There is no intent to cause undue alarm but events are taking place in the Philippines’ deep South and they cannot be ignored, must less covered by any news black out or, in journalistic parlance, any story embargo given that they involve more than property damage but human lives. including that of civilian ‘non-combatants’.
Coming on the heels of the still unresolved (and just hours old) reported abduction in Sulu of television report and news anchor Ces Drilon (ABS-CBN, Drilon’s mother netwoork is officially saying only that Ces and her two-man news crew are “missing.”) is this story from the Associated Press:
“Navy helicopter in aid mission apparently shot at
The Associated Press
Monday, June 9, 2008; 12:12 PM
WASHINGTON — A U.S. helicopter on a humanitarian mission in the Philippines apparently was shot at, prompting the Navy to temporally halt the mission, a defense official said Monday.
An MH-60 helicopter operating from USNS Mercy hospital ship had gone to pick up 11 passengers about 50 miles inland, and two bullet holes were found when the aircraft returned to the ship with the passengers.
“The holes appear to be an entry and exit point from a single bullet,” said Cmdr. Jeff A. Davis, a Navy spokesman.
It is unclear if the bullet struck while the passengers were on the helicopter, he said. There were no injuries and the aircraft’s commander was unaware of any bullet striking the aircraft during the flight, Davis said.
The Mercy is anchored in Cotabatu ( correction, Cotabato City), conducting Pacific Partnership 08, a humanitarian civic assistance mission between nations _ and with non-governmental organizations _ to provide medical, dental, construction and other services ashore and afloat.
“The USNS Mercy mission commander has ceased all Mercy Pacific Partnership activities until a proper assessment can be made,” Davis said in an e-mail.”
Wthout comment, we should here that the for mayor of Cotabato is Muslemen Sema, currently chairman of the Moro National Liberation Front.
These two incidents aside, over the past month, several high voltage poer transmission towers were felled by bombers in Lanao Norte and Sure. while a bomb, possibly triggered using a mobile phone, exploded just outside the Andrews military air base in Zamboanga city, killing three and injuring 23 other including four personnel working for a USAID-funded project.
It remains unclear who are behind the bomb attacks, but authorities have variously blamed either the MNLF, MILF, or rogue/break-away elements.
In the meantime, public fears simmer.
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