Court orders lifting of arrest warrant vs Misuari

From ABS-CBN (Nov 3): Court orders lifting of arrest warrant vs Misuari



Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) chariman Nur Misuari speaks during the turn-over ceremony of Norwegian kidnap victim Kjartan Sekkingstad to government officials in Indanan town, Sulu province on September 18, 2016. Nickee Butlangan, AFP

A local court has ordered the lifting of the arrest warrant against Moro National Liberation Front founding chairman Nur Misuari in connection with the bloody Zamboanga City siege in 2013.

No less than Presidential Peace Adviser Jesus Dureza met Misuari in Jolo, Sulu Thursday to hand over the court order lifting the arrest warrant. The order was signed by Pasig Regional Trial Court branch 158 Judge Maria Rowena Modesto San Pedro.

A DZMM report said MNLF forces accompanied Misuari during the meeting. The report said that after the meeting. Dureza and Misuari both boarded a private jet en route to Manila.

President Rodrigo Duterte earlier ordered government forces not to implement the arrest order against Misuari ahead of peace negotiations with Moro groups in Mindanao.

For his part, Misuari thanked Duterte for the lifting of the arrest order, saying it proves he had nothing to do with Zamboanga City siege.

http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/03/16/court-orders-lifting-of-arrest-warrant-vs-misuari

Malaysia’s Navy Deal With China: Meeting A Complex Security Challenge – Analysis

From the Eurasia Review (Nov 3): Malaysia’s Navy Deal With China: Meeting A Complex Security Challenge – Analysis (By Koh Swee Lean Collin, RSIS)
Beyond geopolitics, the latest revelation of Malaysia’s purchase of Littoral Mission Ships from China needs to be viewed in perspective.



Malaysia's Najib Razak. Photo by Malaysian government, Wikipedia Commons.

Prime Minister Najib Razak’s current visit to Beijing has been underscored by what the Malaysian leader described as a “landmark decision” – a two-year defence contract to buy and build four Littoral Mission Ships (LMS) from China. This deal might have come across as surprising to many who have long known that Malaysia has customarily operated Western naval equipment. As Najib told the Malaysian media in Beijing: “I call this a landmark decision because before this, we had not bought such vessels from China.”

Such a revelation sparked much speculation about Kuala Lumpur’s further geopolitical shift towards Beijing and consequent ramifications for regional security, especially the United States’ Asia rebalancing strategy. But geopolitics aside, this deal, if it is formally inked and implemented, should not have come across as any surprise. In fact, last year the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) reportedly also mulled Chinese replacements for the aging Italian-made missiles on board its Laksamana-class corvettes.

Persistent Shortfalls

Notwithstanding Malaysia’s sprawling maritime zone that spans from its Indian Ocean-facing peninsular western seaboard, all the way across the South China Sea to the Celebes and Sulu seas off Borneo, the country has long been afflicted by budget and equipment shortfalls.

In the face of such immutable geographical circumstances, what has become more pertinent in recent years has been the increasingly complex maritime security challenges Malaysia is confronted with. Eastern Sabah remains a key focal point – a problem that stemmed from the 2013 infiltration by Sulu militants into Lahad Datu, and most lately, the spate of “kidnap-for-ransom” incidents in the Sulu Sea, involving attacks on Malaysian vessels.

In this regard, the Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCOM) has consumed a huge chunk of funding – over RM1.1 billion (about US$263 million) at least had been allocated under the previous state budgets. These do not simply go to purchase of physical surveillance and patrol assets, but also land infrastructure construction, including the ESSCOM Fusion Centre. More recently, with the rising threat from the self-proclaimed Islamic State, Kuala Lumpur also raised its maritime security alert posture along the coasts of peninsular Malaysia.

Not a Strange Purchase

Overall, the Malaysian Armed Forces is no stranger to purchasing equipment from sources outside its traditional Western circles, including Poland and Russia since the 1990s. An interesting example is the Sukhoi Su-30MKM Flanker, essentially a hybrid multi-role fighter jet combining a Russian airframe and retaining some of its baseline native systems with a mixture of South African and Western components.

Viewing today’s cut-throat competition in the global arms market, it has become an imperative for suppliers to meet customers’ demand for “mix and match”, customising platforms according to their needs. This way, the customer is not necessarily beholden to one source.

Of course, this can lead to various problems; for example, it becomes more complicated to integrate systems from different sources together on a common platform. There may also be consequences for after-sales life cycle support, especially concerning logistics.

Neighbouring Thailand is a proximate example to look at this reported LMS purchase from China. Back in the early 1990s, as part of its major naval buildup Thailand acquired several warships from China, including four Chao Phraya/Kraburi-class frigates which were essentially Jianghu-III/IV outfitted with all key Chinese systems. The Royal Thai Navy (RTN) was reportedly dissatisfied with these ships, citing poor-quality systems and frequent breakdowns.

Subsequent buys changed the equation. A pair of Naresuan-class frigates was purchased in the mid-1990s, again based on a modified Jianghu hull but outfitted with mainly Western systems and only some Chinese components. These ships worked fine, and remained the RTN’s principal surface combatant at least until the new South Korean-built DW3000H frigate enters service.

Bangkok appears satisfied – after 2007 it commissioned a pair of Pattani-class offshore patrol vessels, based on Chinese hull but outfitted with Western systems. The lead ship, HTMS Pattani was deployed to the Gulf of Aden in 2010 to join in counter-piracy operations.

Challenging Fleet Rationalisation?

The Malaysian LMS fleet is thus foreseeably not going be a “thorough-bred” Chinese ship with all Chinese systems, but likely a hybrid platform based on a Chinese hull combined with various Western and Chinese components.

In the current climate of austerity – the defence budget allocated for 2017 is US$3.6 billion, a 13% drop from about $4.1 billion the previous year. In the face of pressing operational and technical requirements to address capacity shortfalls to cope with a myriad of complex, evolving maritime security challenges across a vast domain, this “mix and match” approach may constitute a means to diversify supply sources.

However, for the RMN which has been using Western systems, it may take time to familiarise with and assimilate the new platform and its systems in service. Logistics also potentially constitute a long-term challenge to the 15-to-5 Armada Transformation Programme proposed by the navy’s leadership early this year.

The plan envisages reducing the current 15 classes of vessels, averaging 30 years of age and sourced from seven different countries, to five broad categories: 1) Second-Generation Patrol Vessel-Littoral Combat Ship; 2) New-Generation Patrol Vessel (Kedah-class); 3) LMS; 4) Multi-Role Support Ship and 5) Submarine (modified Scorpene; Tun Abdul Razak-class).

Balancing Priorities

For now, what take precedence are addressing the need for block replacement of ageing systems and maintaining at least a critical mass of assets and thus operational readiness in peacetime. Kuala Lumpur will continue to be fixated on eastern Sabah and generally the rising terror threat posed by IS.

This means possibly lesser funds available in future for “big-ticket” purchases but instead, simpler, less expensive yet more useful patrol vessels (especially for the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency).

The Malaysian example is not the first, and likely not the last, where it comes to the tough act of balancing competing economic, political and operational priorities in the process of building maritime forces capacity – especially in the era where new, lower-tier players have emerged amongst the global arms suppliers.

Purchasing arms from China may not necessarily reflect just Malaysia’s geopolitical choice, but more pertinent concerns over day-to-day upkeep of an effective yet cost-conscious force capable of tackling immediate security challenges at sea.

[Koh Swee Lean Collin is a Research Fellow with the Maritime Security Programme at the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies, a constituent unit of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.]

[RSIS Commentaries are intended to provide timely and, where appropriate, policy relevant background and analysis of contemporary developments. The views of the author/s are their own and do not represent the official position of the S.Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), NTU, which produces the Commentaries.]

http://www.eurasiareview.com/03112016-malaysias-navy-deal-with-china-meeting-a-complex-security-challenge-analysis/

Livelihood for locals helps cut off ASG hold in Basilan, Sulu

From the Philippine News Agency (Nov 2): Livelihood for locals helps cut off ASG hold in Basilan, Sulu

Livelihood opportunities and availability of government services are still the best options in cutting off the terrorist Abu Sayyaf Group's hold in Basilan and Sulu areas, a ranking Armed Forces of the Philippines official said.

AFP public affairs office chief Col. Edgard Arevalo said residents should be provided with better options to earn so that they can adequately feed and educate their families.

Arevalo said these efforts are currently ongoing along with the military option.

The strategy seems to be paying off as two bandits were killed in Indanan, Sulu last Oct. 30 after government forces were tipped off by civilians regarding the bandits' presence, Arevalo added.

"That's why we were able to immediately dispatch a sizeable unit to engage them and it was successful, because of our engagement, enhanced or reinvigorated engagement with the people," Arevalo said.

From July to October, ASG bandits killed in Sulu has reached 60, with another 19 wounded, and 30 captured, he said.

In Basilan, military units have killed 10, wounded three, and captured two while 34 voluntarily surrendered to the AFP.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=936329

DND-GA looking for PHP15-M worth of 5.56 mm finished primers

From the Philippine News Agency (Nov 2): DND-GA looking for PHP15-M worth of 5.56 mm finished primers

The Department of National Defense-Government Arsenal (DND-GA) is allocating the sum of PHP15 million for the acquisition of 5.56 mm finished primers.

Winning bidders are required to deliver the items within 120 calendar days.

Pre-bid conference is scheduled for Nov. 7, 1:30 p.m. at the Government Arsenal Metro Manila Liaison Office, Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.

Primers serve as igniter of the main charge needed to fire the bullet.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=936408

PN's Taccad to retire on November 13

From the Philippine News Agency (Nov 2): PN's Taccad to retire on November 13

Philippine Navy (PN) flag-in-officer-in-command Vice Admiral Caesar Taccad will formally retire from the service this coming Nov. 13 after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 56.

Taccad, a member of Philippine Military Academy Class of 1982, will bow out of the PN after 34 years of service.

Turn-over ceremonies for his successor are tentatively scheduled on Nov. 12, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) public affairs office chief Col. Edgard Arevalo said.

Possible replacements for Taccad are Western Command head Vice Admiral Ronald Joseph Mercado and a member of PMA Class 1983; PN vice commander Rear Admiral Rafael G. Mariano, a member of PMA Class of 1984; Philippine Fleet commander Rear Admiral Gaerlan, another member of PMA Class of 1984 and Naval Education and Training Command head Rear Admiral Narciso Vingson, a member of PMA Class of 1985.

"Whoever becomes the next Flag Officer in Command among this list of very senior and competent flag officers of the Philippine Navy will surely serve our purpose well," Arevalo said.

"They are all seasoned commanders and managers. They have gone all through the billets in the Philippine Navy from junior command at sea to their respective designations as staff and then other management positions as they rose from the ranks of the PN," he added.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=936539

US supplies of weapons, equipment to continue until end of MDT

From the Philippine News Agency (Nov 2): US supplies of weapons, equipment to continue until end of MDT
US supplies of weapons and other defense equipment to the Philippines will continue pending the abrogation of the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT).

This was stressed by Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) public affairs office chief Col. Edgard Arevalo when asked on whether the reported US order halting the sale of 26,000 assault rifles to the Philippine National Police (PNP) will have repercussions on the Philippine military.

"The (alleged) US decision to halt sales of 26,000 assault rifles to the PNP will not have an effect on the AFP as our weapons and equipment are sourced through Foreign Military Sales (FMS) which is guarantee under the MDT," Arevalo said in Filipino.

And through FMS, weapons or equipment to be acquired, would not need to pass US Congress approval unlike contracts completed using American suppliers or manufacturers. Sole approval on FMS lies on the US government, the AFP official said.

And until the 1951 MDT is abrogated, the AFP can source its equipment needs through FMS, Arevalo added.

However, President Rodrigo Duterte has already ordered the AFP to look for countries and suppliers capable of providing much needed weapons and equipment to the military provided the latter can meet their requirements.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=936553

AFP: Study needed before PHL can decide on new suppliers of weapons, equipment

From the Philippine News Agency (Nov 3): AFP: Study needed before PHL can decide on new suppliers of weapons, equipment

An official of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said purchase of military weapons and equipment from other suppliers aside from the US needs careful study and research.

Before looking for a new supplier, AFP public affairs office chief Col. Edgard Arevalo said the weapons and equipment for purchase must meet the requirements set.

"I think the Commander-in-Chief (President Rodrigo Duterte) has already mentioned that there are other suppliers who are willing to provide for our needs but this needs a detailed study or research to determine whether they are readily adoptable to local conditions, availability of supply, reliable, efficient and dependable," Arevalo said in Filipino.

He cited the case of radio equipment which he said must be able to communicate from ship-to-ship, planes or in ground units.

Earlier, Arevalo said US supplies of weapons and other defense equipment will continue pending the abrogation of the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT).

He made this comment after being asked on whether the alleged US order halting the sale of 26,000 assault rifles to the Philippine National Police (PNP) will have repercussions on the Filipino military.

"The alleged US decision to halt sales of 26,000 assault rifles to the PNP will not have an effect on the AFP as our weapons and equipment are sourced through Foreign Military Sales (FMS) which is guarantee under the MDT," Arevalo said in Filipino.

Through FMS, weapons or equipment for acquisition will not need to pass US Congress approval, unlike contracts completed using American suppliers or manufacturers.

Sole approval on FMS lies on the US government, the AFP official said.

Until the 1951 MDT is abrogated, the AFP can source its equipment needs through FMS, he added.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=936672

ROYAL HIGHNESS | Malaysian Crown Prince visits AFP

From the AFP Civil Relations Service Radio Website (Nov 2): ROYAL HIGHNESS | Malaysian Crown Prince visits AFP

CAMP AGUINALDO, Quezon City – The Crown Prince of Malaysia’s state of Perlis, His Royal Highness Tuanku Syed Faizuddin Putra Syed Sirajuddin Jamalullail, visited the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) headquarters today, 02 November 2016, as part of his four-day academic and military tour.

 

The AFP Deputy Chief of Staff LtGen Salvador Melchor B Mison Jr received Prince Faizuddin on behalf of the Chief of Staff, General Ricardo R Visaya.

 

AFP Public Affairs Office Chief Marine Colonel Edgard A Arevalo said “the engagement envisions to learn from the experience and best practices of both Malaysia and the Philippines on the Reservist and Reserve Officers Training Program. The Malaysian delegation would like to learn how best the AFP organize, train, and deploy its Reservists especially in Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response (HADR) Operations among other objectives of the visit.”

 

“The AFP meanwhile would like to hear for one, how the Malaysian Armed Forces recruit and manage all sorts of professionals into their Reservist Corps,” Col Arevalo added.

 

Aside from being the Crown Prince, Faizuddin is also the Commander of 504^th Regiment of the Malaysian Territorial Army, holding the rank of Brigadier General. He likewise heads the Malaysian Reserved Officers Training Unit (ROTU) or Pasukan Latihan Pegawai Simpanan (PALAPES).

 

After his meeting with LtGen Mison, Prince Faizuddin visited the AFP Reserve Command (AFPRESCOM) also in Camp Auinaldo. He was met by AFPRESCOM Commander Col Pascual Luis D Bedia (MNSA) PA.

 

In his speech during his courtesy call in AFPRESOM, Prince Faizuddin said “there are possible avenues for collaboration between Malaysian ROTU and the AFPRESCOM such as through joint training.”

 

“It is significant for both countries to work out avenues or areas for future engagements as well as keeping in touch through various medium available, either via informal or formal means,” Prine Faizuddin added.

 

The Prince then toured the AFP Museum along with his 9-men delegation mostly composed of deputy commandants in major reserve training units in Malaysia. They will also visit the University of the Philippines. UP is home to the UP Reserved Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC), one of the pioneers of ROTC in the Philippines.

 

The Crown Prince arrived in the Philippines last Monday, 31 October 2016 and will depart for Singapore tomorrow, 03 November 2016.

 

The Philippines and Malaysia established diplomatic relations in 1959. Since then, the two countries have entered into joint military trainings and exercises, information exchanges, and reciprocal visits between respective defense officials.

 

Part of its Defense Cooperation is the Philippines-Malaysia Military Cooperation Working Group (MCWG). This was organized to review and plan for continuous military activities between the AFP and Malaysian Armed Forces.

 

In the recent MCWG meeting conducted last year, both armed forces agreed to curb smuggling, piracy, and terrorism along the trade routes in the waters between Philippines and Malaysia.

 

“The visit of the Malaysian Crown Prince to our Armed Forces marks the robust and strong partnership between the AFP and the Malaysian Armed Forces. It signifies our modest but steady achievements in our effort to promote regional peace and stability through our Reservist Program,” General Visaya said.

 

http://dwdd.com.ph/2016/11/02/royal-highness-malaysian-crown-prince-visits-afp/

ALL SOULS DAY | Remembering our Brave Soldiers

From the AFP Civil Relations Service Radio Website (Nov 2): ALL SOULS DAY | Remembering our Brave Soldiers

 

Camp Guillermo Nakar, Lucena City (DWDD) – The Southern Luzon Command, (SOLCOM) Armed Forces of the Philippines remembers our soldiers who lost their lives in performing their duty of protecting the Filipino people in a short prayer offered by the Chief Chaplain of SOLCOM.

In the spirit of remembrance, all saints day and all souls day is a memorial long weekend to spend with families and relatives this year. But it is not just a holiday. It is about those brave soldiers who died in strange lands, who never had the chance to say goodbye, never got married, and never saw their children grow up. It is a day of remembering those who fought for our freedom and were no longer with us.

For Mrs. Asia Hanna Lubian it is the day to cherish and remember her late husband, Corporal Michael Salahuddin Lubian who died leading his men in a 4-hour gun battle with the members of new people’s army at Sitio Carinay, Brgy Villa Ibaba, Atimonan, Quezon last July 12, 2015. Corporal Lubian is the Team Leader of the troops from 85th Infantry Battalion securing the construction of a government flagship project in Atimonan.

Mrs. Asia Hanna Lubian said, after a year, I finally learned the true meaning of Memorial Day and felt the pain of it. But I never had to question whether I would see him again. He was a good friend to everyone he met and always there for those he loved. He smiled everywhere he went, brought joy to so many places where he was assigned, he is a loving husband and father and his dedication to our country was strong. “He will always be in our hearts”.

Lieutenant General Ferdinand F Quidilla Commander, Southern Luzon Command conveys his sincere gratitude to every Army, Navy, Airforce and Marines who fell in combat. We may never see them again but their deeds will bring significant change in the life of every Filipino. PAO SOLCOM / MCAG

http://dwdd.com.ph/2016/11/02/all-souls-day-remembering-our-brave-soldiers/

HEROES | PRRD Visits Wounded-in-Action (WIA) Soldiers from Sulu

From the AFP Civil Relations Service Radio Website (Nov 2): HEROES | PRRD Visits Wounded-in-Action (WIA) Soldiers from Sulu

JOLO, Sulu (DWDD) – President Rodrigo Roa Duterte visited the Wounded-in-Action (WIA) soldiers in Jolo, Sulu after a recent encounter with the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG).'



The WIA soldiers had an incident with the ASG in Patikul, Sulu on October 30, 2016 where a hundred rebels exchanged fire with the government troops, resulting to the deaths and injuries of the rebels. Based on reports, six (6) ASG members were killed in the said encounter.



Eight (8) army soldiers sustained injuries during the clash, and six (6) among them were rushed to the Camp General Teodulfo Bautista Station Hospital in Jolo. The other two (2) soldiers were transferred to Zamboanga City for immediate medical attention.

President Duterte honored the bravery of the injured troops by awarding them the Wounded Personnel Medal. He also gave cash, medical assistance, and brand new .45 caliber handguns to each soldier.

“Kung may kailangan kayo, gamot, cash assistance, anything, magsabi kayo sa akin,” the Commander-in-Chief said.

The President also visited the other soldiers admitted in the hospital where he shared a short and friendly chat with them, as well as listened to their concerns. RTVM / MCA



[Video: Visit to Wounded-in-Action (WIA) Soldiers
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC46YJ9p0d6MSUXRZFRZrwGQ]

http://dwdd.com.ph/2016/11/02/heroes-prrd-visits-wounded-in-action-wia-soldiers-from-sulu/

RECOGNITION DAY LIKE NO OTHER | PMA MasidLawin 2020

From the AFP Civil Relations Service Radio Website (Nov 3): RECOGNITION DAY LIKE NO OTHER | PMA MasidLawin 2020



BAGUIO CITY (DWDD) – For those who were minded to know what this day 29 October 2016 means to the Philippine Military Academy “Masidlawin” Class of 2020.

They, the lowest class in the hierarchy of cadet classes (fourth class; plebes; freshmen), have today been “accepted” to the level of a true Cadet in terms of deportment, maturity, soldiery, and other attributes of a future AFP Officer as they received the traditional handshake of recognition; held in time.

The ultimate act of acceptance or of recognition of such metamorphosis is that handshake – the blessed handshake.

These “recognized cadets” can now, among other aspects of their status attained, grow more hair to groom from near skin shave; will no longer have to pass thru the farthest route by “trotting”; speak to their senior cadets in a conversational manner & not by replying on top of their lungs; and are expected to excel in everything– including tactics and academics– now that all their restrictions were lifted.

Anyone who has experienced this “magic” would like, share, and say, “This not your kind of Recognition Day.” Photo by SN1 Viluan / PAOAFP; Caption by Col Arevalo / MCAG

http://dwdd.com.ph/2016/11/03/recognition-day-like-no-other-pma-masidlawin-2020/

CPP: CPP hits US hypocrisy in cancelling arms sale to PNP

Propaganda statement posted to the Communist Party of the Philippines Website (Nov 2): CPP hits US hypocrisy in cancelling arms sale to PNP

Communist Party of the Philippines
Information Bureau Press Release

November 2, 2016

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) today denounced US hypocrisy for invoking principles of human rights in raising “concern” over increasing number of drug suspects killed in the Duterte regime’s “anti-drug war” in its decision to cancel the planned weapons sale to the Philippine National Police (PNP).

Yesterday, the US State Department announced it was stopping the sale of 26,000 M4 assault rifles to the PNP supposedly because of human rights violations committed in the course of the war against drugs. Earlier, the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) announced its decision to end a training program it has long been conducting with the PNP.

“The cancellation of the weapons sale to the PNP is a clear rebuke by the US government against the Duterte regime which has increasingly asserted its independence from US dictates and has stood firmly against continuing US military presence in the country,” added the CPP.

The CPP, however, said that “the cancellation of the weapons sale is, in fact, a good thing.”

“It is utterly hypocritical for the US State Department to now invoke human rights against the anti-US Duterte regime when the US government supported without remorse the Marcos dictatorship and all succeeding regimes which trampled on human rights with impunity,” said the CPP.

“The pro-US regimes of Marcos, Cory Aquino, Ramos, Estrada, Arroyo and Benigno Aquino were all notorious violators of human rights but were never chided by the US government and instead were encouraged with military financing,” added the CPP.

“Over the past several decades, the Filipino people have suffered gravely under the successive US-sponsored counter-insurgency operations conducted by the AFP and PNP under its puppet regimes,” pointed out the CPP. “These counter-insurgency operations were all conducted in favor of US aims of suppressing the democratic and anti-imperialist forces in the Philippines.”

“The US government is despicable for using human rights principles as a convenient tool to justify its acts of intervention and subversion against anti-US regimes around the world, when the US government and US-sponsored and -supported regimes around the world are among the worst violators of human rights,” said the CPP.

The CPP cited the Israel government which, despite gross crimes against humanity in its genocidal war against the Palestinian people, continues to receive more than $3 billion annual military financing from the US.

The CPP said the cancellation of the US of its sale of assault rifles to the PNP “is a great opportunity for the PNP to rethink and repudiate the militarization of police work, something which the US police forces have done and which is now being thrust on the local police forces.”

“It is the US military-industrial complex that turned the US police force into a domestic military force that is being armed with high-powered weapons as well as light-armored vehicles and trained in the same war complex as the US military forces,” said the CPP.

“Over the past few years, the US police forces have become increasingly notorious for being quick on the draw in shooting down suspects, especially black people.”

http://www.cpp.ph/cpp-hits-us-hypocrisy-cancelling-arms-sale-pnp/

NDF exposes Surigao rep’s ‘shady’ mining deals

From often pro-Communist Party of the Philippines online publication the Davao Today (Nov 2): NDF exposes Surigao rep’s ‘shady’ mining deals  

The National Democratic Front in North Eastern Mindanao Region has exposed Wednesday the alleged “greediness and shady mining deals”of Surigao del Sur First District Congressman governor Prospero Pichay.

Ka Maria Malaya, spokesperson of NDF-NEMR, said Pichay’s Claver Mining & Development Corporation (CMDC) continues to operate and load nickel ore despite the suspension order issued by the the Department of Natural Resources.

Malaya said CMDC, formerly owned by mining operator Shenzhou Mining Corp., has destroyed the environment and caused severe siltation of the once pristine sea waters in the boundary of the two Surigao provinces.

The NDF-NEMR’s spokesperson said that Pichay’s well-established political connection with Surigao Norte Governor Sol Matugas, Pichay’s CMDC was able to acquire a loading permit despite DENR/MGB suspension.

Pichay was also able to secure a “verbal” ore transport permit (OTP) from then MGB Director Leo Jasareno who also granted Shenzhou loading permits after its suspension, and was able to sell a shipload of ore in June of this year.

Pichay, she said, has acquired CMDC “through fraudulent means, using his connections with corrupt government officials in the Securities and Exchange Commissions to take control of the company and his connections in the DENR and MGB to continue its operations.”

It can be recalled that DENR Secretary Gina Lopez suspended CMDC’s operation August this year. However, Malaya claimed that CMDC continues to load nickel despite it was halted by NBI operatives back in Sept. 29.

The Surigao del Sur representative who is known for being a staunch ally of former president, now Pampanga Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, according to NDF is a “shameless corrupt official with the intent of acquiring wealth through deceitful means.”

For instance, in Caraga region, Pichay reportedly “collected cuts from mining companies operating in the region for the Arroyos.”

“He collected one percent from proceeds of every shipload of nickel ore in the many destructive mining operations in Caraga. Foreseeing the end of his corrupt boss’s regime, he worked on acquiring his own mining company in Surigao del Sur, strong arming mining companies into awarding him portions of their mining concessions,” Malaya said.

“With the assurance of corrupt government officials still in place under the Duterte administration, Pichay continue to use his position to plunder Caraga’s resources, blatantly ignoring the reactionary laws of the land and unmindful of the destruction wrought by his mining operations,” she said.

http://davaotoday.com/main/environment/ndf-exposes-surigao-reps-shady-mining-deals/

CPP slams US over cancellation of PH-US arm deals

From often pro-Communist Party of the Philippines online publication the Davao Today (Nov 2): CPP slams US over cancellation of PH-US arm deals

 

The Communist Party of the Philippines recently criticized the United States calling it hypocrite for cancelling the supposed arms deal with the Philippines.  (davaotoday.com file photo)

 

The Communist Party of the Philippines slammed Wednesday the United States of America for its “hypocrisy” after it cancelled the supposed weapons sale to the Philippine National Police.

 

In a statement, CPP said US has no moral ascendancy to invoke human rights principles in raising “concern” over the increasing number of drug suspects killed under President Rodrigo Duterte’s anti-illegal drug operations.

“It is utterly hypocritical for the US State Department to now invoke human rights against the anti-US Duterte regime when the US government supported without remorse the Marcos dictatorship and all succeeding regimes which trampled on human rights with impunity,” it said.

For CPP, the cancellation of arms deal to PNP is “a clear rebuke by the US government against the Duterte” as he asserted its independence from the US.

“In fact, it is a good thing,” the communist group said of the halted arms deals with 26,000 M4 assault rifles. Earlier on, the San Francisco Police Department announced its decision to end a training program it has long been conducting with the PNP.

“The US government is despicable for using human rights principles as a convenient tool to justify its acts of intervention and subversion against anti-US regimes around the world, when the US government and US-sponsored and -supported regimes around the world are among the worst violators of human rights,” said the CPP.

The CPP also pointed out that unlike Duterte’s administration known for its anti-US posturing, previous pro-US regimes were not criticized despite being notorious violators of human rights.

“Marcos, Cory Aquino, Ramos, Estrada, Arroyo and Benigno Aquino were all notorious violators of human rights but were never chided by the US government and instead were encouraged with military financing.”

“Over the past several decades, the Filipino people have suffered gravely under the successive US-sponsored counter-insurgency operations conducted by the AFP and PNP under its puppet regimes,” the group said.

“These counter-insurgency operations were all conducted in favor of US aims of suppressing the democratic and anti-imperialist forces in the Philippines,” the CPP said.

http://davaotoday.com/main/politics/cpp-slams-us-over-cancellation-of-ph-us-arm-deals/

PHL fishermen put Duterte diplomacy to test, visit disputed shoal

From GMA News (Nov 3): PHL fishermen put Duterte diplomacy to test, visit disputed shoal

On his first voyage as captain, Filipino fisherman Joel Banila was more worried about being battered by Chinese coastguard ships than he was about the impending storm on the horizon in the South China Sea.

His was one of the first boats to gamble on the big catches on offer in and around the disputed Scarborough Shoal since Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte made surprise overtures towards China, which sees the area as its sovereign territory.

For four years, Chinese ships have blockaded the tranquil lagoon rich in fish stocks and forced fishermen from the Philippines to travel further for smaller catches, reflecting tensions in the South China Sea where several countries have overlapping claims.

Frosty relations between China and the Philippines have improved markedly, however, as Duterte shifts away from traditional ally the United States and closer to Beijing, and some fishermen have decided to take a calculated risk.

"I felt a bit nervous because it was my first time serving as captain," 32-year-old Banila told Reuters, a day after making the 10-hour, 124-mile journey back to the shores of the northwest Philippines.

"We heard what happened before, that they (Chinese ships) ram the boats, so I was moving slowly around the shoal but nothing happened."

There has been considerable confusion at sea since Duterte's diplomatic shift, with China's foreign ministry saying this week that the situation at Scarborough Shoal "has not changed and will not change".

Philippine officials said fishermen could return, but confirmed no agreement had been reached when Duterte visited Beijing two weeks ago in search of investment, trade, and unimpeded access to the shoal.

Duterte's outreach has stunned the region, coming just months after an arbitration tribunal in The Hague ruled in favour of the Philippines in a case it lodged in 2013 to challenge not only China's control of the rocky outcrop, but the legality of its manmade islands and vast maritime claims.

"We heard there was a (Philippine) boat there, so we also tried go to Scarborough," Banila said.

MIXED MESSAGES

The situation is far from certain at the shoal, which the arbitral ruling said should be shared by all claimants, and no one country had sovereign rights to it. China has rejected the tribunal's findings.

The defense minister and the president's spokesman on Friday said Chinese ships had withdrawn from the area. Within two days, defence and coastguard officials said Chinese were still there, but had scaled back their presence since Duterte's visit.

Some fishermen have returned with big smiles and bountiful catches, reporting no interference from the Chinese as they accessed the lagoon. Among them was Cornel Garnel, a shirtless fishermen who got back last week.

"Before, when fishermen tried to fish there, they were driven away by water cannon," he said.

Satellite imagery taken on Saturday by the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative and The Center for Strategic and International Studies, however, showed fishermen were not entering the shoal itself and were working on its periphery, with China's coastguard still present.

Banila said he spotted four Chinese ships, one at the mouth of the lagoon and three circling the area. His boat stayed outside, following the advice of other fishermen.

"We were close enough for us to see them, but we can't go inside, only outside," he added.

Laureano Artagame, a senior fisheries management official in Subic, said it was "unacceptable" that Chinese ships had let Filipinos shelter at the shoal during a typhoon, but made them leave afterwards.

"There is already a decision by the international arbitral court... so why are the Chinese still there?" he said.

"Yes, there's some leniency now, there's no more harassment. But there is still anxiety, they still worry."

Artagame said the blockade meant fishermen had to be at sea three times longer to catch the kind of volumes of fish they would at Scarborough.

He said fishermen were unhappy with the diplomatic ambiguity and he planned to meet representatives of Duterte's government soon to push for answers.

"One of the things we will talk about ... is to really ask the government, is there a clear agreement opening the Scarborough?" he said.

"And why are they still blocking the entrance?"

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/587307/news/nation/phl-fishermen-put-duterte-diplomacy-to-test-visit-disputed-shoal

Malaysia also pivots to China

From The Standard (Nov 2): Malaysia also pivots to China

PM Najib to sign defense agreement with Beijing

Malaysia’s prime minister (PM)  began Tuesday an official visit to China where he will sign a “significant defense deal,” in a potential strategic shift as his ties with the United States fray over a corruption scandal.

 

The week-long trip by Prime Minister Najib Razak marks another potential blow for Washington’s “pivot” toward Asia, two weeks after President Rodrigo Duterte of longtime US ally the Philippines visited China with olive branch in hand.

 

Malaysia and China will be finalizing “the first significant defense deal” between the two countries during his visit, Najib told Chinese state news agency Xinhua, giving no details.

 

A total of 10 agreements spanning business, defense, and other spheres will be signed, Malaysia has said.

 

Najib said last week Malaysia and China “are committed to achieving new highs and entering into new areas of cooperation.”

 

Last month in Beijing, Philippine President Duterte stunned observers by announcing his country’s “separation” from longstanding partner the United States.

 

Though he subsequently backed off, saying their alliance remained intact, the episode underlined China’s increasing diplomatic and economic gravitational pull at the expense of the United States.

 

Najib’s visit provides fresh evidence, said Southeast Asia politics analyst Bridget Welsh.

 

“This is the new regional norm. Now China is implementing the power and the US is in retreat,” she said. Washington’s Asia pivot is  was “dead in the water,”  she added.

 

China welcomes Najib, who arrived Monday, with a state dinner Tuesday night in Beijing, followed by a meeting with Premier Li Keqiang.

 

Later this week Najib will meet President Xi Jinping, as well as Jack Ma, founder of e-commerce giant Alibaba.

 

Taking office in 2009, Najib reached out to Washington, and relations warmed following decades of periodic distrust. But he has increasingly leaned toward China as it became Malaysia’s biggest trading partner, and especially after the eruption last year of a massive corruption scandal implicating Najib and a state investment fund he founded.

 

Billions are alleged to have been siphoned from the fund, 1MDB, in a stunning international campaign of embezzlement and money-laundering that has sparked investigations in several countries.

 

The US Justice Department moved in July to seize more than $1 billion in assets it says were purchased by Najib’s relatives and associates using stolen 1MDB money.

 

Justice Department filings said a “Malaysian Official 1” took part in the looting. Malaysia has since admitted that official was Najib.

 

Najib and 1MDB deny wrongdoing and have railed at foreign forces which they say concocted the scandal.

 

1MDB launched a fire sale of assets to stay solvent, and China’s biggest nuclear energy producer China General Nuclear Power Corporation came to the rescue last year, purchasing its power assets for $2.3 billion.

 

Welsh said the trip could result in “multiple billions of dollars in deals” for Najib’s cash-strapped government.

 

Depressed oil prices have slashed government revenue in energy-exporting Malaysia, which also faces rising public-sector debt.

 

“This trip reflects not only Malaysia’s geostrategic re-alignment to China as the ‘regional banker’ but also the reality that Najib is desperate for alternative financial sources,” Welsh said.

 

A key question is whether there will be a “quid pro quo” in which Malaysia sides more with Beijing rather than the United States on strategic issues like South China Sea territorial disputes, she said.

 

China has increasingly won major infrastructure and other projects in Malaysia, and Chinese companies are widely expected to be handed a planned high-speed rail project linking Kuala Lumpur and Singapore and expected to cost up to $15 billion.

 

http://news.mb.com.ph/2016/11/02/malaysia-also-pivots-to-china/

KL, Beijing seal deal on 4 combat vessels

From The Standard (Nov 3): KL, Beijing seal deal on 4 combat vessels

Malaysia will buy four combat vessels from China in a “landmark” defense deal, Prime Minister Najib Razak said, signaling a potential strategic shift away from the United States.

The agreement marked the first time Kuala Lumpur had purchased warships from Beijing and came only two weeks after Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte announced his “separation” from Washington during a visit to China.

Under the terms of the deal, two of the vessels will be built in Malaysia and two in China, Najib said in an op-ed published in the China Daily newspaper on Wednesday during his week-long trip to Beijing.

“I call this a landmark decision because before this we have not bought such vessels from China,” Najib said after talks with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Tuesday, according to the Malaysian newspaper The Star.

In Manila, Foreign Affairs spokesman Charles Jose said Manila respects Malaysia’s decision.
“Countries act based on their national interest,” he said.

Malaysia has historically acquired the bulk of its major defense hardware from the United States, Russia and Europe.

Analysts said the accord was a setback for Washington’s “pivot” towards Asia and underlined China’s increasing diplomatic and economic gravitational pull in the region―despite its ongoing territorial disputes.

“This is the new regional norm. Now China is implementing the power and the US is in retreat,” said Southeast Asia politics analyst Bridget Welsh.

Gu Xiaosong, a researcher at the government think tank Guangxi Academy of Social Sciences, was quoted in China’s Global Times as saying: “Southeast Asia’s diplomatic situation has shifted towards China following the visits of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and Vietnam’s leader this year.”

Najib called for Malaysia and China’s disagreement over the rights to the strategically vital South China Sea, which is claimed almost in its entirety by Beijing, to be resolved “calmly and rationally through dialogue.”

Malaysia’s relations with the United States warmed after Najib took office in 2009 following decades of periodic distrust.

But he has increasingly leaned towards China as it became Malaysia’s biggest trading partner and after the eruption last year of a massive corruption scandal implicating Najib and a state investment fund he founded.

Billions are alleged to have been siphoned from the fund 1MDB in a stunning international campaign of embezzlement and money-laundering that has sparked investigations in several countries.

Najib’s ties with Washington became strained when the US Justice Department moved in July to seize more than $1 billion in assets it says were purchased by Najib’s relatives and associates using stolen 1MDB money.

In Beijing this week, Najib signed 14 memorandums of understanding worth 144 billion ringgit ($34.4 billion), including an agreement for China to build a rail line on Malaysia’s east coast, Malaysian media reported.

http://thestandard.com.ph/news/-main-stories/top-stories/220496/kl-beijing-seal-deal-on-4-combat-vessels.html

Four contenders for top Navy post

From Malaya Business Insight (Nov 3): Four contenders for top Navy post

FOUR senior Navy officers, including AFP Western Command chief Vice Adm. Ronald Joseph Mercado, are being groomed to succeed retiring Navy chief Vice Adm. Caesar Taccad.

AFP public affairs office chief Col. Edgard Arevalo said the contenders are well qualified to replace Taccad, who is bowing out of the service upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 56 on Nov. 13.

Mercado supervises all military operations in Palawan, including the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea or West Philippine Sea. The Spratly Islands is claimed by the Philippines, China, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei and Taiwan.

Mercado is the more senior among the three other four contenders. He is a member of the Philippine Military Academy class of 1983, whose members include AFP chief Gen. Ricardo Visaya and Army chief Lt. Gen. Eduardo Ano, among others.

Arevalo named the three other contenders as Navy vice commander Rear Adm. Rafael Mariano and Navy Philippine Fleet chief Rear Adm. Bayani Gaerland, both of the PMA class 1984; and Naval Education and Training Command chief Rear Adm. Narciso Vingson of the PMA class 1985.

Arevalo said Taccad, a member of PMA class 1982, will relinquish his post to his successor on Nov. 12, a day before his retirement. Taccad assumed the top Navy post in August last year.

http://www.malaya.com.ph/business-news/news/four-contenders-top-navy-post

Duterte eyes border patrols with Malaysia

From Malaya Business Insight (Nov 3): Duterte eyes border patrols with Malaysia

PRESIDENT Duterte will discuss possible joint military and police patrols and other anti-criminal and piracy operations with Malaysia when he makes an overnight visit next week.

The President, in an interview during his visit to the graves of his parents at the Davao Catholic cemetery, said he would also drop by Thailand next week to pay his respects to the late Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej who passed away last month and show the Filipinos’ solidarity to the Thai people.

Reports said Duterte would visit Thailand on November 9 and proceed to Malaysia for a visit on November 9 to 10.

The President said topping the agenda of his meeting with Malaysian officials led by Prime Minister Najib Razak is the prevention and stopping of criminal activities, like kidnapping and piracy, along the countries’ common maritime borders.

Duterte said the incidents have paralyzed trade and commerce in the area.

“We have a lot to talk to about the piracy on the Malacca Strait, kidnapping, criminality abounds in that area. Very important that Russia and, I’m sorry, rather Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines talk about this, and once and for all come up with a solution. Maraming kidnapping. Tsaka ‘yung brutal piracy. Sometimes murder on the high seas. We share the same coastline,” he added.

The President said attacks and kidnappings perpetrated by the Abu Sayyaf Group, which is based in Jolo and so close to the borders of Malaysia, is also an embarrassment to the country.

Duterte said discussions will cover border control, border crossing, and may even include joint military and police operations.

He added that, during his visit to Indonesia, he discussed with Indonesian President Joko Widodo about possible joint security measures and said that the Indonesian leader was “OK with everything.”

Tuanku Syed Faizuddin Putra Syed Sirajuddin Jamalullail, Crown Prince of Malaysia’s state of Perlis, sought better military cooperation between Malaysia and the Philippines during a visit at the AFP headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo.

Faizuddin said he wants more training, specifically between reserved officers of the armed forces of both countries. Reservists are deployed to a variety of missions, including disaster response and relief operations.

Faizuddin is also the commander of the 504th Regiment of the Malaysian Territorial Army, holding the rank of brigadier general. He, likewise, heads the Malaysian Reserve Officer Training Unit or Pasukan Pegawai Simpanan.

Addressing the officers and men of the AFP Reserve Command, Faizuddin said: “There are possible avenues for collaboration between Malaysian ROTU and the AFPRESCOM, such as through joint training.”

“It is significant for both countries to work out avenues or areas for future engagements as well as keeping in touch through various medium available, either via informal or formal means,” he said.

Faizuddin also toured the AFP Museum. He is due to visit the University of the Philippines whose Reserve Officer Training Corps is one of the pioneers of ROTC in the country.

Faizuddin arrived the country Monday for a four-day academic military tour. He will leave the country today and head for Singapore.

AFP chief Gen. Ricardo Visaya said the visit of Faizuddin “marks the robust and strong partnership between the AFP and the Malaysian Armed Forces.”

http://www.malaya.com.ph/business-news/news/duterte-eyes-border-patrols-malaysia

Rifle deal with US not cancelled – PNP

From Malaya Business Insight (Nov 3): Rifle deal with US not cancelled – PNP

THE Philippine National Police yesterday said the deal to buy some 27,000 assault rifles from the US has not been cancelled, contrary to a wire report.

PNP spokesman Senior Supt. Dionardo Carlos said a letter from Amaro Goncalvez, executive vice president of Global Defense Sales which is a division of firearms maker Sig Sauer in the US, did not say anything about the deal being cancelled.

The letter was dated Nov. 1, 2016 and sent to Intrade Asia Pacific Corporation, the representative of Sig Sauer in the Philippines.

President Duterte chided the United States, calling those behind the decision to cancel the sale “fools” and “monkeys” and indicated he might turn to Russia and China instead. Duterte’s tirades against the former colonial power are routine during his speeches and he said on Wednesday he once believed in Washington, but had since lost respect for what is the Philippines’ biggest ally.

“Look at these monkeys, the 26,000 firearms we wanted to buy, they don’t want to sell,” Duterte said. “Son of a bitch, we have many home-made guns here. These American fools.”

Reuters, in an article from Washington dated October 31, said the US State Department halted the sale of some 26,000 assault rifles to the PNP after Sen. Ben Cardin, the top Democrat in the US Senate foreign relations committee, said he would oppose it. Quoting Cardin’s aides, the article also said Cardin “was reluctant for the United States to provide the weapons given concerns about human rights violations in the Philippines.”

According to procedures in Washington, the State Department informs Congress when international weapons sales are in the works. Aides said the State Department had been informed Cardin would oppose the deal during the pre-notification process, thus halting the sale.

Carlos said: “They sent a notice na wala namang problema… Kumbaga plano pa lang nung senator, wala pang formal notice from the US na cancelled na ang deal sa kanila,” he said.

Goncalves said the letter was about the “status of rifle export license to the Philippine National Police.”

“This letter responds to your request for a status of the export license that SIG Sauer submitted to the US State Department for approval of the sale of rifles to the Philippine National Police. This request is the result of media reports indicating that the license processing may be stalled in the US Senate,” it said.

“Sig Sauer contacted the State Department for a status of the license, and was advised earlier today that the license was being processed as normal. We will continue to monitor the status of this license and advise of any meaningful changes,” it added.

Carlos said an export license is normally being applied by the supplier from the US State Department since firearms are controlled items.

The PNP is buying 27,394 units of basic assault rifles (BAR) under the PNP’s Capability Enhancement Program for the years 2010 up to 2015.

The approved budget for the contract is P2 billion.

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said Cardin “has indicated concern but I don’t believe he has said he would stop it.”

“I don’t think, I think their system in the US is the same as here where a senator can express concern but that doesn’t necessarily stop the deal,” he also said.

PNP chief Ronald dela Rosa said the total cost for the assault rifles is P1.7, at around P64,000 for each rifle. The contract agreement was signed on July 13, 2016 and the “notice to proceed” to Intrade on July 29, 2016

He said the PNP expected the delivery of SIG M400 rifles early next year.

He said the PNP has not made any advance payment.

Dela Rosa also said if the sale does not push through, it will be the loss of the supplier and not the PNP. He said there are a lot of other arms suppliers worldwide and the PNP will just start to look for suppliers from Germany, Israel, Chin, Belgium, and Russia, among others.

Duterte reiterated that Russia and China had shown willingness to sell arms to the Philippines, but he would wait to see if his military wanted to continue using US weapons.

“Russia, they are inviting us. China also. China is open, anything you want, they sent me brochure saying we select there, we’ll give you.

“But I am holding off because I was asking the military if they have any problem. Because if you have, if you want to stick to America, fine.

“But, look closely and balance the situation, they are rude to us.”

The Armed Forces said its arms and equipment supply from the US would not be affected unless the long-standing Mutual Defense Treaty between US and Philippines would be abrogated.

AFP public affairs office chief Col. Edgard Arevalo said military arms and equipment from the Americans are acquired through the US Foreign Military Sales program, which he said is a mechanism provided under the MDT forged 1951.

Nevertheless, Arevalo said the AFP is open to acquiring weapons and equipment from other countries, provided that these assets are interoperable with the existing weapons and equipment of the Armed Forces.

Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said the firearms sale issue should not be turned into a human rights issue, reiterating that an invitation has already been sent to the United Nations to visit and investigate the allegations in the country.

http://www.malaya.com.ph/business-news/news/rifle-deal-us-not-cancelled-%E2%80%93-pnp

Duterte says he'll consider sticking with US weapons

From the Philippine Star (Nov 3): Duterte says he'll consider sticking with US weapons



Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte addresses the crowd during his visit to Sual township, Pangasinan province in northern Philippines, to send off arrested 17 Vietnamese fishermen Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2016. The Vietnamese fishermen were arrested allegedly for poaching in Philippine waters on Sept. 8, 2016 but were released Wednesday. AP/Bullit Marquez

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said Wednesday he'll consider continuing to acquire weapons and defense equipment from treaty ally the United States if his military recommends so, despite offers from China and Russia.

Duterte made the remark in a speech in which he again railed at the U.S. with expletives for criticizing his deadly anti-drug crackdown, calling American officials "monkeys" and breaking a promise that he would no longer resort to trash talk.

Duterte, who took office in June, has been antagonistic to U.S., EU and U.N. officials who have raised human rights concerns over his brutal crackdown on illegal drug sellers and users and called for an end to extrajudicial killings.

He has used expletives in responding to their criticisms, telling President Barack Obama to "go to hell" in an outburst last month. He has declared his intention to scale back his country's military engagements with Washington, including ending largescale joint combat exercises and the presence of visiting U.S. forces, while reaching out to expand once-frosty relations with China and Russia.

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U.S. officials, however, say they have not been formally notified by the Philippines of any change in security relations and activities and stress that Washington wants to continue its decades-long alliance with Manila.

Asked about Duterte's latest tirade, State Department spokesman John Kirby said it was inexplicably at odds with the close relationship that the U.S. continues to have with the Philippine government and people. He said that in a democracy, government "doesn't rest on the shoulders of just one individual."

"There are long standing relationships that we have nurtured over the years with figures in his government, and those relationships are still there, and they're still vibrant," Kirby told reporters, adding that the U.S. remains committed to developing a good working relationship with Duterte himself.

Duterte said he has asked his defense secretary and military officials to travel to China and Russia to check what weapons and defense equipment they have to offer, but added that the military's recommendation will be crucial.

"China is open. Anything you want. They even sent me a brochure, telling me to choose and they will provide," Duterte said.

"I'm just holding off because I'm looking at the military," he said. "If you want to stick with America, fine, but assess it well and find a balance because we are being ridiculed."

The brash president traveled to a wharf in Sual town in the northwestern province of Pangasinan to lead a poignant send-off ceremony for 17 Vietnamese fishermen who were arrested last month for poaching in local waters. The complaints were dropped after the Vietnamese said a typhoon forced their three boats toward the northern Philippines and that they had no intention of poaching.

Duterte said his Vietnamese counterpart appealed for the fishermen's release and Wednesday's ceremony — in which he shook hands with the fishermen and handed each a bag filled with food, a raincoat and toiletries — showed how Asians resolve problems.

"Vietnam drove the Americans away in humiliation," Duterte said, using the ceremony to criticize U.S. actions that he said brought countries like Iraq, Syria and Libya to chaos and civil strife.

"I have good impressions of America but the problem is I have lost my respect, that's why I'm bad-mouthing them," he said. "These Americans never learned their lesson with their interventions."

http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2016/11/03/1640064/duterte-says-hell-consider-sticking-us-weapons

Photos show China blocking access to Panatag Shoal

From Rappler (Nov 2): Photos show China blocking access to Panatag Shoal

(UPDATED) One of the photos is taken on October 29, a week after Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte made a 4-day state visit to China    

CHINA IN PANATAG. China is still blocking Filipino fishermen's access to Panatag Shoal (Scarborough Shoal), new photos suggest. This image shows Panatag Shoal on October 29, 2016. Photo courtesy of CSIS/AMTI and DigitalGlobe

 

Newly-released photos suggest that China is still blocking Filipino fishermen's access to Panatag Shoal (Scarborough Shoal) in the disputed West Philippine Sea (South China Sea), a think tank said Wednesday, November 2.

 

One of the photos was taken on October 29, a week after Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte made a state visit to China from October 18 to 21.

In an email update on Wednesday, the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI) said, "Despite earlier reports, it appears that Filipino fishermen are still not fishing inside Scarborough Shoal."

"New imagery from October 29 showed a China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel anchored just inside the mouth of the lagoon, where it has been for most of the period since China seized the shoal in 2012, apparently blocking access. At least 17 Philippine fishing vessels were present along the exterior of Scarborough's reef," the AMTI of the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies said in a report.

"This corroborates reports that Filipino fishermen fished 'just outside Scarborough's lagoon' over the last week. There were also two Chinese civilian ships in the vicinity. According to the Philippine Navy, 3 other CCG vessels continue to patrol near Scarborough," the AMTI added.

This comes after one of Duterte's senior aides, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr, said the Philippines and China have reached a "friendly" understanding over the right to fish in Panatag Shoal.

For the AMTI, this "friendly" understanding "was only for Chinese authorities to relax the stricter blockade of the reef that they put in place" after Manila, on July 12, won a historic case against Beijing over the West Philippine Sea.

'More difficult' to approach Panatag

The think tank said this "would be a return to the status quo that has existed for much of the last 4 years," not the status quo before the Panatag Shoal standoff between Philippine and Chinese vessels in April 2012.

The standoff fueled tensions between Manila and Beijing, forcing the Philippines to file an arbitration case against China in January 2013. (READ: TIMELINE: The Philippines-China maritime dispute)
Before this, the AMTI said, Filipino fishermen "regularly entered" Panatag Shoal.

The group said, "At many points over the last 4 years, Filipino fishermen have been able to approach the outside of the shoal, but always at the forbearance of the CCG."

The AMTI photos showed that after the July 12 ruling on the West Philippine Sea, and before Duterte's Beijing trip, "it was becoming more, not less, difficult" for Filipino fishermen to approach Panatag Shoal.

"In fact, the number of Chinese coast guard and civilian ships around the shoal has increased since at least early September, hitting levels not seen in satellite imagery since early 2014," the AMTI said.

An image dated September 11, for instance, showed a Chinese government vessel at the mouth of Panatag Shoal and another nearby. At the same time, 4 Chinese non-government vessels also surrounded the shoal in this September 11 photo.



POST-RULING. More Chinese vessels had been spotted in the vicinity of Panatag Shoal (Scarborough Shoal) after the Philippines on July 12 won a case against China over the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea). Photo courtesy of CSIS/AMTI and DigitalGlobe 

Five other photos in September depicted similar scenarios.

The AMTI described the September images as "noteworthy because not a single Filipino fishing vessel was visible at the shoal on any of the days involved, lending credence to reports that CCG ships have driven off any ships approaching the shoal."

Malacañang: 'No formal agreement'

Malacañang confirmed on Wednesday, November 2, that there is "no formal agreement" between the Philippines and China on the presence of Philippine fishermen in the area outside the shoal.

Asked how the Philippine government can ensure that its fishermen have continued access to the area even without a binding agreement, Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella said in a news briefing: "It’s going by the friendly agreement that has been raised. So we’ll go, we’ll proceed along that lines....According to the present arrangement, they just go and fish."

 

Abella stressed that Duterte has "done his part," which is to pave the way for the fishermen's return to their traditional fishing grounds, even if they are kept from entering the shoal itself.

http://www.rappler.com/nation/151066-photos-china-blocking-access-panatag-shoal

PH-US intel exchange won't be affected – PNP chief

From Rappler (Nov 2): PH-US intel exchange won't be affected – PNP chief

At the same time, Dela Rosa says they're prepared should ties sour between the two countries: 'We can't be forever dependent on them kung ayaw nila sa atin talaga'   



PNP AND THE US. PNP chief Ronald dela Rosa and US embassy officials during the turnover of equipment on September 7, 2016. File photo from PNP PIO

They're "brothers" who "share the same experience."

The United States and the Philippines may have policy differences over the Duterte administration's war on drugs, but Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa is confident that ties between the two countries' law enforcement agencies, particularly when it comes to vital intelligence exchange, will remain unchanged.

"Iba 'yung bangayan sa politicians sa taas. Kami dito sa baba between the PNP atsaka 'yung counterparts, ibang intelligence agencies ng America…. We are brothers, we share the same experience," said Dela Rosa on Wednesday, November 2, in a media briefing in Camp Crame.(This disagreement between politicians on top is different. On the ground, between the PNP and our counterparts, the US's intelligence agencies… We are brothers, we share the same experience.)

Earlier this week, Reuters reported that the US State Department halted the PNP's purchase of more than 27,000 assault rifles from a US-based company because a senator who belongs to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee "was reluctant for the United States to provide the weapons given concerns about human rights violations in the Philippines."

This was after the San Francisco Police Department announced that it would stop a long-running training program with the PNP because of supposed civil rights violations in the country.

"Meron 'yung connection namin andiyan na kaya hindi tayo basta-basta mag-iiwanan. Magtutulungan tayo, mag-she-share tayo ng intelligence. Ngayon na may ganito nangyari, pulis pa rin sila. They can feel for us. Sige lang kung ano ang mga punishment sa taas," added Dela Rosa.
(We have a connection already so we won't just desert each other, we will still share intelligence. What's happening now, they're still police. They can feel for us. We will not be affected by any punishment happening at the top.)

The P1.7-billion procurement would have supplied more than 27,000 long firearms to the PNP's various units on the field. According to Dela Rosa, the procurement is meant to increase the PNP's percentage fill-up for long firearms from 35% to 86%.

The reported stoppage of the deal comes as President Rodrigo Duterte announced the forging of a foreign policy independent of the United States, a long-time Philippine ally. Duterte has not been shy in criticizing the US, after American officials expressed concern over supposed human rights violations in the country's anti-drug campaign.

Since July 1, Philippine law enforcers have been waging an all-out war on drugs. This was among Duterte's key campaign promises in the 2016 elections.

At the same time, Dela Rosa said the PNP is ready should relations with the US turn sour. "We are prepared for that. We can't be forever dependent on them kung ayaw nila sa atin talaga (if they really don't like us)," he said.

"Alangan naman… sinisipa ka na diyan, ayaw na [tapos] gagapang pa, magmamakaawa pa? No, you have to stand up and be yourself (I mean, if you're being kicked away, will you crawl and beg? No, you have to stand up and be yourself)," he said.

The Philippines and the US have various programs for the training of Filipino law enforcers, donation of brand new and used equipment, and the exchange of crucial intelligence reports.

Just last September 7, the US donated equipment to "strengthen the antiterrorism efforts of the PNP."
During the same press conference, Dela Rosa hit "biased" local and foreign media for supposedly being selective in reporting on the war on drugs, which in turn led to US officials' supposed skewed view of the PNP's efforts.

http://www.rappler.com/nation/151113-philippines-united-states-police-intelligence

140 families flee as Moro clan war erupts in North Cotabato

From InterAksyon (Nov 2): 140 families flee as Moro clan war erupts in North Cotabato



File photo shows fighters engaged in a clan war walk through a forest in Maguindanao. (Nonoy Espina/InterAksyon.com)

A long standing land dispute involving Moro families who belonged to rebel organizations erupted anew in a remote village in North Cotabato province, sending about 140 families to evacuation centers, officials said.

Superintendent Bernard Tayong, speaking for North Cotabato police provincial office, said efforts are underway to secure a peaceful settlement between the group of Commander Tatlo Manial of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and Commander Tony Pulalong of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

Citing police reports from Matalam, the official said the two warring clans figured in a shooting war on Monday and Tuesday over large parcels of land in Barangay Kidama which both sides have been claiming ownership of. The exchange of gunfire did not reportedly result in any casualty on both sides since they were far from each other, Tayong said.

Habib Guiabar, a member of the local monitoring team of the government and MILF peace panels, said armed hostilities were triggered by long standing land dispute.

Police peacekeeping units had been deployed to separate the two clans from engaging and shooting against each other while negotiations are underway.

The displaced families are now housed in temporary evacuation sites in Purok 1 of Barangay Kidama while the local government unit was attending to their needs.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/133916/140-families-flee-as-moro-clan-war-erupts-in-north-cotabato