Tough talks on wealth, power

From the Business World (Jun 10): Tough talks on wealth, power

Resource and power sharing between the government and the future Bangsamoro region are among the challenging issues facing peace negotiators in completing the peace deal, chief government negotiator Miriam Colonel-Ferrer said yesterday.

Ms. Ferrer, who was in this city yesterday to confer with local officials, military officers, and civil society leaders, said both sides have remained open to find "creative" ways on overcoming hurdles in the negotiations.

"We are at this stage of trying to find solutions," she said in an interview.

Both sides are also working on the area of normalization which includes the disarmament of rebel forces.

The only annex that both sides have agreed on is the transitional modalities that detail the transfer of functions from the existing the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao to the ministerial form of government of the future Bangsamoro region.

The discussions on the annexes have dragged on for six months.

With discussing details, Ms. Ferrer said the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) wants certain taxes to be collected by the future Bangsamoro regional government, but the government has questioned its feasibility due to lack of mechanisms.

The budgetary issue has also been an obstacle, she said, as the MILF views the outlay for the region as "automatically allocated."

"We have to do some realigning on the budgeting process," she added.

The issue on revenue derived from natural resources has likewise not been solved, Ms. Ferrer said, particularly on sharing proceeds from oil, mining and hydro power, among others.

She said the government panel is preparing a comprehensive draft on wealth sharing with inputs from the departments of Budget and Finance with the demands of the MILF in mind.

"We really have to find a middle ground and find that kind of balance," Ms. Ferrer said.

On power sharing, both sides have listed powers that will be reserved to the government and exclusive to the Bangsamoro, but she said gray areas remain such as the licensing and registration of vehicles and other modes of transportation.

At the weekend, the government has initiated an exchange of notes whereby several documents were forwarded via the Malaysian facilitator for the MILF to study and respond.

The documents outline the government’s positions on wealth and power sharing.

The MILF has yet to study and respond on the documents, Mohagher Iqbal, the MILF chief negotiator, said on Sunday.

Both parties are running against time to arrive at a final peace deal.

Fatmawati Salapuddin, a Tausug member of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission and former official in the National Commission of Muslim Filipinos, said in a separate interview yesterday that based on the time frame, the commission should submit the proposed Basic Law to Congress in the second quarter of next year.

"[It would] be [submitted] July next year at the most," she said.

A referendum will take place for residents of provinces under the proposed Bangsamoro region to affirm their participation.

"We hope [the two parties could] reach an agreement as soon as possible," she said.

The peace talks between the government and the MILF begun in 1997. The Aquino administration has vowed to conclude the Moro self-determination aspiration before its term ends in 2016.

http://www.bworldonline.com/content.php?section=Nation&title=Tough-talks-on-wealth,-power&id=71608

Civil society hits use of landmines

From the Visayan Daily Star (Jun 11): Civil society hits use of landmines

Members of civil society in Negros Occidental yesterday said in a signed statement that they view with much alarm the increasing use of landmines as an offensive weapon by the communist insurgents in its “protracted people’s war.”

The statement titled “Not In Our Name, Please,” noted that the public has recently been regaled by macabre news of deaths, mangled bodies and shattered lives caused by landmines.

In Compostela Valley, an improvised landmine explosion wounded several soldiers and civilians along the Tagum City-Mawab Highway, even as – four days later – it also took the life of a young mother, they said.

On May 27, a command-detonated landmine placed in the middle of the road preluded the ambush of PNP personnel on board an Isuzu Elf truck, they added.

“Such atrocity has no place in civilized society,” they said.

They said the Communist Party of the Philippines-New Peoples Army’s use of anti-personnel landmines is a heinous conduct of warfare using an “indiscriminate weapon.”

A landmine explosion does not select its targets, whether combatants or civilians, soldiers or innocent women and children who are protected under the international Humanitarian Law, they said.

“We assert that its use is a violation of human rights in situations of armed conflict,” the statement also said.

The matter needs to be brought up with the International Campaign To Ban Landmines. Worldwide attention should be called to and censure brought to bear on the CPP-NPA-NDF for their terroristic use of landmines in their guerilla warfare in the Philippines, they said.

They called on the CPP-NPA-NDF to obtain their ideological ends through non-violent means.

“No family should be made to suffer the fathomless anguish of losing a loved one, no community be so gravely traumatized by an insurgency war you claim you are waging in the people’s behalf,” they said.

http://www.visayandailystar.com/2013/June/11/topstory10.htm

Is US Winding Down Spec Ops Mission in the Philippines?

From Defense News (Jun 10): Is US Winding Down Spec Ops Mission in the Philippines?

As US Adm. William McRaven works to expand the reach of his Special Operations Command to include broad intelligence sharing globally among deployed SOF and foreign partners, one key SOF mission of the past decade could soon start winding down.

Due to its successes in training and supporting local forces, there are discussions about transitioning the 11-year American special operations mission in the Philippines over to Philippine forces, McRaven said during a June 5 conference in Washington.

The mission to advise and assist local forces has largely flown under the radar since Operation Enduring Freedom began in Afghanistan. The Philippines operation kicked off in January 2002, and 15 American special operators have died there in accidents, with two more killed by an IED attack in 2009.

There are about 500 US special operators working in the Philippines currently, USAF Maj. Gen. Norman Brozenick, commander of Special Operations Command Pacific (SOCPAC), told Defense News. And while there are discussions about handing ultimate authority over to local forces, he cautioned that no timeline has been set for the cessation of the American mission.

The Philippine national police and armed forces “have made significant gains in terms of capability and ability to manage the security situation in the southern Philippines over the past decade with targeted non-combat assistance from the United States,” he said, adding that “there’s a point in the future — not defined, no time line established” — when there would be a transition to local forces.

When asked why McRaven indicated the mission could conclude in a year or so, Brozenick, who reports to PACOM commander Adm. Samuel Locklear, said that “specifically and directly, I have no guidance from my boss in terms of a timeline for an end of the mission in the Philippines. We are talking about transitioning focus to enable authorities, but no timeline to end that operation.”

The 500 US special operations and general purpose forces operating in the Philippines fall under the umbrella of the U.S. Joint Special Operations Task Force Philippines (JSOTF-P), providing logistical, intelligence and civil affairs-related advice to Philippine military and civilian law enforcement agencies.

The mission in the Philippines has focused primarily on the Mindanao group of islands, where two Islamist groups have been fighting the central government. The largest threat has come from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which has engaged in a bloody 40-year struggle with the Manila government to carve out an independent state based on Islamic principles and centered on its Moro ethnic identity.

 The al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf Group also is a threat, but US and Philippine cooperation has severely damaged the group’s ability to act while killing its senior leadership.

Overall, an estimated 150,000 people have been killed fighting the MILF since the late 1960s, with almost 3 million displaced by the fighting since 2000 alone. But there have been some significant recent successes; in October 2012, the Philippine government signed a peace deal with the MILF agreeing to form an autonomous region in the south by 2016, and both sides continue their cautious march toward an end of the conflict.

http://www.defensenews.com/article/20130610/DEFREG/306100012/Is-US-Winding-Down-Spec-Ops-Mission-Philippines-

MILF: MILF protests arrests of members

From the MILF Website (Jun 11): MILF protests arrests of members



The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) filed its protest to the government for the cases of arrests against its members, stressing adverse effects on the confidence measures to the peace process and the MILF – Government of the Philippines (GPH) Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB).
  

The protest was already filed by the MILF Ceasefire Committee involving four members of the MILF arrested in the provinces of Sultan Kudarat,  South Cotabato and Lanao del Norte.

According to the MILF Ceasefire Committee all the arrested MILF members are innocent, citing “the one arrested in Lambayong Sultan Kudarat was on his way back home when arrested, those arrested in Polomolok, South Cotabao were raided while preparing for Subuh (early morning Prayer), and the one arrested in Linamon, Lanao del Norte, was just walking around when apprehended.”

“We vehemently condemn these arrests against the MILF members. Clearly, there are violations against human rights, the ceasefire accord between the government and MILF, and adverse effects on the on the confidence of the MILF forces on the government sincerity and commitment to the FAB,” the compliant stated. 

“We are appealing to the government to work out for their release as it is so difficult to explain on the ground why arrest MILF who are innocent and cannot release them as part of the political goodwill of the FAB,” the MILF CCCH added.

Raid and arrest against MILF members are acts constituting violations to the ceasefire accord, as stipulated in the GRP–MILF Agreement on General Cessation of Hostilities section, article 1and the Implementing Guidelines on the Security Aspect of the GRP – MILF Tripoli Agreement on Peace of 2001 pursuant to its paragraph 3.1.1.”

Comrades of the arrested MILF appealed to the Government Peace Panel Chairwoman Prof. Miriam Colonel-Ferrer to help for the release of the arrested and detained MILF.

“Prof Ferrer, being the first-ever woman chief negotiator and human rights vanguard, can significantly help in order that our confidence that had been affected by the slow progress on the peace talks would remain positive,” an Ustaz colleague of the arrested persons in Polomolok.

“We were expecting that after the signing of the FAB to highlight confidence building measures is freeing MILF political detainees and not spree of arrests against MILF leaders and membership,” he said.
http://www.luwaran.com/

MILF: Phillipine Center for Islam and Democracy meets MILF Chairman

Posted to the MILF Website (Jun 11): Phillipine Center for Islam and Democracy meets MILF Chairman



The Philippine Center for Islam and Democracy (PCID) met with Chairman Al Haj Murad Ebrahim of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on May 25, 2013, in Darapanan, Municipality of Sultan Kudarat in Maguindanao Province  to discuss the economic situation in Muslim Mindanao.
  

The PCID was represented by Amina Rasul-Bernardo, a prominent Moro women leader and peace advocate, who is currently the president of the organization, together with the organization’s Secretary, Prof. Moner M. Bajunaid and fellow PCID convener Urooj Malik.

Also present in the meeting was Foundation for Economic Freedom’s Dr. Vicente Paqueo, a former World Bank Senior Economist. FEF is an advocacy group which promotes economic reform in the country.

The Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB), signed last October 15, 2012, between the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the MILF, and the subsequent Transition Commission created to draft the Basic Law to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao has provided an opportunity for economists, academics and other concerned citizens to advocate and advance policies on economic reform for inclusion in what would become the Bangsamoro Basic Law.

Ms. Rasul-Bernardo believes that economics experts and academe can contribute a lot in the crafting of Bangsamoro Basic Law which is considered to bring peace and prosperity in the Moro homeland.

The PCID was instrumental in creating the National Ulama Conference of the Philippine (NUCP), and huge group of Muslim religious scholars (Ulama) with members all over the country.

Moreover, the PCID also convened Women Religious Leaders and Peace Advocates which formed Noorus Salam (Light of Peace), the female counterpart of the NUCP few years ago.

Noorus Salam has members in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. It is an institution which works for the promotion of peace and betterment of Moro communities especially in the conflict-affected through education and community outreach activities.

The Magbassa Kita Foundation, chaired by former Senator Santanina Rasul, also provided technical assistance in organizing the NUCP and Noorus Salam.

http://www.luwaran.com/

2 Army soldiers killed in Surigao del Sur clash with NPAs

From GMA News (Jun 11): 2 Army soldiers killed in Surigao del Sur clash with NPAs

Two Army soldiers were killed following a clash with suspected communist rebels in the southern Philippine province of Surigao del Sur Monday, a regional military spokesperson said Tuesday.

In a text message to reporters, Major Leo Bongosia of the Army's 4th Infantry Division said that about 2 p.m. Monday, patrolling troops encountered an undetermined number of New People's Army rebels at Sitio Tibog in Barangay San Isidro in Lianga town.

The firefight lasted for five minutes, Bongosia said, adding that the rebels suffered no casualties.

 "It was a meeting engagement. The soldiers were on combat operation when the two sides saw each other," Bongosia said of the clash, the latest between government security forces and communist rebels.

Only last week, three Army soldiers were killed while another one was wounded in a clash with insurgents in San Agustin town also in Surigao del Sur.

But the biggest government setback this year against the communist rebels came on May 27 when eight elite members of the Philippine National Police's Special Action Force were killed in an ambush in the northern province of Cagayan.

Seven other SAF members were wounded in the incident. Two police intelligence officers have since been relieved from their posts following the deadly ambush.

The clashes occurred as peace talks between the government and the National Democratic Front remain at a standstill.
“We would like to have a peace agreement with them but it is not us which is the stumbling block to the peace process,” presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said at a press briefing Monday.

Earlier, representatives of the NPA decried the government’s alleged failure to implement the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (Carhrihl) signed by the Philippine government and the National Democratic Front (NDF) in 1998.

 

Lacierda said the government has never violated the agreement.

 

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/312362/news/regions/2-army-soldiers-killed-in-surigao-del-sur-clash-with-npas

PHL envoy: Sabah row a reminder for PHL, Malaysia to be closer

From GMA News (Jun 11): PHL envoy: Sabah row a reminder for PHL, Malaysia to be closer

The row in Sabah between followers of Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III and Malaysian forces earlier this year should serve as a reminder for the Philippines and Malaysia to work more closely together.

 

Philippine Ambassador to Malaysia Jose Eduardo Malaya III made this claim as he noted Philippine-Malaysia ties endured despite the row, Malaysia's Bernama news agency reported Tuesday.

 

But he also said both countries need to further build their ties with more involvement in the business, economic, social and cultural spheres in the future.

 

“Let us enhance our ties in bilateral relations as well as in our partnership in Asean,” he said at a reception marking Philippine Independence Day.

Representing Malaysia at the reception is Urban Well-being, Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan.

 

Malaya also noted the Mindanao peace process, which he said continues despite the Sabah row, may reach a "successful conclusion in a few weeks’ time."

 

He said the Philippines is "grateful to the adept and fair facilitation by Malaysia” as third-party facilitator in the peace process between the government and Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

 

Last February, followers of Kiram went to Sabah and engaged Malaysian forces in a three-week standoff.

 

The standoff ended in bloody clashes last March 1 and 2. These in turn led Malaysia to mount offensives against Kiram's followers.

 

Presently, Malaya said at least 38 Filipinos face charges in relation to the Sabah row, though he declined to comment on whether Sultan Kiram would be charged soon.

 

Princess Jacel Kiram, daughter of Sultan Kiram, on Monday revealed a plot to extradite her family, a claim downplayed by Malacañang.

 

Meanwhile, the Philippine embassy in Kuala Lumpur said some 2,000 Filipinos marched along Jalan Bukit Bintang to mark the 115th Philippine Independence Day.

 

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/312288/news/nation/phl-envoy-sabah-row-a-reminder-for-phl-malaysia-to-be-closer

Photo: BRP Ramon Alcaraz sails for PHL

From GMA News (Jun 11): Photo: BRP Ramon Alcaraz sails for PHL



The newest warship of the Philippine Navy, the BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PF 16) with 14 officers and 74 enlisted personnel lead by Capt. Ernesto Baldovino, departs on Monday, June 10 from Charleston, South Carolina bound for the Philippines. The ship is expected to arrive in August after making port visits to San Diego, Hawaii and Guam for reprovisioning. The BRP Alcaraz will test fire its main gun off the coast of Florida. PN/DFA/Elmer Cato

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/photo/38991/brp-ramon-alcaraz-sails-for-phl

Troops hunt down communist rebels

From the Sun Star-Zamboanga (Jun 11): Troops hunt down communist rebels

THE government forces have launched pursuit operation against the New People’s Army (NPA) rebels blamed for sabotaging the power lines in one of the villages in Lapuyan town, Zamboanga del Sur, an official reported Tuesday.

Chief Inspector Ariel Huesca, regional police spokesman, said they are now after the NPA rebels who figured in a firefight with the government troops around 12:50 p.m. Monday in the village of Maralag, Lapuyan.

The firefight broke out after the NPA rebels fire on the troops who were conducting security patrol in the village of Maralag.

Huesca said NPA rebels fled after they were outfought by the troops from the Army’s 53rd Infantry Battalion.

No one was reported killed or wounded in the encounter.

The government forces have intensified the conduct of security patrol operations following reports about the frequent presence of NPAs in the hinterlands of Zamboanga del Sur province.

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/zamboanga/local-news/2013/06/11/troops-hunt-down-communist-rebels-286922

MILF files protest on arrest of 4 members

From the Sun Star (Jun 11): MILF files protest on arrest of 4 members

THE Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has filed a protest to the Philippine government for the arrest of four of its members in separate occasions, the group said Tuesday.

According to the MILF Ceasefire Committee, which filed the protest to its counterpart, said that the recent action by the government forces could adversely affect the confidence building measures of both parties on the peace process, including the signed Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB).

The four Muslim rebels, whom the MILF did not identify, were arrested in Sultan Kudarat, South Cotabato and Lanao del Norte.

"The one arrested in Lambayong Sultan Kudarat was on his way back home when arrested, those arrested in Polomolok, South Cotabao were raided while preparing for Subuh (early morning prayer), and the one arrested in Linamon, Lanao del Norte, was just walking around when apprehended," the MILF said, stressing that they were "innocent."

"We vehemently condemn these arrests against the MILF members. Clearly, there are violations against human rights, the ceasefire accord between the government and MILF, and adverse effects on the on the confidence of the MILF forces on the government sincerity and commitment to the FAB," the MILF said.

Raid and arrest against MILF members are acts constituting violations to the ceasefire accord, as stipulated in the GRP (government of the Republic of the Philippines)–MILF Agreement on General Cessation of Hostilities section, Article 1 and the Implementing Guidelines on the Security Aspect of the GRP – MILF Tripoli Agreement on Peace of 2001 pursuant to its paragraph 3.1.1, the rebel group said.

Comrades of the arrested MILF appealed to the government peace panel chair Miriam Colonel-Ferrer to help for the release of the arrested and detained MILF members.

"We are appealing to the government to work out for their release as it is so difficult to explain on the ground why arrest MILF who are innocent and cannot release them as part of the political goodwill of the FAB," the MILF said.

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/breaking-news/2013/06/11/milf-files-protest-arrest-4-members-286891

100 kin of ex-rebels join military

From the Philippine Star (Jun 11): 100 kin of ex-rebels join military

At least 100 relatives of former rebels from the Cordillera People’s Liberation Army (CPLA) were admitted to the military after having passed the special training for soldiers.

The graduates were received into the force by Lt. Gen. Anthony Alcantara, chief of the Northern Luzon Command, in a ceremony in Camp Upi, Gamu, Isabela yesterday.

Col. Loreto Magundayao, spokesman for the Army 5th Infantry Division, said the new soldiers were endorsed by the former rebels as part of the incentive under the integration program of the military.

“The new soldiers were given exclusive training in jungle warfare, which is useful in the terrain of the Cordilleras,” Magundayao said.

The CPLA was headed by former priest Conrado Balweg.

http://www.philstar.com/nation/2013/06/11/952470/100-kin-ex-rebels-join-military

Army still open to talks with NPA in Abra

From the Philippine Star (Jun 11): Army still open to talks with NPA in Abra

The Army in Abra remains open to holding local peace talks with the New People’s Army (NPA) despite the recent allegations made by the rebels against its troops, an official said Tuesday.

Brig. Gen. Hernando Iriberri, chief of the Abra-based 503rd Infantry Brigade, said they would continue to support peaceful ways to end the conflict with the insurgents.

“We will welcome local peace negotiations. We will welcome peace talks in line with the new approach of the OPAPP (Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process),” Iriberri said in an interview.

Iriberri also called on the NPA members to abandon the armed struggle and to choose peaceful lives. He stressed that violence and extortion activities would not address the issues being raised by the rebels.

Iriberri was asked to react to a statement by the NPA that the prospects of the peace talks are getting dim due to the military’s operations.

NPA Abra spokesman Diego Wadagan had claimed that two minors were hurt in an air strike staged by the military last May 31 in Malibcong, Abra.

No air strike

Iriberri, however, denied that an air strike was conducted in the province. He said the MG-520 helicopter involved in the operation only provided close air support.

“The press release of the (communist rebels) regarding the alleged air strike is pure propaganda,” Iriberri said.

He also clarified that he did not intend to use the word “air strike” to refer to the operation.

Iriberri said he merely quoted Malibcong Mayor Benido Bacuyag, who had used the word “air strike,” in his report to Armed Forces chief Gen. Emmanuel Bautista.

Bacuyag reportedly got the term from the press release of the NPA.

“I talked to Mayor Benido Bacuyag of Malibcong and he attested that per verification with his constituents in the said barangays, there was no civilian casualty as a result of the air strike,” Iriberri’s text message to Bautista read.

Armed Forces spokesman Brig. Gen. Domingo Tutaan Jr. said the close air support involved the delivery of two rockets to mark an area.

Iriberri said there are about 100 remaining communist rebels in Abra. He said the insurgents had resorted to propaganda due to their failure to launch offensives against military forces in Abra.

http://www.philstar.com/nation/2013/06/11/952820/army-still-open-talks-npa-abra

Abu Sayyaf releases Tsinoy trader in Jolo

From the Philippine Star (Jun 11): Abu Sayyaf releases Tsinoy trader in Jolo

Abu Sayyaf gunmen released early Tuesday a Filipino-Chinese businessman in Jolo, Sulu province.

Col. Jose Joriel Cenabre, commander of the2nd Marine Brigade and Joint Task Force Sulu said Carlos Tee Tiam, 62, owner of Caltex gas station, was released by his captors at around 3 a.m. just a few meters from his residence in downtown Jolo.

“The wife said she heard someone knocking on their door at early dawn. She was surprised to find out Mr. Carlos Tee was there standing alone,” Cenabre said.

The victim’s family told authorities that they were surprised with the release. They said that they had not not negotiated or paid any ransom to the kidnappers.

Gunmen forcibly took Tiam last April 7 about 7:30 p.m. from his residence along Hadji Butu Extension Street and hauled him to a waiting jeepney.

The Abu Sayyaf is still holding at least five people captive, including four foreigners and Criselda Marcos-Villaraza, wife of a non-commissioned Marine officer assigned in Sulu.

The bandits abducted Villaraza last May 18.

The four foreign captives include Jordanian broadcast journalist Baker Atyani, Europeans Elwold Horn and Lorenzo Vinceguerre, and Japanese Toshio Ito.

Atyani, bureau chief of the Dubai-based Al-Arabiya news channel, was abducted a year ago with his two Filipino crewmen while supposedly doing a special report on the Abu Sayyaf group in Sulu.

Atyani’s crews – Romelito Vela and Roland Letrico – were freed last February allegedly after the payment of ransom.

Still in captivity also were Horn, a Dutchman, and Vinceguerre of Swiss, who are both wild bird watchers. They were taken from Panglima Sugala town in Tawi-Tawi province on February 2012.

Meanwhile, the authorities remained puzzled on the case of Ito, 63, a native of Hiroshima ,who has been residing in Pangutaran town, Sulu. He was taken captive on July 2010.

There are reports that the Abu Sayyaf group has made the Japanese captive as their cook. But this could be confirmed by the authorities.

http://www.philstar.com/nation/2013/06/11/952810/abu-sayyaf-releases-tsinoy-trader-jolo

2 soldiers dead in fierce clash with NPA

From the Manila Bulletin (Jun 11): 2 soldiers dead in fierce clash with NPA

Two Army soldiers were killed when a fierce gun battle erupted between government security forces and communist insurgents at Sitio Tibog, Barangay San Isidro, Lianga, Surigao del Sur according to a report from the command and tactical operation center of the Army’s 4^th Infantry (Diamond) Division (4^th ID) on Tuesday.

A flash report received by the 4^th ID action center also stated that wide pursuit operations is still ongoing along the Diwata range in Lianga mountains.

Maj. Leo Bongosia, regional Army spokesman said the communist insurgents were regular fighters of Front Committee 19 of the CPP-NPA Northeastern Mindanao Regional Party Committee (NMRPC).

“As of this time, we cannot still determined the exact time of the encounter started  and we cannot also determined the number of casualty(s) on the enemy side as wide pursuit operation is still ongoing,” said Maj. Bongosia.

Identities of the slain Army soldiers were temporarily withheld pending immediate notification to their next kin, Maj. Bongosia said.

The slain soldiers were members of the 29^th Infantry Battallion (29^th IB) based at St. Christine, in Lianga town of that same province, he said.

Initial field report coming from the field said elements of 29^th IB while conducting combat operations encountered in a fierce fire fight undetermined number of heavily armed NPA rebels at Sitio Tibog in Barangay San Isidro, Lianga town.  

“Our operating troops believed inflicted casualty to the enemy side as evidenced shown along the rebels’ route of withdrawal,” claimed Maj. Bongosia.

He added pursuing troops are still following the bloodstains along the rebels escape route of withdrawal.

Pursuit operations are ongoing as of press time.

http://mb.com.ph/News/Provincial_News/16637/2_soldiers_dead_in_fierce_clash_with_NPA#.UbclDY7D9jo

CPP: Advance the revolutionary land reform movement

From the CPP Website (Jun 11): Advance the revolutionary land reform movement

For 25 years, the reactionary Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) has clearly demonstrated itself to be a big fraud. The backward and anti-progress landlord class continues to dominate Philippine economy and politics. The landlords continue to subject millions of Filipino peasants to feudal and semifeudal exploitation with their haciendas and other feudal holdings.

The CARP and its extension program, the CARPer, are no different from the Marcos dictatorship’s Presidential Decree #27 and all previous bogus land reform programs since the inception of the neocolonial state. After seven decades, the Filipino peasantry remains landless and subjected to grave exploitation and oppression.

The CARP and all other previous bogus land reform programs are projects of deception by the landlord-dominated reactionary state. These merely seek to squash the widespread demand for land and quell the peasant masses’ democratic struggle for genuine land reform.

The fraudulence of the CARP is underscored by the fact that the biggest haciendas remain untouched and under the monopoly control of the big landlords after 25 years of implementation. This is further stressed by the fact that the reactionary state is currently being administered by Benigno Aquino III, a scion of the Cojuangco landlord clan. Hacienda Luisita, the starkest symbol of feudal rule, continues to be under the control of the Cojuangcos through the use of deception, bureaucratic manipulation and armed suppression. Big haciendas continue to be a major feature of the rural landscape.

The Aquinos, Roxases, Aranetas and other big landlord families wallow in excessive luxury. They live in palatial homes, wear designer clothes, eat imported meat, drink expensive wine, party in lavish hotels, jetset and race their gas-guzzling sportscars for fun. They are impervious to the squalor and poverty of the peasants and other toiling masses.

The absence of genuine land reform is the most conspicuous demonstration of the absence of genuine democracy in the Philippines. The majority of the Filipino people comprised of landless peasants and poor farm-workers daily suffer from excessive land rent, extremely low wages, high-cost of agricultural inputs, low farm-gate prices, usurious loans and other forms of feudal and semifeudal exploitation and oppression.
Hundreds of thousands of peasants are displaced from their lands with the landlords’ large-scale conversion of agricultural lands to non-agricultural use to skirt the land reform law and earn themselves a quick profit. The massive influx of foreign mining companies further displaces minority peoples from their lands and poisons agricultural lands and waterways. There is complete lack of economic progress to absorb the rural labor force into modern industries. The Philippine countryside is a sea of the unemployed and underemployed, where rural income is pulled down and peasant masses drown in hunger and poverty.

There is no social justice under the reactionary state’s CARP. Peasant organizations have dismissed the CARP as a mere real estate transaction where feudal estates subjected to state acquisition are overvalued. Peasants lose their so-called certificates of land transfer in their inability to pay the exorbitant amortization rates. In the name of “economies of scale,” so-called beneficiaries are compelled to join “agrarian reform communities” to force their integration into a vast plantation system for the production of bananas, sugar cane, rubber, oil palm and other export crops. They are made to buy seedlings and agricultural inputs and compelled to sell their produce to big landlords and exporters.

Foreign monopoly capitalists continue to take advantage of the feudal and semifeudal system and backward agricultural production to extract superprofits and plunder the Philippines of its wealth. The big landlords and big bourgeois compradors are the most trusted allies of the imperialists. They continue to serve as suppliers of cheap raw materials and conduits of surplus products from the imperialist countries.

The clamor for genuine land reform remains the biggest democratic demand of the Filipino people. It is the main content of the people’s democratic revolution which seeks to correct the historic and social injustice inflicted on the peasant masses, and liberate them from feudal and semifeudal exploitation and oppression. By carrying out genuine land reform in consonance with national industrialization, the full potential of the Philippine productive forces are unleashed.

The demand for genuine land reform continues to fuel the people’s war. On a daily basis, Red fighters of the New People’s Army (NPA) and revolutionary forces under the leadership of the CPP plan out land reform campaigns in accordance with the Program for a People’s Democratic Revolution. The minimum program for land reform is being carried out on a nationwide scale.

Under the auspices of the Pambansang Katipunan ng mga Magbubukid (PKM), an allied organization of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), the peasant masses are organized and mobilized to confront landlords with their demands to reduce land rent, raise wages of farm workers, bring down interest rates and raise farmgate prices. Under the guidance of the CPP, the PKM organizes rudimentary forms of cooperation and collectivization in order to raise production and generate additional income.

The CPP waves the banner of genuine land reform to destroy the economic base of landlord exploitation and oppression. In doing so, the revolutionary forces have succeeded in cultivating deep roots in the countryside, building the New People’s Army and setting up organs of political power under the People’s Democratic Government. The revolutionary land reform movement has positively impacted the peasant masses. The best sons and daughters of the peasant masses comprise the vast majority of the Red fighters of the NPA.

The people’s war continues to rage nationwide. It will advance to the next higher stage in the coming years together with great advances in the revolutionary land reform movement.

(This statement was issued to coincide with the 25th year of the CARP which was signed into law by Corazon Cojuangco Aquino in June 10, 1998.)

http://www.philippinerevolution.net/statements/20130611_advance-the-revolutionary-land-reform-movement

2 soldiers killed in Surigao del Sur clash

From Rappler (Jun 11): 2 soldiers killed in Surigao del Sur clash



Two soldiers were killed in a firefight with communist guerrillas in Lianga, Surigao del Sur, on Monday afternoon, June 10, a military official said.

Maj Leo Bongosia, spokesman of the military's 4^th Infantry Division, said elements of the 29^th Infantry Battalion engaged with members of the New People's Army (NPA) in Sitio Tibog, Barangay San Isidro, at around 2 pm.

"The troops conducted a combat operation in response to an information by intelligence operatives and by residents about the presence of rebels in the area," Bongosia said.

"The soldiers were walking and the rebels were also mobile before the firefight. Both forces met and unfortunately the rebels were able to fire first," added Bongosia.

Two soldiers immediately died in the exchange of gunfire.

The military has yet to determine if there were casualties on the side of the NPA.

Poor weather condition in the area delayed the reinforcement and medical evacuation of government forces.

The military is conducting pursuit operations against the guerrillas.

http://www.rappler.com/nation/31101-2-soldiers-killed-in-surigao-del-sur-clash

NPA rebels shoot up banana container van in Surigao del Sur

From InterAksyon (Jun 11): NPA rebels shoot up banana container van in Surigao del Sur



Communist rebels on Monday stopped and then shot up a truck hauling a container van loaded with 1,562 boxes of bananas bound for export in Surigao del Sur province, police said.

Inspector Randy Abunda, chief of police of Cagwait town, said some 40 New People’s Army guerrillas stopped the vehicle owned by food manufacturer Dole, around 8:30 a.m. at a checkpoint they had set up on the national highway in Sitio Abihaw,

Barangay Bitaugan, some six kilometers from the municipal police station.

“The delivery was en route to Davao City from Barangay Dayoan, Tago, Surigao del Sur when flagged down by the rebels. Their leader was identified only as alias Mark of the (NPA’s) Front Committee 19B. The rebels were able to unload 320 boxes and after that they fired their weapons, hitting the six tires of the van (and) its generator set,” Abunda said.

Responding policemen and soldiers recovered AK-47 shells at the site.
The police chief said the van had a two-man escort on a motorcycle.

“Pero ang nangyari, nauna ‘yung escort at tipong hindi na nila namalayan ‘yung pag-checkpoint sa van. Pinalampas sila ng mga rebelled (But what happened was, the escorts were ahead and did not notice the stopping of the van. The rebels let them pass first),” Abunda said.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/63840/npa-rebels-shoot-up-banana-container-van-in-surigao-del-sur

Another US warship to dock in Subic

From InterAksyon (Jun 11): Another US warship to dock in Subic



The guided missile cruiser USS Chosin is seen in US government handout photo. The warship is due on Wednesday at Subic Bay, once the largest military base outside the US mainland. The Philippines stopped hosting US bases after a bases treaty extension was defeated in the Senate in 1991.

Amid observations that rising tension in the West Philippine Sea has coincided with more frequent port calls by US warships, a guided missile cruiser will dock at Subic Bay on Wednesday, the 115th celebration of Philippine Independence.

The US Embassy in Manila said on Tuesday in a statement: “The guided-missile cruiser USS Chosin” (CG 65) will arrive in Subic Bay on Wednesday, June 12, for a routine port call.”

It added, “the USS Chosin will refuel and receive supplies, and its crew will be given opportunities for community service in nearby areas as well as rest and recreation.”

The Ticonderoga-class cruiser was commissioned in 1991in Mississippi.  It is the first US Navy warship named in commemoration of the US First Marine Division’s breakout from surrounding Chinese communist troops during the Battle of Chosin in the mountains of North Korea, near Manchuria, in the winter of 1950.  Historians consider that battle as one of the most savage battles in modern warfare.

The 567-foot long cruiser has a top speed that exceeds 30 knots.  It has a crew of 375 sailors and officers.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/63843/another-us-warship-to-dock-in-subic

'WHAT EXTRADITION?' | De Lima debunks Sulu sultan's claim

From InterAksyon (Jun 11): 'WHAT EXTRADITION?' | De Lima debunks Sulu sultan's claim



Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on Tuesday dismissed Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram’s claims that the administration intends to hand him and his followers over to Malaysia over the clashes in Sabah in March that left scores of people dead.

“I don’t know from whom the Kirams are getting their info,” De Lima said.
Kiram made his accusations at a press conference in his Taguig City residence on Monday.

At the press conference, sultanate spokesman Abraham Idjirani claimed that three days before, a source from “within the Aquino government” told them the administration “is cooking up a plan to surrender” Kiram, the sultan’s daughter Jacel, and himself to Malaysian authorities.

Malacanang has denied the claim.

In debunking Kiram’s claim, De Lima said, “In the first place, Malaysia has not made any request for their extradition. And even if there's such a request, we cannot grant the same because it is not sanctioned under our laws.”

“The (Philippine) Extradition Law (Presidential Decree 1069) allows extradition only pursuant to a treaty. There's no extradition treaty between the Philippines and Malaysia,” she stressed.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/63831/what-extradition--de-lima-debunks-sulu-sultans-claim

PN, PCG step up patrol off Tubbataha Reef

From the Philippine News Agency (Jun 11): PN, PCG step up patrol off Tubbataha Reef

In wake of the Vietnamese intrusion off Tubbataha Reef Friday night, the Philippine Coast Guard and Navy have beefed up their patrols in the marine sanctuary in a bid to prevent a similar incident.

Coast Guard Palawan district head Commodore Enrico Evangelista said park rangers have also been on heightened alert status.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines' Western Command earlier announced that its naval component has already dispatched a patrol vessel to look into the alleged Vietnamese incursion.

1st Lt. Cheryl Tindog, Western Command spokesperson, said that Vietnamese craft, around 50 to 60 tons, was spotted off 3.4 nautical miles of North Atoll, Tubbataha Reef by 9 to 10 p.m. last June 7.

She added the Vietnamese fishing vessel was even said to be flying a Philippine flag when spotted by the Tubbataha Park Ranger Station radar east of North Atoll.

And when park rangers tried to approach the foreign vessel, the latter sped off prompting Philippine authorities to chase it.

"Our park rangers gave chase... up to two nautical miles," Tindog stressed, adding that some of the pursuing rangers are Navy personnel.

She also clarified that the vessel that gave chase to the Vietnamese ship was a park boat of the Tubbataha Reef Marine Park.

Tindog added that Naval Forces West was informed of the presence of the foreign vessel in the area and the latter reacted by deploying a patrol craft immediately.

Friday's incident was the third time this year that a foreign vessel has entered the Tubbataha Reef Marine Park.

In January, the U.S. minesweeper USS Guardian ran aground the Tubbataha Reef, which has been declared by the UNESCO as a world heritage site. The U.S. vessel remained stuck in the reef for more than two months before it was eventually removed March 30.

Just days after the U.S. warship was removed from the reef, a Chinese fishing vessel also ran aground at the marine sanctuary.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=533129

PN to showcase capabilities on PHL's 115th Independence rites

From the Philippine News Agency (Jun 11): PN to showcase capabilities on PHL's 115th Independence rites

As the country celebrates its 115th Independence Day Wednesday, the Philippine Navy will showcase its capabilities in a special display at Plaza San Lorenzo Ruiz in Luneta.

According to PN spokesperson Lt. Cmdr. Gregory Fabic, the two-day display -- Tuesday and Wednesday -- lwill involve Navy units, advance weapons and other equipment.

Showcasing the Navy's capabilities during the activity are the Naval Special Operations Group and the Philippine Marine Corps Force Recon.

Fabic said that a PN parachutist team will also be participating in the skydiving exhibitions with the Army and Air Force.

Aside from this, the PN will provide entertainment for the audience through its Marine Drum and Bugle Team and PMC Slow Drill Team which will be performing in front of the Quirino Grandstand on June 12.

The Seabees Combo and PMC Combo will fill the night with lively music as participants of "MUSIKALAYAAN" festivity on June 11 and 12 respectively.

Meanwhile, a recruitment booth will be set up for individuals who might be interested in joining the Navy in the regular and reserve force.

Fabic said the PN will also be participating in the simultaneous flag raising and wreath laying ceremonies in which will be the highlight of Independence Day celebration

President Benigno S. Aquino will be the guest of honor during the flag raising and wreath laying at Bonifacio Monument, Liwasang Bonifacio, Manila.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=533107

Statement by Secretary Kerry on the Philippine's Independence Day

From the Philippine News Agency (Jun 11): Statement by Secretary Kerry on the Philippine's Independence Day

On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I am delighted to congratulate the people of the Philippines on the 115th anniversary of your nation’s independence.

The United States is proud of our rich history and enduring alliance with the Philippines, an important democracy and strategic partner in the dynamic Asia-Pacific region.

I'm especially proud of my long connection to the Philippines dating back to the first amendment I ever passed as a United States Senator, calling for free and fair elections. Not long after, I found myself on the ground in Manila as an election observer for those hard-fought 1986 presidential elections that restored democracy to a people yearning to be freed from dictatorship.

One of the first possessions I hung on the wall of my office at the State Department was the Order of Sikatuna I received from the government of the Philippines just a couple years ago.

Today, our two countries enjoy ever-broadening cooperation on challenges from countering extremism to strengthening economic ties. Through our Partnership for Growth, we can help sustain the Philippines impressive economic growth and our joint efforts in the Open Government Partnership are advancing good governance, accountability, and vibrant civil societies.

On this special day, as Filipinos around the world come together to celebrate, I wish you a joyous Independence Day and a prosperous future.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=533228

Engineer 'kidnapped' more than a year ago freed in Jolo

From the Philippine News Agency (Jun 11): Engineer 'kidnapped' more than a year ago freed in Jolo
 
Col. Jose Johnriel Cenebre, 2nd Marine Brigade commander, today announced the release of Carlos Tee after more than a year in captivity by suspected Abu Sayyaf Group members.

Cenabre said the victim -- an engineer working for the Air Transportation Office (ATO) -- walked alone to his house where he was reunited with his surprised family around 3 a.m. Tuesday.

Tee was kidnapped by seven heavily-armed ASG men inside his house in Hadji Butu Extension, Jolo, Sulu in April 7, 2012.

The victim also owns a Caltex gas station in the area.

Cenabre added the family denied paying ransom to facilitate the victim's release.

Tee was taken to the nearby Integrated Provincial Health Office for medical examination.

The Marine officer attributes the release of Tee to ongoing law enforcement and security patrols by the military and police with the assistance of the Sulu provincial government and other stakeholders.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=533220

USS Choisin to dock off Subic Bay this Wednesday

From the Philippine News Agency (Jun 11): USS Choisin to dock off Subic Bay this Wednesday

The USS Choisin (CG-65), a guided-missile cruiser, will be dropping anchor at Subic Bay, Zambales Wednesday for a routine port call.

The US Embassy in Manila, in a statement, stressed that the visit highlights the strong historic community and military relations between the Philippines and the United States.

During the port call, the USS Chosin will refuel and receive supplies, and its crew will be given opportunities for community service in nearby areas as well as rest and recreation.

The Ticonderoga-class cruiser was commissioned in 1991 in Mississippi.

It is the first US Navy warship named in commemoration of the US First Marine Division’s breakout from surrounding Chinese communist troops during the Battle of Chosin in the mountains of North Korea, near Manchuria, in the winter of 1950.

Historians consider that battle as one of the most savage battles of modern warfare.

The 567-foot long cruiser has a top speed that exceeds 30 knots. It has a crew of 375 sailors and officers.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=533348

2 Army troopers killed during clash with NPAs in Surigao Del Sur

From the Philippine News Agency (Jun 11): 2 Army troopers killed during clash with NPAs in Surigao Del Sur

Two troopers from the 4th Infantry Division's 29th Infantry Battalion was killed during an encounter with a undetermined number of New People's Army (NPA) rebels in Sitio Tibog, Barangay San Isidro, Lianga town, Surigao Del Sur Monday afternoon.

Major Leo Bongosia, 4th Infantry Division spokesperson, said the encounter took place around 2 p.m. and lasted for five minutes.

Bongosia said the killed troopers are Pfc. Nagdar M. Irad, a resident of Patikul, Sulu and Pfc. Merwin M. Tion, of Talisayan, Misamis Oriental.

He said the two soldiers were killed on the spot during the initial gunfire burst.

The soldiers were on routine patrol when it encountered the NPA rebels.

Bongosia said that they have no report yet as to whether the patrol inflicted casualties on the NPAs, adding that the 29th Infantry Battalion is still conducting pursuit operations.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=533241

Sandiganbayan convicts ex-Army officer for SALN violation

From the Philippine News Agency (Jun 11): Sandiganbayan convicts ex-Army officer for SALN violation

The Sandiganbayan has convicted a retired Army officer for not declaring in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth his business and financial interest as vice president of a security agency for the calendar year 1996.

In a 39-page ruling, the Sandiganbayan's Fourth Division found retired Army Col. Ceferino Leyritana Layao guilty of violating Section 8(a) in relation to Section 11 of Republic Act 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.

Layao was sentenced to suffer a straight penalty of imprisonment for one year; pay a fine of P5,000; disqualification from holding public office; and pay the costs.

It was found while Layao was commissioned as a military officer, he also acted as vice president of Holy Spirit Security Corporation.

However, Layao did not disclose his business and financial interest as an official of the security firm, a corporation duly-registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission, in his SALN for the calendar year 1996 for which position he earned a monthly income of P9,000.

During trial, the Ombudsman's Office of the Special Prosecutor presented evidence on Layao's initial registration with the Social Security System on April 5, 1978 when he was assigned an SSS Number, the same number reflected in the remittances made by Holy Spirit for him during the months of August to December 1996.

In the ruling written by Associate Justice Gregory Ong and concurred in by Associate Justices Jose Hernandez and Maria Cristina Cornejo, the Sandiganbayan said the prosecution was able to establish Layao's employment with the security firm through the SSS documents.

It found "ample evidence and therefore concludes that accused Layao's employment and status as [Holy Spirit's] Vice President for Administration [from August 1996 up to December 1996] was clearly established."

However, the Sandiganbayan acquitted Layao on four other similar charges for lack of evidence regarding Layao's link to the corporation for the years 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2000.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=533356

AFP ready for PHL's 115th Independence Day celebrations

From the Philippine News Agency (Jun 11): AFP ready for PHL's 115th Independence Day celebrations
 
Aside from ensuring the country's 115th Independence Day celebrations will be secure and orderly, the Armed Forces will also set up a job fair and information caravan along with a static display in Plaza San Lorenzo Ruiz in Binondo, Manila Wednesday.

Aside from this, AFP chief-of-staff Gen. Emmanuel T. Bautista and other ceremonial elements from the military will join President Benigno Aquino III in the flag-raising and wreath laying ceremony in Liwasang Bonifacio.

Simultaneous flag-raising and wreath laying ceremonies will be held in other historical sites including the Rizal Monument in Luneta and Aguinaldo Shrine in Kawit, Cavite.

"The participation of the AFP in the celebration of the Philippine Independence Day is a simple way of remembering the Filipinos’ hard-fought achievement of independence for our beloved country," Bautista stressed.

He added this serves as a reminder of the military’s undying perseverance to protect the people, uphold sovereignty, and achieve a just and lasting peace as embodied in Internal Peace and Security Program "Bayanihan".

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=533422

Army's 8th ID continues to lure rebel returnees back to fold

From the Philippine News Agency (Jun 11): Army's 8th ID continues to lure rebel returnees back to fold

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is offering cash incentives and livelihood programs to members of the New People’s Army (NPA) who surrender with their firearms under its Guns for Peace Program.

Capt. Amado Gutierrez, spokesperson of the Army’s 8th Infantry Division based in Catbalogan City said the firearms remuneration package is intended to support the rebel returnees and their families as they integrate themselves into mainstream society.

Gutierrez said the AFP will pay P200,000 for light machine guns, P60,000 for M-14 assault rifle, P50,000 for Colt M-16 armalite rifle, and P40,000 for M-203 grenade launcher.

“The rebel returnees will also be able to avail of government livelihood programs, from the comprehensive local integration program, that includes immediate cash assistance ranging from P5,000 to P15,000,” Gutierrez said.

Last month, two former members of the New People’s Army (NPA) were given extended financial assistance by the government under its Gun for Peace Program.

Former rebel members Romeo Banagbanag and Roberto Rom received P50,000 each, which represented the M-16 firearms they surrendered to the government.

Gutierrez said they have received many surrender feelers from the NPA members, who say they are already tired of hiding in the mountains, and now want to live a normal life with their families.

The AFP Guns for Peace Program is a transition mechanism that is also open to other armed threat groups.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=533259

Armed men flag down, fire at DOLE container van in Surigao Sur

From the Philippine News Agency (Jun 11): Armed men flag down, fire at DOLE container van in Surigao Sur

Fully armed men on Monday morning flagged down and fired at a container van loaded with bananas on Monday morning at a village in Surigao del Sur.

Reports from Surigao del Sur Police Provincial Office reaching the regional police office here said the container van owned by DOLE, loaded with 1,562 boxes of banana for export coming from Brgy. Dayoan, Tago, Surigao del Sur and bound for Davao City, was flagged down by the armed group upon reaching Sitio Abihaw, Brgy. Bitaugan West, Cagwait town in Surigao del Sur.

The armed men based on the investigation of Cagwait police were believed to be from the Front Committee 19B led by a certain alias "Mark." They were even seen unloading some boxes of banana from the said vehicle before firing their weapons hitting the six wheels at the rear portion of the container van and its generator set.

Responding police personnel recovered four shells and a live ammunition of AK 47 Rifle from the crime scene.

A deeper probe by the Cagwait police is under way to fully identify the suspects and to file appropriate charges.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=533202

Troops, NPA rebs clash in Zamboanga del Sur

From the Philippine News Agency (Jun 11): Troops, NPA rebs clash in Zamboanga del Sur

Combined police and military forces have launched pursuit operations against New People’s Army rebels, who figured in a firefight with the troops, in the hinterlands of Zamboanga del Sur, a police official disclosed Tuesday.

Police Regional Office-9 information officer Chief Insp. Ariel Huesca said the troops are scouring Barangay Maralag and nearby areas in the municipality of Lapuyan, Zamboanga del Sur where the NPA rebels could have fled.

Huesca said the firefight, which lasted for few minutes, took place around 12:50 a.m. Monday in Barangay Maralag, Lapuyan municipality.

The firefight ensued when the troops from the Army’s 53rd Infantry Battalion were fired upon by the NPA rebels while they were conducting security operations, Huesca said.

No one was either killed or wounded from both the troops and NPA rebels, he said.

He said the power transmission line in Barangay Maralag was discovered cut-off after the clash and blamed the NPA rebels for the sabotage.

The police forces in Lapuyan and in nearby areas were ordered to establish blockade to prevent the escape of the NPA rebels, he said.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=533350

US calls Manila a “strategic partner” in Asia-Pacific

From the Philippine News Agency (Jun 11): US calls Manila a “strategic partner” in Asia-Pacific

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry Tuesday congratulated the Philippines ahead of its 115th Independence Day celebration on June 12, highlighting both allies’ expanding cooperation to eradicate terrorism and improve economic ties.

“On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I am delighted to congratulate the people of the Philippines on the 115th anniversary of your nation’s independence,” Kerry said in a statement.

Kerry noted the long-standing friendship between the Philippines and the U.S. and how both nations now enjoy “ever-broadening cooperation on challenges from countering extremism to strengthening economic ties.”

He said the US will continue to help sustain the Philippines impressive economic growth and in advancing good governance, accountability, and ensuring vibrant civil societies.

Kerry also recalled his “long connection” to the Philippines, dating back to the first amendment he passed as a U.S. Senator, calling for free and fair elections in 1986, the same year that led to a people power revolt that toppled the administration of Ferdinand Marcos and installed the mother of President Benigno S. Aquino III, Corazon Aquino, to power.

“Not long after, I found myself on the ground in Manila as an election observer for those hard-fought 1986 presidential elections that restored democracy to a people yearning to be freed from dictatorship,” he said.

Kerry likewise said that one of his first possessions, an Order of Sikatuna award – the highest national diplomatic merit conferred on diplomats and officials of foreign governments – given to him two years ago hangs on the wall of his office at the State Department.

“The United States is proud of our rich history and enduring alliance with the Philippines, an important democracy and strategic partner in the dynamic Asia-Pacific region,” he added.

“On this special day, as Filipinos around the world come together to celebrate, I wish you a joyous Independence Day and a prosperous future.”

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=&sid=&nid=&rid=533278

President Aquino says review of all Phl peacekeeping missions abroad ongoing

From the Philippine News Agency (Jun 11): President Aquino says review of all Phl peacekeeping missions abroad ongoing

President Benigno S. Aquino III said there is an ongoing review of the country’s United Nations (UN) missions around the world aimed at determining if there’s a need for the Philippines to retain those missions considering the risk they pose to Filipino peacekeepers.

During an interview with the media after his final inspection of the new airport here, the President said he ordered an evaluation of all the Philippine missions overseas following the first Golan Heights issue.

The latest incident is a Filipino peacekeeper being injured by a mortar round exploding in their camp in Golan Heights between the Israeli-Syria border.

“I have asked a review of all of these engagements. For instance, I’m very concerned with two observers from the Philippines in an area—I think it’s in the South Sudan,” he said.

South Sudan, the newest country in Africa, hosts two Filipinos. The President said he wondered how two Filipino personnel could respond to an emergency considering the very small number and their inaccessibility to government help.

The Philippines doesn’t have an embassy in Sudan or South Sudan, and the closest embassy is located in Egypt, according to the President.

The Philippines also has a very small contingent—two personnel in Jammu-Kashmir in India. The Indian government battles Muslim separatists in Jammu-Kashmir.

“So, again, dadalawang tao na naman. So ano ba ang ginagawa nitong dalawang tao doon? Ano ba ang mangyayari sa kanila kung saka-sakaling merong hostilities sa mga lugar na ito? Sino ba ang directly in-charge sa kanila, which embassy?” he asked.

There are also personnel from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) deployed in Haiti to assist the Caribbean country build its own penal system, the President said.

After the first Golan Heights incident, he said he asked all concerned agencies to make an assessment of all the Philippine missions abroad.

The review will involve determining the primary mission, the effectiviness of carrying out the mission and knowing whether the risks are reasonable for the Filipino personnel to stay on those locations, the President said.

He said the Philippines' engagement in the UN peacekeeping missions started in the 1960s and there is no new commitments under the President’s watch. Everything became routinary.

There are changing conditions on the ground particularly on how the UN and other interested states deal with the situation, the President said.

He said that among the major issues include whether UN personnel get better equipment, adopt different standard operating procedures or rules of engagement to enhance their capacity to safeguard themselves.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=&sid=&nid=&rid=533331