Bulatlat: NPA releases prisoners in Surigao City

From the pro-CPP online propaganda publication Bulatlat (Aug 30): NPA releases prisoners in Surigao City



MAT-I, Surigao City – After 34 days in captivity, three police officials and a non uniformed personnel were released by the New People’s Army on Saturday afternoon, August 27, in a village in Barangay Mat-i here.

At exactly 2:25 in the afternoon, Ka Lucas of the NPA’s Front 16 Guerrilla Unit-Custodial Force in Surigao City signed the release order for PO2 Caleb Sinaca, PO2 Jayroll Bagayad, non-uniformed personnel Rodrigo Angob, and SPO3 Santiago Lamanilao.

Residents from the neighboring towns walked uphill to witness the ceremony.



Prisoners of war, SPO3 Santiago Lamanilao, non-uniformed personnel Rodrigo Angob, PO3 Jayroll Bagayas, and PO2 Caleb Sinaca walk in the middle of the crowd to meet their families for the first time after 34 days of being in custody of the New People’s Army.

EMOTIONAL. PO3 Jayroll Bagayas, one of the four political prisoners of the New People’s Army in Surigao City, is emotional upon meeting his family.

After meeting their families, the prisoners of war met with the third party facilitators who assisted their release.

The third party facilitators was comprised of the regional crisis management committee and various church groups.

Father Romeo Tagud of the Iglesia Filipina Indipendiente said that “being part of the third party facilitators is not an easy task.”

Fr. Tagud thanked the regional crisis committee lead by Surigao del Norte Vice Governor Arturo Carlos Egay, Jr.

“We hope that this will be the last, but as long as civil war exists, there will still be prisoners of war,” the priest said.

After Fr. Tagud’s message, the release paper was signed by the representatives from the New People’s Army, prisoners of war, and the third party facilitators.





At exactly 2:25 in the afternoon, the release order was signed, declaring the four prisoners of war, freed from the custody of the NPA.

 

Ka Edroy, political officer of the NPA’s Front 16 presented the signed papers to the crowd.

Members of the revolutionary youth group, Kabataang Makabayan (Nationalist Youth) of Surigao City Cultural presentations were also part of the program...

YOUTH ISSUES. Young artists perform a cultural presentation that portrays social issues affecting the youth.

 

http://bulatlat.com/main/2016/08/30/npa-releases-prisoners-surigao-city/

Peace process reunites Tiamzons and spy who dogged them

From Rappler (Sep 1): Peace process reunites Tiamzons and spy who dogged them

The Tiamzons and retired General Ted Torralba will work together in a committee that will operationalize how to end hostilities between the military and the New People's Army



FRIENDS. Retired General Torralba was the spy assigned to follow the Tiamzon couple in the '80s

Captain Teodoro Cirilo Torralba III listened to the radio as his men reported that Wilma Tiamzon, a member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), was leaving the rented apartment on Wilson Street in San Juan that they had been watching for weeks.

It was 1989, the height of the communist insurgency in the Philippines, when members of its top brass were based in the country capital and the military had a dedicated unit tasked to hunt them.

Four vehicles followed the car carrying Wilma until Ortigas Avenue in nearby Pasig City. They surrounded and forced the car to a full stop. Calm and quiet, Wilma did not resist arrest.

Torralba, a military intelligence officer, waited for updates from the other team that searched the San Juan apartment for the bigger target – Wilma’s husband, then CPP Chairman Benito Tiamzon. But he was nowhere to be found.

“We were delayed by, I think, two days. If we effected the arrest earlier, kasama niya sana (he should have been arrested, too),” Torralba, now a consultant to the peace process between the Philippine government and communist rebels, recalled the arrest to Rappler 27 years later.

Benito smiled when told about the failed military operation to arrest him. “Hindi lang two days. Nagkamali sila doon. Akala nila ako 'yung isang nandoon sa bahay. Mayroon kasing the same ang build ang katawa,” Benito, who learned about Wilma's arrest on the radio, told Rappler. (It wasn't just two days. They made a mistake. They thought I was the one in the house. There was one person with the same body built.)

The resumption of the peace talks in Oslo, Norway, was not only a reunion between the power couple of the communist movement and the man whose book strengthened their radical ideas when they were students in the University of the Philippines, CPP founder Jose Maria Sison. It was also a reunion with the spy who dogged them in the '80s.

“Do you remember, General Torralba?” a government official teased Wilma as he pointed at Torralba at the lobby of Scandic Holmenkollen in Oslo, the venue of the peace negotiations. Wilma stared at the now retired Brigadier General, whose face was familiar. She only recognized him when she was told about the 1989 arrest.

“Santos ang alam ko e (Santos was the name I knew),” said Wilma, referring to the fake name Torralba gave her 3 decades ago.

Wilma then remembered her conversations with the military intelligence officer who checked on her group, which included the driver and two more people from the San Juan apartment, when they were not being interrogated by senior officials.

"Sabi ni [According to] Sun Tzu, you should know your enemy," Torralba said about those conversations.

But the young captain was also tired of the war that saw many soldiers fall to the Sparrow Units of the New People's Army. Knowing her place in the movement, he asked Wilma the same question he raised to other communist rebels he had arrested: How can this war possibly end?

"I was just a captain. Nine years pa lang ako sa serbisyo nito pero pagod na ako sa laban. I was asking her, paano ba (I was just 9 years into the service but I was tired of fighting. I was asking her, how do we go about this)? What can we possibly do?” Torralba recalled.

Wilma told the young officer about the continued failings of the Cory Aquino government to address the reforms they had been seeking since Martial Law.

She likes to believe that the young officer also had progressive ideals. “Kung nakapag-usap lang kami ilang ulit, may ilang points na puwede kami magkaintindihan (If we had time to continue our conversations, we may have agreed on several points),” she said.

Wilma was later moved to the police custodial center, where she escaped about a month later. How? She wouldn't tell. "That is still classified," she said with a laugh.
“Galit na galit kami [military] noon (We were very angry then). Can you just imagine the time, effort, and resources we spent [to arrest her]?” Torralba recalled.

Wilma would be arrested again, but would be repeatedly released because of her immunity as consultant to the peace talks. The latest arrest was in Cebu in 2014, this time, with Benito. They were detained for two years before the courts granted them temporary liberty in August for the resumption of the peace talks.

It was the first time she and Benito sat down as negotiators of the peace process that, it was believed, they had previously opposed. They are in charge of the committee that will prepare a draft for panel discussions on how to end the hostilities between the military and the New People's Army. (READ: Warriors, negotiators: Optimism on Day 1 of peace talks)

It is the final phase of the peace process that the government aims to complete within a year, but both camps agreed to hold simultaneous discussions on other substantive issues – socio-ecoomic and political reforms – in an attempt to accelerate the timeline.

The negotiating table is a continuation of the 27-year-old conversation between Wilma and Torralba, who co-chair the committee that will advise panel discussions. If the peace talks go well, Wilma will get the reforms she has long been fighting for, and Torralba will finally see the end of the longest running communist insurgency in Asia.

http://www.rappler.com/nation/144705-peace-talks-reunion-military-spy-tiamzons

Fear returns to land reform hot spot

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Sep 1): Fear returns to land reform hot spot



IT’S BEEN a year since farmers from Quezon province camped out at the Department of Agrarian Reform office in Quezon City to demand land reform in the province’s Bondoc Peninsula area. The promise of land reform continues to be unfulfilled for many of the farmers. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Cases of violence and threats targeting land reform beneficiaries have returned to Hacienda Matias in Quezon province’s Bondoc Peninsula district, sowing fear among tillers there, a farmers’ group said.

The latest case of bloodshed took place on Aug. 16, when Raul Esco, 42, a member of Kilusang Magbubukid ng Bondoc Peninsula (KMBP), was shot and killed by unidentified men while he was on his way home.

His body, which bore three bullet wounds, was found by his wife in the morning of Aug. 17 some 15 meters from their shack, the KMBP-Kilusan Para sa Tunay na Repormang Agraryo at Katarungang Panlipunan (Katarungan) said in a report sent to the Inquirer on Tuesday.

Hacienda Matias spans 1,736 hectares in the villages of Don Juan Vercelos and Butanguiad in San Francisco town at the southern tip of Quezon.

On July 20, residents of Barangay Butanguiad woke up to death threats, written in five large sheets of Manila paper and found in different areas of the village.

Farmers said the posting of the threats, done in the middle of the night, was followed by bursts of gunfire.

The posters, purportedly issued by New People’s Army (NPA) rebels, warned seven farmers, whose names the group listed, and several others to return the farmlands they allegedly grabbed.

“If not, you will be punished by the New People’s Army with death,” part of the message read.

But a spokesperson for the NPA unit operating in Quezon denied that the guerrillas issued the threats.

“Even the story and circumstances behind this incident are far removed from the practices of the revolutionary movement,” said Ka Cleo del Mundo, spokesperson of the NPA’s Apolonio Mendoza Command, in a statement.

“We will not post anything to announce any case, especially if it involved threats,” Del Mundo said.

She said “counter-revolutionary groups” are behind what she called as “black propaganda” against the NPA.

On Tuesday, Arsenio Catamco, one of the farmers named in the posters, said the NPA, if it was not behind the threats, should go after those responsible.

Last year, 283 farmers received their Certificates of Land Ownership Award for about half of the estate, covering three of seven land titles. They, however, failed to occupy the land due to harassment by hacienda workers and legal maneuvers of landowners.

KMBP has long been campaigning for the coverage of large tracts of land in Bondoc Peninsula under the government’s agrarian reform program.

The district is known as one of the agrarian hot spots in the Southern Tagalog region, where several families control big landholdings in the towns of San Francisco, San Andres, San Narciso, Mulanay and Buenavista towns.

At least seven farmer-leaders, including Esco, had been killed in this part of Quezon since 1998. The NPA owned up to at least two cases while the rest were allegedly carried out by armed men employed by landowners.

“Most of us are now living in fear with this new wave of killing and harassment. We’re all afraid to go out at night,” said Maribel Luzara, KMBP president, noting that at least two farmers and their families have left the hacienda.

Luzara said a group of farmers would meet with Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza to seek help and protection.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/811654/fear-returns-to-land-reform-hot-spot

China's 'Red Line' Warning to Japan on South China Sea FONOPs Is Here to Stay

From The Diplomat (Aug 29): China's 'Red Line' Warning to Japan on South China Sea FONOPs Is Here to Stay

Beijing does not dispute reports that its envoy to Tokyo drew a “red line” for Japan in the South China Sea.

Last week, reports in the Japanese press, citing diplomatic sources, noted that China’s envoy in Tokyo had sent a strong message to Japan about its involvement in the South China Sea. According to Kyodo News Agency, Amabassador Cheng Yonghua had told a Japanese official that should Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force join up with U.S.-led freedom of navigation operations (FONOPS) in the South China Sea, Japan would have cross a “red line.”

Asked about these reports at a recent press conference, a spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Defense did not walk back the strong language. “We are firmly opposed to Japanese attempts to send its self-defense forces to join the so-called Freedom of Navigation operations by the U.S. in the South China Sea,” Colonel Wu Qian, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of National Defense, remarked.

Reiterating China’s previous position on Japan’s involvement in the disputes in the South China Sea, Wu added that “Japan is not a concerned party in the South China Sea issue, and has no right to intervene in relevant disputes.” Addressing the possibility that China would use military force to respond to Japan’s participation in FONOPs, Wu added that “The Chinese armed forces are firm in its resolve and determination to safeguard the sovereignty, territorial integrity and maritime interests and rights of the country, and will resolutely deal with various threats and challenges.”

Japan and the United States held their first bilateral naval drill in the South China Sea in October 2015, the same week that the U.S. Navy held its first FONOP by sailing the USS Lassen, a guided-missile destroyer, within 12 nautical miles of Subi Reef and other nearby features in the Spratly Islands. Since then, the United States has conducted two other FONOPs: One in January 2016 in the Paracel Islands and another in early May 2016 in the Spratlys. Keeping with the pace of previous FONOPs, the U.S. Navy should be due to stage another operation soon in the South China Sea.

The possibility of Japan, or other countries, including Australia, participating in U.S.-led FONOPs has increased in the aftermath of a July 12 award in a case filed by the Philippines against China on maritime entitlements in the South China Sea. In that decision, a five-judge tribunal at the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration unanimously ruled that China’s nine-dashed line claim in the South China Sea held no meaning under international law, among other findings.

Interestingly, the Chinese position on Japan’s participation in the South China Sea may unwittingly concede that the United States has legitimate interests in the sea. In the aftermath of U.S. FONOPs in the South China Sea, Beijing has said that Washington’s actions threatened its sovereignty and harmed regional peace, but it hasn’t rejected the notion of the U.S. having legitimate interests in the South China Sea in the way that it seems to have rejected a role for Japan. For instance, after the May FONOP, a Chinese foreign ministry statement noted that the “U.S. places its interests above international law,” acknowledging that the United States did have interests in the South China Sea.

The bilateral context may help explain this difference. China’s warnings to Japan this summer come as the East China Sea, where the two countries dispute the sovereignty of the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands, heats up. China has recommended that Washington refrain from diplomatically intervening in efforts between China and Southeast Asian claimants to resolve and manage the South China Sea disputes. With its largely rhetorical denouncements of U.S. FONOPs, China may be acknowledging a legitimate U.S. interest as a superpower.

Like so many aspects of China’s signaling on the South China Sea, there’s a degree of ambiguity in the different treatment meted out to the United States and Japan. What’s clear, however, is that Beijing’s “red line” warning to Tokyo is likely here to stay.

http://thediplomat.com/2016/08/chinas-red-line-warning-to-japan-on-south-china-sea-fonops-is-here-to-stay/

Don't Be Too Sure About a Stalemated US-China Military Balance

From The Diplomat (Aug 29): Don't Be Too Sure About a Stalemated US-China Military Balance (By Robert Farley)

There are reasons to believe that the United States will maintain a qualitative technological edge.

As discussed in last week’s column, Stephen Biddle and Ivan Oelrich have made a significant contribution to the literature on the future military balance in the Western Pacific. As with any such analysis, however, their article offers as many questions as it does answers. We can break these quibbles down into three areas; strategic, technological, and organizational questions.

On the strategic side, Biddle and Oelrich focus their analysis on a short-range campaign aimed at establishing dominance over a particular landmass. In so doing, they underplay China’s incentive to pursue a counter-force strategy intended specifically to destroy U.S. naval capabilities. Long warship construction times, along with limited facilities, make replacement difficult-to-impossible. If the United States lost even three carriers in a war with China, its ability to project power around the world would suffer for decades. If anything, this reinforces the authors’ points about the dominance of land-based systems, which are not only more survivable, but also easier to replace than their naval counterparts. However, it also suggests that China could employ a tactical and operational calculus geared more towards enemy force reduction than the achievement of specific campaign objectives.

On the technological side, while the authors do an excellent job of projecting existing technological trends, they invariably neglect some potentially important contributors to the military balance. For example, Biddle and Oelrich devote insufficient attention to the potential for cyber-attacks against enemy information networks. While it may prove exceedingly difficult for the United States to figure out where every mobile Chinese missile launcher is hiding, it’s likely that the Chinese know where they are, and that information is subject to infiltration, disruption, and appropriation.  The authors compare the protection of Chinese information networks to Iraq’s successful hiding of Scud missile launchers in the Iraq War, but the parallel doesn’t go very far; the Scud launchers were not part of an integrated system of defense in which both the center and the distributed “hands” needed good information on the location and performance of other “hands.” A concerted attack against communications networks would not necessarily be subject to range and line-of-sight considerations, and could prove devastating to an A2/AD network. Of course, an attacking force is subject to the same concerns, but this merely suggests that cyber-dominance could prove decisive in a foreseeable conflict.

Similarly, the authors do not discuss at great length the potential for automated systems to solve part of the strike reconnaissance dilemma. With appropriately programmed parameters, automated weapons require less intensive targeting data than their “dumb” or even “smart” kin. Automated weapons which reach the general area of a potential target can use their own surveillance systems to “close the deal” on the target. Such systems may prove especially lethal when launched from submarines, which use stealth to approach, and cut down substantially on the time available for the target to conduct evasive maneuvers.

Biddle and Oelrich intentionally exclude force employment considerations from their analysis, but it’s worth using their article as a stepping-stone for thinking about how such factors might matter. In particular Biddle and Oelrich also understate the doctrinal aspects of AirSea Battle (ASB) and its various bureaucratic successors. In short, ASB hopes to smooth over or eliminate the frictions that military organizations typically face in peacetime, and to ensure that different elements of the air-sea team can coordinate effectively with each other while conducting dangerous, complex military operations.

In a sense, ASB is analogous to the application of complex infantry-artillery integration against well-defended trench systems in World War I and World War II. Such tactics leveraged temporary, local superiority in order to break apart defensive systems and win major operational victories. The metaphor can strain, but the idea is to develop infiltration tactics ahead of time, without having to figure them out of the course of several years of trench warfare. Of course, no one has any idea whether ASB will succeed in defeating a dedicated A2/AD system, but experience suggests that technology only partially determines success.

Again, the authors have done creditable work on a complex topic. Still, these questions matter because there are reasons to believe that the United States has major advantages at least in the technological and organizational categories. China has conducted cyber-espionage effectively, but the Snowden revelations indicate that United States has penetrated Chinese networks at various levels. Moreover, the U.S. military has (and likely will continue to have) far more operational experience than the Chinese military.

[Robert Farley is a senior lecturer at the Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce. His work includes military doctrine, national security, and maritime affairs. He is author of The Battleship Book. He blogs at Lawyers, Guns and Money and Information Dissemination, and can be found on twitter at @drfarls.]

http://thediplomat.com/2016/08/dont-be-too-sure-about-a-stalemated-us-china-military-balance/

Russia to Send Anti-Submarine Warfare Destroyers to South China Sea

From The Diplomat (Aug 31): Russia to Send Anti-Submarine Warfare Destroyers to South China Sea

China and Russia will hold a joint naval drill in the South China Sea in September.



The Russian destroyer Admiral Vinogradov underway near the guided-missile cruiser USS Vella Gulf while conducting operations in the Gulf of Aden in 2009. US Navy photo

This week, Russia’s Pacific Fleet will dispatch a number of surface warships to the South China Sea to participate in the annual Sino-Russian naval exercise, dubbed Joint Sea 2016, held from September 11 to 19, TASS news agency reports.

“At the beginning of September, a detachment consisting of the big anti-submarine ships Admiral Tributs and Admiral Vinogradov, the big amphibious ship Peresvet, the sea towboat Alatau, and the tanker Pechenga will head for Zhanjiang in China,” the chief press officer of the Eastern Military District for the Pacific Fleet, Captain Second Rank Vladimir Matveyev said.

The Admiral Tributs and Admiral Vinogradov are both 6,930-ton Project 1155 Udaloy I-class anti-submarine warfare destroyers originally built for the Soviet Navy. The destroyers also have anti-ship capabilities and carry the P-270 Moskit supersonic ramjet powered anti-ship missile (NATO reporting name: SS-N-22 Sunburn).

The Peresvet is a Project 775 Ropucha-class landing ship specifically designed for beach landings and capable of carrying a cargo of up to 450 tons. It can carry up to ten main battle tanks or 12 armored personnel carriers plus 230-340 troops. The ship features a bow and stern ramp for unloading vehicles and the presence of the Russian landing ship indicates that the naval exercise will likely include a simulated amphibious assault.

The Russian flotilla appears not to comprise any submarines. Given that Russia is in the process of delivering military hardware, including two frigates and six submarines, to Vietnam, Moscow is being careful to maintain its balancing act on the South China Sea maritime disputes between Beijing and Hanoi, which could be one reason why Russia’s detachment is relatively small and does not include of the Russian Navy’s newest warships.

While it has not been officially confirmed that the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) Nanhai (South Sea) Fleet will host the exercise—the PLAN’s North and East Sea Fleets hosted previous Sino-Russian naval drills—the fact that the Russian ships are heading to Zhanjiang, home to the headquarters for the South Sea Fleet, appears to confirm the central role that the fleet will play in the joint naval drill.

China and Russia have held six joint naval drills since 2005, with Beijing first assuming the role of host for the Joint Sea exercise in 2012. In 2015, both countries “held naval and amphibious assault exercises in the Sea of Japan, a smaller naval drill in the Mediterranean, among a number of other bilateral military exchanges. Both countries have also participated in trilateral, and multilateral exercises, for example, under the umbrella of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO),” I noted previously.

According to the Pentagon’s 2016 report on China’s military activities, last year the major Sino-Russian naval exercise consisted of two parts: “phase one in the Mediterranean focused on protecting sea lines of communications (SLOCs) and combating terrorism and phase two in the Sea of Japan featured simultaneous amphibious landings, joint air defense drills, and anti-surface ship drills.”
I explained elsewhere:

Given that China and Russia do not have a formal military alliance, the interaction between the two navies will be limited and cannot be compared to similar exercises held by NATO, particularly when it comes to practicing complex integrated military operations. The major rationale behind the joint drills will be political rather than practical and is meant to emphasize the burgeoning security partnership between the two countries.

China and Russia pledged in April to increase the number of joint military exercises in 2016 (See: “China and Russia to Increase Number of Military Exercises in 2016”).

http://thediplomat.com/2016/08/russia-to-send-anti-submarine-warfare-destroyers-to-south-china-sea/

Duterte’s War on Terror Makes More Sense Than His Drug Error

From The Diplomat (Sep 1): Duterte’s War on Terror Makes More Sense Than His Drug Error

While the Philippine leader’s drug crackdown is concerning, his pledge to root out the Abu Sayyaf makes more sense.

Cheering Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and his crackdown on drug dealers with a shoot first policy has reached worrying levels. State-sanctioned killings, once shunned as illegal, seem to be legitimized by police and supporters alike, while his trust rating continues to sit at 91 percent.

A lack of criticism is also telling and evident in some sections of the media as the killings near 2,000. For instance, a glowing cover shot of Duterte on the cover of Time with the caption “Why Rodrigo Duterte is The Philippines’s new leader” suggests democracy has spoken.

Time then delivers an in-depth report on the killings drawing parallels with a similar killing-spree of drug dealers by former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in 2003.

Particularly chilling, however, was the BBC report and a series of interviews with hired guns who shoot people in the back of the head– as captured by video – and spoke with journalist Jonathan Head openly about how the system works.

“One time, they needed a woman… my husband tapped me to do the job. When I saw the man I was supposed to kill, I got near him and I shot him,” she said.

Asked who gave the orders, she replied: “Our boss, the police officer.”

Frustrations with the inability of the authorities to deal with crime are understandable, particularly in the media where journalists are at their wits end with the courts and their inability to find justice for the 58 people slaughtered allegedly by the Ampatuan family in Maguindanao seven years ago.

Thirty-four of them were journalists in what was labeled the worst act of election violence in Philippine history and the single deadliest incident for journalists the world had known until then.

But civilian crime is one issue, while civil war and the Abu Sayyaf is a different matter altogether. Duterte has now shifted his deadly focus onto the insurgents he actually says he once admired.

He now wants them eliminated following a change of heart which he says came after they “started slaughtering people like chickens”.

This group of thugs dressed up as Islamic militants has declared war against Manila and the Filipino people on regular basis since the 1990s. It has also sworn allegiance to the Daesh, or Islamic State, and has apparently expanded beyond its borders into Malaysia.

Their kidnap and ransom policies and the beheading of their victims – such as two Canadians and an 18-year-old local this year alone – is also highlighting an inability by the Philippine military to effectively deal with the menace.

“Kill them, destroy them,” Duterte told the police and military late last week, adding his country had the ability to finish the group within a week.

As a fighting force, the Abu Sayyaf are a low-grade terrorist outfit who generally prefer soft targets.

But they have proved effective in controlling islands, such as Jolo off the southern Philippines, a major impediment to trade, tourism and helping to ensure that more than a million Filipinos who have lived as refugees in squalid conditions in East Malaysia for three generations are unable to return home.

This is one target that Duterte can afford to hunt down and terminate while justifying his actions under the law as opposed to cutting down low level drug dealers, often addicts themselves, and petty street criminals.

As unpalatable as it might sound to the purists, an end to the Abu Sayyaf would probably mitigate the state crimes Duterte has initiated against the urban thugs of Manila and the provincial cities and give the headline writers a genuine reason for applause.

Even a Catholic bishop in the southern Philippines is backing Duterte on this issue.
“The Abu Sayyaf is a terrorist group and it is not for dialogue,” said Bishop Martin Jumoad of the Prelature of Isabela in Basilan province. “They must be destroyed … dismantled and apprehended.”

Such support should be welcomed. But with Duterte’s trust factor running at more than 90 percent, other people’s opinions simply may not matter.

http://thediplomat.com/2016/09/dutertes-war-on-terror-makes-more-sense-than-his-drug-error/

WATCH | Duterte visits wake of 15 soldiers killed by ASG in Sulu

From InterAksyon (Sep 1): WATCH | Duterte visits wake of 15 soldiers killed by ASG in Sulu



President Rodrigo Duterte salutes in front of the coffin of one of 15 soldiers killed in the August 29 battle against Abu Sayyaf bandits in Sulu, as he visits the wake of the fallen troops at Camp Navarro in Zamboanga City, August 31, 2016. TV5 SCREENSHOT

President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday condoled with the families of 15 soldiers killed in the battle against Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) bandits in Patikul, Sulu on August 29.

Duterte talked to each of the aggrieved family members and gave them financial assistance when he visited the wake of the slain soldiers who were each given full military honors at Camp Navarro in Zamboanga City.

Most of the family members were unconsolable. Some expressed deep anger at the Abu Sayyaf.

Duterte promised the families of the fallen soldiers that they will be enrolled in the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) and will receive financial assistance and rice every month.

The President also promised that he will shoulder the educational expenses of the children of the slain military men and instructed the Department of Interior and Local Government to find jobs for their widows.

In his speech, Duterte told the widows, “I am sorry that this has to happen. I do not want it to happen again.”

He appealed to the Abu Sayyaf bandits to not mutilate the bodies of the troops.

The coffins of the 15 dead soldiers were all sealed as they were almost unrecognizable, with some parts of their bodies missing.

The Commander-in-Chief also visited the wounded troops treated in hospitals in Zamboanga City and under the Western Mindanao Command.

Despite the casualties suffered by the government, the President said he sees no reason that will warrant the declaration of a state of emergency in Sulu.

"It's just a punitive police action by the security forces of the government. The magnitude of the trouble there does not warrant anything except the industry of the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) and the PNP (Philippine National Police),"

Duterte said Wednesday at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport where he welcomed some 100 overseas Filipino workers who suffered layoffs in Saudi Arabia and were repatriated by the government.

WATCH THIS NEWS5 VIDEO REPORT BY KAYE IMSON:

 [Video report]

http://interaksyon.com/article/131989/watch--duterte-visits-wake-of-15-soldiers-killed-by-asg-in-sulu

ASG coddlers warned

From Tempo (Sep 1): ASG coddlers warned

The Armed Forces of the Philippines -Western Mindanao Command (AFP-WestMinCom) has warned residents of Sulu and Basilan province not to “harbor or give protection” to any members of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) as the military is serious in eliminating the ASG including all those that are giving protection to the bandits.

AFP-WestMinCom Chief Lt. Gen. Mayoralgo dela Cruz said Tuesday. “Kung sinuman ang humarang o tumulong sa ASG, sasagasaan kayo ng mga sundalo ng Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).”

Dela Cruz said the intensive military operations will continue in Sulu and in Basilan which aims to liberate the two provinces from ASG infestation and bring normalcy to the island and peace to its people.

“What you see is just the tip of the iceberg, more troops, more equipment and more firepower will be committed to destroy the ASG in Sulu and Basilan,” Dela Cruz added.

Dela Cruz said the killing of 15 soldiers including a junior officer and injuring of 10 others in Patikul, Sulu, last Monday will not dampen the fighting spirit of soldiers.

“The momentum is on our side and we will continue this fight until we accomplish the mission, that is to eliminate the existence of the ASG and restore peace and tranquility in the two provinces,” Dela Cruz emphasized.

The government has sent an additional 750 soldiers to Sulu to help the 10 battalions of soldiers now in the area currently pursuing the ASG.

The government has also mobilized sea, air and ground assets in the fight against the terror bandits.

The intensified military operations which started last August 26 in Sulu, has led to 30 deaths on the side of the dreaded group which also included its sub-leaders.

Joint Task Force Sulu Commander, Brigadier General Arnel de la Vega said intense fighting in Sulu is still going on.

Dela Vega also revealed that ASG leader Jamiri Jawong Jauhari was wounded during an encounter with soldiers last Monday in Sitio Kugan, Barangay Bakung, Patikul, Sulu.

The military on Monday said that the bodies of at least 16 ASG members have been recovered in Patikul and Talipao, Sulu after a series of firefights.

Lt. Gen. Mayoralgo dela Cruz, commander, Western Mindanao Command, told ABS-CBN News the Abu Sayyaf death toll in the latest skirmishes has climbed to 22.

Among them were ASG leaders Mohammad Said alias Ama Maas, Latip Sapii, and Sairulla Asbang.

Meantime, The AFP paid tribute to the 15 soldiers of the Army’s 35th Infantry Battalion who gave their lives in efforts of crushing the terrorist group Abu Sayyaf.

Army Major Filemon Tan Jr., AFP WestMinCom spokesman, said the fifteen soldiers led by Army 2nd Lt. Ernan P. Gusto, 33, married, of Isabela province, were immortalized as heroes when they died in Patikul, Sulu on Monday August 29, which incidentally was National Heroes Day.

“Our forces fought gallantly, the firefight was intense and our troops sacrificed their lives to give the next generation the peace and security they truly deserve,” Tan said in a statement.

http://tempo.com.ph/2016/09/01/asg-coddlers-warned/

Journalists moved to bigger military camp in Sulu amid Abu Sayyaf threat

From GMA News (Sep 1): Journalists moved to bigger military camp in Sulu amid Abu Sayyaf threat 

Journalists covering the military operations against the Abu Sayyaf Group in Sulu were moved to a bigger military camp, given threat of attack from the group. In his report, aired on "News To Go" on Thursday morning,

GMA News' Jun Veneracion said the Armed Forces of the Philippines did this on Wednesday night despite a quiet situation there at the time.

Veneracion said they were just told that night to pack their things so they could move to Camp Teodulfo Bautista.

Journalists had previously been staying at the camp of the 35th Infantry Battalion. B/Gen. Arnel dela Vega, commander of Joint Task Force Sulu, was quoted in Veneracion's report as saying he just wanted to ensure the journalists' safety hence the move.

Media personnel covering military operations in Sulu have been staying at military camps since the kidnapping of journalists there.

The military also said the civilian community around the camp also fled from their homes, a practice done in the area whenever there is a possibility of an encounter.

Many of these residents are believed to be relatives of Abu Sayyaf members, and perceived to receive notice of an attack beforehand.

The quiet of Wednesday evening was disrupted when a cannon sounded off in the area, the "News To Go" report said. This was also part of the military operation against the Abu Sayyaf. Additional forces were also deployed by the Army, with a total of around 7,500 soldiers in the area. The number is expected to increase in the coming days.

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/579739/news/regions/journalists-moved-to-bigger-military-camp-in-sulu-amid-abu-sayyaf-threat

Army battalion in Samar joins fight vs Abu Sayyaf in Sulu

From InterAksyon (Sep 1): Army battalion in Samar joins fight vs Abu Sayyaf in Sulu



Troops of the 63rd Infantry Battalion board a C-130 transport at Calbayog City airport to join the fight against the Abu Sayyaf in Sulu. (Photo courtesy of Radyo ng Bayan-DYOG Calbayog)

An Army battalion -- more than 300 troops -- has been transferred from Samar to Sulu to join the ongoing offensive against the Abu Sayyaf.

The 63rd Infantry “Innovator” Battalion commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Carmelito Pangatungan, which has 297 enlisted personnel and 14 officers, flew out of Calbayog City on C130 transports to Jolo Wednesday afternoon.

The unit is one of five sent to Sulu -- a total of 2,500 troops -- to augment the five battalions already engaging the Abu Sayyaf since the government offensive began in earnest last week.

It is the second contingent of soldiers from Eastern Visayas sent to fight the Abu Sayyaf following the deployment of 200 troops from the Leyte-based 19th Infantry Battalion on May 29.

The reinforcements were ordered deployed after 15 Army soldiers were killed and 12 others wounded in fighting in Patikul, Sulu on Monday.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/132000/army-battalion-in-samar-joins-fight-vs-abu-sayyaf-in-sulu

Military joins LGUs in extending services to mountain villages in Bukidnon

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 31): Military joins LGUs in extending services to mountain villages in Bukidnon

The military joined the local government units (LGU) in the successful delivery of services to about 300 beneficiaries in the mountain village of Bulonay in Impasug-ong, Bukidnon, an army report said Wednesday.

Lt. Erwin P. Bugarin, spokesperson of the army’s 8th Infantry Battalion (8IB), said the successful activity was the result of the military’s Internal Peace and Security Operations (IPSO) through Bayanihan Team Activities (BTA).

He said among the services delivered include medical and dental services, circumcision, haircut, massage/reflex, pedicure/manicure and medical checkups.

Bugarin said Mayor Anthony Uy of Impasug-ong spearheaded the project known as “Hatud Serbisyo” (Delivering Services) to far flung villages in Impasug-ong.

According to Bugarin, various LGU agencies also joined in the program in bringing the much needed services to the doorstep of villagers in the mountains.

He said aside from the medical team provided by the military, the 8IB also provided road security leading to the village of Bulonay.

He said the 8IB build bridges for the government to reach distant communities and extend services to the people.

“With the unilateral ceasefire with the communist New People’s Army (NPA) in effect, the 8IB would have ample opportunities to serve the people through ways other than fighting,” Bugarin said.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=918644

AFP dismisses speculation of spill over of ASG attacks but assures no terror threat

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 31): AFP dismisses speculation of spill over of ASG attacks but assures no terror threat

The Eastern Mindanao Command (EMC) dismissed speculations of a possible spill over of attacks by the Abu Sayaff Group (ASG) to other regions like Davao but it assured the security forces, including the Philippine Navy, to have stepped up monitoring and intelligence gathering.

EMC spokesperson Maj. Ezra Balagtey said the military exercises they conducted the past weeks were part of pro-active measures against terrorism. He said they are also coordinating closely with the Western Mindanao Command.

Balagtey said they have also strengthened all maritime entry points since the start of the ASG offensive campaign by the military.

“So far we did not monitor any spill over,” Balagtey said during the AFP-PNP press forum at the Royal Mandaya Hotel Wednesday.

Since last week, the AFP and all its intelligence agencies have been monitoring possible threats that may arise from the ongoing operations against the ASG in Sulu.

President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered to seek out all possible lairs of the ASG after the beheading of 18-year-old Patrick Jhames Almodavar last week after his family failed to pay the Php 1-million ransom.

“My orders to the police and to the armed forces against all enemies of the State: Seek out. Seek them out in their lairs whatever and destroy them,” Duterte declared last week.

Duterte admitted the ASG’s kidnapping activities were the reason why he was sending more troops to Jolo, Sulu to destroy all the enemies of the state.

Vowing his war against the ASG would be harsh, “Go out and destroy them,” he ordered.

The 10th Infantry Division has started pulling out forces from the 69th Infantry Battalion and the 79th Scout Rangers based in Davao Region to beef up counter terrorism operations, particularly on the ASG. About 500 soldiers from Davao left for their new base in Western Mindanao Command for deployment to Jolo, Sulu.

Next week, another battalion will be sent off to the Western Mindanao Command as additional forces to fight ASG.

Last Monday, the intense operation left 15 soldiers dead in an intense firefight against ASG brigands in Barangay Maligay, Patikul, Sulu. Ten others were wounded in the same firefight.

President Duterte on Wednesday the visited wake of the fallen soldiers at the gymnasium of Camp Navarro that houses the headquarters of the Western Mindanao Command.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=918839

No need to declare state of emergency in Sulu – President Duterte

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 31): No need to declare state of emergency in Sulu – President Duterte
 

Amid the heightened war against the terrorist Abu Sayyaf Group(ASG) that resulted in the death of 15 soldiers, President Rodrigo Duterte stressed that there is no need for him to declare a state of emergency in Sulu.

”The magnitude of the trouble there does not warrant anything except the industry of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine National Police,” President Duterte said in an interview with the media after welcoming the arrival of the 129 repatriated overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

”It’s just a punitive police action by the security forces of the government,” he added.

After meeting and giving PHP5,000 each for the retrenched OFWs from Saudi Arabia, President Duterte proceeded to Zamboanga City to visit the wake of the government troops killed in fierce fighting with the ASG bandits last Monday in Patikul, Sulu.

The Commander-in-Chief also visited the wounded in action soldiers in three different military camp hospitals.

Last Tuesday, Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella announced that the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has sent reinforcement of five battalions in Sulu.

”I should not be going there but there are 15 killed soldiers. So I will visit there. We are wasting money for the bullets. This money should have been given to the poor people,” President Duterte said.

President Duterte said the Abu Sayyaf is one of the many problems that he is hoping to address in the first six months of his administration.

”We do not enjoy killing people. I do not enjoy this war. I hate to sign documents that would procure things that would just kill or maim citizens,” President Duterte said.

He said other problems confronting his government is the illegal drugs, corruption and criminality.

President Duterte said his government is working hard to reach peace with the Moro rebels particularly the Moro National Liberation Front and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and with New People’s Army.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=918733

AFP remains committed to eliminating ASG threat despite casualties

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 31): AFP remains committed to eliminating ASG threat despite casualties

Despite the huge casualties in Monday's operations against the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) in Sulu, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) remains committed to eliminating the bandit threat.

"There may still be casualties along the way as we advance this solemn duty to eradicate these bandits and terrorists of 25 years, but we will not stop until we rid our country of the menace this ASG brings to the world," AFP Chief-of-Staff Gen. Ricardo Visaya said.

Around 15 troopers were killed while another 12 were wounded in the encounter at Sitio Kan Jalul, Barangay Maligay, Patikul, Sulu 4:30 p.m. on Monday.

A total of 30 terrorists were reported to have been killed during the ongoing focused military operations against the ASG which started last week.

Another 11 brigands were reported wounded in the series of clashes with government forces.

The offensive was the offshoot of the bandit group's brutal beheading of 18-year-old Patrick Jhames Almodavar last week.

"We have all the time. Keep the pressure on the enemy until they wear out. Just ensure they won't be able to leave the island and we will be triumphant in the end," Visaya stressed.

"Much as every soldier, sailor, marine, or airman knows that laying down one's life is all part and parcel of their job, we in the AFP vow to pursue this battle to conclusion," he added.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=918743

Duterte willing to talk with Misuari in KL or anywhere in PHL

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 31): Duterte willing to talk with Misuari in KL or anywhere in PHL

President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday said that he is amenable to meeting with Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) chieftain Nur Misuari in Kuala Lumpur, or anywhere in the Philippines – even in Malacañang - in order to speed up the peace process in Mindanao.

“I talked with Misuari last night (Tuesday), and he proposed that we meet in Kuala Lumpur in front of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). Sabi ko: Dalian mo Nur, we are wasting lives here,” Duterte said during an interview with reporters at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) prior to his departure for Zamboanga City.

The President went to Zamboanga to visit the wake of the 15 fallen soldiers who died in an ongoing operation against the extremist Abu Sayyaf group.

Duterte said he also told Misuari that is also willing to waive the arrest warrant against the MNLF leader so that a dialogue could be undertaken in the Philippines if the latter so desired.

“Nur, I have no intention of detaining you or placing you in the custody of the government. You can simply walk out there, ask any soldier and police to escort you. Kung saan ako, mag-usap tayo,” the President related.

He said this could easily be done since as Commander-in-Chief, he would just order the police and the military to disregard the arrest warrant.

“If there is a warrant of arrest, all I have to do is not to implement it against him because if you arrest Misuari (and) you place him under the custody of the police diyan sa Crame, and he dies for whatever reason, kompromiso na tayo. He’s the only known leader (of the MNLF) who has the influence and the structure. Nobody else,” Duterte said.

"I cannot be too stringent in the matters that would affect whether or not we succeed. Kasi the most important thing really is that there is a dialogue going on,” he said.

“I can go to him, I can go to Jolo if he wants. Or if he wants somebody there, they can bring him back to Davao City or in Manila. He can be my guest in Malacañang, in the People’s Palace, and we can talk there for a while,” Duterte said.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=918754

PNP sees no ASG threat in Metro Manila amid clashes in Sulu

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 31): PNP sees no ASG threat in Metro Manila amid clashes in Sulu

The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Wednesday said that there is no threat amid the clashes between government forces and members of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) in Sulu province.

This was the reaction of the PNP following fears that the ASG would conduct bombing attacks in Metro Manila after clashes have claimed the lives of 30 ASG members and 15 troopers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

In an ambush interview, PNP Spokesman Sr. Supt. Dionardo Carlos said in Taglish (mixed Tagalog and English) that “because there is now an ongoing regular inter-agency assessment in Metro Manila.”

”The result of that (assessment) will show us if the threat level in Metro Manila is high or not, and in other parts of the country based on the assessment, whether it is happening in Mindanao,” Carlos said.

Based on the assessment, Carlos said, “we will see that probability whether the probability will happen in Metro Manila, so we will monitor that.”

The PNP official noted that the presence of ASG in Metro Manila is not the same compared to their presence in Sulu and in Basilan provinces.

”So, if there is such a threat, it will be found in the regular meeting assessment being conducted by the inter-agency committee,” Carlos said.

He stressed that there is still no threat, adding that, the assessment is being done regularly.

”We assure the public that the inter-agency meets regularly to do an assessment to the level of threats in Metro Manila and in other parts of the country,” Carlos said.

If it is happening now in down south, he said, the condition here in Metro Manila is different.

”Right now, we don’t see any threat as far as the diversionary tactics of the ASG is concerned. None,” Carlos said.

He added that one possible action which the ASG may resort to, is to divert, to ease the pressure the military and the other forces are doing down south, so that is being monitored by the multi-agency committee.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=918818

PRRD salutes soldiers killed in action vs. ASG

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 31): PRRD salutes soldiers killed in action vs. ASG

President Rodrigo R. Duterte paid tribute to the 15 military men who died for the Filipino nation during an encounter with the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) in Patikul, Sulu last Monday, while the country was commemorating National Heroes' Day.

The slain troops were part of the 21st and 35th infantry battalions conducting pursuit and blocking operations who encountered some 120 ASG members led by Radullan Sahiron.

President Duterte on Wednesday visited the wake of the heroic soldiers at the Western Mindanao Command (WesMinCom) gymnasium.

He shared the grief of the soldiers' families and assured them of government support such as jobs for the widows, free basic education for the children, and automatic enrolment in the state-run 4Ps or conditional cash transfer program.

At the same time, the President lamented the cost of terrorism being waged by the ASG.

"Sayang ang gastos sa bala at armor na walang kakwenta-kwenta," he said.

The President then proceeded to the WesMinCom's Camp Navarro General Hospital and later to the Cuidad Medical Center, where he was mobbed by adoring crowds chanting "Duterte! Duterte!"

He conducted the hospital visits to comfort the soldiers wounded in action, who are now confined at the two major medical centers in Zamboanga City.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=918882

President Duterte, Misuari to discuss peace in Mindanao

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 31): President Duterte, Misuari to discuss peace in Mindanao

President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday revealed that he called on Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) chairman Nur Misuari for possible talk of the peace process in Mindanao as he ordered law enforcers to hold the serving of his warrant of arrest.

In their telephone conversation Tuesday night, the President said that Misuari opted to meet him in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia with the presence of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC).

“Nag-usap kami kagabi. Gusto niya (Misuari) sa Kuala Lumpur,” the President said after meeting with Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

“Nur, I have no intention of detaining you or placing you in the custody of the government. You can simply walk out there, ask any soldier and police to escort you. Kung saan ako, mag-usap tayo,” he said.

Emphasizing the years of armed conflict in Jolo which is ongoing, President Duterte said: “Sayang ‘yung pera, sayang ‘yung bala. Ipatay mo rin sa kapwa mo Pilipino. Kung mga komunista pumayag na, baka dito sa panahon ko, kung maawa si Allah, eh ‘di meron tayong magandang kinabukasan.”

To pave the way of their meeting, the President has (ordered) lawmen not to implement the standing warrant against Misuari.

“All I have to do is to not implement it against him because if you arrest Misuari, you place him under the custody of the police diyan sa Crame and he dies for whatever reason, kumpromiso na tayo. Mahirapan na,” the President said, emphasizing that the ongoing government action in battle-torn Jolo is a “punitive action” against lawless elements.

“He’s (Misuari) the only known leader who has the influence and the structure. Nobody else. While dito sa kabila, there’s Murad and Jafaar and the Central Committee of the Bangsamoro, MNLF (Moro National Liberation Front)," the President said, adding “I can go to him, I can go to Jolo if he wants. Or if he wants somebody there, they can bring him back to Davao City or in Manila. He can be my guest in Malacañang, in the People’s Palace, and we can talk there for a while.”

President Duterte openly asked rebel groups in the country to meet with the government to settle differences and end fighting.

The peace negotiations with the CPP/NPA/NDF has pushed through with Chairman Jose Maria Sison in the forefront and hopes to start the talks with the Moro rebels.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=918883

Pres. Duterte traces historical roots of Mindanao conflict

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 1): Pres. Duterte traces historical roots of Mindanao conflict

In his speech on Wednesday at the Western Mindanao Command (WesMinCom) headquarters here in Camp General Basilio Navarro, President Rodrigo R. Duterte traced the roots of the Mindanao conflict.

He said it started when the Spaniards colonized the Philippines beginning 1571 and propagated the religion of Christianity with gun support from the Spanish military. This was around a hundred years after the Muslim religion was introduced by the Moro people in Mindanao.

In the 20th century, the President said Americans cultivated Mindanao and invited people from Luzon and the Visayas to come to Mindanao "because it is the land of promise."

The President said he doesn't have any problem with Moro National Liberation Front leader Nur Musuari. "We have agreed in principle na mag-usap para to resolve the conflict of the history of Mindanao," he revealed, adding he also has no problem with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

However, he said "may problema ako sa Abu Sayyaf because they are terrorists." They operate mostly in the Sulu area where the Tausugs are the dominant ethnic group.

PRRD recounted, "In the olden times, yung kwento ng mga ninuno, the Tausug warrior is an honorable man. Eh bakit ba ‘yan--- putulan ng ulo yung mga hostage niya. Hindi trabaho ito ng totoong Tausug. Something is going wrong. Kaya nakikiusap ako sa mga Tausug sana mag-intindihan nalang tayo at you know, we craft the Philippines, gawin natin itong Pilipinas na magustuhan ng lahat, walang nalulugi."

He recalled hearing stories before that among Tausugs, "pag nag-break ka ng word of honor, patayan yan. Pero it has deteriorated into some kind of cannibalism."

According to the President, his own grandmother was a Maranao Moro and he gets hurt every time there is fighting in Mindanao. "Eh bakit tayo magpapatayan? Magkwentuhan na lang tayo," he said.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=918936

AFP keeps tight watch on possible ASG diversionary tactics

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 1): AFP keeps tight watch on possible ASG diversionary tactics

As military units continue to close in with the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) terrorists in Sulu, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) through its intelligence branches are keeping a tight watch on possible diversionary tactics the bandits might use in an attempt to remove pressure from their beleaguered comrades.

Possible targets of these diversionary tactics, which are likely bombing attacks, are key cities especially those in Mindanao.

However unlikely this scenario is, AFP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla on Wednesday said there is no harm in preparing for any eventuality.

"It is different when you have adequate preparations," he added.

Padilla also urged the public to be vigilant and observant of their surroundings and immediately report to authorities suspicious-looking personnel and unattended items.

"(This is) so that authorities can act on such information immediately," he stressed.

The AFP began looking into possible ASG diversionary tactics after military clashed heavily with ASG bandits, headed by Radullan Sahiron, resulting in the death of 15 troopers and wounding of 12 others in Sitio Kan Jalul, Barangay Maligay, Patikul, Sulu.

Padilla said the clash with Sahiron indicates that the AFP has already reached the main group of the ASG as the bandit leader is known to operate in the interior and might do everything to reduce military pressure against them.

A total of 30 terrorists were reported to have been killed during the ongoing focused military operations against the ASG which started last week.

Another 11 brigands were reported wounded in the series of clashes with government forces.

The offensive was the offshoot of the bandit group's brutal beheading of 18-year-old Patrick Jhames Almodavar last week.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=919018

ISIS owns up daring prison raid in Philippines

From the Mindanao Examiner (Aug 31): ISIS owns up daring prison raid in Philippines



Members of the Khilafah Islamiyah Movement and its shadowy group Ghuraba (strangers) train their fighters in Lanao del Sur province in the Muslim autonomous region in Mindanao in this screen shot from the propaganda video of Islamic State in the Philippines. (Mindanao Examiner)

The Islamic State in Syria and Iraq (ISIS) has claimed responsibility for the daring raid on the provincial jail here that freed 30 prisoners, including 8 members and their wives.

“Fighters from Islamic State stormed a prison in Marawi City in Philippines on Saturday, south of the country, and were able to free 30 prisoners and seizing weapons,” Amaq news agency reported.

It added that “30 fighters carried out the attack and were able to release 30 detainees, including fighters from the Islamic State and their wives. The fighters of the attack and all the detainees, who were freed, arrived to safe places without injuries.”

On August 27, suspected members of the Khilafah Islamiyah Movement (KIM), joined by Butig-based jihadists in Lanao del Sur, stormed the prison and authorities said the escapees included 8 detained jihadists.

All escaped jihadists have been identified by authorities as Hashim Balawag Maute, Abdul Jabbar Tominaman Macabading, Jamil Batoa Amerul, Muhammad Sianodin Mulok and Omar Khalil; and Hafidah Romato Maute, Norhanna Balawag Maute, who are sisters of the Maute group leaders Abdullah and Omar Maute; and Nasifa Pundug believed to be wife of a senior KIM member. They are all members of the Islamic State Ranao.

Security forces arrested the jihadists on August 22 after stopping their van at a road block in Lumbayanague town near the town of Butig while attempting to transport improvised explosives and weapons. They also admitted during interrogation that they were on a mission to bomb civilian targets in the cities of Iligan and Cagayan de Oro.

Both KIM and Maute group pledged allegiance to the ISIS.

http://mindanaoexaminer.com/isis-owns-up-daring-prison-raid-in-philippines/

Duterte to Abu Sayyaf: How can you kill in Allah's name?

From Rappler (Aug 31): Duterte to Abu Sayyaf: How can you kill in Allah's name?

President Duterte visits the wake of soldiers killed in a recent encounter with the Abu Sayyaf in Sulu   

LOVE FOR SOLDIERS. President Rodrigo Duterte kisses the photograph of a slain soldier in Western Mindanao Command as he visits the wake of fallen soldiers. Photo by Richard Falcatan/Rappler

 

While visiting the wake of soldiers killed in an encounter with the Abu Sayyaf, President Rodrigo Duterte slammed the terrorist group for killing and mutilating in the name of Allah.

 

“You think Allah would be happy to see you do like that? In the name of Allah, you kill then, unnecessarily, you mutilate the body of the human being?” Duterte said in Zamboanga City on Wednesday, August 31.

 

Duterte flew in that afternoon to visit the graves of 11 out of 15 soldiers killed in a recent encounter with the Abu Sayyaf Group in Barangay Maligay, Patikul, Sulu.

 

Philippine flags draped the coffins of the soldiers at the Western Mindanao Command gymnasium.

The bodies of the other 4 soldiers were already buried before Duterte’s arrival.

 

SALUTE. President Duterte salutes the body of a fallen soldier who died during an encounter with the Abu Sayyaf in Zamboanga City. Photo by Richard Falcatan/Rappler

Duterte said that while he is ready to pursue peace talks with Moro separatist groups, he has a problem dealing with the Abu Sayyaf.

 

“May problema ako sa Abu Sayyaf because they are terrorists and the killing – pugutan ng ulo sa harap ng mundo, civilian, o sundalo (I have a problem with the Abu Sayyaf because they are terrorists and killing – beheading civilians or soldiers in front of the world),” he said.

 

He implied he thought Abu Sayyaf members are less than warriors because they resort to gruesome methods of killing.

 

“In the olden times, ‘yung kuwento ng aming mga ninuno, the Tausug warrior is an honorable man. Eh bakit ba ‘yan – putulan ng ulo ‘yung mga hostage niya? Hindi trabaho ito ng totoong Tausug,” said Duterte. (In the olden times, as the stories of our forebears go, the Tausug warrior is an honorable man. So why behead hostages? This is not the work of a true Tausug.)

 

The President was present as some of the fallen soldiers were buried. He extended words of comfort to the family of those killed.

 

He offered to help them after the death of their family member, who in most cases was likely the breadwinner.

 

“Now, itong mga naiwan na pamilya ng mga sundalo, I’d like you to know na automatic member kayo sa 4Ps, so may konting pera diyan buwan-buwan, saka may isang sako ng bigas,” said the President. (Now, these families left behind by the soldiers, I’ld like you to know that you are automatic members of 4Ps, so there is some money there monthly and you will have one sack of rice.)

 

After ordering the military to “destroy” the Abu Sayyaf, the Duterte administration has ramped up its efforts against the group.

 

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said 5 battalions composed of 2,500 soldiers are being deployed to Sulu, stomping ground of the Abu Sayyaf.

http://www.rappler.com/nation/144786-duterte-abu-sayyaf-kill-allah-name