Villagers help search for rebel camp in Sagada

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (May 16): Villagers help search for rebel camp in Sagada

Villagers searched the mountains of Sagada town in Mt. Province for New People’s Army (NPA) camps on Wednesday so they could dismantle them, their contribution to peacekeeping efforts in their resort town.

But residents from the villages of Aguid, Bangaan, Madongo, Pidlisan, Tanulong and Pide found none.

Mayor Eduardo Latawan said Sagada is a peace zone and is off limits to all armed groups. The search was launched to prove that rebels are no longer present in the area, which would remove any justification for the Philippine Army’s presence in the tourist town, Latawan said in text messages on Wednesday.

“We needed to prove there are no rebel camps, so the Army need not come here,” he said.

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Robert Pangod, Sagada municipal disaster risk reduction and management officer, said villagers hiked for three hours from Barangay Aguid, the northernmost village, to search the area where soldiers and rebels had previously clashed.

Had the villagers encountered a rebel camp, they would have talked the rebels into leaving Sagada, Pangod said.

He said the area is near the Bomod-ok Falls which is frequented by tourists.

In August last year, government soldiers launched military operations and bombed the area to drive away a rebel group encamped there.

Police records showed that the most recent clash between police and the NPA in the area happened on March 29.

Villagers who inspected the site found only a logger’s camp and foxholes dug by policemen.

They also found spent shells from grenade launchers.
 
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/602584/villagers-help-search-for-rebel-camp-in-sagada

Bulatlat: ‘Ceasefire should not be a precondition to peace talks’ – Benito Tiamzon

Communist propaganda from the pro-CPP online publication Bulatlat (May 15): ‘Ceasefire should not be a precondition to peace talks’ – Benito Tiamzon

“The reactionary government is only after a ceasefire while the revolutionary movement treats ceasefire as a result of substantive agreements. The reactionary government only wants a ceasefire because it does not want to address the fundamental roots of the armed conflict.” – Benito Tiamzon

“Waging the revolution while talking about peace is not contradictory,” Benito Tiamzon said in an interview with Bulatlat.com.

“If the talks would progress, we can talk about adjusting the level and intensity of fighting; but if the talks are going nowhere, the fighting should continue.”

Benito Tiamzon and Wilma Austria, alleged top leaders of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) were arrested March 22 together with five others in Zaragosa village, Aluginsan, Cebu.

 The Armed Forces of the Philippines has been claiming that Tiamzon is the chairman while Wilma Austria is the secretary general of the CPP.

Tiamzon said the NDFP could not afford to repeat its mistake in 1986 when it agreed to a ceasefire before talking about the substantive agenda in the peace negotiations.

“Even if the agenda had not yet been laid down then, the NDFP already agreed to a ceasefire. When the reactionary government got what it wanted, it was no longer interested in talking about the substantive agenda,” Tiamzon recalled.

The GRP-NDFP peace talks collapsed after the Mendiola massacre on January 22, 1987.



Alleged top communist leader Benito Tiamzon refuses to enter any plea during the arraignment for kidnapping and serious illegal detention charges at the Quezon City Trial Court April 8. (Photo by Macky Macaspac)

“It is a concrete experience on how a ceasefire could hinder the progress of the peace talks,” Tiamzon said.

“The reactionary government is only after a ceasefire while the revolutionary movement treats ceasefire as a result of substantive agreements. The reactionary government only wants a ceasefire because it does not want to address the fundamental roots of the armed conflict.”

The Aquino administration has been adamant in demanding for an immediate ceasefire. In his first State of the Nation Address (SONA), President Beningo Aquino III said, addressing the CPP-NPA-NDF [Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army], “If it is peace you truly desire, then we are ready for an immediate cease-fire. Let us go back to the table and begin talking again.” “It is difficult to begin discussions in earnest if the smell of gun powder still hangs in the air.”

In a forum early this month, GPH panel chairman Alexander Padilla said, “Let’s talk about lessening the level of violence… Or any other thing that the NDF wanted to talk about but certainly, we don’t want to talk about what are the roots of social conflict, the basic ills of society and we can discuss it for the next 50 years and we will not arrive at the same conclusion.

 In the same forum, Padilla said there is a precedent to declaring a ceasefire while talking, citing the peace negotiations with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

 To this, Tiamzon said, “We cannot accept that we should make the MILF a model for armed struggle and for peace talks. The MILF has different strategies and tactics.”

Tiamzon said the MILF had difficulties recovering from the all-out war of the Estrada administration. “When they attempted to resort to guerilla warfare, they were not that successful. That is not a problem for the NPA,” he said.

The NPA, the armed wing of the CPP, has been waging war against the government for 45 years now.

Asked about the military’s claims that the NPA is already a spent force, Tiamzon said, “Their lies are the very proof that the NPA remains their biggest headache.”

 Wilma Austria said the military is merely “fabricating lies in their public pronouncements about their assessment of the NPA.”

 In its statement on the eve of the 45th anniversary of the NPA, AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Emmanuel Bautista said that the NPA would become irrelevant in five years. The military said the NPA has been reduced to less than 4,000 fighters.

  “While in their own assessment, after the first phase of Oplan Bayanihan, the AFP [Armed Forces of the Philippines] stated that the NPA even grew in areas where they had massive operations,” Austria added.

Austria said they were able to get a copy of the AFP’s initial assessment of Oplan Bayanihan, which was never made public. Oplan Bayanihan is the counterinsurgency program of the Aquino administration. “The military is fond of presenting fake rebel returnees. Even if they mouth lies, the people know it is not the truth,” Austria said.

Jasig

Asked about the Aquino government’s claim that they are not covered by the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (Jasig), Tiamzon said that he and Austria are holders of documents of identification (DI), proof that they are covered by immunity and safety guarantees. In fact, Tiamzon said they belong to the first batch of DI holders.

 Signed in 1995 by then the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the NDFP, Jasig provides all duly accredited persons guaranteed free and unhindered passage in all areas in the Philippines, and in travelling to and from the Philippines in connection with the performance of their duties in the negotiations.

Immunity guarantees for all accredited persons include immunity from surveillance, harassment, search, arrest, detention, prosecution and interrogation or any other similar punitive actions due to any involvement or participation in the peace negotiations.

 The Government of the Philippines (GPH) panel maintained that the Jasig “is inoperative for those using aliases and those who are not directly involved in the peace process.”

  Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said in a report that the couple could not invoke Jasig because Jasig “has no effect on their standing warrants of arrest.” De Lima further claimed that Jasig is “only operative if there are ongoing peace talks, which is not the case.”

The GPH panel added, “To sustain their [Tiamzon couple’s] claim to JASIG protection is ridiculous because that would mean they can wage war and violence against government and when caught, claim JASIG protection and expect to be released.”

  “In the first place, it is an agreement, and the Jasig is essential to the conduct of peace talks,” Tiamzon said. “Back then, the reactionary government wanted to ensure that they would be talking to persons who are in the position to make decisions,” Tiamzon said, referring to the resumption of peace talks during the Ramos administration.

“Now, the reactionary government is questioning our role in the peace talks, saying that we were busy directing the revolution.” “Who do they want to talk with?” Tiamzon asked. “If they are claiming that we play a significant role in the revolutionary movement, then our inclusion in the list of accredited persons of the NDFP should have been the least controversial.”

Biggest obstacle

Asked how the peace talks could proceed, Tiamzon said the tactical obstacle to the peace talks is the “overweening arrogance of Aquino.”

“He thinks he is popular, that he has the support of the U.S. government and that he has an overwhelming military advantage so he does not need to talk with the NDFP,” Tiamzon said.

 “Such arrogance must be shattered by the intensifying struggles of the Filipino people in all forms,” Tiamzon said.

“He must be jolted so he would be compelled to talk with the NDFP sincerely.” As it is, Tiamzon said the Aquino administration is sabotaging the peace talks without openly declaring it is no longer interested in peace talks with the NDFP.

http://bulatlat.com/main/2014/05/15/ceasefire-should-not-be-a-precondition-to-the-peace-talks-benito-tiamzon/

PH to offer ‘underdeveloped naval base’ to US in Oyster Bay

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (May 15): PH to offer ‘underdeveloped naval base’ to US in Oyster Bay



As the Philippines continues to grapple with heightening territorial row with China, the Philippine military chief is considering to offer the United States an “underdeveloped naval base” near the disputed islands.

“Oyster Bay is still underdeveloped but we need to improve our armed forces perhaps with the Edca [Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement], that can be facilitated and improvement in the Oyster Bay will be made further,” General Emmanuel Bautista, Armed Forces of the Philippines chief said in a television interview Wednesday night.

He said Oyster Bay was important because it will be easier for them to patrol in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea), a resource-rich area claimed almost entirely by China. Neighboring countries also have their own claims. The Oyster Bay is 160 kilometers from the Spratly Islands.
Last month, the Philippines and US signed a deal that will allow US troops for wider access to Philippine bases under the Edca.

The naval base in Palawan needs a lot of improvements, Bautista said. “We need to improve the pier, we need to improve living facilities and support facilities. We have allocated funding for that maybe not enough if we want to develop it to be a real base for our navy or bilateral exercises.”

Other bases considered to be offered to US forces include traditional training areas like Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija, the biggest military camp in the Philippines, and the Naval Education and Training Command in Zambales, a base close to Scarborough Shoal that is also contested by Philippines and China.

There are about 50 military bases nationwide.
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/104480/ph-to-offer-underdeveloped-naval-base-to-us-in-oyster-bay

AFP to start construction of new naval base in Subic, says mayor

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (May 15): AFP to start construction of new naval base in Subic, says mayor

SUBIC, Philippines—The government will allot P1 billion from the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ (AFP) modernization fund for the construction of a new naval operating base in this town, according to Mayor Jefferson Khonghun.

Khonghun said on Wednesday the construction of a pier, warehouses and housing facilities for the naval base has been set to start this month in a 500-hectare area in Barangay Cawag. The site of the proposed base is near the shipyard of the Korean-owned Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction Co. Ltd.-Philippines and the Subic Bay Freeport.

“Local government officials are very supportive of this and we’re fortunate to have a naval base in our town,” Khonghun told the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

He said the Subic town council on May 7 passed a resolution endorsing the project “without any objection.”

He said the proposed pier would be designed to accommodate “big and modern ships” of both the Philippine and American naval forces.

Khonghun said Philippine Navy officials have been coordinating with him about the construction of the naval base. The site was identified three weeks before the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) was signed by Philippine and American officials last month.

“We (local officials) are the last to know about the project because the AFP had to secure first the necessary approval of all concerned agencies,” Khonghun said.

He said the members of the AFP’s engineering brigade have been scheduled to visit the site this month for the initial preparation of the construction of facilities.

Before retiring last month, Vice Admiral Jose Luis Alano, Philippine Navy flag officer in command, wrote Khonghun to confirm that the Navy had identified an area in Barangay (village) Cawag for the establishment of the naval operating base.

Alano’s April 14 letter said the new site would be close to the Hanjin shipyard and would cover private property that the government would buy.
The letter also sought coordination and support from the local government.

“The site for the new naval base is very strategic because there are passable roads leading to it. Besides, it is near Bajo de Masinloc (the disputed Panatag or Scarborough Shoal in the West Philippine Sea) so it will provide security to our local fishermen who were previously driven away by Chinese coast guard personnel,” Khonghun said.

He said Subic officials have met with Navy officials several times since April. Local officials, he said, supported the construction of the naval base “after considering national security and weighing the economic benefits” of the project.

A memorandum of agreement between the AFP and Subic officials will be signed next month for the construction of the base, according to Khonghun.

Roberto Garcia, chair of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, earlier confirmed that a portion of the Subic Bay Freeport would be used by the AFP in establishing its base in the free port.

Garcia said the SBMA would allow the AFP to use sections of the former naval facilities of the United States, including three wharves and ports and a portion of the old US naval air station.
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/602382/afp-to-start-construction-of-new-naval-base-in-subic-says-mayor

Gazmin reminds troops Balikatan ‘near real life situations’

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (May 15): Gazmin reminds troops Balikatan ‘near real life situations’

[Video Report: Balikatan 2014: Combined Arms Live Fire Exercises Calfex, Crow Valley Range 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQ474mHaxms
Video by INQUIRER.net’s Ryan Leagogo]

TARLAC, Philippines – As the ongoing Balikatan exercises between Filipino and US troops entered their final phase Thursday, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin thought it was time for a reality check.

“What we did right there, what we saw there are near real life situations,” Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said at the Crow Valley Range here where the soldiers engaged in Combined Arms Live Fire Exercises (Calfex).

“When the need is there for such actions, we should be able to react,” he said.

A 300-strong force from the Philippine Army and Philippine Air Force simulated an attack on an enemy force of two companies with ground troops receiving aerial support.

An airborne unit had 10 of its personnel perform a high altitude low opening drop for a simulated reconnaissance operation on the enemy camp as General Emmanuel Bautista, Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff; Rear Admiral Jesus Millan, Philippine Navy Flag Officer; Major General Hernando Iriberri, Philippine Army Chief, looked on from atop a hill.

A couple of UH Helicopters provided air support for the troops on the ground as the 10 men used 105-millimeter Howitzer mortars, and smaller 85 mm mortars, on the targets.

 

 RYAN LEAGOGO/INQUIRER.net

 

As the mortar shells brought damage on the ground, an S211 jet from the Philippine Air Force first launched an attack with an A10 Thunderbolt 2 and an F18 Hornet from the US Air Force supporting the aerial barrage.

Once the air support was over, two ospreys carrying the main contingent arrived with one objective – to obliterate the target.

Vehicles from the 11th Marine Battalion team started to roll for the final assault, and give mechanized support to the foot soldiers.

A couple of light armored vehicles led the way for four M35 trucks for an “aggressive assault”.

Filipino troops also used three Simbas with one V150 as the lead for ground support.

“These should be applied and we should learn from the lessons to effectively accomplish the mission,” Gazmin said. “More of it was on synchronization as to remove any hindrances in operation.”

http://globalnation.inquirer.net/104436/gazmin-reminds-troops-balikatan-near-real-life-situations

Government forces capture NPA rebel in Zamboanga del Sur

From the Philippine News Agency (May 16): Government forces capture NPA rebel in Zamboanga del Sur

The combined police and military forces have captured one of the six New People’s Army (NPA) rebels responsible in the ambush slay attempt of a policeman in this province, a top police official announced Friday.

Captured was Efren Binigay, 25, a resident of Sitio Gatian, Barangay Timolan in Tigbao, Zamboanga Del Sur, according to provincial police director, Senior Supt. Sofronio Ecaldre.

Ecaldre said that Binigay was captured Thursday by the combined police and Army’s 53rd Infantry Battalion forces in a pursuit operation in the hinterlands of Tigbao town.

The pursuit operations was launched after six NPA rebels ambushed Senior Police Officer 4 (SPO4) Eleazar C. Carcallas on Wednesday in Barangay Tigbao, Tigabao town.

Although wounded, Carcallas was able to put up a fight until reinforcement arrived, forcing the rebels to fled.

Carcallas was on the way home from duty at the time he was ambushed.

Ecaldre said that Binigay is now detained at the provincial headquarters while appropriate charges are set to be filed against him.

The pursuing forces have seized high-powered firearms when they captured Binigay, Ecaldre said.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=644434

CALFEX to boost PHL capability in maritime security and territorial defense operations

From the Philippine News Agency (May 16): CALFEX to boost PHL capability in maritime security and territorial defense operations

This Thursday's "combined arms live-fire exercise" (CALFEX), which was held at Crow Valley, Tarlac, will boost the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)'s capability in maritime security and territorial defense operations.

Lt (SG) Annaleah Cazcarro, Combined Joint Information Bureau co-director, said Filipino and American troopers participated in the CALFEX which showcased the AFP and US Armed Forces' capability in combined and joint operations.

Also present were Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, AFP chief-of-staff Gen. Emmanuel T. Bautista, "Balikatan 2014" Exercise Director for Philippines Major Gen. Emeraldo Magnaye and his American counterpart, Major Gen. Richard Simcock.

Cazcarro said the CALFEX is the culmination of staff planning between AFP general headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo and Western Command in Palawan which focuses on enhancing the military's crisis action planning capability inmaritime security and territorial defense operations.

The drill involves actions on the ground and in the air to seize objectives held by enemy forces.

An infantry battalion from the Philippine Army, Marine Battalion Landing Team, and combined Joint Special Operations Task Force from the AFP participated in theexercise.

They were accompanied by US Marine Corps air and navalgunfire liaison company detachment.

Also involved were ground and aerial assets from the Philippines and US Air Force.

The exercise employed special reconnaissance techniques through military free-fall parachuting; preparatory fires and bomb drops from air assets; and aggressive ground attack.

"This year's CALFEX is focused on maritime security and territorial defense operations which will greatly benefit the AFP in enhancing its capabilities towards achieving a minimum credible defense posture," Cazcarro said.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=644182

US-PHL 'Balikatan 2014' formally ends Friday

From the Philippine News Agency (May 15): US-PHL 'Balikatan 2014' formally ends Friday

"Balikatan 2014," the 30th iteration of the annual military maneuvers between United States and Filipino troops, formally concluded Friday morning.

Closing ceremonies took place at the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Commissioned Officers' Club at Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.

Present in the ceremonies were Defense Undersecretary Honorio Asqueta, who represented Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin; AFP chief-of-staff Gen. Emmanuel T. Bautista; U.S. Embassy deputy chief of mission Brian L. Goldbeck; "Balikatan 2014" Exercise Director for the Philippines, Major Gen. Emeraldo Magnaye, and his U.S. counterpart, Major Gen. Richard Simcock II, deputy commander of U.S. Marine Corps Forces Pacific.

Lt. (SG) Annaleah P. Cazcarro, Combined Joint Information Bureau co-director, said around 3,000 Filipino and 2,500 American soldiers participated in the annual Balikatan exercise which started last May 5.

These troops also took part in a series of staff exercises, field training exercises, and humanitarian and civic assistance activities held in the country.

The staff exercises were held in Camp Aguinaldo and in AFP Western Command in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan.

These exercises gathered together participants from the AFP and U.S. military as well as representatives from the Australian Defense Force in an academic discussion and crisis action planning on common "Balikatan 2014" scenarios.

Bilateral field training events were held in AFP camps in Luzon.

On May 9, a joint Philippines and U.S. Marines amphibious drill involving about 120 Filipino and American marine soldiers was held at the Naval Education and Training Command in San Antonio, Zambales.

Combined live-fire exercises were also held at the Marine Base in Ternate, Cavite last Sunday and in Crow Valley, Tarlac on Thursday.

In Bicol, troops from the AFP Southern Luzon Command took the lead in the construction of a health center, two-room classroom building, water catchment system and concreting of sidewalk in Malobago Elementary School, Barangay Malobago and another one-room school building in Doña Mercedes Elementary School, all in Guinobatan, Albay.

The installation of water storage tank and construction of a public rest room also benefited the residents of Barangay Pawa, Legazpi City.

The troops also repaired and renovated parts of Tamaoyan Elementary School in Barangay Tamaoyan, Legazpi City.

Combined Army and Navy troops from AFP and U.S. Armed Forces likewise constructed and renovated school buildings, offered medical and veterinary services, and conducted medical symposia and training in Legazpi City and Guinobatan, both in Albay.

A total of 65 personnel from the AFP and 94 from joint U.S. and multinational forces participated in the events.

The partnership between the AFP and U.S. Armed Forces continue to be healthy, dynamic and beneficial.

It continues to highlight the unswerving commitment of both military forces towards a more secure Asia-Pacific region.

“As we conclude this year’s Balikatan Exercises, we look forward to more joint bilateral military exercises and undertakings that will help the AFP in coping with our ever evolving security environment and achieve our goal of a minimum credible defense system,” Cazcarro said.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=644267

AFP chief sees 'Balikatan' becoming a multi-national military exercise

From the Philippine News Agency (May 16): AFP chief sees 'Balikatan' becoming a multi-national military exercise
 

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief-of-staff, Gen. Emmanuel T. Bautista, sees "Balikatan" exercises becoming a multi-national military exercise.

Bautista, during the closing ceremonies of "Balikatan" Friday morning, said that this is possible as Australia, which recently inked a Visiting Forces Agreement with the Philippines, was one of the foreign participants in this year's activities.

"This year, we saw Australia participate and (other) friends and allies are (welcome) to participate. The only limitation is that (interested countries) must sign a Status of (Visiting) Forces Agreement like the US and the Australia," he added.

The AFP chief also stressed that this year's "Balikatan" exercises is a success as all of the training objectives were attained with no untoward incidents or mishaps.

"Of course our primary consideration is no accidents, and that was achieved and we were able to achieve the objectives of the training exercises. But more importantly, we are able to pursue the ends of the Mutual Defense Treaty, we're doing this after all because of the Mutual Defense Treaty as, to improve our interoperability," Bautista stressed.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=644340

'Balikatan 2014' participants cited

From the Philippine News Agency (May 16): 'Balikatan 2014' participants cited

United States Embassy deputy chief of mission Brian L. Goldbeck lauded on Friday the Filipino, American and Australian troopers who participated in the just-concluded "Balikatan 2014" exercises.

"Balikatan is not just about our militaries. It is about our people and about the friendships, camaraderie and ties that develop on a person-to-person level," he said.

The U.S. official also said that it is the spirit of friendship and camaraderie that "motivated the defenders of Bataan and Corregidor in 1942, . . . that kept the Philippines resistance fighting, . . . that brought peace to Mindanao, and the same spirit that responded to super typhoon 'Yolanda'."

"And it is that same spirit that will keep our alliance moving forward into the 21st century," he pointed out.

Meanwhile, "Balikatan 2014" Exercise Director for Philippines, Major Gen. Emeraldo Magnaye and his U.S. counterpart, Major Gen. Richard Simcock II, deputy commander of U.S. Marine Corps Forces Pacific, both said other countries are welcome to participate in the annual event.

As this developed, Simcock said that as the Asia-Pacific region is evolving, it's evolving very, very rapidly and large exercises like "Balikatan" need to also evolve at a commensurate rate.

"When it evolves and other nations ask to come in and participate, we encourage that we look forward to the opportunity to work together with all nations within the nation," he said.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=644413

PH-US war games end amid escalating sea tensions

From Rappler (May 16): PH-US war games end amid escalating sea tensions

Philippine and US officials formally closed the Balikatan 2014 war games on Friday, May 13, recognizing the changing security environment in the region



Philippine and US officials formally closed the Balikatan 2014 war games on Friday, May 13, recognizing the changing security environment in the region.

"Today's complex and dynamic security environment presents challenges that no nation or armed forces can face alone. These are the challenges of the 21st century, and these include maritime security and climate change," Armed Forces of the Philippines chief General Emmanuel Bautista said in his speech.

The war games were held as regional tension continued to escalate to a fever pitch.

The Philippines is protesting the reclamation activities by China in Mabini (Johnson Reef), which is also claimed by Vietnam. Anti-China protesters in Vietnam have set more than a dozen factories on fire following China's deployment of an oil rig in waters contested between the two nations.

Thousands of troops participated in the war games which included maritime security exercises in beaches facing the disputed waters, and disaster response exercises in typhoon-hit areas. (READ: US troops in PH learn how to trap, eat snake for survival, PH, US war games also for counterterrorism, anti-insurgency, PH-US war games: boat raid, live fire)

The war games this year also saw the participation of Australian troops for the first time. About 60 of them joined nearly 5,000 Filipino troops and 2,500 Americans.

Mutual Defense Treaty

The Philippines and the US are bound by the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty to defend each other from external armed attacks. US Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Brian Goldbeck highlighted how the Balikatan exercises will make sure that the 2 militaries will know how to work together should the need arise.

"Hopefully, you will never have to fight your way onto an objective, or storm a beach in real life like you did during these exercises. Hopefully you wont have to respond to another disaster on the scale of typhoon Yolandam," Goldbeck said.

He added, "But if, God forbid, it comes to that, now you know that regardless of the uniform they wear the man or woman standing shoulder to shoulder with you is a friend and an ally and act together you can overcome any challenge."

[Video Report: Mock Combat, 'ironclad' commitment
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTPgmv2jTZE]

EDCA and bases offered to US

The war games were also held in the backdrop of a new Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement between the Philippines and the US that was signed shortly before the visit of US President Barack Obama on April 28.

EDCA was prompted by the Philippines' request for US assistance in the wake of escalating tension with China over claims in the West Philippines Sea (South China Sea).

With EDCA, future war games are expected to be more sophisticated. The agreement allows the increased presence of US troops in the Philippines and allows them two new activities: construction and upgrade of military facilities inside Philippine bases and the storage and prepositioning of defense and disaster response assets in the country.

Bautista earlier named 3 military bases that may be offered to the US troops: a naval detachment in Oyster Bay, Palawan; a naval station in San Antonio, Zambales; and Fort Magsaysay, an Army base in Nueva Ecija. (READ: PH wants to use bases facing the West PH Sea)

"It's only just because they are facing the West Philippines Sea. But they are good bases that can be developed. There is room for development in these bases," Bautista said.

http://www.rappler.com/nation/58174-balikatan-australia-participation

PH: China reclamation 'jeopardizing' arbitration case

From Rappler (May 16): PH: China reclamation 'jeopardizing' arbitration case

Turning Mabini Reef into an island can affect the Philippines' historic case against China, the Department of Foreign Affairs says



'JEOPARDIZING CASE.' The Philippines fears China is turning Mabini Reef into an island. This image dated Feb 25, 2014 shows ongoing reclamation activities. Photo courtesy of DFA

The Philippines on Friday, May 16, said it fears the Chinese reclamation activities on Mabini (Johnson South) Reef is “jeopardizing” its historic case against China by turning the uninhabited rock into an island.

In a media briefing, Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) spokesman Charles Jose said the Philippines relayed this concern to China in its latest diplomatic protest, which China rejected.

The Philippines protested against China's construction of a suspected military base on Mabini Reef, which is located in the Spratly Islands in the disputed West Philippine Sea (South China Sea). (READ: PH: Spratlys 'airstrip' affirms case vs China)

He said the diplomatic protest, filed on April 4, stated “that what they are doing is jeopardizing our case, because what they're doing will change the nature and character of that feature.”

"[This] will somehow have an implication on the panel that was constituted to decide objectively on this case,” Jose said.

He said classifying Mabini as an island, instead of a rock, will broaden its maritime entitlement to a 200-nautical mile (NM) exclusive economic zone (EEZ). "Hindi dapat baguhin 'yung physical feature no'n," he said. (They shouldn't change its physical feature.)

'Island' tag favors China

In an interview with Rappler in 2012, maritime law expert Jay Batongbacal explained that the “island” tag can entitle China to a wider scope of waters.

This is likely why China insists on calling Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal, another disputed area, as Huangyan Island. (READ: Why China calls it Huangyan Island)

DISPUTED AREA. China insists on calling Scarborough Shoal an island. File photo

The UNCLOS defines an island as “a naturally formed area of land, surrounded by water, which is above water at high tide.”

Based on UNCLOS and subject to certain conditions, an island or land territory is entitled to the following waters:

a territorial sea of up to 12 nautical miles (NM), with such a sea defined by the UN as a “belt of sea adjacent to a State's coast”;

a contiguous, or adjacent, zone of up to 24 NM from the State's baselines or “edges” from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured;

an EEZ of up to 200 NM from the baselines, within which a State has the sovereign rights to explore and exploit, and conserve and manage natural resources, among others; and

a continental shelf comprising the seabed and subsoil of the submarine areas 200 NM from the baselines

“If you want to maximize your land area as well as your water area, you would want as many islands as possible,” Batongbacal explained.

On the other hand, the UNCLOS says, “Rocks which cannot sustain habitation or economic life of their own shall have no exclusive economic zone or continental shelf.”

On Friday, Jose said that aside from jeopardizing the Philippines' case by changing the land features, the Chinese reclamation activities also violate a key regional declaration signed in 2002.

A non-binding agreement, the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) states: “The parties undertake to exercise self-restraint in the conduct of activities that would complicate or escalate disputes and affect peace and stability including, among others, refraining from action of inhabiting on the presently uninhabited islands, reefs, shoals, cays, and other features, and to handle their differences in a constructive manner.”

Citing the DOC, the United States said the “militarization” of the Spratlys, as well as other disputed areas, will raise tensions in the region.

http://www.rappler.com/nation/58201-philippines-china-reclamation-jeopardize-case

US: 'Militarization' of Spratlys to raise tensions

From Rappler (May 16): US: 'Militarization' of Spratlys to raise tensions

China, for its part, says it can do anything it wants within its 'territory'



'30 HECTARES.' The Philippines slams China for its 'excessive reclamation' as shown in this photo dated March 11, 2014. Photo courtesy of DFA

While the Philippines suspects China of building a military base in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea), the United States warned that “militarization” in the disputed waters could raise tensions in the region.

“Major upgrades or the militarization of disputed land features in the South China Sea by any claimant has the potential to raise tensions,” US State Department deputy spokesperson Marie Harf said in a media briefing in Washington DC on Thursday, May 15. (READ: China paper backs 'non-peaceful' steps against Vietnam)

Harf's statement came as Philippine Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin expressed near certainty that China has reclaimed land to build a military base on Mabini (Johnson) Reef, which is part of the Spratly Islands in the disputed West Philippine Sea.

During her media briefing, Harf also stressed the need to “fully and effectively implement” the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), a key regional declaration signed by the Philippines and China, as well as other claimant countries, in 2002.

The DOC remains a non-binding instrument because of China's insistence that territorial disputes be settled on a bilateral, and not multilateral, level.

In this case, Harf said the DOC is important “especially with regard to exercising self-restraint and the conduct of activities that would complicate or escalate disputes.”

The DOC states: “The parties undertake to exercise self-restraint in the conduct of activities that would complicate or escalate disputes and affect peace and stability including, among others, refraining from action of inhabiting on the presently uninhabited islands, reefs, shoals, cays, and other features, and to handle their differences in a constructive manner.”

(Watch the video below)

[Video Report: PH shows 'destabilizing' China moves in Spratlys
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02lu7Gn1el4]

US to claimants: Be transparent

Aside from stressing the DOC, Harf added that recent incidents “highlight the need for claimants to be transparent about their respective activities in disputed areas.”

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying, on the other hand, said China can do anything within its "territory."

“China has indisputable sovereignty over Nansha (Spratly) Islands including Chigua (Mabini) Reef and the contiguous waters. Whatever construction China carries out in the Chigua Reef is completely within China's sovereignty,” Hua said in a media briefing Thursday.

The Philippines' Department of Foreign Affairs, for its part, released photos to show such “destabilizing” moves by China.

The Philippines had also filed a protest that China rejected.

This latest source of tension erupted more than a month after the Philippines, in an unprecedented move, filed a 4,000-page pleading against China.

The Philippines submitted this to a United Nations-backed arbitral tribunal at the Permanent Court of Arbitration, which is hearing Manila's historic case against Beijing. The tribunal's ruling is expected by 2015.

http://www.rappler.com/nation/58157-us-militarization-spratlys-raise-tensions

U.S. warns China its actions in sea disputes are straining relations

From InterAksyon (May 16): U.S. warns China its actions in sea disputes are straining relations



Reuters file photo of General Fang Fenghui, chief of general staff in China's army.

China's "provocative" actions in maritime disputes with its neighbors are straining ties with the United States, raising questions over how the world's two biggest economies can work together, a senior U.S. official said.

The strong comments from Washington on Thursday (early Friday in the Philippines) come after deadly anti-China riots broke out in Vietnam in response to China towing an oil rig into a part of the South China Sea claimed by both Hanoi and Beijing.

"This is raising some fundamental questions for us about China's long-term strategic intentions," the U.S. official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity. He said Beijing's move appeared to fit a "pattern" of advancing territorial claims through coercion and intimidation.

"China's activities are straining the U.S.-China relationship because it raises questions about our ability to partner together in Asia or even bilaterally."

The Vietnamese government says one person was killed in the anti-China violence on Tuesday and Wednesday, but a doctor at a hospital near one area of rioting said he had seen 21 dead bodies and that at least 100 people were wounded.

An eyewitness to fighting between Chinese and Vietnamese workers in an industrial zone in the same area said she had seen at least 13 bodies.

There were no immediate reports on Friday of further violence.

Washington is in close contact with the Vietnamese government on "how most effectively to manage" Hanoi's standoff with Beijing, the U.S. official told Reuters,

The Philippines, one of Washington's closest allies in Asia, has said China is reclaiming land on a reef in the oil- and gas-rich South China Sea that both countries claim and is building what appears to be an airstrip on it. It has offered the United States the use of an underdeveloped naval base on a nearby island to ensure U.S. warships can enter the vicinity.

Vice President Joe Biden and other top U.S. officials told visiting General Fang Fenghui, chief of general staff in China's army, that Beijing's behavior in the maritime disputes was "dangerous and provocative" and must stop, the official said.

The renewed tensions in the South China Sea underscore one of the biggest challenges in Asia facing President Barack Obama, who is under pressure by America's allies to accelerate a "pivot" of military assets to the region to counter China's rising influence.

In Washington on Thursday, Fang defended the deployment of the oil rig in the disputed South China Sea and blamed Hanoi, saying China cannot afford to "lose an inch" of territory.

The general also pointed the finger at Obama's strategic shift toward Asia, saying it had encouraged countries such as Vietnam, Japan and the Philippines to make trouble with Beijing. Vietnam and China are now grappling with one of the worst breakdowns in relations since the neighbors fought a brief border war in 1979.

The crisis has erupted after a week-long visit to Asia by President Barack Obama in late April in which he pledged that Washington would live up to its obligation to defend its allies in the region.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/86967/u-s--warns-china-its-actions-in-sea-disputes-are-straining-relations

US, China diverge on territorial spats

From InterAksyon (May 16): US, China diverge on territorial spats



AFP

The divergent postures of the United States and China were in stark display as officials from both sides weighed in on their respective positions over territorial disputes in the South China Sea and East China Sea.

In a joint news conference at the Pentagon, the United States Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey and his Chinese counterpart, Gen. Fang Fenghui, expressed opposing perspectives on the brewing spats.

China and Vietnam are in a standoff after China deployed installed an oil rig in the Paracel Islands claimed by the two countries. This promptly raised hackles in Vietnam, including violent reprisals against Chinese and ethnic Chinese interests there.

Fang said: "We do not make trouble, but we are not afraid of trouble ... In matters of territory, our attitude is firm. We won't give an inch."

For his part, Dempsey countered: "We have to acknowledge there are territorial disputes," including "what exactly is the status quo and who is seeking to change it," in effect alluding to Washington's perception that China was aiming to take control over the isles being claimed by China and several South East Asia nations, including Vietnam and the Philippines.

There are presently standoffs between China and Vietnam, China and Japan over the Senkaku Islands, even as China and the Philippines are jostling for control over Scarborough Shoal.

The United States has declared that it takes no position on the issue of sovereignty but urges all parties to arrive at diplomatic solutions.

On China's oil rig venture in the Paracels, the US State Department had this to say: "This unilateral action appears to be part of a broader pattern of Chinese behavior to advance its claims over disputed territory in a manner that undermines peace and stability in the region."

In a separate development, the Xinhua news agency reported that two Chinese fishermen released by Philippine authorities have said that the sea turtles they were accused of poaching were actually traded from a Vietnamese fishing boat.

"When we got caught by the Philippine police, it's true that there were dozens of sea turtles on our vessel, but we had exchanged them with Vietnamese fishermen for food," said Li Xianghui, one of the two fishermen released by a Philippine court earlier this week because they were found to be minors.

Philippine media reported that more than 500 sea turtles were found on the Chinese vessel, and many were dead according to photographs published by Philippine police.

"There were not that many turtles on our vessel, and the turtles were still alive when we were caught because we kept them in water tanks for protection," Li said, adding that they were there to catch profitable ornamental fish. It was impossible, he said, for them to catch over 500 sea turtles in such a short period.

"On May 6, we saw seven or eight men with balaclavas on a small boat approaching us. They forcibly boarded our boat and fired shots into the air. We thought they were pirates," Li said.

"We were put in a small cell without beds. Owing to the language barrier, we could not communicate with the Philippine police. They gestured and even threatened us with their guns against our heads," said He Zhuang, who was released with Li.

According to He, the Chinese fishermen were taken to court twice, but they can't understand what the judges said or appeal against the case.

"The Half Moon Shoal is a traditional fishing ground for us," Li said, "this is the first time that we encountered Philippine police, who took a fishing boat to pretend they were fishermen."

The Chinese Foreign Ministry last week urged the Philippines to immediately release the fishermen and make rational explanations.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said that China claims undisputable sovereign rights over the sea area, including the Half Moon Shoal of Nansha Islands, where the incident occurred.
http://www.interaksyon.com/article/86961/us-china-diverge-on-territorial-spats

6th ID chief cites gains of CAB in Maguindanao town

From the Mindanao Examiner BlogSpot site (May 16): 6th ID chief cites gains of CAB in Maguindanao town



Major General Romeo Gapuz

The Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) has paved the way for the sprouting of reinvigorated communities and helped spur the economic growth of this town and neighboring areas, outgoing 6th Infantry Division commander Major General Romeo Gapuz said.

“Kung kayo ay mag-obserba sa ating paligid, kusang umuusbong ang mga komunidad dito sa ating highway. Kusa ring umuusbong ang mga kalakalan magmula sa Awang hanggang Gensan (If you observed our surroundings, new communities have mushroomed along the highway. Also, trade between Awang [in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao] to General Santos City has become vibrant,” he stressed.

Gapuz also cited that traffic has become heavy from this town to Awang, the headquarters of the 6th ID, which can now be traveled by an hour from 35 minutes before due to people’s hectic activities along the stretch.

The military official, who is retiring on May 26, was one of the key guests during Guindulungan town’s 11th foundation anniversary.

Gapuz rallied the residents to continue supporting the CAB, the peace deal between the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) signed last March 27.

The CAB envisions the creation of the Bangsamoro government. It will replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao once Congress enacts the Bangsamoro Basic Law and ratified in a plebiscite.

“Doon sa pagkapirma ng Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro, narito na sa ating harapan ang sinasabi nilang kapayapaan. Kapayapaan para sa ating bayan, kapayapaan para sa ating lahat (With the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro, peace is now before us. Peace for our nation, peace for everyone),” Gapuz said.

He urged the residents to do their part in nurturing the peace and make it a way of life.

Mayor Datu Antao Midtimbang said the local government supports the CAB and that its people are ready to participate in the plebiscite.

“Sapagkat iyan ang hinahangad natin for 42 years, iyan ang hinahangad ng mga tao na magkaroon ng kapayapaan (Our people have been longing for peace for 42 years),” the official said.

Midtimbang also strongly believed that a just and lasting peace will empower the people and continue to bring development to the town.

"Noon ang ginagawa lang ng mga tao sa kalsada mag istorya-istorya, ngayon naisip nila na magtrabaho na, maghanap-buhay ng marangal na trabaho, makiisa sa central government at saka yung layunin ng MILF (Before people would just gossip along the roads but now they think of engaging in decent work, and be one with the objectives of the central government and the MILF).” Midtimbang said.

http://www.mindanaoexaminer.net/2014/05/6th-id-chief-cites-gains-of-cab-in.html