SOCOM troopers welcome newly-appointed Commander

Posted to the Faces, Places & Voices (Ranger Cabunsky) Blog (Jan 20): SOCOM troopers welcome newly-appointed Commander

The Special Operations Command (SOCOM) welcomes the appointment of its new commander in a Change of Command ceremony at the SOCOM Headquarters in Fort Magsaysay on Monday, January 21 at 9:00am. Lt General Emmanuel Bautista, the newly appointed AFP Chief, will preside the solemn turn over rites that will be attended by senior military officers and their loved ones. Brigadier General Jet B. Velarmino is appointed to head the AFP’s elite forces, replacing Major General Romulo Bambao who is set to retire from the military service upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 56. Velarmino will hold the post in an acting capacity while awaiting the designation of the permanent commander.

New Commander

Velarmino is regarded as a highly respected and professional military officer. He is lauded for his exemplary services both in the field and in staff positions. Prior to his appointment, Velarmino was the Deputy Commander of SOCOM. He also served as Commander of the 101^st Brigade of the 1^st Infantry Division in Mindanao. He also became the Chief of Staff of the 1^st Infantry Division; Inspector General, 7^th Infantry Division; Defense and Armed Forces Attache to Malaysia and Inspector General, Intelligence Service Armed Forces of the Philippines. He also commanded the 51^st Infantry Battalion, 1^st Infantry Division for two years.

Early on his career, he led the 12 Special Forces Company, Special Forces Regiment Airborne (SFRA) which was deployed in Mindanao. After which, he became the Intelligence Officer and Operations Officer of the 6^th Special Forces Battalion, SFRA in Visayas and eventually commanded the said battalion in 1996.  Velarmino, 52, is a member of the PMA Class of 1982.

The Elite Forces

Out of the Army Special Warfare Brigade (ASWABde) that was organized in 1978, SOCOM continued to evolve and is now a home to the Army’s elite forces – Special Forces Regiment (Airborne), the First Scout Ranger Regiment, and the Light Reaction Battalion.

SOCOM was formed with the responsibility to plan, conduct, and support special operations of the Philippine Army. It's organic units include the First Scout Ranger Regiment, Special Forces (Airborne) and the Light Reaction Battalion.

The First Scout Ranger Regiment specializes in anti-guerrilla warfare and is credited to the various successes in combat in the past years..

The Special Forces Regiment (Airborne) is also trained in the art of counter-insurgency operations. It is primarily trained in unconventional warfare operations and psychological warfare operations.

The newest member of SOCOM, the Light Reaction Battalion (formerly known as the Light Reaction Company), was established in the year 2000.

It is the lead counter-terrorist unit of the Philippine Army trained by American military advisers from the 1^stBattalion, 1^st Special Forces Group. The LRC was first deployed in Mindanao to combat Abu Sayyaf Group terrorists responsible for abducting several foreign hostages.

http://rangercabunzky.blogspot.com/2013/01/socom-troopers-welcome-newly-appointed.html

Gov’t, MILF to resume talks in KL today

From the MILF Website (Jan 21): Gov’t, MILF to resume talks in KL today

Government and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) peace negotiators will start their 35th Exploratory Talks in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur today with the four Annexes on Power-sharing, Wealth-sharing, Transitional Arrangement and Modalities, Normalization as their focus of discussion. The meeting will end on January 25.

Jun Mantawil, head of the MILF peace panel secretariat, told Luwaran in an interview that the two parties will try to settle at least two of the Annexes, namely Transitional Arrangement and Modalities and Power-sharing. He said the transitional arrangement is 99% finished, with the parties still stuck on which will lead the Transition Authority (TA). The MILF wants the TA to be MILF-led, while the government pushes it to be led by Bangsamoro. He disclosed power-sharing is 97% settled, but added that the remaining unsettled issues are very hard to resolve, which he did not clarify nor provide details.

Mantawil also said the parties will discuss the fate of the International Monitoring Team (IMT) whose current mandate will end in March this year. Asked whether, the two parties will give the IMT another shot in the arm by giving another one year mandate, he responded in the positive. “I am sure the IMT’s tour of duty will be extended,” he said without elaborating.

The MILF’s 24-man peace delegation will be headed by Mohagher Iqbal. He was accompanied, among others, by Abhoud Syed Lingga, Maulana Bobby Alonto, Abdulla Camlian, and Datu Antonio Kinoc. The MILF peace panel secretariat, headed by Jun Mantawil, also joined the MILF delegation.

On the government side, Prof. Miriam Ferrer-Coronel led its delegation. She is joined in, according to report, by Secretary Senen Bacani, Bai Yasmin Busran-Lao, and Lawyer Mehol Sadain. However, Prof. Hamid Barra will not be part of the government peace delegation. Unconfirmed report said that he resigned from government peace panel for reason not yet known.

http://www.luwaran.com/home/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3053:govt-milf-to-resume-talks-in-kl-today&catid=31:general&Itemid=41

US Navy apologizes for Tubbataha grounding

From Rappler (Jan 21): US Navy apologizes for Tubbataha grounding

The US Navy apologized on Sunday, January 20, for the grounding of one of its ships inside the protected area of Tubbataha Reef Natural Park in the Sulu Sea. "As a protector of the sea and a sailor myself, I greatly regret any damage this incident has caused to the Tubbataha Reef," said US Pacific Fleet commander Vice Admiral Scott Swift said in a statement.

Scott added that the US Navy acknowledges the "significance" of Tubbataha and its importance as a UNESCO World Heritage Site."Its protection is vital, and we take seriously our obligations to protect and preserve the maritime environment," the American commander said.

The US Navy confirmed that the situation of the USS Guardian has not changed: the minesweeper is still stuck on the reef -- now with no crew members on board -- and no traces of an oil spill in the area have been detected. Recovery efforts will start once the sea conditions improve and evacuated crew members can go back to the vessel.

US admiral to take over recovery operation

Swift announced that Rear Admiral Thomas Carney, Logistics Group commander for the Western Pacific, will travel on Monday, January 21, to the Philippines to take over as officer in charge of the ongoing operation to extricate the ship from the reef. Carney will sail to the Sulu Sea on board the USS Mustin destroyer along side several US Navy support vessels to oversee the efforts to pull out the USS Guardian "preventing any further environmental damage to the reef and surrounding marine environment."

Once the USS Guardian is safely recovered, the statement said, the US government "will continue to work with the [government of the] Republic of Philippines to assess the extent of the damage to the reef and the surrounding marine environment caused by the grounding. "The Republic of the Philippines government was promptly informed of the incident and is being updated regularly by US officials," the US Navy added.....

http://www.rappler.com/nation/20070-us-navy-apologizes-for-tubbataha-grounding

Chinese 'occupation' of Bajo de Masinloc could reduce PH territorial waters by 38 percent

From InterAksyon (Jan 21): Chinese 'occupation' of Bajo de Masinloc could reduce PH territorial waters by 38 percent



Chinese Surveillance Ships sighted. Photo from Vera Files

The Philippines is at a loss over China’s declaration its ships will stay permanently in Bajo de Masinloc, a declaration some experts say could lead to the Philippines losing 38 percent of its territorial waters. Bajo de Masinloc, a triangular-shaped coral reef formation that has several rocks encircling a lagoon, is located 124 nautical miles west of Masinloc town in Zambales in the northwestern part of the Philippines. “The shoal is under virtual occupation by China,” said former foreign undersecretary and former Philippine Permanent Representative to the United Nations Lauro Baja.

Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario confirmed this, saying, “In a subministerial consultation, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Fu Ying had said to our people that China’s presence was permanent and they had no intention of withdrawing their ships from the vicinity of Bajo de Masinloc.” The National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA) says Bajo de Masinloc has an area of about 120 square kilometers. It is also referred to as Panatag (calm in Pilipino) by fishermen who seek refuge in the area during stormy weather.

Its international name is Scarborough shoal after the tea-carrying British boat Scarborough which sank in the vicinity in 1784. China also claims ownership of the shoal which is 467 nautical miles away from its mainland, and refers to it as Huangyan Island.

Republic Act 9522, which defines the country’s archipelagic baseline, includes Bajo de Masinloc as part of Philippine territory. The law classifies it as a regime of islands under Art. 121 of the Law of the Sea Convention (LOSC), which means it generates its own territorial sea, exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and continental shelf. Under UNCLOS, “an island is a naturally formed area of land, surrounded by water, which is above water at high tide.”

An island generates its own maritime regimes, which are 12 nautical miles (nm) for territorial sea, 24 nm for contiguous zone, 200 nm for EEZ and 200 nm continental shelf. Under this definition, the Chinese claim over Baja de Masinloc means the Philippines risks losing not only the 120-square-kilometer strategically vital reef formation but also some 494,000 square kilometers EEZ, representing 38 per cent of the country’s EEZ.

One of the Philippines’ options to protest the Chinese encroachment is going to the United Nations International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), the arbitration arm of UNCLOS, of which the Philippines and China are signatories. Legal experts say the Philippines can ask the ITLOS, which does not deal with territorial disputes, to declare Bajo de Masinloc as a rock rather than an island.
UNCLOS said, “Rocks which cannot sustain human habitation or economic life of their own shall have no exclusive economic zone or continental shelf.”

Retired Philippine Navy Commodore Rex Robles, who has been to the area a few times for gunnery practice, declares that “Panatag shoal is a rock.” “It cannot support human life. It is not an island,” he concludes.

Lawyer Romel Bagares, executive director of Center for International Law (Philippines), said RA 9522 “does not actually specify whether Bajo de Masinloc consists just of uninhabitable rocks or is capable of economic life pursuant to Art 121 of the UNCLOS. This could be one way of arguing ITLOS has jurisdiction, especially as to the interpretation of provisions. It's a pragmatic approach, no doubt.” What is obvious, Bagares said, is that RA 9522 assumes that the shoal is part of Philippine territory in the fullest sense of the term.

Del Rosario said, “To the extent that their three ships are within our exclusive economic zone, this is in gross violation of the DOC and UNCLOS.” DOC is the Declaration of Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea signed in 2002 by members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, four of them part claimants to islands in the South China Sea, and China. UNCLOS is the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Baja said, “When our ships withdrew from Bajo de Masinloc in June and now (we) could not access the area, the shoal became under virtual occupation by China. “ Baja, who drafted the DOC with Malaysia’s Abdul Kadir, also said Chinese occupation of the disputed shoal has changed the status quo, contrary to the DOC. The DOC states: “The Parties undertake to exercise self-restraint in the conduct of activities that would complicate or escalate disputes and affect peace and stability including, among others, refraining from action of inhabiting on the presently uninhabited islands, reefs, shoals, cays, and other features and to handle their differences in a constructive manner.”

Baja said China is exercising what the International Court of Justice (ICJ) calls “effectivités.” “This is the basis of the Court’s decision on the Ligatan Sipadan case where the court awarded the area to Malaysia over Indonesia. Also the same principle in the case between Chile and Peru and between Nicaragua and Guatemala,” he said.

In 2002, the ICJ awarded sovereignty over Pulau Ligitan and Pulau Sipadan, two very small islands located in the Celebes Sea, off the northeast coast of the island of Borneo, to Malaysia against Indonesia giving weight to the former’s actual and continued exercise of authority over the islands.
Baja said, “We must act and interact before we lose the territory by default and/or estoppel.” Seven months after China’s occupation of Bajo de Masinloc, the Philippines is still “reviewing” its options.
Asked about the Philippines’ response to China’s declaration it has no intentions of pulling out their ships from Panatag shoal, Del Rosario said, “We are reviewing all our options in accordance with our three track approach encompassing the political, legal and diplomatic means.”

President Benigno Aquino III has refused to discuss publicly the Philippine efforts on Bajo de Masinloc because he said doing so would be “giving the other side a preview of everything that we will do.” He said, though, in October at a forum by the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines that the matter “is still being studied by our consultants.”

Aquino added, “There are several law firms that we are consulting, conversant and very well thought of and experts in international law, to precisely chart the course of how we will utilize the legal procedures in international law to advance our claims.” Experts point to two options available to the Philippines: the military option—which is not really an option considering the inferior state of the Philippine Navy compared with China’s naval might—and the legal option.

(To be continued)

VERA Files is put out by veteran journalists taking a deeper look at current issues. Vera is Latin for “true.”

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/53168/chinese-occupation-of-bajo-de-masinloc-could-reduce-ph-territorial-waters-by-38-percent

Abduction of soldier, cop shows desperation of NPA

From the Mindanao Times (Jan 20): Abduction of soldier, cop shows desperation of NPA

The 10th Infantry Division said the recent abduction of an Army trooper and police officer by heavily-armed New People’s Army (NPAs) fighters in Laak, Compostela Valley Province only shows the rebel group’s desperation and lack of public support. “It only shows that they are desperate to gain back the sympathy of the people by perpetrating atrocities. But instead of sympathy they will be condemned by the people for they are sowing terror,” said 10th ID spokesperson, Lt. Col. Lyndon Paniza.

Paniza stated that victims Private First Class Jezreel Culango and PO1 Ruel Pasion were bagged by an estimated 30 plus NPAs posing as troopers manning a government checkpoint. Both men were doing nothing belligerent at the time of their abduction and also unarmed. The snatching took place 9 a.m. Thursday in Sitio Mangob, Barangay Imelda in Laak.

“This is a desperate move of the Lawless Armed Group New People’s Army because their legal front failed in their propaganda. While the Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine National Police is busy in providing humanitarian assistance to civilians, Typhoon ‘Pablo’ victims and government agencies, the NPAs are busy initiating violent criminal acts,” he added.

Paniza said troops of 60th Infantry Battalion are now on pursuit operation after civilians in the area reported that the NPAs proceeded toward Sitio Tugpahan, Barangay Imelda, still in municipality of Laak.

 

http://www.mindanaotimes.net/abduction-of-soldier-cop-shows-desperation-of-npa-2/

GPH, MILF peace panels return to KL to work on annexes

From MindaNews (Jan 20): GPH, MILF peace panels return to KL to work on annexes

The government (GPH) and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) peace panels are returning to Kuala Lumpur this week to resume negotiations on the four annexes to the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro. In a press statement released by the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, government peace panel chair Miriam Coronel-Ferrer said this week’s negotations, scheduled to begin Monday, are “crucial” as both panels hope to finish the unresolved issues on Power-sharing, Wealth-sharing, Normalization and Transitional Arrangements and Modalities.
It will be the third time the panels are meeting to complete the annexes.

Both panels were supposed to have finished the annexes before the end of the 2012, in accordance with the FAB which was signed on October 15, 2012 in Malacanang. The FAB provides for the creation of a new autonomous political entity that would replace the 22-year old Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). President Aquino last month issued an Executive Order creating the Transition Commission (TransCom) that would, among others, draft the Bangsamoro basic law. The 15-member all-Bangsamoro TransCom will be composed of eight members from the MILF and seven members from the GPH. The President issued Executive Order 120 on December 18, creating the TransCom. A month later, however, he has yet to name the TransCom members. Both the GPH and MILF have submitted the names of their nominees.  As agreed upon in the FAB, the MILF will head the TransCom.

The MILF website, luwaran.com, quoted MILF chair Al Haj Murad Ebrahim as saying the MILF is “ very optimistic that the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro will be a successful negotiated political solution given the strong commitment of both the GPH and MILF, the Malaysian Government being the Third Party Facilitator and the overwhelming commitment of support from the international community and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.” It said Murad made the statement in several media interviews at Putra World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur, venue of the three-day Malay Archipelago Seminar on Islam in Southeast Asia: Challenges and Hopes.

Murad spoke on the topic “Islam in the Malay Archipelago: The New Rise of the Bangsamoro.” Murad was also quoted as saying that the MILF “learned a lot from the moderation approach of the Malaysia government and we significantly consider it in the establishment and administration of the Bangsamoro government considering the nature of a pluralistic society in the Bangsamoro.”

The annexes on Power-sharing, Wealth-sharing, Normalization, and Transitional Arrangements and Modalities, were supposed to have been finished by yearend to complete the comprehensive peace agreement. But the four-day talks in KL ended at around 7:15 p.m. December 15 with both panel chairs saying significant progress was made. But no Joint Statement was issued on what transpired during the talks and no date was set for the next talks.

http://www.mindanews.com/peace-process/2013/01/20/gph-milf-peace-panels-return-to-kl-to-work-on-annexes/

Muslim rebel leader who escaped war in Mindanao wants to become Malaysian citizen

From the Mindanao Examiner (Jan 20): Muslim rebel leader who escaped war in Mindanao wants to become Malaysian citizen

A former Muslim rebel leader, who sought safe refuge in Sabah after escaping a civil war in the southern Philippines almost four decades ago, now wanted to renounce his Filipino citizenship to become a naturalized Malaysian. Abdul Halil Aranial, whose nom de geurre was Commander Janggut, said he and six other rebel leaders of the Moro National Liberation Front escaped the war in Basilan province in 1975 and fled to Jampiras Island, according to a report by the online newspaper Borneo Post. Aranial said he has no wish to return home to Basilan, although he is aware of the changes that have happened in the southern Philippines and that he would only travel there to visit relatives.

“We were running out of ammunition and food so we decided to seek help from neighboring Islamic countries to support our cause,” he told the Royal Commission of Inquiry. He said they travelled by speed boat and ended up in Jampiras just off Sandakan City. Aranial said they resided in Jampiras until 1980 before relocating to the refugee settlement in Kamping Air in Sandakan where he was employed in an oil palm plantation until his relocation to the Muslim Refugee Settlement in Keningau in 1993.

He said he obtained the IMM13 pass issued to refugees and used it for 19 years. And in 2009, Aranial said he applied for an Entry Permit and later in the same year applied again for Permanent Residence which was approved. “I hope the government would expedite the application process for my Malaysian citizenship,” Aranial said, adding he has now three wives and that all their 13 children. It was unknown whether Aranial’s companions are still alive or had returned to the southern Philippines after the MNLF signed a peace agreement with Filipino government in September 1996.

http://mindanaoexaminer.com/news.php?news_id=20130120021124

Salvage firm to evaluate ship damage

From the Manila Standard Today (Jan 20): Salvage firm to evaluate ship damage

An international salvage firm employed by the United States Navy had been dispatched to Tubataha Reef to evaluate the extent of the damage to the American minesweeper USS Guardian that ran aground at the protected marine park, sources said on Saturday. The US Fleet Industrial Supply Center in Singapore has purportedly asked the technical services of the salvage firm to remove the vessel from the Tubataha Reef without inflicting further damage to coral reefs, the source said. “The US Navy requested the salvage firm to tow the USS Guardian out of where it is stuck in the Sulu Sea without further damaging the corals it hit when she ran aground on Thursday,” the source said.

The motor tugboat Trabajador, owned by the salvage company, left the Subic port on Thursday and was already en route to the Sulu Sea to assess the damage to the Guardian. M/T Trabajador, the source said is expected to arrive the area where the US ship had been stuck early Sunday and engineers on board will immediately evaluate the situation.

A US Navy destroyer or cruiser may also arrived in Puerto Princesa City on Sunday to support the evaluation process and the US Navy Seventh Fleet, based in Okinawa, Japan, has sent two support vessels to ferry out the Guardian’s 79-man crew. The Guardian made a two-day port call in Subic, Zambales in January and left on January 15 for a still unknown destination, but it was reported to have ran aground on January 17.

http://manilastandardtoday.com/2013/01/20/salvage-firm-to-evaluate-ship-damage/

Peace pact with MILF still far off — Govt

From the Manila Standard Today (Jan 21): Peace pact with MILF still far off — Govt

AFTER failing to conclude a final peace agreement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in a self-imposed deadline last month, the Aquino administration on Sunday admitted that “much work is still needed” to finish the four annexes needed to complete the landmark accord. The two panels resumed formal negotiations in Kuala Lumpur the same day, and government chief negotiator Miriam Ferrer described the talks as “crucial.”

“Much work is still needed to find a middle ground on certain core issues,” Ferrer said. “Both parties are open to consider options on the remaining difficulties across the annexes, including the technical impasse pertaining to the Bangsamoro Transition Authority.”The four annexes on power-sharing, wealth-sharing, normalization and transitional arrangements and modalities will make up the comprehensive peace pact with the MILF.

Ferrer said both parties were bringing technical experts to provide advice on matters relating to natural resources and transportation. “This is to ensure that we will make informed decisions on these issues,” she said. She expressed optimism it would take just one more round of negotiations before the annexes were signed. “There may be some items over which we would have to confer once more with our respective principals before we seal the texts,” Ferrer said. “With conviction, goodwill and earnest partnership with the MILF, we can make this [the signing of the peace pact] happen very soon.”

Earlier, presidential peace adviser Teresita Deles said the normalization process with the MILF would also result in the disarmament of other armed groups in Mindanao. “You don’t just talk about the arms of the MILF, but also of everyone else. That is part of normalization,” Deles said. “How can you ask the MILF to completely disarm if other groups or some families are armed? We are looking for a real partnership among the government, the MILF and other governance constituencies to look at this matter on how to make a life more secure, to trust in the state forces to make them secure, and be engaged in other productive activities.”

Deles said both parties would also work to reduce and control the firearms in Mindanao. “As put in the framework agreement, decommissioning is phased and calibrated and will start once political commitments are delivered. We agreed that substantial decommissioning happens when the basic law is delivered,” Deles said. “The MILF shall undertake a graduated program for decommissioning its forces so that they are put beyond use.”

President Benigno Aquino III has said he wants a new law creating the Bangsamoro—the new autonomous political entity embodied by the framework agreement with the MILF—to be enacted by 2015. He said an interim authority should be in place by 2015, or a year before the next national elections. “We need the organic act enacted into law by 2015. This will be passed through Congress and approved in a plebiscite and we hope to install the new government with a mandate after 2016 elections. There will be an interim authority from 2015 to 2016,” Mr. Aquino said. The President acknowledged that the spoilers of the peace process would still be there, but he expressed optimism that they would be a spent force by the time the Bangsamoro was put in place.

http://manilastandardtoday.com/2013/01/21/peace-pact-with-milf-still-far-off-govt/

US hires 2 tugboats to extricate vessel

From the Daily Tribune (Jan 21): US hires 2 tugboats to extricate vessel

Two special tugboats, contracted by the United States government, were spotted by Philippine Navy ships in Tubbataha where US warship, USS Guardian, ran aground the protected reef last week. Lt. Commander Gregory Favic, spokesman of the Navy, said that the two special tugboats arrived in the area on Saturday as reported by Navy ships now deployed in Tubbataha following the grounding of USS Guardian on Thursday. “This was an arrangement by the US, not the Philippine government,” Favic said of the arrival of the two special tugboats.

Favic said that three PN ships — BRP Ismael Lomibao (PS383), BRP Rizal (PS74) and BRP Mangyan (PS71), are now in the area to provide assistance to the US vessel.  The three PN ships, Favic said, are just on stand-by ready to respond if necessary. Apparently, the US ship has not asked any assistance yet. “The three (ships) right now are only on stand-by, so that any assistance required from the Philippine Navy, at least we are there already to respond immediately,” said Favic. “Actually, we really do not know the plans of the US when (to extricate) because it is really proper timing, it should be high tide when it is pulled,” he added. According to Favic, BRP Mangyan assisted in transporting 10 US divers, along with their oil spill boom, from Palawan to Tubbataha. He clarified that there is no oil spill monitored in the area.

For its part, Malacañang said it is awaiting results of the investigation by the department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) regarding the incident at the Tubbataha Reef, which is among the country’s protected marine sanctuary “We’re just waiting for updates from the Department of Foreign Affairs on the efforts to extricate the ship out of the reef,” deputy presidential spokesman Abigail Valte said.

On exacting damages from the US, Valte said “we’ll wait for the investigation… it’s more prudent to wait for the results of the investigation that will be conducted by the DFA, DND (Department of National Defense) and the other agencies that are concerned; and then come up with recommendations in light of the loss that we have in place owing to the fact that Tubbataha is one of the five World Heritage Sites that we have in the country.” “The immediate concern really is to get it out of there, extricated, with the least possible damage which is what we’re hoping for,” she added.

http://www.tribune.net.ph/index.php/nation/item/9431-us-hires-2-tugboats-to-extricate-vessel

After ‘technical stalemate, ’gov’t, MILF resume talks

From the Daily Tribune (Jan 21): After ‘technical stalemate, ’gov’t, MILF resume talks

After declaring a technical stalemate during their last meeting in Kuala Lumpur, the government peace panel and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) will again meet in the same venue for the 35th round of Formal Exploratory Talks which will primarily seek to flesh out the Bangsamoro Framework Agreement. Government chief negotiator Miriam Coronel-Ferrer described the next round of talks as “crucial” as it intends to settle most of the remaining issues in the annexes on Power-sharing, Wealth-sharing, Normalization and Transitional Arrangements and Modalities. The annexes, together with the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro, will make up the comprehensive agreement with the MILF.

She stressed that in the upcoming talks “much work is still needed to find a middle ground on certain core issues.” However, she said that both parties are open to consider options on the remaining difficulties, across the annexes, including the “technical impasse” pertaining to the Bangsamoro Transition Authority. Both parties are bringing technical experts to provide advice on matters relating to natural resources and other other issues. “This is to ensure that we will make informed decisions on these issues,” Coronel-Ferrer said.

The government panel chairman expressed optimism that both parties will be able to wrap up discussions on the annexes. “However, there may be some items that we would have to confer once more with our respective principals before we seal the texts,” she said. Coronel-Ferrer called on the support of the people to “keep the faith with us as we move closer to completing the Agreement.” “With conviction, goodwill, and earnest partnership with the MILF, we can make this happen very soon,” she said.

MILF website luwaran.com also reported that MILF chairman Al Haj Murad remains upbeat on the success of the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB). Murad also cited the effectiveness of the moderation approach of the Malaysian government in the signing of the FAB at Malacanang last October 15, 2012. “Indeed, the MILF is very optimistic that the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro will be a successful negotiated political solution given the strong commitment of both the GPH and MILF, the Malaysian Government being the Third Party Facilitator and the overwhelming commitment of support from the international community and the Organization of Islamic Cooepration (OIC),” Murad said.

He said the framework agreement will be mutually beneficial to the government and the Bangsamoro, adding “the facilitation of the Government of Malaysia significantly help both sides in realizing the Framework Agreement.” “The MILF, the Bangsamoro and even the Filipino people could not thank enough Malaysia for its role and contribution in the success of the GPH - MILF Peace Process,” Murad added.

Murad pointed out that the Philippines was second to Japan as the most progressive country in Asia before the rise of the Bangsamoro struggle for freedom and self-determination during the 60’s but the armed conflict and the emergence of the Bangsamoro liberation movement at that time had severely affected the country in many aspects — politically, economically, socially and even culturally.

“We are hopeful and optimistic that with the success of the FAB, the entire country and the Bagsamoro will significantly benefit with its fruition in terms of peace and security, economics and, national solidarity and regional cooperation,” he said. Murad said the FAB is not only an achievement of the MILF but a victory of the entire Bangsamoro – the traditional leaders, political leaders, Moro National Liberation Front, MILF, all sectors of the Bangsamoro.

“We take this opportunity to convey our most profound gratitude to YAB Dat’ Sri Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak, Prime Minister of Malaysia, for all the invaluable facilitation, contribution and commitment of continuing support and assistance for the success of the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro,” Murad said. “We learn a lot from the moderation approach of the Malaysia government and we significantly consider it in the establishment and administration of the Bangsamoro government considering the nature of a pluralistic society in the Bangsamoro,” Murad said.

“When we can fulfill the sought success of the FAB then radicalization in the Bangsamoro will also be addressed,” he pointed out. Murad made the statement in several media interviews at Putra World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia where the three-day Malay Archipelago Seminar – Islam in Southeast Asia: Challenges and Hopes is currently held. Murad spoke on the topic “Islam in the Malay Archipelago: The New Rise of the Bangsamoro.”

The other speakers are Dato’ Prof Dr. Sidek Baba, Islamic International University Malaysia (UIAM), Prof. Dr. Mohd. Zainul Fithri bin Datuk Othman, Management Science University, Dr. Ahmad Omar Chapakia, Deputy Rector of Islamic University of Yala, Thailand, Dr. Fadlan bin Mohd Othman, Al-Madinah International University, Felicitous Prof. Dr. Jamil bin Hashim, Sultan Azlan Shah Islamic University College, Mohd Yusof Bin Din, Presdient of Smart Generation Society, Prof Datuk Dr. Zainal bin Kling, UUM College of Law, Prof Datuk Dr. Adbullah Zakaria bin GHazali, University of Malaya, Felicitous Mohd Mohiyuddin bin Mohd Sulaiman, MARA Technology University, Prof Muhammad Hussain bin Mutalib, National University of Singapore, Dr. Yusri bin Mohd, Islamic Research and Strategic Institute, Prof Dr. Haji Ali Mustafa Yakub, Imam of Istiqlal Mosue of Indonesia, Prof Dr. Eajdi bin Dato’ Dusuki, International Shariah Research Academy for Islamic Finance, Haji Zakaryya Adam, Member of Cambodian Parliament, Datuk Nik Mustapha bin Nik Hassan, Institue of Islamic Understanding Malaysia, and Hon Datuk Haji Ahmad bin Haji Maslan, Prime Minister Department.

More than 1000 participants from Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, and Cambodia attended the forum.

http://www.tribune.net.ph/index.php/nation/item/9438-after-‘technical-stalemate-’gov’t-milf-resume-talks

US should pay for damaging reef – lawmakers

From the Manila Times (Jan 20): US should pay for damaging reef – lawmakers



Student activists (right) scuffle with policemen during a protest in front of the US Embassy in Manila condemning a US Navy ship that ran aground on a coral reef in a protected Philippine marine reserve. The USS Guardian remained trapped on the Tubbataha Reef even after most of its crew members were removed in a bid to get it refloated. AFP PHOTO

Monetary penalties are not enough punishment for members of the United States Navy, whose ship got stuck on the Tubbataha Reef in Sulu province, House leaders said on Saturday. Representatives Roilo Golez of Parañaque City and House Assistant Majority Leader Sherwin Tugna of Citizens Battle Against Corruption party-list, said that a more severe penalty should be handed to the US Navy ship for damaging at least 10 meters of the protected reef, which is proclaimed a world heritage site.

“That [monetary dues] should be the minimum penalty. The other is the possible violation of the innocent passage principle under the Unclos [United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas]. Why didn’t the vessel follow the usual innocent passage route?” asked Golez, a former member of the Philippine Navy.

The captain of the ship, he added, should be relieved from service for good. “A simple grounding can seriously damage his naval career. This one is even worse, can be career-ending for him,” the lawmaker said.

Tugna backed Golez, noting the lack of cooperation and seeming arrogance of the US Navy in failing to explain outright the reason why they are in the reef. The USS Guardian reportedly refused to allow agents of the Protected Area Management Board to board the ship. “I believe that aside from the P12,000 fine per day, actual and exemplary [corrective] damages should be paid by the US government. The ship commander prevented park rangers from approaching the vessel that is currently atop of our reef. There must be a sufficient explanation why they are in Tubbataha Reef and what is the nature of their presence here in our territory,” Tugna argued.

A militant group blamed the joint military exercises or the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) between the government and the United States over the reef. “After the disposal of toxic wastes in Subic last year, now it is another devastation of our natural resources,” said Bagong Alyansang Makabayan Secretary General Paulo Quiza. “Under VFA, expect that a worse kind of devastation will happen again. The Aquino regime is ever subservient to US government just like the previous administration, even risking the interest of the Filipino people,” Quiza added.

However, for House Deputy Majority Leader Romero Quimbo, it is still too early to call for more severe sanctions because the cause of the accident is yet to be determined. “Before we talk of any sanctions, we must first find out what happened. Sometimes we can be so fickle as a country. When the Chinese kept cruising in our seas, not a few people were hoping the US would come and defend us. Now that we see their presence, people are jumping the blaming game without finding out first what happened,” the legislator from Marikina said.

http://www.manilatimes.net/index.php/news/headlines-mt/39788-us-should-pay-for-damaging-reef-lawmakers

US Navy raps faulty map for hi-tech ship’s grounding

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Jan 20): US Navy raps faulty map for hi-tech ship’s grounding

The United States Navy said a minesweeper that ran aground on a coral reef in the Philippines was using a faulty map that misplaced the location of the marine sanctuary. The Navy said digital nautical charts contained inaccurate data and may have been a factor in the Guardian’s grounding. Navigator of the Navy Rear Adm. Jonathan White released precautionary guidance to all Pacific Fleet ships, saying that “initial review of navigation data indicates an error in the location of Tubbataha Reef” in the Philippines.

The US Navy has sent an assessment team that would plan and execute the delicate extraction of the American minesweeper from the Tubbataha Reef with the least damage on the marine sanctuary where it has been trapped since Thursday, the unit’s Japan-based fleet has said. Strong winds and waves have pushed the ship to be parallel to the reef line, the Inquirer learned on Saturday. “If you remember the pictures that came out yesterday (Friday), the ship was still perpendicular to the reef line but because of the winds and waves, which are really strong now, the ship moved some 90 degrees and is now parallel to the reef line,” a source from the military told the Inquirer.

Not sinking

The source, who requested anonymity as he was not authorized to give details to the media, denied news reports that the ship was sinking. “It couldn’t really sink because there’s a reef beneath it,” he said. Three ships from the Philippine Navy have been deployed as of Saturday morning to the vicinity of the Tubbataha Reef for on-site monitoring and to provide assistance to the marooned ship. “Our ships are outside the protected area,” said Maj. Oliver Banaria, commander of the military’s Western Command Civil Relations Group.

Banaria said a Philippine Air Force (PAF) Nomad aircraft was deployed Saturday morning to the site for an aerial survey of the USS Guardian and “further assess the situation.” “The recovery of the ship has not begun yet,” Banaria said.

The forward-deployed US Navy’s 7th Fleet also admitted that the grounding of the 68-meter USS Guardian could have damaged the reef just as the incident spurred a demand among concerned Philippine groups for US accountability over the destruction of what is considered a national treasure. “Without speculating about this particular case, there are potential risks of damage from physical contact between the ship and the reef or sea floor, and from the effects of material from the ship being introduced into the environment,” Lt. Brian Wierzbicki, a public affairs officer of the 7th Fleet, told the Inquirer. “We won’t know more until the assessment team arrives on scene,” he said in an e-mail response sent from the fleet’s base in Yokosuka, Japan.

All 79 officers and crew of the US Navy minesweeper stuck on a coral reef in central Philippines have left the ship two days after efforts to free the vessel failed, the Navy said on Saturday. The US Navy’s 7th Fleet earlier on Friday said 72 of the crew of the USS Guardian were transferred for safety reasons to a military support vessel and a naval survey ship. The Navy said in a statement hours later that all 79 crew members, including the commanding and the executive officers, had left the stricken ship.

The Avenger-class mine countermeasures ship was en route to its next port call following a routine stop in the Philippines when it grazed the reef and got stuck some 128 kilometers off Palawan before dawn on Thursday. The US Navy said the ship was not leaking oil. An official of the Tubbataha marine park earlier said the ship was lying on around 10 meters of coral.

Subic, Puerto Princesa

The ship had arrived at the former US naval base on Subic Bay in Olongapo City on Jan. 13 for a routine resupply, refueling and rest and recreation stop and a quick visit to Puerto Princesa before sailing off to its next destination. Wierzbicki said the Navy was still investigating how the ship, known to be equipped with top-of-the-line navigational equipment, ran aground the reef in the vast Sulu Sea. “The Navy recognizes that Tubbataha Reef is a unique and treasured environment. The cause of this incident will be thoroughly investigated,” said Wierzbicki when asked for comment on the concern of environment groups on the protected coral reef, designated by the Unesco as a World Heritage Site. “The full extent of any damage to the reef won’t be determined until the ship is freed from the reef,” Wierzbicki said.

The World Wide Fund for Nature Philippines said that according to an initial visual inspection, the 68-m-long, 1,300-ton Guardian damaged at least 10 m of the reef. Aerial photographs provided by the Philippine military showed the ship’s bow sitting atop corals in shallow turquoise waters. The stern was floating in the deep blue waters.

Angelique Songco, head of the government’s Protected Area Management Board, said it was unclear how much of the reef was damaged. She said the government imposes a fine of about $300 per square meter of damaged coral.

In 2005, the environmental group Greenpeace was fined almost $7,000 after its flagship struck a reef in the same area. Songco said that park rangers were not allowed to board the ship for inspection and were told to contact the US Embassy in Manila. Philippine military spokesperson Banaria said the US Navy did not request assistance from the Philippines.

US Navy ships have stepped up visits to Philippine ports for refueling, rest and recreation, plus joint military exercises as a result of a redeployment of US forces in the Asia-Pacific region. The Philippines, a US defense treaty ally, has been entangled in a territorial dispute with China in the West Philippine Sea.

The 7th Fleet and the US Embassy in Manila said separately that initial attempts to release the Guardian had been unsuccessful. Wierzbicki said the US Navy’s assessment team, dispatched from Puerto Princesa on Friday, would “assess conditions, assist in salvage operations and develop a recovery plan.”

Workable plan

“Their focus will be to get on board, get a workable plan in place and work to extract Guardian from the reef with as little damage as possible,” Wierzbicki said.

In a separate statement, US 7^th Fleet commander Vice Admiral Scott Swift said other support vessels had arrived on scene. “7th Fleet ships remain on scene and essential Guardian Sailors will continue conducting survey operations on board the ship as needed until she is recovered. Several support vessels have arrived and all steps are being taken to minimize environmental effects while ensuring the crew’s continued safety,” Swift said.

Wierzbicki said 72 of the Guardian’s crew were evacuated on Friday and transferred to MV C-Champion, a Military Sealift Command chartered ship, for their safety. The embassy said a small team of engineering and bridge personnel will remain aboard the Guardian to work with the assessment team “in an attempt to free Guardian with minimal environmental impact.” “The remaining seven sailors, which include the commanding officer and executive officer, will also be transferred if conditions become unsafe,” the embassy said.

The embassy said US authorities “are in close communication” with their Philippine counterparts, including the Tubbataha Management Office.

http://globalnation.inquirer.net/61999/us-navy-raps-faulty-map-for-hi-tech-ships-grounding

Senate considering probe of USS Guardian grounding

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Jan 20): Senate considering probe of USS Guardian grounding

Sen. Francis Escudero, chair of the Senate committee on environment and natural resources, said he was considering holding a Senate inquiry into the USS Guardian’s running aground and damaging the Tubbataha Reef. “Did it have authorized access in the first place? Were we informed of its presence in our territory? Why can’t we have official word from concerned authorities about the official status of the ship in our waters?” Escudero said in a statement.

Calling the incident a “very serious one,” Escudero said his committee “may launch a probe to uncover possible violations of Philippine and international laws.” “We should demand not only indemnity for damage but also restoration costs. Reefs are grown over centuries, the extent of the damage and what it will leave cannot be quantified in any amount,” he added.

Sen. Loren Legarda, chair of the Senate committee on foreign relations, expressed concern over what she called a “troubling pattern of environmental assault that has resulted from the visits by United States naval ships in the country.” Legarda cited the alleged failure by US authorities to coordinate the movement and route of the USS Guardian while in Philippine waters.

“Our Visiting Forces Agreement and other treaties with the United States government is not a free pass so US ships and military personnel can do as they wish in our country, including the destruction of the environment and protected sites in our country,” Legarda said.  Legarda wants an explanation from the Presidential Commission on the VFA and the Philippine Coast Guard on how the USS Guardian was allowed to venture into the Tubbataha Reef.

“The VFAComm is tasked to monitor, in coordination with appropriate government agencies and NGOs, the activities of foreign military and civilian personnel,” Legarda said. “What kind of coordination was carried out when officials on board the USS Guardian refused to respond to the radio calls made by Philippine authorities who were investigating their presence in our protected area?” Legarda added.

Legarda recalled that a US navy contractor, Glenn Marine Defense Asia Philippines, was found in October last year to have dumped waste water from visiting US ships into Philippine waters “in contravention of Philippine and international laws and regulations.” “An accounting needs to be done, not just of this recent incident, but of the totality of the activities done under the ambit of the VFA over the past decade,” Legarda added.

According to Escudero, Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman Raul Hernandez could not say if the warship’s entry was authorized or not.

Located 150 kilometers southeast of Puerto Princesa City, the Tubbataha Reef Natural Park is a 97,030-hectare Marine Protected Area in Palawan and is at the heart of the so-called Coral Triangle, “acknowledged as the global center of marine biodiversity.” “The Coral Triangle is home to at least 40 percent of the world’s fish and 75 percent of corals. Being in the center of the Coral Triangle, Tubbataha Reef plays a critical role in marine biodiversity preservation,” Escudero said.

http://globalnation.inquirer.net/62019/senate-considering-probe-of-uss-guardian-grounding

Palace won’t rush into action on US Navy ship grounding in Tubbataha

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Jan 20): Palace won’t rush into action on US Navy ship grounding in Tubbataha

Malacañang is in no hurry to hold the US Navy accountable for its minesweeper that ran aground in the Tubbataha Reefs, even as a militant group has called for an inspection of the ship. President Benigno Aquino III’s deputy spokesperson Abigail Valte said the executive department would rather wait for the outcome of an investigation into the USS Guardian’s grounding before deciding on the accountability of the ship or its crew.

“It’s more prudent to wait for the results of the investigation that will be conducted by the DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs), DND (Department of National Defense) and other agencies, and then come up with recommendation in light of laws that we have in place,” Valte said over government radio. She said the immediate concern would be to extricate the ship “with the least damage” from the marine sanctuary, recognized by United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) as a World Heritage Site. Valte said the Philippine Navy, which deployed three ships to the reef for on-site monitoring, could help extricate the marooned ship if requested. “There’s no problem with us if our help is needed,” she said.

The minesweeper, part of a US navy contingent patrolling the South China Sea, was en route to its next port of call after a stop in the Philippines when it grazed the reef and got stuck some 128 kilometers off Palawan before dawn on Thursday. The US Navy blamed a faulty map used by the minesweeper that misplaced the location of the Tubbataha Reefs.

With the 688-meter ship lying on some 10 meters of coral, Philippine environmental groups have called for US accountability for the destruction of the national marine treasure. The US Navy’s 7th Fleet acknowledged that the grounding could have damaged the reef, even as it dispatched an assessment team to plan and execute the delicate extraction from the reefs.

Sen. Francis Escudero, chair of the committee on environment and natural resources, said he was considering opening an inquiry into the minesweeper’s grounding and the damage it has caused to the reefs. Following news of the grounding, Sen. Francis Pangilinan said the Department of Foreign Affairs should ask the US government to explain the presence of the minesweeper in the reefs.

Meanwhile, the militant Bagong Alyansang Makabayan on Sunday pressed the government to assert its sovereignty and ascertain the real status of the ship. It said the Philippines had the right to inspect the ship. “It is patently embarrassing that the PH government does not even want, at this point, to raise the issue of liability of US troops in the destruction of our coral reef. It smacks of puppetry and subservience. Whatever happened to asserting sovereignty?” Bayan secretary general Renato Reyes said.

Reyes added that the government should ascertain whether the ship was sinking by inspecting it, adding it should not allow the US forces “to disrespect our local authorities and conceal vital information.” The group also called on the government to stop further port calls by US forces in view of the grounding. It said the Philippines has been hosting American troops and ships here for rest and recreation, refueling and repair.

“Surely there is a problem with the Visiting Forces Agreement and the port calls and exercises undertaken by US forces in our country. The frequency of port calls supposedly allowed under the VFA transforms the country into a virtual military base. They come here anytime, roam our waters freely, and engage in unspecified activities,” Reyes said. “And when incidents happen, like the dumping of toxic wastes or the destruction of our coral reef, the US seems to buck any kind of accountability and even disrespects our local authorities. So why should we allow US ships to continue making port calls? Why allow the VFA to continue?” he added.

Bayan cited Article 6 of the VFA which stated: “For claims against the United States, other than contractual claims and those to which paragraph 1 applies, the United States Government, in accordance with United States law regarding foreign claims, will pay just and reasonable compensation in settlement of meritorious claims for damage, loss, personal injury or death, caused by acts or omissions of United States personnel, or otherwise incident to the non-combat activities of the United States forces.”

The Aquino government, on the other hand, has welcomed the presence of US naval forces in Asia in view of a brewing conflict with regional superpower China over territorial claims in the South China Sea, among them parts of the Spratly group of islands, which is believed to be rich in oil and gas deposits. The territorial claims by the Philippines, Vietnam and Japan, among others, reportedly block China’s submarine lanes to the Pacific.

http://globalnation.inquirer.net/62057/palace-wont-rush-into-action-on-us-navy-ship-grounding-in-tubbataha

NPA rebels raid plantation, chop down 15,000 trees

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Jan 20): NPA rebels raid plantation, chop down 15,000 trees

Communist rebels on Friday raided a banana plantation owned by a multinational firm in Tago, Surigao del Sur, hacking down at least 15,000 full-grown trees and firing at several pieces of heavy equipment parked along a roadside, police on Sunday said. Superintendent Martin Gamba, Caraga police spokesperson, said an undetermined number of New People’s Army (NPA) guerrillas “left a large swath of destruction” at the plantation owned by Dole-Stanfilco in Barangay Anahao Daan at around 9 p.m. The rebels chopped down some 15,000 banana trees “with fruits ready for harvest,” according to Gamba.

Four backhoes and a bulldozer parked by the roadside, owned by a certain Edilberto Garay of Davao City, were also raked with fire as the fleeing insurgents, believed to be members of the NPA’s Guerrilla Front 19-B under a certain Susay, passed by Sitio Ibo, also in the same village, said Gamba. He said the attack may have caused millions of pesos of damage to crops and other properties.

Gamba said police and the military were now conducting operations against the attackers. He said an investigation of the incident was underway. The Surigao del Sur attack came a day after NPA rebels kidnapped a policeman and a soldier at a checkpoint the insurgents had set up along a village road in Laak town, Compostela Valley province, several hundred kilometers to the southeast.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/343733/npa-rebels-raid-plantation-chop-down-15000-trees

GPH, MILF resumes talks to flesh out remaining issues in annexes

From the Philippine Star (Jan 20): GPH, MILF resumes talks to flesh out remaining issues in annexes

The Government of the Philippines (GPH) peace delegation is set to fly to Kuala Lumpur today for the 35th round of Formal Exploratory Talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). GPH chief negotiator Miriam Coronel-Ferrer described Sunday the next round of talks as "crucial" as they intend to settle most of the remaining issues in the annexes on Power-sharing, Wealth- sharing, Normalization and Transitional Arrangements and Modalities.

The annexes, together with the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro, will make up the comprehensive agreement with the MILF. The panel chair stressed that in the upcoming talks "much work is still needed to find a middle ground on certain core issues. " Both parties are bringing technical experts to provide advice on matters relating to natural resources and transportation. "This is to ensure that we will make informed decisions on these issues, " Coronel-Ferrer said.

The panel chair expressed optimism that both parties will be able to wrap up discussions on the annexes. "However, there may be some items that we would have to confer once more with our respective principals before we seal the texts," she said.

Coronel-Ferrer called on the support of the people to "keep the faith with us as we move closer to completing the Agreement."

http://www.philstar.com/breaking-news/2013/01/20/899182/gph-milf-resumes-talks-flesh-out-remaining-issues-annexes

Muslim rebel leader optimistic on realization of initial pact

From the Philippine Star (Jan 20): Muslim rebel leader optimistic on realization of initial pact

Rebel group, Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), chairman Al Haj Murad Ebrahim expressed optimism today on the fulfillment of the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB) as peace talks with the Philippine government resumes in Malaysia tomorrow. "Indeed, the MILF is very optimistic that the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro will be a successful negotiated political solution given the strong commitment of both the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and MILF, the Malaysian Government being the Third Party Facilitator and the overwhelming commitment of support from the international community and the Organization of Islamic Cooepration (OIC)," Murad said. He stressed that FAB will be mutually beneficial to the government and the Bangsamoro.

"We are hopeful and optimistic that with the success of the FAB, the entire country and the Bagsamoro will significantly benefit with its fruition in terms of peace and security, economics and, national solidarity and regional cooperation," he said. The government and the MILF will hold the 35th formal exploratory talks in Kuala Lumpur with the hope of reconciling the differences on the four annexes of the FAB.

 http://www.philstar.com/breaking-news/2013/01/20/899286/muslim-rebel-leader-optimistic-realization-initial-pact

Search is on for new SOCOM chief

From InterAksyon (Jan 20): Search is on for new SOCOM chief

The top position of the Special Operations Command (SOCOM), an Army unit of elite forces, is up for grabs among senior officer candidates with the mandatory retirement on Monday of the unit’s current commander, Maj. Gen. Romulo Bambao. President Benigno Aquino III has yet to appoint Bambao’s replacement.

Meanwhile, Brig. Gen. Jet B. Valeriano, a member of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Class of 1982, will assume the command in an acting capacity until a permanent commander is selected. Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Emmanuel Bautista will administer the turnover of command. Valeriano also became the Chief of Staff of the 1st Infantry Division; Inspector General, 7th Infantry Division; Defense and Armed Forces Attache to Malaysia and Inspector General, Intelligence Service Armed Forces of the Philippines. He also commanded the 51st Infantry Battalion, 1st Infantry Division for two years.Early his career, he led the 12 Special Forces Company, Special Forces Regiment Airborne (SFRA) which was deployed in Mindanao; then became the Intelligence Officer and Operations Officer of the 6th Special Forces Battalion, SFRA in Visayas, eventually commanding the said battalion in 1996.

SOCOM evolved from the Army Special Warfare Brigade (ASWABde) that was organized in 1978, and is now a home to the Army’s elite forces – Special Forces Regiment (Airborne), the First Scout Ranger Regiment, and the Light Reaction Battalion. “SOCOM was formed with the responsibility to plan, conduct, and support special operations of the Philippine Army. Its organic units include the First Scout Ranger Regiment, Special Forces (Airborne) and the Light Reaction Battalion,” said Army spokesman Maj. Harold Cabunoc.

The First Scout Ranger Regiment specializes in anti-guerrilla warfare and is credited with various combat successes.

The Special Forces Regiment (Airborne) is also trained in the art of counter-insurgency operations. It is primarily trained in unconventional warfare operations and psychological warfare operations.

But the command suffered a major setback when its troops were waylaid by more than 300 armed men of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) that killed 19 Special Forces and injured 14 others in a day-long firefight in Barangay Cambug, Al-Barka, basilan on October 19, 2011.

The newest member of SOCOM, the Light Reaction Battalion (formerly known as the Light Reaction Company), was established in the year 2000. It is the lead counter-terrorist unit of the Philippine Army trained by American military advisers from the 1stBattalion, 1st Special Forces Group. The LRC was first deployed in Mindanao to combat Abu Sayyaf bandits blamed for abducting several foreign hostages.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/53140/search-is-on-for-new-socom-chief

US ship turns, damages more coral

From Rappler (Jan 20): US ship turns, damages more coral



STILL STUCK. Philippine Air Force aerial image of the USS Guardian near the upper side of Tubbataha's South Atoll. Photo courtesy of AFP WESCOM

The US ship stuck inside the protected area of Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park in the Sulu Sea turned around due to the strong currents and winds, damaging more coral, the military said on Sunday, January 20. About 17 meters of the US Navy minesweeper's hull are now aground, 7 m more than before, according to Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Western Command chief Lt Gen Juancho Sabban.

Sabban told Rappler that the coral damage will be "more than the original estimate" and explained it was the rough sea and strong winds that caused the ship to turn 90 degrees. "With the assistance of the Americans, we are now looking at ways to pull [the vessel] out," added the AFP commander. A number of boats – among them another US Navy minesweeper and American salvage tugboats – have been sent to the area to help extricate the ship stuck since Thursday, January 17. "This is going to continue for a few days. It is a very difficult operation and the forecast is that the weather will not improve soon," Sabban said.

 

BEFORE AND AFTER. The USS Guardian turned 90 degrees in 4 days dragged by the strong currents and winds of the Sulu Sea. Graphic by Bardo Wu from photos courtesy of AFP WESCOM

'Sea too rough'

Four days after the USS Guardian crashed onto the reef, American officers are now closely coordinating with park rangers and personnel from the Philippine Coast Guard dispatched to the area.
Park chief supervisor Angelique Songco said the US Navy is ready to kick off the operation to extricate the boat "but the sea is too rough to do anything at the moment." "We are biting our nails waiting," she told Rappler on Sunday.

Songco added that the Americans are much more cooperative now and have established a joint command center with the Philippine Navy in Puerto Princesa, Palawan, the closest port to Tubbataha. The park management on Friday, January 18, filed a formal protest with the US Embassy in Manila over the behavior of the USS Guardian's commanding officer, who – according to Songco – initially deployed armed sailors on deck to prevent the rangers from approaching the minesweeper stuck inside the area under their jurisdiction. Most of the crew have been transferred to another ship and only 7 sailors, among them the commanding officer and an executive officer, remain on board, the US Pacific Fleet said on Friday.

Faulty charts, gov't probe

The US Navy on Saturday, January 19, announced it will send its own team to investigate if it was faulty navigational charts that caused the USS Guardian to veer off its course. The probe "will include information on faulty navigation chart data that misplaced the location of Tubbataha Reef," the US Pacific Fleet explained in a statement. "Initial review of navigation data indicates an error in the location of Tubbataha Reef" on the digital map, said US Navy chief navigator Rear Admiral Jonathan White.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte announced on Saturday that various government agencies will be conducting their own investigation on what happened. The US Navy may be charged with violating sections 19 and 26 of Republic Act 10067 or the Tubbataha Reefs National Park (TRNP) Act of 2009. It can also expect to pay P12,000 per sqm of damaged coral inside the multi-awarded conservation project and one of the world's best dive sites.

http://www.rappler.com/nation/20070-us-ship-turns,-damages-more-coral-in-tubbataha

UN force honors Pinoy peacekeeper in Golan Heights

From the Philippine Information Agency (Jan 18): UN force honors Pinoy peacekeeper in Golan Heights

The United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) recently honored a Filipino member of the sixth Philippine Contingent to Golan Heights. Technical Sergeant Herman Galiza received the Peacekeeper Month Award from UNDOF chief Major General Iqbal Singh Singha in a simple ceremony held at the UNDOF Headquarters, Camp Fauoar, Syria.

According to Commanding Officer of the Philippine Contingent Lieutenant Colonel Nolie Anquillano, Galiza received said award for his exemplary performance and devotion to duty rendered as bus driver for the Austrian and Croatian Contingents rotation convoy from Camp Faouar to Damascus International Airport on November 28, 2012.

The convoy, comprised of 25 vehicles, came under heavy fire by anti-government forces while on its way to the airport. Galiza immediately accelerated the vehicle to secure and keep his 14 Austrian passengers safe and out of danger.

“This award will reflect on how the Philippine Contingent to Golan Heights performed well in its mandated tasks and mission. Likewise, this will boost the morale of the officers, men and women of the Philippine Battalion,” Anquillano said. The Peacekeeper of the Month Award is usually granted to the deserving soldier in UNDOF for exemplary performance of duty.

Meanwhile, Philippine Ambassador to Israel Generoso D.G. Calonge also commended Galiza’s bravery and exemplary performance in the line of duty. “He highlighted the gallantry and selflessness of each and every Filipino soldier at home or anywhere in the world. He truly deserves the award, commendation and recognition of the Community of Nations. The Philippines is proud of you,” Calonge said.

Ambassador Calonge also acknowledged the rest of the Philippine Contingent in the Golan.  The sixth Philippine Contingent to Golan Heights assumed peacekeeping duties November 19, 2012.

http://www.pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?article=241358479293

Army urges militants to suggest better ways of relief distribution

From the Philippine Information Agency (Jan 18): Army urges militants to suggest better ways of relief distribution

Officials from the Philippine Arm's 10th Infantry Division yesterday urged militant groups to suggest and share a system of distribution for the relief goods rather than disrupt government operation to serve families and individuals who suffered from the blows of super-typhoon Pablo.

Lt. Col. Lyndon Paniza, spokesperson of the 10th ID, made the call as he pointed out the need for solidarity among the people in communities, including militants and insurgents. “Panahon ngayon ng ating pagkakaisa; hindi tayo dapat maghahanap ng gulo. Kung meron silang magagandang magagawa, bakit di nila iparating kay governor (This is the time for unity, we should not be finding fault against each other. If they have a better idea, why not bring this to the of the governor),” Paniza said referring to Provincial Gov. Arturo Uy of Compostela Valley Province.

Paniza said the militants' staging of barricade on January 15 at the intersection of the national highway in Montevista smacks of economic sabotage as it disrupted traffic flow of people and goods, and caused losses to business and small enterprises. “Maraming na stranded, nasira ang negosyo. Nabulok ang mga isda sa fishcars (There were many who were stranded, businesses affected, the fish in the fishcars rotted),” he said.

Meanwhile, Paniza viewed such mass action staged by the militant groups as a sign of “insecurity” of their allied armed group New People’s Army. “It is becoming obvious that the military is gaining support and approval of grassroots communities.” Despite such threat of the militants and their allies, Paniza said the military will go head-on with its Oplan Bayanihan and will continue to assist the local and national government in the relief and rehabilitation operation.

Col. Angelito de Leon, commander of the 1001st Infantry Brigade (IB) covering the entire province of Compostela Valley (except Laak Municipality), told the media in a press conference in Tagum City that the military had sent four teams of soldier-carpenters from Engineering Battalion to the towns of New Bataan, Compostela, Monkayo and Montevista of Compostela Valley. “They will help repair damaged houses,” he said as he explained that each team is composed of 17 soldier-carpenters deployed for two months to assist local governments.

http://www.pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?article=1591358408018

Three PN ships, one Coast Guard vessel now in grounding area

From the Philippine News Agency (Jan 20): Three PN ships, one Coast Guard vessel now in grounding area

As US efforts to extricate the USS Guardian (MCM-5)off Tubbataha Reef intensify, the Philippine Navy (PN) on Sunday said three of its ships and one of the Coast Guard's is now at the site to provide assistance should the Americans ask for it. Lt. Cmdr. Gregory Favic, acting PN spokesperson, said that Navy assets in the area include BRP Rizal (PS-74), BRP Mangyan (AS-71), BRP Ismael Lumibao (PG-383) and the Coast Guard's BRP Corregidor (AE-891). He added that both the BRP Mangyan and BRP Corregidor arrived in the area late Saturday.

Favic said that both ships are equipped with anti-spill booms which can be used should an oil spill will occur. But for the moment, no oil spill is taking place, the PN spokesperson said. He added that three US support vessels and tugboats are also present. He pointed out that the US has yet to request assistance from the Philippine Navy. Favic stressed that the crew of these ships are now studying the best way to re-float the USS Guardian with less damage to the environment.

The Avenger-class mine countermeasures ship had just completed a port call in Subic Bay and was en route to Indonesia and then on to Timor-Leste to participate in a training exercise when the grounding occurred Jan. 17. The USS Guardian remains stuck on Tubbataha Reef, approximately 80 miles east-southeast of Palawan Island.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=&sid=&nid=&rid=489059

MILF: Advocacy on Framework Agreement set in Sulu today

From the MILF Website (Jan 20): Advocacy on Framework Agreement set in Sulu today

A large number of people is expected to participate in an advocacy on the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB) at an MILF camp named Angilan, Omar town in Central Sulu. According to organizers, people started to arrive at the venue as early as yesterday from the surrounding municipalities including the town of Jolo. Invited as resource speakers were members of the MILF peace panel. However, their presence is most unlikely given the fact that by the time the advocacy takes place, all members of the MILF peace panel are in Kuala Lumpur for their 35th exploratory talks with the Philippine government negotiators.

The advocacy is timed with the graduation of hundreds of graduates for members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF) and Central Sulu provincial police force. Their training had started two months ago and those who made it, after a theoretical and actual training, joined the graduation rites. The MILF has one front command for Western Mindanao, which is equivalent to one division. A division is made up of four brigades, and each brigade is made up of four or five battalions. In terms of manpower, the MILF front command is equivalent to government divisions but in terms of firepower, it is below the standard as in conventional army.

Sulu, which used to be an MNLF country, is now a bastion of the MILF after both civilians and combatants by the hundreds are joining the MILF after the signing of the FAB in Manila last October 15. Two of the eight members of the Transition Commission (TC) nominated by the MILF came from Western Mindanao particularly Sulu and Basilan. The rest, including one member of the indigenous tribe, are from Lanao, Davao, Cotabato, and Maguindanao. Their names will be released soon to the public after President Benigno III would have appointed them.

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MILF: Chairman Murad optimistic on success of FAB, cites Malaysia’s moderation approach

From the MILF Website (Jan 20): Chairman Murad optimistic on success of FAB, cites Malaysia’s moderation approach



The highest leader of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), Al Haj Murad Ebrahim, was upbeat in expressing optimism on the success of the Government of the Philippines – Moro Islamic Liberation Front (GPH – MILF) Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB), even as he cited the effectiveness of the moderation approach of the Malaysian Government in the signing of the historic FAB at the Presidential Palace in Malacanang last October 15, 2012.

“Indeed, the MILF is very optimistic that the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro will be a successful negotiated political solution given the strong commitment of both the GPH and MILF, the Malaysian Government being the Third Party Facilitator and the overwhelming commitment of support from the international community and the Organization of Islamic Cooepration (OIC) ,” Chairman Murad said. He stressed the Framework Agreement will be mutually beneficial to the government and the Bangsamoro, adding “the facilitation of the Government of Malaysia significantly help both sides in realizing the Framework Agreement.”

“The MILF, the Bangsamoro and even the Filipino people could not thank enough Malaysia for its role and contribution in the success of the GPH - MILF Peace Process,” the Chairman added.
Murad pointed out that the Philippines was second to Japan as the most progressive country in Asia before the rise of the Bangsamoro struggle for freedom and self-determination during the 60’s. But the armed conflict and the emergence of the Bangsamoro liberation movement at that time had severely affected the country in many aspects – politically, economically, socially and even culturally. “We are hopeful and optimistic that with the success of the FAB, the entire country and the Bagsamoro will significantly benefit with its fruition in terms of peace and security, economics and, national solidarity and regional cooperation,” he said.

Murad said the FAB is not only an achievement of the MILF but a victory of the entire Bangsamoro – the traditional leaders, political leaders, Moro National Liberation Front, MILF, all sectors of the Bangsamoro.

“We take this opportunity to convey our most profound gratitude to YAB Dat’ Sri Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak, Prime Minister of Malaysia, for all the invaluable facilitation, contribution and commitment of continuing support and assistance for the success of the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro,” Murad said. “We learn a lot from the moderation approach of the Malaysia government and we significantly consider it in the establishment and administration of the Bangsamoro government considering the nature of a pluralistic society in the Bangsamoro,” Murad said. “When we can fulfill the sought success of the FAB then radicalization in the Bangsamoro will also be addressed,” he pointed out.

Chairman Murad made the statement in several media interviews at Putra World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia where the three-day Malay Archipelago Seminar – Islam in Southeast Asia: Challenges and Hopes is currently held.

Murad spoke on the topic “Islam in the Malay Archipelago: The New Rise of the Bangsamoro.”
The other speakers are Dato’ Prof Dr. Sidek Baba, Islamic International University Malaysia (UIAM), Prof. Dr. Mohd. Zainul Fithri bin Datuk Othman, Management Science University, Dr. Ahmad Omar Chapakia, Deputy Rector of Islamic University of Yala, Thailand, Dr. Fadlan bin Mohd Othman, Al-Madinah International University, Felicitous Prof. Dr. Jamil bin Hashim, Sultan Azlan Shah Islamic University College, Mohd Yusof Bin Din, Presdient of Smart Generation Society, Prof Datuk Dr. Zainal bin Kling, UUM College of Law, Prof Datuk Dr. Adbullah Zakaria bin GHazali, University of Malaya, Felicitous Mohd Mohiyuddin bin Mohd Sulaiman, MARA Technology University, Prof Muhammad Hussain bin Mutalib, National University of Singapore, Dr. Yusri bin Mohd, Islamic Research and Strategic Institute, Prof Dr. Haji Ali Mustafa Yakub, Imam of Istiqlal Mosue of Indonesia, Prof Dr. Eajdi bin Dato’ Dusuki, International Shariah Research Academy for Islamic Finance, Haji Zakaryya Adam, Member of Cambodian Parliament, Datuk Nik Mustapha bin Nik Hassan, Institue of Islamic Understanding Malaysia, and Hon Datuk Haji Ahmad bin Haji Maslan, Prime Minister Department.

More than 1000 distinguished participants were in attendance from Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, and Cambodia.

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