Propaganda statement posted to the National Democratic Front Website (Nov 29): Whitewashing Marcos’ crimes endangers the peace talks
NDFP Media Office Statement from NDFP Peace Panel Chair Fidel Agcaoili November 29, 2016
The National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) shares the concern of the Filipino people that the surreptitious burial of the alleged remains of Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani (LNMB) last November 18 forms part of a sinister scheme to whitewash the crimes of the late dictator and revise the people’s historical judgment against him and his brutal martial law regime.
Whitewashing Marcos’ crimes and prettifying the dictatorship likewise run counter to the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL) which the NDFP and the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) signed in 1998, particularly Article 5, Part III of the CARHRIHL which requires both Parties to respect and support the rights of the victims of human rights violations during the Marcos regime and obliges the GRP to render them justice and enable compensation to them.
Marcos’ burial at the LNMB obviously constitutes rank injustice to the martial law victims.
The GRP’s attempt to obliterate Marcos’ crimes from the nation’s collective memory and falsely portray him as a hero is a brazen violation of the CARHRIHL. They are moreover detrimental to the ongoing peace negotiations because they seriously put to doubt whether the GRP is at all capable of complying with any future substantive agreements that may be forged.
Propaganda statement posted to the National Democratic Front Website (Nov 29): Highest revolutionary salute to Comrade Fidel Castro
The National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) extends its deepest condolences to the people and government of Cuba on the passing of its great revolutionary leader, Comrade Fidel Castro.
We accord him the highest revolutionary salute for ably and fearlessly leading the Cuban revolutionary struggle to overthrow the reactionary Batista regime in 1959 and establish the first government in the Western hemisphere to successfully defy US imperialism and advance the cause of national sovereignty and people’s socio-economic, political and cultural interests and development.
We hail him as well for serving as inspiration and providing material and political support to other oppressed peoples of the world in their respective struggles for national freedom, democracy and socialism.
Cuba under Comrade Fidel’s leadership would go on to build a society centered on raising the dignity of the Cuban people and celebrating their spirit. From being one of the most impoverished, oppressed and corruption-ridden societies under the Batista dictatorship, revolutionary Cuba eliminated child malnutrition, achieved the lowest child death rate in the Americas, eliminated homelessness, built the best educational system in Latin America (achieving a literacy rate of more than 99%) and became the first country to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV. Its health care system, tightly integrated with the communities, is now one of the best in the world. It has among the highest doctor to population ratios and the lowest student to teacher ratios. Its disaster preparedness system is superior to that of the US. It spends as much as 54% of its national budget for social services, promoting culture, science and education as the core of Cuban revolutionary society.
This, it was able to accomplish by harnessing resources hitherto siphoned by imperialist and comprador interests and wasted through profligate living by the local Cuban ruling classes, and rechanneling them to productive use. Revolutionary Cuba carried out massive land reform, established state and collective farms and built a self-reliant economy despite being under constant threat of invasion and subversion, despite five decades of military blockade, and economic, trade and financial embargo imposed by the US, and in spite of the drastic adjustments that had to be made with respect to developing industrial and agricultural technology with the loss of support from revisionist countries since the 1980s.
Emerging from the clutches of a US-backed dictatorship with ties to American gangsters, Comrade Fidel led the Cuban people in establishing a vibrant democracy where mass organizations participate in making important decisions through elected assemblies at all levels.
This would prove to be Comrade Fidel’s enduring legacy–that through sheer revolutionary will and a burning love for the Cuban people, he led a small country located right in the backyard of the US imperialist ogre in asserting and advancing its hard-won independence, democracy and socialist gains.
He led efforts to build anti-imperialist unity not only among Cuba’s Latin American neighbors but in other spheres. He inspired the same revolutionary ardor and determination among other nations and peoples advancing their own struggles and shared with them the services enjoyed by the Cuban people by sending abroad volunteer doctors, scientists, technicians and teachers on humanitarian missions.
As Comrade Fidel had been passing on the torch of leadership as his health became increasingly frail, he continued to advise, inspire and make his mark on Cuban and world politics. The Cuban people and all the struggling peoples of the world are saddened by his passing, but enriched and inspired by his example, for he and the Cuban people have demonstrated in the concrete that even in the most hostile of environments created by the enemy, US imperialism can be defied and defeated, and an equitable, progressive and democratic society built.
LUIS JALANDONI Chief International Representative November 30, 2016
Propaganda statement posted to the National Democratic Front Website (Nov 29): Another death in detention, this time under Duterte regime’s watch
NDFP Media Office Statement from NDFP Peace Panel Chair Fidel Agcaoili November 29, 2016
At 5:30 yesterday afternoon, political prisoner Bernabe Ocasla became the thirteenth political prisoner to die in detention in five years. Ocasla died in hospital after suffering a massive stroke four days ago that left him in a coma; he never regained consciousness. Detention under inhuman conditions for almost a decade took its toll on the 66-year old farmer who had long been suffering from severe hypertension.
Ocasla was on a list of more than a hundred sick and elderly political detainees whose urgent release on humanitarian grounds has been a longstanding issue raised by the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) before the Duterte government. The Duterte peace panel has whittled down the list of detainees for humanitarian release to a mere 70, without at all explaining how it arrived at this number, and without any assurance that the most seriously ailing among them, like Ocasla, would be part of the “lucky few.”
As early as last May, then president-elect Rodrigo Duterte offered to release the country’s more than 400 political prisoners through general amnesty–one of many promises that have since fallen through the cracks. Twenty-one NDFP consultants and staff were set free in August, but only through conditional bail. Aside from them, the only other “releases” have come from the prolific Malacañang presses.
Enough is enough. Ocasla and the more than 400 other remaining political prisoners have been slapped with trumped-up, criminal charges based on false testimonies and planted evidence. Their continued detention is a travesty of justice and a patent violation of the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL) that the NDFP and the Government of the Republic of the Philippines had formally signed in 1998. To release the political prisoners is to rectify both the injustice that has been done to them and the serious breach of the CARHRIHL.
Allowing them to continue suffering–and to die–while unjustly detained is an abomination which the NDFP cannot tolerate.
The NDFP strongly reiterates its call for the release of all the political prisoners NOW.
NPA propaganda statement posted to the Communist Party of the Philippines Website (Nov 27): Peace talks, nanganganib sa kapabayaan ng Gobyernong Duterte
Ka Jaime "Diego" Padilla
Tagapagsalita
Melito Glor Command
NPA-Southern Tagalog
Nailagay sa kwestiyon ang kaseryosohan ng Gobyernong Duterte sa Peace Talks at Ceasefire dahil sa pagpapabaya nito sa 400 bilanggong pulitikal na hindi pa ipinapalaya, taliwas sa naunang pangako nito sa pagbukas ng usapang pangkapayapaan. Umabot pa sa pagkamatay ni Kasamang Bernabe Ocasla sa loob ng piitan, ang kauna-unahang bilanggong pulitikal na namatay sa ilalim ng Gobyernong Duterte.
Namatay si Kasamang Ocasla dahil sa ikatlong atake sa puso na humantong sa kanyang comatose. Si Kasamang Bernabe Ocasla ay 9 na taong nagdusa sa piitan.
Ayon kay Jaime “Ka Diego” Padilla, tagapagsalita ng Melito Glor Command-New People’s Army Southern Tagalog, “Ganito rin ang ikinamatay ni kasamang Eduardo “ka Eddik” Serrano na inatake sa puso habang nakakulong sa Bicutan.”
Matatandaang sing-aga pa nang pagsisismula ng usapang pangkapayapaan, hiningi ng NDFP sa GPH na palayain ang lahat ng political detainees na may mga sakit o dinaramdam, mga may edad at mga kababaihang ina na matagal nang nakalulong sa ibat ibang piitan sa buong bansa.
“Subalit pawang pangako ng lamang ang tugon ng gubyernong Duterte sa kahilingang mapalaya ang lahat ng mga bilanggong pulitikal,” ani Ka Diego.
Dagdag ni Ka Diego, nagkakailan pa ang listahan ng mga bilanggong pulitikal na may taglay na sakit at karamdaman ang patuloy paring nagdurusa sa mga kulungan. Nangangailangan silang mapalaya sa pagkapiit sa pinakamaagang panahon.
Nananatiling 19 na consultant ng NDFP pa lamang ang pinalaya at ang karamihan sa mga bilanggong pulitikal ay nanatiling nakakulong at nagdurusa sa mga gawa-gawang mga kaso ng mga nakaraang reaksyunaryong rehimen.
“Na kay GRP President Rodrigo Duterte ang bigat ng responsibilidad sa ikatatagumpay ng usapang pangkapayapaan at pagpapatuloy ng tigil-putukan,” paliwanag ni Ka Diego. “Hangga’t ganito ang pakikitungo ni Duterte sa mga kahilingan ng NDFP, nanganganib ang pagpapatuloy ng peacetalks at ceasefire.
Propaganda statement posted to the Communist Party of the Philippines Website (Nov 27): Red Salute to Comrade Fidel Castro!
Communist Party of the Philippines
The entire membership and leadership of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) are deeply saddened by the passing away of beloved revolutionary leader Comrade Fidel Castro of Cuba last Friday. In behalf of the revolutionary masses, the Party extends heartfelt sympathies to the Communist Party of Cuba, the Republic of Cuba and the Cuban people over their great loss.
Fidel Castro will forever remain a global icon of anti-imperialist resistance. In the 1950s, he led the armed revolutionary struggle for national liberation and social justice in Cuba, a country just south of United States of America. They succeeded in overthrowing US imperialism and its puppet Fulgencio Batista regime on January 1, 1959 and established one the most enduring anti-imperialist and democratic government in the world.
The revolutionary Cuban government confiscated all foreign-owned enterprises, large haciendas and plantations. It carried out widespread land reform and collectivization. It established state farms and collective farms. It seeks to establish a self-reliant economy while engaging in vibrant trade with other countries.
The resources of the Cuban government have been allocated mainly to raise the people’s quality of life. As a result, the Cuban people enjoy one of the highest standard of living across the world. The Cuban government has developed and provided the people with free education and public medical facilities which are among the most advanced in the world. Infant mortality is one of the lowest.
There is no malnutrion. Virtually no one is homeless. Disaster-preparedness is the most efficient in the world. Cuba sends doctors, health workers and others abroad in solidarity with countries defending national sovereignty or overcoming natural calamities.
Since the 1990s, they have also struggled to develop the Cuban economy in a more comprehensive way. In an effort to overcome dependence on Soviet imports in the 1960s-1980s, they have sought to develop their own technology for industrial and agricultural production.
For five decades, US imperialism attempted and failed to overthrow Fidel Castro and the revolutionary Cuban government. Declassified documents from the US reveal at least 600 plots to assassinate Fidel Castro. It twice carried out military aggressions into Cuba in the early 1960s. It has imposed trade embargoes in an attempt to constrict the Cuban economy. It has deployed spies and plotted acts of subversion. It reestablished diplomatic ties with Cuba only last 2014 in the hope that this will help facilitate the propagation of its political and cultural influence into the country.
Inspired by Fidel Castro’s slogan “Socialism or Death!” the Cuban people have united and resisted in their millions to defend Cuba against all forms of US intervention and aggression and carry out the transformation of Cuba. Even the most recent cultural offensive carried out by US imperialism with Hollywood movie stars at the helm have failed to weaken the resolve of the Cuban people to defend their revolution and uphold their ideals.
To the Cuban masses, Comrade Fidel Castro is their star as they relentlessly push their Revolution forward. He will forever remain an inspiration to the the people around the world as they march forward along the path of anti-imperialism, social justice and democracy.
From Update.Ph (Nov 29): Duterte receives Misuari for 2nd meeting this November
President Rodrigo Roa Duterte welcomed Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) founding Chairman Nur Misuari and his colleagues “to another round of pleasantries in Malacañang,” November 28.
The President told Misuari his upcoming visit to Nueva Ecija for the inauguration of a newly constructed drug rehabilitation center, and his plans to go to Lanao del Sur to address the ongoing conflict with the armed Islamist group, the Maute group.
President Duterte last met with Misuari on November 3, 2016 when he was presented to members of the media at the Rizal Hall of Malacañan Palace.
From Rappler (Nov 30): 2 'persons of interest' in US embassy bomb try in police custody
Chief Superintendent Oscar Albayalde, National Capital Region Police Office director, says the two men cannot be regarded as suspects yet, pending further investigation
SUSPECT. PNP chief Ronald dela Rosa shows a computerized sketch of the suspect who left an improvised explosive device near the US embassy on November 28, 2016. Photo by Ben Nabong/Rappler
Manila police said on Wednesday, November 30, that they have in their custody two "persons of interest" in relation to the improvised explosive device (IED) left near the United States embassy earlier this week.
Manila Police District Director Senior Superintendent Joel Coronel said the MPD has in its custody the two men, one of whom was earlier identified by media reports as the suspect in the bomb try on the US embassy. Citing Bulacan police, media reported on Wednesday that police arrested the "suspect," named "Rashid Kilala," in Bulacan.Chief Superintendent Oscar Albayalde, National Capital Region Police Office director, said in an interview on radio dzMM that the persons of interest could not be tagged as suspects yet, pending further investigation. "Ongoing pa ang investigation, hindi pa natin sila puwedeng ituring na suspek sa IED incident sa Roxas Boulevard (The investigation is still ongoing, we cannot yet regard them as suspects in the IED incident in Roxas Boulevard)," Albayalde said. He said part of the investigation is to determine if the two are members of the Maute terror group. Quoting Albayalde, ANC reported that the other person of interest was arrested in Caloocan City on Tuesday night. He said the man arrested in Bulacan on Wednesday resembled the suspect in the artist’s sketch that Philippine National Police chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa released on Tuesday. The suspect reportedly left the IED inside a carton box on the sidewalk of Roxas Boulevard, near the US embassy. It was later identified as a cellular phone and another electronic gadget, which were defused by the bomb squad. Dela Rosa had branded the bomb try as an “attempted act of terrorism” by the Lanao del Sur-based Maute terror group, which has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (ISIS). (READ: Duterte confirms Maute terror group’s ISIS links)
"Ang pakikipaglaban kasi sa kapwa Pilipino ay isang mahirap na bagay para dito sa atin sa Armed Forces," Padilla added.
For Padilla, everyone should be given a chance to reform and change their ways.
"Ang problema, ang paniniwala ng iba, is mga taong itong naging ganito dahil sila ay hindi nagkaroon ng opportunity. So katulad ng isang Kristiyanong nagbibigay ng patawad at oportunidad na magbagong buhay ang isang tao, siguro maaring ganoon ang tinatahak natin sa ngayon," he said.
He, however, clarified that the full force of law should be applied if members of the Maute group refuse to talk with the government.
"Kung sila ay nagnanais na magbago, open tayo sa pagbibigay ng oportunidad sa kanila pero 'pag sila ay hindi nagbago, nagsisisi sa mga ginawa nila, hindi sila naging accountable sa ginawa nilang krimen, ibang usapan na po 'yun. Kailangan na pong i-apply natin ang full force ng law," Padilla said.
Duterte said the government is not yet keen on waging war against the Maute terrorist group that has occupied parts of Butig, Lanao del Sur Saturday.
Despite Maute group's occupation of the old Butig town hall, the President said he is keen on resolving the conflict through peaceful means.
Government troops in recent days have ramped up their offensive operations against the lawless group, killing at least 19 bandits.
From Rappler (Nov 30): Maute's main force leaves Lanao town, 49 dead
The military says the situation is 'fluid,' but it aims to drive away the remaining members of the terror group from the abandoned municipal hall 'within the day'
ATTACK. Philippine troops fire their 105mm howitzer cannons towards enemy positions from their base near Butig town in Lanao del Sur on November 27, 2016. File photo by AFP
The main force of the Maute terror group that occupied parts of Butig town in Lanao del Sur has left the area, according to the military.
At least 49 members of the local terror group inspired by the Islamic State (ISIS) were killed in days of operations while 21 soldiers were injured, the military added.
"As of this morning, we have regained two-thirds of the area (they occupied) in Butig,"said Colonel Rosseler Murillo, chief of the Army 103rd Brigade in an interview Wednesday morning, November 30.
"The main force left," Murillo added.
It has come down to close quarter battle to retake the abandoned municipal hall, where the Maute group raised the black flag of ISIS. The ISIS black flag has been taken down, according to Murillo.
Murillo said the situation is "fluid," but they aim to take the town hall "within the day." He said they encountered up to 200 members of the Maute group last week, but only about 70 of them occupied parts of the town.
Duterte visit
President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to meet closed doors with military officers here on Wednesday.
The military offensive was launched Monday morning, November 28. Troops from the Joint Special Operations Group (JSOG) – the same team of elite soldiers that was sent to respond to the Zamboanga siege in 2013 – joined the operations of the Army's 103rd Brigade under Colonel Roseller Murillo.
A total of 1,955 families in Butig have been displaced as a result of the fighting.
In August this year, fighting erupted also in the area, forcing tens of thousands to flee their homes as helicopter gunships fought off the attackers. The group's members were seen carrying black flags of the ISIS group, and bandannas bearing the jihadists' insignia were found in their base, the military said.
From Rappler (Nov 30): Duterte visits troops fighting Maute group in Lanao
The commander-in-chief meets with troops in Lumbanayague town, less than kilometers away from area of clashes
SECURITY CONCERNS. President Duterte speaks with AFP chief of staff Ricardo Visaya during the inauguration of a drug rehabilitation facility in Fort Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija. Photo by Robinson Ninal/PPD
President Rodrigo Duterte flew to Lanao Del Sur noontime Wednesday, November 30, where the military launched intense military offensive against the Maute terror group in Butig town.
Duterte's chopper arrived 12 noon at the Army tactical command post in Lumbanayague town located less than 10 kilometers from the area of clashes in Butig.
The homegrown terrorist group occupied parts of the town, prompting a military offensive and a forced evacuation of most of the town's 16,000 residents.
Duterte talked to military commanders and a few dozen soldiers who belong to the Army 103rd Brigade, while the rest of the troops continued their offensive to flush out the terrorist group from the abandoned municipal hall of Butig. (READ: Maute's force leaves Lanao; 49 dead)
The Maute group is one of the local terror groups that pledged allegiance to ISIS which is fighting to establish a caliphate in the Middle East. It group raised the black flag of at the abandoned municipal hall of Butig. It has since been taken down, according to the military.
From the Mindanao Times (Nov29): Prevent diversionary tactics
DCPO, TFD impose tightened security vs terror threats
AUTHORITIES here have tightened the security to prevent any diversionary tactic that the terrorist Maute group may sow in the city.
At least 19 members of the Maute, the group tagged behind in the deadly Sept. 2 Roxas night market blast, were killed in the continuing military operations in Butig, Lanao del Sur since the weekend.
Yesterday, an improvised explosive device (EID) was found by a street sweeper in a trash bin along Roxas Boulevard near the US embassy in Manila. The bomb was similar to the EID that was used in the night market blast that killed 15 persons and wounded 69 others.
On Sunday morning, an EID also exploded in outside a crowded church in Esperanza, Sultan Kudarat, injuring three persons.
Police Director General Ronald dela Rosa said they are expecting the terrorist group to adopt diversionary tactics in other parts of the country.
Davao City Police Office (DCPO) director, Sr. Supt. Michael John Dubria, immediately directed all the 12 precinct commanders to tighten their security measures, especially on vital installations.
Dubria’s order has specified “churches, schools and other places that have influx of people,” DCPO spokesperson Sr. Insp. Catherine Dela Rey told TIMES yesterday.
“So you noted in churches and other places that there is a strict inspection,” Dela Rey said. “(This is) to prevent any terroristic act.”
While saying that they actually have not received any actual threat, Dela Rey said they are just doing the same “to prevent any eventuality.”
Dela Rey said police commanders should also assigned their subordinates to do mobile and foot patrol in their area of responsibility.
In a separate interview, Task Force Davao commander Col. Erwin Bernard Neri said they are still on a full alert status.
“We are still on red alert since the threat of terrorism is still high,” Neri said adding that they don’t want another Roxas Night Market bombing. “We don’t want that something will happen again.”
The TFD commander said they are also tightened their conduct of checkpoints on the exit and entry points of the city, especially in Barangay Sirawan in Toril District, Barangay Lasang in Bunawan and Barangay Lacson in Calinan District.
“The patrolling of the TFD personnel and other security forces continues to ensure the safety of the city,” he added.
Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesperson Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla said they expect the death toll from the side of the bandit group to rise as the military continues its offensive action.
At least 13 government soldiers were wounded in the operation as they are flushing out some 300 heavily-armed Maute members who occupied the abandoned town hall in Butig last week.
From the Philippine Information Agency (Nov 30): Gov’t troops encounter lawless elements in Dinas
LtCol. Virgilio Hamos Jr., commanding officer of the 53rd Infantry (Matapat) Battalion, Philippine Army said government troops conducting hot pursuit operation in Barangay East Migpulao, Dinas town encountered a group of heavily armed men on Saturday.
In an interview over RMN DXPR, the army official said the soldiers led by 2Lt Oliver Carmen were conducting hot pursuit operation to track down lawless elements who ambushed an army vehicle in Barangay Guinicolalay in Dinas town on November 21.
Killed during the previous encounter was 2Lt. Joseph Cartajena while 3 soldiers were wounded.
Hamos said a brief fire fight ensued between the troops and the armed men which resulted to the death of Norhan Ambol, the alleged leader of the group who was responsible for the November 21 ambush.
The dead body of Ambol which was turned over to the municipal police station on Sunday was confirmed by his family and relatives.
During the incident, another member of the armed men reportedly died and some were wounded. No casualty was reported on the government side.
“I am happy that there were no casualties on our side,” Hamos announced.
He also said that the unidentified dead body was brought by their enemies and only the body of Ambol was recovered.
“The people were happy upon learning that Ambol was already dead,” Hamos said adding that the insurgents could no longer disturb the peace that residents are enjoying now.
He encouraged the civilian community to extend their support to the government forces by giving information on the presence of insurgents in their respective barangays.
From the Philippine Information Agency (Nov 30): DSWD gives update on status of Butig, Lanao del Sur residents affected by AFP-Maute Group clash
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Judy M. Taguiwalo shared some updates on its interventions to help Filipinos caught in the middle of the armed conflict between the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Maute Group in Butig, Lanao del Sur that began November 26, 2016. Residents have been forced to evacuate because of the clash.
Based on reports of DSWD Field Office XII, there are 2,450 families or 12,250 persons affected in 8 barangays in Butig.
Source: DSWD-FO XII
Of this number, 415 families or 2,075 persons are still in three evacuation centers while 2,035 families or 10,175 persons are staying with their relatives and friends.
Source: DSWD-FO XII
Situational Reports
The following are the situations in areas affected by the armed conflict based on the initial report from DSWD-FO XII:
Source: DSWD-FO XII
Status of Stockpile and Standby Funds
As of 29 November 2016, the available level of stockpile and standby funds at FO XII, National Resource Operations Center (NROC) and Central Office (CO) are as follows:
*Available Quick Response Fund (QRF) at the DSWD-Central Office as of 21 November 2016 Source: DSWD-FO XII, NROC, and CO
“We want to help ensure the safety and welfare of Filipinos affected by the military operations. At the moment we are certain – as reported by DSWD Field Office XII – that at least 2,000 people or 415 have taken refuge in three different evacuation centers. We are also certain that for every family that evacuated, there are at least two children with them. The DSWD’s mandate is to help provide for the immediate needs of the evacuees and watch out for the health of the more vulnerable among them, namely the children, any pregnant women, and senior citizens,” said Sec. Taguiwalo.
“We will continue to coordinate with the local authorities to address the immediate needs of the evacuees, and protect them from further difficulties and crises that arise from the armed conflict. We are also well aware of issues of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and human rights, so we shall also be monitoring for any untoward incidents that can be construed as violations of the same as we monitor the plight of the evacuees,” she concluded.
From the Philippine News Agency (Nov 29): Lanao del Sur gov't steps up relief operation as number of displaced families reach 2,450
The number of families affected by armed hostilities in Butig, Lanao del Sur has ballooned to 2,450 families as government forces intensified offensives against a local terrorist group, officials said Tuesday.
As of Tuesday morning, the number of persons affected by the armed conflict was estimated at 12,500 persons, provincial information officer, Salma Jayne Tamano, said in a phone interview.
On Sunday, the provincial governor’s office listed 1,970 families affected from the armed hostilities housed temporarily in at least 10 public schools outside Butig town center.
Tamano said workers are to distribute more relief supplies in evacuation sites in the next three days. Initial food packs were distributed Monday morning.
She added that the affected families were not only from Butig town which the Maute Group, a local terrorist organization that pledged allegiance to Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, occupied on Saturday.
She said residents of two villagers of adjacent town of Lumbayanague, also in Lanao del Sur, were also affected. Families from Barangays Wago and Raya, both near Butig, have deserted their homes and moved to safer grounds.
Government forces have been pounding the extremists, led by brothers Abdullah and Omar Maute, with air and ground assaults after the armed men occupied the government center of Butig.
Tamano said the provincial government has initially distributed more than three tons of relief goods to residents who fled when armed men stormed Butig and raised the black ISIS flag.
Lanao Sur is among the five provinces of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).
ARMM Vice Governor Haroun Al-Rashid Lucman said employees of ARMM’s social welfare department are now preparing individual relief packs for each of the affected families.
“I hope the situation in Butig and nearby areas will normalize soon," Lucman, also ARMM's Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), added.
From the Philippine News Agency (Nov 30): PNP: Suspects in Sultan Kudarat Church bombing identified
Police have identified two suspects in last Sunday’s bombing of a Catholic Church here and have filed charges against them, the town police chief today said.
The provincial government of Sultan Kudarat also offered PHP300,000 bounty to anyone who can provide information that could bring before the bar of justice the perpetrators, Gov. Pax Mangudadatu told reporters.
Mayor Helen Latog of Esperanza also offered an undetermined amount of reward for anyone who can help authorities identify, arrest and prosecute the bombers.
Chief Insp. Bryan Bernardino, Esperanza town police chief, said the suspects were police characters who are engaged in illegal drug activities in Esperanza and nearby places.
Cartographic sketches of the suspects are completed by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG).
But Bernardino refused to name the two who remained at large.
“We have witnesses, we have CCTV footages, and our witnesses were certain they were the one responsible,” Bernardino told DXOM-AM Radyo Bida.
He said the witnesses saw the suspects on a motorbike parked in front of Our Lady of Hope Church in Barangay Saliao hours before the blast.
When the police presented to the witnesses a police photo gallery of wanted persons, they quickly said “they were there before the blast.”
Bernardino withheld the names of the witnesses to protect them while police are building up the case against the perpetrators.
Bernardino believed the suspects acted on their own and the attack was not related to government offensives in Lanao del Sur or extortion activities by criminal gangs.
“I think this is related to drugs,” Bernardino said, adding the bomb attack was aimed at getting back at the police who have been going tough against drug suspects.
“Suspects are not from Sultan Kudarat province but they are in our drug watch list,” Bernardino said.
His Eminence Orlando Cardinal Quevedo, archbishop of Cotabato, condemned the attack, describing it as “pure terrorism.”
What saddened the prelate was that the bombers have targeted a holy and sacred place. It came when the Catholic Church observed the First Sunday of Advent.
Following the incident, additional police force from Sultan Kudarat provincial police office have been deployed in Esperanza, a town in the borders of Sultan Kudarat and Maguindanao.
In a statement, Mangudadatu also condemned the bombing he described as an act of terror aimed at sowing terror among the populace and creating divisions.
He said in a radio interview that the reward money has the concurrence of the Sultan Kudarat provincial board aimed at resolving the crime the soonest possible time.
Injured in the blast were Loraine Erazo, 26, her boyfriend John Reynan Castamayor Escanilan, 30, both of Esperanza but work in Koronadal City. The third victim who sustained minor injuries, Noylen Guerrero, a teacher, is already out of the hospital.
Supt. Raul Supiter, Sultan Kudarat police director, said all angles are being looked into and the police are carefully considering the involvement of various groups.
“In the meantime, our police are building up the case,” he said.
Supiter also appealed for public support by reporting suspicious persons or objects to police before a crime can take place.
He stressed that police hotlines have been posted in public places for the people to communicate with law enforcers.
From the Philippine News Agency (Nov 30): 19 persons nabbed, 13 firearms seized in Army, PDEA-ARMM joint operation in Maguindanao
Government operatives on Wednesday arrested 19 persons involved in the illegal drug business and seized 13 assorted firearms following a joint law enforcement operation in coastal villages of Maguindanao province.
The operation, which had search warrants issued by Judge Bansawan Ibrahim of Regional Trial Court Branch 13, was conducted in the villages of Kusiong and Tapian, coastal barangays of Datu Odin Sinsuat municipality in Maguindanao.
Regional director of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (PDEA-ARMM) Edgar Apalla and Lt. Col. Zosimo Oliveros, commander of the 1st Mechanized Infantry Battalion, led the 5:20 a.m. joint operation.
Arrested were group leaders, identified only as "Commander Biente" and "Commander Lawin", and 17 followers.
Confiscated were four M-16 Armalite rifles, including one with an M-203 launcher, two M-14 rifles, one Browning Automatic Rifle, six .45-caliber pistols, magazine and 1.5 kg. of suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride or “shabu” packed in small and big sachets.
Charges for violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 and RA 10591 or the illegal possession of firearms and explosives are being prepared against the suspects.
From the Philippine News Agency (Nov 30): Army division commander honors outstanding troopers
Commander of the 6th Infantry Division (ID), Maj. Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr., on Wednesday honored soldiers who took the extra mile in performing their duties, leading to the recovery of high-powered firearms during a law enforcement operation in North Cotabato.
In simple ceremonies here, eight Army troopers and a Reconnaissance Company were presented the "Bronze Cross Medals" and "command plaques".
The recipients of the Bronze Cross Medal were 1Lt. Johntonee M. Olave; 2Lt. Bryan Marvin P. Tabor; Sgt. Arnel A. Padawan; Cpl. Joan B. Gomez; Cpl. Mar O. Botanas; and PFC Rex P. Lebonpasil for successfully recovering one tube of 40 mm., six hand grenades, one ammo box, one upper receiver of M16 rifle, one hand guard of M203 40 mm., assorted parts of a .50-caliber pistol, two improvised barret rifles, five garand rifles, one homemade Rocket Propelled Grenade, and one M-14 rifle during the conduct of search and clearing operations against Barangay chairperson Datu Rene “Renz” Tukuran in Barangay Lumopog, Midsayap, North Cotabato last November 24.
Tukuran, a wanted drug trafficker, was the subject of a search warrant by the raiding team for violating Republic Acts 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002) and 10591 (Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act) and Presidential Decree 1866.
Meanwhile, the 62nd Division Reconnaissance Company (62DRC) of the 6th ID was awarded a "Command Plaque" for their outstanding performance during the conduct of major operations in Talitay, Maguindanao and Barangay Lumopog, Midsayap North, Cotabato on Nov. 18-26 that resulted in the recovery of crew-served weapons, high-powered firearms and 18,000 rounds of assorted ammunition.
The 62DRC carried its mission to implement the standing order of President Rodrigo Duterte to stop the proliferation of illegal drugs in the country.
Their accomplishment significantly degraded the armed capability of drug lords in Central Mindanao.
The unit was also awarded by Galvez with a significant cash prize for their heroic and meritorious achievements for the division.
On the other hand, command plaques were given to Cpt. Arturo A. Llaso and T/Sgt. Francis Delino for being adjudged as best chaplain and chaplain assistant of the year, respectively, by the Office of the Army Chaplain Service during the 79th Founding Anniversary of Chaplain Service of the AFP.
From the Philippine News Agency (Nov 30): BRP Andres Bonifacio to arrive on Dec. 8
The country's third Hamilton-class cutter, the BRP Andres Bonifacio (FF-17), is scheduled to arrive to the country on Dec. 8 at the Manila South Harbor.
This was confirmed by Philippine Navy flag-officer-in-command Vice Admiral Roland Joseph Mercado in an interview with the PNA during the sidelights of the Department of National Defense's 77th founding anniversary Tuesday.
"She's a beautiful ship, so be there when she arrives," Mercado said.
BRP Andres Bonifacio is expected to boost the Navy's capability to conduct "territorial patrols" within the nation's exclusive economic zone.
"FF-17 is a significant addition to the Navy' inventory of ships in order to boost the conduct of territorial patrol missions within our EEZ," PN spokesperson Capt. Lued Lincuna said.
BRP Andres Bonifacio, the sister ship of BRP Gregorio Del Pilar (FF-15) and BRP Ramon Alcaraz, is now in Guam for a three-day visit.
The frigate departed the US Coast Base in Alameda, California Nov. 1 (American time) and made reprovisioning stops in San Diego, California; Hawaii and finally Guam before proceeding to the Philippines.
From the Philippine News Agency (Nov 30): BRP Ramon Alcaraz on 10-day goodwill visit to Vietnam
As the nation celebrates its 40th year of diplomatic relations with Vietnam, the Philippine Navy (PN) will deploy one of its most modern ships, the BRP Ramon Alcaraz (FF-16) for 10-day goodwill visit to Cam Ranh Bay on Dec. 2 to 12.
Major Wallie Sanaani, Naval Task Force 80 public affairs officer, said the ship and 300 personnel, consisting of surface warfare students, medical team, naval special operations team and other port visit directorate members and the AW-109E helicopter detachment, will depart for Vietnam on Dec. 2 at Pier 13, Manila South Harbor.
The BRP Ramon Alcaraz is the country's second Hamilton-class cutter in service and is the sister ship of the BRP Gregorio Del Pilar (FF-15).
"The purpose of the visit is to celebrate the 40th year of diplomatic relationship between the two nations and maintain ties between and among the Philippine Navy and Vietnam People’s Navy," Sanaani said.
Both navies maintain strong partnership in the field of maritime security and law enforcement.
NPA propaganda statement posted to the Communist Party of the Philippines Website (Nov 27): 61st IB/PA sa Sentral Panay, nagabayolar sang ila kaugalingon nga unilateral ceasefire
Jury Guerrero
Tagpamaba
Jose Percival Estocada, Jr. Command
NPA-Central Panay
Gindeklarar sang Gubyerno sang Pilipinas (GRP) paagi kay Pres. Duterte ang ila walay taning nga unilateral ceasefire sa CPP-NPA umpisa sadtong Agosto 21. Nagdeklarar man sang unilateral ceasefire ang CPP-NPA umpisa sadtong Agosto 28, kag epektibo pa ini subong.
Ang katuyuan sang ceasefire nga separado kag unilateral nga gindeklarar sang GRP kag CPP-NPA amo ang paghatag sang paborable nga klima para sa ginapatigayon subong nga peacetalks sa tunga sang National Democratic Front-Philippines (NDFP) kag GRP.
Ginakalipay kag ginasuportahan sang mga pumuluyo ang deklarasyon sang ceasefire kag ang nagaluntad nga peacetalks. Handum sang mga pumuluyo nga makaabot sa isa ka kasugtanan ang NDFP kag GRP sa importante nga mga sosyo-ekonomiko kag pulitikal nga reporma nga nagatuyo sa paglubad sa mga ugat sang armado nga inaway.
Ang rebolusyonaryong pwersa sa lakip ang NPA sa Sentral Panay hugot gid nga nagapatuman sang unilateral nga deklarasyon sa ceasefire sang CPP kag National Operational Command sang NPA. Nagalikaw kag nagamaniobra ang mga yunit sang NPA sa Sentral Panay agud lang indi magluntad ang mga engkwentro batuk sa tropa sang 61stIB/PA nga padayon sa ila armado nga operasyon sa mga komunidad sa kaumhan nga ginahulagan sang mga yunit sang NPA.
Imbes nga magbalik sa ila baraks kag mayor nga mga kampo militar, ang mga yunit sang 61st IB nagmentinar sang ila mga deployment sa mga ditatsment kag padayon ang ila mga pagpatrolya kag operasyon sa pagpaniktik kag pang-saywar paagi sa ila mga yunit nga “peace and development teams”ukon PDT nga ginapatuman sa idalom sang mas tuso nga Oplan Bayanihan.
Ang mga paglapas sang AFP sa unilateral ceasefire ginapakita sang masunod:
Mentinado ang patrol base sang 61st IB sa Brgy. Katipunan kag Acuna halin pa sang gindeklarar ang unilateral ceasefire sang GRP asta sa subong. May mga pwersa pa sang AFP-CAA sa interior nga lugar sang Brgy. Daan Sur, Brgy. Roxas (Otso), Brgy. Cahigon, kag sa intermidya nga barangay sang Abangay, tanan sa Tapaz. Mentinado man ang ispesyal nga yunit sang PNP sa kuno pagbantay sang proyektong megadam sa Suba Jalaur sa Calinog, Iloilo.
Septyembre 7-12, masobra 26 ka pwersa sang 61stIB kag mga elemento sang pulis ang nag-operasyon sa Brgy. Cabatangan, Lambunao, Iloilo. Ginapaggwa nila nga istorya nga may dalakpon nga wanted. Apang, sa daku nga panahon nagtener sa barangay hall, kag nagsinugal.
Septyembre 8-9, naglunsar sang civil-military operations ang masobra 60 ka pwersa sang militar sa Brgy. Tacayan, Tapaz, Capiz.
Septyembre 21, naglunsar sang operasyon militar ang AFP sa Cahigon, Calinog.
Septyembre 22, nagsulod man ang tropa militar sa Binulusan Pequino, Calinog.
Oktubre 22-31, mga 32 ka tropa sang 61stIB/PA, nagbalik naman sa Cabatangan, Lambunao.
Oktubre 22, may 14 ka tropa sang AFP ang nagmartsa pakadto sa Brgy. Anhawan, Janiuay, Iloilo.
Oktubre 26-30 ginlusar sang mga 60-70 ka pwersa sang Philippine Army kag pulis angcivil-military operations sa mga barangay sang Buri, Siya, Nawayan, kag Daan sur.
Oktubre 31 asta Nobyembre 10, mga 32 ka katapu sang 61st IB/PA, nagtener sa barangay hall sang Brgy. Bagongbong, Lambunao.
Nobyembre 1, may pito (7) ka militar ang nagkadto sa Brgy. Panuran, Janiuay, Iloilo.
Nobyembre 11 asta subong, masobra 30 ka katapu sang 61stIB/PA ang nagatener sa Brgy. Cabatangan, Lambunao, Iloilo.
Maathag nga ining mga paghulag sang 61stIB/PA bayolasyon sa gindeklarar nga unilateral ceasefire sang GRP bangud ginatampalas sini ang diwa/ispiritu sang maayong kabubut-on sang ceasefire kag peacetalks. Paagi sa mga medical mission, kag iban pa nga palusot, ila ginatabunan ang katuyuan nga pagpadayon sang civil-military operations (CMO) ukon pangsaywar, kag operasyon sa pagpaniktik sa ila ginakabig nga baseng masa sang NPA — tanan sa idalom sang padihut nga Oplan Bayanihan.
Ang mga medical mission trabaho sang sibilyan nga ahensya nga ginagamit sang AFP nga hapin sa ila operasyon. Sa ila CMO nga operasyon aktibo ang ila indoktrinasyon sa pumuluyo nga nagapakalain sa rebolusyonaryong kahublagan. Ang presensya nila sa kaumhan nagapakita sang ila antagonismo sa rebolusyonaryong pwersa kag sa NPA.
Ang armado nga presensya sang AFP sa sibilyan nga populasyon, ang pagtenir sa mga barangay hall kag iban pa nga mga sibilyan nga istruktura maathag nga bayolasyon man sa Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL) nga una na nakasugtan sang NDFP kag GRP.
Gani, kami, ang NPA sa idalom sang Jose Percival Estocada, Jr. Command, mabaskog nga nagakondenar sining mga bayolasyon sang 61stIB kag imbolbado nga katapu sang PNP. Ginademanda namon nga palayason ang mga tropa paggwa sa sibilyan nga populasyon sa kaumhan kag magbalik sa ila mayor nga mga kampo kag baraks. Ini para may tunay nga kahulugan gid ang ceasefire, maibanan ang armado nga tensyon sa kaumhan kag mapaluntad ang maayo nga klima sa peacetalks.
Nagapanawagan kami sa pumuluyo nga padayon nga mag-aligmat kag ibuyagyag ang bayolasyon sang 61st IB sa ila ceasefire, sa CARHRIHL, kag mga paglapas sa Tawhanon nga mga Kinamatarung. Kabahin ini sang aton handum nga maagum ang matarung nga kalinungan sa aton paghimakas para sa tunay nga kahilwayan kag demokrasya.
NDF propaganda statement posted to the Communist Party of the Philippines Website (Nov 27): NDF-EV warns GRP: We will defend the people if AFP will make reciprocal ceasefire untenable
Fr. Santiago “Ka Sanny” Salas
Spokesperson
NDFP-Eastern Visayas
The National Democratic Front-Eastern Visayas today called on the Government of the Republic of the Philippines to restrain the Armed Forces of the Philippines from making the reciprocal ceasefire between the NDFP and GRP untenable in the region, or else face the consequences of armed response from the New People’s Army. “Is GRP President Rodrigo Duterte in command of his troops, or are they going out of their way to make the ceasefire impossible and ensure the collapse of the peace talks?” asked NDF-EV spokesperson Fr. Santiago “Ka Sanny” Salas. “According to reports from the field in Samar and Leyte, the 8th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army continues to terrorize the people under the Oplan Bayanihan counterinsurgency campaign. If this continues, the NPA will very soon be forced to defend the people from the hostile actions of the AFP.”
Fr. Salas accused the AFP of using the cover of civilians to launch military operations in the guise of “peace and development.” “The 8th ID uses civilian offices, Catholic bishops and even the media to legitimize the militarization of medical and dental missions, humanitarian assistance and disaster response, vocational training and other functions of the civilian government. The soldiers also violate the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law by occupying barangay halls and civilian residences during their military operations. They thus disrupt the livelihood and production in civilian communities in the countryside and cause fear, hunger and poverty.”
The NDF-EV spokesperson cited various places where the AFP violate the reciprocal ceasefire through military operations and provocative forward deployment. “In Northern Samar, elements of the 20th IB are encamped in Barangay Perez, Las Navas; Barangay Sta. Fe, Catubig; Barangay Bangon, Gamay; and Barangay Capacujan, Palapag. Aside from these villages, soldiers also encamped in Barangays Anongo, San Antonio (Layug) and Calingnan in Catubig even when the ceasefire had been declared.
“In mid-October, soldiers from the 20th IB arrived in Barangay Perez, Las Navas on the pretext of recruiting students for the government vocational school TESDA, while other troops secured the area in Barangays Quezon and Magsaysay. Meanwhile, 14th IB troops were on operations in Barangays Nagoocan and Osang in Catubig last November 5-7. In the same period, three columns of the 14th IB launched “medical and dental missions” in Barangays Cagmanaba, San Roque, Mabuhay and Agsaman in Jipapad, Eastern Samar. Soldiers of the 14th IB also continue to encamp in Barangay Balingasag, Oras.
“In Calbiga, soldiers from the 87th IB also remain forward-deployed in Barangays Hindang and Literon despite the reciprocal ceasefire and repeated calls from civilians through the media that they leave. In violation of international humanitarian law, they have in fact constructed two houses in Barangay Literon to serve as the base for their military operations.”
Fr. Salas also noted that soldiers continue to harass civilians whom they suspect of supporting the NPA. “Elements of the 78th IB occupy the barangays of Hiluctogan, Parag-um, Camansi, San Isidro, Canlampay and Caghalo in Carigara, Leyte since September. Furthermore, the 78th IB also deceive and harass the people in Barangay Kagbana, Burauen by making them sign blank pieces of paper, which the soldiers then claim gave them permission to encamp in the village. Other AFP troops also continue their military operations in the mountainous villages of Leyte.”
The NDF-EV spokesperson demanded that the AFP soldiers cease their continuing operations and leave the civilian communities. “Otherwise, the NPA will inevitably meet and clash with the GRP troops. The NPA is also obliged to come to the aid of civilians who are being harmed by AFP units that are notorious human rights violators.
“The NDF-EV supports the demands of civilians that the AFP leave their villages. We also urge GRP President Duterte to stand up for his declaration and commitment to the peace talks. If he cannot do so, the AFP troops will be very soon making a crisis situation. We warn the AFP that the NPA and the people’s militia will not hesitate to fight if they and the people are in immediate or imminent danger.”
From the Sun Star-Cagayan de Oro (Nov 29): ‘I am Mindanao:’ building awareness against violent extremism
CAGAYAN DE ORO. I am Mindanao Anti Extremist Campaign photo exhibit at Centrio. (Joey P. Nacalaban)
XAVIER University’s recently launched a two day campaign aptly named “I am Mindanao” to confront the growing threat of violent extremism through a photo exhibit highlighting the plurality if perspectives of various Mindanaoans.
The two-day exhibit at Centrio Mall’s Activity Center ran from November 28 to 29.
The “I am Mindanao” social campaign was organized by the Development and Communication students of Xavier University (XU), a group formed July of this year.
The group’s core purposes include educating college students in Cagayan de Oro about violent extremism, strengthen the sense of pride of Mindanaowans about their place and heritage, and empowering Mindanaowans, especially the youth, to take part in countering violent extremism.
Violent extremism is the beliefs and actions of people who support or use violence to achieve ideological, religious or political goals.
This includes terrorism and other forms of politically motivated and communal violence.
One such example of a group that espouses violent extremism, according to the organizers of the “I am Mindanao” campaign, is the Maute group.
The Maute group is composed of disgruntled former members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and other like-minded individuals.
The Maute group was said to be responsible for the September 2 Davao night market bombing and for the April 2016 abduction of six sawmill workers from Butig town in Lanao del Sur, two of whom were later found beheaded.
The Maute group is also said to be actively recruiting minors for service as child warriors and using the non-passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law as propaganda.
“The youth should be educated about the onset of violent extremism in our land and most especially, they should be prevented from joining these terror groups and instead, to pursue their studies and help in opposing the doctrines of these violent extremists,”said Adam Anay, the project leader of the “I am Mindanao” social campaign.
The exhibit displays photos from the campaign programs and from participant entities of “I am Mindanao” since its establishment this year.
The photographs in the exhibit include contributed photos from Mindanaowan photographers from the city and even from Butuan and Davao.
These photos show the artistic interpretations of Mindanao and aims to imply the things about Mindanao that may be lost or damaged by the terror and chaos caused by violent extremism.
Also included in the exhibit are infographs about violent extremist groups and their methods of indoctrination, sketches of historical and noted places in Cagayan de Oro City, and some quotations from statements coming from Kagay-anons about the current issues of violent extremism.
“At first, the seminars or education campaigns of ‘I am Mindanao’ was for XU only but with the recent attacks of such groups like the Maute group in Mindanao, we thought that there is a need to bring this matter to other schools. And so, eventually, we tapped and got the cooperation of Phinma-Cagayan de Oro College, Liceo de Cagayan University, Capitol University, and other institutions here in the city,”Evans Rosauro Yonson the chairman of the Development Communication Department of Xavier University, said.
From the Long War Journal (Nov 29): Filipino troops battle Islamic State-loyal forces for town (by Caleb Weiss)
The jihadist flag flying over the town hall of Butig, Lanao del Sur. (Source: ABS-CBN News)
Elite Filipino troops have been deployed to the restive southern Philippines province of Lanao del Sur to wrestle back control of a town that recently fell to Islamic State-loyal forces. The group, dubbed the “Maute Group” in local media, is also called the Islamic State in Lanao.
The jihadist group captured the town of Butig on Nov. 24 after raising its flag over the town hall. The Filipino military has stated that around 300 fighters are occupying the town. Over the weekend, up to 35 members of the jihadist group and several troops were purportedly killed in clashes near the town.
According to local reports, troops from the Philippines’ elite Joint Special Operations Group have been deployed near Butig to assist regular army troops in battling the jihadist forces for control over the town. An army spokesman said that“Yes, [we started the offensive] at dawn today. The mission is to flush out the group and neutralize the enemies and to bring back normalcy to the area. Before we can achieve that, there will be a series of operations.”
Earlier today, a convoy containing Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte was struck by an improvised explosive device in Marawi, the capital of Lanao del Sur. 11 people, including nine within Duterte’s security team, were wounded in the attack. Filipino authorities have stated that this attack was likely a diversionary tactic by the so-called “Maute Group.”
The Islamic State in Lanao formed earlier this year after announcing its presence on social media. It has released several videos showing clashes with Filipino troops, as well as photos showing the beheadings of captured soldiers. Many of these conflicts have occurred near Butig, which has been a highly contested area. In one photo release, members of the group were seen manning a checkpoint somewhere in Lanao del Sur, but likely near Butig.
In a video release earlier this year, it identified its leader as “Abu Hassan”, while in another video a senior leader is identified as “Abu Hafs al Mashriqi.” Mashriqi usually indicates someone from the Levantine region of the Middle East. At least one training camp has been showcased by the group, as well.
Videos and reports of Filipino groups pledging bayah (allegiance) to the Islamic State have emerged since 2014, shortly after Abu Bakr al Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State, claimed the creation of a “caliphate”. These groups include several battalions from the Abu Sayyaf Group, including the overall leader Isnilon Hapilon, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), Ansar Khilafah in the Philippines, Islamic State in Lanao, Jamaat al Tawhid wal Jihad (a group formerly loyal to al Qaeda), and parts of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) based in Lanao del Sur. These groups operate in several other provinces of the Philippines, including the southern areas of Basilan, South Cotabato, Sulu, Sarangani, and the northern province of Isabela.
Hapilon has been appointed the overall leader of Islamic State forces in the Philippines, according to the jihadist group’s weekly magazine Al Naba and later confirmed in a video released from Raqqah, Syria. Official Islamic State media has produced content both from and about the Philippines, including a statistical report from the Amaq News Agency.
[Caleb Weiss is an intern at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and a contributor to The Long War Journal.]
From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Nov 30): Americans warned after bomb discovery near Embassy
The ‘bomb hurler’ as described by a street vendor —PNP PHOTO US State Department has issued a travel warning for Americans bound for or in the Philippines following Monday’s discovery of an improvised explosive device (IED) some 250 meters from the US Embassy in Manila.
In its travel advisory on Tuesday, the US State Department reminded its citizens traveling to or in the Philippines to be vigilant and take steps to ensure their personal safety.
“The authorities have not yet determined which individuals and/or organizations may be responsible, nor have they established whether or not the Embassy was the intended target,” the message said
Philippine National Police chief Director General Roland Dela Rosa earlier noted that the home-made bomb was similar to the one used in the Sept. 2 explosion that killed 15 people at a night market in Davao City, hometown of President Duterte.
Dela Rosa said Islamic militants who had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group were probably behind what he called “an attempted act of terrorism” apparently meant to “loosen” military operations against the militants in Lanao del Sur.
Suspect’s image out
The PNP chief on Tuesday released a computerized facial composite of the man who allegedly hurled the package containing the IED into a trash bin on Roxas Boulevard around 2 a.m. on Monday.
The man, who was then in a white taxicab, was described to be around 44 to 45 years old, 5’ 5” in height, of medium build and with fair complexion.
Dela Rosa said the description was provided by a street vendor, who will receive a token of appreciation from the PNP.
In a press briefing at the Quezon City Police District headquarters, Dela Rosa said the PNP “theory” that the Maute terror group was behind the incident “stays.”
“We still don’t know if [the suspect himself] is a terrorist who drove a taxi, or was simply ordered by the terrorist group to place the bomb in exchange for money,” he added. “This bomb may have long been hidden by Maute here, and was just placed now to create a diversionary move.”
From The Standard (Nov 29): Maute snipers hold back Army attackers
MILITARY offensives against the Maute group, now on their fourth day at Butig town, Lanao Del Sur, have resulted in the death of 40 bandits and wounded 20 troopers.
Armed Forces of the Philippines public affairs office chief Col. Edgard Arevalo said in a briefing Tuesday government forces continue to inch their way to the Maute group strongholds in Butig.
However, the military advance is being held up by sniper fire and threats of improvised explosive device attacks by the bandit group, he added.
A soldier scours the site of a roadside blast in the village of Matampay in Marawi City, Southern Mindanao on Nov. 29. Seven military bodyguards of President Rodrigo Duterte and two other soldiers were wounded in an ambush by suspected Islamic militants on the eve of his planned visit to the southern Philippines, the military and president said. The Maute group is suspected to be behind the bombing in retaliation to the military’s offensive in Lanao Del Sur . AFP
Most of the military wounded are not serious and the patients are ambulatory, Arevalo said.
The AFP offensive is headed by the 103rd Infantry Brigade, which is now reinforced by armor, artillery, and air units.
Arevalo said the Maute group, which is concentrated in Barangays Sindig and Bayabao, is putting up a tough fight but he expressed confidence that the military will break the group’s resistance soon.
Despite the intensified military offensive in Butig, President Rodrigo Duterte said the government is not keen on waging war against the Maute terror group, and said he preferred to resolve the conflict through peaceful means.
His remarks came even after receiving news that a presidential convoy—and advance team for his visit Wednesday--had been hit by an improvised bomb in Butig.
“Let’s befriend them so there won’t be any conflict,” Duterte said.
Duterte was expected to arrive in Marawi Tuesday evening to visit injured PSG members.
It is not unusual for Duterte to extend the olive branch to lawless elements, saying it is pointless to wage war.
“I can burn Jolo. I can burn Sulu, but what would it bring us?” Duterte said in his speech, referring to the strife-torn island in Mindanao.
He also recently offered to hold talks with the Abu Sayyaf Group, even as security analysts said such a thing would be impossible.
From the San Francisco Chronicle (Nov 27): Poverty, despair breed new generation of Philippine rebels
In this Nov. 23, 2016 photo, New People's Army's new regional rebel commander and spokesman Jaime Padilla, right, who uses the nom de guerre Comrade Diego, poses beside Comrade Katryn who had her face painted to conceal her identity at their rebel encampment tucked in the harsh wilderness of the Sierra Madre mountains southeast of Manila, Philippines. Young Filipino rebels represent a new generation of Maoist fighters, who reflect the resiliency and constraints of an insurgency that has dragged on for nearly half a century through six Philippine presidencies. Crushing poverty, despair, government misrule and the abysmal inequality that has long plagued Philippine society were their best recruiter, according to the guerrillas.
SIERRA MADRE MOUNTAINS, Philippines (AP) — In the late-night hours and amid the chirp of crickets, Katryn welcomed a huddle of exhausted Filipino journalists in cheerful spirits like she was home. "Coffee?" she asked with a comforting smile.
Comrade Katryn is her nom de guerre, however, and for her, home is a rebel encampment concealed in the rain-soaked wilderness of the Philippines' Sierra Madre Mountains. The 24-year-old walked away from her family two years ago to join one of the world's longest-raging Marxist rebellions.
Mostly in their 20s and 30s, a few dozen New People's Army guerrillas lugged M16 rifles and grenade launchers on a plateau where red hammer-and-sickle flags adorned a makeshift hall. Most wore mud-stained boots while cooking over wood fires or guarding the peripheries of the encampment, just 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) from the nearest army camp.
They're part of a new generation of Maoist fighters who reflect the resiliency and constraints of an insurgency that has dragged on for nearly half a century through six Philippine presidencies while Cold War-era communist insurgencies across much of the world have faded into memory. They are driven by some of the same things as their predecessors, including crushing poverty, despair, government misrule and the abysmal inequality that has long plagued Philippine society.
"The New People's Army has no other recruiter but the state itself,"a young rebel, Comrade May, told The Associated Press.
She joined the rebellion two years ago after her fiance died of kidney failure because his family was too poor to afford the expensive dialysis treatment. A lowly paid factory worker, May couldn't do anything. Government hospitals overwhelmed by swarms of indigent patients failed to give him immediate care.
"His family gave up and reserved the remaining money for his coffin," said May, who now serves as a rebel medic for fellow guerrillas and destitute villagers beyond the government's reach.
Katryn came from a middle-class family that could afford a car, a house and education. She wanted to become a journalist, but got profoundly disaffected by a government and laws she said could not protect the working class, including her father, who lost his job as an engineer for joining a trade union.
She said she went underground as a left-wing activist and bid goodbye to her father, her mother, who was a former teacher, and a life of modest comforts. "It was difficult. I cried," she said.
Now adjusted to rebel life, Katryn said she'll stay for good. She agreed to face news cameras with just a dash of red and blue paint — the colors of the revolution — to camouflage her identity.
The rebellion's longevity is best personified by Jaime Padilla, or Comrade Diego, who was introduced as the new rebel commander and spokesman in a region that has seen the ebb and flow of the insurgency. Now 69, he took up arms when then-dictator Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law in 1972, largely to quell the spreading communist insurrection that began four years earlier.
Donning a newly designed ceremonial khaki uniform topped by a Mao cap, the folksy rebel leader with a ready smile gave an upbeat assessment of the rebellion. The military, however, says it has largely beaten back the guerrillas in most of the provinces south of Manila where Padilla's rebel forces have had a presence.
Battle setbacks, surrenders and infighting have weakened the rebel group, which is blacklisted as a terrorist organization by the United States.A confidential Philippine government assessment obtained by the AP says the guerrillas had declined to 3,800 fighters with more than 4,500 firearms in the first half of the year, with about 700 of the country's 42,000 villages affected by the insurgency.
The insurgent group "remains as a threat to national security due to its stance of not abandoning the armed struggle," the report said.
"It's true that the armed struggle has gone through ups and downs, that's a part of history," Padilla told the AP. But he added that the rebellion "will not disappear because of the fundamental needs of the people. The problems have persisted, and that's the platform of the rebellion."
Founded in 1968, the rebels' communist party has held peace talks with six Philippine presidents, including Rodrigo Duterte, whose rise to power in June sparked rebel optimism due to his searing anti-U.S. rhetoric, populist pro-poor stance and appointments of at least two left-wing Cabinet members. Both sides declared separate and indefinite cease-fires in August.
But the guerrillas found themselves in a dilemma after Duterte was accused of gross human rights violations for his anti-drug crackdown, which has left a large number of poor suspected drug users and dealers dead. Some of the slain suspects were rebel followers who were never involved in drugs, Padilla said.
Duterte's recent decision to allow Marcos' burial at a heroes' cemetery, his walking back on his angry threats to scale down Philippine engagements with the U.S. military and rebel allegations of military violations of its own cease-fire have dampened the optimism.
About a month ago, Padilla's rebel command offered to provide security to Duterte, calling him a patriot and suspecting that American forces may covertly take steps to kill or oust him over his anti-U.S. stance.
After Marcos' burial at the heroes' cemetery, the communist party denounced Duterte for showing "gross disrespect and insensitivity to the Filipino people's sufferings under the brutal martial law rule" and urged him "to reverse this historical wrong" or risk facing mounting protests and political isolation.
But Padilla said the guerrillas will remain sincerely engaged in Norway-brokered peace talks that have given them respite from decades of fighting that is estimated to have left about 40,000 combatants and civilians dead.
"While in a cease-fire, we continue to consolidate our ranks, our recruitment of our forces from the mass bases who are ready to revolt," Padilla said.
"We can talk to (the government) at the table to resolve the people's problems," he said, but added, "We're always prepared for any breakup and continue our armed struggle."
In this Nov. 23, 2016 photo, a woman New People's Army guerrilla with face painted to conceal her identity holds her firearm inside a makeshift shelter at their rebel encampment tucked in the harsh wilderness of the Sierra Madre mountains, southeast of Manila, Philippines.
In this Nov. 23, 2016 photo, New People's Army guerrillas with face painted to conceal their identities look at photos from their digital camera at their rebel encampment tucked in the harsh wilderness of the Sierra Madre mountains southeast of Manila, Philippines.
In this Nov. 23, 2016 photo, New People's Army's new regional rebel commander and spokesman Jaime Padilla, left, who uses the nom de guerre Comrade Diego, talks with Comrade Katryn with face painted to conceal her identity, as reporters visit their rebel encampment tucked in the harsh wilderness of the Sierra Madre mountains, southeast of Manila, Philippines.
In this Nov. 23, 2016 photo, a New People's Army guerrilla with face painted to conceal his identity plays the guitar at their rebel encampment tucked in the harsh wilderness of the Sierra Madre mountains, southeast of Manila, Philippines.
In this Nov. 23, 2016 photo, New People's Army's new regional rebel commander and spokesman Jaime Padilla, center, who uses the nom de guerre Comrade Diego, walks with young guerrillas after having their photos taken at their rebel encampment tucked in the harsh wilderness of the Sierra Madre mountains southeast of Manila, Philippines.
In this Nov. 23, 2016 photo, a New People's Army guerrilla uses a laptop at their rebel encampment tucked in the harsh wilderness of the Sierra Madre mountains southeast of Manila, Philippines.
In this Nov. 23, 2016 photo, New People's Army guerrillas with faces painted to conceal their identities prepare their meals at their makeshift kitchen at their rebel encampment tucked in the harsh wilderness of the Sierra Madre mountains, southeast of Manila, Philippines.
In this Nov. 23, 2016 photo, a New People's Army guerrilla walks beside a makeshift kitchen at their rebel encampment tucked in the harsh wilderness of the Sierra Madre mountains, southeast of Manila, Philippines.
In this Nov. 23, 2016 photo, a woman New People's Army guerrilla carries food with her firearm on her shoulder at their rebel encampment tucked in the harsh wilderness of the Sierra Madre mountains, southeast of Manila, Philippines.
In this Nov. 23, 2016 photo, New People's Army guerrillas with faces painted to conceal their identities, march during ceremonies at their rebel encampment tucked in the harsh wilderness of the Sierra Madre mountains, southeast of Manila, Philippines.
In this Nov. 23, 2016 photo, a woman New People's Army guerrilla who uses the nom de guerre Comrade May has her face painted to conceal her identity as reporters visit their rebel encampment tucked in the harsh wilderness of the Sierra Madre mountains, southeast of Manila, Philippines.
In this Nov. 23, 2016 photo, a red ribbon is tied to a firearm of a New People's Army guerrilla with face painted to conceal his identity at their rebel encampment tucked in the harsh wilderness of the Sierra Madre mountains, southeast of Manila, Philippines.
In this Nov. 23, 2016 photo, a New People's Army guerrilla with face painted to conceal their identities gestures after receiving a rose from another guerrilla at their rebel encampment tucked in the harsh wilderness of the Sierra Madre mountains southeast of Manila, Philippines.
In this Nov. 23, 2016 photo, a New People's Army guerrilla with face painted to conceal his identity, rests at their rebel encampment tucked in the harsh wilderness of the Sierra Madre mountains, southeast of Manila, Philippines.
