Today is still Wednesday, Janurary 7th, 2009 and it is 1:50 PM here in the Philippines.
So, RSM and its military wing, KTA is all about done or so it seems.
ASG however is not only still functioning, it now has dozens of factions and is gaining strength as well as increasing its scope of operations. On 12/30th in Barangay Santa Catalina, a Bisaya village, in Zamboanga City, 2 ASG men tried to kidnap an 8 year old girl but were scared off by gunwielding Bisaya paramilitary soldiers.
This is a disturbing trend actually with ASG seeming to kidnap young girls almost weekly here.
The same day, 12/30, a 4 year old girl was snatched by ASG in Sinulatan village on Basilan but was released the same evening when the militants realised that they had kidnapped a girl related to a powerful Muslim clan on the island. They cannot afford to alienate their base of operations although they amazingly do just that by their heinous actions.
One of the first rules in guerilla warfare is to have a wide base of support and to never shit where you sleep. Even housecats are smarter than these dummies!
The next day, 12/31, New Year's Eve, in Tuburan village on Basilan ASG released a 9 year old girl they had kidnapped back in the beginning of November after her family paid a 200,000 Pesos ransom (about 4,000 US which is an actual fortune, takes a couple of lifetimes to earn for most here). I do not want to even think about the very real fact that child mariage is not only allowed but often supported among Islamic groups in the Philippines (and around the world. On Basilan 14 year olds are literally considered old maids.
Basilan is home to 3 ASG factions who operate pretty much independantly of one another. This is why none of them really make any progress as far as their stated military objectives.
The 3 on ASG factions on Basilan are: I) "Ampul" led by Mauran Ampul AKA Abu Mauran
II) "Apting," led by Abu Apting,
and
III) "Hapilon" led by Sahiron Hapilon, one of the oldest surviving members of ASG.
Then you have Zamboanga which is expanding, with 4 factions currently: I) "Danggatil," led by Moto "Mata" Danggatil
II) "Isnilon," led by Abu Insilon
III) "Jainuddin" led by Nadjalin Jainnudin.
IV) "Janjalani" led by yet another brother of the founder, Hector Janjalani who goes by the nom de guerre Abu Abral.
There is 1 other on Basilan and 2 more on Zamboanga but they have not been active for 3 or 4 months now and their true status is unknown.
The other faction from Basilan is "Kaw- Jaljialis" led by Kalaw Jaljialis who goes by the moniker "Boy Grandda."
The 2 from Zamboanga are: I) "Salagin" led by Abu Salagin and II) "Masiraji - Sali" led by Hamsiraji Sali.
On Jolo and Sulu there are 16 and I really do not think that people reading this will be too concerned, so I will only mention the top 3 there: I) "Badja" led by Datu Panglima Badja.
II) "Hadji (sic) al Radzip" led by a man of the same name who also uses the moniker "Abu Rayhan."
and
III) Sa'abdula" led by Nadzmi Sa'abdulla who is also known as "Kummander Global."
Of the ones in Sulu and Jolo, on 12/31, in Barangay Umangay in Patikul village, just before midnite on New Years, 4 children and 1 adult were severely injured when ASG fired an M79 rifle grenade at them on the road out of the village.
That same night, another M79 was fired into a building on ther huge military base on the east side of the island, where a party for Marines' familes was being held. This happened at around the same time as the Patikul viallage attack ,despite ultra heavy perimiters around all base compounds and with more than 6,000 Marines on duty on that one base. Amazing. Several women and children, not to mention military personel were severely injured. the military does not willingly divulge casualties so some might have died on that second attack.
In addtion to ASG, JI, MILF and clan warfare/family feuds there is also the added danger of rogue MNLF units. The MNLF signed a Peace Agreement with the govt. in 1996 and yet some remain unsatisfied and over the past few months more and more MNLF companies have been taking to the hills. there were originally 2 renegade factions, the MNLF-RM (MNLF Reform Movement) and MNLF-Misuari which is the strongest group today in 2009 , dedicated to the first chairman of the MNLF Nur Misuari.
It actually started on the western half of Jolo, with an MNLF commander known as "Kummander Malik" who is in the Misuari Faction, when he first engaged Philippine Marines and their US handlers on 11/2006 and it has snowballed since then.
The MNLF is actually the oldest of the Muslim geurilla forces, founded in 1968 in response to the "Jabidah Massaccare."
The island of Borneo has a very close relationship to many Philippine ethncitieis. It is the home of the Visayans (Bisaya), my wife's tribe (ethnicity now since tribal structure was oblierated by Spaniards), as well as the Sabah Bisaya which is the original Bisaya Tribe, which now has a different language and is 90% Muslim leaving them all but unrecognisable to one another. Imperialism is great, yes?. It is more recently the historical home to most Philippine Muslims like the Tausag, Sama, and other Islamicised tribes.
While the Philippines were conquered and ruled by Spain, the Indonesian islands, including most of Borneo, were ruled by the Dutch but the Portugese AND the British also had their hands in the pie there. Borneo is divided into 4 main areas: Sabah, Sarawak, Brunei (an independant nation) and Kalimantan AKA Borneo Proper.
Sabah was tradtionally part of the Sulu Sultunate which included Jolo, and was ruled by a Muslim that would be called Filipino today. The British basically stole it, worked out one of their Hong Kong perpetual lease deals, but when Malaysia won independance in 1963 (if I am remembering the date), Sabah reverted to the new Malaysian nation by default although not at all legally in any sense of the word, OR morally.
I will have to continue in a following post but I promise to not get it too stuffy...
So, RSM and its military wing, KTA is all about done or so it seems.
ASG however is not only still functioning, it now has dozens of factions and is gaining strength as well as increasing its scope of operations. On 12/30th in Barangay Santa Catalina, a Bisaya village, in Zamboanga City, 2 ASG men tried to kidnap an 8 year old girl but were scared off by gunwielding Bisaya paramilitary soldiers.
This is a disturbing trend actually with ASG seeming to kidnap young girls almost weekly here.
The same day, 12/30, a 4 year old girl was snatched by ASG in Sinulatan village on Basilan but was released the same evening when the militants realised that they had kidnapped a girl related to a powerful Muslim clan on the island. They cannot afford to alienate their base of operations although they amazingly do just that by their heinous actions.
One of the first rules in guerilla warfare is to have a wide base of support and to never shit where you sleep. Even housecats are smarter than these dummies!
The next day, 12/31, New Year's Eve, in Tuburan village on Basilan ASG released a 9 year old girl they had kidnapped back in the beginning of November after her family paid a 200,000 Pesos ransom (about 4,000 US which is an actual fortune, takes a couple of lifetimes to earn for most here). I do not want to even think about the very real fact that child mariage is not only allowed but often supported among Islamic groups in the Philippines (and around the world. On Basilan 14 year olds are literally considered old maids.
Basilan is home to 3 ASG factions who operate pretty much independantly of one another. This is why none of them really make any progress as far as their stated military objectives.
The 3 on ASG factions on Basilan are: I) "Ampul" led by Mauran Ampul AKA Abu Mauran
II) "Apting," led by Abu Apting,
and
III) "Hapilon" led by Sahiron Hapilon, one of the oldest surviving members of ASG.
Then you have Zamboanga which is expanding, with 4 factions currently: I) "Danggatil," led by Moto "Mata" Danggatil
II) "Isnilon," led by Abu Insilon
III) "Jainuddin" led by Nadjalin Jainnudin.
IV) "Janjalani" led by yet another brother of the founder, Hector Janjalani who goes by the nom de guerre Abu Abral.
There is 1 other on Basilan and 2 more on Zamboanga but they have not been active for 3 or 4 months now and their true status is unknown.
The other faction from Basilan is "Kaw- Jaljialis" led by Kalaw Jaljialis who goes by the moniker "Boy Grandda."
The 2 from Zamboanga are: I) "Salagin" led by Abu Salagin and II) "Masiraji - Sali" led by Hamsiraji Sali.
On Jolo and Sulu there are 16 and I really do not think that people reading this will be too concerned, so I will only mention the top 3 there: I) "Badja" led by Datu Panglima Badja.
II) "Hadji (sic) al Radzip" led by a man of the same name who also uses the moniker "Abu Rayhan."
and
III) Sa'abdula" led by Nadzmi Sa'abdulla who is also known as "Kummander Global."
Of the ones in Sulu and Jolo, on 12/31, in Barangay Umangay in Patikul village, just before midnite on New Years, 4 children and 1 adult were severely injured when ASG fired an M79 rifle grenade at them on the road out of the village.
That same night, another M79 was fired into a building on ther huge military base on the east side of the island, where a party for Marines' familes was being held. This happened at around the same time as the Patikul viallage attack ,despite ultra heavy perimiters around all base compounds and with more than 6,000 Marines on duty on that one base. Amazing. Several women and children, not to mention military personel were severely injured. the military does not willingly divulge casualties so some might have died on that second attack.
In addtion to ASG, JI, MILF and clan warfare/family feuds there is also the added danger of rogue MNLF units. The MNLF signed a Peace Agreement with the govt. in 1996 and yet some remain unsatisfied and over the past few months more and more MNLF companies have been taking to the hills. there were originally 2 renegade factions, the MNLF-RM (MNLF Reform Movement) and MNLF-Misuari which is the strongest group today in 2009 , dedicated to the first chairman of the MNLF Nur Misuari.
It actually started on the western half of Jolo, with an MNLF commander known as "Kummander Malik" who is in the Misuari Faction, when he first engaged Philippine Marines and their US handlers on 11/2006 and it has snowballed since then.
The MNLF is actually the oldest of the Muslim geurilla forces, founded in 1968 in response to the "Jabidah Massaccare."
The island of Borneo has a very close relationship to many Philippine ethncitieis. It is the home of the Visayans (Bisaya), my wife's tribe (ethnicity now since tribal structure was oblierated by Spaniards), as well as the Sabah Bisaya which is the original Bisaya Tribe, which now has a different language and is 90% Muslim leaving them all but unrecognisable to one another. Imperialism is great, yes?. It is more recently the historical home to most Philippine Muslims like the Tausag, Sama, and other Islamicised tribes.
While the Philippines were conquered and ruled by Spain, the Indonesian islands, including most of Borneo, were ruled by the Dutch but the Portugese AND the British also had their hands in the pie there. Borneo is divided into 4 main areas: Sabah, Sarawak, Brunei (an independant nation) and Kalimantan AKA Borneo Proper.
Sabah was tradtionally part of the Sulu Sultunate which included Jolo, and was ruled by a Muslim that would be called Filipino today. The British basically stole it, worked out one of their Hong Kong perpetual lease deals, but when Malaysia won independance in 1963 (if I am remembering the date), Sabah reverted to the new Malaysian nation by default although not at all legally in any sense of the word, OR morally.
I will have to continue in a following post but I promise to not get it too stuffy...