Sunday, August 10, 2014

1 dead, 3 hurt in Agusan gunfight

From Tempo (Aug 9): 1 dead, 3 hurt in Agusan gunfight

A member of Special Cafgu Active Auxiliary (SCAA) was killed while three other soldiers were wounded when a gunbattle erupted between the security force of a tree plantation and heavily armed New People’s Army (NPA) rebels at Stand 32, Purok 7, Barangay Zillovia in Talacogon, Agusan del Sur, the military said yesterday.

Maj. Christian C. Uy, the Army’s 4th Infantry (Diamond) Division spokesperson, identified the slain SCAA member as Carlito M. Perez, Sr. Wounded were Cpl. Adul A. Sadjael, Pfc. Viermie A. Polinar and Cpl. Roberto A. Tejeros.

Uy said the SCAA force was conducting security patrol in the tree plantation when harassed by some 30 NPA rebels.

“Our reinforcing ground troops also believed that they inflict undetermined casualties on the enemy side during the more than 30 minutes heavy gunbattle,” said Uy.

The rebels are members of Guerilla-Front Committee 88 of the CPP-NPA Northeastern Mindanao Regional Committee, he said.

http://www.tempo.com.ph/2014/08/1-dead-3-hurt-in-agusan-gunfight/

Military, police arrest NPA members in Nueva Ecija

From the Philippine Information Agency (Aug 10): Military, police arrest NPA members in Nueva Ecija

Army and Police forces arrested Saturday evening two alleged members of the New People’s Army (NPA) in a joint operation in Carranglan town.

Elements of the 3rd Infantry Battalion (3IB), Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, and Provincial Police Public Safety Company (PPSC) acted on reliable information about the presence of NPA remnants leader Ely Taray or commonly called “Ka Omeng” at Sitio Pinmaco in Barangay TL Padilla.

Taray has standing warrants for attempted murder issued by Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 38 in San Jose City dated July 14, 2006 and for murder at RTC Branch 39 also in San Jose City dated July 11, 2008.

While being served with the warrant,  “Ka Omeng” was able to evade the joint Army and Police team but the security forces were able to arrest two persons who were later found out to be members of Nueva Ecija-Nueva Vizcaya-Eastern Pangasinan platoon of the NPA as political guides namely Gerald Hernandez Salonga alias “Matt” and Guiller Martin Cadano alias “Christian.”

Also confiscated were one 9mm Smith & Wesson with defaced serial number, one magazine, and 23 ammunitions; one 9mm with serial number U390575, one magazine, and 14 ammunitions; two hand grenades; and subversive documents.

The arresting police officers appraised the subjects with their Miranda Rights.

Salonga and Cadano were bought to the PPSC Headquarters in Cabanatuan City and were charged with violation of Presidential Decree 1866 as amended by Republic Act 8294 otherwise known as illegal possession of firearms and explosives.

In a statement, 703rd Infantry Brigade Commander Colonel Felimon Santos Jr. commended the officers and men of 3IB for the quick action and professionally handling the situation.

“The successful arrest of the two NPA members was the product of the information provided by the residents in the area who no longer believe in their cause and exhausted with their illegal activities,” he said.

Santos also called on the other NPA remnants in the area to surrender and join the mainstream of society and avail the programs of government to be once again productive and peaceful citizens of the country.

http://news.pia.gov.ph/index.php?article=561407648696

Physicist seeks justice for detention

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Aug 11): Physicist seeks justice for detention

Kim Gargar, a physicist and former University of the Philippines professor who was tagged a communist guerrilla, arrested and detained by the military, is a free man who won’t let the injustice done to him pass.

In a statement released by Alyansa ng mga Grupong Haligi ng Agham at Teknolohiya para sa Mamamayan (Agham), a group of scientists that includes Gargar, the physicist who was accused of joining the New People’s Army in 2012 said he would continue to pursue justice.

Gargar was arrested by soldiers from the 67th Infantry Battalion on Oct. 1 last year in a village in Cateel town, Davao Oriental province, while doing research work in areas devastated by Typhoon “Pablo.”

In the statement, Gargar said his release was “no thanks to the Aquino government that makes it hard for political prisoners like me to regain our liberty and go about helping marginalized communities.”

Gargar had been detained in a Baganga town jail, charged with illegal possession of explosives, attempted murder and violation of the election gun ban.

The Baganga Regional Trial Court allowed him to post bail 10 months into his imprisonment.

“Despite the efforts of the government to suppress my freedom and keep me from doing my work, I am grateful to have lived with other detainees who are also neglected by the government,” the Agham statement quoted Gargar as saying.

“The situation inside the prison cell is no different from the situation that led me to Mindanao in the first place,” said Gargar.

“Almost two years after Typhoon Pablo, people are left to recover by themselves without government help and are still seeking rehabilitation. My detention has only strengthened my conviction to help others,” he said.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/627882/physicist-seeks-justice-for-detention

BIFF harassment forces military to reposition its troops in Maguindanao

From the Daily Tribune (Aug 11): BIFF harassment forces military to reposition its troops in Maguindanao

Members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) have been continuously harassing military detachments in Maguindanao province, prompting the Army’s 6th Infantry Division (ID) to reposition its troops away from civilian communities.

Col. Dickson Hermoso, spokesman of the 6th ID, said that the command repositioned its 61st Division Reconnaissance Company and 62nd DRC detachments in Barangays Ganta in Shariff Saydo Mustapha town, and Damablas, Datu Piang, respectively, to protect civilians.

Hermoso said that the harassments by the BIFF, which started Aug. 8, went on until Saturday but no casualty was reported on the government side.
“It (BIFF harassment) has been continuing up to yesterday (Saturday)…they would attack then run. There is no fatality,” Hermoso said.

“They (BIFF) are just seeking attention,” he added.

At around midnight  Friday, Hermoso said that an explosion occurred about 300 meters from the Ganta Detachment which was followed by other harassments in the morning of Saturday.

Since the two detachments were near civilian communities, Hermoso said that the command decided to reposition its troops but also within barangas Ganta and Damablas.

“We have repositioned our soldiers so that the civilians will not be affected when BIFF attacks. This is to protect the civilians,” Hermoso said.

Hermoso stressed that the BIFFs were on offensive mode while the military remains on defensive position.

The BIFF, headed by Ameril Umbra Kato, is a breakaway faction of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) which is currently talking peace with the government.

Kato broke away from the MILF in 2011 and founded BIFF due to differences with the MILF leadership in handling the peace negtoiations. Kato is said to be a hardliner in pursuing an independent Islamic state in Mindanao.

http://www.tribune.net.ph/nation/biff-harassment-forces-military-to-reposition-its-troops-in-maguindanao

Polish firm to assist in probe of helicopter crash

From ABS-CBN (Aug 10): Polish firm to assist in probe of helicopter crash

The Polish firm that supplied the Sokol helicopter that crashed in Marawi last Thursday has vowed to help the Philippine Air Force determine the cause of the accident.

Air Force spokesman Lt. Col. Enrico Canaya said yesterday aircraft manufacturer PZL-widnik S.A had been informed about the mishap, which injured two persons.

Canaya admitted that the investigation might take time. The helicopter is still in the crash site, he said.

“We are moving the craft to a secured place where investigators can further examine the (helicopter) parts for clues. I have no information yet where it will be moved,” he said.

“Efforts were underway to determine the damage to properties caused by the accident,” he added.

Canaya said the seven remaining Sokol helicopters in their inventory would remain grounded until the investigation is completed.

The helicopter crashed at 2:23 p.m., a few seconds after it took off at the 103rd Infantry Brigade headquarters in Marawi City.

The aircraft escorted another Sokol carrying Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and Interior Secretary Mar Roxas.

It was carrying 4th Infantry Division chief Maj. Gen. Ricardo Visaya, 4th Infantry Division Inspector-General Col. Alexander Macario, five staff members of Gazmin and four crew members, including two pilots.

Of the helicopter’s 11 passengers, only the gunner, Air Force S/Sgt. Darius Valdes, was hurt in the accident.

Also injured was Santiago Savedra, a civilian who happened to be in the area when the helicopter crashed.

The government bought eight Sokol combat utility helicopters from PZL-widnik S.A. for P2.8 billion.

The package included ground support equipment, spare parts, support services and training for crew and maintainers.

The first batch, which consisted of four helicopters, was delivered in February 2012 while the second batch, which consisted of two Sokols, arrived nine months later.

The final batch composed of two helicopters was delivered in February last year.

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/08/10/14/polish-firm-assist-probe-helicopter-crash

MILF welcomes Misuari, BIFF in Bangsamoro law deliberations

From ABS-CBN (Aug 9): MILF welcomes Misuari, BIFF in Bangsamoro law deliberations

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) welcomes the idea of Cagayan de Oro City Representative Rufus Rodriguez to include Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) founder Nur Misuari and the leader of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) in the congressional deliberations on the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law.

MILF First Vice Chairman Ghazali Jaafar told ABS-CBN Cotabato that as long as the reason of the Congress for inviting these personalities is for a good cause, there is no problem in doing such.

However, Jaafar thinks this may not be possible as Misuari is being hunted by the government over last year's Zamboanga siege.

BIFF leader Ustadz Ameril Umbra Kato is also a fugitive facing warrants of arrest.

"I don't know if Congress can issue immunity pero depende na ito sa layunin ng Congress kung bakit gusto nilang kausapin ang mga personalities na ito. But as a rule, Congress can invite anybody," Jaafar said.

Meanwhile, a peace advocate and a member of the Consoritum of the Bangsamoro Civil Society in Cotabato City said it will only cause delay in Congress.

Abdulbasit Benito said although the road towards Bangsamoro is inclusive, prior to the submission of the BBL to the Office of the President, a series of consultations were already done may it be with the MNLF, its communities and even the BIFF.

"This will further delay dun sa plenary. Paano kung opposed sila dito mas lalong ma-delay," Benito said.

According to Jaafar, Rodriguez could be the chairman of the special committee that Congress will create in the discussion of the BBL when it reaches the House of Representatives hopefully this month.

The MILF is confident on his expertise as he is a Mindanaoan and is knowledgeable on the Bangsamoro situation.

Jaafar once told ABS-CBN that he is talking with some congressmen and senators to further explain the cause of the Bangsamoro. He had also met with Rodriguez in a informal meeting.

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/regions/08/09/14/milf-welcomes-misuari-biff-bangsamoro-law-deliberations

Army moves detachments in Maguindanao town

From ABS-CBN (Aug 10): Army moves detachments in Maguindanao town

The military repositioned two Army detachments in Shariff Saydona Mustapha town in Maguindanao away from civilian houses amid frequent attacks from the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).

Col. Dickson Hermoso, spokesman of the Army's 6th Infantry Division, said the detachments in barangays Ganta and Bakat have already been relocated.

The new detachments are still within the barangays, but are now far from residents’ areas.

"This is to protect the civilians... We moved the detachments that are near the civilian communities so that the civilians will be spared in case the BIFF will attack or harass," he said.

He noted that members of the BIFF attacked the detachments several times in the past, the latest of which was last week.

The military did not report any casualties on their side, while the BIFF suffered a few.

"They're on the offensive while we're on the defensive, meaning we can hide while they are not," he said.

National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council executive director Alexander Pama said at least 575 families or 2,875 persons have already been affected by the fighting.

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/regions/08/10/14/army-moves-detachments-maguindanao-town

2 UP-Clark alumni abducted in N. Ecija found in jail; PNP calls them 'rebels'

From InterAksyon (Aug 10): 2 UP-Clark alumni abducted in N. Ecija found in jail; PNP calls them 'rebels'

Two alumni of the University of the Philippines Diliman Extension Program in Pampanga who were reportedly abducted Saturday in Carranglan, Nueva Ecija were found in the provincial jail Sunday. The Central Luzon police command said they were not abducted, but 'rebels' arrested by a composite team hunting down a man wanted for double murder.

Gerald “Geary” Salonga and Guiller Martin Cadano, who are both youth organizers of Kabataan and Anakbayan party-list groups in Central Luzon, were found by their parents and their colleagues at the Provincial Public Safety Headquarters in Cabanatuan City.

It is still not known if charges have been filed against the two.

Salonga, 24, studied BS Psychology at what is also known as UP-Clark.

Cadano, 22, has a degree in Business Management, also from UP-Clark
.
The two were reportedly snatched by suspected elements of the 3rd Infantry Battalion riding in one red van and two white pick-up trucks at 3 p.m.

Central Luzon police: no abduction, we arrested rebels

The commander of the National Police's Central Luzon office, Chief Superintendent Raul Petrasanta, insisted that there was no abduction, but an arrest of two "rebels" by policemen on a mission to serve an arrest warrant on a man wanted for double murder  and attempted murder in Carranglan town.

Petrasanta said joint police and military forces were conducting the manhunt Saturday for Ely Taray alias Omeng in Sitio Pimma, Barangay TL Padilla, when they chanced upon the two rebels in the area.

The troops were from the 7th Military Intelligence Battalion, 3rdIB, Provincial Public Safety Company-Nueva Ecija Provincial Police Office, and Nueva Ecija Criminal Ivnestigation and Detection Team.

“The operation also yielded positive outcomes and resulted in the arrest of two members of the CPP/NPA/NDF (Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Fron),” Petrasanta said.

BAYAN-CL: They were abducted

But according to Bayan-Central Luzon secretary-general Eco Dangla, Gerald “Geary” Salonga and Guiller Martin Cadano were abducted by soldiers of the 3rd IB, forcibly loaded onto a white van that was escorted by two white pickup trucks at around 3 p.m. in said barangay.

In his Facebook page, Salonga, who celebrated his birthday on July 3, claimed he is a regional spokesperson of the Kabataan Party-list organization. He is a native of Mabalacat, Pampanga. Reportedly, Cadano is also a member of Kabataan.

But Petrasanta insisted the two were rebels arrested during the manhunt.

“Based on reports that reached my office, in the evening of August 9, 2014, operating troops implemented warrants of arrest for the crimes of double murder and attempted murder against Ely Taray alias Omeng in Sitio Pimma, Brgy TL Padilla, Carranglan,Nueva Ecija.

However, during said implementation when operating teams were approaching the target house, two male persons with backpacks hurriedly came out of the house and fled, which prompted the authorities to chase them,” he said.

“Suspects were immediately caught and were identified as Guiller Cadano y Martin alias Christian, 23, single of Baragay Kaypoan, San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan and Gerald Salinga y Hernandez alias Matt, 23, married of Barangay Cutud, Angeles City, and both Platoon Guides (PG) of NE-NV-EP,” he added.

Authorities confiscated from them, according to Petrasanta, a 1 caliber .9mm pistol, Smith & Wesson with Serial Number U390575 with 1 mag loaded with 14 live rounds ammo; 1 cal .9mm Rugger pistol with defaced SN with 1 mag loaded with 23 live rounds ammo; 2 hand grenades; 2 handheld radios; assorted cellular phones; and voluminous subversive documents.

“Cadano and Salonga as well as the confiscated evidence are still at the headquarters of the 3rdIB for documentation and they are to be brought to the PPSC headquarters for investigation and disposition,” he said.

He said charges of violating Republic Act 10591 (Comprehensive Laws on Firearms) and Presidential Decree 916 (Illegal Possession of Explosives) will be filed against Cadano and Salonga.

In his Facebook page, Salonga, who just celebrated his birthday last July 3, also identified himself as the regional spokesperson of the Kabataan Party-list Organization. He hails from Mabalacat, Pampanga.

2 UP coeds abducted by soldiers still missing

In June 26, 2006, two female UP students, Karen Empeno and Sherlyn Cadapan, were abducted by suspected elements of the Armed Forces of the Philippines under General Jovito Palparan. The two remain missing as of today, while Palparan is in hiding.

Dangla said “the systematic violation of human rights by the state continues under the administration of President Benigno Aquino III.”

Cases of enforced disappearances like those of Empeno and Cadapan eight years ago, and now of Salonga and Cadano, according to Dangla, are crimes against humanity that must not have space in a civilized and supposedly democratic country as the Philippines.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/92987/2-up-alumni-abducted-in-nueva-ecija

2 UP alumni allegedly abducted by suspected military men

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Aug 10): 2 UP alumni allegedly abducted by suspected military men

Two alumni of the University of the Philippines Diliman Extension Program in Pampanga (UPDEPP) were allegedly abducted Saturday afternoon by suspected military elements in Barangay R.T Padilla, Carranglan town, Nueva Ecija.

Gerald Salonga, 24 and Guiller Martin Cadano, 22, both graduates of UPDEPP, were reportedly abducted by armed men riding a red van and two white pick-up trucks suspected to be elements of the 3rd Infantry Battalion of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

Salonga is a youth organizer of Anakbayan while Cadano identifies himself in his Facebook page as Regional Spokesperson of Kabataan Party-list in Central Luzon.

Salonga and Cadano both graduated from UPDEPP with a BA Psychology degree.

According to Frontliner, the official student publication of UPDEPP, Salonga and Cadano are currently in the custody of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group- Nueva Ecija and are detained in Provincial Public Safety Company in Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija.

On June 26, 2006, two students from UP Diliman, Karen Empeño and Sherlyn Cadapan were allegedly abducted by suspected elements of the 7th Infantry Division of the AFP then under General Jovito Palparan in Hagonoy town, Bulacan. The two students remain missing until this day and Palparan remains at large.

NPA leader pleads not guilty to arson

From the Sun Star-Davao (Aug 10): NPA leader pleads not guilty to arson

THE suspected New People's Army (NPA) leader accused of torching a heavy equipment last January 24 pleaded not guilty to arson charges during his arraignment before the Regional Trial Court (RTC) in Davao City on Thursday.

Respondent Roberto Castillo, who was assisted by legal counsel Manuel Quibod, pleaded not guilty before RTC Branch 16 Judge Emmanuel Carpio. Carpio set the preliminary conference on October 9.

Castillote, along with unidentified communist rebels, were accused of burning the Game Boom Harvester truck worth around P15 million owned by the Davao Agricultural Ventures Corp. at 6:30 p.m. on January 24.

The Davao City Prosecution Office affirmed the charges against Castillote based on the complaint of the on-duty security guards of the company identified as Arconcel Agton and Charlie Mandante who claimed they saw around 20 communist rebels including Castillote.

The two reported to the incident to their supervisor Ricardo Baniquid who sought assistance from the Baguio police. The truck, however, was completely burned down when investigators responded at the scene.

The presiding judge also scheduled the hearing of his other cases on October 9 which includes the serious illegal detention case involving three Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit (Cafgu) members and three murder cases involving a former village chief, a suspected drug dealer and a civilian.

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/davao/local-news/2014/08/10/npa-leader-pleads-not-guilty-arson-358830

MILF: Davao-based CSOs Call on the GPH-MILF Peace Panel to Come up with an Agreed BBL Version Now

Posted to the MILF Website (Aug 10): Davao-based CSOs Call on the GPH-MILF Peace Panel to Come up with an Agreed BBL Version Now



The Davao-based Civil Society Organizations(CSOs) peaceably attacked yesterday, August 9, 2014,  the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) peace panels that are in talks since August 1 in the Waterfront Insular Hotel, Davao City by sending them off to come up with an agreed version in this 10-day marathon meeting.
  
The group arrived at the hotel lobby at 11:30 in the morning and proceeded to the negotiation venue at about 2:00 in the afternoon.

“We want to give them energy so that they can stay the course and be able to finish the last hurdle before their homestretch thereby arrive at an agreeable and acceptable Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL),” said one of the CSO leaders.

“BBL now and thank you for your hard efforts for peace” were the main words spread out by the group in the negotiation room.

The group developed a song that was sung before the members of the GPH and MILF peace panels with the presence of the Bangsamoro Transition Commissioners, members of the International Contact Group and Third Party Monitoring Team.

In an interview with Bailing Mantawil, Executive Director of the Bangsamoro Women Action for Development, Inc. (BWADI), at the same day but she was not part of the CSO group that came to peacefully push the panels, she said: We have got tired of waiting, and I don’t trust anymore the government.

“It’s better for the MILF peace panel to already get out of the room as they cannot get something out of that as the GPH peace panel has always been trying to change most of the agreed provisions to suit to the Philippine Constitution,” she said.

“Anyway, they have already been done with crafting the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) and the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL),” she added.

“If Bangsamoro Question can’t be resolved these days, Jihad will just be continued by the young Bangsamoro and passed on to the next if still not resolved; this Jihad must continue until the full exercise of Bangsamoro Right-to-self determination be finally achieved, and this should be considered by the Bangsamoro as a way of life,” she furthered.

The developed songs sung by the group conveyed a message of hope and called on both parties to be strong enough in continuing talks and have BLL come up in this marathon meeting.

“BBL must be tonight as tomorrow is too long; we can’t wait for it.”

The group has the plan to come back this day to extend flowers to peace panels as symbol of hope and they will give them energy drinks so that they will never be getting tired despite difficulties they have experiencing along the discussions.
http://www.luwaran.com/index.php/welcome/item/1144-davao-based-csos-call-on-the-gph-milf-peace-panel-to-come-up-with-an-agreed-bbl-version-now

MILF: Malacañang allots PhP2.7 Billion for transition activities in Bangsamoro

Posted to the MILF Website (Aug 10): Malacañang allots PhP2.7 Billion for transition activities in Bangsamoro

Philippines President Benigno C. Aquino III is allotting PhP 2.7 Billion for transition activities leading to the setting up and election of officials of the proposed Bangsamoro Region in Mindanao in May 2016, Philstar reported on Saturday, August 9.
  
House appropriations committee chaired by Davao City Rep. Isidro Ungab on the proposed P2.606-trillion 2015 national budget.

Representative Quisumbing asked Budget Secretary Florencio Abad why there is already an appropriation for the Bangsamoro region even if there is still no law creating the new regional entity.

Abad said the President, in his budget proposal, anticipated approval by Congress of the Bangsamoro Basic Law. When enacted, the BBL law will be submitted to the people in Mindanao for ratification. The law shall become the enabling act for the new Bangsamoro Region.    
     
“The President has made his appeal to Congress that if we can enact the organic law at the end of this year or early next year, then the Bangsamoro Transition Authority will take over and begin to govern the Bangsamoro area,” he said.

He said it would be difficult “to scramble and provide for the necessary funds if this is done in 2015.”

He added that the P2.7-billion funding is different from the annual budget of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

Aquino is proposing P23 billion for the ARMM for next year, up by P3 billion from this year’s P20 billion.

The President has praised ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman as a “ghost buster” for busting ghost personnel and transactions in the region.

In his budget message to Congress, Aquino said the P2.7 billion would be used for converting areas controlled by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) into “productive economic hubs” and for other interventions aimed at implementing the peace agreement with the MILF.

“These interventions will allow the people in the region to create the road toward their own prosperity. The region has a potential to become a new point of economic interest,” he said.

He said the signing of the peace agreement with the MILF “serves as an inspiration in continuing to push for the peaceful settlement of other internal conflicts.”

“The government anticipates the next major milestone in the peace process – the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law by the end of the year,” he added.

“We will continue to address the lack of social and economic services in conflict-affected communities. We will intensify the presence of the government by nurturing the economic potential of these areas where violence and distrust previously thrived,” he stressed.

The MILF and the government panels are currently engage in a workshop on the draft BBL in Davao City that will end today.
http://www.luwaran.com/index.php/welcome/item/1143-malacañang-allots-php27-billion-for-transition-activities-in-bangsamoro

MILF: GPH-MILF delegates attend workshops on transitional justice in Switzerland

Posted to the MILF Website (Aug 10): GPH-MILF delegates attend workshops on transitional justice in Switzerland

Four person joint delegation designated by the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) who are members of the GPH-MILF Transitional Justice and Reconciliation Commission (TJRC) created under the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB) attended 10-day workshop on “Dealing with the Past and Transitional Justice” in Switzerland. Delegations from other five countries also attended the activity.
  
The workshop provided an opportunity for the delegation from the Philippines to engage with renowned experts and to be exposed to international good practice and lessons learned in the field of transitional justice, Mindanao Examiner said on Thursday, August 7.

This year’s course included delegations from Colombia, South Sudan, Zimbabwe, and the Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Kosovo. The Philippines was the only Asian country invited to attend the July workshop.

The future Swiss chair of the TJRC was also in attendance. The main function of the TJRC is to undertake a study and produce a set of recommendations on the appropriate mechanisms to address legitimate grievances of the Bangsamoro people, correct historical injustices, and address human rights violations and marginalization through land dispossession, towards healing and reconciliation.

The Philippine delegations were able to hold constructive in-depth discussions over several days about issues related to the mandate of the future TJRC of the Bangsamoro people.

“By engaging in a broad consultation process based on cooperation and dialogue, they believe they will be able to create a conducive environment for the development of a nationally owned report on transitional justice and reconciliation in the Philippines, particularly with regard to the armed conflict in Mindanao,” the Swiss embassy said.

The Advanced Learning Course on Dealing with the Past was offered by the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs on an annual basis to a select group of senior government officials and representatives of civil society from different post-conflict contexts. (Source: The Mindanao Examiner, August 7, 2014)

http://www.luwaran.com/index.php/welcome/item/1142-gph-milf-delegates-attend-workshops-on-transitional-justice-in-switzerland

MILF: Philippine Government denies collapse of GPH-MILF talks on draft BBL

Posted to the MILF Website (Aug 10): Philippine Government denies collapse of GPH-MILF talks on draft BBL

Malacañang denied on Thursday, August 7 that talks between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law are on the verge of collapse, Philstar said in its report.
  
Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. of the Presidential Communications Office appealed to all sectors not to spread baseless reports that might lead to renewed conflict in war-torn Mindanao.

Coloma stressed that both the GPH and MILF are determined to come up with a mutually-agreed BBL draft. The two panels along with members of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC), members of the International Contact Group (ICG) and Pool of Independent Lawyers (PIL) are their last day of workshops in Davao City to come up with an agreed BBL draft. The workshops started last August 1.

He explained there could be no radical provisions in the draft that would violate the Constitution and require Charter change. Malacañang has repeatedly said that charter change is not in the agenda of President Benigno Aquino III although House Speaker Sonny Belmonte is pushing for amendments on economic provisions of the Constitution.

Secretary Coloma said no one should sow doubt at this time when there were hurdles to overcome to finally bring lasting peace to Mindanao.

He said government chief negotiator Miriam Coronel-Ferrer had declared that both the government and the MILF would endeavor to have an acceptable draft.

MILF Chief Negotiator on the other hand said that the panels’ workshops being held at the Davao Insular Hotel (Waterfront) are achieving substantial progress.

Asked if there would be a need to change the Constitution to accommodate the demands of the MILF, Coloma said both sides were working on finding a common ground and not concentrating on areas that were unacceptable to both panels.

The two peace panels signed the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) last March 27 at the Palace ground that seeks for an end to decades of conflict in Mindanao.

The BBL draft which the BTC crafted was watered-down by the presidential legal team that caused its delayed submission to Congress. Iqbal was quoted as saying that they could not accept a diluted draft as they would “lose face if we agree to it”.

Malacañang hopes that once the draft bill is passed and becomes a law, there would be enough time to hold a plebiscite and organize the Bangsamoro Transition Authority.

The Bangsamoro Transitional Authority (BTA) will replace the ARMM in July 2015 until the election of the official leaders of the Bangsamoro political entity by 2016.

http://www.luwaran.com/index.php/welcome/item/1141-philippine-government-denies-collapse-of-gph-milf-talks-on-draft-bbl

575 families affected in fresh Maguindanao clash

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 10): 575 families affected in fresh Maguindanao clash

A fresh clash between the military and lawless group in Shariff Saydona Mustapha, Maguindanao have so far displaced 575 families or 2,875 persons living in Barangays Bakat and Ganta, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said in a statement on Sunday.

The NDRRMC quoted an initial report as saying that patrols from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) engaged the lawless group after encountering the latter in Shariff Saydona Mustapha Friday night.

It also said that majority of the affected residents opted to stay in unaffected areas of their respective communities.

There were no immediate reports of casualties among the affected population or whether the fighting damaged civilian or private properties.

The NDRRMC ssaid it is still conducting assessment to determine the exact impact of the fighting.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=671321

DILG chief backs higher pension for uniformed men

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 10): DILG chief backs higher pension for uniformed men

Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Manuel A. Roxas pushed on Sunday for a measure seeking to provide higher pension for the uniformed men and women of the Philippine National Police (PNP), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Philippine Army (PA) and other uniformed officials and personnel of the government.

"I am in favor of the proposal to provide better benefits for our uniformed personnel because their lives are always at risk in providing security to our people," he said.

He also noted that the payment scheme for uniformed pensioners is more rigorous than for the members of the Government Service and Insurance System (GSIS).

Roxas said the Department of Finance (DOF) will help step up the pension program for the uniformed servicemen and if possible, align the system with the GSIS.

Meanwhile, Roxas expressed dismay that the hiring of the 7,000 new recruits in the PNP would be put on hold following the decision of the Supreme Court declaring some provisions of the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) as illegal.

The would-be recruits were supposed to form part of the 30,000 policemen that President Benigno S. Aquino III announced last year to fill up the gap in the police personnel, which is part of the national government and PNP’s campaign to strengthen police visibility and run after criminals.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=671374

First batch of newly-procured M-4 automatic rifles to be distributed to Army, Marine units on Tuesday

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 10): First batch of newly-procured M-4 automatic rifles to be distributed to Army, Marine units on Tuesday

In line with its ongoing modernization efforts, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) will formally distribute to Army and Marine units on Tuesday the first batch of its newly-procured Remington M-4 automatic rifles.

A total of 27,300 units of the weapons arrived last July 31.

The remaining 23,329 rifles are expected to be delivered in December, this year.

Distribution will take place at the AFP General Headquarters canopy area in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City, Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala, public affairs office chief, said on Sunday.

To be present in the distribution ceremonies are President Benigno S. Aquino III and AFP chief-of-staff Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang.

Zagala said that these newly-acquired firearms are part of the Joint Philippine Army–Philippine Marine Corps Assault Rifle Acquisition Project by the government.

Under this project, the AFP will receive a total of 50,629 units of M-4 rifles, with 44,186 to be given to the Army and 6,443 to the Navy.

The contract price was P1.9 billion which was sourced from the AFP Capability Upgrade Program (CUP) 2012.

United States-based Remington Outdoor Company won the public bidding in October 2013.

The approved budget for the contract was about P3.3 billion, thus generating a total savings for the government estimated at P1.2 billion.

The savings will be used for the procurement of additional rifles, thereby increasing the readiness rating of the Army and the Marines and at the same time increasing the level of confidence, morale and pride of the soldiers, especially those serving in the field.

The 5.56mm M-4 rifle was prioritized to supplement and replace the early models of M-16 and M-16A1 rifle, majority of which were as old as the Vietnam War era and are already in poor condition and need refurbishing or replacement.

The AFP’s procurement of these brand-new assault rifles is part of the thrust to modernize the armed forces, and start it with the individual foot soldier in the field.

One of the major goals of the AFP Modernization Program is the improvement of the mission-essential capability requirements of the AFP in terms of firepower for the ground troops.

With this recent acquisition, Zagala said the AFP is optimistic that it will significantly contribute to the development and transformation of the military into a multi-mission-oriented force, capable of effectively addressing both internal and external threats.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=671328

Joint press statement of the ‎GPH and MILF negotiating panels

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 10): Joint press statement of the ‎GPH and MILF negotiating panels

The peace panels of the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on Sunday wrapped up 10 days of meetings on the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law.

Discussions took place in plenary as well as in small groups focused on addressing specific issues such as fiscal autonomy and administration of justice. There were also inputs provided by resource persons coming from the Bangsamoro Development Agency, the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, and the Ateneo School of Government on the matter of development planning and budget transfers to the Bangsamoro.

The Panels have reached agreement on substantial portions of the document, and have developed a shared understanding of the remaining challenges and unsettled issues, which they will bring back to their principals for further guidance.

The Panels reiterated their commitment to finish an agreed draft Bangsamoro Basic Law by August 18, 2014, in sha Allah, in order to allow the Office of the President to submit the same to Congress as soon as possible.

The Panels express their appreciation to the members of the International Contact Group, the Third Party Monitoring Team, and Tengku Dato' Ab Ghafar Tengku Mohamed who observed, and to the members of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission and the Panel of Independent Lawyers who assisted.

The Panels also thank the members of Mindanao-based civil society organizations who visited and expressed their support and encouragement.

Done this 10th day of August of 2014 in Davao City.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=671423

2 rebels nabbed in joint military, police operations in Nueva Ecija

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 10): 2 rebels nabbed in joint military, police operations in Nueva Ecija

Troopers from the 7th Infantry Division with assistance from their police counterparts have arrested two New People's Army (NPA) fighters during operations in Barangay TL Padilla, Carranglan town, Nueva Ecija Saturday night.

Capt. Mark Anthony Ruelos, 7th Infantry Division spokesperson, said that this took place around 6 p.m.

He identified the arrested rebels as Gerald Hernandez and Guiller Martin.

Investigations revealed that both men are members of the NPA's Platoon-Nueva Ecija-Nueva Vizcaya-Eastern Pangasinan (PLTN-NE-NV-EP) and serving as platoon guides in the hinterlands of Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya and Eastern Pangasinan.

Seized from their possession were one 9mm Smith and Wesson pistol with defaced serial number with one magazine, 23 rounds of ammunition, one 9mm SN U390575 with one magazine, 14 rounds of ammunition, two hand grenades and voluminous subversive documents.

Ruelos said that the arrest operation was originally meant for a certain Ely Taray but the latter was able to evade arrest.

However, this led to the arrest of Hernandez and Martin, so that the operation was not a total loss.

“This was indeed a successful operation, although we were not able to arrest Ely Taray, we were able to arrest his two companions,” 7th Infantry Division commander Major Gen. Glorioso Miranda said.

“I would like to once again call on to our brothers who have followed the wrong path to surrender and return back to the folds of our law and enjoy the company of their loved ones and live in a peaceful environment. Our government have many programs to offer for our rebel returnees," he concluded.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=671418

Peace panels: Final draft of Bangsamoro law soon

From Rappler (Aug 10): Peace panels: Final draft of Bangsamoro law soon

Peace panels of the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) end 10-day workshop in Davao without final draft, but vow to present it to President Aquino by August 18

HARD ISSUES. (From left) Government peace panel member Senen Bacani, government chief negotiator Miriam Coronel-Ferrer and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) chief negotiator Mohagher Iqbal. Photo by Karlos Manlupig/Rappler
HARD ISSUES. (From left) Government peace panel member Senen Bacani, government chief negotiator Miriam Coronel-Ferrer and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) chief negotiator Mohagher Iqbal. Photo by Karlos Manlupig/Rappler

Mark the date: August 18.

Peace panels of the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) failed once again to finish the final draft of the law creating a new autonomous government in Mindanao after a 10-day meeting in Davao City that ended Sunday, August 10.
 
Both sides, however, agreed to submit the much-awaited measure to President Benigno Aquino III on August 18, a Monday.
 
In a joint statement, the panels said "they have reached agreement on substantial portions of the document and have developed a shared understanding of the remaining challenges and unsettled issues, which they will bring back to their principals for further guidance."
 
The crafting of the law is the next phase of the historic peace agreement signed between the government and the MILF in March that will require the rebel group to decommission their arms and troops in specific timeframes as political commitments towards the creation of a new autonomous region in Mindanao are fulfilled.
 
Discussions during the Davao workshop focused on issues involving fiscal autonomy and administration of justice in the proposed Bangsamoro political entity, the panels said.
 
Under the final peace agreement, the Bangsamoro political entity replacing the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) is envisioned to enjoy greater fiscal and political powers.
 
The new autonomous government will be parliamentary in form and is designed to get block grants from Congress, which means that it will get automatic appropriations each year based on a formula that will be outlined in the proposed law.
 
Before this new government can be put in place, however, the Bangsamoro Basic Law must first be approved in Congress and passed in a subsequent plebiscite.
 
The peace process reached a hitch after the MILF accused Malacañang of watering down the draft Bangsamoro law submitted by the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) for review before its submission to Congress. (READ: MILF still unhappy with draft law)
 
Since it started negotiating for a political settlement with the government, the MILF has long believed that the Constitution needs to be amended to ensure genuine autonomy in Mindanao. The Aquino administration, meanwhile, believes the final peace agreement can be implemented within the "flexibilities" of the Constitution.
 
After Malacañang returned the draft law to the BTC, commissioners decided to elevate the matter to the peace panels.
 
Shortly after the draft law was returned, President Benigno Aquino III Aquino also met MILF chairman Al Haj Murad Ebrahim in Hiroshima, Japan, in a surprise meeting. It was also a surprise meeting between the two principals that served as a turning point in peace negotiations with the rebel group under the Aquino administration back in 2011.
 
A series of discussions between the panels have been held in Kuala Lumpur, Manila and the latest, in Davao, have been held in an attempt to bridge the gap between the BTC and Malacañang versions of the proposed law.
 
Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa and ARMM governor Mujiv Hataman were seen at the venue of the Davao meeting but both peace panels refused to confirm if they have met with Ochoa.

Meanwhile, Malaysian facilitator Tengku Ghafar personally witnessed the culmination of the last day of the discussions.
 
'Only way to go is forward'
 
Amid delays in arriving at a "mutually agreeable" draft law, MILF chief negotiator Mohagher Iqbal sought to assure that the situation on the ground remains stable.
 
In a joint press conference in Davao after the meeting, Iqbal told reporters that the MILF leadership is control of the situation.

US call for South China Sea 'freeze' gets cool response from China

From InterAksyon (Aug 10): US call for South China Sea 'freeze' gets cool response from China



ASEAN foreign ministers in Myanmar, 9 August 2014. NICOLAS ASFOURI/REUTERS/POOL

A United States proposal for a freeze on provocative acts in the South China Sea got a cool response from China and some Southeast Asian nations on Saturday, an apparent setback to Washington's efforts to rein in China's assertive actions.

To China's annoyance, the United States is using a regional meeting in Myanmar this weekend to step up its engagement in the maritime tension by calling for a moratorium on actions such as China's planting of a giant oil rig in Vietnamese waters in May.

Its ally the Philippines has also called for a freeze as part of a three-step plan to ease tension in the resource-rich sea, through which passes $5 trillion of trade a year.

US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Myanmar's capital, Naypyidaw, on Saturday for the ASEAN Regional Forum, joining foreign ministers and other top diplomats from China, Russia, Japan, India, Australia, the European Union, and Southeast Asia among others.

"The United States and ASEAN have a common responsibility to ensure the maritime security of critical sea, lands and ports," Kerry said in opening comments.

"We need to work together to manage tensions in the South China Sea and to manage them peacefully, and also to manage them on the basis of international law.”

But Le Luong Minh, secretary-general of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), said the US proposal was not discussed by ASEAN ministers because there was already a mechanism in place to curtail sensitive action such as land reclamation and building on disputed islands.

China says situation stable

The top ASEAN diplomat said it was up to ASEAN to work with China to reduce tension by improving compliance with a 2002 agreement, as they also work to conclude a binding Code of Conduct for maritime actions. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Taiwan also lay claim to parts of the sea.

"It is up to ASEAN to encourage China to achieve a serious and effective implementation of this commitment, rather than ASEAN asking whether it should support or not support the (US) proposal," he said.

Most claimants have flouted the 2002 guidelines, leading to rising tension in the South China Sea between four ASEAN claimant nations and China, which claims 90 percent of the waters. The rancor has split ASEAN, with several states including some of the claimants reluctant to antagonize Asia's economic giant.

China rejects US involvement in the dispute and has already dismissed the proposal for a freeze. China accuses the United States of emboldening claimants such as the Philippines and Vietnam with its military "pivot" back to Asia.

"Currently the situation in the South China Sea is stable on the whole. There has not been any problem regarding navigation in the South China Sea," Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told reporters.

"Someone has been exaggerating or playing up the so-called tensions in the South China Sea. We don’t agree with such a practice."

Philippine Foreign Minister Albert del Rosario also appeared to tone down his proposal for a freeze or moratorium on activities causing tension in the South China Sea, calling instead for a "cessation" in remarks to reporters on Friday.

A senior US official said the change in language was not significant. "Maybe they just want to differentiate their proposal from our proposal."

ASEAN includes Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/93000/us-call-for-south-china-sea-freeze-gets-cool-response-from-china

Military savings of P1.2B may buy additional modern rifles; 23,700 M4s given out soon

From InterAksyon (Aug 10): Military savings of P1.2B may buy additional modern rifles; 23,700 M4s given out soon



An unboxed M4 rifle, newly delivered to the Armed Forces, is seen in this AFP handout photo of Aug. 10, 2014.

With savings of at least P1.2 billion from a P3.3-B program to procure M4 rifles, , the military top brass said Sunday the savings could be used to purchase more units of modern rifles.

The funds were derived from the Capability Upgrade Program (CUP) 2012.

Armed Forces Chief of Staff General Gregorio Pio Catapang explained how the extra funds could boost capability of the field troops: “The approved budget for the contract was about P3.3 billion, thus generating a total savings for the government estimated at P1.2 billion. This savings will be used for the procurement of additional rifles, thereby increasing the readiness rating of the Army and the Marines and at the same time, increasing the level of confidence, morale and pride of every soldier especially those serving in the field.”

The AFP earlier purchased 50,629 brand-new M4 rifles from the US-based manufacturer-contractor Remington Outdoor Company , which won the P1.9-billion public bidding in October 2013.

President Aquino will preside at the ceremonial distribution of the M4's on Tuesday at Camp Aguinaldo.

At least 27,300 of the rifles had been delivered as of July 31, and will be distributed to the Army which will receive 44,186 rifles, and the Marines, 6,443 rifles.

Earlier, the operations to ferry the rifle’s craters - on board military trucks and escorted by Armored Personnel Carriers from the Manila South Harbor to Fort Bonifacio - caused a stir, fanning talk of a coup d’ etat.

The first batch, 100 rifles, was delivered on July 5, and the second batch of 27,200 on July 31.

“The delivery of these newly acquired firearms is part of the Joint Philippine Army – Philippine Marine Corps Assault Rifle Acquisition Project by the government. Under this project,” Catapang said.

The 5.56mm M4 rifle was given priority, Catapang explained, to supplement and replace the early models of M-16 and M-16A1 rifles, majority of which date back to the Vietnam War era and are already in poor condition, requiring urgent repairs or replacement.

“The AFP’s procurement of these brand new assault rifles is part of the thrust to modernize our armed forces, and start it with the individual foot soldier in the field," Catapang said.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/93016/military-savings-of-p1-2b-may-buy-additional-modern-rifles-23700-m4s-given-out-soon

Filipino scientists raise nuclear weapons alarm vs EDCA in 69th year of Nagasaki, Hiroshima bombings

From InterAksyon (Aug 10): Filipino scientists raise nuclear weapons alarm vs EDCA in 69th year of Nagasaki, Hiroshima bombings

The Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement between the Philippines and the United States brings the threat of nuclear weapons in the country, Filipino scientists said in a statement marking the 69th anniversary of the atomic bombings of the cities of Nagasaki and Hiroshima in Japan.

Agham, or Advocates of Science and Technology for the People, said “the devastation that the twin bombings caused Japan and the horrors it showed the world is a constant reminder to all nations of the dangers of nuclear proliferation and US wars of aggression.”

“Filipinos are constantly exposed to nuclear threats so long as US bases and military exercises are allowed in the country through EDCA,” it added.

On August 6, 1945, US B-29 bomber Enola Gay dropped a single uranium-core atomic bomb nicknamed “Little Boy” over the city of Hiroshima, detonating 580 meters near the city’s center.

Three days after, on August 9, 1945, a second atomic weapon, “Fat Man,” equipped with a plutonium core, destroyed Nagasaki.

About 200,000 people were killed in the twin attacks.

On April 28, 2014, the Philippines and US signed EDCA, which grants “unimpeded access,” and “operational control” over agreed locations to US forces and contractors.

“Through the pact, the Philippine government has facilitated the entry of nuclear weapons and wastes,” Agham said.

The Filipino scientists noted that the US has the most number of nuclear weapons and nuclear-powered military vehicles in the world. Citing the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, they said the US has an estimated 7,400 intact nuclear warheads in 2014. Of this, 4,650 nuclear warheads are available for delivery by more than 800 ballistic missiles and aircraft.

“As part of the US rebalancing of its forces to the Pacific in 2012, six of the eleven nuclear-powered aircraft carrier of the US are deployed in the area together with 60 percent of their submarines. All the US aircraft carriers and submarines in the Pacific Fleet are nuclear-powered. These have been allowed to dock, refuel, and be serviced in Philippine waters,” the Agham scientists said.

They noted that while the Department of Affairs claim that the materials the US military may bring into the country “shall not include nuclear weapons,” there was no clear mention of a mechanism or sanction of how to ensure strict compliance to this provision and other environmental codes or how the Philippine government would monitor actual entry of personnel, vehicles, materiel and equipment the country.

The scientists also said that historically, US have prepositioned nuclear weapons during the Marcos dictatorship as revealed in the US military memo declassified in 2006 but until now, no accounting has been made of the amount and nature of weapons, its impacts and even its disposal.

“Through EDCA, the US has access to possible dumping ground of nuclear and military weapons and wastes in any 'agreed locations'. The PH government has opened the country to be a platform for US aggression in this part of the world. The only way to prevent this is to scrap the unfair deal that endangers our communities, environment, and sovereignty,” Agham said.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/92999/filipino-scientists-raise-nuclear-weapons-alarm-vs-edca-in-69th-year-of-nagasaki-hiroshima-bombings

Muslim rebels, govt make progress on work to complete draft of self-rule law

From InterAksyon (Aug 10): Muslim rebels, govt make progress on work to complete draft of self-rule law

Peace negotiators for the Philippine government and the country's largest Muslim rebel group said Sunday they had "reached agreement on substantial portions" of a draft self-rule law aimed at ending years of bloody rebellion.

Both the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) peace panels said in a joint statement they were committed to completing the draft bill by August 18 so it could be passed by Congress as soon as possible.

"The panels have reached agreement on substantial portions of the document and have developed a shared understanding of the remaining challenges and unsettled issues, which they will bring back to their principals for further guidance," the joint statement said.

It did not elaborate on what these challenges and unsettled issues were.

The statement said the two sides had discussed "fiscal autonomy and administration of justice," as well as the issue of budget transfers from the national government to the proposed Muslim autonomous government during the closed door talks in the southern city of Davao.

A peace pact signed in March committed President Benigno Aquino and the MILF to pass a law creating an autonomous Muslim region by 2016, when his six-year presidency ends.

In return, the 12,000-member MILF would disarm and help the national government to improve the lot of Filipino Muslims, who are among the poorest and most marginalised in the mainly Catholic nation of 100 million.

However drafting of the law has been delayed amid grumbling from some MILF quarters that the government was diluting the powers offered for the proposed autonomous area.

There are also growing fears that the autonomous region may not be created before Aquino's term ends. His political support has been crucial to the peace process.

Muslim rebels have been battling since the 1970s for independence or autonomy in the southern region of Mindanao which they claim as their ancestral home.

Tens of thousands of people have died in the conflict, while Mindanao has become one of the poorest and most corrupt regions in the Philippines.

MILF chief negotiator Mohagher Iqbal previously said the talks were "moving forward but of course, the issues are very hard".

Both sides have also denied press reports that the talks were on the verge of collapsing.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/93018/muslim-rebels-govt-make-progress-on-work-to-complete-draft-of-self-rule-law

Photo: Sokol Crash Site

From MindaNews (Aug 8): Photo: Sokol Crash Site

08chopperretrieval2

Philippine Air Force personnel from Manila start retrieval operations Friday (August 8) for the Polish-made Sokol helicopter that crashed two minutes after takeoff from the 103rd Infantry Brigade in Kampo Ranao, Marawi City on August 7. MindaNews photo by Richel V. Umel

http://www.mindanews.com/photo-of-the-day/2014/08/08/sokol-crash-site/

Photo: GPH-MILF Workshop

From MindaNews (Aug 10); Photo: GPH-MILF Workshop



MILF peace panel chair Mohagher Iqbal chats with Jose Luis Martin “Chito” Gascon, member of the Human Rights Victims’ Claims Board who was a member of the GPH peace panel in the negotiations with the MILF, shortly before the resumption of the meeting in Davao City on Saturday (9 Aug 2014), the 9th day of the 10-day workshop between government and the MILF to come up with a “mutually acceptable” draft Bangsamoro Basic Law. MindaNews Photo by Keith Bacongco

http://www.mindanews.com/photo-of-the-day/2014/08/10/gph-milf-workshop/

Where to after 10-day “workshop” on draft Bangsamoro Basic Law?

From MindaNews (Aug 10): Where to after 10-day “workshop” on draft Bangsamoro Basic Law?

The Philippine government (GPH) and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) peace panels have addressed more than half of the issues that need to be resolved to come up with a “mutually acceptable” draft Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) but with only one day left and several contentious issues still unresolved, they may not be able to complete the task at the end of their 10-day “workshop” here on Sunday.

““We will try,” MILF peace panel chair Mohagher Iqbal said early Saturday morning. “We are doing our best at this level,” GPH peace panel chair Miriam Coronel-Ferrer said late Sunday evening.

Secretary Teresita Quintos-Deles, Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process told MindaNews Saturday noon at the hotel’s Café Uno that both panels have made “substantial progress and will make an announcement tomorrow” (Sunday).

But Saturday afternoon turned out to be a bad time as the panels got stuck on a provision related to political autonomy that, according to MindaNews sources, was neither in the draft of the ‘Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC), the body tasked to draft the BBL, nor in the Malacanang-reviewed draft. The provision is not also in the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro or the Annex on Power-sharing.

Saturday was the 9th of their 10-day “workshop” here but the 20th in a 21-day series of four “workshops” since July 8.

 
PNoy-Murad

MindaNews learned from very reliable sources who requested not to be named for now that the issues the panels would not be able to resolve here will be brought to the level of the principals – President Benigno Simeon Aquino III and MILF chair Al Haj Murad Ebrahim.

The panels have been meeting at the Waterfront Insular Hotel here since August 1, after 11 days of similar “workshops” in Kuala Lumpur and Manila last month that failed to yield a “mutually acceptable” draft.

The BTC, the 15-member MILF-led GPH-MILF body tasked to draft the BBL submitted its 97-page, 18-article draft to Malacanang (Office of the President) on April 22. Malacanang reviewed the draft and handed over to the MILF a copy of the review with its comments and proposed revisions on June 21.

Apparently, a substantial part of the BTC draft was not acceptable to Malacanang and a substantial part of Malacanang’s proposed revisions was not also acceptable to the MILF.

Among the most contentious issues that have yet to be resolved involves the delineation of powers under the categories exclusive, reserved and concurrent, as provided for under the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB) and the Annex on Power-Sharing.

MindaNews learned from sources who have read the BTC draft and the Malacanang-reviewed draft that the Malacanang-proposed revisions removed these categories as well as the term “asymmetrical relationship” between the central government and the Bangsamoro government.

Iqbal said without the categories and the provision on “asymmetrical relationship,” the future Bangsamoro political entity would be less autonomous than the present Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao that it seeks to replace.

Iqbal added that delineation ‘is the heart of the agreement.”

Ferrer told MindaNews on August 1 that saying the future Bangsamoro would be less autonomous than the ARMM is “really an emotional reading of the comments.”

“How can it be worse than the ARMM when all the key features that were stated in the CAB and that would make the major difference than the ARMM are all intact?” Ferrer told MindaNews.

“Turning point”

MILF chair Al Haj Murad Ebrahim and MILF peace panel chair Mohagher Iqbal, also the BTC chair, aired their concerns over the proposed revisions in a meeting with President Aquino at the Sheraton Hotel in Hiroshima on June 24, minutes before the President delivered his keynote address at The Consolidation for Peace for Mindanao seminar.

Aquino and Murad have met at least five times – on August 4, 2011 when Aquno sought a meeting with Murad in Tokyo, Japan to “fast-track the peace process;” during the signing of the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB) on October 15, 2012 and the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) on March 27, 2014, both held in Malcanang; the launching of the Sajahatra Bangsamoro at the Bangsamoro Development Agency’s office in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao on February 11, 2013; and at the Sheraton Hotel in Hiroshima on June 24, 2014.

Both leaders agreed in the August 2011 meeting to fast-track the peace process so that an agreement would be reached in the first half of the Aquino administration (2010 to 2013) and implementation would be done in the second half (2013 to 2016).

In his keynote address in Hiroshima on Jun24, Aquino spoke of his historic meeting with Murad, describing it as “the turning point in our narrative to secure a just and lasting peace. Trust was established between brothers, and genuine dialogue was possible.”

“I sometimes wonder: If that meeting did not take place, where would we be today? Fortunately, that meeting, my first face-to-face encounter with my brother Chairman Murad, was a breakthrough,” Aquino said.

21 days

The series of “workshops” – July 8 to 11 in Kuala Lumpur; 18 to 21 and 25 to 27 in Manila; and August 1 to 10 in Davao City – was triggered by the July 3 BTC resolution elevating to the GPH and MILF peace panels its concerns over Malacanang’s proposed revisions to its draft.

The draft Basic Law was expected to have been submitted and certified “urgent” by the President on or before he delivered his State of the Nation Address (SONA) at the reopening of Congress on July 28.

In last year’s SONA, he urged Congress to pass the Basic Law before yearend 2014 to allow the Bangsamoro Transition Authority enough time to run the ministerial form of government until the first set of officials of the Bangsamoro Government elected in May 2016 would take over on June 30, 2016.

The President also met with the BTC in Malacanang on July 24 even as the BTC had elevated the issue to the peace panels by then. BTC chair Iqbal was a no show in Malacanang. He said he was in a meeting with the MILF Central Committee.

Where to?

At the end of the session on Day 6, MindaNews asked the chairs separately in a text message if they were already on the same page on where to bring the “workshop” results when it ends Sunday.

Ferrer replied “cross the bridge when we get there” while Iqbal said “pag-uusapan pa” (we’ll talk about it).

Ferrer told MindaNews on Day One that since it was the BTC that gave the panels the mandate when it passed a resolution elevating its concerns on the draft to the panels, whatever they would finish “should go back to the BTC” for the BTC to endorse the final draft to Malacanang.

Iqbal on Day One said the panels should return to Kuala Lumpur to formally adopt what has been agreed upon here.

Who’s inside?

Joining the panels in their meetings since Day 1 are the Pool of Independent Lawyers (PIL), representatives from the International Contact Group (ICG) and the Third Party Monitoring Team (TPMT).

Two lawyers from the Chief Presidential Legal Counsel arrived on August 4 but left midweek. Other members of the BTC arrived afternoon of August 6 and joined the sessions starting Thursday, as observers.

Tengku Dato’ Ab Ghafar Tengku Mohamed, facilitator of the GPH-MILF peace process, arrived Friday afternoon. Tengku is not here to facilitate but he met with the two panel chairs last Friday.

Observer

“I’m just an observer here,” Tengku told MindaNews inside Kalaw Room, the meeting venue, at 2 p.m. Saturday, shortly before the Mindanao Peaceweavers serenaded the peace panels with five songs: “Love Story,” “I will survive,” “The long and winding road,” “Mag-Peace Talk ay hindi biro” (to the tune of “Planting rice is never fun”) and “It’s now or never.”

On Thursday morning, the panels listened to a presentation of Executive Secretary Laisa Alamia of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) on the budgeting process and details of the breakdown of the budget of the regional government.

On Friday morning, the panels listened to Windel Diangcalan’s presentation on the Bangsamoro Development Plan.

Benedicto Bacani, representing the Pool of Independent Lawyers, gave a presentation on the recommendations of the collegial body on the issues that were referred to them by the panels.

On Saturday morning, the panels listened to the presentation of the Ateneo School of Government which did the study on the annual block grant.

“Hopefully we will be able to agree on the just , reasonable, implementable and defensible formula for the annual block grant and the amounts for the Special Develpment Fund and transition fund that we need to put in the draft BBL,” Ferrer said.

On Saturday afternoon, after the peace groups’ serenade, the panels resumed sessions with the ICG, BTC and PIL.

Tengku and members of the Third Party Monitoring Team (TPMT) — Dr. Steven Rood of The Asia Foundation, Karen Tanada of the Gazton Ortigas Peace Institute and Rahib Kudto of the United Youth for Peace and Development, Inc. – met in the garden area just outside the Vinta Bar.

http://www.mindanews.com/peace-process/2014/08/10/where-to-after-10-day-workshop-on-draft-bangsamoro-basic-law/