Philippines won’t pull out troops from Ayungin Shoal – DND

Photo released by the AFP Western Command last November shows some of the Filipino troops on board the grounded BRP Sierra Madre, which serves as their detachment at Ayungin Shoal. The troops were waving goodbye to then Wescom chief Lt. Gen. Juancho Sabban, who visited the nine Philippine-occupied territories in the Spratly Islands last November, before he retired last April.

The Philippines will not pull out its troops from Ayungin Shoal despite the presence of a Chinese warship and will fight to the last man, if the situation worsens, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said Thursday.

In a press briefing, Gazmin said China still has two Chinese Maritime Surveillance (CMS) ships and a navy frigate at the shoal as of Wednesday, apparently to scare Philippine troops.

“Maaring ganoon ang message nila, eh tayo naman up to the last soldier standing, we will fight for what is ours,” the defense chief said.

Asked if the government was considering pulling out the troops from Ayungin, Gazmin said: “Hindi, atin ‘yan eh. Kasama nga ‘yan ng ating continental shelf, bakit tayo aalis?”

Resupply still on

The military has even scheduled a resupply mission for troops who are stationed at the shoal, he said.

“Wala naman tayong problema. Wala pa tayong problema, ibig sabihin. We are due for replenishment and rotation of troops, gagawin natin yan dahil ito, dati naman nating ginagawa, ito ay routinary, at ang nagdadala niyan ay isang navy ship na unarmed. Ito eh logistics vessel, so i don’t think there’s anything wrong with that,” Gazmin said.

“As far as we’re concerned, hindi disputed ‘yan, atin ‘yan eh,” he said, stressing that Ayungin is only 110 to 120 nautical miles away from Rizal, Palawan.

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) provides countries with a 200-nautical mile “exclusive economic zone.”

Aside from the frigate and CMS ships, China had also sent at least 10 fishing vessels and dinghies to the shoal.

‘Clear intrusion’

But what was glaring, according to Gazmin, was the deployment of a military ship.

“Maliwanag na intrusion ‘yan, violation ‘yan, dahil hindi na ‘yan civilian ship, kumbaga sumobra na ‘yung kanyang violation, pumasok na siya sa ating territory,” he said.

Photographs of the Chinese ships, taken by Philippine military airplanes, have been sent to the Department of Foreign Affairs, which is in charge of filing diplomatic protests.

“There are ways of doing it, right now we are doing it legally,” Gazmin said. (John Roson)

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Philippines can fight back if threatened – Aquino

Fort San Felipe, Cavite City – The Philippines can fight back if threatened, President Benigno Aquino III said today, as tensions continued in seas north and west of the country.

“Ang sa Pilipinas ay sa Pilipinas, kaya nating pumalag sa tuwing may maninindak,” Aquino said in a speech at the Philippine Navy’s 115th anniversary here.

“Patuloy ang pagdagsa ng mga banta mula sa loob at labas ng bansa,” he said.

The President made the remarks five days after Taiwan conducted naval exercises in waters near Batanes on May 16.

The military drills came after Philippine Coast Guard personnel shot a Taiwan-registered boat near the same area, killing one fisherman.

Taiwan also recalled its de-facto envoy to Manila and froze the hiring of Filipino workers, prompting Aquino to apologize for the shooting.

Some observers say Taiwan could be using the shooting issue to bring forward talks that are aimed at getting rights to fish in Philippine waters.

“At the end of the day, what they want is a fishing concession. They want to poach legally in our waters,” a former military official told reporters on condition of anonymity.

Currently, Taiwan fishermen are “borrowing” permits from some Filipinos so they can fish in Philippine waters, the official said.

Authorities usually let the Taiwanese go after seeing the permits, he added.

Aquino told reporters that the government will first finish probing the shooting incident before engaging Taiwan in any fisheries talks.

“‘Yung sa fisheries ay ating pinaaaral rin ‘yung mga limitasyon natin. ‘Yung guarding the national patrimony provisions of the Constitution will come into play,” he said.

Aside from Taiwan, the Philippines is also facing issues with China over the latter’s fishing trips to the West Philippine Sea.

Chinese are fishing at Ayungin shoal, one of the Philippines’ territories in the Spratly Islands, “escorted” by a vessel of their navy, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said. (John Roson)

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Chinese fishing at Philippine shoal – DND

Fort San Felipe, Cavite City – Chinese are fishing at Ayungin shoal, one of the Philippines’ territories in the Spratly Islands, “escorted” by a vessel of their navy, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said today.

“Nangingisda sila sa loob ng teritoryo natin,” Gazmin told reporters after attending the Philippine Navy anniversary rites here.

“Mayroon silang flag, Chinese,” the defense chief said.

Gazmin said the Philippines will deal with the issue “calmly,” by filing a diplomatic protest through the Department of Foreign Affairs.

“Gagawin natin sa mahinahong paraan, para hindi tayo mukhang naghahamon,” he said. (John Roson)

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Poll violence: More elected officials killed in 2013 – PNP

The number of elected government officials killed in this year’s election period has already surpassed those of 2010 and 2007, police records showed.

Thirty-three elected officials were killed in election-related incidents from January 13 to May 13, almost twice as many as the 17 killed in an equivalent period (Jan. 10 to May 10) in 2010, records provided by the PNP Directorate for Investigative and Detective Management (DIDM) showed.

This year’s running tally has also surpassed the 21 elected officials who were killed in election-related incidents in an equivalent period (Jan. 14 to May 14) in 2007.

It is also higher than the 20 elected officials killed during the whole 2010 election period (Jan. 10 to June 9) and the 26 officials slain during the entire poll season of 2007 (Jan. 10 to June 9).

The 33 officials who were slain are among 52 people killed in 90 incidents that occurred in this year’s election period. The others are comprised of 14 supporters of candidates, two soldiers, a policeman, and a non-elected official.

Interestingly, the number of persons slain this year is now almost equal to the 54 who were killed during the whole election period of 2010, despite fewer incidents. A total of 176 incidents were recorded three years ago.

Asked on the seemingly higher percentage of deaths, PNP chief Dir. Gen. Alan Purisima said in a press briefing that some of this year’s attacks were aimed at groups of people.

“‘Yung opportunity na maging biktima ay malaki dahil magkakasama-sama sila, unlike before when there were targeted personalities,” he said.

Meanwhile, Purisima said the PNP will continue monitoring incidents and remain vigilant as there is an “expected mounting of actions of losing candidates.”

The PNP will continue enforcing the election gun ban and its house-to-house checks for firearms with expired licenses until June 12, he added. (John Roson)

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94 arrested for vote buying – PNP

A total of 94 persons were arrested while P1.164 million was confiscated in operations against vote buying this election season, police said Thursday.

Of those arrested, 83 have been charged in court while 11 are still undergoing investigation, Senior Supt. Valeriano de Leon, chief of the PNP Directorate for Operations’ statistics and reports division, said in a briefing.

Fifty-nine incidents of vote buying were recorded in the entire country from Jan. 13 to May 13, but only 46 of these have been confirmed so far, De Leon said.

Of the confirmed incidents, eight occurred in the Zamboanga Peninsula, followed by seven in Ilocos region, five in Caraga, four each in Bicol, Central Visayas, and Eastern Visayas, three each in Central Luzon, Calabarzon, and Western Visayas, two in Cagayan Valley, and one each in Mimaropa, Northern Mindanao, and Central Mindanao, according to records presented by De Leon.

In Central Luzon, three persons were arrested and charged for two vote buying incidents that involved P505,700.

A total of 13 alleged incidents of vote buying were also reported in Metro Manila, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Central Mindanao, and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Eleven people were arrested and are still undergoing investigation for these incidents.

Despite the arrests, PNP chief Dir. Gen. Alan Purisima said the police still need to brush up on its campaign against vote buying.

“We need to review our elements of vote buying.. If there is a vague interpretation there, all cases will be dismissed,” Purisima said. (John Roson)

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Poll violence: Sulu police chief sacked, town’s police force removed

The Philippine National Police has removed its top official in Sulu and replaced all policemen in one town for allegedly failing to control violence among candidates’ supporters this election season.

Senior Supt. Antonio Freyra was relieved from his post as provincial director while members of the ARMM Regional Public Safety Battalion (RPSB) replaced all policemen in Banguingui, PNP chief Dir. Gen. Alan Purisima said in a press briefing in Camp Crame.

“Ang nangyayari ngayon sa Banguingui, hanggang ngayon nagpuputukan pa, we now have a company of RPSB who replaced the local police. The PD of Suluwas relieved because hindi na niya ma-control ang mga tao, we need people to control the situation,” Purisima said.

Senior Supt. Robert Kuinisala, who currently serves as deputy director for administration of the ARMM regional police, has been tasked to lead the Sulu provincial police, the PNP chief said.

Sought for more details, Kuinisala said the fighting in Bangungui, formerly known as Tongkil, started on election day between supporters of mayoralty candidate Whajid Sahidulla and a rival candidate.

“So far may reported na tatlong patay, tapos apat na wounded. Nung eleksyon nangyari pero yung succeeding skirmishes, di namin ma-determine kung may sugatan, di ka makalapit dun sa nagpupukpukan eh,” Kuinisala said.

“Nagpuputukan sila sa barangay, sa mga sitio-sitio kung saan sila magkita-kita, ‘yun ang sitwasyon, so kailangang ibalik namin ang normalcy,” he said.

Kuinisala said Senior Supt. Abraham Orbita will be installed as the provincial police director once he and his men have restored peace in Bangungui. (John Roson)

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2013 poll violence nears year 2010 level

The number of people killed and injured in this year’s elections have already reached a level close to those of 2010, with still a month to go before the election period ends, police records showed Wednesday.

Fifty-two people were killed while 73 were injured in 90 election-related incidents from January 13 to May 13, records provided by the PNP Department of Investigative and Detective Management (DIDM) showed.

Fifty-four people died and 78 were injured in 176 incidents that occurred during the entire election period in 2010, which ran from January 10 to June 9, according to the DIDM.

This year’s election period started on January 13 and will end on June 13.

Meanwhile, DIDM records also showed that the number of politicians killed this year is now higher than that of 2010.

Thirty-three elected government officials were killed this year, higher than the 20 politicians killed three years ago. (John Roson)

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Dep-Ed exec, school principal hurt in Maguindanao shooting

A Department of Education (Dep-Ed) official and a school principal were injured after being shot by armed men in Salipada K. Pendatun town, Maguindanao, Sunday morning, the military said.

Abas Minsu, the Dep-Ed’s district supervisor for the town, and Teng Mangindra, principal of the Bai Tumbabay Elementary School, were brought to a hospital in Tacurong City, Sultan Kudarat, due to injuries, Army 6th Infantry Division spokesman Col. Dickson Hermoso said.

The shooting occurred around 11 a.m. while Minsu and Mangindra were riding a motorcycle at the boundary of Brgys. Ramcor and Bagundang.

Minsu and Mangindra were heading towards Brgy. Ramcor when one of two men on another motorcycle shot them with a caliber-.45 pistol, Hermoso said.

Local police are still trying to determine the assailants’ identities and motive, he said. (John Roson)

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1 killed, 4 hurt in ambush on candidates’ convoys in Maguindanao, North Cotabato

At least one person was killed while four others were injured in two separate ambuscades against candidates in Maguindanao and North Cotabato on Saturday, the military said.

Kiang Nasser, a nephew of South Upi mayoralty candidate Mohammad Digo “Datu Baba” Omar Jr., was killed when the latter’s convoy was ambushed along in Km 30 of the road in North Upi, Maguindanao, around 5:30 p.m., Army 6th Infantry Division spokesman Col. Dickson Hermoso said.

Omar’s uncle, Turno Omar, was injured and brought to the Datu Blah Sinsuat Hospital.

Omar, a candidate of PDP-Laban, is one of seven people running for mayor of South Upi. Another candidate is incumbent Mayor Abdullah “Bedz” Campong, who is running under the Liberal Party.

Around 11:50 p.m. the same day, three supporters of Floro Allado, a vice mayoralty candidate in Banisilan, North Cotabato, were injured when armed men ambushed his convoy in Brgy. Wadya.

Allado and his supporters were on their way home from campaigning in Brgy. Gastav, on board his Ford Everest and commando-type owner jeep, when they were fired upon, Hermoso said.

The candidate was not hit, but three of his supporters were wounded and brought to the Wao Hospital in Wao, Lanao del Sur, according to the military official.

Allado is one of four people running for vice mayor in Banisilan. (John Roson)

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9 killed as bus slams, drags tricycle in Quezon

Photo courtesy of Quezon Police Provincial Office

Nine people, including four minors, died after a passenger bus collided with and dragged the tricycle they were riding, along the Maharlika Highway in Calauag, Quezon, early Sunday, police said.

Passengers Natividad Breva, 51; Federico Ebiernas, 44; Letecia Ebiernas, 43; Jackielyn Casabon, 29; Krizel Pera, 14; Glicel Casabon, 9; Daniela Olanda, 9; and Kathleen Casabon, 7, died on the spot while their driver Redentor Olanda, 37, was declared dead at the St. Peter Hospital, Quezon provincial police spokesman Chief Insp. Ediclle Canals said.

The incident occurred around 7:25 a.m., while Olanda was driving the tricycle along the highway’s portion in Brgy. Biyan.

The tricycle was heading towards Calauag town proper when it was hit by the Arandia Bus Line unit (EVN-970) being driven by Albert Oli from Manila to Bicol, Canals said.

The bus dragged the tricycle some 56 meters from the point of impact, he said.

Investigation showed that Oli overtook another bus by using the opposite lane, causing his bus to collide head on with Olanda’s tricycle.

Oli’s bus suffered heavy damage due to the strong impact, while the tricycle was totally wrecked, Canals said.

The fatalities’ bodies have been brought to a local funeral parlor while Oli is now detained at the Calauag Police Station.

Charges of reckless imprudence resulting in multiple homicide and damage to property are now being prepared against the bus driver, Canals said. (John Roson)

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