50 killed in Zamboanga tanker blast

FIREFIGHTERS battle a fire on a fuel depot after a tanker exploded Friday, Feb. 2, 2007, in suburban Mandaluyong east of Manila killing at least one person. Another tanker truck carrying compressed carbon dioxide gas exploded on a mountain road in Zamboanga, the southern Philippines Friday, after overturning, killing at least 50 people and injuring 13 others.

CAGAYAN DE ORO JOURNAL - The death toll from a tanker explosion in Zamboanga, the southern Philippines has risen from 27 to 50 after authorities accounted for the remains of more victims, officials said Saturday.

At least 65 others were hospitalized, said provincial social welfare officer Conchita San Diego.

Many of the victims were passengers of a minibus that was following the tanker truck or motorists who were slowed down by the traffic caused by the accident, San Diego said.

A destroyed passenger bus that tried to pass the overturned tanker when the explosion occured.

The tanker truck was negotiating a downhill stretch of the highway in Tigbao town in Zamboanga del Sur province Friday when its brakes failed, causing it to slam into the side of the mountain before overturning and killing its driver, police said.
Minutes later, someone shouted there was a fire from beneath the truck, but before people could flee, the tanker exploded with such force that it completely demolished the vehicle and blew away the roof of the minibus and flung it to the opposite lane, provincial police chief Senior Superintendent Ramon Ochotorena said.

The truck owner told police the tanker contained liquefied carbon dioxide that was to be delivered to a Coca-Cola plant in Zamboanga city, Ochotorena said.

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Northern Mindanao most wanted criminal falls

OROQUIETA City (Edgar Catane / Feb 5) - The long most wanted and notorious criminal with P250,000 bounty on his head was finally captured in his lair at dawn Tuesday in Barangay Sumalig, Bonifacio, Misamis Occidental by a team of Regional Mobile Group (RMG) headed by Col. Edgar Daniel and Capt. John Encinereal.

The suspect was identified as Ricardo S. Uy Jr., popularly known as alias "Halap" married and a resident of barangay San Roque, Ozamis City and is the principal suspect in the killing of PO1 Rainsfold Gamotin, and widely known as one of the biggest "drug lord" operating in Ozamis City.

Halap was also allegedly involved in various "gun for hire" operations, drug trafficking, a series of bank robberies in Cebu and Manila and many other murder cases.

After four months of intensified manhunt, Uy was arrested at his hideout together with a certain Gary S. Santos, Romeo G. Pabatao and a lone woman Ana Anita C. Sarsaba.

The three were caught point blank, naked and confiscated from them one homemade caliber .22 rifle, four M-16 rifle short magazines, one caliber .45 pistol, one tooter, one small rolled aluminum foil, three big rolled aluminum foils, one key chain, 19 pieces of caliber 5.56mm live ammo. 6 pieces of caliber. .45 ammunitions and one bandoleer of unspecified ammunitions.
The suspects were presented to the media by governor Loreto Leo Ocampos who said that he toiled much to curb criminalities in the province together with the new provincial police director Col. Erwin Villacorte.

Ocampos said, the provincial government and the police regional director are working for the giving of a reward leading to the arrest of "Halap."

Ocampos commended Col. Villacorte, Col. Daniel, Capt Encinereal and the men of the RMG and all the civilians who have assisted in intelligence gathering operations.

"The arrest of "Halap," Ocampos said, is a tangible proof that no one is above the law," adding, "the authorities have been running after him for so long due to his towering docket of crimes particularly drug trafficking, yet the difficulty of his arrest has finally come to an end, a showing that when a community works in unity, nothing is too difficult," Ocampos stressed.

The governor said, he is appealing to the citizenry and to the government officials, especially the mayors, not to compromise themselves by cuddling criminals, but to run after them, as it is a deterrent to our common cause of maintaining peace and order in the province and to our common objective of preserving the moral fiber of our society," Ocampos added.

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Army expects NPA chief to give up

CAGAYAN DE ORO JOURNAL (Ben Balce / Feb 3) – New People’s Army spokesman for Mindanao Jorge Madlos, alias Ka Oris, is believed ready to surrender because of his failing health, military officials said yesterday.

But Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Vicente Emano belied reports that according to him, Madlos would only surrender if “dead.”

Madlos who was last reported to have been trapped by elements of the 36th and 58th Infantry Battalions in his base in Barangay Santa Juana, Tagbina, Surigao del Sur reportedly the reason of his surrender.

“He (Madlos) will not surrender or even give up,” said Emano adding the last time they talked on phone (during Fr. Bula’s whereabouts) that his life would only surrender him.

Emano said Madlos confirmed him that even he was now undergoing medication for his kidney failure that caused him much health problems only his life would stop bringing the organization (CPP-NPA) to victory against the government.

“Madlos’ commitment with the group is incomparable, word “surrender” for him is a traitor. he will not surrendered as I know him for so long,” Emano said.

Meanwhile, Army’s 4th Infantry Division spokesperson Major Samuel Sagun said the reported plan of surrender of Madlos came after they received reports from 401st Infantry Brigade officials that Madlos’s failing health was the main reason of his plan of coming back at the mainstream society.

However Sagun did not confirm if the surrender filler was legitimate and came from Madlos himself.

“If the report is true, we will help him (Madlos) to recover from his failing health at this time,” Sagun said even added the division will bring Madlos at V Luna hospital in Manila for complete medication.

Sagun said for humanitarian reason, Madlos will receive treatment the same as an ordinary citizen and to experience equal protection from the military if he surrendered.

Sagun said Madlos’ group suffered a big setback last Wednesday when the Army’s 36th Infantry Battalion led by Lt. Col. Joel Madarang assaulted and captured two caves in Sitio Greenfields of Barangay Santa Juana.

Sagun said that the said areas considered likely as Camp Abubakar of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) which were the NPA’s biggest bomb-making and ammunition depot in Mindanao.

Sagun said an earlier firefight with Madlos’ group last Jan. 18, also in Greenfields, led them recovered several high powered firearms like of an RPG launcher, a B40 anti-tank weapon, a motorcycle, and subversive documents.

Sagun also said troops of the 401st IB aided by helicopter gunships and assault choppers are still pressing the fight against the NPAs in Tagbina.

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Oro gets bulk water supply

CAGAYAN DE ORO JOURNAL (Ben Balce / Feb 3) - The Cagayan de Oro Water District (COWD) yesterday disclosed that over 50% of the city’s households now have enough water after the firm opened its bulk water supply recently.

COWD general manager Engr. Gaspar Gonzales, Jr., said households, mostly at the western part of the city, are supplied with water all day long.

The bulk water supply project is expected to improve the total service connections of COWD from the current level of 53% to roughly 88% of the city’s households in 2015 according to Gonzales.

Bulk Water Project

“Before water consumers were complai-ning of not enough water, but since we opened the bulk water early this year no complain of having no water have been received,” said Gonzales, but added that some old water pipes were damaged by the new high water pressure.

The bulk water supplies Upper Lumbia, including Subdivisions PN Roa, Xavier Heights, Xavier Estates, Camella down to Barangays Carmen, Patag, Bulua, end Iponan.

“Bulk water augmented the supply of potable water in the whole city’s west part, where a water crisis is looming due to the growing number of consumers,” Gonzales said.

He also said that the bulk water project would prevent the draining and destruction of Cagayan de Oro City’s aquifer due to the continuous pumping of deep wells.

“The bulk water project is safe as it will not affect the “water-bearing rock” (aquifer) or a layer of permeable rock, sand, or gravel through which groundwater flows, containing enough water to supply wells and springs,” said Gonzales.

The LWUA, Gonzales said, “is encouraging the tapping of surface water considering the deteriorating state of aquifers especially in the fast-growing and industrializing urban areas in the country.”

He also said LWUA urged the private sector to invest in the development of bulk water sources utilizing rivers or lakes to provide sustainable potable water supply to the domestic and commercial/industrial concessionaires.

“This bulk water generates more jobs to Cagayanons by serving the remaining untapped households, commercial establishments, and institutions within the service area of COWD, we are also supporting the national government’s efforts to alleviate poverty through the provision of adequate and potable water supply,” Gonzales said.

The Rio Verde Water Consortium, Inc. has a 25-year contract to undertake the bulk water supply.

COWD director vice chairman Joel Baldelovar said under the contract, the said firm would build, operate and own infrastructure facilities that will produce Philippine-grade potable water via the abstraction and treatment of water from the river (Bubunawan River).

Baldelovar said the company (Rio Verde) has committed to produce at least 50,000 cubic meter (m3) per day by the end of the year, and double and triple that capacity by the end of 2010 and 2015, respectively.

“So far, the bulk water produced 40,000 cubic meter per day,the COWD pay them at P10.45 per cubic meter,” said Baldelovar adding that enough much to supply even elevated areas like subdivisions Terry Hills, Soldiers hills in Patag.

Baldelovar said the Rio Verde already done the first phase of the COWD’s bulk water supply project which is the first bulk water in the Philippines.
He said a bulk water supply project amounting to P1 billion would also be implemented soon in the other parts of the city.

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4th ID marks 37th anniversary with capture of alleged NPA GHQ in Mindanao

Cagayan de Oro City (Mike Baños/Jan 31) - The biggest military unit in Mindanao marks its 37th anniversary today, February 1st, with the capture of what could be the general headquarters of the New People's Army (NPA) in Mindanao.

In a press conference held Monday at the division headquarters in Camp Edilberto Evangelista at Bgy. Patag, this city, Maj.Gen. Jose T. Barbieto, Jr., division commander, said what they first perceived to be the NPA's biggest bomb making factory and ammunition depot in Mindanao could very well be its regional headquarters in the country's second biggest island.

"Initially, we believed Greenfields to be the NPA's regional base in Caraga Region and home base of NPA Mindanao spokesman Jorge Madlos alias Oris," Barbieto said told media. "However, our continued evaluation of the evidence found in the area increasingly indicates that we have indeed captured what could be their general headquarters in Mindanao."

Organic units of the 4th ID led by elements of the 36th Infantry Battalion and the 4th Division Reconnaissance Company captured a complex of explosive and ammunition caches hidden in two caves in Sitio Greenfields, Barangay Sta Juana, Tagbina, Surigao del Sur after a brief firefight Wednesday morning, 24 January 2007.

"This is the first time the 4th ID has captured a camp this big with explosives as sophisticated as these," Barbieto said. Previously, the Diamond Division also captured bomb making factories in Liangga, Surigao del Sur and Zamboanguita, Malaybalay City, Bukidnon but these were on a much smaller scale than the Tagbina caves, he added.

Barbieto said the initial inventory of the captured materials have been appraised at PhP11 million, including a brand new US$5,000 ammunition reloading machine capable of reloading a wide variety of ammunition (with the price tag still attached), seven rolls of 500 meter (3.5kms total) detonating cords with a market value of P150, 000 per roll, and imported Superdyne brand liquid dynamite in 130 plastic containers (@150 pcs/container) and 18 Claymore anti-personnel mines valued at P9-million. Troops earlier also recovered an RPG launcher, a B40 anti-tank weapon, a motorcycle, and subversive documents believed to belong to Mr. Madlos after a brief firefight last January 18 southeast of Greenfields, Barbieto added.

Besides significantly degrading the NPA's bomb-making capability in Mindanao, Barbieto said the 4th ID has also reduced the number of guerrilla fighters in its area of responsibility (AOR).

"Since we started Operation Bantay Laya in 2002, we have reduced the estimated number of NPA fighters in our division AOR by 53% from 1,200 to only over 500 as of today," Barbieto said. "This is a very significant reduction compared to the national figure where the total number of NPA guerrillas was reduced 40% from 12,000 to only 7,000 today."

Captured NPA documents indicate there are 14 front committees (FCs) operating within the 4th ID AOR, nine in the North East Committee and five in the North Central Committee. Barbieto said the Philippine Army has programmed the activation of 90 Cafgu Auxiliary companies in 2007, at the rate of two CAA companies of 88 men each activated for each FC cleared by the AFP.

"We are also consolidating the CAAs in each FC so they can defend their entire municipality and carry out limited tactical operations against the NPA instead of merely defending the perimeters of their patrol bases and depending on the Army to carry out tactical operations against the insurgents," Barbieto explained.

Besides continued hot pursuit operations against Madlos and his men in the area, Barbieto said their intelligence units are now tracing the origin of the captured explosives and equipment since the evidence appears to indicate links to "other terror groups that use bombs and landmines in their terrorist activities," such as the captured rocket propelled grenade (RPG) and B40 anti-tank weapon.

"We still have no definite evidence of foreign involvement but we have received reports that the CPP-NPA-NDF in Surigao del Sur is being supported by foreigners," Barbieto said. He said one of the persons involved appears to be a female Caucasian, believed to be a British national, who has been reportedly extending medical assistance to the NPA guerrillas and their families.

Barbieto said their intelligence operatives are also investigating the NPA's possible links to big business firms, especially mining companies which use the type of explosives seized from the camp, and other businessmen who contribute protection money and "revolutionary taxes" to the insurgency.

Not the least, Barbieto said they are compiling a list of politicians identified to be "collaborating" with the NPA through the payment of "permit to campaign" fees within NPA-affected areas and submitting it to higher authorities for proper action.

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