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Monday, November 30, 2015

Angela Margaret C. Englatera: Reigning Little Princess Zamboanga - Universe 2015



One of dozens of dealers of the Mindanao Examiner Regional Newspaper in Zamboanga City in southern Philippines proudly poses with Angela Margaret C. Englatera, the reigning Little Princess Zamboanga - Universe 2015 who is featured in the newspaper. 


Young Muslims in Mindanao being ‘radicalized’ to support ISIS, Islamic caliphate



 Young Muslims in Marawi City in the southern Philippine province of Lanao del Sur pledge their allegiance to IS in Iraq and Syria in these photos sent to the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner.

MAGUINDANAO – Various armed Muslim groups in the southern Philippines sympathetic to the Islamic State militants in Syria and Iraq continue its recruitment in the restive region – radicalizing the teachings of the holy Koran to entice new members to fight for the establishment of Islamic caliphate in Mindanao.
The 6th Infantry Division in the restive province of Maguindanao has recently confirmed the recruitment of civilians into the “Anṣār al-Khilāfah” or “Supporters of the Caliphate” headed by Mohammad Jaafar Maguid, who pledged allegiance to ISIS in August 2014.
Troops recently clashed with Maguid’s group in Sultan Kudarat’s Palimbang town and killed 8 jihadists – one of them an Indonesian fighter Ali Ibrahim. The rest of the casualties were all Filipinos and one is believed a clan member of a powerful political clan in the Muslim autonomous region.
His family was shocked when news broke out that he was among those killed in the clash, saying, the slain man was just a student studying Koran in General Santos City.
Recruitment
Captain Jo-ann Petinglay, a spokeswoman for the 6th Infantry Division, said they only learned about the Anṣār al-Khilāfah recruitment after retrieving various documents and identifications cards of new members in the jihadists’ camp following the deadly clash.
She said the military is now working to stop the recruitment of civilians by the radical groups.
Petinglay said the slain Indonesian militant was also a senior member of the Mujahideen Indonesian Timur and had been previously arrested in Zamboanga City in 2005 for illegal gun possession and freed by the court in 2013. And he had since joined the Anṣār al-Khilāfah, which has threatened to kill American troops assisting the Philippines in defeating terrorism in the troubled Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).
Maguid, who was a key member of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front which signed a peace deal with Manila in 2014, escaped the fighting in Sultan Kudarat along with over 3 dozen followers. Maguid was believed wounded in the clash.
Petinglay said troops and policemen tracked down the jihadists’ hideout after villagers tipped off authorities about the radical group.
“The successful operation is a manifestation of the established good relationship of the military and police with the community, as information pertaining to the presence of the target and his supporters was volunteered by concerned citizens from the local community,” Petinglay said.
Troops, she said, also recovered six ISIS flags, including a .50-caliber Barrett sniper rifle, an M16 automatic rifle, a .45-caliber pistol, assorted improvised explosives, radio communication sets, identification cards and various documents with intelligence value from the encounter site.
Aside from local Anṣār al-Khilāfah, the Abu Sayyaf group and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters in the southern Philippines also pledged allegiance to ISIS and vowed to put up a strict Islamic state in Mindanao.
Kill the Infidels
Just mid-November, ISIS-inspired rebels have warned of more attacks on civilian targets, particularly Christian areas in the Philippines, as security forces continue its offensives on insurgent and radical groups in the ARMM.
Masked gunmen released a video on Facebook threatening attacks on innocent civilians and to pursue an Islamic caliphate in Mindanao. The video came out following bombing and suicide attacks by ISIS on various civilian targets in Paris, France and in Beirut early in the month.
The gunmen, with the ISIS flags behind them, spoke lengthily in fluent Tagalog, mimicking ISIS style in threatening to wipe out the “infidels.” But the military said local insurgents were riding on the notoriety of ISIS also known as Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant or ISIL.
Black Flag Movement
Late last year, some 100 local Muslims in Marawi City have pledged allegiance or bai’ah to the ISIS following trends from radical jihadist groups in the Philippines. Those who pledged their allegiance took their mass oath-taking in a surprise announcement inside the Masjid Islamic Center there.
An elderly Muslim cleric who was a former senior member of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front; and members of the Khilafah Islamiyah Mindanao-Black Flag Movement allegedly organized the mass oath-taking.
Dozens of Muslim detainees in Taguig City just outside Manila also pledged their allegiance to ISIS and was believed organized by Ahmad Santos, the jailed leader of the radical Muslim-converts group Rajah Solaiman Movement or RSM.
The Khilafah Islamiyah Movement which is being linked by police and military with the Abu Sayyaf and the BIFF, and the Al-Khobar group and RSM, was the first local jihadist group that vowed support to the ISIS. (Mindanao Examiner)


Sunday, November 29, 2015

Sayyaf man in Malaysia raids killed - The Mindanao Examiner Regional Newspaper Nov. 30-Dec. 06, 2015


The Mindanao Examiner Regional Newspaper Nov. 30-Dec. 06, 2015
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Davao pawnshop robbed

DAVAO CITY – Four armed men robbed a pawnshop on Sunday after disarming a lone security guard in the southern Philippine city of Davao.
Police said it was investigating the robbery that took the gunmen less than a minute and fled on motorbikes with their loot.
It was not immediately known how much jewelleries were lost in the daring heist which occurred just as the Oro del Sur Pawnshop opened in the morning.
Police said a team of detectives was sent out to track down the robbers. (Mindanao Examiner)


Police investigate death of cop in Zamboanga duel

ZAMBOANGA CITY – Police were investigating the death of a cop and civilian who engaged in a gun duel in Zamboanga City in southern Philippines.
Local police said both PO1 Abdelhan Inggilan, 47; and Haimer Alih, 35, died in hospital. The men engaged in a bitter feud and shot it out at Candido Drive in the village called Tetuan on November 27.
Initial police investigation showed that Alih confronted the officer who allegedly berated the man’s son. The confrontation ended tragically after duelling in public. No civilians were injured or killed in the shootout.
It was unknown whether Ali’s gun was licensed or not, or if Ingillan was on a break or on an official mission, but police said the officer had a house in Zamboanga.
Police said Ingillan was assigned in the town of Siasi in Sulu, one of 5 provinces under the Muslim autonomous region. But the regional police did not release any statement about the incident. (Mindanao Examiner)


Saturday, November 28, 2015

Sayyaf rebel linked to beheading of kidnapped Malaysian man captured in Philippines

ZAMBOANGA CITY – Police and military forces have captured Friday an Abu Sayyaf rebel whose group has been linked to the kidnappings of 2 Malaysians – one of them beheaded – and a Korean man in southern Philippines, officials said.
Security forces also captured two members – Menu Maganaka and Rex Bacana - of the rebel group Pentagon in Kabacan town in North Cotabato province and seized from them one automatic rifle and three .45-caliber pistols and 11 magazines.
Officials said Saddam Jailani, who is a follower of Abu Sayyaf leader Alhabsi Misaya, was nabbed in the Port of Jolo. Jailani is being held by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group of the Philippine National Police.
No other details were made available by authorities about Jailani, except his group was behind the grisly murder of Malaysian national Bernard Then, 39, who was kidnapped in Sandakan in May this year along with Thien Nyuk Fun, 50, who was freed by rebels.
The capture of Jailani came a day after troops seized 6 Abu Sayyaf automatic rifles in the village of Bonbon in Patikul town. Civilians tipped off the military about the weapons hidden by rebels under Radulan Sahiron. (Mindanao Examiner)


Friday, November 27, 2015

Indon national among 8 jihadists killed in Philippine clash: Army




Military photos of weapons and identification cards recovered by troops at the base of “Anṣār al-Khilāfah” in Sultan Kudarat's Palimbang town.

COTABATO CITY – The Philippine Army has announced Friday that an Indonesian national was among 8 jihadists killed in fierce fighting with security forces in the restive southern region of Mindanao.
Captain Jo-ann Petinglay, a spokeswoman for the 6th Infantry Division, identified the slain Indonesian jihadist as Ibrahim Ali, alias Abu Fattah and Hudzaifa.
She said Ali – a senior member of the Mujahideen Indonesian Timur - was previously arrested in Zamboanga City in 2005 for gun charges, but was freed by the court in 2013 and had since joined the “Anṣār al-Khilāfah” or “Supporters of the Caliphate” headed by Mohammad Jaafar Maguid, who pledged allegiance to ISIS in August 2014.
Anṣār al-Khilāfah also released a video threatening to deploy suicide bombers in the Philippines and make the country a “graveyard” for American soldiers. US troops are deployed in the southern Philippines since 2001 and assisting the government in fighting terrorism in the restive region of Mindanao.
Maguid, who was a key member of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front which signed a peace deal with Manila in 2014, escaped the fighting in Sultan Kudarat’s Palimbang town along with over 3 dozen followers. Maguid was believed wounded in the clash.
“Ali was first arrested in Zamboanga for illegal possession of firearms in 2005, but was released from detention in 2013 due to lack of merit of the case filed against him. He had since been monitored to be with Maguid after his release, teaching bomb manufacturing among the followers of the said leader,” Petinglay said.
She said three of the dead were all Filipinos - Abdil Halil, Tatuh Sumail and Kira Sabiwang - and the others remain unidentified. She said troops and policemen tracked down the jihadists’ hideout after villagers tipped off authorities about the gunmen.
“The successful operation is a manifestation of the established good relationship of the military and police with the community, as information pertaining to the presence of the target and his supporters was volunteered by concerned citizens from the local community,” Petinglay said.
She said Major General Edmundo Pangilinan, the division commander, and Brigadier General Emmanuel Salamat, commander of the 1st Marine Brigade, and the local police commanders coordinated the operation.
She said troops were tracking down Maguid - alias Tikboy - who was arrested in 2009 in Maasin town in Sarangani province in 2009, but escaped from his cell 7 months later.
“The target of the operation Mohamad Jaafar Sabiwang Maguid has four standing warrants of arrest and is involved in a series of atrocities and violence in the South Cotabato area since August 2008.”
“He was previously apprehended in 2009 by security forces in Maasim, Sarangani pprovince but he managed to escape from Bulantay Jail in Alabel town after seven months of imprisonment. He had been a fugitive for half a decade and was involved in more lawlessness in the different areas of the region since then,” Petinglay said.
The military said troops also recovered six ISIS flags, including a .50-caliber Barrett sniper rifle, an M16 automatic rifle, a .45-caliber pistol, assorted improvised explosives, radio communication sets, identification cards and various documents with intelligence value from the encounter site.
Anṣār al-Khilāfah was formed in Homs, Syria in January 2013 to overthrow President Bashar Hafez al-Assad and declare Sharia. Aside from the local Anṣār al-Khilāfah, the Abu Sayyaf group and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters in the southern Philippines also pledged allegiance to ISIS and vowed to put up a strict Islamic state in Mindanao. (Mindanao Examiner)



Unity takes center stage in annual Ateneo de Zamboanga Fiesta; Tumaga campus to host Alumni Night

ZAMBOANGA CITY - Drawing from its century-old commitment to forge unity amidst diverse peoples and cultures, the Ateneo de Zamboanga University (AdZU) celebrates its annual Ateneo Fiesta (AtFest 2015) with the theme “One Celebration. One Family. One Ateneo.”
This year, the different colleges and units will compete in both sporting and non-sporting events for the benefit of partner charities and institutions –more than fanfare, social welfare.
AtFest 2015 kicks off on November 30 with Run for RAP, a fun run with proceeds going to the Rehabilitation and Assistance Program for Ateneo’s partner community at the Masepla Transitory Site.
On December 1, Ateneans from both the Salvador/La Purisima and Kreutz / Tumaga campuses will converge in the city proper for a parade, followed by the giant human formation of “One Ateneo”, the traditional Christmas Tree Lighting and opening program and Mindanao festival dance at the University’s MPCC. Sporting events will commence on the same date up until December 4.
The Ateneo Grade School Day on December 2 will coincide with the championship round of the AtFest Debate Cup, a medical-dental mission, and a skills and livelihood development training.
Day 3 of AtFest culminates with a pop dance competition and a musical festival which will run until December 4.
December 3 will see a cooking showdown of Ateneo’s own master chefs. The same day will also feature Kids’ Fun Day with the children of internally displaced persons; a community bamboo planting at Barangay Tumaga; the book launching of “DETOX: Pitik Bulag meditation”, and a Triple Jesuit Volunteer Philippines celebration.
The High School and College Nights will cap Thursday of AtFest Week.
On December 4, Friday, a golf tournament tee-off will open the 2015 Ateneo Alumni Homecoming, followed by the Jubilarians’ Mass and a motorcade from Salvador campus in La Purisima to Kreutz campus in Tumaga.
The University’s Basic Education Complex in Tumaga will then host the Alumni Fellowship Night. This is a first in the history of the Ateneo alumni homecoming.
Slated on AtFest Day 5 is a free legal services outreach by the University’s College of Law.
Meanwhile, outstanding AdZU alumni will also be feted in the yearly Alumni Awards Ceremony to be held at the Carlos Dominguez Hall. As a fitting closing for the day, the best voices will battle it out in a choral extravaganza.
The finale of the week-long festivities will begin with a Eucharistic celebration of the Immaculate Conception – in thanksgiving and anticipated celebration of the feast of the patroness of the Ateneo de Zamboanga University.
The 2015 Ateneo Fiesta will come to a close with a dancesport competition, a talent expo and the much-awaited announcement of the various winners of the different events, while the alumni will spend a Blue and White Night at the Rigodon Hall, Hacienda de Palmeras in Barangay Sta. Maria.
Alumni Homecoming Announcements:
December 4
  • Registration will open at 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Gates 1 and 5 of the Salvador campus in La Purisima. Registration fee is P100.
  • Jubilarians’ Mass will be at 3 p.m. at the University Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
  • The motorcade will troop from the Salvador campus to the Kreutz campus in Tumaga. Assembly will be at 4:30 p.m. at Nunez Extension.
  • For the Welcome Program and Fellowship Night:
    • Reservation of space at the football field should be made by the sponsoring batch with the ARDO. Deadline is on December 2, 2015.
    • Caterers of participating alumni batches are required to register at the ARDO. The maximum number of servers for each caterer is seven. A P100 fee will be charged for every server.
December 5
  • The main event is the alumni awards ceremony (2 p.m., CDCH).
December 6
  • The day will start with the Alumni Homecoming Mass at 9 a.m. at the UCSHJ and culminate the year’s homecoming that evening with the Blue and White Night at the Rigodon Hall, Hacienda de Palmeras, Sta. Maria. Ticket price is P500.


Thursday, November 26, 2015

8 ISIS supporters in Philippines slain in fierce battle

COTABATO CITY – Philippine soldiers have killed at least 8 gunmen whose group has been linked by the military to ISIS in a fierce gunbattle on Thursday in the southern province of Sultan Kudarat, officials said.
Officials said marine soldiers clashed with members of the “Anṣār al-Khilāfah” or “Supporters of the Caliphate” in the village of Butril in Palimbang town. There was no report of military casualties, according to Major Filemon Tan, a spokesman for the Western Mindanao Command.
He said soldiers also recovered five ISIS flags, including a .50-caliber Barrett sniper rifle, an M16 automatic rifle, a .45-caliber pistol, assorted improvised explosives, radio communication sets and various documents with intelligence value from the encounter site.
“Troops conducting clearing operations at the encounter site recovered eight bodies of gunmen, a Barrett rifle, a M16 automatic rifle, .45-caliber pistol, assorted IED materials and five pieces ISIS flags and documents. They are small group of terrorists sympathetic to ISIS,” Tan told the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner. 
The slain rebels were believed under Mohd Jaafar Maguid, but it was not immediately known whether he was among those killed in the fighting.
Anṣār al-Khilāfah was formed in Homs, Syria in January 2013 to overthrow President Bashar Hafez al-Assad and declare Sharia.
The local members of the radical group have pledged allegiance to the ISIS and its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in August 2014. They also released a video in August 2014 threatening to deploy suicide bombers in the Philippines and make the country a “graveyard” for American soldiers, according to a report by the US-based SITE Intelligence Group which tracks online activity of White supremacist and Jihadi organizations.
US troops are deployed in the southern Philippines since 2001 and assisting the government in fighting terrorism in the restive region of Mindanao.
Aside from Anṣār al-Khilāfah, the Abu Sayyaf group and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters in the southern Philippines also pledged allegiance to ISIS and vowed to put up a strict Islamic state in Mindanao. (Mindanao Examiner)