US won't turn away from Asia: US admiral

From The Standard (Nov 16): US won't turn away from Asia: US admiral

The United States will not end up turning away from Asia in coming years, a top US military official said Tuesday, as Donald Trump's White House win kept regional allies fretting.

The US president-elect sounded fairly isolationist on the campaign trail; in contrast, President Barack Obama, who grew up partly in Indonesia, made the region a priority.

Trump annoyed Japan by saying it was not paying enough in the US-Japanese military relationship.

He even suggested it might become a nuclear power in order to not rely on the United States to defend it.

"It would be inappropriate for me to speculate on a potential policy initiative of the next administration or certainly for me to wade in politics," said Admiral Harry Harris, commander of US Pacific Command.

"That said, I have no doubt that we will continue our steadfast commitment to our allies and partners in the Indo Asia Pacific.

"I want to ease any concerns from our partners and our potential adversaries: the Indo Asia Pacific is as important to America as it ever has been," Harris said.

"I believe that our nation remain the security partner of choice in the region and will remain so well into the future," he added.

US officials, including Obama himself, have rushed to reassure allies on the heels of Trump's November 8 election. Trump is due to take office on January 20.

http://thestandard.com.ph/news/-main-stories/221585/us-won-t-turn-away-from-asia-us-admiral.html

MILF: Western Mindanao CSO’s urge Bangsamoro Leaders to unite to respond to Pres. Duterte’s campaign for an all-inclusive peace process

Posted to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front Website (Nov 15): Western Mindanao CSO’s urge Bangsamoro Leaders to unite to respond to Pres. Duterte’s campaign for an all-inclusive peace process

Civil society organizations in Western in a forum on November 8 held in Zamboanga City have urged Bangsamoro leaders to unite as it is a key to advance the common interest of the Bangsamoro people and ultimately bring peace in Mindanao.

In an article by the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) posted online on November 14, Eddie M. Alih of the Muslim Upliftment Foundation of Tawi-Tawi, Inc. said Bangsamoro leaders should unite to respond to the Duterte administration’s campaign for an all-inclusive peace process in Mindanao.

“We are challenging the leadership of the MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front) [and] the MNLF (Moro National Liberation Front) to get together for the sake of the Bangsamoro people”, Alih said.

‘I urged fellow peace advocates to unite for the Bangsamoro people as the government and the Moro fronts are now in the process of implementing all Bangsamoro peace accords, Alih added.

Hafidz I. Kumar of the Basilan Youth Congress said all the Bangsamoro organizations including those from the royal houses of the Sultanes of Sulu and Maguindanao have a common aspiration.
“Kung ano po ang pinaglalaban ng mga Sultanate, MILF, MNLF at ano pang grupo pare-pareho lang po yan para sa mga mamamayang Moro, para po yan sa right to self-determination,” he said.

In the same forum, Col. Dickson Hermoso, Assistant Secretary of OPAPP, who was one of the resource speakers, assured that “no one should be left behind” in the peace process.

“The President’s guidance is clear that no one should be left behind in this entire process – that is to have an all-inclusive process. Regardless of the groups, everybody must jump on the bandwagon,” Hermoso, who is a member of the Government Panel Implementing the Bangsamoro Accords, pointed out.

“Let’s join. Let’s be a part of this historical exercise. Don’t just allow your leaders to do the decide for you. It is important that you – the stakeholders – must be heard,” he urged.

Hermoso said the government is working on two-pronged approaches—to settle the Moro rebellion problem politically, and to infuse socio-economic development projects in conflict-prone and affected areas throughout Mindanao.
http://www.luwaran.com/index.php/news/73-westhern-mindanao/962-western-mindanao-cso-s-urge-bangsamoro-leaders-to-unite-to-respond-to-pres-duterte-s-campaign-for-an-all-inclusive-peace-process

NDF: Tiamzon slams GRP disinformation on bilateral ceasefire

Propaganda statement posted to the National Democratic Front Website (Nov 15): Tiamzon slams GRP disinformation on bilateral ceasefire

NDFP Media Office
Press release

National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) peace panel member Benito Tiamzon decried what he called persistent disinformation from the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) that the two parties are close to signing a bilateral ceasefire agreement.

Tiamzon was reacting to a news report published over the weekend in a Mindanao online daily quoting government peace panel chair Silvestre Bello III that both panels hope to ink a bilateral ceasefire agreement by December 10.

He denied that the two panels have been exchanging drafts on the ceasefire agreements since the resumption of the formal peace negotiations in Oslo, Norway in August 2016.

He moreover belied Bello’s claims that the only hurdles to the forging of a bilateral ceasefire accord were technical in nature, such as coming up with common definitions of “hostile acts” and “buffer zones.”

Tiamzon said there was obviously a campaign by the GRP to drum up false news about an impending bilateral ceasefire in order to gloss over the serious obstacles put up by the GRP to the forging of a more stable ceasefire.

It was Tiamzon’s second denial in four days and the NDFP’s third rejoinder in a week to a series of news reports that have come out since November 7 that a bilateral ceasefire agreement was in the works.

Unilateral ceasefires declared by the NDFP and the GRP have remained in force since August in the absence of a notice of termination by either side.

Tiamzon stressed the improbability of signing a bilateral ceasefire agreement in the near future in the face of field reports received by the NDFP on AFP and PNP violations of their unilateral ceasefire in Panay, Eastern Visayas and Sorsogon published in Philippine Revolution Web Central (www.cpp.ph) as well as reports from Karapatan-Bicol of intensified militarization in Masbate.

In Masbate, soldiers have reportedly been conducting maneuvers in the guise of the government’s anti-drug campaign, Oplan Tokhang, going house-to-house and questioning residents. Instead of asking about drugs, however, the military has been interrogating residents about the New People’s Army. The military has been occupying barangay halls, day care centers and even schools in Cawayan, Dimasalang and Palanas towns and have also been terrorizing the people by repeatedly conducting a census of residents in the communities.

Tiamzon said that “with the NPA restrained from mounting offensives, the AFP and PNP continue to violate the people’s rights with impunity.” Under such conditions, even the unilateral ceasefire would prove difficult to maintain, he warned.

Tiamzon also reiterated that as of mid-November, the NDFP has not monitored any development in the GRP’s pledge to release a substantial number of political prisoners by the end of this month.
There are more than 400 political prisoners in various detention facilities nationwide, including three NDFP consultants being held at the National Bilibid Prisons.

Email: ndf@casema.nl
Tel. + 31 30 2310431

https://www.ndfp.org/tiamzon-slams-grp-disinformation-bilateral-ceasefire/

CPP: AFP, a pillar of US rule in the Philippines

Propaganda statement/video posted to the Communist Party of the Philippines Website (Nov 15): AFP, a pillar of US rule in the Philippines

 

                

November 15, 2016

For the last seven decades, US imperialism maintained its neocolonial rule in the Philippines. The US used its political, economic and cultural domination to prolong its rule.

But the US most important facet in preserving its domination is its continued military presence combined with its use of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) as its pillar of rule.

This role of the AFP as instrument of the US is becoming increasingly evident upon the emergence of an anti-US Duterte regime.  These past months, Duterte’s criticisms against US interference and military presence have come one after another. Despite Duterte’s declaration of separation from military and economic ties with the US, one US official averred that they will continue to work with the AFP, and not Duterte. This statement shows the direct US link to the armed machinery of the Philippine government.

History of servitude 

Even during the early part of US colonialism, its military already formed and armed Filipino mercenaries to suppress their fellow Filipinos. The former local troops of the Spanish colonialists from Macabebe, Pampanga were reorganized by the US in 1899 and inte­gra­ted into the newly-formed Philippine Scouts that were pitched into battles against the Filipino revolutionaries. The colonial government also formed the Philippine Constabulary (PC) in 1901 as provincial police to control the population, and later to fight the revolutionaries. As expected, the brutality of US troops against the Filipino people were copied by the Macabebe, Philippine Scouts and PC against their own people. The academy for PC officers established in 1905 in Intramuros was transferred to Baguio City in 1908. By 1936, this academy was opened to officers of the newly-created Philippine Army and came to be known as the Philippine Military Academy (PMA).

From 1935 to 1940, the US established, trained and led the Philippine Army, Philippine Navy and the germinal Philippine Air Force. American general Douglas MacArthur, who was reactivated from retirement, became the commander of Filipino forces. He held this section of the Filipino military, sending them to war against the Japanese. He abandoned them when he deserted at the height of the war in 1941. After the Second World War, the US used its trained Filipino troops to pursue the Hukbong Mapagpalaya ng Bayan. In 1947, the Armed Forces of the Philippines was formally established and some of its battalions were deployed in the US wars of aggression against the people of Korea and Vietnam.  JUSMAG direction.

After declaring the Philippines’ bogus independence in 1945, the US maintained tight control of the Philippine armed forces. It imposed a set of unequal military agreements, including the Military Bases Agreement (1946), the Military Assistance Agreement (MAA, 1947) and the Mutual Defense Treaty (1951). Under the MAA, the Joint US Military Advisory Group (JUSMAG) was formed from combined officers and men (starting at 300 personnel under a major general) of the US Army, Navy, and Air Force that would decide the AFP’s counterinsurgency plans, arms and equipment procurement, training, indoctrination and orientation. The JUSMAG offices functioned like a military base, not unlike the 22 other US military bases.

All official expenses of the JUSMAG are being undertaken by the Philippine government, including its offices and housing for its personnel and their families who are now based inside the AFP General Headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo.

JUSMAG advice to the AFP  comes directly from the US Pacific Com­mand from courses to be taught PMA cadets, to trainings of Fili­pino officers under the In­ter­national Military Education and Training. From 1950 to 1990, more than 20,000 AFP officers were sent to US military camps and trained in US doctrine, military practice and weaponry.  JUSMAG also determines the AFP’s arms and equipment procurement, often of the US military’s outmoded stocks.  From 2001 to 2015, US military aid to the AFP reached $340M, the fourth largest US military aid.

From 1986-1989 the US sent the AFP almost 2,900 military vehicles, around 50 helicopters, more than 1,650 radios and others. The AFP also received $183.4M military aid from the US under the US-Aquino regime from 2010-2015.

US counterinsurgency operations

The JUSMAG also oversees the implementation of the US government’s Foreign Internal Defense (FID) in the Philippines. FID operations are also known as counterinsurgency operations that are mainly implemented by the US Army Special Forces, with the assistance of Psychological Operations and Civil Affairs forces in their target countries.

These operations include directing AFP operations, training and arming them, and employing large-scale civil-military and intelli gence operations to enhance com­bat operations. The “triad” (com­bat-intel-psywar) operations and the “clear-hold” phases of the past AFP counterinsurgency cam­paigns are clear examples of the US’ FID-based strategies. Barangay zonings in the 1970s against Moro people and the revolutionary movement’s bases are also designed from the US’ hamletting campaign since the 1900s and in Vietnam in 1962.

The US military also occasionally publishes Field Manuals as guide for various fields of counter-insurgency. In the 2010 Field Manual for counterinsurgency, the US Special Forces openly advocated the maximum preponderance of forces as supposedly the most effective way to minimise violence. It also cites large-scale surveillance, censorship, media control, repression of trade unions and political parties, illegal arrests and detention, and other human rights violations, and the associated psychological warfare to make these violations acceptable.

The FID also promotes the training of Civilian Self Defense Forces to further destroy the people’s unity. In the Philippines, the first CAFGU forces were formed by the present Department of National Defense Delfin Lorenzana in 1987 when he was deployed in Davao as commander of the 2nd Scout Ranger Battalion. During that time, he actively supported paramilitary operations such as those by the Alsa Masa.

Likewise, the AFP’s extrajudicial killings of activists and suspected supporters of the revolutionary movement are based on the US FID in El Salvador during the 1970s and 1980s. In the AFP’s   case, there have been 238 victims of extrajudicial killings under Oplan Bayanihan by May 2015, and 270 cases of survivors from the shooting. On the other hand, there were more than 1,100 victims of killings under Oplan Bantay Laya 1 and 2 from 2001 till 2009.

Another example of JUSMAG-implemented FID is the operation of around 700 US troops of the Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines that have been training battalions of AFP and PNP yearly in the guise of “Balikatan” exercises to use in their “anti-terrorist war.” Aside from troops of the Special Operations Command-Pacific, Central Intelligence Agency agents have been involved in pursuit and combat against the Abu Sayyaf, Jemaah Islamiyah, and those they consider “terrorists” in 2014. The JSOTF-P also trained and directed the PNP Special Action Force that killed alleged terrorist Zulkifli Abdhir (Marwan) in Mamasapano, Maguindanao in January 2015.

US power remains over the government’s armed machinery as long as the JUSMAG and other US-imposed unequal military treaties exist. As long as the AFP does not do away with its puppet orientation, its officers and men will continue to be instruments against the democratic and anti-imperialist interests if the people.

https://www.cpp.ph/afp-pillar-us-rule-philippines/

Burdensome requirements delay Philippine aviation procurements

From IHS Jane's 360 (Nov 14): Burdensome requirements delay Philippine aviation procurements

Two Philippine Air Force (PAF) programmes to procure long-range patrol aircraft (LRPA) and close-air support (CAS) aircraft have both been hit by delays but are expected to progress soon, an official from the Department of National Defense (DND) has confirmed to IHS Jane's .

The DND public affairs official confirmed that factors causing delays include the recent change in the Philippines government, funding issues, and foreign bidders failing to meet the technical and financial requirements of the DND. The two latter factors are regarded as major causes of delays in the ongoing Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) modernisation programme.

[Subscription required for full article.]

http://www.janes.com/article/65464/burdensome-requirements-delay-philippine-aviation-procurements

US eyeing ‘bigger’ military exercises in PH — official

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Nov 16): US eyeing ‘bigger’ military exercises in PH — official


A US air force V-22 Osprey unloads Philippine marines during live fire drills of the annual US-Philippine joint military exercise at the former US target range in Crow Valley, Capas, Tarlac, on May 15, 2014. US Pacific Command chief Harry Harris says the US is eyeing bigger military drills in the the Philippines despite a pronouncement of President Rodrigo Duterte that he was ‘separating’ from the States. AFP FILE
Military cooperation between the US and the Philippines is unchanged for now despite inflammatory statements from the Filipino president directed at US President Barack Obama, a top American commander said Tuesday.

President Rodrigo Duterte has voiced willingness to request the withdrawal of American troops from his country.

READ: Duterte announces military, economic split with US | Duterte: Separation with US doesn’t mean cutting diplomatic ties

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“Despite what he has said, there has been no change in anything with the Philippines,” said Harry Harris, commander of the US Pacific Command, during an event in Washington.

 

Harris was slated to participate Tuesday in high-level meetings between the two countries to schedule joint military exercises for 2017 and after.

“I am optimistic,” he said of the meetings, adding that thus far the exercises program has been on track.

Harris said there could be “a refocusing or a rescoping of some of the bigger exercises in 2017.”

Until Duterte came to power in June, Manila was one of the United States’ closest allies in Asia, and it was viewed as a vital link in the political “pivot” or “rebalancing” of US policy toward the Asia-Pacific region under Obama.

The Philippines had agreed to allow the United States to use five of its bases, and Harris said “that has not changed so far and I have no reason to believe it will change.”

“We haven’t been asked to remove US forces,” he said, notably those operating against Muslim separatists in the southern island of Mindanao.

He also said the Philippines had not asked Washington to stop keeping surveillance planes at Clark Air Base on Luzon Island.

Late last month, Duterte announced his country’s “separation” from the United States and called for an end within two years to the presence of “foreign military troops” — a clear reference to American forces.

Duterte later struck a more conciliatory tone, saying there would be no “severance of ties” with Washington. He added that  Manila would simply pursue a more independent line in foreign affairs while improving its ties with Beijing.
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/149641/us-eyeing-bigger-military-exercises-in-ph-official

Regular naval, reserve forces to undergo interoperability exercise

From Update.Ph (Nov 15): Regular naval, reserve forces to undergo interoperability exercise

To ensure the seamless integration of regular naval and reserve units, the Philippine Navy (PN) announced that it will be conducting “Exercise Pagsasama” starting Nov. 14 to 18. To take part in the training activity are PN regular and reserve units detailed in the National Capital Region, Northern and Southern Luzon.

Naval Reserve Command spokesperson Col. Rocky Rosario said the five-day exercise aims to enhance the inter-operability of regular and reservist units during emergency situations.
He added that the training activity will be held in Ternate, Cavite.

“With this year’s objective to further enhance the capabilities of our nation’s reserve force, once again, in its 19th iteration, this year’s exercise focuses on giving the opportunity to the reservists to learn from their counterparts on naval tactics and doctrines and to enhance inter-operability between the regular and the reserve component of the Armed Forces of the Philippines,” Rosaria stressed.

He added the annual exercise highlights the commitment of the PN to protect the country from lawless maritime elements and pave the way towards peace and development.

http://www.update.ph/2016/11/regular-naval-reserve-forces-to-undergo-interoperability-exercise/11026

Limited US role in new Army, Navy exercises

From the Philippine Star (Nov 16): Limited US role in new Army, Navy exercises



The Philippine Army and Philippine Navy are launching their yearly exercises with limited United States involvement in line with President Duterte’s statement against holding war exercises with the US. US Marine Corps/Cpl. Matthew Bragg, file

The Philippine Army and Philippine Navy are launching their yearly exercises with limited United States involvement in line with President Duterte’s statement against holding war exercises with the US.

In the Army’s Balance Piston, an exercise that opened in Puerto Princesa City on Monday, only a handful of US Special Forces is taking part, according to Army spokesman Col. Benjamin Hao.

Balance Piston is a yearly big military engagement involving Filipino soldiers and US Special Forces in the country.

But this year’s joint training has been downgraded to a small unit exercise. Hao said only 30 to 40 Filipino soldiers are taking part in the military exercises, which run until Dec. 14.

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“The annual training event is to test the basic war fighting skills of our soldiers. With the involvement of a handful of US Special Forces, we expect this will further improve relations between our armed forces,” Hao said.

The Army also scrapped the live fire drill for this year’s training.

“We have scrapped the live fire drill in exchange for the marksmanship training that would be held inside military camps on Palawan,” Hao explained.

 

http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2016/11/16/1644304/limited-us-role-new-army-navy-exercises

ASEAN armies in PH to show who has best shooters

From Rappler (Nov 16): ASEAN armies in PH to show who has best shooters

The contest happens alongside the meeting of ASEAN army chiefs, who will themselves engage in a friendly shooting competition

 

AARM 2016. The Philippines is hosting ASEAN countries for the annual marksmanship battle. Photo from @AARM2016Phl Twitter account

Marksmen representing the armies of the 10 ASEAN countries started arriving in the Philippines for the ASEAN Armies Rifle Meet 2016 (AARM 2016) to be held from November 18 to December 7 at Camp O'Donnel in Capas, Tarlac.

The contest will happen alongside the meeting of ASEAN army chiefs, who will themselves engage in a friendly shooting competition.

"The objective of the AARM is to develop and strengthen the relationship among the member armies from its senior military leaders down to their foot soldiers," said Army spokesman Colonel Benjie Hao during the media launch of the marksmanship contest on Tuesday, November 15.

The 10 ASEAN countries are Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

The shooting team of the Royal Cambodian Army arrived as early as November 6 to start training and adjust to the environment.

There are 5 categories: pistol for men, pistol for ladies, carbine, rifle, and machine gun.

 

DEFENDING CHAMPION. The Royal Thai Army was the champion of the AARM 2015. File photo from the Royal Thai Army web site

The Royal Thai Army will be defending its championship title last year. If successful, it will match the 9 titles of the Indonesian Army which currently holds the most number of championship titles since the marksmanship contest started in 1991.

The Philippine Army won once, in 2005, when the contest was held in Brunei. The team was led by Colonel Leodovic Guinid and Colonel Noel Detoyato. Now Staff Sergeant Jennifer De Belen also won the Pistol Ladies category. She is participating again this year.

The Philippine Army team for AARM 2016 is composed of 31 shooters. They are ready, said Lieutenant Colonel Isagani Criste, the Philippine Army Shooting Contingent Commander. Below are the participants:

Rifle: sergeants Rolly Agustinez, Alvin Gapingan, Kenny Lloyd Guillermo, Rodney Rizano, and Leo Basierto; staff sergeants Allan Lao and Rudy Edas; and corporals Rosalito Collado and Ariel Taganait.

Carbine: sergeants Angelo Bonagua and Jumar Senas, Corporal Hader Hammara, Technical Sergeant Armando Mejia, and Staff Sergeant Allan Tindungan.

Machine Gun: Sergeant Jovemar Rapsing; Technical Sergeant Richard Tangalin; corporals Michael Paz, Hector Chua, Jayson Paden; and Private First Class Edrick Domingo.

Pistol Men: sergeants Andy Guway, Benito Sumalar Jr, and Jay Amita; Staff Sergeat Mar Udan; Technical Sergeant Clarence Pukya.

Pistol Ladies: privates first class Maria Liza Calubing and Jellane Mariano, Staff Sergeant Jennifer De Belen, Sergeant Jovelania Malica, and Corporal Lea Trinidad.

http://www.rappler.com/nation/152451-asean-armies-rifle-meet

PAF grounds remaining Polish-made Sokol choppers

From InterAksyon (Nov 16): PAF grounds remaining Polish-made Sokol choppers



A Sokol helicopter of the Philippine Air Force. (InterAksyon.com/File photo)

The Philippine Air Force has grounded the remaining Polish-made Sokol helicopters in its fleet following the crash-landing of the same type of chopper in Puerto Princesa, Palawan last week, PAF spokesperson Col. Antonio Francisco said Tuesday.

The crash-landing of the helicopter in the middle of a rice field in Sitio Sabang, Barangay Cabayugan in Puerto Princesa on Tuesday (Nov. 8) last week resulted in injuries to four ranking police officers including Mimaropa police regional director Chief Superintendent Wilben Mayor.

[Read related story: Police general, 3 others injured as PAF's Sokol chopper crash-lands in Puerto Princesa City]

The injured officers have been transferred to the PAF hospital for further medical treatment and observation, Francisco said.

The officers were on board the chopper conducting aerial inspection as part of preparations for the ASEAN Chiefs of Justice Conference on November 10 that was to be held in Puerto Princesa City when the chopper experienced engine failure.

“All the Sokol were grounded as of the moment a day after the incident. I was not given feedback yet about the ongoing probe,” Francisco said.

An investigation of the crash is still ongoing to determine the real cause of the accident.

As part of its modernization program, the Air Force had ordered eight brand-new W-3A Sokol helicopters from PZL Swidnik (Augusta Westland) company with a total contract price of P3.2 billion during the time of former president and now Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo but these were only delivered during the time of former president Bengino Aquino III.

In 2014, one of the choppers crashed shortly after takeoff inside a military camp in Marawi City, Lanao Del Sur. Then commander of the Army’s 4^th Infantry Division and now Armed Forces Chief of Staff General Ricardo Visaya was among the survivors of that crash.

Before these incidents, one of the choppers lost its airlift power and stuck for several days at the helipad of the AFP General Headquarters at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.

Francisco said the grounding of the Sokols has little effect on the airlift capability of the PAF since they still have UH-1Hs and Sikorsky helicopters in service.

http://interaksyon.com/article/134351/paf-grounds-remaining-polish-made-sokol-choppers

Davao night market bombing suspect released

From the Sun Star-Davao (Nov 16): Davao night market bombing suspect released

DAVAO City police released on Saturday, November 12, one of the Roxas night bombing suspects after the petition for writ of habeas corpus filed by his wife was granted by Regional Trial Court Branch 14 last November 11.

Mohammad Lalaog Chenikandiyil, one of the suspects of the bombing, said the petition was approved by Judge Jill Jaugan- Lo.

Jaugan-Lo in special proceeding last November 9, heard the petition of the wife of Chenikandiyil, Allysanor Chenikandiyil against City Director Senior Superintendent Michael Dubria and Superintendent Edilberto Leonardo, the Davao Region Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) chief.

Representatives of the mentioned operatives and Mohammad Chekanidiyil were present on the said special proceeding.

During the hearing, counsel of the wife of Chenikandiyil, lawyer Wilmer Donasco, raised the points of the petition of habeas corpus filed by his client.

The petitioner pointed out that the continued detention of her husband is unjustified since from the time of the arrest of her husband in Cotabato City and his detention at the Davao City Police Office on October 29, there were no charges filed against her husband and his companions, and that their detention has exceeded the maximum period of 36 hours as allowed by the Revised Penal Code.

It was stated in the petition that they have not received a notification that a criminal case has been filed against her husband in Cotabato.

Allysanor Chenikandiyil said assuming that a criminal case has already been filed, this does not justify the continued detention of her husband and his companions as they were not subjected in any inquest proceeding.

A representative from the CIDG said the continued custody of the suspects is due to alleged security threats, and that the CIDG-Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (Armm) has asked their assistance to keep the suspects under their custody.

The CIDG officer has also asked for the judge to subpoena officers from CIDG-Armm to clarify the matter.

Lawyer Donasco told SunStar Davao that the petition for habeas corpus was granted by Judge Lo last Friday and it was also served to the authorities on the same day.

The CIDG last Friday also filed supplemental affidavits against Chenikandiyil, Jackson Mangulamas Usi, Zack Villanueva Lopez and Ansan Abdulla Mamasapano who were allegedly also members of the Maute Group as additional respondents of the Roxas night market blast in Davao City.

Based on the interview with another CIDG official, who refused to be named on Tuesday, November 15, he confirmed that Usi, Lopez and Mamasapano are still detained in the DCPO.

He added they can only pursue Chenikandiyil once a warrant of arrest will be issued against him when the CPO will find a probable cause to indict him of the case.

Prosecutor Jay Karel Sanchez, in a media interview Tuesday, said last Monday, November 14, they have already given subpoena to additional respondents including Chekanidiyil to issue a counter-affidavit to the charges filed against them.

She also said that aside from the four alleged bombers of the Roxas night market blast, nine other respondents whose identities were kept confidential were also given counter-affidavits.

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/davao/local-news/2016/11/16/davao-night-market-bombing-suspect-released-509720

Moro civil society calls for quadripartite meet to fast-track unity

From MindaNews (Nov 15): Moro civil society calls for quadripartite meet to fast-track unity

Civil society leaders from Zamboanga, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-tawi (ZamBaSulTa) are calling for a quadripartite meeting involving the government (GPH), Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) “to help fast-track track the unity of the Bangsamoro Fronts towards a unified Bangsamoro enabling law.”

Moro women at the ZamBaSulTa CSO-Leaders Assembly held in Zamboanga City on November 7 to 9, 2016. Photo courtesy of CBCS

In a statement, participants of the ZamBaSulTa CSO-Leaders




Assembly held in Zamboanga City on November 7 – 9 also urged President Rodrigo Duterte “to bring the Bangsamoro Fronts together for a dialogue towards forging a consolidated enabling law.”

At present, government is dealing with the MILF and MNLF faction under Nur Misuari, separately. The Duterte administration’s peace and development roadmap initially envisioned that the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) tasked to draft the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) will have all factions of the MNLF represented in the BTC.

The BTC’s membership was in fact increased from 15 to 21 to ensure a more inclusive body and the convergence of the peace pacts.

The MILF faction under Muslimin Sema will have three seats in the BTC. The MNLF under Misuari will not participate in the BTC but will instead have a five-member panel that will deal with the government on amending RA 9054, the law governing the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), to incorporate the unimplemented provisions of the GPH-MNLF’s 1996 Final Peace Agreement (FPA).

Under the GPH-MILF’s Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) signed in March 2014, the parties agreed to set up a new autonomous political entity called the Bangsamoro, that would replace the ARMM once the BBL is ratified.

The Assembly participants came from various Bangsamoro sectors and organizations — the Sultanates, Moro fronts, religious, civil society organizations, youth, women, academe and community from the provinces of Sulu, Basilan, Tawi-Tawi and the city of Zamboanga.

The Assembly also called on the MNLF and MILF “to religiously  abide (by) the solidarity framework  enunciated by the OIC through the Bangsamoro Coordination Forum (BCF) in order to achieve the long-term goal of the MNLF-MILF agreement” and to “rise above tribal differences towards helping unify the MNLF and the MILF to synergize their efforts to achieve the peace and development that the Bangsamoro rightfully deserve.”

Misuari, who was received in Malacanang by President Duterte on November 3, following a court order granting him temporary liberty to allow him to participate in the peace efforts with the government, called the MILF and the other MNLF factions as “traitors.”

The Assembly called on the leaders of the MNLF and the MILF to “refrain from issuing statements detrimental to the Unity and Cooperation of the Bangsamoro.”

Duterte sat with MILF leaders Al Haj Murad Ebrahim, MILF chair and MILF peace implementing panel chair Mohagher Iqbal during the signing of the Exectuive Order on the BTC in Malacnanag on November 7.

The Assembly also urged government to implement the recommendations of the Transitional Justice and Reconciliation Commission (TJRC) “in addressing the legitimate grievances of the Bangsamoro, correcting the historical injustices committed against the Bangsamoro and other indigenous peoples, and addressing human rights violations and marginalization of the Bangsamoro due to land dispossession.”

http://www.mindanews.com/peace-process/2016/11/moro-civil-society-calls-for-quadripartite-meet-to-fast-track-unity/

Harris: Strengthening, Expanding Alliances Would Benefit Pacific Posture

From Seapower Magazine (Nov 15): Harris: Strengthening, Expanding Alliances Would Benefit Pacific Posture

The commander of U.S. forces in the Pacific and East Asian regions said the defense posture there would be strengthened by expanding the network of alliances and partnerships.

“The Indo-Asian region is the most consequential region for America’s future,” Adm. Harry B. Harris Jr. said Nov. 15 at the Defense One Leadership Briefing in Washington. “America has critical national interests in the region. … The Indo-Asian-Pacific is as important to America as it ever has been. America is a Pacific nation and a Pacific power. It always has been and always will be.

“Our nation remains the security partner of choice now and will remain so well into the future,” he said, while recommending widening the network of alliances and partnerships in the region.

“We need to go beyond hub and spoke,” Harris said, referring to the five bilateral alliances the United States has with Japan, South Korea, Australia, the Philippines and Thailand.

Harris said he is working hard to promote a trilateral alliance between Japan, South Korea and the United States. He also sees promise in a potential multilateral alliance of major democracies in the region — Japan, Australia, India and the United States. He also sees advantages in a South China Sea multilateral alliance among Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations “will never be a NATO,” Harris said, but he noted the success those nations have achieved in counterpiracy operations.

Asked about the current U.S. relationship with the Philippines, in light of anti-U.S. statements from President Rodrigo Duterte, Harris affirmed that he has a good relationship with Filipino defense officials and that the defense agreements with the Philippines remain in place.

“Allies and partners matter,” Harris said. “We will continue our steadfast commitment to our allies and partners.”

Harris said his main concerns in the region were North Korea’s nuclear weapon programs, China’s assertiveness, and the potential spread of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria to Islamic nations in the region. He said that Special Operations Command Pacific is continuing to help the Philippines counter insurgent groups like the Abu Sayyaf group on Mindanao Island. U.S. forces still are allowed to use five bases in the Philippines.

Harris said the military-to-military relationship with China’s armed forces is good, but noted his concerns about China’s assertiveness in the South and East China Seas, particularly the seven bases constructed on reefs in the South China Sea. He said that U.S. forces will continue freedom-of-navigation (FON) operations in the region.

“Freedom of navigation is a core tenet of what we do,” he said, noting a recent FON operation in the vicinity of the Paracel Islands.

Harris said the importance of the Pacific region is illustrated by the actions of the United States to station its most modern and capable weapons systems there. He listed the F-35B Lightning II strike fighter — soon to arrive in Japan — the P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, the Virginia-class submarine, the Zumwalt-class guided-missile destroyer and the littoral combat ship (LCS).

Harris said he had faith in the LCS program and that, when up-gunned with more lethal weapons, it will be a force an adversary would have to reckon with.

He recalled his days as a tactical action officer onboard the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga in the Mediterranean Sea during the Cold War. His chief worry was the SS-N-2 Styx cruise missile carried by the Soviet-built Nanuchka corvettes and Osa and Tarantul missile boats.

“They were a threat well beyond their size,” he said of the missile vessels. “I want the LCS to be viewed by our adversaries in the region in the same way that I viewed, Osas, Nanuchkas and Tarantuls back in the ‘80s.”

http://seapowermagazine.org/stories/20161115-harris.html

Gov't worker held hostage for 3 months freed; 8-yr-old son still a captive

From ABS-CBN (Nov 16): Gov't worker held hostage for 3 months freed; 8-yr-old son still a captive

A government employee who was abducted last August 5 in Payao, Zamboanga Sibugay has been released in Sulu Monday evening, a top ranking official of Sulu police confirmed.
Senior Supt. Mario Buyuccan, provincial director of Sulu PNP, said Tuesday that Elmer Romoc was released by the Abu Sayyaf Group in Jolo town.

He said Romoc was immediately transported to Zamboanga City just hours after his release.
Chief Supt. Billy Beltran, PNP regional director for Western Mindanao, said it was the Anti-Kidnapping Group who led the operation, which resulted in the safe release of Romoc.
However, Romoc's 8-year-old son has remained a captive of the bandits in Sulu.

Romoc, his wife Nora and son were abducted while having dinner inside their house in the village of Kulisap in Payao.

Armed men clad in military uniform forcibly dragged the Romoc family to a nearby river, where a motorized pump boat was waiting.

On August 23, Romoc's wife was released by the Abu Sayyaf Group after allegedly paying a hefty ransom.

Chief Insp. Jerry Labrador, chief of police of Payao, said the Romoc family has been negotiating with the kidnappers for the safe release of Elmer and his son.

http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/16/16/govt-worker-held-hostage-for-3-months-freed-8-yr-old-son-still-a-captive

Opinion: The Left’s unity and struggle with Duterte

Opinion piece by long-time Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) activist Teddy Casino posted to Rappler (Nov 15): The Left’s unity and struggle with Duterte

Extrajudicial killings and the Marcos burial issue will continue to be a recurring source of disagreement. So far, these burning issues have not been decisive in breaking the alliance with Duterte.



In the 2016 elections, the Left, particularly the party list groups and mass organizations under the Makabayang Koalisyon ng Mamamayan, did not endorse the candidacy of then presidential bet Rodrigo Duterte. Despite this, the new President appointed known leftist activists to his Cabinet, resumed peace talks with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), and released a number of political dissidents with the promise to release more.

For those who know Duterte this was not surprising. After all, he always claimed to be a socialist. He was a former member of the Kabataang Makabayan and student of communist party founder Jose Maria Sison. In his years as mayor of Davao City, Duterte established close ties with the NDFP and New People’s Army (NPA) in Mindanao, often facilitating the release of prisoners of war and addressing the concerns of the communities where the revolutionary groups operated.

 

As mayor, he gave members of progressive organizations full leeway in exercising their political and civil rights. He even partnered with them on various social projects and advocacies. Despite his sexist attitude towards women, he had good programs for gender equality and women’s empowerment in his city. The strongest and most profound disagreements between him and the Left was on his tolerance, even tacit encouragement, of extrajudicial killings of suspected criminals.

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Unfamiliar ground

 

With Duterte as President, the Left now finds itself in a novel, if unfamiliar situation.

 

On the one hand, they know that Duterte has become the chief representative of the local ruling classes. He oversees a corrupt and elitist government that has, by and large, served the interests of the country’s oligarchs and foreign powers over that of the ordinary folk. His gutter language notwithstanding, Duterte comes from the same elite, reactionary class of politicians that have lorded it over the country for decades. With his fiery temperament, brutal approach to crime and admiration for the late president Ferdinand Marcos, many fear he is a budding dictator.

 

On the other hand, Duterte is a nationalist. He is a staunch critic of US imperialism, especially its military interventionism and hypocrisy in upholding human rights and democracy. His background as an activist, a public prosecutor and city mayor have given him profound insights on the plight of the ordinary people and the need for quick and decisive action to address their concerns. He is a populist who, in his desire to serve his people, is not afraid to antagonize the oligarchy or vested foreign interests. His desire for change and social reform has led him enter into serious negotiations with the revolutionary movement. He is open to progressive ideas and programs and even labels himself a socialist.

Thus there are two tendencies in the Duterte presidency: a mainly reactionary tendency and a small, if not narrowing, progressive tendency. In a situation where progressive and revolutionary movements are still given significant space and opportunity to engage with the administration, the Left have refused to simplistically consider Duterte as just another reactionary, US puppet that needs to be ousted. Against all odds, they are actively opposing what is reactionary and anti-people, and pushing for what is progressive and pro-people in his government.

 

Where the Left stands on issues

 

To be specific, the Left supports Duterte’s distancing from the United States and his pursuit of an independent foreign policy. This is what sets him apart from previous presidents who played the role as US puppets to the hilt. The Left has always called for an end to our neocolonial relations with the US and for the government to uphold Philippine sovereignty and the national interest above those of any foreign power.

 

As to China, many leftists are happy with the government’s constructive engagement with China but are wary that China will take advantage of our weaknesses and impose its own imperialist agenda on our country. This is something that they will have to struggle with Duterte and the local comprador class.

 

Leftists totally support Duterte’s efforts to resume the peace talks with the NDFP, MNLF and MILF in order to address the root causes of the armed conflicts. Negotiations with these revolutionary movements should lead to comprehensive and thoroughgoing agreements on political and socio-economic reforms for the benefit of all Filipinos, especially the marginalized and oppressed.

 

Leftists support Duterte’s position against the contractualization of labor and for lower income taxes for rank and file employees. They laud his planned policy to impose a moratorium on the conversion of agricultural lands, a policy now being undermined by some members of his cabinet. They appreciate his efforts to improve and widen social services, basic education and support for our overseas workers. They share his campaign against graft and corruption.

 

In general, leftists share Duterte’s vision of an industrialized Filipino economy that can feed and provide enough jobs and incomes to our people. But how to get there is another thing. They vehemently object to the neoliberal prescriptions of Duterte’s economic team. They are against continued efforts to privatize public utilities and government services, liberalize and deregulate the economy, and allow foreign banks and corporations to dominate and rule the Philippine economy.

 

As a matter of principle and practice, the Left objects to Duterte’s endorsement of extrajudicial killings and other shortcuts in the campaign against illegal drugs and criminality. The Communist Party even formally declared its non-support for Duterte’s “war on drugs.” Various leftist organizations have repeatedly expressed their concern and objection to a brutal campaign that targets the victims, especially the poor. They want greater efforts in cleaning up the Philippine National Police, the Armed Forces and the Judiciary. They want more focus on rehabilitating drug users and educating the public on the dangers of drug use.

 

As the most persistent enemy of the Marcos dictatorship, the Left certainly objects to the burial of the former tyrant at the Libingan ng mga Bayani. They have been at the forefront of organizing rallies and filing petitions in the Supreme Court against the burial. This as a matter of principle and a deeply personal issue for many activists who suffered at the hands of the Marcos dictatorship.

 

A constructive and principled struggle

 

After Marcos’ ouster In 1986, the Left also entered into a critical engagement with the Cory Aquino government. It was short-lived, however, due to the pro-US, pro-oligarch, and anti-communist stance of Mrs. Aquino and the increasing pressure from the Right, especially the AFP, to “unsheathe the sword of war” against the Left.

 

This time, it is unclear how long the critical alliance with Duterte will last. A key factor would be the peace negotiations with the NDFP and whether Duterte can deliver on existing agreements and pull off new ones on socio-economic and political reforms. He will need to hold back the rabid war mongers in the AFP who are itching for an all-out war.

 

Another crucial factor would be his efforts to end US neocolonial relations and uphold independence and sovereignty not only in military and security matters but on the equally important areas of diplomacy and economic policy. It is expected that there will be fierce but constructive debates on these issues.

 

Of course the issue of extrajudicial killings and the Marcos burial will continue to be a recurring source of disagreement. It remains to be seen but so far, these burning issues have not been decisive in breaking the alliance with Duterte.

 

Ironically, the rabidly anti-communist Aquino-LP faction of the ruling elite are egging the Left to drop its alliance with Duterte and join them in a cynical effort to weaken Duterte and possibly replace him with Vice President Leni Robredo. Unfortunately for them, the Left is well aware of their duplicity and have refused to be used in such a ploy.

 

In the meantime, there will be no calling for Duterte’s ouster or burning of his effigies. Instead, expect heated but constructive engagements from the Left. The new government is only six months old. In this fluid period of unity and struggle, many good things can still happen. – Rappler.com

[Teddy Casiño served as the partylist representative of Bayan Muna for 3 terms, from 2004-2013. Prior to his stint in Congress, he was secretary-general of the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan and was a columnist for BusinessWorld. He earned his degree in sociology from the University of the Philippines at Los Baños in 1993.]

 

http://www.rappler.com/thought-leaders/152401-left-unity-struggle-duterte

NDF slams gov’t ‘disinformation’ on ceasefire agreement

From the often pro-CPP online publication the Davao Today (Nov 16): NDF slams gov’t ‘disinformation’ on ceasefire agreement



Benito Tiamzon, member of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines peace panel nixed the government for its “disinformation” on the reported signing of bilateral agreement come December 10.

“There was obviously a campaign by the GRP to drum up false news about an impending bilateral ceasefire in order to gloss over the serious obstacles put up by the GRP to the forging of a more stable ceasefire,” Tiamzon said.

Tiamzon’s statement was in reaction to a Mindanews report published on Nov. 13 where it quoted GRP peace panel member Silvestre Bello as saying that both Parties are set to sign the bilateral ceasefire agreement.

“Hopefully, we will be able to get the signing of the bilateral ceasefire, end of November or first week of December, although for symbolism we want to have the joint signing of the ceasefire on a very significant day and that is on December 10,”  Bello said.

But Tiamzon  denied that both peace panels have been exchanging drafts on the ceasefire agreements since the resumption of the formal peace negotiations in Oslo, Norway started in August 2016.

He claimed that due to “technicalities,” for instance, of coming up with common definitions of “hostile acts” and “buffer zones” was one of the reasons why the draft bilateral agreement was delayed.

The unilateral ceasefires declared by both parties since August were still in effect. Both parties did not issue a notice to terminate the unilateral ceasefire.

Tiamzon said it is improbable to have a bilateral ceasefire agreement in the near future “in the face of field reports received by the NDFP on AFP and PNP violations of their unilateral ceasefire in Panay, Eastern Visayas and Sorsogon.”

In Masbate, Tiamzon said soldiers have reportedly been conducting maneuvers in the guise of the government’s anti-drug campaign, “Oplan Tokhang,” going house-to-house to question residents.

“Instead of asking about drugs, however, the military has been interrogating residents about the New People’s Army,” the NDF peace consultant said.

He said soldiers are occupying barangay halls, day care centers and even schools “in Cawayan, Dimasalang and Palanas towns and have also been terrorizing the people by repeatedly conducting a census of residents in the communities.”

Earlier this month, Bello said the government eyes a possible signing of a bilateral ceasefire agreement on the last week of November, noting that there are other concerns on the peace talks that still needs to be addressed.

“We have to postpone the signing. There are still several items that need to have a consensus, such as the monitoring mechanism, the parameters of hostile acts, the definition of buffer zones,”Bello said.

In an interview with Davao Today, NDF chief negotiator Fidel Agcaoili also said that they were not aware of the possible signing of a bilateral ceasefire agreement within the month or early December.

Read: Looming GRP-NDF bilateral ceasefire agreement not yet on the table

Both parties are expected to meet January next year for the third round of peace talks.

http://davaotoday.com/main/politics/ndf-slams-govt-disinformation-on-ceasefire-agreement/

NDFP’s Tiamzon blasts GRP ‘disinformation’ on bilateral ceasefire

From InterAksyon (Nov 16): NDFP’s Tiamzon blasts GRP ‘disinformation’ on bilateral ceasefire



NDFP negotiator Benito Tiamzon and his wife Wilma

A communist rebel negotiator slammed what he called the “persistent disinformation” about the purportedly imminent forging of an indefinite bilateral ceasefire.

Benito Tiamzon, a member of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines’ peace panel, belied reports quoting Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, the chief government negotiator, that a bilateral ceasefire might be signed by December 10, International Human Rights Day.

The NDFP, in a statement, said this was “Tiamzon’s second denial in four days” and the rebels’ “third rejoinder in a week to a series of news reports that have come out since November 7 that a bilateral ceasefire agreement was in the works.”

Tiamzon, who joined the rebel panel after being released on bail from detention, cited a report in a Mindanao-based online news site in which Bello claimed only “technical” hurdles such as agreeing on the definition of “hostile acts” and “buffer zones” were in the way of the inking a ceasefire agreement.

He also denied that the NDFP and government panels have been exchanging drafts on the ceasefire agreement since formal negotiations resumed in August.

The rebel negotiator said Bello’s statements indicated “a campaign by the GRP (government) to drum up false news about an impending bilateral ceasefire in order to gloss over the serious obstacles put up by the GRP to the forging of a more stable ceasefire.”

He stressed that what remains in place are unilateral ceasefires declared by the NDFP and government in August and that a bilateral ceasefire agreement would is unlikely to be signed “in the near future” in the face of persistent reports, both by rebel units and human rights groups, of alleged violations by state security forces.

The alleged military violations of the government’s ceasefire declaration include the occupation of communities and public structures like barangay halls, daycare centers and schools, and the harassment and interrogation of civilians suspected of being rebel supporters.

The rebels and human rights groups have also accused state forces of using the anti-drug campaign “Oplan Tokhang” as a pretext to harass suspected communist sympathizers.

In the meantime, he said, the government has yet to act on its pledge to release a “substantial number” of the more than 400 political prisoners, including three NDFP consultants.

“With the NPA (New People’s Army) restrained from mounting offensives, the AFP and PNP continue to violate the people’s rights with impunity,” Tiamzon said as he warned that “under such conditions, even the unilateral ceasefire would prove difficult to maintain.”

http://interaksyon.com/article/134365/ndfps-tiamzon-blasts-grp-disinformation-on-bilateral-ceasefire

PACOM chief sees no changes in US-Philippines military relationship

From the Stars and Stripes (Nov 15): PACOM chief sees no changes in US-Philippines military relationship



U.S. Marines disembark from an MV-22 Osprey after landing at an airstrip in Panay, Philippines, on April 11, 2016. Despite vocal opposition from Philippine President Roberto Duterte, U.S. and Philippine special forces were to begin annual combat exercises on Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2016.
Wyatt Olson/Stars and Stripes

There are no plans for major changes in the U.S. military’s dealings with the Philippines military, despite President Rodrigo Duterte’s statements that American forces are no longer welcome there, Pacific Commander Adm. Harry Harris said Tuesday.

Since Duterte became the Philippines president in June, he has frequently voiced his distrust of the U.S. presence in his country and decreed an end to U.S.-Philippines military exercises. In addition, he ordered U.S. troops to leave the southern portion of the Philippines, where they have been training with local forces who are fighting Abu Sayyaf, an organization affiliated with the Islamic State group.

 

The one exception, he said, was rescheduling a meeting in the Philippines from October to next week.

 

The Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, a plan to modernize five Philippines bases where rotational U.S. forces would operate, “remains on track,” Harris said.

 

“We haven’t been asked to remove U.S. forces from the Philippines, including special operations forces operating in Mindanao,” he said. “We haven’t been asked to not put our P-3s and P-8s [surveillance aircraft] at Clark [Air Base] to do surveillance there. And the rotational air component … we just finished the third iteration of that. So these are all encouraging things.”

 

Harris said it is likely some of the 2017 major military exercises between the United States and Philippines might be revised. That will be the primary topic during his meetings in the Philippines next week. The meetings will also establish the guidelines for 2018 exercises, Harris said.

 

“I’m optimistic about it,” he said.

 

http://www.stripes.com/news/pacific/pacom-chief-sees-no-changes-in-us-philippines-military-relationship-1.439469

Commentary: Abu Sayyaf’s Renewed Capabilities

Commentary from Rohan Gunaratna in BenarNews (Nov 15): Commentary: Abu Sayyaf’s Renewed Capabilities



Philippine soldiers fire Howitzer cannons toward positions held by Abu Sayyaf militants in Jolo, Sulu province, Sept. 3, 2016.

One of the oldest terrorist groups in Southeast Asia, the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) has re-emerged in the southern Philippines. Through collecting ransom money for hostages in its captivity, the militant group is developing capabilities to conduct long-range operations to kidnap more tourists and crew members of ships.

Despite efforts by the Philippine police and military to deal with the threat, ASG has stepped up operations on land and sea. By boarding vessels off the Philippine coast, ASG has attacked pleasure craft, tugs and fishing boats as a source of revenue.

However, ASG is building its capabilities to launch operations away from its heartland. In a landmark maritime operation, ASG successfully targeted a cargo ship just off the southern entry of the Sibutu Passage, a 29 km- (18 mile-) wide channel used by merchant shipping in transit between the Pacific Ocean and the South China Sea.

On Oct. 20, ASG gunmen in a speedboat boarded the 11,400-ton heavy load carrier Dong Bang Giant 2, abducting the Korean captain, Park Chul Hong, and a Filipino crewman, Glenn Alindajao, 30, a master mariner – in the first kidnapping incident aboard a merchant ship.

Historically, ASG threatened the national security of the Philippines and, on occasion, it extended its reach to Sabah, eastern Malaysia. But its operation on Oct. 20 threatens the region’s security.

A hybrid

ASG is a hybrid group engaged in criminal and terrorist activity on land and at sea. Formed in 1991, ASG is led today by Radulan Sahiron, who has amassed more than U.S. $10 million in kidnaping for ransom operations during the year, according to reports.

The ransom payments emboldened the ASG and enhanced its long-range operational capabilities. The theater of conflict is shifting and expanding, and the lack of government capacity to fight back is becoming increasingly evident.

With both a terrorist and guerrilla capability, ASG is the most capable threat group in the Philippines and added to its capability during the administration of former President Benigno Aquino III.

Despite the Philippine security forces killing 200 ASG leaders, members and supporters in 2015, ASG recruitment grew from 449 to 506, a 16.71 percent increase. In 2015, there were 148 ASG-initiated violent incidents, a 70.11 percent increase compared to the 87 incidents in 2014.

There were 46 IED attacks in 2015, marking a 275 percent increase from 12 incidents in 2014. Most IED attacks occurred in Basilan where Indonesian, Malaysian and Moroccan fighters aligned to the so-called Islamic State (IS) teamed up with Isnilon Hapilon, ASG deputy leader and leader responsible for Basilan. In preparation for joining IS, Hapilon broke away from ASG and unified several groups that pledged allegiance to IS and invited foreign fighters.

“Despite the government’s law enforcement operations and focused military operations which resulted in the neutralization of hundreds of ASG-linked personalities, its manpower and firearms continue to increase due to the inclusion of newly identified personalities, recruitment efforts and procurement of war material, funding for which emanates from ransom payments derived from its kidnap-for-ransom activities,” the Joint Armed Forces of the Philippines-Philippine National Police Intelligence Committee (JAPC) reported in March 2016.

Both the Philippine military and police will need to deploy more operational troops to contain, isolate and eliminate the ASG threat. Furthermore, both AFP and PNP will need operational and intelligence support from their regional and international partners.

Held hostage

At present, ASG is holding nearly two dozen captives. In addition to Filipinos, ASG kidnapped a Dutch, a Korean, a German, six Vietnamese, five Malaysians, and two Indonesians. In addition to Filipinos, ASG released Indonesian and Malaysian sailors and nationals of other countries after their ransoms were paid.

On Nov. 8, Gen. Ricardo Visaya, chief of staff of the Philippine Armed Forces, expressed confidence in neutralizing the ASG in Basilan and Sulu before he stepped down on Dec. 8.

Nonetheless, the ASG threat is likely to persist and worsen unless the government builds greater counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency capabilities. Philippine military and political leaders had made similar pledges and vows to wipe out ASG, but they failed repeatedly.

The threat groups in the Philippines are undergoing dramatic change with the influence of the IS. An al-Qaeda centric group, ASG is transforming into an IS-centric group with ASG members lured by IS propaganda.

The Sulu-based ASG, led by Sahiron, suffered after his deputy, Isnilon Hapilon, who led the Basilan faction, broke away in 2015. With its Basilan faction joining IS and forming the Islamic State of the Philippines (ISP), ASG is trying to recover by stepping up its operations.

Unlike ASG, the local branch of Islamic State also engages in criminal activity – notably extortion – to raise funds. Although ISP has not engaged in kidnappings, it has received significant funding from IS central and IS regional associates.

Government response

The Philippines, meanwhile, heavily relies on international counterterrorism operational and intelligence support. The capacity of the Philippines to fight terrorism and insurgency will diminish if its new president, Rodrigo Duterte, shifts closer to China. Chinese counter-terrorism capabilities are 20 years behind the United States.

Philippine-U.S. relations suffered after Duterte launched a campaign to eliminate drug traffickers and drug dealers. According to human rights organizations, at least 3,680 people have been killed by police and unidentified attackers in the Philippines, from June 30 to early October.

Although the campaign to eliminate drug traffickers and dealers is popular within the Philippines, the European Union., U.N., other entities and a few Western countries have expressed reservation. Angered by American criticism over his campaign to kill the drug dealers, Duterte called for the withdrawal of U.S. special forces.

From 2002-2015, the U.S. Special Operations Forces were deployed to train and advise Philippine units fighting ASG. Although Duterte is determined to dismantle ASG, his call for a U.S. withdrawal will hamper the greater international cooperation and collaboration needed to maintain the military and police’s combat and intelligence capabilities.

This month, Duterte also authorized Indonesia and Malaysia to engage ASG in hot pursuit in the waters of the Philippines. These three affected nations are expected to discuss a standard operating procedure (SOP) and legal aspects of the operational plan when the defense ministers meet in Vientiane, Laos on Nov. 22.

Challenges for Duterte

The response of the Philippine authorities to the emerging threat of IS was belated. The Aquino administration refused to accept that IS had created a nucleus in Basilan and that an IS-centric threat landscape was emerging. With 16 IS-linked entities operating in the Philippines, the Duterte administration faces twin challenges.

First, it must eliminate the emerging IS threat by targeting ISP and other local groups that have pledged allegiance to Abu Bakr al Baghdadi, the so-called caliph of IS. These entities include the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), in Central Mindanao, and Islamic State Lanao (ISL).

Second, it must neutralize the ASG, the group responsible for both terrorist attacks and piracy.

The core strength of ASG is in Western Mindanao – the Sulu Archipelago consisting of Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi Tawi.

Until Manila develops capabilities to dismantle the threat groups on land, create a maritime corridor with security escorts, and regulates foreigners visiting high-risk zones, terrorism and piracy will persist and may even grow.

The Philippine government will need the support of the international community to fight the renewed capabilities of the ASG. To develop an aggressive response to dismantle the ASG, Manila will have to retain its intelligence capabilities and build new operational capabilities.

http://www.benarnews.org/english/commentaries/asia-pacific-threat-update/gunaratna-november-11152016164021.html