From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Apr 5): Sulu commander relieved amid intensified ops vs Abu Sayyaf
An Army general in charge of Sulu has been relieved of his post amid recent kidnappings and the military’s intensified campaign against the Abu Sayyaf.
Brig. Gen. Alan Arrojado, former commander of Joint Task Group Sulu, confirmed his relief on Tuesday but answered “no comment” when asked for details.
“It’s okay. We are soldiers. We just follow orders,” he said.
Arrojado said he will keep his concurrent position as commander of Army’s 501st Brigade in Sulu.
The Facebook post of Joint Task Group Sulu (JTGS) on Tuesday announced the relief of Arrojado and his deputy Brig. Gen. Jose Cabanban.
“Orders have been issued for my relief as CJTGS and the relief of BGEN Cabanban as DCJTGS,” the post said.
Maj. Gen. Gerardo Barrientos, commander of Joint Task Force Zamboanga, has been named the new Sulu commander.
The Army and General Headquarters in Manila had no immediate information when sought for comment.
Arrojado was pulled out of his Abra assignment in late 2014 to take over the island province of Sulu.
In 2015, the AFP in Sulu said 16 kidnap victims of the Abu Sayyaf held in their stronghold were either released, escaped, rescued or retrieved.
Last November, the terror group beheaded its Malaysian hostage, prompting President Benigno Aquino III to order intensified operations against the militants. http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/777873/sulu-commander-relieved-amid-intensified-ops-vs-abu-sayyaf
Tuesday, April 5, 2016
2 Sulu military commanders sacked amid unsolved cases of kidnapping
From GMA News (Apr 5): 2 Sulu military commanders sacked amid unsolved cases of kidnapping
Two ranking military officials in Sulu have been sacked amid the growing number of unsolved cases of kidnapping there including of foreign nationals.
Relieved from their posts were Brig. Gen. Alan Arrojado and Brig. Gen. Jose Cabanban, commander and deputy commander of Joint Task Group Sulu (JTGS), respectively.
Arrojado confirmed this, saying they were relieved Monday.
He, however, refused to cite the reason why they were sacked from their position. "We were relieved effective yesterday," he said, adding the order came from Armed Forces' Western Mindanao Command commander Lt. Gen. Mayoralgo dela Cruz.
Arrojado said he will remain as the commander of the Army’s 501st Brigade, which he commanded in concurrent capacity as JTGS commander.
The 501st Brigade is one of the two brigades under the operational control of the task group. The other is the 2nd Marine Brigade.
The Facebook post said Maj. Gen. Gerry Barientos, commander of the Army's 1st Infantry Division, has been designated as the new JTGS commander.
The Abu Sayyaf, an al Qaeda-linked group of Islamic fundamentalists, is currently holding hostage four foreigners and a Filipina in Sulu. Ten Indonesian and four Malaysian crewmembers of tugboats have also been abducted in separate incidents in Mindanao lately, but the military has yet to confirm that they were in the hands of the Abu Sayyaf.
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/561585/news/regions/2-sulu-military-commanders-sacked-amid-unsolved-cases-of-kidnapping
Two ranking military officials in Sulu have been sacked amid the growing number of unsolved cases of kidnapping there including of foreign nationals.
Relieved from their posts were Brig. Gen. Alan Arrojado and Brig. Gen. Jose Cabanban, commander and deputy commander of Joint Task Group Sulu (JTGS), respectively.
Arrojado confirmed this, saying they were relieved Monday.
He, however, refused to cite the reason why they were sacked from their position. "We were relieved effective yesterday," he said, adding the order came from Armed Forces' Western Mindanao Command commander Lt. Gen. Mayoralgo dela Cruz.
Arrojado said he will remain as the commander of the Army’s 501st Brigade, which he commanded in concurrent capacity as JTGS commander.
The 501st Brigade is one of the two brigades under the operational control of the task group. The other is the 2nd Marine Brigade.
The Facebook post said Maj. Gen. Gerry Barientos, commander of the Army's 1st Infantry Division, has been designated as the new JTGS commander.
The Abu Sayyaf, an al Qaeda-linked group of Islamic fundamentalists, is currently holding hostage four foreigners and a Filipina in Sulu. Ten Indonesian and four Malaysian crewmembers of tugboats have also been abducted in separate incidents in Mindanao lately, but the military has yet to confirm that they were in the hands of the Abu Sayyaf.
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/561585/news/regions/2-sulu-military-commanders-sacked-amid-unsolved-cases-of-kidnapping
ASG man in Basilan kidnap nabbed
From the Manila Times (Apr 5): ASG man in Basilan kidnap nabbed
COMBINED government operatives arrested early on Tuesday an alleged notorious member of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) involved in the kidnapping of Golden Harvest Plantation workers in Basilan in June 2001.
Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) chief, Director Victor Deona identified the arrested ASG member as Munib Bararuddi, who is wanted for eight counts of kidnapping and serious illegal detention.
Bararuddi was nabbed by joint elements of CIDG Zamboanga City and the intelligence unit of the 3rd Air Wing Division, 530th Air Base Wing (ABW) of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) at about 3:40 a.m. along the shoreline of Lampinigan Island in Barangay Dita, Zamboanga City.
Deona added that the kidnapping was perpetrated by the group of ASG Commander Isnilon Hapilon where Bararuddi was reportedly under his command.
Bararuddi is now under the custody of the CIDG in Zamboanga City.
http://www.manilatimes.net/asg-man-in-basilan-kidnap-nabbed/254275/
COMBINED government operatives arrested early on Tuesday an alleged notorious member of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) involved in the kidnapping of Golden Harvest Plantation workers in Basilan in June 2001.
Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) chief, Director Victor Deona identified the arrested ASG member as Munib Bararuddi, who is wanted for eight counts of kidnapping and serious illegal detention.
Bararuddi was nabbed by joint elements of CIDG Zamboanga City and the intelligence unit of the 3rd Air Wing Division, 530th Air Base Wing (ABW) of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) at about 3:40 a.m. along the shoreline of Lampinigan Island in Barangay Dita, Zamboanga City.
Bararuddi was nabbed by government operatives by virtue of warrant of arrest issued by the court for his involvement in the abduction of workers of Golden Harvest Plantation in Brgy. Tairan, Lantawan, Basilan on June 11, 2001.
Bararuddi is now under the custody of the CIDG in Zamboanga City.
http://www.manilatimes.net/asg-man-in-basilan-kidnap-nabbed/254275/
‘Ka Roger’ is finally home in Batangas
From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Apr 5): ‘Ka Roger’ is finally home in Batangas
HUNDREDS of people pay tribute to Gregorio “Ka Roger” Rosal as his ashes, along with his wife’s, are brought to their final resting place in his hometown of Ibaan in Batangas province. Rosal, the face of the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing, the New People’s Army, died five years ago somewhere in northern Luzon. PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY SOUTHERN TAGALOG EXPOSURE
A boy, around 10 years old, proudly sported a Mao cap the way the man, whose face was printed on his shirt, wore his shiny, red star.
“Should I cover my face, too?” he asked a girl, just slightly older than him, before hopping out of the slow-moving jeepney.
The boy pranced around the “paragos,” a carabao-drawn carriage, that carried two metal urns. The cart was guarded by men and women in red and green “camisa de chino,” their faces covered with either red cloth or paint, marching with wooden rifles to the Left-wing anthem “Internationale.”
Vehicles gave way and residents stepped out to catch a glimpse of the procession.
By sundown on Thursday (March 31), the funeral cortege reached the St. Mary’s cemetery here, where hundreds paid their final respects.
The urns carried the ashes of Gregorio “Ka Roger” Rosal and of his wife, Rosario Dumanais.
For decades, Rosal, who appeared in media interviews wearing his Mao cap, was the face of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its armed wing, the New People’s Army (NPA).
“I’ve said before that the time would come for them to be buried here. That moment has finally come,” said Rosal’s younger sister, Fely Inandan, 66.
Rosal, at 63, died of heart attack on June 22, 2011, in a guerrilla zone somewhere in northern Luzon. The CPP announced his passing four months after his death.
Dumanais, or “Ka Soly,” a native of Camarines Sur province, was killed in an encounter in 2011 in Quezon province. She was 62.
“It was also the first time, after several years, for them (Rosal and Dumanais) to be together,” said Diego Torres, spokesperson of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan-Southern Tagalog.
Favorable conditions
Details as to how and where the bodies were buried and exhumed were not disclosed, but Torres said the cremation had only taken place “recently.”
Members of the National Democratic Front (NDF), the umbrella organization of progressive groups, had organized a series of tributes for Rosal, the first time these were held publicly, in Metro Manila and at the University of the Philippines campuses in Diliman, Quezon City, and in Los Baños town in Laguna province days leading to the interment in Rosal’s hometown here.
Asked why it took them five years to honor Rosal, Torres said it was only at this time that “conditions had become favorable” to bring the ashes back home.
The public tributes also coincided with the NPA’s 47th founding anniversary on March 29.
‘Goring’
Rosal, a son of sugarcane farmers, was described by his childhood friends as the quiet boy in class.
“Walang imik ’yan (He barely spoke),” said a former classmate and longtime friend, Mateo Guera.
Rosal, known to his friends in Ibaan as “Goring,” graduated with academic honors from Ibaan Elementary School and St. James Academy in high school. He took up commerce at Golden Gate Colleges in Batangas City but dropped out on his second year to join the underground youth movement.
Aside from helping out in the farm, Rosal peddled mosquito nets, Inandan said.
Rosal, she said, loved to listen to the radio and play the harmonica.
In 1973, he was arrested while in a sugarcane farm and was detained at Camp Vicente Lim in Laguna. He escaped five months later.
Help
Relatives, friends, supporters and strangers joined the funeral march to where the Rosal couple’s granddaughter, Diona Andrea, was also buried two years ago. The girl died two days after Rosal’s daughter, Andrea, gave birth in detention in 2014.
“Why would we be afraid [to be associated with Rosal]? He just wanted equal rights for everyone,” said Rosal’s cousin, Bernard Magnaye.
Ibaan Mayor Danny Toreja acknowledged Rosal for all the help he had extended to the town and his town mates.
“If we encounter any problem, Ka Roger was there to help us,” said Toreja, although he did not specify what kind of help Rosal had given them.
Cause
“To those saying that nothing has come out of his cause, that’s not true,” Guera said. “He did what he had to do to keep Ibaan peaceful for years, unlike today when there are a lot of outlaws here.”
When Rosal’s mother died in 1982, a “supporter” sent the family P100,000 worth of grocery items. Rosal, who communicated with his family through letters, asked that these be given away to poor residents in the town, Inandan said.
“A person’s importance need not be physically seen. Sometimes, we feel him in our hearts,” said Guera, who last saw his friend in the 1980s.
At the tribute, Guera read a letter from Rosal, dated May 18, 1989. It was about Rosal thanking Guera, who stood as Andrea’s godfather, for looking after his child.
Andrea failed to attend the funeral due to security concerns, Torres said. But in a video clip shown at the tribute, she thanked her parents for raising her.
“Since we were children, you made us understand what you were fighting for. I am proud of you,” Andrea said.
In another video clip, NPA rebels gave Rosal a 21-gun salute from an undisclosed location.
“I believe [in his causes] but joining [the armed movement] was not for me,” said Inandan, who last saw her brother in 1997. “He’s gone now, but he left behind many who supported his cause.”
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/777715/ka-roger-is-finally-home-in-batangas
HUNDREDS of people pay tribute to Gregorio “Ka Roger” Rosal as his ashes, along with his wife’s, are brought to their final resting place in his hometown of Ibaan in Batangas province. Rosal, the face of the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing, the New People’s Army, died five years ago somewhere in northern Luzon. PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY SOUTHERN TAGALOG EXPOSURE
A boy, around 10 years old, proudly sported a Mao cap the way the man, whose face was printed on his shirt, wore his shiny, red star.
“Should I cover my face, too?” he asked a girl, just slightly older than him, before hopping out of the slow-moving jeepney.
The boy pranced around the “paragos,” a carabao-drawn carriage, that carried two metal urns. The cart was guarded by men and women in red and green “camisa de chino,” their faces covered with either red cloth or paint, marching with wooden rifles to the Left-wing anthem “Internationale.”
Vehicles gave way and residents stepped out to catch a glimpse of the procession.
By sundown on Thursday (March 31), the funeral cortege reached the St. Mary’s cemetery here, where hundreds paid their final respects.
The urns carried the ashes of Gregorio “Ka Roger” Rosal and of his wife, Rosario Dumanais.
For decades, Rosal, who appeared in media interviews wearing his Mao cap, was the face of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its armed wing, the New People’s Army (NPA).
“I’ve said before that the time would come for them to be buried here. That moment has finally come,” said Rosal’s younger sister, Fely Inandan, 66.
Rosal, at 63, died of heart attack on June 22, 2011, in a guerrilla zone somewhere in northern Luzon. The CPP announced his passing four months after his death.
Dumanais, or “Ka Soly,” a native of Camarines Sur province, was killed in an encounter in 2011 in Quezon province. She was 62.
“It was also the first time, after several years, for them (Rosal and Dumanais) to be together,” said Diego Torres, spokesperson of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan-Southern Tagalog.
Favorable conditions
Details as to how and where the bodies were buried and exhumed were not disclosed, but Torres said the cremation had only taken place “recently.”
Members of the National Democratic Front (NDF), the umbrella organization of progressive groups, had organized a series of tributes for Rosal, the first time these were held publicly, in Metro Manila and at the University of the Philippines campuses in Diliman, Quezon City, and in Los Baños town in Laguna province days leading to the interment in Rosal’s hometown here.
Asked why it took them five years to honor Rosal, Torres said it was only at this time that “conditions had become favorable” to bring the ashes back home.
The public tributes also coincided with the NPA’s 47th founding anniversary on March 29.
‘Goring’
Rosal, a son of sugarcane farmers, was described by his childhood friends as the quiet boy in class.
“Walang imik ’yan (He barely spoke),” said a former classmate and longtime friend, Mateo Guera.
Rosal, known to his friends in Ibaan as “Goring,” graduated with academic honors from Ibaan Elementary School and St. James Academy in high school. He took up commerce at Golden Gate Colleges in Batangas City but dropped out on his second year to join the underground youth movement.
Aside from helping out in the farm, Rosal peddled mosquito nets, Inandan said.
Rosal, she said, loved to listen to the radio and play the harmonica.
In 1973, he was arrested while in a sugarcane farm and was detained at Camp Vicente Lim in Laguna. He escaped five months later.
Help
Relatives, friends, supporters and strangers joined the funeral march to where the Rosal couple’s granddaughter, Diona Andrea, was also buried two years ago. The girl died two days after Rosal’s daughter, Andrea, gave birth in detention in 2014.
“Why would we be afraid [to be associated with Rosal]? He just wanted equal rights for everyone,” said Rosal’s cousin, Bernard Magnaye.
Ibaan Mayor Danny Toreja acknowledged Rosal for all the help he had extended to the town and his town mates.
“If we encounter any problem, Ka Roger was there to help us,” said Toreja, although he did not specify what kind of help Rosal had given them.
Cause
“To those saying that nothing has come out of his cause, that’s not true,” Guera said. “He did what he had to do to keep Ibaan peaceful for years, unlike today when there are a lot of outlaws here.”
When Rosal’s mother died in 1982, a “supporter” sent the family P100,000 worth of grocery items. Rosal, who communicated with his family through letters, asked that these be given away to poor residents in the town, Inandan said.
“A person’s importance need not be physically seen. Sometimes, we feel him in our hearts,” said Guera, who last saw his friend in the 1980s.
At the tribute, Guera read a letter from Rosal, dated May 18, 1989. It was about Rosal thanking Guera, who stood as Andrea’s godfather, for looking after his child.
Andrea failed to attend the funeral due to security concerns, Torres said. But in a video clip shown at the tribute, she thanked her parents for raising her.
“Since we were children, you made us understand what you were fighting for. I am proud of you,” Andrea said.
In another video clip, NPA rebels gave Rosal a 21-gun salute from an undisclosed location.
“I believe [in his causes] but joining [the armed movement] was not for me,” said Inandan, who last saw her brother in 1997. “He’s gone now, but he left behind many who supported his cause.”
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/777715/ka-roger-is-finally-home-in-batangas
Duterte in Bohol: I'm leftist, I wouldn't kill NPA members
From Rappler (Apr 5): Duterte in Bohol: I'm leftist, I wouldn't kill NPA members
Presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte campaigns on a peace and order platform in the province where communist guerrillas and government forces often clash
WARM WELCOME. Residents of Ubay town in Bohol rush to Rodrigo Duterte's helicopter landing site on April 4, 2016. Photo by Ryan Macasero/Rappler
BOHOL,Philippines – Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte,
presidential candidate, walked into a packed gymnasium in Ubay town in Bohol with his left fist in the air.
http://www.rappler.com/nation/politics/elections/2016/128251-duterte-bohol-not-kill-npa
Presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte campaigns on a peace and order platform in the province where communist guerrillas and government forces often clash
WARM WELCOME. Residents of Ubay town in Bohol rush to Rodrigo Duterte's helicopter landing site on April 4, 2016. Photo by Ryan Macasero/Rappler
BOHOL,
"Leftist
ko, pero dili ko extreme left. Ari ko sa ilok," he cracked a joke before a visibly excited crowd
on Sunday, April 3. (I'm a leftist, but not on the extreme left. I'm closer to
the armpit.)
Bohol, a province
of 750,000 registered voters, is also the setting for frequent clashes between
the communist New People's Army (NPA) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines
Duterte told the
crowd that he tells criminals in Davao
City
Ubay was an area
where the military frequently experienced clashes with the Communist Party of
the Philippines
He said that
while he would target criminals, he wouldn't kill NPA members because they are
fighting for "an ideology." Duterte joked, however, that he would
tell communist guerrillas to get out of his city and "go to Cebu and Bohol instead."
2013
earthquake
Duterte's
national campaign manager himself was a former NPA guerilla. Leoncio Evasco is also the mayor of Maribojoc town here, one
of the areas hardest hit by the powerful 2013 earthquake.
Evasco stood by
Duterte's side as the candidate addressed the packed Tagbilaran City Square
Duterte told
Boholanos of how Evasco, a former priest, turned from a detained NPA rebel into
his chief of staff and campaign manager.
Evasco was best
known for refusing aid from the Red Cross during the 2013 Bohol
earthquake. He was criticized by Red Cross chairman Richard Gordon for not
cooperating with the agency; he criticized the organization for not working
with the local government units in distributing aid.
According to JP
Maslog, a volunteer organizer for Duterte from Tagbilaran, the Davao City Davao City
Duterte's
appeal
"Whenever
candidates and presidents came to here to Tagbilaran, I've never seen so many
people packed into the City Square
Duterte connected
with the crowd through his Bisaya brand of humor.
"Naa ka'y
bana, day? (Do you have a husband, miss?)" Duterte asked one woman in
the crowd. She nodded.
"Patyon
nako? (Should I kill him?)" Duterte jokingly responded.
Julie Nicolo, a
hairdresser from Dawis town, said that drug crimes are on the rise in her
municipality and in Tagbilaran, where she works.
But could Duterte
stop drug crimes in 3 to 6 months, as he has been promising
during the campaign? "I don't know, but let's give him a chance,"
Nicolo said in Visayan.
Nicolo said that,
aside from Duterte's promises of peace and order, what appeals the most to her
are his ideas of job creation and countryside development through federalism.
(READ: Will federalism address PH woes? Pros and cons of making the shift)
A little more
than half of the mayors in Bohol
are members of the ruling Liberal Party, which has fielded former Interior
Secretary Manuel Roxas II for president. In 2013, LP bets won 29 of the 47
mayoral races in Bohol .
http://www.rappler.com/nation/politics/elections/2016/128251-duterte-bohol-not-kill-npa
Westmincom intensifies intel operations to locate abducted Indonesians, Malaysians
From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 5): Westmincom intensifies intel operations to locate abducted Indonesians, Malaysians
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=873435
The Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) has intensified
its intelligence operations in a bid to establish the location of the 10
Indonesian and four Malaysian nationals kidnapped by the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG)
brigands on separate incidents.
Maj. Filemon Tan, Westmincom information officer, on Tuesday
said that troops continue to track down the victims’ whereabouts in the
hinterlands of Sulu province.
Tan said they are also in constant contact with their
Indonesian and Malaysian counterparts concerning the development “on the
ground.”
“We are consulting with our Indonesian and Malaysian
counterparts as to what course of action we will do for the best,” Tan added.
The 10 Indonesians who were crew members of a Taiwanese
tugboat were seized last March 26 near the country's border with Malaysia
The tugboat was sailing from Indonesia
to Manila
Meanwhile, ASG brigands seized the four Malaysians last
April 1 off the waters of Ligitan near the east coast Semporna and towards the
border with the Philippines
The victims were aboard a Malaysian-registered vessel
sailing near Ligitan
Island
Tan said the Joint Task Group Sulu troops continue to
conduct focused military operations “based on available information we have.”
Meanwhile, reports disclosed the ASG brigands have given a
deadline on April 8 to meet their ransom demand in exchange for the two
Canadians, a Norweigian and a Filipina they seized last year.
The ASG brigands seized the victims on Sept. 21, 2015 while
they were on vacation at a resort in the Island Garden City of Samal, Davao del
Norte.
“The deadline set is the deadline of the Abu Sayyaf, for our
side, we will do our best to rescue the kidnap victims the soonest time
possible as we also consider their safety as our primary concern,” Tann said.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=873435
HIMARS firing highlights this year's 'Balikatan' exercises
From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 5): HIMARS firing highlights this year's 'Balikatan' exercises
US
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=873355
American military units will be demonstrating the
capabilities of their HIMARS platforms during the live-fire phase of this
year's "Balikatan" exercise.
This will be held at the Crow Valley Range Complex in Tarlac
this coming April 14, Philippine "Balikatan" public affairs office
chief Capt. Celeste Frank Sayson.
HIMARS is short for "M142 High Mobility Artillery
Rocket System".
It is a US
Two HIMARS platforms are present in this year's
"Balikatan" exercises.
HIMARS can carry six rockets or one MGM-140 ATACMS missile
on the US Army's new family of medium tactical vehicles five-ton truck, and can
launch the entire multiple launch rocket system family of munitions.
It is interchangeable with the MLRS M270A1, carrying half
the rocket load. The launcher is C-130 transportable.
Each HIMARS platform is worth over USD5 million.
Inert rocket rounds will be fired from the United States
Major Gen. Rodolfo Santiago, Philippine
"Balikatan" assistant exercise director, earlier said inert rocket
rounds will be used in the live-fire exercises.
"(American units) will not be firing live rockets
(during the April 14 live-fire exercise in Crow Valley, Tarlac) as it is
expensive and we do not need to see the actual effects (of the rocket when it
hits its target) Inert rockets will be use demonstrate on HIMARS is fired in
the field," Santiago said in Filipino.
Rockets are said to be inert when stripped of all explosives
and other active materials.
He also stressed that the HIMARS is not addressing any
specific threat during "Balikatan" and merely being utilized to give
Filipino forces a first-hand look on a modern artillery rocket system and its
capabilities.
"'Balikatan' is an opportunity to test, to experiment
on systems that may be utilized to develop our capabilities. I am not saying
that there are plans to acquire it but this looks good (for the Armed Forces of
the Philippines ) as (HIMARS)
is relative cheap," Santiago
"Balikatan 2016" formally opened on Monday and
will end on April 15.
An estimated 3,773 Filipino soldiers and 4,904 US
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=873355
HIMARS practice rounds fired in Crow Valley
From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 5): HIMARS practice rounds fired in Crow Valley
US
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=873424
This was confirmed by Philippine "Balikatan"
spokesperson Capt. Celeste Frank Sayson Tuesday.
Philippine troops were present to observe the firing
exercise, he added.
HIMARS is short for "M142 High Mobility Artillery
Rocket System".
It is a US
The RRPRs were fired by US Marines from the 2nd Platoon, Fox
Battery, 14th Marine Regiment.
This is the first time HIMARS have fired in Philippine soil.
The RRPRs have a maximum range of 15 kilometers and it's
ballasted with non-explosive material.
These weapons will be fired again this coming April 14
during the live-fire phase of the "Balikatan" exercises.
HIMARS can carry six rockets or one MGM-140 ATACMS missile
on the US Army's new family of medium tactical vehicles five-ton truck, and can
launch the entire multiple launch rocket system family of munitions.
It is interchangeable with the MLRS M270A1, carrying half
the rocket load. The launcher is C-130 transportable.
Each HIMARS platform is worth over USD5 million.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=873424
Another C-130 to join PAF
From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 5): Another C-130 to join PAF
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=873401
Another Lockheed C-130T "Hercules" cargo aircraft
is expected to arrive Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning.
It will join the other three C-130 cargo planes now at the
inventory of the Philippine Air Force (PAF).
This is the first of the C-130 acquired from the US
It is expected to be transferred to the PAF by April 13,
tentatively.
The second aircraft is expected to arrive by this September
or October, said PAF spokesperson Col. Araus Robert Musico.
The aircraft took off from Tucson ,
Arizona early this week and made stopovers in California , Hawaii , Wake
and Guam Islands
before heading for the Philippines
The aircraft is being flown by Filipino military personnel.
Arrival of these planes will boosts the PAF's heavy lift
capability.
"Remember if we need to move a big number of troops and
supplies (especially) heavy equipment for rapid deployment, it will be much
easier as we have additional (C-130) aircraft," Musico pointed out.
Originally, these two C-130Ts were configured for tanker missions
and were later converted for transport missions before being acquired by the Philippines
Aside from the C-130s, the PAF has three Airbus Military
C-295 medium and three Fokker F-27 transports for its logistics and lift
missions.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=873401
Roxas favors EDCA, says he is open to other treaties if elected
From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 5): Roxas favors EDCA, says he is open to other treaties if elected
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=873383
Administration standard bearer Mar Roxas on Tuesday said
that he would continue the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) if
elected president and added that he would welcome other such treaties with
other friendly nations in order to defend Philippine patrimony.
In an interview during a campaign sortie held in Olongapo City
Signed in May 2104, EDCA is a supplemental agreement to the
Visiting Forces Agreement between the United
States and the Philippines
The agreement allows American troops to rotate troops into
the Philippines for extended
stays and allows the U.S.
“Importante na nakasandal tayo sa security umbrella ng
malalaking mga bansa, dahil katunggali natin ang malaking bansa na Tsina, isang
nuclear power, dito sa ating hidwaan sa West Philippine
Sea ,” Roxas said.
He cited how Zambales fishermen are being deprived of their
livelihood as they are being constantly harassed by Chinese ships in the
disputed waters.
With China
aggressively asserting its claims over a large swath of the West
Philippine Sea , the Team Daang Matuwid presidential bet said that
he would welcome similar treaties like EDCA.
“Para sa akin, dedepensahan ko ang ating karapatan.
Dedepensahan ko ang integridad ng lupa at teritoryo ng Pilipinas, at papasok
ako sa mga treaties or sa mga kasunduan para lalong lumakas ang ating
pagdepensa ng ating teritoryo,” Roxas said.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=873383