Tuesday, August 6, 2019

Duterte prays for Nur Misuari’s enlightenment, to offer ‘same terms’ given to MILF

From the Manila Bulletin (Aug 5, 2019): Duterte prays for Nur Misuari’s enlightenment, to offer ‘same terms’ given to MILF

In a bid to promote peace in the restive south, President Duterte said he is praying for the enlightenment of Moro National Liberation Front (MILF) founding chair Nur Misuari to accept the “same terms” given to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).



President Rodrigo Roa Duterte TOTO LOZANO/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

The President made the statement after observing some “sparks” that might derail the implementation of the new Bangsamoro autonomous region.

“As it is ‘yung Bangsamoro Law, there are already a sort of medyo sparks there that would tend to maybe derail the smooth transition for the Bangsamoro people. That is territorial, ‘yung kay Murad (Ebrahim), MILF. Meron tayong MNLF that is the Sulu up to Tawi-Tawi area, Basilan,” Duterte said during the oath-taking of newly appointed officials in Malacañang Monday.

“I am praying to God that Nur Misuari will be enlightened and will be able to accept maybe the same terms that we have extended to Murad. That is the only way really without a breakage in our society,” he said.

The creation of the Bangsamoro region is part of the peace agreement forged by the government with the MILF in 2014 to end its armed rebellion. The new entity, with larger territory and fiscal autonomy, replaces the old Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) formed under a peace pact with the Misuari-led MNLF in 1996.

The President earlier said he would offer Misuari the “same structure of government with the same concession.” He added that the former ARMM governor has mellowed down and is ready to talk peace anytime.

“Maybe in God’s own time, he will realize and I’m ready also to offer to him the same — well, the same structure of government with the same concession,” Duterte said recently.

Misuari earlier threatened to go to war if the government fails to pursue federalism. He and Duterte eventually agreed to forge their respective five-member panels to further discuss the federalism proposal.

Cagayan de Oro cop assures safety after Pigsag-an encounter

From the Sun Star-Cagayan de Oro (Aug 5): Cagayan de Oro cop assures safety after Pigsag-an encounter



CAGAYAN DE ORO. Cagayan de Oro Police Chief Henry Dampal said the situation in BBarangay Pigsag-an is now back to normal after an encounter last week in a forested area in the village. (PJ Orias)

SECURITY measures were intensified in Barangay Pigsag-an by the Cagayan de Oro City Police Office (Cocpo) following an encounter between government forces and New People's Army (NPA) rebels.

Cocpo Chief Henry Dampal said they had sent an augmentation force to assist the Army in maintaining peace and order in the area.

"Nagpadala ta ug augmentation didto sa area. Wala may angay kabalak-an. In fact, naistorya nato si kapitan, back to normal naman," he said.

"But with this incident, let us be vigilant. Kay kabalo ta kita nga kung naay presence sa NPA sa atong kabukiran, makahatag ug disturbo sa atong kahusay ug kalinaw. Panahon nga mag-maabtikon na kita. I-report kung naay presence of suspicious persons," he added.

Mayor Oscar Moreno assured Pigsag-an residents that the village was safe, pointing out that the encounter site was far from the village proper.

"Sa tumoy sa Pigsag-an, tua ang boundary sa Lanao Norte and Lanao Sur. Kung naay magoperate dinhi, dagan sa pikas. Kung naay mag-operate didto, dagan napud sila diri. So, expected kadto nga mo paignon dinhi kay nag-operate sa Lanao area," he said.

Moreno said he is convinced there was no longer a problem in the barangay.

"As the Regional Peace and Order Council, I have always been advocating kanang approach ang root causes of insurgency. I have never considered NPA as a threat. I have looked at insurgency as a problem that required our attention as government to address the root causes of that problem," he added.

On Tuesday, July 30, troops from the 65th Infantry Battalion of the 9th Infantry Division responded to reports from Pigsag-an residents that armed men were extorting money and other illegal activities.

During a focused military operation at 2 p.m., the soldiers confronted 20 NPA rebels and this led to the discovery of an NPA hideout in an uninhabited area.

A soldier was wounded in the encounter and was brought to Camp Evangelista Station Hospital. He is now in stable condition.

Recovered from the site after the firefight were personal belongings and an unexploded anti-personnel mine.

The rebels belonged to Power Company, Sub-Regional Committee 5, North Central Mindanao Regional Committee led by a certain Rebu/Yur.

Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin B Pajarito Jr., commanding officer of the 65th Infantry Battalion, said the unit would "intensify its campaign against the CNTs (CPP-NPA terrorists) to insulate the populace from the influence of the terrorists."

"The people have spoken and they want to live freely under the democratic way of life, free from the influence of CPP-NPA (Communist Party of the Philippines-NPA) terrorists," Pajarito said.

Pajarito urged NPA members to lay down their arms and leave the armed struggle "to enjoy the government’s Enhance Comprehensive Local Integration Program."

"They are all welcome, as long as they express their desire to surrender and avail the benefits and be productive members of society," he said.


https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1817376

Navy seeks balance of national security with economic gains

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Aug 6, 2019): Navy seeks balance of national security with economic gains

The Philippine Navy on Monday called on political leaders to balance national security with economic gains in deciding any deal with foreign investors to develop three strategic islands in Luzon — Fuga, Grande and Chiquita.

Navy spokesperson Capt. Jonathan Zata told defense reporters in a phone patch interview that decision makers should take note that these locations were important to “our strategic maritime security.”

Zata issued the statement a day after the Inquirer reported that Chinese investors were targeting the islands for transformation into economic and tourism sites.


Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo declined to comment on the report.

Geopolitical agenda

He said Malacañang would wait for the assessment of Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana of concerns that China might use the islands to support its geopolitical agenda in the Pacific.

“I have not heard anything from the national security adviser nor the national defense secretary,” Panelo said.

The development of Fuga, Grande and Chiquita islands is part of 19 business deals worth $12.16 billion signed on the sidelines of President Duterte’s visit to Beijing in April for the Belt and Road Initiative forum.

Fong Zhi Enterprise Corp. plans to develop Fuga Island into a $2-billion “Smart City,” an agriculture breeding center and a high-tech industrial park.

GFTG Property Holdings and Sanya CEDF Sino-Philippine Investment Corp. forged a $298-million deal to develop Grande and Chiquita islands in Zambales province.

No consultation

Lorenzana earlier said he was not consulted by the business sector on the security implications of the Chinese investments, and that he would have the intelligence officers make an assessment.

“Then we will wait for his advice,” Panelo said in reply when told of Lorenzana’s remarks.

Zata pointed out that Fuga Island in Aparri, Cagayan province, and the Babuyan Island Group were the location of the country’s physical connection to the outside world “because beneath these islands are our telecommunications cable.”

“If this (cable system) could not be properly secured this might impact on our capability to get in touch with the rest of the world,” Zata said.

He added that Fuga Island was made a jump-off point for American forces in World War II to get to Luzon, underscoring the importance of the area to the country’s security.

Zata said Grande and Chiquita islands were made part of the defense perimeter of the Americans because of their location at the mouth of Subic Bay, where they put up a naval base.

He pointed out that the Navy’s concern on the takeover of the three islands was raised “just a couple of months ago when we determined that there are talks of converting these important locations into economic hubs.”

The concern was relayed up the chain of command, from the Navy flag officer in command to the Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff to the defense secretary.

“What we raised is there should be a balance between the requirement to have economic activity and viability [on these islands] and the need to secure [them as] important locations,” Zata said.

He said the Navy was not opposed to plans to develop the three islands “as long as the studies made by the appropriate agency are balanced that it’s not just about economic gains but more importantly maritime security implications of having those islands taken over by foreign entities.”

Military access

Zata said the Air Force, Army and Navy should have access to these locations “when the need arises.”

If the islands were converted into tourist hubs and configured in such a way that there was no space for airports and seaports or military forward staging points, “our security forces would be disabled,” Zata said.

Panelo dismissed the concern of security analyst Jay Batongbacal that the government only focused on bringing money in, and not the wider and long-term effects of such investments.

“And the problem with him is that he doesn’t see anything good that this government does relative to the issue on China,” Panelo said.

https://globalnation.inquirer.net/178655/navy-seeks-balance-of-national-security-with-economic-gains

The Cyber Dimension of the South China Sea Clashes

Posted to The Diplomat (Aug 5, 2019): The Cyber Dimension of the South China Sea Clashes (By Mark Manantan)

China’s alleged cyberattacks come amid rising sentiments in the Philippines over the South China Sea disputes.

Three years since the Philippines won its landmark victory at the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) at The Hague against China’s overlapping claims in the West Philippine Sea or the South China Sea, the majority of Filipinos still demand that the Duterte government enforce the arbitral ruling. In a recent survey, 87 percent of Filipinos want the Duterte government to “arrest and prosecute” Chinese fishermen for destroying marine life in Philippine waters, especially in light of the recent “maritime collision” involving 22 Filipino fisherman and a Chinese vessel in Reed Bank.

However, whenever a sizeable plurality of Filipinos pressures their commander-in-chief to stand up against China, President Rodrigo Duterte reduces the policy options available into a binary choice between war or appeasement. Such an approach seeks to perpetuate a superficial narrative that, in the long run, generates a psychological belief in a false and narrow path to resolving the issue. Halfway through his presidency, the overarching formula to Duterte’s approach to China is the oversimplification of geopolitical tensions on the ground, often devoid of facts, which consequently distorts a complex reality. Abetted by his overt theatrics, Duterte conditions his supporters and the public to play by China’s rules to avoid any military confrontation, which the Philippines cannot win anyway.

But China’s approach toward the South China Sea has never relied on one-dimensional or oversimplified tactics. Instead, it draws from a highly sophisticated political, economic, and strategic arsenal. War or military confrontation remains on the table, but closer examination reveals that — contrary to Duterte’s all-or-nothing calculation — China has continuously utilized evolving approaches to cement its unilateral control of the resource-rich stretch waters. That nuanced approach includes cyberattacks.

A report recently published by enSilo found that the Chinese cyber espionage group called the Advanced Persistent Threat group 10 or APT10 deployed two malicious software variants that targeted government and private organizations in the Philippines in April. According to enSilo’s investigation of the malware, the tactics, techniques, procedures, and codes perpetuated by the threat actor are all unique to APT10. In the same month, the Philippine-based Analytics Association of the Philippines (AAP) detected Chinese-related scripts that were inserted in the source code of various government websites such as malacanang.gov.ph, dict.gov.ph, comelec.gov.ph, pnp.gov.ph, navy.mil.ph, and laguna.gov.ph. AAP contends that the implemented scripts were aimed to intercept various systems and to collect information from the target users.

These incidents are not new. China has repeatedly employed cyberattacks linked to the South China Sea issue. The Philippines and China were involved in a mutual cyber conflict during the standoff at Scarborough Shoal and the Spratly Islands in 2012. However, the re-emergence of suspected Chinese-linked cyberattacks poses an anomaly – one standing in stark contrast to the Duterte government’s guarantee regarding China’s benign intentions in the cyber realm.

As China’s cyberattacks resurface, it is vital to pay particular attention to the political and strategic currency of such malicious activities. The timing and the intent of such cyber operations warrants an interrogation. The recent recorded attacks in April coincided with major developments in the Philippines’ security and strategic environment emanating from its internal and external affairs. Both developments are highly interrelated to the South China Sea.

Following reports from the Armed Forces of the Philippines Western Command on the sustained presence and swarming activities of 275 Chinese maritime militia vessels, complemented by the Chinese Coast Guard, in the waters around Philippine-controlled Pag-Asa Island, Duterte issued his most provocative statement to date against China. He pledged to send his soldiers on a suicide mission if Beijing oversteps the “red line.” Duterte’s comments were a defiant exception to his usual conciliatory approach toward China. Against such a backdrop of heightened tensions with China, the United States and the Philippines renewed their strategic relations, as signified by Duterte’s acceptance of U.S. assurances to defend the Philippines if any armed conflict ensues in the South China Sea. The Philippines’ resolve was further supported by the U.S. Navy’s top admiral, who said the United States would begin classifying Chinese militia vessels as navy warships.

Furthermore, April was also the penultimate month before the finalization of the 20-year negotiation between the Philippines and Indonesia on their maritime boundary treaty based on the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Such an agreement delimits the overlaps in the two archipelagic states’ exclusive economic zones (EEZs).

The uptick in Chinese cyberattacks within this period might be a reaction to those recent developments. State-sponsored hackers could be seeking to access valuable information to track if Duterte’s rhetoric could translate to actual policies that will push back against China’s grey zone tactics, especially with the reinvigorated supportfrom Washington’s security commitments to Manila. Obtaining critical communications data for intelligence gathering provides China the leverage to revitalize its current grey zone approach, especially as the Philippines began to explore other innovative strategies to project its control over the islands held by Manila. Meanwhile, the maritime agreement between the Philippines and Indonesia also offers an improved outlook on how other ASEAN member states can peacefully resolve their issues using the arbitral ruling as a key reference, which China vehemently rejects.

The recent cyberattacks are also reminiscent of Chinese cyber espionage activities under the “NanHaisHu” or South China Sea Remote Access Trojan program in August 2016, where hackers extracted confidential information from the Philippines’ Department of Justice and the major international law firm that represented nation-states at the PCA at the Hague. Related attacks also concurred during the height of the Philippines’ landmark victory in July 2016. The resurgence and potential persistence of Chinese-state sponsored hackers such as APT10 in 2019 raises yet again the question of China’s hand in critical infrastructures. Despite assurances from the Duterte government, the current incident revives the argument that China could potentially leverage its 5G technology and wireless systems for intelligence-gathering overseas to exert influence within the target country’s domestic politics as well as in the broader international political terrain.

China’s cyberattack could also be a pre-emptive strategy in the ongoing discussion of ASEAN’s Single Draft of the Code of Conduct (COC), which is expected to be completed in 2019. As the lead coordinator of the COC, the Philippines has expressed the urgent need to fast track its completion in light of the recent maritime collision. Such developments will shape the mechanisms embedded in the COC to deter or confront Chinese evolving aggression, thus opening the possibility for new modifications.

China has a track record of conducting cyberattacks to obtain an advantage in negotiating its demands. Based on a report published by FireEye, Chinese sponsored hackers have consistently targeted Southeast Asian government and military organizations using spear-phishing emails to obtain intelligence information relating to the maritime disputes. Through infiltration, China gains an unfair advantage through access to critical information regarding strategic national interests ahead of negotiations. China could employ a similar strategy to spin the ongoing COC talks to its benefit by devising other counternarrative tactics such as spreading fake news, disinformation, or even compromising the personal information of Southeast Asian diplomats involved in the matter.

It remains unclear if the recent activity of Chinese hackers will be short-lived or part of an entirely new coordinated plan to enforce China’s de facto control of the area. Attribution remains a fundamental challenge in identifying specific perpetrators; it is especially difficult to determine if such attacks were directed by China’s state-sponsored hacking group or the work of patriotic “hacktivists.” Nevertheless, existing and growing historical evidence garnered from the forensics of codes and procedures that are unique to Chinese hackers like APT10 indicate that the motivation behind past and present cyberattacks remain consistent — to obtain vital information that is instrumental for China’s political, diplomatic, and strategic maneuvering or (in a worst-case scenario) in launching cyberwarfare to paralyze critical infrastructure. The point is, the use of cyberattacks will remain to be a significant tool in advancing Chinese interests in the South China Sea.

The Duterte government is once again advised to rethink its China strategy in the South China Sea. Manila must craft a coherent and a more nuanced approach in the face of evolving Chinese aggression without undermining the “renewed” ties of Sino-Philippines relations — a strategy that Duterte often overlooks in favor of his typical theatrics and penchant for attention-grabbing headlines and antics. Perhaps revisiting the arbitral ruling as Duterte approaches his final three years in office could be a good starting point.

[Mark Manantan is a research fellow at the Center for Southeast Asian Studies at the National Chengchi University in Taiwan, and a research affiliate of Manila-based think tank, Asia Pacific Pathways to Progress. He is the founder of Bryman media. Views expressed are entirely personal.]

AFP-CRS: JTF-Spear helps in search and retieval operation of Iloilo-Guimaras sea tragedy

Posted to the Armed Forces of the Philippines-Civil Relations Service (AFP-CRS) Facebook Page (Aug 6, 2019): JTF-Spear helps in search and retieval operation of Iloilo-Guimaras sea tragedy

Image may contain: 4 people, text

https://www.facebook.com/CivilRelationsServiceAFP/photos/a.182240175128048/2623218311030210/?type=3&theater

[The Civil Relations Service (CRS) is the unit of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) that engages the public through its public information and community relations programs “to create a favorable atmosphere between the community and the AFP. The CRS is the equivalent of the Psychological Operations and Civil Affairs units of the US Army.]

https://www.facebook.com/CivilRelationsServiceAFP/?fref=photo

AFP-CRS: Malaysia, Philippine sailors train

Posted to the Armed Forces of the Philippines-Civil Relations Service (AFP-CRS) Facebook Page (Aug 6, 2019): Malaysia, Philippine sailors train

No photo description available.

https://www.facebook.com/CivilRelationsServiceAFP/photos/a.182240175128048/2623221364363238/?type=3&theater

[The Civil Relations Service (CRS) is the unit of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) that engages the public through its public information and community relations programs “to create a favorable atmosphere between the community and the AFP. The CRS is the equivalent of the Psychological Operations and Civil Affairs units of the US Army.]

https://www.facebook.com/CivilRelationsServiceAFP/?fref=photo

AFP-CRS: 2 CPP-NPA rebels linked to Negros cops' slay arrested

Posted to the Armed Forces of the Philippines-Civil Relations Service (AFP-CRS) Facebook Page (Aug 6, 2019): 2 CPP-NPA rebels linked to Negros cops' slay arrested

Image may contain: 1 person, text

https://www.facebook.com/CivilRelationsServiceAFP/photos/a.182240175128048/2623222117696496/?type=3&theater

[The Civil Relations Service (CRS) is the unit of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) that engages the public through its public information and community relations programs “to create a favorable atmosphere between the community and the AFP. The CRS is the equivalent of the Psychological Operations and Civil Affairs units of the US Army.]

https://www.facebook.com/CivilRelationsServiceAFP/?fref=photo

AFP-CRS: 130 Special Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit Active Auxiliary (SCAA) deployed in Cotabato City to boost security

Posted to the Armed Forces of the Philippines-Civil Relations Service (AFP-CRS) Facebook Page (Aug 6, 2019): 130 Special Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit Active Auxiliary (SCAA) deployed in Cotabato City to boost security

Image may contain: 1 person, text

https://www.facebook.com/CivilRelationsServiceAFP/photos/a.182240175128048/2623220304363344/?type=3&theater

[The Civil Relations Service (CRS) is the unit of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) that engages the public through its public information and community relations programs “to create a favorable atmosphere between the community and the AFP. The CRS is the equivalent of the Psychological Operations and Civil Affairs units of the US Army.]

https://www.facebook.com/CivilRelationsServiceAFP/?fref=photo

AFP-CRS: Philippine Navy to welcome country's newly acquired corvette

Posted to the Armed Forces of the Philippines-Civil Relations Service (AFP-CRS) Facebook Page (Aug 6, 2019): Philippine Navy to welcome country's newly acquired corvette

Image may contain: text

https://www.facebook.com/CivilRelationsServiceAFP/photos/a.182240175128048/2623223707696337/?type=3&theater

[The Civil Relations Service (CRS) is the unit of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) that engages the public through its public information and community relations programs “to create a favorable atmosphere between the community and the AFP. The CRS is the equivalent of the Psychological Operations and Civil Affairs units of the US Army.]

https://www.facebook.com/CivilRelationsServiceAFP/?fref=photo

Duterte to 'invoke' Hague ruling in next China visit

From Rappler (Aug 6, 2019): Duterte to 'invoke' Hague ruling in next China visit

(3rd UPDATE) President Rodrigo Duterte also wants to discuss the proposed joint exploration for oil and gas with Chinese President Xi Jinping



A PROMISE. President Rodrigo Duterte will invoke the Hague ruling in his next trip to China, says Malacañang. Malacañang photo

(3rd UPDATE) – President Rodrigo Duterte plans to finally “invoke” the historic 2016 Hague ruling against China’s claim to the West Philippine Sea during his to China this August.

Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said in a Palace news briefing on Tuesday, August 6, that Duterte had said this was his intention for his upcoming trip to Beijing.


“He said, ‘Remember that I said before there will be a time when I will invoke the arbitral ruling. This is the time. That’s why I am going there,’”
said Panelo.


The Philippine President will also bring up the recent ramming of a Chinese boat into a Filipino fishing boat in Recto Bank last June. Other flashpoints in the West Philippine Sea will also be discussed, said Panelo.

Duterte had decided that it was time to invoke the international ruling because “he is nearing the end of his term,” said the Palace spokesman. (TIMELINE: The Philippines-China maritime dispute)

Duterte also wants to discuss the proposed joint oil and gas exploration with China.

“He is also interested in the 60-40 joint exploration of minerals, oil. They will talk about it,” said Panelo.

In a speech later on Tuesday, Duterte himself said he would be raising West Philippine Sea issues with Xi.

“I’m going to China to talk. Did I not tell you before that before my term ends, I will be talking about China Sea?” Duterte said in a speech in front of Filipino-Chinese businessmen.

“I’m going there because there are now some sparks which now need to be addressed immediately. Ayaw ko ng away (I don’t want a fight),” he said.

Yet Duterte has often said asserting the Hague ruling would lead to "war" with China, something critics and maritime law experts disputed. The last time he spoke of the ruling with Xi, the Chinese leader supposedly warned of "trouble."

In the Senate, Senator Panfilo Lacson said discussing the Hague ruling with China should have been done years ago.

“About time. Dapat noon pa dapat ididiscuss 'yan dahil (This should have been discussed a long time ago)," Lacson said.

Duterte has also said he would bring up the Hague ruling when the Philippines and China pursue in earnest plans to exploit oil and gas resources in the West Philippine Sea.

In the same news briefing, Panelo announced that Duterte approved the proposal to allow Chinese passports bearing the 9-dash line image to be stamped with the Philippine visa, ending a 7-year policy implemented to protest China's claim on Philippine territory and maritime domain.

Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr said the government would instead stamp the Philippine map, including its Exclusive Economic Zone, on the Chinese passports in order to counter the 9-dash line image.

https://www.rappler.com/nation/237171-duterte-to-invoke-hague-ruling-west-philippine-sea-next-china-visit

AFP: 4 Chinese warships passed Palawan waters in June

From Rappler (Aug 6, 2019): AFP: 4 Chinese warships passed Palawan waters in June

(UPDATED) The Western Mindanao Command says 3 of the Chinese warships were unresponsive to radio calls from Philippine troops



WESCOM CHIEF. Western Command chief Vice Admiral Rene Medina addresses troops. Photo from the Wescom Facebook page

(UPDATED) – The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Western Command (Wescom) said 4 Chinese Navy vessels passed through the waters of Balabac in Palawan in June without prior notice to the Philippine government.

In a statement, Wescom chief Vice Admiral Rene Medina said the first Chinese warship was monitored traversing the Balabac Strait at about 1:30 pm on June 17. The vessel did not respond to radio communication from Philippine troops challenging its passage.

A second Chinese naval vessel was monitored at about 7:54 pm in the vicinity of Balabac Island, which responded to a radio challenge from Philippine troops by stating its bow number. It was accompanied by two other Chinese warships that were unresponsive to radio calls from Philippine troops.

Medina said this information was "reported and submitted to higher headquarters” and provided the basis for a recommendation to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to file a diplomatic protest.


“We are very glad that the higher headquarters and the DFA were cognizant of these reports and have taken actions,” Medina added.


Other Stories

Duterte allows stamping of China passports with 9-dash line image

(UPDATED) President Rodrigo Duterte agrees to end the implementation of a 7-year-old Philippine government policy that served as a form of protest against China's inclusion of its 9-dash line in its e-passports


Duterte to 'fill up' Negros Island with military troops

'I will never declare martial law, except in Mindanao because it is really needed there, because of rebellion,' says President Rodrigo Duterte, as he ruled out a martial law declaration in Negros Island


Duterte to 'invoke' Hague ruling in next China visit

(3rd UPDATE) President Rodrigo Duterte also wants to discuss the proposed joint exploration for oil and gas with Chinese President Xi Jinping


Besides the 4 warships, around 140 Chinese fishing vessels were spotted in the West Philippine Sea, particularly around Pag-asa Island, during the first half of July this year. The number went down to 3 during Typhoon Falcon from July 15 to 19, then went up again to around 115 vessels afterwards.

Medina said the Wescom also reported this to the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea, and recommended that the DFA inquire about it with the Chinese Embassy in Manila.

On July 31, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr said the DFA had “fired off” a diplomatic protest against China over the swarming of its vessels near Pag-asa Island.

On July 25, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said 4 Chinese naval vessels traversed the Sibutu Strait in Tawi-Tawi since February, but denied an earlier report that they included the aircraft carrier Liaoning.

In a chance interview on Tuesday, August 6, Lorenzana told Rappler that the ships spotted in Balabac were the same ones that passed Sibutu Strait.

International customary law requires naval states to notify a country before sending warships through its territorial waters, Lorenzana said, noting that the Chinese vessels must have turned off their automatic identification systems to have passed undetected by radars.

He went on to criticize China’s “bullying” tactics in the West Philippine Sea.

The AFP last week called the Chinese Navy’s moves a “deception.”

Medina said the Wescom's Joint Task Force West “continuously conducts maritime and sovereignty patrol missions” to sustain its presence in the 9 islets under Philippine control, and to ensure that Philippine troops stationed in the area are well-provisioned.

https://www.rappler.com/nation/237193-afp-chinese-warships-passed-palawan-waters-july-2019

Duterte to 'fill up' Negros Island with military troops

From Rappler (Aug 6, 2019): Duterte to 'fill up' Negros Island with military troops

'I will never declare martial law, except in Mindanao because it is really needed there, because of rebellion,' says President Rodrigo Duterte, as he ruled out a martial law declaration in Negros Island



PLAN FOR NEGROS. President Rodrigo Duterte presides over the 40th Cabinet Meeting on August 5, 2019. Malacañang photo

President Rodrigo Duterte clarified that the "drastic" action he would take to quell violence in Negros Island is not martial law but "filling up" the area with soldiers.

"'Pag sinabi kong drastic action, punuan ko ng sundalo katulad ng Sulu (When I said drastic action, I will fill it up with soldiers like in Sulu),"
Duterte said during the oathtaking of officers of the League of Cities of the Philippines and Liga ng mga Barangay in Malacañang on on Tuesday, August 6.


In December 2018, Duterte had activated a new army division, the 11th Infantry Division, in Sulu to boost the government's fight against Muslim extremists and bandits there, specifically the Abu Sayyaf Group which has sworn allegiance to the Islamic State (ISIS).

The President said he would never declare martial law is Negros as he felt it wouldn't be that helpful anyway. Deploying more soldiers to an area would yield the same results, he said.

"I will never declare martial law, except in Mindanao because it is really needed there, because of rebellion," he said in a mix of English and Filipino.

In a Palace news briefing earlier on Tuesday, Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said Duterte ruled out declaring martial law in Negros since the situation was not yet tantamount to a state of rebellion.

The island has seen a rise in killings over the past weeks, including the murder and supposed torture of police personnel which outraged Duterte and which police claimed was the work of the New People's Army, the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines.

But he floated yet another measure should a new security situation in the country arise.

"If it is really something which gumaganon ang bayan (making the country go this way), I might declare another thing. That is for you to guess what it will be," said Duterte.

He did not elaborate. In the past, however, he has said he would declare a revolutionary government if "destabilization" efforts against his administration escalate.

Duterte had also said in April that he would declare a "revolutionary war" and arrest all his critics if he is pushed to a corner.

He had been slammed back then for being paranoid and for equating legitimate dissent with efforts to overthrow him.

https://www.rappler.com/nation/237199-duterte-to-fill-up-negros-island-military-troops

Ifugao farmers' group volunteer shot

From Rappler (Aug 6, 2019): Ifugao farmers' group volunteer shot

Brandon Lee, a paralegal volunteer for the Ifugao Peasant Movement,was redtagged by the military in 2015



Photo from Brandon Lee's Facebook page

A correspondent of the alternative online paper Northern Dispatch was shot in front of his house at around 6 pm Monday, August 5, in the capital town of Lagawe in Ifugao.

Brandon Lee was immediately brought to the hospital, the Cordillera Human Rights Alliance said.

He is in a coma after being hit 4 times in the body. He had just fetched his child from school when the attack happened.

The 37-year-old Lee is a paralegal volunteer for the Ifugao Peasant Movement (IPM) and was redtagged by the military in 2015.

He is also the namesake of the actor son of Bruce Lee as his father was a martial arts fanatic.

Lee took over the job of Ricardo Mayumi at the IPM.

Mayumi, a known IP leader who stood against a hydropower project in Tinoc town also in Ifugao, was killed on March 2, 2018, in Ambabag village in Kiangan town.

https://www.rappler.com/nation/237222-ifugao-farmers-group-volunteer-shot-august-2019

CPP warns Duterte against arming fire protection personnel

Posted to the often pro-Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) online publication the Davao Today (Aug 5, 2019): CPP warns Duterte against arming fire protection personnel

President Rodrigo Duterte will “regret” plans to arm firemen and include them in the anti-insurgency campaign of the government, said the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).

The CPP in a statement on Sunday, August 3, said Duterte’s plan to give weapons to firemen shows his failure to quell the communist movement in the country.

“We always hear AFP claims that it is winning the war. Why then is Duterte desperate to arm firemen against the NPA?” the CPP said.

“At any rate, he will regret this. The NPA will have more sources for its arms,” it added.

Last Thursday, August 1, President Duterte bared he wanted Bureau of Fire Protection personnel to help in the government’s war against insurgency.

“You know, you have to help in the law and order. You are not limited to just fire. That’s a b******* idea. You have to go around and help the policeman and the military,” Duterte said in a speech during the 28th founding anniversary of the BFP.

Aside from putting out fires, the BFP is mandated, upon the direction of the President, to assist the Armed Forces of the Philippines “in times of national emergency” under the Section 12 of Republic Act 6975 or the “Department of the Interior and Local Government Act of 1990.”

President Duterte created the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) through Executive Order No. 70 last December. It aims to institutionalize the whole-of-nation approach mobilizing all government agencies in its campaign to end insurgency in the country.

Earlier this year, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the government hopes to win the war against insurgency in three years, the time President Duterte’s term ends. The new deadline refuted Duterte’s prediction last September that the communist insurgency will be wiped-out by the second quarter this year.

http://davaotoday.com/main/politics/cpp-warns-duterte-against-arming-fire-protection-personnel/

TF Davao taps PUV drivers, tanods vs terrorism

From Politiko Mindanao (Aug 6, 2019): TF Davao taps PUV drivers, tanods vs terrorism



The Task Force Davao (TFD) has urged the public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers and barangay tanods to help in the government’s campaign against terrorism.

TFD commander Colonel Consolito Yecla
made the call during the anti-terrorism lecture, which was attended by at least 1,300 drivers and 700 Davao City paid tanods Sunday, August 4.

“They can help prevent the entry of terrorists in the city. The terrorists are based outside Davao. We can limit the freedom of movement of terrorists if drivers and tanods will support us,”
he said.

Yecla said the cooperation and support of the drivers to the security forces can lead toward the effective implementation of the security measures against terrorists.


“We can prevent the use of public transport as a means of carrying out terrorist attacks and withdrawals. PUVs can be used as car bombs. In the night market bombing, the bombers used a taxi in moving out of their target,” Yecla added.

He said the drivers and tanods can report to the authorities if they noticed something that will hamper the security of the city.

“We now have a universal secret code with drivers if they have suspicious passengers. They can use it to inform authorities during checkpoints and other circumstances,” he said.

https://mindanao.politics.com.ph/tf-davao-taps-puv-drivers-tanods-vs-terrorism/

LdN PPOC set to enforce ELCAC

From the Philippine Information Agency (Aug 6, 2019): LdN PPOC set to enforce ELCAC

Featured Image

To operationalize Executive Order No. 70 to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (ELCAC), Governor Imelda "Angging" Quibranza-Dimaporo convenes jointly the Provincial Peace and Order Council and the Provincial Development Council, July 30 at the Macapagal Training Center, Tubod, Lanao del Norte. (DILG 10)

LANAO DEL NORTE, July 31 (PIA)--To operationalize Executive Order No. 70 to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (ELCAC), Governor Imelda "Angging" Quibranza-Dimaporo convened jointly the Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) and the Provincial Development Council (PDC), July 30 at the Macapagal Training Center, Tubod, Lanao del Norte.

The joint councils' meeting tackled and adapted key action points under a work plan for ELCAC for the Province of Lanao del Norte and favorably endorsed the identified Programs and Projects under the Convergence Areas for Peace and Development (CAPDev) Framework formulated through the facilitation of the Philippine Army, National Economic Development Authority (NEDA), provincial government, and concerned local government units (LGUs).

NEDA-10 Regional Director Myrah Faye B. Cariño appraised the PPOC and PDC members that included the presence of 18 municipal mayors of the strategic development significance of Lanao del Norte to Northern Mindanao's growth.

She also articulated the need to include the province in the CAPDev areas in the operationalization of EO 70.

Other significant policy actions during the meeting include the passage of a joint council resolution creating Lanao del Norte's ELCAC Task Force, the adoption of the ELCAC provincial work plan and the favorable endorsement to multi-level development councils of the priority programs and projects identified in the CAPDev workshops. (DILG10/PIA10)

https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1025462

Robin Padilla joins relief mission in Maguindanao

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 6, 2019): Robin Padilla joins relief mission in Maguindanao



RELIEF MISSION. Maguindanao Governor Bai Mariam Mangudadatu (center) prepares for a “boodle fight” with soldiers and local leaders as actor Robin Padilla takes a group photo with internally displaced persons following a relief undertaking in Shariff Saydona Mustapha, Maguindanao on Monday (Aug. 5, 2016). (Photo courtesy of the Army's 33IB)

In partnership with the Army’s 6th Infantry Division and actor Robin Padilla, the provincial government of Maguindanao spearheaded Monday a relief mission in five villages of Shariff Saydona Mustapha town affected by ongoing clashes between government forces and the Islamic State-inspired Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).

Maguindanao Governor Bai Miriam Mangudadatu, together with Padilla and troopers from the Army’s 601st Brigade and 33rd Infantry Battalion led the medical-dental and relief distribution to some 1,500 families from the villages of Dasawao, Bakat, Ganta, Pagatin 1, and Pagatin 2.


"We in the government have joined hands in distributing relief goods and extending basic medical services to the displaced families,” the governor said in a statement released on Tuesday.

The activities also included the distribution of reading glasses and “Operation Tuli” (circumcision) to young boys. The military operation has been ongoing since July 25 after government forces and BIFF rebels under Abu Toraife clashed in Barangay Dasawao.

The running gun battles have so far left one soldier and 15 BIFF rebels dead. Shariff Saydona Mustapha Mayor Sajid Islam Ampatuan said all affected families have received relief assistance from the provincial government.

Padilla, also known as “Abdul Aziz,” assured the evacuees he would always be with them in times of difficulty even as he urged them to help the government fight extremism.

He also shared how he found and embraced Islam, saying it was one of the greatest things that happened in his life.

“My Muslim brothers and sisters don’t go against the government. Instead, unite and support its programs,” Padilla said.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1077050

5 killed, 2 hurt in Basilan town shootout

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 6, 2019): 5 killed, 2 hurt in Basilan town shootout



Google map of Sumisip town, Basilan province

Five people, including two militiamen and a barangay chairperson, were killed when a supposed settlement of “rido” ended up violently in Basilan province, the military reported Tuesday.

A report from the Army’s 64th Infantry Battalion said the incident occurred around 11:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Central Sumisip barangay hall in Sumisip, Basilan.

At least two people were also wounded during the shootout, the military said.


The military identified the fatalities as the following: Nulphy Norin Taalil and Hasil Baakal, both militiamen of Central Sumisip; Abdulhassan Issek, barangay chairperson of Guiong; Hassan Muslimin Barillo of Central Sumisip; and, Kinning Immo of Guiong village.

The wounded victims were identified as Marjim Barillo, barangay chairperson of Guiong, and Ayog Baakal.

Investigation showed that the protagonists gathered at the barangay hall of Central Sumisip to settle the feud between the families of Taalil and Baakal.

However, a shootout ensued when Taalil, Baakal, Issek and Barillio (Marjim) drew their firearms after a heated argument broke out.


Sumisip Mayor Jul-adnan Hataman also confirmed the shootout, adding he immediately called on military and police officials for an emergency meeting to discuss the incident.

Hataman said military and police personnel were placed on alert to avert the escalation of violence as families and followers of both parties involved were “seen armed and wanting to exact revenge”.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1077102

38 ex-NPA rebels in DavNor get gov't assistance

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 6, 2019): 38 ex-NPA rebels in DavNor get gov't assistance



IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE. Former communist rebels receive various forms of assistance, as well as cash aid, during a turnover ceremony held at the 60th Infantry Battalion in Asuncion town, Davao del Norte, Tuesday (August 6). (PNA photo by Che Palicte)

ASUNCION, Davao del Norte -- Some 38 former members of the New People’s Army (NPA) received food and non-food aid, as well as cash assistance, in a turnover ceremony held at the Army's 60th Infantry Battalion (60IB) here on Tuesday.

The Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) provided the assistance, and the provincial government of Davao del Norte gave the former rebels PHP2,000 each.

According to Oliver Binancilan, OPAPP program manager in Davao Region and Caraga, most of the 38 former rebels surrendered to the 60IB and was presented to President Rodrigo Duterte in July 16, 2019.

“The assistance will not only be limited here, as we also provided medical assistance to their families,”
Binancilan said.

Binancilan said OPPAP is currently embarking on a program that would provide the FR community a comprehensive and integrated program that is sustainable and that provides durable solutions for them to start a new life.

“We are also considering the need for a water system, schools, health centers, day care centers and hospitals on the planned community,” he said.

Maj. Gen. Jose Faustino, commander of 10th Infantry Division, said the inter-agency effort of the government to end the communist armed conflict is already bearing fruits and that the "best practices" are now being implemented in Luzon and Visayas.

Meanwhile, Davao del Norte Governor Edwin Jubahib vowed to support the former NPA members, saying some of them can find work at the Capitol.

Jubahib also urged the former rebels to encourage their fellow former comrades to return to the fold of the law and live normal lives.

During the turnover ceremony, a former NPA combatant only identified as “Cel” said they lost faith with the communist rebel movement after it failed to deliver its promise of financial support for their families.

“We found out that all of those are false promises. We experienced hunger and anxiety there,” she said.

She also called on the remaining rebels to "embrace the essence of freedom" and start their new lives "with hope and acceptance in the community."


https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1077089

Duterte says ‘time has come’ to invoke ‘arbitral ruling’

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 6, 2019): Duterte says ‘time has come’ to invoke ‘arbitral ruling’



President Rodrigo will finally invoke the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) ruling won by the Philippines against China during his next visit to China by the end of August, Malacañang said on Tuesday.

After temporarily shelving the arbitral ruling in 2016 to give way to friendlier relations between Philippines and China, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said Duterte felt that it was about time to do so during the middle of his six-year term.

“He (Duterte) said, ‘Remember that I said before that there will be a time when I will invoke the arbitral ruling? This is the time that’s why I’m going there,’” Panelo said in a Palace briefing.

“He precisely said that that is pursuant to what he said the first time we visited China and he said ‘There will be a time that I will raise this issue and talk about it but not now…the time has come,’”
he added.


Panelo also bared that Duterte is also interested to bring up the 60-40 sharing arrangement on the proposed joint exploration for oil and gas in the West Philippine Sea in his upcoming ‘one-on-one- meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Earlier, Panelo assured that government will always consider what is beneficial to the Philippines in so far as the terms of reference on the proposed joint oil exploration.

Duterte will also raise the June 9 Recto Bank (Reed Bank) maritime incident where a Chinese vessel allegedly rammed and abandoned a Philippine fishing boat at sea, Panelo said.

Panelo said it will be a one-on-one discussion between Duterte and Xi.

He pointed out that the two leaders both agreed to meet in China.

“I asked the President last night like you were asking me, under whose initiative? And I asked him, sabi ko, ang sagot niya sa’kin, ‘That was our agreement with the President of China,’” Panelo said.

Asked if there would be an agreement to be signed between Philippines and China on the joint oil exploration, Panelo said: “Let’s see. Whatever agreement they enter into, that will be reduced into writing.”

Despite Xi’s earlier warning to Duterte that there would be “trouble” if the Philippines would undertake oil explorations in the disputed sea, Panelo said Duterte is ready to face it.

“Ibig sabihin, ready na siyang humarap (That means, he’s ready to face it),” Panelo said.

On July 12, 2016, the PCA released its verdict on the Philippines’ arbitration case filed against China in 2013.

The arbitral ruling nullified a nine-dash line being used by China for the claims of nearly the entire WPS or South China Sea including part of the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

The PCA concluded that there was “no legal basis” for China to claim historic rights to resources within the sea areas falling within the ‘nine-dash line.”

It also found that China had violated the Philippines’ sovereign rights in its EEZ by interfering with Philippine fishing and petroleum exploration, constructing artificial islands and failing to prevent Chinese fishermen from fishing in the zone.

China did not participate throughout the proceedings as it refused to recognize the case.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1077084

PH Navy commissions first modern corvette into fleet

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 6, 2019): PH Navy commissions first modern corvette into fleet



NEW NAVY SHIP. The Philippine Navy formally takes into service the BRP Conrado Yap (PS-39) during hand-over and commissioning ceremonies at the Jinghae Naval Base in Changwon City, South Korea on Aug. 5, 2019. BRP Conrado Yap, formerly the South Korean Pohang-class ship "Chungju", was donated by South Korea. (Photo courtesy of Philippine Navy)

The Philippine Navy (PN) formally took into service the BRP Conrado Yap (PS-39), formerly the South Korean Pohang-class ship "Chungju", during hand-over and commissioning ceremonies at the Jinghae Naval Base in Changwon City, South Korea on Monday afternoon.

Captain Jonathan Zata, PN spokesperson, said Department of National Defense Assistant Secretary for Logistics and Acquisition Jesus Rey Avilla signed the transfer documents, together with his South Korean counterpart Logistics Management Administrator Kim Soo Sam.

After the signing of transfer documents, BRP Conrado Yap was then commissioned into the PN.

The ship is the former "Chungju" (PCC-762) of the Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN), which was commissioned in 1987 and served until 2016.

Zata said the corvette's taking on the name of Yap was aimed to uphold the legacy of a gallant Filipino military leader, who served in the Korean War as part of the Philippine Expeditionary Forces to Korea. Yap was a captain in the Philippine Army and considered as the most decorated Filipino soldier during the Korean War.

In response to the welcome remarks of ROKN chief-of-naval operations Admiral Sim Seung-Seob, PN flag-officer-in-command Vice Admiral Robert Empedrad described the ceremony as a historic event that highlights the alliance between the PN and Republic of Korea Navy that goes beyond friendship through the years.

He then assured the South Korean government and the ROKN that “the PN will take care of this ship” and that it “will always be in ship shape condition and shall defend our country’s maritime waters with same valor as displayed by our hero Capt. Conrado Yap 68 years ago."

BRP Conrado Yap is set to sail to the Philippines this month under the command of Captain Marco Buena, its maiden sailing crew underwent 13 weeks of necessary operational and warfare trainings facilitated by the Reserve Ship Maintenance Squadron in Jinhae, Gyeongsang-namdo, South Korea.

It will be escorted by the strategic sealift vessel, BRP Davao Del Sur (LD-602), which arrived in South Korea last August 2 after participating in the Russian Naval Day activities in Vladivostok, Russia last July 28.

"(The BRP Conrado Yap) is a welcome addition to the PN’s surface patrol capability and will serve as a critical transition platform for the arrival of the newest Jose Rizal-class frigate next year," Zata earlier said.

Also, the PN spokesperson said the ship will provide the Navy with an anti-submarine warfare capability, aside from being an important platform to train officers and sailors on anti-submarine warfare operations.

The ship measures 88.3 meters long, with a beam of 10 meters and draft of 2.9 meters while her displacement is at 1,216 tons full load. BRP Conrado Yap is rated for a crew of 118 personnel and can sustain operational presence for 20 days.

The vessel's combined diesel or gas (CODOG) propulsion configuration of motor transport unit (MTU) diesel engines and LM2500 gas turbine with controllable pitch propellers (CPP) enable the ship to move to a maximum speed of 25 knots to a distance of 4,000 nautical miles.

The ship is armed with two Oto Melara 76mm Oto Melara main guns, a 30mm automatic cannons, anti-submarine torpedoes and variety of sensors, including sonars and radars.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1077067

Duterte won't impose martial law on Negros Island

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 6, 2019): Duterte won't impose martial law on Negros Island



President Rodrigo Duterte

Despite the spate of killings on Negros Island in the past weeks, President Rodrigo Duterte will not impose martial law there, at least for now, Malacañang said on Tuesday.

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo made this assurance nearly a week after he said Duterte can declare martial law to quell lawless violence in Negros Oriental.

Panelo, who is also Chief Presidential Legal Counsel, explained that martial law can only be declared in case of invasion or rebellion or when public safety warrants it.


“Martial law will only be imposed in accordance with the Constitution. Just like in Negros -- I asked him last night about Negros, ang sinabi niya (and he said) you and I are lawyers, we know that we cannot just impose martial law unless the requirements are there,” Panelo said in a Palace briefing.

“Under the Constitution, kailangan may (there should be) rebellion. So, sa ngayon eh patayan pa lang na -- unbridled patayan pa lang (For now, it’s just killings, unbridled killings),” he added.

Panelo said Duterte has ordered 300 Special Action Force (SAF) troops to Negros Island to augment the local police in anti-criminality and internal security operations there.

On July 18 this year, four police intelligence operatives were tortured and killed in Barangay Mabato in Ayungon town.

From July 23 to July 28, a total of 13 people were killed -- including a lawyer tagged as sympathetic to the NPA in Guihulngan City, a former mayor of Ayungon town, an incumbent councilor of Canlaon City, a barangay captain in Canlaon City, a school principal and his sister, who is an official of the Department of Education (DepEd) in Guihulngan City and a barangay captain, also in Guihulngan City.

Martial law in Mindanao was declared on May 23, 2017 following attacks launched by the ISIS-inspired Maute Group in Marawi City and has been extended thrice until December 2019.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1077100

PA to extend security aid to Lumad leaders

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 6, 2019): PA to extend security aid to Lumad leaders



The Philippine Army (PA) will extend all the necessary security assistance to the Lumad leaders, who are now being threatened by suspected New People's Army (NPA) terrorists for raising awareness on the communist rebels' exploitation and deception tactics.

This will also include the communities being headed by these Lumad leaders, said PA commander, Lt. Gen. Macairog S. Alberto, in a statement on Monday (Aug. 5).

“The PA recognizes the efforts of our IP brothers and sisters to protect their communities. We are always ready to protect every Filipino, especially the Lumad communities, from the threat of the CPP-NPA-terrorists,”
he said.


Earlier, one of the Lumad leaders, Bae Christine Banugan, recalled her experience last July when she received messages from her family that they are being threatened by the New People's Army (NPA) while they are in a speaking trip in the United States on the abuses committed against their communities by the Communist Party of the Philippines and NPA.

Banugan's father was a tribal chieftain killed by the NPAs in 2016.

“We are victims of deception,” Mindanao Indigenous People Council of Elders and Leaders’ executive director Datu Bawan Jacob Lanes said.

“For a while, akala namin kasama namin ang CPP (Communist Party of the Philippines) sa pagtulong sa pagdepensa sa (we thought CPP are with us in helping, in depending) ancestral domain but they are supplanting traditional leaders with revolutionary concept. Nawawala ang mga traditional leaders, pinapatay nila (Traditional leaders are gone, they killed them),” he added.

Lanes, together with Indigenous Peoples (IP) leaders, also reiterated that part of CPP-NPAs’ supplanting is the establishment of IP schools that “brainwashes” their youth and turning them into child warriors.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1077068

AFP-CRS: CRS Awarded Proficient Status of AFPTRIP

Posted to the Armed Forces of the Philippines-Civil Relations Service (AFP-CRS) Facebook Page (Aug 5, 2019): CRS Awarded Proficient Status of AFPTRIP

Congratulations! #TeamCRS for being conferred with proficient status of the Armed Forces of the PhilippinesTransformation Roadmap Institutionalization Pathway (AFPTRIP).


Image may contain: text


[The Civil Relations Service (CRS) is the unit of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) that engages the public through its public information and community relations programs “to create a favorable atmosphere between the community and the AFP. The CRS is the equivalent of the Psychological Operations and Civil Affairs units of the US Army.]

AFP-CRS: IPs seek Army help against CPP-NPA terrorists

Posted to the Armed Forces of the Philippines-Civil Relations Service (AFP-CRS) Facebook Page (Aug 5, 2019): IPs seek Army help against CPP-NPA terrorists

Image may contain: 1 person, smiling, hat and text

https://www.facebook.com/CivilRelationsServiceAFP/photos/a.182240175128048/2623213087697399/?type=3&theater

[The Civil Relations Service (CRS) is the unit of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) that engages the public through its public information and community relations programs “to create a favorable atmosphere between the community and the AFP. The CRS is the equivalent of the Psychological Operations and Civil Affairs units of the US Army.]

https://www.facebook.com/CivilRelationsServiceAFP/?fref=photo

AFP-CRS: Army, ready to help and protect IPs against CPP-NPA terrorists

Posted to the Armed Forces of the Philippines-Civil Relations Service (AFP-CRS) Facebook Page (Aug 5, 2019): Army, ready to help and protect IPs against CPP-NPA terrorists

Image may contain: 1 person, text

https://www.facebook.com/CivilRelationsServiceAFP/photos/a.182240175128048/2623212124364162/?type=3&theater

[The Civil Relations Service (CRS) is the unit of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) that engages the public through its public information and community relations programs “to create a favorable atmosphere between the community and the AFP. The CRS is the equivalent of the Psychological Operations and Civil Affairs units of the US Army.]

https://www.facebook.com/CivilRelationsServiceAFP/?fref=photo

AFP-CRS: Clearing of unexploded ordnance continue in Marawi

Posted to the Armed Forces of the Philippines-Civil Relations Service (AFP-CRS) Facebook Page (Aug 5, 2019): Clearing of unexploded ordnance continue in Marawi



https://www.facebook.com/CivilRelationsServiceAFP/photos/a.182240175128048/2623133144372060/?type=3&theater

[The Civil Relations Service (CRS) is the unit of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) that engages the public through its public information and community relations programs “to create a favorable atmosphere between the community and the AFP. The CRS is the equivalent of the Psychological Operations and Civil Affairs units of the US Army.]

https://www.facebook.com/CivilRelationsServiceAFP/?fref=photo

AFP-CRS: 920 MILF combatants decommissioned, 225 start training as peacekeepers

Posted to the Armed Forces of the Philippines-Civil Relations Service (AFP-CRS) Facebook Page (Aug 5, 2019): 920 MILF combatants decommissioned, 225 start training as peacekeepers



https://www.facebook.com/CivilRelationsServiceAFP/photos/a.182240175128048/2623132051038836/?type=3&theater

[The Civil Relations Service (CRS) is the unit of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) that engages the public through its public information and community relations programs “to create a favorable atmosphere between the community and the AFP. The CRS is the equivalent of the Psychological Operations and Civil Affairs units of the US Army.]

https://www.facebook.com/CivilRelationsServiceAFP/?fref=photo

AFP-CRS: Army attacks CPP-NPA hideout in Bukidnon

Posted to the Armed Forces of the Philippines-Civil Relations Service (AFP-CRS) Facebook Page (Aug 5, 2019): Army attacks CPP-NPA hideout in Bukidnon

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https://www.facebook.com/CivilRelationsServiceAFP/photos/a.182240175128048/2623131304372244/?type=3&theater

[The Civil Relations Service (CRS) is the unit of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) that engages the public through its public information and community relations programs “to create a favorable atmosphere between the community and the AFP. The CRS is the equivalent of the Psychological Operations and Civil Affairs units of the US Army.]

https://www.facebook.com/CivilRelationsServiceAFP/?fref=photo

AFP-CRS: PMA Entrance Examinations

Posted to the Armed Forces of the Philippines-Civil Relations Service (AFP-CRS) Facebook Page (Aug 5, 2019): The PMA will be conducting a simultaneous Entrance Examinations



To all aspiring Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Cadets:

The PMA will be conducting a simultaneous Entrance Examination in the following testing centers on August 25, 2019.

1. Loag City – North Western University 
2. Tuguegarao City – Mamba Gym 
3. Bontoc, Mountain Province – Mountain Province State Polytechnic College
4. Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya – Nueva Viscaya General Comprehensive High School
5. Baguio City – Yap Hall, PMA 
6. Pangasinan – Narciso Ramos Sports and Civic Center
7. Cabanatuan City – Araullo University 
8. Tarlac City – Tarlac National High School – Annex
9. Pampanga – Clark Air Base Gym
10. Pasay City – HPAF Gymnasium 
11. Quezon City – Ramon Magsaysay National High School-Cubao 
12. HPA, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City – HPA Gymnasium 
13. Los Baños, Laguna – UP Los Baños
14. Lipa City – AETDC, Lipa 
15. Lucena City – Quezon National High School
16. Naga City – University of Nueva Caceres
17. Legaspi City – NAVFORSOL
18. Puerto Princesa, Palawan – Palawan State University 
19. Cavite – HARESCOM, Tanza
20. Kalibo, Aklan – North Western Visayan College 
21. Iloilo City – Iloilo University 
22. Bacolod City – STI West Negros 
23. Dumaguete City – Negros Oriental State University 
24. Cebu City - University of Southern Philippines Foundation 
25. Catbalogan City – 8ID, PA Covered Court 
26. Tacloban City – Eastern Visayas State University
27. Tagbiliran City – Holy Name University 
28. Butuan City – Caraga State University 
29. Cagayan De Oro – University of Science and Tech of the Philippines (USTP) 
30. Davao City – University of Mindanao 
31. Mati, Davao – Davao Oriental State College of Science and Technology 
32. Kidapawan City – Kidapawan Gymnasium
33. General Santos City – Lagao Gym
34. Ozamis City – Mizamis University 
35. Cotabato city – 6ID, PA Gymnasium 
36. Tacurong City – Tacurong City Gymnasium 
37. Zamboanga City – WESMINCOM Gymnasium 
38. Dipolog City – DMC College Foundation 
39. Tagum City – Tagum National Trade School
40. Pagadian City- Pagadian City Gymnasium

You may download the application form at:https://www.pma.ph/PMAEE%20Application%20Form%202019.pdf

For more information visit: www.pma.ph/admissionor contact 0928-432-5578 / 0906-546-6989

No photo description available.


[The Civil Relations Service (CRS) is the unit of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) that engages the public through its public information and community relations programs “to create a favorable atmosphere between the community and the AFP. The CRS is the equivalent of the Psychological Operations and Civil Affairs units of the US Army.]

AFP-CRS: 6 CPP-NPA members surrender in Zamboanga del Sur (2)

Posted to the Armed Forces of the Philippines-Civil Relations Service (AFP-CRS) Facebook Page (Aug 5, 2019): 6 CPP-NPA members surrender in Zamboanga del Sur (2)

Image may contain: 1 person, text

https://www.facebook.com/CivilRelationsServiceAFP/photos/a.182240175128048/2623130341039007/?type=3&theater

[The Civil Relations Service (CRS) is the unit of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) that engages the public through its public information and community relations programs “to create a favorable atmosphere between the community and the AFP. The CRS is the equivalent of the Psychological Operations and Civil Affairs units of the US Army.]

https://www.facebook.com/CivilRelationsServiceAFP/?fref=photo

AFP-CRS: Zamboanga del Sur declare CPP-NPA as 'Persona Non Grata'

Posted to the Armed Forces of the Philippines-Civil Relations Service (AFP-CRS) Facebook Page (Aug 5, 2019): Zamboanga del Sur declare CPP-NPA as 'Persona Non Grata'

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https://www.facebook.com/CivilRelationsServiceAFP/photos/a.182240175128048/2623129467705761/?type=3&theater

[The Civil Relations Service (CRS) is the unit of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) that engages the public through its public information and community relations programs “to create a favorable atmosphere between the community and the AFP. The CRS is the equivalent of the Psychological Operations and Civil Affairs units of the US Army.]

https://www.facebook.com/CivilRelationsServiceAFP/?fref=photo