Major encounter

Five soldiers died while 24 were wounded in a five-hour heavy gunfight between the Armed Forces and 300 al Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf insurgents in Talipao, Sulu.

The government side had only 76 ground troops with attack helicopters support when they cornered the bandits. More than 10 Abu Sayyaf fighters were killed, including 2 commanders. Five civilians were killed.

Western Mindanao Command (Wesmincom) spokesperson, Captain Rowena Muyuela, said the troops clashed with the combined forces of Abu Sayyaf led by sub-commanders Radullah Sahiron, Hatib Sawadjaan, Juilie Ekit, and Hairula Asbang. The bandits were seen with two European hostages, Edwin Horn and Lorenzo Vinciguerra.

The brigades have been deployed to Sulu, in compliance to President Aquino’s directive, to augment government forces to defeat the terrorists.

The military has intensified pursuit operations against the group after it ransomed off two German hostages in October, which the bandits had received $5.7 million for the pair; and after the rebels ambushed the government troops in Basilan last November, killing six soldiers who were given “Gold Cross” medals for conspicuous courage fighting for the country.

The ASG has been funding its activities by getting ransom money in exchange for kidnapped hostages.

Meanwhile, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) gunmen attacked two civilian volunteer organizations (CVO) bases in Pikit, North Cotabato. None of the militiamen were injured but three civilians, couple Raul and Rosalinda Sahid and their 5-year-old grandson were wounded.

The attack followed the deaths of a farmer, Kinto Kalidasan, and an elementary school student, Ella Akmad in Barangay Kabasalan during a military mortar strike against the BIFF.

The fighting in Pikit has driven thousands of civilians from their homes and into evacuation centers.

One killed, 16 persons were wounded when an improvised explosive device (IED) went off at a pedestrian overpass in front of Kabacan Pilot Elementary School. A post-blast investigation to identify the perpetrators and the motive behind the incident is underway.

Malaria, not Ebola

After two confirmatory tests at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM), the Department of Health (DOH), through acting Health Secretary Janette Garin, announced that the Filipino peacekeeper from Liberia was suffering from Malaria, not Ebola.

Garin said that the soldiers testified positive for Plasmodium  falciparum, a parasite that causes malaria, which had caused the patient’s fever and chills.

 “The Philippines is still Ebola-free. Our patient is negative for Ebola,” Garin said.

She also said the soldier will be at the RITM whose expertise is curing malaria; and will be quarantined for a week before he is sent back to Caballo Island.

RITM chief, Dr. Socorro Lupisan, confirmed that 2 tests were conducted on the soldier peacekeeper. He said there is no need to conduct another examination because the result is not equivocal.

One of the tests was polymerase chain reaction (PCR) that will determine if the virus had the genetic makeup of Ebola,” Lupisan said.

Prostitution in Tacloban

Impoverished women survivors in Yolanda-stricken areas have turned to prostitution to earn money to buy food.

Illegal recruiters have also been active in Leyte and Samar. Six minors from Leyte were rescued from a bar in Angeles City, Pampanga.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) must continue to provide food packs to Yolanda survivors, especially in Tacloban to help poor women with children avoid the temptation to be prostitutes.

Widespread corruption

Raul Desembrana, an assistant city prosecutor in Quezon City (QC), was arrested in an entrapment operation for alleged extortion by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

Desembrana had demanded P80,000 from Dr. Alex Montes in exchange for the dismissal of a complaint for unjust vexation filed by a retired military chaplain. 

Claro Arellano, chief of the Department of Justice National Prosecution Service (NPS), condemned the ingrained corruption among the ranks of the prosecution service.

“Our role as prosecutors, first and foremost, is that justice should be afforded to everyone. All prosecutors are reminded to maintain utmost fidelity to their sworn duty and to uphold personal integrity at all times,” Arellano said. He said the arrest of Desembrana should serve as a warning to other prosecutors.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima had said that she would not mind authorizing entrapment operations on a regular basis even at the risk of causing occasional embarrassment to them as an institution just to get rid of misfits and scawalags.

Also ongoing is an investigation of corruption in the Department of Health (DOH).

Four officers of the Manila Police District (MPD) were allegedly caught in possession of 5 kilos of marijuana, which were marked as evidence that should have been presented in court, inside their lockers. The District Anti-Illegal Drugs Unit filed a violation of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 against Senior Inspector Titoy Jay Cuden, PO2 Dennis Reyes, PO2 Arnel Villanueva and PO1 Archie Bernabe.

Several cases of smuggling have been filed by the Bureau of Customs (BOC) before the Department of Justice (DOJ), involving Customs personnel and brokers.

Tidbits

The Ebola death toll has reached 5,177.

Dr. Martin Salia, a United States surgeon who contracted Ebola in Sierra Leone, has been airlifted to Nebraska Medical Center.

Five vehicles were involved in a smashup at the Southern Tagalog Arterial Road (STAR) tollway in Batangas. Eighteeen passengers were hurt.

Navotas Mayor Rey Tiangco announced the opening of the first public and locally-funded Navotas City Hospital in January.

Three dead, 5 hurt in a 2-car collision at C-5 flyover in Pasig City.