12 people killed as soldiers clash with Abu Sayyaf group in Sulu

At least 12 people were killed, including  seven Marines and five Abu Sayyaf bandits, while nine other soldiers were wounded in a fierce firefight at a remote village in Patikul town in Sulu Saturday morning, a military spokesman said.

Armed Forces spokesman Brig. Gen. Domingo Tutaan said the soldiers from the 2nd Marine Brigade were on tracking operations when they caught up with a large group of Abu Sayyaf terrorists at about 6:45 a.m. in Tugas village.

The firefight had lasted for over an hour before the bandits fled, Tutaan said, adding that pursuit operations are ongoing.

“The soldiers were on tracking operations against those involved in recent kidnapping incidents in Sulu, when the firefight in Barangay Tugas occurred…. It was a long firefight. Unfortunately, seven personnel were killed in action and nine were slightly wounded,” said Tutaan.

“On the side of the Abu Sayyaf, five were reported killed and some were wounded based on reports I got. The pursuit operations are ongoing right now… As we speak, the fighting has stopped and we are on pursuit operations,” he added.

Tutaan was uncertain as to the number of the bandits the soldiers encountered, but he said "it was a large group," which the military believed responsible for recent Sulu kidnapping incidents, in which a wife of a Marine soldier was among the victims.

But he said the bloody clash on Saturday does not mean the Abu Sayyaf is still a force to contend with. “Timing  is a big factor…. I think it was a frontal encounter.”

Latest military estimate placed the strength of the Abu Sayyaf to about 300, mostly based in Sulu and in Basilan.

The group is behind a number of high-profile attacks, including bombings and kidnappings in Sulu.

Moreover, Tutaan said AFP Western Mindanao Command chief Lt. Gen. Rey Ardo and 2nd Marine Brigade commander Col. Jose Johnriel Cenabre are on top of the ongoing security operations against the group.

Founded using seed money from the al Qaeda international terrorist network in the 1990s, the Abu Sayyaf is blamed for the worst terror attacks in the country, including the firebombing of a ferry in Manila Bay and abductions of foreign tourists.

The group is on the US government's list of so-called foreign terrorist organizations.

About 600 US troops have been rotating through the southern Philippines for a decade to help train local troops in hunting the Abu Sayyaf, who enjoy local support at their bases in some of the poorest areas of the Philippines. — with a report from Agence France-Presse/ LBG, GMA News

7 sundalo patay, 9 sugatan sa sagupaan sa Sulu

Umabot sa 12 katao ang namatay sa bakbakan sa pagitan ng militar at bandidong ABu Sayyaf sa Patikul, Sulu, samantalang siyam naman ang sugatan sa puwersa ng pamahalaan, ayon sa tagapagsalita ng militar.

Sa 12, kabilang ang pitong Marines at limang  miyembro ng bandidong Abu Sayyaf.

Ayon kay Armed Forces spokesman Brig. Gen. Domingo Tutaan, nasa isang tracking operation ang mga tropa ng 2nd Marine Brigade nang maka-engkwentro ang mga bandido dakong 8:45 ng umaga sa Barangay Tugas.

Nagtagal ang putukan ng mahigit isang oras bago tumakas ang mga bandido, na patuloy pa ring tinutugis hanggang ngayon.

“The soldiers were on tracking operations against those involved in recent kidnapping incidents in Sulu, when the firefight in Barangay Tugas occurred…. It was a long firefight. Unfortunately, seven personnel were killed in action and nine were slightly wounded,” sabi ni Tutaan.

“On the side of the Abu Sayyaf, five were reported killed and some were wounded based on reports I got. The pursuit operations are ongoing right now… As we speak, the fighting has stopped and we are on pursuit operations,” dagdag niya.

Ayon kay Tutaan, hindi niya masabi kung gaano karami ang mga bandido pero "it was a large group," at sila ay itinuturong nasa likod ng serye ng mga pangdukot ng ilang mga biktima, kasama na ang asawa ng isang Marine officer.

Hindi naman nagangahulugang dapat katakutan na ang Abu Sayyaf dahil sa pangyayari. “Timing  is a big factor…. I think it was a frontal encounter,” ayon kay Tutaan.

Ayon sa estima ng militar, nasa 300 na lamang ang ABu Sayyaf at matatagpuan sa Sulu at Basilan.

Ang grupo ay nasa likod ng high-profile na pag-atake kasama na ang pagbomba at mga pagdukot sa Sulu.

Dagdag ni Tutaan, patuloy na nakasubaybay sina AFP Western Mindanao Command chief Lt. Gen. Rey Ardo at 2nd Marine Brigade commander Col. Jose Johnriel Cenabre sa sitwasyon sa lugar.

Ang Abu Sayyaf ay nasa listahan ng terroist organizations ng Amerika.

Mahigit 600 na sundalong Amerikano ang ipinapadala sa Mindanao upang tumulong sa pagsasanay ng mga Pilipinong sundalo laban sa Abu Sayyaf. — JGV, RC /LBG, GMA News

Fugitive Mancao freely gives interviews, says he would be killed in jail

Easily contacted by media but elusive to authorities, murder suspect and former police officer Cezar Mancao II said he is more secure now even as a wanted man than when he was in government custody.

He escaped from NBI detention on Thursday. CCTV video showed him casually walking out of the NBI compound in Manila through an unlocked gate.

In a dzBB interview Friday morning, he said he feared his pending transfer to Manila City Jail where he could be conveniently rubbed out. Mancao is a suspect in the killing of PR man Salvador "Bubby" Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito in November 2000 in an alleged plot that involved senior police officials, including now-Senator Panfilo Lacson.

Mancao had said in an affidavit that he overheard police plotters say that Dacer had to be killed because he angered then-President Joseph Estrada, referred to by the plotters as "bigote."

In various media interviews since he escaped, Mancao showed no signs of surrendering as he said he is accepting his status as a fugitive. At least, he said, he is alive.

"Okay lang kung turingan ako nang ganyan. At least buhay ako kesa ipasok ako sa loob, baka mamaya kitilin ang buhay ko at madali ako sungkitin," he said in an interview on dzBB radio, when asked how he felt about being considered a fugitive.

"Medyo feeling ko mas secure ako sa ganitong sitwasyon," he added.

He also said he has spoken to members of his family since he escaped.

In Friday's interview, he reiterated his "request" for a "safe haven" where his "personal safety" can be ensured.

"Pinaparating ko rin naman ang aking request na sana naman kung sakali bigyan ako ng safe haven o paglagyan na ma-assure ang personal safety ko," he said.

Mancao was scheduled to be transferred to the Manila City Jail before he escaped.

“Ito nga hong dahilan sa pagtakas ko, buhay na ho ang kapalit nito. May banta na nga sa akin noong nasa NBI pa lang ako. How much more kung nandun ako sa city jail? Alam mo napakadaling mag-utos doon,” he said in an interview with GMA News' Jessica Soho  Thursday night.

Also in that interview, Mancao said he is willing to negotiate for his surrender with Justice Secretary Leila De Lima.

“Hindi ko kino-close itong aming pag-uusap ni Secretary. Sabi ko naman sa kanya, nasa negotiation din tayo. Alam mo naman, gusto ko na makapag-assure na safe ang buhay ko. Isang bala lang tayo ay dead na,” Mancao said. — LBG/HS, GMA News

Mancao, ayaw pang sumuko; mas ligtas umano siya sa pagtatago

Kahit tawagin siyang "fugitive" matapos siyang tumakas noong Huwebes sa kanyang selda sa National Buerau of Investigation, okay lamang umano ito sa kanya, ayon kay dating police superintendent Cezar Mancao II sa panayam ng dzBB nitong Biyernes ng umanga.

"Okay lang kung turingan ako nang ganyan. At least buhay ako kesa ipasok ako sa loob, baka mamaya kitilin ang buhay ko at madali ako sungkitin," sagot niya nang tanungin kung ano ang pakiramdam niya sa pagtawag sa kanyang "fugitive" o pugante.

Tumakas is Mancao mula sa NBI maaga noon Huwebes, isang araw bago ang nakatakdang paglipat sa kanya sa Manila City Jail.

Ang dating opisyal ng pulis ay nasangkot sa kasong pagdukot at pagpatay kay PR man Salvador "Bubby" Dacer at ang driver nitong si Emmanuel Corbito noong 2000.

Samantala, sa panayam sa telepono ni Melo del Prado ng dzBB sa kanya nitong Biyernes ng umaga, sinabi ni Mancao na ayos naman daw ang kanyang kalagayan sa ngayon.

“Medyo maluwag na konti ang aking dibdib at feeling ko mas secure ako sa ganitong sitwasyon” aniya.

Dagdag pa niya, nasorpresa umano siya sa naging resulta ng kaso dahil pagkatapos ng matagal na pag-aantay, hindi pumabor sa kanya ang korte sa kanyang nais na maging state witness.

Inakala niyang siya na ang susunod na makakalaya matapos ang order na nagpalaya kay Michael Ray Aquino, isa rin sa mga akusado, noong Dec. 17 ng nakaraang taon.

Makalipas ang limang buwan, mukhang siya pa umano ang makukulong at mako-convict.

Ayon kay Mancao, mayroon umano siyang "reliable information" na iba ang plano sa kanya sa city jail ng Maynila at dahil na rin sa marami na siyang naipakulong doon, walang kasiguruhan ang kanyang kaligtasan.

Bukod sa iniisip na kaligtasan, may mga nagpayo rin umano sa kanya hinggil sa kanayang pagtakas.

May mga maimpluwesiyang tao umano ang nagmamanipula sa kanyang sitwasyon.

Hinggil naman sa kahilingan ni Department of Justice Secretary Leila De lima na sumuko na siya upang hindi na lumala pa ang sitwasyon, sinabi ni Mancao na hindi siya susuko kung sa NBI lang din.

Kay Senador Panfilo Lacson daw kasi ang “loyalty” ng karamihan sa mga ranking officials ng NBI.

Matatandaang nadawit din si Lacson, dating boss ni Mancao, sa Dacer-Corbito double murder case.

Planong pagsuko

May plano naman umano siyang sumuko, depende sa gagawing negosasyon.

“May plano kung sa plano, ngunit maging fair lang. Nakikipag-negotiate naman tayo. Give and take lang naman 'yan at maging fair to both parties” giit niya.

Tinatawagan umano si Mancao ni sec. De Lima at direkta ang kanilang nagiging pag-uusap.

Sinabi niya na susuko lamang siya kung pagbibigyan ang kanyang mga kahilingan na siyang ipinarating kay Sec. De Lima upang masiguro ang kanyang kaligtasan at ng hindi matulad sa ibang nagiging witness na pinapatay.

Nakausap na niya umano ang kanyang pamilya hinggil sa ginawang pagtakas.

Matatandaang hindi inaprubahan ng korte ang application ni Mancao na maging state witness sa Dacer-Curbito case kaya naka-schedule siyang ilipat sana sa Manila City Jail noong Huwebes.

Pasado alas-11 ng gabi noong Miyerkules nang ihatid si Mancao sa detention facility ng NBI.

Batay sa paunang imbestigasyon, dakong 1:14 ng madaling araw, dala na niya ang kanyang bag at suot-suot niya ang isang bullcap. Lumabas papuntang Taft Avenue at sumakay sakay ng isang van.

Alas-8 na ng umaga nang madiskubreng wala na si Mancao sa kanyang selda. — Ryvalyn Caritativo /LBG GMA News

13 killed, mayor and 9 others wounded in Lanao del Norte ambush

(Updated 5:06 p.m.) - At least 13 people were killed while a town mayor and nine others were wounded in an ambush by unidentified gunmen in Lanao del Norte province Thursday evening, police said Friday. 

 

SPO1 Diosdado Alarcon of the Lanao del Norte provincial police office said the incident occurred at 6 p.m. in Barangay Malaig in Nunungan town, as Mayor Abdul Malik Manamparan and his supporters were returning from a campaign sortie.

Alarcon told GMA News Online in a phone interview Friday that among those killed was Adnani, Manamparan's daughter.

 

"Ang mga sugatan dinala sa hospital, sa Sanitarium at Mercy Hospital ng Iligan City," Alarcon said in an interview on dzBB radio.

 

Manamparan was among the wounded but the mayor is in stable condition. “Ang tama ni mayor hindi masyadong malubha,” said Alarcon.

Initially, 12 people were reported killed, along with nine others wounded.

But later in the afternoon, Brig. Gen. Daniel Lucero, commander of the Army's 1st Infantry Division, said one of those initially reported as wounded, died. 

"Reports of the additional wounded also just came in," Lucero said, referring to the increase in the number of wounded persons.

Unarmed?

 

“Maayos naman si mayor. [Pero] may tama siya – daplis sa ulo at sa iba't ibang parte ng katawan,” Col Rick Jalad, acting Commander of the 2nd Mechanized Infantry Brigade, told News to Go host Kara David in an interview on Friday.

 

Manamparan was in his room and is recuperating, said Jalad.

 

They mayor, who is seeking the vice mayoral seat of Nunungan under the Nationalist People's Coalition in the May elections, was in the company of his supporters when unidentified men fired at them, said Jalad.

 

The mayor told Jalad that he and his group were on the way back from Barangay Malaig when they were ambushed by men with high-powered firearms.

 

“Pero unfortunately wala silang na-identify kasi ang immediate action nila ay magtago – iligtas 'yung sarili nila. Wala naman silang baril na dala-dala kaya 'yun ang unang-una nilang ginawa, ang magtago,” Jalad explained.

Firefight

 

But according to Alarcon, Manamparan's group was armed and a firefight between the two groups caused the assailants to retreat.

 

"Nakipagputukan [ang panig ni mayor] at nag-withdraw ang armado," said Alarcon. He added that only PO1 Frenil Lagoting, the group's police escort and among those injured, was armed.

 

Investigators could not yet determine if the shooting was related to the May 13 elections.

 

Alarcon also said there was difficulty communicating with investigators in the area since cell phone signals were spotty.

Casualties

 

The initial investigation showed that the mayor and his supporters were heading back to the municipal hall aboard a dump truck. When the vehicle reached Barangay Malaig, some 20 km from the town, gunmen opened fire on them.

 

Nine of the fatalities were identified as:
 

1. Johani Mundi Bantuas, 20
2. Bebe Dimasangkay, 16
3. Lala Diamran
4. Pita Saripada, 17
5. Baubi Kawasa, 20
6. Nani Manamparan, 30
7. Leonor Mamantoc, 17
8. Saidon Mamantoc, 48
9. Agka Nobaisa

 

Those wounded were:

1. Iman Manamparan, 18
2. Semi Muda, 18
3. Mira Labi, 17
4. Nauman Ali, 16
5. Wilfredo Viga, 45
6. Asisa Labi, 15
7. Nubaila Ansur, 18
8. PO1 Frenil Lagoting
9. Mayor Abdul Malik Manamparan

The names of three other fatalities were not immediately available. — with a report from Andrei Medina/DVM/KG/VVP/RSJ, GMA News

12 patay; mayor, walong iba pa sugatan sa Lanao Norte ambush

April 26, 2013 1:16pm

Aabot sa 12 katao ang napatay at sugatan naman ang mayor ng bayan ng Nunungan at walong iba pang kasamahan nito sa ambush sa probinsya ng Lanao del Norte Huwebes ng gabi, ayon sa ulat ng pulis nitong Biyernes.

Ayon kay SPO1 Diosdado Alarcon ng  Lanao del Norte provincial police office, nangyari ang pananambang dakong alas-6 ng gabi sa  Barangay Malaig, Nunungan.

Papauwi na umano ang grupo ni Mayor Abdul Malik Manamparan at ang kanyang mga supporter mula sa pangangampanya nang tambangan sila ng mga armadong kalalakihan.

Sa panayam ng GMA News Online nitong Biyernes, sinabi ni Alarcon na kabilang sa mga napatay ay ang anak na babae ni Manamparan na si Adnani.

"Ang mga sugatan ay dinala sa hospital, sa Sanitarium at Mercy Hospital ng Iligan City," dagdag pa ni Alarcon.

Nasugatan din umano si Manamparan ngunit "stable" na ang kalagayan nito.

“Ang tama ni mayor hindi masyadong malubha,” ayon kay Alarcon.
 
“Maayos naman si mayor. [Pero] may tama siya – daplis sa ulo at sa iba't ibang parte ng katawan,” ayon naman kay Col. Rick Jalad, acting Commander of the 2nd Mechanized Infantry Brigade, sa panayam sa "News to Go" nitong Biyernes.

Si Manamparan ay tatakbo pagka-vice alkalde sa darating na halalan sa bayan ng Nunugan sa ilalim ng Nationalist People's Coalition.
 
Ayon kay Jalad, walang kahit isa sa mga  nanambang ang nakilala ng grupo ng mayor.
 
Samantala, sinabi ni Alarcon na armado rin ang grupo ni Manamparan at nakipagpalitan ng putok, kaya umatras ang mga kalaban.

"Nakipagputukan [ang panig ni mayor] at nag-withdraw ang mga armado," ayon kay Alarcon.
 
Nilinaw naman ni Alarcon na si PO1 Frenil Lagoting lamang ang armado sa grupo ni Manamparan.
 
Inaalam pa ng mga imbestigador kung may kinalaman sa eleksyon ang insidente.
 
Kinilala ang siyam sa 12 nasawi na sina:

    Johani Mundi Bantuas, 20
    Bebe Dimasangkay, 16
    Lala Diamran
    Pita Saripada, 17
    Baubi Kawasa, 20
    Nani Manamparan, 30
    Leonor Mamantoc, 17
    Saidon Mamantoc, 48
    Agka Nobaisa

 Ang mga nasugatan ay:

    Iman Manamparan, 18
    Semi Muda, 18
    Mira Labi, 17
    Nauman Ali, 16
    Wilfredo Viga, 45
    Asisa Labi, 15
    Nubaila Ansur, 18
    PO1 Frenil Lagoting
    Mayor Abdul Malik Manamparan

 —  LBG, GMA News