Military yet to recover body of beheaded Canadian hostage

From The Daily Tribune (Jan 20): Military yet to recover body of beheaded Canadian hostage

Government authorities have yet to recover the body of Canadian Robert Hall — one week after he was beheaded by his Abu Sayyaf captors in Sulu.

Maj. Filemon Tan Jr., spokesman for the military’s Western Mindanao Command (Wesmincom), said that troops continued to scour areas where Hall could have been killed by the Abu Sayyaf but the efforts yielded negative results.

“We have negative results as of now. Our operations are continuing but we have not found the body of Hall,” Tan said.

Hall was beheaded last June 13 after the 3 p.m. deadline for the payment of P600-million ransom expired.

Hall’s head was found hours after the deadline lapsed in the vicinity of Mt. Carmel Cathedral in Jolo.

“We are doing our best to recover the body,” Tan added.

Hall is the second Canadian captive beheaded by the bandit group this year after his compatriot John Ridsdel was also mutilated last April 25 after he failed to pay P300-million ransom.

Ridsdel’s head was found in front of the Jolo town hall hours after he was beheaded while his body was recovered in the jugnles of Sulu days later.

Hall and Ridsdel were among the four hostages taken by the terrorists during a raid at the posh Oceanview Resort on Samal Island last September.

The two remaining Samal hostages — Filipino Marites Flor and Norwegian Kjartan Sekkingstad, are still being kept by the Abu Sayyaf in Sulu.

The Abu Sayyaf threatened to behead Sekkingstad if their P600 million demand is not met.

Aside from Flor and Sekkingstad, the military said the Abu Sayyaf Group is still holding five captives.

http://www.tribune.net.ph/nation/military-yet-to-recover-body-of-beheaded-canadian-hostage

Practical shooting for soldiers urged

From the Visayan Daily Star (Jun 20): Practical shooting for soldiers urged

They may have shooting skills in actual gun-battle, but Army soldiers are not exposed to practical shooting, Brig. Gen. Harold Cabreros, 3rd Infantry Division commanding general, admitted.

For gun enthusiasts, practical shooting is a sport with accuracy, power and speed all required to achieve a maximum score, using pistol, revolver, shotgun or rifle.

Cabreros, who opened Saturday the three-day Commander's Cup 2016 “Brown Eagle-Negros Island Leg” invitational shooting competition at the firing range of the 303rd Infantry Brigade in Murcia, Negros Occidental, encouraged Army personnel to engage in practical shooting.

“We are not expose to practical shooting, maybe during battles and encounters, nandoon ang skills, but we lack skills in practical shooting,” Cabreros said.

The competition, which was participated in by gun club members in Panay and Negros, commanders of various Army infantry units, members of the Philippine National Police, and retired AFP officers, is in preparation for the Governor's Cup shooting contest next month, in honor of Negros Occidental Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr.
Cabreros also aired his support for civilians to possess firearms, with conditions, including orientation and training, among others.

“It is very imperative that all those who will apply for LTOP (License To Own and Possess Firearms) should be enrolled as gun club members,” he opined.

Cabreros said he observed that most, if not all gun enthusiasts, are disciplined gun owners.

http://www.visayandailystar.com/2016/June/20/negor3.htm

Military in Visayas welcomes Duterte's peace talks revival

From the Visayan Daily Star (Jun 20): Military in Visayas welcomes Duterte's peace talks revival

The revival of stalled peace talks between the government under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte and communist rebels is a welcome development for the Army's 3rd Infantry Division operating in three Visayas regions.

Brig. Gen. Harold Cabreros, commanding general of the 3rd Infantry Division, however, said “That is a political issue and we will leave it to our political leaders to make a comment on this”.

Cabreros, who opened the Commander's Cup 2016 “Brown Eagle-Negros Island Leg” invitational shooting competition Saturday in Brgy. Minoyan, Murcia, said, “On our part, we just continue our Bayanihan , activities, based in our campaign plan. We will continue bringing services to our people, to support our local government units and national government agencies, strengthen our ties with the non-government organizations for our country to develop.”

Incoming Presidential Adviser on Peace Process Jesus Dureza led the government delegation in conducting informal talks with CPP leaders, including NDF consultant Negrense Luis Jalandoni, which tackled three agreements- on the release of political prisoners, an interim ceasefire and a plan to accelerate peace negotiations.

To show that he is serious in ending the more than 47 years of insurgency problem, Duterte even appointed leaders of leftist organizations in his cabinet.

When asked about the proposal to release all political prisoners, including detained CPP top leaders Benito and Wilma Tiamzon, Cabreros said “That is a political decision, so we cannot meddle in it. We will leave it to our political leaders.”

“We just follow our constitutional mandate. If that would be the decision of the administration, then that is a political decision that we have to respect”, he added.

“We are apolitical in our organization in the Armed Forces of the Philippines. So we cannot make a comment on whatever their decision”, he also said.

But he added that the campaign against the armed group- New People's Army will continue. As for those who are terrorizing our people, we will continue to run after them” Cabreros said.

As long as there is no go-signal for us to abide to a ceasefire, we will continue, he said.

As 3ID commander, Cabreros supervises internal security operations of the 301st Infantry Brigade in Panay, 302nd Infantry Brigade in Bohol and Cebu, and the 303rd Infantry Brigade stationed in Negros island.

http://www.visayandailystar.com/2016/June/20/topstory5.htm

US, Philippines start planning Balikatan 2017

From Update.Ph (Jun 20): US, Philippines start planning Balikatan 2017

Commander of U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific, Lt. Gen. John A. Toolan, listens as Major Gen. Andres Costales, Armed Forces of the Philippines Deputy Chief of Staff for Education, explains concepts for Balikatan 2017. US Marines photo

American and Filipino military personnel attended the initial planning session for Balikatan 2017 at Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii on June 16, 2016.

Balikatan is the premier military exercise between Philippines and United States. It is being held in the country every year.

This allows the two countries to work side-by-side together, whether it be combat or humanitarian-related.

“I am pleased to note that ‘Balikatan’ was a culmination of a year-long series of other events supporting the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ capability development, carried out in the direction of the Mutual Defense Board and Security Engagement Board,” US Marine Corps Forces, Pacific commander Lt. Gen. John A. Toolan said at the end of Balikatan 2016.

“This year’s (2016) ‘Balikatan’ was vied for the most complex and high-end training of the exercise, close coordination between multi national forces and the air, land and sea. We were able to see the Philippine Air Force’s new FA-50 ‘Fighting Eagle,’ and the C-295 maritime patrol aircraft in action, performing their valuable missions,” he added.

http://www.update.ph/2016/06/us-philippines-start-planning-balikatan-2017/6626

Decorated army officer killed in Zamboanga City

From the Mindanao Examiner (Jun 20): Decorated army officer killed in Zamboanga City

  ZAMBOANGA CITY – A lone gunman has killed a decorated army officer who fought the Abu Sayyaf in Basilan and Sulu provinces in the Muslim autonomous region in southern Philippines, police said on Monday.

Police said the Lieutenant Colonel Cristobal Julian Paolo Perez was shot several times in the head and body at the back of his house in Guiwan village in Zamboanga City on Sunday evening and the shooter fled after the dating attack.

Reports said the gunman was outside the compound when he shot Perez.

The 46-year old Perez – assigned with the 1^st Infantry Division in Zamboanga del Sur’s Labangan town – was rushed to hospital where he died from multiple gunshot wounds, according to the police.

No individual claimed responsibility for the killing, but Perez was one of the army’s top commanding officers who had been largely credited for the killings of two Malaysian bombers and Abu Sayyaf jihadists in the provinces during his stint with the 18^th Infantry Battalion.

Police and military were investigating the motive of the murder.

http://mindanaoexaminer.com/decorated-army-officer-killed-in-zamboanga-city/

Abu Sayyaf angry not all ransom money went to them

From the Free Malaysia Today (Jun 20): Abu Sayyaf angry not all ransom money went to them

Report says there's suspicion that missing money may have been shared by government officials in Malaysia and the Philippines working with kidnappers.



Abu Sayyaf militants are reported to be angry that some of the money collected from families and friends of four Malaysian sailors abducted in April this year did not reach them.

They are said to be upset because although those handling the ransom money had raised P130 million (RM12 million), only P100 million was given to the kidnappers.

The Manila Times reported that the missing amount raised suspicion that the rebels might be in cahoots with government officials from Malaysia and the Philippines who may have shared the money among themselves.

The report, quoting “two highly placed senior Philippine government officials”, said the payment of ransom was confirmed by Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

The New Straits Times had reported Zahid as saying that the RM12 million raised by the victims’s families had been handed over to the Special Branch and that this money was then channelled to several legal non-governmental organisations in the Philippines. He said the money was not paid as ransom. However, Malaysian police later denied being involved in any ransom payment.

Subsequent to the payment, brothers Wong Teck Kang, 31, and Teck Chii, 29; their cousin Johnny, 21; and co-worker Wong Hung Sing, 34 were released.

The four, crew of a tugboat, were abducted off Sabah on April 1 by a group of armed men on a speedboat. They were released in Jolo, Sulu, on June 7 after long-drawn negotiations with the Abu Sayyaf militants led by sub-commander Apo Mike.

“We got information that the Abu Sayyaf group was incensed after learning from news reports that the money was actually RM12 million, equivalent to P130 million but that only P100 million reached them,” one of the senior officials, who asked not to be named for fear of reprisal, told The Manila Times.

“The question is, where did the missing money go?” the source asked.

The report said there were rumours that the money went through the Special Branch of the Malaysian police who passed it to local officials in Sulu before it reached the Abu Sayyaf group.

“From what we gathered, a local government official in Sulu was involved in the negotiations. It is common knowledge in Malaysia that usually P30 million is paid as ransom for any number of Malaysian victims in the past. The P130 million by far is the highest,” the report quoted another source as saying.

According to The Manila Times source, there is credence to allegations by Jolo Mayor Hussin Amin that some local officials, probably including the military, may have colluded with the Abu Sayyaf group which recently beheaded Canadian Robert Hall.

The Abu Sayyaf is still holding several foreign and local hostages, including Hall’s girlfriend Maritess Flor and Norwegian Kjartan Sekkingstad.

http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/highlight/2016/06/20/abu-sayyaf-angry-not-all-ransom-money-went-to-them/

Probe of soldiers’ camp in civilian areas set

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Jun 20): Probe of soldiers’ camp in civilian areas set



RESIDENTS of a village in Lagonglong town, Misamis Oriental province, flee to the provincial capitol grounds after soldiers camped out in their communities as part of the government’s counterinsurgency campaign. JIGGER JERUSALEM/INQUIRER MINDANAO

A group of peace advocates is looking into allegations that government soldiers violated a human rights deal between the government and the communist movement by camping out near civilian communities in a village in Misamis Oriental.

According to residents of Barangay Banglay, Lagonglong town, soldiers from the 58th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army’s 4th Infantry Division entered their neighborhood and stayed there for a few days.

Leaders of the residents said the Army encampment violated the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Law (Carhril), a deal struck by the Philippine government with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP).

No violation

But Capt. Joe Patrick Martinez, 4th ID spokesperson, said in an interview that the military did not violate the Carhil or any law.

He said the soldiers were simply carrying out provisions of another law that put the military at the forefront of the counterinsurgency campaign.

According to Martinez, soldiers would be deployed to wherever communist guerrillas are.

“I believe we did not violate any law but we are just performing our mandate,” said Martinez.

Carhril, which both the communist movement and government accused each other of violating, prohibits blockades, bombings, use of land mines and acts that would lead to forced evacuations, according to the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (Opapp).

Nenita Helogon, secretary general of the tribal group Tagtabolon, said residents of Barangay Banglay had to flee their homes four times for fear of getting caught in the crossfire between members of the New People’s Army, the armed component of the Communist Party of the Philippines, and government soldiers.

At least 218 individuals are now staying at the Lagonglong municipal gymnasium, leaving their homes, livestock and crops behind in Barangay Banglay.

Census

Helogon said the last time the villagers fled was on June 5 when soldiers arrived purportedly to conduct a census. The villagers, however, said the soldiers were fully armed.

Bishop Felixberto Calang, of the Iglesia Filipino Independiente (IFI) and co-convenor of the Philippine Ecumenical Peace Platform (PEPP), said his group would conduct an investigation.

PEPP is at the forefront of efforts to free soldiers and policemen being held captive by the NPA and is one of the groups actively involved in efforts to bring peace talks between the government and communist guerrillas back on track.

Fr. Christopher Ablon, secretary-general of the human rights group, Karapatan, in Northern Mindanao, said his group would also seek a dialogue with the military for the pullout of soldiers in rural communities.

Helogon recalled a commitment made by the military, during a dialogue last year with provincial officials of Misamis Oriental, to keep a distance from civilian populations.  http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/791403/probe-of-soldiers-camp-in-civilian-areas-set

Military to obey any order to save hostages

From the Philippine Star (Jun 19): Military to obey any order to save hostages



Maj. Filemon Tan Jr., spokesman of Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom), said the troops would abide by whatever policy will be adopted in the effort to save the victims. File photo

The military is ready to implement any changes in the offensive against the Abu Sayyaf to rescue the remaining hostages held by the bandit group.

Maj. Filemon Tan Jr., spokesman of Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom), said the troops would abide by whatever policy will be adopted in the effort to save the victims.

Tan, however, said they have not been advised of any changes in the military operation in Sulu.

“If there are talks of some changes, as long as we are conducting operations and we are not told to stop... the military is there to conduct focused military operations. (If) there are talks, then it is beyond our control already,” Tan added.

“The decision of the national leadership is strategic. If we’re told to do something then we will implement,” he added.

The Abu Sayyaf on Wednesday threatened to behead another hostage, citing in particular Norwegian Kjartan Sekkingstad.

 

The bandits warned Sekkingstad might face the same fate as fellow captives Canadians John Ridsdel and Robert Hall.

Ridsdel was beheaded in April while Hall was executed last Monday after their government junked the ransom demand of P600 million.

The two Canadians, along with Sekkingstad and Hall’s Filipina girlfriend Marites Flor, were snatched from Samal Island resort last September and taken to Jolo island.

President Aquino himself flew to Jolo on Wednesday to check on the military operations to rescue the remaining hostages.

Aquino ordered “refinements” in the military operation against the Abu Sayyaf.
The President though refused to elaborate, citing operational security.

Aquino earlier admitted he was planning to implement extreme measures such as placing Sulu and Basilan under martial law to contain the Abu Sayyaf.

In the last ditch-effort to prevent another beheading, the incoming Cabinet security cluster members of president-elect Rodrigo Duterte had a meeting to help the government solve the worsening hostage crisis.

Duterte himself has a lot of Muslim friends and supporters in Mindanao whom he could count on to help address the problem with the Abu Sayyaf.

Duterte met with leaders of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in Davao City on Friday and mentioned the security threat of the Abu Sayyaf.

MILF vice chairman for political affairs Ghadzali Jaafar confirmed Duterte mentioned the problem posed by the Abu Sayyaf during their meeting.

“He (Duterte) mentioned that and it’s really a big problem but no details were discussed,” Jaafar said.

Asked if the MILF is ready to help in efforts to free kidnap victims Norwegian Kjartan Sekkingstad and Filipina Marites Flor, Jaafar said there are existing mechanisms in the peace process to address threat groups.

“We have an existing agreement with the government. We have the Ad Hoc Joint Action Group (AHJAG),” Jaafar said.

“In the past, we cooperated (with the government) and this resulted in the release of many victims,” he added.

AHJAG is a mechanism in the peace negotiations that was formed to isolate and interdict lawless groups and terrorists.

Pressed if the AHJAG would be tapped to secure the release of the remaining hostages, Jaafar said the matter has to be discussed first by negotiators from both sides.
“The MILF is ready to perform its obligations,” he said.

Jaafar did not give a categorical statement on whether the MILF would help ensure the safety of the kidnap victims. He, however, said his group backs the incoming administration’s campaign against crime and drugs.  

Martial law option

Mindanao congressmen urged Duterte to place the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) under martial law so he could effectively run after the Abu Sayyaf.

“He should put the ARMM region, particularly Sulu and Basilan, under martial law so government forces can find, fight and finish off the Abu Sayyaf and other bandit and terrorist groups,” Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez said.

He said the incoming administration should try martial rule, since other means of neutralizing the bandits and kidnap-for-ransom groups have failed.

Davao City Rep. Karlo Nograles said it is legally possible for Duterte to place some parts of Mindanao under martial law.

“That is the president’s prerogative. I think that was done in 2009 by then president (Gloria Macapagal) Arroyo after the Maguindanao massacre,” he said.

But representative-elect Makmod Mending of party-list group Anak Mindanao opposed the imposition of martial law in any part of Mindanao, saying the incoming administration should first use all the available government resources to address the Abu Sayyaf problem.

Mending said he could not accept the proposition that the government, the police and the military, with all their might, cannot neutralize the bandit group that has been operating in Sulu, Basilan and some parts of Mindanao for years.

For his part, ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman said the government should just launch an all-out offensive against the Abu Sayyaf.

He warned that imposing martial law could create more problems like human rights violations.

“There are better options that will not trigger human rights abuses. Martial law is not necessary at this time. All we need is well coordinated, intensified and participative operation against the Abu Sayyaf,” he said.

He said the civilian government in ARMM could help the police and the military in finding and neutralizing the group of bandits.

Hataman said ARMM could issue an order authorizing its agencies to gather civilians in evacuation centers and attend to their needs while the police and military are flushing out and finishing off the Abu Sayyaf in their communities.

Collusion

Authorities are trying to find a way of containing the Abu Sayyaf despite the heavy presence of government troops in Sulu and Basilan where the bandit group operates.
Aquino noted the Abu Sayyaf is being helped by some locals in Jolo who are benefiting from the kidnapping activities of the bandit group.

Tan also said some residents and relatives living in the island are helping the bandits.
There were reports that some from the military are in collusion with the bandits for ransom money.

Jolo mayor Hussin Amin said the government should investigate some military officers who had supposedly been coddling the Abu Sayyaf and using them as assets.
Tan denied the reported collusion of some soldiers with the Abu Sayyaf for a cut in the ransom.

Tan challenged Amin to present evidence to initiate an investigation and filing of charges.

Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said the accusations made by Amin were serious and could not be taken hook, line and sinker because there was no evidence presented.

“Our ready answer is investigation. It is not fair to (make the allegations without proof) because the government has been doing what needs to be done and we are exerting maximum efforts to resolve the (Abu Sayyaf) problem,” he said.

http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2016/06/19/1594436/military-obey-any-order-save-hostages

Of regional interest: Indonesian navy shoots Chinese fishermen in disputed sea

From the Philippine Star (Jun 20): Indonesian navy shoots Chinese fishermen in disputed sea

China’s Foreign Ministry says the Indonesian navy opened fire at a Chinese fishing boat in the South China Sea, injuring a fisherman and detaining its seven-man crew.

The statement posted yesterday on the ministry’s website was in response to reports that Indonesia’s navy said that it had intercepted and detained a Chinese vessel and its seven crew members for illegally fishing in Indonesian waters.

The incident happened Saturday off the Natuna islands, located off the northwest coast of Borneo, in the South China Sea. The waters in question are claimed by both China and Indonesia.

China’s Foreign Ministry said the Chinese fishing boat was carrying out normal fishing operations in its traditional fishing grounds when the Indonesian navy shot at it, harming one fisherman and damaging the boat.

http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2016/06/20/1594775/indonesian-navy-shoots-chinese-fishermen-disputed-sea

MILF: Time to implement BBL

From the Philippine Star (Jun 20): MILF: Time to implement BBL



The MILF said the peace process should now be in the “implementation mode” since the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), which the group believes would address the Mindanao problem, has been signed. STAR/File photo

Consultations on the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) have been sufficient and it’s time to implement the deal, according to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

The MILF issued the statement on its website amid reports that the Duterte administration wanted further discussions on the peace process roadmap.

The MILF said the peace process should now be in the “implementation mode” since the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), which the group believes would address the Mindanao problem, has been signed.

The CAB, signed by the Aquino administration and the MILF in 2014, will serve as the basis of the BBL, which aims to create a new Bangsamoro region with enhanced autonomy.

“Consultations for this proposed law have already been virtually over. All that should be done is to revisit or use the inputs of these consultations or hearings, in the case of Congress, to fast-track the legislative roadmap or process,” the MILF said in an editorial posted on luwaran.com.

 Earlier, Davao del Norte representative-elect Pantaleon Alvarez, Duterte’s choice for House speaker, said the talks with the Moros are back to “square one” and that there is no need to tackle the BBL because it would be subsumed by the planned shift to federalism.

 Jesus Dureza, former peace adviser during the Arroyo administration and who will be returning to the post when Duterte assumes office, told MindaNews that “wider consultations” on how to craft the Bangsamoro peace roadmap would be conducted.

 The MILF said the peace negotiators from both sides, civil society, religious, educational and business groups have conducted 625 consultation meetings throughout the country from 2014 to 2015.

 “Many of the provisions of the BBL were culled from inputs from these consultations. The Senate and Lower House of Congress have also conducted numerous hearings.

The BBL had been with them for more than a year when it was formally submitted to them during a ceremony in Malacañang Palace on September 10, 2014,” the group said.

The MILF said any consultation asking the same people or repeating the same issues would only slow down, if not stifle, the legislative process.

“More seriously, if those to be asked are those who harbor strong anti-Moro prejudices, biases, hatred, the outcome is already predicted,” it added.

 The MILF, however, clarified that it is not expecting president-elect Rodrigo Duterte and his designated peace adviser Dureza to delay the enactment of BBL.

 “Duterte had solemnly pledged during the presidential campaign in May this year that he would solve the ‘legitimate grievances’ of the Bangsamoro people and ‘nothing,’ he said further, ‘can satisfy them except passing the BBL,’” the MILF said.

 “We hold on to this promise as sacred, and we believe in him. All his close friends for years whom we talked to attested to his loyalty to friendship, and once he commits, he fulfils (his commitment).”

 One of the priority measures of the outgoing Aquino administration, the BBL was bypassed by the 16th Congress. The MILF noted that under the CAB, the decommissioning of its weapons and combatants would not be realized if the BBL does not move in the legislature.

 In a meeting with Duterte here last Friday, MILF leaders informed the incoming president that they would want to see the BBL enacted first before the form of government is changed from unitary to federal. The group said it would take time before the CAB is implemented if the creation of the Bangsamoro government is subsumed by efforts to push for federalism.

 “We told him (Duterte) that we are not against federalism per se but we believe we can be more of help to the federal government of the Philippines if the Bangsamoro (government) is implemented first. He listened to our explanation,” MILF vice chairman for political affairs Ghadzali Jaafar told The STAR in a phone interview.

 The group is open to refining the draft BBL to ensure its early passage in Congress.

http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2016/06/20/1594769/milf-time-implement-bbl

Army colonel shot dead in Zamboanga City

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Jun 20): Army colonel shot dead in Zamboanga City

An Army colonel was shot and killed here on Sunday night.

Lieutenant Colonel Cristobal Julian Paolo “Tiny” Perez, 46, was shot around 9:20 p.m. Sunday, in his residence in Buenbrazo Drive, Barangay (village) Guiwan here.

“He was declared dead at 10:45 p.m. at the Zamboanga Peninsula Hospital,” said Supt. Luisito Magnaye, city police chief.

Perez was the G1 commander of the 1st Tabak Infantry Division in Pulacan, Zamboanga del Sur.  He came here to celebrate Father’s Day with his wife May.

Perez was a graduate of PMA Class 1993. 

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/791441/army-colonel-shot-dead-in-zamboanga-city

No PH-China talks on sea row in 2 yrs

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Jun 20): No PH-China talks on sea row in 2 yrs



AP FILE PHOTO

FORMER Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario on Friday said President-elect Rodrigo Duterte had given  assurance that there would be no bilateral talks with China to resolve the territorial dispute in the South China Sea in the next two years.

Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio also said the Philippine panel in the arbitration proceedings against China had received the same assurance from Duterte.

Del Rosario led the Philippine panel that argued the country’s case against China in the United Nations Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague.

Carpio, who has done an extensive study on the territorial dispute between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea, was an observer in the proceedings.

The Philippines has asked the UN tribunal to invalidate China’s claim to almost all of the 3.5-million-square-kilometer South China Sea and demanded its right to exploit resources in waters within its 370-km exclusive economic zone, recognized under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, be respected.

China has refused to take part in the proceedings, saying it will not abide by any ruling of the court.

The court is expected to hand down its decision by July 7.

In a television interview on June 10, incoming Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay said bilateral negotiations with China were necessary, as the UN court had no powers to enforce its rulings.

“We feel that the ruling will require bilateral talks with China, then by all means let’s pursue that. Let’s not drop that possibility,” Yasay said.

In an interview with the Inquirer on June 3, Yasay said bilateral negotiations were “always the way to go in so far as resolving this conflict is concerned.”

“Even if we get a favorable judgment from the arbitral tribunal, there might be some questions of enforcement or implementation of this decision, [because] the court does not have an enforcement capability,” he said.

The arbitration panel has asked the incoming administration to wait for the tribunal’s decision before moving for talks with China.

“I don’t think [Duterte] would go bilateral,” Del Rosario said in an interview after attending the Trident Defense and Security Forum at Solaire Resorts in Pasay City on Friday.

“We talked already and the [incoming] President said he [would] wait for developments over a two-year period and, if nothing happens, he would go bilateral,” Del Rosario said.

Carpio, a guest speaker at the forum, said the Philippines had “convinced the world to support us that the arbitration is the way to go.”

“So we will wait for the tribunal and we will decide [what measures to take to have the ruling enforced],” he said.

In his presentation at the security forum, Carpio said the Philippines would need to take legal and diplomatic tacks, including elevating the case to the United Nations itself, to have the ruling enforced.

“There is no world policeman to enforce the ruling of the arbitration [court], but we are not helpless,” he said.

Once China moved a gas platform to Recto Bank (Reed Bank), a reef in the Spratly archipelago claimed by the Philippines, Carpio said Manila could file a lawsuit against Beijing where the Chinese have assets, like Canada and the United States.

With a favorable ruling from the arbitration court, the Philippines can win the suit in Canada and seize the assets of China’s national oil company in Canada as payment for the gas that China will get from Recto Bank, he said.
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/140288/no-ph-china-talks-on-sea-row-in-2-yrs

Of general/regional interest: Navy warships to trade some speed for firepower, armor

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Jun 20): Navy warships to trade some speed for firepower, armor



In this March 24, 2010, file photo, the littoral combat ship USS Independence, foreground, passes another vessel as it makes its way south through the waters of Mobile Bay, Alabama. The Navy spent hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars to fulfill its need for speed with the fast and agile warships like the Independence. The gee-whiz factor of the ships, designed to meet unconventional threats and to operate in shallow coastal waters, has been overshadowed by concerns over costs and survivability during combat. GM ANDREWS / AL.com / AP

The Navy spent hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars to fulfill its need for speed with a new class of fast and agile warships capable of zipping along at highway speeds.
It turns out speed is overrated.

The Navy has learned lessons from the light-and-speedy littoral combat ships: Upcoming ships will trade some speed in favor of more weapons and heavier armor.

Rear Adm. Peter Fanta, director of surface warfare, said the goal is to increase the offensive punch of all warships from the biggest to the smallest. For the littoral combat ship, that’ll begin with the installation of over-the-horizon missiles this summer.

“Each ship that I now have — I have to make more lethal because I cannot build ships fast enough, or enough of them,” Fanta told The Associated Press.

Two versions of the warships were sped into production to meet the Navy’s goal of an affordable, fast ship to operate in shallow coastal — or littoral — waters.

The ships, which are capable of topping 50 mph, utilize steerable waterjets instead of propellers and rudders to operate in shallow water.

They also are built to be equipped with swappable mission modules for surface warfare, anti-submarine duty or mine removal. That’s in contrast to larger, multi-mission ships like the 610-foot Michael Monsoor, a Zumwalt-class destroyer christened Saturday at Bath Iron Works.

But the gee-whiz factor was overshadowed by concerns over growing costs — the latest versions cost $482 million to $563 million apiece — along with criticism by the General Accounting Office that the warships were too lightly armed and too lightly armored.

Two high-profile breakdowns, in December and January, raised additional questions about reliability: The USS Milwaukee had to be towed 40 miles to a naval base in Virginia, while the USS Fort Worth was sidelined in Singapore.

Fanta said the Navy is learning from the initial deployments and incorporating changes into a new version which will be called a frigate. The Navy also intends to zero in on one design either next year or the following year, leading to cost savings.

The Freedom class with a steel monohull is built in Marinette, Wisconsin, while the tri-hulled, aluminum Independence class is built in Mobile, Alabama.

Both were rushed into production to deal with unconventional post-Cold War threats including swarm boats and pirates. But the threats have changed again with China flexing its muscle in the South China Sea and Russia reasserting its naval presence.

Despite growing pains, Fanta sees the warships as being made more capable through heavier armor plating and shock mounting to make them sturdier, along with additional weapons.

The first over-the-horizon missile capable of hitting targets more than 50 miles away is to be installed this summer and it will be followed by tests of a second missile variant this fall, he said. Some of the capabilities will be fitted onto existing ships, about two dozen of which are either in the fleet, under construction or under contract. Eventually, the Navy plans to build 40 of them.

The resulting ship will be slightly slower and heavier, but the weapons will make enemies keep their distance, he said.

It’s unclear how much speed will be lost because of the added weight.

“We acknowledge that there will be trade-offs in speed based on additional weight to support increased capabilities. That number will be defined further as the ship’s design continues to mature,” said Ensign Marc Rockwellpate, a Navy spokesman.

Loren Thompson from the Lexington Institute said it makes sense to place less emphasis on speed. “You can’t outrun a missile,” he said. http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/791455/navy-warships-to-trade-some-speed-for-firepower-armor

DWDD: USLS MERCY | US Navy Hospital Ship to visit Legazpi City

From DWDD AFP Civil Relations Service Radio Website (Jun 17): USLS MERCY | US Navy Hospital Ship to visit Legazpi City



A United States Navy hospital ship is set to arrive in Legazpi City on June 27.

According to thew Philippine Navy, the USLS Marcy, a state-of-the-art US Navy ship equipped with advanced medical facility and equipment will arrive here for a joint humanitarian program of the US Navy and the Philippine Naval Forces in Southern Luzon from June 27 to July 11.

The US Navy hospital personnel has set for treatment 4,000 local patients for the scheduled medical mission, which will be done aboard the ship.

Navy officials also clarified that this is a humanitarian program, under the Pacific Partnership program, and is very much different from the Baliktaran Exercses which is a joint military exercise,” Alejandro said.

They added that the humanitarian program, would consist of a medical mission, civil-relation activity, training and subject matter exchange between the two naval forces, which is part of the Philippine-U.S. Mutual Defense Agreement.

The USLS Marcy hospital ship last visited the Philippines in 2013 where they extend humanitartian assistance to thousands of victims affected by super typhoon Yolanda.

http://dwdd.com.ph/2015/usls-mercy-us-navy-hospital-ship-to-visit-legazpi-city/

MILF: Editorial -- Public consultations on BBL already sufficient

Editorial posted to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front Website (Jun 16): Editorial -- Public consultations on BBL already sufficient

In democracy, sovereignty resides in the people, and thus any major decision that affects their lives especially in legislation requires a consultation with them. One such piece of legislation is the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) which will serve, if enacted into law, as the basic law for the Bangsamoro political entity that it seeks to establish.

But consultations for this proposed law have already been virtually over.  All what should be done is to revisit or use the inputs of these consultations or hearings, in the case of Congress, to fast-track the legislative roadmap or process. Or better still, to refine them to ensure the smooth flow of the process and ensure the early passage of the BBL in Congress.

Consultations have been sufficiently done by pushers or stakeholders of peace in Mindanao notably the government and MILF peace panels, the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP), the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC), non-government organizations (NGOs) or civil society organizations (CSOs), and religious, educational, and business institutions. For instance, the Mindanao Civil Society Organizations for the Peace Process (MCSOPP), in a tie-up with the BTC, had conducted 625 consultations throughout the country especially in Mindanao from 2014 to 2015. There were other CSOs like the Initiatives for International Dialogue (IID) and its allied networks such as the Mindanao Peaceweavers (MPW) which have also conducted similar consultations. This is not to include those undertaken by the BTC or members thereof, which brought them to many parts of Mindanao especially Tawi-Tawi, Sulu, Basilan, Lanao, Maguindanao, and Marawi City, Isabela City, and Cotabato City. Many of the provisions of the BBL were culled from inputs from these consultations. The Senate and Lower House of Congress have also conducted numerous hearings. The BBL had been with them for more than a year when it was formally submitted to them during a ceremony in Malacañang Palace on September 10, 2014.

Any consultation asking the same people or repeating the same issues will only slow down, if not stifle, the legislative process. More seriously, if those to be asked are those who harbour strong anti-Moro prejudices, biases, hatred, the outcome is already predicted.

We are not saying, however, that President-elect Rodrigo Duterte has ever thought of this thing, or by any member of his inner circle especially OPAPP Secretary-nominee, Jesus Dureza. None of it is in our mind. Duterte had solemnly pledged during the presidential campaign in May this year that he would solve the “legitimate grievances” of the Bangsamoro people; and “nothing,” he said further, “can satisfy them except by passing the BBL.”

We hold on to this promise, as sacred, and we believe in him! All his close friends for years whom we talked to attested to his loyalty to friendship and once he commits he fulfils.

If ever we want this said, it is because of our earnest desire to remind all and sundry that if we are to proceed to solve the Bangsamoro Question or Problem, the single-point agenda of the GPH-MILF peace process, agreed by the Parties when they agreed to talk peace in 1997, then they have to start from where they stopped. In this case, they should commence or proceed immediately to implementation mode, because the CAB which contains the political solution to the Bangsamoro Question or Problem had already been signed as early as March 2014. The implementation mode has two tracks, but linked with each other: the refiling or passage of the BBL and the normalization process, which encompasses many tracks. For one, decommissioning of MILF weapons and combatants will not move if the BBL does not move in the legislature. This is the agreement of the Parties.

Finally, to re-stress, consultations on ways to craft the best BBL compliant to the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) will still happen, but the purpose is to hasten and enrich the process and not to forestall it.

http://www.luwaran.com/home/index.php/editorial/25-january-16-23/775-public-consultations-on-bbl-already-sufficient

MILF: UN representative visits MILF leadership at Camp, Darapanan

Posted to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front Website (Jun 14): UN representative visits MILF leadership at Camp, Darapanan



Monday, June 13--- Mr. Ola Almgren, UN Resident Coordinator, accompanied by Mr. Chetan Kumar, Peace and Development Advisor, UN Manila and Mr. Winston Camarinas, UNDP-Cotabato paid courtesy call to Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Chairman Murad Ebrahim and members of the Central Committee.

Almgren, as he himself said, came with eagerness to hear from Chairman Murad his perspectives pertaining to MILF statement released two days ago. He mentioned that it is to be noted that before the MILF press release (June 11) came out, peoples’ perception of BBL uncertainty is widely manifested.

In response to Mr. Almgren’s queries, Chairman Murad related his recent travel to Europe upon the invitation of the European Union wherein they observed that wherever they go, similar question is always ask to them: “What will happen now that new administration is coming.”

He also said, “Until now we are not yet certain of what will be the policy of the new administration, or how their approach would be, but there is an optimism it will continue with the peace process.  Gauging from their pronouncements during the campaign period and even after the elections, there is consistency that they will continue with the peace process.”

Furthermore Chairman Murad said, “For the MILF, basically the peace process is already in the implementing stage, and in this implementing stage we are facing more challenges. Along with the implementation stage, the road map is important to be followed.”

He pointed out, “If we create another road map, it will complicate the situation.  In a lengthy discussion with Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), generally, they too, agree to support the Road Map.”

“On the issue of transitional government, we see no major obstacle in the participation of the MNLF where a provision in the transition says ‘MILF lead’, meaning it’s not all MILF, but the MILF will be the majority,” he said.

“For us we will welcome other groups in the transitional government and the central government can also appoint/recommend their representative. For us, inclusiveness has a way, not necessarily abrogating the Road Map,” Chairman Murad continued saying in response to Mr. Almgren’s query.

He added, “As far as the socio-economic development is concerned, that is all along part of the Normalization process.”

“Working with the international community, working with OIC, will bring the peace process more conducive,” Chairman Murad underscored.

“In the discussions with EU, we emphasized that we continue engagement with international community as we see that the more we need international community during the implementation period,” he told the delegation from the U.N.

“The MILF will continue to assert that all gains of the peace shall be protected. We are trying to have an open line of communication with the incoming administration. We are hoping that he (President-elect Duterte) will understand the situation,” the MILF leader said.

Mr. Almgren thanked Chairman Murad for the very extensive answers he got. He was also briefed on the mechanics of the Bangsamoro Coordination Forum (BCF).

The MILF head said that they are not opposed to federalism, for it is the people who will ultimately decide.

“However, since the problem in Mindanao has some peculiarities, it does not mean it can totally address the problem, but federalism will address it more easily,” Chairman Murad explained.

In President –elect Duterte’s statement during their presidential debate, he said that BBL can be used as template or maybe it can serve as a model.

In the conclusion of the meeting, Almgren thanked and congratulated the MILF for its participation and support to the UNICEF’S program on banning child soldiers, wherein Central Committee member Edward Guerra is the focal person for the campaign against recruitment of child soldiers.

He was also very thankful for the support afforded to UN’s personnel in all their programs, and engagements in the area.

Almgren expressed to continue and will always see, how they can help in finally achieving true peace in Mindanao.

http://www.luwaran.com/home/index.php/news/20-central-mindanao/774-un-representative-visits-milf-leadership-at-camp-darapanan

MILF: GPH Peace Panel Chair Ferrer visits Basilan

Posted to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front Website (Jun 19): GPH Peace Panel Chair Ferrer visits Basilan



GPH Peace Panel Chair Prof. Miriam Coronel-Ferrer visited Isabela and Lamitan City, Basilan on May 16, 2016 for a turn-over of a Day Care Center at Baas, Lamitan City and One Unit of Ambulance at Ediborah P. Yap Memorial Hospital, all in Lamitan City.  Both are under the Sajahatra Bangsamoro Program.  He also met with recipients of Sajahatra Bangsamoro Scholarship Program at Basilan State College (BSC) in Isabela City.

At 10AM, Prof. Ferrer led the cutting of ribbon for the turn-over of a Day Care Center to the People’s Organization in Barangay Baas in the presence of community leaders and residents as well as members of her delegation.

In her key note message, Prof. Ferrer reminded the residents about the signing of the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB)  in 2012 and said, “After the signing of the agreement dapat maramdaman ang mamayan lalong lalo na ang mamamayang Bangsamoro ang dividends of peace kung saan nailunsad na rin ang Sajahatra Bangsamoro”.

“Ang ibig sabihin kung bakit tayo mag peace negotiation para naman maiba ang kabuhayan at mabawasan ang kahirapan, hindi na dumaan sa giyera at maiba naman ang kabuhayan ng mamamayan. Itong Day Care center hindi lang para sa MILF, para naman sa lahat ng kabataang Bangsamoro. Tapos na ang termino ni PNoy.  Ang ating layunin ay tuloy-tuloy ang kapayapaan at marating ang kaginhawaan. Madali ang mag giyera kay sa kapayapaan dapat hindi mainip, lahat tayo ay mahinahon at dapat mag usap-usap”, Ferrer also said in Tagalog.

After the turn-over of the day care center, the convoy of Prof. Ferrer proceeded to Ediborah P. Yap Memorial Hospital in the city proper for the ceremonial turn-over of one unit of ambulance.
According to Dr. Alfonso L. Bravo Jr., Chief of Ediborah P. Yap Memorial Hospital, “Unfortunately we cannot conduct actual turn-over as the ambulance is still in Manila for a processing of its registration and I do not want to have it transported unless the registration documents are complete”.

At 1:00PM, the group of Prof. Ferrer proceeded to BSC to meet with recipients of Sajahatra Bangsamoro Scholarship Program. There are more or less 80 recipients enrolled at BSC, half of them attended the short program.

Prof. Ferrer’s message in the three activities centered on the peace process and encouraged the audience to ask questions about the peace process.

Alnur Ambula, one of the students asked, “Patapos napos na ang termino ni PNoy at si Mayor Duterte na ang papalit, tuloy pa ba ang negosasyon? Prof. Ferrer replied in a positive saying that Mr. Jess Dureza sent a message when they were in Kuala Lumpur last May 29-30 that the new administration will continue the peace process at malayo na ang narating na dapat itutuloy”.

At around 3PM, Prof. Ferrer and her entourage departed for Zamboanga City.

http://www.luwaran.com/home/index.php/news/73-westhern-mindanao/776-gph-peace-panel-chair-ferrer-visits-basilan

Policemen injured in Calbayog encounter

From Rappler (Jun 19): Policemen injured in Calbayog encounter

Two police officers are injured in an encounter with a private armed group in a remote and mountainous area of Calbayog City

 

Two police officers were injured in an encounter with a private armed group (PAG) early Saturday morning, June 18, in a remote and mountainous area of Sitio Puso, Barangay Tapae, Calbayog City.

Police regional director Chief Superintendent Jose Erwin Villacorte told Rappler that the tracker team, led by Senior Inspector Zalde Cagampang, encountered around 20 members of a PAG believed to be led by Jimmy Managaysay.

Villacorte said the police team endured the heavy firefight that lasted for more than 20 minutes, wounding Inspector Kim Oribillo and Inspector Alexander Alfonso. The PAG managed to withdraw, although blood stains were seen along the group's escape route.

One KG-9 semiautomatic with a magazine was recovered by the police from the scene.

The wounded police officers were immediately brought to St Camillus Hospital in Calbayog City.

Terrorizing locals

With or without elections, Samar has been dealing with armed conflict between warring members of PAGs.

The Managaysay group is one of the armed groups active in Samar, and police intelligence reports indicate that Jimmy Managaysay, the leader of the group, is linked to a politician in Samar.

PAGs are believed to be maintained by some politicians in Samar, and are said to have full control of some villages in the province.

They are allegedly responsible for torture, abduction, and terrorizing ordinary civilians, particularly farmers. Some farmers in remote villages reportedly flee from their homes, even moving to Manila, as they fear for their safety.

Police records showed that Managaysay's group is suspected to be behind the killings of Sonny Regulacion and 4 of his family members in Barangay Victory, Calbayog City last September.

Regulacion was a known political leader of Calbayog Mayor Ronald Aquino, who is a close political ally of Interior Secretary Mel Senen Sarmiento, who hails from this city.

Villacorte admitted there is no quick fix to bring about stability and peace in Samar.

The PNP director of Eastern Visayas is calling on all local officials in Samar to help end the violence, and to ensure culpability for past abuses.

http://www.rappler.com/nation/136923-calbayog-police-injured-encounter-private-armed-group

US aircraft carriers start drills off Philippines

From Rappler (Jun 19): US aircraft carriers start drills off Philippines

The operation marks America's continued presence in the Asia-Pacific as China expands its maritime strength and engages in massive island building activities in disputed waters



FULL FORCE. The Nimitz-class aircraft carriers USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74), left, and USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) conduct dual aircraft carrier strike group operations in the US 7th Fleet area of operations in support of security and stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific. US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jake Greenberg

Two US aircraft carriers have started exercises in the Philippine Sea, defense officials said Sunday, June 19, as Washington's close ally Manila faces growing pressure from Beijing in the South China Sea (West Philippine Sea).

The US Pacific Command said the USS John C. Stennis and USS Ronald Reagan, among the world's largest warships, began conducting air defense drills, sea surveillance, and long range strikes on Saturday, June 18.

The command said the operations marked America's continued presence in the Asia-Pacific as China expands its maritime strength and engages in massive island building activities in disputed waters.

"No other Navy can concentrate this much combat power on one sea...It was truly impressive," said US Rear Admiral Marcus Hitchcock, carrier strike group commander.

US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter visited the Stennis in April as it sailed off the Philippines near the disputed area where China has expanded islets and reefs into islands capable of supporting airfields and other installations.

The Philippines has been improving its defense ties with the US, its longtime treaty ally and former colonial ruler, to help boost the ability of one of Asia's weakest armed forces.

The US exercises synchronized the activities of over 12,000 sailors, 140 aircraft, 6 combatants, and the two carriers, said Hitchcock.

The command said the drills were meant to promote freedom of navigation and overflight in the region's airspace and waters.

"(This) has been a great opportunity for us to train on how we would operate multiple carrier strike groups in a contested environment," said US Rear Admiral John Alexander, another carrier strike group commander.

The US Navy said it has been conducting dual carrier strike group operations for several years in the Philippine Sea, the South China Sea, and the East China Sea, where China has a separate dispute with Japan over small islands.

Philippine defense department spokesman Peter Galvez said the exercises showed that the US was "resolute" in fulfilling its often repeated "ironclad commitment" to defend the Philippines.

"We welcome the strong cooperation and partnership we have with our friends and allies ... in light of (the dispute) where our legitimate rights have been overstepped," he told Agence France-Presse.

The Philippines is awaiting a ruling from an international arbitration tribunal against China's claims to most of the South China Sea.

Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan also have overlapping claims to the strategic waterway, through which pass some of the world's most active shipping lanes.

http://www.rappler.com/world/regions/asia-pacific/136946-us-aircraft-carriers-start-drills-philippine-sea

'Moro Convention' eyed to craft new Bangsamoro law

From Rappler (Jun 20): 'Moro Convention' eyed to craft new Bangsamoro law

[Video: "Moro Convention" eyed for Bangsamoro law under Duterte]

The process for the 'historic' Moro Convention begins soon after President-elect Rodrigo Duterte takes office on June 30



Muslim rebels plan to gather hundreds of stakeholders in Manila or Davao City in a weeks-long "Moro Convention" that aims to craft a new proposed law to end decades of conflict in the southern Philippines.

In a news conference on Sunday evening, June 19, Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) chairman Abul Khayr Alonto said the proposed Moro Convention will include members of the MNLF and its rival group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

 

"The MILF and MNLF will be there as members, and they will be talking as a Bangsamoro. No more fronts. It's already the future of the Bangsamoro," Alonto said.

 

Asked when the Moro Convention will happen, he said they "will start talking about it" as early as July, after President-elect Rodrigo Duterte takes office on June 30.

 

Alonto said the Moro Convention will be historic "in the sense that we are meeting now to craft a law."

 

This output is seen as a new version of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), which aimed to create a more powerful Muslim region in the southern Philippines.

 

Through the BBL, advocates hoped to end 4 decades of conflict that has killed at least 150,000 people and forced 3.5 million others out of their homes. (Watch more in the video below)

 

[Animation Video: War Came to Mindanao]

The BBL, however, languished in Congress after a botched police operation in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, killed 67 people and was blamed on the MILF. Under the Aquino administration, the MILF was engaged in a peace process with the Philippine government.

 

Hope 'revived' under Duterte

 

In the case of the Moro Convention, Alonto said stakeholders will consult Muslim communities about their output, which they will eventually submit to Duterte.

 

Duterte, the first president from Mindanao, can possibly endorse their output to Congress as a new Bangsamoro law.

 

On the previously proposed BBL, Alonto explained that if the Mamasapano incident didn't happen, the BBL "could have been a very good law that even President-elect Duterte will adopt and will continue to implement."

 

"The BBL could have very well put an end to that war in Mindanao," he said of the proposed law that was pushed by the MILF.

 

Alonto said the difference of the new Moro Convention is that "it represents all the fronts."

 

He said the Moro Convention "is, in fact, a collective effort of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the Moro National Liberation Front."

 

Alonto bared his proposal two days after Duterte met with leaders of the MILF and MNLF in Davao City.

 

Alonto said the Bangsamoro lost hope after the Mamasapano incident derailed the BBL.

 

"But we are here because that hope once again is revived and resuscitated because of the election not only of a true son of Mindanao but a brother, by blood – Rodrigo Roa Duterte, the president-elect of the Philippines, the first Mindanaoan president," the MNLF chairman said.

 

http://www.rappler.com/nation/136972-moro-convention-bangsamoro-law-duterte

MILF, MNLF to draft new BBL, seek Duterte's support

From InterAksyon (Jun 19): MILF, MNLF to draft new BBL, seek Duterte's support



InterAksyon file photo of MNLF chairman Abul Khayr Alonto

Two of the country's top Muslim rebel groups will push for the creation of a new version of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) that they expect will pave the way for a lasting peace in conflict-ridden Mindanao. 

Outgoing President Benigno Aquino III lobbied for the passage of the BBL but failed to muster enough support from Congress until it adjourned last February in preparation for the election campaign.

The BBL, borne out of the peace agreement signed by the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in 2014, seeks "to establish the new Bangsamoro political entity and provide for its basic structure of government, in recognition of the aspirations of the Bangsamoro people."

On Sunday, MILF and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) leaders said they would draft a new law seeking wider autonomy for the Bangsamoro. They said they would start drafting it after the month-long fast for Ramadan in July this year. 

MNLF chairman Abul Khayr Alonto told reporters in Davao City that a Moro convention would be held for the drafting of the law and that the groups "will work hard to convice" incoming President Rodrigo Duterte to support the draft.

MILF and MNLF leaders expect that the draft will bring "lasting peace to this country," and "will be acceptable also to the country," according to Alonto.

He said the MILF and the MNLF "will be moving around Bangsamoro communities" to present the draft.

Alonto said he was optimistic that the draft would "provide a final resolution to the Mindanao conflict."

He said he was also hoping that they would get the "support of the international community," for this undertaking, particularly the Organization on Islamic Cooperation and Malaysia.

Last Friday, MILF and MNL leaders met with Duterte in Davao City and backed the incoming chief executive's plan to change the country's form of government from unilateral to federal.

“A federal system could very well put in place a government of transparency and accountability, and effectively address the peace and order problems, including drug trafficking and kidnap for ransom,” Alonto told reporters after the meeting held at Hotel Elena.

MILF vice chair for political affairs Ghazali Jaafar said the purpose of their meeting with Duterte "is to unify the position of the Bangsamoro leaders by way of convergence, to resolve those concerns that have been addressed separately."

http://interaksyon.com/article/129257/milf-mnlf-to-draft-new-bbl-seek-dutertes-support

2 U.S. warships begin drills, surveillance in PH as China expands maritime power

From InterAksyon (Jun 19): 2 U.S. warships begin drills, surveillance in PH as China expands maritime power



Reuters file photo of USS Ronald Reagan

Two US aircraft carriers have started exercises in the Philippine Sea, defense officials said Sunday, as Washington's close ally Manila faces growing pressure from Beijing in the South China Sea.

The US Pacific Command said the USS John C. Stennis and USS Ronald Reagan, among the world's largest warships, began conducting air defense drills, sea surveillance, and long range strikes on Saturday.

The command said the operations marked America's continued presence in the Asia-Pacific as China expands its maritime strength and engages in massive island building activities in disputed waters.

"No other Navy can concentrate this much combat power on one sea... It was truly impressive," said US Rear Admiral Marcus Hitchcock, carrier strike group commander.

US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter visited the Stennis in April as it sailed off the Philippines near the disputed area where China has expanded islets and reefs into islands capable of supporting airfields and other installations.

The Philippines has been improving its defense ties with the US, its longtime treaty ally and former colonial ruler, to help boost the ability of one of Asia's weakest armed forces.

The US exercises synchronized the activities of over 12,000 sailors, 140 aircraft, six combatants and the two carriers, said Hitchcock.

The command said the drills were meant to promote freedom of navigation and overflight in the region's airspace and waters.

"(This) has been a great opportunity for us to train on how we would operate multiple carrier strike groups in a contested environment," said US Rear Admiral John Alexander, another carrier strike group commander.

The US Navy said it has been conducting dual carrier strike group operations for several years in the Philippine Sea, the South China Sea and the East China Sea, where China has a separate dispute with Japan over small islands.

Philippine defense department spokesman Peter Galvez said the exercises showed that the US was "resolute" in fulfilling its often repeated "ironclad commitment" to defend the Philippines.

"We welcome the strong cooperation and partnership we have with our friends and allies ... in light of (the dispute) where our legitimate rights have been overstepped," he told AFP.

The Philippines is awaiting a ruling from an international arbitration tribunal against China's claims to most of the South China Sea.

Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have overlapping claims to the strategic waterway, through which pass some of the world's most active shipping lanes.

http://interaksyon.com/article/129248/2-u-s--warships-begin-drills-surveillance-in-ph-as-china-expands-maritime-power

One-on-one meeting: Duterte and Murad talk peace

From MindaNews (Jun 19): One-on-one meeting: Duterte and Murad talk peace

President-elect Rodrigo Duterte met with leaders of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) late Friday night to discuss peace under his administration but held a separate one-on-one meeting with MILF chair Al Haj Murad Ebrahim afterwards.

Duterte met with Datu Abul Khayr Alonto of Lanao del Sur, chair of a faction of the MNLF and the MILF delegation led by chair Murad at Jacky’s Restocafe in Hotel Elena.

“The group pledged their support and cooperation to the new government and (to) move forward (in) the peace process,” Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, Duterte’s Executive Assistant told MindaNews.

“One-on-one sila ni Murad,” said Go, who will be incoming Special Assistant and chief of the Presidential Management Staff.



President-elect Rodrigo Duterte and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) chair Al Haj Murad Ebrahim spent around 20 minutes to talk peace during a one-on-one meeting Friday night at Hotel Elena in Davao City. Photo contributed to MindaNews

He said the Duterte-Murad conversation, which he estimated at 20 minutes, took place after the group meeting.

Go, who was in the group meeting, declined to give other details. Murad could not be reached for comment but MindaNews sources who were present said the rest of the delegation left the function room to allow the two leaders to talk but returned later to formally close the meeting.

It was the first meeting between the 67-year old Murad and the 71-year old Duterte, who visited the MILF’s Camp Darapanan in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao on February 27 en route to his campaign rally in Cotabato City. Murad was out of the country then and he was received by 1^st vice chair Ghazali Jaafar and members of the Central Committee. Two more attempts for a one-on-one meeting before the elections did not push through.



MILF chair Al Haj Murad Ebrahim amd President-elect Rodrigo Duterte shake hands at the end of their 20-minute one-one-one talk. Photo by KIWI BULACLAC / Davao City Mayor’s Office

“Maganda ang nangyari. Very productive,” said a source privy to what Duterte and Murad talked about, but declined to provide details.

Expectedly, the fate of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) was raised and the source said the discussion was “very positive.”

The 16^th Congress under the Aquino administration failed to pass the BBL that would have paved the way for the establishment of the Bangsamoro, the new autonomous political entity that would have replaced the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

The BBL’s passage is crucial in the peace process as it is tied up with the decommissioning of MILF weapons and combatants, as well as the gradual redeployment of the military from the “former conflict areas” during the normalization phase.

Earlier, Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez, Jr., Duterte’s choice for Speaker of the House of Representatives, told reporters in Manila that there was “no more need” for a BBL in view of the plan to amend the 1987 Constitution to shift to a federal system of government.

“Template”
Duterte during the campaign repeatedly said his administration would correct the historical injustices against the Moro people.

In his February visit to the MILF’s Camp Darapanan, Duterte spoke about his plan to have the Constitution amended to allow for the shift from the Presidential system to a federal form but “if it takes time, and if only to defuse tension, in my government I will convince Congress to pass the BBL then make it as a template for federal states.”

G

hazali Jaafar, 1st Vice Chair of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (right) introduces the other members of the MILF Central Committee to presidential candidate and Davao City mayor Rodrigo Duterte during his visit in Camp Darapanan, Sultan Kudarat town in Maguindanao on February 27, 2016. MindaNews photo by TOTO LOZANO

At the Cotabato City plaza, the lone Presidential candidate from Mindanao stressed the need to correct historical injustices committed against the Moro people and vowed that under his administration, “we will try to go federalism. Yang Bagsamoro sa mapa ngayon, wag nang galawin yan. Gawin na lang nating example na makopya sa lahat. Ang mangyayari nito, uunahin ko na lang pakiusapan ko ang Congress na we will pass the BBL (The Bangsamoro on the map now, let’s not touch that anymore. Let’s make it an example for the rest to copy. I will immediately ask Congress to pass the BBL).

He said he will also tell MNLF founding chair Nur Misuari “kopyahin na lang natin sila para sa Mindanao at buong Pilipinas” (let’s copy that in Mindanao and in the rest of the Philippines”).

Misuari, whom Duterte considers a friend, is founding chair of the MNLF with whom government signed a Final Peace Agreement in 1996 and whose implementation has yet to be fully completed.

In the last Presidential Debate in April, Duterte said “nothing will appease the Moro people if you do not give them the BBL.”

Asked in a press conference at the “Malacanang of the South” in Panacan on March 31 for clarification on his campaign promise and Alvarez’ plan on the BBL, Duterte replied: “Federalism would recognize the territory you are in now… What Alvarez meant was that we will not adopt the BBL to the exclusion of others… I’m willing to let go of the configuration now, yung boundaries nila, okay ra. But we have to reconfigure the others also. What’s sauce for the gander is sauce for the goose. Liberally construed it means kasali ka in a bigger network, yung federalism. So it will not stand out as a BBL law, it could stand out as a part of a federal set-up. Yun ang ibig sabihin. I’m sure he could not have misconstrued that thing.”

The Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) signed by government and the MILF on March 27, 2014provides, among others, for the passage of a BBL to pave the way for the creation of a Bangsamoro.

In a statement on June 11, Murad said the MILF “maintains its position that a CAB-based Bangsamoro Basic Law needs to be immediately passed into law, not only because it is part of the implementation of the signed agreements, but also because it effectively addresses the peculiarities unique to the Bangsamoro that are not necessarily found in other prospective federal states.”

He also cited Duterte’s earlier statements regarding making the BBL a possible template for federalism.

“Brother talking with brother”
Duterte’s meeting with the group on Friday night covered a broad range of concerns such as achieving peace under the Duterte administration, the BBL, the need for a unified approach among the Moro fronts, the shift to federalism, illegal drugs, kidnap-for-ransom.



BROTHERS ALL. President-elect Rodrigo Duterte listens as Datu Abul Khayr Alonto (right) of Lanao del Sur, chair of a faction the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) expounds on an issue during a “private meeting” late Friday night at Jacky’s Restocafé in Hotel Elena, Lanang, Davao City. To the left of Duterte are Al Haj Murad Ebrahim, chair of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, 1st vice chair Ghazali Jaafar and Sammy Al Mansour, chief of staff of the MILF’s Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces. Photo by KIWI BULACLAC / Davao City Mayor’s Office

Alonto, who was vice chair to Misuari in the early days of the MNLF and who surfaced as MNLF chair in 2014, referred to their meeting with Duterte as a talk of brothers. “Brother talking with brother,” he said.

Alonto told ABS-CBN News Channel that the Moro fronts expressed the support of the Bangsamoro people to Duterte as “true son of Mindanao and is a good brother from Mindanao.” He said they took Duterte’s victory at the polls “as a referendum” that the Filipino people are “willing to shift to the federal system of government which could very well have the Bangsamoro government fit well in that system.”

Asked by ANC if Duterte gave a timeline for the passage of the BBL, Alonto replied “that will be coming from his office after his oath-taking. “



BROTHER TO BROTHER. President-elect Rodrigo Duterte poses for a souvenir photo with Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) chair Al Haj Murad Ebrahim (to his right) and Datu Abul Khayr Alonto (to his left), chair of a faction of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) after a “private meeting” late Friday night at Jacky’s Restocafe in Hotel Elena, Lanang, Davao City. Photo by KIWI BULACLAC / Davao City Mayor’s Office

He said there will be an “all-comprehensive agreement and position to be presented by the Moro community through the leaders of the MILF and with support of the MNLF (that will be) submitted in due time.”

Returning Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza, who was not in Friday’s meeting because he was still on his way home from Oslo, Norway after a successful two-day informal talks with the National Democratic Front, told MindaNews on May 30 that he will conduct consultations with various sectors on the Bangsamoro peace roadmap.

Inclusive
“It will have to be inclusive of all Moro fronts,” Dureza said, referring to the MILF and MNLF.

He said he is optimistic of the outcome of the unity talks brokered by the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in 2010 which led to an agreement between the MNLF and the MILF leaders that eventually led to the creation of the Bangsamoro Coordination Forum (BCF).

Only the MNLF under Alonto was represented in Friday’s meeting but the factions under Misuari, Muslimin Sema and several others, were not.

Misuari’s spokesperson Randolph Parcasio told MindaNews on Saturday that Duterte was going to meet with Misuari in Sulu “in due time.”

Sema told MindaNews also on Saturday that they are waiting for the OIC to convene the but “we are talking with the MILF on the issue of convergence of all signed agreements with the GPH under one autonomy law hinged on the 1976 Tripoli Agreement and 1996 Final Peace Agreement without abandoning the (MILF’s) CAB.” He said he hopes this would be tackled in the next BCF meeting.

Sema had earlier proposed a quadripartite talks involving the government, MNLF, MILF and the OIC “and under the present circumstance with the federalist thrust of President Duterte, the quadripartite talks will fit in well.”

http://www.mindanews.com/peace-process/2016/06/19/one-on-one-meeting-duterte-and-murad-talk-peace/