The issue of "Child Warriors" (Philippine speak for "Child Soldiers") is a perennial punching bag for the Armed Forces of the Philippines, or AFP, as well as for the New People'a Army, or NPA, with each side wasting great time and energy accusing the other of reprehensibly using "children" in armed combat. However, the dynamic is non-existent in both organisations. It is used as a propaganda exercise. In International Law there is an important genre known as LOAC (pronounced "Low-Ack"), an acronym representing the "Laws of Armed Conflict." Within LOAC the 1989 United Natioms Convention on the Rights of the Child defines the minimum age for soldiers- or rather, defines a "child" as anyone 17 or younger (Article I), but in terms of "Child Soldiers," the minimum age for front line combat soldiers- because outside of that narrow role there is absolutely no minimum age- is 18 or older for conscription but anyone 15 or older can voluntarily participate in front line combat (OPAC, or, Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict, ratified May 25th, 2000). Conceivably you could dress a five year old in jungle camouflage and have him man an armed checkpoint but then you run into another genre, IHL, or International Humanitarian Law in which the "Rights of Children" are attended to in reams of Politically Correct verbiage.
To clarify, the minimum age for a front line combat soldier was, for decades, 14.5, or 14 years and six months for the decimally challenged amongst us. Then, in 1989, the UN authored a new Convention, the aforementioned "CROC," or, "Convention on the Rights of the Child," in which the age was raised to 15 years. So, the AFP is well within its rights to recruit 15 year old paramilitary soldiers in its CAA programme, right? Wrong...well...sort of... In "OPAC," the "Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict," Part IV, Article 1, only national militaries can recruit people 17 or younger. Paramilitaries are forbidden. But, according to the AFP the CAA programme is a Military Reserve, not a paramilitary. It is true that AFP cadres technically command each CAA detachment but it is also true that most CAAs never even receive their proscribed 45 days of military training. It would no doubt be a challenging case to prosecute were the Philippine Government to ever be called onto the carpet for the issue. The best defence the Government could offer is that CAA Regulations bar anyone under the age of 18 even being enlisted so that a 17 year old technically couldn't even join a rear echelon position (CAA being "Citizens Active Auxiliary" though usually the "C" is said to designate "Civilian," a faux paux that even the AFP has grown accustomed to making. The CAA are geographically fixed detachments composed of citizens living within a detachment's operational area. The best known form of CAA is the "CAFGU," pronounced "Kaf-goo," the Citizens Armed Forces Geographical Unit).
In the AFP's defence, it isn't that the AFP seeks anyone younger than 18. Indeed, I reckon that even if confronted with someone under the stated minimum age most any member of the AFP would be unwilling to accept them. However, there are times when an AFP officer has no choice but to enlist such people although it is extremely rare. Insurgency in the Philippines is strongest in the remote countryside. On Mindanao the NPA concentrates its expansionist agenda within the Lumad demographic, the Lumad being the one size fits all generic label applied to the 18 Animist Hilltribes of Austronesian stock. There are still today many Lumad villages existing off the grid. Existing in unrecognised communities there is no civil registration in terms of births, weddings, deaths, and so forth. Without birth certificates there is no way in which to ascertain one's age and so this is done via one's word and the judgement of the AFP cadre in charge of organising a CAA detachment within that community. Extant law in fact holds that age must be ascertained as best as can reasonably be expected. As such, dealing with Hilltribes, it is the "Datu," or Chief's word that serves as the "proof."
There are other ways in which recruits may circumvent the age guidelines, such as a local Datu having a 16 year only son, nephew, or grandson that he wants enlisted, the datu compels the cadre by refusing to allow the detachment to exist unless the cadre complies, and other similar scenarios.
As for the NPA, until the late 1990s the organisation openly recruited males and females as young as 14 despite the political wing, the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Poltiburo (Political Bureau, aka the Executive Committee)having issued a directive that nobody under 18 must be recruited into the NPA's Guerilla Fronts, the front line units. The directive had no teeth and so recruitment of young teenagers continued until 1999 when the AFP suceeded in getting the Manila-based national media to co-operate in its propaganda campaign against the NPA, thereafter the "Child Warrior" became one of two AFP propaganda mainstays (the other being the AFP-manufactured issue of landmines). This changed with external sources joining the fray in that same year. UNICEF issued a report claiming that 3% of all NPA guerillas were "children."
That same year the NPA received a stern rebuke from the CPP's Military Commission, the entity serving as an interface between the CPP Central Committee and the NPA National Command. Now the minimum age for recruitment was firmly established at age 18. However, IF the NPA wished to recuit 9 year olds legally it could (according to the AFP it recruits nine year olds, at least that was the silly story told by the 10ID (Infantry Division) when it claimed a little girl it murdered was a guerilla). Laws dealing with minimum ages in the military merely apply to national governments, and then only if the government agrees to sign a voluntary agreement. These agreements, CROC, OPAC, Rome Statute, and so on can be abrogated simply by written notice of the nation wishing to withdraw.
Aside from the NPA, all Philippine insurgent organisations have, within recent memory, actively recruited children as young as 11. Although the BIAF, or Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces as the MILF military wing is known, now takes a stance that at least externally rejects the recruitment of children, it still enlists them. Although not very common, it is also not very rare to find BIAF guerillas in their very early teens. The MILF defends this by correctly noting that BIAF camps have never been conventional military camps. They are not properly defined and in most cases, neither are they properly protected. Within boundries haphazardly defined by the MILF/BIAF itself, several villages exist much like any other Philippine villages except for the MILF serving as the here all-end all power in villagers' lives. Shari'a Courts, courts administering Islamic Law, are administered by the MILF. People are whipped, executed, and so forth. Schools teach only MILF and Islamic principles and so the MILF/BIAF has created a state within a state. Each family is compelled to offer one male and one female to the organisation, with 12 being the minimum age for males, 11 for females.
Currently the ARMM, or, Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao regional government has just awarded 20 BIAF Child Soldiers an educational package as it tries to lure more and more youth from a life of kill or be killed but the ARMM can only do this with foreign funding so that there isn't much hope that the BIAF will stop this practice. The MILF, as I noted, swears it won't do it anymore but then adds that children living in BIAF camps must be taught to defend themselves in the face of "external" aggression, as in the Philippine Government trying to merely re-establish its sovereign rights.
The ASG, or, Abu Sayyaf Group, is one organisation- and I used the word "organisation" VERY loosely- that makes no apologies about employing whichever male wishes to join them. On November 14th, 2011, the AFP's 4th Scout Ranger Battalion was once again operating in the municipality of Sumisip, in Basilan Province. Encircling a small camp under sub-Kumander Abdulbaki Ismanul, in Barangay Tongsengal, the soldiers began slowly crawling forward, uphill when they were detected. During the ensuing firefight the AFP was able to capture three Abu Sayyaf guerillas:
1) Al Mahdi Arshad, age 22
2) Abdul Baklis Manul
one of whom was 12 years old:
3) Abduhaya Pantasan
In doing so the AFP also managed to capture two M16s, one of which had an M203 grenade launcher, as well as one M14. In addition, twelve full magazines were captured, five M16, seven M14, and one ICOM walkie talkie. Not taking any chances since the 4th Battalion's Intelligence Unit was caught torturing an Abu Sayyaf guerilla this past summer, the battalion quickly turned the 12 year old over to the DSWD, or, Department of Social Welfare and Development as they are mandated to do.
Mandated or not, quite often youth are tacticaly interrogated, often brutally, and then incarcerated side by side with adults. It is only within the last 6 years that the Philippines has begun separating juvenile inmates from adults, yet hundreds are still not segregated. Children as young as 5 years old are held in large adult cells, and I need not describe the hellish life that awaits such children. At DSWD the young guerilla is ostensibly trained and counseled so as to have at least an opportunity to salvage his life. Of course in reality no real dedicated programme exists for de-programming such youth. Their counseling is with untrained paraprofessionals and their de-programming isn't via any established protocols and so naturallt these young people end up with little prospects outside the gross violence they have become accustomed too.
Showing posts with label Sumisip. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sumisip. Show all posts
Sunday, November 27, 2011
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.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Abu Sayyaf Armed Contacts for First and Second Quarters of 2010
Seeing as how I have spent the last 2 entries discussing the island province of Basilan I thought I might make a relatively painless segue directly into an update about actions undertaken by the ASG (Abu Sayyaf Group) as I begin discussing the insurgency on that small island.
On Feburary 2nd, 2010, Tuesday at 12PM in Barangay Guiong in the town of Maluso in Basilan Province, an AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) 6 x 6 truck with armoured refitting was flipped onto its back by an IED (Improvised Explosive Device, i.e. "Bomb"), one of two that day on that same Sumisip-Maluso Road (I wrote about the second IED in my previous entry on the Election Related Violence on Basilan). Corporal Bryan Ansing of the 32IB (Infantry Battalion) was killed instantly while eight of his mates were severely wounded.
With two IEDs by Abu Sayyaf, one hitting the army, the second hitting a politician, it is difficult to say which 1 was the target. IEDs in the Philippines are almost always command detonated (someone must physically detonate it, no timer is used) as indeed these two were...which leads one to wonder just whom the ASG (Abu Sayyaf Group) was aiming for. Conceivably it could have been both but the organisation hasn't attempted any finely co-ordinated attacks since the younger Janjalani brother was killed on Jolo Island. It is more likely than not that the target was the military and that the political killing was simply a stroke of luck (good luck for ASG but terrible luck of course for the victims).
Feburary 26th, 2010, at 820PM in Barangay Biembengan, in the municipality of Sumisip in Basilan Province,the two Chinese nationals kidnapped from the island's Chinese owned Hi-Tech Wood Craft Plywood mill in the town of Maluso on Novemeber 10th, 2009 were finally freed. They had been taken with Filipino worker Mark Singson who was decapitated not long after because of his family's refusal to negotiate a ransom. 51 year old Zhi Shun Lu, known as "Oscar Lu," and 27 year old Bo Shung Tan, known as "Michael Tan," were found after a firefight between the Marines and ASG's Puruji Indama Faction, the strongest ASG faction on Basilan.
The men, both natives of Guanghzou, China, were then taken to the AFP's Camp Navarro in Zamboanga City for de-briefing and the requisite hospitalisation. Unfortunately, the older man, "Oscar Lu," who has had advanced kidney disease for a number of years, and who of course was without medications and dialysis for the length of his ordeal, passed away due to organ failure three days after being found. Talk about "mixed blessings."
On Saturday, Feburary 27th, 2010,at 545AM in the town of Maluso's Barangay Tubigan seventy ASG guerillas launched a village wide raid and burned five homes down by throwing kerosene lamps onto the thatched huts roofs. Most villagers were still sleeping at what for them was a relatively late hour due to an Islamic holiday the evening before and a party at the village mosque. As villagers were running for safety ASG began picking them off. Eleven died on scene. The raid stemmed from a personal disagreement between the Barangay Chairman/Captain (village chief) and an ASG factional leader,Puruji Indama. One of the dead was an off duty CVO soldier (Civilian Volunteer Organization, one of four entities that together form the CAA, or Civilian Active Auxiliary,the cornerstone of the AFP's counterinsurgency Force Multiplication protocol. CVO though, unlike all others, is under the PNP, Philippine National Police, and not the AFP). Among the initial eleven killed was young mother Karen Bucoy, her 9 year old son Arjie, and infant Abigail who were all burned alive in their home.
Other eight casulaties:
1) Benjie Laping
2) Timhaar Arakani
3) Uding Pagdalian
4) John Laping
5) Salima Salapuddin
6) Lorna Sahidda Salisa
7) Tawasil Idjiran
the eleventh initial victim, the CVO soldier, has not been immediately identified as per SOP (Standard Operating Procedure). In addition, ten other villagers were wounded, with two of them dying over the next 48 hours. One of the latter was 9 year old Jabrian Laping who died from organ failure related to his severe burns. The last and thirteenth fatality has not had their identity released.
Thursday, March 18th, 2010 was a lucky day for Examinda Lindio of Isabela City on Basilan, perhaps her luckiest ever when the AFP was able to pressure her Abu Sayyaf kidnappers into withdrawing without her. At 11AM, in Barangay San Jose Maloong, in Lamitan City in Basilan Province, MBLT-1 (Marine Battalion Landing Team #1 (a Landing Team being the equivalent of a company in strength but battalion in deployment) affected the capture Abu Sayyaf member Arvin Guirny of that same barangay.
After interrogating him they were able to glean the location of Ms.Lindio and by 115PM were in position. As the cordon tightened lookouts alerted the kidnappers who quickly fled the abandoned three story building without taking the necessary time to free and take their captive who was held in a tiny crawlspace underneath the 1st floor of the building.
Ms.Lindio had been kidnapped on Saturday, March 13th so she is doubly lucky having only spent roughly five days in captivity and having been freed unscathed which is incredibly rare here.
On April 13th, 2010 at 1030 AM in Isabela City's Barangay Eastside in Basilan Provincr Abu Sayyaf attempted to duplicate the 1995 Attack on Ipil, a majority Christian city on Mindanao's Zamboanga Peninsula, an isthmus that sits directly north of Isabela City. Ipil, an attack that killed fifty-six civlians was an operation that put Abu Sayyaf on the map.It was extremely well planned and audacious in nature but more importantly the group was able to pull it off in textbook fashion. Unfortunately for Abu Sayyaf, those days are long gone. 15 years later Abu Sayyaf, devoid of the Janjalani brothers and all other founding members dead and gone, the April 13th operation in Isabela City should prove this better than anything else.
At 1030 AM a truck bomb fashioned out of a Hyundai minivan parked behind Basilan National High School's grandstand detonated in a spectacular fireball. PNP (Philippine National Police) officer SPO4 Enrico "Ricky" Morales who commanded the Basilan PNP PPO (Provincial Police Office) joined 2 Marines stsnding nearby and ran to the source of the explosion. As the 3 men rounded the corner on the opposite end of the grandstand Abu Sayyaf snipers in captured PNP uniforms drew a bead on them. Both Marines died instantly while SPO4 Morales was seriously wounded. Sadly, Professor Bong de la Luna who taught at Basilan State College was caught in a crossfire between SPO4 Morales and the snipers and was also killed in the melee. Two Abu Sayyaf snipers were taken down,dying on scene,1 of which was in plain clothes.
At this point the remaining ASG snipers and their blocking force (shooters who protect escape routes and rear echelons) began to rapidly withdraw, pursued by SPO4 Morales' underlings aided by well armed civlians so that the barangay devolved into a chaotic scene of running firefights.
2 more Abu Sayyaf were wounded,both in PNP SAF (Special Action Forces,the PNP Special Forces) fatigues. They were taken to nearby Infante Hospital before being quickly airlifted across the water to Camp Navarro Hospital in Zamboanga City (1 dying days later,on April 21,from sepsis,with his only known ID being his nom de guerre, "Umbar" (He was buried on the coast of Zamboanga at Caragasan by the local Imam). The surviving Abu Sayyaf guerilla,Ajid Jalil,alternatively known as "Ajid Jainul" was arrested on June 29th after being released from WESMINCOM (West Mindanao Command) Hospital, the AFP's Camp Navarro Hospital in Zamoboanga City.
At just before 11AM, the day of the aforementioned ASG raid,after the wounding of the two Abu Sayyaf gunment above,a 2nd IED with an equally powerful payload (a"payload"being the expolsive component of the bomb) detonated at the Cathedral of Santa Isabela and destroyed 70% of the building's compound, wounding thirteen civilians. The bomb had been rigged to a motorcycle parked in the compound's parking lot immediately adjacent to the cathedral itself. Six SUVs were also destroyed along with 10 other motorcycles and 1 habal-habal (motorcycle taxi).
A third IED set in front of the home of Judge Leo Jay Principe, adjacent to Basilan RTC-1 (Regional Trial Court 1) was discovered prior to detonation. An AFP EOD (Explosive and Ordnance Detachment) detonated the device near by.Judge Princpe is the jurist who swore out the warrants for the 130 ASG and MILF 114 Base Command guerillas who are said to have taken part in the infamous joint action in July of 2007 that killed fourteen Marines, ten of whom were then decapitated,on Basilan.
A fourth IED did detonate, though prematurely as a cargo van full of Abu Sayyaf guerillas were driving through the streets of Isabela City at 1135 AM.Their van inexplicably caught fire causing the IED to go off before they could stop and exit the van. The guerillas were killed.
In a tell tale sign of just how low Abu Sayyaf has sunk,the wounded guerilla revealed during interrogation at Camp Navarro that almost all actors were in fact inexperienced youth hired from Basilan's municipality of Tipo Tipo.The operation was entirely devoid of political ideology and the fact that their direct employer was apparently a middle man,brokering the operation clearly points to an act of election sabotage in the avaristic sense, a candidate attempting to gain the upper hand over 1 or another of his (or her) competitors and win the election. Ergo, a political act devoid of political ideology if you will. Since Abu Sayyaf has been operating entirely for profit since 2002, this should come as no suprise.
On April 26th, 2010 in Barangay Baiwas, in the town of Sumisip, five Abu Sayyaf guerillas were killed in an accidental encounter with the AFP, as was one AFP soldier. After that initial bloody encounter running firefights took place throughout the rest of the day. These skirmishes in turn led to another unexpected windfall when the AFP"s 4th Scount Ranger Company (AFP Special Forces) stumbled into a major Abu Sayyaf camp.4 of the Rangers were moderately wounded when 1 inadvertantly tripped a boobytrapped IED inside the camp's perimeter. The IED was fashioned from a 60MM mortar shell with a simple monofilament trip wire.More shells,as is,were recovered as were RPG-2 rounds.
Tuesday, April 27th,2010, on the border of Barangays Pamasatken and Baiwas in the municipality of Sumisip in Basilan Province, an IED detonated wounding three AFP Scout Rangers from the 4th Scout Ranger Company on the side of Bundok Abong-Abong (Abong Abong Mountain) during a firefight with ASG who were wearing captured AFP fatigues along the ridgeline. A fourth Scout Ranger from the same company was wounded in a firefight 30 minutes later under the ridgeline as they began withdrawing to Medivac the 3 previously wounded soldiers.
On Wednesday, May 19th, 2010 at 5PM, in Barangay Bakong, in the town of Sumisip in Basilan Proince,a PNP convoy from Isabela City that had arrived in search of Abu Sayyaf after ASG guerillas had been sighted in and out of the bush outside of town had come up empty and was just turning around for the return trip into Isabela City when they were ambushed by that same band of Abu Sayyaf. Two PNP officers, SPO1 Abdurajik Haji and PO1 Charlie Arsenal were shot to death just as the ambush began. In a stroke of luck, Basilan's Director of the PNP PPO, Senior Superint.Antonio"Tony"Mendoza just missed punching his ticket by a single meter as his unarmoured vehicle managed to round the bend as the shooting began.Talk about thanking your lucky stars.
Two Abu Sayyaf guerillas were killed in that attack as well, one of which, Adduji Kawwil, is an ex-CVO soldier as well as a current Barangay Councilman/Kagawad. He was moonlighting but whether as a guerilla or a councilman depends upon perspective.
Wednesday,May 26th,2010 at 6 AM in Sitio Mompol in Barangay Libug,cin the town of Sumisip,30 Abu Sayyaf guerillas ambushed a jeepney (ubiqitous form of Philippine public transportation,fashioned from WWII Era American military jeeps that have had their axles lengthened to about 10 meters,thus resembling lowriding school busses) that was plying the road between Isabela City and Sumisip.
The Jeepney had just picked up a load of passengers for the return trip to Isabela City when it was flagged down by well armed Abu Sayyaf guerillas. Stopping, all passengers jumped out the rear,3 passengers,all males were singled out and taken away by the gunmen.
Claudio Mananita, an employee of Manggal Agrarian Reform Beneficiary and Development Cooperative, a rubber plantation land distribution concern was the 1st to be ransomed off,for P2 Million (roughly 40,000 Euros).His family,unable to pay anything at all later found that he had been executed.
His two fellow passengers, a gay couple,were executed just 2 hours after being led into the bush,apparently because of their sexual orientation since no ransom demands were even floated (despite widely circulated media reports that the kidnappers had sent SMS messages to victim's grandmother demanding a P1 Million (roughly 20,000 Euros) payment. Also just as inaccurate are the reports that the 2 gay men had been executed at around the same time that Mr.Mananita was,24 hours prior to discovery).The 2,Rolando Francisco Jr. and Dariel Quintela were heading into Isabela City so that Francisco could earn money by styling hair as he tried to save enough to enter college.
The bodies of all 3 men were found on Saturday,June 4th in Barangay Sukaten in the town of Sumisip,after a fire fight at 8am the day before.As the AFP pursued the withdrawing ASG guerillas into their stronghold in Barangay Baiwas they came across the decomposing remains.That fire fight on Friday also wounded 2 AFP soldiers.It is worth noting that all 3 had been shot at close range and not decapitated as has also been reported by the media.
June 11,2010,Saturday,3PM outside of the town of Maluso in Basilan Province,3 men were illegaly logging in the bush, towing logs with caraboa (water buffalo) when they had the extremely bad luck to come across a retreating group of ASG. All 3 were found decapitated in Sitio Pali in Barangay Abong-Abong in that same town,Maluso.
On Wednesday, June 26th, 2010 at about 2PM in Sitio Stardust, in Barangay Tubig,also in the town of Maluso in Basilan Province,a jeepney en route to Sumisip's Barangay Calcaban from Isabela City became the 2nd to be waylaid by Abu Sayyaf in the last four weeks,killing four and critically wounding wounding,including a 10 year old boy.The older wounded passenger was hacked nearly to death by bolo (machete) but despite media reports was not decapitated. The dead were the driver, 35 year old Rodel Weng Circulado and passengers Salsijan Ampuan Sali aged 22,Rahma Anjalun aged 35 and 17 year old Solis Aspalun.
Abu Sayyaf snipers atop a hill strafed the side of the jeepney, killing its driver and causing it to roll to a stop. At that point all passengers jumped out the rear and made a run for it with four being shot as they did so. As mentioned, one unlucky man,though managing to outrun his attacker was still badly mutilated by his pursuer's bolo.
On Feburary 2nd, 2010, Tuesday at 12PM in Barangay Guiong in the town of Maluso in Basilan Province, an AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) 6 x 6 truck with armoured refitting was flipped onto its back by an IED (Improvised Explosive Device, i.e. "Bomb"), one of two that day on that same Sumisip-Maluso Road (I wrote about the second IED in my previous entry on the Election Related Violence on Basilan). Corporal Bryan Ansing of the 32IB (Infantry Battalion) was killed instantly while eight of his mates were severely wounded.
With two IEDs by Abu Sayyaf, one hitting the army, the second hitting a politician, it is difficult to say which 1 was the target. IEDs in the Philippines are almost always command detonated (someone must physically detonate it, no timer is used) as indeed these two were...which leads one to wonder just whom the ASG (Abu Sayyaf Group) was aiming for. Conceivably it could have been both but the organisation hasn't attempted any finely co-ordinated attacks since the younger Janjalani brother was killed on Jolo Island. It is more likely than not that the target was the military and that the political killing was simply a stroke of luck (good luck for ASG but terrible luck of course for the victims).
Feburary 26th, 2010, at 820PM in Barangay Biembengan, in the municipality of Sumisip in Basilan Province,the two Chinese nationals kidnapped from the island's Chinese owned Hi-Tech Wood Craft Plywood mill in the town of Maluso on Novemeber 10th, 2009 were finally freed. They had been taken with Filipino worker Mark Singson who was decapitated not long after because of his family's refusal to negotiate a ransom. 51 year old Zhi Shun Lu, known as "Oscar Lu," and 27 year old Bo Shung Tan, known as "Michael Tan," were found after a firefight between the Marines and ASG's Puruji Indama Faction, the strongest ASG faction on Basilan.
The men, both natives of Guanghzou, China, were then taken to the AFP's Camp Navarro in Zamboanga City for de-briefing and the requisite hospitalisation. Unfortunately, the older man, "Oscar Lu," who has had advanced kidney disease for a number of years, and who of course was without medications and dialysis for the length of his ordeal, passed away due to organ failure three days after being found. Talk about "mixed blessings."
On Saturday, Feburary 27th, 2010,at 545AM in the town of Maluso's Barangay Tubigan seventy ASG guerillas launched a village wide raid and burned five homes down by throwing kerosene lamps onto the thatched huts roofs. Most villagers were still sleeping at what for them was a relatively late hour due to an Islamic holiday the evening before and a party at the village mosque. As villagers were running for safety ASG began picking them off. Eleven died on scene. The raid stemmed from a personal disagreement between the Barangay Chairman/Captain (village chief) and an ASG factional leader,Puruji Indama. One of the dead was an off duty CVO soldier (Civilian Volunteer Organization, one of four entities that together form the CAA, or Civilian Active Auxiliary,the cornerstone of the AFP's counterinsurgency Force Multiplication protocol. CVO though, unlike all others, is under the PNP, Philippine National Police, and not the AFP). Among the initial eleven killed was young mother Karen Bucoy, her 9 year old son Arjie, and infant Abigail who were all burned alive in their home.
Other eight casulaties:
1) Benjie Laping
2) Timhaar Arakani
3) Uding Pagdalian
4) John Laping
5) Salima Salapuddin
6) Lorna Sahidda Salisa
7) Tawasil Idjiran
the eleventh initial victim, the CVO soldier, has not been immediately identified as per SOP (Standard Operating Procedure). In addition, ten other villagers were wounded, with two of them dying over the next 48 hours. One of the latter was 9 year old Jabrian Laping who died from organ failure related to his severe burns. The last and thirteenth fatality has not had their identity released.
Thursday, March 18th, 2010 was a lucky day for Examinda Lindio of Isabela City on Basilan, perhaps her luckiest ever when the AFP was able to pressure her Abu Sayyaf kidnappers into withdrawing without her. At 11AM, in Barangay San Jose Maloong, in Lamitan City in Basilan Province, MBLT-1 (Marine Battalion Landing Team #1 (a Landing Team being the equivalent of a company in strength but battalion in deployment) affected the capture Abu Sayyaf member Arvin Guirny of that same barangay.
After interrogating him they were able to glean the location of Ms.Lindio and by 115PM were in position. As the cordon tightened lookouts alerted the kidnappers who quickly fled the abandoned three story building without taking the necessary time to free and take their captive who was held in a tiny crawlspace underneath the 1st floor of the building.
Ms.Lindio had been kidnapped on Saturday, March 13th so she is doubly lucky having only spent roughly five days in captivity and having been freed unscathed which is incredibly rare here.
On April 13th, 2010 at 1030 AM in Isabela City's Barangay Eastside in Basilan Provincr Abu Sayyaf attempted to duplicate the 1995 Attack on Ipil, a majority Christian city on Mindanao's Zamboanga Peninsula, an isthmus that sits directly north of Isabela City. Ipil, an attack that killed fifty-six civlians was an operation that put Abu Sayyaf on the map.It was extremely well planned and audacious in nature but more importantly the group was able to pull it off in textbook fashion. Unfortunately for Abu Sayyaf, those days are long gone. 15 years later Abu Sayyaf, devoid of the Janjalani brothers and all other founding members dead and gone, the April 13th operation in Isabela City should prove this better than anything else.
At 1030 AM a truck bomb fashioned out of a Hyundai minivan parked behind Basilan National High School's grandstand detonated in a spectacular fireball. PNP (Philippine National Police) officer SPO4 Enrico "Ricky" Morales who commanded the Basilan PNP PPO (Provincial Police Office) joined 2 Marines stsnding nearby and ran to the source of the explosion. As the 3 men rounded the corner on the opposite end of the grandstand Abu Sayyaf snipers in captured PNP uniforms drew a bead on them. Both Marines died instantly while SPO4 Morales was seriously wounded. Sadly, Professor Bong de la Luna who taught at Basilan State College was caught in a crossfire between SPO4 Morales and the snipers and was also killed in the melee. Two Abu Sayyaf snipers were taken down,dying on scene,1 of which was in plain clothes.
At this point the remaining ASG snipers and their blocking force (shooters who protect escape routes and rear echelons) began to rapidly withdraw, pursued by SPO4 Morales' underlings aided by well armed civlians so that the barangay devolved into a chaotic scene of running firefights.
2 more Abu Sayyaf were wounded,both in PNP SAF (Special Action Forces,the PNP Special Forces) fatigues. They were taken to nearby Infante Hospital before being quickly airlifted across the water to Camp Navarro Hospital in Zamboanga City (1 dying days later,on April 21,from sepsis,with his only known ID being his nom de guerre, "Umbar" (He was buried on the coast of Zamboanga at Caragasan by the local Imam). The surviving Abu Sayyaf guerilla,Ajid Jalil,alternatively known as "Ajid Jainul" was arrested on June 29th after being released from WESMINCOM (West Mindanao Command) Hospital, the AFP's Camp Navarro Hospital in Zamoboanga City.
At just before 11AM, the day of the aforementioned ASG raid,after the wounding of the two Abu Sayyaf gunment above,a 2nd IED with an equally powerful payload (a"payload"being the expolsive component of the bomb) detonated at the Cathedral of Santa Isabela and destroyed 70% of the building's compound, wounding thirteen civilians. The bomb had been rigged to a motorcycle parked in the compound's parking lot immediately adjacent to the cathedral itself. Six SUVs were also destroyed along with 10 other motorcycles and 1 habal-habal (motorcycle taxi).
A third IED set in front of the home of Judge Leo Jay Principe, adjacent to Basilan RTC-1 (Regional Trial Court 1) was discovered prior to detonation. An AFP EOD (Explosive and Ordnance Detachment) detonated the device near by.Judge Princpe is the jurist who swore out the warrants for the 130 ASG and MILF 114 Base Command guerillas who are said to have taken part in the infamous joint action in July of 2007 that killed fourteen Marines, ten of whom were then decapitated,on Basilan.
A fourth IED did detonate, though prematurely as a cargo van full of Abu Sayyaf guerillas were driving through the streets of Isabela City at 1135 AM.Their van inexplicably caught fire causing the IED to go off before they could stop and exit the van. The guerillas were killed.
In a tell tale sign of just how low Abu Sayyaf has sunk,the wounded guerilla revealed during interrogation at Camp Navarro that almost all actors were in fact inexperienced youth hired from Basilan's municipality of Tipo Tipo.The operation was entirely devoid of political ideology and the fact that their direct employer was apparently a middle man,brokering the operation clearly points to an act of election sabotage in the avaristic sense, a candidate attempting to gain the upper hand over 1 or another of his (or her) competitors and win the election. Ergo, a political act devoid of political ideology if you will. Since Abu Sayyaf has been operating entirely for profit since 2002, this should come as no suprise.
On April 26th, 2010 in Barangay Baiwas, in the town of Sumisip, five Abu Sayyaf guerillas were killed in an accidental encounter with the AFP, as was one AFP soldier. After that initial bloody encounter running firefights took place throughout the rest of the day. These skirmishes in turn led to another unexpected windfall when the AFP"s 4th Scount Ranger Company (AFP Special Forces) stumbled into a major Abu Sayyaf camp.4 of the Rangers were moderately wounded when 1 inadvertantly tripped a boobytrapped IED inside the camp's perimeter. The IED was fashioned from a 60MM mortar shell with a simple monofilament trip wire.More shells,as is,were recovered as were RPG-2 rounds.
Tuesday, April 27th,2010, on the border of Barangays Pamasatken and Baiwas in the municipality of Sumisip in Basilan Province, an IED detonated wounding three AFP Scout Rangers from the 4th Scout Ranger Company on the side of Bundok Abong-Abong (Abong Abong Mountain) during a firefight with ASG who were wearing captured AFP fatigues along the ridgeline. A fourth Scout Ranger from the same company was wounded in a firefight 30 minutes later under the ridgeline as they began withdrawing to Medivac the 3 previously wounded soldiers.
On Wednesday, May 19th, 2010 at 5PM, in Barangay Bakong, in the town of Sumisip in Basilan Proince,a PNP convoy from Isabela City that had arrived in search of Abu Sayyaf after ASG guerillas had been sighted in and out of the bush outside of town had come up empty and was just turning around for the return trip into Isabela City when they were ambushed by that same band of Abu Sayyaf. Two PNP officers, SPO1 Abdurajik Haji and PO1 Charlie Arsenal were shot to death just as the ambush began. In a stroke of luck, Basilan's Director of the PNP PPO, Senior Superint.Antonio"Tony"Mendoza just missed punching his ticket by a single meter as his unarmoured vehicle managed to round the bend as the shooting began.Talk about thanking your lucky stars.
Two Abu Sayyaf guerillas were killed in that attack as well, one of which, Adduji Kawwil, is an ex-CVO soldier as well as a current Barangay Councilman/Kagawad. He was moonlighting but whether as a guerilla or a councilman depends upon perspective.
Wednesday,May 26th,2010 at 6 AM in Sitio Mompol in Barangay Libug,cin the town of Sumisip,30 Abu Sayyaf guerillas ambushed a jeepney (ubiqitous form of Philippine public transportation,fashioned from WWII Era American military jeeps that have had their axles lengthened to about 10 meters,thus resembling lowriding school busses) that was plying the road between Isabela City and Sumisip.
The Jeepney had just picked up a load of passengers for the return trip to Isabela City when it was flagged down by well armed Abu Sayyaf guerillas. Stopping, all passengers jumped out the rear,3 passengers,all males were singled out and taken away by the gunmen.
Claudio Mananita, an employee of Manggal Agrarian Reform Beneficiary and Development Cooperative, a rubber plantation land distribution concern was the 1st to be ransomed off,for P2 Million (roughly 40,000 Euros).His family,unable to pay anything at all later found that he had been executed.
His two fellow passengers, a gay couple,were executed just 2 hours after being led into the bush,apparently because of their sexual orientation since no ransom demands were even floated (despite widely circulated media reports that the kidnappers had sent SMS messages to victim's grandmother demanding a P1 Million (roughly 20,000 Euros) payment. Also just as inaccurate are the reports that the 2 gay men had been executed at around the same time that Mr.Mananita was,24 hours prior to discovery).The 2,Rolando Francisco Jr. and Dariel Quintela were heading into Isabela City so that Francisco could earn money by styling hair as he tried to save enough to enter college.
The bodies of all 3 men were found on Saturday,June 4th in Barangay Sukaten in the town of Sumisip,after a fire fight at 8am the day before.As the AFP pursued the withdrawing ASG guerillas into their stronghold in Barangay Baiwas they came across the decomposing remains.That fire fight on Friday also wounded 2 AFP soldiers.It is worth noting that all 3 had been shot at close range and not decapitated as has also been reported by the media.
June 11,2010,Saturday,3PM outside of the town of Maluso in Basilan Province,3 men were illegaly logging in the bush, towing logs with caraboa (water buffalo) when they had the extremely bad luck to come across a retreating group of ASG. All 3 were found decapitated in Sitio Pali in Barangay Abong-Abong in that same town,Maluso.
On Wednesday, June 26th, 2010 at about 2PM in Sitio Stardust, in Barangay Tubig,also in the town of Maluso in Basilan Province,a jeepney en route to Sumisip's Barangay Calcaban from Isabela City became the 2nd to be waylaid by Abu Sayyaf in the last four weeks,killing four and critically wounding wounding,including a 10 year old boy.The older wounded passenger was hacked nearly to death by bolo (machete) but despite media reports was not decapitated. The dead were the driver, 35 year old Rodel Weng Circulado and passengers Salsijan Ampuan Sali aged 22,Rahma Anjalun aged 35 and 17 year old Solis Aspalun.
Abu Sayyaf snipers atop a hill strafed the side of the jeepney, killing its driver and causing it to roll to a stop. At that point all passengers jumped out the rear and made a run for it with four being shot as they did so. As mentioned, one unlucky man,though managing to outrun his attacker was still badly mutilated by his pursuer's bolo.
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