From GMA News (Feb 6): Army unit, BIFF clash in Maguindanao
Soldiers from the Philippine Army's 1st Mechanized Brigade were engaged by Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters gunmen in Datu Salibu, Maguindanao late Friday afternoon, GMA 7 late-night news program “Saksi” reported. At around 4 p.m., the BIFF gunmen opened fire as the soldiers were diffusing three improvised explosive devices that had been planted near a bridge.
The Army opened fire with their artillery after other armed groups from Shariff Aguak, unidentified in the report, joined in the gunbattle. Meanwhile, the BIFF claimed that they forced to open fire because the soldiers were encroaching on their “territory.”
From the Philippine Information Agency (Feb 5): Army installs three new battalion commanders
DAVAOCITY, the 10th Infantry Division which
covers Davao Region, parts of Surigao Del Sur, South Cotabato, Sarangani and North Cotabato installed three new battalion commanders
to spruce up the government’s peace and order efforts.
Major General Rafael Valencia led the separate turn-over-ceremonies for the installation of Lt. Colonel Benjamin Leander for the 27th Infantry Battalion, Lt. Colonel Harold Argamosa for the 39th IB, and Lt. Colonel Emannuel Canilla for the 60th IB.
They replaced Lt. Colonel Roland Jess Alcudia, Lt. Colonel Apollo Lamaton and Lt. Colonel Roberto Bunagan, respectively.
Captain Rhyan Batchar, spokesperson of the 10th ID described Lt. Colonel Leander as a member of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1995, and a native of Cainta, Rizal. His assignment covers South Cotabato and parts of Sarangani Province.
He said Lt. Colonel Argamosa, a member of the PMA ’94 from Pasay City handles Davao del Sur and parts of Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat.
Batchar said Lt. Colonel Canilla, a member of PMA ‘94 and hails from Puerto Princesa, Palawan will handle the peace and security in the provinces of Davao del Norte, parts of Compostela Valley and San Fernando, Bukidnon.
Valencia lauded the contributions of these united to the overall performance of the 10th ID in accomplishing its mission.
“The newly installed commanders bear not only the trust and confidence of the 10th Infantry Division but the hopes of all peace, security and development stakeholders, whom we have sworn to protect," he said.
From the Philippine Information Agency (Feb 5): 24IB has new commanding officer
LAGANGILANG,Abra – - The 24th Infantry (Wildcat) Battalion (IB) welcomed LtC. Thomas
Dominic B. Baluga as their new commanding officer last February 1 at their
headquarters at Sitio Barbarit, Brgy. Tagodtod, here.
Baluga stressed the importance of teamwork and perseverance as key components of good service. He particularly asked the Wildcat’s support and contribution to accomplish the overall mission of 7ID. He also sought the support of stakeholders in order to face and overcome challenges.
Baluga was previously assigned at 702nd Infantry (Defender) Brigade, 7ID in Camp Lt Tito Abat, Manaoag, Pangasinan.
Outgoing commander, LtC. Monib T. Mamao, will be assigned to the Division Headquarters at Fort Ramon Magsaysay, Palayan City, Nueva Ecija.
MGEN Angelito M. De Leon, Commander of the 7th Infantry Division, presided the change of command ceremony.
From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 5): Army’s 10th ID names new battalion commanders in Cotabato, Davao del Norte provinces
Three battalions of the Philippine Army under the 10th
Infantry (Agila) Division welcomed their new battalion commanders in a series
of turnover ceremonies that were facilitated on February 3 and 4.
Major General Rafael Valencia, 10th ID commander, presided
over the change of command ceremonies that were held on said dates in the
provinces of South Cotabato, Cotabato and
Davao del Norte.
The 27th Infantry (Action) Battalion based in Barangay
Kablon, Tupi, South Cotabato received its new
commander in the person of Lt. Col. Benjamin Leander, replacing outgoing
commander Lt. Col. Roland Jess Alcudia.
The 39th Infantry (Smash ‘Em) Battalion in Poblacion,
Makilala, Cotabato also welcomed Lt. Col. Harold Argamosa as their new
commander replacing Lt. Col. Apollo Lamaton.
Last February 4, the 60th Infantry (Mediator) Battalion in CampMorgia,
Barangay Doña Andrea, Asuncion,
Davao del Norte also welcomed their new commander Lt. Col. Emmanuel Canilla
replacing Lt. Col. Roberto Bunagan.
10th ID chief information officer Captain Rhyan Batchar said
Lt. Col. Leander is a member of PMA Class 1995 and a native of Cainta, Rizal;
Lt. Col. Argamosa is a member of PMA Class 1994 and from Pasay City; while Lt.
Col. Canilla is also a member of PMA Class 1994 and hails from Puerto Princesa,
Palawan.
The 27th IB covers South Cotabato and Sarangani provinces,
including the cities of General Santos and Koronadal; the 39th IB operates in
the provinces of Davao del Sur, parts of Cotabato and Columbio, Sultan Kudarat;
while the 60th IB covers the province
of Davaodel
Norte and parts of Laak, CompostelaValley and San
Fernando, Bukidnon.
During the turnover ceremonies, Major General Valencia
recognized the accomplishments of the three outgoing battalion commanders, and
expressed gratefulness for their great contributions as stewards of their
respective battalion towards the accomplishments of their unit's mission in
support of the overall campaign of 10th ID.
Valencia
also challenged the newly installed battalion commanders to continue the
momentum and to take the initiative in all undertakings of their units.
“The newly installed commanders bear not only the trust and
confidence of the 10th Infantry Division but the hopes of all peace, security
and development stakeholders, whom we have sworn to protect," Valencia
emphasized.
From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 5): Airport in Cagayan De Oro for conversion into US military depot
The Lumbia airport would be converted into a military depot
of the United States of America (USA), a government official said here.
Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin made the disclosure during
his visit on the occasion of the Philippine Army’s 46th founding anniversary
here this week.
The two-week anniversary celebration that started last
January 23 ended today, February 5.
Gazmin said that the US
and the Philippine government under the Enhance Defense Cooperation Agreement
(EDCA) have already agreed to utilize the Lumbia airport as a military depot
for the US
servicemen.
“As a depot, the airport would be utilized for military
equipment necessary for rescue operations during emergencies,” he said.
Gazmin said that it would be handy if the important military
facilities are already in place here so that the deployment of US servicemen in
times of emergency would be easier.
Under the EDCA, the US
and the Philippine governments are now reviewing the reactivation of eight
former US
military bases in the country.
The Lumbia airport, about five kilometers southwest of the
city, were closed to traffic after the opening of the new airport in
Laguindingan, Misamis Oriental in 2013.
At present, the 500-hectare airport complex is home to the
10th Tactical Operations Group of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) in Northern Mindanao.
The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) owns
the Lumbia airport complex.
A House bill is pending in Congress urging the national
government to return the lot to the city government of Cagayan De Oro.
From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 5): Military serves 20,000 people in conflict areas
The military has extended services to more than 20,000
people in conflict areas in GingoogCity in Misamis Oriental,
a senior military official said Friday.
Col Jess Alvarez, Commander of the 403rd Infantry Brigade
based in Misamis Oriental, said that about 60 urban and rural villages in GingoogCity became recipients of the recent
Peace Caravan in Misamis Oriental.
“Where the communist New People’s Army (NPA) destroys and
spread terror in the rural and sub-urban villages, the military comes to build
and provide hope for lasting peace among residents of embattled areas,” Alvarez
said.
Alvarez said that the military provided hope to attain the
wishes of the people, while the NPA rebels provided false promises under the
barrel of the guns and terror.
He said that the “Peace Caravan” was a joint program of
various government line agencies spearheaded by the Philippine Army in Northern Mindanao and the Caraga Region.
Also known as “Whole of Nation Initiatives,” the
participating agencies include practically all the regional offices of the
national government as stakeholders in education, agriculture, public works,
the environment, security, health, agrarian reform, and social services,
Alvarez said.
He said that various government agencies would separately
deliver basic services to the villages of the necessary services needed by the
residents as the caravan moves from one village to another.
From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 6): Army, BIFF clash as rebels try to blow up bridge in Maguindanao
Outlawed Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) on
Friday tried but failed to blow up a vital bridge in Maguindanao, the military
on Saturday said.
Colonel Felicisimo Badiongan, commander of 1st Mechanized
Infantry Brigade based in Datu Saudi Ampatuan town, said alert civilians
informed the military about the presence of suspected improvised bomb planted
over a bridge still undergoing construction in Barangay Butalo, Datu Salibo
town in Maguindanao.
"While our troops were conducting clearing operations
and bomb disruption, the BIFF were firing at us," Badiongon said in a
phone interview.
An Army official who Capt. Joan Petinglay, 6th Infantry
Division spokesperson did not identify was slightly injured in his head.
"He is safe now, he only sustained minor
injuries," Petinglay said in a phone interview.
Using Barret Cal. 50 sniper rifles, the bandits were sniping
at government forces at about 4 p.m. forcing a sporadic firefight.
According to Badiongan, the BIFF has been opposed to the
construction of a bridge because they fear the infrastructure will make it
easier for military hardware to reach their hideouts in Datu Salibo.
Army bomb experts safely defused the IED amid sniper fires
from lawless groups.
The bridge project is funded under the priority development
fund of Maguindanao 2nd District Rep. Zajid Mangudadatu.
Speaking for the BIFF, Abu Misri Mama, admitted they planted
the improvised bomb and fired at government forces "because they are
coming close to our area."
Sporadic exchanges of gunfire from both sides continue.
Petinglay could not say if the BIFF suffered casualties in the clashes.
Fighting was still on-going as of Saturday morning.
From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Feb 6): Moro rebs staying the course despite restlessness—Iqbal
There is a “growing restlessness and frustration” in Mindanao with the non-passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) but the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) assured a ranking official of the United Nations that it is staying the course on the peace process.
MILF peace panel chair Mohagher Iqbal on Thursday met with UN Undersecretary General Adama Dieng, who is also UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s special adviser on the prevention of genocide.
At their two-hour meeting, Iqbal and Dieng discussed the imminent security challenges in Mindanao following the failure of lawmakers to pass the BBL, a key component in the peace agreement, and exchanged views on how these security issues could be overcome.
‘Fully committed’
Iqbal assured Dieng that the MILF is “fully committed to pursue the path of peace and would continue its engagements” with stakeholders, including the international community.
“We expect problems to arise in the coming days and we discussed, in general terms, what we could do to prevent these problems from taking place,” Iqbal told the Inquirer by phone.
The UN website said the special adviser on the prevention of genocide “acts as a catalyst to raise awareness of the causes and dynamics of genocide, to alert relevant actors where there is a risk of genocide, and to advocate and mobilize for appropriate action.”
At the meeting, Dieng also said both the government and MILF peace panels should “continue seeking the avenues for the implementation of commitments made over the 17 years of negotiations,” as he expressed interest on how the two parties would pursue the peace process despite the setback.
President Aquino will end his term on June 30, sealing a peace deal with the MILF but unable to secure its ultimate conclusion which is to create a new Bangsamoro autonomous region that promises to bring security and development to Central Mindanao that has been mired in conflict and poverty.
The Mamasapano debacle on Jan. 25 last year dealt a serious blow on the peace process, after the deaths of 44 elite police commandos were blamed on the MILF.
Then Special Action Force (SAF) Director Getulio Napeñas admitted he disregarded the ceasefire mechanisms in the operation to take down Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan because of his distrust in the military and the MILF.
From the Malay Mail Online (Feb 5): Three Malaysians, 16 others, to enter defence over Lahad Datu intrusion
KOTA KINABALU, Feb 5 ― The High Court here acquitted today 11 Filipinos and called 19 others, including three Malaysians, to enter their defence to terrorism charges among others over the 2013 Lahad Datu intrusion.
Justice Stephen Chung said that the prosecution had proven their case against 16 of the 19 and ordered them to enter their defence to multiple charges of being members of a terrorist group and of waging war against the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
However, three people ― Filipino Basil Samiul and Malaysians Mohamad Ali Ahmad and Pabblo Alie ― were acquitted of their charges under Section 121 and 130KA of the Penal Code, which respectively prohibit waging war against the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and being members of a terrorist group, but were given fresh charges and told to enter their defence.
Basil and Mohd Ali were charged under Section 130J of the Penal Code for allegedly soliciting or giving support to terrorist groups, while Pabblo was charged under Section 130G(c) of the Penal Code, for allegedly soliciting property for a terrorist group.
“The prosecution had failed to establish a prima facie case against the accused, but there was plenty of evidence [to] support a case of supporting the terrorists,” said Chung in amending the charges. The three pleaded not guilty.
The third Malaysian, Abdul Hadi Mawan, who had been charged with two offences, was acquitted under Section 121 of the Penal Code, but was instructed to enter his defence for a charge under Section 130KA.
Chung had ordered the 11 acquitted to be referred to the Immigration Department for deportation, but granted deputy public prosecutor Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar‘s application for a remand pending his filing for notice of appeal.
Datuk N. Sivananthan, lawyer appointed by the Philippine government for the 11 Filipinos acquitted, said the decision was fair as there was no incriminating evidence against his clients.
The charge of waging war against the Yang di-Pertuan Agong under Section 121 of the Penal Code is punishable with death, life imprisonment, or a fine.
The trial of the 19 will begin on February 22.
The armed Sulu incursion into Kampung Tanduo, Lahad Datu, at the Sabah east coast in February 2013 had killed 10 members of Malaysia’s security forces.
From the Sun Star-Zamboanga (Feb 5): Troops prevented another roadside bombing in Sulu
THE government troops have prevented another roadside bombing as they discovered an improvised explosive device (IED) near a farm in the province of Sulu, a top military official said.
The IED was discovered around 3:30 p.m. Thursday several hours after a roadside bomb explosion injured seven members of the Philippine Marine Corps in the village of Lagtoh, Talipao, Sulu.
Brigadier General Alan Arrojado, Joint Task Group Sulu commander, said the IED was placed at the farmland of a certain Hussein which is 200 meters west of an abandoned military outpost at Sitio Bulabog in the village of Bonbon, Patikul, Sulu.
Arrojado said the IED was discovered through timely information provided by a tipster. It consisted of two 81-millimeter mortar ammunition as its main charge with 15 meters wire.
“The said IED is believed to have been kept while waiting an opportunity for its use,” Arrojado added.
He said the IED was disrupted by the explosive ordnance demolition personnel.
The troops from the Marine Battalion Landing Team-Northern Mindanao were en route to the village of Kuhaw, Talipao coming from Katian, Indanan to act as advance forces when the convoy hit an IED.
From the Manila Bulletin (Feb 5): Malaysian court drops charges against 11 Filipinos accused of waging discord
The charges against 11 of the 27 Filipinos accused of waging conflict against the Malaysian King and being a member of a terrorist group in connection with the Lahad Datu incident that took place in February 2013 were ordered dropped by the High Court of Kota Kinabalu on Friday, February 5, the Philippine Embassy in Kuala Lumpur reported.
In a report to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the Philippine embassy said Judge Stephen Chung found no prima facie evidence against the Filipinos. The prosecution was given 14 days to file an appeal for the dismissal of the charges. If no appeal is filed, 10 of the 11 acquitted will be released and eventually sent home.
Map showing the location of Malaysia (Photo from pinterest.com)
One of the 11, Totoh bin Hismullah may remain in Malaysia as he had been found by the Court to be a Malaysian citizen and no longer a Filipino.
The remaining 16 Filipinos, however, have been ordered by the Court to present, through their legal counsel, evidence in their defense after prima facie evidence were found against them. This will give the Defense side an opportunity to rebut the Prosecution’s evidence.
The determination made by the Court is only preliminary and was based on the evidence presented by the Prosecution. A verdict on the culpability, if any, of the 16 remaining accused will not be rendered only after the Defense has completed the presentation of its evidence, which is expected to begin later this month.
Majority of those accused were supposedly members the Sulu Sultanate’s Royal Security Force (RSF). One of those allegedly charged is the nephew of Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III, Datu Amir Bahar, who was captured not in Lahad Datu but in Sandakan.
The accused Filipinos were charged for violating two articles of Malaysia’s Penal Code: Section 122 (waging war against the King); and Section 130 KA (terrorism). While Section 130 KA (terrorism) calls for a jail term of up to 30 years, Section 121 (waging war against the King) can fetch the death penalty.
The Philippine Embassy in Kuala Lumpur has hired the services of Malaysian lawyer Datuk N. Sivananthan, one of the few Asian legal practitioners accredited by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, and six Sabah-based counsels to represent the accused.
Their services were paid for by the Philippine government.
The Lahad Datu incident began when a group, all followers of Sultan Kiram, landed in Tanduo village on February 9, 2013 drove out the residents, and occupied it to signify a presence that stood for ownership of the land that belonged to the Sulu Sultanate but passed on by Britain to Malaysia in 1957 after granting independence to its colony once known as Malaya.
From the Sun Star-Manila (Feb 5): AFP reveals Sayyaf plot to bomb Jolo targets
AN ABU Sayyaf group leader has reportedly instructed six trainees to carry out bombings in Jolo town in Sulu, targeting military and civilian targets.
Brigadier General Alan Arrojado, commander of the Armed Forces of the Philippines' (AFP) Joint Task Group Sulu, said he has alerted military units to be vigilant against the planned attacks.
Citing intelligence information, Arrojado said the six trainees -- whose names were not given -- were monitored roaming in Jolo town on Thursday afternoon.
"Allegedly, they were instructed by alias Apoh Mike to conduct bombing in Jolo as precondition to become regular members of the ASG," said Arrojado. Apoh Mike is an alias of ASG sub-leader Majan Sahidjuan.
"Among their targets are naval vessels, commercial establishments, PCG (Philippine Coast Guard) stations, Jolo cathedral, Jolo wet market, videoke bars along Jolo airport road and business establishments frequented by AFP and PNP personnel," said Arrojado.
Arrojado also said the trainees were also instructed to conduct roadside bombings along the main supply routes, targeting military convoys.
He said the Abu Sayyaf has many improvised bombs manufactured by one Muamar and Abu Jihad.
Arrojado acknowledged that the Abu Sayyaf has intensified IED attacks in the province to avenge and divert military focus from its ongoing operations.
On Thursday, the Abu Sayyaf detonated an improvised bomb on a military vehicle in Talipao town, injuring seven Marine soldiers.
From the Manila Bulletin (Feb 5): ASG recruiting for bombing missions?
The military has tightened security in Sulu after it received intelligence information that recruits of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) are out to conduct test bombing missions in the province.
Brig. Gen. Alan Arrojado, commander of the military’s Joint Task Group Sulu, said six trainees from the group of ASG sub-leader Majan Sahidjuan alias “Apo Mike” were monitored roaming in Jolo.
He said the trainees were in a mission to conduct widespread bombing, wherein the targets include the commercial establishments, the Jolo Cathedral, the Jolo wet market, naval vessels, video bars frequented by policemen and soldiers, Coast Guard stations and other business establishments.
The test missions are a requirement before the trainees become full members of the Al Qaeda-linked terror group.
“Allegedly, they were instructed by alias Apo Mike to conduct bombing in Jolo as pre-condition to become regular members of the ASG,” Arrojado said in a text message to reporters.
He added that the trainees were also instructed to conduct roadside bombings, particularly along the Jolo-Tagbak routes, targeting military convoys.
“Maghagis daw sa sasakyan ng IED or ilagay habang naka-park ang military vehicle,” according to a military source.
The improvised bombs were reportedly made by ASG bomb experts, two of them identified as certains Muamar and Abu Jihad.
Arrojado steps have been taken to thwart any attack.
The official also said that bombings could be part of diversionary tactics of the ASG noting that the military has been continuously conducting operations against terror group in the whole province.
Meanwhile, an unexploded fragmentation grenade was discovered by elements of the Army’s 32nd Infantry Battalion on Friday near one of the military detachments in Patikul, Sulu.
The grenade was reportedly found at around 5:45 a.m. near the Taglibi Detachment in Patikul.
“It was believed that said grenade was thrown at around 5:45 a.m. when the sentinel heard something drop/falling from the rooftop, but when he searched the area at that time found nothing until its discovery during daybreak,” Arrojado said quoting a report.
From The Standard (Feb 6): Purisima faces new charge of usurpation
AN anti-crime watchdog on Friday filed charges of usurpation against dismissed National Police chief Alan Purisima before the Office of the Ombudsman for giving orders to the Special Action Force troopers in the Mamasapano operation on Jan. 25, 2015.
The Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption, through its national chairman Dante Jimenez and lawyer Ferdinand Topacio, sued Purisima for the crime of usurpation of official functions.
Jimenez said the filing of a new case against Purisima was brought about by the reopening of the Mamasapano inquiry at the Senate.
“We are using evidence based on the Senate’s transcript that validated Purisima performed official function despite his suspension,” he added.
Despite his suspension for corruption charges filed with the Office of the Ombudsman, Purisima was included by President Benigno Aquino III in a Jan. 9, 2015 meeting at the Palace to discuss details of Oplan Exodus, the covert operation to neutralize two high-profile terrorists in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.
Alan Purisima
During the meeting, Purisima instructed then SAF chief Getulio Napeñas to keep acting National Police chief Leonardo Espina and then Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas II in the dark about the operation to serve arrest warrants on Malaysian Zulkifli bin Hin, alias Marwan, and Filipino bomb maker Abdul Basit Usman in Barangay Tukanalipao, Mamasapano, Maguindanao on Jan. 25, 2015.
“Purisima bypassed the function of officer in charge Leonardo Espino, and instead gave direct orders to Napeñas,” Jimenez said.
In the complaint, Jimenez said “he [Purisima] could not have legally participated in the planning and execution of the Oplan Exodus while under preventive suspension.”
“Due to his preventive suspension, he could not legally exercise the functions of his former office. Therefore, the acts of respondent Purisima in relation to Oplan Exodus constitute usurpation of official functions punishable under Article 177 of the Revised Penal Code,” the complaint read.
At least 44 SAF troopers were killed during the secret mission.
A Senate investigation found President Aquino “ultimately responsible” for those deaths.
The Palace on Friday fended off allegations from a leftist group that the President was “an American puppet who committed treason” in planning and executing Oplan Exodus.
“There is no basis to the accusations. The interest of the nation is the most important basis of all actions and decisions of the President,” said Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr.
Earlier, Vencer Crisostomo, national chairman of Anakbayan, said the Mamasapano hearings further exposed Aquino as a “puppet of the United States.”
“It has been established that the bloody offensive was a US-backed operation and that US agents, possibly from the notorious Central Intelligence Agency, were directly involved. No less than the puppet President was tapped to direct the operation,” Crisostomo said.
“Clearly, Mr. Aquino has committed treason. To please his master, the obedient puppet secretly mounted an unlawful offensive, tapping a suspended official to monitor the operation for him, thus breaking the chain of command as well as the ceasefire agreement with the Bangsamoro,” Crisostomo added.
This led to the death of more than 60 Filipinos, 44 of whom were police commandos.
“Blood is on Mr. Aquino’s hands. We should make sure that he be prosecuted and jailed,” he said.
Also on Friday, Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile said the passage of the Palace-backed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) would have led to bigger problems, including a civil war in Mindanao.
Speaking in a news forum in the Senate, Enrile said he believed it’s a good thing the BBL was not passed by Congress before it adjourned.
He said contrary to the claims of the President, the BBL would not bring peace to Mindanao, because the law would give the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) extensive powers and official position.
“There will be many non-Muslims in Mindanao who will be hit by them. There would be a civil war,” Enrile said.
Those who opposed the BBL also warned of a resurgence of other armed rebel groups that would continue to fight the government because they do not recognize the MILF as their representative in the peace talks.
The military was on high alert in Sulu amid reports that local extremist groups such as the Abu Sayyaf Group would launch a series of bomb attacks in the province.
Brig. Gen. Alan Arrojado, commander of Joint Task Group Sulu, said security was heightened after six Abu Sayyaf recruits were sighted in Jolo conducting test missions.
Arrojado, citing intelligence reports, said the recruits belonging to the group of ASG sub-leader Majan Sajidjuan, alias Apo Mike, were monitored roaming Jolo.
“Apparently, they were instructed by Apo Mike to conduct bombings in Jolo,” Arrojado said.
Reports said the targets of bombings by the ASG were commercial establishments, the Jolo Cathderal, the Jolo wet market, ports, naval vessels, entertainment centers frequented by military and police, Coast Guard Stations and business sites.
The ASG recruits were also told to initiate roadside bombings, he said.
On Friday, members of the Army’s 32nd Infantry Battalion discovered an unexploded fragmentation grenade at a nearby military post in Patikul, Sulu.
The grenade was found at about 5:45 a.m. a few meters away from the Tagbili Detachment in Patikul, a known ASG hotbed.
On Tuesday, an additional Marine battalion was mobilized in Sulu, not only to fight the ASG, but to be part of the government’s bigger preparation for possible flareups after the failure of Congress to pass the BBL.
From the People's Daily Morning Star (Feb 4): US and Philippines happy to keep on defying China
THE US ambassador to the Philippines indicated yesterday that the two nations’ forces would continue to traverse Spratly Islands waters and airspace in defiance of Chinese territorial claims.
Ambassador Philip Goldberg said the US and the Philippines both had deep interest in ensuring freedom of navigation and refused to rule out joint patrols in the disputed South China Sea archipelago.
“I am not going to announce beforehand what we do in terms of freedom of navigation,” Mr Goldberg told a media forum.
“But suffice it to say that the United States will follow international law, will continue to enjoy our rights under international law to sail through international waters or fly to international air space.”
Filipino Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said last week that officials discussing possible joint patrols were looking at an area within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.
While the US is not among the six nations laying claims to parts of the two island chains, it has aggressively confronted China over the issue as part of Barack Obama’s “Pivot to Asia” policy.
US warships have twice violated China’s claimed territorial waters off islands in the Spratly and Paracel archipelagoes since October.
Earlier last year a US radio spy plane flew over one of the islands, prompting a challenge from military air traffic controllers there.
Manila protested when a commercial Chinese aircraft landed recently on one of several reefs Beijing has built up to islands through land reclamation.
From Voice of America (Feb 3): Ambassador: US to Continue South China Sea Flights, Sail-bys
U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg, right, is presented a Chinese New Year scroll by journalist Wilson Flores during a forum Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2016 at suburban Quezon city, northeast of Manila, Philippines.
The U.S. ambassador said Wednesday joint patrols with the Philippines are possible in the South China Sea, where the United States has asserted its freedom to navigate by sending planes and ships into China-claimed areas.
Manila protested when a commercial Chinese aircraft landed recently on one of several artificial islands Beijing has built in the Spratlys, and officials say China has essentially declared an air defense identification zone over the sea by issuing "provocative" challenges to Philippine military flights in the area.
Ambassador Philip Goldberg said the U.S. and the Philippines both have deep interest in ensuring freedom of navigation and he is not discarding the possibility of joint patrols in the area.
Two U.S. warships have sailed by China-claimed islands in the Spratly and Paracel island chains since October.
"I am not going to announce beforehand what we do in terms of freedom of navigation, but suffice it to say that the United States will follow international law, will continue to enjoy our rights under international law to sail through international waters or fly to international air space," Goldberg told a media forum.
Philippine Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said last week the officials discussing possible joint patrols were looking at an area within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone.
"I am not going to prejudge what we are going to do and when we are going to do it, whether we are going to do it with the Philippines or with others, but we do discuss that principle with the Philippines and so I am not discarding that possibility," Goldberg added when asked if a proposal for U.S. joint patrols with the Philippines has been approved.
Tensions have risen in the last two years after China built islands on disputed reefs in the Spratly Islands chain that China's neighbors fear could be used to threaten their territories. China and Taiwan have nearly identical claims to almost the entire South China Sea while the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei say parts of the sea belong to them. The United States does not claim part of the territory but says it has interest in the peaceful settlement of the disputes and in freedom of navigation in waters that are critical for world trade.
From the Stars & Stripes (Feb 3): US buildup in Philippines raises stakes in region
A plan to put U.S. military forces on Palawan, a Philippine island near disputed territory in the South China Sea, could herald a new era of brinkmanship with China, defense experts say.
While the move would likely ease concerns of U.S. allies over China’s aggressive expansionism in the region, it also would move an American presence right on the edge of what Beijing considers its backyard.
The Supreme Court of the Philippines gave the green light last month to an Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement allowing U.S. forces to build facilities, store equipment and rotate forces through the nation’s military bases. The agreement grants the U.S. access to five military airfields, two naval bases and a jungle training camp, Philippine military spokesman Col. Restituto Padilla told the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
The facilities include three on the main island of Luzon — Basa Air Base in Pampanga province, Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija province and Clark Air Base in Pampanga; two on the central island province of Cebu — the Cebu naval base and Benito Ebuen Air Base; one on Mindanao island — the Lumbia airfield in Cagayan de Oro; and a naval base and the Antonio Bautista Air Base on Palawan facing the South China Sea.
In addition, the U.S. is seeking access to three civilian seaports and airfields on Luzon, including the port at Subic Bay, a former U.S. Navy base, a senior Philippine defense official told Reuters.
This would give the U.S. its first large-scale military presence in the Philippines since 1992, after negotiations on a new lease agreement for American bases broke down and the last of 40,000 U.S. personnel stationed in the country left Subic Bay.
The agreement is dependent on the outcome of May’s presidential elections in the Philippines because a new administration could scrap the deal regardless of the court ruling.
If the deal stands, however, it will put real teeth into America’s “Pacific pivot” policy, David Johnson of the Center for Advanced Defense Studies, a Washington-based think tank, said in a telephone interview Tuesday.
The presence of American forces beyond Japan and South Korea would affirm the U.S. commitment to the Western Pacific and serve as a Cold War-style “trip wire” guaranteeing a U.S. response to military aggression against U.S. partners in the region, Johnson said.
U.S. officials have publicly downplayed the strategic implications of an American military return to the Philippines, a former colony, perhaps to avoid worsening relations with China.
Marine Corps Forces Pacific spokesman Chuck Little said the Marines aren’t interested in having a permanent presence of operational forces in the Philippines.
“For the Marines, this means we should be able to visit the Philippines more often to train with more Philippine military units at more locations,” he said in a telephone interview Tuesday.
The Marines’ MV-22 Ospreys proved their ability to deploy rapidly for relief efforts after Typhoon Haiyan battered the islands in 2013. The Okinawa-based tilt-rotor aircraft will allow Marines to get to the Philippines and other parts of the Pacific more rapidly than in the past, Little said.
“We plan to come to train with our partners in the Armed Forces of the Philippines from our bases in Japan, and in the near future Guam, and then return to those bases when the training is complete,” he said.
The Marines also want to travel occasionally to the Philippines from bases in California, either for major exercises or when Marine Expeditionary Units are embarked aboard amphibious ships in the region, he said.
However, Johnson said that although “rotational forces” include occasional training visits, they might also involve a longer-term presence. Claims that U.S. forces are going there to help with counterterrorism or to prepare for disaster-relief missions “aren’t fooling anyone,” he said.
In fact, the Chinese — engaged in bitter maritime disputes with the Philippines and several other nations in the region — could regard missiles carried by U.S. ships rotating into Palawan the same way Americans thought about Russian missiles in Cuba in the 1960s, he said.
From Manila’s perspective, the agreement boosts its position in the dispute with China, he said.
“When implemented, it will vastly increase the risk of U.S. involvement in a regional conflict with China over issues that may not be of vital national interest to us, creating a near permanent state of brinksmanship, but, on the other hand, be a very strong signal of our commitment to the national interests of regional allies,” Johnson said.
Jan Van Tol, a senior fellow at another Washington think tank, the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, said that operating from bases on Palawan would put U.S. forces close to the disputed Spratly Islands, where China has been reclaiming land and building airfields and other facilities.
“More visits to the Philippines means more ships in the South China Sea,” he said in a telephone interview Tuesday.
Littoral combat ships rotating through Singapore will likely visit ports in the Philippines in the near future, he added.
“What’s important isn’t so much the ship type as the American flag,” Van Tol said.
The basing agreement reversed a longtime Philippine policy of keeping foreign forces off its soil and reflects its level of concern over Chinese expansionism as well as U.S. resolve to remain a major player in East Asia, he said. It is part of an effort that includes freedom-of-navigation operations the U.S. Navy conducted in the South China Sea last week, he said.
Down the road, the agreement will lead to more U.S. forces in and near the South China Sea and more training with partner militaries in the area. It will help counter perceptions that U.S. security guarantees might not be credible in the region, Van Tol said.
“Increased presence, and in particular increasing numbers of freedom-of-navigation operations in the South China Sea to continue to assert our rights under international law, as the secretary of defense just indicated would be happening, will be important signals of increasing peaceful resistance to Chinese coercive activities,” he said.
Indirectly, a larger and more frequent U.S. presence there may give increased confidence to partner states such as Australia to conduct similar operations asserting their rights under international law, which would be useful in countering depictions of what’s going on as a primarily U.S.-China competition, Van Tol added.
Michael O’Hanlon, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, another Washington-based think tank, said by email that the basing agreement won’t make much difference at first, but it will emphasis Washington’s commitment to its alliance with the Philippines as the U.S. presence becomes more consistent and more common.
“That does not answer the question of what we would do about a specific territorial dispute,” he said. “It is no magic elixir for resolving such matters or for guaranteeing a favorable outcome for Manila in any showdown with Beijing. But it should, at least, reduce any Philippine worries that China would escalate a dispute to a direct attack on a main populated island. I would think that such escalation, unlikely in the first place, will become harder for China and much riskier.”
From the Manila Times (Feb 5): Under EDCA: US to construct 5 military facilities
DEFENSE Secretary Voltaire Gazmin confirmed on Thursday that the United States will build five military facilities in various areas under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), which was recently declared legal by the Supreme Court.
Gazmin’s confirmation came a day after US Ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg disclosed that the US will fund the construction and upgrading of five facilities inside military camps.
He said the “agreed upon sites” are Palawan, Lumbia in Cagay an de Oro City, Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija, Basa Air Base in Pampanga and Cebu. The Defense chief disclosed that discussions on these projects are halfway through.
He, however, could not say what the first project will be since this will depend on the priority of US authorities.
On Wednesday, Goldberg said the construction of military facilities is one of the provisions of EDCA.
“Everything that we will do under EDCA will be mutually agreed. We agreed to certain military construction to help upgrade those facilities using the US military construction funds. It will all be jointly decided and that’s why we’re in the process of doing that now we have a favorable Supreme Court ruling,” he added.
Col. Noel Detoyato, chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Public Affairs Office, clarified that the construction projects will involve the upgrading of facilities in existing military camps, not building separate military bases.
But the official could not say what kind of facilities will be built or enhanced “because it has to be mutually agreed based on inspection of camps to be jointly used for training.”
Earlier, Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla, AFP spokesman, said the US and the Philippines may complete installation of a US facility in the country not for military use but for humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR).
He added that the US can establish such facility in the AFP General Headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo (Quezon City), Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija, some camps in Central Visayas, Mactan Air Base or Camp Lapu Lapu both in Cebu and Camp Peralta in Jamindan in Capiz.
These camps, Padilla said, are being considered as jumping boards for disaster response.
US authorities will be allowed to store and keep items related to HADR operations, he added.
The items include power generators, lightings, water purifiers and mobility equipment like trucks, heavy lifters and forklifts.
“The storage of equipment right now is limited to HADR equipment, so no tanks, no war fighting equipment for the moment,” Padilla said.
Goldberg said no timetable has been established for the construction of the facilities.
“We’re in discussions constantly with our colleagues from the Department of National Defense and the Department of Foreign Affairs to actually watch out exactly on how and when we are going to do this. It is a process that will involve both sides agreeing to carrying out EDCA terms,” he told reporters.
“What we do in military construction funds and things that we have available are also subject to appropriations by our Congress so we don’t know fully what will be offered. In the previous time, we have about $66 million for the military funding in process for the Philippines and we expect there will be additional sources of funds for carrying out EDCA through military construction funds,” the US ambassador said.
He noted that through EDCA, the Philippines will be able to modernize its Armed Forces.
“In large part, it is to address the 21st century challenges, not just the challenges of the past,” Goldberg said.
These “21st century challenges” involve maritime security and maritime domain awareness.
“I know that Japan and Australia and others are also participating in helping the Philippines as it goes about building this defense,” Goldberg said. “Other countries have a role to play in the development of the Philippines’ military sector but the EDCA agreement is between the United States and the Philippines and the other countries don’t play a role in that.”
The ambassador said the US is very committed in helping the Philippines.
“The United States and the Philippines are treaty allies, we have a mutual defense treaty from 1951. It makes it the oldest defense treaty that we have in this region and we have commitments to the Philippines and the Philippines has commitments to the United States under that mutual defense treaty,” he noted.
The ambassador said the US will consider joint patrols with the Philippines in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) as part of efforts to ensure freedom of navigation in waters claimed by China.
Washington angered Beijing in recent months by sending US warships and warplanes on patrols near artificial islands built by China to bolster its claim to most of the sea.
The Philippines, one of five claimants to parts of the waterway, has backed Washington’s military actions and last month suggested joining US patrols.
“The United States… will continue to enjoy our rights under international law to sail through international waters or fly through international airspace. So I’m not going to prejudge what we’re going to do or when we’re going to do it. Whether we’re going to do it with the Philippines… I’m not discarding that possibility,” Goldberg said.
When asked later if he thought the US would say “yes” if the Philippines formally asked to take part in joint patrols in the South China Sea, he replied, “I think so.”
“I don’t think there are any limitations on what the US can do,” Goldberg said.
From Rappler (Feb 5): US to build facilities in old CDO airport in 2016
Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin says once the required documents are processed in the coming months, US troops can 'move in' to begin construction of their facilities
JOINT FORCES. Military troops from the Philippines and the US during the opening of the Philippines-US Exercise Balikatan in Quezon City in April 2015. File photo by EPA
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines – The US military will build facilities in the old Lumbia airport in this city under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin confirmed.
Gazmin, who was in the city earlier this week to attend the 46th Founding Anniversary of the army’s 4th Infantry Division, said that construction to upgrade the city airport will start within the year.
The defense chief said as soon as the required documents are processed in the coming months, US troops can "move in" to begin the construction of their facilities.
The Lumbia airport, the city’s old commercial airport, is now under the control of the 10th Tactical Operations Group of the Philippine Air Force, though the land belongs to the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines-Department of Transportation and Communication.
Gazmin said that the Lumbia airport is one of the selected sites agreed upon by the Philippine government.
Under the EDCA, US forces are allowed to set up storage facilities and station forward personnel to maintain such facilities. These facilities must be being use by the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
The US military calls these facilities pre-positioning areas wherein supplies, equipments ordnance and vehicles can be pre-positioned in storage in preparation for possible conflict.
Warning
Cesar Renario, spokesperson of the National Democratic Front-Northern Mindanao warned that the presence of US forces in Lumbia town would be disastrous for the city.
“Under the EDCA...US forces are allowed all forms of operations and activities in the agreed areas,” Renario claimed.
He said that EDCA allows the US military to station an unlimited number of troops, US military contractors, warships, fighter planes, arms including nuclear arms, without payment to the host government.
Renario also noted that Philippine authorities cannot even access these US facilities, just like the Joint Special Operation Task Force-Philippines (JSOTF-P) compound inside Camp General Basilio Navarro, headquarters of the Western Mindanao Command in Zamboanga City where 700 American forces are stationed.
He added that US forces have used the Philippines as it staging area for its Asian pivot, which puts the Philippines as the next conflict area. “The US is protecting its Asian interest, not the interest of the Philippines,” Renario said.
The New People’s Army had earlier released a statement that US soldiers and facilities are legitimate targets of communist rebels.
From MindaNews (Feb 5): Task force formed to address attacks on transmission towers
Government has formed the Inter-Agency Task Force for the
Security of Energy Facilities to address the series of attacks on transmission
towers of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines
and right-of-way claims in Mindanao.
In a press conference on Thursday, Energy secretary Zenaida
Y. Monsada said Mindanao’s power problem is
now more of transmission than supply due to attacks on NGCP towers.
She said the attacks and ROW issues are now becoming a
national interest because it affects the growth of the country in general.
“Mindanao is a major part
of the country. It pulls up the growth of the Philippines, so there should be
power to fuel the development,” she said.
The secretary said the task force brings more focus to how
government should respond [to the attacks] with the May 9 elections and the
continuing El Nino phenomenon.
“There is nothing new in what we do. What this task force
does is coordination, more synergy to our efforts,” she said,
Members of the task force included DOE, National Transmission
Corp., NGCP, Mindanao Development Authority, Armed Forces of the Philippines,
Philippine National Police, Department of Interior and Local Government,
National Power Corporation, Department of Justice, and Land Registration
Authority.
Monsada said different task groups will focus on the
transmission lines of the Agus-Pulangui hydropower complex, security, legal
issues, and information campaign.
She said among the major concerns are the issues namely,
unpaid claimants and the vegetation, and the bombings.
“But these claimants cannot be paid outrightly because they
have to follow a process, which involves the documentation that they own the
property where the towers stood,” she added.
The task force met for the first time at the MinDA office in
DavaoCity on Thursday to plan on how they can
resolve the transmission issues.
“Next week. we will be reporting to the president regarding
our outputs,” Monsada said.
In 2015, 16 towers were bombed, nine of which were toppled.
In December 2015 alone, seven towers were bombed: Towers 25,
19, 95, 68, 168, and 153.
Last month, two towers – 50 and 63 – were attacked.
Asked how much the power issue has been affecting the
business community in the island, Mindanao Business Council chair Vicente Lao
said “it is very difficult to quantify the costs when there are brownouts all
over the grid.”
From the Mindanao Examiner (Feb 5): Sayyaf rigs military post with IED in Philippines
Suspected Abu Sayyaf rebels have rigged a military detachment with an improvised explosive in the southern Philippine town of Patikul, a day after they bombed a convoy full of soldiers on a village there.
The explosive device – assembled from mortar bombs – was discovered in the village of Bonbon and immediately disarmed by soldiers.
Just on Thursday, Abu Sayyaf rebels detonated a roadside bomb while a convoy of military trucks were passing and wounding 7 soldiers, according to the military.
The wounded soldiers – all members of the Marine Battalion Landing Team 10 – were brought to Zamboanga City.
It was not immediately known why the military failed to prevent the bombing despite a series of Abu Sayyaf attacks on government troops there. The military has sent thousands of troops to Sulu to fight the Abu Sayyaf ahead of the May elections.
The town’s mayor Khabir Hayudini cannot be reached for comment on the spate of violent attacks in Patikul. The Abu Sayyaf is fighting for a separate Islamic state and has pledged allegiance with the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.
From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 5): USAID inaugurates new classrooms, livelihood facilities in Tacloban
The United States Agency for International Development
(USAID) has turned over on Thursday new classrooms, grains warehouse and solar
dryer in this city as part of the US government’s USD143 million
post-Yolanda recovery assistance.
USAID Chief Financial Officer Reginald Mitchell led the
turnover of four-classroom disaster resilient school building at the Tacloban
City National High School (TCNHS) in Bagacay village.
“These classrooms are part of the more than 250 classrooms
that the US government, through the US Embassy Manila’s USAID, is building in
Leyte province to help restore normalcy in education in typhoon
Yolanda-affected areas,” Mitchell said.
“USAID’s priority in building classrooms is done in
recognition of the critically important role of education in poverty
alleviation.”
Joining the top USAID official in the inauguration of fully
furnished classrooms were Mayor Alfred Romualdez, Department of Education
Eastern Visayas regional director Luisa Yu, and TCNHS school principal Lydia
Umacob.
After the classroom’s inauguration, officials proceeded to
Tagpuro village to inaugurate a new grains warehouse and solar dryer facility.
The new structures will help 120 members of local farmers’ organization.
“These two structures are two of the more than 30 agri-fishery
support facilities being constructed by USAID to support farmers and fisher
folks affected by typhoon Yolanda. Other facilities which are currently being
constructed across the province include trading centers, warehouses, solar
dryers, and irrigation facilities,” Mitchell said.
As USAID’s chief financial officer, Mitchell is responsible
for the oversight of the accounting and financial reporting functions of the
agency.
Mayor Alfred Romualdez thanked the US government
for the continuing support to the recovery of this typhoon-ravaged city.
“The American government and the American people never left.
You’ve always been part of us and we are very grateful for your support.
Umacob said the new classrooms will inspire teachers and
learners who have lost some of their love ones when super typhoon Yolanda hit
the city on November 8, 2013.
In addition to the school buildings and livelihood
facilities, USAID is also constructing 12 health centers to help restore access
to quality health services.
In partnership with US companies, Procter & Gamble and
Coca-Cola, USAID is also constructing 1,000 sari-sari stores to help small
entrepreneurs to get back on their feet.
From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 5): Battalion of elite police unit arrives in Masbate for loose guns, PAGs
With the rising number of killings involving village
officials and other political leaders in towns and villages tagged as political
hot spots in Masbate, the Philippine National Police (PNP) Bicol regional
office on Thursday sent a battalion of elite police unit to prevent the growing
political tension prevailing in that Bicol island-province.
Police Senior Insp. Maria Luisa Calubaquib, PNP Bicol
spokesperson, said a battalion of police force coming from the newly
reactivated Regional Service-Oriented Task Group (RSOTG) arrived on the same
after the PNP Central Command and the Commission on Elections (Comelec) issued
the green light for the RSOTG to prevent political violence that might disrupt
and mar the May elections.
Calubaquib said the special task group was created to ensure
that peace and order will reign in the province that was declared by the
Comelec as among the priority provinces in the election watch-list areas
(EWAs).
Police Chief Supt. Augusto Marquez, PNP Bicol regional
director, assigned Police Senior Supt. Lito Pitallano, deputy regional director
for operation (DRDO), as commander of the RSOTG.
The RSOTG will provide security measures that would be
needed during the election period.
The group will also track down loose firearms holders and private
armed groups (PAGs), including the communist rebel group operating in the
province.
The battalion-size PNP task force came from the police
forces from Bicol’s six provinces, Regional Public Safety Battalion and a
company of Special Action Force unit from the PNP national headquarters,
Calubaquib said.
Meanwhile, another sizable unit of the Philippine Army will
join the RSOTG to enhance the security force of the task group.
A series of killings has taken place since January to date,
the police reported, bringing the death toll to seven persons gunned down by
unidentified assailants in the towns of San Jacinto, Placer, Monreal and MasbateCity.
In the 2013 Election, the TF Masbate was formed to oversee
the security operations in the province tagged by military and police as a “hot
spot” area due to intense political rivalries and the presence of PAGs and
communist rebels.
Masbate has been consistently been tagged as an election hot
spot in previous elections because of the intense political rivalries among
clans there, including election-related violence, that have claimed the lives
of hundreds of people in the province.
In past election events, the Comelec and the PNP have
identified the provinces of Masbate, Camarines
Sur and Camarines Norte as election areas of concern due to intense political
rivalries and the presence of PAGs and the NPA rebels.
Based on the list, Masbate
has the most number of villages that have been placed under Comelec control,
with 40 villages in 18 towns.
From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 5): DILG-6 releases P52.8-M PAMANA fund for peace sites in Negros Occidental
The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG)
Region 6 has released a P52.8-million financial assistance to the Province of Negros Occidental from the agency’s
Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan (PAMANA) Fund.
The check was turned over by DILG-6 Regional Director
Anthony Nuyda to Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. in rites held Thursday at the
Provincial Capitol witnessed by DILG-Negros Island Region OIC-Regional Director
Margie Biligan and Provincial Engineer Ernie Mapa.
The fund will be used for the implementation of programs and
projects in peace and development community sites of the province.
PAMANA is the government’s flagship program for peace and
development which aims to promote community resilience by reducing poverty and
vulnerability. The program also seeks to improve governance, and strengthen
capacities of communities to address peace and development issues through
activities that promote social cohesion.
From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 5): DND, AFP to acquire 44.5-M rounds of 5.56mm ball ammunition
The Department of National Defense and the Armed Forces of
the Philippines
are in the market for 44.5 million units of 5.56mm ball, linked SS 109
cartridges.
The latter is one of the types of ammunition used by the
M-16s and R-4 automatic rifles in Filipino military inventory.
The budget for the project, totaling Php102,419,991.23, will
be sourced from the FY 2015 General Appropriations Act and Philippine Army
Appropriations for CY 2015.
Winning bidders are required to deliver the items within 180
calendar days upon receipt of the Notice to Proceed.
Bidders should have completed, within the last five years
from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a single largest similar
completed contract equivalent to at least 25 percent of the contract.
Bidding is open to both local and foreign manufacturers.
The DND Bids and Awards Committee will conduct a pre-bid
conference on Feb. 10, at 11 a.m. at the DND BAC Conference Room, Basement, DNDBuilding,
CampAguinaldo,
Quezon City.
Bid opening is set on Feb. 23, at 11 a.m. at the same venue.
