INFOGRAPHIC: Food security in ARMM's poorest provinces

From Rappler (Nov 28): INFOGRAPHIC: Food security in ARMM's poorest provinces

Many residents of Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, and Sulu are not eating enough because of reasons like lack of money, conflict, and weather disturbances   



WHAT IS ON THE TABLE. Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, and Sulu in ARMM are among the poorest provinces in the Philippines. Graphic by Nico Villarete

The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) was put under the spotlight in 2015 for two reasons: the deadly Mamasapano incident and the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).

These issues have given birth to various debates – both online and on the ground, spanning months – and may even compromise some pending legislation in Congress.
Beyond Senate and congressional inquiries, the ARMM stands out as being among the poorest regions in the Philippines.

Figures from the Philippine Statistics Authority show a significant increase in the percentage of people living under the poverty threshold in the region.

Table 1: Poverty Incidence Estimates

REGION	2006	2009	2012
Maguindanao	28.2%	28.8%	32.1%

The grim situation is the same when it comes to food security, according to the results of a survey by Laylo Research Strategies. (READ: What causes food insecurity in the PH’s poorest provinces?)

The survey, sponsored by the World Food Programme, was conducted between August 16 to September 5 among 1,600 respondents in the top 16 poorest provinces in the country. It has an error margin of ±2.5% for the national and ±10% for each province.

Three of these provinces – Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, and Sulu – are located in ARMM.

Table 2: Estimated Number of Poor Families

PROVINCE	2006	2009	2012
Lanao del Sur	51,408	68,770	100,946
Maguindanao	70,665	67,899	87,800
Sulu	39,478	42,530	51,278

As residents suffer from poverty, it is inevitable for them to also fall into the hunger trap.

Find out more about the food situation in ARMM's poorest provinces:

The other provinces covered by the survey include Apayao, Masbate, Negros Oriental, Eastern Samar, Northern Samar, Western Samar, Zamboange del Norte, Bukidnon, Camiguin, Lanao del Norte, North Cotabato, Saranggani, and Sultan Kudarat.

As a sign of its efforts to achieve development, the ARMM regional government distributed P20 million ($424,467)* worth of farming supplies to several farming organizations and municipalities during its 26th founding anniversary early this November.

Agriculture, after all, is one of the major livelihoods in the region and a huge source of food for most families.

As the region faces yet another critical year, given the approaching 2016 elections, residents of the ARMM provinces can only hope that zero hunger and poverty alleviation will be part of the candidates' platforms.

*$1 = $46

http://www.rappler.com/move-ph/issues/hunger/114198-infographic-armm-poorest-provinces-food-security

Sulu forces mulling ‘revenge attack’ on Sabah, deputy minister says

From the Malay Mail Online (Nov 28): Sulu forces mulling ‘revenge attack’ on Sabah, deputy minister says

Local intelligence have indicated that the Sulu forces in southern Philippines are looking to stage another attack on Sabah as “revenge”, following its failed bid in 2013 to claim ownership of the east Malaysian state, according to Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed.

The deputy home minister told the New Straits Times (NST) today that local enforcement authorities are now working to try and neutralise the group's network here.

 “We have been doing continuous and intensive monitoring. There are indications that the group is planning a revenge attack. “We want to neutralise their network of sympathisers to prevent any such attack,” he was quoted saying in NST’s website.

According to the Pulai MP, many supporters of the Sulu forces have been assimilated into the local Sabah communities, making the task of identifying them harder.

 “They are normal people, usually locals or non-Malaysians, with ties to the communities in southern Philippines. So, there are many of them."

 “They have interwoven with the communities in eastern Sabah, which makes it more difficult to identify them,” he reportedly told NST.

During a visit two weeks ago to Sabah, Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar warned locals there to stop helping intruders from southern Philippines to commit cross border crimes.

The national police chief told Sabahans, especially those living on the east coast, to give the police their cooperation, adding a warning that those identified as complicit in the crimes will face serious action.

The Sulu “sultanate” in southern Philippines led by late former self-styled “sultan” Jamalul Kiram III organised a group of over 200 gunmen who launched an invasion on the peaceful Lahad Datu coastal township in Sabah in 2013.

The invasion, which was the sultanate's attempt to stake its claim over Sabah, later led to a bloody standoff between local security forces and the Sulu group, resulting in 10 Malaysian personnel dead.

On Thursday, the Sabah assembly approved a motion to ban all those associated with the Kiram clan and the Lahad Datu intrusion from entering the state.

The legislative House also agreed to continue the curfew in the east coast; ban PKR MPs Nurul Izzah Anwar and Chua Tian Chang from entering the state; and investigate their recent meeting with the late Jamalul's daughter Jacel Kiram.

http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/sulu-forces-mulling-revenge-attack-on-sabah-deputy-minister-says

Abu Sayyaf planting agents in Sabah for kidnaps: Expert

From The Straits Times (Nov 29): Abu Sayyaf planting agents in Sabah for kidnaps: Expert

 

This undated image grab taken on Oct 13, 2015, from a video uploaded on YouTube appeared to show the Abu Sayyaf terror group.PHOTO: AFP

KUALA LUMPUR • Operatives of terror group Abu Sayyaf have been planted in strategic areas in Sabah, ready to carry out kidnap-for-ransom assignments the minute they get the "go-ahead", according to a counter-terrorism expert quoted by New Straits Times (NST) newspaper yesterday.

Mr Andrin Raj, the South-east Asia regional director for the International Association for Counterterrorism and Security Professionals-Centre for Security Studies, said the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) - a small but violent group known for bomb attacks, kidnappings and beheadings in the southern Philippines - was getting a lot of help from local sympathisers in identifying potential targets among tourists.

He told NST a Filipino group based in Sabah, known as the Knights of the Right Keeper, was also supporting the ASG.
"Besides having their operatives rooted in Sabah and areas outside the state, they also have a large network that allows them to tap critical information.

Knights of the Right Keeper hold dual nationality or permits, allowing their presence here to go unsuspected.

"There are other operatives linked to the ASG operating from within the Kota Kinabalu International Airport and other airports in the state," said Mr Raj, who works with governments and enforcement agencies to combat terrorism in South-east Asia.

The operatives are believed to monitor arrivals to identify potential victims, then provide detailed information on the targeted tourists' residence and duration of stay, as well as other information to facilitate the kidnapping.

Mr Raj told the NST that the ASG - which has been linked previously to Al-Qaeda but has now pledged allegiance to the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria - might continue to abduct tourists from Sabah as it seeks to strengthen its foothold in the region.

Targeting tourists was one way for ASG to get international attention. "Many countries have a strict policy on ransom demands and do not pay up as this will only increase the threat within the region. The targeted victim will depend on the group's specific needs," said Mr Raj.

"If they want more money, then they will demand a high ransom. If it is politically motivated and they want international media attention, then they will choose targets from the West."

Mr Raj also warned that maritime disputes in the region allowed piracy, armed robbery and kidnapping to continue unchecked.

"Militaries of these nations would not trespass into the disputed waters for fear of creating a military stand-off. This allows the ASG to move from one area to another without any security intervention," he said.

http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/abu-sayyaf-planting-agents-in-sabah-for-kidnaps-expert

Abu Sayyaf ransom money raising terror risk for Sabah, security experts warn

From the Online edition of the South China Morning Post (Nov 29): Abu Sayyaf ransom money raising terror risk for Sabah, security experts warn

Malaysian state faces heightened risk of kidnappings to fund militant group's arms for terrorist activities.



Abu Sayyaf victim Bernard Then.

The Malaysian state of Sabah is at risk of more raids from Abu Sayyaf as ransom money paid to the group enables the militants to procure weapons and powerful boats to carry out kidnappings.

Abu Sayyaf, according to a senior regional security source, is funded almost entirely by ransom money, which has helped turn it into one of the most dangerous militant groups in the region. He also warned that the group would continue to carry out kidnappings.

"They won't stop their kidnappings. If they do, how are they going to survive?" the source told the Sunday Morning Post.

"The ransom money has enabled Abu Sayyaf to enhance their capabilities, and send men to go into Sabah."

Two weeks ago, the group beheaded Malaysian Bernard Then, 39, who was snatched from a seafood restaurant in Sandakan, Sabah, in May in a bold raid.

He was believed to be killed as the militants had raised the ransom beyond what had been paid to them.

Abu Sayyaf is believed to have good intelligence on Sabah, with the help of some locals, to help them identify their targets and target areas, according to the security source.

"They know where their victim is going, what time he or she is going there. Malaysian authorities have increased their security," he said. "You need very good intelligence in order to stop and pre-empt their incursions and kidnappings."

Despite frequent military operations, Abu Sayyaf still operates with full force.

"There appears to be a lack of political will from the Philippines' government," the security source said.

Corruption and lack of development opportunities have helped fuel Abu Sayyaf, said Maria Ressa, CEO and executive editor of Rappler.com one of the Philippines' top investigative news portals.

Jobless young men, largely from Jolo, one of the most impoverished islands in the Philippines, fill up the group's rank and file, said Ressa.

Ressa is also the author of Seeds of Terror: An Eyewitness Account of Al Qaeda's Newest Centre of Operations in Southeast Asia.

Founded in the early 1990s with seed money from al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden, Abu Sayyaf gained international notoriety for kidnapping dozens of foreign tourists for ransom in the early 2000s. It also received funding from bin Laden's brother-in-law, Mohammed Jamal Khalifa, according to Ressa.

"However, over time, they made kidnapping for ransom a cottage industry," she said.

Ali Fauzi, a former member of the al-Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiah terror network blamed for the devastating 2002 Bali bombing, used to train in the southern Philippines, where he interacted with Abu Sayyaf.

He recounted how guns, bullets and explosive materials were readily available in the black market in the southern Philippines, providing Abu Sayyaf with the firepower for their terrorist activities.

"Buying a gun in [the] southern Philippines is like buying a shovel or machete in Malaysia and Indonesia," he told the Post.

"These weapons were sold by members of the Philippine police and military force. I myself bought these weapons," said Ali, whose older brothers, Amrozi and Mukhlas, were executed for their role in the Bali bombings.

His account cannot be independently verified. However, Ressa also said Abu Sayyaf's weapons were either "captured or bought from the military or police".

Ali has since left Jemaah Islamiah and is currently a member of an Indonesian non-government organisation called the Centre for Counterterrorism and Deradicalisation.

Last year, Abu Sayyaf pledged allegiance to Islamic State (IS).

A fugitive Malaysian member of IS, Mahmud Ahmad, currently fighting with Abu Sayyaf, is planning to unite the various militant groups to form a Southeast Asian IS faction.

"Mahmud has already gathered and held meetings with Rohingya, Pakistani and Indonesian militant groups in January, February and March of 2014, before he fled Malaysia for [the] southern Philippines," the regional security source said.

If Mahmud succeeds with his plan, Abu Sayyaf could be set to become an even deadlier force than it is now.

http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/1884799/abu-sayyaf-ransom-money-raising-terror-risk-sabah-security-experts-warn

Military commander in Palawan assailed for being ‘China’s defender’

From the Business Mirror (Nov 25): Military commander in Palawan assailed for being ‘China’s defender’

THE top military commander in charge of defending the country’s territory in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) was criticized on Wednesday for allegedly becoming “China’s defender,” because he dissuaded a group of volunteers from sailing into the area to assert the country’s sovereignty.

Rather than defending Beijing, the Armed Forces Western Command Chief Vice Adml. Alexander Lopez, should perform his “patriotic duty” of securing the Philippine territory against China’s intrusions and occupation, members of the Kalayaan Atin Ito said.

The volunteer group, which is composed mostly of students, reacted negatively to the statement of Lopez barring the group from undertaking its planned sailing trip on the South China Sea because “it will anger China.”

The group said 20,000 of its student-volunteers, who even sacrificed their classes, will sail to the area that is being disputed by China for 30 days beginning at the end of this month to assert the country’s sovereignty.

The trip, which they dubbed as “freedom voyage,” will also be undertaken in support of the proceedings against China before the UN Arbitral Tribunal following a declaration more than a month ago by the body that it has jurisdiction to hear the case of the Philippines.

Lopez, in a statement, said he was against the voyage because of the sea condition, which could “endanger” the lives of the members.

“Personally, I am not in favor of that…we endanger unnecessarily the lives of the participants. What they will do is unnecessary risk. They do not know how treacherous the sea condition is right now. If ever they will do that, they are ill-advised,” Lopez said.

Responding to Lopez’s statement, Mariel Ipan, 24, a student volunteer from Misamis Oriental, who will joining the scheduled voyage, said the military official’s statement was an “irresponsible” one.

“I am assuming this is just your personal knee-jerk and irresponsible statement and not an official statement [of the military],” she said.

Ipan told Lopez to follow the example of retired Lt. Gen. Juancho Sabban, who, as the commander of the Western Command, said that he and his troops would fight the Chinese even if “we are only armed with bolos.”

Sabban issued the statement in 2013, when asked what he would do with China’s presence in the South China Sea.

It was Sabban who ordered the towing to port in Palawan and destruction of 12 small boats that were used by Chinese fishermen, who were caught poaching on the South China Sea, while at the same time ordering for the arrest of the fishermen.

The act dissuaded other Chinese fishermen from further venturing into the territory held by the Philippines on the South China Sea while sealing off the presence of Chinese paramilitary vessels also in the area.

It was after Sabban’s term that Chinese ships started frequenting the area and established their presence at the Ayungin Shoal, making it hard for the military to resupply its troops aboard the partly sunken BRP Siera Madre.

“That is why when he [Sabban] was the chief, our troops gallantly defended the Kalayaan Island Group. Even if only bouys were left by China, they were promptly removed,” Ipan said.

Addressing Lopez, Ipan said: “Vice Adml. Alexander Lopez, now that it is your term, seven artificial reefs were made by China in the coast of Palawan.”“You might want to explain to us youth, who are ready to sail and fight for the territory that was taken by China, as to why this has happened, while you were the chief before you stop us from sailing in order to fight for our sovereignty,” Ipan added.

Another student-volunteer Jimson Ahaja, who is from Sulu, said they were saddened that it was even a Filipino that is preventing them from taking a stand at the South China Sea.

“We love this country that is why we are taking this. We, who are from Sulu, are ready to take a stand and fight for our independence,” he said.

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/military-commander-in-palawan-assailed-for-being-chinas-defender/

Kin of ex-lawmaker killed in Sultan Kudarat clash

From the Philippine Star (Nov 28): Kin of ex-lawmaker killed in Sultan Kudarat clash



Firearms and black jihadist flags found in a lair of religious extremists in Palimbang, Sultan Kudarat, which Marine combatants raided Thursday. Philstar.com/John Unson

One of the eight extremists soldiers killed in Palimbang town Thursday was a nephew of a retired member of the House of Representatives who dropped out from school to join the Ansarul Khilafa Philippines (AKP).

The mother of the slain jihadist, who was shot dead by combatants of the 1st Marine Brigade in an encounter in Barangay Butril in Palimbang, is a staff of a government entity in Region 12.

Relatives said their young kin, who had stopped pursuing a degree at a Catholic school to study Islamic theology in Gen. Santos City, had not communicated with his parents for about six months until he was killed on Thursday by Marines sent to neutralize their group.

“Of course his elders have nothing to do with his having turned into an extremist or to say it clearly a `wrongly-guided’ jihadist,” said a clan member, who is also employed in a government outfit.

The slain jihadist was a scion of the Moro royalty in the ilod (downstream) area of Maguindanao province.

The ragtag AKP group the Marines fought and eventually flushed out of Barangay Butril southeast of Palimbang is led by the radical, firebrand Jaafar Maguid, who has been introducing himself as local figurehead of the jihadist faction.

Maguid has been vocal about his being so inspired by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) whenever he speaks to Muslim villagers in areas where he and his men operate.

Eight followers of Maguid were killed in the ensuing firefight Thursday, which resulted to the takeover by the Marines of their lair in Barangay Butril.

Marine combatants found in their camp assorted firearms and black flags identical with the flags the ISIS use.

Maguid and his men had tried to expand their group in far-flung areas in Palimbang, according to local officials.

Police and military sources said they stirred the ire of barangay folks and local officials when they began spreading doctrines espousing hostility with non-Muslims.

Palimbang, a coastal town in Sultan Kudarat, is an old settlement where Muslim and Christian residents have peacefully been thriving as neighbors even before the town was created in the 1950s.

Maguid is wanted for heinous offenses and tagged too as protector of local drug rings.
While in Barangay Butril, he and his men encouraged villagers to arm themselves in anticipation of possible persecution by non-Muslims.  

Sources from the religious communities in Lanao del Sur province said the AKP is an ally of another armed extremist group, the Khilafa Islamiya Movement (KIM), which has also openly been expressing support to the ISIS.

The police’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group is now validating reports that one of the eight followers of Maguid the Marines killed was Indonesian national Ibrahim “Fatah” Alih.

Alih was implicated in the deadly Oct. 12, 2002 bombing in Bali, Indonesia.

Alih was with Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir, most known as Marwan, and his ethnic Moro coddler, foreign-trained bomber Abdul Basit Usman, before the elite Special Action Force of the Philippine National Police raided on Jan. 25, 2015 their lair in Pidsandawan District in Mamasapano town in Maguindanao.

Marwan was killed in the raid, but the SAF operation went haywire. It sparked a series of encounters with local guerrilla groups less than an hour later, resulting to the deaths of 44 policemen, 17 members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and five innocent villagers.

The incident, now known as the “Mamasapano massacre,” shook the nation to its core and challenged the ongoing government-MILF peace overture.

http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2015/11/28/1526875/kin-ex-lawmaker-killed-sultan-kudarat-clash

High-powered firearms seized from Abu lair in Sulu

From the Philippine Star (Nov 28): High-powered firearms seized from Abu lair in Sulu

Military forces during a clearing operation recovered Thursday several high-powered firearms of the Abu Sayyaf group in the jungle of Patikul, Sulu.

Maj. Felimon Tan Jr., spokesman of the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom), said the troops under the Joint Task Group Sulu (JTGS) led by Brig. Gen. Alan Arrojado, acted on the information provided by local folks which led to the recovery of several high-powered firearms.
The operating troops of the 32nd Infantry Battalion led by Lt. Col. Gregorio Nieveras seized three M16 rifles, two garand rifles, an M14 rifle inside a makeshift hut of the Abu Sayyaf group in Barangay Bonbon.

The Abu Sayyaf group hastily abandoned the area to escape offensive operation.
Tan Jr. said the hut was reportedly being used as cache of the bandits under Abu Sayyaf leader Radullan Sahiron.

http://www.philstar.com/nation/2015/11/28/1526880/high-powered-firearms-seized-abu-lair-sulu

2 kidnap ring members nabbed

From the Philippine Star (Nov 29): 2 kidnap ring members nabbed

Joint military and police forces arrested two suspected members of a kidnapping group in Kabacan, North Cotabato on Friday, a military official said yesterday.

Menu Maganaka, alias Derby, and Rex Bacana, alias Toto, were members of the Pentagon kidnapping group, a criminal syndicate based in Central Mindanao, according to Maj. Felimon Tan Jr., spokesperson for the Western Mindanao Command.

Tan said troopers of the Army’s 7th Infantry Battalion led by 1/Lt. Jose Carlos Gamos and members of the local police responded to reports that the group was conducting illegal activities in Kabacan.

Authorities recovered a rifle and three pistols from the suspect.     

http://www.philstar.com/nation/2015/11/29/1526936/2-kidnap-ring-members-nabbed

Photo USNS Millinocket and USS Cheyenne of the US Navy, dock at the Alava Pier of the Subic Bay Freeport Zone

Posted to the Philippine Star (Nov 29): Photo: USNS Millinocket (left) and USS Cheyenne of the US Navy, dock at the Alava Pier of the Subic Bay Freeport Zone

 

The USNS Millinocket (left), a Spearhead-class joint high speed vessel, and USS Cheyenne, the last Los Angeles-class submarine of the US Navy, dock at the Alava Pier of the Subic Bay Freeport Zone for a routine port call yesterday. ERNIE PEÑAREDONDO

http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2015/11/29/1527083/palace-no-credible-isis-threat-philippines

PH shopping for arms to beef up maritime security

From ABS-CBN (Nov 28): PH shopping for arms to beef up maritime security



Pilots arrive with two FA-50PH aircraft at Clark Air Base at Angeles city, Pampanga province, north of Manila November 28, 2015. The FA-50 fighter planes are the first of 12 aircraft to be delivered that the Philippines acquired from South Korea under a commercial deal worth 18 billion pesos ($381 million) to boost Manila's maritime security capability, according to local media. Photo by Romeo Ranoco, Reuters

Philippine President Benigno Aquino has approved the purchase of 44 billion pesos ($932.74 million) worth of military equipment to help boost maritime security capability as tensions simmer in the South China Sea, a senior defence official said on Saturday.

Defence Undersecretary Fernando Manalo made the announcement after the government received the first two of a dozen new South Korean-made light fighter jets to enhance the country's air defence capabilities.

Aquino authorised the multi-year contract to purchase two frigates, eight amphibious assault vehicles, three anti-submarine helicopters, two long-range patrol aircraft, three aerial radars, munitions for the fighters and close support planes, Manalo told reporters.

The FA-50 fighter trainers from South Korea were acquired by the Philippines for 18.9 billion pesos. Seoul has committed to deliver 10 more light fighters until 2017.

"We're glad we are back to the supersonic age," said Defence Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, witnesssing the transfer of the aircraft from Korean Aerospace Inc. to the Philippine Air Force.

The Philippines has had no fighter capability since it mothballed its Vietnam War vintage F-5A/Bs in the mid-2000s. It has a few S-211 Italian trainer jets, acquired in the late 1980s.

"With these aircraft, our capability to guard maritime borders will be enhanced," an air force general told Reuters, declining to be identified because he was not authorised to speak to the media.

"Our response time will be quicker but we would need radar and communications to fully integrate our air defence systems."

The government has embarked on a five-year, 83 billion peso modernisation program to improve its ability to defend its maritime borders against the creeping expansion of China in the South China Sea.

China has built seven artificial islands in the Spratly Islands and is constructing military facilities, including airfields, ports and lighthouses.

The Philippines' ill-equipped armed forces are no match for those of China, despite receiving two cutters and coastal radar stations from the United States in 2011.

Washington promised to deliver late next year another cutter and two C-130 planes.

China claims 90 percent of the South China Sea's 3.5 million sq km (1.35 sq miles) waters. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan also have claims to at least parts of the area. ($1 = 47.1730 Philippine pesos)

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/11/28/15/ph-shopping-for-arms-to-beef-up-maritime-security

Families flee after military operations in Mindanao

From ABS-CBN/ANC (Nov 28): Families flee after military operations in Mindanao

           

Palimbang, Sarangani and General Santos City are on heightened alert following an encounter in Sultan Kudarat involving alleged ISIS sympathizers. Caroline Howard reports. – ANC, World Tonight, November 28, 2015

 

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/video/nation/regions/v1/11/28/15/families-flee-after-military-operations-in-mindanao

Alleged ISIS supporters in Sultan Kudarat identified

From ABS-CBN/Bandila (Nov 28): Alleged ISIS supporters in Sultan Kudarat identified

 

                   

Nakilala na ang ilan sa mga napatay sa sagupaan ng mga awtoridad at ng grupong sinasabing sympathizers umano ng ISIS sa Sultan Kudarat noong Huwebes.

Tukoy na rin ang pangalan ng grupo. Nagsilikas naman ang mga residente sa lugar dahil sa engkwentro. Bandila, November 27, 2015, Biyernes

11/28/2015 5:52 AM

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/video/nation/regions/v2/11/28/15/alleged-isis-supporters-in-sultan-kudarat-identified

Kin of alleged ISIS supporter unaware of group's existence

ABS-CBN (Nov 28): Kin of alleged ISIS supporter unaware of group's existence

The family of one of the personalities killed in the operation of the Philippine Marines in Barangay Butril in Palimbang, Sultan Kudarat denied any knowledge of the group, Ansar Al-Khilafah Philippines, which allegedly sympathizes with the terrorist group Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

One of the identification cards recovered by the operating troops and presented to the media Friday afternoon belonged to a certain Datumungan Dilangalen, a resident of Cotabato City.

Although the military has not yet confirmed that Dilangalen was among the fatalities in the encounter, his family living in Nayon Shariff in Cotabato City confirmed his death.

READ: 8 killed in attack vs 'ISIS sympathizers' camp

The family identified him through a photo taken by the local government of Palimbang. Although there were already deformities on the profile of his face due to the injuries he sustained in the clash, his mother and siblings recognized his boxer shorts.

His mother refused to face the camera for an interview but a cousin, Bai Princess Dilangalen, spoke to ABS-CBN News Central Mindanao and said they did not know the reason why he was in Palimbang.

Last June, Dilangalen reportedly said that he would be studying Islam and Quran in General Santos City.

They were surprised to receive a call on Thursday, informing them that he was killed in a military operation in Palimbang. They were also surprised to know that Dilangalen was allegedly part of the group Ansar Al-Khilafah Philippines.

According to 1st Marine Brigade Commander General Emmanuel Salamat, they were about to serve the arrest warrant for wanted terrorist Mohammad Jaafar Sabiwang Maguid alias Tokboy when they were fired upon by the group, which resulted to a four-hour firefight.

The group of Tokboy has previous connections with the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).

The group is also involved in bomb making, according to the military and an ally of slain bomber Basit Usman.

"Close si Tokboy kay Basit Usman kaya may previous connection itong grupo with BIFF. Actually sila ni Basit Usman magkasama nagsimula nitong Al-Khilafah," Salamat said.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said that despite the ISIS flags found in the area, there is insufficient evidence to directly link the group to the ISIS.

Meanwhile, the family of Dilangalen said they also did not know about the personalities who were the targets of the operation.

They said they would also have not allowed him to join the group if they had known about it earlier.

"Yung sabi niya lang kasi mag-aaral ng Quran. Decision na kasi niya yun, di naman natin mapigilan kung ano ang choice niya siyempre. Ang sinabi niya mag-aaral siya ng Quran," Bai Princess said.

Dilangalen also called his mother days before the operation, told her to always pray, and said that he might not be able to come home as he was really serious in studying Islam, which to the family's knowledge was good as he would be spreading the word of Allah.

They believe he was just a collateral to the encounter as he was in the area to study Islam and did not have any relations or link to the one targeted by the military.

As of this time, the family has already accepted their loss, saying it might be the will of Allah and that he died in the name of Jihad, a religious duty and a personal struggle in devotion to Islam.

Dilangalen's remains were buried in Palimbang following Islamic rites.

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/regions/11/28/15/kin-of-alleged-isis-supporter-unaware-of-groups-existence

Slain Indonesian bomber was with Marwan in Mamasapano clash

From GMA News (Nov 28): Slain Indonesian bomber was with Marwan in Mamasapano clash

The Indonesian bomb expert killed in Palimbang, Sultan Kudarat last week was in Mamasapano, Maguindanao during the January 25 clash, where 44 members of the police's elite Special Action Force were killed.

Security analyst Professor Rommel Banlaoi told radio dzBB in an interview that Ibrahim Ali a.k.a. Abdul Fattah was with Julkifli bin Hir alias Marwan when the Mamasapano clash happened.

"Si [Ali] ay siyang tagasunod ni Marwan at nandoon siya nang maganap ang Mamasapano encounter. He managed to survive," Banlaoi said. Marwan was killed by the SAF troopers during the Mamasapano operation.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines said that Ali had been arrested in Zamboanga in 2005 for illegal possession of firearms, but was released in 2013 due to lack of merit of the case filed against him.

Ali and seven other members of Ansural Khilafah Philippines were killed in a four-hour firefight with government troops in Palimbang town on Thursday.

Of the eight, only four have been identified —Ali, Abdul Hali, Tatuh Sumail, and Kira Sabiwang, all residents of Palimbang.

Banlaoi said that after the death of Marwan, Ali joined bombmaker Basit Usman, who has also been killed, and eventually allied himself with Mohammad Jaafar Sabiwang Maguid alias Tokboy, a fugitive and alleged leader of the Ansural Khilafah Philippines.

During the interview, the security analyst said the Ansural Khilafah Philippines is a member of the regional jihadist organization called the Malay Archipelago Unit for the Islamic State.

He said that the regional group is actively recruiting for the IS. Banlaoi said that another Indonesian and five Malaysian nationals, who have links with the IS, are in Mindanao. 

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/546078/news/nation/slain-indonesian-bomber-was-with-marwan-in-mamasapano-clash

Pentagon crime group commander, several others nabbed in North Cotabato drug den raids

From GMA News (Nov 28): Pentagon crime group commander, several others nabbed in North Cotabato drug den raids

A suspected commander of the dreaded Pentagon crime group was arrested along with 19 others during simultanous raids conducted in known drug dens in North Cotabato on Friday.

 

Armed with search warrants the Cotabato Police Provincial Office raided at least 20 suspected drug dens in the towns of Pigcawayan, Midsayap, Alamada, President Roxas, Kabacan, Makilala, Tulunan, Aleosan, Antipas, and Magpet, and in Kidapawan City.

 

The arrested Pentagon group commander was identified as Omar Sultan a.k.a. Commander Derby Gani Malok.

 

The crime group is operating in North Cotabato and other parts of Central Mindanao.

 

Police also arrested Malok’s aides identified as Nik Adam Usain, Sanjali Ismael Maganaca, Rajib Pilas Inggim, and Abuhurayra Omar Hajilab, residents of Barangay Lower Paatan in Kabacan.

 

The other arrested identified by the police were Faisal Tawalang and Jack Mangko in Tulunan; Rene Jun Sante in Antipas; Herson Gerozaga and his nephew, Millard Gerozaga Davin, in Makilala; Melvin Canete in Kidapawan City; Joy Tolentino and Kusain Sampillo in Pigcawayan; Dres Endayla in Midsayap; Marlon Polino in Magpet; Muroy Ofngol in Alamada; and Johnny Flores in President Roxas. 

 

Police said that Malok, aside from his involvement in drug operations in the region, was a suspect in the January 2013 killing of Kabacan vice mayor Pol Dulay.

 

The Pentagon group is also tagged in recent grenade attacks in Kabacan town.

 

Senior Superintendent Alex Tagum, provincial provincial director, said they seized an estimated P500,000 worth of shabu during the raids.

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/546086/news/regions/pentagon-crime-group-commander-several-others-nabbed-in-north-cotabato-drug-den-raids

‘Foreign jihadists no threat to PH’

From The Standard (Nov 29): ‘Foreign jihadists no threat to PH’

THERE is no need to raise the terror alert level in the country because there is no “credible threat” linked to the Islamic State despite the presence of foreign jihadists in the country, a Palace official said Saturday.

Citing assurances from the Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine National Police, Communication Secretary Herminio Coloma said the intelligence community is monitoring threats to ensure proper response by security forces.

Herminio Coloma

“There just many reports of possible threats from the group they called ISIS, but based on what the AFP and PNP have monitored so far, there are no basis to confirm such speculation,” Coloma said in an interview over a state-owned Radyo ng Bayan.

But the military on Saturday confirmed that one of the eight fatalities in Sultan Kudarat clash on Thursday was an Indonesian terrorist who had been training Filipinos in bomb making.

Major Gen. Edmundo Pangilinan, 6th Infantry Division commander, confirmed the Indonesian was Sucipto Ibrahim Ali, who had earlier been arrested for gun possession but was eventually released.

Sucipto was a senior member of the Mujahideen Indonesian Timur and has been training lawless elements in Palimbang, Sultan Kudarat on bomb making, Pangilinan said.

Brig. Gen. Emmanuel Salamat, commander of the First Marine Brigade, said Sucipto was killed in a four-hour battle with 6th Marine Battalion Landing Team Thursday in Barangay Butril in Palimbang town.

According to Salamat, the Marine forces and members of the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and local police were to serve warrants of arrest for Mohammad Jaafar Sabiwang Maguid, alias Commander Tokboy, in Sitio Sinapingan, Barangay Butril, Palimbang, Sultan Kudarat.

While approaching the village, the armed men led by Commander Tokboy opened fire on the government forces, triggering a running gun battle.

After the encounter, eight dead bodies were found scattered in the lawless elements encampment, including the Indonesian national but Commander Tokboy was not among them. He was believed to have fled at the height of the firefight.

He said Sucipto was monitored to have been with Commander Tokboy after his release, teaching bomb making.

Pangilinan identified the other fatalities as Abdul Halil, Tatuh Sumail and Kira Sabiwang, all residents of Palimbang, Sultan Kudarat.

Marine forces recovered one cal. 50 sniper rifle, 20 rounds of ammunition for cal. 50, an M-16 Armalite rifle, a cal. 45 pistol, bomb making materials, ATM cards, PhilHealth cards and six ISIS flags.

Pangilinan said Commander Tokboy has four standing warrants of arrest and was involved in a series of atrocities and violence in the South Cotabato area since August 2008.

He was previously apprehended in 2009 by the security forces at Maasim, Sarangani, but managed to escape from the Bulantay Jail in Alabel, Sarangani after seven months of imprisonment.

He had been a fugitive for half a decade and was engaged in various crimes, including cattle rustling, extortion, highway robbery and murders.

Salamat said about 50 families have fled the village of Butril but the local governments and the Philippine Marines are attending to their needs.

http://manilastandardtoday.com/news/-main-stories/top-stories/193103/-foreign-jihadists-no-threat-to-ph-.html

Q and A: Is South China Sea now a superpowers' battleground?

From Rappler (Nov 28): Q and A: Is South China Sea now a superpowers' battleground?

UP law professor Jay Batongbacal says: 'The South China Sea and the region are becoming the arena for competition between these great powers'



MARITIME SECURITY. US President Barack Obama speaks following a tour of the BRP Gregario Del Pilar in Manila Harbor in Manila on November 17, 2015 after arriving to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit. Photo by Saul Loeb/AFP

It's been a busy month for the Asia-Pacific as annual summits, the resumption of arbitration hearings at The Hague, and US freedom of navigation patrols put the South China Sea on top of the regional agenda.

What was initially a dispute between China, and the Philippines and other Southeast Asian countries is increasingly becoming global as the US, Japan, and even India voiced concern about China's massive land reclamation. Washington also sent warships and planes to challenge China's claims to maritime rights based on artificial islands.

Leading Filipino maritime law expert Jay Batongbacal told Rappler that the involvement of the US and Japan pushes the Philippines' historic arbitration case to the sidelines in what is now becoming a proxy war among superpowers.

“We're not able to influence anymore the external powers in how they deal with each other. It's just them. They are the ones accusing each other of provocations while we are still in The Hague….The South China Sea and the region are becoming the arena for competition between these great powers,” he said.

What does this rivalry mean for the rest of the region? Rappler sits down with Batongbacal to link the different events with the wider geopolitical picture. The head of the UP Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea expects greater military activity, and a heightened contest for resources in the region.

Here is our wide-ranging interview.



INCREASED TENSIONS. Maritime law expert Jay Batongbacal says tensions are likely to increase in the South China Sea with China using its reclaimed islands, and with the US sending freedom of navigation patrols. Photo by Ayee Macaraig/Rappler

You've said that China's reclamation influenced the tribunal to decide to hear the case. How does the island-building impact on the arbitration case?

Clearly, the reclamation has brought the case into focus for the tribunal because China's actions really challenge international law. Can you imagine, while a case is pending, activities are undertaken which directly contradict the norms of international law with respect to how you're supposed to take care of the marine environment, and how states are supposed to conduct themselves if there is a dispute pending?

So if China continues all of these actions, naturally, those actions would bring to question the entire system of international law. I would think the tribunal would have been, at the very least, motivated to act on the case. They themselves as arbitrators would also be concerned about their own reputation, their own institution being called into question by these kinds of activities.

 

EXTERNAL POWERS. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and US President Barack Obama increasingly became vocal about the South China Sea dispute during the APEC and ASEAN summits in November. Photo by Saul Loeb/AFP

In the recent APEC and ASEAN summits, more world leaders and countries supported arbitration while expressing concern about China's reclamation. What impact does this have on Beijing?

Let's put it this way. China has never bowed to international pressure. All you need to do is look at Tibet. Look at all the human rights issues being raised against China, the dissidents. So in that sense, I don't think we can expect compliance based on international pressure.

What it does however introduce is it's like sowing winds of change in China. That people there become more aware, especially decision-makers and policymakers, that they need to be more careful in their policies and activities towards the region. That will cause them to take different tracks on their strategies, on their dealings with these other countries, and that is where the change will come from.

Now, any change that comes through that process is going to take a lot longer, again as you've seen with Tibet, it's been decades and we've not seen any major change really. But with respect to say the economy, the openness of their economy, we've seen some interesting changes. I don't expect it to make a significant impact at this point. Any effect it might have would be more long-term.

The Philippines and Vietnam signed a strategic partnership on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Manila. How does this alliance affect the way they handle the dispute?

For the Philippines, it is important for it to have a partner so it does not stand alone in the disputes. China would not want these two countries to become full-blown allies, especially from a military standpoint. In the sense that it gives the Philippines a little more leverage against future Chinese assertions, it's good.

For Vietnam, it's very important, and it's even more leverage for their part because Vietnam has been quite adept at using all of the means available in bringing them to bear on the dispute. So everything from diplomatic to legal, they've been able to employ.

Now with the arbitration case, the award on jurisdiction, that's an additional legal tool they have. A strategic partnership with the Philippines will add an element of military coordination, which is important because the Philippines is a treaty ally of the US.

Therefore, there is a linkage formed, and that's something China will definitely be very concerned about. So it really helps both of them.

 

STRONGER TIES. The Philippines and Vietnam, both claimant countries in the sea row, improve their military coordination by signing a strategic partnership. Photo from Official Gazette

China says it will continue its reclamation activities while the US plans to pursue its freedom of navigation patrols. How do you see this playing out? Won't this escalate tensions in the region?

Yes, it does chiefly because China responds to the US and not to anyone else. It's the US and Japan that make them react. Where is this all going? Well, the reclaimed islands will stay there. They're not going to pack up and leave. From those islands, China will begin to extend the resource extraction and exploitation activities that they're already undertaking.

Because of the military potential of those islands, the US and its allies will probably ensure that they will always have more military assets within the vicinity. That includes freedom of navigation patrols. So you will see the South China Sea becoming more congested in terms of these activities. So in addition to all the shipping that's projected to increase over the next few years, you will also have increased military presence.

If the Philippines loses its case, I think that then it will take a geopolitical turn towards fully exploiting the US alliance. A return of the US military bases is not out of the question at this point – a full return, not just under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement.

If it wins, the fact that China will not comply with the judgment, China will probably increase or continue its current course of increasing its exploitation uses of the South China Sea. That will cause the countries to again turn to the US as well as other allies – Japan, EU, and Russia – to try to keep balancing the military weight of China.

In terms of the resource activities, that's where we'll probably see some trouble brewing because the only response possible is for the other countries to also increase their resource exploration, exploitation activities; otherwise all of that will be siphoned away by the massive activities of China. We're still looking at the possibility of greater friction, greater potential disputes between different countries, especially in terms of resources.

Ultimately, the loser will actually be the South China Sea – not even the countries but the sea itself. We're going to see those resources subject to the so-called tragedy of the commons because every other country will be racing to try to exploit its resources before the other one does.

 

SIDELINED ISSUE? Batongbacal says the Philippine arbitration case against China is being sidelined as the US plays a greater role in the sea row. Photo of the Philippine delegation at The Hague from gov.ph

You've said the Philippines is losing control of the dispute to the US and Japan. What do you mean by that?

Already we're seeing that events concerning the South China Sea are being influenced not by us directly but rather by the US and Japan and China. They're all reacting to each other, and even the arbitration case is becoming a side issue.

If you look at the week during the time the award came out, and you notice what was being reported, the award was there but they were also talking about the US freedom of navigation patrols. Subsequent to that, they're talking about how China is reacting to the patrols.

'ASEAN [leaders] should be the ones who can tell what happens and does not happen in the region. Obviously that's not what's going on right now. Rather, it's the external powers dictating the situation.'

- Professor Jay Batongbacal, UP Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea

So it's like the arbitration case is now like on the sidelines, like a bystander, while these things are happening. We're not able to influence anymore the external powers in how they deal with each other. It's just them. They're the ones talking about what to do, what not to do. They are the ones accusing each other of provocations while we are still in The Hague.

So it is now becoming a contest between superpowers?

Yes, and it's actually a concern shared by the rest of the region. Our discussion with academics elsewhere indicate that they're also thinking along those lines.

The South China Sea and the region are becoming the arena for competition between these great powers. That is the biggest concern of Indonesia, Malaysia, for example. They do not want that to happen. Vietnam does not want to see the South China Sea becoming a Chinese lake, neither does the Philippines or say Malaysia, Indonesia.

But more important, they do not want this to become a battleground between external powers because that's what happened in World War II. Ultimately, who suffered? The inhabitants. That's what they don't want to happen. That's why they are very concerned.

 

ASEAN CENTRALITY? Observers say ASEAN must become more active in resolving the South China Sea dispute so the region will not become an area for the contest of superpowers. Photo of the ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia by Lauro Montellano Jr/ Malacañang Photo Bureau

How then does the region avoid that?

That's where ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and its centrality come in. Theoretically, what should happen is it should be the countries that are resident in the region that determine the state of relations between them, as well as the state of relations between the external powers that are involved or have interest in the region.

After all, it's their area. It's their place. They should be the ones who can tell what happens and does not happen in the region. Obviously that's not what's going on right now. Rather, it's the external powers dictating the situation.

http://www.rappler.com/nation/114270-q-and-a-jay-batongbacal-south-china-sea

Army’s medical mission benefit 550 pupils

From the Philippine Information Agency (Nov 27): Army’s medical mission benefit 550 pupils

CAMP MELCHOR DELA CRUZ, Gamu, Isabela -- At least 550 pupils here received health care services from a medical and dental mission sponsored by the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Class 1982, in collaboration with the 5th Infantry Division, Philippine Army and the local government here.

Captain Maricel Parra, Public Affairs Office chief of the 5th ID, said the medical mission is in support of the 23rd National Children’s Month celebration with the theme “Bata, Kasali ka, Ikaw ay Mahalaga”!.

“We have offered free medical and dental services including supplementary feeding, distribution of slippers,medicines and books to school children of Songsong Elementary School and Camp Melchor Dela Cruz Elementary School here,” she said.

Major General Lysander Suerte, 5ID, PA commanding officer and member of PMA Class ’82, said this is a joint effort with their partners who never fail to provide assistance in delivering basic services to the residents

“We are pleased to have our partners in reaching out to our young leanners here,” Suerte added. 

http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/481448257180/army-s-medical-mission-benefit-550-pupils

Phl Navy conducts dialogue with Bolinao fisherfolks

From the Philippine Information Agency (Nov 27): Phl Navy conducts dialogue with Bolinao fisherfolks

The Philippine Navy through Naval Task Force 40, in partnership with other government agencies and the local government of Bolinao, recently conducted a dialogue with the local fisherfolks in this town.

Lt. Archie Adanza, information officer of the Philippine Navy, said the activity imparted to local fisherfolks ways of mitigating sea incidents during inclement weather and  shared to them best practices of survival at sea. The activity also capacitated them as peer responder during sea incidents.

Adanza said the dialogue with fisherfolks also seeks to synchronize inter-agency planning, operations and efforts for maritime security; maintain fishermen network; and promote the Navy’s role to the general populace.

“This is just the start of promoting awareness on the safety of fisherfolks at sea. We will also conduct the same activity in other coastal barangays in north Luzon to know the concerns of local fishermen that will help us in crafting programs that will benefit them later,” he said.

During the onslaught of Typhoon Kabayan, it is the municipality of Bolinao where the bulk of missing fishermen came from prompting the Naval Task Force 40 to select the area as a venue for the information drive.

“I encouraged the fisherfolks to save and to have an alternative source of income so they don’t always have to sail at sea, especially during bad weather conditions,” he said adding that maritime resources should be taken cared of so fishermen don’t have to go far to catch fish.

In a message, Bolinao Mayor Alfonso Celeste urged fisherfolks to follow the pieces of advice shared by speakers from the Navy, Coast Guard, BFAR and the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Council (FARMC).

“Huwag na ninyong isugal ang inyong mga buhay kasi 'yong mga mahal ninyo sa buhay ang kawawa kapag nawala kayo sa laot,”

http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/1941448360739/phl-navy-conducts-dialogue-with-bolinao-fisherfolks