From the Visayas Newsbits section of the Manila Bulletin (Sep 13): Suspected NPA commander arrested
Kalibo, Aklan—Suspected New People’s Army (NPA) commander Jesus Salvatico was arrested last Tuesday afternoon in Sta. Fe, Romblon by the Aklan Police Provincial Office (APPO).
The 57-year-old, who hails from Nabas, Aklan, is a key suspect in the 1990 killing of Mayor Roger Aguirre of Malay town, where popular island resort of Boracay is located.
The Kalibo Regional Trial Court has also issued warrants for double murder and multiple murder charges against Salvatico, who is currently detained by Philippine National Police-Kalibo.
From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 12): Anti-surface warfare capabilities of Gregorio Del Pilar frigates to be enhanced
Weaponry
that will boost the anti-surface warfare capabilities of the two Gregorio Del
Pilar frigates (formerly the Hamilton-class cutters) are now in the pipeline.
"The
weapons are now in the pipeline. Once installed, the anti-surface warfare
capabilities of the two Gregorio Del Pilar frigates will be definitely
boosted," a military official said.
However,
he refused to comment on what type of weaponry the two Filipino frigates will
be getting, except that it is capable of engaging naval surface targets at long
range.
Observers
said that this could be the Harpoon anti-ship missiles that defense officials
earlier said that will be fitted to the BRP Gregorio Del Pilar (PF-15).
Aside
from the Harpoons, the two ships will also be fitted with more sophisticated
radars capable of detecting and tracking down incoming surface threats and
anti-missile and torpedo decoying systems.
He
said that the Harpoon is the ideal missile system for the Gregorio Del
Pilar-class frigates as the USCGC Mellon (WHEC-717), the sister ships of the
two in Philippine Navy service, has been fitted with the Harpoon missile
launchers and test- fired the weapons in January 1990.
She
also received an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) suite, including the AN/SQS-26
sonar and Mark 46 torpedoes.
The
ASW suite and Harpoon capability were removed due to fiscal constraints in the
latter part of the 1990s, but served as a proof of capability for all USCG
cutters.
The
Harpoon is an all-weather, over-the-horizon, anti-ship missile system,
developed and manufactured by McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing Defense, Space
& Security).
In
2004, Boeing delivered the 7,000th Harpoon unit since the weapon's introduction
in 1977. The missile system has also been further developed into a land-strike
weapon, the standoff land attack missile.
The
regular Harpoon uses active radar homing, and a low-level, sea-skimming cruise
trajectory to improve survivability and lethality. The missile's launch
platforms include:
*
Fixed-wing aircraft (the AGM-84, without the solid-fuel rocket booster).
*
Surface ships (the RGM-84, fitted with a solid-fuel rocket booster that
detaches when expended, to allow the missile's main turbojet to maintain
flight).
*
Submarines (the UGM-84, fitted with a solid-fuel rocket booster and
encapsulated in a container to enable submerged launch through a torpedo tube).
*
Coastal defense batteries, from which it would be fired with a solid-fuel
rocket booster.
From the Visayan Daily Star (Sep 13): ‘Gov’t not giving up peace talks’
Alexander Padilla, chairman of the government peace panel, said yesterday that the holding of localized peace talks, which may be initiated by local government executives, is welcome especially after the resumption of peace talks between the government and the National Democratic stalled again.
This was after disagreements over issues, like the release of jailed communist leaders, claimed by NDFP to be its consultants.
Although the CPP-NPA-NDF has been long opposing localized peace talks, as it prefers them on the national level, Padilla, who was in Negros Occidental Thursday for PhilHealth concerns, said he favors localized peace talks.
The peace process between the CPP-NPA-NDF and the government, that started in 1987 during the presidency of the late Corazon Aquino has been on and off, for more than 25 years now.
Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. has repeatedly called on the NPA remnants in Negros Occidental to join him in the fight against poverty and to abandon armed struggle.
Padilla said the NDF demand for the release of their alleged peace consultants is “unacceptable,” pointing out that some NPA leaders who had been released earlier went back to the underground movement and resumed the fight against the government.
“Time and again, he said, “we have asked the CPP-NPA-NDF to join us in searching for fair and peaceful solutions to the issues that divide us,” he also said.
“We have asked them to engage in talks that have a clear agenda and time-table, to talk, not just for the sake of talking, but to reach specific agreements that will lessen, if not eradicate, the violence on the ground, Padilla said.
Fidel Agacaoili, NDFP spokesperson and a member of its negotiating panel, said that a statement issued earlier by the Office of Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, described the statement of Padilla as a “clear documentary evidence that the GRP/GPH is not interested in pursuing peace negotiations with the NDFP but is hell-bent on seeking the capitulation and pacification of the revolutionary movement.”
He also questioned the gains of the government peace process with the various armed groups, including the Revolutionary Proletarian Army-Alex Boncayao Brigade, claiming that the OPAPP has turned into a pork barrel racket with the recycling of RPA-ABB, among others, into AFP paramilitary groups.
But Padilla said government's doors have always been open to peaceful dialog and they have not lost hope that they can all return to the negotiating table.
Posted to the MILF Website (Sep 13): ARMM Business Sector lauds submission of BBL to Congress
The business sector in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) welcomed the submission by President Benigno S. Aquino III of the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) to Congress today.
Datu Haron Bandila, Chair of the ARMM Business Council, said they are also hoping that Congress will immediately approve the BBL for the entrenchment of the Bangsamoro government in place of the autonomous Muslim region.
“We are very happy about the submission. From the very start, we are supportive of the peace process between the government and the MILF [Moro Islamic Liberation Front],” he said in a phone interview.
Bandila said the business sector in the ARMM has taken part in consultations conducted in relation to the GPH-MILF peace process.
He expressed hopes that the agenda pushed by the ARMM business sector—such as the improvement of sea and air ports in the region—will be addressed by the new Bangsamoro political entity.
“Commitments were made to us by both sides and we hope they will honor them,” Bandila said.
There’s a need to improve infrastructure facilities in the ARMM to make doing business in the area easier and to further attract more investors, he said.
Bandila, who said he has yet to read the draft BBL, noted that businesses play an important role in generating jobs for the people.
Ishak Mastura, Chair of ARMM’s Regional Board of Investments, also hailed the submission of the draft BBL, which was handed to Senate President Franklin Drilon and House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. in a ceremony at the Malacanang Palace in Manila.
“This sends a positive signal to potential investors to locate in the area,” Mastura said.
However, he tempered his expectation, noting that “possible changes in policies in the new Bangsamoro government may make potential investors cautious.”
“Investors are always taking into account uncertainties brought by changes. In every transition, there is always that fear from them,” said Mastura, who also admitted he has yet to read the copy of the draft BBL.
He urged the new Bangsamoro government to come up with clear investment and decision-making policies once it is installed to fend off the fears of potential investors.
Among the investment policies Mastura suggested “is a level playing field for all investors,” meaning there must be no favoritism.
Aside from clear investment policies, he also underscored the importance of sustaining the security stability on the ground to also further attract investors.
Posted to the MILF Webpage (Sep 13): MTDCPI also welcomes submission of draft Bangsamoro Basic Law to Congress
The Maharadjah Tabunaway Descendants Council of the Philippines, Inc. (MTDCPI) released a message on the submission of the modified draft Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) by President Benigno Aquino III to Senate President Franklin Drilon and Speaker Belmnonte, Jr. in a ceremonial turn-over held on September 10, 2014 at Rizal Hall, Malacañan Palace, Manila. The MTDCPI message reads as follows:
We, in the Royal House of Maharadjah Tabunaway Clan and the Maharadjah Tabunaway Descendants Council 0f the Philippines, Inc. (MTDCPI) welcome the submission of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) to Congress on September 10, 2014. As peace advocates and one of the OPAPP partners in promoting peace through our program on air “VOICE FOR PEACE” supports the roadmap for the creation of the Bangsamoro government. Our long waiting for the passage of the law by Congress to lead off is our long quest and prayers.
With the journey towards lasting peace, we the native inhabitants of Mindanao are pleasantly delightful of the outcome of the peace process. We continue to believe that this milestone is a pure testament in the peace endeavours that will asserts our dream to have a golden opportunity for the Bangsamoro people of Mindanao.
Our continued efforts in Peace-building and advocating peace is a pursuing outgrowth. We in the MTDCPI and the traditional leaders in Mindanao accept the challenge to aid and ushers our community that will sustain and benefited the Bangsamoro.
Our yell is for our lawmakers to conjoin and unite, merge their strength together for the crucial passage of the BBL which is the landmark law in the history of law-making in the country. The success of bringing genuine autonomy in Mindanao is the answer to a political solution in addressing the 400 decades conflict to resolve the plight of the Bangsamoro right to self-determination.
We call on our fellow traditional leaders to unite, as among are the vigour of leadership to have a learned perspective on the Bangsamoro in creating an environment of mutual respect, cultural preservation and community relationship.
Indeed, unity and solidarity are the mean keys to the peace process. It is only through coming together as one people that challenges can be confidently surpassed. Let us all be vigilant and open minded in appreciating the substance of BBL. Together, let us pray for success of the Bangsamoro Basic Law as this lies the better tomorrows of the Mindanawans. “Let us give peace a chance”.
From the Manila Standard Today (Sep 13): Pinoy jihadists join IS
Confidential memo says recruitment active here
AFTER repeatedly denying that Filipino jihadists have joined the “holy war” being waged by the Islamic State (IS) of Syria and Iraq in the Middle East, the government admitted Friday the existence of a confidential memo on terrorist recruitment activities here.
The confidential memo on “Countering the threat of foreign fighters,” a copy of which was obtained by the Interaksyon news site, dealt with the possible involvement of Filipino fighters in Syria, two of whom were supposedly killed in March.
‘Holy war’ fighters. These image grabs taken from a propaganda video, which was uploaded on Sept. 7 last year by Syria’s Islamist Ahrar Sham group, show its members taking part in training sessions in Syria. AFPThe memo was written by retired police general Felizardo Serapio Jr., now executive director of the Philippine Center for Transnational Crime, for Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa, but Serapio did not reply to repeated calls for comment.
Other Palace officials also declined to comment, including Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda and National Security Adviser Cesar Garcia.
When Ochoa, who was the addressee of the memo, was asked about the matter, Assistant Secretary Emmanuel David Eva III replied in his stead and said: “We cannot comment on the matter as the subject of the memo is confidential and involves matters of national security.”
In the memo, Serapio said extremist proliferation in the Philippines “is a strongly troubling thought to contend with considering that only intermittent information are made available.”
He cited two reports from the Department of Foreign Affairs, which has repeatedly denied receiving reports of Filipino jihadists in Syria, claiming that at least two Filipino were killed while fighting for the terrorists.
“It further asserts a well-founded fear that some Filipino fighters, proudly pronouncing themselves as veterans, have already returned to the country and are teaching the cause of Islamic fundamentalists and extremists in Syria,” the memo read.
Last July, Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) leader Samer Samsudin said about 200 Filipinos left the country in a “do or die” mission to fight alongside Islamic State rebels and were led by a BIFF leader identified as Mohamad Husin Aljabouree.
Samsudin said the BIFF fighters were able to slip out of the country from their hideout in Maguindanao by using the country’s backdoor to Malaysia, where they boarded a plane bound to the Middle East.
Also in July, videos of Abu Sayyaf leader Isnilon Hapilon showing him pledging allegiance to the Islamic State appeared on YouTube, but security officials said it was only a ploy for raise money.
In the memo, Serapio proposed the formation of a technical working group to create a database for the monitoring and profiling of jihadists.
On Friday, Foreign Affairs secretary Albert del Rosario said the department would hold discussions with members of the inter-agency security group on the issue of Filipinos joining wars in the Middle East.
Del Rosario said it was the Philippine National Police and other security agencies that are responsible for monitoring Filipinos who have gone to Iraq or Syria to fight for the Islamic State.
“I have to talk to the members of the inter-agency group who are monitoring this.. [the] security people as well as the PNP,” Del Rosario told reporters.
His statement follows reports of a confidential department memo dated March 20 to President Benigno Aquino III on the deaths of two Filipinos allegedly fighting alongside the Syrian rebels.
The memo stated that 100 Filipinos who traveled to Iran had undergone military training and were deployed to Syria.
The memo also said that an increasing number of the terrorist recruitment groups have been already been established in Malaysia, Indonesia, Xinjiang in the People’s Republic of China, Thailand, and the southern Philippines.
Foreign Affairs spokesman Charles Jose said he was not aware of such a memo, however.
In August, Jose admitted that the department had no capability to monitor the movement of Filipino recruits in Syria and Iraq because they can take many routes to get there.
“In Iraq and Syria, we already have a total deployment ban for a long time. We don’t let Filipinos leave if that is their destination,” Jose said.
But he acknowledged that these recruits could fly to another country before heading for the Middle East.
“How can the Philippine Embassy in Baghdad monitor Filipinos that are up in the mountains unless that have their passport renewed?” he added.
In August, former President Fidel Ramos and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte said that about 100 Muslim youths are joining the Jihadists in Iraq.
Also on Friday, a BIFF field commander, Samer Samsuin, vowed his group would fight alongside Syrian rebels seeking to topple the Syrian government, but denied that two Filipino fighters had died in the conflict.
The BIFF said it has sent some 200 warriors to Syria and Iraq to help fellow Muslim rebels fight the governments of Syria and Iraq.
He also said they would not be sending additional fighters to Syria.
The Armed Forces Public Affairs Office continued to deny knowing about the recruitment of Filipino fighters.
“We have no information on that, we will look into it,” said Public Affairs Officer Col. Ramon Zagala.
On Friday, the US Central Intelligence Agency said Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria now have 20,000 to 31,500 fighters on the ground, much higher than a previous estimate of 10,000.
Among those in Syria are 15,000 foreign fighters including 2,000 Westerners, some of whom have joined IS, a US intelligence official said.
The figures were revealed one day after President Barack Obama vowed to expand an offensive against IS extremists, a plan which foresees new air strikes against IS in Syria, expanded attacks in Iraq and new support for Iraqi government forces.
“CIA assesses the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (IS) can muster between 20,000 and 31,500 fighters across Iraq and Syria, based on a new review of all-source intelligence reports from May to August,” CIA spokesman Ryan Trapani said in a statement.
“This new total reflects an increase in members because of stronger recruitment since June following battlefield successes and the declaration of a caliphate, greater battlefield activity, and additional intelligence,” he said.
Senior US officials have voiced concern at the presence of foreign fighters among the Sunni extremists who hold Western passports, potentially enabling them to return from the battlefield prepared to carry out terror attacks in Europe or the United States.
IS militants have seized large swathes of territory in Iraq in recent months, displaying brutal tactics and releasing videos of the grisly executions of two American reporters.
The White House has insisted that President Barack Obama is authorized to strike IS in Iraq and Syria under a law passed by Congress after the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001.
However Obama learned Thursday that he may have a wait on his hands before Congress signs off on his plan to train and equip Syrian rebels, a key plank in his strategy to destroy Islamic State radicals.
Also on Thursday the Pentagon announced that US combat aircraft will soon start flying out of a base in the Kurdish region of northern Iraq as part of a “more aggressive” air campaign against IS jihadists.
The use of Arbil air base reflects the broadening US offensive, though attack helicopters already have been flying out of bases in Iraq.
The announcement came on the 13th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001 -- a day that fell, in a trace of bitter irony, only hours after Obama’s remarks steeling Americans for a battle against Muslim fanaticism in the Middle East.
From the Manila Bulletin (Sep 13): MILF glad, but airs fears BBL may be diluted
The Moro Islamic
Liberation Front (MILF) is glad that the contentious Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL)
has already been submitted to Congress but the group expressed fears that the
substance of the measure might be diluted once Congress introduce amendments to
it.
In a radio
interview, Ghazali Jaafar, the MILF vice chairman for Political Affairs said
their second concern is the delay in the passage of the BBL thereby missing the
roadmap for the proposed Bangsamoro government.
But he clarified
that he was not giving Congress a timeframe within which to pass the BBL.
He said the
roadmap includes the congressional act, plebiscite and ratification, the
transition period, establishment of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA)
composed of MILF leaders, organizing the Bangsamoro political entity (BPE)
structure, and preparing the election for the regular BPE in 2016.
The two sides
have agreed to enforce the transition from the ARMM to the BPE within a
year.
Jaafar is
confident. “Our legislators are responsible leaders. We know that
they understand how big is the problem in Mindanao.
We know they all want Mindanao to achieve
peace, and the solution is the BBL.”
LISTEN, NOT
TAKE SIDES
At the Senate,
Sen. Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., chair of the Senate Local Government Committee
asked members of the government and MILF peace panels for a briefing to
enlighten him and other senators on the issues concerning the BBL prior to the
conduct of a public hearing which they scheduled on Sept. 23.
Marcos, son of
the late Philippine and Senate President Ferdinand E. Marcos has invited as
resource persons Miriam Coronel Ferrer, chief government peace negotiator ;
Mohaguer Iqbal, chairman, Bangsamoro Transition Commission ; Secretary Teresita
Quintos Deles, Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process ; Jaafar ; lawyer Mike
Mastura, chairman, Advocacy Committee of MILF Negotiating Panel ; and Supreme
Court Associate Justice Marvic Leonen who headed the peace panel in its initial
negotiations before he was appointed to the High Court.
“We will study
this proposal very carefully. We will not rush its submission to Congress. More
important for us is the participation of stakeholders in Mindanao.
We want to hear them speak. We will listen,’’ he added.
Marcos said he
plans to undertake consultative meetings with all sectors in major cities and
towns in Mindanao.
These meetings
would be held not just in Manila but more so in
other cities in Mindanao, such as Marawi,
Zamboanga, General Santos, Basilan and Sulu.
“What is
important is for everybody to be heard whether for or against. While all of us
Filipinos are for peace, it is our duty in the Senate to come up with a law
fulfilling that advocacy. We are to listen to all sides, not to take sides,”
Marcos assured.
DECOMMISSIONING
OF TROOPS, ARMS
What is not
included in the BBL, according to Coronel-Ferrer is the decommissioning of the
MILF forces and weapons. What is included in the BBL is the creation of a
police force for the future Bangsamoro region because that needs to be
legislated.
She said in a
statement that the decommissioning does not have to be included in the
BBL which President Aquino submitted to leaders of Congress Wednesday at MalacañangPalace as this would be implemented as
Congress deliberates on the measure.
“The
decommissioning of the MILF is part of the Annex on Normalization of the
Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB),” Coronel-Ferrer explained.
“The MILF signed
this document and so they are obligated to see this through with the help of
the government and the Independent Decommissioning Body (IDB) that we will set
up very soon,” she said.
Ferrer said the
IDB – which will be composed of three foreign experts and four Filipinos – will
validate the inventory of weapons and combatants that the MILF will submit and
institute the needed procedures for turning in the weapons.
Norway, Turkey
and Brunei
have been invited by the government and MILF panels to nominate the foreign
experts who would sit in the IDB.
NO SPECIAL LAW
TO DECOMMISSION
“The process
would be gradual and phased, and commensurate with the developments in the
legislative process of passing the BBL,” said the chief government negotiator.
Ferrer said the
full decommissioning of the weapons and combatants of the MILF will happen
after the creation of the Bangsamoro and the creation of a police force in the
region.
“High-powered and
crew-served weapons will be turned in to the IDB. However, members of the MILF
may legalize the small arms in their possession through a registration process
that conforms with the national firearms law. There is no need for a special
law for the decommissioning,” Ferrer explained.
Deles, however,
has another explanation on the decommissioning of MILF forces and arms.
Deles said “the
normalization process doesn’t have to be in the law, except for the setting up
of the police force for the Bangsamoro. The normalization process is an
executive action that doesn’t need new legislation” Deles said.
The normalization
process – composed of three main components: security, socioeconomic
development, and transitional justice and reconciliation – aims to turn
conflict-areas in Mindanao to peaceful
communities where people could pursue sustainable livelihoods free from fear of
violence and crime.
The security
aspect of normalization includes policing, gradual decommissioning of MILF
forces and weapons, redeployment of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)
from or within the conflict-affected areas, and the disbanding of private armed
groups.
According to the
proposed BBL, the Bangsamoro police “shall be organized, maintained, supervised
and utilized for the primary purpose of law enforcement and maintenance of
peace and order in the Bangsamoro. It shall be part of the Philippine National
Police.
NORMALIZATION
MECHANISMS
To implement the
Normalization Annex, the GPH and the MILF created committees assigned to
undertake specific roles.
Aside from the
IDB, there are three other bodies. The Joint Normalization Committee
(JNC) will coordinate the different normalization processes and mechanisms.
The Joint Peace
and Security Committee (JPSC), according to OPAPP, will create and administer
the joint peace and security teams that will be fielded in different
communities to help keep the peace in the area.
The Transitional
Justice and Reconciliation Commission (TJRC) will undertake a study and
recommend to the panels the appropriate mechanisms for transitional justice and
reconciliation.
Ferrer said the
CAB is an agreement which provides “clear mechanisms and benchmarks that
will allow the MILF to transform itself with dignity from being an armed group
into an unarmed political, social and economic actor in their communities.”
The BBL is the
legal translation of the CAB signed between the GPH and MILF on March 27, 2014
concluding 17 years of peace negotiations and bringing the parties towards
implementation.
“The CAB and the
BBL aim to establish genuine autonomy in the south that respects the diversity
of the people in the area, the basic rights of all, and ensure collective
security and prosperity,” Ferrer explained.
From InterAksyon (Sep 13): How Filipino UN peacekeepers defied orders, opened fire and escaped Syrian rebels
Filipino UN peacekeepers in Golan Heights
Early on Aug. 28, al Qaeda-linked militants fighting
government forces in Syria
crossed a ceasefire line in the Golan Heights on Israel's border and seized 45
Fijians serving in a United Nations peacekeeping force.
The leader of a nearby UN contingent from the Philippines telephoned a commanding officer in Manila. They were
surrounded, the leader said. Should they surrender and risk being kidnapped by
the rebels or hold their ground?
The UN force commander, General Iqbal Singh Singha of India, fearing
Fijian lives could be in jeopardy if the Filipinos engaged in a firefight,
ordered the Filipinos to hold their fire. In Manila,
Armed Forces of the Philippines
chief of staff General Gregorio Catapang gave different orders to his
subordinate thousands of miles away in the Middle East:
Stand your ground. Don't surrender.
For three days, Filipino troops fended off hundreds of
rebels from the Islamic militant Nusra Front group, killing at least three on
the final day before escaping under cover of darkness to Israel. The
Fijians were released on Thursday after two weeks of negotiation.
UN officials and diplomats say the incident with the
Philippine peacekeepers highlights a fundamental problem with peacekeeping
missions, one that may be impossible to resolve. National peacekeeping
contingents retain allegiance to their commanders at home and when bullets fly,
they have no problem disobeying UN force commanders and taking orders from
home.
Based on interviews with UN officials, diplomats and
Philippine military sources, including an official report on the incident from
Manila, Reuters has pieced together a narrative of the events of Aug. 28 to
Aug. 30 leading up to the dramatic escape of Philippine troops from the
militants' siege.
It was not the first time that fighting from Syria’s three-year-old civil war spilled onto Israel’s
doorstep. But it was the most violent incident in the Golan
Heights since the Syrian conflict erupted in March 2011.
The 1,223-strong six-nation UN force, known as UNDOF, has
been on the Golan Heights since 1974. Its job
is to monitor the ceasefire line between Syria
and Israel
- the so-called disengagement zone that bars both Israeli and Syrian troops.
The two countries have officially been at war since the end of the 1973
Arab-Israeli war but their border has been largely quiet.
Before the Syrian war broke out, blue-helmeted UN observers
stationed in the mountainous region had a relatively easy job. For years their
main enemy was boredom.
That changed in March 2013, when Syrian rebels kidnapped 21
Filipino peacekeepers. All were released unharmed, but two months later rebels
kidnapped and released a handful of others. The spillover of violence from Syria's civil war prompted Austria, Croatia
and Japan
to pull out of UNDOF.
The Philippines
also considered pulling out but stayed at the UN's request. Fiji, Nepal
and Ireland
agreed to help fill UNDOF's depleted ranks and the UN Security Council
toughened the mission's rules of engagement to give its peacekeepers more
freedom to fight back when under threat.
After the 2013 kidnappings, countries providing troops
complained that carrying a pistol was insufficient for a shifting battleground
where rebels have shoulder-launched missiles and heavy machine guns. They
wanted armored vehicles and heavier weapons - and the freedom to shoot to kill,
if necessary, when under attack.
In June of last year, when the UN Security Council approved
its six-month renewal of UNDOF's mandate, the council emphasized "the need
to enhance the safety and security of UNDOF." It also endorsed UN
recommendations for UNDOF to change its "posture and operations,"
allowing troops to defend themselves when attacked. The Security Council
language on the UNDOF mandate was typically vague about the lengths to which
peacekeepers could go in their own defense, but the new flexibility granted to
the force did satisfy the demands of the council members and UNDOF troop
contributing countries.
The Filipinos put those tougher rules of engagement to work
on Aug. 30 when they killed three rebels in a firefight.
Order disobeyed
After encircling the troops on Aug. 28, Nusra militants
communicated to the Filipinos and to the Fijians, who were being held elsewhere
at an unknown location, an offer of safe passage if they handed over their
weapons.
The Filipinos did not trust the militants to keep their
word. Philippine military officials in Manila
have said openly that General Singha ordered the surrounded troops to raise a
white flag, abandon their positions and leave their guns behind for Nusra, a
group that the UN Security Council last year added to its blacklist of al
Qaeda-linked terrorists.
Taking their orders from home, they ignored General Singha.
Rather than abandoning their position and weapons, they stayed put and prepared
to defend themselves while Philippine military officials and their UNDOF
contingent discussed escape plans.
UN officials vehemently denied there was an order for the
peacekeepers to leave their guns behind, especially as Nusra is subject to a UN
arms embargo. What UN peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous has acknowledged is that
the Filipinos were ordered to hold their fire to avoid jeopardizing the lives
of the Fijians. He voiced total confidence in General Singha's decisions during
the standoff.
Two days later, tensions escalated. The Nusra militants were
growing impatient at the negotiations with UNDOF. The United Nations had
already fulfilled one of Nusra's conditions by issuing a statement that said
the world body was told the Fijians were seized "for their own protection."
But the UN statement was not enough for the rebels.
Around 6 a.m. on Aug. 30 the rebels attacked position 68 in
the disengagement zone. Militants on three pickup trucks with mounted weapons
attempted to ram through the steel gate of the encampment but were unable to
break through. The Filipinos fired on the rebels but began to run low on
ammunition. Sporadic exchanges of fire lasted for seven hours.
In the meantime, Filipino troops supported by an Irish
armored column rushed to nearby position 69 to extract 32 trapped Filipinos.
The armored column was fired upon but the UN peacekeepers did not fire back.
The operation succeeded.
There were still 40 Filipinos trapped at position 68, along
with the 45 Fijian hostages elsewhere. The United Nations tried to link the
groups in negotiations but Nusra refused, saying they were separate issues.
A ceasefire was reached that would run until negotiations
were to resume at 9 a.m. on Aug. 31. Nusra reinforced its siege as more than 20
vehicles with over 200 rebels arrived on the scene to prevent the 40 remaining
Filipinos breaking out of position 68 the way their compatriots had done at
position 69. But the reinforcement failed to keep the Filipinos penned in. The
blue helmets had a new plan.
Under cover of darkness, Filipino soldiers at position 68
quietly cut the barbed wire and one-by-one scaled a perimeter wall three meters
(yards) tall, crossed a mine field and walked 2.3 kms (1.4 miles) to the
Israeli side of the Golan Heights. The last
man reached safety two hours later.
Catapang jubilantly described it to reporters as "the
greatest escape".
UN officials acknowledge a sharp disagreement between Singha
and the Filipinos, and several accused the Filipinos of thinking only of their
own safety and ignoring that of the Fijians held captive.
"The force commander was not only thinking of the
security and safety of the Filipinos, but also of the Fijians. Resolving only
one issue could affect the resolution of the second problem," said a
senior UN official.
From InterAksyon (Sep 13): US says Malaysia offers to host spy planes that irk China
File photo of a US Navy P8-A Poseidon surveillance plane. REUTERS
A top US Navy officer said this week that Malaysia has offered to let the United States
use one of its bases for a detachment of new maritime surveillance planes, but
officials clarified on Friday that no such flights had been approved.
US surveillance flights from a country such as Malaysia would likely increase friction with Beijing. Malaysia and China
have competing territorial claims in the South China Sea, and Beijing
has been pressing the United
States to halt flights near its coast after
an incident in international air space last month.
Admiral Jonathan Greenert, the US
chief of naval operations, said in remarks in Washington
on Monday that "recently the Malaysians have offered us to fly detachments
of P-8s out of ... East Malaysia,"
referring to the Navy's new anti-submarine and reconnaissance aircraft.
A spokesman for Greenert, Navy Captain Danny Hernandez,
clarified the comments on Friday, saying Greenert had not said that any P-8
flights from Malaysia
had been approved or that there was an agreement to do so.
"The CNO did not talk about approving flights. What he
was discussing was nurturing future opportunities, like responding to emerging
issues in the region, which was done with MH370 search operations,"
Hernandez told Reuters.
The Malaysian government allowed the Navy to operate P-8 and
P-3 surveillance aircraft from the country during the search for Malaysia
Airlines Flight 370, which disappeared in March on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.
The US Navy does not have a formal agreement to fly military
aircraft from Malaysia but
has done so for years, with approval from Kuala
Lumpur on a case-by-case basis.
The State Department said on Friday the United States had "no plans for a permanent
presence in Malaysia"
and added: "any US
military engagement in Malaysia
is with the permission and the full cooperation of the Malaysian
government."
Greenert made his remarks to a forum at the Carnegie
Endowment for International Peace think tank. He said Malaysia, Indonesia
and Singapore were key to
the long-term US policy of a
US
political and military rebalance to the Asia Pacific region.
The US
rebalance has raised Chinese concerns that Washington is trying to contain its economic
and military growth. While the two countries have tried to improve
military-to-military ties, there have been occasional frictions.
Washington formally
complained to Beijing
last month that a Chinese fighter pilot intercepted a Navy P-8 patrol plane in
international air space and maneuvered dangerously close to it.
Earlier this week, top US and China
security officials disagreed over the incident and a top Chinese official urged
the United States
to halt surveillance flights near its coast
Washington said the August
intercept took place in international air space 135 miles (215 km) from China's HainanIsland.
Hainan is the location of a sensitive
submarine base.
From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 12): Court hearing for bail application of top-ranked NPA 'leader' held
A regional trial court (RTC) judge in Negros Oriental has given the counsels
for defense and plaintiff to submit within five days their respective
information and arguments in relation to an application for bail for the
defendant, an alleged top ranking leader of the rebel New People’s Army (NPA).
This developed after RTC Branch 41 Judge Gerardo Paguio on Friday held the
bail hearing on the murder case filed against Rene Bustamante under Criminal
Case No. 2014-22242 on the murder of a farmer, Narciso Bantoto, Jr., in
Barangay Tayak, Siaton town in south Negros Oriental.
Counsel for the defense, Joel Obar, explained that he is hopeful that
despite murder being a non-bailable offense, the court will grant their
request. But, he anticipates a substantial amount for the bail bond in the
event the judge will approve of the bail applied for.
Aside from murder, Bustamante was also earlier charged with illegal
possession of an explosive, also a non-bailable offense.
Bustamante, in his early 50s, married and a resident of Catbalogan, Samar,
is tagged by the military as the alleged secretary of the NPA’s South East
Front of the Komiteng Rehiyon Negros operating in NegrosIsland.
He was arrested during a joint police and military checkpoint last June 6 in
Tanjay City, during which the authorities claimed to have confiscated from
Bustamante a hand grenade of which he denied ownership.
The law enforcers arrested Bustamante by virtue of a warrant of arrest
issued by Judge Paguio, dated April 30, 2014, which named a certain John Doe
“alias Pediong” and Julito Alban “alias Castor” as the respondents.
Military and police officials later identified the “John Doe alias Pediong”
as Bustamante as attested by witnesses but the latter denied he was the
“Pediong” being referred to who killed Bantoto last January 17, 2014.
In that incident, Bantoto and his wife, Criselda, their children and a
niece, were on their way to a benefit dance in the sub-village of Mainit
in Barangay Tayak when armed men waylaid them and shot dead Bantoto, police
reports had said.
Police investigation had showed that Bantoto was killed as he was being
accused of being an informant of the military.
During Friday’s hearing, Bustamante’s wife, daughter and mother were
present, as well as Criselda Bantoto and some family members.
Criselda Bantoto declined to be interviewed.
Obar, meanwhile, said they still have to go into trial, whether the court
will grant bail or not.
From AngMalaya (Sep 12): 1st Infantry Division tracking down abductors of Chinese trader in Zamboanga Sibugay
Troopers of the 1st Infantry Division are now tracking down the lawless group who abducted a Chinese businessman at gunpoint in Poblacion Kabasalan, Zamboanga Sibugay Thursday evening.
Capt. Franco Suelto, 1st Infantry Division spokesperson, identified the victim as Li Pei Zhei, 18.
Witnesses said that four suspects, armed with high-powered firearms, appeared out of nowhere and dragged the Chinese victim at gunpoint at a closed multi-cab (JBH-581) which sped off towards Sitio Mangahas, Barangay Timuay Danda, Kabasalan around 6 p.m.
The suspects then transferred the victim into a motorized pump-boat which fled in an unspecified direction.
Suelto said the 1st Infantry Division immediately deployed troopers to track and locate the suspects.
From the Visayan Daily Star (Sep 12): Isabela church honors rebel priest, 31 others
Frank Fernandez, tagged by the Armed Forces of the Philippines as the secretary of Komiteng Rehiyonal Negros, may no longer be a priest, but he was among those honored by the San Nicolas de Tolentino Parish Church in Isabela, Negros Occidental, during its patronal fiesta on Sept. 10.
Fernandez had served as the assistant parish priest of San Nicolas de Tolentino Parish Church in Isabela from 1976 to 1978 before he reportedly joined the rebel movement.
The former priest also served as spokesman of the National Democratic Front-Negros, in tape-recorded and press statements furnished to the local media.
Fr. Artemio Tubongbanua, as present parish priest of San Nicolas de Tolentino, led the distribution of certificates of appreciation to all the priests, that had served the parish. He was assisted by representatives of the Isabela municipal government and church benefactors.
It was not determined who received the certificate for Fernandez, who has eluded the authorities for more than three decades now....
From InterAksyon (Sep 12): Amid reports of Pinoys killed fighting in Syria, Palace urged to create body to monitor recruitment
Malacanang has been urged to create a body to monitor the recruitment of Filipinos to fight with jihadist groups in the Middle East after two Filipinos were reportedly killed in Syria.
This was learned from a confidential memorandum dated July 14 obtained from sources in Camp Crame, headquarters of the Philippine National Police.
The memo from retired police director Felizardo Serapio Jr., executive director of the Philippine Center for Transnational Crime, asked Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. to “consider the creation of a Technical Working Group that will create a database on monitoring and profiling foreign fighters, as a significant contribution to manage and inhibit further presence of Filipinos, as reported, in conflict-stricken areas.”
Serapio also heads the Law Enforcement Integrated Office, which is under Ochoa.
Ochoa, who also chairs the Anti-Terrorism Council, signed approval of Serapio’s recommendation.
[Insert: PDF photo of Memo entitled "Countering the Threat of Foreign Fighters"]
The memo cited a March 20 memorandum from the Department of Foreign Affairs to President Benigno Aquino III on the deaths of two Filipinos “allegedly fighting alongside the opposition group in Syria.”
It also referred to a report by the DFA to a March 20 meeting of the Regional Anti-Terrorism Council Convergence Group for the National Capital Region that “100 Filipinos who traveled to Iran had undergone military training and were deployed to Syria.”
While there have been recent reports that Filipinos are being recruited to be among the thousands of foreigners fighting for the Islamic State, which has established a “Caliphate” after taking control of vast swathes of Iraq and Syria, the DFA memo and report cited by Serapio appears to be the first confirmation of Filipinos actually fighting and dying in the Syrian civil war.
The memo also noted other reports of “a gradual increase of foreign fighters heading off to Syria with contentious movements of threat groups from their home states.”
“To note, a new group has been established in Malaysia. Indonesia, Xinjiang in the People’s Republic of China, Thailand, and the southern Philippines are also observing radical mobilizations,” it added.
Recently, news reports said the Abu Sayyaf and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Movement have aligned themselves with the IS.
Serapio said the international community has already undertaken measures to stem of foreign fighters to the Middle East, who could prove to be security threats when they return to their home countries, and an initiative by the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency, which has created a “committee on monitoring foreign nationals.”
The memo proposed that the technical working group be placed under the ATC’s Program Management Center.
From InterAksyon (Sep 12): Labor blasts Mindanao military for harassment, vilification of union leaders
Members of the KMU-Southern Mindanao, wearing letters that spell 'AFP Berdugo,' at a picket of military headquarters in Davao City. (photo from KMU-Southern Mindanao)
Labor activists picketed the headquarters of the Eastern
Mindanao Command in DavaoCity Thursday to protest
what they called the worsening vilification and harassment they were suffering
at the hands of the military.
The protest came after the vice president of Bigkis ng
Nagkakaisang Manggagawa ng Apex Mines, which is affiliated with the Kilusang
Mayo Uno, said he had been driven to file a complaint with police in a bid
to end harassment by troops of the Army’s 71st Infantry Battalion in Maco town,
Compostela Valley.
The KMU-Southern Mindanao, which spearheaded the protest,
said despite international pressure following an investigation in 2009 by the
International Labor Organization into sate-sponsored violence against organized
labor, union leaders and members have come under worsening harassment, with
soldiers visiting their homes or work places to “interrogate” them, and even
“interfering” in union activities.
“There are even cases where military elements directly
campaign against the election of KMU-affiliated unions,” the KMU-Southern
Mindanao said.
The labor federation is frequently accused openly by the
military of being a “legal front” of the communist revolutionary movement and
several of its officers and members have fallen victim to extrajudicial killings,
enforced disappearances, torture or been arrested and charged for various
crimes associated with rebellion.
In a phone interview, BINA-ADLO vice chairman Rogelio
Cañabano said troops of the 71st IB have visited his home at least four times
since early last month, the last time on September 9, squeezing him for
information about his activities and the identities of his members and fellow
officers, and taking photos of him and his home.
He also said the soldiers asked him if he had attended
rallies staged by survivors of typhoon Pablo, which he denied.
He said the visits continued even after he filed a blotter
report with the Maco police.
Cañabano, who said the Army unit appeared to have been
deployed to provide security to Apex Mines, said he could not understand the
persistent visits since “we do not have a problem with management. In fact, we
have scored several successes, with management agreeing to provide decent
housing for the workers and scholarships for our children.”
He did acknowledge that the visits could have something to
do with New People’s Army raids on Apex facilities in April, in which the
rebels blasted several tunnels and destroyed heavy equipment.
KMU-Southern Mindanao said union leaders in other mining and
agricultural firms have come under similar harassment.
It cited the case of officers of the Musahamat Workers Labor
Union in Pantukan, CompostelaValley, who were
“invited” to a meeting by management on August 23 but were instead greeted by
troops of the 72nd IB who interrogated them about the NPA raid on the
Arab-owned firm.
The soldiers also allegedly took pictures of the unionists
“using planted tarpaulins and reading materials associated with the underground
communist movement.
The labor federation said Artemio Robilla, president of the
Dole Stanficlo Maragusan Workers Union, and a board member, Danilo Delegencia,
were “slapped with trumped-up” charges for the murder of a supervisor of the
firm.
However, the KMU-Souther Mindanao said the charges were
“apparent retaliation” for the union’s success in a labor dispute and the two
labor leaders’ “incessant union organizing work in the banana plantations.”
In Santo Tomas, Davao del Norte, unions “have also
complained that soldiers are holding meetings with barangay officials where KMU
is publicly maligned and the military itself is campaigning against joining
unions particularly those affiliated with KMU,” it added.
From MindaNews (Sep 12): Gunmen abduct Chinese national in Zamboanga Sibugay
Suspected kidnappers seized Thursday a Chinese national in downtown Kabasalan, Zamboanga Sibugay, a military official disclosed.
The incident took place a day after combined police and military forces arrested a member of a kidnap-for-ransom-group (KFRG) in the province of Zamboanga Sibugay.
Capt. Franco Suelto, Public Affairs Officer-in-Charge of the Army’s First Infantry Division, identified the victim as Li Pei Zhei, 18, the sales manager Kabasalan Sales Center, a ready-to-wear outlet.
Suelto said Li was seized by four gunmen around 6 p.m. Thursday from the Kabasalan Sales Center in Barangay Poblacion, Kabasalan. The gunmen forced the victim to board a mini-van.
Suelto said the getaway vehicle sped towards Sitio Mangahas, Barangay Timuay Danda.
From there, the suspects transferred the victim to a waiting motorized banca and sped to the high seas, Suelto said.
He added that pursuing lawmen have the suspects’ getaway vehicle, but was burned by the gunmen.
He said that military and police forces are tracking down the whereabouts of the victim.
Arrested around 4:20 p.m. Wednesday off the shores of Zamboanga Sibugay was Masdal Sabatal, an alleged follower of a KFRG known as the “Mamay Aburi Group.”
Inspector Dahlan Samuddin, Police Regional Office-9 (PRO-9) Information Officer-in-Charge, said joint police and military forces were conducting maritime interdiction and law enforcement operation when they chanced upon Sabatal along the seawater of Zamboanga Sibugay.
Samuddin Sabtal has standing warrant of arrest for kidnapping and serious illegal detention and robbery issued by a court in Zamboanga Sibugay.
From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 12): President Aquino lauds Filipino peacekeepers’ action in Golan Heights
President Benigno S. Aquino III lauded the actions of the Filipino
peacekeepers in Golan Heights.
“Lahat ng Pilipinong sundalo doon, mula sa pinakabagong private hanggang sa
colonel natin, nagpakita ng abilidad at husay sa kanilang tungkulin. Nang
maipit, gumawa ng plano, kumilos, at nailigtas
nga po nila ang isa’t isa sa panganib,” the President said in his speech during
the Agenda-Setting with Dialogue Partners, which MalacañangPalace
hosted on Friday.
He noted that the government has long been lobbying that Filipino
peacekeepers be allowed to carry high-powered firearms.
“Matagal din po tayong humiling na mapayagang bigyan o pahintulutang magdala
ng mas malakas na armas ang ating mga sundalo doon dahil nag-iba na po kasi ang
sitwasyon, at dumami ang mga puwersang nagtutunggalian sa lugar na inatasan
tayong bantayan,” he added.
He likened the Filipino peacekeepers to the soldiers who fought in the
Zamboanga siege in October 2013.
“Di ba ganyan din po ang ipinakitang husay ng ating mga sundalo sa
Zamboanga? Sa 197 na hostages doon, 195 ang nailigtas nila, at ang dalawang
namatay ay napaslang hindi dahil sa crossfire ng rescue, kundi dahil pinaslang
sila ng mga tumatakas na masasamang elemento,” he said.
The dialogue was attended by about 400 guests, consisting of members of
Congress and the Cabinet, coalition allies, leaders and representatives of the
various civil society organizations and business groups.
From MindaNews (Sep 12): Suspension of military operations in Bukidnon sought to facilitate soldiers’ release
Government officials and the Philippine Independent Church in Northern Mindanao have sent an appeal to President Aquino and Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin to ask their help to persuade a local military commander to suspend military operations in Bukidnon province.
Sen. Teofisto Guingona Jr., chair of the Senate’s committee on peace and order, said the suspension of military operations in Bukidnon will pave the way for the release of Pfc. Marnel Tagalugon Cinches and Pfc. Jerrel Hapay Yorong, who were captured by the New People’s Army last August 22.
“We have sent letters of appeal to President Aquino and the Defense secretary. I believed they are studying it right now,” Guingona spoke to reporters by phone last Sept. 12.
Alan Juanito, spokesperson of the NPA Julito Tiro Command in North Central Mindanao, said they are willing to release Cinches and Yorong if government forces will implement a 10-day Suspension of Offensive Military Operations (SOMO) and Suspension of Offensive Police Operations (SOPO).
Juanito said the temporary ceasefire should cover San Fernando, Cabanglasan, Malaybalay City, Impasug-ong, Manolo Fortich and Malitbog in Bukidnon.
The NPA also wanted to extend the area where a temporary ceasefire will take effect to Claveria, Balingasag and Gingoog City in Misamis Oriental.
“The NPA will immediately declare its own suspension of offensive operations with the same duration and scope as soon as the GPH declares its SOMO and SOPO,” Juanito said in a statement emailed to news organizations here.
However, the Army’s Fourth Infantry Division, which oversees military operations in Bukidnon and Northern Mindanao, underwent a change of command last Sept. 12.
Maj. Gen. Oscar Lactao assumed command of the 4ID replacing Maj. Gen. Ricardo Visaya, who was assigned to head the Armed Forces Southern Luzon Command in Lucena City.
Lactao, who was the former AFP deputy operations chief, has given orders to continue operations to rescue Cinches and Yorong, according to Maj. Christian Uy, 4ID public information officer.
“Our orders are to continue operations to rescue the two soldiers. But of course this may change if new orders will come from the President or the General Headquarters,” Uy said.
The situation has became unbearable for the family and relatives of Cinches and Yorong whose last communications from the two soldiers was on August 23.
“Gimingaw na kaayo mi nila (We miss them so much),” weeps Ana Curita Tare, the aunt of PFC Marnel Tagalugon Cinches.
Tare was accompanied by Pfc. Yorong’s sister, Genieve Yorong-Tagadiad, and Bishop Felixberto Calang of the Philippine Independent Church, to the office of Cagayan de Oro Press Club last Tuesday.
The two relatives appealed to the military to implement the ceasefire as demanded by the NPA so the two soldiers can be safely released.
A crisis negotiating team led by Bukidnon Gov. Jose Zubiri and Calang has already made contact with the NPA rebels since the first week of September.
From the Mindanao Examiner BlogSpot site (Sep 12): 6 NPA rebels yield to military in Bukidnon province
Six communist rebels surrendered to the military in the southern Philippines, army officials said Friday.
Capt. Alberto Caber, a spokesman for the Eastern Mindanao Command, said the rebels, who belonged to the New People’s Army, also yielded a rifle, a shotgun, two pistols and two revolvers, and were being interrogated by the 23rd Infantry Battalion in Talakag in Bukidnon province.
He identified the rebels as Ramil Tun-an, Yonifin Ped-Ak, Rene Tun-an, Angelo Ped-Ak, Reynaldo Ped-ak; and Toto Guilay.
Caber quoted Lt. Col. Lynart Castisimo, the battalion commander, as saying, that the surrender of the six men was the result of the army’s so-called community organizing and peace and development program.
Castisimo said the rebels would be placed under the Comprehensive Local Integration Program to help them return to the society.
Maj. Gen. Aurelio Baladad, commander of the Eastern Mindanao Command, commended the battalion for the surrender of the rebels. “Our soldier’s job is all about peace and development through Bayanihan, and our most important role is to redeem our people especially the indigenous peoples from the manipulations and exploitation by rebels in their own ancestral domain areas.”
The NPA has been fighting for a separate state in the Philippines.
From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 12): Decommissioning of MILF forces an executive function, need not be part of BBL -- peace execs
The decommissioning of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) forces and
weapons is a program that will be implemented jointly with the MILF,
simultaneous with legislating the new law on the Bangsamoro and that it does
not have to be put in the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), explained Government of
the Philippines (GPH) peace panel chair Prof. Miriam Coronel-Ferrer.
“The decommissioning of the MILF is part of the Annex on Normalization of
the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB),” Coronel-Ferrer
underscored. "The MILF signed this document and so they are obligated to
see this through with the help of the government and the Independent
Decommissioning Body (IDB) that we will set up very soon."
The IDB will be made up of three foreign experts and four Filipinos. It will
validate the inventory of weapons and combatants that the MILF will submit and
institute the needed procedures for turning in the weapons. Norway, Turkey
and Brunei
have been invited by the government and MILF panels to nominate the foreign
experts who would sit in the IDB.
"The process would be gradual and phased, and commensurate with the
developments in the legislative process of passing the BBL," said the
government negotiator. Full decommissioning of the weapons and combatants of
the MILF will happen after the creation of the Bangsamoro and the creation of
the police force in the region.
"High-powered and crew-served weapons will be turned in to the IDB.
However, members of the MILF may legalize the small arms in their possession
through a registration process that conforms with the national firearm law.
There is no need for a special law for the decommissioning,” explained
Coronel-Ferrer.
Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Quintos Deles issued a
similar clarification. “The normalization process doesn’t have to be in the
law, except for the setting up of the police force for the Bangsamoro. The
normalization process is an executive action that doesn’t need new legislation”
she said.
The normalization process—composed of three main components, namely
security, socioeconomic development, and transitional justice and
reconciliation—aims to return conflict-affected communities in Mindanao to a peaceful life wherein people could pursue
sustainable livelihoods free from fear of violence and crime.
The security aspect of normalization includes policing, gradual
decommissioning of MILF forces and weapons, redeployment of the Armed Forces of
the Philippines (AFP) from or within the conflict-affected areas, and the disbandment
of private armed groups.
Coronel-Ferrer clarified that the creation of the police force for the
future Bangsamoro region is what can be found in the draft BBL because that
needs to be legislated.
According to the proposed BBL, the Bangsamoro police “shall be organized,
maintained, supervised and utilized for the primary purpose of law enforcement
and maintenance of peace and order in the Bangsamoro. It shall be part of the
Philippine National Police.”
President Benigno S. Aquino III submitted the proposed BBL to leaders of
Congress in a ceremony Wednesday, September 10, at MalacañanPalace.
Normalization, decommissioning mechanisms
To implement the Normalization Annex, the GPH and the MILF created
committees assigned to undertake specific roles.
Aside from the IDB, there are three other bodies. The Joint Normalization
Committee (JNC) will coordinate the different normalization processes and
mechanisms. The Joint Peace and Security Committee (JPSC) will create and
administer the joint peace and security teams that will be fielded in different
communities to help keep the peace in the area. The Transitional Justice and
Reconciliation Commission (TJRC) will undertake a study and recommend to the
panels the appropriate mechanisms for transitional justice and reconciliation.
Coronel-Ferrer said the CAB is an agreement which provides “clear mechanisms
and benchmarks that will allow the MILF to transform itself with dignity from
being an armed group into an unarmed political, social and economic actor in their
communities.”
The BBL is the legal translation of the CAB signed between the GPH and MILF
on March 27, 2014, thereby successfully concluding 17 years of peace
negotiations and bringing the parties towards implementation.
“The CAB and the BBL aim to establish genuine autonomy in the south that
respects the diversity of the people in the area, the basic rights of all, and
ensure collective security and prosperity,” Coronel-Ferrer said.
