The Sultan of Sulu, circa 1884

AN EXTREMELY rare and wonderful photograph of Sultan Jamalul Kiram II (18631936), which I recently discovered in France, apparently from an old German collection. Inscribed in the border: "Der Sultan von Sulu und sein ( Oncle) StateSecretair,” which translates to “The Sultan of Sulu and his ( Uncle) State Secretary.”

The date is a guess: Kiram was born around 1863 and proclaimed the Sultan of Sulu by his followers in 1884, at age 21, a designation that was eventually formalized by Spanish decree ten years later, in 1894. This young man looks to be in his early twenties, and 1884 would be just about the right time to sit for his first formal royal portrait. CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – More former communist rebels in southern Philippines have embraced the teachings of God and vowed to preach the miracles they themselves witnessed after being convinced by so-called “prayer warriors” of the influential Jesus Miracle Crusade International Ministry.

Barely five months after warriors led by Brother a small team of prayer Danny Cuarteros braved the mountains of Bukidnon just to meet up with the armed group of Alde Salusad and convinced him and his followers to embrace Jesus Miracle Crusade International Ministry – the preachers once again risked life and limbs in trekking the jungle to bring the powerful message of hope and love of God to the others, actually to the whole community.

Salusad, alias Commander Butchoy, who is now the leader of the New Indigenous People’s Army Reform or NIPAR, was baptized by Cuarteros in June and so were dozens upon dozens of his brace followers and villagers loyal to the indigenous group.

Cuarteros said God, through the Jesus Miracle Crusade International Ministry, convinced Salusad, a former leader of the communist rebel group New People’s Army, and his followers to embrace the faith following the daring missions in the hinterlands of Bukidnon.

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