June 1, 2007:
MILF rebels in the south quickly found the men responsible for
kidnapping four people yesterday, and forced them to release their captives
unharmed. The kidnappers turned out to
be some MILF men freelancing, against the orders of their commander. This sort
of thing is common in the south, and a constant problem for MILF commanders.
May 31, 2007:
Australia and the Philippines signed a security treaty that enables the
two countries to work more effectively in fighting terrorism. In the
Philippines, kidnappers grabbed two German tourists and two Filipinos in the
south.
May 29, 2007:
Australia has donated 28 aluminum patrol boats to the Philippines army.
The boats can move as fast as 70 kilometers an hour, and will be used for river
and coastal patrols. Australia will also be providing over $3 million worth of
training services, by Australian troops, in the Philippines.
May 28, 2007:
Most of the 20,000 soldiers, sent to guard election rallies and polling
places against violence the past few weeks, are now moving back to operations
against NPA communist rebels.
May 27, 2007:
For the third time in two years, China has donated equipment to the
Philippines army. This time it is $1.2 million worth of construction equipment
(bulldozers and graders). In the south, police caught two senior NPA rebel
officials.
May 26, 2007:
Some 2.500 troops were diverted from operations against Moslem and
communist rebels, to guard voting facilities in 13 towns, where special
elections had to be had because last weeks efforts were cancelled because of
violence or threats of violence.