Anti-terror bills take rough roads Posted 09:35pm (Mla time) Feb 19, 2005 By Nash Maulana Inquirer News Service Editor's Note: Published on page A20 of the February 20, 2005 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer DAVAO CITY, Davao del Sur, Philippines -- "Terrorism cannot survive without the Oxygen of publicity." -- Margaret Thatcher former Prime Minister of Britain HOW DOES the government qualify the act of terrorism?" a peace worker from the Balay Kalinao (House of Peace) in Cagayan de Oro City asked in a consultation forum last month. "Is it by the number of casualties? Or does it look at other circumstances-like psychological, social, cultural or even religious, or only the last two of these-in passing an Anti-Terrorism Act?" For lawyer Silvino Cinches, National Bureau of Investigation director for Central Mindanao, "the crime of Timothy McVeigh in bombing the Oklahoma building in 1993 and the felony of Osama bin Laden in ordering the attack on the World Trade Center in 2001 (constituted) the same act of terrorism." But how serious are we in fighting terrorism? A Muslim participant in another forum in Davao City, sponsored by the American Bar Association (Aba), last month on the antiterrorism bills pending in Congress said: "Terrorists are likened to a bearer of foul substance, who goes around and deliberately touch other people with it: The ones unwittingly getting the filth, often get punished; the originators usually don't." Escape He pointed out that the most prominent of Philippine terrorists have had in their records having escaped from some of the most secured prison cells in the country: Khadaffy Janjalani (Camp Crame, 1995); Faizal Marohombsar (Camp Crame, 2001); Tahir Alonto (South Cotabato provincial jail, 2002); and Fathur Roman al-Ghozi (Camp Crame, 2003). Lawyer Zainudin Malang, director of the Center for Moro Legal and Policy Concerns said: "One of the grave consequences of the government's campaign against terrorists has been the alarmingly widespread serious violations of the rights of members of the Muslim community in the Philippines. With recent acts of terrorism committed by groups invariably labeled as 'Islamic,' antiterrorism measures have expectedly yielded suspects coming from the Muslim community." Suicide bombing plot Last month, terrorism again took the media spotlight with reports that the arrest of 17 Muslim individuals in a raid on the Islamic Center in Quiapo, Manila, was prompted by verified intelligence reports about an alleged suicide bombing plot to be launched on the Feast of the Black Nazarene in Quiapo (Jan. 9). The Philippine Council for Islam and Democracy (PCID) has called on the local Muslim religious authorities to help the "community of usual suspects" make a stand on terrorism, preferably one that would concur with the unanimous verdict of Middle Eastern and European Islamic scholars against terrorism. The PCID was to have officially consulted Dr. Mahid Mutilan who, as a Muslim scholar and vice governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, is the highest Muslim official in authority to render such opinion for the government. But Mutilan was unable to attend roundtable forums (on the theme, "Prospects of Peace in Mindanao and the Global Fight against Terrorism), which the PCID has organized in Manila last December and in Cotabato City last month. Mutilan, who is reportedly being groomed by Malaca�ang for appointment as "transitional governor" of the ARMM (within the extended term-of-office of regional officials), had said that issuing statements on terrorism and terrorists would portray him as "fanatically judgmental" to fellow Muslims (then referring to the captors of Filipino hostage Angelo de la Cruz). One participant in the Davao antiterrorism forum said a security analyst presenter from the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (Nica) had overlooked the case of American Michael Meiring, whose gadget exploded in a hotel room in Davao City and damaged properties there in February 2002. Ma. Concepcion Clamor, Nica senior regional intelligence analyst, traced the path of terrorism in the country from the Afghanistan war in 1979 to the "kill-the-Pope plot" which intelligence operatives had unveiled with the arrest of several Middle Easterners at the Josefa Apartments in Malate, Manila in 1994; and then to the 2000 Sipadan Island Resort kidnapping of mostly Westerner tourists; the Bali, Indonesia bombing in 2001; to the recapture and killing of Fathur Roman al-Ghozi (2004) in Central Mindanao; down to the current operations on suspected terrorists lair in Maguindanao. She said the crackdown was leading to local Muslim communities as potential refuge for terrorists with known links with terror cells, locally and internationally. Such is called coddling or providing shelter to terrorists, which, under the Anti-Terrorism Bill version of Ilocos Norte Rep. Imee Marcos, constitutes an act of conspiracy to commit terrorism. Anti-terror bills The two-day Davao forum concluded with a collective output that was almost unanimous at opposing the passage of the antiterrorism bills pending before both houses of Congress. Lawyers who attended the forum said most of the bills' versions were "broad, vague and loose" in defining terrorism. Provisions pertaining to the inquisitive period, ranging from 36 hours to 15 days (with qualifier still, for indefinite extension in the version of Marcos), reverses the constitutional presumption of innocence, at first glance. A prolonged inquisitive period puts the burden of proof (of innocence) on the accused ahead of the state prosecutors proving his guilt beyond reasonable doubt. These are some of the arguments the lawyers put forward questioning the bills' constitutionality. They said the measures made "acts of conspiracy" easier proved (with mere surveillance and verified intelligence reports), than a "single element of conspiracy," which established jurisprudence have made difficult for lawyers to prove in litigation. Lawyer Anwar Malang noted that the criminal acts stated in the bills as acts of terrorism do already have corresponding penalties under existing laws. Makati Rep. Teodoro Locsin Jr. underscored this by citing provisions of the Revised Penal Code in his version (House Bill 2222). "The Muslims could bear the brunt of this measure, once passed into law," said Education Assistant Secretary Camilo Miguel Montessa, president of the Lawyers' League for Liberty (Libertad), quoting a portion of the forum output. Lawyer Leah Olores of the Aba, which co-sponsored the Davao consultation with Libertad, said the country certainly needed an antiterrorism law, but Congress ought to ensure the preservation and protection of basic rights and individual liberty. She noted that except for Sen. Alfredo Lim (sponsoring the measure as Senate Bill 1768), the authors of the bills in the Senate were non-lawyers-Senators Manuel Villar (SB 736), Panfilo Lacson (SB 831), Ramon Magsaysay Jr. (1736) and Jinggoy Estrada (SB 871). In the House, only Locsin and Rep. Douglas Cagas, among the many Congress members sponsoring similar proposed measures, are lawyers. Wiretapping legalized Lacson's version legalizes surveillance by wiretapping. The coverage of electronic surveillance is extended in Lim's version to include e-mail, cellular phone conversations and text messaging. Villar's SB 736 makes it "unlawful for any person to communicate or make available by any means, any information, which he or she knows or believes to be false, to another person, with the intention of inducing in him/her or any other person a false belief that a terrorist act has been, is being or will be, carried out." Under this, however, it is not clear if reporters or their sources would be meted penalty for conspiracy, in case information about a terror attack that was prematurely announced, proved false. http://news.inq7.net/regions/index.php?index=2&story_id=28061&col=40 ..................................................................... 'Terror threat still high' US asks RP to stay alert, warns of more attacks Posted 11:56pm (Mla time) Feb 19, 2005 Inquirer News Service Editor's Note: Published on page A1 of the Feb. 20, 2005 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer THE US State Department urged Americans in the Philippines to remain on high alert, warning there might be future bombings targeting airports, passenger ships and seaports. "Terrorist groups do not distinguish between official and civilian targets," it said in an advisory on Friday. "The terrorist threat to Americans in the Philippines remains high, and the embassy continues to receive reports of ongoing activities by known terrorist groups," the department said. The State Department issued the "public announcement" following the Valentine's Day bombings in the cities of Makati, General Santos and Davao, which killed eight people and wounded about 150. The advisory said groups including the Southeast Asian network Jemaah Islamiyah and the Abu Sayyaf had demonstrated an ability to attack locations where Westerners congregate. The Philippine military has said the Feb. 14 attacks were intended to divert its forces battling Moro insurgents in Jolo town, Sulu province, where three more soldiers were killed in an ambush yesterday. "These are all disinformation. We don't want to give credence without verification," National Capital Region police chief Director Avelino Razon Razon said when asked about the US advisory. Razon said his office had not received any new intelligence report on future bomb threats. Asked for comment on the US alert, Razon told the Inquirer: "Why don't you ask the State Department about that information." Sought by another Inquirer reporter, Razon said: "We would like to see the warning so we can very verify the basis of the report." But he said the police had already increased their presence in commercial areas, seaports, airports and mass transit systems. Antiterror bill Malaca�ang avoided direct comment on the US advisory but instead pushed for the adoption of tougher anti-terror laws and a national identification system. "Terror can strike anytime anywhere but this awareness should not instill fear but more vigilance and institutional action," Communications Director Silvestre Afable said. "That is why President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is rallying the people behind strong measures, such as the national ID system and an internal security act with more teeth." A welcome tip Military spokesperson Brigadier General Jose Angel Honrado said the military was doing all it could to preempt future attacks. He said the military had "mobilized all intelligence gathering resources at our disposal, both human and electronic," to verify such reports. "We welcome information like this because it affects national security. Any information from any friendly government will be useful. With it, we can take all the necessary precaution," Honrado added. Solon sees US hand Honrado said the military had been receiving "a lot of reports" about the possibility of more terror attacks. "We have to consider all information coming in," he said. In Mati town, Davao Oriental province, a militant lawmaker accused the government and the United States of being behind the Valentine's Day attacks. Bayan Muna party-list Representative Joel Virador told a multi-sectoral forum that the bombings were aimed at justifying the passage of the "very dangerous" antiterrorism bill. "The bombings in Makati, Davao and General Santos [are] not the handiwork of the terrorist group Abu Sayaf. It is the handiwork of the US government in connivance with President Macapagal-Arroyo," he said. US envoy unfazed "They want the public to believe that the bombings were related to the massive military operation in Sulu," Virador said. He said he was not making a baseless accusation. "That is based on our own investigation," Virador said. He did not say how and when the investigation was conducted. Despite the reported threats of more bombings, US Ambassador Francis Ricciardone and Mindanao officials pushed through with the inauguration yesterday of a US-funded bridge in a former rebel stronghold in Maguindanao province. Officials said the construction of the bridge in Barangay Sarmiento, which used to be Camp Abubakar of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, was part of a partnership program between the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and the Growth for Equity in Mindanao (GEM), a group funded by the United States Agency for International Development. Ricciardone also visited a corn shelling facility and witnessed the turnover of personal computer units to an Islamic school in Cotabato city. They were also US-funded projects. Boosting fight vs terror Leyte Representative Eduardo Veloso said the US government's commitment to give $4 million in intelligence aid to the Armed Forces of the Philippines would boost the country's fight against terrorism. He said the US fund offer was timely in view of the current conflict in Sulu and the recent spate of bombings. "The US intelligence aid fund is meant to boost [the AFP] intelligence-gathering activities but the success of the military operations remain to be seen," Veloso said. 'Heightened awareness' The US State Department said in its advisory that it "continues to receive information that there may be future bombings," including against commercial shipping. "In view of a number of security-related incidents and the possibility of future terrorist attacks, and other violence or criminal activity, Americans traveling to or residing in the Philippines are urged to exercise caution and maintain heightened security awareness," it said. The advisory urged US citizens to defer non-essential travel to central, southern and western Mindanao, and to Basilan, Tawi-Tawi and Jolo due to military operations against kidnappings and other criminal activity. Inquirer wires, with reports from Alcuin Papa, Nancy C. Carvajal, Cynthia D. Balana, Gil C. Cabacungan Jr in Manila; Ferdinand O. Zuasola and Nash B. Maulana, PDI Mindanao Bureau http://news.inq7.net/nation/index.php?index=1&story_id=28081 ..................................................................... Abus attack, kill 3 soldiers Posted 01:22am (Mla time) Feb 20, 2005 By Julie Alipala Inquirer News Service Editor's Note: Published on page A2 of the Feb. 20, 2005 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer ZAMBOANGA CITY -- Abu Sayyaf bandits, firing bazookas, killed three soldiers and wounded a fourth yesterday as the soldiers were returning to camp in Jolo Island in Sulu province after going marketing, police said. This brought to 30 the number of government troops killed in clashes with Moro gunmen since renewed fighting broke out in Jolo on Feb. 7 A television network said five Abu Sayyaf gunmen were killed when the soldiers fought back but the police report mentioned no casualties among the attackers. "The soldiers were mutilated when the bazooka hit them," a senior police official told the Inquirer. The Abu Sayyaf attackers fled with the soldiers' Armalite rifles. In civilian clothes The Army's Joint Task Force Comet chief, Brigadier General Agustin Dema-ala, confirmed the deaths of the soldiers but declined to give further details. "You won't get any additional details from me as long as the clashes are ongoing," he said in a raised voice. Police identified the slain soldiers as a Private First Class Gemino, a Corporal Donggay and a Staff Sergeant Estabino. A fourth soldier, a S/Sgt. Hordesta was wounded. Superintendent Suaibon Jalad, Sulu provincial police director, said the soldiers were ambushed at around 10 a.m. in Barangay Bunot, Indanan town, by an Abu Sayyaf group headed by Albader Parad and Biting Bara. Military shelling The soldiers, in civilian attire, had gone marketing and were on board a Toyota Light Ace van when they were attacked, police said. Southcom chief Lieutenant General Alberto Braganza declined to give details, except that an encounter had occurred with the Abu Sayyaf. A reporter for dzBB radio in Jolo town near Indanan reported that the area was shelled by military artillery and saw two armored vehicles rushing toward Indanan to help recover the government casualties. Philippine flag raised Since the current conflict began about 12 days ago, more than 70 soldiers have been wounded in clashes with members of the Moro National Liberation Front loyal to jailed leader Nur Misuari. The military said pro-Misuari forces were being backed by the Abu Sayyaf. Troops have killed about 40 insurgents and wounded scores of others, but there has been no body count of guerrilla casualties. On Wednesday, hundreds of triumphant soldiers hoisted the Philippine flag in Bitan-ag, a fortified hinterland camp near Panamao town that was wrested a day earlier by troops from the pro-Misuari guerrillas. Un-Islamic The camp is about 30 km east of the scene of yesterday's ambush in Indanan. Habir Malik, leader of the pro-Misuari rebels, has denied any links with the Abu Sayyaf, saying that group's activities -- kidnappings and beheading of hostages -- were un-Islamic. Malik said his men were forced to strike against the soldiers in retaliation for the killing of several civilians, including a child, in the government's pursuit of the Abu Sayyaf. With reports from Inquirer wires http://news.inq7.net/nation/index.php?index=1&story_id=28093 ..................................................................... Sunday, February 20, 2005 New Jolo clashes kill 9 4 soldiers, 5 Abu Sayyaf dead as fresh fighting hits Indanan town Fresh fighting erupted Saturday in Jolo where government troops captured a Muslim rebel camp just days earlier, leaving at least four soldiers dead and one wounded. A sketchy report that reached the Philippine National Police headquarters in Camp Crame said the clash took place around 9:30 a.m. Saturday on the outskirts of Indanan town. A group of soldiers was on patrol when it chanced on the terrorists. The battle flared for several minutes before the Abu Sayyaf fighters withdrew, carrying with them an undetermined number of wounded and dead. ABS-CBN television reported that five Abu Sayyaf gunmen were killed in the firefight. Senior Supt. Suaibon Jalad, the Sulu police chief, said an Abu Sayyaf band under commander Albader Farad operates in the area. A reporter for DZBB radio in Jolo near Indanan reported that the area was shelled by military artillery and saw two armored personnel carriers rushing toward Indanan to help recover the government casualties. The Abu Sayyaf backed followers of the jailed Muslim rebel leader Nur Misuari, who have been pursued by about 3,000 soldiers and Marines since they attacked an army outpost in Panamao on February 7. Saturday's clash raised the number of soldiers killed to 31 since early this month. Troops have killed more than 40 gunmen and wounded scores of others, the military said. On Wednesday, hundreds of triumphant soldiers hoisted the Philippine flag in Bitan-ag, a fortified hinterland camp near Panamao that the troops wres�ted a day earlier from the Misuari guerrillas. The camp is about 30 kilo�meters east of Indanan. Habir Malik, leader of the Misuari loyalists, has denied any links with the Abu Sayyaf, saying that group's activities�kidnappings and beheading of hostages�were un-Islamic. He told The Associated Press late Thursday by satellite phone that his group was forced to strike against the soldiers in retaliation for the killing of several people, including a child, in the government's pursuit of the Abu Sayyaf. Misuari formerly headed the Moro National Liberation Front, a large Muslim separatist group that accepted limited autonomy and signed a peace agreement with the government in 1996. But violence flared up years later and Misuari was imprisoned in Santa Rosa, Laguna, on charges of rebellion. Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz on Saturday commended the AFP's Southern Command for taking the main rebel camp in Panamao without any casualties. "There was no report of any civilian casualty. This is a very good development for the military in its campaign against terrorism," Cruz said. He said local government officials of Sulu, particularly Rep. Bobby Dimaporo, com�men�ded President Arroyo and top officials of the DND and AFP for capturing the camp in Karawag, Panamao. Thousands of villagers have been displaced by the fighting. Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman and the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) have intensified relief operations for the evacuees. Cruz said social welfare and NDCC volunteers were providing counseling for the displaced residents who were traumatized by the firefight. The Army chief, Lt. Gen. Generoso Senga, said a battalion of Army engineers will be sent to the former battle zones in Sulu to repair roads and bridges damaged in the heavy fighting. --Jeff Antiporda, AP http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2005/feb/20/yehey/top_stories/20050220to p1.html ..................................................................... Sunday, February 20, 2005 Jemaah wants to bring rebel groups together By Anthony Vargas, Reporter Monday's terrorist attacks in Makati, Davao and General Santos cities have thrust the Jemaah Islamiah into the limelight again. The country's security authorities strongly suspect that the near-simultaneous bombings were orchestrated by the JI, using its links with such terrorist groups as the Abu Sayyaf and Balik Islam. As an integral part of the al-Qaeda network in Southeast Asia, the Jemaah Islamiah is believed to be trying to bring other rebel groups in Mindanao under its sphere of influence. The JI has long been suspected of having forged an alliance with the Abu Sayyaf, the most active terror group operating in the country. There are reports that it has brought into its fold Balik Islam members and is trying to forge a pact with Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) guerrillas who remain loyal to Nur Misuari. With the exception of the New People's Army, JI has now access to all rebel forces operating in Mindanao and has given them technical and even financial support. JI is one of the most active terrorist organizations operating in Southeast Asia and has been blamed for several bombings in the past. The group, founded in the late seventies in Indonesia, has a long-term goal of establishing a Pan-Islamic state in the region. JI's network covers Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines and possibly Thailand. It established its roots in the Philippines in the mid-nineties by forging an alliance with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, which has fighting for an independent Islamic state in Mindanao. Through the years the MILF has provided JI operatives safe haven and a place where they could train their members in guerrilla warfare and explosives handling. JI has also helped train MILF fighters in bomb making and has even provided technical and financial assistance to MILF missions. With the MILF deep in peace talks with the Philippine government, the JI has been forced to expand its network in Mindanao. http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2005/feb/20/yehey/top_stories/20050220to p2.html .................................................................... Fear of terror reaches Leyte capital Posted 08:59pm (Mla time) Feb 19, 2005 Inquirer News Service Editor's Note: Published on page A17 of the February 20, 2005 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, Philippines -- A box left behind at the public plaza across the Maasin Cathedral caused a commotion on Friday, after police and some residents thought that it contained a bomb. Two hours after deliberating on what to do, the police decided to blow up the box, measuring one cubic feet. It turned out that the box only contained charcoal. "We could not take this incident lightly," said Supt. Alfredo Sabornido, Southern Leyte police director, when asked if the police had overreacted. He denied that the incident only showed the lack of bomb experts at the Southern Leyte Provincial Police Office. Sabornido said there were two bomb experts in the province but only one was able to respond to the alarm because the other was on official travel. He added it took them two hours to decide on what to do because of the difficulty in controlling the crowd. Sabornido, however, admitted that what happened was somewhat a "bomb drill" for them. It was the first time that such an incident happened in Maasin. Witnesses told the police that one of the four men who alighted from a bus left behind the box at the perimeter fence of Anatalio Gaviola Plaza at about 8 a.m. on Friday. Rodolfo Palen, a plaza photographer, said he opened the box and found that it contained charcoal. "But when I lifted it, the box was so heavy so I thought it contained a bomb," he told the Inquirer. Word then spread about the box and reached the police, which cordoned the area. Curious passersby and students at nearby Saint Joseph College, the biggest school in the city, started milling around the area, prompting the police to widen the cordon. Jani Arnaiz, PDI Visayas Bureau http://news.inq7.net/regions/index.php?index=1&story_id=28051 ...................................................................... Abu Sayyaf member falls Posted 10:45pm (Mla time) Feb 17, 2005 Inquirer News Service, Agence France-Presse Editor's Note: Published on page A2 of the February 18, 2005 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer POLICE yesterday arrested a top Abu Sayyaf member believed to be involved in high-profile abductions in Basilan. Acting on a tip-off, police raided early yesterday a house in Sapang Palay, Barangay Baliwasan, Zamboanga City and arrested Nassid Tahjid aka Rudimar Taji, who put up no resistance, said Director Vidal Querol, the Zamboanga regional police chief. Querol said Tahjid is a suspect in the abductions of Roman Catholic priest Roel Gallardo and about 60 students and teachers at the Claret High School in Tumahubong, Basilan, on March 20, 2000. Gallardo and several students and teachers were later killed when the military staged a rescue attempt. The priest's body was found to have torture marks. Police have also linked Tahjid to the Abu Sayyaf siege of the St. Peter's Church and Dr. Jose Maria Torres Hospital in Lamitan on June 2, 2001. Christian V. Esguerra and Agence France-Presse http://news.inq7.net/nation/index.php?index=1&story_id=27866 ..................................................................... House rushing anti-terror measure Posted 01:11am (Mla time) Feb 17, 2005 By Cynthia Balana, Christine O. Avendao Inquirer News Service Editor's Note: Published on page A1 of the Feb. 17, 2005 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer THE HOUSE of Representatives is rushing the passage of an anti-terror bill that provides stiffer penalties for terrorism and allows wiretapping of suspects' homes as a response to the armed conflict in Sulu province and the Valentine's Day bomb attacks in the cities of Makati, General Santos and Davao. Maguindanao Representative Simeon Datumanong, chair of the House committee on justice, said it was working on the report on the public hearings conducted on the bill. He said he expected the report to be completed and signed next month, after which it would be submitted to the committee on rules for scheduling for plenary deliberations. "The committee takes note that this is a badly needed measure, but we'll have to observe due process," said Datumanong, a former justice secretary. He said certain contentious issues in the report had yet to be ironed out, including the fear that the use of electronic surveillance could constitute invasion of privacy. Eastern Samar Representative Marcelino Libanan, author of House Bill No. 2639 that seeks to define terrorism and provides stiffer penalties for it, said it was about time the chamber acted on the measure. "This will show the world that we have not wavered in our anti-terror campaign, especially in light of the recent bombings in three urban centers," Libanan said. HB 2639 also brings the crime of terrorism within the coverage of the Anti-Money Laundering Law, and seeks the creation of an Anti-Terrorist Action Council. Climate of confidence Para�aque Representative Roilo Golez, chair of the House committee on national defense, said wiretapping was allowed in certain criminal cases, such as sedition and kidnapping, as long as there was a court order backing it. Cebu Representative Antonio Cuenco, chair of the committee on foreign affairs, said the enactment of the anti-terror bill into law would indicate to the international community the Philippines' determination to end terrorism here. He said the proposed law would also promote a "climate of confidence" here and encourage the US and British governments to lift their negative advisories regarding travel to the Philippines. Cuenco said lawmakers should not wait for bigger terror attacks before acting on HB 2639. "Apprehensions on the bill cannot be resolved unless lawmakers start deliberations on [it]. If we don't act now, we will be crying for revenge without giving the authorities all the weapons against the enemy," he said. More teeth In the upper chamber, Senator Panfilo Lacson called on Malaca�ang to certify as urgent a similar bill that he had filed so as to give the government "more teeth against terrorism." He said Malaca�ang should also certify as urgent his two other measures involving the improvement of the government's capability to track down terrorists -- Senate Bill No. 845, which would require the registration of prepaid subscriber identification module (SIM) cards, and SB 833, which would implement a national identification system in the country. The antiterrorism measure proposed by Lacson classifies as acts of terrorism "arson using poisonous substances to extort or bring about loss of lives or property, or destruction of industrial or business plants or of the environment, or to paralyze civil or military installations, communications, or power transmission lines." The measure allows law enforcers to conduct electronic surveillance on suspected terrorists, and punishes anyone who reveals, tampers with or destroys the information gathered from the tapping. "[The bomb attacks on Monday] should be a wake-up call for us to have an anti-terror bill passed," Lacson said. Senator Alfredo Lim said it was about time Congress came up with an antiterrorism law in view of the Feb. 14 bombings. Lim said he hoped that Senator Manuel Villar's committee on public order and illegal drugs would take up the matter soon. Not the Abu Sayyaf But Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel said the antiterrorism bill should be passed only in consideration of the 9/11 attacks in the United States, and not the Valentine's Day bombings here. "[This is] because I am not sure that the [Monday] bombings were the handiwork of terrorists like the Abu Sayyaf," he told reporters. Pimentel said the Abu Sayyaf was not capable of launching an organized attack such as what happened on Feb. 14, when bombs exploded almost simultaneously in three cities. "The military claims the group is on the run, so how can it have the capacity to do that?" he said. The senator also said the bombings reminded him of what happened immediately before the 1972 declaration of martial law by the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos. "We have to look back to our own history to learn," he said. "I'm not so sure that what happened on Feb. 14 should be used as a justification for an antiterrorism law." Pimentel said that while he favored an antiterrorism law, "we must make sure that we are not panicked into enacting [it] without due consideration of what is really happening on the ground." Asked who could be behind the Feb. 14 bombings, Pimentel said there were many groups that wanted to take advantage of the prevailing situation and that had their respective agenda. "Judging from history, we cannot rule out that some renegade soldiers ... could have done that," he said. ID system Like Lacson, Interior Secretary Angelo Reyes is pushing for the implementation of a national ID system, a project that was shelved earlier and that militant groups had described as a threat to civil liberties. In an interview with the Inquirer on Tuesday night, Reyes said a national ID system would not only "assist the government and the citizenry in transacting business" but also "enable the government to better monitor how services are being delivered to the people, and how [it] can better address their problems." Earlier Tuesday night, Reyes spoke before the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry Inc. and announced his support for the ID system. "We will push for it," he told the businessmen, saying such a system would expedite elections and business transactions. Reyes also said upright citizens should have no reason to oppose such a system: "As they say, if you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear." Earlier, then National Security Adviser Roilo Golez said such an ID system could be used to combat swindling and electoral fraud, and prevent terrorists from getting into the country on false identity papers. But the Supreme Court had ruled that such a system posed "a clear and present danger" and would violate a person's right to privacy. The ruling was in response to a proposal from then President Fidel Ramos that a national ID system be put in place. http://news.inq7.net/nation/index.php?index=1&story_id=27767 ..................................................................... Muslim leaders slam bombings, fear raids Posted 00:51am (Mla time) Feb 16, 2005 Inquirer News Service Editor's Note: Published on page A1 of the Feb. 16, 2005 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer RANKING Muslim leaders yesterday condemned the Valentine's Day bombings, but expressed apprehension that these would trigger police raids on Islamic communities. The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) offered to help the government prevent future bomb attacks in Mindanao, while condemning the perpetrators of the Valentine's Day explosions as "evil men." Eid Kabalu, MILF spokesperson, said the Front was offering its help as a manifestation of its sincerity in the peace process. "Even when there were no bombings, policemen raided Muslim communities without proper coordination or warrants. What more now that bombings have taken place?" said Datu Amerol Gulam Ambiong, chair of the Metro Manila Muslim Peace and Order Coordinating Council and a leader of the Islamic Center in Manila's Quiapo district. Ambiong told the Inquirer by phone that he and other Muslim leaders in the metropolis would meet with police officials to issue the assurance that Islamic communities would not harbor terrorists and other criminals. He said he and his colleagues would also meet in order to formulate a collective appeal to fellow Muslims not to aid or hide any terrorists so as not to draw suspicion to Islamic communities. "What the bombers, whoever they may be, did was against the teaching of Islam. They do not deserve to be called Muslims," Ambiong said, adding that the bombers should have spared the lives of civilians. In the House of Representatives, Anak Mindanao party-list Representative Mujiv Hataman said the bombings were "barbaric acts against Islam," and urged authorities to put the perpetrators behind bars. Basher Bagul Alonto, head of the Alliance of Metro Manila Muslim Communities for Peace and Justice, said Muslim leaders were willing to cooperate with authorities to find the perpetrators. Beyond propaganda Alonto said the Muslim communities were expecting the Arroyo administration to thoroughly investigate the bombings and not base its decisions on speculations. "The administration should go beyond propaganda," he said. Alonto's group, along with "running priest" Fr. Robert Reyes, held a small prayer rally at noon yesterday at the Ninoy Aquino Shrine in Makati City as a way of condemning the violence that marred the Day of Hearts. "If there's anything Valentine's Day should be, it's never bloody," said Reyes, an officer of the clergy-led advocacy group Gomburza. 'Demonized' Reyes said that while he was not ruling out the possibility that the Abu Sayyaf was behind the bombings -- as its spokesperson claimed Monday night on radio -- he believed that Muslims were being "demonized again." He called on the administration to dig deeper and not immediately point an accusing finger at Muslims. "For all you know, there's a totally different entity who did this, and is laughing at us now," the priest said. About 20 Muslims and Christians attended the prayer rally, but only three elderly women dressed in white led the praying of the rosary at the foot of the Aquino statue at the intersection of Ayala Avenue and Paseo de Roxas. "It's not about numbers, we don't need to mobilize people," Reyes told reporters. "We just want to [relay] the message that we don't approve of violence." Age-old problem The bombing attacks in the cities of Makati, General Santos and Davao as well as the armed conflict between the military and Moro rebels in Sulu province indicate that peace remains elusive despite the Armed Forces' claim of victory against insurgents, according to lawmakers representing the affected provinces. The continuing violence also diminishes the chances of a ceasefire between the two warring forces in Sulu, the lawmakers said at a press conference. South Cotabato Representative Darlene Antonino-Custodio said military offensives and rebel attacks in her province constituted an age-old problem that remained unsolved because of the lack of understanding between the two forces. Custodio lamented that while military and police in General Santos and Davao had received information on possible bomb attacks there, the long shorelines had made it difficult for them to perform monitoring work. She said there was one policeman for every 1,200 people in South Cotabato, instead of the ideal ratio of one for every 500. "Also, soldiers are not seen as friendly allies of the people but are considered threats, as far as the residents in my area are concerned. This is the reason people don't cooperate with them," Custodio said. No sympathy House Majority Leader and Davao Representative Prospero Nograles said the President should not be faulted if she decided against a ceasefire in Sulu in response to the Monday bombings. "These new bomb attacks have killed not only innocent [people] but [also] any prospect for an immediate and peaceful resolution of the hostilities in Sulu," Nograles said. He said the perpetrators of the crime did not deserve the sympathy of Christians and Muslims: "We can't surrender to blackmail. If they want to stop military operations, they must put down their arms. The bombers, if found, ought to be imposed the death penalty." With reports from Leila B. Salaverria, Irene C. Perez and Cynthia D. Balana http://news.inq7.net/nation/index.php?index=1&story_id=27648 ...................................................................... Editorial : The way of terrorists Posted 11:15pm (Mla time) Feb 15, 2005 Inquirer News Service Editor's Note: Published on page A14 of the February 16, 2005 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer BY MAKING common cause with a faction of the Moro National Liberation Front loyal to Nur Misuari, the Abu Sayyaf apparently sought to gain recognition and support, if not respectability, as a revolutionary group among Muslim Filipinos. Since last week, the bandit group, which achieved international notoriety by boldly raiding plush resorts and kidnapping foreign tourists and Filipinos and beheading some of the hostages, has been fighting alongside a so-called MNLF breakaway group against government troops. The group said it was fighting to obtain justice for the killing of a couple and their 14-year-old boy. As the fighting escalated and civilians were forced to flee their homes, several local leaders called on the government to declare a ceasefire and start negotiating with the group. Such a call would have been unthinkable just a few weeks back. Until the Abu Sayyaf joined forces with the MNLF faction, there was nothing in its past that would allow it to claim any revolutionary credentials, except its own rhetoric. With its long record of kidnappings, beheadings, torture and bombings, the group was considered widely as nothing more than a greedy and bloodthirsty bunch of criminals. After 9/11, the governments of both the Philippines and the United States classified it as a terrorist organization, and few people disagreed. The fighting in Sulu put the Abu Sayyaf in a new light. By painting it as a fight for justice, it seemed to be well on the way to winning the sympathy and respect of moderate Muslim leaders in the south, who urged the government to stop its attacks on the combined Abu Sayyaf-MNLF forces. The series of bombings last Monday, however, has blown to pieces any political gains the Abu Sayyaf may have achieved from its alliance with a faction of the MNLF. The blasts that left 11 people dead in General Santos City, Davao and Makati killed its chances of being acknowledged even by Muslims as a group that speaks for them and works for their well-being. But the Abu Sayyaf leadership is either unaware of this or it has learned to love the sound of bombs and the sight of blood too much to care. Minutes after the last explosion rocked Makati, its spokesman Abu Solayman gloated in a statement he read over a radio station that the bombings were their "Valentine gift to Gloria," in reference to President Macapagal-Arroyo. "We will find more ways to inflict damage," he warned the Filipino people. "Grieve and mourn your dead. We will make no distinction between civilians [and soldiers]." That is the way of terrorists, of course, and the Abu Sayyaf has time and again practiced what it preached, grabbing women and schoolchildren, torturing and killing preachers and foreign tourists, bombing ports and passenger boats. Even that reference to gifting the President with dead bodies was a mere rehash of what it said after beheading the American hostage, Guillermo Sobero, four years ago. Obviously the Abu Sayyaf has never changed its ideology of violence and terror. What is rather surprising is that some other groups would think otherwise. Now that it has again shown its true colors, the Abu Sayyaf has alienated the people of Mindanao who have grown weary of the war as well as the Muslims who have come to resent the use of their religion as an excuse for bringing death and injury to so many innocent people. http://news.inq7.net/opinion/index.php?index=2&story_id=27628&col=84 ..................................................................... VALENTINE'S DAY BOMBINGS IN THE PHILIPPINES By Stephen Ulph [From: Terrorism Focus (The Jamestown Foundation, USA) Volume 2 Issue 4 18 February 2005] The noose may be tightening on Islamist militant rebels on Jolo island, but the rebellion clearly still has teeth, judging from a spate of attacks claimed by the Abu Sayyaf group on February 14. Bombs within one hour of each other exploded in crowded areas in three cities � General Santos, Davao and Manila, and left more than 12 people dead and over 130 injured. Abu Sayyaf says it carried out the attacks as a "Valentine's gift" to the president, in revenge against a heavy military offensive launched on Muslim rebel strongholds on the southwestern island of Jolo. Authorities say more than 100 insurgents and over two dozen soldiers have been killed. Though coming to notoriety as a kidnapping band through the 2001 raid on a tourist resort on the island of Palawan, (during which an American tourist was beheaded), in recent months Abu Sayyaf has been attempting to present itself as a nationwide insurgency group and claims to have joined up with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF). This group detached itself from its later formation, the more politically active Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which is attempting to negotiate a peace treaty with Manila. The claim of fusion with Abu Sayyaf was vehemently denied by the MNLF Secretary General, Ustadz Murshi Ebrahim, on a February 14 posting on the MILF website Luwaran, on the grounds that Abu Sayyaf is "a group working outside the rules of what a truly revolutionary organization should be." MILF itself also posted the following day a denunciation of the Abu Sayyaf Valentine's Day bombings as "the handiwork of murderers" (www.luwaran.com). But the claims of Abu Sayyaf's involvement with the MNLF focuses on events on the island of Jolo. Here the death in early February of a family group (said by the military to be Abu Sayyaf members) sparked off an armed confrontation with the organization. After five days of clashes that left more than 60 dead (including 24 government soldiers), on February 16 the insurgents were chased out of a mountain stronghold near the town of Panamao. While the MILF denounced the Jolo clash as "not their war," the February 14 posting on the website announced the arrival in Jolo of up to 3,500 MNLF forces that had declared the island a battle zone and would "keep on pestering government troops" stationed there (www.luwaran.com). Manila, however, is confident that its enemy is in the throes of defeat, and that the February 14 bomb attacks were nothing more than a desperate "diversionary attack" to take the heat off Jolo. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has confirmed the government's attention "to wipe out the remnants of the Abu Sayyaf," and Abu Sayyaf has replied in kind. In a phone call to a radio station, Abu Sayyaf leader Abu Solaiman candidly stated his goal: "find more ways and means to inflict more harm to your people's lives and properties." Manila's sniff of victory along with the MNLF's perception of a "new battle zone," looks set to provoke an intensification of the conflict. Whatever the fate of the peace treaty, the attempts by "the enemies of Islam to sow division in the MILF", according to Abu Solaiman in a report to the Philippine Daily Enquirer, will only mark out "those who prefer to sell their honor for a measly sum". The equation, he states, "has developed into a clearer picture, much to our advantage" (www.inq7.net). http://www.jamestown.org/publications_details.php?volume_id=410&issue_id=323 7&article_id=2369290 ------------------------ Yahoo! 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