MILF turns over 75 firearms

From ABS-CBN (Jun 16): MILF turns over 75 firearms



MAGUINDANAO - It's a historic moment for the Philippines today as President Aquino is set to witness the first phase of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front's decommissioning of arms in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao.

Pictures from the official Facebook page of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process showed 145 MILF combatants waiting to be decommissioned.

Seventy-five weapons will also be turned to an independent decommissioning body headed by Turkish Ambassador Haydar Berk.



 Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process

Government Organisation · 17,891 Likes

Defense Sec. Gazmin inspects weapons turned over by MILF. He is joined by Usec. Manny Bautista. ‪#‎Bangsamoro‬ ‪#‎AllOutPeace‬

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The decommissioning, which is provided under the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro signed between MILF officials and Aquino in 2013, provides for the surrender of the weapons to an independent body. These can never be used again.

After their documentation, the rebel returnees will be receiving cash assistance and PhilHealth cards. They will also receive medium- and long-term assistance from the Task Force Decommissioned Combatants and Communities. [RECEIVING CASH ASSISTANCE: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/regions/06/14/15/pnoy-witness-historic-decommissioning-milf-men]

The peace process, with the end goal of creating a Bangsamoro region to replace the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao, has faced hitches especially after the Mamasapano incident in January. The incident has forced some quarters to question the genuineness of the MILF’s role in pursuing a peace pact with the government.

The MILF, which started its armed struggled against the government in the early 1970s, initially in favor of independence but later softened to negotiating for self-governance, is estimated to have more than 10,000 armed fighters.

Teresita Deles, presidential adviser on the peace process, said in a statement that the MILF is the first armed organization in the country to voluntarily turn over its weapons.

Under the comprehensive agreement signed by the two parties, the decommissioning of the MILF forces will happen in four phases until an exit agreement is to be signed. There is no timeline for the entire process.

The peace accord between the MILF and the government, titled, "Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro," is seen to end the violence that has plagued the Muslim-dominated region in Mindanao for more than four decades, stunting economic development of the resources-rich island.



Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process with Potpot Mamogkat Guinzon

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145 members of the MILF's Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces will start to transition to productive civilian life today.

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http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/regions/06/16/15/milf-turns-over-75-firearms

Off Subject but of Intelligence Interest: Four Key Drivers For Eroding Islamic State – Analysis

Posted to the Eurasia Review News & Analysis (Jun 15): Four Key Drivers For Eroding Islamic State – Analysis ( Published by the Foreign Policy Research Institute by Clint Watts* )



Islamic State flag

Scary ISIS headlines have saturated media outlets in recent months.  They usually come in three varieties: a) ISIS does incredibly awful thing(s) in Syria/Iraq, b) ISIS is unstoppable because of (fill in the blank), or c) the U.S. and the West must do (fill in the blank with every conceivable government option) to defeat ISIS. The international coalition seems unlikely to deploy overwhelming military force to rid the world of the latest awful jihadi group. All coalition partners are up for airstrikes, but no one seeks the dirty work of ridding Syria and Iraq of ISIS in direct military engagement.  Likewise, at least in the West, there remains a complete lack of strategic consensus on what should be done to defeat ISIS.

A few months back, I offered up an alternative option to boots-on-the-ground; the “Let Them Rot” strategy–i.e., using containment to establish conditions by which ISIS destroys itself from within.  (NB: A forthcoming paper will discuss this in greater depth.)  To this point, it appears that the U.S.-led coalition, either by choice or more by default, is pursuing a modified “Let Them Rot” strategy.  But officials and the public grow impatient while the media reinforces the belief ISIS is the next al Qaeda–a misguided one in my view.  The headlines will lead you to believe that ISIS can only be defeated by a major military campaign. And counterinsurgency proponents are likely drooling for another opportunity to employ their beloved Field Manual 3-24.  But defeating ISIS via external force will be a long battle, and one that perpetuates the jihadi belief that the West denies their vision.  The U.S. should seek to destroy the idea of an Islamic State altogether, and to do that ISIS must fail by its own doings, not from outside forces. The recipe of the the “Let Them Rot” strategy should be followed: contain ISIS advances, starve them of resources, fracture their ranks, and exploit through alternative security arrangements.

Analysis of the key drivers pushing forth the advance of ISIS reveals several key points at which the U.S.-led coalition can focus to degrade ISIS over time.  Figure 1 below provides a causal flow diagram showing the relationship of key drivers powering ISIS operations.  Note in the diagram that there are two relationships between entities.  Blue arrows represent direct relationships where an increase in one factor leads to an increase in the subsequent factor.  Red arrows represent where an increase in one factor leads to a decrease in a subsequent factor.  (Bottom Line Up Front: Blue and Red show relationships, not good or bad, plusses or minuses.)  In the diagram, clearly the most important factor is ISIS’s territorial expansion (see circle #1); their ability to sustain the offensive, and the initiative.  The diagram also illustrates multiple feedback loops arising from their territorial expansion to include increases in their global popular support, financing through taxation and global donations, recruitment through social media, and their levels of military resources through the seizure of equipment. Containment of ISIS’s advance should remain the main effort, and I doubt that they can continue to expand much further.

Key drivers of the Islamic State

 

Second, starving ISIS comes from disrupting one factor more than any other: elimination of oil revenues (see circle #2).  ISIS, as compared to other jihadi groups that have tried to form emirates, developed the capacity to resource themselves years ago.  Their self-resourcing is not only strong, but also diversified.  Oil and taxation provide a dual-pronged financial power base complimented by global donations and illicit revenue schemes which have combined to buoy ISIS over time.  Three of these financial resource streams, however, result in large part from ISIS’s ability to expand and sustain territory. If expansion was halted, these three streams would be constrained.

Starving ISIS of resources thus requires the elimination or degradation of ISIS capitalizing on oil fields in Eastern Syria.  This will put pressure on ISIS to extract more revenues from the local population through taxation and illicit schemes preying on local populations at a time when expansion is no longer viable due to containment.  The U.S. raid on Abu Sayyaf last month has apparently yielded some gains against ISIS and will hopefully be a first step in the elimination of this vital oil resource for ISIS.  How does the U.S. disable the oil fields without destroying the infrastructure and creating an environmental disaster?  Maybe a raid to facilitate a cyber attack, placing malware into the closed network to disable the oil pumping systems. Or maybe a series of raids to disable the equipment of several oil platforms, although this would be tough. Lastly, the coalition could send a militia deep into Eastern Syria to capture the oil fields, but in so doing will be anointing one group as king over all of the others.

Airstrikes, partner pressure, containment and starvation will ideally bring stress on ISIS disrupting the feedback loops previously created form territorial gains.  Fearful of spies and infiltrators directing airstrikes and providing intelligence for Special Forces raids, ISIS will tighten its security, slowing their operations while further alienating the population.  At the same time, ISIS will ideally become more predatory on the local population and increasingly self-doubting.  At this point, two key fractures may become available for fracturing ISIS.  First, in Iraq, internal starvation of resources paired with a slow and steady advance by Kurdish and Iraqi forces will hopefully incentivize former Baathists and Iraqi Sunnis to break ranks with ISIS to secure their local stake in Sunni territories of Western Iraq (see circle #3).  A representative example of this dynamic was seen with the collapse of Shabaab from clan-oriented defections over the past three years.

The second important fracture for exploitation is the potential rift between ISIS Iraqi leadership and the global foreign fighter legions that power their ranks (see point #4). To date, young ISIS foreign fighters have had much to celebrate; winning on the battlefield, taking ground and rapidly becoming administrators of governance.  But when battlefield advances end and resources become tight, local ISIS members will compromise their ideological principles to maintain their grip on power.  Resource starvation, much as was seen in Somalia, will cause tensions between the heavily Iraqi-dominated leadership and the global ranks of foreign fighters.

Examining what is currently underway in the fight against ISIS, it appears that the U.S. is essentially pursuing this strategy.  Despite the media ramping up the American public with a relentless barrage of scary ISIS stories, on the surface it appears the U.S., at least, is pursuing this strategy–they are doing most of what I just outlined.  The trick will be whether they can exploit the fractures described above.  Exploitation will be the hardest step, offering alternatives that fill the void and spread the rifts across Syria and Iraq.


[Clint Watts is an FPRI Senior Fellow with the Program on National Security and President of Miburo Solutions, Inc. His research focuses on analyzing transnational threat groups operating in local environments on a global scale. Before starting Miburo Solutions, he served as a U.S. Army infantry officer, a FBI Special Agent on a Joint Terrorism Task Force, and as the Executive Officer of the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point (CTC). Clint’s publications include: al Qaeda’s (Mis) Adventures in the Horn of Africa, Combating Terrorism Center, 2007 (Co-editor, Co-author); “Can the Anbar Strategy Work in Pakistan?” Small Wars Journal, 2007 ; “Beyond Iraq and Afghanistan: What Foreign Fighter Data Reveals About the Future of Terrorism?” Small Wars Journal, 2008; “Foreign Fighters: How are they being recruited?” Small Wars Journal, 2008; “Countering Terrorism from the Second Foreign Fighter Glut,” Small Wars Journal, 2009; and, “Capturing the Potential of Outlier Ideas in the Intelligence Community,” Studies in Intelligence – CIA, 2011.(Co-author). He is also the editor of the SelectedWisdom.com blog.]

[Founded in 1955, the Foreign Policy Research Institute (http://www.fpri.org/) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization devoted to bringing the insights of scholarship to bear on the development of policies that advance U.S. national interests and seeks to add perspective to events by fitting them into the larger historical and cultural context of international politics.]

http://www.eurasiareview.com/15062015-four-key-drivers-for-eroding-islamic-state-analysis/

Bantay Bayanihan undergoes orientation on community policing in Basilan

From the Philippine Information Agency (Jun 15): Bantay Bayanihan undergoes orientation on community policing in Basilan

ISABELA CITY, Basilan – The Basilan Bantay Bayanihan, a multi-stakeholder group that monitors the implementation of the Internal Peace and Security Program (IPSP) Bayanihan of the Armed Forces of the Philippines underwent an orientation on community policing, recently.

Around thirty participants coming from the different civil society groups, non-government organizations, some government line agencies, the military, police and other security sectors, including women, youth, and religious sectors were gathered for the baseline study on community policing  held at the Querexeta Formation Center, this city.

The Security Reform Initiative (SRI) who serves as the national secretariat for Bantay Bayanihan spearheaded the study with the support of the British Council, and funded by the United Kingdom Government’s Golden Thread Community Policing Program.

Maribel A. Dano of SRI said that the project was conceptualized to increase the public’s knowledge on community policing and come up with a community policing strategy. It added that the project uses a “bibingka approach” emphasizing that a top-down approach should not be imposed to communities but rather the communities should be on board at the start of developing the community policing strategy.

She explained that community policing is a method of policing based on the joint effort of the community and the police in working together, identifying and understanding problems, coming up with solutions to alleviate the problems, and implementing the solution.

“Community policing is not only about crime, it is about the quality of life of the community because there are issues (like poverty, access to education, poor health service) that surrounds community policing. It rests on a shared understanding of the community and the culture, concerns, and priorities of the community,” Dano said, stressing that it requires the active participation of the community from the initial stages as well as in implementing the plan of action.

Through dialogue and workshops, the participants shared their collective understanding of community policing. Each agency and organization also shared the programs and activities implemented to address issues related to peace and order.

The orientation-workshop was the first of the three waves that the project will unfurl, said Dano, which is awareness, consultation and feedback.

The SRI has tapped Nagdilaab Foundation Inc. as its local partner for the conduct of the community policing project in Basilan. SRI is also conducting the same to the provinces of North Cotabato, Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Lanao del Norte, and Sulu.

http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/1421434356606/bantay-bayanihan-undergoes-orientation-on-community-policing-in-basilan

TABAK lauds 1st Civil-Military Operations’ accomplishments

From the Philippine Information Agency (Jun 15): TABAK lauds 1st Civil-Military Operations’ accomplishments 

LABANGAN, Zamboanga del Sur –The 1st Infantry (TABAK) Division lauded the 1st Civil-Military Operations (MAHIGALAON) battalion for its outstanding accomplishments in the past year.

Tabak assistant division commander for operations BGen. Glenn Macasero,  in his message during the 4th Anniversary celebration of the unit recently at at Camp Major Cesar Sang-an, Pulacan here said the 1st Infantry (Tabak) division under the sterling leadership of BGen. Gerardo F. Barrientos, Jr. was impressed with the performance of the unit.

Macasero said the 1St CMO battalion under the leadership of Lt.Col. Aude  Mongao has performed well and made significant contributions to our country.

Macasero cited 1CMO battalion’s support to the “Plastic ni Juan” project of GMA-7’s noon-time variety show where hundreds of kilos of empty plastic containers/bottles were turned-over to the management of the show in Quezon City on March 3 and May 22, respectively; the distribution of pencil cases to school children in selected public schools in Zamboanga Peninsula ; distribution of relief goods to fire victims in barangay San Pedro, coordination with the local officials, national government agencies, and other stakeholders.

Macasero said the 1CMO is the instrument which encouraged stakeholders to  cooperate and actively support  the peace and security efforts especially the implementation of the AFP Internal Peace and Security Plan “Bayanihan” campaign.

“Maliban na sila ang humarap sa mga kalaban—ang Communist Party of the Philippines - New People’s Army (CPP-NPA), kinukumbinsi po nila ito na itigil na ang kanilang armadong pakikibaka upang makamit natin ang inaasam na kapayapaan,” Macasero explained.

(Aside from the fact that they face the enemies—the Communist Party of the Philippines- New People’s Army (CPPA-NPA), they convinced them to stop their armed struggle to attain our much desired peace). 

 “They also helped facilitate dialogue and settlement of conflicts (rido) among Muslim brothers to foster peace,” Macasero added.

Meanwhile, he encouraged the officers and men of the unit to perform  better in the upcoming years and hope that their good works will inspire them to work even harder to achieve their goal in making our country  peaceful.

http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/1371434346776/tabak-lauds-1st-civil-military-operations-accomplishments-

903rd Infantry Brigade, UNTV and Ang Dating Daan send-off Bayanihan scholars

From the Philippine Information Agency (Jun 14): 903rd Infantry Brigade, UNTV and Ang Dating Daan send-off Bayanihan scholars

CASTILLA, SORSOGON- Six Bayanihan scholars in Sorsogon were ceremonially sent-off by the 903rd Infantry Brigade, UNT and “Ang Dating Daan” here on Tuesday, June 9, 2015.

The said Bayanihan Scholarship Program is offered every year to provide opportunities for the youths to avail of a better education and at the same time instill discipline in them, and ultimately train them to become productive citizens.

The send-off ceremony was attended by Albert D.Soriano, school registrar of La Verdad Christian College, Roland Antonio assistant bureau manager of UNTV; and Col. Cesar M Idio, 903rd Infantry Brigade commander.

The scholars who took the examinations on April 17-18, 2015 in Sorsogon State College will be enrolled in La Verdad Christian College, the founded school of “Ang Dating Daan” in Apalit, Pampanga,

UNTV and “Ang Dating Daan” sponsor the scholars providinge them free tuition fees, school uniforms and other miscellaneous expenses. The school also offers free lunch during school days.

Prior to the examination, the 903rd Infantry Brigade took responsibility of the coordination, information dissemination, screening of applicants and arrangement for  the exam’s venue.

"I would like to thank the Philippine Army, UNTV, and “Ang Dating Daan” for having this kind of program providing our children the opportunity to have brighter future. May you continue to help those who are in need," said Lourdes D. Macedonio, mother of one scholar.

Col. Cesar M. Idio on the other hand said that the scholarship program of UNTV and Ang Dating Daan in partnership with 903rd brigade is one of the mandates of Internal Peace and Security Plan Bayanihan. “We will continue to win the peace and prosperity in the provinces of Sorsogon and Masbate through this means. This peace initiative will improve economic and social condition of our area of responsibility,” Idio added.

Other than the Bayanihan Scholarship Program, UNTV is also the Brigade’s partner in the conduct of Bayanihan Caravan in the provinces of Sorsogon and Masbate highlighting Medical, Optical, Legal and Dental (MOLD) services.

http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/801434280467/903rd-infantry-brigade-untv-and-ang-dating-daan-send-off-bayanihan-scholars

Army 9ID, isinagawa ang pinning of ranks, oath taking para sa 8 bagong kawal

From the Philippine Information Agency (Jun 15): Army 9ID, isinagawa ang pinning of ranks, oath taking para sa 8 bagong kawal (Army 9ID held the pinning of ranks, oath taking for 8 new soldiers)

CAMP ELIAS ANGELES Pili, Camarines Sur – Kasabay sa flag raising ceremony ng 9th Infantry Division ng Philippine Army na nakabase dito ay isinagawa rin ang Pinning of Ranks at Oath Taking ng walong bagong babaeng kawal ng dibisyon ngayon, Hunyo 15.

Kasunod ng Pinning of Ranks bilang mga Privates ay isang Oath Taking Ceremony din ang ginananp kung saan nanumpa ang nasabing mga bagong babaeng sundalo na magsisilbi sila ng buong puso sa mga kababayang Bikolano.

Ang nasabing aktibidad ay pinangunahan ni BGen. Ignacio A. Obligacion, assistant division commander ng 9ID.

Ang pagkaka-promote ng mga nasabing kawal ay simbolo ng mga responsibilidad na ipinagkaloob sa kanilang mga balikat bilang regular na miyembro ng Sandatahang Lakas ng Pilipinas.

Bahagi ang nasabing mga Private ng Candidate Soldier Course Class 382-2014 na binubuo ng 52 lalaki at 78 na babae na sinanay sa Training and Doctrine Command, Camp O’Donnell sa Capas, Tarlac kung saan walo ang quota para sa 9ID.

Nakatakdang i-destino ang nasabing mga bagong babaeng kawal sa mga Infantry Battalions at Infantry Brigades na nasasakupan ng 9th Infantry Division.

inakamababang rango man sa organisasyon ng Philippine Army ang Private, malaki ang pagpapahalaga dito ng pamunuan ng 9ID dahil ang bawat kawal ay may mahalagang papel na ginagampanan para sa paglilingkod sa bayan. 

 http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/771434354672/army-9id-isinagawa-ang-pinning-of-ranks-oath-taking-para-sa-8-bagong-kawal

Will MILF surrender SAF 44’s guns?

From the Manila Standard Today (Jun 15): Will MILF surrender SAF 44’s guns?
 

THE authorities still do not know whether today’s initial decommissioning of the MILF’s combatants and firearms will include the 38 high-powered firearms out of the 44 taken by its fighters from the 44 police commandos slain in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, on Jan. 29 this year, an official said Monday.

PNP Public Information Office Chief Wilfredo Franco said they had no specific knowledge whether the 38 weapons of the 44 commandos would be included in the turnover of MILF firearms to the international Independent Decommissioning Body.

So far, the MILF has only returned 16 firearms to the government, but the authorities hope the group will finally surrender those weapons in the decommissioning process.

Franco expressed optimism that the MILF would return the slain commandos’ firearms in the symbolic turnover, a move that he said “will build trust and confidence.”

 “We hope the MILF will be moving towards that by unilaterally giving the firearms of SAF,” Franco said.

President Benigno Aquino III will lead today’s turnover of weapons and decommissioning of the combatants of the MILF in Sultan Kudarat.

“As part of our ongoing peace-building efforts, the government and the  Moro Islamic Liberation Front will hold tomorrow [Tuesday] the first phase of the decommissioning of the MILF’s weapons and combatants,” presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said.

He said phase 1 involved the ceremonial turnover of 75 high-powered and crew-served weapons and the decommissioning of 145 members of the MILF’s Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces.

Armed Forces Chief Gregorio Catapang Jr. on Monday said Tuesday’s decommissioning was a historic event and praised what he described as the MILF’s commitment to peace.

“What is laudable here is that the MILF is voluntarily turning in their firearms in an environment that continues to have other armed groups,” Catapang said.

The Joint Verification and Monitoring Team of the Independent Decommissioning Body its still validating the total number of firearms in the MILF’s inventory to know whether those firearms are government-owned.

Sources said most of the MILF’s firearms were secured from several ambush operations against government forces at the height of the MILF’s secessionist movement in the 198’s.

“Inventory is taking place, and we are validating the total firearms in the inventory of the MILF,” Franco said.

The PNP will took part in the symbolic turn-over by designating three police commissioned officers who will assist the four members of the Independent Decommissioning Body what will oversee the decommissioning of the MILF’s forces and weapons.

Franco identified them as Chief Inspectors Randall-Lyon Bueno, Filmore Calib and Christopher Muego.

The Joint Verification and Monitoring Team is led by a foreign independent expert with a member each from the government and the MILF. The JVMT  will supervise the 30-member Joint Peace and Security Team  or JPST that is responsible for securing the mutually-agreed upon Weapons Storage area.

The JPST is made up of 15 members from the government’s army and police and an equal number from the MILF.

http://manilastandardtoday.com/2015/06/16/will-milf-surrender-saf-44-s-guns-/

Son of a rebel

From Rappler (Jun 15): Son of a rebel

Mobarak Hadji Yahya, now 33 and a father of 11, is in awe as soldiers help MILF rebels fix schools at Camp Bilal. Fifteen years ago, he took up arms against these forces.



ARMED CONFLICT. This photo taken on Oct 15, 2012 shows members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) standing in formation during a celebration inside Camp Darapanan in Sultan Kudarat town, in the southern island of Mindanao. Photo by Karlos Manlupig/AFP

LANAO DEL NORTE, Philippines – On his high school graduation day in 2000, Mobarak Hadji Yahya was holding a gun instead of his diploma.

He couldn’t leave his home inside Camp Bilal in Munai town, Lanao del Norte, some 47 kilometers away from his school in Iligan City. At the time, the government was unleashing an all-out war on the rebel Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

Mobarak had to fight alongside his father, Commander Hadji Yahya Locsadatu, the late vice chief of staff of the MILF’s Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Force (BIAF). Commander Yahya was defending Camp Bilal, the province's biggest MILF base, which would later be captured by the military.

Fifteen years later, on June 8, Camp Bilal was the setting for a rare occasion. For a day, government forces and MILF members set aside their firearms and trooped to communities in the MILF base to help fix schools as classes resumed in the area. Together, the soldiers and rebels built school fences and conducted a medical mission.

Among the visitors of the community were chief government peace negotiator Miriam Ferrer and members of the Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) of the government and the MILF.

[Video report: Soldiers help fix schools in MILF camp
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gi-78BZpXb8]

War was his only choice

Mobarak was in awe as he watched the pupils in his village sing the Philippine national anthem at the start of the activity. Rows of soldiers and MILF members stood in attention within hailing distance.
It was a scene that did not cross Mobarak’s mind a decade and a half ago.

In his youth, to fight was his only choice. War was his nightmare, but it was also his source of pride.
“Sa utak namin dito, humawak na lang ng armas. Parang laruan talaga dito 'yon, e. Sikat ka kung nasa giyera ka. Parang ganoon 'yung kabataan dito noon,” recalled Mobarak. (You’re popular if you are in the battlefield. That was the mentality of the youth at that time.)

At the peak of the all-out war, Mobarak said he carried an M-60 machine gun, at times firing 300 rounds.

“Kung hindi ka magpapaputok, talagang hindi ka mabubuhay,” Mobarak said. (If you will not fire your gun at the enemy, you will not survive.)

Since the 1970s, the conflict in Mindanao has claimed at least 150,000 lives and left a huge part of Mindanao in abject poverty.

Scars of war

The scars of the Muslim rebellion are engraved on the walls of the abandoned two-story house where Mobarak grew up. The walls are covered in bullet holes and dents.

He recalled that morning when the military dropped a bomb on their house, shattering parts of it, including their bedroom. He was with his parents, siblings, and other fighters preparing for breakfast. They put up a fight, he said, but retreated to the cornfield at the back of the house.

“Muntik na kaming madale,” Mobarak said. (We almost got killed.)

The all-out-war in Mindanao under the administration of President Joseph Estrada displaced nearly a million, including the women, children, and the elderly in Camp Bilal. The war cost the government at least P1.3 billion, according to a study.

When the memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain (MOA-AD) under President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo failed, more than half a million left their communities.

“Here, they remember the wars of 2000 and 2008. That’s what we’re told by the teachers and those who were affected by the bombings and disorder during that period. But because we’ve had a continuing ceasefire since 2010 under the Aquino administration, they saw what ceasefire can bring,” Ferrer told Rappler during her visit to Camp Bilal.

According to Ferrer, she visited the MILF base to help create new memories of a lasting peace for the children and the community in general.

On Tuesday, June 16, another gesture of cooperation between the government and the MILF will mark the ongoing peace process. The MILF will turnover the first batch of rebel firearms. The rebels to be decommissioned are veterans of the 2000 war under the Estrada administration.

LASTING PEACE. In MILF’s Camp Bilal, soldiers help build school fences, provide health services, and take pictures with children. Their message is to create new memories of a lasting peace for the kids. Photo by Voltaire Tupaz/Rappler

 

Father didn’t want war

War was not the kind of life that his father wanted him and his siblings to live, according to Mobarak.
“Ayaw niya kasi ng giyera, eh. Iyon ang naoobserbahan ko sa kanya…Hindi ko makalimutan sa kanya yung sinabi niya: ‘Hindi ito gyera ng mga Muslim at Christian. Ito’y hindi pagkakaunawaan ng gobyerno at saka ng MILF,” Mobarak remembered his late father telling him.

(He didn’t want war. That’s my impression of him. I will never forget what he told us: "This is not a war between Muslims and Christians. This is a conflict between the government and the MILF.")

Now 33 and a father of 11, Mobarak pins his hope on the peace deal between the government and MILF signed in March 2014 after 17 years of negotiations. (READ: DOCUMENT: Bangsamoro basic primer)
“I tell my children
 to study hard now because, as I understand it, under the BBL (Bangsamoro Basic Law), our children will be able to go to school, to any school they want,” Mubarak said in Filipino.

The BBL proposes to form a new autonomous region in Muslim Mindanao that is parliamentary in form, and with greater powers and resources than the one currently in place.

PEACE DEAL. Al Haj Murad Ebrahim, Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Chairman; Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak; Philippine president Benigno Aquino III and Secretary Teresita Quintos-Deles, Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process hold the documents following the signing of a final peace agreement between the Philippine government and the muslim rebel group inside the Malacanang presidential palace in Manila, the Philippines, March 27, 2014. Dennis Sabangan/ EPA

 

Testing the durability of peace

But the durability of peace in Mindanao is now being tested in the court of opinion and in Congress, where the discussion of the proposed Bangsamoro law has been delayed because of legal and legitimacy issues.

Public support on the bill eroded after the bloody incident that happened in Mamasapano town, Maguindanao, where 44 elite cops died and 11 others were wounded during a clash with combined forces of MILF and its breakaway group, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).

Senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr, chair of the Senate committee on local government, announced in a privilege speech on June 3 he is rejecting the BBL and would introduce an alternative measure – most likely an amended version of the current law that created the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

“Unfortunately, the BBL in its present form and substance will not bring us any closer to peace. Instead, it will lead us to perdition. Armed conflict will ensue. Blood will be shed. And when blood is shed, it will not distinguish between right and wrong; between young and old, neither between men and women, nor soldiers or rebels, combatants and civilians, rich, poor, Muslims, Christians,” Marcos said.

Marcos, together with other 11 senators, signed a committee report that found the proposed measure unconstitutional.

“Panahon pa ng tatay niya, giyera nang giyera na. Tapos giyera na naman ngayon. Hindi nila nararamdaman yung sakit na dinadanas ng taga-Mindanao,” Mobarak reminded the dicator’s son. (READ: Cardinal to Bongbong: Correct your father’s sins vs Muslims)

(The conflict has been there since his father's presidency. Now we’re going to war again. They don’t feel the misery that the people of Mindanao went through.)

“I hope politicians will not use the BBL,” Mubarak said, speaking in Filipino, “because it cost us blood.”

 http://www.rappler.com/move-ph/issues/mindanao/96464-son-milf-rebel

P25K for each MILF gun; P950M for decommissioning

From the Daily Tribune (Jun 15): P25K for each MILF gun; P950M for decommissioning

NoyNoy to give out cash-for-arms

In a ceremony President Aquino will officiate himself, the purported decommissioning of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) weapons scheduled tomorrow will cost the government a hefty P950 million which includes P25,000 for each surrendered arm and PhilHealth cards for each of the initial 145 MILF members who are also guaranteed to be taken in under the Bangsamoro Integrated Armed Force (BIAF). 

Initially, the MILF sought the approval of the BBL as a condition for the decommissioning process but it had lately agreed to the surrender of arms prior to the disbanding of the MILF rebel commands. 

The Palace said the cash-for-arms ceremony tomorrow will be a demonstration of MILF’s commitment to achieving lasting peace in Mindanao.

Presidential Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr said the MILF is set to turnover their firearms to the government decommissioning body.

Coloma said the decommissioning process is an important part of the annex on normalization in the peace agreement signed between the government and the MILF in January last year.

“President Aquino will bear witness to the initial part of the decommissioning process that is seen as a strong expression of support and commitment of the MILF in pushing for the peace process that will deliver peace and prosperity in the area within the Bangsamoro,” Coloma said.

Aside from the cash assistance and PhilHealth Cards, “other medium to long-term livelihood assistance will be provided by the Task Force on Decommissioned Combatants and Communities,” Coloma said.

The normalization process, according to the Palace official, has three parts, namely security, socioeconomic development and transitional justice and reconciliation.

“This process seeks to give members of the MILF opportunity to work and live in peace, far from violence. The decommissioning is pushed alongside other agreements between the government and the MILF,” Coloma said.

Government peace negotiator Miriam Coronel-Ferrer said phase 1 of the process will begin with the ceremonial turnover of 55 high-powered and 20 crew-serve weapons, and the decommissioning of 145 members of the MILF’s Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces.

Crew-serve weapons refer to weapon systems that require more than one individual for it to function at optimum efficiency, usually needing one person to load and another person to fire, such as medium and heavy machine guns.

She said the firearms will be turned over to the Independent Decommissioning Body (IDB), while decommissioned combatants will undergo a registration, verification, and validation process, after which they will be provided immediate cash assistance amounting to P25,000 and PhilHealth cards.

“The President himself will be the guest of honor during the event and we are inviting our esteemed lawmakers from the House of Representatives and the Senate to join us and witness the commitment of both Parties to put an end to the armed conflict,” Ferrer said.

MILF chief negotiator Mohagher Iqbal described the decommissioning process as “very difficult” but noted that the MILF has committed to “undertake the ultimate sacrifice.”

Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Quintos Deles has noted that the decommissioning process the MILF is set to undergo is unprecedented, as it was not done during the earlier peace agreement with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).

“We’ve never had an armed organization that has been fighting with government as an organization voluntarily—in partnership with the government—turn over weapons,” Deles said.

Medium- to long-term socio economic interventions for the combatants will be handled by the Task Force on Decommissioned Combatants and Communities.

The normalization process has three main components—security, socioeconomic development, and transitional justice and reconciliation—which are aimed at fostering peace in conflict-affected communities in Mindanao, which will then allow individuals to fully pursue productive and sustainable livelihoods without fear of violence or crime. According to the Annex on Normalization, the decommissioning of MILF weapons and forces “shall be parallel and commensurate to the implementation of all the agreements of the Parties.”?

“Although it’s a ceremonial program, it signals something that took a long time to prepare both the hearts and minds of the people who are involved in this process,” she added.

Iqbal said even if the BBL is delayed, they will comply with the initial phase of the graduated decommissioning of MILF forces and their weapons.

“We will see to it that we will comply with our obligations. We have to undertake this whether the BBL is moving in Congress or not,” Iqbal said.

He added saying, “honestly there’s no other way but to have peace in Mindanao.”

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) earlier alloted P9.94 billion under this year’s budget for “the peaceful settlement of armed conflict in the country.”

The amount was broken down into P2.69 billion for the Bangsamoro peace process and P7.25 billion for Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan (PAMANA) reintegration program.

Some P950 million was alloted to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for immediate assistance under the reinsertion package for MILF members.

Decommissionining doubts raised

A lawmaker from the House minority bloc identified with former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, however, expressed doubts about the sincerity of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in laying down their arms as provided for in the peace process.

Buhay Partylist Rep. Jose Lito Atienza said that the process could just be a “show” even as he noted that only 145 firearms are going to be surrendered by the MILF.

Atienza noted that the 145 firearms is miniscule compared to the 10,000 soldiers of the group.
“When would the decommissioning process end when only 145 would be surrendered? We’re running out of time,” Atienza said.

He urged the government peace panel to show to the Filipino people that they (peace panel) are on people’s side.

The partylist lawmaker also noted that there were 1000 MILF combatants that were involved in the massacre of 44 members of the Philippine National Police – Special Action Force on January 25, 2015.

Atienza said that the government peace panel should have insisted that the firearms used by the 1000 MILF men in the Mamasapano incident be surrendered in order for the people to realize that the government is indeed sincere in making peace in Mindanao.

President Aquino is expected to witness the first phase of the decommissioning process tomorrow (Tuesday) despite the failure of the House of Representatives to approve the proposed Basic Law on the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region.

Former Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief-of-Staff and now Muntinlupa Rep. Rodolfo Biazon, said that the MILF should surrender all their firearms before candidates file their certificates of candidacy (COC).

“We expect them (MILF) to file their COC by October, that’s why they have to surrender their firearms,” Baizon, chairperson of the House Committee on National Defense and Security, said. He said that without surrendering their firearms the MILF would be campaigning with their firearms.

“Are we going to allow them to campaign with armed bodyguards? That should not be the case,”said Biazon.

Members of ad hoc panel said that the start if the decommissioning process is proof of a “strong commitment to end the armed conflict” in Mindanao.

“This is a very welcome development for me as a member of Congress tackling the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law and personally as a Mindanaonon,” Ad Hoc Committee Chair and Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez said.

“The beginning of the decommissioning process is concrete proof of the strong commitment of the MILF to end armed conflict in the south,” Rodriguez added.

Ad Hoc Committee vice-chair and Misamis Occidental Rep. Henry Oaminal similarly welcomed the commencement of the decommissioning process, noting that the decommissioning of heavy weaponry and 145 MILF members clearly establishes the commitment of the Moro group to pursue the peace agreement with the government despite a delay in the passage of the law creating the Bangsamoro region.

“There is perhaps no greater proof that the MILF is sincere in its efforts to begin peace-building with the government than this decision to voluntarily turn over their arms and weapons especially with the heated debates and the delay of the passing into law of the BBL,” Oaminal said.

A ceremonial turnover on June 16 of 55 high-powered and 20 crew-serve weapons and the decommissioning of 145 MILF combatants will formally begin Phase 1 of the process, the two peace panels announced jointly on Thursday.

Gradual decommissioning is part of the Annex on Normalization signed by the MILF and the government last January 2014. Firearms will be turned over to the Independent Decommissioning Body (IDB), while decommissioned combatants will serve as pioneers and help gauge the success rate of the normalization process.

The normalization process has three main components—security, socioeconomic development, and transitional justice and reconciliation—which are aimed at fostering peace in conflict-affected communities in Mindanao, which will then allow individuals to fully pursue productive and sustainable livelihoods without fear of violence or crime. According to the Annex on Normalization, the decommissioning of MILF weapons and forces “shall be parallel and commensurate to the implementation of all the agreements of the Parties.”

“We understand that this will be gradual, but we are confident there is no stopping the decommissioning process in the coming months,” Oaminal added.

“I hope that Congress moves with urgency on the proposed BBL because the decommissioning process will move much faster with the passage and ratification of the bill, and combatants on the ground will be able to return to civilian lives much sooner,” Oaminal explained.

Another Committee vice-chair, Sulu Rep. Tupay Loong, on the other hand, noted that the MILF’s decision to begin decommissioning is a clear message to both the Senate and the House of Representatives that it is a trustworthy partner in the Bangsamoro peace process.

“We should all understand the security situation,” Loong said. “There are still other armed groups with weapons on the ground, yet the MILF is already willing to begin decommissioning for the sake of peace in Mindanao.”

“I appeal to my colleagues in the House and the Senate, especially to Senator Bongbong Marcos, to pass the BBL in the soonest possible time as this is the foundation in the roadmap to peace. We cannot move forward and bring the peace that our people desire and deserve without passing the BBL,” Loong said.

“I also call on the people’s support in building a Bangsamoro that is our best chance for enhanced peace and security in Mindanao,” Loong said.

http://www.tribune.net.ph/headlines/p25k-for-each-milf-gun-p950m-for-decommissioning

Video: Abu Sayyaf coddling 5 international terrorists

From ABS-CBN (Jun 15): Video: Abu Sayyaf coddling 5 international terrorists

[Video report: Abu Sayyaf coddling 5 international terrorists
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTS08JuaKw0]

The Abu Sayyaf is coddling five international terrorists. That's according to intelligence reports of the Armed Forces.

The AFP will not say if the five men are members of the Islamic State terror group except that they are being coddled by Abu Sayyaf leaders Puruji Indama and Radulan Sahiron.

Officials also believe other foreign terror suspects are hiding in Sulu and Maguindanao.

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/video/nation/regions/06/15/15/abu-sayyaf-coddling-5-international-terrorists

Is there a new breakaway group from MILF?

From ABS-CBN (Jun 15): Is there a new breakaway group from MILF?

MAGUINDANAO - Is there a new breakaway group emerging from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF)?

Mohammad Nasif, normalization chief of the MILF and operations officer of the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF), earlier denied reports that a group called the Bangsamoro People's Progressive Alliance (BAPPA) is breaking away from the MILF because of a disagreement over the ongoing peace process with the Philippine government.

The report said the BAPPA was created by MILF and Moro National Liberation Front commanders trying to gather disgruntled revolutionaries who may want to join them.

Nasif said MILF officials have not heard of the group, adding that BIAF fighters continue to obey the decisions of the leadership.

Major General Edmundo Pangilinan, 6th Infantry Division Commander, said they have not yet received any information on groups or breakaway groups, aside from the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), that could be a possible threat to the peace initiatives, following the start of the decommissioning process as part of the normalization annex of the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro.

"All information that are coming in, we consider and validate it," Pangilinan said.

He said he will have the information checked by the Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) and the Ad hoc Joint Action Group (AHJAG).

Meantime, MNLF Chief for Political Bureau in Central Mindanao Committee Lowell Macabagen told a political-military conference in Cotabato City on Sunday that he has also heard of the group "BAPPA," but could not confirm if it is real since their members on the ground are intact.

As of posting, the government troops, MNLF and MILF continue to monitor emerging groups.

But the MILF earlier said this could just be spoilers of the peace talks between the government of the Philippines and the MILF.

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/regions/06/15/15/there-new-breakaway-group-milf

Turkish navy warship makes first visit to PH

From Rappler (Jun 15): Turkish navy warship makes first visit to PH

The visit aims to strengthen ties between Philippine and Turkish armed forces   



HISTORIC. A Turkish navy ship visits the Philippines for the first time. PH Navy photo

A warship of the Turkish navy on Monday, June 15, docked at the South Harbor in Manila for a four-day friendly visit.

It is the first time that a Turkish vessel visited the Philippines. It will stay until June 18.

"The visit aims to contribute to the strengthening of bilateral relations and people-to-people contacts between the two countries as well as fostering the ties between the armed forces," according to a statement from the Turkish embassy in the Philippines.

The Philippines is one of 14 countries that TCG Gediz (F495) was deployed to visit as part of Turkey's commemmoration of the 125th anniversary of the voyage of Ottoman frigate Ertugrul from Turkey to Japan. The gesture that was meant to reciprocate the visit of the Japanese royal family to Istanbul in 1887 ended tragically when the Turkish ship sank off Japan due to a strong typhoon.

The Turkish warship docked at the South Harbor has a total of 230 crew led by Rear Admiral Aydin Sirin, the Chief of Inspection and Evaluation of Turkish Naval Forces.

Turkish navy officers will pay courtesy calls on Philippine military officers and will participate in several activities including joint military training programs.

http://www.rappler.com/nation/96411-turkish-navy-warship-manila

Philippines to present China sea case at Hague in July

From Rappler (Jun 15): Philippines to present China sea case at Hague in July

The Netherlands-based UN court is scheduled to conduct a hearing from July 7 on a case lodged by the Philippines in 2013 which China has spurned, foreign department spokesman Charles Jose says



CHINA RECLAMATION. The alleged ongoing reclamation by China at Subi reef seen from Pagasa island (Thitu Island) in the Spratly group of islands in the South China Sea, west of Palawan, Philippines, 11 May 2015. File Photon by Ritchie B. Tongo/EPA
 

The Philippines will argue its case against China's claim over most of the disputed South China Sea at The Hague next month, the foreign department said Monday, June 15.

The Netherlands-based UN court is scheduled to conduct a hearing from July 7 on a case lodged by the Philippines in 2013 which China has spurned, foreign department spokesman Charles Jose said. (READ: China to UN: PH 'totally wrong' on sea row)

"Right now we are preparing for the oral arguments in The Hague on July 7 to 13. Our team from Manila and from the United States will be flying there," Jose told reporters in Manila.

Philippine officials and diplomats, assisted by US lawyers, will represent the country in the proceedings, Jose said.

China claims almost all of the South China Sea, even areas close to the coasts of its neighbors. Its claim is disputed by the Philippines as well as Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and Taiwan.

The waters are a crucial sea lane and rich fishing ground also believed to hold large mineral resources.

The Philippines asked the UN tribunal in January 2013 to declare China's claim invalid and against international law.

Manila says some of the areas claimed by its powerful Asian neighbor encroach on the former's exclusive economic zone as defined by a 1982 UN convention on the law of the sea, which both countries have ratified. (READ: In numbers: Philippines-China relations)

Recently the Philippines has accused China of taking more aggressive measures to press its claim.

These include reclaiming land to turn previously submerged islets into artificial islands capable of hosting military installations.

This has alarmed foreign governments including the United States and Japan, raising fears it could eventually impede freedom of navigation and commerce.

The Philippines says next month's hearings will be crucial to the five-member tribunal's decision on whether Manila's complaint has legal merit as well as whether the court has jurisdiction over the case.

http://www.rappler.com/nation/96455-philippines-china-sea-case-hague-july

3 killed in NPA raid in Bukidnon; 13 FAs seized

From MindaNews (Jun 15): 3 killed in NPA raid in Bukidnon; 13 FAs seized

Three people were killed in an attack Sunday by the New People’s Army in an interior town of Bukidnon.

In a statement Monday, the NPA Army Regional Command said its South Central Bukidnon Sub-regional Command attacked an outpost of the 69th Infantry Battalion in Sitio Mahayag, Barangay Namnam, San Fernando around 3:30 p.m. on Sunday.

The statement said one soldier was killed and three others were wounded in the firefight.
One rebel and a 12-year old child were also killed, it added.

The NPA claimed they seized 13 firearms, including a mini machinegun and an M203 grenade launcher.

The rebel group said the soldiers occupied the sitio hall as their barracks and were deployed in the area to guard the equipment of a construction company that was working on the Valencia-Davao highway.

http://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2015/06/15/3-killed-in-npa-raid-in-bukidnon-13-fas-seized/

Decommissioning strengthens ceasefire agreement observed by MILF and government troops

From the Philippine News Agency (Jun 15): Decommissioning strengthens ceasefire agreement observed by MILF and government troops

The Western Mindanao Command (Wesmincom) welcomed the decommissioning of the members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MNLF).

The decommissioning of the MILF members will start with a turnover Tuesday of an initial batch of heavy weapons--55 high-powered and 20 crew-serve--in Maguindao.

President Benigno S. Aquino III is set to grace the high-level ceremony that will see the transfer of the weapons by the MILF members to the Independent Decommissioning Body (IDB).

Tuesday’s will set into motion the first phase of the normalization program of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB).

“This is a good start and Wesmincom welcomes a sustained demobilization and decrease in weapons (in the possession of the MILF). This starts the other programs to reduce if not altogether remove all firearms from those persons not authorized (to bear arms), which would be pursued in support of and in coordination with the PNP (Philippine National Police). That is aside from the continuous joint law enforcement operations against all threat groups,” Lt. Gen. Rustico Guerrero, Wesmincom chief, said.

The threat groups include terrorist groups like the Abu Sayyaf Group and a reported resurgent Jemaah Islamiyah.

MILF chairman Ebrahim Murad is expected to lead MILF officials who will attend the turnover rites to be held in the old provincial capitol compound of Maguindanao province.

The weapons will immediately be stored by the IDB in a safe and secure warehouse.

In an radio interview, GPH peace panel chief Miriam Coronel-Ferrer said the IDB is composed of three foreign demobilization experts, one each from Turkey, Norway and Brunei, and two each from the MILF and Philippine government.

The weapons will be guarded by joint teams composed of MILF, PNP and AFP personnel under the Joint Peace and Security Team (JPST) system.

In exchange for their firearms, the initial batch of 145 demobilized MILF members will receive cash grants and other assistance that would include livelihood, education, and housing benefits.

The MILF will turn over more weapons to the IDB under a protocol hinged on the attainment of other normalization components such as the disarming of threat groups in the Bangsamoro areas.

The decommissioning will strengthen the years-old ceasefire agreement observed by the MILF and government troops.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=772514

Troops tighten security in Sarangani town after foiled landmine attack

From the Philippine News Agency (Jun 15): Troops tighten security in Sarangani town after foiled landmine attack

Government troops have stepped up their security operations in parts of Malapatan town in Sarangani Province following the recovery over the weekend of four powerful landmines in the area that were believed planted by New People’s Army (NPA) rebels.

1Lt. B-Jay Ursua, Alpha company commander of the Army’s 73rd Infantry Battalion (IB), said Monday they dispatched additional troops to secure critical road networks in Malapatan town to prevent possible landmine attacks by the rebels.

Elements from the 73IB and the Malapatan police station recovered early Saturday four improvised landmines at a portion of a road in Sitio Montilla in Barangay Lun Padidu.

Ursua said the landmines were initially found by local residents, who immediately reported them to local authorities.

The recovered explosives comprise of four “anti-vehicle bombs,” an improvised receiver, an improvised transmitter, electric blasting caps and batteries that serve as power sources, he said.

The official said each of the four landmine measured around 6.5 inches in diameter and 9.5 inches tall.

“These are powerful enough to destroy a military vehicle and inflict heavy casualties if they explode,” he told reporters.

Ursua said the recovery of the bombs in Barangay Lun Padidu in Maasim was disturbing as they could have harmed civilians in the area.

He noted that the road network serves as a key entry and exit point of residents travelling to and from various upland villages in the area.

The road is also used frequently by the 73IB in moving their operating troops to the hinterland villages of Malapatan and the neigboring municipalities, he said.

Ursua described the foiled landmine attack as a desperate move on the part of the NPA, which is the subject of intensified offensives by the 73IB in the last several months.

Meantime, Sr. Insp. Ernesto Salandron, Malapatan police chief, said they are currently preparing the filing of formal charges against the suspected rebels who planted the explosives.

He said the 73IB has already identified some of the suspects based on accounts of witnesses.(

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=772530

Army engineers complete mosque, bridge in Mamasapano, Maguindanao

From the Philippine News Agency (Jun 15): Army engineers complete mosque, bridge in Mamasapano, Maguindanao

The military's 6th Infantry Division engineering division will turn over to the residents of Barangay Tukanalipao, Mamasapano, Maguindanao a mosque built by Army engineers and funded by the office of Regional Gov. Mujiv Hataman of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

Military engineers from the 6th ID and 601st Infantry Brigade started the construction last month including a concrete bridge in the village that will replace the wooden one.

Hataman's office earlier allotted P70-million socio-economic and diplomatic interventions aimed at fast tracking the restoration of normalcy in the village following the deadly clash that left 44 police, 18 Moro rebels and three civilians killed on January 25.

Two months ago, the government decided to repair the bridge and construct a concrete one with Army engineers in the forefront. A road concreting project and a mosque was part of the development package.

According to Engr. James Mlok of Maguindanao's second engineering district, the mosque and the bridge construction was going on smoothly.

Mlok said the concrete bridge was erected a few meters away from the iconic wooden bridge near a corn field where the Philippine National Police Special Action Force and the MILF forces clashed on January 25.

Mlok's office is constructing a road network connecting Barangay Poblacion to Barangay Tukanalipao.

Initial reports said President Benigno Aquino III, who will witness the decommissioning of firearms of the MILF in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao, will have a side trip to Barangay Tukanalipao but security concerns were given major consideration.

The decommissioning process will take place at the old provincial capitol of Maguindanao, situated in Barangay Simuay, Sultan Kudarat town, about 60 kilometers or an hour and a half drive to Mamasapano town.

Major Gen. Edmundo Pangilinan, 6th ID chief who has jurisdiction over Army engineers working on the mosque, said the villagers of Tukanalipao were thankful of the military's efforts to help build the place of worship.

Pangilinan said the mosque will be opened in time for the start of the fasting month on June 17 or June 18.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=772648