From the Sun Star-Bacolod (Dec 17): Police release 11 nabbed during rebel encounter
ELEVEN of the 19 persons tagged earlier by the military as suspected rebels who were arrested at the encounter site in Isabela were released after they were found to have nothing to do with the encounter. Two Army soldiers were killed while four others were injured in said encounter that erupted between the suspected New People’s Army (NPA) and the military in sitio Mahopaho, Barangay San Agustin, Isabela Thursday morning last week.Based on the report of the Isabela police, two of the 11 civilians who were arrested were minors.
The encounter in Isabela claimed the lives of PFCs Dennis Acosta and Oliver Grecia. The injured soldiers were identified as First Lieutenant Shamon Pamittan, Sergeant Romeo Castellano, PFC Nesty Deniega and PFC Justino Esquibel, all assigned at the Alpha Company of the 11th Infantry Battalion. The four injured soldiers were conferred with Wounded Personnel Medal Saturday by Major General Jose Mabanta, 3rd Infantry Division commander, at the Riverside Medical Center.
Meanwhile, Karapatan-Negros secretary general, Fred Cana, claimed that Army soldiers committed human rights violations by arresting civilians they are supposed to protect. A 16-year-old, who was among the 11 who were released by the police and met with Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. during a dialog Saturday at Barangay San Agustin proper in Isabela, admitted that some of his arrested companions were seen in the company of NPA rebels. On the part of the military, Colonel Francisco Patrimonio, 302nd Infantry Brigade commander, clarified that the eight others will remain in jail, including the three who tested positive for gunpowder nitrates, which indicated that they had fired guns. The five others had also participated in the encounter, based on the accounts of soldiers who figured in the running gunbattle with them.
Patrimonio said the arrest of 19 individuals were made as they were suspected as rebels because of their presence at the encounter site, saying they only wanted to find out why they were at the area. Since the fleeing New People’s Army rebels can easily mingle with civilians, we have to check and verify their presence at the encounter site, he added. If you are innocent, then you are free to go, said Patrimonio, citing the release of the 11. If not, then charges will be filed against them, he added. The items recovered by soldiers from the encounter site were combat packs, caliber .45 pistol with ammunition, magazines of M14 and M16 assault rifles, subversive documents and a CPP-NPA flag which were also turned over by the Philippine Army to the police. Patrimonio said it will be the police to determine what charges to file against the eight suspected rebels who will be liable for the death and injuries of soldiers. The military believes that the rebels also suffered casualties, based on bloodstains discovered at the withdrawal routes of the rebels who were said to be members of the Larangan Gerilya I of the CPP-NPA.
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/bacolod/local-news/2012/12/17/police-release-11-nabbed-during-rebel-encounter-258754
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Guv calls on rebels anew to surrender
From the Sun Star-Bacolod (Dec 17): Guv calls on rebels anew to surrender
GOVERNOR Alfredo Marañon Jr. renewed his call to rebels to surrender and return to the folds of the government. “Let’s fight poverty, not each other,” said Marañon, who led the distribution of relief goods to families affected by the encounter last Thursday morning between government troops and the New People’s Army (NPA) in Barangay San Agustin, Isabela. "It is about time to end insurgency which has been ongoing for 40 years already," Marañon said. He said the government has been addressing the complaints of the NPA rebels. Marañon said 74 rebels in Negros Occidental who had surrendered since last year have availed of assistance from the Provincial Government, as well as from the National Government through the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process. "If there are problems or complaints, let’s talk about them because killing each other will not solve the problem," the governor said.....
.... Meanwhile, Major General Mabanta, commander of Army’s 3rd Infantry Division, awarded First Lieutenant Shamon Pamittan, Sergeant Romeo B Castillano, Private First Class (PFC) Justino Esquibel Jr. and PFC Nesty Deniega with the AFP Wounded Personnel Medal at the Riverside Hospital, Bacolod City last December 15. The AFP Wounded Personnel Medal is a medal granted to soldiers wounded in action against the enemy of the country or as a direct result of an act of the enemy. The wounded soldiers also received P20,000 cash benefit. “Our soldiers’ morale and welfare are our primary concern. We are instituting means and ways together with the nearest civilian medical facility in Western Visayas to immediately address wounded soldiers in the battlefield,” Mabanta said. The four wounded soldiers were among the members of Alpha Company 11th IB who clashed with rebels around 8 a.m. last December 14 at Isabela, Negros Occidental where two soldiers and two NPAs were casualties.
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/bacolod/local-news/2012/12/17/guv-calls-rebels-anew-surrender-258756
GOVERNOR Alfredo Marañon Jr. renewed his call to rebels to surrender and return to the folds of the government. “Let’s fight poverty, not each other,” said Marañon, who led the distribution of relief goods to families affected by the encounter last Thursday morning between government troops and the New People’s Army (NPA) in Barangay San Agustin, Isabela. "It is about time to end insurgency which has been ongoing for 40 years already," Marañon said. He said the government has been addressing the complaints of the NPA rebels. Marañon said 74 rebels in Negros Occidental who had surrendered since last year have availed of assistance from the Provincial Government, as well as from the National Government through the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process. "If there are problems or complaints, let’s talk about them because killing each other will not solve the problem," the governor said.....
.... Meanwhile, Major General Mabanta, commander of Army’s 3rd Infantry Division, awarded First Lieutenant Shamon Pamittan, Sergeant Romeo B Castillano, Private First Class (PFC) Justino Esquibel Jr. and PFC Nesty Deniega with the AFP Wounded Personnel Medal at the Riverside Hospital, Bacolod City last December 15. The AFP Wounded Personnel Medal is a medal granted to soldiers wounded in action against the enemy of the country or as a direct result of an act of the enemy. The wounded soldiers also received P20,000 cash benefit. “Our soldiers’ morale and welfare are our primary concern. We are instituting means and ways together with the nearest civilian medical facility in Western Visayas to immediately address wounded soldiers in the battlefield,” Mabanta said. The four wounded soldiers were among the members of Alpha Company 11th IB who clashed with rebels around 8 a.m. last December 14 at Isabela, Negros Occidental where two soldiers and two NPAs were casualties.
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/bacolod/local-news/2012/12/17/guv-calls-rebels-anew-surrender-258756
TF Davao seeks additional soldiers
From the Mindanao Times (Dec 17): TF Davao seeks additional soldiers
THE military unit in the city has asked its mother unit to provide more soldiers to help in intensifying surveillance and warding off threats, a top official of the unit said. Lt. Col. Gerry Besana, Task Force Davao spokesperson, said the unit has asked the 10th Infantry Division and the Eastern Mindanao Command for more soldiers as some of its soldiers were assigned to do relief operations for victims of the typhoon Pablo. Besana said the additional soldiers will help in detecting the entry of terrorists into the city as the task force needed more soldiers to sueprvise checkpoints. He said the unit also needed more experts who know how to detect improvised explosives.“We have to add more technical capability, since humans have limitations, mostly relying on the five senses,” he said, adding that bomb sniffing dogs must also be taught of the modern way of detecting explosives.He also justified the setting up of checkpoints, saying these military units are necessary to prevent the entry of terrorists like the Malaysian who was killed in a shootout inside a hotel.He explained that the task force already tracked the Malaysian and his wife when the entered the city last week.
http://www.mindanaotimes.net/tf-davao-seeks-additional-soldiers/
THE military unit in the city has asked its mother unit to provide more soldiers to help in intensifying surveillance and warding off threats, a top official of the unit said. Lt. Col. Gerry Besana, Task Force Davao spokesperson, said the unit has asked the 10th Infantry Division and the Eastern Mindanao Command for more soldiers as some of its soldiers were assigned to do relief operations for victims of the typhoon Pablo. Besana said the additional soldiers will help in detecting the entry of terrorists into the city as the task force needed more soldiers to sueprvise checkpoints. He said the unit also needed more experts who know how to detect improvised explosives.“We have to add more technical capability, since humans have limitations, mostly relying on the five senses,” he said, adding that bomb sniffing dogs must also be taught of the modern way of detecting explosives.He also justified the setting up of checkpoints, saying these military units are necessary to prevent the entry of terrorists like the Malaysian who was killed in a shootout inside a hotel.He explained that the task force already tracked the Malaysian and his wife when the entered the city last week.
http://www.mindanaotimes.net/tf-davao-seeks-additional-soldiers/
Abadilla 5 may soon be free–De Lima
From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Dec 17): Abadilla 5 may soon be free–De Lima
The “Abadilla 5,” languishing in prison for years now, could finally be home for Christmas. A recommendation to grant executive clemency to the five convicted killers of Lt. Col. Rolando Abadilla in 1996 is just awaiting the signature of President Aquino. Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said she hoped the President would act favorably on her recommendation. “I’m hoping that it would be acted upon in time for Christmas. I think there’s a chance. But of course that’s the prerogative of the President,” De Lima said in an interview at Ateneo de Manila University in Quezon City. Malacañang, for its part, said the recommendation was being reviewed.
The Department of Justice’s Board of Pardons and Parole recommended the commutation of the sentences of the five convicts in November 2011, but De Lima pushed for conditional pardons instead. In a commutation of sentence, a convict has to acknowledge guilt. No such requirement is called for in a conditional pardon, but it could be revoked if the convict commits another crime, according to De Lima.
“To me there’s a moral certainty about the lack of reasonable doubt,” she said, explaining the main reason for her recommendation of an executive clemency to the President. De Lima cited the fact that some justices dissented in the Supreme Court decision upholding the conviction of the accused. She also recalled that when she chaired the Commission on Human Rights, questions about the credibility of the witness nagged her. “For some justices, the guilt of the accused was not established beyond reasonable doubt. There is doubt of their guilt,” she said. “There are circumstances pointed out in the dissenting opinion that create doubt on the correctness of the verdict up to this very day. Those accused have professed their innocence. They’re very passionate about this.”
The high court affirmed in February 2011 the Court of Appeals’ decision upholding the conviction of Lenido Lumanog, Cesar Fortuna, Joel de Jesus, Rameses de Jesus and Augusto Santos by the Quezon City Regional Trial Court. The five vehemently insisted they were innocent and accused their police captors of torturing them into admitting the crime.
Abadilla, an intelligence chief of the defunct Philippine Constabulary who gained notoriety as an alleged torturer of political prisoners during martial law, was killed while his car was stopped in traffic on Katipunan Avenue in Quezon City on June 13, 1996. The communist-led hit squad Alex Boncayao Brigade (ABB) claimed responsibility for the killing. They turned in Abadilla’s watch to “running priest” Fr. Robert Reyes as proof of the deed.
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/325275/abadilla-5-may-soon-be-free-de-lima
The “Abadilla 5,” languishing in prison for years now, could finally be home for Christmas. A recommendation to grant executive clemency to the five convicted killers of Lt. Col. Rolando Abadilla in 1996 is just awaiting the signature of President Aquino. Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said she hoped the President would act favorably on her recommendation. “I’m hoping that it would be acted upon in time for Christmas. I think there’s a chance. But of course that’s the prerogative of the President,” De Lima said in an interview at Ateneo de Manila University in Quezon City. Malacañang, for its part, said the recommendation was being reviewed.
The Department of Justice’s Board of Pardons and Parole recommended the commutation of the sentences of the five convicts in November 2011, but De Lima pushed for conditional pardons instead. In a commutation of sentence, a convict has to acknowledge guilt. No such requirement is called for in a conditional pardon, but it could be revoked if the convict commits another crime, according to De Lima.
“To me there’s a moral certainty about the lack of reasonable doubt,” she said, explaining the main reason for her recommendation of an executive clemency to the President. De Lima cited the fact that some justices dissented in the Supreme Court decision upholding the conviction of the accused. She also recalled that when she chaired the Commission on Human Rights, questions about the credibility of the witness nagged her. “For some justices, the guilt of the accused was not established beyond reasonable doubt. There is doubt of their guilt,” she said. “There are circumstances pointed out in the dissenting opinion that create doubt on the correctness of the verdict up to this very day. Those accused have professed their innocence. They’re very passionate about this.”
The high court affirmed in February 2011 the Court of Appeals’ decision upholding the conviction of Lenido Lumanog, Cesar Fortuna, Joel de Jesus, Rameses de Jesus and Augusto Santos by the Quezon City Regional Trial Court. The five vehemently insisted they were innocent and accused their police captors of torturing them into admitting the crime.
Abadilla, an intelligence chief of the defunct Philippine Constabulary who gained notoriety as an alleged torturer of political prisoners during martial law, was killed while his car was stopped in traffic on Katipunan Avenue in Quezon City on June 13, 1996. The communist-led hit squad Alex Boncayao Brigade (ABB) claimed responsibility for the killing. They turned in Abadilla’s watch to “running priest” Fr. Robert Reyes as proof of the deed.
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/325275/abadilla-5-may-soon-be-free-de-lima
AFP clarifies limits of ceasefire with rebels
From the Manila Times (Dec 17): AFP clarifies limits of ceasefire with rebels
THE 18-day unilateral ceasefire or suspension of military offensive (SOMO) declared by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) with the New People’s Army (NPA) is a privilege granted to rebels who wanted to be with their families during the Christmas season but it does not restrict the military from doing its security-related tasks. Col. Arnulfo Marcelo Burgos Jr. AFP spokesman issued the clarification on Sunday, saying that the prohibition is only set on the conduct of “deliberate” offensive operation such as combat operations.
However, Burgos stressed that the armed forces can still perform their routine security patrols within the necessary protective radius, which is aimed to protect communities, government establishments, investment and economic facilities, vital structures and military camps and detachments. He explained that the radius of protection depends on the size of the establishments and on the extent of the threat. “We can still conduct route security to protect military and civilian movements, particularly he movement of relief goods and everything. We must ensure that it is unhampered, and then checkpoint operations in coordination with the PNP to deter terrorism and to deter loose firearms and explosives,” Burgos said. “What we are doing is proactive defense counter measures,” he added.
The AFP spokesman also pointed out that the SOMO does not give the rebels or any other unauthorized group or persons the authority to carry firearms lest they be considered security threats and would be arrested. “First, the Armed Forces of the Philippines is mandated to enforce the law and the only ones authorized to bear firearms are law enforcement agencies. That means we are duty bound to enforce the law and to effect apprehension and arrest if crime is being committed around you,” Burgos said. “The very purpose of the enforcement of SOMO is for them to have the opportunity to spend the Christmas season with their families, go down, so that they will be realizing what is missing from them by waging the armed violence,” he added. The SOMO was announced by the Armed Forces on Saturday. It would be effective starting midnight of December16 up to 1 a.m. of January 3.
http://www.manilatimes.net/index.php/news/nation/37562-afp-clarifies-limits-of-ceasefire-with-rebels
THE 18-day unilateral ceasefire or suspension of military offensive (SOMO) declared by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) with the New People’s Army (NPA) is a privilege granted to rebels who wanted to be with their families during the Christmas season but it does not restrict the military from doing its security-related tasks. Col. Arnulfo Marcelo Burgos Jr. AFP spokesman issued the clarification on Sunday, saying that the prohibition is only set on the conduct of “deliberate” offensive operation such as combat operations.
However, Burgos stressed that the armed forces can still perform their routine security patrols within the necessary protective radius, which is aimed to protect communities, government establishments, investment and economic facilities, vital structures and military camps and detachments. He explained that the radius of protection depends on the size of the establishments and on the extent of the threat. “We can still conduct route security to protect military and civilian movements, particularly he movement of relief goods and everything. We must ensure that it is unhampered, and then checkpoint operations in coordination with the PNP to deter terrorism and to deter loose firearms and explosives,” Burgos said. “What we are doing is proactive defense counter measures,” he added.
The AFP spokesman also pointed out that the SOMO does not give the rebels or any other unauthorized group or persons the authority to carry firearms lest they be considered security threats and would be arrested. “First, the Armed Forces of the Philippines is mandated to enforce the law and the only ones authorized to bear firearms are law enforcement agencies. That means we are duty bound to enforce the law and to effect apprehension and arrest if crime is being committed around you,” Burgos said. “The very purpose of the enforcement of SOMO is for them to have the opportunity to spend the Christmas season with their families, go down, so that they will be realizing what is missing from them by waging the armed violence,” he added. The SOMO was announced by the Armed Forces on Saturday. It would be effective starting midnight of December16 up to 1 a.m. of January 3.
http://www.manilatimes.net/index.php/news/nation/37562-afp-clarifies-limits-of-ceasefire-with-rebels
CPLA accepted in Cordillera regional peace council
From the Manila Times (Dec 17): CPLA accepted in Cordillera regional peace council
Baguio City: A former armed rebel group in the region, which pursued autonomy for the Cordillera region was accepted as a new member in the Cordillera Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC). The Cordillera Peoples Liberation Army (CPLA), now known as the Cordillera Forum for Peace and Development (CFPD), was accepted in the council during the fourth quarter RPOC meeting. The CFPD has been requesting to become a member of the RPOC after the CPLA-Cordillera Bodong Administration signed a memorandum of agreement with the Philippine Government last year. The agreement facilitated the group’s final disposition of arms and forces and its transformation into a “socio-economic force.” CFPD Chairman Arsenio Humiding had been presenting to the RPOC various documents including the group’s registration in the Securities and Exchange Commission, to prove that they have been transformed into a civilian organization pursuant to the provisions of the cited agreement.
Gov. Eugene Balitang, RPOC chairman, of Ifugao province said that the application of CFPD for membership in the RPOC was put on hold during previous meetings due to the processes undertaken for the group’s transformation into an unarmed force. Philippine Army battalions based in the Cordillera, namely the 501st, 502nd and 503rd Infantry Brigades, expressed support for the move of the former rebel group. They hailed the move as a contribution to the peace and order efforts of authorities in the region.
In the past months, the CFPD has been profiling its members in the different provinces in the Cordillera. At present, more than 1,000 members have been profiled. Through the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, the Police Regional Office-Cordillera also conducted inventory and valuation of firearms and explosives of the CFPD members. The turn-over was conducted in the six provinces in the region but the police is still waiting for the final turn-over of firearms and explosives after only 386 were valuated out of the more than 600 which were previously reported by the CPLA.
http://www.manilatimes.net/index.php/news/regions/37590-cpla-accepted-in-cordillera-regional-peace-council
Baguio City: A former armed rebel group in the region, which pursued autonomy for the Cordillera region was accepted as a new member in the Cordillera Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC). The Cordillera Peoples Liberation Army (CPLA), now known as the Cordillera Forum for Peace and Development (CFPD), was accepted in the council during the fourth quarter RPOC meeting. The CFPD has been requesting to become a member of the RPOC after the CPLA-Cordillera Bodong Administration signed a memorandum of agreement with the Philippine Government last year. The agreement facilitated the group’s final disposition of arms and forces and its transformation into a “socio-economic force.” CFPD Chairman Arsenio Humiding had been presenting to the RPOC various documents including the group’s registration in the Securities and Exchange Commission, to prove that they have been transformed into a civilian organization pursuant to the provisions of the cited agreement.
Gov. Eugene Balitang, RPOC chairman, of Ifugao province said that the application of CFPD for membership in the RPOC was put on hold during previous meetings due to the processes undertaken for the group’s transformation into an unarmed force. Philippine Army battalions based in the Cordillera, namely the 501st, 502nd and 503rd Infantry Brigades, expressed support for the move of the former rebel group. They hailed the move as a contribution to the peace and order efforts of authorities in the region.
In the past months, the CFPD has been profiling its members in the different provinces in the Cordillera. At present, more than 1,000 members have been profiled. Through the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, the Police Regional Office-Cordillera also conducted inventory and valuation of firearms and explosives of the CFPD members. The turn-over was conducted in the six provinces in the region but the police is still waiting for the final turn-over of firearms and explosives after only 386 were valuated out of the more than 600 which were previously reported by the CPLA.
http://www.manilatimes.net/index.php/news/regions/37590-cpla-accepted-in-cordillera-regional-peace-council
In Mabinay Army seizes explosives, high-powered firearms
From the Visayan Daily Star (Dec 17): In Mabinay Army seizes explosives, high-powered firearms
Philippine Army soldiers recovered a cache of high-powered firearms, C4 plastic explosives, explosives components and food from an almost unpopulated area in Mayaposi, Mabinay town, Negros Oriental, Friday. Soldiers of the 302nd Brigade, the 79th Infantry Battalion and the Alpha Company of the 12th Infantry Battalion, intercepted two 5.56-mm M-16 assault rifles, five alloy magazines for M-16 rifles with a 20-round capacity, 112 of M-16 ammunition, six 40mm ammunition for grenade launchers, two rifle grenades, 35 meters of detonating cord, six pounds supply charge TNT (Trinitrotoluene), 1.5 pounds of C-4 explosives, one sack of rice, 100 cans of sardines, three boxes of noodles, four reams of cigaretes, three packs of crackers and four packs of instant coffee. Capt. Roberto Salvador of the Alpha Company, 12th IB, who led the team that intercepted the armaments and food supplies, said some civilians tipped them of the items that were left in a clearing.
Initial reports said a cargo truck, loaded with sugarcane from Negros Oriental, with no registration plate, had arrived in the area early Friday and dropped the items off. No witnesses were immediately available to provide authorities with additional information on the identities of the bearers, or the recipients of the items. The soldiers proceeded to the area at around 3 a.m. Friday, or about 30 minutes after the drop off was made, and found the sack of rice and boxes of food supply unattended. Nobody was in the vicinity, and the soldiers believe they had arrived ahead of the recipients, Salvador added. Upon inspection, the soldiers discovered the two assault rifles concealed inside a sack filled with rice, and the explosives in the boxes of foodstuff, he said.
Army officials said they believe that these items were for the Sangay sa Partido sa Platoon, Central Komiteng Rehiyon Negros of the New People’s Army operating in the hinterlands of Himamaylan and Kabankalan cities in Negros Occidental, and Tayasan town in Oriental. The delivery could be part of a large tactical offensive by the NPA against government troops, to include soldiers and policemen, as part of the upcoming 43rd anniversary of the NPA on December 29, Salvador said. He said it is not unusual for the insurgents to employ strategies similar to terrorists in setting up landmines using C-4 plastic explosives and TNT chemicals in tactical operations against government forces.
The Army is determining the source of the C-4 and TNT explosive materials as civilians do not and cannot ordinarily acquire these, Salvador said. They are also tracing the high-powered assault rifles, rifle grenades, 40 mm grenades and M-16 ammunitions, since they bore markings of weapons for the Armed Forces of the Philippines, although the serial numbers of the firearms had been defaced. “It appears the chemical explosive materials could be used to rig landmines along the Bais-Mabinay-Kabankalan road, a route normally taken by Army and police officials on their way to Negros Occidental,” he added. There is also the possibility that the transshipment of the armaments was political in nature, as the May 13, 2013 election is only about six months away, Salvador said.
http://www.visayandailystar.com/2012/December/17/negor1.htm
Philippine Army soldiers recovered a cache of high-powered firearms, C4 plastic explosives, explosives components and food from an almost unpopulated area in Mayaposi, Mabinay town, Negros Oriental, Friday. Soldiers of the 302nd Brigade, the 79th Infantry Battalion and the Alpha Company of the 12th Infantry Battalion, intercepted two 5.56-mm M-16 assault rifles, five alloy magazines for M-16 rifles with a 20-round capacity, 112 of M-16 ammunition, six 40mm ammunition for grenade launchers, two rifle grenades, 35 meters of detonating cord, six pounds supply charge TNT (Trinitrotoluene), 1.5 pounds of C-4 explosives, one sack of rice, 100 cans of sardines, three boxes of noodles, four reams of cigaretes, three packs of crackers and four packs of instant coffee. Capt. Roberto Salvador of the Alpha Company, 12th IB, who led the team that intercepted the armaments and food supplies, said some civilians tipped them of the items that were left in a clearing.
Initial reports said a cargo truck, loaded with sugarcane from Negros Oriental, with no registration plate, had arrived in the area early Friday and dropped the items off. No witnesses were immediately available to provide authorities with additional information on the identities of the bearers, or the recipients of the items. The soldiers proceeded to the area at around 3 a.m. Friday, or about 30 minutes after the drop off was made, and found the sack of rice and boxes of food supply unattended. Nobody was in the vicinity, and the soldiers believe they had arrived ahead of the recipients, Salvador added. Upon inspection, the soldiers discovered the two assault rifles concealed inside a sack filled with rice, and the explosives in the boxes of foodstuff, he said.
Army officials said they believe that these items were for the Sangay sa Partido sa Platoon, Central Komiteng Rehiyon Negros of the New People’s Army operating in the hinterlands of Himamaylan and Kabankalan cities in Negros Occidental, and Tayasan town in Oriental. The delivery could be part of a large tactical offensive by the NPA against government troops, to include soldiers and policemen, as part of the upcoming 43rd anniversary of the NPA on December 29, Salvador said. He said it is not unusual for the insurgents to employ strategies similar to terrorists in setting up landmines using C-4 plastic explosives and TNT chemicals in tactical operations against government forces.
The Army is determining the source of the C-4 and TNT explosive materials as civilians do not and cannot ordinarily acquire these, Salvador said. They are also tracing the high-powered assault rifles, rifle grenades, 40 mm grenades and M-16 ammunitions, since they bore markings of weapons for the Armed Forces of the Philippines, although the serial numbers of the firearms had been defaced. “It appears the chemical explosive materials could be used to rig landmines along the Bais-Mabinay-Kabankalan road, a route normally taken by Army and police officials on their way to Negros Occidental,” he added. There is also the possibility that the transshipment of the armaments was political in nature, as the May 13, 2013 election is only about six months away, Salvador said.
http://www.visayandailystar.com/2012/December/17/negor1.htm
Army frees 11 arrested
From the Visayan Daily Star (Dec 17): Army frees 11
arrested
Eleven of the 19 persons tagged by the military as rebels, who were arrested at the encounter site in Isabela, Negros Occidental, were released from jail Friday, after the police found that they had nothing to do with the incident, that led to the killing of two Army soldiers and the injuries of four others. Col. Francisco Patrimonio, 302nd Infantry Brigade commander, however, said eight others will remain in jail, including the three who tested positive for gunpowder nitrates, indicating that they had fired guns. The other five had also participated in the encounter, based on the accounts of soldiers who figured in running gunbattle with them in Sitio Mahopaho, Brgy. San Agustin, Isabela, last week. Two of the 11 persons released by the Isabela police are minors. Patrimonio justified the arrest of the 19 individuals suspected to be rebels, at the encounter site, saying they only wanted to find out why they were in the area. Since fleeing New People’s Army rebels can easily mingle with civilians, we have to check and verify their presence at the encounter site, he added.
Karapatan Negros and its allies slammed the military for the arrest of 19 they claimed to be innocent civilians. If you are innocent, then you are free to go, Patrimonio, citing the release of 11. If not, then, charges will be filed against them, he added. A 16-year-old, who was among the 11 released by the police, met with Governor Alfredo Maranon Jr. during a dialog Saturday at Brgy. San Agustin proper in Isabela. He admitted that some of his arrested companions were seen in the company of NPA rebels.
The Isabela encounter claimed the lives of PFCs Dennis Acosta and Oliver Grecia. The injured soldiers were identified as 1Lt. Shamon Pamittan, Sgt. Romeo Castellano, PFC Nesty Deniega and PFC Justino Esquibel, all assigned at the Alpha Company of the 11th Infantry Battalion. The four injured soldiers were conferred the Wounded Personnel Medal Saturday by Major General Jose Mabanta, 3rd Infantry Division commander, at the Jose Pablo Memorial Hospital in Bacolod City.
Karapatan-Negros secretary general, Fred Cana, had claimed claimed that Army soldiers committed human rights violations, by arresting civilians they are supposed to protect. Senior Supt. Milko Lirazan, officer-in-charge of the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office, also justified the investigation of the 19 persons discovered at the encounter site, and the detention within 36 hours of the reglamentary period, in order to determine if they had participated in the gunbattle.
The running gunbattle between 11th IB soldiers led by ILt. Von Ryan Gomez and about 40 armed rebels, led to the seizure of the NPA camp in the area, that could accommodate about 50 persons. The items recovered by soldiers from the encounter site, that included combat packs, caliber .45 pistol with ammunition, magazines of M14 and M16 assault rifles, subversive documents and a CPP-NPA flag, among others, were also turned over by the Philippine Army to the police. Patrimonio said it is the police that will determine the charges to be filed against the eight suspected rebels, who will be liable for the death and injuries of the soldiers. Bloodstains were also discovered at the withdrawal routes of the rebels, bolstering reports that the NPA also suffered casualties in the gunbattle, he added.
Patrimonio said members of the Larangan Gerilya 1, who had redeployed majority of their fighters in the hinterlands of Guihulngan, have been developing the hinterlands sitios of Brgy. San Agustin, Isabela, and neighboring areas, into a guerilla base for almost two years now. ILt. Von Ryan Gomez, who led the assault of the NPA camp, said the presence of rebels in the area, was reported to them by residents.
http://www.visayandailystar.com/2012/December/17/topstory2.htm
Eleven of the 19 persons tagged by the military as rebels, who were arrested at the encounter site in Isabela, Negros Occidental, were released from jail Friday, after the police found that they had nothing to do with the incident, that led to the killing of two Army soldiers and the injuries of four others. Col. Francisco Patrimonio, 302nd Infantry Brigade commander, however, said eight others will remain in jail, including the three who tested positive for gunpowder nitrates, indicating that they had fired guns. The other five had also participated in the encounter, based on the accounts of soldiers who figured in running gunbattle with them in Sitio Mahopaho, Brgy. San Agustin, Isabela, last week. Two of the 11 persons released by the Isabela police are minors. Patrimonio justified the arrest of the 19 individuals suspected to be rebels, at the encounter site, saying they only wanted to find out why they were in the area. Since fleeing New People’s Army rebels can easily mingle with civilians, we have to check and verify their presence at the encounter site, he added.
Karapatan Negros and its allies slammed the military for the arrest of 19 they claimed to be innocent civilians. If you are innocent, then you are free to go, Patrimonio, citing the release of 11. If not, then, charges will be filed against them, he added. A 16-year-old, who was among the 11 released by the police, met with Governor Alfredo Maranon Jr. during a dialog Saturday at Brgy. San Agustin proper in Isabela. He admitted that some of his arrested companions were seen in the company of NPA rebels.
The Isabela encounter claimed the lives of PFCs Dennis Acosta and Oliver Grecia. The injured soldiers were identified as 1Lt. Shamon Pamittan, Sgt. Romeo Castellano, PFC Nesty Deniega and PFC Justino Esquibel, all assigned at the Alpha Company of the 11th Infantry Battalion. The four injured soldiers were conferred the Wounded Personnel Medal Saturday by Major General Jose Mabanta, 3rd Infantry Division commander, at the Jose Pablo Memorial Hospital in Bacolod City.
Karapatan-Negros secretary general, Fred Cana, had claimed claimed that Army soldiers committed human rights violations, by arresting civilians they are supposed to protect. Senior Supt. Milko Lirazan, officer-in-charge of the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office, also justified the investigation of the 19 persons discovered at the encounter site, and the detention within 36 hours of the reglamentary period, in order to determine if they had participated in the gunbattle.
The running gunbattle between 11th IB soldiers led by ILt. Von Ryan Gomez and about 40 armed rebels, led to the seizure of the NPA camp in the area, that could accommodate about 50 persons. The items recovered by soldiers from the encounter site, that included combat packs, caliber .45 pistol with ammunition, magazines of M14 and M16 assault rifles, subversive documents and a CPP-NPA flag, among others, were also turned over by the Philippine Army to the police. Patrimonio said it is the police that will determine the charges to be filed against the eight suspected rebels, who will be liable for the death and injuries of the soldiers. Bloodstains were also discovered at the withdrawal routes of the rebels, bolstering reports that the NPA also suffered casualties in the gunbattle, he added.
Patrimonio said members of the Larangan Gerilya 1, who had redeployed majority of their fighters in the hinterlands of Guihulngan, have been developing the hinterlands sitios of Brgy. San Agustin, Isabela, and neighboring areas, into a guerilla base for almost two years now. ILt. Von Ryan Gomez, who led the assault of the NPA camp, said the presence of rebels in the area, was reported to them by residents.
http://www.visayandailystar.com/2012/December/17/topstory2.htm
After Isabela Battle Ceasefire halts pursuit of rebels
From the Visayan Daily Star: (Dec 17): After Isabela Battle Ceasefire halts pursuit of rebels
The pursuit operations against the fleeing New People’s Army rebels who figured in a recent encounter with members of the 11th Infantry Battalion in the hinterlands of Isabela, Negros Occidental, were suspended yesterday. This was in compliance with the 18-day Christmas ceasefire being observed by the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Col. Francisco Patrimonio, 302nd Infantry Brigade commander, said. The unilateral ceasefire, that started yesterday, will end Jan. 2 next year.
Patrimonio said the 46 families, who had evacuated from Sitio Mahopaho and neighboring sitios, all in Brgy. San Agustin, Isabela, to avoid being caught in a crossfire, may now return to their homes. He has already pulled out the pursuing troops from the area, Patrimonio said.
Armed Forces chief Jessie Dellosa said the ceasefire will cover "deliberate offensive operations" against the NPA. He, however, said that government troops well continue their patrols and humanitarian aid programs. Dellosa, added in a statement he issued, that the ceasefire will also give to soldiers and villagers in conflict areas the opportunity to celebrate the holidays peacefully.
Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr., who led the distribution of relief goods to the affected families in Brgy. San Agustin, Isabela, Saturday, reiterated his call for rebels to help him fight poverty, and not to fight against each other. Pointing out that the insurgency problem has been ongoing for more than 40 years, Marañon said “It is about time to end it”. Whatever their (NPA) complaints, he said, are already being addressed by the government. Marañon said the 74 rebels in Negros Occidental who had surrendered since last year, have availed of assistance from the provincial, as well as from the national government, through the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace Process. If there are problems or complaints, let’s talk about, he said, adding that killing each other will not solve the problem.
Col. Jon Ayeng, deputy commander of the 303rd Infantry Brigade, said the national and provincial government gave about P.4.5 million of assistance to former rebels, who have now reunited and living peacefully with their respective families.
During a dialog at the San Agustin barangay proper in Isabela, Saturday Maranon said he will send representatives of the Provincial Engineer’s Office for the construction of hanging bridges, improvement of roads, among infrastructure projects, in answer to clamor of residents about rising floodwaters during heavy rains. He added that he is sending representatives of the Negros Occidental Comprehensive Program to register residents, who will avail of the health care program of the provincial government.
http://www.visayandailystar.com/2012/December/17/topstory1.htm
The pursuit operations against the fleeing New People’s Army rebels who figured in a recent encounter with members of the 11th Infantry Battalion in the hinterlands of Isabela, Negros Occidental, were suspended yesterday. This was in compliance with the 18-day Christmas ceasefire being observed by the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Col. Francisco Patrimonio, 302nd Infantry Brigade commander, said. The unilateral ceasefire, that started yesterday, will end Jan. 2 next year.
Patrimonio said the 46 families, who had evacuated from Sitio Mahopaho and neighboring sitios, all in Brgy. San Agustin, Isabela, to avoid being caught in a crossfire, may now return to their homes. He has already pulled out the pursuing troops from the area, Patrimonio said.
Armed Forces chief Jessie Dellosa said the ceasefire will cover "deliberate offensive operations" against the NPA. He, however, said that government troops well continue their patrols and humanitarian aid programs. Dellosa, added in a statement he issued, that the ceasefire will also give to soldiers and villagers in conflict areas the opportunity to celebrate the holidays peacefully.
Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr., who led the distribution of relief goods to the affected families in Brgy. San Agustin, Isabela, Saturday, reiterated his call for rebels to help him fight poverty, and not to fight against each other. Pointing out that the insurgency problem has been ongoing for more than 40 years, Marañon said “It is about time to end it”. Whatever their (NPA) complaints, he said, are already being addressed by the government. Marañon said the 74 rebels in Negros Occidental who had surrendered since last year, have availed of assistance from the provincial, as well as from the national government, through the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace Process. If there are problems or complaints, let’s talk about, he said, adding that killing each other will not solve the problem.
Col. Jon Ayeng, deputy commander of the 303rd Infantry Brigade, said the national and provincial government gave about P.4.5 million of assistance to former rebels, who have now reunited and living peacefully with their respective families.
During a dialog at the San Agustin barangay proper in Isabela, Saturday Maranon said he will send representatives of the Provincial Engineer’s Office for the construction of hanging bridges, improvement of roads, among infrastructure projects, in answer to clamor of residents about rising floodwaters during heavy rains. He added that he is sending representatives of the Negros Occidental Comprehensive Program to register residents, who will avail of the health care program of the provincial government.
http://www.visayandailystar.com/2012/December/17/topstory1.htm
Thai army chief visits PHL Army HQ, lauds AFP for contributing to peace with MILF
From GMA News (Dec 17): Thai army chief visits PHL Army HQ, lauds AFP for contributing to peace with MILF
The head of Thailand's Royal Army lauded the Armed Forces of the Philippines Monday for the AFP's role in peace efforts with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. Royal Thai Army Commander-in-Chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha made the remarks during a visit to Philippine Army headquarters, Army spokesman Maj. Harold Cabunoc said. "General Prayut(h) lauds the AFP for contributing towards the success of the drafting of the framework agreement with the MILF," Cabunoc said on his Twitter account.
Last October, the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front signed a framework peace agreement that aims to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao with a Bangsamoro entity. Both sides over the weekend concluded another round of exploratory talks in Malaysia.
Earlier, the Philippine Embassy in Bangkok said Prayuth's visit aims to find out how Thailand can help victims of Tropical Cyclone Pablo (Bopha). Over the weekend, the embassy said the Royal Thai Army donated $30,000 (P1.234 million) to the Philippines as aid for victims of Tropical Cyclone Pablo. It said Prayuth and a delegation is visiting the Philippines to "meet with their Philippine counterparts and look into areas of cooperation, including in disaster relief and recovery." The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said that as of Sunday morning, Pablo had left more than 1,000 dead.
The head of Thailand's Royal Army lauded the Armed Forces of the Philippines Monday for the AFP's role in peace efforts with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. Royal Thai Army Commander-in-Chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha made the remarks during a visit to Philippine Army headquarters, Army spokesman Maj. Harold Cabunoc said. "General Prayut(h) lauds the AFP for contributing towards the success of the drafting of the framework agreement with the MILF," Cabunoc said on his Twitter account.
Last October, the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front signed a framework peace agreement that aims to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao with a Bangsamoro entity. Both sides over the weekend concluded another round of exploratory talks in Malaysia.
Earlier, the Philippine Embassy in Bangkok said Prayuth's visit aims to find out how Thailand can help victims of Tropical Cyclone Pablo (Bopha). Over the weekend, the embassy said the Royal Thai Army donated $30,000 (P1.234 million) to the Philippines as aid for victims of Tropical Cyclone Pablo. It said Prayuth and a delegation is visiting the Philippines to "meet with their Philippine counterparts and look into areas of cooperation, including in disaster relief and recovery." The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said that as of Sunday morning, Pablo had left more than 1,000 dead.
‘MNLF 1996 peace pact cannot be reconciled with MILF FAB’
From the MILF Website (Dec 17): ‘MNLF 1996 peace pact cannot be reconciled with MILF FAB’
The head of the MILF peace panel secretariat expressed strong conviction that the GRP-MNLF Final Peace Agreement of 1996 and the GPH-MILF Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB) cannot be reconciled, because they have different substance and features and more importantly the former can no longer be asserted effectively, because Indonesia, head of the OIC Committee of the Eight, and MNLF leader Farouk Hussin, then representing the MNLF in one of the sessions of the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and then governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) which MNLF Chairman Nur Misuari accepted and occupied as governor, said that both Phase 1 (political) and Phase 2 (Economic) were all implemented by the Philippine government.
“However, the two peace pacts can complement each other.” This was the remarks of Jun Mantawil, head of the MILF peace panel secretariat, in reaction to moves by many quarters including the OIC that both peace pacts have to be linked or reconciled especially in relation to territorial coverage. He cited the latest OIC Resolution on the Muslims in Southern Philippines adopted in Djibouti, Republic of Djibouti last month, as basis of his clarification. Articles 9 and 10 of that Resolution follow: “Invites all parties to improve on the Framework Agreement by linking it to the Peace Agreement of 1976 and abiding by the area of the autonomous region stipulated in this Agreement and reconfirmed in the Final Peace Agreement of 1996” and “Calls upon the Secretary General to hold another session of the tripartite meeting at the earliest to contain any impacts that may result from the Framework Agreement between GPH and MILF, save the 1996 Agreement and link it to the Framework Agreement, and develop a mechanism between MNLF, MILF and GPH to oversee the implementation of these two agreements i.e. the agreement with the MILF and the agreements with the MNLF.
He also said that he is not personally comfortable with the creation of an Oversight Committee composed of the GPH, MNLF, and MILF, describing it as an “odd arrangement”. He clarified, however, that his reservation is not binding on the MILF leadership, which has the final say on issues like this one. ‘ Mantawil further asserted that integration of the NNLF and its combatants into the national body politic is the end state of the GRP-MNLF FPA, while the GPH-MILF FAB envisions a state-substate asymmetrical relationship wherein the totality of the relationship between the Bangsamoro and the larger Philippine state is clearly defined.
However, Mantawil expressed his gratitude to the OIC for inviting no less than MILF chair Murad Ebrahim and three others to the conference in Djibouti last month. He also thanked the OIC for granting the MILF a “guest” status and the privilege to attend future sessions of the OIC including the OIC Summit conference in Cairo, Egypt next year.
http://www.luwaran.com/home/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2996:mnlf-1996-peace-pact-cannot-be-reconciled-with-milf-fab&catid=31:general&Itemid=41
The head of the MILF peace panel secretariat expressed strong conviction that the GRP-MNLF Final Peace Agreement of 1996 and the GPH-MILF Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB) cannot be reconciled, because they have different substance and features and more importantly the former can no longer be asserted effectively, because Indonesia, head of the OIC Committee of the Eight, and MNLF leader Farouk Hussin, then representing the MNLF in one of the sessions of the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and then governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) which MNLF Chairman Nur Misuari accepted and occupied as governor, said that both Phase 1 (political) and Phase 2 (Economic) were all implemented by the Philippine government.
“However, the two peace pacts can complement each other.” This was the remarks of Jun Mantawil, head of the MILF peace panel secretariat, in reaction to moves by many quarters including the OIC that both peace pacts have to be linked or reconciled especially in relation to territorial coverage. He cited the latest OIC Resolution on the Muslims in Southern Philippines adopted in Djibouti, Republic of Djibouti last month, as basis of his clarification. Articles 9 and 10 of that Resolution follow: “Invites all parties to improve on the Framework Agreement by linking it to the Peace Agreement of 1976 and abiding by the area of the autonomous region stipulated in this Agreement and reconfirmed in the Final Peace Agreement of 1996” and “Calls upon the Secretary General to hold another session of the tripartite meeting at the earliest to contain any impacts that may result from the Framework Agreement between GPH and MILF, save the 1996 Agreement and link it to the Framework Agreement, and develop a mechanism between MNLF, MILF and GPH to oversee the implementation of these two agreements i.e. the agreement with the MILF and the agreements with the MNLF.
He also said that he is not personally comfortable with the creation of an Oversight Committee composed of the GPH, MNLF, and MILF, describing it as an “odd arrangement”. He clarified, however, that his reservation is not binding on the MILF leadership, which has the final say on issues like this one. ‘ Mantawil further asserted that integration of the NNLF and its combatants into the national body politic is the end state of the GRP-MNLF FPA, while the GPH-MILF FAB envisions a state-substate asymmetrical relationship wherein the totality of the relationship between the Bangsamoro and the larger Philippine state is clearly defined.
However, Mantawil expressed his gratitude to the OIC for inviting no less than MILF chair Murad Ebrahim and three others to the conference in Djibouti last month. He also thanked the OIC for granting the MILF a “guest” status and the privilege to attend future sessions of the OIC including the OIC Summit conference in Cairo, Egypt next year.
http://www.luwaran.com/home/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2996:mnlf-1996-peace-pact-cannot-be-reconciled-with-milf-fab&catid=31:general&Itemid=41
Photos: Human Rights Camp: Building Communities of Human Rights Advocates
From the U.S. Embassy Blog-Mindanao/Peace, Prosperity, Partnership in Mindanao (Dec 11): Photos: Human Rights Camp: Building Communities of Human Rights Advocates
The project, “Human Rights Camp: Building Communities of Human Rights Advocates”, brought together 60 human rights advocates from strife-torn areas in Mindanao. The project is a partnership of the US Embassy, the United States Department of Justice, the Philippine Youth Leadership Alumni Association, and the Armed Forces of the Philippines. The project was held in [...]
The project, “Human Rights Camp: Building Communities of Human Rights Advocates”, brought together 60 human rights advocates from strife-torn areas in Mindanao. The project is a partnership of the US Embassy, the United States Department of Justice, the Philippine Youth Leadership Alumni Association, and the Armed Forces of the Philippines. The project was held in [...]
Partnering with the Armed Forces of the Philippines was a mind-blowing experience. Campers had the joy of their ride on the turbo charging air boat that travels with a speed of 241 km/hour; listening to the volley of shots to distinguish the firepower of terrorist elements from the government forces; and identifying improvised explosive devices which are normally used by terrorist elements in Mindanao.
AFP to rebels: Go down and spend Christmas with your families
From InterAksyon (Dec 16): AFP to rebels: Go down and spend Christmas with your families
The military on Sunday urged communist rebels to go down from the hills and spend a meaningful Christmas with their families after the government declared an 18-day unilateral truce with the New People’s Army (NPA) that started December 16 and ends on January 2. “The very purpose of the enforcement of the Suspension of Military Operations (SOMO) is for them (rebels) to have the opportunity to spend the Christmas season with their families. Go down and be with your family this Yuletide season,” military spokesman Col. Arnulfo Marcelo Burgos Jr. said in a public message to the rebels.
The leadership of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) has yet to reciprocate the military’s unilateral truce, although the National Democratic Front (NDF) in Mindanao has already ordered New People’s Army (NPA) units in typhoon-stricken areas to stop tactical offensives against government forces helping in the relief and rescue operations. The NDF-Mindanao implemented its own truce starting on December 5 until Jan. 2. 2012.
Under the military’s SOMO, the conduct of deliberate offensives such as combat operations, meant to degrade the armed capability or seize NPA encampments, are prohibited. “These are what the Armed Forces can do like security patrols within the necessary protective radius which is aimed to protect communities, government establishments, investment and economic facilities, vital structures and of course military camps and detachments,” Burgos explained.
Peace talks between the government and the NDF have stalled since February 2011 after the latter accused the government of violating the Joint Agreement on Security and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG) with the series of arrests of its “peace consultants”. Recently, President Benigno Aquino III moved again to revive peace negotiations with the CPP-NPA-NDF after the government’s initial success in prodding the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to sign the Framework Agreement (FRAG) to end the decades-old armed conflict in Mindanao.
The military on Sunday urged communist rebels to go down from the hills and spend a meaningful Christmas with their families after the government declared an 18-day unilateral truce with the New People’s Army (NPA) that started December 16 and ends on January 2. “The very purpose of the enforcement of the Suspension of Military Operations (SOMO) is for them (rebels) to have the opportunity to spend the Christmas season with their families. Go down and be with your family this Yuletide season,” military spokesman Col. Arnulfo Marcelo Burgos Jr. said in a public message to the rebels.
The leadership of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) has yet to reciprocate the military’s unilateral truce, although the National Democratic Front (NDF) in Mindanao has already ordered New People’s Army (NPA) units in typhoon-stricken areas to stop tactical offensives against government forces helping in the relief and rescue operations. The NDF-Mindanao implemented its own truce starting on December 5 until Jan. 2. 2012.
Under the military’s SOMO, the conduct of deliberate offensives such as combat operations, meant to degrade the armed capability or seize NPA encampments, are prohibited. “These are what the Armed Forces can do like security patrols within the necessary protective radius which is aimed to protect communities, government establishments, investment and economic facilities, vital structures and of course military camps and detachments,” Burgos explained.
Peace talks between the government and the NDF have stalled since February 2011 after the latter accused the government of violating the Joint Agreement on Security and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG) with the series of arrests of its “peace consultants”. Recently, President Benigno Aquino III moved again to revive peace negotiations with the CPP-NPA-NDF after the government’s initial success in prodding the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to sign the Framework Agreement (FRAG) to end the decades-old armed conflict in Mindanao.
GPH-MILF panels tackle draft annexes at 34th formal exploratory talks in KL
From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 16): GPH-MILF panels tackle draft annexes at
34th formal exploratory talks in KL
Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, chief of the government peace panel negotiating with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), said on Sunday that the 34th formal exploratory talks in Kuala Lumpur has made substantial progress on the draft annexes. “It was a very rigorous process with hard and exhaustive discussions but we are pleased to note that the GPH-MILF table has found common language on many of the remaining issues.” The discussion tackled on the draft annexes and the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro that will make up the comprehensive agreement to resolve the decades old armed conflict in Mindanao, Ferrer said. The four-day talks started last Wednesday.
Ferrer said the two panels formed a new team made up of two panel members each and their respective heads of secretariat to flesh out the annex on Transitional Arrangements and Modalities. The document detailed the political roadmap that will lead to the establishment of the elected Bangsamoro government in 2016, she pointed out. Ferrer was pleased to note that despite convening for the first time, the team on Transitional Arrangements and Modalities was able to complete a draft. The existing technical working groups (TWGs) for the annexes on power-sharing, wealth-sharing and normalization also submitted their output to the panels on the last day of the talks. In all, four annexes will be completed. “We will now be conferring with our principals on all the current drafts produced by the TWGs and elevated to the panels for resolution,” she said.
Ferrer added that while it has been the goal of both parties to complete all the annexes this year, the panels are cognizant of the remaining amount of detail that still needs to be worked out. “Flexibility has always been our trademark in this process. There are difficult issues, but no issue is insurmountable,” Government’s chief negotiator stated. The Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro was signed in a much-acclaimed ceremony held at the Malacanan Palace last October 15. Ferrer said it will likewise provide for the issuance of an Executive Order to establish the Bangsamoro transition commission that will craft the Bangsamoro Basic law. This, the government panel said, they expect to come out soon.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=&sid=&nid=&rid=480353
Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, chief of the government peace panel negotiating with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), said on Sunday that the 34th formal exploratory talks in Kuala Lumpur has made substantial progress on the draft annexes. “It was a very rigorous process with hard and exhaustive discussions but we are pleased to note that the GPH-MILF table has found common language on many of the remaining issues.” The discussion tackled on the draft annexes and the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro that will make up the comprehensive agreement to resolve the decades old armed conflict in Mindanao, Ferrer said. The four-day talks started last Wednesday.
Ferrer said the two panels formed a new team made up of two panel members each and their respective heads of secretariat to flesh out the annex on Transitional Arrangements and Modalities. The document detailed the political roadmap that will lead to the establishment of the elected Bangsamoro government in 2016, she pointed out. Ferrer was pleased to note that despite convening for the first time, the team on Transitional Arrangements and Modalities was able to complete a draft. The existing technical working groups (TWGs) for the annexes on power-sharing, wealth-sharing and normalization also submitted their output to the panels on the last day of the talks. In all, four annexes will be completed. “We will now be conferring with our principals on all the current drafts produced by the TWGs and elevated to the panels for resolution,” she said.
Ferrer added that while it has been the goal of both parties to complete all the annexes this year, the panels are cognizant of the remaining amount of detail that still needs to be worked out. “Flexibility has always been our trademark in this process. There are difficult issues, but no issue is insurmountable,” Government’s chief negotiator stated. The Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro was signed in a much-acclaimed ceremony held at the Malacanan Palace last October 15. Ferrer said it will likewise provide for the issuance of an Executive Order to establish the Bangsamoro transition commission that will craft the Bangsamoro Basic law. This, the government panel said, they expect to come out soon.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=&sid=&nid=&rid=480353
GPH-MILF peace nego on Annexes ends with tasks unfinished
From MindaNews (Dec 16): GPH-MILF peace nego on Annexes ends with tasks unfinished
The government and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) peace panels ended this week’s talks on the Annexes to the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB) with no joint statement on what transpired during the four-day negotiations in Kuala Lumpur and no date set for the next meeting. MindaNews sources in Kuala Lumpur said the two panels, which are supposed to finish before yearend the Annexes on Power-Sharing, Wealth-Sharing, Normalization and on Transitional Arrangements and Modalities, extended by one day their December 12 to 14 schedule and ended at around 7:15 p.m. Saturday, December 15, with none of the Annexes finished.
Signed on October 15 in Malacanang in the presence of President Benigno Simeon Aquino III, Malaysian Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Mohammad Hajib Bin Tun Abdul Razak, MILF chair Al Haj Murad Ebrahim, the diplomatic corps, civil society, the Aquino Cabinet, the MILF Central Committee and commanders, the FAB provides for the creation of a new autonomous political entity that would replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) by 2016. The FAB also provides that the parties would “work further on the details of the Framework Agreement “ and “complete a comprehensive agreement by the end of the year.” “We were working on four annexes. We made considerable progress,” Prof. Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, the new government (GPH) peace panel chair, told MindaNews in a text message late Saturday night in response to MindaNews’ query on the talks ending without a Joint Statement and date for the next meeting. MILF peace panel chair Mohagher Iqbal, on the other hand told MindaNews in a text message early Friday that the four technical working groups on the Annexes “moved forward with substantial gains. But as a whole, there is a technical impasse. No closing program, no joint statement, no date for next talks.”
Both declined to elaborate on their statements or to respond to follow-up questions raised by MindaNews. In November, at the first talks on the annexes scheduled November 12 to 18, both panels agreed to end the negotiations a day earlier to consult their respective principals on the unresolved issues. In the December talks, they agreed to extend the talks by one more day but while “considerable progress” was made according to Ferrer and while they “moved forward with substantial gains” according to Iqbal, not one of the Annexes was completed.
99% complete
MindaNews sources who requested not to be named said progress had, indeed, been made by the the technical working groups on Power-Sharing, Wealth-Sharing and Normalization. The same sources said the Power-Sharing group had accomplished 97% of their task, that there was a “breakthrough” in the Wealth-Sharing Annex and that there was significant progress in the Normalization Annex. The sources added that the Annex on Transitional Arrangements and Modalities was “99% complete” but the parties were deadlocked on a major issue that the for the MILF is ‘non-negotiable:’ the leadership of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA), the body that will take over the ARMM as soon as the Bangsamoro Basic Law is ratified. The same sources said the MILF, which will lead the 15-person Transition Commission based on the FAB formula of an all-Bangsamoro commission composed of seven from the GPH and eight from the MILF including the TransCom chair, is not amenable to the GPH proposal for a Bangamoro-led BTA instead of an MILF-led BTA.
The GPH, according to sources, is pushing for a two-track convergence of the MILF and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) peace processes through the BTA. An MILF source told MindaNews: “parang kami ang nagsaing, iba ang kakain” (it’s like we did the cooking but not the eating). “It’s not a formula for convergence but a formula for chaos,” the source said. Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Quintos-Deles had earlier said that the seven members selected by the GPH for the TransCom would include representatives from women, Lumads (indigenous peoples) and the MNLF.
Factions
Citing leadership issues, among others, the late Salamat Hashim, the first chair of the MILF, broke away from the MNLF to form the “New MNLF.” The latter was renamed to MILF in the early 1980s. Hashim was MNLF Vice chair when he bolted the MNLF under chair Nur Misuari, to form the MILF, after the 1976 Tripoli Agreement collapsed. The MNLF broke into three factions – MNLF under Misuari, the MILF under Hashim and MNLF Reformist Group under Dimas Pundato – but the latter disbanded immediately after Corazon Aquino was installed President by the People Power revolt in 1986. The MNLF under Misuari talked peace with the Aquino administration but no agreement was reached until the signing of the 1996 “Final Peace Agreement” under the Ramos administration. The MNLF then took over the leadership of the ARMM and other transitory implementing mechanisms such as the Southern Philippines Council for Peace and Development and the Consultative Assembly. The MNLF later complained that the agreement was not fully implemented and much later broke again into several factions citing issues on leadership, among others. Misuari criticized the peace process with the MILF as illegal and described the signing of the 2012 FAB as a “tripartite conspiracy” of the GPH, MILF and Malaysia.
The FAB provides that upon promulgation and ratification of the Bangsamoro Basic Law, the ARMM shall be deemed abolished and “all devolved authorities shall be vested in the Bangsamoro Transition Authority during the interim period.” The FAB also provides that when the BTA is in place, “the ministerial form and Cabinet system of government shall commence” and that the BTA “may reorganize the bureaucracy into institutions of governance appropriate thereto.”
The 15-person Transition Commission that will draft the Bangsamoro Basic Law, among other tasks, is to be “created by an Executive Order and supported by Congressional Resolutions.”
Deles in late October said the EO would be issued after the Undas in early November. As of December 16, no EO has been issued. Congress will take a break for the holidays on December 22 to January 20.
Third time
This is the third time in the 30-month peace talks under the Aquino administration that the panels ended their talks without a joint statement and with no date set for the next meeting. The first was during the August 22-24 talks last year when the supposed three-day talks adjourned abruptly on the second day after the MILF peace panel rejected the government’s proposed “three for one” formula and then government peace panel chair Marvic Leonen shot back with “we reject your rejection.” The second time the panels did not issue a Joint Statement was in May, just a month after the two panels signed on April 24 the “GPH-MILF Decision Points on Principles as of April 2012.” The Joint Statement, usually less than ten paragraphs and issued at the end of the talks, describes the progress of the negotiations, though in carefully worded language, announces the month when the parties will meet again and expresses their appreciation to President Benigno Simeon Aquino III and Malaysian Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib Bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak and members of the International Contact Group composed of Japan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Turkey, United Kingdom, Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, Conciliation Resources, Muhammadiyah, and The Asia Foundation.
http://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2012/12/16/gph-milf-peace-nego-on-annexes-ends-with-tasks-unfinished/
The government and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) peace panels ended this week’s talks on the Annexes to the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB) with no joint statement on what transpired during the four-day negotiations in Kuala Lumpur and no date set for the next meeting. MindaNews sources in Kuala Lumpur said the two panels, which are supposed to finish before yearend the Annexes on Power-Sharing, Wealth-Sharing, Normalization and on Transitional Arrangements and Modalities, extended by one day their December 12 to 14 schedule and ended at around 7:15 p.m. Saturday, December 15, with none of the Annexes finished.
Signed on October 15 in Malacanang in the presence of President Benigno Simeon Aquino III, Malaysian Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Mohammad Hajib Bin Tun Abdul Razak, MILF chair Al Haj Murad Ebrahim, the diplomatic corps, civil society, the Aquino Cabinet, the MILF Central Committee and commanders, the FAB provides for the creation of a new autonomous political entity that would replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) by 2016. The FAB also provides that the parties would “work further on the details of the Framework Agreement “ and “complete a comprehensive agreement by the end of the year.” “We were working on four annexes. We made considerable progress,” Prof. Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, the new government (GPH) peace panel chair, told MindaNews in a text message late Saturday night in response to MindaNews’ query on the talks ending without a Joint Statement and date for the next meeting. MILF peace panel chair Mohagher Iqbal, on the other hand told MindaNews in a text message early Friday that the four technical working groups on the Annexes “moved forward with substantial gains. But as a whole, there is a technical impasse. No closing program, no joint statement, no date for next talks.”
Both declined to elaborate on their statements or to respond to follow-up questions raised by MindaNews. In November, at the first talks on the annexes scheduled November 12 to 18, both panels agreed to end the negotiations a day earlier to consult their respective principals on the unresolved issues. In the December talks, they agreed to extend the talks by one more day but while “considerable progress” was made according to Ferrer and while they “moved forward with substantial gains” according to Iqbal, not one of the Annexes was completed.
99% complete
MindaNews sources who requested not to be named said progress had, indeed, been made by the the technical working groups on Power-Sharing, Wealth-Sharing and Normalization. The same sources said the Power-Sharing group had accomplished 97% of their task, that there was a “breakthrough” in the Wealth-Sharing Annex and that there was significant progress in the Normalization Annex. The sources added that the Annex on Transitional Arrangements and Modalities was “99% complete” but the parties were deadlocked on a major issue that the for the MILF is ‘non-negotiable:’ the leadership of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA), the body that will take over the ARMM as soon as the Bangsamoro Basic Law is ratified. The same sources said the MILF, which will lead the 15-person Transition Commission based on the FAB formula of an all-Bangsamoro commission composed of seven from the GPH and eight from the MILF including the TransCom chair, is not amenable to the GPH proposal for a Bangamoro-led BTA instead of an MILF-led BTA.
The GPH, according to sources, is pushing for a two-track convergence of the MILF and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) peace processes through the BTA. An MILF source told MindaNews: “parang kami ang nagsaing, iba ang kakain” (it’s like we did the cooking but not the eating). “It’s not a formula for convergence but a formula for chaos,” the source said. Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Quintos-Deles had earlier said that the seven members selected by the GPH for the TransCom would include representatives from women, Lumads (indigenous peoples) and the MNLF.
Factions
Citing leadership issues, among others, the late Salamat Hashim, the first chair of the MILF, broke away from the MNLF to form the “New MNLF.” The latter was renamed to MILF in the early 1980s. Hashim was MNLF Vice chair when he bolted the MNLF under chair Nur Misuari, to form the MILF, after the 1976 Tripoli Agreement collapsed. The MNLF broke into three factions – MNLF under Misuari, the MILF under Hashim and MNLF Reformist Group under Dimas Pundato – but the latter disbanded immediately after Corazon Aquino was installed President by the People Power revolt in 1986. The MNLF under Misuari talked peace with the Aquino administration but no agreement was reached until the signing of the 1996 “Final Peace Agreement” under the Ramos administration. The MNLF then took over the leadership of the ARMM and other transitory implementing mechanisms such as the Southern Philippines Council for Peace and Development and the Consultative Assembly. The MNLF later complained that the agreement was not fully implemented and much later broke again into several factions citing issues on leadership, among others. Misuari criticized the peace process with the MILF as illegal and described the signing of the 2012 FAB as a “tripartite conspiracy” of the GPH, MILF and Malaysia.
The FAB provides that upon promulgation and ratification of the Bangsamoro Basic Law, the ARMM shall be deemed abolished and “all devolved authorities shall be vested in the Bangsamoro Transition Authority during the interim period.” The FAB also provides that when the BTA is in place, “the ministerial form and Cabinet system of government shall commence” and that the BTA “may reorganize the bureaucracy into institutions of governance appropriate thereto.”
The 15-person Transition Commission that will draft the Bangsamoro Basic Law, among other tasks, is to be “created by an Executive Order and supported by Congressional Resolutions.”
Deles in late October said the EO would be issued after the Undas in early November. As of December 16, no EO has been issued. Congress will take a break for the holidays on December 22 to January 20.
Third time
This is the third time in the 30-month peace talks under the Aquino administration that the panels ended their talks without a joint statement and with no date set for the next meeting. The first was during the August 22-24 talks last year when the supposed three-day talks adjourned abruptly on the second day after the MILF peace panel rejected the government’s proposed “three for one” formula and then government peace panel chair Marvic Leonen shot back with “we reject your rejection.” The second time the panels did not issue a Joint Statement was in May, just a month after the two panels signed on April 24 the “GPH-MILF Decision Points on Principles as of April 2012.” The Joint Statement, usually less than ten paragraphs and issued at the end of the talks, describes the progress of the negotiations, though in carefully worded language, announces the month when the parties will meet again and expresses their appreciation to President Benigno Simeon Aquino III and Malaysian Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib Bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak and members of the International Contact Group composed of Japan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Turkey, United Kingdom, Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, Conciliation Resources, Muhammadiyah, and The Asia Foundation.
http://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2012/12/16/gph-milf-peace-nego-on-annexes-ends-with-tasks-unfinished/
Govt, MILF negotiators tackle annexes but reach 'impasse'
From GMA News (Dec 16): Govt, MILF negotiators tackle annexes but reach 'impasse'
Peace negotiators of the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front met in Malaysia to work on the draft annexes that would complement a framework peace agreement they signed last October. But while the government side said both sides made substantial progress on the draft annexes, the MILF said the talks ended in a "technical impasse." “It was a very rigorous process with hard and exhaustive discussions but we are pleased to note that the GPH-MILF table has found common language on many of the remaining issues,” new government chief negotiator Miriam Ferrer said as the talks ended Saturday evening, the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process said.
Both panels formed new teams of two panel members each and their respective heads of secretariat to flesh out the annex on Transitional Arrangements and Modalities. This annex detailed the political road-map that will lead to the establishment of the elected Bangsamoro government in 2016.
Ferrer said the team on Transitional Arrangements and Modalities was able to complete a draft. During the talks, the technical working groups (TWGs) for the annexes on Power-Sharing, Wealth-Sharing and Normalization also submitted their output to the panels.“We will now be conferring with our principals on all the current drafts produced by the TWGs and elevated to the panels for resolution,” Ferrer said. She added that while both sides had aimed to complete all the annexes this year, the panels recognize the amount of detail that still needs to be worked out. “Flexibility has always been our trademark in this process. There are difficult issues, but no issue is insurmountable,” she said.
On the other hand, the MILF said the 34th exploratory peace talks ended in a “technical” impasse after the Malaysian facilitator, Dato Tengku Ab’ Ghaafar bin Mohamed, adjourned the session at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. It noted there was no closing program, joint statement, or date for the next round of talks. The MILF said its peace panel did not push for a joint statement and date for the next round of talks, as that there are no formal agreements whether in the level of the panel or of the TWGs that merited mentioning or acknowledgment. However, it echoed the government's assessment that the parties made "tremendous gains" on the four annexes, including power sharing, wealth sharing, modalities and arrangements, and normalization. "The work on power-sharing is 95 percent settled; on wealth-sharing, 60 percent settled; on Modalities and Arrangement, 99 percent; and on Normalization, 30 percent," the MILF quoted a member of its peace panel secretariat as saying.
Heading for technical impasse
MILF peace panel chairman Mohagher Iqbal forewarned the parties of a “technical impasse” after a grueling session that started in the TWG level. At the time, both sides were discussing whether the MILF would lead the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA). The government peace panel wanted the “Bangsamoro” to lead it, but the MILF argued that such a position might lead to “struggle of the fittest and chaos” as this would imply that the chairman of the BTA is open for grabs. Iqbal said that he does not believe this position of the government peace panel reflects the thinking of President Benigno Aquino III.
MILF peace panel member Abhoud Syed Lingga suggested that the series of events both in the international and domestic fronts pointed to efforts to reconcile the GPH-MNLF Final Peace Agreement of 1996 and the GPH-MILF Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro. Another MILF peace panel member, Maulana Alonto, said the MILF leading the BTA is a non-negotiable matter, arguing that the MILF has long been the partner of the government in peace-making in the last 16 years. In the plenary session of the panels that climaxed the end of the talks, Alonto pointedly told the GPH Peace Panel that the MILF-led BTA formulation that has been reflected in the Modalities and Transitional Arrangement Annex draft is a crucial position that the MILF Peace Panel can never abandon. He added it is a “take it or leave it” proposition, to which the government peace panel should give serious thought before rejecting or modifying it. “This treatment is not reasonable, fair, and humane,” said Datu Antonio Kinoc, an alternate member of the MILF peace panel.
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/286661/news/nation/govt-milf-negotiators-tackle-annexes-but-reach-impasse?ref=latest
Peace negotiators of the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front met in Malaysia to work on the draft annexes that would complement a framework peace agreement they signed last October. But while the government side said both sides made substantial progress on the draft annexes, the MILF said the talks ended in a "technical impasse." “It was a very rigorous process with hard and exhaustive discussions but we are pleased to note that the GPH-MILF table has found common language on many of the remaining issues,” new government chief negotiator Miriam Ferrer said as the talks ended Saturday evening, the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process said.
Both panels formed new teams of two panel members each and their respective heads of secretariat to flesh out the annex on Transitional Arrangements and Modalities. This annex detailed the political road-map that will lead to the establishment of the elected Bangsamoro government in 2016.
Ferrer said the team on Transitional Arrangements and Modalities was able to complete a draft. During the talks, the technical working groups (TWGs) for the annexes on Power-Sharing, Wealth-Sharing and Normalization also submitted their output to the panels.“We will now be conferring with our principals on all the current drafts produced by the TWGs and elevated to the panels for resolution,” Ferrer said. She added that while both sides had aimed to complete all the annexes this year, the panels recognize the amount of detail that still needs to be worked out. “Flexibility has always been our trademark in this process. There are difficult issues, but no issue is insurmountable,” she said.
On the other hand, the MILF said the 34th exploratory peace talks ended in a “technical” impasse after the Malaysian facilitator, Dato Tengku Ab’ Ghaafar bin Mohamed, adjourned the session at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. It noted there was no closing program, joint statement, or date for the next round of talks. The MILF said its peace panel did not push for a joint statement and date for the next round of talks, as that there are no formal agreements whether in the level of the panel or of the TWGs that merited mentioning or acknowledgment. However, it echoed the government's assessment that the parties made "tremendous gains" on the four annexes, including power sharing, wealth sharing, modalities and arrangements, and normalization. "The work on power-sharing is 95 percent settled; on wealth-sharing, 60 percent settled; on Modalities and Arrangement, 99 percent; and on Normalization, 30 percent," the MILF quoted a member of its peace panel secretariat as saying.
Heading for technical impasse
MILF peace panel chairman Mohagher Iqbal forewarned the parties of a “technical impasse” after a grueling session that started in the TWG level. At the time, both sides were discussing whether the MILF would lead the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA). The government peace panel wanted the “Bangsamoro” to lead it, but the MILF argued that such a position might lead to “struggle of the fittest and chaos” as this would imply that the chairman of the BTA is open for grabs. Iqbal said that he does not believe this position of the government peace panel reflects the thinking of President Benigno Aquino III.
MILF peace panel member Abhoud Syed Lingga suggested that the series of events both in the international and domestic fronts pointed to efforts to reconcile the GPH-MNLF Final Peace Agreement of 1996 and the GPH-MILF Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro. Another MILF peace panel member, Maulana Alonto, said the MILF leading the BTA is a non-negotiable matter, arguing that the MILF has long been the partner of the government in peace-making in the last 16 years. In the plenary session of the panels that climaxed the end of the talks, Alonto pointedly told the GPH Peace Panel that the MILF-led BTA formulation that has been reflected in the Modalities and Transitional Arrangement Annex draft is a crucial position that the MILF Peace Panel can never abandon. He added it is a “take it or leave it” proposition, to which the government peace panel should give serious thought before rejecting or modifying it. “This treatment is not reasonable, fair, and humane,” said Datu Antonio Kinoc, an alternate member of the MILF peace panel.
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/286661/news/nation/govt-milf-negotiators-tackle-annexes-but-reach-impasse?ref=latest
Army arrests 19 suspected NPA rebels
From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Dec 16): Army arrests 19 suspected NPA rebels
Nineteen persons were arrested on Thursday because they were allegedly involved in a gun battle with Army troops. Colonel Francisco Patrimonio, 302nd Infantry Brigade commander, said they arrested 19 persons at the encounter site in Sitio Mahopaho, Barangay (village) San Agustin, Isabela town, Negros Occidental. Isabela town is located 78.2 kilometers south of Bacolod City. Two soldiers, Private First Class Dennis Acosta and Pfc. Oliver Grecia, died in the encounter. Three of the four injured soldiers were 2nd Lt. Shannon Pamitan, Sgt. Romeo Castellano and Pfc. Justin Esquibel, all assigned at the 11th Infantry Battalion (IB).
But Karapatan-Negros secretary general Fred Cana said Army soldiers committed human rights violations by arresting civilians they were supposed to protect. Patrimonio, however, noted that the arrested persons were in a remote area where there were no houses. “Why were they (the alleged rebels) in the encounter site?” Patrimonio asked. He added that they would still pursue the filing of criminal charges against the 19 arrested persons, including three who claimed they were minors. Patrimonio said the 19 persons could be held liable for the murder of the two soldiers and the attempt to kill four other government troops. The Army on Thursday turned over the arrested persons to the Isabela police for further investigation.
Inspector Jason Manguilimutan, Isabela police chief, on Friday said the 19 persons endorsed to them were subjected to paraffin tests by the Philippine National Police Crime Laboratory personnel to determine if they have fired guns. Manguilimutan said they would assist the Army only in the filing of the case against the arrested persons.
After the gun battle between 11th IB soldiers led by 1st Lt. Von Ryan Gomez and about 40 alleged armed rebels, the military seized a camp in the same barangay that could accommodate 50 persons that was believed to have been used by the New People’s Army (NPA). The Army soldiers recovered from the camp several combat packs, a .45 cal. pistol with ammunition, magazines of M14 and M16 assault rifles, antigovernment documents and a CPP-NPA flag, among others.
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/325197/army-arrests-19-suspected-npa-rebels
Nineteen persons were arrested on Thursday because they were allegedly involved in a gun battle with Army troops. Colonel Francisco Patrimonio, 302nd Infantry Brigade commander, said they arrested 19 persons at the encounter site in Sitio Mahopaho, Barangay (village) San Agustin, Isabela town, Negros Occidental. Isabela town is located 78.2 kilometers south of Bacolod City. Two soldiers, Private First Class Dennis Acosta and Pfc. Oliver Grecia, died in the encounter. Three of the four injured soldiers were 2nd Lt. Shannon Pamitan, Sgt. Romeo Castellano and Pfc. Justin Esquibel, all assigned at the 11th Infantry Battalion (IB).
But Karapatan-Negros secretary general Fred Cana said Army soldiers committed human rights violations by arresting civilians they were supposed to protect. Patrimonio, however, noted that the arrested persons were in a remote area where there were no houses. “Why were they (the alleged rebels) in the encounter site?” Patrimonio asked. He added that they would still pursue the filing of criminal charges against the 19 arrested persons, including three who claimed they were minors. Patrimonio said the 19 persons could be held liable for the murder of the two soldiers and the attempt to kill four other government troops. The Army on Thursday turned over the arrested persons to the Isabela police for further investigation.
Inspector Jason Manguilimutan, Isabela police chief, on Friday said the 19 persons endorsed to them were subjected to paraffin tests by the Philippine National Police Crime Laboratory personnel to determine if they have fired guns. Manguilimutan said they would assist the Army only in the filing of the case against the arrested persons.
After the gun battle between 11th IB soldiers led by 1st Lt. Von Ryan Gomez and about 40 alleged armed rebels, the military seized a camp in the same barangay that could accommodate 50 persons that was believed to have been used by the New People’s Army (NPA). The Army soldiers recovered from the camp several combat packs, a .45 cal. pistol with ammunition, magazines of M14 and M16 assault rifles, antigovernment documents and a CPP-NPA flag, among others.
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/325197/army-arrests-19-suspected-npa-rebels
Kris Aquino gifts wife of MILF chief
From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Dec 16): Kris Aquino gifts wife of MILF chief
As government and Moro rebels pursue peace through negotiations, President Aquino’s sister Kris is taking steps to befriend the family of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) chief Murad Ebrahim. Kris had a “special gift delivered, through the government peace panel, to Murad’s wife, Hadja Lupia Ebrahim. The gift is a framed and autographed photo of Kris with an entourage of MILF women who came to Malacañang Palace last Oct. 15 for the signing of the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro. Like the MILF leaders who trooped to the Palace that day, these women were setting foot into the country’s seat of power for the first time. “Ms. Aquino had thoughtfully remembered her charming encounter with the MILF ladies at the signing of the Framework Agreement in Malacañang last October 15,” chief government negotiator Miriam Coronel-Ferrer said in a statement.
As government and Moro rebels pursue peace through negotiations, President Aquino’s sister Kris is taking steps to befriend the family of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) chief Murad Ebrahim. Kris had a “special gift delivered, through the government peace panel, to Murad’s wife, Hadja Lupia Ebrahim. The gift is a framed and autographed photo of Kris with an entourage of MILF women who came to Malacañang Palace last Oct. 15 for the signing of the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro. Like the MILF leaders who trooped to the Palace that day, these women were setting foot into the country’s seat of power for the first time. “Ms. Aquino had thoughtfully remembered her charming encounter with the MILF ladies at the signing of the Framework Agreement in Malacañang last October 15,” chief government negotiator Miriam Coronel-Ferrer said in a statement.
Before delivering his address at the Oct.
15 signing rites, Murad had acknowledged Kris from among the special guests who
were invited to witness the historic occasion. The dignitaries included Malaysian Prime
Minister Najib Tun Razak, Organization of Islamic Cooperation secretary-general
Ekmeleddin Ihasanoglu, the diplomatic community, and top leaders of government.
During the opening of the 34th exploratory
meeting of the peace panels in Kuala Lumpur Wednesday, Coronel-Ferrer asked MILF
chief negotiator Mohagher Iqbal to deliver the gift to Murad’s family in behalf
of Kris. Coronel-Ferrer added that the government
panel also assembled other photos from the signing ceremony as souvenir for
Murad himself. Coronel-Ferrer said they did not know at
first what the gift was all about because they were only asked to pick up a
package at the Palace and was further instructed to bring it to Kuala Lumpur for
the current meeting.
She said that in this phase of the talks,
the 15th under the Aquino administration, government brought “a fortified team…
that has worked tirelessly with the different agencies the last three weeks” to
muster a final position on the issues of power-sharing, wealth-sharing and
normalization. “The wide range of government offices
involved in our meetings here and in the Philippines indicates the high level of
support the peace process with the MILF enjoys in the whole government under
President Aquino’s leadership,” Coronel-Ferrer stressed. “It reflects the firm determination of the
bureaucracy… to finish the work,” she added. At the start of the meeting,
Coronel-Ferrer assured that government was ready to wrap up negotiations on
power-sharing. The parties have set the yearend as
deadline for crafting a comprehensive agreement.
Government starts holiday truce with NPA rebels
From the Philippine Star (Dec 16): Government starts holiday truce with NPA rebels
The Philippine government forces began enforcing today an 18-day truce with the rebel group New People's Army (NPA) for the celebration of the Christmas season, the military announced. This year's Suspension of Offensive Military Operations covered the same dates of last year's truce, which will allow the rebels and soldiers to be with their families to celebrate Christmas and New Year, said Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesman Arnulfo Marcelo Burgos. "The only prohibition is the conduct of deliberate offensive such as combat operations to degrade the armed capability or seize NPA encampments through deliberate offensive operations," he said. However, the government forces will continue their patrol to protect communities and vital installations during the truce, Burgos said.
The rebel group traditionally declares truce with the government. However, it has yet to announce any date for this year. The government has a standing truce with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, and negotiation is going on for a peace accord between them. The government does not declare truce with terrorist organizations like the Abu Sayyaf Group. The NPA, armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, has been waging a guerrilla campaign in the countryside for more than four decades. The military estimated the NPA strength at more than 4,000 men scattered in more than 60 guerrilla fronts throughout the country.
http://www.philstar.com/breaking-news/2012/12/16/886771/government-starts-holiday-truce-npa-rebels
The Philippine government forces began enforcing today an 18-day truce with the rebel group New People's Army (NPA) for the celebration of the Christmas season, the military announced. This year's Suspension of Offensive Military Operations covered the same dates of last year's truce, which will allow the rebels and soldiers to be with their families to celebrate Christmas and New Year, said Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesman Arnulfo Marcelo Burgos. "The only prohibition is the conduct of deliberate offensive such as combat operations to degrade the armed capability or seize NPA encampments through deliberate offensive operations," he said. However, the government forces will continue their patrol to protect communities and vital installations during the truce, Burgos said.
The rebel group traditionally declares truce with the government. However, it has yet to announce any date for this year. The government has a standing truce with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, and negotiation is going on for a peace accord between them. The government does not declare truce with terrorist organizations like the Abu Sayyaf Group. The NPA, armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, has been waging a guerrilla campaign in the countryside for more than four decades. The military estimated the NPA strength at more than 4,000 men scattered in more than 60 guerrilla fronts throughout the country.
http://www.philstar.com/breaking-news/2012/12/16/886771/government-starts-holiday-truce-npa-rebels
Partylist, non-profit group co-sponsor free screenings of human rights-themed movies
Philippine Information Agency (Dec 16): Partylist, non-profit group co-sponsor free screenings of human rights-themed movies
Kabataan Partylist and Tudla Productions co-sponsored free screenings of human rights-themed movies in Angeles City as part of the observance of International Human Rights Day. Dubbed “Truth Cinema: Human Rights Film Festival”, the film showings were attended by residents of barangay Pampang and students from City College of Angeles. Festival director Kj Dumapit said “we wanted to reach out to the marginalized sectors (of our society, and show them) on what really occurs now regarding human rights cases in the country. And through holdings of this festival all over Luzon, it is heart-melting that people get informed about the issue, in which we can say, our target has been met.”
For their part, Kabataan Partylist spokesperson Guiller Martin Cadano pointed out that “through this undertaking, we will little by little, lessen human rights violations by informing them, and raising their awareness towards these issues.” Festival attendee Marc Valenciano said “regardless of the viewers’ political stand, the films viewed on the Truth Cinema will not fail to develop social consciousness among its audience. Its title speaks for itself.” Among the films that were shown include Lino Brocka’s “Orapronobis”, and those that centered on the infamous Maguindanao massacre: Kiri Dalena and Patricia Evangelista’s “58”, and Ed Lingao’s “Maguindanao Massacre: One Year After Massacre.”
http://www.pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?article=551355473153
Kabataan Partylist and Tudla Productions co-sponsored free screenings of human rights-themed movies in Angeles City as part of the observance of International Human Rights Day. Dubbed “Truth Cinema: Human Rights Film Festival”, the film showings were attended by residents of barangay Pampang and students from City College of Angeles. Festival director Kj Dumapit said “we wanted to reach out to the marginalized sectors (of our society, and show them) on what really occurs now regarding human rights cases in the country. And through holdings of this festival all over Luzon, it is heart-melting that people get informed about the issue, in which we can say, our target has been met.”
For their part, Kabataan Partylist spokesperson Guiller Martin Cadano pointed out that “through this undertaking, we will little by little, lessen human rights violations by informing them, and raising their awareness towards these issues.” Festival attendee Marc Valenciano said “regardless of the viewers’ political stand, the films viewed on the Truth Cinema will not fail to develop social consciousness among its audience. Its title speaks for itself.” Among the films that were shown include Lino Brocka’s “Orapronobis”, and those that centered on the infamous Maguindanao massacre: Kiri Dalena and Patricia Evangelista’s “58”, and Ed Lingao’s “Maguindanao Massacre: One Year After Massacre.”
http://www.pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?article=551355473153
AFP’s Western Command calls on residents to help guard security in Palawan
From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 16): AFP’s Western Command calls on
residents to help guard security in Palawan
The AFP’s Western Command (WESCOM) called on residents in northern Palawan, particularly in the town of Roxas, to help curb insurgency by being vigilant for anything unusual which could threaten security. WESCOM spokesperson Maj. Oliver Bañaria said the raid of the municipal police station in Roxas by armed men who claimed to be members of the New People’s Army (NPA)aimed to sow fear among residents to stop them from cooperating with authorities.
Twenty armed men raided a municipal police station in Palawan on Wednesday killing a policeman and injuring another. “This is what they really do; to propagate fear among residents to prevent them from cooperating with us. Its effect can be anything; it can be negative or positive. If people refuse to cooperate and remain living in fear, then it will be that way. We appeal to the people, particularly in Roxas, (to) cooperate with authorities to end their atrocities and live in peace,” Bañaria said. Bañaria said the joint pursuit operation by elements of the Palawan Police Office (PPO) and troops from the Marine Battalion Landing Team 4 continues in Roxas and nearby town of Taytay, where the armed suspects allegedly fled.
On the other hand, while the Provincial Tourism Office (PTO) is worried about the raid, it remains positive that it won’t affect the tourism industry in the province which is slowly gaining momentum. “The assurance of peace and security is one of the factors for a successful industry, that is why we hope this incident will not affect it,” said Provincial Tourism Officer Maribel Buñi in reaction to questions about how the incident will affect Palawan tourism. December being the beginning of the peak season in the province, Buñi hopes no similar incident will again take place. “We know that our authorities are doing their best to keep Palawan safe and secure, and by this, we also appeal for residents to cooperate. If they see people with suspicious activities, they should immediately tell authorities,” she said.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=480290
The AFP’s Western Command (WESCOM) called on residents in northern Palawan, particularly in the town of Roxas, to help curb insurgency by being vigilant for anything unusual which could threaten security. WESCOM spokesperson Maj. Oliver Bañaria said the raid of the municipal police station in Roxas by armed men who claimed to be members of the New People’s Army (NPA)aimed to sow fear among residents to stop them from cooperating with authorities.
Twenty armed men raided a municipal police station in Palawan on Wednesday killing a policeman and injuring another. “This is what they really do; to propagate fear among residents to prevent them from cooperating with us. Its effect can be anything; it can be negative or positive. If people refuse to cooperate and remain living in fear, then it will be that way. We appeal to the people, particularly in Roxas, (to) cooperate with authorities to end their atrocities and live in peace,” Bañaria said. Bañaria said the joint pursuit operation by elements of the Palawan Police Office (PPO) and troops from the Marine Battalion Landing Team 4 continues in Roxas and nearby town of Taytay, where the armed suspects allegedly fled.
On the other hand, while the Provincial Tourism Office (PTO) is worried about the raid, it remains positive that it won’t affect the tourism industry in the province which is slowly gaining momentum. “The assurance of peace and security is one of the factors for a successful industry, that is why we hope this incident will not affect it,” said Provincial Tourism Officer Maribel Buñi in reaction to questions about how the incident will affect Palawan tourism. December being the beginning of the peak season in the province, Buñi hopes no similar incident will again take place. “We know that our authorities are doing their best to keep Palawan safe and secure, and by this, we also appeal for residents to cooperate. If they see people with suspicious activities, they should immediately tell authorities,” she said.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=480290
CPP: CPP condoles with victims of US school shooting
From the CPP Website (Dec 16): CPP condoles with victims of US school shooting
The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) today expressed its profound sympathies to the family and friends of the victims of the mass shooting of 26 people, including 20 young school children and teachers in an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut, USA last Friday. The Connecticut school shooting brings back memories of similar incidents in the US, including the 1999 mass killing of 13 people in a high school in Columbine, Colorado, the killing of 32 people at the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg, Virginia in 2007, the July carnage at a movie house in Colorado where 12 people died and 52 were wounded and the shooting of six people in a religious temple in Wisconsin last August. “The CPP joins the American people in mourning the deaths of innocent people, especially the young children. The CPP joins the working class people of the US in demanding decisive political action to put an end to the spate of mass killings that has haunted US society over the past several years.”
http://www.philippinerevolution.net/statements/cpp-condoles-with-victims-of-us-school-shooting
The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) today expressed its profound sympathies to the family and friends of the victims of the mass shooting of 26 people, including 20 young school children and teachers in an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut, USA last Friday. The Connecticut school shooting brings back memories of similar incidents in the US, including the 1999 mass killing of 13 people in a high school in Columbine, Colorado, the killing of 32 people at the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg, Virginia in 2007, the July carnage at a movie house in Colorado where 12 people died and 52 were wounded and the shooting of six people in a religious temple in Wisconsin last August. “The CPP joins the American people in mourning the deaths of innocent people, especially the young children. The CPP joins the working class people of the US in demanding decisive political action to put an end to the spate of mass killings that has haunted US society over the past several years.”
http://www.philippinerevolution.net/statements/cpp-condoles-with-victims-of-us-school-shooting
MILF: GPH-MILF 34th Exploratory Peace Talks ends in ‘technical’ impasse
From the MILF Website (Dec 16): GPH-MILF 34th Exploratory Peace Talks ends in ‘technical’ impasse
The GPH-MILF 34th Exploratory Peace Talks in Kuala Lumpur had ended in a “technical” impasse after the Malaysian facilitator, Dato Tengku Ab’ Ghaafar bin Mohamed, adjourned the session Saturday night at 7:30 without a closing program, joint statement, and date for the next round of talks. The MILF peace panel did not push for a joint statement and date for the next round of talks, saying that there are no formal agreements whether in the level of the panel or of the technical working groups (TWGs) that merited mentioning or acknowledgment.
However, in all other aspects of the talks, the parties have made tremendous gains on the four Annexes, Power sharing, Wealth sharing, Modalities and Arrangements, and Normalization. The work on power-sharing is 95% settled; on wealth-sharing, 60% settled; on Modalities and Arrangement, 99%; and on Normalization, 30%. This was the estimate of one member of the MILF peace panel secretariat, who requested anonymity, for lack of authority to speak on the matter.
As early as the second part of the plenary session last night, MILF peace panel chair, Mohagher Iqbal, had forewarned the parties for the record that the two panels were heading for a “technical impasse” after a grueling session that started in the TWG level the other day on the issue whether the MILF would lead the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA). The government peace panel wanted the “Bangsamoro” to lead it, which the MILF argued as a menu for the “struggle of the fittest and chaos” as this would imply that the chairman of the BTA is open for grabs. In an interview with Luwaran, Iqbal said that he does not believe this position of the government peace panel reflects the thinking of President Benigno Aquino III.
MILF peace panel member, Abhoud Syed Lingga, advanced the idea that the series of events both in the international and domestic fronts pointed to efforts to ‘reconcile’ the GPH-MNLF Final Peace Agreement of 1996 and the GPH-MILF Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro. However, he refused to add more details on the issue, saying let everyone discover the truth.
Another MILF peace panel member, Maulana Alonto, who was sitting in the Panel-to-Panel TWG discussion on Modalities and Transitional Arrangements, told their counterparts in government that the MILF leading the BTA is a non-negotiable matter, arguing that the MILF has long been the partner of the government in peace-making in the 16 long years of negotiation and after it signed the FAB; but all of a sudden, the government would replace it with strangers to the talks. In the plenary session of the panels that climaxed the end of the talks, Alonto pointedly told the GPH Peace Panel that the ‘MILF-led BTA’ formulation that has been reflected in the Modalities and Transitional Arrangement Annex draft is a crucial position that the MILF Peace Panel can never abandon and therefore it is a “take it or leave it” proposition to which the GPH Peace Panel should give serious thought to before rejecting or modifying it. “This treatment is not reasonable, fair, and humane,” Datu Antonio Kinoc, alternate member of the MILF peace panel, lamented.
http://www.luwaran.com/home/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2995:gph-milf-34th-exploratory-peace-talks-ends-in-technical-impasse&catid=31:general&Itemid=41
The GPH-MILF 34th Exploratory Peace Talks in Kuala Lumpur had ended in a “technical” impasse after the Malaysian facilitator, Dato Tengku Ab’ Ghaafar bin Mohamed, adjourned the session Saturday night at 7:30 without a closing program, joint statement, and date for the next round of talks. The MILF peace panel did not push for a joint statement and date for the next round of talks, saying that there are no formal agreements whether in the level of the panel or of the technical working groups (TWGs) that merited mentioning or acknowledgment.
However, in all other aspects of the talks, the parties have made tremendous gains on the four Annexes, Power sharing, Wealth sharing, Modalities and Arrangements, and Normalization. The work on power-sharing is 95% settled; on wealth-sharing, 60% settled; on Modalities and Arrangement, 99%; and on Normalization, 30%. This was the estimate of one member of the MILF peace panel secretariat, who requested anonymity, for lack of authority to speak on the matter.
As early as the second part of the plenary session last night, MILF peace panel chair, Mohagher Iqbal, had forewarned the parties for the record that the two panels were heading for a “technical impasse” after a grueling session that started in the TWG level the other day on the issue whether the MILF would lead the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA). The government peace panel wanted the “Bangsamoro” to lead it, which the MILF argued as a menu for the “struggle of the fittest and chaos” as this would imply that the chairman of the BTA is open for grabs. In an interview with Luwaran, Iqbal said that he does not believe this position of the government peace panel reflects the thinking of President Benigno Aquino III.
MILF peace panel member, Abhoud Syed Lingga, advanced the idea that the series of events both in the international and domestic fronts pointed to efforts to ‘reconcile’ the GPH-MNLF Final Peace Agreement of 1996 and the GPH-MILF Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro. However, he refused to add more details on the issue, saying let everyone discover the truth.
Another MILF peace panel member, Maulana Alonto, who was sitting in the Panel-to-Panel TWG discussion on Modalities and Transitional Arrangements, told their counterparts in government that the MILF leading the BTA is a non-negotiable matter, arguing that the MILF has long been the partner of the government in peace-making in the 16 long years of negotiation and after it signed the FAB; but all of a sudden, the government would replace it with strangers to the talks. In the plenary session of the panels that climaxed the end of the talks, Alonto pointedly told the GPH Peace Panel that the ‘MILF-led BTA’ formulation that has been reflected in the Modalities and Transitional Arrangement Annex draft is a crucial position that the MILF Peace Panel can never abandon and therefore it is a “take it or leave it” proposition to which the GPH Peace Panel should give serious thought to before rejecting or modifying it. “This treatment is not reasonable, fair, and humane,” Datu Antonio Kinoc, alternate member of the MILF peace panel, lamented.
http://www.luwaran.com/home/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2995:gph-milf-34th-exploratory-peace-talks-ends-in-technical-impasse&catid=31:general&Itemid=41