Breaking news.
Fifteen Marines died in Basilan today – five officers and ten enlisted men.
The officers who died are so young.
Lt. Salvador, PMA Class 2005.
Lt. Loperaz, PMA Class 2006
Lt. Sumera, PMA Class 2006
Lt. Solorin, PMA Class 2006
Lt. Pinera, PMA Class 2006
On August 3, U.S. federal agents arrested Rahmat Abdhir, a 43-year old dual Malaysian national working as a computer engineer in California. In the 16-count indictment, he was charged with providing material support to a designated terrorist, Zulkiflir Abdhir (aka Zulkifli bin Hir or Marwan)—a senior leader of Jemaah Islamiya (JI), currently based in the southern Philippines—and Rahmat’s younger brother (Terrorism Focus, April 3).
Rahmat was in frequent e-mail contact with Zulkifli, and sent him more than $10,000, and also packages of materials, including ammunition clips, two way radios, rifle scopes, uniforms and other equipment.
Perhaps the most interesting part of the indictment was e-mail correspondence between Zulkifli and Rahmat’s brother that sheds some important light on the very complicated dynamics of the ongoing relationship between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), hardline elements within the MILF and JI.
Superiors sent men to their deaths in Basilan?
by Victor Reyes
The 28 military officers implicated in the failed power grab last February said they have an “idea” on who led the Marine contingent to their deaths in Basilan last July 10 but said they have to validate it.
Fourteen Marines died, 10 of them later beheaded, in clashes with forces from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, Abu Sayyaf and lawless elements.
In a statement to media during the continuation of court martial proceedings, Maj. Gen. Renato Miranda, a former Marine commandant, said “all of these will come to light if there is an honest to goodness investigation so that the deaths of those Marines will not be in vain…and for the sake of the living who are still willing to offer their lives,” he said.
Military officials facing mutiny charges in connection with the February 2006 aborted withdrawal of support from President Arroyo yesterday dared Speaker Jose de Venecia to go beyond “floating” his proposed “all-encompassing” amnesty proclamation.
“Don’t just float it… offer it. Then we will decide,” Maj. Gen. Renato Miranda, former Marines commandant, said after a court martial hearing in Camp Capinpin, Tanay today.
Miranda said they still have to look into the proposed amnesty.
Around 4,500 government troops are poised to contain about 150 Abu Sayyaf bandits and rogue Moro National Liberation Front forces in one area in Sulu to prevent the military offensives from spilling over, the Armed Forces said yesterday.
Another battalion is set to arrive in Sulu this week.
“Our troops in the area, particularly those under Task Force Comet, continue to run after the group…We do believe that they are in the general vicinity of the area,” Armed Forces public information office chief Lt. Col. Bartolome Bacarro told a press briefing yesterday.
Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV on Tuesday accused high ranking government officials of having a hand in the ambush that killed 14 members of the Philippine Marines on July 10 in Al-Barkah, Basilan, ABS-CBN News reported.
In his proposed Senate Resolution No. 72, Trillanes revealed he received information on the involvement of several high ranking officials of the government.
“Whereas, there have been serious insider information reaching this representation that ranking officials of the government had a direct hand in feeding our own military to the enemies of the state that led to the tragic death of the fourteen members of the marine corps,” Trillanes said.
I met with two of the widows of the 14 Marines who died last July 10 in Tipo-Tipo, Basilan last week. They are here following up the financial benefits from the government due them as dependents of the slain soldiers.
They are also here to claim the generous financial help (P500,000 each) offered by former President Estrada from his Saludo sa Kawal Pilipino Foundation.
By this time, the tears have dried up. Mary Ann Bautista, 44, and Jeanny Callueng, 36, have accepted the reality of life without their husbands. It was not so during the first moments when they learned that their husbands, Master Sergeant Noel Bautista,39, and Sergeant Rey Callueng,33, were killed in an encounter with elements of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front last July 10.
Mary Ann said after-battle-report on the tragedy reveals that Master Sgt Bautista was killed in the morning in the first hours of the firefight. Mary Ann said it might have it happened before 9 a.m.. because she got a text message from him a few minutes after 8 a.m) saying that they were in Tipo-Tipo. “Nagpapalit ng gulong” (Changing tires.)
Tirad Pass Brigade
August 12, 2007
The members of the Tirad Pass Brigade, the officers and rank and file soldiers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine National Police extend their condolences to the families and friends of the scores of foot soldiers and young officers who have been killed in action in Mindanao the past several weeks.
We also express our sympathy with the tens of thousands of people who are being displaced by the widespread military operations in Basilan and Sulu.
As a movement upholding the democratic aspirations and desires of the common soldier, the TPB denounces the Arroyo administration and the AFP top brass for deceiving our men, using them as cannon fodder in carrying out a reckless war in Basilan and Sulu, ordering attacks against those who are not our real enemies and with whom we have been trying to work out peace. The attacks have also caused undue hardships among tens of thousands of innocent people in the area.
Gloria Arroyo thinks talking tough is the way to win the war.Can you make sense out of these official pronouncements? Two more battalions beef up…
These numbers are persons. Tao. Human beings. Filipinos.
What has Gloria Arroyo done to this country?
Update: 25 more killed- biggest casualty in a day
By Joel Guinto
Inquirer
Three days of fighting between government forces and al Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf militants in the southern island province of Sulu has left 57 combatants killed and 42 others wounded, a military spokesman said Friday.
A nine-year-old boy was killed in one of four engagements. He was caught in the crossfire when Abu Sayyaf members, assisted by rogue Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) rebels, ambushed Army troopers in Maimbung town on Thursday morning, said Lieutenant Colonel Bartolome Bacarro.