Key Philippine Military and Insurgency-Related Events: 01/27/15

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

MILF guns bought with govt money?

From the Manila Times (Jan 27): MILF guns bought with govt money?

Malacañang is trying to determine if the P5 million the government gave to the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) three years ago has been accounted for amid talks that the money or part of it may have been used to buy arms and ammunition used by the group in clashes in Maguindanao that resulted in the death of 49 police commandos.

Undersecretary for Administration and Finance Jess Anthony Yu on Tuesday said while it is too early to make a conclusion, the Palace will check with the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) if the money given to the MILF has been spent for purposes for which it was intended.

In 2011, President Benigno Aquino 3rd admitted giving P5 million to the MILF.
“We will verify this with the OPAPP, as of now I have no knowledge of this,” Yu said at the Bulong Pulungan media forum.

Netizens have raised suspicions that the P5 million the government gave the MILF could have been used to buy firearms and ammunition and these guns and bullets could have killed the police commandos.

The P5 million, in check, was handed by government chief negotiator Marvic Leonen to MILF Chairman Murad Ebrahim during formal exploratory talks held in Kuala Lumpur in August 2011.

Netizens also slammed the Aquino administration for being too “lenient” to the MILF.
“While the MILF showed no remorse for the death of our policemen and even blamed the government forces for the incident, the government appeared to be on the defensive,” posted a netizen in his Facebook account.

Another criticized the government for treating the MILF with kid’s gloves.
“Masyadong binebeybi [The MILF is being babied],” he said.

“The rotten politicians and their equally rottern cohorts in government are trying to sweep this issue under the rug and write it of as a ‘mistake.’ They are favoring the peace agreement and selling out the lives of our honorable soldiers. Let us not let our vigilance down and make sure that the truth comes out: No to terrorism, no to Bangsamoro Law!” the Peaceful, Responsible Owners of Guns (Progun) posted on its official Facebook page.

http://www.manilatimes.net/milf-guns-bought-govt-money/158638/

Is Marwan dead or not? Reports vary

From the Manila Standard Today (Jan 28): Is Marwan dead or not? Reports vary

“They did not get Marwan, he’s still alive,” according to Absalom Cerveza, spokesman of the Moro National Liberation Front whose members have been closely monitoring the “very fluid situation” in Mindanao.

Cerveza said former MNLF rebels who have contacts in both the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and its renegade faction Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters and they are reporting that Marwan was no longer in the area when the police arrived on Sunday.

“It’s anybody’s guess,” Cerveza said when asked if he had an idea where Marwan is now, “but my contacts reiterated that Marwan was not in the area when the assault occurred.”

Cerveza said the raid of the police’s Special Action Force was apparently based on information from an asset, who had proven to be accurate and reliable in previous operations, that Marwan would be in Mamasapano on the day of the attack.

“Days before the attack, Marwan could have been in the area,” Cerveza said, “but he must have moved out even before the fighting.”

Cerveza said the police asset was also killed in the fighting so it was very hard to determine whether the Mamasapano incident was really a “mis-encounter” as claimed by Roxas or was planned by the BIFF.

Cerveza said they had gathered that the police withdrew after they clashed with members of the BIFF, but they unintentionally withdrew to an area where there were MILF troops, which was what officials meant when they used the term “mmis-encounter.”

Even the MILF, which had repeatedly denied coddling Marwan or even knowing his whereabouts, declined to confirm government claims that the Malaysian terrorist was killed in the clash.

“We could not confirmed nor deny that Marwan died in that encounter and we have no information he was ever in our folds when the fighting transpired as others sectors claim,” said MILF peace negotiator Mohagher Iqbal. “Our priority and focus is on the importance of the peace agreement.”

But in a press briefing Tuesday morning, Roxas insisted that there was a “high likelihood” Marwan, how is suspected of being behind the 2002 Bali bombings, was killed in the operation.

Roxas said nearly 400 highly-trained policemen took part in the operation in Mamasapano to arrest Marwan but were ambushed by Islamist fighters.

They managed to escape but strayed into territory controlled by a different militant group, sparking another firefight.

“There is a high likelihood according to the participants that Marwan was killed in the operations, but this needs confirmation,” Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas told a news conference.

While they failed to recover the body of the main target, “they were able to take pictures, and these pictures will undergo a process to determine whether it was Marwan or not.”

Zulkifli, among the United States’s most wanted militants, is a bombmaker for the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) group which staged the 2002 bombings in Bali that claimed 202 lives, and other deadly attacks in southeast Asia.

A top Malaysian police official on counter-terrorism told the Malay Mail newspaper that Kuala Lumpur was still waiting for information from the Philippine authorities on Zulkifli’s fate.

Zulkifli, described by the US State Department as a 48-year-old Malaysian militant and a member of JI’s central command who had trained as an engineer in the United States, has long been sought by the authorities.

Declarations of his death, however, have proved premature in the past.
In March 2012 Malaysian counter-terror police denied a Philippine military claim that Zulkifli was killed in an air strike.

http://manilastandardtoday.com/2015/01/28/is-marwan-dead-or-not-reports-vary/

‘Purisima planned it all’

From the Manila Standard Today (Jan 28): ‘Purisima planned it all’

Aquino let suspended PNP chief run show

The fatal covert operation that killed 44 members of the elite Special Action Force and wounded 12 others had been assigned by President Benigno Aquino to suspended National Police Chief Alan Purisima, apparently without the knowledge of Interior Secretary Manuel ‘Mar’ Roxas 11.

A police general, who was part of the planning and actual operation and is privy to the ongoing investigation told the Manila Standard on Tuesday that Aquino may have considered Purisima as still the “de facto PNP chief” in assigning to him the sensitive mission.

“It was a tragedy in the making,” according to the police general.

Flowers for the dead. A relative of one of the policemen killed during
an encounter with MILF fighters on Sunday offers flowers in his
memory at the PNP Heroes’ Monument inside Camp Crame.
Manny Palmero

“The President was aware of the Marwan covert operations. Purisima reported directly to him. In fact, the President went to Zamboanga prior to the troop’s jump off to Mamasapano in Maguindanao so that he would be in the vicinity when Malaysian terrorist Zulkipli bin Hir alias Marwan and Filipino Basit Usman, both bomb experts linked to the Jemaah Islamiya terror cell, are captured,” said the general, who requested anonymity.

“The President was there as he expected the turnover of Marwan to the Philippine government. The President would be present during the presentation of Marwan. Such was the solid plan,” he said. “The President expected a successful operation.”

He added that “Roxas was not with the President. He was kept out of the loop. No one else knew of the covert operations because the subject were terrorists wanted worldwide by the US government, which even offered a $5-million bounty for Marwan’s capture and $1 million for Usman.”

He said there was “no clear leadership” other than a marching order that it was sanctioned by Malacañang.

“From the ground, the SAF officials reported directly to Purisima, who ran the operations from the White House in Camp Crame, despite his suspension,” the general said.

“Purisima would then report either to Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. or directly to the President,” the source said.

The controversial white house was the official residence of the PNP chief and was the reason why Purisima was suspended following his acceptance of P25 million in donations for the renovation of the residence.

“Secretary Roxas was kept out of the loop. He was so incensed that when he called for an emergency meeting, the first he did was confront [PNP officer-in-charge Deputy Director Gerardo] Espina and the SAF officials and blamed the SAF. We felt no empathy from him. He blamed us,” the general said.

“Why was I not informed? Why was I kept in the dark?” the general quoted Roxas as saying when he arrived at the command conference.

“Who was behind this operation?” Roxas demanded.

Espina immediately took a hands-off stance and told Roxas he was also not aware of the Palace-sanctioned raid.

The general explained that the President allowed Purisima to run the operations because it was Purisima who was in possession of all intelligence information about Marwan.

Purisima, he said, had followed and tracked Marwan’s moves since 2005.

“Due to the sensitivity of the information, Purisima would not share the intel with anyone and asserted he had to personally run and oversee the operations,” the general said.

Besides, the general said, Purisima needed such a huge break and successful operation to redeem himself from the controversies linking him to graft and corrupt practices, for which he was suspended for six months.

The President, thinking of the possible worldwide attention he would be getting for having to capture the world’s most wanted terrorist, gave Purisima the go signal.

“Purisima was told by the President to operate “incognito”,” the general said.

“The President acceded to Purisima’s condition and ordered Ochoa to provide Purisima the resources, ammunition and artillery that his troops would need,” the source said.

“So all the SAF men involved, including the 44 who perished, the 12 who were seriously wounded and a survivor of the carnage, were all trusted men of Purisima,” the general said.

Asked what went wrong as the SAF troops had engaged in a fierce firefight with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the general said it was the MILF that violated the ceasefire.

“The ceasefire was in effect. We observed it. We expected the MILF to observe that too. There was no way we could coordinate with the MILF when the terrorists we were after were in their territory,” the general said.

“We were there only to serve warrants for the arrest of Marwan and Usman. There was no intention to engage in a firefight with the MILF. We did, however, expect an exchange of gunfire with the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters in case they turned up because there was no standing ceasefire with them,” the general said. “We also came ready with our weapons.”

“We were caught unawares when the MILF fired upon us. And so we radioed for back-up and artillery from the Philippine Army. The Army refused to send the artillery and told us their hands were tied because of the standing ceasefire,” the general said.

“The army officials even thought the distress signal and SOS for back-up over radio was a prank call because they insisted there was no operation slated in Mamasapano,” the general said.

He said the call for help went to a circuitous route – from Mamasapano to Camp Crame to Zamboanga, where the President ordered Ochoa to call the Army and send an extraction team.

“It took us several hours of convincing the “higher-ups” that our ranks were already being slaughtered,” the general said.

“The artillery came at 6 a.m. when most of the men were decimated already,” the source said.

The general said a seven-man fact-finding team has been formed to get to the bottom of the Masasapano carnage.

Asked to elaborate on the President’s order for Purisima to remain “incognito,” the source said it meant, that “Purisima, even if the operations turned to be successful, cannot claim credit for it.”

But now that it turned into a huge failure, the general said, it would be an injustice to the 44 men who got killed if no one would be made responsible for their death.

“This is why this early, we wanted the real story to come out so that no one could bend the truth as to what really happened and who were responsible behind the operations.
We want the real story told. Lives had been lost. Those were good men,” the general said.

As this developed, Espino sacked Director Getulio Napenas as chief of the Special Action Force on Tuesday following the fatal operation.

Espina announced Napenas’ relief during a press briefing in Camp Crame. Espino said SAF Deputy Director Chief Supt Noli Talina will replace Napenas as SAF officer in charge.

“I talked personally to Director Napenas about his relief at the start of the Board of Inquiry. I would like to get to the bottom of things,” Espina said.

Roxas had ordered that a BOI be formed to unravel the whole truth behind the special operations led by the SAF Sunday at Brgy Pidsandawan, Mamasapano.

The BOI will be headed by Director Edgardo Ingking, head of the Directorate for Integrated Police Operation in Mindanao, with PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) chief Director Benjamin Magalong and Chief Supt. Catalino Rodriguez, of the PNP Directorate for Research and Development and the PNP Secretariat as members.

“What happened during the encounter, were there lapses, and if were there persons liable, they should be meted sanctions,” Roxas said.

“It is also important to know whether there were operational lapses so that this would not happen again,” Roxas said.

The SAF special operation was centered on arresting Malaysian terrorist and Jemaah Islamiya-trained bomb expert Zulkifli bin Hir, alias Marwan, and his Filipino counterpart Basit Usman.

Roxas and Espina both claimed that Marwan was killed during the operation. Roxas said that Marwan’s death was properly documented with a photograph showing the supposed dead body of the terrorist.

Roxas said the clash between the SAF mmebers and MILF was a misencounter, but sources from the police and the military rejected the claim as highly improbable.

“That’s very farfetched. Obviously, the SILG has no exposure to combat. In the field, misencounter can be established only minutes after the initial shooting. But in Mamasapano, the SAF were engaged in intense, hours of firefight,” a source from Camp Crame said.

“Worse, some of the SAF troops bore bullets wounds at their backs, which means that the perpetrators managed to get near the troops. So, how can that be a misencounter?” the source added.

Roxas had clarified the SAF commandos went to the lair of the MILF and BIFF, a splinter group of MILF, in Barangay Tukanalipao, Mamasapano in Maguindanao last Sunday not because of the United States’ Federal Bureau of Investigation $5-million bounty and another P1 million reward on Marwan and Usman, respectively.

The SAF operatives were doing a legitimate police operation when they were attacked by BIFF and MILF elements, and that the misencounter began when the elite police force had entered an MILF-controlled area, he said.

A total of 392 elements of the PNP-SAF were involved in the operation, of whom 44 were confirmed dead, 12 were wounded, while 336 were all accounted for, Roxas said in an official statement. He also ordered PNP’s Comptroller Director Rolando Purugganan to ensure that all the benefits due “our fallen heroes” will be given to them “Put up a system to ensure that they (victims’ kin) will immediately receive all assistance due them,” he said.

The supposed arrest of Marwan and Usman had nothing to do with the suicide bomb threat on Pope Francis’ five-day visit to the country, he said.

“Marwan is a high-value target both internationally and locally. Authorities had long been after him for being the most wanted terrorist,” he added.

http://manilastandardtoday.com/2015/01/28/-purisima-planned-it-all-/

What now after the Maguindanao clash?

From Rappler (Jan 27): What now after the Maguindanao clash?

Grand gestures are needed to restore confidence in the peace process

'MISENCOUNTER.' Philippine police commandos load body bags onto a truck in the town of Mamasapano, in Mindanao on January 26, 2015. Photo by Mark Navales/AFP

At least 44 policemen are dead. Hearings on the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law are stalled at the Senate. Now, what?

Despite continuing support from certain Congress leaders and other sectors such as the Catholic Church, the ongoing peace process in Mindanao lost key numbers in the Senate after the Maguindanao clash, casting doubts on the future of the peace process.

In the midst of strong emotions, even former president and incumbent Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada, in an interview with ANC, said the Maguindanao clash – which government officials are calling a "misencounter" – only shows that he was right in declaring an all-out war against the MILF back in 2000.

After the euphoria over the signing of a final peace agreement between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in March 2014, all 17 years of negotiations between the government and the MILF and close to half a century of armed conflict now hit another crossroad.

In Congress, lawmakers are demanding to know how and why over 40 policemen were killed after they entered an MILF-controlled area in Maguindanao in a bid to arrest wanted terrorists. (READ: PNP-SAF commander relieved over 'misencounter')

Will the incident jeopardize the peace process? If the statements of government officials after the attack is any indication, then the government's stand is clear: the peace process with the MILF will continue.

On Tuesday, January 27, government chief negotiator Miriam Coronel-Ferrer told reporters in several interviews that the scheduled meeting in Kuala Lumpur on the last week of January to finalize the protocol on decommissioning of arms is pushing through.

The government will continue to talk peace with the MILF despite the clash in Maguindanao between the very parties involved in the process.

It's a reality that some lawmakers cannot seem to reconcile. What's the point of having a peace agreement and passing the Bangsamoro Basic Law if violence continues to persist? Can the MILF be trusted?

The same questions have been asked many times in the past.

DECOMMISSIONING. This photo taken on Oct 15, 2012 shows members of the MILF shouting 'Allahu Akbar' (God is Great) during a celebration inside camp Darapanan in Sultan Kudarat town in Mindanao, to coincide with the signing of the Framework Agreement. File photo by Karlos Manlupig/AFP

Remember Ipil and Al Barka?

In April 1995, around 200 armed men clad in fatigues wreaked havoc in the municipality of Ipil, looting from banks and establishments. The incident resulted in the death of 53 individuals, including civilians.

The Ramos government at first pinned the blame on the Abu Sayyaf. It later became evident that combined elements of the Abu Sayyaf, a breakaway faction of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), and members of the MILF staged the attack.

What happened in Ipil and Mamasapano operated in different contexts but contained the same elements – terrorism, displacement of residents, an ongoing peace negotiation with another rebel group, the MNLF.

The same questions were raised back then – should the ceasefire agreement with the MNLF be suspended? Can the MNLF still be trusted to talk peace?

Back then, Ramos said the military can maintain pressure on the Abu Sayyaf and other terrorist elements without jeopardizing the peace talks. Even the deputy army chief at the time was quoted as saying the peace talks must go on.

Months later, Nur Misuari rose to power as governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and a peace accord between the government and the MNLF was signed. What happened next is another story.

It was in 2011 when the last big encounter between MILF and government troops happened in an incident that left 19 soldiers and 6 MILF members dead in Al Barka, Basilan.

There were conflicting accounts of what the military mission was for. The MILF claimed the military carried out a deliberate attack and intruded into an MILF area. The army, meanwhile, said they stayed at least 3 kilometers from the MILF area but were fired at, forcing them to fight back. (READ: Fiasco in Basilan)

President Benigno Aquino III, back then, resisted calls for an all-out war. He said it was easy to close the door on negotiations but the government would rather pursue "all-out justice."

Peace talks were at the early stages then. This time around, the landscape is different. A final peace accord is already at hand and the government, as well as the MILF, are bound by what they have signed.

Since the Al Barka incident, military sanctions have been imposed on officials responsible for the incident. Meanwhile, MILF sanctions have not been revealed to the public.

DEAL IN PERIL? President Benigno Aquino III and Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak witness the exchange of documents following the signing of a final peace agreement between the Philippine government and the MILF on March 27, 2014. Photo by Dennis Sabangan/EPA

Grand gestures needed

It would take "grand confidence-building measures" on the part of the MILF to win back the public's trust, said Senator Ralph Recto. This measure would entail helping the government capture wanted terrorists.

“The BBL, the peace process have become collateral damage of Sunday’s massacre. The fastest way to recover from the setback is if the MILF will partner with the government in arresting [Zulkifli bin Hir, better known as] Marwan and [Abdul Basit] Usman,” Recto said. The two are reputed to be bomb-making experts.

Davao City 1st district Representative Karlos Alexei Nograles, a member of the ad hoc panel on the Bangsamoro, said the incident raises concerns that the MILF leadership is not in full control of its followers.

Nograles said the MILF must surrender their erring members to authorities.

"This is a test case for the BBL. If under our present system we cannot serve justice, how can we be assured that the Philippine justice system will work once the BBL is passed? This is a question of trust, which is the underlying principle that must govern the BBL," Nograles said.

Meanwhile, Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, a former navy lieutenant, called on his colleagues not to "overreact."

"We need to await the results of the investigations, both through the mechanisms of the peace agreement and the internal investigation of the PNP. Until then, let’s suspend any judgment," Trillanes said.

POSTPONED HEARINGS. Senator Bongbong Marcos (left), chair of the Senate committee on local government, talks to Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) Secretary Teresita Quintos-Deles (right) and Bangsamoro chairman Mohaguer Iqbal (center) before the start of a briefing on the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law. File photo by Albert Calvelo/PRIB

Complex process

Institute of Autonomy and Governance executive director Benedicto Bacani said people should understand that the peace process is complex and involves two parallel tracks – politics and security.

The political aspect involves the creation of the new autonomous region with greater political and fiscal powers than the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

The security aspect involves the decommissioning of rebel firearms.

Under the final peace agreement, the decommissioning of rebel firearms would happen in batches, in exchange for political commitments toward the creation of the Bangsamoro, including the passage of the law.

While this type of accord pressures both sides to keep their commitments, it also has its pitfalls.

"The reality is the political track is slow and weak for changes and political reforms. That's why when people think the process is over because there's already a peace agreement, that's not correct," Bacani said.

Going a step further should deliberations in the Senate resume, Bacani said another issue is the final outcome of the proposed law, which Congress has the liberty to change.

"It will be passed but the problem is, what will be its final form and would it be acceptable to the MILF?" Bacani said. (READ: Two schools of thought on the Bangsamoro bill)

Concrete actions

Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, one of the two senators who withdrew his support for the Bangsamoro law, warned that the BBL is in "severe danger."

He said the Maguindanao clash could be the "cause of death" of the proposed law.

"Ang advice ko sa gobyerno at MILF, rather maghugas kamay, ipakita niyong peace ang gusto niyo," Cayetano said. (My advice to the government and the MILF, rather than wash hands, show peace is what you want.)

At least 4 separate resolutions have been filed in the House and the Senate to probe the Maguindanao clash.

President Benigno Aquino III is set to address the nation Wednesday, January 27, at 6 pm. Will it put uncertainty over prospects of peace to rest?

http://www.rappler.com/nation/special-coverage/peacetalks/82120-maguindanao-clash-prospects-peace

MILF conducts own probe into Maguindanao clash

From Rappler (Jan 28): MILF conducts own probe into Maguindanao clash

'There will be a lot of speculations as to what happened and until what happened is established with credibility and integrity, the said incident will weigh down our current efforts to bring peace to our homeland'

CONFLICT. Philippine police commandoes load body bags containing the remains of their comrades killed in a clash with Muslim rebels, onto a truck in the town of Mamasapano, on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao on January 26, 2015. Thirty police commandoes were feared dead after Philippine security forces clashed with Muslim rebels in the south, in rare violence that tested a nearly one-year-old peace accord, a rebel official said January 26. AFP PHOTO / Mark Navales

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on Tuesday, January 27 reiterated its commitment to the peace process as it announced it is conducting a probe into the deadly clash in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.

In a statement on Tuesday, January 27, MILF chairman Murad Ebrahim said the rebel group's central committee and the general staff of their armed wing will form a special investigative commission to look into what happened at Mamasapano.

The commission was instructed to produce a report "as soon as possible," Murad said.

"Our concern is the truth. There will be a lot of speculations as to what happened and until what happened is established with credibility and integrity, the said incident will weigh down our current efforts to bring peace to our homeland," Murad said.

The MILF expressed its "deepest sympathies" to the families and friends of the policemen killed in the encounter that killed at least 43 policemen and 5 Moro rebels.

"The emotions of loss and pain are not alien to us Bangsamoro and Mujahideens. Neverthess, respect and solidarity is due to all, irrespective of which side they belong," the MILF said.

A final peace agreement between the MILF and the government was signed in March 2014 after 17 years of negotiations. The process aims to put an end to close to half a century of armed conflict in Mindanao that has claimed the lives of over 120,000 people.

But the deadly encounter in Maguindanao threatens to derail ongoing discussions in Congress for a proposed law creating a new autonomous region in Mindanao – a product of the peace accord.

Lawmakers want the MILF to explain why 50 policemen had to die in their territory when a ceasefire was supposed to be in effect, especially with discussions on the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law now in crucial stages in the House of Representatives and the Senate.

The MILF earlier said their troops acted in self-defense after members of the Philippine National Police Special Action Force (PNP-SAF) entered their area to arrest wanted terrorists without coordination. (READ: Top PH cops didn't know details of PNP-SAF operation)

Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas said initial reports revealed members of the breakaway Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighter attacked members of the Philippine National Police Special Action Force (PNP-SAF) then the PNP-SAF had a "misencounter" with the MILF because one unit attempted to avoid the MILF area.

The police is conducting a separate probe into the matter. The International Monitoring Team overseeing the ceasefire agreement between the government and the MILF is also expected to produce their own report to be submitted to both parties.

After the deadly clash, two senators withdrew their co-authorship of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law, stripping proponents of a guaranteed majority vote in the Senate.

Senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr, chair of the main committee handing the measure, decided to postpone hearings pending the resolution of the incident - a move that could make it hard for the Senate to beat the March deadline to put the law into a vote.

Their counterparts in the House of Representatives, meanwhile, agreed to push through with executive meetings and put the bill to a vote on February 17.

But a number of House members, led by lawmakers who are former soldiers, remain unconvinced and want the MILF to justify whether the lack of coordination with ground commanders was enough reason to kill at least 43 policemen. (READ: What now after the Maguindanao clash?)

In his statement, Murad underscored the importance of adhering to "established protocols" agreed on during the 17-year negotiations in keeping peace.

"It is unfortunate but not surprising that when parties do no follow established protocols, lives are placed in harm's way. We therefore recommit ourselves to follow these process and protocols," the MILF said.

Read the MILF statement below:

This is the official statement of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front relative to the unfortunate event that happened at Mamasapano, Maguindanao on January 25, 2015.

1. First and foremost, we express and send our deepest sympathies to the families and friends of those who died in the armed encounter in Mamasapano, Maguindanao. The emotions of loss and pain are not alien to us Bangsamoro and Mujahideens. Nevertheless, respect and solidarity is due to all, irrespective of which side they belong.

2. Our concern is the truth. There will be a lot of speculations as to what happened and until what happened is established with credibility and integrity, the said incident will weigh down our current efforts to bring peace to our homeland.

3. In order to give meaning to their deaths, we must resolve not to let something like this happen again. To this end, the MILF is convening a Special Investigative Commission (SIC) to be composed of members of the MILF Central Committee and BIAF General Staff who are tasked to investigate the events at Mamasapano, Maguindanao that resulted in the deaths of members of the MILF and of soldiers of the Philippine Government. The mandate of the SIC is to gather as much reliable information and interview witnesses to establish the truth. The SIC is given instruction to come up with a report to the Central Committee as soon as possible.

4. We hereby reiterate the MILF's full commitment to the peace process. with the Philippine Government. An enduring peace and justice remains to be our primary objective. In this regard, all actions and pronouncements of our political and military units of the MILF should advance and adhere to this primary objective as much as possible and with due regard to the safety and security of our people and communities.

5. The MILF have been in negotiations with the Philippine Government for some time now. During this time, both parties have established protocols, ways of proceedings and mechanisms, which support and keep the peace. Adherence to these mechanisms have created a peaceful environment and lessened actual hostilities through the years. It is unfortunate but not entirely surprising that when parties do not follow established protocols lives are placed in harm's way. We therefore recommit ourselves to follow these processes and protocols.

6. For widest dissemination.

By:

AL HAJ MURAD EBRAHIM

Chairman

Central Committee, MILF

http://www.rappler.com/nation/special-coverage/peacetalks/82148-moro-islamic-liberation-front-maguindanao-clash

Int'l terrorist in Maguindanao: Who is Marwan?

From the Philippine Star (Jan 27): Int'l terrorist in Maguindanao: Who is Marwan?

Southeast Asia's most wanted terrorist Zulkifli Abd Hir, also known as Marwan, is believed to have been killed in a Philippine National Police operation in Mamasapano, Maguindanao on Jan. 25, 2015. AP | Google Maps

Malaysian bomb maker Zulkifli Abd Hir, most known for his alias "Marwan" among dozens he used, was likely to have been killed by Philippine police in Maguindanao last Sunday.

Authorities believe Marwan was neutralized in the Philippine National Police Special Action Force operation in Mamapasano town. The gun battle aimed to serve Marwan's arrest warrant, but 44 policemen were also slain by Moro insurgents.

An engineer who studied in the United States, Marwan is also thought to be the head of the radical Kumpulun Mujahidin Malaysia and a member of Jemaah Islamiyah's central command aiming to establish an Islamic caliphate in the region.

Abdhir was indicted on August 1, 2007, in the United States District Court, Northern District of California, and charged with "providing material support to terrorists, conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, contributing goods and services to a specially designated global terrorist, and making false statements," the FBI writes in his profile.

Described to have Chinese facial features, Marwan, 49, was born in Muar, a city in southern Malaysia, and described in his profile posted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation as dark, balding and slim.

Attacks in Philippines

That the radical operative can speak Tagalog may come as no surprise as he is believed to have conducted bomb-making training for terror organization Abu Sayyaf Group and lived in Mindanao since 2003.

In 2007, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice offered a $5 million bounty for Marwan and listed him among American's "most wanted terrorists" following his alleged involvement in a series of deadly bomb attacks in the Philippines.

On Tuesday, Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel "Mar" Roxas II said police commandos did not retrieve the body of Marwan in Sunday's attack due to the intense firefight but were able to take photos of his remains.

"May mga pictures, at ang mga pictures na ito ay dadaan sa proseso kung ito nga si Marwan, hindi ko masabi kung yung nasa picture nga ay si Marwan," Roxas said.

He said there is a "high likelihood" that it was Marwan who was killed, but it needs further confirmation.

'Killed' twice

In this February 2012 photo, Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesman Col. Marcelo Burgos shows a picture of Zulkipli bin Hir, also known as Marwan, a top leader of the regional, al Qaida-linked Jemaah Islamiyah terror network, during a press conference in Quezon City, Philippines. AP file

It is not the first time Marwan is believed to have died. In February 2012, the Armed Forces said Marwan was slain in an air strike targeting an Abu Sayyaf lair in Jolo, Sulu.

The reported death prompted the terror suspect's mother to appeal to the Malaysian and Philippine governments to have his body sent to the Ulu Mosque in Bakri, Muar for burial.

A month later, however, Marwan was found to have escaped and coddled by the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, a splinter group from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2015/01/27/1417383/intl-terrorist-maguindanao-who-marwan

Lay of the land added to PNP-SAF's woes in Mamasapano clash

From GMA News (Jan 27): Lay of the land added to PNP-SAF's woes in Mamasapano clash

While the lack of coordination is being blamed for the "misencounter" that resulted in the deaths of more than 40 policemen in Mamasapano, Maguindanao on Sunday, several military commanders interviewed by GMA News said the unpredictable terrain at the encounter site also contributed to the higher number of casualties.

In a report aired on GMA News' “24 Oras”, several military field commanders in Mamasapano who refused to be identified said Barangay Tukanalipao and the nearby villages of Timbalakan and Tinsawaan, where the firefight occurred on Sunday were considered as “hard terrain” involving hectares of marshlands, cornfields, banana fields and rocky areas.

The military commanders said it was also difficult to send reinforcement troops and vehicles in the area once the firefight began as these villages were known bailiwicks of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).

On Sunday, 392 policemen belonging to the elite Special Action Force (SAF) had an 11-hour encounter with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters in Mamasapano town.

The encounter led to the death of 44 SAF members, seven of them were high-ranking officers. Meanwhile, 12 more SAF men were reported injured.

[Video: Killing Zone]

Capt. Jo-Anne Petinglay, spokesperson of the Philippine Army's 6th Infantry Division (ID) said the hard terrain of the encounter site served as an advantage for the side of the enemies who knew the area better.

“Just like in any operations, you always have the advantage if you know the terrain better,” Petinglay said.

Petinglay added that the MILF and BIFF occupying the area usually belong to the same clan.

“Halos ganun naman dito, lahat ng nasa communities magkakamag-anak din,” Petinglay said.

According to the military, Mamasapano town is considered an MILF community where the camp of the 105th Base of the MILF Command is situated. The 105th Base of the MILF Command reportedly have about 1,000 members.

In a phone patch interview with GMA News TV's “Quick Response Team (QRT)” on Monday, Roxas he has already ordered the creation of a board of inquiry which will look into was the possible lapses on the part of the police officials who planned and led the operation, including the reported lack of coordination with the MILF.

Roxas said the board will also look into the intelligence gathering procedure of the PNP following reports that the SAF troops were not informed that the area was a bailiwick of the MILF and BIFF.

“Yung mga asset na nagsupply ng info sa SAF titignan din...Kaya nga magkakaroon ng board of inquiry para makita kung meron bang lapses. Itong lapses na ito ay para bang negligence, kapabayaan, weather-related or mga hindi inaasahang mga pangyayari,” Roxas said.

Roxas has earlier called the incident a “misencounter” as the MILF and the BIFF were not the intended targets of the police force but Jemaah Islamiyah leader Zulkifli bin Hir also known as Commander Marwan and foreign-trained Filipino bomb maker Abdul Bassit Usman who is believed to be a high-ranking leader of the Abu Sayyaf group.

Meanwhile, the “24 Oras” report said 30 more SAF members would have been killed in the encounter had the Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) did not step in and conducted a negotiation with the MILF and SAF for a cease fire.

“Ang hirap kasi we were negotiating under fire...tago talaga kami sa sagingan, doon nagkaroon ng negotiation,” CCCH chairman Brigadier General Carlito Galvez recounted.

Galvez said it was fortunate that the ceasefire negotiation yielded positive result as the 30 SAF men were already surrounded by the MILF and BIFF.

"We are successful na natigil ang putukan ng 4 p.m. (on Sunday) and we were able to negotiate for the wthdrawal and extrication of the 30 surviving PNP forces,” Galvez said.

Based on the official report of the MILF Ceasefire Committee the PNP-SAF did not coordinate with them before conducting the operation.

“When they (MILF troops) bumped unexpectedly into a team of PNP SAF in Tukanalipao, immediately gun battle erupted between them. The troops of PNP SAF were actually manuevering as back up forces to their assaulting troops in Timbalakan and Tinsawaan,” MILF chief peace negotiator Mohagher Iqbal said.

“There was never an ambush. In fact, it was the PNP SAF who fired first at the forces of the MILF command,” Iqbal added.

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/418180/news/nation/lay-of-the-land-added-to-pnp-saf-s-woes-in-mamasapano-clash

BIFF denies brutality in killing of cops in Mamasapano clash

From GMA News (Jan 27): BIFF denies brutality in killing of cops in Mamasapano clash

The Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighter (BIFF) denied that brutality marked the killing of members of the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force (PNP-SAF) during the bloody encounter in Mamasapano town in Maguindanao this past weekend.

BIFF spokesperson Abu Misri Mama claimed that PNP-SAF members were not treated cruelly and the wounds suffered by government troops were from the clash, according to a GMA News' "24 Oras" report on Tuesday.

At least 44 members of the PNP-SAF were killed when a police operation to arrest suspected Jemaah Islamiya bomb maker Zulkifli Bin Hir and Abu Sayyaf member Abdul Bassit Usman turned into a firefight with rebels.

A survivor had earlier said that the rebels took away uniforms and night vision goggles from the police officers. The survivor also said that rebels also used firearms of SAF personnel to shoot them at a close range.

But the BIFF confirmed that they have 10 guns from PNP-SAF members currently with Commander Marok. They have no plans of returning the guns.

Meanwhile, tension remains high in Mamasapano as the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the BIFF were said to have increased their forces in the area to prepare for a pursuit operation from government forces.

To ease tension, government troops have been asked to stay in Brgy. Tukanalipao in Mamasapano.

Checkpoints in the area were also removed. The CCCH is talking to MILF commanders to ask them not to reinforce their forces. They are also telling the group that they are not subject of government pursuit operations.

"Kung walang ceasefire 'yun, it will escalate. Kasi marami na nag-reinforce na reported na MILF. May mga spillover pa 'yan, kasi the MILF might feel na talagang atake na sa kanila 'yan," Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) chairman Brig. Gen. Carlito Galvez said.

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/418138/news/nation/biff-denies-brutality-in-killing-of-cops-in-mamasapano-clash

BIFM: The Battle of Tuka na Lipaw

From the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Movement (BIFM) Website (Jan 26): The Battle of Tuka na Lipaw

Tuka na Lipaw is one of the component Barangays (Barrio) of Mamasapano, Maguindanao. It is about 10 Kilometers away from the Shariff Aguak Poblacion, on its eastern part.

It was a silent-fresh weather condition at the dawn of Sunday, January 25. 2015, the BIFF mujahideen were preparing for breakfast while others have just finished their SUBUH Prayers (morning season prayers). At about 5 am., suddenly appeared about two platoon size heavily armed men in the populated portion of Tuka na Lipaw were multiple groups of armed men of the Bangsamoros residing just walking distance from this group of armed men- the Special Action Force.

On that very moment, a fierce battle began which lasted about a whole working-day (8 Hrs.) there were many versions of figure involving casualties with all the government forces arms believed to have been taken away by the Moro Mujahideen.

Media men have not yet obtained an official figure of the casualties on the government side. Some figures on casualties were 24, 34, 36 and 50 heads of the PNP Special Action Force (SAF). But as of fresh time, the latest reliable figure obtained is 71. This PNP unit (SAF) was selected from the general headquarters of the Philippine National Police, Camp Crame, Quezon City who were on an official mission to serve the arrest warrant on a high profile enemy of state.

On BIFF group, the following fire arms taken from the enemies (SAF) were:

1. Baby M60 (1-unit)
2. M16 (Armalite Riffle) (4-units)
3. Boost Master (1-unit)
4. Baby M203 (2-units)
5. Large M203 (1-unit)
6. AK-57 (1-unit)
7. 90RR (1-unit)
A total of 11 units

Note: Some field commanders have not yet reported the fire arm they captured.

Casualties on the side of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters were: Boy Sixty and Boy Maninindeg while on the enemy side, based on body count by the field commanders are as follows:

1. PSI Gednat Tabde
2. PSI RYan Pabalinas
3. PSI Garamnbas Tria
4. PI Rennie Tyrus
5. SPO1 Lover Inocencio
6. PO3 Rodrigo Acob Jr.
7. PO3 Virgil Villanueva
8. PO2 Roger Cordero
9. PO2 Peterson Carap
10. PO2 Nicky Nacino Jr.
11. PO1 Angel Kodiamat
12. PO2 Glenn Bedua
13. PO3 Noel Golocan
14. PO2 Jerry Kayob
15. PO2 Noel Balaca
16. PO1 Romeo Cempron
17. PO2 Joel Dulnuan
18. PO2 Christopher Lalan
19. PO2 Walner F. Danao
20. PO2 Franklin C. Danao
21. PO2 Omar A. Nacionales
22. PO2 Godofredo B. Cabanlit Candano
23. PO1 Russel B. Bilog
24. PO1 Loreto Capinding
25. PO3 Junrel Kibete
26. PO1 Gringo Cayang-o
27. PO2 Rodel Ramacula
28. PO1 Joseph Sagonoy
29. PO3 John lloyd R. Sumbilla
30. PO2 Chum Agabon
31. PO3 RObert Allaga
32. PO1 Mark Lory Clemencio
33. PO1 Oliebeth I. Viernes
34. PO2 Richelle S. Baluga
35. PO3 Andres V. Duque
36. PO3 Jedz-in A. Asjali
37. PO2 Amman M. Esmula
38. PO3 Victoriano N. Acain
39. PI Joey S. Gamutan
40. PI John Garry A. Erana
41. PSI Cyrus P. Anniban

Though this encounter attributed as incidental in nature, it is the fiercest (Bloodiest) one among all encounters between BIFF and government forces since 2012. It is the biggest number of casualties on the side of the Philippine government with all their fire arms believed to have been taken including AMMO and other military accessories, by the Moro mujahid.

As expected, the Bangsamoro Government can sufficiently deliver the basic services needed by the people of the Moroland, hence a lasting peace shall definitely be achieved. However when one refers to the peace and order condition within the supposedly area of coverage of the Bangsamoro government since 2012, will our expectation be realized?.

From:
Research and Information Bureau

http://www.bifm-rib.com/news.html

MILF: GPH committed to pursue peace process with MILF

Posted to the MILF Website (Jan 27): GPH committed to pursue peace process with MILF

Despite the Maguindanao clash on Sunday, January 25 in Tukanalipao, Mamasapano, Maguindanao between Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) guerillas and members of Special Action Force of the Philippine National Police (SAF-PNP), the government is committed to pursue the peace process with MILF, Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. said in an press briefing yesterday at the Palace.

The firefight resulted to the death of 49 SAF members and five (5) MILF) combatants. It also displaced local residents.

The MILF, the military as well as local government officials were one in saying that there was no coordination made with them regarding the police operation. The GPH and MILF ceasefire committee and as well as the ADJAG were not also coordinated.

Malacañang dispatched on Monday morning Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas and Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin to Cotabato City to supervise the retrieval operation and to prevent further escalation of the incident.

The SAF team was on a mission to arrest Zulkifli bin Hir, alias Marwan, a high-value target belonging to the “Markaziyah” or central command of the terrorist group Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) and his cohort Basit Usman who were reportedly in the area.

While in the area, the SAF members fired upon a house of Imam Salman of the MILF 105th Base Command thinking that their target “Marwan” was inside. MILF guerillas engaged the SAF members resulting to the death many combatants.

Another report said that MILF forces clashed with policemen who were assigned at the right wing of operation who were approaching the house of Imam Salman.

Abu Misry Mama, BIFF Spokesman said that many of the casualties were victims of an ambush made by their members who also have a camp in the area. In a latest report, though not yet validated, Marwan was killed during the firefight.

President Aquino wanted a full report on the incident but the government’s position on the peace process with the Moro front had not changed, Coloma said.

All the facts must be ascertained first and “we should be circumspect” in making pronouncements because the investigation was not yet complete, Coloma stressed.

“The peace process in Mindanao is important, the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) is important and we continue to push for the peace process,” he said. He added that President Aquino was aware of the operation and that the PNP-SAF performed the mission with courage and professionalism.

http://www.luwaran.com/index.php/welcome/item/1471-gph-committed-to-pursue-peace-process-with-milf

Eastern Mindanao Command scores rebel harassment tactics against IPs

From the Philippine News Agency (Jan 27): Eastern Mindanao Command scores rebel harassment tactics against IPs

The Eastern Mindanao Command on Tuesday scored New People's Army (NPA) harassment tactics which prompted IPs (Indigenous People) residing in forested communities in San Luis town, Agusan Del Sur to flee to safer grounds.

Major Ezra Balagtey, Eastern Mindanao Command spokesperson, said rebel harassment tactics against these minority groups started last Jan. 23 to 24.

He added that the rebel bands, in two groups, forced the IPs residing in Barangay Balit, San Luis town, to flee by claiming that the military will undertake a massive operation in the locality.

This false report triggered panic and caused the IPs to flee from their communities.

As of this posting, the evacuees were composed of 194 households totaling 890 individuals including children.

Balagtey said that these individuals are now being sheltered at the IP Infirmary Hospital, also in San Luis.

Lt. Gen. Aurelio Baladad, Eastern Mindanao Command head, slammed the NPAs for their blatant disregard of human rights .

"The NPAs displayed their blatant disregard of Human Rights when they forced the massive evacuation of the community. They displaced the IPs from their place of abode and prevented them to practice their way of life that blatantly erodes their dignity as a people." Baladad said

He also scored the anti-development initiatives of the rebels.

"They don’t want the government's presence in these communities so that they will blame the government for neglecting its responsibilities and thus lay the basis for more recruits. They want the marginalized communities to be constantly in quagmire so that they will have constant issues to manipulate the poor and hammer down issues against the govt. If they truly are for the welfare of the IP communities, why stop the delivery of basic services and development in these areas," Baladad stressed.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=729479

Sibugay police bares identities of Korean businessman’s abductors

From the Philippine News Agency (Jan 27): Sibugay police bares identities of Korean businessman’s abductors

Police authorities have tagged members of a kidnap-for-ransom-group (KFRG) with ties with the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) as the ones responsible in the abduction of a Korean businessman in Zamboanga Sibugay province.

Senior Supt. Robert Roy Bahian, Zamboanga Sibugay police director, disclosed the identities of the suspects based on the testimonies of the victim’s companions who managed to escape when the victim was seized.

The victim, Hong Nwi Seong, 73 (not Noui Hong Sung as earlier reported), was seized by gunmen aboard a mini-van around 9:30 p.m. Saturday in Barangay Surabay, R.T. Lim, Zamboanga Sibugay.

Those who managed to escape were Hong’s son, Gobui, and Park Gisuk. They sustained bruises during their escaped.

Bahian said the witnesses were able to identify three of the suspects through photographs shown to them in the course of the investigation.

Bahian said the suspects were identified as Abral Abdulsalam of Barangay Mamagon, Naga, Zamboanga Sibugay, and Munib Enriques of Barangay Tenan, Ipil of the same province.

Bahian said the third suspect, who was also identified through a photograph, is an Abu Sayyaf member based in Basilan province.

He said that Abdulsalam is the younger brother of Waning Abdulsalam, the leader of a kidnap group known as the Abdulsalam group based in Zamboanga Sibugay.

He said that Enriques is a cousin of Ayub Enriques. Both are members of the Abdulsalam group.

Ayub (Enriques) was arrested January 16 at his residence in Barangay Tenan, Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay. He has two standing warrants of arrest for the crime of murders.

Bahian said that Hong arrived last Thursday in R.T. Lim, Zamboanga Sibugay purposely to visit as well as to check on the small-scale mining business of his son.

He said that prior to Hong’s abduction, the victim together with his wife, Sik Young Lee; son, Gobui; Park; and another Korean national, Jong Beoum Kim took their dinner at the residence of Bert Bayona, the business partner of his son.

After the dinner, Bahian said the Hong family and their two Korean national companions went home to their rented house in Barangay Surabay, R.T. Lim. The house is owned by Suzette Rubio Espinosa of the same place.

He said that suddenly a mini-van with gunmen aboard arrived and barged in while the Koreans were about to go to sleep.

He said the gunmen forcibly took Hong, his son, Gobui and Park but the two managed to escape except for Hong.

Pursuing policemen found the mini-van of the suspects, which was already burned, in Sitio Limono, Barangay Roxas, R.T. Lim town.

Meanwhile, Bahian said they have taken Hong’s wife and son as well as Park and Jong to safer place and provided them security escorts.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=729485

856 residents benefit from joint military-civilian medical mission in Catbalogan City

From the Philippine News Agency (Jan 27): 856 residents benefit from joint military-civilian medical mission in Catbalogan City

In line with its community development efforts, the 43rd Infantry Battalion, a field unit of the 8th Infantry Division, has conducted a medical mission which benefited 856 residents of Barangay San Andres, Catbalogan City, Samar.

Major Amado C. Gutierrez, 8th Infantry Division spokesperson, on Tuesday said that the activity took place last Jan. 25.

Helping them in this endeavor were media outfit UNTV, Kamanggagawa Foundation Incorporated (KFI), and Catbalogan City local government unit.

Gutierrez said Barangay San Andres is located in a mountainous area and is around four kilometers away from Catbalogan City.

The number of beneficiaries can be broken down into 242 adults and 262 children who were provided with free medical care and medicines, while another 148 were given free dental services, mostly on tooth extraction.

Two hundred six residents were also provided with free ophthalmology and optometry consultation where they were also given eyeglasses.

In addition, 81 villagers were also able to avail of free haircuts by Army barbers.

A film showing was also held to the delight of around 150 children who enjoyed watching children films.

Gutierrez said medical mission was conducted with two civilian medical doctors and one military doctor; one civilian ophthalmologist; one military dentist and seven nurses, one of which is from the Army.

The joint medical mission was lauded by 8th Infantry Division commander Major Gen. Jet B. Velarmino.

“I am delighted by the unity of effort among the key peace stakeholders in providing basic services to our countrymen in the far-flung areas like barangay San Andres. This activity depicts beauty of the “Bayanihan” spirit if it is practice among us," he said.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=729483

PhilHealth to extend health insurance to 11,000 PAMANA, Sajahatra Bangsamoro recipients

From the Philippine News Agency (Jan 27): PhilHealth to extend health insurance to 11,000 PAMANA, Sajahatra Bangsamoro recipients

The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) will expand to 11,000 households this year the coverage of its health insurance program for residents in various conflict-affected areas in Mindanao.

Ramon Aristoza Jr., Philhealth executive vice president and chief operating officer, said Tuesday such move was based on the additional allocation received by the agency for the program’s implementation for 2015.

He said the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace Process (OPAPP) has allocated a total of Php128.9 for the initiative through the PAyapa at MAsaganang PAmayanan (PAMANA) and the Sajahatra Bangsamoro programs.

“This will enable us to provide health insurance coverage to 11,000 Sajahatra Bangsamoro and PAMANA program beneficiaries until Dec. 31, 2015,” he said in a statement released by PhilHealth Region 12.

Aristoza, who is a former PhilHealth regional vice president for Region 12, said OPAPP specifically earmarked Php47.7 million for beneficiaries under the PAMANA program, Php26.4 million for the renewal of Sajahatra Bangsamoro program enrolees, Php50.4 million for the targeted beneficiaries under the socio-economic component of the normalization process and Php4.4 million for the 3,698 enrolees in 2013 under the Sajahatra Bangsamoro.

He said targeted new enrolees will come from conflict-affected areas in parts of Region 12, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and the neighboring areas.

Owing to this, the official advised PhilHealth regional offices, local health insurance offices and the agency’s Sajahatra Bangsamoro focal persons to update and renew their membership and member data records.

He said new or additional enrolees who would want to avail of the benefits prior to the issuance of PhilHealth identification cards and member data records are required to go to the nearest Philhealth office for the issuance of the certificate of eligibility form.

“The issuance of the PhilHealth identification cards and member data records will be based on the master list of enrolees that will be issued by OPAPP,” Aristoza said.

In case the names of the enrolees are not included in the OPAPP master list, the agency will require them to submit an endorsement from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front or the specific combatant group they belong, he said.

The official added that other sponsored and indigent members whose coverage expired last Dec. 31, 2014 and whose enrolment were not renewed by their sponsors are required to continue their membership by amending their records to informal sector economy and by paying their annual contribution of Php2,400 payable on a quarterly, semi-annual or annual basis.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=729573

New 401st Brigade commander in Agusan Del Sur assumes post

From the Philippine News Agency (Jan 27): New 401st Brigade commander in Agusan Del Sur assumes post

CAMP EVANGELISTA, Cagayan De Oro City -- A seasoned Army officer assumed his new post as Commander of 401st Infantry “Unity” Brigade, 4th Infantry “Diamond” Division, based in New Leyte, Awa, Prosperidad, Agusan Del Sur, the military announced Tuesday.

Army Maj. Christian Uy, spokesman of the Army’s 4th Infantry Division here, said that Colonel Alexander L. Macario, replaced Brigadier General Gregory M. Cayetano, who will assume as Deputy Chief of Staff for Education and Training, J8, Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Uy said that prior to his new assignment as brigade commander of the Army's 401st Brigade, Macario served as the Inspector General of the 4ID after holding various key positions in the Special Operations Command.

A member of the Philippine Military Academy’s PMA “Sandiwa” Class of 1985, Macario is a recipient of various military awards for excellence in combat and administration, Uy said.

He said that Macario is a well-rounded and highly respected Army officer, having been assigned to several military units and offices and held different vital positions in operations and intelligence in the AFP.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=729618