First Lieutenant Francisco R.Sayoc was enjoying a rare visit to Zamboanga City. The CMO (Civil Military Operations) for MBLT-3 (Marine Battalion Landing Team-3) had recently arrived from his posting on Jolo Island, one of Mindanao's offshore provinces, and had quickly requisitioned a Marine jeep and driver to chaufer him, his wife Sukran Sahiban Sayoc and their daughter. After all, what good was it if an officer didnt exercise his perogative now and again?
On the morning of January 28th, 2012, Sayoc devoted a couple of hours towourards taking his wife and daughter shopping. Having his driver head into Barangay Santa Maria, and angle into a parking space in front of the Hapi Conveniece Store on Salvador Street, Sayoc handed a fistful of pesos to his wife and watched her and their daughter happily enter the store. As he sat in the front passenger seat the young Marine officer probably never even noticed a motorcycle pull alongside the rear of his jeep. As the store's CCTV (Closed Circuit TV) recorded what was about to take place, Sayoc and his driver were deep in conversation.
A man riding tandem on the back of the motorcycle quickly stepped around the jeep and onto the sidewalk. Quickly making his way towards the front seat he pulled a 45 caliber pistol from his waistband and from point blank range pulled the trigger. Running back to the idling motorcycle the gunman quickly hopped back onto the rear and wrapped his arms around the waist of the driver as the bike peeled out and drove away at a high rate of speed.
From inside the store First Lieutenant Sayoc's wife and daughter witnessed screaming onlookers gathered around the jeep. Running outside both screamed at the driver to take them to the nearest hospital. Speeding through city streets the jeep finally arrived at Western Mindanao Medical Center only to have First Lieutenant Francisco R.Sayoc declared dead on arrival.
Showing posts with label Sulu Province. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sulu Province. Show all posts
Monday, June 11, 2012
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Kidnap for Ransom for the Third Quarter of 2011, Part VII: KFR Scorecard
In one of my early KFR, or Kidnap for Ransom entries I labelled KFR as the National Sport of the Philippines. I recommended that readers approach it like a game, something along the lines of, "Good Day, Not So Good Day," or some such silly contrived turn of phrase. In addition, there are a certain number of publicised (most KFRs are never even reported to authorities much less publicised) tend to fall through the cracks and fade into obscurity, usually because the victim has died in captivity. Therefore, this entry will focus on four victims of publicised cases who have melted into the ether. As some sharp tool once intoned, "Any publicity is good publicity." While in normal circumstances I would never recommend reporting and/or publicising a KFR in the case of victims held for 6 or more months such publicising can only help. Sadly, in most such cases the victim is dead and buried.
I) Hilarion "Larry" Tam de los Santos is a Tsinoy, or Filipino of Chinese descent entrepreneur from Basilan Island. Owner of Isabela City's popular Fonts Resturant and a farm slash family resort known as "Farmland Mountain Resort" in that municipality's Barangay Lanote. In mid-December of 2010 a group of young men arrived in a non-descript brown van and took a couple of rooms. On Saturday, December 9th the "guests" stormed Mr.de los Santos' home with M16s and M14a and ordered the frightened man outside and into the idling van. Quickly rejoined by the other gunmen the van then sped uphill into Barangay Upper Lanote before crossing into the Abu Sayyaf-dominated municipality of Sumisip.
By February 13th, 2011 ransom negotiations with de los Santos' eldest son Michael were so non-productive that none other than Kumander Puruji Indama, overall commander of the ASG, or Abu Sayyaf Group faction holding de los Santos personally telephoned Basilan's Vice Governor al Rashaeed Sakkahalul and brought him into the negotiations. Indama had Vice Governor Sakkahalul relay a message to Michael de los Santos, namely that on the next day, February 14th a 72 hour window would commence. In addition the heretofore ridiculous demand of P20 Million ($475,000) was re-configured. To a more reasonable, but still overvalued P5 Million ($105,000). The victim's son Michael however asserted that the family couldn't even raise P1 Million ($21,500), a claim noone believed for a second given the fact that his father's farm and resturant were owned outright without a mortgage. Therefore he could mortgage one or both to raise sufficient capital. When February 17th came and went without even an attempt on the part of the son, Michael de los Santos, his ASG captors murdered him.
II) Many, if not most of the foreigners moving to the Philippines are bringing with them incredibly heavy emotional baggage. Be it a series of failed businesses or more often a series of failed marriages, they wash up on Philippine shores like bright eyed kids in a candy store. All of a sudden they are admired. All of a sudden they are respected. All of a sudden they are irresistible to most women. However true that is some end up serving as posterboys for that oft quoted adage, "You can run but you cannot hide." Take the case of Toshio Ito of Hiroshima, Japan. Arriving in Manila just after the new milleium the then 54 year old Ito soon moved south, to the Philippine frontier, Mindanao after a quick look see in Dumaguete on Negros Island.
Starting a sand and gravel business in Misamis Occidental Province he soon went belly up, not knowing enough about the local mores with regard to such businesses (as in bribe, bribe and more bribe). Quickly eating through the very meagre financial resources and so his money problems soon adversely effected his lovelife as well. A Japanese man approaching 60 and without a centavo just doesn't cut it among Filipina teens. Obsessed with his paramour Mr.Ito broke into the home she was sharing with her new sugar daddy in the municipality of Plaridel in that same Misamis Occidental Province.
Unfortunately for Mr.Ito the couple's live in maid spotted him as he began breaking in and had enough presence of mind to very quickly call the next door neighbour who held Mr. Ito at gunpoint until the Plaridel MPO, or Municipal Police Office responded and arrested the despondent. Charged with Tresspassing in a Dwelling in Plaridel Municipal Court he was remanded to the city jail. His few remaining friends took pity on Mr.Ito and banding together they bailed him out, hoping the sordid incident would serve as a wake up call.
Free once more Mr.Ito considered his options carefully. Broke, his passport about to expire, 4.5 years after his Tourist Visa had expired, no money to pay the Immigration tarrif even if he somehow managed to find a way to cadge the steep airfare home to Japan, what to do? Mr. Ito decided to go for broke, financially, emotionally, and personaly. He borrowed a week's worth of living expenses and made his way by jeepney to Zamboanga City in Zamboanga del Norte Province. Checking into the cheapest pension he could find he happened across a woman nearly his age, a native of Pangaturan Island in Sulu Province.
Inviting Mr. Ito to enjoy lunch with her by the end of the meal Ito knew the woman's life story and had even talked to her husband by phone. The husband, a retired municipal councilor in the town of Panguturan, he instantly warmed to his wife's new acquaintance. Mr. Ito had told them that he was a doctor in Japan but had suffered a great personal loss and was so beset with melancholy that he had inadvertently run out of funds. His new acquaintance insisted that he accompany her home to Pangaturan, to stay at their home in the island's Barangay Bangkilay, at least until he was on his feet and fit to travel. That was in 2004.
Telling the couple and everyone he met thereafter that his name was Dr.Katayama Mamaito he began to quickly re-build his life in a manner that reflected the way he saw himself, not as others saw him. Trying to ingratiate himself with his new hosts he actively sought religious instruction and then converted to Islam. Thereafter he was known as "Doctor Ameer," his Muslin name meaning "Prince" in Arabic (usually transliterated as "Emir" in English).
When he sensed that his welcome might be wearing thin he convinced his hosts to help stake him in a small clinic that doubled as a non-prescription pharmacy. Free space was provided by the municipal government after his sponsors spoke to the Mayor on his behalf, promising free medical care to all island children. The Mayor, like most island males was a member of the MNLF-Misuari and soon sponsored Doctor Ameer for membership in the organisation as well. Issued a MNLF photo ID in the name Ameer Katayama Mamaito he was given the designation "Medic." He began building up credentials in his new identity even going so far to obtain a Filipino birth certificate in his new name that listed his birthplace as Marawi City in Lanao del Sur Province.
As life moved ever forward though somethings weren't all peaches and cream. Mr.Ito had told all his new friends that he had lived in Marawi City, not Plaridel. When the Mayor checked with local officials in Marawi they could find no record of the man. Over the years other holes began appearing and some islanders, especially those much younger, began talking behind Ito's back, accusing him of being a military asset or Deep Penetration Agent. At 130AM on July 16th, 2010 it all came to a head when ten young men carrying long arms kicked in Ito's door and marched him off into the night never to be seen again. A strange post script developed when, in mid-February of 2011 the Japanese Embassy in Makati received a typed letter from someone claiming to be Mr.Ito. The contents of that letter have never been revealed although it was made available to the PNP, or Philippine National Police. It has been 13 months since Ito marched off into the night. Despite alleged sightings in Basilan, where he was said to be held by ASG, nothing concrete has ever surfaced.
III) Randalle Patilona Talania, the 9 year old son of Barangay Captain Rosemarie Patilona Talania of Barangay Namnama in the municipality of Titay in the province of Zamboanga Sibugay had just gotten out of school and was leaving the campus of Titay Central Elementary School in that town's Barangay Poblacion. Just as he reached the sidewalk the side door on a green minivan slid open and two men jumped out. Each grabbing young Randelle by an arm they took him with them as they climbed back aboard and rapidly drove off towards Barangay Bangko. Late that night the captor's vehicle was discovered in the municipality of Kalawit's Barangay Marcelo in Zamboanga del Norte Province.
Registered to Jose Enriquez of Zamboanga City it had been reported stolen the day of the abduction. His mother Rosemarie had long been targetted for KFR by the BIAF, or Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (military wing of the MILF) 113 Base Command. Intially held for P20 Million ($450,000) it was lowered to P10 Million by the end of May. The problem however is that most observers feared that young Randelle Patilona Talania had died in late April. The boy was severely asthmatic and since his captors had failed to provide the boy with adequate medication. Then, in early May the Proofs of Life became undated photos and when his family demanded more concrete proof that Randelle was alive and well his captors ceased all contact.
IV) Eulogio "Aidan" Lim Yu, a Tsinoy resident of Cotabato City in North Cotabato Province is another case that simply sputtered into nothingness. Owner of Yuking Guan Trading, a large hardware store, Mr.Yu was enjoying a Saturday night out with his wife Kathy Yu on January 7th, 2011. Fond of gambling the pair had spent the evening at the Etosan Garden Hotel's popular casino but decided to make an early evening out of it since both had to be at the shoppe bright and early the next morning. As Mr. and Mrs.Yu left the hotel via its front entrance they waited for the parking attendant to fetch their SUV. Standing just meters from the entrance gates of the ARMM, or Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao Capital Complex, was a group of three men, appearing to be in the midst of a heated discussion. Suddenly two of those men stepped away from their companion and rapidly approached Mr. and Mrs.Yu.
Just as a red Toyota Corolla holding two men in the front screeched to a stop in front of them. The two men who had been approaching the couple suddenly lunged for them but only managed to grab Mr.Yu, Mrs.Yu managed to escape and run back inside the hotel screaming hysterically.
Throwing Mr.Yu roughly into the backseat of the Corolla all three gunmen piled in beside him before slamming the car's doors and speeding off. By now Kathy Yu had recovered her faculties and ran screaming hysterically into the hotel foyer. Hearing a loud commotion a gaggle of hotel security officers rushed to the entrance and after Mrs.Yu quickly explained herself, continued running out into the carpark in an attempt to stop the kidnappers. Just as the security guards exited the hotel they readied themselves in a combat firing position and squeezed off a handful of rounds from their 45 caliber pistols at the retreating Corolla. As the guards were doing this though, a motorcycle with two men riding tandem came roaring up to the hotel entrance with the rear passenger firing rounds in a stacatto burst. This sent the guards and a couple of unlucky hotel and casino patrons scrambling. Cotabato City, a town where even the top hotel is a wild west arcade.
When the Corolla was recovered later in the city's Barangay Rosary Heights #10 its rear seat was soaked in blood and its rear windshield had been shattered showing that more than one of the shots fired by hotel security connected with its intended or unintended target.
The next day, Sunday, January 8th Mrs.Yu received a very brief but to the point phone call informing her that her husband had been kidnapped (as if it wasn't clear to her already) and that she would soon receive a call with instructions regarding the ransom. The following day, Monday, January 9th Mrs.Yu again received a phone call instructing her to gather P50 Million ($1 Million), a typically ridiculous sum which is to be expected in the initial sum. Mrs. Yu than asked for the requisite Proof of Life, always given with the initial ransom demand. Instead of complying however the caller abruptly terminated the call. A sickening feeling began knawing at Kathy Yu's insides, hurting her so much more as she looked at their three young children. Days later a third ransom demand was made. Once again Mrs.Yu requested Proof of Life. Again the call was terminated. That was the last contact made until March when another phone call offered a much reduced ransom of P5 Million ($110,000), only to once again slam down the phone when asked for Proof of Life.
To everyoneone around her Mr.Yu was dead but Kathy Yu couldn't bear to even consider that possibility. Even when the forensic examination of the blood soaked rear seat in the Corolla positively identified it as coming from her husband Mrs.Yu closes her eyes and ears and continued believing that her husband is alive and well and will one day return to her.
I) Hilarion "Larry" Tam de los Santos is a Tsinoy, or Filipino of Chinese descent entrepreneur from Basilan Island. Owner of Isabela City's popular Fonts Resturant and a farm slash family resort known as "Farmland Mountain Resort" in that municipality's Barangay Lanote. In mid-December of 2010 a group of young men arrived in a non-descript brown van and took a couple of rooms. On Saturday, December 9th the "guests" stormed Mr.de los Santos' home with M16s and M14a and ordered the frightened man outside and into the idling van. Quickly rejoined by the other gunmen the van then sped uphill into Barangay Upper Lanote before crossing into the Abu Sayyaf-dominated municipality of Sumisip.
By February 13th, 2011 ransom negotiations with de los Santos' eldest son Michael were so non-productive that none other than Kumander Puruji Indama, overall commander of the ASG, or Abu Sayyaf Group faction holding de los Santos personally telephoned Basilan's Vice Governor al Rashaeed Sakkahalul and brought him into the negotiations. Indama had Vice Governor Sakkahalul relay a message to Michael de los Santos, namely that on the next day, February 14th a 72 hour window would commence. In addition the heretofore ridiculous demand of P20 Million ($475,000) was re-configured. To a more reasonable, but still overvalued P5 Million ($105,000). The victim's son Michael however asserted that the family couldn't even raise P1 Million ($21,500), a claim noone believed for a second given the fact that his father's farm and resturant were owned outright without a mortgage. Therefore he could mortgage one or both to raise sufficient capital. When February 17th came and went without even an attempt on the part of the son, Michael de los Santos, his ASG captors murdered him.
II) Many, if not most of the foreigners moving to the Philippines are bringing with them incredibly heavy emotional baggage. Be it a series of failed businesses or more often a series of failed marriages, they wash up on Philippine shores like bright eyed kids in a candy store. All of a sudden they are admired. All of a sudden they are respected. All of a sudden they are irresistible to most women. However true that is some end up serving as posterboys for that oft quoted adage, "You can run but you cannot hide." Take the case of Toshio Ito of Hiroshima, Japan. Arriving in Manila just after the new milleium the then 54 year old Ito soon moved south, to the Philippine frontier, Mindanao after a quick look see in Dumaguete on Negros Island.
Starting a sand and gravel business in Misamis Occidental Province he soon went belly up, not knowing enough about the local mores with regard to such businesses (as in bribe, bribe and more bribe). Quickly eating through the very meagre financial resources and so his money problems soon adversely effected his lovelife as well. A Japanese man approaching 60 and without a centavo just doesn't cut it among Filipina teens. Obsessed with his paramour Mr.Ito broke into the home she was sharing with her new sugar daddy in the municipality of Plaridel in that same Misamis Occidental Province.
Unfortunately for Mr.Ito the couple's live in maid spotted him as he began breaking in and had enough presence of mind to very quickly call the next door neighbour who held Mr. Ito at gunpoint until the Plaridel MPO, or Municipal Police Office responded and arrested the despondent. Charged with Tresspassing in a Dwelling in Plaridel Municipal Court he was remanded to the city jail. His few remaining friends took pity on Mr.Ito and banding together they bailed him out, hoping the sordid incident would serve as a wake up call.
Free once more Mr.Ito considered his options carefully. Broke, his passport about to expire, 4.5 years after his Tourist Visa had expired, no money to pay the Immigration tarrif even if he somehow managed to find a way to cadge the steep airfare home to Japan, what to do? Mr. Ito decided to go for broke, financially, emotionally, and personaly. He borrowed a week's worth of living expenses and made his way by jeepney to Zamboanga City in Zamboanga del Norte Province. Checking into the cheapest pension he could find he happened across a woman nearly his age, a native of Pangaturan Island in Sulu Province.
Inviting Mr. Ito to enjoy lunch with her by the end of the meal Ito knew the woman's life story and had even talked to her husband by phone. The husband, a retired municipal councilor in the town of Panguturan, he instantly warmed to his wife's new acquaintance. Mr. Ito had told them that he was a doctor in Japan but had suffered a great personal loss and was so beset with melancholy that he had inadvertently run out of funds. His new acquaintance insisted that he accompany her home to Pangaturan, to stay at their home in the island's Barangay Bangkilay, at least until he was on his feet and fit to travel. That was in 2004.
Telling the couple and everyone he met thereafter that his name was Dr.Katayama Mamaito he began to quickly re-build his life in a manner that reflected the way he saw himself, not as others saw him. Trying to ingratiate himself with his new hosts he actively sought religious instruction and then converted to Islam. Thereafter he was known as "Doctor Ameer," his Muslin name meaning "Prince" in Arabic (usually transliterated as "Emir" in English).
When he sensed that his welcome might be wearing thin he convinced his hosts to help stake him in a small clinic that doubled as a non-prescription pharmacy. Free space was provided by the municipal government after his sponsors spoke to the Mayor on his behalf, promising free medical care to all island children. The Mayor, like most island males was a member of the MNLF-Misuari and soon sponsored Doctor Ameer for membership in the organisation as well. Issued a MNLF photo ID in the name Ameer Katayama Mamaito he was given the designation "Medic." He began building up credentials in his new identity even going so far to obtain a Filipino birth certificate in his new name that listed his birthplace as Marawi City in Lanao del Sur Province.
As life moved ever forward though somethings weren't all peaches and cream. Mr.Ito had told all his new friends that he had lived in Marawi City, not Plaridel. When the Mayor checked with local officials in Marawi they could find no record of the man. Over the years other holes began appearing and some islanders, especially those much younger, began talking behind Ito's back, accusing him of being a military asset or Deep Penetration Agent. At 130AM on July 16th, 2010 it all came to a head when ten young men carrying long arms kicked in Ito's door and marched him off into the night never to be seen again. A strange post script developed when, in mid-February of 2011 the Japanese Embassy in Makati received a typed letter from someone claiming to be Mr.Ito. The contents of that letter have never been revealed although it was made available to the PNP, or Philippine National Police. It has been 13 months since Ito marched off into the night. Despite alleged sightings in Basilan, where he was said to be held by ASG, nothing concrete has ever surfaced.
III) Randalle Patilona Talania, the 9 year old son of Barangay Captain Rosemarie Patilona Talania of Barangay Namnama in the municipality of Titay in the province of Zamboanga Sibugay had just gotten out of school and was leaving the campus of Titay Central Elementary School in that town's Barangay Poblacion. Just as he reached the sidewalk the side door on a green minivan slid open and two men jumped out. Each grabbing young Randelle by an arm they took him with them as they climbed back aboard and rapidly drove off towards Barangay Bangko. Late that night the captor's vehicle was discovered in the municipality of Kalawit's Barangay Marcelo in Zamboanga del Norte Province.
Registered to Jose Enriquez of Zamboanga City it had been reported stolen the day of the abduction. His mother Rosemarie had long been targetted for KFR by the BIAF, or Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (military wing of the MILF) 113 Base Command. Intially held for P20 Million ($450,000) it was lowered to P10 Million by the end of May. The problem however is that most observers feared that young Randelle Patilona Talania had died in late April. The boy was severely asthmatic and since his captors had failed to provide the boy with adequate medication. Then, in early May the Proofs of Life became undated photos and when his family demanded more concrete proof that Randelle was alive and well his captors ceased all contact.
IV) Eulogio "Aidan" Lim Yu, a Tsinoy resident of Cotabato City in North Cotabato Province is another case that simply sputtered into nothingness. Owner of Yuking Guan Trading, a large hardware store, Mr.Yu was enjoying a Saturday night out with his wife Kathy Yu on January 7th, 2011. Fond of gambling the pair had spent the evening at the Etosan Garden Hotel's popular casino but decided to make an early evening out of it since both had to be at the shoppe bright and early the next morning. As Mr. and Mrs.Yu left the hotel via its front entrance they waited for the parking attendant to fetch their SUV. Standing just meters from the entrance gates of the ARMM, or Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao Capital Complex, was a group of three men, appearing to be in the midst of a heated discussion. Suddenly two of those men stepped away from their companion and rapidly approached Mr. and Mrs.Yu.
Just as a red Toyota Corolla holding two men in the front screeched to a stop in front of them. The two men who had been approaching the couple suddenly lunged for them but only managed to grab Mr.Yu, Mrs.Yu managed to escape and run back inside the hotel screaming hysterically.
Throwing Mr.Yu roughly into the backseat of the Corolla all three gunmen piled in beside him before slamming the car's doors and speeding off. By now Kathy Yu had recovered her faculties and ran screaming hysterically into the hotel foyer. Hearing a loud commotion a gaggle of hotel security officers rushed to the entrance and after Mrs.Yu quickly explained herself, continued running out into the carpark in an attempt to stop the kidnappers. Just as the security guards exited the hotel they readied themselves in a combat firing position and squeezed off a handful of rounds from their 45 caliber pistols at the retreating Corolla. As the guards were doing this though, a motorcycle with two men riding tandem came roaring up to the hotel entrance with the rear passenger firing rounds in a stacatto burst. This sent the guards and a couple of unlucky hotel and casino patrons scrambling. Cotabato City, a town where even the top hotel is a wild west arcade.
When the Corolla was recovered later in the city's Barangay Rosary Heights #10 its rear seat was soaked in blood and its rear windshield had been shattered showing that more than one of the shots fired by hotel security connected with its intended or unintended target.
The next day, Sunday, January 8th Mrs.Yu received a very brief but to the point phone call informing her that her husband had been kidnapped (as if it wasn't clear to her already) and that she would soon receive a call with instructions regarding the ransom. The following day, Monday, January 9th Mrs.Yu again received a phone call instructing her to gather P50 Million ($1 Million), a typically ridiculous sum which is to be expected in the initial sum. Mrs. Yu than asked for the requisite Proof of Life, always given with the initial ransom demand. Instead of complying however the caller abruptly terminated the call. A sickening feeling began knawing at Kathy Yu's insides, hurting her so much more as she looked at their three young children. Days later a third ransom demand was made. Once again Mrs.Yu requested Proof of Life. Again the call was terminated. That was the last contact made until March when another phone call offered a much reduced ransom of P5 Million ($110,000), only to once again slam down the phone when asked for Proof of Life.
To everyoneone around her Mr.Yu was dead but Kathy Yu couldn't bear to even consider that possibility. Even when the forensic examination of the blood soaked rear seat in the Corolla positively identified it as coming from her husband Mrs.Yu closes her eyes and ears and continued believing that her husband is alive and well and will one day return to her.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Kidnap for Ransom for the Third Quarter of 2011, Part V: Evangeline Taverisma, Ambon Blas, and Perlita Bagay
Evangeline Taverisma spent her time caring for her husband, a retired soldier in the AFP, or Armed Forces of the Philippines and doing what she did best, helping expectant mothers to be at the Rural Health Station in Barangay Tagbak. The clinic, in the municipality of Indanan on the island of Jolo catered to Barabgay Tagbbak's Muslim Community. Despite having served that community for nearly 35 years Mrs. Taverisma was targetted by ASG, or the Abu Sayyaf Group.
On Wednesday, August 3rd, 2011 Mrs. Taverisma finished her duties early and left the clinic just before 3PM, hurrying home to cook supper for her husband whose identity I will withold given his status as a retired soldier living in a somewhat dangerous area. As the 55 year old woman began walking to the barangay's main road in order to catch a jeepney ride home a red Toyota Tamaraw cut in front of her and slammed on its brakes.
Four ASG guerillas jumped out waving 45 caliber pistols and forced the shocked woman into the truck before getting back in themselves and speeding off towards the municipality of Patikul. Authorities, with typical ridiculousness have linked the attack to the Jose Batronel Kidnapping which had ended just fifteen days prior (covered in my entry, "Kidnap for Ransom for the Third Quarter of 2011, Part IV"). In that case, on July 13th, 2011 a Batangas-based trader, his live in lover and their maid had been kidnapped from a rooming house in Jolo City's Barangay Bus Bus. The maid, Julie Latorre had managed to escape when one of the attackers mis-fired his 45 caliber pistol. Jumping out of the red Toyota Tamaraw jeepney as it sped towards a main road she ran for her life and was able escaped none the worse for the experience. Knowing noone in the Southern Philippines and having no way in which to contact those people she did know back on Luzon Ms.Latorre made a regrettable but thoroughly understandable decision to report the incident to the Jolo City CPO, or City Police Office.
Shortly thereafter Mr.Batronel was able to convince the guerillas holding him, under sub-Kumander Naser Timbang, that only he could access the funds needed to ransom him and his live in lover. Released to do just that he then paid the ransom as agreed and his lover re-gained her freedom the very next day, July 18th
Authorities reckon that because a red Toyota Tamaraw was utilised in the latest case and that the kidnapping was undertaken by ASG gunmen carrying 45 caliber pistols must mean that Naser Timbang is behind the kidnapping of Mrs.Taverisma as well. The only problem with that though is that Mr. Batronel's assailants were aboard a jeepney. The Tamaraw that kidnapped Engeline Taverisma was not a jeepney. 45 caliber pistols are the most common pistol in a nation where weapons are VERY common - and as far as the Southern Philippines go- are part of the landscape. ASG involvement on one level or another is a given since they have cornered the KFR industry in Sulu Province, to which Jolo Island belongs as well as a major share in that of Basilan Island.
Employed through the ARMM, or Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao's Department of Health and its Rural Health Force Program, Mrs. Taverisma had been nearing retirement but planned to stay on in a volunteer capacity. ARMM's Secretary of Health, Dr.Kadil "Jojo" Sinolilinding Jr. quickly organised a demonstration at the ARMM Capital, in Cotabato City in Mainland Mindanao's North Cotabato Province. On August 6th nearly 300 ARMM healthcare workers demonstrated on Governor Gutierrez Street against the targetting of healthcare workers.
Later that same day ASG made its first ransom demand, an outrageous P15 Million ($350,000) indicating that Abu Sayyaf is expecting the ARMM to pony up most or all of the ransom. Though the Government pays lip service to a "No Ransom" policy it does, from time to time, cough up a share depending upon certain circumstances. Time will tell if this is one such circumstance.
On Sunday, August 21st, 2011 60 year old Ambon Ahamad Blas was driving his motorcycle home after a long day selling used clothes, or "ukay-ukay" adjacent to P-mart Department Store in the municipality of Patikul's Barangay Darang. Seated in back of him was his co-worker Perlita Bagay, age 25. She too was tired after a difficult day at their stall in Sitio Patong Patong. As the motocycle passed Latih Elementary School in Patikul's Barangay Latih, just inside Sitio Ba'unoh a band of young men blocked their path and forced them to stop.
A recently formed street gang calling itself the "Virgin Boys" had just taken its first bold step into the KFR, or Kidnap for Ransom Industry. The Virgin Boys, co-led by two young men known only as Roger and Gapas had undertaken the act in hopes of ingratiating themselves with ASG sub-Kumander Basarun Arok. Arok is an experienced hand, currently under warrant along with underlings Edimar Isnain and Abdulaptip Jalmani for the October of 2009 KFR of Roger Canizares.
Mr.Canizares was the principal of Tanum Elementary School in Patikul's Barangay Tanum. When the ransom wasn't forthcoming sub-Kumander Basarun Arok had Mr.Canizares decapitated. Let us hope that Mr.Blas and Ms.Bagay fare a whole lot better.
On Wednesday, August 3rd, 2011 Mrs. Taverisma finished her duties early and left the clinic just before 3PM, hurrying home to cook supper for her husband whose identity I will withold given his status as a retired soldier living in a somewhat dangerous area. As the 55 year old woman began walking to the barangay's main road in order to catch a jeepney ride home a red Toyota Tamaraw cut in front of her and slammed on its brakes.
Four ASG guerillas jumped out waving 45 caliber pistols and forced the shocked woman into the truck before getting back in themselves and speeding off towards the municipality of Patikul. Authorities, with typical ridiculousness have linked the attack to the Jose Batronel Kidnapping which had ended just fifteen days prior (covered in my entry, "Kidnap for Ransom for the Third Quarter of 2011, Part IV"). In that case, on July 13th, 2011 a Batangas-based trader, his live in lover and their maid had been kidnapped from a rooming house in Jolo City's Barangay Bus Bus. The maid, Julie Latorre had managed to escape when one of the attackers mis-fired his 45 caliber pistol. Jumping out of the red Toyota Tamaraw jeepney as it sped towards a main road she ran for her life and was able escaped none the worse for the experience. Knowing noone in the Southern Philippines and having no way in which to contact those people she did know back on Luzon Ms.Latorre made a regrettable but thoroughly understandable decision to report the incident to the Jolo City CPO, or City Police Office.
Shortly thereafter Mr.Batronel was able to convince the guerillas holding him, under sub-Kumander Naser Timbang, that only he could access the funds needed to ransom him and his live in lover. Released to do just that he then paid the ransom as agreed and his lover re-gained her freedom the very next day, July 18th
Authorities reckon that because a red Toyota Tamaraw was utilised in the latest case and that the kidnapping was undertaken by ASG gunmen carrying 45 caliber pistols must mean that Naser Timbang is behind the kidnapping of Mrs.Taverisma as well. The only problem with that though is that Mr. Batronel's assailants were aboard a jeepney. The Tamaraw that kidnapped Engeline Taverisma was not a jeepney. 45 caliber pistols are the most common pistol in a nation where weapons are VERY common - and as far as the Southern Philippines go- are part of the landscape. ASG involvement on one level or another is a given since they have cornered the KFR industry in Sulu Province, to which Jolo Island belongs as well as a major share in that of Basilan Island.
Employed through the ARMM, or Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao's Department of Health and its Rural Health Force Program, Mrs. Taverisma had been nearing retirement but planned to stay on in a volunteer capacity. ARMM's Secretary of Health, Dr.Kadil "Jojo" Sinolilinding Jr. quickly organised a demonstration at the ARMM Capital, in Cotabato City in Mainland Mindanao's North Cotabato Province. On August 6th nearly 300 ARMM healthcare workers demonstrated on Governor Gutierrez Street against the targetting of healthcare workers.
Later that same day ASG made its first ransom demand, an outrageous P15 Million ($350,000) indicating that Abu Sayyaf is expecting the ARMM to pony up most or all of the ransom. Though the Government pays lip service to a "No Ransom" policy it does, from time to time, cough up a share depending upon certain circumstances. Time will tell if this is one such circumstance.
On Sunday, August 21st, 2011 60 year old Ambon Ahamad Blas was driving his motorcycle home after a long day selling used clothes, or "ukay-ukay" adjacent to P-mart Department Store in the municipality of Patikul's Barangay Darang. Seated in back of him was his co-worker Perlita Bagay, age 25. She too was tired after a difficult day at their stall in Sitio Patong Patong. As the motocycle passed Latih Elementary School in Patikul's Barangay Latih, just inside Sitio Ba'unoh a band of young men blocked their path and forced them to stop.
A recently formed street gang calling itself the "Virgin Boys" had just taken its first bold step into the KFR, or Kidnap for Ransom Industry. The Virgin Boys, co-led by two young men known only as Roger and Gapas had undertaken the act in hopes of ingratiating themselves with ASG sub-Kumander Basarun Arok. Arok is an experienced hand, currently under warrant along with underlings Edimar Isnain and Abdulaptip Jalmani for the October of 2009 KFR of Roger Canizares.
Mr.Canizares was the principal of Tanum Elementary School in Patikul's Barangay Tanum. When the ransom wasn't forthcoming sub-Kumander Basarun Arok had Mr.Canizares decapitated. Let us hope that Mr.Blas and Ms.Bagay fare a whole lot better.
Kidnap for Ransom for the Third Quarter of 2011, Part IV: The Release of Nelson Lim
Late in the afternoon on April 29th, 2011 Nelson Lim told his son to man the fort as he and his wife decided to leave a bit early on their long walk home. The "fort," Times Hardware, in Jolo City's bustling downtown area is one of several hardware businesses in the city owned by Tsinoy, as Filipinos of Chinese descent are commonly known. After the Battle of 1974 during the MNLF Insurgency most Tsinoy had abandoned Jolo City turning a vibrant storied city into a shell of its former self. The city's economy never recovered and with each passing year more and more Tsinoy moved away, unwilling to shoulder the risk posed by the next generation of insurgents, ASG, or the Abu Sayyaf Group and other lawless elements. Kidnapping had become an epidemic over the last decade and no single group was targetted more than the Tsinoy.
As Mr.Lim and his wife left their store they were both looking forward to a relaxing evening at home. The next morning, Saturday, was the couples' turn at the family owned resturant Plaza Panciteria on Jolo City's Serantes Street. One of the island's oldest and most popular eateries it had been founded by Mr. Lim's late father in law. Upon his death shares in it were distributed amongst the extended family. Each share holder took a turn at managing its day to day operation. Still, th
at was tomorrow and for now the couple busied themselves with the long walk home to Barangay Bus Bus.
Concerned family members had tried to convince the elderly couple to ride to and from their downtown store but Mr.Lim would hear nothing of it. At the very least he argued, the walk provided him with a way in which to maintain the trim physique he took pride in. As for safety concerns, he maintained that noone would bother with such an old man. After all he reasoned, he had managed to survive nearly 70 years in Jolo without making a single enemy, no mean feat given local mores.
As the two walked through Barangay Bus Bus they failed to notice a navy blue Mitsubishi L300 van that had begun tailing them at a distance. Nearing their home in the barangay's Sitio Lambayong the van increased its speed to close the distance and just as the couple neared the front gate of their residential compound the van skidded to a stop beside them. Four ASG guerillas:
1) Asman Sawadjaan
2) Mudzrimar Sawadjaan
3) Jihad Naymel
4) sub-Kumander Ninok Sappari
jumped out of the van waving 45 caliber pistols and physically picked Mr.Lim up off the ground before depositing him in the rear of the van. Ignoring Lim's hysterical wife the van then took off at a high rate of speed. As the kidnapping had taken place at 530PM on one of the barangay's most travelled streets more than one bystander had reported it to authorities. The AFP, or Armed Forces of the Philippines scrambled MBLT-5, or Marine Battalion Landing Team #5 to the municipality of Patikul, the predicted destination of the kidnappers.
Jolo City's CPO, or City Police Office followed standard protocol and notified the Sulu PPO, or Police Provincial Office which in turn deployed an investigatory team to interview Mrs.Lim. In the interim though Mrs. Lim had callen her eldest son who as he rushed to the family home made sure that his mother would in no way co-operate with the authorities. As bad as a kidnapping can be, notifying the authorities only makes it so many times worse. If by some chance the police or military do find out about the kidnapping, totally ignoring them is the only sensible path.
MBLT-5 began scouring the town of Patikul with the assumption being that the victim had been abducted by one of two ASG factions, both operating within the borders of that municipality. Indeed the L300 van was found in that town's Barangay Sandah, having been abandoned. Quickly running a check on the vehicle it was found to be registered to a certain Laja Bagatsing. As in all other similar cases the van had been reported stolen shortly before the kidnapping although the owner is related to an ASG guerilla. After finding themselves unable to track the occupants of the van in the dark the Marines returned to their base at Camp Bautista. Meanwhile, Mr.Lim's kidnappers were joined by three other ASG guerillas who began marching their blindfolded victim uphill.
Eventually entering Barangay Tanum the group stopped for the night at the home of a fellow ASG guerilla. Early the next morning, before the sun appeared in the sky, the Abu Sayyaf guerillas led the still blindfolded Lim up country into that barangay's outermost sitio, Makayah, the last settlement before Mount Dahu. Resting a bit, they then continued upland and onto the slopes of the Abu Sayyaf controlled Mount Dahu. It was at various points on the mountain that Nelson Lim would spend the next three months, waiting and hoping to see his family again.
With the authorities out of the way the Lim family then went about negotiating a reasonable ransom. The man behind the kidnapping, sub-Kumander Jurim Hussin initially demanded P5 Million ($105,000) but by the end of June that figure had dropped to P3 Million ($62,000). Not satisfied with that amount the Lim family further whittled down the figure to P1.5 Million ($30,500) by mid-July. When, by July 19th they had failed to gain ground on a further reduction the family agreed to pay that amount and so final arrangements were made.
On Wednesday, July 20th the Lim family representative handed the cash to a middleman who relayed the sum, less his 10% commission, to sub-Kumander Hussin's representative. At 1PM the next afternoon, July 21st Nelson Lim was blindfolded and taken downhill off of the mountain, to a home in Patikul's Barangay Tanum where he was ordered to wash up and ready himself for release. By 9PM Mr.Lim was standing in Barangay Sandah waiting for Vice Mayor of Jolo City, Edsir "Eddie" Que Tan who finally arrived at 945PM to take custody of him and deliver Mr.Lim to his family.
As Mr.Lim and his wife left their store they were both looking forward to a relaxing evening at home. The next morning, Saturday, was the couples' turn at the family owned resturant Plaza Panciteria on Jolo City's Serantes Street. One of the island's oldest and most popular eateries it had been founded by Mr. Lim's late father in law. Upon his death shares in it were distributed amongst the extended family. Each share holder took a turn at managing its day to day operation. Still, th
at was tomorrow and for now the couple busied themselves with the long walk home to Barangay Bus Bus.
Concerned family members had tried to convince the elderly couple to ride to and from their downtown store but Mr.Lim would hear nothing of it. At the very least he argued, the walk provided him with a way in which to maintain the trim physique he took pride in. As for safety concerns, he maintained that noone would bother with such an old man. After all he reasoned, he had managed to survive nearly 70 years in Jolo without making a single enemy, no mean feat given local mores.
As the two walked through Barangay Bus Bus they failed to notice a navy blue Mitsubishi L300 van that had begun tailing them at a distance. Nearing their home in the barangay's Sitio Lambayong the van increased its speed to close the distance and just as the couple neared the front gate of their residential compound the van skidded to a stop beside them. Four ASG guerillas:
1) Asman Sawadjaan
2) Mudzrimar Sawadjaan
3) Jihad Naymel
4) sub-Kumander Ninok Sappari
jumped out of the van waving 45 caliber pistols and physically picked Mr.Lim up off the ground before depositing him in the rear of the van. Ignoring Lim's hysterical wife the van then took off at a high rate of speed. As the kidnapping had taken place at 530PM on one of the barangay's most travelled streets more than one bystander had reported it to authorities. The AFP, or Armed Forces of the Philippines scrambled MBLT-5, or Marine Battalion Landing Team #5 to the municipality of Patikul, the predicted destination of the kidnappers.
Jolo City's CPO, or City Police Office followed standard protocol and notified the Sulu PPO, or Police Provincial Office which in turn deployed an investigatory team to interview Mrs.Lim. In the interim though Mrs. Lim had callen her eldest son who as he rushed to the family home made sure that his mother would in no way co-operate with the authorities. As bad as a kidnapping can be, notifying the authorities only makes it so many times worse. If by some chance the police or military do find out about the kidnapping, totally ignoring them is the only sensible path.
MBLT-5 began scouring the town of Patikul with the assumption being that the victim had been abducted by one of two ASG factions, both operating within the borders of that municipality. Indeed the L300 van was found in that town's Barangay Sandah, having been abandoned. Quickly running a check on the vehicle it was found to be registered to a certain Laja Bagatsing. As in all other similar cases the van had been reported stolen shortly before the kidnapping although the owner is related to an ASG guerilla. After finding themselves unable to track the occupants of the van in the dark the Marines returned to their base at Camp Bautista. Meanwhile, Mr.Lim's kidnappers were joined by three other ASG guerillas who began marching their blindfolded victim uphill.
Eventually entering Barangay Tanum the group stopped for the night at the home of a fellow ASG guerilla. Early the next morning, before the sun appeared in the sky, the Abu Sayyaf guerillas led the still blindfolded Lim up country into that barangay's outermost sitio, Makayah, the last settlement before Mount Dahu. Resting a bit, they then continued upland and onto the slopes of the Abu Sayyaf controlled Mount Dahu. It was at various points on the mountain that Nelson Lim would spend the next three months, waiting and hoping to see his family again.
With the authorities out of the way the Lim family then went about negotiating a reasonable ransom. The man behind the kidnapping, sub-Kumander Jurim Hussin initially demanded P5 Million ($105,000) but by the end of June that figure had dropped to P3 Million ($62,000). Not satisfied with that amount the Lim family further whittled down the figure to P1.5 Million ($30,500) by mid-July. When, by July 19th they had failed to gain ground on a further reduction the family agreed to pay that amount and so final arrangements were made.
On Wednesday, July 20th the Lim family representative handed the cash to a middleman who relayed the sum, less his 10% commission, to sub-Kumander Hussin's representative. At 1PM the next afternoon, July 21st Nelson Lim was blindfolded and taken downhill off of the mountain, to a home in Patikul's Barangay Tanum where he was ordered to wash up and ready himself for release. By 9PM Mr.Lim was standing in Barangay Sandah waiting for Vice Mayor of Jolo City, Edsir "Eddie" Que Tan who finally arrived at 945PM to take custody of him and deliver Mr.Lim to his family.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Kidnap for Ransom, Third Quarter of 2011, Part IV: Jose "Joe" Batronel, Rosely Mondejar Villadore, and Julie Latorre
Jose "Joe" Batronel and his live in love Rosely Mondejar Villadore combine business with pleasure. The 57 year old Batronel, of San Jose in Batangas Province on Southern Luzon almost always has his 37 year old lover by his side as he embarks on extended sales trips throughout the Southern Philippines. Rosely helps with more than just emotional support, often serving as a translator for her Tagalog-speaking common law husband. A native of Magallanes, a municipality in Mindanao's Agusan del Norte Province, she is conversant in both Cebuano and Butuanon. The former is the lingua franca of most non-Muslims in Mindanao while the latter is spoken only in a small area of the Agusan del Norte coast. Closely related to Cebuano it is a near match for Tausug, the lingua franca of Muslims on Jolo Island (Tausugs are actually Islamicised Butuanons who migrated south 500 to 600 years ago).
Indeed, it was Jolo Island where the couple found themselves on Wednesday, July 13th, 2011. On this trip they had taken their newly hired maid, 21 year old Julie Latorre, also of Batangas Province, needing extra help to carry the household goods they sold as travelling peddlers. All three were readying themselves for sleep in the rooming house they had lodged in, in Jolo City's Sitio Militar in Barangay Busbus, close to where the city wall used to stand. Located next to the city's NAPOCOR (National Power Corporation) facility the rooms were not quiet but that only helped to keep the prices reasonable, an attraction as far as Mr.Batronel was concerned. Unfortunately for Mr.Batronel, it also meant that the surrounding area was rather desolate and free of large crowds.
At just after 830PM five young men burst into the rooming house and made their way directly to Batronel's room. Waving pistols and assault rifles they loudly kicked in the room's door and literally dragged their three screaming captives out into the street before roughly tossing them into the rear of an idling red Toyota Tamaraw jitney (modern jeepney). A sixth guerilla, standing guard as a lookout ran and jumped onto the back of the jitney as it peeled out and took off at a high rate of speed. Caught up in the moment the sixth guerilla, hanging off of the back of the vehicle, fired his 45 caliber pistol into the night air as if to challenge any would be do gooders.
Just after the gunshot was fired, and just before the jitney managed to make its way onto Gandasuli Road, a quick thinking Ms.Latorre managed to jump off of the rapidly moving vehicle and run quickly down a side street. Either not noticing the escape or else unwilling to risk everything when they already held two captives, the jitney entered Gandasuli Road and took the couple with it into incognito.
Ms.Latorre immediately reported the incident to the Jolo City CPO, or City Police Office. Not the wisest thing to do of course but being young and in a highly stressful situation far from home it is entirely understandable.
On Saturday, July 17th, 2011, Mr.Batronel was released in Barangay San Reymundo, in the municipality of Patikul after convincing his captors that unless he was set free there would be no way to extract a ransom. He was given the chance to try and obtain the ridiculous sum of P20 Million ($450,000) which of course is merely the opening gambit in negotiations. Upon his release he was picked up by an Armed Forces of the Philippines Marine patrol. Due to severe dehydration Mr.Batronel was hospitalised in the Sulu Integrated Provincial Hospital, as his poor wife remained alone with her Abu Sayyaf captors. While still in the hospital receiving treatment, Mr.Batronel contacted family members in Batangas trying to accumulate a decent enough cachet with which to negotiate his wife's release. Just after midnite Jose Batronel checked himself out of the hospital and contacted Abu Sayyaf to try and come to an agreement on a lower ransom amount. By daybreak, an agreement having been reached for P100,000 ($1,900), a decent enough profit for 2 days work, Batronel had the ransom amount deposited into a bank account provided to him by his captors. By Sunday morning, July 18th Ms. Batronel was released in the municipality of Patikul, taking a jeepney (public transportation) into Jolo City where she was reunited with her husband.
Together, going to the Sulu Police Provincial Office, or PPO-Sulu, as Mr.Batronel had reluctantly agreed to do when rejecting PNP, or Philippine National Police "assistance" at the hospital, they underwent a meaningless "de-briefing." Suffering through the usual dog and pony propaganda...I mean publicity...I mean propaganda cum publicity nonsense the couple were taken to Zamboanga City via a naval frigate and from there took a commercial flight to Manila and their home in San Jose, Batangas.
Indeed, it was Jolo Island where the couple found themselves on Wednesday, July 13th, 2011. On this trip they had taken their newly hired maid, 21 year old Julie Latorre, also of Batangas Province, needing extra help to carry the household goods they sold as travelling peddlers. All three were readying themselves for sleep in the rooming house they had lodged in, in Jolo City's Sitio Militar in Barangay Busbus, close to where the city wall used to stand. Located next to the city's NAPOCOR (National Power Corporation) facility the rooms were not quiet but that only helped to keep the prices reasonable, an attraction as far as Mr.Batronel was concerned. Unfortunately for Mr.Batronel, it also meant that the surrounding area was rather desolate and free of large crowds.
At just after 830PM five young men burst into the rooming house and made their way directly to Batronel's room. Waving pistols and assault rifles they loudly kicked in the room's door and literally dragged their three screaming captives out into the street before roughly tossing them into the rear of an idling red Toyota Tamaraw jitney (modern jeepney). A sixth guerilla, standing guard as a lookout ran and jumped onto the back of the jitney as it peeled out and took off at a high rate of speed. Caught up in the moment the sixth guerilla, hanging off of the back of the vehicle, fired his 45 caliber pistol into the night air as if to challenge any would be do gooders.
Just after the gunshot was fired, and just before the jitney managed to make its way onto Gandasuli Road, a quick thinking Ms.Latorre managed to jump off of the rapidly moving vehicle and run quickly down a side street. Either not noticing the escape or else unwilling to risk everything when they already held two captives, the jitney entered Gandasuli Road and took the couple with it into incognito.
Ms.Latorre immediately reported the incident to the Jolo City CPO, or City Police Office. Not the wisest thing to do of course but being young and in a highly stressful situation far from home it is entirely understandable.
On Saturday, July 17th, 2011, Mr.Batronel was released in Barangay San Reymundo, in the municipality of Patikul after convincing his captors that unless he was set free there would be no way to extract a ransom. He was given the chance to try and obtain the ridiculous sum of P20 Million ($450,000) which of course is merely the opening gambit in negotiations. Upon his release he was picked up by an Armed Forces of the Philippines Marine patrol. Due to severe dehydration Mr.Batronel was hospitalised in the Sulu Integrated Provincial Hospital, as his poor wife remained alone with her Abu Sayyaf captors. While still in the hospital receiving treatment, Mr.Batronel contacted family members in Batangas trying to accumulate a decent enough cachet with which to negotiate his wife's release. Just after midnite Jose Batronel checked himself out of the hospital and contacted Abu Sayyaf to try and come to an agreement on a lower ransom amount. By daybreak, an agreement having been reached for P100,000 ($1,900), a decent enough profit for 2 days work, Batronel had the ransom amount deposited into a bank account provided to him by his captors. By Sunday morning, July 18th Ms. Batronel was released in the municipality of Patikul, taking a jeepney (public transportation) into Jolo City where she was reunited with her husband.
Together, going to the Sulu Police Provincial Office, or PPO-Sulu, as Mr.Batronel had reluctantly agreed to do when rejecting PNP, or Philippine National Police "assistance" at the hospital, they underwent a meaningless "de-briefing." Suffering through the usual dog and pony propaganda...I mean publicity...I mean propaganda cum publicity nonsense the couple were taken to Zamboanga City via a naval frigate and from there took a commercial flight to Manila and their home in San Jose, Batangas.
Kidnap for Ransom, Third Quarter of 2011, Part III: The Release of Jonald Oscimar and Nico Sebastian
In a KFR, or Kidnap for Ransom, entry for the First Quarter of 2011 I detailed the case of the sardine boat M/V Mega 8, out of Zamboanga City. Crewed mostly by men from Negros Island in the Visayas Region (Central Philippines), and owned by the Mega Fishing Corporation, they had been moored off of Menes Island which is itself part of the tiny Panglima Tahil Island group off of Jolo Island, the largest island in the Sulu Archipelago. Panglima Tahil is generally considered to be a safe mooring in Sulu because it is controlled by an MNLF faction that fully committed itself to the 1996 Jakarta Agreement between the Government and the MNLF. On the evening of March 19th, 2011 however, that changed.
As the crew was busying itself with evening chores when they were suprised by a boatload of ASG, or Abu Sayyaf Group, gunmen carrying assault rifles who brusquely demanded the ship's "officers." Three men stepped forward:
1) Renato "Rennie" Panisales, Captain
2) Wennie Ferrer, Engineer
3) Jonald Oscimar, Quartermaster
The three men were herded over the side of their craft and into an idling pumpboat (a local term used to describe small motorised skiffs) which then set a course for Jolo Island. Aside from some quick Proof of Life phone calls to their wives, and some papers found in a jungle clearing after a heavy firefight that killed three ASG guerillas on Jolo Island little had been known about the men and their fate. Initially ASG had aimed to extort the owner of Mega Fishing but he refused to play ball, taking it to the extreme of even refusing to meet with the wife of Jonald Oscimar, Maria Victoria, or Marivic Oscimar, who had been chosen by the other two wives to act as their liason with both Mega Fishing AND the ASG. Undaunted, Marivic was able to finally negotiate what is euphamistically known as a "Room and Lodging Fee." From the initial demand of P4 Million per fisherman ($85,000) the Abu Sayyaf then re-packaged the three men at a higher group rate at P20 Million ($450,000), but all that was before they realised that Mega wouldn't be paying a single centavo. A "Room and Lodging Fee" allows the guerillas to generate a very modest profit while saving face. The alternative would of course involve the decapitation of the three captives.
On Tuesday, July 12th, 2011 Oscimar's relatives arrived in Barangay Kaunayan, in the municipality of Patikul where they handed over P300,000 ($6,500), which although a whole lot less than the previously demanded sums still represents a virtual fortune to people like the Oscimar family. The next evening, just after sunset, in Patikul's Barangay Buhanginan, a small band of guerillas delivered a happy Jonald Oscimar to his very relieved family. Mr.Oscimar is now back home on Negros enjoying his freedom.
However, his two mates, Renato Panisales and Wennie Ferrer remain in captivity as their impovershed families struggle against all odds to raise their own "Room and Lodging Fees."
Another happy reunion took place on Wednesday, July 13th, 2011 when 16 year old Nico Sebastian of Basilan Island was released. Young Nico had recently run into a close friend who he hadn't see in a year. His pal, Nadzmir "Marvin" Abubakar, had seemingly fallen off of the face of the earth. As I described in yet another of my Kidnap for Ransom entries, this one having been in the Second Quarter, Abubakar, who also goes by the moniker "Totoh" had recommended that he and Nico catch up on old times and invited him to drop by his home. Nico, whose mother supports the family by slash and burn farming, breezily informed his mother of his plans and left for Abubakar's home. When he failed to return his family reported him missing but it wasn't until they had received a ransom demand for P2.5 Million ($55,000) that the authorities were willing to conceed that a KFR had indeed taken place.
It became clear after a summary investigation that Nico's friend, Abubakar, had disappeared for a year because he had joined the 114 Base Command of the BIAF, or Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces, the armed component of the MILF. Abubakar's conduit into the BIAF was a young man named Arasad Jion, or as his good friends usually call him, "sub-Kumander Jion." When the 114 Base Command realised that poor Nico was the son of a struggling landless peasant they sold him to the ASG, specifically to sub-Kumander Hadjarun Jamiri who has been making a name for himself in KFR activities as of late. Hardly turning a profit on Nico they accepted a "Room and Lodging Fee" of P175,000 ($3,250), and released the teenager on the border of Tuburan and al Barka municipalities, on Basilan.
As the crew was busying itself with evening chores when they were suprised by a boatload of ASG, or Abu Sayyaf Group, gunmen carrying assault rifles who brusquely demanded the ship's "officers." Three men stepped forward:
1) Renato "Rennie" Panisales, Captain
2) Wennie Ferrer, Engineer
3) Jonald Oscimar, Quartermaster
The three men were herded over the side of their craft and into an idling pumpboat (a local term used to describe small motorised skiffs) which then set a course for Jolo Island. Aside from some quick Proof of Life phone calls to their wives, and some papers found in a jungle clearing after a heavy firefight that killed three ASG guerillas on Jolo Island little had been known about the men and their fate. Initially ASG had aimed to extort the owner of Mega Fishing but he refused to play ball, taking it to the extreme of even refusing to meet with the wife of Jonald Oscimar, Maria Victoria, or Marivic Oscimar, who had been chosen by the other two wives to act as their liason with both Mega Fishing AND the ASG. Undaunted, Marivic was able to finally negotiate what is euphamistically known as a "Room and Lodging Fee." From the initial demand of P4 Million per fisherman ($85,000) the Abu Sayyaf then re-packaged the three men at a higher group rate at P20 Million ($450,000), but all that was before they realised that Mega wouldn't be paying a single centavo. A "Room and Lodging Fee" allows the guerillas to generate a very modest profit while saving face. The alternative would of course involve the decapitation of the three captives.
On Tuesday, July 12th, 2011 Oscimar's relatives arrived in Barangay Kaunayan, in the municipality of Patikul where they handed over P300,000 ($6,500), which although a whole lot less than the previously demanded sums still represents a virtual fortune to people like the Oscimar family. The next evening, just after sunset, in Patikul's Barangay Buhanginan, a small band of guerillas delivered a happy Jonald Oscimar to his very relieved family. Mr.Oscimar is now back home on Negros enjoying his freedom.
However, his two mates, Renato Panisales and Wennie Ferrer remain in captivity as their impovershed families struggle against all odds to raise their own "Room and Lodging Fees."
Another happy reunion took place on Wednesday, July 13th, 2011 when 16 year old Nico Sebastian of Basilan Island was released. Young Nico had recently run into a close friend who he hadn't see in a year. His pal, Nadzmir "Marvin" Abubakar, had seemingly fallen off of the face of the earth. As I described in yet another of my Kidnap for Ransom entries, this one having been in the Second Quarter, Abubakar, who also goes by the moniker "Totoh" had recommended that he and Nico catch up on old times and invited him to drop by his home. Nico, whose mother supports the family by slash and burn farming, breezily informed his mother of his plans and left for Abubakar's home. When he failed to return his family reported him missing but it wasn't until they had received a ransom demand for P2.5 Million ($55,000) that the authorities were willing to conceed that a KFR had indeed taken place.
It became clear after a summary investigation that Nico's friend, Abubakar, had disappeared for a year because he had joined the 114 Base Command of the BIAF, or Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces, the armed component of the MILF. Abubakar's conduit into the BIAF was a young man named Arasad Jion, or as his good friends usually call him, "sub-Kumander Jion." When the 114 Base Command realised that poor Nico was the son of a struggling landless peasant they sold him to the ASG, specifically to sub-Kumander Hadjarun Jamiri who has been making a name for himself in KFR activities as of late. Hardly turning a profit on Nico they accepted a "Room and Lodging Fee" of P175,000 ($3,250), and released the teenager on the border of Tuburan and al Barka municipalities, on Basilan.
Friday, July 15, 2011
Political Developments, First Quarter of 2011, Part V: Arbison vs. Tan, Basilan Special Election, and Lagbas' Bodyguards Gone Wild
Former Congressman Munir Arbison, who represented the Second District of Sulu, took another potshot at his arch nemesis, Sulu's Governor Abdusakur "Sakur" Mahail Tan when he filed yet another petition with the Ombudsman on January 27th, 2011. In the Philippine system of governance the Ombudsman functions in the capacity of a prosecutor in a specialised court system. Known as the Sandiganbayan, or "Guardian of the People," the court functions on par with the Court of Appeals so that any appeal within the special court automatically finds itself elevated to the Supreme Court. Ergo, any petition to the Ombudsman is in effect the filing of a criminal charge.
The complaint in this case involves two APCs, or Armored Personnel Carriers. The two MX-8 Barakos, by the Philippine-based Steelcraft Military Land Defense Vehicles Corporation entered Governor Tan's life after he survived two serious assassination attempts within the previous twenty months, both involving massive IEDs, or Improvised Explosive Devices (as in "bombs"). To protect himself the Governor obtained two of the recently developed APCs. On par with the V150 Simbas currently in use by the Philippine Military, in terms of armored capability, they resemble US-made Hummers with a bulky turret atop the roof that packs a 50 caliber gun. According to Tan they were a "present" from his daughter after the failed first attempt, a bombing against his motorcade in Patikul, on Jolo Island, or at least that was his final story.
At the time of Tan's acquisition Arbison was still sitting in Congress but facing the end of his term limit he had also jumped into the race for Governor. Pitted head to head against his former protoge, Arbison suffered a humiliating defeat in the May of 2010 balloting. He then decided to vent his pent up aggression against Governor Tan and continue a vindictive campaign that began with a flurry of letters to people higher up the foodchain. Most notably perhaps, he wrote to then Director General of Logistics for the Philippine National Police, Luizo Ticman, seeking verification of a PNP, or Philippine National Police, purchase order for the APCs, as is required by Philippine Law. The law is an attempt to check the formation of paramilitaries though in reality it is quite easy to circumvent the stricture.
In his letter to Ticman, dated February 15th, 2010 then Congressman Arbison complained that the purchase(s) were illegal, and requested any and all PNP paperwork related to the vehicles. General Ticman never replied and instead the letter made its way to General Victor Ibrado of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, or AFP. Ibrado already had received a similar letter from Arbison dated January 4th, 2010 but hadn't considered involving himself in the petty feuds that dominate the Philippine political landscape. Ibrado had in fact had an intimediary broach the subject with Governor Tan, banking a favor by warning him that Arbison was on the warpath.
In turn, Tan had the two APCs "donated" to the Sulu Provincial Government, for dedicated use by the Governor, though the papers said otherwise and dated the transaction January 14th, 2010 so that Arbison's "inquiries" to the PNP turned out to be "after the fact." Now badly frustrated, Arbison finally turned to the Ombudsman, bypassing the pre-requisite of "evidence" and going directly for the jugular. In his complaint to the Ombudsman Arbison cited four reasons for his petition:
1) Civilians, including Elected Officials are not allowed to purchase military hardware for personal use
2) Provincial funds were used to purchase the APCs
3) The MX-8's 50 caliber guns are for Tan's own personal use, another misuse of military hardware since 50 caliber rifles are illegal as personal weaponry
4) Tan uses the vehicles to intimidate the public, creating fear wherever he goes
The Ombudsman's routine correspondence with the PNP over the matter resulted in the Director of Sulu's PPO, or Police Provincial Office, Senior Superintendent Joseph Tabago Remac composing a routine report on the two vehicle's chain of paperwork. Ramac's findings cleared Tan though in the end it may have created more problems in manufacturing an entirely fictitious pedigree for the transaction. According to Sr. Supt. Ramac, one of the various self-appointed Sultans of Sulu, Akidjal Ingkang Attih, donated both APCs to Ramac's predecessor, the late Sr. Supt. Julasrim Ahadin Kassim who very soon after was killed in an ambush by the ASG, or the Abu Sayyaf Group. The donation mandated that the vehicles only be used by the PPO in the engagement of official duties. Interestingly, Ramac took the time to note that the 50 caliber guns were the property of the PNP. Seeing as how the APCs were already declared as such it seems superfluous to make that point. Of course the truth of the matter is that this was stated to cover Governor Tan's absolutely illegal acquisition of those two rifles, in case he was cleared with regard to the APCs themselves with the rifles handled as a separate issue.
Arbison's long time ally, Provincial Councilor Alganarham Adam noted that the Sultan, who is anything but wealthy, could not have donated anything to Sr. Supt. Kassim since Kassim was long dead and buried by January 14th, 2010, the official date on the paperwork covering the PNP's receipt of the APCs. Moreover, Tan was listed as the donor and the Sultan's name was nowhere to be found.
To date, in that I am composing this entry in the Third Quarter of 2011, the case has fallen by the wayside after the massive shakeup at the Ombudsman's Office in the wake of the Major General Carlos F.Garcia Scandal and its ever widening implications for the AFP and the Government in general.
On March 11th, 2011 a bodyguard for the Lagbas Clan was shot to death by a security guard after trying to divest another security guard of his weapon after first smashing him in the face. 35 year old Edwin O.Paler and his brother Francis O.Paler of Sitio Zone #8 in Cagayan del Oro City's Barangay Carmen rode tandem on a Honda XRM motorcyle to the Oro Homes Furnishing Canter on Kauswagan National Hiway, also in Cagayan del Oro City, in Misamis Oriental Province. As the two brothers rushed a sleeping security guard, 29 year old Sem Vismanos, breaking his arm with a brick, a second security guard, 21 year old Rogelio Tangcay working at a private residence next door rushed to fight off the attackers. The Paler brothers had already robbed Vismanos of his 38 caliber revolver.
The second security guard, Tangcay, was able to rush to his comrade's aid and quickly fired off three rounds from his 45 caliber pistol. Of the three bullets, two met their mark striking Edwin in the elbow and chest, killing him almost immediately. Before escaping on the motorcycle though, Francis was able to stab Dangcay five times in the back. Tangcay, employed by Rober Eagle Security Agency, and Vismanos, employed by Sagittarius Security Agency, were then transported to an area hospital for treatment. Vismanos admits he was sleeping on duty but defends his laxity by saying that he had had a toothache. Cagayan del Oro City CPO (City Police Office) personnel were able to quickly locate Francis O.Paler by simply following the address listed on Edwin's identification and captured both him and Vismanos' stolen revolver. Both brothers are ex-AFP soldiers who had been discharged for various transgressions making them the prototypical "bodyguards" on Mindanao.
On March 12th, 2011 the municipality of Sumisip in Basilan Province held a special election for Mayor that quickly evolved into open warfare between supporters of candidate Haber Asarul (Lakas-KAMPI-CMD) and Gulam "Boy" Salliman Hataman (Liberal) at Sapah Langay Elementary School in the town's Barangay Lower Cabengbeng. The school was housing five clustered precincts, more for security reasons than anything else, with a mere 927 potential voters able to cast ballots. In the original election, held on May 10th, 2011, Arasul had emerged victorious only to have his rival, Hataman, successfully contest that victory with COMELEC, the national electoral authority. COMELEC then nullified the election result in October of 2010, citing statistical improbability as the main raison d'etre; Barangay Cabengbeng proper tallied all of its 874 votes in favor of Arasul, despite that being the barangay where Hataman himself voted, not to mention his family to boot.
The special election retained the tallies from the original election in all but the five precincts, all located in that same barangay of Cabengbeng proper. This time Hataman scored 202 votes, bringing his overall tally to 8,393 votes versus 8,182 for Arasul, despite the latter candidate tallying 363 votes in the special election. Notably, only 581 of the 927 registered voters in those 5 precincts (16 of the votes cast were disqualified for various reasons) even bothered to vote.
After Hataman was declared the winner Arasul's gunmen attacked Hataman's friends and family, sparking an intense firefight. Luckily a brigade strength (1,500 men) composite force of PNP/AFP (Philippine National Police/Armed Forces of the Philippines) was on site though after the composite force intervened both Hataman and Arasul's men turned on the PNP/AFP, before finally withdrawing to their respective sections of the municipality. The Arasul/Hataman feud is a long running and very violent dispute. Hataman had succeeded his brother Hadjiman "Jim" Salliman Hataman as Mayor of Sumisip in 2004. In 2007 though, Arasul wrested control of the town. As Hataman set his sights on re-claiming the Mayoralty in the May of 2010 Election both camps began attacking one another.
Hataman's brother Jim, now the Congressman for the Lone District of Basilan, along with another brother, ANAK Mindanao Partylist Congressman Mujiv Salliman Hataman are the men behind the spectacular IED that killed Jim's predecessor, former-Governor Wahab Akbar, whom I discussed in my entry "Portrait of a Warlord, Part I: Wahab Akbar." The Hataman Clan, along with politician and former BMA, or Bangsamoro Army (the military wing of the MNLF) Commanding Officer for Basilan, Abdulgani "Gerry" A. Salapuddin and allied politicians had the assassination take place in the Batasang Pambasa, or Congressional Building, in Metro Manila's Quezon City. The 2007 bombing left the Lone District seat open after Jim Hataman filed a petition with Congress to bar any interim appointments. In 2010 he easily slid into the seat after forming tacit alliances with Akbar's two wives, current Governor Jum Akbar and Mayor of Isabela City, Cherry Santiago Akbar.
Arasul is himself brother to Nasser Arasul, a legislator in the ARMM, or Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao. Just three weeks after this Special Election in Sumisip, Nasser's 7 year old son Amir Nasser Arasul would be kidnapped while walking in his Isabela City neighborhood. The reason? Haber Arasul, the unsuccessful candidate in that Special Election, had failed to re-pay a P300,000 ($6,500) loan floated by Ronnie Keseng of Tuburan, who chairs that municipality's Association of Barangay Chairman, or ABC. The boy was released after two and a half days when the Director of the Police Provincial Office of Basilan, Senior Superintendent Abubakar Tulawie escorted Nasser Arasul to Tuburan where Tulawie and Vice Mayor of Tuburan, Durie Kalahal successfully negotiated a loan re-payment, plus interest (despite Islam forbidding interest), plus a 10% commission for the Director, another for Vice Mayor Kalahal, and an additional gratuity for young Amir's "room and board" as it is euphamistically known here in the Southern Philippines.
After Boy Hataman won that Special Election in Sumisip his first course of action was to file for an audit of the municipality's finances. It seems that just before that new election the town had received its IRA, or Internal Revenue Alottment, of P3 Million ($63,000). Co-incidentally that sum then vanished, having been withdrawn from the town's bank account. Considering how Haber Arasul defaulted on that P300,000 loan from Ronnie Keseng that isn't entirely shocking.
The complaint in this case involves two APCs, or Armored Personnel Carriers. The two MX-8 Barakos, by the Philippine-based Steelcraft Military Land Defense Vehicles Corporation entered Governor Tan's life after he survived two serious assassination attempts within the previous twenty months, both involving massive IEDs, or Improvised Explosive Devices (as in "bombs"). To protect himself the Governor obtained two of the recently developed APCs. On par with the V150 Simbas currently in use by the Philippine Military, in terms of armored capability, they resemble US-made Hummers with a bulky turret atop the roof that packs a 50 caliber gun. According to Tan they were a "present" from his daughter after the failed first attempt, a bombing against his motorcade in Patikul, on Jolo Island, or at least that was his final story.
At the time of Tan's acquisition Arbison was still sitting in Congress but facing the end of his term limit he had also jumped into the race for Governor. Pitted head to head against his former protoge, Arbison suffered a humiliating defeat in the May of 2010 balloting. He then decided to vent his pent up aggression against Governor Tan and continue a vindictive campaign that began with a flurry of letters to people higher up the foodchain. Most notably perhaps, he wrote to then Director General of Logistics for the Philippine National Police, Luizo Ticman, seeking verification of a PNP, or Philippine National Police, purchase order for the APCs, as is required by Philippine Law. The law is an attempt to check the formation of paramilitaries though in reality it is quite easy to circumvent the stricture.
In his letter to Ticman, dated February 15th, 2010 then Congressman Arbison complained that the purchase(s) were illegal, and requested any and all PNP paperwork related to the vehicles. General Ticman never replied and instead the letter made its way to General Victor Ibrado of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, or AFP. Ibrado already had received a similar letter from Arbison dated January 4th, 2010 but hadn't considered involving himself in the petty feuds that dominate the Philippine political landscape. Ibrado had in fact had an intimediary broach the subject with Governor Tan, banking a favor by warning him that Arbison was on the warpath.
In turn, Tan had the two APCs "donated" to the Sulu Provincial Government, for dedicated use by the Governor, though the papers said otherwise and dated the transaction January 14th, 2010 so that Arbison's "inquiries" to the PNP turned out to be "after the fact." Now badly frustrated, Arbison finally turned to the Ombudsman, bypassing the pre-requisite of "evidence" and going directly for the jugular. In his complaint to the Ombudsman Arbison cited four reasons for his petition:
1) Civilians, including Elected Officials are not allowed to purchase military hardware for personal use
2) Provincial funds were used to purchase the APCs
3) The MX-8's 50 caliber guns are for Tan's own personal use, another misuse of military hardware since 50 caliber rifles are illegal as personal weaponry
4) Tan uses the vehicles to intimidate the public, creating fear wherever he goes
The Ombudsman's routine correspondence with the PNP over the matter resulted in the Director of Sulu's PPO, or Police Provincial Office, Senior Superintendent Joseph Tabago Remac composing a routine report on the two vehicle's chain of paperwork. Ramac's findings cleared Tan though in the end it may have created more problems in manufacturing an entirely fictitious pedigree for the transaction. According to Sr. Supt. Ramac, one of the various self-appointed Sultans of Sulu, Akidjal Ingkang Attih, donated both APCs to Ramac's predecessor, the late Sr. Supt. Julasrim Ahadin Kassim who very soon after was killed in an ambush by the ASG, or the Abu Sayyaf Group. The donation mandated that the vehicles only be used by the PPO in the engagement of official duties. Interestingly, Ramac took the time to note that the 50 caliber guns were the property of the PNP. Seeing as how the APCs were already declared as such it seems superfluous to make that point. Of course the truth of the matter is that this was stated to cover Governor Tan's absolutely illegal acquisition of those two rifles, in case he was cleared with regard to the APCs themselves with the rifles handled as a separate issue.
Arbison's long time ally, Provincial Councilor Alganarham Adam noted that the Sultan, who is anything but wealthy, could not have donated anything to Sr. Supt. Kassim since Kassim was long dead and buried by January 14th, 2010, the official date on the paperwork covering the PNP's receipt of the APCs. Moreover, Tan was listed as the donor and the Sultan's name was nowhere to be found.
To date, in that I am composing this entry in the Third Quarter of 2011, the case has fallen by the wayside after the massive shakeup at the Ombudsman's Office in the wake of the Major General Carlos F.Garcia Scandal and its ever widening implications for the AFP and the Government in general.
On March 11th, 2011 a bodyguard for the Lagbas Clan was shot to death by a security guard after trying to divest another security guard of his weapon after first smashing him in the face. 35 year old Edwin O.Paler and his brother Francis O.Paler of Sitio Zone #8 in Cagayan del Oro City's Barangay Carmen rode tandem on a Honda XRM motorcyle to the Oro Homes Furnishing Canter on Kauswagan National Hiway, also in Cagayan del Oro City, in Misamis Oriental Province. As the two brothers rushed a sleeping security guard, 29 year old Sem Vismanos, breaking his arm with a brick, a second security guard, 21 year old Rogelio Tangcay working at a private residence next door rushed to fight off the attackers. The Paler brothers had already robbed Vismanos of his 38 caliber revolver.
The second security guard, Tangcay, was able to rush to his comrade's aid and quickly fired off three rounds from his 45 caliber pistol. Of the three bullets, two met their mark striking Edwin in the elbow and chest, killing him almost immediately. Before escaping on the motorcycle though, Francis was able to stab Dangcay five times in the back. Tangcay, employed by Rober Eagle Security Agency, and Vismanos, employed by Sagittarius Security Agency, were then transported to an area hospital for treatment. Vismanos admits he was sleeping on duty but defends his laxity by saying that he had had a toothache. Cagayan del Oro City CPO (City Police Office) personnel were able to quickly locate Francis O.Paler by simply following the address listed on Edwin's identification and captured both him and Vismanos' stolen revolver. Both brothers are ex-AFP soldiers who had been discharged for various transgressions making them the prototypical "bodyguards" on Mindanao.
On March 12th, 2011 the municipality of Sumisip in Basilan Province held a special election for Mayor that quickly evolved into open warfare between supporters of candidate Haber Asarul (Lakas-KAMPI-CMD) and Gulam "Boy" Salliman Hataman (Liberal) at Sapah Langay Elementary School in the town's Barangay Lower Cabengbeng. The school was housing five clustered precincts, more for security reasons than anything else, with a mere 927 potential voters able to cast ballots. In the original election, held on May 10th, 2011, Arasul had emerged victorious only to have his rival, Hataman, successfully contest that victory with COMELEC, the national electoral authority. COMELEC then nullified the election result in October of 2010, citing statistical improbability as the main raison d'etre; Barangay Cabengbeng proper tallied all of its 874 votes in favor of Arasul, despite that being the barangay where Hataman himself voted, not to mention his family to boot.
The special election retained the tallies from the original election in all but the five precincts, all located in that same barangay of Cabengbeng proper. This time Hataman scored 202 votes, bringing his overall tally to 8,393 votes versus 8,182 for Arasul, despite the latter candidate tallying 363 votes in the special election. Notably, only 581 of the 927 registered voters in those 5 precincts (16 of the votes cast were disqualified for various reasons) even bothered to vote.
After Hataman was declared the winner Arasul's gunmen attacked Hataman's friends and family, sparking an intense firefight. Luckily a brigade strength (1,500 men) composite force of PNP/AFP (Philippine National Police/Armed Forces of the Philippines) was on site though after the composite force intervened both Hataman and Arasul's men turned on the PNP/AFP, before finally withdrawing to their respective sections of the municipality. The Arasul/Hataman feud is a long running and very violent dispute. Hataman had succeeded his brother Hadjiman "Jim" Salliman Hataman as Mayor of Sumisip in 2004. In 2007 though, Arasul wrested control of the town. As Hataman set his sights on re-claiming the Mayoralty in the May of 2010 Election both camps began attacking one another.
Hataman's brother Jim, now the Congressman for the Lone District of Basilan, along with another brother, ANAK Mindanao Partylist Congressman Mujiv Salliman Hataman are the men behind the spectacular IED that killed Jim's predecessor, former-Governor Wahab Akbar, whom I discussed in my entry "Portrait of a Warlord, Part I: Wahab Akbar." The Hataman Clan, along with politician and former BMA, or Bangsamoro Army (the military wing of the MNLF) Commanding Officer for Basilan, Abdulgani "Gerry" A. Salapuddin and allied politicians had the assassination take place in the Batasang Pambasa, or Congressional Building, in Metro Manila's Quezon City. The 2007 bombing left the Lone District seat open after Jim Hataman filed a petition with Congress to bar any interim appointments. In 2010 he easily slid into the seat after forming tacit alliances with Akbar's two wives, current Governor Jum Akbar and Mayor of Isabela City, Cherry Santiago Akbar.
Arasul is himself brother to Nasser Arasul, a legislator in the ARMM, or Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao. Just three weeks after this Special Election in Sumisip, Nasser's 7 year old son Amir Nasser Arasul would be kidnapped while walking in his Isabela City neighborhood. The reason? Haber Arasul, the unsuccessful candidate in that Special Election, had failed to re-pay a P300,000 ($6,500) loan floated by Ronnie Keseng of Tuburan, who chairs that municipality's Association of Barangay Chairman, or ABC. The boy was released after two and a half days when the Director of the Police Provincial Office of Basilan, Senior Superintendent Abubakar Tulawie escorted Nasser Arasul to Tuburan where Tulawie and Vice Mayor of Tuburan, Durie Kalahal successfully negotiated a loan re-payment, plus interest (despite Islam forbidding interest), plus a 10% commission for the Director, another for Vice Mayor Kalahal, and an additional gratuity for young Amir's "room and board" as it is euphamistically known here in the Southern Philippines.
After Boy Hataman won that Special Election in Sumisip his first course of action was to file for an audit of the municipality's finances. It seems that just before that new election the town had received its IRA, or Internal Revenue Alottment, of P3 Million ($63,000). Co-incidentally that sum then vanished, having been withdrawn from the town's bank account. Considering how Haber Arasul defaulted on that P300,000 loan from Ronnie Keseng that isn't entirely shocking.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Political Developments, Second Quarter of 2011, Part III: Iligan City Nastiness, ex-President Ramos in Sabah, and a Yet Another Sultan for Sulu
I would very much like to call the incident I am about to discuss an "Abuse of the law," but the truth of the matter is that it was absolutely BY the letter of the law and that means that the Philippines judicial system has enshrined abuse as a virtue. Why not? In a nation that sees nepotism as admirable, bribery as anything but note worthy, and discusses Extra-Judicial Killings the way other nations discuss sports scores, the abuse I am about to describe will barely raise an eyebrow on Mindanao, indeed even most of the nation.
On January 13th, 2010 radio disc jockey Albert Loyola was doing his "Radio Patrol" morning segment on station DXRJ, in the province of Lanao del Norte's Iligan City. The 27 year old was discussing very troubling discrepancies in the city's 2009 Budget Appropriations process and singled out City Councilor Chonilo Ruiz for attention. In fact, Loyola informed his audience that he was currently working on an investigative segment about the issue and inferred that he had found some more than troubling facts about Councilor Ruiz. Chonilo Ruiz, in charge of the P14 Million ($300,000) Committee Services Budget, maintains that the entire sum of 14 Million Pesos was spent on providing SNACKS at Committee Hearings. Loyola quipped that he attends nearly every Hearing and has yet to see a single snack provided to anyone, and summed up the observation by calling Ruiz a liar.
As Loyola segued into some commercials, and then into another unrelated segment, Councilor Ruiz barged into the studio, angrily threw open the door to the disc jockey's booth while screaming and cursing at the top of his lungs live on the air, began beating the crap about of the hapless radio jock. Loyola, after being taken to the hospital, filed a criminal complaint, or "blotter" as they are called here, charging the out of control politician with Attempted Murder.
The charge was eventually downgraded by the Prosecutor to the much less worrisome, "Assault with Slight Physical Injury" and while Loyola felt victimised by the system AS WELL AS by the thuggish city councilor, he did his best to put it behind him. Then, on April 18th, 2011 while on the air, Mr.Loyola was "captured" by a composite force of the PNP, or Philippine National Police's PRO RID-10 (Police Regional Office Regional Intelligence Division, Region 10) and the CPO-IDM (City Police Office Investigation and Detection Management unit). What did our hapless radion announcer do? Was it a bombing? A firefight with the army? Maybe he was leading a secret life as an insurgent, investigating city budget snafus by day but praising Mao and his poodle Professor Sison by night...In fact, Albert Loyola's only despicable crime was...are you ready? LIBEL.
Because Mr.Loyola dared to suggest that a City Councilor who sits upon the Council's Budget Appropriations Committee MIGHT have been partially responsible for the subsequent budget shortfall, he was jailed in the city's jail in Barangay Tipanoy on P12,000 (~$300) bail. Ruiz was subsequently bailed out by a journalists organisation (the bail is akin to the bail charged to armed robbers and is a significant amount of money in the Philippines. Had he not been the recipient of such largesse he more than likely would have spent more than a year or more languishing as the case slowly made its way through the nation's notoriously corrupt and slow justice system).
I am no fan of the Philippine Media. Most are as unprofessional as the day is long but that only adds to my distaste since professional journalists in any nation are manipulative, heavily biased and lacking in common sense for the most part. I think it is safe to say that anyone with more than an iota of military experience feels the same. As one of my first Commanding Officers once told me, "The Media is the Devil." However, a third rate politician in a backwater burg using his political weight to batter someone who is merely doing their job? Well if made to choose I will definitely favor the man speaking his mind. The Philippines isn't the only nation with semi-retarded libel laws. Heck, England is only a shade or two better (forget the "or two"). Yet, when you juxtapose the Philippine Law against Councilor Ruiz's brutal assault, witnessed by several onlookers and heard by tens of thousands of stunned listeners, and THEN realise that the Councilor gets a pass and the victim gets a stint with robbers, rapists, and murderers...
The warrant served was for a single count, issued by Regional Trial Court #5 but there is an additional count coming down the line from Regional Trial Court #3, both in Iligan City so that our intrepid Mr.Loyola can look forward to another P12,000 Bail. In addition, the snack-obsessed Councilor Ruiz has ALSO filed Libel charges against the station's parent corporation, Rajah Broadcasting Network Incorporated, Station Manager Rolito Saquilabom, and the station itself, DXRJ. Ruiz also has filed a Civil Rights case and is suing for damages in excess of P3 Million from each of the four defendants. Disgusting.
In the first and second quarters former President Fidel Ramos toured the region as he drummed up attention for BIMP-EAGA. The Brunei -Indonesia -Malaysia -Philippines -East Asia Growth Area was the crowning achievement of Ramos' otherwise lackluster performance as President. Of note was the ex-President's visit to Sabah. Sabah, a Malaysian state located on the large island of Borneo is a point of contention between Malaysia and the Philippines. Though the Philippines is involved in territorial disputes with just about every nation in Southeast Asia (except Mynammar/Burma, Cambodia, and Laos), Sabah came close to plunging the nation into open, protracted war. For the sake of brevity I will simply note that I offered an in depth explanation of that fateful period in the late 1960s, over the course of three entries, "Operation Merdeka," Parts I, II, and III.
Likewise Sabah played a pivotal role in the Mindanowan Insurgency with the nascent militant organisation that would become the MNLF, or Moro National Liberation Front, finding succor and training there until 1976. Since then the territory has continued to play a part in local geopolitics because of the hundreds of thousands of Filipinos living there, albeit illegaly for most, as well as the perrenial drumbeats raised over the desired restoration of the Sultanate of Sulu. Originally controlled by the related Sultanate of Brunei, Sabah was given to the Sultan of Sulu, along with Palawan, in 1658 for assistance rendered to Brunei during a troublesome civil war.
Not wanting to miss an opportunity to further muck things up, Ramos could not resist bad mouthing one of the contenders for the title Sultan of Sulu. When asked his opinion about the claims of these contenders Ramos, referring to Mohammad Akjan Ali, offered that he believes the man to be a printer. Yes, as in "printer of books." Asked to elaborate he said the following, " He has all sorts of beautiful documents, including printed upon on old parchments like 150 years old...very impressive logo and nice pictures of him. Like some TV advertisements, but with due respect [sic]." Suuuuuure.
No word about a response from the would be Sultan who had himself crowned at his house on February 2nd, 2011. Billing himself as "Sultan Shariful Hisham II, the 33rd Sultan of Sulu," he was forced to do some furious backpedaling when local politicians began screaming that he be charged with Sedition, punishable by death. He clarified that the ceremony at his home in Kampung Lokas in Sabah had actually been a feast of thanksgiving for having been "chosen" to be Sultan. Aaaah, you can take the man out of the Philippines, but never the Philippines out of the man.
On January 13th, 2010 radio disc jockey Albert Loyola was doing his "Radio Patrol" morning segment on station DXRJ, in the province of Lanao del Norte's Iligan City. The 27 year old was discussing very troubling discrepancies in the city's 2009 Budget Appropriations process and singled out City Councilor Chonilo Ruiz for attention. In fact, Loyola informed his audience that he was currently working on an investigative segment about the issue and inferred that he had found some more than troubling facts about Councilor Ruiz. Chonilo Ruiz, in charge of the P14 Million ($300,000) Committee Services Budget, maintains that the entire sum of 14 Million Pesos was spent on providing SNACKS at Committee Hearings. Loyola quipped that he attends nearly every Hearing and has yet to see a single snack provided to anyone, and summed up the observation by calling Ruiz a liar.
As Loyola segued into some commercials, and then into another unrelated segment, Councilor Ruiz barged into the studio, angrily threw open the door to the disc jockey's booth while screaming and cursing at the top of his lungs live on the air, began beating the crap about of the hapless radio jock. Loyola, after being taken to the hospital, filed a criminal complaint, or "blotter" as they are called here, charging the out of control politician with Attempted Murder.
The charge was eventually downgraded by the Prosecutor to the much less worrisome, "Assault with Slight Physical Injury" and while Loyola felt victimised by the system AS WELL AS by the thuggish city councilor, he did his best to put it behind him. Then, on April 18th, 2011 while on the air, Mr.Loyola was "captured" by a composite force of the PNP, or Philippine National Police's PRO RID-10 (Police Regional Office Regional Intelligence Division, Region 10) and the CPO-IDM (City Police Office Investigation and Detection Management unit). What did our hapless radion announcer do? Was it a bombing? A firefight with the army? Maybe he was leading a secret life as an insurgent, investigating city budget snafus by day but praising Mao and his poodle Professor Sison by night...In fact, Albert Loyola's only despicable crime was...are you ready? LIBEL.
Because Mr.Loyola dared to suggest that a City Councilor who sits upon the Council's Budget Appropriations Committee MIGHT have been partially responsible for the subsequent budget shortfall, he was jailed in the city's jail in Barangay Tipanoy on P12,000 (~$300) bail. Ruiz was subsequently bailed out by a journalists organisation (the bail is akin to the bail charged to armed robbers and is a significant amount of money in the Philippines. Had he not been the recipient of such largesse he more than likely would have spent more than a year or more languishing as the case slowly made its way through the nation's notoriously corrupt and slow justice system).
I am no fan of the Philippine Media. Most are as unprofessional as the day is long but that only adds to my distaste since professional journalists in any nation are manipulative, heavily biased and lacking in common sense for the most part. I think it is safe to say that anyone with more than an iota of military experience feels the same. As one of my first Commanding Officers once told me, "The Media is the Devil." However, a third rate politician in a backwater burg using his political weight to batter someone who is merely doing their job? Well if made to choose I will definitely favor the man speaking his mind. The Philippines isn't the only nation with semi-retarded libel laws. Heck, England is only a shade or two better (forget the "or two"). Yet, when you juxtapose the Philippine Law against Councilor Ruiz's brutal assault, witnessed by several onlookers and heard by tens of thousands of stunned listeners, and THEN realise that the Councilor gets a pass and the victim gets a stint with robbers, rapists, and murderers...
The warrant served was for a single count, issued by Regional Trial Court #5 but there is an additional count coming down the line from Regional Trial Court #3, both in Iligan City so that our intrepid Mr.Loyola can look forward to another P12,000 Bail. In addition, the snack-obsessed Councilor Ruiz has ALSO filed Libel charges against the station's parent corporation, Rajah Broadcasting Network Incorporated, Station Manager Rolito Saquilabom, and the station itself, DXRJ. Ruiz also has filed a Civil Rights case and is suing for damages in excess of P3 Million from each of the four defendants. Disgusting.
In the first and second quarters former President Fidel Ramos toured the region as he drummed up attention for BIMP-EAGA. The Brunei -Indonesia -Malaysia -Philippines -East Asia Growth Area was the crowning achievement of Ramos' otherwise lackluster performance as President. Of note was the ex-President's visit to Sabah. Sabah, a Malaysian state located on the large island of Borneo is a point of contention between Malaysia and the Philippines. Though the Philippines is involved in territorial disputes with just about every nation in Southeast Asia (except Mynammar/Burma, Cambodia, and Laos), Sabah came close to plunging the nation into open, protracted war. For the sake of brevity I will simply note that I offered an in depth explanation of that fateful period in the late 1960s, over the course of three entries, "Operation Merdeka," Parts I, II, and III.
Likewise Sabah played a pivotal role in the Mindanowan Insurgency with the nascent militant organisation that would become the MNLF, or Moro National Liberation Front, finding succor and training there until 1976. Since then the territory has continued to play a part in local geopolitics because of the hundreds of thousands of Filipinos living there, albeit illegaly for most, as well as the perrenial drumbeats raised over the desired restoration of the Sultanate of Sulu. Originally controlled by the related Sultanate of Brunei, Sabah was given to the Sultan of Sulu, along with Palawan, in 1658 for assistance rendered to Brunei during a troublesome civil war.
Not wanting to miss an opportunity to further muck things up, Ramos could not resist bad mouthing one of the contenders for the title Sultan of Sulu. When asked his opinion about the claims of these contenders Ramos, referring to Mohammad Akjan Ali, offered that he believes the man to be a printer. Yes, as in "printer of books." Asked to elaborate he said the following, " He has all sorts of beautiful documents, including printed upon on old parchments like 150 years old...very impressive logo and nice pictures of him. Like some TV advertisements, but with due respect [sic]." Suuuuuure.
No word about a response from the would be Sultan who had himself crowned at his house on February 2nd, 2011. Billing himself as "Sultan Shariful Hisham II, the 33rd Sultan of Sulu," he was forced to do some furious backpedaling when local politicians began screaming that he be charged with Sedition, punishable by death. He clarified that the ceremony at his home in Kampung Lokas in Sabah had actually been a feast of thanksgiving for having been "chosen" to be Sultan. Aaaah, you can take the man out of the Philippines, but never the Philippines out of the man.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Political Developments,Second Quarter of 2010,Part VI:Election Related Violence in Sulu and Tawi Tawi Provinces
With yesterday's attack against Sulu Governor Abdursakur Tan still ringing in our collective ears it is important to rember that what appears to be a Suicide Bombing is just the latest in a long history of political violence in the Southern Province.Unbeknownst to most outside of Mindanao,the Sulu Islands are collectively a province of Mindanao, as well as apart of the ARMM (Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao).Dominated by the Tausug Tribe,the islands are a hotbed of insurgency and Kidnap For Ransom (KFR).That said,this year's election on May 10th proved to be Sulu's least violent in history,or at least that is what the Government is proudly claiming.Governor Tan not only managed to hold onto his seat,he trounced both rivals with the MNLF's Chairman Nur Misuari coming in a very dismal third, with a ratio 0f 6:1 in terms of votes cast between him and Tan.Sulu of course is not only Misuari's home turf,it is the heartland of the MNLF.The fact that Misuari couldn't even garner 12,000 votes there says a whole lot about the relevancy of the MNLF in today's Mindanao,almost as much as it says about Misuari himself,a man who until 1999 could do no wrong in the eyes of Sulu.
On March 1st,2010 in Barangay Karungdung in the town of Kalingalan Caluang in Sulu Province former Barangay Captain/Chairman Abdullah Caluang and his supporters battled a former vice mayor and his men.2 of Caluang's men were shot to death in the firefight.The shooting ended the next afternoon with 1 man from the ex-vice mayor's group being critically wounded.
On April 20th,2010 in Siasi,Sulu,Leon Ajid a supporter of mayoral candidate Wilson Anni was shot by a rival candidate and severely wounded.
That same day in Pata,also in Sulu,well known cleric Imam Bula was killed in the cross fire between supporters of incumbent mayoral candidate Nurmina Burahan and opposing candidate Hadji Zaldi Haddari after Haddari and his gunmen occupied Barangay Luuk Tulay,an outlying neighborhood.The Barangay Captain/Chairman notified the mayor who then had his paramilitary shell that barangay with 60MM mortars.
Fighting lasted until April 22nd when a detachment of AFP Marines were finally deployed.Occupations of barangays by politicians take place not so much as a show of power but to control voting,this is why the mayor felt the need to come out so strongly against the occupying force.Unfortunately though,the deployment of Marines caused COMELEC (Election authority) to cluster barangays into a single polling site.With barangays divided so strongly amongst opposing candidates,40% of the opposing candidate's voters were unable to vote.
On April 26th,2010 in Sitio Buta Buta in Barangay Parian Dakula in the municipality of Pandami in Sulu Province, Barangay Captain/Chairman Hadji Isa Sitin and his son were hanging campaign posters in the barangay,which adjoins their own barangay,Lahi,when Dakula's Barangay Captain/Chairman,30 year old Kitoh Aidani opened fire on them.Father and son both fired back and shot Aidani to death.Aidani as well as his son was badly wounded as was an onlooker,Sali Darul.AFP Task Force Comet then deployed a detachment of Marines to the barangays to try and stem the violence.
On Election Day, Monday, May 10th,2010 in the municipality of Tongkil in Sulu Province a candidate's supporters were beaten by an opposing candidate's security detail,consisting of PNP (Philippine National Police) officers.
That same day,Election Day,in Barangay Kulasi in the town of Maimbung on Jolo Island in Sulu Province a journalist was interviewing a Bajao Tribesmen to see if he had been unwittingly made to vote for an unintended candidate when supporters of the incumbent mayor prevented the journalist's crew from filiming or photographing the interview.The interview uncovered area Bajaos being paid up to P1000 (20 Euros) for their votes as well as a large number of juvenile Bajaos voting.In addition almost all of the Bajao on site lacked IDs.As the journalists argued with the group a small riot broke out injuring several people present.
The Bajao are commonly known to Westerners as"Sea Gypsies"due to their nomadic lifestyle and though nominally Muslim,they live on the fringes of settled communities,almost never attend schools and are abused and manipulated in many of these communities.
Also on Election Day,May 10th,2010 in Barangay Bunot in the town of Indanan on Jolo Island in Sulu Province the brother of mayoral candidate Hussin Ahajin destroyed PCOs (Precinct Optical Scanners,machines used to verifiy ballots in computerised voting) while 2 other clustered precincts in the town never opened due to threats of violence.Altogether these caused COMELEC to declare a Failed Election in the town.
That same day,in the town of Panglima Estino in Sulu Province voting had to cease after 81MM mortar shelling by a rival of incumbent Mayor Munib Estino.No reports of wounded,though often times these are kept under wraps for obvious reasons.81MMs can do ALOT of damage.
Election Day,May 10th,2010 in the municipality of Pandami in Sulu Province supporters of rival gubneratorial candidates Arbison and incumbent Governor Tan began beating each other up and the outbreak soon developed into a full scale riot.
That same day in the town of Luuk on Jolo Island in Sulu Province in what was a curious case of bad timing, candidate Hadja Amina was served with an arrest warrant for an incident that took place during the last Barangay Election.Rivals sit atop warrants only to deploy them like weapons at opportune times.
Also that day,in Barangay Gandasuli in the town of Patikul on Jolo Island in Sulu Province incumbent mayoral candidate Hayudini,a supporter from the Julkarnain Clan who is coincidentally related to Hayudini's rival candidate Datu Bahjin,attacked Bahjin's sons with 3 of them requiring hospitalisation with severe wounds about the head from bolos (machetes).
Also Election Day,in the town of Lugus in Sulu Province BEIs (Board of Elections Inspectors) at the town's clustered precincts were slapped by mayoral candidate Aradais when they refused to obey his demand to cheat.BEIs then fled en masse to Barangay Poblacion and sought protection with a detachment of AFP Marines who then deployed to the precints and seized PCOSs (Precinct Optical Scanners) and Election materiels.
That same day in Barangay Bangkilay in the town of Panguturan,which sits atop of islets sharing that same name in Sulu Province,the son of the Barangay Captain/Chairman and a supporter of mayoral candidate Police[sic-that is his name] Sali battled with supporters of rival candidate,incumbent mayor Ahmad Nano.The Captain/Chairman's son, eponymously named Ibnu,ended up shooting and critically wounding 3 men.
Late that same day,at 525PM,in Barangay Kulasi in the town of Maimbung on Jolo Island in Sulu Province,Governor Tan's son Samir was in a firefight with members of the Maldisa Clan with whom the Tans have been in Rido (Clan Feud) for quite some time.Shortly after that firefight cooled down a shot from an unknown source sniped the location where the governor's wife was resting though she wasn't wounded by the gunfire.
Samir Tan himself is running for Mayor of the town,his Clan's hometown,against incumbent Mayor Najib Maldisa.The Maldisa Clan blames Governor Tan for the death of Najib's brother who was Vice Govenor when killed.
Finally,rounding out that long and bloody Election Day,Tupay Loong,candidate for Congress in Sulu's 1st District, which includes Jolo Island,slapped his elder brother Hussin and bloodied his nose and mouth.Hussin himself ran for Mayor of Parang (Parang on Jolo Island in Sulu Province as opposed to Parang in Maguindanao Province).
The Loongs are Sulu's most formidable political dynasty and I will be talking about them in an upcoming entry about Sulu's Governor Tan.
So, while it was a less violent Election Day than usually takes place in Sulu Province,"violent"is a relative term in this part of the world.
I am including Tawi Tawi,though a separate province,it is part of the Sulu archipelago and a province of Mindanao to bootThe leading ethnic group are the Sama (Samal)nd the Jamamapun,2 Muslim tribes with populations in Indonesia and Malaysia as well as in the Sulu and Tawi Tawi islands.In fact there is a small population on Mainland Mindanao as well but that is neither here nor there.
The Turtle Islands are a group of 7 islands laying due south of Tawi Tawi and forming the last islands in the Philippines,a nation of 7,107 islands.Lying 45 minutes to 1 hour north of Borneo by boat the islands are home to an absolutely fantastic abundance of marine wildlife.
On October 26,2009 at 545AM in Barangay Poblacion on Great Bakkungan Island,in the Turtle Islands,Jabbar Sahibil a caretaker for incumbent Governor Sadikul A. Sahali's family properties on that island led members of the Governor's CVO (Civlian Volunteer Organisation,one of the 4 entities collectively known as the"CAA,"or"Civilian Active Auxiliaries"that serve as the lynchpin in the AFP's Counterinsurgency Programme on Mindanao) in a 5 hour attack on villagers.The next day,October 27th,75 more CVO soldiers arrived on 2 cigarette boats (racing boats with dual engines,primarily used for smuggling but also to show wealth),1 of which was definitely owned by the Governor since its name remained uncovered,"Thunder Bull."
The 75 CVO soldiers joined the small force stationed in the Turtle Islands and proceeded to burn out more than 100 families living in Barangay Poblacion.Most of the families fled to relatives on nearby islands but some fled to Sabah,a Malaysian state on Borneo which is less than 45 minutes away from that island,by regular motorised boat travel.At least 11 families came north to Mainland Mindanao,decamping in Zamboanga City where they promptly lodged an official complaint with the CHR (Commission on Human Rights).
Then on October 28th Mayor Omarkhan A.Aripin got into a gun battle with a retired PNP ( Philippine National Police) officer who is reportedly on the payroll of Govenor Sahali,over the issue of"Flying Voters."The usual scenario involves bussing people in,at times with false ID (though usually not even neccessary due to connivance of COMELEC officials),and registering them as residents in a particular municipality.These people are paid to vote for a particular candidate thus throwing an election.In the case of the Turtle Islands,a very remote location and easy to verify in terms of who lives there and who does not,these"new residents"were brought in by boat and got the added benefit of a new home courtesy of the locals who had fled over the previous couple of days due to the CVO.
On Janurary 29th,2010,CHR subpoened the Governor but as of this posting,in mid-August of 2010,he hasnt replied in any way,shape or form.On May 10th,2010,the election,he received 71.29% of the vote in the Turtle Islands despite only winning the entire province by a measly 3,304 votes.Also worth noting is the victory of his daughter,Rubi Sahali Tan who won re-election as Vice Governor for the province.
Indeed,it was an inlaw of Vice Govenor Sahali Tan who originally sold the entire island of Great Bakkungan to the Sahali family by way of a sale registered at P1.5 Million (US28,000 for the entire island),deeded to 3 Sahali children,courtesy of Rolando Tan and this is where Mayor Aripin segues back into the story;The Mayor filed an official complaint,as did the DENR (Department of Environment and Natural Resources),seperately,trying to void that sale on the grounds that the land in question is both Public Land as well as Protected Land.That case is still unresolved but alot of money remains at stake.With Eco-Tourism being the next great thing on the horizon and not neccessitating alot of capitol outlay,the island holds ALOT of potential.For his part,to quell some of the controversy Governor Sahali says his family is no longer really interested in developing the island.
On April 13th,2010 at 1150PM in Barangay Ungus Matata on Tandu Bas Island off of Tawi Tawi a political ralley for Governor Sahali turned violent when Hadji Asdala Salih,the son of mayoral and vice mayoral candidates of Tandu Bas, Pendatun Hula Salih and Rahiema Asdala Salih respectively,took out his 45 caliber pistol after a heated argument and shot Muhammed Bakrin and king Abbas.The 2 badly wounded men were rushed by speed boat to the capital,Bongao,on Bongao Island,for medical treatment.
Abbas is the 1st cousin of rival vice mayoral candidate Fahmy Jainal Alonso whose running mate for mayor happens to be Alano Hula Salih,brother of mayoral candidate Pendatun Hula Salih,father of the shooter.Ergo,the shooter tried to murder his own 1st cousin because both their fathers,who happen to be brothers,are running for the same mayoral position.Complicated I know,but that is par for the course here in Mindanao.
On Election Day,Monday,May 10th,2010 in the town of Panglima Sugala in Tawi Tawi Province journalists were threatend with death while trying to record election cheating.Aaaaaah...The Mindanao"experience"...Don't you just love the smell of Napalm on the morning breeze?
On March 1st,2010 in Barangay Karungdung in the town of Kalingalan Caluang in Sulu Province former Barangay Captain/Chairman Abdullah Caluang and his supporters battled a former vice mayor and his men.2 of Caluang's men were shot to death in the firefight.The shooting ended the next afternoon with 1 man from the ex-vice mayor's group being critically wounded.
On April 20th,2010 in Siasi,Sulu,Leon Ajid a supporter of mayoral candidate Wilson Anni was shot by a rival candidate and severely wounded.
That same day in Pata,also in Sulu,well known cleric Imam Bula was killed in the cross fire between supporters of incumbent mayoral candidate Nurmina Burahan and opposing candidate Hadji Zaldi Haddari after Haddari and his gunmen occupied Barangay Luuk Tulay,an outlying neighborhood.The Barangay Captain/Chairman notified the mayor who then had his paramilitary shell that barangay with 60MM mortars.
Fighting lasted until April 22nd when a detachment of AFP Marines were finally deployed.Occupations of barangays by politicians take place not so much as a show of power but to control voting,this is why the mayor felt the need to come out so strongly against the occupying force.Unfortunately though,the deployment of Marines caused COMELEC (Election authority) to cluster barangays into a single polling site.With barangays divided so strongly amongst opposing candidates,40% of the opposing candidate's voters were unable to vote.
On April 26th,2010 in Sitio Buta Buta in Barangay Parian Dakula in the municipality of Pandami in Sulu Province, Barangay Captain/Chairman Hadji Isa Sitin and his son were hanging campaign posters in the barangay,which adjoins their own barangay,Lahi,when Dakula's Barangay Captain/Chairman,30 year old Kitoh Aidani opened fire on them.Father and son both fired back and shot Aidani to death.Aidani as well as his son was badly wounded as was an onlooker,Sali Darul.AFP Task Force Comet then deployed a detachment of Marines to the barangays to try and stem the violence.
On Election Day, Monday, May 10th,2010 in the municipality of Tongkil in Sulu Province a candidate's supporters were beaten by an opposing candidate's security detail,consisting of PNP (Philippine National Police) officers.
That same day,Election Day,in Barangay Kulasi in the town of Maimbung on Jolo Island in Sulu Province a journalist was interviewing a Bajao Tribesmen to see if he had been unwittingly made to vote for an unintended candidate when supporters of the incumbent mayor prevented the journalist's crew from filiming or photographing the interview.The interview uncovered area Bajaos being paid up to P1000 (20 Euros) for their votes as well as a large number of juvenile Bajaos voting.In addition almost all of the Bajao on site lacked IDs.As the journalists argued with the group a small riot broke out injuring several people present.
The Bajao are commonly known to Westerners as"Sea Gypsies"due to their nomadic lifestyle and though nominally Muslim,they live on the fringes of settled communities,almost never attend schools and are abused and manipulated in many of these communities.
Also on Election Day,May 10th,2010 in Barangay Bunot in the town of Indanan on Jolo Island in Sulu Province the brother of mayoral candidate Hussin Ahajin destroyed PCOs (Precinct Optical Scanners,machines used to verifiy ballots in computerised voting) while 2 other clustered precincts in the town never opened due to threats of violence.Altogether these caused COMELEC to declare a Failed Election in the town.
That same day,in the town of Panglima Estino in Sulu Province voting had to cease after 81MM mortar shelling by a rival of incumbent Mayor Munib Estino.No reports of wounded,though often times these are kept under wraps for obvious reasons.81MMs can do ALOT of damage.
Election Day,May 10th,2010 in the municipality of Pandami in Sulu Province supporters of rival gubneratorial candidates Arbison and incumbent Governor Tan began beating each other up and the outbreak soon developed into a full scale riot.
That same day in the town of Luuk on Jolo Island in Sulu Province in what was a curious case of bad timing, candidate Hadja Amina was served with an arrest warrant for an incident that took place during the last Barangay Election.Rivals sit atop warrants only to deploy them like weapons at opportune times.
Also that day,in Barangay Gandasuli in the town of Patikul on Jolo Island in Sulu Province incumbent mayoral candidate Hayudini,a supporter from the Julkarnain Clan who is coincidentally related to Hayudini's rival candidate Datu Bahjin,attacked Bahjin's sons with 3 of them requiring hospitalisation with severe wounds about the head from bolos (machetes).
Also Election Day,in the town of Lugus in Sulu Province BEIs (Board of Elections Inspectors) at the town's clustered precincts were slapped by mayoral candidate Aradais when they refused to obey his demand to cheat.BEIs then fled en masse to Barangay Poblacion and sought protection with a detachment of AFP Marines who then deployed to the precints and seized PCOSs (Precinct Optical Scanners) and Election materiels.
That same day in Barangay Bangkilay in the town of Panguturan,which sits atop of islets sharing that same name in Sulu Province,the son of the Barangay Captain/Chairman and a supporter of mayoral candidate Police[sic-that is his name] Sali battled with supporters of rival candidate,incumbent mayor Ahmad Nano.The Captain/Chairman's son, eponymously named Ibnu,ended up shooting and critically wounding 3 men.
Late that same day,at 525PM,in Barangay Kulasi in the town of Maimbung on Jolo Island in Sulu Province,Governor Tan's son Samir was in a firefight with members of the Maldisa Clan with whom the Tans have been in Rido (Clan Feud) for quite some time.Shortly after that firefight cooled down a shot from an unknown source sniped the location where the governor's wife was resting though she wasn't wounded by the gunfire.
Samir Tan himself is running for Mayor of the town,his Clan's hometown,against incumbent Mayor Najib Maldisa.The Maldisa Clan blames Governor Tan for the death of Najib's brother who was Vice Govenor when killed.
Finally,rounding out that long and bloody Election Day,Tupay Loong,candidate for Congress in Sulu's 1st District, which includes Jolo Island,slapped his elder brother Hussin and bloodied his nose and mouth.Hussin himself ran for Mayor of Parang (Parang on Jolo Island in Sulu Province as opposed to Parang in Maguindanao Province).
The Loongs are Sulu's most formidable political dynasty and I will be talking about them in an upcoming entry about Sulu's Governor Tan.
So, while it was a less violent Election Day than usually takes place in Sulu Province,"violent"is a relative term in this part of the world.
I am including Tawi Tawi,though a separate province,it is part of the Sulu archipelago and a province of Mindanao to bootThe leading ethnic group are the Sama (Samal)nd the Jamamapun,2 Muslim tribes with populations in Indonesia and Malaysia as well as in the Sulu and Tawi Tawi islands.In fact there is a small population on Mainland Mindanao as well but that is neither here nor there.
The Turtle Islands are a group of 7 islands laying due south of Tawi Tawi and forming the last islands in the Philippines,a nation of 7,107 islands.Lying 45 minutes to 1 hour north of Borneo by boat the islands are home to an absolutely fantastic abundance of marine wildlife.
On October 26,2009 at 545AM in Barangay Poblacion on Great Bakkungan Island,in the Turtle Islands,Jabbar Sahibil a caretaker for incumbent Governor Sadikul A. Sahali's family properties on that island led members of the Governor's CVO (Civlian Volunteer Organisation,one of the 4 entities collectively known as the"CAA,"or"Civilian Active Auxiliaries"that serve as the lynchpin in the AFP's Counterinsurgency Programme on Mindanao) in a 5 hour attack on villagers.The next day,October 27th,75 more CVO soldiers arrived on 2 cigarette boats (racing boats with dual engines,primarily used for smuggling but also to show wealth),1 of which was definitely owned by the Governor since its name remained uncovered,"Thunder Bull."
The 75 CVO soldiers joined the small force stationed in the Turtle Islands and proceeded to burn out more than 100 families living in Barangay Poblacion.Most of the families fled to relatives on nearby islands but some fled to Sabah,a Malaysian state on Borneo which is less than 45 minutes away from that island,by regular motorised boat travel.At least 11 families came north to Mainland Mindanao,decamping in Zamboanga City where they promptly lodged an official complaint with the CHR (Commission on Human Rights).
Then on October 28th Mayor Omarkhan A.Aripin got into a gun battle with a retired PNP ( Philippine National Police) officer who is reportedly on the payroll of Govenor Sahali,over the issue of"Flying Voters."The usual scenario involves bussing people in,at times with false ID (though usually not even neccessary due to connivance of COMELEC officials),and registering them as residents in a particular municipality.These people are paid to vote for a particular candidate thus throwing an election.In the case of the Turtle Islands,a very remote location and easy to verify in terms of who lives there and who does not,these"new residents"were brought in by boat and got the added benefit of a new home courtesy of the locals who had fled over the previous couple of days due to the CVO.
On Janurary 29th,2010,CHR subpoened the Governor but as of this posting,in mid-August of 2010,he hasnt replied in any way,shape or form.On May 10th,2010,the election,he received 71.29% of the vote in the Turtle Islands despite only winning the entire province by a measly 3,304 votes.Also worth noting is the victory of his daughter,Rubi Sahali Tan who won re-election as Vice Governor for the province.
Indeed,it was an inlaw of Vice Govenor Sahali Tan who originally sold the entire island of Great Bakkungan to the Sahali family by way of a sale registered at P1.5 Million (US28,000 for the entire island),deeded to 3 Sahali children,courtesy of Rolando Tan and this is where Mayor Aripin segues back into the story;The Mayor filed an official complaint,as did the DENR (Department of Environment and Natural Resources),seperately,trying to void that sale on the grounds that the land in question is both Public Land as well as Protected Land.That case is still unresolved but alot of money remains at stake.With Eco-Tourism being the next great thing on the horizon and not neccessitating alot of capitol outlay,the island holds ALOT of potential.For his part,to quell some of the controversy Governor Sahali says his family is no longer really interested in developing the island.
On April 13th,2010 at 1150PM in Barangay Ungus Matata on Tandu Bas Island off of Tawi Tawi a political ralley for Governor Sahali turned violent when Hadji Asdala Salih,the son of mayoral and vice mayoral candidates of Tandu Bas, Pendatun Hula Salih and Rahiema Asdala Salih respectively,took out his 45 caliber pistol after a heated argument and shot Muhammed Bakrin and king Abbas.The 2 badly wounded men were rushed by speed boat to the capital,Bongao,on Bongao Island,for medical treatment.
Abbas is the 1st cousin of rival vice mayoral candidate Fahmy Jainal Alonso whose running mate for mayor happens to be Alano Hula Salih,brother of mayoral candidate Pendatun Hula Salih,father of the shooter.Ergo,the shooter tried to murder his own 1st cousin because both their fathers,who happen to be brothers,are running for the same mayoral position.Complicated I know,but that is par for the course here in Mindanao.
On Election Day,Monday,May 10th,2010 in the town of Panglima Sugala in Tawi Tawi Province journalists were threatend with death while trying to record election cheating.Aaaaaah...The Mindanao"experience"...Don't you just love the smell of Napalm on the morning breeze?
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