Tuesday, July 21, 2020

Body of slain marine airlifted to Manila

From Palawan News (Jul 21, 2020): Body of slain marine airlifted to Manila (By Aira Genesa Magdayao)

PFC Christopher Dela Cruz, a member of the Marine Battalion Landing Team-4 (MBLT-4) was wounded during an encounter with the rebels but later died while undergoing treatment.

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The remains of the soldier who died during the brief ambush encounter in Brooke’s Point on Monday were airlifted to Manila Tuesday morning.

PFC Christopher Dela Cruz, a member of the Marine Battalion Landing Team-4 (MBLT-4) was wounded during an encounter with the rebels but later died while undergoing treatment.

Lt. Col. Stephen Penetrante, spokesperson of the Western Command (WESCOM), confirmed the death of Dela Cruz to Palawan News Tuesday and the transfer of his remains.

Penetrante, on behalf of WESCOM, expressed sympathy to the family of the fallen soldier.

Dela Cruz was reportedly wounded after a 15-minute firefight around 1:40 p.m. at Sitio Bayud, Barangay Aribungos, Brooke’s Point.
Lt. Col. Prisco Tabo Jr., commanding officer of MBLT-4, said in a statement on Monday that soldiers were conducting community support programs (CSP) in the area when the encounter happened.

“While conducting continuous community support programs in different barangays in the South, the CSP team confirmed the presence of NPA rebels who was said to be harboring in the forested parts of barangay Aribungos,” he said.

The military has launched a pursuit operation against the rebels.

The encounter followed a similar incident last July 13 in Barangay Abongan, Taytay where one soldier died and three others were wounded. In the same area, the rebel also ambushed the Dumaran police officer and his driver.

https://palawan-news.com/body-of-slain-marine-airlifted-to-manila/

18 Negros Occ. ex-rebels get gov’t financial aid

From Panay News (Jul 21, 2020): 18 Negros Occ. ex-rebels get gov’t financial aid


Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson (standing in left) speaks with some 18 former rebels who received benefits under the government’s Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program at the Capitol Social Hall in Bacolod City last week. PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT OF NEGROS OCCIDENTAL

Some 18 former rebels (FRs) in this province received immediate and reintegration assistance amounting to P36,000 each as one of their benefits under the government’s Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP).

The beneficiaries received the checks in rites led by Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson and Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) provincial director Ferdinand Panes at the Capitol Social Hall here last week.

Lacson lauded the former rebels for deciding to return to the fold of the law.

“The provincial government is always open to help you. Spend the assistance given to you wisely, especially in this time of pandemic,” he added.

The FRs, once belonging to the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA), were from the cities of Escalante and Bago and the municipality of Don Salvador Benedicto.

Panes, for his part, said he is hopeful the beneficiaries will honor their commitment to the government with mutual respect.

The DILG, Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine National Police is always ready to assist them, he added.

The ceremony was witnessed by Colonel Inocencio Pasaporte, commander of the Philippine Army’s 303rd Infantry Brigade; Lieutenant Colonel Gerard Alvaran, commanding officer of 79th Infantry Battalion; and Colonel Romy Palgue, officer-in-charge of the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office.

The DILG is the lead agency in the implementation of the E-CLIP, which entitles a former rebel to receive immediate assistance of P15,000; livelihood assistance, P50,000; firearms remuneration, P12,000 to P500,000; half-way house assistance; PhilHealth enrollment and medical assistance; education assistance; housing assistance; legal assistance; and healing and reconciliation initiatives.

The reintegration assistance is being used for the subsistence or meal cost of FRs who have been placed under the protection of government troops while processing their other benefits under the E-CLIP.

E-CLIP is one of the programs under the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict created by President Rodrigo Duterte through Executive Order No. 70.

http://www.panaynews.net/18-negros-occ-ex-rebels-get-govt-financial-aid/

NPA owns killing of ‘military asset’

From the Visayan Daily Star (Jul 21, 2020): NPA owns killing of ‘military asset’

The New People’s Army Mount Cansermon Command has claimed responsibility for the death of an alleged military asset in Himamaylan City, and reported having seized four firearms with ammunition from a family in Binalbagan, all in Negros Occidental.

Rebel spokesman Dionesio Magbuelas accused Randy Rosiana in a statement of being a military asset, who was meted the death penalty after a deliberation of the people’s court.

Magbuelas alleged that Rosiana was responsible for the military raids that led to the illegal arrests and filing of trumped-up charges against seven residents of Brgy. Buenavista in HImamaylan City in 2019, and actively helped the military in forcing innocent civilians to surrender as NPA rebels.

This serves as a warning to similar individuals, intelligence assets and human rights violators who have committed brutal crimes on the masses, he added.


According to the military, Rosiana, who strongly debunked claim that he was a military asset, was the second victim of cold-blooded murder perpetrated by the New People’s Army in Himamaylan City.

1Lt. Revekka Roperos, 303rd Infantry Brigade Civil Military Operations officer, recalled that Joelito Hilacio was also murdered by the NPA, who later claimed responsibility for his death on June 13 in Brgy. Carabalan, Himamaylan City.


Magbuelas also reported that they were able to confiscate four firearms with ammunition and handsets from alias Tikboy Bongaita and his family members on July 14 in Sitio Binadlan, Brgy. Bi-ao, Binalbagan, Negros Occidental.

He also accused Bongaita and his “Greenan” fanatic group, that he founded in the 1990s, for committing atrocities against the masses in the area, and of forcing farmers to join his group.

https://www.visayandailystar.com/2020/July/21/topstory9.htm

BARMM seeks probe of Moro killings in South Cotabato

From MindaNews (Jul 21, 2020): BARMM seeks probe of Moro killings in South Cotabato
By BONG S. SARMIENTO

The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) has sought an inquiry on the killings of more than a dozen Moros in South Cotabato, a province outside the fledging Bangsamoro region, some in the hands of state forces running after alleged violent extremists.


The Bangsamoro Transition Authority Parliament in session. Photo courtesy of the Bangsamoro Government

In a recent resolution, the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA), which governs the BARMM parliamentary government, expressed deep concern over the series of killings of Moros in the towns of Polomolok and Tupi, South Cotabato in the last two years.

Some of the killings victimized Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) members, including Ustadz Mohammad Taha Abdulgapor, a professor of the Mindanao State University-General Santos City campus and a secretary to the board of directors of the Bangsamoro Development Authority, the MILF’s development arm.


Abdulgapor was shot dead on May 26 in GenSan while driving on the way home to Polomolok town. His wife was wounded in the attack.

“There is an urgent and pressing need to address these serious issues of killings of MILF personalities and other Moro civilian constituents in Tupi and Polomolok towns… to bring the perpetrators to justice and to provide the general community of Moros in the area with sustainable peace and security and to uphold their rights to be provided protection by the government,” the resolution, obtained by MindaNews from the BARMM’s Bureau of Public Information Tuesday, stated.

Parliament members Aida Silongan and Mohagher Iqbal, who served as MILF chief peace negotiator, authored the resolution adopted by the collegial body on July 16.

The authors cited that under Republic Act 11054, popularly known as the Bangsamoro Organic Law, the national government shall ensure the protection of the rights of the Bangsamoro people residing in communities outside the Bangsamoro region and undertake programs for their rehabilitation and development

Earlier, the MILF’s Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (MILF-CCCH) raised the killings of Moros in South Cotabato province to the front’s Peace Implementing Panel for proper action.

Last May 8, the Koronadal Provincial Committee of the MILF said in report that the “Bangsamoro constituents in the municipalities of Tupi and Polomolok are now in the state of fear and terrifying condition due to the series of killings, PNP (Philippine National Police) operations, arrests, searches and seizures in the area since 2017. The killings are mostly perpetrated by riding in tandem believed to be organized with blessings from higher authorities.”

“The PNP in the area is justifying their move in the guise of running after lawless elements to include ‘ISIS’ and consider all Bangsamoro involved in any Moro political and social programs and activities as lawless elements or involved in drug-related activities,” it added.

The BARMM government can help them by knocking on the door of the South Cotabato provincial government, particularly the municipality of Polomolok, on this alarming situation, otherwise, the MILF in South Cotabato is left with no other option but to resist the killings to the extent of using similar force, the provincial committee stated.

Parliament Speaker Ali Pangalian Balindong called on concerned authorities to conduct an impartial and full-blown investigation on the series of Moro killings to bring the perpetrators to justice.

“[We] strongly recommend to the GPH and MILF Peace Implementing Panels to convene and institute peace mechanisms and sustainable security for the protection of Moros in the area, including their rights,” he added.

Days after the BTA passed the resolution, authorities conducted an operation before dawn Sunday, July 19, in Polomolok town that killed another Moro personality.

Lt. Col. Lino Capellan, Police Regional Office-12 spokesperson, said Ben Usman, alias Tons Usman, a resident of Purok 2, Brgy. Lapu, Polomolok town, was killed after he allegedly resisted the arresting officers.

He was a suspect in a 2018 bombing in GenSan and allegedly affiliated with the ISIS-aligned Ansar-al Khilafah Philippines, the official said.

Usman was slain a day after the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 took effect on July 18. (Bong S. Sarmiento / MindaNews)

Philippine Army sends additional security force to Ilocos Sur

From the Philippine Information Agency (Jul 21, 2020): Philippine Army sends additional security force to Ilocos Sur (By Joyah Mae C. Quimoyog)

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NARVACAN, Ilocos Sur, July 21 (PIA) - The Philippine Army sent the 70th Infantry Battalion (IB), a newly reactivated unit, to the Brigade Advance Command Post (ACP) at Barangay Sulvec here to be part of the Army's Internal Security Operations in Region 1.

The unit is under the control of the Army’s 702nd Infantry Brigade and a part of the two other combat battalions stationed in Ilocos Sur to confront the Komiteng Larangan Gerilya (KLG) South Ilocos Sur (SIS), a unit of the New People’s Army (NPA) operating in the province.

“The reactivated unit aims to help combat insurgency not just within the province but the entire area of responsibility of the 702nd Infantry Brigade, which includes Region 1, the whole province of Abra, and the municipalities of Besao and Tadian in Mountain Province,” said 702nd Infantry Brigade Commander Brigadier General Audrey Pasia.

The unit was a former Cadre Battalion supervising Citizen Armed Forces Geographical Unit (CAFGU) detachments, which was then transformed into a maneuver or combat battalion after it underwent a month-long training at Fort Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija.

During the unit’s send-off held at Fort Magsaysay, 7th Infantry Division Commander Major General Alfredo Rosario, Jr. reminded the troops that their mission is to protect the people and the communities of Ilocos Sur from NPA bandits.

He also expressed his confidence to the troops that they can hurdle the challenges they will encounter in working for the accomplishment of their mission.

Meanwhile, 70 IB Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel Eugene Garce assured that the 70 IB, as a unit, will work with peace stakeholders in Ilocos Sur for the attainment of its given mission.

Brigadier General Pasia added that the 702nd Infantry Brigade is confronting three KLGs – the KLG SIS in Ilocos Sur, KLG North Abra in Abra, and KLG AMPIS along the provincial tri-boundary of Abra-Mountain Province-Ilocos Sur.

He asked for the members of these NPA units to trust the government, through the initiatives of various elected leaders.

“It's not good that we, Filipinos, are fighting each other. Can't we trust our elected leaders, who are God ordained, to lead us? There's only one government, God ordained also, which we should all respect. If we want to change our leaders, let's all wait for 2022 when we will elect a new set of political leaders - that's how democracy works. Let's all give peace a chance, denounce the armed struggle which for more than 50 years has brought us down,” he said.

“Pilipino kayo (NPAs), Pilipino kami (sundalo). Walang magmamalasakit sa Pilipinas kundi tayong mga Pilipino! Walang tutulong sa Pilipino kundi kapwa Pilipino!” he added. (JCR/AMB/JMCQ/PIA Ilocos Sur)

Mayor, troops welcome NPA leader, fighter

From the Philippine Information Agency (Jul 21, 2020): Mayor, troops welcome NPA leader, fighter (By 2nd Infantry Division)

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CAMP CAPINPIN, Tanay, Rizal, July 21 — A ranking NPA terrorist together with a fighter under him turned their backs from armed struggle after meeting with the local peace engagement team led by the Mayor of Bansud, Oriental Mindoro on Saturday.

Per the military’s records,
both former rebels are listed as active members of the NPA’s Sub-Regional Military Area 4D who have operated in Palawan before shifting to the island provinces of Mindoro.

Col Jose Augusto Villareal, Commander of the 203rd Infantry Brigade which has operational jurisdiction over MIMARO provinces, identified the NPA leader as Janel Almahan alias Rekbi who was a Vice Squad Leader of Kilusang Larangang Gerilya ICM before he decided to rejoin mainstream society.


“As a gesture of his sincerity and good faith, he convinced Benji Lituan alias Egin, one of the fighters under him, to join him in surrendering after they got tired of evading our unrelenting focused military operations which was recently reinforced by additional forces coming from Region 4A”, said Col Villareal.

He is optimistic that “they are just the first of the massive exodus of their former comrades under alias Rekbi” whom they are confident will follow the former rebels’ path to peace after receiving validation that the government is sincere and committed in forging national healing and reconciliation through the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program or E-CLIP.

“Similar to the 319 other former rebels from Mindoro who have surfaced before them, we will assist them in their E-CLIP enrolment and we will help them reintegrate to mainstream society for them to live peaceful and prosperous lives with their families”, ended Col Villareal.

According to the military, a total of 604 former rebels turned over 114 firearms to government forces since E-CLIP’s “maiden implementation in Luzon and Visayas” was held on Aug 14, 2018 at Tanauan City, Batangas.

Major General Arnulfo Marcelo Burgos Jr, Commander of the Philippine Army’s 2nd Infantry Division, said that “this surrender is not just a clear indicator of the growing demoralisation among the ranks of the NPA terrorists but also a manifestation that Task Force ELCAC is really functioning at the municipal level considering that the negotiations was spearheaded by Mayor Rolando Morada.”

He added that “the declaration of the NPA terrorists as Persona non Grata in 485 barangays across the two Mindoros have greatly affected the enemies’ will to fight and denied them the space to evade our forces which led to decisive engagements which are now taking a heavy toll among the underground movement.”

Recent developments in the hinterlands of the province have seen military and police occupying what they believe is the headquarters of the Southern Tagalog Regional Party Committee which was forced to relocate to Mindoro Island after suffering unprecedented defeat in CALABARZON in recent years.

He assured the public that “President Duterte’s signing of the Anti-Terrorism Act has catapulted the government in a position where, today more than ever, we can finally put an end to local armed conflict which has been hampering our progress as a nation.”

Maj Gen Burgos ended his statement by reaffirming “my soldier's commitment and dedication in accomplishing our mandate as advocates of peace, servants of the people and defenders of Southern Tagalog."

The duo will be enrolled to the government’s Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program or E-CLIP which provides benefits up to Php 700,000 worth of grants and reintegration packages.

According to the Army’s 2nd Infantry Division, more than Php 16 million worth of grants have been distributed to E-CLIP-qualified former rebels since 2018.

Last Thursday, 83 NPA supporters from Norzagaray, Bulacan withdrew their support from the communist party during a ceremony at Malolos City which was jointly facilitated by 2ID and 7th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army and Bulacan Provincial Police Office.

The landmark event was presided by Bulacan Gov Daniel Fernando. (2ID PAO)

Soldiers dig NPA leader’s rifle, ammunition following tip

From the Philippine Information Agency (Jul 21, 2020): Soldiers dig NPA leader’s rifle, ammunition following tip (By 2nd Infantry Division)


CAMP CAPINPIN, Tanay, Rizal, July 21 — Soldiers recovered an M653 rifle with magazine and ammunition after a former rebel revealed the locationof an arms cache in Laguna on Saturday.

According to the military, the rifle buried in Brgy Cansuso of Cavinti town belongs to Dioscorro Cello alias Termo, the top NPA commander operating in the area.

Brigadier General Alex Rillera, Commander of the 202nd Infantry Brigade which has operational jurisdiction over CALABARZON, identified the former rebel who tipped the security forces about the cache as “alias Iting.”

“His cooperation is an off-shoot of the good treatment which he received from the soldiers and policemen who assisted him in reintegrating to mainstream society, something that is contrary to what the underground movement has been indoctrinating their fighters to keep them in the mountains”, said BGen Rillera.

BGen Rillera ended his statement by reassuring the NPA terrorists who will decide to return to the folds of the law that “they will be treated well and that their rights will be respected in accordance to prevailing international laws and conventions.”

Major General Arnulfo Marcelo Burgos Jr, Commander of the Philippine Army’s 2nd Infantry Division, expressed his optimism that locating and digging arms caches “will be the new normal in Southern Tagalog in the coming days as the 604 surrenders over the past two years begin to feel the government’s sincerity to promote national healing and unity so our country and people can finally move forward as a nation.”

Per the military’s records, 114 firearms have been turned-over to the government by former rebels since the E-CLIP’s maiden implementation in Luzon and Visayas at Tanauan City, Batangas was held on August 14, 2018.

He added the security forces, through the RTF ELCAC’s Peace, Law Enforcement and Development Support Cluster or PLEDS Cluster, have already defeated the NPA’s guerilla front that is operating in the provinces of Rizal and Quezon as well as in some parts of Bulacan.

“We are now in the final stages of validating Guerilla Front Cesar’s dismantling which is primarily due to our ability to deal decisive blows upon the armed group that led to the recovery of firearms, reduction of manpower and clearing of affected barangays”, said Maj Gen Burgos.

He ended his statement by assuring the people of Southern Tagalog that “your soldiers are gaining ground in defeating the NPA terrorists in this part of the country and that we are confident that we will be able to meet the timeline so that our people may finally live the peaceful and prosperous lives that every Filipino citizen truly deserves.”

Last July 14, 11 former rebels received almost Php 1 million-worth of E-CLIP benefits from USec Reynaldo Mapagu of DND’s Task Force Balik Loob.

More than Php 16 million-worth of E-CLIP benefits, which include firearms remuneration, have been distributed to former rebels from CALABARZON and MIMARO Provinces. (2ID PAO)

Tagalog News: Caraga RTF-ELCAC task force nagsagawa ng stakeholders forum

From the Philippine Information Agency (Jul 21, 2020): Tagalog News: Caraga RTF-ELCAC task force nagsagawa ng stakeholders forum (By Nora C. Lanuza)

LUNGSOD NG BUTUAN, Hulyo 21 (PIA) -- Sa kabila ng banta ng coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), patuloy pa rin sa pagbibigay ng iba’t ibang serbisyo ang mga myembro ng regional task force to end local communist armed conflict (RTF-ELCAC) para tugunan at matuldukan ang karahasang dulot ng Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-NPAs) sa rehiyon ng Caraga.

Isang stakeholders forum ang ginanap sa rehiyon sa pangunguna ng Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) upang muling mabisita at mareview ang mga tulong na naibigay sa local government units at ang mga priority projects, programs at activities na dapat ipatupad sa mga barangays na kabilang sa retooled community support program (RCSP) at para mabigyan ito ng kaukulang Aksyon at maipagpatuloy ang mga ito.

Sa ginawang pagtitipon, hinikayat ni DILG Caraga regional director Lilibeth Famacion ang mga myembro ng task force na pagtibayin ang mga hakbang para tuluyang makamit ang katahimikan at ang pag-unlad ng rehiyon lalo na't may pandemya.

Inilatag din ni Major Francisco Garello, Jr., ang civil military operations officer ng 402 Infantry Brigade, Philippine Army ang iba’t ibang proyektong kabilang sa RCSP.

Nagsumite din at nakibahagi sa workshop ang mga kinauukulang ahensya ng gobyerno ng kanilang mga proposed programs, projects at activities na pwedeng ipatupad sa conflict-affected barangays ng rehiyon .

Kabilang dito ang Department of Public Works and Highways, Department of Agriculture, TESDA, Department of Social Welfare and Development, BFAR, Philippine Army at ipa pang kasapi ng task force. (NCL/PIA Caraga)

RTF-ELCAC holds stakeholders forum, reviews PPAs in villages under retooled

From the Philippine Information Agency (Jul 21, 2020): RTF-ELCAC holds stakeholders forum, reviews PPAs in villages under retooled CSP (By Jennifer P. Gaitano)

BUTUAN CITY, July 21 (PIA) - The members of the Regional Task Force To End Local Communist Armed Conflict (RTF-ELCAC) in Caraga region continue to address the pressing issue on insurgency and intensify campaign against the terrorist Communist Party of the Philippines - New People’s Army (CPP-NPA).

This effort continues even amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, where the government ensures the safety and protection of its people.

A stakeholders forum was initiated by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Caraga with the aim to visit and review the assistance extended by the local government units, as well as the priority projects, programs and activities which are lined up for implementation in the barangays under the retooled community support program that need immediate action and response.

In the said forum, DILG-Caraga regional director Lilibeth Famacion urged all the members of the task force to strengthen its strategies and mechanism in solving the problem on insurgency in order to fully attain lasting peace and development in the region despite the ongoing threat posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Major Francisco Garello, Jr., the civil-military operations officer of the 402 Infantry Brigade, Philippine Army also presented the different projects under the Community Support Program (CSP).

Meanwhile, concerned government agencies also took part in the workshop and shared their proposed programs, projects, and activities that could be implemented in the conflict-affected barangays of Caraga region.

These include the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Department of Agriculture (DA), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), Philippine Army and other members of the task force. (JPG/PIA-Caraga)

https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1048123

HAPPY VILLE: Former rebels home away from home

From the Philippine Information Agency (Jul 21, 2020): HAPPY VILLE: Former rebels home away from home (By 95th Infantry Salaknib Battalion)

The 95th Salaknib Battalion, based in San Mariano, Isabela is known to have an increasing number of NPA-surrenderees. Currently, there are 54 Former Rebels together with their families accommodated in the battalion's headquarters.



This number does not include those who were already integrated to the mainstream society. It is, therefore, deemed necessary to provide those who were left behind with a decent and comfortable accommodation the unit can offer.

Infact, every Salaknib trooper has made a great contribution for the establishment of the HAPPY VILLE, a small village composed of two housing facilities with a kitchen and a bathroom.

It also has a backyard garden that the former rebels personally cultivated and a pool table that serves as a recreational facility.

Indeed, the Happy Ville symbolizes hope and happiness in the mainstream society away from the former rebels' life with the NPAs which is full of hatred and animosity.

Living in this village will let them realize that the government loves, cares, secures and prioritizes their welfare.

The Salaknib Battalion assures these former rebels that the Happy Ville will always be their home away from home. This village welcomes all former rebels and those who will decide to choose the road of peace. (ALM/PIA-2)

Tagalog News: Caraga RTF-ELCAC task force nagsagawa ng stakeholders forum

From the Philippine Information Agency (Jul 21, 2020): Tagalog News: Caraga RTF-ELCAC task force nagsagawa ng stakeholders forum (By Nora C. Lanuza)

LUNGSOD NG BUTUAN, Hulyo 21 (PIA) -- Sa kabila ng banta ng coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), patuloy pa rin sa pagbibigay ng iba’t ibang serbisyo ang mga myembro ng regional task force to end local communist armed conflict (RTF-ELCAC) para tugunan at matuldukan ang karahasang dulot ng Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-NPAs) sa rehiyon ng Caraga.

Isang stakeholders forum ang ginanap sa rehiyon sa pangunguna ng Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) upang muling mabisita at mareview ang mga tulong na naibigay sa local government units at ang mga priority projects, programs at activities na dapat ipatupad sa mga barangays na kabilang sa retooled community support program (RCSP) at para mabigyan ito ng kaukulang Aksyon at maipagpatuloy ang mga ito.

Sa ginawang pagtitipon, hinikayat ni DILG Caraga regional director Lilibeth Famacion ang mga myembro ng task force na pagtibayin ang mga hakbang para tuluyang makamit ang katahimikan at ang pag-unlad ng rehiyon lalo na't may pandemya.

Inilatag din ni Major Francisco Garello, Jr., ang civil military operations officer ng 402 Infantry Brigade, Philippine Army ang iba’t ibang proyektong kabilang sa RCSP.

Nagsumite din at nakibahagi sa workshop ang mga kinauukulang ahensya ng gobyerno ng kanilang mga proposed programs, projects at activities na pwedeng ipatupad sa conflict-affected barangays ng rehiyon .

Kabilang dito ang Department of Public Works and Highways, Department of Agriculture, TESDA, Department of Social Welfare and Development, BFAR, Philippine Army at ipa pang kasapi ng task force. (NCL/PIA Caraga)

RTF-ELCAC holds stakeholders forum, reviews PPAs in villages under retooled CSP

From the Philippine Information Agency (Jul 21, 2020): RTF-ELCAC holds stakeholders forum, reviews PPAs in villages under retooled CSP (By Jennifer P. Gaitano)

BUTUAN CITY, July 21 (PIA) - The members of the Regional Task Force To End Local Communist Armed Conflict (RTF-ELCAC) in Caraga region continue to address the pressing issue on insurgency and intensify campaign against the terrorist Communist Party of the Philippines - New People’s Army (CPP-NPA).

This effort continues even amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, where the government ensures the safety and protection of its people.

A stakeholders forum was initiated by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Caraga with the aim to visit and review the assistance extended by the local government units, as well as the priority projects, programs and activities which are lined up for implementation in the barangays under the retooled community support program that need immediate action and response.

In the said forum, DILG-Caraga regional director Lilibeth Famacion urged all the members of the task force to strengthen its strategies and mechanism in solving the problem on insurgency in order to fully attain lasting peace and development in the region despite the ongoing threat posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Major Francisco Garello, Jr., the civil-military operations officer of the 402 Infantry Brigade, Philippine Army also presented the different projects under the Community Support Program (CSP).

Meanwhile, concerned government agencies also took part in the workshop and shared their proposed programs, projects, and activities that could be implemented in the conflict-affected barangays of Caraga region.

These include the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Department of Agriculture (DA), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), Philippine Army and other members of the task force. (JPG/PIA-Caraga)

https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1048123

Former rebels in Samar town are now peace builders

From the Philippine Information Agency (Jul 21, 2020): Former rebels in Samar town are now peace builders (By Golda Meir T. Tabao)

CATBALOGAN CITY, July 21 (PIA) -- The former rebels (FRs) of Matuguinao, Samar are now peace builders of the said town as they participated in a round table discussion with the Samar Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (TF-ELCAC).

The discussion centered on the joint efforts of the government and the FRs in addressing the insurgency problems in Matuguinao.

Lt. Col. Jasper Pecson, Batallion Commander of the 19IB, Philippine Army, said the ELCAC aims to create long lasting peace not just in Matuguinao but all over the country.

“No amount of money can compare to the joy of having a peaceful community, and living a normal situation where one can engage freely in the community,” Pecson said.

Ms. Alma Austero, Provincial Social Welfare and Development Officer, discussed to the FRs the benefits of their surrender under the E-CLIP Program as well as the Local Social Integration Program of the provincial government.

Mr. Vicente Candido of the Department of Trade and Industry in Samar also discussed what their office can offer in terms of livelihood assistance and the raw materials available in the area that are possibly viable for business.

On the other hand, even if the former rebels have already left their old ways, they are still haunted by the thought that they are now the targets of the communist group.


An FR expressed his fears knowing that at anytime, those active members of the NPA may haunt and harm them as a consequence of their surrender.
One FR expressed his fear and sought for an advice, knowing the possibility of NPAs threatening or even killing them.

Pecson advised to immediately report any suspicious instances as the military forces will do their best to protect them.

Another former rebel, resentful of his decision in joining the communist armed group, expressed his interest to join the military service.

“I am now enrolled at the Alternative Learning System (ALS), if I graduate from this program, can I still become a soldier even if I was then a part of the rebel group?” he asked.

Pecson encouraged him to continue his education and even take up skills training from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), then join the military once there is a special enlistment, considering that he is already beyond the age requirement.

“If the opportunity comes and you get to study, even if life is hard, seize it,” Pecson said, as he encouraged the others to enroll, too.

It was found out that most, if not all, of the former rebels have no birth certificate to which the panel from the Local Peace Engagement (LPE) Cluster said that this concern will be raised to the Local Civil Registrar.

Ms. Golda Meir Tabao of the Philippine Information Agency - Samar explained the importance of Birth Certificate in education, employment and in availing of the different services under ELCAC, such as Philhealth insurance.


PIA Samar Manager, Golda Meir Tabao, shares why a birth certificate is an important document and how this will help the former rebels in availing the different programs of the government.

The former rebels also expressed their interest in the different skills trainings available from TESDA. Among their interests include small engine mechanic and barbering.

The Local Peace Engagement Cluster is set to have another round of discussion with the peace builders to further identify the basic services immediately needed for them. (LDL/GMT/PIA-Samar)

https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1048252

Laak declares CPP-NPA, allied groups persona non grata

From the Philippine Information Agency (Jul 21, 2020): Laak declares CPP-NPA, allied groups persona non grata (By Michael Uy)


A peace rally in Laak, participants declared the CPP-NPA persona-non-grata in the town.

DAVAO DE ORO, July 20 (PIA) - - With more than 1,000 participants, the Municipality of Laak declared as persona non grata, the Communist Party of the Philippines – New People’s Army (NPA) and their allied groups.

The declaration was part of the culmination activities of the four-day Peace Building Seminar attended by the around 700 former NPA members supporters, July 15-18.

The number grew during the culmination program as officials and residents from the 56 barangays of Laak, including special barangays, also graced the event to show their support.

During the peace rally, the participants burned the flags of the CPP-NPA, and the effigy of its founder Joma Sison.

Ka Joan (not real name), a former rebel, questioned the statement of the communist armed group that they are the soldiers of the masses, as the NPA killed her husband, who disbanded from the movement.

“Asa man ang gipasalig nila sa una nga kuno motabang sila sa kabus, nga sundalo sila sa kabus? Nganong ila mang gipatay ang akong bana? Tungod lang ba kay dili na nila mapuslan? Mao ba nay gi-ingon nila na pantay-pantay daw?,” she exclaimed. (Where are their promises that they will help the poor, that they are soldiers of the masses? Why did they kill my husband? Is it because he is already of no use for them? Is this what they call equality?)

Ka Joan and her husband entered the CPP-NPA in 2015 due to fear of the movement. They decided to quit in 2017 because they realized that communist group never brought any development in their community.

After their surrender, her husband became a Bagani in their village. Even with their children opposing his being a Bagani, Ka Joan recalled that his husband said, “mas lami daw pamangalandungon nga mamatay siya sa goberno kaysa mamatay siya didtoa sa mga NPA.” (it is better to reflect that he will die for the government than to die there for the NPA.)

She encouraged her fellow wives not to be deceived by the lies of the NPA; for them, not to lose their husbands like her.

“Kamong mga asawa, ayaw gyud mog pailad kay basig maparehas mo nako na wala nay bana. Wala nay katimbang para sa among mga anak. Mao nang gi-inganyo ta mo nga dili na magpailad.”

She also encouraged them to instead trust the government.

“Diri ta sa goberno kay ang goberno daghag gihatag kanato. Gitagaan tag pabahay. Gitagaan tag 4Ps. Naa pay kalsada. Naay project sa atong barangay. Ang sa NPA naa ba? Biskag isa kabuok, wala!”

Laak Mayor Antonio Libuangan is hopeful that with the commitment shown by the participants, there will be peace and order in their town.

“Dili lalim inyong gi-antos karon. Gikan sa lagyo na barangay apan naa gyud kamo, naghatag gyud og panahon, nagasto gyud ug pamasahe. Tungod niini, ang atong pinalanggang lungsod sa laak makabot na unya ang kahapsay ug kalinaw.”

He also challenged the participants that it is their responsibilities as to who are the persons that they will allow to enter their communities.

“Sa tinuod lang, wala gyoy motungtung na laing grupo (NPA) sa atong barangay kung di ta magpasulod,” he stressed. (PIA11, Michael Uy)

https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1048249

Public warned vs. NPA online drive during health crisis

From the Philippine News Agency (Jul 21, 2020): Public warned vs. NPA online drive during health crisis (By Sarwell Meniano)



ANTI-NPA RALLY. Residents of Las Navas stage-ing a protest against the New People's Army in this undated photo. The Regional Task Force on Ending Local Communist Armed Conflict in Eastern Visayas on Monday (July 20, 2020) warns against the online propaganda campaign and recruitment of the communist terrorist group during the ongoing health crisis. (Photo courtesy of Philippine Army 20th Infantry Battalion)

The Regional Task Force on Ending Local Communist Armed Conflict (RTF-ELCAC) in Eastern Visayas has warned against the online propaganda campaign and recruitment of the communist terrorist group during the health crisis.

National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) Regional Director Eustacio Bacabac said Monday afternoon that movement restrictions due to pandemic prompted the Communist Party of the Philippines–New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) to use the online platforms targeting students.

“There are efforts to recruit new members by exploiting issues such as the deployment of police and soldiers in checkpoints, mass testing, unfair distribution of cash aid, the passage of Anti-Terrorism Law and release of political prisoners,” Bacabac said in a press briefing at the Department of the Interior and Local Government regional office here.

He told reporters the CPP-NPA and their front organizations consider the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) crisis as a “great opportunity” to rally the people against the government.


The official said insurgents resorted to other tactics as the health crisis hindered their regular recruitment efforts, organizing and mobilizing activities, as well as raising funds for logistics.

Among the left-leaning groups active in social media recruitment are the League of Filipino Students and Kabataan Partylist, said Bacabac, also the head of the RTF-ELCAC situational awareness knowledge management cluster.

“A whole-of-government approach is necessary for increasing public awareness on the lies and the deceit employed by the CPP-NPA to sway its people to support an armed struggle. They are taking advantage of the unfavorable economic condition to fan discontent against the government and to entice recruits to join their ranks,” Bacabac added.

The NICA official has asked task force members and journalists to help the government counter these strategies by spreading the truth using social media accounts.

Established in 1971 to 1973, the CPP-NPA’s Eastern Visayas Regional Party Community has collapsed from 1993 to 2014 due to the massive drive of the government to eliminate insurgents. The collapse prompted rebels to recruit new members starting in 2015, Bacabac said in his presentation during the press briefing.

As of mid-2020, the NPA in Eastern Visayas has 384 fighters with 363 firearms, influencing 162 villages, a small fraction of the 4,390 villages in the region’s six provinces.

Affected villages are in Bobon, Catarman, Lope de Vega, Pambujan, Silvino Lobos, Las Navas, Palapag, Gamay, and Lapinig in Northern Samar; Jipapad, Arteche, San Policarpo, Oras, San Julian, Gen. Macarthur, Llorente, Borongan City, Giporlos and Balangiga in Eastern Samar; Hinabangan, Calbiga, Pinabacdao, Villareal, Basey and Marabut in Samar; and Mahaplag and Abuyog in Leyte, the same presentation showed.


From January to July 2020, the communist terrorist group launched violent activities such as burning the body of a soldier, shooting and abduction of former rebels, extortion of relief goods, and planting of landmines.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1109580

Female NPA rebel killed in Surigao Norte clash

From the Philippine News Agency (Jul 21, 2020): Female NPA rebel killed in Surigao Norte clash (By Alexander Lopez)



NPA CASUALTY. The body of an unidentified female member of the communist New People’s Army is abandoned by her comrades following an encounter with government troops on Monday (July 20, 2020) in the hinterlands of Barangay Camp Edward, Alegria, Surigao del Norte. Army officials called on the remaining rebels to surrender and avail of the government's livelihood program for rebel returnees. (Photo courtesy of 30IB)

A female New People’s Army (NPA) rebel was killed during the 30-minute encounter with government troops in the Surigao del Norte town of Alegria on Monday, an Army official said.

Lt. Col. Ryan Charles G. Gallanta, commander of the Army's 30th Infantry Battalion (30IB), said
the firefight broke out in Barangay Camp Edward, Alegria, as government troops were on a security patrol following civilian reports on the presence of NPA rebels who were allegedly extorting money from villagers early Monday morning.

In a statement Tuesday, Gallanta said the rebels are believed to be part of the Guerrilla Front-16 of the NPA's Northeastern Mindanao Regional Committee.

The NPA had yet to be identified, he said, adding two soldiers were slightly wounded during the firefight.


Gallanta said government troops recovered from the encounter site three AK 47 rifles, a Spike Tactical M16 rifle with scope, five improvised explosive devices, three C5 and two C4 explosives, assorted medical supplies, high-value subversive documents and personal belongings of the rebels.

“The lives of our soldiers are always at stake, but it is our job to protect the communities from terrorist abuse,” Gallanta said, as he expressed gratitude to the villagers for providing the Army with "real-time information" on the rebels' presence.

"Our sincere condolences to the bereaved family of the female NPA who was killed during the armed engagement. Another life is lost fighting for this failed ideology of the Communist NPA Terrorists (CNTs),” the Army official said.

He also urged the remaining NPA rebels in the area to lay down their arms, return to the fold of the law, and avail of the government's reintegration program.

In a separate statement Tuesday, Col. George L. Banzon, Army's 901st Infantry Brigade commander, also thanked the villagers "who provided us with accurate information to prevent the communist terrorist group (CTG) from their terroristic activities"

Banzon said the residents in rebel-infested areas are "are already fed up with the wrongdoings of the NPA rebels."

“Our operation will continue and we will not stop in our quest to ensure the safety and security of the communities that are terrorized by these CTGs,” Banzon said.

The NPA is listed as terrorist organization by the United States, European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1109556

Army seizes explosives, food supply from Reds in Sorsogon

From the Philippine News Agency (Jul 21, 2020): Army seizes explosives, food supply from Reds in Sorsogon (By Connie Calipay)


Image from 9th Infantry Division

Army operations in Barangay Calpi, Bulan, Sorsogon resulted in two encounters with members of the New People’s Army (NPA) and seizure of explosives and food from the communist rebels.

Capt. John Paul Belleza, 9th Infantry Division spokesperson, in an interview on Tuesday, said the first encounter that lasted for 30 minutes occurred when Army troopers responded to a report from residents that a group of communist NPA terrorists (CNTs) was lingering in the outskirts of the village.


“Two hours later, reinforcing troops received another tip-off from the concerned citizens which triggered another encounter with the escaping CNTs,” he said.

Belleza said the terrorists were believed to be members of Larangan 2, Komiteng Probinsya 3 of the Bicol Regional Party Committee (BRPC) who, accordingly, were planning to disrupt the Community Support Program (CSP) peace initiatives in the said area.
“Troopers seized three anti-personnel mines, electrical wires, food supplies and other CNTs' belongings from the encounter sites,” he added.

Meanwhile, Joint Task Force Bicolandia (JTFB) commander Maj. Gen. Henry Robinson Jr. said the Army in Bicol will continue to enforce more stringent measures to protect the communities against the communist terrorists.

“To further prevent any terroristic acts which hamper government efforts to uplift the people’s welfare through community development, we will continue to enforce measures and preempt any unlawful activities,” he added.

Robinson added that the CSP Team is conducting immersion activities in the communities to know the needs of the residents and to bring these to the government for appropriate actions.

“But the CTG’s terrorism disrupts this operation, thereby delaying the delivery of needed services to the local populace. We will not allow this. Our intensified operations are meant to go after these terrorists, encourage them to return to the folds of the law and totally eradicate the insurgency in Bicol,” he added.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1109581

Army donates 50 mobile phones to Cotabato City public school

From the Philippine News Agency (Jul 21, 2020): Army donates 50 mobile phones to Cotabato City public school (By Edwin Fernandez)



AID TO STUDENTS. Lt. Col. Rogelio Gabi, the Army’s 40th Infantry Battalion commander, signs the deed of donation for 50 mobile phones to students of the Cotabato City National High School-Annex in Cotabato City on Monday (July 20, 2020) as CCNHS -Annex school headteacher Janette Gaudiano looks on. The phones will be used by students who do not have the means to buy one in their online classes under the 'new normal' mode of learning. (Photo courtesy of 40IB)

Troops under the Army’s 40th Infantry Battalion (IB) have joined the efforts in helping public schools adapt to the “new normal” mode of teaching, donating 50 cellular phones to a public school here Monday.

Lt. Col.Rogelio Gabi, the 40IB commander
, turned the mobile phones over to the administrators of the Cotabato City National High School (CCNHS)-Annex at Don E. Sero.

The donation was part of the school’s activity dubbed “Project CP para sa Radyo is Cool may pang-TXT blast pa!”


Janette Gaudiano, the CCNHS-Annex headteacher, said the project will benefit students who have been identified by teachers who do not have the means to own a mobile phone.

"As part of the 40IB, I am extending my gratitude to the CCNHS for providing us the opportunity to share whatever blessings that we have so that the students will continue to study diligently despite the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic,” Gabi said.

Gabi hoped the mobile phones can encourage students to pursue their education despite the pandemic.

Gaudiano thanked the 40IB for the donation, saying "the mobile phones will facilitate student learning without actually going to school because of the pandemic.”

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1109588

Gov't troops, NPA rebels clash in Zambo Norte town

From the Philippine News Agency (Jul 21, 2020): Gov't troops, NPA rebels clash in Zambo Norte town (By Leah Agonoy)



RECOVERED. Government troops clashed with communist New People's Army Monday (July 20, 2020) in Barangay Pange, Siayan, Zamboanga del Norte. The troops recovered a rifle, several rounds of ammunition, personal belongings, propaganda materials, and a rebel flag from the rebel lair following a 10-minute firefight. (Photo courtesy of the Army's 53rd Infantry Battalion)

Government troops recovered war and propaganda materials from a lair of the communist New People’s Army (NPA) following a 10-minute firefight in the Zamboanga del Norte town of Siayan, officials said Tuesday.

Lt. Col. Jo-ar Herrera, commander of the Army's 53rd Infantry Battalion, said
Monday's clash erupted while the troops were on combat operation in Barangay Pange, Siayan.


No casualty was reported on both sides.

Herrera said the troops recovered an M-16 Armalite rifle with several rounds of ammunition, medical supplies, personal belongings, and propaganda materials, including an NPA flag.

“We will not stop in doing two things: first, in pursuing the enemy who disrupts peace in Siayan and second, giving chance and opportunity to the NPAs to return to the folds of the law,” Herrera said.

Col. Leonel Nicolas, commander of the Army's 102nd Infantry Brigade, said they will continue to deploy troops to bring peace in Siayan.

“The brigade will continuously pressure the NPAs operating in the region to induce them to lay down their arms and eventually promote peace and development,” Nicolas said.

Maj. Gen. Generoso Ponio, commander of the 1st Infantry Division, called on the rebels to surrender and avail of the "programs and initiatives of the government, including the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (ECLIP)."

"It is not yet too late to start a new life in peace and violence-free,” Ponio said.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1109615

NPA hit for using tribal villagers as shield in Surigao Sur

From the Philippine News Agency (Jul 21, 2020): NPA hit for using tribal villagers as shield in Surigao Sur (By Alexander Lopez)



RECOVERED. Government troops under the Army's 3rd Special Forces Battalion recover high-power firearms, ammunition, and other war materials following an encounter with the communist New People’s Army on Monday (July 20, 2020) in Sitio Panukmuran, Barangay Diatagon, Lianga, Surigao del Sur. The Army condemned the NPA for using human shields as they withdrew from the encounter site. (Photo courtesy of 3SFBn)

The Philippine Army and the tribal leaders in the Surigao del Sur town of Lianga have condemned the communist New People’s Army (NPA) for using as a shield an entire community of Indigenous Peoples (IPs) following an encounter in Sitio Panukmuran, Barangay Diatagon on Monday.

Lt. Col. Joel Baybayan, the commander of 3SFBn, said the encounter was the result of a continuing security operation in response to the NPA's threat to destroy the newly-constructed Department of Education (DepEd) IP school and harassed tribal communities in the area.

“There was a 10-minute encounter but NPA terrorists immediately fled and mixed with the IP community to evade government forces that caused alarm and chaos on civilians,” Baybayan said in a statement on Tuesday.

Baybayan said the NPA rebels involved in the clash belong to the "weakened" Guerrilla Front 19 of the rebels' North Eastern Mindanao Regional Committee (NEMRC).


“Our troopers were forced to position in a distance as the IPs were in commotion when the Communist NPA Terrorists (CNTs) entered the community to shield (themselves from government forces). People were scared, especially the children,” Baybayan said.

Baybayan condemned the rebels for using the tribe members as human shield.

In a separate interview Tuesday, 1Lt. Krisjuper Andreo Punsalan, 3SFBn civil-miitary operations officer, said at least 39 families in Sitio Panukmuran were forced to temporarily settle in nearby areas when the NPA rebels entered their community after the encounter.

“The families are now safe as the local government unit (LGU) of Lianga, together with the Indigenous People Mandatory Representative (IPMR) and the tribal chieftain of Lianga immediately assisted the families by providing them food and other basic needs,” Punsalan told the Philippine News Agency.

“We were not able to continue our pursuit operation after the firefight because of the danger considering that the CNTs were able to mix with the civilians who were also in chaos at that time,” Punsalan said.

He said the Army recovered from the encounter site several high-power firearms, ammunition, mobile phones, medical supplies, and other belongings of the rebels.

Punsalan said pursuit operation immediately resumed after the NPA rebels left the community and after determining that the civilians were already safe.

In the same statement, Hawudon Jumar Bucales, the tribal representative to the Lianga municipal council, lambasted the NPA for putting the lives of Manobo civilians in danger.

“We call on the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHCR), the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), and International Committee on the Red Cross (ICRC) and other rights groups to condemn in the highest terms and take action against CNTs who use the IP community as human shields,” Bucales said.

He pointed out that for years, the NPA rebels have been infiltrating IP communities, exploiting tribesmen, and forcing them to join the communist movement.

“Unknown to the international arena and self-proclaimed rights advocates, communist NPA terrorists infiltrates the IP communities to force the tribe to become members of their underground mass organizations, politico-military structure and eventually, party members of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and National Democratic Front (NDF) in order to sustain the NPA terrorists in the far-flung sitios,” Bucales said.

He also expressed hope on the passage on the Anti-Terror Act of 2020 would boost the government campaign to end terrorism and the local communist armed conflicts.

Bucales, together with Datu Ric Maca, the IPMR of San Miguel town, also condemned the NPA and their front organizations last week for "spreading lies" against the Army in Surigao del Sur.

The CPP-NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1109639

Anti-terrorism law fears unfounded: DND chief

From the Philippine News Agency (Jul 21, 2020): Anti-terrorism law fears unfounded: DND chief (By Priam Nepomuceno)



Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana (File photo)

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Monday said fears that the newly-enacted Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 (Republic Act 11479) is unconstitutional and could trample on people's rights are unfounded.

"We maintain that the fears of these petitioners are unfounded. But we leave the final determination to the SC (Supreme Court) if it is constitutional or not," Lorenzana said in a message to reporters Monday.

The law, which gives more teeth to the government’s fight against terrorism and violent extremism, has been questioned by critics, including several petitions before the SC.

While it took effect last July 18, Lorenzana said they would wait for the implementing rules and regulations (IRR), to be crafted by the Anti-Terrorism Council and the Department of Justice, before the law can be implemented.

Meantime, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief-of-staff, Gen. Felimon Santos, said petitioners have all the right to go to the courts.

"It is up to SC now to evaluate but we believe that there is nothing in the law that will defeat the people's rights," he said in a statement Monday.

Santos said that only the people involved in terrorism have reason to fear the new law.

"Only those who are in the business of committing terrorist acts as contained in the law should be afraid. Law-abiding citizens should not," he added.

It seeks the detention of suspected terrorists for up to 24 days sans a warrant of arrest.

Earlier, Senator Panfilo Lacson, author of the measure, credited President Rodrigo Duterte for his strong political will in signing the “landmark legislation” that seeks to boost the country’s drive against terrorism.

It also allows a 60-day surveillance with an allowable 30-day extension that can be conducted by the police or the military against suspected terrorists.

The law also imposes a 12-year jail term on a person who voluntarily or knowingly joins a terrorist organization.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1109553

Army launches program to avert food shortage in camps

From the Manila Bulletin (Jul 21, 2020): Army launches program to avert food shortage in camps (By Martin Sadongdong)

The Philippine Army has launched “Army Green Camp,” a program meant to ensure food sufficiency in military camps amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

PHILIPPINE ARMY FACEBOOK / MANILA BULLETIN

Army vice commander Major General Reynaldo Aquino spearheaded the launch at the Army Headquarters in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City on Monday.

Aquino said the program aims to support the government’s effort in addressing the socio-economic impact of COVID-19 in the country.

It also seeks to renew the interest of communities in food self-sufficiency and provide livelihood for those involved.

The Army initiated the program in partnership with the Department of Agriculture (DA) and Tarlac Heritage Foundation. Among its components are the Urban Aquaponics and “Hardin ng Lunas.”

Urban aquaponics is a technology which combines the concepts of aquaculture and hydroponics to allow fishes and vegetables to grow together in an integrated system.

Meanwhile, the Hardin ng Lunas is a project where soldiers are allowed to plant trees and crops in idle land in military camps for their consumption and to contribute to the country’s vegetable supply. It was first implemented in September 2019 in Camp O’Donnell, Tarlac.

“All Army camps nationwide are currently maintaining model farms towards a transformative and sustainable approach to self-sufficiency which is essential to mitigate food shortage,” Aquino said.

He added that the Army Green Camp Program shall be implemented nationwide.

The military has been active in pushing for programs that promote food sufficiency as the country deals with the raging COVID-19, which has forced the closure of thousands of businesses and loss of millions of jobs.

In May, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) tapped the Department of Agriculture to conduct a whole day introductory seminar on urban farming at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City as part of the “Ahon Lahat, Pagkaing Sapat Kontra COVID-19 Program” (ALPAS SA COVID-19).

The program sought to promote and support food production in urban areas by educating soldiers and their dependents living inside Camp Aguinaldo on the different types of urban farming.

In April, the Army had said that two hectares of idle land at the vast military reservation of Camp Capinpin in Tanay, Rizal will be converted into farmland.

https://mb.com.ph/2020/07/21/army-launches-program-to-avert-food-shortage-in-camps/

U.S. Response To China’s Aggression In The South China Sea Is A Dangerous Business

Posted to The Federalist (Jul 20, 2020): U.S. Response To China’s Aggression In The South China Sea Is A Dangerous Business (By Helen Raleigh)

The United States has finally taken on a tougher and more directly confrontational approach to curbing China's growing ambitions in the South China Sea.

When Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declared a significant U.S. foreign policy shift in the South China Sea on July 13, it stirred up both hope and fear in the region. The South China Sea is a geographically strategic body of water in Southeast Asia, surrounded by several countries that include China, Vietnam, and the Philippines.

At the heart of the South China Sea dispute is the “nine-dash line,” a virtual boundary Beijing created that encircles nearly 90 percent of the contested waters. The line stretches as far as 1,200 miles from mainland China to within 100 miles off the coasts of the Philippines, Malaysia, and Vietnam. Beijing maintains it owns any land or features contained within the line as part of its vaguely defined “historical maritime rights.”

Neighboring countries, however, reject Beijing’s claims in the region and believe they have competing historical rights. They maintain these rights are backed by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which states a nation has sovereignty over waters extending 12 nautical miles from its land and exclusive control over economic activities 200 nautical miles out. China is a signatory of this treaty.

Between the 1970s to the mid-’80s, Vietnam lost control of Paracels Island to China after fighting two wars. In 1996, the Chinese navy engaged in a battle with the Philippine navy near Capones Island in the Mischief Reef, one of the Spratly Islands still claimed by Manila. Today, China claims almost the entirety of the Spratly Islands territory as its own.

The Value of the South China Sea

The disputes between China and its neighboring Asian countries are about economic rights as much as they are about who has the rightful historical claim. It is estimated that the South China Sea region is rich with deposits of oil, gas, and minerals. Some estimate the region contains between 11 to 22 billion barrels of oil, 190-290 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, and accounts for 10 percent of the world’s fisheries. Furthermore, the area is one of the busiest trading routes and provides food and a way of living for millions of people.

The trade route through the South China Sea is critical to economies in Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea, but especially to China. As pointed out by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank, about $3.4 trillion worth of global trade, as well as a third of global shipping, passes through the South China Sea area.

“As the second-largest economy in the world with over 60 percent of its trade in value traveling by sea,” CSIS notes, “China’s economic security is closely tied to the South China Sea.” So China’s dependency on natural resources and trade amplifies the geographic importance of the South China Sea.

In 2010, China’s foreign minister told his counterparts that “China is a big country and other countries are small countries and that is just a fact.” In other words, Beijing views international affairs as the law of the jungle — might makes right.

China’s smaller neighbors began to suffer Beijing’s relentless bullying. In 2011, a Chinese surveillance ship forced a Philippine ship conducting surveys in the Reed Bank. Later that year, Vietnam alleged that Chinese ships harassed its oil exploration ships in the South China Sea.

After Xi Jinping became Communist China’s supreme leader, China started land reclamation efforts in the South China Sea in 2013, a move Xi believes necessary to expand China’s strategic interests and help turn the nation into a maritime power. China gradually tightened its grasp over the region while evaluating reaction from the United States.

Failing to Check China’s Ambitions

When it became clear that U.S. President Barack Obama, wouldn’t take proactive measures to push back, Beijing ramped up its island-building activities. Even Obama’s defense secretary, Ash Carter, criticized that Obama’s soft approach toward China gave the communist regime a rare strategic opening for its fanatic island-building schemes.

In 2013, the Philippines filed an arbitration case under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea over China’s claims of sovereignty to the Spratly Islands and Scarborough Shoal. Beijing arrogantly rejected the merit of the Philippines’s case and refused to participate in any legal proceedings.

While the Obama administration was idly standing by — to the great annoyance and alarm of its Southeast Asian neighbors — China was able to reclaim more than 3,200 acres of land in the South China Sea. By 2015, it was too late for the United States to effectively intervene to stop China’s expansion in the South China Sea.

Indeed, China insisted its land reclamation efforts were for peaceful purposes, such as fishing and energy exploration, and promised to commit to “non-militarization” of the territory in question. Satellite images, however, show there is an abundance of runways, ports, aircraft hangars, radars, sensor equipment, and military buildings on these man-made islands.

In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague ruled that “there was no legal basis for China to claim historic rights to resources within the sea areas falling within its ‘nine-dash line’ — an area encompassing the vast majority of the South China Sea.” The court stated that China’s island build-up was not only unlawful, but a blatant violation of the economic rights of the Philippines, and that it “caused severe environmental harm to reefs in the chain.”

Infuriated with the ruling, Beijing chose to simply ignore it, pressing forward with more island constructions and militarization. While the United States kept sending Navy ships through the South China Sea to maintain freedom of navigation, the official U.S. policy in the South China Sea had always been to remain neutral to all sides. With no country powerful enough to enforce the UN ruling, the policy became a meaningless piece of paper.

Now, even amid the COVID-19 pandemic, China is continuing its aggression in the South China Sea. On April 3, 2020, a Chinese coast guard ship collided with a Vietnamese fishing boat near the Paracel Islands and captured the boat’s eight crew members and two additional fishing boats that came to its rescue. Beijing blamed the Vietnamese fishing boat for intruding into China’s territory and causing the incident.

In truth, the Vietnamese were fishing in their own internationally recognized exclusive economic zone. Chinese coast guard ships and fishing boats, however, frequently travel illegally inside the exclusive economic zones of other countries in the South China Sea, often harassing fishermen and oil drilling operations

Resisting Further Aggression

Shortly after this incident, a Chinese government-owned scientific exploration ship, protected by heavily guarded coast guard vessels, was reportedly surveying the sea bed in Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and later tagging an exploration vessel belonging to Malaysia’s state oil company in Malaysia’s exclusive economic zone. Beijing also announced in April that it created two administrative districts to manage affairs in the region.

The days of Beijing’s unrestricted and unchallenged expansion in the South China Sea came to an end, however, in July 2020. When China recently held a large military exercise around the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea, the U.S. Navy sent two aircraft carriers to nearby water and held a military drill of its own.

Then, on July 13, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that the United States formally opposes several of Beijing’s claims in the South China Sea, stating, “Beijing’s claims to offshore resources across most of the South China Sea are completely unlawful, as is its campaign of bullying to control them.”

Pompeo remarked that this shift, from remaining in neutrality to calling out Beijing directly, was necessary to uphold international law, especially in light of the 2016 UN tribunal ruling that prevents China from bullying its neighbors and treating the South China Sea as its “maritime empire.” This new policy, along with a greater military presence in the South China Sea, suggests the United States has finally taken a tougher and more directly confrontational approach to curbing China’s ambitions in the region.

For China’s much smaller neighbors in the region, this U.S. decisionconjures mixed emotions. They feel relieved that they do not have to endure Beijing’s bullying anymore because of U.S. support. Conversely, Beijing has proven its comfort with playing offense on the international stage.

Secretary Xi has staked his credibility within the Chinese Communist Party on China’s South China Sea claims — backing down would be political suicide. But make no mistake: Washington’s new policy will infuriate Beijing and increase tensions between the two nations. These tensions may lead to an accident or a collision between the U.S. Navy and China’s Navy, thereby triggering a military confrontation between the two superpowers.

We already had a close call in September 2018, when the USS Decatur sailed close to the Spratly Islands and China sent a destroyer to demand the U.S. ship either change course or “suffer consequences.” Reportedly, the two ships were “as close as 45 yards from each other, prompting calls that rules for navy encounters should be amended as the risk of confrontation between the two militaries was rising.” In March 2020, the Chinese navy conducted an anti-submarine drill over the South China Sea, clearly in preparation for possible military conflict against the United States.

It should concern all of us that if China keeps pushing the limits of its aggressive tactics, a military confrontation may become unavoidable. At least one defense expert, Robert Farley, has predicted that the first real Sino-U.S. war could be fought in the South China Sea. Let’s hope that will never happen.

[Helen Raleigh is a senior contributor to The Federalist. An immigrant from China, she is the owner of Red Meadow Advisors, LLC, and an immigration policy fellow at the Centennial Institute in Colorado. She is the author of several books, including "Confucius Never Said" and "The Broken Welcome Mat." Follow Helen on Twitter @HRaleighspeaks, or check out her website: helenraleighspeaks.com.]

https://thefederalist.com/2020/07/20/u-s-response-to-chinas-aggression-in-the-south-china-sea-is-a-dangerous-business/

NPA killed in Surigao del Norte clash with soldiers

From the Manila Bulletin (Jul 21, 2020): NPA killed in Surigao del Norte clash with soldiers (By Mike Crismundo)

A New People’s Army (NPA) terrorist was killed, while an undetermined number of other rebels were believed wounded, when a fierce gun battle erupted between government forces and the rebels in Barangay Camp Edward, Alegria, Surigao del Norte on Monday, July 20.

High powered weapons and other war materials were also seized from the Communist terrorists in the encounter site.


Based on report, highland villagers tipped off the operating patrolling troops of the 30th Infantry Battalion (30th IB) about the presence of fully armed CNTs in the area.

The firefight lasted for about 30 minutes, and the responding soldiers were able to seize a hideout occupied by an estimated 30 members Guerilla Front 16 (GF 16) of the CPP-NPA North Eastern Mindanao Regional Committee (NEMRC).

Aside from the unidentified slain NPA, three AK47 rifles and one M16 rifle, assorted live ammunitions and personal belongings were also retrieved from the encounter site.

Only two soldiers were slightly injured during the clash.

https://mb.com.ph/2020/07/21/npa-killed-in-surigao-del-norte-clash-with-soldiers/

Soldier wounded in clash with NPA rebels in Capiz

From the Manila Bulletin (Jul 21, 2020): Soldier wounded in clash with NPA rebels in Capiz (By Tara Yap)

A soldier of the 12th Infantry Battalion (12 IB) was wounded after a clash with New People’s Army (NPA) rebels in Capiz province Tuesday, July 21.

Captain Cenon Pancito III, spokesperson of the Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Division (3ID), said the soldier was slightly wounded when government troops and NPA rebels exchanged fire in Barangay Tacayan in Tapaz town.

Government troops encountered 15 armed men while on their way to a local community to verify tips of the re-emerging presence of NPA rebels.


Pancito said the 12 IB has reason to believe that NPA rebels were also wounded based on the blood trail found at the encounter site.

The encounter came after a July 8 incident in the same village where NPA rebels fired indiscriminately at civilians while 12 IB troops were conducting community support program. A child was also slightly wounded.

Meanwhile, Pancito assured that the army hierarchy under the 301st Infantry Brigade (301 IB) will continue to take action on tips provided by communities not only in Capiz province, but other key areas of Panay Island.

https://mb.com.ph/2020/07/21/soldier-wounded-in-clash-with-npa-rebels-in-capiz/