Reports of mass killings and targeted assassinations continue to rise in these wonderful but dangerous islands I call home... The reports continue to raise concerns because of the spiraling level of violence.

Over this weekend since Friday a half dozen have been shot in targeted killings or hits. On Friday until Sunday on all sides... the number of these strange killings has hit seven.

The attacks: normally involve small targeted hit teams of three or four and quick rapid assassination a shout of the organizations name then the killers disappear into the woodwork or streets from whence they came often on motorcycles. One group on the left a moderate leftist organization Bayan Muna has had 95 of its members killed.

But since January- the spiraling killings continue in one report I saw a tally figure of 71 'government workers or employees people in the service of Government' all victims of targeted assassinations by 'hit squads'.

On the other militant sector side the figures range from 97 to 600 depending on whose figures one views - the 600 figure covers a period from 2001 while the 97 figure is from January.

REPORTS: Mass graves claimed, debunked, clarified, and, denounced

[]... THE military has unearthed more atrocities committed by New People’s Army rebels in the countryside, the latest of which were the mass execution of rebels and civilians alike, the recruitment of child warriors and the abduction and rape of a teenager by a rebel commander.....[] Indy Media.be

[]... During a press conference held in Bukidnon, Zubiri said Gonzales is "peddling lies in the national media" concerning the presence of the graves, which supposedly contain the remains of suspected informers of the military killed by New People's Army (NPA) rebels....[] Sun Star

[].... SO WHERE are the mass graves? An Army commander yesterday said there were no mass graves in Bukidnon province as earlier claimed by National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales. “We did not use mass graves or killing fields to describe Bukidnon (in the report) but we stand by our statement that there were 21 documented killings over a period of five years,” stressed Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin Madrigal, commander of the 26th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army’s 4th Infantry Division. ....[] INQ7.net

An example of victims from the last 24 hours - a policeman in Jolo shot and killed by members of the ASG it is claimed and a leftist leader - former rebel killed in another part of the country both families are grieving - both men are Filipino-- both are victims of assassins.

[]... Ex-Red leader gunned down
First posted 11:12am (Mla time) May 29, 2006
TABACO CITY -- (2nd UPDATE) A former communist insurgent leader was shot dead by two motorcycle-borne gunmen in in Barangay Tagas here at 8:30 Monday morning, a police official said.
FULL STORY ...[] Inq7.net

[].... Cop killed in another Jolo attack
Sun.Star, Philippines - 11 hours ago
ZAMBOANGA CITY -- A Muslim policeman was shot dead Sunday by an unidentified gunman in the troubled island of Jolo in the southern Philippines, ...[] Sun Star

On the left side of Government and the NGO sector over the weekend there has been reports or claims that three or four members of the Presidents cabinet in the view of the gruops are accused as beng behind alleged 'death squads'.

[].... MANILA -- Military officials said they have taken "appropriate security measures" for four Cabinet officials who are reportedly targets of assassination by a group of "conspirators." ...[]

[]... The leftist organization Bayan Muna on Sunday named three Cabinet officials as the masterminds of the incidents of militant killings in the country. In a radio interview Robert de Ocampo, Bayan Muna deputy secretary-general, said Justice Secretary Raul M. Gonzalez, National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales and Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita were behind the murders. The three are members of the Cabinet’s security cluster. ....[] Manila times -ABS-CBNNews.com

The Military and Police has increased security around these individuals to make sure the announcement does not draw specific reprisals versus the four mentioned in the press conference of the left wing groups.

It continues to not be seen in these reports the increasing number of individuals killed in a spree of rising violence and how all these killings has overwhelmed investigation teams from Police who are dealing with a rising number of killings also ongoing are criminal and political groups using the entire issue as a cover for the activities that otherwise might just be lumped into the pile of this growing civil war of assassination and hit men.