By Ephraim Aguilar
Southern Luzon Bureau
First Posted 17:42:00 01/21/2009
INQUIRER.net
LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines—A top Bicol civil defense official active in disaster operations was wounded after his service vehicle collided head-on with another vehicle in Daraga, Albay Tuesday afternoon, the Bicol police revealed Wednesday.
Office of the Civil Defense Regional Director Raffy Alejandro was aboard a Tamaraw FX government vehicle being driven by Ehzel Galit, 29, running towards Bonot village in Legazpi City when it collided with a Kia Besta van being driven by Christopher Vargas, 41, of Obaliw Rinas village in Oas, Albay.
Investigation reports from the Camp General Simeon Ola here revealed that the Kia Besta van, which was registered to a certain Rodelia Largado of Legazpi City, had overtaken a tricycle. Encroaching the left lane, it collided with the Tamaraw FX running from the opposite direction.
Bernardo and both drivers were all wounded and were rushed to the Bicol Regional Training and Teaching Hospital for treatment. Both vehicles, which are now in custody of the Daraga police, were damaged.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Gabriela nixes RP-US Balikatan
Recalls sex abuse cases
By Ephraim Aguilar, Roy Gersalia
Southern Luzon Bureau
First Posted 15:37:00 01/21/2009
INQUIRER.net
LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines--The women party-list Gabriela has joined other groups in opposing the staging of joint military exercises between the Philippines and the US in the Bicol region this April, fearing a full return of US military basing in the country and the culture of sexual abuse that once prevailed in Subic and Clark decades ago.
Going over records, Jenelyn Nagrampa, secretary general of Bikolana Gabriela, recalled their group filed 97 cases of rape and sexual assault against American soldiers in Clark and Subic, in which 15 of the victims were children.
She said this was before 1990 when the US bases in the country were closed down.
Nagrampa added that when the US military bases were in the country, more than 3,000 cases of abuse of women and children were filed by other sectors and individuals against US servicemen in Clark Air Field from 1980 to 1988.
"Sadly, justice was not served to any of the victims. None of the cases have been resolved. Others have not even been reported," she said.
"The public should be reminded that there was more than just one Nicole," she added.
Nicole was the victim in the much-publicized Subic rape case in 2005, wherein US Marine Daniel Smith was convicted while three others were acquitted. Smith is detained at the United Estates Embassy as he asked the Philippine Court of Appeals to review his case.
The Subic rape case is considered a landmark case, being the first case of a conviction among over 3,000 cases filed against US service members in the Philippines.
Nagrampa said Gabriela would file a resolution in the House of Representatives urging the government to ban US troops from coming to Bicol.
The annual joint military exercises, which Philippine Army officials said would include humanitarian projects, would be staged in three Bicol provinces -- Albay, Masbate, and Sorsogon--in April.
She added that if Balikatan would push through in Bicol, it might increase cases of women abuse, prostitution, and spread of sexually transmitted diseases.
Earlier, Bishop Lucilo Quiambao of the Diocese of Legazpi expressed opposition to the coming of the US troops in Bicol, saying it might affect the moral condition of the people, especially women.
Nagrampa said that aside from the resolution to be filed in Congress, Gabriela would also step up its awareness campaign among women in areas covered by the exercises.
Tessa Lopez, spokesperson of Bayan-Bikol (Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, New Patriotic Alliance), said a massive rally has been scheduled for January 22 expected to coincide with the reported arrival of US Ambassador Kristy Kenney to Bicol.
"This is to show the urgency and seriousness of our call against Balikatan and the long-debated Visiting Forces Agreement," she added.
A Sorsogon-wide group named "Sorsoganon United Movement Against Balikatan at Para sa Kapayapaan" or "Sumaba ka" (Speak out) was launched over the weekend to seek a stop to the planned Balikatan exercises in the Bicol region.
The group joined other people's organizations, human rights advocates, and the Catholic Church in Legazpi City, which already took a position opposed to the exercises, said Jocelyn Bisuna, spokesperson of the region-wide alliance called Ban Balikatan.
"We hope that other formations like these will be formed at the soonest time possible in other Bicol provinces so that we can show the US troops that we do not want them here and we have not forgotten our history," added Bisuna.
By Ephraim Aguilar, Roy Gersalia
Southern Luzon Bureau
First Posted 15:37:00 01/21/2009
INQUIRER.net
LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines--The women party-list Gabriela has joined other groups in opposing the staging of joint military exercises between the Philippines and the US in the Bicol region this April, fearing a full return of US military basing in the country and the culture of sexual abuse that once prevailed in Subic and Clark decades ago.
Going over records, Jenelyn Nagrampa, secretary general of Bikolana Gabriela, recalled their group filed 97 cases of rape and sexual assault against American soldiers in Clark and Subic, in which 15 of the victims were children.
She said this was before 1990 when the US bases in the country were closed down.
Nagrampa added that when the US military bases were in the country, more than 3,000 cases of abuse of women and children were filed by other sectors and individuals against US servicemen in Clark Air Field from 1980 to 1988.
"Sadly, justice was not served to any of the victims. None of the cases have been resolved. Others have not even been reported," she said.
"The public should be reminded that there was more than just one Nicole," she added.
Nicole was the victim in the much-publicized Subic rape case in 2005, wherein US Marine Daniel Smith was convicted while three others were acquitted. Smith is detained at the United Estates Embassy as he asked the Philippine Court of Appeals to review his case.
The Subic rape case is considered a landmark case, being the first case of a conviction among over 3,000 cases filed against US service members in the Philippines.
Nagrampa said Gabriela would file a resolution in the House of Representatives urging the government to ban US troops from coming to Bicol.
The annual joint military exercises, which Philippine Army officials said would include humanitarian projects, would be staged in three Bicol provinces -- Albay, Masbate, and Sorsogon--in April.
She added that if Balikatan would push through in Bicol, it might increase cases of women abuse, prostitution, and spread of sexually transmitted diseases.
Earlier, Bishop Lucilo Quiambao of the Diocese of Legazpi expressed opposition to the coming of the US troops in Bicol, saying it might affect the moral condition of the people, especially women.
Nagrampa said that aside from the resolution to be filed in Congress, Gabriela would also step up its awareness campaign among women in areas covered by the exercises.
Tessa Lopez, spokesperson of Bayan-Bikol (Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, New Patriotic Alliance), said a massive rally has been scheduled for January 22 expected to coincide with the reported arrival of US Ambassador Kristy Kenney to Bicol.
"This is to show the urgency and seriousness of our call against Balikatan and the long-debated Visiting Forces Agreement," she added.
A Sorsogon-wide group named "Sorsoganon United Movement Against Balikatan at Para sa Kapayapaan" or "Sumaba ka" (Speak out) was launched over the weekend to seek a stop to the planned Balikatan exercises in the Bicol region.
The group joined other people's organizations, human rights advocates, and the Catholic Church in Legazpi City, which already took a position opposed to the exercises, said Jocelyn Bisuna, spokesperson of the region-wide alliance called Ban Balikatan.
"We hope that other formations like these will be formed at the soonest time possible in other Bicol provinces so that we can show the US troops that we do not want them here and we have not forgotten our history," added Bisuna.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
4 poaching vessels seized off Donsol
By Ephraim Aguilar
Southern Luzon Bureau
First Posted 17:16:00 01/20/2009
INQUIRER.net
LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines--Four suspected illegal fishing vessels were caught by marine law enforcers off Donsol, Sorsogon Monday afternoon, the Philippine Coast Guard revealed Tuesday.
Lieutenant Commander Joey Velarde, the PCG-Bicol chief of staff, said the vessels identified as Conqueror, Mama Susan, St. James, and Red Fox were seen using "super lights."
The "super lights" method is considered illegal in the country. It uses 1,000-kilowatt powered bright lights to attract schools of fish to the detriment of marginalized fishermen.
He said a team composed of members of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and the PCG caught the vessels near Burias Island, Masbate or 1.5 nautical miles off the Donsol coast.
Velarde said the vessels and their passengers were still being investigated.
Illegal fishing is a violation of Section 93 of Republic Act 8550, the law on the development, management and conservation of the fisheries and aquatic resources.
Section 93 provides that the use of super lights is not allowed within municipal waters and violators are meted prison terms from six months to two years or a fine of P5,000.
Donsol is a sanctuary of the world-famous "butanding" that has gained reputation as the whale shark capital of the world and was hailed by Time Magazine as the "best animal encounter in Asia."
Southern Luzon Bureau
First Posted 17:16:00 01/20/2009
INQUIRER.net
LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines--Four suspected illegal fishing vessels were caught by marine law enforcers off Donsol, Sorsogon Monday afternoon, the Philippine Coast Guard revealed Tuesday.
Lieutenant Commander Joey Velarde, the PCG-Bicol chief of staff, said the vessels identified as Conqueror, Mama Susan, St. James, and Red Fox were seen using "super lights."
The "super lights" method is considered illegal in the country. It uses 1,000-kilowatt powered bright lights to attract schools of fish to the detriment of marginalized fishermen.
He said a team composed of members of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and the PCG caught the vessels near Burias Island, Masbate or 1.5 nautical miles off the Donsol coast.
Velarde said the vessels and their passengers were still being investigated.
Illegal fishing is a violation of Section 93 of Republic Act 8550, the law on the development, management and conservation of the fisheries and aquatic resources.
Section 93 provides that the use of super lights is not allowed within municipal waters and violators are meted prison terms from six months to two years or a fine of P5,000.
Donsol is a sanctuary of the world-famous "butanding" that has gained reputation as the whale shark capital of the world and was hailed by Time Magazine as the "best animal encounter in Asia."
Friday, January 16, 2009
NDF: Hold Balikatan in flooded provinces
By Ephraim Aguilar
Southern Luzon Bureau
First Posted 14:58:00 01/16/2009
INQUIRER.net
LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines--The communist-led National Democratic Front (NDF) in Bicol challenged the Philippine Army to hold the 2009 RP-US Balikatan exercises in provinces recently hit by flashfloods if their aim is purely humanitarian.
"Why is the 2009 Balikatan centered on Albay, Sorsogon, and Masbate, when these provinces have not really been hard hit by heavy rains, floods, and landslides unlike Catanduanes, Camarines Norte, or some areas in Mindanao?" Greg Bañares, NDF-Bicol spokesman, said in a statement released Friday.
"This only shows that the aim of US forces visiting Bicol is military in nature and not just humanitarian," Bañares said.
Over the week, storm surges and landslides triggered by heavy rains across the country have killed at least nine people and displaced nearly 200,000, according to disaster officials.
The tail-end of a cold front sweeping through the country's eastern seaboard has been bringing heavy rains across 11 provinces from northern Luzon to the eastern sections of the Visayas and Mindanao since last week.
Bañares claimed the aim of the joint military exercises to be held in April is to familiarize US forces with guerrilla conditions in the insurgency-torn Bicol region.
"May lumang kasabihan na, 'Mag-ingat sa mga Griyego na may dala-dalang regalo.'" [There is an old saying, ‘Beware of Greeks bearing gifts’],” he said.
Bishop Lucilo Quiambao of the Legazpi Diocese, in a local television news interview, warned the government not to allow US forces to get involved in armed battles and to protect civilians who might be caught in the crossfire.
He also warned that prostitution might worsen with the presence of the American troops, endangering people's morality, especially the youth.
The militant Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan, New Patriotic Alliance) welcomed Quiambao's opposition to the 2009 Balikatan.
"Even the good bishop does not believe that the US troops will only be engaged in humanitarian missions because in every Balikatan exercise, war games and even actual combat operations are part of the package," said Tessa Lopez, Bayan-Bicol spokesperson.
Southern Luzon Bureau
First Posted 14:58:00 01/16/2009
INQUIRER.net
LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines--The communist-led National Democratic Front (NDF) in Bicol challenged the Philippine Army to hold the 2009 RP-US Balikatan exercises in provinces recently hit by flashfloods if their aim is purely humanitarian.
"Why is the 2009 Balikatan centered on Albay, Sorsogon, and Masbate, when these provinces have not really been hard hit by heavy rains, floods, and landslides unlike Catanduanes, Camarines Norte, or some areas in Mindanao?" Greg Bañares, NDF-Bicol spokesman, said in a statement released Friday.
"This only shows that the aim of US forces visiting Bicol is military in nature and not just humanitarian," Bañares said.
Over the week, storm surges and landslides triggered by heavy rains across the country have killed at least nine people and displaced nearly 200,000, according to disaster officials.
The tail-end of a cold front sweeping through the country's eastern seaboard has been bringing heavy rains across 11 provinces from northern Luzon to the eastern sections of the Visayas and Mindanao since last week.
Bañares claimed the aim of the joint military exercises to be held in April is to familiarize US forces with guerrilla conditions in the insurgency-torn Bicol region.
"May lumang kasabihan na, 'Mag-ingat sa mga Griyego na may dala-dalang regalo.'" [There is an old saying, ‘Beware of Greeks bearing gifts’],” he said.
Bishop Lucilo Quiambao of the Legazpi Diocese, in a local television news interview, warned the government not to allow US forces to get involved in armed battles and to protect civilians who might be caught in the crossfire.
He also warned that prostitution might worsen with the presence of the American troops, endangering people's morality, especially the youth.
The militant Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan, New Patriotic Alliance) welcomed Quiambao's opposition to the 2009 Balikatan.
"Even the good bishop does not believe that the US troops will only be engaged in humanitarian missions because in every Balikatan exercise, war games and even actual combat operations are part of the package," said Tessa Lopez, Bayan-Bicol spokesperson.
Chiz raises fear on ‘hidden agenda’in Bicol war games
LEGAZPI CITY—Opposition Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero said he remained wary of other items in the agenda that may be concealed from the public about the 2009 Balikatan Exercises, which will be staged in three Bicol provinces in April.
The 2009 Balikatan is a joint Filipino-American military exercise, which Philippine Army officials said would focus on medical missions and engineering works in the provinces of Albay, Masbate and Sorsogon.
However, recognizing that the humanitarian missions will benefit the people, Escudero urged caution on the part of the government to make sure the RP-US military exercises will not leave any Filipino disadvantaged.
“Our government better make sure that this exercise will adhere to the terms it has been devoted to and not use it as front for other endeavors that may antagonize and stir indifference from various sectors,” said Escudero, who hails from Sorsogon, one of the planned sites of the Balikatan.
Escudero expressed fear that the Balikatan would be used to allow US forces to interfere with the Philippine government’s war on communist rebels in the Bicol region.
“The Balikatan should avoid, at all cost, any intervention that may straddle in our internal affairs,” he said in a statement. “Any outside force touching it (insurgency fight) meddles with our sovereignty.”
The Communist Party of the Philippines Sunday ordered its armed wing, the New People’s Army, to increase tactical offensives against government targets to protest the Balikatan.
A rally was set on Jan. 22 to protest the planned holding of the Balikatan in Bicol, said Tessa Lopez, spokesperson of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (New Patriotic Alliance) in Bicol.
“The past years the Balikatan had been in Mindanao, now, since Bicol is still considered a hotspot of communist insurgency, it is here,” Lopez said.Ephraim Aguilar, Inquirer Southern Luzon
The 2009 Balikatan is a joint Filipino-American military exercise, which Philippine Army officials said would focus on medical missions and engineering works in the provinces of Albay, Masbate and Sorsogon.
However, recognizing that the humanitarian missions will benefit the people, Escudero urged caution on the part of the government to make sure the RP-US military exercises will not leave any Filipino disadvantaged.
“Our government better make sure that this exercise will adhere to the terms it has been devoted to and not use it as front for other endeavors that may antagonize and stir indifference from various sectors,” said Escudero, who hails from Sorsogon, one of the planned sites of the Balikatan.
Escudero expressed fear that the Balikatan would be used to allow US forces to interfere with the Philippine government’s war on communist rebels in the Bicol region.
“The Balikatan should avoid, at all cost, any intervention that may straddle in our internal affairs,” he said in a statement. “Any outside force touching it (insurgency fight) meddles with our sovereignty.”
The Communist Party of the Philippines Sunday ordered its armed wing, the New People’s Army, to increase tactical offensives against government targets to protest the Balikatan.
A rally was set on Jan. 22 to protest the planned holding of the Balikatan in Bicol, said Tessa Lopez, spokesperson of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (New Patriotic Alliance) in Bicol.
“The past years the Balikatan had been in Mindanao, now, since Bicol is still considered a hotspot of communist insurgency, it is here,” Lopez said.Ephraim Aguilar, Inquirer Southern Luzon
17 rescued off Masbate
By Ephraim Aguilar
Southern Luzon Bureau
First Posted 13:43:00 01/16/2009
INQUIRER.net
LEGAZPI CITY -- Fishermen rescued 17 people from a motorized boat forced to seek shelter from huge waves churned up by strong winds, the Philippine Coast Guard reported Friday.
The M/B Noynoy, bound for Pilar, Sorsogon from Masbate City had to take shelter near San Miguel Island at around 2 p.m. Thursday, said Police Officer 2 Glicerio Villaluz of the PCG in Bicol.
Fishermen within the vicinity rescued the passengers and took them to Guinhadap village in Monreal, Masbate, where they could wait safely until the waves subside.
Sea travel has been intermittently cancelled in Bicol, stranding more than 2,500 passengers in various ports since Wednesday.
Corazon Samar, chief meteorologist of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said the strong winds were caused by the northeast monsoon, which is hitting the country's eastern seaboard until end of February.
She said the winds in Southern Luzon were as strong as 30 kilometers per hour.
Waves could be as high as 3.7 meters to 6 meters.
Southern Luzon Bureau
First Posted 13:43:00 01/16/2009
INQUIRER.net
LEGAZPI CITY -- Fishermen rescued 17 people from a motorized boat forced to seek shelter from huge waves churned up by strong winds, the Philippine Coast Guard reported Friday.
The M/B Noynoy, bound for Pilar, Sorsogon from Masbate City had to take shelter near San Miguel Island at around 2 p.m. Thursday, said Police Officer 2 Glicerio Villaluz of the PCG in Bicol.
Fishermen within the vicinity rescued the passengers and took them to Guinhadap village in Monreal, Masbate, where they could wait safely until the waves subside.
Sea travel has been intermittently cancelled in Bicol, stranding more than 2,500 passengers in various ports since Wednesday.
Corazon Samar, chief meteorologist of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said the strong winds were caused by the northeast monsoon, which is hitting the country's eastern seaboard until end of February.
She said the winds in Southern Luzon were as strong as 30 kilometers per hour.
Waves could be as high as 3.7 meters to 6 meters.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
5,000 passengers stranded in Bicol ports
By Ephraim Aguilar
Southern Luzon Bureau
First Posted 13:07:00 01/14/2009
INQUIRER.net
LEGAZPI CITY – At least 4,932 passengers were stranded in four Bicol ports as of 11 a.m. Wednesday due to big waves caused by the northeast monsoon, the Philippine Coast Guard reported.
Also stranded in the ports of Matnog, Tabaco, Virac, and Legazpi City were 316 cars, 112 trucks, 75 buses, and six sea vessels, said Ensign Jeffrey Collado, PCG-Bicol operations assistant.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) detected no tropical depression but only the surge of the northeast monsoon affecting the seaboards of Luzon, Visayas, and Eastern Mindanao.
Corazon Samar, chief meteorologist of PAGASA-Legazpi, said seas in the southern and western seaboards of Southern Luzon, have been described as "rough" to "very rough."
She said the waves in this area have been as high as 3.7 meters to up to six meters.
In Legazpi City, Samar said wind gusts have been measured at 15 meters per second or 30 knots with a velocity of 55 kilometers per hour to 73 kph.
Samar said winds have been stronger and waves bigger in open seas or seas facing directly the Pacific Ocean like the Albay Gulf.
The northeast monsoon will last until February or early March, according to Samar. PAGASA expects a transition to the southwest monsoon after that. The southwest monsoon will affect the other side of the country or the western seaboard.
Southern Luzon Bureau
First Posted 13:07:00 01/14/2009
INQUIRER.net
LEGAZPI CITY – At least 4,932 passengers were stranded in four Bicol ports as of 11 a.m. Wednesday due to big waves caused by the northeast monsoon, the Philippine Coast Guard reported.
Also stranded in the ports of Matnog, Tabaco, Virac, and Legazpi City were 316 cars, 112 trucks, 75 buses, and six sea vessels, said Ensign Jeffrey Collado, PCG-Bicol operations assistant.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) detected no tropical depression but only the surge of the northeast monsoon affecting the seaboards of Luzon, Visayas, and Eastern Mindanao.
Corazon Samar, chief meteorologist of PAGASA-Legazpi, said seas in the southern and western seaboards of Southern Luzon, have been described as "rough" to "very rough."
She said the waves in this area have been as high as 3.7 meters to up to six meters.
In Legazpi City, Samar said wind gusts have been measured at 15 meters per second or 30 knots with a velocity of 55 kilometers per hour to 73 kph.
Samar said winds have been stronger and waves bigger in open seas or seas facing directly the Pacific Ocean like the Albay Gulf.
The northeast monsoon will last until February or early March, according to Samar. PAGASA expects a transition to the southwest monsoon after that. The southwest monsoon will affect the other side of the country or the western seaboard.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Ex-militiaman slain by rebels in Albay
By Ephraim Aguilar
Southern Luzon Bureau
First Posted 18:44:00 01/13/2009
INQUIRER.net
LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines--Suspected communist rebels shot dead a newly-retired member of the Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit (CAFGU) inside his residence Monday afternoon in Tabaco City, police said Tuesday.
Jose Basilan Sr., 59, was shot in the neck and right shoulder, said investigator Police Officer 3 Joel Subeldia.
Quoting the victim’s wife, Subeldia said Basilan was playing cards in Bantayan village when three gunmen barged in and shot him.
Recovered from the crime scene were a slug and empty .45 caliber shells.
On Sunday, the Communist Party of the Philippines ordered its armed wing, the New People's Army (NPA), to launch increased tactical offensives against state security forces in protest of the 2009 Balikatan, a joint Filipino-American military exercises to be held in three Bicol provinces in April.
Southern Luzon Bureau
First Posted 18:44:00 01/13/2009
INQUIRER.net
LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines--Suspected communist rebels shot dead a newly-retired member of the Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit (CAFGU) inside his residence Monday afternoon in Tabaco City, police said Tuesday.
Jose Basilan Sr., 59, was shot in the neck and right shoulder, said investigator Police Officer 3 Joel Subeldia.
Quoting the victim’s wife, Subeldia said Basilan was playing cards in Bantayan village when three gunmen barged in and shot him.
Recovered from the crime scene were a slug and empty .45 caliber shells.
On Sunday, the Communist Party of the Philippines ordered its armed wing, the New People's Army (NPA), to launch increased tactical offensives against state security forces in protest of the 2009 Balikatan, a joint Filipino-American military exercises to be held in three Bicol provinces in April.
Boy drowns in Catanduanes flood
By Ephraim Aguilar
Southern Luzon Bureau
First Posted 16:24:00 01/13/2009
INQUIRER.net
LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines--A five-year-old boy drowned in the rising floods in Catanduanes brought by the week-long rains in the island province, according to reports reaching the Office of Civil Defense in Bicol on Tuesday morning.
Raffy Alejandro, Bicol civil defense director, identified the boy as John Mark Tatad of Gigmoto town.
Families affected by the landslides and floods have reached 14,643 or 74,701 persons in 162 villages. Some 217 houses have been reported damaged.
The Catanduanes Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council is still distributing relief goods in the form of rice noodles and canned goods to victims in the towns of Bagamanoc, Baras, Bato, San Miguel, and Viga.
The relief assistance amounted to P432,000, Alejandro said.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development also delivered 100 food packs and clothing.
Southern Luzon Bureau
First Posted 16:24:00 01/13/2009
INQUIRER.net
LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines--A five-year-old boy drowned in the rising floods in Catanduanes brought by the week-long rains in the island province, according to reports reaching the Office of Civil Defense in Bicol on Tuesday morning.
Raffy Alejandro, Bicol civil defense director, identified the boy as John Mark Tatad of Gigmoto town.
Families affected by the landslides and floods have reached 14,643 or 74,701 persons in 162 villages. Some 217 houses have been reported damaged.
The Catanduanes Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council is still distributing relief goods in the form of rice noodles and canned goods to victims in the towns of Bagamanoc, Baras, Bato, San Miguel, and Viga.
The relief assistance amounted to P432,000, Alejandro said.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development also delivered 100 food packs and clothing.
NPA apologizes to Masbate gov, says she wasn’t target
LEGAZPI CITY—ADMITTING IT WAS behind the explosion of two roadside bombs Sunday that wounded Masbate Gov. Elisa Kho and a security aide, the New People’s Army (NPA) apologized to the provincial executive, saying she was not the target of the attack.
Greg Bañares, spokesperson of the communist-led National Democratic Front (NDF) in Bicol, said the NPA’s Jose Rapsing Command had ambushed a police patrol car and did not expect Kho’s vehicle to be just behind it.
“The attack was not intended for Governor Kho as the police have been claiming. We apologize to her,” said Bañares in a phone interview with the Inquirer.
Bañares said it was not true the patrol car, which belonged to the 507th Provincial Police Mobile Group (PPMG), was part of Kho’s convoy.
He said the NPA also fired on the PPMG vehicle, wounding five of its passengers.
“Our comrades did not fire on Kho’s vehicle, a civilian car, and we let it withdraw safely from the scene,” Bañares said.
He said the attack was part of the increased tactical offensives ordered by the Communist Party of the Philippines ahead of the 2009 Balikatan exercise in Bicol. (See story below)
One of the NPA rebels suspected of being behind the attack was identified by Bicol police director Chief Supt. Paterno Bangui as Joel Atibago, a former member of the Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit (Cafgu). Ephraim Aguilar, Inquirer Southern Luzon
Greg Bañares, spokesperson of the communist-led National Democratic Front (NDF) in Bicol, said the NPA’s Jose Rapsing Command had ambushed a police patrol car and did not expect Kho’s vehicle to be just behind it.
“The attack was not intended for Governor Kho as the police have been claiming. We apologize to her,” said Bañares in a phone interview with the Inquirer.
Bañares said it was not true the patrol car, which belonged to the 507th Provincial Police Mobile Group (PPMG), was part of Kho’s convoy.
He said the NPA also fired on the PPMG vehicle, wounding five of its passengers.
“Our comrades did not fire on Kho’s vehicle, a civilian car, and we let it withdraw safely from the scene,” Bañares said.
He said the attack was part of the increased tactical offensives ordered by the Communist Party of the Philippines ahead of the 2009 Balikatan exercise in Bicol. (See story below)
One of the NPA rebels suspected of being behind the attack was identified by Bicol police director Chief Supt. Paterno Bangui as Joel Atibago, a former member of the Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit (Cafgu). Ephraim Aguilar, Inquirer Southern Luzon
Monday, January 12, 2009
Quake jolts Occidental Mindoro
By Ephraim Aguilar
Southern Luzon Bureau
First Posted 15:12:00 01/12/2009
INQUIRER.net
LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines -- A magnitude 3 earthquake shook Occidental Mindoro province 10:01 a.m. Monday, state seismologists said.
The earthquake, which was tectonic in origin, was located four kilometers east of Mamburao, Occidental Mindoro.
It was felt in the towns of Paluan, Mamburao and Puerto Galera.
No damage was recorded and no aftershocks were expected, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology in Manila said.
Southern Luzon Bureau
First Posted 15:12:00 01/12/2009
INQUIRER.net
LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines -- A magnitude 3 earthquake shook Occidental Mindoro province 10:01 a.m. Monday, state seismologists said.
The earthquake, which was tectonic in origin, was located four kilometers east of Mamburao, Occidental Mindoro.
It was felt in the towns of Paluan, Mamburao and Puerto Galera.
No damage was recorded and no aftershocks were expected, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology in Manila said.
Suspect in Masbate gov’s ambush named
By Ephraim Aguilar
Southern Luzon Bureau
First Posted 12:44:00 01/12/2009
INQUIRER.net
LEGAZPI CITY--One of the suspected communist rebels behind the failed assassination attempt on Masbate Governor Elisa Kho Sunday has been identified, a police official said.
Chief Superintendent Paterno Bangui, Bicol police director, in a press conference Monday, identified one of the suspects as a certain Joel Atibago, a former Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit (Cafgu) member.
Police said they were also checking on Ayabit Yanson of Gahit village, who prepared the food for the armed perpetrators.
The governor and one of her security aides were wounded in the ambush.
Kho and her convoy were traveling along the national road toward Masbate City when members of the New People's Army (NPA) detonated two improvised bombs in Barangay (village) Gahit in Cataingan town.
Kho and a bodyguard suffered cuts from glass shards that hit them from the shattered windshield of the vehicle.
Bangui also said that the National Democratic Front, through its Bicol spokesman Greg Bañares, owned up to the ambush in a press release aired on late night television news Sunday.
Bangui said Bañares’ statement pointed to the Jose Rapsing Command of the NPA based in Masbate province as the one behind the slay attempt. Bangui claimed that the NDF apologized to Kho for its "mistake" in its statement.
The Philippine Daily Inquirer tried to verify this with Bañares but he has not responded as of posting time.
The Khos are a well-known political family in the province. Kho replaced her husband, Representative Antonio Kho, as governor in 2007. Son Wilston is the youngest mayor of Cataingan town, having been elected at the age of 21.
The island has long been known for rough and often violent politics. Masbate was the only province placed under Commission on Elections control in the Bicol Region during the 2007 elections.
Masbate is one of the hotbeds of communist insurgency in the Bicol region, which will be the venue of joint Philippine and United States military exercises, called Balikatan (shoulder to shoulder), in April.
Southern Luzon Bureau
First Posted 12:44:00 01/12/2009
INQUIRER.net
LEGAZPI CITY--One of the suspected communist rebels behind the failed assassination attempt on Masbate Governor Elisa Kho Sunday has been identified, a police official said.
Chief Superintendent Paterno Bangui, Bicol police director, in a press conference Monday, identified one of the suspects as a certain Joel Atibago, a former Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit (Cafgu) member.
Police said they were also checking on Ayabit Yanson of Gahit village, who prepared the food for the armed perpetrators.
The governor and one of her security aides were wounded in the ambush.
Kho and her convoy were traveling along the national road toward Masbate City when members of the New People's Army (NPA) detonated two improvised bombs in Barangay (village) Gahit in Cataingan town.
Kho and a bodyguard suffered cuts from glass shards that hit them from the shattered windshield of the vehicle.
Bangui also said that the National Democratic Front, through its Bicol spokesman Greg Bañares, owned up to the ambush in a press release aired on late night television news Sunday.
Bangui said Bañares’ statement pointed to the Jose Rapsing Command of the NPA based in Masbate province as the one behind the slay attempt. Bangui claimed that the NDF apologized to Kho for its "mistake" in its statement.
The Philippine Daily Inquirer tried to verify this with Bañares but he has not responded as of posting time.
The Khos are a well-known political family in the province. Kho replaced her husband, Representative Antonio Kho, as governor in 2007. Son Wilston is the youngest mayor of Cataingan town, having been elected at the age of 21.
The island has long been known for rough and often violent politics. Masbate was the only province placed under Commission on Elections control in the Bicol Region during the 2007 elections.
Masbate is one of the hotbeds of communist insurgency in the Bicol region, which will be the venue of joint Philippine and United States military exercises, called Balikatan (shoulder to shoulder), in April.
Masbate gov hurt in ambush by suspected NPAs
By Ephraim Aguilar and Jonas Soltes, Inquirer Southern Luzon
LEGAZPI CITY—SUSPECTED COMMUNIST rebels ambushed and wounded Masbate Gov. Elisa Kho at 11:30 a.m. yesterday in Cataingan town.
Masbate Police Director Teodore Sindac said Kho and her convoy were traversing the national road toward Masbate City when members of the New People’s Army (NPA) detonated two explosive devices along the road in Barangay Gahit.
Sindac said Kho was wounded in the eyebrow as glass shards from her car’s windshield hit her face. Her security escorts were unharmed.
Sindac said Kho proceeded to the family-owned Khokha Beach in Cataingan after the ambush.
Masbate police and Army troopers from the 9th Infantry Battallion immediately launched a pursuit operations to capture the perpetrators.
Sindac said the rebels were reported to have fled to the upland villages of San Rafael and Cadulauan, both in Cataingan.
Samar police alerted
Checkpoints were set up at the town boundary while the Samar provincial police were alerted to the possible withdrawal of the rebels to that province, which is across from Masbate island.
The Khos are a well-known political family in the province. Kho replaced her husband, Rep. Antonio Kho, as governor in 2007. Son Wilston is the youngest mayor of Cataingan town, having been elected at the age of 21.
The family defeated another political clan in Masbate, the Espinosas.
Masbate is one of the hotbeds of communist insurgency in the Bicol region, which will be the venue of joint Philippine and United States military exercises, called Balikatan, in April. (See related story on Page A)
Birthday celebration
Two days before the ambush, Kho joined in the celebration of her husband’s birthday which was highlighted by the distribution of 50 cows to farmers
Sandra Cam, former police drug asset and admitted “jueteng” bagwoman along with former Ilocos Sur Gov. Chavit Singson and Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) Chair Efraim Genuino reportedly attended the party.
Ako Bikol, a nongovernment organization chaired by property developer Elizalde Co, spearheaded the giving away of the cows at Khokha Beach together with local government officials. Recipients included two farmers from each of the 20 municipalities and one city of Masbate.
Balikatan link
Rep. Reno Lim of Albay’s 3rd district condemned the slay try but dismissed speculation it was meant to protest the coming Balikatan exercises on the island.
Lim was one of the officials who announced the holding of the joint RP-US military games in Bicol in a press conference last week.
Masbate is the second poorest province in the country with about 80 percent of its residents living below the poverty line.
The island has long been known for rough and often violent politics. Masbate was the only province placed under Commission on Elections control in the Bicol region during the 2007 elections.
Placer attack
Communist rebels in Masbate exploded a roadside bomb and instigated firefights with government soldiers when President Macapagal-Arroyo and her Cabinet held a cabinet meeting in Placer, another town in Masbate, to assess the damage caused by recent Typhoon “Frank.”
No one was hurt in the blast, which police suspect was caused by a land mine.
A fourth-class municipality, Placer is a known hotbed of insurgency.
After a Christmas holiday ceasefire, the NPA leadership has reportedly ordered its fighters to step up attacks on government forces. Recently, a land mine was reportedly used to ambush a police car in Rizal province, the eastern flank of Metro Manila.
LEGAZPI CITY—SUSPECTED COMMUNIST rebels ambushed and wounded Masbate Gov. Elisa Kho at 11:30 a.m. yesterday in Cataingan town.
Masbate Police Director Teodore Sindac said Kho and her convoy were traversing the national road toward Masbate City when members of the New People’s Army (NPA) detonated two explosive devices along the road in Barangay Gahit.
Sindac said Kho was wounded in the eyebrow as glass shards from her car’s windshield hit her face. Her security escorts were unharmed.
Sindac said Kho proceeded to the family-owned Khokha Beach in Cataingan after the ambush.
Masbate police and Army troopers from the 9th Infantry Battallion immediately launched a pursuit operations to capture the perpetrators.
Sindac said the rebels were reported to have fled to the upland villages of San Rafael and Cadulauan, both in Cataingan.
Samar police alerted
Checkpoints were set up at the town boundary while the Samar provincial police were alerted to the possible withdrawal of the rebels to that province, which is across from Masbate island.
The Khos are a well-known political family in the province. Kho replaced her husband, Rep. Antonio Kho, as governor in 2007. Son Wilston is the youngest mayor of Cataingan town, having been elected at the age of 21.
The family defeated another political clan in Masbate, the Espinosas.
Masbate is one of the hotbeds of communist insurgency in the Bicol region, which will be the venue of joint Philippine and United States military exercises, called Balikatan, in April. (See related story on Page A)
Birthday celebration
Two days before the ambush, Kho joined in the celebration of her husband’s birthday which was highlighted by the distribution of 50 cows to farmers
Sandra Cam, former police drug asset and admitted “jueteng” bagwoman along with former Ilocos Sur Gov. Chavit Singson and Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) Chair Efraim Genuino reportedly attended the party.
Ako Bikol, a nongovernment organization chaired by property developer Elizalde Co, spearheaded the giving away of the cows at Khokha Beach together with local government officials. Recipients included two farmers from each of the 20 municipalities and one city of Masbate.
Balikatan link
Rep. Reno Lim of Albay’s 3rd district condemned the slay try but dismissed speculation it was meant to protest the coming Balikatan exercises on the island.
Lim was one of the officials who announced the holding of the joint RP-US military games in Bicol in a press conference last week.
Masbate is the second poorest province in the country with about 80 percent of its residents living below the poverty line.
The island has long been known for rough and often violent politics. Masbate was the only province placed under Commission on Elections control in the Bicol region during the 2007 elections.
Placer attack
Communist rebels in Masbate exploded a roadside bomb and instigated firefights with government soldiers when President Macapagal-Arroyo and her Cabinet held a cabinet meeting in Placer, another town in Masbate, to assess the damage caused by recent Typhoon “Frank.”
No one was hurt in the blast, which police suspect was caused by a land mine.
A fourth-class municipality, Placer is a known hotbed of insurgency.
After a Christmas holiday ceasefire, the NPA leadership has reportedly ordered its fighters to step up attacks on government forces. Recently, a land mine was reportedly used to ambush a police car in Rizal province, the eastern flank of Metro Manila.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Masbate gov hurt in ambush
Aide also injured
By Ephraim Aguilar, Abigail Kwok
INQUIRER.net, Southern Luzon Bureau
First Posted 14:49:00 01/11/2009
INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines--(UPDATE 4) The governor of Masbate and one of her security escorts were slightly wounded after they were ambushed by alleged New People's Army (NPA) rebels before noon Sunday, a police official said.
Governor Elisa Kho's convoy was traveling along the national highway in Gahit village, Cataingan town on her way to Masbate City, when suspected NPA guerillas detonated two improvised bombs by the roadside as her vehicle passed, said Chief Superintendent Paterno Bangui, Bicol Region police chief.
Kho and a security escort, who could not be immediately identified, were slightly wounded by the glass shards from the shattered windshield of their vehicle, but both have been declared out of danger, Bangui told INQUIRER.net.
The motive for the attack is under investigation, Bangui said.
Masbate province in the Bicol peninsula is one of the priority areas in the campaign of government security forces to defeat the NPA, the
armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), by the end of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's term in 2010.
Police have also placed checkpoints near the boundary of Cataingan while the Samar provincial police have been alerted on the possible withdrawal of fleeing rebels to their province which is across Masbate island, said provincial police chief Senior Superintendent Theodore Sindac.
Sindac said Kho was not rushed to a hospital and has been safely housed at the family-owned Khokak beach in Cataingan town.
The Kho family is a known political dynasty in the province. Kho replaced now Representative Antonio Kho as governor while their son, Wilston, is the mayor of Cataingan and is also the youngest mayor, having been elected at 21.
Repeated calls by the Philippine Daily Inquirer to the Kho family were left unanswered.
Masbate is one of the hotbeds of communist insurgency in the Bicol region, which will be the venue for the 2009 Balikatan (shoulder-to-shoulder) exercises between Filipino and American troops in April.
Representative Reno Lim of Albay's 3rd district condemned the slay try, prompting authorities to hasten the investigation and pursuit operations.
Lim dismissed possible speculations that the ambush was related to the holding of the joint Filipino-American military exercises in Bicol, which was strongly opposed by the communist National Democratic Front.
Lim was one of the officials who announced the holding of Balikatan in Bicol in a press conference last week.
By Ephraim Aguilar, Abigail Kwok
INQUIRER.net, Southern Luzon Bureau
First Posted 14:49:00 01/11/2009
INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines--(UPDATE 4) The governor of Masbate and one of her security escorts were slightly wounded after they were ambushed by alleged New People's Army (NPA) rebels before noon Sunday, a police official said.
Governor Elisa Kho's convoy was traveling along the national highway in Gahit village, Cataingan town on her way to Masbate City, when suspected NPA guerillas detonated two improvised bombs by the roadside as her vehicle passed, said Chief Superintendent Paterno Bangui, Bicol Region police chief.
Kho and a security escort, who could not be immediately identified, were slightly wounded by the glass shards from the shattered windshield of their vehicle, but both have been declared out of danger, Bangui told INQUIRER.net.
The motive for the attack is under investigation, Bangui said.
Masbate province in the Bicol peninsula is one of the priority areas in the campaign of government security forces to defeat the NPA, the
armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), by the end of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's term in 2010.
Police have also placed checkpoints near the boundary of Cataingan while the Samar provincial police have been alerted on the possible withdrawal of fleeing rebels to their province which is across Masbate island, said provincial police chief Senior Superintendent Theodore Sindac.
Sindac said Kho was not rushed to a hospital and has been safely housed at the family-owned Khokak beach in Cataingan town.
The Kho family is a known political dynasty in the province. Kho replaced now Representative Antonio Kho as governor while their son, Wilston, is the mayor of Cataingan and is also the youngest mayor, having been elected at 21.
Repeated calls by the Philippine Daily Inquirer to the Kho family were left unanswered.
Masbate is one of the hotbeds of communist insurgency in the Bicol region, which will be the venue for the 2009 Balikatan (shoulder-to-shoulder) exercises between Filipino and American troops in April.
Representative Reno Lim of Albay's 3rd district condemned the slay try, prompting authorities to hasten the investigation and pursuit operations.
Lim dismissed possible speculations that the ambush was related to the holding of the joint Filipino-American military exercises in Bicol, which was strongly opposed by the communist National Democratic Front.
Lim was one of the officials who announced the holding of Balikatan in Bicol in a press conference last week.
Friday, January 09, 2009
Cholera kills 2, downs 124 in Masbate
By Ephraim Aguilar
Southern Luzon Bureau
First Posted 18:33:00 01/09/2009
INQUIRER.net
LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines—Health officials noted a cholera outbreak for the past three weeks in Ticao Island, Masbate after having recorded 124 cases and two fatalities in the towns of Monreal and San Fernando, the Department of Health in Bicol reported Friday.
Nestor Santiago Jr., Bicol health director, said in a report that in Monreal town, most of the cases were seen in the village of Guinhadap with a total of 96. There were four cases in the village of Morocborocan and nine in the village of Poblacion.
In San Fernando town, all 15 cases were seen in the village of Ipil.
Most of the victims were children and adolescents. Initial laboratory tests through stool culture revealed three of the 124 cases as positive for Cholera Ogawa.
Cholera is a bacterial disease marked by severe gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea.
Santiago Jr. said their study of the trend of cholera occurrence in the Bicol region showed a reemergence every three to four years.
"This year, being the fourth year since its last regionwide increase, we expect the reemergence of the disease," Santiago Jr. said.
He said prolonged rainy days and the occurrence of floods in many areas in Bicol as well as the unsanitary toilet conditions in villages are some factors that might have caused the reemergence of the disease.
Santiago Jr. said the DOH had distributed medicines like, fluids, antibiotics, and laboratory supplies to cholera hot spot areas in Masbate.
However, what complicated things, he said, was the confusion as to where to refer the cases since most of the health centers were closed during the holidays. Only hospitals were open.
Menwhile, some 32 diarrhea cases have also been recorded first week of January in the Calaguas Group of Islands in Vinzons, Camarines Norte, of which 21
cases were from the village of Banocboc and 11 from Pinagtigasan.
Twenty-five percent of the victims were infants while the rest were from ages one to 10.
Santiago Jr. said laboratory tests through stool culture yielded negative results for cholera. Water tests have also been conducted but results have yet to be released.
Santiago Jr. said diarrhea cases increase mostly during the rainy season when open wells become contaminated because of poor drainage systems.
Residents in affected areas were advised to do household chlorination to ensure potable water.
Southern Luzon Bureau
First Posted 18:33:00 01/09/2009
INQUIRER.net
LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines—Health officials noted a cholera outbreak for the past three weeks in Ticao Island, Masbate after having recorded 124 cases and two fatalities in the towns of Monreal and San Fernando, the Department of Health in Bicol reported Friday.
Nestor Santiago Jr., Bicol health director, said in a report that in Monreal town, most of the cases were seen in the village of Guinhadap with a total of 96. There were four cases in the village of Morocborocan and nine in the village of Poblacion.
In San Fernando town, all 15 cases were seen in the village of Ipil.
Most of the victims were children and adolescents. Initial laboratory tests through stool culture revealed three of the 124 cases as positive for Cholera Ogawa.
Cholera is a bacterial disease marked by severe gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea.
Santiago Jr. said their study of the trend of cholera occurrence in the Bicol region showed a reemergence every three to four years.
"This year, being the fourth year since its last regionwide increase, we expect the reemergence of the disease," Santiago Jr. said.
He said prolonged rainy days and the occurrence of floods in many areas in Bicol as well as the unsanitary toilet conditions in villages are some factors that might have caused the reemergence of the disease.
Santiago Jr. said the DOH had distributed medicines like, fluids, antibiotics, and laboratory supplies to cholera hot spot areas in Masbate.
However, what complicated things, he said, was the confusion as to where to refer the cases since most of the health centers were closed during the holidays. Only hospitals were open.
Menwhile, some 32 diarrhea cases have also been recorded first week of January in the Calaguas Group of Islands in Vinzons, Camarines Norte, of which 21
cases were from the village of Banocboc and 11 from Pinagtigasan.
Twenty-five percent of the victims were infants while the rest were from ages one to 10.
Santiago Jr. said laboratory tests through stool culture yielded negative results for cholera. Water tests have also been conducted but results have yet to be released.
Santiago Jr. said diarrhea cases increase mostly during the rainy season when open wells become contaminated because of poor drainage systems.
Residents in affected areas were advised to do household chlorination to ensure potable water.
Rebels bomb Globe cell site in Albay
By Ephraim Aguilar
Southern Luzon Bureau
First Posted 16:42:00 01/09/2009
INQUIRER.net
LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines—Suspected New People's Army rebels bombed the cell site of a telecommunications firm Thursday evening in Malilipot town, Albay, police reported Friday.
The Albay police said that at around 8 p.m., security guard Alan Bongales noticed a dog barking inside the cell site compound of Globe Telecom located in the village of San Jose.
When he went outside to check, 10 unidentified heavily-armed men pointed guns at him, forced him to open the gate, and dragged him 15 meters away from the cell site.
Ten minutes later, a bomb exploded.
The security guard was unharmed while the perpetrators fled towards Barangay Binitayan of the same town, police said.
The communist rebels have been attacking Globe facilities in remote villages purportedly due to the telecommunication firm’s failure to pay protection money.
Southern Luzon Bureau
First Posted 16:42:00 01/09/2009
INQUIRER.net
LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines—Suspected New People's Army rebels bombed the cell site of a telecommunications firm Thursday evening in Malilipot town, Albay, police reported Friday.
The Albay police said that at around 8 p.m., security guard Alan Bongales noticed a dog barking inside the cell site compound of Globe Telecom located in the village of San Jose.
When he went outside to check, 10 unidentified heavily-armed men pointed guns at him, forced him to open the gate, and dragged him 15 meters away from the cell site.
Ten minutes later, a bomb exploded.
The security guard was unharmed while the perpetrators fled towards Barangay Binitayan of the same town, police said.
The communist rebels have been attacking Globe facilities in remote villages purportedly due to the telecommunication firm’s failure to pay protection money.
RP-US ‘Balikatan’ goes to Bicol; no war games
By Ephraim Aguilar and Roy Gersalia
Inquirer Southern Luzon
LEGAZPI CITY—WHILE NO ONE CAN predict how a Barack Obama presidency will affect ties between the Philippines and the United States, a US Navy officer thinks the time-tested “good relations” are not likely to change.
Proof of this, according to Capt. Kelly Schmader, commander of the 30th Naval Construction Regiment, is the 2009 RP-US Balikatan military exercises that will be held in three Bicol provinces—Albay, Masbate and Sorsogon—in April.
Schmader visited the Bicol region yesterday to see to the final stages of surveying and planning for the Balikatan (meaning “shoulder to shoulder”), which is now on its 14th year in the country.
“My commander in chief is President [George W.] Bush. Nobody knows at this point what might happen beyond his administration. But personally, I do not expect that the good RP-US ties will change,” Schmader said at a press conference.
The Balikatan is part of the mutual defense treaty between the Philippines and the United States, he pointed out.
In Sorsogon on Wednesday, Schmader and 30 other US soldiers had a three-hour dialogue with Sorsogon Gov. Sally Lee and Juban Mayor Maritess Guab-Fragata to formalize arrangements for the exercises to be held in the Pacific Board area near Albay and Sorsogon.
The deployment of an engineering battalion and medical mission groups was among the points discussed.
Purely humanitarian
Last year’s Balikatan was held in Mindanao. Its primary objective was to improve the “interoperability” of the two countries’ armed forces for mutual defense.
This time, some 400 American doctors, engineers and nurses, predominantly belonging to the military, will join the monthlong exercises to provide humanitarian aid to depressed areas in Albay, Masbate and Sorsogon, Schmader said.
These provinces are considered hotbeds of communist insurgency in the Bicol region. But Col. Ariel Bernardo, commander of the Philippine Army’s 901st Infantry Brigade, said there would be no war games in the coming exercises.
Intervention suspected
“The Bicol Balikatan shall only comprise humanitarian projects in the form of medical missions and engineering works,” Bernardo said.
But Greg Bañares, spokesperson of the communist-led National Democratic Front in Bicol, said in a press statement that the US soldiers might intervene in the armed battles between government troops and New People’s Army guerrillas.
He also warned that the “fake” humanitarian missions could be used to survey the Philippines’ rich lands and seas or to spy on revolutionary movements.
Bernardo dismissed these accusations, saying the aims of the exercises were peace and development.
“We are [conducting] development projects in depressed communities because we recognize poverty as the root cause of the insurgency,” he said.
Bernardo said the insurgency in Bicol was reduced to a manageable level in 1995 but eventually saw a resurgence because of poverty.
“We do not want that mistake to happen again,” he said.
Local materials
Engineering work (involving the construction of roads and water facilities) and the medical missions are scheduled to begin in the first and second weeks of April, respectively.
Schmader, himself an engineer, said all materials for the engineering work would be acquired locally in order to boost local economies.
Neither the American and Filipino military officials specified the costs and funding source of the 2009 Balikatan despite direct questions from reporters.
But Schmader said the costs would be shared by the countries. He estimated the engineering work to cost around $450,000.
Inquirer Southern Luzon
LEGAZPI CITY—WHILE NO ONE CAN predict how a Barack Obama presidency will affect ties between the Philippines and the United States, a US Navy officer thinks the time-tested “good relations” are not likely to change.
Proof of this, according to Capt. Kelly Schmader, commander of the 30th Naval Construction Regiment, is the 2009 RP-US Balikatan military exercises that will be held in three Bicol provinces—Albay, Masbate and Sorsogon—in April.
Schmader visited the Bicol region yesterday to see to the final stages of surveying and planning for the Balikatan (meaning “shoulder to shoulder”), which is now on its 14th year in the country.
“My commander in chief is President [George W.] Bush. Nobody knows at this point what might happen beyond his administration. But personally, I do not expect that the good RP-US ties will change,” Schmader said at a press conference.
The Balikatan is part of the mutual defense treaty between the Philippines and the United States, he pointed out.
In Sorsogon on Wednesday, Schmader and 30 other US soldiers had a three-hour dialogue with Sorsogon Gov. Sally Lee and Juban Mayor Maritess Guab-Fragata to formalize arrangements for the exercises to be held in the Pacific Board area near Albay and Sorsogon.
The deployment of an engineering battalion and medical mission groups was among the points discussed.
Purely humanitarian
Last year’s Balikatan was held in Mindanao. Its primary objective was to improve the “interoperability” of the two countries’ armed forces for mutual defense.
This time, some 400 American doctors, engineers and nurses, predominantly belonging to the military, will join the monthlong exercises to provide humanitarian aid to depressed areas in Albay, Masbate and Sorsogon, Schmader said.
These provinces are considered hotbeds of communist insurgency in the Bicol region. But Col. Ariel Bernardo, commander of the Philippine Army’s 901st Infantry Brigade, said there would be no war games in the coming exercises.
Intervention suspected
“The Bicol Balikatan shall only comprise humanitarian projects in the form of medical missions and engineering works,” Bernardo said.
But Greg Bañares, spokesperson of the communist-led National Democratic Front in Bicol, said in a press statement that the US soldiers might intervene in the armed battles between government troops and New People’s Army guerrillas.
He also warned that the “fake” humanitarian missions could be used to survey the Philippines’ rich lands and seas or to spy on revolutionary movements.
Bernardo dismissed these accusations, saying the aims of the exercises were peace and development.
“We are [conducting] development projects in depressed communities because we recognize poverty as the root cause of the insurgency,” he said.
Bernardo said the insurgency in Bicol was reduced to a manageable level in 1995 but eventually saw a resurgence because of poverty.
“We do not want that mistake to happen again,” he said.
Local materials
Engineering work (involving the construction of roads and water facilities) and the medical missions are scheduled to begin in the first and second weeks of April, respectively.
Schmader, himself an engineer, said all materials for the engineering work would be acquired locally in order to boost local economies.
Neither the American and Filipino military officials specified the costs and funding source of the 2009 Balikatan despite direct questions from reporters.
But Schmader said the costs would be shared by the countries. He estimated the engineering work to cost around $450,000.
Thursday, January 08, 2009
UNDER OBAMA
Change unlikely in RP-US ties--officer
By Ephraim Aguilar, Roy Gersalia
Southern Luzon Bureau
First Posted 17:37:00 01/08/2009
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/topstories/topstories/view/20090108-182207/Change-unlikely-in-RP-US-ties--officer
LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines--(UPDATE) While no one can be sure at this point how a Barack Obama presidency will affect ties between the Philippines and United States, a US Navy officer said the time-tested “good relations” between the two countries is not likely to change.
Captain Kelly Schmader, commander of the 30th Naval Construction Regiment, said proof of this are the 2009 Balikatan (shoulder-to-shoulder) exercises, which will be held in three Bicol provinces this April.
Schmader was in Bicol Thursday for the final stages of surveying and planning of the joint US-RP military exercises, now in their 14th year in the country.
“My commander-in-chief is President [George W.] Bush. Nobody knows at this point what might happen beyond his administration. But personally, I do not expect that the good RP-US ties will change,” Schmader said at a press conference.
He stressed that the Balikatan exercises are part of a mutual defense treaty between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the US.
Schmader said around 400 American doctors, engineers, and nurses, predominantly military, will join the month-long exercises to provide humanitarian aid to depressed areas in the provinces of Albay, Masbate, and Sorsogon.
These provinces are considered hotbeds of the communist insurgency in the Bicol region. But Colonel Ariel Bernardo, commander of the Philippine Army's 901st Infantry Brigade, said there will be no war games in the Bicol Balikatan.
“The Bicol Balikatan shall only comprise humanitarian projects in the form of medical missions and engineering works,” Bernardo said.
Greg Bañares, spokesperson of the rebel National Democratic (NDF) Front in Bicol, warned in a press statement that US troops might intervene in armed battles between government troops and communist guerrillas.
He also warned that the “fake” humanitarian missions could be used to survey the country's rich lands and seas or spy on the revolutionary movement.
Bernardo brushed off these accusations, saying the aims of the exercises are peace and development.
“We are pouring in development projects on depressed communities, since we recognize poverty as the root cause of insurgency,” Bernardo said.
He added that, in 1995, insurgency had been reduced to a manageable level in Bicol, but people went back to rebellion because of poverty.
“We do not want that mistake to happen again,” Bernardo said.
The engineering works -- construction of roads and water facilities -- will begin in the first week of April and medical missions in the middle of the same month.
Schmader, also an engineer, said all materials for the engineering works will be acquired locally to boost the economy.
None of the American and Filipino Army officers have been specific about the source and total amount of funds to be used for the 2009 Balikatan despite direct questions by the media.
But Shchmader said the funds will be shared by both countries. He estimated the engineering works alone to cost around US$450,000.
In Sorsogon on Wednesday, US soldiers led by Schmader conducted a dialogue with Sorsogon Governor Sally Lee and Juban town Mayor Maritess Guab-Fragata on the joint exercises to be held in the Pacific Board area near Albay and Sorsogon provinces.
Last year, Balikatan was held in the war-torn Mindanao region. Its primary objective is to improve the interoperability of both forces for mutual defense.
By Ephraim Aguilar, Roy Gersalia
Southern Luzon Bureau
First Posted 17:37:00 01/08/2009
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/topstories/topstories/view/20090108-182207/Change-unlikely-in-RP-US-ties--officer
LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines--(UPDATE) While no one can be sure at this point how a Barack Obama presidency will affect ties between the Philippines and United States, a US Navy officer said the time-tested “good relations” between the two countries is not likely to change.
Captain Kelly Schmader, commander of the 30th Naval Construction Regiment, said proof of this are the 2009 Balikatan (shoulder-to-shoulder) exercises, which will be held in three Bicol provinces this April.
Schmader was in Bicol Thursday for the final stages of surveying and planning of the joint US-RP military exercises, now in their 14th year in the country.
“My commander-in-chief is President [George W.] Bush. Nobody knows at this point what might happen beyond his administration. But personally, I do not expect that the good RP-US ties will change,” Schmader said at a press conference.
He stressed that the Balikatan exercises are part of a mutual defense treaty between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the US.
Schmader said around 400 American doctors, engineers, and nurses, predominantly military, will join the month-long exercises to provide humanitarian aid to depressed areas in the provinces of Albay, Masbate, and Sorsogon.
These provinces are considered hotbeds of the communist insurgency in the Bicol region. But Colonel Ariel Bernardo, commander of the Philippine Army's 901st Infantry Brigade, said there will be no war games in the Bicol Balikatan.
“The Bicol Balikatan shall only comprise humanitarian projects in the form of medical missions and engineering works,” Bernardo said.
Greg Bañares, spokesperson of the rebel National Democratic (NDF) Front in Bicol, warned in a press statement that US troops might intervene in armed battles between government troops and communist guerrillas.
He also warned that the “fake” humanitarian missions could be used to survey the country's rich lands and seas or spy on the revolutionary movement.
Bernardo brushed off these accusations, saying the aims of the exercises are peace and development.
“We are pouring in development projects on depressed communities, since we recognize poverty as the root cause of insurgency,” Bernardo said.
He added that, in 1995, insurgency had been reduced to a manageable level in Bicol, but people went back to rebellion because of poverty.
“We do not want that mistake to happen again,” Bernardo said.
The engineering works -- construction of roads and water facilities -- will begin in the first week of April and medical missions in the middle of the same month.
Schmader, also an engineer, said all materials for the engineering works will be acquired locally to boost the economy.
None of the American and Filipino Army officers have been specific about the source and total amount of funds to be used for the 2009 Balikatan despite direct questions by the media.
But Shchmader said the funds will be shared by both countries. He estimated the engineering works alone to cost around US$450,000.
In Sorsogon on Wednesday, US soldiers led by Schmader conducted a dialogue with Sorsogon Governor Sally Lee and Juban town Mayor Maritess Guab-Fragata on the joint exercises to be held in the Pacific Board area near Albay and Sorsogon provinces.
Last year, Balikatan was held in the war-torn Mindanao region. Its primary objective is to improve the interoperability of both forces for mutual defense.
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
Taiwanese shot dead in Albay
By Ephraim Aguilar
Southern Luzon Bureau
First Posted 14:49:00 01/07/2009
INQUIRER.net
LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines--A Taiwanese official of a cement factory in Camalig, Albay, was shot dead by two unidentified gunmen Tuesday morning, the Bicol police reported Wednesday.
The victim, Lee Shih Ying, 38, assistant marketing supervisor of the Goodfound Cement Factory, was at the firm’s quarry site when he was shot.
Police recovered from the crime scene five empty 9 mm pistol shells.
According to police, the killers also stole the victim's bag before fleeing towards the hilly village of Caguiba, also in Camalig.
Southern Luzon Bureau
First Posted 14:49:00 01/07/2009
INQUIRER.net
LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines--A Taiwanese official of a cement factory in Camalig, Albay, was shot dead by two unidentified gunmen Tuesday morning, the Bicol police reported Wednesday.
The victim, Lee Shih Ying, 38, assistant marketing supervisor of the Goodfound Cement Factory, was at the firm’s quarry site when he was shot.
Police recovered from the crime scene five empty 9 mm pistol shells.
According to police, the killers also stole the victim's bag before fleeing towards the hilly village of Caguiba, also in Camalig.
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