Friday, June 24, 2016

Sisin: Unite for just and lasting peace

Posted to the Website of Jose Maria Sison (Jun 25): Unite for just and lasting peace



Video Message to the Peace Forum, Davao City, June 28, 2016
By Prof. Jose Maria Sison
Founding Chairman, Communist Party of the Philippines
Chief Political Consultant, National Democratic Front of the Philippines

We of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) convey our warmest greetings of solidarity and peace to the Exodus for Justice and Peace and BAYAN-SMR, Bishops Modesto D. Villasanta, Redeemer Yanez and Felixberto Calalang, all the officials of the Philippine government headed by the new President Rodrigo Duterte, the new OPAPP Secretary Hon. Jesus Dureza and the representatives of the Negotiating Panels of the GPH and NDFP and all the delegations presenting the Mindanao People’s Agenda.

We are all deeply pleased in this Forum for Peace with the participation of people from various walks of life, including the workers, peasant, Lumad, Moro, women, children, urban poor, youth, business, academe, artists, health professionals, church people, transport, fisherfolk, athletes, LGBT, senior citizens and others. We are all grateful to the tens of thousands of people participating in the People’s Concert and People’s March for Peace on June 27 and 18.

We can be sure that the spirit of the patriot and revolutionary hero Ka Parago, Comrade Leoncio Pitao, whose martyrdom is commemorated today, is present in all our mass activities for peace inasmuch as we are inspired by his lifelong struggle for a just and lasting peace. He fought hard, made sacrifices and died for the just cause of seeking fundamental reforms to make a new and better Philippines that is truly independent, democratic, socially just, peaceful and progressive in an all round way.

Let us all unite for a just and lasting peace. This can be attained by addressing the roots of the armed conflict and forging the comprehensive agreements on major social, economic and political reforms. Since The Hague Joint Decalaration of 1992, the aim of the peace negotiations and methods of achieving it have been set forth. But the previous administrations of Estrada, Arroyo and Aquino lacked the political will to overcome their reactionary interests and use their power and resources to advance the peace process.

Let us take advantage of a new situation in which the worsening crisis of the ruling system, the growing strength of the people’s revolutionary movement and the failures of previous administrations have brought about a president who is courageous and proud to say that he is the first Left president of the Philippines and is willing to adopt and implement the necessary reforms for a just and lasting peace. By all manifestations, he is open to the making of mutually satisfactory agreements that serve the best interests of the Filipino p[eople.

We are all elated by the success of the preliminary talks of the teams of the incoming Duterte government and the NDFP in Oslo last June 14 and 15. The formal talks by the GPH and NDFP negotiating panels shall be resumed in the third week of July in Oslo. The agenda includes the affirmation of previously signed agreements, the plan to accelerate the peace negotiations on the three remaining items of the substantiove agenda, the release of all political prisoners by general amnesty and the mode of ceasefire.

Let us congratulate the broad masses of the people and all the peace-loving organizations and leaders of various sectors who have campaigned for the resumption of formal talks. Let us look forward to the success of the first formal talks in the time of the Duterte government. The success of these will lead to further hard work by the principals, negotiators, consultants, ceasefire monitors and other focused personnel of the negotiating parties and to further inputs and support from all the peace-loving forces and people.

We welcome the movement for peace undertaken by the Exodus for Justice and Peace amd BAYAN-SMR in Mindanao and all other forces on a nationwide scale.
Campaigns must be waged for public participation in promoting and realizing the people’s agenda for change. The various sectors of the people must be aroused, united and mobilized to submit proposals to the negotiating panels and support the peace process in as many ways as possible. The movement for peace can be energized by public meetings, informative and educational forums, multi-media publications and cultural activities.

Two days from now, the presidency of Rodrigo Roa Duterte shall be inaugurated. We wish him to succeed in all his efforts to serve the Filipino people, respond to the demands for full national independence, democracy, social justice and all -round development and perform his crucial role in achieving a just and lasting peace. Let this Forum for Peace be a celebration of Ka Parago’s desire for justice and peace and be a happy and meaningful send off for President Duterte.

Long live the memory of the patriot and hero Ka Parago!
Long live President Duterte!
Best wishes to all who work for the advance and success of the peace process!
Long live the cause of a just and lasting peace!
Long live the Filipino people!

http://josemariasison.org/unite-for-just-and-lasting-peace/

Gazmin to leave DND ‘contented, pleased’

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Jun 24): Gazmin to leave DND ‘contented, pleased’

gazmin

Outgoing Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin bids farewell to the Philippine Army on Friday. Gazmin, who will step down on June 30, spent most of his career in public service as an Army man. FRANCES MANGOSING/INQUIRER.net

The Philippine Army on Friday bade its farewell to outgoing Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, who spent most of his public service career as an Army man.

“Sir Volts, thank you for the outstanding service which you have rendered to the flag for the last 48 years. You have not only shown us by your deeds how great it is to be able to dedicate one’s talents for the benefit of our country,” Army chief Gen. Eduardo Año said in his speech during the testimonial review at Fort Bonifacio.

“You also have a set benchmark in public service which all of us strive to fulfill in our own ways,” he said.
Gazmin, who will step down as defense chief on June 30, served as commanding general of the Philippine Army from July 1999 to October 2000.

In his speech, Año went back to Gazmin’s career and achievements that spanned almost five decades.

The outgoing defense chief, a member of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1968, served his junior years as a custodian of the late Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr. during his imprisonment at Fort Magsaysay in the early 1970s.

He later served in Mindanao for more than a decade, fighting secessionist groups.
In 1986, he served as the head of the Presidential Security Group (PSG) during the time of then President Corazon Aquino.

“It was a leadership role which Sir Volts would handle for the next six years with remarkable performance and strength of character,” Año said.

Gazmin is a known father figure in the future President Benigno Aquino III.

“On some occasions, the young future President Aquino III would join the PSG personnel on duty for a round of singing, target shooting, or other recreational activities which Sir Volts implemented to relieve the boredom of what seemed to be an eternal watch over the safety and security of the President and her family,” the Army chief said.

He also said Gazmin’s “exemplary leadership of the PSG during those tumultuous years earned him the lifelong gratitude of the Aquino family.”

Gazmin later served as defense attaché to the United States and then went back to the Philippines to command the 1003rd Brigade in Basilan, the Special Forces Regiment and the Special Operations Command.

Before he was the commanding general of the Army, he headed the Southern Luzon Command.

“During his stint as Army chief, Sir Volts was also able to make good on his promise to improve the welfare of the humble soldier. He implemented several initiatives that focused on leadership and training and doctrine development, proper force mix, equipment and systems modernization, and quality and well-motivated soldiers, which include their active involvement in the Army’s non-traditional roles,” Año said.

‘Contented, pleased’

Gazmin, who will be replaced by incoming Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, said he was leaving the defense department “contented and pleased.”

“I am happy to say that through the strong support of President Aquino, we have gained significant progress in the implementation of the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) capability upgrade and modernization program that effected the release of P60.14 billion pesos from July 2010 to April 2016 and extended to the Philippine Army its modest share from the implementation of the said program,” he said.

Some of the additional assets for the Army during the time of Mr. Aquino included armored personnel carriers, M4 rifles, field ambulances and mobility trucks.

“I depart from our defense department on June 30, 2016 contented and pleased that I am leaving behind my endeared institution, the Philippine Army, the immortal monument of the courage and patriotism in the defense of our citizenry and their treasured social and democratic ideals,” he said.
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/792298/gazmin-to-leave-dnd-contented-pleased

Seven More Indonesian Tug Crewmembers Kidnapped

From the Maritime Executive (Jun 24): Seven More Indonesian Tug Crewmembers Kidnapped

Indonesia said on Friday a halt on coal shipments to the Philippines will remain in place until Manila can secure its waters after seven Indonesian sailors were kidnapped, the latest in a string of abductions.

Philippine authorities could not immediately confirm the hostage-taking but said a Filipino woman held since September was freed on Friday by Abu Sayyaf, an Islamist militant group that has amassed tens of millions of dollars from kidnappings for ransom.

It was unclear whether the sailors were taken by Abu Sayaff, which has beheaded two Canadian nationals in recent weeks after ransom deadlines passed. The group is still holding men from Japan, the Netherlands and Norway.

Indonesia is concerned that piracy in the Sulu Sea area, a major sea traffic corridor for the world's top thermal coal exporter, could reach levels previously seen in Somalia.

"The moratorium on coal exports to the Philippines will be extended until there is a guarantee for security from the Philippines government," Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi told reporters.

Indonesia supplies 70 percent of the Philippines' coal import needs, which Indonesian data shows stood at about 15 million tonnes, worth around $800 million, last year.

Analysts say $40 billion worth of cargo passes through the Sulu Sea area a year, including supertankers from the Indian Ocean that cannot use the crowded Malacca Strait.

Marsudi said earlier the seven Indonesians were kidnapped by two different armed groups in attacks on a tugboat towing a coal-carrying barge and that the government would "try all options to free the hostages".

Fourteen Indonesians were abducted in two separate assaults on tugboats in March and April but were freed in May. In April, the Indonesian navy instructed all commercial vessels to avoid piracy-prone waters near the southern Philippines.

Filipino captive Marites Flor, abducted from an upscale resort in September along with Canadian Robert Hall, was freed at dawn on Friday on Jolo, an army spokesman said. Hall was beheaded on June 13.

In Davao City, President-elect Rodrigo Duterte said they were "able to negotiate" for the release of two captives, a Norwegian man and Filipino woman.

"The kidnapped Norwegian could not get out yet because he could not cross because of the rough seas," Duterte said, adding "there will be time that I will have to confront the Abu Sayyaf".

Alarmed at the frequency of attacks, port authorities in some areas of Indonesia, particularly Kalimantan on Borneo, have stopped issuing permits to ships taking coal to the southern Philippines.

http://www.maritime-executive.com/article/seven-more-indonesian-tug-crewmembers-kidnapped

Indonesia says coal on hold for Philippines after 7 sailors abducted

From Reuters (Jun 24): Indonesia says coal on hold for Philippines after 7 sailors abducted

* Unclear if Abu Sayyaf behind latest attack
* Filipino woman abducted with executed Canadian freed
* Indonesia to keep moratorium on coal until Manila secures waters (Adds Philippines' leader Duterte comments to confront Abu Sayyaf)

Indonesia said on Friday a halt on coal shipments to the Philippines will remain in place until Manila can secure its waters after seven Indonesian sailors were kidnapped, the latest in a string of abductions.

Philippine authorities could not immediately confirm the hostage-taking but said a Filipino woman held since September was freed on Friday by Abu Sayyaf, an Islamist militant group that has amassed tens of millions of dollars from kidnappings for ransom.

It was unclear whether the sailors were taken by Abu Sayaff, which has beheaded two Canadian nationals in recent weeks after ransom deadlines passed. The group is still holding men from Japan, the Netherlands and Norway.

Indonesia is concerned that piracy in the Sulu Sea area, a major sea traffic corridor for the world's top thermal coal exporter, could reach levels previously seen in Somalia.

"The moratorium on coal exports to the Philippines will be extended until there is a guarantee for security from the Philippines government," Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi told reporters.

Indonesia supplies 70 percent of the Philippines' coal import needs, which Indonesian data shows stood at about 15 million tonnes, worth around $800 million, last year.

Analysts say $40 billion worth of cargo passes through the Sulu Sea area a year, including supertankers from the Indian Ocean that cannot use the crowded Malacca Strait.

Marsudi said earlier the seven Indonesians were kidnapped by two different armed groups in attacks on a tugboat towing a coal-carrying barge and that the government would "try all options to free the hostages".

Fourteen Indonesians were abducted in two separate assaults on tugboats in March and April but were freed in May. In April, the Indonesian navy instructed all commercial vessels to avoid piracy-prone waters near the southern Philippines.

Filipino captive Marites Flor, abducted from an upscale resort in September along with Canadian Robert Hall, was freed at dawn on Friday on Jolo, an army spokesman said. Hall was beheaded on June 13.

In Davao City, President-elect Rodrigo Duterte said they were "able to negotiate" for the release of two captives, a Norwegian man and Filipino woman.

"The kidnapped Norwegian could not get out yet because he could not cross because of the rough seas," Duterte said, adding "there will be time that I will have to confront the Abu Sayyaf".

Alarmed at the frequency of attacks, port authorities in some areas of Indonesia, particularly Kalimantan on Borneo, have stopped issuing permits to ships taking coal to the southern Philippines.

http://news.trust.org/item/20160624024300-6jswh

Islamic State officially creates province in the Philippines

From the Long War Journal (Jun 24): Islamic State officially creates province in the Philippines (by Caleb Weiss)

Hapilon

Isnilon Hapilon (background, arm raised), emir of Islamic State in the Philippines

After months of buildup, which included pledges of loyalty from various local groups, the Islamic State has officially created a province in the Philippines. A newly released video from the region, which was produced in the same style as all other Islamic State provinces, offered confirmation of the new province.

The video begins by showing several “battalions” of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) pledging allegiance to the Islamic State. This includes the Abu Dujana Battalion, Abu Khubaib Battalion, Jundallah Battalion, and the Abu Sadr Battalion. These battalions joined others from ASG, including Jund al Tawhid, Ansar al Sharia, and Marakah al Ansar in pledging bayah to the Islamic State. Additionally, some of ASG’s leadership, including overall leader Isnilon Hapilon (who is shown in the video), have pledged to the jihadist group.

Hapilon, a US-designated terrorist, was again confirmed as the leader of all of the Islamic State’s forces in the Philippines. In an April issue of the Islamic State’s weekly newsletter Al Naba, the jihadist group said that Hapilon, also known as Abu Abdullah al Filipini, had been appointed as emir. In a portion of the video featuring a Filipino fighter in Raqqah, Syria, he confirms the Al Naba report.

Hapilon is the senior most figure to have defected to the Islamic State in the Philippines. The video also confirms that a formal leadership structure for the Islamic State has indeed been put into place, exemplifying its expansion in the country. This was also seen earlier this month in an infographic released by the ‘Amaq News Agency, one of the jihadist group’s news outlets. The infographic included several important facts from the Islamic State in the Philippines, including the number of groups that have pledged allegiance and where they operate. (See Threat Matrix report, Islamic State details activity in the Philippines.)

While the infographic contains numbers from April 2015, it also notes the first official announcement of Filipino jihadist groups pledging allegiance to the Islamic State occurred in January 2016. Videos and reports of groups pledging bayah have emerged since 2014, shortly after Abu Bakr al Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State, claimed the creation of a caliphate. The video in January, however, was the first time the Islamic State publicly accepted these pledges. A month later, the Islamic State’s Furat media outlet released another video showing more groups pledging allegiance.

These groups include the aforementioned battalions of ASG, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), Ansar Khilafah in the Philippines, the Islamic State in LanaoJamaat al Tawhid wal Jihad (a group formerly loyal to al Qaeda), and parts of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). Their claimed areas of operation largely correspond with the reported areas of the aforementioned groups. This includes the southern areas of Basilan, South Cotabato, Sulu, Sarangani, Lanao del Sur, and the northern province of Isabela.

Several of these groups, including Ansar Khilafah, the Islamic State in Lanao, and the Jamaat al Tawhid wal Jihad (JTJ) have publicized training camps in the region. Ansar Khilafah was the first to do so last December, while the latter two groups did so last month and in March, respectively. A video from JTJ’s training camp, the “Osama bin Laden training camp,” also publicized its loyalty to Abu Bakr al Baghdadi.

In addition to the pledges to the Islamic State in the months building up to yesterday’s video, the Islamic State has claimed several attacks in the Philippines in recent months. One of these attacks was featured in the video, which showed Islamic State fighters engaging in a firefight with Filipino security forces. Several vehicles and weapons are shown to have been captured by the jihadists. Additionally, the video pays tribute to several fighters who have been killed in clashes with the Filipino military. This includes Abu Khattab, a Moroccan bomb expert within ASG, who was killed in April.
While the video was made to announce a Philippines province, a good portion of the video was filmed in Syria. Indonesian, Malaysian, and Filipino fighters in Syria’s Raqqah province are shown discussing these pledges and encouraging others to follow suit in Southeast Asia. The three are later shown simultaneously beheading three Assad regime soldiers somewhere in Raqqah.

The Islamic State has also inroads in the wider Southeast Asia region, an area that has historically featured al Qaeda activity. Jemaah Islamiyyah (JI), al Qaeda’s historical branch in Southeast Asia, has also suffered defections to the Islamic State. Shortly after Baghdadi’s announcement of the caliphate in 2014,  Abu Bakar Bashir, the spiritual leader and co-founder of JI as well as the emir of its offshoot Jemaah Ansharut Tauhid, pledged allegiance to Baghdadi. However, Bashir’s two sons and several other leaders left and formed their own group, Jemaah Ansharusy Syariah. According to the Jakarta Post, more than 50 percent of Bashir’s followers abandoned him and joined Jemaah Ansharusy Syariah. It is directly part of al Qaeda’s global network now, according to its leader. (See LWJ report, Islamic State launches suicide assault in Indonesia’s capital.)

Yet another group in region, Mujahideen Indonesion Timor (MIT), is also loyal to the Islamic State. Abu Warda Santoso, the MIT leader, swore allegiance to the Islamic State in 2014. His group was previously listed by the US as a terrorist group last year. Last month, the US Department of State added Santoso to its list of global terrorists. (See LWJ report, US adds emir of Mujahidin Indonesia Timur to list of global terrorists.)

Screenshots from the video:Pledges to Abu Bakr al Baghdadi:

Abu Dujana

Abu Khubaib

Abu Sadr

Jundallah

Clashes with Filipino security forces:

clash 1

clash 2

clash 4

Killed Moroccan fighter of ASG:

Moroccan Abu Khattab
 
[Caleb Weiss is an intern at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and a contributor to The Long War Journal.]
 

CPP’s Sison outlines prospects for peace negotiations

From the Business World (Jun 24): CPP’s Sison outlines prospects for peace negotiations

The founding chairman of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) has outlined prospects for peace negotiations during a video conference during the Davao Media Forum on June 21 at UCCP Haran.
 
Professor Jose Maria Sison, who is also the chief political consultant of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), said the resumption of formal peace talks within the first month of the Duterte administration is an auspicious start and premised on the previously signed agreements.
 
The ceasefire between the armed forces of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GPH) and the NDFP and the eventual success of the peace negotiations should make more resources available for expanding industrial and agricultural production and education, health, and other social services, Mr. Sison said in a separate emailed statement.

The New People’s Army, the CPP’s armed wing, will not lie idle even if it is in a mode of self-defense and does not actively carry out offensive military campaigns and operations against the AFP and PNP, he said. The NPA can continue to engage in mass work, land reform, production, health care, cultural work, politico-military training, defense, and protection of the environment and natural resources.
 
There is also a plan to accelerate the peace negotiations to measure the seriousness of the Duterte government to make substantive progress in the talks, Mr. Sison said.

Resources should not be wasted through profit remittances by the multinational companies, foreign debt payments, bureaucratic corruption, luxury consumption by the oligarchy, excessive military spending, and other forms of lopsided spending for schemes like K-12 which is meant to make education unpatriotic in content, more subservient to the needs of multinational firms, more expensive, and more privatized, he said.
 
He described Duterte as the principal and the most important factor on the side of the GPH, who has the political will or determination to pursue the peace negotiations to a successful and happy conclusion.

“President Duterte did not suddenly drop from the sky. He grew up intellectually and politically under conditions of ever worsening conditions due to the chronic crisis of the semicolonial and semifeudal ruling system. Since his youth, he has been inclined to side with the oppressed and exploited. He was my student in political thought and joined the Kabataang Makabayan,” he said.

Mr. Duterte had always declared that he is the first Left president of the Philippines.

“Let us give him a chance to prove it. Let us avail of the peace negotiations as one of several ways of clarifying what needs to be done and what can be done in order to bring about full national independence, democratic empowerment of the working people, economic development through national industrialization and land reform, social justice, expanded public education and advance of a patriotic and progressive culture,” Mr. Sison said.

Mr. Sison also applauded the chief negotiator of the Philippine government, incoming Secretary of Labor and Employment Silvestre Bello III, who according to him has a record of negotiating diligently and working effectively with his own panel members and with the negotiators of the NDFP in making the aforesaid agreements.
 

Fierce Abu foe introduced Basilan kids to play football

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Jun 25): Fierce Abu foe introduced Basilan kids to play football

WARRIOR, PEACEMAKER Children affected by the worsening armed conflict learn to play football, thanks to the efforts of Lt. Col. Tiny Perez. Football for Peace, held at Edwin Andrews Air Base in Zamboanga City, is hosted by theWestern Mindanao Command. Perez, who was shot dead on June 19, will be buried at Libingan ng mga Bayani on Sunday. JULIE ALIPALA/INQUIRER MINDANAO



WARRIOR, PEACEMAKER Children affected by the worsening armed conflict learn to play football, thanks to the efforts of Lt. Col. Tiny Perez. Football for Peace, held at Edwin Andrews Air Base in Zamboanga City, is hosted by theWestern Mindanao Command. Perez, who was shot dead on June 19, will be buried at Libingan ng mga Bayani on Sunday. JULIE ALIPALA/INQUIRER MINDANAO

It was in  early 2000 that the late church worker Liza del Puerto asked me to hook up with Tiny Perez before covering the remote villages of Basilan for television.

Tiny was Lt. Col. Cristobal Julian Paolo Pacificador Perez and he knew the place like the back of his hand.

He could provide a clear security assessment for journalists and humanitarian workers planning to go beyond Isabela City or Lamitan.

I was expecting a small person, but was surprised to see a tall, muscular mestizo, who can’t stop laughing even at jokes that are not funny.

When he greeted me with a gentle but firm handshake: “Lt. Tiny Perez po,” he said.
It was a security assessment. Almost two dozen journalists were told to stay in Mt. Mahadji and were to leave only after the delivery of 200 sacks of rice. The Abu Sayyaf was holding more than 70 hostages from Tumahubong, Sumisip, including Claretian priest Fr. Rhoel Gallardo.

The security briefing was conducted by 103rd Army Brigade commander Col. Glicerio Sua. Everyone was in rapt attention, not even bothering to touch the delicious snack—except for Tiny.

Breaking the ice

Tiny broke the ice when he accidentally hit the fork laid on the table. He was trying to get the chocolate cake that was nearer to Sua. He beamed even when the icing ended up on his face.

Lt. Col. Andrew Bacala, now commander of the 4th Special Forces Battalion, described Perez, his mistah, as “a happy giant man.”

Both of them graduated from the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) under the Maalab Class of 1993.

“Perez was baptized Tiny by our colleagues during cadet years, because he was so huge, like 5’9”. Very athletic and always a smiling fellow,” Bacala said.

Perez, in his early years at the PMA, was known as CJ, Paolo, Julian or Perez.
Jocelyn Pacificador Perez, Tiny’s mother, described her son as “very gentle, thoughtful and charming.”

“In fact, it was his younger sister who bullied him when they were small. Tiny just cried. When my daughter learned of Tiny’s demise, she cried hard and I gently told her, you made him cry, now it’s his time to make you cry,” Jocelyn said.

Tiny was born in Cebu but grew up in Barangay Maligue in Isabela City, Basilan, when his family moved there. When peace and security were getting worse in Basilan, the family moved back to the Visayas and later to Manila.

Jocelyn said Tiny spent his younger days in Maligue.

“It was his best childhood. Tiny was a kind of boy who easily mingled with other people—Muslims or Christians—all friends to him. I understand why he decided to return to Basilan after graduating from the PMA,” she said.

It was in 1998 when Perez and Bacala landed in Basilan as young lieutenants.
Bacala was company commander of the 24th Special Forces Coy while Perez commanded the 11th Light Armor Company.

Both of them got stationed in Barangay Balawatin in Isabela City and fought lost commands of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), Abu Sayyaf and other lawless elements.

In 2000, Perez was made the head of the 14th Military Intelligence Company or Mico.
Incoming National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. recalled how “Tiny was committed and effective in performing his task.”

“He was behind the successful neutralization of Abu Sayyaf during the 2001 crackdown in Basilan,” Esperon, then brigade commander of the 103rd Infantry Brigade in Basilan, said.

In 2002, Perez was made the commanding officer of the intelligence unit of the 1st Infantry Division, but in between 2003 to 2005 and 2008, he served as one of the close-in security aides of Esperon.

Esperon was the commanding general of the Philippine Army and later the Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff.

 ‘Everyone wanted Tiny’

Perez was the favorite of the top officials, particularly by colonels and generals.

“He always find ways and you never hear him complain. Everyone wanted Tiny,” said one of Perez’s classmates in the PMA, who did not want to be identified.

When Esperon retired from military service, Perez brought his family to Spain for his schooling. Over the yearlong stay in Spain, Perez made some realizations and vowed to bring changes in his approaches in the war against Abu Sayyaf.

In 2011-2012, a tamer, more matured Perez returned.

He once told the Inquirer that he found an effective way to eliminate Abu Sayyaf in Basilan.

Asked how, Perez said “I will get all the kids, even children of the Abu Sayyaf and I will lure them to stay with me, play soccer or football with me, read books or watch movies with me or I will bring them to school.”

Perez said fighting the Abu Sayyaf in the battlefront “may lead to more bandits. We did that in the past, I am back and we still face the same problem, except this time, they are children of our enemies.”

He then introduced football to the children in conflict areas and they instantly loved it. Many of the children he had lured into football also returned to school.

“You see, plucking out one child from a family of ASG (Abu Sayyaf Group) then bring him to travel, let him play football representing Basilan and meet other children and see him off to school, it’s like winning the war against ASG hundredfold,” Perez proudly said during the Football for Peace held in the province in May 2015.

Dedeth Suacito, executive director of Nagdilaab Foundation Inc. in Basilan, said, “Tiny is like a father to young generation of Basilan, he brought education and introduced football that has become favorite of the youth of Basilan.”

Perez adopted some children, some stayed with him. “He produced scholars and looked for sponsors so children can continue their education. He even availed of loans so he can buy uniforms for football players and send them to play in Manila,” Suacito said.

His son, Renzo Perez, plays for La Salle Green Hills and Dragons-Global FC U17 in the United Football League.

Peace efforts

In early 2012, Perez also started legwork in Basilan, bringing the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Hadji Dan Asnawi (114th BIAF) and the 104th Army Brigade under Gen. Charlie Galvez, into the peace table.

He was able to bring warring MILF and the MNLF to work together against Abu Sayyaf, says Al Barka Mayor Darussalam Ladjid.

He was also part of the campaign that put down two notorious foreign terrorists—Mohammad Khattab and Najib Hussin, aka “Abu Annas.” He also helped other units in Basilan in locating bomb-making facilities, particularly the one in Mohammad Ajul.

Perez was shot dead just outside his house in Barangay Guiwan here. He was 46.
Perez’s wife Florie May said, “Tiny had become so engrossed in his advocacy, that every single project, he treated it like his own.”

“He loved Basilan so much, the people, the communities, the food, the culture,” she said.
 
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/792373/fierce-abu-foe-introduced-basilan-kids-to-play-football

Opinion: Abu Sayyaf setting sights on Sulu Sea

Opinion piece in the One Man's Meat column by Philip Golingai in The Star Online (Jun 25): Abu Sayyaf setting sights on Sulu Sea

Esscom has done a good job securing Sabah’s east coast so the gunmen have had to move to the high seas for their kidnapping activities.

Filepix of Abu Sayyaf with the captives

Filepix of Abu Sayyaf with the captives

THE cage in Jolo is nearly empty.

On Wednesday morning, Abu Sayyaf-linked gunmen abducted seven Indonesian sailors on a tugboat in waters between the Philippines and Indonesia to fill it.

Sixteen days ago, I had a Facebook Messenger conversation with an intelligence operative in southern Philippines to discuss the release of four Sarawakian sailors from the Jolo cage.
 
The Filipino warned that there would be rampant kidnappings.

“Ramadan is the best time. There’s a lull,” he said. “They’ll target Malaysian fishing boats and tugboats that enter international waters to fish,” he said.

Fortunately, there were no Malaysians taken in the Wednesday abduction, and it did not happen in Malaysian waters.

“Kidnapping, again!” was the most popular response I got from WhatsApp and Twitter. The second most popular response was “Esscom (Eastern Sabah Security Command) is sleeping”.

The “zzzzzzz” response is unfair to Esscom. It also showed a shallow understanding of the business of kidnapping on the east coast of Sabah.

Many, when they read a story with words such as “kidnapping”, “Jolo” and “Abu Sayyaf”, assume that the abduction took place at the previous kidnapping locations such as island resorts, fish farms and a seafood restaurant.

The last three kidnappings in the Sulu Sea, that separates Sabah and Jolo in the southern Philippines, were on the fringes of our border – mostly in international waters.

On March 26, 10 Indonesian sailors were abducted off southern Philippines as their tugboat was pulling a barge.

On April 1, eight Filipino gunmen on a speedboat boarded a Malaysian-registered tugboat, MV Masfive 6, sailing in international waters off Sabah’s Pulau Ligitan.
They kidnapped the four Sarawakian sailors.

On April 15, four Indonesian sailors were kidnapped in the high seas off the east coast of Sabah.

The Philippine military, according to a Reuters report, has said that “the militants have been targeting foreign crew of slow-moving tugboats because they can no longer penetrate resorts and coastal towns in Malaysia’s eastern Sabah state due to increased security”.

This is true.

Esscom has done a good job securing the east coast of Sabah so that the Abu Sayyaf-linked gunmen could not or would not kidnap at their usual targets.

How did Esscom do it?

I could tell you but then I would have to kill you!

Here is information that is not classified.

Esscom has cleaned up squatter water villages that gave the KFR (kidnap for ransom and not KFC – kidnap for charity) group’s spotters a place to hide while they monitored potential targets.

Esscom has also beefed up security at potential targets, making the KFR group think twice before launching an attack.

We’ve also had black ops in Sabah and southern Philippines to eliminate the kidnapping threat.

The Sulu Sea is now the new target for Abu Sayyaf-linked gunmen. It is becoming the new Somalia.

Indonesian authorities, according to the Reuters report, have voiced concerns that piracy in the Sulu Sea area could reach levels previously seen in Somalia.

“Analysts say US$40bil (RM160bil) worth of cargo passes through those waters a year, including supertankers from the Indian Ocean that cannot use the crowded Malacca Strait,” it said.

According to Philippines Ministry of Foreign Affairs, more than 100,000 ships navigated Sulu Sea in 2015, transporting 18 million people and 60 million tonnes of merchandise.

On June 16, a reputable Filipino media organisation reported that four Malaysians were abducted off the coast of Sabah and allegedly brought to Sulu on Thursday morning.

Not again, I thought.

Fortunately, it turned out to be a false alarm.

Roughly, this is what happened.

An intel officer in Sabah saw an old news report that four Malaysians were kidnapped and thought it was fresh news. The intel officer sent that report to his Filipino counterpart.

The Filipino then wrote this:

“Report on new Malaysian kv (kidnap victim): 1520h Jun 16, the group of ASG led by Muktadil Bros Nickson and Brown (AA of Intel unit) w/ 8 other armed ASG (Abu Sayyaf group) with 4 Malaysians newly kidnapped from Sabah were allegedly at Sitangkai, Tawi Tawi and planning to proceed mainland Jolo at midnight June 15, 2016 utilising undisclosed speed boat and will possibly land at coastal area of Parang, Sulu.”

The intel report was picked up by Filipino journalists and they reported it as fact.
The other shallow understanding of the business of kidnapping is some think that the two groups of Indonesian hostages were released by the Abu Sayyaf because Jakarta had threatened to deploy its quick reaction strike force to rescue the hostages.

“The price for the 10 Indonesians was 50 million pesos (RM5mil) and for the four Indonesians 15 million pesos (RM1.5mil),” the Filipino intel operative told me.

People have asked me what had happened to the RM12mil the families of the four Sarawakian hostages had raised, whether ransom was paid and whether anyone pocketed a portion of the ransom money.

I’ve explained in length – a story spiked with conspiracy theories – to one or two or three friends.

For the rest, I gave a one-sentence explanation as I’m the type of person who gets bored of listening to my own story as I tell it.

Curious to know my answer?

The Abu Sayyaf is not in the business of kidnapping for free.

http://www.thestar.com.my/opinion/columnists/one-mans-meat/2016/06/25/abu-sayyaf-setting-sights-on-sulu-sea-esscom-has-done-a-good-job-securing-sabahs-east-coast-so-the-g/

ISIS announces Asia pivot in propaganda video targeting Malaysia, Philippines

From RT (Jun 25): ISIS announces Asia pivot in propaganda video targeting Malaysia, Philippines

© Stringer
Stringer / Reuters

Islamic State terror group has called on its followers to focus their energy fighting in Southeast Asia besides battling in Iraq and Syria. In the latest propaganda video, the organization specifically calls on extremists to target Malaysia.

The latest video, titled ‘Toghut’ (sinners against the teachings of Allah), was released earlier this week and shows a Malaysian Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) fighter in Syria, along with two other IS combatants decapitating three captives. The Malaysian terrorist, identified as Mohd Rafi Udin from Negri Sembilan, threatens attacks against Malaysian police in the 20 minute video seen by Reuters.

The jihadist says in Malay that those fighters who cannot make it to Syria should travel to the Philippines and fight there. Udin calls on jihadists to unite under the leadership of Abu Abdullah, a Philippine extremist leader of Abu Sayyaf militant group, who swore allegiance to IS in January.
Abu Abdullah, also known as Isnilon Hapilon is on the FBI’s most wanted list with a bounty of $5 million on his head.

Malay's Special Branch Counter-Terrorism Division (SB-CTD) called the latest propaganda video a threat that will most likely materialize in attacks in the region.

“We are preparing for potential attacks within six months by two sources, Khatibah Nusantara in the Philippines, and central IS,” Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay, director of the Malaysian Police Counter-Terrorism unit told the New Straits Times.
Katibah Nusantara is referred to by the counter-terrorism chief as a “dedicated Southeast Asian military unit” under IS. Besides Abu Sayyaf militant group and Katibah Nusantara, authorities are also worried that more extremist organizations in the region might now unite under Abdullah’s command.
 
Just like Abu Sayyaf, the Abu Dujana Brigade, Abi Khabib Brigade, the Jund Allah Brigade, and Abi Sadr found in the region have also pledged their allegiance to IS and its self-proclaimed ‘caliph’, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

“Targeted attacks will likely be carried out the minute the pledge of allegiance to IS from these groups outside Syria is accepted and the areas they operate in are declared theirs,” Pitchay said.

The director added that IS is shifting its focus to the Southeast region to show to the world that it is still a force to be reckoned with, as the organization continues to lose its foothold in Syria and Iraq. While authorities admitted, that the threat is not new it looks imminent to them.

“This video is not just propaganda but is a serious threat. We are definitely expecting more attacks in this region,” Pitchay told Reuters.

“This is not the first video of its kind. But I would like to say here that PDRM [Royal Malaysia Police] will never let IS set foot or spread their ideology here,” Malaysian Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar said on Friday. “We are not shaken by threats like these made by IS.”

https://www.rt.com/news/348302-isis-asia-attacks-propaganda/

Duterte: I will have to confront Abu Sayyaf

From The Star Online (Jun 25): Duterte: I will have to confront Abu Sayyaf

Duterte (second right) talks to kidnap victim Marites Flor, who was abducted with two executed Canadians, John Ridsdel and Robert Hall, by Abu Sayyaf militant group, after Flor was released, in Davao city, in southern Philippines June 24, 2016. REUTERS

Duterte (second right) talks to kidnap victim Marites Flor, who was abducted with two executed Canadians, John Ridsdel and Robert Hall, by Abu Sayyaf militant group, after Flor was released, in Davao city, in southern Philippines June 24, 2016. REUTERS

The series of kidnappings by the Abu Sayyaf group has tarnished the image of the Philippines and this must stop, President-elect Rodigo Duterte said on Friday.

Speaking during the turnover of command ceremony of the Davao City Police, Duterte said he would have “to confront the Abu Sayyaf.”

Ayoko makipag-away (I don’t want to fight) with anybody but there will be a time, ayoko lang sabihin (I just don’t want to say it), that I will have to confront Abu Sayyaf,” he said.

“It is not yet forthcoming alam ko pero yung kidnapping nila must stop. It has given us a very bad image,” he added.
Duterte issued the statement after Filipina kidnap victim Marites Flor was released on Friday morning by the bandit group.

Duterte said he negotiated for the release of Flor with the help of Sulu Gov. Abdusakur Tan II.

Flor and her Canadian boyfriend Robert Hall together with another Canadian John Ridsdel and Norwegian Kjartan Sekkingstad, were kidnapped by the Abu Sayyaf on Samal Island in September last year.

The Abu Sayyaf beheaded Ridsdel and Hall after their ransom demands were not met.
Duterte said they are also negotiating the release of Sekkingstad.

During a business forum here, Duterte warned the Abu Sayyaf there would be “a day of reckoning.” He asked the public to give him ample time to confront the problem. – The Philippines Daily Inquirer/Asia News Network

http://www.thestar.com.my/news/regional/2016/06/25/rodrigo-duterte-i-will-have-to-confront-abu-sayyaf/

Norway envoy thanks Duterte for efforts to free seized national

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Jun 25): Norway envoy thanks Duterte for efforts to free seized national



DAVAO CITYThe Norwegian ambassador to the Philippines has thanked President-elect Rodrigo Duterte for negotiating the release of the Norwegian kidnap victim of the Abu Sayyaf.
 
“We are very thankful for what you are doing,” Erik Forner, Norwegian Ambassador, told Duterte on Friday.
Duterte and Forner met at the Presidential Guest House at the Malacañang of the South here hours after Filipina kidnap victim Marites Flor was released by the Abu Sayyaf.
Flor, along with Canadians Robert Hall and John Ridsdel and Norwegian Kjartan Sekkingstad, was kidnapped by the Abu Sayyaf on Samal Island in September last year.
The Abu Sayyaf beheaded Ridsdel and Hall, Flor’s boyfriend, after their ransom demands were not met.
“He really needs help. I am so sorry Kjartan is not here,” Flor told the Norwegian ambassador during their meeting.
But Duterte said they were able to negotiate the release of Sekkingstad.
“We were able to negotiate but apparently ‘yung kinidnap na Norwegian hindi pa raw naka-cross because of the rough seas I was told (the kidnapped Norwegian hasn’t yet crossed the sea because of the rough seas, I was told). I don’t know if it is true. Hopefully, maawa ang Allah (Allah will have mercy), he will be released in a short time,” he said.
In his speech at the turnover of command at the Davao City Police on Friday, Duterte said the series of kidnappings of the Abu Sayyaf Group has tarnished the image of the Philippines and this must stop.
He said their would be “a day of reckoning” for the bandit group, saying he would confront them soon.
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/140468/norway-envoy-thanks-duterte-for-efforts-to-free-seized-national

Indonesia bans ships from Philippines after latest kidnapping

From InterAksyon (Jun 25): Indonesia bans ships from Philippines after latest kidnapping

Jakarta banned Friday any Indonesian-flagged vessels from sailing to the Philippines, the transport ministry said, after yet another violent kidnapping in the strife-torn waters between the two nations.

The ruling was issued after the government confirmed seven Indonesian sailors were kidnapped at gunpoint earlier this week, and were being held hostage by an unknown group.

It's the third time this year Indonesian sailors have been abducted in the Sulu Sea, a vital waterway that's seen a spike in seaborne crime like armed robberies and kidnappings.

In response to the latest incident, the transport ministry issued a notice informing all harbour masters they were "strictly prohibited from issuing permits to all Indonesian-flagged vessels bound for the Philippines, without exception."

"This hijacking issue is a serious matter and cannot be tolerated anymore," the ministry's water transport director general A. Tonny Budiono said in a statement.

To prevent any commercial vessels from breaching the ban, Indonesia will also ramp up marine patrols in its waters bordering the southern Philippines, Budiono added.

It's not yet clear how significantly trade will be affected by the ban, but it could severely disrupt the flow of goods from Southeast Asia's largest economy -- including natural resources like coal -- to the Philippines.

The Sulu and Celebes seas form a key waterway between Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia, and are used for the passage of 55 million metric tons of goods and over 18 million people per year.

Last month, the three countries agreed to launch a coordinated patrol of the waters after the recent surge of kidnappings.

The Indonesian sailors abducted this week were towing a coal barge through the Sulu sea when their tugboat was attacked by gunmen.

"The government will do everything possible to free these hostages," foreign minister Retno Marsudi told reporters.

Sulu is a known hideout of Abu Sayyaf Islamic militants who have earned millions of dollars from kidnappings in recent years.

A spokesman for the foreign ministry said he could not confirm whether a ransom demand had been made, or if Abu Sayyaf was responsible for the abductions.

Earlier this year the group kidnapped 14 Indonesian sailors. They were later freed but there was no information on whether a ransom was paid.

http://interaksyon.com/article/129536/indonesia-bans-ships-from-philippines-after-latest-kidnapping

Mandatory drug tests on PNP, AFP personnel lead to dismissal of cops

From the Manila Bulletin (Jun 23): Mandatory drug tests on PNP, AFP personnel lead to dismissal of cops

About 20 policemen in Northern Mindanao allegedly involved in illegal drugs were dismissed from  service by the Police Regional Office 10 (PRO 10) while 17 others are awaiting decision on their respective cases also involving drugs.

Chief Superintendent Lyndel Desquitado, regional director of PRO 10 said the dismissal of the police personnel is a strong signal that there is no place for illegal drugs in the Philippine National Police (PNP).

Chief Supt. Rolando B. Felix also said three more police personnel are facing dismissal for their involvement in the illegal drugs trade.

“My order on mandatory drug testing to all personnel will continue while our all-out drive against illegal drug operations will also continue without let up until we hit our objective to make this region a drug-free region in Mindanao,” Chief Supt. Felix added.


In a related development, all field unit commanders of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) are already conducting mandatory drug testing on all their personnel in the field, it was learned yesterday.

The unannounced drug testing was being conducted on the rank-and-file of various combat maneuvering divisions, brigades and battalions and all operational control units (Opcons) the past years to make the AFP drug free, it said.

“We are already doing this a long time ago and any officer or personnel found positive during the unannounced drug testing will be dismissed outright from the service,” said an Army officer who requested anonymity.

“Our higher command is aiming to make our AFP a drug free institution,” he pointed out.

“Yes, we are already doing this long time ago and it is good that the incoming President made his hard stand on this in an effort to put an end to the illegal drug menace,” another Army officer added.

Last month, all officials and personnel of northeastern (Caraga) Mindanao Police Regional Office 13 (PRO 13) and Northern (Region 10) Mindanao PRO 10 have already started their mandatory drug testing.

The regional commands of PRO 13 and PRO 10 have issued an order requiring all police officials and personnel from the highest to the lowest rank to undergo mandatory drug testing.

http://www.mb.com.ph/mandatory-drug-tests-on-pnp-afp-personnel-lead-to-dismissal-of-cops/

Luhut Confirms Hostage of Seven Indonesians by Abu Sayyaf

From Tempo.co (Jun 25): Luhut Confirms Hostage of Seven Indonesians by Abu Sayyaf

Luhut Confirms Hostage of Seven Indonesians by Abu Sayyaf

Coordinating Minister of Political, Legal and Security Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan. TEMPO/Aditia Noviansyah

Chief Security Minister, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, confirmed that 7 Indonesians had been held hostage by Abu Sayyaf militant groups. The citizens worked for Charles tug boat, of the PT Rusianto Bersaudara, sailing from Samarinda, East Kalimantan, earlier this month.

"Yes, 7 out of 13 crews were abducted," said Luhut.

But TNI Chief, Gatot Nurmantyo, denied the news, saying that he has deployed a team to investigate it and found no clues.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, refused to comment, but planning to release a statement immediately.

The news sparked when Dian Megawati Ahmad, a wife of one of the crewmen, said that he had been called by his husband, who said that the captors asked for 20 million Ringgit ransom.

http://en.tempo.co/read/news/2016/06/24/055782702/Luhut-Confirms-Hostage-of-Seven-Indonesians-by-Abu-Sayyaf

Abu Sayyaf group suspected behind latest kidnapping of Indonesian sailors

From The Jakarta Post (Jun 24): Abu Sayyaf group suspected behind latest kidnapping of Indonesian sailors



The Charles tugboat (Kaltim Post/-)

Seven Indonesian crewmen were kidnapped while sailing in the waters of southern Philippines, in the latest incident suspected to involve  the notorious Abu Sayyaf militant group. The situation is still developing, an official has confirmed.

"Relevant institutions in Indonesia are probing the situation to confirm the news, as well as looking for supporting evidence," Wibanarto Eugenius, minister counselor at the Indonesian Embassy in Manila, told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.

Wibanarto said in the case of a kidnapping, the perpetrators would usually contact the shipping company after the crewmen had been safely relocated. "So far this has not happened," he said. However, Wibanarto cited that communication could often be problematic when the group was still on the move.

He asserted that the government would continue to look into the issue.

Meanwhile, the Post's source who has knowledge of the matter also confirmed that the kidnappers were members of the same network that hijacked the Brahma 12 tugboat in March, under the leader of Tawing Humair.

Authorities at Samarinda Port, where the boat departed from on June 4, confirmed the hostage situation. Col. Yus Kusmany would not identify the perpetrators but said the police and military were investigating further.

News of another kidnapping near the Sulu waters in the southern Philippines caught media attention on Wednesday night when the wife of a sailor aboard the Charles tugboat conveyed her husband’s condition. The sailor, one of 13 men aboard, had reportedly contacted his wife to say that the boat had been taken hostage by a faction of the Abu Sayyaf militant group.

Seven men were taken from the boat while the remaining six were set free.
The kidnappers have reportedly asked for a ransom of 20 million ringgit (US$4.9 million) for the release of the hostages.

This is the third incident in recent months involving the kidnapping of Indonesian sailors by the Abu Sayyaf group. The southern Philippine waters borders with the Sulawesi Sea in North Kalimantan. The area is known as the “new Somalia” for the spate of kidnappings and pirate attacks involving terrorist group Abu Sayyaf. The waterways are part of main sailing track for cargo ships in the region.



Abu Sayyaf terrorist network(US Department of State/-)

Separately, Samarinda Mayor Syaharie Jaang met with executives of the company that owns the boat, Rusianto Bersaudara, and attempted to contact the kidnappers. The communication was hampered by a language barrier since the kidnappers could only speak Tagalog. 

Below are names of the TB Charles crewmen kidnapped in Philippine waters, as released by the company:

1. Ferry Arifin (captain)
2. M. Mahbrur Dahri
3. Edi Suryono
4. Ismail
5. M.Nasir
6. M.Sofyan
7. Robin Piter

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/06/23/govt-confirms-abu-sayyaf-group-behind-latest-kidnapping-of-indonesian-sailors.html

Abu Sayyaf suspected behind latest kidnapping of Indonesian sailors

From The Star Online (Jun 23): Abu Sayyaf suspected behind latest kidnapping of Indonesian sailors

The Charles tugboat

The Charles tugboat

JAKARTA: The notorious Abu Sayyaf militant group is likely behind the kidnapping of seven Indonesian crewmen who were sailing in the waters of southern Philippines.

The situation is still developing, an official has confirmed.

"Relevant institutions in Indonesia are probing the situation to confirm the news, as well as looking for supporting evidence," Wibanarto Eugenius, minister counsellor at the Indonesian Embassy in Manila, told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.   

Wibanarto said in the case of a kidnapping, the perpetrators would usually contact the shipping company after the crewmen had been safely relocated. "So far, this has not happened," he said. However, Wibanarto cited that communication could often be problematic when the group was still on the move.
 
He asserted that the government would continue to look into the issue.

Meanwhile, the Post's source also confirmed that the kidnappers were members of the same network that hijacked the Brahma 12 tugboat in March, under the leader of Tawing Humair.   

Authorities at the Samarinda Port, where the boat departed from on June 4, confirmed the hostage situation. Col. Yus Kusmany would not identify the perpetrators but said the police and military were investigating further.  

News of another kidnapping near the Sulu waters in the southern Philippines caught media attention on Wednesday night when the wife of a sailor aboard the Charles tugboat conveyed her husband’s condition.

The sailor, one of 13 men aboard, had reportedly contacted his wife to say that the boat had been taken hostage by a faction of the Abu Sayyaf militant group. 

Seven men were taken from the boat while the remaining six were set free.

The kidnappers have reportedly asked for a ransom of RM20mil for the release of the hostages.

This is the third incident in recent months involving the kidnapping of Indonesian sailors by the Abu Sayyaf group. The southern Philippine waters borders with the Sulawesi Sea in North Kalimantan.

The area is known as the “new Somalia” for the spate of kidnappings and pirate attacks involving terrorist group Abu Sayyaf. The waterways are part of main sailing track for cargo ships in the region.

Separately, Samarinda Mayor Syaharie Jaang met executives of the company that owns the boat, Rusianto Bersaudara, and attempted to contact the kidnappers. The communication was hampered by a language barrier since the kidnappers could only speak Tagalog.  

Below are names of the TB Charles crewmen kidnapped in Philippine waters, as released by the company:

1. Ferry Arifin (captain)
2. M. Mahbrur Dahri
3. Edi Suryono
4. Ismail
5. M.Nasir
6. M.Sofyan
7. Robin Piter


- The Jakarta Post/Asia News Network

http://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2016/06/23/abu-sayyaf-group-suspected-behind-latest-kidnapping-of-indonesian-sailors/

Duterte and prospects for Bangsamoro peace

From the Asia-Pacific Policy Society (APPS) Policy Forum (Jun 24): Duterte and prospects for Bangsamoro peace

Without a durable political solution, the southern Philippines looks likely to regress into pervasive insecurity, writes Zachary Abuza.

Since his 11 May election, Rodrigo Duterte has shocked the world with his calls for the killing of journalists, the posting of bounties for the extra judicial killings of drug lords, and his slew of sexist comments, to the point that his advisors are not letting him do any more interviews with the media.

The lewd and bombastic Davao mayor Duterte wants to be seen as a tough guy, but comes off as a loose cannon. He has already displayed problematic inconsistencies in policy, including the Bangsamoro Peace Process.

To recap, the Framework Agreement between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) was signed in October 2012, which then moved on to the drafting of 3 Annexes: on revenue sharing, on power sharing, and on normalisation (disarmament, demobilisation and rehabilitation of MILF combatants). In April 2013, President Aquino issued an executive order to establish the Bangsamoro Transitional Commission to draft the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), the implementing legislation.

The Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro was signed in March 2014. The following month, the Bangsamoro Transition Commission submitted the draft BBL to the President, but their draft was largely re-written. After months of heated talks, the MILF acquiesced and the President submitted the revised BBL to Congress for passage in September 2014.

The goal was to have it passed by the first quarter of 2015 at the latest, as it required a plebiscite, the establishment of an interim government, and the transformation of the MILF into a legal political party. This all had to be accomplished by the 2016 elections, as the existing (and deeply failed) Autonomous Government of Muslim Mindanao would not stand for re-election, thus dissolving itself.

The BBL was already facing hurdles in Congress when an uncoordinated attack by a police special forces unit entered MILF territory in pursuit of two wanted terrorists. The Mamasapano incident led to the death of 44 Special Action Forces, and the photographs of 44 flag-draped coffins made it all but impossible for the government to win both congressional and popular support. Congressional hearings became even more toxic, ahead of presidential elections. Mamasapano was a tactical failure with strategic implications.

zach-bbl-photo

In December 2015, the House failed to pass the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), meaning that by law the legislation had to be resubmitted to the next congress, which would have to start from scratch in terms of hearings and the legislative process. No presidential candidate condemned Congress’ inaction.

That was no surprise as four of 24 senators either ran for president or vice-president and they used their assaults on the BBL to burnish their credentials. Several of the senators most involved in the scuttling of the BBL were presidential candidates (Grace Poe, Miriam Defensor-Santiago) or vice-presidential candidates (Alan Peter Cayetano, Ferdinand Marcos Jr).

The Aquino administration did try to assure the MILF that the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) remained in place and was binding despite the failure to pass implementing legislation. But the MILF’s concerns were palpable. And as the BBL went un-passed, the MILF had no legal obligation to disarm, which continued to irritate Philippine politicians.

While none of the presidential candidates were against the peace process, their support for it was highly qualified. Only one, the President Aquino’s hand chosen successor, Mar Roxas, campaigned promising to push the BBL through Congress at the next session. All other candidates pledged support for the peace process in principle, but were very short on details.

While Duterte spoke of injustices and his centrepiece of political devolution through the establishment of a federal system, his support for the peace process was contradictory. In July 2015, he was critical of congressmen not from Mindanao who failed to understand local issues, and pledged his support for the BBL. He did travel to the MILF’s Camp Darapanan in February 2016, where in an audience with the Central Committee he spoke empathetically: “I know you are very frustrated and I know you are hurt. This could have created a problem had it not been for the moderation of the Central Committee.”

More importantly, he said that the BBL was a “template” for the country. But even here he said that he would only push for passage of the BBL if Congress embraced federalism. As he said: if federalism “will be undertaken by a Constitutional Commission, and thereafter if I am contented and it is gaining ground, BBL will be incorporated into the Constitution as an organic law of the Federal Republic of the Philippines.” Then he immediately contradicted himself: “if it [a constitutional amendment] takes time, and if only to defuse tension, in my government I will convince Congress to pass the BBL then make it as a template for federal states.”

Overall, the peace process was a very low priority in the presidential campaign, reinforcing the concern among the Moro that there is no place for them within the Philippine national narrative or construct. The MILF, for its part, did not endorse a candidate. And the MILF’s legally registered political party, the United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP) ran no candidates.

Moro-fighter-flickr
Image by Guy Oliver / IRIN

Upon Duterte’s victory in the presidential election, the MILF welcomed him as a “true son of Mindanao.” Chairman Ebrahim el Haj Murad said Duterte’s “message of justice, freedom, equality and social justice resonates with our aspiration for genuine change.” Murad said that the MILF shared Duterte’s belief that the “status quo is unacceptable.” In an 11 May letter to the president elect, Murad wrote that the MILF was “highly optimistic and confident that your victory would carry with it our hopes and aspirations for peace and justice in Mindanao.”

But the MILF’s hopes were soon dashed. Duterte is famously anti-Manila, and has threatened to run the country from his home in Davao, while surrounding himself with advisors from Mindanao. Traditional elites and technocrats from Manila and Makati have been largely shut out.

Although Duterte has placed key allies from Mindanao in his cabinet, they are largely hostile to the MILF and the peace process. Duterte immediately selected Jesus Duereza as his advisor on the peace process. Duereza held the same position in the cabinet of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo from 2001 to 2003. Duereza had a terrible reputation as a back-channel wheeler dealer. The MILF never trusted him, in particular following the government’s 2003 offensive against a major base camp on the eve of peace talks in Malaysia.

Duterte and Duereza’s quick appeal to the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), including offering to meet Nur Misuari, still a fugitive from justice but who publicly endorsed Duterte, reminded the MILF of Duereza’s history of trying to pit Moro groups against one another.

In addition, Duterte selected a North-Cotabato based Christian politician as his Secretary of Agriculture. Manuel Piñol had cut his teeth as an elected official in North Cotabato, where some of the most fierce fighting between the government and the MILF, and later the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, has taken place. North Cotabato has always been contested space between Christian dominated eastern Mindanao and lands claimed by the Bangsamoro. Piñol has been a leading critic of the BBL and a hardline Christian advocate within Congress, opposing the peace process.

Finally, Duterte named Salvador Panelo, the former defense lawyer for the Ampatuan clan, a clan responsible for the murder of 58 people, including 32 journalists in 2009, as his presidential spokesman. That is telling in itself.  The Ampatuans are fierce rivals of the MILF, with, what is described as “rido” or clan wars, armed skirmishes between the MILF and the Ampatuan’s large private army, often taking place.

So despite his Mindanao-dominated cabinet, the MILF leadership completely mistrusts them. It is more than their lack of commitment to the BBL or empathy with the plight of the Moros that has given the MILF leadership cause for concern, but the issue of federalism that has caused the greatest consternation. Duterte’s signature policy plan (apart from killing criminals), is the transformation of the Philippines into a federal system. In his February meeting with the MILF leadership he said, “I have been proposing federalism. But your territory will not be touched.” But since then, his team’s pronouncements have belied that.

The MILF is not opposed to Duterte’s plan, per se. But they always saw it as something that would augment the BBL and the establishment of the Bangsamoro, not supplant it. The MILF was in for a shock when Duterte’s candidate to be the speaker of the house, Congressman Pantaleon Alvarez, stated that the Duterte administration had no plan to re-submit the BBL to Congress. He said the CAB had been “rendered moot” as the Duterte administration was simply going to pursue a constitutional amendment and popular referendum by 2019 to establish a federal system.

On 28 May, Duterte backtracked and said that he would resubmit a version of the BBL. However, he wasn’t enthusiastic and seemed unwilling to use his electoral mandate to push for its passage. He again defaulted to federalism. ”If Congress cannot enact into law the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law, then we can pursue our collective dream of peace and prosperity via federalism.”

Any constitutional amendment is by definition a tall order, requiring three-fourths approval by both houses of Congress, or a constitutional convention and then a popular referendum. Despite several attempts to amend the 1987 constitution, none have made it to the referendum phase.

The MILF are very concerned that the future of the peace process was going to be dependent on such a fraught process, with little likelihood of success. In an editorial on their website, the MILF called the proposal a “non starter” that “does not build confidence that the Duterte administration understands the Bangsamoro problem.”

While the MILF couched their criticism, saying that Alvarez might not have been speaking for the Duterte administration, they were clearly signaling that anything short of the implementation of the CAB would be unacceptable.

“There are peculiarities that are unique to the Bangsamoro but are not present in the other possible federal states, which are predominantly Christians, such as the issues of shariah, madrasah systems, [the] need for Bangsamoro police, etc. Even in terms of narrative, the Moros have their distinct history.”

And they warned that without implementation of the CAB, there would be no disarmament or demobilisation. “How would he address the issue of MILF’s weapons and combatants and the need to normalise the situation?”

A federal system may be beneficial for the country as a whole, but it does not give the MILF the sense of special cultural identity, distinct from the Philippines, or that the government is trying to address historical wrongs, including having transitional justice mechanisms and a recognition of the “Ancestral Domain” of the Moro people.

Moreover, the MNLF’s quick embrace of federalism, with Duterte’s olive branch to them, does not bode well. Duterte continues to speak of the 1996 Accord, while the MILF crafted the CAB and the BBL as a way to supersede it. Duterte’s insistence that the Moro National Liberation Front  (MNLF) had to be part of the process, ignored the fact that the MNLF in general, and Nur Misuari in particular, have consistently refused to work with the MILF during the peace process despite frequent overtures. And all that despite the fact that the CAB and BBL created a mechanism for the MNLF to have considerable political power in the Bangsamoro government through the establishment of a parliamentary system.

From 29-30 May, the respective peace panels met in Kuala Lumpur, where they issued a statement calling for the continuity of the peace process. It was the last meeting with the stalwart defenders of the Peace Process and advocates for the passage of the BBL, Ging Deles and Miriam Ferrer Coronel, who were condemned by critics in Congress as “traitors.” Indeed one congressional critic filed treason charges against them, which were only rejected by the Office of the Ombudsmen on 9 June 2016.

The parties signed the Declaration of Continuity of the Partnership of the GPH and MILF in the Bangsamoro Peace Process that pledged both sides to continue to fully implement the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro. Though he did not attend the meeting, Duereza sent a note to the respective panels. While he did not explicitly state that the Duterte administration would push for congressional passage of the BBL, he said: “We intend to continue with the gains and build on those already done and achieved. The roadmap that we will traverse hereon will take policy guidance and direction from the new President when he assumes office on 30 June, 2016.”

Even if the Duterte administration decides to submit the implementing legislation to Congress, it is very likely not going to be the original piece of legislation submitted in September 2014. The government will most likely submit a watered down draft, stripping away much of the MILF’s autonomy, arguing that the original bill could not garner sufficient Congressional support. This, in itself, will be a major irritant to the MILF leadership and their rank and file.

On 18 June, Duterte hosted leaders of both the MILF and the MNLF in Davao for a two hour meeting. The MILF was represented by chairman Al Haj Murad Ebrahim and MILF vice chairman for political affairs Ghadzali Jaafar, while the MNLF was represented by Datu Abul Khayr Alonto.

Alonto was quick to endorse the president elect’s plan for federalism: “The centralised form of government has been a dismal failure. That is precisely (the reason) why you still have war in Mindanao.” The MILF continued to be more suspect and reiterated that to would continue to push for passage of the BBL as originally submitted.

Days after Alonto announced that the two groups would hold a “Bangsamoro convention”, but the problem with that is the MNLF is so woefully factional it’s not clear he can get Nur Misuari’s Sulu-based faction to go along. And the MILF made very clear that Duterte’s call for greater inclusion was unnecessary after more than 625 consultations with civil society and key stakeholders between 2014 and 2015.  Any further consultations would be viewed by the MILF as an attempt to forestall or further dilute the BBL.

With the peace process on indefinite hold, it was no wonder that regional security continued to plummet. While the MILF has kept most of its base commanders in line, and largely committed to the peace process, it also has no incentive to serve as a responsible stakeholder and effectively police its territory. Two of the six groups that have openly declared allegiance to IS, Anshaur al Khalifah Philippines and Dawlah Islamiyah (often referred to as the Maute group), operate in its territory. Both are increasingly lined to terrorist cells in Malaysia and Indonesia. And IS is trying to bring the different groups together under a single chain of command, calling each of the groups a “battalion.” With the territory and manpower of parts of the MILF, IS and its Philippine affiliates may finally declare the establishment of a province or wilayat.

Without a durable political solution, the southern Philippines looks likely to regress into pervasive insecurity, a growth of ungoverned space, with both national and regional security implications. Duterte’s statement that the Philippines will push for its claim to Sabah, which had been dormant since the first Aquino administration, is likely to infuriate Kuala Lumpur, already lacking enthusiasm to continue funding the International Monitoring Team or facilitating the peace process.

All this raises a troubling question of how the MILF leadership can continue to manage expectations and maintain command and control over their combatants, who may defect to more radical groups. Individually these groups pose no real threat, but if they are united or receive an infusion of personnel from the MILF, then the security situation in the southern Philippines looks likely to devolve, and a peace that was once in their grasp, slipping away.

Duterte’s mixed messages have done little to assuage these fears.

[Zachary Abuza, PhD, is Professor at the National War College where he specialises in Southeast Asian security issues. The view expressed here are his own, and do not reflect the views of the Department of Defense or National War College. Follow him on Twitter @ZachAbuza

This article is published in collaboration with New Mandala, the premier website for analysis on Southeast Asia’s politics and society.]

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