The Philippines' southern 'back door'

Police seized more than P3 million worth of smuggled cigarettes that smugglers abandoned in a pier in Indanan town, Sulu on Sunday afternoon.

Police Col. Richard Verceles, operation chief of Area Police Command-Western Mindanao (APC-WM), said operatives of the Indanan Municipal Police Station launched the enforcement operation based on tips that hundreds of master cases of cigarettes had been unloaded at the pier.

The police swooped down on BJ Pier in Barangay Buansa and discovered around 300 master cases of smuggled cigarettes left unattended in an open warehouse. — The STAR/Roel Pareño

Marines rescued six passengers who had been drifting in waters off Tawi-Tawi after big waves disabled their motorized pumpboat. 

They had departed Tuesday morning from Tabawan in South Ubian town bound for Taganak Island, when they were lashed by the bad weather the following night.

Lt. Senior Grade Chester Cabaltera, Naval Forces Western Mindanao (NFWM) information chief, said the rough seas flooded the pumpboat and the passengers had to cling to it for more than 24 hours before it sank near Baguan Island.

Cabaltera said the marines immediately launched a search and rescue operation when they found out about the missing boat. — The STAR/Roel Pareño

The Bureau of Customs district office in Zamboanga City destroyed and disposed of smuggled cigarettes worth around P300 million that was confiscated in the Zamboanga Peninsula and Bangsamoro regions.

The BOC, with the different law enforcement agencies destroyed the more than 8,250 master cases of assorted cigarette brands that were seized in a series of anti-smuggling operations in Zamboanga peninsula, Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi from May to November this year.

The Bureau of Fire Protection hosed the cigarettes down with water before a backhoe crushed the contraband.

The crushed contrabands was later hauled off and disposed at the sanitary landfill in Barangay Salaan. — The STAR/Roel Pareño

The Navy rescued the passengers and crew of a motor launch that was swept by big waves in the seas off Tawi-Tawi on Friday.
 
Rear Adm. Toribio Adaci Jr., commander of Naval Force Western Mindanao (NFWM), said the navy’s Littoral Monitoring Station in Bongao, which was on alert because of storms affecting the country monitored M/L Farahmae-1 in distress.
 
Adaci said the 3rd Boat Attack Division, based in Naval Station Magluyan in Panglima Sugala, immediately launched a search and rescue mission and located the distressed vessel some 14 nautical miles northwest of Bongao. — The STAR/Roel Pareño

The military confirmed Tuesday an attempt by unidentified gunmen believed to be Abu Sayyaf members to hijack a bulk carrier in the waters of Sibutu, Tawi-Tawi late last week.

The fresh attempt prompted the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP), an Asian piracy monitoring organization, to raise the alarm and issue a warning on possible resurgence of attack at sea in southern Philippines.

The ReCAAP, in its alert, disclosed reports from the coastguard that a bulk carrier was underway when an unidentified speedboat with three perpetrators onboard attempted to board the ship.

This prompted the bulk carrier master to immediately alert the Philippine Navy Littoral Monitoring Station in the area.

Lt. Gen. Corleto Vinluan Jr., commander of Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom), confirmed the M/V AKIG PEAL was harassed by three armed men on a speedboat in the waters off Sibutu last Wednesday.

He said the vigilance of the ship's crew and prompt response of naval forces forced the armed perpetrators believed to be from the Abu Sayyaf group to abort their attempt to hijack the vessel. — The STAR/Roel Pareño

The Philippine Navy and Marines seized some P17.3-million worth of smuggled cigarettes from a fishing boat in the waters of Sulu on Tuesday, a security official says Thursday.

R.Adm. Toribio Adaci Jr., commander of Naval Forces Western Mindanao (NFWM), says naval intelligence operatives of Naval Task Group Sulu and troops of the 4th Marine Brigade on board Multi-Purpose Attack Craft 494 intercepted fishing boat Princess Arlyn in the waters off Karangdato Point, Kalingalang Caluang town and apprehended eight crew members on board.

He says the fishing boat is reportedly owned by a certain Hadji Wari of Zamboanga City.

During the board and seizure operation, security forces discovered 360 master cases of smuggled cigarettes.  — The STAR/Roel Pareño

Police in Sulu are verifying reports that one of the five Indonesians held captive by the Abu Sayyaf was killed in a clash with security forces in the hinterland of Patikul town on Tuesday, the Sulu Provincial Police Office reports.

The SPPO disclosed that troops from the 45th Infantry Battalion encountered Tuesday morning the group of Abu Sayyaf sub-leader Majan Sahidjuan, alias Apo Mike, at Barangay Maligay, Patikul town.

Police say that according to intelligence reports, one of the kidnap victims was hit in the encounter and died from gunshot wounds.

One of the Abu Sayyaf — identified as Alsibar Taha, alias Urot — was also killed in the clash on Tuesday.

The SPPO says kidnap victim who was allegedly killed has initially been identified as a certain La Baa.

It was not immediately known if the victim was shot by his captors while trying to escape or was hit during the firefight.

"This office is still conucting further verification regaring the information," the SPPO says. — The STAR/Roel Pareño

An Abu Sayyaf member surrendered Monday for fear that the ongoing military offensive against the terror group in the jungle of Sulu would also catch and neutralize him.

Fadzrimar Jawali alias Tong, 38, surrendered with his M14 assault rifle and ammunition to the 6th Special Forces Battalion in Barangay Silangan, Parang town and was subsequently presented to 1102nd Brigade commander Brig. Gen. Ignatius Patrimonio at the unit’s headquarters in Camp Bud Datu based in Barangay Tagbak, Indanan town.

Jawali was given medical check-up at the military hospital before he was subjected to custodial debriefing at the base of the 6th SFBn in Barangay Buhanginan, Patikul. — The STAR/Roel Pareño

The pair of otters spotted four months ago in Tawi-Tawi surprised residents anew last week after they emerged with three pups in the province's Taganak Island.

In a statement, Department of Environment and Natural Resources IX Executive Director Crisanta Marlene Rodriguez says they received reports from Turtle Islands Wildlife Sanctuary (TIWS) Protected Area Superintendent Minda Bairula saying residents spotted the otters frolicking in the sand with their pups.

Rodriguez Bairula narrated that a resident living along the shoreline reported to their office that she heard sounds of what could be a newly-born animals coming from the den of the otters last July 31.

"On August 17, a Protected Area Management Office (PAMO) staff spotted the baby otters coming out from the den. With the help of personnel from the Philippine National Police Taganak Municipal Station, they were able to document the parent otters and the pups playing along the shoreline," Rodriguez says. — The STAR/Roel Pareño

Troops have intercepted seven Filipinos trying to slip into the country from Sabah through the Turtle Islands in Tawi-Tawi.

The seven, who had crossed the border without documentation, have been put on quarantine.

Police say the seven were in a jungkung, a type of motorized boat, that landed on the shoreline of Barangay Poblacion, Turtle Island.

Maj. Alpaser Haber, officer-in-charge of Turtle Island municipal police station, reports troops from the Marine Battalion Landing Team 9 alerted them about the interception of the Filipinos on Sunday night. — The STAR/Roel Pareño
 

Government troops clashed with the Abu Sayyaf group in two separate encounters in Saturday that left three terrorists dead and several others wounded.

Five soldiers were wounded in the fighting in the mountains of Patikul town, Sulu, military officials say Sunday.

Troops from the 21st Infantry Battalion under Lt. Col. Gerald Monfort launched an assault against an undetermined number of Abu Sayyaf memebrs under sub-leader Ellam Nasirin at Sitio Tubig Paliya in Barangay Danag about 10:44 a.m.

Maj. Arvin John Encinas, Western Mindanao Command spokesman, says the firefight lasted for an hour before the Abu Sayyaf retreated with casualties.

Another unit of the 21st IB that was on blocking operation clashed with 20 members of the same Abu Sayyaf group trying to escape. — The STAR/Roel Pareño

At least seven members of the Moro National Liberation Front were wounded in an encounter against 50 Abu Sayyaf members in the hinterland of Indanan town, Sulu, a military official said Monday.

Capt. Rex Payot, public affairs chief of oint Task Force Sulu (JTFS) and the 11th Infantry Division based in Sulu, said the firefight occurred early Friday morning at Sitio Bunga, Barangay Buanza.
 
He said Lt. Col. Esmani Mai, the MNLF coordinator, disclosed that the MNLF forces engaged the 50 Abu Sayyaf members for 40 minutes which left seven members injured.

— The STAR/Roel Pareño

A grandson of Abu Sayyaf Group leader Radulan Sahiron was killed in a military operation in Talipao, Sulu on Saturday night, News5 Aksyon reports.

JUST IN | Patay sa operasyon ng militar ang apo ni Abu Sayyaf Group leader Radulan Sahiron na si alias Vikram sa Talipao, Sulu kagabi. pic.twitter.com/EPoMaQVvbX

— News5 AKSYON (@News5AKSYON) April 19, 2020

The man, alias "Vikram", was involved in bomb attacks in Jolo Cathedral and on the 1st Brigade Combat Team, News5 quotes Maj. Gen. Corleto Vinluan—Joint Task Force Sulu commander—as saying.

Another member of the Abu Sayyaf in Basilan surrendered on Sunday to the 4th Special Forces Battalion, Army and police officials in the province said Monday.

The bandit, who turned himself in at the headquarters of the 4th SFBn in Cabunbanta in Isabela City in Basilan, also yielded a shoulder-fired grenade launcher and a grenade round.

The simple surrender rite was led by Lt. Col. Alex Ampati of the 4th SFBn and witnessed by local officials.

Members of the inter-agency Basilan provincial peace and order council said Monday there are only between 12 to 15 Abu Sayyaf gunmen remaining now in Basilan. — The STAR/John Unson 

Some Filipinos on a boat from Malaysia that was turned away by municipal officials in Basilan province will be quarantined on an island in the Basilan Strait, the Western Mindanao Command says.

Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, Westmincom chief, says 105 Filipinos were in a fishing boat from Malaysia that sailed into the waters of Maluso town on Tuesday.

Sobejana said the local government only allowed 22 who were identified to be from Basilan to disembark.The 22 will be monitored for possibly COVID-19 symptoms.

He says the boat initially attempted to dock in Jolo, Sulu to unload the returning Filipino migrants but were prevented from doing so due to the fear of COVID-19.

Sobejana said they have created a task group that will look after the returning Filipinos from Malaysia and have identified an island in Basilan Strait near Sulu to be used as temporary quarantine venue for all those fleeing from Malaysia.

"We cannot just push them back because they are also Filipinos and we have to take care of them without losing sight on the possible affectation from the disease if they are contaminated," he says. — The STAR/Roel Pareño 

Zamboanga City has suspended the entry of vessels from Sandakan, Malaysia as a precaution against the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco-Salazar and the health department's Bureau of Quarantine announced the suspension on Saturday.

Salazar also directed law enforcement agencies monitor ships coming into the port city.

"We also call on our neighboring provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi to implement the same stringent measures to secure our borders from the current threat of COVID-19," Salazar says.

Barter traders and business owners in Zamboanga City as well as the island provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi largely depend on trading with Sandakan.

Basilan Gov. Hajimin Saliman-Hataman has directed the province's local government units to adopt all urgent measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 to the island.

All points of entry to Basilan have thermal scanners while the police, military and coast guard will be keeping a close watch on the coastlines.

— The STAR/Roel Pareño

The Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia have agreed to strengthen their intelligence gathering and maritime patrol along their shared maritime borders to prevent kidnappings.

The mutual agreement comes as top security officials from the three countries met Thursday to thresh out security challenges in their operational environment.

The two-day security meeting was attended by Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, commander of Western Mindanao Command, First Admiral Putu Arya Angga from Indonesia, and Brig. Gen. Mahmud Bin Ahmad from Malaysia.

“We recognize that we need to sit down together, to share our respective experiences in addressing these concerns and hope to end this kidnapping of persons in the high seas especially in the tri-borders,” Sobejana says. — The STAR/Roel Pareño

Army rangers clashed with members of the Abu Sayyaf group Tuesday afternoon while looking for six kidnap victims in the jungles of Talipao town, Sulu, according to a security official.

Troops of the 1st Scout Ranger Battalion clashed with 10 followers of Abu Sayyaf subleader Hatib Hajan Sawadajaan in the vicinity of Barangay Liu Bud Pantao about 1:10p.m, Maj. Arvin John Encinas, spokesman of Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom), says.

The firefight continued for 30 minutes before the terrorists retreated. — The STAR/Roel Pareño

The military rescued an Indonesian fisherman in Indanan, Sulu on Wednesday night, the Western Mindanao Command says.

Muhammad Farhan, 27, was the last of three Indonesians who were abducted by the Abu Sayyaf in waters off Sabah last September, Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, commander of the Western Mindanao Command, says.

Farhan's two companions were rescued last December. — The STAR/Roel Pareño

The Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia vow to work together to prevent Islamic State of Iraq and Syria through their waters.

The three countries on Monday launched the 7th maritime security capability training exercise under the three-year-old Trilateral Cooperative Agreement against terrorists.

R. Adm. Erick Kagaoan, commander of Naval Forces Western Mindanao, says the continuous and enhance cooperation among the navies of the three countries have helped track the movements of ISIS fighters near the Philippines' southern "back door".

boosted its capability in tracking down the movement of the foreign ISIS traveling vice versa using the common borders in southern Philippines. -- The STAR/Roel Pareño

The Navy inctercepted a motor launch off Siasi, Sulu on Sunday and seized P150 million in smuggled cigarettes and ammonium nitrate, which can be used to make improvised explosive devices.

R.Adm. Erick Kagaoan, commander of Naval Forces Western Mindanao, says personnel of Naval Task Group Sulu intercepted the wooden-hulled M/L 3 Brothers east of Tara Island off Siasi town.

The vessel and its crew of 10 reportedly came from Malaysia when spotted by BRP Iwak (LC 289) and Multi-Purpose Assault Craft VA 492. — The STAR/Roel Pareño

The Philippine Coast Guard has deployed  its Anti-Terrorism Unit and high-speed boats to the coasts of Zamboanga Peninsula, and Basilan and Sulu Thursday in response to high-profile,kidnappings of foreign nationals.

Commodore Joseph Coyme, commander of PCG Southwestern District, led the deployment in a sendoff ceremony at the Zamboanga International Port of the Coast Guard Anti-Terror Unit

The deployment is a result of the maritime security meeting among the PCG, Navy, and police Maritime Group. — The STAR/Roel Pareño 

The Royal Australian Navy and Philippine Navy on Monday launch a weeklong combined maritime operation exercise in the Sulu seas, officials say.

The RAN, through to its Joint Task Force 629, deployed here its HMAS Ararat which arrived early Monday in time for the joint maritime training with its counterpart from the Naval Forces Western Mindanao.

The HMAS Ararat II, an Armidale Class Patrol Boat, equipped with one 25mm Rafael M242 Bushmaster and two 12.7mm machine guns, highly capable and versatile warships able to conduct a wide variety of missions and tasks such as territorial security, customs, anti-drugs, fishery and marine environment.

The NFWM complemented their counterpart with its two patrol ships deployed by the Naval Task Force 61. — The STAR/Roel Pareño

The Army has released handout photos of Allan Arthur Hyrons and Wilma Paglinawan-Hyrons, the couple abducted by still unidentified gunmen from their resort in Tukuran, Zamboanga del Sur on Friday.

According to reports, two of the abductors had earlier checked into the resort, pretending to be guests.

The military says there have been no reports confirming that the Abu Sayyaf group has demanded ransom for three Indonesian fishermen abducted two weeks ago and reportedly brought in Sulu.

Maj. Arvin John Encinas, spokesman of Zamboanga City-based Western Mindanao Command, says they have not intercepted any information to confirm information from Sabah that the ransom has been demanded.

"It's negative. There is no report or information from the ground to confirm the reports of ransom. It's not even confirmed if the Abu Sayyaf group was behind the abduction," Encinas says.

The three Indonesian fishermen were abducted on September 23 near the waters off Sabah and reportedly brought to Tawi-Tawi by gunmen believed to be members of the Abu Sayyaf group.

"We have been monitoring that but there has been no confirmation, nobody has seen them in the area of the Westmincom," Encinas also says. — The STAR/Roel Pareño

The waters between the Philippines, and Malaysia and Indonesia are prone to abductions and piracy.

The three countries have agreed to jointly patrol these waters and to cooperate to secure the important shipping route that passes through it.

Follow this thread for updates on incidents near the country's porous maritime boundary.