NPA killed wrong man, police says

From the Visayan Daily Star (Feb 12): NPA killed wrong man, police says

Members of the New People's Army SPARU (Special Partisan Unit) shot and killed a civilian mistaken for a government informant Wednesday in Brgy.Libertad, Escalante City, Negros Occidental, the police said yesterday.

The victim identified as Antonio Emperado, 37, was working at a sugarcane field in Sitio Dita, Brgy. Libertad, Escalante City, when he was approached by eight armed men, and a gunman shot him at close range, Chief Inspector Robert Mansueto, Escalante City police officer-in-charge, said yesterday.

Mansueto said Emperado, who was frequently seen at the detachment of the Regional Public Safety Battalion of the PNP in the barangay, had been mistaken to be an informant.

Emperado was also reportedly blamed for the apprehension of a certain Dacal-Dacal, a member of the NPA, now facing murder charges in court, he added.

Based on the accounts of witnesses, Mansueto said they were able to establish the identities of the three suspects.

Investigations of the Escalante police also showed that the SPARU hitmen were also backed up a by group of armed men, carrying high-powered firearms.

Murder charges are now being readied by the Escalante police against the suspects in the death of Emperado.

http://www.visayandailystar.com/2016/February/12/topstory3.htm

Manobo tribe leader found in grave

From Tempo (Feb 12): Manobo tribe leader found in grave

The body of a Manobo tribe leader, who was forcibly taken by suspected New People’s Army (NPA) rebels three months ago, was found buried in a mountainous area in Barangay Purisima, Cagwait town, Surigao del Sur, last Tuesday, the military reported.

1Lt. Karl Jan S. Devaras, commander of 41st Civil-Military Operations (Magkahiusa) Company, identified the victim as lumad leader Cristituto Garcia, 54, of Sitio Hinayhayan, Cagwait.

The body was already in advance stage of decomposition and bore several gunshot wounds. It was positively identified as that of Garcia by his family.

Devaras said Garcia’s remains will be subjected to medico-legal examinations.
He said the victim’s corpse was found following the testimony of a former NPA member who surrendered to the military stationed in Surigao del Sur recently.

The former rebel identified only as alias Dodong claimed that the NPA forcibly took Garcia from his house in the evening of November 15, 2015.

Garcia was later brought to Sitio Cagburao in the municipality of Cagwait, Surigao del Sur, where the rebels shot him to death, said Lt. Devaras, quoting the statement of the rebel returnee.

The Manobo tribal leader worked as a “Bantay Banwa” (lumad forest guard) and was an active anti-illegal logging advocate, the military officer said.

http://www.tempo.com.ph/2016/02/12/news/regional/manobo-tribe-leader-found-in-grave/

NPA men ransack village chief’s house, set up blocking force

From the Sun Star-Bacolod (Feb 12): NPA men ransack village chief’s house, set up blocking force

ABOUT 80 suspected members of the New People’s Army (NPA) showed force by entering the upland barangay of Mansablay in Isabela, Negros Occidental, Thursday night, February 11, creating alarm among the residents.

Chief Inspector Anthony Grande, town police chief, told Sun.Star Bacolod that about 15 rebels ransacked the house of village chief Aurelio Tolero Jr. between 7:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. and sought to take Tolero's three firearms: a .45-caliber pistol, a shotgun, and an M16 rifle.

The rebels, however, did not find any firearm, he said.

Tolero was on his way home when he learned that the rebels entered his house. He was only four houses away from his residence when he was informed about the incident and decided to postpone going home, Grande said.

Tolero’s wife and mother were inside the house, but the rebels left them unharmed, the police chief added.

Grande also said that 30 NPA men set up a “blocking force” to engage responding authorities while the rest of the rebels sealed off the vicinity of the village.

He added that a member of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, who was on his way home, was flagged down by the rebels, who took his .9-mm service firearm.
Minutes later, the rebels withdrew towards a mountainous area.

Grande said the Philippine Army conducted a hot pursuit operation as of press time.
Meanwhile, Tolero stayed at the police station last night, he added.

Grande said police would continue to investigate the incident, adding that it could not be determined yet if the incident can be considered election-related violence.

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/bacolod/local-news/2016/02/12/npa-men-ransack-village-chiefs-house-set-blocking-force-456880

Suspected ASG nabbed for murder, kidnapping

From CNN Philippines (Feb 12): Suspected ASG nabbed for murder, kidnapping



A suspected Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) member wanted for murder and serious illegal detention was arrested early dawn of Thursday (February 11) in Basilan province.

The police identified the suspect as a certain Mutalib Abdula. a.k.a. Yusop/Uttuh Abdula, who was reportedly apprehended in the victinity of Sitio Kasanyangan, Barangay Matikang Lantawan 1:55 a.m.

Abdula had been linked to the so-called Golden Harvest Plantation kidnapping in Lantawan in 2001.

http://cnnphilippines.com/regional/2016/02/12/Suspected-ASG-nabbed-for-murder-kidnapping.html

MILF: Non-passage of BBL gives widespread frustration to the Bangsamoro people: MILF Peace Panel

Posted to the MILF Website (Feb 12): Non-passage of BBL gives widespread frustration to the Bangsamoro people: MILF Peace Panel



“As a result of the failure of government, particularly Congress to pass the BBL (Bangsamoro Basic Law), there is widespread frustration on the ground by our (Bangsamoro) people and members of the MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front),” Mohager Iqbal, MILF Peace Panel Chairman disclosed in his opening statement in a meeting with the Government of the Philippines (GPH) Peace Panel at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on February 10-11, 2016.

The GPH and MILF peace panels held the meeting, finding ways to move forward in the course of peace process following the failure of the lawmakers to pass the BBL.

On March 27, 2014, the two parties signed the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) that was witnessed by diplomats, international community, MILF, Bangsamoro leaders, line agencies, and peace groups.

The peace deal provides the crafting of BBL by the Bangsamoro Transition Commission and its passage by the Philippine Congress.

Once passed and approved by the Bangsamoro people through a plebiscite, the BBL will pave way for the establishment of the autonomous Bangsamoro government that will replace the current Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

Iqbal said the Bangsamoro people accuse the government of resorting again to delaying tactics and just managing the conflict in Mindanao.

“In view of this, the MILF and government shall jointly find ways and means to address this dangerous situation and avoid actions that may increase the frustrations,” he suggested.

“We must provide them hope that there is chance for passage of CAB-compliant BBL whoever will be the next president,” the MILF Peace Panel Chair pointed out.

He reiterated, “This must be in the form of firm and unequivocal commitment from the government that it shall continue to comply with its obligations under the CAB, particularly on the passage of CAB-compliant BBL, which is unilateral obligation of the government.”

In order to preserve the gains of the peace process, Iqbal said the government and the MILF should journey together in faithfully implementing the CAB, guided by the principle of “as is, where is.”

“In other words, the most immediate step is either the BBL will be refiled in Congress or a new basic law, faithful to the letter and spirit of the CAB, will be crafted by the Bangsamoro Transition Commission, which will most likely have new faces as members,” he hinted.

Iqbal, concurrently chairman of the BTC, thanked friends in the diplomatic corps and the international community for their continued solidarity and support to the cause of peace and reconciliation.

“Your support, in many ways, helped us forged the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro, prevent a return to armed conflict and minimise the horrific impact of war” he underscored.

Iqbal related the MILF’s deep gratitude to the Government of Malaysia for the latter’s facilitation in the peace talks. “You are a big brother to us,” he said citing that the esteem Malaysia has bestowed to the Bangsamoro people will never be forgotten.

The MILF peace panel chair also thanked President Benigno S. Aquino III and the GPH Peace Panel “for negotiating with us in good faith and for pushing the negotiations closer to what is required to bring justice and reconciliation.”

“We have learned our lessons. The problem is structural and systematic,” the MILF peace panel chairman disclosed. He gave assurance that the MILF will adhere to the CAB and comply with its obligations.

http://www.luwaran.com/home/index.php/news/76-international/552-non-passage-of-bbl-gives-widespread-frustration-to-the-bangsamoro-people-milf-peace-panel

US-India Patrols in the South China Sea? Maybe Not Just Yet

From The Diplomat (Feb 11): US-India Patrols in the South China Sea? Maybe Not Just Yet (By Ankit Panda)

India and the United States are talking about the South China Sea, but are they ready to hold joint patrols there?

Early on Wednesday, Reuters published an interesting exclusive, suggesting that the United States and Indian navies are considering the idea of jointly conducting patrols in the South China Sea. It isn’t explicit if the idea under consideration is a bilateral U.S.-India freedom of navigation patrol, which would require Indian and U.S. vessels to challenge excessive maritime claims, or simply a bilateral passing exercise or other less contentious patrol. Both India and the United States support freedom of navigation, globally and in the South China Sea.

In recent years, as I’ve noted at The Diplomat, New Delhi has grown more accustomed to emphasizing the principle in its official statements. Last January, when Obama was in India for a state visit, he and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi affirmed the importance of freedom of navigation. Just this past weekend, Modi, speaking before the 2016 International Fleet Review in Visakhapatnam, reiterated Indian support for freedom of navigation.

It’s not surprising that U.S. and Indian officials are talking about the South China Sea. Overall bilateral strategic and defense ties between Washington and New Delhi have been on a steady track of convergence over the past decade and the South China Sea has risen on both their radars in the meantime. India is seeking to “Act East” these days and has pursued a more active sort of diplomacy with ASEAN and its constituent member states. What’s more, India’s 2015 Maritime Security Strategy document and 2009 Maritime Doctrine have classified the South China Sea as a “secondary zone of interest” for the Indian Navy.

Per Reuters, no decision has been made on U.S.-India bilateral joint patrols. If they do take place, the report notes, they’ll happen later this year and will occur in the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea. If I were to prognosticate, I wouldn’t say it’s likely we’ll see these patrols take place soon—at least in the South China Sea. I’d be entirely skeptical of the idea that New Delhi would entertain undertaking freedom of navigation patrols in the South China Sea with the United States. The Indian military, as a matter of policy, generally only joins bilateral or multilateral efforts outside of its immediate region as part of a United Nations-sanctioned mission. As the Reuters exclusive further noted, “the Indian navy has never carried out joint patrols with another country.”

What’s interesting about this report is what it suggests about how Washington sees New Delhi’s role in the South China Sea. So far, the United States has sought support from its regional allies, including Japan, Australia, and the Philippines, as it has intensified its presence in the South China Sea. Following the October 2015 and January 2016 freedom of navigation patrols in the Spratlys and Paracels respectively, there have been varying calls for multilateralizing these operations going forward. Bringing India into the fold in the South China Sea would serve the U.S. goal of bringing allies and partners together against China’s excessive maritime claims in the area.

New Delhi is certainly interested in preserving the freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea, but its interests remain subtly different from U.S. interests in important ways. For instance, India and Vietnam are cooperating on hydrocarbon exploration in the South China Sea. Additionally, any Indian involvement in patrols in the South China Sea would draw a negative reaction from China. India has to consider the idea in terms of its broader bilateral relationship with China. India and China are expanding their cooperation at this time, but their unresolved land border disputes will require any diplomatic capital that New Delhi would otherwise be willing to spend in the South China Sea.

So, what’s the bottom line on all this? If the U.S. and India do begin bilateral naval patrols this year, it’s far more likely they’ll happen in the Indian Ocean than in the South China Sea at first. If they do take place in the South China Sea, we’ll have witnessed a big change in how India conceives of its role in East Asia, the purpose of its naval power, and its cooperation with the United States there.

http://thediplomat.com/2016/02/us-india-patrols-in-the-south-china-sea-maybe-not-just-yet/

80 Percent of Zero: China’s Phantom South China Sea Claims

From The Diplomat (Feb 9): 80 Percent of Zero: China’s Phantom South China Sea Claims (by Steven Stashwick)

After the U.S. FONOPs, how long can China get away with “enforcing” claims it hasn’t made?

Baudelaire said the devil’s best trick was convincing us he did not exist. China’s best trick might be convincing us its claims over the South China Sea do exist. Official rhetoric about its “indisputable sovereignty over the South China Sea islands” certainly sounds like a definitive Chinese position. And, of course, China occupies many islands in the area, its Coast Guard chases off foreign fishing vessels, and massive Chinese land reclamation projects provide new, persistent regional presence. But with the notable exception of the Paracel islands between Hainan Island and Vietnam, China has made no valid legal claim over the South China Sea. Instead, China’s official ambiguity appears carefully calibrated to produce international media coverage that proselytizes far more expansive claims than really exist. That popular narrative (like the perennial “fact” that it claims 80 percent of the South China Sea) helps China legitimate its increasingly assertive activity in the region without having to expand its legal positions in kind. Without those formal legal stakes, China has so far skillfully avoided painting itself into a strategic corner over the South China Sea with no need to militarily defend claims it has not actually made.

But the limits of this strategy are showing. The extraordinary media coverage leading up to the USS Lassen’s Freedom of Navigation (FON) operation through the Spratly islands in October of last year focused unprecedented front-page attention on the territorial, legal, and strategic issues in the South China Sea. That public pressure strained China’s ability to respond in a way that balanced the constraints of its official legal positions with its need to maintain the popular global impressions it has cultivated and placate the expectations of its own nationalists. While its rhetoric sounds steadfast, China clearly does not want to risk even low-level antagonism with the U.S. military over its South China Sea claims.

In the wake of the Lassen transit, coverage featured contradictory posturing over whether the transit was conducted as innocent passage (the U.S. secretary of defense only recently clarified that while it was not explicitly innocent passage, the transit was consistent with innocent passage’s requirements) to analysis based on incorrect geographic features, and even early confusion over which features the Lassen actually transited (Subi Reef but not Mischief Reef). But whatever the particulars, it was generally agreed that the Lassen’s transit was intended as a “challenge to China’s territorial claims” since China “claims most of the South China Sea” as its own.
Except that it does not, technically.

Reporting that China “claims 80 percent of the South China Sea” is commonly provided as context in news on the region, a “fact” the Chinese government no doubt welcomes and does nothing to explicitly discourage. (For a sense of the statistic’s media saturation, a recent internet search returned almost 2 million results). Coverage of the Lassen’s FON passage also frequently noted that China claims 12 nautical miles (nm) of territorial seas around the Spratlys. When those two ideas appear together in the same reporting (and they often do), it should be clear there is a problem with the popular narrative. For China to claim 80 percent of the South China Sea, it would also have to claim most of the water far beyond 12 nautical miles from any of those islands, artificial or not.

So what is China’s claim? Contrary to the impressions it has cultivated in the media, China has not claimed anything near what most accounts ascribe. A few commentators note that there is substantial uncertainty about Chinese claims in the South China Sea because China has not formalized or clarified those claims. Article 16 of the United Nations Law of the Sea requires states to publicize their claimed territorial seas and baselines (boundaries that maritime claims are measured from) and provide them to the UN either on “charts… adequate for ascertaining their position” or in a “list of geographical coordinates of points.” But for all the contentiousness, China’s deposits to the UN contain few such explicit claims.

In their 1958 declaration on territorial seas, China claimed a baseline existed around the Spratlys and other islands, but did not identify what it considered the extent of those islands or provide the geographic coordinates of the baselines. The absence of specifics for mariners, cartographers, or lawyers to work with meant that in practice, China’s baselines, and thus its territorial seas, only existed to whatever extent those parties chose to respect. Leaving compliance up to the geographic guesswork of others is not a firm legal foundation, and in 1996 China finally provided the U.N. geographic coordinates for its claimed baselines. This included coordinates around two major contested island chains, the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea and the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea. But while competing parties at least have something concrete to argue over with respect to the Paracels and Senkakus, the 1996 UN submission did not include references or data for the Spratly islands, or any other groups in the South China Sea.

Instead of making a legal claim to the South China Sea, China has sought to build a de facto position, using its construction projects and marine law enforcement to convince others to recognize Chinese control practically if not legally. Perhaps uncertain of how much of the region it can credibly control, China has chosen not to circumscribe what it can get away with by making its legal boundaries and claims explicit. A careful public relations kabuki seeks to make mass media reporting unknowingly complicit in normalizing the idea that China controls, or thinks it should control, the entire region by inducing frequent repetition of that unofficial claim.

The infamous Nine-Dash Line (which occasionally appears with ten or even eleven dashes) is probably China’s most successful piece of over-inferred strategic communication to be taken up by the media. It first appeared officially in a note verbale to the UN articulating China’s opposition to a joint claim made by Vietnam and Malaysia. Circumscribing almost the entire South China Sea, it is the likely source of media and commentator assertions that China claims all or most (or “80 percent”) of the region. But notes are informal diplomatic communications, not signed official claims. Further, the map does not meet the standard of geographic specificity required in Article 16 to communicate territorial sea claims.

A detailed analysis prepared by the U.S. State Department determined the map lacked geographic, legal, or historic basis to form a maritime claim. Though the Nine-Dash map now typically appears as a standalone graphic in the media, the context of the note it accompanies suggests that the map at best describes a territorial claim over the islands of the South China Sea, not the sea itself. Claims over those islands are contested, and though the note articulates the official Chinese position on those islands, it probably does not constitute a useful legal claim itself. In any case, the United States does not recognize China’s or any other states’ claims while sovereignty over the Spratlys remains in dispute, and as James Kraska and Pete Pedrozo, both former U.S. Navy Law of the Sea attorneys, point out, until the sovereignty of the islands is resolved, the territorial sea issue is legally moot.

This context is consistent with careful reading of official statements by the Chinese Foreign Ministry and President Xi Jinping, which always refer to sovereignty over the islands, not the sea. But by pairing circumscribed specificity (e.g. “China has indisputable sovereignty over the [Spratly] Islands”) with generic rhetoric about sovereignty and security in the abstract (e.g. “[China] is steadfast in safeguarding its territorial sovereignty and security”), the impression is of a far more expansive claim and assertive posture. After the Lassen’s FON passage, Graham Webster, a researcher at Yale Law School, showed just how careful Chinese officials are in their use of language, noting that despite rhetorical condemnation of the transit, China nonetheless “[avoided] taking an explicit or implied position on: whether Subi Reef can produce a 12 nm territorial sea, whether the U.S. Navy violated Chinese sovereignty, what specific maritime areas China claims sovereignty over, and what if any escalation thresholds may exist in any future encounters.”

I have written before about the strategic flexibility maritime disputes and naval incidents-at-sea permit governments that do not want to be too specific about what they do and do not actually claim. Maritime ambiguity allows a state to try to get away with as much as possible by establishing customary practice while still leaving itself a politically acceptable “out” from unwanted military escalation. Not wanting to give away the game, China’s Foreign Ministry called the Lassen’s transit illegal, damaging to “China-U.S. relations and regional peace and stability,” and admonished the U.S. to “refrain from any dangerous or provocative actions.” The Chinese Defense Ministry went on to insist that the Chinese Navy performed all necessary “duties and missions to unswervingly safeguard national sovereignty, maritime rights and interests, and peace and stability in the South China Sea”. But as Rep. Randy Forbes, influential chair of the U.S. House Seapower Subcommittee explained, “China’s bark is usually worse than its bite. Their statements on foreign policy are often really intended for consumption by domestic audiences, and I think Beijing’s reaction to the Freedom of Navigation operations should be viewed in this context.”

China’s banal physical response to the transit only reinforces the conclusion that Chinese rhetoric is really targeted at domestic audiences and the international press. The media impression of the response was that an “angry” China sent warships to shadow the Lassen and “warn” against the “illegal” and “coercive” U.S. transit. The reality of the Chinese navy’s response, as relayed by the captain of the Lassen, was that the shadowing warship was one the Lassen had interacted with frequently and cordially for weeks while patrolling the region, and that after communicating the “warnings” the Foreign Ministry referred to, they wished the U.S. ship a “pleasant voyage” and relayed their hope to “see them again” before proceeding home.

China clearly had no intention to actually escalate an incident with the U.S. Navy, but just as clearly wished to cultivate the impression that it could or would, as media coverage of a follow-on conference between the top Admirals of the two navies dutifully reported. The depth of contrast between reality and reporting shows China’s preference to consolidate its South China Sea gains by bolstering the impression that it is willing to fight to convince American audiences that the U.S. government should not “risk” intervention, rather than actually risking a fight themselves.

But this strategy becomes problematic at home to the degree that Chinese nationalists make the same (or greater) over-inference about the territorial claims and security posture that are intended for foreign audiences. Then China could face significant pressure from domestic forces that do not appreciate the careful nuance of its official positions. Foreign Policy magazine reported on Chinese nationalists’ “frustration at what they see as the Chinese government tendency to issue protests rather than take military action” against the Lassen’s FON transit. Reassuringly, analysis by Nhung Bui, an expert on Chinese media and nationalism, still sees enough popular calls for moderation to give the Chinese government political space to resist nationalistic demands for more aggressive responses to the U.S.

And so the ultimate danger is if both the U.S. and China begin believing their own posturing—or worse, the posturing of media and commentators, which is disconnected from official strategy. It seems clear for now that neither the U.S. nor China wants to risk a confrontation in the South China Sea, even if neither likes the way the other is behaving. But at what point does keeping up appearances require you to actually do the things you are talking about—or really just seem to be talking about—even if neither side wants to?

[Steven Stashwick is a writer and analyst based in New York City. He spent 10 years on active duty as a U.S. naval officer with multiple deployments to the Western Pacific. He writes about maritime affairs in East Asia and serves in the U.S. Navy Reserve. The views expressed are his own.]

http://thediplomat.com/2016/02/80-percent-of-zero-chinas-phantom-south-china-sea-claims/

US to expand war drills in S. China Sea

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Feb 12): US to expand war drills in S. China Sea



CHINAWATCH The American aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln transiting the Indian Ocean. AP

CAMP H.M SMITH, Hawaii—The chief of the US forces in the Pacific on Wednesday defended US freedom of navigation operations in the disputed South China Sea, saying these are aimed at reducing tensions in the region.

Speaking to visiting journalists from Southeast Asia ahead of the special summit of the 10 Southeast Asian leaders, including President Aquino, with US President Barack Obama in California next week, Adm. Harry Harris Jr., US Pacific Command (Pacom) chief, also stressed the US desire to expand military exercises in the South China Sea.

“The patrols we have, whether singularly or jointly, not only in the South China Sea but also in the region help decrease tension and improve stability because it reinforces the notion that freedom of navigation is important,” Harris said at Pacom headquarters here.

Harris, however, refused to confirm reports that the United States and India plan to conduct joint patrols in the South China Sea.

“I am not going to talk about future joint patrols,” he said, adding that any statement about the US plans would be mere “conjectures.”
 
United stance vs. China

The United States wants its regional allies and other Asian nations to adopt a more united stance against China over the South China Sea, where tensions have spiked since China’s construction of seven artificial islands in the Spratly archipelago.

China claims most of the South China Sea, while Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan have rival claims.

A US defense official told Reuters this week the United States and India had held talks about joint naval patrols that could include the South China Sea.

The official, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said the United States and India were hopeful of launching the joint patrols within the year.

The official, however, gave no details on the scale of the proposed patrols.

A Pentagon spokesperson, Cmdr. Bill Urban, said the United States and India “continue to explore ways to deepen defense cooperation, including in the area of maritime security,” but no decisions had been made on joint patrols.

‘Threat to peace’

On Thursday, China warned that interference from countries outside the region threatens peace and stability.

“No cooperation between any countries should be directed at a third party,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hong Lei said in an e-mailed statement to Reuters, in response to a request for comment on the report published on Wednesday.

“Countries from outside the area must stop pushing forward the militarization of the South China Sea, cease endangering the sovereignty and national security of littoral countries in the name of freedom of navigation and harming the peace and stability in the region,” Hong said.

China accused the United States this month of seeking maritime hegemony in the name of freedom of navigation after a US Navy destroyer, the USS Curtis Wilbur, sailed within 22 kilometers of the disputed Triton Island in the Paracel chain in the South China Sea in late January.
 
US-PH patrols

The US Navy conducted a similar exercise in October, sending the guided missile destroyer USS Lassen sailing near one of seven artificial islands China had built in the Spratly archipelago.

The Philippines has proposed joint naval patrols with the United States in the South China Sea, something a US diplomat said this month was a possibility.

Harris said he welcomed any plans from countries in the Pacific to join the US freedom of navigation operations, the American challenge to China’s claim to almost all of the 3.5-million-square-kilometer South China Sea.

“I support the right of every country to patrol in the South China Sea because the South China Sea at large does not belong to any country,” Harris said.

“I welcome Japan’s potential of patrolling in the South China Sea, just as I welcome India’s and I welcome all of your navies’ abilities to patrol there,” he said.

“I do seek more multilateral exercises in the whole region,” Harris said, citing the Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (Carat), a series of annual military exercises among Southeast Asian nations; the Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RimPac), the world’s largest international maritime warfare exercise, and Cobra Gold, an Asia-Pacific military exercise annually held in Thailand.

At the briefing, Harris spoke against what he called were China’s “bullying tactics,” admitting he had been critical of China ever since he assumed his post as the Pacific Fleet commander in 2013.




JOINT PATROL? Indian sailors man the INS Vikramaditya, amodified Kiev-class aircraft carrier, as the United States and India repeatedly talk about joint naval patrols in the South China Sea. AFP

Provocative activities

“We are very aware of China’s activities in the South China Sea. I believe that China’s activities in the South China Sea are provocative. I think they contribute to the tensions in the region,” said Harris, the first Asian-American to achieve the rank of admiral in the US Navy.

“China’s approach is not only salami-slicing the region but it [also] likes to apply bullying tactics with each Asean country bilaterally, one on one, rather than taking on Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) as a whole,” he said.

Harris noted that the recent developments in the South China Sea call for the conclusion of a legally binding code of conduct for all the claimants to ensure peace and stability in the region.

The closest to such a code that the Asean and China have  is the 2002 Asean-China Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, which requires the claimants to maintain the status quo to avoid tensions.

“You should work stronger together as Asean. I applaud your efforts, Vietnam and the Philippines, to hold China accountable,” he said.

The Philippines, a US treaty ally, has taken its territorial dispute with China in the South China Sea to the United Nations Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague for resolution.

The court is expected to hand down a resolution by June.

Vietnam, a strategic partner of the United States and the Philippines, has bolstered the Philippine case through a position paper submitted to the UN arbitral tribunal.
 
Rebalance to Asia

The US-Asean summit next week will cast light on Obama’s rebalance to Asia strategy, a significant shift from the US focus on the Middle East.

The meeting is the first stand-alone summit between the United States and Asean, coming shortly after the United States and the Southeast Asian bloc scaled up their relationship to a strategic partnership in Kuala Lumpur last year.

http://globalnation.inquirer.net/136445/us-to-expand-war-drills-in-s-china-sea

‘Next leaders must preserve government-MILF peace gains’

From the Philippine Star (Feb 12): ‘Next leaders must preserve government-MILF peace gains’



Addressing the Filipino people directly, MILF peace panel and Bangsamoro Transition Commission chairman Mohagher Iqbal said that everyone should “work together to overcome the barriers to peace, justice and reconciliation.” STAR/File photo

Leaders of the next administration must preserve the gains of the peace process with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), international monitors said yesterday.

Chairman Alistair MacDonald, who along with other members of the Third Party Monitoring Team (TPMT) joined the two-day meeting of the government and MILF in Malaysia, said the next leaders have no other recourse but to preserve the gains of the peace process and to continue its implementation toward the passage of the Bangsamoro Bill.

“No government can afford to neglect the peace process: not for reasons of national development, not for reasons of national security, and not for reasons that [belittle] the importance of not creating a climate for violent extremism,” he said.

Malaysian third party facilitator Tengku Dato Ab Ghafar Tengku Mohamed said that the upcoming elections must not keep the peace process from moving forward.

“We must preserve the gains, we must continue… Changing of government doesn’t mean changing of infrastructure. We may add, but not [subtract],” he said.

European Union Ambassador Franz Jessen said the two-day meeting in Malaysia is a strong message to the public that they are still committed to the peace process in the Philippines.

“The journey has not yet ended but the meeting today demonstrates that the perseverance and commitment have not been lost,” he said.

“The parties, meeting here today, are proving that they, that you, are resilient and truly committed to peace. This is an important message to the public.”

Jessen, who was invited by the panels to observe the meeting, urged the government and the MILF to continue the peace process.

“I encourage the government of the Philippines and the MILF to continue seeking the paths for the implementation of commitments made over the 17 years of negotiations and continue their engagements,” he said.

“This meeting is crucial as it will offer the opportunity to reassess, reschedule and prepare for the next phase of the process.”

Transitional Justice and Reconciliation Commission chairman Mo Bleeker commended the government and MILF peace panels for their hard work.

“I want to commend both panels and this architecture for peace mediation,” Bleeker said.

“It is true. On the one hand it is unique. On the other there are many examples in the world in which I’ve also been involved and in which transitional justice and reconciliation efforts appear to be one of the main components of what becomes a durable solution.

“We have been told that there was a Bangsamoro problem. We come here with one unique message — that there is a Bangsamoro opportunity for the Philippines.”

Independent Decommissioning Body chairman Mustafa Pulat said politicians in the Philippines would allow them to continue the decommissioning process.

“I wish that the domestic politics in the Philippines would allow us to carry forward our work,” Pulat said.

Pulat said that the non-passage of the Bangsamoro Bill would delay the decommissioning process of MILF weapons and combatants as the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro dictates that its process moves along with the legislative progress of the proposed measure.

“The IDB is committed to continue as an independent, relevant, adaptable, active and a stakeholder in the normalization,” Pulat said.

“I can also reaffirm the support of the Turkish, Norwegian and Brunei governments as member countries of the IDB.”

Government peace panel chairman Miriam Coronel-Ferrer said the government and the MILF peace panels, together with the various peace structures working under the Bangsamoro peace process, are meeting in Malaysia to re-assess means of moving forward in light of the 16th Congress’ failure to pass the Bangsamoro Bill before it adjourned last week.

“Today could have been a much happier occasion, if only we had the law that would have moved our road map forward in leaps and bounds. But we do not have the law – yet,” she said.

“Despite the extraordinary efforts of our teams and all the other tireless peace advocates and congressional allies who traveled with us in this difficult journey of a thousand miles, we saw the session days in Congress wither away, without a BBL in sight.”

MILF peace panel and Bangsamoro Transition Commission chairman Mohagher Iqbal warned of widespread frustration within the MILF.  

“We have learned our lessons,” he said.

“The problem is structural and systemic… There is widespread frustration on the ground by our people and members of the MILF. They accused the government of resorting again to delaying tactic and just managing the conflict in Mindanao.”

Both the House of Representatives and the Senate are on recess since Feb. 5 until after the May 9 national and local elections without passing the Bangsamoro Bill.

It would have established a strong autonomous regional parliamentary government that would replace the current Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

The non-passage of the Bangsamoro Bill would lead to its archiving by the current Congress, which means it would have to be re-filed again when the new Congress convenes in July.

While the non-passage of the Bangsamro Bill has made it difficult for the peace process to move forward and increased uncertainty on the ground, the path remains clear as the 2014 Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro remains signed and in place, together with the many peace infrastructure established through it, Ferrer said.

“The CAB remains our most viable road map, the source of the substance of the policies and legislation that we will continue to pursue under the next administration and the 17th Congress,” she said.

“The next administration would be foolhardy to wage war, and [will have] everything to gain by upholding this pathway. It will have enough time to see both the CAB and a CAB-compliant law realized.”

Ferrer urged her counterpart in the MILF to join the government in finding ways to avoid actions that may increase the frustrations.

“The MILF and the government shall jointly find ways and means to address this dangerous situation and avoid actions that may increase the frustrations,” she said.

Addressing the Filipino people directly, Iqbal said that everyone should “work together to overcome the barriers to peace, justice and reconciliation.”

“Let us end the war, the suffering, the tragedy and pains of our peoples, of the soldiers and our heroic fighters, of our mothers and sisters, of our children. Let us try to live quiet and peaceful lives,” he said.

http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2016/02/12/1552139/next-leaders-must-preserve-government-milf-peace-gains

Navy ship bound for Pag-asa Island breaks down

From the Philippine Star (Feb 12): Navy ship bound for Pag-asa Island breaks down

An aging Navy supply ship transporting provisions to Pag-asa Island sailed back to mainland Palawan due to mechanical trouble.

The Navy’s supply and logistic ship BRP Laguna was halfway on her supposed three-day voyage when it suffered mechanical trouble and had to get back to Palawan for repairs.

The ship has yet to dock at the Ulugan Bay in Puerto Princesa City after making a turnaround within the vicinity of Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea on Wednesday.

“Am very sad when I got word from my staff that PS 501 has to return due to mechanical trouble. Again, this would mean a delay in the delivery of the basic needs of our people out there,” Kalayaan Island Mayor Eugenio Bito-onon Jr. said yesterday.

http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2016/02/12/1552147/navy-ship-bound-pag-asa-island-breaks-down

Doubts cast on MILF peace sincerity; fighters ‘aided’ BIFF

From the Daily Tribune (Feb 12): Doubts cast on MILF peace sincerity; fighters ‘aided’ BIFF

The sincerity of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is again put into question after its fighters engaged government troops pursuing members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) responsible for attacking a government project in Maguindanao province.

Sporadic clashes in various barangays in Datu Salibu and Datu Saudi Ampatuan have so far resulted in the killing of one soldier while two others were wounded, including an Army captain. Elements of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division (ID) have launched pursuit operations against BIFF tagged in last Friday’s attack on a dredging project in Datu Salibu town. The BIFF went inside an MILF community in Barangay Gawang near Datu Saudi Ampatuan last Wednesday. But instead of blocking or containing the BIFF rebels as part of the peace process, the MILF reportedly engaged pursuing government troops.

“Why did the MILF allow them (BIFF) entry to their community? The reality on the ground is that they are one and the same,” a security official said.

“We are fooling ourselves if we say they are different. MILF fighters only become BIFF when they are caught doing criminal activities. That is the reality on the ground,” the official added.

Wednesday’s clash was not the first time that the MILF has been accused of coddling criminals within its areas despite the ceasefire agreement with the government as part of the peace negotiations.

During the launching of Oplan “Exodus” by the police’s elite Special Action Force in Mamasapano, Maguindanao on Jan. 25, 2014, combined BIFF and MILF fighters engaged SAF commandos in a day-long clashes in barangays Tukanalipao and Pidsandawan.

The SAF operatives were deployed to arrest Malaysian terrorists Zulkifli bin Hir, alias Marwan, and Amin Baco, alias Jihad, and Filipino bomb expert Basit Usman. Forty-four SAF commandos were “massacred.”

In 2011 in Basilan province, 19 Army Special Forces troops were killed after MILF forces, led by Dan Laksaw Asnawi, aided the group of Abu Sayyaf sub-leader Long Malat, who was the subject of warrant of arrest, in a clash in Al Barka town.

“There is a need to revisit the provisions of the ceasefire. The BIFF is learning to use the ceasefire guidelines to its advantage and the MILF is not following what should be observed,” one source said.

“They (MILF) said they will not allow lawless elements or criminal elements or terrorists to go inside their community, if there are any they (MILF) will arrest or contain them. Did they do that? No,” the official added.

But for MILF chief peace negotiator Mohagher Iqbal, the non-passage of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) in Congress has caused “widespread frustration” within the Muslim group and among the people of Mindanao.

“There is widespread frustration on the ground by our people and members of the MILF,” he noted during a meeting with government negotiators in Kuala Lumpur last Wednesday.

“They accused the government of resorting again to delaying tactic and just managing the conflict in Mindanao,” he said.

Relatedly, Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos  yesterday said President Aquino might be needing some enlightenment on the process on lawmaking in order to understand why the BBL was not passed.

Marcos, chairman of the Senate committee on local government who sponsored the Basic Law for Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (BLBAR), his substitute bill to the BBL of Malacañang, was reacting to reports that the President alleged that two senators had conspired to block the passage of the BBL.

Although the President did not name names, it was quite obvious that he was referring to Senators Juan Ponce Enrile and Marcos.

“Maybe someone has to explain to the President that BBL, which we are deliberating on, is a law of local application or a local law,” said Marcos.

“Under the rules, if it concerns laws of local application, we have to wait for the House of Representatives to finish its version before we could proceed with the voting on the Senate version,” Marcos said in radio interview.

He stressed the upper chamber could not vote on the bill if the House of Representatives has not yet finished on its version and transmitted it to the Senate.

The BLBAR was in the period of interpellation with Enrile propounding questions to Marcos when Congress adjourned last February 5. Congressmen also failed to approve their version.

http://www.tribune.net.ph/headlines/doubts-cast-on-milf-peace-sincerity-fighters-aided-biff

Suspected Abu Sayyaf fighter falls

From ABS-CBN (Feb 12): Suspected Abu Sayyaf fighter falls

[Video report]

A suspected member of the Abu Sayyaf Group was arrested Thursday in Lantawan, Basilan.

The Philippine National Police identified the suspect as Abdulla Mutalib, also known as Yusop Abdulla.

Mutalib is said to have participated in the kidnapping of workers of the Golden Harvest Plantation in 2001.

He faces eight counts of kidnapping with serious illegal detention.

 http://news.abs-cbn.com/video/nation/regions/v1/02/12/16/suspected-abu-sayyaf-fighter-falls

Authorities kill Basilan drug lord, nab 8 others

From The Standard (Feb 12): Authorities kill Basilan drug lord, nab 8 others

A suspected big-time drug lord, long wanted by authorities, was killed during a 10-minute gunfight with government authorities at dawn Wednesday during a buy-bust operation at    their hideout in Sitio Canas, Barangay Calangcanas, Maluso town, Basilan.

Major Felimon Tan, Western Mindanao Command Information Officer, identified the slain drug lord as Abubakar Mohammad Alias Abubakar Asa. 

Eight of Mohammad’s followers, whom authorities declined to name, were wounded and later apprehended.

Tan told media the soldiers initially engaged the lawless elements in a running gun battle at around 4:30 a.m. which later resulted in the killing of Mohammad.

The government operatives, Tan said, were able to seize two M-16 Armalite rifles, one M-203 grenade launcher, two .22 caliber pistol, one rifle grenade, several rounds of ammunition, some 50 sachets of    methamphetamine hydrochloride, locally called shabu, and other prohibited drug paraphernalia.

Mohammad’s men were later turned over to Maluso Municipal Police Station for the filing of appropriate charges against them, Tan added.

According to Tan, the buy-bust operation, carried out after a week-long surveillance, was    jointly undertaken by elements of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, Maluso Police Station, Marine Battalion Landing Team-11 and 4th Special Forces Battalion.

Police reports from Basilan said Mohammad, together with his men, virtually controls illegal drug pushing and distribution in several municipalities of the island province. 

Some of their alleged clients are high school and college students.

http://manilastandardtoday.com/news/-provinces/199140/authorities-kill-basilan-drug-lord-nab-8-others.html

DND to bid out ammo supply deals

From The Standard (Feb 12): DND  to bid out ammo supply deals

The bids and award committee   of the Department of National Defense met with suppliers during a pre-bid conference on Wednesday at  Camp Aguinaldo for the procurement of three different rifle ammunitions worth P522 million.

The DND-BAC for the projects is led by Assistant Secretary Ernesto Boac, a retired Army general.  

At  least six  representatives of  foreign suppliers such as ATK of United States, the controversial MKEK (Mechanical and Chemical Industry Corporation) of Turkey with its local partner System Nomics Philippines, and Expal of Spain. Two more companies from Brazil and Israel  also attended the conference  but  only ATK and MKEK  bought bid documents.

“But that doesn’t mean we’re not qualified to join the bidding because we’ve until the last day of schedule to buy a bid document worth P50,000,”  a  source said. 
 
Also present during the conference was lawyer Editha Santos, reportedly in the company of MKE representatives and their local representative System Nomics owner Alan Mendoza, another source said.  

Santos was former chief accountant of the Philippine Army and among  seven  officials who were  suspended for six  months in 2009 by the Office of the Ombudsman in connection with the questionable  procurement of Army boots worth P102.1 million in 2004.

Santos was also linked to the P1.2 billion helicopter   deal controversy that  some DND officials entered into with the US-based Rice Aircraft Services Incorporated.
  
 On  the  ammo contracts, the DND broke down the bids  into three projects: P534 million for SS109/M855, P100 million for the Ball Linked and P102 million for M193.  

    Another    source said that there was actually a pre-bid conference on    November 4, 2015 but the  discussion   on the procurement of the SS109 ammo   was   eventually scrapped for some reasons.

Just recently, the Army announced the completion of delivery of less than 60,000 brand new M4 rifles from US-based manufacturer Remington. A portion of the delivered rifles sent to the  Philippine Navy.

The BAC  set the bid opening for the  ammunition supply on February 23, 2016.

http://manilastandardtoday.com/news/-main-stories/199135/dnd-to-bid-out-ammo-supply-deals.html

Kidnap victim’s father extremely happy for the safe recovery of his son

From the Philippine Information Agency (Feb 12): Kidnap victim’s father extremely happy for the safe recovery of his son

The father of a 3-year-old kidnap victim was very happy that his son was finally released after being held captive for about 11 months, allegedly by the Abu Sayaff terror group.

JayJay V. Garban, Punong Barangay of Poblacion, Pitogo in an exclusive interview over RMN-DXPR radio station said that he was extremely happy and thankful that his son was turned over to him by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Sunday afternoon, February 7 in Zamboanga City.

“Dako kaayo akong kalipay nga nahibalik ang akong anak. Wala gyud ko magdahum nga makabalik siya nga buhi ug luwas tungod anaa siya sa mga kamot sa kidnappers sa dugay na nga panahon,” Garban reported.

(I am very happy that my son has returned. I did not expect that he will come back alive and safe because he was in the hands of kidnappers for a long time.)

Garban thanked the AFP through Brigadier General Alan Arrojado, commander of the Joint Task Group Sulu, the Philippine National Police, Department of Social Welfare and Development, and all government agencies who helped in the recovery of the victim.

Ace Jay, his two-year-old sister Zynielle Jay and 17-year-old bakery worker, Ladegie Tomarong were kidnapped on April 1 of last year. Zynielle Jay was strangled to death and thrown into the sea, while Ladegie was able to escape unharmed.

Garban said his son who was reportedly wandering in the streets of Indanan, Sulu and was spotted by a concerned citizen who immediately reported to the authorities.

Ace Jay was physically unharmed but traumatized after the kidnapping ordeal. He was brought to the hospital for medical examination.

“Motutok lang siya sa akoa ug masulub-on. (He just stares at me and is lonely),”Garban reported.  

“Dili siya motubag kung pangutan-on tungod kay ang pinulungan nga iyang nahibaloan pinulungan na man sa Tausog (He will not answer if asked because the dialect that he learned was Tausog),” he added.

Garban said Ace Jay remembers nothing about being separated from his family. “But I am hoping that with time, old photos and several toys that belonged to him  will keep back his memory,” he said positively.

http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/1371455160500/kidnap-victim-s-father-extremely-happy-for-the-safe-recovery-of-his-son

Peace panels, mechanisms meet anew to forward Bangsamoro process

From the Philippine Information Agency (Feb 10): Peace panels, mechanisms meet anew to forward Bangsamoro process

The Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), together with the various peace structures working under the Bangsamoro peace process, are meeting in the city to re-assess means of moving forward in light of the 16th Congress’ failure to pass the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) before it adjourned last week.

“Today could have been a much happier occasion, if only we had the law that would have moved our road map forward in leaps and bounds,” GPH chief negotiator Professor Miriam Coronel-Ferrer said. “But we do not have the law – yet. Despite the extraordinary efforts of our teams and all the other tireless peace advocates and congressional allies who traveled with us in this difficult journey of a thousand miles, we saw the session days in Congress wither away, without a BBL in sight.”

Both the House of Representatives and the Senate have recessed last February 5 up until after the May 9 national and local elections without passing the BBL. The proposed law would have established a strong autonomous regional parliamentary government that would replace the current Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

The non-passage of the law would lead to the archiving of the bill by the current Congress, which means it would have to be re-filed again when the new Congress convenes in July.

While the non-passage of the legislative measure has made it difficult for the Bangsamoro peace process to move forward and increased uncertainty on the ground, Ferrer said that the path remains clear as the 2014 Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) remains signed and in place together with the many peace infrastructures established through it.

“The MILF and the government shall jointly find ways and means to address this dangerous situation and avoid actions that may increase the frustrations. We must provide them hope that there is a chance for passage of a CAB-compliant BBL whoever will be the next President,” MILF chief negotiator Mohagher Iqbal said. Iqbal is also chair of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission, the body that drafted the original BBL draft.


Support for the Bangsamoro remains intact

Joining the GPH and the MILF panels in Malaysia are European Union Ambassador (EU) Franz Jessen; United Kingdom Representative to the International Contact Group (ICG) Thomas Phipps; Transitional Justice and Reconciliation Commission (TJRC) Chair Mo Bleeker; Independent Decommissioning Body (IDB) Chair Mustafa Pulat; and Third-Party Monitoring Team (TPMT) Chair Alistair MacDonald. Malaysia, as third-party facilitator, is continued to be represented by Tengku Dato’ Ab Ghafar Tengku Mohamed.

The Malaysian facilitator commented that the upcoming elections must not deter the peace process from moving forward. “Let’s think how we will move forward. We must preserve the gains, we must continue… Changing of government doesn't mean changing of infrastructure. We may add, but not subtract.”

“The journey has not yet ended but the meeting today demonstrates that the perseverance and commitment have not been lost. The Parties, meeting here today, are proving that they, that you, are resilient and truly committed to peace. This is an important message to the public,” said EU Ambassador Jessen, who was invited by the panels to observe the meeting.

“I encourage the Government of the Philippines and the MILF to continue seeking the paths for the implementation of commitments made over the 17 years of negotiations and continue their engagements. This meeting is crucial as it will offer the opportunity to reassess, reschedule, and prepare for the next phase of the process,” he added. (OPAPP)

http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/3001455186724/peace-panels-mechanisms-meet-anew-to-forward-bangsamoro-process

PNP wants to retain custody of Marcelino -- Caparas

From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 11): PNP wants to retain custody of Marcelino -- Caparas

Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Emmanuel L. Caparas on Thursday confirmed that the Philippine National Police (PNP) wants to retain the custody of Philippine Marines Lt. Col. Ferdinand L. Marcelino.

"There have been requests, of course, on his transfer to another facility, so we already know the PNP has made it very clear that they do not want to transfer, they want to retain the custody of the person of Mr. Marcelino. So we leave it at that, we leave it at that," Caparas told reporters in a press conference on Thursday.

Caparas also noted that there was a preliminary investigation conducted Wednesday.

He stressed that Prosecutor Theodore Villanueva was on top of it, and there would be another scheduled hearing for that purpose.

"The substance of it is still ongoing, so it's very difficult for us to comment at this point. Just know na lang there will be another hearing," Caparas said.

"And ang ating trabaho diyan is maghanap ng probable cause, at kung may probable cause, we proceed with the filing of a criminal complaint, the information with the court. So hindi kami makikihalo du'n sa sino ang dapat may custody, may jurisdiction," he added.

At the same time, Caparas said that this was an instance where the capture or the arrest of the individual was conducted via joint operation of the PNP and PDEA (Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency).

"So we will respect the jurisdiction here, and the PNP is very well, how do I put it, equipped to detain a person, so we will really leave it at that," Caparas said.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=856128

Intruder killed in 10th IB headquarters in Patikul

From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 12): Intruder killed in 10th IB headquarters in Patikul

A still unidentified intruder was shot and killed after he hacked and tried to grab the service weapon of a duty sentry at the headquarters of 10th Infantry Battalion in Barangay Buhanginan, Patikul, Sulu Friday early morning.

The sentry identified as Master Sgt. Esmeraldo Manugay, sustained hack wounds in the head and back during the incident.

The incident took place at 5:15 a.m., said Joint Task Group Sulu commander Brig. Gen. Alan Arrojado in a message to the PNA.

Manugay was doing his rounds at the peripheries of 10th Infantry Battalion headquarters when the suspect appeared out of nowhere and hacked the sentry and tried to grab his service weapon.

The scuffle attracted the attention of another sentinel who shot and killed the unidentified intruder instantly.

Arrojado said the commanding officer of the 10th Infantry Battalion alerted all his men to find possible accomplices of the intruder aside from deploying two companies to secure the route of Manugay who was brought to a nearby medical facility.

Local police were called to investigate the incident.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=856267

GPH-MILF peace panels commit to stay on the course of peace

From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 11): GPH-MILF peace panels commit to stay on the course of peace

The Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) peace panels have reaffirmed their commitment to the peace process albeit the non-passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).

In a joint statement issued on Thursday after a two-day special meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, both GPH and MILF remained steadfast in implementing the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), preserving the gains of more than 17 years of negotiations, and sustaining the existing peace infrastructure.

“This infrastructure is fundamental in keeping the peace on the ground and supporting the implementation of the CAB. It is important that it remains functional for the next administration to carry forward the implementation of the agreements,” the statement read.

Both parties asserted to “promote understanding and greater acceptability of the proposed basic law” in order to ensure the early passage of the legislation in the next administration and Congress.

The non-passage of the BBL has adversely affected the timeline of establishing the Bangsamoro identity and has delayed the implementation of significant aspects of the CAB, such as the decommissioning of MILF weapons and combatants.

The parties agreed to renew the mandate of the Ad Hoc Joint Action Group until March 31, 2017 as part of ensuring the long-standing ceasefire between the government and the MILF.

Further, the International Monitoring Team also renewed its mandate until March 2017 to monitor the implementation of cessation of hostilities between the GPH and MILF forces.

“This mechanism has proven time and again its importance in isolating and interdicting criminal syndicates/kidnap-for-ransom groups and terrorist groups in Mindanao,” it read.

According to both parties, other aspects of the normalization process will still push through such as the transitional justice and reconciliation, camps transformation, and provision of socio-economic packages.

In fact, the parties signed the Terms of Reference for the Joint Task Forces on camp transformation and also agreed to the creation of a working group to recommend the peace panels a set of interventions for vulnerable sectors—including widows, orphans, people with disabilities, detainees, and their families.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=856192

‘Boy rebel’ rescued

From the Mindanao Times (Feb 11): ‘Boy rebel’ rescued

1 alleged NPA killed, 14-year-old rescued in reported ComVal clash

AN ALLEGED member of New People’s Army was killed and a soldier wounded in an encounter in Pantukan, Compostela Valley on Tuesday afternoon.

Meanwhile, a 14-year-old child warrior  was rescued by government troops during pursuit operations.

Speaking in yesterday’s AFP-PNP press conference held at Davao City Police Office, Capt. Rhyan Batchar, spokesperson of 10th Infantry Division, said troops of 46th Infantry Battalion were running after the group of alias Raden, believed to be  responsible for the series of violence in Pantukan, when they chanced upon around 20 NPAs .

The encounter resulted to a 20-minute firefight in Sitio Post 4, Barangay Tagdangua of the said municipality.

The NPAs scampered to different directions leaving behind one M16 rifle.

Cpl. Boskie Carcellar suffered a gunshot wound at the left side of his chest and was immediately airlifted to Camp Panacan Station Hospital.

During the pursuit operation, soldiers saw some of the wounded rebels climbing on board motorcycles and fleeing towards Poblacion Pantukan.

Checkpoints were immediately conducted to block all possible exits of the escaping rebels.

The soldiers manning the checkpoint in Barangay Tibagon intercepted two wounded NPAs and escorted them to the nearest hospital, together with the  Pantukan Municipal Police.

Another wounded rebel fled together with several men when approached by the 1001st Brigade ambulance at Poblacion Pantukan.

The two wounded NPAs intercepted in the checkpoint were identified as Ronel Paas , 35, resident of Lower Lahi, Purok 6, Magnaga, Pantukan and Alias  Dong, 14, resident of Barangay Panibasan, Maco.

Ronel was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital due to gunshot wound on his chest while the 14-year-old was treated at Camp Panacan Station Hospital after sustaining a gunshot wound on his lower left leg.

The 10th ID is now coordinating with DSWD and CHR to look into the case of the minor.

Some of the NPAs sought refuge inside the mining tunnels in the area. Soldiers tried to pursue them but have a hard time finding their way inside the narrow shafts.

Meanwhile, progressive group Karapatan trooped to the Commission on Human Rights yesterday afternoon to protest the “intolerable” act of the military by tagging a 14-year-old as a member of the New People’s Army.

“We condemn the 46th and 71st IB under the 10th ID for the indiscriminate firing and bombing of communities in ComVal that resulted to the death of a miner and the wounding of a civilian,” Hanimay Suazo, secretary general of the Karapatan.

According Suazo, the 14-year-old boy that the military described was a communist guerilla was actually a civilian who was wounded on his feet from the explosives used by the soldiers.

Suazo also insisted that there was no clash in Pantukan, Compostela Valley but it was a military harassment targetting residents of Sitio Kidaran, Barangay Mascareg in Mabini, Compostela Valley.

But the military insisted that there was an encounter in Pantukan, Compostela Valley as the members of the 46th Infantry Battalion were running after the group of alias Raden, believed to be responsible for the series of violence in Pantukan, when they chanced upon around 20 NPAs .

http://mindanaotimes.net/boy-rebel-rescued/

Army deploying freshly retrained soldiers for poll duties in Surigao

From MindaNews (Feb 11): Army deploying freshly retrained soldiers for poll duties in Surigao

After retraining and already armed with the new Remington R4 rifles, the Philippine Army redeployed the 30^th Infantry Battalion for poll duty in Surigao del Norte.

The 4^th Infantry Division (4ID) also deployed the 16^th Infantry Battalion, the 2^nd Special Forces Battalion and a company of Scout Rangers in neighboring Surigao del Sur province to prevent the New People’s Army from extorting political candidates.

The Army also sent a small contingent of soldiers to Dinagat Island as a precaution against private armed groups (PAGS) and lawless elements.

“We are determined to stop the extortion activities by the rebels on the candidates this coming elections,” spokesperson Capt. Patrick Martinez said.

Martinez said the NPA rebels are making a killing selling permits to candidates planning to campaign in areas where they have some influence.

He said the rebels demand payments ranging from P50,000 to millions of pesos in exchange for not being harassed or taken hostage.

In an interview with journalists last year, Allan Juanito, spokesperson of the NPA’s North-Central Mindanao region, warned candidates to settle their permit-to-campaign fees and coordinate their movements inside guerilla-controlled villages and towns.

Juanito called the arrangement as “meeting of the mind or an agreement” between the candidates and the rebels.

“The fee is small. What is one million pesos? It is a small contribution to our peace agenda,” Juanito told reporters during the release of Army Corporal Adonis Jess Lupiba in Sugbongcogon town, Misamis Oriental last Nov. 26.

4ID chief Maj. Gen. Oscar Lactao has been doing the rounds to mayors and governors in Northern Mindanao clarifying the role of the Army soldiers in the coming May presidential, senatorial and local elections – which is protecting the ballots and officials of the Commission on Elections.

Surigao del Sur Comelec director Ernie Palanan welcomed the deployment of the soldiers in the Caraga Region.

Palanan said the current situation in Surigao del Sur is already tense because of intense rivalry between political candidates and the presence of NPA rebels.

He said San Miguel town is already placed under close watch because of the presence of rebels and the armed groups.

http://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2016/02/11/army-deploying-freshly-retrained-soldiers-for-poll-duties-in-surigao/

NPA killed in ComVal clash

From MindaNews (Feb 11): NPA killed in ComVal clash

A member of the New People’s Army (NPA) was killed while Army soldiers recovered two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) during a series of firefights that erupted Wednesday morning in Compostela Valley.

In a statement, Capt. Rhyan Batchar, chief of the Public Affairs Office (PAO) of the 10th Infantry Division, said that the first incident took place at 9:55 a.m. at Sitio Panganason, Brgy. Napnapan in Pantukan town when soldiers of the 46th Infantry Battalion engaged the fleeing NPA members under the command of a certain Raden.

The second incident occurred at 10 a.m. and lasted 20 minutes at Tabon-Tabon, Sitio Putingbato, Brgy. Ngan in the municipality of Compostela when soldiers who were on a mission chanced upon 30 rebels under NPA’s Guerilla Front 25 of the Southern Mindanao Regional Committee.

No soldiers were hurt in the two clashes but a still unidentified alleged NPA member was reportedly killed during the second incident, where the two IEDs were also recovered.

Maj. Gen. Ragel Valencia, 10ID commander, said: “Our use of legitimate force against the NPAs shall continue until the NPAs abandon violence paving the way for peace and development in Compostela Valley Province,” he said.

Government soldiers have already launched pursuit operations.

Minor NPA member captured

In another encounter on Tuesday, a minor member of the NPA was captured while a wounded rebel died upon arriving at a hospital in Pantukan municipality.

“A soldier was wounded, high-powered firearms recovered and two fleeing wounded NPAs were captured in a checkpoint after the armed clash,” a military press statement said.

The wounded soldier was identified as Cpl. Boskie Carcellar, who sustained a gunshot wound on his left chest. He was then airlifted to Camp Panacan Station Hospital in Davao City where he received treatment.

The statement added that the two NPA members – identified as Ronel Paas, 35, resident of Lower Lahi, Purok 6, Magnaga, Pantukan; and Ric (not his real name), 14, of Purok 3, Brgy. Panibasa, Maco – were arrested at the checkpoint in Brgy. Tibagon.

 

They were brought to a hospital accompanied by personnel from the Pantukan Municipal Police Station.

But Paas succumbed to a gunshot wound on his lower chest while the minor NPA combatant survived with a gunshot wound on his lower left leg.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development and the Commission on Human Rights were tapped to look into the case of the young NPA member.

“Some of the NPAs, including the wounded, sought refuge in the mining tunnels in the area. Soldiers tried to pursue them but they had a hard time finding their way inside the tunnels as some of the passageways are very narrow,” the military said.

http://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2016/02/11/npa-killed-in-comval-clash/