From Malay Business Insight (Nov 4): DFA: No official word on rifle deal
FOREIGN Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. yesterday said the government has yet to receive official communication from the United States on the reported decision of the State Department to stop the sale of 26,000 M4 assault rifles to the Philippine National Police.
He said he thought the report was erroneous because no official communication has been sent to the DFA.
The US Embassy in Manila also declined to comment.
"We are restricted under Federal regulations from commenting on the status of commercial export license approvals of proposed commercial defense sales,” said press attaché Molly Koscina.
The cancellation was reported by Reuters in article released Tuesday. The article also said US State Department officials did not comment on its report that quoted aides of Sen. Ben Cardin, the top Democrat on the US Senate foreign relations committee, as saying the US State Department halted the planned sale of some 26,000 assault rifles to the PNP after the senator said he would oppose it. Cardin was reluctant for the United States to provide the weapons given concerns about human rights violations in the Philippines, the Reuters report said.
On Wednesday, the PNP said there has been no cancellation, based on a letter sent by Global Defense Sales, a division of firearms maker Sig Sauer in the US, to Intrade Asia Pacific Corporation, the representative of Sig Sauer in the Philippines.
PNP spokesman Senior Supt. Dionardo Carlos said the letter did not say anything about the deal being cancelled.
President Duterte and other officials have downplayed the reported cancellation and said the Philippines can source firearms elsewhere, including China and Russia.
http://www.malaya.com.ph/business-news/news/dfa-no-official-word-rifle-deal
Friday, November 4, 2016
AFP treads softly on Scarborough
From Malaya Business Insight (Nov 4): AFP treads softly on Scarborough
FOR the sake of the fishermen’s livelihood, the Armed Forces will not be sending ships to assert the country’s claim over Scarborough or Panatag shoal, Armed Forces spokesman Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla said yesterday.
“As of now, we’re not,” Padilla said when asked to react to the suggestion of some groups to send ships to the shoal which was taken over by China in April 2012.
Padilla said the military’s action will remain confined to monitoring. He did not elaborate.
“We’ll be monitoring only and let the current condition to prevail…It’s better that we not comment (on how the military will do the monitoring),” he said.
He said the Armed Forces welcomes the recent developments in the shoal “and we hope this continues in the interest of all those who are getting their livelihood out of the area.”
“It’s better that we allow the prevailing condition to continue for the interest of our fishermen,” said Padilla, appealing to the public not to “muddle” the situation, pending dialogue between the two sides.
“We all know that (past) events there were sensitive so any move should be properly calculated. What we want to prevail is a situation where our fishermen can resume livelihood and we achieved that already,” added Padilla.
China had been driving away Filipino fishermen from the shoal until after President Duterte went on a state visit to China to strengthen ties.
Despite the development, Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. reiterated that no agreement has been reached between Manila and Beijing regarding Panatag Shoal.
Yasay said what happened could be part of a “quiet diplomacy’ between the two countries to inspire and build mutual trust.
“There is no agreement that has been arrived at with China insofar as these ships leaving or our fishermen having access to Scarborough or Panatag Shoal but I would imagine as part of our quiet diplomacy trying to build mutual trust and confidence with two countries, these have been made possible,” Yasay said in a television interview Thursday.
The DFA chief also denied that the country sought permission from Chinese authorities to allow Filipino fishermen to return to Scarborough. He said doing so would mean conceding authority to China.
Yasay did not answer why Chinese Coast Guard ships and a Navy vessel are still in the area, though Filipino fishermen who have ventured there said they were not harassed.
In a statement Wednesday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said the condition “is and will remain unchanged,” as “the Chinese side has always been exercising normal jurisdiction over Huangyan Dao (Scarborough Shoal).
For his part, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. said both countries reached a “friendly understanding” to let Filipino fishermen go back to Scarborough, without Manila and Beijing dropping their claims.
http://www.malaya.com.ph/business-news/news/afp-treads-softly-scarborough
FOR the sake of the fishermen’s livelihood, the Armed Forces will not be sending ships to assert the country’s claim over Scarborough or Panatag shoal, Armed Forces spokesman Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla said yesterday.
“As of now, we’re not,” Padilla said when asked to react to the suggestion of some groups to send ships to the shoal which was taken over by China in April 2012.
Padilla said the military’s action will remain confined to monitoring. He did not elaborate.
“We’ll be monitoring only and let the current condition to prevail…It’s better that we not comment (on how the military will do the monitoring),” he said.
He said the Armed Forces welcomes the recent developments in the shoal “and we hope this continues in the interest of all those who are getting their livelihood out of the area.”
“It’s better that we allow the prevailing condition to continue for the interest of our fishermen,” said Padilla, appealing to the public not to “muddle” the situation, pending dialogue between the two sides.
“We all know that (past) events there were sensitive so any move should be properly calculated. What we want to prevail is a situation where our fishermen can resume livelihood and we achieved that already,” added Padilla.
China had been driving away Filipino fishermen from the shoal until after President Duterte went on a state visit to China to strengthen ties.
Despite the development, Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. reiterated that no agreement has been reached between Manila and Beijing regarding Panatag Shoal.
Yasay said what happened could be part of a “quiet diplomacy’ between the two countries to inspire and build mutual trust.
“There is no agreement that has been arrived at with China insofar as these ships leaving or our fishermen having access to Scarborough or Panatag Shoal but I would imagine as part of our quiet diplomacy trying to build mutual trust and confidence with two countries, these have been made possible,” Yasay said in a television interview Thursday.
The DFA chief also denied that the country sought permission from Chinese authorities to allow Filipino fishermen to return to Scarborough. He said doing so would mean conceding authority to China.
Yasay did not answer why Chinese Coast Guard ships and a Navy vessel are still in the area, though Filipino fishermen who have ventured there said they were not harassed.
In a statement Wednesday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said the condition “is and will remain unchanged,” as “the Chinese side has always been exercising normal jurisdiction over Huangyan Dao (Scarborough Shoal).
For his part, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. said both countries reached a “friendly understanding” to let Filipino fishermen go back to Scarborough, without Manila and Beijing dropping their claims.
http://www.malaya.com.ph/business-news/news/afp-treads-softly-scarborough
Marines deployed in West Philippine Sea welcomed, honored
From Update.Ph (Nov 3): Marines deployed in West Philippine Sea welcomed, honored
WESCOM photo
Members of the Philippine Marine Corps, naval infantry force under the command of the Philippine Navy, were welcomed after being deployed to Philippine-held islands in the Kalayaan Island Group in West Philippine Sea.
Armed Forces of the Philippines Western Command (WESCOM) commander Vice Admiral Ronald Joseph S. Mercado graced the Arrival Ceremony and awarding of troops deployed at Kalayaan Island Group.
Security personnel are normally deployed in Kalayaan Island Group for 3 to 4 months.
“BIG SALUTE to our brave soldiers,” WESCOM said. “Thank You for protecting the sovereignty of the state!”
http://www.update.ph/2016/11/marines-deployed-in-west-philippine-sea-welcomed-honored/10696
Members of the Philippine Marine Corps, naval infantry force under the command of the Philippine Navy, were welcomed after being deployed to Philippine-held islands in the Kalayaan Island Group in West Philippine Sea.
Armed Forces of the Philippines Western Command (WESCOM) commander Vice Admiral Ronald Joseph S. Mercado graced the Arrival Ceremony and awarding of troops deployed at Kalayaan Island Group.
Security personnel are normally deployed in Kalayaan Island Group for 3 to 4 months.
“BIG SALUTE to our brave soldiers,” WESCOM said. “Thank You for protecting the sovereignty of the state!”
http://www.update.ph/2016/11/marines-deployed-in-west-philippine-sea-welcomed-honored/10696
PH welcomes new US Ambassador to Philippines
From Update.Ph (Nov 4): PH welcomes new US Ambassador to Philippines
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Friday welcomes the appointment of the new ambassador of the United States of America to the Philippines. DFA Spokesman and Assistant Secretary Charles Jose said the appointment of Sung Kim could be the new pipeline to patch up differences between the Philippines and the US.
Kim officially replaced Ambassador Philip Goldberg after he was officially sworn into office by the US State Department.
He said he is looking forward for a better and healthy relations between the two countries.
“We welcome the assignment of Ambassador Sung Kim as the new US Ambassador to the Philippines and look forward to working with him in promoting PH-US relations,” Jose said.
http://www.update.ph/2016/11/ph-welcomes-new-us-ambassador-to-philippines/10710
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Friday welcomes the appointment of the new ambassador of the United States of America to the Philippines. DFA Spokesman and Assistant Secretary Charles Jose said the appointment of Sung Kim could be the new pipeline to patch up differences between the Philippines and the US.
Kim officially replaced Ambassador Philip Goldberg after he was officially sworn into office by the US State Department.
He said he is looking forward for a better and healthy relations between the two countries.
“We welcome the assignment of Ambassador Sung Kim as the new US Ambassador to the Philippines and look forward to working with him in promoting PH-US relations,” Jose said.
http://www.update.ph/2016/11/ph-welcomes-new-us-ambassador-to-philippines/10710
AFP won’t deploy warships to Scarborough
From Update.Ph (Nov 4): AFP won’t deploy warships to Scarborough
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) will not deploy any naval ships in the vicinity of Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal but will monitor the situation in the area as Filipino fishermen have resumed fishing there.
“We won’t be sending any ships for the moment,” AFP Spokesperson Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla said in Filipino.
He said the military would not follow suit with the Philippine Coast Guard which earlier deployed two patrol boats — the BRP Tubbataha and BRP Davao Del Norte — in Panatag Shoal which is only 230 kilometers off the coast of Zambales province.
Padilla earlier said the military welcomes reports that Filipino fisherfolk are now starting to fish again at Panatag Shoal.
“On the issue of Bajo De Masinloc or Panatag Shoal, the AFP welcomes the recent development (Filipino fishermen now fishing there openly) that have been monitored to have been happening in the area and we hope this continues in the interest of all those who are getting their livelihood out of the area,” he said.
Filipinos have been barred by the Chinese Coast Guard from fishing in the resource-rich area since the 2012 standoff at Panatag Shoal.
http://www.update.ph/2016/11/afp-wont-deploy-warhips-to-scarborough/10715
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) will not deploy any naval ships in the vicinity of Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal but will monitor the situation in the area as Filipino fishermen have resumed fishing there.
“We won’t be sending any ships for the moment,” AFP Spokesperson Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla said in Filipino.
He said the military would not follow suit with the Philippine Coast Guard which earlier deployed two patrol boats — the BRP Tubbataha and BRP Davao Del Norte — in Panatag Shoal which is only 230 kilometers off the coast of Zambales province.
Padilla earlier said the military welcomes reports that Filipino fisherfolk are now starting to fish again at Panatag Shoal.
“On the issue of Bajo De Masinloc or Panatag Shoal, the AFP welcomes the recent development (Filipino fishermen now fishing there openly) that have been monitored to have been happening in the area and we hope this continues in the interest of all those who are getting their livelihood out of the area,” he said.
Filipinos have been barred by the Chinese Coast Guard from fishing in the resource-rich area since the 2012 standoff at Panatag Shoal.
http://www.update.ph/2016/11/afp-wont-deploy-warhips-to-scarborough/10715
Duterte: Nothing wrong with 'embracing' Nur Misuari
From Rappler (Nov 4): Duterte: Nothing wrong with 'embracing' Nur Misuari
President Rodrigo Duterte tells the Integrated Bar of the Philippines that if the shift to a federal system and the talks with Misuari don't pan out, communism would surely stay, exacerbated by the rise of terrorism in the region
NOTHING WRONG. President Rodrigo Duterte says there is nothing wrong with 'embracing' Moro National Liberation Front leader Nur Misuari. Photo by Presidential Photo
President Rodrigo Duterte defended his talks with Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) leader Nur Misuari, saying he himself has Moro blood.
“What is wrong with talking to Misuari and embracing him? Eh Moro ako eh (I am a Moro). I want to talk to him because ang sinabi ko (I said), ‘Nur, you have been fighting for 40 years. Do you want another 40 years?” Duterte said at an Integrated Bar of the Philippines event on Friday, November 4.
Aside from his Moro links, Duterte said his son, Paolo, married a woman who has a Maranao mother and a Tausug father.
“So I look at my grandchildren, anak nasa inyo ako (I am with you),” he said.
Misuari met with Duterte in Malacañang on Thursday, just hours after a court order suspending arrest warrants against him was publicized. Chief Peace Adviser Jesus Dureza even fetched the 77-year-old MNLF leader in Sulu in the southern Philippines.
The MNLF leader, who was allowed to give his remarks using the presidential podium, then thanked Duterte for “restoring his freedom.” Misuari is facing charges of rebellion and crimes against humanity over his role in the 2013 Zamboanga siege.
In September 2013, supporters of Misuari occupied coastal villages of Zamboanga City to protest the Aquino administration's peace talks with the MNLF's breakaway group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). Over 200 people were killed and more than 24,000 families were displaced during the 3-week siege.
If the shift to a federal system and the talks with Misuari don't pan out, Duterte claimed communism would surely stay, exacerbated by the rise of terrorism in the region.
“Because if you do not get the federal system to work then babalik itong – I assure you, as sure as the sun will rise in the east, babalik 'yung komunista (the communists will return). Nur will go back to the mountains, we will have a problem,” he said.
Misuari supported Duterte's presidential campaign. The President, for his part, earlier said he does not want a "fragile" Misuari detained or pursued by authorities.
On Thursday, he said it was upon his orders that Misuari was freed so they could talk.
The President, apparently referring to soldiers, also said there is nothing wrong with talking to communists. Duterte went around military camps in the first months of his presidency to explain to soldiers the importance of peace negotiations with communist rebels, and urged them to support the process.
Such acts, he said, would even give the military more leeway and a longer life.
"Is it wrong to talk to communists na wala ng gyera, wala nang mamatay sa inyo (no more wars, no one would die from your ranks)? What did we harvest in the meantime? Makagalaw kayo (You can move). And maybe if you are not destined to die, then you might live for another 10 years," he said.
ISIS role?
The situation, the President said, would be more complicated with the possible spread of terrorism through the Islamic State (IS, formerly known as ISIS or the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq) in the Philippines.
“There is the looming threat of mindless violence… without any purpose but to kill – ISIS.
Duterte said the terrorist group is slowly being thrown out of the Middle East now. And the other fertile land for their growth is Southeast Asia – Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
“Are they coming? They will come. ISIS is being edged out of the Middle East. 'Pag nawalan sila ng (If they lose their) bailiwick and don’t have mass lands, where do you think will they go? Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, Philippines. Where do we belong? For lack of a better word, saan tayo diyan (Where would that leave us)?" he said.
The group in July called on its followers in Southeast Asia to fight for the terror group either in Syria or in the Philippines.
http://www.rappler.com/nation/151332-duterte-nothing-wrong-talks-nur-misuari
President Rodrigo Duterte tells the Integrated Bar of the Philippines that if the shift to a federal system and the talks with Misuari don't pan out, communism would surely stay, exacerbated by the rise of terrorism in the region
NOTHING WRONG. President Rodrigo Duterte says there is nothing wrong with 'embracing' Moro National Liberation Front leader Nur Misuari. Photo by Presidential Photo
President Rodrigo Duterte defended his talks with Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) leader Nur Misuari, saying he himself has Moro blood.
“What is wrong with talking to Misuari and embracing him? Eh Moro ako eh (I am a Moro). I want to talk to him because ang sinabi ko (I said), ‘Nur, you have been fighting for 40 years. Do you want another 40 years?” Duterte said at an Integrated Bar of the Philippines event on Friday, November 4.
Aside from his Moro links, Duterte said his son, Paolo, married a woman who has a Maranao mother and a Tausug father.
“So I look at my grandchildren, anak nasa inyo ako (I am with you),” he said.
Misuari met with Duterte in Malacañang on Thursday, just hours after a court order suspending arrest warrants against him was publicized. Chief Peace Adviser Jesus Dureza even fetched the 77-year-old MNLF leader in Sulu in the southern Philippines.
The MNLF leader, who was allowed to give his remarks using the presidential podium, then thanked Duterte for “restoring his freedom.” Misuari is facing charges of rebellion and crimes against humanity over his role in the 2013 Zamboanga siege.
In September 2013, supporters of Misuari occupied coastal villages of Zamboanga City to protest the Aquino administration's peace talks with the MNLF's breakaway group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). Over 200 people were killed and more than 24,000 families were displaced during the 3-week siege.
If the shift to a federal system and the talks with Misuari don't pan out, Duterte claimed communism would surely stay, exacerbated by the rise of terrorism in the region.
“Because if you do not get the federal system to work then babalik itong – I assure you, as sure as the sun will rise in the east, babalik 'yung komunista (the communists will return). Nur will go back to the mountains, we will have a problem,” he said.
Misuari supported Duterte's presidential campaign. The President, for his part, earlier said he does not want a "fragile" Misuari detained or pursued by authorities.
On Thursday, he said it was upon his orders that Misuari was freed so they could talk.
The President, apparently referring to soldiers, also said there is nothing wrong with talking to communists. Duterte went around military camps in the first months of his presidency to explain to soldiers the importance of peace negotiations with communist rebels, and urged them to support the process.
Such acts, he said, would even give the military more leeway and a longer life.
"Is it wrong to talk to communists na wala ng gyera, wala nang mamatay sa inyo (no more wars, no one would die from your ranks)? What did we harvest in the meantime? Makagalaw kayo (You can move). And maybe if you are not destined to die, then you might live for another 10 years," he said.
ISIS role?
The situation, the President said, would be more complicated with the possible spread of terrorism through the Islamic State (IS, formerly known as ISIS or the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq) in the Philippines.
“There is the looming threat of mindless violence… without any purpose but to kill – ISIS.
Duterte said the terrorist group is slowly being thrown out of the Middle East now. And the other fertile land for their growth is Southeast Asia – Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
“Are they coming? They will come. ISIS is being edged out of the Middle East. 'Pag nawalan sila ng (If they lose their) bailiwick and don’t have mass lands, where do you think will they go? Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, Philippines. Where do we belong? For lack of a better word, saan tayo diyan (Where would that leave us)?" he said.
The group in July called on its followers in Southeast Asia to fight for the terror group either in Syria or in the Philippines.
http://www.rappler.com/nation/151332-duterte-nothing-wrong-talks-nur-misuari
27 boats from Japan to help secure PH's porous borders
From Rappler (Nov 5): 27 boats from Japan to help secure PH's porous borders
Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III says the boats they will be used to run after criminals and threat groups in the country's southern borders such as narco-traffickers, smugglers, and the Abu Sayyaf Group
President Rodrigo Duterte's visit to Japan resulted in additional loans that will give the Philippine Coast Guard more boats to boost the country's security and border patrol capabilities, particularly in the porous borders of the southern Philippines.
The two largescale patrol ships are on top of 10 40-meter patrol vessels, the first of which was commissioned in October and has been readied for deployment to the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea). Both projects are under the Maritime Safety Capability Improvement Project (MSCIP) with Japan.
An additional grant of 600-million yen (P280 million) will also give the coast guard one 20-meter high-speed vessel ang 14 units of 11-meter high speed boats, according to the finance department.
Rampant criminality in the country's southern borders have discouraged businessmen and investors, including Indonesian suppliers that the finance department said have stopped deliveries of coal to power-generation plants in Mindanao following the abduction of their Indonesian crewmembers.
http://www.rappler.com/nation/151318-japan-loans-coast-guard-boats
Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III says the boats they will be used to run after criminals and threat groups in the country's southern borders such as narco-traffickers, smugglers, and the Abu Sayyaf Group
MORE LOANS, GRANTS. President Rodrigo Duterte and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (seated) have their picture taken at a reception at the Prime Minister's Official Residence in Japan on October 26, 2016. Photo by Albert Alcain/Presidential Photo
President Rodrigo Duterte's visit to Japan resulted in additional loans that will give the Philippine Coast Guard more boats to boost the country's security and border patrol capabilities, particularly in the porous borders of the southern Philippines.
The coast guard is getting a total of 27 boats from Japan through loans and grants acquired since the administration of former president Benigno Aquino III.
Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said the boats will be used to run after criminals and threat groups in the country's southern borders such as narco-traffickers, smugglers, and the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG).
“Our government’s acquisition of these patrol vessels and high-speed boats would give a big boost to our Coast Guard’s capabilities in securing our waters,” said Dominguez.
Dominguez was the signatory to a 16.5-billion yen loan (P6.8 billion) from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), covering the purchase of two 94-meter largescale patrol ships for the coast guard. The loan is among 5 agreements signed during Duterte's Japan trip.
The loan was acquired at a concessional interest rate of between 0.01% and 0.10% and payable in 40 years, inclusive of a 10-year grace period).
An additional grant of 600-million yen (P280 million) will also give the coast guard one 20-meter high-speed vessel ang 14 units of 11-meter high speed boats, according to the finance department.
President Rodrigo Duterte said he will closely cooperate with neighboring Malaysia and Indonesia to secure shared borders. Duterte met with Indonesian President Joko Widodo in September, and will meet Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak when he visits Malaysia from November 9 to 10.
http://www.rappler.com/nation/151318-japan-loans-coast-guard-boats
PH Coast Guard to deploy new ship from Japan to Scarborough
From Rappler (Nov 4): PH Coast Guard to deploy new ship from Japan to Scarborough
Transportation Secretary Arthur says the deployment is meant for "roving inspection and testing the waters'
BRAND NEW. BRP Tubbataha, an MRRV-4401, was commissioned in October 2016
The Philippine Coast Guard is set to deploy ships to Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal off the coast of Zambales province to patrol the country's exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
Brand new vessel BRP Tubbataha and older vessels BRP Pampanga and BRP Davao Del Norte are now all set for deployment, on standby to sail to the disputed waters if orders are issued, Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Armand Balilo told Rappler on Friday, November 4.
Balilo said the coast guard presence is meant to maintain government presence in the area and to monitor the situation of the fisherman.
Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade disclosed the deployment on Thursday, saying it was meant for "roving inspection and testing the waters," he told reporters in Malacañang.
Tugade allayed concerns that the deployment would revive tension between the two countries over the shoal, the site of a tense standoff between Manila and Beijing in April 2012.
“That is farthest from our mind right now,” Tugade said.
BRP Tubbataha, a 44-meter vessel commissioned only last month, is the first of the 10 multi-role response vessels (MRRVs) acquired from Japan for about P5 billion each. It is supported by Japanese aid money.
BRP Pampanga and BRP Davao Del Norte are older coast guard ship that have been deployed to Scarborough during the 2012 standoff and to Sabah during the 2013 hostilities there.
The shoal was practically occupied by the Chinese Coast Guard since a tense standoff there in April 2012 over Philippine Navy's arrests of Chinese fishermen. They have been shooing away Filipino fishermen from the shoal, ocassionally using water cannons against them.
Filipinos were able to return last week to their traditional fishing ground following President Rodrigo Duterte's state visit to China.
China's practical occupation of the shoal located inside the country's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) prompted the previous Aquino administration to file a historic arbitration case against its neighbor.
The Permant Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled, among others, that Scarborough is a common fishing ground. China ignored the ruling, insisting on a bilateral arrangement with countries with claims in the South China Sea.
http://www.rappler.com/nation/151240-coast-guard-patrol-panatag-scarborough
Transportation Secretary Arthur says the deployment is meant for "roving inspection and testing the waters'
BRAND NEW. BRP Tubbataha, an MRRV-4401, was commissioned in October 2016
The Philippine Coast Guard is set to deploy ships to Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal off the coast of Zambales province to patrol the country's exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
Brand new vessel BRP Tubbataha and older vessels BRP Pampanga and BRP Davao Del Norte are now all set for deployment, on standby to sail to the disputed waters if orders are issued, Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Armand Balilo told Rappler on Friday, November 4.
Balilo said the coast guard presence is meant to maintain government presence in the area and to monitor the situation of the fisherman.
Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade disclosed the deployment on Thursday, saying it was meant for "roving inspection and testing the waters," he told reporters in Malacañang.
Tugade allayed concerns that the deployment would revive tension between the two countries over the shoal, the site of a tense standoff between Manila and Beijing in April 2012.
“That is farthest from our mind right now,” Tugade said.
BRP Tubbataha, a 44-meter vessel commissioned only last month, is the first of the 10 multi-role response vessels (MRRVs) acquired from Japan for about P5 billion each. It is supported by Japanese aid money.
BRP Pampanga and BRP Davao Del Norte are older coast guard ship that have been deployed to Scarborough during the 2012 standoff and to Sabah during the 2013 hostilities there.
The shoal was practically occupied by the Chinese Coast Guard since a tense standoff there in April 2012 over Philippine Navy's arrests of Chinese fishermen. They have been shooing away Filipino fishermen from the shoal, ocassionally using water cannons against them.
Filipinos were able to return last week to their traditional fishing ground following President Rodrigo Duterte's state visit to China.
China's practical occupation of the shoal located inside the country's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) prompted the previous Aquino administration to file a historic arbitration case against its neighbor.
The Permant Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled, among others, that Scarborough is a common fishing ground. China ignored the ruling, insisting on a bilateral arrangement with countries with claims in the South China Sea.
http://www.rappler.com/nation/151240-coast-guard-patrol-panatag-scarborough
Indonesia's Widodo vows 'no compromise' on South China Sea
From InterAksyon (Nov 4): Indonesia's Widodo vows 'no compromise' on South China Sea
Indonesian President Joko Widodo said there will be "no compromise" to his country's sovereignty in the contested South China Sea, ahead of a visit to staunch US ally Australia.
The comments come after Australia's foreign minister, Julie Bishop, on Tuesday said the two countries were considering joint naval patrols in the contested waters.
China claims almost the entire South China Sea, through which about $5 trillion worth of trade passes each year. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam and Indonesia also claim part of the sea.
"In regards to Indonesia's sovereignty, I don't compromise. I don't compromise," Widodo told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation on Saturday.
Indonesian warplanes staged a large-scale exercise last month in the waters around the Natuna Islands archipelago, following a spate of face-offs between the country's navy and Chinese fishing boats in the gas-rich southern end of the South China Sea.
China, while not disputing Indonesia's claims to the Natuna Islands, has raised Indonesian anger by saying the two countries had "overlapping claims" to waters close to them, an area Indonesia calls the Natuna Sea.
Australia has previously drawn criticism from China for running surveillance flights over disputed islands in the South China Sea and supporting US freedom of navigation exercises there.
Widodo will hold meetings with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Sunday amidst warming ties and a renewed push for a bilateral trade agreement between the two neighbors, expected to finalized next year.
The relationship between Indonesia and Australia reached historic lows under former Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who Turnbull ousted in a party room coup in September last year.
http://www.interaksyon.com/article/133995/indonesias-widodo-vows-no-compromise-on-south-china-sea
Indonesian President Joko Widodo said there will be "no compromise" to his country's sovereignty in the contested South China Sea, ahead of a visit to staunch US ally Australia.
The comments come after Australia's foreign minister, Julie Bishop, on Tuesday said the two countries were considering joint naval patrols in the contested waters.
China claims almost the entire South China Sea, through which about $5 trillion worth of trade passes each year. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam and Indonesia also claim part of the sea.
"In regards to Indonesia's sovereignty, I don't compromise. I don't compromise," Widodo told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation on Saturday.
Indonesian warplanes staged a large-scale exercise last month in the waters around the Natuna Islands archipelago, following a spate of face-offs between the country's navy and Chinese fishing boats in the gas-rich southern end of the South China Sea.
China, while not disputing Indonesia's claims to the Natuna Islands, has raised Indonesian anger by saying the two countries had "overlapping claims" to waters close to them, an area Indonesia calls the Natuna Sea.
Australia has previously drawn criticism from China for running surveillance flights over disputed islands in the South China Sea and supporting US freedom of navigation exercises there.
Widodo will hold meetings with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Sunday amidst warming ties and a renewed push for a bilateral trade agreement between the two neighbors, expected to finalized next year.
The relationship between Indonesia and Australia reached historic lows under former Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who Turnbull ousted in a party room coup in September last year.
http://www.interaksyon.com/article/133995/indonesias-widodo-vows-no-compromise-on-south-china-sea
Fishermen return to Scarborough in test of Duterte's diplomacy
From InterAksyon (Nov 3): Fishermen return to Scarborough in test of Duterte's diplomacy
Fishermen newly returned from Scarborough Shoal unload fish from a boat in Subic, Zambales. (photo by Erik De Castro, Reuters)
On his first voyage as captain, 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 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 favor 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.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and presidential spokesmanErnesto Abella on Friday said Chinese ships had withdrawn from the area. Within two days, defense and coastguard officials said the 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.interaksyon.com/article/133948/fishermen-return-to-scarborough-in-test-of-dutertes-diplomacy
Fishermen newly returned from Scarborough Shoal unload fish from a boat in Subic, Zambales. (photo by Erik De Castro, Reuters)
On his first voyage as captain, 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 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 favor 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.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and presidential spokesmanErnesto Abella on Friday said Chinese ships had withdrawn from the area. Within two days, defense and coastguard officials said the 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.interaksyon.com/article/133948/fishermen-return-to-scarborough-in-test-of-dutertes-diplomacy
Govt validating report of kidnap threat in southern Cebu after US embassy warning
From InterAksyon (Nov 4): Govt validating report of kidnap threat in southern Cebu after US embassy warning
The US embassy in Manila has warned Americans of a reported plot by “terrorist groups” to carry out kidnappings “on the southern portion of Cebu Island,” and news reports said Malacanang has confirmed a police report on the purported threat.
The embassy, in a “security message” on its website, said the threat was centered “around Dalaguete and Santander (to include Sumilon Island)” and warned US citizens to “avoid travel to these areas” and to “review personal security plans, remain aware of their surroundings, including local events, and monitor local news stations for updates.”
“Be vigilant and take appropriate steps to enhance your personal security,” it said.
Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said the report on the alleged kidnapping plot “is in the process of being validated” even as he acknowledged that the police “have taken the necessary steps to harden or protect possible targets.”
“Moreover other measures are being undertaken in public venues to safeguard crowds from harm,” he added.
The embassy warning reminded Americans of the State Department’s “Worldwide Caution” on September 13 on an “ongoing threat of terrorist actions and violence against United States citizens and interests abroad, including the Philippines.”
It noted that “sporting events, theaters, markets, mass transportation systems -- including airlines, and other public venues where large crowds gather” have been targeted by terror attacks.
“The embassy reminds US citizens of the importance of taking preventative measures to ensure their safety and security while traveling and residing in the Philippines,” it said.
http://www.interaksyon.com/article/133976/govt-validating-report-of-kidnap-threat-in-southern-cebu-after-us-embassy-warning
The US embassy in Manila has warned Americans of a reported plot by “terrorist groups” to carry out kidnappings “on the southern portion of Cebu Island,” and news reports said Malacanang has confirmed a police report on the purported threat.
The embassy, in a “security message” on its website, said the threat was centered “around Dalaguete and Santander (to include Sumilon Island)” and warned US citizens to “avoid travel to these areas” and to “review personal security plans, remain aware of their surroundings, including local events, and monitor local news stations for updates.”
“Be vigilant and take appropriate steps to enhance your personal security,” it said.
Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said the report on the alleged kidnapping plot “is in the process of being validated” even as he acknowledged that the police “have taken the necessary steps to harden or protect possible targets.”
“Moreover other measures are being undertaken in public venues to safeguard crowds from harm,” he added.
The embassy warning reminded Americans of the State Department’s “Worldwide Caution” on September 13 on an “ongoing threat of terrorist actions and violence against United States citizens and interests abroad, including the Philippines.”
It noted that “sporting events, theaters, markets, mass transportation systems -- including airlines, and other public venues where large crowds gather” have been targeted by terror attacks.
“The embassy reminds US citizens of the importance of taking preventative measures to ensure their safety and security while traveling and residing in the Philippines,” it said.
http://www.interaksyon.com/article/133976/govt-validating-report-of-kidnap-threat-in-southern-cebu-after-us-embassy-warning
Duterte to sign EO on Bangsamoro Transition Commission on Nov. 7
From MindaNews (Nov 4): Duterte to sign EO on Bangsamoro Transition Commission on Nov. 7
President Rodrigo Duterte will sign the Executive Order creating the expanded Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) at 3 p.m. Monday in Malacanang but it is not clear if the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) faction under founding chair Nur Misuari will be part of it, Irene Santiago, chair of the government’s Peace Implementing Panel told a press conference here Friday.
“I don’t know. I am not at liberty to give the names of the BTC members,” Santiago told a press conference at the Philippine Information Agency here Friday.
The Duterte administration has increased the membership of the BTC from 15 to 21 to make the body that will draft the Bangsamoro law be “more inclusive.”
Santiago said the names of the 10 government nominees who will be appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte will be revealed after the EO is signed. The MILF is nominating 11 to the MILF-led BTC.
Earlier, Patmei Ruivivar, head of the Communications team of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process said the EO would be signed on November 3 in Davao City.
No signing happened that day. Instead, Duterte received Misuari in Malacanang, on the first day of Misuari as a free man. A fugitive since September 2013, Misuari gained temporary liberty after a court in Pasig ordered the suspension of the proceedings of the cases and the enforcement of warrants of arrest against him to allow him to “attend peace talk sessions with the government.”
At the Davao Peace Fair on September 21, Santiago said Misuari was reluctant to join the BTC because it is an “MILF structure.”
But the MNLF faction under Muslimin Sema will be given three seats, she said.
As an independent body, the BTC will be tasked to consolidate all peace agreements and legislation into one enabling law on the Bangsamoro, call for an inclusive Bangsamoro Consultative Assembly to discuss the new draft of the enabling law, and submit to Congress the new version of the enabling law not later than July 2017.
In a statement, the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process said the Bangsamoro peace process is “on track with both the MILF and the MNLF on board for a more inclusive resolution to the conflict.”
“They are now willing to sit at the peace table and work together with the government to address the historical injustices committed against the Moro people. This is an unprecedented and historical development,” it said.
Santiago vowed to keep the conversations going to attain “justice, healing and reconciliation” and to ensure that all sectors are included in the peace-building.
“What we do is to make sure that no people are excluded. If you look at the root of the problem in Mindanao… people feel excluded,” she said.
Reacting to Fr. Eliseo Mercado Jr.’s proposal of a Transitional Law Drafting Commission representing the MNLF, MILF, Indigenous Peoples, Traditional Leaders, Settlers, and Government, with three rotating chairs, Santiago assured that the crafting of the enabling law and steps in the peace process will be based on the 2014 Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB).
Mercado proposed that instead of BTC, an “appropriate body” be set up with equal and proportional representation among the six sectors he mentioned, to “craft a Transitional Law that would implant all peace agreements including the IPRA (Indigenous Peoples Rights Act).”
Santiago said, “what you do is to make sure that there is a venue for everyone to pariticipate. Mas konti pa nga eh. Ten lang, paano mag-representative yan? Kaya sabi ko ‘let’s open it up.’ But let’s go back to what the interest is. The interest is, to be heard and to be taken seriously.”
She said she will also be holding “peace tables” similar to consultations, to get insights from the affected communities.
“Those peace tables will do that. BTC will craft the law based on the CAB, and we will make sure that the public will participate in the way it can participate in making peace. We cannot get out of the CAB, kung anong ni-negotiate sa CAB yun yung enabling law, kung anong kulang pa sa 1996 FPA, yung ang ilalagay sa enabling law,” she said.
‘Convergence’
Santiago said there maybe a convergence of the peace processes with the National Democratic Front, MILF and the different factions of the MNLF but added, “not yet, not now. I can foresee, maybe, someday we will get to that because you know we are thinking in terms of the entire country here.”
She said Duterte carries the voice of the people for peace.
“And while it is divided into the CPP-NPA-NDF process and MILF and MNLF process for now, I think President Duterte is so capable because he thinks that way. He is so capable of uniting his country,” she said.
Getting Misuari out of Sulu is a “bold step already among the bolds steps” that the Duterte has so far taken, she said.
She described the opportunities for peace under the Duterte administration as “seismic, earth-shaking.”
“We will not exclude anyone but we will include. It is difficult (but) now we have to start thinking of shared future. Kailangan nating ng peace tables because an enabling law provides the framework, respect ourselves as a society,” she said.
The OPAPP statement added that only Duterte can solve the long-standing problem of peace and order in Mindanao.
“The trust in the present leadership from the MNLF founder is a key ingredient in the President’s roadmap that will lead us to peace in Mindanao,” it said.
http://www.mindanews.com/peace-process/2016/11/duterte-to-sign-eo-on-bangsamoro-transition-commission-on-nov-7/
President Rodrigo Duterte will sign the Executive Order creating the expanded Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) at 3 p.m. Monday in Malacanang but it is not clear if the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) faction under founding chair Nur Misuari will be part of it, Irene Santiago, chair of the government’s Peace Implementing Panel told a press conference here Friday.
“I don’t know. I am not at liberty to give the names of the BTC members,” Santiago told a press conference at the Philippine Information Agency here Friday.
President Rodrigo Duterte tours Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) founding chair Nur Misuari inside Malacañan Palace on November 3. KING RODRIGUEZ/ Presidential Photo
Santiago said the names of the 10 government nominees who will be appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte will be revealed after the EO is signed. The MILF is nominating 11 to the MILF-led BTC.
Earlier, Patmei Ruivivar, head of the Communications team of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process said the EO would be signed on November 3 in Davao City.
No signing happened that day. Instead, Duterte received Misuari in Malacanang, on the first day of Misuari as a free man. A fugitive since September 2013, Misuari gained temporary liberty after a court in Pasig ordered the suspension of the proceedings of the cases and the enforcement of warrants of arrest against him to allow him to “attend peace talk sessions with the government.”
At the Davao Peace Fair on September 21, Santiago said Misuari was reluctant to join the BTC because it is an “MILF structure.”
But the MNLF faction under Muslimin Sema will be given three seats, she said.
As an independent body, the BTC will be tasked to consolidate all peace agreements and legislation into one enabling law on the Bangsamoro, call for an inclusive Bangsamoro Consultative Assembly to discuss the new draft of the enabling law, and submit to Congress the new version of the enabling law not later than July 2017.
Then President-elect Rodrigo Duterte and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) chair Al Haj Murad Ebrahim spent around 20 minutes to talk peace during a one-on-one meeting late evening on June 17 at Hotel Elena in Davao City. Photo contributed to MindaNews
“They are now willing to sit at the peace table and work together with the government to address the historical injustices committed against the Moro people. This is an unprecedented and historical development,” it said.
Santiago vowed to keep the conversations going to attain “justice, healing and reconciliation” and to ensure that all sectors are included in the peace-building.
“What we do is to make sure that no people are excluded. If you look at the root of the problem in Mindanao… people feel excluded,” she said.
Reacting to Fr. Eliseo Mercado Jr.’s proposal of a Transitional Law Drafting Commission representing the MNLF, MILF, Indigenous Peoples, Traditional Leaders, Settlers, and Government, with three rotating chairs, Santiago assured that the crafting of the enabling law and steps in the peace process will be based on the 2014 Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB).
Mercado proposed that instead of BTC, an “appropriate body” be set up with equal and proportional representation among the six sectors he mentioned, to “craft a Transitional Law that would implant all peace agreements including the IPRA (Indigenous Peoples Rights Act).”
Santiago said, “what you do is to make sure that there is a venue for everyone to pariticipate. Mas konti pa nga eh. Ten lang, paano mag-representative yan? Kaya sabi ko ‘let’s open it up.’ But let’s go back to what the interest is. The interest is, to be heard and to be taken seriously.”
She said she will also be holding “peace tables” similar to consultations, to get insights from the affected communities.
“Those peace tables will do that. BTC will craft the law based on the CAB, and we will make sure that the public will participate in the way it can participate in making peace. We cannot get out of the CAB, kung anong ni-negotiate sa CAB yun yung enabling law, kung anong kulang pa sa 1996 FPA, yung ang ilalagay sa enabling law,” she said.
‘Convergence’
Santiago said there maybe a convergence of the peace processes with the National Democratic Front, MILF and the different factions of the MNLF but added, “not yet, not now. I can foresee, maybe, someday we will get to that because you know we are thinking in terms of the entire country here.”
She said Duterte carries the voice of the people for peace.
“And while it is divided into the CPP-NPA-NDF process and MILF and MNLF process for now, I think President Duterte is so capable because he thinks that way. He is so capable of uniting his country,” she said.
Getting Misuari out of Sulu is a “bold step already among the bolds steps” that the Duterte has so far taken, she said.
She described the opportunities for peace under the Duterte administration as “seismic, earth-shaking.”
“We will not exclude anyone but we will include. It is difficult (but) now we have to start thinking of shared future. Kailangan nating ng peace tables because an enabling law provides the framework, respect ourselves as a society,” she said.
The OPAPP statement added that only Duterte can solve the long-standing problem of peace and order in Mindanao.
“The trust in the present leadership from the MNLF founder is a key ingredient in the President’s roadmap that will lead us to peace in Mindanao,” it said.
http://www.mindanews.com/peace-process/2016/11/duterte-to-sign-eo-on-bangsamoro-transition-commission-on-nov-7/
Nur and Digong: When brothers (and Presidents) meet
From MindaNews (Nov 3): Nur and Digong: When brothers (and Presidents) meet
“I would like you to just say a few words…using the podium of the President of the Republic of the Philippines,” the 71-year old Mindanawon President Rodrigo Duterte told the 77-year old founding chair of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) Nur Misuari after delivering a five-minute speech to announce to the nation the “great news.”
“It is with great happiness that I announce to the nation that Chairman Nur Misuari, our brother who heads the MNLF, has finally decided to just accept my invitation for him to talk to us,” Duterte said in Malacanang’s Rizal Hall on Thursday afternoon. Duterte, whose grandmother was a Maranao, is the country’s 16th President, the first Mindanawon to lead the nation and the first with Moro blood.
“Now I am so happy to be free again, owing to the initiative of our President,” said Misuari, who was introduced by the emcee as “President of the Bangsamoro Republik” during the 17th MNLF Bangsamoro Grand Summit Gathering on October 21, 2012 at the Crocodile Park here. In the same event, Misuari declared Davao City as the “official capital of the Bangamoro Republik.”
Before he was presented to the Malacanang Press Corps on Thursday afternoon Misuari met for a few minutes with Duterte whom he described as “the man whom I respect and trust” and “this one single man who can provide solution to the problem of peace and order in our homeland.”
He kissed Duterte’s cheeks thrice to thank him for his freedom, before taking over the Presidential podium to deliver what turned out to be a 22-minute speech.
Duterte announced that Misuari’s pending warrant of arrest in 2013 has been “lifted now under my orders.”
Court order
It was the court that ordered Misuari’s temporary liberty.
Judge Rowena Modesto-San Pedro of the Regional Trial Court in Pasig City granted Misuari’s motion to “suspend proceedings and enforcement of warrants of arrest” against him allow him “to attend peace talk sessions with the government.”
The suspension is for for a period of six months from October 27, the date of the ruling. (see other story).
Duterte said Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza “did the legwork.. to pave the way for Chairman Nur to come here… upon my invitation.”
Brother Nur
Dureza flew to Jolo early Thursday morning to hand over to Misuari a copy of the court order. Misuari joined Dureza on board a private jet that brought them to Manila and from there to Malacanang to meet with Duterte, Misuari’s personal friend.
Duterte recalled that in Misuari’s last tour around Mindanao before the September 2013 Zamboanga City standoff between his MNLF forces and government forces, “I accepted you with open arms and I said that maybe someday we can finally talk about peace.”
Misuari last met with Duterte at a function room at the Royal Mandaya Hotel here from 11:35 p.m. on March 2, 2013 until 12:05 a.m. on March 3, Duterte greeting Misuari, whom he calls “Brother Nur,” a “happy birthday.” Misuari was born on March 3, 1939 in Kabigaan, Tapul, Sulu.
“Little did I know, Brother Nur, by the grace of Allah, I became the President of the Republic and in the twilight of our years, we would be able to talk about the problem of our country, the revolution that you have led all these years and finally, understanding on a common ground with government,” said Duterte, who has repeatedly vowed to correct the historical injustices committed against the Bangamoro people,
Bangsamoro peace roadmap
He assured Misuari that “we will come up with the modality and then of course, how to place us in our proper homeland, our Mindanao, and that we will talk about the Bangsamoro Authority.”
Duterte was apparently referring to the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) which will be appointed by the President to govern the future Bangsamoro region once the plebiscite on the Bangsamoro law is ratified, and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) is deemed abolished. The BTA will serve during the transition period, until the election of the first set of officials of the Bangsamoro.
“We are ready for that, Brother Nur,” the President vowed.
Duterte’s Bangsamoro peace roadmap is focusing on the convergence of the peace processes and the peace agreements signed by government with the MNLF — the 1996 Final Peace Agreement (FPA) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front’s (MILF) 2014 Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) – so that the law that would be passed would incorporate the provisions of the CAB and the unimplemented provisions of the 1996 FPA.
The Bangsamoro law is supposed to be drafted by the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) whose membership under this new administration has been increased from 15 to 21 (10 nominated by government and 11 nominate by the MILF) to make it “more inclusive.”
Under the roadmap, the MNLF factions are expected to be included in the new BTC. The MNLF Sema faction has agreed to participate in the BTC.
Converge in Congress
Misuari’s faction, however, apparently does not want to take part in the MILF-led BTC. In his speech, he belittled the MILF’s armed strength. “They only have a handful of people,” he said while maintaining the MNLF is “not a spent force.”
Dureza told MindaNews in a text message Thursday evening that the GPH-MILF and GPH-MNLF tracks “will somehow converge in Congress without converging in the process.”
He said the GPH-MILF track will pursue the BTC mode of drafting the proposed Bangsamoro law for submission to Congress while the GPH-MNLF-Misuari track will work for the “amendment/expansion/enhancement” of RA 9054, the law that amended RA 6734, the Organic Act creating the ARMM.
Congress will then consolidate the bills to come up with the final draft of the Bangsamoro law.
As these two tracks are moving, Congress will also convene as a constituent assembly to amend the Constitution to push for the shift to a federal form of government.
http://www.mindanews.com/peace-process/2016/11/nur-and-digong-when-brothers-and-presidents-meet/
“I would like you to just say a few words…using the podium of the President of the Republic of the Philippines,” the 71-year old Mindanawon President Rodrigo Duterte told the 77-year old founding chair of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) Nur Misuari after delivering a five-minute speech to announce to the nation the “great news.”
“It is with great happiness that I announce to the nation that Chairman Nur Misuari, our brother who heads the MNLF, has finally decided to just accept my invitation for him to talk to us,” Duterte said in Malacanang’s Rizal Hall on Thursday afternoon. Duterte, whose grandmother was a Maranao, is the country’s 16th President, the first Mindanawon to lead the nation and the first with Moro blood.
President Rodrigo Duterte welcomes Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) founding chair Nur Misuari in Malacañang on November 3. Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza (center) fetched Misuari from Sulu to meet the President. RICHARD MADELO/ Presidential Photo
Before he was presented to the Malacanang Press Corps on Thursday afternoon Misuari met for a few minutes with Duterte whom he described as “the man whom I respect and trust” and “this one single man who can provide solution to the problem of peace and order in our homeland.”
He kissed Duterte’s cheeks thrice to thank him for his freedom, before taking over the Presidential podium to deliver what turned out to be a 22-minute speech.
Duterte announced that Misuari’s pending warrant of arrest in 2013 has been “lifted now under my orders.”
Court order
It was the court that ordered Misuari’s temporary liberty.
Judge Rowena Modesto-San Pedro of the Regional Trial Court in Pasig City granted Misuari’s motion to “suspend proceedings and enforcement of warrants of arrest” against him allow him “to attend peace talk sessions with the government.”
The suspension is for for a period of six months from October 27, the date of the ruling. (see other story).
Duterte said Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza “did the legwork.. to pave the way for Chairman Nur to come here… upon my invitation.”
Brother Nur
Dureza flew to Jolo early Thursday morning to hand over to Misuari a copy of the court order. Misuari joined Dureza on board a private jet that brought them to Manila and from there to Malacanang to meet with Duterte, Misuari’s personal friend.
Duterte recalled that in Misuari’s last tour around Mindanao before the September 2013 Zamboanga City standoff between his MNLF forces and government forces, “I accepted you with open arms and I said that maybe someday we can finally talk about peace.”
Misuari last met with Duterte at a function room at the Royal Mandaya Hotel here from 11:35 p.m. on March 2, 2013 until 12:05 a.m. on March 3, Duterte greeting Misuari, whom he calls “Brother Nur,” a “happy birthday.” Misuari was born on March 3, 1939 in Kabigaan, Tapul, Sulu.
“Little did I know, Brother Nur, by the grace of Allah, I became the President of the Republic and in the twilight of our years, we would be able to talk about the problem of our country, the revolution that you have led all these years and finally, understanding on a common ground with government,” said Duterte, who has repeatedly vowed to correct the historical injustices committed against the Bangamoro people,
Bangsamoro peace roadmap
He assured Misuari that “we will come up with the modality and then of course, how to place us in our proper homeland, our Mindanao, and that we will talk about the Bangsamoro Authority.”
Duterte was apparently referring to the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) which will be appointed by the President to govern the future Bangsamoro region once the plebiscite on the Bangsamoro law is ratified, and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) is deemed abolished. The BTA will serve during the transition period, until the election of the first set of officials of the Bangsamoro.
“We are ready for that, Brother Nur,” the President vowed.
President Rodrigo Duterte bids farewell to Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) founding Chair Nur Misuari following their meeting in Malacañan on November 3. KING RODRIGUEZ/ Presidential Photo
The Bangsamoro law is supposed to be drafted by the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) whose membership under this new administration has been increased from 15 to 21 (10 nominated by government and 11 nominate by the MILF) to make it “more inclusive.”
Under the roadmap, the MNLF factions are expected to be included in the new BTC. The MNLF Sema faction has agreed to participate in the BTC.
Converge in Congress
Misuari’s faction, however, apparently does not want to take part in the MILF-led BTC. In his speech, he belittled the MILF’s armed strength. “They only have a handful of people,” he said while maintaining the MNLF is “not a spent force.”
Dureza told MindaNews in a text message Thursday evening that the GPH-MILF and GPH-MNLF tracks “will somehow converge in Congress without converging in the process.”
He said the GPH-MILF track will pursue the BTC mode of drafting the proposed Bangsamoro law for submission to Congress while the GPH-MNLF-Misuari track will work for the “amendment/expansion/enhancement” of RA 9054, the law that amended RA 6734, the Organic Act creating the ARMM.
Congress will then consolidate the bills to come up with the final draft of the Bangsamoro law.
As these two tracks are moving, Congress will also convene as a constituent assembly to amend the Constitution to push for the shift to a federal form of government.
http://www.mindanews.com/peace-process/2016/11/nur-and-digong-when-brothers-and-presidents-meet/
CPP: cancellation of weapon sale to PH a ‘clear rebuke’ by US
From MindaNews (Nov 3): CPP: cancellation of weapon sale to PH a ‘clear rebuke’ by US
The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) said the cancellation of the sale of 26,000 M4 assault rifles to the Philippines is a “clear rebuke” by the United States government against President Rodrigo R. Duterte who declared an independent foreign policy, especially in the country’s military and economic relations with the US.
But the CPP, in a statement issued on November 2, said the cancellation of the weapons deal “is a good thing” as it urged the Philippines National Police (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.”
The communists also lambasted the US government for raising the concern on human rights in the country in relation to Duterte’s war on drugs when it supported the previous administration of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, Cory Aquino, Fidel Ramos, Joseph Ejercito Estrada, Gloria-Macapagal Arroyo and Benigno S. Aquino III, whom the CPP said also violated human rights.
“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,” the CPP statement reads.
It said that the Filipino people suffered gravely from the US-sponsored counter-insurgency operations conducted by the Armed Forces of the Philippines and PNP in a bid to suppress the democratic and anti-imperialist forces in the Philippines.
“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 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,” it said.
The US State Department cancelled the sale 26,000 M4 rifles to the PNP over concerns of human rights violations while the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) earlier ended the training program with the PNP.
But Duterte remained unfazed by the cancellation of the weapons sale.
“Iyan lang pantakot niya sa akin, hindi ka magpabili ng armas? Eh karaming de bomba dito,” he told reporters on Tuesday evening.
He said that Russia will come to the country’s aid if the need arises.
Duterte noted what a Russian diplomat said: “Come to Russia, we all have here anything you need,” he said.
http://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2016/11/cpp-cancellation-of-weapon-sale-to-ph-a-clear-rebuke-by-us/
The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) said the cancellation of the sale of 26,000 M4 assault rifles to the Philippines is a “clear rebuke” by the United States government against President Rodrigo R. Duterte who declared an independent foreign policy, especially in the country’s military and economic relations with the US.
But the CPP, in a statement issued on November 2, said the cancellation of the weapons deal “is a good thing” as it urged the Philippines National Police (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.”
The communists also lambasted the US government for raising the concern on human rights in the country in relation to Duterte’s war on drugs when it supported the previous administration of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, Cory Aquino, Fidel Ramos, Joseph Ejercito Estrada, Gloria-Macapagal Arroyo and Benigno S. Aquino III, whom the CPP said also violated human rights.
“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,” the CPP statement reads.
It said that the Filipino people suffered gravely from the US-sponsored counter-insurgency operations conducted by the Armed Forces of the Philippines and PNP in a bid to suppress the democratic and anti-imperialist forces in the Philippines.
“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 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,” it said.
The US State Department cancelled the sale 26,000 M4 rifles to the PNP over concerns of human rights violations while the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) earlier ended the training program with the PNP.
But Duterte remained unfazed by the cancellation of the weapons sale.
“Iyan lang pantakot niya sa akin, hindi ka magpabili ng armas? Eh karaming de bomba dito,” he told reporters on Tuesday evening.
He said that Russia will come to the country’s aid if the need arises.
Duterte noted what a Russian diplomat said: “Come to Russia, we all have here anything you need,” he said.
http://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2016/11/cpp-cancellation-of-weapon-sale-to-ph-a-clear-rebuke-by-us/
Retired Analyst: Intermittant Blogging
I will be in the boondocks to attend a family gathering from 4-12 November 2016. Cellphone and Internet connectivity will be sketchy at best. As a result, the number of items posted to my Retired Analyst blog will be significantly less than normal. My normal blog activity should resume on 13 November.
Best regards,
Retired Analyst
Best regards,
Retired Analyst