From ABS-CBN (Feb 15): 'De-mining' of MILF-gov't war zones launched
Areas that were the scene of the heaviest fighting between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) will be turned into rice fields with the launching and implementation of a “demining” project.
Yesterday’s launching of the project, “Delivering Peace Dividends through the Reduction of Explosive Remnants of War” here in Sitio Tuka, Barangay Ganta, was led by Werner Langen, chair of the Delegation of the European Parliament for Relations with the countries of Southeast Asia and ASEAN and head of the delegation from the European Parliament.
The European parliamentarians made the visit to lend their political support to the peace process in Mindanao.
“EU will continue to support all efforts to bring peace in Mindanao,” Langen said during the launching of the EU-funded project.
Following the signing of the framework agreement with the MILF, the Philippine Campaign to Ban Landmines (PCBL) and the Foundation Suisse de Déminage France (FSD) will work with the Philippine government and the MILF to reduce the threat from landmines and unexploded ordnances (UXO) in conflict-affected areas.
After several years of dialogue and negotiations, the FSD and the PCBL are now working together to implement the UXO threat reduction program, “Delivering peace dividends through the reduction of explosive remnants of war” in Mindanao.
It is the first “mine action” program of its type in the country, made possible through support and funding provided by the European Commission.
Implementation will be carried out under the signed agreement by both the government and the MILF.
Through the joint efforts of PCBL and FSD, the action will give effect to the agreement entitled “Guidelines for the Implementation of the Philippine Campaign to Ban Landmines-Fondation Suisse De Deminage (PCBL-FSD) Project Pursuant to the Joint Statement of the GRP-MILF Peace Panels Dated 15 November 2007” signed last May 5, 2010 in Malaysia.
The objective is to enhance safe resettlement and recovery of conflict-affected communities and the people affected by the conflict within the framework of a strengthened peace process.
The project will identify and clear out mines from suspected hazardous areas in 21 municipalities in Maguindanao, Cotabato, Lanao del Norte, and Lanao del Sur, covering a total of 450,629 hectares inhabited by 814,651 people or indirect beneficiaries.
Besides increased economic opportunities, the project will free the beneficiaries from the fear of being killed or injured by these unfortunate relics of war.
FSD/PCBL has deployed a team in the said areas that were the scene of the heaviest fighting. The team is surveying the extent of contamination caused by landmines and unexploded ordnances through interviews with villagers in affected communities.
Some 496 people have been killed by landmines and other improvised explosive devices since 1999, with 34 casualties for 2011 that included 14 children.
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/regions/02/14/13/de-mining-milf-govt-war-zones-launched
Thursday, February 14, 2013
'Royal Sulu Army' in Malaysia stand-off
From ABS-CBN (Feb 14): 'Royal Sulu Army' in Malaysia stand-off
Malaysia's government said Thursday that its security forces have surrounded dozens of suspected Philippine militants in a remote area with a history of incursions by armed Filipino Islamic groups.
About 80 to 100 gunmen have been cornered in the Malaysian state of Sabah on Borneo island, Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein told reporters. He said security forces were negotiating with the men near the small coastal town of Lahad Datu.
"We know the situation is still under control. I confirm that no Malaysian citizens, to my knowledge, are being held hostage or for ransom," Hishammuddin said.
"Security forces are still in control and negotiating with them, some of whom are armed."
The Filipinos are calling themselves "Royal Sulu Sultanate Army," according to a report from the Malaysian news portal The Star Online.
They claim to be followers of "a descendant of the Sultan of Sulu" and are demanding that the subjects of the Sulu Sultan in Sabah not be deported to the Philippines, the report said.
A Philippine military officer interviewed by Reuters also said the men were followers of the heirs of the Sultan of Sulu - an island group off the southern Philippines - who had been invited to Sabah by a Malaysian opposition politician to discuss land issues.
The Sulu sultanate, first founded in the 1400s, was once a regional power center, controlling islands in the Muslim southern Philippines and parts of Borneo including Sabah until its demise a century ago.
Malaysia pays a token amount to the Sultanate each year for the "rental" of Sabah state - an arrangement that stretches back to British colonial times.
The Star quoted a Malaysian police official as saying that the group involved in the standoff did not want to be associated with any militant group from the Philippines.
"They have made known their demands while we have told them that they need to leave the country," Police Inspector-General Tan Sri Ismail Omar told media.
Negotiations are still ongoing to get them to return to the Philippines, he added.
Hishammuddin said Philippine authorities are involved in negotiations.
Prime Minister Najib Razak also was quoted by The Star newspaper as saying police were negotiating with the gunmen "to get the group to leave peacefully to prevent bloodshed."
"We have surrounded the area and our police and armed forces have the ability to handle the matter," he was quoted as saying.
The Star's report added that a tight security ring including army and naval forces had been thrown around the "heavily armed" group.
Wednesday's statement by Ismail had said the men had surrendered when ordered and the situation was defused. The government has not yet explained the about-face.
Raul Hernandez, a spokesman for the Philippine Foreign Ministry, said Manila is trying to get information about the incident and was in touch with Kuala Lumpur.
A senior Philippine military official said navy boats and an aircraft had been sent to the border area.
He added that the Filipinos are unarmed and had been promised land in Sabah.
He said a meeting over the land claim had attracted a large crowd and drawn the attention of Malaysian authorities.
"We know that these people arrived there five days ago and most of them are from nearby islands," the official, who asked not to be identified, said.
"Some of them were already residents in Sabah for a long time and they normally cross the border without any problem."
Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, meanwhile, denied the stand-off.
He said the incident is just a case of "human smuggling."
The number of illegal Muslim immigrants from the impoverished southern Philippines has surged in recent decades, stirring social tensions with indigenous Christian inhabitants in Sabah.
The Philippine government signed a landmark peace deal with Muslim rebels late last year to end a 40-year conflict in the south, but some factions have voiced opposition.
"Since Malaysia brokered the deal, followers from the Misuari Breakaway Group have decided to stir up some trouble and create fireworks in Sabah," the senior Malaysian official said, referring to a faction within the MNLF rebel group.
In 2000, a group of militants from the southern Philippines kidnapped 21 tourists from the Sabah diving resort of Sipadan. In 1985, 11 people were killed when gunmen believed to be from the southern Philippines entered Lahad Datu in Sabah, shooting at random before robbing the local branch of Standard Chartered Bank.
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/02/14/13/royal-sulu-army-malaysia-stand
Malaysia's government said Thursday that its security forces have surrounded dozens of suspected Philippine militants in a remote area with a history of incursions by armed Filipino Islamic groups.
About 80 to 100 gunmen have been cornered in the Malaysian state of Sabah on Borneo island, Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein told reporters. He said security forces were negotiating with the men near the small coastal town of Lahad Datu.
"We know the situation is still under control. I confirm that no Malaysian citizens, to my knowledge, are being held hostage or for ransom," Hishammuddin said.
"Security forces are still in control and negotiating with them, some of whom are armed."
The Filipinos are calling themselves "Royal Sulu Sultanate Army," according to a report from the Malaysian news portal The Star Online.
They claim to be followers of "a descendant of the Sultan of Sulu" and are demanding that the subjects of the Sulu Sultan in Sabah not be deported to the Philippines, the report said.
A Philippine military officer interviewed by Reuters also said the men were followers of the heirs of the Sultan of Sulu - an island group off the southern Philippines - who had been invited to Sabah by a Malaysian opposition politician to discuss land issues.
The Sulu sultanate, first founded in the 1400s, was once a regional power center, controlling islands in the Muslim southern Philippines and parts of Borneo including Sabah until its demise a century ago.
Malaysia pays a token amount to the Sultanate each year for the "rental" of Sabah state - an arrangement that stretches back to British colonial times.
The Star quoted a Malaysian police official as saying that the group involved in the standoff did not want to be associated with any militant group from the Philippines.
"They have made known their demands while we have told them that they need to leave the country," Police Inspector-General Tan Sri Ismail Omar told media.
Negotiations are still ongoing to get them to return to the Philippines, he added.
Hishammuddin said Philippine authorities are involved in negotiations.
Prime Minister Najib Razak also was quoted by The Star newspaper as saying police were negotiating with the gunmen "to get the group to leave peacefully to prevent bloodshed."
"We have surrounded the area and our police and armed forces have the ability to handle the matter," he was quoted as saying.
The Star's report added that a tight security ring including army and naval forces had been thrown around the "heavily armed" group.
Wednesday's statement by Ismail had said the men had surrendered when ordered and the situation was defused. The government has not yet explained the about-face.
Raul Hernandez, a spokesman for the Philippine Foreign Ministry, said Manila is trying to get information about the incident and was in touch with Kuala Lumpur.
A senior Philippine military official said navy boats and an aircraft had been sent to the border area.
He added that the Filipinos are unarmed and had been promised land in Sabah.
He said a meeting over the land claim had attracted a large crowd and drawn the attention of Malaysian authorities.
"We know that these people arrived there five days ago and most of them are from nearby islands," the official, who asked not to be identified, said.
"Some of them were already residents in Sabah for a long time and they normally cross the border without any problem."
Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, meanwhile, denied the stand-off.
He said the incident is just a case of "human smuggling."
The number of illegal Muslim immigrants from the impoverished southern Philippines has surged in recent decades, stirring social tensions with indigenous Christian inhabitants in Sabah.
The Philippine government signed a landmark peace deal with Muslim rebels late last year to end a 40-year conflict in the south, but some factions have voiced opposition.
"Since Malaysia brokered the deal, followers from the Misuari Breakaway Group have decided to stir up some trouble and create fireworks in Sabah," the senior Malaysian official said, referring to a faction within the MNLF rebel group.
In 2000, a group of militants from the southern Philippines kidnapped 21 tourists from the Sabah diving resort of Sipadan. In 1985, 11 people were killed when gunmen believed to be from the southern Philippines entered Lahad Datu in Sabah, shooting at random before robbing the local branch of Standard Chartered Bank.
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/02/14/13/royal-sulu-army-malaysia-stand
Reward proposed for rebels’ capture
From the Visayan Daily Star (Feb 14): Reward proposed
for rebels’ capture
The possibility of offering a cash reward to fast-track the arrest of New People’s Army rebels involved in the massacre of a policeman and civilians in La Castellana, Negros Occidental, is being explored, Maj. Gen. Jose Mabanta, commander of the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division, said yesterday.
Mabanta said yesterday that some people have approached them and presented the idea of offering a bounty for the immediate arrest of the suspects.
This could be the product of outpouring sympathy, disgust and anguish over the killing of the nine and injuring of 12 others, Mabanta said in a press conference.
Probably these people, who feel that “enough is enough”, want to extend financial help to speed up the arrest of the suspects, he said.
Negrense-priest-turned rebel Luis Jalandoni justified the New People’s Army attacks in La Castellana on January 17, by saying the passengers of the truck were legitimate targets, citing the recovery of several high-powered firearms from them.
The capture of high-powered firearms proves that the principal passengers and the vehicle were legitimate targets of the NPA, Jalandoni said.
Mabanta said it took more than a week for the NPA to admit their involvement in the massacre.
“This goes to show that this group (NPA) we are contending with is disorganized, and there is no unity of command,” he said, noting that contradicting statements of the top CPP-NPA officials and their allies.
Citing police investigations, Mabanta also pointed out that most of the victims were shot in the head point-blank.
He, however, said the La Castellana massacre should not serve as a stumbling block in the pursuit of peace, and that they “continue to say that the only way to prosperity and development is peace,” he added.
Mabanta called on other stakeholders to help them establish a link to the rebel group, and reiterated his call for the holding of localized peace talks.
Although the call was rejected several times by the NPA leadership in Negros, he said “We should never lose hope of attaining peace”.
http://www.visayandailystar.com/2013/February/14/topstory7.htm
The possibility of offering a cash reward to fast-track the arrest of New People’s Army rebels involved in the massacre of a policeman and civilians in La Castellana, Negros Occidental, is being explored, Maj. Gen. Jose Mabanta, commander of the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division, said yesterday.
Mabanta said yesterday that some people have approached them and presented the idea of offering a bounty for the immediate arrest of the suspects.
This could be the product of outpouring sympathy, disgust and anguish over the killing of the nine and injuring of 12 others, Mabanta said in a press conference.
Probably these people, who feel that “enough is enough”, want to extend financial help to speed up the arrest of the suspects, he said.
Negrense-priest-turned rebel Luis Jalandoni justified the New People’s Army attacks in La Castellana on January 17, by saying the passengers of the truck were legitimate targets, citing the recovery of several high-powered firearms from them.
The capture of high-powered firearms proves that the principal passengers and the vehicle were legitimate targets of the NPA, Jalandoni said.
Mabanta said it took more than a week for the NPA to admit their involvement in the massacre.
“This goes to show that this group (NPA) we are contending with is disorganized, and there is no unity of command,” he said, noting that contradicting statements of the top CPP-NPA officials and their allies.
Citing police investigations, Mabanta also pointed out that most of the victims were shot in the head point-blank.
He, however, said the La Castellana massacre should not serve as a stumbling block in the pursuit of peace, and that they “continue to say that the only way to prosperity and development is peace,” he added.
Mabanta called on other stakeholders to help them establish a link to the rebel group, and reiterated his call for the holding of localized peace talks.
Although the call was rejected several times by the NPA leadership in Negros, he said “We should never lose hope of attaining peace”.
http://www.visayandailystar.com/2013/February/14/topstory7.htm
Navy, military heighten security near Sabah
From the Philippine Star (Feb 14): Navy, military heighten security near Sabah
The Philippine Navy and military heightened the security in the border near Sabah, according to a senior military official here, after the Malaysian surrounded about a hundred men wearing fatigue uniforms which reportedly came from Sulu.
Lt. Gen. Rey Ardo, commanding officer of Western Mindanao Command, said they have received information about the “stand off” in Sabah.
But there was no confirmation if those Filipinos in military uniforms rounded by the Malaysian authorities belonged with the Abu Sayyaf group.
“We have out Naval Task Force 62 deployed their water assets to secure the border,” Ardo said.
Ardi added that a naval plane was also deployed as reinforcement to conduct surveillance and reconnaissance.
The Malaysia’s news agency Bernama reported that the armed group landed in Lahad Datuh, Sabah since Wednesday and were surrounded by Malaysian security forces ordering them to surrender.
The Malaysian authorities were checking if the armed men came from the Sulu where hostilities broke last week.
It will be recalled the Moro National Liberation Front forces under Ustadz Habier Malik launched attacked on the Abu Sayyaf group under one-armed senior militant leader Radullan Sahiron to force the group into releasing foreign hostages taken by the militants.
The Abu Sayyaf group escaped with 21 followers killed but there was no sign of captive Jordanian broadcast journalists Baker Abdullah Atyani, bureau chief of the Dubai-based Al-Arabiya news channel.
Atyani’s two Filipino crewmen were freed ahead of the MNLF offensive last Feb. 2 in Patikul, Sulu.
http://www.philstar.com/nation/2013/02/14/908799/navy-military-heighten-security-near-sabah
The Philippine Navy and military heightened the security in the border near Sabah, according to a senior military official here, after the Malaysian surrounded about a hundred men wearing fatigue uniforms which reportedly came from Sulu.
Lt. Gen. Rey Ardo, commanding officer of Western Mindanao Command, said they have received information about the “stand off” in Sabah.
But there was no confirmation if those Filipinos in military uniforms rounded by the Malaysian authorities belonged with the Abu Sayyaf group.
“We have out Naval Task Force 62 deployed their water assets to secure the border,” Ardo said.
Ardi added that a naval plane was also deployed as reinforcement to conduct surveillance and reconnaissance.
The Malaysia’s news agency Bernama reported that the armed group landed in Lahad Datuh, Sabah since Wednesday and were surrounded by Malaysian security forces ordering them to surrender.
The Malaysian authorities were checking if the armed men came from the Sulu where hostilities broke last week.
It will be recalled the Moro National Liberation Front forces under Ustadz Habier Malik launched attacked on the Abu Sayyaf group under one-armed senior militant leader Radullan Sahiron to force the group into releasing foreign hostages taken by the militants.
The Abu Sayyaf group escaped with 21 followers killed but there was no sign of captive Jordanian broadcast journalists Baker Abdullah Atyani, bureau chief of the Dubai-based Al-Arabiya news channel.
Atyani’s two Filipino crewmen were freed ahead of the MNLF offensive last Feb. 2 in Patikul, Sulu.
http://www.philstar.com/nation/2013/02/14/908799/navy-military-heighten-security-near-sabah
US to consult PH on Tubbataha probe
From Rappler (Feb 14): US to consult PH on Tubbataha probe
SITTING ON THE REEF. Led by US Navy Supervisor of Salvage Capt Mark Matthews, an experienced team of salvage professionals are ready to dismantle the 23-year-old minesweeper and safely remove the ship from the reef. February 8 photo courtesy of US Navy
The United States will share with the Philippines all its information on the grounding of the USS Guardian in Tubbataha and consult Manila before publishing the results of its probe into the incident.
US Secretary of State John Kerry made these assurances to Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario in a telephone conversation last night, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Thursday, February 14.
“Secretary Kerry said that he himself wants to know and get to the bottom of what truly happened. In this context he said that he wants to be a full partner of the Philippines in finding out what happened and that the US government will cooperate fully with the investigation that the Philippines is conducting,” Del Rosario explained in a DFA statement.
The Americans, he added, are willing for US Navy high-ranking officials to "accept and answer queries" from Philippine investigators.
Del Rosario noted that Kerry "is also committed to sharing the findings of the US investigation and to consulting the Philippines and its experts before finalizing its investigation."
“We both agreed that it is important to understand what happened and to take the necessary navigational safety measures to protect the reef and that would prevent other ships from grounding there,” the DFA chief said.
Kerry also told Del Rosario that the United States will fully cooperate with Philippine authorities in the salvage operation of the minesweeper and provide "appropriate" compensation for the damages to the reef.
America's top diplomat also reiterated an official apology from the US government for the incident.
The USS Guardian ran aground on January 17 inside the protected area of the marine park, a UNESCO World Heritage site and a paradise for scuba divers.
The salvage operation is currently suspended pending the arrival of a 2nd floating crane, which will help cut the ship into pieces and remove it section by section from the reef.
http://www.rappler.com/nation/21822-us-to-consult-ph-on-tubbataha-probe
SITTING ON THE REEF. Led by US Navy Supervisor of Salvage Capt Mark Matthews, an experienced team of salvage professionals are ready to dismantle the 23-year-old minesweeper and safely remove the ship from the reef. February 8 photo courtesy of US Navy
The United States will share with the Philippines all its information on the grounding of the USS Guardian in Tubbataha and consult Manila before publishing the results of its probe into the incident.
US Secretary of State John Kerry made these assurances to Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario in a telephone conversation last night, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Thursday, February 14.
“Secretary Kerry said that he himself wants to know and get to the bottom of what truly happened. In this context he said that he wants to be a full partner of the Philippines in finding out what happened and that the US government will cooperate fully with the investigation that the Philippines is conducting,” Del Rosario explained in a DFA statement.
The Americans, he added, are willing for US Navy high-ranking officials to "accept and answer queries" from Philippine investigators.
Del Rosario noted that Kerry "is also committed to sharing the findings of the US investigation and to consulting the Philippines and its experts before finalizing its investigation."
“We both agreed that it is important to understand what happened and to take the necessary navigational safety measures to protect the reef and that would prevent other ships from grounding there,” the DFA chief said.
Kerry also told Del Rosario that the United States will fully cooperate with Philippine authorities in the salvage operation of the minesweeper and provide "appropriate" compensation for the damages to the reef.
America's top diplomat also reiterated an official apology from the US government for the incident.
The USS Guardian ran aground on January 17 inside the protected area of the marine park, a UNESCO World Heritage site and a paradise for scuba divers.
The salvage operation is currently suspended pending the arrival of a 2nd floating crane, which will help cut the ship into pieces and remove it section by section from the reef.
http://www.rappler.com/nation/21822-us-to-consult-ph-on-tubbataha-probe
Army soldiers discover abandoned NPA training camp in Sorsogon
From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 14): Army soldiers discover abandoned NPA
training camp in Sorsogon
Government troops have discovered an abandoned New People’s Army (NPA) training camp in a secluded site of a village not far from the downtown of Magallanes, Sorsogon.
Operatives belonging to the 31st Infantry Battalion (IB) of the Philippine Army (PA) based in the nearby Juban town discovered the abandoned rebel camp on Tuesday, a belated report released here Thursday by the PA’s 903rd Infantry Brigade (IB) based in Castilla, Sorsogon said.
The 903rd IB is the PA unit in charge of Internal Peace and Security Operations (IPSOs) in the southern section of Bicol and the 31st IB is its operational arm covering part of Sorsogon province.
Col. Joselito Kakilala, 903rd IB commander, said the NPA improvised installation believed to be a training camp was discovered by a team led by 1Lt. Rory Esico in Sitio Barayong of Barangay Tula-Tula Sur, less than two kilometers from the poblacion of Magallanes town.
The camp whose makeshift huts could accommodate at least 100 persons is strategically located in a forested site and believed to be abandoned by the NPA rebels the night before it was discovered by the soldiers, Kakilala said. “It has a good source of water and provided with good cover by lush vegetation. Combat training facilities and a hut, serving as classroom complete with teaching paraphernalia like blackboards and writing and reading materials, were found inside the camp,” he said.
The troops, Kakilala added, invited two persons seen at the training camp’s vicinity and one admitted that he was a “student” attending anti-government lectures in the facility. The two, the PA commander said, were turned over to Barangay Chair Eduardo Velazco of Tula-Tula Sur.
Kakilala said he had commended 31st IB commander Lt. Col. Teody Toribio and Esico for the successful discovery of the rebel camp by way of convincing civilian residents in the village to cooperate with the government in its anti-insurgency drive.
The presence of the camp and suspicious persons occupying it was reported by nearby residents to the PA team, he said. “Our various field operatives are continuously scouring areas within their respective areas of responsibility to flush the rebels out of their hiding camps and dismantle whatever facilities they have established for their anti-government activities,” according to Kakilala.
“We already have most of the civilian populace in Sorsogon villages in our side and they have been reporting to us the presence of suspicious elements or armed groups in their localities,” he added.
Magallanes is one of the 14 municipalities and one city of Sorsogon province classified as either NPA-influenced or controlled areas. “We and the entire military group will continue to conduct relentless combat operations against the rebels to stop their plans, training and recruitment of innocent youths to join their ranks,” Kakilala stressed.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=497694
Government troops have discovered an abandoned New People’s Army (NPA) training camp in a secluded site of a village not far from the downtown of Magallanes, Sorsogon.
Operatives belonging to the 31st Infantry Battalion (IB) of the Philippine Army (PA) based in the nearby Juban town discovered the abandoned rebel camp on Tuesday, a belated report released here Thursday by the PA’s 903rd Infantry Brigade (IB) based in Castilla, Sorsogon said.
The 903rd IB is the PA unit in charge of Internal Peace and Security Operations (IPSOs) in the southern section of Bicol and the 31st IB is its operational arm covering part of Sorsogon province.
Col. Joselito Kakilala, 903rd IB commander, said the NPA improvised installation believed to be a training camp was discovered by a team led by 1Lt. Rory Esico in Sitio Barayong of Barangay Tula-Tula Sur, less than two kilometers from the poblacion of Magallanes town.
The camp whose makeshift huts could accommodate at least 100 persons is strategically located in a forested site and believed to be abandoned by the NPA rebels the night before it was discovered by the soldiers, Kakilala said. “It has a good source of water and provided with good cover by lush vegetation. Combat training facilities and a hut, serving as classroom complete with teaching paraphernalia like blackboards and writing and reading materials, were found inside the camp,” he said.
The troops, Kakilala added, invited two persons seen at the training camp’s vicinity and one admitted that he was a “student” attending anti-government lectures in the facility. The two, the PA commander said, were turned over to Barangay Chair Eduardo Velazco of Tula-Tula Sur.
Kakilala said he had commended 31st IB commander Lt. Col. Teody Toribio and Esico for the successful discovery of the rebel camp by way of convincing civilian residents in the village to cooperate with the government in its anti-insurgency drive.
The presence of the camp and suspicious persons occupying it was reported by nearby residents to the PA team, he said. “Our various field operatives are continuously scouring areas within their respective areas of responsibility to flush the rebels out of their hiding camps and dismantle whatever facilities they have established for their anti-government activities,” according to Kakilala.
“We already have most of the civilian populace in Sorsogon villages in our side and they have been reporting to us the presence of suspicious elements or armed groups in their localities,” he added.
Magallanes is one of the 14 municipalities and one city of Sorsogon province classified as either NPA-influenced or controlled areas. “We and the entire military group will continue to conduct relentless combat operations against the rebels to stop their plans, training and recruitment of innocent youths to join their ranks,” Kakilala stressed.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=497694
KALAHI-CIDSS implement identified projects in Guimaras, Antique
From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 15): KALAHI-CIDSS implement identified
projects in Guimaras, Antique
Construction of projects in Aklan and Antique for the KALAHI-CIDSS is ongoing and hopefully, will be completed before its first cycle ends in May this year.
Kapit Bisig laban sa Kahirapan-through Comprehensive Integrated Delivery of Social Services(KALAHI-CIDSS) 6 has already identified Sibunag, Guimaras and Bugasong, Antique among other beneficiaries as part of its first cycle of helping communities in the region.
The Identified Project Implementation Program of KALAHI-CIDSS 6 aims to construct school buildings, energize various localities, and finish other necessary projects identified by the communities. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has identified seven projects in Antique, six in Aklan and four in Guimaras for the program, officials said.
Ms. Elizabeth D. Ferraris, DSWD 6 CDD Project Specialist, said that the program of DSWD does not only aim to identify and provide necessary projects for the community but also to equip and enhance the beneficiaries’ participation in the undertaking, their relationship among other beneficiaries and even organizing trainings and seminars in promoting good governance and transparency to the v arfious communities.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=497749
Construction of projects in Aklan and Antique for the KALAHI-CIDSS is ongoing and hopefully, will be completed before its first cycle ends in May this year.
Kapit Bisig laban sa Kahirapan-through Comprehensive Integrated Delivery of Social Services(KALAHI-CIDSS) 6 has already identified Sibunag, Guimaras and Bugasong, Antique among other beneficiaries as part of its first cycle of helping communities in the region.
The Identified Project Implementation Program of KALAHI-CIDSS 6 aims to construct school buildings, energize various localities, and finish other necessary projects identified by the communities. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has identified seven projects in Antique, six in Aklan and four in Guimaras for the program, officials said.
Ms. Elizabeth D. Ferraris, DSWD 6 CDD Project Specialist, said that the program of DSWD does not only aim to identify and provide necessary projects for the community but also to equip and enhance the beneficiaries’ participation in the undertaking, their relationship among other beneficiaries and even organizing trainings and seminars in promoting good governance and transparency to the v arfious communities.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=497749
New US State secretarty backs PHL decision to bring dispute with China before UN tribunal
From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 14): New US State secretarty backs PHL
decision to bring dispute with China before UN tribunal
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry supports the Philippine government’s decision last month to bring the disputes with China on overlapping South China Sea claims before a U.N. arbitration tribunal, emphasizing the need to resolve the long-simmering conflicts peacefully on the basis of international law, Foreign Secretary Albert Del Rosario said Thursday.
Del Rosario said Kerry, whom he spoke with over the phone Wednesday night, gave his support for the efforts of the Philippines to resolve the conflicting claims through the rule of law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
UNCLOS is a 1982 accord by 163 countries that aims to govern the use of offshore areas and sets territorial limits of coastal states. The Philippines and China are both signatories to the treaty.
Kerry’s backing is the most important and so far the most high-profile support the Philippine government’s legal action against China has received, although US officials have repeatedly emphasized they would not take sides in the territorial disputes involving China, the Philippines and other claimants to the South China Sea territories.
The South China Sea, part of which is known in the Philippines as West Philippine Sea, is dotted with islands, shoals, cays, reefs and rock formations and is believed to be rich in oil and natural gas. Analysts feared the conflicts involving the China, Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan, could be Asia's next flashpoint.
Del Rosario said he emphasized to Kerry the importance of the Philippine initiative on the future stability of the region and the future efficacy of international law in general. He said Kerry, who recently took over the post vacated by Hillary Clinton, is fully supportive of UNCLOS and was one of its strongest advocates in the U.S. Senate.
“Secretary Kerry was a moving force behind a Senate resolution on the peaceful settlement of disputes in the West Philippine Sea,” he said. During the phone call, Kerry also emphasized his personal closeness to the Philippines and his determination to further enhancing ties between Manila and Washington. Both officials agreed to further cooperation that would help build the capacity of the Philippines to defend its territory and people.
“We exchange views on the implementation of our agreed policy of increased rotational presence, enhanced exercises and capacity building,” Del Rosario said.
Recently, the US military has intensified the deployment of its modern fleets of aircraft, ship and submarines to Australia, Japan, Singapore, the Philippines, Vietnam and other Asian countries as part of its ongoing efforts to reassert its presence and clout as an Asia Pacific power after years of preoccupation in the war in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The Philippines and the U.S. have a 61-year-old Mutual Defense Treaty or MDT. Washington has repeatedly pledged to comply with commitments under the MDT that binds the US to help defend the Philippines if it comes under attack from any external force.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=&sid=&nid=&rid=497717
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry supports the Philippine government’s decision last month to bring the disputes with China on overlapping South China Sea claims before a U.N. arbitration tribunal, emphasizing the need to resolve the long-simmering conflicts peacefully on the basis of international law, Foreign Secretary Albert Del Rosario said Thursday.
Del Rosario said Kerry, whom he spoke with over the phone Wednesday night, gave his support for the efforts of the Philippines to resolve the conflicting claims through the rule of law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
UNCLOS is a 1982 accord by 163 countries that aims to govern the use of offshore areas and sets territorial limits of coastal states. The Philippines and China are both signatories to the treaty.
Kerry’s backing is the most important and so far the most high-profile support the Philippine government’s legal action against China has received, although US officials have repeatedly emphasized they would not take sides in the territorial disputes involving China, the Philippines and other claimants to the South China Sea territories.
The South China Sea, part of which is known in the Philippines as West Philippine Sea, is dotted with islands, shoals, cays, reefs and rock formations and is believed to be rich in oil and natural gas. Analysts feared the conflicts involving the China, Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan, could be Asia's next flashpoint.
Del Rosario said he emphasized to Kerry the importance of the Philippine initiative on the future stability of the region and the future efficacy of international law in general. He said Kerry, who recently took over the post vacated by Hillary Clinton, is fully supportive of UNCLOS and was one of its strongest advocates in the U.S. Senate.
“Secretary Kerry was a moving force behind a Senate resolution on the peaceful settlement of disputes in the West Philippine Sea,” he said. During the phone call, Kerry also emphasized his personal closeness to the Philippines and his determination to further enhancing ties between Manila and Washington. Both officials agreed to further cooperation that would help build the capacity of the Philippines to defend its territory and people.
“We exchange views on the implementation of our agreed policy of increased rotational presence, enhanced exercises and capacity building,” Del Rosario said.
Recently, the US military has intensified the deployment of its modern fleets of aircraft, ship and submarines to Australia, Japan, Singapore, the Philippines, Vietnam and other Asian countries as part of its ongoing efforts to reassert its presence and clout as an Asia Pacific power after years of preoccupation in the war in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The Philippines and the U.S. have a 61-year-old Mutual Defense Treaty or MDT. Washington has repeatedly pledged to comply with commitments under the MDT that binds the US to help defend the Philippines if it comes under attack from any external force.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=&sid=&nid=&rid=497717
Murad’s grandchildren ask: “Baba, si PNoy, kakampi ba yan or kalaban?”
From MindaNews (Feb 14): Murad’s grandchildren ask: “Baba, si PNoy, kakampi ba yan or kalaban?”
Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) chair Al Haj Murad Ebrahim has a lot of explaining to do about their new relationship with the Philippine government (GPH) — from adversaries to partners – even as they have yet to sign a comprehensive peace pact. But the most difficult to explain to are his six grandchildren.
Murad recalled in an interview late Tuesday afternoon that when he went to Malacanang to witness the signing of the GPH-MILF Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB) on October 15 last year, his grandchildren, especially the younger ones, asked him, “Di ba, Baba, kalaban natin ang gobyerno? Bakit ngayon magkaibigan na tayo?” (Baba, isn’t the government our enemy? Why are we friends with it now?).
“Baba” is Arabic for father. Murad’s grandchildren call him “Baba” because that is how his two children call him.
How did he answer his grandchildren, MindaNews asked.
The MILF chair, who is turning 65 in May, said he told them “hindi naman yung gobyerno na mismo ang kalaban natin. meron lang tayong gustong kunin sa kanila na… (It is not the government itself that we are fighting. We just want to claim something from government that…)”
“It takes lots of explanation.. kasi sila mismo were surprised kasi kalaban” [because they themselves were surprised because (government was) enemy], Murad said.
The President’s visit last Monday to launch the socio-economic initiative , Sajahatra Bangsamoro (Peace Bangsamoro), again drew questions from Murad’s grandchildren.
He said the most inquisitive was his second to the youngest grandson who is eight years old.
The boy, he said, asked him “Ano ba yan si PNoy (Presidential nickname of Aquino). Kakampi ba natin yan or kalaban?” (What is PNoy. Is he our ally or our enemy?)
Murad admitted it is “quite difficult” to explain to them “na hindi tao ang kalaban natin” (that our enemy is not the person).
The mere mention of Murad’s grandchildren quickly lightens up his face. It did last Tuesday.
As it also did when MindaNews asked about his grandchildren in an interview at the receiving room of the MILF peace panel’s office in Camp Darapanan on September 5, 2011, a month and a day after his first meeting with President Aquino in Japan.
At that time when the peace process was 14 years old, his eldest grandchild was 12 and the youngest was 3.
In the 2011 interview, MindaNews asked if his grandchildren asked him about the Bangsamor sub-state that they were proposing to government.
“Well, the elder ones asked but the younger ones cannot comprehend,” he replied.
That interview came two days after then GPH peace panel chair Marvic Leonen posted on his Facebook wall that his eight-year old daughter had asked him, “Papa, why don’t you just give them the government that they want?”
Did his grandchildren ask what they were negotiating for, Murad was asked in the 2011 interview: “Yeah. The elder ones, every time when I’m with my children, usually they are very curious kung anong nangyayari (about what is happening) and of course they have seen me on TV. Nagiging curious sila” (They become curious),” he said.
He said he explained to them “in a very simple way” that “we have to do this struggle not for us but for them, for their future.”
http://www.mindanews.com/peace-process/2013/02/14/murads-grandchildren-ask-baba-si-pnoy-kakampi-ba-yan-or-kalaban/
Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) chair Al Haj Murad Ebrahim has a lot of explaining to do about their new relationship with the Philippine government (GPH) — from adversaries to partners – even as they have yet to sign a comprehensive peace pact. But the most difficult to explain to are his six grandchildren.
Murad recalled in an interview late Tuesday afternoon that when he went to Malacanang to witness the signing of the GPH-MILF Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB) on October 15 last year, his grandchildren, especially the younger ones, asked him, “Di ba, Baba, kalaban natin ang gobyerno? Bakit ngayon magkaibigan na tayo?” (Baba, isn’t the government our enemy? Why are we friends with it now?).
“Baba” is Arabic for father. Murad’s grandchildren call him “Baba” because that is how his two children call him.
How did he answer his grandchildren, MindaNews asked.
The MILF chair, who is turning 65 in May, said he told them “hindi naman yung gobyerno na mismo ang kalaban natin. meron lang tayong gustong kunin sa kanila na… (It is not the government itself that we are fighting. We just want to claim something from government that…)”
“It takes lots of explanation.. kasi sila mismo were surprised kasi kalaban” [because they themselves were surprised because (government was) enemy], Murad said.
The President’s visit last Monday to launch the socio-economic initiative , Sajahatra Bangsamoro (Peace Bangsamoro), again drew questions from Murad’s grandchildren.
He said the most inquisitive was his second to the youngest grandson who is eight years old.
The boy, he said, asked him “Ano ba yan si PNoy (Presidential nickname of Aquino). Kakampi ba natin yan or kalaban?” (What is PNoy. Is he our ally or our enemy?)
Murad admitted it is “quite difficult” to explain to them “na hindi tao ang kalaban natin” (that our enemy is not the person).
The mere mention of Murad’s grandchildren quickly lightens up his face. It did last Tuesday.
As it also did when MindaNews asked about his grandchildren in an interview at the receiving room of the MILF peace panel’s office in Camp Darapanan on September 5, 2011, a month and a day after his first meeting with President Aquino in Japan.
At that time when the peace process was 14 years old, his eldest grandchild was 12 and the youngest was 3.
In the 2011 interview, MindaNews asked if his grandchildren asked him about the Bangsamor sub-state that they were proposing to government.
“Well, the elder ones asked but the younger ones cannot comprehend,” he replied.
That interview came two days after then GPH peace panel chair Marvic Leonen posted on his Facebook wall that his eight-year old daughter had asked him, “Papa, why don’t you just give them the government that they want?”
Did his grandchildren ask what they were negotiating for, Murad was asked in the 2011 interview: “Yeah. The elder ones, every time when I’m with my children, usually they are very curious kung anong nangyayari (about what is happening) and of course they have seen me on TV. Nagiging curious sila” (They become curious),” he said.
He said he explained to them “in a very simple way” that “we have to do this struggle not for us but for them, for their future.”
http://www.mindanews.com/peace-process/2013/02/14/murads-grandchildren-ask-baba-si-pnoy-kakampi-ba-yan-or-kalaban/
Murad to critics of Sajahatra Bangsamoro: “Let the people judge”
From MindaNews (Feb 14): Murad to critics of Sajahatra Bangsamoro: “Let the people judge”
CAMP DARAPANAN, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao – “Let the people judge,” Al Haj Murad Ebrahim, chair of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), said on criticisms that they have “sold out” to or have been “coopted” by government with the launching Monday of the socio-economic initiative dubbed “Sajahatra Bangsamoro” (Peace Bangsamoro).
The criticisms stem from the fact that while the government and MILF had signed the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB) on October 15, they have yet to complete the four annexes on power-sharing, wealth-sharing, normalization, and transitional arrangements and modalities that would form part of the “Comprehensive Compact.”
Launched Monday at the Bangsamoro Leadership and Management Institute (BLMI) with President Benigno Simeon Aquino III setting foot in an MILF turf for the first time, “Sajahatra Bangsamoro” focuses on education, health and livelihood through scholarship grants, assistance to madaris, issuance of Philhealth cards, basic health care services, livelihood projects and cash for work for MILF communities.
“We recognize also that by undertaking joint development projects with government even before a comprehensive compact is signed, we might be putting in jeopardy some critical strategy that has guided our struggle for a long time. We are indeed, treading on uncharted and certainly dangerous path,” Murad said in his welcome address last Monday.
Late Tuesday afternoon, Murad told MindaNews at the receiving room of the peace panel’s office in the MILF’s Camp Darapanan that he is aware of the criticisms which is why in his speech, “I really emphasized that we’re really putting at risk the basic strategy of our struggle because we are still in the process (of completing the comprehensive peace pact) but we already accepted this (Sajahatra Bangsamoro).”
Speaking in mixed English and Pilipino, Murad, who assumed the post of MILF chair after Hashim Salamat’s death in July 2003, explained: “But then we are considering this as part of the confidence-building and so we also see the sincerity on the side of the government to really find a solution to the Mindanao problem.”
He acknowledged they have “mga agam-agam” (doubts) , “but finally we decided we will accept this token socio-economic development being given by the administration and hopefully it would, rather than be an obstacle to the talks, encourage the people to support the peace process.”
It is important, he stressed, that the people “should already feel the results of the peace process.”
It has been four months since the euphoria over the signing of the FAB and MILF communities have yet to feel the dividends of peace.
Priorities
Murad said they are “willing to be very cooperative” to settle the contentious issues in the four annexes “but we cannot afford to trade in our principles which should be in the political agreement.”
Sajahatra Bangsamoro is a product of the “one-on-one” talks in Malacanang between President Aquino and Murad immediately after the signing of the FAB.
The President, he said, asked him about the MILF’s priorities for socio-economic development.
“I told him we are not focusing on big projects but a socio-economic program where people would feel that this is really for them. I said ordinary people do not welcome large-scale projects because they do not feel the impact.”
Murad recalled the President asked him to submit a list of priorities which the MILF handed over to then government peace panel chair Marvic Leonen in November.
He said the MILF opted for education, health and livelihood, in that order.
The Sajahatra primer does not say how many will benefit from these projects and how much the budget is.
Secretary Teresita Quintos-Deles, Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, told MindaNews Thursday that the Office of the President is “not yet releasing estimates (of the budget)because planning and identifying beneficiaries are still ongoing with the MILF.”
Mike Pasigan, MILF spokesperson for the project, told MindaNews 11,000 members of MILF communities, both combatants and non-combatants, from MILF areas in Mindanao, including the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao provinces, the Zamboanga peninsula and Davao Oriental, will receive Philhealth cards whose premiums for two years will be paid by government while 500 students will receive college scholarships. A still undetermined number will receive scholarships for vocational school.
The other components do not have details as to number of beneficiaries.
People first
Murad said they have yet to finalize identifying the beneficiaries.
He acknowledged that the list of beneficiaries would expose their communities and their commanders. “That is where the gamble is but then on the other side also, we see the effect of this on the fighters and our members because they always tie it up with the peace process. So that will give them more motivation to support the peace process.”
He noted that conflicts could arise because there is not enough cards or scholarships or livelihood projects for everyone.
“That is why identifying the beneficiaries is taking so long because we want to make sure that everyone will see that they will not be concentrated in one area. It has to be all over, that those from Maguindanao will not be the only ones who will benefit but Lanao and others as well. We have to make sure beneficiaries will be distributed and that we target the most needy. So we are very careful on that.”
The government wanted to give him a Philhealth card but he refused.
MindaNew sources from both government and the MILF said that initially, Murad’s card was supposed to have been handed over to him on stage but this part of the program was scrapped upon the MILF’s request.
Before the launch, a Philhealth official told MindaNews Murad’s card was ready but it would not be handed to him publicly.
Murad said he received no card last Monday. He said he did not want to accept any because “we do not want our people to think we would benefit first. They should benefit first.”
‘Not counter-insurgency’
Despite the criticisms, Murad is firm that Sajahatra Bangsamoro is not a counter-insurgency program of government but is part of the peace process.
“Our position is, if there is socio-economic development, it has to be parallel with the progress of the peace talks. So admittedly there was a major progress in the peace process after the signing of the Framework Agreement. We have seen there is a general framework so we can now admit token socioeconomic program to motivate people to support the peace process. The socio-economic step is parallel to the peace process.
What we do not want is that the peace process is on a standstill and the socioeconomic program continues because that will be counter-insurgency. But if it goes together, then we can see it is a product of the peace process and not counter-insurgency.”
In his speech on Monday, Murad shifted to Maguindanaon to address the beneficiaries present, MILF combatants among them.
He said he explained to them that “this is not the payment for their sacrifices because sacrifices are priceless. This is the result of the partnership (with government).”
He said he is aware that “this can be capitalized on by the critics of the MILF, especially the hardliners who will say the MILF has sold out just because they were given Philhealth cards, scholarships, etc… So we had to explain to them that this is part of the peace process and not as payment.”
Murad said the “overwhelming” support given to the peace process will see them through.
“We can see the overwhelming support of the people to the Framework Agreement, anywhere we go. So those who criticize, if they are not careful, they become unpopular to the people. The people will see that they are just criticizing. This is why we do not want to answer, we avoid answering these criticisms because let the people judge what they say and we will concentrate on what we see are the advantages or benefits of the agreement,” he said.
http://www.mindanews.com/peace-process/2013/02/14/murad-to-critics-of-sajahatra-bangsamoro-let-the-people-judge/
CAMP DARAPANAN, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao – “Let the people judge,” Al Haj Murad Ebrahim, chair of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), said on criticisms that they have “sold out” to or have been “coopted” by government with the launching Monday of the socio-economic initiative dubbed “Sajahatra Bangsamoro” (Peace Bangsamoro).
The criticisms stem from the fact that while the government and MILF had signed the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB) on October 15, they have yet to complete the four annexes on power-sharing, wealth-sharing, normalization, and transitional arrangements and modalities that would form part of the “Comprehensive Compact.”
Launched Monday at the Bangsamoro Leadership and Management Institute (BLMI) with President Benigno Simeon Aquino III setting foot in an MILF turf for the first time, “Sajahatra Bangsamoro” focuses on education, health and livelihood through scholarship grants, assistance to madaris, issuance of Philhealth cards, basic health care services, livelihood projects and cash for work for MILF communities.
“We recognize also that by undertaking joint development projects with government even before a comprehensive compact is signed, we might be putting in jeopardy some critical strategy that has guided our struggle for a long time. We are indeed, treading on uncharted and certainly dangerous path,” Murad said in his welcome address last Monday.
Late Tuesday afternoon, Murad told MindaNews at the receiving room of the peace panel’s office in the MILF’s Camp Darapanan that he is aware of the criticisms which is why in his speech, “I really emphasized that we’re really putting at risk the basic strategy of our struggle because we are still in the process (of completing the comprehensive peace pact) but we already accepted this (Sajahatra Bangsamoro).”
Speaking in mixed English and Pilipino, Murad, who assumed the post of MILF chair after Hashim Salamat’s death in July 2003, explained: “But then we are considering this as part of the confidence-building and so we also see the sincerity on the side of the government to really find a solution to the Mindanao problem.”
He acknowledged they have “mga agam-agam” (doubts) , “but finally we decided we will accept this token socio-economic development being given by the administration and hopefully it would, rather than be an obstacle to the talks, encourage the people to support the peace process.”
It is important, he stressed, that the people “should already feel the results of the peace process.”
It has been four months since the euphoria over the signing of the FAB and MILF communities have yet to feel the dividends of peace.
Priorities
Murad said they are “willing to be very cooperative” to settle the contentious issues in the four annexes “but we cannot afford to trade in our principles which should be in the political agreement.”
Sajahatra Bangsamoro is a product of the “one-on-one” talks in Malacanang between President Aquino and Murad immediately after the signing of the FAB.
The President, he said, asked him about the MILF’s priorities for socio-economic development.
“I told him we are not focusing on big projects but a socio-economic program where people would feel that this is really for them. I said ordinary people do not welcome large-scale projects because they do not feel the impact.”
Murad recalled the President asked him to submit a list of priorities which the MILF handed over to then government peace panel chair Marvic Leonen in November.
He said the MILF opted for education, health and livelihood, in that order.
The Sajahatra primer does not say how many will benefit from these projects and how much the budget is.
Secretary Teresita Quintos-Deles, Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, told MindaNews Thursday that the Office of the President is “not yet releasing estimates (of the budget)because planning and identifying beneficiaries are still ongoing with the MILF.”
Mike Pasigan, MILF spokesperson for the project, told MindaNews 11,000 members of MILF communities, both combatants and non-combatants, from MILF areas in Mindanao, including the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao provinces, the Zamboanga peninsula and Davao Oriental, will receive Philhealth cards whose premiums for two years will be paid by government while 500 students will receive college scholarships. A still undetermined number will receive scholarships for vocational school.
The other components do not have details as to number of beneficiaries.
People first
Murad said they have yet to finalize identifying the beneficiaries.
He acknowledged that the list of beneficiaries would expose their communities and their commanders. “That is where the gamble is but then on the other side also, we see the effect of this on the fighters and our members because they always tie it up with the peace process. So that will give them more motivation to support the peace process.”
He noted that conflicts could arise because there is not enough cards or scholarships or livelihood projects for everyone.
“That is why identifying the beneficiaries is taking so long because we want to make sure that everyone will see that they will not be concentrated in one area. It has to be all over, that those from Maguindanao will not be the only ones who will benefit but Lanao and others as well. We have to make sure beneficiaries will be distributed and that we target the most needy. So we are very careful on that.”
The government wanted to give him a Philhealth card but he refused.
MindaNew sources from both government and the MILF said that initially, Murad’s card was supposed to have been handed over to him on stage but this part of the program was scrapped upon the MILF’s request.
Before the launch, a Philhealth official told MindaNews Murad’s card was ready but it would not be handed to him publicly.
Murad said he received no card last Monday. He said he did not want to accept any because “we do not want our people to think we would benefit first. They should benefit first.”
‘Not counter-insurgency’
Despite the criticisms, Murad is firm that Sajahatra Bangsamoro is not a counter-insurgency program of government but is part of the peace process.
“Our position is, if there is socio-economic development, it has to be parallel with the progress of the peace talks. So admittedly there was a major progress in the peace process after the signing of the Framework Agreement. We have seen there is a general framework so we can now admit token socioeconomic program to motivate people to support the peace process. The socio-economic step is parallel to the peace process.
What we do not want is that the peace process is on a standstill and the socioeconomic program continues because that will be counter-insurgency. But if it goes together, then we can see it is a product of the peace process and not counter-insurgency.”
In his speech on Monday, Murad shifted to Maguindanaon to address the beneficiaries present, MILF combatants among them.
He said he explained to them that “this is not the payment for their sacrifices because sacrifices are priceless. This is the result of the partnership (with government).”
He said he is aware that “this can be capitalized on by the critics of the MILF, especially the hardliners who will say the MILF has sold out just because they were given Philhealth cards, scholarships, etc… So we had to explain to them that this is part of the peace process and not as payment.”
Murad said the “overwhelming” support given to the peace process will see them through.
“We can see the overwhelming support of the people to the Framework Agreement, anywhere we go. So those who criticize, if they are not careful, they become unpopular to the people. The people will see that they are just criticizing. This is why we do not want to answer, we avoid answering these criticisms because let the people judge what they say and we will concentrate on what we see are the advantages or benefits of the agreement,” he said.
http://www.mindanews.com/peace-process/2013/02/14/murad-to-critics-of-sajahatra-bangsamoro-let-the-people-judge/
NPA attacks group of soldiers, militia, civilians
From the Manila Times (Feb 15): NPA attacks group of soldiers, militia, civilians
THE communist New People’s Army (NPA) staged another deadly attack in Samar province against a group of soldiers, para-military forces and civilians, leaving one dead and four others wounded.
Lt. Col. Noel Vestuir, commander of the 20th Infantry Battalion based in Catbalogan, Samar province, on Thursday, said that the Army troops and para-military forces, were conducting a regular dialogue with residents of Barangay Guindaulan, Rosario, Northern Samar, when an undetermined number of heavily armed rebels opened fire.
The volley of gunfire from the rebels, Vestuir said instantly killed that a member of the Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit (Cafgu), wounded two soldiers and another Cafgu member and a civilian.
What the rebels did, Vestuir pointed out, was a violation of the Comprehensive Agreement on Human Right and Internal Humanitarian Law as it victimized noncombatants.
“The NPA insurgents once again violated the Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law by not sparing civilians from their attack against the government troops,” Vestuir said.
Captain Gene Orense, spokesman of the Eight Infantry Division, said that the incident was reminiscent of the ambush-massacre staged also by the NPAs in La Castel-lana, Negros Occidental province that left a policeman and eight civilians dead.
Orense said that had it not been for the quick response of the Army and para-military troops, more civilians might have been injured or killed.
Based on civilian accounts, Orense added that an undetermined number of insurgents were also wounded in the encounter.
Orense said that the Maoist rebels continue to capitalize on soft targets, often using inhumane tactics such as the use of improvised explosive devices, force taxation on business and civilian communities, ambuscades and destruction of vital facilities and private properties.
http://www.manilatimes.net/index.php/news/regions/41499-npa-attacks-group-of-soldiers-militia-civilians
THE communist New People’s Army (NPA) staged another deadly attack in Samar province against a group of soldiers, para-military forces and civilians, leaving one dead and four others wounded.
Lt. Col. Noel Vestuir, commander of the 20th Infantry Battalion based in Catbalogan, Samar province, on Thursday, said that the Army troops and para-military forces, were conducting a regular dialogue with residents of Barangay Guindaulan, Rosario, Northern Samar, when an undetermined number of heavily armed rebels opened fire.
The volley of gunfire from the rebels, Vestuir said instantly killed that a member of the Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit (Cafgu), wounded two soldiers and another Cafgu member and a civilian.
What the rebels did, Vestuir pointed out, was a violation of the Comprehensive Agreement on Human Right and Internal Humanitarian Law as it victimized noncombatants.
“The NPA insurgents once again violated the Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law by not sparing civilians from their attack against the government troops,” Vestuir said.
Captain Gene Orense, spokesman of the Eight Infantry Division, said that the incident was reminiscent of the ambush-massacre staged also by the NPAs in La Castel-lana, Negros Occidental province that left a policeman and eight civilians dead.
Orense said that had it not been for the quick response of the Army and para-military troops, more civilians might have been injured or killed.
Based on civilian accounts, Orense added that an undetermined number of insurgents were also wounded in the encounter.
Orense said that the Maoist rebels continue to capitalize on soft targets, often using inhumane tactics such as the use of improvised explosive devices, force taxation on business and civilian communities, ambuscades and destruction of vital facilities and private properties.
http://www.manilatimes.net/index.php/news/regions/41499-npa-attacks-group-of-soldiers-militia-civilians
‘US to pay reef damages’
From the Manila Standard Today (Feb 15): ‘US to pay reef damages’
US Secretary of State John Kerry said the United States government is ready to “fully and appropriately provide compensation for all damages” caused by the grounding on the Tubbataha reef, said Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario.
Base from their phone conversation Wednesday night, Del Rosario said Kerry assured full cooperation in salvaging the USS Guardian which ran aground in January.
“One of the first things we discussed was the USS Guardian incident. We had a very frank discussion between friends. We both agreed on the importance of removing the USS Guardian from the reef without causing further damage,” Del Rosario said in a statement released Thursday.
“Secretary Kerry reiterated the deep regret of the US government over the incident and its readiness to provide full and appropriate compensation,” he added.
“Secretary Kerry said that he himself wants to know and get to the bottom of what truly happened. In this context he said that he wants to be a full partner of the Philippines in finding out what happened and that the U.S. government will cooperate fully with the investigation that the Philippines is conducting.”
Del Rosario said Kerry is also committed to share the US Navy’s findings and consult the Philippines and its expert before finalizing its report.
“We both agreed that it is important to understand what happened and to take the necessary navigational safety measures to protect the reef and that would prevent other ships from grounding there,” he said.
“I would like to assure the public that every effort will be made to obtain proper compensation. We also are of the view that a long term commitment of resources by the United States to the future well being of the reef is important, on top of the issue of compensation.”
http://manilastandardtoday.com/2013/02/15/us-to-pay-reef-damages/
US Secretary of State John Kerry said the United States government is ready to “fully and appropriately provide compensation for all damages” caused by the grounding on the Tubbataha reef, said Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario.
Base from their phone conversation Wednesday night, Del Rosario said Kerry assured full cooperation in salvaging the USS Guardian which ran aground in January.
“One of the first things we discussed was the USS Guardian incident. We had a very frank discussion between friends. We both agreed on the importance of removing the USS Guardian from the reef without causing further damage,” Del Rosario said in a statement released Thursday.
“Secretary Kerry reiterated the deep regret of the US government over the incident and its readiness to provide full and appropriate compensation,” he added.
“Secretary Kerry said that he himself wants to know and get to the bottom of what truly happened. In this context he said that he wants to be a full partner of the Philippines in finding out what happened and that the U.S. government will cooperate fully with the investigation that the Philippines is conducting.”
Del Rosario said Kerry is also committed to share the US Navy’s findings and consult the Philippines and its expert before finalizing its report.
“We both agreed that it is important to understand what happened and to take the necessary navigational safety measures to protect the reef and that would prevent other ships from grounding there,” he said.
“I would like to assure the public that every effort will be made to obtain proper compensation. We also are of the view that a long term commitment of resources by the United States to the future well being of the reef is important, on top of the issue of compensation.”
http://manilastandardtoday.com/2013/02/15/us-to-pay-reef-damages/
131 NPA camps in EV already seized by soldiers
From the Leyte Samar Daily Express (Feb 14): 131 NPA camps in EV already seized by soldiers
The armed group of the communist organization, New People’s Army, committed 374 violent incidents which have caused the death of 53 civilians in the country or one civilian in a week, the military reported yesterday.
The Public Affairs Office of the AFP reported that 10 of these incidents were committed this January, the latest of which occurred in a mountain village in La Castellana town, Negros Occidental killing ten innocent civilians and wounding nine others.
In total, the NPA killed 81 members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, eight from the Philippine National Police and 22 CAFGU Active Auxiliary (CAA).
For its part, the AFP reported to have successfully neutralized 555 NPA personalities in 2012 of which 367 voluntarily surrendered to the government and seizure of hundred of its revolutionary hideouts. In January 2013, 21 NPAs were neutralized, 19 of which voluntarily surrendered.
AFP chief of staff Gen. Emmanuel Bautista said the AFP would never waiver in its commitment to thwart NPA atrocities and armed violence until just and lasting peace and stability for our country is achieved. Despite this incident, the AFP will remain supportive of the peace efforts and peace-building undertakings of the government.
“We will continue to intensify our focused security operations against armed rebels who continue to wage armed violence causing loss of innocent lives, destruction of properties, and damage to vital economic facilities and infrastructures,” Bautista said.
In Eastern Visayas alone, a total of 131 NPA camps were already seized and discovered by the military troops. Eight camps were recovered with enemy resistance and 123 of the camps were seized without enemy resistance.
The latest of which happened last February 9 where elements of the 20th Infantry Battalion have seized another NPA hideaway in Barangay Happy Valley, San Isidro, Northern, Samar.
“The NPA camp has one big function hall made of Nipa hut, some fifteen (15) makeshift bunkers that can accommodate more or less 20 communist terrorists, two (2) advance outposts,” said Lieutenant Colonel Noel Vestuir, commanding officer of the 20IB, in a press statement.
Also recovered from the scene were a jungle pack, jungle hammock, leftist book entitled “Pag Aradman han mga Aktibista (Activist’s Journal),” a poncho, two magazines for cal .45 pistol with eight live ammunitions and two empty shells, among others.
“We would like to commend the populace for always coordinating with us and denounces the presence of the NPAs who conduct extortion activities not only to businessmen but to ordinary farmers and populace in the area,” Vestuir added.
Meanwhile, Major Gen. Gerardo Layug, commander of the 8th Infantry Division in Catbalogan City, said the discovery of several NPA camps is a clear manifestation that the NPA in Samar provinces is losing ground and influence over the people which will eventually lead to their downfall and collapse.
“The 8ID is currently intensifying its efforts in securing our communities against all forms of armed threats through sustained security operations and constant coordination and linkages with the stakeholders through the spirit of ‘Bayanihan’ in attaining peace throughout the region,” Layug added.
http://leytesamardaily.net/2013/02/131-npa-camps-in-ev-already-seized-by-soldiers/
The armed group of the communist organization, New People’s Army, committed 374 violent incidents which have caused the death of 53 civilians in the country or one civilian in a week, the military reported yesterday.
The Public Affairs Office of the AFP reported that 10 of these incidents were committed this January, the latest of which occurred in a mountain village in La Castellana town, Negros Occidental killing ten innocent civilians and wounding nine others.
In total, the NPA killed 81 members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, eight from the Philippine National Police and 22 CAFGU Active Auxiliary (CAA).
For its part, the AFP reported to have successfully neutralized 555 NPA personalities in 2012 of which 367 voluntarily surrendered to the government and seizure of hundred of its revolutionary hideouts. In January 2013, 21 NPAs were neutralized, 19 of which voluntarily surrendered.
AFP chief of staff Gen. Emmanuel Bautista said the AFP would never waiver in its commitment to thwart NPA atrocities and armed violence until just and lasting peace and stability for our country is achieved. Despite this incident, the AFP will remain supportive of the peace efforts and peace-building undertakings of the government.
“We will continue to intensify our focused security operations against armed rebels who continue to wage armed violence causing loss of innocent lives, destruction of properties, and damage to vital economic facilities and infrastructures,” Bautista said.
In Eastern Visayas alone, a total of 131 NPA camps were already seized and discovered by the military troops. Eight camps were recovered with enemy resistance and 123 of the camps were seized without enemy resistance.
The latest of which happened last February 9 where elements of the 20th Infantry Battalion have seized another NPA hideaway in Barangay Happy Valley, San Isidro, Northern, Samar.
“The NPA camp has one big function hall made of Nipa hut, some fifteen (15) makeshift bunkers that can accommodate more or less 20 communist terrorists, two (2) advance outposts,” said Lieutenant Colonel Noel Vestuir, commanding officer of the 20IB, in a press statement.
Also recovered from the scene were a jungle pack, jungle hammock, leftist book entitled “Pag Aradman han mga Aktibista (Activist’s Journal),” a poncho, two magazines for cal .45 pistol with eight live ammunitions and two empty shells, among others.
“We would like to commend the populace for always coordinating with us and denounces the presence of the NPAs who conduct extortion activities not only to businessmen but to ordinary farmers and populace in the area,” Vestuir added.
Meanwhile, Major Gen. Gerardo Layug, commander of the 8th Infantry Division in Catbalogan City, said the discovery of several NPA camps is a clear manifestation that the NPA in Samar provinces is losing ground and influence over the people which will eventually lead to their downfall and collapse.
“The 8ID is currently intensifying its efforts in securing our communities against all forms of armed threats through sustained security operations and constant coordination and linkages with the stakeholders through the spirit of ‘Bayanihan’ in attaining peace throughout the region,” Layug added.
http://leytesamardaily.net/2013/02/131-npa-camps-in-ev-already-seized-by-soldiers/
TROUBLE IN SABAH | Malaysia surrounds '100 armed Filipinos' in Sabah, but PH exec disputes story
From InterAcksyon (Feb 14): TROUBLE IN SABAH | Malaysia surrounds '100 armed Filipinos' in Sabah, but PH exec disputes story
Malaysian security forces have surrounded about 100 armed men believed to be from a breakaway rebel faction in the southern Philippines, Malaysian police and a government official said on Thursday, but a Philippine official said they were unarmed Filipinos who had been promised land.
The standoff in Malaysia's eastern Sabah state threatened to stir tension between the Southeast Asian neighbours whose ties have been periodically frayed by security and migration problems caused by a porous sea border.
Malaysian police said in a statement that the situation was "under control", but did not say whether the men had agreed with a request to surrender.
"We are dealing with 100 armed foreigners from the southern Philippines. The army and the police have cordoned off the place where these foreigners are waiting," a high-ranking Malaysian government source with direct knowledge of the situation told Reuters.
He said the gunmen were suspected to be from a faction unhappy with the Philippines' recent peace deal with the main Muslim rebel group in southern Mindanao island.
A senior Philippine military official dismissed the Malaysian account of the group, saying they were unarmed Filipinos who had been promised land in Sabah.
He said a meeting over the land claim had attracted a large crowd and drawn the attention of Malaysian authorities.
"We know that these people arrived there five days ago and most of them are from nearby islands," the official, who asked not to be identified, said. "Some of them were already residents in Sabah for a long time and they normally cross the border without any problem."
The number of illegal Muslim immigrants from the impoverished southern Philippines has surged in recent decades, stirring social tensions with indigenous Christian inhabitants in Sabah.
The Philippine government signed a landmark peace deal with Muslim rebels late last year to end a 40-year conflict in the south, but some factions have voiced opposition.
"Since Malaysia brokered the deal, followers from the Misuari Breakaway Group have decided to stir up some trouble and create fireworks in Sabah," the senior Malaysian official said, referring to a faction within the MNLF rebel group.
In 2000, a group of militants from the southern Philippines kidnapped 21 tourists from the Sabah diving resort of Sipadan. In 1985, 11 people were killed when gunmen believed to be from the southern Philippines entered Lahad Datu in Sabah, shooting at random before robbing the local branch of Standard Chartered Bank.
State news agency Bernama cited unidentified police sources as saying the group was made up of more than 100 men in military fatigues, but police have not publicly confirmed that report.
National police chief Ismail Omar said in a statement late on Wednesday that the gunmen intruded on Malaysian soil in the state of Sabah on Borneo island, a region with a history of incidents involving armed Filipino groups.
"This intrusion is a result of the problems in the southern Philippines," Ismail said in an apparent reference to Muslim insurgents and other lawlessness in the southern Philippines, which lies just across the Sulu Sea from Sabah.
Malaysia is predominantly Muslim.
Ismail said security forces surrounded and ordered the gunmen to surrender in the Malaysian coastal town of Lahad Datu. His statement made no mention of how many people were involved.
"They've surrendered, but as for the number, I really have no info for now," said a police spokesman contacted by AFP on Thursday.
Sabah's eastern tip is less than an hour by speedboat from the nearest Philippine islands.
In October, Manila reached a framework agreement with the southern Philippines' main Muslim separatist group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), aimed at ending a decades-long insurgency that has left more than 150,000 people dead.
In 2000, al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf Group seized 21 mostly Western holidaymakers hostage as hostages at the Malaysian scuba diving resort of Sipadan, taking them off to Philippine islands. They were later ransomed.
Two Malaysians were kidnapped from a plantation in the area in November and were believed to have been taken to southern Philippines.
Security on Sabah's coast has been problematic for Malaysia, with tens of thousands of Filipinos believed to have immigrated illegally to the state over the past few decades.
In Manila, the Philippines' foreign affairs department said it is currently trying to get in touch with its ambassador to Malaysia Eduardo Malaya regarding the incident.
“We are trying to find out from the embassy what all about. We have no information about that yet,” del Rosario said on Thursday.
In an press briefing, DFA spokesman Raul Hernandez said that the agency is still completing the facts of the incident, assuring that concerned officials are now communicating on the matter.
“We are still trying to ascertain and complete the facts of this incident. Our security and defense officials are in touch with their Malaysian counterparts in this regard,” Hernandez told the reporters on Thursday.
He however refused to reveal what information they have been acquired so far since details are still “preliminary”.
“We are still trying to complete on information on that incident so while we are doing that, we cannot give you some information because it is still incomplete," he said.
"Until we’re able really comee up with the complete info, we don’t want to share with you something that has not been verified, as well as something that has not been completed."
http://www.interaksyon.com/article/55050/trouble-in-sabah---malaysia-surrounds-100-armed-filipinos-in-sabah-but-ph-exec-disputes-story
Malaysian security forces have surrounded about 100 armed men believed to be from a breakaway rebel faction in the southern Philippines, Malaysian police and a government official said on Thursday, but a Philippine official said they were unarmed Filipinos who had been promised land.
The standoff in Malaysia's eastern Sabah state threatened to stir tension between the Southeast Asian neighbours whose ties have been periodically frayed by security and migration problems caused by a porous sea border.
Malaysian police said in a statement that the situation was "under control", but did not say whether the men had agreed with a request to surrender.
"We are dealing with 100 armed foreigners from the southern Philippines. The army and the police have cordoned off the place where these foreigners are waiting," a high-ranking Malaysian government source with direct knowledge of the situation told Reuters.
He said the gunmen were suspected to be from a faction unhappy with the Philippines' recent peace deal with the main Muslim rebel group in southern Mindanao island.
A senior Philippine military official dismissed the Malaysian account of the group, saying they were unarmed Filipinos who had been promised land in Sabah.
He said a meeting over the land claim had attracted a large crowd and drawn the attention of Malaysian authorities.
"We know that these people arrived there five days ago and most of them are from nearby islands," the official, who asked not to be identified, said. "Some of them were already residents in Sabah for a long time and they normally cross the border without any problem."
The number of illegal Muslim immigrants from the impoverished southern Philippines has surged in recent decades, stirring social tensions with indigenous Christian inhabitants in Sabah.
The Philippine government signed a landmark peace deal with Muslim rebels late last year to end a 40-year conflict in the south, but some factions have voiced opposition.
"Since Malaysia brokered the deal, followers from the Misuari Breakaway Group have decided to stir up some trouble and create fireworks in Sabah," the senior Malaysian official said, referring to a faction within the MNLF rebel group.
In 2000, a group of militants from the southern Philippines kidnapped 21 tourists from the Sabah diving resort of Sipadan. In 1985, 11 people were killed when gunmen believed to be from the southern Philippines entered Lahad Datu in Sabah, shooting at random before robbing the local branch of Standard Chartered Bank.
State news agency Bernama cited unidentified police sources as saying the group was made up of more than 100 men in military fatigues, but police have not publicly confirmed that report.
National police chief Ismail Omar said in a statement late on Wednesday that the gunmen intruded on Malaysian soil in the state of Sabah on Borneo island, a region with a history of incidents involving armed Filipino groups.
"This intrusion is a result of the problems in the southern Philippines," Ismail said in an apparent reference to Muslim insurgents and other lawlessness in the southern Philippines, which lies just across the Sulu Sea from Sabah.
Malaysia is predominantly Muslim.
Ismail said security forces surrounded and ordered the gunmen to surrender in the Malaysian coastal town of Lahad Datu. His statement made no mention of how many people were involved.
"They've surrendered, but as for the number, I really have no info for now," said a police spokesman contacted by AFP on Thursday.
Sabah's eastern tip is less than an hour by speedboat from the nearest Philippine islands.
In October, Manila reached a framework agreement with the southern Philippines' main Muslim separatist group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), aimed at ending a decades-long insurgency that has left more than 150,000 people dead.
In 2000, al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf Group seized 21 mostly Western holidaymakers hostage as hostages at the Malaysian scuba diving resort of Sipadan, taking them off to Philippine islands. They were later ransomed.
Two Malaysians were kidnapped from a plantation in the area in November and were believed to have been taken to southern Philippines.
Security on Sabah's coast has been problematic for Malaysia, with tens of thousands of Filipinos believed to have immigrated illegally to the state over the past few decades.
In Manila, the Philippines' foreign affairs department said it is currently trying to get in touch with its ambassador to Malaysia Eduardo Malaya regarding the incident.
“We are trying to find out from the embassy what all about. We have no information about that yet,” del Rosario said on Thursday.
In an press briefing, DFA spokesman Raul Hernandez said that the agency is still completing the facts of the incident, assuring that concerned officials are now communicating on the matter.
“We are still trying to ascertain and complete the facts of this incident. Our security and defense officials are in touch with their Malaysian counterparts in this regard,” Hernandez told the reporters on Thursday.
He however refused to reveal what information they have been acquired so far since details are still “preliminary”.
“We are still trying to complete on information on that incident so while we are doing that, we cannot give you some information because it is still incomplete," he said.
"Until we’re able really comee up with the complete info, we don’t want to share with you something that has not been verified, as well as something that has not been completed."
http://www.interaksyon.com/article/55050/trouble-in-sabah---malaysia-surrounds-100-armed-filipinos-in-sabah-but-ph-exec-disputes-story
Offensive AFP operations in Comval derail release of POWs
From the CPP Website (Feb 14): Offensive AFP operations in Comval derail release of POWs
Rubi Del Mundo
Spokesperson
NDFP Southern Mindanao Chapter
For humanitarian reasons, the National Democratic Front Southern Mindanao is ready to suspend its ongoing legal proceedings and, instead, order for the release of Prisoners of War Private First Class Jezreel Maata Culango (serial No. 89158) of the 60th Infantry Battalion and Police Officer 1 Ruel Pasion (Badge No.194812), who are both under the custody of the New People’s Army Comval North Davao South Agusan Sub-regional Command.
The release order for the two POWs, however, is being derailed with the current offensive military and police operations in the likely release site. The 10th Infantry Division-AFP has intensified its military operations packaged as “rescue” and “peace and development” operations in the hinterlands of Agusan del Sur, Compostela Valley and Davao del Norte provinces.
The military’s “rescue” operations aim to: 1) deliberately imperil the lives of the POWs; 2) hamper the legal and judicial processes applied to the two POWs who are being investigated for their role in the 60th IB’s fascist human rights record in Laak, alongside with the PNP; and 3) prolong the custodial detention of the enemy captives.
The GPH is solely responsible for the consequences of its militarist actions. While the 10th ID-AFP is certainly not interested in the release of its elements and is compromising the safety of the POWs, it is coercing the families of the POWs to pressure the NPA for the release.
The military utilizes the POW-taking to pursue its bloodied targets under the Oplan Bayanihan counter-revolutionary program in Southern Mindanao. Not only is the 10th ID in full battle gear in Typhoon Pablo-stricken provinces, the fascist mercenaries in uniform are also relentless in their abusive operations in Davao city countryside, particularly in the districts of Baguio, Carmen, Calinan, and Paquibato.
In other areas in the region, it pursues full-scale offensives against the masses in a futile attempt to counter its mounting failures amid the ever-rising political and military capabilities of the NPA despite the Oplan Bayanihan. On February 12, the 1st Pulang Bagani Company-NPA successfully punished the abusive Palparan battalion 69th IB in Purok Tubod, Lumiad, Paquibato district, Davao City. Two AFP troops were killed and five were wounded by the NPA’s command-detonated explosives.
In sheer ignorance of international humanitarian law, the AFP depicts the capture of an armed personnel belonging to a party to an armed conflict as a “violent criminal act."
Yet, despite the AFP’s warped pronouncements, the NPA is determined to fulfill its task to hit the enemy who harm the interests of the people and to take POWs as a legitimate act during an armed conflict. This is all in accordance with the Geneva Conventions, the CARHRIHL, the NPA policy of humane and lenient treatment of its POWs and the legal and judicial system of the People’s Democratic Government.
Indeed, in the midst of the armed hostilities of the fascist AFP, the legal and judicial processes of the revolutionary movement may be suspended, depending on the political and military situation, in the exercise of its revolutionary power as a distinct government.
http://www.philippinerevolution.net/statements/offensive-afp-operations-in-comval-derail-release-of-pows
Philippine gunmen 'demand to stay in Malaysia'
Posted to the Mindanao Examiner (Feb 14): Philippine gunmen 'demand to stay in Malaysia'
Malaysia's government said Thursday its security forces have surrounded dozens of Philippine gunmen in a remote area of Borneo island, and a report said the group is demanding the right to stay.
Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein told reporters about 80 to 100 gunmen had been cornered by security forces near the small coastal town of Lahad Datu in the Malaysian state of Sabah.
He said security forces were in control and negotiating with the group, some of whom were armed.
The area was once controlled by the former Islamic sultanate of Sulu and has a history of incursions by armed Filipino Muslim groups.
Malaysia's national police chief Ismail Omar was quoted as saying the militants had declared themselves followers of "a descendant of the Sultan of Sulu."
Ismail, quoted on the website of The Star newspaper, said the group demanded to be recognised as the "Royal Sulu Sultanate Army" and insisted that as subjects of the sultanate, they should be allowed to remain in Sabah.
"They have made known their demands while we have told them that they need to leave the country," the police chief was quoted as saying, adding that negotiations with the group were still under way.
The report did not elaborate.
Earlier Thursday Prime Minister Najib Razak was quoted by The Star as saying police were negotiating with the gunmen "to get the group to leave peacefully to prevent bloodshed".
The report said a tight security ring including Malaysian army and naval forces had been drawn around the "heavily armed" group.
The Sulu sultanate, first founded in the 1400s, was once a regional power center, controlling islands in the Muslim southern Philippines and parts of Borneo including Sabah until its demise a century ago.
Security on Sabah's coast has been a problem for Malaysia, with tens of thousands of Filipinos believed to have migrated illegally to the state over the past few decades from the adjacent southern Philippines.
People continue to move freely across the maritime border from the southern Philippines, which has been racked for decades by Islamic separatist insurgencies and other lawlessness.
In 2000, guerrillas of the Islamic militant Abu Sayyaf movement seized 21 mostly Western holidaymakers as hostages at the Malaysian scuba diving resort of Sipadan near Lahad Datu.
The hostages were taken to Philippine islands and later ransomed.
Mainly Muslim Malaysia hosted long-running talks between Manila and the southern Philippines' main Muslim separatist group that resulted in a framework agreement last year aimed at ending their insurgency.
A Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman has said Manila was in touch with Malaysia over the case.
http://www.mindanaoexaminer.com/news.php?news_id=20130214102208
Malaysia's government said Thursday its security forces have surrounded dozens of Philippine gunmen in a remote area of Borneo island, and a report said the group is demanding the right to stay.
Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein told reporters about 80 to 100 gunmen had been cornered by security forces near the small coastal town of Lahad Datu in the Malaysian state of Sabah.
He said security forces were in control and negotiating with the group, some of whom were armed.
The area was once controlled by the former Islamic sultanate of Sulu and has a history of incursions by armed Filipino Muslim groups.
Malaysia's national police chief Ismail Omar was quoted as saying the militants had declared themselves followers of "a descendant of the Sultan of Sulu."
Ismail, quoted on the website of The Star newspaper, said the group demanded to be recognised as the "Royal Sulu Sultanate Army" and insisted that as subjects of the sultanate, they should be allowed to remain in Sabah.
"They have made known their demands while we have told them that they need to leave the country," the police chief was quoted as saying, adding that negotiations with the group were still under way.
The report did not elaborate.
Earlier Thursday Prime Minister Najib Razak was quoted by The Star as saying police were negotiating with the gunmen "to get the group to leave peacefully to prevent bloodshed".
The report said a tight security ring including Malaysian army and naval forces had been drawn around the "heavily armed" group.
The Sulu sultanate, first founded in the 1400s, was once a regional power center, controlling islands in the Muslim southern Philippines and parts of Borneo including Sabah until its demise a century ago.
Security on Sabah's coast has been a problem for Malaysia, with tens of thousands of Filipinos believed to have migrated illegally to the state over the past few decades from the adjacent southern Philippines.
People continue to move freely across the maritime border from the southern Philippines, which has been racked for decades by Islamic separatist insurgencies and other lawlessness.
In 2000, guerrillas of the Islamic militant Abu Sayyaf movement seized 21 mostly Western holidaymakers as hostages at the Malaysian scuba diving resort of Sipadan near Lahad Datu.
The hostages were taken to Philippine islands and later ransomed.
Mainly Muslim Malaysia hosted long-running talks between Manila and the southern Philippines' main Muslim separatist group that resulted in a framework agreement last year aimed at ending their insurgency.
A Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman has said Manila was in touch with Malaysia over the case.
http://www.mindanaoexaminer.com/news.php?news_id=20130214102208