Tuesday, January 15, 2013

CPP: Report of AFP offensive operations in disregard of synchronized ceasefire agreement

Posted to the CPP Website (Jan 15): Report of AFP offensive operations in disregard of synchronized ceasefire agreement
  1. On January 10, elements of the AFP’s 10th Special Forces augmented by local CAFGU forces raided a platoon under the NPA Herminio Alfonso Command (Guerrilla Front 53) in Upper Tiwayan, Barangay Badyangun, Arakan, North Cotabato. The NPA unit was preparing to conduct a meeting with the local peasant masses to discuss the land problem in the area.
  2. On January 9, elements of the 67th IB arrested and detained civilian Pablito Gubaton, a purok chairman of Sityo Bangas, Barangay Mainit, Cateel town. He was released only after eight hours of tactical interrogation. The military accused Gubaton of receiving relief packs from the New People’s Army.
  3. On January 2, elements of the 2nd IB entered Barangay Sta. Cruz, Donsol, Sorsogon and launched combat operations against the New People’s Army and revolutionary mass organizations in the area.
  4. On January 1, three platoons of the 84th IB entered Barangay Tambobong, Baguio District, Davao City and began carrying out military operations in the area. Further augmented by other troops on January 3, the 84th IB has forced the evacuation of some 125 families, restricted work in plantations and controlled the movement of rice and other food supplies in the area.
  5. Elements of the Cagayan Valley Regional PNP arrested last December 28 in Bagumbayan, Tuguegarao City Rene Esmondo Abiva whom the military also alleges to be a revolutionary leader.
  6. The 10th ID set up checkpoints along roads leading to Paquibato district to deter visitors from attending the mass assembly scheduled to mark the CPP anniversary last December 26.
  7. Since December, elements of the 57th and 40th IB have been scouring the villages of Old Bulatukan, New Israel and Biangan, all in Makilala, North Cotabato and have put up two batteries of 105 howitzer canons against NPA Guerrilla Fronts 51 and 72.
  8. The 10th ID deployed three sections of soldiers in every barangay between Mapula to Barko-barko, Lumiad to Riverside and in Pandaitan, all in Paquibato district, Davao City.
  9. Elements of the 69th IB and 84th IB continue to intimidate residents of Purok Isled, Barangay Damilag in Calinan, Davao City in order to force them to report the whereabouts of the local NPA units.
  10. Elements of the 302nd Brigade and local police forces arrested last December 25 in Manjuyod, Negros Oriental, Oligario Sebas, whom the military claims to be Filemon Mendrez, allegedly a ranking revolutionary leader.
  11. On December 23, elements of the PNP in Milagros, Masabate City and troops of the 9th Infantry Battalion abducted Olalio Gonzaga, 22, of Barangay Bolo, Masbate City and Noel Espinosa, 37, a village watchman in Barangay Miabas, Palanas, Masbate.
  12. Elements of the 74th IB arrested last December 21 five local peasants in Mulanay, Quezon and accused them of being members of the New People’s Army (NPA).
  13. Hours before December 16, at the start of the Aquino regime’s ceasefire declaration, a platoon of the 31st Infantry Battalion clandestinely entered Barangay Hamorawon, Bulan, Sorsogon. For several days, it scoured the mountainous areas up to the border of the towns of Bulan and Irosin, before eventually returning to their camp.
  14. Elements of the PNP Regional Public Safety Battalion (formerly Regional Mobile Group o RMG) conducted combat operations in Barangay Macahoy, San Pascual, Masbate on December 24 and 25. On December 28 and 29, these troops raided the home of a peasant family in Barangay Mabini suspected of being active in the revolutionary movement.
  15. Intelligence and psywar operations continue to be conducted by the so-called “peace and development teams” of the AFP in roughly 40 barangays in the Bicol region.
http://www.philippinerevolution.net/statements/report-of-afp-offensive-operations-in-disregard-of-synchronized-ceasefire-agreement

CPP: CPP calls on NPA to gear up against AFP offensive

From the CPP Website (Jan 15): CPP calls on NPA to gear up against AFP offensive

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) today called on the New People’s Army (NPA) to immediately assume an offensive posture, seize the initiative and gear up against the anticipated military offensives to be carried out by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) against the NPA and the revolutionary masses as the temporary synchronized ceasefire agreement expires by the end of the day.

At the same time, the CPP announced that over the past 27 days, the New People’s Army has strictly abided by the ceasefire declaration issued by the CPP Central Committee that covered the period December 20 to January 15.

The CPP also denounced the Aquino regime and its Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Philippine National Police (PNP) for continuing to heighten offensive operations during the agreed upon ceasefire period and committing grave abuses of human rights. (See updated ceasefire report.)
“Over the past 27 days, the AFP carried out widespread deployment of forces and offensive operations from Luzon to Mindanao, taking advantage of the goodwill of the revolutionary forces,” said the CPP. “The most recent incident involved a raid last January 10 by elements of the AFP’s 10th Special Forces augmented by local CAFGU forces on a platoon of the NPA Herminio Alfonso Command in Upper Tiwayan, Barangay Badyangun, Arakan, North Cotabato.”

According to the NDF-Southern Mindanao, the NPA unit was preparing to conduct a meeting with the local peasant masses to discuss the land problem in the area. Strictly abiding by the terms of the CPP ceasefire declaration, the NPA unit defended itself, prevailed over the AFP offensive and safely evaded the enemy.

“In declaring the December 20 to January 15 ceasefire in synchrony with a similar ceasefire declaration by the GPH, the CPP aimed to generate goodwill in order to boost the NDFP-GPH peace negotiations,” added the CPP.

“Unfortunately, the GPH attempted to mock the December 18 statement attested to by the Royal Norwegian Government (RNG) Ambassador Ture Lundh in not issuing a reciprocal declaration until late afternoon of January 2, fifteen days after the agreement, which prompted the CPP to momentarily rescind the ceasefire order,” pointed out the CPP. The CPP ceasefire declaration was reinstated the following day, upon the recommendation of the NDFP Negotiating Panel, after the NDFP was formally informed of Aquino’s order to the AFP.

“Despite the Aquino regime’s affronts against the December 18 agreement in belatedly issuing a reciprocal ceasefire declaration and persisting with its offensive military operations, the revolutionary forces are willing to bend back a little and continue efforts to engage in peace negotiations with the Philippine government.”

“The revolutionary forces await the next round of formal talks between the NDFP and the GPH and hope that it will produce definitive and more concrete agreements to resolve the outstanding issues of the continued incarceration of 14 NDFP consultants and the detention of at least 400 political prisoners in violation of such standing agreements as the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG) and the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL).”

“Furthermore, the revolutionary forces hope that the NDFP-GPH peace negotiations will be able to progress to the next round of substantive talks in order to tackle pressing socio-economic issues such as landlessness, unemployment, low wages, high prices, hunger, poverty and overall economic stagnation, that are among the root causes of the raging civil war in the country,” said the CPP.

http://www.philippinerevolution.net/statements/cpp-calls-on-npa-to-gear-up-against-afp-offensive

MNLF negotiates release of Abu hostages in Sulu

From the Philippine Star (Jan 16): MNLF negotiates release of Abu hostages in Sulu



MNLF commander Khabir Malik (third from left) arrives with his comrades in Patikul, Sulu on Monday to seek the release of foreign and Filipino hostages long held by the Abu Sayyaf. AP

The Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), which signed a 1996 peace pact with the government, said it sent emissaries on Monday to negotiate the release of foreign and Filipino hostages being held by al-Qaida-linked Abu Sayyaf in Sulu. MNLF commander Khabir Malik said his group sent about 10 commanders to the jungle hideouts of the Abu Sayyaf in Sulu to convince the extremist group’s leaders to release all their captives.

Malik waited with hundreds of armed rebels in Sulu’s Patikul town for word from the emissaries, who he said were given three days to negotiate. He refused to say what the MNLF would do if the Abu Sayyaf would not free the captives. “We are resorting to peaceful discussions and God’s wisdom to ask them to turn over their hostages to us,” Malik told AP by cell phone from Patikul. “If they won’t agree, we will leave to God whatever will happen.”

Authorities believe the captives include Dutch Elwold Horn and Swiss Lorenzo Vinceguerre who were seized in February last year while bird watching in nearby Tawi-Tawi. Abu Sayyaf gunmen are also believed to be holding Japanese treasure hunter Toshio Ito, alias Mamaito Katayama, and Jordanian TV journalist Baker Atyani together with his two Filipino crew Romelito Vela and Roland Letrico who reportedly traveled to Abu Sayyaf encampments in Sulu to interview the militants in June but failed to return.

Despite the MNLF move, police authorities are focused on the kidnapping cases, said Philippine National Police chief Director General Alan Purisima. “There are people working on these cases,” Purisima said in Zamboanga City yesterday. He refused to give details.

Malik said his group took the step after its commanders decided in a recent meeting to help the government, military and police clean up the image of Sulu. Malik said the MNLF move was not aimed at bolstering the candidacy of its chairman, Nur Misuari, who is running for governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao on May 13. The rebels, he said, would not pay the ransom demanded by the Abu Sayyaf for the captives’ freedom. “We have long planned this but we could not coordinate well and muster the force we will need so these violators will listen to us,” Malik said.
Senior Superintendent Antonio Freyra, Sulu police director, said Malik informed him of the MNLF plan to negotiate the freedom of the hostages.

Sulu police forces were on standby but would not get involved in the rebel initiative, he said.
Malik said the MNLF emissaries would attempt to meet with Radulan Sahiron, a one-armed militant, and other Abu Sayyaf commanders. Washington has offered a $1-million reward for the capture or killing of Sahiron, who has been accused of many terrorist acts.

http://www.philstar.com/nation/2013/01/16/897282/mnlf-negotiates-release-abu-hostages-sulu

Army denies ‘overkill,’ it was ‘justified’

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Jan 16): Army denies ‘overkill,’ it was ‘justified’

Members of the Army’s Special Forces in Quezon province served as backup for policemen involved in the supposed encounter in Atimonan town after the Calabarzon regional police command sought the unit’s help in going after a group of guns-for-hire and drug lords, the military said Tuesday. “The name of Vic Siman was not mentioned until after the encounter,” Col. Generoso Bolina, Armed Forces Southern Luzon Command (SolCom) spokesperson, told reporters in Camp Aguinaldo in a phone interview. Bolina said the military conducted its own fact-finding investigation to determine the participation of Army soldiers led by Lt. Col. Monico Abang in the Jan. 6 incident that left Siman and 12 other people dead.

In a phone interview in Lucena City, Abang, commander of the 1st Special Forces Battalion, described the operation as a “calibrated use of force,” not an “overkill” as viewed by a National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) official. The NBI is conducting an investigation into the supposed encounter. “It was justified because we were provoked by a group of armed aggressors who fired at us first,” Abang said.

Bolina said the police request for Army assistance was made through Supt. Ramon Balauag, head of the Quezon police intelligence unit. “He was the one who called up Colonel Abang to ask for augmentation. The 1st Battalion sent one platoon to conduct the joint operation.” The policemen were to set up a checkpoint because the “group of drug lords … are armed with high-caliber guns,” Bolina said.

Restricted

Abang and his 24 men are now restricted to quarters at their battalion headquarters in Candelaria town and have been directed to cooperate with the NBI probe. Bolina stressed, however, that they were not relieved. Abang said reasonable use of firepower was made to subdue the threat from armed aggressors. He insisted that after the first exchange of gun shots that lasted two minutes, the government forces had stopped firing. “But we were fired at again so some of us resumed firing. The firing only stopped after several shouts of ceasefire were heard,” he said. The exchange of shots lasted more than 10 minutes, he added.

Supt. Hansel Marantan, deputy intelligence chief of the regional police office based in Canlubang, Laguna, called up Balauag in the morning of Jan. 6 and “had asked for help and security for a still unspecified operation on the same day somewhere in the province,” according to a police source, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The source said Balauag had informed Senior Supt. Valeriano de Leon, Quezon police chief, on the planned operation. But De Leon was still on vacation in Manila, he said.

Call for assistance

In a phone interview on Monday, Abang said Balauag called him at around 11:10 a.m. on the same day, requesting “Army assistance in the conduct of a checkpoint operation against a group of fully armed elements coming from Bicol.” Abang said he immediately contacted Capt. Erwin Macalinao, head of the Army’s 3rd Special Forces Battalion based in Unisan town and ordered him and his men to meet him in Atimonan.  Abang said he and his 10 soldiers arrived in the town from Candelaria at around noontime aboard a military truck. Together with Macalinao and his men, they proceeded to Barangay Lumutan to join Marantan and the police force who were already setting up checkpoints in the area, he said.

The police source said Marantan conducted his briefing about the operation along the roadside. “He told us that what we’re after is the private armed group of a certain Vic Siman whom he said is also involved in gun-for-hire, illegal drugs and illegal gambling.”

Abang clarified that only 15 Army soldiers in full uniform and armed with rifles were at the encounter site. Ten others were left at the Atimonan police station at the town proper, nine kilometers away. He said he only learned that three of those killed were policemen after the victims were identified by Scene of the Crime Operatives.

Purely police matter

“We knew nothing of the circumstances behind the police operation. It was purely a police matter. We only provided assistance and security. As a matter of fact, the Army soldiers were positioned some distance away from the checkpoint where the police were placed as frontliners,” Abang said. He said the Army contingent left the site shortly before midnight after the police investigators finished their documentation.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/341195/army-denies-overkill-it-was-justified

‘6 More Cause-Oriented Group Heads in Murder’

From the Negros Daily Bulletin (Jan 16): ‘6 More Cause-Oriented Group Heads in Murder’

Six more suspects in the alleged killing of an army officer in an NPA-Army encounter in Cadiz City, about two years ago, were added to the original list of alleged suspects purportedly belonging to the New People’s Army (NPA) and who declared they were innocent of the trumped-up charges, saying all of them are leaders of peaceful, legal organizations belonging to various sectoral groups. The six declared their innocence and the fact that they were victims of trumped-up charges filed by the former City Prosecutor of Cadiz, who has since retired from various service and who did not even inform them they were facing murder charges for the alleged death of an army officer, named 1st Lt. Archie Polenzo.

The six are frequently appearing in press conferences in Bacolod City and are known leaders of sectoral and mass organizations of alliance and human rights organizations.  They are Fred Caña, secretary-general of Karapatan-Negros; Clarizza Singson, chairperson of the women’s group Gabriela-Negros; Bernardito Patigas of the North Negros Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (NNAHRA); Christian Tuayon, Secretary General of Bayan-Negros; Gualberto Dajao of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT-Negros); and for the second time Ronald Ian Evidente of the Kilusang Mayo Uno-Negros (KMU-Negros).

The list of six suspects is in addition to the previous list of leaders of legal organizations implicated in the Polenzo murder case who also did not receive any subpoena from the city prosecutor who has now retired from service. The complaints form part of an amended resolution endorsed to the country’s highest court, the Supreme Court (SC) which earlier complained against the charges slapped obviously with pressure from the military acceded by the City Prosecutor’s Office and which the prosecutors pursued.

The six were once more implicated in the Polenzo ambush by an alleged witness, former rebel Freddie Sanchez alias "Warboy" whom news reports said was later executed by the NPA in Northern Negros.  The original information on the inclusion of the alleged army 1st Lt. Polenzo’s suspects was filed by retired City Prosecutor, Marcelo H. del Pilar August 15, 2011.  The amended information now including the six alleged NPA suspects led by human rights defender Fred Caña who frequently appears during press conferences on human rights issues was refilled by new Cadiz City prosecutor Goldwyn Jimenea-Chiu, who journalists had commented had an exemplary record in Bacolod where she was assistant prosecutor. 

It was Jimenea-Chiu who elevated an illegal recruitment complaint against an alleged illegal recruiter based in England.  She had victimized more than 30 applicants in Bacolod City, including several City Hall employees.

Caña said during the press conference that the filing of the amended information by Jimenea-Chiu was highly irregular as these were fabricated charges, which should not be done by those in the law enforcement and judicial system. They learned about the belated inclusion of their names, said Caña when they were informed by their legal counsel, lawyer Cesar Beloria about the complaints against them and they were aghast. They are only activists not armed regulars or guerillas of the NPA, Caña said.

Tuayon of Bayan-Negros said, aside from himself, an innocent Anecita Rojo, his mother-in-law was also detained because of the same complaint filed against her and several dozen others. Behind this prosecutor’s office-filed murder complaints is the military who are so desperate in pacifying the NPA which is steadily becoming stronger and who, by harassing and intimidating leaders of cause-oriented and sectoral organizations, believe the armed revolution can be stopped in its tracks. "But they are sadly mistaken," said Tuayon, whose uncle is also wanted by the military.

The island’s military Commander, 303rd Brigade’s CO, Col. Oscar Lactao cannot determine legal and peaceful from armed struggle, said Tuayon.  What is happening is akin to the declaration of martial rule, Tuayon said. The armed conflict in this case, will but advance and not be received.  KMU’s Ian Evidente strongly pointed out that the complaints filed against them is clearly malicious, orchestrated by the military and judicial system.  "This is unfair, unjust and a trampling of the respondents’ constitutional right," Evidente stressed.

The late Freddie Sanchez, said NNHARA’s Patigas allowed himself to be used by the military. They merely want to submit a fake accomplishment report to President Benigno Aquino III.  Gabriela-Negros Chairperson Singson said they are convenient targets as election nears.  There is a pattern as this was done during past elections, she said.  She further said they have been here all the time and that prosecutors must allow them the chance to submit their counter-affidavits. The leaders said they have relayed the filing of trumped up charges against them to their national leadership and they expect this will be attended to by the latter.

http://ndb-online.com/011613/local-news/local-news-%E2%80%986-more-cause-oriented-group-heads-murder%E2%80%99

Soldiers’ donate P7-M from allowances for fellow troops

From the Mindanao Times (Jan 16): Soldiers’ donate P7-M from allowances for fellow troops

More than P7 million were handed to the personnel of the 10th Infantry Division (ID) last Monday afternoon at its headquarters in Barangay Tuboran in Mawab, Compostela Valley as assistance for soldiers affected by typhoon “Pablo.” Lt. General Emmanuel Bautista, the commanding general of the Philippine Army, symbolically turned over a check to the 10th ID troops. Bautista also pinned Bronze Cross Medals to soldiers for their heroic acts during the search and rescue operations.

Lt. Col. Lyndon Paniza said that 359 of their personnel have benefitted from the financial assistance. Paniza told the TIMES in a telephone interview that more than 81,000 army personnel all over the country have donated their daily subsistence allowance of P90. The said amount has reached P7,294,950. Paniza then revealed that the families of the seven dead soldiers of the 66th Infantry Battalion, under the 10th ID, were given P50,000 each. While the families of the four other soldiers, who were reported missing during the search and rescue operation at Barangay Andap in New Bataan last Dececember were also given P40,000 each.

He said they have also distributed P40,000 for soldiers whose houses were totally damaged and P20,000 for those with partially damaged houses. According to Paniza, the rest of the money will be divided among the troops which means each soldier will receive about P6,000.

http://www.mindanaotimes.net/soldiers-donate-p7-m-from-allowances-for-fellow-troops/

MILF: Zamboanga Sibugay stakeholders oriented on FAB

From the MILF Website (Jan 16): Zamboanga Sibugay stakeholders oriented on FAB

Close to a thousand stakeholders were oriented on the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB) during a consultation at the Municipal Gymnasium at Kabasalan, Zamboanga Sibugay on January 7, 2013 headed by Kabasalan Mayor George C. Cainglet and Vice-Mayor Freddie Chu. The audiences which included farmers, fisherfolks, media, students, NGOs, community members and religious groups learned the salient points and the prospects of the framework accord.

Datu Antonio Kinoc, MILF Peace Panel Member and Atty Galvasch Ballaho, Deputy Director of Mindanao Human Rights Action Center (MinHRAC) were the resource persons. The two speakers elucidated the importance of the FAB in the quest for a lasting peace and development in southern Philippines. They also answered queries from the participants during the open forum.

They also urged full support of the people of Zambonga Sibugay to the GPH-MILF Peace Process.
Mayor Gemma Adana from the municipality of Naga also attended the gathering. She hoped the Moros and non-Moros will remain brothers and sisters and work together to maintain peace and order the whole province of Zambonga Sibugay.

Mayor Cainglet expressed his support for the full implementation of the framework agreement.
Representatives from the Indigenous Peoples and the Political Committees of the MILF in the locality also gave their messages of support.

After the signing of FAB in Malacañang Palace on October 15 last year, the local MILF Information Committee, Political Committee and the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces have been active in the information dissemination on the FAB through consultations with the communities of Zambonga Sibugay.

http://www.luwaran.com/home/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3042:zamboanga-sibugay-stakeholders-oriented-on-fab&catid=31:general&Itemid=41

Soldiers given ‘blinded’ order

From the Manila Standard Today (Jan 16): Soldiers given ‘blinded’ order

Troop aid requested 30 minutes before clash

The Army was “blinded” into sending a platoon of special forces as “augmentation force” for a checkpoint operation in Atimonan, Quezon where 13 people were riddled with bullets last January 6, a ranking Army officer said on Tuesday.

The source said a police officer in the checkpoint operation obtained troop support by telephone 30 minutes before the encounter. He said Col. Hansel Marantan talked to Col. Monico Abang, commander of the Army Special Forces, who sent a 25-man platoon in full battle gear “as augmentation for peace and internal security operations against private armed groups.” “Somehow, we (special forces) were blinded by that request,” the officer said. “I think the negotiation for the deployment of Special Forces troops transpired minutes before the shootout as alleged.” He said the Army never received such kind of request in the past and “even if we did, it will take days before it is approved.”

The troops arrived on board a military truck and took positions in the checkpoint. They brought to 65 the total force of military and police, which included 25 from the intelligence office of Calabarzon and 15 policemen from Atimonan and Pagbilao police stations. Shots rang out when two sports utility vehicles arrived at the checkpoint. Among the casualties were a senior police officer and army intelligence operatives.

The National Bureau of Investigation, which took over all physical evidence gathered by scene of the crime operative as official prober, said they were at a loss for words in describing the killings. Neither “rubout” nor shootout was used by the NBI to describe the killings, but the word “ambush” was ruled out. The officer said other than the soldiers in camouflage uniforms, only the Atimonan police chief was in uniform, which was highly irregular for a police checkpoint.

Maj. Gen. Alamn Luga, commander of the Southern Luzon Command, has ordered the 25 soldiers, inclduding Col. Abang and two other officers, restricted to barracks pending investigation of the case, according to Col Generoso Bolina, the Southern Luzon Command spokesman. “In effect, they are not allowed to go on operations, home leave or vacation until the issue is resolved,” Bolina said. He said initial investigations by SOLCOM indicate the Special Forces troops merely responded to a call for assistance by the local police.

“They were told that a group of heavily armed men and gun-for-hire suspects and drug lords were proceeding to the area and their help was urgently needed,” Bolina said. He said among those killed, Vic Siman, an alleged jueteng operator, and Tirso Lontok, a suspected communist rebel, were not in the SOLCOM’s order of battle.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel Roxas sacked Chief Supt. James Melad, director of the Police Regional Office in Region Four, for his alleged refusal to cooperate with investigators from the NBI. Also removed from their posts were members of the Provincial Public Safety Company and the Batangas Provincial Intelligence Group, who were allegedly involved in the killing last Monday of Fernando Morales, a close associate of Siman. “There will be no sacred cows. Sorry, but the government cannot be used as a tool to hide the truth from our people,” Roxas said.

He said Marantan, who was wounded in the encounter, refused to submit to investigators, declining to answer questions, and would not allow them to inspect his wounds and kept the slugs recovered in the shootings. “I advise Supt. Marantan to submit to investigators from the PNP or NBI. It’s not good for a man in your situation not to submit to a transparent process so we get to the whole truth in this incident,” Roxas said. Ronald Pidlaoan, Marantan’s physician, said the police officer was wounded in his left forearm, left leg and right knee.

In Malacanang, presidential deputy spokesperson Abigail Valte said President Aquino “has conveyed his assurances that we are serious in getting to the bottom of his incident.”
She said the government would throw the book on Marantan, who was wounded in the encounter and was reported to have declined to submit to a check-up on the wounds he sustained.

http://manilastandardtoday.com/2013/01/16/soldiers-given-blinded-order/

MNLF asks Abu Sayyaf to free foreign hostages

From Malaya (Jan 16): MNLF asks Abu Sayyaf to free foreign hostages

THE Moro National Liberation Front yesterday said it has sent emissaries to negotiate the release of foreign and Filipino hostages being held by Abu Sayyaf gunmen on southern Jolo island. Authorities believe the captives include a Dutch and a Swiss citizen who were abducted in February last year while bird watching in nearby Tawi Tawi province. Abu Sayyaf gunmen are also believed to be holding a Japanese treasure hunter and a Jordanian TV journalist together with two Filipino crewmen who reportedly traveled to Abu Sayyaf encampments in Sulu to interview the militants in June but failed to return.

MNLF commander Khabir Malik said the MNLF move was not aimed at bolstering the candidacy of its chairman, Nur Misuari, who is running for governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.  “We have long planned this but we could not coordinate well and muster the force we’ll need so these violators will listen to us,” he said. Malik said his group took the step after its commanders decided in a recent meeting to help the government, military and police clean up the image of Sulu, a poor, predominantly Muslim region that is a stronghold of Moro insurgents.

He said his group sent about 10 commanders Monday to the jungle hideouts of the Abu Sayyaf on Jolo in Sulu province to convince the extremist group’s leaders to release all their captives. Malik waited with hundreds of armed rebels in Sulu’s Patikul town for word from the emissaries, who he said were given three days to negotiate. He refused to say what the MNLF would do if the Abu Sayyaf militants do not free the captives. “We’re resorting to peaceful discussions and God’s wisdom to ask them to turn over their hostages to us,” Malik told The Associated Press by cellphone from Patikul. “If they won’t agree, we’ll leave to God whatever will happen.”

The MNLF has denied any links with the Abu Sayyaf, but the military and police have long suspected some rebels provide refuge and other support to the extremists. Some fighters from the two groups are related by blood, security officials say. Sulu’s image has been tarnished by high-profile kidnappings for ransom, beheadings, bombings and deadly attacks blamed on the Abu Sayyaf, especially in the early 2000s. Although US-backed Philippine military offensives have considerably weakened the Abu Sayyaf, an estimated 300-plus extremists in Sulu and nearby islands remain a national security concern.

Senior Supt. Antonio Freyra, Sulu provincial police chief, said Malik informed him of the MNLF plan to negotiate the freedom of the hostages. Sulu police forces were on standby but would not get involved in the rebel initiative, he said. Malik said the MNLF emissaries would attempt to meet with Radulan Sahiron, a one-armed militant, and other Abu Sayyaf commanders. Washington has offered a $1 million reward for the capture or killing of Sahiron, who has been accused of many terrorist acts.

The MNLF signed a peace agreement with government in 1996 but the pact did not lead to the disarming of the rebels who returned to their communities with their firearms. The group later split into different factions with Misuari’s group retaining hundreds of fighters and accusing the government of reneging on commitments to provide political and economic concessions under the accord. The Moro Islamic Liberation Front, a larger insurgent group with broke off from Malik’s group in 1978, is currently engaged in Malaysian-brokered peace talks with the Philippine government.

http://www.malaya.com.ph/index.php/news/nation/21857-mnlf-asks-abu-sayyaf-to-free-foreign-hostages

AFP reports 9 NPA ceasefire violations

From the Daily Tribune (Jan 16): AFP reports 9 NPA ceasefire violations

The communist New People’s Army (NPA) committed at least nine violations of the holiday ceasefire agreement with the government, which officially ended midnight Tuesday, resulting in the killing of at least three people, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) reported yesterday. AFP spokesman Col. Arnulfo Marcelo Burgos Jr. said the military recorded three ceasefire violations by the NPA in Southern Luzon areas and six in Eastern Mindanao. “The suspension of offensive operations will end midnight (Tuesday) and based on the reports from the field we have recorded nine violations of the ceasefire by the NPA,” Burgos said. He said the military committed no violation of the truce.

“Although the extended holiday ceasefire arrangement has expired today, the AFP will continue to hope for a longer and more permanent peace to be observed not only during holidays or times of disaster,” Burgos said. “We hope that the rebels will altogether abandon the armed violence that has caused suffering to rural communities and indigenous peoples, destroyed infrastructures and hampered the growth of our nation,” he added. The military initially declared a Yuletide truce with the NPA from Dec. 15 to Jan. 3 and it was extended to Jan. 15 in compliance to the agreement of the government and National Democratic Front (NDF) peace panels in The Hague. The NPA’s own ceasefire lasted from Dec. 20 to Jan. 15.

http://www.tribune.net.ph/index.php/nation/item/9229-afp-reports-9-npa-ceasefire-violations

RPA plotting slay of Negros congressional bet, NBI agents, claims lawyer

From InterAksyon (Jan 16): RPA plotting slay of Negros congressional bet, NBI agents, claims lawyer



File photo shows commanders of the Revolutionary Proletarian Army attending a dialogue at Negros Occidental police headquarters (Julius Mariveles, InterAksyon.com)

A lawyer claimed here that a congressional candidate in Negros Occidental and at least three agents of the National Bureau of Investigation are targets for assassination by the Revolutionary Proletarian Army, which recently signed a peace pact with the government. Lawyer Frank Britanico, spokesman of the family of murdered judge Henry Arles, made the disclosure after RPA member Eddie Fortunado, a suspect in the crime, posted the P80,000 bail for his provisional liberty. The RPA broke away from the New People’s Army in the early 1990s.

It is described in the website of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process as “a former rebel group that signed a peace agreement with the government in 2000” and “is set to transform into an unarmed, socio-economic organization with the signing of a closure agreement.”

Britanico said the most “serious repercussion” of Fortunado and “his cohorts being on the loose again is that it emboldens the bandits to intensify their efforts to eliminate the persons whom they and their masterminds would like the public to believe have persecuted them.” In fact, there was a plan to ambush Arles’ son, Philip, in the villages of Tampalon and Tapi located between the town of Ilog, where the judge was killed, and the city of Kabankalan last January 10, and the deployment of teams to kill three agents of the NBI’s sub-regional office based here, Britanico claimed. The supposed ambush was aborted, however, because of the presence of Philip’s supporters and a military unit in the area, Britanico said.

Philip is running in the sixth congressional district against Representative Mercedes Alvarez, daughter of Vice Governor Genaro Alvarez, Jr. and sister of Ilog Mayor John Paul, both accused by the NBI as principal suspects in the judge’s murder.

Hit squads

Britanico also claimed that the suspects out on bail have become a part of two hit squads tasked to kill Arles and the NBI agents. The first team, assigned to the sixth district, is supposedly tasked to go after Philip and includes suspects Jessie Gedacan Daguia and Alejandro Castillo Capunong -- both also out on bail -- while the second team is based in Bacolod and will go after NBI agents Modesto Cajita, Cyrus Aluzan and Jose Henry Arellano.

‘For the money’

Philip Arles told InterAksyon he received a text message from a “reliable source” about the alleged January 10 attempt on him. The source, he said, tipped them off several times when he was in Tampalon, an area where Rustom Puro, RPA commander in southern Negros, is based. It was thwarted, however, because “our security was in place” and there was a military unit that was incidentally in the area.

The younger Arles said the attempt on his life could be motivated by revenge since “the accused and the masterminds want to get back at us” although, just like in the case of his father, the suspects are allegedly “still doing it for the money.” “Political gains are secondary, they really want to get back at us,” he said. Philip added that the January 10 incident was not the first time he had been subjected to threats and harassments since “it had already been happening since the charges were filed against those whom we believe are responsible for the death of our father.” “We think that they could not simply accept that someone dared to stand up against them despite the numerous abuses they have committed in the sixth district.”

Surveillance, harassment

Arellano, one of the agents reportedly targeted for assassination, told InterAksyon that the surveillance and harassment against him “is nothing new” and can only be considered as “part of my job.” The latest incident, he said, was on January 12, when four motorcycle-riding men went to his residence in a subdivision in Estefania village here and asked neighbors about him.
He said he and his family had already relocated since these incidents became more frequent starting last year, when the murder charges were filed by the NBI. Arellano is one of the witnesses presented by the NBI in the hearings of RTC Branch 42 Judge Fernando Elumba on the petition for the writ of amparo filed by the family of Fortunado.

‘Weaving fancy tales’

But RPA spokesman Victorino Sumulong denied the claims of Britanico and called them as “conjured stories” as he chided the lawyer for “continually coming up with fanciful tales.” Sumulong told InterAksyon that they want to stop commenting about the murder of Arles. “We want the judicial process to take its course and see if the accused are indeed guilty of the charges against them,” although he pointed out that the inclusion of their members is based on a “trumped up case in the first place.” RPA national commander Stephen Paduano, who uses the nom de guerre Carapali Luwalhati, declined to comment on the accusations of Britanico.

‘Servant to a wealthy master’

Britanico claimed Fortunado’s posting of bail has revealed a lot.  “That’s not surprising; not only that it is a matter of right, but a matter of means as well,” Britanico said in a text message to reporters after as he pointed out that Fortunado’s posting of bail showed he “has good funding … being a servant to a wealthy master is obvious in this case.” Britanico, who is the brother-in-law of Arles, said the bail is not a small amount for an ordinary person, especially for Fortunado who has been unemployed for the last six months.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/52798/rpa-plotting-slay-of-negros-congressional-bet-nbi-agents-claims-lawyer

New AFP chief vows to 'serve the people,' fulfill military's mandate

From InterAksyon (Jan 16): New AFP chief vows to 'serve the people,' fulfill military's mandate



Army chief Lieutenant General Emmanuel Bautista on Wednesday thanked President Benigno Aquino III for choosing him to head the Armed Forces of the Philippines and vowed to “serve the people” and fulfill the military’s mandate. "I am humbled by my selection as the AFP chief of staff," Bautista said in a brief emailed statement. "I can only repay this trust and confidence by devoting the remaining days of my career in the service to our people and the performance of the AFP's mandate."

On Tuesay, Malacanang announced Bautista's appointment as the 44th AFP chief of staff, replacing General Jessie Dellosa, who is retiring. He will be taking over in ceremonies held at Camp Aguinaldo on Thursday.

A member of Philippine Military Academy Class of 1981, Bautista is credited for being the architect of Internal Peace and Security Plan Bayanihan, the government’s counterinsurgency program. In a separate statement, the AFP rallied behind its new chief. "Being the chief architect of IPSP Bayanihan and now at the helm of the AFP, we are highly optimistic that he would be able to lead and enable the organization to make vital progress and significant development which will help the organization and its partner agencies and stakeholders to achieve the shared goals of a just and lasting peace for our country," said AFP spokesman Colonel Arnulfo Burgos.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/52800/new-afp-chief-vows-to-serve-the-people-fulfill-militarys-mandate

Army troops gird for war on climate change

From the Philippine News Agency (Jan 15): Army troops gird for war on climate change

FORT MAGSAYSAY, PALAYAN CITY, Nueva Ecija (PNA) -- The country’s biggest army training camp is girding for a more formidable enemy which some call the “mother of all wars,” -- climate change. Brig. Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr., commander of the 7th Infantry (“Kaugnay”) Division, said the army’s new approach is combating the more deadly enemy, the climate change, wherein the collateral damage of which was most evident in the devastation caused by typhoons and floods that claimed over 10,000 lives in Mindanao last year and in Luzon a couple of years ago.

Drawing parallel from the recent fatalities and the 30,000 deaths that resulted in the war waged against insurgency problem, Catapang said the latter figure could even be surpassed unless the country delved more seriously on combating the impact of climate change. The new role for the Army takes on a new light, considering the responsibility for fighting the New People’s Army in areas declared insurgency-free has been turned over to the respective peace and order councils in Central Luzon and the Ilocos.

Noting the “role of the soldier as the protector of the people,” Catapang said, “then it is appropriate to engage them in helping the people against the impact of climate change.” He also said the soldiers during “peace-time” would be a big asset in their new role as their services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

In this connection, Catapang challenged the leadership of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines, the Communist Party of the Philippines, and the NPA to join hands with the military in combating climate change, which to him poses a grave concern to mankind and their “common enemy.” How may the military and the NPA serve a common front in this present day problem? Simply by joining together in saving lives, building disaster-proof schools that can be converted to evacuation centers, and conduct joint activities to help the victims of this deadlier war, he added.

Catapang said the 7ID’s Disaster Response unit and Disaster Response teams has been mobilized during the onslaught of typhoon “Helen” and southwest monsoon in August last year and during the devastation wrought by typhoon Pablo” in Mindanao on Dec 3, last year wherein 793 army personnel, 60 military trucks and 13 rescue units extended relief assistance to 67,464 families or 337,320 individuals as well as rescue transportation assistance.

The 7ID’s organic units that provided assistance relief and rescue operations in the Mindanao area were comprised of one brigade and three infantry units - 701 Infantry Brigade, 69th Infantry 71st Infantry Brigade, and 84th Infantry Brigade. They were placed under operational control of the 10th Infantry Division, and are currently involved in disaster, rescue and relief operations in the Davao Region.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=&sid=&nid=&rid=487537

Military lauds appointment of Bautista as next AFP chief

From the Philippine News Agency (Jan 15): Military lauds appointment of Bautista as next AFP chief

The Armed Forces of the Philippines Tuesday announced it is welcoming the appointment of Army commander Lt. Gen. Emmanuel T. Bautista as the AFP's 44th chief-of-staff. "We are confident that Lt.Gen. Bautista would be able to continue the current programs, initiatives and reforms being undertaken in the AFP for the fulfillment of the goals of the Internal Peace and Security Plan 'Bayanihan' and the accomplishment of its constitutional mandate," AFP spokesperson Col. Arnulfo M. Burgos, Jr., said.

Bautista will replace outgoing AFP chief Gen. Jessie Dellosa, scheduled to retire Jan. 20 after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 56. Turnover ceremonies will be held Jan. 17 at AFP headquarters in Camp Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo in Quezon City. "Lt.Gen. Bautista's appointment comes very timely as the implementation of the IPSP 'Bayanihan' shifts to high gear on its 3rd year of implementation. He was then the AFP deputy chief of staff for operations (J-3) in mid-2010 when he spearheaded the crafting of the IPSP Bayanihan in partnership with all the stakeholders," Burgos pointed out.

And Bautista, being the chief architect of IPSP "Bayanihan," the military spokesperson said the AFP is highly optimistic the new chief-of-staff would be able to lead and enable the organization to make vital progress and significant development which will help the organization and its partner agencies and stakeholders to achieve the shared goals of a just and lasting peace for in the country.

Bautista is the son of Brig. General Teodulfo Bautista, who was killed by Moro National Liberation Front rebels who reportedly wanted to talk peace in Sulu in 1977. An Army camp in the province is named after the elder Bautista.

The younger Bautista is a member of Philippine Military Academy Class of 1981. Bautista is also a graduate of the Joint & Combined Warfighting Course at the Joint Forces Staff College, Virginia, USA; the Grade II Staff and Tactics Course in New Zealand; as well as a Masters Degree in Business Administration from the University of the Philippines, Diliman.

He also commanded the 3rd Infantry Division. Bautista also distinguished himself as commander of the 702nd Infantry Brigade. Other field command duties are: commander 24th Infantry Battalion, 7th Infantry Division; Commander of the 7th Scout Ranger Company, 1st Scout Ranger Regiment; and Platoon Leader in the 26th Infantry Battalion, 4th Infantry Division. These assignments exposed him to various operational areas in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

"We are also optimistic that with his leadership, our modernization and capability upgrade program will further take a momentous step forward in our intent to achieve a minimum credible defense posture," Burgos concluded.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=&sid=&nid=&rid=487552

Statement of Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte on the appointment of Lieutenant General Emmanuel T. Bautista as Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines

From the Philippine News Agency (Jan 15): Statement of Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte on the appointment of Lieutenant General Emmanuel T. Bautista as Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Lieutenant General Emmanuel T. Bautista as Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines effective January 20, 2013. He will be replacing General Jessie D. Dellosa who is set to retire.

Lt. Gen. Bautista is currently Commanding General of the Philippine Army and prior to his appointment had served as Commander of the 3rd Infantry Division of the Philippine Army. A graduate of the Philippine Military Academy’s “Dimalupig” Class of 1981, he completed his Masters in Public Administration at the University of the Philippines, Diliman.

We thank outgoing AFP Chief of Staff Dellosa for having served the country and our uniformed personnel with exemplary dedication and commitment. We look forward to the stint of the incoming AFP Chief of Staff in continuing the reforms set in motion by the President and implemented by his predecessors in advancing the interests of our soldiers and the enhancement of the defense capabilities of our country.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=&sid=&nid=&rid=487553

Palace announces appointment of Bautista as AFP chief of staff

From the Philippine News Agency (Jan 15): Palace announces appointment of Bautista as AFP chief of staff

Malacanang Tuesday announced the appointment of Lt. Gen. Emmanuel T. Bautista as Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines effective Jan. 20, 2013. Bautista replaces Gen. Jessie D. Dellosa who is set to retire this month. A graduate of the Philippine Military Academy’s "Dimalupig" Class of 1981, Bautista completed his Masters in Public Administration at the University of the Philippines, Diliman. "We thank outgoing AFP Chief of Staff Dellosa for having served the country and our uniformed personnel with exemplary dedication and commitment," said Valte. "We look forward to the stint of the incoming AFP Chief of Staff in continuing the reforms set in motion by the President and implemented by his predecessors in advancing the interests of our soldiers and the enhancement of the defense capabilities of our country," she added.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=&sid=&nid=&rid=487559