Kerry off to Asia to address sea disputes, nukes

From the Philippine Star (Jan 25): Kerry off to Asia to address sea disputes, nukes

US Secretary of State John Kerry is pressing for peaceful resolutions to increasingly tense maritime disputes in Asia and urging China to take a firmer stand on North Korea’s nuclear program after its recent bomb test.

Kerry left Saudi Arabia yesterday and planned stops in Laos, Cambodia and China, shifting his focus as he wraps up an around-the-world diplomatic mission that began in Switzerland with a heavy emphasis on the Middle East, particularly Iran and efforts to bring an end to Syria’s civil war.

His first stop is Laos, the current head of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, whose members are becoming more vocal in complaints about China’s growing assertiveness over competing claims in the South China Sea and whose leaders President Barack Obama will host in California next month. Before that summit, US officials say, Kerry will make the case to the leader of the 10-nation bloc to present a unified stance in dealing with China on the disputes, which have grown more intense as China continues to construct man-made islands and airstrips in contested areas.

The United States and governments with rival claims with China in the disputed region, including the Philippines and Vietnam, have expressed alarm over the Chinese construction, saying it raises tensions and threatens regional stability and could violate freedom of navigation and overflight.

But ASEAN unity has not always been possible as China wields great influence among some of its smaller neighbors, such as Cambodia. Cambodia held the ASEAN chair in 2012 and blocked the group from reaching consensus on the South China Sea issue and has frequently sided with China on the matter. A senior State Department official accompanying Kerry in Asia said the US had heard from regional leaders that problems related to Cambodia’s chairmanship “left a black mark on ASEAN and are not to be repeated.” The official said the US believed that Laos would do a better job in balancing ASEAN interests with China.               

http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2016/01/25/1546040/kerry-asia-address-sea-disputes-nukes

OIC backs 1996 MNLF peace pact, BBL

From the Philippine Star (Jan 25): OIC backs 1996 MNLF peace pact, BBL

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is supporting the two peace deals forged by the Philippine government with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

The OIC said there is no conflict between the ongoing tripartite review of the MNLF’s 1996 peace agreement and the BBL of the MILF, which is still pending approval in Congress.

The government and the MNLF along with the OIC has conducted a tripartite review on the implementation of the provisions of the 1996 peace accord.

OIC Secretary General Iyad Ameen Madani of the Jeddah-based OIC earlier said the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) forged with the MILF is seen as a first step toward the fulfillment of the 1976 Tripoli and the 1996 Jakarta Agreements,
“Allow me to reaffirm our support to the efforts of the Philippine nation in the cause of peace and we remain committed to seeing a just and lasting solution that will benefit all the people of the Philippines,” Madani said in separate letters to Senate President Franklin Drilon and Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr.

The House of Representatives has set the voting on the passage of the BBL on Wednesday, where it only has today and tomorrow to finish the deliberations and period of amendments.

The Senate, meanwhile, has yet to discuss the BBL since it returned to work from the holiday break.

But the Senate would be busy with the scheduled reopening of its probe on the Mamasapano incident, also on Wednesday.

The Ministerial Meeting on the Tripartite Review Process has been scheduled today until tomorrow in Jeddah as it will reportedly be attended by top government officials and representatives of the factions of the MNLF.

It is expected that the Tripartite Review process, when finished, will provide for a harmonized Bangsamoro peace process roadmap. This will become more evident if the MNLF decides to participate in the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA), the interim government that will bridge the transition from the current Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) to the proposed Bangsamoro parliamentary government.

Focusing on the legislative process of the BBL, Madani expressed grave concerns about the delay and the perceived watering down of the bill.

“The OIC urges the Philippine authorities, in particular the lawmakers, who share the common goal at working for peace and stability not to let this historical moment become another lost opportunity,” Madani said.

Madani added the BBL that will be passed must “ensure the ‘concept of exclusivity of the powers of the Bangsamoro political entity’ as agreed upon in the CAB.”

The OIC stressed it would continue efforts to find peace in the south.
“The OIC will continue its efforts for peace in Mindanao and will continue monitoring the situation closely until our efforts lead us to the real dawn of peace and stability and a final end to the long struggle of the Bangsamoro people,” Madani said.

Madani was in the country early last year to help oversee the activation of the Bangsamoro Coordination Forum, a venue allowing the MNLF and the MILF to harmonize their positions with regard to achieving genuine autonomy under the 1987 Constitution.

Meanwhile, organizers of Yes for Peace - Bayanihan para sa KKK (Kapayapaan, Kaunlaran at Kasaganahan) have stepped up preparations for the planned symbolic turnover of the more than 11-million responses to President Aquino during the program to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution.

According to the Philippine Information Agency, Ernesto Alcanzare, lead organizer Yes for Peace together with campaign advisers Mama Lalanto, al Haj, and Ronaldo Tuazon informed Maria Montelibano, executive director of the EDSA People Power Commission (EPPC) that, “… the hard copies of (all) the responses to the Yes for Peace campaign are in the custody of the Records Division, Philippine Postal Corporation.”

According to the planned scenario submitted to the EPPC, the Yes for Peace responses will be loaded to mail vans and symbolically delivered and turned over to Aquino during ceremonies at the EDSA People Power Monument.

http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2016/01/25/1546038/oic-backs-1996-mnlf-peace-pact-bbl

DND forges P2.68-B deal for air surveillance radars

From the Philippine Star (25): DND forges P2.68-B deal for air surveillance radars



The Philippines is under pressure to strengthen its external defense capabilities amid China's muscle flexing and aggressive expansion in the region. AFP/Released, file

The Department of National Defense (DND) and an Israeli firm are close to forging a deal for the supply of three air surveillance radars worth P2.68 billion to boost the Philippines’ territorial defense capabilities.

The Philippine government and Israeli company Elta System Ltd. could sign a contract for the radars anytime, DND Undersecretary Fernando Manalo told The STAR over the weekend.

Manalo said a notice of award was issued to Elta early this month. The issuance of the notice of award is an important step in the procurement process as it leads to the actual implementation of the project.

“The signing will be done anytime,” Manalo said when asked for the status of the air surveillance radars project.

“The radars will enhance the capabilities of the Air Force in terms of maritime domain awareness,” he added.

Manalo said the radars may be delivered next year.

Last year, The STAR reported that the Philippines would buy three air search radars from Israel to enhance its monitoring in the South China Sea, where more than $5 trillion worth of trade passes through every year.

The Philippines, one of the weakest in the region in terms of military might, is under pressure to strengthen its external defense capabilities amid China’s muscle flexing and aggressive expansion in the region. Officials have repeatedly claimed that the modernization program is not directed against any country.

Defense officials signed an implementation arrangement that would pave way to the purchase of the radars in February 2014.

The procurement, however, was stalled for some time as President Aquino only approved the revised military modernization program last July, six days before his final State of the Nation Address.

Under the revised military modernization law enacted in 2012, the President, upon the recommendation of the defense and budget secretaries, shall forward the list of items to be purchased to Congress within 60 days since the law took effect.

http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2016/01/25/1546041/dnd-forges-p2.68-b-deal-air-surveillance-radars

4SFB gets best SF battalion award

From the Visayan Daily Star (Jan 25): 4SFB gets best SF battalion award

The 4th Special Forces Battalion, headed by Negrense Lt. Col. Eliglen Villaflor, was adjudged as Best Battalion of the First Special Forces Regiment during the 25th founding anniversary of the Special Operations Command, held Friday at Fort Magsaysay in Palayan City, Nueva Ecija.

The award was received by Villaflor from Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and Special Operations Command chief, Maj. Gen. Donato San Juan.

Villaflor yesterday said he offered the award to the dedicated and hardworking personnel of the 4th SF Battalion, and various stakeholders in the private sector, government, non-government organizations, and private individuals who gave him their untiring support in the performance of their mission in Basilan.

SOCOM is home to the Army's elite forces – the First Scout Ranger Regiment and the Light Reaction Regiment, aside from the FSFR, which figured prominently in most AFP campaigns nationwide, especially in Mindanao.

Villaflor used to serve as commanding officer of the 32 nd SF Company deployed in northern Negros, in mid1990s.

The mission of SOCOM is to organize, train, equip and sustain the Army's special operation forces in the conduct of special operations in support to the Philippine Army mission.

http://www.visayandailystar.com/2016/January/25/negor2.htm

Murad to Congress: give importance to peace, pass the BBL

From MindaNews (Jan 24): Murad to Congress: give importance to peace, pass the BBL

CAMP DARAPANAN, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao – The chair of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has appealed to Congress to give importance to peace by passing the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) because it is “very important, more important than the election.”



MILF chair Al Hadj Murad Ebrahim narrates some of the atrocities committed against the Bangsamoro people like the Jabiddah and Manili massacres during the peace summit at Camp Darapanan on Sunday (24 January 2016). Ebrahim reminds participants to call for justice to attain peace. MindaNews  photo by Toto Lozano

Murad told a press conference on Sunday afternoon after unveiling a peace marker inside the camp with Man Hee Lee, chair of the South Korea-based Heavenly Culture, World Peace Restoration of Light (HWPL), that what is at stake is the fate “not just of one politician but the entire Bangsamoro and the entire Filipino nation.”

In Manila, also on Sunday, Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Quintos-Deles said passing the BBL will not only improve the fate of the Bangsamoro region but also change the discourse on Mindanao as it will signal the closing of the armed conflict with the largest Moro rebel group in the country.

“What we need to see at this point in time is the big picture. The farsightedness… because, in reality, this law is not only for the present but it will also affect the future of the Bangsamoro,” the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) press release quoted her as saying.

Deles said the passage of the BBL should not be passed on to the next administration but “rests on the incumbent political leaders we have today.”

“We will keep on pushing and not give up hope on this,” she said.

She acknowledged that “it’s a very tight window but those who know the legislative process said that it is still possible.”

6 session days, or 3?

There are only six session days left starting Monday, January 25, until Congress adjourns for the election campaign. But Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on the BBL said the House agreed to vote on the bill on January 27 or on the third session day this week.

 

The House ended its period of interpellation on December 16 and is now on the period of amendments. Its attendance record last week, however, was dismal. It adjourned on Monday due to lack of quorum, started the turno en contra on Tuesday but Zamboanga Rep. Celso Lobregat didn’t finish because there was no longer a quorum. The session was adjourned on Wednesday, again due to lack of quorum. Session days are Mondays to Wednesdays.

The Senate has yet to terminate its period of interpellation. No discussion on the BBL was made within the three-day sessions last week. On January 27, the target date of the House for passage of its version, the Senate will re-open investigation on the Mamasapano Tragedy that left 66 persons dead last year – 44 from the Special Action Force of the Philippine National Police, 17 from the MILF and five civilians.

The tragedy’s other casualty was the Bangsamoro peace process as it became the game changer in the 18-year old peace process, 17 of that in negotiations to reach an agreement, the rest in implementation.

The government and the MILF had earlier agreed that “the status quo is unacceptable” and that they would work for the creation of a new autonomous political entity called the Bangsamoro, which would take on a parliamentary form of government.

BBL, BLBAR

What is being deliberated on in Congress, however, is no longer the BBL drafted by the joint government-MILF Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) and finalized with the Office of the President, but the substitute bills – HB 5811 and SB 2894 – both titled “Basic Law for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region” (BLBAR).

Both substitute bills, however, have been criticized for envisioning a Bangsamoro that is ”less than the ARMM (Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao) that it seeks to replace.”

Rodriguez told MindaNews on Tuesday that the BTC proposal to have 28 substantive provisions that HB 5811 deleted from the BBL be restored into the BLBAR, will not happen.

“Not one of the 28 provisions will be restored,” Rodriguez said.

Asked to comment on Rodriguez’ declaration, MILF peace panel chair Mohagher Iqbal told MindaNews last week: “OP (Office of the President) will answer for that,” he said, adding that as the MILF has repeatedly said, “a diluted BBL is unacceptable.”

In Sunday’s press conference, Murad said Rodriguez’ opinion is “not the totality of the opinion of Congress.”

“Di natin maaring sabihin na final na yun,” (We cannot say that is final), he said, adding “final” is “after the session of Congress.”

He said they will not entertain the opinion of an individual member of Congress.
Rodriguez is chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on the BBL and principal sponsor of the substitute bill, HB 5811 or BLBAR.

Murad acknowledged that the timeframe is now “really very, very short” but stressed that if legislators are decide to pass the “original BBL,” there is still a chance.

He said there is still time for the legislators to restore the important provisions of the BBL into the BLBAR.

At the Senate, Murad said the period of interpellation can be cut short so it can proceed to the period of amendments. He said this is “a matter of their political will kung ipasa or hindi (to pass or not to pass).

Beyond the Aquino administration

Murad said they will “continue our struggle” to achieve peace and will continue to push government to implement the CAB under the Aquino administration and beyond because it is government’s obligation to do so.

He explained that while the BBL is just one part of the implementation phase, “pero tio ito ang pinakaimportante” (but this is the most important) because the other processes that are tied up with the passage of the BBL like decommissioning of the MILF’s weapons and combatants, cannot move forward unless the BBL is passed.

He said there are other aspects in the Normalization process that will not be implemented unless the BBL is passed. “But we will continue to search for peace,” he said.

“We are not closing our struggle,” he added.

Aside from pushing government to implement the peace agreement, the MILF, Murad said, will continue to work with civil society and the internatio0nal community. He said the partnership with the HWPL is oen way of pushing for peace.

In his speech at the peace summit before the unveiling of the peace marker, Murad said “while peace is within sight, up to now it is still out of reach.” Peace, however, must be based on justice, he said.

“The Bangsamoro Question is a conflict whose resolution begs for justices so that there will be genuine peace. This is an axiom that is true not only for the Bangsmoaro alone but for all conflicts around the world,” Murad said.

http://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2016/01/24/murad-to-congress-give-importance-to-peace-pass-the-bbl/

Arab nations reiterate call for passage of BBL

From The Standard (Jan 25): Arab nations reiterate call for passage of BBL

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation has reiterated its support for the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law, as well as its support for the Philippine government’s peace efforts with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

The OIC said that the passage of the BBL is in harmony with the ongoing Tripartite Review of the 1996 final peace agreement with the Moro National Liberation Front.

“[T]he OIC has maintained ongoing interest and engagement in this process since its inception. OIC member states have, in their annual Council of Foreign Ministers Meetings, welcomed the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro and viewed it as a first step toward the fulfillment of the 1976 Tripoli and the 1996 Jakarta Agreements,” OIC Secretary­-  General Iyad Ameen Madani said in separate letters to Senate President Franklin Drilon and House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte.

“Allow me to reaffirm our support to the efforts of the Philippine nation in the cause of peace and we remain committed to seeing a just and lasting solution that will benefit all the people of the Philippines,” Madani added.

Madani went to the Philippines last year to help oversee the activation of the Bangsamoro Coordination Forum, a venue wherein the MILF and the MNLF can harmonize their positions with regard achieving genuine autonomy as envisioned in 1987 Philippine Constitution.

Meanwhile, a ministerial meeting on the Tripartite Review Process has been scheduled on Jan. 25 to 26 and will be attended by top officials from the Philippines and representatives of the Misuari and Sema groups of the MNLF.

Madani expressed grave concerns about the delay and the perceived watering down of the bill.

“[The OIC] urges the Philippine authorities, in particular the lawmakers, who share the common goal at working for peace and stability not to let this historical moment become another lost opportunity,” he wrote.

The House of Representatives has set the voting on the passage of the BBL on Wednesday, meaning it only has Monday and Tuesday to finish the “turno en contra speeches” and the period of amendments.

The Senate, meanwhile, has yet to discuss the BBL since it returned to work from the holiday break. The upper chamber has also scheduled a reopening of the Mamasapano probe on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the passage of the BBL will not only improve the Bangsamoro region but will also change the discourse on Mindanao by ending the armed conflict with the MILF, the largest Moro rebel group in the country, Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Secretary Teresita Quintos Deles said on Sunday.

“What we need to see at this point in time is the big picture. This law is not only for the present but it will also affect the future of the Bangsamoro,” Deles said.

Deles reminded lawmakers that the BBL’s passage should not be affected by the Mamasapano probe re-opening and that the remaining session days would be used to focus on important bills currently pending for legislation.

http://thestandard.com.ph/news/-main-stories/top-stories/197632/arab-nations-reiterate-call-for-passage-of-bbl.html

Warring groups sign land peace pact

From the Manila Times (Jan 24): Warring groups sign land peace pact

BULUAN, Maguindanao: An interim peace agreement to end a bloody land dispute that has been going on for years here was initiated by Governor Esmael Mangudadatu recently.

The parties, composed of Muslim inhabitants and Christian settlers, agreed on a truce conceding to the peaceful resolution of their disputes for ownership of farm lots in Datu Abdullah Sangki town.

Datu Abdullah Sangki is home to mixed Muslim and Christian settlers, located in the second district of Maguindanao.

The peace initiative, according to Magudadatu, was made possible with the help of Mayor Bai Mariam Sangki-Mangudadatu of Datu Abdullah Sangki, Army Gen. Glen Macasero and Butch Malang of the joint ceasefire committee of the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

Signatories to the agreement also acknowledged the need for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Department of Agrarian Reform in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) to help resolve the land disputes without military intervention.

Macasero and Malang, chairpersons of the government and MILF’s ceasefire committees, respectively, also affixed their signatures to the peace agreement. The agreement was signed at the governor’s office.

The government and the MILF are bound by the 1997 Agreement on General Cessation of Hostilities to cooperate in addressing security concerns in troubled areas in Southern Mindanao.

The Moro and Visayan farmers, who are mostly Ilonggo settlers, in Barangay Banaba, have been fighting over more than 60 hectares of lands for many years now.

Clashes in the past two months resulted in fatalities on both sides with hundreds of Muslim and Christian villagers dislocated by the hostilities, according to Noralyn Udasan-Nul of the ARMM’s Humanitarian Emergency Action Response Team.

The contested lands in Barangay Banaba are covered by land titles under Daisy Bansil but other claimants surfaced that caused the conflict.

Mangudadatu said both parties also agreed not to “import” armed sympathizers.

Sources told The Manila Times the Visayan settlers are reportedly supported by a civilian armed group known as “Tadtad” while the Moro, who are the original inhabitants, are backed up by forces belonging to the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters.

Meanwhile, Commander Qudz Simpal of the Moro National Liberation Front Zone of Peace Command with camp at Datu Abdullah Sangki, said they support the peace agreement.

http://www.manilatimes.net/warring-groups-sign-land-peace-pact/241154/

NPA resorting to massive extortion, military claims

From The Standard (Jan 25): NPA resorting to massive extortion, military claims

The New People’s Army is now resorting to massive extortion activities to earn their living in Central and Northern Luzon as disclosed by Northern Command public information officer Major Gina Daet yesterday.

Daet said the rebels are now operating in Ilocos Sur, Tarlac and other provinces in the area.

“They are victimizing mostly rich persons, businessmen who are forced to give money to protect their interests,” Daet said.

According to her, the rebels begin with a letter drop at their victims’ houses or business establishments. They sometimes opt to see them personally.

When asked by the authorities how much they are giving, the victims are reluctant to divulge the amount, insisting they are only protecting their interests.

http://thestandard.com.ph/news/-provinces/197614/npa-resorting-to-massive-extortion-military-claims.html

Reds ambush police car in Zamboanga; five hurt

From The Standard (Jan 25): Reds ambush police car in Zamboanga; five hurt

Communist rebels ambushed a police vehicle that resulted in a firefight before  noon  Sunday  wounding at least three policemen and two civilians in Sibuco, Zamboanga del Norte, Chief Inspector Rogelio Alabata, public information officer of the Police Regional Office 9, said.

Alabata said the ambush-firefight happened at around  11 a.m.  in Barangay Sto. Niño.

“The police personnel were onboard Patrol Car [Mahindra] going back to their station from mobile patrol duty. Along the way, two civilians hopped in to report for work at the municipal hall. Upon reaching Sitio Paringan, they met a burst of gunfire. Our policemen were able to secure the safety of two civilians and even wounded they fought back against the rebels,” Alabata said.

The cops sent a radio message to the station that in turn called up the nearest Army camp for reinforcement. But before the combined police and military reinforcement arrived, the rebels had already withdrew to unknown direction.

Senior Police Officer 2 Ernesto Ali, who was hit on his arm, PO1 Fahad Atani, who was hit on the head, PO2 Arilon Lakim who had bruises on his arms and body, and Rolly Rico Luyao and Asmi Osama Naing were rushed to the Sibuco Hospital for medical attention.

The fourth cop, PO1 Edgar Luyao, was unhurt.

The three wounded cops were eventually transferred to Zamboanga City for further treatment.

http://thestandard.com.ph/news/-provinces/197613/reds-ambush-police-car-in-zamboanga-five-hurt.html

Police patrol ambushed in MILF area ahead of new Mamasapano ‘massacre’ investigation

From the Mindanao Examiner (Jan 24): Police patrol ambushed in MILF area ahead of new Mamasapano ‘massacre’ investigation 

Unidentified gunmen ambushed a police patrol on Sunday and wounded at least 4 people in the southern Filipino province of Zamboanga del Norte, officials said.

Officials said the ambushed in Santo Nino village in Sibuco town sparked a firefight and that two civilians were among the injured. Police and military forces were sent to the town to pursue the attackers who escaped to the neighboring village of Lakiki.

The wounded police officers have been identified as SPO2 Berhay Ali and PO1 Atani Fahad.

No individuals of group claimed responsibility for the attack, but the town is a known stronghold of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front which signed an interim peace deal with the Aquino government in 2014.

MILF forces had killed over a dozen miners working for the TVI Resources Development, Inc. in previous ambush in Zamboanga del Norte after they ignored warnings to stop operation in Mount Canatuan in neighboring Siocon town, a sacred altar to an indigenous tribe called the Subanon whose ancestors settled in the area centuries ago.

And MILF gunmen also ambushed a police patrol in Sibuco’s Lakiki village in 2008 that left four officers wounded.

Security officials did not say if the latest attack was perpetrated by the MILF, but the ambush came ahead of another senate investigation into the brutal killings of 44 police commandos last year in Mamasapano town in Maguindanao province by the MILF and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).

The commandos were in a secret mission deep inside MILF territory to arrest a Malaysian bomber, Marwan, who was eventually killed by the raiders. But MILF gunmen and BIFF – alerted by the clandestine mission approved by President Benigno Aquino – caught up with the commandos and engaged them in a daylong battle until all the members of the Special Action Force were brutally killed and stripped of their weapons and uniform.

http://mindanaoexaminer.com/police-patrol-ambushed-in-milf-area-ahead-of-new-mamasapano-massacre-investigation/

PH, MNLF tripartite talks start in Jeddah

From the Manila Bulletin (Jan 24): PH, MNLF tripartite talks start in Jeddah

Discussions on the tripartite review process (TRP) of the 1996 Final Peace Agreement (FPA) resumes today in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Hosted by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the two-day TRP will involve the Philippine Government (GPH) and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), through the inclusive Jeddah Formula, and with the OIC as facilitator.

Abdul Sahrin, a senior MNLF leader, told the Manila Bulletin on Sunday that the TRP discussions will focus on the implementation of the Bangsamoro Development Assistance Fund (BDAF) and the Tripartite Implementation Monitoring Committee (TIMC).

“BDAF and TIMC are two of the executive-doables that emerged from the nearly nine years of the review of the FPA,” he said.

 

“The review process has taken even a longer time than the peace talks that produced the FPA from 1993 to 1996,” said Sahrin. He said the first high-level TRP was held in 2007 in Jeddah.

Meanwhile, OIC Secretary General Iyad Ameen Madani has emphasized that the pan-Islamic group remains supportive of the Mindanao peace process.

“Allow me to reaffirm our support to the efforts of the Philippine nation in the cause of peace and we remain committed to seeing a just and lasting solution that will benefit all the people of the Philippines,” said Madani, who visited the Philippines in April, 2015 during which he voiced the OIC support.

This was reportedly contained in a message he sent to Senate President Franklin Drilon and House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte.

Madani assured that the enactment of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) would be consistent with the ongoing review of the FPA in harmony.

“The (OIC) will continue its efforts for peace in Mindanao and will continue monitoring the situation situation closely until our efforts lead us to the real dawn of peace and stability and a final end to the long struggle of the Bangsamoro people,” the OIC chief said.
http://www.mb.com.ph/ph-mnlf-tripartite-talks-start-in-jeddah/

Army chief defends Marcelino in drug case

From the Philippine Star (Jan 24): Army chief defends Marcelino in drug case 

            

Marine Lt. Col. Ferdinand Marcelino and Chinese national Yan Yi Shou were nabbed last Thursday in a raid on a suspected shabu laboratory in Manila.  File photo

Army chief Lt. Gen. Eduardo Año does not believe that his former subordinate, Marine Lt. Col. Ferdinand Marcelino, is part of a drug syndicate, saying that the arrested military officer was really serious in fighting illegal drugs.

Año said Marcelino has a crusade against illegal drugs and is angry with drug syndicates.

“Based on how I know him, I will never doubt his integrity. He is really a fighter against drug syndicates,” the Army chief said in an interview on Sunday.

“I don’t want to judge him based on what happened but based on what I know about him, I don’t believe he would be involved in any drug trafficking case or organization or syndicate,” he added.

Año, however, clarified that it would be difficult to comment on the actual incidents leading to Marcelino’s arrest. He noted that cases are being readied in connection with the raid.

“I do not know the details. I can only vouch for the character, personality and integrity of Lt. Col. Marcelino based on our working relationship when he was still under me,” he said.

Marcelino was commander of the Military Intelligence Group (MIG) 4 when Año was chief of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP). The Marine officer was detailed at the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency when it was headed by former Armed Forces chief Dionisio Santiago.

“When he (Marcelino) was the MIG 4 commander, he had a good performance,” Año said, adding that Marcelino was then working against organized crimes in support of law enforcement agencies.

Marcelino and Chinese national Yan Yi Shou were nabbed last Thursday in a raid on a suspected shabu laboratory in Manila. Authorities seized some 76 kilos of illegal drugs worth P383 million during the operation.

The Marine officer is now facing charges for allegedly manufacturing, conspiring to manufacture, and possessing illegal drugs.

Marcelino is claiming that he was on a covert mission with the ISAFP when he was arrested and that he had nothing to do with the drug syndicate. Año, however, noted that the mission order he had issued to Marcelino lapsed two years ago. Marcelino was Superintendent of the Navy Officer Candidate School when the raid happened.

PDEA director general Arturo Cacdac Jr., however, has doubts on Marcelino’s claim and is wondering how a person tasked to conduct surveillance can be arrested inside a clandestine laboratory.

Marcelino was superintendent of the Naval Officer Candidate School when the raid happened. Año, however, thinks that Marcelino’s relief from ISAFP will not necessarily stop him from continuing his anti-drug advocacy.

“He now belongs to another unit but it won’t stop him from his crusade of getting information against drug syndicates. You know, every citizen of the republic has the obligation and duty to help curb crime and fight crime,” the Army chief said.

Año said even after his stint as ISAFP chief, Marcelino was still providing information to Army units and intelligence units. He said Marcelino’s information made possible the raid of the Philippines’ biggest shabu laboratory in Camiling, Tarlac in November 2014.

When asked if Marcelino’s arrest was a case of miscommunication, Año replied: “It’s possible. If that’s the case, it will come out in the PDEA’s investigation. It is very simple to cross check that.”

Navy spokesman Col. Edgard Arevalo said Marcelino would be the best person to answer questions about his supposed mission order that prodded him to go to the drug laboratory.

“They are asking me whether it was job-related. I was telling them if you are going to look at the designation or position he has now, which is superintendent of officer candidate school, you will see that they are not immediately related,” Arevalo said.

“We’re not inclined and we don’t want to be perceived as prejudging him. That being an intelligence operation, there is what we call need to know basis, meaning only those who know about it will be informed. Now, who should be informed? It depends on the nature and magnitude of the intelligence operation,” he added.

A classmate of Marcelino at the Philippine Military Academy class ’94, meanwhile, has urged the public not to cast judgments on the Marine officer until he is convicted.

“For me, we should not judge the suspect, Lt. Col. Marcelino while he is undergoing the process of defending himself,” former Armed Forces public affairs chief Lt. Col. Harold Cabunoc said in a statement.

“I know him personally as a patriot, upright and a true enemy of drug syndicates,” he added.

Cabunoc said Marcelino was not lured by money and wealth during his stint at PDEA.
“Let us allow Lt. Col. Marcelino to defend himself and clear his name,” he added.

http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2016/01/24/1545881/army-chief-defends-marcelino-drug-case

Prosecutors ask court to junk Pemberton appeal

From the Philippine Star (Jan 24): Prosecutors ask court to junk Pemberton appeal



US Marine Joseph Scott Pemberton

The camp of slain Filipino transgender Jeffrey “Jennifer” Laude asked the Olongapo City Regional Trial Court to dismiss the motion filed by US Marine Joseph Scott Pemberton to “partially reconsider” his conviction for homicide.

Private prosecutors filed a 14-page petition asking the Olongapo RTC to deny Pemberton’s bail application.

Pemberton filed a petition for bail and for partial reconsideration with respect to the damages awarded to the victim’s family following his conviction in December.

In seeking partial reconsideration and clarification on the damages awarded to the Laude family, Pemberton’s lawyers argued that the P4.32 million awarded to them for loss of earning capacity was excessive since Laude had no regular income as a sex worker.

Prosecutors, however, said Laude earned a living and supporting his mother.

They also said Pemberton’s claims were “blatant attempts to paint a dark shade over the character of the victim and are disgusting attempts to deny the victim’s family what is due them.”

The prosecutors also said Pemberton’s application for bail should be denied, citing the high probability of Pemberton flying out of the country to jump bail.

Prosecutors also noted that despite “a clear order” from the court to temporarily commit Pemberton to the National Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City pending clarification of the agreement between the Philippine and US governments on where Pemberton should be incarcerated, he “never set foot” in the prison.

Pemberton is detained at a facility in Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.

The 20-year-old Pemberton was originally charged with murder for the death of Laude but in a verdict on Dec. 1 last year, the court announced him guilty of homicide.

RTC Branch 74 judge Roline Ginez-Jabalde said the prosecutors failed to establish the presence of cruelty and treachery, two elements necessary to qualify the case for murder.

In a petition filed before the court, defense lawyers asked Jabalde to reverse the Dec. 1 decision and allow their client to post bail and to reduce his jail term.

Pemberton’s lawyers also argued the court ignored evidence that could establish that another person may have killed the transgender.

Defense lawyers also claimed that the judge did not take into account the testimony of Raquel Fortun, a forensic expert who testified that Laude did not die from asphyxia caused by drowning.

Pemberton’s lawyers added their client deserved a lighter sentence for the death of Laude, citing his immediate surrender to authorities after the incident.

http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2016/01/24/1545759/prosecutors-ask-court-junk-pemberton-appeal

PA relentless in anti-NPA moves despite CamSur’s CMRD status

From the Philippine News Agency (Jan 24): PA relentless in anti-NPA moves despite CamSur’s CMRD status

Despite Camarines Sur’s declared status as already a “peaceful and ready for further development” area, the Philippine Army (PA) is not relenting on its intense anti-insurgency campaign in the province, which recently resulted in the killing of two New People’s Army (NPA) guerrillas.

A belated report reaching here Sunday from the PA’s 9th Infantry (Spear) Division (ID) based in Pili, Camarines Sur identified the slain rebels as Rodulfo Fuentabilla, alias Ronel, and Nike Rebuya, alias Mike.

One of their companions, which the report identified only as a certain Ghie, was captured during the encounter that took place shortly before noontime last Jan. 18 at Sitio Panag, Barangay Gibgos, Caramoan, Camarines Sur.

All three were elements of the 14-man NPA band operating in the province’s Partido Area led by unit commander Francisco Mendoza, alias Omeng, according to the report which explained that the encounter ensued while troopers of the PA’s 83rd Infantry Battalion and 91st Division Reconnaissance Company under Lt. Raydez Acosta were conducting field security patrol.

The rest of the rebels withdrew after engaging the military men in a 15-minute firefight, leaving behind their dead and cornered comrades.

Brig. Gen. Ferdinand Quidilla, the 9th ID commander, said in the report that the encounter was a result of the intensified anti-insurgency drive being initiated by the military in Bicol to toughen regional security even as most parts of the region are already under the so-called Conflict-Manageable and Ready for Further Development (CMRD) area status.

Camarines Sur was classified by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) under such “peaceful” status in April last year based on a resolution passed by the provincial legislative board declaring the entire province as a CMRD area.

The resolution cited the relentless campaign of the AFP and the Philippine National Police (PNP) in pursuit of peace and security, which has finally gained ground in cutting down, if not totally eradicating, activities of the NPA in the province.

Such declaration paved the way for the forging of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the provincial government and the AFP which formalized the "shifting effort from clearing of barangays from insurgent affectation supported by socio-economic development to a reverse role.”

The MOU, which came as a declaration of peace in the province, emphasizes the implementation of more socio-economic and development projects that the civil government will implement with the support and protection of the military.

It was based on the decreased violent activities of the NPA, the reduction of its manpower strength and firearms and potential support system in the barangays as well as its failed recovery efforts.

The military said that from 2004 to 2014, the NPA strength in terms of firearms and manpower in Camarines Sur had significantly decreased to 74 from 91 percent while atrocities like extortion, harassment and liquidation and non-violent activities like movements and mass actions also followed a downward trend.

The AFP’s unrelenting commitment to peace through the conduct of various civic actions under its intensified stakeholder engagement with the local government units (LGUs) have contributed in the improvement of the province’s tourism industry, increase in agricultural productivity and inflow of private investments, it said.

The PA’s Comprehensive Local Integration Program (CLIP), with its Bayanihan Team Activities (BTA) showcasing a paradigm shift from enemy-centered to people-centered approach resulting in a more cooperative community, also enabled rebels to return to the folds of law and start a new life.

These achievements, according to Quidilla, would have not been possible without the cooperation of the leaders of the province along with the LGUs who have partnered with the AFP in fighting insurgency.

The 45-year-old insurgency being waged by the NPA, the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines-National Democratic Front (CPP-NDF), he said, has been preventing the progress and economic development of the province and all other affected localities in Bicol and in the country.

In over 40 years, Quidilla said, Camarines Sur’s opportunity to advance to progress -- with its vast mineral deposits, agricultural lands, rich fishing grounds, exotic tourist destinations, rich natural resources and hard-working people -- has been stalled by unstable peace situation due to the presence of the NPAs and the culture of violence it has developed among local communities.

They prevent the implementation of government infrastructure projects, harass industrial companies, extort money in the form of “revolutionary taxes” from businessmen, contractors, local politicians and even from farmers, and execute those who refuse to remit, including innocent civilians and civilian government officials, he said.

The same situation, according Quidilla, had been true in all the six provinces of Bicol until lately when three others of its six provinces provinces—Catanduanes, Camarines Norte and Albay -- were declared one after the other as CMRD areas.

Catanduanes, an island-province, was placed under the same declaration in December 2014 owing to the dwindling local insurgency level observed during the recent years -- from the constant decrease of NPA manpower, firearms, affected barangays and activities.

The local CPP-NPA-NDF politico-military organizations in Catanduanes as well as in Camarines Norte, Albay and Camarines Sur have been reduced to a minimal level that they can no longer pose a serious threat to peace and order, providing once again a space where the people can feel safe and grow as progressive communities.

With these four Bicol provinces already considered areas of peace with insurgency regarded as already manageable, what are left with still troubled situations are Sorsogon and Masbate where the NPAs are reportedly being coddled by powerful local politicians for use as political goons during elections.

While current military troop levels are maintained in Camarines Sur, Albay, Catanduanes and Camarines Norte to go on performing the lead role in protecting the government’s anti-insurgency gains in these areas, Quidilla said, “we can give more focus now on these remaining two provinces in our internal security operations to finally end communist insurgency in the Bicol region soon.”

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=849921

(Update) SSV expected to be in PHL before 118th PN anniversary

From the Philippine News Agency (Jan 24): (Update) SSV expected to be in PHL before 118th PN anniversary

The country's first strategic sealift vessel (SSV), which is now conducting initial sea trials, is expected to be in the country before the Philippine Navy (PN)'s celebrates its 118th founding anniversary on May 20.

This was disclosed by PN spokesperson Col. Edgard Arevalo in an interview on Sunday.

"Hopefully, she will arrive before May 20," he added.

The PN spokesperson said that initial sea trials or checking of the SSV's interior and bulkheads are now ongoing as the ship has now left its dry-dock.

The country's first SSV, which was given the designation of "LD-601" and prospective name of BRP Tarlac, was launched at the PT PAL (Persero) shipyard in Surabaya, Indonesia last Jan. 17.

Arevalo said full-fledged sea trials of the ship will start when the sailing crew arrives.

This is to determine whether all the ship's systems are operational for the voyage to the Philippines.

"It's akin to a car doing road test. The facilities and other navigational instruments are being tested to ensure seaworthiness, especially before its embarks on its voyage to the Philippines," Arevalo said.

The SSV will have a crew of 17 officers and 98 enlisted personnel or a total of 115.

The Philippines has a two-SSV order with PT PAL (Persero) for Php3,870,000,000 which is sourced from the AFP Modernization Fund.

The SSV acquisition project for the PN was initiated upon the approval of Acquisition Decision Memorandum Number 2012-060 by Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin on Oct. 30, 2013.

The Department of National Defense declared Persero as the Single Calculated Responsive Bidder with a bidding price of Php3,870,000,000 on Nov. 18, 2014.

The SSVs are programmed to be the PN’s floating command center carrying out their main purpose as military sealift and transport vessels and also for humanitarian assistance and disaster response.

The ships are estimated to weigh around 7,300 gross register tons.

Further, these vessels are critical assets for civil-military operations due to their capability of transporting large number of soldiers, logistics, and supplies.

Moreover, each SSV has the capacity to house three helicopters. The Navy’s Augusta Westland-109s are programmed to be on-board components of these vessels.

These forthcoming landing platform dock strategic sealift vessels will improve the transport capability of the PN and boost the defense capabilities of the country.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=849953

Leftist group owns up to slay of city councilor

From the Manila Times (Jan 24): Leftist group owns up to slay of city councilor

Claims by a supposedly leftist group called Partisano of its daring ambush-killing of Malabon City (Metro Manila) Councilor Merlin “Tiger” Mañalac on Saturday afternoon may have credence as police probers have included the group as a possible principal suspect.

Mañalac, 45, died from gunshot wounds past 4 p.m at the Manila Central University Hospital along EDSA in Caloocan City (Metro Manila) where he was brought after the shooting.

He was attacked near his house on Perlas Street, Malabon City, which is about 300 meters away from the Malabon City Hall and a police station.

The incident happened during the election gun ban.

On Sunday, Director Eric Reyes, chief of the Northern Police District (NPD), ordered the formation of the Special Investigation Task Group-Merlin headed by Senior Supt. Rolando Anduyan.

Anduyan was instructed to conduct a thorough investigation to find out the motive for the killing and determine and arrest the suspects, including members of the Partisano.
He was also ordered by Reyes to closely coordinate with the Malabon police headed by Senior Supt. Severino Abad Jr. for the immediate arrest of the suspects.

Senior Police Officer 4 Ferdinand Espiritu said leaflets from the Partisano were found at the crime scene, wherein the armed group admitted to the killing of Manalac.

The Partisano said Mañalac was involved in the liquidation of a New People’s Army (NPA) member Peter Villasenor in 2010.

It added that Manalac was behind several illegal activities in Malabon, including drugs.

Mañalac was reportedly seeking reelection under the party of Mayor Antolin Oreta 3rd.

The Partisano is said to have been established in 2004 by the Marxist-Leninist Party of the Philippines (MLPP), a group of communists that separated from the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) in 1993.

It is similar to the Alex Boncayao Brigade (ABB), an urban armed group that used to operate in Manila and Rizal province until the 1980s.

According to Bong Padua, public information chief of the Malabon city government, Mañalac was on his way to a political meeting with Oreta in Barangay Tonsuya when the ambush took place.

Padua said Oreta immediately offered P200,000 reward to those who could give information on the killers so that Mañalac would get justice.

http://www.manilatimes.net/leftist-group-owns-up-to-slay-of-city-councilor/241208/

NPA seen behind arson attack in South Cotabato

From the Philippine Star (Jan 24): NPA seen behind arson attack in South Cotabato

 

The hinterland T’boli municipality, inhabited predominantly by indigenous T’boli people, is located in west of South Cotabato province.

SOUTH COTABATO, Philippines - Authorities on Sunday tagged the New People’s Army as behind the burning last Friday of some P20 million worth of equipment of a construction firm in T’boli town.

The hinterland T’boli municipality, inhabited predominantly by indigenous T’boli people, is located in west of South Cotabato province.

Gunmen raided Friday night the equipment depot of the AJ Construction Company in Barangay Edwards, not far from the T’boli town proper and set on fire a road roller, a backhoe, a grader and a truck using kerosene and dry coconut palms.

The firm, involved in road projects in remote barangays in the municipality, had earlier rejected demands for “protection money” by local NPA forces.

Chief Insp. Jose Marie Simangan, municipal police chief of T’boli, said investigators have identified the commander of the NPAs behind the attack.

Simangan on Sunday said they have confirmed, after an extensive validation, that NPAs indeed were responsible for the atrocity.

http://www.philstar.com/nation/2016/01/24/1545878/npa-seen-behind-arson-attack-south-cotabato

China taking 'self-isolating' steps in South China Sea – Pentagon

From GMA News (Jan 23): China taking 'self-isolating' steps in South China Sea – Pentagon

The United States is not looking for conflict with China but steps it is taking in the South China Sea are self-isolating and prompting other countries to seek help from Washington, US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said on Friday.

      

Reuters Top News

✔ @Reuters

China taking 'self-isolating' steps in South China Sea: Pentagon: http://reut.rs/1RZOm5q 

6:40 PM - 22 Jan 2016

"I'm not one of those people who believes conflict between the United States and China is inevitable, it's certainly not desirable, I don't think it's likely," Carter said at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

"We don't seek to ask people to take sides. We do know that people are coming to us increasingly. Why is that? It is because China is taking some steps that I fear are self-isolating, driving towards a result that none of us wants," he said, in reference to Chinese measures in the South China Sea. 

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/552389/news/world/china-taking-self-isolating-steps-in-south-china-sea-pentagon

S. Korean peace advocates join MILF peace summit

From the Philippine News Agency (Jan 24): S. Korean peace advocates join MILF peace summit

CAMP DARAPANAN, Maguindanao -- All roads lead here as local and international peace advocates gather for the unveiling of a peace monument built by a South Korean entity inside a government-recognized camp of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on Sunday.

This is in recognition of the group’s efforts to help attain genuine peace in southern Philippines.

Bobby Benito of the Mindanao Alliance for Peace (MAP) said Al Haj Murad, MILF chieftain and the MILF leadership have lined up various activities that will highlight the visit of Man Hee Lee of the Heavenly Culture, World Peace and Restoration of Light and Nam Him Kim, chairperson of the Seoul-based International Women’s Peace Group.

The two groups have been actively helping promote inter-religious solidarity in Mindanao.

The two have been helping for a peaceful resolution of armed conflict in Mindanao.

Kim and Lee and their entourage will arrive at Camp Darapanan in Sultan Kudarat town in Maguindanao at about 1:00 p.m. Sunday.

A veteran in the Korean war, Lee, now in his 80s, has told reporters in previous visits here that his rich experience in fighting the North Koreans encouraged him to focus on peace advocacy, not only in his home country but around Southeast Asia.

“Regardless of their political, religious and cultural affiliations, we all organizations who wanted to help us attain genuine peace in Mindanao," Mohaqher Iqbal, the MILF chief negotiator with the Aquino government, said.

The activity, according to Benito, is dubbed as an MILF peace summit.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=849847