From the Gulf News (Apr 27): Terror groups taking advantage of cyberspace for recruitment
use internet and social media sites as a platform for their communication, propaganda and fund raising
Terror groups like Maute and the Abu Sayyaf are taking advantage of the quick access afforded by cyberspace to recruit fighters and promote their own brand of religious extremism, officials said.
Police Chief Insp. June Paolo Abrazado of the Anti-Cybercrime Group said terrorists in the Philippines use internet and social media sites as a platform for their communication, propaganda, fund raising, recruitment, training and radicalisation.
“The internet is no longer an unfamiliar channel for the people to disseminate their limitless thoughts. As much as how it is massive advantage for the ordinary citizens, users with bad intentions benefit from it as well,” he said during a three-day workshop on Counter-Violent Extremism held at armed forces headquarters, Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo on April 26-29, 2017.
The workshop aims to educate Filipinos on how violent extremism evolved in the Philippines and how people can help in putting extremism to an end.
The workshop was held amid observations that a growing number of youth as well as mature individuals are being drawn into religious extremism such as that promoted by Daesh in the Middle East and in the Philippines, by groups such as the Maute and Abu Sayyaf,
Previously, the Abu Sayyaf had been mainly recruiting from the areas it operates, which is Western Mindanao, but now, it had been observed that it is getting more adherents from outside its known areas of operation.
Recently, Superintendent Maria Cristina Brugada-Nobleza of the Davao regional police admitted to being a recruit by the Abu Sayyaf through her partner, Renierlo Dongon.
Nobleza and Dongon, who reportedly had been living together as husband and wife, were apprehended at a government checkpoint in Clarin, Bohol.
The duo were trying to aid a group of on-the-run Abu Sayyaf bandits involved in a failed kidnapping and terror expedition in Bohol nearly two weeks ago.
Reports said Nobleza, whose former husband was a ranking police officer, had converted to Islam and had been helping the Abu Sayyaf.
Armed Forces’ chief-of-staff Gen. Eduardo Año said he has nothing against converting to other religion, however it is a different matter if they are involved in acts of terrorism.
The Abu Sayyaf, as well as the Maute, profess their faith to a brand of Islam that has a radical interpretation of the Sharia.
“There is nothing wrong with ‘Balik Islam’ or Muslim converts as we have freedom of religion what we are looking at are associated with the Maute Group and the Abu Sayyaf. Converts from these groups have became radicalised,” he said.
http://gulfnews.com/news/asia/philippines/terror-groups-taking-advantage-of-cyberspace-for-recruitment-1.2018173
Thursday, April 27, 2017
Duterte admits pouring intel funds to wipe out Abu
From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Apr 27): Duterte admits pouring intel funds to wipe out Abu
President Rodrigo Duterte admitted Thursday he has been pouring intelligence funds to obliterate the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG).
Duterte revealed the information to reporters in Malacañang when asked about the case against a policewoman who has been linked to an Abu Sayyaf bandit.
“‘Di ba sabi ko, ‘yun nga, nagbuhos ako ng intelligence diyan, ‘di ba? Kine-kuwestiyon pa ako, kino-connect ninyo doon sa ‘yung ano sa extrajudicial,” he told reporters in an ambush interview.
Supt. Maria Christina Nobleza and ASG bomb maker Renierlo P. Dongon were arrested after they tried to drive past a police checkpoint past 8 p.m. on April 22 about the same time the police and military teams were hunting down members of the bandits who managed to escape in a clash with government troops.
State forces battled with the militants on April 11 in Inabanga town in Bohol where six Abu Sayyaf members died, including sub-leader Muammar “Abu Rami” Askali.
Asked about the fate of Nobleza, Duterte said: “She (Nobleza) will not be released at all. She’s being held there for investigation. It’s a continuing crime and we have so many things against her. I cannot discuss it now but it will… I’ll leave it to the PNP [Philippine National Police] chief to deal with the problem in public.”
Nobleza will face administrative and criminal charges.
The President drew criticisms for allotting P2.5 billion for his intelligence fund.
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/892555/duterte-admits-pouring-intel-funds-to-wipe-out-abu
President Rodrigo Duterte admitted Thursday he has been pouring intelligence funds to obliterate the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG).
Duterte revealed the information to reporters in Malacañang when asked about the case against a policewoman who has been linked to an Abu Sayyaf bandit.
“‘Di ba sabi ko, ‘yun nga, nagbuhos ako ng intelligence diyan, ‘di ba? Kine-kuwestiyon pa ako, kino-connect ninyo doon sa ‘yung ano sa extrajudicial,” he told reporters in an ambush interview.
Supt. Maria Christina Nobleza and ASG bomb maker Renierlo P. Dongon were arrested after they tried to drive past a police checkpoint past 8 p.m. on April 22 about the same time the police and military teams were hunting down members of the bandits who managed to escape in a clash with government troops.
State forces battled with the militants on April 11 in Inabanga town in Bohol where six Abu Sayyaf members died, including sub-leader Muammar “Abu Rami” Askali.
Asked about the fate of Nobleza, Duterte said: “She (Nobleza) will not be released at all. She’s being held there for investigation. It’s a continuing crime and we have so many things against her. I cannot discuss it now but it will… I’ll leave it to the PNP [Philippine National Police] chief to deal with the problem in public.”
Nobleza will face administrative and criminal charges.
The President drew criticisms for allotting P2.5 billion for his intelligence fund.
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/892555/duterte-admits-pouring-intel-funds-to-wipe-out-abu
Fighting in Lanao Sur town subsides; 41 reported killed
From the Manila Bulletin (Apr 27): Fighting in Lanao Sur town subsides; 41 reported killed
Marawi City – Government forces are now clearing four villages in Piagapo, Lanao del Sur after jihadist militants fled the areas following intense offensives by ground troops backed by aerial and artillery support since Saturday, according to civilian authorities.
Piagapo Mayor Ali Sumandar said the military-led clearing operations covered barangays Gacap, Tapocan, Pantaon and Tambo where suspected elements of the combined Maute and Abu Sayyaf Groups purportedly planted land mines before fleeing to different directions.
Thirty-six bandits and five civilians were reported killed during the clashes.
Central Mindanao-based reporters of national dailies including the Manila Bulletin drove on Wednesday to this town amid a supposed news black from Lanao del Sur-based military and police quarters, and opted to gather updates from civilian entities.
Sumandar said there were more than 400 families involving 2,833 individuals displaces from the four barangays, which all lie at the border of Piagapo, Balindong, and Marantao towns and this city.
Sumander added that said the military had reported 36 casualties from the Maute and Abu Sayyaf Group.
Sultan Bryan Marmay, the reigning traditional leader in Balindong’s royal houses, said he received reports from displaced residents that that four civilians and an imam were killed when a bomb hit a house in Piagapo on April 22.
http://news.mb.com.ph/2017/04/27/fighting-in-lanao-sur-town-subsides-41-reported-killed/
Marawi City – Government forces are now clearing four villages in Piagapo, Lanao del Sur after jihadist militants fled the areas following intense offensives by ground troops backed by aerial and artillery support since Saturday, according to civilian authorities.
Piagapo Mayor Ali Sumandar said the military-led clearing operations covered barangays Gacap, Tapocan, Pantaon and Tambo where suspected elements of the combined Maute and Abu Sayyaf Groups purportedly planted land mines before fleeing to different directions.
Thirty-six bandits and five civilians were reported killed during the clashes.
Central Mindanao-based reporters of national dailies including the Manila Bulletin drove on Wednesday to this town amid a supposed news black from Lanao del Sur-based military and police quarters, and opted to gather updates from civilian entities.
Sumandar said there were more than 400 families involving 2,833 individuals displaces from the four barangays, which all lie at the border of Piagapo, Balindong, and Marantao towns and this city.
Sumander added that said the military had reported 36 casualties from the Maute and Abu Sayyaf Group.
Sultan Bryan Marmay, the reigning traditional leader in Balindong’s royal houses, said he received reports from displaced residents that that four civilians and an imam were killed when a bomb hit a house in Piagapo on April 22.
http://news.mb.com.ph/2017/04/27/fighting-in-lanao-sur-town-subsides-41-reported-killed/
MILF ‘concerned’ with arrests of fighters despite talks
From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Apr 27): Duterte admits pouring intel funds to wipe out Abu
President Rodrigo Duterte admitted Thursday he has been pouring intelligence funds to obliterate the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG).
Duterte revealed the information to reporters in Malacañang when asked about the case against a policewoman who has been linked to an Abu Sayyaf bandit.
“‘Di ba sabi ko, ‘yun nga, nagbuhos ako ng intelligence diyan, ‘di ba? Kine-kuwestiyon pa ako, kino-connect ninyo doon sa ‘yung ano sa extrajudicial,” he told reporters in an ambush interview.
Supt. Maria Christina Nobleza and ASG bomb maker Renierlo P. Dongon were arrested after they tried to drive past a police checkpoint past 8 p.m. on April 22 about the same time the police and military teams were hunting down members of the bandits who managed to escape in a clash with government troops.
State forces battled with the militants on April 11 in Inabanga town in Bohol where six Abu Sayyaf members died, including sub-leader Muammar “Abu Rami” Askali.
Asked about the fate of Nobleza, Duterte said: “She (Nobleza) will not be released at all. She’s being held there for investigation. It’s a continuing crime and we have so many things against her. I cannot discuss it now but it will… I’ll leave it to the PNP [Philippine National Police] chief to deal with the problem in public.”
Nobleza will face administrative and criminal charges.
The President drew criticisms for allotting P2.5 billion for his intelligence fund.
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/892555/duterte-admits-pouring-intel-funds-to-wipe-out-abu
President Rodrigo Duterte admitted Thursday he has been pouring intelligence funds to obliterate the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG).
Duterte revealed the information to reporters in Malacañang when asked about the case against a policewoman who has been linked to an Abu Sayyaf bandit.
“‘Di ba sabi ko, ‘yun nga, nagbuhos ako ng intelligence diyan, ‘di ba? Kine-kuwestiyon pa ako, kino-connect ninyo doon sa ‘yung ano sa extrajudicial,” he told reporters in an ambush interview.
Supt. Maria Christina Nobleza and ASG bomb maker Renierlo P. Dongon were arrested after they tried to drive past a police checkpoint past 8 p.m. on April 22 about the same time the police and military teams were hunting down members of the bandits who managed to escape in a clash with government troops.
State forces battled with the militants on April 11 in Inabanga town in Bohol where six Abu Sayyaf members died, including sub-leader Muammar “Abu Rami” Askali.
Asked about the fate of Nobleza, Duterte said: “She (Nobleza) will not be released at all. She’s being held there for investigation. It’s a continuing crime and we have so many things against her. I cannot discuss it now but it will… I’ll leave it to the PNP [Philippine National Police] chief to deal with the problem in public.”
Nobleza will face administrative and criminal charges.
The President drew criticisms for allotting P2.5 billion for his intelligence fund.
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/892555/duterte-admits-pouring-intel-funds-to-wipe-out-abu
Indonesia Says It Can't Prevent Islamist Militants or Arms From Crossing Its Border With the Philippines
From Time (Apr 26): Indonesia Says It Can't Prevent Islamist Militants or Arms From Crossing Its Border With the Philippines
Indonesia's Directorate General of Immigration has admitted that its checkpoints are not effective in preventing local militants from crossing into the southern Philippine territories of the Abu Sayyaf Group, some factions of which are pledged to the Islamic State.
The disclosure is likely to underscore concerns that insurgent groups in the southern Philippines, where some observers have suggested ISIS could build a new caliphate, are able to bolster their ranks with foreign fighters.
An Indonesian passport was found by Philippine counter-terrorism forces in the country's volatile south, the Jakarta Post reports, prompting the directorate's admission.
In an interview with the Post Tuesday, directorate spokesperson Agung Sampurno said that Indonesia's two check points at Miangas and Marore Island could not sufficiently screen seaborne militants, who have for years used traditional sea routes to move between the two archipelago nations.
“They also smuggle weapons via these hubs,” he said.
There is nothing new about foreign fighters entering Mindanao: the primary target of the Philippine government's pyrrhic victory at Mamasapano, which left 44 troops dead in 2015, was a Malaysian bomb-maker. Neither is it unusual for Abu Sayyaf Group, which frequently kidnaps Indonesian fishermen for ransom, to cross in the other direction.
However, Agung's comments come amid fears that the Islamic State will increase its footprint in Southeast Asia as it loses ground in the middle east.
“There is concern that ISIS may well seek to declare a caliphate, an Islamic caliphate, in the southern Philippines,” Australia's foreign affairs minister Julie Bishop said last month.
http://time.com/4755528/indonesia-isis-philippines-caliphate-abu-sayyaf/
Indonesia's Directorate General of Immigration has admitted that its checkpoints are not effective in preventing local militants from crossing into the southern Philippine territories of the Abu Sayyaf Group, some factions of which are pledged to the Islamic State.
The disclosure is likely to underscore concerns that insurgent groups in the southern Philippines, where some observers have suggested ISIS could build a new caliphate, are able to bolster their ranks with foreign fighters.
An Indonesian passport was found by Philippine counter-terrorism forces in the country's volatile south, the Jakarta Post reports, prompting the directorate's admission.
In an interview with the Post Tuesday, directorate spokesperson Agung Sampurno said that Indonesia's two check points at Miangas and Marore Island could not sufficiently screen seaborne militants, who have for years used traditional sea routes to move between the two archipelago nations.
“They also smuggle weapons via these hubs,” he said.
There is nothing new about foreign fighters entering Mindanao: the primary target of the Philippine government's pyrrhic victory at Mamasapano, which left 44 troops dead in 2015, was a Malaysian bomb-maker. Neither is it unusual for Abu Sayyaf Group, which frequently kidnaps Indonesian fishermen for ransom, to cross in the other direction.
However, Agung's comments come amid fears that the Islamic State will increase its footprint in Southeast Asia as it loses ground in the middle east.
“There is concern that ISIS may well seek to declare a caliphate, an Islamic caliphate, in the southern Philippines,” Australia's foreign affairs minister Julie Bishop said last month.
http://time.com/4755528/indonesia-isis-philippines-caliphate-abu-sayyaf/
Military gears for Maute, Sayyaf retaliatory attacks
From Malaya Business Insight (Apr 27): Military gears for Maute, Sayyaf retaliatory attacks
THE military has beefed up security in vital installations and public places in the Lanao and Zamboanga provinces to foil any retaliatory or diversionary attack that might be launched by the Maute Group and its ally, the Abu Sayyaf group.
Maj. Gen. Rolando Bautista, commander of the Army’s 1st Infantry Division, ordered the heightened security measures following military operations in Piagapo town, Lanao del Sur, which resulted in the death of a number of Maute members and the capture of its camp.
Government troops assaulted the Maute lair last Friday and captured it after three days of fighting. The operation led to the killing of 38 Maute members, initially 36, including three Indonesians and a Malaysian.
Lt. Col. Jo-ar Herrera, 1st ID spokesman, said security measures were intensified not only in the Lanao provinces but also in the Zamboanga provinces because of the Maute Group’s links with the Abu Sayyaf and other terrorist groups.
The Abu Sayyaf, whose main activity is kidnapping for ransom, is known to have presence in Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga del Norte, and Zamboanga City. The group’s 300 to 400 members are mostly based in the provinces of Sulu and Basilan.
“Historically, when they suffer losses like this, they do actions to mislead the government forces. (We’re watching) crowded areas, vital installations. We continue to secure the crowded areas and important areas, especially in areas near Iligan, Marawi (cities),” he said.
He said the security measures adopted to thwart potential retaliatory moves of the Maute Group and its allies include route security and establishment of checkpoints.
Herrera also said the number of Maute members killed in the operations rose to 38 with the recovery of another cadaver on Tuesday. This brings to four the enemy bodies so far recovered on site. The other deaths are based on reports received by the military.
He said clearing operations at the seized enemy camp were still continuing as of yesterday. He said the group planted improvised explosive devices in their lair.
He said soldiers involved in the clearing operations got a treat from Bautista last Tuesday. “He sent food to the ground, including roasted chicken, for our troops,” he said.
He also said three soldiers who were wounded in the fighting were awarded medals by Bautista last Tuesday. One of the three returned to the frontline after treatment. He declined to name the soldier for security reasons.
Herrera said government forces continue to pursue the remnants of the 162-man group that government forces encountered.
http://www.malaya.com.ph/business-news/news/military-gears-maute-sayyaf-retaliatory-attacks-0
THE military has beefed up security in vital installations and public places in the Lanao and Zamboanga provinces to foil any retaliatory or diversionary attack that might be launched by the Maute Group and its ally, the Abu Sayyaf group.
Maj. Gen. Rolando Bautista, commander of the Army’s 1st Infantry Division, ordered the heightened security measures following military operations in Piagapo town, Lanao del Sur, which resulted in the death of a number of Maute members and the capture of its camp.
Government troops assaulted the Maute lair last Friday and captured it after three days of fighting. The operation led to the killing of 38 Maute members, initially 36, including three Indonesians and a Malaysian.
Lt. Col. Jo-ar Herrera, 1st ID spokesman, said security measures were intensified not only in the Lanao provinces but also in the Zamboanga provinces because of the Maute Group’s links with the Abu Sayyaf and other terrorist groups.
The Abu Sayyaf, whose main activity is kidnapping for ransom, is known to have presence in Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga del Norte, and Zamboanga City. The group’s 300 to 400 members are mostly based in the provinces of Sulu and Basilan.
“Historically, when they suffer losses like this, they do actions to mislead the government forces. (We’re watching) crowded areas, vital installations. We continue to secure the crowded areas and important areas, especially in areas near Iligan, Marawi (cities),” he said.
He said the security measures adopted to thwart potential retaliatory moves of the Maute Group and its allies include route security and establishment of checkpoints.
Herrera also said the number of Maute members killed in the operations rose to 38 with the recovery of another cadaver on Tuesday. This brings to four the enemy bodies so far recovered on site. The other deaths are based on reports received by the military.
He said clearing operations at the seized enemy camp were still continuing as of yesterday. He said the group planted improvised explosive devices in their lair.
He said soldiers involved in the clearing operations got a treat from Bautista last Tuesday. “He sent food to the ground, including roasted chicken, for our troops,” he said.
He also said three soldiers who were wounded in the fighting were awarded medals by Bautista last Tuesday. One of the three returned to the frontline after treatment. He declined to name the soldier for security reasons.
Herrera said government forces continue to pursue the remnants of the 162-man group that government forces encountered.
http://www.malaya.com.ph/business-news/news/military-gears-maute-sayyaf-retaliatory-attacks-0
Troops still clearing Maute camp of bombs
From Malaya Business Insight (Apr 28): Troops still clearing Maute camp of bombs
THE military yesterday said there is still no timetable for the return of thousands of displaced residents of Piagapo town, Lanao del Sur, to their homes.
At least 755 families or 3,544 persons were displaced by clashes which broke out Friday last week when government troops assaulted a lair the Maute Group in Barangay Gacap, said Lt. Col. Jo-ar Herrera, spokesman of the Army’s 1st Infantry Division.
The fighting ended last Monday when government troops seized the group’s camp. The operation also resulted in the killing of 38 Maute members, including three Indonesians and a Malaysian formerly associated with the Southeast Asian regional terrorist network Jemaah Islamiah, and recovery of explosives and firearms.
Herrera said troops are still clearing the camp and its periphery, which he said is about 15 hectares, of improvised explosive devices and bomb components.
“Once terminated (clearing operations), they can already return,” he said.
He could not immediately say how much of the area has been cleared so far.
Herrera said the displaced residents are in different evacuation centers. He said soldiers are assisting the Red Cross and other non-government units in relief operations.
Herrera also said pursuit operations against the remnants of the Maute Group were ongoing as of yesterday.
Military officials earlier said troops clashed with about 162 members of the Maute Group at the camp. Military aircraft and artillery assets supported the operating troops in the conduct of the operation.
http://www.malaya.com.ph/business-news/news/troops-still-clearing-maute-camp-bombs
THE military yesterday said there is still no timetable for the return of thousands of displaced residents of Piagapo town, Lanao del Sur, to their homes.
At least 755 families or 3,544 persons were displaced by clashes which broke out Friday last week when government troops assaulted a lair the Maute Group in Barangay Gacap, said Lt. Col. Jo-ar Herrera, spokesman of the Army’s 1st Infantry Division.
The fighting ended last Monday when government troops seized the group’s camp. The operation also resulted in the killing of 38 Maute members, including three Indonesians and a Malaysian formerly associated with the Southeast Asian regional terrorist network Jemaah Islamiah, and recovery of explosives and firearms.
Herrera said troops are still clearing the camp and its periphery, which he said is about 15 hectares, of improvised explosive devices and bomb components.
“Once terminated (clearing operations), they can already return,” he said.
He could not immediately say how much of the area has been cleared so far.
Herrera said the displaced residents are in different evacuation centers. He said soldiers are assisting the Red Cross and other non-government units in relief operations.
Herrera also said pursuit operations against the remnants of the Maute Group were ongoing as of yesterday.
Military officials earlier said troops clashed with about 162 members of the Maute Group at the camp. Military aircraft and artillery assets supported the operating troops in the conduct of the operation.
http://www.malaya.com.ph/business-news/news/troops-still-clearing-maute-camp-bombs
Chinese navy delegation to dock in Sasa wharf Sunday
From the Mindanao Times (Apr 28): Chinese navy delegation to dock in Sasa wharf Sunday
THE NAVAL Forces Eastern Mindanao aims to deepen maritime security cooperation with its Chinese counterparts
upon the port visit of three foreign vessels that will be docking on April 30 at Sasa wharf coming from East China.
upon the port visit of three foreign vessels that will be docking on April 30 at Sasa wharf coming from East China.
Lt. Jetmark Marcos, the acting spokesman of Naval Forces Eastern Mindanao (NFEM), told reporters on Wednesday’s AFP-PNP press conference held at Davao City Police Office (DCPO) that the Chinese delegation will stay for three days in the city starting Sunday until May 2.
“This will be the first time that we will having a navy engagement so this is now a good opportunity that we will be welcoming the foreign navy in the city,” Marcos said. “It will strengthen coordination, collaboration and promote peace and stability in the region it will foster the command staff of Naval diplomacy.”
“This will be the first time that we will having a navy engagement so this is now a good opportunity that we will be welcoming the foreign navy in the city,” Marcos said. “It will strengthen coordination, collaboration and promote peace and stability in the region it will foster the command staff of Naval diplomacy.”
“Just like other foreign navies, there will be a schedule of events that aims cooperation and coordination with other foreign navies,” he further said.
Marcos also said this will also foster the two countries’ relations with regards to naval diplomacy and broadening partnership.
The navy-to-navy engagement is the first time in Mindanao as most of the foreign delegations that come to the country always dock at the South Harbor in Manila. “Actually this will strengthen coordination, collaboration, and it will promote a sustainable peace and stability in the region and also it will foster the command trust,” he explained.
The three naval ships are composed of a guided-missile destroyer, guided-missile frigates, and replenishment ship of the Chinese Navy.
The Chinese ship will be headed by Rear Admiral Shen Hao of East China Sea Fleet of the People Revolution Army Navy. On the second day, Davaeños will have a chance to tour the vessel.
Marcos also said this will also foster the two countries’ relations with regards to naval diplomacy and broadening partnership.
The navy-to-navy engagement is the first time in Mindanao as most of the foreign delegations that come to the country always dock at the South Harbor in Manila. “Actually this will strengthen coordination, collaboration, and it will promote a sustainable peace and stability in the region and also it will foster the command trust,” he explained.
The three naval ships are composed of a guided-missile destroyer, guided-missile frigates, and replenishment ship of the Chinese Navy.
The Chinese ship will be headed by Rear Admiral Shen Hao of East China Sea Fleet of the People Revolution Army Navy. On the second day, Davaeños will have a chance to tour the vessel.
NPA frees cop held captive since January 29
From MindaNews (Apr 27): NPA frees cop held captive since January 29
TALAKAG, Bukidnon — The National Democratic Front (NDF) on Thursday released to a group of independent ceasefire monitors, a policeman who was captured by its forces in a roadblock in Bukidnon last January 29.
A small platoon of New Peoples Army (NPA) rebels met a group of third party peace facilitators led by Mayor Oscar Moreno, head of the Region 10 peace and order council; and Bishop Felixberto Calang of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente, in Barangay Dominorog.
Police Officer 2 Anthony Natividad (center wearing a blue 1990 tshirt) flanked by the New People’s Army (NPA) during his release on April 27, 2017 in Barangay Dominorog, Talakag, Bukidnon after 88 days in captivity. The rebels turned him over to a civilian third party facilitator composed of priests and local officials. MindaNews photo by FROILAN GALLARDO
The rebels flanked Police Officer 2 Anthony Natividad as he walked with his hands restrained by a small iron chain, towards the Dominorog barangay hall, where he was turned over to the civilian monitors.
One of the rebels read a statement from NDF North Central Mindanao spokesperson Cesar Renerio who said Natividad’s release was pursuant to the statement of NDF Chair Fidel Agcaoili that all of their “prisoners of war” should be freed as early as March 2.
“Kami sa NDF-NCMR subling mopaabot sa kandaman nga buhian si PO2 Anthony Natividad sa pinakadaling panahon nga itugot,” Renerio said.
A rebel then took off the iron chain that held the hands of Natividad and presented him to the peace facilitators at the presentable table in the barangay hall.
Natividad who was wearing a blue shirt with 1990 markings, had an emotional reunion with his family who saw him after 88 days of captivity.
Calang, said Natividad would have been released earlier had the Army’s 4th Infantry Division issue a ceasefire declaration.
He said they have to seek the assistance of Mayor Moreno who chairs the Regional Peace and Order Council for the Northern Mindanao region comprising Bukidnon, Camiguin, Misamis Oriental, Misamis Occidental and Lanao del Norte.
“We are happy that we have a successful outcome because we have worked hard for his release,” Calang said.
Sensing the hesitance of the military to respond to the call of the NPA to stop military operations so they could release the policeman, Moreno wrote a letter entitled “Expressions of Aspirations” appealing to them to stop the military operations in southern Bukidnon for the sake of humanity.
“It is the desire not only of the family of Natividad, but also of the people of affected communities in Bukidnon that he should be safely released,” Moreno wrote, adding that the “safe release of Natividad is a victory for peace.”
Police Officer 2 Anthony Natividad (wearing a blue 1990 tshirt) is reunited with his family on April 27, 2017 in Barangay Dominorog, Talakag town in Bukidnon, 88 days after he was held captive by the New People’s Army (NPA). The NPA is also set to release a captured soldier in Surigao del Norte this Saturday. MindaNews photo by FROILAN GALLARDO
The communist rebels captured Natividad in a checkpoint they set up along the highway here on January 29. They also burned several trucks.
President Rodrigo Duterte had set the safe release of all captured soldiers and policeman as one of his conditions for the resumption of peace talks with the communist rebels.
The fourth round of formal peace talks was held in The Netherlands on April 2 to 6. The fifth round will be held in late May but the ceasefire commitees are supposed to meet before then to discuss bilateral ceasefire.
Calang said Natividad was the third captured soldier and policeman to be released by the rebels.
He said the rebels are set to release a soldier in Surigao del Norte this Saturday.
http://www.mindanews.com/peace-process/2017/04/npa-frees-cop-held-captive-since-january-29/
TALAKAG, Bukidnon — The National Democratic Front (NDF) on Thursday released to a group of independent ceasefire monitors, a policeman who was captured by its forces in a roadblock in Bukidnon last January 29.
A small platoon of New Peoples Army (NPA) rebels met a group of third party peace facilitators led by Mayor Oscar Moreno, head of the Region 10 peace and order council; and Bishop Felixberto Calang of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente, in Barangay Dominorog.
Police Officer 2 Anthony Natividad (center wearing a blue 1990 tshirt) flanked by the New People’s Army (NPA) during his release on April 27, 2017 in Barangay Dominorog, Talakag, Bukidnon after 88 days in captivity. The rebels turned him over to a civilian third party facilitator composed of priests and local officials. MindaNews photo by FROILAN GALLARDO
The rebels flanked Police Officer 2 Anthony Natividad as he walked with his hands restrained by a small iron chain, towards the Dominorog barangay hall, where he was turned over to the civilian monitors.
One of the rebels read a statement from NDF North Central Mindanao spokesperson Cesar Renerio who said Natividad’s release was pursuant to the statement of NDF Chair Fidel Agcaoili that all of their “prisoners of war” should be freed as early as March 2.
“Kami sa NDF-NCMR subling mopaabot sa kandaman nga buhian si PO2 Anthony Natividad sa pinakadaling panahon nga itugot,” Renerio said.
A rebel then took off the iron chain that held the hands of Natividad and presented him to the peace facilitators at the presentable table in the barangay hall.
Natividad who was wearing a blue shirt with 1990 markings, had an emotional reunion with his family who saw him after 88 days of captivity.
Calang, said Natividad would have been released earlier had the Army’s 4th Infantry Division issue a ceasefire declaration.
He said they have to seek the assistance of Mayor Moreno who chairs the Regional Peace and Order Council for the Northern Mindanao region comprising Bukidnon, Camiguin, Misamis Oriental, Misamis Occidental and Lanao del Norte.
“We are happy that we have a successful outcome because we have worked hard for his release,” Calang said.
Sensing the hesitance of the military to respond to the call of the NPA to stop military operations so they could release the policeman, Moreno wrote a letter entitled “Expressions of Aspirations” appealing to them to stop the military operations in southern Bukidnon for the sake of humanity.
“It is the desire not only of the family of Natividad, but also of the people of affected communities in Bukidnon that he should be safely released,” Moreno wrote, adding that the “safe release of Natividad is a victory for peace.”
Police Officer 2 Anthony Natividad (wearing a blue 1990 tshirt) is reunited with his family on April 27, 2017 in Barangay Dominorog, Talakag town in Bukidnon, 88 days after he was held captive by the New People’s Army (NPA). The NPA is also set to release a captured soldier in Surigao del Norte this Saturday. MindaNews photo by FROILAN GALLARDO
The communist rebels captured Natividad in a checkpoint they set up along the highway here on January 29. They also burned several trucks.
President Rodrigo Duterte had set the safe release of all captured soldiers and policeman as one of his conditions for the resumption of peace talks with the communist rebels.
The fourth round of formal peace talks was held in The Netherlands on April 2 to 6. The fifth round will be held in late May but the ceasefire commitees are supposed to meet before then to discuss bilateral ceasefire.
Calang said Natividad was the third captured soldier and policeman to be released by the rebels.
He said the rebels are set to release a soldier in Surigao del Norte this Saturday.
http://www.mindanews.com/peace-process/2017/04/npa-frees-cop-held-captive-since-january-29/
OPAPP creates panel to air Lumad issues in peace talks
From MindaNews (Apr 27): OPAPP creates panel to air Lumad issues in peace talks
The Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace Process (OPAPP) has created a separate five-member Indigenous People (IP) panel who will be tasked to get the issues affecting the Lumad communities that will be taken up in the peace negotiation of the government (GPH) with the rebel groups.
During the Peace Table Conversations Among Key IPs of Mindanao at the Davao Medical School Foundation (DMSF), Presidential Adviser on Peace Process (PAPP) Jesus Dureza said the new panel is a government-commissioned body from whom the GPH panel will get inputs on the concerns in which the Lumads want to be included in the peace talks.
He said the IP panel will engage all Lumads across the country.
“The government (GPH) panel will engage with you (Lumad) directly. I agree to open a peace table for the Lumad – separate panel. So, OPAPP will organize a panel like what we did with (Nur) Misuari, chair of the MNLF,” he said.
Dureza put to task the new government panel to create the terms of reference that will define their functions and the mechanisms how they can participate in the peace negotiations.
Atty. Reuben Dasay A. Lingating, former chairperson of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), will chair the new IP panel, composed of members such as Leonor Quintayo, Era Espana, Judith Maranes, and Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) deputy governor Deonato Mokudef as members.
Lingating said that they will have to draft the terms of reference and the mechanisms for engagement with the GPH panel.
He added they are hoping to complete it in two weeks’ time.
Lingating said that the Lumad leaders are grateful to the government for creating a separate panel for the Lumads, a first in the history of peace talks between the government and the rebel groups.
“It is a joyful moment for all of our leaders. They were not really expecting this to happen at this precise moment. On our part, we have to be reminded of our duties and obligations, contributing to the efforts of this government. That’s a milestone that we can certainly achieve if everybody will just have to put his share on the table for the purpose of having a consensus on the manner we can express our agony,” he said.
He vowed the IP panel will adhere to an all-inclusive policy to ensure that all organizations, whether government-initiated or organized by the communities, will be heard.
“We always adhere to the principle of participative leadership and decision-making process. We have to recognize the importance and goal for decision-making on anything that we put on the table based on what is being aspired for by the communities,” Lingating said.
In a two-page position paper on the peace process, the Lumads said the integrity of the ancestral domains should not be compromised during any and all peace negotiations.
It said that AD must be exempted from the coverage of the agrarian reform program and ensure that the constitutional provisions for the protection of the rights of IPs to their AD and cultural integrity should be sustained and strengthened.
The Lumads also want a non-interference by the state and non-state actors over the conduct of the Free Prior and Informed consent (FPIC), Ancestral Domain Sustainable Development and Protection Plan, Delineation and Titling, and other Indigenous Peoples and Ancestral Domains related activities.
http://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2017/04/opapp-creates-panel-to-air-lumad-issues-in-peace-talks/
The Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace Process (OPAPP) has created a separate five-member Indigenous People (IP) panel who will be tasked to get the issues affecting the Lumad communities that will be taken up in the peace negotiation of the government (GPH) with the rebel groups.
During the Peace Table Conversations Among Key IPs of Mindanao at the Davao Medical School Foundation (DMSF), Presidential Adviser on Peace Process (PAPP) Jesus Dureza said the new panel is a government-commissioned body from whom the GPH panel will get inputs on the concerns in which the Lumads want to be included in the peace talks.
He said the IP panel will engage all Lumads across the country.
“The government (GPH) panel will engage with you (Lumad) directly. I agree to open a peace table for the Lumad – separate panel. So, OPAPP will organize a panel like what we did with (Nur) Misuari, chair of the MNLF,” he said.
Dureza put to task the new government panel to create the terms of reference that will define their functions and the mechanisms how they can participate in the peace negotiations.
Atty. Reuben Dasay A. Lingating, former chairperson of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), will chair the new IP panel, composed of members such as Leonor Quintayo, Era Espana, Judith Maranes, and Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) deputy governor Deonato Mokudef as members.
Lingating said that they will have to draft the terms of reference and the mechanisms for engagement with the GPH panel.
He added they are hoping to complete it in two weeks’ time.
Lingating said that the Lumad leaders are grateful to the government for creating a separate panel for the Lumads, a first in the history of peace talks between the government and the rebel groups.
“It is a joyful moment for all of our leaders. They were not really expecting this to happen at this precise moment. On our part, we have to be reminded of our duties and obligations, contributing to the efforts of this government. That’s a milestone that we can certainly achieve if everybody will just have to put his share on the table for the purpose of having a consensus on the manner we can express our agony,” he said.
He vowed the IP panel will adhere to an all-inclusive policy to ensure that all organizations, whether government-initiated or organized by the communities, will be heard.
“We always adhere to the principle of participative leadership and decision-making process. We have to recognize the importance and goal for decision-making on anything that we put on the table based on what is being aspired for by the communities,” Lingating said.
In a two-page position paper on the peace process, the Lumads said the integrity of the ancestral domains should not be compromised during any and all peace negotiations.
It said that AD must be exempted from the coverage of the agrarian reform program and ensure that the constitutional provisions for the protection of the rights of IPs to their AD and cultural integrity should be sustained and strengthened.
The Lumads also want a non-interference by the state and non-state actors over the conduct of the Free Prior and Informed consent (FPIC), Ancestral Domain Sustainable Development and Protection Plan, Delineation and Titling, and other Indigenous Peoples and Ancestral Domains related activities.
http://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2017/04/opapp-creates-panel-to-air-lumad-issues-in-peace-talks/
NPA rebels honor fallen fighters in Davao Oriental
From the Mindanao Examiner (Apr 27): NPA rebels honor fallen fighters in Davao Oriental
Communist rebels honoured two of its fighters who were killed in clash with government troops in Davao Oriental’s Cateel town in southern Philippines. One soldier was slain and 3 others wounded in the fighting, said the New People’s Army rebels on Thursday.
Roel Agustin II, a rebel spokesman, said NPA forces attacked military posts and overran them in the village of Aliwagwag. The weekend raid, he said, caught the soldiers of the 67th and 72nd infantry battalions by surprised.
“An M14 automatic rifle and several military gears were seized by Red fighters while one enemy was killed and three others were wounded during the firefight. Two Red fighters, including Patrick Simeon, were martyred during the engagement,” he said.
The 20-year old Simeon was a youth activist in Metro Manila before he joined the NPA in 2014, Agustin said. “The NPA in southern Mindanao region and the revolutionary movement in the region confer highest honours to the two Red fighters who had bravely given their lives to the cause of the national democratic struggle,” he said.
Agustin said the raid was a punishment against the soldiers for their alleged human rights violations. He also assailed the provincial government’s tourism program in the town that displaced hundreds of poor families and natives from the area to pave the way for the development of Aliwagwag Falls.
“It has displaced hundreds of peasant and Lumad families in Aliwagwag and adjacent villages in the towns of Cateel and nearby Compostela. In the name of the deceitful development program, farms and communities were adversely affected to give way to the privatized tourist destination spots,” he said.
There was no immediate statement from the military on Agustin’s allegations. The NPA has been fighting for decades for the establishment of a Maoist state in the country.
http://mindanaoexaminer.com/npa-rebels-honor-fallen-fighters-in-davao-oriental/
Communist rebels honoured two of its fighters who were killed in clash with government troops in Davao Oriental’s Cateel town in southern Philippines. One soldier was slain and 3 others wounded in the fighting, said the New People’s Army rebels on Thursday.
Roel Agustin II, a rebel spokesman, said NPA forces attacked military posts and overran them in the village of Aliwagwag. The weekend raid, he said, caught the soldiers of the 67th and 72nd infantry battalions by surprised.
“An M14 automatic rifle and several military gears were seized by Red fighters while one enemy was killed and three others were wounded during the firefight. Two Red fighters, including Patrick Simeon, were martyred during the engagement,” he said.
The 20-year old Simeon was a youth activist in Metro Manila before he joined the NPA in 2014, Agustin said. “The NPA in southern Mindanao region and the revolutionary movement in the region confer highest honours to the two Red fighters who had bravely given their lives to the cause of the national democratic struggle,” he said.
Agustin said the raid was a punishment against the soldiers for their alleged human rights violations. He also assailed the provincial government’s tourism program in the town that displaced hundreds of poor families and natives from the area to pave the way for the development of Aliwagwag Falls.
“It has displaced hundreds of peasant and Lumad families in Aliwagwag and adjacent villages in the towns of Cateel and nearby Compostela. In the name of the deceitful development program, farms and communities were adversely affected to give way to the privatized tourist destination spots,” he said.
There was no immediate statement from the military on Agustin’s allegations. The NPA has been fighting for decades for the establishment of a Maoist state in the country.
http://mindanaoexaminer.com/npa-rebels-honor-fallen-fighters-in-davao-oriental/
Rebels free captured policeman in Bukidnon province
From the Mindanao Examiner (Apr 27): Rebels free captured policeman in Bukidnon province
A policeman taken captive by the communist New People’s Army rebels has been freed on Thursday in southern Philippines, officials said.
Officials said PO2 Anthony Natividad, who was seized on February 9 in Bukidnon’s Talakag town, was handed over by rebels to a group of third party facilitators led by Bishop Felixberto Calang.
The rebels said Natividad’s release was delayed by continuous military offensives against the NPA and put the life of the policeman in grave danger. Natividad thanked the rebels for treating him well during his captivity.
The policeman was the third prisoners of war released by the rebels. Two army soldiers – Sergeant Solaiman Calocop and Private First Class Samuel Garay – were also freed by the NPA on April 19 in Davao after 75 days in captivity. Both are members of 39th Infantry Battalion seized by rebels on February 2.
The rebels earlier accused the military of sabotaging the release of the “prisoners-of-war” by launching offensives against the NPA.
Jorge Madlos, a rebel spokesman, said continuing offensive military and police operations impeded the NPA from releasing prisoners. He said as early as February 18, the rebels had planned to release the 2 prisoners in time for Easter.
Madlos said the NPA – which has been fighting for many decades now for a separate state – is also set to release three other captured soldiers in Bukidnon province and in the CARAGA region.
http://mindanaoexaminer.com/rebels-free-captured-policeman-in-bukidnon-province/
A policeman taken captive by the communist New People’s Army rebels has been freed on Thursday in southern Philippines, officials said.
Officials said PO2 Anthony Natividad, who was seized on February 9 in Bukidnon’s Talakag town, was handed over by rebels to a group of third party facilitators led by Bishop Felixberto Calang.
The rebels said Natividad’s release was delayed by continuous military offensives against the NPA and put the life of the policeman in grave danger. Natividad thanked the rebels for treating him well during his captivity.
The policeman was the third prisoners of war released by the rebels. Two army soldiers – Sergeant Solaiman Calocop and Private First Class Samuel Garay – were also freed by the NPA on April 19 in Davao after 75 days in captivity. Both are members of 39th Infantry Battalion seized by rebels on February 2.
The rebels earlier accused the military of sabotaging the release of the “prisoners-of-war” by launching offensives against the NPA.
Jorge Madlos, a rebel spokesman, said continuing offensive military and police operations impeded the NPA from releasing prisoners. He said as early as February 18, the rebels had planned to release the 2 prisoners in time for Easter.
Madlos said the NPA – which has been fighting for many decades now for a separate state – is also set to release three other captured soldiers in Bukidnon province and in the CARAGA region.
http://mindanaoexaminer.com/rebels-free-captured-policeman-in-bukidnon-province/
NOLCOM holds 1st Maritime Sovereignty Forum
From the Philippine Information Agency (Apr 28): NOLCOM holds 1st Maritime Sovereignty Forum
Northern Luzon Command (NOLCOM) recently conducted the 1st Maritime Sovereignty Forum at its headquarters in Camp Servillano Aquino.
“The forum is part of our Internal Awareness Program regarding Maritime Environment. This also intends to improve the maritime awareness and defense operations and in order to better understand the issue at hand especially when we are talking about responsibility for what is ours,” NOLCOM Commander Lieutenant General Romeo Tanalgo said.
It carried the theme “Strategic Prescriptions for Our Northern Maritime Frontier” with University of the Philippines Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea Director Jay Batongbacal as resource speaker.
Topics included Northern Maritime Frontier particularly Bajo de Masinloc, Benham Rise and Northern Sea Lines of Communication; Maritime issues in the North; and Philippine Maritime Jurisdiction.
“We hope that through meaningful conversations and advanced maritime mindset, we would collectively discover the whys and how’s to protect and defend the national territory for the sake of the next generation of Filipinos,” Tanalgo stressed.
http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/561493347958/nolcom-holds-1st-maritime-sovereignty-forum
Northern Luzon Command (NOLCOM) recently conducted the 1st Maritime Sovereignty Forum at its headquarters in Camp Servillano Aquino.
“The forum is part of our Internal Awareness Program regarding Maritime Environment. This also intends to improve the maritime awareness and defense operations and in order to better understand the issue at hand especially when we are talking about responsibility for what is ours,” NOLCOM Commander Lieutenant General Romeo Tanalgo said.
It carried the theme “Strategic Prescriptions for Our Northern Maritime Frontier” with University of the Philippines Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea Director Jay Batongbacal as resource speaker.
Topics included Northern Maritime Frontier particularly Bajo de Masinloc, Benham Rise and Northern Sea Lines of Communication; Maritime issues in the North; and Philippine Maritime Jurisdiction.
“We hope that through meaningful conversations and advanced maritime mindset, we would collectively discover the whys and how’s to protect and defend the national territory for the sake of the next generation of Filipinos,” Tanalgo stressed.
http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/561493347958/nolcom-holds-1st-maritime-sovereignty-forum
NOLCOM turns over school building in Mayantoc
From the Philippine Information Agency (Apr 28): NOLCOM turns over school building in Mayantoc
Northern Luzon Command (NOLCOM) recently turned over a four-classroom school building in Labney Elementary School in Mayantoc town.
“NOLCOM values the youth as the country’s future and this school building project will address education for the youth,” NOLCOM Commander Lieutenant General Romeo Tanalgo said.
The project was completed through the joint effort of the 702nd Infantry Brigade, 548th Engineering Construction Battalion, and 3rd Mechanized Battalion.
Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation, Go Share Foundation, The Black Pencil Project and Super Guardian also helped by sponsoring materials for the project.
http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/3341493290681/nolcom-turns-over-school-building-in-mayantoc
Northern Luzon Command (NOLCOM) recently turned over a four-classroom school building in Labney Elementary School in Mayantoc town.
“NOLCOM values the youth as the country’s future and this school building project will address education for the youth,” NOLCOM Commander Lieutenant General Romeo Tanalgo said.
The project was completed through the joint effort of the 702nd Infantry Brigade, 548th Engineering Construction Battalion, and 3rd Mechanized Battalion.
Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation, Go Share Foundation, The Black Pencil Project and Super Guardian also helped by sponsoring materials for the project.
http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/3341493290681/nolcom-turns-over-school-building-in-mayantoc
AFP says they have fully cooperated with courts in Jonas Burgos case
From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 27): AFP says they have fully cooperated with courts in Jonas Burgos case
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said they have fully cooperated with the courts in the probe into the disappearance of farmer activist Jonas Burgos, which marks its 10th year on Friday.
As the case is being handled by the courts, the military cannot make any further comment, AFP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla said Thursday.
"The AFP is fully cooperating with the courts on this case but cannot comment on it further since the case is already being tried (making) it sub judice," he explained. A case is sub judice when it is under judicial consideration, thus its discussion in public is prohibited.
Burgos was allegedly snatched by militarymen at a Quezon City mall on April 28, 2007.
As of this posting, only 1st Lt. Harry Baliaga Jr., then assigned at the 56th Infantry Battalion, is undergoing trial for Burgos' disappearance after he was tagged by witnesses as among those involved in the crime.
Other ranking officials tagged for reasons of command responsibility have long been cleared.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php/articles/983239
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said they have fully cooperated with the courts in the probe into the disappearance of farmer activist Jonas Burgos, which marks its 10th year on Friday.
As the case is being handled by the courts, the military cannot make any further comment, AFP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla said Thursday.
"The AFP is fully cooperating with the courts on this case but cannot comment on it further since the case is already being tried (making) it sub judice," he explained. A case is sub judice when it is under judicial consideration, thus its discussion in public is prohibited.
Burgos was allegedly snatched by militarymen at a Quezon City mall on April 28, 2007.
As of this posting, only 1st Lt. Harry Baliaga Jr., then assigned at the 56th Infantry Battalion, is undergoing trial for Burgos' disappearance after he was tagged by witnesses as among those involved in the crime.
Other ranking officials tagged for reasons of command responsibility have long been cleared.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php/articles/983239
'Balikatan' to center on landing supplies for 'typhoon-battered' Aurora
From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 28): 'Balikatan' to center on landing supplies for 'typhoon-battered' Aurora
In keeping with this year's focus on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) exercises, the "Balikatan" naval maneuvers on May 8-19 will center on bringing aid to a "typhoon-devastated" Casiguran, Aurora province, spokesperson Maj. Frank Sayson said Friday.
These Civil-Military Activities from the Sea (CMA-S) will be carried out by naval units of the Philippine Navy, Coast Guard and US Navy.
"Our ships with the US and the Philippine Coast Guard will navigate from Subic Bay and will pass through Zambales, Isabela (waters) and then proceed to Casiguran, Aurora to conduct civil assistance coming from the sea, based on the scenario that all entry points in extreme Northern Luzon are blocked due to a strong typhoon," Sayson told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) in an interview.
The culminating event for the CMA-S drills is the landing of relief items and supplies in Casiguran on May 15.
The event will be witnessed by members of the media and distinguished personalities, he added.
"I cannot tell you yet how many assets will be committed by the participants but definitely, the Armed Forces of the Philippines will be fielding many for this activity," Sayson said.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php/articles/983336
In keeping with this year's focus on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) exercises, the "Balikatan" naval maneuvers on May 8-19 will center on bringing aid to a "typhoon-devastated" Casiguran, Aurora province, spokesperson Maj. Frank Sayson said Friday.
These Civil-Military Activities from the Sea (CMA-S) will be carried out by naval units of the Philippine Navy, Coast Guard and US Navy.
"Our ships with the US and the Philippine Coast Guard will navigate from Subic Bay and will pass through Zambales, Isabela (waters) and then proceed to Casiguran, Aurora to conduct civil assistance coming from the sea, based on the scenario that all entry points in extreme Northern Luzon are blocked due to a strong typhoon," Sayson told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) in an interview.
The culminating event for the CMA-S drills is the landing of relief items and supplies in Casiguran on May 15.
The event will be witnessed by members of the media and distinguished personalities, he added.
"I cannot tell you yet how many assets will be committed by the participants but definitely, the Armed Forces of the Philippines will be fielding many for this activity," Sayson said.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php/articles/983336
NPA frees captured cop in Bukidnon
From the Sun Star-Cagayan de Oro (Apr 27): NPA frees captured cop in Bukidnon
BUKIDNON. New People's Army combatants escort Prisoners of War PO2 Anthony Natividad of Kalilangan, Bukidnon, during his release at Barangay Dominorog, Talakag town, Thursday morning, April 27. (Joey Nacalaban)
AFTER two months and eighteen days, captured policeman Anthony Natividad was finally freed around 11:46 a.m., Thursday, April 27 in Barangay Dominorog, Talakag town, Bukidnon.
The release took place in the barangay's covered court just beside the national highway, surrounded by many residential houses.
A few minutes after the third party facilitators and the media arrived at the venue, a platoon of the New People's Army (NPA) rebels came marching in the barangay's covered court, along with Natividad, whose hands were loosely tied with chain.
Wearing a blue shirt printed "1990," white shoes, and a backpack slung over his right shoulder, Natividad looked like he was ready to go home.
In a brief interview, Natividad thanked those who helped secure his release through tedious negotiations.
"Gi-atiman man ko nila og tarong. (They took care of me well)," Natividad said.
Ka Kiram, spokesperson of the custodial force belonging to the Mt. Kitanglad-South Regional Operational Command, presented Natividad to the public and said he was proud that they returned the police officer without any injury.
Ka Kiram said they continue support the ongoing peace talks in The Netherlands to achieve just and lasting peace, and to prevent the same thing from happening again.
The temporary suspension of military and police operations was made possible through the Expression of Aspiration issued by City Mayor Oscar Moreno in his capacity as chairman of the Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC)-Northern Mindanao.
Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI) Bishop Felixberto Calang, who led the third party local facilitators, said the release Thursday was different in its form.
"Ang sauna man gud, ang Somo (suspension of offensive military operations) kaniadto is Department of National Defense ang mag-issue (Before, the Somo was issued by the Department of National Defense), but this cannot be done now. So karon, ang RPOC mismo ang nag-issue, not necessarily the same ang content (Now, the RPOC itself was the one who issued, not necessarily the same content with the Somo), but the effect is all the same," Calang said.
Calang said the document issued by Moreno constituted the same features with the actual temporary suspension policy.
"Although of course naa ra sila kung asa sila karon in their posts or camps (Of course, the soldiers and police have not left their posts or camps), but they were instructed by their commanders to stay put," he said.
In the Expression of Aspiration document signed last April 23, Moreno said that military forces stationed in the North and Central Bukidnon areas agreed to remain in their respective areas and refrain from conducting offensive operations that will jeopardize the safe release and handover process.
The military also agreed to refrain from launching offensive operations in their respective areas foras long as necessary to effect the safe and orderly release of the captured policeman. Both parties also agreed to keep media releases to a minimum to ensure a smooth and safe release. Moreno said the aspiration manifestation was a "spontaneous response."
"When I met with Bishop Calang and Colonel Alvarez, I realized that kung doumento ang hanapon, it would take time, it's going to be difficult, so I said, what if, I express our aspiration, I express what we want to happen to pave the way for the release of PO2 Natividad," Moreno said.
Moreno said what he did was "simply summarized what's in their hearts."
"It's good that both sides understood, because there is tremendous amount of goodwill that both sides showed," he added.
The release was witnessed by priests and bishops of the IFI and the Roman Catholic, pastors from the United Church of Christ in the Philippines, and mayors Miguel Silva Jr. of Pangantucan, Bukidnon, and Omaradji Pizarro of Kalilangan town.
After the short program, Natividad immediately went home in Pangantucan with his family.
NPA member surrenders in Zamboanga del Sur
From UNTV (Apr 27): NPA member surrenders in Zamboanga del Sur
A member of the New People’s Army surrendered to the joint task force Zampelan yesterday in Zamboanga del Sur.
Rebel returnee Jonelo Balabag has also surrendered his 16 riffle, magazines, and ammunitions.
AFP Westmincom says the communist group is having difficulty living in the mountains due to the military’s continuous operation against them.
This may be one of the reason why some of them prefer to surrender.
The AFP calls on rebel groups to yield as the government is ready to provide them aid.
https://www.untvweb.com/news/npa-member-surrenders-zamboanga-del-sur/
A member of the New People’s Army surrendered to the joint task force Zampelan yesterday in Zamboanga del Sur.
Rebel returnee Jonelo Balabag has also surrendered his 16 riffle, magazines, and ammunitions.
AFP Westmincom says the communist group is having difficulty living in the mountains due to the military’s continuous operation against them.
This may be one of the reason why some of them prefer to surrender.
The AFP calls on rebel groups to yield as the government is ready to provide them aid.
https://www.untvweb.com/news/npa-member-surrenders-zamboanga-del-sur/
2 Abu Sayyaf bandits surrender
From the Sun Star-Zamboanga (Apr 27): 2 Abu Sayyaf bandits surrender
TWO Abu Sayyaf bandits have surrendered to the government forces brought about by pressure of the continuous military operations in Sulu, an official said.
Brigadier General Cirilito Sobejana, Jr., Joint Task Force Sulu commander, identified the Abu Sayyaf surrenderees as Husain Nasirin, 22, and Hasir Asara, who surrendered around 1:45 p.m. Thursday, April 27.
He said the two are followers of the late Abu Sayyaf sub-leader Hairulla Asbang, who died while undergoing medication at a hospital in Davao City.
Lawmen arrested Asbang in December 2016 at a private hospital in Zamboanga City where he was admitted for a gunshot wound he sustained in a clash with government troops in Sulu. Sobejana said they turned over an M-16 Armalite and Garand rifles.
Their surrender was facilitated by intelligence operatives.
The surrender of Nasirin and Asara has brought the number to 19 Abu Sayyaf bandits who surrendered to the government since January this year in Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/zamboanga/local-news/2017/04/27/2-abu-sayyaf-bandits-surrender-538832
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/zamboanga/local-news/2017/04/27/2-abu-sayyaf-bandits-surrender-538832
One of Abu Sayyaf remnants sighted in Tubigon by farmer
From the Cebu Daily News (Apr 27): One of Abu Sayyaf remnants sighted in Tubigon by farmer
Military forces with their armored personnel carrier (APC) continue their checkpoints in the roads of Clarin, Bohol. Capt. Jojo Mascariñas of the 302nd Infantry Brigade said that three remaining members of the Abu Sayyaf are still in Bohol and will try to blend in with the community in order to escape the military cordon. (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)
One of the three remaining members of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) being hunted by government troops in Bohol was sighted in Tubigon town last Wednesday wearing new clothes, a ranking army official said.
Tubigon is adjacent to Clarin town, where a joint team of soldiers and policemen engaged the seven ASG members who were able to flee from Barangay Napo, Inabanga town where the first encounter happened.
Four of the Abu Sayyaf were slain in Barangay Bacani, Clarin, while three were able to flee to the mountains.
Captain Jojo Mascariñas, spokesperson of the 302nd Infantry Brigade of the Philippine Army in Bohol, said a farmer from Barangay Buenos Aires in Tubigon reported that a tired-looking man was asking for food and a pair of slippers using sign language.
Fearing for his life, the farmer gave him food. The man hurriedly ate and left the area, said Mascariñas.
The man purportedly left the village and avoided the national highway.
He said that unlike the ASG members in Clarin whose smell gave them away, the man in Tubigon wore new clothes.
Blend in
Mascariñas said the three remaining bandits identified as Alyas Asis, Kaifar Sawadjaan also known as Um Ammra and Alyas Ubayda are still hiding in the mountains of Bohol, fighting for their survival.
He warned that the three remaining ASG members could just blend in among the people.
“Be careful. They can just blend in,” he said, as he again urged the public to immediately alert the authorities of the presence of suspicious-looking people.
He urged the public to report if they lose clothes from their clotheslines or see suspicious-looking men to the 302nd Brigade of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
He said one characteristic that the public should watch out for is the manner of speaking of strangers.
“They (Abu Sayyaf) don’t speak Cebuano well. They can pretend to be deaf or mute so that people won’t be able to identify them through their language,” Mascariñas said.
Mascariñas also belied reports that one of the bandits pretended to be a passenger and boarded a commercial ship in Jagna town, Bohol, last Friday.
“Not one of them has escaped. They are all still hiding in the mountains, trying to evade our troops. It’s just a matter of time and we will get all three,” he said.
“They are not much of a threat now. Instead, we (soldiers and the police) are the threat to them,” he added.
Chief Supt. Noli Taliño, director of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7), said only one of the three surviving bandits has a firearm.
“In case they want to surrender, we’re willing to facilitate it. But normally, these people will not surrender,” he said.
Safe
Meanwhile, Bohol Governor Edgar Chatto and Provincial Tourism Council Chairman Lucas Nunag issued a statement assuring the public that Bohol is safe and the popular tourist destinations are far from the areas where the encounters happened.
They said that checkpoints are being conducted at the entry and exit of these tourism zones to ensure the safety of the traveling public.
“The private stakeholders of the Bohol tourism industry and the provincial government of Bohol declare Bohol as a totally safe place to visit at any given time. The traditional warm hospitality of the people in Bohol awaits you,” the statement read.
Since April 11, eight Abu Sayyaf members were killed in two gun battles in the municipalities of Inabanga and Clarin.
They were identified as Mouamar Askali, leader of the group; bomb experts Abu Sufyan and Edimar Isnain; Joselito Melloria, a native of Bohol who guided the ASG; pumpboat operator Aldimar Taib; alyas Richard; alyas Omil; and an unidentified man.
Three bandits remain at large.
No reinforcements
Lt. Col. Luzmindo Mamaug, spokesperson of the AFP Central Command, appealed to the people to help government troopers fight the Abu Sayyaf in Bohol.
“The various information relayed to us by the people provided us a huge lift. And so we again appeal for help from the public. Peace and security is the concern, not just of authorities but of everyone,” he said in a separate interview.
Since only one of the three remaining bandits are armed, Mamaug said they don’t need to send additional troops in Bohol.
“Kayang-kaya na yan. No need of reinforcement. The situation has been contained and under control,” he said.
Mamaug said government troopers will not leave Bohol until the three remaining Abu Sayyaf members are arrested or killed.
He said the naval forces and the maritime police continue to monitor the seas surrounding Bohol to prevent the bandits from escaping and to stop any rescue mission.
Random checkpoints are also being conducted by the police in key areas in Bohol.
http://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/131111/one-abu-sayyaf-remnants-sighted-tubigon-farmer
Military forces with their armored personnel carrier (APC) continue their checkpoints in the roads of Clarin, Bohol. Capt. Jojo Mascariñas of the 302nd Infantry Brigade said that three remaining members of the Abu Sayyaf are still in Bohol and will try to blend in with the community in order to escape the military cordon. (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)
One of the three remaining members of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) being hunted by government troops in Bohol was sighted in Tubigon town last Wednesday wearing new clothes, a ranking army official said.
Tubigon is adjacent to Clarin town, where a joint team of soldiers and policemen engaged the seven ASG members who were able to flee from Barangay Napo, Inabanga town where the first encounter happened.
Four of the Abu Sayyaf were slain in Barangay Bacani, Clarin, while three were able to flee to the mountains.
Captain Jojo Mascariñas, spokesperson of the 302nd Infantry Brigade of the Philippine Army in Bohol, said a farmer from Barangay Buenos Aires in Tubigon reported that a tired-looking man was asking for food and a pair of slippers using sign language.
Fearing for his life, the farmer gave him food. The man hurriedly ate and left the area, said Mascariñas.
The man purportedly left the village and avoided the national highway.
He said that unlike the ASG members in Clarin whose smell gave them away, the man in Tubigon wore new clothes.
Blend in
Mascariñas said the three remaining bandits identified as Alyas Asis, Kaifar Sawadjaan also known as Um Ammra and Alyas Ubayda are still hiding in the mountains of Bohol, fighting for their survival.
He warned that the three remaining ASG members could just blend in among the people.
“Be careful. They can just blend in,” he said, as he again urged the public to immediately alert the authorities of the presence of suspicious-looking people.
He urged the public to report if they lose clothes from their clotheslines or see suspicious-looking men to the 302nd Brigade of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
He said one characteristic that the public should watch out for is the manner of speaking of strangers.
“They (Abu Sayyaf) don’t speak Cebuano well. They can pretend to be deaf or mute so that people won’t be able to identify them through their language,” Mascariñas said.
Mascariñas also belied reports that one of the bandits pretended to be a passenger and boarded a commercial ship in Jagna town, Bohol, last Friday.
“Not one of them has escaped. They are all still hiding in the mountains, trying to evade our troops. It’s just a matter of time and we will get all three,” he said.
“They are not much of a threat now. Instead, we (soldiers and the police) are the threat to them,” he added.
Chief Supt. Noli Taliño, director of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7), said only one of the three surviving bandits has a firearm.
“In case they want to surrender, we’re willing to facilitate it. But normally, these people will not surrender,” he said.
Safe
Meanwhile, Bohol Governor Edgar Chatto and Provincial Tourism Council Chairman Lucas Nunag issued a statement assuring the public that Bohol is safe and the popular tourist destinations are far from the areas where the encounters happened.
They said that checkpoints are being conducted at the entry and exit of these tourism zones to ensure the safety of the traveling public.
“The private stakeholders of the Bohol tourism industry and the provincial government of Bohol declare Bohol as a totally safe place to visit at any given time. The traditional warm hospitality of the people in Bohol awaits you,” the statement read.
Since April 11, eight Abu Sayyaf members were killed in two gun battles in the municipalities of Inabanga and Clarin.
They were identified as Mouamar Askali, leader of the group; bomb experts Abu Sufyan and Edimar Isnain; Joselito Melloria, a native of Bohol who guided the ASG; pumpboat operator Aldimar Taib; alyas Richard; alyas Omil; and an unidentified man.
Three bandits remain at large.
No reinforcements
Lt. Col. Luzmindo Mamaug, spokesperson of the AFP Central Command, appealed to the people to help government troopers fight the Abu Sayyaf in Bohol.
“The various information relayed to us by the people provided us a huge lift. And so we again appeal for help from the public. Peace and security is the concern, not just of authorities but of everyone,” he said in a separate interview.
Since only one of the three remaining bandits are armed, Mamaug said they don’t need to send additional troops in Bohol.
“Kayang-kaya na yan. No need of reinforcement. The situation has been contained and under control,” he said.
Mamaug said government troopers will not leave Bohol until the three remaining Abu Sayyaf members are arrested or killed.
He said the naval forces and the maritime police continue to monitor the seas surrounding Bohol to prevent the bandits from escaping and to stop any rescue mission.
Random checkpoints are also being conducted by the police in key areas in Bohol.
http://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/131111/one-abu-sayyaf-remnants-sighted-tubigon-farmer
Nobleza a spy? Bato scoffs
From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Apr 28): Nobleza a spy? Bato scoffs
Supt. Cristina Nobleza and Reneer Dongon. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/LEO UDTOHAN
The senior police officer caught trying to help Abu Sayyaf members in Bohol had claimed she had been working as a spy for the government against the terror group, but her boss scoffed at her story, saying “we will not be fooled.”
Director General Ronald dela Rosa, Philippine National Police chief, said he had talked with Supt. Ma. Cristina Nobleza and was told by the female officer that she had been working as a deep penetration agent, or spy, against Abu Sayyaf.
Nobleza, according to Dela Rosa, was tapped by the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission and helping bomb expert Renierlo P. Dongon, a suspected Abu Sayyaf member, regain the trust of other Abu Sayyaf leaders.
Dela Rosa quoted Nobleza as saying she was married to Dongon in ceremonies officiated by Zulkifli bin Hir, alias Marwan, an international terrorist who was killed in the town of Mamasapano in Maguindanao in an operation that cost the lives of 44 elite policemen.
Relaxed
Nobleza, according to Dela Rosa, was “relaxed” when they talked. Dela Rosa quoted Nobleza as saying she had been helping an Abu Sayyaf member who was wounded in the clash with soldiers in Bohol province because it would help Dongon regain the trust of Abu Sayyaf.
But “that is according to her,” said Dela Rosa, expressing disbelief at Nobleza’s story.
Nobleza and Dongon had been arrested in Bohol on Saturday and are now undergoing tactical interrogation in Camp Crame in Quezon City.
Dela Rosa said Nobleza admitted that she and Dongon had been trying to deliver medicine for a certain Saad, the Abu Sayyaf member wounded in the clash.
According to Dela Rosa, Nobleza wanted Dongon to regain the trust of Abu Sayyaf so “Dongon could function again normally within the group.”
Dela Rosa said he did not believe Nobleza. “We know something [which shows] otherwise,” he said.
Dela Rosa said the PNP “will not be fooled” by Nobleza’s claims.
“We will not be fooled by any attempt to fool us because we already learned something that she does not know,” Dela Rosa said, without elaborating.
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/892600/nobleza-a-spy-bato-scoffs
Supt. Cristina Nobleza and Reneer Dongon. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/LEO UDTOHAN
The senior police officer caught trying to help Abu Sayyaf members in Bohol had claimed she had been working as a spy for the government against the terror group, but her boss scoffed at her story, saying “we will not be fooled.”
Director General Ronald dela Rosa, Philippine National Police chief, said he had talked with Supt. Ma. Cristina Nobleza and was told by the female officer that she had been working as a deep penetration agent, or spy, against Abu Sayyaf.
Nobleza, according to Dela Rosa, was tapped by the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission and helping bomb expert Renierlo P. Dongon, a suspected Abu Sayyaf member, regain the trust of other Abu Sayyaf leaders.
Dela Rosa quoted Nobleza as saying she was married to Dongon in ceremonies officiated by Zulkifli bin Hir, alias Marwan, an international terrorist who was killed in the town of Mamasapano in Maguindanao in an operation that cost the lives of 44 elite policemen.
Relaxed
Nobleza, according to Dela Rosa, was “relaxed” when they talked. Dela Rosa quoted Nobleza as saying she had been helping an Abu Sayyaf member who was wounded in the clash with soldiers in Bohol province because it would help Dongon regain the trust of Abu Sayyaf.
But “that is according to her,” said Dela Rosa, expressing disbelief at Nobleza’s story.
Nobleza and Dongon had been arrested in Bohol on Saturday and are now undergoing tactical interrogation in Camp Crame in Quezon City.
Dela Rosa said Nobleza admitted that she and Dongon had been trying to deliver medicine for a certain Saad, the Abu Sayyaf member wounded in the clash.
According to Dela Rosa, Nobleza wanted Dongon to regain the trust of Abu Sayyaf so “Dongon could function again normally within the group.”
Dela Rosa said he did not believe Nobleza. “We know something [which shows] otherwise,” he said.
Dela Rosa said the PNP “will not be fooled” by Nobleza’s claims.
“We will not be fooled by any attempt to fool us because we already learned something that she does not know,” Dela Rosa said, without elaborating.
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/892600/nobleza-a-spy-bato-scoffs
Nobleza: I’m a gov’t DPA vs ASG
From Tempo (Apr 28): Nobleza: I’m a gov’t DPA vs ASG
Superintendent Maria Christina Nobleza, the police official who was caught while allegedly trying to rescue trapped members of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) in Bohol, has been claiming that she is a deep penetration agent (DPA) of the government against the terror group.
But the Philippine National Police (PNP) would not buy her claim during the tactical interrogation, saying it could just be an alibi to save her face from the mess she entangled herself into.
“Everything that she said, we take it as her own version. We are still evaluating it and we will not be fooled by any attempt to fool us,” said Dela Rosa.
In fact, Dela Rosa said they have already culled some intelligence information contradicting the statement of Nobleza that she has secret mission against the Abu Sayyaf.
It was learned that Nobleza has been claiming that she first penetrated the ASG while she was still at the defunct Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) which was created by the past administration.
Based on the background check, Nobleza met Reenor Lou Dungon when she was designated as her interrogator after the latter was arrested for Cagayan de Oro bombings in 2012.
And Nobleza has been insinuating that she is using Dongon’s access to the ASG in order to penetrate the bandit group.
Nobleza reportedly got close with the ASG, even claiming that she married Dongon under Islam rites with no less than Marwan officiating the marriage.
Marwan, a Malaysian bomb expert, was killed during the controversial Mamasapano operation in Maguindanao wherein 44 police commandos were killed. He is tagged as one of those involved in the Bali bombings that left more than 200 people, mostly foreigners, dead.
Marwan, whose real name is Zulkifli bin Hir, went into hiding in Mindanao under the agreement that he would be secured in exchange for training on bomb-making and urban terrorism.
“She admitted that they are married. She said she and Dongon climbed a mountain where they were married by Marwan himself,” said Dela Rosa.
BOHOL ‘MISSION’
Quoting Nobleza, Dela Rosa said the female police official decided to go to Bohol in an attempt to have Dungon regain the trust and confidence of the ASG.
“She was helping him because apparently, the ASG no longer trusts Dongon,” said Dela Rosa.
According to Nobleza, it was when they found out that some of the trapped ASG men in Bohol are needing food and medicine that she saw it as an opportunity to help Dongon back in the bandit group’s inner circle.
Dela Rosa said that should Nobleza’s mission succeeds, it would be the opportunity for Dongon to go back in the circle and eventually a good opportunity for her to deeply penetrate the ASG.
“But that is according to her. We also have information (against her),” said dela Rosa.
Dela Rosa said they have no information that Nobleza has a go-signal from any police or government official on her “‘mission” with the ASG.
“For our part, we are questioning her loyalty. Is she with us or no longer with us?,” he added.
http://tempo.com.ph/2017/04/28/nobleza-im-a-govt-dpa-vs-asg/
Superintendent Maria Christina Nobleza, the police official who was caught while allegedly trying to rescue trapped members of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) in Bohol, has been claiming that she is a deep penetration agent (DPA) of the government against the terror group.
But the Philippine National Police (PNP) would not buy her claim during the tactical interrogation, saying it could just be an alibi to save her face from the mess she entangled herself into.
“Everything that she said, we take it as her own version. We are still evaluating it and we will not be fooled by any attempt to fool us,” said Dela Rosa.
In fact, Dela Rosa said they have already culled some intelligence information contradicting the statement of Nobleza that she has secret mission against the Abu Sayyaf.
It was learned that Nobleza has been claiming that she first penetrated the ASG while she was still at the defunct Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) which was created by the past administration.
Based on the background check, Nobleza met Reenor Lou Dungon when she was designated as her interrogator after the latter was arrested for Cagayan de Oro bombings in 2012.
And Nobleza has been insinuating that she is using Dongon’s access to the ASG in order to penetrate the bandit group.
Nobleza reportedly got close with the ASG, even claiming that she married Dongon under Islam rites with no less than Marwan officiating the marriage.
Marwan, a Malaysian bomb expert, was killed during the controversial Mamasapano operation in Maguindanao wherein 44 police commandos were killed. He is tagged as one of those involved in the Bali bombings that left more than 200 people, mostly foreigners, dead.
Marwan, whose real name is Zulkifli bin Hir, went into hiding in Mindanao under the agreement that he would be secured in exchange for training on bomb-making and urban terrorism.
“She admitted that they are married. She said she and Dongon climbed a mountain where they were married by Marwan himself,” said Dela Rosa.
BOHOL ‘MISSION’
Quoting Nobleza, Dela Rosa said the female police official decided to go to Bohol in an attempt to have Dungon regain the trust and confidence of the ASG.
“She was helping him because apparently, the ASG no longer trusts Dongon,” said Dela Rosa.
According to Nobleza, it was when they found out that some of the trapped ASG men in Bohol are needing food and medicine that she saw it as an opportunity to help Dongon back in the bandit group’s inner circle.
Dela Rosa said that should Nobleza’s mission succeeds, it would be the opportunity for Dongon to go back in the circle and eventually a good opportunity for her to deeply penetrate the ASG.
“But that is according to her. We also have information (against her),” said dela Rosa.
Dela Rosa said they have no information that Nobleza has a go-signal from any police or government official on her “‘mission” with the ASG.
“For our part, we are questioning her loyalty. Is she with us or no longer with us?,” he added.
http://tempo.com.ph/2017/04/28/nobleza-im-a-govt-dpa-vs-asg/
Trilateral patrols set to begin
From the Borneo Post (Apr 28): Trilateral patrols set to begin
Hishammuddin (centre) inspecting the new Starstreak launcher with Kamarulzaman (second right), yesterday.
Joint air and sea patrols involving Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines to combat trans-border crimes and militant activities, will become a reality following a trilateral agreement between the three countries.
The trilateral cooperative arrangement will be launched by the three countries’ defence ministers in Bangao, Southern Philippines next month.
Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said the joint patrols involving security forces from the three countries would combat cross-border crimes and militant activities along the Sulu Sea.
“The joint patrols involving all three countries are important to ensure our country’s waters, especially along the east coast, are free from any unwanted threats such as cross-border criminal activities,” he said after launching the Eastern and Western Fleet Command and the 83rd Navy Anniversary at the Sepanggar naval base, Sepanggar yesterday.
Also present was Royal Malaysia Navy chief Admiral Tan Sri Ahmad Kamarulzaman Ahmad Badaruddin
Hishammuddin, who is also Minister with Special Functions, said the launch for all three ceremonies would be held in the presence of defence ministers from the three countries.
The date of the events will be announced in the Philippines, while Sabah will launch the maritime projects and Indonesia for the air projects.
“This event is important for us as it shows that Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines are able to sit down together, with mutual understanding, to find ways to tackle maritime problems,” he said, adding that cooperation with the neighbouring countries would enhance maritime security.
Hishammuddin also said that the joint patrols were important to expose the Abu Sayyaf group which had pledged their allegiance to the Daesh group.
“We know Abu Sayyaf militants have sworn allegiance to the Islamic State, and we also know that those returning from Syria and Iraq have the intention of establishing ISIS caliphate in the country.
“This is not a theatrical act but a reality, and we need to take appropriate and proactive measure to combat this situation; but we also need the rakyat to give their full cooperation and I believe we can overcome it,” he said.
http://www.theborneopost.com/2017/04/28/trilateral-patrols-set-to-begin/
Hishammuddin (centre) inspecting the new Starstreak launcher with Kamarulzaman (second right), yesterday.
Joint air and sea patrols involving Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines to combat trans-border crimes and militant activities, will become a reality following a trilateral agreement between the three countries.
The trilateral cooperative arrangement will be launched by the three countries’ defence ministers in Bangao, Southern Philippines next month.
Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said the joint patrols involving security forces from the three countries would combat cross-border crimes and militant activities along the Sulu Sea.
“The joint patrols involving all three countries are important to ensure our country’s waters, especially along the east coast, are free from any unwanted threats such as cross-border criminal activities,” he said after launching the Eastern and Western Fleet Command and the 83rd Navy Anniversary at the Sepanggar naval base, Sepanggar yesterday.
Also present was Royal Malaysia Navy chief Admiral Tan Sri Ahmad Kamarulzaman Ahmad Badaruddin
Hishammuddin, who is also Minister with Special Functions, said the launch for all three ceremonies would be held in the presence of defence ministers from the three countries.
The date of the events will be announced in the Philippines, while Sabah will launch the maritime projects and Indonesia for the air projects.
“This event is important for us as it shows that Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines are able to sit down together, with mutual understanding, to find ways to tackle maritime problems,” he said, adding that cooperation with the neighbouring countries would enhance maritime security.
Hishammuddin also said that the joint patrols were important to expose the Abu Sayyaf group which had pledged their allegiance to the Daesh group.
“We know Abu Sayyaf militants have sworn allegiance to the Islamic State, and we also know that those returning from Syria and Iraq have the intention of establishing ISIS caliphate in the country.
“This is not a theatrical act but a reality, and we need to take appropriate and proactive measure to combat this situation; but we also need the rakyat to give their full cooperation and I believe we can overcome it,” he said.
http://www.theborneopost.com/2017/04/28/trilateral-patrols-set-to-begin/
Hisham: Joint Sulu Sea patrols are on
From The Star Online (Apr 28): Hisham: Joint Sulu Sea patrols are on
Full speed ahead: Hishammuddin launching the RMN’s Western and Eastern armada commands at the Sepanggar naval base, Sabah. — Bernama
The anticipated Malaysia-Philippines-Indonesia joint security patrols in the Sulu Sea will begin in May, says Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein.
The first of three operations would be held in Bongao Island in the southern Philippines, followed by Sabah and Indonesia, added the Defence Minister.
The assurance of the joint security initiative under the Trilateral Cooperative Arrangement (TCA) comes after doubts were raised over the last-minute cancellation of the launching in Sandakan on April 11.
This took place after Philippines Defence Secretary Delfin Loren Zana could not attend the launch.
“It is quite hard to get all three countries at once to sign and launch the initiative,” said Hishammuddin.
“But we are set to go on with the plans,” he added at the 83rd anniversary of the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) and the launching of RMN’s Western and Eastern armada commands at the Sepanggar naval base here yesterday.
Hishammuddin said it was necessary for the three nations to work together to fight threats from the Abu Sayyaf, Islamic State (IS) and other cross-border militant and criminal groups.
He said Malaysia was in charge of maritime patrols while Indonesia would handle air security.
“The Philippines will be carrying out both sea and air patrols under the trilateral cooperative.”
Hishammuddin said Sabah’s security was assured with the launching of the Eastern fleet command, which would cover Sabah and Sarawak, while the Western fleet command for peninsular Malaysia would be based in Lumut.
Apart from the deployment of vessels and assets, they have also equipped the navy with Starstreak surface-to-air missiles as part of multiple efforts to strengthen security in Sabah.
The move to set up the fleet commands is intended to give extra focus and attention to maritime security in Sabah and Sarawak.
Previously, it was under the singular command of the RMN from its base in Lumut.
Rear Admiral Datuk Syed Zahiruddin Putra Syed Osman is the first Eastern fleet commander.
Hishammuddin hoped that the people in Sabah understood that the Government was working hard to protect them from threats.
“We hope with all these, we will be able to provide fast response to any situation in Sabah and Sarawak.”
http://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2017/04/28/hisham-joint-sulu-sea-patrols-are-on-initiative-with-indonesia-and-philippines-begins-in-may/
The first of three operations would be held in Bongao Island in the southern Philippines, followed by Sabah and Indonesia, added the Defence Minister.
The assurance of the joint security initiative under the Trilateral Cooperative Arrangement (TCA) comes after doubts were raised over the last-minute cancellation of the launching in Sandakan on April 11.
This took place after Philippines Defence Secretary Delfin Loren Zana could not attend the launch.
“It is quite hard to get all three countries at once to sign and launch the initiative,” said Hishammuddin.
“But we are set to go on with the plans,” he added at the 83rd anniversary of the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) and the launching of RMN’s Western and Eastern armada commands at the Sepanggar naval base here yesterday.
Hishammuddin said it was necessary for the three nations to work together to fight threats from the Abu Sayyaf, Islamic State (IS) and other cross-border militant and criminal groups.
He said Malaysia was in charge of maritime patrols while Indonesia would handle air security.
“The Philippines will be carrying out both sea and air patrols under the trilateral cooperative.”
Hishammuddin said Sabah’s security was assured with the launching of the Eastern fleet command, which would cover Sabah and Sarawak, while the Western fleet command for peninsular Malaysia would be based in Lumut.
Apart from the deployment of vessels and assets, they have also equipped the navy with Starstreak surface-to-air missiles as part of multiple efforts to strengthen security in Sabah.
The move to set up the fleet commands is intended to give extra focus and attention to maritime security in Sabah and Sarawak.
Previously, it was under the singular command of the RMN from its base in Lumut.
Rear Admiral Datuk Syed Zahiruddin Putra Syed Osman is the first Eastern fleet commander.
Hishammuddin hoped that the people in Sabah understood that the Government was working hard to protect them from threats.
“We hope with all these, we will be able to provide fast response to any situation in Sabah and Sarawak.”
http://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2017/04/28/hisham-joint-sulu-sea-patrols-are-on-initiative-with-indonesia-and-philippines-begins-in-may/
Gov’t forces intensify ops in key cities
From the Daily Tribune (Apr 27): Gov’t forces intensify ops in key cities
Government forces have intensified security operations in key cities in Mindanao to thwart any possible diversionary or retaliatory attacks coming from terrorist groups now being pursued in Lanao del Sur.
Lt. Col. Jo-ar Herrera, spokesman of the Army’s 1st Infantry Division (ID), said that Brig. Gen. Rolando Bautista, commander of 1st ID has ordered troops to secure vital installations and avoid collateral damage.
“He issued instruction to secure all vital installations to avoid diversionary attacks by the enemy,” said Herrera.
Bautista’s order covered vital installations and places of convergence in the cities of Iligan, Marawi and even Zamboanga.
The move, Herrera said, was based on the history of the targeted groups, particularly the Maute group and the Abu Sayyaf, which usually conducts diversionary or retaliatory attacks when pinned down in certain area.
Currently, military operations are still ongoing against the Maute group in Piagapo, Lanao del Sur where 38 terrorists, including foreigners, had been killed since the offensives were launched last week.
“Historically, they conduct actions to mislead the government forces…so we are continuously securing public places and important areas in Iligan, Marawi…and even Zamboanga,” said Herrera.
“We have route security, checkpoint operations, civil military operations,” he added.
Bautisa also ordered for the troops to closely coordinate with other government agencies, particularly local government units, to ensure public safety and security.
Herrera also cited the links between the Maute group, the Abu Sayyaf and other terrorist groups.
“Diversionary, retaliatory…are the dangerous moves of our enemies. We know their tactics, so we are on guard,” he said.
Last September, the Maute group exploded an improvised explosive device (IED) at a night market in Davao City –killing 14 people and wounded 70 others, to ease military pressure from the Abu Sayyaf in Sulu and Basilan.
http://www.tribune.net.ph/nation/gov-t-forces-intensify-ops-in-key-cities
Government forces have intensified security operations in key cities in Mindanao to thwart any possible diversionary or retaliatory attacks coming from terrorist groups now being pursued in Lanao del Sur.
Lt. Col. Jo-ar Herrera, spokesman of the Army’s 1st Infantry Division (ID), said that Brig. Gen. Rolando Bautista, commander of 1st ID has ordered troops to secure vital installations and avoid collateral damage.
“He issued instruction to secure all vital installations to avoid diversionary attacks by the enemy,” said Herrera.
Bautista’s order covered vital installations and places of convergence in the cities of Iligan, Marawi and even Zamboanga.
The move, Herrera said, was based on the history of the targeted groups, particularly the Maute group and the Abu Sayyaf, which usually conducts diversionary or retaliatory attacks when pinned down in certain area.
Currently, military operations are still ongoing against the Maute group in Piagapo, Lanao del Sur where 38 terrorists, including foreigners, had been killed since the offensives were launched last week.
“Historically, they conduct actions to mislead the government forces…so we are continuously securing public places and important areas in Iligan, Marawi…and even Zamboanga,” said Herrera.
“We have route security, checkpoint operations, civil military operations,” he added.
Bautisa also ordered for the troops to closely coordinate with other government agencies, particularly local government units, to ensure public safety and security.
Herrera also cited the links between the Maute group, the Abu Sayyaf and other terrorist groups.
“Diversionary, retaliatory…are the dangerous moves of our enemies. We know their tactics, so we are on guard,” he said.
Last September, the Maute group exploded an improvised explosive device (IED) at a night market in Davao City –killing 14 people and wounded 70 others, to ease military pressure from the Abu Sayyaf in Sulu and Basilan.
http://www.tribune.net.ph/nation/gov-t-forces-intensify-ops-in-key-cities
LOOK: US Navy Sea Hawk fires flares in Philippine Sea
From Update Philippines (Apr 27): LOOK: US Navy Sea Hawk fires flares in Philippine Sea
A United States Navy MH-60R Sea Hawk from the Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 78 “Blue Hawks” fires chaff flares during a training exercise near the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) in Philippine Sea April 24.
HSM-78 is currently assigned to Carrier Air Wing TWO (CVW-2) and is attached to the USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70). USS Carl Vinson is the lead-ship of Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group (CSG 1).
Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group is currently in Philippine Sea, off Okinawa, conducting combined aviation exercises with Japan Air Self-Defense Forces. This is after CSG 1 conducted a two-day bilateral maritime exercise with Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force ships also in Philippine Sea.
US Pacific Command commander Admiral Harry Harris told the United States House Armed Services Committee that after couple of days the Carrier Strike Group will continue to sail north near Korea.
Admiral Harris said North Korea is “in striking range and power projection range of North Korea if called upon to do that.”
http://www.update.ph/2017/04/look-us-navy-sea-hawk-fires-flares-in-philippine-sea/17044
A United States Navy MH-60R Sea Hawk from the Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 78 “Blue Hawks” fires chaff flares during a training exercise near the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) in Philippine Sea April 24.
HSM-78 is currently assigned to Carrier Air Wing TWO (CVW-2) and is attached to the USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70). USS Carl Vinson is the lead-ship of Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group (CSG 1).
Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group is currently in Philippine Sea, off Okinawa, conducting combined aviation exercises with Japan Air Self-Defense Forces. This is after CSG 1 conducted a two-day bilateral maritime exercise with Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force ships also in Philippine Sea.
US Pacific Command commander Admiral Harry Harris told the United States House Armed Services Committee that after couple of days the Carrier Strike Group will continue to sail north near Korea.
Admiral Harris said North Korea is “in striking range and power projection range of North Korea if called upon to do that.”
http://www.update.ph/2017/04/look-us-navy-sea-hawk-fires-flares-in-philippine-sea/17044
PVAO mulls veteran pension hike
From the Visayan Daily Star (Apr 27): PVAO mulls veteran pension hike
The Veterans Federation of the Philippines-Sons and Daughters Association Inc., headed by Joel Llosa, said the commitment made by representatives of the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office about increasing veteran pension from P5,000 to P20,000, is not new.
But the group still welcomes the pronouncement made by a representative of the office, who graced the 72nd Liberation Day of Dumaguete City yesterday.
Brig Gen Restituto Aguilar, who represented Usec Ernesto Carolina, administrator of PVAO, told Dumaguete and Negros Oriental veterans the proposed increase in the monthly pension was filed in the previous Congress but because of different problems besetting the country, it was shelved.
To date, PVAO is trying to find allies in Congress for the re-filing of the bill, in consonance with the President's pronouncements and support of Department of National Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, Aguilar said.
Llosa said this is long overdue, in expressing lament because the supposed beneficiaries are already diminishing in numbers.
Last year, 19 WWII veterans of the city and province were given recognition, but only 12 this year.
Llosa said their number is getting smaller every year.
He also lamented attempts to disband the sons and daughters associations of the veterans even as Llosa said this cannot be done being registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Their only mission is to voluntary serve the veterans.
The PVAO said it is gradually documenting memories of World War II veterans for what they have done to the country and will publish them in books, and in other forms like komiks or film production.
PVAO considered this a tall order but will make sure the future generations will not forget what these veterans have done for the country.
On the other hand, the Veterans Federation of the Philippines, which was represented by veteran Manuel Carreon during the celebration, disclosed that as soon as the constitution and by-laws of the VFP is approved, all sons and daughters associations incorporated will become auxiliary association members and that all benefits of the veterans can also be availed of by the SDAI.
These include educational assistance to the sons and daughters of the veterans, six months medical assistance support, medical equipment, upon the approval of the constitution and bylaws by the Department of National Defense.
Carreon represented VFP president, Col. Bonifacio de Gracia, in the 72nd Liberation Day of Dumaguete activity.
http://www.visayandailystar.com/2017/April/27/negor4.htm
The Veterans Federation of the Philippines-Sons and Daughters Association Inc., headed by Joel Llosa, said the commitment made by representatives of the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office about increasing veteran pension from P5,000 to P20,000, is not new.
But the group still welcomes the pronouncement made by a representative of the office, who graced the 72nd Liberation Day of Dumaguete City yesterday.
Brig Gen Restituto Aguilar, who represented Usec Ernesto Carolina, administrator of PVAO, told Dumaguete and Negros Oriental veterans the proposed increase in the monthly pension was filed in the previous Congress but because of different problems besetting the country, it was shelved.
To date, PVAO is trying to find allies in Congress for the re-filing of the bill, in consonance with the President's pronouncements and support of Department of National Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, Aguilar said.
Llosa said this is long overdue, in expressing lament because the supposed beneficiaries are already diminishing in numbers.
Last year, 19 WWII veterans of the city and province were given recognition, but only 12 this year.
Llosa said their number is getting smaller every year.
He also lamented attempts to disband the sons and daughters associations of the veterans even as Llosa said this cannot be done being registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Their only mission is to voluntary serve the veterans.
The PVAO said it is gradually documenting memories of World War II veterans for what they have done to the country and will publish them in books, and in other forms like komiks or film production.
PVAO considered this a tall order but will make sure the future generations will not forget what these veterans have done for the country.
On the other hand, the Veterans Federation of the Philippines, which was represented by veteran Manuel Carreon during the celebration, disclosed that as soon as the constitution and by-laws of the VFP is approved, all sons and daughters associations incorporated will become auxiliary association members and that all benefits of the veterans can also be availed of by the SDAI.
These include educational assistance to the sons and daughters of the veterans, six months medical assistance support, medical equipment, upon the approval of the constitution and bylaws by the Department of National Defense.
Carreon represented VFP president, Col. Bonifacio de Gracia, in the 72nd Liberation Day of Dumaguete activity.
http://www.visayandailystar.com/2017/April/27/negor4.htm
NPA to release captive soldier in Surigao Norte
From MindaNews (Apr 27): NPA to release captive soldier in Surigao Norte
A soldier belonging to the 30th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army abducted by the New People’s Army (NPA) abducted last January will be released in Alegria town in Surigao del Norte this Saturday.
Ka Oto, spokesperson of the NPA’s Guerilla Front 16 operating in Surigao del Norte and four towns in neighboring Agusan del Norte, said they will release Pfc Erwin Salan, who was captured last Jan. 29 in Barangay Budlingin in Alegria.
He said their tactical operations against government forces have been halted since last Tuesday noon until midnight of May 5 in the towns of Placer, Tubod, Bacuag, Alegria, Gigaquit and Claver, all in Surigao del Norte, to pave the way for the safe release of the captured soldier.
Lt. Col. Rico Amaro, 30IB commanding officer, said he is glad about the news of Salan’s release soon, noting that the soldier has been in captivity for almost three months now.
But he said that although the NPA has announced it will halt operations, the military could not reciprocate the gesture.
Amaro said he has “no basis to recommend” to his superiors suspension of military and police operations, adding that these are “beyond [his] authority to declare.”
“I request the NPA leadership to define their parameters, else, I will continue my mandated task to secure remote communities,” he said.
Surigao del Norte Governor Sol F. Matugas and the local crisis management committee have no statement on the issue.
On July 10, 2014, four police officers were captured by the NPA during a raid in the Alegria police station. They were freed after 19 days in captivity.
On November 16 of the same year, two police officers also in Alegria were seized by NPA rebels. They were released to then Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte three months later in the hinterlands of Gigaquit town in Surigao del Norte.
http://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2017/04/npa-to-release-captive-soldier-in-surigao-norte/
A soldier belonging to the 30th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army abducted by the New People’s Army (NPA) abducted last January will be released in Alegria town in Surigao del Norte this Saturday.
Ka Oto, spokesperson of the NPA’s Guerilla Front 16 operating in Surigao del Norte and four towns in neighboring Agusan del Norte, said they will release Pfc Erwin Salan, who was captured last Jan. 29 in Barangay Budlingin in Alegria.
He said their tactical operations against government forces have been halted since last Tuesday noon until midnight of May 5 in the towns of Placer, Tubod, Bacuag, Alegria, Gigaquit and Claver, all in Surigao del Norte, to pave the way for the safe release of the captured soldier.
Lt. Col. Rico Amaro, 30IB commanding officer, said he is glad about the news of Salan’s release soon, noting that the soldier has been in captivity for almost three months now.
But he said that although the NPA has announced it will halt operations, the military could not reciprocate the gesture.
Amaro said he has “no basis to recommend” to his superiors suspension of military and police operations, adding that these are “beyond [his] authority to declare.”
“I request the NPA leadership to define their parameters, else, I will continue my mandated task to secure remote communities,” he said.
Surigao del Norte Governor Sol F. Matugas and the local crisis management committee have no statement on the issue.
On July 10, 2014, four police officers were captured by the NPA during a raid in the Alegria police station. They were freed after 19 days in captivity.
On November 16 of the same year, two police officers also in Alegria were seized by NPA rebels. They were released to then Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte three months later in the hinterlands of Gigaquit town in Surigao del Norte.
http://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2017/04/npa-to-release-captive-soldier-in-surigao-norte/
Philippines police chief tells commanders to coordinate with MILF in law enforcement ops
From the Mindanao Examiner (Apr 27): Philippines police chief tells commanders to coordinate with MILF in law enforcement ops
Philippines police chief Ronald dela Rosa has told his commanders in Mindanao to coordinate with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in their law enforcement operations, especially if it involves criminal members of the rebel group or within their strongholds in the restive region.
“Ibalik yun pagsangguni o coordination (sa MILF), bahala na makaapekto sa success ng operation basta hindi tayo masisi sa huli,” Dela Rosa said at a forum by the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process in Davao City.
Manila signed an interim peace deal with the MILF in 2014 that allows them to coordinate law enforcement operations through the ad hoc joint action group in areas where the rebels are actively operating.
The MILF recently protested the killing of a senior rebel commander, Mohaimen Abo, by police forces trying to arrest him on kidnappings and murder charges in Sultan Kudarat. Abo, brother of MILF deputy chairman Ghazali Jaafar, was slain in a firefight, police said.
It was unknown how Dela Rosa’s order would affect police operations against criminal members of the MILF. Any intelligence or information provided or shared by the police with the MILF for the arrest of its members wanted by authorities may jeopardize law enforcement operations and even demoralize or put the lives of policemen in grave danger.
Many MILF members had been previously linked by authorities to ransom kidnappings, extortion with some commanders providing safe refuge to other jihadists groups and foreign militants.
In February 2015, MILF rebels, alongside Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, killed 44 members of the elite police Special Action Force who were on a secret mission to capture Malaysian bomber Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan inside a rebel stronghold in Maguindanao’s Mamasapano town.
Zulkifli was eventually killed by police commandos who cut one of his fingers and passed it on to members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation for DNA testing, but all 44 had paid for their lives after the military and police failed to rescue them following hours of fierce fighting.
Then President Benigno Aquino, who was aware of the daring mission, declined to order a military strike on the MILF to rescue the beleaguered troops for fear that it would affect the peace talks with rebels. The MILF is the country’s largest Muslim rebel group fighting for independence in Mindanao.
http://mindanaoexaminer.com/philippines-police-chief-tells-commanders-to-coordinate-with-milf-in-law-enforcement-ops/
Philippines police chief Ronald dela Rosa has told his commanders in Mindanao to coordinate with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in their law enforcement operations, especially if it involves criminal members of the rebel group or within their strongholds in the restive region.
“Ibalik yun pagsangguni o coordination (sa MILF), bahala na makaapekto sa success ng operation basta hindi tayo masisi sa huli,” Dela Rosa said at a forum by the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process in Davao City.
Manila signed an interim peace deal with the MILF in 2014 that allows them to coordinate law enforcement operations through the ad hoc joint action group in areas where the rebels are actively operating.
The MILF recently protested the killing of a senior rebel commander, Mohaimen Abo, by police forces trying to arrest him on kidnappings and murder charges in Sultan Kudarat. Abo, brother of MILF deputy chairman Ghazali Jaafar, was slain in a firefight, police said.
It was unknown how Dela Rosa’s order would affect police operations against criminal members of the MILF. Any intelligence or information provided or shared by the police with the MILF for the arrest of its members wanted by authorities may jeopardize law enforcement operations and even demoralize or put the lives of policemen in grave danger.
Many MILF members had been previously linked by authorities to ransom kidnappings, extortion with some commanders providing safe refuge to other jihadists groups and foreign militants.
In February 2015, MILF rebels, alongside Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, killed 44 members of the elite police Special Action Force who were on a secret mission to capture Malaysian bomber Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan inside a rebel stronghold in Maguindanao’s Mamasapano town.
Zulkifli was eventually killed by police commandos who cut one of his fingers and passed it on to members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation for DNA testing, but all 44 had paid for their lives after the military and police failed to rescue them following hours of fierce fighting.
Then President Benigno Aquino, who was aware of the daring mission, declined to order a military strike on the MILF to rescue the beleaguered troops for fear that it would affect the peace talks with rebels. The MILF is the country’s largest Muslim rebel group fighting for independence in Mindanao.
http://mindanaoexaminer.com/philippines-police-chief-tells-commanders-to-coordinate-with-milf-in-law-enforcement-ops/
2 Abu Sayyaf bandits surrender in Sulu as military offensive continues
From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 27): 2 Abu Sayyaf bandits surrender in Sulu as military offensive continues
Two members of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) have surrendered on Thursday due to the continuous military operations in the island province of Sulu.
Brig. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana Jr., commander of Joint Task Force Sulu, identified the ASG surrenderees as Husain Nasirin, 22, and Hasir Asara, 24, of Barangays Buhanginan and Danag, respectively, in the town of Patikul.
Sobejana said Nasirin and Asara surrendered to the 501st headquarters in Sulu at around 1:45 p.m. Thursday. Intelligence operatives facilitated the surrender of the two bandits.
He said the two are followers of the late ASG sub-leader Hairulla Asbang, who died while undergoing medication at a hospital in Davao City. Lawmen arrested Asbang on December 26, 2016 at a private hospital in this city where he was admitted for a gunshot wound he sustained in a clash with government troops in Sulu. He was later transferred to Davao City for further treatment.
Sobejana said the two surrenderees turned over an M-16 Armalite rifle and a caliber .30 M1 Garand rifle “as a gesture of sincere commitment that they wanted to fully return to the folds of the law.”
The surrender of Nasirin and Asara brought to 19 the number of Abu Sayyaf bandits who surrendered to the government since January in the provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.
Military troops are continuously pursuing the Abu Sayyaf bandits in the three provinces on orders of President Rodrigo Duterte.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php/articles/983190
Two members of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) have surrendered on Thursday due to the continuous military operations in the island province of Sulu.
Brig. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana Jr., commander of Joint Task Force Sulu, identified the ASG surrenderees as Husain Nasirin, 22, and Hasir Asara, 24, of Barangays Buhanginan and Danag, respectively, in the town of Patikul.
Sobejana said Nasirin and Asara surrendered to the 501st headquarters in Sulu at around 1:45 p.m. Thursday. Intelligence operatives facilitated the surrender of the two bandits.
He said the two are followers of the late ASG sub-leader Hairulla Asbang, who died while undergoing medication at a hospital in Davao City. Lawmen arrested Asbang on December 26, 2016 at a private hospital in this city where he was admitted for a gunshot wound he sustained in a clash with government troops in Sulu. He was later transferred to Davao City for further treatment.
Sobejana said the two surrenderees turned over an M-16 Armalite rifle and a caliber .30 M1 Garand rifle “as a gesture of sincere commitment that they wanted to fully return to the folds of the law.”
The surrender of Nasirin and Asara brought to 19 the number of Abu Sayyaf bandits who surrendered to the government since January in the provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.
Military troops are continuously pursuing the Abu Sayyaf bandits in the three provinces on orders of President Rodrigo Duterte.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php/articles/983190
Religion not a factor in PHL anti-terror campaign -- AFP
From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 27): Religion not a factor in PHL anti-terror campaign -- AFP
Religion is not a factor in the country's ongoing campaign against terror groups and lawless elements in Mindanao.
This was stressed by Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief-of-staff Gen. Eduardo Año when asked on whether they are looking on the involvement of "Balik Islam" adherents on terrorism activities in wake of the botched Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) landing in Inabanga, Bohol last April 10.
"There is nothing wrong with 'Balik Islam" or Muslim converts as we have freedom of religion (in the Philippines) what we are looking at are those (got) associated with the Maute Group (and ASG) as converts coming these groups are those who have became radicalized," he added in Filipino.
Año added even in the AFP there are "Balik Islam" adherents and he sees no problem with these individuals.
In the above-mentioned incident, Joselito Milloria, a "Balik Islam" convert, allegedly acted as guide and contact of ASG sub-leader Muamar Askali alias "Abu Rami" in Inabanga where the group rested for a while to plan their kidnapping attacks.
However, this proved naught as military and police units pounced on the group last April 11, killing Askali and three others along with three soldiers and police officers along with an elderly couple.
Pursuit operations last April 22 in Clarin town, also in Bohol, resulted in the neutralization of Milloria and three other ASG men, leaving only three survivors from Askali's 11-man band who are now being hunted as of this posting.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php/articles/983000
Religion is not a factor in the country's ongoing campaign against terror groups and lawless elements in Mindanao.
This was stressed by Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief-of-staff Gen. Eduardo Año when asked on whether they are looking on the involvement of "Balik Islam" adherents on terrorism activities in wake of the botched Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) landing in Inabanga, Bohol last April 10.
"There is nothing wrong with 'Balik Islam" or Muslim converts as we have freedom of religion (in the Philippines) what we are looking at are those (got) associated with the Maute Group (and ASG) as converts coming these groups are those who have became radicalized," he added in Filipino.
Año added even in the AFP there are "Balik Islam" adherents and he sees no problem with these individuals.
In the above-mentioned incident, Joselito Milloria, a "Balik Islam" convert, allegedly acted as guide and contact of ASG sub-leader Muamar Askali alias "Abu Rami" in Inabanga where the group rested for a while to plan their kidnapping attacks.
However, this proved naught as military and police units pounced on the group last April 11, killing Askali and three others along with three soldiers and police officers along with an elderly couple.
Pursuit operations last April 22 in Clarin town, also in Bohol, resulted in the neutralization of Milloria and three other ASG men, leaving only three survivors from Askali's 11-man band who are now being hunted as of this posting.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php/articles/983000
DND to acquire SK 'Pohang' ASW corvette for USD100
From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 27): DND to acquire SK 'Pohang' ASW corvette for USD100
The Department of National of National (DND) will be acquiring a "Pohang" Flight III anti-submarine corvette from South Korea for just USD100.
This is possible as South Korea is now in the process of retiring the above-mentioned ship from its inventory.
"We have sent a letter to the Government of South Korea expressing our intent to acquire one Pohang class corvette. We are hoping to receive the vessel within the year (no specific date yet)," DND public affairs chief Arsenio Andolong said in a message to the Philippine News Agency Thursday.
"The transfer will be in the form of a donation, however, we will pay a token fee of USD100. The corvette will still undergo refurbishment, the cost of which we will shoulder," he added.
However, Andolong has no information on whether the transfer will include the ship's weapon and sensor suites and exact cost of the refurbishment.
But he added that the ship will definitely boost the Philippine Navy's capability to patrol the country's territorial waters aside from helping in the fight against piracy and terrorism.
"Pohang" are class of general purpose corvettes operated by the South Korean Navy.
Around 24 were built during the late Cold War and post-Cold War period. Out of this number, 18 are still in commissioned as of this posting.
These ships are armed with a variety of anti-sub, anti-ship, and anti-air weapons with their accompanying sensor gear and are capable of running to speeds up to 32 knots.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php/articles/983146
The Department of National of National (DND) will be acquiring a "Pohang" Flight III anti-submarine corvette from South Korea for just USD100.
This is possible as South Korea is now in the process of retiring the above-mentioned ship from its inventory.
"We have sent a letter to the Government of South Korea expressing our intent to acquire one Pohang class corvette. We are hoping to receive the vessel within the year (no specific date yet)," DND public affairs chief Arsenio Andolong said in a message to the Philippine News Agency Thursday.
"The transfer will be in the form of a donation, however, we will pay a token fee of USD100. The corvette will still undergo refurbishment, the cost of which we will shoulder," he added.
However, Andolong has no information on whether the transfer will include the ship's weapon and sensor suites and exact cost of the refurbishment.
But he added that the ship will definitely boost the Philippine Navy's capability to patrol the country's territorial waters aside from helping in the fight against piracy and terrorism.
"Pohang" are class of general purpose corvettes operated by the South Korean Navy.
Around 24 were built during the late Cold War and post-Cold War period. Out of this number, 18 are still in commissioned as of this posting.
These ships are armed with a variety of anti-sub, anti-ship, and anti-air weapons with their accompanying sensor gear and are capable of running to speeds up to 32 knots.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php/articles/983146
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