MILF: Govt flip-flops

From the Manila Standard Today (Apr 16): MILF: Govt flip-flops

Wealth-sharing major problem in peace talks

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front on Monday accused the Aquino administration of flip-flopping on its decisions on the three remaining annexes that need to be signed to pave the way for a final peace agreement in Mindanao.

MILF peace panel member Antonio Kinoc said the government’s penchant for changing positions on the three remaining annexes was the “real cause of the delays.”

“I do not know where the problem lies—in the negotiating team or in their principal,” Kinoc said.

The government and the MILF concluded the 37th round of formal negotiations in Kuala Lumpur last week without signing the annex on wealth-sharing.

Maulana Alonto, senior MILF panel member, said they were “taken aback” by the failure of the government to sign the wealth-sharing annex since its text was “already agreed on and initialed by the two parties” in February.

“Before we flew to Kuala Lumpur for the 37th exploratory talks, expectations were high that the panels would be able to put closure to further discussions on the annex on wealth-sharing,” Alonto said.

“Of course, the panels have the right to bring it back to their respective principals for a cursory review, but we were thinking this was merely routine because the panels had already concurred on the language of the initialed text and that consultations were made with their principals before the initialing took place. We were not prepared for the sudden announcement by the government panel that they needed more time to revisit and review the wealth-sharing annex despite the fact that more than a month is an ample time to make such a review,” she added.

Alonto said “something is wrong” with the government panel.

“A very serious problem now on the question of credibility has come to the fore. We are racing against time but the way things are turning out, time might outrun us,” she said.

But government chief negotiator Miriam Coronel-Ferrer said the MILF was aware that the annex on wealth-sharing still had to be reviewed by President Benigno Aquino III.

Ferrer, however, did not say what is taking the government long to review the wealth-sharing annex that was initialed as early as February.

“We clarified to them that our principal had to review the initialed document. That is where we are right now. We are looking at all political, legal and financial implications of the annex,” Ferrer said in a phone interview.

“They have to understand that MILF processes are different from government processes. On our part, we have a wider range of obligations and there are technical and financial considerations. The President will have to view specific commitments in the annex in relation to his commitment to the whole country,” she added.

Ferrer said it was understandable that the MILF was unhappy over the non-signing of the annex last week.

“We understand their concern and fears. The time being taken by the government to review the three annexes in their current forms can create some insecurities and fears,” she said.

“The MILF panel members were not very happy. It was not pleasant for them that the annex on wealth-sharing was not signed. But it is very clear that the President is very committed to this process,” Ferrer added.

She said the government panel also relayed “certain concerns” raised by the President on the draft wealth-sharing annex.

“We are trying to reconcile these concerns,” she said without elaborating.

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda attributed the delays in the negotiations to Mr. Aquino’s desire to have a peace agreement “that everyone can live with.”

“We’re still discussing the issues so nobody has walked away from the negotiating table. We’re very confident that we will come to an agreement on those annexes,” Lacierda said.

“What do we want? We want a Basic Law that is doable — that is something that everybody can live with,” he added.

The panels agreed to meet again after the May 13 elections.

The government and the MILF originally aimed to conclude the four annexes in December but the schedule was moved to March.

Except for a provision for transitional arrangements, the annexes remain unsigned.

The President earlier said he wants the Basic Law enacted by 2015, with an interim authority in place a year before the 2016 national elections.

Earlier, the MILF reported suffering “scores of casualties” in a raid by Army troopers in Tipo-Tipo, Basilan.

Abbas Salung, a member of the MILF Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities, said they will be filing the necessary complaint for ceasefire violations.

“Firefight ensued for nearly 30 minutes between the MILF forces under Hamzah Sapanton, MILF provincial committee chairman, and the raiding government forces numbering more or less 40 men,” he said.

“The encounter had already ceased but actions must be undertaken by the government to avoid recurrence of the firefight between the government and MILF forces and to prove that the government forces are indeed upholding the policy of the Aquino government for the primacy of the peace process,” he added.

Sapanton said he viewed the raid as “a deliberate act to undermine the ceasefire and the peace talks between the government and MILF.”

“This only compounds the increasing doubts of the public over the sincerity of the government in the peace process,” Sapanton said.

http://manilastandardtoday.com/2013/04/16/milf-govt-flip-flops/

Rebels abduct 2 cops, 7 militiamen in Agusan

From the Sun Star (Apr 15): Rebels abduct 2 cops, 7 militiamen in Agusan

Communist rebels said they have abducted two policemen and seven suspected government militiamen in separate attacks in the southern Philippines.

Regional rebel spokesman Jorge Madlos said the policemen were captured during a New People's Army (NPA) rebel assault Sunday on an outpost in Agusan del Sur province. Three government militiamen, including a woman, were separately seized in nearby Surigao del Sur province.

Madlos said fellow Marxist insurgents seized four more militiamen in Agusan del Sur on Monday.
He said the captives may be freed if the rebels determine they have not committed human rights violations and other abuses.

Regional army spokesman Major Leo Bongosia said the abductions have been reported to military officials, who are gathering more details.

The Marxist rebellion, one of Asia's longest, has been raging for 44 years.

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/breaking-news/2013/04/15/rebels-abduct-2-cops-7-militiamen-agusan-277797

Spratlys, other contested areas have limited oil resources

From the Philippine Star (Apr 15): Spratlys, other contested areas have limited oil resources



Contested areas in the West Philippine Sea, including the disputed Reed Bank in Spratly Islands, likely have few conventional oil and gas resources, the United States Energy Information Administration (EIA) said in a report earlier this month.

The Spratly Islands and Paracel Islands are two of the most contested areas. However, unlike other parts of the West Philippine Sea, these areas have not been assessed to hold large resources of oil and natural gas.

In total, the EIA said that the West Philippine Sea has about 11 billion barrels of oil and 190 trillion cubic feet of natural gas rated as proved or probable reserves.

In addition to this, it said the US Geological Survey estimated in 2012 that about 12 billion barrels of oil and 160 trillion cubic feet of natural gas might exist as undiscovered resources in the West Philippine Sea, excluding the Gulf of Thailand and other adjacent areas.

However, the EIA said these additional resources are not of commercial volume.

“About one fifth of these resources may be found in contested areas, particularly in the Reed Bank at the northeast end of the Spratly Islands, which is claimed by China, Taiwan and Vietnam. These additional resources are not considered commercial reserves at this time; extracting them may not be economically feasible,” the EIA said in its April 3 report.

Parts of the Reed Bank are also being claimed by the Philippines.

http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2013/04/15/930815/spratlys-other-contested-areas-have-limited-oil-resources

2 killed in North Cotabato ambush

From the Philippine Star (Apr 15): 2 killed in North Cotabato ambush

Masked men killed in ambush a retired member of the now defunct Philippine Constabulary and his driver in a dawn attack in Matalam town in North Cotabato.
 
The chief of the Matalam municipal police, Senior Inspector Elias Dandan, said investigators are still trying to determine if the fatal ambush of Felixberto Badayos and his driver, Danny Simon, was election-related.

The victims were on board a Green Isuzu Highlander, bearing license plates LDG 620, en route to Kidapawan City at about 3:00 a.m. Sunday when the gunmen emerged from one side of the highway and opened fire at their vehicle.

Badayos and Simon, who sustained gunshot wounds in different parts of their bodies, died while being rushed to a hospital.

Dandan said there is a possibility that Badayos and Simon were killed by “guns-for-hire” enlisted by an adversary.

Dandan said Badayos had pending civil and criminal cases in local courts.

“We need to give investigators enough time to finish their task of identifying his killers and the real motive for the attack.” Dandan said.

He said the bodies of Badayos and Simon had been brought home to Kidapawan City by relatives.

http://www.philstar.com/nation/2013/04/15/930976/2-killed-north-cotabato-ambush

Leftist rebels capture 2 cops in Agusan

From the Philippine Star (Apr 15): Leftist rebels capture 2 cops in Agusan

Leftist rebels have captured anew two policemen in southern Philippines, authorities today said.
 
The latest in a spate of actions by New People's Army guerrillas happened late on Sunday in the town of Loreto in Mindanao island's Agusan del Sur province, according to Santiago Cane, provincial vice governor.

Cane identified those captured as Police Officers Ping Munez and Ian Espana, all members of Loreto town police.

The local official told Xinhua by text message the incident happened past 11 p.m. at Sitio (Sub-village) Moto, Poblacion village.

Local radio reports said the policemen were on their way back to station after serving an arrest warrant to a suspect who was able to elude them when undetermined number of NPA gunmen blocked their path and took them at gunpoint.

Cane said he has no other details yet as to what really happened as investigations were still going on.

The latest capture happened just a week of deadly clashes between government troops and NPA rebels elsewhere in Mindanao, leaving at least a dozen people dead.

Last month, rebels also seized a policeman in nearby Compostela Valley province, holding him captive for more than two weeks.

http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2013/04/15/931268/leftist-rebels-capture-2-cops-agusan

DVIDS: Clark Field holds static display, media day during Balikatan 2013

From DVIDS (Apr 14): Clark Field holds static display, media day during Balikatan 2013




Filipino children from local schools prepare to get aboard a U.S. Air Force KC-130J Hercules aircraft at Clark Field, Philippines, April 13 during a static display for exercise Balikatan 2013. National and international media, Philippine military dependents, children from local schools and officer candidates currently in training were invited to the flight line to learn about the aircrafts’ capabilities and take photographs. BK13 is an annual bilateral training evolution aimed at ensuring interoperability of the Philippine and U.S. militaries during planning, contingency and humanitarian assistance operations. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Pfc. Kasey Peacock/Released)

CLARK FIELD, Philippines – Shutters clicked and cameras flashed as men and woman hustled into position for the best shot. Philippine airmen and U.S. service members stood by their aircraft and vehicles as men, women and children scattered about the hot blacktop airfield. It became clear to everyone there why the annual exercise Balikatan was given the Filipino moniker meaning ‘shoulder-to-shoulder.’

Armed Forces of the Philippines and U.S. service members gathered at Clark Field, Philippines, April 13 to host a static display of Philippine and U.S. aircraft for members of the local media, Philippine military dependents, children from local schools and officer candidates currently in training.

The static display was arranged as part of exercise Balikatan 2013,  an annual bilateral training evolution aimed at ensuring interoperability of the Philippine and U.S. militaries during planning, contingency and humanitarian assistance operations.

“Today wasn’t just about letting the media come and take pictures,” said Philippine soldier Technical Sgt. Meynardo D. Laguicla, a news and distribution security guard with the Philippine Army Public Affairs Office. “This was a chance for everybody to come together and enjoy each other’s company. It was about demonstrating the progress we have made working alongside each other throughout this exercise.”

The aircraft displayed consisted of U.S. Marine Corps aircraft—one MV-22B Osprey, one F/A-18 Hornet—and U.S. Air Force aircraft—one Hawker Hunter jet, one KC-130J Hercules. A Philippine Air Force helicopter and two fixed wing aircraft were also on display. Visitors rotated throughout the airfield learning about the capabilities of the aircraft from the pilots and aircrew standing by.

During two separate occasions, aircraft rescue fire fighters from both militaries performed a bilateral demonstration of their crash response skills.

The demonstrations began with rescue vehicles charging out while firefighters hosed the deck, followed by a joint extraction of a casualty from an aircraft.

“One thing I am confident in because of these exercises is that if something was to happen in the region and we needed to respond, we could respond together effectively,” said Philippine Army Maj. Gen. Virgilio Domingo the commandant of the Command and General Staff Course and the Philippine Balikatan exercise director. “Seeing the U.S. military’s aircraft and capabilities puts the future of our air operations into perspective. It is a great opportunity for our pilots to interact and learn from U.S. pilots who have flown with such advanced technology.”

Also in attendance was deputy exercise director U.S. Marine Brig. Gen. Richard L. Simcock II, who stood should-to-shoulder with Domingo answering questions from the media about the aircraft and exercise.

“The opportunities we have in the Philippines are outstanding,” said Simcock. “Some people think that we can go and train just about anywhere. Places like Crow Valley and Clark Field are as good as it gets for us to conduct bilateral training operations.”

While Balikatan is one of many exercises conducted between U.S. service members and partnering nations, the importance of working together with the AFP is crucial to mission accomplishment in the Asia-Pacific region, according to Simcock.

Balikatan focuses on training both militaries to provide relief and assistance in the event of natural disasters and other crises that endanger public health and safety. Additionally, military service members from both countries will conduct combined staff exercises to improve interoperability and contingency planning.

http://www.dvidshub.net/news/105180/clark-field-holds-static-display-media-day-during-balikatan-2013

Armed Forces of the Philippines gets $1.8-B more

From Rappler (Apr 15): Armed Forces of the Philippines gets $1.8-B more

 
The Armed Forces of the Philippines gets P75 billion more (about $1.8 billion) to buy fighter aircraft, transport aircraft, helicopters, naval vessels and other equipment.

This is on top of the P28 billion (about $678 million) President Benigno Aquino released 3 years ago. The defense allocation is part of Aquino's efforts to build a "minimum credible defense posture" as deterrent to any aggressive action against the Philippines.

The Philippines and other neighboring countries are engaged in disputes with China over the South China Sea (West Philippine Sea). Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile said the military budget is insufficient given the Philippines' security issues. He recommended allocating the biggest share of the national budget to defense instead of education. Under the Philippine Constitution, the government is mandated to give education the biggest budgetary share. Defense expenditure under the Aquino government is almost 3 times bigger than the combined amount spent by the three previous administrations, with only P33 billion (about $800 million) spent during the past 15 years.

DVIDS: BK 13 - JCMOTF volunteers give displaced children peace from heat

From DVIDS (Apr 15): BK 13 - JCMOTF volunteers give displaced children peace from heat

Construction Electrician 2nd Class Eric Polito, a member of the Joint Civil Military Operations Task Force (JCMOTF) attached to the 30th Naval Construction Regiment, shows two displaced children at the Shepherd of the Hills Children's Home how to safely replace a light switch. A group of JCMOTF volunteers installed 30 fans in three dormitories. The JMOCTF primary mission is to execute the humanitarian assistance and disaster relief portions of Balikatan 2013. Balikatan is an annual Philippine-U.S. bilateral exercise. Humanitarian assistance and training activities enable the Philippine and American service members to build lasting relationships, train together and provide assistance in communities where the need is the greatest. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Chris Fahey.)

 

ZAMBALES, Philippines - A handful of volunteers from the Joint Civil Military Operations Task Force (JCMOTF) ventured to Shepherd of the Hills Children’s Home to install 15 electric fans in the children’s sleeping areas.

The fans will provide a way for the children to stay cool while sleeping during the balmy summer months.

“When we first walked into the room, there was no circulation at all and the heat just stuck to you,” said Construction Electrician 2nd Class Eric Polito, from the 30th Naval Construction Regiment and JCMOTF HQ staff member. “Once we mounted all the fans and got them going, there was a dramatic change in the overall comfort. All the kids came up and thanked us. It was great.”

The average temperature during the summer months in the Philippines is in the high 90s. Combined with the humidity, the still air makes their open-berth group home very hot.

Volunteers spent all day working with the children to measure, place and mount each fan.

“It was really fun learning to work the tools,” said resident Mark Velrio. “I got to hold the fan and help put it together. My room feels a lot better now. It will be easy to fall asleep.”

The volunteers are all attached to the 30th Naval Construction Regiment, home ported at Naval Base Ventura County, Port Hueneme. Each member is currently deployed to Zambales in support of Balikatan 2013.

Balikatan is an annual Philippine-U.S. bilateral exercise. Humanitarian assistance and training activities enable the Philippine and American service members to build lasting relationships, train together and provide assistance in communities where the need is the greatest.

http://www.dvidshub.net/news/105196/bk-13-jcmotf-volunteers-give-displaced-children-peace-heat

Invitation for US to use bases is 'treason,' says solon

From InterAksyon (Apr 15): Invitation for US to use bases is 'treason,' says solon

An activist lawmaker on Monday accused Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin of “treason” and “outright defiance of the Constitution” for suggesting the United States can again set up military bases in the country if it goes to war with North Korea.

Bayan Muna Representative Neri Colmenares also said any such move would drag the country into a conflict not of its own making and leave it open to attack by the US’ enemies.

"The Philippines is not involved in the dispute in Korea. If we set up US bases here, then we become a legitimate target of the enemies of the United States,” he said in a statement.

 Gazmin said over the weekend that war on the Korean Peninsula would be an “extreme emergency” that might justify the “extreme measure” of allowing US based back on Philippine soil even if this is banned by the Constitution.

On September 16, 1991, the Philippine Senate rejected the renewal of the RP-US Military Bases Agreement, ending 93 years of US basing rights in the country.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario also said the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty with the US obliges the Philippines to come to the aid of the Americans in the event of war.

Tensions have heightened on the Korean Peninsula ever since the United Nations imposed harsher sanctions on North Korea after it undertook a nuclear weapons test in February.

Aside from violating national sovereignty, Colmenares said the country “will not in any way benefit” from allowing foreign bases in the country “because we have nothing to do with the Koreans’ issue.”

“We've been asking the government what possible benefits do we get from the VFA (Visiting Forces Agreement) and US bases, and the government has no answer at all except that we earn a few millions in tourist dollars. We cannot sell our souls and endanger the lives of our people, and more importantly our sovereignty, in exchange for a few pieces of silver. This is treason," he said.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/59486/invitation-for-us-to-use-bases-is-treason-says-solon

Gunmen attack Palawan pearl farm, seize hostages, guns

From InterAksyon (Apr 15): Gunmen attack Palawan pearl farm, seize hostages, guns



Gunmen believed to be New People’s Army guerrillas attacked a pearl farm in northern Palawan early Monday morning, seizing at least six hostages, a police officer said.

Residents of Taytay town said the gunmen, whose numbers were not determined, ransacked the Jewelmer (not Salvamar as first reported by the Western Command) Pearl Farm managed by Jacques Branelic on Cagdanao Island, Barangay Pampang.

Pearl farm personnel said the leader of the gunmen introduced himself as "Ka Arnel."

Taytay chief of police, Chief Inspector Jeffrey Mendiola, confirmed that the attackers took hostage security guards Edgardo Ramos, Marcelo Mellado and Villamor Fernandez, and boat operators Nestor Dula, Marjun Diulon and Jovi Descartin.

The raiders, who authorities said were armed with M14 rifles and M203s, also seized eight shotguns, five radio transceivers and the company's speedboat, which they used to escape from Cagdanao towards Paly Island, also in Taytay, and later abandoned.

The hostages have been released and taken back to Cagdanao by police.

Taytay residents said the hostages were spotted by a helicopter owned by the pearl farm that was used for aerial reconnaissance.

The Taytay police and troops of Marine Battalion Landing Team 4 are pursuing the abductors.

Personnel of the pearl farm surmised the raid was probably because of the company's refusal to pay so-called "revolutionary taxes" to the rebels.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/59470/gunmen-attack-palawan-pearl-farm-seize-hostages-guns

Army says NPA mulcting traders in Kidapawan City, North Cotabato

From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 15): Army says NPA mulcting traders in Kidapawan City, North Cotabato

The Communist Party of the Philippines' (CPP) military wing, the New Peoples’ Army (NPA), has been mulcting various business establishments in the city and nearby towns, the Army-led Task Force North Cotabato (TFNC) said.

Lieutenant Colonel Haron Acas, TFNC chief, said several business establishments in Kidapawan City and neighboring municipalities have received extortion letters from the rebels.

He did not identify the traders but hinted “these are big business owners in the city.”

A police source said among those who received extortion letters from the NPA were gasoline stations, hardware store, mall owners, and agricultural traders in nearby towns of Makilala and Magpet, North Cotabato.

Acas said business owners have received the letter telling them that they should pay revolutionary taxes.

”Precautionary measures are being applied by the concerned traders,” he said, adding that intelligence operatives are closely monitoring the activities of suspected NPA rebels in the city.

Acas urged traders not to give in to the NPA extortion demand as it would develop a cycle of extortion activities.

”Giving in to the rebels’ demands is like giving them more money to buy firearms and fight the government,” he added.

The CPP-NPA Front 72 and Front 73 are operating in the hinterlands of the country’s highest peak – Mt. Apo and have been harassing multi-national firms in the province.

Kidapawan City and the towns of Magpet and Makilala are hosts to banana plantation and other agricultural companies providing livelihood to many locals, including relatives and families of communist rebels.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=516479

NPAs attack pearl farm in northern Palawan

From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 15): NPAs attack pearl farm in northern Palawan

Police and Marines in Palawan are now on hot pursuit against alleged New People’s Army (NPA) fighters, who attacked a pearl farm on Flower Island, Cagdanao, Taytay at noon Monday, and shortly held hostage six employees.

Palawan Provincial Police Office (PPPO) chief Senior Supt. Atanacio Macalan Jr. confirmed their troops and the men from the Marine Battalion Landing Team (MBLT) 4 were chasing after a group of armed NPA members that attacked a pearl farm at around 12:45 p.m.

The farm is reportedly being managed for Jewelmer International by a certain Jacques Branellec, a foreign resident.

The provincial police chief was unable to name the six hostages, three boat operators, and three security guards.

The armed men have allegedly fled the pearl farm in different directions since the pursuit operations were launched in Taytay. A chopper by Task Force Linapacan is currently being used for the chase.

As of this writing, the PPPO said the hostages have been returned to the island and being investigated. There are no reports if armed men carted away valuable items from the pearl farm.

From standard security alert, Macalan, as provincial police director, has now ordered the whole province of Palawan to be on “full alert” against the NPAs.

“We have not observed any group capable of doing this kind of attack except the NPAs, so these men are really members of the Leftist movement. I have ordered our policemen in Taytay, and all over Palawan to be on full alert after this incident,” Macalan told the Philippine News Agency (PNA).

Macalan made an appeal to the residents of Taytay to help stop NPA attacks by reporting any sighting.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=516493

NPA burns poultry farm, building of banana company in Bukidnon

From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 15): NPA burns poultry farm, building of banana company in Bukidnon

The communist New People’s Army (NPA) burned on Sunday the poultry farm owned by Gamma Farm and set on fire the administration building of the Agrinanas Development Corporation, a company engaged in banana plantations, both in Libona, Bukidnon.

Maj. Leo Bongasia, spokesperson of the Army’s 4th Infantry Division based in Camp BGen Edilberto Evangelista here, confirmed the attack to the Philippines News Agency on Monday afternoon. He, however, failed to provide further details on the incident pending further confirmation from the ground.

Last week, police operatives in Bukidnon clashed with NPA rebels in the outskirts of Talakag town resulting in the death of two rebels and the wounding of three police officers.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=516548

Abandoned NPA camp seized in Northern Samar

From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 15): Abandoned NPA camp seized in Northern Samar

Government troops have seized an abandoned New People’s Army (NPA) camp in a village in Northern Samar, a military officer said.

Army Lt. Col. Noel Vestuir, commanding officer of the 20th Infantry Battalion, said the camp, located at Happy Valley, San Isidro, Northern Samar, was overtaken by elements of the 20th IB without a single shot fired.

Recovered from the camp were four .38-caliber revolvers.

Vestuir said the rebels apparently hastily abandoned the camp after they learned that government forces were on their way to the area.

“The camp was seized after the 20IB launched sustained combat operations in the area in response to the information tipped-in by some residents in the nearby barangays of the presence of armed men roaming in the area,” Vestuir said.

“They were enforcing their permit to campaign strategy, extorting money and foodstuff from the people and as well as from politicians,” he added.

According to Vestuir, the camp had 15 bunkers that can accommodate more or less 20 people, a kitchen, a comfort room and three outposts.

“The recent accomplishments by the 20IB troops against the NPAs in the area have disrupted the impending terroristic activities that are being hatched by the NPA. The government troops has dislodged them from their guerilla camps and cut-off their supply support lines that they forcibly take from the residents in the area,” he said.

The discovery and seizure of the said camp in the area, he claimed, was made possible by the information provided by residents of the area.

"The seizure of the said NPA encampment and the recovery of their firearms was a big blow to the NPA. It is the seventh NPA camp recovered by the military since January," the military official said.

In 2012, a total of 131 NPA camps were seized or discovered by the military. Eight of these camps were recovered after a firefight and 123 others were seized without resistance.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=516567

PA soldiers acting as bridges of good governance, local exec says

From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 15): PA soldiers acting as bridges of good governance, local exec says

The city administration says the presence of government soldiers in some barangays here is part of their services as “bridges” of good local governance, contrary to claims by militant groups that it is an act of “urban militarization.”

“These soldiers serve as the city government’s bridges or links to the people because they alert us on the needs of our constituents. They let us know concerns and wishes ventilated upon them by communities with whom they work closely in their outreach program,” City Mayor Geraldine Rosal clarified over the weekend.

She said the soldiers are conducting an outreach program that provides education, livelihood skills training, health services, community development and peace-building initiatives in at least seven barangays of the city.

“We opened these barangays to these men in uniform for their outreach program as the Armed Forces of the Philippines partners with the city government in implementing projects that cater to the needs of our poor residents,” Rosal said.

Perhaps, the militant groups falsely accusing this undertaking as a form of “urban militarization” should “give the soldiers a chance as they deserve it to prove themselves as different from what others think they are,” she stressed.

Rosal said the soldiers now are different from those that they knew before as today’s military is not only involved in security works to protect the state but also as campaigner for peace and implementer of development projects that now benefit poor communities towards freedom from extreme poverty.

According to Brig. Gen. Ricardo Visaya, the commanding general of the PA’s 901st Infantry Brigade based in Barangay Villahermosa of the nearby town of Daraga, Albay, their presence in the seven barangays here is part of their “bayanihan” project that conducts community immersions to find out the needs of communities and help attend to issues raised by villagers.

The PA’s bayanihan team is composed not only of soldiers but also of representatives from different line agencies whose services are badly needed in barangays it visits, Visaya said.

The team includes people from the local government unit (LGU), Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Health, Department of Education and Department of Social Welfare and Development, among other agencies, that may be needed depending on the concerns of each barangay, he said.

“Sometimes, we would invite representatives from the Department of Agrarian Reform when issues and concerns that should be addressed in a particular barangay involve the agrarian reform program of the government,” according to Visaya.

If there are problems involving agrarian reform beneficiaries who are encountering difficulties in the payment of amortizations for their Certificates of Land Ownership Award, the bayanihan team would have people from the Land Bank of the Philippines in tow to make things easier for this agrarian sector, he said.

The bayanihan team also helps in the sanitation problems in barangays by way of helping households construct toilets and communities put up safe water systems for their daily source of potable water, he added.

“In community assemblies that the team initiates, barangay residents find it easy to ventilate their concerns and for the government agencies concerned to act on them,” Visaya said.

The bayanihan team reaches out up to far-flung barangays that are seldom reached by government workers tasked to deliver basic services to the people, he said.

The PA has been doing this for years now not only in this city but also in the entire Bicol and in most parts of the country in close coordination with LGUs and various government line agencies working together for the attainment of peace and development in rural communities, Visaya added.

Maj Gen Romeo Calizo, the PA’s 9th Infantry (Spear) Division commander based in Pili, Camarines Sur, which oversees the Internal Peace and Security Operations in Bicol, said all units under his command have been aggressively pursuing efforts to link themselves with both public and private agencies towards helping in the development of impoverished communities in the region.

Among the linkages opened is the convergence formed among the PA, civilian government agencies and communities in the implementation of projects under Pres. Aquino’s Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan (PAMANA) program.

PAMANA is a peace and development framework of the Aquino administration for the empowering of conflict-affected areas (CAAs) as it is a way towards attaining economic progress being focused on initiating reforms and development projects in line with the national government’s peace agenda and ending internal armed conflicts.

Bicol is included among these CCAs with Albay, Camarines Norte, Masbate and Sorsogon identified as among the four provinces that yielded indicative plans for the program.

Through the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, which is the main implementing arm of PAMANA, CAAs are being developed through livelihood, infrastructure and other peace-building initiatives to establish resilient communities, Calizo said.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=516577

China's decision to join 'Balikatan 2013' a good sign

From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 15): China's decision to join 'Balikatan 2013' a good sign

The decision of China to join nine other nations in the Monday humanitarian assistance/disaster relief (HA/DR) roundtable activity of "Balikatan 2013" is a good sign.

"This is a good development and we are happy that China is here so that they could participate and we could have more discussions on how to appropriately address disasters especially maritime ones," Philippine spokesperson for "Balikatan 2013" Major Emmanuel Garcia said.

He added that China's participation is very important as the disaster scenario involves typhoons and maritime mishaps in the high seas.

"That’s why we need the cooperation and coordination with other countries, because if a maritime disaster happens on international waters, the nearest that place must respond and give assistance," Garcia stressed.

Ten nations including Australia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Thailand, South Korea, Vietnam, and United States of America have participated in the above-mentioned event.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=&sid=&nid=&rid=516525

Malacañang: President wants peace pact with MILF with solid foundation

From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 15): Malacañang: President wants peace pact with MILF with solid foundation

President Benigno S. Aquino III wants a peace agreement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) that would be doable and has solid foundation that will withstand scrutiny, a Palace official said on Monday.

Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda issued the statement during the regular press briefing in Malacanang on Monday following the holding of the 37th GPH-MILF Formal Exploratory Talks in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia last week.

"He (President) wants something that is doable and something that can be operationalized as soon as the Basic Law is drafted and passed by Congress; consistent with the framework agreement, consistent with the annexes," Lacierda said.

Lacierda said the government acknowledges its commitment to exert all efforts towards realizing the full implementation of the Framework Agreement.

"We are looking into the three annexes. The President also wants the annexes to be doable. We’re going through the language. We’re also going through the substance of the annexes. So, right now, we’re going to study the remaining annexes carefully." Lacierda said.

"We have the power sharing, the normalization, and also the wealth sharing. We’re going to go through each of these annexes. And then we have also expressed, and the [MILF] panel have also agreed with our concerns, and so there was a joint statement that was made," he added.

Government of the Philippines peace panel chair Professor Miriam Coronel-Ferrer Thursday said that the peace process with the MILF is taking on a “new phase” never reached before by both sides.

“We are where the process has never been before. Never before had the negotiations between the government and the MILF come to the stage of actually defining and listing down powers; of actually identifying sources of funds and revenues for the new political entity that we are creating. Never before has the transformation of an armed group been discussed let alone imagined in detail,” Ferrer said in her speech during the closing ceremony of the 37th GPH-MILF Formal Exploratory Talks in Kuala Lumpur.

The GPH and MILF panels concluded their three-day talks with the signing of the Terms of Reference for Sajahatra Bangsamoro, which is a development program jointly undertaken by the GPH and the MILF to deliver basic socio-economic services to target communities in the south.

In December last year, the President issued Executive Order No. 120 creating a Transition Commission that will draft the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law provided for in the Framework Agreement signed by the government and the MILF on October 15.

The EO will provide a mechanism for authentic democratic collaboration in the crafting of a proposed law where the affected people themselves are actively involved.

Among the commission’s major work is to coordinate with Congress and other government agencies to craft the basic law that will pave the way for a Bangsamoro region in Mindanao.

According to the Executive Order, the Transition Commission may also recommend to Congress and the people, when necessary, proposed amendments to the Constitution.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=&sid=&nid=&rid=516544

Government troops raided MILF forces, violate ceasefire

From the MILF Website (Apr 15): Government troops raided MILF forces, violate ceasefire

Composite troops of the Philippine Army raided the forces of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) early morning today at Sitio Badja Maluha, Barangay Baguindan in Tipo-Tipo, Basilan. MILF suffered scores of casualties.

Abbas Salung, Member of the MILF Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH), reported the incident to the MILF Headquarters at camp Darapanan, which asked the MILF CCCH to file the necessary complaint for ceasefire violations.

“Firefight ensued for nearly 30 minutes between the MILF forces under Ustaz Hamzah Sapanton, Provincial Committee Chairman, and the raiding government forces numbering to more or less 40 men,” he said.

“The encounter had already ceased but actions must be undertaken by the government to avoid recurrence of the firefight between the government and MILF forces and to prove that the government forces are indeed upholding the policy of the PNoy government for the primacy of the peace process,” he added.

The MILF CCCH and AHJAG were never coordinated by the government of the movements or any activity of the government forces in Baguindan, which is a known MILF community.

“Clearly there is a deliberate act to undermine the ceasefire and the peace talks between the government and MILF, which only compounds the increasing doubts of the public over the sincerity of the government in the peace process,” said Ustaz Sapanton as relayed to Salung.

Relatedly, Salung recalled that some 30 government soldiers in full battle gear under 18th Infantry Battalion, Philippine Army on board some vehicles went inside Baranagy Guinanta.

Guinanta is the main MILF community in al Barka Basilan. Fierce firefight was prevented as the MILF leadership told the MILF forces to avoid deliberate government forces-provoked confrontation that could adversely affect the peace talks which at the time was about to conclude discussion and possible agreements on the power-sharing and wealth-sharing annexes of the GPH – MILF Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro.

The MILF CCCH shared the statement of the MILF Peace Panel that “there must be something wrong with the government now.”

http://www.luwaran.com/index.php/welcome/item/311-government-troops-raided-milf-forces-violate-ceasefire

Troops attack MILF forces in Mindanao

From the Mindanao Examiner Blog site (Apr 15): Troops attack MILF forces in Mindanao

Philippine troops attacked Monday a stronghold of the country’s largest Muslim rebel group Moro Islamic Liberation Front in the restive province of Basilan, sparking a fierce firefight that left a still undetermined number of rebels dead and wounded.

The MILF, which is currently negotiating peace with Manila, accused the military of attacking its forces in Tipo-Tipo town. “The Philippine Army raided the forces of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front early morning today at Sitio Badja Maluha in Barangay Baguindan in Tipo-Tipo and MILF suffered scores of casualties,” the rebel group said.

But the military’s Western Mindanao Command said the offensive targeted the leaders of the militant Abu Sayyaf group – Isnilon Hapilon and Puruji Indama – who were behind the kidnapping of Australian adventurer Warren Rodwell.

Rodwell, kidnapped on December 2011 from his seaside house in Ipil town in Zamboanga del Sur province by gunmen who posed as policemen – was freed on March 2 after his Filipino wife, Miraflor Gutang paid P4 million ransom to the Abu Sayyaf, which originally demanded $2 million.

Army Col. Rolando Gregorio, a spokesman for the Western Mindanao Command, insisted the operation was directed at the Abu Sayyaf and troops had killed 6 militants, although their bodies were not recovered.

“We would like to emphasize that the operation was conducted and directed only against the ASG terrorists with utmost consideration on the safety of MILF communities in the operational area,” Gregorio said, adding soldiers captured an Abu Sayyaf encampment and that operations still continue in the area.

But Abbas Salung, a senior member of the MILF cease-fire committee, has strongly denied the military’s claim, saying the operation targeted the MILF forces under rebel leader Ustadz Hamzah Sapanton.

He said: “The MILF-CCCH (Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities) and AHJAG (Ad Hoc Joint Action Group) were never coordinated by the government of the movements or any activity of the government forces in Baguindan, which is a known MILF community.”

Salung blamed the military for the violence in Basilan, one of five provinces under the Muslim autonomous region.

“Clearly there is a deliberate act to undermine the cease-fire and the peace talks between the Aquino government and the MILF, which only compounds the increasing doubts of the public over the sincerity of the government in the peace process,” he quoted Sapanton as saying after the fighting stopped.

He said the MILF would file a protest with the government cease-fire committee against the military for violating the truce.

“The encounter had already ceased, but actions must be undertaken by the government to avoid recurrence of the firefight between the government and MILF forces and to prove that the government forces are indeed upholding the policy of the Aquino government for the primacy of the peace process,” Salung said.

The military offensive came just as the MILF expressed concerns over so-called “spoilers” of the peace process.

“The sad part of this is the fact that spoilers do not only thrive outside the process. There are those who lurk within organization or government. They pretend to be on board the process, but truth is that they have their own agenda, contrary to the desired end state for the process, or more insensibly, undermining their principal’s official instruction,” the MILF said, adding peace negotiators must be vigilant in not allowing “moles” in their ranks.

Peace negotiators in October signed the Bangsamoro Framework Agreement which shall replace the current Muslim autonomous region.

http://mindanaoexaminer.blogspot.com/2013/04/troops-attack-milf-forces-in-mindanao.html

Filipino troops attack Abu Sayyaf hideout, kill 7

From the Sun Star/AP (Apr 15): Filipino troops attack Abu Sayyaf hideout, kill 7

More than 100 Filipino troops attacked a mountainous stronghold of two al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf commanders, including one on the FBI's list of most-wanted terrorists, sparking clashes Monday that killed at least seven bandits in the country's south.

The offensive targeted Abu Sayyaf commanders Isnilon Hapilon and Puruji Indama in the outskirts of Tipo-Tipo town on Basilan Island, but it was not clear if the two were hit or managed to escape during the main assault after dawn and two clashes that erupted afterward, army brigade commander Colonel Carlito Galvez said.

At least three soldiers were wounded in the clashes with about 30 Abu Sayyaf gunmen, the military said.

Washington has offered a $5 million reward for the capture or killing of Hapilon, who has been accused of involvement in deadly bomb attacks, kidnappings and beheadings, including of Americans in the past, landing him on the list of the FBI's most-wanted terrorists.

Indama has been wanted by Philippine authorities for his alleged involvement in deadly bombings and kidnappings of several people, including a former Australian soldier who was freed last month after 15 months of jungle captivity after ransom was paid.

Indama has been blamed for the 2007 beheadings of 10 marines in Basilan, a widely condemned atrocity that prompted a major military offensive against the militants.

Galvez said in a telephone interview that Hapilon and Indama are also accused of trying to sabotage infrastructure projects, including the construction of a road, and of trying to extort money from several business firms

"Both their signatures appeared on the extortion letters," he said.

The attack took place near a community-like encampment of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the largest Muslim rebel group in the country with which the government has been negotiating a peace accord for years.

The army assault began after dawn on the outskirts of Tipo-Tipo where two militants were killed.

Five other militants were separately shot dead later in two gunbattles that erupted as troops pursued the fleeing gunmen, Galvez said.

Troops failed to recover the bodies but they were seen from a distance by soldiers as the clashes raged, he said.

The Abu Sayyaf, which was founded in early 1990s on the predominantly Muslim province of Basilan, has been blacklisted by Washington as a terrorist organization for deadly terror attacks and kidnappings for ransom. U.S.-backed offensives have killed or captured many of its commanders in recent years, leaving the group without an overall leader to unify its factions on Basilan, nearby Jolo island and the Zamboanga Peninsula.

The Abu Sayyaf has survived with about 350 armed fighters, mainly through kidnappings for ransom and extortion and remains a security threat in the south.

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/breaking-news/2013/04/15/filipino-troops-attack-abu-sayyaf-hideout-kill-7-277699

GPH, MILF 6 months after FAB signing: 5 documents signed; most important pending

From MindaNews (Apr 15): GPH, MILF 6 months after FAB signing: 5 documents signed; most important pending


Six months after the signing of the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB) on October 15, 2012 and four months past their supposed yearend 2012 deadline to finish the four annexes that would complete the comprehensive peace agreement, the government (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) peace panels have signed five documents except the most important: the Annexes on Power-sharing, Wealth-sharing and Normalization.

Within the six-month period, the peace panels signed one Annex – on Transition Arrangements and Modalities; three Terms of References – for the Third Party Monitoring Team (TPMT), the Independent Commission on Policing (ICP), and the Sajahatra Bangsamoro; and a certificate extending the tours of duty of the Malaysian-led International Monitoring Team (IMT) up to March 2014 and the Ad Hoc Joint Action Group (AHJAG) until February 14, 2014 “in recognition of their important roles in the peace process, without prejudice to adjustments that may be needed pursuant to developments in the crafting of the Annexes to the FAB.” (see timeline)

In accordance with the FAB, President Aquino on December 17 issued Executive Order 120 creating the Transition Commission (TransCom). The House and Senate immediately passed resolutions 971 and 922, respectively, in support of the EO.

Malacanang announced the names of the 15 members of the TransCom on February 25 and on April 3, the TransCom held its “first en banc meeting” in Pasig City.

But the TransCom cannot proceed with its task of drafting the Bangsamoro Basic Law if the three Annexes are not signed. Without the signed annexes, it can only set up office, draft internal rules and create committees, but cannot proceed to the substantive issues, MILF peace panel Mohagher Iqbal, who also chairs the TransCom, said.

The Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) says otherwise. In its “Frequently Asked Questions” on last week’s talks, dispatched by email evening of April 11, it said that while awaiting the finalization of all the annexes, “we believe that the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro can serve as a lift-off point that will allow the (TransCom) its substantive work.”

But Iqbal told a press during the body’s first meeting on April 3 that “we cannot proceed to discuss the substantive issues unless the three remaining annexes will be discussed and signed by the parties.”

Terms of Reference

The TPMT, which will be composed of “an eminent international person” as chair and spokesperson, two local NGO representatives nominated by the GPH and MILF and two international NGO representatives nominated by the GPH and the MILF, is tasked to “review, assess, evaluate and monitor the implementation of the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB) and its Annexes.”

According to their January 25 Joint Statement, the panels were supposed to have identified the members of the TPMT “within one month” but as of April 11, no announcement has been made.

But even if the panels name the TPMT members now, without the signed Annexes, the TMPT has nothing to review, assess, evaluate and monitor.

The seven-member ICP is the body that would submit recommendations to the peace panels on the police force for the Bangsamoro. The four-page TOR on the ICP was prepared by the technical working group on Normalization.

The last document, signed at the end of last week’s round of talks on April 11, was the TOR on the Sajahatra Bangsamoro, a socio-economic peace initiative of government in partnership with the MILF which was personally launched by President Benigno Simeon Aquino III on February 11 at the Bangsamoro Leadership and Management Institute compound in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao.

The February 11 launch was historic in that it was the first time a Philippine President visited the MILF’s turf. But beyond the fanfare that day, the hastily-launched project could not take off because it had no TOR.

Annexes

Under the FAB, the parties agreed to work on the annexes “and complete a comprehensive agreement by the end of the year.”

In November, both GPH chair Marvic Leonen and MILF’s Iqbal were optimistic they would finish the four Annexes by yearend 2012.

Leonen was appointed Associate Justice of the Supreme Court on November 21. GPH peace panel senior member Miriam Coronel-Ferrer was named new panel chair on December 7.

Ferrer in a New Year’s message expressed optimism “it should not take more than two months to finish the four annexes.”

By then, the TransCom “should have been fully organized and ready to build on the terms laid out by the Panels in the Annexes.”

“The future is on track,” she said .

The Annexes on Wealth-Sharing and Power-Sharing have taken the longest to complete even as their Technical Working Groups (TWGs) had been working on the details since August last year. The TWG on Normalization and TWG on Transition were convened only in November.

The Annex on Wealth-Sharing was initialled by the TWG on February 27 and the panels were supposed to have submitted the same to their respective principals. This Annex was expected to be signed in the March 25 to 27 talks.

But President Aquino sought a postponement of the March talks allegedly to be given more time to review the draft Annexes.

It has been a month and a half since the Annex on Wealth-Sharing was initialed but GPH peace panel chair Ferrer explained that the review process takes long.

“Unlike in the case of the MILF when they are focused on this thing,” Ferrer told MindaNews after the closing ceremonies in Kuala Lumpur on April 11, “government is focused on many things, it has many agendas so that means in a matter that requires extensive discussion, understanding of the full implications and consensus of all branches of government that will be affected here, then that‘s a process that takes some time in the midst of all the regular governance functions, in the midst of all issues that government is facing.”

On the same day Iqbal told MindaNews: “Government is not ready to sign Wealth-Sharing. MILF is very ready.”

After elections

The panels had agreed to “meet again after the May 13 Philippine elections” and “exchange notes” between now and their next meeting, through the Malaysian facilitator.

Malaysia, which has been facilitating the talks since March 2001, will also hold its elections on May 5.

Critics have questioned Malaysia’s role as facilitator in the wake of the Sabah crisis that began with members of the “Royal Security Forces of the Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo” under Raja Muda Agbimuddin Kiram, brother of Sultan Jamalul Kiram III, landing in Lahad Datu to assert their proprietary rights over Sabah. The standoff ended in violence on March 1 and Malaysia launched on March 5 Operasi Daulat (Operation Uphold Sovereignty) to flush out Kiram’s men from Lahad Datu.

Since then, at least 70 alleged members of Kiram’s group had been killed, hundreds have been detained and at least 5,000 have evacuated to Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-tawi for fear of getting caught in the crossfire. Complaints of human rights violations were also aired by evacuees. As a result, the Sabah crisis had become an election issue.

The OPAPP’s FAQs said the issue on Sabah “has no effect on either the momentum or the substantive issues of the negotiations” but added “we continue to conduct the peace talks in a manner that will ensure the inclusivity of the process and the outcome.”
The FAQs also said the upcoming election has “no effect on the focused work of the negotiating panels.”

Iqbal said the GPH wanted the next meeting after the elections “kasi busy sila” (because they are busy). Their principal (President Aquino) is busy.”

http://www.mindanews.com/peace-process/2013/04/15/gph-milf-6-months-after-fab-signing-5-documents-signed-most-important-pending/

Timeline: GPH and MILF six months after signing of Framework Agreement

From MindaNews (Apr 15): Timeline: GPH and MILF six months after signing of Framework Agreement

What have the government (GPH) and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) peace panels accomplished six months after the October 15, 2012 signing of the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB)?

Five documents in five rounds of talks from November to April but only one of four annexes to the FAB was finished.

Here’s a timeline prepared by MindaNews.

November 2012

Nov. 12-18

First round of talks on the four Annexes to the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB) after the latter’s signing in Malacanan Palace on October 15.

Scheduled for seven days, the talks ended on the 17^th instead of the 18^th to allow the peace panels of the Philippine government (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to consult their respective principals on the still unresolved issues and prepare for “the next and hopefully, last round” a few weeks later.

Joint Statement says technical working groups (TWGs) on Wealth-sharing and Power-sharing, which had been meeting every month since August “made substantial progress in the crafting of the Annexes while the TWG on Normalization, which convened for the first time in November, “agreed on an outline of issues and had initial positive exchanges on these matters.”

The panels “remain committed to complete the annexes before the end of the year.”

Would they finish the annexes before yearend?

GPH peace panel chair Marvic Leonen: “We will finish”

MILF peace panel chair Mohagher Iqbal: “Yes, matatapos”

In both the power- and wealth-sharing TWGs, the major issue is how much more powers would be granted to the Bangsamoro than what has been granted to the ARMM under Republic Act 9054.

“It will be more than 9054… it cannot be less,” Leonen told MindaNews. He defined “more” as “more that will be satisfactory to the MILF.”

Ma. Lourdes Lim, NEDA regional director and chair of the GPH-TWG on wealth-sharing told MindaNews that the joint TWG has “put the details to the provisions on wealth sharing in the FAB and we came up with substantive inputs for the Transition Commission to consider but this will have to go to the panels. We are just recommendatory.”

Lim said the powers proposed for the Bangsamoro would be more than what RA 9054 provides. “9054 is the minimum. That is our reference point. That’s the baseline,” she said.

National Security Council Undersecretary Zenonida Brosas, chair of the GPH-TWG on Normalization said she is confident they can finish their task because “pareho kami ng frame of mind” (we have the same frame of mind), referring to their MILF-TWG counterparts.

Nov. 21

GPH peace panel chair Mario Victor (Marvic) F. Leonen is appointed by President Benigno Simeon Aquino III as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court.

MILF peace panel chair Iqbal welcomes Leonen’s appointment: “We welcome the appointment! My sincerest congratulations! He deserves it.”

Leonen, who turned 50 in December, was Dean of the University of the Philippines’ College of Law when he was named GPH peace panel chair on July 15, 2010, just two weeks after President Aquino’s oath-taking. Appointed at 47, he was the youngest GPH peace panel chair in the 38-year history of the peace negotiations with the Moro liberation fronts.

December 2012

Dec. 7
Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Quintos-Deles announces the appointment of University of the Philippines Politicial Science Professor Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, senior GPH peace panel member, as new chair of the peace panel vice Marvic Leonen who was appointed Associate Justice of the Supreme Court on November 21.

“Professor Ferrer’s appointment signifies continuity and harmony in the peace talks, which is crucial towards the completion of the comprehensive agreement this December,” Deles said.

Ferrer, the first woman chair of the GPH peace panel in the peace process that began in 1997, took her oath of office before Deles on the same day.

Deles described Ferrer as a “staunch advocate of human rights and an expert in conflict resolution and justice.”

Ferrer was director of the Programme on Peace, Democratization and Human Rights and also the deputy director and subsequently, the director of the UP Third World Studies Center at the University of the Philippines.

Dec. 12-15

Panels extend December 12 to 14 scheduled talks by one day but end talks on the Annexes to the FAB on Dec. 15 with no Joint Statement on what transpired during the four-day negotiations in Kuala Lumpur and no date set for the next meeting.

MindaNews sources said TWG on Power-Sharing group accomplished 97% of its task, the TWG on Wealth-Sharing achieved a “breakthrough” and the TWG on Normalization made “significant progress.”

Annex on Transitional Arrangements and Modalities “99% complete” but parties were deadlocked on a major issue that for the MILF is ‘non-negotiable:’ the leadership of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA), the body that will take over the ARMM as soon as the Bangsamoro Basic Law is ratified, they said, should be MILF-led.

Dec. 17

President Aquino issues Executive Order 120 creating the Transition Commission (TransCom).

Dec. 18

House Resolution 971, introduced by Mindanawon representatives Jesus Sacdalan of North Cotabato, Tupay Loong of Sulu, Simeon Datumanong of Maguindanao and Acmad Tomawis (Ang Laban ng Indiginong Filipino partylist) expressed support to the 2012 FAB “and its implementation, including the creation of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission.” The resolution said the FAB provides for the “empowerment of the Bangsamoro people by creating the space for their meaningful participation in the process of enacting the Bangsamoro Basic law through the creation of the Transition Commission.”

Dec. 19

Senate Resolution 922 Senate Resolution 922, introduced by Mindanawon senator Teofisto Guingona III, expressed support to the EO. The resolution said the signing of the FAB “has inspired optimism and hope that a just framework for peace in the Muslim Mindanao region through a partnership with the Bangsamoro has been achieved” and that this “partnership and mutual recognition among our peoples are crucial in the process of nation building by providing spaces for our diverse cultures and traditions, under one sovereign Philippine Republic.”

January 2013

Jan. 1
GPH peace panel chair Ferrer’s New Year message expresses optimism “it should not take more than two months to finish the four annexes.”

By then, Ferrer said, the 15-member TransCom “should have been fully organized and ready to build on the terms laid out by the Panels in the Annexes.”

“The future is on track,” she said .

Jan. 21-25

GPH and MILF peace panels end five-day peace talks at 5:25 p.m. January 25, without completing any of the four annexes to the FAB.

Joint Statement claims talks “successfully ended” with both parties “achieving a milestone” with the signing of the Terms of Reference for the Third Party Monitoring Team (TPMT), the body that will “review, assess, evaluate and monitor the implementation of the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB) and its Annexes.”

The panels will identify the members of the TPMT “within one month,” the Joint Statement said. (As of April 11, the panels have yet to announce if they have identified TPMT members).

Joint Statement also announced the extension of the tours of duty of the Malaysian-led International Monitoring Team (IMT) and the Ad Hoc Joint Action Group (AHJAG) for another year “in recognition of their important roles in the peace process, without prejudice to adjustments that may be needed pursuant to developments in the crafting of the Annexes to the FAB.”

Progress on the negotiations on the Annexes was mentioned in the Joint Statement only on the third of the six-paragraph statement. It said the panels “expressed satisfaction on the continuing progress of the discussions on the Annexes to the FAB,” agreed to meet again in February and are “confident that the Annexes will be completed and signed at the soonest possible time.”

February 2013

Feb. 11

Sajahatra Bangsamoro, , a socio-economic peace initiative of the government in partnership with the MILF, launched at the Bangsamoro Leadership and Management Institute (BLMI) in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao. President Benigno Simeon Aquino III is the first Philippine President to have been welcomed into their turf by MILF chair Al Haj Murad Ebrahim and members of the MILF Central Committee.

February 11 was exactly 10 years to the day the Philippine government, under then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, launched aerial bombings to signal the start of the Buliok war on the day of Eid’l Adha (Feast of Sacrifice). At least 400,000 persons were displaced. Neither government nor the MILF remembered February 11, 2003.

MindaNews sources said an important issue over which the panels had an impasse was resolved by the President and the MILF chair during the launch.

Feb. 12

Members of the “Royal Security Forces of the Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo” arrive in Lahad Datu, Sabah. The group is led by Raja Muda Agbimuddin Kiram, brother of Sultan Jamalul Kiram III, who claims to be Sultan of Sulu. Standoff with Malaysian authorities ends March 1 as violence ensues.

Feb. 25

Malacanang announces members of the 15-member TransCom. Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda also announces that it would be chaired by MILF peace panel chair Iqbal.

Feb. 25-27

GPH and MILF peace panels end their three-day talks in Kuala Lumpur at 9:49 p.m February 27 with the panels signing only one of four annexes.

The panels sign the six-page “Annex on Transitional Arrangements and Modalities” which specifies, among others, that the Bangsamoro Transition Authority would be “MILF-led”

Also signed was the Terms of Reference for the Independent Commission on Policing (ICP), the body that would submit recommendations to the peace panels on the police force for the Bangsamoro.

The four-page TOR on the ICP was prepared by the technical working group on Normalization.

March 2013

March 25

March 25 to 27 talks reset for April.

GPH peace panel chair Miriam Coronel-Ferrer meets with MILF peace panel chair Mohagher Iqbal in a “special meeting” in Kuala Lumpur on March 25. Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Quintos-Deles issues a six-paragraph press statement announcing the “first en banc meeting” of the Transition Commission on April 3 and in the fourth paragraph says President Aquino sought a postponement of the talks. No reason was cited in the statement e-mailed to media outlets 15 minutes before the 3 p.m. meeting of Ferrer and Iqbal.

April 2013

April 3

TransCom holds “first en banc meeting” at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Pasig City. A press conference immediately follows. But more than half of the 43-minute presscon is spent on the Sabah crisis.

Apr. 9 – 11

Panels end their three-day negotiations with the three annexes to the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro still unfinished.

Joint Statement says they will “meet again after the May 13 Philippine elections” to finish the annexes.

Discussions of the TWG on Normalization are “moving the parties towards an agreement on the architecture for the normalization process,” it said.

The eight-paragraph statement said the panels “continued to find ways to resolve remaining issues on the annexes on wealth-sharing, power-sharing and normalization, agreeing to exchange notes through the facilitator in the coming days” and affirmed their commitment to “finally settle these issues soon so that all three annexes may be signed without undue delay.”

Terms of Reference of the Sajahatra Bangsamoro, a socio-economic peace initiative of government in partnership with the MILF which was personally launched by President Aquino on February 11 in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao.

http://www.mindanews.com/peace-process/2013/04/15/timeline-gph-and-milf-six-months-after-signing-of-framework-agreement/

8 bandits killed in fresh campaign vs Abu Sayyaf in Basilan

From GMA News (Apr 15): 8 bandits killed in fresh campaign vs Abu Sayyaf in Basilan

At least eight members of the Abu Sayyaf were killed following a ground assault launched by government security forces on the bandit group's camp in Basilan, a military official said Monday.

Col. Carlito Galvez, commander of the Basilan-based 104th Infantry Brigade of the Philippine Army, said government troops and policemen launched the operations early dawn Monday in Barangay Silangkum in Tipo-Tipo town.

Three soldiers were “slightly” wounded in the three-hour clash, Galvez said.

Galvez did not identify the fatalities, but said they were believed to be under Abu Sayyaf leaders Isnilon Hapilon and Furuji Indama, who were the targets of the operation.

A separate military statement said Hapilon and Indama were involved in the kidnapping of Australian national Warren Rodwell, who was released last month after 15 months in captivity.

Hapilon and Indama, who are currently facing kidnapping and murder charges, were also involved in the burning of Ipil town in 1994, the attack on the Golden Harvest Plantation in 2001 and the Dos Palmas kidnapping in 2001, the statement added.

The Abu Sayyaf group, believed to have links with the al Qaeda terrorist network, has been blamed for several kidnapping and bombing incidents in southern Philippines and Metro Manila.

MILF not target

Meanwhile, Galvez denied that members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), who are currently engaged in peace talks with the Philippine government, were the targets of the operation.

“'Yung location ng Abu Sayyaf only 300 meters from the MILF. Talagang lair nila 'yan. Nanindigan ang MILF na hindi sila tumulong, so nakubkob namin iyong kampo in a span of an hour,” he said.

 

On the MILF website, however, the Moro group accused the government of violating their ceasefire with the operation in Tipo-Tipo.

“Firefight ensued for nearly 30 minutes between the MILF forces under Ustaz Hamzah Sapanton, Provincial Committee Chairman, and the raiding government forces numbering to more or less 40 men,” said Abbas Salung, member of the MILF Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH)

The MILF said it "suffered scores of casualties."

It added that the incident has been reported to MILF headquarters at Camp Darapanan. The MILF headquarters instructed the MILF CCCH to file a complaint for ceasefire violations.

Last October, the MILF signed a framework peace agreement with the Philippine government, which also outlines the formation of the Bangsamoro political entity to replace the current Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/303962/news/regions/8-bandits-killed-in-fresh-campaign-vs-abu-sayyaf-in-basilan

Palace: Annexes of Bangsamoro agreement will be signed

From GMA News (Apr 15): Palace: Annexes of Bangsamoro agreement will be signed

Despite delays in the finalization of the remaining annexes of the Bangsamoro Framework Agreement, Malacañang on Monday reiterated that it was confident they will be signed in due time.

“We’re still discussing the issues so nobody has walked away from the negotiating table. We’re very confident that we will come to an agreement on those annexes,” Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said in a briefing.

The remaining annexes on normalization, power sharing and wealth sharing have yet to be agreed upon by the peace panels from the Philippine Government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

Lacierda said the government is being cautious in its review of the crucial annexes, so that the final product will be “doable.”

“We want a Basic Law that is doable; that is something that everybody can live with,” Lacierda said, adding that the government is paying particular close attention to the language used in the annexes.

“We’re going through the language. We’re also going through the substance of the annexes. Right now, we’re going to study carefully the remaining annexes,” he said.

Additionally Lacierda said that the Aquino administration remains conscientious of the workability of the landmark peace deal it brokered with the MILF.

“We don’t intend to kick the can down the road. We want an agreement that is workable, that is doable, and that everybody can live with. Hindi ‘yung parang mangangako kami ngayon, bahala na ‘yung future administration na i-perform,” he said.

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/303982/news/nation/palace-annexes-of-bangsamoro-agreement-will-be-signed

Chinese military officials join maritime disaster response talks in Balikatan exercises

From GMA News (Apr 15): Chinese military officials join maritime disaster response talks in Balikatan exercises

Amid the ongoing territorial dispute between China and the Philippines, two Chinese military officials on Monday joined their Filipino and American counterparts in talks on maritime disaster response as part of the annual Balikatan military exercises.

According to Brig. Gen. Aurelio Baladad, deputy chief of staff for operations of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), this marks the first time China joined such a discussion, since it is also the first time the Philippines and the United States opened the Balikatan exercises to other countries.

“Ang Balikatan, originally, military to military ng US saka ng Pilipinas lang. Now, parang ine-expand naman natin ito as we globalize. What if something happens doon sa international waters? How do we respond to it?” Baladad told reporters Monday.

He added that the territorial dispute between China and the Philippines over parts of the South China Sea had nothing to do with the talks, since the discussions were on how to respond to maritime disasters such as oil spills.

“This is a multi-national approach. Kapitbahay natin sila, and just like other countries, they are one of the responders kung sakaling magkaroon ng incident na kailangang mag-respond in international waters... Sa disaster response siguro, wala nang mga tampuhan muna,” Baladad said.

China and the Philippines, as well as Taiwan, Vietnam, Brunei and Malaysia, have overlapping claims on the islands, shoals and reefs in the South China Sea where undersea gas deposits have been discovered in several areas.

In January, Manila initiated an arbitration process under the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to try to declare as “illegal” China’s nine-dash claim, which covers nearly the entire resource-rich waters, where some parts are called by the Philippines as West Philippine Sea. Beijing, however, has already rejected the Philippines' move.

'Build response confidence'

A report from GMA News' Ian Cruz, meanwhile, said Senior Colonel Wang Jinbo was one of the Chinese military officials who participated in the multinational maritime disaster reponse table-top discussion.

The report added that military officials from Australia, Japan and other Southeast Asian countries were also part of the talks.

The AFP said on its website that the multinational maritime table-top exercise was done “to determine specific humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations in high-international waters.”

The Philippine military added that the talks, considered to be one of the “highlights” of the Balikatan exercises, also aims to “build response confidence among multi-national partners.”

Some 8,000 soldiers from the US and the Philippines participated in this year's Balikatan exercises, which started two weeks ago and is set to conclude on Wednesday.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said the military exercises come “at a crucial time” for the Philippines amid “excessive and exaggerated maritime territorial claims that have not only created uncertainly, but have undermined the rule of law.”

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/303926/news/nation/chinese-military-officials-join-maritime-disaster-response-talks-in-balikatan-exercises?ref=section_banner