Tuesday, November 26, 2019

WESTMINCOM: Loose firearms handed over in Lanao del Sur

Posted to the Western Mindanao Command (WESTMINCOM) Website (Nov 26, 2019): Loose firearms handed over in Lanao del Sur



A total of 4 high-powered firearms were handed over by the locals of Butig, Lanao del Sur to the troops of the 49th Infantry Battalion at 1pm of November 25, 2019.


The firearms consist of one caliber 50 Barrett sniper rifle, one M203 grenade launcher, two handguns, magazines, and ammunitions.

“The successful handing over of firearms was made possible through the concerted effort and intensified collaboration among our troops, local communities, local chief executives, and other stakeholders,” said Lt. Col. Edgar Allan Villanueva, 49th Infantry Battalion commander.

Meanwhile, Col. Jose Maria Cuerpo II, 103rd Infantry Brigade Commander said that “This is part of our campaign against proliferation of loose firearms so that the locals would feel more secured and safe in their daily activities.”

Brig. Gen. Bagnus Gaerlan, Jr., acting commander of the Joint Task Force ZamPeLan lauded the troops, the local government unit, and stakeholders of Butig for this accomplishment.

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

“My congratulations to the troops of the 49IB for their numerous accomplishments that contributed a lot to the accomplishment of the command’s mission,” said Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, WestMinCom commander.

Source: PIO Western Mindanao Command

http://www.westmincom.com/loose-firearms-handed-over-in-lanao-del-sur/

WESTMINCOM: Cadavers recovered, FAs seized in Maguindanao

Posted to the Western Mindanao Command (WESTMINCOM) Website (Nov 26, 2019): Cadavers recovered, FAs seized in Maguindanao



Troops of the Joint Task Force Central conducted surgical operation against the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters under Bungos Faction in Shariff Saydona Mustapha (SSM), Maguindanao yesterday.




This was followed by a combat clearing operation conducted by the combined troops of the 33rd Infantry Battalion and 12th Special Forces Company, 5th Special Forces Battalion that resulted in the recovery of three enemy cadavers in Barangay Pusao, Shariff Saydona Mustapha, Maguindanao at 1pm today, November 26, 2019.



Troops further recovered one 5.56 mm K2 assault rifle and one Caliber 45 pistol.

After clearing and securing the area, operating troops coordinated with the barangay officials of Pusao led by Kagawad Abo Kalim to identify the recovered bodies and subsequently facilitate the proper burial of the slain BIFF fighters.



Earlier, troops of the 57th Infantry Battalion conducted combat clearing operation in Barangay Pamalian, Shariff Saydona that led to the recovery of 3 M16 rifles, 3 Improvised Explosive Devices, and 6 improvised hand grenades.

Troops continue to scour the area.



“These recoveries connote operational success while our troops on the ground build up their focused military operations to hunt and pound the remaining terrorists in Central Mindanao,” said Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, commander of the Western Mindanao Command.



“Rest assured that Western Mindanao Command remains committed to provide a safe and secured environment to all communities under our area of operation,” Lt. Gen. Sobejana added.

Army, NPA clash in Himamaylan again

From the Visayan Daily Star (Nov 26, 2019): Army, NPA clash in Himamaylan again

Army soldiers and troopers of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion 6 figured in another encounter with suspected New People’s Army rebels on Sunday night in Sitio Tagmonok, Brgy. Caradio-an, Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental.

Lt. Col. Egberto Dacoscos, 62nd Infantry Battalion commander, said yesterday that
the encounter lasted for 10 minutes, and the communist rebels left behind assorted war materials, including 23 pieces of ammunition and a magazine of an AK 47 assault rifle, 10 meters of trip wire of an improvised explosive device, assorted medical kits, back packs containing personal belongings, among others.


No casualty was reported on the government side, while Dacoscos said he believes that the fleeing rebels also suffered casualties as indicated by bloodstains discovered along their withdrawal route.

Dacoscos said that the encounter in Himamaylan City was the second armed engagement between soldiers and NPA rebels, in connection with the harassment of the family of barangay chairman Eugene Zambrona last week in Brgy. Tinongan, Isabela.

“They (rebels) are now in very desperate moves that always lead them to frustrations and embarrassments, Dacoscos said.

An intelligence officer of the NPA was killed, while another was injured and captured in an encounter last week with 62IB soldiers also in Brgy. Cansalongon, Isabela.

Brig. Gen. Eric Vinoya, 3rd Infantry Division commander, ordered his troops to conduct relentless operations against the NPA in Negros island.*

http://www.visayandailystar.com/2019/November/26/topstory9.htm

Abducted couple rescued from Abu Sayyaf transferred to British embassy

From Philippine Lifestyle News (Nov 26, 2019): Abducted couple rescued from Abu Sayyaf transferred to British embassy

The British man and Pinay couple, who have been abducted for almost two months by the Abu Sayyaf in Sulu, have been transferred to the British embassy in the Philippines, Monday night.

The military flight aboard British businessman Allan Hyron and his wife, Pinay Wilma, arrived at Villamor Air Base in Taguig at 9:30 pm.


British businessman Allan Hyron & Filipino wife Wilma now in Manila after their rescue from the Abu Sayyaf Group in Sulu. AFP endorsed them to British ambassador Daniel Pruce upon arriving at Villamor Airbase. (Courtesy: Joint Task Force Sulu)

According to Western Mindanao Command commander Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, who turned over the couple, British Ambassador to the Philippines, Daniel Pruce met them at the Villamor’s base operations center.

The military rescued the British national and his Pinay wife, who was abducted at a resort in Zamboanga del Sur, Monday, November 25.

Westmincom Commander Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana confirmed the military troops had rescued couple Allan, and Wilma Hyrons at 9:00 am on Monday, Nov. 25, in Brgy. Taha sa Parang, Sulu.

The successful rescue operations occurred following three successive clashes between Abu Sayyaf members and the military.

Six members of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) have been killed following military raids on different areas in Sulu this weekend.

In a statement from Western Mindanao Command on Sunday, two separate encounters erupted in Patikul and Indanan.

Abu Sayyaf abducted couple in Zamboanga del Sur

Armed men kidnapped a British man and his Filipino wife in Tukuran, Zamboanga del Sur on Friday night, October 4.

Tukuran Vice Mayor Delfina Cortina confirmed the incident that happened past 6 p.m. after the couple arrived at the resort they owned at Barangay Alindahaw in Tukuran.

Tukuran police identified the victims as Allan Arthur Hyrons, 70, and his wife, Welma Paglinawan Hyrons, who is a businesswoman.

A witness, a resort staff, testified four (4) armed men abducted the couple to pump boats and then escaped to different directions. One is going to Pagadian, and the other is going to Lanao del Norte.

According to Police Chief Master Sergeant Oliver Cimafrancalice, two of the abductors even checked-in to the resort the day before the kidnapping.

Zamboanga del Sur provincial government increased the reward money from P1M to P2-million for anyone who could give information on the kidnappers of British national and his Filipino wife.

Lanao personalities tagged in kidnap of Briton, wife

From the Philippine Star (Nov 27, 2019): Lanao personalities tagged in kidnap of Briton, wife



In a debriefing after they were rescued, Allan Hyrons and his wife Wilma identified several personalities in Lanao del Sur and Lanao del Norte, according to Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, Western Mindanao Command chief.  Joint Task Force Sulu/Handout via The STAR/Roel PareƱo

Several personalities based in Lanao provinces have been tagged in the kidnapping of a British businessman and his Filipino wife, who were rescued following a firefight with soldiers in Sulu on Monday.

In a debriefing after they were rescued, Allan Hyrons and his wife Wilma
identified several personalities in Lanao del Sur and Lanao del Norte, according to Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, Western Mindanao Command chief.

The military is withholding the identities of the kidnappers, who are believed to have ties with Abu Sayyaf bandits.

Sobejana said concerned agencies are building a case against the kidnappers.

He said it was also learned during the debriefing that the kidnappers brought the couple to Basilan on their way to Sulu.


“Our assessment then was that they stayed in mainland (Zamboanga). It turned out... that the group stayed there (Basilan) briefly before moving to Sulu, where they initially lost their way, but subsequently landed on the island,” Sobejana said, citing Wilma’s statement.
Psychogical torture

The couple said they were not harmed by their captors, but they suffered psychological torture due to constant threats of execution if they would not pay P50 million.

Sobejana said the kidnappers lowered the ransom demand to P10 million during negotiations, which gave soldiers ample time to locate the bandits and their captives.

“One of our guards even told me he would be the one to execute us,” Wilma said.

She said the kidnappers could have targeted them, believing they are rich. She denied reports that they own schools in the United Kingdom.

“We have been here barely five years helping children in our hometown go to school because I want to help them... I am a daughter of a fisherman who strived to finish my studies and was able to work abroad,” she said.

The couple own a resort in Tukuran, Zamboanga del Sur, where they were snatched on Oct. 4.
No ransom paid

Both the military and the couple stressed that no ransom was paid to the kidnappers.

“There’s no ransom paid. The no-ransom policy both by the British and the Philippines are very clear to us, the reason why sustained and relentless search and rescue operations were launched,” Sobejana said.

Hyrons said the payment of ransom is against the policy of the British government.

The couple said the clashes between their captors and soldiers that resulted in their rescue were the “most terrifying.”

“It was very frightening. It was something you see in the movies... but in real life it’s terrifying,” Hyrons said.

The couple thanked the military and all those who helped rescue them.

“The Army has done a fantastic job... I’m glad there was an encounter... the bad people were killed and we are freed,” Hyrons said.

Six Abu Sayyaf bandits, including their two sub-leaders, were killed in the clashes with soldiers on Friday and Saturday.

Five soldiers and five other kidnappers were wounded in the clashes.

When asked if he would return to Tukuran despite the incident, Hyrons said: “Yes... 100 percent.”

The couple were flown to Manila on a Philippine Air Force plane on Monday night.

British Ambassador Daniel Pruce met the couple at the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City at around 10 p.m.

Meanwhile, the Department of National Defense congratulated Sobejana’s men.

“The rescue... is a result of our forces’ relentless operations against Abu Sayyaf bandits and a testament to the bravery and dedication of our troops on the ground,” DND spokesman Arsenio Andolong said.

https://www.philstar.com/nation/2019/11/27/1972093/lanao-personalities-tagged-kidnap-briton-wife

NPA leader ‘Ka Diego' arrested in San Juan City

From Rappler (Nov 26, 2019): NPA leader ‘Ka Diego' arrested in San Juan City

The communist party condemns the arrest of Jaime Padilla, a leader of the rebel group’s guerrillas in Southern Luzon



KA DIEGO. New People's Army (NPA) leader Jaime 'Ka Diego' Padilla (left) was arrested at Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan City on November 25, 2019. File photo by Alecs Ongcal/Rappler

A leader of the communist New People’s Army (NPA) guerrillas in Southern Luzon was arrested while seeking treatment at a hospital in San Juan City on Monday night, November 25, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) said on Tuesday, November 26.

Police and military personnel
arrested Jaime “Ka Diego” Padilla, spokesperson of the NPA’s Southern Tagalog Melito Glor Command, and 3 other persons accompanying him at Cardinal Santos Medical Center at around 8 pm.

Padilla is also a member of the Communist Party of the Philippines' (CPP) central committee, and the Deputy Secretary of the NPA’s sub-regional military area 4D that operates in the Mindoro provinces,
the Philippine Army’s 2nd Infantry Division said in a statement.

A warrant for Padilla’s arrest was earlier issued by Branch 46 of the Regional Trial Court in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro.

In a separate statement, PNP National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Brigadier General Debold Sinas said Padilla accused of 4 counts of murder, and kidnapping.


Said to be in his 60s, Padilla was seeking treatment for complications from hypertension. He has since been placed under the custody of the PNP NCRPO in Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City.

His 3 companions will be charged with harboring a “wanted person,” Sinas added.

AFP Southern Luzon Command chief Lieutenant General Gilbert Gapay said Padilla’s arrest “only shows that the enemies of the state cannot and will never be able to evade the long arm of the law, and that sooner than later, justice will be served for all the terroristic actions that they have been committing against our country and people.”

On Tuesday, the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), the political arm of the CPP-NPA, “strongly condemned” Padilla’s arrest, calling it “illegal.”

In a statement posted on its website, the NDFP said Padilla’s condition is sensitive due to heart disease, and his arrest puts his life in danger.


"Ipinapakita lang ng pangyayari sa iligal na pag-aresto kay Ka Diego na walang anumang pagrespeto ang administrasyong Duterte sa karapatang pantao ni Ka Diego Padilla na sumailalim sa medikasyon,” the NDFP said. (Ka Diego’s illegal arrest shows that the Duterte administration has no respect whatsoever for the human right of Ka Diego Padilla to undergo medication.)

President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the police and military to end the communist insurgency, after his government's unsuccessful attempts at peace talks with the NDFP early in his term.

The Duterte administration has instead pushed for “localized peace talks” through the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), created in December 2018, with the goal of holding negotiations between local government units and local fronts of the communist rebels, encouraging guerrillas to surrender.

The CPP-NPA-NDF rebellion started in 1969 and is now Asia’s longest-running insurgency. It had about 25,000 guerrillas at its peak in the late 1980s, but its numbers have since dwindled to about 3,000 to 4,000 according to the AFP. The fighting between government forces and the rebels have has killed thousands.

https://www.rappler.com/nation/245827-npa-leader-ka-diego-arrested-san-juan-city

Editorial: Clarifying provisions of PH-US Defense Pact

Editoial from the Manila Bulletin (Nov 24, 2019): Editorial: Clarifying provisions of PH-US Defense Pact



United States Secretary of Defense Mark Esper met with Philippine Secretary of Defense Delfin Lorenzana at Camp Aguinaldo last Tuesday. After their meeting, they both said there may be a need to revise the Mutual Defense Treaty of 1951.

American forces came to the Philippines in 1898 when, in the course of the global Spanish-American War, Admiral George Dewey and his fleet turned up in Manila Bay, destroyed the Spanish naval forces there, and landed in Manila.

The US held on to the former Spanish colony, later signing a Treaty of Paris with Spain in 1898 under which the US took over the islands from Spain for ₱20 million, although the Philippine revolutionary forces of General Emilio Aguinaldo had already proclaimed the independence of the First Philippine Republic on June 12, 1896.

Despite the antagonism and discord of this beginning, Philippine-American relations developed in succeeding years, becoming particularly close in World War II, when Filipino troops fought with the Americans against the Japanese. Soon after the war, the US gave up the Philippines, granting it independence on July 4, 1946, but kept its bases in the country. In 1951, the two countries signed a Mutual Defense Treaty. But in 1991, the Philippine Senate voted against a proposal to extend the US presence by 10 more years.

Relations in the succeeding years remained close, still covered by the Mutual Defense Treaty of 1951, in which the two countries pledged to assist each other to resist any armed attack “on the metropolitan territory of either of the parties, or on the island territories under its jurisdiction in the Pacific Ocean, its armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft in the Pacific.”

This is the Mutual Defense Treaty which Secretaries Lorenzana and Esper want to revise, in the wake of recent developments, especially in the South China Sea. There, the Philippines has laid claim to certain islands which are also claimed by China. These include Panatag near Zambales and Mischief Reef west of Palawan, where China has constructed a runway and military facilities. China is claiming some 80 percent of the South China Sea as its sovereign territory and this wide area includes islands also claimed by the Philippines and other Southeast Asian nations.

In the absence of an international agreement, these remain unsupported claims. Our traditional ally, the US, only asserts its claim to freedom of navigation in international waters, as it keeps sending its warships through the South China Sea.

When Secretaries Lorenzana and Exper cited the need to revise the Mutual Defense Treaty, they noted the ambiguity of some of its provisions. What, for instance, is the Philippines’ “metropolitan territory” that the US vows to defend? The US is also supposed to defend “island territories in the Pacific” – which lies east of the Philippines.

Would that cover island territories in the South China Sea – which lies west of the country?

At the start of his administration, President Duterte embraced China and Russia and declared the country’s “separation” from the US. To this day, however, the Philippines has remained a close ally of the US, a position affirmed by repeated opinion surveys of the Filipino people. It is with this firm support of the people that Secretaries Lorenzana and Esper have been meeting and now seek to clear up any ambiguous provision in the two nations’ mutual defense pact.

Suspected NPA killed, 7 captured in Isabela clash

From the Sun Star-Bacolod (Nov 25, 2019): Suspected NPA killed, 7 captured in Isabela clash



BACOLOD. A suspected New People’s Army (NPA) rebel killed in clash against soldiers belonging to the 62nd Infantry Battalion in Sitio Canlusong, Barangay Cansalungon, Isabela last Friday, November 22, 2019. (Photo from Isabela Police Station)

THE Isabela police are now on double alert as augmentation forces have been detailed to the police station after seven suspected members of the New People's Army (NPA) were captured during an encounter between the communist rebels and soldiers of the 62nd Infantry Battalion on November 22 in Sitio Canlusong, Barangay Cansalungon, Isabela.

A member of the NPA was killed in action during the encounter and was identified by the Isabela Police Station as Rassim Chanco, 27, of Barangay Canlamay, Ilog, while the wounded and captured was identified as Ernesto Amalio, 53, of Sitio Kapayawan, Barangay Cabcab, Isabela who was confined to a hospital in Bacolod City.

Six other female suspected rebels, whose names were withheld by the police, were also captured.


Major Ruben Pajarito, Isabela chief of police, said charges for illegal possession of firearms and explosives and obstruction of justice will be filed in court Monday, November 25, against the captured rebels.

Pajarito said once the commitment order will be secured, the rebels will be transferred to the district jail for security purposes.

He also corrected that the encounter site is located in Isabela and not in Binalbagan as earlier reported.

The police chief said the captured rebels were among those who barged into the house of village chief Charlie Zambrona last November 20, 2019 and were encountered by government troops during a hot pursuit operation.

No one was hurt or killed on the government side.

https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1833498

NDF claims rebel forces ‘stand strong’ amid spokesman’s arrest

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Nov 26, 2019): NDF claims rebel forces ‘stand strong’ amid spokesman’s arrest



Jaime Padilla, an alleged leader of the New People’s Army, stands in front of a camera for a mugshot following his arrest for charges of multiple murder in San Juan City on Monday, November 25, 2019. (Photo from NCRPO)

The National Democratic Front (NDF) vowed to remain steadfast in Southern Tagalog, following the arrest of New People’s Army (NPA) leader and spokesperson in the region.

In a statement sent to the Inquirer Tuesday, NDF-Southern Tagalog said it “strongly condemns” the arrest of Jaime Padilla and three other companions in San Juan City, Manila.

The National Capital Region Police Office on Tuesday confirmed Padilla’s arrest on Monday evening at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center, where the NPA leader was supposedly confined due to hypertension.


The NDF described Padilla’s arrest as a “desperate attempt” by the state forces against the armed revolutionary movement.

In a separate statement, human rights group Karapatan said Padilla, in his 60s, should be considered “hors de combat” given his age and health condition.

The group also called for vigilance to ensure that Padilla undergoes “correct (legal) processes” and ensure his safety while in government custody.

Karapatan and other militant groups said they would hold an indignation rally at the national police headquarters in Camp Crame on Tuesday.

PH anti-terror center eyes real-time response to attacks

From the Manila Times (Nov 25, 2019): PH anti-terror center eyes real-time response to attacks

A counter-terrorism center being established in the Philippines is envisioned to be able to respond to terrorist attacks in real time.

Nathan Sales, the ambassador-at-large and coordinator for counter-terrorism of the United States Department of State, recently said the regional counter-terrorism center being built in Silang, Cavite, would
“foster connectivity among all nations of the region that have a shared interest in confronting our terrorist adversaries.”

“So, we see this center, which will be based here in the Philippines, as a way to encourage cooperation not only between the United States and Manila, but between all regional players who have an interest in this as well,” Sales said during a telephone news conference last Friday.


He added that the center would also be focused on training on tactical responses to terroristic attacks “in real time” to prevent damage to lives and property.

In August, US Deputy Chief of Mission John Law and then-Philippine National Police chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde signed a memorandum of understanding to construct and operate the counter-terrorism center on the grounds of the Philippine National Police Academy in Silang.

As part of boosting counter-terrorism efforts in the region, Sales suggested that prosecutorial responses be enforced for accountability of persons committing terrorism-related crimes.

A “whole-of-government” approach is being used by Washington in addressing terrorism issues in the Philippines and other countries within the Southeast Asian region.

This means that terrorists should be dealt with by using “kinetic options,” which Sales said were used by Philippine authorities during the five-month-siege in Marawi City in 2017, when the Islamic State (IS)-inspired Maute group attacked the city, the capital of Lanao del Sur province in southern Mindanao.

According to Sales, the whole-of-government approach also means “using things” such as increasing the strength of border security in the region, law enforcement tools and efforts to counter financing of terrorists by foreign sponsors.

To cut down the financial sources of terrorists, mostly members of the IS, he said Washington was zeroing in on terrorist designations and sanctions.

“When we put terrorist organizations on our sanctions list, that cuts off the flow of money that these groups, that these individuals, can use,” Sales explained.

This, however, excludes terrorists and their facilitators “from the legitimate international banking system, because banks take care to ensure that they are themselves not subject to secondary sanctions in the US or from other authorities that have matched our sanctions,” he said.

Sales pointed out that terrorists are raising money through various means, including narcotics trafficking and human smuggling.

“So, when we talk about sanctions, it’s important to understand that we’re not just sanctioning al-Qaeda, we’re also sanctioning facilitators who operate in the shadows for al-Qaeda, as well as front companies or charities that abuse the goodwill of their customers or donors to channel money to bad groups,” he said.

https://www.manilatimes.net/2019/11/25/news/top-stories/ph-anti-terror-center-eyes-real-time-response-to-attacks/658532/

‘IS fighters not yet coming in droves, but alert must remain’

From the Business Mirror (Nov 25, 2019): ‘IS fighters not yet coming in droves, but alert must remain’

SOUTHEAST Asia may have been spared becoming a destination for the bulk of Islamic State (IS) fighters who have retreated from Syria, but countries, including the Philippines, must keep up the pressure against the international terrorist group, a United States official said.

The IS has carved out its presence in the region through Mindanao, attacking and occupying Marawi City in 2017 through its mixture of local and fighters in a devastating war that saw the death of Isnilon Hapilon, its emir in Southeast Asia.

“We have seen a few indications of an interest in traveling to Southeast Asia, but truth be told, it’s not one of the regions that Isis fighters seem to be heading to in droves,”
said Nathan Sales, ambassador-at-large and coordinator for counterterrorism at the US Department of State.


Sales was in Manila over the weekend to confer with Philippine counterterrorism officials on the two countries’ ongoing joint effort against the IS, the al-Qaida and even local terrorist groups in Mindanao.

The ambassador told international journalists during a telephonic press briefing that while the region has not seen the mass exodus of foreign fighters, Southeast Asian countries, especially the Philippines, must ensure that this trend continues.

“It’s incumbent upon us to make sure that they’re not able to, should they ever wish to, and that’s why I’ve been talking to—and why the United States government has been talking to—counterparts here in Manila about bolstering our cooperation on border security efforts to prevent people from hopping on a plane and flying to the region or exploiting the maritime environment to gain access to countries in the region,” he said.

“So far we haven’t seen a huge problem, but we have to make sure we keep it that way,” he added.

Analysts warned, at the defeat of the IS in March this year, that countries should brace for the return of fighters, thus raising the stakes of worldwide terrorism attacks, including in the Philippines which has seen its cases of suicide bombings.

A 2019 third-quarter report by the Lead Inspector General for the US Operation Pacific Eagle-Philippines, the counterterrorism project of the US Indo-Pacific Command in Mindanao, listed IS membership in the country at roughly about 500, most of whom are also members of the local terrorist groups, like the Abu Sayyaf Group and the Maute Group.

Sales said that while the IS had not directly carried out attacks anywhere after its defeat in Syria, it modified its tack by relying on its regional networks, especially in South Asia, including Afghanistan, and in Africa.

In the Philippines, the US concerns focused more on the export from the Middle East of terrorist tactics, techniques and procedures, and even radicalism, as shown by the suicide bombing carried out by Filipino Norman Lasuca against soldiers in Indanan, Sulu.

“We have seen an increased focus on Isis’s part, in particular, in cultivating networks around the world in places like South Asia, in places like West Africa and we hope to address the challenges that Isis sympathizers and Isis affiliates pose in Southeast Asia, as well,” Sales said.

He said the efforts in addressing the challenges involves a “whole-of-government” approach, which includes tightening border security, law enforcement measures, curtailing the flow of funds and de-radicalization, all of which are being carried out in Mindanao.

“So we have to be working closely with regional partners who share our concern about these threats, to bring to bear all the tools of national power—again, border security, law enforcement, crisis response and so on—to make sure that these budding al-Qaida and Isis affiliates are kept from metastasizing further,” the ambassador said.

Airstrikes vs Maute remnants launched in Lanao mountains

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Nov 25, 2019): Airstrikes vs Maute remnants launched in Lanao mountains



JUNGLE LAIR Soldiers inspect one of the tents used by members of an Islamic State-linked group at an encampment in the mountains of Madalum and Madamba towns in Lanao del Sur. —PHOTO COURTESY OF PHILIPPINE ARMY 103RD INFANTRY BRIGADE

A military jet dropped four bombs in the mountain ranges straddling Madalum and Madamba towns in Lanao del Sur province on Saturday morning before government soldiers searched the area to confirm reports that remnants of the Maute terror group had been training there.

Col. Jose Maria Cuerpo II, commander of the Army’s 103rd Infantry Brigade (IB), said their combat operations started on Nov. 10, when civilians informed the military that
members of the Islamic State (IS)-linked group had been setting up temporary camps in the area.


Cuerpo said several documents had been seized during the combat operation, including the identification card and motorcycle documents of Staff Sgt. Lito Polines, personnel of the Army’s 553rd Engineering Battalion who was shot and killed dead at Barangay Basak Malutlut in Marawi City on Oct. 7.

Along with Polines’ documents, the military also recovered black flaglets with the IS logo, bomb-making materials and improvised explosive devices in the area. These convinced military officials that the group operating in Lanao del Sur could be the remnants of the Dawlah Islamiya Lanao, or the Maute group, which laid siege to Marawi in May 2017 and battled government troops in a war that raged on for five months.

No civilians hurt

“With the recovery of Polines’ ID in the area, we are suspecting that this group is the same group who killed Polines,” Cuerpo said.

“We cannot penetrate their temporary camps because [these are] located in a strategic high location. We assure that no civilians were hurt during the airstrike because [the target] was around 6 kilometers from the community,” Cuerpo said in a telephone interview.

After the airstrikes on Saturday morning, troops scoured the area to validate reports that several members of the group had been killed. As of Sunday, the military had yet to receive any confirmation on casualties from the operations.

The 103rd IB assured residents in Lanao del Sur and Marawi City that the combat operations against the terror group would be contained in the mountain ranges of the two towns.

“This will not have any effect in the Islamic City of Marawi and Lanao del Sur,” Cuerpo said. “Rather, it will further strengthen the security environment in the province and will ensure that local government offices, businesses, and civil society organizations will [operate] as usual.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1194028/airstrikes-vs-maute-remnants-launched-in-lanao-mountains

Kalinaw News: Southern Tagalog NPA leader apprehended in San Juan

Posted to Kalinaw News (Nov 26, 2019): Southern Tagalog NPA leader apprehended in San Juan



Jaime Padilla also known as Ka Diego, the spokesperson of the NPA’s Southern Tagalog Regional Party Committee was apprehended by combined AFP and PNP units serving a warrant of arrest at Cardinal Santos Medical Center at around 8 p.m. Monday.

Jaime Padilla is also the concurrent Deputy Secretary of SRMA 4D which operates in Mindoro and a member of the Communist Party of the Philippines’ Central Committee.

Lt Gen Gilbert Gapay, Commander of the Southern Luzon Command, lauded his troops for “being steadfast in defeating the NPA terrorists in Southern Tagalog which will pave the way for peace, prosperity and development in the immediate south of the national government’s seat of power.”

He added that the apprehension “only shows that the enemies of the state cannot, and will never be able to evade the long arms of the law and that sooner than later, justice will be served for all the terroristic actions that they have been committing against our country and people.”

He ended his statement by calling on the subordinates of Jaime Padilla to put down their arms, return to the folds of law and avail of reintegration grants while they can “because government forces are slowly but surely closing in to take them down.”

According to Major General Arnulfo Marcelo Burgos Jr, “this apprehension of Ka Diego in a high end medical facility shows us the disheartening reality that while ordinary rebels whom they deceived to take up arms against the government are deprived of decent medical attention, NPA leaders are enjoying premium health care using money out of their extortion activities.”

He added that the arrest of Jaime Padilla “is a decisive blow to the communist terrorists for it will result to further demoralization among their ranks brought about by leadership vacuum, thus, further pushing them on the brink of collapse.”

The NPA unit operating in Batangas and Cavite were dismantled after the 2018 campaign. Now the government forces are on track to defeat the “few remaining terrorists operating in Rizal, Laguna and Quezon provinces.”

Jaime Padilla is also a member of the Communist Party’s National Information Bureau and was arrested by virtue of a warrant issued by RTC Branch 46 of San Jose, Occidental Mindoro.

He is currently under the custody of San Juan Police for filing of appropriate legal charges.


Source: Southern Luzon Command 

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

https://www.kalinawnews.com/southern-tagalog-npa-leader-apprehended-in-san-juan/ 

Kalinaw News: 10ID troopers, PNP recover high-powered firearms

Posted to Kalinaw News (Nov 26, 2019): 10ID troopers, PNP recover high-powered firearms



Camp General Manuel T Yan Sr., Mawab, Compostela Valley- The 71st Infantry Battalion (71IB) of the 10th Infantry “Agila” Division (10ID) and one team from the Philippine National Police (PNP), Pantukan Municipal Police Station (MPS) responded to a civilian report of harassment by lawless elements in Brgy. King King, Pantukan, Compostella Valley on November 25, 2019.

The 71IB and Pantukan MPS conducted a joint law enforcement operation wherein a two-minute firefight ensued against the lawless elements. There were no casualties on the government side while one lawless element suffered a gunshot wound and was apprehended.

The troops were able to recover one (1) M14 rifle, (1) M16 rifle, (1) M203 grenade launcher, about 300 rounds of various ammunition, nine (9) M14 rifle magazines, five (5) long and five (5) short M16 magazines, and two (2) bandoleers.

The wounded lawless element was immediately evacuated to the nearest hospital for proper treatment while 71IB and Pantukan MPS filed appropriate charges.

Meanwhile, Major General Jose C Faustino Jr, Commander 10ID commended the troops for the successful conduct of focused military operations which resulted to the apprehension of a certain David Orsanay and the capture of numerous firearms. “With people supporting our effort in maintaining peace and order in our area of responsibility, these lawless elements have no place to run.”

“More than bodycounts and firearms, 10ID shall continue to push for total neutralization of lawless elements and other threat groups. We further urge the public for continuous commitment to be part of our endevour to attain geniune peace and inclusive development,” MGen Faustino added.


Source: 10th Infantry “Agila” Division

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

https://www.kalinawnews.com/10id-troopers-pnp-recover-high-powered-firearms/ 

Kalinaw News: 5ID sniper teams recover high powered firearms after encounter with communist terrorists

Posted to Kalinaw News (Nov 26, 2019): 5ID sniper teams recover high powered firearms after encounter with communist terrorists



CAMP MELCHOR F DELA CRUZ, Gamu, Isabela – Two sniper teams of the 95th Infantry Battalion from the 5th Infantry “Star” Division (5ID), Philippine Army recovered high powered firearms after an encounter with communists terrorists in Brgy. Ara, Benito Soliven, Isabela on November 25, 2019. The Army’s sniper teams were conducting a focused military operation when they engaged by about 20 communist terrorists who are believed to be members of the Regional Sentro de Gravidad (RSDG) of the CPP-NPA’s Komiteng Rehiyon – Cagayan Valley. The firefight lasted for about 30 minutes ending with the CTs withdrawal from the encounter site.

The operation led to the recovery of one M14 rifle and two M653 rifles. Two army troops were slightly wounded by shrapnels during the battle, while the casualties on the enemy side are still undetermined. It is believed that not less than three Communist NPA Terrorists were either killed or seriously wounded as manifested by the three high-powered assault rifles that they left in the encounter site as well as numerous heavy bloodstains in the vicinity and their routes of withdrawal. Also recovered were ammunitions, magazines, a rifle grenade, detonating cords for explosives, food supplies, back packs with personal items and subversive documents.

5ID had already raised the alarm in the area, alerting the nearby operating Army units, CAFGU Active Auxiliary Patrol Bases as well as the Philippine National Police to conduct pursuit, checkpoint and resource control operations in the boundaries of Benito Soliven, San Mariano, San Guillermo and Cauayan City which is covered by the CPP-NPA’s Central Front Committee, KR-CV.

MGen Pablo Lorenzo, Commander of the Philippine Army’s 5th Infantry Division, said, “Our latest gains against the New People’s Army are made possible with the help of the people in the communities being threatened and terrorized by the CTGs. This shows that the communist terrorist group is losing its ground with the continuing loss of their mass bases in the conflict-affected barangays. Not only that, the CTG in the area is experiencing a very significant reduction of their manpower with the killing, surrender or going lie-low of their cadres, regular fighters, secret police in the barangays called Militia ng Bayan, and even their Communist Party members in the barangays called Sangay ng Partido sa Lokalidad. Likewise, many of their firearms have been seized by or surrendered to the military and police, thereby, greatly reducing their combat power.” 

Offering peace and reconciliation under the government’s Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) to the CNTs, MGen Lorenzo further said, “The Filipino people can no longer be cowered in fear and deceived by the CTGs’ duplicity and violence, murderous and destructive ways, as well deceptive and bankrupt ideology. Obviously, the CTGs are on the run from the relentless military and police operations as well as the social pressure from different sectors of society and the people. So, your only option is to lay down your arms and join the mainstream of our society that is very much ready, willing and able to accept you with open arms. Rest assured that your Philippine Army will continue to perform its mandate to serve the people and protect our sovereignty and democratic way of life"



Source: 5th Infantry Division

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

https://www.kalinawnews.com/5id-sniper-teams-recover-high-powered-firearms-after-encounter-with-communist-terrorists/ 

Catubig town in NorSamar creates Municipal Task Force-ELCAC

Posted to the Philippine Information Agency (Nov 26, 2019): Catubig town in NorSamar creates Municipal Task Force-ELCAC

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TACLOBAN CITY, Nov. 26 (PIA) -- The Catubig Municipal Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (MTF ELCAC) was organized on November 18, 2019 with Mayor Galahad Vicencio as the chairperson.

The organization of the Task Force was done during the joint meeting of the Municipal Peace and Order Council and the Municipal Development Council which was attended by about 85 Local government Unit (LGU) department heads, Punong Barangays, community service officers, and Sangguniang Bayan members.

Also present were Vice Mayor Dionesio Galit, MLGOO Fotunato Legarde, 20IB Battalion Commander LTC Juan Gullem, LGOO Malou Ortega LGOO of the DILG Northern Samar Provincial Office.

Prior to the Task Force organization, the Situational Awareness Knowledge Management (SAKM) Cluster of the RTF-ELCAC-8 conducted an awareness campaign on EO-70 and call to action for the members of the Catubig Municipal Peace and Order Council and Municipal Development Council (MPOC-MDC).

Other topics discussed were CPP/NPA/NDF Infiltration and Retooled Community Support Program (RCSP) as discussed by LGOO Ortega. (PIA-8)

https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1030733

RTF-ELCAC 8 SAKM Cluster orients Marabut MTF on EO70

Posted to the Philippine Information Agency (Nov 26, 2019): RTF-ELCAC 8 SAKM Cluster orients Marabut MTF on EO70

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TACLOBAN CITY, Nov 26 (PIA) -- The Local Government of Marabut in Samar has already formed its Municipal Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (MTF ELCAC) early in October 2019 and it has also passed a resolution declaring the CPP/NPA/NDF as persona-non-grata.

However, in order to capacitate the members and to enhance awareness, the Situational Awareness Knowledge Management (SAKM) Cluster of the RTF-ELCAC-8 conducted a series of orientations on EO70 to the members of the Joint Municipal Peace and Order Council, Municipal Development Council Municipal Anti-Drugs Council (MPOC-MDC-MADAC) in Marabut, Samar on November 20, 2019.

About 52 MPOC-MDC-MADAC members mostly Punong Barangays, LGU department heads, community service officers, Sangguniang Bayan members led by Municipal Mayor Percival Ortillo Jr., attended the orientation.

Also present to brief the council on RCSPA is MLGOO Maria Conchita Afable. LTC Rizaldo Laurena, 63rd IB Battalion commander who gave a message, also attended the orientation. (PIA 8/NICA 8)

https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1030734

SAKM Cluster orientation paves the way to creation of Catarman MTF-ELCAC

Posted to the Philippine Information Agency (Nov 26, 2019): SAKM Cluster orientation paves the way to creation of Catarman MTF-ELCAC

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TACLOBAN CITY, Nov. 25 (PIA) -The Situational Awareness Knowledge Management (SAKM) Cluster of the Regional Task Force to End Local Armed Conflict (RTF-ELCAC-8) and the Northern Samar Provincial Office of the Department of the Interior and Local Government conducted a series of orientation presentation EO 70 NTF-ELCAC, Call to Action, and on RCSP to members of the Joint Municipal Peace and Order Council and Municipal Development Council (MPOC-MDC) of Catarman Northern Samar on November 19, 2019.

The activity was attended by about 105 members of the councils composed of LGU department heads, Punong Barangays, community service officers, Sangguniang Bayan members led by Catarman Mayor Francisco Jun Rosales and Vice Mayor Boots Bonsol. Also present were 803rd Brigade Commander Col. Zosimo Oliveros, 43IB Battalion Commder LTC Raymund Picut, DILG NSPO Provincial Director Danilo Laguitan, and Chief of Police PMaj Eddie Esidera.

After the series of orientation presentations, the joint MPOC-MDC moved for the adoption of a resolution creating the Municipal Task Force to End the Local Communist Armed Conflict (MTF-ELCAC) in Catarman, Northern Samar.

The occasion was highlighted by the participants signing of the Pledge of Commitment to NTF-ELCAC EO 70. (PIA 8/NICA8)

https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1030735

Higaonon tribe denounces CPP-NPA, allied orgs

Posted to the Philippine Information Agency (Nov 26, 2019): Higaonon tribe denounces CPP-NPA, allied orgs (By 26IB, Philippine Army)

TALACOGON, Agusan del Sur, Nov. 26 -- A total of 349 Indigenous People (IP) leaders and members of Higaonon tribe from different provinces of Mindanao expressed their support to the Executive Order No. 70 and subsequently declared the Communist Party of the Philippines – New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) and its allied organizations as persona non-grata during the conduct of Dumalungdong Festival held recently in Sitio Mahayonhayon, Barangay Guibonon, Esperanza, Agusan del Sur.

The declaration was empowered through Resolution No. 1 initiated and unanimously approved by the tribal leaders during the conduct of the said activity. This was spearheaded by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan member and at the same time the Municipal Tribal Chieftain of Higaonon Tribe, Nilo Manpatilan alias “Datu Saulogan” and witnessed by 1Lt. Don Johnet Dominguez, the company commander of Charlie Company stationed in Poblacion, Esperanza.

Likewise, the said event was initiated by the barangay Tribal Chieftain Edu Casugudan alias “Datu Pukawan” which was attended by the different Higaonon tribal groups coming from the provinces of Bukidnon, Misamis Oriental, Agusan del Norte and Agusan del Sur.

The resolution stated that the Higaonon Tribe has intensified its support and commitment to the current campaign of the government to end local communist armed conflict (ELCAC) for a just and lasting peace. It further stated that due to the presence of CPP-NPA, the Higaonon populace abandoned their homes because of fear which affected their normal daily lives and earnings.

Meanwhile, 1Lt. Dominguez applauded the action of the leaders of the Higaonon tribe in denouncing the CPP-NPA. “The troops of the 26IB are thankful for your cooperation and participation in the government’s move in attaining lasting peace, in support also to the directive of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte to ensure safety and security of the IPs from the harmful NPAs. We assure you that the Philippine Army will continue to protect the welfare of the sector,” he highlighted.

Also, Lt. Col. Romeo Jimenea, commanding officer of 26th Infantry Battalion, commended the said action of the Higaonon tribe. “This action only proves that our fellow IPs are already tired of all the atrocities of this leftist armed group. For this, I am calling the attention of the different tribal groups here in Mindanao that it is now the time for us to unite and end the insurgency," he said.

"As mandated to us by our duty, we will assure you that we will truly stand and do whatever we can for the welfare and development of our fellow IPs. With the support of the tribal leaders and all stakeholders, through the implementation of Executive Order No. 70, it is possible for all of us to attain just and lasting peace for sustainable development,” Jimenea added. (1Lt. Percival Carido, CMO officer, 26IB/ PIA-Agusan del Sur)

https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1030651

Army opens ‘Dagohoy Patrol Exercise’ in new jungle base

Posted to the Philippine Information Agency (Nov 26, 2019): Army opens ‘Dagohoy Patrol Exercise’ in new jungle base



TRAVERSING JUNGLE PASSES. Patrolling teams need to traverse the natural obstacles such as the Makapiko River or the deep canyons that can best be traversed using ropes and makeshift bridges. (PIABohol/47IB)

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, Nov. 20 (PIA) -- The Philippine Army (PA) Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) opens in Bohol a soldier’s patrol exercise that would be most arduous but assures soldier combat-patrol readiness through a battery of physical and mental endurance tests one candidate patrol team completes in a given time.

The patrol exercise would now be based in the Philippine Army’s new Jungle Base Camp in the middle of the forests of Batuan, Bilar, Balilihan, and Catigbian, which opened on Nov. 18, 2019 in Brgy. Rizal Batuan.

Patterned after a world-renowned soldier patrol exercise used by the elites of the British Army, the PA TRADOC in Bohol eyes whetting the operational capability of Philippine soldiers in leadership, field craft, discipline, mental, and physical toughness as well as creativity in the PA's Dagohoy Patrol Exercise.

"Dagohoy Patrol Exercise is a continuous long-range patrol of up to eight soldiers who must get across the most rugged and most mountainous terrains of Bohol in 48 hours," the operations officer of the Visayas Army Training Group, Capt. John Alvin Rico, said.

"Named after Francisco Dagohoy, the famous Boholano hero who led the longest revolt in the country, the Dagohoy Patrol Exercise would be open to all PA Units who intend to enhance their operational capability through a battery of physical and mental endurance tests," Rico added.

"The patrol is composed of an eight-man team each carrying a minimum load of 50 pounds, and as a team complete the various scenarios along the route that include tough exercises to score specific points," Rico, who briefed military officials and soldiers enrolled in the current training courses, explained.


SEEING MODELS, TESTING THEM. Patrol exercise candidates testing the makeshift bridges that they can construct as they move out on patrol exercise during the entire 48-hour course. (PIABohol/47IB)

The basic criteria to assess the performance of the patrol team is by determining whether or not they complete the various tasks and achieves its mission.

Most of these patrol exercises are assessed for military skills, orders and debriefing, as well as obstacle crossing drills, reconnaissance patrol, patrol base operations, field stripping, field observation, tactical combat casualty care including first aid and casualty evacuation procedures, land mine breaching and mine field awareness, raids, close combat skills, radio communications skills, and physical endurance.

"This Dagohoy Patrol Exercise aims to give a challenging patrol exercise to enhance unit operational capability and develop a common knowledge and understanding of the different kinds of operations," Rico said.

That same day, the PA also opened its Jungle Training base in Brgy. Rizal with the Commanding General of the Philippine Army, Lt. Gen. Macairog Alberto, TRADOC Commander Maj. Gen. Cornelio Valencia Jr., Bohol Administrator Atty. Kathryn Fe Pioquinto representing Gov. Arthur Yap, Department of Interior And Local Government Provincial Director Johnjoan Mende, Batuan Sangguniang Bayan Chair on Peace and Order Gamaliel Merlas representing Mayor Antonino Jumawid, Rizal Brgy. Chairman Rolando Pataca, and Police Regional Mobile Force Battalion Commanding Office P/Lt. Col. Esmail Gauna.

Also on that day, the government released to 25 former rebels (Kanhi Rebelde) or KRs now Kauban sa Reporma, livelihood cash assistance amounting to P975,000.

The cash the KRs received forms part of the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (ECLIP) of the government.

Given as an act of goodwill, the government through the ECLIP hands to the former members of the armed struggle and Militia ng Bayan (MB) assistance after they decided to go mainstream and take on the rule of law as they took anew their pledge of allegiance to the government for peace and order sustainment. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)

5ID recovers high-powered firearms after encounter with communist terrorists

From the Philippine Information Agency (Nov 26, 2019): 5ID recovers high-powered firearms after encounter with communist terrorists( By 5ID Star Troopers)


GAMU, Isabela, Nov. 26 (PIA) – The recent encounter between the government troopers and the rebels at barangay Ara in Benito Soliven town this province on Nov. 25 resulted to the recovery of high-powered firearms.

Two sniper teams of the 95th Infantry Battalion from the 5th Infantry “Star” Division (5ID), Philippine Army recovered high-powered firearms such as one M14 rifle and two M653 rifles after an encounter with communist terrorists while they were conducting a focused military operation.

The at least 20 communist terrorists are believed to be members of the Regional Sentro de Gravidad (RSDG) of the CPP-NPA’s Komiteng Rehiyon – Cagayan Valley.

Two army troops were slightly wounded by shrapnel during the battle, while the casualties on the enemy side is still undetermined.

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It is believed that not less than three Communist NPA Terrorists were either killed or seriously wounded as manifested by the three high-powered assault rifles that they left in the encounter site as well as numerous heavy bloodstains in the vicinity and their routes of withdrawal.

Also recovered were ammunitions, magazines, a rifle grenade, detonating cords for explosives, food supplies, back packs with personal items and subversive documents.

The 5ID had already raised the alarm in the area, alerting the nearby operating Army units, CAFGU Active Auxiliary Patrol Bases as well as the Philippine National Police to conduct pursuit, checkpoint and resource control operations in the boundaries of Benito Soliven, San Mariano, San Guillermo and Cauayan City which are covered by the CPP-NPA’s Central Front Committee, KR-CV.

Major Gen. Pablo Lorenzo, commander of the Philippine Army’s 5th Infantry Division, said “Our latest gains against the New People’s Army are made possible with the help of the people in the communities being threatened and terrorized by the CTGs.”

“This shows that the communist terrorist group is losing its ground with the continuing loss of their mass bases in the conflict-affected barangays. Not only that, the CTG in the area is experiencing a very significant reduction of their manpower with the killing, surrender or going lie-low of their cadres, regular fighters, secret police in the barangays called Militia ng Bayan, and even their Communist Party members in the barangays called Sangay ng Partido sa Lokalidad,” the commander added.

He said with the many of their firearms that have been seized or surrendered to the military and police, their combat power is greatly reduced.

General Lorenzo added that the Filipino people can no longer be cowered in fear and deceived by the CTGs’ duplicity and violence, murderous and destructive ways, as well deceptive and bankrupt ideology.

“Obviously, the CTGs are on the run from the relentless military and police operations as well as the social pressure from different sectors of society and the people,” General Lorenzo said.

“Your only option is to lay down your arms and join the mainstream of our society that is very much ready, willing and able to accept you with open arms,” he added.

The commander assured them that the Philippine Army will continue to perform its mandate to serve the people and protect our sovereignty and democratic way of life. (MDCT/5ID/PIA-2)

Army takes part in national children's month celebration

From the Philippine Information Agency (Nov 26, 2019): Army takes part in national children's month celebration (By 23IB Philippine Army)

BUENAVISTA, Agusan del Norte, Nov. 26 -- In time with this year's National Children's Month celebration, the 23rd Infantry "Masigasig" Battalion (23IB), Philippine Army, in partnership with the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the city government of Butuan has conducted an information drive to the students of Bagong Silang National High School in Sitio Bagong Silang, Barangay Tungao, Butuan City on November 18, 2019.

Over 300 students of Bagong Silang National High School headed by its School Principal Hipolito C. Rosalada, Jr. have learned significant information particularly on the rights of children and the government's initiatives that promote the welfare of the sector.

The Butuan City Social Welfare and Development Officer (CSWDO) and the City Youth Development Officer (CYDO) also witnessed the said activity.

Likewise, the municipality of Nasipit, Agusan del Norte, through its Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (MSWDO) also conducted the Children's Congress in order to capacitate the participating-children and help them become more responsible and well-informed citizens at their young age. Selected student-leaders from the different schools in the entire municipality of Nasipit also participated in the said event.

During the activity, the students gained new knowledge through the series of lectures regarding the Recruitment Strategy of the Communist Party of the Philippines - New People's Army - National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF); Combat Life Saver; Prohibited Drugs; and Common Crimes and Protection of Children by the subject matter experts coming from the Army, PNP, CSWD and PSWD.

The 23IB troopers also distributed leaflets regarding the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) to the participants.

Meanwhile, Lt. Col. Francisco L. Molina Jr, Commanding Officer of 23IB, emphasized that the celebration of the National Children's Month should be given importance because it empowers the children at an early age to actively get themselves involved in the activities that are beneficial to their respective community.

"Providing them with enough knowledge and clear understanding of several issues and matters will surely keep them on the right track. I laud the CLGU and the CSWD of Butuan City, MLGU and MSWD of Nasipit, Agusan del Norte, PNP counterparts and the Department of Education for organizing such activity for the children. This has also been a great opportunity for our unit to actively take part in such an important occasion," Molina said. (1Lt. Roel T. Maglalang, CMO Officer, 23IB, PA/PIA Agusan del Norte)

Zamboanguita mayor hopeful ELCAC will unite people, gov't

From the Philippine Information Agency (Nov 26, 2019): Zamboanguita mayor hopeful ELCAC will unite people, gov't


Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo (right) hands over the Dagyawan sa Barangay Plaque of Commitment to Zamboanguita Mayor Glenson Alanano (left) during the launching of Negros Oriental Task Force to End Local Comunist Armed Conflict (NOTF-ELCAC) held at the municipal gymnasium in Zamboanguita on Nov. 14, 2019. (lpp/PIA-7/Negros Oriental)

DUMAGUETE CITY, Nov. 18 (PIA) -- Zamboanguita Mayor Glenson Alanano is optimistic that the government's program to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (ELCAC) in his municipality will help solve the problem on insurgency and address poverty in the barangays.

In his welcome remarks during the launching of "Dagyawan sa Barangay: Talakayan ng Mamayan" in Zamboanguita, Alanano lauded the program saying that constituents in far-flung barangays have now direct access to government programs.

“This is a good program of the government kay ang gobyerno ug katawhan managhiusa aron makab-ot ang kahusay, kalinaw ug kalamboan ilabi na sa lagyo nga barangay (people and government will unite to achieve peace, order and development especially in the hinterlands)," he said.

The mayor expressed his gratitude to all government agencies and members of Negros Oriental Task Force (NOTC) ELCAC, to Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Regional Director Leocadio Trovela as lead agency of ELCAC, and Department of Budget and Management through Regional Director Imelda Laceras who participated in the Dagyawan sa Barangay in their municipality.

At the Talakayan ng Mamayan, officials from the ten barangays namely, Calango, Lutoban, Malongcay Diot, Maluay, Mayabon, Nabago, Najandig, Nasig-id, Basak, and Poblacion raised common concerns and needs in their respective barangays to concerned government agencies such as installation of water pipes, construction of foot bridges, road cementing, road railings, street lights, lack of classrooms, need of rescue emergency vehicle, construction of drainage canal, irrigation, Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARB) land titling, livelihood, and fertilizer for farmers.

During the discussion, representatives from concerned government agencies noted their concerns, assuring them that these will be brought to the provincial and regional task forces for proper action. (lpp/PIA7/Negros Oriental)

Army unit reiterates unity towards peace and dev’t

From the Philippine Information Agency (Nov 26, 2019): Army unit reiterates unity towards peace and dev’t 

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KIANGAN, Ifugao, Nov. 26(PIA) - - The 54th Infantry Battalion (Magilas) recognized uniformed personnel and civilians for their exemplary deeds that contributed to the success of the battalion’s goal of achieving peace and development while enjoining continued public suppor ct and commitment.

During the unit’s anniversary celebration with the theme “Magilas @ 34th: Engaging Partners, Implementing Strategies and Delivering Results”, 18 soldiers, police officers and civilians were awarded with plaques and certificates of recognition.

Major General Pablo Lorenzo, 5th Infantry Division (5ID) Commander and the guest of honor, reiterated that the success of the 54th IB is made possible through the effective collaboration of the different stakeholders.

The 54th IB covers the provinces of Benguet, Ifugao, Mountain Province and Nueva Vizcaya.

“To our stakeholders and all the people of the communities, in the true spirit of unity, join us in winning a just and lasting peace that our nation has long deserved. Let us work side by side to achieve inclusive development for all,” Lorenzo said.

He enjoined the public especially the New Peoples Army- affected communities to embrace the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) to help the government in the effective implementation of this endeavor.

"Big and small contributions when taken together will surely make a great difference. Let us all work hand in hand in the pursuit of achieving the peace and development that we have been longing for in Ifugao, Nueva Vizcaya, Mt Province and Benguet," Lorenzo stressed.

Brigadier General Henry Doyaoen, 503rd Brigade Commander, also thanked all stakeholders for the voluntarism they had extended to the troops and urged them to continue supporting the soldiers.

“I encourage you to strengthen our partnership and commitment to achieve lasting peace and prosperity for a brighter future,” he added.

54thIB’s commander Lt. Col. Narciso Nabulneg, Jr. lauded all the officers, men and women of his unit for their professionalism, incomparable sacrifices and selfless devotion to duty.

“The Magilas troopers are continuously living-up with unrelenting pursuit for excellence by being unstoppable in the performance of its mission and had continued to fulfill it,” Nabulneg stressed.

The 54thIB was deployed in the province in August 2015. (JDP/MBL-PIA CAR, Ifugao)



https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1030578

IP clans in feud resolve conflict for lasting peace and development

From the Philippine Information Agency (Nov 26, 2019): IP clans in feud resolve conflict for lasting peace and development (By 26IB, Philippine Army)


TALACOGON, Agusan del Sur, Nov. 26 -- In order to promote and commit a just and lasting peace towards sustainable development in the community, two opposing clans had formally settled down and decided to end their strife through a peaceful resolution and unite to guarantee their support to Executive Order 70 in Barangay San Pedro, San Luis, Agusan del Sur on November 19, 2019.

Accordingly, said conflict between the Banwaon and Manobo Tribes had caused fatality from both sides that brought anxiety to the people, putting the whole community in a volatile peace and order situation in the past years hindering the development within the area.

For this reason, the Local Government Unit (LGU) and Municipal Tribal Council of San Luis, Agusan del Sur, facilitated and organized the conduct of settlement for the two clans in conflict through a peaceful resolution in accordance with the tribe’s customary laws.

“Sisim Ha Lido,” native term for “peace concord,” which legally based on Indigenous People’s Right Act (IPRA) of 1997, Chapter IV, Sec. 15 states that: “The IPs shall have the rights to use their own commonly accepted justice system in conflict resolution institutions, peacebuilding processes or mechanism and other customary laws and practices within their respective communities and as may be compatible with the National Legal System and with internationally recognized human rights.”

Wilfredo Napungahan alias “Datu Makabanhaw,” the Municipal Tribal Chieftain of Banwaon Tribe of San Luis, served as the mediator for the two tribes. The said settlement was also witnessed by the municipal Vice-Mayor Ronaldo Corvera; Municipal Tribal Chieftain, Raul Minglana alias “Datu Tumawan”; commanding officer of 26th Infantry Battalion, Lt.Col. Romeo Jimenea; and representatives from the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), Barangay Indigenous People Mandatory Representative (IPMR) from adjacent barangays, and the local populace of Barangay San Pedro.

In his message, the municipal tribal chieftain of Manobo Tribe in San Luis, Raul Minglana commended on how the justice system of the IPs, in accordance with the IPRA Law is being implemented. “For me, this action only proves that the Trial Court of the tribe is the best Trial Court of the whole nation in dealing with this kind of situation among the IPs in conflict. Less hassle, less time and money spent, and with immediate result,” he bared.

Meanwhile, Vice Mayor Corvera expressed his full support and gave blessing to the said activity especially to the involved clans. He further said that putting an end to the conflict will pave a way for the development outcomes in the barangay. “We have to forgive and forget the past in order to move on. Because if hatred in our hearts will reign, this will affect our daily lives and our tranquil way of living,” he said.



Likewise, LTC Jimenea also expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the facilitators who initiated the said settlement. He also said that the Philippine Army will always give its full support in the promotion of peaceful and binding settlement of conflict. He also gave a piece of advice for the involved clans. “As the newly settled clans, it is now your responsibility to maintain the peace within yourselves, however for those who are not serious of this settlement, may I remind you that this is not for us, but rather, for the future of our next generations,” he added.

“Because of this clan conflict, the communist terrorist New People’s Army took advantage in making the situation worse. But now that the two parties had settled, the lasting peace in this community will start and for sure, sustainable development will follow through EO 70 with the cooperation of the local populace,” ended Jimenea.

The activity culminated with the signing of peace resolutions from both parties and sealed their actions through the exchange of pot and bolo knife as a symbol of moving on and to continue to live in a normal way as part of their tribal customs and traditions. (1Lt. Percival Carido, CMO officer, 26IB/ PIA-Agusan del Sur)

https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1030644

AFP-CRS: NTF ELCAC programs to continue despite Joma rants: Parlade-4

Posted to the Armed Forces of the Philippines-Civil Relations Service (AFP-CRS) Facebook Page (Nov 26, 2019): NTF ELCAC programs to continue despite Joma rants: Parlade-4

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https://www.facebook.com/CivilRelationsServiceAFP/photos/a.182240175128048/2862755550409817/?type=3&theater

NTF ELCAC programs to continue despite Joma rants

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1086914

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

Gov’t troops seize ammo, IED wires from NegOcc clash site

From the Philippine News Agency (Nov 26, 2019): Gov’t troops seize ammo, IED wires from NegOcc clash site



RECOVERED. Military and police troops recovered ammunition and electric wires used to detonate improvised explosive devices after a clash with the New People’s Army before midnight on Sunday (Nov. 24, 2019) in Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental. The encounter was the second engagement of the 62nd Infantry Battalion troops with the communist rebels since Friday. (Photo courtesy of 62nd Infantry Battalion, Philippine Army)

Government troops recovered ammunition and electric wires used to detonate improvised explosive devices (IEDs) following a clash with New People’s Army (NPA) rebels shortly before midnight Sunday in Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental.

The 10-minute firefight ensued during the troop patrol of the Philippine Army’s 31st Division Reconnaissance Company, which operates under the 62nd Infantry Battalion (62IB), with members of the Technical Support Company of the Philippine National Police’s Regional Mobile Force Battalion-6 at Sitio Tagmanok, Barangay Caradio-an.


Lt. Col. Egberto Dacoscos, commanding officer of 62IB, said on Monday afternoon there were no injuries on the government side, and the communist rebels withdrew towards the area of Barangays San Antonio and Carabalan of the southern Negros city.

Soldiers recovered 23 rounds of ammunition for AK47 rifle and an AK47 magazine assembly, along with 10 meters of electric wire. They also found personal items, including rain boots, pants, sweatshirt printed with the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) logo, cell batteries, medical kits, and backpacks.

“They are now very desperate and their moves always lead them to frustration and embarrassment. This is a clear sign of their downfall,” Dacoscos said.

The encounter in Himamaylan City was the second engagement of 62IB troops in the past days.

Last Friday, they encountered about 15 rebels in Sitio Canlusong, Barangay Cansalungon, Isabela in an hour-long firefight that left an NPA fighter dead and his comrade wounded.

The injured was arrested along with six other suspected rebels after the clash.

They also recovered personal items such as clothes, slippers and rubber boots, hand-held radios, electrical wires as well as cooking utensils and foodstuff.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1087062

2 soldiers, rebels hurt in Isabela clash

From the Philippine News Agency (Nov 26, 2019): 2 soldiers, rebels hurt in Isabela clash



SEIZED. The seized firearms and other items after a clash between government troops and New People's Army (NPA) rebels in Barangay Ara, Benito Soliven, Isabela on Monday (Nov. 25, 2019). Two soldiers and an undetermined number of terrorist insurgents were hurt in the encounter. (Photo courtesy of 95IB)

CAMP MELCHOR DELA CRUZ, Gamu, Isabela -- Two soldiers belonging to the 95th Infantry Battalion (95IB) and an undetermined number of New People's Army (NPA) rebels were wounded in a clash in Barangay Ara, Benito Soliven, Isabela on Monday.

Lt. Col. Gladius Calilan, 95IB commander, said the government troops recovered high-powered firearms and ammunition at the clash site as the rebels withdrew.


Calilan said the troops composed of two sniper teams recovered an M-14 Armalite rifle, two M-16 Baby Armalite rifles, a rocket-propelled grenade, assorted magazines and ammunition, detonating cords for explosives, backpacks, personal belongings and anti-government documents.

The 30-minute firefight occurred as Army soldiers were scouring the place and encountered 20 suspected rebels believed to be under the Regional Sentro de Gravidad (RSDG) of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)-NPA’s Komiteng Rehiyon-Cagayan Valley.

Two Army soldiers sustained minor shrapnel wounds while the communist rebels dragged away their three bloodied comrades “who were believed either killed or seriously wounded,” Calilan told the Philippine News Agency in a phone interview on Tuesday.

“Numerous heavy bloodstains in the area and their routes of withdrawal were also seen,” he added.

Calilan had raised an alarm in the area, directing nearby Army units, Citizens Armed Forces Geographical Unit (Cafgu) Active Auxiliary patrol bases and police for pursuit, checkpoint and resource control operations in the boundaries of Benito Soliven, San Mariano, San Guillermo and Cauayan City which is covered by the CPP-NPA’s Central Front Committee, Kilusang Rebolusyonaryo-Cagayan Valley.

Maj. Gen. Pablo Lorenzo, 5th Infantry Division commander, said the latest gain was made possible “with the help of the people in the communities” threatened by the rebels.

“The (rebels) in the area are experiencing a very significant reduction of their manpower with the killing, surrender or going lie-low of their cadres, regular fighters, secret police in the barangays called Militia ng Bayan, and even their Communist Party members in the barangays called Sangay ng Partido sa Lokalidad,” he added.

The NPA, along with and its political wing, the CPP, is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1087112

Gov't forces seize guns in clash with armed men in ComVal

From the Philippine News Agency (Nov 26, 2019): Gov't forces seize guns in clash with armed men in ComVal



CLASH. Government forces belonging to the Army's 71st Infantry Battalion and personnel from Pantukan Municipal Police Station recover various high-powered firearms after a firefight with two armed men in Sitio Panganason, Brgy. King King, Pantukan, Compostella Valley province on Monday (November 25). (Photo courtesy the Army's 71st Infantry Battalion)

Government forces recovered various high-powered firearms after a firefight with lawless elements in Sitio Panganason, Brgy. King King, Pantukan, Compostella Valley province on Monday, an official said.

2Lt. Kim Carlos, civil-military operations officer of the Army's 71st Infantry Battalion (71IB), said their troops and personnel of the Pantukan Municipal Police Station responded to a civilian tip on the presence of two armed men harassing the residents in the area.


“According to a local resident there, these two indiscriminately fired their guns in the aforementioned area,” Carlos told the Philippine News Agency.

One of the suspects, David Aminan Orsame, 28, was wounded during the firefight, Carlos said, adding the suspect's companion managed to elude arrest.

“There were no casualties on the government side while Orsame suffered a gunshot wound and was apprehended,” he added.

The troops managed to recover an M-14 rifle, an M-16 Armalite rifle, an M-203 grenade launcher, and various types of ammunition.

Carlos said Orsame was immediately brought to the nearest hospital while the 71IB and Pantukan MPS filed appropriate charges against him.

Lt. Col. Esteveyn Ducusin, commander of the 71IB, thanked the locals for their "continued support and trust given to their troops."

Meanwhile, Maj. Gen. Jose Faustino Jr., commander 10th Infantry Division, commended the troops for the apprehension of Orsame and the seizure of the firearms.

"With people supporting our effort in maintaining peace and order in our area of responsibility, these lawless elements have no place to run," Faustino said.

“We further urge the public for continuous commitment to be part of our endeavor to attain genuine peace and inclusive development," Faustino added.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1087092

Naval forces in N. Luzon hold community service in P’sinan town

From the Philippine News Agency (Nov 26, 2019): Naval forces in N. Luzon hold community service in P’sinan town



‘PAGSISIKAP 2019’. Philippine Navy Naval Forces Northern Luzon (NFNL) commander, Commodore Caesar Bernard Valencia speaks before the fishermen attending the forum on Tuesday (Nov. 26, 2019) at San Fabian, Pangasinan. NFNL conducted a community relations services in San Fabian town as part of the exercise. (Photo by Hilda Austria)

SAN FABIAN, Pangasinan -- The Philippine Navy (PN)’s Naval Forces Northern Luzon (NFNL) has conducted fishermen forum and medical missions and is set to distribute assistive devices to persons with disabilities here as part of the community relations services of exercise “PAGSISIKAP 2019”.

In an interview Tuesday, NFNL commander Commodore Caesar Bernard Valencia said the annual naval activity is being done to reach out to their other constituents, including fishermen.

“The forum is for us to hear from them personally how the Navy may help them along with other agencies, such as the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and the Philippine National Police’s Maritime Unit. They discussed to the fishermen the latest in the laws of the sea (fishing),”
he said.


He added the activities are in support to the North Luzon Command’s campaign of enhancing cooperation and trust of the community to the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Among the issues brought out by the fisherfolk are illegal fishing by residents from other towns or cities of the province, as well as the use of illegal fishing materials and methods by other fishermen.

The forum covered the programs of BFAR for the fishermen. Some 80 fishermen from the 34 barangays of this town attended the forum and the medical missions.

Meanwhile, NFNL will also distribute 26 wheelchairs, nine single-tip canes, four blind-canes, nine crutches, and one walker to chosen beneficiaries from this town on Wednesday.

“The assistive devices are from non-government organizations who wanted to help through the Philippine Navy,” Valencia said.

Exercise “PAGSISIKAP 2019” is a Fleet-Marine amphibious exercise conducted by the PN to develop and achieve an amphibious-capable and credible force, and at the same time enable Fleet-Marine forces to be more efficient in the conduct of its mandated task.

Participants in this exercise include 350 sailors, 160 marines, and 70 reservists from the Naval Reserve Center Northern Luzon.

The Navy will utilize the recently-acquired landing dock platform BRP Davao Del Sur (LD-602), patrol escort vessel, BRP Pangasinan (PS-31), Philippine Marine Corps special operating units, the Naval Air Wing’s AW 109 helicopter, the Navy’s SEAL team, and Naval Combat Engineering team.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1087120

Northern Luzon naval forces hold amphibious exercise

From the Philippine News Agency (Nov 26, 2019): Northern Luzon naval forces hold amphibious exercise



EXERCISE 'PAGSISIKAP'. Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom) head Lt. Gen. Ramiro Manuel A. Rey delivers his keynote address at the opening ceremony of the 'PAGSISIKAP 2019' at the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority on Sunday (Nov. 24, 2019). Participants in this exercise include 350 sailors, 160 marines and 70 reservists from the Naval Reserve Center Northern Luzon. (Photo courtesy of Naval Public Affairs Office)

The Philippine Navy (PN)'s Naval Forces Northern Luzon (NFNL) is currently conducting a Fleet-Marine amphibious exercise dubbed as “PAGSISIKAP” 2019.

In a statement Tuesday, PN public affairs office chief, Lt. Commander Maria Christina Roxas said the maneuvers at the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority and in the vicinity of Naval Education, Training and Doctrine Command, Naval Station Leovigildo Gantioqui in Zambales started on Sunday and will run until Friday.


The event kicked off with an opening ceremony spearheaded by the guest-of-honor and speaker, Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom) head, Lt. Gen. Ramiro Manuel A. Rey.

"This exercise focuses on Fleet-Marine's concept of operations to sustain the Fleet-Marine unit’s competency in planning and execution of Amphibious Operations and test the Amphibious Task Group (ATG) concept and support to Philippine Navy’s Capability Development Plan,” Rey said.

The Nolcom chief said that Civil-Military Operation and Community Relations activities will also be part of the exercise.

This is in support of the overall campaign thrust of Nolcom of enhancing the relationship, cooperation and trust of the community to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

Rey said this will enhance relationship with the community by showing to the populace their importance as the primary stakeholders of the AFP.

This exercise will also focus on the Fleet-Marine Operations concept with emphasis on amphibious operations employing the amphibious assault vehicles of the Philippine Marine Corps with follow-up operations at the shore.

"The PN, through this exercise, aims to further develop Fleet-Marine units that are capable of and competent in planning and executing amphibious operations in support of the Navy’s Capability Development Plan," Roxas added.

Participants in this exercise include 350 sailors, 160 marines and 70 reservists from the Naval Reserve Center Northern Luzon.

The Navy will utilize the recently-acquired landing dock platform BRP Davao Del Sur (LD-602), patrol escort vessel, BRP Pangasinan (PS-31), Philippine Marine Corps special operating units, the Naval Air Wing’s AW 109 helicopter, the Navy’s SEAL team and Naval Combat Engineering team.


Exercise “PAGSISIKAP” 2019 is a Fleet-Marine amphibious exercise conducted by the PN to develop and achieve an amphibious-capable and credible force and at the same time enable Fleet-Marine forces to be more efficient in the conduct of its mandated task.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1087075