In "Portrait of a Warlord, Part II: Romeo Jalosjos Sr." I chronicled the fascinatingly bizarre life of a cheesy television producer cum Congressman cum child rapist and the political dynasty he is trying to create on the Zamboanga Peninsula. The quinessential Mindanowan strongman, Jalosjos positioned his three children in the 2010 Election and must have felt on top of the world when they not only all emerged victoriously, but also decimated the clan of his arch nemesis, ex-Governor of Zamboanga Sibugay Province, George Hofer Sr. However, Jalosjos wasn't smiling for long as one petition after another was lodged with COMELEC, the Philippine electoral authority, trying to snatch each and every one of the clan's victories.
On Monday, April 4th, 2011 it was COMELEC's turn to file a petition when it asked the Supreme Court to uphold COMELEC's ruling that disqualified Romeo "Jon Jon" Jalosjos Jr.'s victory for the 2nd District Congressional seat in Zamboanga Sibugay Province. On June 3rd, 2010 COMELEC had ruled that Jalosjos shouldn't even have been permitted to enter the race, let alone win it. The sticking point was the prerequisite Residency Requirement which mandates that any potential candidate must have resided in the elected position's AOR, or Area of Responsibility, for 12 consecutive months prior to an election.
In filing his Certificate of Candidacy Jalosjos listed his address as Barangay Veteran's Village in the municipality of Ipil, the capital of Zamboanga Sibugay Province. After both he and his brother, who also emerged victoriously from that same May of 2010 Election, the Barangay Captain of Veteran's Village, Dan Erasmo Sr. filed two petitions with COMELEC in which he said he had never even seen either man visiting the barangay, let alone living in it. After gaining his Congressional seat Jalosjos thumbed his nose at COMELEC and its June 3rd ruling saying that since he had already been sworn into office it was out of the agency's hands. If anyone was to address the issue of Residency, or any other objectionable issue, they would have to do so via the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal, or HRET. COMELEC responded that when Jalosjos had been sworn into office the issue of Residency had been pending with the agency and so the mandate clearly lies with COMELEC.
In fact, the controversy had begun as soon as the Jalosjos Clan's intentions became clear. Barangay Captain Erasmo had gotten Jalosjos removed from Ipil's List of Registered Voters on September 11th, 2010 in a Regional Trial Court Ruling in Pagadian City. Boosting the Residency issue was the fact that Jalosjos was then serving as Mayor of Tampilisan, in Zamboanga del Norte Province. Here he is insisting that he is living in Ipil, even though the barangay captain of his registered domicile has never even seen him! To boot, he is. Serving as the mayor of a municipality in another province! Either he lied about Tampilisan OR he lied about Ipil, you can't simultaneously live in 2 municipalities in 2 provinces. On September 30th Ipil's Election Registration Board issued a pointed Resolution that formally scrubbed Jalosjos from the race. Jalosjos of course didn't take that outcome lying down and so filed to have his name restored. On November 26th the Court of Appeals 22nd District sitting in Cagayan del Oro City in Misamis Oriental Province Ruled in Jalosjos favor. Here is the extremely interesting part: With the cut off for adding one's name to the Election Registration Board List being 5PM the next day, November 27th, the Sheriff in Cagayan del Oro City boarded a helicopter that landed in Ipil at 2PM on the 27th! At 4PM he handed the Court of Appeals Ruling directly to the Election Registration Board and when the books closed at 5PM Jalosjos' name was restored! Obviously a significant amount of cash was given for the Ruling, how else to explain the personalised messenger service provided by the Sheriff?
On November 28th Jalosjos filed his Certificate of Candidacy for the 2nd District of Zamboanga Sibugay Province. The incumbent, Dulce Ann Hofer, daughter of George Sr., opted to run for the Governor's seat being vacated by her father who had reached his 9 year term limit. Meanwhile, her brother, George "Jet" Hofer Jr. was running for Dulce Ann's vacated Congressional seat, with Jalosjos shouldering himself into the race as mentioned earlier.
In a recent "Political Developments" entry I had discussed clan patriarch Romeo Jalosjos Sr.'s push to reorganise Region 9, the Region comprised of the three Zamboangan Provinces:
1) Zamboanga del Norte
2) Zamboanga del Sur
3) Zamboanga Sibugay
The Jalosjos scheme involves adding Misamis Occidental Province, or rather re-adding it since it had in the past been joined with the region. The plan also called for the renaming of two of the Zamboangan Provinces and a couple of other less important facts. As if that isn't a radical enough face lift there is now a push for the addition of a third Congressional District within Zamboanga del Norte Province. The 3rd District would cover Za$boamga City.
Zamboanga City Councilors Rommel Agan, Melchor "Mel" Rey Sadain, and Cesar Jimenez Sr. along with former Councilor Al Jihan Edding and ex-Vice Mayor of Zamboanga City Manuel "Mannix" Jose Dalipe met with Congressman Erico "Erbie" Basilio Fabian of Zamboanga del Norte Province's 2nd District to try and strengthen their hand. Fabian is still on the fence and merely saying that he will keep an open mind. Ex-Vice Mayor Dalipe says that Congresswoman Maria Isabelle "Beng" Climaco Salazar of Zamboanga del Norte Province's 1st District has climbed aboard and has hosted at least one forum on the initiative. According to Dalipe, most attendees at that forum supported the plan.
Spokesman for the scheme is Councilor Rommel Agan, who is also an attorney as well as being the son of another former Vice Mayor of Zamboanga City, Vitaliano Agan. For all the support thus far, the province's most powerful politico, Mayor Celso Lobregat of Zamboanga City, is dead set against it. Lobregat argues that creating a Congressional District solely for Zamboanga City would end up dividing the municipality, given all the outlying barangays and offshore islands and islets within the city's borders. In fact, Lobregat firmly controls all but a 4 person clique in the City Council so that Councilor Agan doesn't have much of a chance of gaining more support within Zamboanga City. In fact, at a self-orchestrated press conference to disseminate this initiative Agan whined about Lobregat's political machine. According to Agan, anytime any one of the four Opposition Councilors table anything beneficial to their constituency, Lobregat and his allies soundly trounce it. Agan is no political neophyte, experienced on his own as well as being an insider during his father's stint as city Vice Mayor, so why the sob story? This is how the game is played, no suprises.
Currently, each of the two Congressional Districts in Zamboanga del Norte Province receive P70 Million ($1.4 Million), plus hundreds of millions of more Pesos in development and pork. The Local Government Code of 1991 mandates that any new Congressional District must have a minimum population of 250,000. The city now has 800,00.
Showing posts with label Zamboanga City. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Zamboanga City. Show all posts
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Kidnap for Ransom, Third Quarter of 2011, Part I: The Eliseo Hablo Case Takes a Turn for the Worse
In past KFR entries I have detailed the January of 2009 KFR, or Kidnap for Ransom, of Zamboanga City businessman Eliseo Hablo. On January 8th, 2009 Hablo, owner of two Julie's Bakeshop franchises in the city and a large fishing fleet also based in the city had spent the afternoon at one of the Julie franchises in a drinking bout with friends. As the day turned into evening and the 44 year old man jumped into his white Hyundai Starex van for the ride home to his compound on the city's Governor Gamins Road he decided to first stop at his second franchise on the other side of town. En route he found his van boxed in by two motorcycles, each holding gunmen on the rear of the bike. As they forced Hablo's van to stop both gunmen jumped in and forced him to drive to the city's Barangay San Roque where the van was later discovered in the Sanroe Subdivision, with blood stains on the front seat.
Initially Hablo's family refused to believe he had been kidnapped, as Hablo has been know to disappear for days at a time when on drinking binges. On January 23rd though, the Vice Governor of Basilan Province, Alrasheed Sakalahul, announced that on the 19th he had "discovered" that Hablo had been sold to the BIAF, or Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (military wing of the MILF) 114 Base Command's sub-Kumander Lijal Usman and was being held in that island's municipality of Tuburan. Vice Governor Sakalahul added that the ransom demand was a steep P20 Million ($450,000). As it turns out that entire story was a diversion because Hablo had never left Zamboanga City.
On February 10th, 2009, Zamboanga City CPO (City Police Office) Director, Senior Superintendent Mario Yanga led a detachment of his men in a raid on a three story cement boarding home in the city's Sitio SOUTHCOM Village in Barangay Upper Clarian. Located next to SOUTHCOM Elementary School on Penafrancia Drive, just meters from the entrance to WESMINCOM, formerly SOUTHCOM (WESMINCOM is one of two Mindanowan military commands on Mindanao, SOUTHCOM was the unitary command for the island before they were divided). On the first floor of the home the police captured 6 suspects, two of whom were fellow police officers:
1) PO3 Alwyn Abdua, of the CPO
2) PO1 Marcial Gabitanan Lim, also of the CPO, 38 years old and a resident of Barangay Baliwasan Grande
3) Joel Enriquez Pena, 51, of Barangay Pasonanca
4) Saturnino Garcia Limpas, 25, from the municipality of Sidangan, in that same province of Zamboanga del Norte
5) Joel Mabatan Gonzalez, 33, renting the house in question
6) Harmon Endong Juban, 33, of Barangay Surabay in the municipality of R.T. Lim (Roseller T. Lim) in Zamboanga Sibugay Province
More importantly, searching the house they discovered, in the basement, blindfolded, with noise cancelling headphones over his ears and handcuffed to a bedrail, Mr.Hablo. The arestees were shuffled off to the CIDG, or Criminal Investigation and Detection Group while Mr.Hablo was brought to CPO Headquarters for a debriefing after the obligatory medical exam.
Upon interrogation of the 6 suspects the group's ringleader was revealed as was the names of two other suspects. The same CPO detachment then launched another raid that same afternoon and the mastermind, 62 year old attorney Hasan Go Alam and his 35 year old wife Grace Gonzalez Alam were captured in their home on Navarro Court in the city's Barangay Santa Maria. Lastly, a third raid that afternoon captured the last two suspects, Mark Ausley and Marvin Agullana in the home they were sharing with fellow suspect Joel Enriquez Pena in Sitio Luyahan, Barangay Pasonanca. The last two were flipped into co-operating witnesses and this is where today's entry begins. Entering into the brand new Witness Protection Program, the first in the Philippines, the two men, both in their early 20s, were ensconced in a DOJ, or Department of Justice, safehouse, as the programme is administered by the DOJ. Amazingly, the DOJ allowed CPO personnel to guard the young men, two huge mistakes (the first being the location of a safehouse in a municipality where both witnesses are known).
On Tuesday, July 5th, 2011 PO1 Tomasito "Tomaso" Tarro Dauba, guarding the two witnesses at the safehouse on Unity Drive in Barangay Teutan was getting his two wards ready for an appearance in court later that day. Witness Marvin Agullana was reviewing an Affadavit where he had described witnessing an exchange between the group's ringleader, attorney Hasan Go Alam and his brother in law, John Janatul, the Vice Mayor of Sumisip on Basilan Island. Alam had asked Janatul for help in obtaining an able negotiator to haggle for the ransom, initially set at P3 Million ($70,000). Janatul recommended that his brother in law, Alam, contract it out to local strongman, Wee Dee Ping, known more commonly as Lepeng Wee. Wee, a Tsinoy, or Chinese Filipino, is a smuggling kingpin who had served as former President Joseph "ERAP" Estrada's Advisor on Mindanao, as well as running unsuccessfully himself as Mayor of Zamboanga City in 2004.
Though Wee has accumulated a very large and lucrative business empire he has continued in his criminal activities. He is currently appealing a 20 year prison sentence he received in 2010 (Regional Trial Court 12, Zamboanga City, by Judge Gregorio de la Pena) over 39 drums of a prohibited chemical used to manufacture foam to be used in turn in the manufacture of furniture. Smuggling by way of Sandakan Island in Malaysia, inside of the ASG, or Abu Sayyaf Group, orbit Wee has become quite involved on the financial end of ASG activities. It was Wee who negotiated the release of three ethnic Chinese resort workers from Malaysia, kidnapped by ASG from Sipidan Island in 2000, as well as being the thief who stole a U$300,000 ransom payment in the Burnham saga, the American victims from the ASG kidnapping in Palawan. The money had been entrusted to Wee by a representative of the father of Mr.Burnham and then mysteriously evaporated into thin air.
As Mr.Agullana reviewed his Affadavit a second guard arrived. PO3 Carmelo Macasantos who then immediately walked up to PO1 Dauba, drew his 45 caliber service pistol and shot him point blank between the eyes. Turning the gun on both witnesses he shot Agullana point blank in the head and then landed one round in the side of Mark Ausley who did his best to escape.
PO3 Macasantos then left the safehouse and rode off on his black Honda XRM motorcycle. Contacted by the CPO Director, Senior Superintendent Edwin de Ocampo he was convinced to turn himself in, which he did at 1030AM, handing over PO1 Dauba's 45 caliber pistol as well. Ocampo is telling a silly story about the two officers having fought previously, and with Macansantos' grandaughter recently dying it sent the officer over the edge. What Ocampo is NOT saying though is that Macansantos was a classmate of KFR suspect PO3 Alwin Abdua, PNP Class of 1977. Just a litle too close for comfort to believe the official line. A CPO officer guarding two key suspects in a KFR case involving...CPO officers? Suuuuure, a grandaughter and some words, whatever.
Initially Hablo's family refused to believe he had been kidnapped, as Hablo has been know to disappear for days at a time when on drinking binges. On January 23rd though, the Vice Governor of Basilan Province, Alrasheed Sakalahul, announced that on the 19th he had "discovered" that Hablo had been sold to the BIAF, or Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (military wing of the MILF) 114 Base Command's sub-Kumander Lijal Usman and was being held in that island's municipality of Tuburan. Vice Governor Sakalahul added that the ransom demand was a steep P20 Million ($450,000). As it turns out that entire story was a diversion because Hablo had never left Zamboanga City.
On February 10th, 2009, Zamboanga City CPO (City Police Office) Director, Senior Superintendent Mario Yanga led a detachment of his men in a raid on a three story cement boarding home in the city's Sitio SOUTHCOM Village in Barangay Upper Clarian. Located next to SOUTHCOM Elementary School on Penafrancia Drive, just meters from the entrance to WESMINCOM, formerly SOUTHCOM (WESMINCOM is one of two Mindanowan military commands on Mindanao, SOUTHCOM was the unitary command for the island before they were divided). On the first floor of the home the police captured 6 suspects, two of whom were fellow police officers:
1) PO3 Alwyn Abdua, of the CPO
2) PO1 Marcial Gabitanan Lim, also of the CPO, 38 years old and a resident of Barangay Baliwasan Grande
3) Joel Enriquez Pena, 51, of Barangay Pasonanca
4) Saturnino Garcia Limpas, 25, from the municipality of Sidangan, in that same province of Zamboanga del Norte
5) Joel Mabatan Gonzalez, 33, renting the house in question
6) Harmon Endong Juban, 33, of Barangay Surabay in the municipality of R.T. Lim (Roseller T. Lim) in Zamboanga Sibugay Province
More importantly, searching the house they discovered, in the basement, blindfolded, with noise cancelling headphones over his ears and handcuffed to a bedrail, Mr.Hablo. The arestees were shuffled off to the CIDG, or Criminal Investigation and Detection Group while Mr.Hablo was brought to CPO Headquarters for a debriefing after the obligatory medical exam.
Upon interrogation of the 6 suspects the group's ringleader was revealed as was the names of two other suspects. The same CPO detachment then launched another raid that same afternoon and the mastermind, 62 year old attorney Hasan Go Alam and his 35 year old wife Grace Gonzalez Alam were captured in their home on Navarro Court in the city's Barangay Santa Maria. Lastly, a third raid that afternoon captured the last two suspects, Mark Ausley and Marvin Agullana in the home they were sharing with fellow suspect Joel Enriquez Pena in Sitio Luyahan, Barangay Pasonanca. The last two were flipped into co-operating witnesses and this is where today's entry begins. Entering into the brand new Witness Protection Program, the first in the Philippines, the two men, both in their early 20s, were ensconced in a DOJ, or Department of Justice, safehouse, as the programme is administered by the DOJ. Amazingly, the DOJ allowed CPO personnel to guard the young men, two huge mistakes (the first being the location of a safehouse in a municipality where both witnesses are known).
On Tuesday, July 5th, 2011 PO1 Tomasito "Tomaso" Tarro Dauba, guarding the two witnesses at the safehouse on Unity Drive in Barangay Teutan was getting his two wards ready for an appearance in court later that day. Witness Marvin Agullana was reviewing an Affadavit where he had described witnessing an exchange between the group's ringleader, attorney Hasan Go Alam and his brother in law, John Janatul, the Vice Mayor of Sumisip on Basilan Island. Alam had asked Janatul for help in obtaining an able negotiator to haggle for the ransom, initially set at P3 Million ($70,000). Janatul recommended that his brother in law, Alam, contract it out to local strongman, Wee Dee Ping, known more commonly as Lepeng Wee. Wee, a Tsinoy, or Chinese Filipino, is a smuggling kingpin who had served as former President Joseph "ERAP" Estrada's Advisor on Mindanao, as well as running unsuccessfully himself as Mayor of Zamboanga City in 2004.
Though Wee has accumulated a very large and lucrative business empire he has continued in his criminal activities. He is currently appealing a 20 year prison sentence he received in 2010 (Regional Trial Court 12, Zamboanga City, by Judge Gregorio de la Pena) over 39 drums of a prohibited chemical used to manufacture foam to be used in turn in the manufacture of furniture. Smuggling by way of Sandakan Island in Malaysia, inside of the ASG, or Abu Sayyaf Group, orbit Wee has become quite involved on the financial end of ASG activities. It was Wee who negotiated the release of three ethnic Chinese resort workers from Malaysia, kidnapped by ASG from Sipidan Island in 2000, as well as being the thief who stole a U$300,000 ransom payment in the Burnham saga, the American victims from the ASG kidnapping in Palawan. The money had been entrusted to Wee by a representative of the father of Mr.Burnham and then mysteriously evaporated into thin air.
As Mr.Agullana reviewed his Affadavit a second guard arrived. PO3 Carmelo Macasantos who then immediately walked up to PO1 Dauba, drew his 45 caliber service pistol and shot him point blank between the eyes. Turning the gun on both witnesses he shot Agullana point blank in the head and then landed one round in the side of Mark Ausley who did his best to escape.
PO3 Macasantos then left the safehouse and rode off on his black Honda XRM motorcycle. Contacted by the CPO Director, Senior Superintendent Edwin de Ocampo he was convinced to turn himself in, which he did at 1030AM, handing over PO1 Dauba's 45 caliber pistol as well. Ocampo is telling a silly story about the two officers having fought previously, and with Macansantos' grandaughter recently dying it sent the officer over the edge. What Ocampo is NOT saying though is that Macansantos was a classmate of KFR suspect PO3 Alwin Abdua, PNP Class of 1977. Just a litle too close for comfort to believe the official line. A CPO officer guarding two key suspects in a KFR case involving...CPO officers? Suuuuure, a grandaughter and some words, whatever.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Political Developments,First Quarter of 2011,Part II:Disgraced ex-Congressman Romeo Jalosjos Sr.Tries to Re-draw Zamboanga
In my entry"Portait of a Warlord Part II:Romeo Jalosjos Sr.,Part 1"and"Part 2"I focused on the patriarch of what is presently Western Mindanao's most powerful political dynasty,the Jalosjos Clan.The man at the centre of this emerging power to be reckoned with is the convicted child molestor,Romeo Jalosjos Sr.Since I covered his misdeed and its consequences in those 2 entries I won't touch upon it here.
As I noted in those aforementioned entries,ex-Congressman Jalosjos spent the latter part of his 13 years in prison strategising politically and so when he was finally released from New Bilibid Prison in March of 2009 Jalosjos already had a gameplan ready to put into play.Branching out from the clan stronghold of Zamboanga del Norte Province he backed his children in races in Zamboamga Sibugay and Misamis Occidental Provinces in the May,2010 Election.While fending off the de riguer judicial challenges in almost every one of the just gained electoral victories Jalosjos still found time to lobby allies outside his clan to support what he called,the"Western Mindanao Movement."As he saw it,the entire region could be doing a whole lot better if only a couple of very basic,yet still radical shifts took place.
For starters,having 3 provinces sharing the name"Zamboanga"leads outsiders to confuse the provinces and stifled infrastructural outlay from the Government.Under Jalosjos' latest scheme Zamboanga Sibugay Province would be re-named,simply,"Sibugay."Zamboanga del Norte Province and the Jalosjos Family stronghold would be re-named"Zamnorte."On the other hand,Zamboanga del Sur Province would be known as"Zamboanga."
The most pressing issue as Jalosjos sees it is the issue of the Regional Center.Where as the Regional capitol currently lies in Zamboanga City,Jalosjos would have Regional Government offices spread throughout the Region.For example,Zamboanga City might retain the Regional DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development) but the Regional branch of the DENR (Department of Environment and Natural Resources might be moved to Ipil,etc.,etc.In Jalosjos' mind this insane idea would spur Development though he has only spoken of hotels and resturants that eould be needed to handle the envisioned influx of vistors to these disparate Regional Centres.In other words,this huge plan would turn the Region into a service economy dependent upon its own citizenry patronising the various Regional Government Centres.Jalosjos doesn't offer a single iota more.It is a typical swindle.Jalosjos would be the consummate used car salesman,talking rapidly about a 17 year old car's shiny hubcaps and new windshield wipers while never once lifting the hood to examine the engine._
Before unveiling this grandiose scheme Jalosjos had formed his new political party,or put more accurately,his new political bloc,APP,or Aggruppation of Political Parties.After hoodwinking second rate politicians into falling in behind his clan who had just swept the May of 2010 Election in 3 local provinces,he began seducing less established,less powerful politicians into joining this self serving Regional scheme.One of the uncomfortable realities of Democracies is that to engineer an election a candidate must be willing to spend A LOT of money.In many nations,the United States for example,the central government contributes a pretty penny towards this cost.Not so in the Philippines.In such a nation,one would imagine that the rich and powerful sponsor candidates whom they would"own"if elected.Again,not so.Instead,it is the rich and powerful themselves who run for election.Then,without stautes barring nepotism they perpetuate their hold on particular regions.One hears the phrase"Political Dynasty"tossed around so much that it becomes almost an afterthough if indeed it is considered at all.The point?The number one job priority of virtually all Philippine politicians is to further entrench themselves and their families within the degenerate political landscape.A Regional Plan that promises nothing EXCEPT the erasure of the present structure,unveiled just after staking clan members in 2 non-traditional provinces (Misamis Occidental and Zamboanga Sibugay) that together with his bastion of Zamboanga del Norte Province form 75% of this envisioned Region is nothing more than a naked,unadulterated grab for power.
On board this travesty and present at a 5 hour meeting at the Jalosjos owned Dakdak Resort on January 9th,2011 to finalise the roster of fools and swindlers were:
1) Governor Rolando Yebes,Zamboanga del Norte Province
2) Governor Rommel Jalosjos,Zamboanga Sibugay Province,son of the plan's architect,Romeo Jalosjos Sr.
3) Governor Antonio Cerilles,Zamboanga del Sur Province
4) Governor Herminia Ramiro,Misamis Occidental Province
5) Congressman Seth Jalosjos,Zamboanga del Norte Province,First District,another son of the plan's architect
6) Congressman Cesar Jalosjos,Zamboanga del Norte Province,Third District,brother of the plan's architect
7) Congressman Romeo Jalosjos Jr.,Zamboanga Sibugay Province,Second District,another son of the plan's architect,as well as his namesake
8) Congressman Jonathan Cabilao,Zamboanga Sibugay Province,First District
Jalosjos has made it clear that he doesn't need Zamboanga City's Mayor Celso Lobregat on board.The plan's unveiling took place just after Jalosjos' new political bloc,APP,began recruiting inside of the city.The message was clear,you are with us,or you are against us.After a few days Lobregat allowed that while he isn't against an addition of Misamis Occidental Province to Region 9,the region presently composed of the 3 Zamboangan Provinces,he would not allow the Regional Center to be moved from Zamboanga City.
In fact,the push to nullify Zamboanga City's status as Regional Center isn't new at all.In the heady days after the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos' fall from power the government of President Corazon"Cory"Aquino decided to completely restructure the nation's system of Regional Governance.EO (Executive Order) #429 transferred the Center to Pagadian City.More over,it also attached Misamis Occidental AND Lanao del Norte Provinces to Region 9.
The following President,former-General,Fidel Ramos,issued EO #325 which transferred the Center back to Zamboanga City.In 2001 newly installed President Gloria M.Arroyo issued EO #36 which severed Lanao del Norte and Misamis Occidental Provinces from Region 9 and returned them to Region 10,their original structure but ignored the issue of Regional Center placement.Not able to leave it alone,in 2004 her Executive Secretary,Eduardo Ermita,issued Memorandum Circular #75,citing President Corazon Aquino's EO #429,which transferred the Center once again,to Pagadian City.Interestingly though,only 32 of the 121 Regional Government offices actually complied with the Memorandum's directive.18 other offices have tried to maintain a semblance of compliance by opening satellite branches in Pagadian City,12 of which maintain that they aren't satellites at all but merely transitioning to their new"home."Of course a move that has taken 7 years with no end in sight is a joke.
In what has become a ritual among successive Administrations,with only President Joseph"ERAP"Estrada not having taken action,Arroyo's successor jumped on the carousel.President Aquino,son of the late Corazon who started the whole mess,issued Memorandum Circular #11 on December 22nd,2010,though only released the following month.The Memorandum,signed by Executive Secretary Paquio Ochoa,directed the DILG (Department of Interior and Local Government),Presidential Management Staff,Civil Service Commission,NEDA (National Economic Development Authority) and the Department of Budget and Management to jointly issue a comprehensive report within 30 days on the effect such a transfer to Pagadian might have.Why has it taken 25 years for this idea to break the surface?As intelligent as the idea WAS,it has gone the way of most bright ideas in the Philippines,sputtering out in the ether.The Report was never compiled,let alone filed and so Zamboanga City retains its position...somewhat.
As I noted in those aforementioned entries,ex-Congressman Jalosjos spent the latter part of his 13 years in prison strategising politically and so when he was finally released from New Bilibid Prison in March of 2009 Jalosjos already had a gameplan ready to put into play.Branching out from the clan stronghold of Zamboanga del Norte Province he backed his children in races in Zamboamga Sibugay and Misamis Occidental Provinces in the May,2010 Election.While fending off the de riguer judicial challenges in almost every one of the just gained electoral victories Jalosjos still found time to lobby allies outside his clan to support what he called,the"Western Mindanao Movement."As he saw it,the entire region could be doing a whole lot better if only a couple of very basic,yet still radical shifts took place.
For starters,having 3 provinces sharing the name"Zamboanga"leads outsiders to confuse the provinces and stifled infrastructural outlay from the Government.Under Jalosjos' latest scheme Zamboanga Sibugay Province would be re-named,simply,"Sibugay."Zamboanga del Norte Province and the Jalosjos Family stronghold would be re-named"Zamnorte."On the other hand,Zamboanga del Sur Province would be known as"Zamboanga."
The most pressing issue as Jalosjos sees it is the issue of the Regional Center.Where as the Regional capitol currently lies in Zamboanga City,Jalosjos would have Regional Government offices spread throughout the Region.For example,Zamboanga City might retain the Regional DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development) but the Regional branch of the DENR (Department of Environment and Natural Resources might be moved to Ipil,etc.,etc.In Jalosjos' mind this insane idea would spur Development though he has only spoken of hotels and resturants that eould be needed to handle the envisioned influx of vistors to these disparate Regional Centres.In other words,this huge plan would turn the Region into a service economy dependent upon its own citizenry patronising the various Regional Government Centres.Jalosjos doesn't offer a single iota more.It is a typical swindle.Jalosjos would be the consummate used car salesman,talking rapidly about a 17 year old car's shiny hubcaps and new windshield wipers while never once lifting the hood to examine the engine._
Before unveiling this grandiose scheme Jalosjos had formed his new political party,or put more accurately,his new political bloc,APP,or Aggruppation of Political Parties.After hoodwinking second rate politicians into falling in behind his clan who had just swept the May of 2010 Election in 3 local provinces,he began seducing less established,less powerful politicians into joining this self serving Regional scheme.One of the uncomfortable realities of Democracies is that to engineer an election a candidate must be willing to spend A LOT of money.In many nations,the United States for example,the central government contributes a pretty penny towards this cost.Not so in the Philippines.In such a nation,one would imagine that the rich and powerful sponsor candidates whom they would"own"if elected.Again,not so.Instead,it is the rich and powerful themselves who run for election.Then,without stautes barring nepotism they perpetuate their hold on particular regions.One hears the phrase"Political Dynasty"tossed around so much that it becomes almost an afterthough if indeed it is considered at all.The point?The number one job priority of virtually all Philippine politicians is to further entrench themselves and their families within the degenerate political landscape.A Regional Plan that promises nothing EXCEPT the erasure of the present structure,unveiled just after staking clan members in 2 non-traditional provinces (Misamis Occidental and Zamboanga Sibugay) that together with his bastion of Zamboanga del Norte Province form 75% of this envisioned Region is nothing more than a naked,unadulterated grab for power.
On board this travesty and present at a 5 hour meeting at the Jalosjos owned Dakdak Resort on January 9th,2011 to finalise the roster of fools and swindlers were:
1) Governor Rolando Yebes,Zamboanga del Norte Province
2) Governor Rommel Jalosjos,Zamboanga Sibugay Province,son of the plan's architect,Romeo Jalosjos Sr.
3) Governor Antonio Cerilles,Zamboanga del Sur Province
4) Governor Herminia Ramiro,Misamis Occidental Province
5) Congressman Seth Jalosjos,Zamboanga del Norte Province,First District,another son of the plan's architect
6) Congressman Cesar Jalosjos,Zamboanga del Norte Province,Third District,brother of the plan's architect
7) Congressman Romeo Jalosjos Jr.,Zamboanga Sibugay Province,Second District,another son of the plan's architect,as well as his namesake
8) Congressman Jonathan Cabilao,Zamboanga Sibugay Province,First District
Jalosjos has made it clear that he doesn't need Zamboanga City's Mayor Celso Lobregat on board.The plan's unveiling took place just after Jalosjos' new political bloc,APP,began recruiting inside of the city.The message was clear,you are with us,or you are against us.After a few days Lobregat allowed that while he isn't against an addition of Misamis Occidental Province to Region 9,the region presently composed of the 3 Zamboangan Provinces,he would not allow the Regional Center to be moved from Zamboanga City.
In fact,the push to nullify Zamboanga City's status as Regional Center isn't new at all.In the heady days after the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos' fall from power the government of President Corazon"Cory"Aquino decided to completely restructure the nation's system of Regional Governance.EO (Executive Order) #429 transferred the Center to Pagadian City.More over,it also attached Misamis Occidental AND Lanao del Norte Provinces to Region 9.
The following President,former-General,Fidel Ramos,issued EO #325 which transferred the Center back to Zamboanga City.In 2001 newly installed President Gloria M.Arroyo issued EO #36 which severed Lanao del Norte and Misamis Occidental Provinces from Region 9 and returned them to Region 10,their original structure but ignored the issue of Regional Center placement.Not able to leave it alone,in 2004 her Executive Secretary,Eduardo Ermita,issued Memorandum Circular #75,citing President Corazon Aquino's EO #429,which transferred the Center once again,to Pagadian City.Interestingly though,only 32 of the 121 Regional Government offices actually complied with the Memorandum's directive.18 other offices have tried to maintain a semblance of compliance by opening satellite branches in Pagadian City,12 of which maintain that they aren't satellites at all but merely transitioning to their new"home."Of course a move that has taken 7 years with no end in sight is a joke.
In what has become a ritual among successive Administrations,with only President Joseph"ERAP"Estrada not having taken action,Arroyo's successor jumped on the carousel.President Aquino,son of the late Corazon who started the whole mess,issued Memorandum Circular #11 on December 22nd,2010,though only released the following month.The Memorandum,signed by Executive Secretary Paquio Ochoa,directed the DILG (Department of Interior and Local Government),Presidential Management Staff,Civil Service Commission,NEDA (National Economic Development Authority) and the Department of Budget and Management to jointly issue a comprehensive report within 30 days on the effect such a transfer to Pagadian might have.Why has it taken 25 years for this idea to break the surface?As intelligent as the idea WAS,it has gone the way of most bright ideas in the Philippines,sputtering out in the ether.The Report was never compiled,let alone filed and so Zamboanga City retains its position...somewhat.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Kidnal for Ransom for the Second Quarter of 2011,Part IV:Joel Indino Jr. and Saima Amontao
Some things never change.The Monsoon can wreck Mindanao's rice crop,the Japanese Tsunami slash Nuclear Melt Down can reek havoc with Mindanowan exports but one industry remains immune to such vagaries.What you ask?Why of course I am talking about one of Mindanao's leading industries:KFR.KFR,or Kidnap for Ransom drives a large segment of the Central and Western Mindanowan economies.Somehow that irrefutable nugget of truth fails to comfort me.
On January 29,2011 Joel Indino Jr. was walking down Nunez Street in Zamboanga City when a green minivan pulled up along side of him.At 100PM the streets were jampacked with people and yet noone even screamed as 3 men,each holding a 45 caliber pistol got out and quickly surrounded young Mr.Indino.If the 19 year old college sophmore expected onlookers to help him he was surely disappointed.Before he could even wrap his mind around the events unfolding around him 1 of the gunmen told him in no uncertain terms that he would have to get into the van.Indino complied and the group quickly sped off.
Contacing Joel's family later that weekend the kidnappers opened negotiations by demanding P15 Million (~$320,000).When the kidnappers failed to drop the ransom quickly enough Indino's father,Joel Indino Sr.,made one of the toughest decisons of his life.As I explained in another recent KFR entry,negotiations are very fluid,with both sides knowing that the initial demand is really just a formality,sn opening gambit.Joel Sr.knew this better than most as a local politician,serving as the Barangay Chairman of Barangay Guiran in Payao,Zamboanga Sibugay Province.So,it must have been with conflicted emotions on February 7th that he phoned the Zamboamga Sibugay Provincial Police Office (PPO-Zamboanga Sibugay).The decision to do so is raising more than a few eyebrows.
KFR,as I noted at the beginning of this entry,is an unfortunately common part of life on Mindanao.As with all facts of like the authorities that be have managed to devise very specific protocols to deal with it.SOP,or Standard Operating Procedure,dictates that,just as in most any nation,the crime is centered on the point of abduction.In other words,the municipality in which the subject was kidnapped,Zamboanga City,is the municipality that serves as the investigatory focal point.If a person from Manila is kidnapped in Davao City,it is Davao City and not Manila that serves as the investigating municipality.In other words,the Zamboanga City CPO (City Police Office) is the lead agency according to SOP.
That Joel Indino Sr. called the wrong police department isn't unusual at all.Even most politicians are at a loss to name all law enforcement bodies within their own AOR (Area of Responsibility),much less understand their jurisdictional limitations and powers.Therefore,it is up to law enforcement to always follow established procedure.When Mr.Indino called PPO-Zamboanga Sibugay,its Director,Sr.Supt.Ruben D.Cariaga would normally guide the case on a parallel course to PPO-Zamboanga del Norte,the Police Provincial Office supervising the Zamboanga City CPO.His colleague at PPO-Zamboanga del Norte would then deliver it to the mayor of that municipality,Celso Lobregat.As it was,Mayor Lobregat would later offer that he was unaware that a kidnapping had even taken place.He had merely been informed that a second year student at Universidad de Zamboanga (University of Zamboanga) had gone missing.
SOP dictates that the municipality of abduction always empanels its own Task Force with the mayor automatically asssuming the role of Task Force chairman,at least on paper.In reality it is entirely dependent upon a given mayor's knowledge,ability and force of personality.As one might imagine,top tier personnel,whether in the PNP (Philippine National Police,ALL police in the Philippines are PNP) or in government are text book alpha males.Highly cpnfident to the point of arrogance and extremely territorial to boot they bristle at sublimation.Most mayors lack the neccessary qualities needed to fend off an under the table organisational coup.Once a mayor creates a task force he (or she) empanels the head of every police department within their AOR,as well as the commanding officer of the local AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) brigade (and usually the specific IB,Infantry Battalion as well).The idea of course is to launch a multi-pronged response that will block the captors movement,preventing them from taking their hostage out of the immediate area.More over,though it very rarely happens,the task force aims to interdict the captors and safely rescue the captive.This being the Philippines,it never happens.Looking back over the last decade there has only been one such attempt,involving a green SOCOM (Special Operations Command/Special Forces) element on the curious Philippine innovation known as a"Test Mission" (a unit's very first operation after training where they must make armed contact to"pass."The idea borders on the retarded since armed contact should NEVER be a goal in and of itself).The case in question involved the Abu Sayyaf sub-leader Abu Subayah and 3 of his captives:
1) American missionary slash bush pilot Martin Burnham
2) His wife,American missionary Gracia Burnham
3) Filipina nurse Ediborah Yap
Stumbling around the Zamboangan Peninsula amid reports Abu Subayah had spirited his captives across the strait from Basilan Island,the junior officer leading his newly trained men through the jungle found some recently discarded candy wrappers strewn across foot trails.In true Hansel and Gretel fashion they followed this curious trail until they heard voices.Setting up a permiter,in a torrential downpour,they waited until everybody in the small clearing was stationary and then let loose with all their considerable firepower.Among the dead guerillas,all 3 captives had been shot.Gracia Burnham alone survived with a terrible wound to the leg.Her saving grace being the initial shot that had propelled her out of her hammock and down a steep ravine.Almost all guerillas survived and escaped.
This is yet another reason why the families of hostages don't want the government coming near them during kidnappings.Since then as well,unwritten protocol has had the AFP lay unclosed perimeters so as to offer kidnappers an escape route so as to avoid a"fight to the finish."Knowing the score the kidnappers leave their quarry in an exchange of their captive for their own freedom,though it is a standard diversionary tactic independent of the proffered escape route.This scenario takes place fairly often.
With Joel Indino Sr. having notified the PPO in his home province of Zamboanga Sibugay,a task force was formed by PPO Director,Sr.Supt.Ruben D.Cariaga.Adding to the curious goings on,the make up consisted almost entirely of PPO personnel with just 1 exception.The sole"outsider"was a single officer from the Payao MPO (Municipal Police Office),Payao being the Indino's hometown.Why did this strange course of action take place?One can begin to understand when we learn who Chaired"Task Force Indino."Sr.Supt.Cariaga picked his right hand man,Supt.Geraldo Benjamin A.Avengoza.
Supt.Avengoza is a convicted murderer,or to be fair,a convicted accesory to murder.On June 05,1992 SPO1 Isgani Torrefranca Bayang and PO2 Diosdado Catacutan Esparagosa presented themselves at the Leon B.Postigo (the town was formerly known as Bacungan) MPO to take receipt of 1 prisoner for transport to the PPO for interrogation.The prisoner,Mamerto Victosa had been arrested that morning for theft.Unfortunately for the unsuccessful thief he had stolen a police officer's 38 caliber service revolver.In any such theft there is a serious chance of"reprecussions"should the thief be caught.Like all men in uniform the average police officer world over is overly attached to his weapon.More than that,having lost it to theft the officer faces serious consequences professionaly and of course loss of face amongst colleagues.Police everywhere,even more than soldiers,stand in solidarity with one another.Should you attack a family member of any police officer all other police will take your capture (at the very least) as a personal crusade.The same holds true for embarassing one of their colleagues,but how much more so when the revolver in question belonged to SPO1 Bayang himself,1 of the officers now picking up the suspect?
Leaving the MPO,prisoner in tow,the 2 officers joined their waiting superior for the long ride to PNP Camp Hamac in Dipolog City's Barangay Sicayab,the headquarters of the Zamboanga del Norte PPO.Sadly for Mr.Victosa they reached their destination without him.He was found the next day,his hands tied behind his back with 3 rounds in his chest.It didn't take long to point a finger at Officers Bayang and Catacutan,and not much longer to drag their superior into that clusterfuc* of a mess.The superior?None other than (now) Supt.Avengoza.Philippine Justice is at best a hit and miss affair.It took until 2000 to secure convictions in the case and only then because Officer Esparagosa testified against Bayang and Avengoza.Though Avengoza continued fighting the case through 2006 his sentence of 46 to 48 months has stood.Because he had been held longer than 4 years he was credited with time served and so the conviction didn't effect his freedom.In most nations a convicted murderer would be bounced from the force in disgrace.On Mindanao at least he is welcomed back with open arms and promoted to a position of command.
Supt.Avengoza was most like appointed Chairman of Task Force Indino so as to send a clear message to the kidnappers.From time to time rare personalities end up deployed to such areas,whether in the PNP or the AFP.The most successful commanders dealing with KFR are able to achieve positive results by coming across as just as ruthless as the kidnappers themselves,if not more.One memorable CO (Commanding Officer) of the 103rd Brigade in Marawi City vowed to kidnap 2 members of a KFR shotcaller's (leaders of KFR organisations) family for every civilian kidnapped by the man's group.KFR then reached an all time low for that AOR.What about in the case of Task Force Indino,did it work?Not really.Joel Indino Jr.wasn't released,negotiations were more affable but that was the jist of it.The original demand of P15 Million was however eventually reduced to slightly more than P1 Million (~$22,000).Finally,on April 16th,after 77 days in captivity,Joel was released in Sitio Tando Pataw,Barangay Poblacion in his hometown of Payao after a member of the Payao MPO deposited P1M (~$22,000) into an anonomyous bank account in an Ipil bank.Physically fine,the young man rejoined his family.
I need to add that for the last 2 years the entire Zamboangan Peninsula has had a new PNP innovation with which to counter KFRs.DIPO,or Directorate of Integrated Police Operations,is especially created to overcome jurisdictional issues and problems.I disccussed this in my most recent First Quarter of 2011 KFR entry in slightly more detail.This makes Barangay Chairman Indino's decison to utilise PPO-Zamboanga Sibugay even more curious.
On April 04,2011 13 year old Saima Amontao was walking on Lumber Street in Barangay Lower Dansalan in Marawi City.Having just left a school graduation ceremony she was now on her way to perform an errand for her mother.Passing the Reclamation Site with her friend a black van sped by before quickly backing up and stopping.The van's side door quickly opened and extended arms pulled the young girl in as her terrified friend gaped in horror.Two days later in neighbouring Lanao del Norte Province a highly shaken Saima walked into Iligan City's CPO #1 in Barangay Tambo and told an incredible story.
Miss Amontao said that after being pulled inside the van by 5 men and 1 woman she was quickly driven to Cagayan del Oro City in Misamis Oriental Province.Arriving at a 3 story home near the airport (she heard frequent flights over head) she was placed in a room guarded by armed men.With her were approximately 30 other children,mostly under 10 years of age.Unbeknownst to her captors,Manaw (Maranoan) Tribesmen,she too is a Maranaw and so was able to eavesdrop on bits and pieces of their conversation.Apparently she and the others were being held by an organised ring that provides kidneys to the black market.
I think it was about 2006 when Luzon was swept with Urban Legend SMS (Text) Messages that warned against such things.Interestingly the stories progressed to the point where dead children were being found with P50,000 (~$1,100) stuffed into their body where 1 kidney had been and then sewn up in rudimentary fashion.Then the story evolved to where eyes were being sold.A little girl was found with her eyes removed and money stuffed into her empty eye sockets.The stories were all similarly ridiculous in nature,as if such degenerates were going to throw 60,000 Pesos out with a dead body to say nothing of the fact that only live kidneys are viable.
With that said,there is indeed a black market organ trade taking place in the Philippines just as in any under developed nation.However they use very willing adults and pay them up to P250,000 for a viable kidney (~$5,000).There would be little need to assume such massive risks by kidnapping a young child.To say nothing of her claim about 30 such children...Then,Saima claimed that 1 of her guards discovered that she too was Maranaw and so aided her in escaping after two days in captivity.With the money she had when kidnapped she took a jeepney (public transportation) and inadvertantly ended up in Iligan City.
The curious part though is not that she found some support from Iligan City PNP officers,but that the local NBI Office took her story seriously enough to investigate.The NBI,or National Bureau of Investigation (akin to the American FBI) is the investigatory arm of the DOJ (Department of Justice).They are usually capable and well trained.The NBI went so far as to drive the young lady to Cagayan del Oro City and cruise the neighbourhoods near the airport in an effort to locate the home in question.I don't want to be absolutely dismissive of her story knowing quite well that people who have survived incredible ordeals quite often are brushed off as attention seekers and so on.The cases of the American serial killers John Wayne Gacy and Jeffrey Dahmer come quickly to mind.It took many years for authorities to see that the stories were true and by then many more had died horrible deaths.Conversely,she is 13,Maranaw and disappeared for 2 days.In her culture running away with a boy can earn her a death sentence from her own family so who can say what the poor girl has experienced.
On January 29,2011 Joel Indino Jr. was walking down Nunez Street in Zamboanga City when a green minivan pulled up along side of him.At 100PM the streets were jampacked with people and yet noone even screamed as 3 men,each holding a 45 caliber pistol got out and quickly surrounded young Mr.Indino.If the 19 year old college sophmore expected onlookers to help him he was surely disappointed.Before he could even wrap his mind around the events unfolding around him 1 of the gunmen told him in no uncertain terms that he would have to get into the van.Indino complied and the group quickly sped off.
Contacing Joel's family later that weekend the kidnappers opened negotiations by demanding P15 Million (~$320,000).When the kidnappers failed to drop the ransom quickly enough Indino's father,Joel Indino Sr.,made one of the toughest decisons of his life.As I explained in another recent KFR entry,negotiations are very fluid,with both sides knowing that the initial demand is really just a formality,sn opening gambit.Joel Sr.knew this better than most as a local politician,serving as the Barangay Chairman of Barangay Guiran in Payao,Zamboanga Sibugay Province.So,it must have been with conflicted emotions on February 7th that he phoned the Zamboamga Sibugay Provincial Police Office (PPO-Zamboanga Sibugay).The decision to do so is raising more than a few eyebrows.
KFR,as I noted at the beginning of this entry,is an unfortunately common part of life on Mindanao.As with all facts of like the authorities that be have managed to devise very specific protocols to deal with it.SOP,or Standard Operating Procedure,dictates that,just as in most any nation,the crime is centered on the point of abduction.In other words,the municipality in which the subject was kidnapped,Zamboanga City,is the municipality that serves as the investigatory focal point.If a person from Manila is kidnapped in Davao City,it is Davao City and not Manila that serves as the investigating municipality.In other words,the Zamboanga City CPO (City Police Office) is the lead agency according to SOP.
That Joel Indino Sr. called the wrong police department isn't unusual at all.Even most politicians are at a loss to name all law enforcement bodies within their own AOR (Area of Responsibility),much less understand their jurisdictional limitations and powers.Therefore,it is up to law enforcement to always follow established procedure.When Mr.Indino called PPO-Zamboanga Sibugay,its Director,Sr.Supt.Ruben D.Cariaga would normally guide the case on a parallel course to PPO-Zamboanga del Norte,the Police Provincial Office supervising the Zamboanga City CPO.His colleague at PPO-Zamboanga del Norte would then deliver it to the mayor of that municipality,Celso Lobregat.As it was,Mayor Lobregat would later offer that he was unaware that a kidnapping had even taken place.He had merely been informed that a second year student at Universidad de Zamboanga (University of Zamboanga) had gone missing.
SOP dictates that the municipality of abduction always empanels its own Task Force with the mayor automatically asssuming the role of Task Force chairman,at least on paper.In reality it is entirely dependent upon a given mayor's knowledge,ability and force of personality.As one might imagine,top tier personnel,whether in the PNP (Philippine National Police,ALL police in the Philippines are PNP) or in government are text book alpha males.Highly cpnfident to the point of arrogance and extremely territorial to boot they bristle at sublimation.Most mayors lack the neccessary qualities needed to fend off an under the table organisational coup.Once a mayor creates a task force he (or she) empanels the head of every police department within their AOR,as well as the commanding officer of the local AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) brigade (and usually the specific IB,Infantry Battalion as well).The idea of course is to launch a multi-pronged response that will block the captors movement,preventing them from taking their hostage out of the immediate area.More over,though it very rarely happens,the task force aims to interdict the captors and safely rescue the captive.This being the Philippines,it never happens.Looking back over the last decade there has only been one such attempt,involving a green SOCOM (Special Operations Command/Special Forces) element on the curious Philippine innovation known as a"Test Mission" (a unit's very first operation after training where they must make armed contact to"pass."The idea borders on the retarded since armed contact should NEVER be a goal in and of itself).The case in question involved the Abu Sayyaf sub-leader Abu Subayah and 3 of his captives:
1) American missionary slash bush pilot Martin Burnham
2) His wife,American missionary Gracia Burnham
3) Filipina nurse Ediborah Yap
Stumbling around the Zamboangan Peninsula amid reports Abu Subayah had spirited his captives across the strait from Basilan Island,the junior officer leading his newly trained men through the jungle found some recently discarded candy wrappers strewn across foot trails.In true Hansel and Gretel fashion they followed this curious trail until they heard voices.Setting up a permiter,in a torrential downpour,they waited until everybody in the small clearing was stationary and then let loose with all their considerable firepower.Among the dead guerillas,all 3 captives had been shot.Gracia Burnham alone survived with a terrible wound to the leg.Her saving grace being the initial shot that had propelled her out of her hammock and down a steep ravine.Almost all guerillas survived and escaped.
This is yet another reason why the families of hostages don't want the government coming near them during kidnappings.Since then as well,unwritten protocol has had the AFP lay unclosed perimeters so as to offer kidnappers an escape route so as to avoid a"fight to the finish."Knowing the score the kidnappers leave their quarry in an exchange of their captive for their own freedom,though it is a standard diversionary tactic independent of the proffered escape route.This scenario takes place fairly often.
With Joel Indino Sr. having notified the PPO in his home province of Zamboanga Sibugay,a task force was formed by PPO Director,Sr.Supt.Ruben D.Cariaga.Adding to the curious goings on,the make up consisted almost entirely of PPO personnel with just 1 exception.The sole"outsider"was a single officer from the Payao MPO (Municipal Police Office),Payao being the Indino's hometown.Why did this strange course of action take place?One can begin to understand when we learn who Chaired"Task Force Indino."Sr.Supt.Cariaga picked his right hand man,Supt.Geraldo Benjamin A.Avengoza.
Supt.Avengoza is a convicted murderer,or to be fair,a convicted accesory to murder.On June 05,1992 SPO1 Isgani Torrefranca Bayang and PO2 Diosdado Catacutan Esparagosa presented themselves at the Leon B.Postigo (the town was formerly known as Bacungan) MPO to take receipt of 1 prisoner for transport to the PPO for interrogation.The prisoner,Mamerto Victosa had been arrested that morning for theft.Unfortunately for the unsuccessful thief he had stolen a police officer's 38 caliber service revolver.In any such theft there is a serious chance of"reprecussions"should the thief be caught.Like all men in uniform the average police officer world over is overly attached to his weapon.More than that,having lost it to theft the officer faces serious consequences professionaly and of course loss of face amongst colleagues.Police everywhere,even more than soldiers,stand in solidarity with one another.Should you attack a family member of any police officer all other police will take your capture (at the very least) as a personal crusade.The same holds true for embarassing one of their colleagues,but how much more so when the revolver in question belonged to SPO1 Bayang himself,1 of the officers now picking up the suspect?
Leaving the MPO,prisoner in tow,the 2 officers joined their waiting superior for the long ride to PNP Camp Hamac in Dipolog City's Barangay Sicayab,the headquarters of the Zamboanga del Norte PPO.Sadly for Mr.Victosa they reached their destination without him.He was found the next day,his hands tied behind his back with 3 rounds in his chest.It didn't take long to point a finger at Officers Bayang and Catacutan,and not much longer to drag their superior into that clusterfuc* of a mess.The superior?None other than (now) Supt.Avengoza.Philippine Justice is at best a hit and miss affair.It took until 2000 to secure convictions in the case and only then because Officer Esparagosa testified against Bayang and Avengoza.Though Avengoza continued fighting the case through 2006 his sentence of 46 to 48 months has stood.Because he had been held longer than 4 years he was credited with time served and so the conviction didn't effect his freedom.In most nations a convicted murderer would be bounced from the force in disgrace.On Mindanao at least he is welcomed back with open arms and promoted to a position of command.
Supt.Avengoza was most like appointed Chairman of Task Force Indino so as to send a clear message to the kidnappers.From time to time rare personalities end up deployed to such areas,whether in the PNP or the AFP.The most successful commanders dealing with KFR are able to achieve positive results by coming across as just as ruthless as the kidnappers themselves,if not more.One memorable CO (Commanding Officer) of the 103rd Brigade in Marawi City vowed to kidnap 2 members of a KFR shotcaller's (leaders of KFR organisations) family for every civilian kidnapped by the man's group.KFR then reached an all time low for that AOR.What about in the case of Task Force Indino,did it work?Not really.Joel Indino Jr.wasn't released,negotiations were more affable but that was the jist of it.The original demand of P15 Million was however eventually reduced to slightly more than P1 Million (~$22,000).Finally,on April 16th,after 77 days in captivity,Joel was released in Sitio Tando Pataw,Barangay Poblacion in his hometown of Payao after a member of the Payao MPO deposited P1M (~$22,000) into an anonomyous bank account in an Ipil bank.Physically fine,the young man rejoined his family.
I need to add that for the last 2 years the entire Zamboangan Peninsula has had a new PNP innovation with which to counter KFRs.DIPO,or Directorate of Integrated Police Operations,is especially created to overcome jurisdictional issues and problems.I disccussed this in my most recent First Quarter of 2011 KFR entry in slightly more detail.This makes Barangay Chairman Indino's decison to utilise PPO-Zamboanga Sibugay even more curious.
On April 04,2011 13 year old Saima Amontao was walking on Lumber Street in Barangay Lower Dansalan in Marawi City.Having just left a school graduation ceremony she was now on her way to perform an errand for her mother.Passing the Reclamation Site with her friend a black van sped by before quickly backing up and stopping.The van's side door quickly opened and extended arms pulled the young girl in as her terrified friend gaped in horror.Two days later in neighbouring Lanao del Norte Province a highly shaken Saima walked into Iligan City's CPO #1 in Barangay Tambo and told an incredible story.
Miss Amontao said that after being pulled inside the van by 5 men and 1 woman she was quickly driven to Cagayan del Oro City in Misamis Oriental Province.Arriving at a 3 story home near the airport (she heard frequent flights over head) she was placed in a room guarded by armed men.With her were approximately 30 other children,mostly under 10 years of age.Unbeknownst to her captors,Manaw (Maranoan) Tribesmen,she too is a Maranaw and so was able to eavesdrop on bits and pieces of their conversation.Apparently she and the others were being held by an organised ring that provides kidneys to the black market.
I think it was about 2006 when Luzon was swept with Urban Legend SMS (Text) Messages that warned against such things.Interestingly the stories progressed to the point where dead children were being found with P50,000 (~$1,100) stuffed into their body where 1 kidney had been and then sewn up in rudimentary fashion.Then the story evolved to where eyes were being sold.A little girl was found with her eyes removed and money stuffed into her empty eye sockets.The stories were all similarly ridiculous in nature,as if such degenerates were going to throw 60,000 Pesos out with a dead body to say nothing of the fact that only live kidneys are viable.
With that said,there is indeed a black market organ trade taking place in the Philippines just as in any under developed nation.However they use very willing adults and pay them up to P250,000 for a viable kidney (~$5,000).There would be little need to assume such massive risks by kidnapping a young child.To say nothing of her claim about 30 such children...Then,Saima claimed that 1 of her guards discovered that she too was Maranaw and so aided her in escaping after two days in captivity.With the money she had when kidnapped she took a jeepney (public transportation) and inadvertantly ended up in Iligan City.
The curious part though is not that she found some support from Iligan City PNP officers,but that the local NBI Office took her story seriously enough to investigate.The NBI,or National Bureau of Investigation (akin to the American FBI) is the investigatory arm of the DOJ (Department of Justice).They are usually capable and well trained.The NBI went so far as to drive the young lady to Cagayan del Oro City and cruise the neighbourhoods near the airport in an effort to locate the home in question.I don't want to be absolutely dismissive of her story knowing quite well that people who have survived incredible ordeals quite often are brushed off as attention seekers and so on.The cases of the American serial killers John Wayne Gacy and Jeffrey Dahmer come quickly to mind.It took many years for authorities to see that the stories were true and by then many more had died horrible deaths.Conversely,she is 13,Maranaw and disappeared for 2 days.In her culture running away with a boy can earn her a death sentence from her own family so who can say what the poor girl has experienced.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Kidnap for Ransom,First Quarter of 2011,Part IV:Amir Nasser Arasul,Poroa Botawan Sancaan,Bairah Datumanong Sangcaan,Roberto Tacobo and Uju Araba'n
On Sunday,January 02,2011 Ujun Arabain joined family and friends at the wedding of a clan member in his home town of Indanan on Jolo Island in Sulu Province.Arabain didn't get a whole lot of time off from his position as Registar at HBSAT and so he looked forward to the wedding as a welcomed change of pace.HBSAT,or"Hadji Butu School of Arts and Trade"on Scott Road in the provincial capitol of Jolo City was formerly known as"National School of the Arts."With separate high school and college programmes and with Mr.Arabain bring the school's sole Registar,he was always struggling to keep up with an incredibly demanding schedule.
Enjoying the wedding feast at a bit past 2PM Mr.Arabain was busy in conversation and was therefore unaware that 5 well armed men had forced their way into the festivities.The leader of the gunmen.Abu Sayyaf sub-Kumander Aldin"Abu Shaining"Bagadi happens to be a 3rd cousin of Arabain's and as luck would have it had come specifically to settle an internal feud centering upon financial issues.Grabbing Mr.Arabain's possesions the 5 men hurriedly left,dragging Arabain as they went.
As unfortunate as the sordid event was it was rapidly concluded and unlike many kidnappings in the Southern Philippines it had a happy ending.Courtesy of clan elders,Mr.Arabain was released after they were able to convince the Abu Sayyaf guerillas to release Mr.Arabain.Just 47 hours later on the afternoon of January 4th,the shaken victim was back in his home in Indanan.If only those same"elders"had the decency to intervene in the cases of non-related kidnapping victims as well.
On the afternoon of February 13th,2011 6 year old Amir Nasser Arasul was walking alone on Kalle Prospero (Prospero Street) in Isabela City's Barangay San Rafael,the provincial capitol of Basilan.Suddenly,2 men riding tandem on a single motorcycle pulled up in front of the little boy,grabbed him without waning and just as quickly sped away.Within an hour Amir's father,Legislator Nasser Arasul,a CLA member (Consultative Legislative Assembly,the legislature of the ARMM,or Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao) received a phone call informing him that his young son was being ransomed by Barangay Chairman Ronnie Keseg of Barangay Tablas in the town of Tuburan,also on the island province of Basilan.
Aside from serving as a Barangay Chairman,or as they better are much better known,Barangay Captain,Keseg also serves as his municipality's Chairman of the"ABC,"or"Association of Barangay Chairmen,"an entity composed of every barangay chairman in a given municipality.ABC Chairmen also serve as ex-officio members of municipal councils.Keseg took aim at the Arasul Clan because of Haber Arasul.Haber,brother of Legislator Nasser recently ended his term as Mayor of Sumisip,also on Basilan.While still mayor Haber incurred a debt of P300,000 ($6,200) to the Keseg Clan.
After receiving the phone call regarding his son Legislator Arusul took a highly unusual step and called the PNP (Philippine National Police) to seek their assistance in the case.Calling the PNP,or any authorities is usually the last thing someone will want do if victimised by a KFR (Kidnap for Ransom).In most cases PNP officers are complicit on one level or another,if not actually pulling strings themselves.Involvement runs from the lowest ranking officers (PO1s) to some of the highest ranking personnel (even up to Senior Inspector).Just this week a KFR organisation composed entirely of PNP personnel was discovered,albeit on Luzon.Another consideration is the lack of training for officers on all aspects of police work BUT ESPECIALLY with regard to KFR.Then there are other things to consider,namely,the PNP must inform LGUs (Local Government Units,i.e.barangay,municipal and provincial governments) and when KFRs take place the Standard Operating Procedure,as dictated by the philippine Government,is to immediately create a task force dedicated to that specific kidnapping.IF the PNP in a given area is unmarred by institutional involvement it is a guarantee that the LGU IS.LGUs are likewise involved in it either through direct participation or else simply by complicity.Mindanao has 4 KFR orbits:
1) Jolo Island in Sulu Province
2) Zamboanga City-Basilan Island nexus
3) Cotabato City to Liguasan Marsh nexus
4) Marawi City to Poona Piagapo nexus in Lanao del Sur Province
In each of these 4 orbits the LGUs are involved in the utmost.I reckon this would probably be worthy of at least 1 post all its own if not an actual series but for the sake of brevity I will just point to Cotabato City and Liguasan Marsh.In both the city and almost every municipality skirting the marsh there are public officials directly profiting from KFR.In the city,local warlord,Vice Mayor Muslimin Sema (concurrently the Chairman of the MNLF-EC15,MNLF-Executive Committee of 15,an off shoot of the larger MNLF-Misuari) is the shot-caller in the Tsinoy (Filipinos of Chinese descent) KFRs that have been plagueing Cotabato City and its environs for the last decade and change.Sema hasn't always been top dog of course but during his 3 terms as Mayor he was able to supplant the BMA-Misuari (the BMA,or Bangsamoro Army being the armed wing of the MNLF) and BIAF (Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces,the armed wing of the MILF) Kumanders (amongst Islamic Insurgent organisations in the Southern Philippines the term"Kumander"denotes a Commanding Officer) that had here to fore carved a niche in this virtual cottage industry as armed conflicts powered down during the many peace processes that have been implemented and re-implemented.
So,if one has any sort of common sense they keep both the PNP as well as all LGUs as far away as they can.The goal is always profit and the KFR organisations ALWAYS expect serious negotiating.Just as in any negotiation you do not want a member of the opposition sitting in the room as you discuss pricing amongst your allies.More over,you don't want the KFR organisations being able to gauge your level of emotional and/or financial desperation.
Nasser Arasul,as an ARMM politico is well aware of the standard process in KFRs as well as the dangers one faces in directly involving the PNP.Yet,one of the first things Arasul did was call Director,Chief Supt.Felicisimo Khu ofDIPO-West.DIPO,or Directorate of Integrated Police Operations,was created at the end of 2008 to deal specifically with jurisdictional conflicts within the PNP's myriad of organisational entities.Aside from a bloated bureaucracy the PNP is inhibited by the crazy quilt-like patchwork of LGU demarcation.Arasul's home province of Basilan Island for example is very emblematic of this problem.
Basilan constitutes an entire province of Mindanao.The island,except for its provincial capitol,Isabela City,is encompassed within the ARMM (Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao).Isabela City on the other hand is administratively attached to Region IX which itself encompasses the entire Zamboanga Peninsula.So,you have a city,on an island.The city serves as the capitol of this island BUT isn't attached to the island in terms of regional government.Instead it is attached to a peninsula some 17km away.Travel between the island and the peninsula isn't exactly easy,nor is it easy in terms of infrastructural parity,implementation of regional programming and so forth.Yet,these LGU demarcations are but one piece of the puzzle.The other factor involves law enforcement.The PNP was demilitarised in the post-Marcos Era and to avoid a repeat of the mistakes made while militarised the police were sublimated to the DILG,the Department of the Interior and Local Government.Now,that shouldn't have really led to any real issues since the DILG concurrently oversees all LGUs.Ergo the department should be able to formulate a system that matches its LGUs,providing aququate coverage and services.At least that would be intuitive.However,when your LGUs are structured without rhyme or reason it is impossible to do so.
The LGUs aren't the only problem.The PNP is itself incredibly bloated.There are 2 main structures to deal with:
1) Operational Support Units
2) Police Regional Offices
These 2 structures are entirely parallel command structures subordinate the national headquarters.Ideally there would be a mechanism for parallel communication but it doesn't exist above and beyond informal relationships between individual personnel.Under the Police Regional Office,or PRO,you have the sublimated entities such as PSM (Public Safety Management,formerly known as"PMGs"or Police Mobile Groups),operating in battalion sized elements.Parallel to PSM/PMGs there is a second structure composed of PPOs (Provincial Police Offices) under which are CPOs (City Police Offices) and MPOs,also known as MPSs,or"Municipal Police Offices"or the more commonly known"Municipal Police Stations."
The parallel command structure,OSU,or Operational Support Units,have 3 main sublimated structures (and several less structures).All these different structures are entirely parallel to one another.The 3 main structures:
1) Intelligence Group
2) CIDG,or Criminal Investigation and Detection Group.Further complicating matters is the fact that CIDGs are attached regionally,BUT NOT sublimated to the afore mentioned PRO (Police Regional Office).
3) SAF,or Special Action Force.SAF are Special Forces,primarily utilised in combat environmemts.
If you think this is confusing,imaging someone whose loved one has been kidnapped.Let's take the Arasul Case for an example.The man's 6 year old son has been abducted in Isabela City in Basilan Province.The child was then taken outside the city.Inside the city it is Region IX,outside it is ARMM.CIDG 9,CIDG-ARMM,PRP-ARMM,PRO-9,Isabela City CPO,Tuburan MPO/MPS,what to do?Who to call?
In a more structured environment it would be fine to call any and all because not only would each organisation have the means to effectively communicate and liason with any other of the listed organisations,they would all have an SOP,or Standard Operating Procedure.There would be explicitly articulated protocols and contingencies in place to deal with this exact situation.For example,using the American Model,a kidnapping is under the jurisdiction of the municipal police force where the actual abduction occurred.IF the municipal police force is under equipped OR overwhelmed it is freely able to liason with the state police force who have statewide jurisdiction.IF the kidnapping involves an abduction and conveyance across state borders,even into a neighbouring state,it is taken out of the hands of the municipal and state police and automatically given to the FBI,or Federal Bureau of Investigation.Everybody involved is more than clear on how jurisdiction is handled.
To the PNP's credit it realised that the large amount of kidnappings in Region IX were an organisational nightmare.Quite a number take place in Zamboanga City with the victim being spirited across the strait and onto Basilan.In other words,an abduction would take place in Region IX,and the victim would be immediately taken into ARMM.This immediate changing of jurisdictions crippled law enforcement.So,on November 14,2008 the PNP created DIPO,the Directorate of Integrated Police Operations.Intially there were only 2,DIPO-East and DIPO-West with the latter being the main focus.Headquartered in Zamboanga City its mandate was to improve prevention and interdiction of KFR assailants.Currently,DIPO-West is under the command of the afore mentioned Director,Chief Supt.Khu.
After Arasul phoned Director Khu the latter took a launch across to Isabela City,the immediate response hinging on Arasul's position as a legislator.The next day,February 14th Khu escorted Arasul to the home of Vice Mayor of Tuburan,Durie Kalahal.Kalahal had been briefed by phone and had arranged a formal sit down in the interim.Kalahal,Khu and Arasul proceeded to the Keseg compound where they discussed Keseg's demands.After 7.5 hours the 2 protagonists had agreed that Arasul would pay his brother's debt and Keseg agreed to release Arasul's son.
Tuburan,Ronnie Keseg's hometown,is an Abu Sayyaf centre of operations and most of the local politicians have been compromised by clan loyalty,financial profiteering or even so far as actually joining ASG (Abu Sayyaf Group) themselves.Keseg isn't listed as an ASG member but he could not maintain a power base in the municipality without the co-operation of Abu Sayyaf.
On Thursday,March 01,2011,50 year old Roberto Tacbobo was spending his day in the usual manner.Driving his employer's 10 wheeler the Iligan City resident was travelling down Narciso Ramos National Hiway in the municipality of Masiu,in Lanao del Sur Province.Having entered Barangay Sawir he was returning to his employer,Macarambon Calandada in the town of Saguiran,also in Lanao del Sur.With no load,having just delivered rice in the municipality of Lumbayanague Mr.Tacbobo must have realised that he wasn't facing a hijacking when 4 motorcycles rapidly boxed him. In.Despite the appellation"hiway,"Narciso Ramos is exactly like all other hiways on Mindanao,a 2 lane road with no shoulder.Therefore there wasn't much Tacbob could do but slow his pace and allow them to corral him into a gradual stop.
Each motorcycle held 2 men riding tandem.Each one of the 4 passengers were fully armed and so Roberto Tacbobo had no choice but to comply and enter the van that soon pulled up.Lucky for Mr.Tacbobo hus employer wasd ready,willing and able to pay his ransom (amount undetermined) and gain his employeezks release.On Saturday,March 3rd at 4PM,Roberto Tacbobo was released unharmed in Barangay Sandab in the municipality of Butig,Lanao del Sur Province.
On Wednesday March 23,2011 57 year old attorney Poroa Botawan Sangcaan and his wife,Baira Datumanong Sangcaan,53,a public scool teacher were en route to a Kandoori (tribal feast) when they were waylaid at an impromptu checkpoint in the municipality of Pantar Ragao in Lanao del Norte Province.The 4 armed men stopped every vehicle entering Barangay Kalanganan,scanning faces as they searched for specific people.Pulling up in their green Toyota Adventure the Sangcaans had no idea that they check point had been hastily implemented entirely for their benefit.
As soon as the couple were recognised the leader of the 4 gunmen,Arpa"Arafat"Alim Gumpal ordered his men,all clansmen,to disassemble the checkpoint and get into the SUV with the couple.The 3 other men:
1) Farouk"Froxy"Alim Gumpal
2) Odeng Gumpal
3) Lucman"Lucky"Gumpal
Quickly did as they were told and the SUV sped off.The Gumpal Clan almost immediately sold them up the food chain to a very well established KFR group in the town of Poona Piagapo,in that same province,Lanao del Sur.Holding the terrified couple in that town's Barangay Mamaan and initially demanded P1.5 Million (~$33,000) but as is always the case gradually lowered their deman to P500,000 (~$11,500) and then finally to P250,000 (~$5,250).The couple's family members were able to collectively raise that sum and so on Saturday,March 26th the couple were released on the outskirts of Poona Piagapo.
As usual even the Government couldn't get the facts straight and reported the husband as Akmad Sangka Datumanong.Datumanong,a clansman of the female victim,is the Barangay Chairman of Barangay Dadu in the town of Malundo,also in the province of Lanao del Sur.It is extremely ironic given that that actual male victim,Poroa Botawan Sangcaan is a Government employee!He is Legal Counsel for DENR-10 (Department of the Environment and Natural Resources-Region X).The DENR has its share of pratfalls given the profits involves in logging and mining,legal and illegal,all of which come under the domain of that office.The possibility that the male victim's position may habe had something to do with the couple being victimised is certainly something that should be considered.In any event,the couple,residents of Barangay Poblacion in Marawi City were none worse for the wear,all things considered.
Enjoying the wedding feast at a bit past 2PM Mr.Arabain was busy in conversation and was therefore unaware that 5 well armed men had forced their way into the festivities.The leader of the gunmen.Abu Sayyaf sub-Kumander Aldin"Abu Shaining"Bagadi happens to be a 3rd cousin of Arabain's and as luck would have it had come specifically to settle an internal feud centering upon financial issues.Grabbing Mr.Arabain's possesions the 5 men hurriedly left,dragging Arabain as they went.
As unfortunate as the sordid event was it was rapidly concluded and unlike many kidnappings in the Southern Philippines it had a happy ending.Courtesy of clan elders,Mr.Arabain was released after they were able to convince the Abu Sayyaf guerillas to release Mr.Arabain.Just 47 hours later on the afternoon of January 4th,the shaken victim was back in his home in Indanan.If only those same"elders"had the decency to intervene in the cases of non-related kidnapping victims as well.
On the afternoon of February 13th,2011 6 year old Amir Nasser Arasul was walking alone on Kalle Prospero (Prospero Street) in Isabela City's Barangay San Rafael,the provincial capitol of Basilan.Suddenly,2 men riding tandem on a single motorcycle pulled up in front of the little boy,grabbed him without waning and just as quickly sped away.Within an hour Amir's father,Legislator Nasser Arasul,a CLA member (Consultative Legislative Assembly,the legislature of the ARMM,or Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao) received a phone call informing him that his young son was being ransomed by Barangay Chairman Ronnie Keseg of Barangay Tablas in the town of Tuburan,also on the island province of Basilan.
Aside from serving as a Barangay Chairman,or as they better are much better known,Barangay Captain,Keseg also serves as his municipality's Chairman of the"ABC,"or"Association of Barangay Chairmen,"an entity composed of every barangay chairman in a given municipality.ABC Chairmen also serve as ex-officio members of municipal councils.Keseg took aim at the Arasul Clan because of Haber Arasul.Haber,brother of Legislator Nasser recently ended his term as Mayor of Sumisip,also on Basilan.While still mayor Haber incurred a debt of P300,000 ($6,200) to the Keseg Clan.
After receiving the phone call regarding his son Legislator Arusul took a highly unusual step and called the PNP (Philippine National Police) to seek their assistance in the case.Calling the PNP,or any authorities is usually the last thing someone will want do if victimised by a KFR (Kidnap for Ransom).In most cases PNP officers are complicit on one level or another,if not actually pulling strings themselves.Involvement runs from the lowest ranking officers (PO1s) to some of the highest ranking personnel (even up to Senior Inspector).Just this week a KFR organisation composed entirely of PNP personnel was discovered,albeit on Luzon.Another consideration is the lack of training for officers on all aspects of police work BUT ESPECIALLY with regard to KFR.Then there are other things to consider,namely,the PNP must inform LGUs (Local Government Units,i.e.barangay,municipal and provincial governments) and when KFRs take place the Standard Operating Procedure,as dictated by the philippine Government,is to immediately create a task force dedicated to that specific kidnapping.IF the PNP in a given area is unmarred by institutional involvement it is a guarantee that the LGU IS.LGUs are likewise involved in it either through direct participation or else simply by complicity.Mindanao has 4 KFR orbits:
1) Jolo Island in Sulu Province
2) Zamboanga City-Basilan Island nexus
3) Cotabato City to Liguasan Marsh nexus
4) Marawi City to Poona Piagapo nexus in Lanao del Sur Province
In each of these 4 orbits the LGUs are involved in the utmost.I reckon this would probably be worthy of at least 1 post all its own if not an actual series but for the sake of brevity I will just point to Cotabato City and Liguasan Marsh.In both the city and almost every municipality skirting the marsh there are public officials directly profiting from KFR.In the city,local warlord,Vice Mayor Muslimin Sema (concurrently the Chairman of the MNLF-EC15,MNLF-Executive Committee of 15,an off shoot of the larger MNLF-Misuari) is the shot-caller in the Tsinoy (Filipinos of Chinese descent) KFRs that have been plagueing Cotabato City and its environs for the last decade and change.Sema hasn't always been top dog of course but during his 3 terms as Mayor he was able to supplant the BMA-Misuari (the BMA,or Bangsamoro Army being the armed wing of the MNLF) and BIAF (Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces,the armed wing of the MILF) Kumanders (amongst Islamic Insurgent organisations in the Southern Philippines the term"Kumander"denotes a Commanding Officer) that had here to fore carved a niche in this virtual cottage industry as armed conflicts powered down during the many peace processes that have been implemented and re-implemented.
So,if one has any sort of common sense they keep both the PNP as well as all LGUs as far away as they can.The goal is always profit and the KFR organisations ALWAYS expect serious negotiating.Just as in any negotiation you do not want a member of the opposition sitting in the room as you discuss pricing amongst your allies.More over,you don't want the KFR organisations being able to gauge your level of emotional and/or financial desperation.
Nasser Arasul,as an ARMM politico is well aware of the standard process in KFRs as well as the dangers one faces in directly involving the PNP.Yet,one of the first things Arasul did was call Director,Chief Supt.Felicisimo Khu ofDIPO-West.DIPO,or Directorate of Integrated Police Operations,was created at the end of 2008 to deal specifically with jurisdictional conflicts within the PNP's myriad of organisational entities.Aside from a bloated bureaucracy the PNP is inhibited by the crazy quilt-like patchwork of LGU demarcation.Arasul's home province of Basilan Island for example is very emblematic of this problem.
Basilan constitutes an entire province of Mindanao.The island,except for its provincial capitol,Isabela City,is encompassed within the ARMM (Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao).Isabela City on the other hand is administratively attached to Region IX which itself encompasses the entire Zamboanga Peninsula.So,you have a city,on an island.The city serves as the capitol of this island BUT isn't attached to the island in terms of regional government.Instead it is attached to a peninsula some 17km away.Travel between the island and the peninsula isn't exactly easy,nor is it easy in terms of infrastructural parity,implementation of regional programming and so forth.Yet,these LGU demarcations are but one piece of the puzzle.The other factor involves law enforcement.The PNP was demilitarised in the post-Marcos Era and to avoid a repeat of the mistakes made while militarised the police were sublimated to the DILG,the Department of the Interior and Local Government.Now,that shouldn't have really led to any real issues since the DILG concurrently oversees all LGUs.Ergo the department should be able to formulate a system that matches its LGUs,providing aququate coverage and services.At least that would be intuitive.However,when your LGUs are structured without rhyme or reason it is impossible to do so.
The LGUs aren't the only problem.The PNP is itself incredibly bloated.There are 2 main structures to deal with:
1) Operational Support Units
2) Police Regional Offices
These 2 structures are entirely parallel command structures subordinate the national headquarters.Ideally there would be a mechanism for parallel communication but it doesn't exist above and beyond informal relationships between individual personnel.Under the Police Regional Office,or PRO,you have the sublimated entities such as PSM (Public Safety Management,formerly known as"PMGs"or Police Mobile Groups),operating in battalion sized elements.Parallel to PSM/PMGs there is a second structure composed of PPOs (Provincial Police Offices) under which are CPOs (City Police Offices) and MPOs,also known as MPSs,or"Municipal Police Offices"or the more commonly known"Municipal Police Stations."
The parallel command structure,OSU,or Operational Support Units,have 3 main sublimated structures (and several less structures).All these different structures are entirely parallel to one another.The 3 main structures:
1) Intelligence Group
2) CIDG,or Criminal Investigation and Detection Group.Further complicating matters is the fact that CIDGs are attached regionally,BUT NOT sublimated to the afore mentioned PRO (Police Regional Office).
3) SAF,or Special Action Force.SAF are Special Forces,primarily utilised in combat environmemts.
If you think this is confusing,imaging someone whose loved one has been kidnapped.Let's take the Arasul Case for an example.The man's 6 year old son has been abducted in Isabela City in Basilan Province.The child was then taken outside the city.Inside the city it is Region IX,outside it is ARMM.CIDG 9,CIDG-ARMM,PRP-ARMM,PRO-9,Isabela City CPO,Tuburan MPO/MPS,what to do?Who to call?
In a more structured environment it would be fine to call any and all because not only would each organisation have the means to effectively communicate and liason with any other of the listed organisations,they would all have an SOP,or Standard Operating Procedure.There would be explicitly articulated protocols and contingencies in place to deal with this exact situation.For example,using the American Model,a kidnapping is under the jurisdiction of the municipal police force where the actual abduction occurred.IF the municipal police force is under equipped OR overwhelmed it is freely able to liason with the state police force who have statewide jurisdiction.IF the kidnapping involves an abduction and conveyance across state borders,even into a neighbouring state,it is taken out of the hands of the municipal and state police and automatically given to the FBI,or Federal Bureau of Investigation.Everybody involved is more than clear on how jurisdiction is handled.
To the PNP's credit it realised that the large amount of kidnappings in Region IX were an organisational nightmare.Quite a number take place in Zamboanga City with the victim being spirited across the strait and onto Basilan.In other words,an abduction would take place in Region IX,and the victim would be immediately taken into ARMM.This immediate changing of jurisdictions crippled law enforcement.So,on November 14,2008 the PNP created DIPO,the Directorate of Integrated Police Operations.Intially there were only 2,DIPO-East and DIPO-West with the latter being the main focus.Headquartered in Zamboanga City its mandate was to improve prevention and interdiction of KFR assailants.Currently,DIPO-West is under the command of the afore mentioned Director,Chief Supt.Khu.
After Arasul phoned Director Khu the latter took a launch across to Isabela City,the immediate response hinging on Arasul's position as a legislator.The next day,February 14th Khu escorted Arasul to the home of Vice Mayor of Tuburan,Durie Kalahal.Kalahal had been briefed by phone and had arranged a formal sit down in the interim.Kalahal,Khu and Arasul proceeded to the Keseg compound where they discussed Keseg's demands.After 7.5 hours the 2 protagonists had agreed that Arasul would pay his brother's debt and Keseg agreed to release Arasul's son.
Tuburan,Ronnie Keseg's hometown,is an Abu Sayyaf centre of operations and most of the local politicians have been compromised by clan loyalty,financial profiteering or even so far as actually joining ASG (Abu Sayyaf Group) themselves.Keseg isn't listed as an ASG member but he could not maintain a power base in the municipality without the co-operation of Abu Sayyaf.
On Thursday,March 01,2011,50 year old Roberto Tacbobo was spending his day in the usual manner.Driving his employer's 10 wheeler the Iligan City resident was travelling down Narciso Ramos National Hiway in the municipality of Masiu,in Lanao del Sur Province.Having entered Barangay Sawir he was returning to his employer,Macarambon Calandada in the town of Saguiran,also in Lanao del Sur.With no load,having just delivered rice in the municipality of Lumbayanague Mr.Tacbobo must have realised that he wasn't facing a hijacking when 4 motorcycles rapidly boxed him. In.Despite the appellation"hiway,"Narciso Ramos is exactly like all other hiways on Mindanao,a 2 lane road with no shoulder.Therefore there wasn't much Tacbob could do but slow his pace and allow them to corral him into a gradual stop.
Each motorcycle held 2 men riding tandem.Each one of the 4 passengers were fully armed and so Roberto Tacbobo had no choice but to comply and enter the van that soon pulled up.Lucky for Mr.Tacbobo hus employer wasd ready,willing and able to pay his ransom (amount undetermined) and gain his employeezks release.On Saturday,March 3rd at 4PM,Roberto Tacbobo was released unharmed in Barangay Sandab in the municipality of Butig,Lanao del Sur Province.
On Wednesday March 23,2011 57 year old attorney Poroa Botawan Sangcaan and his wife,Baira Datumanong Sangcaan,53,a public scool teacher were en route to a Kandoori (tribal feast) when they were waylaid at an impromptu checkpoint in the municipality of Pantar Ragao in Lanao del Norte Province.The 4 armed men stopped every vehicle entering Barangay Kalanganan,scanning faces as they searched for specific people.Pulling up in their green Toyota Adventure the Sangcaans had no idea that they check point had been hastily implemented entirely for their benefit.
As soon as the couple were recognised the leader of the 4 gunmen,Arpa"Arafat"Alim Gumpal ordered his men,all clansmen,to disassemble the checkpoint and get into the SUV with the couple.The 3 other men:
1) Farouk"Froxy"Alim Gumpal
2) Odeng Gumpal
3) Lucman"Lucky"Gumpal
Quickly did as they were told and the SUV sped off.The Gumpal Clan almost immediately sold them up the food chain to a very well established KFR group in the town of Poona Piagapo,in that same province,Lanao del Sur.Holding the terrified couple in that town's Barangay Mamaan and initially demanded P1.5 Million (~$33,000) but as is always the case gradually lowered their deman to P500,000 (~$11,500) and then finally to P250,000 (~$5,250).The couple's family members were able to collectively raise that sum and so on Saturday,March 26th the couple were released on the outskirts of Poona Piagapo.
As usual even the Government couldn't get the facts straight and reported the husband as Akmad Sangka Datumanong.Datumanong,a clansman of the female victim,is the Barangay Chairman of Barangay Dadu in the town of Malundo,also in the province of Lanao del Sur.It is extremely ironic given that that actual male victim,Poroa Botawan Sangcaan is a Government employee!He is Legal Counsel for DENR-10 (Department of the Environment and Natural Resources-Region X).The DENR has its share of pratfalls given the profits involves in logging and mining,legal and illegal,all of which come under the domain of that office.The possibility that the male victim's position may habe had something to do with the couple being victimised is certainly something that should be considered.In any event,the couple,residents of Barangay Poblacion in Marawi City were none worse for the wear,all things considered.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Abu Sayyaf Interdiction for the First Quarter of 2011
This summary is not available. Please
click here to view the post.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Kidnap For Ransom,First Quarter 2011,Part II: Ceekim Gomonit and Olivia Angeles Barredo
Another victim from late 2010 has finally found his way home. The tragic story of 10 year old Ceekim Gomonit began on October 30, 2010. That evening Ceekim and his grandmother Nenia "Babet" Candil Gomonit were enjoying a relaxing couple of hours in front of the television in their Pagadian City home in Zamboanga del Sur Province. Early in the evening a group from the MILF's 113th Base Command kicked in their front door and dragged both family members into oblivion. Initially, as I alluded to in a prior entry on this case, authorities were stymied because unlike the 113th Base Command's usual modus operandi this group were all Cebuano (Bisaya) speakers and included a woman. The 113th Base Command are ethnic Maranaw (Maranao) and Iranun Tribesmen. To boot, Bisaya speakers are non-Muslims. This led some, including myself, to believe that the case may have been Rido (Clan Feud) based.
Unfortunately this was disproved by the discovery of the grandmother's corpse buried in a very shallow grave in the jungle just outside of the municipality of Sultan Naga Dimaporo in Lanao del Norte Province. The town, which sits just over the border from Zamboanga is the main base of the 113th Base Command. The group exerts total control over the municipality and more over Mrs. Gomonit was buried according to Islamic Law (Shari'a). Her remains were discovered in November after her son, Ceekim's father, received an SMS (text message) from the kidnappers earlier that week. They had included an MMS (video text message) of Ceekim as Proof of Life during the on going ransom negotiations. Sadly the messages also included co-ordinates for the body.
Immediately after digging up the cadaver, the son who was there on site turned to the media and offered that this wasn't going to change his decision NOT to pay ransom. I won't presume to judge anyone under a clear state of duress but it takes a unique type of individual to take that stance as his own mother's rotting corpse lays beside him. Knowing that his own 10 year old son was STILL being held, probably in a bamboo cage, can only make one wonder what goes through such a man's head. He closed out that media soundbite by telling the reporter that he was merely doing what his mother would have wanted him to do.
Fast forward to Sunday, January 23, 2011 at 8AM. 10 year old Ceekim was blindfolded, transported to Cotabato City and released in an empty lot in Barangay Mother. Having been given money and written instructions he made his way bravely to the city's Jeepney Terminal and took a passenger van directly to Pagadian City, arriving at that city's Jeepney Terminal at 230PM. He then made his way via triksiad (ubiqitous form of public transport here in the Philippines) to his extended family's home in Sunrise Village, a subdivision within the municipality's Barangay Tiguma.
March 03, 2011, just hours after Maricris Quatrocruz was released by the MILF's 113th Base Command, another victim was snatched into incognito. 36 year old Olivia Angeles Barrero, like Maricris, is a resident of Zamboanga City. At 615PM,having just left the pharmacy run by her family in the city's Barangay Labuan, Mrs. Barredo was with her husband next to their SUV when she was approached by 2 men riding tandem on a single Honda motorcycle. Stopping to answer a question she and her husband were quickly boxed in by several gunmen who quickly drove up in 2 SUVs. As Olivia screamed at startled bystanders she was dragged into 1 of the sports utility vehicles which then sped off towards the shoreline. Her husband, who had bravely tried to save her was unscathed by the 3 rounds fired at him by the fleeing kidnappers. At the shoreline, as she was being carried from the SUV to an idling pump boat (small motorised craft) her screaming drew the attention of a Barangay Tanod (an armed guard employed by the barangay). The Tanod, accompanied by a large group of residents rushed to aid her. Although the boat had already shoved off the mob did manage to capture 2 of the kidnappers, both MILF guerillas, who were turned over to Zamboanga City PNP (Philippine National Police) after having been beaten severely.
The pump boat was soon joined by 2 other pump boats and all 3 were seen heading towards the municipality of Sibuco in Zamboanga del Norte Province. As of posting Mrs. Barrero is still being held although ransom negotiations are on going. The 2 captured guerillas, Abdulsalih Esmsail Mindoon and Zaldy Daing Mindoon were both found with 45 caliber pistols and are being held in Zamboanga City Jail.
Unfortunately this was disproved by the discovery of the grandmother's corpse buried in a very shallow grave in the jungle just outside of the municipality of Sultan Naga Dimaporo in Lanao del Norte Province. The town, which sits just over the border from Zamboanga is the main base of the 113th Base Command. The group exerts total control over the municipality and more over Mrs. Gomonit was buried according to Islamic Law (Shari'a). Her remains were discovered in November after her son, Ceekim's father, received an SMS (text message) from the kidnappers earlier that week. They had included an MMS (video text message) of Ceekim as Proof of Life during the on going ransom negotiations. Sadly the messages also included co-ordinates for the body.
Immediately after digging up the cadaver, the son who was there on site turned to the media and offered that this wasn't going to change his decision NOT to pay ransom. I won't presume to judge anyone under a clear state of duress but it takes a unique type of individual to take that stance as his own mother's rotting corpse lays beside him. Knowing that his own 10 year old son was STILL being held, probably in a bamboo cage, can only make one wonder what goes through such a man's head. He closed out that media soundbite by telling the reporter that he was merely doing what his mother would have wanted him to do.
Fast forward to Sunday, January 23, 2011 at 8AM. 10 year old Ceekim was blindfolded, transported to Cotabato City and released in an empty lot in Barangay Mother. Having been given money and written instructions he made his way bravely to the city's Jeepney Terminal and took a passenger van directly to Pagadian City, arriving at that city's Jeepney Terminal at 230PM. He then made his way via triksiad (ubiqitous form of public transport here in the Philippines) to his extended family's home in Sunrise Village, a subdivision within the municipality's Barangay Tiguma.
March 03, 2011, just hours after Maricris Quatrocruz was released by the MILF's 113th Base Command, another victim was snatched into incognito. 36 year old Olivia Angeles Barrero, like Maricris, is a resident of Zamboanga City. At 615PM,having just left the pharmacy run by her family in the city's Barangay Labuan, Mrs. Barredo was with her husband next to their SUV when she was approached by 2 men riding tandem on a single Honda motorcycle. Stopping to answer a question she and her husband were quickly boxed in by several gunmen who quickly drove up in 2 SUVs. As Olivia screamed at startled bystanders she was dragged into 1 of the sports utility vehicles which then sped off towards the shoreline. Her husband, who had bravely tried to save her was unscathed by the 3 rounds fired at him by the fleeing kidnappers. At the shoreline, as she was being carried from the SUV to an idling pump boat (small motorised craft) her screaming drew the attention of a Barangay Tanod (an armed guard employed by the barangay). The Tanod, accompanied by a large group of residents rushed to aid her. Although the boat had already shoved off the mob did manage to capture 2 of the kidnappers, both MILF guerillas, who were turned over to Zamboanga City PNP (Philippine National Police) after having been beaten severely.
The pump boat was soon joined by 2 other pump boats and all 3 were seen heading towards the municipality of Sibuco in Zamboanga del Norte Province. As of posting Mrs. Barrero is still being held although ransom negotiations are on going. The 2 captured guerillas, Abdulsalih Esmsail Mindoon and Zaldy Daing Mindoon were both found with 45 caliber pistols and are being held in Zamboanga City Jail.
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