kidnapped, Ces Oreña-Drilon – Page 3

Photo by Brian Gordon Green. Battlefield Cannon Gettysburg National Military Park. Used here for educational, non-commercial purposes, thru the free service by blog-use of image provided by and from www.allposters.com .

This took place early this morning, it’s been reported in two major media organizations, the explosions have been heard in the area, it’s already past tense.

www.gmanews.tv reported that the military fired a dozen or so rounds of cannons towards the jungle of Sulu and that truckloads of soldiers were seen in Jolo town. Mayor Isnaji also spoke of a U.S. spy plane.

The emissary Mayor Isnaji said this could “put the lives of the victims in danger”. He also said that the captors were alarmed by a U.S. spy plane flying over Sulu since Saturday.

The news report said “Howitzer cannons”. I don’t know if these were the same Howitzers used by the Marines last year in Basilan when a dozen Marines looked for Father Bossi. There was an investigation (remember that?) of the incident and of the weapons used. I was going to write here the range (distance) and how the ammunition exploded but you can look it up yourself, i don’t want to say anything at this point, i’m sure the military is using “tried and tested methods” (whatever i say now is useless, yesterday this blog second-guessed the crisis committee, uselessly i guess, when the blog post pointed out a small, unnoticed paragraph in Manila Times saying there were “U.S. unmanned aerial vehicles” (see post below); well, actually, i didn’t second-guess, i went ballistic that the crisis committee didn’t seem to be managing the … i’ll just stop right here. Here’s the update: news report from www.gmanews.tv . The shelling was ordered by Malacañang, according to the news reports. I’m done, there is no crisis committee; it’s just the AFP top brass and Manila-based Malacañang people making recommendations and Malacañang issuing the orders using the usual. Here’s the news report:)

Quote “Philippine security forces fired about a dozen rounds of cannons toward the hinterlands of Sulu island as truckloads of soldiers were spotted at dawn Sunday leaving a military base in Jolo town.

Quote “It was not yet known if the attacks targeted Abu Sayyaf members holding three people hostage or another faction of the militant group who reportedly has links to both the al-Qaeda and Jemaah Islamiya, blamed for the spate of terrorism in southern Philippines.

Quote “The sounds of the loud explosions from Howitzer cannons reverberated in Jolo, Patikul, and Indanan towns. The firing began at around 3 a.m.

Quote “It was unknown if the early morning assault was a prelude to the rescue of the hostages. Later in the day, more soldiers arrived in Sulu on board the Philippine Navy ship BRP Bacolod City. XXXX

Quote “He (Mayor Isnaji Alvarez) also said the military’s firing of cannons could (sic, the newspaper’s) “is putting the lives of the victims in danger.”

Quote “Isnaji said the kidnappers were also alarmed by a US spy plane flying over Sulu since Saturday. “They are alarmed by this spy plane which is probably on a reconnaissance mission,” he said. “ closed-quote.

Photo by Jack Fellows. Too Close for Comfort. Used here for educational, non-commercial purposes, thru the free service by blog-use of image provided by and from www.allposters.com .

This came out in thousands of copies in a broadsheet. It’s too late. Let’s hope it can be prevented from happening again. We all know what a drone is — an unmanned aircraft guided by remote control; we all know that the U.S. military uses drones to take aerial photos in war-torn areas; we all know that there are American soldiers in Mindanao apparently not conducting drills but actual operations; there are plenty of days to discuss all the criminal provisions violated by the captors of Ces Oreña-Drilon and her team, the Revised Penal Code, special laws, books, volumes, a library, truckload; plenty of days to discuss treaties and constitutional provisions violated by foreign military operations without treaties; plenty of days for that, those can wait; until the ABS-CBN news team and the prof are safe back home. To the Crisis Management Committee: Does it have to be spelled it out? I know that you cannot vet the media but you can at least hold twice a day briefings in order to contextualize all pieces of information that are coming out and to anticipate disinformation.

This is the kind of information, whether true or not, whether verified or not, that would cause communication lines to be cut off. While ARMM Police Supt. Goltiao had denied in a morning interview with Vice President Noli de Castro over DZMM that communication lines had been cut off; “emissary” Sulu Mayor Isnaji Alvarez had earlier “disclosed” (see broadsheets) that he had not been able to contact the cellphones, do you wonder now why?

Cellphones.

A Manila Times correspondent reported (it’s too late now, it’s been published in thousands of copies, this small blog is so puny that i can quote it):

Quote “Although the Abu Sayyaf cut off the communication lines, the US military continued to assist local authorities in tracking down the hostages and their captors. American soldiers helping Filipino security forces fight terrorism were said to be using electronic surveillance and unmanned aerial vehicles to trace the location of the hostages.” Closed-quote.

In the first place, if true, all troop movements, if any, should be under the command of the crisis committee. In the second place, all information on troop movements, if any, should be under the control of the crisis committee. In the third place, the crisis committee should anticipate all kinds of information or disinformation going around.

(i know…our friends in the media will say that there is some good to reporting it because at least the crisis committee would know what it doesn’t know; i just hope we are conscious of the possible cost.)

And to the correspondent/ reporter: PLEASE PO, KAPAG TROOP MOVEMENTS AT SURVEILLANCE, AT MAY HOSTAGES, MAG-IINGAT TAYO SA PAGRI-REPORT, KAHIT SA ESKWELAHAN TINUTURO YAN, DIYOS KO. BAKA PWEDENG I-EMBARGO MUNA NATIN NG ILANG ARAW, KAHIT ILANG ARAW LANG, LALO NA KUNG HINDI FIRST-HAND, YUNG MGA GANUONG IMPORMASYON AT I-REPORT NATIN KAPAG LIGTAS NA PARA MAIMBESTIGA NANG MABUTI. (ayan na, naiinis na naman ako, sorry po, i should probably be more detached and ignore all these, there’s nothing i can do.)

(i have plenty of days to discuss the criminal provisions, the constitutional provisions violated; i know, we should document all these and not forget to investigate, after the news team is safe back home ).

Ang kulit ko: To the crisis committee: all troop movements in the area while the crisis is on-going should be under your command. All kinds of disinformation should be anticipated.