Dismantling of US minesweeper halfway through

 News
Mar 132013
 
Dismantling of US minesweeper halfway through

By Jerry E. EsplanadaPhilippine Daily Inquirer 2:31 pm | Wednesday, March 13th, 2013 In a photo released by the U.S. Navy, the mine countermeasures ship USS Guardian sits aground in this Jan. 22, 2013 file photo on the Tubbataha Reef in the Sulu Sea in the Philippines. AP FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—The dismantling of the USS Guardian stuck on the Tubbataha Reef in the Sulu Sea is about 50 percent complete, the Philippine Coast Guard said Wednesday. In a report to the PCG headquarters in Manila, Commodore Enrico Efren Evangelista, head of Task Force Tubbataha and commander of the Coast Guard’s Palawan district, said on Tuesday the US Navy-contracted salvage team had dismantled about 50 percent of the grounded minesweeper. The salvage team is “expecting calm weather in the next three to four days so work will continue on the USS Guardian,” he added. Aside from the PCG, the task force includes the Philippine Navy, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Tubbataha Reef Foundation and local government units in the island-province of Palawan. Lt. Cmdr. Armand Balilo, the PCG’s spokesman, said on Wednesday that “with wind speeds of 10 to 15 knots and waves of less than one meter, weather conditions in the reef area have been very favorable to continue the salvage operation.” “Today, the salvage team will continue removing the pipelines in the engine room of the Guardian. The team is also scheduled to remove the remaining main engine and two auxiliary engines, as well as the Read More …

Danish tourist found dead in Olongapo

 News
Mar 132013
 
Danish tourist found dead in Olongapo

By Robert GonzagaInquirer Central Luzon 2:29 pm | Wednesday, March 13th, 2013 OLONGAPO CITY, Philippines—A Danish tourist was found dead in an apartment he was renting in Barangay (village) Barreto here on Wednesday. Police said Soren Andreasen, 48, was found on a sofa at 9 a.m. by Eduardo Acosido, the apartment complex’s caretaker. Acosido said Andreasen had complained on Tuesday of stomach pain and dehydration. He said the Dane refused to be taken to a hospital, saying he had no money to pay for his bills. Mario Cortez, a local official in Barreto, said Andreasen arrived in the country in November last year for a vacation and was to have left on Feb. 28. Police said initial investigation showed that Andreasen could have died of natural causes, noting that investigators found no sign of foul play. Follow Us Recent Stories: Complete stories on our Digital Edition newsstand for tablets, netbooks and mobile phones; 14-issue free trial. About to step out? Get breaking alerts on your mobile.phone. Text ON INQ BREAKING to 4467, for Globe, Smart and Sun subscribers in the Philippines. Tags: Features , Foreign affairs , Police , Tourism Factual errors? Contact the Philippine Daily Inquirer’s day desk. Believe this article violates journalistic ethics? Contact the Inquirer’s Reader’s Advocate. Or write The Readers’ Advocate:

Amid Sabah crisis, Malaysia sends new batch of peace monitors for GPH-MILF peace process

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Mar 132013
 
Amid Sabah crisis, Malaysia sends new batch of peace monitors for GPH-MILF peace process

Despite its operations against armed Filipino followers of Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III in Sabah, Malaysia has sent a new batch of peace monitors to oversee a ceasefire between the Philippine government and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). The MILF on Wednesday said the eighth International Monitoring Team (IMT) contingent headed by Maj. Gen. Dato Fadzil Bin Mokhtar takes over from the IMT Batch 7 led by Maj. Gen. Dato Abdul Rahim Bin Mohd Yusuff. “I don’t think so… We are clear on our mission here to continue monitoring the ceasefire,” an article posted on the MILF website quoted Fadzil as saying, referring to their arrival amid the ongoing operations against Kiram’s followers in Sabah. The MILF article added Fadzil does not think their mission to monitor the ceasefire agreement will be affected by the situation in Sabah. Malaysian security forces continue to hunt down Kiram’s armed followers in Sabah, even as Malaysia rejected Kiram’s offer of a unilateral ceasefire. Earlier Wednesday, a report on dzRH radio quoted presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda as saying Malaysia will remain a facilitator of the peace efforts between the Philippine government and the MILF despite the crisis in Sabah. Other than Malaysia, the IMT has representatives from Brunei, Indonesia, Japan, Libya and Norway. The MILF said the IMT, which was established in 2004, has a military contingent of 19 members from Malaysia, 15 from Brunei, and 14 from Indonesia. For development, humanitarian and rehabilitation aspects, it has two each from Japan, Norway and the Read More …

Jamalul Kiram rules out disengagement from Sabah

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Mar 132013
 
Jamalul Kiram rules out disengagement from Sabah

By Marlon RamosPhilippine Daily Inquirer 2:14 pm | Wednesday, March 13th, 2013 Filipino Sultan Jamalul Kiram III. AP FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—Sultan Jamalul Kiram III of Sulu on Wednesday ruled out the possibility of his armed followers leaving Sabah soon, saying he did not authorize his younger brother to negotiate with the government about the “disengagement” of the sultanate’s “royal army”  from the east Malaysian state the sultanate claims to own. Speaking to reporters at his residence in Taguig City, Kiram maintained that while he allowed his brother, Sultan Bantilan Esmail Kiram II, to meet with Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, he did not give the green light to negotiate in behalf of the sultanate. “The truth is I don’t like him to talk to anybody. If possible, I told him to stay with me,” Kiram said. “There is no (negotiation on disengagement). I don’t like that. It’s like playing baseball. I’m already on the third base, why would I leave? Why would I go out?” “That (disengagement) will only happen after I talk with my brother in Sabah,” he said, referring to his younger brother, Rajah Muda Agbimuddin Kiram, who led a 234-strong contingent of the “royal sultanate forces” which occupied Tanduao village in Lahad Datu on February 9. Malaysian security forces have dispersed the group in operations, backed by aerial and artillery bombardment, that have claimed 57 Filipino and 9 Malaysian lives. Asked if he thought Esmail acted on his own when he claimed that the sultanate was open Read More …

PHL still far from water security — ADB

 News
Mar 132013
 
PHL still far from water security — ADB

Although the Philippines is surrounded by water and experiences at least 20 cyclones in a year, it is still far from achieving water security, according to the Asian Development Bank (ADB). Based on the National Water Security Index, the Philippines comes out of level two out of five, said Wouter Lincklaen Arriens, ADB’s water resources specialist. “It means it still has some quite a way to go,” Arriens said. The index contained in the Asian Water Development Outlook 2013 measures the water adequacy of 48 countries in Asia and the Pacific region. Although institutional arrangement and levels of public investment has been increasing, a level two in the index means that the Philippine government had “inadequate” legislation and policy toward securing water. Focus on PHL According to the latest study, the Philippine lagged in urban water security index, which gauges water services and management in cities. The country scored one out of five. Urban water security also gauges the country’s public infrastructure and utilities, especially wastewater treatment. To this, Arriens noted: “Much has to be done, especially in cities which is an area of serious concern.” The fastest increase in water demand now comes from industries and cities, ADB revealed. “Cities occupy 2 percent of the world’s land, [but] uses 75 percent of its resources.” The city’s wastewater was often released into rivers and lakes with only a fifth or 22 percent of discharges being treated, the study showed. The study added that 80 percent of Asia’s rivers are in Read More …

Malaysian police believe Raja Muda alive, still in Lahad Datu

 News
Mar 132013
 
Malaysian police believe Raja Muda alive, still in Lahad Datu

Malaysian cops check papers of Sabah residents. Malaysian policemen check a woman’s documents during a security check in Lahad Datu on Monday, March 11. Malaysian police shot dead a teenager and injured a man on March 10 as they try to end a month-long incursion by Filipino gunmen in remote Sabah state that has seen 62 people killed. AFP/Mohd Rasfan Malaysian police believe Raja Muda Azzimudie (Agbimuddin) Kiram, brother of Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III, is still alive and in the Lahad Datu district in Sabah and likely could not get past the tight cordon there, a Malaysian news site reported Wednesday. Sabah police commissioner Datuk Hamza Taib also said Agbimuddin is not likely to abandon his followers, who remain the subjects of Malaysian mopping-up operations, The New Straits Times reported. “That is why we have a high confidence that he is still here. Our security at sea is very tight and there is no way he could have escaped,” the NST quoted him as saying. Agbimuddin is leading the armed Kiram followers in Sabah. Malaysian forces continue to hold operations in Sabah to flush them out, after Kuala Lumpur rejected a ceasefire offer from the sultan. Teenage boy killed, considered a terrorist Meanwhile, Hamza said a teenage boy gunned down at Sungai Bilis last Sunday was likely one of Kiram’s followers. Hamza said the boy was among the “terrorists” as he exited from the war zone area. “We could not confirm whether he was a Malaysian or a foreigner Read More …

Smartmatic bags P111M nat'l support center contract for May polls

 News
Mar 132013
 
Smartmatic bags P111M nat'l support center contract for May polls

Technology supplier Smartmatic and its venture partner LRA Pacific Management Consulting, Inc. have bagged the P111-million contract to set up and run the national support center (NSC), which will provide technical assistance for the May 13 midterm elections. “’Yung national support center naka-set up na, magpipirmahan na kami ng kontrata,” Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. told reporters Wednesday. The Comelec Special Bids and Awards Committee has declared the joint venture of Smartmatic and LRA Pacific as the lowest calculated and responsive bid for the provision of NSC. The first bidding, which was earlier pegged at P131 million, was declared a failure in January 2013. Smartmatic was disqualified then for coming in late for the bidding. Only Sterling Global was able to submit its bid on time but was declared “ineligible” for failing to meet the requirements. Both Smartmatic and Sterling filed motions for reconsiderations. In a statement posted on its website, Smartmatic said that under the contract, it “will set up and run the National Support Center (NSC), the unit mandated to render technical assistance to each component of the elections.” Smartmatic said the NSC will be front-ended by a 1,000-seat call center and is going to be powered by its proprietary Election Day Management Platform (EDMP), described as “the election management solution which has seen action in the 2010 elections and numerous other poll projects around the world.” It added that “the EDMP was key to the smooth and well-coordinated end-to-end execution of the 2010 Philippine Read More …

Think tank head: Insurgents, calls for autonomy may 'inflame' Sabah conflict

 News
Mar 132013
 
Think tank head: Insurgents, calls for autonomy may 'inflame' Sabah conflict

Insurgents and groups calling for Sabah’s autonomy may further “inflame” the ongoing conflict in the area between Malaysian authorities and followers of the Sulu sultanate asserting their claim in the territory, the head of a think tank said Wednesday. Amina Rasul-Bernardo, president of the Philippine Center for Islam and Democracy (PCID), warned that the situation in Sabah may encourage some disgruntled residents to respond to calls from some groups to push for the area’s political independence. “Sinasabi ng mga Sabahans, lahat kontrolado, gaya rin ng Mindanao at Manila, lahat kontrolado ng Kuala Lumpur. Na ‘yung benefits ng kanilang resources, hindi naman nila natitikman… Ano ang possibility na yung mga namamaltrato, yung mga dinedeport, na kahit na small percentage of that, ay tumugon dito sa issue na siguro dapat may independence na tayo?” Rasul-Bernardo said in an interview over GMA News’ “News To Go.” She added that such a situation may lead to “destabilization” in the region, which she said has been “very peaceful” for the past years. Followers of the sultanate of Sulu are currently engaged in a battle with Malaysian authorities in Sabah, supposedly to assert the sultanate’s claim on what it calls its ancestral territory. Malaysian news daily The Star reported that 57 of the sultanate’s followers and nine Malaysian security forces have been killed in the battle so far.  The Islamic sultanate, which is based in Mindanao, once controlled parts of Borneo. The sultanate’s heirs have been receiving a nominal yearly compensation package from Malaysia under a Read More …

Agbimuddin alive despite assault

 News
Mar 132013
 
Agbimuddin alive despite assault

1:14 pm | Wednesday, March 13th, 2013 The heirs of the Sultan of Sulu: (seated from left) Rajah Mudah Agbimuddin Kiram, Sultan Jamalul Kiram III, Sultan Bantilan Esmail Kiram II and (standing from left) Datu Alianapia Kiram, Datu Phugdal Kiram and Datu Baduruddin Kiram. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO LAHAD DATU, Sabah, Malaysia—Malaysian authorities said Wednesday Sulu “royal army” leader Agbimuddin Kiram remains in Malaysia, practically confirming that the brother of Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III is alive. “Malaysian security forces are highly confident he is still here because as a leader [he] must not run. He will not run and leave his people by themselves here. He must lead them,” Sabah State Police Commissioner Datuk Hamza Taib said at a news conference on Wednesday. Hamza said those killed and captured in target areas in the week-long assault on followers of the Sultanate of Sulu were considered “terrorists.” “I cannot positively say if they are foreigners. To me they are terrorists because they are within the target area,” Hamza said when asked about the identity of the  teenager who was shot dead in a village in Felda Sahabat over the weekend. Hamza said these people’s lack of documents prevented the authorities from establishing their identities and nationalities. He said operations were continuing in Kampung Tanduo although security forces have already cleared the area of Agbimuddin’s men. The clearing operations have expanded to Sungai Nyamuk, Kampung Tanjung Batu, and Sungai Bilis where security forces were to be sent to retrieve the bodies of the Read More …

Misuari faces NBI grilling over alleged involvement in Sabah dispute

 News
Mar 122013
 
Misuari faces NBI grilling over alleged involvement in Sabah dispute

By Tetch Torres-TupasINQUIRER.net 12:47 pm | Wednesday, March 13th, 2013 MANILA, Philippines–The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) will send agents in Mindanao to question former Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Nur Misuari on his alleged involvement in the Sabah dispute. Moro National Liberation Front chairman Nur Misuari AP Misuari, along with former National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales, Pastor Boy Saycon and Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III and his family have been summoned by the NBI. The NBI, along with the Philippine National Police, is determining possible liability of the Kirams for sending their “royal army” to Sabah. The NBI is also identifying alleged financiers and conspirators of the Kiram family. Misuari already said he cannot go to Manila because he is busy preparing for the 45th anniversary of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF). NBI deputy director Reynaldo Esmeralda said it is important that the NBI talk to Misuari. The NBI had already sent subpoena to the MNLF chair. Follow Us Recent Stories: Complete stories on our Digital Edition newsstand for tablets, netbooks and mobile phones; 14-issue free trial. About to step out? Get breaking alerts on your mobile.phone. Text ON INQ BREAKING to 4467, for Globe, Smart and Sun subscribers in the Philippines. Tags: Features , Global Nation , Norberto Gonzales , Nur Misuari , Pastor Boy Saycon , Sabah claim , Sabah standoff , Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III Factual errors? Contact the Philippine Daily Inquirer’s day desk. Believe this article violates journalistic ethics? Contact the Inquirer’s Read More …

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