Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Former US national intelligence chief Negroponte visits country

From InterAksyon (Jan 29): Former US national intelligence chief Negroponte visits country



John Negroponte (file)

Former US national intelligence director John Negroponte, who was once ambassador to the Philippines, is visiting the country Thursday at the head of a delegation that expects “to bring back with them more good news that would help further raise the profile of the Philippines in the United States.”

A news release on the visit said Negroponte and other leaders of the US-Philippines Society are scheduled to pay a courtesy call on President Benigno Aquino III in Malacanang and meet with Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert Del Rosario, Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, and Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson.

“Our meeting with President Aquino presents a timely opportunity for us to learn more about all the exciting new developments in the Philippines,” the release quoted Negroponte as saying.

“We also want to examine ways on how we can be even more effective in carrying out our mission of raising awareness in the US about today’s Philippines and promote business opportunities,” he added.

Negroponte co-chairs the US-Philippines Society with businessman Manuel Pangilinan.

The group also counts more than 30 Filipino and American executives, including co-chairmen Washington Sycip and Maurice Greenberg.

“The US-Philippines Society has been an effective partner in sharing the Philippine narrative to mainstream Americans,” Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose L. Cuisia Jr., an ex officio member of the board, said. “We expect the Society to continue helping us deliver the good news about the Philippines upon their return to the US.”

He noted that the Society has been active in assisting communities in Leyte and Samar devastated by super typhoon Yolanda, channeling more than $2 million in aid through various groups last year.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/103996/former-us-national-intelligence-chief-negroponte-visits-country

Inside story: SAF kept military out of the loop

From Rappler (Jan 29): Inside story: SAF kept military out of the loop

By the time the soldiers arrived in the area, the task waiting for them was to carry the dead in the bloodiest one-day clash in the history of the Philippine police

BLOODY SUNDAY. Philippine police commandos carry body bags containing the remains of their comrades killed in a clash with Muslim rebels in Maguindanao on January 25. File photo by Mark Navales/AFP

BLOODY SUNDAY. Philippine police commandos carry body bags containing the remains of their comrades killed in a clash with Muslim rebels in Maguindanao on January 25. File photo by Mark Navales/AFP
 
A police Special Action Force (SAF) trapped in an intense firefight with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in Barangay Tukanalipao, Mamasapano town on Sunday, January 25, was able to use his mobile phone to ask for artillery support from the military.

The Army 6th Infantry Division wanted to immediately provide fire support, according to 3 sources in the Armed Forces, but the cop on the phone couldn’t give the exact grid coordinates.

Saan kami puputok? Hindi nila alam kung saan sila. Ang pinakamasakit, friendly fire (Where are we going to fire? They did not know where they were. The worst that could happen was [for us to come in and commit] friendly fire)," said a military general based in Camp Aguinaldo but was privy to the operations on the ground on Sunday.

As they are a mobile force, many SAF troops were plucked from other areas outside Maguindanao for this operation.

May procedure how to call for fire support. Sir, I’m in these grid coordinates. From my position, ito yung anggulo at ganito ang layo. Hindi pwedeng tsambahan. Mababagsakan ang bahay ng MILF,” explained another officer. (There are procedures for fire support. You have to state the coordinates, the angle. You cannot leave this to chance. Otherwise you might end up hitting the house of an MILF member.)

The military had several military detachments and hundreds of soldiers deployed around Mamasapano in Maguindanao at the time, but lack of prior information and coordination prevented them from preparing contigency plans that could have possibly stopped the carnage.

By the time the soldiers arrived in the area, the task waiting for them was to carry the dead – 44 elite cops – in the bloodiest one-day clash in the Philippine police's recent history.

Fatal failure

In his televised speech on Wednesday, January 28, President Benigno Aquino III scored the failure of SAF to follow his strict instructions to coordinate with the military on the ground. (READ: Aquino: I talked to SAF chief before Maguindanao ops)

"Tanong po. Bakit at paano nga po kaya nangyari na malapit na sa jump off o naka-jump off na sinabihan ang AFP na malapit. Ang problem po dito, nagkalat sa ibat ibang lugar ang mga sundalong kasapi ng battalion ito na nagbabantay ng main supply route sa lugar na ito," the President said. (This is my question. Why was the AFP informed only when they were about to jump off or have already jumped off. The problem is the soldiers were deployed in various areas.)

"Sa madaling salita, dikit na sa oras ng engkwentro ang abiso. Mahirap masabi kung nagkaroon ng sapat na panahon upang ihanda ang ayuda kung kakailanganin," Aquino added. (In other words, they were informed too close to the encounter. It's hard to say if there was enough time for them to prepare the necessary contingency plans.)

This failure was fatal. When the SAF asked for help, the military still had to scramble for troops deployed in various detachments.

Aquino said he was shocked to learn that the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) chief Lieutenant General Rustico Guerrero and 6th Infantry Division chief Major General Edmundo Pangilinan – who are in charge of military units on the ground – were only informed of the operation after the SAF units had already attacked the area.

The police later revealed that a total of 392 SAF troops – an entire battalion – were deployed for the operation. The overwhelming force shows it was meant to be an all-PNP operation, based on the assessment of the military officer. They were walloped inside enemy territory. (READ: Zamboanga's heroes are Maguindanao's fallen, too and Region in mourning: 1 in 3 slain SAF sons of Cordillera)

SAF commander Police Director Getulio Napeñas Jr has since been relieved. The operation that the top PNP echelon claimed they did not know about is now the subject of various investigations.

The Sunday bloodbath recalls the October 2011 military operation in Al-Barka, Basilan, that killed 19 of the military's elite Special Forces (SAF). The operation to arrest Abu Sayyaf leaders and an MILF commander turned into one of the Army's worst operational blunders that resulted in a day-long clash with the MILF. (READ: Fiasco in Basilan)
 
COMRADES: Philippine police commandoes unload body bags containing the remains of their comrades killed in a clash with Muslim rebels. AFP PHOTO/Mark Navales
 
COMRADES: Philippine police commandoes unload body bags containing the remains of their comrades killed in a clash with Muslim rebels. AFP PHOTO/Mark Navales
 
'Ill-conceived plan'

The military general admitted they got upset upon learning of SAF's secret operation inside the stronghold of the MILF, which signed a peace agreement with the Aquino administration last year.

It’s an "ill-conceived" operation, the general said, noting how it put at great risk the relationship that was nurtured by the government with the MILF.

The MILF said its troops fired in "self defense," suprised by the presence of government troops in full battle gear. The SAF was there to engage the BIFF but unfortunately chanced upon the MILF troops – the 105th Base Command. (READ: MILF conducts own probe into Maguindanao clash)

At the time of the request for reinforcement and fire support, the military knew very little. Was the SAF fighting with MILF troops? Or the breakaway group Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), which disagrees with the peace talks but still lives among their MILF relatives? Both, it turned out.

Mindanao veterans in the Army were also aware of how treacherous the terrain of Masasapano is.

There are at least 3 units of MILF fighters based in Masasapano. Aside from the 105th Base Command, there's the 106th Base Command just below the encounter area and the 108th Base Command above it.

In any previous government plan to enter the area, the scenario of these 3 MILF fighter units reinforcing each other was always taken into account.

On that fateful day, military commanders knew that had they joined the battle belatedly it could have blown into a full-scale war, marking the death of the peace process.

Most intense: 8 am-10 am

Troops of the Army 45th Infantry Battalion saw the SAF enter the encounter area around 3 am Sunday. Barangay Tukanalipao, site of the main clash, is about 15 kilometers from the highway. This estimate is similar to a police report Rappler obtained Sunday noon indicating that the SAF units entered the area at 2:30 am.

It was around 5 am when the SAF commander called General Pangilinan of the 6th infantry division to inform him that they're inside the MILF area to hunt down high-value targers Jemmaah Islamiyah terrorist Malaysian Zulkifr Abdhir, better know as “Marwan” and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighter (BIFF) bombmaker Filipino Basit Usman. (READ: Top terrorist was elite cops' target)

About an hour later, at 6am, the soldiers heard the firefight but did not know what was happening. It could have been rido or clan war, too, which is common in the area.

It was reportedly about 9 am, at the height of the firefight, that PNP OIC Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina called Westmincom chief General Guerrero – his classmate at the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) – to ask for reinforcement.

The firefight was most intense between 8 am and 10 am, according to Army Brigadier General Carlito Galvez, who heads the government side of the Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH). CCCH is the body composed of governent officials and MILF members tasked to maintain the ceasefire as the two parties finalize the peace process.
BATTLEZONE: A man points to reporters the site where SAF policemen and rebels first engaged in intense fighting
BATTLEZONE: A man points to reporters the site where SAF policemen and rebels first engaged in intense fighting

'Mainit na sila'

Galvez told Rappler that he was informed about the clash at 6:38 am and immediately convened the CCCH. He and the MILF commanders called up the forces on the ground. They could hear the intense firefight on the other line.

"Sabi ng mga MI commanders nila, ayusin niyo na 'yan. I-pacify na yan. Pero sabi ng mga commander nila, mainit na sila," narrated Galvez. (The MILF commanders were telling the people on the ground, fix it. Pacify them. But they were told the troops were all agitated.)

Galvez and his MILF counterparts knew then that a phone call was not enough.

They rushed to the MILF's 105th base command in Mamasapano but arrived there between 10 am and 11 am. The SAF had suffered their massive casualties by then, although the firefight wasn't over.

"It was important for us to be there physically to stop the fighting. We saw bodies on the streets," he said.

Galvez and the rest of the CCCH members had to crawl into the battle zone to stop the firefight. “Grabe, nagmamakaawa si General Galvez,” described the military general.

Meanwhile, it was already around noon time when troops from the 45th Infantry Battalion, accompanied by the tanks of the 2nd Mechanized Brigade were able to assemble at the highway leading towards Tukanalipao.

They entered the encounter area around 3pm to save one platoon that was trapped inside the MILF area and extract the casualties.

TOO LATE: Military reinforcement arrive on January 25, 2015 in the town of Mamasapano
TOO LATE: Military reinforcement arrive on January 25, 2015 in the town of Mamasapano

Emotional soldiers

The military walked on eggshells in Maguindanao.

They were afraid of endangering the peace talks, the legacy of President Benigno Aquino III that they were instructed to protect.

"Very emotional kami dito. Kapag nabulilyaso ang peace talks, sino ba ang makikigyera? (We are very emotional here. If the peace talks collapse, who will be going to war?)," an officer on the ground lamented.

The military tried its best to distance itself from the police operation. When the BIFF claimed on Sunday that they exchanged gunfire with soldiers, Camp Aguinaldo was quick to issue a statement to say that it was purely a police operation.

As some camps lamented that the military could have done more to help the SAF troopers, soldiers argued it could have been worse had they rushed into the encounter area. “It’s going to be war and it will involve us,” said the military officer.

Still, the military could have fired explosives to hurt the rebels who trapped the surviving SAF troopers. But the soldiers blamed the absence of reliable grid coordinates for their failure to do so.

Thus they resorted to firing white phosphorous. It wasn't deadly but it was meant to scare away the MILF.

MILF's cozy ties with the BIFF

The bloodbath happened as Malacañang hoped to get Congress to pass the Bangsamoro law that will legislate the agreements in the peace deal signed last year.

As both camps began to fix damaged relationships, the Bangsamoro bill suffers a setback in Congress. Two senators have withdrawn their signatures of support to the Bangsamoro law while several members of the Lower House demanded MILF to be held responsible over the bloodbath. (READ: CBCP: Maguindanao clashes should not end peace talks)

Why kill 44 cops when there's a ceasefire?

Is the MILF coddling terrorists?

What is MILF's relationship with the BIFF?
 
ANOTHER CLASH: Children affected by the conflict in the village of Tukanalipao, Mamasapano, Maguindanao are seen with their parents waiting for the distribution of relief assistance
ANOTHER CLASH: Children affected by the conflict in the village of Tukanalipao, Mamasapano, Maguindanao are seen with their parents waiting for the distribution of relief assistance

What happened on Sunday showed the public the reality that security forces have long known to be a big challenge to the peace talks – the cozy relationship between some members of the MILF and the BIFF that has been responsible for a spate of bombings in Mindanao.

The 105th Base Command is the MILF unit formerly headed by Ameril Umbra Kato, the same man who opposed the talks with govenrment and helped form the BIFF.

Despite their disagreements, the MILF and the BIFF members are brothers and relatives who continue to live among each other. "Pagdating sa ground, wala ng distinction na yan na ito BIFF, ito MILF. Magkakapatid yan," said a military officer.

Doubts on MILF

The alleged presence of Marwan in the MILF territory also casts doubt on the sincerity of the MILF, which committed to maintain peace and order in the area and was expected to help the government in hunting down terrorists including their BIFF comrades. (READ: Real peace means the guns will have to go away)

This is where the SAF got sympathies from combat soldiers familiar with the situation in Maguindanao, who acknowledge the likely reason the police did not coordinate is to make sure Marwan will not be tipped off and escape.

Three days after the bloodbath, President Aquino made a televised public address to defend his peace legacy in the wake of renewed calls for all-out-war against the MILF. (Read the full text of the President's speech in Filipino and English)

As in the aftermath of Al-Barka, the President once again stood his ground for peace. But he knows too well the landscape has changed.
 

It was self defense, not massacre – Murad

From MindaNews (Jan 28): It was self defense, not massacre – Murad

It was not a massacre, it was self defense.”

Moro Islamic Liberation Front chair Al Haj Murad Ebrahim said their fighters acted in self-defense when police commandos stormed two villages in Mamasapano town to arrest Malaysian bomb maker Zulkifli Abdhir alias “Marwan” last Jan. 25.

“How can you say it is a massacre when the fighting was so intense? It was not a lopsided fight. We suffered casualties too,” Ebrahim said.

He said 16 MILF fighters were killed in the fighting that started Sunday dawn until evening. The Philippine National Police suffered 44 policemen killed in the encounter.

Ebrahim said the special police unit tasked to arrest arrived in Mamasapano town in Maguindanao on the wee hours last Sunday and did not inform the proper agencies in the ceasefire mechanisms being implemented by the Philippine government and the MILF.

He said the incident would not have happened if the PNP’s Special Action Force (PNP-SAF) units coordinated and informed the Ad Hoc Joint Action Group or AHJAG that they will conduct operations in Mamasapano town.

The Philippine government and the MILF formed AHJAG as a cooperative mechanism to allow government troops and the Philippine National Police to run after criminals and terrorists in areas that have a strong rebel presence.

“This unfortunate incident would not have happened had the PNP coordinated with AHJAG,” Murad told reporters in Camp Darapanan.

President Benigno Aquino III, in his speech Wednesday, also echoed the same sentiments.

“How and why could it have happened that the notifications of the AFP battalions close to the operation only came close to the time of jump-off or even after our forces had already jumped-off?” Aquino said.

Murad said the MILF has convened a Special Investigations Commission composed of members of the MILF Central Committee and the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF) to investigate what happened in Mamasapano last Jan. 25.

He said the committee will try to resolve the question of who fired the first shot and where the firearms of the fallen policemen as well.

Murad promised that sanctions will be imposed by the committee on the ranks of MILF combatants if they were found to have committed wrongdoing.

“Our concern is truth. There will be a lot of speculations as to what happened and until what happened is establish with credibility and integrity, the said incident will weigh down our current efforts to bring peace to our homeland,” Murad said.

He said the MILF would also welcome any independent investigating bodies, including that from the PNP, who wish to go to Mamasapano town.

Murad also reiterated their full commitment to the peace process calling all MILF commanders for a unified call for an enduring peace.

“We express and send our deepest sympathies to the families and friends of those who died in the armed encounter in Mamasapano, Maguindanao. The emotions of loss and pain are not alien to us Bangsamoro and mujahideens,” Murad said.

http://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2015/01/28/it-was-self-defense-not-massacre-murad/

FULL TEXT: Aquino defends SAF operation in Maguindanao

From Rappler (Jan 29): FULL TEXT: Aquino defends SAF operation in Maguindanao

'Like so many others, I have many questions surrounding the incident, and I expect the board of inquiry to uncover the truth behind this incident'



I stand before you today to report on what we know about the incident in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, last Saturday and Sunday. I do this not because I wish to preempt the board of inquiry tasked to uncover the entire truth, but because you have a right to know what we know at this point.
 
On Saturday, January 24, a group composed of members of our Philippine National Police’s Special Action Force headed to Barangay Tukanalipao, Mamasapano, Maguindanao. Their mission was to serve outstanding arrest warrants to two notorious terrorists who have long been pursued by authorities, namely Abdulbasit Usman and Zulkipli Bin Hir, alias Abu Marwan. According to the most recent report of the NDRRMC, 44 of our policemen died in the process of fulfilling their duties, while 16 others were injured, including 3 civilians.
 
As President and as father of this country, I am greatly saddened that our policemen had to lay down their lives for this mission. Without question, these people are heroes; they who willingly put themselves in danger to address threats to our security; they who were wounded; they who gave their lives in the name of peace. To honor those who perished, I am declaring a National Day of Mourning to symbolize the sorrow and empathy of our entire country.
 
Marwan and Usman are not common criminals. There is a long string of outstanding warrants for their arrest. There are no less than 8 outstanding warrants against Usman alone, while there are no less than 2 for Marwan. One of the earliest warrants was issued in 2002, which means that they were already being pursued when I was a member of Congress. Allow me to clarify: When a warrant is issued against an individual, all officers of the law are obligated to serve it. This is precisely why, since long ago, our security sector, including the AFP, PNP, and NBI, has undertaken multiple operations to capture Marwan, Usman, and other terrorists.
 
These agencies are not always required to obtain my approval for each and every one of their operations, because it would be impractical for them to wait for my clearance before proceeding. My duty: to make certain that they are carrying out their responsibilities. There are times when certain matters are elevated to my desk so that I may give guidance, give a more holistic view of the situation, or explain its wider implications.
 
A few examples of this are: our response to rogue MNLF elements in Zamboanga, the capture of individuals high on our list of Most Wanted Persons, and the assault on our peacekeepers in Golan Heights. In the Golan Heights case, the decision of whether or not to depart could not simply be left to our battalion commander there. As the person primarily responsible for foreign relations, I had to be consulted to make certain that we are likewise upholding our obligations to the United Nations.
 
Marwan is part of the Central Committee of the Jemaah Islamiya, which was responsible for the Bali bombing in Indonesia. In this incident, two consecutive blasts occurred, which meant that first responders and individuals who had not left the area were also affected. 202 people died, and Marwan was a suspect in this case. In Cagayan de Oro in 2012, Marwan attempted to replicate this modus; the second bomb did not explode, as it was discovered ahead of time, yet 2 people still died as a result of this incident. There are allegations that, in 2006, Marwan, along with Umbra Kato, led a plot to plant a bomb to assassinate then-Governor of Maguindanao, Andal Ampatuan. Marwan’s membership in international terrorist networks means that he has the capacity to acquire the knowledge, the equipment, the funding, and the necessary safe havens for his fellow terrorists. This is why he was considered the primary target of the operation. Usman, on the other hand, is connected to nine bombing incidents in Mindanao. He is the primary accused in the bombing in General Santos City in 2002, in which 15 people died, and 60 were injured.
 
Together with another terrorist named Mawiyah, Marwan and Usman committed several acts of terrorism in various parts of Mindanao. They are also both known bomb-making trainers. There are reports that they run factories of improvised explosive devices, which they sell to fellow terrorists. They have injured and killed many people, and they continue to threaten the safety of our citizens as long as they roam free.
 
I emphasize: It is stated in Article II, Section 4 of our Constitution that “The primary duty of government is to serve and protect the people.” This is why, when our police force uncovered the precise location of Marwan and Usman, they decided to take action and serve the warrants of the two individuals. Our authorities gathered actionable intelligence. They found not just the region, the province, or the municipality, but the very house in which the two were hiding. Not acting on this knowledge would make it possible for Marwan and Usman to escape, which would mean that the long process of gathering information would have to start all over again.
 
It was past 4 in the morning when the SAF reached the stronghold in which Marwan and Usman were hiding. In the encounter that followed, the primary target, Marwan, was allegedly killed. Upon hearing the gunshots, Usman and his cohorts fought back. There were also non-combatants spotted in the houses in which Marwan and Usman were located; it was necessary for our forces to close the distance to avoid involving the innocent. Marwan’s house was the first attacked; Usman responded, and the element of surprise, which was necessary to avoid detection, was lost. This is why the SAF decided to withdraw and rendezvous with their companions, who were securing their exit route from the area where the encounter occurred. It appears that it was during this withdrawal when the bloodiest part of the clash happened.
 
Like so many others, I have many questions surrounding the incident, and I expect the board of inquiry to uncover the truth behind this incident. In the briefings the PNP gave me about the continuing operations against Marwan and Usman, I repeated countless times the need for proper, sufficient, and timely coordination. The terrain covered by this operation is complicated: muddy, with swampland, and there is even the need for our SAF to cross a river to reach their destination. There are also many other forces scattered in the area: the BIFF, MILF, and even a Private Armed Group.
 
Even if the MILF and BIFF now constitute two different groups, many of them are related by blood or by affinity. Strangers cannot just enter their territory. Our troops needed to enter quietly and carefully; otherwise, their targets may have been alerted.
 
It is precisely because the forces of the SAF were much smaller than the surrounding numbers who could intervene that it was important for the Armed Forces to be ready to position their troops, resources, and equipment like cannons or artillery, should our police require support. They needed sufficient notice to place their troops where they would be of greatest assistance. In these kinds of encounters, had the assistance of the Armed Forces been necessary, they would not have been able to mobilize and arrive at a moment’s notice, especially because the members of the 6th Infantry Division, who were nearest to the action, have other duties.
 
To my repeated reminders about the necessity of coordination, the director of the SAF answered, “Yes Sir.” All that he said was that operational security, or the restriction of information only to those who needed to know, was likewise necessary. Even then, I underscored the need to alert other branches, or their respective heads; the notification must come at the appropriate time, with complete information, for them to make the necessary preparations.
 
I wonder: how and why could it have happened that the notification of the AFP battalions close to the operation only came close to the time of jump-off, or even after our forces had already jumped-off? The problem there was that the soldiers who were members of the battalion assigned to guard the main supply routes to this location were scattered in different areas. In simple language, the notification to the AFP came too close to the time of the encounter, thus making it difficult to determine if they were given enough time to prepare, had their assistance been necessary. If my order to ensure sufficient coordination had been complied with, then perhaps it was pushed to the limit, resulting in very minimum compliance. In fact, I was surprised to learn that the heads of the Western Mindanao Command, or even of the 6th Infantry Division, had only been advised after the first encounter involving Marwan and Usman; the SAF forces were already retreating, and the situation had already became problematic.
 
Now, on the MILF: We have already made such great strides because we trusted one another. We have already proven that we can work together: in 2014, a Japanese national was rescued in Maguindanao; in that same year, we were able to prevent the explosion of a bomb in Maguindanao. I have also read the statement of Chairman Al Haj Murad about the Mamapasano incident; the MILF’s formation of a Special Investigative Commission in order to determine the details of the incident constitutes a good first step. I am hopeful that the MILF will show, in the soonest possible time, even more concrete evidence of their solidarity in the pursuit of peace, towards the pursuit of truth, and the accountability of those responsible.
 
Let us also avoid spreading rumors and fueling speculation about the incident. The Bible itself says: The truth shall set us free. There is already a board of inquiry assigned to uncover the whole truth. Let us wait for the results of their findings.
 
We have already come such a long way in our quest to realize the peace that we have long desired for Muslim Mindanao. All sides exhibited great trust to reach this point. The incident in Mampasano has already given rise to those who want to take advantage of this tragedy to undermine that trust; they wish to derail the peace process. There are even some already calling for a halt to the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law in the House of Representatives and the Senate.
 
This should not happen. The success of the entire peace process is contingent on this law. If this law is kept from being passed at the soonest possible time, the peace process will be derailed; the status quo will remain. If that happens, we cannot hope for anything but the same results: Citizens who take to the mountains after losing hope; individuals kept from gaining justice who instead choose to exact violence on their fellowmen. It would be as if we helped Marwan and Usman to reach their goals. Do we want to return to the point when communities are ready, at a moment’s notice, to flee to evacuation centers, because of the threat of an encounter? If this were to happen, who would benefit? If the peace process were derailed, how many more graves would we have to dig? How many more children will idolize Marwan; how many will want to grow up to be Usman; how many engineers will choose to build bombs rather than buildings?
 
Let us also remember: The members of the SAF lost their lives while fulfilling their duty to maintain the peace. If the peace process fails, if we return to the status quo, or if the violence were to worsen, is this not the exact opposite of the cause to which they gave their lives?
 
Is it not true: In facing this challenge, in order to realize peace, should we not link arms more tightly, and pursue with greater determination the next steps in the process, like passing the BBL; forming the Bangsamoro Transition Authority; widening opportunities for all; and correcting a political system where a few benefit to the detriment of the majority of our countrymen?
 
To the families of the SAF members who perished: I fully sympathize with your grief. I know that this grief may be accompanied by worries about your future, especially if your loved ones who sacrificed their lives were also your breadwinners. I guarantee: The state will give the maximum assistance it can, within the limits of the laws and rules. On this occasion, I also take the opportunity to appeal to the public: If possible let us extend our utmost support to the bereaved, and maximize the help we can give to the families of those who fell, in recognition of the valor of these heroes who gave their lives for the realization of the peace we have long desired.
 
In the face of our grief, in the face of the desire of some to exact revenge, in the face of the threats to destroy the trust we have forged over such a long period of time, today, our ability to show compassion to our fellowmen faces a great test. This is why, to all of my countrymen who desire peace, from lawmakers, to the members of the uniformed forces, to the leaders of the MILF, to our countrymen in the Bangsamoro, and to every decent Filipino: Let us show what heights a country united by a single aspiration can reach. Let us ensure that the ultimate sacrifice made by some members of the SAF does not go to waste. We will gain justice, in time, through the right processes, and without letting go of our dreams to realize a widespread and lasting peace.
 
Thank you, and good evening to us all.
 

2 NPA rebels yield

From Tempo (Jan 27): 2 NPA rebels yield

Two members of the New People’s Army (NPA) surrendered to government troopers on Saturday in Sitio Patil, Barangay Gupitan in Kapalong town, Davao del Norte, the Army’s 10th Infantry Division (10th ID) said.

1st Lt. Vergel Lacambra, chief of public affairs office of 10thID, said the two rebels, aged 26 and 30, are members of the NPA’s Front 34 of the Southern Mindanao Regional Committee. Their names were withheld for their safety.

http://www.tempo.com.ph/2015/01/27/2-npa-rebels-yield2-npa-rebels-yield/

Group to tackle concerns of former rebels formed

From the Baguio Midland Courier (Jan 28): Group to tackle concerns of former rebels formed

Mayor Mauricio Domogan created the Comprehensive Local Integration Program (CLIP) committee to support efforts to bring rebels back to normal life. 

The mayor signed Administrative Order 5, s. 2015 institutionalizing the provision of immediate and long-term assistance that will mainstream former rebels and make them partners in the maintenance and promotion of peace and order and development.

CLIP is a program of the national government designed to provide financial assistance to former rebels.

The mayor will chair the committee with members from the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police, Department of Interior and Local Government, City Social Welfare and Development Office, and a non-government organization.

The CLIP committee serves as the focal point of authority, assistance and management of the program. It validates applications for re-integration, issue certificate of authenticity, require affidavits in case applicant is not in the list or order of battle proving the he/she is a member of the New People’s Army; monitor and evaluate progress of the program; provide support as may be determined in the assessment and incorporated in the individual re-integration plan of former rebels; inform the Office of the Presidential Assistant on the Peace Process and encourage former rebels to OCSWDO so that the latter will be able to do the preliminary interview.

http://baguiomidlandcourier.com.ph/city.asp?mode=%20archives/2015/january/1-25-2015/city5.txt

Besao condemns summary killing of Baguio student

From the Baguio Midland Courier (Jan 28): Besao condemns summary killing of Baguio student

Officials of Besao, Mountain Province led residents in condemning the summary killing of their villagemate, who is also a Baguio resident, on Jan. 10.
The town officials through Resolution 1, s. 2015 said the summary execution of Rufino Posdo alias Kak-eo is unacceptable to the peace-loving villagers of Besao.

“All the barangay officials, the people of Besao, and this council condemn the undeserved killing of Posdo. (This) is a clear violation of indigenous laws, human rights, and due process,” reads the resolution signed by the 10 councilors and Vice Mayor Harry Baliaga, Sr.

No group has claimed responsibility over Posdo’s killing but a high-placed source from the Intelligence Unit of Cordillera Police Regional Office said it was the handiwork of the underground movement.

Posdo, who is a resident of Kias, Baguio, went home to Besao recently to help in the construction of his son’s house at Barangay Tamboan.

On Jan. 10, an armed group went to Posdo’s farm at Lobo, where they chanced upon the victim and his wife.

The victim was later taken from his farm hut by the armed group on allegations that he has committed crimes several years ago.

A female member of the armed group has informed the victim’s wife that her husband will not return alive. The punong barangay of Tamboan was later informed that Posdo was killed by the armed group.

Besao officials forwarded the resolution to the Mountain Province Provincial Peace and Order Council and other concerned agencies such as the Philippine National Police for action.

Last month, close to 500 students and teachers led residents in condemning the ambush that killed two soldiers and wounding of five more in nearby Sagada on Nov. 30, 2014.

The New People’s Army is suspected to be responsible for the Bonifacio Day ambush.

Since 1986, Sagada has been declared as a peace zone. Government forces and the NPA vowed to respect the town to be off-limits to combat.

But over the years, the town had several ambush incidents, greatly affecting its socio-economic activities, especially the tourism sector,  which is the backbone of the town’s economy.

http://baguiomidlandcourier.com.ph/mtprovince.asp?mode=%20archives/2015/january/1-25-2015/mtp1.txt

SAF chief: I am responsible

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Jan 29): SAF chief: I am responsible

REHEARSING FOR LAST RITES Members of the PNP-SAF prepare for the grim task of carrying the caskets of slain police commandos during arrival honors at Villamor Airbase today. At least 44 PNP commandos died during an encounter with Moro rebels on Jan. 25 in Mamasapano, Maguindanao. LYN RILLON

REHEARSING FOR LAST RITES Members of the PNP-SAF prepare for the grim task of carrying the caskets of slain police commandos during arrival honors at Villamor Airbase today. At least 44 PNP commandos died during an encounter with Moro rebels on Jan. 25 in Mamasapano, Maguindanao. LYN RILLON
Police Director Getulio Napeñas admitted on Tuesday that he did not coordinate with the military before launching “Oplan Wolverine,” the disastrous Philippine National Police-Special Action Force (SAF) operation to get Zulkifli bin Hir, alias “Marwan,” a Malaysian terrorist for whose capture dead or alive the United States has offered a $6-million reward.

Marwan is considered the Osama bin Laden of Southeast Asia.

“It was a command decision and we had been working on it for a long time and as a commander, I decided that it was best not to inform other units in the police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines about the plan of initiating the actual assault. It was a judgment call and I take full responsibility,” Napeñas, the SAF commander, told this reporter in an interview on Tuesday evening.

He compared the secrecy about Oplan Wolverine to “Operation Neptune Spear,” the covert US Navy Seals operation that cornered al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad, Pakistan, in March 2011.

“Why, was the Pakistani government informed about the operation that got Bin Laden? No, right? This is the same. We received information that required action and it was our duty to take action. It’s inherent to our job as law enforcers and as one command,” Napeñas said.

Espina informed, not Roxas

He said, however, that he made a call to one of his superiors, Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina, the PNP officer in charge.

Napeñas explained that under police operational procedures, a commander should inform his superior about a mission before or during the operation.

He said he initially informed Espina about the Mamasapano operation through a text message at 5:30 a.m. on Sunday.

“I informed him that the operation against Marwan was under way. We were already there and the troops were already deployed,” he said.

He said he could not go directly and report to Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, who has supervision over the PNP, because Espina came first in the chain of command.

Napeñas said the secrecy about the operation was deliberate and recommended by intelligence operatives on the ground.

Not informing the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) was part of the whole plan, he said.

Napeñas said he knew that Mamasapano was controlled by the MILF, which has three command bases there—the 106th, 105th and 118th.

But the intelligence information received by the SAF placed Marwan right there, he said.

“We worked hard on this and we couldn’t allow our work to go to waste by informing the MILF. We don’t trust the MILF,” he said.
 
Purisima approves in 2011

A police source told this reporter that the plan to get Marwan had been running since 2010. Prepared by the Office of the Director for Intelligence (DI), it became official in 2011 and was named Oplan Wolverine.

In the same year, the plan was endorsed by the Office of the Chief PNP, Director General Alan Purisima, and the US-trained SAF was tapped to carry out the operation.

Also in 2011, the source said, Purisima endorsed the plan to the Office of the Presidential Anti-Crime Commission under Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. for “additional support.”

The plan was not revised despite the suspension of Purisima last year following accusations of corruption, the source said.

At the start, the source said, all operations related to the plan were jointly undertaken by the PNP and the military. But, as already admitted by Napeñas, the SAF carried out the Mamasapano operation alone.

They got Marwan

Napeñas mobilized 392 SAF policemen for the covert operation in Tukanalipao village, Mamasapano town, Maguindanao province, on Sunday to serve a warrant of arrest on Marwan, a bomb expert trained by the Indonesia-based terrorist group Jemaah Islamiyah.

Abdul Basit Usman, a local bomb expert with a $3-million price on his head, was the secondary target of the operation, Napeñas said.

Without coordination with the military and the MILF, which are observing a truce following the signing of a peace agreement between the Moro rebels and the government last year, the policemen walked naked into unsecured territory.

They got Marwan, but 44 of them were killed in a clash with the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), a splinter of the MILF, and with MILF forces.

Napeñas was sacked on Tuesday pending investigation of the debacle.

What happened on the ground?

The 392 police commandos were divided into groups were positioned as early as 3 a.m. on Sunday. The plan, according to Napeñas, was for a surgical operation of only 30 minutes. Four nipa huts in the village were the targets of the assault.

At 4:20 a.m., part of the assault force was able to enter the nipa hut where Marwan was sleeping, Napeñas said.

“Marwan woke up, that was around 4:30 a.m., and he managed to be the first to shoot, that’s why some of us were hit. But we returned fire and killed him outright,” he said.

The exchange of gunfire brought Marwan’s security to action. As the policemen were about to pull out, they came under fire from all directions, Napeñas said

When the firing became intense, one SAF officer extracted DNA from Marwan, Napeñas said. Then the assault team decided it was best to bring Marwan’s body and shoot its way out of there, he said.

The team got out, said Napeñas, who described the other side as BIFF and MILF forces who “came from all directions.”

At past 6 a.m., the joint monitoring team from the MILF and the government called a ceasefire, Napeñas said, but the “MILF did not stop shooting.”

MILF ignored ceasefire call

The MILF refused to heed the monitoring team’s call for a ceasefire, he said.

The firefight continued and the containment or blocking force was pinned down in an open field, he said.

“They could see each other. It was close-quarters combat. Those who were killed were from our containment force,” Napeñas said.

He said the deaths of 44 of his men pained him.

“I cannot explain how I feel,” he said, his voice cracking. “I love those boys. I cannot take my men’s welfare lightly. They were courageous men, and it pains me more to hear talk that we did this for the reward.”
 
Not for glory, bounty

Marwan was on the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s list of most wanted terrorists. The bureau initially offered a $5-million reward for his capture, then raised the bounty by another $1 million.

Initially, too, the reward for Usman’s capture was $2 million, but later the FBI raised it to $3 million.

“We did not go into Mamasapano for the money or to be called heroes. We did it for you, for all of you. Not for glory but for the thousands more who could die in Marwan’s bomb attacks. Look into Marwan’s profile and you will see why we decided to neutralize a very dangerous man,” Napeñas said.

Eid Kabalu, former spokesperson for the MILF who is now serving on the Bangsamoro Transition Commission, told Radyo Inquirer that he had received reports from the ground that Marwan was indeed killed in the SAF raid on Mamasapano.

But Napeñas was relieved just the same to give way to an investigation, which would be carried out by the PNP Board of Inquiry.

Napeñas said he respected Roxas, Espina and the investigation of the Mamasapano operation.

He said he spoke to this reporter because of two things.

“I trust you and I need to say that those boys died thinking not of the money but of the many more people who could become Marwan’s victims. The death of my men pains me. I love them. I am their chief, but we as a command stand with pride that we took down a very dangerous man,” Napeñas said.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/668715/saf-chief-i-am-responsible

MILF forming own team to probe Mamasapano clash

Sun Star-Cagayan de Oro (Jan 29): MILF forming own team to probe Mamasapano clash

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is forming a special body to probe the bloody "misencounter" in Mamasapano, Maguindanao on January 25 that left at least 44 police officers and several Moro rebels dead.

The MILF announced this decision in an official statement on the incident that was released Wednesday morning. The statement was signed by Al Hadj Murad Ebrahim, chair of the MILF’s central committee.

“First and foremost, we express and send our deepest sympathies to the families and friends of those who died in the armed encounter in Mamasapano, Maguindanao,” the MILF said.

“The emotions of loss and pain are not alien to us Bangsamoro and Mujahideen. Nevertheless, respect and solidarity are due to all, irrespective of which side they belong,” the group added.

The "misencounter" happened as hundreds of elements of the Philippine National Police’s Special Action Force (SAF) went into Mamasapano for a pre-dawn operation to ferret out alleged Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan and his Filipino host Basit Usman.

The area is a stronghold of the MILF.

The MILF has said the entry of the SAF elements in Mamasapano was not coordinated with it through agreed upon mechanisms of the peace process; hence, the members of its armed wing, the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF), in the area were not forewarned.

“Our concern is the truth. There will be a lot of speculations as to what happened, and until what happened is established with credibility and integrity, the said incident will weigh down our current efforts to bring peace to our homeland,” the MILF admitted.

Murad said the MILF is convening a Special Investigative Commission (SlC) to undertake its own probe into the incident.

Earlier, MILF peace panel chair Mohagher Iqbal called for an independent investigation by the International Monitoring Team (IMT).

Murad said the MILF’s probe body would be composed of members of its Central Committee and the BIAF General Staff. The body will be tasked to “investigate the events at Mamasapano, Maguindanao that resulted in the death of members of the MILF and of soldiers of the Philippine Government.”

“The mandate of the SIC is to gather as much reliable information and interview witnesses to establish the truth,” Murad added.

He added that the SIC “is given instruction to come up with a report to the Central Committee as soon as possible.”

“We hereby reiterate the MILFs full commitment to the peace process with the Philippine Government. An enduring peace and justice remain to be our primary objective,” Murad said.

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cagayan-de-oro/local-news/2015/01/29/milf-forming-own-team-probe-mamasapano-clash-389142

VIDEO | 42 SAF men lie in state in Army camp, in Crame on Thursday; 1 SAF member buried in Zambo

From InterAksyon (Jan 29): VIDEO | 42 SAF men lie in state in Army camp, in Crame on Thursday; 1 SAF member buried in Zambo



The flag at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City is flown at half-mast - as with flags in all other police and military installations - in mourning for the 44 Special Action Force members killed in Mamasapano, Maguindanao. HANDOUT PHOTO, AFP-PAO

(UPDATE - 9:21 a.m.) Forty-two of the 44 members of the police Special Action Force (PNP SAF) killed by Muslim rebels in the mission to get two most wanted terrorists in Mamasapano, Maguindanao will be brought to Manila on Thursday.

Meanwhile, their remains lie in state at the gymnasium of the Army's 6th ID in Camp Siongco in Datu Odin Sinsuat town.

The last 2 of the 44, who are Tausugs, were brought home to Sulu, according to 6th ID Spokesperson Cpt Joan Petinglay.

Earlier, full military honors were accorded the SAF men by the 6th ID. All flags in all military and police facilities, and local government units, are flying at half mast to signify mourning for the deaths of the SAF members, who were among 300 deployed to collar Malaysian Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan, and his cohort Bassit Usman.

Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and DILG Secretary Mar Roxas had said earlier they still have to verify information that Marwan, who was said to be already in SAF custody when a "misencounter" with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front happened, had been killed.

The SAF team was pinned down by heavy fire from the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and was maneuvering to exit the "kill zone" when it met the much bigger MILF group, said earlier reports.

Highest police honors, full benefits

 Meantime, the PNP is preparing the highest police honors to be given to the slain policemen, including all benefits due to the surviving kin.

Surviving kin of slain policemen in the Maguindanao encounter are entitled to receive death benefits ranging from P1.5 million to P2 million.

Death benefits for policemen killed in line of duty include P250,000.00 from the President’s Social Fund; between P141,000.00 up to P181,000.00 as Special Financial Assistance (SFA) from the PNP; burial benefits worth P50,000.00; and P200,000.00 gratuity from the National Police Commission.

PNP members of the Public Safety Mutual Benefit Fund are also entitled to death insurance ranging from P225,000.00 to P417,000.00 depending on rank.

These death benefits are on top of the estimated P15,000 monthly lifetime pension from the PNP and roughly the same amount of pension for five years from the National Police Commission.

Meanwhile, 12 days of mourning have been declared by the town of Mlang in North Cotabato.

One of the two slain PNP commandos whose remains were brought to Zamboanga City, PO3 Jedz-in Asjali, was laid to rest Wednesday morning, with full honors and a 21-gun salute.

His family said they were trying to be strong despite their grief because they know that he died for his country and had done his uniform proud.

HERE'S NEWS5'S VIDEO REPORT OF ASJALI'S BURIAL:
[Video report]

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/103909/42-saf-men-lie-in-state-in-army-camp-to-be-brought-to-crame-thursday

Self-proclaimed Sulu Sultanate names new Raja Muda

From the Malay Mail (Jan 27): Self-proclaimed Sulu Sultanate names new Raja Muda

File picture shows the late Sultan of Sulu Kiram, whose dying decrees were for his brothers to get closer, and for his family to unite. — AFP pic











File picture shows the late Sultan of Sulu Kiram, whose dying decrees were for his brothers to get closer, and for his family to unite. — AFP pic

KOTA KINABALU, Jan 27 — One of the families claiming to be the true descendants of the Sulu Sultanate has named its new Raja Muda or crown prince, following the death of their previous successor earlier this month.

Esmail Kiram II, one of the so-called heirs apparent to the throne of the now-defunct kingdom, proclaimed that his younger brother Datu Phugdal Kiram would be the next crown prince, replacing Azzimudie Kiram who died of a heart attack on January 13.

The Star Online reported that Phugdal, a 68-year-old former public school teacher, was chosen by virtue of being a direct descendant of Sultan Sharif ul-Hashim, the first Sultan of Sulu.

Azzimudie, 74, gained notoriety after leading some 200 Sulu gunmen on a month-long incursion of Lahad Datu, Sabah in February 2013, ending in a deadly battle with Malaysian security forces that reportedly killed 68 of the intruders and 10 Malaysian security personnel.

Malaysian authorities have since arrested 173 people in connection with the invasion, with 27 Filipinos and three locals being tried on terrorism-related charges.

The intrusion prompted Malaysian authorities to beef up security in Sabah’s porous eastern maritime borders, setting up the Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) in March 2013 to man a 1,400-kilometre stretch from Kudat to Tawau.

Alleged descendants of the Sulu Sultanate have long laid claim on Sabah, arguing that the once-thriving kingdom had merely leased out North Borneo – as the state was formerly known – to the British North Borneo Company at a rate of 5,000 Malayan dollars in 1878, a figure that was revised upwards to 5,300 Malayan dollars in 1903.

Sabah later joined Malaya, Sarawak and Singapore to form Malaysia in 1963, but the country continues to pay the annual stipend of RM5,300 on the basis that the Sulu Sultanate cedes its claim on the state.

http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/self-proclaimed-sulu-sultanate-names-new-raja-muda

Noy to MILF: Name SAF killers, show sincerity

From the Philippine Star (Jan 29): Noy to MILF: Name SAF killers, show sincerity

 

President Benigno Aquino III addresses the nation in a live broadcast Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2015 from Malacanang Palace in Manila on Sunday's incident in Maguindanao province where 44 anti-terror police commandos were killed allegedly in a clash with Muslim guerrillas in southern Philippines. Aquino declared a National Day of Mourning on Friday for the slain commandos. AP Photo/Bullit Marquez

National day of mourning declared  

MANILA, Philippines - The peace process must continue, but the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) must show its sincerity in wanting peace, President Aquino said last night.

In a nationally televised address, the President said that at the minimum, the MILF must identify those who were involved in the slaughter of 44 members of the police Special Action Force (SAF) who were trying to arrest two high-value terrorists last Sunday in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.

Calling the SAF men “heroes,” the President also said the guns and personal belongings of the dead must be returned.

The MILF must also “step aside” as government forces continue to hunt down Malaysian Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) bomb maker Zulkifli bin Hir, alias Marwan, and Filipino Abdul Basit Usman, Aquino said, even as he noted that Marwan might have been killed by the SAF team.

Aquino announced that tomorrow would be observed as a national day of mourning for the 44 men, who were attacked by what the President said were combined forces of the MILF, its supposed breakaway group the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and a “private armed group.”
Between the two of them, Marwan and Usman had at least 10 outstanding arrest warrants dating back to 2002 for various terrorist attacks and plots, the President said as he emphasized that the operation to get them was a continuing one that did not require a specific green light from him.

He expressed confidence that the MILF “is studying how to demonstrate their sincerity in the peace process.”

The President asked the nation to suspend judgment until all the facts have been established by both the Philippine National Police and a probe team formed by the MILF.

“I expect that in the soonest possible time, there will be more concrete proof of cooperation on the part of the MILF to go after peace, go after the truth and making those guilty responsible,” Aquino said in his speech delivered in Filipino.

Usman belongs to the Abu Sayyaf and is believed to have links with JI, a Southeast Asian terror cell linked to al-Qaeda.

Answering a question after his speech, the President said that since the MILF has areas under its control in Maguindanao, its men would have to “step aside to make the operations” against Usman and anybody else who would try to shield him successful.

He said there should be no more worries that government troops would run into another “misencounter” while pursuing terrorists.

“I expect – but they will have to discuss this among themselves – what is the extent that they will help us? Recovery of the firearms; identification of the people who actually did the acts; recovery of personal effects and things like that, I think, will be reasonable to expect from them,” he said.

“At this point in time, I am very, very confident that they will… and they are studying exactly how to demonstrate their sincerity in this peace process,” Aquino said.

“When I say they should show their sincerity,  (government forces) can operate in that area relatively freely. They have access to informants that we may not have access to at this point in time,” he explained.

He said it would be easy just to make a list of names without proof, only to see the suspects absolved later. “We are after finding out who are really accountable and make the real guilty responsible,” Aquino said.

He said the MILF had formed its own fact-finding team, and “we can expect that there will be that much more cooperation from them when we file the appropriate charges, once we have developed the necessary evidence.”

Lack of coordination

The President said there was a lack of coordination among government forces before the mission was carried out.

He said all the details of the operation as well as the questions surrounding the clash with the MILF and the BIFF – including the supposed lack of coordination with the MILF – would be answered through the Board of Inquiry formed by Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel Roxas II.

The President stressed it would be difficult for him to make allegations without facts, especially since the coordination expected between the Philippine National Police-SAF operatives and the Armed Forces of the Philippines did not occur in the first place.

Aquino said there had been a major breakthrough in the peace process because of the trust that the two sides had established, citing the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro signed by the government and the MILF in March last year.

Another proof of such trust was when both parties worked to save a Japanese national kidnapped in Maguindanao as well as the thwarting of a bomb plot in the same area, both in 2014.

Aquino also noted the pronouncement of MILF chairman Al Haj Murad Ebrahim that the MILF would form a Special Investigative Commission to find out details and the truth about the incident.

He appealed to the public to avoid speculating on what really happened, and quoted from the Bible that “the truth shall set us free.”

The President warned there were those already taking advantage of the tragic Mamasapano incident to erode trust between the two sides.

“There are those suggesting to stop pushing for the (passage of the proposed) Bangsamoro Basic Law at the House of Representatives and the Senate. This should not happen,” he said.

“The whole of the peace process depends on this measure. If we will fail to pass this bill the soonest time possible, the peace process will be derailed, the status quo will remain,” Aquino said.

If this happens, the President said more people would lose hope and instead choose to commit atrocities. He added it would be like helping Marwan and Usman achieve their goal of perpetrating crimes and driving communities to evacuation centers because of incessant fighting.

He also said giving up on the peace process would defeat the very purpose of the SAF operatives in sacrificing their lives.

The President said amid the tests and challenges, the more the nation should unite and move forward with the peace process, particularly the passage of the BBL and the creation of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority.

Aquino stressed this would be the only way to correct the political system in Mindanao and for the majority of the people in the area to benefit from peace.

The President said there were mechanisms in place so the government and MILF forces could work together in carrying out law enforcement operations.

In declaring Friday a national day of mourning, Aquino said the dead commandos deserved honors for their sacrifice.

“Without question, these people are heroes; they who willingly put themselves in danger to address threats to our security; they who were wounded; they who gave their lives in the name of peace,” he said.

“As President and as father of this country, I am greatly saddened that our policemen had to lay down their lives for this mission. To honor those who perished, I am declaring a national day of mourning to symbolize the sorrow and empathy of our entire country,” Aquino said.

“I guarantee: the state will give the maximum assistance it can, within the limits of the laws and rules. On this occasion, I also take the opportunity to appeal to the public: if possible let us extend our utmost support to the bereaved, and maximize the help we can give to the families of those who fell, in recognition of the valor of these heroes who gave their lives for the realization of the peace we have long desired,” he said.

http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2015/01/29/1417936/noy-milf-name-saf-killers-show-sincerity

Purported photo of slain Malaysian bomber Marwan surfaces in Southern Philippines (Warning graphic photo)

From the Mindanao Examiner BlogSpot site (Jan 29): Purported photo of slain Malaysian bomber Marwan surfaces in Southern Philippines





Purported photo of slain Zulkifli bin Hir sent to the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner. (Text by Mark Navales)

A notorious Malaysian leader of the Jemaah Islamiya, Zulkifli bin Hir, may have been slain in fighting with Filipino police commandos in the southern Philippines.

A purported mug shot photo of Zulkifli, alias Marwan, was sent to the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner as proof that the dreaded terrorist – who had a $5 million bounty offered by the United States - is dead.

The photo showed blood oozing from Zulkifli’s nose. The picture was believed taken by one of the raiders, who reportedly cut off one of Zulkifli's fingers so it can be used for DNA analysis, the source of the photo said.

 The daring raid was similar to the US mission ordered by President Obama in Pakistan that killed al-Qaeda leader Usama bin Laden.

The once feared Malaysian bomber is on the US list of most wanted terrorists. He was believed to be the head of the Kumpulun Mujahidin Malaysia terrorist organization and a member of Jemaah Islamiya’s central command. Since August 2003, he has been present in the Philippines, where he is believed to have conducted bomb-making training for the Abu Sayyaf.

There was no report about another Filipino terrorist Basit Usman, who was reportedly with Zulkifli, when police commandos raided the village of Tukanalipao in Mamasapano town in Maguindanao province.

Police said 44 commandos were killed when they intruded into the 105th Base Command of the former rebel group Moro Islamic Liberation Front which signed a peace agreement with Manila last year.

The MILF said members of the police Special Action Force commandos attacked its base, sparking daylong clashes on January 25. The US military was believed to have played a vital role in the operation that killed Zulkifli.

Mohagher Iqbal, MILF vice chairman, said the operation of the police commandos was uncoordinated. “We were not even informed about this (operation) and it was not coordinated with us. They attacked the 105th Base Command and our members defended themselves from the attack,” he told the Mindanao Examiner.

The army also said the police failed to inform or coordinate with them when they mounted the operations that led to fierce clashes with former rebels. Another rebel group, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, also attacked police commandos and killing more than a dozen of them.

Emmanuel Fontanilla, a spokesman for the former rebel group Moro National Liberation Front which signed a peace deal with Manila in 1996, said Zulkifli was not even in Maguindanao’s Mamasapano town when police commandos raided a purported JI hideout in Tukanalipao village on January 25.

“Masakit po yung nangyari (at) mga kapatid din natin yung namatay. Ang pagkakaalam namin yung kanilang subject ay wala po doon. Wala po doon. Nasa Lanao po. Mali yung intelligence nila. Mabuti pa nagtanong sila sa amin,” Fontanilla said in a radio interview with dzMM.

Mamasapano town Mayor Tahirodin Benzar Ampatuan also said there were no reports that Usman or Zulkifli were hiding in his town. “We have no reports that Usman or Zulkifli are hiding in our town. What the police raided was the 105th Base Command of the MILF,” he told the Mindanao Examiner.

Ampatuan said police also did not inform or coordinate with him when they launched the operation in Tukanalipao village. “We are not even aware of the police operation and police did not coordinate with us,” he said.

Defense chief Voltaire Gazmin and Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, citing intelligence information, earlier said Zulkifli was killed in the battle and that there is a photograph of his cadaver to prove the terrorist was slain. Roxas said they are waiting for the DNA results to back up the report.

Regional Governor Mujiv Hataman also claimed that Zulkifli was killed and that his body was recovered by civilians and immediately buried in accordance with the Islamic tradition. He said the body cannot be exhumed because it is against Islam.

“Kagabi nagva-validate din tayo, ang sabi eh inilibing na. Community na ang naglibing. Kasi usually, by tradition, kung mayroong Muslim na namatay, mayroong obligasyong ilibing within 24 hours. Not necessarily and BIFF or MILF ang naglibing sa kanya, “Hataman also told dzMM.

Murad Ebrahim, the secluded chieftain of the MILF, has ordered an investigation into the clashes. “Our concern is the truth. There will be a lot of speculations as to what happened and until what happened is established with credibility and integrity, the said incident will weigh down our current efforts to bring peace to our homeland,” he said in a statement.

“In order to give meaning to their deaths, we must resolve not to let something like this happen again. To this end, the MILF is convening a Special Investigative Commission to be composed of members of the MILF Central Committee and BIAF (Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces) General Staff who are tasked to investigate the events at Mamasapano, Maguindanao that resulted in the death of members of the MILF and of soldiers of the Philippine Government,” he added.

Despite the violence and mounting calls by politicians to review the peace accord with the MILF, Ebrahim reiterated their commitment to the peace process. “We hereby reiterate the MILF’s full commitment to the peace process with the Philippine Government. An enduring peace and justice remain to be our primary objective. In this regard, all actions and pronouncements of our political and military units of the MILF should advance and adhere to this primary objective as much as possible and with due regard to the safety and security of our people and communities,” he said.

Ebrahim also condoled with the families of the slain police commandos.“First and foremost, we express and send our deepest sympathies to the families and friends of those who died in the armed encounter in Mamasapano, Maguindanao. The emotions of loss and pain are not alien to us Bangsamoro and Mujahideen. Nevertheless, respect and solidarity is due to all, irrespective of which side they belong,” he said.

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