Desperate war refugees long to return home PAGE 2
Policemen awarded for remarkable deeds in Zamboanga
Bahay ng mga barangay kapitan niratrat sa Pagadian
PAGE 3
PAGE 4
2 abducted charity workers freed
Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III dies
PAGE 7
PAGE 8
'The Bangsamoro Statement' PAGE 9
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Oct. 28-Nov. 3, 2013
PDAF OUT, AQUINO PORK BARREL OK
D
espite a mounting public outcr y and a gr ow- the Philippines, College Edi- will not bring change. Inoutcry gro ing nationwide clamor for the total abolition tors Guild of the Philippines, stead, he has increased the of the por k barr el system, the A quino admin- Anakbayan, Student Chris- presidential pork allocations pork barrel Aquino istr ation and its allies in C ongr ess disr egar ded tian Movement and hun- in the 2014 budget. The conistration Congr ongress disregar egarded once e the people wing the appr oval dreds of other organizations gressional allocations will more people’’s demands follo following appro once mor in the country, led the youth continue. They have refused of the 2014 national budget. “When the government contingent in various dem- to heed the peoples' call for While P25.2-billion worth of Priority Develop- intentionally ignores and de- onstrations during the past system change. We can only ment Assistance Fund or fies its people, we the people months against pork barrel rely on collective action and people power to make sure PDAF was “removed” from must rise up and wield our and corruption. “The plan to hold a the rotten, corrupt system is the allocation, the ratified collective power over the govP2.68-trillion national bud- ernment. It doesn’t matter if Peoples' Initiative vs pork is a ended. The times call for a get still included the Aquino fails to comprehend welcome development. It can peoples' uprising,” he said. Youth Act Now also comPresident’s own lump-sum our calls or again turns a blind be a vehicle for millions of appropriations, estimated eye to our demands: with mil- young people to express their mended former Puno for lions of Filipinos at the door- collective disappointment “heeding the challenge of the at P964 billion. “Despite thousands of step of Malacañang, this sys- and outrage vs the corrupt times and for lending his wisFilipinos protesting against tem of corruption will end and pro-pork Aquino govern- dom, experience and reputathe pork barrel system, whether he likes it or not,” ment,” Vencer Crisostomo, tion to the broad movement Anakbayan national chair- against pork barrel funds.” Aquino still doesn’t get it and Baguisi said. Presidential Communications “It is our hope that many person and convenor of People's IInitiativ nitiativ e vs por k nitiative pork insists on retaining his share Operations Office Youth Act Now, said in a sepa- other upstanding individuals barr el of pork,” Isabelle Baguisi, a barrel “Wala po kaming parspokeswoman for the Youth groups under the rate statement to the and honest Filipinos come public funds following the out and join the fight against scandal involving some P10- ticular na focus sa mga speLeague of Filipino Students, Youth Act Now network Mindanao Examiner. Crisostomo said they will pork and against the rotten billion pork barrel fund chan- cific events na ganyan dahil said in a statement sent to which is supporting the nelled by some lawmakers to napakarami ng inaasikaso the regional newspaper Peoples' Initiative against start holding youth and system,” Crisostomo said. Accountability on use of fake nongovernmental orga- ngayon lalung-lalo na iyong Mindanao Examiner. pork barrel fund said it can peoples' assemblies in suppublic money nizations of Janet Napoles. proseso ng pagto-to hold acBaguisi also warned mobilize tens of thousands of port of "People Power vs Presidential CommuniColoma said the overall countable iyong pong mga about the realignment of the young people in expression of Pork" to gather signatures PDAF to other government outrage against systemic cor- and pledges in the fight cations Operations Office focus of the administration is pinaghihinalaang lumustay Secretary Herminio Coloma accountability on the use of ng pondo ng bayan,” he agencies. ruption and misgovernance. against pork barrel. “It is clear now that Jr. said Aquino removed public funds particularly with said. The Senate also issued “With the implication The Youth Act Now netof lawmakers and agencies work, which includes the Na- Aquino and his administra- PDAF in the national budget, regards to the issue of pork a subpoena Napoles to testify before the chamber’s like the Department of Ag- tional Union of Students of tion won't abolish pork and stressing the prudent use of barrel scam. blue ribbon committee on riculture as conduits for siNovember 7. phoning pork barrel funds, Coloma said the Palace it is no longer enough to has no special pre-occupaleave the decision to officials tion on any person or event like these who are already and it’s up to the lawmakers deeply embedded in this to deal with Napoles in the corrupt system. The people Senate inquiry. must reclaim their collective Whatever the course of right as the real sovereign in the investigation, he said this country,” she said. the Palace will pursue the Power to the people accountability process from As a member of the the Ombudsman to the Youth Act Now network, the Sandiganbayan on those inLFS endorses former Chief volved in the scam. Justice Reynato Puno’s call Asked to comment on for the People’s Initiative to the Pulse Asia Survey showensure that public funds are ing 8 out of 10 respondents used for the welfare of the believe that 50 percent of country. the PDAF has been stolen, “With Aquino’s refusal Coloma said the Palace to let go of the pork barrel shares the public’s view on system and Malacañang the need to put a stop to the constantly belittling the Italian priest Giancarlo Bossi returns to Payao town in Zamboanga Sibugay province after his release from captivity in these abuse of pork barrel fund people’s efforts to eradicate PIME photos. And Irish missionary Michael Sinnott in Zamboanga City shortly after his release. (Mindanao Examiner Photo) use. corruption, it is clear that we “Nagkaisa kami na ang can no longer rely on the PAGADIAN CITY - A Jakaria, a notorious com- in Zamboanga del Sur frustrated homicide for mga mamamayan na very same government to Philippine court has al- mander of the Moro Is- province. Both priests had the wounding of 5 solnagnanais na matigil ang purge itself from its own lowed a captured rebel lamic Liberation Front, been freed in exchange diers during a clash in anumang anyo ng evildoers,” Baguisi said. leader to post bail de- which is now negotiating for huge ransoms facili- October 2011 in Payao. paglulustay ng pondo ng She said the LFS is callspite a string of criminal peace with the Aquino tated by private negotiaThe 30-year old bayan. Kailangan po ing out every Filipino to cases, including the government. tors. Jakaria was arrested in talagang pagkaisahan natin unite under the People’s inikidnappings of an eldJakaria is being impliBossi, who served for May this year in a joint ‘yan sapagkat mahalaga ang tiative and together express erly Italian and Irish cated in the kidnappings over three decades in the police and military cobawat piso sa pondo ng their outrage over the rotten missioners in the south- of Italian priest Giancarlo Philippines, died last year vert operation at the bayan sa pagpapasigla ng ruling system that breeds ern region of Mindanao. Bossi in 2007 in in Italy. He was 62. And Mindpro Mall in ating ekonomiya at sa corruption, and to launch Police said the court Zamboanga Sibugay’s Sinnot, now 81, has re- Zamboanga City. Two pagpapaunlad ng ating more massive campaigns recommended a P24,000 Payao town and Irish mis- tired in Ireland. other men were also arbayan,” he said. (Mindanao and mobilizations against ($558) bail for the tem- sionary Michael Sinnott The rebel leader is rested in the operation. Examiner) the misuse of public funds. porary freedom of Ogis in 2009 in Pagadian City also facing charges of (Mindanao Examiner)
Court allows bail for captured MILF leader
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The Mindanao Examiner
Oct. 28-Nov. 3, 2013
Desperate war refugees long to return home
Photos released to the Mindanao Examiner Regional Newspaper by the Mindanao Human Rights Action Center show war refugees who wanted to return home to Santa Barbara village in Zamboanga City. And the relief aid sent by the Sabah-based Refugee Welfare Committee of Settlement Scheme intended for refugees in Zamboanga City. HUNDREDS OF W A R refugees have failed to return to their homes in Zamboanga City, a month after street battles between security forces and separatist rebels ravaged their place. The villagers wanted to rebuild what was left in Santa Barbara, scene of three weeks of deadly clashes last month, after military offensive left the area burned and destroyed. Village chieftain Adbulhamid Irin also told residents that they can now return to the area after security forces cleared Santa Barbara and local government approved their safe return. Irin made the announcement at the dxRZ Radyo Agong, saying the assurance to return came from the two staffs of Mayor Maria Isabelle Salazar. But troops and policemen prevented villag-
ers from entering the village after Salazar told them that no clearance has been issued for civilians to return. A team from the Mindanao Human Rights Action Center was also in the area after receiving reports that residents have been allowed in the village. It said some 300 residents trooped to Santa Barbara hoping to finally retur n to their houses, but the number swelled to over a thousand people. It said Salazar sent Councilman Roel Natividad to talk to the villagers, but he was not able to manage the queries from the residents. “Nonetheless, it was announced that the legitimate owners of the houses, apartments and other buildings will be given time to see their properties once the Crisis Management Committee gives the necessary clear-
ance,” the human rights center said. Salazar also arrived later to pacify angry villagers. She said more work is needed in the village before residents are allowed to return. “ We appeal to the people who really wanted to return home, you have to coordinate with the barangay officials because they will be the one to coordinate as to who can return because they know who the property owners are and we want to prevent looting. The military has been instructed by (1st Infantry Division commander) General Felicito Virgilio Trinidad that all personnel (troops) leaving (the village) will have to pass an inspection, shown to the public so they will know that there was no looting done by any military or police,” she said. The Department of Social Welfare and Devel-
Mga kabahayan sa Zambo nalimas ng husto NALIMAS NG HUST O ang HUSTO mga kabahayan sa isang lugar sa Zamboanga City na kung saan ay nagsagupaan ang militar at rebeldeng Moro National Liberation Front noong nakaraang buwan at halos madurog naman ang puso ng mga residente ng madatnan ang kanilang mga tahanan na wala ng laman. Naunang pinabalik ng mga awtoridad ang mga residente sa Barangay Santa Catalina matapos sa isinagawang clearing operations ng mga sundalo at parak, ngunit bumungad naman sa kanila ang mga wasak na aparador at
nagkalat na mga damit at ilang kagamitan. Pati umano washing machine at freezer ay tinangay rin ng mga magnanakaw. Hindi naman mabatid kung sino ang nagnakaw sa mga kabahayan dahil doon rin nagtago ang mga rebelde at sinamantala rin ito ng ilang mga sibilyan at matapos ng tatlong linggong sagupaan ay militar naman ang pumasok at sinundan ito ng mga parak. Sa kasagsagan ng labanan ay maraming mga rebelde ang nahuli ng militar na may bitbit na salapi at alahas, ngunit maging sundalo ay
sumabit rin sa nakawan matapos na mag reklamo ang isang konsehal na pinagnakawan ang kanilang bahay ng salapi at alahas, at maging baril ay tinangay rin. Isang paaralan rin na ginamit ng militar sa kanilang pag-atake sa mga rebelde ang pinagnakawan ng salapi at mga computers, ayon sa may-ari nito. Patuloy naman ang imbestigasyon ng pulisya at militar sa mga reklamong natatanggap. Maging ang ibang mga barangay na naging sentro ng labanan at ganoon rin ang reklamo ng mga residente. (Mindanao Examiner)
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opment has allocated P10 million to fund the building of bunkhouses inside the Joaquin Enr iquez Memorial Sports Complex where thousands of war refugees are now staying. The bunkhouses are only temporary shelters that will house several hundred people. The fighting, which killed and wounded more
than 400 people, forced over 100,000 people to flee their homes. Just recently, the Refugee Welfare Committee of Settlement Scheme in Bahagia Village in Sabah’s Sandakan town has sent relief aid for the refugees through the Mindanao Human Rights Action Center in its Zamboanga headquarters.
The humanitar ian aid was collected from concer ned citizens in Malaysia, particularly in Sabah, and sent here by boat. Committee Chairman Nasir Abdullah has sought the assistance of the Mindanao Human Rights Action Center for the distribution of 86 sacks of relief goods. ( With a report from Ely Dumaboc)
Health program for tribesmen pushed DAVAO CITY - Various stakeholders have banded to further promote the Indigenous Peoples Maternal, Neonatal, Child Health and Nutrition ProjectMindanao or IP MNCHN Project-Mindanao which was recently launched in line with this year's celebration of Indigenous Peoples Rights Act. The launching of IP MNCHN Project-Mindanao was held simultaneously in the provinces of Zamboanga del Sur, Bukidnon, North Cotabato, Agusan del Sur, and Compostela Valley. “The beginning of the project a year ago has already led to the formulation of programs and policies that address the maternal, neonatal and child health and nutrition needs of Indigenous Cultural Communities / Indigenous People and other disadvantaged communities in Mindanao,” IP MNCHN
project director Dr. Lilibeth Malabanan said in a statement sent to the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner. Malabanan said with the signing of Joint Memorandum Circular No. 2013-01 which is the guidelines on the delivery of basic health services for Indigenous Cultural Communities/Indigenous Peoples and the formulation of the Ancestral Domain Plan for Health in the project sties, the task to fulfill the best health situation for Indigenous Peoples has become more compelling. “The project is gaining more stable grounds of multi-sectoral support and coordination as we were able to gather commitment of support from various stakeholders of IP health. We intend to circulate this document in the whole provinces where we have our project sites and collect 1
million signatures as manifestation of a broader support to IP MNCHN needs,” Malabanan said. She said the project has also completed its baseline studies on IP knowledge, beliefs and practices related to MNCHN, the barriers to health service utilization and gaps in service provision, and basic demographic information. “The completion of the baseline studies is among the monumental achievements of the project considering the unavailability of information that define and identify the Indigenous Peoples and their health situation. The results of the studies are also helping us lay down our plans and actions in ways that are culturally sensitive and concretely responsive to the health needs of the Indigenous Peoples,” Malabanan said.
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The Mindanao Examiner
Oct. 28-Nov. 3, 2013
Water services resume in flood-stricken Zambo villages
Top police commanders listen to the awarding ceremony in Zamboanga City.
Policemen awarded for remarkable deeds in Zamboanga PHILIPP INE POLICE PHILIPPINE awarded its personnel who worked hard and painstakingly combed the villages in Zam-boanga City - affected by three weeks of street battles between security and rebel forces - and collected unexploded ordnances, explosives, firearms, cadavers and other dangerous materials without regards for their own safety, but civilians. Several members of Philippine National Police composed of personnel from Police Regional Office 9, Special Action Force, Regional Crime Lab 9, Regional Public Safety Battalion 9, Zamboanga City Police Office, Explosive Ordnance Division from Police Regional Office 9, Zamboanga City Police Office, Armed Forces of
the Philippine, who are members of Task Force Suyod were given awards and commendations by Police Director Carmelo Valmoria, of the PNP Special Action Force and the Task Group commander, and regional police commander Chief Superintendent Juanito Vaño Jr. The members of the Task Force Suyod were awarded Medalya ng Kagalingan, Medalya ng Papuri and Medalya ng Kasanayan for “having demonstrated exemplary efficiency, loyalty and dedication to duty in providing immeasurable support to the operating troops during the implementation of Task force Suyod as well as for their meritorious and invaluable services rendered as members of Task Group Suyod, who conducted
clearing and recovery operations in in the villages of Santa Catalina, Santa Barbara, Rio Hondo, Mariki, Talon-Talon, Kasanyangan and Mampang from September 29 to October 20.” The awarding ceremony was held at the Multi-Purpose Hall of Police Regional Office 9 at Camp Abendan in Zamboanga City. “The Philippine National Police always recognizes the good deeds and feat of its members, be it in times of war or peace, because of their remarkable contributions towards the accomplishment of the assigned missions and tasks,” Chief Inspector Ariel Huesca, a regional police spokesman, told the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner
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WATER SER VICES interSERVICES rupted by heavy rains and flooding in Zamboanga City in southern Philippines have been restored in many villages following a marathon repair by the local water utility. The Zamboanga City Water District or ZCWD said Operations Group Head, Assistant General Manager Alejo Rojas, Jr. and his team were on call 24/7 during the interruption of water services until regular services have resumed. Zamboanga was battered by weeklong of heavy rains that submerged many areas and damaged several ZCWD facilities affecting at least twelve villages in the eastern and western coasts. In its post-service re-
ports, the ZCWD said in the east coast, the main transmission line in Sitio Brea was damaged by fallen trees. Service in the villages of Lumayang and Lumbangan was also interrupted. Although the repair team was dispatched immediately to oversee the repair, they had to go back few days after as crossing the river was dangerous due to the high level of water. A day after the repair was completed the water service was again interrupted due to landslide in other part of the village. A fallen coconut tree also damaged the ZCWD’s pipeline in Lupirao and affected services in the villages of Tolosa, Lanzones, Guisao and Cabaluay. Repair team was immediately dispatched to fix the prob-
lem. A pipeline on Cawit Bridge also affected the villages of Cawit, Maasin and Sinunuc. Immediate repair was not possible as water level was quite high, according to the ZCWD, but it said maintenance crew went back days after water level in the river subsided and during the same week, the mainline located underneath the first bridge in Sininuc broke, affecting the village. Landslides in Sitio Bandera also damaged distribution lines and rendered no water in Malagutay and Flamingo areas. Residentes in areas affected by the flooding have praised ZCWD for its quick response and repair of water pipelines. (Mindanao Examiner)
2 motorsiklo nagsalpukan sa Zambo Sibugay, driver patay! IPIL – Patay ang isang motorcycle rider at sugatan ang isa pa matapos na magsalpukan ang dalawa sa highway sa bayan ng Tungawan sa Zamboanga
Sibugay province. Ayon sa pulisya, nagkasalubong sa Barangay Langon ang dalawang biktima at huli na ang lahat upang makaiwas
pa sa isa’t-isa. Dahil sa lakas ng pagkakasalpok ay nasawi agad si Bernie Didal, 30, dahil sa mga pinsalang tinamo sa kanyang ulo at katawan. Samantalang si Joseph Bation, 19, ay isinugod sa Zamboanga Medical Hospital. Minamaneho ni Didal na residente ng San Pedro sa Tungawan - ang motorsiklong Rusi na may plakang 3824 JQ at pagaari ni Saturnino Capalac, ng bayan ng Tampilisan sa Zamboanga del Norte. At Honda Wave naman na may pamsamantalang plaka na 091206 ang minamaneho ni Bation at pagaari umano ito ni Timmy Gregorio. Patuloy ang imbestigasyon ng pulisya sa malagim na aksidente. (Mindanao Examiner)
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The Mindanao Examiner
Oct. 28-Nov. 3, 2013
Zamboanga City curfew continues, complaints mounting VARIOUS SECT ORS in SECTORS Zamboanga City in southern Philippines have been complaining on the continued imposition of curfew by the local Crisis Management Committee. Mayor Maria Isabelle Salazar, who heads the Crisis Management Committee, has imposed 9hour curfew following three weeks of bloody street battles between security forces and separatist rebels in Zamboanga last month. After the fighting, Salazar reduced the curfew to 5 hours – from 12 p.m. to 5 a.m. – from the original 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. in the whole of Zamboanga. Nightly, dozens of civil-
ians are being apprehended by the police for violating the curfew and many of them are briefly detained after interrogations. Even media workers need to get a so-called “curfew pass” from the Crisis Management Committee for them to be able to do their job at night. But the curfew pass is not a guarantee that journalists and reporters, especially those working for radio stations, would not be apprehended. A group of reporters from dxRZ Radyo Agong was briefly held by the police. And not even their media cards were honored.
Groceries and supermarkets have to reduce store hours, and hotels and restaurants and other night establishments are also affected by the curfew. Provincial buses from Cagayan de Oro and Pagadian cities have cut off its trip to Zamboanga at night because of the curfew hours. The night scene in Zamboanga is a now a reminiscent of what the city looked like 20 years ago – dark and silent with just dogs roaming on the streets - and yet the local government has been appealing to residents to help rebuild Zamboanga from the ashes or war, and recently from the devasta-
Bahay ng mga barangay kapitan niratrat sa Pagadian PAGADIAN CITY - Kaliwa'tkanan ang atake ng mga armado sa mga bahay ng barangay kapitan at kagawad sa Pagadian City sa Zamboanga del Sur province at ayon sa pulisya ay pulitika ang dahilan ng mga ito. Noong nakaraang linggo lamang ay isa ang sugatan matapos na ratratin ng mga di-kilalang armado ang bahay ng dalawang barangay kapitan. Sinabi ng pulisya na unang niratrat ng armado ang bahay ni Ramon Polenzon, kapitan ng
Barangay Datagan, at nasugatan sa pamamaril ang kanyang pamangkin na si Hernani Polenzon. Agad tumakas ang mga salarin matapos ng atake. Isinugod naman sa Zamboanga del Sur Medical Center ang biktima dahil sa tama ng bala. Nabawi ng mga imbestigador sa lugar angf 5 basyo ng bala mula baril na kalibre .45. Niratrat rin ng di-kilalang grupo ang bahay ni Kapitan Gaudioso Deñiga ng Barangay Lenienza at ayon sa
For all your publications and advertisements in Pagadian City and Zamboanga del Sur, please call Richard Suarez 062-2142706 and 0910-7348600 The Mindanao Examiner Media, Film and Television Productions Maritess Fernandez Publisher/Executive Producer (On Leave) Al Jacinto Editor-in-Chief/Producer (OIC) Ahmed Baldomero Joanna Valerie Wee Graphics/Video Editor Mindanao Examiner Productions Web Master REGIONAL PARTNERS Mindanao Daily Business Week Mindanao Star NEWS/ADVERTISING OFFICES Mark Navales Central Mindanao Richard Suarez Pagadian City Zamboanga del Sur
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CONTRIBUTING EDITORS: Richard Falcatan Basilan Province Ely Dumaboc Zamboanga Peninsula The Mindanao Examiner Regional Newspaper is published weekly in Mindanao, Philippines. The Mindanao Examiner Television is broadcast in KISMET Cable TV and Pagadian Cable Television Channel 63. Our business and editorial offices are located at Units 15, 3rd Floor, Fair Land Bldg., Nuñez St., Zamboanga City Phone & fax: 062- 9925480 Mobile: 0917-7103642 URL: mindanaoexaminer.com E-mail: mindanaoexaminer@gmail.com
opisyal ay tatlong armado ang nagpaulan ng bala sa kanilang lugar at mapalad umanong walang nasawi o sugatan sa strafing. Walang umako sa dalawang insidente ng strafing sa Pagadian ngunit naganap naman ito habang pinaghahandaan ng mga opisyal ang barangay eleksyon sa Oktubre 28. Hindi naman agad mabatid kung konektado ang dalawang strafing, subalit hinala ng pulisya ay may kinalaman sa pulitika ang karahasan. Kamakailan lamang ay isang granada rin ang ibinato sa bahay ni Alnasir Suhuri sa Purok Talisay B sa NJK Subdivision sa Barangay Cawit sa Pagadan City. Walang inulat na sugatan o namatay sa atake, ngunit nakapagdulot naman ito ng pinsala sa bahay at van na nakaparada sa loob ng compound. Hindi pa mabatid ang motibo sa atake at kung sino ang nasa likod nito at walang ibinigay na pahayag sa media ang pamilyang Suhuri sa naganap. (Mindanao Examiner)
tions brought about by natural calamities. Local legislators are also questioning now the continued imposition of curfew and its economic effects on Zamboanga, a month after military and police quelled a rebellion launched by the Moro National Liberation Front under Nur Misuari. Over 400 people were killed and wounded in the clashes that also resulted in a humanitarian crisis. Salazar said the curfew will continue until security forces are finished clearing at least 5 areas occupied by rebels during the siege of Zamboanga. (Mindanao Examiner)
Mayor Maria Isabelle Salazar
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Kelot tinira sa Dipolog DIPOLOG CITY – Sugatan ang isang lalaki matapos barilin ng di-kilalang salarin sa Dipolog City sa Zamboanga del Norte province sa Mindanao. Kinilala ng pulisya ang biktima na si Rodello Tulang, 26, at nabaril umano ito sa harapan ng Sunflower Refreshment Parlor sa Velasco Street. Agad naman tumakas ang salarin matapos nitong paputukan si Tulang ng dalawang beses sa katawan. Agad naman naisugod sa pagamutan ang biktima na umano’y lango sa alak ng ng barilin. Hindi pa mabatid ang motibo sa pamamaril at patuloy ang imbestigasyon ng pulisya sa naganap. Nabawi naman ng mga imbestigador ang basyo ng .45-kalibre pistol sa nasabing lugar. Walang sinabi ang pulisya kung may nakasaksi sa naganap, ngunit talamak rin ang barilan sa Dipolog at karamihan sa mga kaso ay hindi pa rin nareresolba. (Mindanao Examiner)
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The Mindanao Examiner
Oct. 28-Nov. 3, 2013
2 abducted charity workers freed BASILAN - Kidnappers have freed two teachers working for a Catholic charity foundation in the restive province of Basilan in the Muslim autonomous region in southern Philippines, police said. Police said the victims - Frederick Banot and Cherden Masong – were seized by gunmen on September 4 in the village of Tairan in Lantawan town and had been released in the neighboring province of Sulu after more than six weeks in captivity. “The victims were released by their abductors in (the village) of Bagsak in Talipao town and brought to an unnamed Catholic priest in Jolo,” Senior Superintendent Abraham Orbita, the Sulu police chief, told the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner. Capt. Jefferson Somera, a spokesman for the 1st Infantry Division, said the victims were forcibly taken by the gunmen from a staff house in Lantawan town and dragged them to waiting speedboats and escaped. The duo arrived in Zamboanga City and was met by Spanish priest and peace advocate Fr Angel Calvo, who also heads the Zamboanga-BasilanIntegarted Development Alliance, and has been ac-
Spanish priest and peace advocate Fr Angel Calvo, extreme right, speaks to freed kidnapped victims Frederick Banot and Cherden Masong in Zamboanga City in this photo posted by the Claretian missionary on his Facebook page. tive in community development and Christian-Muslim peace and reconciliation works in southern Philippines for many decades now. “Fredrick and Cherben, the two volunteers from the Claret Samal Foundation, were finally released in Jolo, Sulu. They are safe, sound and they arrived in Zamboanga City for debriefing and (medical) check up yesterday morning,” the Claretian priest said. The foundation helps in various programs aimed at uplifting the lives of ethnic Badjao and Yakan tribes in Basilan, one of five prov-
inces under the autonomous region. It was unknown if any ransom is paid for the Banot and Masong’s freedom and no individual or group claimed responsibility for the abductions, but Abu Sayyaf rebels and bandits are actively operating in the province and have been previously blamed for many ransom kidnappings and killings. In May this year, gunmen also abducted a social worker Jennelyn Enprera in Basilan’s Ungkaya Pukan. The woman, who was later freed, works for the Department of Social Welfare and Development, and was said
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to be in-charge of the government’s anti-poverty alleviation program called Pantawid Pamilya, whose objective is to provide financial support to poor families for the children’s health and education. Another group of gunmen is also holding Lucio Gonzales, a skipper of a fishing trawler seized off Lantawan town. The kidnappers demanded P15 million for the freedom of Gonzales. Basilan is one of five provinces under the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and is notoriously known for its kidnappings and ambuscades. Provincial government officials rarely release any statement about local abductions and are hardly accessible for media interviews. (Mindanao Examiner)
8 killed in rebel attack in North Cotabato DAVAO CITY – Communist rebels ambushed a military truck in the southern Philippines and killing at least 8 soldiers and militias, a military spokesman said. Army Captain Alberto Caber, of the Eastern Mindanao Command, said New People Army rebels detonated a landmine as the truck was passing the village of Caridad in North Cotabato’s Tulunan town. “The troops were transporting salaries of government militias when the attack occurred. We condemned this attack and the continued use of landmines by NPA rebels
which is illegal and banned around the world,” Caber told the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner. He said Lieutenant General Ricardo Rainier Cruz III, the regional military chief, has ordered troops to pursue the attackers. The NPA did not give any statement about the latest attack, but it previously warned the government of fresh offensives in the southern region. The rebels are fighting for a separate communist state in the country. (Mindanao Examiner)
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The Mindanao Examiner
Oct. 28-Nov. 3, 2013
Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III dies MANILA – Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III has died due to complication caused by renal disease, his daughter said. Princess Jacel said her father died at the Philippine Heart Center in Quezon City where they rushed the 75-year old Muslim leader after his blood pressure dropped drastically. The sultan was supposed to undergo his routine dialysis when he died. In February, the ailing self-proclaimed sultan sent about 200 followers headed by his brother Raja Muda Agbimuddin Kiram to Sabah to exert their claim and historical rights over the island, which is also be-
Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III reads the Mindanao Examiner Regional Newspaper, which is being circulated in Manila's Quiapo District, from his home in Taguig City. (Photo by Mark Navales)
ing claimed by Malaysia. Sultan Jama-lul’s group has rejected Malaysian demand for them to surrender peacefully and a fighting erupted. More than 60 of the sultan’s men had been killed and over 300 Filipinos arrested on suspicion they were supporting or aiding the group of Raja Muda Agbimuddin. Malaysia has put Sultan Jamalul and his brother on its wanted list and branded them as terrorists for intruding into Sabah and killing and decapitating 10 policemen and soldiers in separate clashes on the island. The Sultanate of
Sulu and North Borneo continues to lay claim to Sabah. It obtained Sabah from Brunei as a gift for helping put down a rebellion on the Borneo Island. The British leased Sabah and transferred control over the territory to Malaysia after the end of World War II. But the Sulu Sultanate said it had merely leased North Borneo in 1878 to the British North Borneo Company for an annual payment of 5,000 Malayan dollars then, which was increased to 5,300 Malayan dollars in 1903. The Sultanate of Sulu was founded in 1457 and is believed to exist as a sovereign na-
tion for at least 442 years. It stretches from a par t of the island of Mindanao in the east, to North Borneo, now known as Sabah, in the west and south, and to Palawan, in the north. Sabah, however, joined Malaya, Sarawak and Singapore to form Malaysia in 1963, after which Malaysia continued paying an annual stipend of 5,300 ringgits to the Sulu sultanate on the basis of the sultanate ceding the Borneo state. In a referendum organised by the Cobbold Commission in 1962, the people of Sabah voted overwhelmingly to join Malaysia. (Mindanao Examiner)
Hardware store owner seized
SULU - Suspected Abu Sayyaf gunmen seized a hardware store owner in Patikul town in the southern Philippine province of Sulu, police said. Police said Archie Hablo, 29, whose family owns the Sincere Enterprises in Jolo town, was travelling on a motorcycle with his brother Miko, when the gunmen, who were in a jeep blocked their path and seized the businessman. Hablo’s brother man-
aged to run and escape and reported the incident to authorities, according to Senior Superintendent Abraham Orbita, the provincial police chief. “There is an ongoing operation and police forces have been deployed to track down Hablo,” Orbita told the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner. No individual or group claimed responsibility for the abduction, but authorities suspect
the Abu Sayyaf was behind this. There was no immediate statement from the town mayor Kabir Hayudini about the latest abduction. Just recently, gunmen, believed to be Abu Sayyaf rebels, also abducted Dr Salladin Teo and Wilfred Ngo in the island-town of Siasi. Two others who were abducted along with them - Bernal Joe and Absuwal Sasapan - were recovered by policemen
in Tagbak village in Indanan town on October 16, a day after the abduction. It was unknown whether the abductions were carried out by the same group, but the Abu Sayyaf is still holding several foreigners kidnapped in Tawi-Tawi province and Sulu. The Abu Sayyaf rebels have been largely blamed for many ransom kid-nappings in the southern region. (Mindanao Examiner)
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PerryScope by Perry Diaz (California) The ‘Pork Barrel King’ under siege! If there is one thing that President Benigno “P-Noy” Aquino III consistently does, it is to blame his predecessor, former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo for all the ills and scandals that befall his administration. And poor Gloria can’t do anything to defend herself from her detention room at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City. The latest “blame game” P-Noy played on Gloria was before the Brotherhood of Christian Businessmen and Professionals. P-Noy told the audience that Gloria was responsible – not him – for the pork barrel scandals, saying that he only inherited the problem from her. He claimed Gloria may have spent more than P1 trillion in her efforts to remain in power and that some of this money was possibly being used to destabilize his administration and even ‘sow violence and terror.’ By implicating Gloria in the scandals, he was probably hoping that Gloria would become the lightning rod for all the criticism that would otherwise have been aimed at him. In my article, “P-Noy chops pork, keeps the bacon” (August 26, 2013), I wrote: “But blaming Gloria is not going to work this time around. Department of Budget and Management (DBM) records show that in 2010, Gloria’s last budget year, PDAF was P6.9 billion. The following year, with P-Noy having full control of the budget, he could have pared down the PDAF allocations. But instead, PDAF allocations took a quantum leap. In 2011, PDAF more than tripled from 2010’s P6.9 billion to P22.3 billion! In 2012, it was increased to P24.89 billion. It was for the same amount in 2013. But in 2014, PDAF will increase to a record P27 billion!” Por k barr el anomalies ork barrel But this was just the tip of the iceberg. Last September 25, Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, in a privilege speech before the Senate, blew the whistle on his peers. He claimed Malacañang gave “incentives” — or bribes — to 20 senators in the last two years in exchange for their support – and vote – for P-Noy’s legislative agenda. Jinggoy said that each senator received an extra P50 million in the form of additional pork barrel for their vote to convict former Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona. But while he admitted that he, too, had received the extra pork, he said that it did not influence how he voted. A few days later, in an attempt to neutralize Jinggoy’s exposé, Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad disclosed that the releases made to the 20 senators totaling P1.1075 billion came from the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP), a new pork barrel-like program that was created without congressional authority. But instead of pacifying P-Noy’s critics, it opened a Pandora’s box and unleashed a barrage of criticism against P-Noy for what many constitutionalists believe was an illegal diversion of funds from budgeted items to DAP. Compounding the allegations of impropriety against P-Noy – who earned the moniker of “Pork Barrel King” -- for his use of DAP, the Supreme Court issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) stopping further releases of funds from the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) and the President’s Social Fund (PSF). Also covered in the TRO are releases from the Malampaya Fund. The TRO was in response to three citizens’ petitions that asked the court to declare as unconstitutional the lump sum allocations under the PDAF and the PSF, and the misuse of the Malampaya Fund. But nothing hurts the Aquino administration more than Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio’s opinion on the constitutionality of the PDAF. During the hearing for the oral arguments on the petitions last October 8, he said that the PDAF “on its face is unconstitutional” because the President cannot share the power to uti-
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The Mindanao Examiner
Oct. 28-Nov. 3, 2013
lize public funds with the legislative branch. He said that the power to utilize public funds lies solely with the President; therefore, any power-sharing is unconstitutional. He said that the PDAF is “riddled with unconstitutionality.” The P Prresident esident’’s men Last October 17, former Rep. Augusto Syjuco filed charges of plunder against Senate President Franklin Drilon and DBM Secretary Abad and his wife, Batanes Rep. Henedina Abad. Syjuco claimed that Drilon used government funds through the DAP to bribe senators to vote for a “guilty” verdict at the impeachment trial of thenSupreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona. The complaint against the Abads stems from the questionable release of P752.5 million of pork barrel allocation to Rep. Henedina Abad. Syjuco claimed this was 10 times her regular pork barrel allocation for the lone district of Batanes, whose population, based on the 2010 census, was 16,467. That’s roughly P235,000 for every household of five in Rep. Abad’s district. Char ter change Charter Amidst all these scandals and anomalies, the citizenry has awakened. Robbed of their treasury – and sovereignty -- by a gang of thieves masquerading as lawmakers, the people are enraged. Something needs to be done to stop this pillage of the people’s wealth. But another people power revolution doesn’t dwell too well with the masses. The failure of the 1986 and 2001 people power revolutions -- known as EDSA 1 and EDSA 2, respectively -- to make real change had deterred the people from pursuing EDSA 3. But what seems to be doable is a “peaceful revolution” where change is truly achieved through a constitutionally legal venue. Could it be that the 1987 Constitution has outlived its usefulness? Perhaps it’s time for Charter change. In Carmen N. Pedrosa’s column, “Former Chief Justice Puno to lead ‘Crowdsourcing a New Constitution’,” she wrote: “By ‘crowdsourcing a new Constitution’ we return sovereignty to the people. That would mean a lot of patience in calibrating what the people say with what constitutional experts think is the right way to frame their desires for good governance. Not just on the issue of PDAF or DAP.” But here is the interesting part of her column: “The present illegal government cannot be part of the Crowdsourcing a Constitution Movement. Therefore a transition council with revolutionary powers will have to be organized. It is a formidable task but what is the alternative?” Heading the Crowdsourcing a New Constitution Movement is former Chief Justice Reynato Puno. Reputedly known for his incorruptibility, CJ Puno has his work cut out. The task is daunting to say the least but the challenges are surmountable. Wake-up call It’s too bad that the “Pork Barrel King” is now under siege. Had he reined in his corrupt underlings and political allies, this wouldn’t be happening. But it’s never too late. If P-Noy would give up his P1.3-trillion discretionary fund, which is technically pork barrel, he wouldn’t find himself in this untenable position. At the end of the day, if P-Noy would only heed the call to end the pork barrel system including his controversial discretionary fund, his fabled mantra of “daang matuwid” (straight path) would be more meaningful. But with all the scandals and anomalies plaguing his administration today, nothing seems to be more crooked than his “daang matuwid.” Mr. President, it’s time to wake up and listen to the people, your “boss.” DISCL AIMER: The views and opinions exDISCLAIMER: pressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the Mindanao Examiner or any of its staffs and employees.
‘The Bangsamoro Statement’ The tragic events in Zamboanga maniThe laws, states and autonomies, fest the intolerable tension. It is more pacts and negotiations are all tools, than a conflict: it is a crisis which is not aims, and may be used effectively ultimately dissatisfying for all the in- or not. The aims are the Islamic valvolved. Bloodshed and destruction ues of justice and kindness, in their rather than sucquotidian practicess or hope encal application. tered the city of Some of our Zambo-anga, a compatriots begem of Our Sullieve that the cretanate as well as ation of the "the Latin City of Bangsamoro enAsia," and the tity, just like in home of various the Big Bang cultures and theory, will conethnicities. stitute a decent Peace was social and politibroken, as usual, cal entity from and both sides nothing. This is fought in this understandable name of justice as a spontaneous and freedom. But aspiration but to oppose freenaive as a view. dom and justice It would be to peace is not pointless to subadmissible. Freestitute the curdom and justice rent model of must be brought state as it exists to all the Moro in our lands with peoples, not only any other model to the lucky sur- His Majesty, Sulu Sultan Muedzul-Lail Tan Kiram imposed "from vivors of armed above" in an artificial way, be it a "Western democconflicts. The Tausugs constitute a brave na- racy", or an "Islamic democracy", or tion always ready to the self-sacrifice; anything else. It is absolutely necessary to recogbut there is no glory in easy pouring either the noble Tausug blood, or any- nize the authentic traditions of the one else's blood, as far as reason could Moro nation, or, more precisely, of the be used instead. The city of Moro peoples of the region, as the funZamboanga is currently a border city: damental values of the future entity. in some aspects it belongs to the The Tausugs and their brotherly Moro Moroland and in some, to the outer peoples, splendidly rich traditions and sublime cultural legacy, will make world. It is telling that this did not pre- their unique contribution into the invent the city from being affected so ternational Moslem community and gravely by the current tension. the modern civilised world. The traditional Sultanates and Bangsamoro, as a historically formed phenomenon, is a complicated reality. chiefships constitute a genuine and The effective creation of a formally organic element of this legacy and outlined entity of this name, either as should be accepted as integral in the autonomy or a state, is commonly rec- course of formation of the modern land of the Moros; not only for the obognized as imminent. The aim of this reform (whatever vious reason that these historical are the given programs suggested by structures embody the true national the parties) is evident: to provide the and religious identity, but also beMoslem population of Mindanao and cause they would counterbalance the Sulu with a just, adequate administra- risky novelties, populist tricks and artion, not culturally alien to the major- bitrary decisions which are always unavoidable in the course of a rapid ity of the citizens. It is the general Moro population political development. I say this all as a Sultan of the whose interests are to be thought of, and ultimately met. It is useful to re- Tausugs who have a bitter multi-secumember that the current Filipino laws lar experience of resistance and mass protecting the traditions and customs slaughters. The Moro peoples suffered enough of the native peoples of the Republic provide the citizens with broad liber- and deserve freedom and their own ties and advantages. Would these laws home, not a newly built faceless barbe properly obser ved and imple- rack to be thrown into. We must remented, the level of the current ten- main ourselves, the proud and dutiful heirs to our fathers and grandfathers. sions would be significantly lower.
Gunman shoots lawyer, pastor in daring attack in Zamboanga ZAMBOANGA CITY – A lone gunman shot and wounded a lawyer and a pastor in a daring broad daylight attack in Zamboanga City in southern Philippines, police said. Police said lawyer Paulino Ersando and Pastor Pablo Elis were shot in the village of Baliwasan. The duo was travelling in a car on their way to attend the burial of a friend when they were attacked. Ersando is the president of the Zion Evangelical School in Zamboanga City, while Elis is an evangelical minister. The two were rushed to hospital and are now in stable condition, according to Chief Inspector Ariel Huesca, a regional police spokesman.
“The motive of the attack has not yet been established. Police are investigating the attack. The gunman is still at large and is now the subject of police manhunt operation,” Huesca told the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner. Ersando was a former lawyer of two Abu Sayyaf rebels - Jeffrey Jinnul and Adjid Halik - who were arrested in Zamboanga City in 2000. The two men were arrested while trying to exchange more than $200,000 at a local bank. Jinnul and Halik escaped after posting bail. The two men were part of a group that held 21 mostly Europeans and Asian holidaymakers kidnapped by the Abu Sayyaf
from the resort island of Sipadan in Malaysia’s state of Sabah and brought them to Sulu province. The hostages were freed in batches after Malaysia and Libya paid millions of dollars in ransom to the Abu Sayyaf. In April this year, two motorcycle gunmen also shot and wounded lawyer Homer Mabale and killed two of his staffs in Zamboanga City. Gun attacks and killings in Zamboanga City are not uncommon and many of the attacks have been blamed to hired killers who are actively operating here and most of the killings remain unresolved. (Mindanao Examiner)
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Oct. 28-Nov. 3, 2013
New video of Zamboanga fighting surfaces Several screen shots from a video of September fighting between security and rebel forces in Zamboanga City in southern Philippines. Images show civilian hostages waving white flags and how they scampered for safety after troops fired at them, and one rebel aims his bazooka and fires on the troops at the end of the road in the village.
T
hey w er e waving white flags and cr ying for a wer ere crying cease-fir e in the middle or a rroad, oad, many w er e cease-fire wer ere scr eaming as shots rrang ang and follo wed b ya screaming follow by random vvolley olley of automatic gunfir e. Voices gunfire can d telling a gr oup of civilians to stay put heard group can be hear despite the fir ing and later telling them to hit the firing gr ound as the shooting intensify ground intensify.. Those were the who were trying to run for scenes in a 3-minute cover as the shooting invideo clip taken during a tensified. The hostages were street battle between security forces and separat- forced to hide behind a ist Moro National Libera- jeep, some crawling on tion Front rebels who had their stomach to avoid the taken more than more whizzing bullets fired by than 200 civilians and government troops posiused them as shield in tioned from the end of the Zamboanga City in Sep- road. The captives contember. The horrifying tinue to wave their white video surfaced on the so- flags and shouting “ceasecial networking site fire, cease-fire,” but the Facebook, but it was un- deafening sounds of gunfire drowned their scream. known who uploaded it. The rebel, who was But while the hostages, numbering about hiding among the hosthree dozen, were plead- tages, ran in a building ing to security forces for a where his group was hidcease-fire, one rebel, clad ing. On the road, slippers in military uniform, was and bags of clothes of the also spotted hiding hostages were scattered among the group of civil- and captives were disoriians who continued wav- ented, crying, screaming ing white flags. Other and begging for the firing rebels were hiding inside to stop, but the shooting buildings as the video - continued. Some of the probably from a cell captives were shouting phone camera - recorded “cell phone, cell phone, the shootings outside. please tawagan ninyo sir,” The area was either Santa apparently appealing to Barbara or Santa Catalina rebels to phone security village, scenes of deadly forces and tell them that they were firing on civilian clashes. Cease-fir e, cease-fir e hostages. ease-fire cease-fire One rebel ordered the “Huwag, huwag doon kayo. Huwag hostages to stay on the kayong umalis. Diyan ground. The rebels were kayo, huwag kayong talking among themselves umalis,” a voice in the in their local dialect, video can be heard as tell- Tausug, and all appeared ing the hostages, some of calm. One rebel fired his them minors and women, bazooka towards the posi-
ARMM
tion of government troops, where the firing was emanating. It was unknown if any of the hostages were killed in the shooting, but the whole three minute scene in the video showed the safety and lives of the civilians were put on the line. The attack on rebels and their hostages caught on video has put to light a small preview of what really took place during three weeks of street battles between protagonists and antagonists. V iolence The fighting in Zamboanga killed and wounded over 400 people, among them hostages and innocent civilians caught in the violence. More than 100,000 people had fled the fighting and sought refuge in temporary shelters as war ravaged their villages to ashes. Hundreds of rebels from the provinces of Basilan and Sulu and Zamboanga Peninsula led by Ustadz Khabir Malik stormed Zamboanga after their leader Nur Misuari, who signed a peace deal with Manila in September 1996, accused President Benigno Aquino of reneging on the accord. Malik escaped a tight military dragnet in Zamboanga, while Misuari has gone into hiding after close to 300 rebels have surrendered or captured. More than 200 civilian hostages have been freed or escaped during the fight-
Southern Mindanao
Davao
ing, but the trauma and terrifying ordeal they went through remain with them. Prior to the Zamboanga attack, police in the Muslim autonomous region has said that it is gathering evidence to charge Misuari of sedition because his fiery statements in public meetings and pronouncement against the Aquino government. Police accused the former Libyan firebrand of fomenting sedition in the restive region of Mindanao. Probe into attack, ter mination of MNLF termination peace deal rreview eview Representative Lilia Nuno, of Zamboanga City, has filed a resolution in Congress to conduct an official inquiry into the atrocious rebel attack. Two other lawmakers Carlos Zarate and Neri Colmenares - have also filed a resolution that would investigate Manila’s decision to terminate the tripartite review of the 1996 government peace agreement with the MNLF. They filed House Resolution 302 directing the Committee on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity to conduct the investigation. In their joint resolution, the two lawmakers said MNLF spokesman Emmanuel Fon-tanilla confirmed that rebel forces launched the attacks in Zamboanga City in response to the government’s termination of the tripartite review of
Manila
the peace deal and to defend their leader from possible arrest following his declaration of Mindanao independence and militarization in areas controlled by rebels in southern Philippines. The resolution further said that President Benigno Aquino has applied “divide and rule” tactic in dealing with separatist rebels and the ongoing peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the agreement on the Bangsamoro government entity and the disregard to the MNLF peace accord. Recall note vverbale erbale to OIC In August, a group of senior MNLF leaders have passed a resolution asking the Aquino government to recall its note verbales with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation for the closure of the tripartite review of the peace accord. It was signed by signed by Abebakrin Lukman and Abuamri Tadik, both acting secretaries of the MNLF Senior Leaders’ Forum and attested by Yusop Jikiri, its presiding chairman. The former rebel leaders said they would only support the peace process as long as the Aquino government agreed on their condition to recall two diplomatic communications sent by Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario on January 30 and March 21 this year. The two diplomatic communications also
sparked a widespread condemnation from Misuari, who repeatedly threatened to secede after accusing Manila of failing to honor provisions of the peace deal. The OIC helped broker the peace talks between the MNLF and the Philippines that led to the eventual signing of the agreement. Misuari said it has been three decades now since the OIC mediated in the peace talks, but Manila has failed to comply with the provisions in the accord. Misuari has repeatedly accused the Aquino government of trying to abrogate the peace accord. He also denounced the peace talks between the Aquino government and rival rebel group MILF after peace negotiators signed an accord last year that would create a new Bangsamoro state. Misuari said the new deal violates the 1996 peace accord. The Muslim homeland would replace the existing Muslim autonomous region which is composed of Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Maguindanao and Lanao provinces, including the cities of Marawi and Lamitan. And several more areas in the provinces of Lanao del Norte and North Cotabato would also be included in the new autonomous region. (Mindanao Examiner)
Zamboanga Peninsula