Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Military historian: Watch Sulu, Central Mindanao too

From CNN Philippines (May 24): Military historian: Watch Sulu, Central Mindanao too



Military historian Jose Custodio warns that the AFP must stay vigilant for possible coordinated attacks the Maute Group might have with Abu Sayyaf and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters.

All eyes are on Marawi City, but a military historian warned on Wednesday that possible coordinated attacks among the Maute group and other militant organizations across Mindanao are also possible.

These include the Abu Sayyaf Group in the Sulu Archipelago and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) in Central Mindanao.

"We have to watch out in areas like the Sulu Archipelago… or Central Mindanao, what the BIFF will start to do," historian Jose Custodio told CNN Philippines' The Source.

The crisis in Marawi broke out after a clash between the Maute Group and the Armed Forced of the Philippines (AFP) on Tuesday afternoon. Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said that the encounter cost at least three military and police lives, while hundreds of residents make their way out of the city for sanctuary.

Related: Three gov't troops killed in Marawi clash - Defense Chief

The turn of events prompted President Rodrigo Duterte to declare martial law in Mindanao and cut short his visit to Russia.

Related: Duterte declares martial law in Mindanao

Custodio said that the government now "has to devote resources to Marawi to defend [and] protect it."

"You have to have physical presence there so people will not feel threatened anymore. But the problem is the assets that you're going to put there, you will strip from other areas," said Custodio. "If that happens, then whoever is there… they'll start making problems also."

Custodio observed that these groups tended to "interact, coordinate, [and] link up" with each other.

Authorities also called the Maute Group's entry into Marawi a "diversionary tactic" as they were supposed to serve an arrest warrant to Isnilon Hapilon, a rebel leader who pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (ISIS). Experts noted the Maute Group is trying to get the attention and recognition of ISIS.

Custodio noted the military calling the attack a diversionary tactic was "very telling" because it "means that the other side can sense what are the weaknesses on the government's side."

He also advised to keep an eye on the New People's Army (NPA), the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), which has also been known to operate across the Philippines.

Custodio even said that the declaration of martial law "is music to the ears of the CPP-NPA."

"Martial law for them is a step closer to what they feel is the beginnings of a possible repressive state," he said. "If you go back to history, martial law for the NPA was their greatest recruiter."

Custodio added the declaration may "send a strong signal to the population that the government is on top of everything," but he also said the "AFP… is overstretched."

"It has to move quick, at the same time it has to move in a rational manner," said Custodio. "It has to be vigilant against other groups that will take advantage of this."

More military presence on the ground could be expected following the declaration, he added.

"There will be punitive operations conducted against suspected personalities, and because this is done under the ambit of martial law, they have to be very careful," said Custodio. "If you move out constitutional guarantees, then the possibility of abuse exists."

Communist rebels release soldier in Bukidnon

From Rappler (May 24): Communist rebels release soldier in Bukidnon

The New People's Army releases Technical Sergeant Joseph Paredes nearly a month after he was abducted by communist rebels in Valencia City

COMMUNIST INSURGENCY. The Duterte administration vowed to end the decades-long communist insurgency through peace negotiations. File photo by Karlos Manlupig/Rapper

COMMUNIST INSURGENCY. The Duterte administration vowed to end the decades-long communist insurgency through peace negotiations. File photo by Karlos Manlupig/Rapper

The New People's Army (NPA) has released a soldier nearly 3 weeks after communist rebels abducted him in Valencia City in Bukidnon.
 
Superintendent Lemuel Gonda, spokesperson of the Northern Mindanao Police, said in a statement on Wednesday, May 24, that the NPA released Technical Sergeant Joseph Paredes late Tuesday night, May 23.

Gonda said Paredes was received by his wife and child at the mayor's residence in Barangay Catumbalon in Valencia City.

He added that Paredes will undergo debriefing.

The NPA abducted the soldier in Valencia City on May 5, while Paredes was reportedly off-duty.

Paredes was released ahead of the 5th round of peace negotiations between the Philippine government and the National Democratic Front, the political wing of the Communist Party of the Phiippines.
 

Duterte invites NPA rebels to dinner

From the Manila Bulletin (May 25): Duterte invites NPA rebels to dinner

The government’s peace initiative with communist rebels now comes with a dinner invitation to President Duterte’s residence.

The President has called on the New People’s Army (NPA) rebels to stop the attacks on government troops and offered to dine with them at his home.



President Rodrigo Duterte
(Jansen Romero / MANILA BULLETIN)

“Kayong mga NPA and those in the boondocks, you can come down and have dinner with me in my house, as long as we stop fighting,” the President said in a press conference upon arrival from a shortened visit to Russia.

But if the NPA insurgents refuse to lay down their arms, the President cautioned that the government is not inclined to sign any peace pact with the communist group.

Duterte said he hates waging war against fellow Filipinos but would be forced to do it if the rebels continue to attack troops and vital installations.

“What do you want, another 50 years of fighting? I do not want it. I loathe it. I hate it. I hate killing Filipinos,” he said.

“But do not give me no option because we are prepared, government is prepared to wage war for another 50 years, or at least during my term. I will not allow government to be playing a secondary role. Nothing of the sort and I will not allow it,” he said.

The government and the communist negotiators are expected to hold another round of peace talks in the Netherlands this week to tackle the proposed bilateral ceasefire and socio-economic reform agenda.

http://news.mb.com.ph/2017/05/25/duterte-invites-nparebels-to-dinner/

MILF: BTC Condemns Marawi Clashes

Posted to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front Website (May 25): BTC Condemns Marawi Clashes

The expanded Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC)) issued a condemnation today of the violence happening in Marawi City.

In its official statement dated May 24 issued while meeting in this city, the 21-member collegial body primarily tasked to draft the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) said that it is condemning the violent clashes for causing the “suffering of our brothers and sisters in Marawi City.”

The Commission said it is saddened over the disturbance of the peace and tranquility of the residents in the beleaguered city.

The BTC considered the Marawi clashes as a “tragic event” especially at a time when the BTC is conducting public consultations and is about to finish the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law as a solution to the age-old Bangsamoro Question.

With the declaration of martial law in Mindanao, the BTC “implore the authorities to safeguard and respect human rights.”

Even then, the BTC reiterated its commitment to fulfill its mandate inspite of the declaration of martial law in Mindanao and “support(s) all efforts in addressing the roots of terror and grievances.”

It also stressed the passage of the BBL as embodied in the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) is the hope that lasting peace and development can still reign.

http://www.luwaran.com/news/article/860/btc_condemns_marawi_clashes

MILF: Editorial -- Rumblings In South China Sea

Editorial posted to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front Website (May 16): Editorial -- Rumblings In South China Sea

Borrowing the words of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, China will go to war over the South China Sea. An elephant versus an ant? In the biblical times, David won over the giant Goliath, but do we have to attempt?

Surely, we will take the words of the president that the Chinese President Xi Jinping threatened going to war over this issue. President Duterte is the best authority on this; after all, he is the president of this country. And he has no reason not to be clear on this impending nerve-racking scenario.

If so, the threat is unveiled; it is not just a simple rumbling but a fact of world politics. As a fast rising world power, militarily and economically, China will ensure that the whole of the China Sea will be its exclusive domain. After all, even the name indicates it is Chinese. The US and Russia have theirs.

Any president of this country will certainly find this issue very hard to handle. Aside from being very sensitive and security-laden, it also sends chilling effects on the Filipinos who are mostly pro-West or to be specific pro-American.

To us, President Duterte is threading a very thin line dividing what is truly a nationalist stance and what is pragmatic. If he goes too nationalistic, the giant China is coming --- and they will simply be unstoppable. Their 1.4 billion population can melt the Philippines, as the cliché goes, by just urinating on it. If he goes pragmatic by conceding that a war with China is unwinnable, he would not only offend or isolate the pro-West Filipinos but all those powers that are adversely affected by the sudden change of power equation in this part of the world.

Whatever decision the president makes on this issue will be criticized. But as president, after weighing all options, has to decide. The worst that any leader can do is not to decide, especially during critical times. Indecisive and cold-footed leaders are not real leaders. They are chickens.

But the fact of the matter is that the Philippines has virtually no other options in regard to this issue. As stated, going to war is not an option. Again, “War would mean a massacre of Filipinos”, again, borrowing the words of the president. Staying silent and, as the song goes, “que sera sera” (whatever will be will be), is more damaging. Only the dumb and deaf has this option. Stay in the lap of the US and fight with it is like wishing for the stars. Most analysts said the US will not go to war over this matter.

What then is the best way to adopt under the current situation?

We don’t have ready answer to this. But in Islam, once the leader decides and the decision does not clearly contravene the teachings of Islam, Muslims are duty-bound to follow the decision, or at least, they will not criticize the leader for his decision. They should give him the benefit of the doubt and, more importantly, they should offer him whatever support possible.

http://www.luwaran.com/news/article/855/-rumblings-in-south-china-sea

MILF: Editorial -- MILF, MNLF Rendezvous In Jeddah

Editorial posted to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front Website (May 8): Editorial -- MILF, MNLF Rendezvous In Jeddah

The issue of disunity has been the main point of attack hurled against the Bangsamoro people by those who do not wish them well. The truth is that the Bangsamoro people are as disunited or united as the rest of the peoples of this country. How do we explain the various coup attempts against the powers in government and the wrangling of leaders that led to many personalities put behind bars? The many political killings, the senseless killings in the street, and the almost direction-less debates in the mass media?

It is to be admitted here that the struggle to unite the various Moro fronts has not been easy and short. Never mind the so-called ISIS-inspired youths in Lanao, the Abu Sayyaf Group, which is heavily infiltrated by military agents, in fact, many of their leaders or sub-groups have military handlers, and the BIFF/BIFM, which is splintered into various small factions! They virtually have no political agenda, except the first which is said to have a global agenda of reviving the Islamic caliphate of old.

But what is paramount is that the Moro fronts are struggling and staking everything to put up their acts together. They know that unity has no substitute and they will leave no stone unturned if only to succeed. But they are also aware that there is no absolute unity – and they are guided by that basic truth. There are always people or groups who never want to unite. This is one of the reasons why in democracy the rule of the majority is pursued.

The good news is that the Moro fronts are gradually succeeding. Right today, May 8, leaders of the MILF and MNLF are meeting in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia under the auspices of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in their continuing efforts to strengthen and consolidate the Bangsamoro Coordination Forum (BCF), which is a body wherein all the various fronts as well as other well-meaning Moro organizations subject to some prerequisites are members.

Specifically, they will also discuss and come up with common stand on various issues especially in “harmonizing and converging” provisions of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) and the GRP-MNLF Final Agreement of September 1996 related to the task of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) in crafting a new Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL). But the efforts are mainly about identifying and using provisions of the GRP-MNLF agreement that are not implemented which can enhance and improve” the BBL, because this proposed law has to mainly based on the letter and spirit of the CAB.

The ongoing rendezvous of Moro leaders in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia brings together senior leaders of the MILF and MNLF. On the MILF side, no less than MILF Chair Al Haj Murad Ebrahim is leading the MILF five-man team; on the MNLF side (Jikiri’s faction), four of their leaders are attending: Yusof Jikiri, Hatimil Hassan, Muslimin Sema, and Abdul Sahrin.

What is not good news is that MNLF leader Nur Misuari seems not in the vicinity of the meeting in Jeddah. By all indications, he is not joining or is not allowed to leave the country. In either case, it is not good for the search for this unity of the Moro fronts and the Bangsamoro people. If he can leave for the same country sometime in April or earlier, we see no reason why he cannot leave this time.

However, there is no indication whatsoever of any representative coming from his faction. This is the least that is expected of his group. However, we are still verifying this up to this moment. We are still hoping for the best!

http://www.luwaran.com/news/article/839/-milf--mnlf-rendezvous-in-jeddah

MILF: MILF Issues Official Statement On The Declaration Of Martial Law In Mindanao

From the Moro Islamic Liberation Front Website (May 25): MILF Issues Official Statement On The Declaration Of Martial Law In Mindanao



The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) issued yesterday (May 24), an official statement signed by MILF Chair Al Haj Murad Ebrahim on Pres. Rodrigo Duterte’s declaration of Martial Law in Mindanao on May 23rd presumably to contain the Marawi incident and prevent it from spreading to other parts of Mindanao.

The MILF said that, while not in a position to question the factual basis for the proclamation or the decision to make it, appeals to the Philippine Government to ensure that the ceasefire mechanisms continue to work on the ground, and that any military operations against the Group that perpetrated the violence in Marawi does not spark more fighting in other areas.

In the same statement, the MILF says, “Mobilizing the military in Mindanao should still respect the mechanisms that have proven to be effective in scaling down armed encounters between government forces and the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF). Conversely, recent events have shown that disregard of these mechanisms have been disastrous to our communities and to the effort to bring to fruition the end of the decades-long conflict in our homeland.”

“The MILF strongly condemns the violence in Marawi perpetrated by group or groups whose only aim is to sow terror. There is no justification for launching an offensive against civilian populace and to destroy infrastructures and institutions serving the public” said the MILF in its statement.

The MILF stressed that, “It is firm in its resolve to settle the legitimate grievances of the Bangsamoro people through the negotiated process now contained in the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro. The different mechanisms of the peace process are still engaged with their esteemed counterparts in government and are working towards finding ways on how best to address the challenge posed by the violence being committed in Marawi by groups who have chosen to take violence without regard to the best interest of our people. Now more than ever, the MILF and the government must work closely to ensure the protection of the gains of the peace process and to even forge with greater resolve to immediately implement the peace agreement so that no other groups may use its non-implementation to justify their continued pursuit of violence for violence’s sake.”

Finally, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front said that it stands in solidarity with the people of Marawi and Lanao del Sur during this tragic day. We call on our forces to extend all necessary assistance to the people of Marawi to ensure their safety and frustrate the aim of any group or groups to sow divide in our communities. Let us all stand united to win peace for our people. Wassalamo alaykom warahmatullahi wabarakatuh

http://www.luwaran.com/news/article/861/milf-issues-official-statement-on-the-declaration-of-martial-law-in-mindanao

NDF: An urgent call for “Ramadan Amnesty” for all political prisoners

Propaganda statement posted to the National Democratic Front Website (May 24): An urgent call for “Ramadan Amnesty” for all political prisoners

With the observation of Ramadan this May 26 to June 25, the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) urgently calls for a Ramadan Amnesty for all political prisoners (Moro and non-Moro) in the country. This, especially as this year’s Ramadan coincides with the fifth round of the ongoing peace negotiations between the NDFP and the GRP. In the course of the talks, the NDFP has consistently pressed for amnesty for all political prisoners and their immediate release from prison.

There are some 300 Moro political prisoners currently detained at the Special Intensive Care Area I and II in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City, the biggest concentration in all jail facilities nationwide. Some are affiliated with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front or the Moro National Liberation Front, but many others are innocent civilians illegally arrested so that their arresting officers could collect huge amounts of “reward” monies provided by the U.S. Also concentrated there are some 30 other political prisoners, who are adherents of the national democratic cause. There are also eight women political prisoners detained at the Taguig City Jail in Camp Bagong Diwa.

Practically all of them are long-held political prisoners, some for more than a decade.
“Illegal possession of explosives” is the usual trumped-up charge filed against most of them in order to prevent them from posting bail.

The New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City also holds a big number of political prisoners whose convictions on trumped-up charges were secured through state-military manipulation of the corrupt judicial process.

The cases of those still in jail have been moving at a snail’s pace. There are some whose cases have hardly moved at all.

Because of their long imprisonment and lack of medical attention, many of these political prisoners suffer from serious ailments. Some are already going through their senior years in prison. A number have already died due to pre-existing illnesses made worse by the cruelty and indifference of prison authorities.

A number of the Moros in jail at SICA I and II were illegally arrested and detained as minors or teenagers several years ago and are now middle-aged. Among them are a number of students who were attending classes in Isabela City, Basilan, but were arrested in raids conducted in their schools so that the GRP’s fascist military could have “captives” to claim as “victories” in the U.S.-funded “all-out War” operations.

Senior school officials and elderly and sickly residents resting in their homes in the community were also baselessly arrested.

During the peace talks between the NDFP and the Arroyo regime, an agreement was reached for the release of some 350 political prisoners, with some 30 of them for urgent release because they are mothers, sickly, elderly, long-detained or arrested as minors.

Yet hardly anyone of those listed has been released. Except for those who have already died in prison, practically all of them are still incarcerated.

In the spirit of Ramadan, which is observed by Moros and respected by non-Moros, the NDFP, including the Moro Resistance and Liberation Organization (MRLO), one of its allied organizations, are urging the GRP and all concerned to seriously work out a “Ramadan Amnesty” for the release of all Moro and non-Moro political prisoners in the country.

Free all political prisoners!

Reference:
Luis Jalandoni
NDFP Panel Senior Adviser
Contact No: +31 30 2310431
May 25, 2017

https://www.ndfp.org/urgent-call-ramadan-amnesty-political-prisoners/

CPP: On Duterte’s declaration of Martial Law in Mindanao

Propaganda statement posted to the Communist Party of the Philippines Website (May 25): On Duterte’s declaration of Martial Law in Mindanao



Communist Party of the Philippines

24 May 2017

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) strongly denounces the Duterte regime for imposing martial law in Mindanao and subjecting the Filipino people to military rule. By declaring martial law in Mindanao, Duterte has gone beyond the threats and theatrics of the past months.

The civil-democratic rights of the people across Mindanao are being curtailed as they are subjected to checkpoints, warrantless arrests, curfews and other restrictions. The Party calls on the entire Filipino people to fight the imposition of martial law in Mindanao and demand its immediate lifting.

The martial law imposition, was made on the narrow pretext of armed clashes in Marawi City between the AFP and the so-called Maute Group, a bandit group whose leaders have known links with military officials. In the vain hope of justifying the martial law declaration, the fascists are turning Marawi City into a wasteland in the same way that parts of Zamboanga City was razed to the ground in 2013 by the AFP with aerial bombardments and heavy gunfire.

Duterte’s martial law declaration in Mindanao has gone beyond Marawi. It has a much wider target and purpose.

 He has declared that he will be as “as harsh” as Marcos, foreboding the worst kinds of human rights violations and fascist attacks against the people. In doing so, Duterte has practically ordered the AFP soldiers to impose its rule and carry out more abuses with extreme impunity. The Filipino people will hold him directly responsible for all the abuses perpetrated by the military and police under his martial rule.

With martial law imposed in Mindanao, the reactionaries will surely be more barefaced in employing military and police forces to suppress the struggles of workers and peasants and other sectors for genuine land reform, higher wages, better living conditions as well as environmental protection against foreign mining operations. With martial law in Mindanao, Duterte has imposed himself as a military ruler ready to ram through the bureaucracy and trample on civilian processes.

With martial law, Duterte has further emboldened the AFP to intensify its campaign of extrajudicial killings, abductions, torture, indiscriminate firing, military occupation of communities, forcible evacuation and hamletting of communities, aerial bombings and a myriad forms of military abuses. In the past few months, his army has committed countless abuses against the people, placing entire communities under military rule in waging its counter-revolutionary Oplan Kapayapaan.

Duterte has declared martial law in Mindanao in the face of persistent contradictions among the ruling classes, threats of coups and other machinations. By doing so, he is asserting his role as commander-in-chief in the hope that he can ingratiate himself with the military echelon and preempt plans of certain military officials from undertaking a coup d’etat. Along the same objectives, he has also appointed an increasing number of military officials in his cabinet and other government agencies. The handful of progressives in his government have become ever more marginalized and threatened.

He is further entrenching himself in power and is ever determined to use the influence of hundred billion dollars of infrastructure projects to secure the support and loyalty of the ruling class elite. He aims to employ his dominant majority control of congress to get support for his martial law declaration and give him the authority to extend it to a full 60 days or more. With Marcos-like authoritarian powers, he can push for the implementation of large infrastructure projects beyond public scrutiny.

If Duterte succeeds in securing congressional support for martial law in Mindanao, he will surely be emboldened to impose martial law on the entire country. He can easily come up with more pretexts such as “fighting criminality” and so on.

The imposition of martial law in Mindanao is part actualization of Duterte’s declared plans to establish himself as a strongman. His resort to such draconian measures, however, are evidence of the increasingly weak and fractious ruling state and the worsening crisis of the entire ruling system.

The CPP calls on the Filipino people to vigorously oppose Duterte’s martial law declaration in Mindanao and demand its immediate lifting. They must unite all forces to oppose military rule in Mindanao and resist plans to impose all-out authoritarian rule in the country. They must carry out and intensify protest mass actions nationwide, banner the demand to end martial law, assert civilian rule and respect for civil and political rights as well highlight the basic demands of the workers and peasants and other democratic sectors.

The imposition of martial law and the worsening human rights abuses that will come out of it will surely be brought forward in peace negotiations as violations of the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL).

In the face of the Duterte regime’s martial law declaration in Mindanao, the necessity of waging revolutionary armed struggle becomes ever clearer. Thus, the New People’s Army (NPA) must be ready to accelerate the recruitment of new Red fighters as Duterte’s martial law convinces more and more people to take up arms against the rotten system. The Party calls on the NPA to plan and carry out more tactical offensives across Mindanao and the entire archipelago.

As proven under Marcos, waging revolutionary armed resistance is the most effective way of resisting martial law, defending the people’s democratic rights and inspiring them to wage ever greater struggles.

https://www.philippinerevolution.info/statements/20170524-on-dutertes-declaration-of-martial-law-in-mindanao

Fire, explosions in Marawi on 3rd day of battle (12:55 PM)

From Rappler (May 25): Fire, explosions in Marawi on 3rd day of battle (12:55 PM)

Another fire breaks out in Marawi City Thursday morning as soldiers struggle to clear the city of Maute Group members

3RD DAY. Government troopers on standby in Marawi City on May 25, 2017. Photo by Bobby Lagsa/Rappler

3RD DAY. Government troopers on standby in Marawi City on May 25, 2017. Photo by Bobby Lagsa/Rappler
MARAWI CITY, Philippines – Billows of smoke could be seen from the military camp in Marawi City Thursday morning, May 25, as another fire broke out from a distance.

Loud explosions were heard as firefight resumed between troops and alleged members of the Maute Group. More residents are seen on the road with their bags, fleeing the city.

Later, choppers hovered over the area where the fire broke out.

Residents of Marawi City have been told to stay home as clearing operations continue.

"As troops go on street by street clearing, civilians should stay at their homes," said Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana in a text message.

Lorenzana said the target – Abu Sayyaf senior leader Isnilon Hapilon – may still be in the area. "Latest report last night says he is still there," Lorenzana said.

Western Mindanao Command chief Lieutenant General Carlito Galvez said the military needs a few more days to clear Marawi City of the presence of terrorist groups.

Clashes between troops and combined forces of local terrorist groups Maute Group and Abu Sayyaf on May 23 prompted President Rodrigo Duterte to declare martial law in all of Mindanao, which would last a maximum of 60 days.

http://www.rappler.com/nation/170905-marawi-fire-explosions-third-day

PH, Russia sign defense agreement, 9 other deals

From Rappler (May 25): PH, Russia sign defense agreement, 9 other deals

The two countries sign a total of 10 deals, including a defense agreement, deal to share intelligence, and share knowledge on the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes

DEALS INKED. Though President Rodrigo Duterte had to cut short his Russia visit, agreements were still signed after he left for the Philippines. Presidential photo

DEALS INKED. Though President Rodrigo Duterte had to cut short his Russia visit, agreements were still signed after he left for the Philippines. Presidential photo

The Philippines and Russia sealed a total of 10 deals after President Rodrigo Duterte's visit to Moscow, including an agreement on defense cooperation.

The signing of the deals by Philippine government officials took place on Wednesday, May 24, in Moscow, a day after Duterte flew back to the Philippines earlier than scheduled due to the Maute Group attacks in Marawi.

At the time of the signing by Philippine Cabinet officials, the deals were already signed by the concerned Russian ministers.

Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano led the signing ceremony in the presence of Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez, Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol, Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo, and Science and Technology Secretary Fortunato dela Peña.

Among the deals signed was the Agreement on Defense Cooperation between the Philippines and Russia.

The agreement will pave the way for more exchanges between the Philippines' Department of National Defense and Russia's Ministry of Defense.

"The forms of cooperation will take the form of official visits, exchange and experiences in consultation, participation of observers in military training exercises, military port calls," said the Philippines' Ambassador to Russia Carlos Sorreta.

Duterte's request for a soft loan from Russia for the purchase of arms was not part of the defense deal.

Cayetano said the Russian government is open to providing such assistance but that the Philippine government will first have to send a "shopping list" of products it is requesting for.

Below is the list of the 10 agreements signed:
  • Agreement on Defense Cooperation
  • Tourism Joint Action Program 2017-2019 – Tourism departments of both the Philippines and Russia commit to promote each others' tourism industries and exchange best practices.
  • Memorandum of Understanding on Agriculture Cooperation – Agriculture departments of both countries agree to cooperate through research in agriculture and fisheries, processing and transportation of agriculture and fishery products.
  • Agreement on Cooperation on Transportation – Transportation departments of both countries agree to an exchange of technology and best practices. They agree to provide technical assistance and collaborate on research projects and host educational visits for each others' personnel.
  • Protocol on Cooperation between the National Commission for Culture and the Arts of the Philippines and the Ministry of Culture for the Russian Federation – The parties agree to participate in international film and art festivals held in each other’s countries. They also agree to "consider the possibility" of holding events celebrating their culture in the other country – a day of Philippine culture to be celebrated in Russia or a day of Russian culture to be celebrated in the Philippines.
  • Memorandum of Intent between Philippines' Department of Trade and Industry and Russia's Ministry of Economic Development – This deal aims to foster mutually beneficial trade and investment by information exchange on the investment environment in their countries, and by holding business missions and workshops.
  • Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in Industry Development – The two countries agree to promote ways for their respective industrial sectors to work together by, for example, helping Philippine or Russian companies becoming subcontractors for industries in the other country.
  • Memorandum of Agreement between the Department of Science and Technology of the Philippines and the State Atomic Energy Corporation (ROSATOM) on the Use of Nuclear Energy for Peaceful Purposes – In this deal, ROSATOM agrees to share its knowledge and experience in the use of nuclear energy as a power source.
  • Agreement on Exhange of intelligence information – Signed by National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr and his Russian counterpart, this deal involves intelligence and security agencies of their countries exchanging information that could help in addressing security threats and arresting criminals.
  • Plan of Consultations between the Philippines' Department of Foreign Affairs and Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs – The deal fosters more interaction between the various offices of the two parties, including those overseas. For instance, the United Nations offices of both countries can consult directly with each other.
http://www.rappler.com/nation/170877-philippines-russia-defense-agreement-deals

RESPONSE TO MARTIAL LAW | CPP orders NPA to mount more offensives

From InterAksyon (May 25): RESPONSE TO MARTIAL LAW | CPP orders NPA to mount more offensives



Communist rebels have been ordered to “plan and carry out more tactical offensives across Mindanao and the entire archipelago” in response to President Rodrigo Duterte’s declaration of martial law over the southern island.

“In the face of the Duterte regime’s martial law declaration in Mindanao, the necessity of waging revolutionary armed struggle becomes ever clearer,” the Communist Party of the Philippines said in a statement released Wednesday.

Duterte declared Mindanao under martial law late Tuesday night from Moscow, where he cut short an official visit after fighting broke out between government forces and the Maute group in Marawi City.

“The New People’s Army must be ready to accelerate the recruitment of new Red fighters as Duterte’s martial law convinces more and more people to take up arms against the rotten system,” the CPP said.

It said the experience during the Marcos dictatorship proved “waging revolutionary armed resistance is the most effective way of resisting martial law, defending the people’s democratic rights and inspiring them to wage ever greater struggles.”

In 1972, then President Ferdinand Marcos, claiming imminent danger of a communist takeover, placed the country under martial law and embarked on a 14-year dictatorship marked by massive human rights violations and plunder that ended when he was ousted by the 1986 People Power uprising.

It was also during these years that the communist armed movement reached its peak.

The CPP denounced Duterte’s martial law declaration, saying he had “gone beyond the threats and theatrics of the past months” and claimed that he had “a much wider target and purpose.”

“With martial law in Mindanao, Duterte has imposed himself as a military ruler ready to ram through the bureaucracy and trample on civilian processes,” it said, predicting that if the president “succeeds in securing congressional support for martial law in Mindanao, he will surely be emboldened to impose martial law on the entire country” through such “pretexts” as “fighting criminality.”

It indicated that Duterte’s declaration and “the worsening human rights abuses that will come out of it” will be a main subject of discussion when the fifth round of peace talks between the government and National Democratic Front of the Philippines opens this weekend.

The CPP called Duterte’s vow to be “harsh” and that his martial law would be no different from that of Marcos a “foreboding (of) the worst kinds of human rights violations and fascist attacks against the people.”

“Duterte has practically ordered the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) soldiers to impose its rule and carry out more abuses with extreme impunity,” the CPP said and predicted that, with martial law, “the reactionaries will surely be more barefaced in employing military and police forces to suppress the struggles of workers and peasants and other sectors for genuine land reform, higher wages, better living conditions as well as environmental protection against foreign mining operations.”

http://www.interaksyon.com/response-to-martial-law-cpp-orders-npa-to-mount-more-offensives/

Fighting continues in Marawi – reports (12:24 PM)

From InterAksyon (May 25): Fighting continues in Marawi – reports (12:24 PM)



Fresh fighting has broken out in Marawi City, with media reporting the Air Force conducting at least one air strike late Thursday morning and new fires raging as government forces resumed operations to clear out gunmen of the Maute group.

Military helicopters continuously flew overhead as gunfire was heard from the city center as black smoke rose from what was reported to be a market and explosion were heard from the direction of Barangays Sadok, Banggulo and Marinaut.

There were also reports that the extremists may be holding more hostages aside from those they had earlier been reported holding, including a Catholic priest.

http://www.interaksyon.com/fighting-continues-in-marawi-reports/

US warship sails within 12 miles of Mischief Reef

Posted to InterAksyon (May 25): US warship sails within 12 miles of Mischief Reef



File photo of Chinese dredging vessels in waters around Mischief Reef. (Reuters)

A US Navy warship sailed within 12 nautical miles of an artificial island built up by China, US officials said on Wednesday, the first such challenge to Beijing under US President Donald Trump.

The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the USS Dewey was traveling close to the Mischief Reef in the Spratly Islands, among a string of islets, reefs and shoals over which China has territorial disputes with its neighbors.

The so-called “freedom of navigation operation” comes at a time when Trump is seeking China’s cooperation to rein in ally North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs.

The move, the latest attempt to counter what Washington sees as Beijing’s efforts to limit freedom of navigation in the strategic waters, is likely to anger China.

Under the previous administration, the US Navy conducted such voyages through the South China Sea. The last such operation was carried out in October, approved by then-President Barack Obama.

China’s extensive claims to the South China Sea, which sees about $5 trillion in ship-borne trade pass every year, are challenged by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam, as well as Taiwan.

http://www.interaksyon.com/us-warship-sails-within-12-miles-of-mischief-reef/

COMMENTARY: Addressing challenges posed by the Abu Sayyaf Group (5): Poverty

From MindaNews (May 24): COMMENTARY: Addressing challenges posed by the Abu Sayyaf Group (5): Poverty

The issue of poverty is undoubtedly a major contributing factor to unrest in an area.  Let us look at the data on the ARMM over a 12-year period.

Poverty Incidence
                                                        2 0 0 3                                                     2 0 1 5
Provinces%Rank*%Rank**
Basilan66%7537%59
Lanao del Sur39%4972%81
Maguindanao56%7257%80
Sulu89%7755%77
Tawi-Tawi70%7613%???

*     Out of 77 provinces.

**   Out of 81 provinces.

Source:  Philippine Statistics Authority, Family Income and Expenditure Survey, 2003 data obtained from the Philippine Human Development Report 2005.
 
The Family Income and Expenditure Survey (FIES) for 2003 showed the shocking levels of poverty in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) in 2003: 89% of the population in the province of Sulu living below the poverty line, 70% in Tawi-Tawi, 66% in Basilan. For the ARMM as a whole, poverty incidence was measured at 64%.[1]

Looking at the statistics since 2003, there appear to have been reductions in poverty levels in the country as a whole and even in the ARMM as a whole. But in 2015 – the latest year that the FIES was undertaken – the ARMM was still the poorest region in the country, with an average poverty incidence for the region of 54%.[2]

(As an aside, one wonders how accurate this data is, particularly in troubled regions like the ARMM. Given the level of violence that exists in this area, one can ask whether a sufficiently representative sample of the population in each of the violence-wracked provinces in this region is covered by the survey or whether it is limited to centers of population where normally higher levels of income would be earned. In 2015, for example, Tawi-Tawi was recorded to have an astonishingly low level of poverty, measured by the PSA at 12.7%, an 80% reduction from its level in 2003! Hence, it is very possible that the regional level of poverty is higher than what is reflected in the official statistics.)



In 2015 the official statistics say that the percentage of people living below the poverty line in Sulu was 55%, significantly down from the 89% recorded in 2003 but still an alarmingly high level.  Every other person was unable to meet his or her basic needs.  In Basilan the official statistics say poverty incidence was 37%, practically half of the 66% recorded in 2003.  However, this implies that every third person was presumably unable to meet the basic requirements for food, shelter, clothing, education, health.

Aside from the unbelievable drop in poverty in Tawi-Tawi in 2015, the other startling revelation in 2015 was Lanao del Sur, the base of the Maute Group, an ISIS-affiliated group allied with the ASG.  Poverty incidence practically doubled between 2003 and 2015, from 39% to 72%.[3]

It is no surprise, therefore, that this poorest region in the country is also the most troubled, beset by strife.  There are generations of people in Sulu and Basilan who have known nothing but war, fighting and fleeing, being at the mercy of militants and the pursuing government forces.

It is a vicious cycle, poverty breeding discontentment and militancy, leading to fighting which disrupts the normal patterns of life and the ability of people to scrape out a living, which keeps them in a state of poverty.

Needless to say, the economic condition of a people impacts their health.  One proxy indicator of health conditions would be life expectancy.  Whereas for the Philippines as a whole average life expectancy in 2009 was 72 years, for the ARMM provinces average life expectancy was:

Tawi-Tawi  — 54 years
Sulu            — 57 years
Maguindanao        — 58 years
Lanao del Sur       — 60 years
Basilan                 — 63 years[4]

Living in an ARMM province reduces your life expectancy by 10-20 years compared to the norm elsewhere in the country!

Socio-Economic Offensive

Social conditions in the area leave much to be desired.  Hence, the initiative taken by the administration of President Duterte to mobilize leading businessmen from Metro Manila to invest in Sulu infrastructure facilities and economic projects is a welcome move.

As noted in the first article in this series, in December of last year the Government launched the Negosyo para sa Kapayapaan sa Sulu.  Under this program, some of the country’s leading business groups pledged to undertake the following projects in Sulu:
  • Construction of a 50 MW coal-fired power plant to service the electric needs on the main island of Jolo;
  • Rehabilitation and upgrading of the telecommunications facilities in the province;
  • Resumption of flights to the main island of Jolo;
  • Establishment of an integrated coconut processing plant;
  • Provision of medical equipment and training of personnel for hospitals in the province;
  • Rebuilding the existing arts and trade school in the town of Jolo;
  • Establishment of a supply chain for a feed mill;
  • Setting up warehouses and drying facilities for seaweeds as well as training programs for seaweed farmers;
  • Setting up a poultry industry and entering into contract growing arrangements;
  • Building of houses for low-income families utilizing sweat equity of the beneficiaries;
  • Construction of school buildings.[5]
The list of committed projects for Sulu covers the range of infrastructure (power, telecommunications, transportation), livelihood (coconuts, seaweeds, poultry, feedmill) and social services (medical facilities, education, housing), an impressive and balanced list.  These are all welcome and badly needed, of course, but the overwhelming desire of the people that the author has met and talked with over the years has been for kabuhianan, the means to sustain one’s life or livelihood.

In promoting livelihood activities, the logical starting place would be the existing resources of the area and the traditional livelihood undertakings of the people in the area, but looking at how productivity could be increased, quality improved as well as backward and forward linkages.  Thus the inclusion of an integrated coconut processing plant as well as storage and drying facilities for seaweeds and training for seaweed farmers are good moves.  One would hope that investors could be found to help the coffee, fruit and fisheries industries, all traditional areas that Suluanos are engaged in.

The inclusion of a poultry project is interesting.  In fact, groundbreaking has already taken place on the site in Patikul.  There had been efforts in the past to set up commercial poultries in the province but these all somehow failed, people say due to disease, likely due to the lack of proper management and technical processes.  Hopefully this time, with the close supervision of the investor/proponent, Bounty Fresh, this project will succeed and will lead to replication elsewhere in the province.

With regard to coconuts, aside from the integrated processing plant, perhaps one could encourage farmers to do inter-cropping – coffee, cacao, bananas, pineapples, chili peppers, etc. – to produce supplementary income streams.

With regard to fisheries – which has not been included in the list of committed projects – perhaps the construction of a cold storage facility could be considered so that fishermen are not at the mercy of traders and market vendors because they have to sell off their catch immediately.  In fact, DA Secretary Manny Piñol has talked precisely about setting up one or more cold storage facilities in the region which could also serve as a regional food terminal.

For these production activities to flourish, some “support” interventions are needed:
  1. Reliable power supply. This would be essential for some of the facilities such as the oil mills, fruit processing plants, cold storage plants, etc.[6]  This has been spoken for by San Miguel Corp.
  2. Assistance in organization of production units, whether in the form of associations, cooperatives or whatever is appropriate. Getting farmers and fishermen to pool their resources and work together on higher-value-added production activities should improve their income levels.
  3. Assistance in management of production and related activities (e.g., accounting, management of financial resources, logistical arrangements such as central storage and transportation of produce, etc.).
  4. Assistance in establishing marketing tie-ups.
Aside from the capital investments that will be made, it is suggested that technical assistance arrangements be worked out either from the investor groups or other individuals or organizations who may have the needed experience.  This technical assistance should apply not just to the production phases of the projects but, as noted above, even to their organization and management phases.  A fair amount of “hand-holding” at least during the initial phases of the various projects will be needed to ensure that these projects are run properly and will succeed.  Perhaps tie-ups with Chambers of Commerce outside the province, coursed through the Sulu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, or with industry associations could be worked out.

Marketing tie-ups are essential if people are to earn a fair return on their labor and investments and the ventures are to be sustained over the long term.  What is happening now is that while some cooperatives currently exist in these provinces, for the most part farmers and fishermen work on their own and dispose of their products either to traders or vendors in the local retail markets.  If tie-ups can be established with large buyers outside the province, and producers are organized into coops or associations, farmers/fishermen can look forward to long-term sale contracts with prices negotiated which would provide them higher margins than they are currently earning.

Historically, the people of the region have engaged in trading activities with neighboring areas to include present-day Malaysia, Indonesia and even Singapore.  These trading activities run back for centuries.  Historically trade was done on a barter basis, exchanges of goods, and there was an attempt during the martial law period to revive this.  It still goes on but on a very limited basis today and while it is still referred to as “barter trade”, it really is no different from standard goods-for-cash trade and only moves one way, no exports from the Philippines, just imports from Sabah to the Philippines.

While there currently are problems with the Abu Sayyaf abducting sailors on the high seas between the Philippines and Malaysia and a fair amount of smuggling of rice, sugar and petroleum products goes on, the matter of trade with the Philippines’ southern neighbors could likewise be re-examined.
There may already be such a mechanism in place which this writer is not aware of, but it would be helpful if there were a central coordinating unit that could keep track of how the Negosyo projects are going, identifying bottlenecks or problems that may arise, liaisoning between the investor groups and the local Sulu-based partners, identifying support requirements for individual projects, evaluating the impact of individual projects in terms of employment and revenues generated and providing periodic updates on how individual projects and the program as a whole are proceeding.

The launching last December of the Negosyo program is limited to Sulu.  Would it be possible to fashion similar programs for the other ARMM provinces?

TOMORROW: The Shadow Economy


[Vic M. Taylor, originally from Cebu, has been involved in various peace and development activities in Mindanao, particularly in Basilan-Sulu-Tawi-Tawi (BaSulTa) in the different positions he has held in government and the private sector over the last 50 years.

He started as an instructor at the Notre Dame of Jolo College after his graduation from the Ateneo de Manila University in the late 1960s.  Subsequently, he oversaw the Rehabilitation and Development Program for Muslim Mindanao during the early years of martial law under the Office of the President.

Within the last 16 years and upon the request of the families of some kidnap victims, Mr. Taylor assisted these families to help secure the safe release of five victims from the ASG.

Recently, he has been working with a private group that is assisting a community of the Moro National Liberation Front in the Zamboanga peninsula in bringing development projects to their area.

This series is a revised version of a paper written by the author for the Mackenzie Institute, a Canadian security think tank, in light of the execution of two Canadian hostages by the Abu Sayyaf last year]

[1] The author believes that the regional average should in fact have been higher than 64%.  Poverty incidence was measured at 39% in Lanao del Sur, an astonishingly low level given one’s knowledge of the area and comparing it with the other provinces in the region.

[2] National Anti-Poverty Commission, “ARMM Still the Poorest Region”, www.napc.gov.ph/articles/armm-still-poorest-region.   There is a slight discrepancy in the data cited by the NAPC.  The article cited gives a figure of 53.4%, while the PSA provides an average of 53.7%.

[3] Detailed breakdown for each of the 17 regions and 81 provinces in the Philippines can be found in Philippine Statistics Authority, “Philippine Poverty Statistics”, Table 2. Annual Per Capita Poverty Threshold, Poverty Incidence and Magnitude of Poort Population, by Region and Province – 2006, 2009, 2012 and 2015, which can be accessed at https://psa.gov.ph/poverty-press-releases/data.

[4] See “Statistical Annex A1:  Human Development Index 2009”, 2012/2013 Philippine Human Development Report, (Human Development Network, 2013), hdn.org.ph/wp-content/uploads/2013techstat.pdf.

[5] Alexis Romero, “Business titans vow to support development of Sulu”, The Philipppine Star, December 21, 2016, www.philstar.com/headlines/2016/12/21/1655534/business-titans-vow-support-development-sulu; Leila Salaverria, “Top businessmen pledge to invest in Sulu development”, Inquirer.Net, December 19, 2016, newsinfo.inquirer.net/854921/top-businessmen-pledge-to-invest-in-sulu-development.

[6] See two interesting columns of economist Cielito Habito who wrote about his observations on the priority needs of Sulu as well as how one bankrupt and mismanaged electric cooperative was resurrected:  Cielito F. Habito, “Wanted: PPP for Sulu”, Inquirer.net, February 20, 2012, opinion.inquirer.net/23481/wanted-ppp=for-sulu, and “An impressive turnaround”, Inquirer.net, November 15, 2011, opinion.inquirer.net/17281/an-impressive-turnaround.

http://www.mindanews.com/mindaviews/2017/05/commentary-addressing-challenges-posed-by-the-abu-sayyaf-group-5-poverty/

Martial law must not affect ceasefire deal: MILF

From the Mindanao Examiner (May 25): Martial law must not affect ceasefire deal: MILF

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front, which signed interim peace agreement with Manila in 2014, appealed Thursday to the Duterte administration to ensure that the declaration of martial law in Southern Philippines will not affect the bilateral ceasefire accord between the two groups.

The MILF strongly condemned the recent attack by the ISIS-affiliated Maute group in Marawi City, the capital of Lanao del Sur province in the Muslim autonomous region. The daring attack left dozens of casualties and destruction in Marawi.

“The MILF strongly condemns the violence in Marawi perpetrated by group or groups whose only aim is to sow terror. There is no justification for launching an offensive against civilian populace and to destroy infrastructures and institutions serving the public,” the rebel group said in a statement.

It said that while it is not a position to question the factual basis of President Rodrigo Duterte’s proclamation of martial law, the MILF “appeals to the Philippine Government to ensure that the ceasefire mechanisms continue to work on the ground, and that any military operations against the Group that perpetrated the violence in Marawi does not spark more fighting in other areas.”

“Mobilizing the military in Mindanao should still respect the mechanisms that have proven to be effective in scaling down armed encounters between government forces and the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF).

MILF and government forces had previously clashed in some areas in Mindanao with security officials accusing the rebels of attacking troops or engaging in terrorism and ransom kidnappings.

And the rebel group reminded the government that: “Recent events have shown that disregard of these mechanisms have been disastrous to our communities and to the effort to bring to fruition the end of the decades-long conflict in our homeland.”

But the MILF assured that it remains committed to the peace process and said: “Now more than ever, the MILF and the government must work closely to ensure the protection of the gains of the peace process and to even forge with greater resolve to immediately implement the peace agreement so that no other groups may use its non-implementation to justify their continued pursuit of violence for violence’s sake.”

The MILF said it is firm in its resolve to settle the legitimate grievances of the Bangsamoro people through the negotiated process now contained in the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro.

“The different mechanisms of the peace process are still engaged with their esteemed counterparts in government and are working towards finding ways on how best to address the challenge posed by the violence being committed in Marawi by groups who have chosen to take violence without regard to the best interest of our people,” the MILF said.

“The Moro Islamic Liberation Front stands in solidarity with the people of Marawi and Lanao del Sur during this tragic day. We call on our forces to extend all necessary assistance to the people of Marawi to ensure their safety and frustrate the aim of any group or groups to sow divide in our communities. Let us all stand united to win peace for our people.”

Martial rule
Duterte placed the whole of Mindanao and the provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi under a state of martial law following the Maute siege of Marawi City. The martial law will stay in effect for 60 days.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said with the declaration of martial rule, police and military can now do searches without a warrant, arrest suspected terrorists and suspend the writ of habeas corpus, among others.

The Maute jihadists hoisted ISIS flags at several establishments and burned down the police headquarters, a prison facility, a Catholic church and a school before taking more than a dozen hostages, including a priest. They also executed at least 9 civilians who were captured at a Maute checkpoint.

Lawmakers said the daring attack was the result of a failed intelligence and they questioned the police and military on how they spent billions of pesos in intelligence funds allocated to the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police.

The military’s Western Mindanao Command said the fighting erupted in Marawi after Maute members attacked security forces sent to the area following intelligence reports that gunmen, including Abu Sayyaf chieftain Isnilon Hapilon, who is also the titular head of the local ISIS group, was spotted along with a group of jihadists hiding in a house.

Hapilon was first reported by the military to have been either killed or wounded in clashes last year with security forces in nearby Butig town. Army Captain Jo-ann Petinglay, a spokeswoman for the Western Mindanao Command, said sympathizers of the Maute group also attacked soldiers triggering a gun battle.

Regional Governor Mujiv Hataman also condemned “these acts of terror” and said the government stands in solidarity with Marawi “in these dark times.”

“Words might seem useless right now, as no words can express what we feel as we share in the fear and anger of our people. We strongly condemn these acts of terror committed against the people of Marawi City and swear to take immediate action as necessary. Marawi City is known as the Philippines’ Islamic City, but it is home to people of different histories, different beliefs. That these acts of terror are happening in a diverse community bound by mutual respect and a shared commitment to peace is a travesty.”

“Any group who sows terror and then dares to say that they do it in the name of Islam should be ashamed. Any man, who claims to fight for a just cause, yet dares to incite violence a few days before the Holy Month of Ramadhan is a monster whose words belie his actions. The regional government stands in solidarity with the city of Marawi in these dark times. We have won many struggles together and we will stop at nothing to bring these terrorists to justice and win back the peace in your beloved city and in the Bangsamoro,” Hataman said.

This was not the first time jihadists had launch attacks against security forces right in the heart of Marawi. There had been previous Maute offensives that military and police failed to prevent. The siege lasted for several hours.

Photos and video clip of the siege were also posted by locals on their social media account and ISIS Live Map also uploaded pictures on the Internet showing heavily-armed jihadists clad in black robe walking the streets of Marawi. One of them even spoke on a bullhorn as he walked the street while locals listen nervously.

http://mindanaoexaminer.com/martial-law-must-not-affect-ceasefire-deal-milf/

Release hostages, Cotabato prelate appeals to Maute (11:57 AM)

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (May 25): Release hostages, Cotabato prelate appeals to Maute (11:57 AM)

Marawi checkpoint

Police officers check evacuees from Marawi at a checkpoint by the entrance of Iligan City in of Mindanao on May 24, 2017. President Rodrigo Duterte warned that martial law would be “harsh” and like a dictatorship, after imposing military rule in the south to combat Islamist militants. AFP

Cotabato Archbishop Orlando Cardinal Quevedo appealed to the conscience of the Maute group to release the Catholic priest and staff of a church in Marawi city they abducted as hostages.

In a Radyo Veritas report, Quevedo called on the Maute group to release the priest and church goers who were taken hostage by the Maute group after the latter sieged Marawi city.

READ: Priest among 14 hostages taken in siege of Marawi

Father Chito Suganob and others were in the Cathedral of St. Mary’s when the Maute group held them hostage. A separate report from the ARMM Heart (Humanitarian Emergency Action and Response Team) said the five hostages were Father Suganob, Prof. Maria Luisa Colina and three others identified only as Sam, Wendell and Wilbert.

READ: Maute group holds priest, 4 others as hostages—ARMM exec

The terrorist group had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (ISIS). The state of rebellion and lawlessness in Marawi compelled President Rodrigo Duterte to declare martial law in the whole Mindanao.

READ: Martial law will be harsh, says Duterte

“I appeal to the consciences of the hostage takers not to harm the innocent as the Islamic faith teaches. I appeal to religious leaders of Islam to influence the hostage takers to release the hostages unharmed.” Quevedo said.

Quevedo also offered his prayers to the victims of the Maute’s siege in Marawi.

“I pray for the safety of all the hostages. For God’s will is the safety of innocent people. May the loving God protect the people of Marawi,” Quevedo said.

In a message sent to Radyo Veritas, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) President and Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas urged the public to offer prayers for the Muslims in Marawi city.

READ: Pray for priest, other Maute hostages, CBCP urges public

The CBCP President also expressed alarm that the Maute group hoisted flags of the terrorist group ISIS in the city, and urged the public to pray for their peace-loving Muslim brothers and sisters.

“The CBCP is alarmed by reports that ISIS flags now flutter over Marawi. We are fully aware that most Muslims are peace-loving. Salam is a greeting of peace. We are also aware that ISIS has claimed responsibility for many of the atrocities in territories they have occupied elsewhere in the world,” Villegas said.

“We call on government to deal with the threat without wavering and without compromise. We call on all Catholics to pray with our Muslim brothers and sisters. We call on the occupiers who claim to worship the same God that we all do not to defile His name by bloodshed,” he added.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/899459/release-hostages-cotabato-prelate-appeals-to-maute

Commentary: Mindanao a laboratory again?

From the Thought Leaders section of Rappler (May 25): Mindanao a laboratory again? (by Patricio N, Abinales)

As President Duterte expands his targets of opportunity, it is once again Mindanao – yes, his beloved Mindanao – that will be the laboratory of this 21st-century version of Marcos’ war

The irony about President Rodrigo Duterte declaring martial law in the entire island of Mindanao is that he is not coming out as the decisive leader who will give Islamic terrorism and communist extortion their comeuppance. It is, in fact, the opposite.

It is an admission of how little Duterte has done to eradicate the root causes of these two acts of terrorism.

The debut of another variety of Islamic terrorism is a major slap in the President’s face. The local (and still evolving) chapter of ISIS signifies that all those pledges Duterte made to reverse the setbacks to the peace process resulting from his predecessor’s (mis)adventure in Tukanalipao, Mamapasano, is turning out to be empty promises.

There is virtually no movement in the crafting of the necessary mechanics for the efficient functioning of the Bangsamoro Entity (or whatever new name it will assume) once it is established.

The peace talks are in suspended animation since the new panel was organized (perhaps the regime is more concerned with bringing the communists to the fold), while Moro civil society leaders and management staff of government offices involved in the training of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) guerrillas in the art of daily governance (from filling up forms to monitoring revenues and expenses, etc.) are increasingly being frustrated by the lack of guidance from the top.

Ever the pragmatic organization that it is, the MILF has not commented on the government’s clumsiness, making just enough of a presence so that it would not be forgotten. It has not disbanded its armed force and has kept control over its territory, made possible in part by the continuing friendly relationship its field commanders have with their counterparts in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

But the MILF is also a wounded organization, with the defection of many of its battle-scarred fighters to Umbra Kato’s more sectarian Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters. It is still unable to prevent its forces from being caught in the never ending rido that afflicts the ummah. It was only a matter of time that another breakaway faction of the MILF would make itself felt. The new actor, the Maute group, is showing some panache by latching to the cash-rich ISIS. (READ: What you should know about the Maute Group)

What about the AFP?
The AFP was like a deer caught in the headlights. It has units with designated security sectors to oversee, but it is clear that the Army’s 1st Infantry Division, whose mission is the security in Marawi and the environs, knew nothing of the Maute group’s presence in the area. When the Maute group started its assaults, it was the initiative of local commanders that stopped the attacks.

Neither is the line between field and headquarters clear: government spokespersons in Manila were minimizing the impact of the clashes, telling journalists and their audience not to believe what they see on social media. The latter, however, were sharing news from cellphone texts, photos, and videos sent by friends and kin in Marawi.




DISPLACED. Evacuees pass through a checkpoint in Iligan City on May 24, 2017. File photo by Bobby Lagsa/Rappler

The most derisory spin was given by Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana. What happened was not a lapse in military intelligence that allowed the Maute Group to enter Marawi. It was a failure “to appreciate” whatever the local spies gave the intelligence unit of the 1st Infantry Division. Lorenzana did not say who failed “to appreciate” the intelligence reports. Keeping it vague exonerates Camp Aguinaldo, and, by extension, Malacañang.

Thus, for over 12 hours no one knew anything definite, including – I suspect – the President and his team in Malacañang (a side question: what kind of information was conveyed to the caretaker committee led by Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno from Marawi and what did Diokno, in turn, tell the President?). The result is a proclamation that was hastily written and improperly formatted (Can a proclamation by the President of the Philippines be notarized with the statement: “Done in the Russian Federation”? Duterte thinks so).

Stoking the flame

More bothering is that the proclamation exaggerates the threat of the Maute Group and thus allows its author to endow the police and the military the carte blanche to do anything to individuals, groups, and communities. Muslim and Christian.

Duterte stoked the flame by warning that the police and army can shoot anyone who violates the curfew in the 4 Moro provinces where freedom of movement was curtailed. In his press conference upon arriving from Moscow, the President even suggested that he might just expand martial law to cover the entire country and for an extended period. His justification: droga, of course.

The panic over Marawi has not only turned into an anxiety over a failure to bring peace and continue the progress in Mindanao, but also into a disquiet that the promise he anchored his presidency on – the war on drugs – will never be fulfilled.

What makes things doubly scarier now is that President Duterte has concocted this bizarre alliance that has the Maute Group linked to drug syndicates, human rights groups and their European Union patrons, and the US State Department.

As the President expands his targets of opportunity and makes it easier for them to be attacked, thanks to his martial law declaration, it is once again Mindanao – yes, his beloved Mindanao – that will be the laboratory of this 21st-century version of Ferdinand Marcos’ war.

http://www.rappler.com/thought-leaders/170899-mindanao-laboratory-duterte-martial-law

Slain cop 'came to love the people of Marawi'

From Rappler (May 25): Slain cop 'came to love the people of Marawi'

Senior Inspector Fredie Solar is among the first casualties in the ongoing battle against the Maute Group in Marawi City

It was his dream to find success so he could lead his family out of a life of hardship too familiar to many Filipinos.

Fredie Solar found a way to achieve that dream when he got into the Philippine National Police Academy, where he graduated as part of the Sansinirangan Class of 2007.

He eventually joined the police force and was assigned to Mindanao.

Senior Inspector Solar's dream came to an abrupt halt on May 23, 2017, after he was killed during an operation against suspected members of the terrorist Maute Group in Marawi City in Lanao del Sur.

“Numerous times, we pleaded for him to come back to Baguio. We asked him to apply for reassignment at any other place in the Philippines except Mindanao,” shared Solar’s sister, Susan, in a lengthy Facebook post accompanied by her late brother’s graduation picture.



FALLEN COP. Solar is among the first casualties in an ongoing campaign against the Maute Group in Marawi City. Photo from Susan Solar-Urbano's Facebook page

Solar was among the first government casualties in an ongoing operation against alleged members of the terror group in Marawi City. He left behind a wife and two young children.

At least 5 soldiers were also killed as a result of sporadic gunfights against the terror group who, unbeknownst to government troops, had numerous members and supporters embedded in the city.

 Marawi City Mayor Majul Usman Gandamra said there were between 100 to 200 Maute members all over the city.

“At first, it was just patriotism that drove him to be in there. And as days and years passed, he still ignored our request to work for his reassignment but he always assured us that it is safe there. He said, the people there respect him and this was enough for him to stay. He has come to love the people of Marawi,” Susan said in her FB post.

Susan also shared their family's situation in Baguio which was far from comfortable – the kind of life that her brother wanted to change.

“Our father can hardly make ends meet. Oftentimes, we go to our neighbors and ask for sayote tops or camote tops just to have something to eat. We begged at the store to lend us rice just so we can cook something. Life was really hard but this did not stop my brother to pursue his calling and achieve his dreams. He experienced hardship and this became his bread and butter to achieve his goals in life,” Susan said.

Solar was the head of the region's drug enforcement group, the unit tasked to handle illegal drug cases. He was once police chief of Malabang, a town roughly two hours away from Marawi City.

The police official was apparently in Marawi to accompany his wife to a hospital, where he encountered the armed men.

His sister’s tribute has gone viral on social media as the public waits for more news about the clashes in Marawi.

“We have a lot of questions but we cannot find the answer. We can only lift everything to God. My brother may not have attained his goal to be a guest speaker at his alma mater but one thing is for sure, we know that his alma mater is proud of him, and we will always be proud of him,” Susan said.

Government forces are still conducting clearing operations in the city, amid a massive exodus of residents.

Citing the Maute Group’s attempt to take over or destroy buildings in the city, clashes in Marawi and the hoisting of ISIS flags in the city, President Rodrigo Duterte placed the entire Mindanao island group under martial law on the evening of May 23. He made the decision while on an official trip Russia that was eventually cut short.

Duterte also suspended the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus in Mindanao.

The declaration is in place for 60 days and can be revoked by Congress, which is populated by Duterte allies. The Supreme Court may review the basis of the declaration if a case is brought before it.

http://www.rappler.com/nation/170878-police-inspector-fredie-solar-killed-marawi-clash

Fighting resumes between gov’t troops, armed groups in Marawi (10:29 AM)

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (May 25): Fighting resumes between gov’t troops, armed groups in Marawi (10:29 AM)



Evacuees from the fighting between Army soldiers on one hand, and the Abu Sayyaf and Maute Groups on the other, in Marawi City, arrive in Iligan City, on May 24, 2017. President Rodrigo Duterte warned that martial law would be “harsh” and like a dictatorship, after imposing military rule in the south to combat Islamist militants. (Photo by TED ALJIBE / AFP)
Fighting between armed men and government forces resumed on Thursday morning in Marawi City.

Maki Panandigan, a resident of Marawi City, called the Philippine Daily Inquirer at 9:45 a.m. Thursday to say that fighting has resumed in the city.

“It has started,” Panandigan said.

“I can see smoke,” he added, apparently referring to a fire in the area.

The fighting resumed a day after the mass evacuation of residents to nearby Lanao del Sur towns and Iligan City, following a spate of clashes when groups linked to the Abu Sayyaf and the Maute Group attacked Marawi City starting Tuesday afternoon.

This prompted President Duterte to declare martial law in all of Mindanao two nights ago.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/899425/fighting-resumes-between-govt-troops-armed-groups-in-marawi