More NPA rebels will yield to gov’t, says military official

From the Philippine Information Agency (Sep 7): More NPA rebels will yield to gov’t, says military official

GUIPOS, Zamboanga del Sur – At least three (3) regular members of the New People’s Army from the Natarang Guerilla ng Kara (NG-KARA) of the Western Mindanao Regional Party Committee (WMRPC) on Saturday, September 5, decided to return to the folds of the law and live normal lives.

The rebel returnees were identified as Erme Elnas, alias “James,” 22 years old, a member of Sandatahang Yunit Pampropaganda;  Anselma Perez Quijano, alias “Jelly,” 26 ; and Lodovico Jordan Nadal Jr. alias “Jay-Ar,” 26,  voluntarily surrendered to Lt. Col. Alvin Luzon, commanding officer of the 53rd Infantry Battalion at its headquarters at Camp Sabido, this municipality.

Elnas yielded KG45 sub-machine gun  with defaced serial number and Quijano  a caliber 45 pistol 1911-A1 with serial number 973124 to Col. Luzon.

The military chief said based on the initial debriefing, the sustained combat operation of government forces and the dwindling mass support were the reasons for their surrender.

Luzon said their successful surrender  was made possible through the joint efforts of the intelligence platoon of 53rd IB; Special Mission Platoon of 1st Military Intelligence Battalion and Police Intelligence Branch  of Zamboanga del Sur Police Provincial Office.

He said a total of 19 former NPA rebels have surrendered to the government.

Five (5) former NPA rebels surrendered to the headquarters on May 25, another eight (8) rebels surrendered in the evening of August 11, and three (3) surrendered during the declaration of Zamboanga del Sur as Peaceful and Ready for Further Development province on August 12, at the Amusement and Events Center, Provincial Capitol compound where the former rebels were given P15,000 each under the national government’s Comprehensive Local Integration Program (CLIP).

Luzon said the gradual increase of NPA rebels who surrendered to the government  are the fruits and success of the AFP’s Internal Peace and Security Plan (IPSP) Bayanihan campaign.

He is thankful to our brothers who have returned to the folds of the law and  abandoned the armed movement.

“In a span of just about 3 months, we were able to convince NPA rebels to surrender to the government,” Luzon happily announced.

“With the significant increase of number of surenderees this year, I am optimistic that more NPA rebels will return to the folds of the government,” Luzon concluded.

http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/1371441590113/more-npa-rebels-will-yield-to-gov-t-says-military-official

Army blames NPA for killing of school chief, 2 Manobos in Surigao Sur

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 7): Army blames NPA for killing of school chief, 2 Manobos in Surigao Sur

Not so, says Surigao del Sur governor who wants paramilitary group disbanded

The military on Monday said communist guerrillas of the New People’s Army could be the ones who killed a school director and two Manobo tribesmen in the town of Lianga, Surigao del Sur last September 1.

“There is a possibility. However, it is best for us to wait for the result of the investigation of the Philippine National Police,” said Capt. Patrick Martinez, spokesperson of the Philippine Army’s 4th Infantry Division.

Martinez, in a phone interview, said the military has immediately sent in additional government forces to secure the area and to go after the perpetrators.

Earlier, residents and Surigao del Sur governor Johnny Pimentel said that the village of Diatagon in Lianga town was attacked by an anti-communist paramilitary group called Magahat-Bagani force.

But Martinez claimed that instead of the paramilitary group, government soldiers who went to the area on September 3 clashed with New People’s Army rebels.

Martinez said the fighting lasted for 15 minutes until the rebels retreated, leaving behind an AK47 rifle, two backpacks and personal belongings.

“Some of the residents saw the NPA carrying their wounded comrades,” Martinez said.

The entire village has become a ghost town since September 1.

At least 2,000 residents from the village of Diatagon fled their homes after the Magahat-Bagani killed Emerico Samarca, executive director of the Alternative Learning Center for Agricultural and Livelihood Development (Alcadev). Samarca was found hogtied with a stab wound and his throat slit open inside a classroom.

Alcadev is a privately operated but government-regulated learning institution that provides basic and technical education to lumad children in communities rarely reached by government services.

The paramilitary also killed Dionel Campos and his cousin Aurelio Sinzo in front of the villagers. Campos was a community leader and the chairperson of the indigenous people group Maluhutayong Pakigbisog Alansa sa Sumusunod (Mapasu), which is known for its firm position on the protection of ancestral lands and its campaign against human rights violations targeting indigenous people.

The Magahat-Bagani also burned the building of a community cooperative not far from the school compound.

Pimentel disclosed that the Magahat-Bagani force, composed of about 30 ragtag heavily armed men, has been a persisting security problem in the province that left scores of people dead.

Martinez said they knew about the existence of the Bagani but did nothing about it out of respect for a “legitimate component of a tribe.”

“They (Bagani warriors) were already here even before the military came in. They are armed with their traditional weapons,” Martinez said, adding that their right as tribal warriors would stop if they bore firearms.

The provincial government said that the Bagani has been launching attacks and engaging in criminal activities since 2009.

Pimentel said that he has been consistent in requesting the military to disband and disarm the group but his appeals have fallen on deaf ears.

Martinez, however, said the military could act on it if the proper charges were filed.
Pimentel was certain that it was the paramilitary group who led the attack under the command of the military and that they should be disbanded immediately.

“The residents said that after the armed men killed the victims, two of them removed their bonnets and said that now the community knows who did it. The villagers said they know the men as the leaders of the Magahat and identified them as Bob and Loloy Tejero,” Pimentel said.

Pimentel added that these men used to be rebels who were trained and armed by the military for its counterinsurgency campaign.

“These people have relatives in the area. They live in Kilometer 9. They are former NPA rebels who were recruited by the military for the Bagani,” Pimentel said.

Aside from the ongoing anti-communist witch hunt, lumad groups said the reason behind the attacks was the intent of the military and private companies to demolish the opposition of the tribes against mining and logging.

Martinez has vowed that justice will be served and that the military will go after the perpetrators.

“How will they do that? Will the military go after its own men?” asked Karapatan-Caraga secretary general Eliza Pangilinan. http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/719998/army-blames-npa-for-killing-of-school-chief-2-manobos-in-surigao-sur

Freed daughter of NPA leader to sue those who jailed, maltreated her — lawyer

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Sep 7): Freed daughter of NPA leader to sue those who jailed, maltreated her — lawyer

Now that alleged New People’s Army (NPA) leader Andrea Rosal has been released from jail, her camp is now preparing to exact justice on those who wronged her.

Rosal emerged from the Taguig City Jail in Camp Bagong Diwa with a slight smile on her face at 8:40 p.m. on Monday, following the dismissal of the murder and kidnapping charges filed against her at the Mauban Regional Trial Court Branch 64 in Quezon province.

National Union of People’s Lawyers’ Krissy Conti said that this “would not be the last” that the public would see and hear from Rosal, noting that the daughter of the late NPA spokesperson Roger Rosal would go after those who have accused and detained her for trumped-up charges.

First on the list is the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology doctor who gave the then seven months pregnant Rosal her prenatal care. Incidentally, Tuesday is the start of the case’s pretrial proceedings.

“Let’s see how she would make those who wronged her pay for what they did to her; for arresting and detaining her even without any clear charges,” Conti said. “Let’s see what Andrea Rosal’s next moves would be. This would not be the last time you would see her.”

The lawyer added that now that both the Mauban and Pasig City courts have dismissed charges of murder and kidnapping filed against Rosal, “we do not see anymore additional charges to be filed against her.” Any new case would be dismissed by the public as trumped-up, said Conti.

Rosal, who was wearing a pink shirt and black pants, said that in the coming days, she would be visiting the grave of her 2-year-old daughter in Ibaan, Batangas. For now, she is looking forward to eating vegetables she long missed such as gabi and pako.

During her stay in prison, she said that she watched Legendary Women, about female prisoners detained for no reason. Rosal’s camp is scheduled to hold a press conference on Tuesday, at 1 p.m. in Quezon City.http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/720028/freed-daughter-of-npa-leader-to-sue-those-who-jailed-maltreated-her-lawyer

The Australian media's failure to cover the Philippines

From Australian Broadcasting Network (ABC) Online (Sep 7): The Australian media's failure to cover the Philippines



Image: Soldiers on the move in Mindanao. (Matthew Thompson)

The War on Terror has dominated headlines in Australia for nearly 15 years—so why doesn't the media cover the Philippines, a country in our backyard with a major Muslim insurgency that has links to Islamic State, with more depth and nuance? Matthew Thompson takes a look.

In the age of the perplexing and seemingly unending War on Terror, nothing quite lays bare the determined inadequacy of the Australian press in exploring and explaining our world like journalism's all-but-token avoidance of the Philippines.

The September 11 apocalypse that provoked a cascade of western military and intelligence adventures was planned in the Philippines. So was the 1993 World Trade Center attack that failed to topple the towers. Many of the bombers that killed hundreds in Bali, including scores of Australians, in 2002 and 2005, lived, were trained and trained others in the Philippines.

The most recent publicised kidnapping for ransom of an Australian happened in the Philippines, when Warren Rodwell was held on the island of Basilan by the Abu Sayyaf Group, a guerrilla syndicate started with al Qaeda seed money that has lately pledged allegiance to ISIS.

A Malaysian bomb-master named Zulkifli who worked with the Abu Sayyaf and was on the command council of Jemaah Islamiyah, the perpetrators of the Bali bombings, was pinpointed in the Philippines in January by the US, who intercepted his phone and asked Filipino police commandos to go get him.

The cops—a unit the US had trained and that it trusted more than the far better-armed local military forces—did indeed shoot Zulkifli dead, but a staggering 44 police died with him in a massacre that sent shockwaves through the Philippines, sparking fighting that killed dozens more, displaced about 120,000 people and destabilised a long-negotiated and hugely important peace deal.

Needless to say, the Philippines' volatility, lawlessness and rebel-held domains could mean trouble throughout South East Asia and elsewhere with the jihadist Internationale always on the prowl for a lair.

But all this is just the faintest blip on the Australian media's radar and, by extension, public awareness. If the Philippines does draw the press pack it's invariably to grab shots and quotes after a typhoon.

Ten years ago, when I quit the Sydney Morning Herald in order to explore the world and its stories with the depth and nuance that reality demands, a senior writer advised me that I was being a bonehead.

'Mate, just stick to stereotypes—that's all people can handle,' he said. 'I'll give you some examples: covering Japan? Gadgets and sexual fetishes. Want to write about the Philippines? Disasters and Imelda Marcos' shoes. Maybe sex tourism. No one wants to hear anything else.'

Things can change in a decade, of course. Japanese coverage now swings between nuclear disasters and a national loss of libido, but that reporter's basic point is still evident. And it would be quite harmless if the downside was merely the perpetuation of our depressing ignorance of the complex world around us.

When our ignorance leads us to misread and misjudge a dangerous situation, however, the consequences of slim, shallow or non-existent reporting can be distressing and profoundly costly. The grisly debacle that was January's Filipino counter-terrorism raid is one example, with the US agents involved apparently oblivious to what everyone else in the region well knows: normally fractious Muslim communities will quickly set aside their differences to defend each other against outside forces. That is despite the US having battle and occupation experience in the Philippines dating back to 1898, when American troops moved in after buying the archipelago from Spain for US$20 million.

Here's another example: in 2002 then-president George W. Bush declared the Philippines to be one of three theatres in the War on Terror (the others being Afghanistan and the Horn of Africa), and sent thousands of troops on an non-combat advisory mission to help Filipino forces eradicate the Abu Sayyaf in the country's south.

The mission lasted 12 years, only wrapping up in 2014. I first visited the islands in 2005, when the commitment was still young and the area was dangerous as hell, with the Abu Sayyaf carrying out kidnappings, ambushes, bombings and armed assaults.

My most recent visit was late last year, a few months after the Americans pulled out. It was dangerous as hell, with the Abu Sayyaf carrying out kidnappings, ambushes, bombings and armed assaults.

When I asked to take a 25-minute drive out of a city, about 40 soldiers were sent to escort me, some wearing ski masks, and it was not certain that we would make it through unscathed.

So what did Operation Enduring Freedom Philippines achieve? As much as had been achieved when President Barack Obama oversaw the withdrawal of US forces from what he called a 'sovereign, stable and self-reliant' Iraq in 2011?

I haven't spent time in Iraq so I don't know how much goes unreported, but after a decade of repeatedly visiting the Philippines I am starting to gain an appreciation of the country and its joys and dramas. In more than just an academic sense, I have begun to recognise that waltzing into an unstable situation without a nuanced, humble, and heartfelt openness to local stories and conditions is to waltz in blind and blundering. It is to doom oneself to failed interventions. It is to be a dangerous fool.

With this in mind, when I went back to Basilan last year, I listened more than I ever have and found a problematic stability beneath the terrible instability. I found that for a hell of a lot of people outside 'let's move on' Australia, history is not events from the past and in the past, but rather a tide in play now.

http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/earshot/the-australian-medias-failure-to-cover-the-philippines/6751010

MILF: “No reason not to be passed or not to be taken up to the point of voting on the BBL: Speaker Belmonte

Posted to the MILF Website (Sep 7): “No reason not to be passed or not to be taken up to the point of voting on the BBL: Speaker Belmonte



“Our version of the BBL, which is of course still subject to further amendments on the floor, has no reason not to be passed or not to be taken up to the point of voting on it. If I can bring it up to that point (voting), that’s what I’m after, House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, Jr. told Radio Station DZBB Yesterday, September 6.

“The real problem is that time is running out because there so many who want to interpellate, which is their right, and it’s the right of the leadership of the House to terminate it (plenary deliberations) or to limit it if we have the numbers.” Speaker Belmonte, also said.

Belmonte said the leadership of the House of Representatives has somewhat addressed the issue of quorum with plenary sessions chalking up “very good” attendance in recent days.

He said the chamber is expected to finish its committee deliberations on the proposed national budget in the next weeks and start plenary debates before the end of the month or early October so the BBL must be passed before that.

He said the Senate has also started deliberations on its version of the BBL but will start tackling the budget by November.

“The notion that you can get the Senate and the House to agree on a version before we concentrate on the budget is really becoming an impossible dream,” Belmonte said.

“But we still have to go at it to show that peace in Mindanao as exemplified by the BBL is our continuing concern and it will still get a big chunk of our time,” he said.

The BBL crafted by the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) is based on the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB) signed in 2012 and the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) signed in 2014 between the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front MILF).

http://www.luwaran.com/index.php/new/item/558-no-reason-not-to-be-passed-or-not-to-be-taken-up-to-the-point-of-voting-on-the-bbl-speaker-belmonte

Abu Sayyaf tagged in Lamitan police station blast

From the Philippine Star (Sep 7): Abu Sayyaf tagged in Lamitan police station blast

An improvised bomb exploded Sunday night outside the gate of the police station in Lamitan City, Basilan, according to a security official.

Senior Superintendent Oscar Nantes, Basilan Provincial Police director, said the blast occurred around 9:10 p.m. outside of the Lamitan City Police Station at Barangay Matibay.

Nantes said no one was reported hurt or injured by the improvised explosive device
However, residents and authorities said the explosion was powerful enough to alarm the town.

Nantes said reports from Lamitan Police Station chief Senior Inspector Gean Gallardo said the IED was placed outside in one of the posts of gate 2 of the police station.
The explosion brought minor damage to the concrete post.

Police suspected that an Abu Sayyaf bomber slipped the IED into a dark alley while the city was experiencing a blackout Sunday night.

The police said it believes the attack could be in retaliation for the relentless security campaign of the police forces which prevented the Abu Sayyaf group from conducting extortion activities and smuggling illegal drugs in the city.

http://www.philstar.com/nation/2015/09/07/1497013/abu-sayyaf-tagged-lamitan-police-station-blast

Negros Island Command still in limbo

From the Visayan Daily Star (Sep 7): Negros Island Command still in limbo

The reactivation of the Negros Island Command, in line with the recent creation of Negros Island Region, as proposed by then Armed Forces chief of staff Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang, still seems to be in a stage of “limbo”, with the Philippine National Police tentatively activating the Police Regional Office 18 within this week.

 

Maj. Gen. Rey Leonardo Guerrero, 3rd Infantry Division commander, who heads the Philippine Army in islands of Panay, Negros and Cebu, said yesterday that the proposal remains under study.

 

In the meantime, Guerrero said they will have to contend with the present Army forces in Negros and Panay islands, which they have targeted to be insurgency-free by next year.

 

The military estimates that there are still about 200 NPA members operating in Negros island, and an estimated 180 in Panay island.

 

The Negros Island Command, that used to be under the Army's 3rd Infantry Division, was deactivated in 1995, following the taking over of the counter-insurgency operations by the elite Special Action Force of the Philippine National Police in Negros island, with Army troopers sent to Mindanao, military records show.

 

The islands of Negros and Panay, which have been declared as peaceful and ready for further development, hosted several meetings of the Asian Pacific Economic Conference held in the cities of Bacolod and Iloilo, as well as Boracay.

 

The PNP is temporarily slated to activate the PRO 18, which is composed of the Negros Occidental and Oriental Provincial Police Offices, as well as the Bacolod City Police Office.

 

As announced by Catapang during the declaration of Negros Occidental as peaceful and ready for further development on June 10, the proposed Negros Island Command will be composed of the units of the Philippine Army, Air Force and Navy, that will be commanded by a general.

 

http://www.visayandailystar.com/2015/September/07/topstory2.htm

3 Japanese minesweepers in Manila on 3-day goodwill visit

From InterAksyon (Sep 7): 3 Japanese minesweepers in Manila on 3-day goodwill visit



Three Japanese minesweepers at South Harbor, Manila, 7 September 2015. DANTE DIOSINA JR.

Three Japanese minesweepers have arrived at the Manila South Harbor for a three-day goodwill visit which started Monday.

The ships, which are part of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF)’s Minesweeper Division 51, are commanded by Capt. Toshiro Takaiwa.

Commander Lued Lincuna, Philippine Navy public affairs office chief, said the visit of the Japanese minesweepers in Manila is part of the JMSDF’s tour in Southeast Asia.

Minesweeper Division 51 is composed of JS Bungo (MST-464), JS Aishima (MSC-688), and JS Shishijima (MSC-691).

These specialized vessels are used in locating and disarming naval mines.

Philippine Navy delegates rendered customary welcome ceremony upon arrival of the visiting vessels followed by a port briefing on topics about security, safety, and health with their Japanese counterparts aboard JS Bungo.

As part of their visit, Takaiwa, together with the commanding officers of the three vessels, rendered a courtesy call to PN flag-officer-in-command, Rear Admiral Caesar C. Taccad.

This goodwill visit will also involve series of confidence-building engagements between PN and JMSDF personnel such as soccer games and receptions that would create an avenue for cultural exchanges.

Moreover, PN personnel will also be given a chance to tour and familiarize with the Japanese ships to enhance their knowledge especially in mine countermeasures.

“The said visit is another gesture of fostering goodwill thus contributing to the furtherance of friendship between the PN and JMSDF established through the years with continuing commitment to promoting naval diplomacy and camaraderie,” Lincuna stressed.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/117204/3-japanese-minesweepers-in-manila-on-3-day-goodwill-visit

Party-list reps seek probe of Lumad killings

From InterAksyon (Sep 7): Party-list reps seek probe of Lumad killings



The authors of proposed House Resolution No. 2358 on Extra-judicial Killings in Alcadev Lumad School, Surigao del Sur are seen after its filing: (from left), Party-list Rep. Fernando "Ka Pando" Hicap of Anakpawis, Rural Missionaries of the Philippines (RMP) National Coordinator Sr. Francis Añover, and Reps. Carlos Zarate of Bayan Muna, Antonio Tinio of ACT and Luz Ilagan of Gabriela Women's Party.

Lawmakers from the Makabayan bloc have called on the committee on human rights at the House of Representatives to investigate the killing of a head of a DepEd-awarded tribal school and a lumad leader and his cousin in Surigao del Sur, stressing the need to give justice to the victims. 

House Resolution No. 2358 said there was also need to look into and put a stop to the "escalating killings and massive militarization in the entire island of Mindanao."

The resolution was filed by party-list Representatives Fernando Hicap of Anakpawis, Luz Ilagan and Emmi de Jesus of Gabriela, Neri Colmenares and Carlos Zarate of Bayan Muna, Antonio Tinio of ACT Teachers and Terry Ridon of Kabataan.

The investigation will center on the "extra-judicial killings" of Emerito Samarca, executive director of the Alternative Learning Center for Agricultural and Livelihood Development or ALCADEV; Dionel Campos, chairman of the Malahutayong Pakigbisog Alang Sa Sumusunod or MAPASU, and his cousin Bello Sinzo, who were executed at KM16, Han-ayan, Barangay Diatagon in front of hundreds of residents of at least six sitios who were earlier ordered out of their homes by gunmen of the Magahat militia around 4 a.m. of September 1.

ALCADEV was among the lumad-initiated schools that the military had earlier tagged as being "used" by communist rebels, according to reports. However, defenders pf the school noted it was, in fact, awarded by the Department of Education as a showcase for championing alternative learning systems.

The deaths of Samarca and the two others came just days after the summary killings of five other indigenous community members in Bukidnon, sending concern across the human-rights sector whether or not the government was abetting "ethnocide."

Quoting the human rights group Karapatan, the House resolution filed Monday said the Magahat-Bagani Force, formerly known as Marcos Bocales Task Force Gantangan during the Oplan Bantay Laya - implemented by the Arroyo administration - was being armed by the military to sow division and terror among the Manobo-Lumad.

In 2014, the group was said to be responsible for the killing of Henry Alameda and Aldren Dumaguit; the burning of the vehicle of the Kahugpungan sa mga Mag-uuma sa Surigao del Sur; and the razing of the cooperative store and school in Kabulohan, Barangay Buhisan, San Agustin, Surigao del Sur.  

[See attached HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 2358 FILED BY THE MAKABAYAN BLOC]

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/117172/party-list-reps-seek-probe-of-lumad-killings

Kidnapped granny, boy recovered in Zamboanga isle

From the Mindanao Examiner (Sep 7): Kidnapped granny, boy recovered in Zamboanga isle



Isabel Muyargas and her grandson are reunited with their family. (Best available photo. Mindanao Examiner Photo – E. Dumaboc)

Kidnappers have freed on Monday afternoon a 68-year old woman and her grandson on an island off Zamboanga City in southern Philippines, police said.

Insp. Dahlan Samuddin, a regional police spokesman, said Isabel Muyargas and her five-year old grandson Ismael Kyle Hamad were recovered in Kabog Island near Tumitus village. He said a village councilman, Kiram, fetched the duo and handed them over to the local police force.

“They were abandoned by the kidnappers on the island and Councilman Kiram fetched them and the woman and her grandson are now under the care of the police,” Samuddin told the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner.

He said no ransom was paid for the safe release of the victims. “From what we gathered, we understand that the woman begged to the kidnappers to free them because they are not wealthy and just living the life of a simple family. She told them to have pity on the boy and that she is also sickly,” Samuddin said.

Muyargas, a former education official, and the boy were seized from their home in Bangkeron village in Ipil town on September 6. They were dragged by five gunmen to two waiting motorized boats and escaped.

Police said the kidnappers were armed with automatic rifles, but it was not immediately known whether they are members of the Abu Sayyaf or other rebel groups.

No individual or group claimed responsibility for the latest abductions. Just early this year, Abu Sayyaf gunmen also kidnapped Mayor Gemma Adana, of Naga town near Ipil. And previous kidnappings in Ipil and nearby areas have also been blamed by authorities to Abral Abdusallam – one of the most notorious kidnap gang leaders in western Mindanao.

http://mindanaoexaminer.com/kidnapped-granny-boy-recovered-in-zamboanga-isle/

Troops rescue retired education official, grandson

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 7): Troops rescue retired education official, grandson

Government forces safely rescued on Monday the retired education official and her grandson barely 24 hours after they were abducted in the province of Zamboanga Sibugay.

Rescued were Isabela Muyargas, 68, and her grandson, Mohammad Kyle Hamad, 5, of Barangay Bangkerohan, Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay.

Chief Supt. Ramon Ochotorena, deputy regional director for administration (DRDA), said the victims were rescued around 3:30 p.m. Monday in Kabugan Island, Barangay Tumitus, 82 kilometers east of City Hall.

He said the victims were safely rescued after the residents reported that the abductors abandoned the victims in the island.

Senior Supt. Celso Bael, Zamboanga Sibugay police director, said the gunmen were forced to abandon the victims due to the pressure from pursuing government troops.

He said policemen, in coordination with the military forces, pursued the gunmen after they seized the victims from the retired educator’s residence in Purok Neptune, , Barangay Bangkerohan, Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay around 11:40 a.m. Sunday.

As of press time, Bael and a relative of Muyargas are on the way to meet the victims, who were being transported by policemen from Kabugan Island to the mainland of this city.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=801346

OIC insists on ‘convergence’

From The Standard (Sep 8): OIC insists on ‘convergence’

THE Organization of Islamic Cooperation on Monday insisted that any new peace agreement with the Moro people in Mindanao should also include the 1976 Tripoli agreement and the 1996 Jakarta peace accord, according to a special envoy of the 57-nation bloc.

“We should not lose the gains that we achieved in previous agreements and we should not waste the efforts that have been undertaken over the past 40 years,” OIC Ambassador Sayed Al-Masry said at a meeting with representatives of the government and the Moro National Liberation Front.

Consensus building. Ambassador Sayed Al-Masry (center, in suit) presides over informal talks with representatives of the government (right) and the Moro National Liberation Front (left) ahead of a review of the implementation of the 1996 Jakarta peace agreement the government signed with the MNLF. FRANKIE TUYAY

Al-Masry arrived in the country Saturday to preside over technical informal meetings with the government and the MNLF ahead of the Tripartite Review Process that will be held in November to review and possibly terminate the 1996 Jakarta peace agreement with the MNLF.

But the MNLF maintains that the 1996 Jakarta peace agreement and its precedent 1976 Tripoli agreement have not been fully implemented and the government is already pursuing a new agreement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

“It’s in the agenda, how to converge, how to link the two accords and how to implement the new agreement without losing the gains acquired in previous agreements,” Al-Masry said.

Al-Masry clarified that the OIC has no position on the Bangsamoro Basic Law, contrary to interpretations of the remarks of OIC secretary general Iyad Amin Madani when he visited the country in April.

“No position,” Al-Masry said if the OIC had decided what form of the BBL to support.

“When Madani came here, he was assured by legislative, administrative and even on very high level officials that we are not going to have a diluted version of the BBL as originally drafted,” he said.

“I would like to emphasize that the OIC does not endorse the MNLF neither the MILF. We are only helping the Muslim minority, the Bangsamoro people,” Al-Masry said.

The OIC envoy noted that under the proposed Bangsamoro measures, honest and transparent elections  are guaranteed. “Whatever comes out from this elections is the opinion of the people,” Al-Masry said.

But MNLF spokesman Rev. Absalom Cerveza said it is virtually impossible to merge the 1996 Jakarta agreements with the MILF peace agreement BBL.

 “The OIC does not understand that the Jakarta accord cannot be implemented by another peace accord which is between the government and another party,” Cerveza said.

“The Jakarta agreement can only be implemented by the government through an organic act and will be  passed and conformed to by the MNLF,” Cerveza explained

Al-Masry conceded that three vital items relating to territories, transitional and mineral sharing in the Jakarta agreement have not been addressed, but it has also resolved 40 provisions of the pact.

He also confirmed that the government has asked that the Tripartite Review already be terminated, implying that the government had already fulfilled the provisions of the Jakarta agreement.

But the OIC envoy said the Islamic bloc insisted on its resumption “not with a view to terminate but to successfully conclude in a way that will accommodate the other treaty and attend the unresolved issue and make a link between the two agreements.”

He noted that the MNLF only views the peace pact with the MILF as a partial implementation of the Jakarta and Tripoli agreements, “partially means it is part of the territory of their historic homeland.”

http://manilastandardtoday.com/2015/09/08/oic-insists-on-convergence-/

AFP: Paramilitary group in Surigao being disbanded

From Malaya (Sep 7): AFP: Paramilitary group in Surigao being disbanded

THE Armed Forces yesterday said efforts are ongoing to dismantle the armed group called Magahat/Bagani Force which is blamed for the killing of three civilians in Surigao del Sur last week.

Lt. Gen. Aurelio Baladad, chief of the AFP Eastern Mindanao Command, reiterated that the group is not under the military.

Over the weekend, Surigao del Sur Gov. Johnny Pimentel said he wants the Army to “disband and disarm” the group which he said the Army helped create. Pimentel said the Bagani forces are responsible for similar incidents in the province over the past six years.

Baladad said, “It’s not part of our command and control… What’s part of our command and control is the Cafgu (paramilitary force). This is not a Cafgu.”

He said the group can be classified as a private armed group. He also said the military treats the group “as people who committed a criminal act so we have to run after them.”

Baladad said the Magahat/Bagani Force is part of the indigenous political structure. “All indigenous people here, if we look at it, every tribe has their own `bagani,’” he said.

“Bagani” is the term of indigenous people for “tribal warrior.”

Baladad also disclosed that at least 2,000 people have been displaced by the incident in Lianga town, mostly in sitio Nalindog, barangay Diatagon where the burning of heavy equipment owned by a cooperative and killing of a cooperative official and two other civilians took place. He said the other evacuees are from the outlying areas.

The leftist human rights group earlier reported some 2,700 displaced civilians.

http://malaya.com.ph/business-news/news/afp-paramilitary-group-surigao-being-disbanded

Ranking NPA official bagged in Marikina

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 7): Ranking NPA official bagged in Marikina
 

Government security troops have arrested a ranking member of the New People's Army (NPA) Bicol Regional Party Committee (BRPC) during operations in Marikina City Monday early morning.

Col. Noel Detoyato, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) public affairs office chief, identified the arrested suspect as Rene A. Nuyda, BRPC regional secretary.

He was bagged by troopers from thee Philippine Army and Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-National Capital Region at 12: 30 a.m. at No. 56, Paradise St., Barangay Malanday, Marikina City.

He was arrested based on the arrest warrant for double frustrated murder issued by Judge Rolando De Lemios Bobis of Regional Trial Court Branch 64, Labo, Camarines Norte.

Nuyda's case has a recommended bail of Php200,000.

It stemmed from alleged involment of Nuyda in the ambush of an Army unit last July 14, 2008 at Sitio Nalisbitan, Barangay Dumagmang, Labo, Camarines Norte, which resulted in the wounding of Pfcs Michael Luzon and Roel Barnigo.

Also arrested in the service of said warrant of arrest was a certain Pedro Canaleta, Jr.

Confiscated from their possession were a caliber .45 pistol, a magazine for the same caliber, seven .45 caliber rounds and and two fragmentation grenades.

Other items seized during the law enforcement operation were 13 laptops computers, 21 cellular phones, five USB broadbands, six USB flash drives, 32 simcards, five tablets, 16 memory cards, two PDAs and Php79,000 in cash.

Charges for Violation of Republic Act 10591 (Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act) and Republic Act 9516 (Laws on Explosives) are being readied against the two.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=801259

Pursuit operations ongoing against abductors of retired DepEd official, grandson

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 7): Pursuit operations ongoing against abductors of retired DepEd official, grandson

Pursuit operations are ongoing against the lawless elements who abducted a retired Department of Education (DepEd) superintendent and her five-year-old grandson in Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay on Sunday.

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) public affairs office chief Col. Noel Detoyato said in an interview on Monday that they are still determining the affiliation of the abductors.

Earlier reports said that at around 11:40 a.m. Sunday, retired DepEd Supet. Isabel Agpawa Muyargas and her grandson Ismael Kyle Muyargas Hamad were seized by heavily-armed men in front of their home in Purok Neptune, Bangkerohan, Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay.

The suspects dragged the two into a white motorized boat which sped off toward the sea.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=801254

'Dagit 2015' maneuvers between Air Force, Navy formally starts Monday

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 7): 'Dagit 2015' maneuvers between Air Force, Navy formally starts Monday

In line with its efforts to improve its interoperability, the Philippine Navy and Air Force formally started their "Dagit 2015" maneuvers Monday.

The exercise will be carried out in three phases: Preparation Phase (Sept. 7-11); Exercise Phase (Sept. 14-17); and Termination Phase (Sept. 18).

This will include subject matter on expertise exchanges (SMEEs), classroom instructions, table top exercise (TTX), and joint training exercise (JTX).

It will be conducted in the areas of Naval Base Heracleo Alano, Sangley Point, Cavite City; Marine Barracks Gregorio Lim, Ternate Cavite; and in the vicinity of Manila Bay and Caballo Island.

Cmdr. Lued Lincuna, PN flag-officer-in-command, said "Dagit 2015" aims to enhance interoperability and operational capabilities of Navy-Air Force units in joint air-naval operations in support to the Unified Command’s requirements in the conduct of internal security operations and in support to the territorial defense operations.

Assets from the PN that will participate in the exercise include an Islander, one AW-109E, BRP Gregorio Del Pilar (PF-16), boat teams and SEAL teams of the Naval Special Operations Group, Sniper team of the Marines Special Operations Group, one communications van, and one medical team.

On the other hand, the PAF will send two MD-520MG, two SF-260TP, two OV-10, two UH1H/ UH-1D, one Huey II, one S-76A, one Sokol, one C130, one F-27, two S211, two Sniper Teams, one communications van, and one medical team.

"Dagit 2015" also aims to enhance maritime, air-to-ground and special operations capability, which will enhance further the ability of the PN and PAF in safeguarding country's territories, exclusive economic zones and claims of interests.

"Dagit" started in 2003 during the term of then Capt. Jose Luis M. Alano, with the Naval Air Group and 15th Strike Wing as the only participating units involved.

In 2007, it eventually evolved to what is now known as the PN-PAF when both branches of service have realized the importance of the role being played by each service in actual operations in the area of responsibility of different Unified Commands.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=801278

Palace continue to coordinate with Congress for BBL passage -- Coloma

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 7): Palace continue to coordinate with Congress for BBL passage -- Coloma

Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. on Monday said Malacanang continues to coordinate with the leaders of Congress for the timely passage of Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).

”We know that as time passes by, the allotted time to achieve this purpose continue to shorten,” Coloma told the media in a press briefing.

Coloma said the government will continue to acknowledge the importance of pursuing the peace process particularly in Mindanao.

Last weekend, House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte reportedly admitted that time is running out to pass the BBL in the House of Representatives.

The House leadership has decided to hold plenary sessions until Friday to give them more time to tackle the BBL.

The BBL has been identified as priority bill by both the House and the Senate.

In the Senate, Senators Pia Cayetano, Teofisto ‘TG’ Guingona III and Loren Legarda have already interpellated Senate committee on local government chairman Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr.

Marcos said the Senate is hoping to finish the interpellation within the month in time for the filing of certificate of candidacy next month.

The BBL is a codification of the peace agreements signed between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), that if signed into law, would lead to the creation of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region that will replace Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=801363

3 Japanese minesweepers arrive for Manila visit

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 7): 3 Japanese minesweepers arrive for Manila visit

Three Japanese minesweepers have arrived at the Manila South Harbor for a three-day goodwill visit which started Monday.

The ships, which are part of the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF)'s Minesweeper Division 51, are commanded by Capt. Toshiro Takaiwa.

Cmdr. Lued Lincuna, Philippine Navy public affairs office chief, said the visit of the Japanese minesweepers in Manila is part of the JMSDF's tour in Southeast Asia.

Minesweeper Division 51 is composed of JS Bungo (MST-464), JS Aishima (MSC-688) and JS Shishijima (MSC-691).

These specialized vessels are used in locating and disarming naval mines.

Philippine Navy delegates rendered customary welcome ceremony upon arrival of the visiting vessels followed by a port briefing on topics about security, safety and health with their Japanese counterparts aboard JS Bungo.

As part of their visit, Takaiwa together with the commanding officers of the three vessels, rendered a courtesy call to PN flag-officer-in-command, Rear Admiral Caesar C. Taccad.

This goodwill visit will also involve series of confidence building engagements between PN and JMSDF personnel such as soccer games and receptions that would create an avenue for cultural exchanges.

Moreover, PN personnel will also be given a chance to tour and familiarize with the Japanese ships to enhance their knowledge especially in mine countermeasures.

"The said visit is another gesture of fostering goodwill thus contributing to the furtherance of friendship between the PN and JMSDF established through the years with continuing commitment to promoting naval diplomacy and camaraderie," Lincuna stressed.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=801267

Quezon court orders release of Ka Roger Rosal's daughter

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 7): Quezon court orders release of Ka Roger Rosal's daughter

The Mauban, Quezon Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 64 has ordered the release of Andrea Rosal, daughter of the former spokesman of the New People's Army (NPA) Ka Roger Rosal.

In an order dated Sept. 7, 2015 and signed by Judge Rodolfo Obnamia, Jr., the Mauban RTC ordered the "immediate release" of Andrea, who is an accused in a case of murder.

The order was issued a month after the RTC granted the "motion to quash" filed by the camp of the accused.

It was learned that the RTC issued on Aug. 6, 2015 a resolution in favor of the "motion to quash" of Andrea after it gave weight to the argument that there was no evidence linking Andrea to the crime levelled against her.

As the 15-day period within which the prosecution has to file an appeal against the decision of the RTC granting the "motion to quash" of Andrea has already lapsed, the camp of Andrea submitted next the "motion to release".

The RTC heard the "motion to release" of Andrea on Monday, and before lunchtime, it immediately rendered a decision.

According to Atty. Edre Olalia, lawyer of Andrea, because the case of kidnapping against his client has already been dismissed last year, there is no more reason for her to remain in detention.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=801378

Fewer Filipino veterans of Korean War attend Memorial Day

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 7): Fewer Filipino veterans of Korean War attend Memorial Day

Only a handful of the dwindling members of the 7,420-strong Philippine Expeditionary Force to Korea (PEFTOK) that saw action during the Korean War 65 years ago attended this year’s Korean War Veterans of the Philippines Memorial Day on Monday.

The Philippine Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO) under Lt. Gen. Ernesto G. Carolina (Ret.) led the celebration in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.

Leading the Korean War veterans was former President Fidel V. Ramos, a member of the 20th Battalion Combat Team (BCT) that captured the strategic Eerie Hill, following a fierce gun battle with Red Chinese troops.

The celebration opened with a wreath-laying ceremony held at the Korean War Memorial Pylon at the Libingan ng mga Bayani with South Korean Ambassador Kim Jae Shin as guest of honor and speaker.

This year’s theme is “Pagkakaisa Tungo sa Kapayapaan.”

Only about 20 PEFTOK veterans showed up in today’s ceremony. All are in their 90s or late 80s. But they proudly wore their veteran’s uniform and medals as they recalled their combat duty during the Korean War.

The greatest battle where the Filipinos saw action was the Battle of Yultong. The fighting was between elements of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army 44th Division and the Filipino 10th Battalion Combat Team (BCT), north of Yeoncheon on April 22–23, 1951.

Official records show that “as part of the First Chinese Spring Offensive, the Chinese 44th Division attacked the US 65th Infantry Regiment of the US 3rd Infantry Division near Yeoncheon on the night of April 22.

The Filipino 10th BCT, part of the 65th Infantry Regiment, was soon trapped at the Yultong area by 11 p.m. Although the 10th BCT had lost all contacts with the outside world, the Filipinos held their position until the Chinese stopped their attacks on the morning of April 23.

The 10th BCT's action at Yultong allowed the US 3rd Infantry Division to successfully withdraw from the battlefield.

It may be recalled that then President Elpidio Quirino with the approval of Congress ordered the sending of the 7,420-man PEFTOK as the Philippines’ contribution to help South Korea which was invaded by communist North Korean troops from 1950-55.

The Korean War broke out on June 25, 1950 and the Philippines was one of the first countries that responded to help the beleaguered South Korean government.

It was during the Korean War that the Filipinos showed their gallantry in combat reminiscent of World War II.

The Filipinos also displayed to the world the sterling qualities of patriotism, courage and dedication to duty in mortal combat.

Twenty countries, including the Philippines, fought during the Korean War.

A total of 112 Filipino soldiers were killed in action and 313 others were wounded while 16 were missing.

Some 54,000 Americans were killed in the Korean War while the South Koreans suffered 228,000 killed in action.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=801390