Thursday, November 16, 2006

Intelligence gathering and detective work pay off:

Cops nab No.14 Most Wanted Person in Region X

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (Mike Banos/Nov 16) – Police ended the long trek of one of the most wanted criminals in Region 10 by dint of intelligence gathering and detective work.

Chief Supt. Florante Baguio, regional director of PNP Region-10 Office presented to media Wednesday morning Vincent P. Villanueva alias Jojo, 26, a native of Sapang Dalaga, Misamis Occidental, the No. 14 Most Wanted Person in Region X. Pujeda carried a P140, 000 bounty which the DILG will later reward to the informants which provided the tip which led to his captor.

Pujeda is accused of raping a 16-year old resident of Lawndale Spring, Bgy. Taguanao last 13 August 2004 around 8:00PM at Adela Subdivision, Bgy. Camaman-an. The suspect's efforts to escape the law led him to Manila, Cebu, and Bukidnon before his capture last 12 November 2006 at a shopping mall in Bgy. Lapasan by elements of the PRO-10 led by SPO4 Nilo B. Delgado.

Villanueva was about to be presented to the media yesterday morning but attempted to take his life just as he was taking breakfast by slashing his belly with a kitchen knife. However, he sustained only minor injuries after he was subdued and immediately brought to a local hospital for treatment.

The suspect is the fifth most wanted person in the region recently captured by police in Region X. Baguio attributes their success to the judicious use of intelligence gathered by confidential agents and straight up detective work.

In the same press conference, Baguio also disclosed a benefactor who prefers to remain anonymous has donated four (4) units of 48-seater buses which will be distributed to the provincial police offices of Lanao, Misamis Oriental and Bukidnon and the PRO-10. He said the units will greatly add to the capability of the PRO-10 and its provincial units in responding to threats to internal security.
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ASEAN Summit in Cebu: PRO-X bolsters Cebu security with 432 personnel


CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY - The PNP Regional Office -10 (PRO-10) has bolstered internal security for the upcoming ASEAN Summit in Cebu City by dispatching some 432 policemen from PRO-10.

Chief Supt. Florante Baguio, PRO-10 regional director, said the initial batch of 235 personnel was dispatched a month ago to Cebu and was bolstered by an additional 197 fresh graduates from the Region X Police Academy only yesterday.
(MIKE BAÑOS / Nov 15)

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Baguio to retire this month:

RPOC Recommends Capuyan as incoming RD for PNP PRO-X

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (Mike Banos /November 16)- The Regional Peace and Order Council for Region X has endorsed Chief Supt. Teodorico Capuyan as incoming regional director for the PNP Regional Office-10 (PRO-X) vice Chief. Supt. Florante Baguio who will be retiring this month.

In its resolution sent to PNP Director General Oscar Calderon, RPOC-10 cited Capuyan's sterling record and his extensive exposure to Northern Mindanao where he was assigned for many years in various capacities.

Before his present assignment as executive director of the Office of the PNP Deputy Director for Operations at Camp Crame, Capuyan was at one time or another assigned as Deputy Regional Director for Operations (DRDO), Deputy Regional Director for Administration (DRDA), Chief of Staff (COF) in PRO-X, besides being previously assigned as provincial director at various times for the Bukidnon, Misamis Oriental and Camiguin provincial police offices.

The turnover ceremony to the incoming RD for PRO-10 has been set for November 24, 2006 at 9:00AM at the PRO-10 parade grounds in Camp Alagar, PRO-10 Headquarters in Lapasan, Cagayan de Oro City.

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Wednesday, November 15, 2006

Conflict reporting training at Eco-Village


TOURISM VILLAGE. The Eco-Tourism Village, also known as “The Gardens of Malasag,” in Malasag , Cugman, a 20-minute drive from downtown Cagayan de Oro, has chosen as venue by an international network of journalists for a training program that would be participated in by at least 35 media practitioners from all over northern Mindanao from Nov. 17 to Nov. 20. Photo shows the view of Macabalan Bay from the hills of Malasag. (Photo by BEN BALCE)



PECOJON'S TRAINING AT EDEN. Photo shows Mindanaoan journalists including Cagayan de Oro Journal editor Ben Balce (wearing cap, 2nd from right) working on a group exercise held at Eden Natural Park in Davao City on May 13-15, 2006. The scheduled seminars in Cagayan de Oro City (Nov 17-20) would be the third time this year. Balce (inset photo) is Cagayan de Oro-based correspondent writing in Malaya, The National Newspaper and Mindanao Gold Star Daily.


CAGAYAN de Oro City ( BEN BALCE / Nov. 15) - A training on Peace and Conflict Journalism Network (PECOJON) seminar will be held at the Malasag Eco Tourism Village in Cagayan de Oro from Friday to Monday (Nov. 17 – 20).

The tourism village is situated in Sitio Malasag, Cugman here and would accommodate at least 35 media practitioners from the cities of Iligan, Cagayan de Oro and Bukidnon.

In cooperation with InWent, PECOJON an international network of journalists, chose Malasag for its featured rows of cozy guest cottages, camp ground, picnic shed, native restaurant including multi purpose hall that fits during seminars especially in group trainings.

“Malasag is not far from the participants who are mostly from Cagayan de Oro City,” said Pecojon’s organizer Ledrolen Manriquez.

“Pecojon’s trainings on conflict reporting for journalists in war and crisis regions need a peaceful place like Malasag,” Manriquez said.

The village serves as the learning center for eco-tourism in northern Mindanao. At the same time, it generates revenues and livelihood for the tribal groups.

The training program consists of two weekend courses, Peace and Conflict Reporting I and II.

“Part 1 would last from two to three days each. The participants are expected to stay full time during the seminar,” Manriquez said.

On Day 1, Manriques said the participants would analyze and discuss the actual situation they are working in and define challenges and difficulties of reporting the conflict.

The course introduces concepts of conflict analysis and conflict transformation for journalists and gives an overview on war and peace concepts.

The course discusses the role and influence of media in conflict situations and the problems of objectivity. It introduces concepts and techniques of a constructive conflict reporting.

“In this course special emphasis is given on the aspect of journalists’ security,” said Manriquez adding that media creates the “battlefield” of modern conflicts.

“The journalists’ voice decides how conflict parties are seen: as victims or perpetrators, as suffering human beings or as the incarnate evil,” said Manriquez.

The members of the Pecojon are print, radio and broadcast journalists, journalism teachers and students as well as writers and filmmakers who are committed to implement a constructive conflict reporting.

The database of the Peace and Conflict Journalism Network (PECOJON) will be introduced as a tool for improving the journalists’ capacities and access to information through networking.

A course would also focus on practical additional skills for conflict journalists. Journalists would identify needs and gaps they want to work on, and also capacities and special skills they already have and would like to share. Emphasis would be given on communication skills.

In addition, the course would look back to the first course and deepens topics of how to do constructive conflict reporting.

Included are media objectivity, people-oriented investigation, how to avoid being used for propaganda, and how to connect with peace initiatives as a rich source of information.

The resource speaker during seminar would be Antonia Koop a German journalist and filmmaker. Her company, the C./CREAT film production has produced documentaries since 1998, mainly on political and conflict issues.

As a war journalist, Koop covered conflicts in Israel and Palestine, Kenya and other countries. She studied peace journalism at the Transcend University, Romania.

Aside from her journalistic work, she holds journalism training programs particularly on peace and conflict journalism – and teaches conflict transformation in a University.

Since April 2004, Ms. Koop has lived in Bacolod City coordinating the training program for PECOJON.

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Monday, November 13, 2006

Mercado opens COPC 55th Foundation Day, Graduation Ceremony


MESSAGE
SEARSOLIN Module on Independent
& Responsible Journalism
Nov. 11, 2006, 7:00 P.M. SEARSOLIN
By ANSELMO B. MERCADO

--------------------------------------------------

Our partners from the COPC, its officers and members, distinguished guests, SEARSOLIners, friends of SEARSOLIN and COPC, leaders and gentlemen – Maayong Gabii.

Three things I would like to do in my “Welcome Remarks.”
Firstly, in the name of SEARSOLIN and Xavier University, let me welcome all of you to our joint program and ceremonies this evening. What we are celebrating tonight are two milestones. For COPC, it’s a big milestone for having come this far - - 55 years and still going strong (more than 90 members now, I was told). The other milestone is the COPC-SEARSOLIN joint project, which is not as big, but a milestone nonetheless – the successful completion of the first training on “Independent & Responsible Journalism.”
We are happy to see all of you here. We are honored y your presence and we are very grateful to you for being here to celebrate these milestones with us tonight.
This brings me to the second thing I would like to do. Again, in the name of SERSOLIN and Xavier University, I would like to convey our heartfelt congratulations to COPC, to all its members and officers, past and present, for its 55 years of life and blessings. I am sure COPC’s presence and impact have been felt by our people and society.
One can only look back and say: “COPC has accomplished quite a lot! One can also further say: “There’s a lot more that COPC can do to make a positive contribution to society.” As we congratulate you tonight, we also offer our prayers and good wishes to COPC for more blessings and success in your future work and challenges.
Thirdly, let me say a few remarks about our joint COPC-SEARSOLIN project.
This project is really a product of our partnership which we forged sometime in the year 2004. The objective of our partnership was and still is (let me paraphrase it):
TO TRAIN, AND IN A SENSE CONSCIENTICIZE, OUR PEERS IN THE MEDIA WORLD TO BECOME GOOD, CREDIBLE, HONEST, CONSCIENTIOUS, COMPETENT PROFESSIONALS AND LEADERS, WHO WILL LOOK UPON THEIR PROFESSION AND MEDIA WORK NOT ONLY AS A MEANS OF LIVELIHOOD, BUT PERHAPS MORE SO TO BE INSTRUMENTS FOR POSITIVE AND CONSTRUCTIVE CHANGE IN OUR SOCIETY.
TO BE INSTRUMENTS OF PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT OF OUR PEOPLES AND COMMUNITIES.
To help bring this about we have embarked in this joint project to offer a training program, consisting of ten related subject areas, that has a 2-pronged aim:
1. To promote the understanding of the role of media in civil society, and
2. To enhance the investigative journalistic skills of journalists in government, NGOs, schools and others especially in reporting on corruption and development issues.
During the past year, this joint undertaking has had its “trying moments” to recruit, to select and to conduct our first training course. It has not been an easy task.
However, even with some degree of disappointment, we are still pleased to be able to complete our first training course. Tonight, we are happy and proud to present our first two successful graduates and to award them with Certificates of Completion. We are also happy to note that others, like our
Searsoliners of this year’s batch, have been able to partially participate in our training course.
In the name of our joint partnership, COPC-SEARSOLIN, let me congratulate our two graduates of the
First COPC-SEARSOLIN course on “Responsible and Independent Journalism.”
In conclusion, let me offer our prayers and hope that our COPC-SEARSOLIN partnership will continue and strengthen, not for its own sake, but for our partnership to be of genuine service to our media professionals ultimately to benefit our people and society.
Daghang salamat ug maayong gabii!

Saturday, November 11, 2006

Falling in Love in 30 days


Message: can any message be more touching than this?

Daniel: I guess we are the left over in this world.

Jasmine: I think so. All of my friends have boyfriends & we are the only 2 persons
left in this world without any special someone in our lives.

Daniel: Yup! I don't know what to do.

Jasmine: I know! We'll play a game.

Daniel: What game?

Jasmine: I'll be your girlfriend for 30 days & you will be my boyfriend.

Daniel: That's a great plan in fact; I don't have anything to do for the following weeks.

DAY 1:
They watched their first movie together & were both touched in the romantic film.

DAY 4:
They went to the beach & had a picnic... Daniel & Jasmine had their quality time together.

DAY 12:
Daniel invited Jasmine to a circus and they went to a Horror House. Jasmine was scared and she tried to touch Daniel's hand but by accident she touched someone else's and they both laughed.

DAY 14:
They saw a fortuneteller down the road and asked for their future. The fortune teller said: "My darlings, please don't waste the time of your lives... spend your time together happily." Then tears flow from the teller's eyes.

DAY 20:
Jasmine invited Daniel to go to the hill and they saw a meteor... Jasmine mumbled something.

DAY 28:
They rode on a bus and because of the bumpy road; Jasmine gave her first kiss to Daniel by accident.
DAY 29:
11:37 pm
Daniel & Jasmine were sitting in the park where they first decided to play this game.

Daniel: I'm tired Jasmine... do you want any drinks? I'll buy you one. I'll just go
down the road.

Jasmine: Apple juice would be fine, thanks.

Daniel: Wait for me...

20 minutes later... a stranger approached Jasmine.

Stranger: Are you a friend of Daniel?

Jasmine: Yes, why? What happened?

Stranger: A reckless drunken driver ran over Daniel & he is critical in the hospital.

11:57pm
The doctor came out from the emergency room & handed out an apple juice & a letter to Jasmine.

Doctor: We found this in Daniel's pocket.

Jasmine read the letter, which says:

Jasmine, these past few days, I realized you are really a cute girl & I am falling for you. your cherished smile, your everything when we played this game. & Before this game ends, I would like you to be my girlfriend for the rest of my life. I love you, Jasmine...

Jasmine crumples the paper & shouted.

"Daniel! I don't want you to die...I love you... Remember that night we saw a meteor? I mumbled something. I wished that we would be together forever & never end this game. Please don't leave me, Daniel... I love you; you cannot do this to me

Then the clock strikes 12

Daniel's heart stop pumping

THEN IT WAS THE 30th DAY...


*************************************************************

Always love your loved ones & show them how you feel before it's too late. You will never know when they will be gone from your embrace. If you were given a time to bestow petals of everlasting compassion & love to your love ones, today is the day. Love them while they are still here.

George Gordon E. Lim
0906-506-5474

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Army clearing Camp Evangelista of illegal settlers


CAMP EDILBERTO EVANGELISTA, Cagayan de Oro City - (MIKE BAÑOS / Nov 10) - The Philippine Army has started clearing areas of this long-time headquarters of the 4th Infantry ‘Diamond’ Division of illegal settlers for security reasons and to facilitate future developments.

“The AFP Leadership wants to clear all military camps and reservations of illegal occupants,” Col. Augusto L. Tolentino, Division Chief of Staff, told media Wednesday during a press conference hosted by the 4ID Civil-Military Operations and G-7 offices. “For a while, illegal occupants were tolerated to stay inside military installations but security reasons and future camp development plans could not be implemented if the problem remains. It started in Fort Bonifacio and other military camps all over the country.”

Capt. Aldrich M. Uayan, Division Judge Advocate Officer, identified the affected area of the camp as Lot 4318, a 35.78 hectare parcel which was confirmed by the Supreme Court in Case No. G.R. 157306 dated 25 November 2005 per Presidential Proclamation 265 Series of 1938. The 35.78 hectares of the subject area comprises some 27.7% of the 129.2944 hectares total area of Camp Evangelista.

The ongoing clearing operation involves some 70 structures belonging to informal settlers/illegal occupants comprising of 13 active Army personnel, 14 Army retirees, 40 civilians and 3 PNP personnel.
Brig. Gen. Artemio R. Arugay, Assistant Division Commander, said the civilian occupants are being transferred to a one-hectare relocation site in Barangay Canitoan donated by the city government through Mayor Vicente Emano while military personnel are being moved to the 35-hectare Camp Osito Bahian in Malaybalay City. The latter site is also the field headquarters of the 4th ID’s 403rd Infantry Brigade, one of the division’s organic units along with the 401st and 402nd brigades.

Each enlisted personnel and civilian employee is being extended a P50, 000.00 assistance for a 150 sq. lot with a 20 sq.m. residence while officers are entitled to a 200 sq.m. lot and the same residential unit, he added.

“We gave them six months notice, explained to them why they have to move someplace else, and they understood us,” Arugay said. “While all petitioners are now moving out, some of them still want to contest their claim to the land in court.”

However, Arugay said all lower courts and the high court have already unanimously confirmed that the land belongs to the Philippine Government. Camp Evangelista was originally donated to the Philippine government by the late Kagay-anon Patriot Apolinar Velez as a training ground for the Philippine Army.

Earlier last month, the PA also demolished some 50 shanties in Fort Bonifacio found to be encroaching on lots allocated for the expansion of the Libingan ng mga Bayani, officials said.
Army spokesman Major Ernesto Torres disclosed troops defused a potentially explosive confrontation with settlers when they seized some 10 Molotov cocktails, an improvised incendiary bomb in Sitio Tago-Tago West Bicutan from residents, many of whom were retired soldiers.

Army Chief Lt. Gen. Romeo Tolentino said some of the residents even strafed their own houses to make them look like the Army eviction team shot them.
Gunshots were heard but no firearms were recovered, Torres said.

Tolentino said a total of 300 houses were to be demolished as part of the Army's efforts to expand the 50-hectare Heroes' Cemetery.The Army will also demolish structures built by residents of plush subdivisions like Forbes Park and Dasmariñas Village, which been found to have encroached on the property where the Bonifacio Heights condominium complex would be built, Tolentino said. However, Officials of these villages have agreed to a joint survey of their borders with the Army, he added.
MIKE BAÑOS501 V. F. Cabaraban St., Cabaraban Subdivision,Puntod, 9000 Cagayan de Oro CityPhilippinesPrimary Mobile 0906-889-8484 (Touch Mobile)Secondary Mobile 0921-469-6305 (Smart) IM mike_banos_2000@yahoo.comalternate email : mike_banos@walla.com

Friday, November 10, 2006

Famous Quotes...

"Humor is the only test of gravity, and gravity of humor; for a subject which will not bear raillery is suspicious, and a jest which will not bear serious examination is false wit."Aristotle

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Cagayan de Oro Press Club marks milestones for 55th Anniversary






By MIKE BAÑOS

The Cagayan de Oro Press Club, Inc. (COPC) turns 55 on Sunday, November 12, 2006.

One of the oldest in the country, it is also one of the few with a truly professional organization in the sense that it has a working board of directors, assets which allow it to undertake projects and employ a full-time staff, albeit on a small scale, and it is a respected member of civil society which plays an active role in the city and the region's affairs.

Today's celebration will be particularly significant because of a number of firsts the COPC has accomplished with today's anniversary, particularly in relation to its training module on Responsible and Independent Journalism.

This is a program undertaken over two years ago under the administration of past president Herbie Gomez with financial and technical assistance from the Australian government to professionalize the local media, particularly COPC members, and provide them with the tools, knowledge, skills and support needed to fight corruption in the city and the region. Its ultimate goal is to set up a local counterpart to the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism.

First, this is the first time the COPC has undertaken such a training with a local educational institution, which in our case is the South East Asian Rural Social Leadership Institute, better known to locals as Searsolin, a division of the College of Agriculture of Xavier University (Ateneo de Cagayan).

Searsolin is a Catholic, Jesuit, Filipino and Asian institution. It is dedicated to the formation of socially-committed and competent leaders committed to poverty alleviation and holistic human development within the context of diverse cultural and religious traditions in Asia, Pacific and Africa. It aspires to attain a just social order where respect for human dignity, deference of various religious beliefs, equitable distribution of wealth and care for the bounty of the earth prevail. The training programs are geared towards understanding poverty, what creates and perpetuates it, and acquiring skills necessary to alleviate it and benefit the poor.

It's also the first time the COPC has worked together with Searsolin to train international students. During the second of our four-part program, we had Ismail Abid Aziz of Malaysia join our first batch of trainees who are mostly from Misamis Oriental's Provincial Communicators Association (Procoma) headed by Cedric Dayta of Luga-it, and now we had our friends from Indo-China and India whom we shall mention here for posterity's sake: Fr. Michael Raj from India, Nguyen Van Hoang and Nguyen Thi Hay Yen of Vietnam, Francis Cympanel and Theresa Min Min Myat of Myanmar (formerly Burma), Meng Chhay of Cambodia and Phouva Manipakon of Laos (I hope I did not mix up your countries!)

In behalf of the participants and training staff of our first batch, may I extend our thanks and appreciation to the Searsolin staff under the able management of Director Dr. Anselmo "Boy" B. Mercado, Ed.D. for their hospitality and expertise which helped make our first training a memorable training experience. We also wish to cite Training Officer Liza Gonzales and Lito Tagalog from the Library whose invaluable assistance and support were crucial in the COPC leanings from this 'first time.' Daghang Salamat!

May I also take this occasion to salute past president Herbie Gomez (sa way pabor-pabor) for his drive and vision in bringing to fruition this local version of the PCIJ. I know you sometimes lose heart when people don't perform as expected and obstacles seem to rise up on every occasion but this is a good thing we've done here and you should be proud you were instrumental in bringing it to life. Maybe JACNet wil have its own building someday which will house its operations and we can call it the Herbie Gomez Center for Investigative Journalism. Puede na bisan dili posthumous ha?

In addition to our training module, we've also revived our Journalists Against Corruption Network (JACNet) initiative, re-organizing the JACNet Editorial Board and bringing our JACNet Website back up in cyberspace with the help of my fellow director Comrade Ben Balce. Earlier this week, the Board approved the business plan which shall hopefully set this particular component of our project on the road to self-sufficiency, long-term stability and sustainability.

Kudos too is in order for Director Terry Betonio for successfully reviving the COPC Newsletter, which we shall soon set on the same road of self-sustenance with a similar business plan.

However, much remains to be done. The financial planning and execution of the COPC needs a lot of hard work to set it straight, and a long-term business plan has yet to be formulated. This, together with the ongoing membership revamp, will be the pillars upon which the foundation of the COPC's success in the long run would be anchored upon. With Director Ruffy Magbanua and Joey Nacalaban taking care of business at this end, members have a lot of confidence we shall prevail.

Our COPC Code of Ethics will also need to be updated. Following the mandate of the Ethics Committee as spelled out in our charter, we have researched the Codes of Ethics of respectable media aggrupations in the country, as well as those without in the United States, Japan and Australia, and have come out with five key provisions which are not included in our present Code of Ethics. This we shall do during our next general assembly this December.

Not the least, may I also urge all COPC members in behalf of the Board to accomplish their personal data sheet in the office. This data will not only serve to provide you with an updated press card but even more important, be the basis for approval of a personal life insurance policy which considering the state of journalists in the country today, is a very welcome initiative.

Happy Anniversary to All! As the famous song by the Carpenters goes, "We've only just begun…"

comments to
mike_banos@walla.com

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Army troopers keep NPA on the run in Bukidnon

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (MIKE BAÑOS / November 10) Army troopers from the 26th Infantry Battalion recovered two (2) M16 Armalite rifles, magazines and ammunition following a two-minute encounter with suspected communist rebels in Sitio Bantayan, Barangay Dagumbaan, Maramag, Bukidnon around 5:0AM Thursday.

Elements of the 26th IB under Lt. Col. Benjamin Madrigal and the 23rd CAFGU Cadre Battalion under Lt. Col. Rolando Manalo engaged the suspected rebels believed to be from SECOM 1, Front Committee 6 of Northern Mindanao Regional Committee (NMRC) of the CPP/NPA/NDF under alias Boboy. Field reports filed by Madrigal indicated the suspected rebels suffered several casualties.

Earlier, Army troopers who figured in an encounter with a platoon of suspected communist rebels Monday, November 6, 2006 at Sitio Upper Nabangkal, Barangay Magkalungay, San Fernando, Bukidnon stumbled into an abandoned camp at Upper Kisayab, Barangay Bonacao of the same municipality.

Maj. Samuel C. Sagun, Chief of the Philippine Army's 4th Infantry 'Diamond' Division Civil Military Operations (CMO) said the report was filed by 403rd Infantry Brigade commander Col. Florante Martinez with 4th ID Chief Brig. Gen. Jose Barbieto after a platoon of the brigade's 26th Infantry Battalion figured in a five-minute firefight with the suspected rebels. No casualties were reported on either side.

Martinez' reported that the abandoned enemy encampment contained twenty-three (23) bunkers capable of accommodating some seventy personnel. Recovered from the scene were three (3) back packs, one (1) piece handcuff, three (3) rounds live M16 ammunitions and one (1) round M14 ammunition from the area that was believed to have been abandoned three (3) days ago.

Meantime, Sagun said a former liaison of the Front Committee 2IB under Ka Salem surrendered to the commanding officer of the 30th Infantry Battalion in Sibagat, Agusan del Sur last Friday, November 3, 2006. Sagun identified the surrenderee as Oscar Pagios alias Ka Ramos, 24 years old and a resident of Bgy. Del Carmen, Bayugan 1, Agusan del Sur. He also surrendered his issued firearm, an M16 with a defaced serial number and is now in protective custody.


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