New People's Army propaganda statement posted to the Communist Party of the Philippines Website (Mar 31): Mga Sibilyan, Pinaulanan ng Bala ng 9thID sa Pekeng Engkwentro sa Sipocot, Camarines Sur (Civilians, bombarded by 9th ID, Fake encounter in Sipocot, Camarines Sur)
Michael Robredo, Spokesperson
NPA-Camarines Sur (Norben Gruta Command)
31 March 2017
Kasinungalingan ang pahayag ni Captain Ronnie Madriñan, ang OIC ng Division of Public Affairs Office (DPAO) ng 9thID, na nakapatay sila ng NPA sa limang-minutong putukan sa pagitan ng Army at ng NPA noong Marso 30 sa Sitio Traktora, Bagong Silang, Sipocot, Camarines Sur. Walang yunit ng NPA ang nasa lugar na ito noong panahong iyon. Walang engkwentrong naganap.
Noong Marso 30, bandang 3:00 ng hapon, pumunta ang mga elemento ng 9thID, na nakasakay sa dalawang van, sa nasabing lugar dahil nakatunog diumano ang mga ito na may
NPA dito. Subalit imbes na NPA ang mahanap at sugpuin, pinaulanan ng mga ito ng bala ang mga sibilyang naghihintay at nakatambay sa isang waiting shed sa nasabing lugar. Pinaslang ang sibilyang si Renel Mirabeles, habang ang dalawang binatilyong sina Joseph Sagario at Regie Loprandado naman ang malubhang sugatan. Dinakip naman at inakusahang NPA ang sibilyang
si Erick Madrona.
Upang pagtakpan ang kanilang kabiguan, inanunsyo ng 9thID na isang engkwentro ang naganap. Isa na naman ito sa mga serye ng kasinungalingang hinahabi ng AFP. Matatandaang noong Pebrero 7, ikinalat ng 9thID ang pekeng balitang engkwentro sa pagitan ng NPA at 902nd
Brigade sa Barangay Mambulo Nuevo, Libmanan.
Mga pekeng ulat at pagtarget sa mga sibilyan – dati nang kalakaran ng AFP, na mas pinatindi ngayon sa pagpapatupad ng all-out-war sa ilalim ng huwad na Oplan Kapayapaan ng rehimeng Duterte. Tila mga asong ulol, binubuntunan at sinisindak ng AFP ang mga sibilyan
upang pagtakpan ang kabiguan at kainutilan nito sa pagsugpo sa NPA. Sa paghahangad na makabawi sa isinagawang opensiba ng Norben Gruta Command noong Marso 18, mga sibilyan na lamang ang binalingan ng 9thID. Katulad ito sa nangyaring pagpatay ng AFP-PNP sa
magsasakang si Sonny Talay noong 2015 sa Pag-oring Nuevo, Libmanan, pagkatapos na maambus ng NPA ang AFP-PNP. Hanggang sa ngayon, hindi pa rin nabibigyan ng karampatang hustisya si Talay.
Mariing ginigiit ng Norben Gruta Command na dapat managot ang 9thID sa mga teroristang aksyon nito. Ang mga isinasagawang opensiba ng NGC ay bahagi ng pagkamit ng hustisya para sa mga biktima, subalit kailangan din ng sabayang aksyon mula sa mga mamamayan upang paakuin ang 9thID sa mga kasalanan nito. Kung hindi, magpapatuloy at mamimihasa lamang ang berdugong 9 th ID.
Hustisya para sa mga biktima ng 9 th ID!
Friday, March 31, 2017
Air Force calling Advance ROTC graduates to active service as 2Lt
From Update Philippines (Mar 31): Air Force calling Advance ROTC graduates to active service as 2Lt
The Philippine Air Force is now calling on college degree holders who have completed the Advance Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) to join the Probationary Officer Training Course (POTC) Class of 2018.
Graduates of Advance ROTC who progress and complete the POTC are commissioned as 2nd Lieutenants.
“The nationwide conduct of the qualifying examination for POTC Class 2018 will be administered by PAF Personnel Management Center (PAFPMC) in coordination with the Air Force Reserve Command through its Air Reserve Centers (ARCens),” PAF said.
The Air Force provided the testing centers and dates below:
Reservist Training Center, AFRC, CAB Mabalacat City, Pampanga – May 20, 2017
HQS 5th ARCen, BGNEAB, Lapu-Lapu City – May 20, 2017
WVSU Main Campus, Iloilo City – May 27, 2017
TOG 10 Base Operations, Lumbia Airport, Cagayan De Oro City – May 27, 2017
Airmen’s Club, AETDC, Fernando Air Base, Lipa City, Batangas – June 03, 2017
UP Tacloban, Tacloban City – June 03, 2017
Cordillera Career Devt College, La Trinidad, Benguet – June 10, 2017
HQS TOG 5, Legazpi City, Albay – June 10, 2017
HQS TOG 11, Davao City – June 17, 2017
Multi-Purpose Hall, EAAB, Zamboanga City – June 17, 2017
Marques Hall, ABAB, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan – June 24, 2017
Rajah Buayan Air Station, General Santos City – June 24, 2017
AMA Computer College, Butuan City – July 01, 2017
PAFPMC, Col Jesus Villamor Air Base, Pasay City – July 01, 2017
http://www.update.ph/2017/03/air-force-calling-advance-rotc-graduates-to-active-service/16351
The Philippine Air Force is now calling on college degree holders who have completed the Advance Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) to join the Probationary Officer Training Course (POTC) Class of 2018.
Graduates of Advance ROTC who progress and complete the POTC are commissioned as 2nd Lieutenants.
“The nationwide conduct of the qualifying examination for POTC Class 2018 will be administered by PAF Personnel Management Center (PAFPMC) in coordination with the Air Force Reserve Command through its Air Reserve Centers (ARCens),” PAF said.
The Air Force provided the testing centers and dates below:
Reservist Training Center, AFRC, CAB Mabalacat City, Pampanga – May 20, 2017
HQS 5th ARCen, BGNEAB, Lapu-Lapu City – May 20, 2017
WVSU Main Campus, Iloilo City – May 27, 2017
TOG 10 Base Operations, Lumbia Airport, Cagayan De Oro City – May 27, 2017
Airmen’s Club, AETDC, Fernando Air Base, Lipa City, Batangas – June 03, 2017
UP Tacloban, Tacloban City – June 03, 2017
Cordillera Career Devt College, La Trinidad, Benguet – June 10, 2017
HQS TOG 5, Legazpi City, Albay – June 10, 2017
HQS TOG 11, Davao City – June 17, 2017
Multi-Purpose Hall, EAAB, Zamboanga City – June 17, 2017
Marques Hall, ABAB, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan – June 24, 2017
Rajah Buayan Air Station, General Santos City – June 24, 2017
AMA Computer College, Butuan City – July 01, 2017
PAFPMC, Col Jesus Villamor Air Base, Pasay City – July 01, 2017
http://www.update.ph/2017/03/air-force-calling-advance-rotc-graduates-to-active-service/16351
14 Year-old girl recruited by NPA as medic surrenders
From Update Philippines (Mar 31): 14 Year-old girl recruited by NPA as medic surrenders
A 14-year-old girl recruited by the NPA in January 2017 abandoned the bandit group after she surrendered Thursday, March 30. Davao Oriental Provincial Information Office today said alias Shena resident of So Casunugan, Barangay Buso, Mati City, Davao Oriental requested for the help of Buso barangay official for her surrender to government troops.
The NPA reportedly made her a medic of Squad 3, Baking Platoon of Pulang Bagani Command (PBC) 7. Shena was a grade six student of Serafin Vizconde Elem School when she was recruited by an alias Kara in January.
“It may be recalled that her mother Leonila appeared before the Davao City media and appealed for the NPA to return her daughter who was recruited to join the rebel group last January 2017,” 10th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army said.
“The 48 years of insurgency have only brought miseries to the Filipino people,” said Major General Rafael Valencia, 10ID commander. “It is now time for the communists to abandon the armed struggle and pursue their political objectives through peaceful means.”
http://www.update.ph/2017/03/14-year-old-girl-recurited-by-npa-as-medic-surrenders/16362
A 14-year-old girl recruited by the NPA in January 2017 abandoned the bandit group after she surrendered Thursday, March 30. Davao Oriental Provincial Information Office today said alias Shena resident of So Casunugan, Barangay Buso, Mati City, Davao Oriental requested for the help of Buso barangay official for her surrender to government troops.
The NPA reportedly made her a medic of Squad 3, Baking Platoon of Pulang Bagani Command (PBC) 7. Shena was a grade six student of Serafin Vizconde Elem School when she was recruited by an alias Kara in January.
“It may be recalled that her mother Leonila appeared before the Davao City media and appealed for the NPA to return her daughter who was recruited to join the rebel group last January 2017,” 10th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army said.
“The 48 years of insurgency have only brought miseries to the Filipino people,” said Major General Rafael Valencia, 10ID commander. “It is now time for the communists to abandon the armed struggle and pursue their political objectives through peaceful means.”
http://www.update.ph/2017/03/14-year-old-girl-recurited-by-npa-as-medic-surrenders/16362
NAVSOU aboard Navy attack craft rescue 3 fishermen in Palawan
From Update Philippines (Mar 31): NAVSOU aboard Navy attack craft rescue 3 fishermen in Palawan
Naval Special Operations Unit (NAVSOU) personnel aboard Philippine Navy Multi-purpose Attack Craft (MPAC) PCA-487 rescued three fishermen off Cabuli Island, El Nido, Palawan midnight of March 30 and 31.
Rescued fishermen were Andres Ubenza, 47 ; Ronnie Nacional, 44; and Ryan Reyes, 38.
“Joint Rescue Coordination from JTF (Joint Task Force) -Malampaya says they received a telephone call from Coastguard Station-El Nido requesting for assistance to the three fishermen on March 30 around 8:00 in the evening,” Western Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines said.
“Philippine Navy vessel PCA487 with NAVSOU personnel was sent immediately to assist and conduct search and rescue to the stricken banca piloted by Ronnie Nacional,” WESCOM added. “Sokol Helicopter 924 also conducted Maritime Patrol in Northern Palawan jibe Medical Air Evacuation to the rescued fishermen.”
“Aside from having minor hypothermia, three fishermen rescued were observed with good health condition and were given further medical attention from Camp General Artemio Ricarte Station Hospital,” it added.
http://www.update.ph/2017/03/navsou-aboard-navy-attack-craft-rescue-3-fishermen-in-palawan/16368
Naval Special Operations Unit (NAVSOU) personnel aboard Philippine Navy Multi-purpose Attack Craft (MPAC) PCA-487 rescued three fishermen off Cabuli Island, El Nido, Palawan midnight of March 30 and 31.
Rescued fishermen were Andres Ubenza, 47 ; Ronnie Nacional, 44; and Ryan Reyes, 38.
“Joint Rescue Coordination from JTF (Joint Task Force) -Malampaya says they received a telephone call from Coastguard Station-El Nido requesting for assistance to the three fishermen on March 30 around 8:00 in the evening,” Western Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines said.
“Philippine Navy vessel PCA487 with NAVSOU personnel was sent immediately to assist and conduct search and rescue to the stricken banca piloted by Ronnie Nacional,” WESCOM added. “Sokol Helicopter 924 also conducted Maritime Patrol in Northern Palawan jibe Medical Air Evacuation to the rescued fishermen.”
“Aside from having minor hypothermia, three fishermen rescued were observed with good health condition and were given further medical attention from Camp General Artemio Ricarte Station Hospital,” it added.
http://www.update.ph/2017/03/navsou-aboard-navy-attack-craft-rescue-3-fishermen-in-palawan/16368
PH, U.S. set to hold 1st Balikatan war games under Duterte
From Rappler (Mar 30): PH, U.S. set to hold 1st Balikatan war games under Duterte
President Rodrigo Duterte previously threatened to scrap the annual joint military exercises with the Philippines' oldest treaty ally
The Philippine and US militaries are set to hold the first Balikatan war games under President Rodrigo Duterte in the summer.
Armed Forces of the Philippines chief General Eduardo Año said the Balikatan will start in April and will be led by Lieutenant General Oscar Lactao.
Lactao is chief of the Central Command (Centcom), the military unit responsible for the Visayas. He said the activities were still being finalized.
Rappler learned that American soldiers are expected to arrive in April for outreach activities in Eastern Visayas but the war games will begin in May.
The Balikatan is the biggest of dozens of joint activities between the two allies bound by a Mutual Defense Treaty. Duterte previously threatened to scrap annual joint military exercises, but he was persuaded against it. He imposed limitations on the war games instead.
Local reports cite Ormoc City in Eastern Visayas as the host of the Balikatan activities. Mayor Richard Gomez was quoted as saying that the activities will include medical missions, book donations, and the construction and repair of school buildings and health centers.
No more war games in West PH Sea
War games under the previous Aquino administration included joint exercises in the disputed West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) in an apparent attempt to send China a message. A source confirmed no activity will be held there anymore.
In 2016, the Balikatan war games saw for the first time the participation of the highest US defense official – then US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter who boarded a warship close to flashpoint waters in the West Philippine Sea. The exercises were held amid fears that China had deployed missiles to artificial islands it built in the disputed area.
The exercises in 2016 also included simulated assault exercises using an advanced US long-range missile system, the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS).
The US reaffirmed its "ironclad" commitment to defend the Philippines, but Duterte was not impressed. He said the US should not have allowed China to build the artificial islands in the first place.
The two militaries were holding Phiblex exercises in the West Philippine Sea last year, one of the 3 major war games, when Duterte again threatened to stop the annual activity. (READ: The 'last war games' in the West Philippine Sea)
He was prevailed upon to allow the continuation of the war games but the focus would no longer be on the West Philippine Sea. The CARAT exercises, which involved ship-to-ship training, was scrapped.
http://www.rappler.com/nation/165646-philippines-us-military-ties-joint-training
President Rodrigo Duterte previously threatened to scrap the annual joint military exercises with the Philippines' oldest treaty ally
FIREPOWER. An M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) of the US marines is fired during the Balikatan drills in Capas, Tarlac, on April 14, 2016. File photo by Ted Aljibe/AFP
The Philippine and US militaries are set to hold the first Balikatan war games under President Rodrigo Duterte in the summer.
Armed Forces of the Philippines chief General Eduardo Año said the Balikatan will start in April and will be led by Lieutenant General Oscar Lactao.
Lactao is chief of the Central Command (Centcom), the military unit responsible for the Visayas. He said the activities were still being finalized.
Rappler learned that American soldiers are expected to arrive in April for outreach activities in Eastern Visayas but the war games will begin in May.
The Balikatan is the biggest of dozens of joint activities between the two allies bound by a Mutual Defense Treaty. Duterte previously threatened to scrap annual joint military exercises, but he was persuaded against it. He imposed limitations on the war games instead.
Local reports cite Ormoc City in Eastern Visayas as the host of the Balikatan activities. Mayor Richard Gomez was quoted as saying that the activities will include medical missions, book donations, and the construction and repair of school buildings and health centers.
No more war games in West PH Sea
War games under the previous Aquino administration included joint exercises in the disputed West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) in an apparent attempt to send China a message. A source confirmed no activity will be held there anymore.
In 2016, the Balikatan war games saw for the first time the participation of the highest US defense official – then US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter who boarded a warship close to flashpoint waters in the West Philippine Sea. The exercises were held amid fears that China had deployed missiles to artificial islands it built in the disputed area.
The exercises in 2016 also included simulated assault exercises using an advanced US long-range missile system, the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS).
The US reaffirmed its "ironclad" commitment to defend the Philippines, but Duterte was not impressed. He said the US should not have allowed China to build the artificial islands in the first place.
The two militaries were holding Phiblex exercises in the West Philippine Sea last year, one of the 3 major war games, when Duterte again threatened to stop the annual activity. (READ: The 'last war games' in the West Philippine Sea)
He was prevailed upon to allow the continuation of the war games but the focus would no longer be on the West Philippine Sea. The CARAT exercises, which involved ship-to-ship training, was scrapped.
http://www.rappler.com/nation/165646-philippines-us-military-ties-joint-training
Lorenzana tags NPA as 'terrorists' ahead of peace talks
From Rappler (Apr 1): Lorenzana tags NPA as 'terrorists' ahead of peace talks
President Rodrigo Duterte's defense chief says they support the peace process, but questions the sincerity of the communist rebels
President Rodrigo Duterte's defense chief says they support the peace process, but questions the sincerity of the communist rebels
DEFENSE CHIEF. Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana addresses the Fullerton Forum at the Shangri-La Dialogue Sherpa Meeting in Singapore on January 23, 2017. File photo by Roslan Rahman/AFP
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana tagged the communist armed wing New People's Army (NPA) as "terrorists" a day before the 4th round of peace negotiations opens in the Netherlands.
In a statement on Saturday, April 1, Lorenzana said the NPA in the past weeks has gone "on a rampage, burning equipment and properties of companies who refuse to succumb to their extortions."
He also said the NPA has "also attacked and ambushed military and police personnel."
He said that the NPA "did these nefarious acts" after asking to resume peace talks with the government and announcing that they will implement a unilateral ceasefire.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana tagged the communist armed wing New People's Army (NPA) as "terrorists" a day before the 4th round of peace negotiations opens in the Netherlands.
In a statement on Saturday, April 1, Lorenzana said the NPA in the past weeks has gone "on a rampage, burning equipment and properties of companies who refuse to succumb to their extortions."
He also said the NPA has "also attacked and ambushed military and police personnel."
He said that the NPA "did these nefarious acts" after asking to resume peace talks with the government and announcing that they will implement a unilateral ceasefire.
"I, therefore, call upon all peace-loving Filipinos to resist these thugs, these terrorists who have brought nothing but misery to the Filipino people in the past 48 years. Let us resist their extortions because giving in will make them strong and perpetuate their criminal acts," Lorenzana said.
The NPA has also been on the US list of foreign terrorist organizations since 2002.
The NPA has also been on the US list of foreign terrorist organizations since 2002.
Show commitment, communists urged
In his statement on Saturday, the defense chief added, "We stand by the President's decision to resume the peace process but we likewise should call on the communists to show their commitment both in words and in deeds."
The Philippine government and the communist rebels will hold their 4th round of peace talks from April 2 to 6 in the Netherlands. (READ: Duterte wants bilateral ceasefire deal with NDF sealed in April talks)
The two parties failed to reinstate unilateral ceasefire declarations, a departure from the commitments both parties made in a joint statement after the backchannel talks in March.
Duterte said he wants a bilateral ceasefire arrangement where the rebels will commit to stop collecting revolutionary taxes, among others.
In relation to the peace talks, Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella cited a statement from Undersecretary Nabil Tan of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process.
Tan said Duterte wants "clear parameters" for the proposed ceasefire, and an assurance that communist rebels will release all their prisoners, among other things.
In his statement on Saturday, the defense chief added, "We stand by the President's decision to resume the peace process but we likewise should call on the communists to show their commitment both in words and in deeds."
The Philippine government and the communist rebels will hold their 4th round of peace talks from April 2 to 6 in the Netherlands. (READ: Duterte wants bilateral ceasefire deal with NDF sealed in April talks)
The two parties failed to reinstate unilateral ceasefire declarations, a departure from the commitments both parties made in a joint statement after the backchannel talks in March.
Duterte said he wants a bilateral ceasefire arrangement where the rebels will commit to stop collecting revolutionary taxes, among others.
In relation to the peace talks, Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella cited a statement from Undersecretary Nabil Tan of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process.
Tan said Duterte wants "clear parameters" for the proposed ceasefire, and an assurance that communist rebels will release all their prisoners, among other things.
'Morong 43' generals want charges dropped on technicality
From Rappler (Mar 31): 'Morong 43' generals want charges dropped on technicality
Torture charges against the military and police officers have been dismissed, but they still face charges before the Sandiganbayan for the illegal detention of the 43 health workers suspected to be rebels
The anti-graft court Sandiganbayan has postponed the arraignment of army generals and police officers involved in the alleged illegal detention of 43 suspected rebels, collectively known as the "Morong 43."
The respondents were supposed to be arraigned on Thursday, March 30, but the Morong 43 lawyers were informed that day that the accused had successfully petitioned the court to postpone the arraignment and hear their motion to dismiss based on technical flaws.
“The accused have filed motions to quash the charges which were heard last March 24. Upon verification with the court, it turned out that it had already issued an order on the same date requiring the prosecution to comment within 30 days, and at the same time, cancelling today's scheduled arraignment and resetting it to May 28,” the National Union of Peoples' Lawyers (NUPL) said in a statement.
The NUPL said the complainants were not given prior notice of the postponement.
Under the rules of court, an accused can move to dismiss the charges at any time before arraignment. (READ: Morong 5: The lost brigade)
The NUPL is set to enter its appearance as private prosecutor for the 43 suspected members of the New People’s Army (NPA) who were captured by the military in Morong, Rizal, in February 2010.
They claimed to just be health workers illegally detained and tortured, but 5 of them have since admitted to being NPA members.
Originally scheduled for arraignment on Thursday were army generals Jorge Segovia, Aurelio Baladad, Joselito Reyes, and Cristobal Zaragoza; and police officers Marion Balonglong, Allan Nobleza, and Jovily Cabading.
Technical grounds
The military and police officers are facing 8 counts of violation of Republic Act Number 7438, which defines the rights of persons arrested, detained, or under custodial investigation. Health workers Jane Balleta, Samson Castillo, Mercy Castro, Merry Clamor, Gary Liberal, Reynaldo Macabenta, Alexis Montes, and Teresa Quinawayan filed charges against them.
The respondents filed a motion to quash on March 20, citing alleged violations in the rules of court.
First, they said the information accuses them of two offenses – violation of sections 4(a) and 4(b) of RA 7438. The first provision requires the arresting officer to inform the person of one's miranda rights, or the right to remain silent and have a competent lawyer. The second prohibits the arresting officers from keeping the arrested person from conferring with a lawyer, a relative, a doctor, or a spiritual adviser.
The respondents alleged that the language in the informations combine elements of both provisions, therefore charging them of more than one offense. This, they said, is a violation of their right to be informed clearly of their charges so they can prepare a sound defense.
“This is a violation of the right of all the accused to be informed of the true nature and the true cause of the accusations against them. Indeed, they are certainly put at a disadvantage because they are not clearly informed as to which offense is being charged against them,” their motion reads. (READ: QC prosecutor nabbed for extort try on 'Morong 43' doctor)
A second violation of their right to be properly informed of their charge is the timeline of the accusation, the respondents said. The information said the offense happened on “February 7, 2010, or sometime prior or subsequent thereto.”
In their motions to quash, the respondents claimed that the timeline is too indefinite and a clear violation of the rights of an accused.
“The indefinite allegation is tantamount to a total omission of an approximate date, in violation of the prescribed form of informations under Rule 110, Section 6. This renders the Information susceptible to quashal pursuant to Rule 117, Section 3(e),” their motions read. (READ: NPA rebel killed in clash one of 'Morong 43' – military)
Morong 43
The military said the 43 were arrested in February 2010 because they were conducting explosives training in a house in Morong. The detainees, who went on hunger strike to demand their release, were slapped with charges of illegal possession of firearms and explosives, and gun ban violation.
On December 10, 2010, on Human Rights Day, then President Benigno Aquino III announced that charges against the Morong 43 would be dropped because they were denied due process.
The Morong Regional Trial Court (RTC) followed suit and ordered their release after 10 months of detention. They claimed they were tortured by soldiers.
Members of the Morong 43 filed torture charges against the soldiers, but the Ombudsman dismissed the charges for non-conclusive evidence.
The NUPL is dead set on pursuing the charges before the Sandiganbayan.
“We stand by our statement that the simple message is loud and clear: it is not entirely true that you can get away with rights violations with impunity just like that. Sooner or later you will be held to account,” the NUPL said. (READ: Arroyo faces new trial, this time over 'Morong 43' arrest)
Torture charges against the military and police officers have been dismissed, but they still face charges before the Sandiganbayan for the illegal detention of the 43 health workers suspected to be rebels
The anti-graft court Sandiganbayan has postponed the arraignment of army generals and police officers involved in the alleged illegal detention of 43 suspected rebels, collectively known as the "Morong 43."
The respondents were supposed to be arraigned on Thursday, March 30, but the Morong 43 lawyers were informed that day that the accused had successfully petitioned the court to postpone the arraignment and hear their motion to dismiss based on technical flaws.
“The accused have filed motions to quash the charges which were heard last March 24. Upon verification with the court, it turned out that it had already issued an order on the same date requiring the prosecution to comment within 30 days, and at the same time, cancelling today's scheduled arraignment and resetting it to May 28,” the National Union of Peoples' Lawyers (NUPL) said in a statement.
The NUPL said the complainants were not given prior notice of the postponement.
Under the rules of court, an accused can move to dismiss the charges at any time before arraignment. (READ: Morong 5: The lost brigade)
The NUPL is set to enter its appearance as private prosecutor for the 43 suspected members of the New People’s Army (NPA) who were captured by the military in Morong, Rizal, in February 2010.
They claimed to just be health workers illegally detained and tortured, but 5 of them have since admitted to being NPA members.
Originally scheduled for arraignment on Thursday were army generals Jorge Segovia, Aurelio Baladad, Joselito Reyes, and Cristobal Zaragoza; and police officers Marion Balonglong, Allan Nobleza, and Jovily Cabading.
Technical grounds
The military and police officers are facing 8 counts of violation of Republic Act Number 7438, which defines the rights of persons arrested, detained, or under custodial investigation. Health workers Jane Balleta, Samson Castillo, Mercy Castro, Merry Clamor, Gary Liberal, Reynaldo Macabenta, Alexis Montes, and Teresa Quinawayan filed charges against them.
The respondents filed a motion to quash on March 20, citing alleged violations in the rules of court.
First, they said the information accuses them of two offenses – violation of sections 4(a) and 4(b) of RA 7438. The first provision requires the arresting officer to inform the person of one's miranda rights, or the right to remain silent and have a competent lawyer. The second prohibits the arresting officers from keeping the arrested person from conferring with a lawyer, a relative, a doctor, or a spiritual adviser.
The respondents alleged that the language in the informations combine elements of both provisions, therefore charging them of more than one offense. This, they said, is a violation of their right to be informed clearly of their charges so they can prepare a sound defense.
“This is a violation of the right of all the accused to be informed of the true nature and the true cause of the accusations against them. Indeed, they are certainly put at a disadvantage because they are not clearly informed as to which offense is being charged against them,” their motion reads. (READ: QC prosecutor nabbed for extort try on 'Morong 43' doctor)
A second violation of their right to be properly informed of their charge is the timeline of the accusation, the respondents said. The information said the offense happened on “February 7, 2010, or sometime prior or subsequent thereto.”
In their motions to quash, the respondents claimed that the timeline is too indefinite and a clear violation of the rights of an accused.
“The indefinite allegation is tantamount to a total omission of an approximate date, in violation of the prescribed form of informations under Rule 110, Section 6. This renders the Information susceptible to quashal pursuant to Rule 117, Section 3(e),” their motions read. (READ: NPA rebel killed in clash one of 'Morong 43' – military)
Morong 43
The military said the 43 were arrested in February 2010 because they were conducting explosives training in a house in Morong. The detainees, who went on hunger strike to demand their release, were slapped with charges of illegal possession of firearms and explosives, and gun ban violation.
On December 10, 2010, on Human Rights Day, then President Benigno Aquino III announced that charges against the Morong 43 would be dropped because they were denied due process.
The Morong Regional Trial Court (RTC) followed suit and ordered their release after 10 months of detention. They claimed they were tortured by soldiers.
Members of the Morong 43 filed torture charges against the soldiers, but the Ombudsman dismissed the charges for non-conclusive evidence.
The NUPL is dead set on pursuing the charges before the Sandiganbayan.
“We stand by our statement that the simple message is loud and clear: it is not entirely true that you can get away with rights violations with impunity just like that. Sooner or later you will be held to account,” the NUPL said. (READ: Arroyo faces new trial, this time over 'Morong 43' arrest)
Duterte wants bilateral ceasefire deal with NDF sealed in April talks
From Rappler (Mar 31): Duterte wants bilateral ceasefire deal with NDF sealed in April talks
The two panels are also expected to decide on the 'referee' in the bilateral ceasefire agreement, after Norway begged off from the role
PREPARING TO TALK. President Rodrigo Duterte discusses peace talks with the Left with chief government negotiator Labor chief Silvestre Bello III and Presidential Peace Process Adviser Jesus Dureza at the Presidential Guest House in Davao City on March 27, 2017. Photo by Rene Lumawag/Presidential Photo
As the government prepares to resume peace talks with communist rebels, President Rodrigo Duterte's only marching order to government negotiators is to seal a bilateral ceasefire agreement with the National Democratic Front (NDF) when they meet in the Netherlands in April.
"He had only one marching order: 'Get me a ceasefire agreement,'" said Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, the government's chief negotiator in talks with the NDF, at a Palace news briefing on Friday, March 31.
The government panel is aiming to reach a deal with the NDF on the bilateral ceasefire agreement by the end of the 4th round of peace talks to be held from April 2 to 6 in the Netherlands.
"We hope to arrive at a consensus on a bilateral ceasfire to end the hostilities on the ground," Bello said.
The government and NDF, the political wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, have already exchanged their respective versions of the agreement ahead of the talks next week.
"It will be the first item on our agenda. And we have already an exchange of drafts as to the terms and conditions and parameters of the agreement," said Bello.
The definition of sensitive terms like the New People Army's (NPA) collection of revolutionary tax from businessmen as well as buffer zones will be discussed during the talks. These two issues will likely be the most difficult to resolve, the chief negotiator said.
New referee
Bello said another important matter that the two panels will discuss is the new referee in the implementation of the ceasefire agreement.
Bello said the government panel thought that the third party facilitator of the talks, Norway, would take on the role. Though Norway has reaffirmed its continued support as facilitator of the peace process, it begged off in acting as referee in the ceasefire deal.
"We were for a while under the impression that our third party facilitator, the Royal Norwegian Government would be willing to be the referee. But I think they are mindful of what happened in the FARC–Colombia peace process where they volunteered to be the referee," Bello said.
"Mukhang hindi naging maganda ang experience nila (It seems that they had a bad experience) so I think they are thinking of other countries [that] are also interested to be part of the ceasefire agreement. There were some countries already mentioned or are willing and in a...position to act as our referee," he added.
When asked, Bello said the countries that have expressed interest in becoming the referee in the ceasefire agreement are Switzerland, Canada, and Australia. "Maraming may gusto (Many are volunteering)," he said.
Duterte's list
The Palace released a list of the elements of a bilateral ceasefire agreement favored by Duterte. Among other things, the President wants a deal in which the NPA, the armed wing of the CPP, agrees to stop collecting revolutionary tax and to stop the destruction of property.
Socio-economic reforms, the "heart and soul of the peace process," will also comprise a major chunk of discussions in the Netherlands.
With these reforms and the bilateral ceasefire deal on the agenda, Bello knows this round of talks will not be a walk in the park.
"We expect this round to be very difficult and exacting but we shall be persistent in advancing the cause of peace," he said.
Responding to questions, Bello said the government panel is not unduly bothered by the NPA's supposed torching of government facilities. Bello said this is only "expected" in a state of armed conflict.
"Unless a unilateral ceasefire is declared, we should expect things like that to happen even while talks are happening," said the government negotiator.
Efforts of the NPA to step up recruiting and gathering arms is also not a cause of concern for the government. Bello said these moves are only a form of "posturing" and "propaganda" so that the CPP can negotiate with the government in a "position of strength."
As the government prepared for the next round of talks, Bello announced the government is not likely to declare a unilateral ceasefire even if the CPP announced it would declare its ceasefire by March 31.
The two panels are also expected to decide on the 'referee' in the bilateral ceasefire agreement, after Norway begged off from the role
PREPARING TO TALK. President Rodrigo Duterte discusses peace talks with the Left with chief government negotiator Labor chief Silvestre Bello III and Presidential Peace Process Adviser Jesus Dureza at the Presidential Guest House in Davao City on March 27, 2017. Photo by Rene Lumawag/Presidential Photo
As the government prepares to resume peace talks with communist rebels, President Rodrigo Duterte's only marching order to government negotiators is to seal a bilateral ceasefire agreement with the National Democratic Front (NDF) when they meet in the Netherlands in April.
"He had only one marching order: 'Get me a ceasefire agreement,'" said Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, the government's chief negotiator in talks with the NDF, at a Palace news briefing on Friday, March 31.
The government panel is aiming to reach a deal with the NDF on the bilateral ceasefire agreement by the end of the 4th round of peace talks to be held from April 2 to 6 in the Netherlands.
"We hope to arrive at a consensus on a bilateral ceasfire to end the hostilities on the ground," Bello said.
The government and NDF, the political wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, have already exchanged their respective versions of the agreement ahead of the talks next week.
"It will be the first item on our agenda. And we have already an exchange of drafts as to the terms and conditions and parameters of the agreement," said Bello.
The definition of sensitive terms like the New People Army's (NPA) collection of revolutionary tax from businessmen as well as buffer zones will be discussed during the talks. These two issues will likely be the most difficult to resolve, the chief negotiator said.
New referee
Bello said another important matter that the two panels will discuss is the new referee in the implementation of the ceasefire agreement.
Bello said the government panel thought that the third party facilitator of the talks, Norway, would take on the role. Though Norway has reaffirmed its continued support as facilitator of the peace process, it begged off in acting as referee in the ceasefire deal.
"We were for a while under the impression that our third party facilitator, the Royal Norwegian Government would be willing to be the referee. But I think they are mindful of what happened in the FARC–Colombia peace process where they volunteered to be the referee," Bello said.
"Mukhang hindi naging maganda ang experience nila (It seems that they had a bad experience) so I think they are thinking of other countries [that] are also interested to be part of the ceasefire agreement. There were some countries already mentioned or are willing and in a...position to act as our referee," he added.
When asked, Bello said the countries that have expressed interest in becoming the referee in the ceasefire agreement are Switzerland, Canada, and Australia. "Maraming may gusto (Many are volunteering)," he said.
Duterte's list
The Palace released a list of the elements of a bilateral ceasefire agreement favored by Duterte. Among other things, the President wants a deal in which the NPA, the armed wing of the CPP, agrees to stop collecting revolutionary tax and to stop the destruction of property.
Socio-economic reforms, the "heart and soul of the peace process," will also comprise a major chunk of discussions in the Netherlands.
With these reforms and the bilateral ceasefire deal on the agenda, Bello knows this round of talks will not be a walk in the park.
"We expect this round to be very difficult and exacting but we shall be persistent in advancing the cause of peace," he said.
Responding to questions, Bello said the government panel is not unduly bothered by the NPA's supposed torching of government facilities. Bello said this is only "expected" in a state of armed conflict.
"Unless a unilateral ceasefire is declared, we should expect things like that to happen even while talks are happening," said the government negotiator.
Efforts of the NPA to step up recruiting and gathering arms is also not a cause of concern for the government. Bello said these moves are only a form of "posturing" and "propaganda" so that the CPP can negotiate with the government in a "position of strength."
As the government prepared for the next round of talks, Bello announced the government is not likely to declare a unilateral ceasefire even if the CPP announced it would declare its ceasefire by March 31.
Duterte says China not claiming Benham Rise
From Rappler (Apr 1): Duterte says China not claiming Benham Rise
'They explained that, 'we will not claim Benham Rise,'' says President Duterte after a command conference in which the continental shelf was discussed
'They explained that, 'we will not claim Benham Rise,'' says President Duterte after a command conference in which the continental shelf was discussed
BENHAM RISE. President Duterte reveals a part of what was discussed during a joint command conference at the Palace on March 31, 2017. File photo by Robinson Niñal/Presidential Photo
(UPDATED) – President Rodrigo Duterte says China has given him their assurance that they will not claim Benham Rise as part of their territory.
(UPDATED) – President Rodrigo Duterte says China has given him their assurance that they will not claim Benham Rise as part of their territory.
“I received word doon sa (regarding) Benham Rise, pinag-usapan namin sa command conference kahapon (we talked about it during the command conference yesterday). They explained na (that), 'we will not claim Benham Rise,'” said Duterte on Friday, March 31, during a women’s gathering on Palace grounds.
He did not elaborate. He had just come from a joint command conference with the military and police.
Duterte seemed to have a better understanding of Benham Rise after he was briefed by security officials about the issue. He identified it as a continental shelf "on the right side of the Philippines."
In a March 14 press conference, he appeared to mix up Benham Rise with the West Philippine Sea.
Though Duterte said China is not claiming Benham Rise, China has expressed interest in conducting surveys there.
According to Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo, China has "two or 3" pending requests to survey Benham Rise, after previous requests had been denied.
Duterte seemed to have a better understanding of Benham Rise after he was briefed by security officials about the issue. He identified it as a continental shelf "on the right side of the Philippines."
In a March 14 press conference, he appeared to mix up Benham Rise with the West Philippine Sea.
Though Duterte said China is not claiming Benham Rise, China has expressed interest in conducting surveys there.
According to Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo, China has "two or 3" pending requests to survey Benham Rise, after previous requests had been denied.
The 13-million-hectare Benham Rise was confirmed by the United Nations as belonging to the Philippines. The Philippines was granted the exclusive sovereign rights to explore the area. (READ: FAST FACTS: What you should know about Benham Rise)
But Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana raised alarm when he reported a Chinese survey ship was seen plying its waters last year over a period of 3 months.
Responding to Lorenzana's concerns, China said the Philippines cannot claim Benham Rise to be its own territory.
But Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana raised alarm when he reported a Chinese survey ship was seen plying its waters last year over a period of 3 months.
Responding to Lorenzana's concerns, China said the Philippines cannot claim Benham Rise to be its own territory.
China said it was "exercising navigation freedoms and the right to innocent passage only, without conducting any other activities or operations."
But a survey ship staying for about 3 months in the area last year belied claims of innocent passage, Lorenzana pointed out.
The Philippine Navy has deployed a ship to regularly patrol Benham Rise.
Duterte adviser bares plan to fix PH runway in West PH Sea
From Rappler (Apr 1): Duterte adviser bares plan to fix PH runway in West PH Sea
The Philippines' only runway in the disputed territory has been dilapidated due to forced neglect
National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr said there are plans to fix the Philippines' runway in disputed Pag-Asa (Thitu) Island in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).
"You just wait. We are repairing that," Esperon told reporters after a Senate hearing this week.
Pag-Asa Island is the 2nd biggest naturally occuring island in the South China Sea and the only one with civilian presence.
A community of about a hundred Filipinos reside on the island that serves as the seat of power of the Kalayaan Group of Islands (Spratlys) that is attached to the province of Palawan. It has a town hall, a school, and a communication tower, among others. (READ: The residents of Pag-Asa: Life on a disputed island)
The administration of Benigno Aquino III llocated a budget to repair the dilapidated runway there, but the project was repeatedly deferred over fears that it would provoke unwanted actions from China. (READ: PH's runway erodes as China reclaims to build own)
Small planes have no trouble landing on the short 1.3-kilometer airstrip but it can be dangerous for big aircraft such as the C130 military cargo planes. Rain could cause the cancellation of trips there, as what happened to the scheduled trip of Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and a number of lawmakers in early March.
Warning from US think tank
Esperon's announcement comes as new photos emerge of China's construction in 3 reefs where it built runways – Mischief, Subi, and Fiery Cross. A US-based think tank warned that facilities in what are feared to be military bases are almost complete.
"Beijing can now deploy military assets, including combat aircraft and mobile missile launchers, to the Spratly Islands at any time," warned Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative.
Mischief Reef is a maritime territory that an international court declared last year to be a part of the country's exclusive economic zone. China wrested control of the reef from the Philippine military back in 1994. (READ: Highlights of ruling: China violated PH's sovereign rights)
Subi Reef is very close to Pag-Asa Island, where Filipino residents have seen how China's big cranes turned the reef into an island.
Esperon said the Philippines is closely monitoring the developments on the reefs, but said it has yet to be seen if China will turn them into military facilities.
"Our Wescom (Western Command) have pictures similar to that. Indeed the airstrips – 3 to 3.5 kilometers – are there in place. There are radars. But will these be for military use? It could be," said Esperon, former chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines..
"Wala pa naman missile doon e (They don't have missiles there yet)," he added.
The current Duterte administration has been downplaying concerns against China's activities in the South China Sea as it prefers to focus on its economic ties with the Asian economic giant.
Critics have expressed concerns, however, that the government's statements could jeopardize the country's claims in the disputed waters.
http://www.rappler.com/nation/165670-esperon-runway-south-china-sea-thitu
The Philippines' only runway in the disputed territory has been dilapidated due to forced neglect
National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr said there are plans to fix the Philippines' runway in disputed Pag-Asa (Thitu) Island in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).
"You just wait. We are repairing that," Esperon told reporters after a Senate hearing this week.
Pag-Asa Island is the 2nd biggest naturally occuring island in the South China Sea and the only one with civilian presence.
A community of about a hundred Filipinos reside on the island that serves as the seat of power of the Kalayaan Group of Islands (Spratlys) that is attached to the province of Palawan. It has a town hall, a school, and a communication tower, among others. (READ: The residents of Pag-Asa: Life on a disputed island)
The administration of Benigno Aquino III llocated a budget to repair the dilapidated runway there, but the project was repeatedly deferred over fears that it would provoke unwanted actions from China. (READ: PH's runway erodes as China reclaims to build own)
Small planes have no trouble landing on the short 1.3-kilometer airstrip but it can be dangerous for big aircraft such as the C130 military cargo planes. Rain could cause the cancellation of trips there, as what happened to the scheduled trip of Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and a number of lawmakers in early March.
Warning from US think tank
Esperon's announcement comes as new photos emerge of China's construction in 3 reefs where it built runways – Mischief, Subi, and Fiery Cross. A US-based think tank warned that facilities in what are feared to be military bases are almost complete.
"Beijing can now deploy military assets, including combat aircraft and mobile missile launchers, to the Spratly Islands at any time," warned Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative.
Mischief Reef is a maritime territory that an international court declared last year to be a part of the country's exclusive economic zone. China wrested control of the reef from the Philippine military back in 1994. (READ: Highlights of ruling: China violated PH's sovereign rights)
Subi Reef is very close to Pag-Asa Island, where Filipino residents have seen how China's big cranes turned the reef into an island.
Esperon said the Philippines is closely monitoring the developments on the reefs, but said it has yet to be seen if China will turn them into military facilities.
"Our Wescom (Western Command) have pictures similar to that. Indeed the airstrips – 3 to 3.5 kilometers – are there in place. There are radars. But will these be for military use? It could be," said Esperon, former chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines..
"Wala pa naman missile doon e (They don't have missiles there yet)," he added.
The current Duterte administration has been downplaying concerns against China's activities in the South China Sea as it prefers to focus on its economic ties with the Asian economic giant.
Critics have expressed concerns, however, that the government's statements could jeopardize the country's claims in the disputed waters.
http://www.rappler.com/nation/165670-esperon-runway-south-china-sea-thitu
A year after Kidapawan clash, groups condemn killings of farmers
From Rappler (Apr 1): A year after Kidapawan clash, groups condemn killings of farmers
'Since June last year, 16 farmers, Lumad and land rights defenders have already been killed,' says Pedro Arnado, chair of the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas-Southern Mindanao Region
http://www.rappler.com/nation/165789-anniversary-kidapawan-clash-groups-condemn-killings-farmers
'Since June last year, 16 farmers, Lumad and land rights defenders have already been killed,' says Pedro Arnado, chair of the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas-Southern Mindanao Region
STOP. Groups protest against the killings of farmers under the Duterte administration. All photos c/o Kilab Multimedia
Hundreds of farmers, human rights defenders, and peace advocates trooped to Mendiola on Friday, March 31, to condemn killings of farmers under the Duterte administration.
Hundreds of farmers, human rights defenders, and peace advocates trooped to Mendiola on Friday, March 31, to condemn killings of farmers under the Duterte administration.
The Friday protest came on the eve of the first anniversary of the Kidapawan clash between police and farmers that injured about 50 people and left 3 people dead in April 2016.
A group of farmers from Southern Mindanao also camped outside the central office of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), seeking justice for the killings of farmers and land rights defenders. (READ: North Cotabato farmers decry killings, harassment over land dispute)
They traveled for 3 days from Mindanao to Quezon City to raise their issues and demands before the government.
"Since June last year, 16 farmers, Lumad, and land rights defenders have already been killed. They were all active in defending their lands from the incursion of big mining corporations, plantations and land grabbers and the campaign to stop militarization in their communities," Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas-Southern Mindanao Region chair Pedro Arnado said in a statement.
On March 27, there were separate incidents of killings involving 3 farmers from Laak, Compostela Valley who were on their way to Manila: Cora Molave Lina, and couple Arman and Arlyn Alcominar.
"The government's declaration of all-out war against the left and their so-called Development Support and Security Plan or Oplan Kapayapaan – a rehash of Aquino's fascist counter-insurgency program – will not solve the civil war in the country. Instead, it has targeted civilians and activists who were active in defending their rights," Arnado said.
The group said the "ongoing armed conflict" will end only when the "root causes of landlessness, poverty, and social injustices" have been addressed.
They also urged President Rodrigo Duterte to pull out military troops from communities, to "work hard with the National Democractic Front of the Philippines on the negotiating table," and to pursue genuine agrarian reform and national industrialization.
Anakpawis Partylist Representative Ariel Casilao, together with Agrarian Reform Secretary Rafael Mariano and other DAR officials met the farmers from Southern Mindanao to discuss issues of agrarian reform beneficiaries.
A group of farmers from Southern Mindanao also camped outside the central office of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), seeking justice for the killings of farmers and land rights defenders. (READ: North Cotabato farmers decry killings, harassment over land dispute)
They traveled for 3 days from Mindanao to Quezon City to raise their issues and demands before the government.
"Since June last year, 16 farmers, Lumad, and land rights defenders have already been killed. They were all active in defending their lands from the incursion of big mining corporations, plantations and land grabbers and the campaign to stop militarization in their communities," Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas-Southern Mindanao Region chair Pedro Arnado said in a statement.
On March 27, there were separate incidents of killings involving 3 farmers from Laak, Compostela Valley who were on their way to Manila: Cora Molave Lina, and couple Arman and Arlyn Alcominar.
"The government's declaration of all-out war against the left and their so-called Development Support and Security Plan or Oplan Kapayapaan – a rehash of Aquino's fascist counter-insurgency program – will not solve the civil war in the country. Instead, it has targeted civilians and activists who were active in defending their rights," Arnado said.
The group said the "ongoing armed conflict" will end only when the "root causes of landlessness, poverty, and social injustices" have been addressed.
They also urged President Rodrigo Duterte to pull out military troops from communities, to "work hard with the National Democractic Front of the Philippines on the negotiating table," and to pursue genuine agrarian reform and national industrialization.
Anakpawis Partylist Representative Ariel Casilao, together with Agrarian Reform Secretary Rafael Mariano and other DAR officials met the farmers from Southern Mindanao to discuss issues of agrarian reform beneficiaries.
http://www.rappler.com/nation/165789-anniversary-kidapawan-clash-groups-condemn-killings-farmers
PH Army teaches students about ill effects of drugs
From Rappler (Apr 1): PH Army teaches students about ill effects of drugs
More than a thousand students at the Tenement Elementary School graduate from the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) Program of the Philippine Army in partnership with DARE Philippines Association
More than a thousand students at the Tenement Elementary School graduate from the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) Program of the Philippine Army in partnership with DARE Philippines Association
CULMINATION. The Tenement Elementary school caps of the two-month long DARE program with a culminating activity with the Philippine Army. Photo by Raisa Serafica/Rappler
Celebratory music blared from speakers inside the school gymnasium. Parents were busy glamming up their children. Everywhere, there were people smiling and cameras clicking.
The atmosphere at the Tenement Elementary School on Friday morning, March 31, clearly reflected the graduation season. Unlike other similar rites elsewhere in the country, one element stood out in the end-of-school picture: army officers in uniform scattered all around the school.
It was, after all, not an ordinary culminating activity.
On Friday, 1,241 students at the Tenement Elementary School graduated from the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) Program of the Philippine Army in partnership with DARE Philippines Association.
"DARE Philippines Association aims to teach elementary students the necessary skills to resist drugs and other similar substances," Colonel Thomas Sedano said in Filipino.
Clad in their school uniforms and orange shirts that spelled DARE, the students took turns receiving their certificates handed out by Sedano and DARE Philippines Executive Vice President Donna Gasgonia.
Proactive approach
This is the first time the army participated in the DARE program, with Tenement and Signal Village Elementary Schools in Taguig City as their pilot institutions.
Celebratory music blared from speakers inside the school gymnasium. Parents were busy glamming up their children. Everywhere, there were people smiling and cameras clicking.
The atmosphere at the Tenement Elementary School on Friday morning, March 31, clearly reflected the graduation season. Unlike other similar rites elsewhere in the country, one element stood out in the end-of-school picture: army officers in uniform scattered all around the school.
It was, after all, not an ordinary culminating activity.
On Friday, 1,241 students at the Tenement Elementary School graduated from the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) Program of the Philippine Army in partnership with DARE Philippines Association.
"DARE Philippines Association aims to teach elementary students the necessary skills to resist drugs and other similar substances," Colonel Thomas Sedano said in Filipino.
Clad in their school uniforms and orange shirts that spelled DARE, the students took turns receiving their certificates handed out by Sedano and DARE Philippines Executive Vice President Donna Gasgonia.
Proactive approach
This is the first time the army participated in the DARE program, with Tenement and Signal Village Elementary Schools in Taguig City as their pilot institutions.
SALUTE. Col. Thomas Sedano poses with elementary students of the Tenement Elementary School. Photo by Raisa Serafica/Rappler
“This is historical for us. This is the first time our soldiers taught DARE lessons. In 1993, when the DARE program was introduced in the Philippines by then Vice President Joseph Estrada, only police officers became DARE teachers,” Gasgonia shared in mixed Filipino and English.
The program at the Tenement Elementary School started in January and ended in March 2017. Twice a week, soldiers would spend an hour teaching Grade 5 and 6 students about the ill-effects of drugs and why they should avoid it.
The program also becomes crucial as President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs shows no signs of slowing down. Before the brief suspension of the PNP's anti-drug operations in January, there were a total of 2,555 suspected drug personalities killed in police operations as of January 31, 2017. Since March 6, when the PNP officially relaunched its participation in Oplan Double Barrel Alpha Reloaded, 69 suspected drug personalities were killed in police operations as of March 31.
It is as if the goal of the DARE program is to prevent children from becoming a number in the statistics when they grow up.
“Kung ayaw 'nyong matokhang, umiwas kayo sa droga (If you do not want to get killed in Oplan Tokhang, avoid drugs),” Principal Geronima Garcia bluntly told the DARE graduates.
Considered a proactive approach in the war against drugs, the DARE program teaches effective peer resistance against drugs. It also envisions to rear self-reliant and healthy young individuals who would find no reason to depend on drugs and other similar harmful substances.
'No' to drugs
When asked if they knew anyone suspected of using drugs, the children from the audience answered with a resounding "yes."
This is why Kate Magallanes, a Grade 6 student at the Tenement Elementary School, is more than thankful for undergoing the DARE program. Despite her young age Magallanes is well-versed in the topic of drugs and Oplan TokHang.
GRADUATE. Grade 6 student Kate Magallanes thanks the Philippines soldiers for teaching them the ill-effects of drugs. Photo by Raisa Serafica/Rappler
The program at the Tenement Elementary School started in January and ended in March 2017. Twice a week, soldiers would spend an hour teaching Grade 5 and 6 students about the ill-effects of drugs and why they should avoid it.
The program also becomes crucial as President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs shows no signs of slowing down. Before the brief suspension of the PNP's anti-drug operations in January, there were a total of 2,555 suspected drug personalities killed in police operations as of January 31, 2017. Since March 6, when the PNP officially relaunched its participation in Oplan Double Barrel Alpha Reloaded, 69 suspected drug personalities were killed in police operations as of March 31.
It is as if the goal of the DARE program is to prevent children from becoming a number in the statistics when they grow up.
“Kung ayaw 'nyong matokhang, umiwas kayo sa droga (If you do not want to get killed in Oplan Tokhang, avoid drugs),” Principal Geronima Garcia bluntly told the DARE graduates.
Considered a proactive approach in the war against drugs, the DARE program teaches effective peer resistance against drugs. It also envisions to rear self-reliant and healthy young individuals who would find no reason to depend on drugs and other similar harmful substances.
'No' to drugs
When asked if they knew anyone suspected of using drugs, the children from the audience answered with a resounding "yes."
This is why Kate Magallanes, a Grade 6 student at the Tenement Elementary School, is more than thankful for undergoing the DARE program. Despite her young age Magallanes is well-versed in the topic of drugs and Oplan TokHang.
GRADUATE. Grade 6 student Kate Magallanes thanks the Philippines soldiers for teaching them the ill-effects of drugs. Photo by Raisa Serafica/Rappler
According to Magallanes, children like her are vulnerable to drugs, cigarettes, and other social problems because they are "on the stage of confusion and easily influenced by peers."
"We are trained to be watchful in our community and understand the essence of Oplan TokHang," Magallanes said.
Citing President Rodrigo Duterte, the Grade 6 student added that she now understood what Duterte meant when he said, "Papatayin ko lahat ng mga taong sisira sa kinabukasan ng mga kabataan (I will kill everyone who destroy the future of our children)."
When he ran for the highest public office in the land, Duterte said in one of his campaign materials that children will be among the first to benefit from his presidency.
Data show that there children are also among those are affected by the drug war. Thousands of orphaned children and widows have been left behind by those killed in the government’s brutal war on drugs. As of February 2017, a total of 31 minors under the age of 18 have also been killed by police and vigilantes in the anti-drug campaign, according to Rowena Legaspi, executive director of the Children's Legal Rights and Development Center, a non-governmental group that has documented the killings.
Protecting children
The students were not the only ones who underwent education and training under the DARE program.
To become a DARE teacher, soldiers had to finish a 10-day training where they learned classroom management, communication skills, adolescent development, drug information, and teaching strategies. They were also given a thorough guide on DARE’s 17 lessons.
SOLDIER TEACHER. Members of the Philippine army moonlight as teachers for almost two months under the DARE program. Photo courtesy of the Armed Forces of the Philippines
"We are trained to be watchful in our community and understand the essence of Oplan TokHang," Magallanes said.
Citing President Rodrigo Duterte, the Grade 6 student added that she now understood what Duterte meant when he said, "Papatayin ko lahat ng mga taong sisira sa kinabukasan ng mga kabataan (I will kill everyone who destroy the future of our children)."
When he ran for the highest public office in the land, Duterte said in one of his campaign materials that children will be among the first to benefit from his presidency.
Data show that there children are also among those are affected by the drug war. Thousands of orphaned children and widows have been left behind by those killed in the government’s brutal war on drugs. As of February 2017, a total of 31 minors under the age of 18 have also been killed by police and vigilantes in the anti-drug campaign, according to Rowena Legaspi, executive director of the Children's Legal Rights and Development Center, a non-governmental group that has documented the killings.
Protecting children
The students were not the only ones who underwent education and training under the DARE program.
To become a DARE teacher, soldiers had to finish a 10-day training where they learned classroom management, communication skills, adolescent development, drug information, and teaching strategies. They were also given a thorough guide on DARE’s 17 lessons.
SOLDIER TEACHER. Members of the Philippine army moonlight as teachers for almost two months under the DARE program. Photo courtesy of the Armed Forces of the Philippines
Private First Class Jovelyn Domingo is one of the 26 soldiers who took a break from their duties as a soldier to teach in the classroom.
According to Domingo, the students were initially afraid of the soldiers when they began teaching them in January.
“Kasi ‘pag sinabing sundalo, ang alam nila giyera. Pero nung nakapag-umpisa na, na-amaze sila na puwede pala magturo ang mga sundalo tungkol sa masamang impluwensya ng droga,” she said.
(They think of war when you mention soldiers. But once we started, they were azamed that soldiers can teach about the bad influence of drugs.)
She said the experience as a teacher in the DARE program also served as an eye-opener and a learning opportunity. The soldier added that she sees the program as part of their mission to serve and protect children.
Not all soldiers who undergo the 10-day training become DARE teachers. Only those who satisfactorily pass the training proceed to the classrooms to teach the curriculum especially made for 5th and 6th grade students.
According to Domingo, the students were initially afraid of the soldiers when they began teaching them in January.
“Kasi ‘pag sinabing sundalo, ang alam nila giyera. Pero nung nakapag-umpisa na, na-amaze sila na puwede pala magturo ang mga sundalo tungkol sa masamang impluwensya ng droga,” she said.
(They think of war when you mention soldiers. But once we started, they were azamed that soldiers can teach about the bad influence of drugs.)
She said the experience as a teacher in the DARE program also served as an eye-opener and a learning opportunity. The soldier added that she sees the program as part of their mission to serve and protect children.
Not all soldiers who undergo the 10-day training become DARE teachers. Only those who satisfactorily pass the training proceed to the classrooms to teach the curriculum especially made for 5th and 6th grade students.
FAST FACTS: What you should know about Benham Rise
From Rappler (Mar 30): FAST FACTS: What you should know about Benham Rise
The Philippines 13-million-hectare territory near Aurora is considered part of the country's extended continental shelf, but is not part of the PH national territory
fishery research because the fish in the ECS belong to mankind
surveys on water salinity and water currents because the water column in the ECS belongs to mankind
depth soundings for navigational purposes because there is freedom of navigation in the ECS
"If the Chinese vessels were looking for submarine passages and parking spaces, that would be part of freedom of navigation and the Philippines has no reason to complain," Carpio said.
But if the Chinese vessels spotted plying the area were conducting seismic activities to look for resources, Carpio said they would be in violation of UNCLOS because only the Philippines has exclusive rights to explore and develop resources there.
China earlier said the Philippines cannot claim Benham Rise as part of its own territory.
Innocent passage or survey?
Asked about this in a press conference, Duterte said he understood why China would question the Philippine's claim over Benham Rise.
"Because they are claiming it, so I can understand. You cannot also claim that because I'm claiming it. But let us not fight about ownership or sovereignty at this time. Things are going great for my country," Duterte said.
While China confirmed that survey ships passed through the area in 2016, it claims that the vessels were exercising innocent passage.
Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, however, said the activities of the Chinese ship spotted in the area belied this.
"Alam mo naman 'yung innocent passage, Point A to Point B. Napakabagal eh. Tapos tumitigil sa isang lugar. Magtagal doon ng ilang araw. Lipat naman sa kabilang lugar. So that is not innocent passage," he said.
(We know innocent passage, it's Point A to Point B. But the Chinese ship was very slow. It was stopping in one area to stay there for a few days. And then it would transfer to another area. So that is not innocent passage.)
Lorenzana said the Philippines will increase patrols in the area and may even build structures in Benham Rise.
The Philippines 13-million-hectare territory near Aurora is considered part of the country's extended continental shelf, but is not part of the PH national territory
CORAL-RICH. Researchers say Benham Bank is rich in corals. Photo courtesy of Dr Hildie Nacorda/UPLB-SESAM
What is Benham Rise, and who owns it?
The subject has come up in recent days, after the Philippines' defense department revealed that China has shown interest in the territory located off Aurora province, with a Chinese ship spotted surveying the area for as long as 3 months last year.
Asked about this, President Rodrigo Duterte seemed to confuse the issue with the Philippines' dispute with China over the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).
But Benham Rise, located in the Philippines' eastern border and far away from the West Philippine Sea, is not disputed territory. Unlike Scarborough Shoal, no other country is claiming the underwater plateau believed to be rich in minerals and gas.
UN confirmation: PH's extended continental shelf
Benham Rise is a 13-million-hectare underwater plateau located near Aurora. It is larger than Luzon, the Philippines' biggest island, and is considered part of the Philippines' continental shelf.
According to marine law expert Jay Batongbacal, Benham Rise is potentially a rich source of natural gas and other resources such as heavy metals. It is about 2,000 to 5,000 meters deep, but remains largely unexplored. (READ: Filipinos conquer new territory: Benham Rise)
In 2012, the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Contintental Shelf (UNCLCS) confirmed Benham Rise as part of the Philippines' continental shelf. Under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the continental shelf comprises the seabed and subsoil of the submarine areas 200 nautical miles (NM), or 370 kilometers, from a state's baselines or “edges.”
Parts of the continental shelf beyond the 200 NM provision need to be claimed before UNCLCS. Three years after the Philippines first filed its claim and defended it before the commission, the UNCLCS approved Benham Rise as part of the Philippines' extended continental shelf.
It was the country's first successful validated claim under UNCLOS.
Sovereign rights, yes, but not PH territory
An important distinction to note is that the Philippines has "sovereign rights" over Benham Rise, but it does not have sovereignty over it. Because of this, Benham Rise cannot be considered part of Philippine national territory, according to Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio.
Under international law, a state exercises sovereignty over its land territory and 12 NM territorial sea. Beyond it, and up to 200 NM from its baselines, the state has "sovereign rights" – less than sovereignty, but exclusive and superior to the rights of all other states.
The Philippines has the sovereign right to explore and exploit the oil, gas and other mineral resources in Benham Rise as part of its extended continental shelf (ECS).
Carpio explained that other countries, like China, have the right to conduct certain activities in Benham Rise such as:
What is Benham Rise, and who owns it?
The subject has come up in recent days, after the Philippines' defense department revealed that China has shown interest in the territory located off Aurora province, with a Chinese ship spotted surveying the area for as long as 3 months last year.
Asked about this, President Rodrigo Duterte seemed to confuse the issue with the Philippines' dispute with China over the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).
But Benham Rise, located in the Philippines' eastern border and far away from the West Philippine Sea, is not disputed territory. Unlike Scarborough Shoal, no other country is claiming the underwater plateau believed to be rich in minerals and gas.
UN confirmation: PH's extended continental shelf
Benham Rise is a 13-million-hectare underwater plateau located near Aurora. It is larger than Luzon, the Philippines' biggest island, and is considered part of the Philippines' continental shelf.
According to marine law expert Jay Batongbacal, Benham Rise is potentially a rich source of natural gas and other resources such as heavy metals. It is about 2,000 to 5,000 meters deep, but remains largely unexplored. (READ: Filipinos conquer new territory: Benham Rise)
In 2012, the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Contintental Shelf (UNCLCS) confirmed Benham Rise as part of the Philippines' continental shelf. Under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the continental shelf comprises the seabed and subsoil of the submarine areas 200 nautical miles (NM), or 370 kilometers, from a state's baselines or “edges.”
Parts of the continental shelf beyond the 200 NM provision need to be claimed before UNCLCS. Three years after the Philippines first filed its claim and defended it before the commission, the UNCLCS approved Benham Rise as part of the Philippines' extended continental shelf.
It was the country's first successful validated claim under UNCLOS.
Sovereign rights, yes, but not PH territory
An important distinction to note is that the Philippines has "sovereign rights" over Benham Rise, but it does not have sovereignty over it. Because of this, Benham Rise cannot be considered part of Philippine national territory, according to Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio.
Under international law, a state exercises sovereignty over its land territory and 12 NM territorial sea. Beyond it, and up to 200 NM from its baselines, the state has "sovereign rights" – less than sovereignty, but exclusive and superior to the rights of all other states.
The Philippines has the sovereign right to explore and exploit the oil, gas and other mineral resources in Benham Rise as part of its extended continental shelf (ECS).
Carpio explained that other countries, like China, have the right to conduct certain activities in Benham Rise such as:
fishery research because the fish in the ECS belong to mankind
surveys on water salinity and water currents because the water column in the ECS belongs to mankind
depth soundings for navigational purposes because there is freedom of navigation in the ECS
"If the Chinese vessels were looking for submarine passages and parking spaces, that would be part of freedom of navigation and the Philippines has no reason to complain," Carpio said.
But if the Chinese vessels spotted plying the area were conducting seismic activities to look for resources, Carpio said they would be in violation of UNCLOS because only the Philippines has exclusive rights to explore and develop resources there.
China earlier said the Philippines cannot claim Benham Rise as part of its own territory.
Innocent passage or survey?
Asked about this in a press conference, Duterte said he understood why China would question the Philippine's claim over Benham Rise.
"Because they are claiming it, so I can understand. You cannot also claim that because I'm claiming it. But let us not fight about ownership or sovereignty at this time. Things are going great for my country," Duterte said.
While China confirmed that survey ships passed through the area in 2016, it claims that the vessels were exercising innocent passage.
Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, however, said the activities of the Chinese ship spotted in the area belied this.
"Alam mo naman 'yung innocent passage, Point A to Point B. Napakabagal eh. Tapos tumitigil sa isang lugar. Magtagal doon ng ilang araw. Lipat naman sa kabilang lugar. So that is not innocent passage," he said.
(We know innocent passage, it's Point A to Point B. But the Chinese ship was very slow. It was stopping in one area to stay there for a few days. And then it would transfer to another area. So that is not innocent passage.)
Lorenzana said the Philippines will increase patrols in the area and may even build structures in Benham Rise.
PH eyes renaming Benham Rise to ‘Philippine Rise’
From Rappler (Apr 1): PH eyes renaming Benham Rise to ‘Philippine Rise’
The proposed name will 'emphasize Philippine sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the area,' says Malacañang
CORAL-RICH. Researchers say Benham Bank is rich in corals. Photo courtesy of Dr Hildie Nacorda/UPLB-SESAM
Amid concerns raised by the months-long activity of a Chinese survey vessel in the resource-rich area, the Philippine government is looking into renaming Benham Rise to "Philippine Rise," Malacañang said on Saturday, April 1.
Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Office of the Executive Secretary were directed to study the possibility.
“The DFA and Office of the Executive Secretary have been tasked to look into the possibility of changing the name of 'Benham Rise' to ‘Philippine Rise’ to emphasize Philippine sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the area,” Abella said. (READ: FAST FACTS: What you should know about Benham Rise)
He said that a “motion has been made subject to the conduct of the requisite legal and logistical study to effect the change."
The motion was made at the joint Armed Forces of the Philippines-Philippine National Police Command Conference in Malacañang attended by the President on Friday night, March 31.
Malacañang made the announcement a day after President Rodrigo Duterte downplayed concerns that China was interested in Benham Rise. (READ: Duterte says China not claiming Benham Rise)
China had asked the Philippines to be allowed to conduct "research" in the area during the administration of President Benigno Aquino III, but was rejected. Acting Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo earlier said there are "two or 3" more pending requests from China to survey the area.
In 2012, the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Contintental Shelf (UNCLCS) confirmed Benham Rise as part of the Philippines' continental shelf. Under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the continental shelf comprises the seabed and subsoil of the submarine areas 200 nautical miles (NM), or 370 kilometers, from a state's baselines or "edges."
There was renewed public interest in the area after it was confirmed that a Chinese survey vessel went around Benham Rise from November 2016 to January 2017, apparently without the knowledge of key government offices such as the DFA and the Department of National Defense.
This triggered concerns that China, which is locked in a dispute with the Philippines in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea), might be interested in the undisputed Benham Rise as well.
The President's earlier pronouncements on the Benham Rise issue, seen as deflecting criticism against China's perceived interest in the area, is among the grounds cited in an impeachment complaint against the Chief Executive. (READ: Alejano wants Duterte impeached over Benham Rise, West PH Sea row)
In his supplemental impeachment complaint-affidavit filed on Tuesday, March 28, Magdalo Representative Gary Alejano accused Duterte of betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the 1987 Constitution, and other high crimes. (READ: Duterte impeachment complaint 'a fight for all Filipinos,' says Alejano)
Alejano believed Duterte should be impeached for not seeing the presence of a Chinese survey ship in Benham Rise as an incursion in the country's waters. (READ: Duterte briefed about Benham Rise after mix-up)
http://www.rappler.com/nation/165799-ph-rename-benham-rise
The proposed name will 'emphasize Philippine sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the area,' says Malacañang
CORAL-RICH. Researchers say Benham Bank is rich in corals. Photo courtesy of Dr Hildie Nacorda/UPLB-SESAM
Amid concerns raised by the months-long activity of a Chinese survey vessel in the resource-rich area, the Philippine government is looking into renaming Benham Rise to "Philippine Rise," Malacañang said on Saturday, April 1.
Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Office of the Executive Secretary were directed to study the possibility.
“The DFA and Office of the Executive Secretary have been tasked to look into the possibility of changing the name of 'Benham Rise' to ‘Philippine Rise’ to emphasize Philippine sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the area,” Abella said. (READ: FAST FACTS: What you should know about Benham Rise)
He said that a “motion has been made subject to the conduct of the requisite legal and logistical study to effect the change."
The motion was made at the joint Armed Forces of the Philippines-Philippine National Police Command Conference in Malacañang attended by the President on Friday night, March 31.
Malacañang made the announcement a day after President Rodrigo Duterte downplayed concerns that China was interested in Benham Rise. (READ: Duterte says China not claiming Benham Rise)
China had asked the Philippines to be allowed to conduct "research" in the area during the administration of President Benigno Aquino III, but was rejected. Acting Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo earlier said there are "two or 3" more pending requests from China to survey the area.
In 2012, the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Contintental Shelf (UNCLCS) confirmed Benham Rise as part of the Philippines' continental shelf. Under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the continental shelf comprises the seabed and subsoil of the submarine areas 200 nautical miles (NM), or 370 kilometers, from a state's baselines or "edges."
There was renewed public interest in the area after it was confirmed that a Chinese survey vessel went around Benham Rise from November 2016 to January 2017, apparently without the knowledge of key government offices such as the DFA and the Department of National Defense.
This triggered concerns that China, which is locked in a dispute with the Philippines in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea), might be interested in the undisputed Benham Rise as well.
The President's earlier pronouncements on the Benham Rise issue, seen as deflecting criticism against China's perceived interest in the area, is among the grounds cited in an impeachment complaint against the Chief Executive. (READ: Alejano wants Duterte impeached over Benham Rise, West PH Sea row)
In his supplemental impeachment complaint-affidavit filed on Tuesday, March 28, Magdalo Representative Gary Alejano accused Duterte of betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the 1987 Constitution, and other high crimes. (READ: Duterte impeachment complaint 'a fight for all Filipinos,' says Alejano)
Alejano believed Duterte should be impeached for not seeing the presence of a Chinese survey ship in Benham Rise as an incursion in the country's waters. (READ: Duterte briefed about Benham Rise after mix-up)
http://www.rappler.com/nation/165799-ph-rename-benham-rise
US warship visits Subic
From InterAksyon (Apr 1): US warship visits Subic
The USS Fitzgerald (photo from US embassy)
An American warship made a port call in Subic Bay that the US embassy “highlights the strong community and military connections between the Philippines and the United States.”
The Arleigh-Buke class guided-missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62) will also undergo minor repairs “with the assistance of Philippine companies,” the embassy said.
“The USS Fitzgerald is forward-deployed to the US 7th Fleet area of operations in support of security and stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region,” it added.
http://interaksyon.com/article/138198/us-warship-visits-subic
The USS Fitzgerald (photo from US embassy)
An American warship made a port call in Subic Bay that the US embassy “highlights the strong community and military connections between the Philippines and the United States.”
The Arleigh-Buke class guided-missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62) will also undergo minor repairs “with the assistance of Philippine companies,” the embassy said.
“The USS Fitzgerald is forward-deployed to the US 7th Fleet area of operations in support of security and stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region,” it added.
http://interaksyon.com/article/138198/us-warship-visits-subic
Quezon, CamSur rebels debunk AFP claims of battlefield victories
From InterAksyon (Apr 1): Quezon, CamSur rebels debunk AFP claims of battlefield victories
(image from https://www.philippinerevolution.info)
Communist rebels in Quezon province dismissed military claims they had lost 10 of fighters in a clash in General Nakar town Thursday, saying it was they who had inflicted multiple casualties on government troops who attacked a “peace consultation” with Dumagat tribesmen.
In Camarines Sur, rebels also accused government forces of killing a civilian and several wounding two others on the same day then described the incident as an encounter and the victims as guerrillas.
Both incidents happened the day after the New People’s Army marked its 48th founding anniversary and ahead of the fourth round of formal peace talks between the government and rebels in the Netherlands.
Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesman Brigadier General Restituto Padilla told media Friday that two soldiers were also killed in the Quezon clash between troops of the 80th Infantry Battalion and New People’s Army fighters in Sitio Pahimuan, Barangay Lumutan Thursday afternoon.
He added that two of the rebel casualties were women.
But Armando “Ka Mando” Jacinto, spokesman of the NPA’s Rosario Lodronio Rosal Command in the Sierra Madre said they had “effectively foiled the government soldiers’ attack” in an hour-long battle in which he claimed five troops were killed and one seriously wounded.
Jacinto said the rebels suffered no casualties and managed to seize a Baby Armalite rifle and backpacks “containing high value intelligence documents.”
He said before the clash, troops of the 80th IB had been “conducting operation(s) continuously in the mountain villages of Rizal province and North Quezon wreaking havoc on the lives and livelihood of farmers and Dumagat tribesmen.”
Jacinto claimed the rebels, on the hand, had suspended offensive operations in anticipation of the unilateral ceasefire the Communist Party of the Philippines had earlier said it would announce by March 31 and decided to celebrate the NPA anniversary consulting with the Dumagat.
However, after Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, the chief government negotiator, said Friday that the government “saw no reason” for a ceasefire, the rebel declaration was never made.
The rebel spokesman said the 80th IB deployed a company to attack them on learning of the consultation in Lumutan. However, he said they had been “warned beforehand by the people” of the approaching troops and were thus able to counter the attack.
In a separate statement, Michael Robredo, spokesman of the NPA’s Norben Gruta Command in Camarines Sur belied the statement of the 9th Infantry Division about a clash in Sitio Traktora, Barangay Bagong Silang, Sipocot town in which a guerrilla was supposedly killed.
“There was no NPA unit in the area at that time. There was no encounter,” Robredo said.
He said government troops responding to a report of rebel presence arrived in Traktora and “suddenly strafed civilians at the sitio’s waiting shed,” allegedly killed Renel Mirabeles and seriously wounding Joseph Sagario and Regie Loprandado
“They abducted another civilian, Erick Madrona, and accused him of being a member of the NPA,” he added.
Robredo said this was not the first time the military cooked up “fake news” of supposed clashes with the rebels and accused the 9th ID of “terrorizing civilians to mask their failure and inutility in defeating the NPA.”
http://interaksyon.com/article/138201/quezon-camsur-rebels-debunk-afp-claims-of-battlefield-victories
(image from https://www.philippinerevolution.info)
Communist rebels in Quezon province dismissed military claims they had lost 10 of fighters in a clash in General Nakar town Thursday, saying it was they who had inflicted multiple casualties on government troops who attacked a “peace consultation” with Dumagat tribesmen.
In Camarines Sur, rebels also accused government forces of killing a civilian and several wounding two others on the same day then described the incident as an encounter and the victims as guerrillas.
Both incidents happened the day after the New People’s Army marked its 48th founding anniversary and ahead of the fourth round of formal peace talks between the government and rebels in the Netherlands.
Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesman Brigadier General Restituto Padilla told media Friday that two soldiers were also killed in the Quezon clash between troops of the 80th Infantry Battalion and New People’s Army fighters in Sitio Pahimuan, Barangay Lumutan Thursday afternoon.
He added that two of the rebel casualties were women.
But Armando “Ka Mando” Jacinto, spokesman of the NPA’s Rosario Lodronio Rosal Command in the Sierra Madre said they had “effectively foiled the government soldiers’ attack” in an hour-long battle in which he claimed five troops were killed and one seriously wounded.
Jacinto said the rebels suffered no casualties and managed to seize a Baby Armalite rifle and backpacks “containing high value intelligence documents.”
He said before the clash, troops of the 80th IB had been “conducting operation(s) continuously in the mountain villages of Rizal province and North Quezon wreaking havoc on the lives and livelihood of farmers and Dumagat tribesmen.”
Jacinto claimed the rebels, on the hand, had suspended offensive operations in anticipation of the unilateral ceasefire the Communist Party of the Philippines had earlier said it would announce by March 31 and decided to celebrate the NPA anniversary consulting with the Dumagat.
However, after Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, the chief government negotiator, said Friday that the government “saw no reason” for a ceasefire, the rebel declaration was never made.
The rebel spokesman said the 80th IB deployed a company to attack them on learning of the consultation in Lumutan. However, he said they had been “warned beforehand by the people” of the approaching troops and were thus able to counter the attack.
In a separate statement, Michael Robredo, spokesman of the NPA’s Norben Gruta Command in Camarines Sur belied the statement of the 9th Infantry Division about a clash in Sitio Traktora, Barangay Bagong Silang, Sipocot town in which a guerrilla was supposedly killed.
“There was no NPA unit in the area at that time. There was no encounter,” Robredo said.
He said government troops responding to a report of rebel presence arrived in Traktora and “suddenly strafed civilians at the sitio’s waiting shed,” allegedly killed Renel Mirabeles and seriously wounding Joseph Sagario and Regie Loprandado
“They abducted another civilian, Erick Madrona, and accused him of being a member of the NPA,” he added.
Robredo said this was not the first time the military cooked up “fake news” of supposed clashes with the rebels and accused the 9th ID of “terrorizing civilians to mask their failure and inutility in defeating the NPA.”
http://interaksyon.com/article/138201/quezon-camsur-rebels-debunk-afp-claims-of-battlefield-victories
China: 'no such thing' as man-made islands in South China Sea
From InterAksyon (Mar 31): China: 'no such thing' as man-made islands in South China Sea
Reuters file photo of Chinese ships in the huge reclamation area.
There was "no such thing" as man-made islands in the disputed South China Sea, China's Defense Ministry said on Thursday, and reiterated that any building work was mainly for civilian purposes.
China, which claims most of the resource-rich region, has carried out land reclamation and construction on several islands in the Spratly archipelago, parts of which are also claimed by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.
The building has included airports, harbors and other facilities, involving in some cases the dumping of massive amounts of sand to build up land on what were reefs or structures that may only have been exposed at low tide.
But ministry spokesman Wu Qian implied that was perhaps a misunderstanding, though he said there was construction work which China had every right to do as the Spratlys were inherent Chinese territory.
"There is no such thing as man-made islands," Wu told a regular monthly news briefing. "Most of the building is for civilian purposes, including necessary defensive facilities."
The South China Sea is generally stable at present, but some countries outside the region are anxious about this and want to hype things up and create tensions, Wu said, using terminology that normally refers to the United States.
Pressed to explain his comment that were no man-made islands, Wu declined to elaborate, saying China had already provided a full explanation of its construction work.
On Monday, a US think tank said China appeared to have largely completed major construction of military infrastructure on artificial islands it has built in the South China Sea and can now deploy combat planes and other military hardware there at any time.
China has repeatedly denied charges it is militarizing the South China Sea, through which about $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year.
http://interaksyon.com/article/138163/china-no-such-thing-as-man-made-islands-in-south-china-sea
Reuters file photo of Chinese ships in the huge reclamation area.
There was "no such thing" as man-made islands in the disputed South China Sea, China's Defense Ministry said on Thursday, and reiterated that any building work was mainly for civilian purposes.
China, which claims most of the resource-rich region, has carried out land reclamation and construction on several islands in the Spratly archipelago, parts of which are also claimed by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.
The building has included airports, harbors and other facilities, involving in some cases the dumping of massive amounts of sand to build up land on what were reefs or structures that may only have been exposed at low tide.
But ministry spokesman Wu Qian implied that was perhaps a misunderstanding, though he said there was construction work which China had every right to do as the Spratlys were inherent Chinese territory.
"There is no such thing as man-made islands," Wu told a regular monthly news briefing. "Most of the building is for civilian purposes, including necessary defensive facilities."
The South China Sea is generally stable at present, but some countries outside the region are anxious about this and want to hype things up and create tensions, Wu said, using terminology that normally refers to the United States.
Pressed to explain his comment that were no man-made islands, Wu declined to elaborate, saying China had already provided a full explanation of its construction work.
On Monday, a US think tank said China appeared to have largely completed major construction of military infrastructure on artificial islands it has built in the South China Sea and can now deploy combat planes and other military hardware there at any time.
China has repeatedly denied charges it is militarizing the South China Sea, through which about $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year.
http://interaksyon.com/article/138163/china-no-such-thing-as-man-made-islands-in-south-china-sea
COMMENT: BBL* Ahead of Federalization (Last of 4 parts)
Commentary by Patricio P. Diaz posted to MindaNews (Mar 31): COMMENT: BBL* Ahead of Federalization (Last of 4 parts)
IV. Do Something
The President, the GPH and MILF implementing panels (IPs) and the Congress – they with authority and power to remove the obstructions and hindrances — must do something to insure the safe passage of the BBL by December 2017 and the installation of the regular Bangsamoro government after the May 2019 election. The New BTC’s double time can turn to waste without the expected help.
This responsibility is primarily that of the GPH and MILF IPs set in the “Guiding Principles and Mandate” of their Term of Reference signed in Kuala Lumpur on March 21, 2017.
Their Guiding Principles: They resolved “…to build on the gains of the peace process in the implementation of the signed agreements including all existing mechanisms of the peace process. The implementing stage shall be primarily an internal process to the Parties, with due consideration to the agreed international participation, and when necessary, with third party facilitation and/or special advice as provided for in this Terms of Reference.”
Their Mandate: They agreed, generally, “… to ensure efficient and effective implementation of the 2014 Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) and other agreements” that they may sign later.
Specifically, to “… jointly and cooperatively endeavor to accomplish the following:”
(a) The GPH IP “shall work for the passage of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) in Congress;” the MILF IP “shall monitor the progress of the legislative process.”
(b) “If necessary, to review the mechanisms of the peace process on the ground to align them in accordance with the implementation phase of the GPH-MILF peace process, provided that any amendment shall be agreed upon by the parties in the presence of the Third Party Facilitator.”
(c) “Carry out the phasing and sequencing of the programs for implementation under the normalization process, including decommissioning which shall be parallel and commensurate to the movement of the legislative track, specifically, the BBL as provided for in the Annex on Transitional Arrangement and Modalities.”
(d) “Perform such other functions as mutually agreed by the Parties to ensure the smooth and effective implementation of all agreements.”
By their general mandate, as well as specific mandate (d), the GPH and MILF IPs have the primary responsibility to make clear to President Duterte through OPAPP Secretary Jesus Dureza the “hindrances” and “obstructions” the BTC cannot “navigate” without his help – among these, the separate GPH-MNLF(Misuari) peace deal and the “no constitutional issue in the draft proposal” caveat in the BPDR.
But the GPH and MILF IPs mandates are limited to assisting the New BTC when necessary and lobbying the Congress for the passage of the BBL. Beyond that they can only raise problems the solutions to which are out of their control.
Let’s take a quick look:
[1] Senate President Pimentel advised to submit only one proposed bill to the Congress. This calls for the convergence of the GPH-MILF and GPH-MNLF(Misuari) peace tracks which only President Duterte can do – probably with the help of the OIC which only he can ask.
[2] President Duterte will certify the BBL proposal not only as an urgent bill but, foremost, as constitutional. Only he can invoke the inter-branch courtesy for the Congress to pass the BBL as proposed and let the Supreme Court decide the constitutionality of any provision of the Law if questioned – any legislator in his or her personal capacity having the right to question. Only he possesses the political will to rally the Congress for the passage of the BBL.
[3] Luwaran , in its editorial (3/8/17: ‘Convergence’ Has Two Sides’) said the New BTC has for “the main term of reference” in drafting the BBL “the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB) and its Four Annexes and Addendum on the Bangsamoro Waters, and the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB)” and, “to be more inclusive and acceptable to all…, the GRP-MNLF Final Agreement …”.
This will ensure CAB-compliance of the BBL and give the New BTC a fighting chance to beat the July 2017 timeline. But this is bound to be snagged by the “no constitutional issue in the draft proposal caveat in the BPDR” and the GPH-MNLF (Misuari) track which only the President can undo.
Burden on the President
Nothing new and clear has been heard about the GPH-MNLF(Misuari) deal. At the Kaamulan Festival in Malaybalay, Bukidnon last Saturday, March 25, President Duterte revealed his meeting with Misuari to seek his recommendations on setting up a federal form of government (The Philippine Star 3/26/17: Duterte: Talks with Misuari, MNLF on track). We are in the dark about the proposal to amend R.A. No. 9054 that is “supposed to be submitted to the Congress in July 2017”.
At the inauguration of the People’s Television (PTV) Cordillera Hub in Baguio City on Saturday afternoon (March 11) President Duterete mentioned the Bangsamoro peace process and his expectation that the BBL proposal will meet a “more or less vigorous opposition” at the Senate. He gave the assurance he will study the draft BBL when the BTC submits it to him and he will “pray that it would sail on still waters” once it reaches Congress. (MindaNews 3/13/17: Duterte on BBL: “I pray…” ) (Bold supplied)
Was President Duterte sincere in his election promise — reiterated in his inaugural address, in his first State of the Nation Address and in other occasions — that he would redress the historic injustice suffered by the Moros? He promised to do this through the meaningful implementation of the CAB as embodied in aborted Draft BBL – enhancing the plan later through convergence with all other signed agreements and relevant laws.
If he was and still is, he must do more than just challenging the New BTC “to navigate the hindrances and obstructions” and promising to “pray for the BBL to sail on still waters in Congress”. The hindrances and obstacles are daunting. Time is running out and only he can clear them away.
The CAB-compliant BBL must first be passed to establish the Bangsamoro. Then, the Moros will have a platform from which to participate meaningfully in the federalism discourse – to adapt the Bangsamoro to federalism without losing its CAB-uniqueness and other gains of the peace process.
[“Comment” is Mr. Patricio P. Diaz’ column for MindaViews, the opinion section of MindaNews. Mr. Diaz is the recipient of a “Lifetime Achievement Award” from the Titus Brandsma for his “commitment to education and public information to Mindanawons as Journalist, Educator and Peace Advocate. You may e-mail your comments to patpdiazgsc@yahoo.com.]
http://www.mindanews.com/mindaviews/2017/03/comment-bbl-ahead-of-federalization-4/
IV. Do Something
The President, the GPH and MILF implementing panels (IPs) and the Congress – they with authority and power to remove the obstructions and hindrances — must do something to insure the safe passage of the BBL by December 2017 and the installation of the regular Bangsamoro government after the May 2019 election. The New BTC’s double time can turn to waste without the expected help.
This responsibility is primarily that of the GPH and MILF IPs set in the “Guiding Principles and Mandate” of their Term of Reference signed in Kuala Lumpur on March 21, 2017.
Their Guiding Principles: They resolved “…to build on the gains of the peace process in the implementation of the signed agreements including all existing mechanisms of the peace process. The implementing stage shall be primarily an internal process to the Parties, with due consideration to the agreed international participation, and when necessary, with third party facilitation and/or special advice as provided for in this Terms of Reference.”
Their Mandate: They agreed, generally, “… to ensure efficient and effective implementation of the 2014 Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) and other agreements” that they may sign later.
Specifically, to “… jointly and cooperatively endeavor to accomplish the following:”
(a) The GPH IP “shall work for the passage of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) in Congress;” the MILF IP “shall monitor the progress of the legislative process.”
(b) “If necessary, to review the mechanisms of the peace process on the ground to align them in accordance with the implementation phase of the GPH-MILF peace process, provided that any amendment shall be agreed upon by the parties in the presence of the Third Party Facilitator.”
(c) “Carry out the phasing and sequencing of the programs for implementation under the normalization process, including decommissioning which shall be parallel and commensurate to the movement of the legislative track, specifically, the BBL as provided for in the Annex on Transitional Arrangement and Modalities.”
(d) “Perform such other functions as mutually agreed by the Parties to ensure the smooth and effective implementation of all agreements.”
By their general mandate, as well as specific mandate (d), the GPH and MILF IPs have the primary responsibility to make clear to President Duterte through OPAPP Secretary Jesus Dureza the “hindrances” and “obstructions” the BTC cannot “navigate” without his help – among these, the separate GPH-MNLF(Misuari) peace deal and the “no constitutional issue in the draft proposal” caveat in the BPDR.
But the GPH and MILF IPs mandates are limited to assisting the New BTC when necessary and lobbying the Congress for the passage of the BBL. Beyond that they can only raise problems the solutions to which are out of their control.
Let’s take a quick look:
[1] Senate President Pimentel advised to submit only one proposed bill to the Congress. This calls for the convergence of the GPH-MILF and GPH-MNLF(Misuari) peace tracks which only President Duterte can do – probably with the help of the OIC which only he can ask.
[2] President Duterte will certify the BBL proposal not only as an urgent bill but, foremost, as constitutional. Only he can invoke the inter-branch courtesy for the Congress to pass the BBL as proposed and let the Supreme Court decide the constitutionality of any provision of the Law if questioned – any legislator in his or her personal capacity having the right to question. Only he possesses the political will to rally the Congress for the passage of the BBL.
[3] Luwaran , in its editorial (3/8/17: ‘Convergence’ Has Two Sides’) said the New BTC has for “the main term of reference” in drafting the BBL “the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB) and its Four Annexes and Addendum on the Bangsamoro Waters, and the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB)” and, “to be more inclusive and acceptable to all…, the GRP-MNLF Final Agreement …”.
This will ensure CAB-compliance of the BBL and give the New BTC a fighting chance to beat the July 2017 timeline. But this is bound to be snagged by the “no constitutional issue in the draft proposal caveat in the BPDR” and the GPH-MNLF (Misuari) track which only the President can undo.
Burden on the President
Nothing new and clear has been heard about the GPH-MNLF(Misuari) deal. At the Kaamulan Festival in Malaybalay, Bukidnon last Saturday, March 25, President Duterte revealed his meeting with Misuari to seek his recommendations on setting up a federal form of government (The Philippine Star 3/26/17: Duterte: Talks with Misuari, MNLF on track). We are in the dark about the proposal to amend R.A. No. 9054 that is “supposed to be submitted to the Congress in July 2017”.
At the inauguration of the People’s Television (PTV) Cordillera Hub in Baguio City on Saturday afternoon (March 11) President Duterete mentioned the Bangsamoro peace process and his expectation that the BBL proposal will meet a “more or less vigorous opposition” at the Senate. He gave the assurance he will study the draft BBL when the BTC submits it to him and he will “pray that it would sail on still waters” once it reaches Congress. (MindaNews 3/13/17: Duterte on BBL: “I pray…” ) (Bold supplied)
Was President Duterte sincere in his election promise — reiterated in his inaugural address, in his first State of the Nation Address and in other occasions — that he would redress the historic injustice suffered by the Moros? He promised to do this through the meaningful implementation of the CAB as embodied in aborted Draft BBL – enhancing the plan later through convergence with all other signed agreements and relevant laws.
If he was and still is, he must do more than just challenging the New BTC “to navigate the hindrances and obstructions” and promising to “pray for the BBL to sail on still waters in Congress”. The hindrances and obstacles are daunting. Time is running out and only he can clear them away.
The CAB-compliant BBL must first be passed to establish the Bangsamoro. Then, the Moros will have a platform from which to participate meaningfully in the federalism discourse – to adapt the Bangsamoro to federalism without losing its CAB-uniqueness and other gains of the peace process.
[“Comment” is Mr. Patricio P. Diaz’ column for MindaViews, the opinion section of MindaNews. Mr. Diaz is the recipient of a “Lifetime Achievement Award” from the Titus Brandsma for his “commitment to education and public information to Mindanawons as Journalist, Educator and Peace Advocate. You may e-mail your comments to patpdiazgsc@yahoo.com.]
http://www.mindanews.com/mindaviews/2017/03/comment-bbl-ahead-of-federalization-4/
COMMENT: BBL* Ahead of Federalization (3rd of 4 parts)
Commentary by Patricio P. Diaz posted to MindaNews (Mar 30): COMMENT: BBL* Ahead of Federalization (3rd of 4 parts)
III. Uncleared but Clear
GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews / 30 March) – We stated earlier that the IM discussions significantly hewed to the “hindrances” and “obstructions” President Duterte challenged the New BTC commissioners “to navigate” at the launching of the Commission last July 24. While the President did not specify or clarify the challenges, it was evident in their discussions that the IM members clearly understood the challenges and the implications.
The President could have cleared or helped clear away the hindrances and obstructions; he did not. Instead, he created some or made them more complicated. Is his challenge not unfair?
To the point: For not creating the New BTC right after the GPH-MILF meeting in Kuala Lumpur on August 14, 2016, he delayed its work for at least six months. For granting the separate peace deal with MNLF (Misuari), he split the legislative track. For mandating in the BPDR the “no constitutional issue in the draft proposal” caveat, he made the work of the commissioners extremely difficult.
His challenge stands. His statement last March 11, addressed to the MILF (MindaNews 3/13/ 17: Duterte on BBL: “I pray it would sail on still waters” in Congress), was blunt: “…you’re about to complete the Bangsamoro Transition draft, I will study it before we submit it to Congress and pray that it would sail on still waters”. [Note: The new basic law draft is not about to be completed; the New BTC, at the earliest, cannot start drafting work until after April 6 – the target date for it to finalize its internal rules.]
Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III saw almost the same complicated realities and problems discussed at the IM meeting. He set two imperatives: (1) the New BTC start working double time on the Bangsamoro basic law draft and submit it to Congress by July; (2) the Moro fronts do the convergence of the New BTC and the MNLF (Misuari) drafts and submit only one proposed law to Congress. (See: MindaNews 3/ 1/ 17: Pimentel urges BTC to work “double time” on draft Bangsamoro law).
Parcasio, Misuari’s man-Friday and spokesman, heads the MNLF (Misuari) panel that will talk over with the government the full implementation of the 1996 FPA. While he favored the calling of a Moro Congress, he sounded pessimistic about the Bangsamoro agenda. In urging the establishment of the Minsupala federal state – not just one confined to the Moro-dominated provinces – he hinted that the contentious issue of territory will be revived in the forthcoming GPH-MNLF (Misuari) peace talk.
Sinarimbo raised the imperative need of a platform from which the Moros can take part in the federalism discourse. His proposal reiterating the calling of a Moro Congress was well taken. But convening a Moro Congress is not that simple, that easy and that quick. It’s an idea as old as or older than the Moro liberation fronts’ rebellion.
From the IM discussions, as reported, we can see that the Moros have a clear picture of the problems confronting the Bangsamoro agenda. They see that CAB-compliant basic law can become irrelevant with the federal constitution and the CAB-uniqueness of the Bangsamoro can diminish or even be obliterated if the CAB has no place in the federal constitution. This underscored the imperativeness of the platform.
The Moro leaders, most especially those of the MILF and MNLF (all factions), must take their cue from Pimentel. Have the BBL passed by December 2017 and the Bangsamoro government established after the 2019 election. The Bangsamoro Parliament will be the platform from which the Moros can participate in the federalism discourse – to preserve the CAB-ness of the Bangsamoro secured in the federal constitution of the Bangsamoro federal state should federalism eventually become a reality.
Commission Chairman Ghazali Jaafar told MindaNews (3/13/17: Duterte on BBL: I will pray…) about their April 3 – 6 session — “they hope to finalize their internal rules by April 3, set up the committees and decide on the working draft they would use in crafting the BBL”. He would push for the adoption of the “agreed version” of the BBL as their working draft.
Using the “agreed version” – the Draft BBL “agreed upon by the BTC and the Office of the President and submitted to Congress on September 10, 2014” – will simplify and expedite the work of the Commission. The commissioners will only review the Draft article by article and, as they go along, decide (1) what to refine with reference to the deliberations of the 16th Congress; (2) what to incorporate by way of convergence; and (3) what more to enrich and enhance by way of inclusivity. This approach will save time.
The “suggested” May 18 submission of the draft to the President sounds like a big joke. Read it only as loud words to fend off daunting odds – that the New BTC will overcome the time constraint by working double time. In the Luwaran editorial of March 16, 2017, MILF said, “Time is too short for the BTC to be able to submit the proposed BBL to Congress through the Office of the President.” More or less, the Commission has 110 days, including Sundays, to submit the draft to the President on July 24.
If the commissioners will only stick to the three-point approach in revising Draft BBL, they can deliver the new draft by July 24. Yet that is not an assurance the BBL will be passed by December 2017? The New BTC can only manage time within its control. But other obstructions and hindrances with their constraint on time beyond the control of the BTC and can hold hostage the BBL.
Seeing the New BTC facing these daunting hindrances and obstructions, MILF, in the same March 16 Luwaran editorial, rued, “… To expect the BTC to work and accomplish something beyond its capacity is like forcing a child to do a man’s work”; declared, “Our view is that the BTC had accepted the challenge but it also expects all the help needed especially from government”; and, exhorted, “It also expects that no one from among its membership will rock the boat and becomes obstructionist”.
(Last part tomorrow : IV. Do Something)
[“Comment” is Mr. Patricio P. Diaz’ column for MindaViews, the opinion section of MindaNews. Mr. Diaz is the recipient of a “Lifetime Achievement Award” from the Titus Brandsma for his “commitment to education and public information to Mindanawons as Journalist, Educator and Peace Advocate. You may e-mail your comments to patpdiazgsc@yahoo.com.]
http://www.mindanews.com/mindaviews/2017/03/comment-bbl-ahead-of-federalization-3rd-of-4-parts/
III. Uncleared but Clear
GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews / 30 March) – We stated earlier that the IM discussions significantly hewed to the “hindrances” and “obstructions” President Duterte challenged the New BTC commissioners “to navigate” at the launching of the Commission last July 24. While the President did not specify or clarify the challenges, it was evident in their discussions that the IM members clearly understood the challenges and the implications.
The President could have cleared or helped clear away the hindrances and obstructions; he did not. Instead, he created some or made them more complicated. Is his challenge not unfair?
To the point: For not creating the New BTC right after the GPH-MILF meeting in Kuala Lumpur on August 14, 2016, he delayed its work for at least six months. For granting the separate peace deal with MNLF (Misuari), he split the legislative track. For mandating in the BPDR the “no constitutional issue in the draft proposal” caveat, he made the work of the commissioners extremely difficult.
His challenge stands. His statement last March 11, addressed to the MILF (MindaNews 3/13/ 17: Duterte on BBL: “I pray it would sail on still waters” in Congress), was blunt: “…you’re about to complete the Bangsamoro Transition draft, I will study it before we submit it to Congress and pray that it would sail on still waters”. [Note: The new basic law draft is not about to be completed; the New BTC, at the earliest, cannot start drafting work until after April 6 – the target date for it to finalize its internal rules.]
Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III saw almost the same complicated realities and problems discussed at the IM meeting. He set two imperatives: (1) the New BTC start working double time on the Bangsamoro basic law draft and submit it to Congress by July; (2) the Moro fronts do the convergence of the New BTC and the MNLF (Misuari) drafts and submit only one proposed law to Congress. (See: MindaNews 3/ 1/ 17: Pimentel urges BTC to work “double time” on draft Bangsamoro law).
Parcasio, Misuari’s man-Friday and spokesman, heads the MNLF (Misuari) panel that will talk over with the government the full implementation of the 1996 FPA. While he favored the calling of a Moro Congress, he sounded pessimistic about the Bangsamoro agenda. In urging the establishment of the Minsupala federal state – not just one confined to the Moro-dominated provinces – he hinted that the contentious issue of territory will be revived in the forthcoming GPH-MNLF (Misuari) peace talk.
Sinarimbo raised the imperative need of a platform from which the Moros can take part in the federalism discourse. His proposal reiterating the calling of a Moro Congress was well taken. But convening a Moro Congress is not that simple, that easy and that quick. It’s an idea as old as or older than the Moro liberation fronts’ rebellion.
From the IM discussions, as reported, we can see that the Moros have a clear picture of the problems confronting the Bangsamoro agenda. They see that CAB-compliant basic law can become irrelevant with the federal constitution and the CAB-uniqueness of the Bangsamoro can diminish or even be obliterated if the CAB has no place in the federal constitution. This underscored the imperativeness of the platform.
The Moro leaders, most especially those of the MILF and MNLF (all factions), must take their cue from Pimentel. Have the BBL passed by December 2017 and the Bangsamoro government established after the 2019 election. The Bangsamoro Parliament will be the platform from which the Moros can participate in the federalism discourse – to preserve the CAB-ness of the Bangsamoro secured in the federal constitution of the Bangsamoro federal state should federalism eventually become a reality.
New BTC Navigating
Using the “agreed version” – the Draft BBL “agreed upon by the BTC and the Office of the President and submitted to Congress on September 10, 2014” – will simplify and expedite the work of the Commission. The commissioners will only review the Draft article by article and, as they go along, decide (1) what to refine with reference to the deliberations of the 16th Congress; (2) what to incorporate by way of convergence; and (3) what more to enrich and enhance by way of inclusivity. This approach will save time.
The “suggested” May 18 submission of the draft to the President sounds like a big joke. Read it only as loud words to fend off daunting odds – that the New BTC will overcome the time constraint by working double time. In the Luwaran editorial of March 16, 2017, MILF said, “Time is too short for the BTC to be able to submit the proposed BBL to Congress through the Office of the President.” More or less, the Commission has 110 days, including Sundays, to submit the draft to the President on July 24.
If the commissioners will only stick to the three-point approach in revising Draft BBL, they can deliver the new draft by July 24. Yet that is not an assurance the BBL will be passed by December 2017? The New BTC can only manage time within its control. But other obstructions and hindrances with their constraint on time beyond the control of the BTC and can hold hostage the BBL.
Seeing the New BTC facing these daunting hindrances and obstructions, MILF, in the same March 16 Luwaran editorial, rued, “… To expect the BTC to work and accomplish something beyond its capacity is like forcing a child to do a man’s work”; declared, “Our view is that the BTC had accepted the challenge but it also expects all the help needed especially from government”; and, exhorted, “It also expects that no one from among its membership will rock the boat and becomes obstructionist”.
(Last part tomorrow : IV. Do Something)
[“Comment” is Mr. Patricio P. Diaz’ column for MindaViews, the opinion section of MindaNews. Mr. Diaz is the recipient of a “Lifetime Achievement Award” from the Titus Brandsma for his “commitment to education and public information to Mindanawons as Journalist, Educator and Peace Advocate. You may e-mail your comments to patpdiazgsc@yahoo.com.]
http://www.mindanews.com/mindaviews/2017/03/comment-bbl-ahead-of-federalization-3rd-of-4-parts/
‘War is not an option’
From MindaNews (Mar 31): ‘War is not an option’
Entering the camp of Moro Islamic Liberation Front leader Abdulrahman Macapaar, more popularly known as Commander Bravo, in the mountains on top of this town, one could easily notice the patch of newly planted spring onions on a soccer-sized field.
“We flattened this ground to accommodate the landing of the helicopter of President Duterte. We have expected him to come,” Bravo told reporters when he welcomed them to his camp, saying Duterte promised to visit his camp shortly after he won in the May 2016 elections. “Now that he is no longer coming, we just planted spring onions so our efforts will not go to waste,” he said.
Bravo said he had expected President Duterte to visit him and had prepared not only this small airfield but another one of his camp in Munai, Lanao del Norte.
The planned meeting with Duterte did not materialize, however. Duterte accused Bravo of supporting the Maute terrorist group based in nearby Butig town.
Duterte also accused Bravo of arresting suspected drug lords and pushers, and prosecuting them in Sharia courts.
Bravo said drug syndicates in Lanao del Sur is his No. 1 concern these days and did not deny he had arrested several persons in the past.
He, however, denied he has joined the Maute terror group, saying he and the MILF have made several attempts in the past to convince the terrorists to stop their attacks and join them. “They told me me to join them instead. But why should I join them when I was the one who trained most of them?” Bravo claimed.
He believes the immediate passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law would put an end to the threat of terrorism and instead unify all the Moros in Mindanao.
“Maski ano pa ang pangalan. Kahit wala pa ang BBL. Ang importante ang freedom of religion sa amin,” Bravo said. (Whatever it will be called. Even if without the BBL. What is important to us is freedom of religion.)
He said it is important for the Moros to freely practice the Sharia Islamic laws.
“Yan lang po ang gusto namin. Lahat ng mga Muslim ay magpakamatay dahil lang dun. Yan lang ang layunin namin na ang Sharia Islamiya ma implement sa amin,” he said. (That’s all that we want. All Muslims would be willing to die for that. Our only hope is for Sharia Islamia to be implemented in our area.)
Bravo said he hoped his unwavering support for a new peace agreement between the government and the MILF would reach the ears of President Duterte. He said he and other MILF commanders will stand by the decision of their leadership and respect the ongoing peace process.
Other Maranao leaders are also optimistic that a final peace agreement can be achieved during the administration of President Duterte.
Samira Gutoc-Tomawis, a member of the Bangsamoro Transition Council, noted that the BBL is an outcome of the peace talks between the MILF and the government.
Tomawis said the remaining problem now is how to merge the previous draft BBL and the next draft yet to be crafted based on the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) signed by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the Philippine government.
She expressed appreciation on the Duterte administration’s move to also take into consideration the Final Peace Agreement with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in 1996.
Tomawis said the next important thing to do in the peace talks is to widen participation to include the Lumads in the affected areas.
“Why is it important for the Moros to recognize the IPs [indigenous peoples]? If we Moros are demanding for our rights, we cannot simply not recognize the rights of the IPs who live in our proposed Bangsamoro area,” Tomawis said.
She said the lumads living within the proposed Bangsamoro areas are deeply concerned of their future.
She said Lumad leaders she has spoken to have complained that MILF leaders do not listen to their concerns during forums and discussions they have attended with the rebels.
“I feel their pain because they are not being heard in various consultations,” Tomawis said.
Abdul Hamidullah Atar, sultan of Marawi City, said any future development on the peace agreement would depend on the sincerity of the Duterte administration.
Atar said the non-passage of the BBL during the Aquino administration has sharply divided the people of Lanao del Sur.
He said one group is the sympathizers of the MNLF who are happy that the bill was not passed.
“Many MNLF supporters believe that many provisos of the 1996 peace agreement have yet to be implemented and they are happy because these can be realized in a new deal,” Atar said.
He said the second group who are happy with the non-passage are the traditional politicians who think a new form of political system will limit their political and financial power.
“Marami sa kanila [politicians] nag depend sa Internal Revenue Allotment to support them and their families,” he said. (Many of the politicians depend on the Internal Revenue Allotment to support them and their families.)
But Atar said majority of the residents in Lanao del Sur were frustrated that the BBL was not passed during the Aquino administration.
“Many of them were frustrated because too much effort were made – forums, marches, etc. – but still it was not passed,” he said.
Atar said a segment of the Lanao del Sur population felt that negotiations are a waste of time and effort.
Tirmizy Esmail Abdullah, who teaches history at the Mindanao State University main campus in Marawi, said he is worried if nothing comes out of the peace talks and the people lose hope. “That’s what scares me, because once people lose hope in peace, then what comes out are the different groups which are more radical and more extreme,” he added.
Agakhan Sharief, known in Lanao del Sur as Bin Laden because of his resemblance to the late al-Qaeda leader, pointed out that during the failure in the negotiations during the time of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, when the Memorandum of Agreement on the Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) was trashed, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters was born.
Then again when BBL was not passed during the administration of former President Benigno Aquino III, the Maute Group was formed, Sharief noted.
“What scares me is when people get frustrated because the government can’t deliver on its promises, maybe we’ll have our own suicide bombers, like what’s happening in other countries,” he warned.
But whatever happens, “war is not an option,” according to Tirmizy Esmail Abdullah, who teaches history at the Mindanao State University main campus in Marawi.
“We cannot go for war, it’s very expensive. People are tired that for many years, for many decades, conflicts and wars have come and gone,” he said.
“When we look at where the Muslims live, the Bangsamoro, they really lag behind. And one of the major factors is the conflict,” he maintained.
He is hoping that the final law that will come out of the peace process between the government and the MILF will be based on the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro and not a diluted BBL.
http://www.mindanews.com/peace-process/bangsamoro/2017/03/war-is-not-an-option/
Entering the camp of Moro Islamic Liberation Front leader Abdulrahman Macapaar, more popularly known as Commander Bravo, in the mountains on top of this town, one could easily notice the patch of newly planted spring onions on a soccer-sized field.
“We flattened this ground to accommodate the landing of the helicopter of President Duterte. We have expected him to come,” Bravo told reporters when he welcomed them to his camp, saying Duterte promised to visit his camp shortly after he won in the May 2016 elections. “Now that he is no longer coming, we just planted spring onions so our efforts will not go to waste,” he said.
Bravo said he had expected President Duterte to visit him and had prepared not only this small airfield but another one of his camp in Munai, Lanao del Norte.
The planned meeting with Duterte did not materialize, however. Duterte accused Bravo of supporting the Maute terrorist group based in nearby Butig town.
Duterte also accused Bravo of arresting suspected drug lords and pushers, and prosecuting them in Sharia courts.
Bravo said drug syndicates in Lanao del Sur is his No. 1 concern these days and did not deny he had arrested several persons in the past.
He, however, denied he has joined the Maute terror group, saying he and the MILF have made several attempts in the past to convince the terrorists to stop their attacks and join them. “They told me me to join them instead. But why should I join them when I was the one who trained most of them?” Bravo claimed.
He believes the immediate passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law would put an end to the threat of terrorism and instead unify all the Moros in Mindanao.
“Maski ano pa ang pangalan. Kahit wala pa ang BBL. Ang importante ang freedom of religion sa amin,” Bravo said. (Whatever it will be called. Even if without the BBL. What is important to us is freedom of religion.)
He said it is important for the Moros to freely practice the Sharia Islamic laws.
“Yan lang po ang gusto namin. Lahat ng mga Muslim ay magpakamatay dahil lang dun. Yan lang ang layunin namin na ang Sharia Islamiya ma implement sa amin,” he said. (That’s all that we want. All Muslims would be willing to die for that. Our only hope is for Sharia Islamia to be implemented in our area.)
Bravo said he hoped his unwavering support for a new peace agreement between the government and the MILF would reach the ears of President Duterte. He said he and other MILF commanders will stand by the decision of their leadership and respect the ongoing peace process.
Other Maranao leaders are also optimistic that a final peace agreement can be achieved during the administration of President Duterte.
Samira Gutoc-Tomawis, a member of the Bangsamoro Transition Council, noted that the BBL is an outcome of the peace talks between the MILF and the government.
Tomawis said the remaining problem now is how to merge the previous draft BBL and the next draft yet to be crafted based on the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) signed by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the Philippine government.
She expressed appreciation on the Duterte administration’s move to also take into consideration the Final Peace Agreement with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in 1996.
Tomawis said the next important thing to do in the peace talks is to widen participation to include the Lumads in the affected areas.
“Why is it important for the Moros to recognize the IPs [indigenous peoples]? If we Moros are demanding for our rights, we cannot simply not recognize the rights of the IPs who live in our proposed Bangsamoro area,” Tomawis said.
She said the lumads living within the proposed Bangsamoro areas are deeply concerned of their future.
She said Lumad leaders she has spoken to have complained that MILF leaders do not listen to their concerns during forums and discussions they have attended with the rebels.
“I feel their pain because they are not being heard in various consultations,” Tomawis said.
Abdul Hamidullah Atar, sultan of Marawi City, said any future development on the peace agreement would depend on the sincerity of the Duterte administration.
Atar said the non-passage of the BBL during the Aquino administration has sharply divided the people of Lanao del Sur.
He said one group is the sympathizers of the MNLF who are happy that the bill was not passed.
“Many MNLF supporters believe that many provisos of the 1996 peace agreement have yet to be implemented and they are happy because these can be realized in a new deal,” Atar said.
He said the second group who are happy with the non-passage are the traditional politicians who think a new form of political system will limit their political and financial power.
“Marami sa kanila [politicians] nag depend sa Internal Revenue Allotment to support them and their families,” he said. (Many of the politicians depend on the Internal Revenue Allotment to support them and their families.)
But Atar said majority of the residents in Lanao del Sur were frustrated that the BBL was not passed during the Aquino administration.
“Many of them were frustrated because too much effort were made – forums, marches, etc. – but still it was not passed,” he said.
Atar said a segment of the Lanao del Sur population felt that negotiations are a waste of time and effort.
Tirmizy Esmail Abdullah, who teaches history at the Mindanao State University main campus in Marawi, said he is worried if nothing comes out of the peace talks and the people lose hope. “That’s what scares me, because once people lose hope in peace, then what comes out are the different groups which are more radical and more extreme,” he added.
Agakhan Sharief, known in Lanao del Sur as Bin Laden because of his resemblance to the late al-Qaeda leader, pointed out that during the failure in the negotiations during the time of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, when the Memorandum of Agreement on the Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) was trashed, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters was born.
Then again when BBL was not passed during the administration of former President Benigno Aquino III, the Maute Group was formed, Sharief noted.
“What scares me is when people get frustrated because the government can’t deliver on its promises, maybe we’ll have our own suicide bombers, like what’s happening in other countries,” he warned.
But whatever happens, “war is not an option,” according to Tirmizy Esmail Abdullah, who teaches history at the Mindanao State University main campus in Marawi.
“We cannot go for war, it’s very expensive. People are tired that for many years, for many decades, conflicts and wars have come and gone,” he said.
“When we look at where the Muslims live, the Bangsamoro, they really lag behind. And one of the major factors is the conflict,” he maintained.
He is hoping that the final law that will come out of the peace process between the government and the MILF will be based on the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro and not a diluted BBL.
http://www.mindanews.com/peace-process/bangsamoro/2017/03/war-is-not-an-option/