Philippine authorities sign accord to deal with threat groups

From the Mindanao Examiner BlogSpot site (Jul 12): Philippine authorities sign accord to deal with threat groups



Police and military authorities have signed an agreement that would pave the way for a joint anti-insurgency operation in the southern Philippines, officials said Saturday.

The agreement was signed at the headquarters of the military’s Eastern Mindanao Command in Davao City between the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines. 

Lt. Gen. Ricardo Rainier Cruz III, chief of the Eastern Mindanao Command, and Chief Superintendent Wendy del Rosario signed the Joint Standing Operating Procedure Number 1 or the Condition Situation Response System. Del Rosario represented Chief Superintendent Angelito Pacia, head of the Directorate for Integrated Police Operations.

“The JSOP prescribes certain minimum actions or responses pertaining to the counter-insurgency campaign by the PNP and AFP operating forces working under the Area Joint Peace and Security Coordinating Center Eastern Mindanao within the territorial boundaries of Regions 10, 11, 12 and 13 in accordance with the established Condition Situation Response System,” Cruz said.

The signing ceremony was also attended by army commanders from the 4th and 10th Infantry Divisions and representatives from the AFP General Headquarters.

Cruz said the new system will further enhance the interoperability operations between the police and military and effectively address the threats pose by the communist rebels and other threats, including terrorism. 

“The CPP and NPA, and other threat groups commit terror acts or atrocities not only against PNP and AFP, but civilian targets as well. “In particular, NPA attacks are usually against those who refuse to give in to their extortion demands, like business companies involved in mining, transport, plantations and even against poor and low income individuals and families in the countryside and these have to stop immediately,” he said.

Del Rosario has admitted that the peace and order situation in Eastern Mindanao is greatly affected by the violent acts of the CPP and NPA which is considered to be the most potent security threat. 

“Their boldness in committing criminal violent acts against their chosen targets denotes that it remains a major security threat which poses a very serious challenge to the government in general and the AFP and PNP in particular,” he said. 

Capt. Alberto Caber, a spokesman for the Eastern Mindanao Command, tagged the NPA as behind the spate of armed attacks on government installations, ambuscades, harassment, abductions and even kidnapping and bombings and arson, murder and other acts of terror in Mindanao.

A similar accord is also being prepared for Western Mindanao between police and military authorities to address the growing threats pose by the Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiya militants who are behind kidnappings for ransom and terrorism.

Capt. Franco Suelto, a spokesman for the 1st Infantry Division, and Insp. Dahlan Samuddin, a regional police spokesperson, told the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner that police and military forces are closely coordinating efforts in law enforcement and anti-insurgency operations and have been successful so far in their security campaign.

Just recently, a joint police and military operation led to the capture of a senior NPA leader, Mercy Maghinay, in Zamboanga del Norte’s Siayan town following a clash with rebels. 

Brig. Gen. Gerardo Barrientos, Jr, commander of the 1st Infantry Division, said Maghinay heads the NPA forces in the province and was behind the spate of attacks on military and police targets. He said security forces recovered a shot gun, a .45-caliber pistol, a hand grenade and some P100,000 in cash from Maghinay. 

In Zamboanga City, policemen and army troops from the Task Force Zamboanga, have captured more than a dozen Abu Sayyaf militants in joint operations in recent months. 

The joint police and military operations, according to Suelto, is covered a Joint Letter Directive which mandates the AFP to support PNP law enforcement operations against lawless groups; and the Internal Peace and Security Operation that also mandates the PNP to support the AFP in counter-insurgency operations.

A Joint Peace and Security Coordinating Center was also created to craft and implement plans for intensified security operations against lawless and criminal elements, private armed and other threat groups in support of the local governments; assume functions during elections; monitor and assess peace and security situations; coordinate the implementation of necessary measures to ensure peace and security in their area of responsibility; conduct intensified law-enforcement; initiate and coordinate training and exercises; conduct information dissemination of timely and relevant information and enhance awareness program.

“Police and military efforts in maintaining peace and order, and the close coordination with the local government units in protecting the civilians, are working perfectly well with the support of course of various sectors of the society, the community and the public,” Suelto said.





Lt. Gen. Ricardo Rainier Cruz III, chief of the Eastern Mindanao Command, and Chief Superintendent Wendy del Rosario sign the Joint Standing Operating Procedure Number 1 or the Condition Situation Response System to address threat groups in Mindanao. 

http://www.mindanaoexaminer.net/2014/07/philippine-authorities-sign-accord-to.html