2014 Public Opinion Survey Data on the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)/New People's Army (NPA)

Excerpt from "A chockfull of horrors" Opinion piece in Rappler (Sep 27): 2014 Public Opinion Survey Data on the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)/New People's Army (NPA)

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Stand Up, Bayan!

But perhaps the most horrendous news was the near-lynching of DBM Secretary Butch Abad by a University of the Philippines’ organization called Stand UP. The bellicose behavior of the militant group was jaw-dropping.

Secretary Abad graciously (and courageously) accepted the invitation of the UP Student Council to explain and dialogue about DAP. When he was about to leave, the Stand UP mob threw paper, coins and invectives at him. One of the herd even tried to yank Abad out of his vehicle by the collar.

The spokeswoman of the group was defiant and unremorseful. In a TV interview, she brazenly denied that someone from her group collared the Secretary. She obviously forgot that there were videos.

As a UP alumna who has joined many student protests, I am aghast at such vicious behavior. Even if they felt righteous indignation, they crossed the line and damaged their cause.

 

'LYNCH MOB.' Budget Secretary Florencio Abad meets an angry crowd of students after a UP forum. Screengrab from YouTube video

 

Delirious passion and frothing-in-the-mouth fury does not justify a physical attack, anymore than extreme hatred for America does not condone the beheading of journalists.

Just what is Stand UP so enraged about?

For one, their party was soundly rejected and thrashed at the campus election for Student Council. Since the forum was sponsored by their victorious opponent, did they deliberately want to wreak havoc? Was Abad just collateral damage?

They are also aligned with the leftist partylist Anakbayan. Bayan Muna is the parent organization. The family tree is confirmed and the DNA is unmistakable.

When the country was under an oppressive dictatorship, the militant organizations had an idealistic ideology and walked the talk. Some even paid with their lives. Many empathized with the cause. This contribution is enshrined in history. It cannot be diminished.

But since then, the leftist brand has been badly tarnished, mostly by their own hand. Fierce in-fighting among the reaffirmists who accept, and rejectionists who disagree, with the philosophy and leadership of self-exiled Jose Maria Sison has taken its toll. The rift has been long, bitter, and bloody.

With the discordant voice, the extreme antics and the often-misdirected wrath, the Left is losing the battle for hearts and minds.

In a nationwide survey taken during the first quarter of 2014 among 1,380 respondents, MF aged 15-50 years, the awareness for the Communist Party of the Philippines(CPP) and its political arm the National Democratic Front (NDF) was at 73%, mostly in balance Luzon among the older 40-49 years old segment.

The New People’s Army (NPA) had 98% awareness across all segments. But the NPA garnered the highest score, 31%, as the top group perceived to have no good effect on the community.

Asked if any of these leftist groups can lead the country, the answer was an overwhelming strongly disagree:

NPA: 87%
CPP: 85%
NDF: 84%

Asked if political prisoners should be released as a condition of resuming the peace talks, 84% said no.

If the Left still want to be an influential force, they should calm down and find a legitimate and productive purpose in society.

http://www.rappler.com/thought-leaders/70305-chockfull-of-horrors

PHIBLEX: Marines, Navy participating in Philippine amphibious exercise

From the Stars & Stripes (Sep 26): PHIBLEX: Marines, Navy participating in Philippine amphibious exercise

U.S. Marines and sailors arrive in a high speed vessel swift at the Navy Support Depot, Subic Bay, Philippines, Sept. 19, 2014, to begin preparations for the bilateral Amphibious Landing Exercise (PHIBLEX 15).
Sara A. Medina/U.S. Marine Corps

 YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan — Okinawa-based Marines and sailors are taking part in an exercise that is designed to boost the Philippine military’s amphibious capabilities.

The PHIBLEX 15 event, which runs Sunday through Oct. 10 in the Southeast Asian country, includes a command-post exercise, field-training, live-fire practice and humanitarian and civic assistance projects, according to a Marine Corps statement.

 

Some 1,200 Filipino troops will be joined by 3,500 Marines and sailors from the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, III Marine Expeditionary Force, the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, a Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force and the Navy’s Commander, Task Force 76.

 

“PHIBLEX will continue to enhance the interoperability between U.S. Navy and Marine Corps forces and their Philippine counterparts with a focus on improving our bilateral response to regional issues and maritime security crises,” the statement said.

 

The exercise comes at a time when the Armed Forces of the Philippines are shifting focus from counter-insurgency operations to external threats.

 

The island nation, which recently signed an agreement to let U.S. forces and contractors operate out of agreed locations in the Philippines for at least 10 years, has clashed with China over claims to a number of small islands and the resource-rich waters around them.

 

http://www.stripes.com/news/phiblex-marines-navy-participating-in-philippine-amphibious-exercise-1.305063

Only 200 NPA rebels left in Negros - Army

From the Sun Star-Bacolod (Sep 26): Only 200 NPA rebels left in Negros - Army

COLONEL Jon Aying, commander of the 303rd Infantry Brigade of the Philippine Army in Negros Occidental, said there are only 200 members of the New People's Army (NPA) left in the province.

However, the number remains the same because the rebels would immediately replace those who have been neutralized, or surrendered, killed and captured during an encounter with the military.

"We have a hardship in reducing their number because of that immediate replacement by the rebels," Aying said.

All over the country, there were about 4,000 NPA rebels as of March this year.

Aying said that for the past three years, 150 to 170 NPA rebels in the province were neutralized by the military.

He further said that one way of gaining the confidence of the masses is the military's "Winning the Peace" program which has been ongoing for the past several months.

"We are bringing service to the people so that they can feel our sincerity towards peace," Aying said.

For the past two months, no atrocities were reported in the province and 32 loose firearms were surrendered to the 11th Infantry Battalion in the Fifth District.

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/bacolod/local-news/2014/09/26/only-200-npa-rebels-left-negros-army-367687

Woman wanted for rebellion nabbed

From Tempo (Sep 26): Woman wanted for rebellion nabbed

CAMP PRESIDENT QUIRINO, Ilocos Sur – A suspected member of the New People’s Army (NPA) facing rebellion charges was captured by military and police operatives in Barangay Comillas North, Cervantes, Ilocos Sur, it was reported yesterday.

Senior Supt. Nestor Felix, Ilocos Sur police director, confirmed the arrest of suspected NPA amazon identified as Mararose Long-ag, 26, a resident of Barangay Comillas North, Cervantes, Ilocs Sur. She was enrolled as 4th year criminology student at the Mountain Province Polytechnic State College in Tadian, Mountain Province.

He said Long-ag was nabbed on the strength of a warrant of arrest issued by Judge Modesto Quismorio of Regional Trial Court Branch 25, Tagudin, Ilocos Sur, on November 27, 2012 for the crime of rebellion with no bail.

The suspect allegedly participated in the ambush of Philippine Army troops on June 12, 2004 at Bessang Pass, Cervantes, Ilocos Sur, that resulted in the death of at least nine soldiers and wounding of several others.

Upon her arrest, the suspect was immediately presented to Ilocos region police director, Chief Superintendent Roman A. Felix, and is now under the custody of La Union Police Office.

http://www.tempo.com.ph/2014/09/woman-wanted-for-rebellion-nabbed/

Ex-snoop cop warns of Luzon jihad cells

From the Manila Standard Today (Sep 27): Ex-snoop cop warns of Luzon jihad cells

THE country’s security managers should seriously watch out for the revival of an Islamist extremist group linked with the Al Qaeda network that is believed to have been involved in the 2004 Super Ferry 14 bombing that killed 116 people and the 2005 Valentine’s Day where 16 people were slain.

Retired national police intelligence chief Rodolfo “Boogie” Mendoza said it was not far-fetched for jihadists to establish cells in Luzon because they have already done so in the past and a number of uncaptured extremists are still at large.

“There are possibilities they might re-establish,” said Mendoza, who was one of the key personalities in the arrest of international terrorist Ramzi Yousef and the discovery of the Bojinka plot which is considered to be the blueprint for the 2001 terror attacks in the United States.

Mendoza recalled that the police, under the command of then Superintendent Greg Pimentel, were able to uncover in Anda, Pangasinan a training camp of the Rajah Solaiman Movement, which the United States considers a terrorist organization along with the Abu Sayyaf.

Meanwhile in Los Angeles, another Filipino jihadist and his American guru face life in prison after they were found guilty of plotting to aid jihadists overseas and to kill US soldiers.

A jury convicted Sohiel Omar Kabir, 36, a naturalized US citizen, and Filipino Ralph Deleon, 25, at the conclusion of a six-week trial that comes as the United States leads air strikes in Syria and Iraq against Islamic militants.

Deleon was specifically found guilty of conspiring to provide material support to Al-Qaeda, to receive military-type training from the group and to commit murder, kidnapping, or maiming overseas.

“This case shows that the appeal of extremist ideologies can reach from Afghanistan to America,” said United States Attorney Stephanie Yonekura after the trial in Riverside County, east of Los Angeles.

This demonstrated “the clear need for continued vigilance in rooting out homegrown violent extremists who plot terrorist acts both here and abroad.”

Two co-conspirators—Miguel Alejandro Santana Vidriales and Arifeen David Gojali—had already pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.

The trial heard evidence that Kabir traveled to Afghanistan in 2012 and encouraged Santana and Deleon to come with him, saying they would all join “the students”—Taliban militants—and “the professors”—Al-Qaeda.

An undercover FBI agent contacted Santana and Deleon. The latter said he wanted to go abroad to wage “violent jihad,” while Santana said he wanted to be a sniper.

In September 2012, Deleon and Santana recruited Gojali to accompany them to Afghanistan.

The three undertook preliminary training in southern California at firearms and paintball facilities.

The trio were arrested in November that year as they prepared to drive south to Mexico, en route to Afghanistan.

FBI Los Angeles agent Bill Lewis said: “The threat posed to America’s security by individuals within the United States who support terrorists is very real.

“This case demonstrates the process by which individuals living in the United States were groomed and radicalized toward an extremist ideology and, ultimately, planned the murder of American and coalition forces.” Judge Virginia A. Phillips will hand down sentences on February 23.

According to the US Treasury Department, the RSM “received training, funds, and operational assistance from [Abu Sayyaf] and Jemaah Islamiyah.”

The terror group began receiving funds from “private Saudi sources that channeled funds through charitable non-government organizations in the Philippines” starting in 2004.

“Between 2002 and late 2005, Saudi financiers and at least one Saudi-based Filipino financier also contributed funds to RSM for its training camps and planned terror operations,” the US treasury department said.

The RSM was founded by Hilarion del Rosario Santos, who changed his name to Ahmad Santos after he converted to Islam while working in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in 1991, Mendoza said.

Mendoza said the neutralization of the RSM came a year after Redondo Cain Dellosa, another member of the group, was arrested and confessed to planting a bomb on the Super Ferry vessel in 2004.

Mendoza said the RSM was not only able to put a terror cell in Pangasinan, but also in Tarlac and Pampanga where security forces raided their hideout and arrested another member, Khalil Trinidad.

“Those two areas were used as their training ground,” Mendoza said, adding however that Santos is now detained at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City where television news footage showed Muslim detainees praying before a flag of the Islamic State.

Moreover, Mendoza said the Santos’ brother and second-in-command Dawud, alias Tyrone del Rosario Santos, who was arrested along with his brother Ahmad in 2005, is still at large after he jumped bail in 2005.

“The movement was then planning to expand further in Northern Luzon but failed following their neutralization,” Mendoza said.

Over the past several years, former RSM members continued to be arrested, including Ruben “Omar” Pestano Lavilla Jr. who was arrested in Bahrain in July 2008.

Lavilla is included in the list of suspected terrorists under the Sanctions List of the United Nations Security Council 1267 Committee, also known as the al-Qaeda and Taliban Sanctions Committee.

But Mendoza also expressed concern at persistent reports that the Abu Sayyaf has forged an operational alliance with the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, which is known to be harboring Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir, alias Marwan.

Marwan is believed to be the mastermind behind a series of recent bomb attacks in Mindanao and has US$5 million bounty on his head.

The military had earlier claimed that Marwan was killed in a military air strike in Jolo in 2012, but was later discovered to still be alive and hiding out with the BIFF.

Marwan is believed to be the head of the Kumpulun Mujahidin Malaysia terror group and is a key leader of the Jemaah Islamiyah which had trained Abu Sayyaf jihadists in bomb-making and other terrorist activities.

Marwan is also believed to have trained a young Filipino jihadist, identified only as Malik, who is believed to be responsible for the bombing at the plaza in front of the General Santos City Hall on Sept. 16.

Zulkifli and Malik are also believed to be linked with the Khalifa Islamiah Mindanao, a group that serves as an umbrella organization of the Jemaah Islamiyah, the Abu Sayyaf and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters. KIM has recently adopted the black flag of the Islamic State, a source said.

Last year, former military chief Gen. Emmanuel Bautista confirmed that rogue elements from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the Abu Sayyaf had joined KIM. The group was tagged as behind the July 27, 2013 bombing in Cagayan de Oro City which killed eight people and injured several others.

http://manilastandardtoday.com/2014/09/27/ex-snoop-cop-warns-of-luzon-jihad-cells/

Philippines Probes Alleged ISIS Links in South

From the Institute for War and Peace Reporting (Sep 26): Philippines Probes Alleged ISIS Links in South

Officials insist there is no direct link between Syrian/Iraqi militants and their supporters in Mindanao.


The authorities in the Philippines are investigating reports that Islamic State in Syria and Iraq (ISIS) flags have been raised and pledges of loyalty made to the group in the southern city of Marawi, long regarded as an Islamic fundamentalist stronghold.

Around 100 Filipino Muslims gathered in public to pledge allegiance to ISIS after Friday prayers and urge their community to back ISIS, which has taken over large parts of Syria and Iraq.

Photos uploaded to Facebook showed the blurred faces of people — some of them children — inside a mosque, holding black flags similar to the ISIS banner.

Similar flags have been found following military raids on extremist Muslim groups elsewhere in the southern Philippines over the past few years.

The news comes as the local extremist group Abu Sayyaf threatens to decapitate two German tourists — Stefan Okonek, 71, and Henrike Dielen, 55 — unless Berlin paid a 250 million peso (6.4 million US dollar) ransom, and stopped supporting the United States-led coalition against ISIS.

Local officials confirmed that the meeting in Marawi involved ISIS supporters, and expressed concern about the increasing number of extremists here. This Muslim-majority region has long been the scene of several armed insurgencies involving both Islamic separatists and communist rebels.

“We can think of initial peaceful and persuasive efforts to deal with the ideologues,” provincial governor Mamintal “Bombit” Alonto-Adiong Jr. told a local newspaper.

“We certainly cannot allow religious extremism to escalate into an armed movement.”

In the nearby island province of Basilan, the authorities reported that a group presenting itself as ISIS was aggressively recruiting people, mostly the young.

However, a top Philippine military official says there are no actual links between local ISIS supporters and the Middle East. In a report in the New York Times, military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Ramon Zagala said there were ISIS sympathisers in the country, but they are just riding on the “bandwagon, trying to connect themselves to ISIS”.

“Based on our information, ISIS is not operating here,” he said.

Reuters news agency reported earlier that two Filipino militants had been killed in battle in Syria, and 100 others had flown to Iran for training before being deployed in Syria. While there are no confirmed ties with ISIS, the Philippines government is monitoring the movement of young Muslims who have travelled to Syria or Iraq and then returned home to spread Islamist ideas.

Intelligence officials have noted a steady but significant rise in the number of foreign fighters going to Syria from the Asia-Pacific region.

This is not the first time Filipino Islamists have declared support to ISIS.

In July, senior Abu Sayyaf leader Isnilon Hapilon appeared in a YouTube video swearing an oath of loyalty to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in front of a black banner. Hapilon, who is wanted on terrorism charges and has a five-million dollar bounty on his head from the US authorities, pledged to recruit more ISIS members.

The Philippines government has been battling the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf group for decades. It has been accused of kidnapping and extortions, and apart from the two Germans, it also holds several other foreign hostages, including wildlife photographers Ewold Horn from Holland and Lorenzo Vinciguerre from Switzerland.

On September 25, President Benigno Aquino declared support for the US-led campaign against ISIS. Foreign ministry officials are due to meet their State Department counterparts to discuss a possible role for the Philippines in the coalition.
The US and Arab states launched airstrikes on ISIS strongholds in Syria on September 23, and the coalition is already doing so in Iraq.

http://iwpr.net/report-news/philippines-probes-alleged-isis-links-south

ISIS a serious security concern for PH, Southeast Asia – analyst

ISIS a serious security concern for PH, Southeast Asia – analyst

The extremist and intolerant ideology of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) poses “a serious security concern” to Mindanao and the whole of Southeast Asia.

A Filipino international security analyst, professor Rommel C. Banlaoi aired this warning after two Moro armed groups pledged allegiance to the ISIS now called Islamic State (IS).

A threat by Muslim brigands to kill a German hostage in a show of solidarity with the IS is the latest sign that the Middle East group’s brand of radicalism is winning recruits in Asia and posing a growing security risk in the region.

A spokeswoman for the German foreign ministry issued a statement in Berlin that “threats are no appropriate way of influencing German foreign policy,” and that the ministry’s crisis group was working on the case.

The German man and woman, who were reportedly seized from a yacht in the South China Sea in April, are thought to be held on southern Jolo island by Abu Sayyaf fighters loyal to one-armed Radullan Sahiron. His group is also believed to be holding a Dutch and a Swiss hostage seized in May 2012 and a Japanese man.

‘JIHADISTS’

Over 100 people from Southeast Asia’s Muslim majority countries of Indonesia and Malaysia and the southern Philippine region are believed by security officials and analysts to have joined Islamic State’s fight in Iraq and Syria. Malaysian and Indonesian militants have discussed forming a 100-strong Malay-speaking unit within Islamic State in Syria, according to a report from a well-known security group released this week.

Admiral Samuel Locklear, who heads the US Armed Forces’ Pacific Command, said on Thursday around 1,000 recruits from India to the Pacific may have joined Islamic State to fight in Syria or Iraq.

“That number could get larger as we go forward,” Locklear told reporters at the Pentagon.

Security officials say this has disturbing implications for the region, especially when battle-hardened fighters return home from the Middle East.

SMALL NUMBER

Banlaoi said in Southeast Asia the “ISIS ideology is spreading widely among Muslim extremists,” citing Indonesia in particular as Jemaah Islamiyyah’s Abu Bakar Bashir already pledged allegiance to the group.

Many Muslim organizations in Kalimantan, Sulawesi, and Banda Aceh and other parts of Indonesia have also expressed allegiance to ISIS,” he said.

“But I have to emphasized that those groups and individuals pledging allegiance to ISIS represent only a minuscule element of the entire Muslim population in the region,” he said.

Earlier, the extremist Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), which has degenerated into a kidnap-for-ransom (KFR) band, and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Movement-Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFM-BIFF) had sworn allegiance to the IS.

But security officials doubt the militants have links with IS beyond pledging allegiance to the Middle Eastern group, and see it as a move by Abu Sayyaf to revive its fortunes and gain publicity. A senior leader of the group and several other members made an oath of loyalty to Islamic State in a video uploaded on YouTube in July.

“We believe that there is no direct link, that they are possibly sympathisers joining in the bandwagon to gain popular support,” said AFP spokesperson Ramon Zagala. “We see this as a way to be known, because right now the Abu Sayyaf is in a decline. To directly say that ISIS (Islamic State) is here – there are no indications of that.”

OPEN SUPPORT

To belie claims of the armed forces that there no ISIS members in the PH, a group of 100 supporters gathered openly in Marawi city last week, waving what is believed to be an ISIS flag and pledged support to the group. This is the second time that the group showed its numbers.

Former President Fidel V. Ramos revealed earlier that about 100 Muslim Filipinos were training with ISIS.  Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte also received the same information.

“It is really a serious security concern, not only in Mindanao, but the entire region of Southeast Asia, considering that there are also Muslim leaders and organizations pledging allegiance to ISIS,” said the Filipino academic and political science scholar.

Banlaoi is a director at the Center for Intelligence and National Security Studies, senior lecturer at Miriam College and chairs the Board of the Philippine Institute for Peace, Violence and Terrorism Research (PIPVTR).

He said interpreting the ISIS intention is difficult, though if one looks at its key leadership, they are “promulgating a different interpretation of Islam.”

“But the good thing is that the majority of the Muslim world, particularly the majority population of the Muslim world, condemns the activities of the IS. And in many Muslim communities in Europe they declared participation in ISIS as ‘haram’ or forbidden,” Banlaoi added.

He noted that the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which signed the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) peace accord with the government on March 27 this year already condemned the IS. Even the BIFF, which vowed allegiance to the group, “do not tolerate” the brutal activities of IS.

Banlaoi said though majority of Muslims in the PH are moderate, there are still few who are attracted to the IS because of material considerations.

He urged Islamic religious leaders who command the respect of muslims to campaign against IS to prevent their fellow Muslims from falling prey to IS and protect the young from extremism.

http://www.mb.com.ph/isis-a-serious-security-concern-for-ph-southeast-asia-analyst/

NPA claims new offensives in Davao City

From the Mindanao Examiner BlogSpot site (Sep 26): NPA claims new offensives in Davao City



New People’s Army rebels on Friday took responsibility for recent attacks on state troopers in Davao City in southern Philippines.

Ka Parago Sandoval, a spokesman for the NPA’s 1st Pulang Bagani Battalion, said rebel forces attacked soldiers in Paquibato and Calinan districts where at least 6 infantrymen were killed. He said rebels also ambushed an army vehicle transporting troops in the village of Malabog that left many casualties.

Two soldiers were also slain in sniper attacks in Sumimao and Dominga villages just this week. He said earlier in September, NPA fighters killed a government soldier and wounded three more in Fatima village and seized military backpacks and vests, including munitions, from a detachment of the 69th Infantry Battalion near Mapula village.

“The Army's rights abuses, ranging from harassment, red tagging, psychological warfare, encampment in civilian populace and intimidation, have earned them the ire of the masses. Despite being hated by Paquibato peasants and Lumads, and despite suffering from a high number of casualties, they continue to serve their corrupt and fascist masters in the AFP echelons and the landlord-bourgeois comprador class.”

“Their blind allegiance to corrupt generals and superiors at the 10th Infantry Division-Eastern Mindanao Command only makes them more easy targets of the New People's Army, people's militia and the revolutionary movement,” Sandoval said in a statement sent to the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner.

There was no immediate statement from the Eastern Mindanao Command on the NPA claims.

The outskirts of Davao City are known stronghold of the communist rebel group. The rebels have been fighting for decades now for the establishment of a separate state in the country.

http://www.mindanaoexaminer.net/2014/09/npa-claims-new-offensives-in-davao-city.html

South China Sea row endangers PH maritime industry–expert

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Sep 26): South China Sea row endangers PH maritime industry–expert



Pag-asa Island, part of the disputed Spratly group of islands, in the South China Sea located off the coast of western Philippines. AP FILE PHOTO

The Philippine maritime sector can be “very seriously affected” if China continues to assert its “indisputable sovereignty” in the South China Sea through its nine-dash line claim, a maritime law expert said Friday.

Jay Batongbacal, Director of the University of the Philippines Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea (UP IMLOS), said during a forum Friday that jobs in the Philippine maritime sector faced threats from China’s aggressiveness in the disputed territory.

“The way that China is asserting sovereignty in the South China Sea [through the nine-dash line], the logical effect is that they can decide to not allow seafarers to cross the South China Sea then you would all be out of jobs,” Batongbacal said before students from Maritime schools.

“There are so many practical implications on the loss of freedom of navigation in the South China Sea,” he said. “Definitely, the maritime industry of the Philippines, all of Asia, will be very, very seriously affected.”

China has maintained control over large portions of the South China Sea including parts of the West Philippine Sea despite protests and an ongoing arbitration case before the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea.

The Philippines provides around 375,000 sailors to the world’s shipping industry.

Luis Cruz, Assistant Secretary for Asean Affairs of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), said that the situation in the South China Sea with regards to freedom of navigation could become a “dangerous situation.”

“If China decides they have the right to interdict vessels who do not get permission from them, they can intercept international carriers and naval vessels which is a dangerous situation,” he said in an interview following the forum.

Philippines and China are locked in a maritime dispute over the South China Sea where China was previously spotted conducting reclamation activities in several reefs – believed to be a precursor to the construction of military bases.  http://globalnation.inquirer.net/111730/south-china-sea-row-endangers-ph-maritime-industry-expert

Filipinos joining extremists in Syria, Iraq possible–military exec

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Sep 26): Filipinos joining extremists in Syria, Iraq possible–military exec



DFA Assistant Secretary and spokesman Charles Jose. AP FILE PHOTO

A ranking Philippine military official on Friday said the possibility of Filipinos fighting alongside Islamic extremists in Syria and Iraq could not be discounted.

“We are not discounting the possibility. There are many Filipinos there,” the official, who refused to be named told reporters.

Reports of Filipinos joining the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) circulated after Foreign Affairs Spokesman Charles Jose said they received unverified information that at least 100 Filipinos trained in Iran before they went to Syria. Two Filipino militants reportedly fought with Syrian ISIS forces and were later killed.

The military official said the reports were being verified. “We are validating the information. When we have information we check it.”

There were also persistent reports of ISIS recruitment in parts of Mindanao as well as photos and videos of Filipino militants on social media allegedly pledging allegiance to ISIS, to which the official also denied.

“They have sympathizers but it doesn’t mean they are recruited. They have Filipino sympathizers but we haven’t verified anyone who has joined. We are still checking,” he said.

“But so far what we have validated was that they are riding on the popularity of ISIS,” he said.

US intelligence officials estimate there are about 15,000 foreign fighters in Iraq and Syria fighting with extremist groups.

http://globalnation.inquirer.net/111732/filipinos-joining-extremists-in-syria-iraq-possible-military-exec

Filipino convicted in US of plot to aid jihadists

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Sep 27): Filipino convicted in US of plot to aid jihadists



FACING LIFE SENTENCE US-based Filipino Ralph de Leon has been convicted by a California court for supporting terrorists planning to kill members of the USmilitary. De Leon and another California man allegedly involved in the plot face life imprisonment.

An American and a Filipino face life in prison after they were found guilty on Thursday in California of plotting to aid jihadists and to kill Americans overseas.

A jury convicted Sohiel Omar Kabir, 36, a naturalized US citizen, and Filipino Ralph de Leon, 25, at the conclusion of a six-week trial that comes as the United States leads air strikes in Syria and Iraq against Islamic State militants.

The trial underlined the threat that homegrown extremists pose to the United States.

Kabir and De Leon were each charged with five counts of conspiracy for what prosecutors said was a plan to train overseas as terrorists so they could target the US military and allies.

Kabir was acquitted on one of five conspiracy counts, and jurors were deadlocked on two of the five identical counts against De Leon.

De Leon was specifically found guilty of conspiring to provide material support to al-Qaida, to receive military-type training from the group and to commit murder, kidnapping or maiming overseas.

“This case shows that the appeal of extremist ideologies can reach from Afghanistan to America,” said US Attorney Stephanie Yonekura after the trial in Riverside County, east of Los Angeles.

This demonstrated “the clear need for continued vigilance in rooting out homegrown violent extremists who plot terrorist acts both here and abroad.”

Radical Islamic teachings

Defense lawyers portrayed the two defendants as hapless pot smokers who talked a big game but didn’t intend any harm.

De Leon and two other men were arrested two years ago before embarking on a journey to meet Kabir in Afghanistan. Kabir was later caught by US troops in Kabul.

Federal agents began tracking the group after one of the men, Miguel Santana Vidriales, returned from visiting his mother in Mexico in 2012 with a copy of a jihadist magazine in his possession.

Prosecutors portrayed Kabir as the ringleader who met De Leon and Santana at a hookah bar and introduced them to radical Islamic teachings. Arifeen David Gojali was recruited later.

Target practice

Santana and Gojali previously pleaded guilty and cooperated with prosecutors.

An FBI informant who infiltrated the group secretly recorded many of their discussions about plans to train first with the Taliban and then graduate to al-Qaida.

The men began hiking to prepare for the rugged terrain in Afghanistan, and they took target practice at shooting ranges and played paint ball to simulate combat, authorities said.

Defense lawyers blamed informant Mohammad Hammad for prodding the men along and paying some of their expenses.

Informant paid $380,000

Mohammad, who was once convicted of trafficking a key ingredient of methamphetamine, was paid $380,000 by the United States for his work.

Kabir and De Leon were convicted of conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists and conspiracy to murder US officers or employees overseas.

Kabir was acquitted on a count of conspiracy to murder, kidnap or maim overseas.

Jurors were deadlocked on two conspiracy counts against De Leon: conspiracy to receive military training from al-Qaida and conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization.

Kabir faces sentencing on Feb. 23. De Leon is to return to court on Oct. 20, when prosecutors will announce whether they’ll seek a new trial on the deadlocked counts.

‘Violent jihad’

The trial heard evidence that Kabir traveled to Afghanistan in 2012 and encouraged Santana and De Leon to come with him, saying they would all join “the students”—Taliban militants—and “the professors” al-Qaida.

An undercover FBI agent contacted Santana and De Leon. The latter said he wanted to go abroad to wage “violent jihad,” while Santana said he wanted to be a sniper.

In September 2012, De Leon and Santana recruited Gojali to accompany them to Afghanistan.

The three undertook preliminary training in southern California at firearms and paint ball facilities.

The trio were arrested in November that year as they prepared to drive south to Mexico, en route to Afghanistan.

‘Very real threat’

FBI Los Angeles agent Bill Lewis said: “The threat posed to America’s security by individuals within the United States who support terrorists is very real.

“This case demonstrates the process by which individuals living in the United States were groomed and radicalized toward an extremist ideology and, ultimately, planned the murder of American and coalition forces.”

Kabir and De Leon, both of California, each face life sentences for the convictions in the US District Court.

http://globalnation.inquirer.net/111737/filipino-convicted-in-us-of-plot-to-aid-jihadists

Singapore defense chief visits PH

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Sep 26): Singapore defense chief visits PH

 

Singapore Defense Minister Ng Eng Gen (left) is welcomed by Undersecretary for Defense Operations Natalio C. Ecarma III at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Wednesday. DND PHOTO

Singapore’s Defense Minister Dr. Ng Eng Gen has visited the Philippines to discuss partnership in dealing with natural disasters.

He met with Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin on Thursday at Camp Aguinaldo to discuss bilateral defense relations and agreed to launch a dialogue among defense senior officials of both sides.

The two defense chiefs noted the increasing need to enhance partnerships in dealing with natural disasters, said Arsenio Andolong, acting   chief of public affairs office of the Department of National Defense  on Friday.

Gazmin also presented the Philippines’ security outlook and its efforts to make it more efficient and effective.

“We look forward to a more dynamic bilateral relationship with Singapore, as both countries address security concerns in the Asia-Pacific region. The visit of Minister Ng is a manifestation of a stronger Philippine-Singapore defense relations towards regional peace and stability,” Gazmin said in a statement.

Ng also visited the Office of Civil Defense where a dinner was hosted by Gazmin. He left the country  on Friday  afternoon.http://globalnation.inquirer.net/111734/singapore-defense-chief-visits-ph

Tabak tenders sendoff party for Col. Nagrampa

From the Philippine Information Agency (Sep 26): Tabak tenders sendoff party for Col. Nagrampa

The 1st Infantry (Tabak) Division on Wednesday evening tendered a farewell party for Colonel Agapito Carmelo Nagrampa Jr., the outgoing chief of staff of the Philippine Army’s premiere division.

The party, which was held at the Tennis Court, 1st Infantry Division, Camp Major Cesar San-an, Pulacan was attended by the officers and men of the division led by Tabak commander BGen. Gerardo Barrientos Jr. including civilian employees and guests.

The 55 year-old military official served the 1st Infantry Division as chief of staff from May 23, 2013 – Aug. 30, 2014.

He was a former commanding officer of 55th Infantry Battalion in Oroquieta City, commanding officer of Division Training Unit, and executive officer of 104th Infantry Brigade based in Sulu province.

After serving a year at the 1st Infantry Division, Nagrampa would be transferred to the Eastern Mindanao Command (EastMinCom) in Davao City. He will be replaced by Col. Manuel Felino Ramos.   

BGen. Barrientos in his message said “we are here not necessarily to celebrate the departure of Col. Nagrampa but to pay tribute to the things he has done to the 1st Infantry Division and, at the same time, to welcome the new set of officers who are assigned in the division.”

Barrientos said the farewell party offers an opportunity for the officers to mingle with the troopers. “Coincidentally, in my 83rd day of service in the division, I happened to meet my classmates here,” Barrientos announced.

“We are here to unite our efforts in order for us to achieve our common goal—“unity and heroism,” Barrientos stressed.

Buoyed by the presence of troopers, Barrientos said “the gathering manifests the troopers unity as protectors and defenders of the land.” 

Barrientos encouraged also the troopers to faithfully perform their duties and responsibilities, as “the people in the community have high expectation from them.

http://news.pia.gov.ph/index.php?article=1371411633026

AFP assures security in the waterways and rivers surrounding the city

From the Philippine Information Agency (Sep 26): AFP assures security in the waterways and rivers surrounding the city 

COTABATO CITY – As part of AFP’s role in the maintenance of peace and security in Cotabato City, uniformed men of the Special Armed Forces (SAF) Battalion, under the 603rd Brigade on Monday, Sept. 22 inspected and scoured various river tributaries  in  the area.

Using the air boat, the SAF members travelled and scoured the rivers of Kakar area, Lugay-Lugay, Timaco and the exit part going to Illiana Bay for more than an hour to monitor and intelligence gathering on possible movements of lawless groups and other criminal elements who use the rivers as escape route.

Army’s 603rd Brigade commander Col. Arnel dela Vega said regular inspection of the waterways and river tributaries is being conducted to ensure the security and protection of people and the communities against criminal activities of lawless groups.
  
“I can say - our waterways, the rivers and mainland waterways are relatively secure. We can say that there is no present and immediate threat, dela Vega  said. "We always conduct our preemptive security operations to prevent possible attempts to sow fear and apprehension among our residents,”

He added, “even though we have not received any report of threats regarding the security, we are constantly on alert and vigilant to be on the guard especially along the water ways.

The military official urged the support and cooperation of the public particularly barangay officials in the campaign against lawlessness by reporting presence of suspicious looking individuals to authorities to prevent crimes and other illegal activities.

“We also strengthen our communication capability and coordination efforts with the local police in the conduct of visibility and patrol so that whenever we can see any threat around the waterways we can readily and directly establish a blocking position,” he cited.

Citing the need for proactive stance, he said, they have likewise established detachments along the waterways adding the need for the continued commitment and help of the community especially the barangay tanod to be active in the intensified and aggressive campaign in the maintenance of peace and stability in the area.

http://news.pia.gov.ph/index.php?article=1661411703215

Bangsamoro bill is for genuine autonomy, not separate state -- GPH, MILF assure Congress

From the Philippine Information Agency (Sep 26): Bangsamoro bill is for genuine autonomy, not separate state -- GPH, MILF assure Congress

As Congress began discussions on the Bangsamoro bill for its swift passage into law, the Government of the Philippines (GPH), Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), and  Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) spoke in unison that the future Bangsamoro will exercise genuine autonomy within the flexibilities of the Philippine Constitution. They assured that the Bangsamoro will not be a separate state, but will remain part of the Philippines and under the supervision of the President.

“Supremacy of the Philippine Constitution is a fact found in the Bangsamoro bill. It states that the Bangsamoro is within Philippine territory and it will be under the President's supervision as mandated in the Constitution,” Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Quintos Deles explained.  She emphasized that “autonomy (for the Bangsamoro) does not mean dismemberment from the country, as the future region will still be part of the Philippines.”

BTC and MILF Peace Panel Chair Mohagher Iqbal‎, also cited in his opening statement that “there are enough flexibilities in the Constitution to allow the establishment of the Bangsamoro.”

Deles and Iqbal, together with GPH Peace Panel Chair Professor Miriam Coronel-Ferrer were among the main resource persons invited at the House of Representatives on Wednesday to present and discuss the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law to the Ad Hoc Committee on the BBL, which is headed by Cagayan de Oro 2nd district Rep. Rufus Rodriguez. Members of the BTC and legal teams involved in the crafting of the draft BBL were also present as well as civil society groups.

Deles, in her opening statement, underscored that “it is their (GPH, MILF, and BTC) joint intent that throughout the entire legislative process (for the passage of the Bangsamoro bill), they will continue to work and speak as one.”

The proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law, filed as House Bill 4994 in the House of Representatives and Senate Bill 2804, is the enabling law of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) signed between GPH and MILF on March 27 of this year.  It aims to establish a Bangsamoro region, which will exercise genuine autonomy, that will replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) by 2016.

Lawmakers’ support, scrutiny of the bill
Meanwhile, a number of lawmakers affirmed support for the Bangsamoro bill as they sought clarifications with the BTC, GPH, and MILF on some provisions of the priority measure.

North Cotabato Rep. Nancy Catamco, Chair of the House Indigenous Peoples’ Committee, manifested her support for the passage of the law, saying it is because she can see that IPs in the proposed Bangsamoro territory are supportive of the bill which has explicit provisions on the respect of IPs rights.

Anak Mindanao Rep. Djalia Hataman, a member of the Ad Hoc Committee expressed hope and prayers that as a legislator, she can help “get this law passed.” She shared that “heated, passionate debates will ensue not just among legislators, but the public in general,” but prays that “we do not come out of this divided. Let this be a true exercise of democracy.”

Deles in responding to clarifications to the Bangsamoro bill expressed her appreciation for the rigorous scrutiny of the proposed organic act to ensure that it becomes the best autonomy law that will be passed. “We welcome scrutiny. That is a sort of engagement we expect,” she said while relaying that the GPH, MILF, and BTC will pursue dialogue with Congress to build understanding on the substance and spirit of the Bangsamoro bill.

Magdalo Partylist Rep. Gary Alejano also relayed support to ensuring that the Bangsamoro bill will be “constitutional and acceptable to all stakeholders.”

Appeal to Congress
Actor Robin Padilla, who attended the committee hearing, appealed, to Congress to take on their monumental role for the successful passage of the Bangsamoro law which he believes is crucial for peace in the south.

“Nag-aantay po ang lahat. Magiging historical po ito para po sa inyong mga mambabatas. Ito po ang iiwan ninyong legacy sa Pilipinas na kayo po ang naging daan upang makamit talaga ang tuwid na daan. (Many are waiting. This [passage of the Bangsamoro bill] will be a historical [role] for you lawmakers. This is your legacy to the Philippines; that you became an instrument in achieving the straight path.),” said Padilla.

Padilla said that the success of the Bangsamoro law, which is within the hands of Congress, will also benefit and bring more peace and progress in other areas in the country.

BTC commissioners Timuay Melanio Ulama and Abdullah Camlian, during the committee hearing, also expressed their appeal to Congress for the passage of the law. Ulama is confident that that the Bangsamoro law respects IP rights, while Camlian, in an emotional speech, underscored the historical background and significance of resolving the Bangsamoro aspiration for self-governance through genuine autonomy for the Bangsamoro region.

Coronel-Ferrer, on her part, said that “ending the internal conflict in the south through the implementation of the Bangsamoro peace agreement” signed with the biggest rebel group in the country “will provide a viable atmosphere to uplift the lives of our people” in parts of Mindanao which for decades have been mired in conflict and poverty.

Iqbal emphasized that the MILF “trust the wisdom of both houses of Congress to pass a good legislation,” referring to the Bangsamoro bill.(OPAPP)

http://news.pia.gov.ph/index.php?article=1781411696452

Expert wary of ISIS influence reaching PHL rebel groups

From GMA News (Sep 26): Expert wary of ISIS influence reaching PHL rebel groups

A political science professor on Friday expressed concern over the possibility of terror group Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) extending its influence to Philippine rebel  groups.

In an interview on "News To Go," Rommel Banlaoi, executive director of the Philippine Institute for Peace, Violence and Terrorism Research, said, "Nakababahala kung ang impluwensiya ng ISIS ay makarating dito sa Pilipinas dahil mas bayolente, mas draconian ang kanilang paniniwala."

"'Yun kasi ang brand ng ISIS: Nagpo-propagate sila ng isang form ng Jihad na napaka-violent at brutal at nagtuturo ng Islamic principle na nagja-justify ng violent activities," he added.

Also, he said the international terror group al Qaeda may be extreme, but ISIS is even more.

"Ang al Qaeda ay masasabi nating extreme, ang ISIS ay... nasa extremist portion talaga ng spectrum of violence, sobrang draconian talaga ang measure nila," he said.

Banlaoi said there is already an ISIS presence in the Philippines. "Ang presensiya nila meron na dahil may self-proclaimed followers sila."

"Tatlo ang tinitingnan ko na aspeto ng ISIS presence [dito]: Una, kung may legitimate ISIS members na nag-ooperate sa Pilipinas; pangalawa, ISIS-inspired personalities and groups; at Pangatlo, mga grupong nagba-bandwagon lang sa popularity ng ISIS," he said.

However, he said his group is still verifying reports on whether there are rebels trained by ISIS who have come to the Philippines.

Earlier reports said Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and former President Fidel V. Ramos indicated ISIS was training at least 100 Filipinos.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines also said it was investigating on the matter, adding that it had not yet received any verified information on any recruitment activities by ISIS in the Philippines.

However, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), a breakaway group of the Moro Islamic  Liberation Front now talking peace with Manila, and the bandit Abu Sayyaf Group have pledged support to ISIS.

Last Thursday, President Benigno Aquino III expressed the country's intetion to assist in the United States' campaign against the ISIS.

Aquino said the Department of Foreign Affairs will meet with the US State Department to discuss the matter.

More than a military problem

Banglaoi said the ISIS problem goes beyond the military aspect, which is the only area that can be solved by airstrikes being launched by the US.

"Ang ina-address ng airstrike ay i-neutralize 'yung armed component ng ISIS, pero 'yung ISIS ay hindi lamang military problem. Isa siyang ideological, social, political, [and] economic problem," he said.

"Social problem siya kasi ang ISIS, kina-capitalize ang existing social grievances na makikita sa iba't ibang dako ng mundo, particularly sa Muslim roots. Ang mga ISIS ideas na makikita sa internet, pwede mag-take advantage sa existing social grievances.... Gumagawa sila ng religious justification [for] violent behaviors," he added.

Challenge to Bangsamoro

The ideas promulgated by ISIS also poses a big challenge to the Bangsamoro and the autonomous government it will eventually establish, especially if it will not be able to properly rule in its territory, Banglaoi said.

"Malaking hamon 'yan sa Bangsamoro government na itatayo... na maging epektibo ang pamamahala sa Mindanao para mapigilan ang paglago ng [ISIS doon]," he said.

"Kung ang Bangsamoro government [ay] makade-deliver ng social services, maa-uplift ang kalagayan ng tao, maayos ang underlying conditions, siguro magiging malakas na antidote ito. Pero kung magiging failure kagaya ng ARMM (Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao), pwede pa maging mitsa ng panibagong uri ng kaguluhan sa Mindanao."

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/380986/news/nation/expert-wary-of-isis-influence-reaching-phl-rebel-groups

MILF non-committal on revising BBL

From the Philippine Star posted to ABS-CBN (Sep 26): MILF non-committal on revising BBL

Moro Islamic Liberation Front chief negotiator Mohagher Iqbal was non-committal on whether the MILF would accept changes in the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).

During the first hearing on the proposed law at the House Wednesday, Zamboanga City Rep. Celso Lobregat tried to elicit an assurance from him that the MILF would accept an amended Bangsamoro bill.

Lobregat said he was trying to make sure that the proposed BBL would comply with the Constitution and the laws.

“What happens if Congress amends or revises the BBL, or deletes or adds some provisions?” he asked. “Would the MILF accept it?”

In reponse, Iqbal said the MILF trusts the collective wisdom of the House of Representatives and the Senate.

“But we do not answer hypothetical questions,” he said.

 

Lobregat said he intends to propose changes in the BBL that he believes would go against the Constitution and existing laws.

It’s possible that the House and the Senate might introduce changes in the proposed law, he added.

House ad hoc committee chairman Rufus Rodriguez asked presidential peace adviser Teresita Deles about Lobregat’s questions.

Deles said the government peace panel understands that both sides in the peace talks recognize the supremacy of Congress over the proposed BBL.

“The two sides are jointly on board every step of the peace process,” she said.

Committee members asked her whether the proposed parliamentary setup in the envisioned Bangsamoro region would be constitutional, considering that the country has a presidential form of government.

They also inquired about the special status to be accorded to a Bangsamoro entity.

Deles said the Constitution allows Congress to prescribe a different political system for an autonomous region, and that the proposed region would not be treated as a local government.

“It is above an LGU but not equal to the national government,” she said.

During the hearing, Cavite Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr. proposed that a provision be included in the proposed law prohibiting secession of the Bangsamoro region.

I have the best intention,” he said.

“I want to guarantee the integration of the Philippine territory. As a lawyer, I don’t see anything wrong with that provision.”

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/regions/09/26/14/milf-non-committal-revising-bbl

2 nabbed for possession of blasting caps

From the Philippine Star (Sep 26): 2 nabbed for possession of blasting caps

ZAMBOANGA CITY - Two men were arrested for possession of blasting caps smuggled into the city, early Thursday.

Senior Superintendent Angelito Casimiro, city police director, identified the suspects as Almuksin Amilussin and Saud Arnado.

Casimiro said operatives of the Central Police Station were sent to the city's port to verify intelligence reports intercepted by the Western Mindanao Command's Naval Intelligence Service Group (NISG).

The information gahtered by the NISG claimed that a shipment of explosives on board M/V Magnolia Lili Flora will arrive in the city. The vessel came from Jolo, Sulu and it arrived at the city port at around 5 a.m. Thursday.

Upon verification, the policemen were able to find the blasting caps wrapped in newspaper. It was left unattended at the pilot's house of the ship.

Casimiro said that policemen pounced on the suspects as they attempt to claim the wrapped baggage.

The suspects were brought to the prosecutor's office on Friday morning for inquest proceedings.

Casimiro said that they have yet to determine if the two suspects are members of any local militant groups, including the Abu Sayyaf.

The suspects could also be fishermen engaged in illegal fishing.

Police forces in Mindanao have been placed on high alert after the series of bombings in several southern areas, including Basilan and General Santos City.

http://www.philstar.com/nation/2014/09/26/1373440/2-nabbed-possession-blasting-caps

MILF: Editorial -- Deliberation of BBL in Congress

Editorial posted to the MILF Website (Sep 25): Editorial -- Deliberation of BBL in Congress

The proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) submitted to Congress by His Excellency President Benigno Aquino III during a historic ceremony in Malacañang Palace on September 10 is an “agreed version” between the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) after long, tense, exhausting hours, days, weeks, and months of intensive discussion and bargaining.
  

During the defining moment,  which actually was a make-or-break engagement, it involved no less than Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. and Presidential Chief Legal Counsel Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa, on the part of government, and Mohagher Iqbal, chair of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) and chair of the MILF Peace Panel, and initially Professor Abhoud Syed Lingga, a member of the MILF Peace Panel, and later succeeded by BTC Commissioner and legal consultant of the MILF Peace Panel, Raissa Jajurie, on the part of the MILF. BTC Executive Director Mike Pasigan, who is one of only two persons in the MILF continuously involved in the GPH-MILF peace negotiation since 1997, was the note-taker on the side of the MILF. (The other mainstay in this peace negotiation is Jun Mantawil, head of Secretariat of the MILF Peace Panel).

In brevity, the BBL required legislative act of Congress, which, even without saying, has plenary power over legislation. It is in this sense that members of Congress, both the Senate and Lower House, should rise above themselves and act as statesmen and pass the BBL with utmost consideration that the text had already been agreed by the Parties. It is our wish and prayer, therefore, that what eventually passes through Congress is a legislated agreement on the basis of the letter and spirit of the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB), its four Annexes, and the Addendum on Bangsamoro Waters, as jointly determined and agreed by the GPH and MILF now captured by the BBL and presented to Congress.

In fairness, the joint GPH-BTC briefing in the Senate on September 23 demonstrated the high sense of knowledge, decorum and sensibilities of the senators present, led by the chair of the committee, Senator Bong Bong Marcos, as well as Senators Koko Pimentel, JB Estrada, and Pia Cayetano. In the House on the next day, Congressman Rufus Rodriguez, Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on the BBL, showed his strong leadership and mastery of the parliamentary procedures to set the hearing effectively intact after almost six hours of grueling session. Except for Deputy Speaker Pangalian Balindong, Congresswoman Bai Sandra Sema, and Congressman Mangudadatu, who obviously held their comments out of delicadeza, all the other congressmen and congresswomen participated actively. Even Congressman Celso Lobregat, who is known for his anti-Moro stances and who spoke more than any of the congressmen and congresswomen present, courtesy of other congressmen who yielded to him their five-minute slots to ask questions, had also stressed that he is for peace and for the passage of the BBL. Only Congresswoman Aurora Ceriles of Zamboanga Del Sur spoke vehemently against the passage of the bill. For what reason, maybe she is just parroting the comments made by Governor Antonio Ceriles, (her husband or father?) made during an interview that there are no Moros in his province.

In this engagement with Congress, there is an understanding of the Parties that since the BBL is an administration bill and is groomed to be the legacy of the President, the Office of the President (OP) should take the lead in the legal defense of the BBL in Congress. The BTC will only assume the role of a junior partner, being legally speaking; it is under the OP created through Executive Order No. 120. (The MILF Peace Panel and members of the MILF Central Committee cannot participate openly in the deliberations for obvious reasons).

The sensitivity here in this engagement with Congress is that if the statements made for the record is a personal annotation of the BBL or not the nuances, contexts, and issues settled or agreed by the parties especially during the crucial engagements on August 10, 13-15, 25, 26, and September 4 during the meeting between President Aquino and Chairman Murad in the Palace, then the consequence: Congress would not be guided accordingly. It can also contribute to watering down the proposed bill.

Our appeal to Congress is to refer to the text of the BBL whenever statements or views made by any of the resource persons in order to be guided accordingly; or perhaps, this can be further fine-tuned by talking to people who were privy to the discussions especially during the dying minutes of the hard engagement. Contexts, or even unwritten agreements, are almost as important as text of the agreement itself.

http://www.luwaran.com/index.php/editorial/item/1229-deliberation-of-bbl-in-congress

MILF: UN-MILF conduct 1st orientation for BIAF commanders

Posted to the MILF Website (Sep 26): UN-MILF conduct 1st orientation for BIAF commanders



The United Nations and the UNICEF in the Philippines together with Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) conducted the 1st Orientation for Base Commanders of the Bangsamoro Islamic armed forces (BIAF-MILF) namely, the Interim Base Command, National Guard Field Base Command, National Guard Inner Base Command and the General Head Quarter Base Command.
   

The orientation was held at Camp Darapanan, Simuay, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao on September 23, 2014. 180 BIAF Commanders from the higher to lower ranks attended the orientation which focused on the UN-MILF Action Plan on the Non recruitment and Use of Children in Armed Conflict. Four (4) Modules were presented and discussed. Module-I entitled “The Children in Armed Conflict”, presented by Mr. Patrick Halton of UNICEF in the Philippines.

Mr. Halton introduced the issue of Children in Armed Conflict. He asked the participants to consider the specific situation of the Philippines and Mindanao in particular, ways in which children become involve in armed conflict through living in an overall environment of hostilities. Second Module is entilted “Framework for Child Protection” presented and discussed by Sittie Morato, UNICEF Consultant. Part of her inputs was the rights of children. Third Module entitled “Monitoring and Reporting in the Philippines” presented by Rohannie Baraguir, Child Protection Officer of the UNICEF. The last Module was on “MILF Action Plan Implementation’ and was presented by Shree Nadarajah also from UNICEF. After the presentations, questions and answers followed.  Several clarifications were raised by the commanders.

At the closing portion of the orientation, BIAF Commanders expressed their approval and commitment in the implementation of General Order (G.O.) signed by the BIAF Chief of Staff Cmdr. Sammy Al-Mansur and MILF Chairman Al-Hadj Murad Ebrahim. It clearly stated the prohibition of the use and recruitment of Children in armed conflict. 

Three out of five MILF panel members were present in the orientation, namely: Edward Guerra, the head of the panel, Mr. Abdulkadir M. Abubakar and Whelma Madato of the Bangsamoro Women Auxiliary Brigade (BWAB).

http://www.luwaran.com/index.php/welcome/item/1233-un-milf-conduct-1st-orientation-for-biaf-commanders

CPP/NPA: Video -- NPA Tactical Offensives in Panay May-August 2014

NPA propaganda video posted to the CPP Website (Sep 24): NPA Tactical Offensives in Panay May-August 2014



[Video: "NPA Tactical Offensives in Panay May-August 2014"

The New People’s Army in Panay under the Coronacion “Waling-waling” Chiva Regional Operational Command seized 16 firearms of various caliber in military actions launched from May to August to resist intensified attacks by the 3rd ID and PNP-Region 6. Seven soldiers were likewise killed and seven others wounded in these firefights.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebjKmy0xOmY

http://www.philippinerevolution.net/

Acquisition of two anti-submarine helicopters for PHL Navy continues

From Ang Malaya (Sep 26): Acquisition of two anti-submarine helicopters for PHL Navy continues

The Department of National Defense Bids and Awards Committee posted its invitation to interested bidders for Philippine Navy’s two anti-submarine helicopters. The acquisition project has a PhP5.4 billion allocated budget under Armed Forces of the Philippines Modernization Act.

The invitation to bid was signed by DND-BAC Chairman USec Natalio C. Ecarma III.

Included in the contract price are munition, Mission Essential Equipment and Integrated Logistics Support (ILS).

Pre-bid conference will be held on October 7 at DND-BAC conference room at around 10 AM. The First Stage Bid opening will be on October 21. Interested bidders must submit bid on or before the said date.

The committee released a new invitation to bid after several reschedules where interested bidders were informed through supplemental bid bulletin.

Under Medium Term Development Capability Plan, winning bidder must deliver goods within seven hundred thirty days.

Earlier reports said that Philippine Navy is eyeing the AgustaWestland 159 “Wildcat”. Navy variants of AW159 will be serving United Kingdom’s Royal Navy and South Korea’s Navy.

Bell helicopter, an American firm is interested to join the bidding.

http://www.angmalaya.net/nation/2014/09/26/4518-acquisition-of-two-anti-submarine-helicopters-for-phl-navy-continues

China is not happy with EDCA

From Ang Malaya (Sep 26): China is not happy with EDCA

National Institute for South China Sea Studies (NISCSS) said China is not happy with the signing of Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement. EDCA was signed by Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and US Ambassador Philip Goldberg during US President Barack Obama’s visit.

NISCSS head Wu Shicun said United States is “using freedom of navigation as an excuse to interfere in the South China Sea” and do some intelligence activities. NISCSS is China’s think tank for South China Sea.

US is vocal about its interest in Asia-Pacific and whatever happens in the region is not just important for US but also for the world. In this case, US is in the move to modernize its alliances. EDCA is one proof.

Obama said, during his Philippine state visit, “Our goal is not to counter China; our goal is not to contain China. Our goal is to make sure that international rules and norms are respected, and that includes in the area of maritime disputes.”

With EDCA US will be given access to Philippine bases to harbor US Navy warships and accommodate increased rotating US troops. Philippines is planning to offer naval bases facing South China Sea.

Philippines and US clarify that there is no target country.

http://www.angmalaya.net/nation/2014/09/26/4522-china-is-not-happy-with-edca

Filipino, American found guilty in US terror case

From Rappler (Sep 26): Filipino, American found guilty in US terror case

A jury convicts Sohiel Omar Kabir, 36, a naturalized US citizen, and Filipino Ralph De Leon, 25, at the conclusion of a 6-week trial
 

An American and a Filipino national face life in prison after they were found guilty Thursday, September 25, in California of plotting to aid jihadists overseas and to kill US soldiers.

A jury convicted Sohiel Omar Kabir, 36, a naturalized US citizen, and Filipino Ralph de Leon, 25, at the conclusion of a 6-week trial that comes as the United States leads air strikes in Syria and Iraq against Islamic militants. (READ: Pinoy 'terrorist' in solitary confinement in U.S.)

The trial underlined the threat that homegrown extremists pose to the United States.

Deleon was specifically found guilty of conspiring to provide material support to Al-Qaeda, to receive military-type training from the group and to commit murder, kidnapping, or maiming overseas. (READ: PH asks FBI for info on 'foiled terror plot')

"This case shows that the appeal of extremist ideologies can reach from Afghanistan to America," said United States Attorney Stephanie Yonekura after the trial in Riverside County, east of Los Angeles.

This demonstrated "the clear need for continued vigilance in rooting out homegrown violent extremists who plot terrorist acts both here and abroad."

Two co-conspirators – Miguel Alejandro Santana Vidriales and Arifeen David Gojali – had already pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.

The trial heard evidence that Kabir traveled to Afghanistan in 2012 and encouraged Santana and De Leon to come with him, saying they would all join "the students" -- Taliban militants – and "the professors" – Al-Qaeda.

An undercover FBI agent contacted Santana and De Leon. The latter said he wanted to go abroad to wage "violent jihad," while Santana said he wanted to be a sniper.

In September 2012, De Leon and Santana recruited Gojali to accompany them to Afghanistan.

The 3 undertook preliminary training in southern California at firearms and paintball facilities.

The trio were arrested in November that year as they prepared to drive south to Mexico, en route to Afghanistan.

FBI Los Angeles agent Bill Lewis said: "The threat posed to America's security by individuals within the United States who support terrorists is very real.

"This case demonstrates the process by which individuals living in the United States were groomed and radicalized toward an extremist ideology and, ultimately, planned the murder of American and coalition forces."

Judge Virginia A. Phillips will hand down sentences on February 23.

The verdict comes shortly after President Benigno Aquino III concluded his trip to the United States where he offered his government's help in fighting ISIS, which is also known by the name Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

Philippine Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario is set to meet with US State Department officials to discuss this offer, Aquino told reporters in New York on September 23.

“Of course, we want to do something doable and within our capabilities without posing undue risks through their forces or the country at large,” Aquino said.

http://www.rappler.com/world/regions/us-canada/70241-american-filipino-guilty-us-terror-charges