Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Live-in partners tagged NPA rebels nabbed in Quirino town

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Oct 29, 2019): Live-in partners tagged NPA rebels nabbed in Quirino town

Police on Tuesday announced the arrest of a couple suspected of membership in the rebel guerrilla group New People’s Army (NPA) although on different charges.

T
he couple were arrested in the town of Diffun, Quirino province, according to Brig. Gen. Angelito Casimiro, Cagayan Valley acting police chief.

The arrested man was identified as Reynaldo Busania who was tagged by police as communications head of the regional rebel organization.

Busania, according to Casimiro, has warrants of arrest for murder, multiple frustrated murder, serious illegal detention, car theft, robbery and arson.

Casimiro said Busania was among the rebels who attacked the Maddela town police station on April 29, 2017.

Busania’s live-in partner, Sharon Malubay, was also arrested but on a charge of adultery and harboring a criminal. Malubay, according to police, served as medical officer of NPA members operating in Cagayan Valley.

Police in Diffun are keeping the couple. In a statement, however, the peasant group Danggayan-Cagayan Valley said the charges against the couple were trumped up. They were framed up, said the group. Villamor Visaya Jr.

Suicide bombs and foreign fighters are burgeoning jihadi threats for the Philippines

From The Defense Post (Oct 29, 2019): Suicide bombs and foreign fighters are burgeoning jihadi threats for the Philippines (By Pawel Wojcik)

Ground Zero after the Battle of Marawi in the Philippines

Over the past few years the Philippines has witnessed significant changes in terrorist modus operandi. Suicide bombings, a common tactic for terrorist groups, have been on the rise. However, while not unusual in the Middle East, Africa, Central Asia or even Indonesia, this form of modern violent jihad is still new to the Philippines. This shift has been compounded by the ongoing influx of foreign jihadists, encouraged by Islamic State leaders’ calls for supporters to migrate there.

The concept of suicide bombing has a controversial history in a country heavily influenced by long-time struggles of Muslims trying to separate from the Philippines. Following the establishment of ISIS in 2014, the majority of Filipino jihadist groups declared their loyalty to leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. In the difficult environment, in which blood ties, clans and tribalism are key, ideology-focused jihadists were a minority following the fall of multiple Abu Sayyaf Group leaders in late 1990s and after the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States.

Yet, a few commanders like Isnilon Happilon remained consistent in their struggle on the violent path. Abu Sayyaf leaders have found it challenging to instill Salafist thinking in the mindset of their loyalists that could enable them to conduct more advanced attacks to harass Philippine authorities.

The first reported suicide bombing in the Philippines was carried out in 2002 in an open-air market in Zamboanga city where U.S. Green Berets were on patrol. One American and two Filipinos were killed in what was said to be the first suicide attack conducted by jihadists in the Philippines. However, following army and police statements, suspicions of deliberate suicide were dismissed in favor of a premature explosion.

Philippine authorities in the years that followed adhered to a strict propaganda code to undermine any possibility that successful jihadist operations would damage the reputation of the government and armed forces. This turned out to be irresponsible after the success of Isnilion Happilon in uniting jihadist forces in South East Asia and pledging allegiance to Islamic State in 2015.

The most important commanders included in building Islamic State forces in the Philippines were:
Isnilon Happilon, the long-time commander of ASG on Basilan island, later involved in the famous Islamic State East Asia campaign in Marawi City, Maute clan residing in Mindanao with brothers Omar and Abdullah in the lead; they were also co-conspirators in the Marawi battle,
Ansar Khalifa Philippines leader Mohammad Jaafar Maguid (aka Tokboy), Muammar Askari, Abu Sayyaf spokesperson and chief negotiator, often considered a Philippino counterpart of the ISIS spokesperson, Abu Muhammad al-Adnani.

Tokboy and Askar were involved the most in applying changes to the Philippine terror landscape that would fit Islamic State strategies for the future. Both were considered rising stars of jihad in the Philippines, advertising salafi teachings and recruiting foreign jihadists for the cause of Islamic State.

Tokboy was also a middleman in sending recruits to the war in Syria and Iraq. One of them was Reza Kiram, who would later appear in a few productions that announced the unification of Islamic State forces in the Philippines. AKP was the first affiliate group of ISEA to try recruiting suicide bombers, prematurely warning Philippino authorities of the upcoming threat.

Askari, who had become the face of ISEA in 2015-2017, actively pursued the idea of unification and blur the lines between clans and ethnic groups in order to build a core ground for future ISIS strategy.

In 2016-2017 ISEA emerged as a significant force challenging the state in battles on three major Muslim-majority islands – Basilan, Sulu and Mindanao. Financed by Islamic State via envoys traveling from Syria and Iraq, Isnilon Happilon was slowly building a force that would later fight the Philippine army in Marawi for nearly five months.

All important commanders put significant effort into applying official Islamic State ideology that included Sharia teaching, combat tactics and propaganda. The concept of self-sacrifice, however, would have an important value later on, started by the Marawi battle. The premature deaths of Tokboy and Askari at the beginning of 2017 didn’t diminish the potential of the rising jihadi forces: the death of Askari in April that year occurred just a month before Marawi attack began.


Graffiti left by ISIS militants in Marawi, the Philippines. Image: @natashya_g/Twitter

The surprising operation on a tourist site in Bohol failed to alarm Philippine authorities against the incoming threat. What came after was probably the most important event that would influence the whole region in the years to come – the Marawi battle.

The Marawi campaign actually began a few days before the planned date, disrupted by police efforts to arrest Isnilon Happilon, who had been spotted in the city. A carefully planned invasion by the Maute clan and Happilon was meant to be the beginning of creating a new province affiliated to Islamic State – East Asia.

Islamic State leaders in Iraq and Syria were in need of a propaganda success followed by territorial losses, especially the city of Mosul. A new area of conflict thousands of kilometres away from the Middle East would be a potential piece of the puzzle supporting the image of famous Adnani quote “remaining and expanding.”

The difficult five-month battle that ended in the defeat of Islamic State was nevertheless a failure for the Philippine state as it was forced to call Western allies for support. Nearly 700 militants put up a tough fight in the urban environment, catching Philippino forces off guard.

Images and videos from jihadists in Marawi were carefully edited by Islamic State propagandists. Islamic State fighters were portrayed as martyrs fighting off Christian invaders. The “Inside the Caliphate” series, released at the time, included Australian, Singaporian and Filipino militants discussing ongoing Marawi battle, calling for martyrdom and encouraging islamists to come to the Philippines and support ISEA forces.

Following the Islamic State leaders’ calls and propaganda materials depicting the jihadist struggle in the Philippines, foreign jihadists started traveling to Mindanao, Sulu and Basilan in 2018. Philippine authorities again denied concerns over the growing and unprecedented numbers of foreigners in jihadist ranks, and on July 31, 2018 local media reported a large explosion in Lamitan city on Basilan island. Islamic State was quick to release a statement claiming a suicide bombing by a Moroccan militant. Later, the military was forced to acknowledge the event, marking the first suicide vehicle bomb attack in the Philippines. It was the first official ISEA operation after the announcement of its creation.

Social media accounts affiliated with ISEA posted images of explosives allegedly used in the SVBIED attack. Hugo Kamaan, an expert in suicide vehicle bombs, said the devices were similar to SVBIED payloads used by Islamic State in Syria and Iraq. This attack and wave of suicide bombings in Indonesia suggested an ongoing sharing of technology between Islamic State affiliates, increasing the threat to Southeast Asian states.

Throughout 2019, three attacks that included suicide bombers were carried out in the Philippines effectively marking the permanent danger of Islamic State’s growing influence in the local area. Attacks on a Christian church in Jolo in January and in Indanan in September were said to be carried out by an Indonesian couple and a “Caucasian looking woman.” Jihadists of foreign origin are the most utilized assets in ISEA, involved in three of four successful attempts so far.

In line with the increase in the worldwide exploitation of women in Islamic State-inspired suicide attacks, the Philippines is one the most prominent examples of jihadist groups using women to spread terror. This is mirrored in Philippine social media, where women are shown in Islamic State propaganda more often than anything besides fighters themselves. On June 28, the Philippines witnessed the first suicide bombing conducted by native born muslims, another potential danger that might cause further changes in young Filipino Muslims’ mindsets.

In September the army prevented another suicide bombing allegedly planned by the nephew of Hatib Sawadjaan, Islamic State’s leader in the Philippines. The scale of ISEA preparations suggests an effective training camp, and authorities reported that there were additional potential volunteers that are actively targeted by the military.

The Philippines now faces a resurgent force that shouldn’t be underestimated. Further denial of Islamic State’s resurgence and the dual problem of suicide bombing and foreign jihadists might have enormous costs in the future. Undermining that threat, ignoring the rights of Muslim citizens, and corrupt policies are all easily exploited by Islamic State to increase the group’s power and influence, making a Marawi 2.0 or an even worse scenario extremely realistic.

[Paweł Wójcik is a terrorism analyst researching jihad in Central and South-East Asia, and studying the financing sources of terrorists' activities, propaganda, and social media.]

https://thedefensepost.com/2019/10/29/philippines-islamic-state-suicide-bombs-foreign-fighters/

Mindanao might attract more foreign fighters amid death of ISIS leader — expert

From the Philippine Star (Oct 29, 2019): Mindanao might attract more foreign fighters amid death of ISIS leader — expert


In this undated tv grab taken from a video released by Al-Furqan media, the chief of the Islamic State group Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi purportedly appears for the first time in five years in a propaganda video in an undisclosed location. Baghdadi was believed to be dead after a US military raid in Syria's Idlib region, US media reported early on Oct. 27, 2019

Foreign fighters from neighboring Southeast Asian countries might continue to go to the Philippines despite the death of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, an expert on Southeast Asian security said.

Zachary Abuza, a professor at the National War College in Washington, said the death of Baghdadi would not have any real impact on counter-terror efforts in the Philippines.

ISIS-inspired groups, such as the Abu Sayyaf Group, Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, Maute group, AKP and others will continue to operate in Mindanao.


"My concern is that the southern Philippines will continue to be a draw for foreign fighters from Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore, simply because ISIS has suffered such reversals in Iraq and Syria, on top of the already formidable logistical challenges of getting there," Abuza told Philstar.com.

The Washington-based security expert noted that ISIS-inspired groups in Southeast Asia, including the Philippines, are very autonomous.

"The southern Philippines is the only place in Southeast Asia that pro-ISIS cells have the ability to actually control territory, and the pro-ISIS groups there are more than welcome to take in foreign fighters," Abuza said.

He also noted that the central leadership of ISIS has not given priority to Southeast Asia aside from the Marawi siege in 2017.

According to Abuza, ISIS seeks to grow its base in the region in the future following the Marawi siege, which gained ISIS media attention and financial support.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, meanwhile, said the death of the ISIS leader would be "just a momentary setback considering the depth and reach of the organization worldwide."

"Somebody will take his place to lead the ISIS. Maybe not as famous and well-known," Lorenzana.

US President Donald Trump earlier confirmed that Baghdadi was killed in a nighttime raid by US special forces in northwest Syria.

The US special forces carried out the raid in cooperation with Russia, Syria, Turkey and Iraq.

"He died after running into a dead-end tunnel, whimpering and crying and screaming all the way," Trump said.

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2019/10/29/1964291/mindanao-might-attract-more-foreign-fighters-amid-death-isis-leader-expert

10 Basilan-based Abu Sayyaf bandits surrender

From the Sun Star-Zamboanga (Oct 29, 2019): 10 Basilan-based Abu Sayyaf bandits surrender

TEN followers of the Basilan-based Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) surrendered, as government offensive against them continues, military officials said Tuesday, October 29.

The surrenderers were identified as Masbil Hoben, Haidal Tadling, Tong Sarunan, Said Kapon, Atung Ajallun, Samatin Matindo, Mulhakim Alabin, Asanuddin Dailon, Andoy Pingli and Sanny Arasain.

Lieutenant Colonel Ivan San Jose, Army's 18th Infantry Battalion commander, said the bandits, who are followers of Furuji Indama, surrendered Monday, October 28, to his command in the municipality of Ungkaya Pukan, Basilan province.


San Jose said the bandits revealed that they are tired of fighting against the government and they decided to surrender to have a better future.

"We welcome all those who want to end the conflict in a peaceful way," San Jose said, citing more ASG members are expected to surrender.

The surrenderers and the firearms they turned over were presented to Brigadier General Fernando Reyeg, Joint Task Force Basilan commander.

Lieutenant General Cirilito Sobejana, Western Mindanao Command chief, said psycho-social interventions will be provided to the surrenderers to enable them to start a new and meaningful life.

https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1829703

Alleged Sayyaf member falls

From the Philippine Star (Oct 30, 2019): Alleged Sayyaf member falls

A suspected member of the extremist group Abu Sayyaf was arrested in Parañaque City on Monday.

Haber Baladji was served an arrest warrant
for six counts of kidnapping and illegal detention by police officers at the corner of Russel Avenue and Roxas Boulevard on Monday morning.


The warrant was issued by Judge Toribio Ilao Jr. of the Pasig City Regional Trial Court Branch 266, who denied bail to Baladji.

The suspect was brought to the National Bureau of Investigation’s Counter-Terrorism Division for documentation and disposition.

https://www.philstar.com/nation/2019/10/30/1964537/alleged-sayyaf-member-falls

Gov’t bares all-out plan to arrest Joma Sison

From the Manila Bulletin (Oct 29, 2019): Gov’t bares all-out plan to arrest Joma Sison

The national government is exerting all means to bring to justice Netherlands-based Communist Party of the Philip­pines (CPP) founder Jose Maria “Joma” Sison here in the Philippines.


National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. (REY BANIQUET / Presidential Photo / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)

This was bared by National Se­curity Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. during the launch of the Halad ug Panaghiusa Alang sa Kalinaw Ug Kalambuan (Special Convergence Mis­sion for Peace and Development) in Baybay City, Leyte on Tuesday.

“We have formed a team and it is now in Europe kasama ang (with the) Interpol [International Police Organi­zation],” Esperon said.

However, Esperon refused to reveal any more details about the coordination of the Philippine team and Interpol so as not to jeopardize the operations.

He added that the national gov­ernment was planning to get lawyers from Europe to possibly extradite Sison and let him answer the charges against him in the Philippines.

Sison, his wife Juliet, and 37 others are facing multiple murder charges before the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 32 over their alleged involvement in the 1980s Inopacan massacre.

Aid for Inopacan victims

Meanwhile, Christmas came early for the 135 families of the victims of 1980s Inopacan massacre in Leyte province as they were able to receive financial and livelihood assistance from the national and local govern­ments during the Halad ug Panaghiusa Alang sa Kalinaw Ug Kalambuan.

Esperon, who also acts as the vice chairman of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), spearheaded the event in behalf of President Duterte, the task force chairman.

“We want to commemorate that unfortunate event [massacre] but we want to make it positive by way of bringing the government services to the residents,” Esperon said.

Aside from the kin of Inopacan massacre victims, the service caravan also provided social services to the residents of Baybay City.

Government agencies that partici­pated in the service caravan included the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Department of Health (DOH), and Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR).

Death of sibling

Necifora Bongato, 52, was among the kin of the victims of the Inopacan massacre who benefitted from the convergence mission.
Bongato’s younger brother, Paul, was allegedly killed by suspected Reds.

“I learned from my cousin, who is a former NPA rebel, that my brother was killed by the communist rebels and buried without our knowledge. It was merciless and it pains me until now every time that I remember it,” Bongato said in vernacular.

On the other hand, Bongato thanked the national government for the financial and livelihood assistance she received.

“I want to thank President Duterte because I feel that we are valued and remembered by the government,” she said.

Continued assistance

Baybay Mayor Jose Carlos Cari as­sured that the aid provided to families of the victims of the New People’s Army (NPA) will be continued even after the President’s term in 2022.

“Our aim here is sustainability and we are positive that these efforts will be continued even after President Duterte ends his term. If the next administration sees that these efforts are good, then he will continue it,” Cari said.

The Inopacan massacre was be­lieved to have been perpetrated by the NPA, between 1984 to 1986 – at the time when the communist group launched a purge of members suspect­ed of serving as military informants in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

The NPA is the armed wing of the revolutionary group CPP that was founded by Sison in 1968.

In the Visayas island, the purging activity was called “Oplan Venereal Disease.”

“There were suspicions within their group [CPP-NPA] that some of their members were spying for the military so they abducted and killed them,” he said.

It was only on August 28, 2006 – or about 20 years after the massacre – that the Army’s 802nd Infantry Brigade, 8th In­fantry Division, unearthed the skeletal remains of at least 67 individuals in a mass grave site.

The mass grave site was dis­covered at the ridge of Mt. Sa­pang Dako in Inopacan.

More skeletal remains were discovered in different parts of Leyte province later on as au­thorities said the Oplan Venereal Disease victimized around 300 people.

However, Sison has repeated­ly denied the existence of Inopa­can massacre, calling it as a ploy by the national government to misdirect the public from more pressing issues concerning the Duterte administra­tion, such as the drug war.

In August, 2019, the Manila Re­gional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 32 issued a warrant of arrest against Sison and 38 others over their al­leged involvement in the Inopacan massacre.

The case was filed by the mili­tary in 2006, when Esperon was the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff.

CPP pooh-poohs persona non grata tag

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Oct 29, 2019): CPP pooh-poohs persona non grata tag

The sweeping declarations by local government units (LGUs) and villages across the country tagging communist rebels as “persona non grata” (unwelcome or unacceptable) in their respective areas were not making a dent on the insurgents, the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) said Tuesday.

“The AFP’s (Armed Forces of the Philippines) ‘persona non grata’ drive has little effect on the NPA,” Marco Valbuena, CPP public information officer, said in an online interview.

He claimed that the declarations have not stopped the Maoist-inspired rebels from “working with the people to address their daily concerns (social, economic, public health, peace, and order) and providing all kinds of services including medical, educational, and others.”

“Thus, despite the AFP propaganda drive, the NPA continues to enjoy the deep and wide support of the people in myriad forms,” he said.


According to Valbuena, the “persona non grata” declaration was part of the military’s counter-insurgency campaign.

“Many LGUs have agreed to sign the declaration not because of the convincing power of the AFP, rather because of fear that they will be red-tagged and targeted by the military if they do otherwise,” he said.

He claimed that “the majority of the officials signed the declaration out of fear of military reprisal.”

According to Valbuena, some local officials were also taking advantage of the “persona non grata” drive to cover up their failure in governance to address widespread poverty among their constituency.

“They are shifting the blame on the NPA for the problems caused by their corruption, including lack of infrastructure and social services,” the CPP spokesperson said.

The Department of Interior and Local Government asked LGUs and barangay officials around the country to declare the CPP-NPA “persona non grata” to show their support for the government’s fight to end the communist insurgency that has been waged for 50 years.

The declaration was part of the renewed campaign by government forces to crush the communist insurgents before the end of President Duterte’s term in 2022./lzb

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1182908/cpp-pooh-poohs-persona-non-grata-tag

2 men survive NPA ambush in Samar

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Oct 29, 2019): 2 men survive NPA ambush in Samar



This patrol car was ambushed by suspected members of the New People’ Army (NPA) in Pinabacdao town, Samar province at around 12:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct.29. (Photo from Pinabacdao PNP)

Two men, who were to deliver a patrol car to Surigao City, survived an ambush by suspected members of the New People’s Army in Pinabacdao town, Samar province around 12:30 a.m. on Tuesday.

Reports reaching the Eastern Visayas police said the police vehicle, a Toyota Hi-Lux, was driven by representatives of a car company when it was
waylaid between the villages of Lale and Pahug of the said town with the use of improvised explosive devices.


Lauro Silesa III and Rustom Patagan, representatives of Toyota Bicutan Branch, were unscathed.

Police and soldiers are now conducting a hot pursuit operation to arrest the perpetrators.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1183028/2-men-survive-npa-ambush-in-samar

AFP-CRS: Intensified EO70 Yeilds 316 total surrenders from several militant groups

Posted to the Armed Forces of the Philippines-Civil Relations Service (AFP-CRS) Facebook Page (Oct 29, 2019): Intensified EO70 Yeilds 316 total surrenders from several militant groups

The influx of surrender resulted in the recovery of five high powered firearms and two low powered firearms composed of three M16 rifles, one M203 grenade launcher, one M1 carbine rifle and two cal. 45 pistol with 94 assorted ammunitions and one bandoleer.

These surrenders took their pledge and allegiance to the government in separate occasions with Mayors officiating the oath. Majority of the recent surrenders in this past three days came from the province of CARAGA.

Read more at: https://www.kalinawnews.com/influx-of-surrender-continues-as-eo70-implementation-intensifies-in-4id/

#AFPyoucanTRUST | www.afpcrs.com

Image may contain: 1 person, text


[The Civil Relations Service (CRS) is the unit of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) that engages the public through its public information and community relations programs “to create a favorable atmosphere between the community and the AFP. The CRS is the equivalent of the Psychological Operations and Civil Affairs units of the US Army.]

AFP-CRS: Agusan Sur task force facilitates surrender of 2 NPA rebels

Posted to the Armed Forces of the Philippines-Civil Relations Service (AFP-CRS) Facebook Page (Oct 29, 2019): Agusan Sur task force facilitates surrender of 2 NPA rebels

Efforts of the Peace, Law Enforcement and Development Support Team Cluster of the Municipal Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (MTF-ELCAC) in San Luis, Agusan del Sur paid off when two members of the New People’s Army (NPA) laid down their arms and returned to the fold of the law.

LTC Romeo C. Jimenea, commander of 26IB, said the hard work of MTF-ELCAC and other stakeholders involved in the negotiations is commendable.

Read more at: https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1084333

#AFPyoucanTRUST | www.afpcrs.com

Image may contain: 1 person, text


[The Civil Relations Service (CRS) is the unit of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) that engages the public through its public information and community relations programs “to create a favorable atmosphere between the community and the AFP. The CRS is the equivalent of the Psychological Operations and Civil Affairs units of the US Army.]

NDF/Sison: The Philippine revolution: A brief review

Jose Maria Sison propaganda statement posted to the National Democratic Front Philippines (NDFP or NDF) Website (Oct 29, 2019): The Philippine revolution: A brief review



By Jose Maria Sison
Founding Chairman, Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)
Chairperson Emeritus,International League of Peoples’ Struggle (ILPS)

Dear Comrades and Friends,

I am highly honored and deeply pleased to be invited to this seminar, which is being held on the occasion of the yearly “Literature and Revolution Congress” and which carries in this year the theme, “The Anticolonial Status of Mankind”. I am aware that the focus is on the Third World peoples’ struggles against imperialism and colonialism.

I thank the organizers from the Teatro dos Desoprimidos Project for inviting me to lecture on the Philippine revolution and present its origins, general line, development, setbacks and rectification and prospects.

I convey warmest greetings of international solidarity to you dear organizers, to my fellow lecturers who will speak on other people’s struggles in Asia, Africa and Latin America and to the entire audience and participants from the Espiritu Santo Federal University and from various sectors of the progressive intelligentsia.

1. Origins
Spain colonized the Philippines for more than 300 years since the 16th century. Still lacking national consciousness, the people in various communities in the archipelago engaged in more than 200 localized revolts intermittently. But these were defeated even as they expanded from century to century. Spain was able to impose a colonial and feudal system on the people who were still in diverse types of highly localized communities.

But the centralized system of colonial administration, oppression and exploitation resulted in the formation of national consciousness among the oppressed and exploited people. They ultimately realized that the system could rule over them because they were divided in disparate communities and were thus vulnerable to subjugation with the use of the sword and the cross.

The revolutionary organization Katipunan started the Philippine revolution in 1896 when it called for national independence of the Filpino people against Spanish colonialism. At that time, the leadership of the revolution had a bourgeois liberal ideology and targeted the Spanish colonial administration and the religious orders owning vast landed estates.

The Philippine revolution won against Spanish colonialism throughout the archipelago in 1898. But the US had its own plan of colonizing the Philippines. It engaged Spain in a war through which it would take over Spain’s colonial possessions . On December 10, 1898, the US and Spain made a treaty in Paris which effected the sale of the Philippines to the US for 20 million US dollars.

The US launched a war of aggression against the new Philippine republic, starting on February 4, 1899. The Filipino people fought heroically and valiantly. But the US prevailed with superior military force. With 75,000 troops with machine guns and cannons, it massacred 1.5 million Filipinos from 1899 to 1913. It was also able to coopt a number of leaders of the Philippine government who came from the landed class.

The US started laying the ground for a new colonial regime in 1902 with the call for “benevolent assimilation” and capitulation of the key leaders of the Philippine government, even as the national resistance was still going on. By the second decade of the 20th century, the US had consolidated its power over a colonial and semifeudal ruling system.

By 1930 the Communist Party of the Philippine Islands (CPPI) was established mainly by Filipino trade union leaders, under the auspices of the Third Communist International and the US Communist Party. The CPPI upheld Marxism-Leninism as guide to action and promoted the class leadership of the proletariat in the struggle for national independence and democracy.

The CPPI was banned soon after its founding and its leaders were arrested and convicted on the charge of sedition for which they were imprisoned or exiled. But in 1936 the US allowed the puppet president Quezon to release these leaders from prison or exile in connection with the international anti-fascist united front developing against the fascist powers. The CPPI merged with the Socialist Party to form one party in 1938.

After the Japanese invasion of the Philippines in 1941, the merger party decided to form the People’s Army Against Japan (Hukbalahap) in 1942. By fighting the invaders, this army became strong mainly in Central Luzon, a region adjacent to Manila, and enabled land reform, the strengthening of peasant and other mass organizations and the establishment of local organs of political power.

Were it not for certain major errors of the leadership of the CPPI-SP merger party during World War II and the succeeding years, the Filipino people and their revolutionary forces would have emerged far stronger and more capable of overcoming the return of US imperialism and achieving national liberation and democracy. Instead, US imperialism was able to dominate the Philippines again and turn it to a semicolonial and semifeudal system run by puppet politicians representing the big comprador and landlord classes.

Because of its adventurist errors in 1948 to 1949, the merger party weakened itself, the people’s army and other revolutionary forces to the extent that they became insignificant and close to total destruction from 1952 onwards. It became the task of young proletarian revolutionaries from the youth, trade union and peasant associations to revive it from 1963 onwards and to leave it in 1966 when the revisionist elements became too obstructive to the advance of the revolutionary movement.

2. General Line

The Communist Party of the Philippines was re-established on December 26, 1968 in accordance with Marxism-Leninism-Mao Zedong Thought/Maoism as the theoretical guide to action, the general political line of people’s democratic revolution through protracted people’s war and the organizational principle of democratic centralism.

We applied Marxism-Leninism-Mao Zedong Thought to the study of the history and concrete circumstances of the Filipino people and we were determined to apply it further to the realization and development of the Philippine revolution. We considered ourselves fortunate that our revolutionary knowledge and vision of the socialist and communist future were enriched by the teachings of Comrade Mao in the course of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution in China.

But we were absolutely clear that our general political line was to pursue and realize the people’s democratic revolution through protracted people’s war against US imperialism, domestic feudalism and bureaucrat capitalism. We were continuing the unfinished revolution that was started by the Katipunan but was frustrated by the US imperialist war of aggression. But it was also clear to us that we were carrying out a new democratic revolution led by the working class in the era of modern imperialism and proletarian revolution.

In carrying out the general line, we consciously built the three revolutionary weapons of the Filipino people: the CPP as the advanced detachment of the working class and the leading force of the revolution, the New People’s Army as the main instrument for destroying the state power of the reactionary classes and for guaranteeing the rise of the people’s organs of democratic power, and the national united front, supported by the anti-feudal united front in the countryside.

The CPP builds itself ideologically though the study and practice of Marxism-Leninism-Mao Zedong Thought/Maoism. It conducts social research and investigation and issues statements and acts on important concerns. Organs and units at various levels collect adequate reports for collective discussion and decision-making. Party schools are run at basic, intermediate and advance levels for the education of cadres and members. The Party conducts politico-military training for cadres and fighters of the people’s army, people’s militia and self-defense units,

The CPP builds itself politically in accordance with the general line of people’s democratic revolution. It arouses, organizes and mobilizes the masses. It conducts political education on the general line and on the burning issues. It exercises absolute leadership over the people’s army. It builds various types of mass organizations of the workers, peasants, indigenous peoples, women, youth, professionals and other people. To invigorate and make them effective, they are mobilized in campaigns to inform, protest and make demands or to carry out social programs and projects.

The CPP builds itself organizationally under the principle of democratic centralism. It recruits from the ranks of the most committted and most militant activists of the mass movement, especially from the organizations of the toiling masses of workers, peasants and urban petty bourgeoisie on a nationwide scale. It follows the principle of democratic centralism, which means centralized leadership on the basis of democracy. It observes conscious iron discipline as well as democracy in collective discussions and decision-making.

Under the leadership of the Party, the NPA carries out the strategy and tactics of protracted people’s war. It encircles the cities from the countryside. It avails of the physical and social terrain of the countryside which allows it to grow from small and weak to big and strong over a long period of time. It relies on the peasantry as the main force of people’s war. This can develop in three probable strategic stages: defensive, stalemate and counter-offensive. Through successful tactical offensives, the main form of warfare can advance from guerrilla warfare to regular mobile warfare and finally to regular warfare.

The NPA carries out agrarian revolution in order to gain the trust and confidence of the peasant masses and satisfy their democratic demand for land. According to the circumstances, the NPA carries out the minimum land reform program of rent reduction, elimination of usury, improvement of the wages of farm workers, raising the prices at the farm gate and promoting agricultural production and sideline occupations. When possible, the maximum program of land confiscation from the landlords and big corporations for free distribution to the poor peasants and farm workers are carried out.

The NPA engages in mass-base building in the countryside and applies the anti-feudal united front policy of relying mainly on the poor and lower middle peasants, winning over the middle peasants, neutralizing the rich peasants and taking advantage of the splits among the landlords in order to isolate and destroy the power of the despotic landlords. The NPA encourages and supports the mass organizations of the peasants and other sections of the people, builds the organs of political power and trains the people’s militia and the self-defense units in every village.

The national united front implements the revolutionary class line of developing the working class as the leading force and the peasantry as the main force, winning over the urban petty bourgeoisie and the middle bourgeoisie and taking advantage of the splits among the reactionaries in order to isolate and destroy the power of the enemy, which is the ruling clique of big compradors and landlords subservient to US imperialism. In case of aggression by an imperialist power, the current civil war becomes a national war against such aggression.

The most consolidated form of the national united front is the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), which consists of 18 revolutionary organizations. While the NDFP itself is already a formidable united front, it is always open to a broader united front in order to isolate and destroy the power of the current enemy. It employs all forms of legal and illegal struggle. It develops all forms of revolutionary forces and allies. It engages in all forms of struggle inside and outside the ruling system.

Like the CPP, which always strives to develop relations of proletarian internationalism with other communist and workers’ parties and movements, the NDFP always strive to develop relations of internationalist solidarity with all peoples and their anti-imperialist and democratic parties and organizations. It develops relations of friendship, mutual support and cooperation between the Filipino people and other peoples of the world on the basis of seeking a new and brighter world against the oppressive and exploitative conditions under imperialism and all forms of reaction.

3. Development

When it was founded in 1968, the CPP had only 80 full and candidate members. They led trade unions, youth organizations and other types of mass organizations whose members ran into thousands, but not yet more than 25,000. Now, the CPP membership is in the tens of thousands. Its organized mass base of workers, peasants, national minorities, women, youth, professionals and other sectors run into millions.

The CPP has become the largest and most powerful revolutionary proletarian party that has ever arisen in Philippine history. The mass base is nationwide, in nearly all the 81 provinces of the Philippines and is deeply rooted among the toiling masses of workers and peasants. This has been realized by waging the people’s democratic revolution through the strategic line of protracted people’s war.

The CPP had a wide basis for nationwide expansion because of the thousands of mass activists in the youth organizations, trade unions and peasant associations led by the CPP cadres. It also engaged in politico-military training for hundreds of committed and able-bodied activists to serve in expansion teams for selected areas in five regions of the Philippines.

After only three months from its founding in 1968, the CPP founded the New People’s Army on March 29, 1969 and expanded the CPP mass base by 80,000 people with the integration of the veteran cadres and fighters of the old people’s army in the second district of Tarlac province. The NPA started with only 9 automatic rifles and 26 other inferior firearms for the initial 60 Red fighters. NPA expansion teams without firearms were immediately deployed to prepare guerrilla zones and acquire firearms from localities.

Now, the Red fighters run into thousands and their units operate nationwide in more than 110 guerrilla fronts in 74 provinces. More than 90 per cent of NPA firearms have been seized from the enemy and the rest have been acquired as gifts and through purchases. The full time Red fighters are augmented by tens of thousands of members of the people’s militia and hundreds of thousands of members of the self-defense units of the mass organizations. These are active auxiliaries as well as reserve forces for the NPA.

The NPA has surpassed the number, strength and scale of all previous revolutionary armies in Philippine history. It is now striving to advance from the middle phase to the advanced phase of the strategic defensive in order to enter the stage of the strategic stalemate. The advance of the revolution is assured by the tempering and accumulated experience of the revolutionary forces and the desire of the people for revolutionary change because of the worsening crisis of the ruling system and the escalating oppression and exploitation.

The wide reliable rural mass base of the CPP and NPA is constituted mainly by the peasant masses who participate and benefit from the various stages of the agrarian revolution. It is the solid foundation of the local Party branches and the local organs of political power. In carrying out the agrarian revolution in stages, the CPP applies the antifeudal united front as earlier explained.

As a result of the advances in armed struggle and mass work, the CPP has been able to establish and develop the people’s democratic government in the countryside on a nationwide scale. At first, the organs of political power are constituted by appointed cadres of the Party and the representatives of the masses and subsequently by those elected by the mass organizations or the masses in the guerrilla bases.

The people’s democratic government is in charge of local administration, mass organizing, public education, socioeconomic programs, cultural activities, self-defense, internal security, settlement of disputes, the people’s court, environmental protection, and social work to cope with enemy-caused and natural disasters.

The enemy is deluding itself when it claims that the Philippine revolution has failed merely because after the last 50 years the CPP has not yet captured the presidential palace in Manila. In fact, there are now two governments fighting each other. One is the revolutionary government of the workers and peasants; and the other is that of the big compradors, landlords and corrupt bureaucrat who are servile to imperialist masters.

By applying the national united front policy and tactics, the CPP has been effective in advancing the revolutionary armed struggle and the various forms of legal struggle. As a result, the broad united front has been successful at isolating and ousting from power the most hated enemy regimes, like the US-instigated Marcos fascist dictatorship in 1986 and subsequently the corrupt Estrada regime in 2001.

At the moment, a broad united front has arisen to fight and overthrow the traitorous, tyrannical, brutal and corrupt US-Duterte regime in order to frustrate its scheme of establishing a full-blown Marcos-type fascist dictatorship through a series of extremely repressive measures of state terrorism and under the pretext of charter change for federalism. In the grossest way, this regime is culpable for treason, mass murder, corruption and other grievous crimes against the people.

The tyrant Duterte is obsessed with seeking to destroy the CPP, NPA and other forces of the Philippine revolution. He announced that he would destroy the revolutionary movement before the end of 2018. When he saw his impending failure, he moved his deadline for destroying the movement to the second quarter of 2019. Subsequently, he and his subalterns have moved their deadline to 2022 in the face of the growing strength of the revolutionary forces and the people.

The Filipino people fully recognize and detest the anti-national, anti-democratic and anti-people character of the Duterte regime in terminating the peace negotiations with the NDFP in order to push through its scheme of fascist dictatorship. This regime faces the prospect of political destruction even before the end of his term in 2022. Whether Duterte can finish his term or not, the Philippine revolution will outlast his rule and will continue to grow in strength and advance.

The CPP has established comradely relations with communist and workers parties and movements abroad in the spirit of proletarian internationalism. It has promoted the relationship of Filipino mass organizations with their counterparts abroad in the internationalist spirit of peoples’ solidarity. It has also fostered the solidarity relations of overseas Filipinos and their organizations with the host peoples and other guest communities in scores of countries.

4. Setbacks and Rectification

The great achievements of the Philippine Revolution in more than 50 years have been realized by building the the CPP, the NPA, NDFP, the mass organizations and the organs of political power through hard work and fierce struggle, which involve overcoming tremendous odds in the objective situation, the violent and deceptive assaults of the enemies and the setbacks that are due to subjectivist and opportunist errors and shortcomings of the revolutionary forces.

The tremendous odds come from the the objective situation not only in the domestic semicolonial and semifeudal ruling system but also in the world capitalist system. In fact, US imperialism has dictated on Filipino puppet regimes the preservation and aggravation of the domestic system of oppression and exploitation and has provided a wide range of counterrevolutionary weapons, including the ideology of anti-communism and the hardware for surveilling, tracking and killing people.

The CPP resumed the armed revolution of the Filipino people when the US was waging the Cold War to spread anti-communism in the Philippines and the Soviet Union was also spreading modern revisionism to discourage armed revolution through the Filipino revisionist renegades. Worse external conditions seemed to go against the Philippine revolution when the Soviet Union collapsed and US imperialism became the sole superpower in 1991.

But the CPP became inspired by the continuing revolutionary movements abroad and focused on taking advantage of the chronic crisis of the Philippine ruling system, the growing inability of the ruling classses to rule in the old way and the rising desire of the Filipino people for armed revolution. It became even more determined to strengthen itself and wage the people’s democratic revolution through protracted people’s war.

The CPP has been able to overcome all the strategic campaign plans of military suppression and psy-war unleashed by the reactionary ruling system from the 14-year fascist dictatorship of Marcos through the subsequent pseudo-democratic regimes of Corazon Aquino , Ramos, Estrada, Arroyo and Benigno Aquino III to the current tyrannical regime of Duterte who idolizes Marcos and aspires to rule as fascist dictator.

In the course of the revolutionary struggle, there are times when the attacks of the enemy can be damaging to the people and the revolutionary movement. But the scale and duration of the damage has never eliminated any regional organization of the CPP or regional command of the NPA or any of the various forms of people’s struggle in any region of the Philippines.

In fact, the major subjectivist and opportunist errors of certain renegades have been more than damaging than the offensives unleashed by the enemy. The CPP has benefited greatly from criticizing, repudiating and rectifying the major errors of the series of Lava brothers acting as general secretary of the CPPI-SP merger party.

Vicente Lava committed the error of Right opportunism from 1942 to 1946 by adopting the passivist “retreat for defense” policy and welcoming the return of US imperialism to the Philippines. Jesus Lava committed the error of “Left” opportunism from 1948 to 1949 by taking the adventurist line of aiming to win the armed revolution in only two years without need of land reform and mass work. Finally Jesus Lava committed the error of Right opportunism again from 1950 to 1962 by issuing orders to liquidate the people’s army in 1955 and the CPPI-SP merger party in 1957.

So far, the biggest errors committed by certain renegades in the CPP are the subjectivist one of reconsidering the semifeudal character of the Philippine social economy as industrial capitalist (in effect praising Marcos for supposedly industrializing the country) and the “Left” opportunist one of prematurely regularizing and verticalizing the NPA and neglecting mass work supposedly for the purpose of speeding up military victory.

These errors resulted in serious shrinkage of mass base and more effective enemy attacks in certain regions at different periods from 1985 to 1992, limiting gains from the overthrow of the Marcos fascist dictatorship. Worst of all, in certain regions, the renegades scapegoated comrades and allies in good standing as “deep penetration agents” and meted out undeserved punishments. The Second Great Rectification identified the major errors and crimes. It criticized, repudiated and rectified them.

The rectification movement resulted in raising the level of theoretical and political education in the entire CPP rank and file and caused the recovery and advance of the revolutionary forces in the areas adversely affected by the errors. Thus, from 1992 onwards the Philippine revolution gained in strength and advanced. The CPP was able to play a major role in the overthrow of Estrada in early 2001.

In subsequent decades, the problematic phenomenon of conservatism arose in Luzon and Visayas, while the forces of the NPA in Mindanao were able to adopt the correct combination of combat and mass work in order to strengthen the NPA and the mass base. Conservatism is characterized by overconcentrating on mass work and neglecting the task of launching tactical offensives against the enemy by overdispersing small NPA units (squads or teams) over wide areas and reducing effective command over them. The overdispersal of small NPA units renders these vulnerable to enemy offensives. They can be easily put in purely defensive positions and upon their destruction their previous mass work comes to nothing.

The need for full-time combat units of the NPA to take the initiative in launching tactical offensives is also sometimes prejudiced by overdependence on the people’s militia and the self-defense units of the mass organizations, which should be properly assigned to internal security tasks in the main. The result is that the NPA commanders at higher levels and even the NPA units themselves adopt civilian ways for extended periods at the expense of politico-military training and combat operations.

The Second Congress of the CPP identified conservatism as a major error and launched a rectification movement against it. There is unanimity in rectifying the error by comprehending further the strategy and tactics of people’s war and by redeploying the NPA units in such a way that in guerrilla fronts there is a center of gravity for the people’s war and a sufficient proportion of fighters dispersed for mass work. The periodic rotation of Red commanders and fighters is undertaken to give every NPA formation or unit the chance to experience and learn combat and mass work.

Prospects

The prospects for the further advance and ultimate total victory of the Philippine revolution are bright. Further victories in the revolutionary struggle are guaranteed by the continued worsening of the chronic crisis of the semicolonial and semifeudal ruling system. The inability of the ruling class to rule in the old way is demonstrated by the recurrence of the open rule of terror from Marcos down to Duterte. The ruling system continues to decompose and heighten the people’s desire for revolutionary change. The conditions are therefore favorable for the growth and advance of the CPP, NPA and other subjective forces of the revolution.

There is no letup in the worsening of the socio-economic crisis. The whole economy and the reactionary state are bankrupt and dependent on rising taxes and domestic and foreign debt. While import-dependent consumption is favored, the agricultural and industrial sectors are deteriorating. Underdevelopment, unemployment and poverty are rampant as the foreign monopolies rake in superprofits from the exploitation and export of natural resources and importation of consumer goods and the local big compradors and landlords increase the exploitation of the people.

The socioeconomic crisis generates political crisis within the ruling system. The ruling classes of big compradors and landlords, together with their political agents, brazenly engage in the plunder of public resources. Divided into political factions, they compete in using criminal means in order to keep power and enrich themelves. The current Duterte regime is escalating the repression of the people as well its political rivals within the ruling system. The regime and its political rivals are engaged in a competition for influence and control over the reactionary armed forces and police.

The regime tries to win the support of two imperialist powers, the US and and China, which are now increasingly at odds with each other. To gain the support of the US, it has pledged to destroy the revolutionary movement, it has allowed the reestablishment of US military bases within the puppet military camps and it has promised to amend the constitution to allow US corporations 100 per cent ownership of all kinds of business enterprises. To gain the support of China, it has sold out Philippine sovereign rights over the West Philippine Sea and the rich marine and mineral resources under it in exchange for high interest Chinese loans and overpriced infrastructure projects.

But the regime is not getting everything in its favor from the two imperialist powers. The US resents Chinese interference and obstruction of the freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, China gaining control over the telecommunications system in the Philippines and turning the Philippines into its own debt colony. The US remains the dominant imperialist power in the Philippines and is in a position to instigate a coup against Duterte among the pro-US military officers. At the same time, China is not promptly delivering on its promised infrastructure projects while it is still compelling Duterte to make more explicit declarations of sell-out and treason. Even then, he has already made enough declarations of puppetry to China that the people and a significant number of pro-US military officers are already enraged against him.

Even when the US had not yet declined strategically as much as now and had not faced any overt challenge of political rivalry from China, the Filipino people and the revolutionary forces could successfully wage the new democratic revolution against the US-supported reactionary government of big compradors and landlords. It can be expected that the escalation of inter-imperialist contradictions, especially those between the US and China, would aggravate and complicate the contradictions among the reactionary political factions of the big compradors and landlords and result in advantages for the Philippine revolution. In any case, the revolutionary forces will continue to advance on the basis of the mass participation and support of the people in accordance with their national and democratic rights and interests.

The depredations made by the tyrannical, treasonous, mass murdering, corrupt and swindling Duterte regime inflict great suffering on the people but at the same time drive them to rise up in resistance. By its own gross and systematic crimes against the people, the regime is unwittingly compelling the people to join the armed revolution and provide support to the revolutionary forces such as the CPP, NPA, the mass organizations and the local organs of political power. The protracted people’s war has enabled the growth of the people’s government in the countryside and all the revolutionary forces on a nationwide scale.

On the basis of the experience and strength that they have already gained, the revolutionary forces will gain further strength and advance from year to year. The CPP will strengthen itself ideologically, politically and organizationally. The NPA will strive to develop guerrilla warfare intensively and extensively on the basis of widening and deepening mass base during the strategic defensive, build companies and battalions as mobile combat units in the strategic stalemate and mobilize entire battalions and regiments for the strategic offensive. At the same time, the NDFP shall strengthen its component organizations and develop broad alliances with other forces in order to isolate and destroy the enemy, whether this be a domestic ruling clique in the civil war or an imperialist power in a war of national liberation.

The Philippine revolution will be able to take advantage not only of the crisis of the domestic ruling system but also the crisis of the world capitalist system. All the imperialist powers will continue to shift the burden of crisis to the oppressed peoples and nations. But the contradictions within and among the imperialist powers will sharpen. The Filipino people will carry out the Philippine revolution not only to realize their own national and social liberation but also to help the working class and all oppressed peoples and nations to advance in their own revolutions. They will benefit from mutual support and cooperation under the principles of proletarian internationalism and internationalist peoples’ solidarity. ##



https://ndfp.org/the-philippine-revolution-a-brief-review/

CPP/NPA-Central Negros: Gutom na, Ginapatay pa!

NPA-Central Negros propaganda statement posted to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Website (Oct 29, 2019): Gutom na, Ginapatay pa!

JB REGALADO
NPA-CENTRAL NEGROS
LEONARDO PANALIGAN COMMAND
NEW PEOPLE'S ARMY
OCTOBER 29, 2019

Gutom na…ginapatay pa! ang matunog kag lapnagon nga singgitan sang mga mangunguma sa binukid sang Central Negros.

Makatarunganon ang paghimakas kag handum sang mga mangunguma nga maka-angkon sang duta kag seguridad para mabuhi. Lamang mahatag ang mga sandigan nga kinahanglanon sang mga kabataan pareho sang pagkaon, beste, edukasyon, medikasyon kag iban pa sa pihak sang kakulangan sang serbisyo sosyal sang reaksyunaryong gobyerno.

Sa likod sang pag-antus sang mga mangunguma sa gutom kag kapigaduhon bangud sang kawad-on sa duta, kakulang sa sweldo kag benepisyo, kag pagdislokar sang palangabuhian; aspirasyon sang mga mangunguma upod sa malapad nga pumuluyong Pilipino ang malawigon kag matuod nga kalinong sa pungsod nga nakabase sa hustisya sosyal. Kag maangkon lamang ini dira sa balayon sang pungsodnon-demokratiko nga paghimakas agud maduso ang madasig nga pagpatuman sang matuod nga reporma sa duta kag pungsodnon nga industriyalisasyon.

Sa Central Negros, libagon ang nangin sabat sang US-Duterte nga rehimen upod sa mga wala-kabulusgan nga despotikong agalon may duta, burukrata-kapitalista kag dalagkung burgesyang komprador upod sa amo sini nga imperyalismong Estados Unidos. Dugang nga nagpa-antus sa sahing anakbalhas ang pagpatuman sang mga patakaran kontra-pumuluyo kaangay sang Rice Tariffication Law kag ang nagapadulong nga laye sa Sugar Import Liberalization.

Gingamit sang inutil nga rehimeng US-Duterte ang iya poder sa implementasyon sang MO#32 kag EO#70 paagi sa iya mga idu-ido nga pasistang AFP sa pagpanguna ni BGen. Benedict Arevalo sang 303rd Bde PA, JTF-ELCAC Head BGen. Vinoya upod sa PNP sa isla partikular na sa Central Negros. Tuyo sini nga punggan ang nagabalingaso nga kaakig kag paghimakas sang mga mangunguma kag mamumugon sa uma upod sa baganihan nga masang anakbalhas.

Si BGen. Arevalo kag BGen. Vinoya ang mga tuta nga tagsabwag sang terorismo sa isla ilabe na sa Central Negros. Nagapalapnag sang mga kabutigan kag patalang sa pumuluyong Negrosanon. Eksperto sa psywar kag pagbinutig, pagsabwag sang peke nga mga balita, red tagging sa mga progresibong organisasyon kag wala pag-angkon sang mga kalutusan sini sa inaway batok sa NPA. Eksperto man ini sa pagpalapnag sang culture of impunity, extra-judicial killings kag iban pa nga porma sang human right’s violations.

Indi sabat sa gutom kag tunay nga kalinong nga madugay na nga ginapanghakroy sang mga mangunguma; ang pagdata sang mga kampo militar, PDT/CSP, pagpanghaylo kag pilit nga pagpangrekrut sang CAFGU, ilegal nga pagpang-aresto kag direkta nga pagpamatay sang pasistang militar sa mga inosenteng sibilyan sa binukid sang Central Negros. Labi ini nagapa-igting sang mga paglapas sang tawhanon nga kinamatarung kag nagadabok sa pagsingki sang inaway banwa sa kaumahan.

“Wala bisan anuman ang pumuluyo kon wala ang NPA.” Handa ang LPC-NPA nga depensahan ang kabuhi kag palangabuhian sang malapad nga masa sang pumuluyo. Lig-on ini nga nagapatuman sang 3 ka integradong tahas nga amo ang pagtukod sang baseng masa paagi sa pagpundar sang rebolusyonaryong gobyerno sang pumuluyo, pagsulong sang agraryong rebolusyon sa pagpatuman sang matuod nga repormang agraryo kag pagtib-ong sang armadong paghimakas bilang sulo nga solusyon sa pag-agaw sang gahum pulitika sa garuk kag mahimuslanon nga sistema sang nagahari nga sahi paagi sa paglunsar sang mga madinalag-on nga taktikal nga opensiba batok sa kaaway sang rebolusyon dira sa lubos nga suporta sang malaparan nga masa.

Itib-ong ang armadong paghimakas!…Isulong agraryong rebolusyon!
Magpasakop sa Bag-ong Hangaway sang Banwa! kag Isulong ang inaway banwa!

Sgd: Ka JB Regalado
Spokesperson
Leonardo Panaligan Command
New People’s Army
Central Negros Guerrilla Front

https://cpp.ph/statement/gutom-na-ginapatay-pa/

CPP: LARAB | Oktubre 12, 2019

Regional propaganda publication posted to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Website (Oct 28, 2019): LARAB | Oktubre 12, 2019


2019 Eastern Visayas Larab Publications

Download PDF

https://cpp.ph/2019/10/28/larab-oktubre-12-2019/

MILF: Second batch of JPST members start training in Maguindanao

Posted to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Website (Oct 28, 2019): Second batch of JPST members start training in Maguindanao


In Photo-Members of the 2nd Batch of Joint Peace and Security Team (JPST) comprising members of the AFP, PNP, and MILF-BIAF at the start of their training in Camp Gen. Salipada K. Pendatun, Parang, Maguindanao

The training for the second batch of Joint Peace and Security Team(JPST) comprising 86 representatives from the PNP, 75 from the AFP, and 152 from the BIAF-MILF started Monday, October 21 at Camp Gen. SK Pendatun, Parang, Maguindanao

The training will end on November 22.

The training for the first batch of JPST members was held in Camp Lucero, Carmen, North Cotabato in December of last year.


During the opening ceremony, OPAPP Assistant Secretary and Joint Normalization Division (JND) head, David B. Diciano in his message underscored the crucial role of JPST in the Bangsamoro Region.

“We need to protect and strengthen the peace and security conditions here at the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. And it is you the members of the JPST who will be at the forefront to achieve those objectives,” Diciano added.

According to him, the tasks of the JPST are: (1) tracking and documenting of private armed groups, (2) security arrangements for normalization activities, and (3) support to dispute resolution initiatives on the ground.

Meanwhile, Abdulraof Macacua, aka Sammy Al Mansoor Gambar, Chief-of-staff of the BIAF-MILF, also Minister of the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources and Energy, BARMM, who represented BTA interim Chief Minister Al Haj Ahod B. Ebrahim reminded the trainees of the sacrifices they made which paved the way for the establishment of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

Macacua said, “Hindi naging madali ang tinahak nating landas upang makamit ang kasalukuyan Bangsamoro Government. Maraming nagbuwis ng buhay upang makamit ang oportunidad tungo sa totoong autonomy at self-governance. We have to treat this transition phase as another chapter of our struggle.”

The joint training of AFP, PNP and MILF-BIAF reflects the trust, confidence and camaraderie built between members of the group. More importantly, it is a testament to the unwavering commitment of the Government of the Philippines and the MILF to push forward the Bangsmoro peace process, said a report by OPAPP Site on October 21st.

The JPSTs will function as peacekeeping forces that will be deployed to ensure the security of residents within the six government-acknowledged MILF camps during the decommissioning process which began last August, the OPAPP report added.

Two hundred JPSTs will be created in the next three years, with a total of 6,000 personnel. These teams will carry out their duties until the signing of the Exit Agreement between the Government of the Philippines and the MILF in 2022.


http://www.luwaran.com/news/article/1929/second-batch-of-jpst-members-start-training-in-maguindanao

Kalinaw News: Army, Armed group clash in Sibugay

Posted to Kalinaw News (Oct 29, 2019): Army, Armed group clash in Sibugay


CAMP SANG-AN, Labangan, Zamboanga del Sur – Army’s 44th Infantry Battalion clashed against six members of a lawless armed group in Brgy Tampalan, Alicia, Zamboanga Sibugay, 5:30 a.m. Tuesday, October 29, 2019.

According to Lt. Col. Don Templonuevo, 44th Infantry Battalion commander, “There were reports from the communities of the presence of a armed group, so we immediately respond that call and that resulted into this encounter”.

“Our troops were also able to seized one M14 and one M16 rifles, two rifle grenade, two cellphones, one motorized single engine pump boat, magazines ammunitions and personal belongings”.

No reported casualties in the government forces side, while undetermined on the armed group due to bloodstains in their route of withdrawal after the 15-minute firefight.

Meanwhile, Col. Leonel Nicolas, 102nd Infantry Brigade Commander who has operational jurisdiction over Zamboanga Sibugay province urged the wounded armed elements to surrender for them to be given proper medical treatment and assured them of their safety and security.

Nicolas also encouraged the people to cooperate and report to proper authorities if there are presence of armed groups in their communities.

For his part, Maj. Gen. Roberto Ancan, the 1st Infantry Division and Joint Task Force Zampelan (Zamboanga Peninsula and Lanao Provinces) commander, lauded the troops for the successful encounter and the recovery of firearms.

“I urge everyone to continue our efforts in pursuing lasting peace not just for Mindanao but for the whole country. Let us conquer the challenges ahead of us and step up the momentum in sustaining our gains for our common aspiration”, said Ancan.





Division Public Affairs Office 1st Infantry Division Philippine Army
CPT CLINT ANTIPALA
Chief, Division Public Affairs Office, 1st Infantry Division
E-mail: tabakdpao@gmail.com
Mobile Number: 09177938341

[Kalinaw News is the official online source of information on the pursuit for peace by the Philippine Army. It provides information on the activities of Army Units nationwide in the performance of their duty of Serving the People and Securing the Land. This website is a property of the Civil-Military Operations Regiment, Philippine Army located at Lawton Avenue, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.
Contact us: contact@kalinawnews.com]

Kalinaw News: Former Rebels Received ₱615,000.00 Financial Assistance

Posted to Kalinaw News (Oct 29, 2019): Former Rebels Received ₱615,000.00 Financial Assistance


MALITA, Davao Occidental — Thirty-one (31) former members of New People’s Army (NPA) who surrendered to 73rd Infantry Battalion (73IB), received a total of ₱615,000.00 immediate assistance, livelihood assistance and firearms remuneration from the Enhance Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) and Provincial Assistance from the Province of Davao Occidental during the 4th Araw ng Davao Occidental Governor’s Night held at Agri-Trade Center, Brgy Felis, Malita, Davao Occidental on October 28, 2019.

In a simple awarding ceremony, members of E-CLIP Committee, Provincial Director Debie T. Torres of DILG, Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office Officer Esterlita B. Hermosisima, RSW, and Lt. Col. Ronaldo G. Valdez,Commander 73IB handed-in checks to three (3) former rebels amounting to ₱15,000.00 each as cash assistance, ₱50,000 each for livelihood, and a total of ₱140,000 for firearms remuneration. Meanwhile, the other twenty-eight (28) former rebels were awarded with provincial assistance worth ₱10,000.00 each.

This is one of the positive impacts of the “Balik Loob Program” in line with President Duterte’s Whole-of-Nation approach under Executive Order No. 70 to attain inclusive and sustainable peace by creating a national taskforce to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (ELCAC). Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program or E-CLIP is also a national program of the government that seeks to contribute toward achieving the goal of permanent and peaceful closure of armed conflicts and non-state armed groups, particularly the NPA’s.









Division Public Affairs Office 10th Infantry Division Philippine Army
Cpt Jerry Lamosao
Chief, DPAO 10th Infantry Division
Mawab, Compostela Valley
09154962407

[Kalinaw News is the official online source of information on the pursuit for peace by the Philippine Army. It provides information on the activities of Army Units nationwide in the performance of their duty of Serving the People and Securing the Land. This website is a property of the Civil-Military Operations Regiment, Philippine Army located at Lawton Avenue, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.
Contact us: contact@kalinawnews.com]

Kalinaw News: 21 Former Rebels received aid through ECLIP

Posted to Kalinaw News (Oct 29, 2019): 21 Former Rebels received aid through ECLIP



Makilala, Cotabato – a total of 21 former rebels received financial assistance during the mass awarding of Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program benefits this Monday morning, October 28, 2019 at Coliseum of Davao del Sur.

Each of the former rebels received checks amounting to 15,000.00 as immediate assistance and 50,000.00 as livelihood assistance.

The former rebels are thankful for the assistance received and wholeheartedly renewed their oath of allegiance to the government.

One of the recepient is Ricardo Dayday alias AMAHAN, who surrendered 12 high powered fire arms and received remuneration amounting to almost one million pesos. He was the former Deputy Secretary of Guerilla Front 51 that was dismantled last October 2018.

“Nagapasalamat ako sa 39IB, sa tabang na gihatag nila sa akoa. Ang maong tabang, wala nako natagamatam sa panahong myembro pa ako sa armado. Gipasagdan ko nila sa panahong nagkadeperensya akong mata”, Amahan said during the interview.

Checks were formally handed over by Governor Douglas Cagas, assisted by DILG Provincial Director Remedios Baldovino, PSWDO Provincial Director Zenaida Lano, Davao Sur Police Provincial Director Police Colonel Alberto P Lupaz and 39th Infantry Battalion Commander Ltc Rhojun P Rosales INF (GSC) PA. The ceremony was also participatsd by all Department Heads of the different agencies of the province of Davao del Sur.

“This is a solid evidence that the Local Government of Davao Del Sur is sincere in ending the Local Communist Armed Conflict. We also commend these Former Rebels who are courageous enough to leave the Communist Terrorist Organisation despite the standing threat to silence them. We are grateful to the people of Davao Del Sur who untiringly provide relevant information on the disposition of the Communist Terrorist Group. We also encourage them to deliver information regarding the benefits of E-CLIP to the group, for the people are the most efficient medium of transmitting this information”, 39IB Commander,Ltc Rosales said.

The recipients were further subjected to detailed profiling in order to process additional assistance for their family specially their children.


Kalinaw News: NPA surrenders, reveals CSP’s effect to IP communities

Posted to Kalinaw News (Oct 29, 2019): NPA surrenders, reveals CSP’s effect to IP communities



BAYUGAN CITY, Agusan Del Sur – “They (NPAs) are afraid to lose their mass base and popular support”. This is the reason why NPA front militant organizations exert great effort to demand the withdrawal of Community Support teams (CSTs) in the Indigenous Peoples (IP) Communities said alias Reagan in an interview today in 7th Special Forces ”Spartans” Company headquarters, Mararag, Marihatag, Surigao del Sur (SDS).

Alias Regan, 22 years old, resident of San Miguel, SDS, is a team leader of Sandatahang Yunit Pampropaganda (SYP)-Lumad of WGF19A, NEMRC surrendered to the 3rd Special Forces “Arrowhead” Battalion last October 15 bringing One M16A1 rifle with 40 mm M203 grenade launcher attached and assorted war materiel.

“CSP’sinformation drives about NPA deceptive tactics enlightened me. I regretted my decision to join them because I realized I wasted my time,” Regan said.

“As a propagandist of SYP-Lumad for 4 years, I was in charge of convincing IPs to join the communist armed struggle by agitating them using the existing issues affecting the tribe. I tell them that the only way to resolve IP issues is through armed rebellion because that’s what they injected in my mind,” he added.

Regan said that the militant group, Malahutayong Pakigbisog Alang sa Sumusunod (MAPASU) and Bayan Muna party list continuously discredit the Whole-of-Nation approach to end local communist armed conflict and the CSTs in the IP community of Sitio Simuwao (Kilometer 9), Diatagon in Lianga because Andap Valley is a strategic ground for Communist NPA terrorists.

“Without the support of the masses, their (CPP/NPA) political and armed struggle will not succeed. They pretend to help the poor but the truth is they do not want the issues to be resolved by. They hamper the development of IP communities so that they will have reasons to blame the government, agitate the masses to cause endless conflict,” he said.

“The Community Support Program really hurts the NPAs because it slows down their recruitment process and cut of their supplies. That is the reason why they desperately accuse the military of abuses even when there is none,” he ended.

Acronyms: WGF19 (Weakened Guerilla Front 19), NEMRC (Northeastern Mindanao Regional Committee)


[Kalinaw News is the official online source of information on the pursuit for peace by the Philippine Army. It provides information on the activities of Army Units nationwide in the performance of their duty of Serving the People and Securing the Land. This website is a property of the Civil-Military Operations Regiment, Philippine Army located at Lawton Avenue, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.
Contact us: contact@kalinawnews.com]

WESCOM: Palawan Task Force ELCAC to Initiate Multi-Sector Security Summit

Posted to the Western Command (WESCOM) Facebook Page (Oct 27, 2019): Palawan Task Force ELCAC to Initiate Multi-Sector Security Summit

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PALAWAN TASK FORCE ELCAC TO INITIATE MULTI-SECTOR SECURITY SUMMIT

Palawan Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict chaired by Governor Jose Chaves Alvarez will conduct a 1-day Multi-Sector Security Summit on October 29, 2019 at the VJR Hall, Provincial Capitol Complex, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan to be attended by “Decision-Makers” of different Key Sectors in the province of Palawan, among them are LGUs; NGAs; Academe; Student/Youth; Religious; Business; Tourism; Transport; NGOs; and, Security.

The summit will bring together over 200 key officials from various sectors of Palawan to have a common understanding and appreciation of the current security threats in the province particularly on the problem of Communist Insurgency. Likewise, participants will be informed of the current efforts of the government in confronting the insurgency problem thru the recently organized Palawan Task Force ELCAC.

“This summit is an initiative of the Palawan Task Force ELCAC for the convergence of all committed peace stakeholders to help sustain peace and development in the province of Palawan,” Gov. Alvarez said.

WESCOM: Mga NPA na suspek sa pagsunog sa mga makinarya sa S. Española, timbog sa pinagsanib na puwersa ng PTF-ELCAC

Posted to the Western Command (WESCOM) Facebook Page (Oct 27, 2019): Mga NPA na suspek sa pagsunog sa mga makinarya sa S. Española, timbog sa pinagsanib na puwersa ng PTF-ELCAC

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https://www.facebook.com/ptfelcac/photos/pcb.121879922559876/121879842559884/?type=3&theater

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https://www.facebook.com/ptfelcac/photos/pcb.121879922559876/121879885893213/?type=3&theater



Huli ang tatlong miyembro ng New People's Army (NPA) na sila ring suspek sa panunog sa makinarya ng isang kompanya noong ika-25 ng Oktubre, dalawang araw matapos ang panununog, Kahapon, ika 27-Oktubre habang nagpapatrolya ang pinagsanib-pwersa na tropa ng Marines mula sa Marine Battalion Landing Team-4 at PIB, PPO sa Brgy Maasin, Brookes Point, Palawan.


Sa nakalap na impormasyon, ang tatlong miyembro ng NPA ay itinuturong may direktang partisipasyon sa pagsunog ng mga makinarya ng Citi Nickel. Kinilala ang mga ito na sina KOLAN BADBAD, 26 Y/O; JUN PABLO GARZON, 31 Y/O; at NERLITO IMON, 36 Y/O, na napag-alamang may anak na sumama sa mga teroristang grupo ng NPA noong isang buwan at kinilalang si MELIN IMON, 15 Y/O, isang estudyante ng ALS sa Maasin. Nakuha sa tatlo ang mga sumusunod: shotgun na may limang bala; cal .38 revolver na may limang bala; rifle grenade; at 30 pirasong bala ng M16. Nakuha din sa tatlo ang isang cellphone na naglalaman ng mahahalagang mensaheng may kaugnayan sa mga transakyon at bukas na kuminikasyon kay Ka Allan, na siyang lider sa nasabing panununog.

Ang pagkakahuli sa mga kasapi ng NPA ay isang nanamang katunayan ng lantarang pagre-recruit ng teroristang grupo ng mga menor-de-edad.

Patuloy na ginagalugad ng mga marines at PNP ang lugar kung saan nahuli ang mga miyembro ng NPA upang matuldukan na ang kanilang pamiminsala at pang-aabuso sa mga mahihirap nating kababayan.

Kinondena ng mamamayan ng Brookes Point ang karahasang ginagawa ng NPA. Nagpaabot sila ng suporta at kooperasyon sa mga ginagawa ng tropa ng pamahalaan upang lalong mapabilis ang pagkakahuli sa mga terorista.

Sa panig ng WESCOM, pinapaabot naman nito sa mamamayan ng Palawan ang pasasalamat sa mga impormasyong kanilang ibinabahagi upang higit na mapabilis ang pagtugis sa mga terorista. Kaya't nananawagan ang AFP na sumuko ng maayos ang bawat NPA at ibaba ang kanilang armas upang mabigyan sila ng pagkakataon sa pagbabagong buhay.

Ang mga nahuling NPA ay binigyan muna ng medical and physical check-up at maayos na sinumete sa kustodiya ng Palawan Provincial Police Office, ngayong umaga, ika-28 Oktubre, 2019.

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