Soldier hurt in Eastern Samar encounter

From the Manila Bulletin (Jul 25): Soldier hurt in Eastern Samar encounter

A government soldier was hurt following an encounter with Communist New People’s Army Terrorist (CNT) in Eastern Samar on Monday.




(MANILA BULLETIN)

The wounded soldier was identified as Pfc. Eric L. Alegria who was hit on his right shoulder.

The military expressed belief that an undetermined number of CNTs were either hurt or killed as a result of the encounter.

A team from Bravo Company of the Army’s 87th Infantry (Hinirang) Battalion was conducting security patrol in the hinterlands of Eastern Samar when it encountered 10 CPP-NPA Terrorists (CNTs)in Brgy. Pinanag-an, Borongan, Eastern Samar at around 11:23 a.m..

Troops were checking on information relayed by the populace on the extortion activities of the armed group when the encounter ensued. The firefight lasted for about 15 minutes and resulted in the recovery of one M16 Elisco rifle SN: RP 101724.

Troops recovered five civilian backpacks containing documents used for CNTs Ideological Political Organizational (IPO) works, and one detonating cord.

Maj. Gen. Raul M. Farnacio, commander of the Army’s 8th Infantry Division, commended the troops for their utmost dedication in performing their mandated duty and urged them to be aggressive against the CNTs who continue to harass civilian communities.

In his statement, Farnacio said that while troops intensify internal Security Operations and Community Support Programs to deliver the basic services of the government and to protect the people, the CNTs continue their extortion activities and other criminal acts that instill fear and anxiety in the hearts and minds of peace-loving Filipinos.

“I urged you to lay down your arms and avail of the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) of the government. You are fighting a bloody and senseless war only for your Bosses abroad who are in safe areas and living in a very comfortable lifestyle,” he said.

https://news.mb.com.ph/2018/07/25/soldier-hurt-in-eastern-samar-encounter/

Army vows to end NPA extortion in Diwalwal mines

From the Philippine News Agency (Jul 25): Army vows to end NPA extortion in Diwalwal mines

The Philippine Army vowed to put an end to the extortion activities of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Diwalwal mining area in Monkayo, Compostela Valley.

This developed after the ball mill owners, miners and tunnel operators promised to stop giving money to the NPA, which reportedly earns an estimated PHP24 million per month from Diwalwal miners.

At the AFP-PNP press corps briefing at the Royal Mandaya Hotel on Wednesday, Capt Jerry Lamosao, spokesperson of the Army's 10th Infantry Division, said that based on the statements of ball mill owners, the collected "revolutionary tax" would be divided to each of the NPA's six guerilla fronts operating in the Davao Region and parts of Sarangani, Surigao and North Cotabato.

During last week’s meeting of the government agencies and the security sector with the ball mill operators in Diwalwal, Lamosao said the miners promised to stop giving money the NPA. The meeting was also convened to get the support of the miners for the transfer of the ball mill plants to another area.

If the miners stick to their pledge, Lamosao said the NPA will lose one of its biggest sources of funds, pointing out that extortion activities keep the rebel organization afloat.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1042616

Two NPA fighters surrender to Army in Sultan Kudarat

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Jul 27): Two NPA fighters surrender to Army in Sultan Kudarat
Two fighters of the communist New People’s Army (NPA), who are also brothers, have surrendered with their weapons to military authorities here on Thursday, an Army official said.

Lt. Colonel Harold Cabunoc, commander of 33rd Infantry Battalion, identified the surrendered rebels by their aliases “Ka Boyet,” 18, and his brother, “Ka Ato,” 18. Both belong to the Dulangan Manobo tribe in the Municipality of Senator Ninoy Aquino, Sultan Kudarat.

The two were accompanied by their father, Jun Ador, 48, during the formal handover to Col. Robert Dauz, the newly installed Commander of the 1st Mechanized Infantry Brigade, at 1 p.m. Thursday.

According to the Army, the recent surrenders bring to 100, the total number of NPA fighters who have surrendered to the government since January.

Ato and Boyet said it was their father, also a former NPA rebel, who had convinced them to surrender.

“We decided to surrender because our father told us about the social benefits given by the government to former NPA combatants,” Boyet told reporters.

Cabunoc said the two former rebels also surrendered a 40mm grenade launcher and an M16 rifle.

Dauz welcomed the surrender of the brothers.

“We don’t need to fight to solve community problems. I will facilitate the release of your social benefits under the Enhanced Local Integration Program (E-CLIP),” he told the young rebels.

It would be recalled that 106 NPA rebels in Sultan Kudarat have earlier surrendered and were granted social benefits from the government through the “Task Force Balik-Loob” headed by former Army chief Lt. Gen. Reynaldo Mapagu.

To date, 161 former members of Guerilla Front 73 have surrendered to the 33rd IB. Most of them were Lumads or members of various indigenous communities.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1014921/two-npa-fighters-surrender-to-army-in-sultan-kudarat

30,000 MILF rebels to be disarmed in deal

From The Gulf Times (Jul 24) 30,000 MILF rebels to be disarmed in deal

The leader of the largest Muslim rebel group in the Philippines yesterday said that 30,000 to 40,000 armed fighters would be “decommissioned” if an autonomy deal that is expected to be signed into law by the president this week is fully enforced.

Al Haj Murad Ebrahim, chairman of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, said six of the largest guerrilla camps in the south were already being converted into “productive civilian communities” to help the insurgents return to normal life.

Clad in a business suit, Murad appealed to the international community to contribute to a trust fund to be used to finance the insurgents’ transition from decades of waging one of Asia’s longest rebellions.

“We will decommission our forces, the entire forces,” Murad said at a news conference in Manila. He said his guerrilla group has told the government how many fighters it has, although he declined to immediately cite the number of weapons that “will be put beyond use.” The military has put the Moro rebel group’s size at a much lower 11,000 fighters.

Murad, who used to head the rebels’ large combat force, welcomed the ratification by the House of Representatives yesterday of the Muslim autonomy deal after a one-day delay caused by a chaotic leadership change in Congress. The legislation, which was ratified by the Senate on Monday, is to be sent to President Rodrigo Duterte for signing in a day or two.

The bill seeks to replace an existing poverty and conflict-wracked autonomous region with a potentially larger, better-funded and more powerful region named Bangsamoro for minority Muslims in the southern third of the largely Roman Catholic nation.

The autonomy deal is the latest significant attempt by the government to negotiate an end to nearly half a century of on-and-off Muslim fighting that has left more than 120,000 people dead and hampered development in the country’s poorest regions.

Murad’s guerrilla force is the second in the south to have dropped a demand for a separate Muslim state in exchange for autonomy. The Moro National Liberation Front forged a 1996 peace deal with the government that led to the current five-province Muslim autonomous region, which has largely been regarded as a failure.

Western governments have welcomed the autonomy pacts, while worrying that small numbers of Islamic State group-linked militants from the Middle East and Southeast Asia could forge an alliance with Filipino insurgents and turn the south into a breeding ground for extremists.

Murad said it’s crucial for the peace agreement to be fully enforced, citing how earlier failed attempts forced some guerrillas to break away and form more hardline groups like the Abu Sayyaf, a brutal group listed by the US and the Philippines as a terrorist organisation.

http://www.gulf-times.com/story/600633/30-000-MILF-rebels-to-be-disarmed-in-deal

Malaysia/Philippines:The Sabah Question

From the Lowry Institute, The Interpreter (Jul 26): Malaysia/Philippines : The Sabah Question

Who is right in the territorial dispute between the Philippines and Malaysia over Sabah is a question best not asked. In answer, each side will reaffirm their absolute sovereign claim to Sabah, on the northern part of the island of Borneo, and mutual recriminations will result.

Not asking this question with two mutually opposed answers has been good for Philippines–Malaysia relations.
 

During the 2016 Philippine presidential campaign, one prominent candidate, Jejomar Binay (who ended up losing badly) promised to pursue the Philippine claim to Sabah. As expected, Kuala Lumpur was far from pleased.

Not asking this question with two mutually opposed answers has been good for Philippine–Malaysia relations. In the past year, the Philippine and Malaysian coast guards have participated in coordinated patrols in the Sulu and Celebes seas, spurred on by the actions of Sulu-based pirates and the siege of Marawi. From 2001 onwards, Malaysia played the role of third-party facilitator of the peace talks between Manila and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front that traversed four Philippine presidents.

Wisely, President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte and Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad chose not to discuss the Sabah question during their first meeting as leaders of their respective countries last week.

Unfortunately, the current push for revising the 1987 Constitution and introducing a federal system of government in the Philippines is making not asking the Sabah question in the Philippines more difficult.

Last weekend, the Malaysian Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly criticised repeated comments by “Nene” Pimentel Jr that Sabah should be recognised as a federal state of the Philippines. Pimentel is a senior member of the consultative committee in the Philippines appointed by Duterte that wrote the draft federal constitution now tabled in Congress, and founder of the ruling PDP-Laban party. Duterte is the party chairman.

Section 1 of Article 1 of the draft federal constitution states that:

The Philippines has sovereignty over its territory, consisting of the islands and waters encompassed by its archipelagic baselines, its territorial sea, the seabed, the subsoil, and its airspace. It has sovereignty over islands and features outside its archipelagic baselines pursuant to the laws of the Federal Republic, the law of nations, and the judgments of competent international courts or tribunals. It likewise has sovereignty over other territories belonging to the Philippines by historic right or legal title.

Article 1 of the 1987 Constitution does not include this last sentence that would appear to cover the Philippine claim to Sabah.

Duterte and PDP-Laban’s desire to answer the question of federalism in the Philippines (an issue of particular interest to politicians from Mindanao, such as Duterte and Pimentel) in favour of federalism risks increasing tensions with Malaysia over Sabah.
Some questions are best left unasked.

https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/sabah-question

Autonomy Could Strip Foreign Fighters of Southern Philippine Sanctuaries: MILF Chief

From Benar News (Jul 25): Autonomy Could Strip Foreign Fighters of Southern Philippine Sanctuaries: MILF Chief



Murad Ebrahim, chief of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebel group, talks to members of the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines, in Manila, July 24, 2018.  Felipe Villamor/BenarNews                

A final peace deal expected to be signed into law soon by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte could help stop foreign militants from infiltrating the troubled south, the leader of the country’s biggest Muslim rebel force said.

Murad Ebrahim, chairman of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), expressed confidence that foreign fighters, including Malaysians and Indonesians, could soon be forced out of their sanctuaries as the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) comes into force. It aims to end decades of conflict in the southern Philippines through granting autonomy to the predominantly Muslim region.

“We confirm that there are foreign elements joining these small groups,” Murad told the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP) this week.

“The moment these small groups will no longer accept these foreign elements, they can no longer come [to fight],” he said. Murad was referring to the extremist Abu Sayyaf Group and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).

On Tuesday, the House of Representatives ratified the BOL after the Senate approved the bill a day earlier. Duterte was expected to sign it within days, officials said.

Factions of the two southern groups have pledged allegiance to the extremist group Islamic State (IS) and engaged the military in sporadic clashes in recent weeks.

 

Last year, Abu Sayyaf commander Isnilon Hapilon, the acknowledged head of IS in the Philippines, led a five-month siege in the Mindanao city of Marawi.

Philippine security forces defeated the militants after pounding the city in airstrikes. Mahmud Ahmad, a Malaysian considered to be a top IS recruiter in Southeast Asia, was among foreign fighters killed in the battle of Marawi, Duterte announced last October. Hapilon and other top local militants also died in the fighting.

Murad said past failures by the government to sign a lasting peace deal in the south had helped create several disgruntled factions, including one led by the Maute brothers from Marawi who helped spearhead last year’s siege.

“You will notice that most of these small groups, splinter groups, came into being after the failure of the peace process,” Murad said.

He noted that members of the Maute group had belonged to MILF, but they became further radicalized by the government’s failure to fast-track the autonomy law.

“They were able to capitalize (on this) in order to recruit some of their followers,” Murad said.

In 2014, the government of then-President Benigno Aquino III struck a peace deal with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, in which it agreed to pass a Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) that set boundaries for Muslim autonomous rule in the south.

In exchange, MILF agreed to drop its armed bid for independence.

But during Aquino’s final two years in office, the BBL never made it through a Philippine Congress dominated by Christians.

Hit-and-run attacks

BIFF, a breakaway faction of MILF, has pledged allegiance to IS, but did not send fighters to Marawi.

Instead it engaged the military in hit-and-run attacks in central Mindanao. Military intelligence has said that some foreign fighters had sought refuge in BIFF-held areas.

Murad confirmed that Malaysian and Indonesian fighters were lingering in some areas of the south under the protection of militant groups such as BIFF. The group has been fighting the military in communities near a sprawling marsh on Mindanao.

Murad declined to provide an estimate on the number of foreign fighters.

The Abu Sayyaf, on the other hand, is believed to have less than 500 fighters, and is mostly into criminal enterprise, including bombings, kidnappings and beheadings in the south. In the past two years, the group has beheaded a German and two Canadian hostages.

Murad said the splinter groups were the “result of frustration with the peace process” in the past.

“So we are quite confident that if there is a political settlement acceptable by majority of the Bangsamoro people, the splinter groups will gradually be carried into the mainstream,” he said.

“It’s very difficult for them to exist minus the support of some people in the area,” Murad said.

It took lawmakers four years to pass the legislation, largely because politicians in the predominantly Catholic nation were fearful of a Muslim autonomous region under the helm of the former rebel group.

But with Duterte controlling majority of the both houses of Congress, the BOL bill made it through Congress and Senate after intense deliberations.

The autonomy deal is expected to settle decades of conflict that have left more than 120,000 people dead in some of the nation’s poorest regions.

https://www.benarnews.org/english/news/philippine/milf-chief-07252018133754.html

Army troops recover IED along highway in Tacurong City

From the Manila Bulletin (Jul 25): Army troops recover IED along highway in Tacurong City
Soldiers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)-Joint Task Force Talakudong (JTFT) recovered an improvised explosive device (IED) along the national highway in Tacurong City on Tuesday.

The authorities found the IED on General Lim St. after they got information from a concerned civilian, warning about a possible bombing attempt by the terror group Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).
There were earlier reports received by the military that BIFF bomb makers Brah Lumambas and Bohari Adam, under Commander Gani Saligan, were planning to conduct bombing attacks at the city as part of their retaliation after having a huge set back during the focused military operation in the areas of Maguindanao.

The troops coordinated immediately with the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) of the Army and Philippine National Police (PNP) for the safe procedure in disposing of the IED.


 Recovered in the area were one cellular phone with wire, one sling bag, container filled with assorted common nails, linked of believed to be from K3 SAW and propellant charge believed to be from 5.56mm.

“This is the second attempt of the BIFF terror group to create chaos in Tacurong City but was successfully pre-empted through the help of our concerned civilians in the community,” said 1st Infantry Mechanized Brigade Commander Col. Robert C. Dauz.

Army Sixth Infantry Division Commander Brig. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana said the bombing attempt was clearly meant to create atrocities and terror attack in the peace-loving and progressive city of Tacurong.

Sobejana urged the public to be on alert and vigilant at all times and to immediately report anything that is suspicious to the authorities.

 Last May 27, a bombing plot was also pre-empted when an IED was found by the government troops in front of a school along the national highway in Tacurong City.

https://news.mb.com.ph/2018/07/25/army-troops-recover-ied-along-highway-in-tacurong-city/

118 ex-Reds receive P7.6M aid from govt’t

From Politiko Mindanao (Jul 26): 118 ex-Reds receive P7.6M aid from govt’t



The government has granted P7.6 million worth of financial assistance to 118 former rebels who surrendered in Mindanao, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) said Thursday.

Undersecretary for Peace and Order Bernardo Florece Jr. said the rebel returnees who received the aid under the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E- CLIP) came from the provinces of Sultan Kudarat and Sarangani.

Each of the beneficiaries was provided with immediate assistance worth P15,000 and a livelihood assistance worth P50,000, which were granted during two separate awarding ceremonies in South Cotabato.

“It is very important to provide the rebel returnees with the necessary assistance to give them a kickstart in reintegrating to the mainstream society where they belong,” Florece said.

E-CLIP is locally-driven, managed and implemented program which veers away from the past practice of pre-packaged interventions designed at the national level. Instead, it responds to the circumstances, needs, and concerns of former rebels through the provision of assistance and seeks to consider their basic rights and situations as men and women.

Florece said that of the 118 rebel returnees, 106 of them are from Sultan Kudarat and 12 are from Sarangani.

http://mindanao.politics.com.ph/118-ex-reds-receive-p7-6m-aid-from-govtt/

Duterte awards Order of Lapu-Lapu to soldiers wounded in Abu Sayyaf encounters

From Politiko Mindanao (Jul 26): Duterte awards Order of Lapu-Lapu to soldiers wounded in Abu Sayyaf encounters

President Duterte awarded five soldiers who were wounded in action in encounters with the Abu Sayyaf group in Sulu.

Duterte awarded the wounded soldiers with the Order of Lapu-Lapu, Rank of Kampilan during his visit to Camp Navarro General Hospital in Zamboanga City Thursday (Juky 26).

The awardees were: Staff Sergeant Krisnan E. Natividad, Sergeant Yahcob J. Sarian, Private Eugene S. Gonzales, Private First Class Richard C. Aquino and Corporal Jolly Bert V. Balmore.

They were wounded in separate encounters last July 11 and 19 against the Abu Sayyaf members in Patikul, Sulu.

The Order of Lapu-Lapu, Rank of Kampilan is conferred by the President to recognize exemplary service by workers of the government and private individuals who are wounded, injured, or suffered great loss of property for their participation in the advocacy of the President.

The Commander-in-Chief told the wounded soldiers that he visited them to show how much he cares for the military and assured them of government’s support.

Before leaving the hospital, Duterte briefly talked to soldiers with other medical conditions confined in the hospital.

Also present during the hospital visit were Special Assistant to the President Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, Department of Interior and Local Government officer-in-charge Eduardo Año and Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana.

http://mindanao.politics.com.ph/duterte-awards-order-of-lapu-lapu-to-soldiers-wounded-in-abu-sayyaf-encounters/

AFP: Cebu, Bohol, Siquijor, insurgency-free

From the Philippine Information Agency (Jul 26): AFP: Cebu, Bohol, Siquijor, insurgency-free

Col. Ignacio Madriaga receives the framed photos of the accomplishments of the 302nd IB from General Arnulfo Matanguihan during the turn-over of command ceremonies in Camp Sikatuna, Carmen, Bohol. (PIA/Bohol)

CEBU City --The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), 302nd Infantry Brigade stationed in Carmen, Bohol, assures the public that Cebu, Bohol, and Siquijor are insurgency-free.

"Generally, lahat ito remains to be insurgency free. Wala tayong established na politiko-military structures, yung CPP-NPA dito. Wala tayong mga regular NPA formations na nag ooperate at wala ding guerilla fronts na established. (Generally, all areas remain to be insurgency-free. We have no established political-military structures, the CPP-NPA, here. We have no regular operating NPA formations and no established guerilla fronts)," stressed Col. Ignacio B. Madriaga, Commander of the 302nd Infantry Brigade of the Philippine Army.

“Ang insurgency natin ay grievance-based. What drives insurgency is the discontent of the people na hindi nasosolusyunan noong unang panaho,” Madriaga said the brigade continues its effort in maintaining peace and order in the three areas of coverage.
Alongside the brigade, the LGUs and ordinary citizens have taken the bulk of the responsibility in ensuring that Bohol, Cebu, and Siquijor remain insurgency-free.

Last May 15 in Bilar, Bohol, NPA had an encounter with the Army which led to panic and fear among the community.

In fact, the NPA sightings were reported by the people themselves.

In Bohol, Prosperity Teams have been organized by the convergence of the brigade, LGUs, and PNP, Madriaga reported.

The teams are composed of soldiers, police personnel, and community organizers from the provincial government. They are immersed in barangays where communists are most likely to camp.

Through these teams, the government will be able to determine the problems that need to be addressed especially land-based issues such as labor that agitate the people and eventually convince them to enlist in armed revolution.

However, Col. Madriaga clarified that while the areas are insurgency-free, they are not insurgent-free.

Col. Madriaga insisted that communist members are present in these areas but the conditions that drive insurgency are being addressed.

http://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1010797

401st Brigade commander highlights solidarity among personnel

From the Philippine Information Agency (Jul 26): 401st Brigade commander highlights solidarity among personnel

AGUSAN DEL SUR -- As the 401st Brigade, Philippine Army celebrates its 46th anniversary, Brigadier General Andres Centino highlighted the solidarity and unity among their personnel through the years in the area of responsibility.

BGen. Centino said the past year was full of challenges, however, the brigade remained solid, united and have faced those challenges fearlessly. He also acknowledged the efforts of the operational control units and all the men and women of the brigade for their sincere dedication in accomplishing the brigade's mission.

 

“The brigade, including our battalions, combat support and service support units, did not fail the people of Agusan del Sur and Surigao del Sur in protecting them from threats, and will continue to keep them safe in their communities and facilitate the resolution of their issues and concerns with all the concerned agencies of government through their community support programs in the barangays,” said BGen. Centino.

In putting substance to its mission, BGen. Centino also emphasized that the brigade does not only ensure the safety and security of the populace but also takes part in community peace building, reaching out to people in the grassroots and creates an atmosphere where all can work together in harmony towards economic and human development.

“For 46 years, the 401st Brigade, Phil. Army, has remained focused in its mission and will continue to uphold peace and security among civilians and stakeholders in its area of responsibility,” expressed BGen. Centino.

The commanding officer also bared that the brigade also gives emphasis in engaging the Indigenous Peoples (IPs) being the most vulnerable sector to CPP-NPA exploitation.

“The brigade initiated an IP Leaders Forum in Agusan del Sur and Surigao del Sur in order to facilitate the resolution of their issues and concerns. They also facilitated the attendance of IP Leaders in Davao City for a dialogue with President Rodrigo Duterte, and just last March 2018, the first Regional IP Leader’s Summit was held in Butuan City through the recommendation of 401st Brigade and was adopted by the Regional Peace and Order Council,” he recalled.

The 401st Brigade, Phil. Army, started its humble beginning in Jolo, Sulu. It was first activated as the 4th Infantry Brigade on December 1, 1972 pursuant to general order number 45, General Headquarters, Armed Forces of the Philippines. It was organized under 4th Infantry Division under the command of Col. Alfonso Alcoseba as its first commander. Under its operational control were 26th Infantry Battalion operating in Basilan province; the 11th Infantry Battalion operating in the coastal areas of Taglibi Patikul, Sulu; and the 1st Marine Battalion landing team (MBLT) operating in Sibalo Hills, Sulu.

 

http://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1010833

US Ambassador holds post- US independence anniversary celebration in Baguio

From the Philippine Information Agency (Jul 26): US Ambassador holds post- US independence anniversary celebration in Baguio

BAGUIO CITY -- Ambassador Sung Kim hosted a cocktail party to commemorate the 242nd anniversary of independence of the United States of America at the Ambassador’s Residence in this mountain resort over the weekend.



US Ambassador Sung Kim stresses on strong ties between the US and the Philippines during the post commemoration of the 242nd anniversary of Independence of the United States of America at the Ambassador’s Residence at Camp John Hay, Baguio City on July 20. (JBZ-PIA CAR)

In his talk, Ambassador Kim acknowledged the partnership of the US and the Philippines, and the significance of celebrating it in the city which is a ‘great place where personal ties are strong as ever, where culture interweaves in an economy that is robust and expanding.’

He said he considers Baguio as his favorite place and ‘home’ in the Philippines.

In an impromptu press conference with local media, Kim revealed that a total of P1.6 billion from United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funds was given to the war- torn Marawi City for its reconstruction and rehabilitation.

Banking on the history of Baguio City, Art Tibaldo of the Cordillera News Agency forwarded the possibility of the historic Kennon Road rehabilitated through financial assistance of the US government since it was built by American Colonel Lyman Kennon.

Baguio City became a chartered city during the US rule and made the summer capital of the Philippines. Camp John Hay where the Ambassador’s Residence is located, used to be a military reservation for the US Army. The city was designed by Architect Daniel Burnham, and Justice George Malcolm authored the law making Baguio as chartered city.

Local government officials, representatives from civic organizations, the academe, police and media were invited to the occasion.

http://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1010867

AFP commits to safeguard tourist destinations in CV

From the Philippine Information Agency (Jul 26): AFP commits to safeguard tourist destinations in CV 

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) commits in doing their best to ensure security protection of tourists that will be coming in and out in the provinces of Cebu, Bohol and Siquijor.

AFP 302nd Infantry Brigade Commander Col. Ignacio Madriaga said in all aspects they are in close coordination with the local government units (LGUs) to ensure the safety of tourists.

“In coordination with LGUs, we are trying our best to ensure the security protection of tourists,” Col. Madriaga said.

He added that they also tied up with relevant agencies and the police as this effort requires convergence and the resources of other agencies are needed.

Col. Madriaga stressed that they are considering tourist destinations as vulnerable areas amid the closure of Boracay Island that forced tourists to change route entering the provinces of Cebu, Bohol and Siquijor.

“Areas of tourist destination would always be at risk,” he said.

The official clarified that there is no imminent threat in the provinces covered by the Infantry the provinces of Cebu, Bohol and Siquijor, but nevertheless, their security assessment continues.

Col. Madriaga revealed that although there is no obvious threat, on their part it is better to be always suspicious and alert.

http://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1010873

Suspected Maute member killed in Lanao Sur clash

From the Philippine News Agency (Jul 26): Suspected Maute member killed in Lanao Sur clash



Troops have recovered high-powered weapons following a 10-minute clash against alleged ISIS-inspired Maute group members on Thursday in Masiu, Lanao del Sur. (Photo courtesy: Army's 1st Infantry Division PIO)
An alleged member of the Islamic State-inspired Maute Group was killed and high-powered weapons were seized following a firefight in Lanao del Sur, a top military official announced Thursday.

Maj. Gen. Roseller Murillo, the Army’s 1st Infantry Division commander, did not disclose the exact place of the clash because it was an operational matter but said it happened in the town of Masiu, Lanao del Sur at about 9 a.m. Thursday.

Murillo said the 10-minute firefight resulted in the death of Zainal Candidato.
The firefight erupted as troops of the Army’s 49th Infantry Battalion raided the lair of Panarigan Tama Baoraki, alias Golden Boy, and Hadji Rasul Amimbering in Masiu, based on information from civilians.

Murillo said the two are leaders of an armed group with ties to the Maute Group operating in Lanao del Sur.

He said Baoraki, Amimbering, and their followers fled to different directions.

There was no casualty among the troops, Murillo said, adding that they seized three M-16 Armalite rifles; two Rocket-Propelled Grenade launchers; two grenades; two Islamic State flags; six sachets of suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride commonly known as “shabu”; a cellular phone; and other illegal drug paraphernalia.

“I commend the people of Lanao del Sur, for reporting the presence of the Maute-IS terrorists, and the troops of JTF ZAMPELAN (Joint Task Force Zamboanga Peninsula and Lanao) for swift and decisive action that led to the successful operations,” Murillo said.

“Preventing and countering violent extremism is a shared responsibility of all members of our society but primarily of the people in the communities. These terrorists seek to destroy our way of life,” he added.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1042805

MILF, MNLF qualified members can join military vs. BIFF: Lorenzana

From the Philippine News Agency (Jul 26): MILF, MNLF qualified members can join military vs. BIFF: Lorenzana

Qualified members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) could be absorbed in the military should the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) carry out its threat of intensifying its attacks following the House of Representatives ratification of the bicameral conference committee report on the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) on Tuesday.

This was emphasized by Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Delfin Lorenzana when asked on how the MILF and MNLF can help the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) fight the BIFF threat once they are disarmed and decommissioned.

"Several ways: we could absorb those qualified to join the AFP, or we could organize them into CAFGUs or SCAAs (Special CAFGUs)," he added.

The DND chief also said the government, through the AFP, is willing to intensify its operations against the BIFF should it carry out its threats to launch more attacks.

He added that they will seek the help of the MILF and MNLF to eliminate the threat.

Earlier, Lorenzana said he strongly welcomes the MILF's announcement that it is willing to disarm and decommission 30,000 to 40,000 of its fighters once the BOL is passed into law.

"(This announcement is) very much welcomed. If this happens, peace will at last reign in the Muslim Mindanao area. The effect will be far-reaching: the land and people will be more productive, investments will pour, infra development can proceed unimpeded," he added.

The BOL seeks to create a new Bangsamoro political entity that would replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). The bicameral panel approved the reconciled version of the BOL last July 18 after six days of marathon hearings.

The bill provides for the 75-25 wealth-sharing term in favor of the Bangsamoro. This increases the share of the Bangsamoro in government tax revenues by 5 percent compared with the current 70 percent being received by the ARMM from national internal revenue taxes, fees, and charges, as well as taxes imposed on natural resources.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1042697