Soldier hurt in Eastern Samar encounter

From the Manila Bulletin (Jul 25): Soldier hurt in Eastern Samar encounter

A government soldier was hurt following an encounter with Communist New People’s Army Terrorist (CNT) in Eastern Samar on Monday.




(MANILA BULLETIN)

The wounded soldier was identified as Pfc. Eric L. Alegria who was hit on his right shoulder.

The military expressed belief that an undetermined number of CNTs were either hurt or killed as a result of the encounter.

A team from Bravo Company of the Army’s 87th Infantry (Hinirang) Battalion was conducting security patrol in the hinterlands of Eastern Samar when it encountered 10 CPP-NPA Terrorists (CNTs)in Brgy. Pinanag-an, Borongan, Eastern Samar at around 11:23 a.m..

Troops were checking on information relayed by the populace on the extortion activities of the armed group when the encounter ensued. The firefight lasted for about 15 minutes and resulted in the recovery of one M16 Elisco rifle SN: RP 101724.

Troops recovered five civilian backpacks containing documents used for CNTs Ideological Political Organizational (IPO) works, and one detonating cord.

Maj. Gen. Raul M. Farnacio, commander of the Army’s 8th Infantry Division, commended the troops for their utmost dedication in performing their mandated duty and urged them to be aggressive against the CNTs who continue to harass civilian communities.

In his statement, Farnacio said that while troops intensify internal Security Operations and Community Support Programs to deliver the basic services of the government and to protect the people, the CNTs continue their extortion activities and other criminal acts that instill fear and anxiety in the hearts and minds of peace-loving Filipinos.

“I urged you to lay down your arms and avail of the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) of the government. You are fighting a bloody and senseless war only for your Bosses abroad who are in safe areas and living in a very comfortable lifestyle,” he said.

https://news.mb.com.ph/2018/07/25/soldier-hurt-in-eastern-samar-encounter/

Army vows to end NPA extortion in Diwalwal mines

From the Philippine News Agency (Jul 25): Army vows to end NPA extortion in Diwalwal mines

The Philippine Army vowed to put an end to the extortion activities of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Diwalwal mining area in Monkayo, Compostela Valley.

This developed after the ball mill owners, miners and tunnel operators promised to stop giving money to the NPA, which reportedly earns an estimated PHP24 million per month from Diwalwal miners.

At the AFP-PNP press corps briefing at the Royal Mandaya Hotel on Wednesday, Capt Jerry Lamosao, spokesperson of the Army's 10th Infantry Division, said that based on the statements of ball mill owners, the collected "revolutionary tax" would be divided to each of the NPA's six guerilla fronts operating in the Davao Region and parts of Sarangani, Surigao and North Cotabato.

During last week’s meeting of the government agencies and the security sector with the ball mill operators in Diwalwal, Lamosao said the miners promised to stop giving money the NPA. The meeting was also convened to get the support of the miners for the transfer of the ball mill plants to another area.

If the miners stick to their pledge, Lamosao said the NPA will lose one of its biggest sources of funds, pointing out that extortion activities keep the rebel organization afloat.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1042616

Two NPA fighters surrender to Army in Sultan Kudarat

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Jul 27): Two NPA fighters surrender to Army in Sultan Kudarat
Two fighters of the communist New People’s Army (NPA), who are also brothers, have surrendered with their weapons to military authorities here on Thursday, an Army official said.

Lt. Colonel Harold Cabunoc, commander of 33rd Infantry Battalion, identified the surrendered rebels by their aliases “Ka Boyet,” 18, and his brother, “Ka Ato,” 18. Both belong to the Dulangan Manobo tribe in the Municipality of Senator Ninoy Aquino, Sultan Kudarat.

The two were accompanied by their father, Jun Ador, 48, during the formal handover to Col. Robert Dauz, the newly installed Commander of the 1st Mechanized Infantry Brigade, at 1 p.m. Thursday.

According to the Army, the recent surrenders bring to 100, the total number of NPA fighters who have surrendered to the government since January.

Ato and Boyet said it was their father, also a former NPA rebel, who had convinced them to surrender.

“We decided to surrender because our father told us about the social benefits given by the government to former NPA combatants,” Boyet told reporters.

Cabunoc said the two former rebels also surrendered a 40mm grenade launcher and an M16 rifle.

Dauz welcomed the surrender of the brothers.

“We don’t need to fight to solve community problems. I will facilitate the release of your social benefits under the Enhanced Local Integration Program (E-CLIP),” he told the young rebels.

It would be recalled that 106 NPA rebels in Sultan Kudarat have earlier surrendered and were granted social benefits from the government through the “Task Force Balik-Loob” headed by former Army chief Lt. Gen. Reynaldo Mapagu.

To date, 161 former members of Guerilla Front 73 have surrendered to the 33rd IB. Most of them were Lumads or members of various indigenous communities.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1014921/two-npa-fighters-surrender-to-army-in-sultan-kudarat

30,000 MILF rebels to be disarmed in deal

From The Gulf Times (Jul 24) 30,000 MILF rebels to be disarmed in deal

The leader of the largest Muslim rebel group in the Philippines yesterday said that 30,000 to 40,000 armed fighters would be “decommissioned” if an autonomy deal that is expected to be signed into law by the president this week is fully enforced.

Al Haj Murad Ebrahim, chairman of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, said six of the largest guerrilla camps in the south were already being converted into “productive civilian communities” to help the insurgents return to normal life.

Clad in a business suit, Murad appealed to the international community to contribute to a trust fund to be used to finance the insurgents’ transition from decades of waging one of Asia’s longest rebellions.

“We will decommission our forces, the entire forces,” Murad said at a news conference in Manila. He said his guerrilla group has told the government how many fighters it has, although he declined to immediately cite the number of weapons that “will be put beyond use.” The military has put the Moro rebel group’s size at a much lower 11,000 fighters.

Murad, who used to head the rebels’ large combat force, welcomed the ratification by the House of Representatives yesterday of the Muslim autonomy deal after a one-day delay caused by a chaotic leadership change in Congress. The legislation, which was ratified by the Senate on Monday, is to be sent to President Rodrigo Duterte for signing in a day or two.

The bill seeks to replace an existing poverty and conflict-wracked autonomous region with a potentially larger, better-funded and more powerful region named Bangsamoro for minority Muslims in the southern third of the largely Roman Catholic nation.

The autonomy deal is the latest significant attempt by the government to negotiate an end to nearly half a century of on-and-off Muslim fighting that has left more than 120,000 people dead and hampered development in the country’s poorest regions.

Murad’s guerrilla force is the second in the south to have dropped a demand for a separate Muslim state in exchange for autonomy. The Moro National Liberation Front forged a 1996 peace deal with the government that led to the current five-province Muslim autonomous region, which has largely been regarded as a failure.

Western governments have welcomed the autonomy pacts, while worrying that small numbers of Islamic State group-linked militants from the Middle East and Southeast Asia could forge an alliance with Filipino insurgents and turn the south into a breeding ground for extremists.

Murad said it’s crucial for the peace agreement to be fully enforced, citing how earlier failed attempts forced some guerrillas to break away and form more hardline groups like the Abu Sayyaf, a brutal group listed by the US and the Philippines as a terrorist organisation.

http://www.gulf-times.com/story/600633/30-000-MILF-rebels-to-be-disarmed-in-deal

Malaysia/Philippines:The Sabah Question

From the Lowry Institute, The Interpreter (Jul 26): Malaysia/Philippines : The Sabah Question

Who is right in the territorial dispute between the Philippines and Malaysia over Sabah is a question best not asked. In answer, each side will reaffirm their absolute sovereign claim to Sabah, on the northern part of the island of Borneo, and mutual recriminations will result.

Not asking this question with two mutually opposed answers has been good for Philippines–Malaysia relations.
 

During the 2016 Philippine presidential campaign, one prominent candidate, Jejomar Binay (who ended up losing badly) promised to pursue the Philippine claim to Sabah. As expected, Kuala Lumpur was far from pleased.

Not asking this question with two mutually opposed answers has been good for Philippine–Malaysia relations. In the past year, the Philippine and Malaysian coast guards have participated in coordinated patrols in the Sulu and Celebes seas, spurred on by the actions of Sulu-based pirates and the siege of Marawi. From 2001 onwards, Malaysia played the role of third-party facilitator of the peace talks between Manila and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front that traversed four Philippine presidents.

Wisely, President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte and Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad chose not to discuss the Sabah question during their first meeting as leaders of their respective countries last week.

Unfortunately, the current push for revising the 1987 Constitution and introducing a federal system of government in the Philippines is making not asking the Sabah question in the Philippines more difficult.

Last weekend, the Malaysian Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly criticised repeated comments by “Nene” Pimentel Jr that Sabah should be recognised as a federal state of the Philippines. Pimentel is a senior member of the consultative committee in the Philippines appointed by Duterte that wrote the draft federal constitution now tabled in Congress, and founder of the ruling PDP-Laban party. Duterte is the party chairman.

Section 1 of Article 1 of the draft federal constitution states that:

The Philippines has sovereignty over its territory, consisting of the islands and waters encompassed by its archipelagic baselines, its territorial sea, the seabed, the subsoil, and its airspace. It has sovereignty over islands and features outside its archipelagic baselines pursuant to the laws of the Federal Republic, the law of nations, and the judgments of competent international courts or tribunals. It likewise has sovereignty over other territories belonging to the Philippines by historic right or legal title.

Article 1 of the 1987 Constitution does not include this last sentence that would appear to cover the Philippine claim to Sabah.

Duterte and PDP-Laban’s desire to answer the question of federalism in the Philippines (an issue of particular interest to politicians from Mindanao, such as Duterte and Pimentel) in favour of federalism risks increasing tensions with Malaysia over Sabah.
Some questions are best left unasked.

https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/sabah-question

Autonomy Could Strip Foreign Fighters of Southern Philippine Sanctuaries: MILF Chief

From Benar News (Jul 25): Autonomy Could Strip Foreign Fighters of Southern Philippine Sanctuaries: MILF Chief



Murad Ebrahim, chief of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebel group, talks to members of the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines, in Manila, July 24, 2018.  Felipe Villamor/BenarNews                

A final peace deal expected to be signed into law soon by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte could help stop foreign militants from infiltrating the troubled south, the leader of the country’s biggest Muslim rebel force said.

Murad Ebrahim, chairman of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), expressed confidence that foreign fighters, including Malaysians and Indonesians, could soon be forced out of their sanctuaries as the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) comes into force. It aims to end decades of conflict in the southern Philippines through granting autonomy to the predominantly Muslim region.

“We confirm that there are foreign elements joining these small groups,” Murad told the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP) this week.

“The moment these small groups will no longer accept these foreign elements, they can no longer come [to fight],” he said. Murad was referring to the extremist Abu Sayyaf Group and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).

On Tuesday, the House of Representatives ratified the BOL after the Senate approved the bill a day earlier. Duterte was expected to sign it within days, officials said.

Factions of the two southern groups have pledged allegiance to the extremist group Islamic State (IS) and engaged the military in sporadic clashes in recent weeks.

 

Last year, Abu Sayyaf commander Isnilon Hapilon, the acknowledged head of IS in the Philippines, led a five-month siege in the Mindanao city of Marawi.

Philippine security forces defeated the militants after pounding the city in airstrikes. Mahmud Ahmad, a Malaysian considered to be a top IS recruiter in Southeast Asia, was among foreign fighters killed in the battle of Marawi, Duterte announced last October. Hapilon and other top local militants also died in the fighting.

Murad said past failures by the government to sign a lasting peace deal in the south had helped create several disgruntled factions, including one led by the Maute brothers from Marawi who helped spearhead last year’s siege.

“You will notice that most of these small groups, splinter groups, came into being after the failure of the peace process,” Murad said.

He noted that members of the Maute group had belonged to MILF, but they became further radicalized by the government’s failure to fast-track the autonomy law.

“They were able to capitalize (on this) in order to recruit some of their followers,” Murad said.

In 2014, the government of then-President Benigno Aquino III struck a peace deal with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, in which it agreed to pass a Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) that set boundaries for Muslim autonomous rule in the south.

In exchange, MILF agreed to drop its armed bid for independence.

But during Aquino’s final two years in office, the BBL never made it through a Philippine Congress dominated by Christians.

Hit-and-run attacks

BIFF, a breakaway faction of MILF, has pledged allegiance to IS, but did not send fighters to Marawi.

Instead it engaged the military in hit-and-run attacks in central Mindanao. Military intelligence has said that some foreign fighters had sought refuge in BIFF-held areas.

Murad confirmed that Malaysian and Indonesian fighters were lingering in some areas of the south under the protection of militant groups such as BIFF. The group has been fighting the military in communities near a sprawling marsh on Mindanao.

Murad declined to provide an estimate on the number of foreign fighters.

The Abu Sayyaf, on the other hand, is believed to have less than 500 fighters, and is mostly into criminal enterprise, including bombings, kidnappings and beheadings in the south. In the past two years, the group has beheaded a German and two Canadian hostages.

Murad said the splinter groups were the “result of frustration with the peace process” in the past.

“So we are quite confident that if there is a political settlement acceptable by majority of the Bangsamoro people, the splinter groups will gradually be carried into the mainstream,” he said.

“It’s very difficult for them to exist minus the support of some people in the area,” Murad said.

It took lawmakers four years to pass the legislation, largely because politicians in the predominantly Catholic nation were fearful of a Muslim autonomous region under the helm of the former rebel group.

But with Duterte controlling majority of the both houses of Congress, the BOL bill made it through Congress and Senate after intense deliberations.

The autonomy deal is expected to settle decades of conflict that have left more than 120,000 people dead in some of the nation’s poorest regions.

https://www.benarnews.org/english/news/philippine/milf-chief-07252018133754.html

Army troops recover IED along highway in Tacurong City

From the Manila Bulletin (Jul 25): Army troops recover IED along highway in Tacurong City
Soldiers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)-Joint Task Force Talakudong (JTFT) recovered an improvised explosive device (IED) along the national highway in Tacurong City on Tuesday.

The authorities found the IED on General Lim St. after they got information from a concerned civilian, warning about a possible bombing attempt by the terror group Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).
There were earlier reports received by the military that BIFF bomb makers Brah Lumambas and Bohari Adam, under Commander Gani Saligan, were planning to conduct bombing attacks at the city as part of their retaliation after having a huge set back during the focused military operation in the areas of Maguindanao.

The troops coordinated immediately with the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) of the Army and Philippine National Police (PNP) for the safe procedure in disposing of the IED.


 Recovered in the area were one cellular phone with wire, one sling bag, container filled with assorted common nails, linked of believed to be from K3 SAW and propellant charge believed to be from 5.56mm.

“This is the second attempt of the BIFF terror group to create chaos in Tacurong City but was successfully pre-empted through the help of our concerned civilians in the community,” said 1st Infantry Mechanized Brigade Commander Col. Robert C. Dauz.

Army Sixth Infantry Division Commander Brig. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana said the bombing attempt was clearly meant to create atrocities and terror attack in the peace-loving and progressive city of Tacurong.

Sobejana urged the public to be on alert and vigilant at all times and to immediately report anything that is suspicious to the authorities.

 Last May 27, a bombing plot was also pre-empted when an IED was found by the government troops in front of a school along the national highway in Tacurong City.

https://news.mb.com.ph/2018/07/25/army-troops-recover-ied-along-highway-in-tacurong-city/

118 ex-Reds receive P7.6M aid from govt’t

From Politiko Mindanao (Jul 26): 118 ex-Reds receive P7.6M aid from govt’t



The government has granted P7.6 million worth of financial assistance to 118 former rebels who surrendered in Mindanao, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) said Thursday.

Undersecretary for Peace and Order Bernardo Florece Jr. said the rebel returnees who received the aid under the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E- CLIP) came from the provinces of Sultan Kudarat and Sarangani.

Each of the beneficiaries was provided with immediate assistance worth P15,000 and a livelihood assistance worth P50,000, which were granted during two separate awarding ceremonies in South Cotabato.

“It is very important to provide the rebel returnees with the necessary assistance to give them a kickstart in reintegrating to the mainstream society where they belong,” Florece said.

E-CLIP is locally-driven, managed and implemented program which veers away from the past practice of pre-packaged interventions designed at the national level. Instead, it responds to the circumstances, needs, and concerns of former rebels through the provision of assistance and seeks to consider their basic rights and situations as men and women.

Florece said that of the 118 rebel returnees, 106 of them are from Sultan Kudarat and 12 are from Sarangani.

http://mindanao.politics.com.ph/118-ex-reds-receive-p7-6m-aid-from-govtt/

Duterte awards Order of Lapu-Lapu to soldiers wounded in Abu Sayyaf encounters

From Politiko Mindanao (Jul 26): Duterte awards Order of Lapu-Lapu to soldiers wounded in Abu Sayyaf encounters

President Duterte awarded five soldiers who were wounded in action in encounters with the Abu Sayyaf group in Sulu.

Duterte awarded the wounded soldiers with the Order of Lapu-Lapu, Rank of Kampilan during his visit to Camp Navarro General Hospital in Zamboanga City Thursday (Juky 26).

The awardees were: Staff Sergeant Krisnan E. Natividad, Sergeant Yahcob J. Sarian, Private Eugene S. Gonzales, Private First Class Richard C. Aquino and Corporal Jolly Bert V. Balmore.

They were wounded in separate encounters last July 11 and 19 against the Abu Sayyaf members in Patikul, Sulu.

The Order of Lapu-Lapu, Rank of Kampilan is conferred by the President to recognize exemplary service by workers of the government and private individuals who are wounded, injured, or suffered great loss of property for their participation in the advocacy of the President.

The Commander-in-Chief told the wounded soldiers that he visited them to show how much he cares for the military and assured them of government’s support.

Before leaving the hospital, Duterte briefly talked to soldiers with other medical conditions confined in the hospital.

Also present during the hospital visit were Special Assistant to the President Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, Department of Interior and Local Government officer-in-charge Eduardo Año and Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana.

http://mindanao.politics.com.ph/duterte-awards-order-of-lapu-lapu-to-soldiers-wounded-in-abu-sayyaf-encounters/

AFP: Cebu, Bohol, Siquijor, insurgency-free

From the Philippine Information Agency (Jul 26): AFP: Cebu, Bohol, Siquijor, insurgency-free

Col. Ignacio Madriaga receives the framed photos of the accomplishments of the 302nd IB from General Arnulfo Matanguihan during the turn-over of command ceremonies in Camp Sikatuna, Carmen, Bohol. (PIA/Bohol)

CEBU City --The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), 302nd Infantry Brigade stationed in Carmen, Bohol, assures the public that Cebu, Bohol, and Siquijor are insurgency-free.

"Generally, lahat ito remains to be insurgency free. Wala tayong established na politiko-military structures, yung CPP-NPA dito. Wala tayong mga regular NPA formations na nag ooperate at wala ding guerilla fronts na established. (Generally, all areas remain to be insurgency-free. We have no established political-military structures, the CPP-NPA, here. We have no regular operating NPA formations and no established guerilla fronts)," stressed Col. Ignacio B. Madriaga, Commander of the 302nd Infantry Brigade of the Philippine Army.

“Ang insurgency natin ay grievance-based. What drives insurgency is the discontent of the people na hindi nasosolusyunan noong unang panaho,” Madriaga said the brigade continues its effort in maintaining peace and order in the three areas of coverage.
Alongside the brigade, the LGUs and ordinary citizens have taken the bulk of the responsibility in ensuring that Bohol, Cebu, and Siquijor remain insurgency-free.

Last May 15 in Bilar, Bohol, NPA had an encounter with the Army which led to panic and fear among the community.

In fact, the NPA sightings were reported by the people themselves.

In Bohol, Prosperity Teams have been organized by the convergence of the brigade, LGUs, and PNP, Madriaga reported.

The teams are composed of soldiers, police personnel, and community organizers from the provincial government. They are immersed in barangays where communists are most likely to camp.

Through these teams, the government will be able to determine the problems that need to be addressed especially land-based issues such as labor that agitate the people and eventually convince them to enlist in armed revolution.

However, Col. Madriaga clarified that while the areas are insurgency-free, they are not insurgent-free.

Col. Madriaga insisted that communist members are present in these areas but the conditions that drive insurgency are being addressed.

http://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1010797

401st Brigade commander highlights solidarity among personnel

From the Philippine Information Agency (Jul 26): 401st Brigade commander highlights solidarity among personnel

AGUSAN DEL SUR -- As the 401st Brigade, Philippine Army celebrates its 46th anniversary, Brigadier General Andres Centino highlighted the solidarity and unity among their personnel through the years in the area of responsibility.

BGen. Centino said the past year was full of challenges, however, the brigade remained solid, united and have faced those challenges fearlessly. He also acknowledged the efforts of the operational control units and all the men and women of the brigade for their sincere dedication in accomplishing the brigade's mission.

 

“The brigade, including our battalions, combat support and service support units, did not fail the people of Agusan del Sur and Surigao del Sur in protecting them from threats, and will continue to keep them safe in their communities and facilitate the resolution of their issues and concerns with all the concerned agencies of government through their community support programs in the barangays,” said BGen. Centino.

In putting substance to its mission, BGen. Centino also emphasized that the brigade does not only ensure the safety and security of the populace but also takes part in community peace building, reaching out to people in the grassroots and creates an atmosphere where all can work together in harmony towards economic and human development.

“For 46 years, the 401st Brigade, Phil. Army, has remained focused in its mission and will continue to uphold peace and security among civilians and stakeholders in its area of responsibility,” expressed BGen. Centino.

The commanding officer also bared that the brigade also gives emphasis in engaging the Indigenous Peoples (IPs) being the most vulnerable sector to CPP-NPA exploitation.

“The brigade initiated an IP Leaders Forum in Agusan del Sur and Surigao del Sur in order to facilitate the resolution of their issues and concerns. They also facilitated the attendance of IP Leaders in Davao City for a dialogue with President Rodrigo Duterte, and just last March 2018, the first Regional IP Leader’s Summit was held in Butuan City through the recommendation of 401st Brigade and was adopted by the Regional Peace and Order Council,” he recalled.

The 401st Brigade, Phil. Army, started its humble beginning in Jolo, Sulu. It was first activated as the 4th Infantry Brigade on December 1, 1972 pursuant to general order number 45, General Headquarters, Armed Forces of the Philippines. It was organized under 4th Infantry Division under the command of Col. Alfonso Alcoseba as its first commander. Under its operational control were 26th Infantry Battalion operating in Basilan province; the 11th Infantry Battalion operating in the coastal areas of Taglibi Patikul, Sulu; and the 1st Marine Battalion landing team (MBLT) operating in Sibalo Hills, Sulu.

 

http://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1010833

US Ambassador holds post- US independence anniversary celebration in Baguio

From the Philippine Information Agency (Jul 26): US Ambassador holds post- US independence anniversary celebration in Baguio

BAGUIO CITY -- Ambassador Sung Kim hosted a cocktail party to commemorate the 242nd anniversary of independence of the United States of America at the Ambassador’s Residence in this mountain resort over the weekend.



US Ambassador Sung Kim stresses on strong ties between the US and the Philippines during the post commemoration of the 242nd anniversary of Independence of the United States of America at the Ambassador’s Residence at Camp John Hay, Baguio City on July 20. (JBZ-PIA CAR)

In his talk, Ambassador Kim acknowledged the partnership of the US and the Philippines, and the significance of celebrating it in the city which is a ‘great place where personal ties are strong as ever, where culture interweaves in an economy that is robust and expanding.’

He said he considers Baguio as his favorite place and ‘home’ in the Philippines.

In an impromptu press conference with local media, Kim revealed that a total of P1.6 billion from United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funds was given to the war- torn Marawi City for its reconstruction and rehabilitation.

Banking on the history of Baguio City, Art Tibaldo of the Cordillera News Agency forwarded the possibility of the historic Kennon Road rehabilitated through financial assistance of the US government since it was built by American Colonel Lyman Kennon.

Baguio City became a chartered city during the US rule and made the summer capital of the Philippines. Camp John Hay where the Ambassador’s Residence is located, used to be a military reservation for the US Army. The city was designed by Architect Daniel Burnham, and Justice George Malcolm authored the law making Baguio as chartered city.

Local government officials, representatives from civic organizations, the academe, police and media were invited to the occasion.

http://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1010867

AFP commits to safeguard tourist destinations in CV

From the Philippine Information Agency (Jul 26): AFP commits to safeguard tourist destinations in CV 

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) commits in doing their best to ensure security protection of tourists that will be coming in and out in the provinces of Cebu, Bohol and Siquijor.

AFP 302nd Infantry Brigade Commander Col. Ignacio Madriaga said in all aspects they are in close coordination with the local government units (LGUs) to ensure the safety of tourists.

“In coordination with LGUs, we are trying our best to ensure the security protection of tourists,” Col. Madriaga said.

He added that they also tied up with relevant agencies and the police as this effort requires convergence and the resources of other agencies are needed.

Col. Madriaga stressed that they are considering tourist destinations as vulnerable areas amid the closure of Boracay Island that forced tourists to change route entering the provinces of Cebu, Bohol and Siquijor.

“Areas of tourist destination would always be at risk,” he said.

The official clarified that there is no imminent threat in the provinces covered by the Infantry the provinces of Cebu, Bohol and Siquijor, but nevertheless, their security assessment continues.

Col. Madriaga revealed that although there is no obvious threat, on their part it is better to be always suspicious and alert.

http://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1010873

Suspected Maute member killed in Lanao Sur clash

From the Philippine News Agency (Jul 26): Suspected Maute member killed in Lanao Sur clash



Troops have recovered high-powered weapons following a 10-minute clash against alleged ISIS-inspired Maute group members on Thursday in Masiu, Lanao del Sur. (Photo courtesy: Army's 1st Infantry Division PIO)
An alleged member of the Islamic State-inspired Maute Group was killed and high-powered weapons were seized following a firefight in Lanao del Sur, a top military official announced Thursday.

Maj. Gen. Roseller Murillo, the Army’s 1st Infantry Division commander, did not disclose the exact place of the clash because it was an operational matter but said it happened in the town of Masiu, Lanao del Sur at about 9 a.m. Thursday.

Murillo said the 10-minute firefight resulted in the death of Zainal Candidato.
The firefight erupted as troops of the Army’s 49th Infantry Battalion raided the lair of Panarigan Tama Baoraki, alias Golden Boy, and Hadji Rasul Amimbering in Masiu, based on information from civilians.

Murillo said the two are leaders of an armed group with ties to the Maute Group operating in Lanao del Sur.

He said Baoraki, Amimbering, and their followers fled to different directions.

There was no casualty among the troops, Murillo said, adding that they seized three M-16 Armalite rifles; two Rocket-Propelled Grenade launchers; two grenades; two Islamic State flags; six sachets of suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride commonly known as “shabu”; a cellular phone; and other illegal drug paraphernalia.

“I commend the people of Lanao del Sur, for reporting the presence of the Maute-IS terrorists, and the troops of JTF ZAMPELAN (Joint Task Force Zamboanga Peninsula and Lanao) for swift and decisive action that led to the successful operations,” Murillo said.

“Preventing and countering violent extremism is a shared responsibility of all members of our society but primarily of the people in the communities. These terrorists seek to destroy our way of life,” he added.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1042805

MILF, MNLF qualified members can join military vs. BIFF: Lorenzana

From the Philippine News Agency (Jul 26): MILF, MNLF qualified members can join military vs. BIFF: Lorenzana

Qualified members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) could be absorbed in the military should the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) carry out its threat of intensifying its attacks following the House of Representatives ratification of the bicameral conference committee report on the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) on Tuesday.

This was emphasized by Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Delfin Lorenzana when asked on how the MILF and MNLF can help the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) fight the BIFF threat once they are disarmed and decommissioned.

"Several ways: we could absorb those qualified to join the AFP, or we could organize them into CAFGUs or SCAAs (Special CAFGUs)," he added.

The DND chief also said the government, through the AFP, is willing to intensify its operations against the BIFF should it carry out its threats to launch more attacks.

He added that they will seek the help of the MILF and MNLF to eliminate the threat.

Earlier, Lorenzana said he strongly welcomes the MILF's announcement that it is willing to disarm and decommission 30,000 to 40,000 of its fighters once the BOL is passed into law.

"(This announcement is) very much welcomed. If this happens, peace will at last reign in the Muslim Mindanao area. The effect will be far-reaching: the land and people will be more productive, investments will pour, infra development can proceed unimpeded," he added.

The BOL seeks to create a new Bangsamoro political entity that would replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). The bicameral panel approved the reconciled version of the BOL last July 18 after six days of marathon hearings.

The bill provides for the 75-25 wealth-sharing term in favor of the Bangsamoro. This increases the share of the Bangsamoro in government tax revenues by 5 percent compared with the current 70 percent being received by the ARMM from national internal revenue taxes, fees, and charges, as well as taxes imposed on natural resources.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1042697

Army upgrades health service capability

From the Philippine News Agency (Jul 26): Army upgrades health service capability



The Philippine Army (PA) has started to enhance the capability of its health service to improve the chance of recovery of troops wounded in battle.

In a statement Wednesday, Army spokesperson Lt. Col. Louie Villanueva said a workshop was held at the Ricarte Hall, PA Officer's Club, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City to lay the groundwork for the improvement of its health service support units.

Participants from the Office of the Army Chief Surgeon, Office of the Army Chief Nurse and the Philippine Army Dental Service, including its subordinate units all over the country have actively participated.

Villanueva said the activity was capped by product presentation and demonstration provided by recognized leading healthcare companies, for the acquisition of mission essential equipment and construction of necessary health facilities.

“Through this workshop, our participants who are mostly the end users are kept abreast of the latest innovations and technology in the health services from companies based in United States, Germany, Israel and Singapore which also serves as the benchmark for the our capability upgrade,” Army Chief Surgeon Col. Felix T. Terencio said.

The Army Health Service Support Capability Enhancement aims to ensure the survivability of the troops and further address the issues on health services being provided to the personnel, from point of injury to definitive care.

This is anchored on the Army Transformation Roadmap’s vision to make the Army world-class by 2028 and the lessons from the five-month long Marawi siege.

The program covers the enhancement of the Military Treatment Facilities trauma or Mascal System with Surge and Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense (CBRNE) Capability, combat application tourniquet for all combat soldiers, CMET -- Medical Simulation Center Capability for combat forces, and the Casualty Tracking and Surveillance System.

There are also specifics projects for the upgrading of Mindanao-based Army hospitals, enhancement and upgrading of Military Treatment Facilities, enhancement of Health Service Support Training capability, Hospital Management Information System, Air Evacuation capability, Health Service Support Facilities, Role 1 and 2 capability, and Veterinary Services and Preventive Medicine.

By the end of the projects, it is expected that the Army health service will also meet the Green Military Hospital standard that connotes facilities that use less water, optimize energy efficiency, conserve natural resources, generate less waste and provide healthier spaces for occupants, as compared to a conventional building.

Another major project is the construction of the PA Health Service Command Headquarters, which will pave the way for the attainment of overall organizational health service support effectiveness and efficiency.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1042709

Victory means PH control in WPS: Lorenzana

From the Philippine News Agency (Jul 26): Victory means PH control in WPS: Lorenzana

Victory for the country in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) issue is only considered complete once full Filipino control or ownership is established in the territory, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said Thursday.

"Until such time that we get the whole WPS to ourselves, it is not a victory to me," Lorenzana said in a statement.

The defense chief made the remark in response to criticisms over his earlier statement calling the July 12, 2016 ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration, which invalidated China's claim over its "historic rights" to the WPS, an empty victory.

The ruling also said Beijing's “Nine-Dash Line” map on the disputed territory has no legal basis.

Lorenzana, meanwhile, apologized to those who were hurt by his earlier statement.

"Yes, (I am sorry) for ruffling their feelings. No intention to hurt them. I was stating a fact that is staring us in the face. Not calling it as it is, that the PCA ruling is unenforceable, will not change the situation in the WPS," Lorenzana added.

He also stressed that he wants Filipinos to "see the real picture as opposed to those who think that aggressively asserting our rights will work".

"We won but it is an empty victory: the Chinese won’t leave our EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone) and instead it continues to assert its historical rights over the areas within the Nine-Dash Line. Additionally, it stopped buying our bananas and pineapples, Chinese tourists dwindled to near zero, and our fishermen were barred from going to Panatag to fish," Lorenzana earlier said.

The defense chief said he is basing his idea of victory on his long experience as a soldier when victory means getting something.

Lorenzana, a retired major general, is a member of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1973.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1042829

PRRD signs Bangsamoro Organic Law

From the Philippine News Agency (Jul 26): PRRD signs Bangsamoro Organic Law

Malacañang on Thursday confirmed that President Rodrigo R. Duterte finally signed the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL).

“This is to announce that the President has just signed the BOL into law,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a text message to Palace reporters.

During the ‘69th Araw ng Ipil’ celebration in Zamboanga Sibugay, Duterte said “the BBL has been signed”, referring to Bangsamoro Basic Law which has been renamed into BOL.

“The BBL has been signed but I’m still going back because I have a ceremony with Jaafar and Murad,” said Duterte, referring to Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) first vice chair Ghazali Jaafar and vice chairman for military affairs Al Haj Murad.

Duterte said he would like also to talk to Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) founding chairman Nur Misuari “so that we can have it by the end of the year”.
The President was supposed to sign the BOL before his third State of the Nation Address (SONA) last Monday but change of leadership in the House of Representatives delayed the ratification of the bicameral conference committee version of the bill.

The House, under the leadership of new House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, ratified the BOL a day after the SONA. Arroyo replaced Pantaleon Alvarez.

The Senate unanimously approved the bicam report on Monday during the opening of the third regular session of the 17th Congress.

The BOL seeks to establish a new Bangsamoro political entity that would replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1042839

197 villages in Cebu ‘threatened’ by NPA

From the Sun Star-Cebu (Jul 25): 197 villages in Cebu ‘threatened’ by NPA

THE Armed Forces of the Philippines-Central Command identified 197 barangays in Cebu Province as threatened by the New People’s Army’s (NPA) recruitment.

But Maj. Sandro Sereno, operations officer of Task Force Cebu of the 302nd Brigade, said that it doesn’t mean there were rebels operating in these area.
Sereno said they are focusing their efforts on helping four barangays in Tuburan town, such as by conducting medical check-ups, so residents wouldn’t be enticed to joined the rebels.

The barangays of Kabangkalan, Amatuga, Mag-atubang and Gimama-a in Tuburan have been placed under a community support program.
Sereno said that under the program, the AFP-Centcom works together with the national and local governments to deliver basic services and build farm-to-market roads to help develop mountain barangays.

Col. Ignacio Madriaga, commander of the 302nd Brigade of the Philippine Army, said Cebu and Bohol remain safe for tourists to visit.

Madriaga said they are coordinating with local government units in working to lift the travel bans against some areas.

“Out of 10, I believe that we’ve earned an 8.5 rating when it comes to security in our areas of responsibility. If we’re not safe, there wouldn’t be millions of tourists who come here,” Madriaga said.

In 2016, the UK and the US issued a travel advisory for their citizens against visiting southern Cebu and Bohol because of the alleged presence of terrorists.

 https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1754530/Cebu/Local-News/197-brgys-in-Cebu-threatened-by-NPA

Junior officer, soldier killed in Mindanao clash

From the Gulf Today (Jul 25): Junior officer, soldier killed in Mindanao clash

A junior military officer and another soldier were slain when communists New People’s Army (NPA) rebels detonated a land mine during an encounter with government forces in Agusan del Sur province in restive Mindanao.

First Lieutenant Tere Ingente, an Army division spokesman, reported that two other soldiers were wounded in the clash that occurred in a “barangay” (village) in the town of Bayugan, Agusan del Sur over the weekend.

Ingente identified the slain officer as First Lieutenant Rod Michael Aspiras who was leading a team of soldiers while on security patrol when they encountered the rebels, described as heavily-armed.

During the intense firefight, the insurgents detonated a landmine that killed Aspiras, a sergeant and wounded two other soldiers, according to Ingente.

Ariel Montero, the spokesman of the NPA Northeastern Mindanao Regional Command, claimed they detonated the landmine to send a message to President Rodrigo “Rody” Duterte who delivered his third state-of-the-nation address before a joint session of Congress on Monday.

Montero did not elaborate but he was apparently referring to Duterte’s decision to stop the formal resumption of formal talks on June 29 with the rebels represented by their political arm the National Democratic Front (NDF) with Norway as the third party facilitator.

Significantly, Duterte did not mention the stalled peace talks in his address before Congress, his third, since he took over Malacanang Palace in June 2016.

 

http://gulftoday.ae/portal/b4dcb23a-3994-454a-b715-5ef3a268441c.aspx

NPA rebel surrenders after 15 years

From the Manila Times (Jul 25): NPA rebel surrenders after 15 years

CAMP GEN. MATEO CAPINPIN, Tanay, Rizal: Another member of the communist New People’s Army (NPA) surrendered to the joint elements of the 76th Infantry Battalion (76IB) and the 402nd Mobile Police Company in Occidental Mindoro on Monday after 15 years of armed struggle against the government.

Lt Col Mario Lito Retirva, the acting commanding officer of the 76IB, identified the surrenderee as Ronnie Ferrer, 42 years old, medical officer of Platoon Falcon (formerly known as Kilusang Larangang Guerilla: Yam-ay), Sub- Regional Military Area-4D, Southern Tagalog Regional Party Committee (STRPC).

According to Retirva, Ferrer was one of the fugitive group known as “Batangas 9” among more or less 20 NPA rebels who raided the Batangas Provincial City Jail on January 6, 2006. The raiders broke the cell and freed their jailed comrades and other prisoners including inmates facing drug related cases.

During the interview, Ferrer said that he was recruited at the age of 18 by a left leaning youth organization. that required them to attend mass rallies and protests and were gradually brainwashed to hate the government through discussions of social and political issues.

He said the failure of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) leadership to provide for his medical needs and the false hopes the organization raised made him decide to abandon the armed struggle and return to a normal life. He added that he experienced starvation due to the dwindling support from the masses and intensified combat operations.

Ferrer also confirmed reports that the CPP-NPA-NDF in Mindoro is continuously recruiting indigenous people (IP). ‘’The Mangyans who are in the hinterlands are primarily recruited because they are easier to convince and manipulate,’’ he said.

According to Retirva, the 76IB together and the PNP in the area had been working together as early as May this year after they received his surrender feelers.

Last June 22, two other NPA members surrendered to the 76IB.

Meanwhile, Major General Rhoderick Parayno, Commander of the 2nd Infantry Division (2ID), lauded the efforts of the 76IB and the PNP in Mindoro.

’The continuous surrender of the NPA in the area is a clear indications that our call for the NPAs to go back to the fold of the law is being heard,’’ he added.

“Rest assured that the 2ID is always open to NPA members who will decide to surrender and embrace the path to peace. We will help them get the benefits due them and link them to the different government programs to facilitate their return to normal and productive lives. Immediate livelihood cash assistance are allotted to them under the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program of the government,” Parayno said.

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?tab=wm#inbox/164d078856985028

NPA captures soldier in Davao Oriental

From the often pro-Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) online publication the Davao Today (Jul 24): NPA captures soldier in Davao Oriental

A soldier belonging to the 28th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army assigned in Davao Oriental was captured by the New People’s Army last June 10.

In a statement to the media on Monday, Roel Agustin II, spokesperson of the ComVal-Davao East Coast Sub-Regional Command of the NPA in Southern Mindanao identified the soldier as Private First Class Johannes Dolor Parreño, Serial No. 890065.

Parreño was captured while an NPA unit was mounting a checkpoint in Sitio Mampising, Barangay Taguibo in Mati City at around 5:30 in the afternoon of June 10.

A caliber .45 pistol was seized from the captured soldier, Agustin said, adding that Parreño has been assigned in Davao Oriental since 2012 and has taken part in various combat operations of the army in the area, particularly in the towns of Banay-Banay, Pantukan and Mati City.

The NPAs now considers Parreño a Prisoner of War.

“POW Parreño is under investigation for his possible involvement in anti-people crimes perpetrated by the 28th IB and counter-revolutionary activities,” the statement said.

Agustin also accused 28th IB and the 67th IB of turning civilian communities in the area into military encampments and barracks.

The continuing military encampments, Agustin added, have posed a real danger to the lives and properties of the lumad residents and peasants in the area.

Since the ascension of President Rodrigo Duterte into power and the imposition of martial law, Agustin said, encampments of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in the middle of civilian communities have steadily increased.

“Not only have these units of the AFP insisted on putting up detachments in the middle of civilian population, they have also saturated other barrios with their deceptively-named ‘peace and development teams,’ a sham term for their psywar operations against Lumad and peasants, which have always resulted in killings, physical and verbal abuse, fake surrender and many other human rights violations,” he pointed out.

He also cited cases of establishing military encampments in the various towns of Davao Oriental and Lingig, Surigao del Sur.

Agustin said three military detachments were established by the AFP in Barangay Malibago in Cateel, Davao Oriental and a section of 67th IB soldiers encamped in a sitio of the same barangay who are conducting civic-military operations.

Malibago is inhabited by less than 2,000 residents, mostly belonging to the Mandaya tribe, he added.

“Mandaya residents are not surprised by the oversaturation of enemy troops in Malibago since illegal logging in the barangay has always been one of the racketeering ventures of the 67th IB. Five other barangays in Cateel have detachments while at least three villages are being terrorized by peace and development teams of the 67th IB,” Agustin further claimed.

Agustin also criticized the military for utilizing as detachments a gymnasium and housing units intended for the Pablo victims in Davao Oriental and in the province of Surigao del Sur.

Soldiers are also threatening farmers as well as small-scale miners in the area, he added.

“It is becoming clearer and clearer that the martial law being implemented in Mindanao is nothing but an all-out offensive against civilians to ensure their non-resistance in the face of Duterte’s dictatorship and devastation of the Filipino people’s socio-economic lives. It is, likewise, being used by fascist troops of the AFP to lend excuse and credence to their corrupt practice of extortion and other money-making activities in their areas of jurisdiction,” Agustin said.

He added that the lumad and peasant sectors in Davao Oriental continue to persist and fight back, especially by joining the revolutionary armed struggle.

“NPA units in Davao Oriental are being beefed up following the atrocities committed by the 67th and the 28th IB, with Duterte’s anti-people programs as the unwitting motivator,” Agustin said.

http://davaotoday.com/main/politics/npa-captures-soldier-in-davao-oriental/

CPP/NPA-Quezon: Reaksyon ni Ka Cleo del Mundo sa SONA ni Duterte

NPA-Quezon propaganda statement posted to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Website (Jul 25): Reaksyon ni Ka Cleo del Mundo sa SONA ni Duterte

Hulyo 24, 2018| PAHAYAG

Walang kalatuy-latoy at nakakasuya ang pahayag ni Rodrigo Duterte sa kanyang ikatlong State of the Nation Address sa Batasang Pambansa noong Hulyo 23.




NPA-Quezon (Apolonio Mendoza Command) spokesperson Ka Cleo del Mundo
Sa kanyang talumpati, wala siyang pahayag na lulutas sa mga pundamental na suliranin ng mamamayang Pilipino. Wala siyang binanggit na hakbangin kung paano malulutas ang kahirapan ng bayan. Walang pinag-iba sa panis na ulam ang talumpati ni Duterte na kahit anong pasulak at muling luto ay hinding-hindi na makakakain ng bayan.

Partikular sa lalawigan, bagsak ang industriya ng kopra, tatlong pangungusap lamang ang kanyang inilaan para sumahin ang matagal nang pakikibaka ng mga magniniyog sa pagbawi ng pondo ng coco levy. Wala itong ibig sabihin sa maralitang maglulukad.

Wala talagang ibang pupuntahan ang mamamayan kundi ang pagrerebolusyon. Sa pakikibakang bayan sa kanayunan at kalunsuran, kailangan nating alpasan ang dambuhalang lakas na iba’t-ibang seksyon na lipunan na ngayon ay nagkakaisa para itakwil ang isang mapanlinlang at mapanupil na diktaduryang US-Duterte.

Kung sinuma ni Duterte sa tatlong pangungusap ang laban ng mga magniniyog, isang pangungusap lamang ang sagot ng rebolusyunaryong mamamayan ng Quezon sa kanyang 48-minutong satsat — “Ibagsak ang rehimeng US-Duterte!”

https://www.ndfp.org/reaksyon-ni-ka-cleo-del-mundo-sa-sona-ni-duterte/

CPP/NPA-Central Negros: Revolutionary Movement in Central Negros Comprehensively Failed the Oplan Kapayapaan and All-out war of the US-Duterte regime

NPA-Central Negros Guerrilla Front propaganda statement posted to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Website (Jul 21): Revolutionary Movement in Central Negros Comprehensively Failed the Oplan Kapayapaan and All-out war of the US-Duterte regime

Ka JB Regalado
Spokesperson
Leonardo Panaligan Command
New People’s Army, Central Negros Guerilla Front

Press release
July 23,2018

The Leonardo Panaligan Command – New People’s Army (LPC-NPA) congratulates and commends the courageous members of the revolutionary masses in Central Negros in their persistence in building the Barrio Revolutionary Committee (BRC/ KRB) last July 21, 2018, in an isolated and forested section of Central Negros, despite the ceaseless AFP-led battallion-size operations in parts of the guerilla front.

This success is of great significance among the ranks of the whole revolutionary movement and the praiseworthy leadership of the Communist Party of the Philippines in the locality and the whole of the Negros region.

The LPC-NPA also extends its gratitude to the ISGANNAN members of the Barrio Defense Unit , the People’s Militia Unit and the Local Guerilla Unit together with a platoon of the New People’s Army in securing the safety of almost two hundred official representatives and delegates of close to two thousand organized masses of the full-pledged peasant association of the National Peasant Association (Pambansang Katipunan ng mga Magsasaka/ PKM), the Patriotic Youth (KM), the Patriotic Movement of New Women (MAKIBAKA) and the support groups from the ranks of the middle forces in the villages.

The successive establishment of a total six (6) units of full-pledged peasant association of the PKM, Makibaka and SKM in the whole guerilla front in just six months (February to July 2018) is also a significant victory.

The twenty percent (20%) growth of the mass base and the consolidation from Organizing Groups to the Barrio Revolutionary Committees (BRC)where they advanced the agrarian revolution and other mass actions; the 25-35% growth of the NPA and its launching of 40 successful military actions where they confiscated 35 arms and military logistics and the 15-20% growth of the CPP membership and the generation of cadres, only show the correct leadership of the Party and strong support of the masses. T,his is also a clear manifestation of the defeat of the class enemies, the fascist AFP/PNP, especially the all-out war and the reactionary attacks in the framework of Oplan Kapayapaan of the US- Duterte regime against the CPP/NPA/NDFP.

The third State of the Nation Address (SONA) of Rodrigo “Digong” Duterte are all lip-service and sugar-coated. Duterte is playing safe and covering his non-compliance to the promises made before he assumed his executive post and on his first SONA.

Duterte’s brazen puppetry to the US and China and the destruction of the lives and livelihood of the Filipino people inflicted by bloody campaigns against drugs, counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency, particularly the Oplan Tokhang, Oplan Tambay, the siege of Marawi, imposition of martial law and the the Build…Build…Build program which resulted in widespread corruption, worsening hunger and poverty of the people due to TRAIN Law, the continuing wage freeze, the insufficient benefits and the bondage of workers to contractualization, the insincerity and non-implementation of genuine land reform and national industrialization are results of the arbitrary cancellation of Peace talks between the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) and the Government of the Republic of the Philippines(GRP) to address the root causes of the civil war in the country, the continuing violations of human rights, the militarization and the extra-judicial killings in the country.

The LPC-NPA is certain that these will ignite a prairie fire of armed struggle in the countryside through the expansion and consolidation of the Party as it exercises absolute leadership over the New People’s Army to seize the political power from the class enemies and to build socialism towards communism.

https://www.ndfp.org/revolutionary-movement-in-central-negros-comprehensively-failed-the-oplan-kapayapaan-and-all-out-war-of-the-us-duterte-regime/

CPP: Extend all-out support to Lianga exodus amid AFP siege

CPP propaganda statement posted to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Website (Jul 21): Extend all-out support to Lianga exodus amid AFP siege

 

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) joins various groups in calling on the broad democratic sectors across the country to extend all possible moral, political and material support to the thousands of Lumad evacuees who have sought safe haven in Barangay Diatagon, Lianga, Surigao del Sur, amid the heightening siege by the fascist troops in the area.

The CPP condemns the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) for imposing a death grip against the Lumad evacuees of Lianga. The CPP denounces the AFP food, aid and information blockade. All roads leading to the village center are being blocked by AFP troops.

Media agencies are being barred by AFP troops from proceeding to the evacuation site to prevent them from interviewing the evacuees. Aid organizations, including church groups, are being prohibited from bringing rice and other aid.

The AFP has practically taken over the government in the said area. The AFP’s information and aid blockade are grave criminal acts and outright violations of human rights and international humanitarian law.

Around 1,600 people from various sitios in Barangay Diatagon left their homes a few days ago and marched for several hours to the village center out of fear.

For more than a month now, they have been intimidated and terrorized by the presence of hundreds of troops under the 75th IB in their villages. Lumad residents have been subjected to continuous threats and harassments in the hope of compelling them to accept the entry of companies who seek to mine coal within their ancestral domain.

Over the past weeks, several other Lumad communities in other parts of Mindanao have been forced to evacuate as a result of AFP presence in their midst. This include the Higaonon Lumads from Barangay Bantaawan, Gingoog City and from Barangay Banglay, Lagonglong, Misamis Oriental who were forced to evacuate and are currently encamped in Cagayan de Oro City to seek humanitarian support. Moro areas and national minority communities across the country have also been subjected to similar acts of repression as the Duterte regime heighten its drive to take control over their ancestral lands.

The CPP calls on the international community to draw attention to the plight of thousands of evacuees in Mindanao and elsewhere and expose the all out attacks by the military against their communities.

https://www.ndfp.org/extend-all-out-support-to-lianga-exodus-amid-afp-siege/

25 former NPAs in North Cotabato to get skills training

From the Philippine Star (Jul 25): 25 former NPAs in North Cotabato to get skills training



The AFP said in December 2017 that more than 500 rebel returnees availed of the government's Comprehensive Local Integral Program last year.

NORTH COTABATO, Philippines — The government will teach 25 former communist rebels in the province livelihood skills to hasten their reintegration into local communities.

The 25 former members of the New People’s Army from North Cotabato's adjoining Arakan, Magpet and President Roxas towns yielded in batches to the Army's 19th Infantry Battalion in recent months.

In a statement Tuesday, the 19th IB said the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority will handle the program with the help of North Cotabato Gov. Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza.

Skilled carpenters in the ranks of the 19th IB will also train them in carpentry.

 

The former NPAs and representatives from the office of TESDA in Region 12 held an initial dialogue last week on the mechanics of the short-term vocational courses they need for them to have sources of income.

A private entity, the Institute for Motorbikes and Auto Mechanics Incorporated, volunteered to help train them to repair and maintain motorcycle engines.

The community-based skills training package is part of the government's Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program.

The government has announced that it will shift to "localized" peace talks with communist rebels instead of through the National Democratic Front, which has been negotiating for the Communist Party of the Philippines and NPA, after President Rodrigo Dutetre scrapped a planned resumption of formal talks.

The communists have rejected the idea, saying it showed a "very shallow appreciation of the profound social problems which are at the root of the raging civil war in the Philippines."

The CPP-NPA-NDF believe feudal agrarian relations, imperialism and "bureaucrat capitalism"—or the use of government resources and structures by the ruling class to enrich themselves at the expense of the rest of the people—have kept the majority of Filipinos poor.

"We cannot expect these problems to be answered by local governments," the spokesperson for the NDF-affiliated Cordillera People's Democratic Front said earlier this month.

 

https://www.philstar.com/nation/2018/07/25/1836650/25-former-npas-north-cotabato-get-skills-training

Philippine rebel chief: 30,000 rebels to be disarmed in deal

From the Seattle Times (Jul 24): Philippine rebel chief: 30,000 rebels to be disarmed in deal

The leader of the largest Muslim rebel group in the Philippines said Tuesday that 30,000 to 40,000 armed fighters would be “decommissioned” if an autonomy deal that is expected to be signed into law by the president this week is fully enforced.

Al Haj Murad Ebrahim, chairman of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, said six of the largest guerrilla camps in the south were already being converted into “productive civilian communities” to help the insurgents return to normal life.

Clad in a business suit, Murad appealed to the international community to contribute to a trust fund to be used to finance the insurgents’ transition from decades of waging one of Asia’s longest rebellions.

“We will decommission our forces, the entire forces,” Murad said at a news conference in Manila. He said his guerrilla group has told the government how many fighters it has, although he declined to immediately cite the number of weapons that “will be put beyond use.”

The military has put the Moro rebel group’s size at a much lower 11,000 fighters.

Murad, who used to head the rebels’ large combat force, welcomed the ratification by the House of Representatives on Tuesday of the Muslim autonomy deal after a one-day delay caused by a chaotic leadership change in Congress. The legislation, which was ratified by the Senate on Monday, is to be sent to President Rodrigo Duterte for signing in a day or two.

The bill seeks to replace an existing poverty- and conflict-wracked autonomous region with a potentially larger, better-funded and more powerful region named Bangsamoro for minority Muslims in the southern third of the largely Roman Catholic nation.

The autonomy deal is the latest significant attempt by the government to negotiate an end to nearly half a century of on-and-off Muslim fighting that has left more than 120,000 people dead and hampered development in the country’s poorest regions.

Murad’s guerrilla force is the second in the south to have dropped a demand for a separate Muslim state in exchange for autonomy. The Moro National Liberation Front forged a 1996 peace deal with the government that led to the current five-province Muslim autonomous region, which has largely been regarded as a failure.

Western governments have welcomed the autonomy pacts, while worrying that small numbers of Islamic State group-linked militants from the Middle East and Southeast Asia could forge an alliance with Filipino insurgents and turn the south into a breeding ground for extremists.

Murad said it’s crucial for the peace agreement to be fully enforced, citing how earlier failed attempts forced some guerrillas to break away and form more hard-line groups like the Abu Sayyaf, a brutal group listed by the United States and the Philippines as a terrorist organization.

“We can roughly conclude that all these splinter groups are a result of the frustration with the peace process,” Murad said.

Delays in the peace deal prompted some militants to break off from Murad’s rebel group, he said. Those militants were among the black flag-waving fighters who swore allegiance to the Islamic State group and laid siege to the southern Islamic city of Marawi last year. Troops backed by U.S. and Australian surveillance aircraft routed the militants after five months of airstrikes and ground assaults that left more than 1,200 people, mostly Islamic fighters, dead and the mosque-studded city in ruins.

Murad said the hard-line groups could be weaned back to mainstream society if the peace deal succeeds and is embraced by the people. If they continue fighting, he said “it would be very difficult for them to exist” without community support.

https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/philippine-rebel-chief-30000-rebels-to-be-disarmed-in-deal/

Moro Islamic Liberation Front leader backs autonomy law

From Anadolu Agency (Jul 24): Moro Islamic Liberation Front leader backs autonomy law

We are almost at another milestone in our struggle: Al-Hajj Murad Ebrahim after ratification of Philippines' Bangsamoro Law


Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) chairman Murad Ebrahim

Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Chairman Al-Hajj Murad Ebrahim has welcomed the ratification of the Bangsamoro Law -- a key piece of legislation for expanded autonomy in a region of the southern Philippines.

"We are almost at another milestone in our revolutionary struggle," Ebrahim said in an interview with the Foreign Correspondents' Association of the Philippines, which was published on its Twitter account.

"We've spent the entire better part of our lives in the struggle; as a person, the tendency is to ask whether we can already retire. But we know that there will be more challenges in the future.

"So we have to force ourselves to keep working so that the Bangsamoro will really work," he said, stating that he hoped the peace agreement to be the last.

"We continue to uphold the peace process as long as we see it can move forward."

The MILF chairman also said, "Turkey is very active in supporting the normalization process".

"We see now that the law that will be passed is a good start that we can work with, but the MILF will still conduct consultations with our people. Any success will be through the support of majority of our people," he said.

He also said further discussions on how to approach decommissioning will be made as MILF "generally agreed" on decommissioning.

Splinter groups in the region "capitalized on the past failures of the peace process," he said.

"We are confident that if there is a political solution acceptable to the Bangsamoro, they will be brought to the mainstream; no choice for them but to join [the Bangsamoro]," he said.

Ebrahim also addressed the issue of education, stating it will be a priority since the region lags behind in that sector.

"The only way to get our people to support the peace process is for them to understand that they will benefit from it," he said.

"The next challenge is the plebiscite. But after 40 years of challenges, we are confident that we can surpass the next challenges."

After a one-day delay, a key piece of legislation for expanded autonomy in the southern Philippines region was passed by the House of Representatives on Tuesday, and is due to be signed into law by Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte.

The measure, which aims to grant wider autonomy for the Bangsamoro – a collective term for Filipino Muslims – would replace the existing Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao with the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region – a region with more political and fiscal powers, including a bigger annual block grant equivalent to five percent of the total national internal revenue collection.

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the largest Moro rebel group in the Philippines, had forged the Bangsamoro Law with government representatives as one of the requirements of the peace agreement it signed in 2014 with then-President Benigno Aquino III.

 

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/moro-islamic-liberation-front-leader-backs-autonomy-law/1212940