Southcom chief insists Moro rebel recruitment factual

THE Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Southern Command chief asserted Thursday that the report on alleged recruitment of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is factual and with testimonies from the recruits themselves.

Lieutenant General Edilberto Adan chided MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu’s statement denying that the Muslim secessionist group is recruiting new members.

“The position of Kabalu is understandable. From where he sits the answer is expected. But these (MILF recruitment) are reports coming from local officials and trainees themselves,” Adan said.

The military official also denied allegations that he is endangering the MILF-GRP peace talks with his latest accusation against the MILF.

SunStar Davao

Muslims, Christians have joint New Year

The Christians and Muslims worldwide will celebrate together on New Year’s eve, Lanao del Norte second district Representative Abdullah Dimaporo told Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro in an exclusive interview.

Dimaporo said, it so happened that the Muslim lunar calendar and the Christian Roman calendar on the first day of 2006 coincides with the date, which would only happen every 110 years or more than a century.

On December 31 in the evening, friends and relatives among Christians and Muslims, which come from as far as Lanao del Sur, Marawi City, Iligan City Zamboanga provinces would gather for a celebration in front of the provincial capitol, in Pigcarangan, Tubod this province.

SunStar CDO

AFP tags CPP/NPA/NDF as worst terror group in RP

PANACAN, Davao City (30 December) — The continued use of Landmines by the hierarchy of the communist New Peoples Army (NPA) deserves them the title “Worst Terrorist Group” globally, Major Jose Maria Cuerpo II, 5th Civil Relations Group Commander said in relation to the recent incident when a self detonated landmine went off killing instantly three soldiers supposedly going for a humanitarian mission.

He said that for the past few months, terrorist NPA have been capitalizing on the use of landmines disregarding the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL) of which the NDF is a signatory.

“In their desperation of scoring big on our government troops, they hopelessly and cowardly resorted to the use of landmines as their weapon which is banned under CARHRIHL which the NDF is one of the signatories.

This only shows how evil, inhuman and insincere these people are. Our AFP, your true servant for human security has long banned the use of landmines during combat operations. Their continued and indiscriminate use of landmines and complete disregard of civilian lives who become victims of these acts, showed inhuman and anti poor stance of the NPAs,” Cuerpo said.

Cuerpo said that just last week of November this year, one (1) Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit (CAFGU) and a regular Army personnel was hurt because of the landmines planted by the rebels in the hinter barangay of Davao del Sur and in another incident killed 2 CAFGUS in Montevista, Compostela Valley, a clear evil and satanic handiworks of the NPA.

One other unforgettable incident this year was the exploding of a land mine in Sapang Dalaga, Misamis Occidental which also killed civilians.

He said that despite these series of atrocities due to landmines, militant groups Karapatan, Bayan Muna, Alyansang Makabayan, Gabriela, KMP and others choose to be blind and deaf about these incidents.

“Where are the so called Secretary Generals of these organizations and our supposed to be Sectoral representatives, who are quick to the draw of accusing the AFP and the PNP whenever the NPAs are at the losing end of the battle?

Cuerpo said they seemed to have been put on silent modes when this kind of incidents happened.

“I hope their conscience will help them realize how cruel the NPAs are and start lambasting the group. They claim to be the true human rights protector, but it looks like they only have one plan in mind, attack the legitimate organizations and the armed component of the legitimate government.” he said.

The people in the region, he said, have been clamoring for the group to be more balance in their critics because their traditional antics clearly show their leanings towards the left.

In fact groups of concerned civilians are calling for ouster of the Sectoral representatives in congress and not to support them and their group in the next elections. The people see them as traitors to democracy and the democratic way of life by using the freedom and resources to destroy that same government that provide them great latitude for parliamentary works. Their names leaves a bad taste in the mouth,” Cuerpo added. (5th CRG News)

Looking into the future

Big dreams for students of Balindong National High School in Lanao del Sur as they look into the newly-acquired microscopes in their science laboratory. The well-equipped laboratory was donated by NGOs. Most rural schools in Mindanao do not have science labs or even microscopes. MindaNews photo by
Froilan Gallardo

Sheila Mae Perez leads SEA Games medallists in RRD honor roll

Davao City (30 December) — The country’s most bemedalled athlete Sheila Mae Perez led ten other medallists given a heroes welcome yesterday by Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte in simple ceremonies held at the Grand Men Seng Hotel in Davao City.

Beaming proud over the eleven gold medals or roughly ten percent of the total Team Philippines gold medal haul of 113, Perez and the rest of the SEA Games medallists received the promised counterpart cash incentives from the city government.

The Team Davao’s “Lucky 14,” 8 males and 6 females, had earlier meet the Davao sports scribes at the weekly DSA Forum of the Tower Inn.

The country’s first ever gold medallist in diving during the 22nd SEA Games in Vietnam, Ryan Rexel Fabriga was there. Perez gold medal tandem in synchronized diving Cecil Domenios, was there too. So with Zardo Domenios and Niño Carog.

The male Dragon Boat Racing team which contributed a total of six gold medals is anchored by Davao mainstays of Jesus Asok, Norman Bacus and Ramil Domenios.

Of the total eight gold medals in the Dragon Boat Race, two were contributed by the female team anchored by Ruditha Poralan, Eunelyn Denuna, Mirasol Abad and Amina Anuddin.

Norma Alamara, MAPE teacher of the Bangoy Elementary School and proud mother of the Alamara brothers Norton, Frazier and Ali of the water polo team was also present in both presentations at the DSA forum and the mayor’s heroes welcome. Saying that we honor our athletes not in terms of money but for the patriotic fervor they have generated in proudly fighting for flag and country, Duterte expressed a deep sense of gratitude in behalf of the people and the Davao City government.

The athletes for their part said that they will always remember Mayor Duterte not on the cash incentives that he had distributed but most of all for the kind, good natured gesture and pro-people approach of the mayor for the Davao City athletes. (PIA-SP-Romy Sabaldan)