2 people unscathed in Sulu roadside bombing

From the Philippine News Agency (Oct 28): 2 people unscathed in Sulu roadside bombing

Two people were lucky enough to escape unscathed in a roadside bombing perpetrated by the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) brigands in the island province of Sulu, a top military official said Wednesday.

Brig. Gen. Alan Arrojado, Joint Task Group Sulu commander, said the incident occurred around 2:50 p.m. Tuesday along the road known to locals as Dan Puti in Sitio Halaw, Barangay Latih, Patikul.

Arrojado identified the would-be victims as Mandi Ammang, 42, and Wahab Amisali, 43, both residents of Sitio Halaw, Barangay Latih.

Arrojado said investigation showed the duo accidentally stepped on a trip-wire that triggered the explosion of three improvised bomb fashioned as landmines.

Arrojado said luckily “both persons were unharmed during the incident.”

He said policemen and Marine explosive ordnance demolition (EOD) proceeded to the blast site to conduct post-blast investigation.

He said the area, after thoroughly inspected, was later declared clear to pass.

He said the main target of the ASG brigands in laying the improvised bomb are the government troops passing Daan Puti especially during early morning jogging.

He said the troops had been alerted to exercise precautionary measures.

Arrojado said they have received report that the ASG brigands led by Nammil Ahadjiri were the ones who placed the bomb along Daan Puti, Sitio Halaw, Barangay Latih.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=820405

Military assists Lumads in securing padlocked school

From the Philippine News Agency (Oct 28): Military assists Lumads in securing padlocked school

CAMP EVANGELISTA, Cagayan De Oro City – Tribal residents and the military have joined together to secure a school earlier ordered by village officials closed for lack of permit issued by the Department Education (DepEd) in Bukidnon, the military said Wednesday.

Capt. Patrick Martinez, spokesperson of the army’s 4th Infantry Division here, said that the village officials led by village chief Felipe Cabugnason ordered the closure of the Mindanao Interfaith Services Foundation, Inc. (MISFI) early October due to lack of legal documents.

Cabugnason also alleged that the MISFI is being used by the communist New People’s Army (NPA), making the school a “threat to the safety of all the people living in the village of White Kulaman, in Kitaotao, Bukidnon.”

Cabugnason said that aside from operating without a permit issued by the DepEd, the operators of MISFI are also “radicalizing” the children of Lumad.

“Besides, the lumber it used for the construction of the school building have not been paid for,” he said.

Martinez said that the village residents of While Kulaman have been on alert after receiving threats that the NPA are reportedly planning to burn the school.

Col. Jesse Alvarez, Commander of the army’s 403rd Infantry Brigade, said that “the military would thwart any attempt by the NPA to burn down the school by conducting security operations in the area.”

On Monday, a school official from DepEd in Northern Mindanao together with the principal of the White Kulaman Integrated School, an existing public school in the village, inspected the MISFI building to belie reports that the village residents have burned the building.

DepEd officials have assured that schoolchildren who were previously enrolled in the padlocked MISFI would be accepted at the White Kulaman Integrated School, Martinez said.

 

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=820521

Rebels gun down suspected military asset

From the Philippine News Agency (Oct 28): Rebels gun down suspected military asset

CAMP GEN. SIMEON A. OLA, Legazpi City -- Members of the New People's Army (NPA) shot dead a 57-year-old man suspected of being a military-police asset as he was on his way home at about 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at Sitio Tambo, Barangay Obi, Caramoran, Catanduanes.

A police report identified the victim as Wedihenyo Gonzales, married, an abaca stripper and a resident of the village.

Gonzales received bullets in his head and body.

After the execution, the rebel casually left, the report said.

Responding police officers found empty shells of .45-caliber pistol in the crime scene.

Earlier, relatives said, the rebels had suspected Gonzales as an asset of the military and the police in their village, which he had vehemently denied, saying he was just a simple farmer earning enough for his family.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=820535

AFP sees no security threats during 'Undas'

From the Philippine News Agency (Oct 28): AFP sees no security threats during 'Undas'
 

Although the military sees no security threats in the coming All Saints' Day, it will join the police in securing the various cemeteries nationwide.

This was disclosed by Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) public affairs office chief Col. Noel Detoyato in a briefing Wednesday.

Detoyato said they have coordinated the security preparations with their Philippine National Police counterparts.

Aside from securing the cemeteries, military personnel will also help local Philippine Red Cross chapters in providing medical aid to people who might suffer from heat stroke or any other injuries during the annual commemoration.(

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=820507

F/A-50s to appear during AFP's 80th founding anniversary

From the Philippine News Agency (Oct 28): F/A-50s to appear during AFP's 80th founding anniversary
 

There is a very high chance that the South Korean-made F/A-50 "Fighting Eagle" will be making an appearance during the 80th founding anniversary of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in December.

Department of National Defense (DND) spokesperson Dr. Peter Paul Galvez during an interview Thursday, said, "ninety percent the (first two) F/A-50s will play a role in the coming 80th AFP founding anniversary."

Galvez said that it is very likely that the F/A-50s will play the centerpiece of this year's celebration.

"I don't know whether the planes will perform a high-speed pass or not but I know the aircraft will be the centerpiece of the celebration," the DND spokesperson disclosed.

The Philippines contract with Korea Aerospace Industries is worth Php18.9-billion.

The 12 aircraft deal was signed last February 2014.

An initial two units is expected to be delivered by December this year.

The F/A-50 has a top speed of Mach 1.5 or one and a half times the speed of sound and is capable of being fitted air-to-air missiles, including the AIM-9 "Sidewinder" air-to-air and heat-seeking missiles aside from light automatic cannons.

The F/A-50 will act as the country's interim fighter until the Philippines gets enough experience of operating fast jet assets and money to fund the acquisition of more capable fighter aircraft.

The F/A-50 design is largely derived from the F-16 "Fighting Falcon", and they have many similarities such as the use of a single engine, speed, size, cost, and the range of weapons.

KAI's previous engineering experience in license-producing the KF-16 was a starting point for the development of the F/A-50.

The aircraft can carry two pilots in tandem seating. The high-mounted canopy developed by Hankuk Fiber is applied with stretched acrylic, providing the pilots with good visibility, and has been tested to offer the canopy with ballistic protection against four-pound objects impacting at 400 knots.

The altitude limit is 14,600 meters (48,000 feet), and airframe is designed to last 8,000 hours of service.

There are seven internal fuel tanks with capacity of 2,655 liters (701 US gallons), five in the fuselage and two in the wings.

An additional 1,710 liters (452 US gallons) of fuel can be carried in the three external fuel tanks.

Trainer variants have a paint scheme of white and red, and aerobatic variants white, black, and yellow.

The F/A-50 uses a single General Electric F404-102 turbofan engine license-produced by Samsung Techwin, upgraded with a full authority digital engine control system jointly developed by General Electric and Korean Aerospace Industries.

The engine consists of three-staged fans, seven axial stage arrangement, and an afterburner.

Its engine produces a maximum of 78.7 kN (17,700 lbf) of thrust with afterburner. (

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=820498

Unchallenged passage of American warship shows freedom of navigation and flight still exists--DND Spokesperson

From the Philippine News Agency (Oct 28): Unchallenged passage of American warship shows freedom of navigation and flight still exists--DND Spokesperson

The unchallenged passage of the USS Lassen, an American guided-missile destroyer, in the South China Sea shows freedom of navigation and flight still exists in the said area.

This was stressed by Department of National Defense (DND) spokesperson Dr. Peter Paul Galvez Wednesday.

"Freedom of navigation and flight is still secure in that part of the region," he said, adding that passage was made in international waters.

News reports earlier claimed that the USS Lassen made a passage 12 nautical miles off Chinese artificial islands in the Spratly Islands, albeit shadowed by two Chinese warships.

DND public affairs service chief Arsenio Andolong made a similar statement Tuesday.

(It is international waters), so any vessel (could) exercise freedom of navigation. That's all we have to say about it," he added.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=820526

'Focused military operations' continue despite deployment to cemeteries

From the Philippine News Agency (Oct 28): 'Focused military operations' continue despite deployment to cemeteries

Despite deploying some of its personnel to secure cemeteries nationwide along with local police this coming All Saints' Day, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) announced it has more than sufficient men to continue its "focused military operations".

This was stressed by AFP public affairs office chief Col. Noel Detoyato during a briefing Wednesday.

"Focused military operations will continue. The troops being deployed in the cemeteries are different from the ones being utilized in the AFP's ongoing campaign against lawless and terrorist threats," he added in Filipino.

He made the statement in response to queries on whether the military's security deployment in various cemeteries nationwide will affect its capability to pursue Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) bandits in Sulu and Basilan.

Detoyato said there are more than sufficient forces at hand to continue the operation against the brigands.

Earlier, the AFP said it is still to detect any security threats for the annual holiday.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=820691