MILF confirms involvement in Basilan clashes, Military: Encounters prove collusion with Abu

 
By Jeoffrey Maitem, Julie Alipala
Mindanao Bureau
Last updated 01:28pm (Mla time) 09/27/2007
 
COTABATO CITY, Philippines — The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has admitted the involvement of its forces in clashes in Basilan province Tuesday that claimed the lives of at least two soldiers.
The military said 10 MILF rebels were also killed in the clashes, the first [...]

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2 quakes rock Mindanao areas

 
By Jeoffrey Maitem
Mindanao Bureau
Last updated 11:18am (Mla time) 09/18/2007
 
KORONADAL CITY, Philippines — Two tremors jolted several areas of Mindanao on Monday night and early morning Tuesday but no damages were reported, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).
Reports from Phivolcs said that the first quake, which had a magnitude of 5.4 hit [...]

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Australia seeks more direct role in Mindanao peace talks

 
By Jeoffrey Maitem
Mindanao Bureau
Last updated 06:20pm (Mla time) 09/20/2007
 
COTABATO CITY, Philippines — Australia has expressed interest in playing a more direct role in the peace process between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), a rebel official said Thursday.
Australia has been providing support to development projects in war-torn areas in the Autonomous Region [...]

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Army exec ‘bans’ Inquirer correspondent

 
By Edwin Fernandez, Jeoffrey Maitem, Dennis Santos
Inquirer, INQUIRER.net
Last updated 11:44pm (Mla time) 09/21/2007
 
DAVAO CITY, Philippines — A local military commander has allegedly banned correspondent Julie Alipala of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, parent company of INQUIRER.net, from covering military activities in Basilan.
Brigadier Genera Juancho Sabban, commander of Task Force Thunder, was quoted by some of his [...]

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ARMM to get bulk of $190-M US grant

 
By Edwin Fernandez, Jeoffrey Maitem
Inquirer
Last updated 02:34am (Mla time) 09/22/2007
 
COTABATO CITY—The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) will receive most of the $190 million peace and development assistance pledged by the US government, a ranking US Embassy official said.
“What is interesting about this is that it was a grant, it’s not a loan, it’s a [...]

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Malaysian execs hopeful of Mindanao peace agreement this yr

 
By Charlie Sease, Jeoffrey Maitem
Mindanao Bureau
Last updated 04:18pm (Mla time) 09/22/2007
 
COTABATO CITY, Philippines–Two Malaysian officials, including the new head of the International Monitoring Team (IMT), predicted on Saturday that a final ceasefire agreement could be signed between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front this year.
Malaysian Army Brig. Gen. Yasin bin Mat Daud formally [...]

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Military blames Moro rebs for attacking peace monitors

By Jeoffrey Maitem
Mindanao Bureau
Last updated 08:53pm (Mla time) 09/23/2007
 
CAMP SIONGCO, Shariff Kabunsuan – Moro rebels ambushed a convoy of International Peace Monitors (IMT) and military on Sunday in remote village of Datu Saudi town in Maguindanao, a military official said.
The IMT, composed of representatives from Malaysia, Indonesia, Libya and Brunei, is tasked to monitor the [...]

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Local investments overtake foreign investments in Mindanao

 
By Edwin Fernandez, Jeoffrey Maitem
Mindanao Bureau
Last updated 12:03pm (Mla time) 09/25/2007
 
COTABATO CITY, Philippines — Mindanao posted a record 133 percent increase in domestic investments during the first half of the year due to the robust inflow of local funds, the Mindanao Economic Development Council (Medco) said Tuesday.
Undersecretary Virgilio Leyretana, Medco chair, said on Monday that [...]

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Land feud seen cause of clash with MILF men

 
By Charlie Sease, Jeoffrey Maitem
Mindanao Bureau
Last updated 01:25am (Mla time) 09/25/2007
 
COTABATO CITY–A land dispute involving members of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Maguindanao was the culprit behind clashes with Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) guerrillas on Sunday, a rebel official said yesterday.
Von Al Haq, chair of the MILF ceasefire team, [...]

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Grand Mufti asks Filipino Muslims to shun violence

 
By Jeoffrey Maitem
Mindanao Bureau
Last updated 02:00pm (Mla time) 09/25/2007
 
COTABATO CITY, Philippines — A prominent Muslim religious leader in the country has issued a call to the entire Muslim community to unite and shun away all forms of violence.
Sheik Omar Pasigan, the Grand Mufti (guardian of the Islamic House of Opinion) of Mindanao, said in his [...]

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