From the Philippine Information Agency (Sep 13): TF Davao strengthens the safety and security of Davao City amid terror threats
Task Force Davao commander Colonel Erwin Bernard Neri has asked the support of the 18th City Council to strengthen the safety and security of the city following the September 2 night market blast and terror threats.
Speaking during the privilege hour at the regular session of the 18th City Council Session, he revealed that as far as terror threats are concerned, the security sector has to contend with the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters based in Maguindanao and North Cotabato; Asnar Khilafa based in Palembang, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and General Santos City.
Neri said there is another terror group from Lanao called the Maute group.
“These are the groups which have plot to terrorize Davao City,” he said.
Neri did not convey details related to the night market blast, but cited the need for heightened awareness and readiness among the residents to be responsive and resilient amid terror threats.
He said he intends to raise the level of awareness of the public and stakeholders to the threats of terrorism and to raise the level of preparedness among the security forces like the TF Davao, Davao City Police Office, Emergency Response Center Central 911 and all other security forces in the city.
Neri cited the need to strengthen the intelligence network in all barangays in the city and to develop networking with all sectors in the city.
“I intend that all intelligence personnel from all other security units and civilian outfits for intelligence fusion, so that we can have good intelligence in the city,” he said.
Neri said the TF Davao is conducting deterrence operation with the deployment of more checkpoints in the city including patrols on the streets and the city shoreline.
He stressed that these efforts are not enough without the intelligence information coming from the people.
Neri said the TF Davao is also strengthening the security of areas that are presumed targets of terror groups.
“It is important that we need to harden these targets,” he said.
Neri said that locally, malls, parks and churches are the targets of terrorists, thus the need to strengthen the security of these areas.
He said that aside from massive information drive, drills must be conducted to ensure the readiness of all sectors from the public to the security sector.
“These are proactive measures with the end state to have a peaceful and secured Davao City where the civil government can pursue economic development and the people enjoy lasting peace,” Neri stressed.
http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/2381473741794/tf-davao-strengthens-the-safety-and-security-of-davao-city-amid-terror-threats
Tuesday, September 13, 2016
Philippines Tries to Temper President’s Call for U.S. Withdrawal
From the New York Times (Sep 13): Philippines Tries to Temper President’s Call for U.S. Withdrawal
Military cooperation between the Philippines and the United States appeared to be undisturbed on Tuesday, as the Southeast Asian country sought to temper comments by its president suggesting American troops should leave Mindanao, where they have been helping to fight an insurgency.
Military cooperation between the Philippines and the United States appeared to be undisturbed on Tuesday, as the Southeast Asian country sought to temper comments by its president suggesting American troops should leave Mindanao, where they have been helping to fight an insurgency.
Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla, a spokesman for the Philippine armed forces, said the remarks the president, Rodrigo Duterte, delivered on Monday at a swearing-in ceremony for officials in Manila were an expression of “his concern to the U.S. servicemen in Mindanao.”
“Pursuant to the same statement, he desires that our American counterparts should be eased from harm’s way,” General Padilla said.
Mr. Duterte said on Monday that the American Special Forces in Mindanao should withdraw.
“I do not want a rift with America,” he added, “but they have to go.”
Abu Sayyaf is holding at least 23 hostages, including a Dutch bird-watcher seized in 2012 and a Norwegian taken last year from a beach resort he helped manage near Davao City, where Mr. Duterte was formerly mayor.
General Padilla said the military had yet to “receive any specific directives as to how this pronouncement will be effected,” and that any changes would “affect only a token number of American servicemen who are confined mainly in Zamboanga City,” on Mindanao. Those affected, he said, provided technical assistance and training to their Filipino counterparts.
The general also emphasized that the alliance remained “rock solid” and that activities scheduled for the rest of 2016 were expected to continue. Plans for next year and beyond are also unchanged, he said.
Mr. Duterte’s spokesman, Ernesto Abella, said that there “remained no official directives” as of Tuesday regarding an American withdrawal, and that the president’s statement about the soldiers was not an order but “an injunction, like a warning.”
Mr. Abella emphasized that the government was not preparing to cut economic or military ties with the United States, but that it was seeking to create an independent policy in the south.
He also portrayed Mr. Duterte’s comments as part of an attempt to highlight an aspect of American history on Mindanao that could hinder the government’s efforts to gain the trust of rebels on the islands.
In his appearance on Monday, Mr. Duterte showed photographs and cited accounts of American atrocities against Muslims during its occupation of the country more than a century ago.
“The lack of acknowledgment by the Americans of their shortcomings, and our continued collaboration with them, is the true origin of the ethnic conflict in Mindanao,” Mr. Abella said.
“The Muslims doubt Filipinos want genuine peace with them, while we are viewed as dependent on America,” he added. “The continued presence of the Americans in Mindanao is perceived to underscore this.”
Mr. Abella said that a majority of Muslims in the southern Philippines felt that Americans were the “perpetrators of a wrong that has not been redressed.” By extension, he said, leaders in Manila were also seen as “suspect in their intentions regarding peace in Mindanao.”
The latest controversy comes just a week after remarks by Mr. Duterte cast a shadow over President Obama’s visit to Laos for a meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Those remarks, including an angry rebuke to Mr. Obama for warning Mr. Duterte to observe human rights and the rule of law in his campaign against drug-related crime, led to the cancellation of a formal meeting between the two. Mr. Duterte is hugely popular at home as a result of the crackdown, which has claimed many hundreds of lives since he took office this year.
At the peak of a joint campaign against Abu Sayyaf in Mindanao, the United States had 1,200 special forces in the area providing technical and logistical support to the Philippine military. That program was discontinued in 2015, but small numbers of advisers remain.
The Philippine Senate voted to end the lease on two vast American bases in 1991. But Manila later ratified an agreement that provided the legal basis for the resumption of large-scale joint military exercises. American troops subsequently returned to train Philippine forces to fight Abu Sayyaf.
John Kirby, a spokesman for the State Department, said on Monday that Manila had not formally explained what Mr. Duterte meant, but that Washington remained “committed to our alliance.”
“We maintain concerns about the safety of our troops all around the world,” Mr. Kirby said. “It’s one of the prime considerations of American military leadership.”
Esscom chief urges boat operators to install AIS
The Star Online (Sep 13): Esscom chief urges boat operators to install AIS
As fishing boats are now the target of kidnap-for-ransom groups, boat operators should install the Automated Identification System (AIS) as instructed by the police to enable fast and easy identification of the vessels, said Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) commander Datuk Wan Abdul Bari Abdul Khalid.
On Saturday, Filipino gunmen snatched three Filipino Bajau fishermen near Pom Pom island off Semporna.
Efforts are underway to identify the kidnappers responsible for this latest case and to rescue the victims.
“Operators should report all their movements, activities and location to the Esscom operations centre at all times so that security forces are able to offer help when an incident occurs,” he said in a statement yesterday.
He said this would make monitoring work much easier for the authorities.
Wan Abdul Bari said the security forces were unable to be at every location at all times, noting that there were hundreds of vessels on the sea at any one time.
“All crewmen must stay alert at all times when they are at sea,” he advised.
Wan Abdul Bari added that authorities arrested 26 people – 24 Filipinos and two Indonesians – for trying to sneak into Sabah via sea routes during a three-day operation beginning on Sept 9 and seized various items, including three boats, three outboard engines, a gas cylinder and provisions such as rice and sugar.
Esscom, he said, had mounted multiple patrols and operations in the Eastern Sabah Security Zone, especially in Semporna, Tawau, Kunak, Lahad Datu and Sandakan.
http://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2016/09/13/esscom-chief-urges-boat-operators-to-install-ais/
As fishing boats are now the target of kidnap-for-ransom groups, boat operators should install the Automated Identification System (AIS) as instructed by the police to enable fast and easy identification of the vessels, said Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) commander Datuk Wan Abdul Bari Abdul Khalid.
On Saturday, Filipino gunmen snatched three Filipino Bajau fishermen near Pom Pom island off Semporna.
Efforts are underway to identify the kidnappers responsible for this latest case and to rescue the victims.
“Operators should report all their movements, activities and location to the Esscom operations centre at all times so that security forces are able to offer help when an incident occurs,” he said in a statement yesterday.
Wan Abdul Bari said the security forces were unable to be at every location at all times, noting that there were hundreds of vessels on the sea at any one time.
“All crewmen must stay alert at all times when they are at sea,” he advised.
Wan Abdul Bari added that authorities arrested 26 people – 24 Filipinos and two Indonesians – for trying to sneak into Sabah via sea routes during a three-day operation beginning on Sept 9 and seized various items, including three boats, three outboard engines, a gas cylinder and provisions such as rice and sugar.
Esscom, he said, had mounted multiple patrols and operations in the Eastern Sabah Security Zone, especially in Semporna, Tawau, Kunak, Lahad Datu and Sandakan.
http://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2016/09/13/esscom-chief-urges-boat-operators-to-install-ais/
Volunteers donate goods for soldiers in Jolo
From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Sep 13): Volunteers donate goods for soldiers in Jolo
Centcom personnel prepare the relief goods intended for the soldiers in ARMM.
(CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)
A GROUP of civilian volunteers from Cebu donated relief supplies to the troops deployed to combat the Abu Sayyaf group in Jolo, Sulu.
Among the items sent by the Support Our Filipino Troops Movement were canned goods, rice, medicines, face towels, soaps, toothpaste and game cards.
Lt. Col. Luzmindo Mamaug Jr., spokesperson of the Armed Forces’ Central Command (Centcom), said they were touched by the gesture of the civilian group.
“We’re very happy. They truly understand the plight of soldiers. They just don’t wait for our troops to die. Their actions boost our morale,” he said in an interview.
Students and private volunteers helped pack the items that will be delivered to the soldiers in Jolo today.
Mamaug said three battalions from the Central Command were sent to Jolo, Sulu to neutralize the terrorist group. He refused to reveal the exact number of soldiers deployed to Jolo for security purposes.
Mamaug expressed hope for other civilians to help the troops sent to the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).
“May people realize the importance of our soldiers. We’re doing this for all the Filipinos,” he said.
As of yesterday, about 1,000 relief packs were ready for distribution.
http://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/105120/volunteers-donate-goods-for-soldiers-in-jolo
Centcom personnel prepare the relief goods intended for the soldiers in ARMM.
(CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)
A GROUP of civilian volunteers from Cebu donated relief supplies to the troops deployed to combat the Abu Sayyaf group in Jolo, Sulu.
Among the items sent by the Support Our Filipino Troops Movement were canned goods, rice, medicines, face towels, soaps, toothpaste and game cards.
Lt. Col. Luzmindo Mamaug Jr., spokesperson of the Armed Forces’ Central Command (Centcom), said they were touched by the gesture of the civilian group.
“We’re very happy. They truly understand the plight of soldiers. They just don’t wait for our troops to die. Their actions boost our morale,” he said in an interview.
Students and private volunteers helped pack the items that will be delivered to the soldiers in Jolo today.
Mamaug said three battalions from the Central Command were sent to Jolo, Sulu to neutralize the terrorist group. He refused to reveal the exact number of soldiers deployed to Jolo for security purposes.
Mamaug expressed hope for other civilians to help the troops sent to the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).
“May people realize the importance of our soldiers. We’re doing this for all the Filipinos,” he said.
As of yesterday, about 1,000 relief packs were ready for distribution.
http://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/105120/volunteers-donate-goods-for-soldiers-in-jolo
Duterte Signals Shift in U.S.-Philippine Military Alliance
From the Wall Street Journal (Sep 13): Duterte Signals Shift in U.S.-Philippine Military Alliance
President seeks defense equipment from Russia and China, tells military to focus on combating drugs and insurgencies
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte signaled an abrupt departure from his nation’s longstanding military reliance on the U.S., ordering his defense secretary to seek gear from suppliers in China and Russia to fight drug traffickers and insurgents.
In another shift, he also said Tuesday that the Philippines would stop patrolling the South China Sea alongside the U.S. Navy, to avoid upsetting Beijing. Instead, he said the nation’s military would focus on combating drugs and terrorism.
The Philippines has had close ties with the U.S. for decades, most recently bolstering military cooperation through a 2014 pact. Both Washington and Manila have leveraged their alliance to counter China, whose increasingly assertive actions in support of its maritime claims have stoked unease in the region.
But since coming to power on June 30, Mr. Duterte has indicated he wants to distance the Philippines from the U.S., a stance that threatens to alter the Asia-Pacific region’s strategic balance. He said Monday he wanted the U.S. military to leave Mindanao, the site of a strategic base set to host American forces.
Mr. Duterte’s statements this week were the latest in a string of developments that have pleased, surprised and horrified his audiences since he took office. His so-called war on drugs and crime has already claimed 2,956 lives, according to police on Monday, and his sometimes crude statements have insulted targets as varied as the pope, the United Nations head and U.S. President Barack Obama.
But no shift is arguably as important as Mr. Duterte’s political turn from the U.S., the Philippines’ colonial ruler until 1946.
In the speech Tuesday, the Philippine leader told officers to concentrate on domestic priorities. Rather than a possible battle in the South China Sea, Mr. Duterte said the military should focus on fighting drug traffickers and insurgencies.
Until now, the Philippines has bought the gear needed to fight such battles from suppliers in the U.S. and its Asian allies such as South Korea. But on Tuesday Mr. Duterte ordered Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana to seek suppliers in Russia and China, saying they offered soft loans payable in 20 to 25 years.
“I want weaponry and armaments…We don’t need F-16 jets, that is of no use to us,” he said, referring to the U.S.-made aircraft. “We don’t intend to fight any country. Let’s content ourselves even with propeller-driven planes that we could use extensively in anti-insurgency.”
Neither the U.S. Embassy in Manila nor the foreign and defense ministries of China and Russia immediately responded to requests for comment.
The Philippine military seemed caught off guard by the president’s remarks. “We are awaiting guidelines on how the president’s policy statements will be implemented,” a defense spokesman said.
Mr. Duterte enjoys a huge majority in the Philippine Congress and has few opponents willing to criticize him publicly. Additionally, he has courted the military and the police by pledging to double their salaries.
Although Mr. Duterte is unlikely to abrogate the U.S. defense treaty, he risks damaging ties with its closest ally since “friendly and constructive relations at the political level oil the wheels of the alliance,” said Angelica Mangahas, deputy executive director of the Albert del Rosario Institute for Strategic and International Studies in Manila.
The U.S. provided $441 million in security funding to the Philippines between 2002 and 2013, according to Rand Corp., a U.S. think tank. The Obama administration has earmarked a record $120 million in military aid to the poor country this year alone. The U.S. provided substantial aid to the Philippines after Typhoon Haiyan devastated the country in 2013.
“There are two camps in Washington—one that thinks Duterte is about to push the alliance off a cliff and there is nothing U.S. policy makers can do about it, and one that continues to argue that the alliance is just too important to both countries and so a way forward must be found,” said Gregory Poling of the Center for International and Strategic Studies. “But that latter group is losing the argument day by day as Duterte continues this anti-American rhetoric.
[Video report]
During his successful campaign for the presidency, Mr. Duterte spoke of wanting to improve relations with Beijing but didn’t speak publicly of wanting to diminish ties with Washington; indeed, foreign policy played almost no part in the presidential race.
“We are not cutting our alliances, but we will follow an independent foreign policy,” Mr. Duterte told members of the Philippine Air Force on Tuesday.
Now, Mr. Duterte’s apparent tilt toward Washington’s strategic rivals in Beijing and Moscow and open hostility toward the U.S. imperil that relationship.
“I do not like the Americans. It’s simply a matter of principle for me,” Mr. Duterte said Monday.
Last week, Mr. Duterte sparked controversy by appearing to call Mr. Obama a “son of a whore” during a media briefing, leading Mr. Obama to cancel planned talks with the Philippine leader.
On Monday, Mr. Duterte said U.S. forces in Zamboanga on the island of Mindanao, which advise local troops on counterterrorism operations, should leave, saying they were targets for insurgents. “They have to go; I do not want a rift with the U.S. but they have to go,” Mr. Duterte said.
The Philippine military said American personnel would be “eased from harm’s way” in the southern Philippines, where the army is waging a campaign against the extremist Abu Sayyaf group. “We assure our people and allies that Philippine-U.S. defense relations remain rock solid,” the military said.
The 2014 security pact was one of the main foreign-policy initiatives of former President Benigno Aquino III, who aimed to secure American backing in the Philippines’ struggle against China over disputed territory in the South China Sea.
The pact was also an important plank of Mr. Obama’s strategy of rebalancing to the Asia-Pacific region in response to China’s rising power. The two countries began joint patrols of the South China Sea in April.
Earlier this year, the two nations agreed to deploy thousands of American troops to five strategic Philippine bases. A timeframe wasn’t disclosed. Mr. Duterte’s spokesman said on Tuesday the leader still planned to honor the defense pact.
The Philippine leader’s U.S. criticism falls on fertile ground. Resentment over the U.S.’s nearly half-century of colonial rule here remains strong in some quarters. Yet Philippine society is on the whole notably pro-American. A June survey by local polling service Social Weather Stations found that the U.S. had a net trust rating of 72% among Filipinos. China had a net trust rating of minus 24%, with many Filipinos regarding China as a bully.
Still, Mr. Duterte has sometimes contrasted the U.S. unfavorably with China. On a trip to Indonesia last week he thanked China “for being so generous to us” by offering to build drug-rehabilitation centers in the country.
“Only China will help us,” he said. “America just gave you principles of law and nothing else.”
http://www.wsj.com/articles/duterte-signals-shift-in-u-s-philippine-military-alliance-1473774873
President seeks defense equipment from Russia and China, tells military to focus on combating drugs and insurgencies
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte signaled an abrupt departure from his nation’s longstanding military reliance on the U.S., ordering his defense secretary to seek gear from suppliers in China and Russia to fight drug traffickers and insurgents.
In another shift, he also said Tuesday that the Philippines would stop patrolling the South China Sea alongside the U.S. Navy, to avoid upsetting Beijing. Instead, he said the nation’s military would focus on combating drugs and terrorism.
The Philippines has had close ties with the U.S. for decades, most recently bolstering military cooperation through a 2014 pact. Both Washington and Manila have leveraged their alliance to counter China, whose increasingly assertive actions in support of its maritime claims have stoked unease in the region.
But since coming to power on June 30, Mr. Duterte has indicated he wants to distance the Philippines from the U.S., a stance that threatens to alter the Asia-Pacific region’s strategic balance. He said Monday he wanted the U.S. military to leave Mindanao, the site of a strategic base set to host American forces.
Mr. Duterte’s statements this week were the latest in a string of developments that have pleased, surprised and horrified his audiences since he took office. His so-called war on drugs and crime has already claimed 2,956 lives, according to police on Monday, and his sometimes crude statements have insulted targets as varied as the pope, the United Nations head and U.S. President Barack Obama.
In the speech Tuesday, the Philippine leader told officers to concentrate on domestic priorities. Rather than a possible battle in the South China Sea, Mr. Duterte said the military should focus on fighting drug traffickers and insurgencies.
Until now, the Philippines has bought the gear needed to fight such battles from suppliers in the U.S. and its Asian allies such as South Korea. But on Tuesday Mr. Duterte ordered Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana to seek suppliers in Russia and China, saying they offered soft loans payable in 20 to 25 years.
“I want weaponry and armaments…We don’t need F-16 jets, that is of no use to us,” he said, referring to the U.S.-made aircraft. “We don’t intend to fight any country. Let’s content ourselves even with propeller-driven planes that we could use extensively in anti-insurgency.”
Neither the U.S. Embassy in Manila nor the foreign and defense ministries of China and Russia immediately responded to requests for comment.
The Philippine military seemed caught off guard by the president’s remarks. “We are awaiting guidelines on how the president’s policy statements will be implemented,” a defense spokesman said.
Mr. Duterte enjoys a huge majority in the Philippine Congress and has few opponents willing to criticize him publicly. Additionally, he has courted the military and the police by pledging to double their salaries.
Although Mr. Duterte is unlikely to abrogate the U.S. defense treaty, he risks damaging ties with its closest ally since “friendly and constructive relations at the political level oil the wheels of the alliance,” said Angelica Mangahas, deputy executive director of the Albert del Rosario Institute for Strategic and International Studies in Manila.
The U.S. provided $441 million in security funding to the Philippines between 2002 and 2013, according to Rand Corp., a U.S. think tank. The Obama administration has earmarked a record $120 million in military aid to the poor country this year alone. The U.S. provided substantial aid to the Philippines after Typhoon Haiyan devastated the country in 2013.
“There are two camps in Washington—one that thinks Duterte is about to push the alliance off a cliff and there is nothing U.S. policy makers can do about it, and one that continues to argue that the alliance is just too important to both countries and so a way forward must be found,” said Gregory Poling of the Center for International and Strategic Studies. “But that latter group is losing the argument day by day as Duterte continues this anti-American rhetoric.
[Video report]
During his successful campaign for the presidency, Mr. Duterte spoke of wanting to improve relations with Beijing but didn’t speak publicly of wanting to diminish ties with Washington; indeed, foreign policy played almost no part in the presidential race.
“We are not cutting our alliances, but we will follow an independent foreign policy,” Mr. Duterte told members of the Philippine Air Force on Tuesday.
Now, Mr. Duterte’s apparent tilt toward Washington’s strategic rivals in Beijing and Moscow and open hostility toward the U.S. imperil that relationship.
“I do not like the Americans. It’s simply a matter of principle for me,” Mr. Duterte said Monday.
Last week, Mr. Duterte sparked controversy by appearing to call Mr. Obama a “son of a whore” during a media briefing, leading Mr. Obama to cancel planned talks with the Philippine leader.
On Monday, Mr. Duterte said U.S. forces in Zamboanga on the island of Mindanao, which advise local troops on counterterrorism operations, should leave, saying they were targets for insurgents. “They have to go; I do not want a rift with the U.S. but they have to go,” Mr. Duterte said.
The Philippine military said American personnel would be “eased from harm’s way” in the southern Philippines, where the army is waging a campaign against the extremist Abu Sayyaf group. “We assure our people and allies that Philippine-U.S. defense relations remain rock solid,” the military said.
The 2014 security pact was one of the main foreign-policy initiatives of former President Benigno Aquino III, who aimed to secure American backing in the Philippines’ struggle against China over disputed territory in the South China Sea.
The pact was also an important plank of Mr. Obama’s strategy of rebalancing to the Asia-Pacific region in response to China’s rising power. The two countries began joint patrols of the South China Sea in April.
Earlier this year, the two nations agreed to deploy thousands of American troops to five strategic Philippine bases. A timeframe wasn’t disclosed. Mr. Duterte’s spokesman said on Tuesday the leader still planned to honor the defense pact.
The Philippine leader’s U.S. criticism falls on fertile ground. Resentment over the U.S.’s nearly half-century of colonial rule here remains strong in some quarters. Yet Philippine society is on the whole notably pro-American. A June survey by local polling service Social Weather Stations found that the U.S. had a net trust rating of 72% among Filipinos. China had a net trust rating of minus 24%, with many Filipinos regarding China as a bully.
Still, Mr. Duterte has sometimes contrasted the U.S. unfavorably with China. On a trip to Indonesia last week he thanked China “for being so generous to us” by offering to build drug-rehabilitation centers in the country.
“Only China will help us,” he said. “America just gave you principles of law and nothing else.”
http://www.wsj.com/articles/duterte-signals-shift-in-u-s-philippine-military-alliance-1473774873
FEATURE: Defender troopers: Community’s partner in peace and development
From the Philippine Information Agency (Sep 13): FEATURE: Defender troopers: Community’s partner in peace and development
True to its mandate as defenders of people, soldiers of the 702nd Infantry (Defender) Brigade under the 7th Infantry Division, continue their journey of serving the people and securing the land as they celebrate their Brigade’s 28th founding anniversary.
Held on September 1 at the Camp Tito Abat in this town, the celebration was highlighted with the conferment of award to deserving personnel and recognizing stakeholders who greatly contributed to the Brigade’s mission.
Led by Commander Milfredo Melegrito, the troopers were told to continue their journey in service guided by this year’s founding anniversary with the theme “Your Defender in Peace and Partner in Development.”
Major General Angelito De Leon, commander of the 7th Infantry Division, said the contribution and role that defenders play for the betterment of the people are actions that will serve as inspiration to those who aspire to be instruments of peace and change.
“Continue with your mission and let the ‘bayanihan’ spirit take you towards the essence of being a true defender,” said De Leon to all the men and women of the 702nd Infantry (Defender) Brigade.
He said the Philippine Army responds with conviction to the government’s call to be one with them in fighting illegal drugs, corruption and other form of criminality following its core purpose in “serving the people and securing the land.”
Part of the celebration are the pre-anniversary activities which include the bloodletting drive in partnership with the Region I Medical Center where a total of 10,350 cubic centimeters of blood were collected from 23 individuals. A tree planting activity was also conducted in partnership with the Philippine Dental Association where 200 assorted fruit bearing trees were planted.
http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/2821473408742/feature-defender-troopers-community-s-partner-in-peace-and-development
True to its mandate as defenders of people, soldiers of the 702nd Infantry (Defender) Brigade under the 7th Infantry Division, continue their journey of serving the people and securing the land as they celebrate their Brigade’s 28th founding anniversary.
Held on September 1 at the Camp Tito Abat in this town, the celebration was highlighted with the conferment of award to deserving personnel and recognizing stakeholders who greatly contributed to the Brigade’s mission.
Led by Commander Milfredo Melegrito, the troopers were told to continue their journey in service guided by this year’s founding anniversary with the theme “Your Defender in Peace and Partner in Development.”
Major General Angelito De Leon, commander of the 7th Infantry Division, said the contribution and role that defenders play for the betterment of the people are actions that will serve as inspiration to those who aspire to be instruments of peace and change.
“Continue with your mission and let the ‘bayanihan’ spirit take you towards the essence of being a true defender,” said De Leon to all the men and women of the 702nd Infantry (Defender) Brigade.
He said the Philippine Army responds with conviction to the government’s call to be one with them in fighting illegal drugs, corruption and other form of criminality following its core purpose in “serving the people and securing the land.”
Part of the celebration are the pre-anniversary activities which include the bloodletting drive in partnership with the Region I Medical Center where a total of 10,350 cubic centimeters of blood were collected from 23 individuals. A tree planting activity was also conducted in partnership with the Philippine Dental Association where 200 assorted fruit bearing trees were planted.
http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/2821473408742/feature-defender-troopers-community-s-partner-in-peace-and-development
Stakeholders beef up security efforts in Davao Oriental
From the Philippine Information Agency (Sep 13): Stakeholders beef up security efforts in Davao Oriental
Stakeholders on peace and order have beefed up the province’s security efforts following the blast in Davao City on September 2 that left 14 people dead and more than 60 injured.
Governor Nelson L. Dayanghirang, who has convened the members of the Provincial Peace and Order Council in an emergency meeting recently, said it is of utmost importance that ‘we assure everyone of their safety’.
He ordered the Philippine Army and the Philippine National Police to intensify the province’s security measures. The Governor said he wants to tap the military reservists, the Barangay Peace Action Teams (BPATs), and the purok leaders as force multipliers in monitoring activities in the streets and the barangays.
He told the members of the PPOC that people should not think that attacks are limited to only one target area. “Any place can be a target that’s why it’s imperative that we must prepare to protect our province against any threats,” said Governor Dayanghirang.
Ensuring the province’s safety, the military and the police have strengthened their coordination.
Col. Bienvenido R. Datuin, Jr., Commander of the 701st Brigade of the Philippine Army, said the military has augmented the forces of the police, especially in the capital City of Mati. They have also deployed more military personnel to enhance police forces in intensifying checkpoints on key areas. He said that all available forces will be used to closely work with the PNP.
For his part, PSSUPT Harry Espela, Provincial Director of the Provincial Police Office said that the police forces are focusing their efforts on prevention of attacks and other criminal activities. He said they have mobilized police forces along with the BPATs. While the province is surrounded by seas, Espela said that the police are also mobilizing troops along coastal areas as open waters are often exploited by criminals as a means to move in or escape.
CONCERTED EFFORTS
Governor Dayanghirang said he stands behind President Rodrigo Duterte on his declaration of the ‘State of Lawless Violence’. He said he strongly supports the national government’s call to all local chief executives ‘to back security efforts of the PNP and the Armed Forces in the establishment of necessary security mechanisms to protect the public from the threats of terrorists and lawless elements’. He said that while the national government is doing its best to assure the people of their safety, supporting it is the least that the local government can do. “This is everybody’s concern and it is our responsibility to help the national government in keeping the people safe,” he said.
Encouraging unity and convergence, Governor Dayanghirang stressed the importance of vigilance among the people. He urges the citizens must do their fair share in protecting the community by reporting suspicious activities to the authorities.
“Everybody must become a watchdog,” he said. He added that terrorism is everybody’s concern, not just the government officials, the military and the police, but it involves the entire society.
Furthermore, Governor Dayanghirang encouraged local government units to support the Department of Interior and Local Government’s Masa Masid which is a barangay-based anti-criminality program. Primarily designed to counter illegal drugs and corruption, the Masa Masid’s mass-based and multi-sectoral approach can also be tapped to help fight terrorism.
http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/1591473737100/stakeholders-beef-up-security-efforts-in-davao-oriental
Stakeholders on peace and order have beefed up the province’s security efforts following the blast in Davao City on September 2 that left 14 people dead and more than 60 injured.
Governor Nelson L. Dayanghirang, who has convened the members of the Provincial Peace and Order Council in an emergency meeting recently, said it is of utmost importance that ‘we assure everyone of their safety’.
He ordered the Philippine Army and the Philippine National Police to intensify the province’s security measures. The Governor said he wants to tap the military reservists, the Barangay Peace Action Teams (BPATs), and the purok leaders as force multipliers in monitoring activities in the streets and the barangays.
He told the members of the PPOC that people should not think that attacks are limited to only one target area. “Any place can be a target that’s why it’s imperative that we must prepare to protect our province against any threats,” said Governor Dayanghirang.
Ensuring the province’s safety, the military and the police have strengthened their coordination.
Col. Bienvenido R. Datuin, Jr., Commander of the 701st Brigade of the Philippine Army, said the military has augmented the forces of the police, especially in the capital City of Mati. They have also deployed more military personnel to enhance police forces in intensifying checkpoints on key areas. He said that all available forces will be used to closely work with the PNP.
For his part, PSSUPT Harry Espela, Provincial Director of the Provincial Police Office said that the police forces are focusing their efforts on prevention of attacks and other criminal activities. He said they have mobilized police forces along with the BPATs. While the province is surrounded by seas, Espela said that the police are also mobilizing troops along coastal areas as open waters are often exploited by criminals as a means to move in or escape.
CONCERTED EFFORTS
Governor Dayanghirang said he stands behind President Rodrigo Duterte on his declaration of the ‘State of Lawless Violence’. He said he strongly supports the national government’s call to all local chief executives ‘to back security efforts of the PNP and the Armed Forces in the establishment of necessary security mechanisms to protect the public from the threats of terrorists and lawless elements’. He said that while the national government is doing its best to assure the people of their safety, supporting it is the least that the local government can do. “This is everybody’s concern and it is our responsibility to help the national government in keeping the people safe,” he said.
Encouraging unity and convergence, Governor Dayanghirang stressed the importance of vigilance among the people. He urges the citizens must do their fair share in protecting the community by reporting suspicious activities to the authorities.
“Everybody must become a watchdog,” he said. He added that terrorism is everybody’s concern, not just the government officials, the military and the police, but it involves the entire society.
Furthermore, Governor Dayanghirang encouraged local government units to support the Department of Interior and Local Government’s Masa Masid which is a barangay-based anti-criminality program. Primarily designed to counter illegal drugs and corruption, the Masa Masid’s mass-based and multi-sectoral approach can also be tapped to help fight terrorism.
http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/1591473737100/stakeholders-beef-up-security-efforts-in-davao-oriental
Peace activist takes helm of 6th Infantry Division
From the Philippine Star (Sep 13): Peace activist takes helm of 6th Infantry Division
Gov. Esmael Mangudadatu and Brigadier Gen. Carlito Galvez agreed to cooperate in addressing peace and security issues in Maguindanao province after Monday’s change of leadership in the Army’s 6th Infantry Division. Philstar.com / John Unson
A peace activist on Monday assumed leadership of the Army's 6th Infantry Division from a predecessor, who was known to have contributed to peace efforts in Central Mindanao.
Brig. Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr., former chairman of the government's Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH), took over from Major Gen. Edmundo Pangilinan, now vice commander of the Philippine Army.
The government's CCCH works with a counterpart in the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in addressing security problems in areas covered by the July 1997 Agreement on General Cessation of Hostilities between the secessionist group and Malacañang.
Pangilinan was the deputy commander for the Mindanao peace process of the Southern Mindanao Command in Zamboanga City prior to his assumption as 6th ID commander two years ago.
Galvez, while chairman of CCCH, participated in most major dialogues between the government and the MILF and facilitated, along with his counterparts in the rebel group, the amicable resolution of peace and security issues in flashpoint areas in Central Mindanao.
"I will continue the peace efforts of Gen. Pangilinan and even complement them with more peace programs to keep the peace we have in the 6th ID's area of responsibility," Galvez said.
A member of the MILF's reclusive central committee, Toks Ebrahim, and officials of their CCCH, surprisingly attended Monday's symbolic transition rite for the 6th ID's leadership from Pangilinan to Galvez, who each graduated from the Philippine Military Academy in 1983 and 1985, respectively.
The event was witnessed by Lt. Gen. Eduardo Año, commander of the Philippine Army, Maguindanao Gov. Esmael Mangudadatu and his constituent-local executives from the 36 towns in the province, and Kirby Abdullah, who is local government secretary of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
Also present at the turnover ceremony were Cotabato City Vice Mayor Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi and representatives from the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process and the MILF-led Bangsamoro Transition Commission. It was held at the parade ground of Camp Siongco in Datu Odin Sinsuat town in Maguindanao
Mangudadatu told reporters after the event he will ask Galvez to personally attend the periodic meetings of the inter-agency, multi-sectoral Maguindanao provincial peace and order council.
The Maguindanao PPOC has current programs complementing Malacañang's peace efforts with the MILF.
"We will immediately make Gen. Galvez a regular, voting member of the PPOC and request him to attend personally all of its meetings," Mangudadatu said.
The MILF has more than 20 government-recognized camps, now dubbed "peace zones," in Maguindanao.
Mangudadatu, presiding chairman of the Maguindanao PPOC, said he was elated seeing Galvez as the new 6th ID's commanding general.
The 6th ID has jurisdiction over Central Mindanao's Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, North Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat provinces and the cities of Tacurong and Cotabato, where there are MILF forces, bivouac areas of the outlawed Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters and where militias of political warlords create trouble during election periods.
"We need a peace advocate like him at the helm of 6th ID, someone who understands the Moro cultures and the peculiarity of the political and socio-economic landscapes in Central Mindanao," Mangudadatu said.
http://www.philstar.com/nation/2016/09/13/1623366/peace-activist-takes-helm-6th-infantry-division
Gov. Esmael Mangudadatu and Brigadier Gen. Carlito Galvez agreed to cooperate in addressing peace and security issues in Maguindanao province after Monday’s change of leadership in the Army’s 6th Infantry Division. Philstar.com / John Unson
A peace activist on Monday assumed leadership of the Army's 6th Infantry Division from a predecessor, who was known to have contributed to peace efforts in Central Mindanao.
Brig. Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr., former chairman of the government's Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH), took over from Major Gen. Edmundo Pangilinan, now vice commander of the Philippine Army.
The government's CCCH works with a counterpart in the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in addressing security problems in areas covered by the July 1997 Agreement on General Cessation of Hostilities between the secessionist group and Malacañang.
Pangilinan was the deputy commander for the Mindanao peace process of the Southern Mindanao Command in Zamboanga City prior to his assumption as 6th ID commander two years ago.
Galvez, while chairman of CCCH, participated in most major dialogues between the government and the MILF and facilitated, along with his counterparts in the rebel group, the amicable resolution of peace and security issues in flashpoint areas in Central Mindanao.
"I will continue the peace efforts of Gen. Pangilinan and even complement them with more peace programs to keep the peace we have in the 6th ID's area of responsibility," Galvez said.
A member of the MILF's reclusive central committee, Toks Ebrahim, and officials of their CCCH, surprisingly attended Monday's symbolic transition rite for the 6th ID's leadership from Pangilinan to Galvez, who each graduated from the Philippine Military Academy in 1983 and 1985, respectively.
The event was witnessed by Lt. Gen. Eduardo Año, commander of the Philippine Army, Maguindanao Gov. Esmael Mangudadatu and his constituent-local executives from the 36 towns in the province, and Kirby Abdullah, who is local government secretary of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
Also present at the turnover ceremony were Cotabato City Vice Mayor Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi and representatives from the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process and the MILF-led Bangsamoro Transition Commission. It was held at the parade ground of Camp Siongco in Datu Odin Sinsuat town in Maguindanao
Mangudadatu told reporters after the event he will ask Galvez to personally attend the periodic meetings of the inter-agency, multi-sectoral Maguindanao provincial peace and order council.
The Maguindanao PPOC has current programs complementing Malacañang's peace efforts with the MILF.
"We will immediately make Gen. Galvez a regular, voting member of the PPOC and request him to attend personally all of its meetings," Mangudadatu said.
The MILF has more than 20 government-recognized camps, now dubbed "peace zones," in Maguindanao.
Mangudadatu, presiding chairman of the Maguindanao PPOC, said he was elated seeing Galvez as the new 6th ID's commanding general.
The 6th ID has jurisdiction over Central Mindanao's Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, North Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat provinces and the cities of Tacurong and Cotabato, where there are MILF forces, bivouac areas of the outlawed Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters and where militias of political warlords create trouble during election periods.
"We need a peace advocate like him at the helm of 6th ID, someone who understands the Moro cultures and the peculiarity of the political and socio-economic landscapes in Central Mindanao," Mangudadatu said.
http://www.philstar.com/nation/2016/09/13/1623366/peace-activist-takes-helm-6th-infantry-division
Suspected NPAs burn sawmill in Agusan del Norte
From the Manila Bulletin (Sep 11): Suspected NPAs burn sawmill in Agusan del Norte
Heavily-armed men, believed to be members of the New People’s Army (NPA), set ablaze Friday night a sawmill at Mayo-os area, Barangay Bangonay, in Jabonga town, Agusan del Norte, police reported yesterday.
No one was hurt in the incident.
In its initial report to the regional command and action center of Northeastern Mindanao Police Regional Office 13 (PRO 13) based at Camp Rafael C. Rodriguez here yesterday, Surigao del Norte Police Provincial Office (PPO) Officer-In-Charge Supt. Rudy T. Cuyop said 11 armed men barged into the mini-sawmill at 8 p.m. Friday, and caught the care-taker and workers off-guard.
The mini-sawmill was reportedly owned by Junifer Dingding Garido, 36, a resident of Purok 4, Barangay Bangonay, Cuyop said.
The Jabonga Municipal Police Station (MPS) disclosed that the suspected communist rebels poured gasoline on a Yanmar 12 valve diesel engine, two units of flywheel and other sawmilling equipment, before setting them ablaze.
After the incident, the perpetrators immediately fled to a nearby mountain, Cuyop said, in his flash report to PRO 13 said.
The motive for the attack and cost of damage were still being determined by Garido and the Jabonga MPS.
http://www.mb.com.ph/suspected-npas-burn-sawmill-in-agusan-del-norte/
No one was hurt in the incident.
In its initial report to the regional command and action center of Northeastern Mindanao Police Regional Office 13 (PRO 13) based at Camp Rafael C. Rodriguez here yesterday, Surigao del Norte Police Provincial Office (PPO) Officer-In-Charge Supt. Rudy T. Cuyop said 11 armed men barged into the mini-sawmill at 8 p.m. Friday, and caught the care-taker and workers off-guard.
The mini-sawmill was reportedly owned by Junifer Dingding Garido, 36, a resident of Purok 4, Barangay Bangonay, Cuyop said.
The Jabonga Municipal Police Station (MPS) disclosed that the suspected communist rebels poured gasoline on a Yanmar 12 valve diesel engine, two units of flywheel and other sawmilling equipment, before setting them ablaze.
After the incident, the perpetrators immediately fled to a nearby mountain, Cuyop said, in his flash report to PRO 13 said.
The motive for the attack and cost of damage were still being determined by Garido and the Jabonga MPS.
US government’s disaster aid to PHL reaches USD251-M in 10 years
From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 13): US government’s disaster aid to PHL reaches USD251-M in 10 years
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=922439
The United States
aid on disaster emergency response to the Philippines
The biggest aid so far totaled to USD143 million for Typhoon
Yolanda operations, said Joseph Curry, regional adviser of the USAID’s Office
of the Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA).
USAID/OFDA is the office that leads and coordinates the US
Speaking before participants at the 7th U.S Embassy Seminar
for Regional Media on Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management in Monday,
Curry said the Philippines is among more than 60 countries where they offer
emergency assistance. Of these countries, 45 have been provided emergency
assistance benefiting 53 million people.
According to Curry, since 1991, the country has been visited
by 50 disasters, not including disasters with less impact on the country in
terms of damage and on the people’s activities.
Curry said the US
government supplements and supports the Philippines
While the assistance is channeled through government or
international non-government humanitarian agencies, Curry said they ensure that
their assistance is appropriate and based on humanitarian needs.
USAID/OFDA assistance is not limited to food but also includes
other critical commodities like emergency shelter materials, warm blankets,
water treatment systems, and hygiene kits. USAID/OFDA gets funds from the one
percent of America
Curry said emergency assistance is expected to continue
considering that the Philippines is one of the world’s most disaster prone
countries, particularly vulnerable to tropical cyclones and floods,
earthquakes, landslides and volcanic eruptions.
Curry said they also conduct field assessments to look at
how disaster is affecting people, identify target vulnerable population and
design disaster response intervention. They also have a shelter program.
According to research by the US Embassy in the Philippines Philippines
Meanwhile, the two-day seminar organized by the U.S. Embassy
in the Philippines
Emma Nagy, Deputy Press Attaché of the American Embassy in Manila
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=922439
Kidnap gang members trade shots with soldiers manning checkpoint in Maguindanao, 1 hurt
From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 13): Kidnap gang members trade shots with soldiers manning checkpoint in Maguindanao, 1 hurt
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=922523
Joint police and Army personnel are hunting down members of
a kidnap for ransom gang who engaged soldiers in a brief firefight Tuesday
morning in Maguindanao.
Colonel Felicisimo Budiongan, commander of 1st Mechanized
Brigade, said a soldier was injured when a kidnap gang leader defied Army
troopers manning checkpoints and rammed on highway road blocks at 8:15 a.m.
Budiongan said a police law enforcement operation was
earlier conducted in Barangay Midtimbang, Talayan, Maguindanao against Saudi
Kasan, a known KFRG leader.
Operatives of PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group
(CIDG) and PNP Special Action Force were closing in on Kasan’s location when he
fled.
Apparently, Kasan noticed the approaching lawmen at the
break of dawn and fled on board a red Mitsubishi Strada (MES-320).
At the military checkpoint, soldiers flagged down Kasan's
car for routine inspection but he ignored the soldiers and rammed on the concrete
road block and traded shots with Army personnel. The soldiers returned fire
until Kasan made good his escape.
Budiongan identified the injured soldier as Private First
Class Capadosa who was hit on his thigh.
Manhunt was quickly launched by joint Army and police forces.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=922523
US press attache: US to continue working with PHL in many areas of 'mutual concern'
From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 13): US press attache: US to continue working with PHL in many areas of 'mutual concern'
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=922547
The United States
will continue to work together with the Philippines
Koscina, in an interview with PNA Tuesday, cited the two-day
seminar for regional media held at the US Embassy in Manila
that ends today as an area of mutual concern to both the US and the Philippines
The seminar, which has media representatives from across the
country as participants, is on the “Role of Media in Disaster Preparedness and
Emergency Management.”
Koscina cited other areas of shared interest between the two
countries such as counter terrorism, improvement of life of the Filipino people
and the upholding of shared democratic values.
“Our relationship is very broad and our alliance is one of
the most enduring and important relationship in the Asia Pacific,” she said.
According to her, the Philippines ’
and the US
"It is built on shared sacrifice for democracy, human
rights and built on strong people ties," she added.
When asked how many US troops are in Mindanao ,
Koscina said she will refer the question to the defense department.
In a speech on Monday, President Rodrigo Duterte said he
wants US forces to pull out of Mindanao as he
pushes for an independent foreign policy.
"Yung mga (Those) special forces, they have to go. They
have to go. In Mindanao , maraming mga puti
doon (there are many whites there). They have to go," he said during the
oath-taking of 43 new appointees in Malacañang.
”I do not want a rift with America
President Duterte also mentioned the Bud Dajo incident, a
“counter-insurgency action fought by the United States Mindanao .
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=922547
Military ops against ASG to continue - DND chief
From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 13): Military ops against ASG to continue - DND chief
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=922467
Military operations against the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) will
continue until they are all neutralized.
Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Delfin
Lorenzana stressed that neutralization of the ASG was a direct order from the
President.
Elimination of the terrorists is needed as the ASG is
causing too much damage with their kidnapping activities and other atrocities.
Lorenzana said the military will not slow down on its
campaign as it has more than sufficient forces to pursue and eliminate the
bandits in Sulu.
Joint Task Force-Sulu commander Brig. Gen. Arnel Dela Vega
earlier said that his troops will soon deliver a decisive and crushing blow
against the bandits.
He made this statement Monday as he visited soldiers of the
101st and 501st Infantry Brigades deployed in the Patikul and Talipao towns,
the frontlines in the ongoing operations against the terrorist group.
"It will just be a matter of time before our troops
will engage the ASG and punch a decisive blow into their ranks and
leadership," he added.
Operations against the ASG went in high gear after the
bandits beheaded 18-year-old Patrick Almodavar last Aug. 25.
Dela Vega said his visit is aimed at boosting the morale of
troops in the fields and at the same time, to get an appraisal of the ongoing
focused military operations.
ASG death toll in the ongoing offensive is estimated to be
32 in Sulu and 27 in Basilan for a total of 59 while government forces
sustained 18 killed and 28 wounded.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=922467
US gov't to continue focusing on PHL, US shared areas of interest, says US embassy info officer
From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 13): US gov't to continue focusing on PHL, US shared areas of interest, says US embassy info officer
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=922488
The United States
government will continue to focus on its broad relationship with the Philippines in many areas of interest, the
information officer of the US Embassy in Manila
The American government will work together with the
Philippine government in areas of mutual interest, such as disaster
preparedness and counter-terrorism, and for the improvement of the Filipino
people’s lives while upholding the democratic values shared by both sovereign
states, Molly Koscina said in an interview with media participants in the 7th
US Embassy Seminar for Regional Media.
According to her, the Philippines ’
and the US
"It is built on shared sacrifice for democracy, human
rights and built on strong people ties," she added.
When asked how many US troops are in Mindanao, Koscina said
she will refer the question to the US
In a speech on Monday, President Rodrigo Duterte said he
wants US forces to pull out of Mindanao as he
pushes for an independent foreign policy.
"Yung mga (Those) special forces, they have to go. They
have to go. In Mindanao , maraming mga puti
doon (there are many whites there). They have to go," he said during the
oath-taking of 43 new appointees in Malacañang.
”I do not want a rift with America
President Duterte also mentioned the Bud Dajo incident, a
“counter-insurgency action fought by the United States Mindanao .
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=922488
PRRD’s pronouncement for US troops to leave Mindanao is not policy yet – Palace
From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 13): PRRD’s pronouncement for US troops to leave Mindanao is not policy yet – Palace
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=&sid=&nid=&rid=922555
Malacanang clarified on Tuesday that President Rodrigo
Duterte’s pronouncement that US troops should leave Mindanao
is not yet a policy of the present administration.
”It is not a policy yet. Nobody acted on it yet but these
are backgrounders for possible future action,” Presidential Spokesperson
Ernesto Abella said in a media briefing in Malacanang.
”There is no specific directive as to how this pronouncement
will be effected. The President has already painted a picture and let’s see how
it goes,” he added.
Abella said President Duterte is just setting the foreign
policy “that is an independent one and not dependent on one superior state or
two from which we can depend on.”
”In other words, this action, these references are intended
to communicate to one and all that we need to be ready to chart our own
course,” he explained.
He also explained that the Philippines is not turning its
back on the United States, one of the country’s oldest and closest allies and
source of many assistance during calamities.
”We’re not turning our back on anybody. We are just simply
charting an independent course,” he clarified.
Abella said when President Duterte made his pronouncement
that the American troops should leave Mindanao, “he was simply presenting a
context why there was conflict in Mindanao .”
”The Muslims have this long historical and cultural wounds
which have been left unaddressed and unatoned for and unrepented for that they
held in their collective memory in which they see the Americans as perpetrators
of a wrong that has not been addressed and the Philippines having ties with the
Americans are therefore also suspect in their intention regarding peace in
Mindanao,” Abella explained.
Abella was referring to the photos of the Bud Dajo massacre
that President Duterte showed during the last Monday’s oath taking of his 43
appointees. The photos showed the US
”It is a lingering skeleton which in a sense, removes the
moral ascendancy of those who criticizes the Philippines
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=&sid=&nid=&rid=922555
Duterte's call for US troops withdrawal to affect only a small number of US personnel - AFP
From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 13): Duterte's call for US troops withdrawal to affect only a small number of US personnel - AFP
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=922511
President Rodrigo Duterte's call for withdrawal of US troops
in Mindanao will only affect a small number of American servicemen, the Armed
Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said on Tuesday.
"The recent pronouncement will affect only a token
number of American servicemen who are confined mainly in Zamboanga City Philippines
Duterte earlier said US
troops in Mindanao should leave as they could
be kidnapped by the Abu Sayyaf Group terrorists.
He added that the military take due notice of the
pronouncement as Duterte's expressed concern for the safety of US Servicemen in
Mindanao .
""Pursuant to the same statement, he desires that
our American counterparts should be eased from harms way. This refers to Western Mindanao (in particular areas like Zamboanga,
Basilan & Sulu) where intense focused military operations combating
terrorism are ongoing," Arevalo said.
The AFP public affairs office chief added that they are yet
to receive any specific directive as to how this pronouncement will be
effected.
"We understand that the implementation of the said
pronouncement is the subject of deliberations by concerned departments like DND
(Department of National Defense) and DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs) to
mention some," he pointed out.
"We assure our people and allies that PHL-US defense
relations remains rock solid. Activities lined up for the year continue without
interruption. Consultative planning activities for 2017 & beyond likewise
remain on track," Arevalo concluded.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=922511
SC dismisses graft charges vs 14 PAF officers
From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 13): SC dismisses graft charges vs 14 PAF officers
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=922562
The Supreme Court (SC) Third Division has affirmed the
decision of the Sandiganbayan to dismiss the six graft charges filed against 14
Philippine Air Force (PAF) officers due to "ghost deliveries" of
procured construction materials and supplies worth PHP89 million for the 5th
Fighter Wing, PAF in Basa Airbase, Pampanga.
In an 18-page decision issued on August 23 but released to
media Tuesday, and penned by Associate Justice Diosdado Peralta and concurred
in by Associate Justices Presbitero Velasco Jr., Jose Portugal Perez,
Bienvenido Reyes, and Francis Jardeleza, the SC’s Third Division agreed with
the Sandiganbayan ’s resolutions issued on October 15, 2010 and September 16,
2011 dismissing the complaints against the respondents .
The High Court affirmed the Sandiganbayan's resolutions
issued in 2010 and 2011 dismissing the complaints against the following
respondents: Lt. Gen. Leopoldo S. Acot (retired) , B/Gen. Ildefonso N.
Dulinayan (retired), Maj. Gen. Glenn Orquila, Lt. Col. Santiago B. Ramirez, Lt.
Col. Cesar M. Carifio, Maj. Proceso T. Sabado , Maj. Pacquito L. Cuenca, lLt.
Marcelino M. Morales, M/Sgt. Atulfo D. Tampolino and Remedios Diaz , Capts.
Herminigildo Llave and Jose Gadin; and supplier-contractors Gloria Bayona and
Ramon Bayona Jr.,
The Court said the Ombudsman violated the constitutional
rights of the defendants to due process and to speedy disposition of their case
because the preliminary investigation took 15 years to finish.
It noted that the complaint against the military officials
was filed on December 28, 1994 until the issuance of a resolution dated April
12, 1996.
“Reasoning that the Office of the Ombudsman was in the midst
of transferring to a new building is a lame excuse not to have resolved the
matter at the earliest opportunity,” the SC noted.
“In addition, the prolonged investigation of the case from
1998 to 2009 by three Ombudsmen with divergent views as to what charges should
be filed and the persons to be indicted cannot sufficient justification for the
unreasonable length of time it took to resolve the controversy,” it added.
Due to the “unjustified” delay in the filing of cases, the
SC said it cannot be denied that the respondents’ constitutional right to due
process and speedy disposition of cases had been violated.
“As the institutional vanguard against corruption and
bureaucracy, the Office of the Ombudsman should create a system of
accountability in order to ensure that cases before it are resolved with
reasonable dispatch and to equally expose those who are responsible for its
delays, as it ought to determine in this case,” the SC added.
In upholding the dismissal of the charges against the PAF
officers, the SC added that the investigation process against them commenced on
December 28, 1994 when the complaint was filed with the Ombudsman.
On April 12, 1996, the Ombudsman recommended the filing of
graft charges against the respondents.
The SC noted that it took more than 13 years to review and
file the said information before the Sandiganbayan.
“The question therefore is – was the delay on the part of
the Office of the Ombudsman vexatious, capricious and oppressive? We answer in
the affirmative,” the SC ruled.
The SC added that the reasons offered by the Ombudsman to
justify the delay were not convincing to warrant the reversal of the dismissal
of the case.
The case stemmed from the letter-complaint filed by a
certain Carmelita Ramirez before the Ombudsman for the Military and other Law
Enforcement Officers (MOLEO) accusing that the respondents conspired and
defrauded the government in the amount of PHP89 million through ghost
deliveries.
The complaint prompted the MOLEO to conduct a fact-finding
investigation.
It found out that based on the audit of Armed Forces of the Philippines
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=922562
3rd ID troops now undergoing 'TI&E' prior deployment to checkpoint, patrol operations with PNP
From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 13): 3rd ID troops now undergoing 'TI&E' prior deployment to checkpoint, patrol operations with PNP
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=922480
Troopers from the Capiz-based 3rd Infantry Division have
started their "Troop Information & Education" (TI&E) prior to
their deployment to the Philippine National Police (PNP) for checkpoint and
patrol operations in Western and Central Visayas .
This is in connection to the proclamation made by President
Rodrigo R. Duterte through Proclamation Number 55 declaring a state of lawless
violence last Sept. 4, after the Davao City blast which killed 14 people and
injured more than 60 others last Sept. 2.
“With the increasing military presence in some identified
places, I instructed all field commanders to conduct pre-deployment briefing to
troops before deployment and conduct of a regular information drive which we
term it in the military as TI&E," 3rd Infantry Division commander
Major Gen. Harold Cabreros said.
Under Section 18, Article VII of the 1987 Constitution, the
President as the Commander-in-Chief of all Armed Forces of the the Philippines
whenever it becomes necessary, “may call out such Armed Forces to prevent or
suppress lawless violence, invasion or rebellion”.
The 3rd Infantry Division is tasked to conduct support to
intensified checkpoint operations and visibility patrols in critical road
networks, vital installations, transport/bus terminals and seaports and
airports and conduct inspections/searches to suspected terrorists in
coordination with the PNP and other law enforcement agencies.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=922480
US troop withdrawal in Mindanao to have minimal effect in PHL anti-terror efforts
From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 13): US troop withdrawal in Mindanao to have minimal effect in PHL anti-terror efforts
Should theUS
troop withdrawal in Mindanao proceed, the
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said it will have minimal effect on the
military's anti-terror operations in the region.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=922550
Should the
This was stressed by AFP public affairs service head Col.
Edgard Arevalo in a briefing Tuesday.
"(Should US
President Rodrigo Duterte earlier said US troops in Mindanao
should leave as they could be kidnapped by the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG)
terrorists.
Currently, US military personnel in Mindanao only amounts to
107 with all of them concentrated at Western Mindanao Command headquarters at
Camp Don Basilio Navarro, Calarian, Zamboanga
City
These American personnel are providing intelligence,
technical and training to Filipino counter-terrorist forces.
American presence in the area started in 2003 with the
creation of Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines which was tasked to
provide anti-terror training to the AFP.
And should they withdraw from Mindanao ,
the AFP public affairs office chief said that these Americans can still provide
these services even if they are in Metro Manila.
Arevalo also clarified that these US
He added that the military take due notice of the
pronouncement as the President's concern for the safety of US servicemen in Mindanao .
"Pursuant to the same statement, he (Duterte) desires
that our American counterparts should be eased from harms way. This refers to Western Mindanao (in particular areas like Zamboanga,
Basilan and Sulu) where intense focused military operations combating terrorism
are ongoing," Arevalo said.
The AFP public affairs office chief also added that they are
still to receive any specific directive as to how this pronouncement will be
effected.
"We understand that the implementation of the said
pronouncement is the subject of deliberations by concerned departments like DND
(Department of National Defense) and DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs) to
mention some," he pointed out.
"We assure our people and allies that PH-US defense
relations remains rock solid. Activities line up for the year continue without
interruption. Consultative planning activities for 2017 and beyond likewise
remain on track," Arevalo said.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=922550
DSWD continues to assess needs of families of soldiers killed, wounded in action
From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 13): DSWD continues to assess needs of families of soldiers killed, wounded in action
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=922605
Social workers from the Department of Social Welfare and
Development (DSWD) continue to conduct home visits to the families of soldiers
either killed or wounded in action (KIA/WIA) for possible counseling, medical,
financial and other appropriate services according to their needs.
The initiative is in line with the directive of President
Rodrigo R. Duterte to assist the said families.
To date, DSWD social workers have already visited 53 out of
the 95 families of KIA/WIA soldiers.
The families are from the National Capital Region,
Cordillera Administrative Region, Regions I, II, III, IV-B, V, VI, X, XII and
the Negros Island Region.
The social workers continue to locate the other families in
their declared addresses.
Most of the evaluated soldiers were recommended for
livelihood, extension of financial and medical assistance and inclusion of the
parents in DSWD’s programs such as the Social Pension Program for Indigent
Senior Citizens.
The DSWD’s Crisis Intervention Unit (CIU) has given initial
financial assistance that covers the educational, transportation, medical and
food subsidy to the wounded soldiers and their dependents.
If deemed necessary, the Department is ready to provide more
resources for them as directed by DSWD Secretary Judy M. Taguiwalo.
“Almost all of the soldiers assessed by our social workers
lack the resources for daily subsistence because their salaries are not enough
to sustain the needs of their families. DSWD is ready to provide extended aid
to them. However, what we really want is a just and lasting peace to prevent
any social injustice and where people’s rights are protected and promoted,”
Taguiwalo said.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=922605
Pres. Duterte says no more joint patrols for PHL in disputed waters
From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 13): Pres. Duterte says no more joint patrols for PHL in disputed waters
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=922686
President Rodrigo Duterte said Tuesday the Philippines would no longer join any patrol
expeditions in the West Philippine Sea even as
he asserted the country's entitlements to portions of the disputed waters that
are part of its exclusive economic zone.
In his speech during the 48th anniversary celebrations of
the 250th Presidential Airlift Wing, the President said he would not involve
the Philippines
“We will not join any expedition of patrolling the sea. I will
not allow it because I don’t want my country to be involved in a hostile act,”
he said.
“When you patrol -- not on the high seas but some other
else’s territory -- whether it is really owned by us, which the law says, the
judgment says, ‘Atin yan entitlements’ ('Those are our entitlements') at
sabihin naman ng isa, (and the other would say) -- China China or with America
“I just want to patrol our territorial waters… We do not go
into a patrol or join any other army from now because I do not want trouble,”
he said.
In the meantime, the President reminded China of The Hague’s
ruling that favored the Philippines
in the West Philippine Sea dispute.
“May I remind China
“But the territory (territorial sea) is limited to the
12-mile limit. So that is ours. Hanggang diyan lang tayo (That is our limit),”
Duterte said.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=922686
PHL to buy weaponry, armaments from Russia, China
From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 13): PHL to buy weaponry, armaments from Russia, China
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=922659
President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday bared that Russia and China
Speaking before members of the Philippine Air Force during
the 48th anniversary celebrations of the 250th Presidential Airlift Wing, the
President said that the two countries have also agreed to provide the military
equipment through soft loans.
“The two countries have agreed to give me the softest loan,
payable in 20-25 years. Sabi ko sa kanila, I want weaponry and armaments,” he
said.
But the deal, he said, would not include high-end fighter
jets like F-16s or the like as the Philippines
“Let’s contend ourselves with the propeller-driven planes
but which we can use extensively in counter-insurgency,” Duterte said.
“There are countries that offered us, so many. Sabi nila
mamili ka lang dun. I would like to ask Defense Secretary (Delfin) Llorenzana
to go with you, along with the technical people. Go to Russia , go to China
“We can buy the arms where they are cheap and where there
are no strings attached and it is transparent. Sabi ko sa kanila, I won’t deal
with you except on government to government basis. They said that they will be
happy to show you what they can offer,” Duterte said
He also called on the military establishment for better
intelligence gathering.
“The most important thing here is you have to change
paradigm. Hindi na ito giyera na harap-harapan. So it’s always a matter of
detection, meaning something is afoot and you have to detect to find out what
it is. ibahin na ninyo because we are dealing with terrorists. There will be
explosion after explosion until we find peace,” the President said.
“I will give everything you need to defeat the enemy. Short
of a world war which we cannot participate and which is anyhow useless, I will
give you all the things you want,” Duterte said.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=922659
Philippines: President Duterte Wants US Special Ops To Leave Country
From the Eurasia Review (Sep 13): Philippines: President Duterte Wants US Special Ops To Leave Country
The Philippines' Rodrigo Duterte. Photo by Keith Kristoffer Bacongco, Wikipedia Commons.
One week after Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte caused the biggest diplomatic scandal yet for his relatively new administration, when he called president Obama “son of a bitch” (or “son of a whore” according to an alternative translation), only to backtrack and offer tacit apologies when the US president decided to cancel a previously scheduled meeting between the two leaders, Duterte once again made waves on Monday when he called for the withdrawal of U.S. military from a restive southern island, fearing an American troop presence could complicate offensives against Islamist militants notorious for beheading Westerners.
According to Reuters, Duterte said special forces now training Filipino troops were high-value targets for the Islamic State-linked Abu Sayyaf as counter-insurgency operations intensify.
“These special forces, they have to go,” Duterte said in a speech during an oath-taking ceremony for new officials.
“I do not want a rift with America. But they have to go.” He added: “Americans, they will really kill them, they will try to kidnap them to get ransom.”
The statement from Duterte adds to uncertainty about what impact his rise to the presidency will have on one of Washington’s best alliances in Asia. Duterte wants an independent foreign policy and says close ties with the United States are crucial, but he has frequently accused the former colonial power of hypocrisy when criticized for his deadly drugs war. He denied on Friday calling Obama a “son of a bitch”.
Some U.S. special forces have been killed in the southern Philippines since 2002, when Washington deployed soldiers to train and advise local units fighting Abu Sayyaf in Operation Enduring Freedom, part of its global anti-terror strategy. At the height of that, some 1,200 Americans were in Zamboanga City and on Jolo and Basilan islands, both strongholds of Abu Sayyaf, which is known for its brutality and for earning huge sums of money from hostage-taking.
The U.S. program was discontinued in the Philippines in 2015 but a small troop presence has remained for logistics and technical support. Washington has shifted much of its security focus in the Philippines towards the South China Sea.
In his speech to officials on Monday, Duterte repeated comments from last week when he accused the United States of committing atrocities against Muslims over a century ago on Jolo island. Last week, when speaking in Loas, Duterte spoke for more than five minutes about human rights and his campaign against drugs during the East Asian Summit in the Laotian capital of Vientiane, according to one Indonesian diplomat at the meeting.
“Let me tell you about human rights,” Duterte said while displaying a picture of Filipinos killed by American soldiers about a century ago. “This is my ancestors being killed, so why now we are talking about human rights? We have to talk of the full spectrum of human rights.” Duterte spoke after Obama had delivered a speech that referred to human rights.
http://www.eurasiareview.com/13092016-philipines-president-duterte-wants-us-special-ops-to-leave-country/
The Philippines' Rodrigo Duterte. Photo by Keith Kristoffer Bacongco, Wikipedia Commons.
One week after Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte caused the biggest diplomatic scandal yet for his relatively new administration, when he called president Obama “son of a bitch” (or “son of a whore” according to an alternative translation), only to backtrack and offer tacit apologies when the US president decided to cancel a previously scheduled meeting between the two leaders, Duterte once again made waves on Monday when he called for the withdrawal of U.S. military from a restive southern island, fearing an American troop presence could complicate offensives against Islamist militants notorious for beheading Westerners.
According to Reuters, Duterte said special forces now training Filipino troops were high-value targets for the Islamic State-linked Abu Sayyaf as counter-insurgency operations intensify.
“These special forces, they have to go,” Duterte said in a speech during an oath-taking ceremony for new officials.
“I do not want a rift with America. But they have to go.” He added: “Americans, they will really kill them, they will try to kidnap them to get ransom.”
The statement from Duterte adds to uncertainty about what impact his rise to the presidency will have on one of Washington’s best alliances in Asia. Duterte wants an independent foreign policy and says close ties with the United States are crucial, but he has frequently accused the former colonial power of hypocrisy when criticized for his deadly drugs war. He denied on Friday calling Obama a “son of a bitch”.
Some U.S. special forces have been killed in the southern Philippines since 2002, when Washington deployed soldiers to train and advise local units fighting Abu Sayyaf in Operation Enduring Freedom, part of its global anti-terror strategy. At the height of that, some 1,200 Americans were in Zamboanga City and on Jolo and Basilan islands, both strongholds of Abu Sayyaf, which is known for its brutality and for earning huge sums of money from hostage-taking.
The U.S. program was discontinued in the Philippines in 2015 but a small troop presence has remained for logistics and technical support. Washington has shifted much of its security focus in the Philippines towards the South China Sea.
In his speech to officials on Monday, Duterte repeated comments from last week when he accused the United States of committing atrocities against Muslims over a century ago on Jolo island. Last week, when speaking in Loas, Duterte spoke for more than five minutes about human rights and his campaign against drugs during the East Asian Summit in the Laotian capital of Vientiane, according to one Indonesian diplomat at the meeting.
“Let me tell you about human rights,” Duterte said while displaying a picture of Filipinos killed by American soldiers about a century ago. “This is my ancestors being killed, so why now we are talking about human rights? We have to talk of the full spectrum of human rights.” Duterte spoke after Obama had delivered a speech that referred to human rights.
http://www.eurasiareview.com/13092016-philipines-president-duterte-wants-us-special-ops-to-leave-country/
Duterte wants US special forces out: Are US-Philippines ties unraveling?
From the Christian Science Monitor (Sep 12): Duterte wants US special forces out: Are US-Philippines ties unraveling?
Recent rockiness between President Rodrigo Duterte and President Obama has led to questions about the stability of the alliance between the United States and its key ally in southeast Asia.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte steps out of his limousine upon arrival at Merdeka Palace to meet Indonesian counterpart Joko Widodo in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Friday.
Between rude comments, violent drug crackdowns, and a slew of anti-US rhetoric, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has been keeping the United States on its toes since his election in May.
On Monday, Mr. Duterte called for US special forces to leave the southern Philippine island of Mindanao, where the US military has maintained a presence since 2002. The demand is the latest move by the president to raise questions about the stability of the Philippine-US relationship uncertain.
Duterte, while highly popular in his own country, has been a controversial figure abroad. As The Christian Science Monitor previously reported, Duterte received a huge electoral mandate to crack down on the drug trade in the country, which has resulted in a massive decrease in drug trafficking. This decrease, however, came at the price of more than 2,000 lives, including a large number of extrajudicial killings.
Despite the brutality of his anti-drug policies, Duterte remains extremely popular through his image as a "strongman" leader willing to do whatever it takes to bring security to the country.
Part of Duterte's persona is his proclivity for inflammatory, off-the-cuff remarks in the heat of the moment that he often later contradicts. But his unpredictability as a leader means that it is hard to know when comments like this are meant to be taken seriously. Last week, Duterte expressed regret for calling President Obama a "son of a whore." The offensive remark may have been partially responsible for the cancellation of a meeting between the two leaders in Laos.
Robert Manning, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, tells theMonitor that the insult, by itself, would not be enough to substantially damage relations between the two countries.
"I think the [Obama] administration is looking at Duterte kind of a wild card in some respects," says Manning. "One minute he's threatening to go out on a jet ski and confront the Chinese navy, and the next minute, he's talking about negotiating with them."
Before Duterte's election, the US-Philippine relationship had been strengthening for years, according to Bloomberg.
The US special forces troops were initially deployed in Mindanao as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, the global US initiative to fight terrorism, according to Reuters. Their main objective in Mindanao is to assist Philippine forces in fighting Abu Sayyaf, a militant group with ties to the self-declared Islamic State.
Since taking office, Duterte has ordered the Filipino military to focus on Abu Sayyaf in particular following a spate of kidnappings involving both Filipinos and foreign nationals.
In a speech on Monday, the Duterte said that the US troops would only complicate the fight against Abu Sayyaf.
"The US Special Forces, they have to go. They have to go in Mindanao," said Duterte, according to United Press International (UPI). "If they [terrorists] see an American, they would kill him. They would demand ransom, then kill him."
There is more than a little nationalistic rhetoric in the demand that American forces leave the region, playing on the increasingly popular notion in the Philippines that Filipinos should fight their own battles without depending on outside forces like the US, says Dinesh Sharma, an associate research professor at the Institute of Global Cultural Studies at Binghamton University in New York. Professor Sharma calls the speech more "political theatre" and "flexing muscles" typical of the inflammatory president's style.
"Mr. Duterte has also criticized the [United Nations] and threatened to leave the UN due to human rights issues in the drug war that he has led," even though he is unlikely to follow through with it, Sharma writes in an email to the Monitor.
"Mr. Duterte is given to forceful, blunt language," he adds.
But Manning says there may be another layer in the demand that points to dissatisfaction with how the US has been handling disputes in the region. "I think there's an element of frustration that Duterte's expressing because they've been pushing for more explicit US guarantees regarding Scarborough Shoal that the Chinese might be about to start dredging and building facilities on, and the US has been unwilling to go that far in terms of the alliance," he says.
Scarborough Shoal is a lagoon formerly under Philippine control that was seized by the Chinese government in 2012. Beijing apparently wants to create an artificial island on the lagoon that would eventually become a military base, as it has done before with other locations in the South China Sea. The prospect of a Chinese military base on Scarborough Shoal has made many Filipinos nervous.
Many in the Philippines say that the US is not giving them enough support against China, especially when compared to the support the US has expressed for Japan in similar disputes. When the Chinese challenged Japan's claim to various islands in the region last year, Obama explicitly confirmed that the US-Japan security pact applied to those disputed islands as well, according to the BBC.
But the Philippines have received no such guarantee.
Another possible theory: The noise Duterte is making over US special forces may distract from the growing US military presence elsewhere. In March, Washington signed a new agreement with Manila to station American troops at five different bases in the Philippines. The move is seen as a counter to Chinese growing presences on nearby islands.
"I suspect that it will ramp up slowly," Jan van Tol, a retired U.S. Navy captain and senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments in Washington told the Military Times. "A suddenly much larger U.S. presence, even if just a rotational presence, that can be seen, certainty in Beijing, that this is a ratcheting up of a U.S.-Chinese competition in the South China Sea."
The Philippines' proximity to China makes their territory a tempting source of various important resources for Beijing. Many nations in Southeast Asia have access to oil, gas, and especially fishing waters that the Chinese want, says Manning. With some many mouths to feed, China is suffering from the effects of overfishing in its own territorial waters and has increasingly claimed large swaths of the Pacific on the grounds that they were historic Chinese fishing grounds. This has left the waters' original claimants, like the Philippines, high and dry.
"In southeast Asia, they're looking for kind of Goldilocks policy," says Manning. "They want the US there, they want a military security presence, but they don't want confrontation with China, so we need to have it just right."
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Global-News/2016/0912/Duterte-wants-US-special-forces-out-Are-US-Philippines-ties-unraveling
Recent rockiness between President Rodrigo Duterte and President Obama has led to questions about the stability of the alliance between the United States and its key ally in southeast Asia.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte steps out of his limousine upon arrival at Merdeka Palace to meet Indonesian counterpart Joko Widodo in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Friday.
Between rude comments, violent drug crackdowns, and a slew of anti-US rhetoric, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has been keeping the United States on its toes since his election in May.
On Monday, Mr. Duterte called for US special forces to leave the southern Philippine island of Mindanao, where the US military has maintained a presence since 2002. The demand is the latest move by the president to raise questions about the stability of the Philippine-US relationship uncertain.
Duterte, while highly popular in his own country, has been a controversial figure abroad. As The Christian Science Monitor previously reported, Duterte received a huge electoral mandate to crack down on the drug trade in the country, which has resulted in a massive decrease in drug trafficking. This decrease, however, came at the price of more than 2,000 lives, including a large number of extrajudicial killings.
Despite the brutality of his anti-drug policies, Duterte remains extremely popular through his image as a "strongman" leader willing to do whatever it takes to bring security to the country.
Part of Duterte's persona is his proclivity for inflammatory, off-the-cuff remarks in the heat of the moment that he often later contradicts. But his unpredictability as a leader means that it is hard to know when comments like this are meant to be taken seriously. Last week, Duterte expressed regret for calling President Obama a "son of a whore." The offensive remark may have been partially responsible for the cancellation of a meeting between the two leaders in Laos.
Robert Manning, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, tells theMonitor that the insult, by itself, would not be enough to substantially damage relations between the two countries.
"I think the [Obama] administration is looking at Duterte kind of a wild card in some respects," says Manning. "One minute he's threatening to go out on a jet ski and confront the Chinese navy, and the next minute, he's talking about negotiating with them."
Before Duterte's election, the US-Philippine relationship had been strengthening for years, according to Bloomberg.
The US special forces troops were initially deployed in Mindanao as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, the global US initiative to fight terrorism, according to Reuters. Their main objective in Mindanao is to assist Philippine forces in fighting Abu Sayyaf, a militant group with ties to the self-declared Islamic State.
Since taking office, Duterte has ordered the Filipino military to focus on Abu Sayyaf in particular following a spate of kidnappings involving both Filipinos and foreign nationals.
In a speech on Monday, the Duterte said that the US troops would only complicate the fight against Abu Sayyaf.
"The US Special Forces, they have to go. They have to go in Mindanao," said Duterte, according to United Press International (UPI). "If they [terrorists] see an American, they would kill him. They would demand ransom, then kill him."
There is more than a little nationalistic rhetoric in the demand that American forces leave the region, playing on the increasingly popular notion in the Philippines that Filipinos should fight their own battles without depending on outside forces like the US, says Dinesh Sharma, an associate research professor at the Institute of Global Cultural Studies at Binghamton University in New York. Professor Sharma calls the speech more "political theatre" and "flexing muscles" typical of the inflammatory president's style.
"Mr. Duterte has also criticized the [United Nations] and threatened to leave the UN due to human rights issues in the drug war that he has led," even though he is unlikely to follow through with it, Sharma writes in an email to the Monitor.
"Mr. Duterte is given to forceful, blunt language," he adds.
But Manning says there may be another layer in the demand that points to dissatisfaction with how the US has been handling disputes in the region. "I think there's an element of frustration that Duterte's expressing because they've been pushing for more explicit US guarantees regarding Scarborough Shoal that the Chinese might be about to start dredging and building facilities on, and the US has been unwilling to go that far in terms of the alliance," he says.
Scarborough Shoal is a lagoon formerly under Philippine control that was seized by the Chinese government in 2012. Beijing apparently wants to create an artificial island on the lagoon that would eventually become a military base, as it has done before with other locations in the South China Sea. The prospect of a Chinese military base on Scarborough Shoal has made many Filipinos nervous.
Many in the Philippines say that the US is not giving them enough support against China, especially when compared to the support the US has expressed for Japan in similar disputes. When the Chinese challenged Japan's claim to various islands in the region last year, Obama explicitly confirmed that the US-Japan security pact applied to those disputed islands as well, according to the BBC.
But the Philippines have received no such guarantee.
Another possible theory: The noise Duterte is making over US special forces may distract from the growing US military presence elsewhere. In March, Washington signed a new agreement with Manila to station American troops at five different bases in the Philippines. The move is seen as a counter to Chinese growing presences on nearby islands.
"I suspect that it will ramp up slowly," Jan van Tol, a retired U.S. Navy captain and senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments in Washington told the Military Times. "A suddenly much larger U.S. presence, even if just a rotational presence, that can be seen, certainty in Beijing, that this is a ratcheting up of a U.S.-Chinese competition in the South China Sea."
The Philippines' proximity to China makes their territory a tempting source of various important resources for Beijing. Many nations in Southeast Asia have access to oil, gas, and especially fishing waters that the Chinese want, says Manning. With some many mouths to feed, China is suffering from the effects of overfishing in its own territorial waters and has increasingly claimed large swaths of the Pacific on the grounds that they were historic Chinese fishing grounds. This has left the waters' original claimants, like the Philippines, high and dry.
"In southeast Asia, they're looking for kind of Goldilocks policy," says Manning. "They want the US there, they want a military security presence, but they don't want confrontation with China, so we need to have it just right."
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Global-News/2016/0912/Duterte-wants-US-special-forces-out-Are-US-Philippines-ties-unraveling
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