From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Feb 28): Rebs’ bodies brought to their families
MALITA, Davao Occidental–Soldiers from the 73rd Infantry Battalion (IB) took time off from continuing combat operations in Alabel, Sarangani province, to bring to their respective families the bodies of seven communist rebels killed during the Feb. 16 clash there.
Lt. Col. Ronnie Felix Babac, 73rd IB commander, told the Inquirer that delivering the bodies was an act of sympathy with the families, most of whom do not have the means to retrieve their fallen loved ones.
The last of the two bodies were brought home to their families in Malungon, Sarangani, on Friday, he said.
Among the bodies brought back to the families starting Feb. 18 was that of Tolentino Bariquit, alias Commander Brigol, of the New People’s Army’s Front 75, he said.
Babac also said four rebels, including two involved in the Alabel clash, had yielded as soldiers and continued combat operations there and in adjacent areas over the weekend.
The military identified the rebels who allegedly surrendered asJoey Tampa, 19, resident of Malungon town in Sarangani; Michael Calapong, resident of this town; Marilou Intan Dela Cruz, 21, resident of Alabel; and Odoy Maway Malbino, of this town.
Babac did not specify the dates the four rebels surrendered but said they joined their colleagues, Arnold Budiong, 21, and Bedeo Ansay, 21, who had surrendered earlier.
Babac said the 73rd IB is keeping custody of the rebels.
From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Feb 28): NBI talks to MILF fighter turned gov’t witness He can name Fallen 44 killers, say sources A veteran fighter of the secessionist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) who can identify the MILF members who participated in the Jan. 25 clash in Mamasapano, Maguindanao province, in which 44 police commandos were killed, is now talking to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), sources have told the Inquirer.
The MILF-combatant-turned-government-witness is close to terrorist Basit Usman, the second terrorist, aside from the Malaysian bomb-maker Zulkifli bin Hir, alias “Marwan,” that the Special Action Force (SAF) mission had set out to capture or kill on Jan. 25, according to the sources.
The witness was at the scene when the SAF commandos, following the successful neutralization of Marwan, were set upon by gunmen from the MILF, Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and unidentified private armed groups, resulting in the killing of 44 police commandos, 18 MILF rebels and about five civilians.
Justice Secretary Leila de Lima and prosecutors from the Department of Justice led by Juan Pedro Navera have personally interviewed the witness in an undisclosed place in Mindanao, according to the sources who asked not to be identified for lack of authority to talk to the media.
De Lima arrived in South Cotabato on Friday, joining the DOJ prosecutors and NBI investigators who have been here since Thursday, to conduct an ocular inspection of the Mamasapano clash site and interview witnesses. However, they were not able to proceed to Mamasapano on Friday because of the ongoing Army offensive against Moro rebels.
Names of MILF fighters
The sources said that the witness, apart from his personal knowledge of the Mamasapano incident, also included in his statement the names of MILF combatants who participated in the fighting.
“He has given his statement, including a list of names of other MILF fighters to the NBI and DOJ prosecutors,” one source said.
“The witness had been a member of the MILF combat troops for the past 10 years and personally knows most of [the MILF] members who participated in the clash,” the source added.
Fears for his life
The MILF fighter decided to talk to the government because he feared for his life and because of pressure from his family, the source said.
“He feared for his life and that of his family because he personally knows Usman and vice versa, that is why he decided to turn himself in to the NBI for protection,” the source explained.
“Basit and the MILF fighter know each other personally,” one of the sources said.
The source could not say why the MILF fighter chose to go to the government instead of the MILF leadership.
Clamming up
De Lima was noncommittal when asked about the MILF fighter now talking to the NBI, saying only that she and her party were here “accessing witnesses.”
Navera was not forthcoming about the subject either. But he said that since the DOJ-NBI group arrived here on Thursday, they were able to speak to several witnesses.
NBI Director Virgilio Mendez also clammed up when asked about the MILF fighter his men are reportedly interviewing.
De Lima said the DOJ-NBI investigation would be “thorough, objective and balanced.”
From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Feb 28): 10-day truce in NPA area allowed cops’ release
DUTERTE during turnover ceremonies for police officers taken captive by the NPA. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
GIGAQUIT, Surigao del Norte–A 10-day truce brokered by Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte had paved the way for the release by communist guerrillas of three police officers that the guerrillas had been holding captive for more than three months.
The New People’s Army (NPA) turned over PO1 Jorie Amper, PO3 Democrito Polvorosa and PO1 Marichel Contemplo to Duterte on Thursday in the hinterland village of Lahi here.
Rhee Timbang, Iglesia Filipina Independiente bishop, was the lead negotiator for the release of the policemen. It was Duterte who brokered a 10-day ceasefire with the military that paved the way for the release.
The policemen were captured by NPA guerillas in separate instances last year. Amper was abducted in Malimono town on Nov. 12 while Polvorosa and Contemplo were captured in Alegria town on Nov. 16.
Ka Oto, spokesperson of the NPA’s Front Committee 16, read the release order, which was signed by National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) chair Luis Jalandoni, that freed the three policemen.
A day before the release, Duterte told reporters in Davao City that although Surigao del Norte was “too far,” and was beyond his jurisdiction, he was facilitating the release upon the request of families of the victims.
Maria Malaya, spokesperson of the NDFP in northeastern Mindanao, said in an e-mail statement that the release of the officers, originally set in November last year, had been deferred thrice because of the refusal of the Armed Forces of the Philippines to temporarily withdraw soldiers in the target release area.
The first schedule of the release was in November last year. A planned release during the Christmas holidays and another during Pope Francisí visit to the country were also canceled.
The NDFP statement said the families of the policemen “approached Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte to facilitate the release noting the mayor’s help in several successful and safe releases of POWs (prisoners of war) in Southern Mindanao.”
Matosalem Polvorosa, wife of PO3 Polvorosa, said the family decided to seek help from Duterte after talks between rebels and the local crisis team, headed by Gov. Sol Matugas, broke down thrice.
Duterte also called for the resumption of peace talks between the government and the NDFP, but repeated his pitch for federalism as the most practical solution to the Moro and communist rebellion in the country.
From the Catanduanes Tribune (Feb 27): 9ID commander lauds Lt. Col Fortez for “job well done”
Major General Yerson Depayso, commanding general of the 9th Infantry Division, commended former 83rd Infantry Batallion commander Lt. Col. Bernardo Fortez Jr. for “a job well done” in the past two years, highlighted by the declaration of Catanduanes as a “Conflict Manageable and Ready for Further Development” province in 2014.
In a brief address during the Change of Command Ceremony at the Lictin headquarters of the battalion the other Monday (Feb. 16), he said the unit’s efforts degraded the activities of the Communist Party of the Philippines, New People’s Army and National Democratic Front (CNN) and its politico-military organizations, drastically reducing the actual and potential of CNN support systems.
Present during the activity were Gov. Araceli Wong, Mayor Peter Cua of San Andres, Mayor Joseph Wong of Pandan, Mayor Flerida Alberto of Virac and other national agency officials.
The awards given to Lt. Col. Fortez is a manifestation of his sterling leadership and significant accomplishment made through the support of local government units, the general stated, noting that solving the insurgency problem requires not only military action.
He assured local chief executives that the Philippine Army will continue to conduct its Bayanihan program alongside LGUs and assured it is ready to provide whatever assistance.
Gen. Depayso likewise reminded soldiers of the 83rd IB to value work and family and to work alongside the Philippine National Police and the citizenry.
“Walang hidwaan between the PNP and the AFP”, the general told the audience, adding that so-called analysts are fomenting division between the two organizations that he says continues to work together.
On the other hand, new battalion commander Lt. Col. Zacarias Batalla Jr. assured that he would continue the good working relationship forged with LGUs as well as the plans of his predecessor.
Lt. Col. Fortez leaves Catanduanes after the required two years of duty with the following accomplishments: 5,957 combat patrols and strike operations resulting in three engagements; 61 community-based development activities, 47 medical and dental missions, 45 blood-letting activities, 32 humanitarian and disaster responses, and three municipal youth leadership summits; participation in various LGU activities, community dialogues and barangay visitations;
Bayanihan Team Activities in seven towns that resulted in the surrender of four communist terrorists’ supporters and clearing of 11 less-influenced barangays in San Miguel and Caramoran; establishment of Barangay Defense Systems; partnership with TESDA and Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) in providing technical education to out-of-school youth in Bato and Baras;
Provision of security assistance in vital installations and infrastructure projects; confiscation of 7,000 board feet of illegally-cut lumber; construction of various facilities at the battalion headquarters; facilitation of the timely implementation of the Comprehensive Localized Integration Program (CLIP) for revel returnees in partnership with the provincial government; and, engagement of various stakeholders in a harmonious relationship.
From the Zamboanga Today (Feb 28): Government troops clash with foreign JI terrorists in Sulu
Five JI members are also targets of all-out offensive vs breakaway rebel group. Government forces have clashed with Malaysian Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) members who were with al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf militants in Sulu, military officials said.
In a progress military report emailed to Zambonga Today, Captain Antonio Bulao, public affairs officer of Joint Task Group Sulu, said earlier Thursday at 9:15 a.m. pursuing ground troops encountered the group of Abu Sayyaf sub leader Hatib Hajan Sawadjaan, together with three JI Malaysian nationals at Sitio Kanjimaw, Barangay Tugas, Patikul town.
Bulao, however, did not say if the three Malaysians were among those casualties on the militants side.
Earlier, Western Mindanao Command spokeswoman, Capt. Rowena Muyuela, said that the number of Abu Sayyaf casualties on the Abu Sayyaf side climbed to 51 in the clash in Sulu which started Wednesday morning.
“We also received information that Hatib Hajan Sawadjaan was wounded and we are validating said report,” she added.
Muyuela also said that troops suffered two killed in action and sixteen wounded in action since Wednesday’s skirmishes by the government troops against the Abu Sayyaf militants.
According to Colonel Alan Arrojado, commander of Joint Task Group Sulu, “The engaging troops were immediately provided blocking forces and reinforcement from Army and Marine units. Likewise, the policel conducted blocking and checkpointoperations along routes of possible withdrawal and extrication of Abu Sayyaf casualties.”
Arrojado said the fresh (latest) firefight lasted for fifteen minutes. “There were several traces of blood seen along the enemy’s route of withdrawal indicating that the Abu Sayyaf group suffered heavy casualties.”
Military troops together with the PNP and LGU are relentlessly pursuing these bandits who are responsible in the series of kidnappings and other related criminalities which compromises the peace and order in Sulu province and its adjacent areas, Arrojado said.
Thursday’s clash in Sulu occurred a month after a covert police operation in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, resulted in the killing of wanted Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan, a Jemaah Islamiyah operative linked to the deadly bombing in Bali, Indonesia, in 2002.
The operation, however, led to a firefight with Moro rebels in the area where over 60 people, including 44 policemen, were killed.
Meanwhile, Western Mindanao Command chief Lt. Gen. Rustico Guerrero told ABS-CBN the all-out offensive against the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters launched Wednesday also targets some members of the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI).
Guerrero said five JI militants are being protected by the BIFF in exchange for training in bomb-making.
He identified the suspected terrorists as Mahmud Bin Ahmad, a former lecturer at the University Malaya Islamic Studies and a member of a group in Malaysia that supports the Islamic State; Mohd Najib Bin Husen, a former businessman; Mohammad Juraimee Binawang Raimee, a former employee at the Selayang Municipal Council in Malaysia; and, Jeknal Adil and Mohammad Baco, who allegedly help in training Abu Sayyaf members in bomb-making.
“The BIFF is coddling five JI members who have been hiding hiding in Basilan, Sulu and Central Mindanao,” he said. “We have intensified our operations to locate and arrest the foreign bomb-makers.
The Abu Sayyaf is the smallest but most deadly of several Muslim groups fighting for independence in the south of the Roman Catholic country. It is estimated to have about 500 hard-core followers based mostly on Basilan and Sulu.
The group, which has links with Jemaah Islamiah, a pan-Asian radical group blamed for attacks in Indonesia, including the 2002 Bali bombings and two Jakarta hotel bombings last month, is still holding several kidnap victims including foreigners and Filipinos.
From the pro-CPP online publication Bulatlat (Feb 28): Youth solon wants Congress review of departing US Special Forces troops
“A review of the JSOTF-P operations in the Philippines will reveal the extent of US military intervention in the Philippines.”
Kabataan Partylist Rep. Terry Ridon is set to file a resolution calling for a “congressional review on the performance and activities” of the 600 US Special Forces under the Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines (JSOTF-P).
The JSOTF-P, which was based in Camp Navarro in Zamboanga City since 2001, was formally deactivated on Feb. 24, with a closing ceremony with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
“The JSOTF-P is one of the most controversial US military programs in the Philippines,” Ridon said.
“Several whistleblowers, including former Navy officer Lt. Senior Grade Nancy Gadian, have revealed that this special US force engage in direct combat in Mindanao.
As such, we cannot just let them depart without conducting a review of the program’s performance, undertakings, and their past activities with Philippine forces,” he said.
Ridon will file the resolution on March 2.
“We plan to invite the commander of the JSOTF-P and US Ambassador Philip Goldberg to testify before Congress, for we believe that it is in the interest of the Filipino people to know what exactly these special troops were doing in Mindanao during their 13-year stint there,” Ridon said.
The youth solon said that the involvement of US troops in the bloody Mamasapano clash must first be cleared before they leave. Witnesses reported seeing the body of a “tall, blonde, blue-eyed Caucasian” among the casualties of the Special Action Forces (SAF).
“There are serious allegations of US military intervention – through the JSOTF-P – in the botched Mamasapano operation. The JSOTF-P’s involvement in intelligence gathering, surveillance, and reconnaissance have been widely reported, yet the US Embassy remained mum,” Ridon said.
Ridon said the demise of the 17 JSOTF-P troops should also be accounted for. The death of a US troop in combat is a “case of serious infringement of our sovereignty,” he said.
“A review of the JSOTF-P operations in the Philippines will reveal the extent of US military intervention in the Philippines. We cannot let an affront to our national sovereignty slip out of our islands quietly,” Ridon insisted.
The phase-out of the JSTOF-P was announced by the US embassy in 2014. Government critics say that it was in anticipation of the entry and stay of more US troops in “agreed locations” under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (Edca).
US Naval Institute News (Feb 27): U.S. Officially Ends Special Operations Task Force in the Philippines, Some Advisors May Remain
U.S. and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) honor guard perform a 21-gun salute during a memorial service in Zamboanga City, Philippines in 2010. US Navy Photo
The U.S. special operations mission to help the Philippine military to fight Islamic militants is coming to a close, U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM) officials told USNI News on Thursday.
For 13 years — in parallel to Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) in Afghanistan — OEF Philippines had U.S. special operation forces (SOF) advise Philippine commandos in fighting Islamic separatists in the southern islands — notably militant group Abu Sayyaf.
On Tuesday, a ceremony in Zamboanga City marked the deactivation of Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines (JSOTF-P), according to local press reports.
U.S. Special Operations Command, Pacific told USNI News the mission would complete the transition of forces later this spring.
“The JSOTF-P is scheduled to complete the transition May 1 and while some of the personnel will return to their units, some will remain as part of foreign liaison elements, and continue to advise and assist Philippine counterterrorism efforts, consistent with the way forward that the Armed Forces of the Philippines sees it,” U.S. Special Operations Command, Pacific spokesperson Army Maj. Kari McEwen told USNI News via an emailed statement.
“This represents a shift in focus for U.S. Special Operations Forces from advising and assisting at the small unit level to providing operational advice and assistance at higher levels of command within the Philippine Security Forces for continued counterterrorism progress, humanitarian assistance and civil military cooperation.”
At its height, the JSOTF-P reportedly had up to 600 U.S. military personnel in country — a mix of Navy SEALs and Marine and Army special operators.
“Most special operations require non-SOF assistance and JSOTF-P is no different,” McEwen said in an additional statement on Friday.
“Over the years, JSOTF-P personnel have come from almost every military specialty from all the services.”
Though the mission — begun in January of 2002 — put U.S. forces in largely an advisory role, 17 U.S. troops died as part of the mission, including 10 who perished in a 2002 helicopter crash.
The train and advise mission has largely been seen as a success and U.S. civilian military leaders in the Pacific.
“Our partnership with the Philippine security forces has been successful in drastically reducing the capabilities of domestic and transnational terrorist groups in the Philippines,” Kurt Hoyer, the U.S. Embassy Press Attaché, told the AP in 2014.
Last year, then-U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM) commander Adm. Samuel Locklear told Foreign Policy in April the force levels would likely be reduced.
“We’re not going to walk away from our support of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, but we’d like to broaden it in a way that is consistent with the way forward that the Armed Forces of the Philippines sees it,” Locklear said.
“We don’t necessarily need a 600-man train-and-assist mission down there to try to teach them how to do something that they now know how to do.”
From the Philippine Star (Feb 28): Maguindanao mayors urged to help arrest BIFF militants
The provincial peace and order council (PPOC) on Saturday urged mayors in Maguindanao to help identity all commanders of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) in their towns to hasten the efforts of the government to arrest and prosecute them.
In an emergency meeting Saturday, Maguindanao Gov. Esmael Mangudadatu, chairman of the inter-agency PPOC, and Major Gen. Edmundo Pangilinan of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, also both asked the local executives to cooperate in locating the whereabouts of BIFF leaders, now subject of extensive police and military manhunt.
The PPOC meeting was held at the Army’s Camp Siongco in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao.
“We also need to explain to our constituents that the government’s operation against the BIFF is a calibrated police action, not an offensive against the Moro people as being spread by some quarters trying to misinform the public,” Mangudadatu said.
Mayors present in the meeting had told Mangudadatu and Pangilinan that tension in the barrios soared high after the Armed Forces declared last week an “all out war” against the BIFF.
The BIFF, led by radical clerics, some of them graduates of secular Islamic schools in the Middle East and North Africa, is not covered by the July 1997 Agreement on General Cessation of Hostilities between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.
Two local officials had said some BIFF commanders have been operating all by themselves since its founder, the Saudi-trained preacher Ameril Ombra Kato, suffered a hypertensive stroke more than two years ago that left half of his body paralyzed.
A new group, the Saifullah, which is “sword of God” in Arabic, has reportedly splintered from the BIFF. The breakaway group is led by Ustadz Karialan, who started as a deputy of Kato during the early days of the BIFF.
Maguindanao’s police director, Senior Supt. Rudelio Jocson, said their intelligence units are now trying to establish the exact identities of BIFF leaders in the province in preparation for the filing of criminal cases against them.
BIFF bandits blocked for about three hours secluded stretches of the Cotabato-Gen. Santos Highway last Friday and opened fire on approaching vehicles, including the convoy of Pangilinan, who was on his way to Mamasapano, Maguindanao to meet there Justice Secretary Leila De Lima.
De Lima was supposed to inspect on Friday the surroundings of Mamasapano, scene of the deadly January 25 10-hour running firefights between police commandos and MILF members, and to talk to villagers.
From the Philippine Star (Mar 1): Abu’s Sahiron wounded in Sulu fighting?
The US Federal Bureau of Investigation is offering $5 million each for information leading to the capture of Abu Sayyaf leaders Radulan Sahiron (right) and Isnilon Hapilon. Photos courtesy of the FBI.
Abu Sayyaf leader Radulan Sahiron could have been among the bandits wounded in a clash in Barangay Buhanginan, Sulu last Friday.
“We are still verifying this. What is confirmed is that 25 of them were killed while 27 others were wounded,” a military source in Sulu said.
The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has offered $5 million for information leading to the capture of Sahiron and another Abu Sayyaf leader, Isnilon Hapilon, for their crimes against Americans.
At least 25 Abu Sayyaf gunmen were killed and 27 others were wounded after five days of fighting with government troops in Sulu.
The military said two soldiers from Joint Task Group Sulu (JTGS) led by Col. Allan Arrojado were also killed and 26 others wounded in the gunbattles.
Capt. Maria Rowena Muyuela, spokesperson for the Western Mindanao Command, said troops from the 1st Scout Ranger Battalion under Lt. Col. Eugenio Boquio attacked the fleeing group of Sahiron in Sitio Baunoh Butong, Barangay Buhanginan in Patikul.
Muyuela said ground troops have launched mortar attacks while air support was provided by the Air Force.
She said the 40-millimeter mortar rounds fired by the Abu Sayyaf bandits hit the wounded soldiers.
She said the victims were airlifted to a military hospital in Barangay Busbus in Jolo.
Muyuela said pursuing troops reported that Abu Sayyaf bandits retreated toward Barangay Taglibi.
The military is also verifying reports that more bandits led by Furuji Indama arrived in Sulu yesterday to reinforce the group of Sahiron.
Armed Forces of the Philippines Public Affairs Office chief Lt. Col. Harold Cabunoc said the bandits are now low in ammunition.
“Reports from our sources in the villages in Patikul indicate that Abu Sayyaf is on the run... The elite Scout Rangers are relentlessly tracking them down,” Cabunoc said.
The clash between the military and the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) continues in Sulu. According to Task Force Zambasulta, some terrorists of the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) are being kept by the Abu Sayyaf. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yv6zOr826ss
Bukod sa teroristang si Usman, target ding mahuli ng militar sa Maguindanao si Commander Bungos, ang ikalawang pinaka mataas na lider ng BIFF. Nagpa-Patrol, Niko Baua. TV Patrol, Pebrero 28, 2015, Sabado
From GMA News (Feb 27): Armed Forces defends deployment of US surveillance aircraft in Pampanga
The Philippine Armed Forces on Friday defended the deployment of US surveillance aircraft at the former US air base in Clark airfield in Pampanga, arguing that the deployment was meant to ensure freedom of navigation in the South China Sea or West Philippine Sea.
AFP spokesman Col. Restituto Padilla explained that the P8 Poseidon maritime surveillance aircraft was among the activities approved by the PH-US Mutual Defense Board-Security Engagement Board for this year.
Padilla added that the deployment was not directed against China, which was among the countries claiming the Spratly Islands. The five others claimants are Taiwan, Malaysia, Vietnam and Brunei.
"They [the US] said they don't take sides in the dispute in Asia and we respect the United States for that... But just the same, it is to the interest of everyone to ensure that commerce and trade really flows in these seas and that this is not hampered," explained Padilla.
The AFP spokesperson said this was not the first time for the Americans to deploy surveillance aircraft in the country, with P3 Orions having been deployed previously.
However, Padilla could not say when the newer P8 was first deployed in the Philippines. Neither could he categorically say when the mission would be completed.
Nevertheless, Padilla said the Filipino military personnel were allowed onboard the aircraft during patrols. "We continue to share information, whatever the mission,” added Padilla. “This is also in our interest."
From the Manila Standard Today (Mar 1): NPA men set fire to dump truck in Surigao
Suspected members of the New People’s Army burned a six-wheeler dump truck on Wednesday evening in Tandag City in Surigao del Sur, the venue of the recently concluded 17th Caraga Regional Athletic Meet.
At the time of the incident, the annual athletic event attended by nearly 5,000 athletes and Education officials from provinces and cities of Caraga Region were still in Tandag City as the sports competition was about to finish.
Tandag City, the provincial capital of Surigao del Sur, is 200 kilometers away from Butuan City. Caraga’s regional center.
The Tandag City Police Office said the dump truck owned by a certain Celestino Sales of Tandag City was loaded with sand and gravel.
Police said prior to the burning incident, armed men were seen gathering dried coconut leaves along the provincial road in Sitio Mantaya, Barangay Pandanon, Tandag City that day.
When the dump truck passed the area, it was flagged down by four men armed with high caliber firearms, police said.
The suspects ordered the truck driver and his helpers to step down then torched the heavy equipment.
Insurgency, decades-old problem in one of the poorest regions in the country, was being fueled by poverty and social injustice, an official said.
Caraga Region abounds with mineral resources and its agricultural lands produce a wide array of vegetables, fruits and rice.
From the Manila Standard Today (Mar 1): Army offensive kills 24 Sayyaf
AN improvised bomb exploded at the gate of a church at Lamitan City in Basilan as security forces pressed an offensive in neighboring Sulu island with the toll rising to 24 extremists and two soldiers dead, officials said.
No one was hurt in the explosion at the main gate of the St. Peter Parish Church in Lamitan City at 9:30 p.m. Friday, but security officials said the blast may be part of an attempt to ease the attack on Abu Sayyaf militants which entered its fifth day on Saturday.
Ten Abu Sayyaf militants were killed in a two-hour clash on Friday after the army pounded their jungle lair in Patikul, Sulu with artillery and helicopter gunships, said Colonel Alan Arrojado, who is leading the assault.
PadillaAnother 14 rebels and two troops had been killed since the fighting erupted on Tuesday, he said.
Battles were raging in the mountainous and thickly forested villages of Patikul, an area controlled by Abu Sayyaf, a group of a few hundred gunmen with links to the Al-Qaeda network.
The militants were reportedly moving with three Malaysian Jemaah Islamiyah members who were providing them with bomb-making training, military spokesman Colonel Restituto Padilla told AFP.
“This (assault) will not stop until we put an end to the Abu Sayyaf,” Padilla said.
The Malaysians have been “monitored for some time” he said.
The Abu Sayyaf in the past have harboured JI militants, including Umar Patek and Dulmatin, key suspects in the 2002 Bali nightclub bombings that killed 202 people.
At the same time, the military admitted on Saturday that their operating in Maguindanao province was also meant to search for four Indonesians and an Arab who are believed to be terrorists under the protection of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters.
“There are four Indonesians who are inside Maguindanao now who are with [Abdul Basit Usman]. We are after them and the BIFF who are harboring them,” Sixth Army Infantry Division commander Major General Edmundo Pangilinan told reporters.
Pangilinann said they are also investigating reporters that an “Arabian-looking” man was also seen in the company of the BIFF in Shariff Aguak, Pagatin, Mamasapano, and Salibo towns.
Pangilinan said the five foreigners are believed to be propagating jihadism among Islamist militants, some of whome have been identified to be young students of Islamic schools in the area.
Military sources said the bombing in Lamitan may be meant to divert the attention of security forces since it was the second time the St. Peter Parish Church along Quezon Boulevard in Barangay Maganda was bombed.
The first time was in 2010 when local police foiled a plan to bomb the church and defused an improvised explosive device a few meters away from the church.
The police said the explosion on Friday caused some panic among residents, but security forces were immediately deployed to the area and there was no follow attempt.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but Lamitan police chief Senor Inspector Gean Gallardo said they are looking into the bomb signature and possible motives.
The church cure, Fr. Pascual Benitez, theorized that he may have been the target of the bomb because it was placed at a gate he frequently uses when he leaves the church’s convent. He had just returned from dinner and was watching television when the blast occurred.
Meanwhile, Isabela Bishop Martin Jumoad condemned the blast as the “work of evil people.”
“Let us not drag religion to let it appear that there is tension between Muslim and Catholics,” said the bishop, who declined to comment if there were any links to the stand of most Lamitan residents to oppose inclusing in the proposed Bangsamoro region.
“Let us respect each other because the only way to peace is through peaceful ways. I ask all people to pray more so that on this season of lent the lord will guide our feet into the way of peace,” the bishop said.
From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 28): Army, PNP hunting down five foreign terrorists in Maguindanao
Police and military authorities here are hunting down an
Arab chemist and four Indonesian terrorists who were acquaintance of slain
Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir, alias "Marwan," and Filipino
bomb-making expert Basit Usman, an Army official said.
Major Gen. Edmundo Pangilinan, 6th Infantry Division
commander, also appealed to Maguindanao's local executives to help the
authorities locate the foreigners and members of the outlawed Bangsamoro
Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).
Citing intelligence information, Pangilinan said the four
suspected Indonesian terrorists and an Arab man were seen with the BIFF.
He said the Army are searching and closely monitoring them
in the SPMS Box, a military term referring to the towns of Shariff Aguak,
Pagatin (Datu Saudi), Mamasapano and Salibo complex, areas where the BIFF has
strong influence.
On Friday, joint Army, Marines and police operations were
conducted against the group of BIFF in Barangay Maitumaig, Datu Saudi Ampatuan
Friday, which led to the closure of a major road network for about six hours.
“We will continue hunting them, these foreign nationals are
creating headaches in Maguindanao, they are with Basit Usman and in the company
of BIFF, because the MILF will not coddle these terrorists, I presume,”
Pangilindan told reporters after meeting with Maguindanao Gov. Esmael
Mangudadatu and local executives of the province.
“I also have that information about these foreign men in the
company of the BIFF, I hope the civilians will report to authorities their
presence in their communities,” Mangudadatu also said.
He appealed to local executives, down to the barangay level
and Muslim religious leaders, to help locate lawless BIFF leaders "to save
the young Maguindanaons from being lured into radicalism."
“I appeal to our local people, down to the communities, we
should help prevent these lawless people, these extremists who are making our
lives difficult, please join hands with the authorities to locate these
people,” Mangudadatu said.
Both Mangudadatu and Pangilinan said the foreigners had been
teaching radical Islam in madrasah (Islamic school)in Maguindanao with young
Maguindanaons as recruits.
“We have information that Basit Usman was sighted teaching
radicalism in Madrasah and were allowed by local officials," Pangilinan
said.
Pangilinan said that the well-trained and well-equipped Army
troopers were fighting young and ill-trained BIFF fighters aged 10 to 15 years
old.
He said the Army pity these children who were lured by
extremists into taking up arms and fight the government.
Both the governor and the Army commander lambasted the BIFF
for using young warriors and for using civilians as human shields.
The recent Army offensive against the BIFF in Datu Unsay and
Datu Saudi Ampatuan left 7,000 families fleeing and the provincial and regional
disaster officials are attending to their needs.
Three days ago, the government announced it will launched an
all out operation against the BIFF and asked the Moro Islamic Liberation Front
(MILF) to pave the way for the military offensive. The MILF obeyed as stated in
the government-MILF ceasefire agreement.
From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 28): Two ASG camps captured in Sulu offensive
Government troopers discovered and captured two camps of the
Abu Sayaf Group (ASG) of bandits during clearing operations in Patikul town,
Sulu over the past two days, according to the Joint Task Group Sulu, in a
statement forwarded Saturday.
Col. Alan Arrojado, Joint Task Group Sulu commander, said
the first ASG camp seized at about 11:40 a.m. Thursday, can hold about 50
bunkers which can accommodate more than 200 bandits.
“Operating troops recovered an empty plastic dextrose,
assorted civilian clothes, make-shift comfort rooms, and a water point. Said
camp is now being occupied by Marine units,” Joint Task Group public affairs
officer Capt. Antonio Bulao said.
On Feb. 25, at 5: 20 p.m. troopers from Joint Task Force
ZAMBASULTA (Zamboanga, Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi), discovered an ASG camp
measuring 100 square meters while pursuing the bandits in Barangay Buhanginan,
Patikul.
Ensign Chester Ian Ramos, Joint Task Force ZAMBASULTA
spokesperson, said the captured camp can shelter an estimated 50 individuals.
Relentless pursuit operations are being launched in
coordination with the Philippine National Police to expedite arrest of lawless
elements operating in the area.
From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 28): Trooper killed, 3 others hurt in Kalinga NPA ambush
A soldier from the Army's 50th Infantry Battalion was killed
while three of his companions were seriously wounded during an ambush by 10 New
People's Army (NPA) fighters at Barangay Limos, Pinukpuk town, Kalinga Saturday
morning.
The troops were conducting an community outreach program
when fired upon by rebels at 9 a.m.
Chief Insp. Jomarick Felina, Kalinga Provincial Police
Office spokesperson, said the wounded soldiers were brought to the KalingaProvincialHospital
for treatment.
The attack came just two days after NPA members also
ambushed government troops in Quirino, Ilocos Sur Thursday night.
Five soldiers were killed and six more were wounded in
Thursday's incident.
From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 28): Basilan priest fears he was the target of bomb blast outside church
The priest of St. Peter Parish Church in LamitanCity
in Basilan said that he might be the target of the bomb that exploded outside
the said Church on Friday.
Fr. Pascual Benitez, 40, said that no one was hurt and only
minor damage caused by the explosion at the church’s main gate, where the bomb
was planted.
“So I was maybe the target because the bomb was placed on
the gate which I used when I went out of the convent,” he said in an article
posted on the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) news
website.
The homemade incendiary device exploded at 9:30 p.m. on Feb.
27 right outside the parish church.
Benitez said he was watching the television inside his
convent after he returned from dinner outside when the bomb exploded.
He said the damage could be seen at the gate.
Benitez has been serving as Lamitan parish priest for three
years now “and it’s the first time that the church is the object of a bomb
attack under my term”.
In 2010, local authorities foiled a planned bomb attack when
they found and dismantled an improvised explosive device a few meters away from
the church.
On the other hand, Isabela Bishop Martin Jumoad condemned
the attack and urged the authorities to investigate the incident.
Investigators recovered parts of a cellphone that they
believe detonated the device. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack.
From Rappler (Feb 28): Toll in PH clashes with Abu Sayyaf rises to 26
A military official says the Abu Sayyaf militants are reportedly moving with 3 Malaysian Jemaah Islamiyah members training them how to make bombs
A military assault on the Abu Sayyaf Group in southern Philippines entered its 5th day on Saturday, February 28, with the toll rising to 24 guerrillas and two soldiers dead, officials said.
Ten Abu Sayyaf militants were killed in a two-hour clash on Friday, February 27, after the army pounded their jungle lair on Jolo island with artillery and helicopter gunships, said Colonel Alan Arrojado, who is leading the assault.
Another 14 rebels and two troops had been killed since the fighting erupted on Tuesday, February 24, he said.
Battles were raging in the mountainous and thickly forested villages of Patikul town, an area controlled by Abu Sayyaf, a group of a few hundred gunmen with links to the Al-Qaeda network.
The militants were reportedly moving with 3 Malaysian Jemaah Islamiyah members who were providing them with training on how to make bombs, military spokesman Colonel Restituto Padilla told Agence France-Presse.
"This (assault) will not stop until we put an end to the Abu Sayyaf," Padilla said.
The Malaysians have been "monitored for some time," he said.
Hostages
The Abu Sayyaf in the past have harbored JI militants, including Umar Patek and Dulmatin, key suspects in the 2002 Bali nightclub bombings that killed 202 people.
The group is currently holding at least 7 hostages, according to the military.
A German couple that they had held captive for 6 months were freed in October last year with the bandits claiming they were paid P250 million ($5.7 million) in ransom.
Despite receiving training assistance from the United States, the Philippines has struggled to contain the Abu Sayyaf, whose leader last year pledged allegiance to the Islamic State.
Founded in the 1990s with seed money from Al-Qaeda, the Abu Sayyaf gained international notoriety for kidnapping foreigners for ransom.
The hefty ransom payments enable the group to fund attacks and replenish its forces from impoverished Muslim communities in southern regions of the largely Catholic Philippines.
The group was also blamed for the worst terror attack in the country, the 2004 firebombing of a ferry off Manila Bay that killed more than 100 people.
From InterAksyon (Feb 28): 10 more Abu Sayyaf slain in Sulu fighting
Ten more Abu Sayyaf fighters were killed on Friday as government forces pressed on their offensive against the extremists, the military said.
Eight gunmen and 10 soldiers were also wounded in the fighting, Western Mindanao Command spokesperson Captain Rowena Muyuela.
Clashes first broke out Wednesday in Patikul town when elite Scout Rangers and Special Forces units encountered an estimated 300 Abu Sayyaf fighters.
Two soldiers died and 16 others were wounded while the Abu Sayyaf lost 14 dead and 19 wounded at the time.
Past noon Friday, troops of the 1st Scout Ranger Battalion battled Abu Sayyaf gunmen led by Radulan Sahiron in Sitio Baunoh Butang, Barangay Buhanginan, Patikul.
As the Abu Sayyaf retreated, elements of the 14th Scout Ranger Reconnaissance Company engaged them even as they came under artillery and airborne strikes.
From InterAksyon (Feb 28): Joint Task Force ZAMBASULTA: ASG using female combatants
Abu Sayyaf commander Radullan Sahiron
Reports reaching Manila say that the military is training its sight on apparent indications of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) using female combatants.
Based on new evidence recovered from some of the bandits' camps overrun by government security forces in Sulu and Basilan, the Joint Task Force ZAMBASULTA (Zamboanga, Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi) led by Rear Admiral Reynaldo Yoma has reported there is "a big possibility" that the ASG has been recruiting females either to be wives of the fighting men or, at the same time, as combatants.
ZAMBASULTA spokesman Ensign Chester Ian Ramos said ground units also disclosed that one of the encampments hastily abandoned by ASG elements after a brief firefight "is believed to have been occupied by female individuals, based on personal items found by the troops."
Recovered personal belongings left behind by the outlaws in their escape included tell-tale evidence of personal accessories for females.
The ASG camp was found in Barangay Buhanginan in Patikul, Sulu.
Ensign Ramos said that government forces had stumbled upon one portion of the camp, comprising about 100 square meters, was estimated to possibly accommodate up to 50 individuals.
Lieutenant Colonel Eugene Boquio, commanding officer of the 1st Scout Ranger Battalion, said his troops also encountered the main body of the group of ASG leader Radullan Sahiron in Barangay Kabuntakas, also in Patikul.
Pursuit operations also led to the downfall of still another ASG camp.
"Troops are now cordoning off the area to thwart the ASG under Sahiron from leaving the area," according to Lt. Gen. Rustico Guerrero, commander of the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom).
The military launched major offensives against the ASG in Sulu and Basilan almost simultaneously with the other front opened against Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) in Maguindanao and Cotabato amid public uproar over the massacre of 44 police commandos by joint forces of the BIFF and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on January 25 in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.
From the Daily Tribune (Feb 28): Pemberton prosecutors in row among themselves
Private prosecutors are crying foul over moves of public prosecutors led by Olongapo City Prosecutor Emilie Fe de los Santos to block efforts to present evidence against US Marine Lance Cpl. Joseph Scott Pemberton during a pre-trial hearing.
Lawyer Harry Roque who represents the family of transgender Jennifer Laude, whose registered name is Jeffrey, wanted to include in the list of prosecution witnesses the commanding officer of the Pemberton’s unit as well as the American officers in possession of the accused’s service records and who facilitated the training at the Marine boot camp he attended.
Pemberton is facing criminal charges for the killing of Laude last October in Olongapo City.
Roque was not present during the hearing since he was at a conference on the South China Sea (West Philippine Sea) dispute at the Harvard Law School. The manifestation was submitted to the court by another member of the team, lawyer Romel Bagares.
De los Santos openly opposed the move.
In the arraignment hearing last Feb. 23, the fiscal also tried to prevent Bagares from adding additional names to the list of prosecution witnesses before the Olongapo regional trial court Branch 74.
“We cannot understand why she should do that. As the public prosecutor, she should cooperate with the private prosecutors in ensuring that justice is served in this case,” Bagares lamented.
Another private lawyer, Virgie Suarez also questioned such gesture by De los Santos. “We wanted to have all corners covered. We did not expect that to come from her, since we are supposed to be on the same side,” she noted.
Roque said they have tried several times to reach an agreement with the fiscal on how they can work together on the case.
“But she has refused to talk to us in the most unprofessional way imaginable. She is making it easier for the defense by doing the latter’s work,” he stressed.
“We are constrained to bring this matter to the public’s attention because the public prosecutor herself is blocking cooperative efforts between us to obtain justice for the victim,” Roque added.
De los Santos has publicly declared that she will not allow private prosecutors any leeway in the presentation of the evidence for the criminal aspect of the case.
From the Manila Times (Feb 28): AFP failure to deny rebels supplies comes under fire
A lawmaker has questioned failure of the Armed Forces of the
Philippines (AFP) to cut supply lines of armed groups in Mindanao in southern Philippines
despite the military knowing about existing enemy camps and their locations.
Sen. Francis Escudero on Friday noted that even before the
government started peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF),
the AFP had pinpointed not only the locations of the camps but also the routes
used by the rebels to move supplies.
“One of the basic requirements in any conflict is tracing
and cutting the supply lines of the enemy but why is it during the conflict
with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), MILF and even the Bangsamoro
Freedom Fighters (BIFF) we never heard anything about the interception of
firearms, munitions and bombs by our security forces?” Escudero asked.
The senator wondered why the military and the police in
areas of conflict in Mindanao have not resolved
the problem despite having access to right equipment and intelligence
capability.
Escudero raised the question after Mohagher Iqbal, MILF
chief peace negotiator, recently disclosed that his group has sourced weapons
from the AFP and the Philippine National Police (PNP).
Iqbal, a television interview, said the MILF used to have
two other sources of firearms–smugglers and its own gun factory.
He, however, added that they do not have the factory
anymore, citing the MILF signing a peace agreement with the government last
year.
Iqbal said they bought firearms from the AFP and the PNP
only during the Arroyo administration.
Escudero said while he is not interested in looking at
involvement of military and police officers in the alleged sale of weapons to
the rebel groups because it would divert the attention of Congress from the
real issue, the AFP and the PNP should start focusing on finding ways to stop
entry of firearms and other equipment into the lairs of armed groups.
According to the senator, the Mamasapano clash that led to
the killing of 44 Special Action Force (SAF) men is a clear indication that the
MILF and private armed groups have a huge supply cache or a steady supply of
guns, ammunition and other needed equipment that could enable them to go
head-to-head with government security forces.
Escudero said the PNP-SAF men involved in Oplan Exodus,
which was launched to capture Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir, alias
Marwan, were not able to sustain the fight that lasted for more than 10 hours
because they ran out of bullets, giving the MILF, BIFF and other armed groups
the advantage.
The lawmaker pointed out that if these groups lacked a steady
supply of ammunition, they would not have the courage to face the police
commandos who entered their area.
Escudero said the AFP lacks focus in its campaign against
the private armed groups in the country because military chief Gregorio Pio
Catapang Jr. only ordered an all-out offensive against the BIFF after it was
reported that the group also joined the MILF in slaughtering the SAF commandos.
He added that the offensive should have been carried out
earlier, considering that the BIFF has no existing ceasefire agreement with the
government.
Because the group is responsible for launching attacks
against civilians and government security forces in Mindanao,
Escudero said, it is only right for the BIFF to be listed as terrorist.
The Justice department, the senator added, should start the
process to have the BIFF classified as a terrorist organization because in that
way the MILF could help the government go after the BIFF.
“Why is the government taking so long to classify the BIFF
as a terrorist group? Dahil ba iniisip natin [Is it because] sometime in the
future kakausapin din natin sila [we will also talk to them]?” Escudero also
asked.
From the Manila Bulletin (Feb 28): New Mindanao war begins
Thousands of civilians flee as military, BIFF start all-out offensive
Thousands of
residents of Datu Unsay in Maguindanao started evacuating early yesterday
morning after fighting started between the Armed Forces of the Philippines
(AFP) and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).
Last Wednesday,
AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang declared an all-out offensive
against the BIFF to protect communities from the Muslim rebels. In response,
BIFF spokesman Abu Misry Mama said yesterday that they will also launch their
own all-out offensive against the military in various parts of Mindanao.
The fighting
started shortly after around 80 heavily armed BIFF men, led by Commander
Karialan and Kadafy Abdulatip, set up a blockade at a vital portion of the Cotabato-General Santos National Highway,
particularly in Sitio Quarry, Barangay Iganagampong in Datu Unsay at around 9
a.m. yesterday. The BIFF harassed residents, who were forced to flee, the
report added.
After receiving
reports about the BIFF blockade, members of the 45th Infantry Brigade and 2nd
Mechanized Company of the Army were deployed to conduct clearing operations in
the area. However, the government troops were met by gun fires from the BIFF
side at the national highway in Maitumaig, Datu Unsay.
Misry Mama had
earlier said that, “Kung papasok sila, magkabakbakan talaga. Kung hindi sila
mag-offensive kami ang mag-atake mga ilang araw mula ngayon (If they enter our
area, there will be a gunfight. If they will not launch offensives, we will
attack them in a few days).”
As of press time,
no casualty has been reported but thousands of residents have already
evacuated. But sources reported that a military tank was immobilized after it
was hit by a rocket fired from 90RR launcher.
Fleeing residents
said they saw at least six BIFF members killed and several others wounded
during the clash.
No casualties
were reported on the side of the government forces.
The Cotabato-General Santos Highway
was declared cleared to commuters at around 1 p.m. yesterday, but authorities
remain on alert following the BIFF declaration of its own offensive.
“The highway is
already passable at past 1 p.m. and commuters were already allowed to pass. The
army and police forces are now securing the area,” said Senior Superintendent
Rodelio Jocson, Maguindanao police director.
Despite the lull,
Jocson said other evacuees are still in the national highway as they fear the
BIFF might return and harass them in their villages.
Misry Mama had
warned civilians near military detachments and installations to immediately
leave.
“Kailangan na
nila umalis kasi 100 percent gagawa kami ng pag-atake anytime (They have to
leave because 100 percent we will launch offensives anytime),” he added.
“EXTRA CARE’
Despite the
clashes, the military is taking “extra care” to avoid collateral damage on
civilian communities, Deputy Presidential Spokeswoman Abigail Valte said.
“They do take
extreme care to make sure that civilians are not harmed in these operations,”
Valte said in a Palace press briefing.
Valte said the
government has established evacuation centers for families displaced by the
fighting between the military and the rebels in the south.
“Part of the
deployment of troops would be to assure the safety of civilians. We have, yes
indeed, gotten reports that there are evacuations or at least families are
moving to avoid fighting. We do make sure that these families make it to a safe
place, or at least in their perception what is a safe place,” Valte said.
SPARE KIDS, SCHOOLS
Meanwhile, the
Department of Education (DepEd) in Region 12 called on the military and the
BIFF to spare the children and local schools from their conflict.
Dr. Allan
Farnazo, DepEd Region 12 director, issued the call as the military and the BIFF
declared all-out offensive against each other.
He said both
parties should exert efforts to make sure that school children and local
schools will not be affected by their operations.
From the Manila Standard Today (Feb 28): Mindanao clashes heat up
FIGHTING intensified in Central Mindanao on Friday morning as 300 members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters attacked a military column and caused the burning of an armored vehicle at Datu Unsay town in North Cotabato.
Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesperson Col. Restituto Padilla said the fighting erupted after a military convoy was fired upon by the BIFF rebels, forcing the troops to retaliate and sparking a battle that was still raging at press time.
Caption: In harm’s way. Government troops rush to reinforce comrades who were attacked by Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters at Datu Unsay, Maguindanao on Friday. The Cotabato-General Santos national highway was temporarily closed due to the on-going battle. OMAR MANGORSI
A passing private Starex Van were also fired upon by the rebels but no one was hurt, Padilla said.
The flow of commerce along the national highway linking Maguindanao and Cotabato provinces was also stopped because the battle.
Padilla said the BIFF rebels were led by Commander Bungos, the same rebel leader who figured in the slaying of 44 Special Action Force commandos in Mamasapano last January 25.
“Our troops are pursuing the BIFF contingent under Commander Bungos who reportedly laid improvised explosive devices and landmines along the highway,” Padilla said.
He said the fighting has affected the towns of Sharrif Aguak, Shariff Saydona, Datu Unsay and Mamasapano and has forced civilians to evacuate. The fighting first erupted in Barangay Bagan in Guindulungan town and spilled-over to Shariff Aguak.
Reports said the BIFF rebels who were overwhelmed by the military’s firepower and sought shelter at nearby camps of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.
Malacañang, meanwhile, said the government is ready to provide assistance to families affected by the ongoing military campaign against rebels in Mindanao.
“We have gotten reports that there are evacuations, or at least families are moving to avoid fighting. We do make sure that these families make it to a safe place,” Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said during the daily press briefing in Malacañang on Friday.
“It has happened in the past that we have opened evacuation centers for them. We do provide support and assistance,” added Valte.
She said government troops were deployed in Mindanao to go after lawless elements, including the BIFF, one of the rebel groups implicated in the Mamasapano massacre.
Valte said that “extreme care” is being undertaken “to make sure that civilians are not harmed in these operations.”
At the same time, the regional office of the Department of Education called on the military and the BIFF to spare the children and local schools from their conflict.
Dr. Allan Farnazo, DepEd Region 12 director, said both parties should exert efforts to make sure that school children and local schools will not be affected by their operations.
The official said that women and children are the most vulnerable and suffer the most when conflicts arise in their communities.
He said it could be seen in the latest conflict in parts of Pikit, North Cotabato between the BIFF and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.
Around 2,500 pupils and students were earlier reported displaced by the clashes that affected 10 villages of Pikit.
“I hope both parties will put premium in their minds that women and children should always be spared from any conflict,” he said.
Farnazo said they should make sure that classes in schools will not be disrupted and used in any way for their operations.
He said the International Humanitarian Law and several other United Nations conventions specifically prohibit the use of schools for any purpose in armed conflicts.
“Schools should not be used as meeting places, operations base and command centers,” the official said.
Farnazo said both parties should instead regard schools in the entire region as “zones of peace.”
DepEd-12 declared all schools in the region in late 2013 as peace zones in a bid to protect pupils and students in from conflicts and various forms of violence.
The declaration was aimed to establish all local private and public schools as neutral grounds in case armed conflicts would occur in any locality within the region.
Such declaration was mainly an offshoot of a memorandum earlier issued by the DepEd central office that enjoined schools “in areas with armed conflict and/or peace and order problems” to post banners identifying them as peace zones.
The banners are printed with the message: “This school is a zone of peace, huwag po kaming idamay sa mga kaguluhan (please spare us from conflicts).”
DepEd records showed that the region has a total of 1,707 pre-schools, 1,692 public elementary and 402 secondary or high schools.
From the Philippine Star (Feb 27): Gov't troops, BIFF clash anew in Maguindanao
Members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters. File photo Heavy fighting between soldiers and members of the outlawed Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) erupted anew on Friday in five areas in Datu Saudi and Datu Unsay towns.
Different groups of BIFF bandits were quick to block stretches of the Cotabato-General Santos Highway that straddles through the two towns to divert the attention of Army and Marine combatants pursuing extremists reportedly coddling foreign-trained bomber Abdul Basit Usman.
Usman, an ethnic Maguindanaon, was a cohort of the slain Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir, alias Marwan.
The hostilities in Datu Saudi and Datu Unsay, both in the second district of Maguindanao, erupted when BIFF gunmen opened fire at patrolling soldiers, dispatched to verify reported sightings by Moro villagers of gunmen converging in different areas, as if preparing for attacks.
Officials of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division said the “calibrated police action” against the BIFF in the two towns was coordinated with the joint ceasefire committee of the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in keeping with all security protocols crafted bilaterally by the GPH and MILF panels.
The BIFF, led by radical foreign-trained clerics, some of them with links to Al-Qaeda is not covered by the July 1997 Agreement on General Cessation of Hostilities between the government and the MILF.
The military-BIFF firefights forced hundreds of Moro families to evacuate to safer areas, bringing with them their valuables and farm animals.
Battle-hardened combatants of the 6th Marine Battalion from coastal towns in Sultan Kudarat province, backed by V-300 combat vehicles, are helping Army units neutralize the criminal BIFF forces holding out in the two towns.
Evacuees have confirmed that six BIFF gunmen were killed in the initial encounters.
The 6th ID's spokesperson Army Capt. Jo-Ann Petinglay, however, said they cannot confirm the number of BIFF fatalities.
"We have been receiving persistent feedback from villagers that the group indeed suffered fatalities but we don't have actual enemy `body count' that we can use as basis for confirmation," Petinglay said.
Four wounded bandits, all adolescents, were also seen being carried by companions away from the scene just as Army artillery units started pounding their positions with mortars.
Local officials gathered the evacuees in makeshift evacuation sites and public school campuses far from the barangays where government forces and BIFF members have been trading shots since past 10:00 a.m. Friday.
Gov. Mujiv Hataman of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao said he directed the ARMM’s Humanitarian Emergency Assistance and Response Team (HEART) to dispatch workers to Datu Saudi and Datu Unsay to attend to the needs of evacuees.
The HEART is comprised of volunteers from the ARMM’s health, social welfare and public works departments.
Hataman said hundreds of poor Moro families were dislocated by the ensuing firefights between soldiers and the BIFF.
From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Feb 26): MILF tells fighters: Give way to gov’t troops hunting down BIFF Moro rebel group also pledges to help AFP locate Usman The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on Thursday told its fighters to stay away from the military’s all-out offensive against members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).
MILF chief peace negotiator Mohagher Iqbal told the Philippine Daily Inquirer that the group’s chair, Ebrahim Murad, relayed his directive to all field commanders after Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. ordered an all-out offensive against the BIFF, which was also involved in the clash that killed 44 Special Action Force commandos in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, last month.
“The directive is clear—for our men to stay aside and give way to the military’s operation,” Iqbal said.
“Our only concern and appeal to the military is to ensure the safety of the civilians,” he added.
Iqbal said the government’s coordinating committee on cessation of hostilities coordinated with them through their counterpart the all-out-offensive.
Iqbal expressed confidence the military action would not affect their men on the ground.
At the same time, Iqbal assured the Philippine government the MILF would help the military by providing information about the whereabouts of Jemaah Islamiyah bomb expert Basit Usman.
Usman managed to escape when SAF commandos arrived in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, for a law enforcement operation against Zulkifli bin Hir, the Malaysian bomb terrorist known as Marwan.
From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 27): NPA rebels burn backhoe owned by Camarines Sur town LGU
New People's Army (NPA) rebels burned the backhoe owned by
the local government unit (LGU) of Baao town in Camarines Sur being used by
municipal employees working on a project in Sitio Alsum, Barangay Buluang, Baao
Thursday morning.
Equipment operator Mariano Castillo, a resident of Barangay
San Francisco in the same town, said the burning of the backhoe occurred at
about 8:10 a.m. while he was working on the project.
Castillo said two armed NPA members suddenly arrived, told
him to stop working and got the key to the heavy equipment from him.
The rebels poured gasoline into the engine of the backhoe
and set it on fire, he said.
After the incident, the rebels immediately fled the area
towards an unknown direction, leaving Castillo unharmed.
He immediately reported the incident to the police.
Authorities believe the NPA was asking for revolutionary tax
from the local government unit which, in turn, rejected the demand.
From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 27): Army claims NPA weakening in Sorsogon
The strength of the rebel group New People’s Army (NPA) in
Sorsogon province is down to only 45 regular members with just 20 firearms, the
Philippine Army said in a briefing during the City Peace and Order Council
meeting on Tuesday at the City Function Hall.
Lt. Col. Beerjenson Aquino, commanding officer of the 31st
Infantry Battalion based at Barangay Anog, Juban, said the NPA-Sorsogon’s
Komite Probinsyal (KomProb) remains under the command of Andres Hubilla alias
Ka Magno.
It is divided into two guerrilla fronts, the Larangan 1 and
Larangan 2.
Larangan 1, under a certain Alias Omie/Omeng, has 23
full-time members with 13 firearms and covers the municipalities of Casiguran,
Prieto-Diaz, Gubat, Bulusan, Barcelona,
Sta. Magdalena and this city, Aquino said.
Larangan 2, meanwhile, has 19 regulars with merely seven
firearms under Arnel Estiller alias Ariston/Mando and has jurisdiction over the
towns of Juban, Magallanes, Bulan, Irosin, Matnog, Donsol, Pilar and Castilla.
He said the figures showed that the rebel’s force in the
province continues to weaken.
Aquino said around 33 barangays are classified as “affected
barangays” while 144, or 33 percent, of the 541 barangays in the province are
considered as “threatened.”
Based on the military’s definition, a barangay is considered
“affected” if the rebel group has already established a support organization in
the area while a threatened barangay is one which the rebels have been
frequently visiting but have not yet established a mass base, according to
Major Romeo Jimenea, executive officer of the 31st IB.
According to Aquino, the local NPA command conducted several
violent activities last year, including eight liquidations.
The Army commander also blamed the rebel group for another
eight killings during the first two months of this year alone, including the
shooting death of former police Senior Inspector Augurio Coranez in Bacon
district.
As indicated in the report, the towns of Barcelona, Bulusan, Gubat, Casiguran and Magallanes
had the most number of activities conducted by the rebels.
Aquino said the NPA might initiate some tactical moves to
highlight its founding anniversary slated on March 29.
