Power Politics and the Environment: Destruction of the South China Sea Reef

From the McGill International Review (Dec 1): Power Politics and the Environment: Destruction of the South China Sea Reef

In examining the South China Sea dispute, one ordinarily accords attention to its legal nuance, military development, and saber-rattling. However, one of the greatest victims of the situation is the regional environment. The cost of development in the sea and fishing, which has increased greatly over the past few years, has wreaked environmental havoc upon the region.

 

China has sought to cement its claim to the distant Spratly Islands by building islands, which their military forces then proceed to occupy. The Spratly Islands is really a misnomer considering that the majority of its features do not qualify as islands, but rather rocks or submerged reefs and shoals. This is an important distinction as an island merits a 200 mile economic zone, whereas reefs and mere rocks do not.

 

The primary goals for controlling the sea area include access to fisheries, control over the movement of trade and resources that move along the international trade lanes, and rights to the unknown quantities of oil which lie beneath the sea bed. Thus, by building something to be classified as an island, the Chinese military and government aim to have control over the wider neighborhood. The other claimants to the Spratly Islands — Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines — have challenged China’s 9-Dash-Line many times over the years. Whether it be squatters rights or a sense of fait accompli, China has strong motives behind the island-building.

 

South China Sea Reef disputed claims.
http://nyti.ms/1De1cH4

 

However, the process of building the islands is disastrous on the local environment. In creating land, where before there was nothing but rock or submerged shoal, these Chinese maritime engineers move mass amounts of sand, thereby suffocating reefs and making the swirling sand prevent light from reaching the plants or fish. The reef ecosystem is very delicate and this abnormal environmental change is causing irreparable damage.

 

Accusations of environmental irresponsibility have been vociferously denied by the Chinese administration. Chinese diplomat, Hong Lei,  has gone so far as to say that the island building project is a green one. He bases this on the idea that the process is a natural simulation of the power of waves in gradually moving sand over years. However, unlike in nature, these changes are not gradual on the timeline of a millennia, but rather over weeks and months. Minister Hong went on to say that once the project is completed, the international community can expect an improvement on the situation, “Once China’s construction activities are completed, ecological environmental protection on relevant islands and reefs will be notably enhanced and such action stands the test of time.”

 

John McManus, professor of marine biology and fisheries and director of the National Center for Coral Reef Research at the University of Miami, contradicted such a view during a conference on the South China Sea at the Center for Strategic Studies (CSIS). According to McManus, not only does the Chinese reef-building system not in the slightest resemble a natural process, but China’s combination of dredging the sands and then building islands from it “kills basically everything.”

 

Chinese ships build an island, where only rocks existed at Mischief Reef.
http://nyti.ms/1De1cH4

 

The island building is calamitous for the maritime environment, but it causes a much lower level of destruction on the reef system than giant clam fishing does. While one can blame China’s island building practices for the destruction of 55 square kilometres of reef, giant clam fishing has destroyed over 104 square kilometres of reef. Often China declares that they build on dead reefs, but what diplomats do not mention is the fact that government-approved fishermen are the ones who killed the reefs in the first place.

 

The giant clams are taken partly for their flesh, but largely for the shell itself. The problem has existed for many years in varying degrees. In the 1980s the colourful species was used for an aquarium fad in China. Now, the fishing of them has gained more momentum, as the shells and carvings made from them have become a new luxury and status good in China, already the final destination for many endangered species. The shells are used as decoration, jewellery and carvings; Tanmen, a harbour town along the Hainan coast, now has streets of stores selling clam products, which can yearly earn 1.5 million (USD).

 

The fishing of the species is dangerous not only in light of its decimation of the species, which environmental organizations already recognize as vulnerable. The reef is a fragile and vibrant ecosystem and many species depend on the clams. In order to remove the clams, Chinese fishermen use the propellers of their boats to loosen the shell, in the process destroying the surrounding reef. From an economic focus, a coral reef is the most valuable ecosystem per acre in the world. For many years the Chinese government had recognized the status of endangerment on the clams, and forbidden the fishing of them. However, starting in 2013, at the same time as the emergence of Chinese coast guard ships in the Mischief Reef area, and soon before construction began, they completely reversed their policy on this. In light of the easing on the laws and a crackdown on ivory trade, the giant clam trade is now booming.

 

Destroying an ecosystem to depict one. Giant clam jewellery and decoration industry is booming.
http://nyti.ms/1De1cH4

 

Many point to China’s very recent policies against clam fishing in their defence, but the 2014 Xi Jinping visit to the fishermen on the Hainan island Tanmen, the epicenter of the trade, belies such change. Xi Jinping is by nature a very political figure and his appearances with Chinese people are infrequent. His day spent in Tanmen, would therefore perhaps point to a more significant, underlying political motive.

 

For the South China Sea region in general, but especially for China, fishing is not only an important economic asset; it is also an expression and manipulation of politics and a way to change the facts on the ground, or on the waves. China suffers from both legal and legitimacy issues in the South China Sea. In 2012 the Philippines brought a suit against China to the United Nations. The Philippines objected to the Chinese occupation of the Scarborough Shoal, which had been in Philippine territory. They also objected to the forced exclusion of the Philippine fishermen. The Shoal fit neatly into China’s created Nine-Dash-Line, and they of course argued along this principle.

 

The legal ruling dismissed China’s Nine-Dash-Line claims in much of the South China Sea. China protested the ruling and has not abided by it in the months that have followed. As they did not participate (although the UN invited Chinese legal representatives), they say the court and its ruling are not legitimate. The UN decision wasn’t clear in every section, but on the topic of Chinese fishing practices, it was very clear in its disapprobation. Chinese fishing had been heavily conducted in the areas around the Second Thomas Shoal, and Mischief Reef-the Mischief Reef area is now home to the largest of China’s new islands.

 

The UN agreed with the Philippines’ protests that the Chinese are fishing in Philippine waters based on the interpretation of Article 121 of the UN Convention on the Laws of the Sea, which states that, “Rocks which cannot sustain human habitation or economic life of their own shall have no exclusive economic zone or continental shelf.” Any rocks claimed by China in the area do not merit an economic zone, and thus, the rights to the waters revert to the Philippines whose 200 nautical mile EEZ encompasses the area.

 

The vital importance of reefs encompass multiple fields.
http://bit.ly/2bPaHDc

 

As part of their case, the Philippines submitted evidence that the Chinese fishermen fished illegally with the approval and support of the government. The UN received reports that Chinese naval ships  escort fishermen into these areas. Based on the government’s condoning of illegal practices, the UN ruled that China has breached its obligations under Article 58 (3) of the Convention on the Laws of the Sea. Fishermen receive government protection, and when Xi Jinping made his visit to Hainan he told the fishermen how the Chinese government would do even more to protect them. In 2013, a large Chinese fishing fleet of 30 vessels from the Hainan province conducted a “40-day operation” in the South China Sea. This is the second such operation organized by local fishery associations after China established Sansha City in June 2012. Each vessel in the fleet weighs more than 100 metric tons. Further, a 4,000-ton supply ship and a 1,500-ton transport ship were supplying the fishing vessels with fuel, food, water and other necessities.

 

All sides seek to gain legitimacy in the dispute, which has negative consequences on the environment. If one side advocates for more environmentally friendly policies, the other disputers feel obliged to do the opposite to show that they do not respect the right of the other country to announce let alone declare such a standard. All this is to the detriment of one of the most biodiverse areas in the world.

 

http://mironline.ca/power-politics-environment-destruction-south-china-sea-reef/

Bataan eyes ‘special defense zone’

From The Standard (Dec 2): Bataan eyes ‘special defense zone’

Bataan second district Rep. Joet Garcia plans to convert the 370-hectare government arsenal industrial estate in the upland section of Barangay Lamao in Limay town into a Special Economic Defense Zone.

Garcia filed House Bill No. 4462, that would convert the government arsenal located at Camp Gen. Antonio Luna in Limay—and create a Special Economic Defense Zone Authority to oversee the property.

Creating the proposed SpEDZA would make the area “accessible for inclusive business prospects and progress in firearm module and technical competency of the government arsenal,” which are vital in supporting the objectives of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine National Police and other law enforcement agencies, the lawmaker said.

Operating this economic zone in the Bataan peninsula “would accelerate the inflow of top-notch material on advanced weaponry system, as well as the acquisition of sophisticated technology in armament production features,” Garcia said.

He stressed the potential economic impact of the Defense Economic Zone project, “which would be the only one of its kind in Asia in terms of promoting indigenous capability in the manufacture of defense armaments.”

Retired major general Jonathan Martir said the government arsenal produces only small arms (pistol) ammunition, and its present state’s capability reflects how long the arsenal has been neglected.

“Relying too much on our allies for our defense needs is certainly not a sound decision, as it could indeed bring false hope if not totally disaster because it could lead us to becoming a totally defenseless nation,” Martir said.

Under Republic Act 7898 or the AFP Modernization Act, the government arsenal should be modernized “for the development of production capabilities to enhance self-sufficiency in defense requirements,” the retired general said.

Section 12 of the law mandates that the government arsenal “shall be utilized in the production of basic weapons, ammunition and other munitions for the use of AFP and PNP, and for the sale and export of products in excess of their requirements.”

http://thestandard.com.ph/news/-provinces/223062/bataan-eyes-special-defense-zone-.html

MILF: Editorial -- The ISIS' phenomenon

Editorial posted to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front Website (Dec 4): Editorial -- The ISIS' phenomenon

For over a week recently, government security forces have been battling the Maute brothers in Butig, Lanao Del Sur. Scores of casualties from both sides were reported. But the greater damage or suffering has been inflicted on the civilians who were uprooted from their homes.

Seriously, the coming in of this group has complicated the situation in Mindanao. Unlike the MILF and NPA, their engagements with government is not covered by terms of reference. Everything seems fair.  It is similar to the early years of Martial Law where everywhere is free-fire zone. Anything that moves is fair target.

Whether the group has firmly established links with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria or simply “daish” is still a big question. There is no official confirmation from the government nor from the MILF. Perhaps, the most that can be asserted or maybe admitted is that there are youths who are fascinated by the early successes or radical teachings of the ISIS; and they are trying to connect with the ISIS in the Middle East.

But what is established is that there are hundreds to thousands of Moro youths who claimed to be ISIS-inspired or members. Many of them belonged to well-to-do if not prominent families. They are unconfirmed reports that even sons of prominent politicians are recruited. And the most odd of all, defying earlier theory that the madrasahs (Islamic schools) produce “terrorists”, most of those youths are secular-educated mainly from government institutions.

There are various reasons why this group is hard to defeat immediately. First, they feed on the frustrations of the people caused by the delay in the resolution of the conflict in Mindanao; second, their almost fanatical belief that their interpretation of Islam is the correct one; third, they abhor the perceived compromises of their elders; and fourth, many reports confirmed that they receiving support from overseas.

Strategically, however, their staying power is questioned. First, they violated the cardinal principle of secrecy especially in the organizational stage of the struggle. They do not hide their identities and activities, using Facebook and YouTube extensively; second, they do not organize the people, as base of support; third, they defy the civilized norms of engagement; and fourth, if they solely rely for support from the ISIS, who are virtually encircled in their strongholds, then it is only a matter of time before everything dries up.

On the part of MILF, we continue to hold dialogues and seek understanding with all sectors of our people. This is an obligation that no one can dispense with. And it is producing good results especially with members of the BIFF/BIFM.

Be this as it may, our success will only be limited, because the MILF has no legal authority to enforce what it thinks as right. But once the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) is passed into law and the Bangsamoro government is in place and the MILF is initially placed at the helm of government, then we have both the legal and moral responsibility to effect obedience. We can be an effective partner of government.

http://www.luwaran.com/index.php/editorial/23-1st-issue-1-7/985-the-isis-phenomenon

NDF: NDFP Consultants to Launch Sympathy Hunger Strike to Push for Release of Political Prisoners

Posted to the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) Website (Dec 3): NDFP Consultants to Launch Sympathy Hunger Strike to Push for Release of Political Prisoners  

NDFP Media Office
Press release
December 2, 2016

Some 15 released consultants and staff of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) will go on sympathy fast and hunger strike starting tomorrow to dramatize the call for the release of all political prisoners.

The NDFP consultants and staff will take turns in joining political prisoners in detention facilities nationwide as well as relatives and supporters of the detainees who will be fasting for the first four days, and go on hunger strike for another four days until December 10. Fasting and hunger strike centers will be set up in Mendiola, Manila and other areas all over the country for this purpose.

The nationwide protest is being launched even as a political prisoner died from a massive stroke four days ago. Bernabe Ocasla, who was detained on trumped-up multiple murder charges for nine years, was on a list of 130 ailing and elderly political prisoners provided by human rights groups to the peace panel of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) after the latter said that it would prioritize them for release. The GRP, however, later reduced the number to 70.

GRP peace panel chief Silvestre Bello III’s response to news about Ocasla’s death was to express sympathy with his family and announce that the GRP may further reduce the number of political prisoners for humanitarian release to as low as 50 and that their self-imposed deadline for the releases would be moved from the end of November to December 10.

The GRP has been missing its own deadlines and providing variable numbers of detainees it intends to release since president-elect Rodrigo Duterte first pledged to free all of the nation’s more than 400 political prisoners last May through general amnesty.

Despite numerous pronouncements from the GRP, not a single political prisoner has been released through the peace process since 19 NDFP consultants and staff were freed on bail last August.

In a statement, the NDFP stressed that the release of political prisoners is not merely a goodwill measure but a matter of justice and compliance with the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law which both parties signed in 1998.

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

https://www.ndfp.org/ndfp-consultants-launch-sympathy-hunger-strike-push-release-political-prisoners/

CPP/NPA: Pahayag sa Pandaigdigang Araw ng Pakikipagkaisa sa mga Bilanggong Pulitikal

Propaganda statement posted to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Website (Dec 3): Pahayag sa Pandaigdigang Araw ng Pakikipagkaisa sa mga Bilanggong Pulitikal (Statement on International Day of Solidarity with Political Prisoners)

Ka Cleo del Mundo
Apolonio Mendoza Command
NPA-Quezon
December 3, 2016

Ngayong Pandaigdigang Araw ng Pakikipagkaisa sa mga Bilanggong Pulitikal, ang Apolonio Mendoza Command ay sumusuporta sa pahayag ng Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas na tumututol sa plano ng gubyernong Duterte na magpalaya lamang ng lilimampung bilanggong pulitikal sa pagtatapos ng Disyembre.

Makatarungan ang kahingiang palayain na agad lahat ang 432 natitirang bilanggong pulitikal alinsunod sa mga kaisahang nabuo sa nagaganap na Peace Talks mula pa Agosto.

Walang dahilan na manatili sa bilangguan ang sinuman dahil sa kanyang pampulitikang paninindigan. Habang mahimbing naman ang tulog ng mga pusakal na kriminal na promotor ng terorismo ng Oplan Bantay Laya at Oplan Bayanihan sa nakaraang dalawang rehimen, at ngayon ay ipinagpapatuloy ng gubyernong Duterte.

Nananawagan ang Apolonio Mendoza Command sa mamamayan ng Quezon na suportahan ang kampanya sa agarang pagpapalaya sa lahat ng bilanggong pulitikal, kabilang ang labing-apat na detenidong pulitkal mula sa lalawigan na sina:

1. Miguela Piñero
2. Rhea Pareja
3. Gemma Carag
4. Maria Maridel Torres
5. Margie Navia
6. Evelyn Legaspi
7. Jesus Abetria
8. Alberto Macasinag
9. Cenon Sambola
10. Eliseo Lopez
11. Dennis Ortiz
12. Alexander Perdeguerra
13. Sandino Esguerra, at
14. Dionny Borre

Hinahamon ng buong rebolusyunaryong kilusan si Pangulong Duterte na panindigan ang kanyang pangakong palalayain ang lahat ng bilanggo puitikal sa pamamagitan ng Presidential Amnesty Proclamation.

Huwag puro dakdak. Huwag putak-nang-putak. Be a man of your words!

Sa kabilang banda, makakaasa ang mamamayan ng Quezon na ang inyong Hukbo at buong rebolusyunaryong kilusan ay patuloy na tatalima sa mga itinakdang kaisahan ng nagaganap na Peace Talks.

Kasabay nito, ang Apolonio Mendoza command ay laging mataas ang kapasyahan na ipagtanggol ang base ng rebolsuyon mula sa anumang maitim na pakana ng Armed Forces of the Philippines na idiskaril ang Peace Talks.

Mabuhay ang mamamayang nakikibaka!
Palayain ang lahat ng Bilanggong Pulitikal!
Hindi Krimen ang Magrebolusyon!

https://www.cpp.ph/pahayag-sa-pandaigdigang-araw-ng-pakikipagkaisa-sa-mga-bilanggong-pulitikal/

CPP: CPP rebukes Duterte regime for “anti-terror” crackdown on rights

Propaganda statement posted to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Website (Dec 2): CPP rebukes Duterte regime for “anti-terror” crackdown on rights

Information Bureau

Communist Party of the Philippines

Press Release

December 2, 2016

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) today rebuked the Duterte regime for using the so-called anti-terror drive to flex police and military muscle by imposing their pervasive armed presence to control the population and curtail the people’s civil and political rights.

Yesterday, the Philippine National Police (PNP) announced it was on Terror Alert 3 and declared it was going to carry out random spot checkpoints, raids and other operations against “terrorist lairs”.

“Like the previous regimes, the Duterte regime is imposing the same white terror on the Filipino people, especially against the minority Moro communities, using the pretext of the drive against terrorism,” said the CPP. “The CPP urges the people to stand up to defend their rights amid the regime’s increasingly militarized police-state operations dubbed as an all-out anti-terror campaign.”

The CPP rejects the police chief’s appeal to the people to remain calm. “Clearly, the aim is to desensitize the people and make them accept the imposition of more and more repressive measures.”

The CPP also pointed out that the plan to set up random checkpoints is another step back by Duterte who in early November announced he was putting an end to such measures which he deemed ineffective in curtailing criminality.

Over the past several weeks, the so-called Maute Group, a hodgepodge of armed bandits in Lanao del Sur, is being tagged as a terrorist group with claimed links to the IS (the supposed Islamic State).

The AFP has been carrying out large-scale military operations backed by air strikes and canon fire. Close to 2,500 families in Butig, Lanao del Sur, have been forced to escape the AFP onslaught and are suffering grave difficulties.”

“The Moro people have been bearing the heaviest brunt of so-called anti-terror police and military operations,” added the CPP. “If Duterte will continue with his so-called anti-terror war, he will most follow the lead of the AFP and be be drawn deep into it in accordance with the US plan.”

“Going by historical experience, it is likely that the Maute group was initiated and is being financed by US agents and its minions in the AFP, to serve as a new bogeyman to justify continuing US military presence in the country, now that the CIA-initiated Abu Sayaff has been discredited as a mere kidnap-for-ransom group,” pointed out the CPP.  “It is the new

Despite having declared a war against the IS, the US has been exposed as having strong links with the IS, including chanelling weapons to it.

https://www.cpp.ph/cpp-rebukes-duterte-regime-anti-terror-crackdown-rights/

CPP: Death of political prisoner and AFP ceasefire violations in Eastern Visayas spur opposition to bilateral ceasefire

Propaganda statement posted to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Website (Dec 1): Death of political prisoner and AFP ceasefire violations in Eastern Visayas spur opposition to bilateral ceasefire

The National Democratic Front-Eastern Visayas condemns the death of political prisoner Bernardo Ocasla from cardiac arrest last Nov. 28, saying this spurs opposition to a bilateral ceasefire between the GRP and NDFP. “Bernardo Ocasla is the fourth political prisoner from Eastern Visayas to die in detention in recent years, after Nila Montes in Eastern Samar, and Nenino Cabarles and Renato Abadiano in Samar,” said NDF-EV spokesperson Fr. Santiago “Ka Sanny” Salas. “We condole with his family who waited in vain for his release to right the injustice done to him because of the fabricated case linking him to the “mass grave” in Leyte, a psywar creation of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Ocasla’s death underscores the failed promise of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines to release all political prisoners in harmony with its peace talks with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines.”

 

Fr. Salas said that the people feel betrayed because GRP President Rodrigo Duterte has not released the more than 400 political prisoners who still languish behind bars, including Eduardo Sarmiento, NDFP peace consultant for Eastern Visayas. “The GRP president has the power to release the political prisoners en masse, as Corazon Aquino did in 1986. Why are they being made to pass through the eye of a needle as Duterte and his officials insist? Is this not another injustice to political prisoners who who were sent to jail like common criminals, such as Bernabe Ocasla who spent a decade in prison for a nonexistent crime, and Eduardo Sarmiento who was sentenced to life imprisonment for a grenade he wasn’t carrying.”

 

The NDF-EV spokesperson added that the sufferings of the political prisoners and continuing AFP military operations in Samar and Leyte are compelling grounds to oppose a bilateral ceasefire between the NDFP and GRP. “If the GRP cannot fulfill a relatively minor commitment such as releasing political prisoners, it has no right to make heavier demands such as a bilateral ceasefire with the NDFP. Furthermore, by carrying out military operations thinly disguised as “peace and development,” the AFP leaves the New People’s Army no choice but to actively defend themselves and the people. There is no sense in talking about a bilateral ceasefire when political prisoners are dying and the AFP is out of control. After all, the peace talks can continue even without a bilateral ceasefire, and if genuine changes remain opaque under the Duterte administration, the people’s war and the democratic mass struggles for a just and lasting peace are bound to intensify.”#

 

https://www.cpp.ph/death-political-prisoner-afp-ceasefire-violations-eastern-visayas-spur-opposition-bilateral-ceasefire/

CPP: Release of all political prisoners, not mere 50–CPP

Propaganda statement posted to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Website (Dec 2): Release of all political prisoners, not mere 50–CPP

Information Bureau

Communist Party of the Philippines

Press Release

December 2, 2016

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) today said it rejects the plan of the Duterte government to release a mere 50 political prisoners by the end of December. The plan was announced by Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III who is also the GRP’s chief negotiator with the NDFP.

“Justice demands that all 432 remaining political prisoners be released immediately,” said the CPP. “Every additional second that political prisoners remain incarcerated add to the grave injustices which they have been made to suffer throughout the years in jail.”

“The release of political prisoners is taking way too long,” said the CPP. The releases were originally expected to be carried out on the last week of October before the original date of the signing of a bilateral ceasefire agreement. “Worse, surveillance, harassments and arrests against activists persist.”
“Even the release on humanitarian grounds is unduly being delayed,” said the CPP.  “The death last Monday of peasant activist Bernabe Ocasla from Eastern Visayas rouses the people’s indignation against the Duterte regime for its failure to release the elderly and sickly political prisoners.”

“Ocasla was detained for almost nine years without ever being convicted,” pointed out the CPP. He died at the Jose Reyes Memorial Hospital afer suffering from cardiac arrest. He was 66. The CPP extends its sympathies with the family and colleagues of Ka Bernabe.

“The expectation which the Duterte government raised by signing the August 26 Oslo joint statement with the NDFP was that all political prisoners will be released promptly and en masse through the issuance of a presidential amnesty proclamation,” said the CPP.

“It has also been made clear by the CPP and NDFP that the bilateral ceasefire being sought by the GRP can only be forged if all political prisoners will be released and all fascist troops of the AFP will be withdrawn from the barrio centers in the guerrilla zones in the course of its Oplan Bayanihan counter-insurgency operations,” added the CPP.

“By releasing all political prisoners, the Duterte regime can demonstrate to the Filipino people its commitment to fulfill the current and future obligations in peace negotiations with the NDFP,” pointed out the CPP.

“The planned release of a mere 40-50 political prisoners is an unacceptable token,” said the CPP. “Worse, they are being made to go through a tedious legal process which add to their agonizing legal ordeal after being made to face trumped up criminal charges, typically, possession of explosives which are unbailable.”

“The revolutionary forces are extending their patience and giving the Duterte regime up to the month of January to comply with its obligation to release all political prisoners,” said the CPP. “The Duterte regime’s compliance will be taken as an indication of its ability to stand by its word.”

“If it fails, the Duterte regime will not only forego the possibility of forging a bilateral ceasefire agreement, but will risk cutting short as well the mutual interim ceasefire declarations with the NDFP, especially amid the continuing military deployments and operations in the countryside.”

https://www.cpp.ph/release-political-prisoners-not-mere-50-cpp/

Arm Butig residents to fight Maute? Mayor says no

From Rappler (Dec 4): Arm Butig residents to fight Maute? Mayor says no

Butig Mayor Dimnatang Pansar instead wants a permanent military station inside the town occupied by the ISIS-inspired terrorist organization

SPECIAL SESSION. A special session of the Municipal Peace and Order Council is convened on Saturday, December 3. Rappler photo

 

Should the citizens of Butig, Lanao del Sur be armed by the government to defend themselves against the Maute group? This was the main topic during a special session of the Butig Municipal Peace and Order Council (MPOC) Saturday, December 3.

 

Showing defiance against the local terror group, barangay officials present said they want the military to give them firearms to fight the Maute group that occupied their town and prompted a military offensive that forced residents to abandon their homes.

"Kung talagang bigyan niyo ako ng pulutan at bigyan ng baril, laban na talaga sa Maute group yan (If you are going to supply me with bullets and firearms, I will really fight that Maute group)," said an angry Punde Ander, chairman of Barangay Butig Proper, during the meeting at the National Irrigation Authority building where the municipal government has been holding office since they abandoned the town hall in Butig Proper.

 

"Talagang lalaban ako. Kahit diyan ako mamatay (I will fight. Even if it is going to cause my death)," said Ander. The crowd erupted in applause.

 

Firefights happening at a distance could be heard during the highly-charged meeting.

 

Ander and the other village officials present were serious. Illegal firearms abound in the town where rido or clan wars are pervasive. What they want is authority from government to fight the Maute group and for the government to supply them the munitions.

VOLUNTEER. Barangay Butig Proper chairman Punde Ander wants goverment to give him firearms to fight the Maute Group. Rappler photo

Mayor says no

 

But Butig Mayor Dimnatang Pansar rejected the proposal. What he wants is a military detachment inside Butig.

 

"Hindi po maganda yun (It is not good). That is why we are requesting the national government and I told President Digong Duterte himself: Lagyan ng (Let's put a) permanent station ang military in Butig," Pansar said.

 

"It is not the duty of civilians to arm themselves. It is the duty of the armed forces to protect the people," he added.

 

The situation in Butig is complicated. Clans that are at war with the Maute family and their local supporters have benefited from the offensive. Arming them could drag the military into personal conflicts.

 

Pansar said majority of the residents of Butig sympathize with the military and not with the Maute Group. He claimed that most of the Maute fighters there are not from Butig.

 

Not all of the town's barangay chairmen were present at the meeting, however. Pansar claimed those chairmen do not necessarily support the Maute Group, but may be afraid, like many residents, that the group will get back at them if they openly defy them.

 

LEADRS. Mayor Jimmy Pansar and Army Colonel Rosseler Murillo lead the special session of the Municipal Peace and Order Council. Rappler photo

Military camp, CAFGUs in Butig

 

The ground commander in Butig, Colonel Rosseler Murillo of the Army 103rd Brigade, said military presence in Butig is one of the commitments that Duterte made to Pansar when the president visited the province last week. The details have yet to be sorted, however.

 

Pansar also said he discussed the details with Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana during Duterte's visit. "Sabi ko, 'Sir, tingnan mo nangyari sa Abu Bakr after all-out-war. May permanent military presence. Kampo ng brigade. Hanggang ngayon nanantiling peaceful ang area'," said Pansar. (I said, 'Sir, look what happened to Abu Bakr after an all-out-war. They maitained military presence: a brigade camp. The area has remained peaceful.)

 

Murillo said they are considering the recruitment of residents to become members of the Civilian Auxilliary Forces Group Unit (CAFGU).

 

"They are the primary stakeholders. Hindi kami. Andito kabuhayan nila. Andito pamilya nila (It is not us. Their livelihoods are here. Their families are here)," said Murillo.

 

Clearing operations continue

 

The military continues to bar residents from returning to certain barangays as they continue operations to clear the areas of remaining Maute members or of improvised explosive devices.

Murillo denied that the members of Maute continue to spread to different barangays.

 

To speed up the clearing, Ander also proposed that barangay chairmen should go back to their areas to check for remaining Maute members.

 

Murillo invited them to discuss a plan at the Army tactical command post, but only Ander was willing to go. There are concerns that barangay chairmen will be blamed by the military if firefights erupt in areas they will declare to be free of Maute members.

 

The Maute group last week occupied about 10 hectares of the small town in Lanao Del Sur, raised the black flag of the so-called Islamic State (ISIS) at the abandoned municipal hall in Barangay Butig Proper, and meshed with the local residents.

 

It took the military 6 days to regain control of the municipal hall. The troops continue to move house-to-house to clear the town of the members of Maute.

 

http://www.rappler.com/nation/154457-butig-residents-firearms-maute

Sulu youth leaders learn about diversity, unity in Malaysia trip

From Rappler (Dec 4): Sulu youth leaders learn about diversity, unity in Malaysia trip

The Armed Forces of the Philippines brings 50 youth leaders from Sulu to Malaysia to teach them about living in a multi-cultural society



FRIENDS. Al-Fatima Tudzjahara Malik (right) and Babylyn Nisal (left) during their visit to Kuala Lumpur. Photo by Carol Ramoran.

Sixteen-year-olds Al-Fatima Tudzjahara Malik and Babylyn Nisal are in Malaysia for their first trip abroad. They are from the province of Sulu and became fast friends through a youth organization in their area that aims to promote unity and harmony in the region.

“Sa Young Leaders of Sulu (YLS) po, gumagawa kami ng mga project at outreach program para po sa mga kagaya namin na youth na makakatulong sa kanila,” Al-Fatima said.

 

(Through the Young Leaders of Sulu, we do projects and outreach programs to help our fellow youth)

“Gumagawa kami ng presentation at lecture para makatulong na huwag silang sumali sa grupo na gumagawa ng masasamang gawain. Kinukumbinsi namin sila na imbes na sumama sa masamang gawain, sinasabi namin na sumali na lang sila sa YLS," Babylyn added. (We make presentations and do lectures to help them stay away from extremist groups. We convince them to just join the YLS.)

 

Al-Fatima and Babylyn were among the chosen delegates to go for the first ever Muslim Filipino Youth Leaders' Educational Tour in Malaysia, a project of the civil-military operations office of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and in cooperation with the Philippine Embassy in Kuala Lumpur. Fifty youth leaders from Sulu were able to see how Malaysians, despite being of different race and religion, are able to co-exist peacefully.

 

The delegation, led by Western Mindanao Command Deputy Commander Brigadier General Jose Cabanban, arrived on a Philippine Air Force C-130 plane and were welcomed at the Royal Malaysian Air Force base in Subang by Philippine Ambassador to Malaysia Eduardo Malaya along with embassy officers and staff.

 

“This innovative program is an opportunity for our Muslim youth to experience a multi-cultural society. Through interactions with their peers and exposure to other faiths and traditions, they can further imbibe the values of moderation, tolerance and acceptance of others,” Malaya said.

“We hope that the participants would have a good experience and would share this to their fellow youth back home," he added.

 

INTERACTIVE LEARNING. Third Secretary and Vice Consul Alvin Malasig tells the Sulu Youth about their Muslim brothers and sisters living in Sabah. Photo provided from the Philippine Embassy in Kuala Lumpur.

The delegation was welcomed at the embassy, where they performed traditional Filipino-Muslim songs and dances for the consular clients, then attended a lecture on the situation of Filipinos in Sabah.

 

They also went to the Malaysian Parliament Dewan Rakyat (Malaysian Parliament), where Dewan Speaker Tan Sri Datuk Seri Panglima Pandikar Amin bin Haji Mulia gave an inspirational talk. Tan Sri Pandikar is actually an ethnic Iranun from Mindanao who grew up in Sabah.

 

CULTURAL PERFORMANCE. Sulu Youth Leaders perform a traditional dance at the consular section of the Philippine Embassy, much to the delight of Filipinos applying for passports and other consular services. Photo from the Philippine Embassy in Kuala Lumpur

The delegation also visited the Global Movement of Moderates and the International Islamic University of Malaysia to get to know more about moderation in Islamic practices.

 

Al-Fatima and Babylyn say that getting to know locals made them feel a lot more similar to their Malaysian brothers and sisters.

 

“Kasi po kami, okay lang sa amin makipaghalubilo sa iba. Wala namang mali. Tinuruan po kasi kami na hindi por que hindi mo siya kalahi o karelihyon, ija-judge mo siya agad. Tinuturuan po kasi kami sa YLS na maging united,” Al-Fatima said.

 

(For us, it’s perfectly fine to meet and mingle with people from different religions and backgrounds. There’s nothing wrong. We’re taught that just because someone doesn’t have the same religion or race as you, doesn’t mean you can judge them. We’re also taught at YLS to be united.)

 

“Kahit iba iba ang God ng tao, as long as gumagawa ka ng mabuti, ibbless ka pa rin ni God (Even if someone’s God is different, as long as they do good, God will still bless them),” she added.

 

According to Babylyn, meeting their fellow Muslims in Malaysia gave them even more motivation in their work to change the perception about Muslims in Sulu.

 

“Iniisip lagi ng mga tao na yung mga taga Sulu ay mga ‘war freak’. Nakakalungkot pero sinusubukan namin i-accept ang reality. As part ng YLS, unti-unti kami gumagawa ng paraan para maiba yung perception nila. Nalalahat po kasi kami. Dahil may isang taong gumawa ng masama, nilalahat na kami. Hindi rin naman po araw araw may gulo sa amin,” she said.

 

(People always think that people from Sulu are war freaks. It’s sad but we try to accept the reality. As part of YLS, we are trying to change the perception of others. We’re being lumped with extremist groups. It’s not everyday there’s a war in our area.)

 

“Apektado po kami dahil sa ginagawa ng mga masamang grupo tapos ginagamit ang pangalan ng relihyon namin. Kinahihiya po namin sila,” Al-Fatima added. “Kapag may balita po ng kidnapping, naalarma po kami. ‘Yung mga magulang namin minsan, sasabihin kami na huwag nang pumasok. Sayang lang din po kasi ‘yung mga estudyante gusto pumasok, kahit umuulan pumapasok kami," she said. (We’re affected by what extremist groups in our area do. We’re so ashamed of them. Every time there’s news of a kidnapping, we’re all alarmed. Our parents would even tell us not to go to school out of worry. It’s sad, though because the students like going to school. Even when it rains, we always go.)

 

LEARNING FROM EACH OTHER. Members of the delegation pose in front of the Batu Caves after a tour conducted by students of Brickfields Asia College. Photo by Carol Ramoran

Al-Fatima added that they are not so different compared to other 16-year-old Filipinos living in other parts of the country. She admits to reading Harry Potter and that she enjoys her time hanging out with her friends.

 

The youth leaders also went to Hindu religious site Batu Caves, where students from the Brickfields Asia College, led by Make It Right Movement Head of Partnerships Thanabalasingam Balakrishnan, took them on a tour and explained Indian culture and lore to them.

 

A visit to a Chinese temple also gave them insight to Buddhism. They also did Friday prayers at the Putra Mosque in Putrajaya and went on a tour of the KL City Centre.

 

On their last day, the embassy also hosted a traditional Muslim Filipino dinner for the delegates, where they donned their traditional costumes once more and did their prayers in the Vista Hall.

 

TRADITION. Cabanban and Ambassador Eduardo Malaya join the youth delegates on the carpeted floor for a traditional Muslim Filipino meal with the delegates. Photo by Carol Ramoran

Cabanban said hopefully, this will not be the last time they get to bring youth from Mindanao to see different and more tolerant environments as this will help shape their minds and prevent them from joining extremist groups in Southern Philippines.

 

Al-Fatima says she wants to be a doctor but is also toying with the idea of joining the Philippine Merchant Marine Academy while Babylyn is thinking of becoming an accountant like her aunt.

 

They say it would take a while, but they hope people will stop seeing them differently. Until it happens, they can only hope for the best.

 

 http://www.rappler.com/nation/154455-sulu-youth-leaders-educational-tour-malaysia

British fighters to fly over South China Sea - envoy

From InterAksyon (Dec 2): British fighters to fly over South China Sea - envoy



A Royal Air Force Typhoon aircraft during a mission over central Iraq. (photo by Petros Karadjias, Reuters)

British fighter planes visiting Japan will fly over the South China Sea and Britain will sail aircraft carriers in the Pacific once they are operational in 2020, given concerns about freedom of navigation there, Britain's ambassador to the United States said on Thursday.

The envoy, Kim Darroch, told a Washington think tank that British Typhoon aircraft currently deployed on a visit to Japan would fly across disputed parts of the South China Sea to assert international overflight rights, but gave no time frame.

Speaking at an event also attended by Japan's ambassador to Washington, Darroch said that most future British defense capacity would have to be directed toward the Middle East, but added: "Certainly, as we bring our two new aircraft carriers onstream in 2020, and as we renew and update our defense forces, they will be seen in the Pacific.

"And we absolutely share the objective of this US administration, and the next one, to protect freedom of navigation and to keep sea routes and air routes open."

In spite of Britain's preoccupations in the Middle East, "we will try to play our part" in the Pacific, he said.

Four British fighter planes arrived in Japan in October to take part in exercises with Japanese forces at a time of rising tensions over China's pursuit of disputed territory in East Asia, including the South and East China Seas.

Japan's ambassador, Kenichiro Sasae, said the United States, Japan and Britain discussed greater naval cooperation at a meeting at the Pentagon in October and Tokyo welcomed greater British involvement in Asian security.

Darroch said British Prime Minister Theresa May and US President-elect Donald Trump discussed the importance of all NATO members meeting their defense spending commitments in a telephone call this week, their second since Trump's Nov. 8 election.

Darroch said all NATO states had committed to spending at least 2 percent of GDP on defense, yet only five, including the United States and Britain, were doing so.

"I think the criticism ... during this election campaign that a number of NATO countries aren't doing everything they can ... is entirely fair and we will see how the incoming administration wants to take that forward," he said.

Trump has criticized European NATO members for not meeting their spending commitments and has also called on US Asian allies Japan and South Korea to pay more for their defense or risk the alliances.

Trump has said he plans to build up the US military, and advisers have said he will pursue a policy of "peace through strength" in the Pacific in the face of China's growing assertiveness.

The advisers say Trump can also be expected to take a more "robust" approach to naval operations to assert navigation rights in the South China Sea, a vital global trade route.

http://interaksyon.com/article/134871/british-fighters-to-fly-over-south-china-sea---envoy

Cops take in 3rd suspect in foiled embassy bombing try

From InterAkyon (Dec 3): Cops take in 3rd suspect in foiled embassy bombing try



Bomb squad disposes of improvised explosive device near US Embassy. Photographed by Edd Gumban, Philstar

A third suspect in the foiled bombing attempt near the United States embassy in Manila was arrested Saturday, multiple sources from both the military and police said Saturday.

The sources identified the suspect as Mohammad Jumao-as.

"He's the accomplice of Rashid Kilala, alias Rayson Sacdal Kilala of Bulakan. Jumao-as was arrested around noon Saturday," one of them said.

Rashid was earlier arrested together with Jiaher Guinar.

The source declined to disclose more details, as intelligence operations were still ongoing to get more suspects.

But another source, who corroborated the news of the arrest, said Jumao-as is possibly the one who left the improvised explosive device (IED) near the embassy that was made from a mortar round.

A composite facial sketch of the suspect was earlier made public by the Philippine National Police (PNP).

According to PNP Director General Ronald de la Rosa, the suspects are with the Maute Group, a local terror cell based in Butig, Lanao del Sur raring to be recognized as being associated with the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

Because of the terror threat from the Maute Group, the government has raised alert levels throughout the country.

Late this week, the military announced it had already dislodged elements of the Maute Group from their brief siege of an old municipal hall in Butig.

The battle left at least 61 terrorists dead and scores of wounded on both sides.

http://interaksyon.com/article/134912/cops-take-in-3rd-suspect-in-foiled-embassy-bombing-try

Army: Still unsafe for Butig folk to return

From MindaNews (Dec 3): Army: Still unsafe for Butig folk to return



A soldier walks past a bombed-out mosque in Butig, Lanao del Sur after government troops retook Butig town from the Maute group. MindaNews photo by Froilan Gallardo

Several unexploded ordnance had been recovered in this town and many more could still be left lying on the ground making it unsafe for residents to return to their homes, an Army official said Friday.

Col. Roseller Murillo, commander of the 103rd Infantry Brigade said that for this reason they advised the provincial government of Lanao del Sur not to allow the return of Butig residents yet.

Teams of Army ordnance disposal experts were seen looking for bombs and unexploded ordnance Friday, after a week-long operation against the Maute group that occupied the town since Nov. 26.

“We have collected more than a hundred unexploded shells so far. We do not know how many more are left lying on the field,” an ordnance specialist told MindaNews.

Journalists who entered the town starting last Wednesday found most of its buildings damaged by the fighting.

The fences of many houses and buildings bore the graffiti of the Maute group.

Several houses have hastily-dug foxholes where the Maute fighters positioned themselves against government troops.

The soldiers who first entered the town last Sunday found a flag of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria flying on the pole of the old abandoned town hall.

Many residents, however, refused to flee even as fighting raged last weekend.

Among those who chose to remain in their houses were “Aileen” and her family.

She said she and her neighbors did not leave fearing their houses would be ransacked. They just dropped on the floor as soldiers and Maute members who were hiding in fortified positions only a hundred meters from their concrete house in Barangay Bayabao exchanged fire.

“I was scared that somebody will steal everything from my houses. So I stayed with my children inside our house and stayed indoors through out the fighting,” Aileen told Mindanews.

“If we leave, our chickens and goats will no longer be here when we come back. Somebody will steal them,” she narrated.

“Aileen” asked that her identify be hidden for fear of reprisal from the Maute group.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development said some 2,450 families or 12,500 persons from eight barangays have fled the fighting in Butig.

Following Maranao tradition, most of those who fled stayed in the houses of relatives in adjoining towns rather than live in schools.

27-year-old Kamal Kiram said members of the Maute group knocked on their doors and roused them from sleep in the wee hours on Nov. 26.

“They told us to pack our belongings and evacuate because there will be fighting soon,“ Kiram said.
He said they waited till daybreak to flee to the house of “Aileen” where they felt they could be safe.

Murillo said the Maute group may have known in advance that they would be attacked by government troops when they (Army) notified the Moro Islamic Liberation Front through the Ad Hoc Joint Action Group or and the MILF Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities.

He said it was necessary to inform their MILF counterparts to avoid a repetition of what happened in Mamasapano, Maguindanao in January 2015 where 44 personnel of the police Special Action Force died in a raid on international terror suspect Zulkifli Abdhir alias Marwan.

“It is necessary otherwise we would also incur the same number of casualties if we did not informe these bodies. It’s a small price to pay,” he explained.

That’s why the offensive against the Maute group had to be delayed for a day.

The military said 45 Maute members died in the seven days of fighting but no bodies have been recovered.

At least 22 soldiers were wounded, 11 of them members of the Army Light Reaction Company.

http://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2016/12/army-still-unsafe-for-butig-folk-to-return/

Duterte meets with MILF, reiterates support for new BBL

From MindaNews (Dec 3): Duterte meets with MILF, reiterates support for new BBL

President Rodrigo Duterte met with  the chair of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and members of its Central Committee at the Matina Enclaves here Friday where he “reiterated his support for the passage of a new Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL),” minus the “constitutionally sensitive” provisions, Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza said.

Dureza told MindaNews that “constitutionally sensitive provisions may await final shift to federalism which he said is more suited to (a) country where there is so much ethnic and cultural diversity.”

Murad told MindaNews in an e-mail that the President was “consistent pa rin .. sa kanyang assurance na he will push hard for the BBL and hope to pass it in the middle of 2017.”

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte presides over a meeting with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) delegation led by its chairman Al-Hajj Murad Ebrahim and Presidnetial Peace Adviser Jesus Dureza at the Matina Enclaves in Davao City on December 2, 2016. ROBINSON NIÑAL/Presidential Photo

 

The Bangsamoro peace and development roadmap of the Duterte administration targets July 2017 as the submission of the draft BBL to Congress.

The government and MILF signed the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro on March 27, 2014 but the 16^th Congress under the Aquino administration adjourned without passing the BBL.
Dureza said Duterte also appealed to the MILF to “help counter inroads of extremism.”

He said the President cited the need to address the problems concerning the Maute Group and the MILF’s Abdurahman Macapaar, alias Kumander Bravo, chief of the Northwestern Command of the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF).

“He does not want war as Mindanao has suffered so much already; but he will exercise necessary options for the country,” Dureza added.

“Get rid of Bravo”
In his speech before the San Beda Law alumni on November 26, President Duterte said he would give Presidential Adviser on Overseas Filipino Workers Abdullah Mamao 20 days “to get rid of Bravo” who, he said, “runs his own government in this part of Mindanao with the Moro as his constituents.”

FRIENDS. MILF commander Abdurahman Macapaar, aka Kumander Bravo (center), and Col. Glen Macasero, commanding officer of the 103rd Infantry Brigade (left) during a press conference inside the rebel Camp Watu in Barangay Barit, Balindong town in Lanao del Sur on Sept. 9, 2013. The MILF allowed the military to search their camps in Lanao del Sur following allegations that they were harboring terror groups responsible for the series of bombings in Cagayan de Oro City and other parts of Mindanao. Mindanews file photo

“Merong pag nagkasala ka doon, kulong ka, hulihin ka niyan pag ano ka, drug pusher ka. Bayad ka lang sa kanya, siya ang mag sintensiya. May Shariah law eh, sintensiyahan ka. G*** talaga. Pagkatapos pag may pera ka, magpabili ng kita ng shabu ng pinsan mo, mag utang ka. Bayad ka sa kanya. 10,000. Sabihin niya doon sa libro niya, sa treasurer. Yung 5,000 kanya. Pag galit na galit na yang — we were talking about it last night in Davao, what to do,” he said.

He said he thought of giving Mamao, a classmate of his at the San Beda College of Law  around “20 days to get rid of Bravo. But one of these days, I said I’ll be forced to ask the security forces of the —- unahin mo na ‘yan.”

Duterte added that “in fairness to the Moro leaders, Murad and all, hate drugs.” He said when the police and the Army conduct operations against illegal drugs in their area, the MILF don’t mind. “So that is really something we should appreciate,” he said.

Murad acknowledged that Bravo was mentioned during the meeting. “We promised to investigate and take appropriate action,”  he told MindaNews.

Peace process mechanisms
Dealing with Bravo, if, indeed the reports reaching Duterte are true, did not have to be  coursed through Mamao because there are peace process mechanisms agreed upon by the government and the MILF such as the joint Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH).

In a commentary, Robert Marohombsar Alonto, peace panel member of the MILF since 2003 and BTC Commissioner from 2014 to the end of the Aquino administration on June 30, 2016 said “if there are problems that involve people on both sides,” these problems have to be resolved through these mechanisms.

“We cannot afford a duplication of the Mamasapano Incident on a larger scale or the 2003 Buliok war,” he said.

Alonto also said the adversaries of the Duterte administration, “notably the yellow politicians, the drug lords and anarchist elements, will only be too happy to see another big war breaking out in the Bangsamoro and Mindanao which constitute the strong base of support of the present administration.”

“Any outbreak of war on a large scale will dismantle this base of support and therefore will be advantageous to the destabilizers of the administration,” he said.

Correct and accurate picture

The President, he said, has to be apprised and advised accordingly.”He has to be given the correct and accurate picture of the obtaining situation. This means separating the chaff from the grain, separating facts from exaggerations and misinformation or disinformation.”

Alonto said Moro officials in government “can perform this role of apprising and advising the President to avoid at all costs a strategic ‘misencounter’ between the President and the Moros who support him and will defend him from any threat, internal or external.”

Alonto said it would be a “great tragedy.. if our common aspiration to address and redress historical and current injustices in the Bangsamoro by way of system change will all come to naught because of an outbreak of unnecessary war that puts us all back to zero and, worse, restore the ancient regime and ultimately preserve the status quo!”

BTC seats

Dureza informed the President that the government nominees for 10 seats in the 21-member BTC have been submitted for appointment and that they are still awaiting the 11 nominees from the MILF.

Murad said they will submit this week the list of nominees to the BTC, the body that would draft the BBL to pave the way for the establishment of the Bangsamoro, a new autonomous political entity that would replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Dureza said Murad thanked Duterte and “committed continuing adherence and support to a final settlement of the Bangsamoro issues.”

He said Murad also expressed optimism that the best opportunity for peace is now, under the leadership of President Duterte.

“He asked for a chance to handle the issues regarding Bravo who is a key MILF commander in Lanao,” Dureza said.

Murad, he added, also “explained the genesis of the Maute group which is creating security challenges in Butig, Lanao del Sur.”

Bangsamoro as template

Mohagher Iqbal, MILF peace implementing panel chair, told MindaNews in an e-mail that the nine-member MILF delegation met with the President and the Presidential Peace Adviser for nearly an hour. He said the meeting, which was not announced to the media, started at around  4 p.m.

This was the second meeting in Davao City between Duterte and the MILF. The first was on June 17 when Duterte was still President-elect. Duterte and Murad met had a one-on-one talk after the group meeting, as they did also last Friday.

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

Presidential candidate, Duterte visited the MILF’s Camp Darapanan in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao on February 27.

It was in Darapanan where Duterte said that if he wins the Presidency he would push for a Constitutional Commission to amend the 1987 Constitution to allow for a shift to a federal form of government “but if it takes time, and if only to defuse tension, in my government I will convince Congress to pass the BBL then make it as a template for federal states.”

Before Friday’s meeting, Duterte and Murad met on November 7 at the Rizal Hall in  Malacanang at the signing of  Executive Order 8 expanding the BTC membership from 15 to 21.

http://www.mindanews.com/peace-process/2016/12/duterte-meets-with-milf-reiterates-support-for-new-bbl/