New Army chief vows to upgrade training, capacitate troops

From the Philippine News Agency (Nov 21): New Army chief vows to upgrade training, capacitate troops



MILITARY HONORS. Lieutenant General Macairog S. Alberto (right), newly-installed Philippine Army Commanding General, salutes the colors as he troops the line during the traditional arrival honors during his visit to Camp Gen. Mateo Capinpin in Tanay, Rizal on Nov. 20, 2018. He is accompanied by Major General Rhoderick M, Parayno (left), Commander of the 2nd Infantry “Jungle Fighter” Division (2ID). (Photo courtesy of 2ID-DPAO)

CAMP GEN. CAPINPIN, Tanay, Rizal – The newly-installed Commanding General of the Philippine Army, Lieutenant General Macairog S. Alberto, vowed on Tuesday to sustain improvement, upgrade and training of the Army and look after the troops’ welfare.

"We will continue to improve the Philippine Army and we will continue to support all army major units, especially in training. The best way to look after the welfare of your men is to train them properly so that they can accomplish the mission well and come back to their families alive,” Alberto said.

Alberto visited the home camp of the 2nd Infantry (Jungle Fighter) Division (2ID), where he was warmly welcomed with traditional military honors hosted by 2ID commander Major General Rhoderick M. Parayno and the top army officers, enlisted personnel and civilian employees at the camp quadrangle.
During his talks with the army division officials and troops at the 2nd Division Training School (2DTS), Alberto expressed his gratitude for the warm reception and shared his past experiences during his Scout Ranger Orientation Course training at the 2ID camp.

He underscored the strategic importance of the 2ID in the overall peace and security campaign of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) as this division serves as the nearest Philippine Army Major Unit (PAMU) to the National Capital Region (NCR) or Metro Manila.

The 2ID is the second major army camp that Alberto has visited upon his appointment as chief of the Army service command of the AFP.

His camp visitation follows the military tradition for the new Army commander to personally acquaint with his subordinates, know the situation, assess the soldiers’ morale and attend to the welfare and concerns of the troops in the ground.

The new Army Commanding General also led the tree planting activity at the vicinity of the Division's Sierra Madre Golf and Country Club.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1054497

6ID chief lauds 'commitment' of 284 new soldiers

From the Philippine News Agency (Nov 21): 6ID chief lauds 'commitment' of 284 new soldiers



CAMP SIONGCO, Maguindanao – The chief of the Army’s 6th Infantry “Kampilan” Division (6ID) lauded the dedication and commitment shown by 284 new soldiers after they took their oath of enlistment here Tuesday.

“Soldiery is the noble profession for we have no capital except our lives,” Major Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, 6ID commander, told the candidate-soldiers belonging to the “SIDLAK” Class 544-2018 during ceremonies held at 6ID Training School in Barangay Semba, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao.

The new soldiers, who pledged volunteerism and "willingness to risk personal comfort and security to serve and protect the country and the people," consisted of six aspirants from the 4th Infantry Division, one aspirant from the 54th Engineering Brigade, and 277 from the 6ID.

Major Arvin John Encinas, speaking for 6ID, said the class name “SIDLAK” stands for “Sundalong Itinakdang Dadamay at Lalaban Alang-alang sa Kapayapaan”.

“It served as a basis of their class’ strong camaraderie and compassion,” Encinas said.

He said the graduates underwent rigorous training and engaged in different activities, such as the Basic Military Training and War Fighting Competency to their skills for future missions.

During the graduation rites, Sobejana lauded the aspirants who excelled in various training fields.

Candidate soldier Argyl Nena received the special award for obtaining the highest rating in Basic Marksmanship with a general average of 100 percent. Likewise, candidate soldier Jessel John Porras received the leadership award for demonstrating an outstanding attitude, military knowledge and exemplary military bearing in the class.

Candidate soldier Alipio Duallo, on the other hand, obtained the highest rating in the physical fitness test.

Sobejana said the new soldiers showed the perseverance that made them finish the training ahead of their military careers.

“Instill discipline and respect for authority all throughout your military life, as these are essentially important in the life of a soldier,” he said.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1054476

SWS: Third Quarter 2018 Social Weather Survey: Pinoys maintain anti-Chinese stance on West Philippine Sea issue

From the Social Weather Stations Website (Nov 20): Third Quarter 2018 Social Weather Survey: Pinoys maintain anti-Chinese stance on West Philippine Sea issue                      

• Opposition to government’s inaction on China’s intrusion in claimed territories rises to 84%
• 87% say it is important that the Philippines regains control of the islands occupied by China in the West Philippine Sea
• Awareness of the West Philippine Sea conflict rises to 89%
• 65% are aware of China's abuses of Filipino fishermen
• Net trust Very Good for the USA; Moderate for Japan, Malaysia, and Israel; Poor for China

Erratum, 20 November 2018: In Table 5, page 18, the June 2018 proportion of those with Little Trust in China should have been 53% instead of 27%. A previous version of this report misstated the figure. We apologize for the confusion.
SWS Special Report (printer-friendly version here)


The Third Quarter 2018 Social Weather Survey, conducted from September 15-23, 2018, found that 84% of adult Filipinos reject the government’s policy of doing nothing about China’s intrusion in the West Philippine Sea.

The September 2018 survey asked, “Is [activity] RIGHT or NOT RIGHT for the Philippine government to do in resolving the conflict between the Philippines and China about the West Philippine Sea?” Three specific activities, presented in random order, were tested.

To this, 84% said it is not right for the government to leave China alone with its infrastructures and military presence in the claimed territories. This is up by 3 points from 81% in June 2018 [Chart 1].

At the same time, 86% said it is right to strengthen the military capability of the Philippines, especially the Navy. This is up by 6 points from 80% in June.
On the other hand, 71% said it is right for the government to bring the issue to international organizations, like the United Nations or Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), for a diplomatic and peaceful negotiation with China about the claimed territories. This is only 3 points below the 74% in June.

87% say it is important that the Philippines regains control of the islands occupied by China in the West Philippine Sea

The September 2018 survey also asked, “In your opinion, is it important that the control of the islands that China currently occupies in the West Philippine Sea be given back to the Philippines?”

To this, 72% answered very important, 15% somewhat important, 1% somewhat not important, and 1% not at all important. Ten percent were undecided about the matter [Chart 2].

This compares with June 2018, when 69% answered very important, 18% somewhat important, 1% somewhat not important, and 1% not at all important. Eleven percent were undecided.

Awareness of the West Philippine Sea conflict rises to 89%

The proportion of those aware of the West Philippine Sea conflict rose from 81% in June 2018 to 89% in September 2018 [Chart 3].

Among the 89% aware of the West Philippine Sea conflict before the interview, 15% had extensive knowledge, 32% had adequate knowledge, 41% had only a little knowledge, and 12% had very little knowledge about the matter [Chart 4].

In June 2018, among the 81% aware of the West Philippine Sea conflict before the interview, 12% had extensive knowledge, 40% had adequate knowledge, 43% had only a little knowledge, and 5% had very little knowledge about the matter.

65% are aware of China's abuses of Filipino fishermen

The September 2018 survey asked for awareness of three matters, in random order, about the West Philippine Sea.

The survey found 65% already aware that the Chinese coast guard has forced Filipino fishermen in the West Philippine Sea to turn over their catch even before the survey, while the remaining 35% learned about the issue for the first time during the interview. This is the same as June 2018, when 65% were aware about the matter even before the survey [Chart 5].

Prior to the September survey, 62% already knew that the Philippines is unable to prevent Chinese fishermen from fishing in the West Philippine Sea. This is close to the 64% in June.

Prior to the September survey, 50% already knew that China created artificial islands that they use as military airbases. This is the same as the 50% in June.

Net trust Very Good for the USA; Moderate for Japan, Malaysia, and Israel; Poor for China

Of the five specific countries tested for public trust in September 2018, net trust ratings (% much trust minus % little trust) were very good for the United States, moderate for Japan, Malaysia, and Israel, and poor for China [Chart 6].

Net trust in the United States has been positive since SWS first surveyed it in December 1994, ranging from a moderate +18 in May 2005 to an excellent +82 in December 2013. The September 2018 score of very good +59 is 6 points below the very good +65 in June 2018 [Table 1].

Net trust in Japan was at neutral levels from December 1994 to December 1996, and then rose to moderate/good levels in June 1997-June 2017. It reached its record-high very good +54 in December 2017, before declining to moderate +28 in September 2018 [Table 2].

Net trust in Malaysia was a neutral -2 in August 1994, before it fell to poor/bad levels in December 1994-March 2008. Except for the poor -10 in June 2015, it was at neutral levels in June 2008-September 2015. It rose to its record-high moderate +20 in December 2017, and stayed moderate at +15 in September 2018 [Table 3].

Net trust in Israel was at poor to neutral levels from November 2001 to February 2009, ranging from -13 to -2, before it rose to its record-high moderate +13 in September 2018 [Table 4].

Net trust in China has been positive in only 9 out of 47 surveys since SWS first surveyed it in August 1994, reaching as high as moderate +17 in June 2010 and as low as bad -46 in September 2015. Its latest net trust score of poor -16 in September 2018 is 19 points above the bad -35 in June 2018 [Table 5].

The SWS terminology for Net Trust Ratings: +70 and above, "excellent"; +50 to +69, "very good"; +30 to +49, "good"; +10 to +29, "moderate", +9 to -9, "neutral"; -10 to -29, "poor"; -30 to -49, "bad"; -50 to -69, "very bad"; -70 and below, "execrable".

Higher distrust in China among those who know about the specific issues in the West Philippine Sea before the survey

China’s net trust rating was a poor -22 among those who were aware that the Chinese coast guard has forced Filipino fishermen in the West Philippine Sea to turn over their catch before the survey, compared to the neutral net zero among those who learned about it only during the interview [Chart 7].

Distrust in China was higher among those who already knew that the Philippines is unable to prevent Chinese fishermen from fishing in the West Philippine Sea before the survey, compared to the neutral -3 among those who just learned about it.

Distrust in China was also higher among those aware that China created artificial islands that they use as military airbases even before the survey, compared to the neutral -9 among those who learned about it during the interview.

Survey Background

The September 2018 Social Weather Survey was conducted from September 15-23, 2018 using face-to-face interviews of 1,500 adults (18 years old and above) nationwide: 600 in Balance Luzon, and 300 each in Metro Manila, Visayas, and Mindanao (sampling error margins of ±3% for national percentages, ±4% for Balance Luzon, and ±6% each for Metro Manila, Visayas, and Mindanao).
The area estimates were weighted by Philippine Statistics Authority medium-population projections for 2018 to obtain the national estimates.
The Social Weather Survey items on people’s opinion about the West Philippine Sea conflict were non-commissioned. They were included on SWS's own initiative and released as a public service.

Questionnaire

The exact survey questions are as follows:

Introduction (Filipino):

            Ang West Philippine Sea ay nasa kanlurang bahagi ng Pilipinas. Kasama nito ang Luzon Sea at mga karagatang nakapaligid, nakapaloob at nakapalibot sa Pangkat Islang Kalayaan (o Kalayaan Island Group) sa Palawan, at sa Bajo De Masinloc (o Scarborough Shoal) sa Zambales. 

            Ngunit ang mga ito ay agresibong inaangkin ng Tsina dahil ayon sa kanila, sila ang may-ari ng lahat ng tubig, mga bato, at likas-yaman na napapaloob sa tinatawag nilang “9-dash line” na sumasakop sa halos buong South China Sea, kasama din ang West Philippine Sea.

            Para tutulan ang pag-aangkin ng China, noong 2013 ang Pilipinas ay ginamit ang United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) para magsampa ng kaso laban sa Tsina sa International Arbitral Tribunal.  Noong 2016 ang Tribunal ay hindi tinanggap ang “9-dash line” ng China at nagdesisyon pabor sa Pilipinas sa kasong ito.  Ngunit nagdesisyon ang China na hindi humarap sa mga pagdinig ng kaso, at hanggang ngayon ay ayaw tanggapin ang desisyon ng International Arbitral Tribunal.  Ang China lamang ang tanging bansa na hindi kumikilala sa desisyong ito.

            Patuloy pa rin ang China sa kanyang agresibong pag-aangkin at ilegal na panghihimasok sa West Philippine Sea.  Kabilang dito ang pagtatayo ng mga imprastrakturang militar at pagpapanatili ng kanilang barko sa lugar para hadlangan ang mga Pilipinong mangingisda at ang gobyerno ng Pilipinas na makinabang sa likas-yaman nito.

Introduction (English):

            The West Philippine Sea is in the Western part of the Philippines. It includes the Luzon Sea and the waters around, within and adjacent to the Kalayaan Island Group in Palawan, and Bajo de Masinloc (or Scarborough Shoal) in Zambales.

            However, these are being aggressively claimed by China because according to them, they own all the waters, features, rocks, and natural resources within a so-called “9-dash-line” around almost the entire South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea.

            To oppose these claims of China, in 2013 the Philippines used the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), to file a case against China in the International Arbitral Tribunal.  In 2016 the Tribunal rejected China’s “9-dash-line” and decided the case in favor of the Philippines.  But China decided not to attend the hearings of the case, and until now does not accept the decision of the International Arbitral Tribunal.  China is the only nation that does not recognize this decision. 

            China continues to aggressively claim and illegally intrude in the West Philippine Sea. This includes constructing military infrastructures and retaining their ships in the area, so as to prevent Filipino fishermen and the Philippine government from benefitting from its natural resources.
 
Q106.  Ano ang masasabi ninyo tungkol sa inyong kaalaman sa pagtatalo ng Pilipinas at Tsina sa West Philippine Sea?  Ito ba ay (SHOWCARD: Malawak, Sapat, Kaunti lang, Napakakaunti, o Ngayon Lamang Ninyo Ito Narinig)? [What can you say about your knowledge of the dispute between the Philippines and China on the West Philippine Sea?  Is it (SHOWCARD: Extensive, Adequate, Only A Little, Very Little, or Have You Heard Of It Only Now?)]

Q107-109. Ang mga sumusunod ay ilan sa mga maaaring gawin ng gobyerno ng Pilipinas upang malutas ang pagtatalo nito at Tsina tungkol sa West Philippine Sea. Sa inyong palagay, ito ba (SHUFFLE CARDS, presented in random order) ay tama o hindi tama na pamamaraan na gawin ng gobyerno ng Pilipinas upang malutas ang pagtatalo ng Pilipinas at Tsina tungkol sa West Philippne Sea? Pakisabi ang sagot ninyo sa pamamagitan ng paglagay ng mga kard sa naaangkop na lugar sa rating board na ito. (TAMA, HINDI TAMA) [The following are things that the Philippine government can do in resolving the conflict between the Philippines and China about the West Philippine Sea. In your opinion, is (SHUFFLE CARDS, presented in random order) RIGHT or NOT RIGHT for the Philippine government to do in resolving the conflict between the Philippines and China about the West Philippine Sea? You may indicate your answers by placing each card on the appropriate box on this rating board. (RIGHT, NOT RIGHT)]

            FOR EACH CARD (ACTIVITY): Ito ba… ay TAMA o HINDI TAMA na pamamaraan na gawin ng gobyerno ng Pilipinas upang malutas ang pagtatalo ng Pilipinas at Tsina tungkol sa West Philippne Sea? [Is… RIGHT or NOT RIGHT for the Philippine government to do in resolving the conflict between the Philippines and China about the West Philippine Sea?]:

Q107.  Dalhin ang isyu sa mga internasyonal na organisasyon, katulad ng United Nations o Association of Southeast Asean Nations (ASEAN), para sa diplomatiko at mapayapang pakikipag-negosasyon sa Tsina tungkol sa mga inaangking mga teritoryo (Refer the issue to international organizations, like the United Nations or Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), for a diplomatic and peaceful negotiation with China about the claimed territories)

Q108.  Palakasin ang kakayahang militar ng Pilipinas, lalo na ang Navy (Strengthen military capability of the Philippines, especially the Navy)

Q109.  Pabayaan na lang ang Tsina na panatilihin ang mga imprastraktura at militar sa mga inaangking mga teritoryo (Leave China alone with its infrastructures and military presence in the claimed territories)

Q110-112. Dati na po ba ninyong alam ang tungkol sa mga sumusunod ukol sa isyu ng West Philippine Sea o ngayon lamang po ninyo ito narinig? [Were you previously aware regarding the following issues about the West Philippine Sea, or did you know about this only now?]

Q110.  Ang China ay gumawa ng mga artipisyal na islang ginagamit nila bilang mga military base (China has created artificial islands that they use as military bases)

Q111.  Ang coast guard ng China ay pinuwersa ang mga mangingisdang Pilipino na nangingisda sa West Philippine Sea na ibigay ang kanilang mga nahuling isda (The Chinese coast guard has forced Filipino fishermen fishing in the West Philippine Sea to turn over the fish they catch)

Q112.  Hindi napipigilan ng Pilipinas ang mga mangingisdang Tsino na mangisda sa West Philippine Sea (The Philippines is not able to prevent Chinese fishermen from fishing in the West Philippine Sea)

Q113.  Sa inyong palagay, importante po ba para sa inyo na maibalik ang kontrol sa Pilipinas ng mga islang kasalukuyang inookupahan ng China sa West Philippine Sea? Masasabi po ba ninyo na ito ay… (SHOWCARD: Talagang importante, Medyo importante, Hindi tiyak kung importante o hindi, Medyo hindi importante, Talagang hindi importante)? [In your opinion, is it important for you that the control of the islands that China currently occupies in the West Philippine Sea be returned to the Philippines? Would you say that this is… (SHOWCARD: Very important, Somewhat important, Undecided if important of not, Somewhat not important, Not at all important)?]

SWS employs its own staff for questionnaire design, sampling, fieldwork, data-processing, and analysis, and does not outsource any of its survey operations. This report was prepared by Leo S. Laroza and Antonia Beatrice D. Lee, with special tabulations by Joanne C. Evangelista.
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https://www.sws.org.ph/swsmain/artcldisppage/?artcsyscode=ART-20181119235355

DND chief doubts latest survey on WPS

From the Philippine News Agency (Nov 21): DND chief doubts latest survey on WPS

Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Wednesday expressed doubts on the result of the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey, which claims that 84 percent of Filipinos oppose the alleged inaction of the government regarding China's military incursions in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

"I have doubt on accuracy of the survey. Surveys can lie specially if the survey sample is not representative of the population. In fact one can tailor a survey that would agree with a preferred conclusion," he said in a message to the Philippine News Agency.

Lorenzana also questioned the timing of the SWS survey as it came out during the state visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping's first state visit in the Philippines.

"Why was the survey (release) timed during the state visit of President Xi Jinping?," the DND chief asked.

The SWS conducted the survey from Sept. 15 to 23, but released the results only on Tuesday, the same day Xi arrived in Manila for a two-day state visit.

According to the survey, the number of Filipinos rejecting the government’s “policy of doing nothing about China’s intrusion” in the WPS has increased from 81 percent in June 2018 to 84 percent in September 2018.

The survey also claimed it found out that awareness on the WPS conflict among Filipinos have increased to 89 percent, with 87 percent saying it is important that the Philippines should regain control of the islands occupied by China.

It also found out that 65 percent of Filipinos are aware of the reported Chinese Coast Guard abuses against Filipino fishermen.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1054464

Spike-ER missile live-fire exercise 'impressive': DND chief

From the Philippine News Agency (Nov 21): Spike-ER missile live-fire exercise 'impressive': DND chief



ON BOARD THE BRP DAVAO DEL SUR -- Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Delfin Lorenzana described as "impressive" the Philippine Navy’s (PN) newly-acquired and installed Rafael Advanced Defense, Ltd. Spike-ER (extended range) surface-to-surface missile system, whose capabilities were successfully demonstrated during a live-fire exercise off Lamao Point, Limay, Bataan on Wednesday morning.

"Impressive. Not one (missile) round was wasted," Lorenzana said in Filipino.

In the exercise, three Spike-ER-armed multi-purpose assault craft (MPAC) engaged three surface targets, with a remote-controlled .50-caliber machinegun fire, and two missile rounds, sinking them in the maneuvers.

The defense chief said this is no mean feat, considering that the seas were quite rough at the time.

An AgustaWestland AW-109 attack helicopter armed with 2.75-inch high-explosive rockets also participated in the exercise by firing its weapons.

"(Modern) technology has come to the Navy and we will use this technology to protect our seas," Lorenzana said, adding that accuracy is needed, considering that Spike-ER missiles and other sophisticated weapons are "quite expensive."

A single Spike-ER missile round costs about PHP10 million.

PN flag officer-in-command, Vice Admiral Robert Empedrad, said use of the MPACs is under their "swarming doctrine", under which they will be utilized to engage larger and more capable ships posing a threat to the country's waters.

He also clarified that the Spike-ER-armed MPACs are defense systems and not meant for offense.

The first test-firing of the Spike-ER missile took place in the same location last August 9.

The weapon was fired from one of the Navy's three Spike-ER-armed MPACs. The MPACs were constructed by the Subic-based Propmech Corp. and activated on May 22, 2017.

The PN MPAC Acquisition Project entered into a contract with Rafael, through SIBAT of Israel’s Ministry of Defense, for the supply and integration of the weapons systems to three Mark III MPACs.

On April 15, 2017, Lorenzana approved the Notice to Proceed. The Spike-ER system, which arrived in the country last April, is the Navy's first missile weapon capable of penetrating 1,000-mm (39-inch) rolled homogeneous armor and has a range of 8 km.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1054495

PRRD boosts campaign vs. money laundering, terrorism financing

From the Philippine News Agency (Nov 21): PRRD boosts campaign vs. money laundering, terrorism financing

President Rodrigo Duterte has signed an executive order strengthening the country’s campaign against money laundering and terrorism financing (ML/TF).

Duterte signed Executive Order No. 68 on Nov. 12 adopting the National Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AMLCFT) Strategy or NACS.

“It is declared policy of the State to ensure that the Philippines shall not be used as a money laundering site for the proceeds of any unlawful activity,” the order stated.

The Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), together with relevant government agencies, has formulated and adopted the NACS which will be implemented over the period of 2018 to 2022.

The NACS will enable the government and the private sector to have a coordinated and strategic approach towards combating money laundering and terrorism financing in the country.

“There is a need to harmonize AML/CFT efforts to relevant government agencies and private stakeholders and ensure that they are consistent with the NACS and addresses ML/TF risks,” it said.

The order called for the creation of the National AML/CFT Coordinating Committee (NACC) which will ensure “efficient and effective” implementation of the roles and responsibilities of relevant government agencies as stated in the NACS.

NACC shall also facilitate the periodic conduct of the ML/TF risk assessment and recommend action plans, which may be included in the NACS, to address the risks identified.

The committee is tasked also to promote activities to spread awareness of the NACS and identified high ML/TF risk areas.

The NACC will be chaired by the Executive Secretary “or his duly-authorized representative” with Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor and AMLC Chairperson as co-vice chairpersons.

The panel members include the secretaries of Foreign Affairs, Finance, Justice, National Defense, Interior and Local Government, Trade and Industry and top officials of Securities and Exchange Commission, Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp., and Cagayan and Aurora-Pacific economic zones.

The AMLC shall serve as the Secretary for the NACC which will be organized into several sub-committees primarily responsible for the implementation of specific strategic objectives and relevant action plans of the NACS.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1054498

PH Navy on the uptick with Spike-ER missile integration

From the Philippine News Agency (Nov 21): PH Navy on the uptick with Spike-ER missile integration



ON BOARD THE BRP DAVAO DEL SUR -- The Philippine Navy (PN) is now on the upgrade with the successful capability demonstration of its newly-acquired and installed Rafael Advanced Defense Ltd. Spike-ER (extended range) surface-to-surface missile system during a live-fire exercise off Lamao Point in Limay, Bataan on Wednesday morning.

This was the message highlighted by the event's successful conclusion, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana told reporters during a press conference aboard the BRP Davao Del Sur (LD-602).

"(The) message to our people (is) that our Navy is also improving, at par with what’s happening in the neighborhood. Kung tignan natin sa mga kapitbahay natin, tayo na lang nahuhuli talaga (If we are to be compared with our neighbors, we are lagging behind). The message to Filipino people, is itong inyong Navy nag-iimprove na (that your Navy is improving), acquiring more equipment and other assets so that we will have (the) capability to control our maritime territory," he added.

Lorenzana also emphasized that the Spike-ER armed multi-purpose assault craft (MPAC) will also deter poachers from encroaching in Philippine territorial waters due to its deterrence capabilities.

In the exercise, three Spike-ER armed multi-purpose assault craft (MPACs) engaged three surface targets first with remote-controlled .50-caliber machinegun fire and two missile rounds, sinking them in the maneuvers.

An AgustaWestland AW-109 attack helicopter armed with 2.75-inch high-explosive rockets also participated in the exercise by firing its weapons.

"(Modern) technology has come to the Navy and we will use this technology to protect our seas," the DND chief emphasized. And accuracy is needed considering that Spike-ER missiles and other sophisticated weapons are "quite expensive".

A single Spike-ER missile round costs an estimated PHP10 million.

The first test-firing of the Spike-ER missile took place last Aug. 9 in the same location.

The weapon was fired from one of the PN's three Spike-ER armed MPACs.

The MPACs were constructed by the Subic-based Propmech Corporation and activated on May 22, 2017.

The PN MPAC Acquisition Project entered into a contract with Rafael, through SIBAT of Israel Ministry of Defense, for the supply and integration of the weapons systems to three Mark III MPACs.

On April 15, 2017, Lorenzana approved the Notice to Proceed.

The Spike-ER system, which arrived in the country last April, is the PN's first missile weapon capable of penetrating 1,000-mm (39 inches) of rolled homogeneous armor and has a range of eight kilometers.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1054524

4 heavily armed NPAs yield in Bukidnon

From the Manila Bulletin (Nov 20): 4 heavily armed NPAs yield in Bukidnon

CAMP BANCASI, Butuan City – Tired of running and of hardship in the mountains made four heavily armed New People’s Army (NPA) fighters to surrender to authorities in Bukidnon province.

Maj. Frankjo C. Boral, Civil Military Operation (CMO) officer of the Army’s 1st Special Forces Battalion (1st SFBn), said the four armed NPA fighters also voluntarily gave up and handed over to the 1st SFBn their one M16 Armalite rifle, two Caliber 30 M1 Garand rifles, one Caliber 30 M1 Carbine rifle and one Caliber 30 Enfield rifle, all with live bullets.

The identities of those who surrendered are temporarily withheld for their safety and security, but Maj. Boral said all of them were former regular fighters of Guerilla Front 12 (GF 12) and Guerilla Front 68 (GF 68) of the CPP-NPA North-Central Mindanao Regional Committee (NCMRC).


GF 12 operates in the boundaries of Bukidnon, Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur and Misamis Oriental provinces while GF 68 operates in west Bukidnon and northwestern part of Kitanglad Mountain Ranges, also in Bukidnon province.

Initially, they yielded to the operating units of the 1st SFBn last Thursday (Nov. 15) and were officially presented Tuesday to Lt. Col. Sergio P. Macarandan, Jr., commanding officer of the battalion.

“Their giving up to the government and surrendered firearms are tangible indicators of success in the government’s overall peace efforts in the area, the 1st SFBn commander also said.

“The significant number of cleared barangays through our Community Support Programs (CSPs) also shows the strong cooperation among the AFP, PNP, local government units and other governmental agencies in the area to get rid of terrorists and keep our communities safe,” he said.

“Hopefully by next year, we will see more communities within our area cleared from CNT influence,” Lt. Col. Macarandan added.

Meanwhile, the newly installed commander of 403rd Infantry (Peacemaker) Brigade, Colonel Edgardo Y. De Leon also said the increasing average of their operations hitting the CNTs, the revelations by people of their whereabouts, and the increasing numbers of rebel returnees are indicative of the people’s rejection of the terrorists.

“In spite of our aggressive focused-military operations and CSPs, we are willing to help and accept them anytime they choose to return to the folds of the law. Everyone deserves to live a normal life and be with his family, especially this fast-approaching Christmas season. We encourage them to avail of the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) which offers better financial and livelihood benefits and to get back to mainstream society and be with their loved ones,” De Leon said.

https://news.mb.com.ph/2018/11/20/4-heavily-armed-npas-yield-in-bukidnon/

43 areas in Davao Region on election watchlist

From Rappler (Nov 21): 43 areas in Davao Region on election watchlist

Category 4 areas are those affected by intense political rivalry that could trigger violence, presence of private armed groups, and also of more organized groups



DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Government security forces on Wednesday, November 21, said they have so far placed 43 areas in the Davao Region (Region XI) on the election watchlist, topped by Compostela Valley province, where communist rebels are known to be still active.

Lieutenant General Benjamin Madrigal, the commander of the Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom), said they closely coordinated with the police in identifying the election watchlist areas (EWAs).

Chief Inspector Jason Baria, the spokesperson of the Southern Mindanao Police Office, said the list was not final, though, and could still be trimmed, depending on the assessment that authorities continuously conduct.

Speaking at the weekly Armed Forces of the Philippines-Philippine National Police Southern Mindanao Press Corps press conference at the Mandaya Hotel, Baria said Compostela Valley had topped the list with all 11 of its towns having areas under the election watchlist, followed by Davao del Sur with 9.

Davao del Norte had 8 areas while Davao City had 7. The young province of Davao Occidental has two areas, while Davao Oriental has 6 EWAs, Baria said.

In Davao del Norte, he said the police listed 20 barangays in Panabo City alone and two barangays in Tagum City. The whole areas of Asuncion, Carmen, Kapalong, New Corella, San Isidro, and Talaingod towns – all in Davao del Norte – were on the EWAs.

Also, Mati City, Lupon, Baganga, Tarragona, and Manay in Davao Oriental are all placed under the EWAs, Baria said.

In Davao Occidental, only Jose Abad Santos and Malita towns had been listed while this city had EWAs in Toril, Tugbok, Calinan, Marilog, Baguio, and Paquibato districts.

But Barias did not say what categories these areas had been listed under.

He only said that in Davao del Sur, the towns of Malalag, Hagonoy, and Padada were listed under Category 1; the towns of Magsaysay, Kiblawan and Matanao were listed under Category 2; and Bansalan, Sta Cruz, and Digos City are under Category 3.

Superintendent Nolasco Bathan, the Southern Mindanao police deputy director, said areas under Category 1 are those that have records of politically-motivated violence due to intense political rivalry. Those under Category 2 have serious armed threats posed by “organized threat groups,” such as the New People’s Army, the Bangsamoro Independent Freedom Fighters (BIFF), and Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG). Those under Category 3 have both the threats under Category 1 and 2.

Bathan said areas under Category 4 are those affected by intense political rivalry that could trigger violence, presence of private armed groups, and also of more organized groups such as the New People's Army, the ASG, and the BIFF.

He said when an area is listed under Category 4, the Commission on Elections would automatically place it under its control.

https://www.rappler.com/nation/politics/elections/2019/217265-43-areas-davao-region-election-watchlist

Residents want NPA, supporters to leave Barangay Washington

From the Sun Star-Bacolod (Nov 21): Residents want NPA, supporters to leave Barangay Washington

SOME residents of Barangay Washington in Escalante City, Negros Occidental wanted the New People's Army (NPA) and their supporters to leave the village.

About 800 residents, who attended a symposium at the city gymnasium Monday, November 19, talked about their plan to make a petition to evict the identified individuals reportedly supporting the NPA since most of them are illegal settlers in the area, a press release from the 303rd Infantry Brigade (IB) of the Philippine Army said.

On November 16, two suspected rebels were killed in an encounter with the military troopers at the said area. State troopers were conducting clearing operations in the area following the reported sightings of armed men in the village.

About 10 alleged NPA members were reportedly seeking refuge in one of the houses at the said village.
But progressive groups claimed that the presence of police and military in the area was their way of "militarization” to cause fear to the residents, adding that the encounter was fake.

In the course of the dialogue, the residents mentioned that before fleeing the encounter on Friday, November 16, the communist rebels allegedly threatened to behead them if they will report their whereabouts and give other information about them, the press release from the Army said.

The residents also condemned the presence of the rebels and their supporters in the area.

They also urged the supporters to stop helping or accommodating the NPAs in order not to put the residents in harm when armed encounters erupt, the press release said.

Colonel Benedict Arevalo, commanding officer of the 303rd IB based in Murcia town said, “this is a big boost in our campaign against the Communist Party of the Philippines–NPA–National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) as the populace of a CNN bailiwick is now the one condemning and taking actions against the NPAs and their supporters.”

https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1775099

NPA ambush wounds six Camsur policemen

From the Business Mirror (Nov 20): NPA ambush wounds six Camsur policemen

Six policemen were wounded over the weekend in Camarines Sur in an ambush staged by New People’s Army (NPA) rebels.

The policemen from the Provincial Mobile Force Company have just come from a medical mission of the Army’s 9th Infantry Division, when they were waylaid by rebels at around 4:30 p.m. at Sitio Patag, Barangay Mambulo Nuevo, Libmanan, Camarines Sur.

A belated report sent to Camp Crame by the Police Regional Office 5 identified the wounded as PO3 Roland Hermogeno, PO1 Vladimir Guadalupe, PO1 Roy Carbonell, PO1 Eliseo Jomar Palaroan, PO1 Mikhail Jose Concina and PO1 Daisy Bhel Genova.

According to the report, the policemen led by PO3 Jason Canoto, were heading to Libmanan proper in Camarines Sur onboard a police trooper vehicle when they were waylaid.

Canoto and his team came from a “joint medical mission” of the 9th ID at Barangay Bagamelon, also in Libmanan.

https://businessmirror.com.ph/n-p-a-ambush-wounds-six-camsur-policemen/

Hunt continues for remaining Abu Sayyaf members

From the New Straits Times (Nov 19): Hunt continues for remaining Abu Sayyaf members

(File pix) Photo shows military-equipped men. Archive image for illustration purposes only. Police believe that the rest of the Abu Sayyaf members are still hiding in the country after the arrests of seven of its members as well as an Islamic State (IS) member recently. NSTP/Website Photo

 

PASIR PUTEH: Police believe that the rest of the Abu Sayyaf members are still hiding in the country after the arrests of seven of its members as well as an Islamic State (IS) member recently.

Bukit Aman Special Branch deputy director E1 Datuk Mohamed Farid Abu Hassan said police, particularly the Counter-Terrorism division are now hunting down the rest of the group, believed to be hiding in several states.

 

“The Counter-Terrorism division is still doing their follow-up on the case after the arrests of the eight.

“God willing, if they succeed in their follow-up, there will be more arrests soon,” he told a press conference after opening the Selising police station, here, today.

Also present were Kelantan police chief Datuk Hasanuddin Hassan and all district police chiefs.

Asked whether there are any other militant groups apart from the Abu Sayyaf group in the country, Mohamed Farid said police are not ruling out the possibility, including those who channelled funds to former pop group Ukays drummer, Wan Mohd Aquil Wan Zainal or Akel Zainal who joined the IS in Syria.

“These groups exist throughout the country but the number of those active are few. They are hiding in several states and their numbers are not alarming," he said, assuring that despite the low figures, police will continue to track them down one by one.

Asked whether Abu Sayyaf had used locals to send the money to Akel Zainal, Mohamed Farid said they have their own way to send money.

“They have used various methods to send the cash and they are not using the country’s banking system all the time. Some of them use illegal channel to send the money,” he said.

Mohamed Farid also said police would arrest Akel Zainal once he returned to Malaysia and have enough evidence against him.

“There should be no reason for us not to arrest him (Akel Zainal) if he returns. But the decision is not done by the police alone, we also need to get approval from the Attorney-General’s (AG) office,” he said.

Mohamed Farid was commenting on a report last Saturday on the arrests of eight men for alleged involvement in terrorist activities between Oct 30 and Nov 12.

The suspects - seven Filipinos and one Malaysian, were arrested in a series of raids by the Special Branch’s Counter-Terrorism division in Putrajaya and Sabah.

One of them had also channelled funds to Akel Zainal who joined the IS in Syria last year.

https://www.nst.com.my/news/crime-courts/2018/11/432607/hunt-continues-remaining-abu-sayyaf-members

Abu Sayyaf militant hurt in gunfight

From The Star Online (Nov 19): Abu Sayyaf militant hurt in gunfight

KOTA KINABALU: A militant Abu Sayyaf sub-commander, who is in the thick of planning abductions in Sabah waters, is believed to have been injured during gunfights with the Philippines military.

Authorities are now trying to verify the extent of Hatib Hajan Sawadjan’s injuries following the shootout that involved some 50 militants under Hatib and sub-commander Indang Susukan at their hideout in Patikul, Jolo.

Regional intelligence sources said yesterday that a brother of Hatib, known only as Taha, was killed in Friday’s 90-minute fight.

 

The military operations were aimed at wiping out remnant militant Abu Sayyaf groups that are seeing resurgence in Jolo.

Philippines media, quoting Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) Lt Col Gerry Besana spokesman, said among those critically wounded was Hatib.

 

Hatib was reportedly carried away by his followers in the fighting that saw seven soldiers and one militant killed. Military sources said that at least 17 soldiers were injured.

The military was on a search-and-rescue operation for the remaining 13 Abu Sayyaf hostages including two Indonesian fishermen taken from Sabah waters off Semporna on Sept 11.

The Star reported last month that a kidnap-for-ransom group in southern Philippines was posing fresh threats to Sabah’s east coast as Abu Sayyaf commanders were regrouping after nearly two years on the run.

 

Some top sub-commanders, who were believed to be killed in Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s 2016 all out war against the Abu Sayyaf in their Jolo island stronghold, including Susukan, had resurfaced.

Susukan’s group was responsible for the abduction of the Tung cousins from Negri Sembilan in 2012, Taiwanese Chang An Wei kidnapped in Pom Pom island in 2013 and Bernard Then, who was the first and sole Malaysian to be beheaded by the Abu Sayyaf.

Regional intelligence sources said that Susukan was working with Hatib to carry out new kidnappings and southern Philippines political warlords said to be edgy over the newly introduced Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) financed them.

 

BOL creates a Muslim-majority sub-state in the Philippines that will replace the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao.

The warlords – through Abu Sayyaf sub-commanders – have so far financed up to 1.7 mil pesos (about RM170,000) for two kidnap-for-ransom groups to carry out kidnapping in Sabah’s east coast waters.

 

The source said one of the groups - with about eight gunmen led by Amah Ullah @ Suraka - tried to target an oil palm-laden tug boat in Tambisan waters off Lahad Datu on Aug 10 but failed after Malaysian security forces came to the scene.

Suraka was subsequently killed by Philippines troops but another group of seven under Salip Murah is believed to be behind the Sept 11 kidnapping of two Indonesian fishing boat crew members off Pulau Gaya in Semporna.

 

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2018/11/19/abu-sayyaf-militant-hurt-in-gunfight-subcommander-believed-to-be-planning-abductions-in-sabah-waters/

MILF chief in historic visit to key army base

From the Gulf News (Nov 21): MILF chief in historic visit to key army base

The chief of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) paid an historic visit to the headquarters of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) even as government forces confirmed the killing of 10 members of the Daesh-linked Abu Sayyaf terror group during a clash on the island province of Sulu in Mindanao.

Mura Ebrahim, the MILF chairman who signed a peace agreement with the government, waxed nostalgic when he paraphrased the statement of Julius Caesar of “Veni, vidi, vici,” or “I came, I saw, I found friends and I made peace” following his visit on Monday at the AFP national headquarters Camp Aguinaldo in suburban Quezon City, Metro Manila.

Ebrahim recalled that ever since he joined the MILF’s fight some 40 years ago, he had avoided military camps and had thought only of destroying them.

“I never imagined during those dark days that Iwill one day step inside a military camp and be feted with this exceptional honor by what used to be our adversary,” Ebrahim said when he was welcomed and other MILF leaders to the AFP headquarters by General Carlito Galvez, the military chief.

He added that with the visit, the MILF has forged “an unshakable parntership that will help propel our country toward unity, peace, prosperity and development, under the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) that sets up a new Bangsamoro political entity to help bring just and lasting peace to resource-rich but violence-wracked Mindanao.

Last October, Galvez also visited the MILF main camp in Maguindanao where he declared that “the war between and military and the MILF is finally over” as he assured that when he is to retire as the military chief next year, he would campaign for the approval of the BOL during the plebiscite.

In a separate development, Lieutenant Colonel Gerry Besana, the spokesman of the military’s Western Mindanao Command, confirmed that at least 10 Abu Sayyaf terrorists were slain in a clash with government forces in a remote “barangay” (village) in the town of Patikul, Sulu on Friday afternoon.

It was in the same encounter, Besana said, that at least five soldiers and 23 others were wounded as government forces pursued the rescue operations of about 10 foreigners and Filipinos still being held hostage by the terrorists.

http://gulftoday.ae/portal/77251a63-dbff-4823-ae6c-36a45cc8d89e.aspx

Suspected BIFF bombers killed in Tacurong City shootout

From the Philippine Star (Nov 19): Suspected BIFF bombers killed in Tacurong City shootout                          

                              

TACURONG CITY, Philippines — Police shot dead two suspected bombers before dawn on Monday as they were transporting an improvised explosive device.

Chief Superintendent Eliseo Rasco of Police Regional Office-12 said the two men were killed in a brief encounter with a police team manning a roadblock in Barangay EJC Montilla here.

The suspects were carrying a powerful improvised explosive device in their vehicle that police and Army personnel at a checkpoint in Isulan had tried to flag down. The vehicle changed direction and sped away before it reached the checkpoint.

They opened fire at police manning a chekpoint of Regional Mobile Force Battalion 12 at Barrio Dos, Tacurong City.

"This prompted the joint security forces to chase them until suspects were cornered at Kapingkong Road in Tacurong City where a firefight ensued between the operating team and the suspects which resulted to instantaneous death of the latter," PRO-12 said.

PRO-12 also said that the Sultan Kudarat Police Provincial Office had received information that an IED would be transported "within the areas of Tacurong City and Municipality of Isulan."

Police and military personnel at the checkpoints were on alert because of the information received.

Investigators found a 9-mm Beretta handgun and a KG9 machine pistol of the same caliber, as well as an IED ready for detonation and an Islamic State flag.

Rasco said there are indications that the slain bombers were members of the outlawed Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, or BIFF, which uses the black flag.

The BIFF, operating in the fashion of the Islamic State, is blamed for all of the deadly bombings in central Mindanao in recent years, including the August 28 and September 2, 2018 IED attacks in nearby Isulan town.

Four were killed while more than 30 others were wounded in the bombings in Isulan, the capital of Sultan Kudarat province.

Two roadside bombings in Maguindanao

Also on Monday morning, a soldier was injured in one of two roadside bombings at the boundary of Ampatuan and Datu Hoffer towns in Maguindanao.

Hundreds of motorists and commuters were stranded after authorities closed the stretch of the highway where the bombs went off to enable ordnance experts to investigate the scene freely.

Chief Superintendent Graciano Mijares of the Police Regional Office-Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao said two improvised explosive devices were detonated one after another using remote-controlled triggers.

No one was hurt in the first blast, heard at exactly 6:00 a.m. Monday, followed by another more than 20 minutes later.

A soldier in a team dispatched to scour the sides of the highway at the boundary of Barangays Labu-labu in Datu Hofer and in Decalungan in Ampatuan after the first roadside bomb exploded was hurt in the second explosion.

The injured soldier was immediately rushed to a hospital nearby.

6th ID: BIFF behind bombings

Capt.Arvin Encinas, spokesman of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, said they are certain the outlawed Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters was responsible for the two IED attacks.

The group, which operates in the fashion of the Islamic State, suffered heavy losses in encounters with units of 6th ID in the past six months.

The BIFF is feared for venting ire on non-military targets to avenge the deaths of members killed in clashes with pursuing soldiers.

https://www.philstar.com/nation/2018/11/19/1869931/suspected-biff-bombers-killed-tacurong-city-shootout

Galvez says they will enforce arrest warrants on NDFP leaders upon return to PH

From the Manila Bulletin (Nov 20): Galvez says they will enforce arrest warrants on NDFP leaders upon return to PH

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr., said that if there are arrest warrants on National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) leaders who are planning to return the country, they will enforce them.



Armed Forces chief of staff Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr.
(OPS / MANILA BULLETIN)

“We will just follow suit with what the DILG Sec (Eduardo) Año will say,” Galvez said.

“We will just follow the order of the President (Rodrigo Duterte), and also kung talagang meron warrants of arrest sila (if they have warrants of arrest) we will support the PNP,” he added.

Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana expressed his dissatisfaction over NDFP chief negotiator Fidel Agcaoili’s reason on why he will no longer visit the country this month after their supposed meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte on November 23, 2018 was cancelled.

Instead, they will be met by Presidential peace adviser Secretary Jesus Dureza and Presidential Spokesman and chief legal counsel Secretary Salvador Panelo.

“Bakit si presidente ang gusto nilang makausap? Leader na sila ng organization nila? (Why the president? Are they the leader of their organization? ) Can they decide or commit anything to the president? Because the president can make decisions and commit anything because he is the president,” Lorenzana said.

“They just represent Mr. (Jose Maria) Sison. So the president’s representative will be the one to talk to them. The president is very clear, he would only talk to Sison if there is a compelling reason to do so,” he added.

As this developed, Agcaoili said for the record his name and that of Mr. Asterio Palima, as publicly known members of the NDFP negotiating panel, are not included in the list of 600 in the above-mentioned proscription case against the CPP and NPA.

“As far as I know, too, I have no outstanding case in any GRP courts,” he said.

The President earlier revealed that NDFP leaders Luis Jalandoni and Agcaoili sought a meeting with him on the possible revival of the peace talks. Duterte said he would first consult with his security officials before making a decision.

He later directed Panelo and Dureza to meet with Jalandoni and Agcaoili in Manila.

https://news.mb.com.ph/2018/11/20/galvez-says-they-will-enforce-arrest-warrants-on-ndfp-leaders-upon-return-to-ph/

Malaysia and Indonesia foreign fighter transit routes to Philippines identified

From The Defense Post (Nov 20): Malaysia and Indonesia foreign fighter transit routes to Philippines identified (By Zam Yusa)

Sandakan in Malaysia's Sabah state and Manado in Indonesia's North Sulawesi province are used as gateways to the southern Philippines
  

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – A Philippine terrorism expert has identified backdoors in the Malaysian Borneo state of Sabah and Manado in Indonesia’s North Sulawesi province used by foreign militants to enter the southern Philippines to join Islamic State-affiliated groups.

The Defense Post recently reported Chairman of the Board of the Philippine Institute for Peace, Violence and Terrorism Research Professor Rommel Banlaoi as saying that up to 100 foreign fighters, mainly Indonesians and Malaysians, arrived in Mindanao after the battle for Marawi.

Banlaoi said some of the foreigners destined for Islamic State East Asia affiliates Abu Sayyaf and the Maute group had flown into Mindanao but were arrested at airports and deported.

“Others were able to reach Mindanao after using a backdoor, mainly in Sabah and Manado,” he told The Defense Post.

Banlaoi, who is also President of the Philippine Center for Intelligence and National Security Studies, said the Armed Forces of the Philippines had provided him with information on two routes, but his research based on interviews and interpretations of intelligence reports on the movements of foreign fighters found four additional routes.

The AFP did not respond to a request for comment.

 

 

Routes taken by foreign fighters traveling to Mindanao in the Philippines from Malaysia and Indonesia. Image: GoogleEarth/The Defense Post

 

One Indonesian route begins in Manado and transits somewhere in the Sangihe islands within Indonesian territory northeast of Sulawesi before heading to General Santos city, the Philippines’ southernmost city. Banlaoi said the AFP had acknowledged this route.

But according to Banlaoi, some militants take a second Indonesian route that also begins in Manado and has a stopover somewhere in the Talaud islands, an Indonesian territory to the east of the Sangihe islands, before proceeding to the Davao region in the southern Philippines. From General Santos or Davao militants traveled overland to Marawi.

From Malaysia, would-be fighters can choose one of three separate courses from Sandakan district in eastern Sabah.

Two separate routes, one north via Mapun and the other east via the Tawi Tawi island area then converge on Zamboanga. From there, militants either travel overland or by boat across the Moro Gulf towards the Cotabato area, south of Marawi.

The third route heads north towards Palawan, an island in Philippine territory, before heading towards Negros Island and then south to Mindanao.

Only one of the three, via the Tawi Tawi Island area, has been acknowledged by the AFP, Banlaoi said.

According to Banlaoi, militants can travel to Sandakan from the west coast of Sabah and from Tawau, another eastern Sabah district, before taking any one of the three sea routes to the southern Philippines.

Banlaoi first presented this information during a September security symposium in Kuala Lumpur. Despite the wide media coverage of the symposium, Banlaoi’s briefing on the routes taken by the Marawi foreign fighters has received little attention.

Manado: a strategic hub for Indonesian jihadists
An Indonesian terrorism researcher from Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University said Manado is the Indonesians’ preferred launch pad because it is close to both Poso in Central Sulawesi and the southern Philippines.

“It’s become the hub for terrorist networks in Poso to go to Mindanao,” Chaula Rininta Anindya, a research analyst at the university’s Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies, told The Defense Post.

“In the past, the [Indonesian] Jemaah Islamiyah network also used Manado as their primary route to go to Mindanao. The primary route was from Manado to General Santos City, while the alternative route was from Sulawesi to the Sarangani coastline of the Southern Mindanao.”

Chaula said Manado currently serves as a strategic hub for pro-ISIS networks in Indonesia.

“In May 2015, a jihadist who was affiliated with Mujahidin Indonesia Timur named Witadi alias Iron, was arrested in Manado,” she said. “This arrest indicated that MIT had been in close contact with radical groups in the Philippines, including for arms smuggling and military training.”

“Manado may be the main transiting point. In November 2017, the authorities arrested Abu Musad, who is originally from Banten, in Manado for his alleged intention to join ISIS-affiliated group in Southern Philippines. He had been in contact with pro-ISIS sympathizers in the Philippines.

“Aside from Manado, there is also another spot that was used by the JAD [Jemaah Ansharut Daulah] network to smuggle arms. JAD network smuggled guns for the Sarinah-Thamrin bombing attacks from southern Philippines to Sangihe-Talaud islands in North Sulawesi.”

ISIS claimed the January 2016 bombings near the Sarinah shopping center in Jakarta in which eight people including the attackers were killed.

Scores of militants and would-be fighters from Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia were arrested before the fall of ISIS’s self-proclaimed caliphate in Syria and Iraq.

Malaysia routes questioned

Pawel Wójcik, a terrorism analyst who focuses on Afghanistan and South East Asia, cast doubt over some of the routes.

“Sabah has been the place with most of foreign fighters coming through, and now we see them on Sulu and Basilan,” he said.

Wójcik said that ISEA established a cell that was supposed to smuggle foreign fighters through Sabah to the southern islands of the Philippines. He noted that the sea route from Sabah to Tawi Tawi is difficult to protect and that the Philippine ISEA affiliates exploit that.

“I personally doubt Palawan route, because it’s way too hard to get around like that.”

Wójcik also cast doubt over the number of foreign fighters now making the full journey to the Marawi area.

“I don’t believe that many people made it to the area after the battle finished in October 2017,” he said.

“This zone is still a heavily contested battleground, hard to reach even for experienced smugglers,” he said, adding that foreign fighters have likely stopped attempting to reach Mindanao in favor or Jolo, Sulu and Basilan islands, where it’s easier to reach ISEA affiliates.

Regarding the routes from Indonesia, Wójcik agreed that foreign fighters traveling via General Santos was “plausible.”

Tawau: a possible launch point

Regional security expert Associate Professor Lai Yew Ming said he agreed with Banlaoi’s findings on the four routes from Malaysia.

He said evidence for the established routes was based on a number of arrests made by the Malaysian authorities earlier this year.

“The suspects were said to be from a terror cell that has been using Sabah as transit point to smuggle militants into the southern Philippines,” Lai, a lecturer at Universiti Malaysia Sabah, told The Defense Post.

The route from Kota Kinabalu may be “used by IS militants coming from Bangladesh, Pakistan or other states located west of Malaysia,” he said. “The militants would be smuggled via land route from Kota Kinabalu to Sandakan.”

Lai said the routes heading north from Malaysia may simply be alternatives to the established southerly route.

However, Lai believes Tawau may also be the launch point of a sea route for militants moving between Indonesia and the southern Philippines.

“In other words, I don’t disagree with the land route from Tawau to Sandakan as suggested by Professor Rommel, but there is also the possibility of the terror cells using the sea route via Tawau for the purpose of smuggling/arranging safe passage for militants heading to the southern Philippines.”

Malaysia’s Eastern Sabah Security Zone

After an attack by Sulu militants in the eastern Sabah district of Lahad Datu in 2013, the Malaysian government designated Sabah’s east coast as the Eastern Sabah Security Zone or Esszone, covering some 1,700 km of coastline and the surrounding sea and land areas. A multi-agency command called the Eastern Sabah Security Command or Esscom was created to secure the special security zone.

The Esszone encompasses, among other areas, the Sulu Sea, which had been a hotspot of piracy and kidnappings by groups from the southern Philippines, although Esscom’s efforts have greatly reduced such incidents.

However, Malaysian authorities continue to catch terror suspects from the three neighboring countries in eastern Sabah.

These include arrests in January and February this year of 10 suspected ISIS-linked militants in Sandakan and Penampang districts, the latter in Sabah’s west coast.

One of them was a Filipino trying to arrange the movement of militants to Zamboanga through Sandakan, Malaysian Inspector-General of Police Mohamad Fuzi Harun said in a statement at the time.

Fuzi also said the cell had planned a future attack in Sabah, but he did not specify where.

In March, a 31-year-old man, allegedly the top aide to Furuji Indama, the notorious head of an Abu Sayyaf faction in Basilan, was arrested.

In late February, three men believed to have been Filipino militants were killed in a shootout with Esscom and other security agencies in Tawau.

During a press conference after the shootout, Esscom commander Deputy Commissioner of Police Hazani Ghazali announced additional security measures to stem the movement of criminals including militants from the east coast to the west, where Sabah’s capital city Kota Kinabalu is located.

Esscom is not only concerned about transborder foreign militant movements but also the spillover of southern Philippine militants heading towards the state’s west coast from eastern Sabah, and Indonesian militants making their way in the jungles through the Sabah-Kalimantan border to the southern Philippines.

Rat paths through the jungle

Hazani said there are many “lorong tikus” or rat paths in the jungles between Indonesia and Malaysia that make Sabah an attractive transit point for the militants.

“We are aware of these and are monitoring these hidden paths,” he told The Defense Post.

According to the Esscom chief, most Indonesian militants prefer to transit Sabah overland before crossing the sea to the southern Philippines because of the shorter sea routes later.

“If they are to go directly from Indonesia to southern Philippines, they’ll have to travel far by sea from Indonesian Borneo or Sulawesi,” Hazani explained.

“Both long sea routes have a stopover on islands within Philippine territory, but the Philippine authorities are monitoring these. So, these are not the ideal routes for them. Sabah is, but we’re monitoring these routes closely.”

Indonesian foreign fighters travel through Malaysia

Indonesians were arrested in the the Sabah districts of Tawau and Sandakan trying to get to the southern Philippines while Filipinos were caught in Sabah and in Peninsular Malaysia after making a stopover in the state.

Several Malaysian militants from Peninsular Malaysia were also suspected to have transited through Sabah en route to Mindanao.

“There are many routes for Indonesian militants, but Sabah is one of the easiest due to several important factors,” Yohanes Sulaiman, a security analyst and lecturer at Indonesia’s Jenderal Achmad Yani University, told The Defense Post.

“The porous Indonesia-Malaysia border and more importantly the stronger connection between Sabah and Mindanao since both shared some close roots as they used to be part of the Sultanate of Sulu in southern Philippines, make Sabah the easy choice.”

“There have already been a lot of movements traditionally of people between Sabah and Mindanao, and the terrorists are just utilizing that network. Remember the fact that the Malaysian government was caught completely off guard a few years ago when a bunch of people affiliated with the Sultanate of Sulu infiltrated Sabah,” Yohanes said, referring to the bloody 2013 Lahad Datu intrusion by Sulu militants out to stake their territorial claim over part of Sabah.

“In essence, it is easier to form a logistic support network to facilitate the movement of militants from Poso, an Indonesian region in central Sulawesi where there was a terrorist training camp, to Mindanao through Sabah and to maintain secrecy,” continued Yohanes.

“But of course, Sabah is not the only route, but it is the safest so far.”

Trilateral cooperation to counter violent extremism

A Philippines-based advisor echoed Yohanes’ statement on the passage of militants between his country and Malaysia.

“I think one factor is the historical connections between Sabah and Mindanao as well as the people living on both sides of the border,” the advisor, speaking on condition of anonymity because they are currently involved in the sensitive Mindanao peace process, told The Defense Post.

“This has resulted in the border becoming extremely porous, allowing illegal immigration and other activities.”

The advisor said Malaysia and the Philippines would have to monitor the movement of people more closely in the shared areas.

“I believe this is one of the objectives of the Malaysia-Indonesia-Philippines Trilateral Cooperation Arrangement, which includes joint maritime patrols in the Celebes Sea,” the advisor said.

“While that initiative is specific to countering the spread of violent extremism, the governments would also have to deal with other important and related issues like human trafficking.”

However, the advisor said Sabah remains a sensitive subject for both Malaysia and the Philippines due to the unresolved territorial claims of the Sultanate of Sulu.

“I feel this prevents them from discussing boundaries and immigration, etc,” they said. “For instance, there is no Philippine consulate in Sabah despite the large population of Filipinos residing there because it would be interpreted as the Philippines recognizing Sabah as part of Malaysia.”

The Filipino advisor said a peace process between the Philippine government and the Moro people in Mindanao, if successful, could make insurgencies less attractive in the region and therefore, less militants’ crossborder travel.

They said if the peace process continues to move forward, meaning commitments in the peace agreements are realized gradually, there will be little space for terrorists and violent extremists to maneuver.

“The purpose of the peace process is not to solve the issue of violent extremism, but for finding a solution to the struggle of the Moro revolutionary fronts for their right to self-determination,” they said.

“Nevertheless, the dividends of the peace process could help deter disenfranchised Moros from joining Islamic State-pledged groups by showing to them that peacebuilding can address their grievances.”

“While the peace process focuses on the Bangsamoro region, should it become successful in reaching its goal, it would have a positive impact on the rest of Mindanao.”

Nevertheless, the Filipino expert believed this should go hand-in-hand with the Philippine government’s more comprehensive program for improving governance and delivery of basic needs and socio-economic development in the region.

“Foreign fighters, particularly Indonesians and Malaysians, would then have a difficult time getting support in Mindanao if the peace process progresses,” they said.

“Traffic of militants through Sabah would then be reduced.”

 

Passport to jihad: European foreign fighters joining ISIS in the Philippines

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[EDITOR’S NOTE: This post originally said that all the routes taken by militants to Mindanao were based on information received from the Armed Forces of the Philippines. This was incorrect and the post has been edited and updated to reflect that. The Defense Post regrets the error. It was further updated at 1340 GMT to add Lai Yew Ming’s comments.]

https://thedefensepost.com/2018/11/20/malaysia-indonesia-philippines-foreign-fighters-transit-routes/

600 AFP, PCG personnel going to Customs

From the Philippine Star (Nov 21): 600 AFP, PCG personnel going to Customs

Yesterday afternoon, BOC Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero, AFP chief of staff Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr. and PCG commandant Admiral Elson Hermogino signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) that would serve as the foundation of their cooperation.

About 600 personnel from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) would be augmenting the Bureau of Customs (BOC) workforce in the next six months in a bid to put a stop to smuggling activities.

Yesterday afternoon, BOC Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero, AFP chief of staff Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr. and PCG commandant Admiral Elson Hermogino signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) that would serve as the foundation of their cooperation.

On Oct. 25, an irate President Duterte ordered the AFP and the PCG to take over the BOC, and ordered all Customs officials and personnel “out” of the agency because an alleged P11 billion worth of methamphetamine hydrochloride (shabu) placed inside four magnetic lifters slipped past x-ray machines at the Manila International Container Port (MICP) in July.

This resulted in the removal of former Customs commissioner Isidro Lapeña and raised concerns of “militarization” in the bureau.

The MOA signals the start of a collective action for capacity-building, monitoring, support mechanism, exchange of information, operating protocols and parameters and to channel resources for research and develop effective strategies.

Guerrero noted that there had been previous partnerships with the AFP but this time it would be of a “larger scale and wider scope.”

The AFP would provide intelligence, technical and legal assistance to the BOC.

“For now we cannot say that no one will be replaced because everybody is being subjected to a performance review. What we are after is efficiency and effectiveness in fulfilling our mandate so there is no guarantee that no one would be replaced,” Guerrero said.

Since BOC personnel manning the x-ray machines failed to detect a large quantity of shabu last July, a soldier would be assigned to assist them when scanning container vans.

“The AFP personnel who would help would not be new. The AFP has an x-ray technician; they have a radiological technical personnel. So it is just a matter of orientation and refined training that would be suited for the job that they would do,” Guerrero added.

The BOC’s Anti-Illegal Drugs Task Force and the AFP’s Task Force Noah would also be tapped to prevent the entry of illegal drugs.

Guerrero added that they have not yet discussed the possibility of an extension to the initial six-month operation. The length of the military’s service at the BOC would depend on their success in the next six months, particularly in the aspect of eradicating corruption and improving revenue collection.

For his part, Galvez assured his former AFP boss, Guerrero, of their full support.

“The AFP welcomes the partnership with the BOC and PCG… we will make history together and shape the future” in preventing illegal activities in the BOC, Galvez said.

“The success of the BOC will be our success… the failure of the BOC would be the failure of the AFP,” he added.

Galvez described Guerrero as the strictest of all chiefs of staff in the AFP, but he was also kind. He gave Guerrero authority to utilize the military’s intelligence, operations, Intelligence Service of the AFP and legal department.

He said the AFP was also ridden with graft but they were able to transform the organization.

Galvez added that they would be deploying to the BOC persons of integrity and if the BOC receives a complaint against any of their soldiers, such as conniving in smuggling activities, “we would discipline (and if found guilty) definitely discharge (them) from the service.”

As agreed in the MOA, the AFP will retain disciplinary administrative and court-martial jurisdiction for offenses committed by military personnel in the performance of their duties based on authorization deputization issued by the BOC.

On the part of the PCG, Hermogino said they have prepared 80 of their personnel who have background in customs administration to be deployed to the BOC.

They would also be donating five units of 11-meter fast boats to the BOC. These vessels, to be donated by a non-government organization based in Europe, might be built in Sri Lanka.

The vessels are expected to arrive in the second quarter of next year.

Hermogino is hoping that the BOC would wave the payment of duties and taxes since these would be turned over to the bureau.

Under the MOA, the PCG would assist in the enforcement of laws on fisheries, immigration, tariff and customs, forestry, firearms and explosives, human trafficking, dangerous drugs and controlled chemicals and transnational crimes.

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2018/11/21/1870419/600-afp-pcg-personnel-going-customs

10ID chief takes over Army’s Central Command

From PTV News (Nov 21): 10ID chief takes over Army’s Central Command



DAVAO CITY — The chief of the Army’s 10th Infantry Division (10ID) is leaving the Davao region to take up the helm of the Philippine Army’s Central Command based in Camp Lapu-Lapu, Cebu City on Thursday.

Major Gen. Noel Clement assumed his current post as 10ID commander on May 31, 2017. Brig. Gen. Mario Lacurom, 10ID assistant division commander, will take over the command until Clement’s replacement is named.

As he leaves the 10ID, Clement cited the significant accomplishments under his watch, among them the “degrading of the New People’s Army’s (NPA) capability and support structure.”

“All can be attributed to the excellent working relationship between 10ID units, local government units, stakeholders and people in the area of responsibility,” he said.

During Clement’s leadership, the 10ID said it managed to reduce the number of NPA guerilla fronts from 11 to four.

Military sources said the contenders for the next 10ID division commander will most likely come from the top brass of the 4ID and 1ID under the Eastern Mindanao Command, as well as other military officials previously assigned in the Davao region.

For Clement, the strong contenders include Brig. Gen. Reuben Basiao, former commander of the Army’s 701st Brigade based in Davao Oriental; Brig. Gen. Roberto Ancan, commander of the 1002nd Brigade based in Sarangani province; Brig. Gen. Nemesio Gacal, commander of the 402nd Brigade based in Butuan City; and Brig. Gen. Andres Centino, commander of the 401st Brigade based in Agusan del Sur.

Sources said Maj. Gen. Bienvenido Datuin Jr., commander of the AFP’s Civil Relations Service based in Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo, Quezon City, is also a contender for the 10ID post.

Datuin was also commander of the 701st Brigade from 2015 to 2016.

https://ptvnews.ph/10id-chief-takes-over-armys-central-command/