Former Congressman Munir Arbison, who represented the Second District of Sulu, took another potshot at his arch nemesis, Sulu's Governor Abdusakur "Sakur" Mahail Tan when he filed yet another petition with the Ombudsman on January 27th, 2011. In the Philippine system of governance the Ombudsman functions in the capacity of a prosecutor in a specialised court system. Known as the Sandiganbayan, or "Guardian of the People," the court functions on par with the Court of Appeals so that any appeal within the special court automatically finds itself elevated to the Supreme Court. Ergo, any petition to the Ombudsman is in effect the filing of a criminal charge.
The complaint in this case involves two APCs, or Armored Personnel Carriers. The two MX-8 Barakos, by the Philippine-based Steelcraft Military Land Defense Vehicles Corporation entered Governor Tan's life after he survived two serious assassination attempts within the previous twenty months, both involving massive IEDs, or Improvised Explosive Devices (as in "bombs"). To protect himself the Governor obtained two of the recently developed APCs. On par with the V150 Simbas currently in use by the Philippine Military, in terms of armored capability, they resemble US-made Hummers with a bulky turret atop the roof that packs a 50 caliber gun. According to Tan they were a "present" from his daughter after the failed first attempt, a bombing against his motorcade in Patikul, on Jolo Island, or at least that was his final story.
At the time of Tan's acquisition Arbison was still sitting in Congress but facing the end of his term limit he had also jumped into the race for Governor. Pitted head to head against his former protoge, Arbison suffered a humiliating defeat in the May of 2010 balloting. He then decided to vent his pent up aggression against Governor Tan and continue a vindictive campaign that began with a flurry of letters to people higher up the foodchain. Most notably perhaps, he wrote to then Director General of Logistics for the Philippine National Police, Luizo Ticman, seeking verification of a PNP, or Philippine National Police, purchase order for the APCs, as is required by Philippine Law. The law is an attempt to check the formation of paramilitaries though in reality it is quite easy to circumvent the stricture.
In his letter to Ticman, dated February 15th, 2010 then Congressman Arbison complained that the purchase(s) were illegal, and requested any and all PNP paperwork related to the vehicles. General Ticman never replied and instead the letter made its way to General Victor Ibrado of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, or AFP. Ibrado already had received a similar letter from Arbison dated January 4th, 2010 but hadn't considered involving himself in the petty feuds that dominate the Philippine political landscape. Ibrado had in fact had an intimediary broach the subject with Governor Tan, banking a favor by warning him that Arbison was on the warpath.
In turn, Tan had the two APCs "donated" to the Sulu Provincial Government, for dedicated use by the Governor, though the papers said otherwise and dated the transaction January 14th, 2010 so that Arbison's "inquiries" to the PNP turned out to be "after the fact." Now badly frustrated, Arbison finally turned to the Ombudsman, bypassing the pre-requisite of "evidence" and going directly for the jugular. In his complaint to the Ombudsman Arbison cited four reasons for his petition:
1) Civilians, including Elected Officials are not allowed to purchase military hardware for personal use
2) Provincial funds were used to purchase the APCs
3) The MX-8's 50 caliber guns are for Tan's own personal use, another misuse of military hardware since 50 caliber rifles are illegal as personal weaponry
4) Tan uses the vehicles to intimidate the public, creating fear wherever he goes
The Ombudsman's routine correspondence with the PNP over the matter resulted in the Director of Sulu's PPO, or Police Provincial Office, Senior Superintendent Joseph Tabago Remac composing a routine report on the two vehicle's chain of paperwork. Ramac's findings cleared Tan though in the end it may have created more problems in manufacturing an entirely fictitious pedigree for the transaction. According to Sr. Supt. Ramac, one of the various self-appointed Sultans of Sulu, Akidjal Ingkang Attih, donated both APCs to Ramac's predecessor, the late Sr. Supt. Julasrim Ahadin Kassim who very soon after was killed in an ambush by the ASG, or the Abu Sayyaf Group. The donation mandated that the vehicles only be used by the PPO in the engagement of official duties. Interestingly, Ramac took the time to note that the 50 caliber guns were the property of the PNP. Seeing as how the APCs were already declared as such it seems superfluous to make that point. Of course the truth of the matter is that this was stated to cover Governor Tan's absolutely illegal acquisition of those two rifles, in case he was cleared with regard to the APCs themselves with the rifles handled as a separate issue.
Arbison's long time ally, Provincial Councilor Alganarham Adam noted that the Sultan, who is anything but wealthy, could not have donated anything to Sr. Supt. Kassim since Kassim was long dead and buried by January 14th, 2010, the official date on the paperwork covering the PNP's receipt of the APCs. Moreover, Tan was listed as the donor and the Sultan's name was nowhere to be found.
To date, in that I am composing this entry in the Third Quarter of 2011, the case has fallen by the wayside after the massive shakeup at the Ombudsman's Office in the wake of the Major General Carlos F.Garcia Scandal and its ever widening implications for the AFP and the Government in general.
On March 11th, 2011 a bodyguard for the Lagbas Clan was shot to death by a security guard after trying to divest another security guard of his weapon after first smashing him in the face. 35 year old Edwin O.Paler and his brother Francis O.Paler of Sitio Zone #8 in Cagayan del Oro City's Barangay Carmen rode tandem on a Honda XRM motorcyle to the Oro Homes Furnishing Canter on Kauswagan National Hiway, also in Cagayan del Oro City, in Misamis Oriental Province. As the two brothers rushed a sleeping security guard, 29 year old Sem Vismanos, breaking his arm with a brick, a second security guard, 21 year old Rogelio Tangcay working at a private residence next door rushed to fight off the attackers. The Paler brothers had already robbed Vismanos of his 38 caliber revolver.
The second security guard, Tangcay, was able to rush to his comrade's aid and quickly fired off three rounds from his 45 caliber pistol. Of the three bullets, two met their mark striking Edwin in the elbow and chest, killing him almost immediately. Before escaping on the motorcycle though, Francis was able to stab Dangcay five times in the back. Tangcay, employed by Rober Eagle Security Agency, and Vismanos, employed by Sagittarius Security Agency, were then transported to an area hospital for treatment. Vismanos admits he was sleeping on duty but defends his laxity by saying that he had had a toothache. Cagayan del Oro City CPO (City Police Office) personnel were able to quickly locate Francis O.Paler by simply following the address listed on Edwin's identification and captured both him and Vismanos' stolen revolver. Both brothers are ex-AFP soldiers who had been discharged for various transgressions making them the prototypical "bodyguards" on Mindanao.
On March 12th, 2011 the municipality of Sumisip in Basilan Province held a special election for Mayor that quickly evolved into open warfare between supporters of candidate Haber Asarul (Lakas-KAMPI-CMD) and Gulam "Boy" Salliman Hataman (Liberal) at Sapah Langay Elementary School in the town's Barangay Lower Cabengbeng. The school was housing five clustered precincts, more for security reasons than anything else, with a mere 927 potential voters able to cast ballots. In the original election, held on May 10th, 2011, Arasul had emerged victorious only to have his rival, Hataman, successfully contest that victory with COMELEC, the national electoral authority. COMELEC then nullified the election result in October of 2010, citing statistical improbability as the main raison d'etre; Barangay Cabengbeng proper tallied all of its 874 votes in favor of Arasul, despite that being the barangay where Hataman himself voted, not to mention his family to boot.
The special election retained the tallies from the original election in all but the five precincts, all located in that same barangay of Cabengbeng proper. This time Hataman scored 202 votes, bringing his overall tally to 8,393 votes versus 8,182 for Arasul, despite the latter candidate tallying 363 votes in the special election. Notably, only 581 of the 927 registered voters in those 5 precincts (16 of the votes cast were disqualified for various reasons) even bothered to vote.
After Hataman was declared the winner Arasul's gunmen attacked Hataman's friends and family, sparking an intense firefight. Luckily a brigade strength (1,500 men) composite force of PNP/AFP (Philippine National Police/Armed Forces of the Philippines) was on site though after the composite force intervened both Hataman and Arasul's men turned on the PNP/AFP, before finally withdrawing to their respective sections of the municipality. The Arasul/Hataman feud is a long running and very violent dispute. Hataman had succeeded his brother Hadjiman "Jim" Salliman Hataman as Mayor of Sumisip in 2004. In 2007 though, Arasul wrested control of the town. As Hataman set his sights on re-claiming the Mayoralty in the May of 2010 Election both camps began attacking one another.
Hataman's brother Jim, now the Congressman for the Lone District of Basilan, along with another brother, ANAK Mindanao Partylist Congressman Mujiv Salliman Hataman are the men behind the spectacular IED that killed Jim's predecessor, former-Governor Wahab Akbar, whom I discussed in my entry "Portrait of a Warlord, Part I: Wahab Akbar." The Hataman Clan, along with politician and former BMA, or Bangsamoro Army (the military wing of the MNLF) Commanding Officer for Basilan, Abdulgani "Gerry" A. Salapuddin and allied politicians had the assassination take place in the Batasang Pambasa, or Congressional Building, in Metro Manila's Quezon City. The 2007 bombing left the Lone District seat open after Jim Hataman filed a petition with Congress to bar any interim appointments. In 2010 he easily slid into the seat after forming tacit alliances with Akbar's two wives, current Governor Jum Akbar and Mayor of Isabela City, Cherry Santiago Akbar.
Arasul is himself brother to Nasser Arasul, a legislator in the ARMM, or Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao. Just three weeks after this Special Election in Sumisip, Nasser's 7 year old son Amir Nasser Arasul would be kidnapped while walking in his Isabela City neighborhood. The reason? Haber Arasul, the unsuccessful candidate in that Special Election, had failed to re-pay a P300,000 ($6,500) loan floated by Ronnie Keseng of Tuburan, who chairs that municipality's Association of Barangay Chairman, or ABC. The boy was released after two and a half days when the Director of the Police Provincial Office of Basilan, Senior Superintendent Abubakar Tulawie escorted Nasser Arasul to Tuburan where Tulawie and Vice Mayor of Tuburan, Durie Kalahal successfully negotiated a loan re-payment, plus interest (despite Islam forbidding interest), plus a 10% commission for the Director, another for Vice Mayor Kalahal, and an additional gratuity for young Amir's "room and board" as it is euphamistically known here in the Southern Philippines.
After Boy Hataman won that Special Election in Sumisip his first course of action was to file for an audit of the municipality's finances. It seems that just before that new election the town had received its IRA, or Internal Revenue Alottment, of P3 Million ($63,000). Co-incidentally that sum then vanished, having been withdrawn from the town's bank account. Considering how Haber Arasul defaulted on that P300,000 loan from Ronnie Keseng that isn't entirely shocking.
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