteen-year-old Kevin Lunsmann, his mother, Gerfa Yeatts Lunsmann, 42 and a Filipino relative Romnick Jakaria, 19, were kidnapped in Zamboanga City in July. Mrs Lunsman and Mr Jakaria were freed earlier. It is not known if ransoms were paid. The kidnappers were demanding a ransom of 50 million Philippines pesos ($1.3 million) for the teenager. Kidnappers are also still believed to be holding an Indian, two Malaysians and a Japanese man on Basilan island, a stronghold for rebels. Mr Rodwell, who married a Filipina, Miraflor Gutang, 27, in June after an internet romance, was kidnapped from a house he bought in a village near the seaside town of Ipil, 130 kilometres from Zamboanga City. He was shot in the foot as he struggled with kidnappers before he was dragged away. Security forces have launched a big hunt for Mr Rodwell, a prolific world traveller who taught English in China for more than eight years after leaving Sydney a decade ago. Ms Gutang has appealed for the release of her husband, saying he is unwell and she has no money to pay a ransom.

News blackout slammed on Australian kidnapping

by AL JACINTO


ZAMBOANGA SIBUGAY: A Filipino governor, whose province is where a former Australian army soldier was recently kidnapped, has imposed a news blackout about the progress of the government operation to the foreigner.

Warren Rodwell, 53, was seized by gunmen from his home in Greenmeadows Subdivision on December 5. He was also shot in the foot while trying to fight off the kidnappers, a security spokesman said.

Governor Rommel Jalosjos said the news blackout will run until the situation improves in the province. He said he would also pass a resolution for all foreign residents in the province to coordinate with the provincial government for their own safety.

“We are a democracy and as such, they (foreigners) don’t have to make ‘paalam,’ (to tell us they are staying here) but because of this incident, I will be passing a resolution for all foreign visitors to coordinate with the provincial government so we can easily monitor them,” he told reporters.

It was not immediately known how many foreigners are present in Zamboanga Sibugay, but Luisa Morrison, the Filipino wife of a Scottish national was also kidnapped in September by rebels and taken to Basilan province where she was rescued by army soldiers following a firefight a week later.

Jalosjos said he had a meeting with Australian government officials and the Federal police in Zamboanga about Rodwell, but he did not what was discussed. “They just wanted to touch base with me and I offered them whatever assistance we can give including logistical support,” he said.

He said the kidnappers have not contacted Rodwell’s Filipino family or made a ransom demand. The Sydney man married Miraflor Gutang, 27, in June after they met on the internet.

“Whoever had kidnapped my husband, he is not rich. Return him to us and please don’t hurt him. My husband is ill,” Gutang said without elaborating as she appealed to Rodwell’s captors during a brief radio interview.

Security forces have launched a massive search in the province and nearby areas which included the Muslim province of Basilan, a known stronghold of Abu Sayyaf militants with links to al-Qaeda and Jemaah Islamiya.

The military said a local gang with links to the Abu Sayyaf was behind Rodwell’s kidnapping, but authorities are also looking into the possible involvement of some members of the larger rebel group called Moro Islamic Liberation Front which is currently negotiating peace with Manila.

MILF rebels had been previously tagged by authorities in numerous kidnappings for ransom of foreigners in the troubled region. Kidnappers are still holding an Indian national, two Malaysians, a US teenager and a Japanese man in

Zamboanga Sibugay governor accused of blocking probe by ceasefire monitors

by newslinktv.blogspot.com


GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Philippines—The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has accused Zamboanga Sibugay Governor Rommel Jalosjos of blocking an investigation by an international panel of a clash between government forces and MILF guerrillas in the municipality of Payao last October. Mohagher Iqbal, MILF chief negotiator, even made the failure of the International Monitoring Team to conduct the investigation due to Jalosjos’ alleged interference part of his opening statement during the recent talks in Kuala Lumpur. “We are jolted by the failure of the International Monitoring Team (IMT) to proceed with the investigation of the fighting in the municipality of Payao, Zamboanga Sibugay,” he said. “That is correct,” Jalosjos told the Inquirer by phone on Friday. “I didn’t allow them to go to Payao because they did not follow proper protocol.” He said the IMT was rude because it did not coordinate with him during their previous visits. When they finally did, it was already too late to prepare, Jalosjos said. “What angered me most was the November 19-21 investigation schedule they made. They even sent me a last-minute itinerary last November 18 and there was supposedly a courtesy meeting with me but November 21 concluded and no one showed up for that courtesy meeting,” he said. The IMT investigation, aimed at establishing the cause of the fighting, was agreed upon by the government and the MILF peace panels. Said Shiek, head of the MILF contingent to the joint ceasefire committee, said the IMT mission to Zamboanga Sibugay did not push through as scheduled last December 5 to 8 because Jalosjos did not allow it. “To be very frank with you, it is not the failure of the IMT to investigate which is disheartening, which can be temporary, for any day from now they can decide to go… but it is the decision of Governor Rommel Jalosjos of Zamboanga Sibugay to defy the decision of the government through its peace panel to conduct the investigation, in compliance with a standing commitment in the peace negotiation,” Iqbal said. “If a local government executive can oppose decisions of government in such an important but still a relatively minor case, how much more if the stakes are already high, say a comprehensive compact between the GPH and MILF?” Iqbal added. He said the MILF could not understand why Jalosjos would block the investigation when it was meant to ferret out the truth. “Seriously, we cannot understand why Governor Jalosjos chose to stand in the way of the investigation: to hide the truth or to show that he can stand up against the President?” Iqbal asked. Jalosjos said another reason for turning down the IMT’s visit to Payao was that some of its members were Caucasians. “They are high-profile targets (for kidnapping). It’s my responsibility when it comes to their safety; they know what happened here,” he said, apparently referring to the Dec. 5 of an Australian national. The IMT consists of representatives from Malaysia, Japan, the European Union (including British, French and Dutch), and the Organization of the Islamic Conference, among others. “We find no reasonable ground for the IMT (mission)… not to be allowed… The wrong stance of the governor should be corrected by the government otherwise he becomes more supreme than the peace policy of the Aquino administration,” Shiek said.

Filipino gang with links to Sayyaf blamed for kidnapping of Aussie man

by mindanaoexaminer.com



ZAMBOANGA SIBUGAY (Mindanao Examiner / Dec. 7, 2011) – Philippine authorities tagged a gang with links to the terrorist Abu Sayyaf group as behind the kidnapping of an Australian man in Zamboanga Sibugay province in the restive region of Mindanao.

Warren Rodwell, 53, had been seized on December 5 by several gunmen after he was shot in the foot while trying to fight off the kidnappers who barged in his house in the coastal town of Ipil, said Army Lieutenant Colonel Randolph Cabangbang, a spokesman for the Western Mindanao Command.

“Based on witness account, Rodwell was shot in the foot while trying to fight off the kidnappers, who are members of a local gang, but with links to the Abu Sayyaf in Basilan province,” he said without further elaborating.

Rodwell, who is married to a Filipina, Miraflor Gutang, 27, also known as Grace, was alone in the house when gunmen seized him.

Cabangbang said security forces have launched a massive search for Rodwell in the Zamboanga Peninsula which is made up of the provinces of Zamboanga Sibugay, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga del Norte and Basilan.

He said the kidnappers escaped toward the sea with their captive, but it was unknown whether they managed to flee the town. He said the kidnappers have not contacted the foreigner’s wife or made any demand for his release.

Army Colonel Gerry Barientos, commander of the 102nd Infantry Brigade based in Ipil, said they deployed troops to track down the kidnappers, who could still be in the province. “We have deployed more soldiers in the province to track down the kidnappers and the hostage. They could still be in the province,” he told the Mindanao Examiner.

Local reporters who were able to interview Rodwell’s wife said she made an appeal to the kidnappers to free the Australian man, saying they don't have money (to pay ransom).

In September this year, kidnappers also seized the Filipino wife of a Scottish national in Ipil town - Luisa Galvez Morrison - and brought her by boat to Basilan province where she was rescued by soldiers a week later following a firefight with the Abu Sayyaf. (Mindanao Examiner)

Australian kidnapped in Zambo Sibugay

by abs-cbnNEWS.com


ZAMBOANGA SIBUGAY, Philippines - Unidentified armed men kidnapped an Australian in Ipil town, Zamboanga Sibugay province on Monday, the military said.

The victim was identified as Warren Richard Rodwell, a resident of Green Meadow Subdivision in Barangay Lower Pangi, Ipil.

His kidnappers were last spotted heading south toward the sea, according to Lt. Col. Randy Cabangcabang, spokesman of the military's Western Mindanao Command.

Soldiers and police are pursuing the kidnappers as of posting. - report from ABS-CBN Zamboanga

Army major reported missing in Zamboanga Sibugay

by Julie S. Alipala

Inquirer Mindanao


ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – An Army major was reported missing after the vehicle he and his men were riding was flagged down by several armed men, believed to be New People’s Army rebels, on a highway in Barangay (village) Guinoman in Diplahan, Zamboanga Sibugay, early Saturday morning, the police reported. Senior Superintendent Ruben Cariaga, Zamboanga Sibugay police chief, identified the Army officer as Major Ramon Torres. He said Torres, of the 102nd Infantry Brigade, and five other soldiers were on a Mitsubishi pickup owned by TVI Mining from Ipil town and were going to Bayog in Zamboanga del Sur when about 40 armed men flagged them down around 7:25 a.m. Torres, he said, reportedly escaped and was chased by the armed men. Cariaga said that after questioning the passengers of the pickup truck, the armed men released the five remaining soldiers. “Their firearms were also confiscated,” he said. “Major Torres is still missing and we are on search operation now,” Colonel Pedro Dulos, deputy commander of the 102nd Infantry Brigade, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer by text message. A military report said the armed men were members of the New People’s Army operating under Aurora Cayon alias Commander Bambam.

Zamboanga Sibugay eyes ban on open-pit mining

by Tony Pe. Rimandotempo.com.ph


ZAMBOANGA CITY (Mindanao Examiner / Dec. 1, 2011) – The southern Philippine province of Zamboanga Sibugay is likely to declare a ban on open-pit mining following the move of neighboring Zamboanga del Norte.

Governor Rommel Jalosjos said they will not allow any open-pit mining in the province citing its destructive effect on the environment. “No. I am not for open-pit mining. Over my dead body,” he said when asked by reporters during a news conference if he would allow open-pit mining in Zamboanga Sibugay.

Jalosjos, who had worked at a mining firm in Australia, said: “I’ve seen what they have done.”

South Cotabato has first declared a ban on open-pit mining as part of its environment code and also put at risk billions of dollars of investments in the province, but saved the environment from further destructions.

Zamboanga del Norte followed after provincial lawmakers passed a resolution recently banning open-pit mining in the province. But mining firms have challenged the provincial ordinance in courts, citing that the ban is not in accordance with the Philippine Mining Act of 1995.

Manila said the Philippine Mining Act of 1995 and its Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations is considered in the industry today as one of the most socially and environmentally-sensitive legislations in its class.

It has specific provisions that take into consideration the following - Local government empowerment; Respect and concern for the indigenous cultural communities; Equitable sharing of benefits of natural wealth; Economic demands of present generation while providing the necessary foundation for future generations; Worldwide trend towards globalization; and Protection for and wise management of the environment.

Mining executives said they follow responsible and sustainable mining and provided health care and other benefits to the host community aside from tax it pay the local and national government.

But mining firms – gold, silver, copper among other minerals and deposits - in Mindanao also attracted sustained attacks from communist New People’s Army and Muslim rebels who are opposed to the destructive activities in the volatile, but mineral-rich region.

Ethnic tribesmen and church leaders, including environmentalists, are also destructive mining activities in Mindanao.

“We are opposed to destructive mining, especially in our ancestral domain,” said Timuay Noval Lambo, chieftain of the Gukom sog Pito ko Dolungan, the highest Subanon authority in Western Mindanao.

Lambo said they wanted to develop their community, but gets no support either from the national or provincial government where mining taxes go. He also questioned the provincial ban on open-pit mining in Zamboanga del Norte, saying, they were not consulted about this.

“We should have consulted first about this provincial ordinance because we are the ones affected by these mining activities in our own ancestral domain. We want our community developed, but we get no support from the national and provincial governments,” he said.

It was not immediately known whether Zamboanga del Sur would also pass a resolution banning open-pit mining in the province. Small scale gold mining activities are also rampant in Zamboanga del Sur and Zamboanga del Norte. (Mindanao Examiner)




Transport group backs Tampakan project

by Tony Pe. Rimandotempo.com.ph


Manila, Philippines – A transport group with members from the provinces of South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and General Santos city is preparing for what its members are anticipating as a “tremendous growth” in terms of public transportation needs. “The Tampakan project will mean a bigger demand for public transportation and this will be good for the transport industry,” said Orlando Sabelita, president of the Socsksargen Transport Federation, an affiliate of the Public Transport Alliance of the Philippines (PTAP). “We know there will be more people, goods and services that will need public transportation and we need to prepare for that,” he said. Sabelita said it is high time for a comprehensive transportation plan to be developed for South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and General Santos, with the Tampakan project in mind. “We need a new public transportation route going to Tampakan, and we need that properly planned with other agencies and local government units”, Sabelita said. Sabelita said his group is coordinating with the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) region 12 office for a multi-sectoral planning to come up with a comprehensive transportation plan. “For instance, we need one public transportation terminal system,“ he said. Sabelita said the Tampakan project will definitely bring in employment and livelihood opportunities. “The influx of workers and their families will mean they will need to commute, and they will need goods and services and these will all depend on public transportation,“ he said. When asked if his group has any apprehension on the environmental impact of the Tampakan project, Sabelita said they trust the regulatory system governing the mining industry.




Sibugay order

by Tony Pe. Rimando


IPIL, Zamboanga Sibugay – Governor Rommel Jalosjos announced that local authorities have lifted starting Monday the curfew they imposed province-wide early this month following several encounters between soldiers of the Army’s 403rd Infantry Brigade and members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

Jalosjos said the lifting of the 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew came after the military noted that the peace and order situation in the trouble-rocked towns of Payao, Titay, Kabasalan, and Ipil has been restored. He noted that the MILF camp of rebel leader Waning Abdusalam in Payao has been dismantled by troopers.

Ipil residents take to the streets to celebrate Mindanao Week of Peace

by Paulnazer Lontua/MindaNews


IPIL, Zamboanga Sibugay (MindaNews/24 November) – Hundreds of residents here took to the streets early Thursday morning to “walk for peace” on the first day of the Mindanao Week of Peace. At the town plaza, students from different schools, representatives of various religious groups — Christians and Muslims, workers in the government and the private sector held placards calling for peace. The Mindanao Week of Peace is observed annually starting every last Thursday of November. This year’s theme is “Common Word between Us and You: Love of God, Love of Neighbor.” The “Walk for Peace” activity was spearheaded by Mayor Eldwin Alibutdan in cooperation with various groups. The town’s population is a mix of settlers, Moro and Lumad (indigenous peoples). Ressel Lopecillo, Ipil’s Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Federated Vice-President, who was among those who participated in the “walk for peace” said real peace should start with the youth. “I fully support these kinds of activities because through them I can serve as a role model to my fellow youth. This way, I can show to them that we, the youth, should be in the frontline in the journey to achieve lasting peace in our lands. We are the nation’s future and we should act now and not later,” he said. In his speech, Mayor Alibutdan cited the importance of constantly observing and supporting the week-long annual celebration, explaining that lasting peace is not achieved in a day. He also said that the Ipileños are instruments of peace and not of war. “Lasting and sustainable peace is not achieved in a day so it very important that we continue to shout for peace and support the Mindanao Week of Peace celebration. I am thankful that the people in Ipil are peace-loving citizens and we are fortunate that we choose to become instruments of peace and not of war,” he said. A series of activities has been lined-up for the celebration here like a youth peace camp and a “Bangkete sa Kalinaw” or Peace Banquet.




Multi-sector group conducts fact-finding mission

by Bong Garcia


A MULTI-SECTOR group known as the Coalition for Peace Base on Justice (CPBJ) is conducting an independent fact-finding mission in the nearby provinces of Basilan and Zamboanga Sibugay.

The CPBJ, which is composed of loose coalition of human rights, peace advocates and other civil society organizations and was formed last November 9, sent Monday two fact-finding teams to Al-Barka, Basilan and Payao, Zamboanga Sibugay.

Former Bayan Muna representative Satur Ocampo said they will talk to the local government officials and the affected residents to look into the effect of the recent clashes, as well as the all-out justice directive of President Benigno Simeon Aquino III.

“Our point is from the people's side,” Ocampo said, citing the result of their fact-finding mission could serve as inputs to the concerned government agencies addressing the problems.

Bai Ali Indayla of Kawagib, which works for the advancement of Moro Human Rights, said they are concerned on the plight of some 20,000 people displaced because of the recent clashes in Al-Barka, Basilan and Payao, Zamboanga Sibugay.

Another member of the CPBJ, Jacquiline Ruiz of the Children's Rehabilitation Center, said they will also look into the plight of the women and children who were affected by the recent clashes.

Ruiz said they will determine the exact number of women and children affected by the recent clashes and determine what would be the most appropriate intervention they should undertake.

The CPBJ is expected to announce the results of its fact-finding mission Wednesday. (Bong Garcia)




Curfew in Zamboanga Sibugay liftedZambo Sibugay ex-DILG prov'l director faces P1-M malversation rap

by gmanews.tv


The Ombudsman filed a P1 million malversation case against a former Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) provincial director in Zamboanga Sibugay for stashing government money in his vault for four years.

Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales issued on Nov. 10 a resolution for the indictment of Verner Virgilio P. Jayme for malversation case for having held a P1 million cash advance from April 14, 2004 to May 2, 2008.

The case is now before the Sandiganbayan and stems from a Commission on Audit report uncovering a P1 million cash advance drawn by Jayme in September 2004 for a “capability-building seminar" for barangay officials in the province.

But the seminar got cancelled and was deferred twice until Jayme was transferred to the DILG Region IX Office in Zamboanga City.

Admitting that he had brought the money with him upon his transfer, Jayme said he did not turn over the cash advance to his successor because he thought it was his responsibility to liquidate the amount later on.

Jayme failed to return the money despite demand letters sent to him. He claimed he had still been hoping that the planned seminar would push through.

The Ombudsman rejected however Jayme’s claim of good faith, considering that it took him four years to settle the disallowance.

The Ombudsman said Jayme’s case would have been treated differently “if respondent [had] ‘safe kept’ the amount for a couple of days, however, to safe keep P1,000,000 for four years clearly does not reflect ‘good faith’, more so, when the amount was returned through salary deduction."

But since Jayme fully returned, albeit belatedly, the cash advance, the Ombudsman junked a separate complaint for graft against him “for lack of evidence to support the allegation of undue injury to the government."




Curfew in Zamboanga Sibugay lifted

by Jewel Reyes, ABS-CBN News Zamboanga


ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – Zamboanga Sibugay Governor Rommel Jalosjos announced that the curfew imposed in his province, following skirmishes in different towns, has been lifted.

Jalosjos said the peace and order situation in the area has been restored, although some displaced families remain in evacuation centers.

The governor admitted that action needs to be undertaken to improve the "tarnished" image of Zamboanga Sibugay following reports that the province is a war zone.

He said the local government is reviewing plans of rehabilitation and tourism programs for areas that have great potential, such as Payao municipality, where a lair of notorious lawless leader Waning Abdusalam was captured by authorities 2 weeks ago.

Jalosjos said the bounty of P500,000 for the arrest and capture of Abdusalam and his group stays.

He also revealed that he has been receiving threats after incidents of violence in his area.




Speeding Up Passenger And Cargo Traffic In Zamboanga Sibugay

by mindanao.com


Residents of Barangay Malinao in Mabuhay, Zamboanga Sibugay, benefit from a 54-meter-long, stair-type boat landing and pier head built through a partnership between the Mabuhay municipal government of Mabuhay and the U.S. Agency for International Development, through its Growth with Equity in Mindanao (GEM) Program. More than 100 cargo, fishing and passenger boats dock daily at this facility, which allows traders and residents, such as these women, to transport farm and marine products more safely and efficiently. USAID has constructed 89 community infrastructure projects in Zamboanga Sibugay, out of a total of more than 1,300 such projects it has built in Mindanao’s conflict-affected areas. These include water systems, solar dryers, boat landings, trading centers, foot bridges, barangay bridges, and roadway upgrades. USAID’s GEM Program is implemented under the oversight of the Mindanao Development Authority.




Sibugay peace and order back to normal- PNP

by Paulnazer T. Lontua


ZAMBOANGA SIBUGAY, Nov. 14 (PIA) -- PSSupt. Ruben D. Cariaga, Zamboanga Sibugay Police Provincial Director, categorically said that peace and order in the province has gone back to normal. It can be remembered that peace and order situation here was disturbed after series of ambushes and clashes between government troops and lawless elements last month. “Things are back to normal now with peace and order situation in an undisturbed state after we finally took over the lawless group’s camp in Payao. Somehow, the hunt for lawless elements are on- going until we serve justice to our people,” Cariaga stated in an interview. Cariaga also added that the people need not to fear because the AFP and PNP are doing all in their capability to prevent any incidents similar to what had happened recently. Cariaga further mentioned that the intelligence community of the authorities is heightened to its maximum level to ensure that all plans of attacks and ambushes from the lawless groups, if there are any, would be prevented. (NBE/ P. Lontua SibEx)




Sibugay taps media in promoting nutrition

by Paulnazer T. Lontua


ZAMBOANGA SIBUGAY, Nov. 13 (PIA) -- The National Nutrition Council (NCC) and Zamboanga Sibugay Nutrition Office called on the media to become their partners in promoting nutrition during recent media conference here. Provincial Nutrition Action Officer (PNAO), Marlene Garcia, said the media plays a great role in helping the government disseminate accurate information on the importance of nutrition. “We always recognize the power of media on how they can help us inform families in far-flung places in the country about the value of nutrition. We believe that good relationship and proper linkage between the nutrition council and media could generate huge impact on the nutrition advocacy of people in these areas,” Garcia explained. During the media conference, Nimfa Ekong, Assistant Regional Director of the NNC, gave a presentation on the current state of the province’s, as well as the country’s nutrition situation. Ekong said there is much to do in terms of educating the Filipinos on the observance of proper nutrition in every Filipino home. Speaking in behalf of the media practitioners, Eddie Sallave, field reporter of DXIR-FM, committed the group to become NNC and PNAO’s partner in promoting and advocating good nutrition through their respective media outfits. “We will also assure the NNC and the PNAO that we are always with them in their mission to educate and aware the people about the value of nutrition in their lives”, Sallave vowed. PNAO Garcia also gave a brief summary on the recent accomplishments of the nutrition advocates of Sibugay. He said the malnutrition rate in the province has gone down. Other members of the Ipil media present during the conference were Don Johnson of DXUZ-Radyo Lipay, Rey Manriquez and Rudyard Lopez of DXIR-FM, Paulnazer Lontua, News Editor of the Sibugay Express. (NBE/P.Lontua/SibEx).




DSWD sends debriefing teams to Zambo Sibugay

by KBK, GMA News


The Department of Social Welfare and Development has sent 14 teams of social workers to two towns in Zamboanga Sibugay province in Mindanao to conduct stress debriefing for families affected by recent skirmishes there between the military and lawless groups.

Social workers from the DSWD Region 9 office and sub-offices in Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga del Sur were sent to Alicia and Payao towns to conduct Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) sessions, the DSWD said.

Of the 14, four teams were deployed in Payao while the others were assigned in Alicia, the DSWD said in a news release.

According to the DSWD, CISD is not psychotherapy or a substitute for it, but an opportunity for ventilation in a structured and supportive environment.

“Its main goal is to relieve the person of the stress brought about by a traumatic incident,” it said.

During the sessions, adults are to be subjected to the seven phases of Jeffrey Mitchell’s CISD model where they will have group meetings or discussions. Children would undergo sessions on draw and tell where they were encouraged to draw their experiences and encountered scenes in the hope of mitigating the effects of their trauma.

The teams were also tasked to assess the damages brought about by the conflict as well as look into other needs of the affected families and communities.

The DSWD said that as of November 5, the number of evacuation centers in Zamboanga Sibugay is down to five from 11.

Two evacuation centers are located in Payao and three in Olutanga providing temporary shelter only at nighttime to some 166 families or 830 people, and 135 families or 675 people, respectively.

During the day, the evacuees return to their respective homes to attend to their livelihood but they continue to be provided with relief assistance.

On the other hand, some 3,817 affected families with 19,075 people are still staying with friends’ and relatives and are continuously being provided with relief assistance.

The DSWD has so far provided some P8.1 million worth of assistance to the affected local government units including P7 million in cash-for-work allocation and P1.1 million in family food packs.

Meanwhile, in Al-Barka town in Basilan, as of November 5, some 2,224 families opted to stay with their relatives and friends but continue to receive relief assistance.

Some P3.1 million worth of assistance from DSWD-IX (P2.6 million), DSWD-ARMM (P50,000) and the LGU (P511,075.00) had been extended to them, the DSWD said.




Fighting erupts in Zamboanga town

by Mindanao Examiner


ZAMBOANGA CITY (Mindanao Examiner / Nov. 11, 2011) – Government troops clashed with communist rebels Friday afternoon in the town of Siay in Zamboanga Sibugay province in the southern Philippines, reports said.

It said the fighting was reported in the village of Silo and that civilians have evacuated to safety for fear they would be caught in the cross fire. There were no immediate reports of casualties, but soldiers were battling New People’s Army rebels.

The rebels were also blamed for the killing of a government militia last week in the village of Palintana in Kabasalan town, just several kilometers away from Siay.

The NPA is fighting for the establishment of a separate Maoist state in the country.




Muslim community leaders laud Sibugay PNP

by Paulnazer T. Lontua


ZAMBOANGA SIBUGAY, Nov. 10 (PIA) -- Muslim community leaders in Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay laud the Philippine National Police (PNP) for its good practice in peace and order initiatives. The PNP here made it a point to recognize the valuable efforts of the Muslim communities in attaining peace and order. Two known Islamic community leaders in the province namely; Ustadz Sarabi Camsain, leader of the Arabic Language and Islamic Values Education (ALIVE) Teachers in Sibugay, and Alhapid E. Muhammad-Al Hadj, Muslim Tribal Leader of the municipality of Ipil, were recognized and given citation by PNP for their contribution as peace advocates. On the other hand, Muslim leaders are also cognizant of the PNP’s good practices that established good relationship between the authorities and Muslim residents. According to Muhammad, the presence of SALA’AM PNP personnel in Zamboanga Sibugay is one good move of the PNP to constantly communicate with Muslim leaders and community members to listen to their woes. “We are happy with our relationship with our PNP here in the province because we feel like we are also part of the dream to achieve real peace in our areas. The SALA’AM personnel are always there to listen to our voices and hear us out. In return, we also cooperate and support our law enforcers," said Muhammad. PNP SALA’AM personnel, Police Insp. Karib A. Muharram, SALA’AM Chief, and PO3 Galilie B. Alam, are constantly conducting Muslim community visitations and meeting with tribal leaders of every community to listen to them and lead to establish good relationship with the people. Also, the construction of the PNP Mosque made the bonds between Muslim communities stronger. According to Muhammad, with the new Mosque, Muslim PNP personnel can now pray daily and congregate every Friday. The recent celebration of the 10th year anniversary of the PPO was also graced by different religious leaders, who were also given citations and awards for their valuable support and cooperation with the PNP’s peace initiatives. PSSupt. Ruben D. Cariaga, PPO provincial director, hopes that PNP’s initiatives and the concerted community efforts of Muslim leaders in tandem would last until real peace is achieved. (NBE / P. Lontua)




BIR urges professionals to be compliant with tax laws

by Paulnazer T. Lontua


ZAMBOANGA SIBUGAY, Nov. 9 (PIA) -- Revenue District Officer (RDO) of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) in Zamboanga Sibugay Monib Dimakuta urged professionals to comply with tax laws and file their income tax correctly and on time. According to Dimakuta, he is putting on his priority list the monitoring and checking of all the tax obligations of professionals in his areas of responsibility. “I would like to post this invitation to all the professionals out there who have tax obligations to comply and make sure they file their income tax correctly and on time because I am putting this monitoring on all professionals,” Dimakuta emphasized. In Zamboanga Sibugay, Dimakuta urged doctors, lawyers, engineers and all professionals to abide by the tax law to prevent any trouble with the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) in the future as it will not hesitate to implement the Oplan Kandado to delinquent tax payers. The BIR raised its revenue collections last year and expected to do the same this year. The bulk of the increase would come from the professional segment comprise of doctors, lawyers, accountants and other high-earning self-employed individuals. The country has about 700,000 professionals, but they contributed only P7 billion to government coffers in 2009. Department of Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima earlier said this amount would translate to an average contribution of P5,000 from each of the 700,000 professionals for that year. According to the Professional Regulatory Commission, the Philippines have three million professionals, including nurses, doctors, engineers and seamen who are either self-employed or employed. Lawyers and doctors, who are presumed to earn the most among professionals, numbered 190,000. (NBE RIX / P. Lontua)




Government prepares for return of displaced families in Zamboanga Sibugay

by Jill Beltran/Sunnex


MANILA -- The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has started is preparation for the return of several families displaced by military offensives in Zamboanga Sibugay.

"The DSWD is now beginning to make preparations for the return of the displaced families," deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said.

As part of the preparation, Valte said the DSWD is conducting counseling and stress debriefing sessions among those affected residents.

She added that livelihood assistance in the form of grants coming from the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program have also been provided.

Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman visited evacuation centers in Zamboanga Sibugay to oversee the preparations.

The military has launched an operation against lawless elements in various parts in Mindanao following successive skirmishes that resulted in the death of more than 30 soldiers and civilians.




CHR enters camp of wanted MILF leader in Zamboanga Sibugay

by Hader Glang


A probe team of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) entered the former camp of Waning Abdulsalam in Sitio Talaib, Barangay Labatan, Payao town in Zamboanga Sibugay province on Friday.

The team, according to reports, saw the large crater caused by the bombing of the military.

CHR Commissioner Jose Manuel Mamauag assured that no civilians were affected or the detachment of the MNLF in adjacent areas.

Mamauag said no houses there, but some structures, resting huts of the lawless groups. "But notably the prevailing fear among residents."

He said only in July, this year, that the armed group was sighted in the area.

It was learned from the CHR official that the local government had already reported the matter to the Government Peace Panel and even to the military, but to no avail.

On October, when the police together with some soldiers tried to serve arrest warrant for Abdusalam, which resulted to more than one week of clashes.

"How did they became like that, the group? They Should have been prevented," asked Mamauag.

According to CHR Commissioner, Abdusalam should be answerable for the kidnapping, robbery in band, extortion and murder cases.

Authorities blamed Abdulsalam for kidnappings and killings on Mindanao.

"This is high time for the government to apply the fullest force of the law. Lawlessness Should not stay a minute longer, "the whim of Mamauag.

The CHR probe team also went to Basilan to check on the affected civilians in the clashes between the military and the MILF.




NPA kills CAFGU in Zambo Sibugay

by abs-cbnNEWS.com


MANILA, Philippines – About 30 New People’s Army (NPA) rebels killed a member of the Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit (CAFGU) in Zamboanga Sibugay Saturday morning.

Zamboanga Sibugay Police Director, Senior Superintendent Ruben Cariaga said the rebels raided the house of a certain Ricky Modal along Barangay Palinta in Kabasalan around 6 a.m.

The rebels then took with them another CAFGU member identified as Felix “Caloy” Obordo.

Radio dzMM reported that the rebels brought Obordo to a camote plantation where he was tied and stabbed to death.

The army’s 8th Infantry Battalion had been dispatched to pursue the rebels. Dennis Datu, radio dzMM





PNP assures public safety in Sibugay

by Paul Lontua


IPIL, Zamboanga Sibugay November 4 (PIA) -- Zamboanga Sibugay Police Provincial Director, PSSupt. Ruben D. Cariaga, Sr., announced through a phone interview that the Philippine National Police (PNP) is under control of the situation and assured Sibugay’s public safety. “We have things under our control and the PNP is assuring that we can keep Sibugay safe”, stated Cariaga. Added to his statement, Cariaga revealed that there are text messages spreading all throughout the province containing reports that lawless groups will attack some municipalities in the province particularly in the municipality of Ipil creating panic and fear. Cariaga said that the said text messages come from unreliable sources and the PNP had nothing to do with such actions. “We received information that few text messages are circulating around the province and all contained reports that lawless groups will launch attacks in certain municipalities like Ipil. All of these reports remain unconfirmed and all never came from our office”, added Cariaga. According to Cariaga, people should not immediately believe in text messages and should get first-hand information from reliable sources like the PNP. “I’m appealing to the people to remain calm and not panic because of such reports from text messages. They should not immediately believe and instead ask reliable sources like the PNP because we have things under our watch”, Cariaga explained. Within one week, elements of the PNP and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) were ambushed by lawless armed groups in the municipalities of Alicia, Kabasalan and Ipil which made the province headlines in local and national newspapers, radio and relevision. Accompanied with reported bomb threats which later on turned out to be false alarms, the province of Zamboanga Sibugay is now considered by some people as a place of war and conflict. With this, Cariaga call on people to remain calm but vigilant and watchful to things that are happening in their surroundings. Cariaga also said that the PNP welcomes reports and is asking the public to immediately coordinate with authorities as to suspicious things, people or activities in their surroundings. The support and cooperation of the civilian communities, according to Cariaga, is the only key to prevent and solve crimes and other conflicts in Sibugay. As of PRESS time, the AFP and PNP has established a build-up of personnel in Sibugay areas particularly in Ipil as one of their safety measures to prevent any untoward incidents like bombings, attacks, etc. The whole province is also under high alert because of what happened recently. (NBE/P. Lontua, Ipil, ZSP)




LGU-Sibugay to implement GRAJTREE program

by Claro A. Lanipa


IPIL, Zamboanga Sibugay Nov 3, (PIA) –- The Provincial Government of Zamboanga Sibugay in coordination with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the Municipal and Barangay Local Government Units and other National Government Agencies (NGAs) will implement the Governor Rommel Apolinario Jalosjos Tripartite Rubber Expansion and Enhancement Program (GRAJTREE). The program will focus solely on rubber expansion and enhancement in the province of Zamboanga Sibugay. It is a centerpiece program of the provincial government under the leadership of Governor Jalosjos. Provincial Agriculturist Rey Manginsay said the project will be implemented in an estimated land area of 50,000 to 100,000 hectares of land located in the different municipalities of the province which are covered by the Socialized Integrated Forest Management Agreement (SIFMA) of the DENR and other areas which may be determined and cleared for inclusion in the program by the DENR. Manginsay further said that budding of rubber seedlings will begin in February 2012 and planting will eventually starts by April of the same year. On its first year of implementation, 14-thousand hectares of land will be covered to be planted with more or less 7.5 million rubber trees. Accordingly, a group of seven workers can maintain three hectares of rubber plantation to include weeding, tapping, latex collection, fertilization, pruning and others. GRAJTREE program aims to expand the rubber production area of Zamboanga Sibugay and enhance its potentials in order to bring about progress and various livelihood opportunities to its people. While waiting for the productive stage of the project, crops for inter-cropping and other livelihood projects shall be introduced. Under the institutional, human resource and marketing components of the program, cooperatives shall play a significant role in this program. While the processing and manufacturing component shall be the primary responsibility of the private sector which is composed of local, national and international investors. This project is a tripartite engagement of the provincial government, the private sector and the different cooperatives in the province. (JPA/OPAD/CAL/PIA9/ZamboSur)




Zamboanga Sibugay evacuees expected to start going home

by TJ Burgonio

Philippine Daily Inquirer


As government troops moved deeper in Zamboanga Sibugay province in pursuit of so-called lawless elements, some of the more than 20,000 evacuees could start to go back home beginning this week, Social Welfare Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman said Tuesday. By Sunday, the number of evacuees in Payao, Alicia, Talusan, Mabuhay and Olutanga towns had risen to 4,533 families or 21,090 individuals as more people fled their homes after rogue elements entered their villages, Soliman said. “Based on the assessment of the military and the governor, many of them can start going back to their places in certain areas this week because the military’s hot pursuit operation against the lawless elements has moved farther away,” she said in a phone interview. “Even if the military or police say it’s safe to go back, they will have to check the situation. The lawless elements are harassing soft targets to distract the Army. The process will take about two weeks before they can settle down,” she said. Evacuees still in Al-Barka In Al-Barka, Basilan, 1,891 families or 9,481 individuals remained in evacuation centers or in the homes of relatives following the October 18 ambush that killed 19 soldiers. “There is a hot pursuit operation, and the people are not being asked to go back as of now,” she said. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has allotted P7 million and P2 million for its cash-for-work programs for the evacuees in Zamboanga Sibugay and Basilan, respectively, to help them recover, Soliman said. Evacuees who will repair homes, school buildings, barangay centers or any government facility that had either been destroyed or damaged during the clashes would get paid. “They’ll start the work this week,” said Soliman, who visited Sibugay on Friday together with Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo and Secretary Teresita Deles, presidential adviser on the peace process. The DSWD will also release the cash grants to evacuees who are beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program before they go back home. “Social workers managing the evacuation centers continue to provide the evacuees counseling sessions and play therapy to children to reduce the trauma that they are undergoing,” Soliman said.

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