MILF: Ebrahim asks Moros to be mindful of challenges

Posted to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front Website (Sep 12): Ebrahim asks Moros to be mindful of challenges



MILF Chairman Alhaj Murad Ebrahim appealed on the eve of the Eidul Adha celebration to the Bangsamoro people to be “conscious of the challenges” facing them especially after the past Philippine administration failed to pass the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).

Eidul Adha or the Feast of the Sacrifice was commemorated with an early morning congregational prayer on September 12 by the Bangsamoro people, a ritual that was also observed by the world’s more-than-a-billion Muslims.

In his annual message read over Suara Mindanao radio program, Ebrahim also called on the Bangsamoro to be united as formal engagement with the new administration of Pres. Rodrigo Duterte has been started already to move forward the GPH-MILF Peace Process.

The MILF chieftain said that the entire Front and its agencies are “altogether engaging efforts with the international community” to sustain and further strengthen the latter’s support to the peace process.

He narrated how the MILF and the new administration agreed to proceed with the peace process, beginning with the visit last July 21 of new OPAPP Sec. Jesus Dureza to Camp Darapanan and the August 13 formal launching of the respective MILF and GPH Peace Implementing Panels in Kuala Lumpur.

The renaming of Peace Negotiating Panel to Peace Implementing Panel reflects the two Parties’ consensus that the focus now will be on the implementation of signed agreements since “negotiation is already concluded after the signing of the FAB and CAB.”

The Panels have met on August 29 and 30 at Davao City to review the draft executive order for a reconstituted Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC), which is part of the substantive aspects of the peace and development roadmap.

They are scheduled to meet again in the last week of the current month.

Ebrahim urged all officers, commanders and members of the MILF Political Wing and the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF) to “continue upholding (their) earlier directive to strictly abide by the instructions and guidelines of the MILF Central Committee.”

He exhorted them to uphold the primacy of the peace process but to be vigilant and persevering also “towards any future eventuality.”

http://www.luwaran.com/home/index.php/news/20-central-mindanao/888-ebrahim-asks-moros-to-be-mindful-of-challenges

IN THE KNOW: Joint Special Operations Task Force Philippines

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Sep 13): IN THE KNOW: Joint Special Operations Task Force Philippines

IN FEBRUARY last year, the Joint Special Operations Task Force Philippines (JSOTFP), a US-led antiterrorism group which provided training to Philippine security forces, was deactivated after 13 years in Mindanao.
US soldiers numbering between 500 and 600 were based indefinitely in the Philippines in 2011, government officials said.

The American soldiers assigned to JSOTFP work alongside the Armed Forces of the Philippines in a strictly noncombatant role. They advise and share information and conduct joint civil military operations with the AFP and some of them are in Manila performing support roles such as procurement, government officials have previously said.

The deactivation of JSOTFP came in the wake of the botched Mamasapano operation in Maguindanao province on Jan. 25, 2015, in which 44 Special Action Force (SAF) commandos, 17 Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels and three civilians were killed.

An Inquirer report said that the Mamasapano operation to get international terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir, alias “Marwan,” was directed by an American and that at least eight Americans were monitoring from the SAF command post in Shariff Aguak. The US Embassy denied the report.

JSOTFP’S deactivation, however, did not mean there would be a complete withdrawal of US military personnel from Mindanao as a new group, Forward Liaison Element,  will work with the Philippine military and police “to provide operational assistance and continue the partnership in a noncombat role,” according to Col. Erick Brown, who headed the group.

In February, the six-month SAF commando course, led by US soldiers, on tactical combat care and life-saving support began.

The basing of foreign military troops in the Philippines is explicitly prohibited in the 1987 Constitution and in 1991, the Senate voted to reject a proposed new bases treaty with the United States.

But existing agreements—the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty and the 1999 Visiting Forces Agreement—have allowed US military visits in the country, including participation in the Balikatan (shoulder to shoulder) exercise.

Further, the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (Edca), allows increased rotational presence of American troops in the country.

Edca, which reinforces the Mutual Defense Treaty, was signed in April 2014 and its constitutionality was upheld by the Supreme Court in January.

In March, five locations where American forces will have access under Edca were identified. They are Antonio Bautista Air Base in Puerto Princesa City in western Palawan province, which faces the hotly contested Spratly Islands in the South China Sea; Lumbia Air Base in Cagayan de Oro City in southern Mindanao; Basa Air Base in Floridablanca, Pampanga province; Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija province; and Mactan-Benito Ebuen Air Base in Cebu province.
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/814848/in-the-know-joint-special-operations-task-force-philippines

Duterte says he snubbed Obama at summit

From ABS-CBN (Sep 13): Duterte says he snubbed Obama at summit



Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte insisted Monday that he snubbed US leader Barack Obama and not the other way around on the eve of their scheduled summit in Laos last week.

Duterte sparked a storm ahead of an Asian gathering by labelling Obama a "son of a whore", and prompting the president to cancel planned talks between the two allies. The pair met briefly later in Laos after Duterte expressed regret.

But the fiery Filipino leader said Monday that in fact he decided to scrap the meeting in reaction to US criticism of his bloody anti-crime campaign, which has claimed almost 3,000 lives since he took office.

"I purposely did not attend the bilateral talks (with)... the president of the United States," Duterte said in a speech to police and military personnel.

"I really skipped that one."

"You cannot just (lecture) a president of a sovereign state. Even Obama. It would be wrong for him to do that. That is why I swore against him."

The former prosecutor mocked the "bleeding hearts" who criticised him for his human rights abuses, and reiterated his call for security forces to kill drug suspects and other criminals.

Duterte won presidential elections by a landslide this year after promising that tens of thousands of people would be killed in an unprecedented law-and-order crackdown.

Security forces have relentlessly followed his orders since he took office on June 30.

But his actions have sparked a wave of international condemnation, including from the UN chief Ban Ki-moon and the US State Department.

In a brief encounter in Laos, Obama urged the Filipino leader to conduct his crime war "the right way" and protect human rights, but Duterte dismissed it as being none of America's business.

Earlier Monday, Duterte said he was ordering all US special forces to leave the troubled southern Philippines where they have been advising local troops in battling Muslim extremists, saying the West was at the root of the persistent Muslim insurgency.

The US is the country's main defence ally and former colonial ruler.

http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/12/16/duterte-says-he-snubbed-obama-at-summit

Cuisia optimistic PH will still get US military aid

From ABS-CBN (Sep 13): Cuisia optimistic PH will still get US military aid

 

Manila's former envoy to Washington says he's optimistic about the U.S. continuing its military support to the Philippines, despite the tension that arose from President Rodrigo Duterte's comments against the United States. - The World Tonight, ANC, September 12, 2016

http://news.abs-cbn.com/video/news/09/12/16/cuisia-optimistic-ph-will-still-get-us-military-aid

U.S. says no official demand from Philippines to pull out special forces

From ABS-CBN (Sep 13): U.S. says no official demand from Philippines to pull out special forces

 

U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby. File photo via Reuters

A U.S. State Department spokesman, commenting on remarks by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday calling for the withdrawal of U.S. special forces from a southern island, said Washington had not officially received such a demand.

State Department spokesman John Kirby told a news briefing that he had seen reports about Duterte's comments, but "we are not aware of any official communication by the Philippine government ... to seek that result." The United States is committed to its alliance with the Philippines, he added.

http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/12/16/us-says-no-official-demand-from-philippines-to-pull-out-special-forces

No policy shift: Yasay says EDCA still on

From ABS-CBN (Sep 13): No policy shift: Yasay says EDCA still on

MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte will “respect” an agreement allowing increased American military presence in the country and his decision to remove US troops in the south did not indicate a policy shift, his foreign secretary said Tuesday.

The President wanted US Special Forces out of Mindanao to protect them from a kidnapping threat by the extremist group Abu Sayyaf, Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. told ANC.

Duterte’s statement came one week after US President Barack Obama cancelled their meeting on the sidelines of a Southeast Asian leaders’ summit in Laos. The Philippine leader had threatened to curse at his American counterpart if the latter questions his bloody war on drugs.

“He will respect all treaty agreements or arrangement with any nations, including America, including the EDCA, which the Supreme Court held as valid,” Yasay said.

“I would like to assure our Filipino people, there is no shift in so far as our policy is concerned, with respect to our close friendship with the Americans,” he added.

Duterte’s predecessor, Benigno Aquino, forged the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) with Obama in 2014 as he sought to strengthen Manila’s treaty alliance with Washington in the face of China’s assertiveness in the disputed South China Sea.

Duterte was not cutting ties with the international community when he directed his administration to pursue an "independent foreign policy, Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella said.

"He wants full and equal partnership with other nations," Abella told DZMM.

"Hindi natin ina-isolate ang sarili natin. Sinasabi lang natin na we are coming out of the shadows of other big nations. We are our own selves [We are not isolating ourselves. We are only saying that we are coming our we are coming out of the shadows of other big nations. We are our own selves]," he added.

http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/13/16/no-policy-shift-yasay-says-edca-still-on

Duterte to grace anniversary of 250th Presidential Airlift Wing

From Malaya Business Insight (Sep 13): Duterte to grace anniversary of 250th Presidential Airlift Wing

PRESIDENT Duterte will grace the 48th foundation anniversary today of the 250th Presidential Airlift Wing of the Philippine Air Force in Villamor Air Base in Pasay City.

The mission of the 250th PAW is to “provide safe, secure and effective air transportation” for the President and the immediate members of his or her family, and for visiting heads of state, state guests and other VIPs.

After the anniversary celebration, the President will preside over his first command conference with the Air Force leadership. The command conference will be attended by other military and defense officials.

“He will be engaging with Air Force personnel and their dependents through the ‘talk to the airmen’ and boodle fight that will follow,” said Air Force spokesman Col. Araus Robert Musico.

This will be the second major Air Force event that the President will attend since assuming office on June 30.

The first was last July 5 during the celebration of the PAF’s 69th foundation anniversary in Clark Air Base in Pampanga.

Before assuming as President, Duterte criticized the acquisition by the Air Force of FA-50s as a “waste of money.” What should have been bought, he said, were helicopters with night-flying capability.

The previous administration acquired 12 FA-50s for P18.9 billion from the Korean Aerospace Industries. Two of the aircraft were delivered last year while the rest are due for delivery this year and next year.

The acquisition of the fighter jets signaled the return of the Air Force to the supersonic age since the decommissioning of a fleet of F-5s in 2005 due to old-age and costly maintenance.

Last Friday, Duterte said the US sold the Philippine military the fighter jets.

He said: “We have received so many things from America. Thank you for your generosity. What they sold us, two, only two FA-50 (fighter jets). It’s FA-50 but they never gave us the missiles and the bullets and the cannons to fight. For ceremonial lang (only).”

In an interview yesterday, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana acknowledged the President made a mistake by saying the FA-50s came from US.

“Nagkamali lang siya, yung FA-50 is from Korea. Sabi niya dalawa lang binigay, hindi e, labindalawa yan, yung sampu ide-deliver pa lang,” Lorenzana said in an ambush interview in Maguindanao.

Lorenzana defended the acquisition of the fighter jets by the previous government.

“Ang nakita kong justification nung pagkuha nung past administration is that lead-in fighter kasi `to. Ibig sabihin pwedeng gawing trainer, pwede ring gawing fighter,” he said.

http://www.malaya.com.ph/business-news/news/duterte-grace-anniversary-250th-presidential-airlift-wing

DND chief to meet Carter, Asean peers

From Malaya Business Insight (Sep 13): DND chief to meet Carter, Asean peers

DEFENSE Secretary Delfin Lorenzana is due to fly to Honolulu, Hawaii at the end of the month to meet US Secretary Ashton Carter and his Association of Southeast Asian Nation counterparts.

Lorenzana made the announcement after attending the assumption of new 6th Infantry Division commander Maj. Gen. Carlito Galvez at the 6th ID headquarters in Maguindanao yesterday morning.

"We're going to discuss the security in the South China Sea, security against terrorism and other problems, general problems concerning our security,” he said the Asean defense ministers meeting.

Lorenzana did not elaborate on the specific issue that will be discussed about the South China Sea, or West Philippine Sea where the oil and minerals rich Spratly Islands are situated.

The Spratly Islands chain is being claimed in part or in whole by the Philippines, China, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei and Taiwan.

A United Nations arbitral court invalidated China’s excessive nine-dash line claim in the South China Sea last July. Also, it said China’s occupation and reclamation of Mischief Reef was in violation of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Lorenzana said the Philippines’ defense relations with the US remains strong, amid a rift between President Duterte and US President Barack Obama over human rights issues.

“It’s strong. It’s rock solid as the Americans described our defense relation or relationship,” said Lorenzana. “US is our ally, military ally because of the Mutual Defense Treaty which was signed in 1950s.”

http://www.malaya.com.ph/business-news/news/dnd-chief-meet-carter-asean-peers

Gov’t forces locating kidnapped Malaysians

From Malaya Business Insight (Sep 13): Gov’t forces locating kidnapped Malaysians

GOVERNMENT forces have been deployed in Sulu and Tawi-Tawi to locate three Malaysian fishermen abducted from Malaysian waters last Saturday, a military official said yesterday.

The Abu Sayyaf is suspected to be behind the kidnapping, said Maj. Filemon Tan, spokesman of the Armed Forces’ Western Mindanao Command based in Zamboanga City.

Malaysian officials on Sunday said the three crew members of a trawler were abducted last Saturday near a resort in Semporna by a group of seven “Filipino armed men” who headed to Tawi-Tawi after the incident with their victims.

They did not specifically point to the Abu Sayyaf which is blamed for the kidnapping of dozens of Indonesians and Malaysians in Indonesian, Malaysian and Philippine waters over the past several months.

Tan, citing reports received from Malaysia’s Eastern Sabah Security Command, Tan said the fishermen were seized at around 11 p.m. Saturday in the general area of PomPom island near Mataking Island Resort off Semporna.

Tan said the suspects used a boat, powered by two 75-horsepower engines.

“The boat was described to be a color green and white with red line which sped off towards northeast in the direction of Alice reef and Bulubulu island of Tawi-Tawi,” he said.

Tan said ground and naval forces immediately conducted intelligence operations established security points at the kidnappers’ probable routes.

Tan said the military is continuously coordinating and sharing intelligence information with Malaysian authorities.

Tan said the kidnappers may have difficulty bringing their captives to Mindanao.

“The sea is rough. The Navy said they will have difficulty crossing because of the sea condition,” he said.

If the kidnapping was indeed perpetrated by the Abu Sayyaf, the group did it possibly to distract the military from its operations against the group in Sulu and in Basilan.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said he “suspects” the kidnap victims will be brought to Tawi-Tawi, Jolo in Sulu, or Basilan, where it would be easier for the Abu Sayyaf to hide.

He also said the campaign against the Abu Sayyaf is continuing.

President Duterte has said he wants the Abu Sayyaf destroyed during his term.

http://www.malaya.com.ph/business-news/news/gov%E2%80%99t-forces-locating-kidnapped-malaysians

Duterte: US troops should stay out of Mindanao

From Rappler (Sep 12): Duterte: US troops should stay out of Mindanao

 

 'I do not want a rift with America but they have to go,' says President Duterte



'THEY HAVE TO GO.' President Rodrigo Duterte arrives at F. Bangoy International Airport in Davao City from Indonesia on September 10, 2016. Photo by KIWI BULACLAC/PPD

President Rodrigo Duterte said he does not want the presence of US Special Forces in Mindanao.

"Kaya 'yang mga special forces (Those special forces), they have to go. They have to go. In Mindanao, maraming mga puti doon (there are lots of white people there)," Duterte said during a speech in front of new appointees on Monday, September 12, in Malacañang Palace.

Duterte said this after presenting images of United States operations in Mindanao at the start of the 20th century in which American troops were bent on pacifying Moro rebels. The President showed images from a "US archive" of US soldiers violently killing Moro rebels.

After mentioning the US "special forces," Duterte said he has long wanted to "review foreign policy."

"'Di ko lang masalita noon (I just couldn't say so) out of respect or I do not want a rift with America but they have to go," he added.

Deactivated

The Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines (JSOTF-P) was a contingent of US troops, including Special Forces, that was set up to fight terrorism in the Philippines in 2002.

But it was deactivated in February 2015. Its mission was "to advise and assist Philippine security forces at the tactical, operational and strategic levels against violent extremist organizations throughout the southern Philippines," according to the US embassy.

A small group of US soldiers have stayed in the Philippines to help the Philippine military and police in their operations against the Abu Sayyaf and terrorists. Some of them, for example, had helped gather intelligence that led to the Mamasapano operation in 2015 against alleged Malaysian bomb-maker Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan, according to high-level government sources. The operation killed Marwan and 44 elite cops.

The US troops have a rotating presence in the region as part of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) which the Philippine government signed with the US government.

Duterte previously said he would implement the EDCA after the Supreme Court upheld its constitutionality.

'It will get more tense'

Duterte also seemed to say that the presence of American soldiers in Mindanao would make the situation there more tense. Though no American soldier has been held captive by the Abu Sayyaf, Duterte seemed to say American soldiers would be prime hostage targets for the terrorist group.

"Mas lalong iinit. Pag makakita ng Amerikano, papatayin talaga 'yan. Kukuha ng ransom, papatayin. Even if you're black or white American, basta Amerikano," said Duterte. I didn't say anything before out of respect or I do not want a rift with American but they have to go. It will get more tense. If they see an American, they will really be killed. They will demand ransom, they will kill them. Even if you're black or white, as long as you're American.)

'No peace'

In another part of his speech, Duterte said the US' violent pacification in Mindanao continues to stir unrest in the southern island.

"Look at the bodies there. Paano tayo, paano mag-hold-up (How will things hold up). For as long as we stay with American, we will hever have peace in that land. We might as well give it up."

Duterte's statement on US soldiers comes after the President's participation at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit where regional security and anti-terrorism efforts were among the topics discussed.

During the summit, Duterte also came face-to-face with US President Barack Obama who had earlier been one of the subjects of his controversial rant against the US.

Duterte has never hesitated to express his disdain for Western imperialism. When he was Davao City mayor, he had rejected the presence of US troops in his city.

During the ASEAN Summit, Duterte also showed images of US' violent pacification campaign in Mindanao, a move that "shocked" and left silent a room of diplomats and regional leaders.

http://www.rappler.com/nation/145981-duterte-united-states-special-forces-mindanao

Duterte on skipping ASEAN-US Summit: A matter of principle

From Rappler (Sep 13): Duterte on skipping ASEAN-US Summit: A matter of principle

 

 

'The reason is not I do not like the Americans. It is simply a matter of principle for me,' says President Duterte on why he skipped the ASEAN-US Summit in Laos



'MATTER OF PRINCIPLE.' President Duterte speaks during one of his events in Malacañang Palace on September 12, 2016. Photo by Toto Lozano/PPD

President Rodrigo Duterte’s absence at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-US Summit was intentional, he himself admitted on Monday, September 12.

“ I purposely did not attend the bilateral talks between ASEAN countries and the ambassador of the president of the United States. Talagang iniskip ko ‘yun. (I really skipped it) I attended all others,” said Duterte during a Metrobank Foundation event held in Malacañang Palace.

 

Duterte said his reason for skipping the event was not so much anti-Western sentiment as his “principles.”

 

“The reason is not I am anti-West, the reason is not I do not like the Americans. It is simply a matter of principle for me,” he added.

 

Duterte did not elaborate on what principles he was referring to but right after, he spoke of his war on drugs.

 

“Had I not been elected as president of this republic, masyadong kawawa ang bayan (the country would be too pitiful),” he said. 

 

“We never thought that the drug problem was that widespread. It starts with the use and it ends up with the dysfunctional family,” said Duterte.

 

He recalled how he was the “favorite whipping boy” of a “certain lady” and other sectors concerned about the human rights violations being linked to his campaign against illegal drugs.

 

Duterte said he had even told US President Barack Obama about the time he killed 3 persons, supposedly involved in drugs, to be shot for raping the wife of a policeman.

 

“In front of Obama, sinabi ko, I related to him, ‘pinatay ko ‘yung tatlo.’ I made them pay for what they did. Pinatay ko. Walang kaawa-awa. Pity is not one of my virtues,” he said. (In front of Obama, I said, I related to him, ‘I killed the three.’ I made them pay for what they did. I killed them. No mercy. Pity is not one of my virtues.)

 

Duterte expressed his lack of confidence in the justice system which he supposedly experienced firsthand as a prosecutor in Davao City in the 1980s.

 

“At least I don’t have cases of graft and corruption but here I was really a hardliner because I was a prosecutor, I am a lawyer. Many a times a saw cases falling apart because of corruption. My evidence turns to dust, my witnesses are intimidated,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino.

 

The President also confirmed that he ditched a speech he was to give at the ASEAN Summit. In one such speech, he was supposed to have mentioned the historic Hague ruling on the West Philippine Sea.

 

“Binigay ako ng national security adviser ng speech. Hindi na ako nagbabasa ng speech…Tinapon ko. I do not read my speeches,” he said. The national security adviser gave me a speech. I didn’t read the speech…I threw it away. I do not read my speeches.)

 

 http://www.rappler.com/nation/146017-duterte-asean-us-summit-principle

WATCH | Davao blast suspect being coddled by armed group: PNP chief Dela Rosa

From InterAksyon (Sep 12): WATCH | Davao blast suspect being coddled by armed group: PNP chief Dela Rosa



The main suspect in the Sept. 2 bombing attack in Davao City has been identified but cannot as yet be arrested because he is being coddled by a private armed group in Mindanao, according to Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa.

“Mahirap sa ngayon dahil (As of now it would be hard because) we don’t want to have another Mamasapano incident,” Dela Rosa said.

Dela Rosa was referring to the massacre of 44 commandos of the elite PNP-Special Action Force (PNP-SAF) who died while serving an arrest warrant on wanted Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan in Barangay Pidsandawan in Mamasapano, Maguindanao on January 25, 2015.

In that incident, the SAF engaged in a half-day-long battle with fighters of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) who were sheltering Marwan, and private armed groups. Aside from 44 SAF commandos, 17 MILF fighters and at least three civilians were also killed there.

Dela Rosa added that the PNP cannot just enter the area where the main suspect is hiding because it is under the control of the BIFF and private armed groups and lies in a cross border area held by the MILF.

“Tong mga area na ito ay kontrolado ng BIFF, kontrolado ng private armed group at saka nagko-cross border din sa area ng MILF kaya di tayo basta basta makakapasok doon,” Dela Rosa said.

Vice Mayor Abduwahab Sabal of Talitay, Maguindanao is also being linked to the bombing incident after he was arrested for possession of an improvised explosive device similar to the one used in the bombing at the Roxas night market that claimed the lives of 14 individuals and injured 70 others.

Sabal had earlier been named by President Rodrigo Duterte as one of the local government officials involved in the illegal drugs trade.

The vice mayor was arrested in connection with illegal drugs and illegal possession of firearms but he denied involvement in the Davao bombing.

Dela Rosa earlier said that narco-politicians in Mindanao may have connived with the Abu Sayyaf terrorist group to undertake the bomb attack.

As of Monday, Dela Rosa said, there was still no evidence that would link the vice mayor to the bombing incident in Davao City.

"Hindi muna ako magsalita hanggang hindi pa namin ma-connect. We have to connect all the dots to have an airtight case against the suspects. So hindi ko masabi na sila yung narco-politicians na tinutukoy natin who funded the bombing," Dela Rosa said.

Watch this News5 video report by France Noguera:
[Video report]

http://interaksyon.com/article/132356/watch--davao-blast-suspect-being-coddled-by-armed-group-pnp-chief-dela-rosa

Duterte orders US special forces out of southern Philippines

From InterAksyon (Sep 12): Duterte orders US special forces out of southern Philippines

President Rodrigo Duterte ratcheted up his feud with the United States on Monday, ordering all American special forces out of the southern Philippines where they have been advising local troops battling Muslim extremists.

Duterte's order came a week after he called US President Barack Obama "a son of a whore", causing Obama to cancel their scheduled bilateral meeting at a summit in Laos.

The Filipino leader, the first to hail from Mindanao and who claims Muslim ancestry, has been stepping up efforts to bring peace to the southern Philippines, where decades-long insurgencies with Muslim and communist rebels have claimed more than 150,000 lives.

Last month, he restarted peace talks with the largest separatist group, the 12,000-strong Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which like others has been fighting since the 1970s for an independent Islamic state or autonomous rule.

US advisers in the area help train Filipino troops but are barred from engaging in combat except in self-defense.

Previously, about 500-600 US personnel rotated through the Mindanao region but in 2014, then-Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said this would be cut back to 200.

Duterte did not specify when or how many Americans would be expelled but said the Philippines’ alignment with the West was at the root of the persistent Muslim insurgency.

"These US special forces, they have to go in Mindanao," he told a gathering of government employees.

"The (Muslim) people will become more agitated. If they see an American, they will really kill him."

The US embassy could not be reached for comment.

The United States is Manila's main military ally and the Philippines' colonial ruler until 1946. In his speech, Duterte showed photographs and cited accounts of how US troops killed Muslims during America's occupation of the Philippines in the early-1900s to explain his decision.

Duterte's spokesman Ernesto Abella said that "the statement reflects (President Duterte's) new direction towards coursing an independent foreign policy".

Some US special forces have been killed in the southern Philippines since 2002, when Washington deployed soldiers to train and advise local units fighting Abu Sayyaf in Operation Enduring Freedom, part of its global anti-terror strategy.

At the height of that, some 1,200 Americans were in Zamboanga City and on Jolo and Basilan islands, both strongholds of Abu Sayyaf, which is known for its brutality and for earning huge sums of money from hostage-taking.

The US program was discontinued in the Philippines in 2015 but a small troop presence has remained for logistics and technical support. Washington has shifted much of its security focus in the Philippines towards the South China Sea.

On Monday, Duterte also hit out at Obama and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for criticizing his bloody crackdown on crime that has claimed 3,000 lives in a little over two months.

"This Obama, when you accuse me of killing... let he who is without sin, cast the first stone," he said.

In a brief encounter in Laos, Obama urged the Filipino leader to conduct his crime war "the right way" and protect human rights, but Duterte has dismissed it as being none of America's business.

http://interaksyon.com/article/132354/duterte-orders-us-special-forces-out-of-southern-philippines

'Seizing, controlling' islands, shoals focus of Russia-China war games in South China Sea

From InterAksyon (Sep 12): 'Seizing, controlling' islands, shoals focus of Russia-China war games in South China Sea

The war games in the South China Sea between China and Russia will include a focus on "seizing and controlling" islands and shoals, Chinese Navy spokesman Liang Yang said in a statement, as the joint exercises were set to begin Monday (Sept. 12).

Beijing's defense ministry announced the preparations on the drills, in an apparent show of force after a UN tribunal invalidated China's extensive claims in the area in a landmark ruling issued July 12 on a case brought by the Philippines.

The eight-day joint exercises will involve surface ships, submarines, fixed-wing aircraft, ship-borne helicopters, marine corps and amphibious armoured equipment from both navies, the Chinese officer said.

"Compared with previous joint drills, these exercises are deeper and more extensive in terms of organisation, tasks and command" Liang Yang said in the statement, released Sunday.

China claims almost all of the South China Sea and has sought to bolster its case by building a series of artificial islands capable of supporting military facilities.

But the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) at The Hague ruled in July that any extensive claims to the sea had no legal basis and that China's construction of artificial islands in disputed waters was illegal.

Beijing reacted furiously, with foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang threatening a "decisive response" if anyone took "any provocative action against China's security interests based on the award".

Beijing's land reclamations have prompted criticism from other claimant countries and the US, and Washington has regularly sent warships into the strategically vital area to assert the right to freedom of navigation.

This week's drills will be carried out off the coast of Zhanjiang city in the southern province of Guangdong.

Their precise location was not announced, but they do not appear to be taking place in disputed parts of the sea.

They were aimed at "strengthening the capabilities of the Chinese and Russian Navies in jointly handling security threats on the sea", navy spokesman Liang said.

China and Russia have close military and diplomatic ties, often in opposition to the West, particularly the United States, and their leaders Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin enjoy a tight relationship.

Last August, the two powers held military exercises in the waters and airspace of the Peter the Great Gulf, south of the Russian Pacific city of Vladivostok, involving 22 vessels, up to 20 aircraft and more than 500 marines.

In May last year, they conducted their first joint naval exercises in European waters in the Black Sea and Mediterranean, China's farthest-ever drills from its home waters.

http://interaksyon.com/article/132346/seizing-controlling-islands-shoals-focus-of-russia-china-war-games-in-south-china-sea

Philippines, Malaysia share intell on latest Sabah abductions

From the Mindanao Examiner (Sep 12): Philippines, Malaysia share intell on latest Sabah abductions
 

The Philippine military on Monday said it is exchanging intelligence with neighboring Malaysia following the abductions of 3 fishermen by suspected Filipino gunmen in Sabah. 

Seven gunmen abducted the trio in a daring cross-border raid into the rich Malaysian state just off the southern Philippine province of Tawi-Tawi on September 10. 

The armed men on board two green speedboats intercepted the trawler near the island of Pompom off Semporna town and snatched its skipper and 2 other crew. Four other crew members were left unharmed and reported the incident to their employer. 

The Western Mindanao Command, citing Malaysian intelligence report, said the 7 armed men in a two speed boats sped off towards northeast in the direction of Alice reef and Bulubulu Island of Tawi-Tawi. “Coordination and intelligence sharing and exchange with Eastern Sabah Security Command is now being done,” it said without further details. 

The fishing company immediately reported the abduction to the police before dawn the next day. No individual or group claimed responsibility for the latest abduction, but Sabah authorities said the gunmen fled towards Tawi-Tawi, one of 5 provinces under the Muslim autonomous region in southern Philippines. 

The incident happened just as the Philippine military continues its offensive against the Abu Sayyaf in Sulu and Basilan provinces, also in the autonomous region. 

It was not immediately known whether the militant group was involved in the abduction, but the Abu Sayyaf is still holding over a dozen hostages that included Malaysian and Indonesian tugboat crewmen, a Norwegian man, a Japanese and Filipinos.

http://mindanaoexaminer.com/philippines-malaysia-share-intell-on-latest-sabah-abductions/

ARMM provides relief, medical aid to displaced families in Sulu

From the Philippine Information Agency (Sep 12): ARMM provides relief, medical aid to displaced families in Sulu

About 4,000 families affected by intensified military operations against members of the Abu Sayyaf Group in Sulu received relief goods and medical assistance from the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) on September 5.

ARMM regional vice-governor Haroun Alrashid Lucman Jr. led the delivery of the humanitarian assistance with Sulu Governor Abdusakur Totoh Tan II and Director Ramil Masukat of the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office and ARMM – Humanitarian Emergency Action and Response Team (ARMM-HEART).

As of September 5, close to 4,000 families have been displaced by the military’s offensive against the Abu Sayyaf with most of the evacuees coming from five municipalities namely Patikul (1,122 families); Maimbung (1,321); Indanan (400); Parang (1,113); and Panamao (29).

Myrna Jo Henry, ARMM-HEART information officer, said their team validated the number of affected families that received the region’s relief and medical assistance.

ARMM-HEART is a convergence of agencies that oversees disaster preparedness and response in the region.

The team includes the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, Office of Civil Defense, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Science and Technology, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, Department of the Interior and Local Government, and the Regional Planning and Development Office, among others.

 http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/1521473603424/armm-provides-relief-medical-aid-to-displaced-families-in-sulu

170 sundalo sa Aurora, sumailalim sa drug test

From the Philippine Information Agency (Sep 12): 170 sundalo sa Aurora, sumailalim sa drug test (170 soldiers in Aurora, undergo drug test)

May 170 kawani ng Philippine Army 56th Infantry “Tatag” Battalion ang sumailalim sa drug test.

Ayon kay Tatag Battalion Commander Lt. Col. Louie Villanueva, bahagi ito ng kanilang pakikiisa sa kampanya ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte laban sa iligal na droga.

Ani Villanueva, kung meron mang sundalo na maging positibo ay agad silang tatanggalin sa serbisyo at mawawala ang lahat ng kanilang mga benepisyo.

Regular na magsasagawa ang batalyon ng random at mandatory drug testing upang matiyak na ang lahat ng mga tauhan nito ay drug-free

http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/611473304727/170-sundalo-sa-aurora-sumailalim-sa-drug-test

More military personnel to be deployed in metropolis

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 12): More military personnel to be deployed in metropolis

More officers and enlisted personnel of the military's Joint Task Force-National Capital Region (JTF-NCR) will be deployed to ensure safety in the metropolis in preparation for two important events that the country will host next year.

JTF-NCR deputy commander Col. Victor Tomas said the size of their contingent might grow bigger as major international and local events are expected to take place.

"We are expecting our (contingent) size to grow large due to events that will take place like the Metro Manila Film Festival (this December) and Ms. Universe, Black Nazarene Procession and ASEAN (Summit) next year," Tomas said.

Two days after the Davao City blast, which killed 14 people and wounded more than 60 others, 200 officers and enlisted personnel were deployed in five of Metro Manila's police districts to help in the ongoing check point and visibility patrols.

The 200-strong JTF-NCR contingent is composed of Army, Air Force, Navy personnel along with K-9 and bomb disposal units.

Tomas said that they also have a stand-by force to help the police in possible contingencies.

"We would like to inform everybody that they should feel safe with the presence of both police and military, they have nothing to fear as this is not martial law," Tomas said.

Following the Davao City attack, President Rodrigo Duterte declared a "State of National Emergency on Account of Lawless Violence in Mindanao" which authorized the military to help the police in its peacekeeping and anti-terror operations.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=922256

PHL, US defense relations remain very strong --DND chief

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 12): PHL, US defense relations remain very strong --DND chief

Defense relations between the Philippines and the United States remain very strong.

This was stressed by Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Monday in the wake of President Rodrigo R. Duterte's announcement that the Philippines will also talk to other countries to get quality equipment that will beef up its Armed Forces.

"Our defense relations with the US remain (very) strong. (In fact), Americans call it 'rock solid'. The US is really our primary ally because of the Mutual Defense Treaty which was signed in the 1950s, and it is still there, we have not abrogated the MDT," Lorenzana said in Filipino.

"What the President said is that we will talk with other countries who can give us quality equipment that will strengthen our defenses," he added.

"And we will do that, but we will still have our treaty alliance with the US," Lorenzana further stressed.

As this develops, the DND chief said that he is scheduled to meet with US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter by the end of this month in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Other ASEAN defense ministers will also be present in the meeting and some of the topics to be discussed include security in the South China Sea, terrorism and other security and safety matters.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=922324

(Update) WMC conducting intelligence ops to determine location of 3 abducted Malaysian nationals

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 12): (Update) WMC conducting intelligence ops to determine location of 3 abducted Malaysian nationals

The Western Mindanao Command (WMC) is now conducting intelligence operations to determine whether the three Malaysian fishermen, earlier snatched off Sempurnah, Sabah, were taken to Tawi-Tawi by still unidentified armed men.

This was disclosed by WMC spokesperson Major Filemon Tan in an interview Monday.

Focus of the intelligence operations is to identify the whereabouts of the victims and if necessary intercept and rescue them immediately, he added.

However, Tan is not discounting the possibility that the suspects have taken the victims into an unpopulated Malaysian-owned island due to poor weather conditions and rough seas prevailing in Tawi-Tawi and other nearby areas.

He also said that they were looking into two angles regarding the abduction, one is that some criminal groups are interested in making money out of the incident and the other is that some sympathizers of the Abu Sayyaf, who are now being heavily-pressured in Basilan and Sulu, have decided to conduct the kidnapping as part of the efforts to distract the military from their ongoing operations.

Initial reports received from the Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCOM) revealed that three Malaysian fisherman were abducted last Sept. 10 in the general area of Pom Pom island near Mataking Island Resort off Sempurnah, Sabah.

Accordingly, the abductors were comprised of seven armed men in a two 75-hp engine green and white speedboat.

ESSCOM claimed that the boat sped off towards northeast in the direction of Alice reef and Bulubulu Island off Tawi-Tawi. The reported abduction occurred within Sabah territory.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=922315

Dela Rosa: PNP knows identity of mastermind in Davao blast

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 12): Dela Rosa: PNP knows identity of mastermind in Davao blast

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa on Monday confirmed that the national police already knew the mastermind in the bombing attack in Davao City that claimed the lives of 14 individuals and injured 70 others last Sept. 2.

Dela Rosa said that although they already knew the identity of the mastermind, however, it could not still be made public because the PNP was still building up the case against the suspect.

The PNP chief also debunked the link of Talitay, Maguindanao Vice Mayor Abduwahab Sabal in the Davao bombing.

Dela Rosa said that the arrest of the vice mayor was in connection with illegal drugs and illegal possession of firearms.

He added that all the news about the vice mayor were all “speculations” only.

As of Monday, Dela Rosa said, there were still no evidence that would link the vice mayor in the bombing incident in Davao City.

"Hindi muna ako magsalita hanggang hindi pa namin ma-connect. We have to connect all the dots to have an airtight case against the suspects. So hindi ko masabi na sila yung narco-politicians na tinutukoy natin who funded the bombing," Dela Rosa said.

”We are doing everything we can to have him (bomber) arrested,” he said.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=922344

FA-50PHs capable of doing many missions - DND chief

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 12): FA-50PHs capable of doing many missions - DND chief

The South Korean-made FA-50PH "Fighting Eagle" is capable of doing many missions for the Philippine Air Force (PAF).

This is probably why the previous administration has opted to acquire this aircraft, said Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Delfin Lorenzana.

"The justification I see why the previous administration decided to acquire the FA-50PH is that it is a lead-in fighter aircraft which means it can be both use as a trainer and fighter," he added in Filipino.

Lorenzana said such configurations were necessary considering that PAF pilots had been without a modern fighter aircraft for a long time and they could be given sophisticated fighters like the F-15 "Eagle" without rigorous training.

The PAF has retired its fleet of Northrop F-5 "Tiger" fighter jets due to airframe ageing and lack of spare parts, forcing the service to convert its SIAI-Marchetti S-211 jet trainers for this role.

"It takes years to train fighter pilots, (we will use) the FA-50PHs first and then later if we have (financial) capabilities to purchase the real fighter planes, we will do that," he added.

The Philippines has a 12 FA-50PH order from Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) worth Php18.9 billion.

The first two units arrived last Nov. 28 with the remaining 10 to be delivered during 2016 and 2017.

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

The "Fighting Eagle" will act as the country's interim fighter until the Philippines get enough experience of operating fast jet assets and money to fund the acquisition of more capable fighter aircraft.

Its design is largely derived from the F-16 "Fighting Falcon", and they have many similarities: use of a single engine, speed, size, cost, and the range of weapons.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=922333

US military forces have to leave Mindanao – President Duterte

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 11): US military forces have to leave Mindanao – President Duterte

President Rodrigo Duterte said Monday that United States military forces have to leave Mindanao to prevent being targeted by kidnap-for-ransom groups, particularly the Abu Sayyaf.

”I do not want a rift with America, but they have to go. The Americans, they (bandits) will really kill them. They will get ransom and they will kill (hostages),” President Duterte said in his speech during the oath-taking of his 43 new appointees in Malacañang.

”So those (US) special forces, they have to go. There are many white there. They have to go,” he added.

President Duterte said he was supposed to raise the issue when he attended the recently concluded ASEAN Summit in Laos.

”But I did not speak about it out of respect,” Duterte, the country’s first president from Mindanao, said.

Recently, the Philippine government increased its military presence to almost 10,000 troops in Sulu to crush the Abu Sayyaf.

Meanwhile, Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella released a media statement to clarify President Duterte’s call for the US forces to leave Mindanao.

”The statement reflects PRRD's (President Duterte's) new direction towards coursing an independent foreign policy. He has made reference to the unrecognized, unrepented and un-atoned for massacre at Bud Dajo in Sulu by the Americans, hence our continued connection with West is the real reason for the 'Islamic' threat in Mindanao,” Abella said.

”The American silence on the matter lacks congruence with its 'moral' position, in the light of actions taken in the past by the Germans who confessed and made atonement for the Holocaust, and Japan which made reparations for the atrocities it perpetrated among the peoples they conquered. Mr. Duterte is on morally firm ground by breaking up walls that cover dark corners in US-RP relations,” he added.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=922377