Although KFR, or Kidnap for Ransom, is an industry dominated by Muslims at least so far as Mindanao is concerned, they are equal opportunity victimisers. Though it is true that most KFR victims are Christian this is merely because of two factors:
1) Christians on Mindanao tend to be significantly better off than local Muslims in the financial sense
2) Christians usually aren't members of families or clans who will seek to retaliate and even if they have the wherewithall to do so, aren't as knowledgable about the local scene so as to be able to ascertain who was actually involved
Still, Filipino Muslims are sometimes targetted. Such is the case I am focusing on in my current entry. 34 year old Bae Faridah Olama Adilao was being driven in her pickup truck by her family's driver, 22 year old Mokamed "Moca" Mimbantas on Saturday, October 1st, 2011. The two were en route to the Adilao's home in Iligan City in Lanao del Norte Province, returning after a visit to the Marawi City headquarters of the Adilao's business empire in the neighbouring province of Lanao del Sur. As the truck entered the municipality of Balo-i's Barangay Nangka they fell in behind a row of vehicles waiting to transit what appeared to be a PNP, or Philippine National Police checkpoint.
When Ms.Adilao's pickup truck finally inched forward both she and Mr.Mimbantas were brusquely ordered out of the vehicle so that the "officers" could "search" it. As a uniformed man jumped into the pickup and drove it onto the shoulder of the road others quickly disassembled the checkpoint and ordered Ms.Adilao and Mr.Mimbantas into a minivan which then turned around and drove back into Lanao del Sur Province.
Ms.Adilao's husband, Sultan Abdurahim "Kim" Batawi Adilao then received a phone call at his office in the family's business headquarters in Marawi City's Pacasum Square on Gumisa Avenue. The unidentified caller wasted no time in informing him that his wife and his driver had been kidnapped, along with the usual warnings not to co-operate with the AFP or PNP (Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police). Seeing as how the kidnap took place in full view of the public in the middle of the day the crime had already been reported to the Balo-i MPO, or Municipal Police Office. Following SOP, or Standard Operating Procedure, the MPO notifed the Police Provincial Office, or PPO. With that notification the kidnapping became public knowledge with or without Sultan Adio's consent.
Police responding to the scene of the crime found the Adiao's pickup truck on the side of the road exactly where the kidnappers had left it. With nothing else to go on the truck was impounded for evidence and the municipality of Balo-i empaneled the requisite CMC, or Crisis Management Committee. Chaired by the mayor of the municipality in which the kidnapping took place it includes the Directors of the PPO as well as the PRO, or Police Regional Office, along with the IB (Infantry Battalion) and Brigade COs, or Commanding Officers. Usually the local DSWD, or Department of Social Welfare and Development, will be included as well. The idea is to streamline the Government response as well as to provide a solid interface between the media and the authorities.
Bae Adilao is very well known in Marawi City. She and husband own Tactical Guns and Ammo Enterprises, a weapons shoppe with six branches, Tactical Security Agency with four branches, a franchise of the Generic Pharmacy chain, a printing shoppe, a plane and ferry ticketing outlet, a fast food resturant and as if that wasn't enough, was recently awarded a TESDA, or Technical Education and Skills Development Agency, contract in conjunction with the training of local PNP agencies. The couple was also in the process of widening its participation in TESDA.
For now all Sultan Adilao can do is sit back and comfort the couple's two young sons as he waits for Mindanao's latest psycho drama to unfold.
Showing posts with label Lanao del Norte Province. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lanao del Norte Province. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Kidnap for Ransom,First Quarter of 2011,Part VI:Fatima Angni,Nadja Saldivar and Maria Elda Senedo
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Thursday, July 1, 2010
Political Developments,Second Quarter of 2010,Part IV:Election Related Violence in Lanao del Norte Province
While Lanao del Sur is a majority Muslim province,Lanao del Norte is a bit different.While a fair number of Maranao (Maranaw) tribesmen,Muslims,do live in Norte,it has a rapidly increasing population of Bisayans (Visayans),a thoroughly Christian ethnicity.Bisaya are not native to this part of Mindanao and most are 2nd or 3rd generation transplants from the Visayan Archipelago,chiefly the island of Cebu at the archipelago's eastern extreme.Yet unlike other Muslim areas where Bisayans have settled,Lanao del Norte rarely suffers from communal violence.A huge exception to this co-existence was the"2008 War,"an event that I will get to eventually.
The largest population centre,Iligan City,is fairly safe and generally free from the overt violence effecting Lanao del Sur and many other areas of the island.All the more so since the very recent re-districting which created a 3rd Congressional district just for the city,the Lone District of Illigan City,Lanao del Norte Province.One exception however is the town of Pantao Ragat,ruled by the Lantud family.All other towns in the province are ruiled by the Dimaporo clan,a solid political dynasty who,if they are not ruling a town themselves have closely positioned allies who do so.This interesting dynamic resulted in a moderate flare up in this year's Election Season.
The Dimaporos,controls 21 of the provinces 22 municipalities and have long been at odds with the much smaller Lantud family,despite a blood relationship.Vice Mayor Lacson Mangotara Lantud is married to a Dimaporo,Eleanor Dimaporo Lantud who assumed her husband's former role as mayor when he finished his 3rd (and maximum term) in 2007.Vice Mayor's maternal relations,the Mangorara family are arch rivals of the Dimaporos and so the Lantuds have thrown their lot in against the province's strongest clan.
Eleanor Dimaporo Lantud is not only a Dimaporo,she is the 1st cousin of the clan's sitting patriarch,Congressman Abdullah Dimaporo who represents the province's 2nd Congressional District.It was Congressman Dimaporo who on December 6th,2009 asked the government to extend Martial Law over the town of Pantao Ragat.Martial Law had just been declared 1 day previously for Manguindanao and Sultan Kudarat Provinces along with Cotabato City,to also cover Pantano Ragat.His rationale he claimed was that Vice Mayor Lantud personally controlled a 200 man paramilitary in the form of CAFGU (Civlian Auxiliary Force Geographical Unit,a cornerstone of the AFP,or Armed Forces of the Philippine's counterinsurgency programme).No mattwe that CAFGU are an official arm of local government sublimated to the AFP.He cited an example where he claims Lantud burned an entire barangay in his own municipality simply because he wanted to gain control over a considerable number of coconut palm trees growing there.He refused to name this barangay,didnt produce a single witness or piece of corroborating evidence.Not suprisingly then,his application was denied.
Of course Congressmen,or"Solon"as they are called in the Pilippines,are not allowed to even actually apply for such things.Only a provincial governor can actually make the request.It helps though when the governor happens to be your own son,who took your place when you had served the maximum number of terms.Governor Khalid Quibranza Dimaporo then went on the offencive and ordered a"Preventive Suspension"of 60 days for Lantud,effective January 21st,2010.
On Feburary 5th, 2010 Lantud filed a Petition with the governmental authority for elections,COMELEC,claiming that the suspension was illegal for having been implemented during an Election Season.Lantud cited 2 statutes:
I)Section 261 of the Omnibus Election Code which states that such suspensions must first have COMELEC authorisation,
II) COMELEC Resolution,promulgated in December of 2009 which offers that such illegal suspensions are punishable by 6 years imprisonment.He charged Gov.Dimaporo,Acting Provincial Administrator Joselito Quibranza (a relative of the governor,et al) and PNP (Philippine National Police) Director of the PPO,or Provincial Police Office,Orlando Benas.
On March 18th, 2010,fourty well armed men belonging to a Dimaporo allied paramilitary entered Pantao and attempted to storm city hall.In running gun battles that lasted much of that afternoon the AFP's 43IB (Infantry Battalion) and the"Lantud paramilitary,"the 5IB CAFGU were able to defeat the invaders despite their having been significantly reinforced shortly after the initial push.Only 1 person was reported killed,a Dimaporo guerilla.
During the melee it was reported that Congressman Dimaporo personally phoned the 43rd's local pointman and asked for a ceasefire,telling the man,"They are my men."Reportedly the AFP officer responded that Dimaporo,as a politician for many years,should be well aware of the circumstances since a COMELEC weapons ban was in effect for the entire Election Season.Dimaporo then went on local radio station DXIC to deny any culpability and connection to the invading force.
Interestingly,most media have reported the event as a relatively minor event where"some armed men"went to"visit"an "ally of Dimaporo's."Lantud reportedly jumped the gun and called in the AFP who in responding were fired upon, responded and inadvertantly killing 1 man.That is as far as the reporting goes.As for background,all sources have only offered a single activist's assertion,defending the Dimaporo version of events.
On Tuesday,April 22nd, 2010 at 330PM in the town of Maguntao in Lanao del Norte Province,Lantud's father was himself involved in an incident.Inurac Lantud is running for mayor of the town,much to the chagrin of Dimaporo ally,incumbent Mayor Jabber Azis.On the day in question,Inurac's chief Organiser,Kunum Radto Manguranda was surrounded by 9 men on motorcycles,including the aforementioned mayor's brother Samuel Bocor Azis.Samuel Azis told Manguranda that his brother,the mayor,wanted to talk to him at city hall about his support and legwork for Inurac Lantud.He then ordered Manguranda to get on the back of his motorbike.Not feeling as if he had a choice the man complied.
Approaching Barangay Poblacion (the location of city hall) Manguranda shifted his weight so as to spill the motorcycle and did so in front of Lantud's campaign headquarters. When the accident happened Lantud supporters ran to the scene including 1 of Lantud's 2 PNP (Police) officer bodyguards.Attempting to stop a physical melee the police officer was pulling his pistol when Samuel Azis beat him to the draw,to avoid being shot himself the officer fired a single round in Azis' stomach.This of course led to much more pitched violence and so the 601 Brigade's Col.Leo Ferrer ended up deploying the 15IB under LtCol.Allan Hambala to try and prevent the violence from spreading. Shortly afterwards he also redployed 2 APCs (Armoured Personnel Carriers) via the 43rd IB.
In the end a possible massacre was averted so that all in all one can say that it was a"peaceful election" as far as Mindanao goes.
The largest population centre,Iligan City,is fairly safe and generally free from the overt violence effecting Lanao del Sur and many other areas of the island.All the more so since the very recent re-districting which created a 3rd Congressional district just for the city,the Lone District of Illigan City,Lanao del Norte Province.One exception however is the town of Pantao Ragat,ruled by the Lantud family.All other towns in the province are ruiled by the Dimaporo clan,a solid political dynasty who,if they are not ruling a town themselves have closely positioned allies who do so.This interesting dynamic resulted in a moderate flare up in this year's Election Season.
The Dimaporos,controls 21 of the provinces 22 municipalities and have long been at odds with the much smaller Lantud family,despite a blood relationship.Vice Mayor Lacson Mangotara Lantud is married to a Dimaporo,Eleanor Dimaporo Lantud who assumed her husband's former role as mayor when he finished his 3rd (and maximum term) in 2007.Vice Mayor's maternal relations,the Mangorara family are arch rivals of the Dimaporos and so the Lantuds have thrown their lot in against the province's strongest clan.
Eleanor Dimaporo Lantud is not only a Dimaporo,she is the 1st cousin of the clan's sitting patriarch,Congressman Abdullah Dimaporo who represents the province's 2nd Congressional District.It was Congressman Dimaporo who on December 6th,2009 asked the government to extend Martial Law over the town of Pantao Ragat.Martial Law had just been declared 1 day previously for Manguindanao and Sultan Kudarat Provinces along with Cotabato City,to also cover Pantano Ragat.His rationale he claimed was that Vice Mayor Lantud personally controlled a 200 man paramilitary in the form of CAFGU (Civlian Auxiliary Force Geographical Unit,a cornerstone of the AFP,or Armed Forces of the Philippine's counterinsurgency programme).No mattwe that CAFGU are an official arm of local government sublimated to the AFP.He cited an example where he claims Lantud burned an entire barangay in his own municipality simply because he wanted to gain control over a considerable number of coconut palm trees growing there.He refused to name this barangay,didnt produce a single witness or piece of corroborating evidence.Not suprisingly then,his application was denied.
Of course Congressmen,or"Solon"as they are called in the Pilippines,are not allowed to even actually apply for such things.Only a provincial governor can actually make the request.It helps though when the governor happens to be your own son,who took your place when you had served the maximum number of terms.Governor Khalid Quibranza Dimaporo then went on the offencive and ordered a"Preventive Suspension"of 60 days for Lantud,effective January 21st,2010.
On Feburary 5th, 2010 Lantud filed a Petition with the governmental authority for elections,COMELEC,claiming that the suspension was illegal for having been implemented during an Election Season.Lantud cited 2 statutes:
I)Section 261 of the Omnibus Election Code which states that such suspensions must first have COMELEC authorisation,
II) COMELEC Resolution,promulgated in December of 2009 which offers that such illegal suspensions are punishable by 6 years imprisonment.He charged Gov.Dimaporo,Acting Provincial Administrator Joselito Quibranza (a relative of the governor,et al) and PNP (Philippine National Police) Director of the PPO,or Provincial Police Office,Orlando Benas.
On March 18th, 2010,fourty well armed men belonging to a Dimaporo allied paramilitary entered Pantao and attempted to storm city hall.In running gun battles that lasted much of that afternoon the AFP's 43IB (Infantry Battalion) and the"Lantud paramilitary,"the 5IB CAFGU were able to defeat the invaders despite their having been significantly reinforced shortly after the initial push.Only 1 person was reported killed,a Dimaporo guerilla.
During the melee it was reported that Congressman Dimaporo personally phoned the 43rd's local pointman and asked for a ceasefire,telling the man,"They are my men."Reportedly the AFP officer responded that Dimaporo,as a politician for many years,should be well aware of the circumstances since a COMELEC weapons ban was in effect for the entire Election Season.Dimaporo then went on local radio station DXIC to deny any culpability and connection to the invading force.
Interestingly,most media have reported the event as a relatively minor event where"some armed men"went to"visit"an "ally of Dimaporo's."Lantud reportedly jumped the gun and called in the AFP who in responding were fired upon, responded and inadvertantly killing 1 man.That is as far as the reporting goes.As for background,all sources have only offered a single activist's assertion,defending the Dimaporo version of events.
On Tuesday,April 22nd, 2010 at 330PM in the town of Maguntao in Lanao del Norte Province,Lantud's father was himself involved in an incident.Inurac Lantud is running for mayor of the town,much to the chagrin of Dimaporo ally,incumbent Mayor Jabber Azis.On the day in question,Inurac's chief Organiser,Kunum Radto Manguranda was surrounded by 9 men on motorcycles,including the aforementioned mayor's brother Samuel Bocor Azis.Samuel Azis told Manguranda that his brother,the mayor,wanted to talk to him at city hall about his support and legwork for Inurac Lantud.He then ordered Manguranda to get on the back of his motorbike.Not feeling as if he had a choice the man complied.
Approaching Barangay Poblacion (the location of city hall) Manguranda shifted his weight so as to spill the motorcycle and did so in front of Lantud's campaign headquarters. When the accident happened Lantud supporters ran to the scene including 1 of Lantud's 2 PNP (Police) officer bodyguards.Attempting to stop a physical melee the police officer was pulling his pistol when Samuel Azis beat him to the draw,to avoid being shot himself the officer fired a single round in Azis' stomach.This of course led to much more pitched violence and so the 601 Brigade's Col.Leo Ferrer ended up deploying the 15IB under LtCol.Allan Hambala to try and prevent the violence from spreading. Shortly afterwards he also redployed 2 APCs (Armoured Personnel Carriers) via the 43rd IB.
In the end a possible massacre was averted so that all in all one can say that it was a"peaceful election" as far as Mindanao goes.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Political Developments,Second Quarter of 2010,Part III:The June 3rd Re-Balloting in Lanao del Sur Province
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Thursday, June 24, 2010
Political Developments for the Second Quarter of 2010, Part II: 2010 Election and Election Related Violence in Lanao del Sur Province
Lanao, both de Sur and de Norte Provinces are the traditional lands of the Maranao (Maranaw) Tribe and their myriad of principalities, the equivalent of "Sultunates." To most non-Muslim Filipinos however the two provinces are known as being a hotbed of insurgency and violence. In fact, they are downright famous for Election Related Violence along with political dishonesty, typified by the Hello Garci scandal (in 2004 President Arroyo was audio taped during an NBI, or National Bureau of Investigation, voice recording as she made a phone call to a COMELEC Commissioner in which the two discussed padding and shaving votes). Sadly, Election Day 2010 was no different with seven communities in Lanao del Sur being declared "Failed Elections" by the national electoral authority, COMELEC. As I mentioned in an earlier entry there was a re-balloting on June 3rd but even at this late date (June 24th at posting), only one of the seven towns given a re-balloting on June 3rd have even come close to having a final tally.
On Sunday, June 20th, the son of COMELEC Commissioner Elias Yusoph , 22 year old Nuralden Yusoph, was kidnapped in Lanao del Sur's Marawi City. On his third day in town, killing time as he awaits a visa to take additional religious studies in Saudi Arabia, he was grabbed, just as he left Bato Ali Mosque at Fourth Prayer. The kidnappers of the younger Yusoph then contacted his family at 10PM with their demands. Instead of a large amount of money, the usual demand, the kidnappers instead are asking for a nullification of the voting tallies in four Lanao del Sur communities:
1) Masiu
2) Taraka
3) Malabang
4) Pikong
The NBI deployed a top investigative team from Manila to its regional office in Iligan City (Lanao del Norte Province). The four investigators arrived on Tuesday, June 22nd. The Marawi City Council of Elders under Sheikh Guru are also attempting to mediate a settlement but already the PNP (Philippine National Police) is telling the press that it is "probablly" due to "Rido" (Clan Feud). Of course noone has even wasted time asking the PNP why a Rido would involve the nullification of votes but...
The Election Season starts the spring before, when people begin testing the waters with grand proclamations to the media, and to the communities whom they hope to "serve." It really heats up when "Declarations of Candidacy" are filed at Regional COMELEC offices. In Lanao the first notable case of violence took place on October 29th, 2009, about a week before COMELEC even began accepting Declarations. On the day in question, at Marawi City Hall in Barangay Fort Bag-ong, a large group of "Flying Voters" (illegaly registered in a community not their own so as to be able to vote for a candidate who pays them) from Iligan City in the adjacent province of Lanao del Norte were lined up awaiting registration when two men casually walked over and tossed a hand grenade into the line. Three people died but only 22 year old Jeffrey Navarro from Iligan City had his name released. Twenty-one others were wounded, six critically.
The group in question had received a P100 down payment (less than 2 Euros), a snack and a jeepney (public transportation) ride to and from the city hall. If they had proven to have voted for the candidate who pays them they were to get P1,000 which is a very small amount considering some people can make P10,000 (per family). The price increases considerably as Election Day approaches.
On Election Day, Monday, May 10th, 2010 at 930AM, on Anai Pakpak Avenue, in Marawi City, three rifle grenades landed at a poll site situated at Amai Pakpak Elementary School (which is popularly known as the "Pilot School"). The nineteen clustered barangays that the school was servicing were unable to vote. Polls open at 7 AM, when possible, so the residents of those nineteen barangays had all of 2.5 hours to get their voices heard. Disenfranchisement is a huge and terrible problem in the Philippines and the problems becomes much worse the further you get from Manila.
With all the problems one faces in Mindanao, having had just since the end of November 2009, Martial Law, State of Emergency (ongoing) and State of Calamity, one might offer that Voter Disenfranchisement is a lesser problem, to say the least. For those of us well versed in insurgency however the story is much different. Lack of access to the democratic process is a driving force in illicit violence and terrorism as well (Dr. Abadi from the Kennedy School has done some great work and with regard to the Southern Philippines. Abadi served here with the US Special Forces so he has alot of insights to offer on other levels as well, but I will save that for a later entry).
Also in Marawi City on that same day, an IED (Improvised Explosive Device, as in "bomb") packed inside of a navy blue Isuzu SUV sitting 70 meters away from the polling site at Saduc Elementary School, in Barangay Saduc Proper, also in Marawi City, detonated. No casulaties reported but again, that poll site was closed as a result leading to more Voter Disenfranchisement. Car/Truckbombs, technically known as VBIEDS, or Vehicle Borne IEDs, are rare on Mindanao so that this particular detonation is especially worth noting.
Also on Election Day, at 1245PM in Barangay Parao, in the municipality of Kapai, in Lanao del Sur Povince, Kobaib Gauraki shot his cousin and political opponent Mamak Sangco to death with an M16.Gauraki is the son of mayoral candidate Kimal Gauraki and shot Sangco as he neared the polling site.
During polling at Tugaya Central Elementary School in the town of Tugaya in Lanao del Sur Province, an M16 sprayed waiting voters and wounded a 12 year old boy and 19 year old woman. Both were brought to Amai Pakpak Provincial Hospital in Marawi City. Sadly,the woman, Asila Panda, died on the operating table at 4PM that day, May 10, 2010.
The June 3rd re-balloting was free of notable violence but not of underhanded dealing. PNP, or the Philippine National Police from PRO-13, or Police Regional Office for Region #13, also known as PRO-Caraga (Region 13, in Northeast Mindanao is also known as Caraga) as well as PNP trainees from throughout the island were deployed as extra security in the 7 affected towns. To avoid the lack of BEIs (Board of Election Inspectors, the personnel who manually verify tallies and supervise the overall process, almost always performed by public school teachers who are compelled by law to do this for a very nominal fee), which is what caused six of the seven towns to fail on May 10th had COMELEC attorneys who were used instead of the usual local public school teachers. The PNP, via individual officers speaking unofficially, reports open cheating including offers of up to P300,000 (US6,500) for selling the remaining empty ballots. That amounts to roughly 1.5 years salary for a PO2, a medium level officer). To give one an even better idea, that is nearly two years salary for the public school teachers who usually fufill that role.
Finally, on July 2nd, 2010 the kidnappers of Nuralden Yusoph changed their demands and added P25 Million to their previous demand for nullification of votes in four Lanao del Sur municipalities. Shortly after that new demand the Kidnap Crisis Team launched a raid on a three story building in Marawi City, searching for the young man only to come away empty handed.
On July 19th, 2010 at 510PM in Barangay Carmen in Cagayan del Oro City, in the neighbouring province of Misamis Occidental, COMELEC Commissioner Yusoph's son Nuralden was finally released in good health. Officials are saying that the kidnappers delivered the young man by automobile from the location in Lanao del Sur where he was being secuestered. Hampered by heavy Monsoon rains that happened a bit later than planned, the authorities were unable to capture the automobile or its other occupants...COUGH.
Less than an hour after Yusoph was dropped off near the intersections of Macanhan and Masterson, the newly elected governor of Lanao del Sur made a televised appearance to applaud his own initiatives.This despite travelling time taking approximately 2.5 hours during dry season. The jist? Some have remarked that the "release" of the young man was entirely staged, as opposed to "stage managed," and that the governor might have had a connection to the incident.
Needless to say this is an extremely serious charge but as of late many serious accusations have been flying back and forth.
Nuralden himself remarked on how happy he was to be free, and that several times during his ordeal he was convinced that he would never see his 3 month old son again. The happy young man also said that he had been kept blindfolded the entire time and fed merely a single meal per day (nobody thought to inform him, at the press conference, that a single meal a day is just about what 90% of Mindanao gets to eat, and some get less than that. He also told the media that he had been threatened with imminent execution at least nine times during his captivity.
The leader of the group who had kidnapped and held Nuralden Yusoph was a Muslim paramilitary leader by the name of Dimaporo "Kumander Delta" Dimasacal, who happens to be the 1st cousin to ex-Congresswoman Bai Faiza Biston Maniri Dumarpa, whose husband Salic Dumarpa just ran for his wife's former Congressional seat, the 1st District of Lanao del Sur. Salic Dumarpa lost that race to Hussein Pangandaman, son of ex-DAR (Department of Agricultural Reform) Secretary Nasser Pangandaman by a margin of 3,401 votes.
The reason why this information is relevant is because it is now generally believed that Commissioner Yusoph was paid a series of bribes by candidates in Lanao del Sur. Some, like Salic Dumarpa, are less than happy about their having lost (some, unlike in Dumarpa's case, "massively lost") and are in the process of exacting refunds, money Yusoph reportedly has lost or is otherwise refusing to surrender. It turns out, according to "observers," that Salic was simply outbid by Hussein Pangandaman who paid Yusoph a much larger sum, ensuring his win in the Election.
In a recent edition of an online botique journal dedicated to armed conflict (NOT mine), Brigadier General Rey Ardo of the AFP's 103rd Brigade, which is Headquartered in Marawi City and has Operational Control (OPCON) of the entire Lanao del Sur Province, has added fuel to the flames of suggestion by openly declaring that the kidnapping was payback for people who bribed Commissioner Yusoph and then lost. Commissioner Yusoph is understandably livid and has threatened the General with civil action. Not suprisingly the general then went on the defencive denying that he had ever made those comments.
Prior to his appointment to COMELEC Elias Yusoph was a government Prosecutor for 32 years, most of which he spent working in Marawi City.
On Sunday, June 20th, the son of COMELEC Commissioner Elias Yusoph , 22 year old Nuralden Yusoph, was kidnapped in Lanao del Sur's Marawi City. On his third day in town, killing time as he awaits a visa to take additional religious studies in Saudi Arabia, he was grabbed, just as he left Bato Ali Mosque at Fourth Prayer. The kidnappers of the younger Yusoph then contacted his family at 10PM with their demands. Instead of a large amount of money, the usual demand, the kidnappers instead are asking for a nullification of the voting tallies in four Lanao del Sur communities:
1) Masiu
2) Taraka
3) Malabang
4) Pikong
The NBI deployed a top investigative team from Manila to its regional office in Iligan City (Lanao del Norte Province). The four investigators arrived on Tuesday, June 22nd. The Marawi City Council of Elders under Sheikh Guru are also attempting to mediate a settlement but already the PNP (Philippine National Police) is telling the press that it is "probablly" due to "Rido" (Clan Feud). Of course noone has even wasted time asking the PNP why a Rido would involve the nullification of votes but...
The Election Season starts the spring before, when people begin testing the waters with grand proclamations to the media, and to the communities whom they hope to "serve." It really heats up when "Declarations of Candidacy" are filed at Regional COMELEC offices. In Lanao the first notable case of violence took place on October 29th, 2009, about a week before COMELEC even began accepting Declarations. On the day in question, at Marawi City Hall in Barangay Fort Bag-ong, a large group of "Flying Voters" (illegaly registered in a community not their own so as to be able to vote for a candidate who pays them) from Iligan City in the adjacent province of Lanao del Norte were lined up awaiting registration when two men casually walked over and tossed a hand grenade into the line. Three people died but only 22 year old Jeffrey Navarro from Iligan City had his name released. Twenty-one others were wounded, six critically.
The group in question had received a P100 down payment (less than 2 Euros), a snack and a jeepney (public transportation) ride to and from the city hall. If they had proven to have voted for the candidate who pays them they were to get P1,000 which is a very small amount considering some people can make P10,000 (per family). The price increases considerably as Election Day approaches.
On Election Day, Monday, May 10th, 2010 at 930AM, on Anai Pakpak Avenue, in Marawi City, three rifle grenades landed at a poll site situated at Amai Pakpak Elementary School (which is popularly known as the "Pilot School"). The nineteen clustered barangays that the school was servicing were unable to vote. Polls open at 7 AM, when possible, so the residents of those nineteen barangays had all of 2.5 hours to get their voices heard. Disenfranchisement is a huge and terrible problem in the Philippines and the problems becomes much worse the further you get from Manila.
With all the problems one faces in Mindanao, having had just since the end of November 2009, Martial Law, State of Emergency (ongoing) and State of Calamity, one might offer that Voter Disenfranchisement is a lesser problem, to say the least. For those of us well versed in insurgency however the story is much different. Lack of access to the democratic process is a driving force in illicit violence and terrorism as well (Dr. Abadi from the Kennedy School has done some great work and with regard to the Southern Philippines. Abadi served here with the US Special Forces so he has alot of insights to offer on other levels as well, but I will save that for a later entry).
Also in Marawi City on that same day, an IED (Improvised Explosive Device, as in "bomb") packed inside of a navy blue Isuzu SUV sitting 70 meters away from the polling site at Saduc Elementary School, in Barangay Saduc Proper, also in Marawi City, detonated. No casulaties reported but again, that poll site was closed as a result leading to more Voter Disenfranchisement. Car/Truckbombs, technically known as VBIEDS, or Vehicle Borne IEDs, are rare on Mindanao so that this particular detonation is especially worth noting.
Also on Election Day, at 1245PM in Barangay Parao, in the municipality of Kapai, in Lanao del Sur Povince, Kobaib Gauraki shot his cousin and political opponent Mamak Sangco to death with an M16.Gauraki is the son of mayoral candidate Kimal Gauraki and shot Sangco as he neared the polling site.
During polling at Tugaya Central Elementary School in the town of Tugaya in Lanao del Sur Province, an M16 sprayed waiting voters and wounded a 12 year old boy and 19 year old woman. Both were brought to Amai Pakpak Provincial Hospital in Marawi City. Sadly,the woman, Asila Panda, died on the operating table at 4PM that day, May 10, 2010.
The June 3rd re-balloting was free of notable violence but not of underhanded dealing. PNP, or the Philippine National Police from PRO-13, or Police Regional Office for Region #13, also known as PRO-Caraga (Region 13, in Northeast Mindanao is also known as Caraga) as well as PNP trainees from throughout the island were deployed as extra security in the 7 affected towns. To avoid the lack of BEIs (Board of Election Inspectors, the personnel who manually verify tallies and supervise the overall process, almost always performed by public school teachers who are compelled by law to do this for a very nominal fee), which is what caused six of the seven towns to fail on May 10th had COMELEC attorneys who were used instead of the usual local public school teachers. The PNP, via individual officers speaking unofficially, reports open cheating including offers of up to P300,000 (US6,500) for selling the remaining empty ballots. That amounts to roughly 1.5 years salary for a PO2, a medium level officer). To give one an even better idea, that is nearly two years salary for the public school teachers who usually fufill that role.
Finally, on July 2nd, 2010 the kidnappers of Nuralden Yusoph changed their demands and added P25 Million to their previous demand for nullification of votes in four Lanao del Sur municipalities. Shortly after that new demand the Kidnap Crisis Team launched a raid on a three story building in Marawi City, searching for the young man only to come away empty handed.
On July 19th, 2010 at 510PM in Barangay Carmen in Cagayan del Oro City, in the neighbouring province of Misamis Occidental, COMELEC Commissioner Yusoph's son Nuralden was finally released in good health. Officials are saying that the kidnappers delivered the young man by automobile from the location in Lanao del Sur where he was being secuestered. Hampered by heavy Monsoon rains that happened a bit later than planned, the authorities were unable to capture the automobile or its other occupants...COUGH.
Less than an hour after Yusoph was dropped off near the intersections of Macanhan and Masterson, the newly elected governor of Lanao del Sur made a televised appearance to applaud his own initiatives.This despite travelling time taking approximately 2.5 hours during dry season. The jist? Some have remarked that the "release" of the young man was entirely staged, as opposed to "stage managed," and that the governor might have had a connection to the incident.
Needless to say this is an extremely serious charge but as of late many serious accusations have been flying back and forth.
Nuralden himself remarked on how happy he was to be free, and that several times during his ordeal he was convinced that he would never see his 3 month old son again. The happy young man also said that he had been kept blindfolded the entire time and fed merely a single meal per day (nobody thought to inform him, at the press conference, that a single meal a day is just about what 90% of Mindanao gets to eat, and some get less than that. He also told the media that he had been threatened with imminent execution at least nine times during his captivity.
The leader of the group who had kidnapped and held Nuralden Yusoph was a Muslim paramilitary leader by the name of Dimaporo "Kumander Delta" Dimasacal, who happens to be the 1st cousin to ex-Congresswoman Bai Faiza Biston Maniri Dumarpa, whose husband Salic Dumarpa just ran for his wife's former Congressional seat, the 1st District of Lanao del Sur. Salic Dumarpa lost that race to Hussein Pangandaman, son of ex-DAR (Department of Agricultural Reform) Secretary Nasser Pangandaman by a margin of 3,401 votes.
The reason why this information is relevant is because it is now generally believed that Commissioner Yusoph was paid a series of bribes by candidates in Lanao del Sur. Some, like Salic Dumarpa, are less than happy about their having lost (some, unlike in Dumarpa's case, "massively lost") and are in the process of exacting refunds, money Yusoph reportedly has lost or is otherwise refusing to surrender. It turns out, according to "observers," that Salic was simply outbid by Hussein Pangandaman who paid Yusoph a much larger sum, ensuring his win in the Election.
In a recent edition of an online botique journal dedicated to armed conflict (NOT mine), Brigadier General Rey Ardo of the AFP's 103rd Brigade, which is Headquartered in Marawi City and has Operational Control (OPCON) of the entire Lanao del Sur Province, has added fuel to the flames of suggestion by openly declaring that the kidnapping was payback for people who bribed Commissioner Yusoph and then lost. Commissioner Yusoph is understandably livid and has threatened the General with civil action. Not suprisingly the general then went on the defencive denying that he had ever made those comments.
Prior to his appointment to COMELEC Elias Yusoph was a government Prosecutor for 32 years, most of which he spent working in Marawi City.
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