Monday, July 12, 2021

PMC installs new 2nd marine brigade command

Excerpt from the Sun Star-Zamboanga (Jul 12, 2021): PMC installs new 2nd marine brigade command



ZAMBOANGA. Brigadier General Arturo Rojas (left), relinquishes Saturday, July 10, his post as the commander of the 2nd Marine Brigade to Colonel Romeo Racadio (not in photo) in a change of command ceremony with Major General Ariel Caculitan, Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) commandant (right), as the presiding officer. A photo handout shows Caculitan receives a memento from Rojas during the ceremony. (SunStar Zamboanga)

THE Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has awarded three medals to Brigadier General Arturo Rojas for his invaluable service as the commander of the 2nd Marine Brigade (2MBde) and Joint Task Force (JTF)-Tawi-Tawi.

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https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1900529/Zamboanga/Local-News/PMC-installs-new-2nd-marine-brigade-command

Army unit fetes 193 Scout Rangers

Excerpt from the Sun Star-Zamboanga (Jul 12, 2021): Army unit fetes 193 Scout Rangers



ZAMBOANGA. The 1101st Infantry Brigade awards medals to 193 troops of the 5th Scout Ranger Battalion for gallantry in action in the campaign against the Abu Sayyaf bandits in the province of Sulu. A photo handout shows Brigadier General Antonio Bautista, Jr., 1101st Infantry Brigade commander (right), pinning a medal to one of the awardee soldiers in a ceremony at a military camp in Sulu. (SunStar Zamboanga)

THE 1101st Infantry Brigade awarded medals to 193 elite troops for gallantry in action in the campaign against the Abu Sayyaf bandits in the province of Sulu.

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https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1900528/Zamboanga/Local-News/Army-unit-fetes-193-Scout-Rangers

NPA fighter killed in Eastern Samar clash

Posted to the Philippine News Agency (Jul 12, 2021): NPA fighter killed in Eastern Samar clash (By Sarwell Meniano)



Google map of Borongan City

A New People’s Army (NPA) rebel was killed in a firefight between government troops and the communist terrorist group (CTG) in Borongan City, Eastern Samar province on Sunday.

In an updated report sent to the media here on Monday, the Philippine Army said soldiers were conducting combat operations along with military working dogs when they encountered a group of 15 armed rebels in the upland village of San Andres.

The gunbattle that lasted for 20 minutes resulted in the death of at least one rebel.

Outnumbered, the rebels fled from the clash site, leaving their fallen comrade behind. Soldiers recovered from the slain rebel his M16 rifle, ammunition, bladed weapon, a backpack containing hammock and ponchos.


No one was hurt on the government side, according to the Army.

The clash happened just four days after a soldier and two militiamen were killed while six others from the government side were injured when members of the NPA detonated three anti-personnel mines in Jipapad, Eastern Samar.

The latest attack, according to the military, is a desperate act of the terrorists as the campaign to defeat them has “reached an irreversible stage”.

The Communist Party of the Philippines-NPA 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/1146761

Army troops seize NPA war materiel in MisOcc

Posted to the Philippine News Agency (Jul 12, 2021): Army troops seize NPA war materiel in MisOcc (By Teofilo Garcia, Jr.)



WAR MATERIEL. Troops of the 10th Infantry Battalion (IB) seize war materiel (shown in photo) after a clash with communist New People's Army (NPA) rebels in the hinterlands of Misamis Occidental on Sunday (July 11, 2021). The clash broke out as soldiers chanced upon the rebels who were on extortion operations in Concepcion town. (Photo courtesy of the 1st Infantry Division Public Affairs Office)

Government troops on Sunday seized war materiel belonging to the communist New People’s Army (NPA) following a clash in the hinterlands of Misamis Occidental, military officials announced Monday.

Lt. Col. Ray Tiongson, 10th Infantry Battalion commander, said the gunbattle broke out around 6:32 a.m. in the boundary of Barangays Small Potongan and Bagong Nayon in Concepcion town.

Tiongson said the troops encountered the group of NPA rebels while verifying reports of the terrorists' extortion activities in the two villages.

He said the soldiers outmaneuvered the rebels, who belong to the NPA’s Guerrilla Front Sendong, forcing the latter to flee following an hour-long firefight.

Tiongson said the troops recovered from the clash site the war materiel abandoned by NPA rebels including an AK-47 assault rifle with magazines and ammunition, a tablet, three cellular phones, five solar panels, medical supplies and paraphernalia, and flags of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF).

No one among the troops was killed nor wounded during the gunbattle, he noted.

“The communist terrorist group (CTG) in MisOcc (Misamis Occidental) is now in crisis as many of their members want to surrender. Because of this encounter, we are expecting more rebels to give themselves up and return to the fold of the law,” Tiongson said. “The successful military operation results from the collaboration with the local government unit, the stakeholders, and other government agencies in ending local communist armed conflict in Misamis Occidental.”

Maj. Gen. Generoso Ponio, 1st Infantry Division commander, commended the troops for quickly responding to reports and for the favorable result of the encounter.

“The CTGs have been instilling fear in the people for many years now. These terrorist groups are nearing their end. The series of successful encounters and the number of CTG members who surrendered have significantly shaken their organization,” Ponio said.

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

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1146743

Western countries reaffirm PH maritime claims in South China Sea

Posted to the Philippine News Agency (Jul 12, 2021): Western countries reaffirm PH maritime claims in South China Sea (By Raymond Carl Dela Cruz)



Photo courtesy of NTF-WPS

The United States of America (US), the European Union (EU), and several other western countries have reaffirmed their support to the Philippines’ claim in the South China Sea on the fifth anniversary of The Hague’s Arbitral Tribunal ruling.

In a statement, Antony Blinken, US Secretary of State, said the US reaffirms its policy regarding maritime claims in the South China Sea it released almost a year ago on July 13, 2020, noting that the Arbitral Tribunal delivered a “unanimous and enduring decision” rejecting China's maritime claims as having “no basis on international law.”

“The Tribunal stated that the PRC (People's Republic of China) has no lawful claim to the area determined by the Arbitral Tribunal to be part of the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone and continental shelf. The PRC and the Philippines, pursuant to their treaty obligations under the Law of the Sea Convention, are legally bound to comply with this decision,”
Blinken said.

He noted that
“nowhere is the rules-based maritime order under greater threat than in the South China Sea.

“The PRC continues to coerce and intimidate Southeast Asian coastal states, threatening freedom of navigation in this critical global throughway,” Blinken said.

He called on China to abide by its obligations under international law, to cease “provocative behavior,” and to reassure that China is committed to rules-based maritime order “that respects the rights of all countries, big and small.”


An armed attack on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft in the South China Sea would invoke US mutual defense commitments under Article IV of the 1951 US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty, he added.

In a separate statement, Global Affairs Canada -- in charge of Canada’s diplomatic relations -- reiterated the need for all parties involved to comply with the decision of the Arbitral Tribunal five years ago.

“It is imperative that all parties in the region demonstrate restraint and avoid taking action unilaterally, as this would exacerbate tensions and threaten regional stability,” Global Affairs Canada said.

Canada is “particularly concerned” by China’s “escalatory and destabilizing actions in the East and South China Seas.”

These actions include the “militarization of disputed features and the use of naval, coast guard, and maritime militia vessels to intimidate and threaten the ships of other states.”

“We call on all states, including China, to live up to previous commitments made in the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of the Parties in the South China Sea,” Global Affairs Canada said.

Several western diplomats also expressed their support for the Philippines and the Hague Arbitral Tribunal ruling five years ago on Twitter.

The delegation of the EU in the Philippines said that what happens in the South China Sea “matters to the EU, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), and the whole world.”

“We further reaffirmed the importance of maintaining and promoting peace, security, stability, safety, and the right of freedom of navigation in and overflight above the South China Sea, as well as the peaceful resolution of disputes, in accordance with international law, in particular UNCLOS,” the EU delegation said.

Anke Reiffenstuel, German Ambassador to the Philippines, said that the Philippines “wrote history” with the Hague Arbitration Tribunal ruling.

“The rules-based maritime order laid down in UNCLOS ensures international cooperation and stability,” Reiffenstuel said.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1146766

Palace on arbitral ruling: ‘We have done all we could’

Posted to the Philippine News Agency (Jul 12, 2021): Palace on arbitral ruling: ‘We have done all we could’ (By Azer Parrocha and Filane Mikee Cervantes)



The Duterte administration has done all that it could to assert the Philippines’ rights in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), MalacaƱang said on Monday.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque made this remark as the country commemorates the fifth anniversary of the historic arbitral ruling in The Hague, Netherlands which affirmed the Philippines' territorial claims covered by the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) against China.

“We have done all that we could, given the absence po of an enforcement mechanism under international law,”
he said in a press briefing in San Juan City.

He said President Rodrigo Roa Duterte affirmed the 2016 PCA verdict against China’s expansive maritime claims in the South China Sea during the 75th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York on Sept. 23, 2020.

“Dahil wala pong pulis na magpapatupad niyan, ginawa na po ng gobyerno ang lahat ng hakbang para nga po magkaroon ng buhay iyang desisyon na iyan kasama na po iyong pagtatalumpati ng Presidente sa ating UN General Assembly na sinabi niya na kabahagi na po ng international law ang arbitral decision na iyan (Since there is no police to enforce that, the government has taken all the steps to bring its decision to life, which was also included in the President's speech at the UN General Assembly in which he said that arbitration decision is already part of international law),” he said.

Roque acknowledged the importance of commemorating the country’s arbitral win which covers the maritime territory.

“Bagama’t dapat talagang ipagdiwang iyang panalo nating iyan, tuloy pa rin po ang pinag-aagawang teritoryo dahil ang naapektuhan lang po ng desisyon ay iyong isyu na related sa karagatan (Although we should really celebrate that victory, the territorial dispute will continue because the only thing affected by the decision is the issue related to the sea),” he said.

Since the sea dispute has yet to be resolved, Roque emphasized the importance of promoting close trade and investment relations between the Philippines and China.

“Patuloy pa rin po ang pag-aagawan ng teritoryo, at ang importante po ay habang hindi nareresolba itong pinag-aagawang teritoryo ay isantabi po muna iyan at isulong ang pupuwedeng mga isulong sa larangan ng kalakalan at pamumuhunan (The territorial dispute is still ongoing, and the important thing is that while this dispute has yet to be resolved, it should be set aside first and make possible advances in the field of trade and investment),” he added.

In his speech delivered before UNGA, Duterte said the ruling is “now part of international law, beyond compromise and beyond the reach of passing governments to dilute, diminish, or abandon.”

Duterte said his administration also rejects attempts to “undermine” the sea ruling that favors the Philippines.

On July 12, 2016, the Philippines won the arbitration case it lodged against China after the PCA in The Hague, Netherlands invalidated Beijing's nine-dash line claim that covers nearly the entire South China Sea.

China refused to acknowledge the arbitral ruling and instead ramped up its militarization.

Apart from the Philippines and China, Brunei, Malaysia, and Vietnam are also laying claim to parts of the contested sea.

Free to fish

Meanwhile, Roque disputed claims that Filipino fishermen are being prevented by Chinese vessels from fishing in the Scarborough Shoal.

“I dispute that. Ako lang naman ang tumayong abogado ng mga mangingisda galing sa [Bajo de] Masinloc, galing sa iba’t ibang bahagi po ng Pangasinan. At alam ko po, I have personal knowledge na halos lahat po sila ay nakabalik na sa kanilang hanapbuhay lalung-lalo na diyan po sa Borough. So I dispute that (I dispute that. I happen to have stood as counsel for fishermen from Masinloc and other parts of Pangasinan. And I know, and I have personal knowledge that almost all of them have already returned to their livelihoods, especially in Scarborough. So I dispute that),” he said.

Despite this, he said he will look into concerns made by fisherfolk groups.

“I will again ask the local officials in the relevant communities to verify if the fishermen are excluded from pursuing their livelihoods in Borough because I regularly do so and all the reports that I have received indicate that they are continuing their livelihoods in Borough,” he added.

Roque also urged fishermen to file complaints to confirm that they continue to experience harassment.

“Dapat magreklamo po ang mga mangingisda nang mabigyan ng kumpirmasyon. Dahil bilang abogado, wala naman po kaming mga personal na knowledge tungkol diyan; kinakailangan maimbestigahan (Fishermen must file complaints so that they can be confirmed. Because as a lawyer, we have no personal knowledge about that; needed to be investigated),” he said.

He also reassured them of the Philippine Coast Guard's continued protection.

“Patuloy po ang order ng ating Pangulo, na ang ating Coast Guard ay maglayag diyan sa ating karagatan at protektahan ang ating mga mangingisda at paalisin ang mga mangingisdang mga dayuhan na hindi pupuwedeng mangisda sa ating Exclusive Economic Zone (Our President's order stands, that our Coast Guard sail there in our ocean and protect our fishermen and expel foreign fishermen who are prohibited from fishing in our Exclusive Economic Zone),” he added.

WPS Victory Day

On July 7, Deputy Speaker Rufus Rodriguez filed House Resolution No. 1975 urging Congress to declare July 12 of every year as National West Philippine Sea Victory Day.

He said it is very important for the government to ensure that the country's landmark legal success in The Hague “be kept alive in the hearts of our people, despite others believing that it is a hollow victory.”

“The WPS is exceptionally biodiverse, and contains numerous species of fish, echinoderms, mangroves, seagrasses, giant clams, and marine turtles, including those considered vulnerable or endangered, and vast coral reefs,” he said.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1146793

Lawyers urged to study Del Rosario’s liability in WPS issue

Posted to the Philippine News Agency (Jul 12, 2021): Lawyers urged to study Del Rosario’s liability in WPS issue (By Azer Parrocha)



Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque (Screengrab from RTVM)

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque on Monday urged Filipino lawyers to study the legal liability of former Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario who was believed to have ordered the withdrawal of Philippine ships from Scarborough Shoal during a standoff with China in 2012.

“I enjoin lawyers and other groups to study the legal liability of Albert del Rosario in ceding Scarborough Shoal (Panatag Shoal) to China,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a press briefing in San Juan city.


Asked if the government would initiate its own investigation and file charges against del Rosario, Roque said he already had his hands full.

“I have no time and I don’t want to waste my time on him. Pero (But) let us not let him get away with the fact that he gave away Philippine territory,” he said.

Del Rosario earlier said President Rodrigo Duterte has “betrayed” his constitutional duty to uphold the national interests of the country by setting aside the arbitral ruling that favored the Philippines’ claim on the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

Roque, however, shrugged off the remark of Del Rosario who, he said, was the one who betrayed the country and not the President.

“Kalokohan po iyan (That’s nonsense) coming from a proven traitor. Siya po ang nagpaalis sa ating mga kasundaluhan, sa Boro, na naging dahilan na ang Tsina na lang ang natira sa 'Borough (He was the one who called back the soldiers at Scarborough that allowed China to stay there). Mr. Del Rosario, if you want to talk about who that real traitor is, ikaw iyon! Ikaw ang namigay ng teritoryo sa Tsina (it’s you. You were the one who gave away our territory to China),” he said.

Roque also told Del Rosario to keep his mouth shut unless he could prove that Duterte gave away any of the country’s territories.

“Habang hindi ka makapagpakita ng teritoryo na binigay ng Presidente Duterte sa ibang bansa, manahimik ka diyan dahil eh ikaw nga ang may pananagutan diyan (Until you are able to show proof that President Duterte gave away our territory to other countries, you should shut up because it is you who is responsible for that),” he said.

He said the former Cabinet official of the previous administration should be ashamed for speaking such nonsense.

“Mangilabot ka naman sa mga sinasabi mo. Ikaw diyang namigay ng teritoryo eh, mahiya ka sa sarili mo! Mahiya ka sa buong bansang Pilipinas (You should be ashamed of what you are saying. You are the one who gave away our territory, you should be ashamed to the whole country),” he added.

Duterte has repeatedly blamed the past administration over the Philippines losing possession of the Scarborough Shoal in 2012.

In a taped public address on May 5, Duterte expressed his intent to launch an investigation into the Philippines’ withdrawal of its ships in the Scarborough Shoal.

He said he wanted to personally ask del Rosario and former Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio why they let the Philippines withdraw its vessels in the shoal.

Duterte also said Chinese President Xi Jinping had claimed that Carpio and del Rosario gave the Philippine islands as a “gift” to China.

During the time of Aquino, del Rosario and Carpio led the filing of a petition against China before the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA).

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1146802

Enough evidence vs. Karapatan, unfazed Parlade to Palabay

Posted to the Philippine News Agency (Jul 12, 2021): Enough evidence vs. Karapatan, unfazed Parlade to Palabay (By Gigie Arcilla)



Lt. General Antonio G. Parlade, Jr., Armed Forces of the Philippines Southern Luzon Command chief (PNA file photo)

A ranking military official lashed back at militant human rights group Karapatan over its recent statement urging the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to withhold clearances for the former’s retirement over alleged human rights violations, saying the government has enough evidence against them.

“What HR violations are you talking about? I have been promoted several times because I have no human rights case as you alleged,”
said Lt. General Antonio G. Parlade, Jr., Armed Forces of the Philippines Southern Luzon Command chief, in a statement sent to the Philippine News Agency Sunday night.

Unfazed by
Karapatan secretary-general Cristina Palabay’s claims, Parlade said the former has a case to face for besmirching his reputation over allegations that he ordered the killing of activists.


“That case is being reviewed at the Solicitor General's office now and shall be filed anytime,” he added. “I am not going anywhere, Cristina Palabay. I am not walking away.”

Parlade, who announced his resignation as spokesperson of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) early this month, is set to retire from the military service on July 26.

He earlier said despite his resignation as NTF ELCAC spokesperson and pending retirement, he will continue to defend the country against the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-NPA) and its allied organizations.

"Even then, I want to assure our critics and naysayers that I am not running away from this fight. As a citizen of this country it behooves me to continue with my patriotic duty to defend our country and end the 52 years onslaught of the CPP-NPA terrorists, whatever legal way I can,” he was quoted in an earlier report.

He maintained that he did not “red-tag” activists because they themselves, through their actions, identify their true color.

“You alleged that I red-tagged activists without evidence? I don't red-tag people. You and your cohorts' actions identify you as such, i.e. stooges of Joma Sison and the CPP-NPA-NDF,” Parlade said, referring to CPP-NPA founding chair Jose Maria Sison.

Sison, he said, is to be blamed for identifying and "red-tagging" militants and activists allied to their cause.

Enough evidence

He went on to enumerate some of Karapatan’s involvement in illegal activities such as the likes of arrested Alexa Pacalda of Quezon and Glendhyl Malabanan of Palawan, both Karapatan members who bear arms to fight together with the NPA.

“Is Glendhyl Malabanan not proof of Karapatan's complicity to the violence of the NPAs in Palawan? Is Alexa Pacalda not proof of Karapatan being part of the NPA?” he added.

He said they were arrested because they ceased to be activists and morphed into terrorists when they joined the NPA, CPP's armed wing.

A captured video, he added, shows Malabanan and Pacalda training with the NPA.

“Is Honey May Suazo and Fred CaƱa, both of Karapatan, not proof of your bailing out of top CPP-NPAs in Mindanao and the Visayas?” he said.

READ: Bail payment receipt shows Karapatan-NPA 'link'

Parlade was referring to former Karapatan-Southern Mindanao Region secretary-general Honey Mae Suazo who bailed out Zaldy Canete alias “Ka Jinggoy”, leader of NPA 1st Pulang Bagani Command, in 2015.

He added that Karapatan-Negros secretary-general Fred CaƱa also raised money to pay for the cash bond in 2012 of arrested Romeo Nanta, head of NPA Regional Operations Command Negros Island in 2012, and Hernando Llorente alias “Ka Adoy”, NPA Northern Negros Front commander, and wife Faith Roseen Basergo alias “Ka Bea”, an NPA political instructress.

READ: Karapatan has clear pattern of bailing out arrested Reds: AFP official

Parlade said the government has more evidence to pin Karapatan down.

“Karapatan Quezon Provincial Coordinator Genelyn Dichoso alias Gemma is now with the government. Don't you think we have enough to pin you down and put you in jail? Let's see,” he said.

Dichoso alias Gemma, 52, is former secretary-general of Karapatan-Quezon, who surrendered to the Philippine Army 2nd Infantry Division in Tanay, Rizal on April 5, 2021, and claimed to have been tired of a life full of problems and making things happen for her so-called comrades.

READ: Tired of life on the run, Karapatan leader quits armed struggle

“Meantime, make sure you have all your lawyers from National Union of Peoples Lawyers to defend you in court,” he added.

He said he doesn’t mind Karapatan using the media for anything it wants to say including propaganda because the Philippines is a free country.

“But for besmirching my name without showing proof, I will make sure citizen Parlade will put you in jail,” he said.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1146718

NDF/IIO: NDFP condoles with the family of Ka Nonoy Espina and extols his record as fighter for press freedom

Propaganda statement posted to the National Democratic Front Philippines (NDFP or NDF) Website (Jul 11, 2021): NDFP condoles with the family of Ka Nonoy Espina and extols his record as fighter for press freedom

International Information Office

National Democratic Front of the Philippines

July 08, 2021

The National Democratic Front of the Philippines Negotiating Panel condoles with the family, colleagues and friends of Jose Jaime “Nonoy” Llavore Espina who passed away tonight, July 7, of liver cancer.

We salute Nonoy Espina as the foremost press freedom defender of our time. As chairperson of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines from 2018 to March of this year, he led the struggle to defend freedom of the press and expression against the evil Rodrigo Duterte regime. He defended ABS-CBN, Rappler, the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Altermidya member outfits and all media organizations from unceasing State-led attacks.

As NUJP national director for many terms, Southeast Asia Journalists Union founding member and DART Foundation worker, Nonoy defended his fellow journalists from all forms of injustices, criminal libel, malicious trolling, unjust wages, inhumane working conditions as well as trauma suffered from dangers posed by their work. He was a worthy successor to NUJP founder Antonio Ma. Nieva and other brave union chairpersons such as his younger sister Inday Espina Varona.

Nonoy was among the very first who rushed to the Ampatuan Massacre site to look for his 33 missing colleagues. For a full decade, he was at the forefront of the struggle for justice that culminated in his very presence inside the jail facility as the guilty verdict was meted against several of the suspects. Nonoy was among the NUJP leaders who managed scholarship grants to children of many of the massacre victims. These beneficiaries have lost their Tito Nonoy tonight.

We watched in awe as Nonoy led his fellow NUJP members in a march around the ABS-CBN Compound last year as thousands gathered to call for the network’s franchise renewal. It may very well be that biggest protest action in defense of a media outfit and press freedom in our country’s history.

Nonoy was an excellent journalist and writer. He did not only write accurately and with polish, he was also among the fastest a reporting to the people. Most remarkable for us was the uncompromisingly pro-people line he consistently took. Indeed, as one of his colleagues wrote, Nonoy was most deserving of both the College Editors Guild of the Philippines’ MH del Pilar Award he received in 2019 and of his Graciano Lopez Jaena lineage. May we add that the MH del Pilar Award gained more prestige with him as its latest awardee.

An explosion of grief among journalists and patriotic Filipinos nationwide greeted the announcement of Nonoy’s passing Wednesday night. The same loss is sure to be felt by his many colleagues and friends in communities of independent journalists worldwide.

We share in their grief. And we turn the inspiring example of Ka Nonoy into strength and courage to advance the Filipino people’s struggle for national liberation and democracy.

Issued by the National Council
of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines

https://ndfp.org/ndfp-condoles-with-the-family-of-ka-nonoy-espina-and-extols-his-record-as-fighter-for-press-freedom/

NDF/Sison: No way, Joma says on calls for his deportation and peace talks in Manila

Propaganda statement posted to the National Democratic Front Philippines (NDFP or NDF) Website (Jul 11, 2021): No way, Joma says on calls for his deportation and peace talks in Manila

NDFP International Information Office

5 July 2021

“There is no way that the Duterte regime can compel or persuade the Dutch government to extradite me to the Philippines or cancel my status as a recognized political refugee,” Prof. Jose Ma. Sison, declared emphatically, during an interview July 4 with Kodao Productions, a Manila-based online news outfit.

Professor Sison was strongly reacting to recent revival of calls coming from the Duterte fascist regime to deport him, cancel his refugee status, and conduct the resumption of the stalled peace talks between the GPH and the NDFP in Manila.

“There is no way that the Duterte regime can compel or persuade the Dutch government to extradite me to the Philippines or cancel my status as a recognized political refugee without violating the absolute protection of Article 3 of the ECHR and the principle of nonrefoulement in the Refugee Convention. It is not only this recent that the Duterte regime is making threats against my lawful stay in The Netherlands. It has been doing so in vain for several years already,” Professor Sison said.

Sison accused the NTF-ELCAC of hatching a campaign plan against him to call for his deportation to the Philippines and the cancellation of his status as a recognized political refugee.

“General Esperon forgets the fact when he and other rascals in the Arroyo regime instigated false charges of murder against me in 2007, alleging that I had directed these from the Netherlands, the Dutch government denied the request for my extradition and asserted the principle that the Dutch judicial system has the jurisdiction over such charges. Thus, I was investigated, prosecuted, tried and proven innocent before the Dutch courts up to the level of the Appellate Court in The Hague. These gangsters in power in the Philippines think they can twist the law against their critics even in The Netherlands,” Sison stressed.

Charges of terrorism – baseless and vile

“The current false charges of terrorism against me by the Duterte regime are all baseless and are obviously concocted for vile political purposes,” Sison emphasized.

In 2009 Professor Sison won his cased before the European Court of Justice for the removal of his name from the EU terrorist list.

“It was proven before the court that since my arrest and imprisonment in 1977 I have not been in any position to participate in any decision-making, administration and operational leadership in the CPP and NPA,” Sison said.

No talks possible in Manila

Sison stressed that the NDFP has been insistent on having the peace negotiations in a neutral venue abroad because holding these in the Philippines make the NDFP negotiators, consultants and staff vulnerable to enemy intelligence, surveillance, psywar and physical attacks as in 1986 during and after the ceasefire talks in Manila. Even if the negotiations are held in a neutral venue in the countryside, he said, they can be easily hampered or disrupted by elements or groups that do not want the peace negotiations.

Sison exposed “localized peace negotiations” as having been one-sidedly staged by the GRP as operations of psywar, intelligence, surveillance and pressuring and killing suspected revolutionaries.

“They have been used by the military for racketeering by making up lists of fake surrenderees, concocting fake projects of “community development” and privately pocketing most of the appropriated public money. The OPAPP is notorious for corruption and malversation of funds in the name of fake localized peace negotiations. Now, Galvez is focused on helping Duterte loot the national treasury in the name of Covid-19,” Sison pointed out.

Kick out Duterte and drag him to the International Criminal Court

Professor Sison called out that if and when the people and the patriotic and democratic forces kick Duterte out of power they can deliver him to the ICC for prosecution and trial. If the ICC fails to have Duterte arrested, stressed Sison, it is possible for the people’s court of the people’s revolutionary government to have him arrested for trial.

“The people are openly clamoring for the people’s revolutionary government and the people’s court system to go after the mass murderers, plunderers and masterminds of criminal syndicates.”#

Ma. Lourdes Barros

https://ndfp.org/no-way-joma-says-on-calls-for-his-deportation-and-peace-talks-in-manila/

CPP/IB: E. Samar and Masbate NPA ambuscades, in defense of the masses—CPP

Propaganda statement posted to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Website (Jul 12, 2021): E. Samar and Masbate NPA ambuscades, in defense of the masses—CPP

INFORMATION BUREAU
COMMUNIST PARTY OF THE PHILIPPINES

JULY 12, 2021



The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) lauded today the successful tactical offensives of New People’s Army (NPA) units in both Eastern Samar and Masbate provinces to defend the masses against the fascist onslaught of Duterte’s soldiers in their villages. The NPA mounted three tactical offensives resulting in 30 total enemy casualties.

A unit of the NPA-Eastern Samar (Sergio Lobina Command), on July 3, ambushed operating troops of the 52nd IB in Sitio Casapa, Barangay Denigpian, Dolores. Red fighters confiscated an R-4 rifle on the said operation. Four days later, July 7, a separate unit of the NPA-Eastern Samar attacked a CAFGU detachment of the 52nd IB in Sitio Casapa, Barangay 4 Poblacion, Jipadpad town. At least three enemy troopers were killed while six others were wounded.

“The successful military actions were carried out by the NPA in defense of the oppressed masses of Eastern Samar in the face attacks and abuses of the AFP against civilians,” commented Marco Valbuena, CPP Information Officer.

Valbuena expounded that the relentless, widespread and systematic attacks by the AFP and PNP against civilians form part of state policy of the Duterte regime and are brazen violations of international laws of war.

According to the Eastern Visayas Regional Operational Command, both Jipapad and Dolores are part of the five towns in the northern part of Eastern Samar subjected to relentless combat-psywar-intelligence operations by AFP troops under the guise of Retooled Community Support Program operations since May.

Soldiers have been forcing residents to surrender as NPA members and supporters. Last April, soldiers indiscriminately strafed and fired grenade launchers for five hours in the middle of the harvest season.

Masbate ambush

Another NPA tactical offensive was mounted by Red fighers of the NPA-Masbate on July 10. According to initial reports submitted to the CPP Information Bureau, a unit of the 9th ID in Sitio Balunos, Barangay Rizal, Dimasalang town, Masbate was fired upon by the NPA-Masbate.

The AFP troops suffered 21 casualties with four soldiers killed in action. The operating soldiers were part of a thousand-strong soldiers deployed in Masbate province over the past two months.

https://cpp.ph/statements/e-samar-and-masbate-npa-ambuscades-in-defense-of-the-masses-cpp/

CPP/CIO: Make Duterte pay for treating UNCLOS victory “a mere scrap of paper”

Propaganda statement posted to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Website (Jul 12, 2021): Make Duterte pay for treating UNCLOS victory “a mere scrap of paper”

MARCO VALBUENA 
CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER
COMMUNIST PARTY OF THE PHILIPPINES

JULY 12, 2021



The Filipino people must uphold the decision of the International Arbitration Tribunal (IAT) issued exactly five years ago today which dismissed China’s “9-dash line” claim and recognized the seas, islands and marine features within Philippine exclusive economic zone and extended continental shelf in line with the United Nations Convention on the Laws of the Seas (UNCLOS).

The Filipino people must make the national traitor Rodrigo Duterte pay for betraying the country’s interest and throwing the IAT’s decision in the wastebasket. He has repeatedly refer to it as a “mere scrap of paper.” He kowtowed to China and its refusal to recognize the decision. He is a coward who does not know how to defend the country’s sovereignty and national dignity.

With Duterte as Philippine president, China’s military forces and fishing fleets have aggressively encroached on Philippine waters. China now has at least seven military facilities located at the Kagitingan Reef, Calderon Reef, Burgos Reef, Mabini Reef, Panganiban Reef, Zamora Reef, McKennan Reef where it has deployed its military troops, military aircraft, marine vessels, communication stations and so on.

Duterte has acquiesced to the massive fishing operations in the Julian Felipe Reef and other areas within the Philippines’ EEZ conducted by fleets of Chinese fishing vessels. These operations are supported by Chinese Coast Guard vessels which threaten and drive away Filipino fishermen denying them access to Philippine marine resources. Duterte has allowed China to plunder and destroy as much as ₱1.3 trillion worth of resources and marine wealth.

In the face of widespread condemnation for failure to defend the country’s territory, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Philippine Coast Guard have conducted aerial surveys and sea patrols to drive out Chinese vessels illegaly entering the Philippine exclusive waters. These token acts, however, lose any meaning or significance under Duterte’s overall policy of subservience to China.

The Filipino people must vigorously resist China’s encroachment in Philippine territorial waters and plunder of marine resources and demand that the decision of the IAT be upheld and respected. The Filipino people must gather international support to help push back big bully China through diplomatic, political and economic means.

Having betrayed the nation’s sovereignty, Duterte must be immediately removed from power in order to prevent him from continuing to use his powers to the interests of China’s growing power and impingement on the country’s rights.

https://cpp.ph/statements/make-duterte-pay-for-treating-unclos-victory-a-mere-scrap-of-paper/