Kalinaw News: Concerned locals report NPA Terrorist presence in Guihulngan, results to encounter with 62IB troops

Posted to Kalinaw News (Apr 22, 2022): Concerned locals report NPA Terrorist presence in Guihulngan, results to encounter with 62IB troops



CAMP GERONA, Murcia, Negros Occidental – Concerned locals of Sitio Halog, Brgy Sandayao, Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental tipped off the soldiers of 62IB and 33rd DRC under the operational control of 303rd Brigade about the NPA terrorist presence in their area and the plan extortion activities by the Communist NPA Terrorists (CNTs) which resulted to an encounter at around 6:15 in the morning of April 21, 2022 (Thursday).

Troops of the 62nd Infantry Battalion under the leadership of Lt Colonel William Pesase Jr., Battalion Commander together with 33rd Division Reconnaissance Company responded to the reports of the locals regarding the presence of an armed group identified as members of NPA terrorists in the area. Accordingly, more or less fifteen (15) CNTs from SDG Platoon of Central Negros 1, KomitengRehiyon – Negros, Cebu, Bohol, and Siquijor (KR-NCBS) were encountered by the troops and the firefight lasted for about fifteen (15) minutes and enemy scampered to eastern direction leaving their personal belongings at the encounter site.

No casualty was reported from the government side, while the troops still determining the fatalities on the enemy side. Captured in the encounter site were various enemy war materials and personal belongings.

Seized war materials were the following: One (1) R4 Rifle with 1 short magazine loaded with 7 rounds, one (1) KG9 sub-machine gun with 1 magazine loaded with 5 rounds, 2 cooking pots full of steam rice, CTG flag, two (2) pairs of rainboots, three (3) water containers, one (1) sack of charcoal, 1/2 sack of rice, three (3) sim cards, one (1) backpack, one (1) solar panel, eight ( 8 packs sugar, two (2) hammock, hygiene kits, other subversive documents and personal belongings.
Brigadier General Inocencio Pasaporte, 303rd Brigade Commander lauded the immediate response of the troops in helping the locals of Brgy Sandayao against the extortion and atrocities of the NPA Terrorist. “I am also commending the quick action of the locals in the area showing their concern for the peace and order of their community as they reported this terrorist presence immediately, ” BGEN Pasaporte added.

[Kalinaw News is the official online source of information on the pursuit for peace in the Philippines This website is a property of the Civil-Military Operations Regiment, Philippine Army located at Lawton Avenue, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City Contact us: kalinawnews@cmoregiment.com]

https://www.kalinawnews.com/concern-locals-report-npa-terrorist-presence-in-guihulngan-results-to-encounter-with-62ib-troops/

Duterte admin will honor MILF pacts—Galvez

From the Manila Standard (Apr 22, 2022): Duterte admin will honor MILF pacts—Galvez

The government will honor all peace agreements forged with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), presidential adviser on peace Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said Friday.

Galvez also optimism that the peace accord sealed with the erstwhile Muslim separatist group would continue to hold to transcend future administrations.

In a social media post, the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPRU) and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim in Mindanao (BARMM) reaffirmed their commitments to sustain the gains of various peace agreements in Mindanao.

“Rest assured, as I promised when I was Chief of Staff (of the Armed Forces of the Philippines), that all my life, with the National Defense Secretary (Delfin Lorenzana), all our lives, we will dedicate to the peace process,” Galvez said.

He added that there was much work to be done, but with the strong partnerships developed, the Philippines “shall overcome the challenges that come our way”.

BARMM chief minister Ahod “Murad” Ebrahim recalled the “long journey” of the Bangsamoro fighters toward self-determination and establishing their own government.

“It brings back memories of our work in establishing the BARMM. Let us also take this opportunity to celebrate our shared wins of what may very well be our greatest legacy for Mindanao and the rest of the country,” Ebrahim said in a separate statement following a recent meeting between national government and BARMM officials.

Among the matters discussed were ways to further implement the Bangsamoro peace process, ensure Duterte’s “legacy of peace”, and the status of implementation of various peace-building initiatives in Mindanao under the political and normalization tracks of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB).

The CAB consolidates and affirms the understanding and commitment between the government of the Philippines and the MILF.

https://manilastandard.net/news/314223311/duterte-admin-will-honor-milf-pacts-galvez.html

Pacquiao gets support of MNLF founder Misuari

From the Philippine Star (Apr 23, 2022): Pacquiao gets support of MNLF founder Misuari (By Neil Jayson Servallos)

Sen. Manny Pacquiao at the first nationally televised presidential debates at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila and aired on CNN Philippines on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2022.  Marvin John Uy for Philstar.com

Presidential candidate Sen. Manny Pacquiao has earned the support of Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) founding chairman Nur Misuari, the senator’s camp confirmed.

Pacquiao reportedly met with Misuari in a hotel in Manila on Monday, during which his camp said he was engaging in “private meetings” the whole day.

His camp released Thursday night a photo of Misuari raising Pacquiao’s hand, the go-to gesture of prominent individuals to show their support for a certain candidate.

The senator’s camp nonetheless said Misuari supports Pacquiao’s presidential bid, which – among other programs – is hinged on regional development and the decentralization of government services.

Pacquiao has also been banking on his being a Mindanao native and a Visayan to solidify support in the two island groups.

During his campaign activities in Bohol on Thursday, Pacquiao said he values the support of Misuari and his group and its affiliates, including the Philippines Visayas for Federalism Movement (PVFM).

“For me, the support of Nur and his group is very important because they are from Mindanao. And most importantly, they understand the problem of Mindanao. It’s impossible to solve the problems of Mindanao when the only ones talking are from Luzon,” Pacquiao told reporters.

To seal a great number of voters in Mindanao, Pacquiao has also scheduled talks with leaders of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and MNLF.

Pacquiao said he had recently discussed his platform of government with former MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu and other key leaders of MILF.

His camp also said he presented his pro-poor, anti-corruption program of the government to the leaders of PVFM. The dates of the MILF and MNLF meetings were not revealed during a press conference held in Tagbilaran.

“I am hoping the MILF will join us in pursuing the advocacy of ensuring progress in Mindanao,” he said.

Meanwhile, Pacquiao’s camp said that during the senator’s discussions with Kabalu and the MILF, he “declared that he will pursue a shift to a federal form of government should he win the presidency.”

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2022/04/23/2176136/pacquiao-gets-support-mnlf-founder-misuari

Assorted firearms recovered at encounter site

From the Visayan Daily Star (Apr 22, 2022): Assorted firearms recovered at encounter site (By GILBERT P. BAYORAN)

More high-powered firearms have been recovered by Army soldiers in another encounter with NPA rebels on April 21 in central Negros.*62IB photo

Assorted high-powered firearms and war materials were recovered by Army soldiers, following an encounter yesterday with suspected New People’s Army rebels in Sitio Halog in Brgy. Sandayao, Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental.

Soldiers of the 62nd Infantry Battalion and 33rd Division Reconnaissance Company were responding to complaints of rebel extortion activities in the place when they encountered about 15 suspected NPA rebels, believed to be members of Central Negros Front 1 Sentro De Grabidad Platoon, according to Brig. Gen. Inocencio Pasaporte, 303rd Infantry Brigade commander.

After 15 minutes of gunbattle, Pasaporte said the group of armed rebels scampered in various directions and left behind one R4 automatic assault rifle with a short magazine containing seven ammunition, a KG-9 sub machine gun with a magazine containing five ammunition, assorted food stuff, a back pack containing personal belongings, a sack of charcoal, a solar panel, two hammocks, a CPP-NPA flag, two pairs of rain boots and subversive documents.

No Army soldiers were injured and they are still scouring the encounter site as of press time.

It was not yet determined if the fleeing rebels suffered casualties.

https://visayandailystar.com/assorted-firearms-recovered-at-encounter-site/

2 rebels injured in renewed armed clashes

From the Visayan Daily Star (Apr 22, 2022): 2 rebels injured in renewed armed clashes (B GILBERT P. BAYORAN

Two suspected New People’s Army rebels were reported by the 62nd Infantry Battalion to have been injured in renewed armed clashes on April 21 in Sitio Halog, Brgy. Sandayao, Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental.

Soldiers of the 62nd Infantry Battalion and 33rd Division Reconnaissance Company in pursuit of the remnants of the Sentro De Grabidad platoon of Central Negros Front 1, engaged its 15 members in an encounter.

Lt. Col. William Pesase, 62IB commander, disclosed that traces of bloodstains were discovered along the rebel withdrawal route, bolstering reports of civilians in the area that fleeing rebels carried their injured comrades.

Recovered from the encounter site were a Vektor R4 assault rifle with a short magazine containing seven ammunition, a KG-9 sub machine gun with a magazine with five ammunition, communication equipment, assorted foodstuff with cooking paraphernalia back pack containing personal belongings, a sack of charcoal, a solar panel, two hammocks, a CPP-NPA flag, two pairs of rain boots and subversive documents.

No Army soldiers were injured, according to Brig. Gen. Inocencio Pasaporte, 303rd Infantry Brigade commander.

https://visayandailystar.com/2-rebels-injured-in-renewed-armed-clashes/

Army troops seize guns, ammunition in clash with NPA rebels

From the Mindanao Examiner (Apr 22, 2022): Army troops seize guns, ammunition in clash with NPA rebels

ARMY TROOPS continued its pursuit operations Friday against suspected members of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) following a clash in Barangay Sandayao, Guihulngan City in Negros Oriental.

A report from the 62nd “Unifier” Infantry Battalion said their troops and those from the 33rd Division Reconnaissance Company engaged in a 15-minute gunfight with suspected NPA members of the Sentro de Gravidad (SDG) Platoon, Central Negros 1 (CN1) at Sitio Halog in Barangay Sandayao on Thursday.

The government troops recovered one R4 rifle with short magazine loaded with seven rounds of ammunition and one KG 9mm-caliber sub-machine gun loaded with five rounds of ammunition following the clash.

The suspected NPA rebels fled, leaving behind several NPA uniforms and flags, communications equipment, foodstuffs, cooking utensils, personal belongings, and hygiene kits that were recovered by the Unifier troops.

Lt. Col. William Pesase Jr., commanding officer of the 62IB, in a report said he appreciates “the information given by the residents of Barangay Sandayao”, adding they will continue pursuit operations against the NPA “to pre-empt their extortion activity and terroristic acts against the peace-loving Guihulnganons.”

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

The National Democratic Front has been formally designated as a terrorist organization by the Anti-Terrorism Council on June 23, 2021, citing it as “an integral and inseparable part” of the CPP-NPA created in April 1973.


http://mindanaoexaminernewspaper.blogspot.com/2022/04/army-troops-seize-guns-ammunition-in.html

High-powered firearms recovered in Sorsogon

From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 22, 2022): High-powered firearms recovered in Sorsogon (By Connie Calipay)

ARMS CACHE. Several high-powered firearms of the New People's Army are recovered by government troops in a forested area of Barangay Calpi, Bulan, Sorsogon on Thursday (April 21, 2022). The arms cache was hidden inside two drums buried on the ground. (Photo courtesy of PRO-5)

Several high-powered firearms and ammunition of the New People's Army (NPA) were recovered during joint operations of the Police Regional Office in Bicol (PRO-5) and the Philippine Army in a forested area of Barangay Calpi, Bulan, Sorsogon on Thursday.

In a statement Friday, Maj. Malu Calubaquib, PRO-5 spokesperson said the arms cache hidden inside two blue drums buried on the ground was recovered with a tip from an informant.

Troops recovered two M16 rifles; 8,190 live ammunition for caliber 5.56mm; 48 M16 magazines; and 19 M14 magazines.

"The discovery of the firearms and ammunition is another manifestation that the rebels continue to lose not only their manpower but as well as its firepower capabilities. A positive indication that the government through the police and military is realistically winning the campaign against insurgency," Calubaquib added.

Brig. Gen Jonnel Estomo, PRO5 director, in a statement, thanked the Army for its support to the Philippine National Police and assured that the Bicol police would continue to work closely with the military to end the atrocities of the communist terrorist group.

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

The Anti-Terrorism Council also formally designated the National Democratic Front (NDF) as a terrorist organization on June 23, 2021, citing it as “an integral and inseparable part” of the CPP-NPA that was created in April 1973.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1172706

Army troops seize guns, ammunition in clash with NPA rebels

From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 22, 2022): Army troops seize guns, ammunition in clash with NPA rebels (By Mary Judaline Partlow)

RECOVERED. Army troopers recover guns, ammunition, and other items following a clash with suspected New People’s Army rebels in Sitio Halog, Barangay Sandayao in Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental on Thursday (April 21, 2022). Lt. Col. William Pesase Jr., 62ndIB commanding officer, said the encounter resulted following a tip-off from residents of the remote mountain village. (Photo courtesy of the 62IB Philippine Army)

Army troops on Friday recovered assorted firearms and ammunition in pursuit operations against suspected members of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) following a clash in Barangay Sandayao, Guihulngan City in Negros Oriental.

A report from the 62nd “Unifier” Infantry Battalion said their troops and those from the 33rd Division Reconnaissance Company engaged in a 15-minute gunfight with suspected NPA members of the Sentro de Gravidad (SDG) Platoon, Central Negros 1 (CN1) at Sitio Halog in Barangay Sandayao on Thursday.

The government troops recovered one R4 rifle with a short magazine loaded with seven rounds of ammunition, and one KG 9mm-caliber sub-machine gun loaded with five rounds of ammunition following the clash.

The suspected NPA rebels fled, leaving behind several NPA uniforms and flags, communications equipment, foodstuffs, cooking utensils, personal belongings, and hygiene kits that were recovered by the Unifier troops.

Lt. Col. William Pesase Jr., commanding officer of the 62IB, in a report said he appreciates “the information given by the residents of Barangay Sandayao”, adding they will continue pursuit operations against the NPA “to pre-empt their extortion activity and terroristic acts against the peace-loving Guihulnganons.”

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

The National Democratic Front has been formally designated as a terrorist organization by the Anti-Terrorism Council on June 23, 2021, citing it as “an integral and inseparable part” of the CPP-NPA created in April 1973.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1172698

Military rounds up 69 MILF firearms for decommissioning

From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 22, 2022): Military rounds up 69 MILF firearms for decommissioning (By Teofilo Garcia, Jr.)

FIREARMS' CONSOLIDATION. A soldier wraps the firearms gathered from former Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on Wednesday (April 20, 2022) in Sulu for safekeeping by the International Decommissioning Body. The government and MILF peace implementing panels agreed to decommission some 14,000 combatants and over 2,400 firearms under the third phase of the decommissioning process. (Photo courtesy of the Joint Task Force - Sulu)

At least 69 firearms belonging to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) have been collected in Sulu province for decommissioning, a military official said Friday.

In a statement, Maj. Gen. Ignatius Patrimonio, the Joint Task Force (JTF)-Sulu commander, said the consolidation of the firearms forms part of the third phase of the decommissioning process that started in November 2021.

“In this phase, the former members of the MILF will have to hand over their firearms for safekeeping and deactivation,” Patrimonio said.

Patrimonio said the collection of the firearms in Sulu Wednesday was made possible through the coordination of the 11th Infantry Division (ID) with MILF counterparts.

The firearms included 42 M16 rifles, five M14 rifles, 10 Garand rifles, two M79 grenade launchers, four Browning automatic rifles, five sniper rifles, and a Carbine rifle.

In an interview, Col. Alaric Avelino Delos Santos, 11ID civil-military operations chief, said the firearms were transported Friday to the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) headquarters and then to the MILF’s Camp Darapanan in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao, for final decommissioning.

The firearms were transported under the watch of the military, police, International Monitoring Team (IMT), and the Coordinating Committee on Cessation of Hostilities of the government and MILF, Delos Santos said.

The International Decommissioning Body (IDB) is tasked with safekeeping of the firearms, while other government agencies are mandated with the reintegration of the former MILF combatants into mainstream society.

The government and MILF peace implementing panels agreed to decommission some 14,000 combatants together with some 2,400 firearms under the third phase.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1172715

NPA sympathizers turn entrepreneurs in Iloilo

From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 22, 2022): NPA sympathizers turn entrepreneurs in Iloilo (By Perla Lena)

DUTERTE LEGACY. Members of the Molo Baluarte Timawa Operators Drivers Jeepney Association (MOBTOJDA) join the Duterte Legacy Caravan held at the Camp Martin Delgado regional headquarters of the Police Regional Office 6 in Iloilo City on Thursday (April 21, 2022). MOBTOJDA president Arman Ruego said they used to be always on the streets marching against the government, but were able to establish their own business with the help of the Department of Labor and Employment. (PNA photo by PGLena)

The government’s program to end insurgency has convinced over 400 former Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-NPA) sympathizers to reject the armed movement and lead a more productive life.

Arman Ruego, president of the Molo Baluarte Timawa Operators Drivers Jeepney Association (MOBTOJDA), said on Friday they used to be always on the streets marching against the government when they were still with the Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operator Nationwide (PISTON) due to lack of understanding on the cause of what they were fighting for.

“We realized that what we were fighting under PISTON is not good so we decided to go back to the government and changed the name of our association to MOBTOJDA,” Ruego said in an interview.

The transport group joined the Duterte Legacy Caravan held at the Camp Martin Delgado regional headquarters of the Police Regional Office 6 on Thursday afternoon.

The group was used by the NPA to look for firearms, ammunition, food, medicine, and houses to provide temporary shelter to their wounded comrades during encounters, according to the transport member and former communist cadre Rey Cachuela, who left the armed movement after 35 years.

With the help of the Philippine Army, MOBTOJDA was registered with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and qualified to avail of livelihood assistance.

On February 19 this year, the association was granted PHP500,000 livelihood assistance and is expected to start a business selling vehicle spare parts this May.

Cachuela, who spoke during the caravan, said with the issuance of Executive Order 70 and the Duterte Legacy, their group felt the support of the government.

EO 70 harmonizes the delivery of basic services and social development packages in conflict-affected and vulnerable communities in pursuit of the county’s peace and development agenda.

“The Duterte administration does not make stories. We former rebels can use this as an example, especially for the remaining few others to surrender. We used to complain about the lack of benefits and services from our government which we can now feel under the Duterte administration,” Cachuela said.

Senior Labor and Employment Officer Danny Espinosa, in a separate interview on Friday, said the livelihood support to the MOBTOJDA is just one of the organizations that have benefited from the department's services.

“Our program is not a dole out but we have a template so we can verify that their organization really exists. Their proposal was screened and evaluated before they were released the fund. We only enhanced their existing livelihood,” he added.

DOLE is a member of the Poverty Reduction, Livelihood and Employment Cluster, one of the 12 clusters of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1172713

Badoy harassed for speaking the truth vs. NPA: RTF6-ELCAC

From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 22, 2022): Badoy harassed for speaking the truth vs. NPA: RTF6-ELCAC (By Perla Lena)

FOR TELLING THE TRUTH. The Western Visayas Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (RTF6-ELCAC) said the National Task Force (NTF-ELCAC) is facing harassment suits for speaking the truth about the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front. RTF6-ELCAC spokesperson, Prosecutor Flosemer Chris I. Gonzales, on Friday (April 22, 2022) said the complaints were counterattacks against the most vocal spokesperson of the task force. (PNA file photo)

Presidential Communications and Operations Office (PCOO) Undersecretary Lorraine Marie T. Badoy is barraged with harassment suits for doing a good job in exposing the truth about the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF).

In a statement released by the Western Visayas Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (RTF6-ELCAC) on Friday, it said the CPP-NPA-NDF and their front organizations did a counterattack by filing a series of suits against Badoy, who is the most vocal among the spokespersons of the NTF (National Task Force)-ELCAC.

“The STRATCOM (Strategic Communication) cluster became the rallying and the convergence point of former CPP-NPA-NDF cadres who willingly and courageously volunteered to speak the truth. In the process, the Filipino people were informed, were made aware, and were enlightened by the former CPP-NPA-NDF cadres,” the statement through task force spokesperson Prosecutor Flosemer Chris I. Gonzales said.

Gonzales added that Badoy does not stand alone for she has the entire national task force behind her.

“She speaks the mind, the will, and the aspirations of the chairperson of the NTF-ELCAC, the President of the Republic of the Philippines. She is doing her job well. And for that, she was attacked by harassment suits,” the regional spokesperson added.

Complaints have been lodged before the Office of the Ombudsman calling for an investigation of her labeling several groups and individuals as having linked with the CPP-NPA-NDF.

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

The NDF has been formally designated as a terrorist organization by the Anti-Terrorism Council on June 23, 2021, citing it as “an integral and inseparable part” of the CPP-NPA created in April 1973.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1172730

NPA rebel killed in clash in Bukidnon

From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 22, 2022): NPA rebel killed in clash in Bukidnon (By Nef Luczon)

ENCOUNTER CASUALTY. A body of a New People’s Army combatant lies on the ground along with the seized items from a group of rebels following an encounter in Malaybalay City, Bukidnon, on April 18, 2022. The Army's 4th Infantry Division, which released the photo Friday (April 22, 2022), says its units also managed to retrieve several firearms from the NPA in Bukidnon province and the Caraga Region. (Photo courtesy of 4ID)

An encounter between government soldiers and New People’s Army (NPA) rebels in Malaybalay City, Bukidnon resulted in the death of a guerrilla, the military said Friday.

In a statement, the Army's 4th Infantry Division (ID) said troopers from the 1st Special Forces Battalion (1SFBn) clashed with about seven rebels in Barangay Imbayao, Malaybalay City on April 18.

The encounter resulted in the death of a certain Darren Jane Tilucan and the seizure of two M16 rifles.

Maj. Gen. Wilbur C. Mamawag, the 4ID commander, said the NPA fighters are “splintered elements” from the North-Central Mindanao Regional Command who came from the hinterlands of Lanao del Sur.

Mamawag said the rebels tried to cross over towards Bukidnon in the Northern Mindanao region, for safety.

According to Mamawag, the NPA fighters had scampered for safety following an earlier encounter against soldiers in Barangay Tikalaan in Talakag town, Bukidnon, on April 6, which resulted in the death of four NPA leaders and the seizure of 16 high-powered firearms.

Meanwhile, troops from the Army's 75th Infantry Battalion recovered seven high-powered firearms from the NPA's arms cache in Barangay Caras-an, Tago, Surigao del Sur, in Caraga Region on April 19.

A tip-off from a resident led to the successful retrieval operations, which yielded seven AK-47 rifles and 17 pieces of magazines.

For this month alone, the Joint Task Force Diamond said it managed to recover 33 firearms and “neutralized” 16 NPA fighters through surrender, arrest, and encounters in its area of operation both in the Northern Mindanao and Caraga regions.

"We will continue to hunt them down and collect their firearms faster than they could hide," assured Mamawag, also the concurrent commander of the Joint Task Force Diamond.

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

The Anti-Terrorism Council has also formally designated the National Democratic Front as a terrorist organization on June 23, 2021, citing it as “an integral and inseparable part” of the CPP-NPA that was created in April 1973.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1172756

Reactivation of 1st Tank Battalion boosts Army’s firepower

From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 22, 2022): Reactivation of 1st Tank Battalion boosts Army’s firepower (By Priam Nepomuceno)

REACTIVATION. The Philippine Army's Armor Division officers and enlisted personnel stand in formation during the reactivation of the 1st Tank Battalion and the deactivation of the 8th Cavalry Company at the division’s headquarters at Camp O'Donnell in Capas, Tarlac on Thursday (April 21, 2022). The 1st Tank Battalion traces its roots to the organization of the 1st Cavalry Regiment under the PA’s 1st Infantry Division in 1935. (Photo courtesy of the Philippine Army)

The Philippine Army reactivated Thursday its Armor Division's 1st Tank Battalion, further boosting its capability to deal with current and emerging security threats.

“Looking at the future operational landscape, the PA has reactivated the 1st Tank Battalion to provide our infantry and mechanized infantry forces with advanced firepower capability and enhance the standards of protection, especially in conducting contingency missions and combined arms and joint operations in the country,” Army chief Lt. Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said in a statement Thursday.

The reactivation of the 1st Tank Battalion at Camp O'Donnell in Capas, Tarlac will bolster the armor units’ operational capability in ground operations, he added.

PA spokesperson Col. Xerxes Trinidad said the 1st Tank Battalion, seen to play a key role in the defense of the country’s land domain, would be composed of newly acquired and upcoming assets such as 18 Sabrah ASCOD light tanks, 10 Pandur 8x8 wheeled light tanks, a command vehicle, a recovery vehicle, and a tank gunnery simulator acquired under the Armed Forces of the Philippines Revised Modernization program’s Horizon 2.

He earlier said the Sabrah ASCOD light tanks are expected to be delivered within this year while the Pandur 8x8 wheeled tanks are set for delivery next year.

The contract for these light tanks is worth around PHP9.4 billion and was acquired through government-to-government mode.

Following the activation of the 1st Tank Battalion, the 8th Cavalry Company was deactivated to provide the nucleus of the new unit which will be commanded by Lt. Col. Don Frivaldo.

The deactivated 8th Cavalry Company was formerly attached to the 103rd Infantry Brigade, 1st Infantry Division whose area of operations covers Lanao del Sur and parts of Lanao Del Norte.

The 8th Cavalry Company played a vital role in the military’s victory against ISIS-inspired terrorists that attacked Marawi City in 2017.

The 1st Tank Battalion traces its roots to the organization of the 1st Cavalry Regiment under the PA’s 1st Infantry Division in 1935.

The Philippine Army officially activated its first tank battalion in September 1958 with assets that included US M-4 Sherman tanks.

The original tank battalion was deactivated three years later due to the high cost of maintenance.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1172697

Bangsamoro peace process assured until Duterte ends term

From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 22, 2022): Bangsamoro peace process assured until Duterte ends term (By Lade Jean Kabagani)

Peace adviser Sec. Carlito Galvez Jr. (3rd from left) (OPAPRU photo)

The administration of President Rodrigo Duterte will honor all signed peace agreements with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), Peace adviser Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. assured Friday.

Galvez also hopes that the peace process nurtured over the years will continue in the succeeding administrations.

In a social media post, the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPRU) and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim in Mindanao (BARMM) reaffirmed their commitments to sustain the gains of various peace agreements in Mindanao.

“Rest assured, as I promised when I was Chief of Staff [of the Armed Forces of the Philippines], that all my life, with the National Defense Secretary (Delfin Lorenzana), all our lives, we will dedicate to the peace process,” Galvez said.

He added that there is much work to be done but with the strong partnerships developed, the Philippines “shall overcome the challenges that come our way”.

BARMM Chief Minister Ahod "Murad" Ebrahim remembered the long journey of the Bangsamoro fighters toward self-determination and establishing their own government.

“It brings back memories of our work in establishing the BARMM. Let us also take this opportunity to celebrate our shared wins of what may very well be our greatest legacy for Mindanao and the rest of the country," Ebrahim said in a separate statement following a recent meeting between the national government and BARMM officials.

Among the matters discussed were ways to further implement the Bangsamoro peace process, ensure Duterte’s “legacy of peace”, and the status of implementation of various peace-building initiatives in Mindanao under the political and normalization tracks of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB).

The CAB consolidates and affirms the understanding and commitment between the government of the Philippines and the MILF.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1172703

Egco twits Facebook faux pas on Esperon

From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 22, 2022): Egco twits Facebook faux pas on Esperon

Undersecretary Joel Sy Egco on Friday warned that Facebook’s repeated attempts to censor and restrict the posts of government officials create a chilling effect in the world of social media.

Egco, Executive Director of the Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS), issued the statement after the US-based tech giant recently warned National Security Adviser (NSA) Hermogenes Esperon Jr. for a post that urged Filipinos to unite against the 53-year-old communist insurgency that has already claimed the lives of tens of thousands of Filipinos. Facebook has since then restored Esperon’s post but without admitting it committed a mistake, an implied admission of error.

Like Esperon, Egco said he and other officials critical of the Communist Party of the Philippines, New People's Army, National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) such as Presidential Communications Undersecretary Lorraine Badoy have been "restricted" several times to post in Facebook.

He suspected that they fell victims to the so-called "mass reporting," a frail mechanism embedded in Facebook supposedly to combat hate speech and the like but is actually being used and abused by aboveground and underground groups linked with the insurgency to effect the taking down of any post they deem adverse to their narratives or interests.

"Usec Badoy has shown what a 21st-century woman really should be. She doesn't have to play the gender card. She has displayed more grit and backbone than most men when she minces no word in calling a spade a spade. Such a woman of courage deserves our highest respect – unceasing and unfazed for standing up for the truth - and I stand with Usec Lorraine Badoy,” the Palace official added.

He said that if Facebook can do this to government officials, what more to ordinary Filipinos.

Egco is also spokesperson for Mass Media Engagements and Fact-Checker of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), while Badoy is its spokesperson for New Media and Sectoral Concerns.

“To avoid being accused of undue censorship and stifling freedom of expression, Facebook should be more prudent, discerning and intelligent in restricting posts from the government whose only aim is to achieve a better future for our countrymen,” Egco said.

“Allow me to remind Facebook that under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), it is specified there that everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression, and this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers,” he added.

“Indeed, we echo the sentiment of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) that it is alarming and dangerous for Facebook to restrict the posts of officials who are earnestly combatting communist terrorist groups (CTGs) operating in the country, such as the CPP-NPA-NDF,” he said.

“Mind you, if we allow the communists to run the government, there will be no more freedom of expression and that will be the end of Facebook, Youtube, Messenger, or Tiktok in the Philippines as these CTGs will never allow these social media platforms to be used freely by Filipinos. They have zero tolerance for dissent,” he added.

Egco said that Facebook should heed the call of the international community to be vigilant but fair in its efforts to connect people of different backgrounds, beliefs, and ideologies, noting that the Philippines has welcomed and allowed the social media giant to freely operate in the country without interference.

He said he personally knows the travails of joining the communist insurgency as he was himself a former student activist, cadre, and later an NPA combatant.

He added that he lost friends and scholarships and severely strained his relations with his parents and loved ones until he found the courage to leave the underground movement, embrace his family, and rebuild his life.

Egco then took the path of journalism until he rose from being a campus reporter to editor to becoming the president of the country's biggest and one of the oldest groups of legitimate journalists - the National Press Club of the Philippines.

He emphasized that the primary goal of the NTF-ELCAC is to have an insurgency-free Philippines.

“We are not against anyone espousing an ideology, that is part of free speech which our Constitution holds sacred. What we are against is these groups recruiting our children to bear arms for the violent overthrow of our democratically instituted government. We must work together to bring an end to this cycle of violence perpetrated by the CTGs. The government and Facebook can work together for the good of all Filipinos, especially since it is the most popular social media platform in the country,” Egco said, adding that PTFoMS has already partnered with Facebook before to prevent the medium to be used to bully or harass journalists and other media workers with impunity, especially against women.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1172738

PH, Japan ground self defense forces beef up cooperation

From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 22, 2022): PH, Japan ground self defense forces beef up cooperation (By Priam Nepomuceno)

DEEPENING TIES. Army Commanding General, Lt. Gen. Romeo S. Brawner Jr., talks about forging closer ties with the Japan Ground Self Defense Force during his virtual bilateral meeting with Japan Ground Self Defense Force Chief of Staff, Gen. Yoshida Yoshihide, on April 20, 2022. Both officials have signified intention of deepening cooperation for capacity-building between the two armies. (Photo courtesy of the Philippine Army)

The Philippine Army (PA) and the Japan Ground Self Defense Force (JGSDF) have further enhanced ties following the virtual bilateral meeting of its ranking officials last April 20.

"The Commanding General, Philippine Army (CGPA) Lt. Gen. Romeo S. Brawner Jr. and JGSDF Chief-of-Staff Gen. Yoshida Yoshihide held a virtual bilateral talk on April 20, 2022, aimed at deepening cooperation for capacity-building between the two armies," Army spokesperson Col. Xerxes Trinidad said in a statement Friday.

In the virtual meeting, Yoshida informed Brawner about the successful ministerial meeting of the Philippine and Japanese foreign affairs and defense officials on April 9, which was geared at deepening the Philippine-Japan security partnership.

"The two Army leaders discussed deepening cooperation for capacity-building. Gen. Yoshida also invited Lt. Gen. Brawner to visit Japan to sign the revised Philippine Army-Philippine Marine Corps-JGSDF (PA-PA-JGSDF) Terms of Reference," Trinidad said.

Brawner, for his part, thanked the JGSDF chief for his commitment to strengthening relations between the two armies, particularly Japan’s equipment donation that bolstered the humanitarian assistance and disaster response of the PA.

In October 2021, the Japanese government, through its Ministry of Defense, donated nearly PHP50 million worth of water search-and-rescue (WASAR) and collapsed structure search-and-rescue (CSSR) equipment for the 525th Engineer Combat Battalion (525ECB), the Army’s primary disaster-response unit.

The 525ECB disaster-response teams and their Japanese counterparts held week-long WASAR and CSSR training drills in November 2021.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1172719