From the Philippine News Agency (Jul 19): Troops rescue 2 families kidnapped in Zamboanga del Norte
Government troops have rescued six people, including two children, seized by a kidnap-for-ransom-group (KFRG) on June 28 in the province of Zamboanga del Norte, the military reported Wednesday.
In a report to the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom), the Joint Task Force Sulu said the victims were rescued around 11 p.m. Tuesday in Barangay Gata, Talipao, Sulu.
Rescued were couple Feliciano and Elsa Javier, both 28 years old and their son, five-month old Vincent Javier; and couple Junior and Rica Javier, both 22 years old and their son, Val Javier, five years old.
Chief Supt. Billy Beltran, Police Regional Office-9 (PRO-9) director earlier said the victims were seized by a KFRG led by Jamilon Tukalan alias Jamilon Wahab on June 28 in Sitio Maasom, Barangay San Nicolas, Sirawai, Zamboanga del Norte.
The victims worked as caretakers of a farm in Sitio Maasom, Barangay San Nicolas, owned by Engr. Valiente Felizarta, the municipal engineer of Sirawai town.
The victims, after their rescue, were taken to the district hospital in Luuk, Sulu, for medical check-up and brought to the headquarters of the Joint Task Force Sulu for debriefing and documentation.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1041895
Wednesday, July 18, 2018
EastMinCom Navy chief allays fears over Chinese ship in Davao City
From the Philippine News Agency (Jul 19): EastMinCom Navy chief allays fears over Chinese ship in Davao City
Photo courtesy of Arjoy Ceniza
DAVAO CITY – “There is nothing extraordinary.”
This was what Commodore Ramil Roberto Enriquez, commander of the Naval Forces Eastern Mindanano Command, said as he dispelled speculations over the docking of Chinese vessel Yuan Wang 3 on July 16 at the Sasa Port here.
Enriquez told reporters during the AFP-PNP press briefing on Wednesday that the entry of Yuan Wang 3 into Philippine waters via Davao had diplomatic clearance from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). The clearance was requested by the Chinese Embassy in Manila.
Enriquez said Yuan Wang 3 is a state-owned vessel and therefore, needs appropriate clearances. He said the Chinese ship also obtained clearances from the Philippine Port Authority, which is the agency tasked to provide berthing space for all vessels coming to the country.
“So I was informed that as of July 16, when Yuan Wang 3 entered Davao Gulf, she has the necessary clearances issued by DFA,” Enriquez said.
Enriquez said the docking of the Chinese vessel was not routine practice but a normal port visit, just as other foreign ships normally conduct.
Yuan Wang 3 was not the first Chinese vessel that docked at the Port of Davao. A Chinese navy ship also made a port call in 2010, in 2012, and in 2015.
"There are instances that we accommodate vessels calling into our country,” Enriquez said.
Enriquez said there are times that foreign vessels seek clearance to dock in Philippine ports for replenishment like food and water provisions.
“These are things we accommodate. Sabot ni sa laing nasud (This is an agreement with other nations) the same way the Philippines is accorded the same privilege. This is an international agreement,” Enriquez explained.
Enriquez also pointed out that southern Mindanao is the most convenient routes for the Chinese vessels in going to the Pacific Ocean.
Earlier, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said that whoever finds the Chinese vessel docking in the Philippines as alarming may have Sinophobia or the fear or dislike of China, its people, language or culture.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1041884
Photo courtesy of Arjoy Ceniza
DAVAO CITY – “There is nothing extraordinary.”
This was what Commodore Ramil Roberto Enriquez, commander of the Naval Forces Eastern Mindanano Command, said as he dispelled speculations over the docking of Chinese vessel Yuan Wang 3 on July 16 at the Sasa Port here.
Enriquez told reporters during the AFP-PNP press briefing on Wednesday that the entry of Yuan Wang 3 into Philippine waters via Davao had diplomatic clearance from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). The clearance was requested by the Chinese Embassy in Manila.
Enriquez said Yuan Wang 3 is a state-owned vessel and therefore, needs appropriate clearances. He said the Chinese ship also obtained clearances from the Philippine Port Authority, which is the agency tasked to provide berthing space for all vessels coming to the country.
“So I was informed that as of July 16, when Yuan Wang 3 entered Davao Gulf, she has the necessary clearances issued by DFA,” Enriquez said.
Enriquez said the docking of the Chinese vessel was not routine practice but a normal port visit, just as other foreign ships normally conduct.
Yuan Wang 3 was not the first Chinese vessel that docked at the Port of Davao. A Chinese navy ship also made a port call in 2010, in 2012, and in 2015.
"There are instances that we accommodate vessels calling into our country,” Enriquez said.
Enriquez said there are times that foreign vessels seek clearance to dock in Philippine ports for replenishment like food and water provisions.
“These are things we accommodate. Sabot ni sa laing nasud (This is an agreement with other nations) the same way the Philippines is accorded the same privilege. This is an international agreement,” Enriquez explained.
Enriquez also pointed out that southern Mindanao is the most convenient routes for the Chinese vessels in going to the Pacific Ocean.
Earlier, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said that whoever finds the Chinese vessel docking in the Philippines as alarming may have Sinophobia or the fear or dislike of China, its people, language or culture.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1041884
Philippines: Addressing Islamist Militancy after the Battle for Marawi
Posted to the Relief Web (Jul 17): Philippines: Addressing Islamist Militancy after the Battle for Marawi (By Joseph Franco)
Report from International Crisis Group
Published on 17 Jul 2018 — View Original
The Philippine city of Marawi, on Mindanao island, remains in ruins more than a year after a five-month jihadist takeover. To avoid fuelling militancy, Manila must involve locals in reconstruction, implement a 2014 deal with Mindanao separatists and go beyond efforts to counter jihadist ideology
In May 2017, Muslim militants acting in the name of the Islamic State (ISIS) seized Marawi, a lakeside economic hub in the Lanao del Sur province of Mindanao, the second-largest island in the Philippines. It took the Filipino military five months to regain control of the city. Now, more than a year after the siege began, Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration in Manila appears overwhelmed by the task of reconstructing the destroyed city.
Manila faces significant challenge in restoring its writ, enabling the 200,000 civilians displaced by the fighting to return home and, more broadly, preventing a militant resurgence in Mindanao. Thus far, the government has tended to view jihadism in the archipelago as mostly ideologically motivated. Its policies, as a result, focus mostly on promoting counter-narratives, often through hand-picked local religious leaders who typically lack local legitimacy. In reality, jihadism’s roots lie in decades of separatist insurgency and dysfunctional local politics. Carrying out the provisions of a 2014 peace deal between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the largest armed group on Mindanao, would better suck the oxygen from jihadists than attempts to counter their ideology. Manila also should involve local communities in reconstruction, so those efforts do not fuel anger at the state.
Muslim Mindanao
Muslims are a minority in the Philippines, making up about 11 per cent of the population. On Mindanao, however, that proportion rises to roughly 23 per cent. In 1989 the government formed the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao with Lanao del Sur and three other provinces. This west-central part of the island has a rich Islamic heritage, embodied by Marawi with its concentration of historic mosques. When, in 1980, the city council designated Marawi an “Islamic city”, many of the city’s inhabitants saw that step as a welcome acknowledgement of this history. Now the city centre, including the Marawi Grand Mosque, has been reduced to rubble and is littered with unexploded ordnance, preventing the displaced from returning. Manila’s vision of reconstruction is a showcase of promenades and resorts built by a China-led consortium in the ruined commercial district.
The struggle to retake Marawi was the largest urban engagement for the Philippines armed forces since the Battle of Manila during World War II. The Maute Group, a jihadist group hailing from Lanao del Sur seized the city in an operation ISIS propagandists likened to the capture of Mosul in Iraq. It remains unclear how much operational guidance the Maute Group received from the ISIS core in Iraq and Syria during the battle. Open source evidence showed the Maute leaders, brothers Omar and Abdullah Maute, calling the shots during the final stages of attack planning.
This group of largely college-aged and, in some cases, particularly among the leadership, college-going militants held the city for months, thanks to a combination of local knowledge and planning capacity, funds generated locally and abroad, the arrival of dozens of foreign fighters and propaganda support from ISIS-linked media. The militant’s infiltration of the city before they seized it suggested the presence of sympathisers among Marawi’s inhabitants. Disenfranchised youth frustrated with the protracted Mindanao peace process and local clans who take an adversarial stance toward Manila-imposed policies provided a permissive environment for the Maute Group.
The protracted battle to oust the group highlighted limitations within the Philippines security forces in information gathering and urban warfare. These weaknesses, in turn, result at least partly from Manila’s struggle to adapt to the growing threat posed by jihadist cells adept at decentralised operations, after years fighting more hierarchical Mindanao secessionist groups whose structure emulates conventional military forces.
Jihadism in Mindanao should be understood against the backdrop of the 40-year Moro separatist conflict that has killed more than 120,000 people and displaced millions, and faltering efforts to find a political solution to that conflict. In 2014, the Philippine government and the MILF signed a peace deal – the Comprehensive Agreement on Bangsamoro – which pledged increased political autonomy, more equitable resource sharing and the demobilisation of former secessionists.
Since then, however, the agreement’s implementation has faltered due to factionalism among militant groups, objections from some legislators to the autonomy it envisaged for Muslim Mindanao and breaches of a ceasefire between the Philippines and the MILF. Prior to the Marawi siege, MILF commanders had warned that the longer the peace process remained mired in the legislature, the more receptive their junior cadres could grow to ISIS propaganda. Indeed, the Maute Group appears to have recruited former MILF fighters and has ties to armed factions previously aligned with the MILF.
Implementing the Bangsamoro deal is thus essential to efforts to curtail the influence and spread of jihadism, as well as the MILF’s splintering or return to combat. On 31 May, after an almost three-year delay, the Philippine legislature approved the bill that would enact a future Bangsamoro Basic Law, the most important component of the 2014 deal. Once signed into law by President Duterte, the bill would allow for the creation of a “new, political entity” – called Bangsamoro – in Mindanao to replace the existing Autonomous Region. This would address the MILF’s demands for self-rule and for Bangsamoro to benefit from a share of the wealth from Mindanao’s natural resources. Government surveys estimate natural gas reserves in the Liguasan Marsh at 68 billion cubic feet, leading some Maguindanao politicians to refer to the province as the “next Dubai”.
President Duterte is expected to sign the bill this month, which should check the growing impatience of younger MILF commanders. But while autonomy for Bangsamoro will be a good start, Manila also needs to rethink some of its core assumptions about what drives many Muslim Filipinos to militancy.
Domestic Roots of Mindanao Militancy
In the case of the Marawi takeover some observers solely attribute the Maute Group’s ability to occupy the city and then withstand the siege through foreign cash and fighters. Certainly foreign funds and the apparent reinforcement of the group’s ranks with seasoned fighters from abroad seem to have helped. But the full story is more complex. Mindanao’s jihadist milieu has its origins in local clan and electoral politics, as well as the grey economies that sustain militants such as the Maute Group.
Prior to pledging allegiance to ISIS, the Maute Group was in effect a private militia for the eponymous clan headed by matriarch Farhana Maute, intimidating other clans that contested in local elections in the province. It used coercion to mobilise votes and extort contractors involved in public works projects. This provided the group with experience in purveying violence that would prove useful during the Marawi siege. In 2016, after candidates backed by Farhana suffered losses, the Maute Group appeared to adopt ISIS-related imagery, less because of any particular affinity for ISIS’s ideology than to burnish its fading image as a tough enforcer. It also began to attract former fighters from MILF, especially younger members who felt that the peace process with Manila was taking too long.
In the past, other militants in Mindanao have similarly deployed jihadist rhetoric to promote a more ferocious image. Best known is the Abu Sayyaf Group, formed in the early 1990s by Abdurajak Janjalani, a Filipino veteran of the anti-Soviet mujahidin in Afghanistan. After Janjalani’s death in a 2006 police raid, the Abu Sayyaf Group became infamous for kidnapping-for-ransom activities under the guise of jihad. Kidnapping for ransom is a lucrative supplement to communities that would otherwise derive their incomes from fishing and subsistence farming. The lack of law enforcement and the challenging agricultural environment in western Mindanao incentivise kidnapping.
Abu Sayyaf leaders have long been connected to jihadist movements elsewhere. In its early years, the group’s leaders enjoyed al-Qaeda links and the global movement provided seed funding for attacks in the Philippines. Since mid-2014, Abu Sayyaf factions, particularly in the western Mindanao province of Sulu, have used ISIS-associated iconography such as black flags, apparently in part to extract larger ransoms from foreign governments.
Factors that motivate people to join Mindanao’s jihadist groups are complex. While ideology undoubtedly plays some role, motives among those in outfits like the Maute Group tend to be more material. As described, some local militias adopt the ISIS brand to intimidate rivals or project greater ferocity. Among the rank and file, involvement in jihadist militancy is often the result of a vocational decision within a family or a village, rather than an individual’s epiphany. Not a single Filipino Muslim has attempted a suicide bombing in nearly five decades of insurgency in Mindanao. The rewards in the afterlife promised by jihadist ideology have yet to trump the real-world needs of militants and their kin.
Nor have local jihadist groups produced ideological texts that indigenise the global jihadist movement. Compare this to the prolific writings of other non-state armed groups in the Philippines, such as the Communist Party of the Philippines and its New People’s Army, which outline what form locally-rooted communism might take. Or compare it to jihadists in Indonesia, who have long produced original vernacular material in various formats including books, pamphlets and DVDs. No such material exists in the Philippines.
Thus far, Manila has not invested seriously in understanding the origins of jihadism in Mindanao. Since the election of President Duterte, the Filipino policy response has veered from military operations to policies framed through the lens of “countering violent extremism” (CVE) – mostly involving efforts to counter jihadist propaganda and indoctrination – despite the absence of a national policy that defines “violent extremism”. CVE framing tends to reduce the complex interaction of political and socio-economic factors that underpin Mindanao’s ongoing conflict to the single cause of jihadist ideology.
The dominance of CVE discourse is likely to render Manila’s policy in Mindanao ineffective. The government’s effort to promote Muslim clerics it views as “moderate”, for example, may further alienate a populace that derides them as mere mouthpieces. Strategic communications campaigns to counter extremist content on social media do not resolve the real-world issues such as dysfunctional politics and economic deprivation that jihadists tap to win recruits.
Aftermath
In the shattered city of Marawi, civil society and neighbourhood collectives eye Manila’s reconstruction plans warily. Many fear that reconstruction, which will most likely be carried out by a Chinese-led consortium, may mean permanent exile for the displaced.
The Duterte administration has declared it wants to build a “new Marawi”, which includes plans for transforming the battle area into an “economic zone”, though precisely what this would entail remains unclear. Its plans appear to ignore the murkiness of land ownership in the city, where competing deeds and informal property claims have sparked periodic clan and family disputes for decades. Many residents of the area that saw the worst destruction, known as the “most affected area”, do not have deeds to their houses, many of which now lie in ruins. They may lose the right to rebuild their homes, while potentially receiving no compensation from the government. Manila cannot solve the problem by paving it over.
Mishandling Marawi’s reconstruction, notably by carrying it out in a manner than angers inhabitants, also risks amplifying the idea, pushed by the Maute Group and its allies, that Islam is under attack in Mindanao. A botched reconstruction could also impugn the autonomy-centric political stance of mainstream groups such as the MILF, potentially driving more of its younger members toward jihadism.
Locals take considerable pride in the city’s heritage as the centre of Islamic education in Mindanao. Should the government disregard that sentiment – and proceed with plans to gentrify the city centre in order to lure tourists – it could further alienate inhabitants of the city from the state. It also could entrench the sentiment of some influential clans that deployment of state security forces in the city was tantamount to foreign occupation. This, in turn, would play into the hands of Maute Group remnants or other violent rejectionist movements that may emerge.
Instead, Manila should enhance measures to involve Marawi’s inhabitants in its reconstruction. Substantial local input would signal a deeper commitment by the central government to Mindanao’s autonomy, even beyond the provisions of the Bangsamoro Basic Law, which itself should be enacted without delay. The Bangon Marawi (Rise Marawi) inter-agency task force supervising reconstruction should become an active partner of affected residents, rather than simply promoting the Chinese-backed plan.
Meanwhile, the Duterte administration should avoid pronouncements that cast Mindanao militants as “desperate” individuals driven to crime or hardcore terrorists who should be “eaten”. The Filipino security forces should instead refocus on intelligence analysis and build on their experience of peacebuilding, gained while the MILF was still in negotiations with the Philippine government. Nor should those officials who spearhead CVE policies pick which community or religious leaders will represent Marawi or Mindanao. Rather, they should focus on addressing the grievances that jihadist movements exploit, thus empowering individuals and communities that promote peace and support a political solution to the Mindanao conflict.
The jihadist takeover of Marawi, with the Maute Group able to leverage frustration at the gaps in governance and stalled peace process, was a jarring reminder to Manila of the depth of Muslim grievances in Mindanao. What started as militants’ tactical use of ISIS iconography ended in a protracted siege that brought into question the Philippines’ ability to attain peace in Mindanao. The government should take a holistic view of the drivers of conflict, being careful not to lose sight of those that predate the emergence of jihadist cells, notably the demands of many Muslims in Mindanao for a greater say in running their own affairs and reaping the benefits of the region’s natural resources. The Maute Group, for now, appears weakened, but if Manila mishandles the aftermath of the battle for Marawi and the reconstruction of that city, similar forces could easily arise in the years to come.
[Joseph Franco, Research Fellow with the Centre of Excellence for National Security, helped with research and preparation of this commentary as a Crisis Group consultant.]
https://reliefweb.int/report/philippines/philippines-addressing-islamist-militancy-after-battle-marawi
Report from International Crisis Group
Published on 17 Jul 2018 — View Original
The Philippine city of Marawi, on Mindanao island, remains in ruins more than a year after a five-month jihadist takeover. To avoid fuelling militancy, Manila must involve locals in reconstruction, implement a 2014 deal with Mindanao separatists and go beyond efforts to counter jihadist ideology
In May 2017, Muslim militants acting in the name of the Islamic State (ISIS) seized Marawi, a lakeside economic hub in the Lanao del Sur province of Mindanao, the second-largest island in the Philippines. It took the Filipino military five months to regain control of the city. Now, more than a year after the siege began, Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration in Manila appears overwhelmed by the task of reconstructing the destroyed city.
Manila faces significant challenge in restoring its writ, enabling the 200,000 civilians displaced by the fighting to return home and, more broadly, preventing a militant resurgence in Mindanao. Thus far, the government has tended to view jihadism in the archipelago as mostly ideologically motivated. Its policies, as a result, focus mostly on promoting counter-narratives, often through hand-picked local religious leaders who typically lack local legitimacy. In reality, jihadism’s roots lie in decades of separatist insurgency and dysfunctional local politics. Carrying out the provisions of a 2014 peace deal between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the largest armed group on Mindanao, would better suck the oxygen from jihadists than attempts to counter their ideology. Manila also should involve local communities in reconstruction, so those efforts do not fuel anger at the state.
Muslim Mindanao
Muslims are a minority in the Philippines, making up about 11 per cent of the population. On Mindanao, however, that proportion rises to roughly 23 per cent. In 1989 the government formed the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao with Lanao del Sur and three other provinces. This west-central part of the island has a rich Islamic heritage, embodied by Marawi with its concentration of historic mosques. When, in 1980, the city council designated Marawi an “Islamic city”, many of the city’s inhabitants saw that step as a welcome acknowledgement of this history. Now the city centre, including the Marawi Grand Mosque, has been reduced to rubble and is littered with unexploded ordnance, preventing the displaced from returning. Manila’s vision of reconstruction is a showcase of promenades and resorts built by a China-led consortium in the ruined commercial district.
The struggle to retake Marawi was the largest urban engagement for the Philippines armed forces since the Battle of Manila during World War II. The Maute Group, a jihadist group hailing from Lanao del Sur seized the city in an operation ISIS propagandists likened to the capture of Mosul in Iraq. It remains unclear how much operational guidance the Maute Group received from the ISIS core in Iraq and Syria during the battle. Open source evidence showed the Maute leaders, brothers Omar and Abdullah Maute, calling the shots during the final stages of attack planning.
This group of largely college-aged and, in some cases, particularly among the leadership, college-going militants held the city for months, thanks to a combination of local knowledge and planning capacity, funds generated locally and abroad, the arrival of dozens of foreign fighters and propaganda support from ISIS-linked media. The militant’s infiltration of the city before they seized it suggested the presence of sympathisers among Marawi’s inhabitants. Disenfranchised youth frustrated with the protracted Mindanao peace process and local clans who take an adversarial stance toward Manila-imposed policies provided a permissive environment for the Maute Group.
The protracted battle to oust the group highlighted limitations within the Philippines security forces in information gathering and urban warfare. These weaknesses, in turn, result at least partly from Manila’s struggle to adapt to the growing threat posed by jihadist cells adept at decentralised operations, after years fighting more hierarchical Mindanao secessionist groups whose structure emulates conventional military forces.
Jihadism in Mindanao should be understood against the backdrop of the 40-year Moro separatist conflict that has killed more than 120,000 people and displaced millions, and faltering efforts to find a political solution to that conflict. In 2014, the Philippine government and the MILF signed a peace deal – the Comprehensive Agreement on Bangsamoro – which pledged increased political autonomy, more equitable resource sharing and the demobilisation of former secessionists.
Since then, however, the agreement’s implementation has faltered due to factionalism among militant groups, objections from some legislators to the autonomy it envisaged for Muslim Mindanao and breaches of a ceasefire between the Philippines and the MILF. Prior to the Marawi siege, MILF commanders had warned that the longer the peace process remained mired in the legislature, the more receptive their junior cadres could grow to ISIS propaganda. Indeed, the Maute Group appears to have recruited former MILF fighters and has ties to armed factions previously aligned with the MILF.
Implementing the Bangsamoro deal is thus essential to efforts to curtail the influence and spread of jihadism, as well as the MILF’s splintering or return to combat. On 31 May, after an almost three-year delay, the Philippine legislature approved the bill that would enact a future Bangsamoro Basic Law, the most important component of the 2014 deal. Once signed into law by President Duterte, the bill would allow for the creation of a “new, political entity” – called Bangsamoro – in Mindanao to replace the existing Autonomous Region. This would address the MILF’s demands for self-rule and for Bangsamoro to benefit from a share of the wealth from Mindanao’s natural resources. Government surveys estimate natural gas reserves in the Liguasan Marsh at 68 billion cubic feet, leading some Maguindanao politicians to refer to the province as the “next Dubai”.
President Duterte is expected to sign the bill this month, which should check the growing impatience of younger MILF commanders. But while autonomy for Bangsamoro will be a good start, Manila also needs to rethink some of its core assumptions about what drives many Muslim Filipinos to militancy.
Domestic Roots of Mindanao Militancy
In the case of the Marawi takeover some observers solely attribute the Maute Group’s ability to occupy the city and then withstand the siege through foreign cash and fighters. Certainly foreign funds and the apparent reinforcement of the group’s ranks with seasoned fighters from abroad seem to have helped. But the full story is more complex. Mindanao’s jihadist milieu has its origins in local clan and electoral politics, as well as the grey economies that sustain militants such as the Maute Group.
Prior to pledging allegiance to ISIS, the Maute Group was in effect a private militia for the eponymous clan headed by matriarch Farhana Maute, intimidating other clans that contested in local elections in the province. It used coercion to mobilise votes and extort contractors involved in public works projects. This provided the group with experience in purveying violence that would prove useful during the Marawi siege. In 2016, after candidates backed by Farhana suffered losses, the Maute Group appeared to adopt ISIS-related imagery, less because of any particular affinity for ISIS’s ideology than to burnish its fading image as a tough enforcer. It also began to attract former fighters from MILF, especially younger members who felt that the peace process with Manila was taking too long.
In the past, other militants in Mindanao have similarly deployed jihadist rhetoric to promote a more ferocious image. Best known is the Abu Sayyaf Group, formed in the early 1990s by Abdurajak Janjalani, a Filipino veteran of the anti-Soviet mujahidin in Afghanistan. After Janjalani’s death in a 2006 police raid, the Abu Sayyaf Group became infamous for kidnapping-for-ransom activities under the guise of jihad. Kidnapping for ransom is a lucrative supplement to communities that would otherwise derive their incomes from fishing and subsistence farming. The lack of law enforcement and the challenging agricultural environment in western Mindanao incentivise kidnapping.
Abu Sayyaf leaders have long been connected to jihadist movements elsewhere. In its early years, the group’s leaders enjoyed al-Qaeda links and the global movement provided seed funding for attacks in the Philippines. Since mid-2014, Abu Sayyaf factions, particularly in the western Mindanao province of Sulu, have used ISIS-associated iconography such as black flags, apparently in part to extract larger ransoms from foreign governments.
Factors that motivate people to join Mindanao’s jihadist groups are complex. While ideology undoubtedly plays some role, motives among those in outfits like the Maute Group tend to be more material. As described, some local militias adopt the ISIS brand to intimidate rivals or project greater ferocity. Among the rank and file, involvement in jihadist militancy is often the result of a vocational decision within a family or a village, rather than an individual’s epiphany. Not a single Filipino Muslim has attempted a suicide bombing in nearly five decades of insurgency in Mindanao. The rewards in the afterlife promised by jihadist ideology have yet to trump the real-world needs of militants and their kin.
Nor have local jihadist groups produced ideological texts that indigenise the global jihadist movement. Compare this to the prolific writings of other non-state armed groups in the Philippines, such as the Communist Party of the Philippines and its New People’s Army, which outline what form locally-rooted communism might take. Or compare it to jihadists in Indonesia, who have long produced original vernacular material in various formats including books, pamphlets and DVDs. No such material exists in the Philippines.
Thus far, Manila has not invested seriously in understanding the origins of jihadism in Mindanao. Since the election of President Duterte, the Filipino policy response has veered from military operations to policies framed through the lens of “countering violent extremism” (CVE) – mostly involving efforts to counter jihadist propaganda and indoctrination – despite the absence of a national policy that defines “violent extremism”. CVE framing tends to reduce the complex interaction of political and socio-economic factors that underpin Mindanao’s ongoing conflict to the single cause of jihadist ideology.
The dominance of CVE discourse is likely to render Manila’s policy in Mindanao ineffective. The government’s effort to promote Muslim clerics it views as “moderate”, for example, may further alienate a populace that derides them as mere mouthpieces. Strategic communications campaigns to counter extremist content on social media do not resolve the real-world issues such as dysfunctional politics and economic deprivation that jihadists tap to win recruits.
Aftermath
In the shattered city of Marawi, civil society and neighbourhood collectives eye Manila’s reconstruction plans warily. Many fear that reconstruction, which will most likely be carried out by a Chinese-led consortium, may mean permanent exile for the displaced.
The Duterte administration has declared it wants to build a “new Marawi”, which includes plans for transforming the battle area into an “economic zone”, though precisely what this would entail remains unclear. Its plans appear to ignore the murkiness of land ownership in the city, where competing deeds and informal property claims have sparked periodic clan and family disputes for decades. Many residents of the area that saw the worst destruction, known as the “most affected area”, do not have deeds to their houses, many of which now lie in ruins. They may lose the right to rebuild their homes, while potentially receiving no compensation from the government. Manila cannot solve the problem by paving it over.
Mishandling Marawi’s reconstruction, notably by carrying it out in a manner than angers inhabitants, also risks amplifying the idea, pushed by the Maute Group and its allies, that Islam is under attack in Mindanao. A botched reconstruction could also impugn the autonomy-centric political stance of mainstream groups such as the MILF, potentially driving more of its younger members toward jihadism.
Locals take considerable pride in the city’s heritage as the centre of Islamic education in Mindanao. Should the government disregard that sentiment – and proceed with plans to gentrify the city centre in order to lure tourists – it could further alienate inhabitants of the city from the state. It also could entrench the sentiment of some influential clans that deployment of state security forces in the city was tantamount to foreign occupation. This, in turn, would play into the hands of Maute Group remnants or other violent rejectionist movements that may emerge.
Instead, Manila should enhance measures to involve Marawi’s inhabitants in its reconstruction. Substantial local input would signal a deeper commitment by the central government to Mindanao’s autonomy, even beyond the provisions of the Bangsamoro Basic Law, which itself should be enacted without delay. The Bangon Marawi (Rise Marawi) inter-agency task force supervising reconstruction should become an active partner of affected residents, rather than simply promoting the Chinese-backed plan.
Meanwhile, the Duterte administration should avoid pronouncements that cast Mindanao militants as “desperate” individuals driven to crime or hardcore terrorists who should be “eaten”. The Filipino security forces should instead refocus on intelligence analysis and build on their experience of peacebuilding, gained while the MILF was still in negotiations with the Philippine government. Nor should those officials who spearhead CVE policies pick which community or religious leaders will represent Marawi or Mindanao. Rather, they should focus on addressing the grievances that jihadist movements exploit, thus empowering individuals and communities that promote peace and support a political solution to the Mindanao conflict.
The jihadist takeover of Marawi, with the Maute Group able to leverage frustration at the gaps in governance and stalled peace process, was a jarring reminder to Manila of the depth of Muslim grievances in Mindanao. What started as militants’ tactical use of ISIS iconography ended in a protracted siege that brought into question the Philippines’ ability to attain peace in Mindanao. The government should take a holistic view of the drivers of conflict, being careful not to lose sight of those that predate the emergence of jihadist cells, notably the demands of many Muslims in Mindanao for a greater say in running their own affairs and reaping the benefits of the region’s natural resources. The Maute Group, for now, appears weakened, but if Manila mishandles the aftermath of the battle for Marawi and the reconstruction of that city, similar forces could easily arise in the years to come.
[Joseph Franco, Research Fellow with the Centre of Excellence for National Security, helped with research and preparation of this commentary as a Crisis Group consultant.]
https://reliefweb.int/report/philippines/philippines-addressing-islamist-militancy-after-battle-marawi
Officials condemn NPA attack on its community
From the Manila Bulletin (Jul 17): Officials condemn NPA attack on its community
BUTUAN CITY – Local officials strongly condemned the Communist New People’s Army (terrorists (CNTs) attack on its community.
(MANILA BULLETIN)
Capt. Francisco P. Garello Jr., Ciuvil Military Opertation (CMO) officer of the 36th Infantry (Valor) Battallion (36th IB) told The Manila Bulletin on Tuesday that local officials led by Tago town Mayor Rogelio M. Pimentel unanimously passed a resolution condemning the alleged atrocities of the CNTs.
The public condemnation stemmed from an incident at 11:05 a.m. on July 10, 2018, when the security team tasked to provide security in the community of Barangay Lindoy of that same town during the turn over and installation of a farm equipment (water pump) was harassed by undetermined number of CNTs resulting to the death of Cafgu Active Auxiliary (CAA) member Reymond L. Besinga, a resident of Barangay Bajao of that same town.
The local officials, led by Mayor Pimentel, saddened by the incident expressed their grief.
“On Behalf of the local government of Tago, I strongly condemn the terroristic act of the CPP-NPA on the death of CAA Besinga,” Capt. Garello said, quoting the statement of Mayor Pimentel
“I have encouraged everyone not to support the NPA in order to attain genuine peace in our place,” the 36th IB CMO Officer said, quoting the statement of the local chief executive.
Mayor Pimentel immediately called the MPOC for a special meeting wherein the members unanimously adopted and passed a resolution, and it read: “Resolution condemning the harassment by the Communist terrorists at Barangay Lindoy where CAA Reymond L. Besinga was killed and expressing sympathy to the bereaved family”, Capt. Garello said.
On the other hand, the Association of Barangay Captains (ABC) led by its president Geronimo D. Pimentel passed a resolution last weekend denouncing the incident and expressed their sentiments regarding the attack of the NPAs to the community as acts of terrorism. They encouraged every Tago resident to unite and support its government in order to realize an orderly and peaceful community, the CMO officer of the 36th IB added.
Meanwhile, Lt. Col. Xerxes A. Trinidad PA, commanding officer of the 36th “Valor” Battallion also expressed grief towards the tragic incident.
In a statement sent to The Manila Bulletin yesterday, the ground Army commander was bolstered even more to continue helping the farmers under the project “KaPALAYapaan” as it has proven effective in addressing the issues in the far flung barangays and disadvantaged areas in pursuit of the long and lasting peace in the province of Surigao del Sur.
The community was also harassed by the CNTs when they fired shots at the soldiers and innocent civilians during the community development program in Purok 2, Sitio Ibuan, Barangay Mampi, Lanuza town of that same province last February 21, 2018 which forced the residents to flee from their homes for safety.
“In behalf of 36the IB “Valor” troopers, we offer our sincerest condolences to the bereaved family. The ultimate sacrifice that CAA Besinga offered will always be remembered by us and the community he has served. The CNTs tried to disrupt the Army’s Peace and Development initiatives for the farmers in the area but we are even more emboldened to perform our mandate and will continue to pursue in attaining a peaceful and developed community under the Project KaPALAYapaan”, added Lt. Col. Trinidad.
https://news.mb.com.ph/2018/07/17/officials-condemn-npa-attack-on-its-community/
BUTUAN CITY – Local officials strongly condemned the Communist New People’s Army (terrorists (CNTs) attack on its community.
(MANILA BULLETIN)
Capt. Francisco P. Garello Jr., Ciuvil Military Opertation (CMO) officer of the 36th Infantry (Valor) Battallion (36th IB) told The Manila Bulletin on Tuesday that local officials led by Tago town Mayor Rogelio M. Pimentel unanimously passed a resolution condemning the alleged atrocities of the CNTs.
The public condemnation stemmed from an incident at 11:05 a.m. on July 10, 2018, when the security team tasked to provide security in the community of Barangay Lindoy of that same town during the turn over and installation of a farm equipment (water pump) was harassed by undetermined number of CNTs resulting to the death of Cafgu Active Auxiliary (CAA) member Reymond L. Besinga, a resident of Barangay Bajao of that same town.
The local officials, led by Mayor Pimentel, saddened by the incident expressed their grief.
“On Behalf of the local government of Tago, I strongly condemn the terroristic act of the CPP-NPA on the death of CAA Besinga,” Capt. Garello said, quoting the statement of Mayor Pimentel
“I have encouraged everyone not to support the NPA in order to attain genuine peace in our place,” the 36th IB CMO Officer said, quoting the statement of the local chief executive.
Mayor Pimentel immediately called the MPOC for a special meeting wherein the members unanimously adopted and passed a resolution, and it read: “Resolution condemning the harassment by the Communist terrorists at Barangay Lindoy where CAA Reymond L. Besinga was killed and expressing sympathy to the bereaved family”, Capt. Garello said.
On the other hand, the Association of Barangay Captains (ABC) led by its president Geronimo D. Pimentel passed a resolution last weekend denouncing the incident and expressed their sentiments regarding the attack of the NPAs to the community as acts of terrorism. They encouraged every Tago resident to unite and support its government in order to realize an orderly and peaceful community, the CMO officer of the 36th IB added.
Meanwhile, Lt. Col. Xerxes A. Trinidad PA, commanding officer of the 36th “Valor” Battallion also expressed grief towards the tragic incident.
In a statement sent to The Manila Bulletin yesterday, the ground Army commander was bolstered even more to continue helping the farmers under the project “KaPALAYapaan” as it has proven effective in addressing the issues in the far flung barangays and disadvantaged areas in pursuit of the long and lasting peace in the province of Surigao del Sur.
The community was also harassed by the CNTs when they fired shots at the soldiers and innocent civilians during the community development program in Purok 2, Sitio Ibuan, Barangay Mampi, Lanuza town of that same province last February 21, 2018 which forced the residents to flee from their homes for safety.
“In behalf of 36the IB “Valor” troopers, we offer our sincerest condolences to the bereaved family. The ultimate sacrifice that CAA Besinga offered will always be remembered by us and the community he has served. The CNTs tried to disrupt the Army’s Peace and Development initiatives for the farmers in the area but we are even more emboldened to perform our mandate and will continue to pursue in attaining a peaceful and developed community under the Project KaPALAYapaan”, added Lt. Col. Trinidad.
https://news.mb.com.ph/2018/07/17/officials-condemn-npa-attack-on-its-community/
Troops arrest Abu Sayyaf member
From the Sun Star-Zamboanga (Jul 17): Troops arrest Abu Sayyaf member
GOVERNMENT operatives have arrested an alleged member of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) in an east coast village in Zamboanga City, the police said Tuesday, July 17.
Chief Inspector Helen Galvez, Police Regional Office-Zamboanga Peninsula information officer, identified the arrested ASG member as Nusrin Pawaji alias Nanir Bandahala.
She said Pawaji was arrested by joint police and military operatives in a law enforcement operation at 5:20 p.m. Sunday at Sitio Niyog-Niyog in Muti village.
Galvez said Pawaji has standing warrant of arrest for the crime of multiple attempted murder issued by a court in this city date January 29, 2018.
The police officer said Pawaji belongs to the group of Jamiul Nasalon alias Jamih, which operates in the east coast of this city.
She said that Pawaji’s group was involved in atrocities like extortion to businesses and fishermen as well in the ambush of a passenger bus on February 14, 2017 in Buenavista village.
She added that he was involved in the killing of eight fishermen on January 9, 2017 near Siromon Island.
https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1753288/Zamboanga/Local-News/Troops-arrest-Abu-Sayyaf-member
GOVERNMENT operatives have arrested an alleged member of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) in an east coast village in Zamboanga City, the police said Tuesday, July 17.
Chief Inspector Helen Galvez, Police Regional Office-Zamboanga Peninsula information officer, identified the arrested ASG member as Nusrin Pawaji alias Nanir Bandahala.
She said Pawaji was arrested by joint police and military operatives in a law enforcement operation at 5:20 p.m. Sunday at Sitio Niyog-Niyog in Muti village.
Galvez said Pawaji has standing warrant of arrest for the crime of multiple attempted murder issued by a court in this city date January 29, 2018.
The police officer said Pawaji belongs to the group of Jamiul Nasalon alias Jamih, which operates in the east coast of this city.
She said that Pawaji’s group was involved in atrocities like extortion to businesses and fishermen as well in the ambush of a passenger bus on February 14, 2017 in Buenavista village.
She added that he was involved in the killing of eight fishermen on January 9, 2017 near Siromon Island.
https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1753288/Zamboanga/Local-News/Troops-arrest-Abu-Sayyaf-member
ICRC gives med supplies
From the Manila Bulletin (Jul 17): ICRC gives med supplies
Medical supplies were recently donated by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ (AFP) Camp Siongco Station Hospital (CSSH) in Maguindanao.
According to ICRC, medical supplies such as tetanus vaccines were sent last week to help treat wounded soldiers in the recent clashes in Maguindanao province, central Mindanao.
CSSH is attached to the 6th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army in Awang, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao.
From June to July, it has assisted at least 30 wounded soldiers since the armed clashes between the military and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) occurred.
Liutenant Col. Himaya Matas, CSSH hospital chief, expressed gratitude towards the donated medical supplies, saying “[such] are sufficient to treat 10,000 people in the next three months.”
https://news.mb.com.ph/2018/07/17/icrc-gives-med-supplies/
Medical supplies were recently donated by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ (AFP) Camp Siongco Station Hospital (CSSH) in Maguindanao.
According to ICRC, medical supplies such as tetanus vaccines were sent last week to help treat wounded soldiers in the recent clashes in Maguindanao province, central Mindanao.
CSSH is attached to the 6th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army in Awang, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao.
From June to July, it has assisted at least 30 wounded soldiers since the armed clashes between the military and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) occurred.
Liutenant Col. Himaya Matas, CSSH hospital chief, expressed gratitude towards the donated medical supplies, saying “[such] are sufficient to treat 10,000 people in the next three months.”
https://news.mb.com.ph/2018/07/17/icrc-gives-med-supplies/
Esperon: 11,000 NPAs, terrorists neutralized
From Malaya Business Insight (Jul 19): Esperon: 11,000 NPAs, terrorists neutralized
NEARLY 11,000 communists and terrorists have been neutralized under the Duterte administration, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. said yesterday.
“Neutralize,” in military language, means killing, surrender or arrest of an enemy.
“We have conducted focused operations against the communist terrorist group which, for the period, resulted in the neutralization of approximately 8,700 communist terrorist group personalities and recovery of 2,246 firearms,” Esperon said referring to the New People’s Army, the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines.
The NPA, according to latest military figures, has only about 3,900 members. Sources said the 8,700 figure cited by Esperon are mostly NPA supporters.
Esperon disclosed the figures, which came from the defense and military establishments, during a pre-State of the Nation Address conference held in Pasay City.
The Duterte administration resumed formal talks with the communist group in August 2016. The resumption of the fifth round of formal talks, which was supposed to be last month, was postponed by President Duterte pending a review of all agreements the government and the communists have signed.
On terrorist groups, Esperon said government forces have killed 955 members of the Maute group and 35 others were arrested during the five-month Marawi City siege that started in May last year.
Esperon said the operations in Marawi City also resulted in the recovery of 902 assorted firearms, 2,594 ordnance and explosive devices, 12 kilos of shabu and rescue of 1,918 hostages.
http://malaya.com.ph/business-news/news/esperon-11000-npas-terrorists-neutralized
NEARLY 11,000 communists and terrorists have been neutralized under the Duterte administration, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. said yesterday.
“Neutralize,” in military language, means killing, surrender or arrest of an enemy.
“We have conducted focused operations against the communist terrorist group which, for the period, resulted in the neutralization of approximately 8,700 communist terrorist group personalities and recovery of 2,246 firearms,” Esperon said referring to the New People’s Army, the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines.
The NPA, according to latest military figures, has only about 3,900 members. Sources said the 8,700 figure cited by Esperon are mostly NPA supporters.
Esperon disclosed the figures, which came from the defense and military establishments, during a pre-State of the Nation Address conference held in Pasay City.
The Duterte administration resumed formal talks with the communist group in August 2016. The resumption of the fifth round of formal talks, which was supposed to be last month, was postponed by President Duterte pending a review of all agreements the government and the communists have signed.
On terrorist groups, Esperon said government forces have killed 955 members of the Maute group and 35 others were arrested during the five-month Marawi City siege that started in May last year.
Esperon said the operations in Marawi City also resulted in the recovery of 902 assorted firearms, 2,594 ordnance and explosive devices, 12 kilos of shabu and rescue of 1,918 hostages.
http://malaya.com.ph/business-news/news/esperon-11000-npas-terrorists-neutralized
Bicam OKs final Bangsamoro bill for Duterte signature
From Rappler (Jul 18): Bicam OKs final Bangsamoro bill for Duterte signature
(3rd UPDATE) President Rodrigo Duterte is set to sign the proposed Bangsamoro Organic Law ahead of his 3rd State of the Nation Address on Monday, July 23
https://www.rappler.com/nation/207524-bangsamoro-bill-final-version-approved-for-duterte-signature
(3rd UPDATE) President Rodrigo Duterte is set to sign the proposed Bangsamoro Organic Law ahead of his 3rd State of the Nation Address on Monday, July 23
APPROVED. The bicameral conference committee approves the final version of the Bangsamoro bill, which will now be up for President Rodrigo Duterte's signature. Photo by Mara Cepeda/Rappler
(3rd UPDATE) – The bicameral conference committee finalized on Wednesday, July 18, the bill that would establish and grant greater autonomy to a new Bangsamoro region.
It took the bicam more than a week to reconcile the differing provisions of the House and Senate versions of the measure, with heated exchanges between members.
The House and the Senate would now have to ratify the bicameral conference committee report. They are set to do it on Monday, July 23, during the opening of the 3rd session of the 17th Congress and ahead of President Rodrigo Duterte's 3rd State of the Nation Address (SONA).
Duterte is expected to sign the proposed Bangsamoro measure into law just hours before his SONA.
(3rd UPDATE) – The bicameral conference committee finalized on Wednesday, July 18, the bill that would establish and grant greater autonomy to a new Bangsamoro region.
It took the bicam more than a week to reconcile the differing provisions of the House and Senate versions of the measure, with heated exchanges between members.
The House and the Senate would now have to ratify the bicameral conference committee report. They are set to do it on Monday, July 23, during the opening of the 3rd session of the 17th Congress and ahead of President Rodrigo Duterte's 3rd State of the Nation Address (SONA).
Duterte is expected to sign the proposed Bangsamoro measure into law just hours before his SONA.
The final version, officially named the Bangsamoro Organic Law, seeks to abolish the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and replace it with the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, which would have greater fiscal autonomy, a regional government, parliament, and justice system.
The proposed region would be composed of the current ARMM – Tawi-Tawi, Sulu, Basilan, Maguindanao, and Lanao del Sur – pending a regional plebiscite.
The bill also seeks to include 6 municipalities of Lanao del Norte and 39 barangays of North Cotabato in the Bangsamoro, provided that the province and their municipalities, respectively, vote for it. These areas previously voted to be included in the ARMM but failed when their mother units voted otherwise.
This was the most contentious provision in the bill, leading to an initial deadlock. The panel eventually sought the advice of the President, who in the end sided with the House on the issue and not with the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC).
The chartered cities of Cotabato and Isabela would also be included in the proposed region, subject to the approval of their respective registered voters in the plebiscite.
The bill also has an opt-in provision, allowing adjacent areas to join the Bangsamoro, with a petition of at least 10% of their voters.
'Not perfect, but good start'
Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri first moved to accept the Bangsamoro bill on the part of the senators. House Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas followed soon after for the lower chamber. At 8:52 pm, both legislators hit their gavels, signaling the bicam's acceptance of the measure.
Cheers and applause erupted in the room.
Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) chairperson and Moro Islamic Liberation Front vice chairperson Ghazali Jaafar as well as MILF chief negotiator Mohagher Iqbal were later called in front to join the ceremonial signing of the bill.
"We are satisfied. It is not a perfect law, but it is good to start with. It is very important to us," said Jaafar before the bicam members.
Some lawmakers hugged and patted each other's backs, having spent 6 grueling days reconciling the bill's contentious provisions.
CEREMONIAL SIGNING. House Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas and Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri sign the proposed Bangsamoro Organic Law on July 18, 2018. Photo by Ben Nabong/Rappler
Just before the approval, House Deputy Speaker Bai Sandra Sema flashed a piece of paper bearing the words "Thank you" to Zamboanga City 1st District Representative Celso Lobregat, with whom she had several heated debates concerning the jurisdiction over the resource-rich Sulu Sea and the Moro Gulf.
Sema then approached Lobregat as he wrote the words "You're welcome" on another piece of paper. The two lawmakers then posed for a photo.
Among the last issues the bicam settled were provisions over the preamble and the date of the plebiscite.
Fariñas said they finally settled on the phrase, "We, the Filipino people, cognizant of the aspirations of the Bangsamoro people."
The bicam also agreed the plebiscite would be held not earlier than 90 days and not later than 150 days from Duterte's approval of the law.
Zubiri added that the first regular elections in the new region would coincide with the national elections in May 2022.
Parliament, justice, wealth
Once the bill is signed into law, a Bangsamoro government would be established, headed by a chief minister and a ceremonial leader called a Wali.
There would also be a parliament composed of 80 members – 50% party representatives, 40% district representatives, and 10% sectoral representatives, including two reserved seats for "non-Moro indigenous peoples and settler communities."
Despite having its own government, the Bangsamoro would not have its own military and police force, as these would still be under the national government. (READ: Bicam adopts Senate provision vs Bangsamoro firearms purchase)
As for justice, the region will have its own system based on the unique cultural and historical heritage of the Bangsamoro. (READ: Bicam approves creation of Shari'ah High Court in Bangsamoro)
The justice system of the region would be aligned with the 1987 Constitution, Shari'ah or Islamic law, traditional or tribal laws, and other relevant laws.
Shari'ah law would apply exclusively to cases involving Muslims. If a case involves a non-Muslim, Shari'ah law may apply only if the non-Muslim voluntarily submits to the jurisdiction of the Shari'ah court.
The traditional or tribal laws, meanwhile, would be applicable to disputes of indigenous peoples within the Bangsamoro.
The bill also seeks 75-25 wealth sharing between the national and Bangsamoro government. This means 75% of the national internal revenue collection would go to the Bangsamoro, and 25% to the central government.
An annual block grant, pegged at a 5% share of the national internal revenue or some P59 billion, would also be automatically appropriated to the region without any conditions.
The Bangsamoro region would also primarily oversee all inland bodies of water, except for those that produce energy for other areas outside its jurisdiction. Energy-producing bodies of water, like Lake Lanao, would instead be co-managed by the region together with the Department of Energy.
The bill also seeks to include 6 municipalities of Lanao del Norte and 39 barangays of North Cotabato in the Bangsamoro, provided that the province and their municipalities, respectively, vote for it. These areas previously voted to be included in the ARMM but failed when their mother units voted otherwise.
This was the most contentious provision in the bill, leading to an initial deadlock. The panel eventually sought the advice of the President, who in the end sided with the House on the issue and not with the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC).
The chartered cities of Cotabato and Isabela would also be included in the proposed region, subject to the approval of their respective registered voters in the plebiscite.
The bill also has an opt-in provision, allowing adjacent areas to join the Bangsamoro, with a petition of at least 10% of their voters.
'Not perfect, but good start'
Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri first moved to accept the Bangsamoro bill on the part of the senators. House Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas followed soon after for the lower chamber. At 8:52 pm, both legislators hit their gavels, signaling the bicam's acceptance of the measure.
Cheers and applause erupted in the room.
Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) chairperson and Moro Islamic Liberation Front vice chairperson Ghazali Jaafar as well as MILF chief negotiator Mohagher Iqbal were later called in front to join the ceremonial signing of the bill.
"We are satisfied. It is not a perfect law, but it is good to start with. It is very important to us," said Jaafar before the bicam members.
Some lawmakers hugged and patted each other's backs, having spent 6 grueling days reconciling the bill's contentious provisions.
CEREMONIAL SIGNING. House Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas and Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri sign the proposed Bangsamoro Organic Law on July 18, 2018. Photo by Ben Nabong/Rappler
Just before the approval, House Deputy Speaker Bai Sandra Sema flashed a piece of paper bearing the words "Thank you" to Zamboanga City 1st District Representative Celso Lobregat, with whom she had several heated debates concerning the jurisdiction over the resource-rich Sulu Sea and the Moro Gulf.
Sema then approached Lobregat as he wrote the words "You're welcome" on another piece of paper. The two lawmakers then posed for a photo.
Among the last issues the bicam settled were provisions over the preamble and the date of the plebiscite.
Fariñas said they finally settled on the phrase, "We, the Filipino people, cognizant of the aspirations of the Bangsamoro people."
The bicam also agreed the plebiscite would be held not earlier than 90 days and not later than 150 days from Duterte's approval of the law.
Zubiri added that the first regular elections in the new region would coincide with the national elections in May 2022.
Parliament, justice, wealth
Once the bill is signed into law, a Bangsamoro government would be established, headed by a chief minister and a ceremonial leader called a Wali.
There would also be a parliament composed of 80 members – 50% party representatives, 40% district representatives, and 10% sectoral representatives, including two reserved seats for "non-Moro indigenous peoples and settler communities."
Despite having its own government, the Bangsamoro would not have its own military and police force, as these would still be under the national government. (READ: Bicam adopts Senate provision vs Bangsamoro firearms purchase)
As for justice, the region will have its own system based on the unique cultural and historical heritage of the Bangsamoro. (READ: Bicam approves creation of Shari'ah High Court in Bangsamoro)
The justice system of the region would be aligned with the 1987 Constitution, Shari'ah or Islamic law, traditional or tribal laws, and other relevant laws.
Shari'ah law would apply exclusively to cases involving Muslims. If a case involves a non-Muslim, Shari'ah law may apply only if the non-Muslim voluntarily submits to the jurisdiction of the Shari'ah court.
The traditional or tribal laws, meanwhile, would be applicable to disputes of indigenous peoples within the Bangsamoro.
The bill also seeks 75-25 wealth sharing between the national and Bangsamoro government. This means 75% of the national internal revenue collection would go to the Bangsamoro, and 25% to the central government.
An annual block grant, pegged at a 5% share of the national internal revenue or some P59 billion, would also be automatically appropriated to the region without any conditions.
The Bangsamoro region would also primarily oversee all inland bodies of water, except for those that produce energy for other areas outside its jurisdiction. Energy-producing bodies of water, like Lake Lanao, would instead be co-managed by the region together with the Department of Energy.
https://www.rappler.com/nation/207524-bangsamoro-bill-final-version-approved-for-duterte-signature
Army to build hanging bridge
From the Visayan Daily Star (Jul 18): Army to build hanging bridge
The Army’s 542nd Engineering Construction Battalion is building another steel hanging bridge in a remote barangay of Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental.
The 80-meter steel hanging bridge, with a budget of P2.3 million, will connect Sitio Cabagal to four other sitios of Brgy. Buenavista, Himamaylan City, Capt. Ariel Castro of the 3rd Civil Military Operations Battalion said.
The groundbreaking rites were held July 13 in the area, and was attended by 70 barangay residents headed by Buenavista barangay chairman Harry Higgins, Maj. Arvin Cabantug of the 542ng ECB, Chief Inspector Antonio Benitez, Himamaylan City police chief, and Councilor Emmanuel Castro, who represented Mayor Ernesto Agustin Bascon.
Castro said the steel bridge will connect sitios of Cabagal, Malo, Palay, Vito and Universal, all of Brgy. Buenavista, Himamaylan City. The project is funded by the city government.
Two other steel hanging bridges were also constructed by Army engineers in Brgys Carabalan and Mahalang, all in Himamaylan City.
Cabantug, who is the executive officer of 542 ECB, said the new project is a symbol of “peace and development” dedicated to the Buenavista barangay residents, in collaboration with the city government of Himamaylan.
He added that the steel hanging bridge will provide access to the five Buenavista barangay sitios, whose residents and students now have to cross the river, in order to go to other sitios.
http://www.visayandailystar.com/2018/July/18/topstory7.htm
The Army’s 542nd Engineering Construction Battalion is building another steel hanging bridge in a remote barangay of Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental.
The 80-meter steel hanging bridge, with a budget of P2.3 million, will connect Sitio Cabagal to four other sitios of Brgy. Buenavista, Himamaylan City, Capt. Ariel Castro of the 3rd Civil Military Operations Battalion said.
The groundbreaking rites were held July 13 in the area, and was attended by 70 barangay residents headed by Buenavista barangay chairman Harry Higgins, Maj. Arvin Cabantug of the 542ng ECB, Chief Inspector Antonio Benitez, Himamaylan City police chief, and Councilor Emmanuel Castro, who represented Mayor Ernesto Agustin Bascon.
Castro said the steel bridge will connect sitios of Cabagal, Malo, Palay, Vito and Universal, all of Brgy. Buenavista, Himamaylan City. The project is funded by the city government.
Two other steel hanging bridges were also constructed by Army engineers in Brgys Carabalan and Mahalang, all in Himamaylan City.
Cabantug, who is the executive officer of 542 ECB, said the new project is a symbol of “peace and development” dedicated to the Buenavista barangay residents, in collaboration with the city government of Himamaylan.
He added that the steel hanging bridge will provide access to the five Buenavista barangay sitios, whose residents and students now have to cross the river, in order to go to other sitios.
http://www.visayandailystar.com/2018/July/18/topstory7.htm
Kin of slain suspected bomb maker sued for obstruction of justice
From MindaNews (Jul 18): Kin of slain suspected bomb maker sued for obstruction of justice
GENERAL SANTOS CITY – Six family members of an alleged bomb maker of the Islamic State-inspired Maute group who was killed in a joint Army-police operation here last Monday have been charged with obstruction of justice and coddling of a fugitive.
The suspects were arrested following the dawn raid at their house in Zone 3, Block 4 in Barangay Fatima.
Chief Supt. Marcelo Morales, Region 12 police director, said they filed the complaints on Tuesday before the city prosecutor’s office.
The main target Najib Calimba Pundug alias Najib Hussein, alleged number two man of the Maute under its new leader Owaidah Abdulmajib Marohombsar alias Abu Dar, was killed in an encounter with joint operatives.
Charged were Najib’s mother Saramina Calimba Pundug, his wife Famida Macasindel and siblings Nafah Macaraya, Naica Amina Calimba Pundug, Sittie Nashibah Calimba Pundug and Mohammad Naif Calimba Pundug.
“We’re still looking into other possible charges that may be filed against them,” Morales said Wednesday.
He said these could be determined through the digital forensic examination on several laptops and cellphones that were recovered from the suspects during the operation.
The official said experts will also examine the six cellphones, a tablet computer and a laptop computer seized from Nafisah Pundug, another sister of Najib and wife of Abu Dar.
Nafisah was nabbed in a follow-up operation Monday morning in Purok Maunlad, Barangay Apopong.
“She was directly involved with the (Maute) group and actually left Lanao del Sur to escape from a number of charges filed against her,” he said without further elaborating.
Morales said security and intelligence operations are ongoing in other parts of Region 12 for the possible presence of other members of the Maute group, which had pledged support to the international terror group Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.
After the five-month siege of Marawi City last year, he said the group’s members were monitored to have splintered and moved to various parts of Mindanao as a strategy to avoid tracking by authorities.
But aside from Najib, he said they have not monitored any other Maute member who may have entered the city and the neighboring areas.
Col. Adonis Bajao, commanding officer of the Army-led Joint Task Force GenSan, said they are also monitoring possible new recruits in the area of the slain Maute “bomb-maker.”
Najib, who was previously based in Lanao del Sur, was staying with his family in Barangay Fatima when he was killed.
He said the slain suspect reportedly moved to the city to “reconsolidate and recruit” new members.
“He (Najib) was monitored to have visited some areas and houses while he was in GenSan,” Bajao said.
http://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2018/07/kin-of-slain-suspected-bomb-maker-sued-for-obstruction-of-justice/
GENERAL SANTOS CITY – Six family members of an alleged bomb maker of the Islamic State-inspired Maute group who was killed in a joint Army-police operation here last Monday have been charged with obstruction of justice and coddling of a fugitive.
The suspects were arrested following the dawn raid at their house in Zone 3, Block 4 in Barangay Fatima.
Chief Supt. Marcelo Morales, Region 12 police director, said they filed the complaints on Tuesday before the city prosecutor’s office.
The main target Najib Calimba Pundug alias Najib Hussein, alleged number two man of the Maute under its new leader Owaidah Abdulmajib Marohombsar alias Abu Dar, was killed in an encounter with joint operatives.
Charged were Najib’s mother Saramina Calimba Pundug, his wife Famida Macasindel and siblings Nafah Macaraya, Naica Amina Calimba Pundug, Sittie Nashibah Calimba Pundug and Mohammad Naif Calimba Pundug.
“We’re still looking into other possible charges that may be filed against them,” Morales said Wednesday.
He said these could be determined through the digital forensic examination on several laptops and cellphones that were recovered from the suspects during the operation.
The official said experts will also examine the six cellphones, a tablet computer and a laptop computer seized from Nafisah Pundug, another sister of Najib and wife of Abu Dar.
Nafisah was nabbed in a follow-up operation Monday morning in Purok Maunlad, Barangay Apopong.
“She was directly involved with the (Maute) group and actually left Lanao del Sur to escape from a number of charges filed against her,” he said without further elaborating.
Morales said security and intelligence operations are ongoing in other parts of Region 12 for the possible presence of other members of the Maute group, which had pledged support to the international terror group Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.
After the five-month siege of Marawi City last year, he said the group’s members were monitored to have splintered and moved to various parts of Mindanao as a strategy to avoid tracking by authorities.
But aside from Najib, he said they have not monitored any other Maute member who may have entered the city and the neighboring areas.
Col. Adonis Bajao, commanding officer of the Army-led Joint Task Force GenSan, said they are also monitoring possible new recruits in the area of the slain Maute “bomb-maker.”
Najib, who was previously based in Lanao del Sur, was staying with his family in Barangay Fatima when he was killed.
He said the slain suspect reportedly moved to the city to “reconsolidate and recruit” new members.
“He (Najib) was monitored to have visited some areas and houses while he was in GenSan,” Bajao said.
http://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2018/07/kin-of-slain-suspected-bomb-maker-sued-for-obstruction-of-justice/
4 Sayyaf militants yield in Sulu
From the Mindanao Examiner (Jul 18): 4 Sayyaf militants yield in Sulu
Four Abu Sayyaf militants have surrendered to Sulu Governor Toto Tan and have been handed over to the military where they are currently being investigated.
The four young militants also surrendered three rifles and an automatic pistol to Tan in the presence of Lt. Col. Amadeo Cruz, commander of the 35th Infantry Battalion, at the Provincial Capitol in Patikul town on Tuesday.
The Sulu Provincial Government releases a photo July 17, 2018 of 4 Abu Sayyaf fighters who surrendered to Governor Toto Tan in Patikul town. Tan is shown talking with Lt. Col. Amadeo Cruz, commander of the 35th Infantry Battalion, at the Provincial Capitol.
The names of the surrenderees were not made public as military investigation continues in an effort to gather intelligence on the Abu Sayyaf activities in the province.
Tan said village officials of Anuling in Patikul town and the army battalion were instrumental in the surrender of the militants who wanted to live a peaceful life with their families. “They were instrumental in convincing the militants to surrender and return to the fold of the law,” he said. “The four surrenderees are now under the military custody.”
The governor also urged other Abu Sayyaf members to give up fighting and surrender peacefully and avail of the government’s amnesty program. “I hope that other members of lawless groups will follow suit and surrender in order for our people to enjoy an environment that is free from constant threat of fear and terror,” Tan said.
Last week, three Abu Sayyaf fighters – Radjuli Hadjijani, 25; Jun-Jun Elah, 45; and Indek Sahimarri, 28, – also surrendered to the military in Sulu. They also handed over their M1 Garand rifles to the 101st Infantry Brigade under Brig. Gen. Divino Rey Pabayo.
Some 127 Abu Sayyaf fighters had surrendered to the military in the Sulu, Basilan, Tawi-Tawi, and Zamboanga City since January this year.
Security forces have intensified its offensive operation against the notorious group in an effort to neutralize those who continue to fight the government. The Abu Sayyaf is still holding nearly a dozen hostages, mostly foreign sailors kidnapped at sea in the restive southern Philippine region over the past years.
Four Abu Sayyaf militants have surrendered to Sulu Governor Toto Tan and have been handed over to the military where they are currently being investigated.
The four young militants also surrendered three rifles and an automatic pistol to Tan in the presence of Lt. Col. Amadeo Cruz, commander of the 35th Infantry Battalion, at the Provincial Capitol in Patikul town on Tuesday.
The Sulu Provincial Government releases a photo July 17, 2018 of 4 Abu Sayyaf fighters who surrendered to Governor Toto Tan in Patikul town. Tan is shown talking with Lt. Col. Amadeo Cruz, commander of the 35th Infantry Battalion, at the Provincial Capitol.
The names of the surrenderees were not made public as military investigation continues in an effort to gather intelligence on the Abu Sayyaf activities in the province.
Tan said village officials of Anuling in Patikul town and the army battalion were instrumental in the surrender of the militants who wanted to live a peaceful life with their families. “They were instrumental in convincing the militants to surrender and return to the fold of the law,” he said. “The four surrenderees are now under the military custody.”
The governor also urged other Abu Sayyaf members to give up fighting and surrender peacefully and avail of the government’s amnesty program. “I hope that other members of lawless groups will follow suit and surrender in order for our people to enjoy an environment that is free from constant threat of fear and terror,” Tan said.
Last week, three Abu Sayyaf fighters – Radjuli Hadjijani, 25; Jun-Jun Elah, 45; and Indek Sahimarri, 28, – also surrendered to the military in Sulu. They also handed over their M1 Garand rifles to the 101st Infantry Brigade under Brig. Gen. Divino Rey Pabayo.
Some 127 Abu Sayyaf fighters had surrendered to the military in the Sulu, Basilan, Tawi-Tawi, and Zamboanga City since January this year.
Security forces have intensified its offensive operation against the notorious group in an effort to neutralize those who continue to fight the government. The Abu Sayyaf is still holding nearly a dozen hostages, mostly foreign sailors kidnapped at sea in the restive southern Philippine region over the past years.
6 kidnapped Zamboanga family members ‘rescued’ in Sulu
From the Mindanao Examiner (Jul 18): 6 kidnapped Zamboanga family members ‘rescued’ in Sulu
Security forces have allegedly rescued 6 members of a farming family kidnapped in Zamboanga del Norte’s Sirawai town and were all handed over Thursday to the municipal mayor, a military spokesman said.
Lt. Col. Gerry Besana, of the Western Mindanao Command, said the victims were rescued by soldiers and policemen before midnight Wednesday in the village of Gata in Talipao town in Sulu province.
“The rescue operations, in support to the law enforcement operations of the Philippine National Police, was successfully undertaken by the combined elements of the Marine Battalion Landing Team 3 led by Lieutenant Colonel Ramil Holgado, under the Joint Task Force Sulu led by Brigadier General Devino Rey Pabayo, with support from the intelligence operatives of the Philippine Navy,” he said without further elaborating.
Besana did not say if any of the kidnappers had been arrested or if security forces clashed with the captors, or if the victims were freed and fetched by troops in Sulu.
Gunmen kidnapped Feliciano Javier, 28; his wife Elsa, 28, and their five-month old baby Vincent; and Junior Javier, 22, and wife Rica, also 22-years old and their five-year old son Val, on July 1. The couples are all keepers of farm owned by Valiente Felizarta, the municipal engineer of Sirawai.
The kidnappers originally demanded P400,000 for the safe release of the hostages. Police have tagged Jamilon Tukalan as the leader of the kidnappers, but the Western Mindanao Command said the gang is headed by Jamilo Wahab. It was unclear whether Tukalan and Wahab is the same man or if he is a leader of the Abu Sayyaf or allied with the notorious group.
The town’s deputy mayor, Jaime Felizarta, told police investigators that a man, who identified himself as “Abu” demanded the ransoms.
https://mindanaoexaminer.com/6-kidnapped-zamboanga-family-members-rescued-in-sulu/
Security forces have allegedly rescued 6 members of a farming family kidnapped in Zamboanga del Norte’s Sirawai town and were all handed over Thursday to the municipal mayor, a military spokesman said.
Lt. Col. Gerry Besana, of the Western Mindanao Command, said the victims were rescued by soldiers and policemen before midnight Wednesday in the village of Gata in Talipao town in Sulu province.
“The rescue operations, in support to the law enforcement operations of the Philippine National Police, was successfully undertaken by the combined elements of the Marine Battalion Landing Team 3 led by Lieutenant Colonel Ramil Holgado, under the Joint Task Force Sulu led by Brigadier General Devino Rey Pabayo, with support from the intelligence operatives of the Philippine Navy,” he said without further elaborating.
Besana did not say if any of the kidnappers had been arrested or if security forces clashed with the captors, or if the victims were freed and fetched by troops in Sulu.
Gunmen kidnapped Feliciano Javier, 28; his wife Elsa, 28, and their five-month old baby Vincent; and Junior Javier, 22, and wife Rica, also 22-years old and their five-year old son Val, on July 1. The couples are all keepers of farm owned by Valiente Felizarta, the municipal engineer of Sirawai.
The kidnappers originally demanded P400,000 for the safe release of the hostages. Police have tagged Jamilon Tukalan as the leader of the kidnappers, but the Western Mindanao Command said the gang is headed by Jamilo Wahab. It was unclear whether Tukalan and Wahab is the same man or if he is a leader of the Abu Sayyaf or allied with the notorious group.
The town’s deputy mayor, Jaime Felizarta, told police investigators that a man, who identified himself as “Abu” demanded the ransoms.
https://mindanaoexaminer.com/6-kidnapped-zamboanga-family-members-rescued-in-sulu/
NCRPO gears up for SONA, AFP to support police force
From the Philippine Information Agency (Jul 18): NCRPO gears up for SONA, AFP to support police force
QUEZON CITY, July 18 (PIA) – The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) is gearing up for the third State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on Monday, July 23, at the Batasan Pambansa here.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP’s) Joint Task Force- National Capital Region (JTF-NCR) is also on standby to provide support to the PNP.
NCRPO head, Chief Superintendent Guillermo Lorenzo T. Eleazar heads the Metro Manila police force’s SONA security preparations.
Eleazar said at least 6,000 policemen will be deployed within the vicinity of the Batasan Pambansa Complex as part of the security measure.
The NCRPO chief also said they are coordinating with other peace and order agencies to secure the event.
Just like in the past two years, the NCRPO will be getting help from the Armed Forces, the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, the Bureau of Fire Protection and the Quezon City local government in securing Batasan Pambansa where the President will address the nation. The Presidential Security Group will be in charge of the security inside the main venue.
Representatives from the Commission of Human Rights have also been invited to join them in manning the operation center to prove that their security measures are "in accordance with the human rights standards and principles."
“Maximum tolerance will be implemented by the police force just like what the Chief, PNP and the President have said. Walang baril yong mga nasa CDM (Civil Disturbance Management) units so shield lang, yong shield pwede na sa tabi- tabi na lang, so mag-uusap kami, we will be talking to the different leaders of the groups that will be joining with this activity para mas maayos ang ating SONA,” Eleazar said.
Traffic rerouting will be enforced on Monday, while plainclothes police personnel will monitor and identify spoilers of a peaceful democratic exercise. The local government units, especially the Quezon City government, will also participate in monitoring activities during the SONA. (PIA-NCR)
PNP personnel inspects the Batasan Complex as part of security preparations for President Rodrigo Duterte's third SONA on Monday.
http://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1010504
QUEZON CITY, July 18 (PIA) – The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) is gearing up for the third State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on Monday, July 23, at the Batasan Pambansa here.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP’s) Joint Task Force- National Capital Region (JTF-NCR) is also on standby to provide support to the PNP.
NCRPO head, Chief Superintendent Guillermo Lorenzo T. Eleazar heads the Metro Manila police force’s SONA security preparations.
Eleazar said at least 6,000 policemen will be deployed within the vicinity of the Batasan Pambansa Complex as part of the security measure.
The NCRPO chief also said they are coordinating with other peace and order agencies to secure the event.
Just like in the past two years, the NCRPO will be getting help from the Armed Forces, the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, the Bureau of Fire Protection and the Quezon City local government in securing Batasan Pambansa where the President will address the nation. The Presidential Security Group will be in charge of the security inside the main venue.
Representatives from the Commission of Human Rights have also been invited to join them in manning the operation center to prove that their security measures are "in accordance with the human rights standards and principles."
“Maximum tolerance will be implemented by the police force just like what the Chief, PNP and the President have said. Walang baril yong mga nasa CDM (Civil Disturbance Management) units so shield lang, yong shield pwede na sa tabi- tabi na lang, so mag-uusap kami, we will be talking to the different leaders of the groups that will be joining with this activity para mas maayos ang ating SONA,” Eleazar said.
Traffic rerouting will be enforced on Monday, while plainclothes police personnel will monitor and identify spoilers of a peaceful democratic exercise. The local government units, especially the Quezon City government, will also participate in monitoring activities during the SONA. (PIA-NCR)
PNP personnel inspects the Batasan Complex as part of security preparations for President Rodrigo Duterte's third SONA on Monday.
http://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1010504
Ilokano News: Pannakapunas problema’t insurhensia, gagem ti gobernador ti Ilocos Sur
From the Philippine Information Agency (Jul 18): Ilokano News: Pannakapunas problema’t insurhensia, gagem ti gobernador ti Ilocos Sur
Kinagrupo ni Gobernador Ryan Luis V. Singson (maikatlo manipud iti kannawan) dagiti tallo a dati a rebelde a simmuko kadagiti otoridad sakbay a naipaima kadakuada ti sag-P65,000.00 a tulong babaen ti Enhanced- Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) iti administrasion ni Presidente Rodrigo R. Duterte. Napasamak ti simple a seremonia idi Hulio 6, 2018 iti kapitolio ti Ilocos Sur. (ICR/PIA Ilocos Sur)
VIGAN CITY – “Mapunas koma a maminpinsan ti problema ti insurhensia iti Ilocos Sur tapno agtalinaed ti kappia,” kinuna ni Gobernador Ryan Luis V. Singson kabayatan ti pannakaipaima ti kadagupan a P65,000.00 a tulong tunggal maysa kadagiti tallo a dati a rebelde a simmuko idi 2017 manipud iti ili a Banayoyo ken Siudad ti Candon.
Segun iti gobernador, nadardaras ti panagdur-as ti probinsia nga Ilocos Sur no agkaykaysa dagiti umili a sumuporta kadagiti agdama programa ti gobierno, ken no awan ti problema ti insurhensia ken seguridad.
“Alaek ngarud daytoy a gundaway a mangawis kadagiti kakabsat tayo ken kakailliantayo a nabatbati a kameng ti New People’s Army (NPA) a sumuko kayon, ken agtitinnulongtayo a mangpadur-as ti probinsiatayo nga Ilocos Sur,” kinunana ni Singson.
“Tagtagainepko ti natalna a probinsia a no sadino ket agkikinammayet ken agtitinnulong amin a lumugar manipud kadagiti naduma-duma a sektor para iti pagsayaatan ti tunggal umili iti Ilocos Sur,” innayon ni Singson.
Pormal a naited ti tulong kadagiti tallo a simmuko a rebelde kabayatan ti simple a seremonia a napasamak iti kapitolio idi Hulio 6, 2018 nga inatendaran dagiti nangangato nga opisiales ti Philippine Army, PNP, DOH, DOLE, DTI, DILG, DSWD, DA, DepEd, TESDA, NCIP, PhilHealth ken PIA.
Naipaay ti tulong kadagiti dati a rebelde babaen ti Enhanced- Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) iti administrasion ni Presidente Rodrigo R. Duterte.
Manipud idi Hulio 2016, umaboten ti 30 a dati a rebelde ti simmuko ken tinulongan ti gobierno ti probinsia nga Ilocos Sur.
Imbaga pay ni Singson a no kayat dagiti tallo a simmuko a rebelde ti agbasa, sisasagana ti probinsia a mangipaay ti scholarship ken allowance para kadakuada.
PH, Aussie sailors in Palawan sea drill play goodwill games
From the Philippine News Agency (Jul 18): PH, Aussie sailors in Palawan sea drill play goodwill games
AUSTRALIAN SHIP IN PUERTO PRINCESA. Her Majesty Australian Ship (HMAS) Wollongong docked at the Puerto Princesa City Pier is shown in this file photo taken on Monday (July 16), after their arrival to participate in the 4th iteration of the 10-day maritime security activity (MSA) in Palawan. (Photo courtesy of Wescom PAO)
PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan -- Philippine Navy (PN) and Royal Australian Navy (RAN) sailors challenged each other in friendly games of basketball and volleyball, as part of their 10-day joint maritime security activity (MSA) in Palawan on Tuesday.
Captain Cherryl Tindog, chief of the Public Affairs Office of the Western Command (Wescom), said the friendly face-off was aimed at establishing familiarity and camaraderie among sailors of both countries before they begin their shipboard training on inter-operability cooperation against terrorism, kidnapping, and other lawless activities at sea.
The sailors of the RAN docked their patrol vessels -- HMAS Ararat and HMAS Wollongong -- at the Puerto Princesa City Pier (PPCP) on Monday led by Lt. Col. Judd Andrew Finger.
They will perform maritime activities side-by-side with BRP Ramon Alcaraz (FF 16) and BRP Simeon Castro (PC 374) under the Naval Forces West, Philippine Navy (Navforwest, PN) until July 25.
Tindog added the navy sailors will do the shipboard training within the waters of the southern Palawan town of Balabac and Coron in the north.
“The weather is still bad, but the goal is to do the shipboard training in the waters of Coron in the northern area and Balabac in southern Palawan to be able for both participating sailors to create a safe culture in the areas of common interest,” she said.
She said the continuing conduct of joint activities, such as the MSA with other navies, has helped the country to prevent kidnappings and terrorism in the maritime domain.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1041799
AUSTRALIAN SHIP IN PUERTO PRINCESA. Her Majesty Australian Ship (HMAS) Wollongong docked at the Puerto Princesa City Pier is shown in this file photo taken on Monday (July 16), after their arrival to participate in the 4th iteration of the 10-day maritime security activity (MSA) in Palawan. (Photo courtesy of Wescom PAO)
PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan -- Philippine Navy (PN) and Royal Australian Navy (RAN) sailors challenged each other in friendly games of basketball and volleyball, as part of their 10-day joint maritime security activity (MSA) in Palawan on Tuesday.
Captain Cherryl Tindog, chief of the Public Affairs Office of the Western Command (Wescom), said the friendly face-off was aimed at establishing familiarity and camaraderie among sailors of both countries before they begin their shipboard training on inter-operability cooperation against terrorism, kidnapping, and other lawless activities at sea.
The sailors of the RAN docked their patrol vessels -- HMAS Ararat and HMAS Wollongong -- at the Puerto Princesa City Pier (PPCP) on Monday led by Lt. Col. Judd Andrew Finger.
They will perform maritime activities side-by-side with BRP Ramon Alcaraz (FF 16) and BRP Simeon Castro (PC 374) under the Naval Forces West, Philippine Navy (Navforwest, PN) until July 25.
Tindog added the navy sailors will do the shipboard training within the waters of the southern Palawan town of Balabac and Coron in the north.
“The weather is still bad, but the goal is to do the shipboard training in the waters of Coron in the northern area and Balabac in southern Palawan to be able for both participating sailors to create a safe culture in the areas of common interest,” she said.
She said the continuing conduct of joint activities, such as the MSA with other navies, has helped the country to prevent kidnappings and terrorism in the maritime domain.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1041799
PNP hails cop wounded in raid vs. Maute ‘bomb-maker’
From the Philippine News Agency (Jul 18): PNP hails cop wounded in raid vs. Maute ‘bomb-maker’
GENERAL SANTOS CITY -- An award for extraordinary bravery performed in the line of duty awaits the police officer wounded in an operation against a suspected “bomb-maker” of the Islamic State-inspired Maute Group in a village here on Monday.
Police Regional Office 12 (Soccsksargen) Director Chief Supt. Marcelo Morales said Police Officer 3 Jerry Feo showed commitment and courage in his willingness to risk his own life just to fulfill his oath as a law enforcer.
Feo’s actions also showed that PRO-12 personnel are courageous and dedicated to serve the region’s constituents, Morales said.
“He devotedly performed his mandate to the people with great amount of gallantry. Such character is worthy of emulation from the rest of our personnel in the PNP (Philippine National Police),” he said.
Feo, a warrant officer of the Regional Mobile Force-12, was wounded after suspect Najib Calimba Pundug alias Najib Hussein, opened fire at joint operatives during the dawn raid at his safehouse in Barangay Fatima.
Other operatives immediately retaliated, fatally hitting the suspect who was cornered inside the house.
Feo, who was the first operative who entered the house, sustained four gunshot wounds on his back and is currently recuperating at the General Santos Medical Center.
Morales said PRO-12 will shoulder the cost of Feo’s hospitalization and other required treatment and provide the latter with additional financial assistance.
“We will give him all the necessary support to ensure his complete recovery. He is one of a kind and definitely deserves it,” he said.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1041826
GENERAL SANTOS CITY -- An award for extraordinary bravery performed in the line of duty awaits the police officer wounded in an operation against a suspected “bomb-maker” of the Islamic State-inspired Maute Group in a village here on Monday.
Police Regional Office 12 (Soccsksargen) Director Chief Supt. Marcelo Morales said Police Officer 3 Jerry Feo showed commitment and courage in his willingness to risk his own life just to fulfill his oath as a law enforcer.
Feo’s actions also showed that PRO-12 personnel are courageous and dedicated to serve the region’s constituents, Morales said.
“He devotedly performed his mandate to the people with great amount of gallantry. Such character is worthy of emulation from the rest of our personnel in the PNP (Philippine National Police),” he said.
Feo, a warrant officer of the Regional Mobile Force-12, was wounded after suspect Najib Calimba Pundug alias Najib Hussein, opened fire at joint operatives during the dawn raid at his safehouse in Barangay Fatima.
Other operatives immediately retaliated, fatally hitting the suspect who was cornered inside the house.
Feo, who was the first operative who entered the house, sustained four gunshot wounds on his back and is currently recuperating at the General Santos Medical Center.
Morales said PRO-12 will shoulder the cost of Feo’s hospitalization and other required treatment and provide the latter with additional financial assistance.
“We will give him all the necessary support to ensure his complete recovery. He is one of a kind and definitely deserves it,” he said.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1041826
Raps filed vs kin of slain Maute ‘bomb-maker’ in GenSan
From the Philippine News Agency (Jul 18): Raps filed vs kin of slain Maute ‘bomb-maker’ in GenSan
Police have filed obstruction of justice and coddling of fugitive charges against six family members of an alleged “bomb-maker” of the Islamic State-inspired Maute group who was killed in an operation here last Monday.
Chief Supt. Marcelo Morales, Region 12 police director, said they filed the charges on Tuesday before the city prosecutor’s office against the six suspects, who were arrested following the dawn raid at their house in Zone 3, Block 4 in Barangay Fatima.
The main target Najib Calimba Pundug alias Najib Hussein, who was tagged as the number two man of the Maute under its new leader Owaidah Abdulmajib Marohombsar alias Abu Dar, was killed in an encounter with joint operatives.
Charged were Najib’s mother Saramina Calimba Pundug, his wife Famida Macasindel and siblings Nafah Macaraya, Naica Amina Calimba Pundug, Sittie Nashibah Calimba Pundug and Mohammad Naif Calimba Pundug.
“We’re still looking into other possible charges that may be filed against them,” Morales told reporters Wednesday.
He said the additional cases could be determined through the digital forensic examination on several laptops and cellphones that were recovered from the suspects during the operation.
The official said experts will also examine the six cellphones, a tablet computer, and a laptop computer seized from Nafisah Pundug, another sister of Najib and wife of Abu Dar.
Nafisah was nabbed in a follow-up operation Monday morning in Purok Maunlad, Barangay Apopong.
“She was directly involved with the (Maute) group and actually left Lanao del Sur to escape from a number of charges filed against her,” the police official said, without further elaborating.
Morales said security and intelligence operations are ongoing in other parts of Region 12 to determine the presence of other members of the Maute group, which had pledged support to the international terror group Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.
After the five-month siege of Marawi City last year, he said the group’s members were monitored to have splintered and moved to various parts of Mindanao as a strategy to avoid tracking by authorities.
Morales urged residents to be vigilant and immediately report the presence of suspicious persons entering their communities.
“That strategy has been very effective. In fact, Najib was neutralized after only three days in GenSan because of the cooperation of the community,” he said.
Col. Adonis Bajao, commanding officer of the Army-led Joint Task Force GenSan, said they are also monitoring possible new recruits in the area of the slain Maute “bomb-maker.”
Najib, who was previously based in Lanao del Sur, was staying with his family in Barangay Fatima when he was killed.
He said the slain suspect reportedly moved to the city to “reconsolidate and recruit” new members.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1041825
Police have filed obstruction of justice and coddling of fugitive charges against six family members of an alleged “bomb-maker” of the Islamic State-inspired Maute group who was killed in an operation here last Monday.
Chief Supt. Marcelo Morales, Region 12 police director, said they filed the charges on Tuesday before the city prosecutor’s office against the six suspects, who were arrested following the dawn raid at their house in Zone 3, Block 4 in Barangay Fatima.
The main target Najib Calimba Pundug alias Najib Hussein, who was tagged as the number two man of the Maute under its new leader Owaidah Abdulmajib Marohombsar alias Abu Dar, was killed in an encounter with joint operatives.
Charged were Najib’s mother Saramina Calimba Pundug, his wife Famida Macasindel and siblings Nafah Macaraya, Naica Amina Calimba Pundug, Sittie Nashibah Calimba Pundug and Mohammad Naif Calimba Pundug.
“We’re still looking into other possible charges that may be filed against them,” Morales told reporters Wednesday.
He said the additional cases could be determined through the digital forensic examination on several laptops and cellphones that were recovered from the suspects during the operation.
The official said experts will also examine the six cellphones, a tablet computer, and a laptop computer seized from Nafisah Pundug, another sister of Najib and wife of Abu Dar.
Nafisah was nabbed in a follow-up operation Monday morning in Purok Maunlad, Barangay Apopong.
“She was directly involved with the (Maute) group and actually left Lanao del Sur to escape from a number of charges filed against her,” the police official said, without further elaborating.
Morales said security and intelligence operations are ongoing in other parts of Region 12 to determine the presence of other members of the Maute group, which had pledged support to the international terror group Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.
After the five-month siege of Marawi City last year, he said the group’s members were monitored to have splintered and moved to various parts of Mindanao as a strategy to avoid tracking by authorities.
Morales urged residents to be vigilant and immediately report the presence of suspicious persons entering their communities.
“That strategy has been very effective. In fact, Najib was neutralized after only three days in GenSan because of the cooperation of the community,” he said.
Col. Adonis Bajao, commanding officer of the Army-led Joint Task Force GenSan, said they are also monitoring possible new recruits in the area of the slain Maute “bomb-maker.”
Najib, who was previously based in Lanao del Sur, was staying with his family in Barangay Fatima when he was killed.
He said the slain suspect reportedly moved to the city to “reconsolidate and recruit” new members.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1041825
Security for peace and dev’t course held in Zamboanga
From the Philippine News Agency (Jul 18): Security for peace and dev’t course held in Zamboanga
The Department of National Defense and Department of the Interior and Local Government conduct a three-day Executive Course on Security for Peace and Development from July 18 to 20 in Zamboanga City. In attendance are the local chief executives as well as military and police officials from the provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, which are part of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. (Photo by: Dante B. Amento)
ZAMBOANGA CITY -- Local chief executives, as well as military and police officials from the three island provinces of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) are undergoing a three-day Executive Course on Security for Peace and Development being held in this city.
The course, which kicked off Wednesday and is set to end Friday, was jointly organized by the Department of National Defense and the Department of the Interior and Local Government.
Defense Undersecretary Cesar Yano said Wednesday the executive course is aimed at forging a common initiative on the prevailing problems in Mindanao, such as terrorism.
Yano said the attendees consist of mayors as well as military and police officials from the provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, all part of the ARMM.
The activity, he said, will contribute significantly in strengthening the coordination between the local chief executives and government security forces in the three provinces.
He pointed out that programs to eradicate terrorism will not be successful if government agencies and local officials lack coordination.
“The most important thing is that the mayors and the officials of the military and police have coordination and good working relationship to achieve our desired goal (in the fight against terrorism),” Yano said.
He said the course also includes discussions and updates on the implementation of Martial Law in Mindanao, as well as other local concerns.
“After this course, we expect that they will continue to talk about solutions on the prevailing problems once they return to their respective areas,” the defense official said.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1041856
ZAMBOANGA CITY -- Local chief executives, as well as military and police officials from the three island provinces of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) are undergoing a three-day Executive Course on Security for Peace and Development being held in this city.
The course, which kicked off Wednesday and is set to end Friday, was jointly organized by the Department of National Defense and the Department of the Interior and Local Government.
Defense Undersecretary Cesar Yano said Wednesday the executive course is aimed at forging a common initiative on the prevailing problems in Mindanao, such as terrorism.
Yano said the attendees consist of mayors as well as military and police officials from the provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, all part of the ARMM.
The activity, he said, will contribute significantly in strengthening the coordination between the local chief executives and government security forces in the three provinces.
He pointed out that programs to eradicate terrorism will not be successful if government agencies and local officials lack coordination.
“The most important thing is that the mayors and the officials of the military and police have coordination and good working relationship to achieve our desired goal (in the fight against terrorism),” Yano said.
He said the course also includes discussions and updates on the implementation of Martial Law in Mindanao, as well as other local concerns.
“After this course, we expect that they will continue to talk about solutions on the prevailing problems once they return to their respective areas,” the defense official said.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1041856
MNLF leader, companion, slain in North Cotabato attack
From the Philippine News Agency (Jul 18): MNLF leader, companion, slain in North Cotabato attack
MIDSAYAP, North Cotabato – A ranking leader of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and his aide were killed by still unidentified gunmen along the national highway here Tuesday afternoon, police said.
“Manhunt operations have been launched against the perpetrators,” Superintendent Bernard Tayong, speaking for the North Cotabato police office, said following the killing of Datu Lumambong Mananimbong, division commander MNLF for Central Mindanao and his aide, Bert Aran, both residents of Carmen, North Cotabato.
Tayong said Mananimbong, 66, was standing in front of the Hall of Justice building, which is situated along the national highway in Barangay Sadaan, around 4 p.m. when two men riding in tandem on a motorbike arrived and shot him at close range. Aran who was standing beside the MNLF official was also hit by the volley of gunfire, police said.
Police said the gunmen sped off towards the direction of nearby Aleosan town after the incident. Responding police and soldiers rushed the victims to a local hospital but both were pronounced dead on arrival by attending physicians.
“Most likely it was triggered by a feud involving the victims and the gunmen,” Tayong said of the incident, adding that it was not also clear if both victims were armed at the time they were shot.
He added that the Midsayap police are already investigating the case to determine the identities of the perpetrators and their motive.
Mananimbong is a member of the MNLF under the Nur Misuari faction. The rebel group forged a final peace deal with the government in 1996.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1041821
MIDSAYAP, North Cotabato – A ranking leader of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and his aide were killed by still unidentified gunmen along the national highway here Tuesday afternoon, police said.
“Manhunt operations have been launched against the perpetrators,” Superintendent Bernard Tayong, speaking for the North Cotabato police office, said following the killing of Datu Lumambong Mananimbong, division commander MNLF for Central Mindanao and his aide, Bert Aran, both residents of Carmen, North Cotabato.
Tayong said Mananimbong, 66, was standing in front of the Hall of Justice building, which is situated along the national highway in Barangay Sadaan, around 4 p.m. when two men riding in tandem on a motorbike arrived and shot him at close range. Aran who was standing beside the MNLF official was also hit by the volley of gunfire, police said.
Police said the gunmen sped off towards the direction of nearby Aleosan town after the incident. Responding police and soldiers rushed the victims to a local hospital but both were pronounced dead on arrival by attending physicians.
“Most likely it was triggered by a feud involving the victims and the gunmen,” Tayong said of the incident, adding that it was not also clear if both victims were armed at the time they were shot.
He added that the Midsayap police are already investigating the case to determine the identities of the perpetrators and their motive.
Mananimbong is a member of the MNLF under the Nur Misuari faction. The rebel group forged a final peace deal with the government in 1996.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1041821
Convince your NPA kin, friends to surrender: Army
From the Philippine News Agency (Jul 18): Convince your NPA kin, friends to surrender: Army
NPA SURRENDER. Members of the 503rd Brigade of the Philippine Army receive a Garand Rifle from Alias “Sibat” (center), a 37-year-old NPA leader for two decades at the boundaries of Abra, Mountain Province, and Ilocos Sur, who surrendered to government troops in Mountain Province on Monday (July 16, 2018). (Photo courtesy of 5ID)
BAGUIO CITY -- The Philippine Army's primary unit covering northern Luzon is calling on relatives of members of the New People's Army (NPA) in the upland region of Cordillera to convince their kin to return to the folds of the law.
The call came as an NPA leader, who has been operating in the boundaries of the provinces of Abra, Mountain Province, and Ilocos Sur, surrendered to the 503rd Infantry Brigade in Bontoc town, Mountain Province on Monday.
“Let us encourage our friends, relatives, and family members that are working, and/or in the Communist Terrorist Groups or the New People’s Army to surrender and avail of the benefits guaranteed under the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP),” Captain Jefferson Somera, Public Affairs Office chief of the Philippine Army's 5th Infantry Division (5ID), said in a phone interview with the Philippine News Agency (PNA) on Wednesday.
The 5ID is the Philippine Army's primary unit covering Northern Luzon. The unit has expressed support for localized peace talks and is now asking the locals to support the initiative in their communities.
Alias “Sibat”, 37, was the Acting Squad Leader of the Sandatahang Yunit Pampropaganda (SYP), Kilusang Larangang Guerilla of the NPA in northern Philippines. He decided to go down the mountains and avail of the government’s assistance program for former rebels.
He turned over to authorities a Garand rifle with two clips and a few rounds of ammunition.
As of this posting, “Sibat” is still with the 54th Infantry Battalion in Bontoc, Mountain Province for debriefing and his surrendered firearms are in the battalion's custody for safe keeping.
5ID Commander Brigadier General Perfecto Rimando praised "Sibat" for his decision to return to the mainstream of society.
“The experience of Sibat only proves that the communist ideology brings nothing good to its members and to the people. If the old guys like Sibat are now surrendering because they saw the futility of their cause, then we need to double our efforts to reach out to more CNT members, especially the younger ones,” Rimando said.
Somera also quoted 503Bde Commander BGen. Leopoldo Imbang Jr. as saying: “Sibat revealed that in his 20 years in the terrorist group, he saw no progression to their cause. He lost almost all of his life to a cause that never lifted their lives, his comrades' lives, and those of the ordinary people.”
http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1041858
BAGUIO CITY -- The Philippine Army's primary unit covering northern Luzon is calling on relatives of members of the New People's Army (NPA) in the upland region of Cordillera to convince their kin to return to the folds of the law.
The call came as an NPA leader, who has been operating in the boundaries of the provinces of Abra, Mountain Province, and Ilocos Sur, surrendered to the 503rd Infantry Brigade in Bontoc town, Mountain Province on Monday.
“Let us encourage our friends, relatives, and family members that are working, and/or in the Communist Terrorist Groups or the New People’s Army to surrender and avail of the benefits guaranteed under the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP),” Captain Jefferson Somera, Public Affairs Office chief of the Philippine Army's 5th Infantry Division (5ID), said in a phone interview with the Philippine News Agency (PNA) on Wednesday.
The 5ID is the Philippine Army's primary unit covering Northern Luzon. The unit has expressed support for localized peace talks and is now asking the locals to support the initiative in their communities.
Alias “Sibat”, 37, was the Acting Squad Leader of the Sandatahang Yunit Pampropaganda (SYP), Kilusang Larangang Guerilla of the NPA in northern Philippines. He decided to go down the mountains and avail of the government’s assistance program for former rebels.
He turned over to authorities a Garand rifle with two clips and a few rounds of ammunition.
As of this posting, “Sibat” is still with the 54th Infantry Battalion in Bontoc, Mountain Province for debriefing and his surrendered firearms are in the battalion's custody for safe keeping.
5ID Commander Brigadier General Perfecto Rimando praised "Sibat" for his decision to return to the mainstream of society.
“The experience of Sibat only proves that the communist ideology brings nothing good to its members and to the people. If the old guys like Sibat are now surrendering because they saw the futility of their cause, then we need to double our efforts to reach out to more CNT members, especially the younger ones,” Rimando said.
Somera also quoted 503Bde Commander BGen. Leopoldo Imbang Jr. as saying: “Sibat revealed that in his 20 years in the terrorist group, he saw no progression to their cause. He lost almost all of his life to a cause that never lifted their lives, his comrades' lives, and those of the ordinary people.”
http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1041858