MNLF ally owns up to attack on US troopsGMA news.tv - ‎18 hours ago‎

Who's behind bombings?Inquirer.net - Gil C. Cabacungan Jr., Jocelyn Uy -

5 dead, at least 30 wounded in Cotabato blast

Puno: Government to seek Vagni's peaceful release Business Mirror - Bong Garcia Jr. 

JI bomb expert arrestedStraits Times 

Woman escapes jungle captivity Independent Online - ‎Jun 8, 2009‎

Philippine militants free female hostage AFP -

 Clashes erupt in south Philippines Five soldiers were also hurt in the clashes on Friday when troops fought members of a breakaway faction of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) near ... Blasts rock restive town in Maguindanao GMA news.tv Philippine army kills 13 rebels in heavy fighting Reuters Sri Lankan hostage rescued in Philippines Umar Jaleel was rescued late Wednesday from his Abu Sayyaf captors in the town of Tipo-Tipo on Basilan island, regional police spokesman Superintendent ...

US-Philippines partnership may be model for fighting terrorism ... Los Angeles Times - 

Italian in Abu Sayyaf captivity sighted in Sulu GulfNews -

Abu Sayyaf, military 'colluding' Manila Times - ‎18 hours ago‎

Troops storm Abu Sayyaf's lair, 11 killed

Homemade bomb discovered in Mindanao port Mindanao Examiner 

Vagni calls family, gets parcel from colleagues GMA news.tv - 

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Military: Five injured in Philippine bomb attack targeting governor Xinhua - ‎May 13, 2009‎

Sulu island not haven for terrorists - RP military GMA news.tv - 

Sulu development projects go on despite Abu Sayyaf Business Mirror 

 

Filipino governor orders Red Cross hostage rescued The Associated Press -

Security tightened in Sulu town after rescue of Red Cross worker GMA news.tv - ‎4 hours ago‎

Police rescue ICRC worker from Abu Sayyaf gunmen in Sulu GMA news.tv 

US ready to help in Philippine hostage crisis AFP 

US marines train Filipino soldiers to solve hostage crisis Xinhua - 

Troops destroy Abu Sayyafs’ marijuana plantation in Jolo GMA news.tv -

Philippine troops seize large amount of explosives The Associated Press 

7 Abu Sayyaf ‘conspirators’ freed Business Mirror

Abu Sayyaf wants $5M for ICRC release - military report GMA news.tv - ‎15 hours ago‎

Abu Sayyaf bandits desperate for way out - DILG GMA news.tv

Abu Sayyaf wants to talk with DILG, DND chiefs - Sulu gov GMA news.tv - ‎9 hours ago‎

 

Abu Sayyaf urged to free two hostages United Press International - ‎6 hours ago‎

Abu Sayyaf releases one Red Cross hostage United Press International

PRESS DIGEST - Philippine newspapers - April 1 Crisis team all out to save ICRC hostages Inquirer.net

Red Cross Appeals to Philippine Militants Not to Behead Hostage Bloomberg

Philippine abductors repeat threat despite partial military pullout Xinhua - ‎

ICRC asks Philippines to consider kidnapper demands Reuters - ‎

Abu Sayyaf Threatens To Behead Red Cross Abductees Bernama -  MANILA, March 25 (Bernama) -- Al Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf militants threatened to behead three kidnapped employees of the International Committee of the Red ...   Abu Sayyaf doesn't fear military, says former hostage ABS CBN News - The rising cases of kidnapping in Mindanao shows that the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) has "no fear of the military", a former ASG captive said. ...     Top Asian News at 7:30 am GMT TMCnet -  The latest threat was made by Abu Sayyaf commander Albader Parad on Monday during a phone conversation with a government official. The official spoke to The ...     Palace wants ‘less talk’ about Sulu hostage crisis GMA news.tv -  ... who has been working for the safe release of Filipino Mary Jean Lacaba, Italian Eugenio Vagni and Swiss Andreas Notter from the hands of the Abu Sayyaf. ...     Senator talking to ‘fake’ Parad–Sulu gov Business Mirror - ‎ Richard Gordon had really been talking to Abu Sayyaf commander Albader Parad. Sulu Gov. Abdusakur Tan said Gordon, also the chairman of the Philippine ...     Muslim scholars tackle kidnapping crisis in Mindanao ABS CBN News -  ... all over Mindanao must intensify their religious campaigns and teachings to prevent individuals from joining the Abu Sayyaf Group or committing crimes. ...   Powered by Google News  

Philippine general take leave at height of hostage crisis Xinhua - ‎

Philippine militants renege on deal to free worker International Herald Tribune - ‎Mar 21, 2009‎

Extremists threaten to behead Red Cross hostage The Associated Press -

Philippine marines clash with Abu Sayyaf militants International Herald Tribune - ‎

MILF or Abu Sayyaf behind kidnap of 3 teachers in Zamboanga ... Philippine Star - ‎

MILF or Abu Sayyaf behind kidnap of 3 teachers in Zamboanga ... Philippine Star - 

Philippines hostage crisis enters third month AsiaOne -

Abu Sayyaf urged to release one hostage as show of good faith Manila Bulletin - ‎

Pay Abu Sayyaf P50M or attack Inquirer.net - ‎

‘Abu Sayyaf not demanding total pullout’ Manila Times - ‎

MILF harboring Abu Sayyaf, says AFP official ABS CBN News -

3 Filipino fishermen killed, 2 others kidnapped International Herald Tribune - ‎

Philippines drops pursuit of rebel leaders, talks resumption seen Xinhua - ‎

Sub-leader of kidnap group falls in Zamboanga City GMA news.tv - ‎

Escaped prisoners join Abu Sayyaf GulfNews - ‎

US envoy to Philippines appeals for kidnapped Red Cross staff release Xinhua -

Rebels admit difficulty in abduction case BusinessWorld Online - ‎

Officials say 'no ransom policy' remains vs kidnappers

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Powered by google news   RP military gets $6M for humanitarian projects in Sulu

1 of 2 suspected kidnappers killed in Basilan

Kidnapped 7-year-old rescued in S Philippines

Civilians help authorities secure Sulu

Philippine police：kidnapped Sri Lankan held by Abu Sayyaf rebels

Philippine police：kidnapped Sri Lankan held by Abu Sayyaf rebels

Sri Lankan peace activist abducted in Philippines

Abu Sayyaf mortar attack wounds 10 Filipinos

Troops clash with Sayyaf bandits in Sulu

Sayyaf group admits custody of 3 ICRC workers in Sulu

Muslim rebels turn to extortion: military  ABS CBN News

 

Officials Confirm Abu Sayyaf Holding 3 Red Cross Workers Pacific News Center

'Proof of life' photo of Red Cross workers obtained by CES DRILON, ABS-CBN News They are alive and well! A source close to Sulu local government officials provided ABS-CBN this first photo of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) workers while in captivity. The photo, taken at 1 p.m. Wednesday, shows Filipina Mary Jean Lacaba, Italian Eugenio Vagni, and Swiss national Andreas Notter with Sulu Vice-Gov. Lady Anne Sahidula, a distant relative of Albader Parad, whom the military believes is holding the group. It's been two weeks since the three were taken in front of the Sulu provincial capitol, but there are indications it will take time before they are set free. Efforts are being made for the ICRC to send maintenance medicine for Eugenio, who has a blood pressure condition, and Mary Jean who has a thyroid problem. They have also asked for books and personal grooming items that will be delivered by a contact, whom Sen. Richard Gordon, Philippine National Red Cross chief, did not identify. Mary Jean, or Nene as she is fondly called by her officemates at the Department of Agrarian Reform in Davao, worked in the field most of the time. Her officemates are confident this experience will pull her through her ordeal in sulu. In her hometown of Toril, Nene's mother is still kept in the dark about her daughter's plight.  The radio and the television set have been unplugged for fear she may be taken ill. In Zamboanga, action star Robin Padilla indicated his readiness to help negotiate the release of the Red Cross workers. An Islam convert, Padilla helped secure the freedom of students and teachers held by the Abu Sayyaf Group in Basilan in 2000. Padilla was supposedly sent by Gordon. The military however bristled at the involvement of the action star. Philippine Marines commandant Maj. Gen. Ben Dolorfino said it will complicate matters for them. Gordon admits talking to Padilla, but not on being an emissary to the kidnappers. The Marine commandant will also visit Basilan, where the three teachers kidnapped last Friday and an abducted businessman were believed to have been brought. They are said to be held in Tuburan town, a stronghold of the Abu Sayyaf. Military sources said the four were taken by kidnap-for-ransom groups in Zamboanga and then passed on to the Abu Sayyaf Group. Source: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/regions/01/28/09/update-proof-life-photo-red-cross-workers-obtained

CPP, MILF, Abu Sayyaf committed worst human rights violations—AFP By CARMELA FONBUENA, abs-cbNEWS.com/Newsbreak | 01/28/2009

Kidnappers demand P5M for Lacaba’s release - professor

Release teachers, Zambo mayor appeals to captors

Life terms for MILF Rizal Day bombers

3 men found guilty of murder in deadly Rizal Day bombings at http://www.gmanews.tv/story/145592/3-men-found-guilty-of-murder-in-deadly-Rizal-Day-bombings Life imprisonment for three Rizal Day bombers http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/metro-manila/01/23/09/security-tight-manila-court-decides-rizal-day-bombings-case PNP on alert vs retaliatory attacks Promulgation of case vs Rizal Day bombers starts Arroyo: An earlier anti-terror law may have prevented attacks Rizal Day bombing chronology Second week of November -- Al-Ghozi, Muklis, Paks and Salman went to Cebu to meet Abu Ali (alias Cusain Ramos), their “contact" in the purchase of explosives. They were able to buy 70 kilos of explosives that will be used to bomb Metro Manila.

2 Abu Sayyaf men linked to priest killing in govt custody at http://www.gmanews.tv/story/145401/2-Abu-Sayyaf-men-linked-to-priest-killing-in-govt-custody ICRC wants ‘rapid, unconditional’ release of abducted workers at http://www.gmanews.tv/story/145453/ICRC-wants-‘rapid-unconditional’-release-of-abducted-workers Maritime security intensified to prevent kidnappings in the south at http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/regions/01/22/09/maritime-security-intensified-prevent-kidnappings-south Basilan official: Missing trader kidnapped by Sayyaf-linked group at http://www.gmanews.tv/story/145256/Basilan-official-Missing-trader-kidnapped-by-Sayyaf-linked-group Italian priest: People in south 'uneasy' after ICRC workers' kidnapping at http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/regions/01/22/09/italian-priest-people-south-uneasy-red-cross-workers-kidnapping

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Military rescue efforts for 3 Int'l Red Cross continue abs-cbnNEWS.com | 01/20/2009 11:53 PM

RP appeals to Swiss, Italian govts against paying ransom (Updated 10: 50 p.m.) MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang on Monday appealed to the Swiss and Italian governments to refrain from paying ransom to seek the release of their nationals abducted last week in southern Philippines.

Sulu officials, police: No word yet from ICRC abductors By DYBORRHAE JEWEL M. REYES, ABS-CBN Zamboanga

Kidnapped Int'l Red Cross workers alive, unharmed MANILA, Philippines — The Red Cross said Saturday that three workers kidnapped on a restive southern Philippine island have called colleagues and said they were unharmed.

Military tags Abu Sayyaf in ICRC staff abduction in Sulu (Updated 9 p.m.) MANILA, Philippines - The Armed Forces on Friday tagged the Abu Sayyaf in the abduction of three International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) workers in Sulu province Thursday.

3 Red Cross workers kidnapped in Sulu abs-cbnNEWS.com | 01/15/2009 1:24 PM

Blast hits Cotabato ahead of feast, 4 hurt - police  

13 inmates escape from Sulu jail; 1 dead  

6 soldiers killed, MILF says in new fighting in Maguindanao 01/11/2009 | 07:17 PM

Arroyo outlines plan for Mindanao peace January 07, 2009 04:24:00

Peace talks top Cabinet agenda 

Bombing suspect, pal bolt North Cotabato jail

Stability before MILF talks resume  By Katherine Evangelista

MNLF recruiting members in Sibuco, says mayor By QUEENIE CASIMIRO, ABS-CBN News Zamboanga |

Two soldiers killed in firefight vs ‘lawless' MILF group By RONNIE ENDERES, ABS-CBN News Iligan | 12/18/2008 2:21 AM

Manila declares holiday truce with Maoist rebels Reuters |

Ban on child warriors high on state’s peace agenda with Reds, Moros By Joyce Pangco Pañares

Military probing reports of two ASG commanders killed By DYBORRHAE JEWEL M. REYES, ABS-CBN News Zamboanga | 12/10/2008 11:13 PM

Mumbai-type attacks unlikely in RP, says prof abs-cbnNEWS.com | 12/10/2008 1:33 PM

5 soldiers, 9 MILF rebels killed Sunday clashes claim life of peace panel member

Nine soldiers hurt in Sulu firefight vs suspected ASG By QUEENIE CASIMIRO, ABS-CBN News Zamboanga | 12/07/2008 6:24 PM

7 wounded in Sultan Kudarat blasts:  2 in critical condition By Edwin Fernandez

Wife denies husband is JI bomb expert abs-cbnNEWS.com | 12/03/2008 3:22 PM

Zambo bizmen still alarmed vs kidnap threats By QUEENIE CASIMIRO, ABS-CBN News Zamboanga | 12/03/2008 12:28 AM

MILF: Violence unlikely to escalate in Mindanao Even with the pull out of the Malaysian delegation from the International Monitoring Team, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on Tuesday assured that ceasefire mechanisms in Mindanao remain in place and that an escalation of violence in the region is "unlikely."

NPA releases video of ‘POW’ Army officer The New People’s Army group holding captive a Philippine Army junior officer has released a video of the young officer while captive and in a mountain camp of the rebel group.

Mumbai terror rampage ends; Indian forces kill last gunmen 11/29/2008 | 10:20 PM

5 Pinoys affected in Mumbai attacks abs-cbnNEWS.com | 11/27/2008 5:04 PM

 US forces here to stay, says US envoy  By Julie Alipala

US officials deny troops, projects are target of attacks in Sulu

MILF winds up probe on Bravo and Kato but results confidential By Edwin G. Espejo, Newsbreak | 11/24/2008 11:21 AM

US envoy calls for ceasefire in Mindanao  

2 alleged Abu members nabbed in Taguig By Marlon Ramos

Hundreds in Basilan town displaced as military bombard MILF forces ZAMBOANGA CITY - More than 800 residents were displaced when the military conducted mortar shelling and bombardment against 200 alleged members of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) at Sitio Malvar, Upper Mahayahay in Maluso town in Basilan Tuesday.

46,000 displaced by Mindanao fighting By Abigail Kwok

Army demands release of soldier held by NPAs

Explosion hits defense center in Davao Norte

by MANNY MOGATO, Reuters | 11/13/2008 7:36 PM

MANILA - Muslim separatist rebels in the Philippines said Thursday they do not trust the government to reopen stalled peace talks and are seeking international intervention to resolve the issue.

By James Mananghaya

By Roel Pareño

By John Unson

JAKARTA, Indonesia - Can religious leaders succeed in solving the Mindanao peace problem where traditional diplomatic channels have failed?

By James Mananghaya

By Perseus Echeminada

By John Unson

The Philippines on Monday welcomed the execution in Indonesia of three Islamic militants for their involvement in the 2002 bombings on the resort island of Bali, calling it "judicial retribution".

JAKARTA - With the execution early Sunday of three Indonesian militants behind the 2002 Bali bombings, the focus is shifting to the hunt for a radical militant leader who allegedly masterminded the carnage.

Indonesia has executed three members of Muslim militant group Jemaah Islamiah (JI) who were responsible for the 2002 Bali nightclub bombings in which 202 people died, an official at the attorney-general's office said on Sunday.

Monday, November 10, 2008

ZAMBOANGA CITY - Continued conflict, poverty and illnesses, these are among the main factors identified affecting literacy in areas in Mindanao that scored low in a literacy survey rating.

ZAMBOANGA CITY – The Armed Forces’ Western Mindanao Command (WesMinCom) has confirmed that elements of Joint Task Force Comet arrested a sub-commander of Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) at the vicinity of Jolo, Sulu Wednesday.

Tension gripped a remote town in Lanao del Sur province after its villagers were harassed by a group of gunmen before dawn Friday.

Sentries and other soldiers who were asleep were roused from their beds after the ammunition dump at the Army's 6th Infantry Division headquarters in Awang, Shariff Kabunsuan, exploded shortly before dawn Friday.

By Roel Pareño

By NASH B. MAUNLANA, Newsbreak | 10/27/2008 2:49 PM

By James Mananghaya

By JOSE KATIGBAK, STAR Washington bureau

By Arnell Ozaeta

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Islamist militants escaping from crackdowns in Indonesia and Malaysia continue to flee to the Philippines' southern island despite tightening border controls, the head of Manila's counter-terrorism unit said on Friday.

DAVAO CITY – International donor agencies have vowed to continue supporting the Philippine government’s peace and development undertakings in Mindanao.

Candon, Ilocos Sur – A judge here has dismissed rebellion charges filed against a suspected ranking communist leader who was also linked by military authorities to the Oakwood mutiny in Makati City in 2007.

ZAMBOANGA CITY – Suspected Abu Sayyaf bandits threatened to harm two female social workers they have held captive in Basilan since Sept. 15 if their ransom demand is ignored, a priest said.

Two suspected New People's Army officials has arrested by the military after taking over an encampment of the rebel group in Sta. Cruz town in Davao del Sur province.

ZAMBOANGA - Six people were killed in renewed fighting between Muslim guerrillas and government troops in the restive southern Philippines, the military said Wednesday.

President Arroyo lauded troops pursuing “lawless Moro Islamic Liberation Front groups” (LMGs) in Central Mindanao in a visit to a military camp in Shariff Kabunsuan on Saturday.

The military is facing another challenge – to allay the fears of residents of Lanao del Norte that the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) would launch new attacks.

Had the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front pushed through, it would have committed the country before the international community to make a “drastic change” to the 1987 Constitution, contrary to what government claimed would involve only minor changes.

Batangas City – As part of its effort to fight terrorism in Southern Tagalog, Coast Guard personnel seized thousands of materials used in making explosives stacked in a vehicle bound for Iloilo at the Batangas Port yesterday.

Eight soldiers, including an officer, were wounded in intense fighting with Muslim separatist rebels in the southern Philippines Sunday, the military said.

Children between the ages of 12 and 14 act as armed bodyguards for politicians in Mindanao, a Muslim youth leader revealed yesterday.

A suspected Abu Sayyaf member believed to have been involved in the kidnapping in June of ABS-CBN news anchor Ces Drilon and her camera crew has been arrested, the military said yesterday.

Police and Army forces, after weeks of sustained anti-insurgency operations were able to dismantle mountain bases of the New People’s Army located in the outskirts of Davao City.

The Philippine Army has revived the age-old Filipino tradition of bayanihan in the fight against the communist insurgency, believing that military action alone is not enough to address the problem.

The escaped suspect in the bloody Batasan Complex bombing in November 2007 surrendered to a Quezon City judge Tuesday afternoon.

MANILA, Philippines - Members of the New People’s Army (NPA) are now resorting to terrorism in an act of desperation, an Army officer said Monday.

The Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) has a new leader: Ustadz Yasser Igasan. According to a reliable Army Commander, Igasan is a religious scholar, not a warrior. Sulu Representative Yusof Jikiri said he had heard Igasan was "very spiritual," but he also noted Igasan was a Tausog, an ethnic group known as fierce fighters.

COTABATO CITY – North Cotabato Rep. Bernardo Piñol Jr. has asked the national government to look into what could be the “realignment” to Luzon and the Visayas of funds earmarked for supposed peace and development road projects for Mindanao of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). 

The Congressional oversight joint committee on the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) has found no evidence to support allegations that United States is maintaining military bases in Mindanao.

COTABATO CITY – The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) does not want to resume peace talks based on the government’s framework of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration.

ALEOSAN - Felimon Cayang says he is ready to die to save his native southern Philippine island from the Muslim separatist rebels spreading terror through its Christian communities.

WASHINGTON D.C. - The eyes of the United States are increasingly focused on Muslim Mindanao which could be a vital cog to America’s ability to build on the peace and stability of the Southeast Asian region.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

MANILA - The Philippines has ordered troops to scale down an offensive to flush out rogue Muslim rebels in the south to allow Islamic communities to observe the holy month of Ramadan, the military chief said on Tuesday.

COTABATO CITY – Soldiers gunned down a suspected member of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front as they foiled an attempt to ransack their armory inside an Army base in Carmen, North Cotabato.

ZAMBOANGA CITY – A local executive here strongly defended the assistance being provided by the US forces to the local military in its fight against terrorism and insurgency in southern Philippines.

LONDON - People across the world think the U.S.-led "war on terror" has not weakened al Qaeda and many believe it has actually strengthened Osama bin Laden's network, a poll for the BBC World Service said on Monday.

The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) on Sunday called on the Senate Legislative Oversight Committee on the Visiting Forces Agreement (LOCVFA) to investigate the reported involvement of United States troops in the operation that killed Abu Sayyaf spokesman Aldam Tilao, alias Abu Sabaya, in June 2002.

The Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) has offered its support for economic development of Mindanao in the form of specific projects and funding assistance that can improve the lives of people in the southern Philippines.

In the aftermath of the ruthless attacks by three MILF field commanders on civilian populations in North Cotabato, Lanao del Norte, and Sarangani, the question of the MILF as a terrorist organization has again been raised.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Marines rescued yesterday two children of a businessman who were kidnapped last Sept. 16 by a group believed to have ties with the Abu Sayyaf in Patikul, Sulu, a military spokes­man said.

Malacañang aims to bring before the United Nations the Moro Islamic Liberation Front’s (MILF) recruitment of children as fighters.

Army troops backed by rocket-firing helicopters and artillery seized the main Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) camp in central Mindanao after a week-long offensive at the boundary of the Lanao provinces.

POLICE and military operatives have arrested two suspected Abu Sayyaf bandits, including one implicated in the beheading of Marine troops last year, in separate operations in the region, the police reported Tuesday.

Iligan City - Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) commander Bravo and his men has splintered their group and are now withdrawing towards Lanao del Sur following another encounter last September 14, this year at the boundary of Lanao del Norte.

An explosion tore through a public market in Kiamba town in Sarangani province yesterday noon.

Troops backed by artillery overran a Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) base in Maguindanao yesterday after heavy fighting.

Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi was “more than disappointed” over President Arroyo’s decision not to sign a controversial territorial agreement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) but reiterated his commitment to the peace process in Mindanao, a senior Palace official said yesterday.

KABUL - Afghan President Hamid Karzai Thursday welcomed a new US "war on terror" focus on Pakistan's border areas as more deadly violence underscored rampant militancy seven years after the September 11, 2001 attacks.

by Jim Mannion, AFP

The Philippine National Police (PNP) has ordered all its field units nationwide to stay alert against local terror groups that may instigate terrorist activities in time for the seventh anniversary of the September 11 attacks in the United States.

The military has filed a formal complaint against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) before a joint ceasefire monitoring body for the abduction and killing of a government representative to the ceasefire committee.

MANILA: With peace talks between the Philippine government and Muslim rebels in tatters, analysts are warning violence will escalate and could spill over into neighbouring countries.

MANILA - At least six civilians, including a pregnant woman and three children, were killed on Monday when Philippine army planes strafed and bombed Muslim rebel positions in the south a week after a peace deal collapsed, officials said.

  If the government's new peace strategy fails again to restore peace in Mindanao, humanitarian tragedy may set in making the Philippines susceptible to foreign intervention, a member of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front’s (MILF) peace panel said Thursday.

Military officials claimed Wednesday that some Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) leaders have launched a recruitment campaign in Basilan and Sulu provinces.

  A Zamboanga City congresswoman on Wednesday said President Arroyo has dissolved the government panel for peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

by MANNY MOGATOReuters MANILA - The Philippines has ordered troops to scale down an offensive to flush out rogue Muslim rebels in the south to allow Islamic communities to observe the holy month of Ramadan, the military chief said on Tuesday.

  Agence France-Presse

 A ranking member of a local terror group in the Philippines suspected of masterminding the bloody Superferry 14 bombing in 2004 was deported from Bahrain on Saturday, police said. Ruben Omar Pestano Lavilla Jr., alleged founder of terror group Rajah Sulaiman Movement (RSM), was presented to the media by the Philippine National Police after arriving from Bahrain on Saturday.

  The military's Joint Task Force Comet based in Sulu assured Saturday that it will respect the observance of Ramadan that will begin next week.

The Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) reiterated its call for the dismissal of the petitions seeking to nullify the Muslim ancestral homeland accord in the consolidated reply it filed Tuesday at the Supreme Court (SC).

Rogue commanders of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) have strong ties with extremists, including the al-Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), and would continue to sow terror even when a final peace agreement is forged with the separatist group, security and intelligence officials said Sunday.

An Islamic scholar on Sunday warned that the Moro Islamic Liberation Front would not stop fighting the military until the government and the MILF go back to the negotiating table before the holy month of Ramadan starts a week from now.

by MANNY MOGATOReuters

By ANGELO GUTIERREZ

by MANNY MOGATO Reuters

by CARMELA FONBUENAabs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak

By ISAGANI DE CASTRO, JR.abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newbreak

By ANNA JOHNSON, Associated Press Writer Sun Aug 3, 4:15 PM ET

  By RJ ROSALADO

By LEILA D. VICENTEABS-CBN Zamboanga

Agence France-Presse

By Joel Guinto

By JASPER ACOSTAABS-CBN Cotabato

WASHINGTON (AFP) - A Uighur separatist group has taken credit for a deadly bus bombing in Shanghai in May and warned of new attacks in China during the Olympics, a group monitoring threats by extremists on the Internet said.

Reuters - 7/28/2008 12:10:07 AM

By ISAGANI DE CASTRO, JR.abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak

by MANNY MOGATOReuters MANILA - A landmark deal between the Philippine government and the country's biggest Muslim rebel group on a homeland for Muslims was welcomed on Thursday, but analysts and residents in the area said more needed to be done.

by MANNY MOGATO

 By LEILA VICENTE ABS-CBN Zamboanga Zamboanga City - Basilan Police Provincial Office has confirmed that two sub-contractors of Globe Telecom were abducted in Barangay Languyan in Mohammad Adjul municipality in Basilan Wednesday afternoon.

By MANNY MOGATO

Beijing - Chinese police have this year detained 82 suspected terrorists in the nation's Muslim-populated far northwest who were planning to attack the Beijing Olympics, state media reported on Thursday.

 By DAVID DIZONabs-cbnNEWS.com

 By DAVID DIZON

abs-cbnNEWS.com.  You've seen the news coverage, but do you know the story?

MANILA, July 9 (Reuters) - Islamic militants across Southeast Asia have become increasingly dependent on donations, including zakat (alms), to finance bombings because governments have tightened bank controls, according to security experts.

By Alcuin Papa

  By MARIETON PACHECO

 By ROEL PAREÑOThe Philippine Star ZAMBOANGA CITY – An Abu Sayyaf faction has given the Basilan Electric Cooperative (Baselco) until Tuesday to pay ransom for its four kidnapped workers or it would increase the demand and "sacrifice" one of the hostages.

  Agence France-Presse

  Members of the Marines' Joint Task Force Comet on Thursday raided and seized a marijuana plantation in Sulu, believed to be a source of funding for the terror group Abu Sayyaf, military officials announced Monday.

 Agence France-Presse ZAMBOANGA - At least 11 people were killed in a new outbreak of violence Wednesday between troops and Muslim militants, threatening a fragile peace accord in the southern Philippines, officials said.

PIPVTR Executive Director, Rommel C. Banlaoi, attended two consecutive seminars in Tokyo, Japan to discuss capacity building for counter-terrorism in Southeast Asia. 

  By Bill RoggioJune 16, 2008 3:27 PM

  Agence France-Presse

Arroyo orders manhunt for kidnappers; Drilon says it was an 'eye-opener'  Source:  http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/topofthehour.aspx?StoryId=122185

 by ISAGANI DE CASTRO JR.

by Reuters

by Reuters

 by MANNY MOGATOReuters Source: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=118358

The Council for Asian Terrorism Research (CATR) formally admitted to the Board of Governors the Philippine Institute for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (PIPVTR) at the 7th Bi-Annual CATR Conference held at Sofitel Wentworth Sydney, Australia held on 6-8 May 2008.

AFP

 

  Agence France-Presse

In a few days, the Malaysian government will pull out half of the 41 peace monitors it has deployed in Mindanao since 2004. The rest will be out by September.

The five-year ceasefire between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in Mindanao is not the only benefit at stake if the Malaysian government makes good its threat to withdraw its peacekeepers in the International Monitoring Team (IMT).

Zamboanga City (PNA)-–Authorities pointed to bandits of the Abu Sayyaf Group, listed as a terrorist group by the United States and the European Union, as primary suspects in Sunday’s blasts which damaged a cathedral in this city.

By Thea Alberto

 By EDITH REGALADOThe Philippine Star

By: ABS CBN

by  Agence France-Presse SINGAPORE - An alleged militant from Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) who was being groomed to be a future leader of the terror group has been detained, officials said Sunday.

By Johnna Villaviray-Giolagon 

ZAMBOANGA (AFP) - Security forces shot dead an Islamic extremist in an operation in the southern Philippine island of Jolo on Friday, the military said.

Source: ABS-CBN News a thttp://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=111852

By DAVID DIZONabs-cbnNEWS.com at http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=111463

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, who is also the Chairman of the  Anti-Terrorism Council, launched the Philippine Institute for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (PIPVTR) at the Hotel Intercontinental Manila on 6 March 2008 on the occassion of the opening of Protect 2008 co-organized by the Leverage International. 

Prof. Rommel C. Banlaoi, Executive Director of the Philippine Institute for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (PIPVTR) , presented a lecture before members of the Philippine Chapter of ASIS International at Discovery Suites, Ortigas Center on 21 February 2008. 

Source:  Philippine Daily Inquirer at

 

Source:  Agence France Presse at http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/topofthehour.aspx?StoryId=109148

The Philippines Institute for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (PIPVTR) represented by Prof. Rommel C. Banlaoi, the Executive Director, presented a paper at the 2008 Seapower Conference held in Sydney, Australia on 28-31 January 2008.   The Conference was organized by the Royal Australian Navy and the Seapower Centre.

Source: Reuters at http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=106487

Source: Agence France-Presse at http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=105094

Source:  Agence France-Presse at http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/topofthehour.aspx?StoryId=104927

By TERESA CEROJANO – Associated Press at http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gbbrM4tlcyWbaQovzuwDB1aCQ6BwD8TUTSUO0

Source:  Reuters at http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=104670

ABS CBN News On Line

by Alastair McIndoe, PHILIPPINES CORRESPONDENT

The Philippine Star 12/14/07

by Agence France-Presse

Friday, 7 December 2007, 6:05 am

Dr. Rohan Gunaratna, Head of the International Center for Political Violence and Terrorism Research and Ms. Cecilia Sanchez, Chair of the Leverage International, met with the Filipino founders of the Philippine Institute for Political Violence and Terrorism Research  on 21 November 2007 at Camp Aguinaldo Gold Club in Quezon City.

 Leverage International (Consultants), Inc., in cooperation with the Anti-Terrorism Council of the Philippines, is organizing the PROTECT 2008 - "Doing Business Amidst New Threats III" on March 6-7, 2008 at the Hotel Intercontinental Manila, Philippines.

Convinced of the necessity of promoting and reinforcing the cooperation, the mutual exchange of information, the improvement of research and academic programs, and  the exchange of experts and researchers, the Philippine Institute for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (PIPVTR) and the Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies (BIPSS) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on 7 November 2007 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.  The MOU was signed a day before the commemoration of the Festival of Lights in Malaysia called Deepavali, which celebrates the victory against evil.

The International Center for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR) based in Singapore hosted the visit of the Philippine Institute for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (PIPVTR) on November 4-5, 2007. 

With a theme  “Understanding the Role of the Media In the Spread of Ideological Extremism” , the Council for Asian Terrorism Research (CATR) held its 5th Bi-Annual International Symposium at JW Marriot Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 5-7 November 2007.   The Philippine Institute for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (PIPVTR) participated in the said event through Prof. Rommel C. Banlaoi, the Chairman of the Board and Executive Director.