Military stops offensives to allow Lanao del Sur evacuation

From Rappler (Mar 2, 2022): Military stops offensives to allow Lanao del Sur evacuation (By FROILAN GALLARDO)

Maguing Mayor Fahad Molok says 1,217 families evacuated to safer grounds in the town center, other villages, and municipalities as soon as the fighting stopped

The military momentarily stopped launching more offensives against the Maute-ISIS group in Lanao del Sur to allow trapped villagers to evacuate to safety.

Brigadier General Jose Maria Cuerpo II, commander of the Army 103rd Infantry Brigade, said the military ceasefire was implemented on Tuesday night, March 1, to allow around 100 families trapped in the fighting to evacuate to Barangay Madaya-Poblacion in Maguing town.

But Maguing’s mayor, Fahad Molok, said there were more evacuees than what the military had expected.

Molok said the town government logged 1,217 families who fled their homes and sought refuge in the town center, other villages, and towns as of Wednesday morning, March 2, as soon as the fighting stopped.

He said the local government has been taking care of some 50 people.

“We are expecting helping hands from the province and BARMM (Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao) today,” Molok told Rappler.

With Air Force FA-50 jets and the newly acquired A-29 Super Tucano planes providing air support, government troops launched fresh offensives against suspected Maute-ISIS militants in Maguing hours earlier on Tuesday.

But the municipal government of Maguing asked the Army for a unilateral ceasefire to allow its responders to evacuate residents trapped in Barangay Runggayan to the town center.

Cuerpo said three militants were killed as soldiers attacked the Maute-ISIS camp in the hinterland village of Ilalag in Maguing.

At least one soldier was killed while four others were wounded in the ensuing exchange of firepower.

Cuerpo said soldiers have so far found six firearms, including two caliber .50 machine guns, several hundred rounds of ammunition, and ISIS black flags.

He said they also found evidence that the Maute-ISIS militants led by Farahuding Hadji Satar alias Abu Bakar or Abu Zacaria have merged with remnants of a Dawlah Islamiya group from Maguindanao.

“We have pictures and documents to prove that they have merged into one group and came to this place to train,” Cuerpo said.

Dawlah Islamiya is the local name of the Islamic State (IS) whose membership comprises fighters from several Filipino militant factions, including the Maute Group fighting in Lanao del Sur.

In May 2017, Maute Group members and other pro-ISIS militants engaged government forces in a battle that lasted five months in predominantly Muslim Marawi City.

As many as 1,200 militants, troops, and civilians were killed before the military regained control of Marawi City. The battle also destroyed several villages in the city. –

https://www.rappler.com/nation/military-stops-offensives-allow-evacuation-lanao-del-sur-march-2022/

Air Force bombs suspected Maute-ISIS camps in Lanao Sur

From MindaNews (Mar 1, 2022): Air Force bombs suspected Maute-ISIS camps in Lanao Sur (By FROILAN GALLARDO)

Air Force FA50 fighter jets bombed suspected camps of the Maute-ISIS group as the military launched a brigade-sized operation in Maguing, Lanao del Sur before dawn Tuesday.

Maguing, Lanao del Sur. Map courtesy of Google

Brig. Gen. Jose Maria Cuerpo II, commanding general of the Army’s 103rd Infantry Brigade based in Marawi City, said two Dawlah Islamiya members were killed while three soldiers were wounded in the initial fighting in the hinterlands of Maguing town Tuesday.

Cuerpo said soldiers have recovered two assault rifles and a caliber .30 machine gun from the militants.

The air raids, which took place between 2 and 3 a.m., woke up Marawi and Iligan City residents, who said they were surprised of the jets circling in the sky above them, reminiscent of the air raids during the Marawi siege in 2017.

A file photo of the PAF’s FA50 on a bombing sortie during the Marawi siege in June 2017. MindaNews photo by FROILAN GALLARDO

Meranaw civic leader Drieza Lindinding, convenor of the Moro Consensus Group, said many Marawi residents were worried because even though Maguing is almost 30 kilometers away, they felt the explosions in the wee hours of the morning.

https://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2022/03/air-force-bombs-suspected-maute-isis-camps-in-lanao-sur/

Military temporarily stops operations vs Maute Group so trapped residents can flee

From MindaNews (Mar 2, 2022): Military temporarily stops operations vs Maute Group so trapped residents can flee (By FROILAN GALLARDO)

The military has momentarily stopped operations against the Maute-ISIS group in the municipality of Maguing in Lanao del Sur Tuesday night to allow trapped residents to evacuate to safety.

Army soldiers hunt for Maute-ISIS militants in Butig, Lanao del Sur in 2016. MindaNews file photo by FROILAN GALLARDO

Brig. Gen. Jose Maria Cuerpo II, commander of the Army’s 103rd Infantry Brigade based in Marawi City, said the ceasefire was implemented Tuesday night to allow 100 families trapped in the fighting to be evacuated to Barangay Madaya Poblacion in Maguing.

But Maguing Mayor Mahad Molok said there were more evacuees than they have expected.

He said the local Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office registered 1,217 families who fled their homes and sought refuge in the town centers and houses of relatives as of Wednesday morning as soon as the fighting stopped.

Molok said the local government is taking care of 50 families who have taken shelter in the town center.

“We are expecting helping hands from the province and BARMM [Bangsamoro Region in Muslim Mindanao] today,” the mayor said Wednesday.

Supported by Air Force FA50 jets and the newly acquired A-29 Super Tucano planes, the Army launched operations against suspected Maute-ISIS militants in Maguing Tuesday.

The local government of Maguing asked the Army on Tuesday for a ceasefire to allow its responders to evacuate the residents trapped in Barangay Rungayan to the town poblacion.

Cuerpo said three militants were killed as Army troops attacked the suspected Maute-ISIS camp in hinterland Barangay Ilalag.

The government suffered one soldier killed in action while four others were wounded, he said.

Cuerpo said they have seized six firearms, including two crew-served caliber .50 machine guns, several hundred rounds of ammunition and several ISIS black flags.

He said they also found evidence that the Maute-ISIS militants led by Farahuding Hadji Satar alias Abu Bakar or Abu Zacaria have merged with the remnants of the Dawlah Islamiya group from Maguindanao.

“We have pictures and documents to prove that they have merged into one group and came to this place to train,” Cuerpo said.

Daulah Islamiyah is the local name of the Islamic State (IS), whose membership comprises fighters from several Filipino militant factions, including the Maute Group fighting out in Lanao del Sur.

In May 2017, Maute Group members and other pro-IS militants launched a siege of Marawi, triggering a battle with government forces that lasted five months.

As many as 1,200 militants, troops and civilians were killed before the military regained control of Marawi City.

https://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2022/03/military-temporarily-stops-operations-vs-maute-group-so-trapped-residents-can-flee/

‘Booc not just teacher but also NPA recruiter’

Posted to the Mindanao Examiner (Feb 1, 2022): ‘Booc not just teacher but also NPA recruiter’

CHAD BOOC was a New People's Army (NPA) leader and recruiter who is responsible for luring children to become warriors, his former student told the media on Monday.

During Monday's edition of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) virtual press briefing, Rurelyn Bay-ao, a former student of Booc in Salungpungan and Bakwit schools, divulged that contrary to what left-leaning groups have claimed, Booc is not just a teacher but a leader in the Communist Party of the Philippines-NPA-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF).

Bay-ao, who is also a member of an indigenous people (IP) tribe in Talaingod, Davao, said she was taught by Booc in Saver's School Network, a community-based learning scheme used by the Communist Terrorist Group (CTG) to lure IP children and train them to become NPA warriors.

"Naging mag-aaral po ako ni teacher Chad. Si Sir Chad ay di basta-basta aktibista lang, at di basta-bastang guro lang, kung di ay NPA mismo (I was a student of teacher Chad. Sir Chad was not just an activist and teacher, but he is also an NPA member)," Bay-ao said.

She added that in 2020, she was with Booc, including the time when they were at the University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City as a member of the so-called Bakwit School where Booc taught and indoctrinated them through "PaDaPa" (Pambansang Demokratikong Paaralan) on how to fight and overthrow the government.

Booc was slain with four other NPA fighters after a 15-minute firefight with the 1001st Infantry Brigade of the Philippine Army in Purok-8, Barangay Andap, New Bataan, Davao de Oro on Feb. 24, 2022.

Capt. Mark Anthony Tito, spokesperson of the 10th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army, said the encounter was part of the military operations launched since last year to track down and finish the CTGs and eventually free communities from their terroristic activities.

Meanwhile, Davao de Oro Governor Tyron Uy also belied claims that Booc and the other slain NPA fighters were ambushed by the military troops.

"I'd like to validate the occurrence of the encounter," Uy said, pointing out that information from civilian witnesses confirmed the presence of armed men in the area before the firefight.

Those information about the encounter came from civilians in the affected hinterland villages, Uy added.

"Wala na kasi silang masa, mahirap na sa kanilang bumaba. Dahil ayaw na ng mga tao sa kanila (They have not support already from the people, it’s difficult for them now to go down because people do not like them anymore). And because of our support through and from the 'whole-of-nation' approach,” Uy said, referring to the initiative of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte in creating the NTF-ELCAC.

"This is the result of lies and deception of the (CPP-NPA-NDF) sa ating mega kabataan (to our youth),” he said.

The Youth for Peace Movement in Bataan also attended the press briefing and read their statement confirming their knowledge of the encounter that killed NPA fighters that included Booc.

The group backed the Army's claims as they insisted that the people in the area are law abiding citizens who have already condemned the CTG for operating Lumad Schools to recruit NPAs.

Undersecretary Lorraine Badoy, NTF-ELCAC Spokesperson for Sectoral Concerns, meanwhile, asked who really is Chad Booc, that "in the short life he lived, he really created so much grief to our IP Communities.”

Badoy said, “And now the CPP-NPA-NDF and their legal front organizations once again tried to push their narrative that Chad Booc was ambushed by our government forces. This is because he was said to be ‘red-tagged’—these old lines of the CPP-NPA-NDF that the vast majority of our people no longer believed in. Chad Booc was identified by many of his former students such as Rurelyn."

"And very clearly, it was a legitimate encounter with the government troops with the NPAs wherein he is a combatant as testified by the people in New Bataan and Gov. Tyron Uy,” she added.

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.

The Anti-Terrorism Council also formally designated the 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.
http://mindanaoexaminernewspaper.blogspot.com/2022/03/booc-not-just-teacher-but-also-npa.html

French court tells Malaysia to pay heirs of Sulu sultan $14bil

 From the Mindanao Examiner (Mar 2, 2022): French court tells Malaysia to pay heirs of Sulu sultan $14bil

Sultan Jamalul Kiram III reads the Mindanao Examiner regional newspaper in this file photo by Mark Navales, the paper's bureau chief in southern Philippines.

Descendants of the Sultan of Sulu have filed a case against Malaysia in a French court to claim over $32 billion in unpaid cession money as well as how much they believe they are owed for the oil and gas found in Sabah.

Members of the Royal Council of the Sulu Sultanate composed of Sultans Ibrahim Bahjin, Muedzul-Lail Tan Kiram, Mohammad Venizar Julkarnain Jainal Abirin, Muizuddin Jainal Abirin Bahjin and Phugdalun Kiram II, and Sulu Governor Dr Sakur Tan. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)

The Sultanate of Sulu, founded in 1457, continues to lay claim to Sabah which it obtained from Brunei as a gift for helping put down a rebellion on Borneo Island. The British leased Sabah and transferred control over the territory to Malaysia after the end of World War II.

The Sulu Sultanate said it had merely leased North Borneo in 1878 to the British North Borneo Company for an annual payment of 5,000 Malayan dollars then, which was increased to 5,300 Malayan dollars in 1903. The Sultanate of Sulu is believed to exist as a sovereign nation for at least 442 years. It stretches from a part of the island of Mindanao in the east, to Sabah, in the west and south, and to Palawan, in the north. But North Borneo was annexed by Malaysia in 1963 following a referendum organised by the Cobbold Commission in 1962, the people of Sabah voted overwhelmingly to join Malaysia.

According to the Malaysian newspaper The Star, a French arbitration court has “instructed” the Malaysian government to pay $14.92bil (RM62.6bil) to the descendants of the last Sulu sultan. It reported that Arbitrator Gonzalo Stampa, who is from Spain, issued the award in a Paris court. The decision was based on the alleged violation of payments of RM5,300 cession money under the 1878 agreement signed by Sultan Jamal Al Alam, Baron de Overbeck and the British North Borneo Company’s Alfred Dent.

Malaysia stopped paying the Sultan Sulu’s heirs their annual RM5,300 cession money after over 200 armed followers of the Sultan of Sulu, Jamalul Kiram III led by his younger brother Agbimuddin Kiram landed in Lahad Datu town in Sabah in 2013 to press the ancestral claim on the oil-rich territory. Malaysia responded by sending troops and launching airstrikes before the stand-off ended. The conflict, which lasted more than a month, resulted in the deaths of 68 men from the Sulu sultanate, nine Malaysian armed services personnel and six civilians.

The Star also quoted a report by the Spanish news website La Información which said that Stampa had issued the award, ruling that the 1878 treaty was a commercial “international private lease agreement.” By not paying the cession money since 2013, Stampa said Malaysia had breached the agreement and would have three months to pay up failing which interest would be charged if the decision was not accepted.

On March 17, 2020, Kota Kinabalu High Court judge Datuk Martin Indang ruled that Malaysia was the proper venue to resolve disputes arising from the 1878 Deed of Cession and not the Spanish courts, which do not have authority nor jurisdiction over Malaysia. Justice Idang said this when deciding in favour of the Malaysian government in its suit against eight of the supposed descendants of the sultan of Sulu at the Kota Kinabalu High Court on March 17.

He said there was no binding agreement between the Government and the sultan’s heirs that compelled either party to also submit to arbitration in the event of a dispute.

The heirs’ claims were originally heard in Madrid until the Madrid High Court annulled Stampa’s appointment on grounds that Malaysia was not properly informed about the case and was thus “defenceless”. The case was later moved to the French capital.

Sultan Esmail Kiram III died in 2015 from renal failure at a hospital in Zamboanga City in southern Philippines. His body was brought to his hometown in Sulu’s Maimbung town and buried beside the tomb of his elder brother, Jamalul, whom he succeeded in 2013. The 75-year old sultan was one of the most influential members of the Royal Sultanate. And Agbimuddin also died early of cardiac arrest the same year in Tawi-Tawi province after escaping from Lahad Datu at the height of the Malaysian assault on his group.

Datu Phugdal Kiram, another brother, has reportedly assumed the throne, but the sultanate does not hold any power anymore in the modern-day Philippines, and is more of a title although Malaysia previously paid an annual rental for the island to whoever sits as the head of the Royal Sultanate. But there are dozens of sultans claiming to be the legitimate heir to the throne.

Two years ago, the Philippines said it would revive the “North Borneo Bureau” to exert its claim to the mineral-rich Sabah even if Malaysia insisted it was theirs. Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. told lawmakers that he has decided to revive the North Borneo Bureau to uphold the country's claim to Sabah.

Sulu Governor Sakur Tan previously said the cession money that Malaysia paid annually to the heirs of the Sultan of Sulu was insulting. “The amount is insulting anyway, you can never change history,” he told the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner.


A report by ABS-CBN also quoted Locsin as telling members of the House Appropriations Committee that: “While we fiercely guard our waters, we are not forgetting our terrestrial domain. In pursuit of securing what is ours, I have decided to reactivate the North Borneo Bureau.”

“After realizing that the rest of us have almost forgotten our Sabah claim, casually designating it as another country’s territory, well we have not forgotten. This is one of several international disagreements we can afford to conduct in our best interest without any risk of loss of any kind for our country,” he said, adding, “Our honor is involved here.”

Even Nur Misuari, chieftain of the Moro National Liberation Front, said that what Malaysia pays to the Sultanate of Sulu (and North Borneo), was but a pittance.


President Rodrigo Duterte’s former Spokesman and now Chief Legal Counsel, Salvador Panelo, said the government has not abandoned its claim on Sabah. Panelo reiterated Duterte’s position that he would pursue the Philippines’ claim to Sabah. “The position of the President, meron tayong claims. Eh totoo namang may claim tayo di ba? That has been a bone of contention ever since,” he said.

Sultan Ibrahim Bahjin-Shakirullah II said North Borneo is an inextricable part and parcel of the Sultanate of Sulu.

He said the Sultanate of Sulu asserts its position on the following: 1.) The Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo was never lawfully ceded to the Republic of the Philippines, and therefore remains a sovereign and independent state; 2.) The stipulation in the Deed of 1878 that the lessees of North Borneo shall administer the territory for “as long as they choose or desire to use them” places it in the category of a “perpetual lease”, effective for 100 years under international law. The contract of lease has therefore expired and possession over North Borneo should now be exercised by the Sultanate of Sulu, its rightful owner. And 3.) The heirs of Jamalul Kiram III do not have private ownership of Sabah. The territory continues to be owned by the Sultanate of Sulu, and not any private person.

In view of the history of the Sultanate and the circumstances surrounding the lease of Sabah, he said: “We desire the recognition of the independent statehood and sovereignty of the Islamic Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo.”

But Sultan Muedzul-Lail Tan Kiram, who claims to be the 35th Sultan of Sulu and North Borneo, said his grandfather, Sultan Mohammad Esmail Enang Kiram, who was recognized by the Philippine government in 1957, “transferred the rights of North Borneo under the government of President Diosdado Macapagal in 1962.”

Kiram said his father, Sultan Mohammad Mahakuttah Abdulla Kiram, and he, being the Crown Prince of Sulu, confirmed the transfer of the rights of North Borneo to the Philippine government and this was made official through Memorandum Order No. 427 issued by President Ferdinand Marcos in 1974. “We aspire for an amicable solution to the predicament that affects us all in this region,” Kiram said, adding, “The Royal House of Sulu firmly believes that diplomacy will allow us to move forward as governments and other parties involved play a crucial role from alleviating our people from poverty.”

The two are only among the 5 recognized sultans in Sulu. The others are Sultans Mohammad Venizar Julkarnain Jainal Abirin, Muizuddin Jainal Abirin Bahjin and Phugdalun Kiram II. 

http://mindanaoexaminernewspaper.blogspot.com/2022/03/french-court-tells-malaysia-to-pay.html

Troops clash with terrorists, MILF says it was them

From the Mindanao Examiner (Mar 2, 2022): Troops clash with terrorists, MILF says it was them

As military forces continue its offensive against the pro-ISIS group Dawlah Islamiya and Maute Group in the town of Maguind in Lanao del Sur province, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front said the fighting was between government troops and its forces.

Acronym of the group’ full Arabic name is al-Dawla al-Islamiya fi al-Iraq wa al-Sham, translated as “Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (or the Levant).”

Army Lt. Col. Palawan Miondas, a spokesman for the 103rd Infantry Brigade based in Marawi City, said soldiers were fighting terrorists, blamed for the spate of bombings and attacks on innocent civilians.

Miondas said three terrorists and a soldier were killed in the fighting that also wounded three infantrymen since Tuesday. “At least three enemies were killed, but one of our brave soldiers also perished in the fighting and three more are wounded,” he told the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner by phone from his headquarters.

He said the two groups of terrorists - one under Abu Zacharia of Maute Group and the other from the Hassan Group – were behind the bombings of steel pylons of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines in September 28 and November 30 last year, and the latest was in February 15 which also wounded seven soldiers and two civilians.

“Likewise, they were also responsible in plotting IEDs in different areas in Lanao del Sur which resulted in consecutive deaths and injuries both from the government troops,” Miondas said.

He said troops recovered dozens of terrorist weapons, including three machine guns, and improvised explosives from the fighting in the village of Ilalag. “The operations are continuing in other villages where the terrorists have fled, and our troops have just returned tonight from the clearing operation,” he said. “We recovered at least 34 firearms, IEDs and ISIS flags, and various documents.”

Miondas said the military’s Joint Task Group Haribon has given countless chances to the extremist groups to abandon their violent campaign and to surrender peacefully and “set aside their dreadful ideology and refrain from harming the Meranaos physically and mentally through spreading false religious doctrines that forwards violence. These groups have merged forces and were planning to conduct trainings and plotting aggression activities during the month of Ramadhan and the forthcoming elections.”

But MILF chieftain Murad Ebrahim, who is also the governor of the Bangsamoro autonomous region, issued a statement late Wednesday and said the military clashed with his group.

“Over the past 24 hours. Our dear constituents in Maguing, Lanao del Sur have been troubled, from military airstrikes, and most recently, firefight incident that involved members of the military force and forces of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. As of writing, the incident has claimed several lives. And has forced some of our constituents to flee their homes and find shelter, and nearby areas.”

“We are not closely working with our partners from the municipal government of Maguing, security forces and ministries are already on the ground to assist our internally displaced communities and assure that they get home safely as soon as possible,” he said.

Ebrahim said the regional government is making sure that the ongoing ceasefire between the MILF and the Armed Forces of the Philippines will produce positive outcomes and provide permanent resolution to the conflict. “We are optimistic that no further confrontation will take place,” he said.

Miondas maintained that those killed in the fighting were terrorists who were members of the Dawlah Islamya and the Maute Group which were also involved in the deadly siege of Marawi in May 23, 2017 that lasted five months.

He said the terrorist lairs were also near an illegal camp of the MILF. “We are sure that those terrorists are members of the Dawlah Islamiya,” Miondas said.

http://mindanaoexaminernewspaper.blogspot.com/2022/03/troops-clash-with-terrorists-milf-says.html

Rebel-infested N. Samar village formally rejects NPA

From the Philippine News Agency (Mar 1, 2022): Rebel-infested N. Samar village formally rejects NPA (By Sarwell Meniano)

NO TO NPA. Residents in Northern Samar join a peace rally in Catubig town denouncing the New People's Army (NPA) in this Feb. 25, 2022 event. Residents of Roxas village in Catubig town, whose officials declared the communist terrorist group as persona non grata, joined the rally. (Photo courtesy of Philippine Army 20th Infantry Battalion)

An upland village in Catubig, Northern Samar affected by the New People’s Army's (NPA) five decades of armed struggle has declared the communist terrorist group persona non grata.

The remote Roxas village issued the declaration three weeks after two minors died and two others were wounded when the NPA ambushed patrolling soldiers in their area.

The children identified as Andre Mercado, 12, and Leandro Alivio, 13, were in the area to gather coconuts and were talking to government troops before the NPA’s indiscriminately fired on them.

The Philippine Army’s 20th Infantry Battalion (20th IB) on Tuesday said the village formally rejected the NPA through a resolution by village officials on February 28.

“For the past 53 years of fighting against the government, the Communist Party of the Philippine (CPP)-NPA- National Democratic Front (NDF) proved nothing but their true color along with their lies and deceptions; brought nothing but atrocities which for so long only threatens the security and development of Barangay Roxas, Catubig, Northern Samar,” the 20th IB said in a statement.

The army said the communist terrorist group only sow fear and hatred in the remote community, capitalizing on the members of the local populace to support their underground activities such as extortion, killing of civilians, burning of properties, and recruitment of child warriors.

Roxas villagers were among the 700 protesters who joined the peace rally on Feb. 25, denouncing the NPA at the Catubig municipal auditorium.

Also present were residents of the towns of Catubig, Las Navas, Lope de Vega, San Isidro, and Mondragon in Northern Samar.

The event highlighted the condemnation of various International Humanitarian Law (IHL) violations of the CPP-NPA-NDF such as burning of civilian properties, willful killing, and intentionally directing attacks against civilians, among others.

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/1168762

Military airstrike hits lair of DI terrorists in Lanao Sur

From the Philippine News Agency (Mar 1, 2022): Military airstrike hits lair of DI terrorists in Lanao Sur (By Teofilo Garcia, Jr.)

Military officials said Tuesday their troops are relentlessly pursuing members of the Dawlah Islamiya - Maute Group (DI-MG) in the periphery of Maguing, Lanao del Sur after the reported massing up of extremists in the area.

The pursuit operation came after combat aircraft bombarded a lair of the Islamic State-inspired DI-MG terrorists led by Abu Zacharia, in Barangay Ilalag of Maguing town at about 2 a.m. on Tuesday.

Maj. Andrew Linao, Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) information officer, disclosed that the combat aircraft unleashed a dozen bombs, sending the terrorists scampering in various directions as state ground forces pursued them.

“The offensive was launched after it was confirmed that Abu Zacharia’s group is massing up forces in Barangay Ilalag,” Linao said.

The 103rd Infantry Brigade (103IBde), headed by Brig. Gen. Jose Maria Cuerpo II, said in a statement that the joint military and police law enforcement operation was against the DI-MG in the hinterlands of Maguing.

“Upon reaching on site of the target, close air support was given to protect troops from enemy anti-personnel mines. Troops are still in the area engaging the terrorists in running gun battles,” the 103IBde said in a statement posted on its Facebook page on Tuesday.

It assured locals who were alarmed by the close air support early this morning that the operation was necessary to keep the municipality and the rest of Lanao del Sur safe and free from the threat of terrorism.

This came about as Capt. Mary Jephte Mañebog, 1st Infantry Division information officer, said two DI-MG members were killed in a gun battle that broke out in Barangay Ilalag, Maguing at about 7:50 a.m. on Tuesday.

Mañebog disclosed that a soldier was also killed while another was wounded, based on the report from the 103IBde.

She said the gun battle ensued as the advancing ground troops caught up with about 40 fleeing DI-MG terrorists in Barangay Ilalag.

Meanwhile, Linao allayed the fears of residents of Barangay Ilalag, saying the offensive has an identified target.

“There is a specified target and it is far from the community,” he said.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1168756

Rebel wanted for attempted murder falls in Surigao Sur

From the Philippine News Agency (Mar 1, 2022): Rebel wanted for attempted murder falls in Surigao Sur (By Alexander Lopez)

Photo grabbed from PRO-13 Facebook Page

The Police Regional Office in Caraga (PRO-13) on Tuesday said it has arrested a New People’s Army (NPA) rebel with a standing arrest warrant for two counts of attempted murder.

In a statement, PRO-13 Director, Brig. Gen. Romeo Caramat Jr., identified the arrested suspect as Roel Villatora Mangadlao, alias Ruel, 48, a member of the NPA Guerrilla Front 19 (GF-19), North Eastern Mindanao Regional Committee (NEMRC).

“Mangadlao was arrested by the joint personnel of Lianga police station and 1303rd Maneuver Company of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion - 13 on Monday in Purok 6, Barangay Diatagon, Lianga, Surigao del Sur,” Caramat said.

The suspect has arrest warrants issued by the Regional Trial Court Branch 28 in Lianga town in February 2020.

“(The) investigation disclosed that on February 19, 2020, Philippine Army troopers who were conducting main security route clearing along the Simowao-Neptune Barangay road in Lianga town were fired upon by suspect Mangadlao and his group under GF-19, NEMRC. Two Army personnel were wounded during the attack,” Caramat said.

He lauded the personnel of Surigao del Sur Police Provincial Office for the apprehension of Mangadlao.

Based on records from the Regional Operations Division of PRO-13, a total of 17 NPA rebels have been arrested in February this year.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1168784

Viscom backs designation of 16 CPP-link groups as ‘terrorists’

From the Philippine News Agency (Mar 1, 2022): Viscom backs designation of 16 CPP-link groups as ‘terrorists’ (By John Rey Saavedra)

Visayas Command commander Lt. Gen. Robert Dauz. (Photo courtesy of ThePhilippine Army Transformation Roadmap FB)

The Visayas Command (Viscom) on Tuesday said it strongly supports the resolution of the Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC) designating 16 organizations with links to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) as “terrorists”.

Lt. Gen. Robert Dauz, Viscom commander, said the military in the Visayas welcomes ATC Resolution No. 28 which was issued on January 26 but made public on February 22, identifying the groups allied with the CPP’s New People’s Army-National Democratic Front.

The resolution was signed by the National Security Adviser and ATC vice chair, Secretary Hermogenes Esperon Jr.

“This development is a major step towards the elimination of communist terrorist groups, as it will empower the government force to take steps under the rule of law, which will best enhance our efforts to protect benefit our people here in the region,” Dauz said in a statement written in Cebuano.

The resolution declared as terrorist groups the 16 underground organizations of the CPP-NPA-NDF identified by its founding chair, Jose Maria ”Joma” Sison, as their allies in an April 24, 2021 video released on the occasion of NDF’s 48th anniversary.

The ATC identified these groups as Revolutionary Council of Trade Unions (RCTU), Katipunan ng mga Samahang Manggagawa (KASAMA) o Federation of Labor Organizations, and Pambansang Katipunan ng mga Magbubukid (PKM) or National Association of Peasants.

Included in the said resolution are Independent Movement of New Women (MAKIBAKA) or Patriotic Movement of New Women, Kabataang Makabayan (KM) or Patriotic Youth, Katipunan ng Gurong Makabayan (KAGUMA) or Association of Patriotic Teachers, Makabayang Samahang Pangkalusugan (MASAPA) or Patriotic Health Association, League of Science for the People (LAB) or League of Scientists for the People, and Lupon ng mga Manananggol para sa Bayan (LUMABAN) or Committee of Lawyers for the People.

The other groups designated as “terrorists” are Artista at Manunulat ng Sambayanan (ARMAS) or Artista and Writers for the People, Makabayang Kawaning Pilipino (MKP) or Patriotic Government Employees, Revolutionary Organization of Overseas Filipinos and their Families (COMPATRIOTS), Christians for National Liberation (CNL), Cordillera People's Democratic Front (CPDF), Moro Resistance Liberation Organization (MRLO), and the Revolutionary Organization of Lumads (ROL).

In addition to Sison’s video message, the documented evidence and testimonies of former rebels provided the ATC with sufficient basis in passing the resolution.

Likewise, the former members of these organizations, particularly the RCTU, KM, and the MAKIBAKA allegedly expressed knowledge of and direct involvement in the illegal activities of the said organizations.

The Viscom statement said illegal activities include inciting, organizing, mobilizing the masses, creating financial, material, and technical support for the armed operations of the communist terrorist group, as well as recruitment and training for cadres and sectoral mass organizations under the umbrella of the NDF.

Under the Anti-Terrorism Law, the ATC has the authority to classify individuals or groups of individuals, organizations, and associations as terrorists even without a court hearing.

With the declaration as the basis, the Anti-Money Laundering Council may take measures to prevent the misappropriation of the finances and other assets of these individuals, organizations, and associations classified as terrorists.

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/1168799

Over 200 peacekeeping cops deployed to Samar

 From the Philippine News Agency (Mar 2, 2022): Over 200 peacekeeping cops deployed to Samar (By Sarwell Meniano)

SAFER POLLS. Some of the police officers during their send-off ceremony in Babatngon, Leyte on March 1. The Philippine National Police (PNP) has sent 235 junior police officers to Samar province for peacekeeping missions ahead of the campaign period for local candidates. (Photo courtesy of PNP Region 8)

The Philippine National Police sent 235 junior police officers to Samar province on Tuesday for a peacekeeping mission ahead of the campaign period for local candidates.

The PNP-Basic Internal Security Operations Course completers joined the send-off ceremony at their training site in Babatngon, Leyte for a special assignment in selected areas in Samar, according to a report sent by the PNP regional office here late Tuesday.

“This send-off ceremony is a fitting testimony of our aspiration for a successful conduct of the national and local elections. Render your election duties and responsibilities with diligence especially where our services are much needed. We have certainly learned our lessons from the past elections. Now, we are prepared more than ever. Let us do our job well,” PNP Eastern Visayas Regional Director Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac said in a statement.

The personnel will be deployed to police stations in Calbayog City, Gandara, Sta. Margarita, Matuguinao, and San Jorge towns. These areas are known for election-related violence.

The 235 policemen will be part of the Regional Special Operations Task Group (RSOTG) - Samar purposely for peacekeeping missions.

Earlier, the PNP has reactivated the RSOTG-Samar to ensure peaceful and orderly elections in the province this year.

The activation of the regional operations task group is a proactive measure of the police regional office to prevent election-related violence, Banac said.

The team will focus on monitoring and supervision in areas of Samar to prevent and address election-related incidents that may occur in the areas as perceived in the previous elections caused by intense political rivalry between contending candidates.

Poll-related incidents are more prevalent in the first district of Samar.

Just this month, three supporters of a mayoralty candidate were ambushed in Santa Margarita, Samar while a youth council official was fatally shot in Calbayog City, Samar.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1168823

EU-funded program turns over P27-M ICT equipment to BARMM

From the Philippine News Agency (Mar 2, 2022): EU-funded program turns over P27-M ICT equipment to BARMM (By Edwin Fernandez)

DONATED ICT EQUIPMENT. Bangsamoro Transition Authority Deputy Speaker Yasser Sema (extreme left) accepts the PHP27 million worth of information and communication equipment from officials of the European- funded SUBATRA program supporting good governance in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) on Wednesday (March 2, 2022). The donated equipment is expected to enhance the capacity and skills of the BARMM employees to deliver good services. (Photo courtesy of Bangsamoro Information Office – BARMM)

The European Union (EU)-funded Support to Bangsamoro Transition
(SUBATRA) Program turned over on Wednesday PHP27 million worth of information and communications technology (ICT) equipment to the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao's (BARMM) Office of Chief Minister (OCM) Ahod Ebrahim and the regional parliament.

The SUBATRA-donated equipment included laptops, desktop computers, projectors, printers, communications equipment, office furniture, and conference tables.

Engr. Mohajirin T. Ali, Bangsamoro Planning and Development Authority (BPDA) director-general, said that through the donated equipment, they hope employees of the concerned agencies would be able to provide good services and improve and streamline their respective operations.

“We’re hoping that these pieces of equipment will help the BARMM employees enhance their capacity and skills in delivering good services,” Ali said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Datu Aldren Utto, an administrative assistant from the OCM-Administration Management System Human Resources Management, expressed his gratitude to SUBATRA.

“I am one of those who will benefit from the donated equipment. These will help us perform our duties better because it will speed up our work,” Utto said.

Aside from providing ICT equipment, SUBATRA is also committed to providing various training and workshops to BARMM employees to further enhance the capacity of each agency.

Also present at the turnover ceremony were Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) Parliament Deputy Speaker Omar Yasser Sema; BTA Majority Floor Leader Lanang Ali Jr., heads and representatives from offices under OCM and BTA; SUBATRA team leader Bernard Jolly; and United Nations Office for Project Services Project Manager for SUBATRA Cristina Elisse Capistrano.

SUBATRA is an EU-supported program that promotes good governance environment for the efficient implementation of policies set up by the transition plan with a focus on capacities that are critical for the sound functioning of interim institutions.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1168851

Reunion with twin bro remains a dream for rebel-turned-soldier

From the Philippine News Agency (Mar 2, 2022): Reunion with twin bro remains a dream for rebel-turned-soldier (By Che Palicte)

DREAM REUNION. Philippine Army trainee Gelejurain l Alce Nguho sheds tears upon hearing the news that his beloved twin brother Gelejurain lI who joined the communist New People’s Army was killed in an encounter with government forces in Davao de Oro on Feb. 24, 2022. He said in the John Paul Seniel Reports aired online on Tuesday (March 1) that their dream reunion was no longer possible because of his brother's death. (Screengrab photo from John Paul Seniel Reports)

“The pain of losing someone close to your heart is unbearable.”

This was what Gelejurain l Alce Nguho felt after hearing the sad plight of his twin brother Gelejurain ll who was killed in an encounter in Davao de Oro on February 24.

Gelejurain ll was among the five members of the New People’s Army (NPA) who figured in an encounter with state forces in Purok-8, Barangay Andap, New Bataan, Davao de Oro.

He was identified by the military as a former volunteer teacher at the Community Technical College of Southeastern Mindanao, Inc. (CTCSM), allegedly being run by the NPA in Maco, Davao de Oro, before it was shut down in 2020.

In a video posted on the John Paul Seniel Reports on Tuesday, an emotional Gelejurain l could be seen fighting back tears as he was informed of his brother's death while he was training at the Army’s 10th Infantry Division.

“There’s no chance for us to talk and see each other again. This is very painful to me, Gelejurain ll is my best friend, my confidante. We can no longer make new songs and play the guitar,” he said.

He recounted that his entire family was doing everything so Gelejurain ll could come home but various front groups would not make their reunion possible.

“Before his death, we had a misunderstanding because I forced him to surrender. It may be hard but we need to accept his fate,” Gelejurain l said.

NPA members

Gelejurain l admitted that his parents and siblings joined the NPA but only Gelejurain ll refused to surrender and remained in the communist organization.

Gelejurain l along with his girlfriend was captured during an encounter at Barangay Mapula, Paquibato district in this city on November 14, 2020. He is also a scholar of Mindanao Interfaith Services Foundation Incorporated (MISFI) and a part-time teacher in Haran.

Gelejurain l chose to join the Philippine Army after he was captured by members of the 27th Infantry Battalion.

He admitted that he was forced to join the armed group because it was part of his revolutionary integration.

Besides, he said he has to abide by a five-year service return agreement to teach after being a MISFI scholar at the Liceo de Davao in Tagum City.

“[Our reunion] is no longer possible in our family. Three of our family members already died in an encounter,” he added.

Gelejurain l said it pains him that he was unable to save his twin brother from the communist group.

“I want to say sorry to him. I want him to know that I miss him so much. You are in a safe place now. Look after our family, especially Mama,” he said.

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.

The National Democratic Front (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/1168847

Ex-NPA gets P144-K E-CLIP aid in Surigao Norte

From the Philippine News Agency (Mar 2, 2022): Ex-NPA gets P144-K E-CLIP aid in Surigao Norte (By Alexander Lopez)

Photo grabbed from SDNPPO FB page

A former New People’s Army (NPA) rebel has received full financial assistance amounting to PHP144,000 from the government’s Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP).

In a statement Wednesday, the Surigao del Norte Police Provincial Office (SDNPPO), said alias Jay-R surrendered to authorities last May 23, 2021 in Barangay Pautao, Bacuag, Surigao del Norte.

Surigao del Norte Governor Francisco Matugas handed over to Jay-R the financial assistance on Tuesday.

“Jay-R served as the Vice Commanding Officer of the Dragon Squad of Sentro De Grabidad 16 of the North Eastern Mindanao Regional Committee of the NPA,” the SDNPPO said.

During his surrender, the former rebel handed over to the government an AK-47 rifle with eight magazines and a Stoeger shotgun, a property of the Philippine National Police that was taken by the rebels during the attack at the town police station in Alegria, Surigao del Norte on July 10, 2014.

“The financial aids include PHP65,000 as livelihood assistance and PHP79,000 for firearm remuneration,” the SDNPPO said.

It said Jay-R, after his surrender, returned to living peacefully and harmoniously with his family in their community.

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 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/1168868

Troops overrun DI lair in Lanao del Sur

From the Philippine News Agency (Mar 2, 2022): Troops overrun DI lair in Lanao del Sur (By Teofilo Garcia, Jr.)

Troops have overrun the lair of the Islamic State for Iraq and Syria (ISIS)-inspired Dawlah Islamiyah-Maute Group (DI-MG) in the hinterlands of Lanao del Sur, a top military official announced Wednesday.

Brig. Gen. Jose Maria Cuerpo II, 103rd Infantry Brigade commander, said the camp fell into the hands of the government troops following hours of firefight against 60 DI-MG terrorists Tuesday that ended around 4 p.m.

An airstrike conducted by combat aircraft around 2 a.m. preceded the firefight that broke out around 7:50 a.m.

The DI-MG is headed by Faharudin Hadji Satar who carries the aliases of Zacaria, Abu Zacariah, Omar, and Jer Mimbantas, the new emir of ISIS in Southeast Asia, according to Cuerpo.

Zacaria has replaced Owayda Benito Marohombsar alias Abu Dar, who was killed together with three other DI-MG terrorists in a clash with government troops in March 2019.

“We overran their camp yesterday,” Cuerpo said Wednesday over DWDD AFP Radio.

He said the troops have recovered the remains of three slain DI-MG members and several war materials, an ISIS flag, and other personal belongings.

He said the war materials included two .50-caliber machine guns; a .30-caliber machine gun; an AK-47 assault rifle; an M16 rifle; an M14 rifle; a Garand rifle; three rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs); 22 improvised explosive devices (IEDs); hundreds of assorted ammunition; several anti-personnel mines; and bomb components.

A soldier was also killed while four others were wounded in the gunfight, according to Cuerpo.

“Ground troops are now conducting clearing and pursuit operations against the terrorists on the run,” he said.

Cuerpo said they have been tracking the DI-MG terrorists since January.

“They have transferred from the west side of Lake Lanao to the east side,” he said.

He said the group of Abu Zacaria of Lanao del Sur and the Hassan group of Maguindanao have joined forces in the east side of Lake Lanao for training and planning of sabotage operations.

He said Zacaria was involved in several encounters against the government forces in the municipalities of Sultan Dumalondong, Pagayawan, Madalum, Piagapo, and Balindong, all of Lanao del Sur.

He added that Zacaria has standing arrest warrants for kidnapping, serious illegal detention, murder, and frustrated murder.

Maj. Gen. Generoso Ponio, commander of the 1st Infantry Division and Joint Task Force Zampelan, assured the public that the Philippine Army and other security forces on the ground will work together to defeat the terror groups and end the insurgency in the region and the whole of Mindanao.

Meanwhile, Lt. Gen. Alfredo Rosario Jr., Western Mindanao Command chief, urged all the peace-loving citizens of Lanao del Sur to remain calm but vigilant.

“Your armed forces will not allow these terrorists to inflict harm on your respective communities. We will not stop until these lawless elements are completely crushed,” Rosario said in a statement.

“While we continue to operate, we call for prayers for the eternal repose of the soul of our fallen soldier and the speedy recovery of our wounded comrades,” he added.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1168850