Marines foil Abu attack

The Philippine Star, Thursday, 25 February 2010

By: Roel Pareño with Alexis Romero

ZAMBOANGA CITY- Followers of slain Abu Sayyaf
leader Albader Parad attacked on Tuesday night a
Marine detachment at the boundary of Indanan
and Maimbung towns in Sulu, the military said.

However, the Marines thwarted the attack,
which was apparently in retaliation for the
death of Parad and five of his followers during a
special operation last Sunday.

Among those killed was Abdulhaman Jumdail,
brother of Abu Sayyaf leader Umbra Jumdail
alias Dr. Abu Pula. A Marine, S/Sgt. Eliseo Salo,
was killed and three others were wounded
in the surgical military strike.

"No casualty was reported from our side as our
forces have been alerted and have anticipated
the possible retaliatory attack," said Brig. Gen.
Rustico Guerrero, chief of the anti-terror Task Force
Comet.

However, following Tuesday night's incident
the Marines have further beefed up their security
measures to foil more direct attacks by Abu Sayyaf
bandits.

Guerrero said they are now focusing on the group
of Jumdail as they now consider Parad's group as a
spent force.

He disclosed that in last Sunday's offensive Jumdail's
group was just near the hideout of Parad's forces on Mt.
Tukay in Indanan town.

Jumdail's men, he said, tried to reinforce Parad's
group but were prevented as government troops had
positioned themselves along all possible routes.

The Armed Forces' Western Mindanao Command clarified
that Parad was carrying a bounty of $1 million, not
$80,000.

Meanwhile, Salo was given a hero's welcome at
the Marine headquarters in Taguig City yesterday.

Salo's body was flown from Zamboanga City to
Manila to allow the Marine Corps to pay their last
respects to their fallen comrade.

Navy spokesman Lt. Col. Edgard Arevalo said more
than a hundred sailors and Marine personnel led by
Vice Admiral Ferdinand Golez and Marine Corps
commandant Maj. Gen.Juancho Sabban attended
the ceremony.

"Vice Admiral Ferdinand Golez condoles with the
family of Staff Sergeant Salo. He vows the Navy 'will
sustain its Fleet-Marine operations to rid the
island-province of bandit and terror groups,"
Arevalo said.

Arevalo said Salo will be posthumously promoted
to technical sergeant and will receive a wounded
personnel medal, which is given to soldiers who
sustained injuries during actual combat.

Salo's family will also receive P250,000 in
financial assistance from President Arroyo and PI5,OOO
in burial assistance.

"His (Salo) family will benefit from his pension.
His contributions to all savings and loan associations
will also be refunded," Arevalo said in a telephone
interview.

Arevalo said Salo's body will be
flown to Cagayan Valley, where he will
be buried.

Militar, umani ng papuri mula sa Kongreso

Saksi sa Balita, Tuesday, 23 February 2010

Pinapurihan ng mga mambabatas ang militar sa
pagkakapatay nito sa matataas na lider ng bandidong
Abu Sayyaf kabilang na si Al Bader Parad sa
isang engkwentro sa lalawigan ng Sulu.

Ayon kina Senate Defense Committee Chairman
Rodolfo Biazon at Senate Minority Leader Aquilino
Pimentel Jr., malaking accomplishments ito ng
militar dahil tuluyang napilayan ang bandidong grupo.

"I think that with this the military or the AFP
and probably even the police must exploit this gain.
This is a big gain for military in its campaign
against the terrorist," ayon kay Biazon.

Pero ayon kay Pimentel, dapat tiyakin ng militar
na hindi na makakaporma pa ang grupo dahil maaaring
agad na papalitan ang namatay na lider ng ASG.

Iginiit naman ni Biazon na ngayon na ang tamang
panahon na magsagawa ng hot pursuit operation
laban sa mga bandido dahil maliban sa kapos na
sa supply ng bala ang grupo, maituturing na mahina
na ang kanilang pwersa matapos malagasan ng pinuno.

"The conduct of a pursuit operation I think is
timely because right now there are reports that
the Abu Sayyaf is short in ammunition simply
because the cost of ammunition nowadays have
jumped to probably even beyond the reach of the
Abu Sayyaf already," dagdag pa ni Biazon.

Tumigbak kay Parad pinarangalan

Taliba, Tuesday, 23 February 2010

By: Bobby C. Ticzon

Binigyan ng medalya ang tatlong miyembro ng
Philippine Marines (PM) na kabilang sa tumapos
sa kilabot na buhay ni Abu Sayyaf Group
commander Albader Parad.

Iginawad nina Philippine Marines Corps Commandant
Maj Gen. Juancho Sabban at Western Mindanao Command
(Wesmincom) chief Lt. Gen. Ben Dolorfino sa Camp
Navarro General Hospital sa Zamboanga ang tinaguriang
'wounded personnel medals' kina Private First Class (PFC)
Joselito Carreon, Corporal Anthony Carmona, at
Corporal Marcelino Landicho. Karamihan sa
kanila ay nagtamo ng bullet shrapnels sa
iba't ibang parte ng katawan.

Inilarawan ni Sabban ang operasyon sa Sitio Tukay,
Barangay Karawan, Maimbung, Sulu na perpekto
matapos ang Marine Battalion Landing Team-4
(MBLT-4)ay napatay si Albader Parad
at limang iba pa na miyembro ng Abu Sayyaf.

Gayunman,ikinalungkot naman ni Sabban, ang
pagkamatay ng isa sa mga sundalo sa naturang
operasyon na aniya ay nagbunga dahil sa
kanilang pinalakas na operasyon at opensiba.

Sinabi ni Dolorfino na si Parad ay may
patong na pabuya sa ulo na $l milyong dolyares
at P7 milyong dahil sa pagdukot sa kanyang mga
biktima kabilang ang tatlong humanitarian
workers ng International Committee of the
Red Cross (ICRC).

35 Navy officials promoted

The Philippine Star, Tuesday, 23 February 2010

By: Alexis Romero

The Philippine Navy promoted 35 of its officials
yesterday.

In a statement, the Navy said the 35 officials
were given their rank insignias during
the Monday morning colors at the Philippine
Navy Headquarters in Manila.

Promoted to the rank of Navy captain were
Commanders Rommel Jude Ong, Rey de la Cruz, Erick
Kagaoan, Loumer Bernabe, Rosauro Sarmiento,
Noel de Vera, Rommel Jayson Galang, Adeluis
Bordado, Joseph Melvin Guevarra, Alberto Cruz, Ramil
Roberto Enriquez, Opiniano Jayme Jr.,
Restituto Bilbao Jr., Rigoberto Banta,
Francisco Gabudao, Socimo de Guzman Jr.,
Reginald Rapanan, Alberto Carlos, Nichols Driz,
Elpidio Francisco, Cesar Martinez, Rufino Arias Jr.,
Ruel Saonoy, Renato Yongque, and Carlito Barizo.

Bestowed the rank of colonel were Lt. Cols.
Elmer Estilles, Martin Villas, Nathaniel Casem,
Eugne Erwin Martinez,Fernando Gomez, Ferdinand
Fraginal,Raul Jesus Caldez, Ariel Caculitan,
Jeson Cabatbat and Jose Cabanban.

The Navy said President Arroyo approved the
interim appointment on Feb. 6.

Chief of Naval Staff Rear Admiral Feliciano
Angue,who led the giving of the rank
insignias, called on thenewly-promoted
officials to be focused and vigorous in performing
their responsibilities as senior officers.