GPH, MILF resume talks on power-sharing, normalization; observers present

From MindaNews (Aug 22): GPH, MILF resume talks on power-sharing, normalization; observers present

The government and Moro Islamic Liberation Front peace panels resumed talks at 9:45 a.m. today (Thursday) in this Malaysian capital in the presence of  observers from the House of Representatives,  Mindanao civil society and the Bangsamoro Transition Commission.

This is the first time in the 16-year history of the peace talks between the Philippine government (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) that observers from various sectors are represented. “We are also joined in today’s Opening Ceremony by an unprecedented number of observers – a glowing affirmation that we need the whole village to build peace,”  GPH peace panel chair Miriam Coronel-Ferrer said.

It is the first time since 2001 that civil society representatives from Mindanao are attending the GPH-MILF peace talks in Kuala Lumpur as observers.



OBSERVERS. Representatives from Congress, Mindanao civil society and the Bangsamoro Transition Commission are in Kuala Lumpur as observers in the GPH-MILF peace talks that resumed Thursday: From left, former Ambassador Akmad Sakkam and Johaira Wahab of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission, Mary Ann Arnado of Mindanao Peoples Caucus, Dean Talib Benito of the Transition Commission and Salic Ibrahim of C-CARE. Deputy Speaker Pangalian Balindong and Reps. Rufus Rodriguez and Jesus Sacdalan are also present. MindaNews photo by Carolyn O. Arguillas

The panels are negotiating the last of two annexes that would complete the comprehensive peace pact: power-sharing and normalization. The parties signed the annex on transitional arrangements and modalities on February 25 and the annex on wealth-sharing on July 13.

 

Under the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB) that the GPH and  MILF signed on October 15, 2012 in Malacanan, the parties committed to finish the annexes before the end of 2012.

Deputy Speaker Pangalian Balindong of Lanao del Sur and Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez attended the closed-door opening rites with North Cotabato  along with five members of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) and  three representatives from Mindanao’s civil society — Patricia Sarenas, chair of the Mindanao Coalition of Development NGO Networks (Mincode); Mary Ann Arnado, secretary general of the Mindanao Peoples Caucus; and Salic Ibrahim, chair of the Citizens Coalition for ARMM Electoral Reforms, Inc.

North Cotabato Rep. Jesus Sacdalan arrived at noon.

The BTC members who attended the opening rites are former Ambassador Akmad Sakkam; Johair Wahab, former chief legal counsel of the GPH peace panel;  Froilyn Mendoza, aTeduray who co-founded the Téduray Lambangian Women’s Organization, Inc. (TLWOI);  Talib Benito, Dean of the King Faisal Center for Islamic, Arabic and Asian Studies at the Mindanao State University in Marawi City and former Isabela City councilor Eisma of  Basilan.  All five were nominated to the BTC by the GPH.

The BTC  (formerly referred to as Transcom), the body that would draft the Bangsamoro Basic Law for the new autonomous political entity called “Bangsamoro,” is composed of eight members from the MILF and seven from the GPH.

The FAB provides that “the status quo is unacceptable” and that they would work for the creation of the Bangsamoro, the political entity that would replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) by June 30, 2016.

The eight members who were nominated by the MILF to the BTC are Mohagher Iqbal,  Maulana Alonto,  Abdullah Camlian, Ibrahim D. Ali,  Raissa H. Jajurie,  Melanio U. Ulama,  Hussein P. Munoz and Said M. Shiek.
Iqbal chairs the MILF peace panel. Alonto and Camlian are peace panel members while the rest are members of the panel’s technical working groups.

Aside from Sakkam, Wahab, Benito, Eisma and Mendoza, the other members of the BTC who were nominated by the GPH are Asani S. Tammang and Fatmawati T. Salapuddin.  Tammang and Salapuddin were unable to come to Kuala Lumpur.
Sarenas told MindaNews at the end of the session at 10:25 a.m.  that they have been allowed as well to attend the sessions of  the joint technical working group  on Normalization and  the Special Team  on power-sharing.

Sarenas quoted Malaysian Facilitator, Dato’ Tengku Abd’ Ghafar bin Mohamed, as saying civil society groups are “important people who are the bridge between the (peace) process and the people.”

In Mindanao, ARMM Governor Mujiv Hataman issued a five-paragraph statement reiterating his administration’s “all-out support to the Mindanao peace agenda.”

The FAB provides that once the Bangsamoro Basic Law is ratified, the ARMM will be “deemed abolished” and its functions turned over to the Bangsamoro Transition Authority.

“We made a covenant, that we will step down in case of a peace deal – and this will always be our standing principle,”  Hataman said.

http://www.mindanews.com/peace-process/2013/08/22/gph-milf-resume-talks-on-power-sharing-normalization-observers-present/

Optimism marks resumption of GPH, MILF talks

From MindaNews (Aug 22): Optimism marks resumption of GPH, MILF talks

An air of optimism  marked Thursday’s  opening of the four-day talks between the Philippine government (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF)  on power-sharing and normalization,  with both parties  looking forward to “put to sleep” what GPH peace panel chair Miriam Coronel-Ferrer describes as “the infamous devil in the details and awaken the angel of creativity and compromise.”

Sources from both parties do not expect a signing in this round of talks but are hoping that the contentious issues are resolved so they can move forward.

Malaysian Facilitator, Dato’ Tengku Abd’ Ghafar bin Mohamed told MindaNews the parties are “working on the language” of the annexes and are expected to bring back the drafts their respective principals.

For MILF peace panel chair Mohagher Iqbal, the last two of four annexes that would complete the comprehensive peace agreement “must be settled and fixed now.”

The panels are back in Kuala Lumpur to finish  the annexes on Power-sharing and Normalization after signing on July 13 the Annex on Wealth-Sharing. The first annex on Transitional Arrangements and Modalities, was signed on February 25.

Wearing his other hat as chair of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC),  Iqbal appealed to the GPH and MILF to “fast-track their negotiation and, without delay, sign the remaining two annexes and finally the comprehensive peace agreement.”

Iqbal said the BTC “cannot write the Bangsamoro Basic Law in its wholeness” unless the annexes and the comprehensive peace pact are signed.

In his State of the Nation Address on July 22, President Benigno Simeon Aquino III urged Congress to pass the Bangsamoro Basic Law before the end of 2014 so “we will have ample time to prepare for the election of a new Bangsamoro government come 2016.”

“We cannot afford to delay the completion of the peace process. We must act now before it is too late,” Iqbal said in his statement at the opening rites held behind closed doors.

Copies of Ferrer’s and Iqbal’s opening statements were later made available.
Ferrer said the signing of the Annex on Wealth-Sharing on July 13, the toughest round since the parties signed the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB) on October 15, 2012 in Malacanan, was generally positively received and that while there were questions and commentaries, they were not so serious as “to throw out or render unviable any single part of the Annex.”

She said the signing “dispelled the doubts that a comprehensive agreement between the Philippine government and the MILF in our lifetime, under this administration, in 2013, can be done.”

“Landmines”

Ferrer acknowledged that the path to the two other annexes “is strewn with various types of landmines.”

She cited the “rampage” of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters while they were meeting here last month, “attacking soldiers and setting off grenades and IEDs in several parts of Central Mindanao, in their bid to derail our negotiations;” the July 26 bombing in Cagayan de Oro City that left eight persons dead and injured some 40 others; and the August 5 bombing in Cotabato City that left eight persons dead and injured some 30 others.

“But through their grievous deeds, these entrepreneurs of violence and mayhem have only succeeded in isolating themselves from the rest of the people.  Bombings, sniping, and various forms of indiscriminate attacks on civilian populations and objects such as bridges have no place in the moral order that we are instituting in our country and our communities.” “In this round, we will prove that we have not been waylaid by these groups’ destructive, desperate ways,” she said.

Iqbal said the answer to the spoilers is to “finish the remaining issues and sign the comprehensive peace agreement.” “Once the agreement is sealed, it would be very difficult for them to destroy it,” he said. Iqbal paid tribute to the MILF and GPH negotiators who had passed away in the last 16 years of the peace process and those who had fallen ill.

“Finish this process soon”

“Why I am making this narrative? It is simple! I just wanted to stress the need to finish this process soon. Any further delay is not only taking a toll on the very people whose lives are heavily invested in the peace process but more seriously, the various spoilers and enemies of peace are given the chance to spread their venom and to jump on our failures to stop dead the peace process on track. It appears nowadays that there is a conspiracy of all these anti-peace forces against us. This comes in various forms and uses diverse tactics to advance their evil agenda,” he said.

Signing the comprehensive agreement, he said, will not only stop the spoilers on their track but also strengthen the partnership between GPH and MILF so they can “proceed to consolidate the gains of the peace process and strengthen the Bangsamoro Transition Commission and Bangsamoro Transition and set up the Bangsamoro government by 2016. Once the Bangsamoro is set up, “the problems that we are encountering now will gradually be eased out and those still opposing or fighting the government will be deprived of legitimacy and of popular support.”

The panels, through their technical working groups, have been discussing power-sharing since August last year and normalization since November. Iqbal said that as soon as the annex on power-sharing is settled, “we can pour all our remaining stamina on normalization, an issue that is not too difficult to overcome by willing and committed peace partners. After all, the end state that we all desire in this peace process is for peace, justice, and development to reign in our land.”

“Angel of creativity and compromise”

Ferrer said the President has repeatedly expressed his commitment to ensure the roadmap to get the Bangsamoro set up by June 30, 2016 is followed.  She said the panels will do their share by completing the last annexes.

“Let us show that we are ready to put to sleep the infamous devil in the details and awaken the angel of creativity and compromise,” she said.

Reiterating her previous opening statements,  Ferrer said they aim for “an agreement that leaves no one in the prospective Bangsamoro political entity behind as far as protection of rights and access to power and wealth are concerned;” that the agreement “must redound to the well-being of not just one but of all the indigenous peoples in the Bangsamoro;  not of one political or socio-cultural or religious group but of everyone; not just of men but also of women; not just of the elites but most especially of the poor and dispossessed across the spectrum”

She said she knows there will be more challenges ahead and that “in fact, things might still get worse before things get better “ as this has been the experience in most post-conflict settings. “

This is my objective view, not a pessimistic stance. But it is an appraisal that is imbued with the determination that we shall overcome,” she said.

http://www.mindanews.com/peace-process/2013/08/22/optimism-marks-resumption-of-gph-milf-talks/

NPA disowns rebel surrenderees

From the Leyte Samar Daily Express (Aug 22): NPA disowns rebel surrenderees

The New People’s Army based in Northern Samar disowned the series of “NPA surrenderees” presented by the military and accused the same as `fake rebels’ and branded them as nothing but “impostors” taking advantage of the government’s financial offer.

Ka Amado Pesante, spokesperson of the Rodante Urtal Command of the New People’s Army, said the 53 NPA surenderees in Northern Samar were peasants and allegedly forcibly recruited and recognized by the military in order to “assemble” the illusion that the military is winning the war.

The NPA claimed also that the so-called fake NPA surrenderees has become a `bounty-hunting’ scheme for certain LGU and military officials and allegedly pushing some civilians who are in survival mode to present themselves as rebel returnees complete with make-believe stories allegedly invented by military.

To recall, the 8th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army told reporters that the military in the region scored against members of the New People’s Army cadres operating in the mountainous part of the region.

This includes the arrest of NPA insurgents, five of whom held key positions in the NPA hierarchy in Eastern Visayas, recovered high powered firearms and low powered firearms, neutralization of NPA insurgents during encounters, surrender and neutralization of organized mass members and the discovery and seizure of 77 NPA camps.

The Leyte Samar Daily Express learned that all “NPA surrenderees” reportedly signed up for the Social Integration Program (SIP), which aims to entice rebels to abandon their armed struggle. The SIP, which was launched in June 2008 under the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP), assists rebels who want to integrate into society with financial assistance, legal and health benefits, and livelihood training. The rebels are offered also P20,000 cash incentives for surrendering and same thing for the firearms they will turn over amounting to P200,000 for light machine gun; Colt M16 rifle – P50,000; M14 – P60,000 and for M203 grenade launcher – P40,000.
This military strategy of a supposed surrender, according to the NPA, was again another of military’s system of accepting bogus NPA rebels in hopes of sowing demoralization within the ranks of genuine members of the NPA.

Questioning the surrender of guns, except for armalite rifles, the rest of the surrendered firearms were M-1 Garand rifle and world war II vintage rifles and most of the firearms appears to be no longer serviceable if not heavily damaged, according to the NPA.

The big losers in the drama, according to Pesante, are the taxpayers whose money were used to pay for non-serviceable guns that were paid through the efforts of unscrupulous local officials and military.

And while the coffers of the province was drying up due to these charades, basic services continue to be neglected, and such amount of people’s money should be better spent for genuine people’s livelihood, Pesante added.

However, in an interview with Capt. Amado Gutierrez, spokesperson of the 8th ID based in Catbalogan City, he belied the contention of Pesante, saying that all the presented surrenderees were real members of the NPA.

According to Capt. Gutierrez, NPA rebels who voluntarily surrendered undergoes a process of scrutiny and are properly check by the board as to their real identity before they would be accepted under the Social Integration Program of the government.

“All was properly documented and it is an open book, walang itinatago ang military,’ said Gutierrez.

This is a big opportunity for our long lost brothers and sisters to start a new life with a bright future for their families, and the money is intended to help the ex-rebels get started in civilian life, who are to be given amnesty, according to Gutierrez.

“We are here to help and assist in every possible way we can for their safety,” said Gutierrez.

The Army were expecting more rebels to surrender and live normal lives.

Those who surrendered, according to Gutierrez, told them they were deceived by their leaders and had a difficult lives in the mountains.

The 8th ID in the region is more determined to quash insurgency by 2016 as it announced a record number of NPA surrenderees and rebel camps raided all over the region.

http://leytesamardaily.net/2013/08/npa-disowns-rebel-surrenderees/

CPP: CPP calls for broad mobilization and support for calamity rehabilitation efforts

From the CPP Website (Aug 21): CPP calls for broad mobilization and support for calamity rehabilitation efforts

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) sympathizes with the millions of people in the National Capital Region and in the Southern Tagalog, Central Luzon and Northern Luzon regions who have fallen victim to the recent spate of typhoons and torrential rains.

The homes, properties and livelihood of several hundred thousand people, especially workers and urban semiproletariat, peasants, poor fisherfolk and middle class families were ravaged or swept away by massive floods and landslides. Among the victims are tens of thousands of Party members, revolutionary masses and progressive activists in peasant and worker communities. They have also been among the first responders carrying out organized rescue, evacuation and relief operations.

All members and branches of the CPP, as well as all units of the New People’s Army (NPA) in affected areas have been instructed to organize and carry out relief and rehabilitation efforts to assist the masses whose homes and livelihoods have been destroyed or despoiled in days of rain and floods. The CPP urges all its allies and friends to extend support to mass organizations carrying out operations directly in the affected areas.

It is within the prerogative of the leading committees of the CPP in the regions and commands of the NPA to determine the necessity of declaring temporary ceasefires in their respective areas. The CPP demands that the AFP cease Oplan Bayanihan suppression operations in order to allow local units of the NPA, local branches of the CPP and people’s organizations to carry out relief and rehabilitation efforts.

The victims of the massive floods must demand quick and decisive action from the reactionary Aquino regime to address their urgent need for economic and livelihood rehabilitation. They must likewise organize themselves and not allow politicos to reduce them to a mob of beggars seeking alms. They must demand the organized distribution of emergency food and supplies through mass organizations.

They must hold accountable the reactionary state, the present Aquino regime, as well as the past governments, for this widespread calamity. In the end, the massive flooding was caused not solely by the torrential rains, but by the grave destruction of the environment and the failure to set up the necessary infrastructure for handling the increased volume of water flowing downstream.

The floods and landslides of the past several days are painfully similar to the August 2012 floods, as well as the floods and mudslides in Southern Mindanao in December 2012, the 2011 Cagayan de Oro floods and the Ondoy floods of 2009. Calamities in the Philippines brought about by rains are becoming ever more frequent and vicious, not so much due to changes in the climate, but through the massive degradation of the environment and grossly inadequate public infrastructure.

Over the past several decades, mountains and forests across the Sierra Madre ranges have been denuded as a result of large-scale logging and mining operations. The rainwater that could no longer effectively be retained by mountains now tends to reach the lowlands more rapidly, resulting in the silting and rapid overflow of rivers and lakes.

Big real estate capitalists, in connivance with big bureaucrats and financed by foreign banks have engaged in the wanton construction of subdivisions, malls and condominiums in complete disregard of strategic urban planning. A number of these malls have been constructed above old waterways which ultimately are found by flood waters seeking a path out to the sea. They are driven only by the desire for quick profit and are completely unmindful of the gravely inadequate public infrastructure for handling the draining of water from upstream.

The widespread floods of the past several days should prompt the Filipino people to further intensify their demand to put an end to the Aquino regime’s push to attract more and more big capitalist investors to engage in mining in the Philippines and the clearing of large tracts of land for plantation operations.

It also pushes them to demand an immediate end to the pork barrel system in order to allocate more funds for the people’s urgent needs.

http://www.philippinerevolution.net/statements/20130821_cpp-calls-for-broad-mobilization-and-support-for-calamity-rehabilitation-efforts

Huey third rebidding draws four bidders

From the Manila Standard Today (Aug 23): Huey third rebidding draws four bidders

Four bidders are taking part in the third re-bidding of 21 second-hand military  helicopters (Huey) worth P1.2 billion as part of the project to improve the capability of the Philippine Air Force, documents show.

The re-bidding of the long-stalled project was held on August 16 at the conference room of the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) of the Department of National Defense based in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.

Documents show that those  that attended the pre-bidding include RADOM Aviation Systems Ltd., ST Aerospace/Singapore Technologies Aerotech, Vector Aerospace, and Stone of David Tactical Equipment Company.

The firm Hanwha sat as an observer.

An official privy to the bidding  said all the bidders had bought bid documents and the next bidding conference would be the opening of bid documents for the BAC to select the lowest bidder.

In the last bidding, the BAC disqualified the Rice Aircraft Services Inc.  after it found    its bidding documents were not in order.

A second source said there are some defense personalities who are allegedly “manipulating”  the bidding process to favor one of the new set of bidders.

“It’s unfair if I will mention that supposed bidder being favored by at least two influential defense personalities. We’ve information though that this company was allegedly being convinced by these personalities to join in the bidding,” the source said.

Weeks before the May 2013 synchronized local and national elections, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin  said the helicopters  could possibly be delivered in time for the elections to boost PAF’s air power.

But the supposed delivery did not materialize.

The helicopter project is part of the P75 billion budget approved by President Benigno Aquino III to upgrade the military capability specially for territorial defense.

http://manilastandardtoday.com/2013/08/23/huey-third-rebidding-draws-four-bidders/

Rough road ahead for peace process

From the Manila Standard Today (Aug 23): Rough road ahead for peace process

The government negotiating panel for the peace process with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front said that “things might still get worse” with the saber-rattling of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters in Mindanao and the threat of the Moro National Liberation Front to declare independence.

The government and the MILF peace panels met in Kuala Lumpur Thursday to discuss the two remaining annexes – on power-sharing and on the disarmament of MILF fighters – which are needed to complete a comprehensive peace agreement.

“We know that there will be more challenges ahead, that in fact, things might still get worse before things get better. Such has been the experience in most post-conflict settings,” government chief negotiator Miriam Ferrer said.

“This is my objective view, not a pessimistic stance. But it is an appraisal that is imbued with the determination that we shall overcome,” she added.

Ferrer told the MILF peace panel that completing the last two remaining annexes is the best way to respond to threats to the peace efforts in Mindanao.

“Let us show that we are ready to put to sleep the infamous devil in the details and awaken the angel of creativity and compromise,” she said.

Ferrer said the comprehensive peace pact with the MILF must leave no one behind with the establishment of the Bangsamoro, a political entity that would replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

The ARMM is the product of the 1996 final peace agreement with the MNLF, prompting the Nur Misuari-led faction to threaten to declare independence amid insecurities that they would be left out of the Bangsamoro.

“To be sustained, our agreement must redound to the well-being of not just one but of all the indigenous peoples in the Bangsamoro; not of one political or socio-cultural or religious group but of everyone,” Ferrer said.

The influential Organization of Islamic Cooperation has already signaled its intention to step in to address the conflict with the MNLF.

“We understand the OIC is undertaking processes to address these issues,” presidential peace adviser Teresita Deles said.

“We await word from our facilitator, Indonesia, as chair of the OIC peace committee for southern Philippines,” she added.

While Deles did not give more details on the OIC’s next move, she said the bloc “understands the position of the government of the Philippines and our problems.”

MNLF spokesman Absalom Cerveza, who heads the MNLF peace panel, earlier said the Aquino administration has adopted contradicting positions and alibis resulting in blunders that left them with no other option but to declare independence.

He said the MNLF will now seek recognition of the Moro people’s right to self-determination before the United Nations.

“(MNLF founding chairman Nur) Misuari is going to UN to file a petition for the decolonization (of Mindanao) because this part of the country was annexed unilaterally by the government without the consent of the Moro people,” Cerveza said.

But according to Undersecretary Jose Lorena of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, Misuari and the MNLF should instead engage the government in the crafting of the Bangsamoro Basic Law.

“They need to engage us, and articulate their position. It is in the integrated interest of the Bangsamoro people, including the MNLF, to be part of this process,” Lorena added.

Misuari was earlier invited to be part of the Transition Commission that is drafting the Bangsamoro Basic Law, but he declined. Neither did he send a representative of the MNLF to be part of the commission.

Deles earlier cited Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Marty Natalegawa’s “firm support for the efforts being undertaken by the government to ensure a comprehensive settlement of the armed conflict in southern Philippines.”

“He was categorical in stating that Indonesia opposes any attempt to jeopardize the territorial integrity of the Philippines and that any such move falls outside the ambit of the agreed upon Tripartite Review Process,” Deles added.

http://manilastandardtoday.com/2013/08/23/rough-road-ahead-for-peace-process/

PH gov’t, MILF open 39th round of talks for peace pact, unfazed by bombings

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Aug 22): PH gov’t, MILF open 39th round of talks for peace pact, unfazed by bombings


Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, government peace panel chair, listens to Mohagher Iqbal, MILF Peace Panel Chair during the ceremonial opening of the first meeting of the transition commission which is tasked to draft the basic law of the Bangsamoro entity in Crowne Plaza,Ortigas, Pasig. INQUIRER PHOTO/RAFFY LERMA

 The Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front began their 39th round of talks Thursday, confident they could leap towards completing a comprehensive agreement within the year and overcome the threats of peace spoilers.

In her opening statement, chief government negotiator Miriam Coronel-Ferrer noted that amid the breakthrough on wealth-sharing last July 13, there have been forces trying to bring the peace process down.

“…We know that the path we have painstakingly taken to get us to the second, third and then the final Annex is strewn with various types of landmines,” Coronel-Ferrer said.

She said the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) have been on “a rampage, attacking soldiers and setting off grenades and IEDs (improvised explosive devices) in several parts of Central Mindanao, in their bid to derail our negotiations.”

The incidents happened as the 38th meeting was going on in Kuala Lumpur for the Annex on Revenue Generation and Wealth-Sharing.

“On July 26 – a week after our return from Kuala Lumpur – in Cagayan de Oro, insidious forces detonated a bomb that killed six and injured more than 40 civilians. Then on August 5, a car bomb set off on a busy road in Cotabato killed eight and injured scores of people, among them young children,” Coronel-Ferrer said.

“In this round, we will prove that we have not been waylaid by these groups’ destructive, desperate ways,” Coronel-Ferrer stressed.

Earlier, she called on the peoples of Mindanao to “rage against the violence.”

Coronel-Ferrer’s determined words was complemented by MILF chief negotiator Mohagher Iqbal’s optimism for yet another breakthrough in the current round of talks.

“Frankly speaking, I am seeing a ray of hope that the Annex on Power-sharing will be settled and signed by the parties during this meeting. I see no clear reasons why this should be delayed any longer since it has been the subject of negotiation more than a year ago,” Iqbal said in his opening address.

“Once this annex is settled, we can pour all our remaining stamina on normalization, an issue that is not too difficult to overcome by willing and committed peace partners. After all, the end state that we all desire in this peace process is for peace, justice, and development to reign in our lands,” he added.

Many residents feel unsafe in public places in Mindanao weeks after the bombings.

After the series of blasts, police and military personnel have been manning busy ports, malls, and strategic street corners in the island’s major cities.

“Bombings, sniping, and various forms of indiscriminate attacks on civilian populations and objects such as bridges have no place in the moral order that we are instituting in our country and our communities,” said Coronel-Ferrer.

She assured that the various mechanisms and institutions of the peace process like the ceasefire committees and the International Monitoring Team, the police and military, as well as local officials “are working hard to address the continuing threats to our people’s collective security.”

The recent declaration of independence by Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) founding chair Nur Misuari has added to worries that Mindanao’s security situation is bound to worsen and could imperil the upcoming Bangsamoro transition.

“We know that there will be more challenges ahead, that in fact, things might still get worse before things get better. Such has been the experience in most post-conflict settings,” Coronel-Ferrer said.

“This is my objective view, not a pessimistic stance. But it is an appraisal that is imbued with the determination that we shall overcome,” she added.

Iqbal said the apparent “conspiracy of all these anti-peace forces” could be “nipped in the bud” through the completion of a comprehensive peace agreement.

“Once the agreement is sealed, it would be very difficult for them to destroy it,” Iqbal added.

Once the Bangsamoro government is fully entrenched and functional, “the problems that we are encountering now will gradually be eased out and those still opposing or fighting the government will be deprived of legitimacy and of popular support,” according to Iqbal.

“Take away the water, the fish will die,” Iqbal pointed out, quoting a Chinese verse.

“On our end, we do our share of reaching the goal of completing the last two remaining annexes. Let us show that we are ready to put to sleep the infamous devil in the details and awaken the angel of creativity and compromise,” Coronel-Ferrer said.

She emphasized that even as the government has been dealing with the MILF in the negotiating table, “we are insuring that the process and the outcome will be for all stakeholders, so long as they choose peace and commit to meaningful reform beyond one’s personal or group interest.”

“We aim for an agreement that leaves no one in the prospective Bangsamoro political entity left behind as far as protection of rights and access to power and wealth are concerned,” she said.

“To be sustained, our agreement must redound to the well-being of not just one but of all the indigenous peoples in the Bangsamoro; not of one political or socio-cultural or religious group but of everyone; not just of men but also of women; not just of the elites but most especially of the poor and dispossessed across the spectrum,” she added.

During the opening rites, the peace panels welcomed observers from Congress, namely, Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez and Lanao del Sur Rep. Pangalian Balindong. North Cotabato Rep. Jesus Sacdalan was expected to join them.

Members of the Transition Commission (TransCom) who have been drafting the Bangsamoro Basic Law also came for the opening ceremonies.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/472283/ph-govt-milf-open-39th-round-of-talks-for-peace-pact-unfazed-by-bombings

‘Morong 43’ member killed in Bulacan encounter – AFP

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Aug 22): ‘Morong 43’ member killed in Bulacan encounter – AFP



Ramon dela Cruz Photo from Army’s 10th Infantry Division
A member of the Morong 43 was killed in an encounter with government troops in Bulacan early this month, the military revealed Thursday.

“Good news. It’s confirmed,” Major General Pio Gregorio Catapang of the Armed Forces Northern Luzon Command said, adding that Ramon dela Cruz, one of the three members of the New People’s Army killed in an encounter in Doña Remedios Trinidad town, was a member of the Morong 43, a group of suspected communist rebels who claimed to be as alleged health workers.

Based on the military’s photo gallery, the slain Ramon dela Cruz was the same person arrested during a military operation on a residential compound in Morong, Rizal in 2010, he said.

“I think it’s safe to say that this guy who was captured during the Morong incident was an NPA,” Catapang said.

Meanwhile, Brigadier General Hernando Iriberri, commander of the Army’s 7th Infantry Division, also said that three rebels, who used to be with dela Cruz’ group and had already returned to government fold, made a positive identification of the slain insurgent.

“Another confirmatory information is that the parents who claimed his body– Danilo and Rosita dela Cruz- are the same parents listed in the information sheet during his stress debriefing when they were arrested in 2010.

Forty-three suspected communist rebels who claimed they were health workers were arrested in Morong town, Rizal, and were later known as Morong 43.

Government security forces claimed they recovered subversive documents and firearms and accused the supposed health workers of bomb-making activities.

Five of the health workers admitted they were NPA members and availed themselves of the government’s amnesty program. The rest were released after the government withdrew charges against them, with some of them reportedly re-joined their armed comrades.

Eight of the suspected rebels filed torture charges against former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and police and military officials. The complaints remain pending before local courts.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/472337/morong-43-member-killed-in-bulacan-encounter-afp

1 of 3 slain 'rebels' member of Morong 43 -- AFP

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 22): 1 of 3 slain 'rebels' member of Morong 43 -- AFP

The Northern Luzon Command on Thursday confirmed that one of the three New People's Army (NPA) rebels slain during an encounter in Barangay Kabayunan, Dona Remedios Trinidad town, Bulacan last Aug. 9 was a member of the infamous "Morong 43".

Maj. Gen. Pio Gregorio Catapang, Northern Luzon Command chief, identified the latter as Ramon Dela Cruz alias "Ka Mandy".

The latter's group reportedly operates in the Timog Sierra Madres.

Catapang said Dela Cruz's identity was confirmed by rebel returnees and has a strong semblance to the picture taken when he and other members of the so-called Morong 43 were arrested.

This development serves to debunk claims that "Morong 43" are health workers.

"I think its safe to say that this guy who was captured during the Morong incident was an NPA," he stressed.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=557708

North Cotabato Moro villagers seek Army protection from warring MNLF, MILF

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 22): North Cotabato Moro villagers seek Army protection from warring MNLF, MILF

Villages officials in a remote community in North Cotabato have asked the military to establish an Army detachment in conflict affected Sitio (sub-village) so displaced families could return home safely.

The request was contained in a barangay resolution of Barangay Manubuan, Matalam, North Cotabato where Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) had been trading bullets since May this year due to land dispute.

Displaced families numbering about 60 or some 300 individuals, all Moro people, have refused to return home.

This, despite the forging of a localized truce between two the Moro fronts and an order from local officials and military auhorities for them to return home.

The evacuees fled Barangay Manubuan, Matalam, North Cotabato when MILF and MNLF forces traded bullets due to a long standing land dispute involving two huge Muslim clans.

Barangay Manubuan chairperson Melecio Openaldo said a peace deal had been forged by leaders of the MILF and MNLF but residents were reluctant to return home.

“Karamihan sa kanila mga Muslim at kamag-anak ng mga naglalabang pamilya, mas gusto pa nila sa evacuation center kasi safe daw sila kaysa bumalik sa kanilang barangay at malagay sa alanganin (Many displaced families, mostly Moro people, prefer to stay in evacuation sites that risk their lives again in their barangay),” Opelnado said, adding that most of those who refuse to go back home were from Sitio (subvillage) Leonard, Barangay Manubuan.

“Di namin sila pwedeng pilitin kung ayaw nila, alam kasi nila ang sitwasyon doon (We can’t force them, they know the situation in there better than us),” Opelando said.

He said the village officials are looking forward to the approval of their request for Army peacekeeping force in their village.

“Tiyak makakatulog sila ng mahimbing pag alam nilang safe sila (Maybe these people can sleep soundly if they know soldiers are in their community),” Opelnado said.

The Army is yet to act on the village officials' request.

MILF and MNLF guns have been silent the past three days after a localized truce was forged between Dima Ambel of MNLF and Noah Sabel of MILF.

The truce calls for the cessation of hostilities and allowing negotiations at all times in resolving land dispute.

Two huge Muslim clans who happened to be members of MNLF and MILF, respectively, figured in shooting war since May that forced civilians, also their relatives, to flee.

Following the signing of a localized truce, Matalam Mayor Oscar Valdevieso and North Cotabato Governor Emmylou Mendoza sponsored a “Kanduli” (thanksgiving) Wednesday to celebrate the end of armed conflict.

North Cotabato police director Senior Supt. Danilo Peralta, said both warring clans from MNLF and MILF have agreed to “bury the hatchet” and remove their respective forces from an “eyeball to eyeball” position in Sitio Leonard.

The truce was brokered by the provincial government, Muslim religious leaders and the Malaysian-led International Monitoring Team which monitors the ceasefire agreement between the government and MILF.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=557780

ARMM PNP intensifies evidence gathering vs Misuari's declaration of independence

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 22): ARMM PNP intensifies evidence gathering vs Misuari's declaration of independence

Police authorities in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Thursday said they are still gathering evidence in preparation for the filing of charges against Nur Misuari, leader of a faction of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) for declaring Mindanao independence.

Chief Superintendent Noel Delos Reyes, police regional director for ARMM, said the Sulu police provincial office is in the process of gathering documentary and affidavits of those who witnessed Misuari's act.

Spearheading the evidence gathering are the Sulu police provincial office and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group.

Misuari was said to have declared the establishment of independence of Mindanao, Sulu and Palawan and Sabah, Malaysia which he called Mindanao Republik with Davao City as seat of power.

Mindanao officials laughed off Misuari's act as next to impossible but police are taking it seriously for the act was seditious.

Misuari, founding chair of the MNLF, has publicly criticized the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front following the signing of Bangsamoro Framework Agreement.

He claimed the FAB was a clear violation of the 1996 final peace agreement between the MNLF and Manila.

He repeatedly lamented that the government was remiss in its duty of fulfilling the peace agreement to the letter and spirit, an allegation repeatedly denied by Malacanang.

Former Cotabato City Vice Mayor Muslimin Sema, chair of the bigger faction of the MNLF, has downplayed Misuari's act stressing the MNLF under his leadership remained loyal to the 1996 peace accord.

Manila, the MNLF and the Organization of Islamic Conference which brokered the talks are now holding a tripartite conference aimed at reviewing the provisions of the accord.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=557814

Security stepped up in North Cotabato town

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 22): Security stepped up in North Cotabato town

MIDSAYAP, North Cotabato -- Police and military authorities here have established more checkpoints and deployed village watchmen to prevent a repeat of the abduction of a college student and prevent criminality hounding this progressive town.

Superintendent Renante Delos Santos, Midsayap police chief, said the augmentation of police multipliers like the Barangay Tanod (village watchmen) would help prevent kidnapping and other forms of criminality that have happened in Midsayap this month.

Mark Anthony Baya, 19-year-old student of the Notre Dame of Midsayap College, was freed by his captors after a negotiation initiated by North Cotabato Governor Emmylou Mendoza through Muslim provincial board member Kelie Antao.

Baya, son of retired Army Sgt. Balong Baya, was manning a family-owned variety store on August 10 in Barangay Tumbras when four gunmen forced him at gun-point into a waiting Mitsubishi sedan.

Then the suspects sped toward a remote village in the borders of Midsayap, North Cotabato and Mother Kabuntalan, Maguindanao.

After 10 days of captivity, Baya was released by his captors to government negotiators who insisted no ransom has been paid.

”Not even board and lodging fee,” Jessie Ined, provincial government representative to the negotiating panel, said.

He said Baya has undergone stress debriefing and medical treatment although he was not harmed by his captors.

Delos Santos said more checkpoints in all entry and exit points of Midsayap’s 40 barangays to prevent lawless elements from nearby province from entering the Poblacion.

Midsayap, a first class municipality, is North Cotabato first district’s business hub serving as the center of commerce and industry.

Curfew is still in in effect in Midsayap which starts at 9 p.m. for minors and 12 midnight for adults until 5 a.m.

The curfew was imposed by the local government unit, the police and the Army’s 40th Infantry Battalion following a deadly car bomb attack in nearby Cotabato City that claimed eight lives and the bombing of a pawnshop along Rizal Avenue in Midsayap.

The kidnapping came amid heightened alert imposed by the local police at the town center where the bombing have occurred.

Delos Santos also appealed to residents to remain vigilant and on alert all the time, stressing “security issue is everybody’s business.”

”We are doing our part, please extend help by being vigilant and immediately alert the police should you notice suspicious bags, item, sack or anything left unattended in populated area,” delos Santos said.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=557802

Gov't, MILF: Violence won't deter us

From Rappler (Aug 22): Gov't, MILF: Violence won't deter us

'EVERY BONE OF CONTENTION.' Rebel peace panel chief Mohagher Iqbal

The government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on Thursday, August 22 returned to the negotiating table for the 39th round of formal exploratory talks in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Topping the agenda for this round of talks are the last two annexes that will complete the final peace pact – the normalization process and how power would be shared between the envisioned Bangsamoro political entity and the central government.

READ: Last 2 annexes signed 'within the year'

A week after the crucial annex on wealth-sharing was signed, a commercial area in Cagayan de Oro was bombed, killing 8 and injuring more than 40 civilians. Another bombing occurred the following week on a busy street in Cotabato City, killing 8 and injuring at least 30.

Days after the resumption of this round of talks, reports said Moro National Liberation Front founder and chairman Nur Misuari yet again declared independence for Mindanao. The MILF is a breakaway group of the MNLF. Under the Ramos government, the MNLF signed a peace pact that put an end to their rebellion, but the former rebels are now saying some of the provisions of the agreement have not been fulfilled.

Government chief negotiator Miriam Coronel-Ferrer reiterated what Malacañang and the MILF have always said, that such incidents would not derail the peace talks.

"In this round, we will prove that we have not been waylaid by these groups’ destructive, desperate ways," Ferrer said in her opening statement.

Although recognizing the dangers of delaying the peace process further, MILF chief negotiator Mohagher Iqbal said the MILF would not settle for anything less.

"While the MILF would like to see this done, we also have to underscore the fact that every issue and every bone of contention in the peace negotiation have to be settled within the framework of justice so as to achieve an enduring peace," Iqbal added.

Malaysian third-party facilitator Tengku Datu Abdul Ghafar Tengku bin Mohamed for his part said spoilers "have no place in Mindanao.

Pending issues

In his State of the Nation Address, President Benigno Aquino III asked Congress to pass the basic law that will provide the legal mandate for the new Bangsamoro political entity by 2014.

To meet the deadline, lawmakers said it would be ideal if the Transition Commission submits the Basic Law to Congress before the end of this year.

READ: Bangsamoro Basic Law by 2014? Realistic but...

For this round of talks, Ferrer earlier said both sides do not expect to sign any annexes. Instead, they will focus on threshing out the remaining issues in the annexes. Sources from both sides have earlier said they want to finish and sign both annexes at the same time.

The normalization annex is still at the level of the technical working group (TWGs). It contains the difficult issue of decommissioning MILF combatants and other armed groups.

The annexes also include what Iqbal earlier said was the most difficult item they discussed before the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamo was signed in October 2012: the creation of a regional police force.

To make up for lost time, the TWGs of both parties flew to Kuala Lumpur earlier than the rest and started discussions on Tuesday, August 20.

Ferrer earlier said the normalization annex would pose more of a challenge for the MILF.

"In the normalization annex, this is where crunch time really comes for the MILF because this is the part where we will be working on the decommissioning of combatants and weapons, and as you can imagine, that is something that is not easy to give up for a group that has held on to its arms in order to pursue its cause," she said.

She added, "It is something that they cannot simply do when, in fact, there are so many other armed groups in the area," citing criminal groups and private armed groups in addition to the MILF.

Meanwhile, the annex on power-sharing is already on its final stages.

The FAB has identified some of the "reserved powers" for the central government. What the annex on power-sharing will identify are mostly the "concurrent powers" or shared powers between the Bangsamoro region and central government and what would be the "exclusive powers" of the Bangsamoro. 

SUPPORT. Deputy Speaker Pangalian Balindong joins the 39th round of GPH-MILF talks as an observer. Photo by OPAPP

Huge support

Ferrer said the 39th round of talks was joined by "an unprecedented number of observers."

Three members of the House of Representatives are joining this round of talks as observers. Deputy Speaker Pangalian Balindong of Lanao del Sur and Cagayan de Oro Rep Rufus Rodriguez graced the opening of the negotiations. North Cotabato Rep Jesus Sacdalan is set to follow.

"We aim for an agreement that leaves no one in the prospective Bangsamoro political entity left behind as far as protection of rights and access to power and wealth are concerned," Ferrer said.

Also in Kuala Lumpur are members of the International Contact Group: deputy head of mission of the Embassy of Turkey in Malaysia Hamat Dougan, UK’s Tom Phipps, Ono-san of Japan, CR’s Kristian Herbolzeimer and Emma Leslie, Dr. Markus of Muhammadiyah, CHD’s Ali Saleem.

Observers from civil society organizations Mary Ann Arnado, Patricia Sarenas and Salic Ibrahim are also joining this round of talks.

Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Gov Mujiv Hataman also expressed his support.

"We are here because we put premium on peace. In fact, we made peace and security as one of our three pillars in pursuing the reform agenda in the regional bureaucracy," Hataman said. "We made a covenant, that we will step down in case of a peace deal - and this will always be our standing principle."

Meanwhile, the Transition Commission has already set up its headquarters as both sides anticipate the signing of the final peace agreement soon.

http://www.rappler.com/nation/37058-39th-round-gph-milf-talks-start

NPA rebel killed in clash one of 'Morong 43' – military

From Rappler (Aug 22): NPA rebel killed in clash one of 'Morong 43' – military



One of of the communist rebels killed in a recent clash with the Philippine Army in Bulacan was a member of the "Morong 43," according to the military.

Ramon Dela Cruz was among the 3 New People's Army (NPA) killed in an encounter on August 9.

 

A certain Ramon Dela Cruz was among the 43 healthworkers previously arrested over suspicions that they are members of the NPA. The Morong 43 denied this and filed before the Ombudsman and the regional trial court cases of human rights violations against their captors.

 

"Good news, confirmed na sya 'yun (we've confirmed that it's him)," Northern Luzon commander Maj Gen Pio Gregorio Catapang told reporters.

 

"I think it's safe to say that this guy who was captured during the Morong incident was an NPA. We had an encounter with him in Bulacan," Catapang added.

 

The military said the photos they took when the Morong 43 were detained in 2010 and photos of the deceased NPA member in Bulacan show it's the same Ramon dela Cruz.

 

Brig Gen Hernando Irriberi of the Army's 7th ID Dela Cruz of the "Morong 43" named his parents when he was questioned in detention in 2010. It's the same couple who claimed his body.

 

"It's the same person. The couple who claimed his body were Danilo Cruz and Rosita De La Cruz, his parents," he said Irriberi.

 

They said rebel returnees also confirmed it.

 

"This debunks their previous claim that those arrested Morong 43 members are purely health workers," Irriberi said.

 

Sought for comment, Morong 43 spokesperon Alex Montes maintained the Dela Crus is a health worker.

 

"I will not be surprised that he is in Bulacan. I saw their commitment. They want to serve their community," Montes said.

Montes slammed the military for its continuous efforts to "discredit" the Morong 43.

http://www.rappler.com/nation/37065-npa-killed-morong-43

CPP urges truce in calamity areas to allow rebels to engage in relief operations

From InterAksyon (Aug 22): CPP urges truce in calamity areas to allow rebels to engage in relief operations

The Communist Party of the Philippines on Thursday ordered New People’s Army units in areas affected by severe flooding to consider declaring local ceasefires and engage in relief operations and called on the military to do the same.

“All members and branches of the CPP, as well as all units of the NPA in affected areas have been instructed to organize and carry out relief and rehabilitation efforts to assist the masses whose homes and livelihoods have been destroyed or despoiled in days of rain and floods,” the rebel organization said in a statement.

“The CPP urges all its allies and friends to extend support to mass organizations carrying out operations directly in the affected areas,” it added.

It said it was “within the prerogative of the leading committees of the CPP in the regions and commands of the NPA to determine the necessity of declaring temporary ceasefires in their respective areas.”

At the same time, the CPP urged the Armed Forces of the Philippines to “cease Oplan Bayanihan suppression operations in order to allow local units of the NPA, local branches of the CPP and people’s organizations to carry out relief and rehabilitation efforts.”

The CPP said it “sympathizes with the millions of people in the National Capital Region and in the Southern Tagalog, Central Luzon and Northern Luzon regions who have fallen victim to the recent spate of typhoons and torrential rains.”

It also acknowledged that, “among the victims are tens of thousands of Party members, revolutionary masses and progressive activists in peasant and worker communities” who, nevertheless, “have also been among the first responders carrying out organized rescue, evacuation and relief operations.”

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/69120/cpp-urges-truce-in-calamity-areas-to-allow-rebels-to-engage-in-relief-operations

6 NPA rebels yield to EastMinCom in a week

From InterAksyon (Aug 22): 6 NPA rebels yield to EastMinCom in a week



An NPA formation with teh trademark rebel flag is seen in file photo.

The Peace and Development Outreach Program implemented by units under the Eastern Mindanao Command, AFP has led to the simultaneous surrender of NPA members in less than a week, EastMinCom said in a report Thursday.

This batch brought to 147 the total number of NPA surrenderers to EastMinCom since January this year.

Five of those who surrendered were facilitated by Peace and Development Teams (PDT) of the  10th Infantry Division under Major General Ariel B Bernardo; the sixth, by the PDT of the 4th Infantry Division under Brigadier General Ricardo R Visaya.

Dike Caleste Espinosa AKA Jekjek surrendered on Aug. 19; three (names withheld) surrendered on Aug. 20; Levy Tadina Pugoso AKA Tata/Bayot surrendered on Aug. 20 while Ronnie Andaya Tiguasan, an NPA team leader, surrendered on Aug. 21. They surrendered a  total of three firearms.

All of them narrated the hardship they experienced with the armed group, saying this and false hopes and promises, led to their surrender, which was also facilitated by local government officials.

Lt Gen Ricardo Rainier G Cruz III,commander of EastMinCom said, “We are sincere in our call for peace and we are very much thankful that LGUs are supportive of our efforts by directly assisting those who wish to surrender.”

Cruz said that any individual or organization can help facilitate or assist those they know who wish to surrender. “We also encourage everybody to be an advocate of peace. You can help in saving not only lives but also the souls of our misguided brothers by convincing them to live a peaceful life with their families, other than allowing them die in vain because of false promises by the CPP-NPA-NDF.”

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/69146/6-npa-rebels-yield-to-eastmincom-in-a-week

CEASEFIRE FOR CHILDREN | Truce eyed in S. Luzon as soldiers, rebels attend to flood victims

From InterAksyon (Aug 22): CEASEFIRE FOR CHILDREN | Truce eyed in S. Luzon as soldiers, rebels attend to flood victims

In times of crisis, soldier and rebel can both leave their guns behind, after all, to help those worst-affected by this week's natural disasters. This is the message conveyed by the reaction of the chief of the military's Southern Luzon Command (SOLCOM), to the call of the communist rebels for a temporary cease-fire in conflict areas where thousands of families were affected by severe flooding from the monsoon rains enhanced by  typhoon Maring.

“Sa panahong ito kailangan nating magtulungan para sa kapakanan ng ating mga kababayang nasalanta ng walang tigil na pag-ulan at pagbaha [In these times, we have to pull together for our countrymen who were hard hit by nonstop rains and flooding],” SOLCOM chief Lt. Gen. Caesar Ordoyo said. He said a cease-fire will ensure unhampered delivery of relief goods to flood victims.

Earlier, the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) called on the military to suspend its military operations so the New People’s Army (NPA) and its cadres can help rescue and conduct relief work for victims.

In response, Ordoyo said Thursday, “The command is grateful and appreciates the gestures of the CPP-NPA to extend their assistance to the flood victims.” Though not yet official--it must be sanctioned by higher-ups in the AFP, the exchange of intent is seen as a signal that both camps will focus on helping civilians in the next few days.

A good chunk of Southern Luzon, SOLCOM's base, remains flooded. Entire towns in Cavite and Laguna have seen thousands uprooted from their homes, especially in coastal towns affected by the spilling Laguna Lake.

Ordoyo said the bulk of the SOLCOM's soldiers have been conducting disaster relief and rescue operations since Monday.

“As regards to the cease-fire, we will make appropriate recommendation on the CPP-NPA’s demand and will wait for further directive and guidance from the higher headquarters," said Ordoyo. "We encourage all the members of the society including the CPP-NPA to continue and to exert best effort in providing assistance to all affected individuals,” he said.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/69158/ceasefire-for-children--truce-eyed-in-s--luzon-as-soldiers-rebels-attend-to-flood-victims

Chuck Hagel to visit Manila after meeting ASEAN defense chiefs

From InterAksyon (Aug 22): Chuck Hagel to visit Manila after meeting ASEAN defense chiefs



A US F/A-18F Super Hornet jet from the Diamondbacks of Strike Fighter Squadron 102 flies over the aircraft carrier USS George Washington, which is patrolling the Philippine Sea. As talks continue for increased US rotational presence in the country, US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel will visit Manila next week, according to the USPACOM. US NAVY PHOTO

United States Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel will visit the Philippines next week after his appearance at a two-day meeting of ASEAN defense ministers in Brunei, the US Pacific Command said.

The 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations were earlier reported as planning to draft a binding code of conduct over the disputed territories in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) and South China Sea (SCS), in hopes of later persuading China to consider this, amid continuing tensions over China's sweeping claims of maritime territory.

Hagel's visit to Manila is seen as a continuing US effort to assure its treaty ally that it will help keep the peace in the region, amid Beijing's perceived bullying of other claimants in the South China Sea, including the Philippines and three other ASEAN members. Last June, Ray Mabus, United States Navy Secretary, was also in Manila to discuss bilateral and multilateral security issues with, among other senior officials, Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Emmanuel Bautista and Flag-Officer-in-Command Vice Admiral Jose Luis Alano.

The Philippines and the US sides also began negotiations recently for an agreement to increase US "rotational presence" in the Philippines, while the AFP is still beefing up its capabilities. US senior diplomat Eric John, who led a US team that negotiated the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), was assigned to head the negotiating panel for the currently envisioned agreement. The VFA allows the deployment of limited American troops but not military equipment and armaments. Some 700 American soldiers are deployed in major military camps in Mindanao.

Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Carlos Sorreta leads the Philippine panel that is preparing for the second round of talks on rotational presence, likely to be held in Washington later this month.

Amid the flurry of meetings between US and Philippine officials, the USPACOM, meanwhile,  continues to “patrol” the Philippine Sea with its warships, while China maintains its presence in the disputed territories in the WPS.

A photograph with dateline “Philippine Sea, posted on August 21, 2013 at the USPACOM website by Lt. Junior Grade Douglas Spence, shows an F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter jet flying above the US Navy’s forward-deployed aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73). 

George Washington and its embarked air wing, Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5, provide a combat-ready force that protects and defends the collective maritime interest of the US and its allies and partners in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region, the USPACOM said.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/69161/chuck-hagel-to-visit-manila-after-meeting-asean-defense-chiefs

Philippine rebels hold army soldier in restive region

From the Mindanao Examiner blog site (Aug 21): Philippine rebels hold army soldier in restive region

A government soldier, whose unit was accused as behind the murders of innocent civilians in the southern Philippine province of Compostela Valley, has been captured by communist rebels.

Daniel Ibarra, a spokesman for the New People Army – Compostela Valley Davao Gulf Sub-Regional Committee, said Private First Class Rodello Canada Arigonan is being held as prisoner of war.

The soldier was captured during a rebel raid on the headquarters of the 71st Infantry Battalion in the village of Pangibiran in Mabini town. Ibarra said11 army soldiers were killed and wounded in the attack.

Ibarra said the attack was in retaliation to the killings of Eddie Canon, who was a municipal coordinator of the Anakpawis party list group, and Ramil Lintas, a motorcycle taxi driver. Both were allegedly snatched and killed in May by members of the Military Intelligence Battalion under the 101st Infantry Brigade on suspicion they were rebels.

“The AFP perpetrates the worst forms of violence in the countryside with its US-designed Oplan Bayanihan. The military's counter-revolutionary campaign forces the evacuation and dislocation of peasants to kowtow to the interest of land grabbers and big miners in Compostela Valley. Military units, like the children killer 71st Infantry Battalion, are responsible for the most despicable crimes against the people,” Ibarra said in a statement sent to the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner.

AFP refers to the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

“As the NPA keeps custody of Arigonan as its prisoner of war, it will hold accountable elements of the reactionary armed force who continue to abuse poor peasants and indigenous peoples in the countryside. The NPA actively seeks and pursues revolutionary justice in the face of the US-Aquino regime’s continuing apathy. The hated regime condones human rights abuses that have only emboldened the AFP, PNP, paramilitary forces under the prevailing culture of impunity,” he said, referring to the national police and government militia forces.

Ibarra did not say what awaits the captured soldier, but NPA rebels usually interrogate their captive before facing the people’s court to stand trial for their war crimes.

There was no immediate statement either from the 71st Infantry Battalion or the 101st Infantry Brigade which is under the 10th Infantry Division and Eastern Mindanao Command.

The NPA has been fighting for decades to overthrow the democratic government and install a Maoist state in the country.

http://mindanaoexaminer.blogspot.com/2013/08/philippine-rebels-hold-army-soldier-in.html