Friday, August 15, 2014

Davao mayor asks NPA to release kidnapped pastor

From Business World (Aug 15): Davao mayor asks NPA to release kidnapped pastor

Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte, who is also chairman of the Regional Peace and Order Council-Region 11, has appealed to the New People’s Army for the immediate and safe release of a 57-year-old female pastor of Foursquare Gospel Church in Compostela Valley.
"I am appealing to the CPP (Communist Party of the Philippines)-NPA to immediately release the pastora. You will not be able to get anything from her because she is just a pastor working for the people and incapable of espionage," Mr. Duterte said during Thursday’s council meeting.
 
Pastor Jemima C. Dima-ano, who is reportedly suffering from a couple of illnesses, was taken allegedly by NPA rebels near her home on August 7.

Lt. Col. Norman Zuniga of the 10th Civil Military Operations said they are clueless as to why Ms. Dima-ano, a civilian serving the community, was kidnapped.
 
Mr. Duterte said he had contacted the NPA and they had promised to release Ms. Dima-ano. She is reportedly being held by Maruz Matina, said to be the NPA’s unit commander in Mati, Davao Oriental.
 
The mayor has previously interceded for the release of policemen and soldiers kidnapped by the NPA within the Davao Region and was successful in most cases, including the release of Corporal Rogelio Rosales of the 60th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army last May.
 

Rebel landmine narrowly misses Army truck in Compostela Valley

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Aug 15): Rebel landmine narrowly misses Army truck in Compostela Valley



TAGUM CITY, Davao del Norte —Suspected communist rebels detonated an improvised explosive device on the national road in Mabini in Compostela Valley, narrowly missing an Army as it passed by although shrapnel shattered its windshield, police and military officials said.

The landmine planted on the shoulder of the Tagum-Mati road in Barangay Cadunan went off around 8:30 a.m. Friday.

Shrapnel damaged the windshield of the Army truck but no one was injured, said Compostela Valley police chief Senior Supt. Abraham Rojas.

“Responding elements of Mabini police station recovered a 50-meter detonating wire at the scene. The lawless armed group (New People’s Army) was behind the blast,” Rojas told the Inquirer via text message.

The KM-450 truck of Army’s 71st Infantry Battalion was heading for this city when the blast occurred, said Capt. Ernest Carolina, information officer of the army’s 10th Infantry Division.

Five soldiers aboard the truck led by Sgt. Jonathan Balutoc hastily got off the vehicle and took defensive positions but no rebel was sighted, he said.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/629669/rebel-landmine-narrowly-misses-army-truck-in-compostela-valley

2 missing Germans held by Abu Sayyaf, police say

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Aug 16): 2 missing Germans held by Abu Sayyaf, police say

Sulu police have confirmed that German nationals doctor Stefan Victor Okonek and Henrite Dielen are being held captive by the Abu Sayyaf in Indanan town.

Senior Supt. Abraham Orbita, Sulu provincial police chief, in a phone interview with the Inquirer, confirmed the abduction after a photo of the Germans in the company of Filipino gunmen surfaced on Facebook.

“Yes, it’s confirmed that they are being held hostage by the Abu Sayyaf group and all we can do now is to locate and monitor their movements,” Orbita said on Wednesday.

He said the group holding Okonek, 74, and Dielen, 42, was headed by a certain Alhabshi Misaya who operates in Indanan.

Shared on Facebook

In the undated photo taken from an undisclosed location, the Germans were shown holding the German flag. They were flanked by about a dozen Abu Sayyaf gunmen in scarves.

It was not clear who took the photo in which Dielen was seen wearing a purple long-sleeve shirt and Okonek in gray shirt, but it was being shared on Facebook.

Orbita said the photo that the authorities had also come across was posted on the Facebook account of a certain Ayman Mat. But a check by the Inquirer showed that the Facebook user was based in Kuwait.

“That photo is one of the several pictures and videos we know of, which are being spread around,” Orbita said.

An online search for a video of the German couple in Abu Sayyaf captivity has not yielded positive result as of Friday.

He said authorities believed that the Abu Sayyaf had spread the video and the photos.

‘Authentic’

While Orbita confirmed that the photo on Facebook was authentic and that the Abu Sayyaf was holding the couple, a military official said he was not aware of it.

Maj. Gen. Martin Pinto, commander of the 2nd Marine Brigade in Sulu province, said that “as far as [the military was] concerned, we don’t have any information on that.”

Pinto said the Inquirer might be able to “extract data” from police or the Philippine National Police Antikidnapping Group (AKG).

Chief Supt. Noel de los Reyes, chief of police in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), said the surfacing of the video and the photos could be an effort by the Abu Sayyaf to cash in on the German nationals.

But he said the AKG would be the most appropriate unit to confirm if the Germans were indeed in Sulu.

Okonek and Dielen were conducting scientific research off Palawan province when they disappeared in April.

Since then, there were already suspicions that they had been abducted and that the Abu Sayyaf was behind their disappearance.

Confirmed

The first to confirm the presence of the Germans in Sulu was peace advocate Octavio Dinampo in May.

Dinampo, a former Abu Sayyaf captive, said the Abu Sayyaf faction under Radulan Sahiron was holding the two foreigners.

“These two Germans were brought to Patikul by Ambrin Absara and Muammar Askali on a [speedboat] owned by Idang Susukan,” Dinampo said, quoting his sources on the ground.

Dinampo also said the two Germans were being kept with European bird watchers Lorenzo Vinciguerra and Ewold Horn.

Last month, freed Abu Sayyaf captive Remigio Linggayan confirmed that he had spent time with Okonek, Dielen, Horn and Vinciguerra while also in captivity in  Sulu.

He said the Abu Sayyaf gunmen who had held him and construction worker Joselito Gonzales since June 5 treated all the captives  humanely.  “We ate what they ate and they also treated us well,” Linggayan said in the vernacular.

http://globalnation.inquirer.net/109455/2-missing-germans-held-by-abu-sayyaf-police-say

Philippine militants pledge allegiance to ISIS jihadists

From Rappler (Aug 15): Philippine militants pledge allegiance to ISIS jihadists

'We have an alliance with the Islamic State and Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi,' BIFF spokesman Abu Misry says

Hardline Muslim guerrillas in the Philippines said on August 15, Friday, they have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State, the extremist jihadists who now control large swathes of Iraq and Syria.

Clips have been uploaded in recent weeks on the video sharing site YouTube showing both southern Philippines-based Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and the Abu Sayyaf rebels pledging support to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syaria (ISIS).

"We have an alliance with the Islamic State and Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi," BIFF spokesman Abu Misry Mama told Agence France-Presse by telephone on Friday, referring to the brutal jihadist group's leader. (READ: ISIS threats and followers in the PH)

Misry confirmed that a YouTube video uploaded on Wednesday, showing a purported BIFF leader flanked by armed men reading a statement of support for the ISIS, had come from his group.

BIFF split in 2008 from the Philippines' main Muslim rebel group, the 12,000-member Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). The latter signed a peace agreement with President Benigno Aquino's government last March.

BIFF, which is believed to have a few hundred fighters, has rejected the peace talks and pursued the decades-old armed campaign to establish an Islamic state in the southern Philippines which was begun by the MILF.

Abu Misry, described by the Philippine military as a BIFF spokesman, said his group had no plans to impose the radical ISIS brand of Islam in the Southeast Asian nation.

Beheadings, mass executions and the taking of child brides have marked the ISIS campaign across large parts of Iraq and Syria.

Abu Misry said his group had not sent any fighters from the Philippines to help the ISIS, nor was it recruiting people to join the ISIS.

"But if they need our help, why not?" he added.

Colonel Dickson Hermoso, spokesman for a southern Philippines-based army division, described BIFF as a "terrorist" group engaged in extortion to finance its activities.

"There's no evidence that Filipino fighters are being sent there (to Syria and Iraq)," Hermoso told Agence France-Presse, while adding that both BIFF and ISIS followed an "extreme" brand of Islam.

A purported Abu Sayyaf video has also been uploaded on Youtube showing one of the group's most senior leaders, Isnilon Hapilon, mentioning al-Baghdadi as he read out a statement that pledged allegiance to the ISIS.

He was filmed linking arms with more than a dozen men, some with faces swathed in fabric, as they stood at a forest clearing to pray and listen to his statement.
Hapilon carries a $5 million reward on his head by the United States which considers his group a "foreign terror organization" engaged in beheadings, bombings, and kidnappings.

Philippine military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Ramon Zagala dismissed the video clips.

"This is propaganda and we will not give these terrorists the satisfaction by commenting," Zagala told Agence France-Presse.

http://www.rappler.com/nation/66352-philippine-militants-allegiance-isis-jihadists

BIFF, Abu Sayyaf pledge allegiance to Islamic State jihadists

From InterAksyon (Aug 16): BIFF, Abu Sayyaf pledge allegiance to Islamic State jihadists



File photo of Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) Abu Misry Mama with his followers. AFP
 
Hardline Muslim guerrillas in the Philippines said Friday they have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State, the extremist jihadists who now control large swathes of Iraq and Syria.

Clips have been uploaded in recent weeks on the video sharing site YouTube showing both southern Philippines-based Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and the Abu Sayyaf rebels pledging support to the Islamic State (IS).

"We have an alliance with the Islamic State and Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi," BIFF spokesman Abu Misry Mama told Agence France-Presse by telephone on Friday, referring to the brutal jihadist group's leader.

Misry confirmed that a YouTube video uploaded on Wednesday, showing a purported BIFF leader flanked by armed men reading a statement of support for the IS, had come from his group.

BIFF split in 2008 from the Philippines' main Muslim rebel group, the 12,000-member Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). The latter signed a peace agreement with President Benigno Aquino III's government last March.

BIFF, which is believed to have a few hundred fighters, has rejected the peace talks and pursued the decades-old armed campaign to establish an Islamic state in the southern Philippines which was begun by the MILF.

Abu Misry, described by the Philippine military as a BIFF spokesman, said his group had no plans to impose the radical IS brand of Islam in the Southeast Asian nation.

Beheadings, mass executions and the taking of child brides have marked the IS campaign across large parts of Iraq and Syria.

Abu Misry said his group had not sent any fighters from the Philippines to help the IS, nor was it recruiting people to join the IS.

"But if they need our help, why not?" he added.

Colonel Dickson Hermoso, spokesman for a southern Philippines-based army division, described BIFF as a "terrorist" group engaged in extortion to finance its activities.

"There's no evidence that Filipino fighters are being sent there (to Syria and Iraq)," Hermoso said, while adding that both BIFF and IS followed an "extreme" brand of Islam.

A purported Abu Sayyaf video has also been uploaded on Youtube showing one of the group's most senior leaders, Isnilon Hapilon, mentioning al-Baghdadi as he read out a statement that pledged allegiance to the IS.

He was filmed linking arms with more than a dozen men, some with faces swathed in fabric, as they stood at a forest clearing to pray and listen to his statement.

Hapilon carries a $5-million reward on his head by the United States which considers his group a "foreign terror organization" engaged in beheadings, bombings, and kidnappings.

Philippine military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Ramon Zagala dismissed the video clips.

"This is propaganda and we will not give these terrorists the satisfaction by commenting," Zagala said.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/93413/biff-abu-sayyaf-pledge-allegiance-to-islamic-state-jihadists

2 marines shot in Southern Philippines

From the Mindanao Examiner BlogSpot site (Aug 15): 2 marines shot in Southern Philippines

Two marine soldiers, who were on a break, had been shot in separate attacks, in the southern Philippines, police said Friday.

Police said Private Janry Boston, 24, was killed early Friday inside a rest room of a gas station in Tacurong town in Sultan Kudarat province by a still unidentified assailant. Boston, a native of Esperanza town in Sultan Kudarat province, was assigned in Sulu province.

The motive of the killing is still unknown, but police said prior to the attack, the soldier had an altercation with another man inside a bar. Police said crime investigators recovered four shell casings of a .45-caliber pistol. It was not immediately known whether Boston had a weapon or not.

The soldier was rushed to hospital in General Santos where he is under observation.

In the town of Pitogo in Zamboanga del Sur province, marine Merjun Disapor, 22, and his companion Renell Alastra were both killed after being attack by a man armed with an M16 rifle inside a gym.

Police said the victims were drinking when the assailant barged and shot them. Disapor, a native of Pitogo town, was also assigned in Sulu province.

The attacker fled after the shooting. It was unknown if the communist rebel group New People’s Army was involved in the killing.

http://www.mindanaoexaminer.net/2014/08/2-marines-shot-in-southern-philippines.html

Rebels execute farmer in Zamboanga del Sur

From the Mindanao Examiner BlogSpot site (Aug 15): Rebels execute farmer in Zamboanga del Sur



New People’s Army rebels executed a farmer in the town of Midsalip in the southern Philippine province of Zamboanga del Sur, police said Friday.

Police said Liberato Lodiomon, 47, was killed at rice field on Thursday in the village of Piwan. Lodiomon was shot four times and died instantly.

The communist rebels also left a note for his family and villagers to see, but police did not give any details about its content. The note was signed by Ka Boki, who identified himself as a member of the NPA.

The NPA has been fighting for decades now for the establishment of a Maoist state in the country.

http://www.mindanaoexaminer.net/2014/08/rebels-execute-farmer-in-zamboanga-del.html

New 41IB chief vows to continue existing peace programs in Abra

From the Philippine Information Agency (Aug 12): New 41IB  chief vows to continue existing peace programs in Abra

The new commander of the  41st Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army here vowed to continue the government’s existing peace programs in the province especially the “Kabsatko, Ipategko Program” (KIP).

Lt. Col. Virgilio M. Noora  replaces Lt. Col. Danilo R. Domingo  who successfully implemented  the ‘Bayanihan’ program  of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in partnership with the local government units and other national government agencies in the area.

Noora, a graduate of the Philippine Military Academy Batch ‘92, was a member of the 503rd IB based in Tabuk City, Kalinga prior to his assignment as commander of the 41st IB  last July 12.

He assured collaboration to the  KIP,  a program of the provincial government in partnership with the Army  which  aims to support the rehabilitation of  rebel  returnees under a caring scheme  where a sponsor assists the former rebel in his reintegration to the community. The program has enticed many former rebels to return to the fold of the law.

Meanwhile, Domingo during  turnover of command  presided by Major-General Benito Antonio T. De Leon, 5th Infantry Division Commander,  thanked the people of Abra,  political leaders, the church leaders, government and non-government agencies and community leaders for their support during his stint in  the province.

During  his stint,  the troops did not only implement the Bayanihan project  in partnership with the local government units and other national government agencies but  assisted various medical, dental missions and other services to the most needy communities in the far flung areas. They were also engaged in monitoring two electoral exercises and conducted numerous combat operations  that yielded firearms and ammunitions, subversive documents and materials and caused the surrender of many rebels.

Aside from the traditional awarding of medals of merit to the out-going battalion commander, Mayor Robert Victor G. Seares, Jr., of Dolores awarded Domingo a Plaque of Appreciation for his all-out support to the LGU in addressing their peace and order problem.

Joy Padilla of the Holy Spirit Academy of Bangued Batch ’96 likewise gave a certificate of appreciation in gratefulness for his support and assistance to their medical and dental missions and gift-giving projects in the different schools in the remote municipalities of Abra.

http://news.pia.gov.ph/index.php?article=111407486716

Soldiers help build homes for typhoon Pablo victims

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 14): Soldiers help build homes for typhoon Pablo victims 

Backing the government’s relentless efforts in providing permanent shelters to typhoon Pablo victims, the Philippine Army continues to partner with the provincial and national government in helping build permanent homes in some areas in the hard-hit towns.

Only recently, some 121 new homes, constructed by the Philippine Army,were turned over to beneficiaries in Brgy. Ban-ao in Baganga and Brgy.Alegria in Cateel last August 7.

Commanding Officer of the 544th Engineer Construction Battalion, Lt. Col. Eldred Ragpala, said that this milestone is a testament of the Philippine Army’s genuine endeavor to help people restore their lives through ‘bayanihan’.

Realized through the Modified Shelter Assistance Program (MSAP), the project implementation is executed through the collaboration of the national and provincial government and the Philippine Army. This program is bent on providing stable and long-term housing for typhoon-affected families in the east coast.

While the construction cost was funded by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the resettlement site was subsidized by the provincial government, the Philippine Army’s 544th Engineer Construction Battalion, on the other hand,took charge ofthe labor counterpart.

DSWD Provincial Coordinator, Gemma dela Cruz, during the turn over ceremony lauded the soldiers’ assistance in giving people an opportunity to start a new life.

To date, there are already about 2,171 houses that have been turned over across the typhoon hard-hit areas of Cateel, Baganga and Boston, including those built by the Philippine Army.

Aside from houses, the army’s construction team also helped build schools and other development projects.

Davao Oriental Gov. Corazon N. Malanyaon reminded the beneficiaries to also offer their counterpart by not only keeping their communities clean, but also help themselves improve their lives by seizing the abounding livelihood opportunities that would aid them break out from the clutches of poverty.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Army urged the residents to help preserve the peace and order in their own communities. Lt. Col. Micheal A. Banua, 67th Infantry Battalion Commander, encouraged them to do their fair share in keeping their communities peaceful and become active in the government’s development efforts.

http://news.pia.gov.ph/index.php?article=1591407981691

Army announces recruitment of new soldiers

From the Philippine Information Agency (Aug 14): Army announces recruitment of new soldiers

The 101st Infantry Brigade of 1st Tabak Division, Philippine Army (PA) is now recruiting interested applicants to join the army.

Col. Apolinario Y. Alobba, 101st Brigade commander, urged those interested to take the pre-entry examinations scheduled on Aug. 23 and Sept. 5 this year.

It was learned that the Army Recruitment Office for Mindanao (AROM) and Army Personnel Management Center (APMC) Testing Team will conduct the Armed Forces of the Philippines Service Aptitude Test (AFPSAT) in the 1st Infantry Division’s Area of Responsibility (AOR) for interested applicants of Officer Preparatory Course (OPC), Officer Candidate Course (OCC) and Candidate Soldier Course (CSC) on the following dates: Aug. 23 at Iligan Medical Center College, Iligan City; Aug. 25-26 at H1ID, PA, Upper Pulacan, Zamboanga del Sur; Aug. 28 at AMMC, Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay; Aug. 30-31 at 1ATG, TRADOC, PA, Malagutay, Zamboanga City; Sept. 2-3 at JRMSU Campus, Dipolog City; and on Sept. 5 in Oroquieta City.

Civilians applying for OCC must be a Filipino citizen, 21-24 years old, a graduate of any four-year college course, single, and at least 5 ft. tall.

Meanwhile, those applying for OPC must be Filipino citizen, single, 21-31 years old, MS-43 graduate (if advance ROTC graduate), graduate of any four-year college course and at least 5 ft. tall.

However, for CSC applicant must be single and has no child, 18-26 years old, has 72 units in college but, if he is a high school graduate only, he must possess a certified skill needed in the military service.

All interested applicants must be physically and mentally fit.

Applicants shall bring the original copy of NSO Birth Certificate, Transcript of Records (TOR) and diploma for college graduate, diploma w/ Form 137-A for high school graduate, valid ID , and one 2x2 picture  for OCC and OPC applicants.

http://news.pia.gov.ph/index.php?article=2491407977019

MILF: UN-MILF conduct workshop on Child Protection

From the MILF Website (Aug 15): UN-MILF conduct workshop on Child Protection



On August 14, 2014, the United Nations (UN-UNICEF) in the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) held workshop on non-recruitment and involvement of children in armed conflict. It was held at Em Manor Hotel, Cotabato City.
    
The workshop was participated by MILF Base Commands and Front Commanders of the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF) of the MILF. 

The MILF presently negotiating with the Government of the Philippines (GPH) abides and recognizes international laws of engagement and non-recruitment, non-utilization of children in their armed struggle for self-determination.

Lotta Sylwander, UNICEF Country Representative in the Philippines in her statement said, “The MILF is the only armed non-state actor that conforms to international law of non-using of children in the armed conflict”. I am so impressed and inspired that many BIAF Commanders attended this workshop, it provides good reputation for the MILF, Sylwander added.
She expressed the commitment of the United Nations through UNICEF in the Philippines to work with the MILF in adhering to existing international law prohibiting the use of children in pursuing its armed struggle.

 Mr. Patrick Halton, UNICEF Specialist presented the background and action plan as well as the responsibilities of the BIAF focal points in the implementation of the MILF Supplemental General Order (SGO) and the reporting mechanism of all Base Commands and Front Commands of the BIAF.

Dr. Parido Pigkaulan of the Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA), who represented Mr. Toks Ibrahim of the General Staff of the BIAF presented the supplemental General Order and the MILF Code of Conduct.

His presentation focused on the General Order and MILF Code of Conduct under Article No. 34 & 36 which is the non-recruitment and non-use of Children in armed conflict.

All MILF-BIAF commanders and members should strictly adhere to the provision of the teaching of the Quran, the Sunnah of the Prophet (SAW) and this Code of Conduct and follow the international laws of engagement, Dr.  Pigkaulan added.

 He also clearly defined the meaning of CAMP on MILF perspective. He said Camp has a very wide area and it is a community, everybody and family can live inside the camp. He strongly emphasized and ordered all BIAF commanders in attendance to strictly observe and implement this general order. Four out of 5 panel members namely Edward Guerra, Ustadz Norul-Am Abdullah, Mr. Abdulkadir M. Abubakar and Whelma Magda Kali were present and Shree Nadarajah of UNICEF, in-charge of the program served as facilitator. PLAN International also attended while BDA acted as secretariat. In the last portion of the workshop, all BIAF commanders committed themselves to fully implement the General Order.

They plan to re-echo the outputs of the workshop in their respective Fronts and Base Commands, Insha Allah ( If God’s will).

http://www.luwaran.com/index.php/welcome/item/1155-un-milf-conduct-workshop-on-child-protection

MILF: SWC conducts Peace Advocacy in Datu Odin Sinsuat town

Posted to the MILF Website (Aug 14): SWC conducts Peace Advocacy in Datu Odin Sinsuat town



Hundreds of Social Welfare Committee (SWC) members and from other sectors attended an Islamic Symposium and Peace Advocacy conducted by the SWC of Kutawatu Provincial Committee (SWC – KPC) held at Barangay Linek, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao last Sunday, August 10.
   
Guest speakers were Ustadza Faudzia Musanip of the subcommittee on Da’wah of SWC National Office and Nasser Pulindao from the Committee on Information.

Ustadza Faudzia in her lecture underscored the importance of affording respect to every woman’s husband as it is a gateway to paradise. Muslim women have various responsibilities in their homes especially in molding their children and looking after their properties and belongings inside their homes when their husbands are away for work. The wife is the beauty of a Muslim household and a precious creation given by ALLAH (SWT) to her husband. Uza. Musanip also emphasized Islamic traditions in intermarriages specially in choosing outfits to a bride who is going to be wedded.

Nasser Pulindao, Director of Kutawatu Provincial Committee on Information, gave inputs on the current Bangsamoro situation. “Poverty is not the real cause of the sufferings of the Moros but rather the colonization of Mindanao for about four centuries by foreign and local colonizers”. 

The grant of a wider, strong political and fiscal autonomy for Bangsamoro as a compromise in lieu of independence is long overdue. The peace negotiations that started in1997 first suffered a major setback when the MOA-AD of 2008 was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. From that time on the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) still engaged the GPH in negotiations to come up with a comprehensive, final and lasting solution to the Mindanao question, Director Pulindao told the participants.

And now, the Comprehensive Agreement on Bangsamoro (CAB), a compilation of the Framework Agreement on Bangsamoro (FAB) and its annexes is feared to suffer another uncertain fate. The draft of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) crafted by the Bangsamoro transition Commission (BTC) submitted to the Office of the President in April this year was diluted heavily by the legal team of Malacañang that the MILF cannot accept as they “will lose face” once they accept it, Pulindao elucidated further.

The heavily diluted BBL prompted the BTC to call for a plenary session and agreed to elevate the matter to the peace panels. The peace panels along with the members of the BTC and the International Contact Group (ICG) held workshops in Kuala Lumpur and in Manila but failed to agree on a mutually-accepted version of the BBL. From August 1 to August 10, they again met in Davao City to come up with an agreed version but only achieved substantial progress in their 10-day workshops, sometime working on overtimes.

In their joint statement issued on the evening of August 10, both panels agreed to meet on August 18 and vowed to finalize a compromise version. Unless a final version is acceptable to the Moro people after the GPH and MILF panels conclude their scheduled meeting on August 18, the future is still bleak for the people in Mindanao, Pulindao said.

Before winding up his lecture, he urged participants and other sectors to be vigilant in monitoring the current situation as they the women will also be affected if disagreements on the contents of the BBL will not be settled.

http://www.luwaran.com/index.php/welcome/item/1154-swc-conducts-peace-advocacy-in-datu-odin-sinsuat-town

Navy rescues 12 Badjaos

From the Sun Star-Zamboanga (Aug 15): Navy rescues 12 Badjaos

OPERATIVES of the Naval Forces Western Mindanao’s Task Force 62 rescued 12 of the 19 Badjaos who were aboard three motorized bancas that capsized off Sibutu, Tawi-Tawi, a military official said Friday.

Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) Information Officer Captain Ma. Rowena Muyuela said four of the 12 rescued were children who were turned over to the custody of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Bongao, the capital town of Tawi-Tawi.

The Badjaos departed Bongao town at 6 p.m. Tuesday, the police said.
Investigation showed that the victims were traveling to Sabah to sell fish when the motorized bancas they were riding capsized due to inclement weather around 8 p.m. Tuesday northeast off Sibutu, Tawi-Tawi.

A bulk carrier M/V Savina was traveling at that time from Australia to China when its crew witnessed the incident.

The crew of M/V Savina immediately alerted the authorities, who also immediately sent personnel to rescue the victims.

Muyuela said search and rescue mission continues in a bid to locate the whereabouts of the seven others that were reported missing.

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/zamboanga/local-news/2014/08/15/navy-rescues-12-badjaos-359929

Kerry reaffirms ‘ambitious agenda’ of U.S. engagement in Asia, Pacific

From the Manila Times (Aug 15): Kerry reaffirms ‘ambitious agenda’ of U.S. engagement in Asia, Pacific

Outlining what he termed the United States’ “ambitious agenda” of long-term engagement in Asia and the Pacific, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said yesterday in a policy speech at the East-West Center in Honolulu that complex challenges such as climate change and maritime territorial disputes can be transformed into opportunities for such advances as clean energy development and regional cooperation.

“We know that America’s security and prosperity are closely and increasingly linked to the Asia Pacific,” Kerry said. “That’s why President Obama began what is known as the rebalance to Asia in 2009, and that’s why he’s asked me to redouble my own efforts in the region.”

Speaking at the conclusion of his sixth trip to the Asia Pacific region as secretary, Kerry focused his remarks on four challenges in particular: fostering sustainable economic growth, transforming the climate change crisis into a clean energy “revolution,” turning territorial conflicts into regional cooperation and empowering individuals through gains in human rights and political freedom.

“These important opportunities can and should be realized through a stable, rules-based regional order built on norms of behavior that are reinforced by institutions,” Kerry said.

In terms of economic growth, Kerry focused on negotiations over the sweeping, 12-nation Tans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement, or TPP. Negotiators had hoped to conclude a TPP agreement a number of months ago, but progress on the complex pact has slowed since then.

“When the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations are complete, about 40 percent of global GDP will be linked by a high-standard trade agreement that creates a race to the top,” Kerry said, “where people understand the rules of engagement and there’s accountability and transparency.” He said the TPP is a “state-of-the-art, 21st century trade agreement, and it is consistent not just with our shared economic interests, but also with our shared values. It’s about generating growth for our economies and jobs for our people by unleashing a wave of trade, investment, and entrepreneurship.”

Noting that he had just completed a visit to the Solomon Islands, where some areas are facing inundation due to sea level rise, Kerry emphasized that the effects of climate change are already occurring, and that the response has to be “all hands on deck. By definition, rescuing the planet’s climate is a global challenge that requires a global solution.”

Kerry said the solution is simple: clean energy development, which he said is already the fastest-growing segment of a global energy market that is “the biggest market the world has ever seen.”

Acknowledging that much of the challenge rests with the world’s two biggest carbon emitters, the United States and China, Kerry said that during their recent annual Strategic and Economic Dialogue, “we and China together sent a clear message: The world’s two largest greenhouse gas emitters are committed to advancing a low-carbon economic growth pattern and significantly reduce our countries’ greenhouse gases.”

He said the two countries are working together to launch demonstration projects on carbon capture, adopting stronger fuel efficiency standards and advancing a new initiative on deforestation and climate change.

He said the U.S. is also deepening partnerships with the Pacific islands and working through USAID and other multilateral institutions to increase the resilience of island communities.

“We’re elevating our engagement through the Pacific Islands Forum, and we’ve signed new maritime boundaries with Kiribati and the Federated States of Micronesia in order to promote good governance of the Pacific Ocean and peaceful relations among island nations,” Kerry said, adding that the U.S. is working on a “Pacific Pathway” of marine protected areas, including President Obama’s recent commitment to explore a protected area of more than a million square miles in the remote Pacific.

Turning to perhaps the most contentious issue in the region — territorial disputes between China and several other nations over small islands in the South and East China Sea, Kerry said the challenge is “to turn maritime conflicts into regional cooperation.”

“These disputes are really about more than claims to islands and reefs and rocks and the economic interests that flow from them,” he said. “They’re about whether might makes right, or whether global rules and norms and rule of law and international law will prevail.”

Kerry said he wanted to be “absolutely clear: The United States of America takes no position on questions of sovereignty in the South and East China Sea, but we do care about how those questions are resolved. … We firmly oppose the use of intimidation and coercion or force to assert a territorial claim by anyone in the region. And we firmly oppose any suggestion that freedom of navigation and overflight and other lawful uses of the sea and airspace are privileges granted by a big state to a small one.”

Kerry pointed to a recent settlement of a 20-year maritime boundary disagreement between Indonesia and the Philippines, as well as a fishing agreement last year between Japan and Taiwan, as examples of how these disputes can be resolved through good-faith negotiations. He also said that the U.S. supports steps by the Philippines to resolve its maritime dispute with China peacefully, including through the right to pursue arbitration under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Admitting that the U.S. itself has yet to ratify the convention, although it already follows its principles, Kerry said the United States “needs to finish the job and pass that treaty once and for all.”

A key element in maintaining regional peace and stability, Kerry acknowledged, is a “constructive” relationship between the U.S. and China. “President Obama has made it clear that the United States welcomes the rise of a peaceful, prosperous and stable China – one that plays a responsible role in Asia and the world and supports rules and norms on economic and security issues,” he said. “The President has been clear, as have I, that we are committed to avoiding the trap of strategic rivalry.”

However, he said, this “new model” relationship of great powers is “not going to happen simply by talking about it. It’s not going to happen by engaging in a slogan or pursuing a sphere of influence. It will be defined by more and better cooperation on shared challenges. And it will be defined by a mutual embrace of the rules, the norms, and institutions that have served both of our nations and the region so well.”

Kerry said he is pleased that China and the U.S. are cooperating on the Iran nuclear talks, have increased their dialog on North Korea and are also “cooperating significantly on climate change possibilities, counter-piracy operations and South Sudan.”

He reiterated the administration’s commitment to elevating engagement with Asia through multilateral institutions like the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation, or APEC; the East Asia Summit; the ASEAN Regional Forum and others, while “revitalizing“ security partnerships with longtime treaty allies Japan, Australia, South Korea and the Philippines.

Addressing the final challenge on his list, Kerry said the U.S. also hopes to help “turn human rights problems into opportunities for human empowerment.”

“We all know that some countries in the region hold different views on democratic governance and the protection of human rights,” Kerry said. “But though we may sometimes disagree on these issues with the governments, I don’t think we have any fundamental disagreement with their people.

“Given a choice, I don’t think too many young people in China would choose to have less access to uncensored information, rather than more. I don’t think too many people in Vietnam would say: ‘I’d rather not be allowed to organize and speak out for better working conditions or a healthy environment.’ And I can’t imagine that anyone in Asia would watch more than 130 million people go to the polls in Indonesia to choose a president after a healthy, vigorous and peaceful debate and then say: ‘I don’t want that right for myself.’”

North Korea’s nuclear weapons activities, he said, “pose a very serious threat to the United States, the region, and the world, and we are taking steps to deter and defend against North Korea’s pursuit of a nuclear-armed ballistic missile capability. But make no mistake: We are also speaking out about the horrific human rights situation. … North Korea’s gulags should be shut down – not tomorrow, not next week, but now. And we will continue to speak out on this topic.”

During his visit last week to Burma, Kerry said, he saw first-hand the initial progress the country has made toward greater freedoms, “and I’m proud of the role – and you should be too – that the United States has played for a quarter of a century in encouraging that progress.”

But Burma ­– ­ also known as Myanmar – still has a long way to go, he said, and those leading its democratic transformation are only now addressing the deepest challenges: “Defining a new role for the military; reforming the constitution and supporting free and fair elections; ending a decades-long civil war; and guaranteeing in law the human rights that Burma’s people have been promised in name. All of this while trying to attract more investment, combating corruption, protecting the country’s forests and other resources. These are the great tests of Burma’s transition. And we intend to try to help, but in the end the leadership will have to make the critical choices.”

He said the U.S. is going to do everything it can to help reform in Burma, especially by supporting nationwide elections next year. “And we will keep urging the government — as I did last week — to take steps to ease the humanitarian crisis in Rakhine state, and push back against hate speech and religious violence, implement constitutional reform, and protect freedom of assembly and expression,” he said. “The government owes it to the people to do those things.”

Referring to the recent unrest and yet another military coup in longtime U.S. ally Thailand, Kerry said the administration is “very disturbed by the setback to democracy, and we hope it is a temporary bump in the road. We call on the Thai authorities to lift restrictions on political activity and speech, to restore civilian rule, and return quickly to democracy through free and fair elections.”

Summing up the U.S. agenda of what he called “super engagement” in the region, Kerry said: “I have no illusions about the challenges, and nor does President Obama. But what I want to emphasize to you all today is there is a way forward. … We are ambitious for this process: completing the TPP negotiations, creating sustainable growth, powering a clean energy revolution, managing regional rivalries by promoting cooperation, and empowering people from all walks of life — that’s how we’re going to realize the promise of the Asia Pacific.

“This is a region whose countries can and should come together, because there is much more that unites us than divides us. This is a region that can and should meet danger and difficulty with courage and collaboration. And we are determined to deliver on the strategic and historic opportunities that we can create together.”

http://www.manilatimes.net/kerry-reaffirms-ambitious-agenda-of-u-s-engagement-in-asia-pacific/119107/

Military symphatizers of Palparan warn govt

From the Manila Times (Aug 15): Military symphatizers of Palparan warn govt
 
ACTIVE military officers on Friday took the cudgels for retired Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan, once the poster boy of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) anti-insurgency campaign, warning that any unfair treatment against the embattled retired official would be detrimental to the morale of the soldiers.

At the same time, the 800-member Association of Generals and Flag Officers (AGFO), in a statement, denounced the trial by publicity being heaped by military groups against Palparan, who was arrested on August 12 in Manila.

An active officer who holds the rank of a captain lambasted Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin for making Palparan a sacrificial lamb without considering the sentiment of the soldiers who risk their lives and limbs fighting the communist New People’s Army.

“The worse of them all is the SND (Secretary of National Defense). He has himself interviewed on television, boosting that he had long wanted to make the arrest of Gen. Palparan as a gift to the President so as to make the President smile,” the officer, who requested anonymity, told The Manila Times.

“It was a very expensive smile by the President. It is equivalent to the frown of more than a hundred thousand soldiers. Do our leaders understand our sentiment, our feeling?” the source said.

He added that Gazmin and other government officials were more preoccupied with external issues, fooling themselves that the NPA is already a spent force.

“The threat of the CNN (Communist Party of the Philippines-NPA-National Democratic Front) is very much alive. And while we are fooling ourselves that they are no longer a formidable force, we will wake again up one day that we are again on a curative mode, reactionary soldiers,” the source warned.

A parallel case, he pointed out, that of the officers and men who were charged before the Office of the Ombudsman in connection with the arrest of 43 suspected rebels, more popularly known as the Morong 43, in Morong, Rizal.

The rebels, the source said, were ordered released by the government to appease the communist leadership at the expense of the soldiers who only did their jobs.

“Capture of Palparan, laughing pill for Aquino,” he added.

The source described Palparan as a model soldier, one of the few who has not been involved in any malfeasance while in service, but whose only fault was his dedication to his job as member of the AFP.

“The truth is, the arrest of Palparan will make other generals look bad because Gen, Palparan has not been involved in graft and corruption, no [record of] immorality or issues of excesses. He did not enrich himself while in service,” he pointed out.

Maj. Amado Gutierrez, spokesman for the 8th Infantry Division, also warned that any unfair treatment against Palparan would cause demoralization among soldiers on the frontline.

“For me, Gen. Palparan is a good soldier. The government should see to it that his rights will be respected, that he is still innocent until proven guilty by the court of law, Otherwise, it will cause demoralization among soldiers that look up to him,” Gutierrez said.

On the positive side, he added that Palparan’s arrest would give him the opportunity to air his side of the story.

Capt. Alberto Caber, spokesman, Eastern Mindanao Command, said that the case of Palparan is better left to the court for evaluation.

Meanwhile, AGFO Chairman and President Lt. Gen. Edilberto Adan (retired) said Palparan should be given his day in court against his accusers and should not be linked to politics.

http://www.manilatimes.net/military-symphatizers-palparan-warn-govt/119296/

Militant groups see Palparan’s arrest as cover up

From the Sun Star-Cagayan de Oro (Aug 15): Militant groups see Palparan’s arrest as cover up

VARIOUS civil society groups in northern Mindanao see the arrest of retired Major General Jovito Palparan as a cover up to the major issues the government officials are facing today.

“The manner of his arrest and the [length] of the manhunt operation are not that convincing to us. Why is it only now? Why is the arrest timely when the country is facing endless issues that are like popping out from cans? We do not want to think that it is ‘scripted’ but yes, we are thinking it is,” Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas-10 (KMP-10) secretary general Richard Colao said Thursday.

Palparan, dubbed as “The Butcher,” went into hiding in 2011 when a warrant was issued for him and three other Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) officers by Bulacan Regional Trial Court for the disappearance of UP students Karen Empeño and Sherlyn Cadapan on June 26, 2006.

Palparan was arrested in Sta. Mesa, Manila on Tuesday by a team composed of the members of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), AFP’s Philippines Naval Intelligence, and Security Force/Counter Intelligence Group.

His known hideouts were in Cagayan de Oro and in Manila near Polytechnic University of the Philippines beside a barangay hall which student activists likely believe the arrest was “well-planned” by the government.

“If he is really the most wanted man in the country for the many cases of extra-judicial killings during Gloria Arroyo’s term, why did it take long to find him? It is an insult when his hideout is just beside a barangay hall,” Student Christian Movement-10 coordinator Rommel Limjoco said.

“There are so many problems the country is facing now. Two of those are the controversial Disbursement Acceleration Program and the Priority Development Assistance Fund where government officials are involved in alleged anomalous transactions. Maybe, for the public to drift away from these issues, they try to ‘present’ Palparan,” he said.

College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP) northern Mindanao coordinator Rocha Bihag added that even with Palparan’s arrest, justice still has not been served yet.

“Even with his captivity, there are still other extra-judicial killings happening and ongoing in the country. It is already expected that after Palparan, it still won’t end there. There is even Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (Edca) where it calls for more future killings,” Bihag said.

While Palparan’s apprehension raised eyebrows and caused protests, Bihag said they are happy that justice is making progress.

In Bangkok, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) welcomes the arrest of Palparan, which represents an important step toward addressing impunity for serious human rights abuses in the Philippines.

In early 2007, after his official mission to the Philippines, the UN Special Rapporteur on Summary Executions recommended that "as Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces, the President must take concrete steps to put an end to those aspects of counterinsurgency operations which have led to the targeting and execution of many individuals working with civil society organizations."

OHCHR recognizes the current efforts of the Aquino administration to follow-up on the recommendations of the Special Rapporteur, and further encourages the Government to take additional steps to strengthen the rule of law and accountability mechanisms.

“Ensuring justice in this case will set an important precedent for the Philippines and South East Asia region, where impunity remains an issue of serious concern,” the statement read.

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cagayan-de-oro/local-news/2014/08/15/militant-groups-see-palparan-s-arrest-cover-359841

Photo: Taser technique

From the Manila Standard Today (Aug 15): Photo: Taser technique



US Ambassador Philip Goldberg(2nd from right) and US Marine Capt. Craig Thomas (right) watch as a US Marine Instructor shows how to use a taser gun during a demonstration at the Philippine Marine headquarters in Taguig City.  DANNY PATA

http://manilastandardtoday.com/2014/08/15/taser-technique/

2 suspected NPA rebels killed in Agusan Sur clash

From GMA News (Aug 15): 2 suspected NPA rebels killed in Agusan Sur clash

Two suspected New People's Army rebels were killed following a clash with government security forces in Agusan del Sur Friday, a regional military commander said.

Citing field reports, Maj. Gen. Ricardo Visaya, commander of the Army's 4th Infantry Division around 11 a.m., patrolling members of the 8th Infantry Battalion engaged about 20 rebels in Barangay Binicalan in San Luis town.

Visaya said the firefight left two insurgents dead with no reported government casualties.

The operating troops also recovered eight high-powered firearms: four AK47 rifes, two M16 rifes, an M203 grenade launcher and an AR15 rifle.
 
The troops have been pursuing the insurgents since Wednesday after receiving information from local residents of the group's extortion activities in the area.
 

China says PH should revoke arbitration

From AngMalaya (Aug 15): China says PH should revoke arbitration

“If the Philippine side would like to carry out this plan, then it should revoke international arbitration in the first place, because that is the third step of its plan,” Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told reporters in the sidelines of ASEAN-China Ministers meeting held last August 9.

“But what it has done today is to jump the first two steps to go directly to the third step,” the Chinese top diplomat said.

According to him, China is willing to halt construction activities in West Philippine Sea and cooperate with the proposal if Philippines will revoke its case filed in the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague, Netherlands.

Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario brought up Triple Action Plan, Philippine government’s approach to solve maritime dispute in the said meeting.

“When we put the TAP on the table, there were no objections. This is unique for ASEAN that an initiative does not encounter objections. I think people in ASEAN understood that we need to do something. Some spoke out. Some spoke out loudly. I know that there were sectors that believed in quieting things down, but as I said, from some sectors, the reaction was muted,” del Rosario said.

The approach includes three phases which includes arbitration as the final stage. First phase is to fully implement Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea which calls to stop all activities that escalate tension, while the second phase is an early conclusion of a binding Code of Conduct.

China indisputably claims virtually the entire South China Sea including Kalayaan Islands in West Philippine Sea.

Philippines is expecting the decision from the Permanent Court of Arbitration early 2016.

http://www.angmalaya.net/world/2014/08/15/3263-china-says-ph-should-revoke-arbitration

3 cops hurt, 3 heavy equipment destroyed in NPA attacks in South Cotabato

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 15): 3 cops hurt, 3 heavy equipment destroyed in NPA attacks in South Cotabato

Three policemen were wounded and three heavy equipment destroyed in separate attacks staged early Friday by suspected members of the New People’s Army (NPA) in remote villages in Koronadal City and Tampakan town in South Cotabato.

South Cotabato Gov. Daisy Avance-Fuentes said an estimated 20 to 30 heavily armed rebels aboard a commandeered utility van initially stormed a quarry site along the Topland River in Koronadal City at around 4 a.m. Friday and torched three heavy equipment owned by a local construction company.

She said the three heavy equipment, which were deployed in a quarry site in Purok Riverside in Barangay Topland, were totally destroyed.

The suspects attempted to burn two other equipment owned by a quarry operator but failed to inflict any significant damage, she said.

About 30 minutes later, Fuentes said two suspected rebels aboard a motorcycle lobbed a grenade at a detachment of the South Cotabato Police Public Safety Company (PPSC) in Barangay Sta. Cruz in Tampakan, injuring three policemen

“These attacks were clearly coordinated and the circumstances showed that they were the handiwork of the NPA,” the governor said in a radio interview.

Dads Bacalso, operations head of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, said the suspects reportedly came to the area aboard two utility vans.

She said 10 of the suspects initially held at gunpoint the caretaker of a quarry site operated by the construction firm of Engr. Fernando Bascon and proceeded to pour gasoline and burn the three heavy equipment that comprised a grader, loader and crusher.

The caretaker said the suspects were clad in Army fatigues, “in full battle gear” and were speaking in Cebuano or Visayan dialect, she said.

Bacalso said the suspects then turned to two other loaders owned by quarry operator Engr. Edwin Bonilla and tried to burn them but reportedly ran out of gasoline.

She said the armed men then hastily left the area aboard the utility vans, one of which was later found abandoned in Purok Randal of Sitio Tabialong in nearby Barangay Cacub.

The area is located near the boundary of Koronadal City and Columbio town in Sultan Kudarat.

Bacalso said they were assessing the damage caused by the attack but an aide of Engr. Bascon, who is an uncle of Koronadal City Mayor Peter Miguel, placed the value of the destroyed heavy equipment at around P8 million.

She said they were also verifying reports that the area’s quarry operators had received threats from an undisclosed armed group prior to the attack.

Meantime, Sr. Insp. Joel Fuerte, deputy police chief of the Tampakan municipal police station, said pursuit operations are currently ongoing against the suspected NPA rebels who attacked the PPSC detachment in Barangay Sta. Cruz.

He said the operations are focused on the two motorcycle riding-in-tandem suspects who hurled the grenade.

Citing their initial investigation, the suspects used an improvised grenade in the attack that slightly injured three PPSC personnel assigned at the detachment.

“It was plain harassment and clearly meant to sow fear among local residents and those assigned at the detachment,” Fuerte added.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=673110

Newly-trained CAFGU members to be deployed in Negros Occidental

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 15): Newly-trained CAFGU members to be deployed in Negros Occidental

Two hundred seventy newly-trained members of the Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit (CAFGU) members in Negros Occidental will be deployed to various areas in the province.

“They will be assigned in insurgency-affected areas of Negros,” said Col. Jon Aying, commander of the Philippine Army’s 303rd Infantry Brigade.

The 270 CAFGU members completed their three-month basic military training Wednesday in rites held at Barangay La Granja, La Carlota City, with Mayor Juliet Marie Ferrer as guest of honor and speaker.

There are more than 1,000 CAFGU members deployed in Negros Occidental under the supervision of the 12th Infantry (Cadre) Battalion, military records show.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=673298

PNP launches manhunt vs NPA in dawn grenade attack

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 15): PNP launches manhunt vs NPA in dawn grenade attack

Police authorities in Tampakan town in South Cotabato have launched a manhunt against suspected members of the New People's Army (NPA) who tossed a hand grenade at a roadside police detachment Saturday dawn, police said Friday.

A police officer, his wife and a soldier were wounded when the suspects lobbed the hand grenade at the detachment of 1st Manuever Platoon of the PNP Public Safety Copany in Barangay Sta. Cruz, Tampakan, South Cotabato, according to DXOM Radyo Bida.

The grenade attack occurred at 4 a.m. according to Police Officer 1 Norberto Lanaria. Lanaria and his wife, Haydee and Corporal Florante Basco of the 27th Infantry Battalion were asleep when the grenade exploded.

They all sustained minor injuries.

A motorcycle was seen leaving the vicinity seconds after the blast.

The grenade attack came hours after NPA guerrillas torched quarry equipment in Barangay Topland, Koroandal City.

More police checkpoints were put up around Tampakan which hosts mining companies that communist guerrillas had also been harassing.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=673343

Vivar appointed as Central Command chief

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 15): Vivar appointed as Central Command chief

Major Gen. Nicanor M. Vivar on Friday was appointed commander of the Cebu-based Central Command Friday.

He replaces Lt. Gen. John S. Bonafos who was appointed as Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) vice chief-of-staff.

Vivar is a member of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) “Sandigan” Class of 1982.

Prior his appointment, the former served as commander of the 3rd Air Division which is based at Edwin Andrews Air Base in Zamboanga City.

Vivar is the 16th Central Command chief.

The former is a native of Hagonoy, Bulacan, is the second member of PMA “Sandigan” Class, which holds one of the top positions in the AFP.

Vivar formerly headed the 205th Tactical Helicopter Wing, 100th Training Wing, and the 5th Fighter Wing.

He has also underwent various career courses and trainings, both local and abroad, including several courses in Australia and his Air Command and Staff Course in Alabama, USA.

Vivar is also a recipient of numerous awards and commendations including a Distinguished Service Star, Presidential Medal of Merit, Bronze Cross Medals, Silver Wing Medal and the Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao Campaign Medals.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=673129

AFGO decries trial by publicity being waged by militant groups against retired Major Gen. Palparan

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 15): AFGO decries trial by publicity being waged by militant groups against retired Major Gen. Palparan

The 800-strong members of the Association of General and Flag Officers (AFGO) on Friday denounced the trial by publicity being heaped by militant groups against retired Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan after his arrest last Tuesday.

“Let him have his day in court and defend himself against his accusers. He is entitled to due process. Our justice system presumes that he is innocent until proven otherwise in a court of law,” AGFO president Lt.Gen. Edilberto P. Adan said.

He added that the case against Palparan should not be linked to politics.

“Professional soldiers like Major Gen. Palparan faced hardships and risks, and had put his life on the line like countless Filipino soldiers in the service of the country, starting as a junior officer in the 1970s. His courage and leadership had saved lives and protected communities. His sacrifices should be taken into account,” Adan stated.

“If he had abused his power and authority or committed any crime against anyone as the militants claim, then allow him to face his accusers, and they should present evidence for evaluation by competent authorities so that justice maybe served. Lest we forget, this is how it works in a democracy,” Adan said.

“We sympathize with the families of the victims of this long running insurgency whether they are civilians or soldiers. But branding Major Gen. Palparan as a ‘berdugo’ and playing it up in the media does not help the quest for justice. We should not forget that the real enemies are those who resort to violence and intimidation to achieve their selfish political ends. In many societies, such actions are considered acts of terrorism, and those who commit them, terrorists," the AFGO president concluded.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=673123

180 Filipino naval personnel to participate in Australian Navy's 'Kakadu 2014'

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 15): 180 Filipino naval personnel to participate in Australian Navy's 'Kakadu 2014'

Around 180 Filipino naval officers and enlisted personnel will be participating in "Kakadu 2014" -- the Royal Australian Navy's largest maritime exercise which will take place from Aug. 25 to Sept. 12.

These personnel are those aboard the BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PF-16) and its embarked AgustaWestland AW-109 "Power" helicopter (PNH-431), medical team and the exercise directorate members.

Ensign John Windy Abing, Philippine Navy (PN) public affairs office chief for "Kakadu 2014," said the send-off ceremony for BRP Ramon Alcaraz and her crew will be on Sunday at the Subic Bay Freeport in Zambales

"Kakadu 2014" is the largest international maritime exercise hosted biennially by RAN and represents an opportunity to promote and enhance regional interoperability and cooperation among the participating navies.

Abing said that this year's exercise will be participated in by 12 countries.

The participating countries with navy ships/aircraft are Japan, New Zealand, the Philippines, Pakistan and Australia while Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Thailand, Vanuatu, South Korea, and India will be sending personnel as observers.

This is the second time the PN is sending its ship to participate since the exercise began in 1993.

Abing said the first time that the PN sent a ship was in 1999.

PN observers were also sent in 2003, 2005, and 2007.

The PN’s participation is expected to enhance its surface warfare capabilities and interoperability with regional navies.

It will also be an opportunity for the PN to enhance cooperation, camaraderie, and good working relationship with the participating navies.

It can be recalled that in March 2014, Alcaraz’s sister ship, BRP Gregorio Del Pilar (PF-16), was also sent to Indonesia to participate for the first time in the multilateral naval exercise codenamed “Komodo” which was participated in by 16 countries.

The PN’s participation in multilateral exercises can be attributed to its commitment in collaborating with other navies to promote peace and stability in the maritime region.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=673369

2 rebels killed in Agusan Del Sur encounter

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 15): 2 rebels killed in Agusan Del Sur encounter

Two New People's Army (NPA) fighters were killed following an encounter with troopers of the 26th Infantry Battalion in Sitio Tabon-Tabon, Barangay Mahagsay, San Luis town, Agusan Del Sur on Friday morning.

This took place around 11 a.m., 4th Infantry Division commander Major Gen. Ricardo Visaya said.

He added that government troopers were conducting routine security patrols when they encountered 20 NPA fighters believed to be members of Guerilla Front Committee 88.

In the issuing firefight, two rebels, including one female, were killed and eight high-powered firearms were recovered.

Visaya said that the bodies of the slain rebels were recovered.

Pursuit operations are still ongoing.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=673203

Palace, GRP-MILF peace panels finally resolve 'crucial' issues in proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 15): Palace, GRP-MILF peace panels finally resolve 'crucial' issues in proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law

Malacanang and the Philippine government (GPH)-Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) peace panels finally resolved "crucial issues" in the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) that is set to be submitted to President Benigno Aquino III next week.

In a joint statement by Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa and Bangsamoro Transition Commission Chairman Mohagher Iqbal Friday, they said that after a series of productive meetings by both panels and Palace officials, they have concluded discussions on the various issues involving the draft Basic Bangsamoro Law (BBL) originally drafted by the Bangsamoro Transition Commission and submitted to the President last April.

"The parties have agreed that the resolutions arrived at by both parties will be incorporated into the final draft Basic Bangsamoro Law that will be prepared and submitted to President Aquino," it added.

The submission of the draft bill to Congress has been stalled after the President's legal team want some changes in the draft bill.

The GPH and MILF peace panels earlier set August 18 as their deadline for submitting the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law to the President.

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

They said both parties have "reached an 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 Bangsamoro Basic Law seeks to create a new political entity to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

This was also embodied in the comprehensive peace agreement signed last March by the MILF and the government, which aims to end the decades-long armed conflict in Mindanao.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=673297

Retired generals: Palparan a butcher? Don't forget real enemies

From Rappler (Aug 15): Retired generals: Palparan a butcher? Don't forget real enemies

Alluding to the communist NPA, the 800-member Association of General and Flag Officers says, 'The real enemies are those who resort to violence and intimidation to achieve their selfish political ends'

TRIAL BY PUBLICITY? Retired generals denounce the 'butcher' tag of Major General Jovito Palparan Jr
TRIAL BY PUBLICITY? Retired generals denounce the 'butcher' tag of Major General Jovito Palparan Jr

Retired generals are hurting over what they say is a "trial by publicity" one of their own, retired Major General Jovito Palparan Jr, who is now detained for the alleged abduction of University of the Philippines (UP) students in 2006.

The 800-member Association of General and Flag Officers (AGFO), led by retired Lieutenant General Edilberto Adan, issued a statement on Friday, August 15, denouncing the "berdugo" (butcher) moniker that activists have given Palparan.

“We sympathize with the families of the victims of this long running insurgency, whether they are civilians or soldiers. But branding Major General Palparan as a ‘berdugo’ and playing it up in the media does not help the quest for justice," read the AGFO statement signed by Adan.

"We should not forget that the real enemies are those who resort to violence and intimidation to achieve their selfish political ends. In many societies, such actions are considered acts of terrorism, and those who commit them, terrorists,” the generals said.

The statement was clearly alluding to the New People's Army (NPA), the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines that has been waging awar with the government for 4 decades now.

Palparan has been painted by militants as the face of the military's alleged human rights violations during the Arroyo administration. Allegations of extrajudicial killings and disapperances involving political activist and leftist elements followed him wherever he was assigned, earning him the notorious moniker.

To fellow soldiers, however, Palparan was a "professional soldier" who put his life on the line to protect the Filipino people, the statement added. (WATCH: Fugitive General Palparan arrested in Manila)

“Professional soldiers like Major General Palparan faced hardships and risks, and had put his life on the line like countless Filipino soldiers in the service of the country, starting as a junior officer in the 1970s. His courage and leadership had saved lives and protected communities. His sacrifices should be taken into account,” the group said.

A Bulacan court issued in December 2011 warrants of arrest against Palparan and 2 other soldiers. He fled and was in hiding for almost 3 years until he fell to military operatives on Tuesday, August 12. (READ: Palparan's fall: 'Naisahan 'nyo ako,' he tells soldiers)

AGFO said the media campaign against Palparan is a violation of his right to due process.

“Let him have his day in court and defend himself against his accusers. Our justice system presumes that he is innocent until proven otherwise in a court of law,” AGFO said.

“If he had abused his power and authority or committed any crime against anyone as the militants claim, then allow him to face his accusers, and they should present evidence for evaluation by competent authorities so that justice maybe served. Lest we forget, this is how it works in a democracy,” he added.

http://www.rappler.com/nation/66331-retired-generals-statement-support-palparan