Posted to the Department of Defense Inspector General Website (Nov 13, 2019): Lead Inspector General for Operation Pacific Eagle-Philippines I Quarterly Report to the United States Congress I July 1, 2019 - September 30, 2019
Publicly released: November 13, 2019
This Lead Inspector General (Lead IG) report to the United States Congress is the 8th quarterly report on Operation Pacific Eagle-Philippines (OPE-P), the overseas contingency operation to support the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ fight against ISIS affiliates and other terrorist organizations. This report summarizes significant events related to this operation and describes ongoing and planned Lead IG and partner agency oversight work. This report covers the period from July 1, 2019, to September 30, 2019.
In June, ISIS-East Asia (ISIS-EA) engaged in minor clashes with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), including an attempted suicide bombing in September. While Philippine jihadists have not historically employed suicide tactics, five terrorists associated with ISIS-EA have carried out or attempted three such attacks in 2019. This has been partially attributed to the influence of foreign fighters. This quarter, Philippine law enforcement arrested suspected terrorists from Kenya, Sweden, and Jordan.
The annual Mutual Defense Board, which coordinates all bilateral security cooperation between the United States and the Philippines, met in Manila this quarter and agreed to more than 300 security cooperation activities in FY 2020. U.S. military advisors worked with the Philippine partners this quarter to develop skills related to counterterrorism.
This quarter, challenges with mitigating the risk of unexploded ordnance continued to delay the reconstruction of the southern Philippine city of Marawi. These explosive remnants of the 2017 fighting that devastated the city’s infrastructure remain buried beneath the rubble and are a significant barrier to reconstruction. Disputes between the Philippine government and contractors have resulted in repeated extensions of the government’s estimate of when the city will be safe for civilian construction to begin.
Conflict involving ISIS-EA, local clan feuds, and natural disasters resulted in 29,000 new internally displaced persons (IDP) this quarter. These are in addition to the 66,000 long-term IDPs remaining from the 2017 Marawi siege. While projects funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) expanded access to clean water for 14,400 IDPs, many of them continue to lack reliable access to safe drinking water.
This quarter, the Lead IG agencies issued two oversight projects related to OPE-P. Seven Lead IG and partner agency oversight projects related to OPE-P were ongoing, and eight were planned, as of September 30, 2019.
Section 8L of the Inspector General Act of 1978 provides a mandate for the three Lead IG agencies—the Department of Defense, Department of State, and USAID Offices of Inspector General—to work together to develop and carry out joint, comprehensive, and strategic oversight. Each Inspector General retains statutory independence, but together they apply their extensive regional experience and in-depth institutional knowledge to conduct whole-of-government oversight of this overseas contingency operation.
Related Documents
Thursday, November 21, 2019
‘Local terrorists lack support from ISIS’
From the Phiippine Star (Nov 22, 2019): ‘Local terrorists lack support from ISIS’
MANILA, Philippines — For lack of support from their foreign counterparts, terrorists in Mindanao are capable of mounting only small-scale attacks, according to the United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM).
In an executive summary submitted to the Inspector General of the US Department of Defense, the USINDOPACOM said Islamic State of Syria and Iraq (ISIS)-inspired terrorists in Southeast Asia also lack strong internal leadership, a factor that has impeded their ability to launch attacks outside their base or carry out large-scale attacks.
“ISIS-East Asia is... only capable of conducting... suicide attacks in Jolo, Sulu and... islands in Southern Philippines,” it said.
The Hawaii-based US military command, through its newly created unit –Operation Pacific Eagle Philippines (OPE-P) – has deployed an anti-terror contingent in parts of Mindanao.
The US anti-terror unit is training and providing intelligence information to Filipino soldiers hunting down members of the Abu Sayyaf, Khalifa Islamiyah Mindanao and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, particularly in Sulu, Basilan, Tawi-Tawi, Lanao provinces and Central Mindanao.
The OPE-P replaced the former US Pacific Command Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines based in Zamboanga City.
“As assessed, ISIS-East Asia’s lack of network cohesion, support from the international leadership of ISIS and strong internal leadership or adequate financing are factors that have impeded ISIS-East Asia’s ability to conduct activity outside its base or operations,” the USINDOPACOM said.
The military command said most suicide attacks in the Philippines were carried out by highly radicalized foreigners who failed to join the fighting in Iraq and Syria.
Two Egyptians, a Moroccan and an Indonesian couple blew themselves up in attacks in Sulu and Basilan in the past two years.
“Most suicide attacks in the Philippines were conducted by foreign nationals... They were likely radicalized prior to their travel to the Philippines,” the USINDOPACOM said.
ISIS ideology and its emphasis on suicide attacks ”has not resonated broadly” among Filipinos even though it had permeated some ISIS-East Asia factions, particularly in Sulu, it added.
https://www.philstar.com/nation/2019/11/22/1970751/local-terrorists-lack-support-isis
MANILA, Philippines — For lack of support from their foreign counterparts, terrorists in Mindanao are capable of mounting only small-scale attacks, according to the United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM).
In an executive summary submitted to the Inspector General of the US Department of Defense, the USINDOPACOM said Islamic State of Syria and Iraq (ISIS)-inspired terrorists in Southeast Asia also lack strong internal leadership, a factor that has impeded their ability to launch attacks outside their base or carry out large-scale attacks.
“ISIS-East Asia is... only capable of conducting... suicide attacks in Jolo, Sulu and... islands in Southern Philippines,” it said.
The Hawaii-based US military command, through its newly created unit –Operation Pacific Eagle Philippines (OPE-P) – has deployed an anti-terror contingent in parts of Mindanao.
The US anti-terror unit is training and providing intelligence information to Filipino soldiers hunting down members of the Abu Sayyaf, Khalifa Islamiyah Mindanao and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, particularly in Sulu, Basilan, Tawi-Tawi, Lanao provinces and Central Mindanao.
The OPE-P replaced the former US Pacific Command Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines based in Zamboanga City.
“As assessed, ISIS-East Asia’s lack of network cohesion, support from the international leadership of ISIS and strong internal leadership or adequate financing are factors that have impeded ISIS-East Asia’s ability to conduct activity outside its base or operations,” the USINDOPACOM said.
The military command said most suicide attacks in the Philippines were carried out by highly radicalized foreigners who failed to join the fighting in Iraq and Syria.
Two Egyptians, a Moroccan and an Indonesian couple blew themselves up in attacks in Sulu and Basilan in the past two years.
“Most suicide attacks in the Philippines were conducted by foreign nationals... They were likely radicalized prior to their travel to the Philippines,” the USINDOPACOM said.
ISIS ideology and its emphasis on suicide attacks ”has not resonated broadly” among Filipinos even though it had permeated some ISIS-East Asia factions, particularly in Sulu, it added.
https://www.philstar.com/nation/2019/11/22/1970751/local-terrorists-lack-support-isis
CPP/NDF-Bicol: Disimpormasyon at Saywar ng 9th IDPA, Gatong na Nagpapaliyab sa Paglaban ng Masang Bikolano
NDF-Bicol propaganda statement posted to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Website (Nov 21, 2019): Disimpormasyon at Saywar ng 9th IDPA, Gatong na Nagpapaliyab sa Paglaban ng Masang Bikolano
MARIA ROJA BANUA
SPOKESPERSON
NDF-BICOL
NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC FRONT OF THE PHILIPPINES
NOVEMBER 21, 2019
Sadyang nagpapakadalubhasa ang 9th IDPA sa pagpapahusay ng kanilang kampanyang disimpormasyon at saywar laban sa rebolusyonaryong kilusan. Matapos ang sunud-sunod na pagpaparada ng mga pekeng sumurender ay pinapatambol naman nila ngayon ang testimonya umano ng isang sumuko. Ang naturang Ka Daniel umano ang magbibigay-boses at magpapatunay ng mga tagumpay ng kanilang kampanyang kontrainsurhensya sa rehiyon. Ngunit, hindi ganoon kadali mapabibilib ang mamamayang Bikolano. Sa tingin ba ng 9th IDPA ay mababawi nila ang kanilang berdugong reputasyon at mapagtatakpan ang umaalingasaw nilang kasinungalingan sa pamamagitan lamang ng ilang pakitang-taong at ala-teleseryeng panayam?
Ito ang dapat tandaan ng 9th IDPA: ilang daang Ka Daniel man ang kaladkarin nila sa midya at gaanuman nila ipintang mahusay ang kanilang kampanyang militar hindi kailanman matatawag na tagumpay ang panloloko, pandarahas at pagpatay sa masang siyang bumubuhay sa lipunang ito. Sa bawat kasinungalingang lumalabas sa kanilang bibig, lalo silang kinamumuhian ng masang dinanas ang kanilang pasismo. Sa bawat paghahambog, lalo nilang itinutulak ang masa sa paglaban at lalong pinagtitibay ang kapasyahang gawin ang lahat upang ibunyag ang katotohanan. Lalong lumalakas ang armadong pakikibaka sa Kabikulan. Lalong naglalagablab ang rebolusyonaryong diwa ng masang sawang-sawa na sa kanilang kasinungalingan at pandarahas.
Maaari nilang waldasin ang bilyun-bilyon nilang pondo para sa pagpapakitang-gilas sa midya, ngunit alam nilang itinatakwil sila ng masa. Kaya nga kinakailangan pa nilang takutin ang mga aktibista, bombahin ang mga komunidad at patayin ang masa dahil alam nilang wala silang ni katiting na suporta mula sa mamamayan. Iyan ang katotohanang hindi nila kailanman maitatatwa.
Sino ang maniniwala sa isang institusyong kilala sa pagiging garapal na sinungaling at walang kakurap-kurap kung mandahas at mang-abuso sa masa? Sala-salabat na eskandalo pa nga ang kanilang kinasasangkutan na hanggang ngayon ay hindi nila malusutan at maipaliwanag sa publiko.
Nitong Setyembre 11, napabalita ang pagkahuli ng isang Joselito Novelo Naag na isa umanong mataas na upisyal ng NPA sa rehiyon. Kasapi raw ang naturang indibidwal ng KLG 78 sa Albay at mayroong patong sa ulong P100,000. Ngunit, sa pamamagitan mismo ng Facebook Account ni Naag ay nabunyag sa publikong isa siyang elemento ng militar. Hindi ba’t noong hindi pa sila nabubuko ay ilinarawan din nila ang kaso ni Naag bilang napakalaking tagumpay ng hanay ng militar? Ano’t tahimik sila ngayon sa usaping ito?
Sino rin ang makalilimot sa kaso ng pamamaril ng tropa ng 83rd IBPA at PNP Catanduanes Provincial Mobile Force sa limang magsasaka ng abaka habang sila ay nangingisda at ang pagpapalabas ng militar at pulis na NPA ang mga biktima? Noong Setyembre 22, patay sina Lito Aguilar at Christopher Abraham, matapos pagbabarilin ng pinagsanib na tropa ng 83rd IBPA at PNP Catanduanes PMFC sa Brgy. Taopon, Panganiban, Catanduanes.Sugatan naman sina Jimmy Sierra, Joseph Torado at Jomarie Calderon. Matapos ang krimen, nagtanim pa ng ebidensyang riple ang militar. Naninindigan ang mga kaanak at kababaryo ng mga biktima at maging ang lokal na yunit ng gubyerno na sibilyan ang lima. Sa katunayan, ikakasal na nga sana si Aguilar bago ang karumal-dumal na krimen. Kaya paano ipaliliwanag ng 9th IDPA ang itinanim nilang M16 sa bangkay ng kanilang mga pinaslang?
Hindi naman na nakapagtataka ang maruming estilo ng 9th IDPA sa rehiyon– mula sa paghabi ng kasinungalingan hanggang sa sukdulang pamamaslang ng mamamayan. Repleksyon ang kanilang dibisyon ng bangis at kabulukan ng buong kampanyang kontrainsurhensya ng rehimeng US-Duterte.
Naninindigan ang NDF-Bikol na tulad ng lahat ng nakaraang oplan – mula pa sa panahon ni Marcos hanggang ni Noynoy Aquino, walang ibang tutunguhin ang Oplan Kapanatagan kung hindi ang tuluyang pagkabigo. Lilipas ang mga papet at pasistang rehimeng tulad ng kay Duterte, ngunit mananatiling walang kupas at walang kasintatag ang demokratikong rebolusyong bayan. Sa huli, mananaig ang masa at ang Partido.
https://marojabanua.wordpress.com/2019/11/21/disimpormasyon-at-saywar-ng-9th-idpa-gatong-na-nagpapaliyab-sa-paglaban-ng-masang-bikolano/
https://cpp.ph/statement/disimpormasyon-at-saywar-ng-9th-idpa-gatong-na-nagpapaliyab-sa-paglaban-ng-masang-bikolano/
Sadyang nagpapakadalubhasa ang 9th IDPA sa pagpapahusay ng kanilang kampanyang disimpormasyon at saywar laban sa rebolusyonaryong kilusan. Matapos ang sunud-sunod na pagpaparada ng mga pekeng sumurender ay pinapatambol naman nila ngayon ang testimonya umano ng isang sumuko. Ang naturang Ka Daniel umano ang magbibigay-boses at magpapatunay ng mga tagumpay ng kanilang kampanyang kontrainsurhensya sa rehiyon. Ngunit, hindi ganoon kadali mapabibilib ang mamamayang Bikolano. Sa tingin ba ng 9th IDPA ay mababawi nila ang kanilang berdugong reputasyon at mapagtatakpan ang umaalingasaw nilang kasinungalingan sa pamamagitan lamang ng ilang pakitang-taong at ala-teleseryeng panayam?
Ito ang dapat tandaan ng 9th IDPA: ilang daang Ka Daniel man ang kaladkarin nila sa midya at gaanuman nila ipintang mahusay ang kanilang kampanyang militar hindi kailanman matatawag na tagumpay ang panloloko, pandarahas at pagpatay sa masang siyang bumubuhay sa lipunang ito. Sa bawat kasinungalingang lumalabas sa kanilang bibig, lalo silang kinamumuhian ng masang dinanas ang kanilang pasismo. Sa bawat paghahambog, lalo nilang itinutulak ang masa sa paglaban at lalong pinagtitibay ang kapasyahang gawin ang lahat upang ibunyag ang katotohanan. Lalong lumalakas ang armadong pakikibaka sa Kabikulan. Lalong naglalagablab ang rebolusyonaryong diwa ng masang sawang-sawa na sa kanilang kasinungalingan at pandarahas.
Maaari nilang waldasin ang bilyun-bilyon nilang pondo para sa pagpapakitang-gilas sa midya, ngunit alam nilang itinatakwil sila ng masa. Kaya nga kinakailangan pa nilang takutin ang mga aktibista, bombahin ang mga komunidad at patayin ang masa dahil alam nilang wala silang ni katiting na suporta mula sa mamamayan. Iyan ang katotohanang hindi nila kailanman maitatatwa.
Sino ang maniniwala sa isang institusyong kilala sa pagiging garapal na sinungaling at walang kakurap-kurap kung mandahas at mang-abuso sa masa? Sala-salabat na eskandalo pa nga ang kanilang kinasasangkutan na hanggang ngayon ay hindi nila malusutan at maipaliwanag sa publiko.
Nitong Setyembre 11, napabalita ang pagkahuli ng isang Joselito Novelo Naag na isa umanong mataas na upisyal ng NPA sa rehiyon. Kasapi raw ang naturang indibidwal ng KLG 78 sa Albay at mayroong patong sa ulong P100,000. Ngunit, sa pamamagitan mismo ng Facebook Account ni Naag ay nabunyag sa publikong isa siyang elemento ng militar. Hindi ba’t noong hindi pa sila nabubuko ay ilinarawan din nila ang kaso ni Naag bilang napakalaking tagumpay ng hanay ng militar? Ano’t tahimik sila ngayon sa usaping ito?
Sino rin ang makalilimot sa kaso ng pamamaril ng tropa ng 83rd IBPA at PNP Catanduanes Provincial Mobile Force sa limang magsasaka ng abaka habang sila ay nangingisda at ang pagpapalabas ng militar at pulis na NPA ang mga biktima? Noong Setyembre 22, patay sina Lito Aguilar at Christopher Abraham, matapos pagbabarilin ng pinagsanib na tropa ng 83rd IBPA at PNP Catanduanes PMFC sa Brgy. Taopon, Panganiban, Catanduanes.Sugatan naman sina Jimmy Sierra, Joseph Torado at Jomarie Calderon. Matapos ang krimen, nagtanim pa ng ebidensyang riple ang militar. Naninindigan ang mga kaanak at kababaryo ng mga biktima at maging ang lokal na yunit ng gubyerno na sibilyan ang lima. Sa katunayan, ikakasal na nga sana si Aguilar bago ang karumal-dumal na krimen. Kaya paano ipaliliwanag ng 9th IDPA ang itinanim nilang M16 sa bangkay ng kanilang mga pinaslang?
Hindi naman na nakapagtataka ang maruming estilo ng 9th IDPA sa rehiyon– mula sa paghabi ng kasinungalingan hanggang sa sukdulang pamamaslang ng mamamayan. Repleksyon ang kanilang dibisyon ng bangis at kabulukan ng buong kampanyang kontrainsurhensya ng rehimeng US-Duterte.
Naninindigan ang NDF-Bikol na tulad ng lahat ng nakaraang oplan – mula pa sa panahon ni Marcos hanggang ni Noynoy Aquino, walang ibang tutunguhin ang Oplan Kapanatagan kung hindi ang tuluyang pagkabigo. Lilipas ang mga papet at pasistang rehimeng tulad ng kay Duterte, ngunit mananatiling walang kupas at walang kasintatag ang demokratikong rebolusyong bayan. Sa huli, mananaig ang masa at ang Partido.
https://marojabanua.wordpress.com/2019/11/21/disimpormasyon-at-saywar-ng-9th-idpa-gatong-na-nagpapaliyab-sa-paglaban-ng-masang-bikolano/
https://cpp.ph/statement/disimpormasyon-at-saywar-ng-9th-idpa-gatong-na-nagpapaliyab-sa-paglaban-ng-masang-bikolano/
WESTMINCOM: 4 NPA supporters yield, hand over firearms to gov’t forces
Posted to the Western Mindanao Command (WESTMINCOM) Website (Nov 20, 2019): 4 NPA supporters yield, hand over firearms to gov’t forces
Four Communist NPA Terrorist (CNT) supporters yielded to the troops of the 49th Infantry Battalion in Masiu, Lanao del Sur at 10am of November 19, 2019.
“According to the surrenderors, they were dissatisfied with the NPA organization and their terroristic activities,” said Lt. Col. Edgar Allan Villanueva, 49th Infantry Battalion commander.
Said personalities handed over one M16 rifle, one caliber 38 handgun, magazines, and ammunitions.
Meanwhile, 103rd Infantry Brigade commander Col. Jose Maria Cuerpo II facilitated the turnover of the CNT supporters to Masiu Deputy Municipal Administrator Kisrawi Macarankat.
“We are gaining grounds in our relentless operation in the province and we are thankful to the local populace and the local government unit for their continued trust and support,” said Col. Cuerpo.
Brig. Gen. Bagnus Gaerlan, Jr. said, “We encourage other CNT members to surrender, return to the folds of the law, and benefit the Enhanced Local Integration Program that is part of the program of the Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (RTF-ELCAC)”.
“Congratulations to the troops of the 49th Infantry Battalion for this very commendable accomplishment,” said Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, commander of the Western Mindanao Command.
“Let us remain steadfast in the fulfilment of our mandated tasks in favor of our fellow Filipinos and the future generations,” the commander added.
Source: PIO Western Mindanao Command
Four Communist NPA Terrorist (CNT) supporters yielded to the troops of the 49th Infantry Battalion in Masiu, Lanao del Sur at 10am of November 19, 2019.
“According to the surrenderors, they were dissatisfied with the NPA organization and their terroristic activities,” said Lt. Col. Edgar Allan Villanueva, 49th Infantry Battalion commander.
Said personalities handed over one M16 rifle, one caliber 38 handgun, magazines, and ammunitions.
Meanwhile, 103rd Infantry Brigade commander Col. Jose Maria Cuerpo II facilitated the turnover of the CNT supporters to Masiu Deputy Municipal Administrator Kisrawi Macarankat.
“We are gaining grounds in our relentless operation in the province and we are thankful to the local populace and the local government unit for their continued trust and support,” said Col. Cuerpo.
Brig. Gen. Bagnus Gaerlan, Jr. said, “We encourage other CNT members to surrender, return to the folds of the law, and benefit the Enhanced Local Integration Program that is part of the program of the Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (RTF-ELCAC)”.
“Congratulations to the troops of the 49th Infantry Battalion for this very commendable accomplishment,” said Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, commander of the Western Mindanao Command.
“Let us remain steadfast in the fulfilment of our mandated tasks in favor of our fellow Filipinos and the future generations,” the commander added.
Source: PIO Western Mindanao Command
EASTMINCOM: Republic of the Philippines - Republic of Indonesia to Strengthen Cooperation on Border Security
Posted to the Eastern Mindanao Command (Nov 21, 2019): Republic of the Philippines - Republic of Indonesia to Strengthen Cooperation on Border Security
NSFA, Panacan, Davao City - The 38th Republic of the Philippines – Republic of Indonesia Border Committee Chairmen’s Conference, hosted by the Philippine Government through the Eastern Mindanao Command, Armed Forces of the Philippines was held at Grand Ballroom, Waterfront Insular Hotel, Lanang, Davao City on November 19, 2019 and expected to culminate on November 21, 2019.
The activity aims to strengthen the diplomatic relations of the two countries relative to the border crossing.
It seeks to review and strengthen the existing measures to ensure the safe passage of the respective nationals of both countries, to include the protection of fisher folks in the border areas en route to the fishing grounds at high seas.
Both Committees deliberated on matters of common concern and interest to both countries.
They agreed to continuously intensify the conduct of Coordinated Patrol operations that will seek to ensure security and maritime control in both countries' common borders.
Considering the porous shorelines of the archipelagic domains, both Committees also looked into the continuous operationalization of the Border Crossing Stations (BCS) situated at common border areas in order to provide a systematic scheme in closely monitoring the entry and exit of the nationals of both countries.
NSFA, Panacan, Davao City - The 38th Republic of the Philippines – Republic of Indonesia Border Committee Chairmen’s Conference, hosted by the Philippine Government through the Eastern Mindanao Command, Armed Forces of the Philippines was held at Grand Ballroom, Waterfront Insular Hotel, Lanang, Davao City on November 19, 2019 and expected to culminate on November 21, 2019.
The activity aims to strengthen the diplomatic relations of the two countries relative to the border crossing.
It seeks to review and strengthen the existing measures to ensure the safe passage of the respective nationals of both countries, to include the protection of fisher folks in the border areas en route to the fishing grounds at high seas.
Both Committees deliberated on matters of common concern and interest to both countries.
They agreed to continuously intensify the conduct of Coordinated Patrol operations that will seek to ensure security and maritime control in both countries' common borders.
Considering the porous shorelines of the archipelagic domains, both Committees also looked into the continuous operationalization of the Border Crossing Stations (BCS) situated at common border areas in order to provide a systematic scheme in closely monitoring the entry and exit of the nationals of both countries.
It is also the intent of both Committees to jumpstart the review of the 1975 Border Patrol and Border Crossing Agreements that will seek to recommend amendments of its provisions to be attuned to the prevailing situation in maritime security and terrorism in both countries.
Source: Public Information Office, Eastern Mindanao Command, AFP
https://www.eastmincomafp.com.ph/2019/11/republic-of-philippines-republic-of.html
Source: Public Information Office, Eastern Mindanao Command, AFP
https://www.eastmincomafp.com.ph/2019/11/republic-of-philippines-republic-of.html
26 NPA yield in Pangasinan
From Tempo (Nov 21, 2019): 26 NPA yield in Pangasinan
CAMP BRIG. GEN. OSCAR M. FLORENDO, Parian, San Fernando City, La Union – Twenty-six New People’s Army rebels from Pangasinan surrendered to the authorities last Wednesday.
Police Brig. Gen. Joel S. Orduña, Ilocos police director, led the ceremonial turn-over and administered the oath of allegiance of the rebel returnees.
They manifested their recognition of the government and desire to become responsible members of the society during the event in last Wednesday in Mabini, Pangasinan.
The rebel returnees – five women and 21 men – received cash and livelihood assistance under the government’s Enhanced Comprehensive Localized Integrated Program.
Orduña lauded the rebel returnees for their courage in embracing the government and the rule of law and cited significance of unity and peace and order in the development of the community.
“As good Filipino citizens, we should always remember that unity and peace is the best way towards the prosperous future of our community, there is nobody that enjoys living in warfare,” Orduña said.
He also said that despite the stiff and decisive stance of the PNP against the CPP-NPA, the PNP will gladly welcome them into the fold of the law to enjoy the blessings of democracy in a free state.
http://tempo.com.ph/2019/11/21/26-npa-yield-in-pangasinan/
Police Brig. Gen. Joel S. Orduña, Ilocos police director, led the ceremonial turn-over and administered the oath of allegiance of the rebel returnees.
They manifested their recognition of the government and desire to become responsible members of the society during the event in last Wednesday in Mabini, Pangasinan.
The rebel returnees – five women and 21 men – received cash and livelihood assistance under the government’s Enhanced Comprehensive Localized Integrated Program.
Orduña lauded the rebel returnees for their courage in embracing the government and the rule of law and cited significance of unity and peace and order in the development of the community.
“As good Filipino citizens, we should always remember that unity and peace is the best way towards the prosperous future of our community, there is nobody that enjoys living in warfare,” Orduña said.
He also said that despite the stiff and decisive stance of the PNP against the CPP-NPA, the PNP will gladly welcome them into the fold of the law to enjoy the blessings of democracy in a free state.
http://tempo.com.ph/2019/11/21/26-npa-yield-in-pangasinan/
NIA chief warns of possible agency infiltration by Reds
From the Journal Online (Nov 21, 2019): NIA chief warns of possible agency infiltration by Reds
November 21, 2019
CABANATUAN CITY – National Irrigation Administration chief Ricardo R. Visaya has warned of possible infiltration in the agency by the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) due to its association or linkages with farmers-groups such as irrigators’ associations.
“Hindi maiwasang ma-link ang NIA sa pag-re-recruit ng komunista dahil sa association natin with the farmers and the irrigators-associations,” said the former general and chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines when he spoke during the 2nd Stakeholders’ Forum on Irrigation Development for Nueva Ecija held at the Moments the Events Place here on Wednesday.
The stakeholders’ forum was organized by the NIA-Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation Systems led by its department manager Engr. Rosalinda B. Bote and was participated in by the provincial, various local government units and national agencies, the police and military, the religious and energy sectors, the province’s congressional representatives, and members and heads of various farmers-irrigators associations.
Visaya issued the warning as he cited a previous report by the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency saying that the agency was possibly being infiltrated and used as a recruitment arm by the communist movement.
Although he said he does not believe in the said NICA report, the NIA chief stressed that this possible recruitment efforts being done by the CPP-NPA arose mainly because they see the farmers-groups as the most vulnerable sectors of our society.
November 21, 2019
CABANATUAN CITY – National Irrigation Administration chief Ricardo R. Visaya has warned of possible infiltration in the agency by the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) due to its association or linkages with farmers-groups such as irrigators’ associations.
“Hindi maiwasang ma-link ang NIA sa pag-re-recruit ng komunista dahil sa association natin with the farmers and the irrigators-associations,” said the former general and chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines when he spoke during the 2nd Stakeholders’ Forum on Irrigation Development for Nueva Ecija held at the Moments the Events Place here on Wednesday.
The stakeholders’ forum was organized by the NIA-Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation Systems led by its department manager Engr. Rosalinda B. Bote and was participated in by the provincial, various local government units and national agencies, the police and military, the religious and energy sectors, the province’s congressional representatives, and members and heads of various farmers-irrigators associations.
Visaya issued the warning as he cited a previous report by the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency saying that the agency was possibly being infiltrated and used as a recruitment arm by the communist movement.
Although he said he does not believe in the said NICA report, the NIA chief stressed that this possible recruitment efforts being done by the CPP-NPA arose mainly because they see the farmers-groups as the most vulnerable sectors of our society.
Washington Committed to Mutual Treaty with Manila, US Defense Chief Says
Posted to Radio Free Asia (Nov 19, 2019): Washington Committed to Mutual Treaty with Manila, US Defense Chief Says
U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper reviews an honor guard during his visit to the Philippine Department of National Defense in Manila, Nov. 19, 2019. BenarNews
The United States reiterated its commitment Tuesday to a nearly 70-year-old military pact with the Philippines, as the defense chiefs of both countries met in Manila and pledged to boost the treaty amid Beijing’s expansionism in the South China Sea.
After meeting his Philippine counterpart here, U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper also urged Southeast Asian nations affected by China’s claims in the disputed sea region “to take a very public posture and to assert” their territorial rights.
“Today, I reiterated the United States’ commitment to the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty, which applies to the entire Pacific region, including the South China Sea,” Esper said, underscoring that Washington’s alliance with Manila “remains strong.”
The treaty, which requires both nations to help defend each other during an attack by an external party, acts as a buffer for the Philippines, a former American colony.
The comments by Esper marked the second time this year that a senior American government official had assured the Philippines that it would support Manila to defend itself in a crisis.
In March, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo pointed to the 1951 treaty when he said Washington would back the Philippines militarily if necessary over Chinese expansionism in the South China Sea.
“As the South China Sea is part of the Pacific, any armed attack on Philippine forces, aircraft or public vessels in the SCS would trigger mutual defense obligations under Article 4 of our MDT,” Pompeo said at the time, referring to the treaty.
On Tuesday, Esper met with Philippine defense chief Delfin Lorenzana after arriving from Bangkok, where the South China Sea was high on the agenda of meetings of defense chiefs from the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and other countries, including the U.S. and China.
After his meeting with Lorenzana, Esper told reporters that Washington had carried out more freedom of navigation operations in the South China Sea during the past year than the previous two decades.
He also said that some ASEAN members had expressed their concerns “about China’s excessive claims in the region.” He did not elaborate.
“I think it’s incumbent upon all of us to take a very public posture and to assert our sovereign rights and to emphasize the importance of law,” he said.
The meetings in the Thai capital ended on Monday amid concerns over Beijing’s increasingly assertive actions in the sea region. These were highlighted this week by a Chinese move to deploy its first domestically-built aircraft carrier to the disputed waters after the ship sailed through the Taiwan Strait as part of “equipment tests and routine training,” according to the state-run Xinhua News Agency.
On Monday, Esper met in Bangkok with his Chinese counterpart, Gen. Wei Fenghe, who urged Washington to “stop flexing muscles” in the South China Sea
Beijing claims almost all of the South China Sea, a vital waterway through which about U.S. $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes annually, while Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan have their own claims to parts of those waters.
While in principle all of the claimants have agreed to refrain from carrying out actions that would further inflame respective territorial disputes, Beijing raised regional tensions in recent years after it transformed contested shoals into missile-protected islands, with military-grade runways on three reefs.
Since he took power three years ago, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has adapted a defeatist tone regarding China, repeatedly saying that the Philippines couldn’t do anything to deter the bigger nation. Instead, he has courted Beijing by not implementing a 2016 verdict by an international arbitral tribunal that ruled against China’s vast claims to the sea region.
Duterte’s government has also agreed to a joint exploration deal in the South China Sea with Beijing, despite calls by Philippine nationalist groups to be wary of China’s expression of friendliness.
Washington, Manila to share anti-terror information
In a joint statement, Lorenzana and Esper also vowed to join forces in fighting terrorism as they agreed to share military intelligence.
“The United States and the Philippines will build upon the existing foundation by continuing to improve information sharing and enhancing cooperation to prevent terrorist attacks and the transit of foreign terrorist fighters in the Philippines,” the statement said.
The United States, along with Australia, provided crucial intelligence data, which helped the Philippine military defeat Islamic State-linked militants who took over the southern city of Marawi for five months in 2017.
The militant siege and the battle with government forces that ensued killed more than 1,200 people – mostly militants – and destroyed Marawi, once a beautiful lakeshore city in southern Mindanao island that Islamic State had wanted to turn into its caliphate in Southeast Asia.
After meeting his Philippine counterpart here, U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper also urged Southeast Asian nations affected by China’s claims in the disputed sea region “to take a very public posture and to assert” their territorial rights.
“Today, I reiterated the United States’ commitment to the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty, which applies to the entire Pacific region, including the South China Sea,” Esper said, underscoring that Washington’s alliance with Manila “remains strong.”
The treaty, which requires both nations to help defend each other during an attack by an external party, acts as a buffer for the Philippines, a former American colony.
The comments by Esper marked the second time this year that a senior American government official had assured the Philippines that it would support Manila to defend itself in a crisis.
In March, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo pointed to the 1951 treaty when he said Washington would back the Philippines militarily if necessary over Chinese expansionism in the South China Sea.
“As the South China Sea is part of the Pacific, any armed attack on Philippine forces, aircraft or public vessels in the SCS would trigger mutual defense obligations under Article 4 of our MDT,” Pompeo said at the time, referring to the treaty.
On Tuesday, Esper met with Philippine defense chief Delfin Lorenzana after arriving from Bangkok, where the South China Sea was high on the agenda of meetings of defense chiefs from the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and other countries, including the U.S. and China.
After his meeting with Lorenzana, Esper told reporters that Washington had carried out more freedom of navigation operations in the South China Sea during the past year than the previous two decades.
He also said that some ASEAN members had expressed their concerns “about China’s excessive claims in the region.” He did not elaborate.
“I think it’s incumbent upon all of us to take a very public posture and to assert our sovereign rights and to emphasize the importance of law,” he said.
The meetings in the Thai capital ended on Monday amid concerns over Beijing’s increasingly assertive actions in the sea region. These were highlighted this week by a Chinese move to deploy its first domestically-built aircraft carrier to the disputed waters after the ship sailed through the Taiwan Strait as part of “equipment tests and routine training,” according to the state-run Xinhua News Agency.
On Monday, Esper met in Bangkok with his Chinese counterpart, Gen. Wei Fenghe, who urged Washington to “stop flexing muscles” in the South China Sea
Beijing claims almost all of the South China Sea, a vital waterway through which about U.S. $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes annually, while Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan have their own claims to parts of those waters.
While in principle all of the claimants have agreed to refrain from carrying out actions that would further inflame respective territorial disputes, Beijing raised regional tensions in recent years after it transformed contested shoals into missile-protected islands, with military-grade runways on three reefs.
Since he took power three years ago, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has adapted a defeatist tone regarding China, repeatedly saying that the Philippines couldn’t do anything to deter the bigger nation. Instead, he has courted Beijing by not implementing a 2016 verdict by an international arbitral tribunal that ruled against China’s vast claims to the sea region.
Duterte’s government has also agreed to a joint exploration deal in the South China Sea with Beijing, despite calls by Philippine nationalist groups to be wary of China’s expression of friendliness.
Washington, Manila to share anti-terror information
In a joint statement, Lorenzana and Esper also vowed to join forces in fighting terrorism as they agreed to share military intelligence.
“The United States and the Philippines will build upon the existing foundation by continuing to improve information sharing and enhancing cooperation to prevent terrorist attacks and the transit of foreign terrorist fighters in the Philippines,” the statement said.
The United States, along with Australia, provided crucial intelligence data, which helped the Philippine military defeat Islamic State-linked militants who took over the southern city of Marawi for five months in 2017.
The militant siege and the battle with government forces that ensued killed more than 1,200 people – mostly militants – and destroyed Marawi, once a beautiful lakeshore city in southern Mindanao island that Islamic State had wanted to turn into its caliphate in Southeast Asia.
Pentagon chief urges claimants to take 'public posture' on South China Sea
From the Philippine Star (Nov 20, 2019): Pentagon chief urges claimants to take 'public posture' on South China Sea
US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper speaks during a joint press conference with his Philippines counterpart at the Department of Defense in Manila on November 19, 2019. AFP/Ted Aljibe
Washington's top defense official urged claimant states in the South China Sea, including the Philippines, to assert sovereign rights in the disputed waterway.
US Defense Secretary Mark Esper recently met with Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. to discuss Philippines-US ties.
In a press briefing Tuesday, Esper said "acting collectively" would be the best way to "get China on the right path."
China has been claiming indisputable sovereignty over the South China Sea, which is also being contested by Southeast Asian countries such as Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam.
"I think it's incumbent upon all of us to take a very public posture and to assert our sovereign rights and to emphasize the importance of law," Esper said.
The Pentagon chief noted that concerns were raised over China's excessive claims over the South China Sea during the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting Plus in Thailand earlier this month.
According to Esper, most of the ASEAN defense ministers are concerned over Beijing's lack of compliance with international laws, as well as its tactics to advance its own interests in the region.
"It is crucial that we stand together to preserve freedom of navigation and overflight and other lawful uses of the sea," Esper said.
Esper also said the US is open to revisit provisions of the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty with the Philippines.
Lorenzana has been calling for a review of the decades-old treaty following China's expansive claims over the South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea.
Earlier this year, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo assured the Philippines that any armed attack on Filipino troops in the West Philippine Sea will trigger the treaty.
https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2019/11/20/1970414/pentagon-chief-urges-claimants-take-public-posture-south-china-sea
US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper speaks during a joint press conference with his Philippines counterpart at the Department of Defense in Manila on November 19, 2019. AFP/Ted Aljibe
Washington's top defense official urged claimant states in the South China Sea, including the Philippines, to assert sovereign rights in the disputed waterway.
US Defense Secretary Mark Esper recently met with Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. to discuss Philippines-US ties.
In a press briefing Tuesday, Esper said "acting collectively" would be the best way to "get China on the right path."
China has been claiming indisputable sovereignty over the South China Sea, which is also being contested by Southeast Asian countries such as Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam.
"I think it's incumbent upon all of us to take a very public posture and to assert our sovereign rights and to emphasize the importance of law," Esper said.
The Pentagon chief noted that concerns were raised over China's excessive claims over the South China Sea during the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting Plus in Thailand earlier this month.
According to Esper, most of the ASEAN defense ministers are concerned over Beijing's lack of compliance with international laws, as well as its tactics to advance its own interests in the region.
"It is crucial that we stand together to preserve freedom of navigation and overflight and other lawful uses of the sea," Esper said.
Esper also said the US is open to revisit provisions of the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty with the Philippines.
Lorenzana has been calling for a review of the decades-old treaty following China's expansive claims over the South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea.
Earlier this year, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo assured the Philippines that any armed attack on Filipino troops in the West Philippine Sea will trigger the treaty.
https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2019/11/20/1970414/pentagon-chief-urges-claimants-take-public-posture-south-china-sea
Soldier killed in fight with Army sergeant
From the Philippine Star (Nov 21, 2019): Soldier killed in fight with Army sergeant
MANILA, Philippines — A soldier was shot dead after he got into a fight with an Army sergeant in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City before dawn yesterday.
Private First Class Gerald Niko del Pilar died at the scene from a gunshot to the neck.
T/Sgt. Gilbert Gella, 33, a member of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Light Reaction Regiment, turned himself in to the police after the incident.
Initial investigation showed that Del Pilar and Gella figured in an altercation along Bayani Road in Barangay Western Bicutan at around 2 a.m.
Gella was about to drive away with his companions when Del Pilar reportedly ran toward the suspect’s car and attacked him with a knife.
This prompted the suspect to pull out his gun and fire at Del Pilar.
Gella is being treated at the Army Hospital.
According to a police report, Gella was accompanied by an Army “striker” Jepoy Arcilla and two others.
Taguig police chief Alexander Santos said the victim and the suspect were both drunk when they figured in a fight.
Parallel probe
Army spokesman Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala said a parallel investigation into the shooting incident is underway.
“We will cooperate with the police investigation in order to attain justice for the victim,” Zagala said.
“But we will conduct our own investigation. We urge soldiers to adhere to the principles of military discipline and proper decorum whether they are in uniform or not, whether inside or outside military jurisdiction,” he added.
Asked why the Southern Police District initially released different names of suspects, Zagala said those in the custody of the SPD could be Gella’s companions.
The Army will extend assistance to the family of Del Pilar, Zagala said.
https://www.philstar.com/nation/2019/11/21/1970493/soldier-killed-fight-army-sergeant
MANILA, Philippines — A soldier was shot dead after he got into a fight with an Army sergeant in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City before dawn yesterday.
Private First Class Gerald Niko del Pilar died at the scene from a gunshot to the neck.
T/Sgt. Gilbert Gella, 33, a member of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Light Reaction Regiment, turned himself in to the police after the incident.
Initial investigation showed that Del Pilar and Gella figured in an altercation along Bayani Road in Barangay Western Bicutan at around 2 a.m.
Gella was about to drive away with his companions when Del Pilar reportedly ran toward the suspect’s car and attacked him with a knife.
This prompted the suspect to pull out his gun and fire at Del Pilar.
Gella is being treated at the Army Hospital.
According to a police report, Gella was accompanied by an Army “striker” Jepoy Arcilla and two others.
Taguig police chief Alexander Santos said the victim and the suspect were both drunk when they figured in a fight.
Parallel probe
Army spokesman Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala said a parallel investigation into the shooting incident is underway.
“We will cooperate with the police investigation in order to attain justice for the victim,” Zagala said.
“But we will conduct our own investigation. We urge soldiers to adhere to the principles of military discipline and proper decorum whether they are in uniform or not, whether inside or outside military jurisdiction,” he added.
Asked why the Southern Police District initially released different names of suspects, Zagala said those in the custody of the SPD could be Gella’s companions.
The Army will extend assistance to the family of Del Pilar, Zagala said.
https://www.philstar.com/nation/2019/11/21/1970493/soldier-killed-fight-army-sergeant
US warns of ‘persistent’ Daesh attacks in East Asia
From Arab News (Nov 21, 2019): US warns of ‘persistent’ Daesh attacks in East Asia
Insurgent groups in the southern Philippines have not included suicide bombings despite a long history of terrorist violence
Inside the damaged Catholic cathedral, where two bombs exploded, in Jolo, Sulu on January 27, 2019. (WESMINCOM Armed Forces of the Philippines via AP/File)
In its third-quarter report to Congress tabled on Tuesday, Operation Pacific Eagle-Philippines, the US counterterrorism effort in the country, said that there had been little change in the extremist group’s size, strength, capabilities or activities in the region.
Citing unclassified information, it said that Daesh in the Philippines comprises about 500 individuals, mostly members of long-standing local insurgent outfits that have adopted the terror group’s “brand.”
The report said that Daesh’s East Asian unit is “currently capable of conducting only small-scale or suicide attacks on Jolo, Sulu and Mindanao islands in the southern Philippines.”
“Daesh’s lack of network cohesion, international support, internal leadership and adequate financing have impeded its ability to conduct activities outside its base of operations or carry out large-scale attacks,” it added.
However, it warned that suicide bombings were increasing in the country, citing the case of a female suicide bomber who blew herself up outside a military base in Indanan Sulu on Sept. 8.
“Philippine insurgent groups have not historically used suicide attacks, but this appears to be changing,” the report said.
It pointed out that while the southern Philippines has a long history of terrorist violence, it has not historically included suicide bombings.
However, a series of suicide attacks this year has forced Philippines defense officials to reevaluate security protocols in light of the new threat.
“Most suicide attacks in the Philippines have been conducted by foreign nationals who attempted and failed to travel to the conflict zone in Syria and Iraq, and were likely radicalized before traveling to the Philippines,” the report said.
Daesh ideology and its emphasis on suicide attacks “has not resonated broadly among the Philippine population but has permeated some Daesh factions, particularly in the Sulu archipelago,” it added.
Daesh in the Philippines has been without a leader since the death of Isnilon Hapilon in the 2017 Marawi siege, the report said.
“Hatib Hajjan Sawadjaan, the leader of a large faction of the Abu Sayyaf Group, has declared himself ‘emir’ of Daesh in the Philippines, but the Daesh core has not publicly recognized him as it did Hapilon,” it said.
Insurgent groups in the southern Philippines have not included suicide bombings despite a long history of terrorist violence
Inside the damaged Catholic cathedral, where two bombs exploded, in Jolo, Sulu on January 27, 2019. (WESMINCOM Armed Forces of the Philippines via AP/File)
MANILA: Daesh’s operations in East Asia from its southern Philippines base “may not be large, but remain persistent,” the US Department of Defense warned.
In its third-quarter report to Congress tabled on Tuesday, Operation Pacific Eagle-Philippines, the US counterterrorism effort in the country, said that there had been little change in the extremist group’s size, strength, capabilities or activities in the region.
Citing unclassified information, it said that Daesh in the Philippines comprises about 500 individuals, mostly members of long-standing local insurgent outfits that have adopted the terror group’s “brand.”
The report said that Daesh’s East Asian unit is “currently capable of conducting only small-scale or suicide attacks on Jolo, Sulu and Mindanao islands in the southern Philippines.”
“Daesh’s lack of network cohesion, international support, internal leadership and adequate financing have impeded its ability to conduct activities outside its base of operations or carry out large-scale attacks,” it added.
However, it warned that suicide bombings were increasing in the country, citing the case of a female suicide bomber who blew herself up outside a military base in Indanan Sulu on Sept. 8.
“Philippine insurgent groups have not historically used suicide attacks, but this appears to be changing,” the report said.
It pointed out that while the southern Philippines has a long history of terrorist violence, it has not historically included suicide bombings.
However, a series of suicide attacks this year has forced Philippines defense officials to reevaluate security protocols in light of the new threat.
“Most suicide attacks in the Philippines have been conducted by foreign nationals who attempted and failed to travel to the conflict zone in Syria and Iraq, and were likely radicalized before traveling to the Philippines,” the report said.
Daesh ideology and its emphasis on suicide attacks “has not resonated broadly among the Philippine population but has permeated some Daesh factions, particularly in the Sulu archipelago,” it added.
Daesh in the Philippines has been without a leader since the death of Isnilon Hapilon in the 2017 Marawi siege, the report said.
“Hatib Hajjan Sawadjaan, the leader of a large faction of the Abu Sayyaf Group, has declared himself ‘emir’ of Daesh in the Philippines, but the Daesh core has not publicly recognized him as it did Hapilon,” it said.
Philippines, Indonesia Agree to Boost Joint Maritime Border Patrols
From BenarNews (Nov 20, 2019): Philippines, Indonesia Agree to Boost Joint Maritime Border Patrols
Security forces from Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines demonstrate skills during a drill at the Subang military airbase in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia, Oct. 12, 2017. AP
The Philippines and Indonesia have agreed to intensify joint maritime security patrols to check the movements of terrorists across their porous borders, military officials from both nations said Wednesday.
Naval officials forged the security arrangement two years after the neighboring countries launched air and maritime patrols with Malaysia in a bid to combat kidnappings by Abu Sayyaf, a militant group based in the southern Philippines.
Manila and Jakarta agreed to boost their maritime operations during the three-day Philippines-Indonesia Border Committee Chairmen’s Conference that began in the southern Philippine city of Davao on Tuesday.
The joint patrols aim “to review and strengthen the existing measures to ensure the safe passage of the respective nationals of both countries, to include the protection of fisher folks in the border areas en route to the fishing grounds at high seas,” Lt. Col. Ezra Balagtey, spokesman for the Philippine military’s Eastern Mindanao Command, said in a statement Wednesday.
Conference delegates were reviewing the so-called 1975 Border Patrol and Border Crossing Agreements between the Southeast Asian neighbors and would “recommend amendments of its provisions to be attuned to the prevailing situation in maritime security and terrorism in both countries,” Balagtey said.
Members of the border committee also held a meeting in the Philippines in January 2018, during which they similarly agreed to elevate cooperation on maritime security. That agreement came days after Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi met President Rodrigo Duterte in Davao, the Philippine leader’s hometown.
The intensified patrols aim “to prevent the utilization of our respective territorial waters as an avenue for the proliferation of terrorism and other transnational crimes,” a joint statement issued by the two countries’ border committee chairmen said at the time.
“This kind of friendship between the two countries can help resolve any problem,” Indonesian First Admiral Gig Jonias Mozes Sipasulta was quoted as saying then by the state-owned Philippine News Agency.
“We need each other,” he said.
It was not immediately clear how the frequency of existing border patrols would be changed as a result of the agreement. It is common for military officials in the southern Philippine to decline requests for figures on security-related issues.
Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines are bracing for retaliatory attacks after the Islamic State’s self-declared caliphate in Syria collapsed in March, leading to a push from a U.S.-backed coalition for captured IS-affiliated fighters, including many from Southeast Asia, to be returned to their home countries.
Didik Novi Rahmanto, chief of the Counter-Foreign Terrorist Fighters Task Force at Indonesia’s Densus 88 anti-terrorist police unit, told BenarNews in early November that Jakarta was ready to accept its citizens from Syria.
“We are prepared to deal with them,” Didik said.
He said at least 28 Indonesian IS detainees were believed to be among those who were abandoned by forces from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) after Turkey’s offensive in northeastern Syria against the Kurdish YPG militia, the main element of the SDF.
The Islamic State's defeat of in Syria ushered in complex issues, including the extradition – or legal proceedings – for captured foreign militant fighters, as well as their wives and children.
Malaysia and Indonesia are accepting returnees on a conditional basis.
Citing data from border authorities in Syria, Indonesian officials reported that at least 1,321 Indonesians had joined IS or tried to enlist. Of that number, 84 were killed, 482 were deported while trying to enter Syria. Officials said at least 62 had returned from the Middle East.
Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines began trilateral patrols in June last year after pro-IS militants launched a siege in the southern Philippine city of Marawi. Five months of vicious fighting ended in October 2017 and killed at least 1,200 people, mostly militants, including the acknowledged Philippine IS leader, Isnilon Hapilon, and several foreign fighters.
Malaysia’s Sabah state is a short boat ride from islands in the Philippines’ Mindanao region, where pro-IS Muslim guerrillas and other armed Muslim groups operate. The waters between the two countries are extremely porous. According to analysts, the three nations share coastal borders that have long been used for smuggling routes.
https://www.benarnews.org/english/news/philippine/philippines-indonesia-11202019181356.html
Naval officials forged the security arrangement two years after the neighboring countries launched air and maritime patrols with Malaysia in a bid to combat kidnappings by Abu Sayyaf, a militant group based in the southern Philippines.
Manila and Jakarta agreed to boost their maritime operations during the three-day Philippines-Indonesia Border Committee Chairmen’s Conference that began in the southern Philippine city of Davao on Tuesday.
The joint patrols aim “to review and strengthen the existing measures to ensure the safe passage of the respective nationals of both countries, to include the protection of fisher folks in the border areas en route to the fishing grounds at high seas,” Lt. Col. Ezra Balagtey, spokesman for the Philippine military’s Eastern Mindanao Command, said in a statement Wednesday.
Conference delegates were reviewing the so-called 1975 Border Patrol and Border Crossing Agreements between the Southeast Asian neighbors and would “recommend amendments of its provisions to be attuned to the prevailing situation in maritime security and terrorism in both countries,” Balagtey said.
Members of the border committee also held a meeting in the Philippines in January 2018, during which they similarly agreed to elevate cooperation on maritime security. That agreement came days after Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi met President Rodrigo Duterte in Davao, the Philippine leader’s hometown.
The intensified patrols aim “to prevent the utilization of our respective territorial waters as an avenue for the proliferation of terrorism and other transnational crimes,” a joint statement issued by the two countries’ border committee chairmen said at the time.
“This kind of friendship between the two countries can help resolve any problem,” Indonesian First Admiral Gig Jonias Mozes Sipasulta was quoted as saying then by the state-owned Philippine News Agency.
“We need each other,” he said.
It was not immediately clear how the frequency of existing border patrols would be changed as a result of the agreement. It is common for military officials in the southern Philippine to decline requests for figures on security-related issues.
Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines are bracing for retaliatory attacks after the Islamic State’s self-declared caliphate in Syria collapsed in March, leading to a push from a U.S.-backed coalition for captured IS-affiliated fighters, including many from Southeast Asia, to be returned to their home countries.
Didik Novi Rahmanto, chief of the Counter-Foreign Terrorist Fighters Task Force at Indonesia’s Densus 88 anti-terrorist police unit, told BenarNews in early November that Jakarta was ready to accept its citizens from Syria.
“We are prepared to deal with them,” Didik said.
He said at least 28 Indonesian IS detainees were believed to be among those who were abandoned by forces from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) after Turkey’s offensive in northeastern Syria against the Kurdish YPG militia, the main element of the SDF.
The Islamic State's defeat of in Syria ushered in complex issues, including the extradition – or legal proceedings – for captured foreign militant fighters, as well as their wives and children.
Malaysia and Indonesia are accepting returnees on a conditional basis.
Citing data from border authorities in Syria, Indonesian officials reported that at least 1,321 Indonesians had joined IS or tried to enlist. Of that number, 84 were killed, 482 were deported while trying to enter Syria. Officials said at least 62 had returned from the Middle East.
Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines began trilateral patrols in June last year after pro-IS militants launched a siege in the southern Philippine city of Marawi. Five months of vicious fighting ended in October 2017 and killed at least 1,200 people, mostly militants, including the acknowledged Philippine IS leader, Isnilon Hapilon, and several foreign fighters.
Malaysia’s Sabah state is a short boat ride from islands in the Philippines’ Mindanao region, where pro-IS Muslim guerrillas and other armed Muslim groups operate. The waters between the two countries are extremely porous. According to analysts, the three nations share coastal borders that have long been used for smuggling routes.
https://www.benarnews.org/english/news/philippine/philippines-indonesia-11202019181356.html
Wife of convicted terrorist Umar Patek granted Indonesian citizenship
From the Jakarta Post (Nov 21, 2019): Wife of convicted terrorist Umar Patek granted Indonesian citizenship
Umar Patek and his wife Ruqayyah Binti Husein Luceno at the Surabaya Penitentiary after Ruqayyah received her Indonesian citizenship certificate on Wednesday. (kompas.com/A. Faizal)
The Indonesian government granted citizenship to Ruqayyah Binti Husein Luceno, the wife of convicted terrorist Umar Patek on Wednesday.
National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) chief Comr. Gen. Suhardi Alius said that Luceno, a Philippines citizen who had been living in Indonesia since 2009, had applied for Indonesian citizenship 2.5 years ago following Umar’s request.
“I proceeded with the application as soon as I received it and the Directorate General for Administration and General Law delivered the decree immediately to my office,” Suhardi said, adding that her husband Umar had behaved well in prison and had been cooperative during his sentence.
He offered to help the Indonesian government in April 2016, when 10 Indonesian sailors were taken hostage by the Abu Sayyaf terror group in Sulu Island, the Philippines.
Suhardi presented Luceno’s citizenship certificate in a small ceremony at Surabaya Penitentiary in Porong, Sidoarjo, East Java. The event was attended by East Java Police deputy chief Brig. Gen. Djamaludin, Sidoarjo Police deputy chief Sr. Comr. Anggi Naulifar Siregar, as well as representatives from the Indonesian Military and the East Java administration.
Umar is serving a 20 year sentence for his involvement in the first Bali bombing in 2002. After the Bali bombing, he flew to the Philippines to join Abu Sayyaf.
https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2019/11/20/wife-of-convicted-terrorist-umar-patek-granted-indonesian-citizenship.html
National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) chief Comr. Gen. Suhardi Alius said that Luceno, a Philippines citizen who had been living in Indonesia since 2009, had applied for Indonesian citizenship 2.5 years ago following Umar’s request.
“I proceeded with the application as soon as I received it and the Directorate General for Administration and General Law delivered the decree immediately to my office,” Suhardi said, adding that her husband Umar had behaved well in prison and had been cooperative during his sentence.
He offered to help the Indonesian government in April 2016, when 10 Indonesian sailors were taken hostage by the Abu Sayyaf terror group in Sulu Island, the Philippines.
Suhardi presented Luceno’s citizenship certificate in a small ceremony at Surabaya Penitentiary in Porong, Sidoarjo, East Java. The event was attended by East Java Police deputy chief Brig. Gen. Djamaludin, Sidoarjo Police deputy chief Sr. Comr. Anggi Naulifar Siregar, as well as representatives from the Indonesian Military and the East Java administration.
Umar is serving a 20 year sentence for his involvement in the first Bali bombing in 2002. After the Bali bombing, he flew to the Philippines to join Abu Sayyaf.
https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2019/11/20/wife-of-convicted-terrorist-umar-patek-granted-indonesian-citizenship.html
Abu Sayyaf demands RM2.4mil ransom for trio
From the Star Online (Nov 21, 2019): Abu Sayyaf demands RM2.4mil ransom for trio
KOTA KINABALU: The armed men who abducted three Indonesian fishermen off Lahad Datu, Sabah, two months ago are demanding RM2.45mil for their release.
The demand, made through one of the victims via a video recording, was released on Facebook last Saturday.
The three were identified as Maharudin Lunani, 48, his son Muhammad Farhan, 27, and crew member Samiun Maneu, 27. They were abducted by armed men from a Sandakan-registered fishing trawler off Tambisan waters.
In the 43-second video, Samiun identified them as Indonesians and had worked in Malaysia.
“We were caught by the Abu Sayyaf Group on Sept 24,2019, ” said Samiun in Bahasa Indonesia in the video clip.
They pleaded to their two employers to secure their freedom.
“We ask the Indonesian president to help free us. The ASG (Abu Sayyaf group) has demanded 30 million pesos in ransom, ” he said.
It was also reported that a family member of one of the victims had received a similar ransom demand before the release of the video.Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Omar Mammah said, according to their Philippine counterparts, the kidnappers had also made such a demand a few days after they abducted the fishermen.
He, however, did not disclose the amount, adding that police do not entertain such requests.
KOTA KINABALU: The armed men who abducted three Indonesian fishermen off Lahad Datu, Sabah, two months ago are demanding RM2.45mil for their release.
The demand, made through one of the victims via a video recording, was released on Facebook last Saturday.
The three were identified as Maharudin Lunani, 48, his son Muhammad Farhan, 27, and crew member Samiun Maneu, 27. They were abducted by armed men from a Sandakan-registered fishing trawler off Tambisan waters.
In the 43-second video, Samiun identified them as Indonesians and had worked in Malaysia.
“We were caught by the Abu Sayyaf Group on Sept 24,2019, ” said Samiun in Bahasa Indonesia in the video clip.
They pleaded to their two employers to secure their freedom.
“We ask the Indonesian president to help free us. The ASG (Abu Sayyaf group) has demanded 30 million pesos in ransom, ” he said.
It was also reported that a family member of one of the victims had received a similar ransom demand before the release of the video.Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Omar Mammah said, according to their Philippine counterparts, the kidnappers had also made such a demand a few days after they abducted the fishermen.
He, however, did not disclose the amount, adding that police do not entertain such requests.
PH 9th most affected by terrorism
From the Manila Standard (Nov 21, 2019): PH 9th most affected by terrorism
The Philippines emerged as the ninth—and the only Southeast Asian—country most affected by extremist violence in 2018, up by one notch in the 2019 Global Terrorism Index.
The index, published by the Sydney-based Institute for Economics & Peace, defined terrorism as “the threatened or actual use of illegal force and violence by a non-state actor to attain a political, economic, religious, or social goal through fear, coercion, or intimidation.”
The Philippines, with a “high” score of 7.137, posted 424 terror-related attacks, down from 486 in 2017 resulting in 297 deaths.
“Terrorist activity in the Philippines was dominated by the communist New People’s Army. The NPA was responsible over 36 percent of deaths and 39 percent of terror-related incidents, at 107 and 179 respectively,” the report showed.
“The NPA has engaged in an insurgency against the Filipino government for five decades and has been the Philippines’ deadliest terror group, causing 2,387 deaths since 1970,” it added.
IEP recorded NPA attacks across 39 provinces last year, with most casualties in Negros Oriental and Negros Occidental.
The second deadliest terror group in the Philippines, the report said, was the Mindanao-based separatist organization Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF or the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Movement) followed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (also known as IS) which has affiliated with the Abu Sayyaf, the BIFF and the Maute Group.
“Both ISIL and ASG claimed responsibility for the only suicide bombing of 2018 that killed 12 people. This was the first recorded suicide bombing by ISIL in the Philippines, highlighting the spread of ISIL’s tactics in the region,” IEP said in its report.
Afghanistan, where the Taliban succeeded IS as the world’s deadliest terror group, topped the index with 1,443 attacks, killing 7,379 people, followed by Iraq with 1,131 attacks that left 1,054 dead,
Nigeria with 562 attacks that killed 2,040 people, and Syria, which counted 131 incidents that claimed 662 lives.
Rounding up the top 10 countries most impacted by terrorism are Pakistan, Somalia, India, Yemen, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The number of global deaths from terrorism fell 15.2 percent in 2018 even as the number of countries affected by extremist violence continued to grow.
From a high of 33,555 deaths in 2014, when the Islamic State group lured tens of thousands of jihadists to the Middle East, the number of terrorism deaths has more than halved to 15,952 in 2018, the index showed.
The largest declines in 2018 were recorded in Iraq, which proclaimed a military victory over IS the previous year, and Somalia, where US forces have been conducting airstrikes against Shabaab extremists since 2017.
For the first time since 2003, Iraq was not the country worst-hit by terrorism.
The report also noted that while “the intensity of terrorism has declined...terrorism is still widespread and increasing.”
In 2018, 71 countries suffered at least one terrorism-related death, the second-highest number since the beginning of the century.
http://www.manilastandard.net/mobile/article/310609
The Philippines emerged as the ninth—and the only Southeast Asian—country most affected by extremist violence in 2018, up by one notch in the 2019 Global Terrorism Index.
The index, published by the Sydney-based Institute for Economics & Peace, defined terrorism as “the threatened or actual use of illegal force and violence by a non-state actor to attain a political, economic, religious, or social goal through fear, coercion, or intimidation.”
The Philippines, with a “high” score of 7.137, posted 424 terror-related attacks, down from 486 in 2017 resulting in 297 deaths.
“Terrorist activity in the Philippines was dominated by the communist New People’s Army. The NPA was responsible over 36 percent of deaths and 39 percent of terror-related incidents, at 107 and 179 respectively,” the report showed.
“The NPA has engaged in an insurgency against the Filipino government for five decades and has been the Philippines’ deadliest terror group, causing 2,387 deaths since 1970,” it added.
IEP recorded NPA attacks across 39 provinces last year, with most casualties in Negros Oriental and Negros Occidental.
The second deadliest terror group in the Philippines, the report said, was the Mindanao-based separatist organization Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF or the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Movement) followed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (also known as IS) which has affiliated with the Abu Sayyaf, the BIFF and the Maute Group.
“Both ISIL and ASG claimed responsibility for the only suicide bombing of 2018 that killed 12 people. This was the first recorded suicide bombing by ISIL in the Philippines, highlighting the spread of ISIL’s tactics in the region,” IEP said in its report.
Afghanistan, where the Taliban succeeded IS as the world’s deadliest terror group, topped the index with 1,443 attacks, killing 7,379 people, followed by Iraq with 1,131 attacks that left 1,054 dead,
Nigeria with 562 attacks that killed 2,040 people, and Syria, which counted 131 incidents that claimed 662 lives.
Rounding up the top 10 countries most impacted by terrorism are Pakistan, Somalia, India, Yemen, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The number of global deaths from terrorism fell 15.2 percent in 2018 even as the number of countries affected by extremist violence continued to grow.
From a high of 33,555 deaths in 2014, when the Islamic State group lured tens of thousands of jihadists to the Middle East, the number of terrorism deaths has more than halved to 15,952 in 2018, the index showed.
The largest declines in 2018 were recorded in Iraq, which proclaimed a military victory over IS the previous year, and Somalia, where US forces have been conducting airstrikes against Shabaab extremists since 2017.
For the first time since 2003, Iraq was not the country worst-hit by terrorism.
The report also noted that while “the intensity of terrorism has declined...terrorism is still widespread and increasing.”
In 2018, 71 countries suffered at least one terrorism-related death, the second-highest number since the beginning of the century.
http://www.manilastandard.net/mobile/article/310609
First violation of IHL case against NPA filed in Normin
From the Mindanao Daily News (Nov 21, 2019): First violation of IHL case against NPA filed in Normin
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Bukidnon Provincial Prosecutor Rommel Alonto (center) names the NPA members accused of IHL violation during a press conference following the filing of the case at Branch 25 of the Regional Trial Court. With him are LtCol. Sergio Macarandan Jr, commanding officer of the 1st Special Forces Battalion based in Bukidnon, and Regional State Prosecutor Merlyn Uy. Contributed photo
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In a press conference, 403rd Infantry Brigade Commander BGen Edgardo de Leon bares that they are preparing more IHL violation cases versus the New People's Army to stop their atrocities against civilians. With him are 1LtCol. Sergio Macarandan Jr, commanding officer of the 1st Special Forces Battalion, Fiscal Aldrich Uayan of Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon Provincial Prosecutor Rommel Alonto, and Regional State Prosecutor Merlyn Uy. Contributed photo
The Army’s 403rd Infantry Brigade and the Office of the Regional State Prosecutor, files before the Regional Trial Court Branch 25 in Cagayan de Oro City the IHL violation case of the New People's Army under the North Central Mindanao Regional Committee. Contributed photo
Bukidnon Provincial Prosecutor Rommel Alonto (center) names the NPA members accused of IHL violation during a press conference following the filing of the case at Branch 25 of the Regional Trial Court. With him are LtCol. Sergio Macarandan Jr, commanding officer of the 1st Special Forces Battalion based in Bukidnon, and Regional State Prosecutor Merlyn Uy. Contributed photo
In a press conference, 403rd Infantry Brigade Commander BGen Edgardo de Leon bares that they are preparing more IHL violation cases versus the New People's Army to stop their atrocities against civilians. With him are 1LtCol. Sergio Macarandan Jr, commanding officer of the 1st Special Forces Battalion, Fiscal Aldrich Uayan of Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon Provincial Prosecutor Rommel Alonto, and Regional State Prosecutor Merlyn Uy. Contributed photo
CAGAYAN de Oro City--The Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (RTF-ELCAC) in Northern Mindanao has officially filed a case against the New People's Army (NPA) for violation of the International Humanitarian Law (IHL), the first in the region.
Through the Army’s 403rd Infantry Brigade and the Office of the Regional State Prosecutor, the case was filed Wednesday before the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 25, the court designated to hear IHL-related cases in the region.
Bukidnon Provincial Prosecutor Rommel Alonto said the case was in connection with the attack perpetrated by NPA members in Sitio Aurora, Barangay Santo Niño in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon on May 28, 2019.
Alonto said the accused are Omben alias Ronron, alias Jhon; Lino Namatidong alias Dahun; Mylen Colita alias Maymay; and Toto Taquin alias Jepoy who are all under the Sub Regional Command (SRC) 1 and 2 and Guerrilla Front 89 of the North Central Mindanao Regional Committee (NCMRC).
According to him, the accused subjected to cruel and inhuman treatment the complainant who is a civilian and non-combatant. He identified the complainant as Ramiro Melgo Restuaro, a barangay tanod in Santo Niño.
BrigGen. Edgardo de Leon, 403rd Infantry Brigade commander, said the incident was admitted by NCMRC spokesperson Pia Paraiso. He said it was documented with the witnesses and the victim able to identify the perpetrators.
“Hindi pinapayagan ng IHL na idamay ang mga sibilyan. Sa ilalim ng IHL, ang mga biktima ng karahasan ay entitled na magkaroon ng indemnification. Aside from that, yung mga gumawa ng karahasan ay dapat mabigyan ng sentensyang kriminal,” he further said.
De Leon added that they are preparing more IHL-related violation cases against the NPA under NCMRC to stop their continuous violence against civilians.
“The Army is also covered by the IHL. Our rules of engagement are in line with the IHL. We see to it that our operations conform with the provisions of the IHL. The NPA should be doing the same, all their actions should comply with the IHL,” he added.
Meanwhile, Regional State Prosecutor Merlyn Uy said it is high time for the government to file an IHL case so that the NPA leadership and members who may be responsible may be held accountable under the law.
“We, the prosecutors of the Department of Justice, are here to investigate all reports and complaints of possible criminal violations. By the time we take over a case for investigation, we are impartial because we have to determine whether or not there is probable cause to support a filing of a criminal case in court. Once we find probable cause and we file the information report, we take the side of the government and represent the government in prosecuting all these offenders to the fullest extent of the law,” she added. (APB/PIA-10)
http://mindanaodailynews.com/news/front-page/todays-top-stories/first-violation-of-ihl-case-against-npa-filed-in-normin
Through the Army’s 403rd Infantry Brigade and the Office of the Regional State Prosecutor, the case was filed Wednesday before the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 25, the court designated to hear IHL-related cases in the region.
Bukidnon Provincial Prosecutor Rommel Alonto said the case was in connection with the attack perpetrated by NPA members in Sitio Aurora, Barangay Santo Niño in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon on May 28, 2019.
Alonto said the accused are Omben alias Ronron, alias Jhon; Lino Namatidong alias Dahun; Mylen Colita alias Maymay; and Toto Taquin alias Jepoy who are all under the Sub Regional Command (SRC) 1 and 2 and Guerrilla Front 89 of the North Central Mindanao Regional Committee (NCMRC).
According to him, the accused subjected to cruel and inhuman treatment the complainant who is a civilian and non-combatant. He identified the complainant as Ramiro Melgo Restuaro, a barangay tanod in Santo Niño.
BrigGen. Edgardo de Leon, 403rd Infantry Brigade commander, said the incident was admitted by NCMRC spokesperson Pia Paraiso. He said it was documented with the witnesses and the victim able to identify the perpetrators.
“Hindi pinapayagan ng IHL na idamay ang mga sibilyan. Sa ilalim ng IHL, ang mga biktima ng karahasan ay entitled na magkaroon ng indemnification. Aside from that, yung mga gumawa ng karahasan ay dapat mabigyan ng sentensyang kriminal,” he further said.
De Leon added that they are preparing more IHL-related violation cases against the NPA under NCMRC to stop their continuous violence against civilians.
“The Army is also covered by the IHL. Our rules of engagement are in line with the IHL. We see to it that our operations conform with the provisions of the IHL. The NPA should be doing the same, all their actions should comply with the IHL,” he added.
Meanwhile, Regional State Prosecutor Merlyn Uy said it is high time for the government to file an IHL case so that the NPA leadership and members who may be responsible may be held accountable under the law.
“We, the prosecutors of the Department of Justice, are here to investigate all reports and complaints of possible criminal violations. By the time we take over a case for investigation, we are impartial because we have to determine whether or not there is probable cause to support a filing of a criminal case in court. Once we find probable cause and we file the information report, we take the side of the government and represent the government in prosecuting all these offenders to the fullest extent of the law,” she added. (APB/PIA-10)
http://mindanaodailynews.com/news/front-page/todays-top-stories/first-violation-of-ihl-case-against-npa-filed-in-normin
Army forms ‘sniper group’ to take down rebels, terrorists
Posted to the Mindanao Examine (Nov 21, 2019): Army forms ‘sniper group’ to take down rebels, terrorists
PAGADIAN CITY – The Philippine Army’s 1st Infantry Division said it has activated the 11th Division Sniper Company as part of its campaign against rebel groups and terrorists in Western Mindanao.
Brigadier General Bagnus Gaerlan Jr., the acting division commander, said the new group is composed of five officers and 63 soldiers who are all snipers and rifle experts “that can shoot and neutralize targets or threat efficiently.”
A member of the 11th Division Sniper Company demonstrates his skills as other
snipers in ghillie suits listen to their superior at the headquarters of the 1st Infantry
Division in Zamboanga del Sur’s Labangan town.
“The 11th Division Sniper Company is highly-specialized force multiplier that
will provide sniping capability to the infantry battalions and can also conduct
reconnaissance and surveillance operation to the supported units,” Gaerlan said.
“The neutralization of local terrorist groups and other threats in our area of
operation will be easily achieved since they can shoot the targets proficiently,”
he added.
Gaerlan also assured full support on the operational and administrative needs
of the unit for the accomplishment of its tasks. (Zamboanga Post)
PAGADIAN CITY – The Philippine Army’s 1st Infantry Division said it has activated the 11th Division Sniper Company as part of its campaign against rebel groups and terrorists in Western Mindanao.
Brigadier General Bagnus Gaerlan Jr., the acting division commander, said the new group is composed of five officers and 63 soldiers who are all snipers and rifle experts “that can shoot and neutralize targets or threat efficiently.”
A member of the 11th Division Sniper Company demonstrates his skills as other
snipers in ghillie suits listen to their superior at the headquarters of the 1st Infantry
Division in Zamboanga del Sur’s Labangan town.
“The 11th Division Sniper Company is highly-specialized force multiplier that
will provide sniping capability to the infantry battalions and can also conduct
reconnaissance and surveillance operation to the supported units,” Gaerlan said.
“The neutralization of local terrorist groups and other threats in our area of
operation will be easily achieved since they can shoot the targets proficiently,”
he added.
Gaerlan also assured full support on the operational and administrative needs
of the unit for the accomplishment of its tasks. (Zamboanga Post)
Sayyafs demand P30 million for 3 Indon hostages
Posted to the Mindanao Examine (Nov 21, 2019): Sayyafs demand P30 million for 3 Indon hostages
THREE INDONESIAN FISHERMEN kidnapped by Abu Sayyaf terrorists have pleaded with Jakarta for their safe release after the Abu Sayyaf demanded P30 million in exchange for the trio’s freedom, Malaysia media reported.
The Star said the fishermen – Maharudin Lunani, 48, and his son Muhammad Farhan, 27; and crew member Samiun Maneu, 27, appealed to Indonesian President Joko Widodo, in a video clip posted on Facebook.
“We were caught by the Abu Sayyaf Group on September 24, 2019. We ask the Indonesian president to help free us. The ASG (Abu Sayyaf group) has demanded 30 million pesos in ransom,” said Maneu.
The victims were seized by masked gunmen off Lahad Datu town in Sabah, just several hours by boat from the Philippine border province of Tawi-Tawi in the restive Muslim autonomous region.
Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Omar Mammah has confirmed the reports. He said Filipino authorities also confirmed the ransom demand for the trio, saying, the kidnappers also phoned one of the victim’s families to relay their demand.
There was no immediate statement from the Philippine military or police about the ransom demand, but Mamah has previously said that the hostages were taken by their captors to Tawi-Tawi. (Zamboanga Post)
https://mindanaoexaminer.com/sayyafs-demand-p30-million-for-3-indon-hostages/
THREE INDONESIAN FISHERMEN kidnapped by Abu Sayyaf terrorists have pleaded with Jakarta for their safe release after the Abu Sayyaf demanded P30 million in exchange for the trio’s freedom, Malaysia media reported.
The Star said the fishermen – Maharudin Lunani, 48, and his son Muhammad Farhan, 27; and crew member Samiun Maneu, 27, appealed to Indonesian President Joko Widodo, in a video clip posted on Facebook.
“We were caught by the Abu Sayyaf Group on September 24, 2019. We ask the Indonesian president to help free us. The ASG (Abu Sayyaf group) has demanded 30 million pesos in ransom,” said Maneu.
The victims were seized by masked gunmen off Lahad Datu town in Sabah, just several hours by boat from the Philippine border province of Tawi-Tawi in the restive Muslim autonomous region.
Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Omar Mammah has confirmed the reports. He said Filipino authorities also confirmed the ransom demand for the trio, saying, the kidnappers also phoned one of the victim’s families to relay their demand.
There was no immediate statement from the Philippine military or police about the ransom demand, but Mamah has previously said that the hostages were taken by their captors to Tawi-Tawi. (Zamboanga Post)
https://mindanaoexaminer.com/sayyafs-demand-p30-million-for-3-indon-hostages/
Two apprehended CTGs confess of being tasked to implant IEDs along path of govt troops
From the Philippine Information Agency (Nov 21, 2019): Two apprehended CTGs confess of being tasked to implant IEDs along path of govt troops
TACLOBAN CITY, Nov. 21 (PIA) - The 20th Infantry Battalion, while conducting combat patrol at Barangay Henogawe, Gamay, Northern Samar on November 17, 2019, apprehended two persons carrying improvised explosive device and a caliber 45 pistol with one magazine loaded with six rounds of ammunition.
The troops identified the suspects as Agosto Baldoza @Allan and Ricky Capoquian, both residents of said barangay.
Baldoza was identified by the operating troops as he surfaced on August 3, 2017 and surrendered his M14 rifle. However, he returned to the NPA in October of same year.
He admitted that he was carrying the said IED upon orders of communist terrorist leader (CTL) Rosalinda Esponilla @Meagan to be emplaced along the route intended for the government troops who are operating in the area.
He further revealed that he was a former political instructor of Front 1, SRC Arctic but was downgraded as CO of yunit milisya (YM) of Brgy Henogawe.
On the other hand, Ricky Capoquian was identified as member of communist terrorist group’s special partisan unit (SPARU) in Gamay town.
Moreover, both have standing warrant of arrest and were identified to have participated in the 2004 attacked of Gamay Municipal Police Station.
Both apprehended persons are now in the custody of Gamay Municipal Police Station, while formal complaint against them was filed at the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office in Laoang, Northern Samar.
Meanwhile, Lieutenant Colonel Juan Gullem, 20th Infantry Battalion Commander called on the NPA to reunite with their families and avail of the benefits offered by the government.
“I call on the NPA to lay down their arms; otherwise, they will suffer the same fate, if they opted to remain in the communist terrorist group”, Lieutenant Colonel Gullem said. (PIA with reports from 20IB)
https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1030529
TACLOBAN CITY, Nov. 21 (PIA) - The 20th Infantry Battalion, while conducting combat patrol at Barangay Henogawe, Gamay, Northern Samar on November 17, 2019, apprehended two persons carrying improvised explosive device and a caliber 45 pistol with one magazine loaded with six rounds of ammunition.
The troops identified the suspects as Agosto Baldoza @Allan and Ricky Capoquian, both residents of said barangay.
Baldoza was identified by the operating troops as he surfaced on August 3, 2017 and surrendered his M14 rifle. However, he returned to the NPA in October of same year.
He admitted that he was carrying the said IED upon orders of communist terrorist leader (CTL) Rosalinda Esponilla @Meagan to be emplaced along the route intended for the government troops who are operating in the area.
He further revealed that he was a former political instructor of Front 1, SRC Arctic but was downgraded as CO of yunit milisya (YM) of Brgy Henogawe.
On the other hand, Ricky Capoquian was identified as member of communist terrorist group’s special partisan unit (SPARU) in Gamay town.
Moreover, both have standing warrant of arrest and were identified to have participated in the 2004 attacked of Gamay Municipal Police Station.
Both apprehended persons are now in the custody of Gamay Municipal Police Station, while formal complaint against them was filed at the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office in Laoang, Northern Samar.
Meanwhile, Lieutenant Colonel Juan Gullem, 20th Infantry Battalion Commander called on the NPA to reunite with their families and avail of the benefits offered by the government.
“I call on the NPA to lay down their arms; otherwise, they will suffer the same fate, if they opted to remain in the communist terrorist group”, Lieutenant Colonel Gullem said. (PIA with reports from 20IB)
https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1030529
Serbisyo Caravan goes to the mountains of Quezon Province
From the Philippine Information Agency (Nov 21, 2019): Serbisyo Caravan goes to the mountains of Quezon Province (By 2nd Infantry Division)
CAMP CAPINPIN, Tanay, Rizal — A 2.5-hour travel over 7 kilometers of unpaved road did not dampen the members of RTF ELCAC CALABARZON’s desire to deliver services to the grassroots of Quezon Province’s Macalelon town on Wednesday.
In line with President Duterte’s Executive Order Number 70 which calls for a whole of nation approach in ending local communist armed conflict, national government agencies joined the LGU during the Serbisyo Caravan held in Region 4A.
According to Colonel Norwyn Romeo P Tolentino, Commander of the 201st Infantry Brigade which has operational jurisdiction over southern Quezon, around 500 residents of Brgy Malabahay benefitted from the first ever convergence activity under EO 70 in his area.
He added that the activity was successful because “aside from delivering the much needed services to our beloved constituents, representatives of national government agencies had a first-hand experience of the challenges and hardships which our people confront and experience in their daily lives which led them to realize that, indeed, a sense of urgency in addressing social issues is very much in order.”
He further emphasized that “collaboration between and among government agencies is the key to address the community’s concerns and liberate them from the Communist NPA Terrorists’ exploitation and deception."
Aside from medical and dental missions, free haircut and massage, the team discussed prevailing issues in the barangay and joined the people in coming up with possible solutions which is part of the government’s advocacy for participatory governance.
Food packs and toys for the kids were also distributed during the caravan on top of the cash assistance extended by Mayor Nelson Traje to his constituents.
The event’s highlight was the distribution of government grants amounting to Php280,000,00 which was received by five former rebels with the residents of Brgy Malabahay as witnesses.
For his part, Major General Arnulfo Marcelo B Burgos Jr, Commander of the Philippine Army’s 2nd Infantry Division, lauded the unity of efforts shown by the different agencies.
"This is a tangible proof of the government’s genuine collective desire to bring what the people need and deserve” and that "the synergy of efforts among the different partner-agencies prove that the Filipinos’ Bayanihan Spirit is still very much alive in our midst," said MGen Burgos.
He ended his statement by reaffirming the soldiers’ “commitment and support to this unprecedented government initiative which will pave the way not only for inclusive growth but also the attainment of just and lasting peace, prosperity and development which every Filipino truly deserve.”
Per the military’s record, the 1st and 2nd "Serbisyo Caravan" were held at Brgy Cagsiay III of Mauban and Brgy Magsaysay of Infanta, both of Quezon Province, on August 30 and September 20 respectively.
Numerous similar caravans are scheduled across CALABARZON by the Regional Task Force ELCAC in the coming weeks, months and years.
CAMP CAPINPIN, Tanay, Rizal — A 2.5-hour travel over 7 kilometers of unpaved road did not dampen the members of RTF ELCAC CALABARZON’s desire to deliver services to the grassroots of Quezon Province’s Macalelon town on Wednesday.
In line with President Duterte’s Executive Order Number 70 which calls for a whole of nation approach in ending local communist armed conflict, national government agencies joined the LGU during the Serbisyo Caravan held in Region 4A.
According to Colonel Norwyn Romeo P Tolentino, Commander of the 201st Infantry Brigade which has operational jurisdiction over southern Quezon, around 500 residents of Brgy Malabahay benefitted from the first ever convergence activity under EO 70 in his area.
He added that the activity was successful because “aside from delivering the much needed services to our beloved constituents, representatives of national government agencies had a first-hand experience of the challenges and hardships which our people confront and experience in their daily lives which led them to realize that, indeed, a sense of urgency in addressing social issues is very much in order.”
He further emphasized that “collaboration between and among government agencies is the key to address the community’s concerns and liberate them from the Communist NPA Terrorists’ exploitation and deception."
Aside from medical and dental missions, free haircut and massage, the team discussed prevailing issues in the barangay and joined the people in coming up with possible solutions which is part of the government’s advocacy for participatory governance.
Food packs and toys for the kids were also distributed during the caravan on top of the cash assistance extended by Mayor Nelson Traje to his constituents.
The event’s highlight was the distribution of government grants amounting to Php280,000,00 which was received by five former rebels with the residents of Brgy Malabahay as witnesses.
For his part, Major General Arnulfo Marcelo B Burgos Jr, Commander of the Philippine Army’s 2nd Infantry Division, lauded the unity of efforts shown by the different agencies.
"This is a tangible proof of the government’s genuine collective desire to bring what the people need and deserve” and that "the synergy of efforts among the different partner-agencies prove that the Filipinos’ Bayanihan Spirit is still very much alive in our midst," said MGen Burgos.
He ended his statement by reaffirming the soldiers’ “commitment and support to this unprecedented government initiative which will pave the way not only for inclusive growth but also the attainment of just and lasting peace, prosperity and development which every Filipino truly deserve.”
Per the military’s record, the 1st and 2nd "Serbisyo Caravan" were held at Brgy Cagsiay III of Mauban and Brgy Magsaysay of Infanta, both of Quezon Province, on August 30 and September 20 respectively.
Numerous similar caravans are scheduled across CALABARZON by the Regional Task Force ELCAC in the coming weeks, months and years.
NegOr town mayor lauds 'Dagyawan' dialogue
From the Philippine Information Agency (Nov 21, 2019): NegOr town mayor lauds 'Dagyawan' dialogue
DUMAGUETE CITY, Nov. 8 (PIA) -- Santa Catalina Mayor Peve Ligan expressed her gratitude to the government for launching the Dagyawan sa Barangay: Talakayan ng Mamayan initiated by the Negros Oriental Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NOTF-ELCAC) in Brgy. Nagbinlod, Sta. Catalina, Negros Oriental.
DUMAGUETE CITY, Nov. 8 (PIA) -- Santa Catalina Mayor Peve Ligan expressed her gratitude to the government for launching the Dagyawan sa Barangay: Talakayan ng Mamayan initiated by the Negros Oriental Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NOTF-ELCAC) in Brgy. Nagbinlod, Sta. Catalina, Negros Oriental.
Sta. Catalina Mayor Peve Ligan leads the oathtaking of members of Sta. Catalina Municipal Task Force-ELCAC administered by Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo during the "Dagyawan sa Barangay: Talakayan ng Mamayan" held in Brgy. Nagbinlod, Sta. Catalina, Negros Oriental. (lpp/PIA7/Negros Oriental)
Ligan, in her welcome remarks, expressed her hopes for an improved quality of life among residents in Brgy. Nagbinlod.
The mayor also urged local government officials of Sta. Catalina to work as a team to achieve the goal of helping constituents especially in the hinterlands, saying “teamwork should be our area of strength."
Ligan said the top common concern identified by barangay officials during the Talakayan ng Mamayan is the provision of farm-to-market roads so farmers can deliver and sell their produce at a reasonable price in the poblacion.
The mayor also plans to re-open the slaughterhouse and farmers' market in Brgy. Caranoche.
With the government’s thrust of inclusive development, Ligan encouraged barangay residents in Nagbinlod and other barangays to support the government’s program and services and be one with them in achieving peace and progress in the hinterlands.
“A leader’s greatest challenge is to help improve and lift the quality of life of its people which is also the thrust President Duterte’s administration,” Ligan said.
Ligan thanked Gov. Roel Degamo, government officials from the national, regional, and provincial offices especially the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) through Director Leocadio Trovela and the Office of the Provincial Assistant for the Visayas (OPAV) for their commitment to address the problem on insurgency in Sta. Catalina.
In her closing statement, Ligan said: “We truly feel happy and grateful in our hearts, after all we need to be partners in building communities for a stronger nation so that through this endeavor, government services will be better.” (lpp/PIA7/Negros Oriental)
Ligan, in her welcome remarks, expressed her hopes for an improved quality of life among residents in Brgy. Nagbinlod.
The mayor also urged local government officials of Sta. Catalina to work as a team to achieve the goal of helping constituents especially in the hinterlands, saying “teamwork should be our area of strength."
Ligan said the top common concern identified by barangay officials during the Talakayan ng Mamayan is the provision of farm-to-market roads so farmers can deliver and sell their produce at a reasonable price in the poblacion.
The mayor also plans to re-open the slaughterhouse and farmers' market in Brgy. Caranoche.
With the government’s thrust of inclusive development, Ligan encouraged barangay residents in Nagbinlod and other barangays to support the government’s program and services and be one with them in achieving peace and progress in the hinterlands.
“A leader’s greatest challenge is to help improve and lift the quality of life of its people which is also the thrust President Duterte’s administration,” Ligan said.
Ligan thanked Gov. Roel Degamo, government officials from the national, regional, and provincial offices especially the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) through Director Leocadio Trovela and the Office of the Provincial Assistant for the Visayas (OPAV) for their commitment to address the problem on insurgency in Sta. Catalina.
In her closing statement, Ligan said: “We truly feel happy and grateful in our hearts, after all we need to be partners in building communities for a stronger nation so that through this endeavor, government services will be better.” (lpp/PIA7/Negros Oriental)
Ifugao PTF-ELCAC holds assessment and planning meeting
From the Philippine Information Agency (Nov 21, 2019): Ifugao PTF-ELCAC holds assessment and planning meeting
LAGAWE, Ifugao, Nov. 21 (PIA)- -The Provincial Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (PTF-ELCAC) recently held its third meeting to assess and evaluate the ELCAC activities and to firm up action plans for the coming months.
Attended by all the cluster members, agenda included ELCAC status including the identification of focal persons per cluster and presentation of member agencies’ accomplishments.
The barangay captains of the identified priority convergence barangays of Asipulo and Tinoc presented their enhanced Barangay Development Plans that listed their priority needs that should be addressed immediately in order that local armed conflict can be finally stopped.
Member agencies committed to prioritize the implementation of their programs and projects to these identified ELCAC communities so that the root causes why people join the insurgents can be solved.
The PTF-ELCAC was created last September 18, 2019 under the joint Provincial Peace and Order and Council and Provincial Development Council Resolution No. 2019-01 and pursuant to President Rodrigo Duterte’s Executive Order No. 70 or the Whole-of-Nation approach to end local armed conflict in the country.
Whole-of-Nation approach addresses the root causes of insurgencies, internal disturbances and tensions and other armed conflicts and threats by prioritizing and harmonizing the delivery of basic services and social development packages by the government, facilitating societal inclusivity and respect to individual and collective rights of indigenous peoples, ensuring active participation of all sectors of society in all peace programs in the pursuit of the country’s peace agenda.
The PTF-ELCAC is tasked to provide an efficient mechanism and structure for the implementation of localized “whole-of community” approach to aid in the realization of the collective aspirations of the people of Ifugao to attain inclusive and sustainable peace.
It will also function to ensure compliance to the monitoring and evaluation system provided by the Regional Task Force-ELCAC and implement the same at the municipal level to help track performance and analyze results for continuity or improvements, provide technical assistance to the Municipal Task Force-ELCAC as needed and perform such other duties and functions as the President or the NTF-ELCAC may direct. (JDP/DBC-PIA CAR, Ifugao)
Ifugao PTF-ELCAC Holds Third Meeting
By: Daniel B. Codamon
LAGAWE, Ifugao, Nov. 20 (PIA)- -The Provincial Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (PTF-ELCAC) which was created last September 18, 2019 under the joint Provincial Peace and Order and Council (PPOC) and Provincial Development Council (PDC) Resolution No. 2019-01 and pursuant to Executive Order No. 70 issued by President Rodrigo Duterte held its third meeting last November 18 at the Ifugao Provincial Capitol.
One of the objectives of the Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022 is to attain inclusive and sustainable peace through intensified development and other peace-building initiatives in conflict-affected and vulnerable communities hence there is a need to reframe and refocus government policies for achieving inclusive and sustainable peace by recognizing that insurgencies, armed conflict and threats are not only military and security concerns but are symptomatic of broader social, economic and historical problems such as poverty, historical injustice, social inequality and lack of inclusivity.
On the other hand, the Whole-of-Nation approach addresses the root causes of insurgencies, internal disturbances and tensions and other armed conflicts and threats by prioritizing and harmonizing the delivery of basic services and social development packages by the government, facilitating societal inclusivity and respect to individual and collective rights of indigenous peoples, ensuring active participation of all sectors of society in all peace programs in the pursuit of the country’s peace agenda.
Hence, the PTF-ELCAC serves to provide an efficient mechanism and structure for the implementation of the Whole-of-Nation approach which shall be localized to “Whole-of Community” approach to aid in the realization of the collective aspirations of the people of Ifugao to attain inclusive and sustainable peace.
It will also function to ensure compliance to the monitoring and evaluation system provided by the Regional Task Force-ELCAC and implement the same at the municipal level to help track performance and analyze results for continuity or improvements, provide technical assistance to the Municipal Task Force-ELCAC as needed and perform such other duties and functions as the President or the NTF-ELCAC may direct.
During this third meeting attended by all the cluster members the ELCAC status was presented including the identification of focal persons per cluster, the presentation of the ELCAC Barangays, the presentation of each member agency’s accomplishment, open forum and the preparation of action plan for the coming months.
Also, the Barangay Captains of the ELCAC Barangays of Asipulo and Tinoc presented their enhanced Barangay Development Plans that listed their priority needs that should be addressed immediately in order that local armed conflict can be finally stopped.
Listening to the reports of the Barangay Officials, the member agencies committed to also prioritize the implementation of their programs and projects to these identified ELCAC communities so that the root causes why people join the insurgents can be solved.(DBCodamon)
LAGAWE, Ifugao, Nov. 21 (PIA)- -The Provincial Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (PTF-ELCAC) recently held its third meeting to assess and evaluate the ELCAC activities and to firm up action plans for the coming months.
Attended by all the cluster members, agenda included ELCAC status including the identification of focal persons per cluster and presentation of member agencies’ accomplishments.
The barangay captains of the identified priority convergence barangays of Asipulo and Tinoc presented their enhanced Barangay Development Plans that listed their priority needs that should be addressed immediately in order that local armed conflict can be finally stopped.
Member agencies committed to prioritize the implementation of their programs and projects to these identified ELCAC communities so that the root causes why people join the insurgents can be solved.
The PTF-ELCAC was created last September 18, 2019 under the joint Provincial Peace and Order and Council and Provincial Development Council Resolution No. 2019-01 and pursuant to President Rodrigo Duterte’s Executive Order No. 70 or the Whole-of-Nation approach to end local armed conflict in the country.
Whole-of-Nation approach addresses the root causes of insurgencies, internal disturbances and tensions and other armed conflicts and threats by prioritizing and harmonizing the delivery of basic services and social development packages by the government, facilitating societal inclusivity and respect to individual and collective rights of indigenous peoples, ensuring active participation of all sectors of society in all peace programs in the pursuit of the country’s peace agenda.
The PTF-ELCAC is tasked to provide an efficient mechanism and structure for the implementation of localized “whole-of community” approach to aid in the realization of the collective aspirations of the people of Ifugao to attain inclusive and sustainable peace.
It will also function to ensure compliance to the monitoring and evaluation system provided by the Regional Task Force-ELCAC and implement the same at the municipal level to help track performance and analyze results for continuity or improvements, provide technical assistance to the Municipal Task Force-ELCAC as needed and perform such other duties and functions as the President or the NTF-ELCAC may direct. (JDP/DBC-PIA CAR, Ifugao)
Ifugao PTF-ELCAC Holds Third Meeting
By: Daniel B. Codamon
LAGAWE, Ifugao, Nov. 20 (PIA)- -The Provincial Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (PTF-ELCAC) which was created last September 18, 2019 under the joint Provincial Peace and Order and Council (PPOC) and Provincial Development Council (PDC) Resolution No. 2019-01 and pursuant to Executive Order No. 70 issued by President Rodrigo Duterte held its third meeting last November 18 at the Ifugao Provincial Capitol.
One of the objectives of the Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022 is to attain inclusive and sustainable peace through intensified development and other peace-building initiatives in conflict-affected and vulnerable communities hence there is a need to reframe and refocus government policies for achieving inclusive and sustainable peace by recognizing that insurgencies, armed conflict and threats are not only military and security concerns but are symptomatic of broader social, economic and historical problems such as poverty, historical injustice, social inequality and lack of inclusivity.
On the other hand, the Whole-of-Nation approach addresses the root causes of insurgencies, internal disturbances and tensions and other armed conflicts and threats by prioritizing and harmonizing the delivery of basic services and social development packages by the government, facilitating societal inclusivity and respect to individual and collective rights of indigenous peoples, ensuring active participation of all sectors of society in all peace programs in the pursuit of the country’s peace agenda.
Hence, the PTF-ELCAC serves to provide an efficient mechanism and structure for the implementation of the Whole-of-Nation approach which shall be localized to “Whole-of Community” approach to aid in the realization of the collective aspirations of the people of Ifugao to attain inclusive and sustainable peace.
It will also function to ensure compliance to the monitoring and evaluation system provided by the Regional Task Force-ELCAC and implement the same at the municipal level to help track performance and analyze results for continuity or improvements, provide technical assistance to the Municipal Task Force-ELCAC as needed and perform such other duties and functions as the President or the NTF-ELCAC may direct.
During this third meeting attended by all the cluster members the ELCAC status was presented including the identification of focal persons per cluster, the presentation of the ELCAC Barangays, the presentation of each member agency’s accomplishment, open forum and the preparation of action plan for the coming months.
Also, the Barangay Captains of the ELCAC Barangays of Asipulo and Tinoc presented their enhanced Barangay Development Plans that listed their priority needs that should be addressed immediately in order that local armed conflict can be finally stopped.
Listening to the reports of the Barangay Officials, the member agencies committed to also prioritize the implementation of their programs and projects to these identified ELCAC communities so that the root causes why people join the insurgents can be solved.(DBCodamon)
Westmincom officials, ASG surrenderers share 'boodle fight' meal
From the Philippine News Agency (Nov 21, 2019): Westmincom officials, ASG surrenderers share 'boodle fight' meal
BACK TO MAINSTREAM SOCIETY. Officials of the Western Mindanao Command and 39 Abu Sayyaf Group surrenderers share a meal in a 'boodle fight' in Camp Basilio Navarro in Zamboanga City. The activity is part of the reintegration program of the former ASG bandits. (Photo courtesy of Westmincom PIO)
ZAMBOANGA CITY -- Officials of the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) and 39 Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) surrenderers shared a meal in a "boodle fight" in this southern port city on Tuesday.
Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, Westmincom chief, said the "boodle fight" held at the Westmincom headquarters in Camp Basilio Navarro here is part of the psychosocial program before their integration into mainstream society.
Sobejana said the event took place after the 39 ASG surrenderers arrived from a five-day exposure tour in different parts of Luzon.
He said the meal symbolized camaraderie, brotherhood, and equality among the military personnel and surrenderers.
“We conduct activities like this (boodle fight) to ensure that" former bandits "are given adequate support and psychosocial treatment.”
“It is deemed necessary for them to be guided and educated of their roles as they return to the mainstream of society,” the Army official added.
Brig. Gen. Generoso Ponio, Westmincom deputy commander for operations and Col. Leonardo Peña, chief of Unified Command Staff, were among the top officials, aside from Sobejana, who graced the "boodle fight."
Meanwhile, Maj. Alfie Alonzo, Joint Task Force Basilan chief for Civil-Military Operations, said the five-day exposure tour provided the ASG surrenderers with new experience, learning, and exposure to peaceful environments.
Among the places they toured from Nov. 13 to 18 were Quezon City; Bulacan; Baguio City; La Trinidad, Benguet; and, Los Baños, Laguna.
Alonzo and six of his staff accompanied the ASG surrenderers during the tour.
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1086517
ZAMBOANGA CITY -- Officials of the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) and 39 Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) surrenderers shared a meal in a "boodle fight" in this southern port city on Tuesday.
Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, Westmincom chief, said the "boodle fight" held at the Westmincom headquarters in Camp Basilio Navarro here is part of the psychosocial program before their integration into mainstream society.
Sobejana said the event took place after the 39 ASG surrenderers arrived from a five-day exposure tour in different parts of Luzon.
He said the meal symbolized camaraderie, brotherhood, and equality among the military personnel and surrenderers.
“We conduct activities like this (boodle fight) to ensure that" former bandits "are given adequate support and psychosocial treatment.”
“It is deemed necessary for them to be guided and educated of their roles as they return to the mainstream of society,” the Army official added.
Brig. Gen. Generoso Ponio, Westmincom deputy commander for operations and Col. Leonardo Peña, chief of Unified Command Staff, were among the top officials, aside from Sobejana, who graced the "boodle fight."
Meanwhile, Maj. Alfie Alonzo, Joint Task Force Basilan chief for Civil-Military Operations, said the five-day exposure tour provided the ASG surrenderers with new experience, learning, and exposure to peaceful environments.
Among the places they toured from Nov. 13 to 18 were Quezon City; Bulacan; Baguio City; La Trinidad, Benguet; and, Los Baños, Laguna.
Alonzo and six of his staff accompanied the ASG surrenderers during the tour.
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1086517
4 NPA supporters surrender in Lanao del Sur
From the Philippine News Agency (Nov 21, 2019): 4 NPA supporters surrender in Lanao del Sur
Google map of Masiu town, Lanao del Sur.
Google map of Masiu town, Lanao del Sur.
Four New People’s Army (NPA) supporters surrendered because of dissatisfaction, coupled with pressures by the continued military operations against them in Lanao del Sur, officials said Wednesday.
Lt. Col. Edgar Allan Villanueva, Army’s 49th Infantry Battalion commander, said the four surrendered to his command around 10 a.m. Tuesday in Masiu, Lanao del Sur, and turned over an M-16 Armalite rifle, a caliber .38 revolver, and several rounds of ammunition.
“Our initial custodial debriefing found out that their surrender was the result of our relentless combat operation in the province of Lanao del Sur,” Villanueva said.
Col. Jose Maria Cuerpo II, the Army’s 103rd Infantry Brigade commander, turned them over the surrenderers to Kisrawi Macarankat, Masiu deputy municipal administrator, for enrollment in the government's the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP).
“We are gaining grounds in our relentless operation in the province and we are thankful to the local populace and the local government unit for their continued trust and support,” Cuerpo said.
Meanwhile, Brig. Gen. Bagnus Gaerlan Jr., the Army’s 1st Infantry Division and Joint Task Force Zampelan (Zamboanga Peninsula and Lanao Provinces) acting commander, commended the efforts of the troops that led to the surrender of the NPA supporters.
Gaerlan expressed confidence that the Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (ELCAC), which is managed by various government agencies, will continuously encourage and facilitate the rebels to return to the mainstream society.
“We encourage other NPA members to surrender with their firearms, return to the folds of the law and benefit the Enhanced Local Integration Program which is part of the program of the Task Force ELCAC,” he said.
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1086515
Lt. Col. Edgar Allan Villanueva, Army’s 49th Infantry Battalion commander, said the four surrendered to his command around 10 a.m. Tuesday in Masiu, Lanao del Sur, and turned over an M-16 Armalite rifle, a caliber .38 revolver, and several rounds of ammunition.
“Our initial custodial debriefing found out that their surrender was the result of our relentless combat operation in the province of Lanao del Sur,” Villanueva said.
Col. Jose Maria Cuerpo II, the Army’s 103rd Infantry Brigade commander, turned them over the surrenderers to Kisrawi Macarankat, Masiu deputy municipal administrator, for enrollment in the government's the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP).
“We are gaining grounds in our relentless operation in the province and we are thankful to the local populace and the local government unit for their continued trust and support,” Cuerpo said.
Meanwhile, Brig. Gen. Bagnus Gaerlan Jr., the Army’s 1st Infantry Division and Joint Task Force Zampelan (Zamboanga Peninsula and Lanao Provinces) acting commander, commended the efforts of the troops that led to the surrender of the NPA supporters.
Gaerlan expressed confidence that the Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (ELCAC), which is managed by various government agencies, will continuously encourage and facilitate the rebels to return to the mainstream society.
“We encourage other NPA members to surrender with their firearms, return to the folds of the law and benefit the Enhanced Local Integration Program which is part of the program of the Task Force ELCAC,” he said.
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1086515
Army 1st Infantry Division activates sniper company
From the Philippine News Agency (Nov 21, 2019): Army 1st Infantry Division activates sniper company
SNIPERS. Brig. Gen. Bagnus Gaerlan, acting commander of the Army's 1st Infantry Division, talks to the officers and men (inset) of the newly-activated 11th Division Sniper Company at Camp Maj. Cesar Sang-an in Pulacan, Zamboanga del Sur on Wednesday (Nov. 21, 2019). He told the snipers to train and work with dedication and pride to accomplish their tasks. (Photo courtesy of Army 1st ID PIO)
The Army’s 1st Infantry Division has activated a sniper company to boost the fighting capability of its operating units, a top military official said Thursday.
Brig. Gen. Bagnus Gaerlan, acting commander of the Army’s 1st Infantry Division, said the 11th Division Sniper Company (DSC) was activated Wednesday in a ceremony at Camp Maj. Cesar Sang-an in Pulacan, Zamboanga del Sur.
In his keynote speech, Gaerlan described the 11th DSC as a highly specialized force multiplier that will provide sniping capability to the Infantry Battalions of the 1st Infantry Division.
Gaerlan said the 11th DSC is also capable to conduct reconnaissance and surveillance operations to supported units. It is composed of five officers and sixty-three enlisted personnel, who were sniper-qualified and rifle experts that can efficiently shoot and neutralize targets or threat.
“Neutralization of local terrorist groups and other threats in our area of operation will easily be achieved since they can shoot the targets proficiently,” Gaerlan said.
He challenged the members of the 11th DSC “to train more and work with dedication and pride”.
“I expect you to be as vigorous, brave and be committed to serve and secure our constituents in our area of responsibility,” he said.
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1086657
Brig. Gen. Bagnus Gaerlan, acting commander of the Army’s 1st Infantry Division, said the 11th Division Sniper Company (DSC) was activated Wednesday in a ceremony at Camp Maj. Cesar Sang-an in Pulacan, Zamboanga del Sur.
In his keynote speech, Gaerlan described the 11th DSC as a highly specialized force multiplier that will provide sniping capability to the Infantry Battalions of the 1st Infantry Division.
Gaerlan said the 11th DSC is also capable to conduct reconnaissance and surveillance operations to supported units. It is composed of five officers and sixty-three enlisted personnel, who were sniper-qualified and rifle experts that can efficiently shoot and neutralize targets or threat.
“Neutralization of local terrorist groups and other threats in our area of operation will easily be achieved since they can shoot the targets proficiently,” Gaerlan said.
He challenged the members of the 11th DSC “to train more and work with dedication and pride”.
“I expect you to be as vigorous, brave and be committed to serve and secure our constituents in our area of responsibility,” he said.
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1086657
Army links remote villages to markets in Caraga
From the Philippine News Agency (Nov 21, 2019): Army links remote villages to markets in Caraga
Two far-flung villages in the province of Agusan del Sur will soon be linked to the market centers in the area with the help of the Philippine Army.
For years, the residents of Segunda and Maliwanag in the town of Esperanza experience difficulties in transporting their farm products to market centers said Lt. Col. Rodel V. Pangilinan, the commanding officer of the 544 Engineer Battalion (544 EB) of the 52nd Engineer Brigade of the Philippine Army.
The majority of the population in the two villages belongs to the Higaonon tribe.
Pangilinan told Philippine News Agency on Thursday that they recently started the road opening project in Segunda and Maliwanag.
“We deployed 30 personnel in the area to do the construction work and at the same time secure the workers and facilities,” Pangilinan added.
Members of Citizens Armed Forces Geographical Unit (Cafgu) were also deployed in the area to help secure the engineering work.
The four-kilometer road project is funded by the local government unit (LGU) of Esperanza, and is part of 544 EB’s thrust dubbed as “Collaboration is the strongest link in building Peace and Development.”
“The LGU provides diesel fuel to our equipment involved in the road opening project and food to our personnel,” Pangilinan said, adding that around 400 families in two barangays will directly benefit from the road project.
Pangilinan said barangays Segunda and Maliwanag serve as the training ground of the New People's Army (NPA) for years.
Government interventions are usually hampered by the rebels’ presence, denying the people’s right to peace and development, he added.
In a separate statement issued on Wednesday, 544 EB said the people of Segunda and Maliwanag have been longing for government development initiatives, especially the construction of a road that would link them to market centers.
The statement also quoted barangay captains Jeffry A. Mansoconan and Liezel M. Magunding of Segunda and Maliwanag, respectively, thanking the government for the road project.
Pangilinan also said the unit is involved in the ongoing road construction project in Sitio Emerald, Barangay Diatagon, Lianga, Surigao del Sur in collaboration with the LGU and other line agencies of the government.
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1086672
Two far-flung villages in the province of Agusan del Sur will soon be linked to the market centers in the area with the help of the Philippine Army.
For years, the residents of Segunda and Maliwanag in the town of Esperanza experience difficulties in transporting their farm products to market centers said Lt. Col. Rodel V. Pangilinan, the commanding officer of the 544 Engineer Battalion (544 EB) of the 52nd Engineer Brigade of the Philippine Army.
The majority of the population in the two villages belongs to the Higaonon tribe.
Pangilinan told Philippine News Agency on Thursday that they recently started the road opening project in Segunda and Maliwanag.
“We deployed 30 personnel in the area to do the construction work and at the same time secure the workers and facilities,” Pangilinan added.
Members of Citizens Armed Forces Geographical Unit (Cafgu) were also deployed in the area to help secure the engineering work.
The four-kilometer road project is funded by the local government unit (LGU) of Esperanza, and is part of 544 EB’s thrust dubbed as “Collaboration is the strongest link in building Peace and Development.”
“The LGU provides diesel fuel to our equipment involved in the road opening project and food to our personnel,” Pangilinan said, adding that around 400 families in two barangays will directly benefit from the road project.
Pangilinan said barangays Segunda and Maliwanag serve as the training ground of the New People's Army (NPA) for years.
Government interventions are usually hampered by the rebels’ presence, denying the people’s right to peace and development, he added.
In a separate statement issued on Wednesday, 544 EB said the people of Segunda and Maliwanag have been longing for government development initiatives, especially the construction of a road that would link them to market centers.
The statement also quoted barangay captains Jeffry A. Mansoconan and Liezel M. Magunding of Segunda and Maliwanag, respectively, thanking the government for the road project.
Pangilinan also said the unit is involved in the ongoing road construction project in Sitio Emerald, Barangay Diatagon, Lianga, Surigao del Sur in collaboration with the LGU and other line agencies of the government.
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1086672
26 ex-NPA rebels in SoCot get cash aid
From the Philippine News Agency (Nov 21, 2019): 26 ex-NPA rebels in SoCot get cash aid
Facade of the South Cotabato Provincial Capitol. (File photo courtesy of the provincial government)
Facade of the South Cotabato Provincial Capitol. (File photo courtesy of the provincial government)
At least 26 former New People’s Army (NPA) rebels in South Cotabato province have received some PHP465,000 in financial assistance through the government's flagship reintegration program.
Grace Rodel, focal person of the local reintegration program of South Cotabato, said Thursday the beneficiaries comprise the latest batch of returnees who qualified for the livelihood and immediate financial assistance from the provincial government and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).
Rodel said six of them received a combined PHP65,000 in livelihood assistance while 20 others got PHP20,000 each as immediate financial assistance.
“These were among the rebels who surrendered last year and qualified to receive financial grants under the E-CLIP (Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program),” she told reporters here.
Rodel said some of the beneficiaries graduated earlier this month from the 33-day Animal Production (poultry production) training provided by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
She said the training is among the requirements for the release of livelihood assistance to the former rebels.
Aside from the skills training, she said the beneficiaries also underwent seminars and orientations on financial literacy.
“We’re training them to become entrepreneurs so they could sustain the assistance provided by the provincial government,” Rodel said.
She said these interventions were led by the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office, in partnership with the Department of Labor and Employment, Department of Trade and Industry and TESDA.
Under the E-CLIP, rebel returnees may also avail of livelihood financing of at least PHP100,000 from the Land Bank of the Philippines, housing assistance worth PHP450,000 and firearms remuneration of up to PHP500,000.
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1086715
Grace Rodel, focal person of the local reintegration program of South Cotabato, said Thursday the beneficiaries comprise the latest batch of returnees who qualified for the livelihood and immediate financial assistance from the provincial government and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).
Rodel said six of them received a combined PHP65,000 in livelihood assistance while 20 others got PHP20,000 each as immediate financial assistance.
“These were among the rebels who surrendered last year and qualified to receive financial grants under the E-CLIP (Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program),” she told reporters here.
Rodel said some of the beneficiaries graduated earlier this month from the 33-day Animal Production (poultry production) training provided by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
She said the training is among the requirements for the release of livelihood assistance to the former rebels.
Aside from the skills training, she said the beneficiaries also underwent seminars and orientations on financial literacy.
“We’re training them to become entrepreneurs so they could sustain the assistance provided by the provincial government,” Rodel said.
She said these interventions were led by the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office, in partnership with the Department of Labor and Employment, Department of Trade and Industry and TESDA.
Under the E-CLIP, rebel returnees may also avail of livelihood financing of at least PHP100,000 from the Land Bank of the Philippines, housing assistance worth PHP450,000 and firearms remuneration of up to PHP500,000.
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1086715
'Pusher' killed, 2 soldiers hurt in Tawi-Tawi buy-bust
From the Philippine News Agency (Nov 21, 2019): 'Pusher' killed, 2 soldiers hurt in Tawi-Tawi buy-bust
Maj. Arvin John Encinas, Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) spokesperson, identified the slain "drug pusher" as Odin Masihul, who carried the aliases of Baby, Bedi, and Ombak, and a resident of Barangay Dungon, Panlima Sugala town, Tawi-Tawi.
Encinas said the shootout ensued when Masihul opened fire while trying to escape during a sting operation that prompted the lawmen to return fire, killing the suspect.
The buy-bust took place before Wednesday dawn in Sitio Pahapatan, Barangay Baldatal, Sapa-Sapa town, he said.
Encinas was unable to release the identities of the two soldiers who were wounded in the shootout, except that they belong to the Marine Battalion Landing Team 6 (MBLT-6).
He said the buy-bust also resulted in the dismantling of a known drug den in Barangay Baldatal, Sapa-Sapa.
He identified the four suspected drug personalities as Abdulnajar Asanol Isarail, Mujahid Misuari Jalas, Rhadzkhomar Pawari Lakibul, and Jack Binlo Magsaysay.
He said the four suspects yielded 50 grams of suspected shabu with an estimated market value of PHP340,000; an M-16 Armalite rifle with attached M-203 grenade launcher; several types of ammunition; and other pieces of evidence.
Police said the arrested drug personalities will be charged with violation of Article II of Republic Act 9165, otherwise known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
Encinas said the buy-bust was carried out by a joint team of Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) operatives, policemen, and MBLT-6 troops.
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1086702
SHOOTOUT. An alleged drug pusher was killed while two soldiers were wounded in a shootout as lawmen dismantled Wednesday ( Nov.20) a drug den in Barangay Baldatal, Sapa-Sapa, Tawi-Tawi. Authorities arrested four suspected drug personalities and recovered firearms, ammunition, and 50 grams of suspected shabu. (Photo courtesy of Western Mindanao Command Public Information Office)
An alleged drug pusher was killed and two soldiers wounded while four were arrested following a shootout during a buy-bust in a drug den in the province of Tawi-Tawi, an official said Thursday.
Maj. Arvin John Encinas, Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) spokesperson, identified the slain "drug pusher" as Odin Masihul, who carried the aliases of Baby, Bedi, and Ombak, and a resident of Barangay Dungon, Panlima Sugala town, Tawi-Tawi.
Encinas said the shootout ensued when Masihul opened fire while trying to escape during a sting operation that prompted the lawmen to return fire, killing the suspect.
The buy-bust took place before Wednesday dawn in Sitio Pahapatan, Barangay Baldatal, Sapa-Sapa town, he said.
Encinas was unable to release the identities of the two soldiers who were wounded in the shootout, except that they belong to the Marine Battalion Landing Team 6 (MBLT-6).
He said the buy-bust also resulted in the dismantling of a known drug den in Barangay Baldatal, Sapa-Sapa.
He identified the four suspected drug personalities as Abdulnajar Asanol Isarail, Mujahid Misuari Jalas, Rhadzkhomar Pawari Lakibul, and Jack Binlo Magsaysay.
He said the four suspects yielded 50 grams of suspected shabu with an estimated market value of PHP340,000; an M-16 Armalite rifle with attached M-203 grenade launcher; several types of ammunition; and other pieces of evidence.
Police said the arrested drug personalities will be charged with violation of Article II of Republic Act 9165, otherwise known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
Encinas said the buy-bust was carried out by a joint team of Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) operatives, policemen, and MBLT-6 troops.
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1086702
PH Navy, Coast Guard conduct 1st joint exercise
From the Philippine News Agency (Nov 21, 2019): PH Navy, Coast Guard conduct 1st joint exercise
EXERCISE "PAGKAKAISA". Philippine Navy (PN) and Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) troops pose for a photo opportunity at the opening ceremony of Exercise "PAGKAKAISA" 2019 in Cavite City on Wednesday (Nov. 20, 2019) Exercise "PAGKAKAISA" is the first-ever inter-agency exercise between the PN and the PCG that aims to enhance cooperation of both agencies to harmonize their capabilities for the effective protection, security, and promotion of safety in the Philippine Maritime Jurisdiction. (Photo courtesy of Philippine Fleet)
EXERCISE "PAGKAKAISA". Philippine Navy (PN) and Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) troops pose for a photo opportunity at the opening ceremony of Exercise "PAGKAKAISA" 2019 in Cavite City on Wednesday (Nov. 20, 2019) Exercise "PAGKAKAISA" is the first-ever inter-agency exercise between the PN and the PCG that aims to enhance cooperation of both agencies to harmonize their capabilities for the effective protection, security, and promotion of safety in the Philippine Maritime Jurisdiction. (Photo courtesy of Philippine Fleet)
To harmonize operations in securing the country's vast waters, the Philippine Navy (PN) and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) formally opened Exercise "PAGKAKAISA" 2019 at the Nonato Multi-Purpose Hall, Naval Base Cavite, Cavite City on Wednesday.
Lt. Sahirul Taib, Philippine Fleet public affairs office chief, said Exercise "PAGKAKAISA" is the first-ever inter-agency exercise between the PN and the PCG that aims to enhance cooperation of both agencies to harmonize their capabilities for the effective protection, security, and promotion of safety in the Philippine Maritime Jurisdiction.
This includes Cooperative Deployment particularly in the West Philippine Sea, Philippine Rise, Northern Luzon, Southern Mindanao; Maritime Law Enforcement Operations; Search and Rescue Operations; Shore-based and at-sea training, information exchanges, repair, and maintenance assistance and other related-maritime cooperation.
Present during the opening ceremonies was Philippine Fleet commander, Rear Admiral Giovanni Carlo Bacordo who, in his remarks, expressed the importance of collaborative effort in the conduct of Maritime Security Operations.
"I am glad about this collaborative exercise because this will educate our Navy of what our maritime partners are capable of doing. It will also strengthen the connection between the two organizations in facing the different challenges of the service," he added.
Taib said Exercise "PAGKAKAISA" 2019 will not only enhance the camaraderie with the Philippine Coast Guard but will also boost its capability and further capacitate its personnel in the conduct of maritime security and sovereignty patrols with Navy committed to protecting the seas and securing the nation's future.
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1086653
Lt. Sahirul Taib, Philippine Fleet public affairs office chief, said Exercise "PAGKAKAISA" is the first-ever inter-agency exercise between the PN and the PCG that aims to enhance cooperation of both agencies to harmonize their capabilities for the effective protection, security, and promotion of safety in the Philippine Maritime Jurisdiction.
This includes Cooperative Deployment particularly in the West Philippine Sea, Philippine Rise, Northern Luzon, Southern Mindanao; Maritime Law Enforcement Operations; Search and Rescue Operations; Shore-based and at-sea training, information exchanges, repair, and maintenance assistance and other related-maritime cooperation.
Present during the opening ceremonies was Philippine Fleet commander, Rear Admiral Giovanni Carlo Bacordo who, in his remarks, expressed the importance of collaborative effort in the conduct of Maritime Security Operations.
"I am glad about this collaborative exercise because this will educate our Navy of what our maritime partners are capable of doing. It will also strengthen the connection between the two organizations in facing the different challenges of the service," he added.
Taib said Exercise "PAGKAKAISA" 2019 will not only enhance the camaraderie with the Philippine Coast Guard but will also boost its capability and further capacitate its personnel in the conduct of maritime security and sovereignty patrols with Navy committed to protecting the seas and securing the nation's future.
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1086653