Friday, February 6, 2015

Full Text: PNoy’s speech on Marwan’s death, Purisima’s resignation and the Mamasapano clash

From GMA News (Feb 6): Full Text: PNoy’s speech on Marwan’s death, Purisima’s resignation and the Mamasapano clash

[Video report]

Hindi po madali ang landas tungo sa kapayapaan. Marami nang Pilipino ang nagbuwis ng buhay para labanan ang mga nais magpatuloy ang dahas at hidwaan. Ang pinakaayaw magkaroon ng digmaan ay ang mga pulis at sundalo, dahil sila ang una at pinakamalaki ang sakripisyo kapag nagkagulo. At bilang Pangulo at Commander-in-Chief, pasan ko naman po ang responsibilidad para sa anumang resulta, sa anumang tagumpay, pasakit, o trahedya, na maaari nating matamasa sa paghahangad ng pangmatagalang seguridad at kapayapaan.
 
Noong ika-24 ng Enero, nagsagawa ng operasyon ang ating Special Action Force sa Mamasapano, Maguindanao. Target nila ang dalawang kilabot na terorista: Pangunahin ang Malaysian na si Zulkifli Bin Hir, alias Abu Marwan, at si Basit Usman. Tagumpay po ang operasyon laban kay Marwan.
 
Mabigat ang naging kapalit ng tagumpay na ito. 44 na bayani ng Special Action Force ang nagbuwis ng buhay. Sa mga pamilya ng nasawi: Noong nakaraang Biyernes po, nakiusap akong makapanayam kayo, at salamat naman at pinagbigyan ninyo ako, sa panahong puwede ko na kayong makausap nang may dalang sapat na kaalaman sa nangyari, at mga mungkahi para sa inyong kinabukasan. At gaya po ng responsibilidad ko sa inyong mga mahal sa buhay, responsibilidad ko rin kayo; tungkulin kong siguruhing masusuklian nang tama ang sakripisyo ng inyong mga kaanak. Iyon pa rin po ang panata ko sa inyo: Sa nalalabi kong labimpitong buwan sa puwesto, ginagawa ko na at gagawin ko pa ang lahat ng nararapat para tiyaking nasa maayos ang inyong kalagayan.
 
Ako ang Ama ng Bayan, at 44 sa aking mga anak ang nasawi. Hindi na sila maibabalik; nangyari ang trahedya sa ilalim ng aking panunungkulan; dadalhin ko po hanggang sa huling mga araw ko ang pangyayaring ito. Responsibilidad ko po sila, kasama ang buong puwersa ng SAF sa operasyong ito, pati na ang mga nagligtas sa kanila na nalagay din sa panganib ang buhay.
 
Ang mga teroristang tulad nina Marwan at Usman ay walang-pakundangan at walang-konsensiyang pumapatay ng mga inosente, kaya sadyang mapanganib ang tugisin sila. International terrorist po itong si Marwan, na matagal nang pinaghahanap hindi lang natin, kundi pati ng ibang bansa. Hindi natin inaasahan na para silang maamong tupang basta na lang sasama kapag pinakitaan mo ng warrant.
 
Sa mga operasyong iniuulat sa atin, parati nating binabalikan ang mga leksiyon o aral na dala nito, lalo na kung tayo’y nalalagasan ng tropa. Kaya nga po, patuloy ang pagtatanong ko: Mayroon pa bang maaaring nagawa, para naiwasan sana ang trahedya?
 
2002 pa po wanted sina Marwan at Usman. Marami nang operasyon para tugisin sila, bago pa tayo maging Pangulo. Itong pinakahuling bersiyon ng plano ay makailang ulit na rin pong in-abort. Tulad ninyo, gusto ko ring malaman ang buong nangyari sa pagkakataong ito, at buo ang tiwala kong lilitaw ito sa isang masusi at walang-kinikilingang imbestigasyon ng Board of Inquiry. Inaabangan po natin ang resulta nito. Pero bilang Pangulo, kasama po sa aking responsibilidad ang matukoy, ngayon na, ang mga nangyaring mali, upang maitama agad ito. Tungkulin kong mahanap ang katarungan sa lalong madaling panahon.
 
Dahil nga po dito, nagsagawa ako ng sariling pagsisiyasat at panayam sa mga kasama sa operasyong ito. Malinaw pong lumalabas: Malayo na ang sitwasyong dinatnan ng mga tropa, sa inasahan sa plano.
 
Mulat po dapat dito ang commander ng operasyon, lalo pa’t matagal siyang nakadestino sa Mindanao. Inaasahan sa kanya ang tinatawag na situational awareness. Bilang commander, siya ang nakakaalam ng kabuuang plano, at sa mga panganib na dala nito; siya ang unang nakakaalam kung naipapatupad ito nang tama. Alam niya dapat ang nangyayari sa bawat sandali.
 
Sa ating pag-aaral sa talagang nangyari, dahil nga malaki na ang ipinagbago ng sitwasyong dinatnan sa inaasahan na plano, may di-bababa sa tatlong pagkakataon kung kailan maaaring in-abort o pinagpaliban ang operasyon, o di kaya’y binago nang husto ang plano. Tumindi pa ang pangangailangang gawin iyon, dahil alam niyang walang koordinasyon sa inaasahang ayuda, at manipis, kung mayroon man, ang maitutulong ng Sandatahang Lakas dahil walang sapat na panahon na makapaghanda.
 
Bakit nangyaring walang koordinasyon? Bakit itinuloy ang misyon gayong napakalihis na nito sa orihinal na plano, at napakalaking peligro na ang kinakaharap ng ating mga tropa? Iyan po, at marami pang iba, ang mga tanong na bumabagabag sa aking isip. Magkakaroon po ng pagkakataon ang dating SAF commander na ipaliwanag ang mga ito sa kanyang pagharap sa kinauukulan.
 
Naging malaking bahagi din po ng layunin nating tugisin sina Marwan at Usman ang papel ni General Alan Purisima. Marami siyang iniambag sa mahabang proseso at maraming operasyon na pinlano para dito. Hindi rin naman po lingid sa kaalaman ng publiko na mahaba ang aming pinagdaanan. Noon pong coup d’etat, o iyong attempted coup d’etat ng 1987, panatag ang loob ko bago kami na-ambush na may sapat na kakayahan ang aming security personnel. Dahil nga po halos naubos ang mga kasamahan ko, nayanig ang aking kompiyansa. Si Alan Purisima po ang nag-design, nagpatupad, nagtrain sa amin ng isang modified VIP protection course; malaki ang naitulong nito sa panunumbalik ng aking kompiyansa. Mula noon, hanggang ngayon, marami kaming pinagdaanan; kasama ko siya sa pakikipagtunggali sa mga makapangyarihang interes na maaari kaming ipahamak. Noong mga panahong bahagi ako ng oposisyon, bagama’t peligroso sa kanyang karera ang pagiging malapit sa akin, hindi po ako iniwan ni Alan.
 
Kaya nga po, siguro naman ay maiintindihan ninyo kung bakit masakit para sa akin na aalis siya sa serbisyo sa ilalim ng ganitong pagkakataon. Tinatanggap ko po, effective immediately, ang resignation ni General Purisima. At nagpapasalamat ako sa mahabang panahon ng kanyang paglilingkod bago mangyari ang trahedyang ito.
 
Tinitiyak ko naman po sa inyo: Ginagawa natin ang lahat para malaman ang buong katotohanan. Anumang mabubuong ulat ay magbibigay sa atin ng mahahalagang aral, upang masigurong hindi na mauulit pa ang trahedyang ito. Magkakaroon ng mga pagbabago.
 
Ginagampanan ko, at gagampanan ko pa ang aking mga tungkulin. Kailangang ibangon muli ang morale ng mga tropa ng Special Action Force. Kailangang maibalik ang kanilang kalagayan bilang isang fully operational unit. Bagama’t may gustong gumawa ng hidwaan sa pagitan ng AFP at PNP, titiyakin nating hindi sila magtatagumpay; hindi dapat masayang ang napakaganda na nilang ugnayan, na nakikita na natin na natin sa rescue operations tuwing may kalamidad, o sa iba pang mga operasyon kung saan magkatuwang silang rumeresponde sa mga banta sa ating seguridad, tulad ng nangyari sa Zamboanga siege. Alalahanin po natin, hindi pa tapos ang ating trabaho: Malaya pa si Usman.
 
Sa mga kasapi at liderato ng MILF: Mula pa noong umpisa, tinuturing ko kayo bilang mga kapatid sa paghahangad ng kapayapaan. At hanggang ngayon, umaasa ako na tutulong kayo na hanapin ang hustisya; kailangang panagutin ang lahat ng may sala, lalo na kung totoong may mga sugatan at hindi makalaban na tuluyan pa ring pinatay. Magandang unang hakbang ang pagkilos ninyo upang limitahan ang kilos ng BIFF.
 
Ukol naman kay Usman, nais kong ipahayag: Kung nasa loob siya ng inyong teritoryo o nasa ilalim siya ng pangangalaga ng sinuman sa inyo, inaasahan kong isusuko ninyo siya sa mga awtoridad. Kung hindi, ay gawin ang lahat upang tumulong sa pagdakip sa kanya. At kung hindi pa rin maaari ito, ay huwag makialam sa aming pag-uusig kay Usman.
 
Magsilbi sana itong babala at paalala: Huhulihin namin si Usman, anuman ang maging desisyon ninyo, sino man ang kumukupkop sa kanya, at saan man siya nagtatago. Walang dapat magduda: Magkatuwang ang adhikain natin para sa kapayapaan at katarungan. Sa mga naliligaw naman ng landas, na magtatangka pang humadlang sa pagtugis namin kay Usman, tandaan  na ninyo: Estado ang kalaban ninyo, at sasagasaan namin kayo.
 
Sa mga miyembro ng ating unipormadong hanay: Kasama ninyo kami, sa harap, tabi, o likod man, kung saan ninyo kami kailangan; anumang hihilingin sa inyo, handa kaming gawin ito kasama ninyo. Sinisiguro ko sa inyo: Hindi kayo nag-iisa.
 
Muli po, sa mga pamilya ng nasawing kasapi ng SAF: Walang salitang sasapat upang ibsan ang sakit ng nawalan. Sa bawat isa sa inyo, at sa bawat isang nalalagay sa peligro ang buhay, tulad ng sinabi sa amin ng bayang Pilipino noong kami’y naulila, sinasabi ko sa inyo ngayon: Hindi rin kayo nag-iisa.
 
Sa lahat po ng nakikisanib sa atin sa paghahangad ng kapayapaan: Desidido kaming ituloy ang laban. At gusto ko rin naman pong sabihin sa mga humaharang sa ating adhikain, lalo na ang mga gumagamit ng dahas: Itaga ninyo sa bato, lalo pa ninyong madarama ang pinatalas at pinatinding lakas ng nagkakaisang sambayanang Pilipino.
 
Manatili sana tayong nakatutok sa ating pangunahing layunin: Ang malawakan at pangmatagalang kapayapaan. Ito ang ipinaglaban ng Special Action Force sa Mamasapano. Ito ang patuloy na ipinaglalaban ng bawat disenteng Pilipinong gustong mag-iwan ng mas magandang kinabukasan para sa mga susunod na henerasyon. Sa pamamagitan ng pagkakaisa at pagtutulungan, matatamo natin ang katarungan, masusuklian natin ang sakripisyo ng ating kapulisan, at matutupad natin ang ating kolektibong mga pangarap.
 
Magandang gabi po, maraming salamat sa inyong lahat.

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/428414/news/nation/full-text-pnoy-s-speech-on-marwan-s-death-purisima-s-resignation-and-the-mamasapano-clash

BIFF member admits selling firearms taken from slain SAF men

From GMA News (Feb 6): BIFF member admits selling firearms taken from slain SAF men

(Updated 10:43 p.m.) A member of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) has admitted that they took the firearms and some of the personal items of the 44 elite policemen killed in the infamous January 25 Mamasapano clash.

In a report on GMA News TV's Quick Response Team on Friday, the BIFF member, identified only as Kiram, said they sold most of the weapons and used the money to purchase more bullets for their operations.

"Sa amin lang, pito ang nabenta namin,” he said, adding that among the firearms seized from the fallen policemen were Bushmaster 150s, M203 grenade launchers, and M-60 machines guns.

But there was one weapon the BIFF did not sell. “'Yung Barrett. Sa totoo lang, hindi namin ibebenta 'yun, kasi mahalaga sa amin ang sniper,” Kiram said.

The slain policemen were Special Action Force commandos who swooped down on a remote village in Mamasapano on the wee hours of January 25 to serve arrest warrants on two terrorists, but figured in a clash with Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and BIFF combatants.

Kiram said aside from the weapons, they took the night vision goggles and uniforms of the dead SAF members.
The TV report said the SAF admitted having these firearms in their inventory, but could not verify if the team deployed to Mamasapano had them during the operation. Police officials have repeatedly appealed to the MILF, which has an existing peace agreement with the government, to return the weapons taken from the dead policemen.

After the "24 Oras" report was aired, BIFF spokesman Abu Misry Mama contacted GMA News to deny that "Kiram" is a member of the group. In a text message, and over the phone, Mama said that the source "had been paid by someone" to pretend to be a member of the BIFF.

Marwan

Kiram, meanwhile, admitted in the report that ever since the group was formed in 2008, they have been coddling Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan, the main target of the SAF operation.

He said not even a $5-million bounty from the US government can make them surrender Marwan, who is blamed for the 2002 Bali bombing.

"Mahalaga sa amin si Marwan dahil sa Islam, hindi namin kaya ituro ang kapatid namin sa Islam kaysa kakaunting salapi lang na makukuha namin," he said.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has confirmed that the DNA sample sent to them following the Mamapasanon clash was that of Marwan.

Philippine government officials have claimed that Marwan was killed in the operation.

But despite his admissions, Kiram denied they mutilated the fallen SAF commandos, noting that the policemen were killed by high-caliber weapons during the firefight.

“Hindi naman sa ganoon na namatay na ang tropa ng mga SAF ay binaril din namin. Hindi 'yun totoo! Natamaan sila sa gitna ng putukan. Kasi kami mayroon din kaming pinaglalaban na prinsipyo eh,” he said.

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/428463/news/nation/biff-member-admits-selling-firearms-taken-from-slain-saf-men

Army cites PDOP progress in DavNor

From the Philippine Information Agency (Feb 6): Army cites PDOP progress in DavNor

The 1003rd Infantry Brigade in Davao del Norte is making headway in rolling out its Peace and Development Program (PDOP)  as it nears in their schedule to declare  the province as “totally normalized” from insurgency.

In an interview yesterday, Col. Harold Cabreros, commander of 1003re Inf. Bde described the implementation of PDOP  in hinterlands of Davao del Norte as “successful” citing  the confidence  that his command elicited from the people.

“Our PDOP is successful.  We were able to clear the (insurgency) affected  (areas) particularly in Kapalong, New Corella and San Isidro  and Asuncion and with the help of the others stakeholders, the LGUs from the provincial down to the barangay levels,” Cabreros said in an interview after the Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) Meeting yesterday led by Provincial Governor Rodolfo P. Del Rosario.

Among the strategic activities done in target insurgency-affected areas were livelihood projects, medical  outreach activities, distribution of tree seedlings, among others, with the help of some non-government organizations  among which were the Kiwanis Club and The Fraternal Order of Eagles.

He also cited the Serbisyo Caravan of the Association of Regional Executive of National Agencies (ARENA) XI  conducted on Nov. 30 in Gupitan, Kapalong as among the major outreach activities  that had  helped the military bring back to the government the confidence of the Indigenous Peoples  (IP) communities.

In his report to the PPOC, the 1003rd troops also staged a drive to train community youths on leadership, waged a gift-giving activity in Christmas last year and even brought IP kids to dine with them at Jollibee Tagum.

“Noong pasko,  nanganga-roling ang ating mga sundalo sa bahay-bahay, tapos sila ang namigay ng regalo,” (Last Christmas the soldiers went caroling house to house and gave gifts)  he said in the PPOC meeting during which the 1003rd Inf. Bde. reported its accomplishment in 2014.

 This quarter, the 453th Engineering Battalion of the 1003rd Inf. Bde will construct a farm-to-market road in sitio Nasilaban in Talaingod and in sitio Patel in Kapalong, providing access roads to peripheral IP communities, he said.

“It is a welcome development  that the populace  has been waiting for,”  Cabreros said referring to residents of the far-flung communities where the military engineering battalion will open up a road in tie-up with LGUs.

As normalization efforts of the military is gaining ground,  Cabreros reported to PPOC that his command set to declare the entire province as normalized by last week of March or early April this year.

Cabreros made it clear that only portions of outskirts Barangay Gupitan in Kapalong and some sitios of Talaingod were eyed by his command as focused areas of “normalization" operation.

http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/1591423201107/army-cites-pdop-progress-in-davnor

Army, Police to put up joint action centers in Davao del Norte

From the Philippine Information Agency (Feb 6): Army, Police to put up joint action centers in Davao del Norte

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) stationed in Davao del Norte will put up action centers in strategic areas in the province.

Col. Harold Cabreros, commanding officer of the 1003rd Infantry Brigade, said that the Joint AFP-PNP Action Center (JAPAC) will serve as a nerve center for collaborateive and joint actions and points of contact between and among their units to maintain peace in the province.

“This is good because it will strengthen our partnership with the PNP especially that we are helping each other in the law enforcement, which is the police’s main function and in our internal security,” Col. Cabreros added.

He added that the action center will immediately address complaints and reports from the people.

“The center will eventually prevent incursions and resurgence of the rebel group, address criminalities in the area and help develop the capability of the local government unit,” he said.

Cabreros revealed that the action center will also composed of the barangay peace keeping action team (BPATS) and the peace and development volunteers who are trained by the military.

He said that with PSSupt Samuel Gadingan, provincial director of the Davao del Norte Provincial Police Office (DNPPO), they will operationalize the action center before the Palarong Pambansa hosting of the province.

“We are hoping that by before May 3, which is the start of the Palarong Pambansa, we can put up the action centers in the ingress and egress of the province,” Cabreros said.

He disclosed that the action centers will be placed in Kapalong, San Isidro, Talaingod, Panabo City and Tagum City.

The plan was presented yesterday during the Provincial Peace and Order Council Meeting at the Girls Scout of the Philippines (GSP) Hall, Tagum City and was recommended to be endorsed to the local chief executives concerned.

http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/2871423190600/army-police-to-put-up-joint-action-centers-in-davao-del-norte

President Aquino says operation to get Marwan deviated from original plan

From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 7): President Aquino says operation to get Marwan deviated from original plan

President Benigno Aquino III on Friday said the operation to get two high profile terrorists -- Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan and Abdul Basit Usman -- on January 25 was ‘vastly different from what was expected under the plans.”

The finding was based on the investigations that the President himself conducted through interviews with the Special Action Force (SAF) commandos who participated in the operation.

The mission has resulted in the killing of 44 SAF men after they encountered with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) elements in the area of operation in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.

”It is clearly emerged that: The situation our troops found on the ground was vastly different from what was expected under the plans,” the President said in his televised address to the nation.

The President said sacked SAF chief Police Director Getulio Napeñas Jr. should have been aware of the situation since he has long been assigned to Mindanao.

”Situational awareness is demanded of him. As commander, he had full knowledge of the entire plan, together with the dangers that came with it; he would be the first to know if the plan was being executed correctly. He should have known what was happening at every moment,” the President said.

President Aquino also found out that Napeñas had at least three chances to abort or postpone the operation “or when the plan could have been dramatically changed.”

”There was an even greater need for this, especially since he was well aware that no coordination had taken place regarding expected assistance, and since the Armed Forces could render little aid, if at all, because they were not given sufficient time to prepare,” the President said.

Just like millions of Filipinos and other public officials, the President also asked why there was no coordination with the AFP.

”How and why did it happen that there was no coordination? Why did the mission continue, when it had deviated so far from the original plan, and our troops were already in grave danger?,” President Aquino asked.

President Aquino said Napenas will be given a chance to explain himself “in the appropriate proceedings”, including the PNP Board of Inquiry.

Napenas reportedly claimed the AFP was aware of the situation, that was denied by the AFP leadership.

The sacked SAF commander also said suspended PNP chief Director General Alan Purisima was giving instructions to him during the operation, a claim the latter also denied.

Purisima tendered his resignation which the President accepted on Friday "effective immediately."

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=733326

402nd Infantry Brigade has new commanding officer

From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 7): 402nd Infantry Brigade has new commanding officer

The Butuan City-based 402nd Infantry Brigade has a new commanding officer in the person of Col. Isidro L. Purisima.

Change-of-command ceremonies took place Feb. 4, a statement forwarded Saturday by 4th Infantry Division spokesperson Major Christian Uy, disclosed.

Purisima replaced Brig. Gen. Jonathan G. Ponce who was promoted as the Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Reservist and Retiree Affairs, J9, Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Present in the ceremonies were 4th Infantry Division commander Major Gen. Oscar T. Lactao.

Purisima is a member of the Philippine Military Academy “Sandiwa” Class of 1985.

He is not new in his present area of assignment since he spent his military services in the CARAGA region as battalion commander of the 30th Infantry Battalion from 2005 to 2007 and become the Assistant Chief of Staff for Operation, G3, 4th Infantry Division, which was the overall in-charge of the different operations.

Purisima is a well decorated Army officer who received various military awards for excellence in combat and administration, letters and plaques of commendation and appreciation from different military units and civilian sectors.

He vowed to continue what his predecessor has started and he assured to give the primary importance to the peace process with rebel groups and other threat groups to work well in collaboration with different stakeholders to achieve the genuine peace in this part of the country."

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=733332

8 Abu Sayyaf slain, 14 troops, including officer, wounded in Sulu clash

From InterAksyon (Feb 7): 8 Abu Sayyaf slain, 14 troops, including officer, wounded in Sulu clash



At least eight Abu Ssayyaf gunmen died and 14 government troops, including a junior officer, were wounded in a clash in Sulu province Friday, the military’s report on the incident said.

The report said 12 of the wounded soldiers are “in stable condition” and that the Abu Sayyaf also suffered nine wounded after the military called in artillery and air support during the fighting in Sitio Tanum, Barangay Buhangin in Patikul town
.
The wounded troops, all from Bravo Company of the Army's 35th Infantry Battalion, are:
  1. 1st Lieutenant Edwin C. Mateo
  2. Staff Sergeant Rico N. Haluag
  3. Staff Sergeant Mario C. Macas
  4. Sergeant Mhienhar M. Sahial
  5. Corporal Eddie O. Saha
  6. Corporal Joel R. Torrion
  7. Private First Class Henry J. Sacay
  8. Private First Class Aldren H. Juani
  9. Private First Class Renante T. Lusay
  10. Private First Class Reyji S. Monsales
  11. Private First Class Gajir T. Radjah
  12. Private First Class Argie C. Maala
  13. Private First Class Ronello P. Anadeo
  14. Private First Class Malik B. Taha
Fresh troops from the 16th Special Forces Company and the 14th Light Armor Company were inserted into the combat area to pursue the Abu Sayyaf with Marine Battalion Landing Team 2 positioned to prevent the gunmen from withdrawing toward Talipao and Panglima Estino towns.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/104591/8-abu-sayyaf-slain-14-troops-including-officer-wounded-in-sulu-clash

Aquino demands MILF rebels surrender top militant Usman

From InterAksyon (Feb 7): Aquino demands MILF rebels surrender top militant Usman



Video grab of top terrorist Abdul Basit Usman

President Benigno Aquino III on Friday demanded Muslim rebels surrender a top terror suspect who escaped a bloody police raid or be "run over" in a government manhunt.

In a televised address, Aquino sought to calm public outrage over the death of 44 police commandos in a chaotic bloodbath that targeted two most-wanted terrorists.

Zulkifli bin Hir, better known as Marwan and a key suspect in the 2002 Bali bombings, was believed killed in the raid. Abdul Basit Usman -- accused of taking part in at least nine bombings in the Philippines -- is thought to be hiding with rebel groups.

"If Usman is in your territory, I expect you to surrender him to authorities, help arrest him, or don't interfere in the manhunt," Aquino said, addressing the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

"To those who have lost their way, who would still stand in our way, remember this: you are fighting the state, and we will run you over," he said.

The MILF signed a peace treaty with Manila last year aimed at ending a decades-old rebellion that has claimed more than 120,000 lives.

"May this serve as a warning and a reminder: we will get Usman, whatever you decide, regardless of who provides a safe haven for him, regardless of where he may be hiding," he said.

Aquino has been heavily criticized over the botched January 25 raid on the southern island of Mindanao which descended into chaos when police were ambushed by rebel forces, including members of the MILF.

'Very dangerous'

Usman, charged in Philippine courts over bombings since 2003, is believed to have links to the Southeast Asian militant group Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) and the local Abu Sayyaf outfit. The US government is offering a $1-million reward for his capture.

DNA analysis by the FBI indicated that Malaysian bombmaker Zulkifli, a top JI militant and a key suspect in the 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202 people, was killed, Manila said. The US had offered a $5-million bounty for him.

The bloodshed threatens not only the peace treaty, but Aquino's hold on power as it has left security forces demoralized, said Ramon Casiple, executive director of the Manila-based Institute for Political and Electoral Reform.

"It's the biggest political crisis he has faced. The survival of his administration, his legacy, and the peace process are all at stake," Casiple told AFP.

"This can cost him his life. This is a very dangerous situation because he picked a fight with his bodyguards... It's a terrifying situation," he said.

The Philippines has a long history of military uprisings, including two that toppled presidents Ferdinand Marcos in 1986 and Joseph Estrada in 2001.
Aquino was ambushed in a failed coup against his mother, democracy icon Corazon “Cory” Aquino in 1987. A bullet from the attack remains lodged in his neck.

Aquino tried to calm the furor during his Friday speech, pledging support for the slain police officers' widows and orphans.

"I am the father of this country and 44 of my children were killed. They can no longer be brought back. This tragedy happened during my term, and I will carry this to the end of my days," he said.

'Big name'

The president was savagely criticized after he skipped arrival honors for the policemen's remains at Manila airport. He also arrived late to funeral services the following day.

"He has gone from one blunder to another... This is a slow-burning crisis that is very difficult to stop because the sacrifices involved are massive," Casiple said.

Aquino said he made his own informal investigation into the incident and found that the situation on the ground was "vastly different" than expected during planning.

He also announced Friday the resignation of national police chief Alan Purisima, who oversaw the police assault.

Zulkifli's death was the "most significant terrorist kill in recent years," international terrorism expert Rohan Gunaratna, of Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, told AFP.

Jakarta-based security analyst Sidney Jones agreed Zulkifli was a "big name", but said his death would not have a huge impact on the new generation of fighters.

"It's symbolic because he was one person who always seemed to evade capture," said Jones, the director of the Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/104569/aquino-demands-milf-rebels-surrender-top-militant-usman

CPP: Killing of civilians and US war of terror instigate retaliatory extremist violence

Propaganda statement posted to the CPP Website (Feb 6): Killing of civilians and US war of terror instigate retaliatory extremist violence

Logo.cpp
Communist Party of the Philippines
 
The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) condemns the killing of several unarmed civilians by the Special Action Forces of the Philippine National Police (PNP-SAF) in the course of the US-instigated and -directed operation to assassinate Zulkipli Bin Hir alias Marwan in Barangay Tukanalipao, Mamasapono, Maguindanao last January 25.

The PNP troops made use of unmitigated lethal force, indiscriminately fired at civilian homes and tortured at least one local resident as they swooped down on Barangay Tukanalipao to carry out their operation to assassinate Marwan. The company-sized operation of the PNP-SAF under Operation Wolverine was hatched by US security forces and carried out clandestinely under direct orders of Benigno Aquino III and his trusted police officials.
Together with American troops, PNP elite combatants unleashed all-out violence against the Tukanalipao community in complete disregard of international humanitarian law and conventions of war. According to facts gathered by Moro human rights groups, PNP-SAF troops opened fire at an Islamic Center of masjid in Sitio Inubog, Barangay Tukanalipao on the mere suspicion that members of the Jemaah Islamiya were among the people praying or sleeping inside. At least three civilians where killed and three others wounded.

PNP-SAF troops also opened fire at the house of the Panangulon family, killing 5-year old Sarah Panangulon, and wounding her parents Tots and Sarah Lawani Langalan. PNP-SAF troops are also suspected of seizing and torturing Badrudin Langalan, a local farmer, who was crossing the bridge to Barangay Tukanalipao when chanced upon by the police. His body was later found hogtied, riddled with bullets and his eyes gouged out. Police troopers also opened fire at the hut where the supposed target Marwan slept, also killing several civilians who were with him.

The US-directed PNP operation sparked a fierce gun battle between the police special forces and the Moro fighters in the area. Mamasapano is a stronghold of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters. The subsequent battle resulted in the deaths of at least 44 police troops, 18 MILF and several BIFF fighters. The great loss suffered by the Aquino regime has resulted in deep resentment among the security officials who were kept in the dark about the operation. In an apparent bid to assuage Philippine police and military officials, US Federal Bureau of Investigation said tests show that among those killed in Operation Wolverine was indeed Marwan.

The supposed neutralization of Marwan, together with the killing and use of armed violence against civilians in the vicinity, will not result in an abatement of extremist violence. In fact, the US and its puppet forces have succeeded only in further inciting hatred against the US government and US armed forces, as well as against the AFP and PNP, and will only lead to a further escalation of retaliatory extremist violence that invariably victimizes civilians.

The Aquino regime and its police and military force are blind zealots trained in the US militarist dogma which considers unarmed civilians as legitimate targets of armed violence merely for being relatives or friends of persons included by the US in their so-called terrorist listing. Recall that in February 2012, at least 15 civilians, including religious leaders, were killed when the AFP dropped so-called “smart bombs” supplied by the US military on targets also specified by the US military in Jolo, Sulu.

The July 25 operation in Barangay Tukanalipao itself was patterned after US military raids and drone strikes against communities in Sulu, Basilan and other areas of the Bangsamoro, as well as in Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan, where civilians have become prime targets of armed violence.
PNP forces, as well as AFP troops have been subjected to intense US military indoctrination over the past several years where they are taught that civilians in conflict areas, such as residents of Mamasapono, are legitimate targets of their lethal firepower and weapons of mass destruction. Oplan Bayanihan peace and development operations carried out in guerrilla areas of operation of the New People’s Army also violate the rights of civilian communities and subject them to terror and suppression.

The US and US-directed forces are inviting retaliation by unleashing lethal force and violence that do not discriminate between armed enemies and civilians. The US promotes racial and religious profiling and has subjected people around the world to suspicion and suppression. The US imperialists and its puppets have inflicted widespread violence, mass killings and injury against civilians in the course of the US occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as the relentless genocidal bombing of the US-supported Israeli government against the Palestinian people.

In imposing Pax Americana and US hegemony in order to control the world’s resources, secure its investments and trade routes, the US imperialists are inflicting unmitigated violence against entire peoples, giving religious reactionaries tinder to spark extremist violence and carry out retaliation. US security forces have also clandestinely supported, trained and maintained links with such groups as the al-Qaeda, ISIS, Jemaah Islamiya and Abu Sayyaf, some of whose leaders count among those formely aligned with or trained by the US military.

Over the past several years, the US military has intensified its presence and operations in the country. The US Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines (JSOTF-P) has maintained its base in Zamboanga and has launched operations in and around Western Mindanao to dominate the Bangsamoro ancestral lands and ensure that big US companies seize control of the contracts to plunder the resources in the vast Liguasan marshland and other resource-rich areas.

The CPP calls on the Filipino people and the Moro people to unite against US imperialist domination, demand an end to US military presence and intervention and stand against the puppetry of the neocolonial state and its armed forces. The CPP calls on the people to continue waging a just war to achieve national and social liberation.

http://www.philippinerevolution.net/statements/20150206_killing-of-civilians-and-us-war-of-terror-instigate-retaliatory-extremist-violence

MILF: MILF creates Special Investigative Commission on Mamasapano incident

Posted to the MILF Website (Feb 6): MILF creates Special Investigative Commission on Mamasapano incident

On January 26, a day after the bloody skirmishes between combatants of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and members of the Philippine National Police Special Action Force (PNP-SAF), joined in by members of Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) last January 25, the Central Committee of the MILF created a Special Investigative Commission (SIC) tasked to conduct an in-depth investigation on the Mamasapano clash that resulted in the death of 18 MILF forces and 44 PNP-SAF members as well as triggering the evacuation of affected civilians.

In a resolution signed by Muhammad Ameen, Secretary of MILF Central Committee and attested by MILF Chairman Al Haj Murad Ebrahim, the SIC was directed to come up with a report to be submitted to the Central Committee as soon as possible in accordance with its mandate to gather as much reliable information and interview witnesses to ferret out the truth.

As of this writing, the Commission is yet to submit its report as it is still in the process of gathering data and interviewing individuals who have firsthand information on the incident to be able to come up with accurate and credible results.

http://www.luwaran.net/index.php/welcome/item/750-milf-creates-special-investigative-commission-on-mamasapano-incident

MILF: Muslim Congressmen urge colleagues to support BBL

Posted to the MILF Website (Feb 6): Muslim Congressmen urge colleagues to support BBL

In the light of the temporary suspension on the deliberations of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) by the House Ad hoc Committee on BBL as a result of the unfortunate Mamasapano ‘misencounter’ in the village of Tukanalipao, Mamasapano, Maguindanao last January 25, twelve (12) Muslim solons urged their colleagues in the chamber not to let the incident affect the enactment of the proposed Bangsamoro Law. The law when passed will implement the GPH-MILF Peace Accord signed by the two parties.

 “We appeal to all concerned not to use the incident as a deterrent in our quest for peace, development and prosperity through the approval and ratification of the draft [BBL], a measure dubbed as an instrument of peace,” the Muslim solons said in a statement.

The collective appeal of the Muslim solons came in the light of waning support for the bill that will create a more politically autonomous Bangsamoro entity following the MILF’s involvement in the clash that killed 44 elite cops. The clash also killed 18 MILF combatants and wounded 14 others. Reports also bared that among those killed were civilians in the area of the bloody firefight.

The group of Muslims solons stressed that they support President Benigno Aquino III for his commitment to approve the bill, set to be passed February 25 in the House and to be signed by the President by March.

“As representatives of the different Muslim political constituencies, we renew our commitment of support to President Aquino in his search for meaningful, lasting and sustainable peace, as we assure not only the concerned families, but the entire Filipino nation of our willingness to support any investigation or measure that shall give justice where it is due,” it said.

The Muslim solons are: Deputy Speaker Lanao del Sur Representative Pangalian Balindong, Muslim affairs committee chair Sulu Representative Tupay Loong, Basilan Representative Jim Hataman-Salliman, Maguindanao and Cotabato City Representative Bai Sandra Sema, Lanao del Sur Representative Ansaruddin Adiong, Sulu Representative Maryam Napil Arbison; Lanao del Norte Representative Abdullah Dimaporo, Lanao del Norte Representative Imelda Quibranza Dimaporo, Maguindanao Representative Zajid Mangudadatu, Tawi-Tawi Representative Ruby Sahali, Sultan Kudarat Representative Raden Sakaluran, and Abante Mindanao Representative Sitti Turabin-Hataman.

The Muslim solons also called for an independent investigation composed of the government and the International Monitoring Team in the peace process.

http://www.luwaran.net/index.php/welcome/item/749-muslim-congressmen-urge-colleagues-to-support-bbl

Moro leaders ready to face inquiries – Iqbal

From the Manila Bulletin (Feb 7): Moro leaders ready to face inquiries – Iqbal

Moro leaders will respond to gov’t inquiries – Iqbal

Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) leaders involved in the peace negotiations with the Philippine government, as well as its members in the Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH), are ready to come to Manila to respond to inquiries on the Mamasapano, Maguindanao, incident in which 44 police Special Action Force (SAF) commandos were killed.

PRAYER FOR PEACE — Muslim women take part in yesterday’s ‘Prayer for Peace in Mindanao’ at a mosque in Quiapo, Manila. Muslim communities are concerned over recent events, particularly the killing of 44 police commandos in Maguindanao, that have stalled a major political settlement that promises lasting peace in the Southern Philippines. (Jim Guiao Punzalan)
PRAYER FOR PEACE — Muslim women take part in yesterday’s ‘Prayer for Peace in Mindanao’ at a mosque in Quiapo, Manila. Muslim communities are concerned over recent events, particularly the killing of 44 police commandos in Maguindanao, that have stalled a major political settlement that promises lasting peace in the Southern Philippines. (Jim Guiao Punzalan)

The commander and the MILF members involved in the Mamasapano incident will also be allowed to answer investigators’ questions if the process is done on the ground, he said, apparently referring to areas in Maguindanao.

This was disclosed yesterday by Mohagher Iqbal, chairman of the MILF Information Committee and chief negotiator of the MILF in the peace talks that led to the signing of the Bangsamoro peace accord. He spoke over DZRH radio yesterday morning.

On the prospect of a setback in the fate of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) now pending in Congreess, Iqbal said they will accept it as “coming from Allah.”

“I will repeat, the encounter was not expected (and unfortunate). So, as far as the MILF is concerned, we are doing everything possible, and if, despite our efforts, the BBL will still be delayed, what we are expecting will not be achieved. What is important is that we did every means,” he stressed.

“If that (delay) will still happen, as Muslims we will accept that as coming from Allah,” the MILF chairman of information committee said.

WEAPONS RETURN

Iqbal also said the MILF is seriously considering the appeal of the Philippine National Police (PNP) to return the weapons of 44 SAF commandos slain on January 25 in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.Their weapons and other fighting equipment were taken by combatants of the MILF after what was described as “misencounter” by some government officials.

The MILF took exception to the term “ninakaw” (stolen) used in some reports in reference to the taking of the slain commandos’ firearms, saying the taking of the weapons was done as a result of the firefight. The PNP leadership has asked the MILF to return the weapons.

“On the firearms, this is a profound discussion,” Iqbal said. “There were many who died on our side and many from the SAF. So, it is a very emotional issue.”

“However, the MILF is trying to give a serious look at the (PNP) request and, probably, the decision of the MILF will be positive. But we cannot rush this,” he said.

The gesture would show the MILF is committed to a peace treaty it signed with Manila last year, he said.

“We are assuring the government that on the part of the MILF, we did not mean for it to happen,” the MILF chief peace negotiator said. “We are in mourning, too. We lost 18 of our men. We are also in pain.”

In response, Philippine National Police Spokesman Generoso Cerbo told the Agence France Presse: “This is one step towards accountability… This is a good development, although it won’t be complete unless the perpetrators are identified.”

FREE HOUSING

The National Housing Authority (NHA) will provide free housing to the families of the 44 SAF commandos killed in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, NHA Administrator Chito Cruz said as he ordered the agency’s regional directors to make the necessary arrangements.

President Aquino recently met with each of the families of the 44 SAF members and assured them of free housing project under the government’s “Killed-in-Action Program” for the Phiippine National Police (PNP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

In the event the bereaved families of the SAF members already own lots, Cruz said, that the NHA will shoulder the expenses of building or renovating the structures on the lots in any part of the country.

Earlier the PNP said that the families of the 44 police officers will get from P1.5 million to P2 million in death benefits. The death benefits include P250,000 from the President’s Social Fund.

http://www.mb.com.ph/milf-open-to-probe/

EU bats for long-term peace in Mindanao

From the Manila Bulletin (Feb 7): EU bats for long-term peace in Mindanao

The European Union (EU) and its Member States are certain that a negotiated political settlement in Mindanao remains all the more necessary to achieve long-lasting peace in Southern Philippines, following the recent clash with Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) fighters that killed 44 Philippine National Police-Special Action Force (PNP-SAF) troopers in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.

In a statement issued yesterday, the EU Delegation to the Philippines noted that in the last three years, the Mindanao peace process has brought about “increased hope and optimism for future security and prosperity.” However, it pointed out that the recent deadly clash in Mamasapano, Maguindanao is a clear reminder that this cannot be taken for granted and that violence can still erupt unexpectedly.

The EU Delegation said the launch of investigations by both the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) into the tragic incident is “a necessary and welcome step.”

It further stated that the EU, a member of the International Monitoring Team (IMT), and its Member States welcome that the parties have reiterated their commitment to the peace process.

“A full and transparent investigation will contribute to the re-establishment of confidence by the public in the process,” the EU Delegation said, while expressing its sincere condolences to the families of the victims of the Mamasapano carnage.

The clash happened when members of the PNP-SAF team maneuvered inadvertently to an area controlled by the MILF without advanced coordination after deciding to withdraw their action to arrest Jemaah Islamiyah bomb experts Basit Usman and Marwan.

The incident also resulted in the evacuation of around 563 families who have sought shelter in an evacuation center in Barangay Daladap.

At present, a board of inquiry has been organized to investigate the incident.
Earlier, the Swiss Embassy in Manila expressed hope that the “tragic event will not destabilize the ongoing peace process.”

“More than ever, peace is needed now and under no circumstances should it be the ultimate victim of Sunday’s event,” the Swiss embassy said in a statement.

Canada, on the other hand, reiterated its support to the Bangsamoro peace process.

“Canada continues to encourage efforts to achieve peace,” Canadian Ambassador to the Philippines Neil Reeder said in his recent letter to Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II. “We support the diligent efforts of all sides to bring about an era of opportunities for the people of Mindanao.”

The United States, meanwhile, hailed the SAF units who “fought with bravery and demonstrated their commitment to ensuring peace and order in their country.”

In a statement, the US Embassy in Manila also reiterated the US’ “support for the Philippine government’s efforts to combat international terrorism while promoting a just and lasting peaceful solution to the conflict in Mindanao.”

Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Bill Tweddell also expressed hope that “the peace process is not discarded as a result of this tragedy.”

For its part, Spain expressed hope that  a “quick investigation” will develop in the coming days “as well as for a consequent accountability of the persons responsible for the attack in order to resume as soon as possible the search for a solid and a long-lasting peace in Mindanao, with a wide consensus among the concerned parties.”

http://www.mb.com.ph/eu-bats-for-long-term-peace-in-mindanao/

PH tells China: Back off from Panganiban Reef

From the Manila Bulletin (Feb 7): PH tells China: Back off from Panganiban Reef

For the third time this week, the Philippines handed a protest note to China – this time over reclamation activities being undertaken by China at Panganiban Reef.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) handed the note verbale to the Chinese Embassy in Manila last Wednesday.

The DFA conveyed its strong protest on China’s reclamation activities in the said area saying it constitutes a “flagrant violation of these rights and increase tensions in the region.”

“We strongly urge China to desist from its reclamation activities at Panganiban Reef, to respect international law, specifically the UNCLOS and its dispute settlement mechanisms, and to exerc ise self-restraint in the conduct of activities pursuant to the 2002 Association of Southeast Asian Nations) ASEAN-China Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC),” the DFA said in a statement.

In an interview with Reuters, Rear Admiral Alexander Lopez, commander of the AFP Western Command said the reclamation work at Panganiban Reef had been “substantial.”

Surveillance photos taken of Panganiban Reef last October showed no reclamation work in the area. The photos shown to Reuters during a visit this week showed two structures that include a three-storey building sitting on an atoll equipped with wind turbines and solar panels.

Panganiban Reef is a low-tide elevation located 250 kilometers west of the coast of Palawan which puts it inside the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the Philippines and on its continental shelf, said the DFA in a statement issued Friday night.

http://www.mb.com.ph/ph-tells-china-back-off-from-panganiban-reef/

‘I am responsible’ for failed mission

From the Manila Times (Feb 7): ‘I am responsible’ for failed mission

PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino 3rd on Friday claimed full responsibility as Commander-in-Chief for the botched police operation in Mamasapano town in Maguindanao province that led to the killing of 44 elite Special Action Force (SAF) members last January 25.

“As the Commander-in-Chief, the responsibility rests in me,” Aquino said in a 10-minute address he made on live television where he also said such operation was necessary “in the pursuit of peace” and justice.

“I am the father of the nation and I lost 44 children whose lives can never be returned. I will carry this [burden] until my last day. They are my responsibility, including those who survived and those who rescued them,” Aquino stressed.

At the same time, he announced that he has finally accepted the resignation of suspended Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Alan Purisima, whom the President credits for engineering a plan that eventually led to the neutralization of Malaysian bomb maker Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan.

“We have been together for the longest time, starting from the attempted coup d’etat in 1987 where we were ambushed . . . He was with me when I went against powerful interests. Even if it endangered his career, he never left my side. That is why it pains me that he’s leaving under these circumstances,” Aquino said of Purisima.

“I accept the resignation of Gen. Purisima and I thank him for his long service,” the President added.

Purisima and Aquino were under fire for directing the Mamasapano operation even when Purisima was serving his suspension.

The police general was ordered suspended last December by the Department of Interior and Local Government upon recommendation of the Office of the Ombudsman where Purisima is facing graft charges.

Aquino gave weight to the role of sacked SAF chief Director Getulio Napenas who, he said, has a lot of explaining to do about the incident.

“I have conducted my own investigation on the operation . . . It was clear that the situation was far from what the troops had expected it to be. He has been there for a very long time so that it should be expected of him to have situational awareness. He knew the plan and he knew what were needed to implement it correctly. He should know each step,” the President pointed out.

His statement could be seen as an indication that Napenas could be facing serious charges for being the official directly involved.

Because there was already a huge difference from the previous situation, Aquino said, upon his own inquiry, Napenas should have coped with the ever-growing needs of the operation, especially since there was no coordination and not enough time to prepare.

“Why was there no coordination? . . . the former SAF commander will have his chance to explain,” Aquino said.

“We await the results of the [PNP Board of Inquiry] probe. As President, we should identify what went wrong in the soonest possible time,” he added.

Toward the end of his speech, Aquino warned those who may be harboring Abdul Basit Usman to step aside or face the state’s juggernaut.

“Our work is far from over. Usman remains at large. I hope that you will help in finding justice, especially if reports were true that the injured were also killed… Surrender Usman if he is in your territory. I expect you to do that. Or do everything to help us find him. If you cannot do that, then, get out of the way. We will get Usman whoever may be keeping him or wherever he may be,” the President said, apparently addressing the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

Combined fighters of the MILF and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters had engaged and finished off the helpless SAF commandos, who ran out of ammunition because of the prolonged gunfight.
“To those who will stand in the way, the State will deal with you.”

http://www.manilatimes.net/i-am-responsible-for-failed-mission/161103/

Guns, bombs seized from Agusan NPAs

From the Manila Standard Today (Feb 6): Guns, bombs seized from Agusan NPAs



Police and army  troopers on Wednesday seized at least twelve improvised explosive devices and assorted firearms and ammunitions, communication equipment, medicines and subversive documents from suspected New People’s Army rebels in Carmen, Agusan del Norte.

State forces composed of the 13th Regional Public Safety Battalion of the Police Regional Office-13 and the Army’s 402nd Infantry Brigade clashed with  15  NPA rebels for about 15 minutes in Barangay Rojales at 11:30 a.m, police said in a statement.

 The rebels fled, leaving their firearms, ammunitions, improvised bombs and other belongings at a temporary camp in the area,  police said.

A suspected NPA member was arrested and brought to the  police regional office for questioning, police said.

Items recovered from the suspects included armalite rifles, a grenade launcher, grenades, improvised bombs and blast caps.

http://manilastandardtoday.com/2015/02/06/guns-bombs-seized-from-agusan-npas/

Roxas confirms death of Marwan; FBI to do more tests

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Feb 6): Roxas confirms death of Marwan; FBI to do more tests

Additional tests on a biological sample provided by the Philippine government are needed to confirm the death of international terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir, alias “Marwan,” the US Federal Bureau of Investigation said.

President Aquino said last week that Marwan, a bomb expert from the Indonesia-based terrorist group Jemaah Islamiyah, was likely killed in a police operation in Mamasapano town, Maguindanao province, on Jan. 25.

Interior Secretary Mar Roxas took the FBI report as confirmation of Marwan’s death.

“The SAF (Special Action Force) got their man,” Roxas said in a statement.

Roxas said he had received a copy of the FBI report. He said he had instructed Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina, PNP officer in charge, to give copies of the report to the families of the slain SAF commandos.

“This establishes a positive identification of the person neutralized by the SAF as that of the wanted international terrorist [known as] Marwan,” Roxas said.

“We express our deepest condolences to the brave officers of the Special Action Force, who lost their lives attempting to apprehend a dangerous fugitive,” said David Bowdich, assistant director in charge of the FBI Los Angeles office.

Describing the FBI’s partnership with the PNP as “one of the strongest in the world,” Bowdich said the FBI would continue to work with the PNP “to identify, disrupt and dismantle terrorist networks.”

The Philippine government sent to the FBI a DNA sample the commandos had extracted from the suspect killed during the operation, in which 44 officers from the elite SAF of the Philippine National Police were killed in gun battles with Moro guerrillas.

In a statement on Wednesday, the FBI said laboratory tests from the sample sent by the Philippine government showed that it matched with DNA from Marwan’s brother Rahmat bin Hir (Abdhir in FBI records), indicating that the man killed by the SAF commandos in Mamasapano town, Maguindanao, was Marwan.

‘Sample from Marwan’

“Although the results of the DNA examinations do not provide absolute identification, the results do support that the biological sample provided by Philippine authorities came from Marwan,” said Bowdich.

Bowdich said additional tests and analysis were needed “in an effort to fully identify the subject of DNA provided to the FBI.”

The PNP is expected to issue a statement on the DNA test results shortly.

Bowdich said the FBI case against Marwan was one of the many investigations it had conducted in cooperation with the Philippine government.

The United States has offered up to $6 million for the capture of Marwan, a Malaysian-born senior member of the Jemaah Islamiyah, which was blamed for the Oct. 12, 2002, bombing of two nightclubs in Bali, Indonesia, that killed 202 people—88 Australians, 38 Indonesians, 27 Britons, seven Americans, six Swedes and three Danes—and wounded 209 others, mostly foreign tourists.

Marwan fled to the southern Philippines after the Bali bombing and trained members of the al-Qaida-linked terrorist group Abu Sayyaf in bomb-making.

He also instructed guerrillas from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in explosives and then trained members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) in bomb-making after the group broke away from the MILF in 2010 over serious disagreements in the handling of peace talks with the government.

PH Embassy informed

The FBI on Wednesday informed the Philippine Embassy in Washington through Police Attaché Jose Gentiles that DNA sample taken by the SAF matched DNA from Rahmat bin Hir.

“Based on preliminary test results, the FBI has evidence that supports the claim that the DNA sample provided by the Government of the Philippines on Jan. 27, 2015, is related to the currently incarcerated subject Rahmat Abdhir,” the FBI said in its report to the embassy, a copy of which was obtained by the Inquirer.

“Furthermore, preliminary testing indicates that Rahmat Abdhir and the DNA sample provided by the Government of the Philippines are consistent with coming from siblings and sharing the same paternal heritage (i.e., the same biological father),” the FBI said.

It said it was through its partnership with the Philippine government that the US agency was able to discover that “Rahmat Abdhir and Zulkifli Abdhir (also known as Marwan) were in fact brothers.”

Rahmat, 51, was arrested in California in 2007 for conspiring to provide material aid to terrorists and giving false information to authorities.

He is held at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) in Lompoc, California, not at the US military prison on Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, as earlier reported.

The FCI is described on the US Federal Bureau of Prisons website as a “low security facility” currently holding 1,383 male inmates, including Rahmat, who is registered there as inmate No. 10743-111.

According to his records, Rahmat is due for release on April 18, 2016.

Not in vain

In a statement issued Thursday, Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Cuisia Jr. thanked the FBI for sharing the preliminary DNA test results with the Philippines.

“It heartens us to know that the sacrifice of the 44 men who never came back from Mamasapano last week was not in vain,” Cuisia said.

In BIFF territory

It was in BIFF territory—Pidsandawan village in Mamasapano—that the SAF commandos took him down early on Jan. 25.

The SAF commandos were attacked by BIFF guerrillas as they withdrew from the village and a larger SAF blocking force got into gun battles with MILF guerrillas as it moved in to provide cover for the assault team.

The SAF mission was successful, as indicated by the results of the DNA tests in the FBI laboratory in Quantico, Virginia, not Singapore as earlier reported.

But the SAF lost 44 commandos in the operation, sparking widespread public anger that threw in doubt the peace agreement signed by the government and the MILF in March last year.

http://globalnation.inquirer.net/118364/roxas-confirms-death-of-marwan-fbi-to-do-more-tests/

Extremism in Southeast Asia: The looming shadow

From The Economist (Feb 7): Extremism in Southeast Asia: The looming shadow

A region on edge over Islamic State’s influence

ON THEIR own, the numbers do not seem frightening. Of the more than 20,000 foreign fighters with Islamic State (IS), just over 500 are believed to have come from Indonesia, along with up to 50 from Malaysia, perhaps 100 Filipinos and a very few Singaporeans. That is a minuscule share of the hundreds of millions of Muslims in South-East Asia, a region whose peaceful forms of Islam are far removed from those of IS.

But the influence of IS is being felt—and feared—all the same. In January more than 40 policemen were killed in the Philippines in an extended gun battle on the island of Mindanao during an attempted raid on the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), a rebel group that has pledged allegiance to IS. Two days earlier a car bomb, also in Mindanao, killed two people. The authorities blamed Abu Sayyaf, another militant group that made the same pledge as BIFF.

Indonesia’s counterterrorism chief warned late last year that increasing numbers of his countrymen were heading to Iraq and Syria. In the past year the Malaysian authorities have arrested at least 51 people for suspected IS links. Fighters from nearby countries have travelled through the country to reach Iraq and Syria. In August Malaysian police arrested 19 pro-IS militants who were allegedly planning bombings in and near Kuala Lumpur. Indonesia tightened security around Borobudur, an ancient Buddhist temple, after an IS-inspired threat.

The immediate danger comes not from returning fighters but from home-grown militants who have “self-radicalised” online, helped by IS’s effective use of social media. Rohan Gunaratna of Nanyang Technological University in Singapore says that al-Qaeda’s videos tend to be “long, ranting and boring”. IS, however, churns out propaganda “like Hollywood thrillers”, he says. Many online pledges of support for IS are bluster. But returning fighters skilled at organising and fighting could change that. Mr Gunaratna estimates that across the region a tenth of those who have gone to Iraq have returned to their countries. Some have become disillusioned; others may want to carry on the fight at home.

Regional governments have begun mobilising to meet the threat. Malaysia’s parliament will probably consider a new anti-terrorism act when it convenes in March. Malaysia’s home-affairs minister has promised it will not be a return of the dreaded Internal Security Act, which permitted indefinite detention without charge. But he said it would contain unspecified “preventive measures”. Indonesia plans to revoke the passports of anyone who has gone to fight with IS, or who plans to do so. Singapore’s touted deradicalisation programme involves detention, rehabilitation and intense surveillance.

Sidney Jones of the Jakarta-based Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict, a think-tank, says that mainstream Muslims in South-East Asia view supporters of IS as unrepresentative of their kind of Islam. That may help to limit the numbers of radicals, but it will not assuage worries. Al-Qaeda failed to gain widespread support among South-East Asian Muslims. But bombings on the Indonesian island of Bali in 2002 that killed more than 200 people convinced many in the region of the lethal power of the militant few.

http://www.economist.com/news/asia/21642223-region-edge-over-islamic-states-influence-looming-shadow

Escaped Marwan colleague still in Maguindanao - AFP

From ABS-CBN (Feb 5): Escaped Marwan colleague still in Maguindanao - AFP

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) believes terrorist Basit Usman is still in Maguindanao after escaping the police operations in Mamasapano.

AFP spokesman Lt. Col. Harold Cabunoc said Usman is now the focus of both the 6th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army and the Police Regional Office of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao.

Usman has a $3 million bounty to his head.

Usman, a bomb expert, is believed to be behind the bombing of Fitmart Mall in General Santos City on April 22, 2002 that led to the deaths of 15 individuals.

He also has alleged links to the bombing of the Awang airport in Cotabato City and the Sasa Wharf in Davao City.

“US authorities consider Basit to be a threat to US and Filipino citizens and interests. Basit is believed to have orchestrated several bombings that have killed, injured and maimed many innocent civilians,” the US Rewards for Justice said on its website.

Police originally targeted Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan and Usman during the chaotic operations in Mamasapano, which eventually led to the deaths of 44 elite cops after an encounter with members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters.

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/regions/02/05/15/escaped-marwan-colleague-still-maguindanao-afp

Cop 'punished' by NPA in Sagada

From ABS-CBN (Feb 5): Cop 'punished' by NPA in Sagada

A cop was injured after he was shot by members of the New People's Army (NPA) in Barangay Poblacion, Sagada, Mt. Province on Monday.

The victim was identified as SPO3 Wilfredo Degay. According to PSSupt. Oliver Enmodias of Mt. Province Provincial Police Office, Degay came from the Etag Festival in the town center when he was ambushed by armed men.

Degay sustained four gunshot wounds from a caliber .45 and an M-16.

The Leonardo Pacsi Command of the NPA took responsibility for the ambush.

In a statement released Tuesday, the rebels said they were punishing Degay who "continuously spearheaded intelligence operations against the revolutionary movement in the Province and the Cordillera region."

"A special unit under the Leonardo Pacsi Command operating in the Mountain Province implemented the death sentence on Willie Degay, a native of Bangaan, Sagada and an active agent of the Philippine National Police-Regional Intelligence Unit (PNP-RIU)-14," the group said in its statement.

The NPA also blamed Degay for numerous big military operations and campaigns in Mt. province.

"Willie Degay played a vital role in the numerous big military operations and campaigns launched by the 54th Infantry Battalion, 50th IB, RPSB and other units under the 5th Infantry Division and the PNP under Oplan Bantay Laya II and the ongoing Oplan Bayanihan that have devastated and continue to wreak havoc on the lives and properties of the people of Mountain Province. Particularly, he served as a forward scout clearing the way for the Army and PNP in launching troop deployments in the municipalities of Bontoc, Sagada, Tadian and Besao and other revolutionary areas in the Province."

Degay, who is currently recuperating in a hospital, refused to comment on the incident.

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/regions/02/05/15/cop-punished-npa-sagada

BIFF group from Mamasapano triggers evacuation

From ABS-CBN (Feb 6): BIFF group from Mamasapano triggers evacuation

A number of civilian residents temporarily left their houses in a remote village in Pikit, North Cotabato after learning that an unidentified number of fully armed men had moved into their area, a military official said.

According to 602nd Brigade spokesperson Capt. Calvin Macatangay, members of Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), a breakaway group of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), have been sighted in Barangay Kabasalan, Pikit since Tuesday.

The BIFF group is supposedly headed by Kagui Karialan.

"Nanggaling na rin ito sila ng Mamasapano pero dahil medyo mainit pa doon kaya pumunta muna siguro sa Kabasalan at magpahinga," said Macatangay.

Macatangay said, after learning the presence of Karialan's group, the Eastern Mindanao Front of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) under Jack Abas gathered its members from 108, 109 and 110 Base Commands to block the BIFF forces.

"Ang report is pupuntahan daw ng MILF ang BIFF pero yung agenda 'di pa ganon kalinaw, then ayaw ng grupo ni Karialan and parang nagdagdag pa ng tao doon," Macatangay added.

Reports said gunshots were heard in the area past 6 p.m. Thursday.

However, the military said they still need to confirm the information.

"Actually, medyo restricted tayo sa area ng Kabasalan. It is also known as an MILF community " said Macatangay.

The military remains in a defensive position.

Troops from the 602nd Brigade were also being deployed to the area to monitor the situation.

According to military reports, the group of Karialan came from Mamasapano, Maguindanao.

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/regions/02/06/15/biff-group-mamasapano-triggers-evacuation

Abu Sayyaf members killed in Sulu clashes

From ABS-CBN (Feb 6): 9 Abu Sayyaf members killed in Sulu clashes

(UPDATE) -- Nine members of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) were killed and 13 soldiers were injured in separate clashes in Patikul, Sulu Friday.

Members of the Joint Task Group Sulu encountered around 100 members of the ASG under Radullan Sihiron, Hairulah Asbang and Amlon Abtahi, while conducting a law enforcement operation in Barangay Buhanginan in Patikul.

The encounter, which lasted for an hour and a half, resulted in eight ASG members killed.

Eleven soldiers from the military side were wounded.

The bodies of the Abu Sayyaf casualties were brought by their comrades to Sitio Kantitap in Barangay Danag in Patikul.

Another clash between military troops and members of the ASG occurred in Patikul Friday afternoon.

A member of the ASG was killed, while three others were wounded. Two government soldiers were also wounded.

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/regions/02/06/15/8-abu-sayyaf-members-killed-sulu-clash

8 Abu Sayyaf members killed, 11 soldiers hurt in Sulu firefight

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Feb 6): 8 Abu Sayyaf members killed, 11 soldiers hurt in Sulu firefight

Eight members of the Abu Sayyaf were killed and 11 soldiers were wounded in a firefight in Sulu on Friday.

The soldiers from the 35th Infantry Battalion, led by Maj. Ibni Saddama, figured in a fight with about 100 Abu Sayyaf men led by Radulan Sahiron, Hairulah Asbang and Amlon Abtahi in Siito Kan Islam in Brgy. Buhanginan in Patikul at about 11:50 a.m., Armed Forces Public Affairs Office chief Lt. Col. Harold Cabunoc said on Friday.

The gun battle lasted for two hours. The Air Force also provided close air support to the engaged troops.

Cabunoc said one of the 11 wounded soldiers was in critical condition.

The Abu Sayyaf were seen taking their dead comrades towards Sitio Kantitap, he added.

The military is doing all-out law enforcement operations in Sulu since October following the release of the German captives of the Abu Sayyaf.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/671038/8-abu-sayyaf-members-killed-11-soldiers-hurt-in-sulu-firefight

13 soldiers wounded in clash with Abu Sayyaf in Patikul, Sulu

From GMA News (Feb 6): 13 soldiers wounded in clash with Abu Sayyaf in Patikul, Sulu

Thirteen soldiers from Joint Task Group Sulu were wounded in a firefight with around 100 members of the Abu Sayyaf Group in Patikul, Sulu on Friday morning.
 
According to Ens. Chester Ramos, spokesman of Joint Task Force Zambasulta (Zamboanga, Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi), the soldiers were conducting a "law enforcement operation" when they encountered members of the Abu Sayyaf Group just before noon.
 
After an hour and a half of fighting, eight bandits were left wounded on the Abu Sayyaf side.
 
The Abu Sayyaf, believed to have been led by Radullan Sihiron, Hairulah Asbang and Amlon Abtahi, dragged their wounded comrades in the direction of Sitio Kantitap, Ramos said.
 
 

AFP admits atmosphere of trust with MILF impaired by Mamasapano incident

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Feb 5): AFP admits atmosphere of trust with MILF impaired by Mamasapano incident

The Armed Forces of the Philippines said that the killing of international terrorist Zulkifi bin Hir alias Marwan inside a Moro Islamic Liberation Front lair in Mamasapano, Maguindanao has “tainted” the relations between the military and the Moro group.

“The atmosphere of trust has been tainted and there needs to be a buildup on that aspect again. So if there is sincerity on the part of the other group, I guess they can recover that trust and we can build up on those,” AFP spokesperson Colonel Restituto Padilla said on Thursday.

Marwan was supposedly killed in an operation by elite police officers in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, but at the cost of 44 lives of the elite police officers.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation said on Wednesday that Marwan was “likely killed” based on the DNA tests conducted.

The police commandos were also going after bomb maker Abdul Basit Usman but he escaped according to authorities.

The MILF has been accused of coddling Marwan following the incident, to which they denied.

The Philippine government and the MILF have sealed a peace pact last March and is in the process on working out the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law that would replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

The ceasefire between the government and MILF continued after the bloodbath.

“That’s a positive development and we continue to work and build up on this so that we can normalize situation on the ground and build up on those,” Padilla said.

“If there is a desire to build up on that [trust], they need to prove it again by working closely with our law enforcers and our men on the ground,” he added.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/670777/afp-admits-atmosphere-of-trust-with-milf-impaired-by-mamasapano-incident

300 bombers: Marwan trainees on the loose

From the Philippine Star (Feb 6): 300 bombers: Marwan trainees on the loose



Zulkifli bin Hir, alias Marwan.File photo

Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir, alias Marwan, may have been killed, but the government still has to track down at least 300 bomb makers he trained in Central Mindanao over the past two years.

Rebel sources confirmed yesterday that Marwan had operated in a marshland straddling North Cotabato and Maguindanao and trained recruits on how to handle explosives and fabricate improvised explosive devices (IEDs) using locally available materials sourced from rebel armories, like B-40 anti-tank rockets and mortar projectiles.

About 50 of the recruits Marwan trained were ethnic Maranaw jihadists from Lanao del Sur and Marawi City,” said a source who asked not to be identified.

Marwan was frequently spotted in Lanao del Sur, particularly in the jungles of Mt. Cararao and the Unayan area where local armed groups have sheltered his trainees.

The Army and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) have failed to verify the presence of Marwan in the area.

“The people they were searching for knew a joint verification team would be arriving.
They dispersed in the surroundings and calmly watched the soldiers and MILF members walk around their hideouts, which they abandoned temporarily to avoid detection. They even took footage of them roaming around using mobile phones,” said the source, a local health worker who refused to be identified.

Marwan last met with his Maranaw contacts in Mamasapano, Maguindanao in mid-2014, a local Muslim official said.

He said jihadists from Lanao del Sur traveled to Maguindanao.

Video footage uploaded on a Facebook account by an extremist group in Lanao del Sur showed the vehicle of the Maranaws traveling to Maguindanao.

Marwan was reportedly killed during a raid by police Special Action Force (SAF) commandos in Mamasapano, Maguindanao last Jan. 25.

The police commandos later encountered Muslim rebels that resulted in the death of 44 SAF operatives.

The police commandos launched an operation in Mamasapano to get Marwan and his Maguindanaon cohort Basit Usma, who have been linked to the international terrorist group Jemaah Islamiyah.

Marwan, who had a $5-million bounty, was allegedly killed during the operation while Usman, who has a $2-million bounty, escaped. Marwan’s body has not yet been recovered.

A DNA test conducted by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation showed that Marwan was indeed killed by the SAF commandos.

MILF leader Hadji Murad Ebrahim had also confirmed that Marwan was killed by the police commandos who raided his hideout in Mamasapano.

There are also reports that Marwan had sired two sons with two Maguindanaon women. The sons are now staying with relatives of their mothers in Sarangani and in President Quirino in Sultan Kudarat.

Authorities confirmed yesterday that Marwan and Usman had trained the two bombers killed last Monday night when a bomb they were to bring to Pikit, North Cotabato exploded prematurely while in transit.

Suspected bombers Jomar Palaguyan and Asraf Mohammad were riding a motorcycle and carrying a box containing the improvised device that exploded along Quezon Street in Pikit.

Senior Inspector Sindatu Karim, chief of Pikit police, said they learned that Marwan and Usman trained Palaguyan and Mohammad.

The attempt by Palaguyan and Mohammad to set off a bomb in Pikit was part of the operations of Marwan’s group.

Army officials in North Cotabato said there were signs that Marwan’s recruits were behind the foiled attempt to topple down last Tuesday another power relay tower of the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines in Maguindanao’s nearby Pagalungan town.

Two NGCP steel pylons, one in Pagalungan and another in Barangay Batulawan in Pikit, were destroyed one after another by bombers just two weeks ago, causing power outage in parts of Maguindanao and North Cotabato and all 37 barangays in Cotabato City.

The bombers strapped improvised bombs on columns of the NGCP tower last Tuesday, but local farmers discovered these and alerted the police and military and the bombs were diffused.

http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2015/02/06/1420776/300-bombers-marwan-trainees-loose

Officials deny MILF-BIFF clash in North Cotabato

From the Philippine Star (Feb 6): Officials deny MILF-BIFF clash in North Cotabato

The military on Friday belied news reports that there was intense fighting on Thursday between rival forces of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters in Pikit, North Cotabato.

Lt. Col. Audie Edralin, commanding officer of the Army’s 7th Infantry Battalion, said even community leaders in Barangay Kabasalan, where the incident supposedly happened, denied that the two groups figured in running firefights.

“One of my subordinate-officers had even talked to Commander Jack Abbas of the MILF and he denied there were hostilities between his group and the BIFF on Thursday,” Edralin said.

Abbas leads one of several MILF groups in Pikit, the gateway to the 220,000-hectare Liguasan Delta, a haven of criminal gangs, extortionists and rogue Moro rebels.

Senior Inspector Sindatu Karim, chief of the Pikit municipal police, said there was an attempt by BIFF bandits from Maguindanao province to intrude into Barangay Kabasalan, but balked after local residents and MILF forces fired warning shots while the bandits were still two kilometers away.

The BIFF bandits, led by Ustadz Karialan, retreated to one side of a river straddling through the border of Maguindanao and North Cotabato and eventually disappeared.

Karialan is a trusted henchman of the BIFF’s founder, the Saudi-trained cleric Ameril Umbra Kato.

The police enlisted the help of barangay officials in validating the reported presence of another group of bandits at the border of Pikit and Aleosan town, also in North Cotabato, mulcting “protection money” from Moro peasants.

“There was no actual engagement between the MILF and the BIFF in Pikit” said Captain Jo-Ann Petinglay, spokesperson of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division.

The 7th Infantry Battalion, which is based in the town proper of Pikit, is a component unit of 6th ID.

Karim said police investigators have confirmed that some residents of Barangay Kabasalan had evacuated to nearby barangays after learning of the BIFF’s attempt to seek refuge in Pikit, apparently scared by circulating stories that military units in Maguindanao would pounce on them anytime soon.

"But the general situation in interior barangays in Pikit is normal,” Karim said.

Even Von Al Haq, spokesman of the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces, said there were no skirmishes between MILF and BIFF forces in any part of the municipality.

Tahira Kalantongan, Pikit’s municipal social welfare officer, said residents of Barangay Kabasalan decided to leave their homes for fear of an outbreak of hostilities in their villages between the BIFF and the MILF.

“These are people that experienced bloody armed conflicts in the past that is why they easily get scared by stories insinuating there might be an outbreak of hostilities in their barangays,” Kalantongan said.

Kalantongan said the evacuees from Barangay Kabasalan are now housed in makeshift relief sites inside the campus of a government high school in Barangay Bulol, also in Pikit.

She said the local government of Pikit will soon facilitate their return to their villages.

http://www.philstar.com/nation/2015/02/06/1420837/officials-deny-milf-biff-clash-north-cotabato