Army says 29 NPA members surrendered to gov't in Agusan del Sur

Frim GMA News (Sep 29, 2020): Army says 29 NPA members surrendered to gov't in Agusan del Sur

The Philippine Army on Saturday said 29 members of the New People's Army surrendered to the government on Tuesday in Agusan del Sur.

They were joined by 80 Milisya ng Bayan members and 212 mass supporters in withdrawing support for the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army, it said.

The 321 NPAs, MBs and mass supporters—all residents of the municipality of Esperanza—took part in a peace rally and mass withdrawal of support ceremony held at the Esperanza National High School Gymnasium in Barangay Poblacion.

They denounced the CPP's atrocities and continuous exploitation during the march protest rally.

The 212 mass supporters were composed of 12 supporters, 151 mass organization members, 23 contacts, and 26 couriers.

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The Army said they all pledged allegiance to the government and vowed to eradicate the influence of the CPP-NPA in their communities.

Each of the 15 who surrendered received financial assistance from the local government of Esperanza worth P15,000, while others are still undergoing validation.

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/regions/756292/army-says-29-npa-members-surrendered-to-gov-t-in-agusan-del-sur/story/

Army seizes NPA arms cache in Negros Occidental

From the Manila Bulletin (Sep 19, 2020): Army seizes NPA arms cache in Negros Occidental (By Martin Sadongdong)

Twelve firearms of various calibers were allegedly discovered inside the house of a suspected New People’s Army (NPA) rebel in Moises Padilla, Negros Occidental, the military reported on Saturday.

Elements of the Philippine Army’s 62nd Infantry Battalion (62IB) responded to a report about the sighting of armed men in Sitio Bungao, Barangay Macagahay last Thursday when they chanced upon a “suspicious” man who allegedly ran away and dropped a caliber .38 revolver after seeing the troops.

Major General Eric Vinoya, commander of 3rd Infantry Division (3ID), said the troops conducted a pursuit operation which led to the arrest of the suspect, Joselito Ebarle.

The troops then scoured Ebarle’s house and found in it two M16 rifles, eight caliber .38 revolvers, two home-made shotguns, one magazine of M14 rifle with ten rounds of live ammunition; one back pack containing various documents and a red flag bearing the symbol of NPA.

“The seizure of arms cache of the NPA terrorist is an indication of excess war materiel due to the dwindling number of communist-terrorists operating in Negros,” Vinoya said.

“The troops did not only inflict damage on the armed capability of the communist-terrorists but likewise prevented them to use the aforementioned firearms in casting terrorist activities,” he added.

https://mb.com.ph/2020/09/19/army-seizes-npa-arms-cache-in-negros-occidental/

Communist rebels eye talks with Robredo for ‘post-Duterte’ resumption of peace negotiations

From CNN Philippines (Sep 19, 2020): Communist rebels eye talks with Robredo for ‘post-Duterte’ resumption of peace negotiations (By Eimor Santos)

The National Democratic Front of the Philippines, which represents communist rebels in peace talks with the government, wants to discuss the resumption of negotiations with Vice President Leni Robredo after botched efforts with the Duterte administration.

“The NDFP, including its panel, should hold discussions with opposition parties, in particular, the Liberal Party,” said Julie de Lima, the newly-appointed NDFP negotiating panel interim chairperson who replaced the late Fidel Agcaoli. Robredo is chairperson of the Liberal Party.

De Lima added that the communist organization should engage with Robredo as constitutional successor "to press for the resumption of the peace negotiation as a rallying point in the effort to oust Duterte.”

The Communist Party of the Philippines released a statement on Friday on these remarks that De Lima made in a Thursday interview with Ang Bayan, its official publication.

The CPP and its armed wing New People’s Army are waging Asia’s longest-running insurgency which has spanned over five decades. President Rodrigo Duterte formally terminated the on-and-off peace talks in November 2017, just more than a year in office, as both sides accused each other of ceasefire violations.

READ: How peace talks with communist rebels failed

“Prospects for resuming the peace negotiations after Duterte, whether he is ousted or he finishes his term, are possible and desirable,” De Lima said.

She said priority would be given to tackling social and economic reforms in a “post-Duterte scenario.” The CPP has been pushing for the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on Social and Economic Reforms (CASER), even making it a condition for its self-exiled founding chairman Jose Maria Sison to accept Duterte’s previous invitations for a face-to-face meeting in the Philippines.

De Lima said the CASER seeks to establish quality health services for all and disaster preparedness and response which are necessary amid the coronavirus pandemic. It also has provisions to hold corrupt and negligent government officials criminally and civilly liable, she said.

Robredo's office and the Palace have yet to respond to the NDFP's statement.

https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/9/19/NDFP-peace-talks-Robredo-.html

Zarate protests PH report citing Makabayan groups as ‘CPP-created party-lists’

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Sep 18, 2020): Zarate protests PH report citing Makabayan groups as ‘CPP-created party-lists’ (By: Cathrine Gonzales)

Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Carlos Zarate on Friday called out the government’s report on the Philippine Human Rights Situationer in May that described four left-leaning party-lists as groups created by the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).

During a House committee on appropriations hearing on the proposed 2021 budget of the Department of Justice (DOJ), Zarate took note of the document uploaded on the DOJ website which called Bayan Muna, Anakpawis, Gabriela, and the Alliance of Concerned Teachers as “CPP-created party-lists.”

“In this report, malinaw po ang nakalagay dito (what is stated here is clear) and I cannot just take this sitting down,” Zarate said.

“The sentence there is CPP-created. I take exception, Mr. Secretary and Mr. Chair. We are not created by the CPP—the Bayan Muna, ACT Teachers party-list, and Gabriela. We are legally registered party-lists and we were duly elected by our constituencies. So I take exception,” he added.

The document, which was consolidated by the Department of Foreign Affairs based on information provided by various concerned government agencies, provides a comprehensive account of the human rights situation in the Philippines, including the country’s human rights policies, mechanisms, advocacies, and accomplishments.

Zarate said he sounded the alarm over the matter as the DOJ is involved in the consolidation of the report, and asked if red-tagging is the framework now being adopted by the department.

In response, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said he is not personally aware of any report authored by the DOJ that describes the four party-lists as groups created by the CPP. He then asked Undersecretary for Law Enforcement Adrian Sugay to instead respond to Zarate’s query.

But like Guevarra, Sugay replied he is also unaware of that portion of the document.

“As far as we are concerned, wala namang (there is no) red-tagging or what the DOJ is part of,” he said.

Zarate was quick to dispute this, saying the document is very clear in linking the concerned party-list organizations to the CPP.

“This is not a simple case of calling us names. There are grave implications knowing for a fact that there is now a terrorism law,” he stressed.

Justice Undersecretary Markk Perete then explained that the participation of the DOJ in the drafting of the situationer was related only to its activities by virtue of the Administrative Order No. 35, which created an inter-agency committee to investigate extrajudicial killings and other politically-motivated violence.

“The report was consolidated I think by DFA and we were asked to disseminate the complete report. On the part of the DOJ, we would like to reiterate that in fact there is no such policy against progressive groups or even those which have been mentioned in the report,” Perete said.

However, Zarate pointed out that there was “passive endorsement” on the part of the DOJ since it was uploaded on the department’s website.

He added that the DOJ “cannot just dichotomize the issues contained in that whole report.”

“Hindi pwedeng sabihin na hanggang AO 35 lang kami because the report is a collective report of the Philippine government and since you are part of the report-gathering, your inputs are being taken. Malaki ang implication nito dahil official stand ito ng Philippine government and you are the department tasked to review cases,” said Zarate.

(You cannot just say your involvement was only as far as AO 35 because the report is a collective report of the Philippine government and since you are part of the report-gathering, your inputs are being taken. The implication of this is huge because this is the official stand of the Philippine government and you are the one tasked to review cases.)

Guevarra then responded by saying the DOJ has taken due note of Zarate’s concern and assured that the DOJ is not adopting such a policy on red-tagging.

“We’ll take another look at this report. As I explained earlier, that was upon the request of the DFA and if there is anything that we need to clarify para ‘wag naman maisip na (so that there would not be a notion that) everything that is written there is also being adopted by the DOJ as an agency, then we will issue an appropriate statement if necessary to note of the proper clarification,” he added.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1337025/zarate-protests-ph-report-citing-makabayan-groups-as-cpp-created-party-lists

6 killed in Maguindanao, Sarangani clashes

From the Philippine Star (Sep 18, 2020): 6 killed in Maguindanao, Sarangani clashes (By John Unson) 

Six men were killed in separate clashes Thursday involving rival guerilla groups in Pagalungan, Maguindanao and in Maitum, Sarangani.

The hostilities in Barangay Kalbugan in Pagalungan, Maguindanao forced a number of poor ethnic Maguindanaon families to relocate to safer areas.

Local officials and the municipal police reported Friday that four were killed in the gunfight between the Impos and the Magao clans in Barangay Kalbugan.

Barangay Kalbugan is close to the 220,000-hectare Liguasan Delta, a haven of outlawed groups and terrorists inspired by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria and uses the black ISIS flag as their banner.

The fatalities, Amir Impos and Alex Galang and two others from the other side, Norodin and Robin, all surnamed Magao, died from multiple bullet wounds.

The Impos and Magao clans are locked in a longtime land ownership dispute, according to local police probers.

Thursday’s hostilities in Barangay Kalbugan erupted when members of the Magao clan killed Amir using assault rifles, provoking a running gunfight with his relatives that sent innocent villagers running for their lives.

The feuding Impos and Magao families agreed to disengage through the intercession of leaders in the municipality of the Moro National Liberation Front and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

Preceding the bloody incident in Pagalungan was the encounter in Barangay Mindupok in Maitum town in Sarangani between two groups both identified with MILF.

In a statement, the Army’s 6th Infantry Division said the two groups, one led by Pinda Kadir and the other by Esmael Binago, clashed at the border of Badol and Linawasan areas in Barangay Mindupok.

The encounter resulted in the deaths of two MILF members, Sudin Pitron and Nasrudin Masukat, from each side.

A follower of Kadir, Khominie Arariya, was wounded in the ensuing firefight.

Major Gen. Juvymax Uy of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division said Friday the 37th Infantry Battalion is now trying to reconcile the groups of Kadir and Binago with the help of local officials in Maitum.

Uy said he has ordered the 37th IB under the 603rd Brigade to prevent the spillover of the conflict outside of Barangay Mindupok. 

https://www.philstar.com/nation/2020/09/18/2043409/6-killed-maguindanao-sarangani-clashes

Capacity Building Must be a Focus as Sea Piracy Expands

 Posted to the Maritime Executive (Sep 18, 2020): Capacity Building Must be a Focus as Sea Piracy Expands (By PROF. BRANDON PRINS)

File photo

ReCAAP published its half-yearly report in July warning of a dangerous increase in pirate attacks in Asia. The organization reported 51 total incidents from January through June. This represents an 82 percent increase in sea-pirate attacks from the first half of 2019. The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) recorded a similar surge in piracy incidents. Attacks doubled in the first half of 2020 compared to 2019 (see Figure 1). The escalation in pirate activity is not confined only to Asia. Both West Africa and the Americas have witnessed increases in sea-piracy over the past two years as well. Globally, we’re on a path to see a 20 percent increase in piracy in 2020 compared to 2019.

To be sure, pirate attacks remain well below their most recent high in 2010. In that year, not only were Somali pirates responsible for more than 200 attacks and attempted attacks against ships in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Indian Ocean, but these same Somali raiders also hijacked at least 49 vessels. In 2019, the IMB reported only four ship hijackings, none of which occurred off the Somali coast. So far in 2020, the IMB reports only one hijacking; a fishing boat seized in the waters of the Ivory Coast. Despite successes with Somali pirates and an overall decrease in vessel hijackings, recent trends in commerce raiding warrant concern.



Singapore Straits

Piracy in and around the Singapore Straits has visibly increased over the past several years and is at its highest level since 2015. Of the 35 pirate attacks that occurred in Southeast Asia from January through June of 2020, fourteen happened in the Singapore Straits or nearby at anchorages on Pulau Batam. Pirates attacked another two ships proximate to the Singapore Straits in the Natuna Sea and three other ship robberies occurred at Belawan Port on Sumatra (see Figure 2). Most of the ships boarded in the Singapore Straits were steaming at the time of the attack and all but one was a large product tanker or cargo carrier. Currently, the piracy we see in Southeast Asia generally, and the Singapore Straits more specifically, remains mostly opportunistic rather than organized. Only a few years ago Indonesia and Malaysia formed a rapid reaction force to combat a surge in sea-piracy in the Malacca and Singapore Straits. Attacks dropped significantly soon after, going from over 60 incidents in 2015 to fewer than 10 in 2016. Exiting the Singapore Straits near Little Karimun Island was particularly dangerous in 2014 and 2015. The recent rise in sea-piracy in and around the Singapore Straits is attributed by some to complacency in enforcement.

Figure 2: Map of Southeast Asia and the Singapore Straits (inset) showing the Locations of Pirate Attacks, January 1 – June 30, 2020



Sulu and Celebes Seas

Pirate attacks in the southern Philippines have recently received considerable attention as Abu Sayyaf, an Islamic separatist group, took advantage of ship traffic across the Sulu and Celebes Seas to fund-raise through maritime kidnappings. In response, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines established coordinated counter-piracy naval patrols that helped check Abu Sayyaf’s activities. The US Navy also stepped up its own patrols, increased information sharing with local maritime security forces, and participated in training exercises all designed to counter illicit activity and protect maritime commerce. Still, ReCAAP once again issued a warning about possible crew abductions by the Abu Sayyaf group in May of this year and there is some concern that ship attacks may increase as Filipino security forces continue their assault on the group. A key leader of Abu Sayyaf was recently captured by local police in Davao City and reprisals are anticipated. The August 24th bombings in Jolo, only 9 days after the arrest, are believed to have been carried out by Abu Sayyaf militants.

West Africa and the Americas

In both the Gulf of Guinea and Latin America pirate attacks have been on the rise, driven by poverty, joblessness, violence, and corruption (see Figure 3). The incidents off West Africa have also been increasingly violent. Armed with assault rifles, shotguns, and knives, the pirates in the Gulf of Guinea kidnapped 49 crewmembers in the first half of 2020, which represents a 50 percent increase from 2019. Recently, in fact, two Russian sailors were kidnapped from a refrigerated cargo ship off Lagos. This is just one of at least 10 incidents in 2020 involving the abduction of crew members and it continues a trend of seafarer kidnappings conspicuous in the Gulf of Guinea. Over 90 percent of crew kidnappings today occur in the waters off of West Africa and the Joint War Committee of Lloyd’s of London continues to list the EEZs of Togo, Benin, and Nigeria as areas of enhanced risk.

Figure 3: Maritime Piracy and Armed Robbery on Ships in West Africa and the Americas (January-June 2020)



Pirate attacks against oil platforms and supply vessels in the Bay of Campeche also appear to be increasing. The US government issued a security alert in June of this year warning Americans traveling by boat in the southern Gulf of Mexico to be extra cautious. Armed criminal groups look especially active between the cities of Veracruz and Campeche. Hundreds of oil facilities dot the bay and supply boats constantly shuttle work crews and provisions to and from the Mexican coast. Although the International Maritime Bureau reports only 4 pirate incidents in the Bay of Campeche in the first half of 2020, the US Office of Naval Intelligence reports twice that number and others think attacks are much higher than that.

Figure 4: Map of Africa showing the Location of Maritime Pirate Attacks (January-June 2020)



Local Capacity Key to Reducing Maritime Crime

Criminal actors exploit spaces that lack effective law enforcement and use proximate trade routes to steal cargo and abduct crew members from passing ships. While governments in Southeast Asia and West Africa are enhancing and modernizing their maritime capabilities, most large naval power projection remains an unsuitable and mostly ineffective policy tool for combating illegal maritime activities. Maritime law enforcement capacity, improved regional cooperation, and better local governance can more efficiently target criminal actors and reduce community incentives to engage in maritime crime. The U.S. helps strengthen the capacity of Southeast Asian partners, such as the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Indonesia, by providing surveillance equipment, patrol craft, helicopter upgrades, and drones. Through the Obangame Express, a multinational naval exercise, the U.S. also helps build law enforcement capacity in the Greater Gulf of Guinea focused on maritime domain awareness. France, the U.K. and China have similarly provided ships, equipment, and training to West African governments to help reduce sea-piracy and other maritime crime.

The COVID pandemic has exacerbated conditions that drive sea-piracy, such as poverty and joblessness. The WTO expects global trade to drop between 13 and 34 percent in 2020 and the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a think tank in Washington DC, anticipates sizable drops in the GDP of many piracy-prone countries, such as Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Mexico. Further, ships will likely become easier targets. Less consumer spending means less trade, which means less revenue for shipping companies to spend on armed guards or other modes of ship protection. Vessel crews are already stretched thin on merchant ships and COVID has only reduced available manpower. On a positive note, both ReCAAP and the International Maritime Bureau report fewer pirate attacks and ship robberies in July and August compared to the same months in 2019. Perhaps the surge in sea-piracy observed during the first half of this year led governments to re-focus and intensify their counter-piracy efforts. Or, possibly we are simply witnessing a short lull in the storm.

[About the author: Brandon Prins is Professor of Political Science and Global Security Fellow with the Howard Baker Center for Public Policy at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. Funding for this project was originally provided by the US Department of Defense, Office of Naval Research, through the Minerva Initiative.] 

https://www.maritime-executive.com/editorials/capacity-building-must-be-a-focus-as-sea-piracy-expands

4 dead as clan war erupts in Maguindanao

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 18, 2020): 4 dead as clan war erupts in Maguindanao (By Edwin Fernandez)

Google map of Pagalungan town, Maguindanao.

Four persons were killed after warring families clashed Thursday in Pagalungan, Maguindanao, police said.

Police said the conflict was triggered by a long-standing feud between warring families that have connections with former Moro secessionist organizations.

Col. Arnold Santiago, Maguindanao police provincial director, said involved in the “rido” (family feud) were the families of Impos and Magao, both residents of Barangay Kalbugan, Pagalungan.

Santiago identified the fatalities as Amir Impos, Norodin Magao, Alex Galang, and Robin Magao, all of Barangay Kalbugan.

“Five persons were also injured when both sides traded bullets at the break of dawn Thursday,” Santiago said.

Pagalungan Mayor Salik Mamasabulod said government peacekeepers as well as Muslim elders, representatives from Moro Islamic Liberation Front, and Moro National Liberation Front are now in the village to de-escalate the conflict.

Mamasabulod said the local government unit has extended initial assistance to some 200 families displaced by the armed hostilities.

“I appeal to the warring families to please stop firing your guns, let the government solve the problem on real lot owners,” the mayor said, adding that he is finding a win-win solution.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1115831

Bangsamoro leader seeks assistance amid pandemic

From Anadolu Agency (Sep 18, 2020): Bangsamoro leader seeks assistance amid pandemic (By Riyaz ul Khaliq)

Murad Ebrahim says COVID-19 outbreak has hit developmental projects in Muslim-majority autonomous region of Philippines



Most of the budget allotted to the autonomous Bangsamoro in the southern Philippines has been spent to fight the novel coronavirus, the region’s top official said on Thursday, as he sought assistance from the international community.

“We have received half of the block grant of over $1 billion from the Philippines central government, and most of it has been spent against the pandemic,” Murad Ebrahim, the chief minister of Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, told Anadolu Agency.

The predominantly Muslim area (which has a population of nearly five million) voted a resounding “Yes” in last year’s referendum on greater autonomy, ending decades of conflict and paving the way for a three-year transition toward elections.

On Feb. 26, Ebrahim, who is also the chairman of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front which led the rights struggle, took charge as the regional premier till 2022.

Under the transition plan, the Bangsamoro government gets 5% of national and customs taxes every year from Manila.

“Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, we got to see our weak health infrastructure, and realized the need to increase the capacity,” he said.

The regional administration built isolation centers for virus patients, whose numbers have climbed to 824, including 28 deaths.

Ebrahim said his government's priorities are education, social and medical services, and building strategic infrastructures such as roads, bridges and irrigation.

"But most of our budget has been used in the health sector for necessary equipment during the pandemic... we have spent 3 billion Philippine peso over and above our first two-quarters of budget due to the outbreak,” said the chief minister.

He called for international funding to help them build the necessary facilities.

While Japan and the EU are funding the transition government, the UN and its specialized agencies are also sponsoring some projects.

“An OIC [Organization of Islamic Cooperation] delegation came two months ago to Bangsamoro, and we briefed them about the situation and requested them for support,” he said. “We are looking forward to their assistance.”

The OIC secretary-general planned to visit but is not possible due to the pandemic, he said, adding that Turkey's state-run aid agency TIKA has also helped the regional authority.

Budget divided in 18 ministries

The budget of over $1 billion approved last November is divided in 18 ministries of the Bangsamoro government.

Over 65% of the budget is allocated to fund projects of these ministries and offices of the Bangsamoro government, while the remaining 34.39% has been classified as “special purpose funds."

The chief minister said funds are also required for the rehabilitation of combatants, nearly 80,000, who have given up the armed struggle.

“The government is supposed to extend assistance to them... we have completed the first batch of 12,000 combatants, and are working on the second batch of 14,000,” he said, adding that some of the qualified ones will be inducted in the police.

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/bangsamoro-leader-seeks-assistance-amid-pandemic/1978149

‘From arms to farms, from ARMM to BARMM, from revolution to reformation: The struggle for peace and development'

Posted to the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Sep 17, 2020): ‘From arms to farms, from ARMM to BARMM, from revolution to reformation: The struggle for peace and development' (By: Enrico Gaveglia and Chetan Kumar)

FOOD SECURITY Former combatants of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front are now at the forefront of helping ensure food security in the Bangsamoro region through the survival gardens they cultivate.—PHOTO COURTESY OF THE BARMM ENVIRONMENT MINISTRY

The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) is one of the wealthiest in the Philippines in terms of natural resources. An “Eden’ on Earth—the region boasts of hydroelectric power from Lake Lanao; plentiful banana, coconuts, mangosteen, and durian plantations; fish and seaweed from the oceans; and mineral treasures in the form of basalt, chromite, manganese, gold, silver and copper.

Unfortunately, people are historically more challenged in “Eden-like” environments. Violent conflict has, for decades, prevented the sustainable and inclusive utilization of these resources, and damaged businesses, the environment, and the region’s export potential. Nevertheless, the region has also had a taste of sustained growth since 2016 and has contributed to the positive economic performance of the Philippines until the COVID 19 outbreak.

The signing of a peace deal between the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in 2014, the subsequent approval of the Bangsamoro Organic Law by the Congress in 2018, and the establishment of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority in 2019 have aided growth. However, the region’s full potential cannot be realized unless its current leaders—former revolutionaries from the major Moro armed groups—implement an inclusive vision for peace and sustainable development.

Experience from other peace processes shows that revolutionary groups that have prepared for governance—the ANC in South Africa, the FMLN in El Salvador, and the GAM in Aceh—have done well in guiding post-conflict transitions.

Bearing this in mind, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is supporting BARMM to implement the School for Peace and Democracy (SPD), modeled after a similar initiative in Aceh which was witnessed by the MILF leadership on an exchange visit to Indonesia.

The SPD, launched in 2020, is currently providing MILF commanders and community leaders an opportunity to play civilian leadership roles. SPD-BARMM is premised on a simple principle: The transformation from armed struggle to civilian leadership is ultimately that of the mind. And the mind responds best to what it is familiar with and trusts.

SPD’s core faculty is therefore drawn from among MILF’s own leaders. Initially trained with the support of SPD-Aceh, they have led the development of the curriculum that they now impart to their peers, including skills in effective leadership, conflict management, the role of Islamic values in a pluralist society, and community development. 54 men and 5 women have been trained to in turn train their peers to be leaders. It is our vision to see these numbers increase in the future.

As indicated in testimonials, this cathartic experience equips participants to appreciate their past struggles for social justice and empowerment, and to see themselves as continuing these struggles through peaceful means. For those who were heroes to their communities but enemies of the state for the longest time, it provides a profound moment of transition. Instead of seeing themselves as being disarmed and left to drift, they now see themselves as being armed in a different way to continue a new struggle for peace and democracy.

The SPD will eventually be a program at the Development Academy of Bangsamoro. In the interim, visionaries among the BARMM government, especially the interim chief minister, and development partners—Australia in particular—have assisted with its inception and its initial work, as has the Office of the Presidential Advisor to the Peace Process.

The success of the SPD should establish that intangibles such as self-worth, a deeper cause and meaning, empowerment, and greater social cohesion are as central to lasting peace and sustainable development as the more conventional measures of growth.

We often refer to “unicorns” when speaking of one-of-a kind start-up businesses that hit the proverbial pot of gold. In many ways, the SPD is a “unicorn” experience; it is a unique experiment where former combatants, with their hands free of weapons and their minds freed from violence, find purpose in joining the message of peace, and savoring the richness of diversity in the first breeze of democracy.

Enrico Gaveglia is the UNDP Philippine Officer-in-Charge and Chetan Kumar is the UNDP Philippines Peace Programme Team Leader.

https://opinion.inquirer.net/133659/from-arms-to-farms-from-armm-to-barmm-from-revolution-to-reformation-the-struggle-for-peace-and-development

NPA skeletal remains recovered in Cagayan

From The Manila Times (Sep 18, 2020): NPA skeletal remains recovered in Cagayan (By Leander C. Domingo)

CAMP MELCHOR F. DELA CRUZ, Gamu, Isabela: Communist New People’s Army (NPA) surrenderers have confirmed the recovered skeletal remains of their two former comrades who were buried in Baggao town in Cagayan province after a firefight with the Philippine National Police (PNP) three years ago.

On Wednesday, the 17th Infantry Battalion (17IB) of the 5th Infantry Star Division (5ID) here told media that they have found skeletal remains of two individuals believed to be members of the NPA rebel movement under the Northern Front Committee ng Komiteng RehiyonxCagayan Valley in Region 2.

Lt. Col. Angelo Saguiguit, 17IB commander, said the skeletal remains were first learned through a report on Monday from a resident of Kilometer 16, Barangay Sta. Margarita in Baggao town where the remains were buried, and which were confirmed by NPA surrenderers that these belong to the said NPA front in Region 2.

According to Saguiguit, the resident-informer whose identity was not revealed for security reasons said the area where they found the skeletal remains had been serving as a burial ground for the NPA rebel casualties in the area.

He said NPA surrenderers also confirmed that these were their former comrades who died during an encounter with the PNP in 2016.

The remains were reportedly those of Ka Albay who was a resident of Barangay Asinga Via in Baggao town and Ka Hector who belongs to the Agta tribe and was a resident of Zinundungan Valley in Rizal town, Cagayan.

Meanwhile, the Regional Crime Laboratory of Police Regional Office 2 is conducting forensic examination for additional information on the identity, which will be given to their respective families.

Brig. Gen. Laurence Mina, 5ID commander, said they would do everything they could in coordination with the PNP and the local government unit of Baggao and to turn over the skeletal remains to their respective families for them to provide a decent burial for their fallen relatives.

https://www.manilatimes.net/2020/09/18/news/regions/npa-skeletal-remains-recovered-in-cagayan/769133/

CHR slams NPA for alleged rape of minors, asks gov’t to resolve issue

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Sep 17, 2020): CHR slams NPA for alleged rape of minors, asks gov’t to resolve issue (By: Gabriel Pabico Lalu)

The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) has called on the government to resolve allegations that two New People’s Army (NPA) rebels raped minors in Leyte, saying that such actions are despicable even amid an armed conflict struggle.

CHR said in a statement on Thursday that forcing people, especially children, as sex slaves or as fighters for the communist cause are a form of human trafficking, which are criminal offenses and should be stopped.

The accusations surfaced when the 93rd Infantry Battalion responded to complaints from residents of Barangay Rizal, Kananga, Leyte, about armed men surrounding the area, forcing some minors to join them. After the military officers conducted the rescue, two girls claimed that they were raped by the rebels.



“[CHR] condemns in the strongest terms the alleged cases of sexual abuse committed against minor girls by reported members of the [NPA] in Kananga, Leyte […] We strongly denounce the use of sexual violence as a widespread and systematic tactic of war,” CHR Spokesperson Jacqueline de Guia said.

“The Commission underscores that in armed situations characterized by violence, brutality, and coercion, perpetrators can operate with even greater impunity,” she added.

CHR also condemned claims that NPA recruiting child warriors among their ranks, noting that the female minors may be used by the communist forces to entice fighters into joining them.

The commission said that it will also conduct an independent investigation of the incident.

“Sexual slavery and recruitment of child soldiers, among others, are forms of human trafficking. These horrendous acts towards vulnerable individuals allegedly being practiced by rebel forces are not just employed to spread fear and gain victims, but to use them as incentives to recruit new fighters,” De Guia noted.

“Civilians, most especially the vulnerable population, including women and children, are equally protected under international humanitarian law. Respect for the human rights and dignity even in times of armed conflict is a mutual obligation of both State and non-State parties,” it added.

This is not the first time that CHR — often an agency tagged as supporters of communist groups — spoke out against NPA.

During the height of the pandemic when the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) enforced their own ceasefires, CHR called on the communist rebels to respect their own declaration as skirmishes between the two sides broke out.

“We call on the government to provide redress for the victims including multi-sectoral assistance for health, psycho-social support, and reintegration in their communities. They require rehabilitation and special attention after their demobilization from the camp,” De Guia stressed.

“Most importantly, we urge the authorities to conduct swift investigation on the case to further find out the truth behind these accounts and ensure that offenders will immediately be held to account. The Commission for its part will launch an independent probe to shed light on the issue,” she added.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1336833/chr-slams-npa-for-alleged-rape-of-minors-asks-govt-to-resolve-issue

Opinion: CPP a propaganda party: No proletariat, no peasant army

Opinion piece posted to The Manila Times (Sep 18, 2020): CPP a propaganda party: No proletariat, no peasant army (By Rigoberto D. Tiglao)

MY column last Wednesday narrated that communist ideologue Jose Ma. Sison himself “red-tagged” his Communist Party of the Philippines’ (CPP) over 80 front organizations, when he listed these as members of the International League of People’s Struggles (ILPS) he set up in 2001 to feed this ego that he is not just the leader of the communist insurgencies here but globally.

That each of these fronts undertakes “agit-prop” claiming to represent a particular sector points to the real nature of this supposed Marxist-Leninist-Maoist insurgency today.

Rather than a party that is the vanguard of the proletariat, mobilizing a peasant army according to Mao Zedong’s vision, the CPP has become — or perhaps has been since its start — merely a party of the petit-bourgeoisie (lower to middle class) engaged mostly in propaganda activities against government.

Their agit-prop activities have prevented a real national discourse we need to develop in the country. The party’s propaganda network seizes every issue possible against government, distorts and magnifies it, with its fronts developing the expertise for quick mobilization and press dissemination. Worse, communist fronts now provide the loudspeakers and war bodies for the issues the decimated Yellows raise, that I won’t be surprised that they are being handsomely paid for their services.

Another ILPS organization, distorting national discourse. Screengrab from Pamalakaya website

Obviously, the party’s vision is of a revolution when the Republic will be toppled when the masses are sufficiently “aroused and mobilized” by a thousand issues hurled against it, in much the same way that People Power purportedly toppled Marcos in 1986.

A case study of the communists’ agit-prop strategy involves one of the organizations listed as members of Sison’s ILPS, the Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya), which claims to represent the nation’s “small fisherfolk organizations,” one of the poorest sectors of the country.

But has Pamalakaya championed the causes that are the roots of small fishermen’s poverty such as the lack of refrigeration facilities, subsidized diesel for their banca’s engines, or even fishing ports in their areas?

No, Pamalakaya takes on such issues that the press covers as the dumping of white sand on a small portion of the Manila Bay coast to beautify it. As all ILPS members do, they echo the issue the party wants exploited in a particular time. (An example of this giveaway as a Red front is the “Justice for Comrade Randy Echanis” article in Pamalakaya’s website that appears in most ILPS websites. Unbeknown to those outside communist circles, Echanis was a high-ranking party cadre killed in his residence in what the party claims was an assassination by state forces.)

Pamalakaya was even a party to another project of the Yellows — even backed up by a cabal at the Integrated Bar of the Philippines — to worsen Philippine-China diplomatic relations when they filed a case at the Supreme Court last year, invoking the writ of kalikasan to require government to kick the Chinese out of Scarborough Shoal. The Aquino 3rd regime was hoodwinked by the US into losing that shoal to China in 2012.

Complainants

To portray the case as one pursued by small fishermen, Pamalakaya was one of the complainants, claiming that their members were fishermen driven out of the shoal by the Chinese. The case collapsed when Solicitor General Jose Calida submitted to the court affidavits by the fishermen claiming there was no such harassment, and that they were just pressured by certain IB lawyers to sign their supposed complaints.

It is downright hilarious for the party to claim, as it does in its constitution and all its anniversary statements, that it is the “revolutionary party of the working class in the Philippines.” The Philippine working class has long rejected the party, vomiting the small contingent that managed to infiltrate it in the 1980s.

The party’s Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), a feared trade union organizer in the 1980s, has lost most of the unions it controlled and is now spurned by workers, as its reputation has grown to be one whose trade union struggles mostly led to many company closures, leaving their trade unions unemployed and black-listed by businesses. KMU had been more concerned with radicalizing workers through violent strikes, for early deployment to the New People’s Army (NPA) rather than building a broad labor movement. To this day, the party’s leadership does not have a trade-union veteran.

All of what the party has called its “peasant bases” set up since the 1970s, have been dismantled by the military at will when ordered by a president to do so. Most of the members comprising the NPA are not peasants, but the youth, mostly from the poorest rural and urban sectors as well as the “Red” universities.

This of course is the inevitable outcome of Sison’s insistence that feudalism exists in the Philippines, when the reality is that the Philippine countryside consists mostly of small landowning farmers and of huge agribusinesses, economic systems that could never generate a mass of peasants so desperate as to join an insurgency.

Impossible

The communist leaders refuse to see that a communist-led revolution is downright impossible in this day and age. Long closed has been the window of opportunity in the 1940s (the Chinese revolution) up to the early 1970s (the victory of the Vietnamese Workers Party) for Marxist revolutions.

The only insurgency that had some chance for a successful revolution was that organized in 1964, four years earlier than the CPP-NPA, the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC), also led by a communist party. It became the largest of Colombia’s rebel groups and at its peak had 10,000 armed soldiers.

The FARC had all of the four basic requirements for a successful insurgency: a neighboring refuge (which Peru provided) to which their fighters could escape to in the many instances of intense military campaign; a steady source of financing, which for the FARC was the cocaine industry; a huge mountain range hard to reach by the government’s forces; and a large base of the most marginalized sectors, in Colombia’s long neglected indigenous population. The Philippine insurgency doesn’t have any of these musts for a revolution.

Still though, the FARC’s leadership was bold enough to accept reality. It struck a peace pact with the Colombian government in 2016, with its dismantling and integration into mainstream society still under way.

Elite

By contrast, the Philippine communist party’s leadership has become an ensconced elite living off the finances the party gathers mainly through the NPA and contributions from leftwing NGOs abroad, and feeding their egos that they are heroic, noble revolutionaries. Their egos are so invested in their “revolution” that they cannot conceive of any other kind of life.

What kind of work, what income for instance would Jose Ma. Sison have if he folds up his 52-year-old revolutionary tent? He would just be one of the Netherlands’ pathetic senior residents living on welfare. I don’t think the likes of Bayan Muna representative Carlos Zarate and Kabataan’s Sarah Elago would even be able to win as barangay chairman where they live.

Only a fanatic or a nut or a communist leader living comfortably in an urban area would believe that this kind of insurgency will ever succeed and assume power in this period of humanity.

It is amazing that the CPP in an Aug. 28, 2020 statement “on the occasion of the 51st anniversary of the NPA” didn’t realize the irony of its many congratulatory assertions, for example, that it has “several thousand guerrilla fighters.” Even assuming the maximum “several” means 4,000 fighters, the NPA therefore has been able to recruit 78 fighters per year in its 51 years of existence?

Isn’t that proof enough that Filipinos have rejected them and their ideology, and better for them — well, as Sison and his inner circle have in fact done — to live in some rich country, pretend to be revolutionaries, and for chrissake, stop fooling our gullible youth to join the NPA and die in some forgotten jungle?

The CPP leadership in reality has long realized that the NPA will never grow to become a Mao-style Red Army that would eventually seize power. The NPA is merely there as muscle to raise funds for the CPP and its network of agit-prop fronts, to be recognized as a force to contend with by opposition forces, and most importantly, and as theater for the communists to claim that they are really undertaking a revolution.

Email: tiglao.manilatimes@gmail.com
Facebook: Rigoberto Tiglao
Twitter: @bobitiglao
Book orders: www.rigobertotiglao.com/debunked

https://www.manilatimes.net/2020/09/18/opinion/columnists/topanalysis/cpp-a-propaganda-party-no-proletariat-no-peasant-army/769192/

CPP/NDF-Negros Island: NDF-Negros on the extension of the state of calamity in the Philippines

Propaganda statement posted to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Website (Sep 19, 2020): NDF-Negros on the extension of the state of calamity in the Philippines

BAYANI OBRERO

SPOKESPERSON

NDF-NEGROS ISLAND

SEPTEMBER 19, 2020

President Rodrigo Duterte extended the period of the state of calamity due to the coronavirus until September 21, 2020 through Proclamation No. 1021.

Despite having one of the longest and strictest lockdowns in the world, Covid19 infections continues to rise. Up to now, the regime is absent a concise plan on how to deal with the pandemic. Six months in, the military mindset of Duterte has put the country in a cycle of endless quarantines, instead of heeding the demand of the people for mass testing and sustained relief efforts. Local government units and regional counterparts of the various departments are left by themselves while the regime has pocketed the funds and buried the nation in debt owed to foreign imperialist powers US and China, the brunt of which will have to be burdened by the people.

Even at a time of worldwide pandemic and economic crisis, the proposed 2021 budget shows how the Duterte government is prioritizing militarization, debt and infrastructure over health and other social services. The allocated budget for fascism and corruption is P1.568 trillion wherein 4.5 billion is for Duterte’s black budget and P19.1 billion is for the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).

Moreover, Duterte continues to wave his iron fist. On top of the almost 5,000 deaths by Covid19, Duterte keeps on unleashing terror against the people and silencing dissent. We will continue to cry for justice for Jory Porquia, Carlito Badion, Randall Enchanis, Zara Alvarez and other victims of state-sponsored killings.

What the Duterte government accomplished so far in this pandemic is to push for anti-people policies such as the Anti-Terror Act of 2020 and establish his dictatorial rule. The people must remain vigilant as Duterte is very likely to use the pandemic to cling to power and stay beyond his term.

It is clearly becoming obvious how the Duterte regime has abused the pandemic to push forth his treachery, plunder, tyranny, and fascism.

The most effective remedy to cure our country from this pandemic is to remove the Duterte virus out of Malacañang. It is only high time for the united people to use our collective power to oust the fascist US-Duterte regime.

https://cpp.ph/statements/ndf-negros-on-the-extension-of-the-state-of-calamity-in-the-philippines/

CPP/IB: CPP welcomes EU resolution against international pariah Duterte

Propaganda statement posted to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Website (Sep 19, 2020): CPP welcomes EU resolution against international pariah Duterte

INFORMATION BUREAU

COMMUNIST PARTY OF THE PHILIPPINES

SEPTEMBER 19, 2020

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) today welcomed the resolution issued by the European Parliament expressing “deepest concern at the rapidly deteriorating human rights situation in the Philippines under President Rodrigo Duterte.” Members of the Parliament approved the resolution on Thursday with 626 votes in favor, seven against and 52 abstentions.

“Much like Marcos before his ouster, Duterte has now become an international pariah,” said CPP Chief Information Officer Marco L. Valbuena. “The EU parliament vote confirms how isolated the Duterte regime is not only from the Filipino people but from the international community as well.”

“Indeed, Duterte has become a world leader in terms of abuses and corruption,” pointed out Valbuena. “He is now among the ranks of Hitler, Mussolini, Marcos, Suharto, Idi Amin, Lukashenko, Park Chung Hee and other detested dictators who butchered their people and plundered their nation.”

In media interviews, Malacañang spokesman Harry Roque claimed the EU Parliament vote was influenced by the CPP which “has strong influence in Europe.” Valbuena said Roque is “red-tagging obsessed.”

“It is the height of this regime’s paranoia to claim that the CPP influenced 626 members of the EU Parliament to point out what is already obvious — that Rodrigo Duterte is a murderous, vengeful tyrant, intent on destroying his own people to further his fascist ambitions,” added Valbuena. “False it might be but thank you for the unwitting compliment.”

The lawmakers urged the EU and its member states to support the adoption of a resolution at the ongoing 45th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council to conduct an independent international probe into human rights violations committed by the Duterte regime since it sat in power in 2016.

Members of the European Parliament denounced “the thousands of extrajudicial killings and other serious human rights violations related to the so-called war on drugs.” Earlier on September 8, Human Rights Watch exposed that Duterte’s drug killing spree has further escalated during the pandemic with at least 155 persons killed by the police in the past four months. The Parliament called on the regime to “put an immediate end to all violence targeting suspected drug offenders, and to disband private and state-backed paramilitary groups.”

The lawmakers also condemned “all threats, harassment, intimidation, rape and violence against those who seek to expose allegations of extrajudicial killings and other human rights violations in the country, including human rights and environmental activists, trade unionists and journalists.” The lawmakers cited and denounced the extrajudicial killing of activists Randall Echanis, Jory Porquia and Zara Alvarez this year, and of 43 land rights defenders in 2019.

Expressing alarm about the “deteriorating level of press freedom” in the Philippines, the Parliament described the Philippine Congress’ vote to deny the renewal of ABS-CBN as “an act of retaliation for the media’s coverage of the anti-drugs campaign and serious human rights abuses.” The lawmakers also described the conviction of Rappler CEO and executive editor Maria Ressa and researcher Reynaldo Santos, as well as of Sen. Leila de Lima as “politically motivated” and demanded that all charges against them be dropped.

https://cpp.ph/statements/cpp-welcomes-eu-resolution-against-international-pariah-duterte/

AFP-CRS: Davao Norte IPs file raps vs. Haran administrators, NPA leaders

Posted to the Armed Forces of the Philippines-Civil Relations Service (AFP-CRS) Facebook Page (Sep 18, 2020): Davao Norte IPs file raps vs. Haran administrators, NPA leaders

Four members of the Indigenous Peoples from Davao del Norte file several charges before the Davao City Prosecutor's Office on Tuesday (September 15, 2020) against the leaders of the New People’s Army and the administrators and board of directors of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines Haran for exploitation. The tribe members accused the respondents of exploitation, forced labor, and for using them to benefit the communist rebel movement.

#AFPyoucanTRUST |www.afpcrs.com

https://www.facebook.com/CivilRelationsServiceAFP/photos/a.182240175128048/3655813161104048/?type=3&theater

AFP-CRS: NPA continues extortion in Bukidnon amid COVID-19 threat

Posted to the Armed Forces of the Philippines-Civil Relations Service (AFP-CRS) Facebook Page (Sep 18, 2020): NPA continues extortion in Bukidnon amid COVID-19 threat

#AFPyoucanTRUST| www.afpcrs.com

https://www.facebook.com/CivilRelationsServiceAFP/photos/a.182240175128048/3655749944443703/?type=3&theater

Kalinaw News: Former rebels says “I do” in Zamboanga del Sur

Posted to Kalinaw News (Sep 19, 2020): Former rebels says “I do” in Zamboanga del Sur

Guipos, Zamboanga del Sur – Twelve Former Rebels (FRs) couples who surrendered to 53rd Infantry (MATAPAT) Battalion said their vows and officially tied the knot in a wedding ceremony held yesterday night September 18 at 53rd IB Headquarters, Camp Sabido, Guipos, Zamboanga del Sur.

The newly weds belonged to the now-defunct Guerilla Front KARA, Main Regional Guerilla Unit (MRGU), and HQ “KALAW” of NPA terrorists’ Western Mindanao Regional Party Committee.

Guipos Mayor, who has jurisdiction over the town where the Battalion currently sits and MTF-ELCAC Chairperson Hon. Vicente P. Cajeta presided the mass wedding.

The ceremony was also sponsored by various civilian and military stakeholders that significantly supported the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) of the government.

Programs for Former Rebels is aligned with the mandates of Executive Order No. 70 signed by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte institutionalizes the Whole of Nation approach mandating the creation of a Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (TF-ELCAC).

53rd IB Commanding Officer Lt. Col. Jo-ar Herrera in his message thanked the sponsors for making the ceremony possible.

“I extend my utmost gratitude to our partners for making this mass wedding for our FRs possible and memorable,” said Lt. Col. Herrera.

“Not only do we assist them in processing their benefits under various government programs and initiatives, but we also show them that they are truly accepted in the society,” he added.

1st Infantry Division Commander Maj. Gen. Gene Ponio, who officially represented the Commanding General of the Philippine Army Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, encouraged the newly weds to be responsible parents to their children.

“What’s more important than preparation is your relationship with one another. Problems just come and go; you can overcome everything if you support each other,” said Maj. Gen. Ponio.

Civilian and military stakeholders who’ve supported in making the wedding possible are SKH-Initiative, a non-government organization headed by Ms. Faye Reyes; 547th Engineer Battalion, 1st Field Artillery Battalion, and the Municipal Task Forces ELCAC of Guipos, Dumalinao, San Miguel, all of Zamboanga del Sur and Siayan, Zamboanga del Norte.



[Kalinaw News is the official online source of information on the pursuit for peace in the Philippines This website is a property of the Civil-Military Operations Regiment, Philippine Army located at Lawton Avenue, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City. Contact us: kalinawnews@cmoregiment.com]

https://www.kalinawnews.com/former-rebels-says-i-do-in-zamboanga-del-sur/

Kalinaw News: NPA Arms Cache Recovered

 Posted to Kalinaw News (Sep 19, 2020): NPA Arms Cache Recovered

1003RD BRIGADE, Bunawan District, DC – Nine (9) assorted high powered firearms belonging to the beleaguered Guerilla Front 55 (GF 55) were recovered by joint elements of the 89th Infantry Battalion, 1003rd Brigade, and 103rd MICO in a remote area of Sitio Bibislig, Brgy Gamot, Quezon, Bukidnon on Friday, September 18, 2020.

The recovered arms cache was a result of the revelations of alias “SARA”, one of the wounded NPA members left to die by her fleeing comrades during an encounter between the 27th Infantry Battalion and GF 55 in Calinan District last Septenber 9, 2020. Subject NPA was rescued by the 27th Infantry Battalion and brought to SPMC by the 1003rd Brigade for medical treatment. The Brigade earned the trust and confidence of alias “SARA” because of the proper treatment provided to her.

The nine (9) firearms, all in operational condition consist of seven (7) M16 rifles, one (1) M653 rifle and one (1) AK 47 rifle. The firearms are now subject to documentation and processing to establish their origins.

For the period since the September 9 clash in Calinan District, Davao City, the NPA under GF 55 had lost 16 firearms to the government troops. Moreover, the said NPA unit also lost seven (7) members who were either killed, captured or surrendered.

Guerilla Front 55 has been known to notoriously impose extortion and mass recovery activities across Davao City; Talaingod, Davao Del Norte and parts of Bukidnon Province.

Brigadier General Nolasco A Mempin, Commander of the 1003rd Brigade, lauded his troops for their display of deep respect to human rights in reference to the capture and treatment of alias “SARA” and of the other NPA members that gave way to the succesful discovery of the arms cache.

“We will be relentless in our mandated task as protectors of the people until lasting peace is finally established in all communities under our Area of Responsibility. We are calling on everyone to be committed and be part of the Culture of Security our local leaders are espousing, BGen Mempin added.



[Kalinaw News is the official online source of information on the pursuit for peace in the Philippines This website is a property of the Civil-Military Operations Regiment, Philippine Army located at Lawton Avenue, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City. Contact us: kalinawnews@cmoregiment.com]

https://www.kalinawnews.com/npa-arms-cache-recovered/

Kalinaw News: Army finds NPA hideout in Agusan del Norte seizes ammos, supplies

Posted to Kalinaw News (Sep 19, 2020): Army finds NPA hideout in Agusan del Norte seizes ammos, supplies

BUENAVISTA, Agusan del Norte –Troopers of the 23rd Infantry (Masigasig) Battalion discovered a Communist New People’s Army Terrorists’ (CNTs) hideout in the hinterlands of Barangay Amparo, Butuan City on the evening of September 17, 2020 after conducting a follow-up operation based on the information provided by Alias DANSOY/KEVIN, the Political Instructor (PI) of SDG CAOCAO, GF-4A, NCMRC.

It can be recalled that Alias DANSOY/KEVIN surrendered to 23rd IB on the same date. The discovered hideout has an estimated land area of three hundred square meters (300m2) which can accommodate more or less twenty-eight (28) persons. It was abandoned a few hours prior to discovery

Seized from the said hideout were one (1) Motorcycle (SKYGO), three hundred and fourteen (314) rounds of live ammunition of Ctg Cal .30, Carbine; fifty-four (54) rounds of live ammunition of Ctg 5.56mm, M16 Rifle; four (4) rounds of live ammunition of Ctg 7.62mm, M14 Rifle, one (1) long magazine for M16 Rifle; one (1) short magazine for M16 Rifle; three (3) Short Magazines for Cal .30, Carbine, One (1) round of live ammunition of Ctg 40mm, HE M203 GL, One (1) short magazine for cal. .30, Carbine; six (6) blasting caps; one (1) handheld radio (Baofeng), three (3) batteries for handheld radio (Baofeng); one (1) charger for handheld radio (Baofeng); three (3) antennas for handheld radio (Baofeng); three (3) USB connectors; seventeen (17) pieces sim cards; two (2) memory adaptors; two (2) chargers for cellular phone; one (1) rubber duck; three (3) civilian bag packs; one jungle hammock; five (5) tents; assorted medical supplies; assorted clothing; one-half (½) sack of rice; and subversive documents.

Lt. Col. Julius Cesar C. Paulo, Commander of 23IB expressed gratitude to the former rebel (FR) who provided the positive information to the unit.

“Through the active cooperation of the FR who recently surrendered to our unit, we have located the CNT hideout and probably foil their hostile plans in the community. We now have two (2) best reliable sources of positive information — the weary civilian populace and the FRs,” Paulo said.

He also emphasized that the CNTs no longer have a place to hide as the civilians are now are showing their full support to the government particularly to the Army and the police.

“No matter where these CNTs will hide, we will still locate them and we will continue to pursue them because we know that they are just around the area,” Paulo said.

He again urged the remaining and tired CNT members in Agusan del Norte to listen to the call of the government and take hold of the opportunity being offered to them.

“Come down, lay down your arms, and avail of the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (ECLIP) of the government. But, if you will not heed to our call, then we will never hesitate to use our force to neutralize you for the benefit of the Filipino people who longed to live peacefully,” Paulo said.

[Kalinaw News is the official online source of information on the pursuit for peace in the Philippines This website is a property of the Civil-Military Operations Regiment, Philippine Army located at Lawton Avenue, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City. Contact us: kalinawnews@cmoregiment.com]

https://www.kalinawnews.com/army-finds-cnt-hideout-in-agnor-seizes-ammos-supplies/

Kalinaw News: 4 na mga dating miyembro ng NPA, nakatanggap ng pangkabuhayan mula sa pamahalaan

Posted to Kalinaw News (Sep 19, 2020): 4 na mga dating miyembro ng NPA, nakatanggap ng pangkabuhayan mula sa pamahalaan

Camp Melchor F Dela Cruz, Upi, Gamu, Isabela- Ipinagkaloob sa mga dating miyembro ng rebeldeng New People’s Army (NPA) ang tulong mula sa pamahalaan para sa kanilang pagbabagong buhay sa pamamagitan ng 50th Infantry Battalion, 5th Infantry Division, Philippine Army sa Barangay Dupag, Tabuk City, Kalinga noong ika-14 ng Setyembre 2020.

Mula sa programang “Pangkabuhayan sa Pagbangon at Ginhawa o (PBG)” ng Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) –Kalinga Provincial Office ay naipaabot sa apat na nagbalik-loob sa pamahalaan ang Sari-Sari Store package bilang panimula nilang pangkabuhayan. Maliban dito, nakatanggap din sila ng mga gamit pangsaka at mga Food Processing Equipment.

Sa mensahe ni Aurora Amilig, Tabuk City Information Officer, pinapurihan niya ang programa ng DTI at ang pagsisikap ng mga kasundaluhan upang mabigyan ng pagkakataon ang mga sumukong rebelde na magbagong buhay.

Pinasalamatan naman ni Captain Rigor N Pamittan, Civil-Military Operations Officer ng 50IB ang DTI sa kanilang patuloy na pagsuporta sa pamamagitan ng mga programang pangkabuhayan para sa mga sumukong rebelde. Aniya, sa pamamagitan ng Whole of the Nation Approach, nakaalalay at laging handang tumugon ang 50IB at mga ahensya ng pamahalaan para sa alalayan ang mga sumukong NPA sa kanilang maayos na pagbabalik sa komunidad.

Sa mensahe naman ni BGen Laurence E Mina PA, Commander ng 5ID, PA, hindi magsasawa ang pamahalaan na tugunan ang mga pangangailangan ng mga nagbalik-loob at magbabalik-loob pang mga miyembro ng rebeldeng NPA. “Tunay ang pagnanais ng pamahalaan na tugunan ang pangangailangan ng mga sumukong rebelde upang makapagsimula silang mamuhay ng marangal. Patunay dito ang pagtutulungan ng lahat ng ahensya ng pamahalaan upang maipaabot ang mga programa at serbisyo hindi lang sa mga dating rebelde, kundi pati na ang buong pamayanan.”

https://www.kalinawnews.com/4-na-mga-dating-miyembro-ng-npa-nakatanggap-ng-pangkabuhayan-mula-sa-pamahalaan/

Kalinaw News: Local farmers in Brgy Pilar, Hinigaran Join Hands and denounce CPP-NPA-NDF

Posted to Kalinaw News (Sep 19, 2020): Local farmers in Brgy Pilar, Hinigaran Join Hands and denounce CPP-NPA-NDF

CAMP GERONA,MURCIA, Negros Occidental – The Local Farmer Organization in the municipality of Hinigaran together with LGUs, LGAs, Army, PNP and barangay officials joined hands and denounced the atrocities and manipulated deceptions committed by the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) and its allies as they conducted Oath of Allegiance, Signing of Persona Non Grata and burning of NPA flag held at Brgy Pilar, Hinigaran, Negros Occidental earlier today September 18, 2020 (Friday).

The Three (3) Local Farmer Organizations of Hinigaran namely the Campi Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Association (CARBA); Pilar Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Association (PARBA) and Raming Farm Workers Association (RAFA) strongly denounced the CPP-NPA-NDF and conducted Oath of Allegiance activity followed by Ceremonial Signing of Persona Non-Grata (PNG) and the burning of NPA flag. It was facilitated by the barangay officials of Barangay Pilar headed by Brgy Captain Benjamin Yulo and was strongly supported by the local government unit of the municipality of Hinigaran headed by Mayor Josie Nadie Arceo and its municipal councils.

Colonel Inocencio Pasaporte, 303rd Infantry Brigade Commander and Police Colonel Romy Palgue, Negros Occidental Police Provincial Director attended and witnessed the said activity together with Lt.Colonel Melvin Flores, Commanding Officer of 62IB; Police LtColonel Ryan Manongdo, Commanding Officer of 2nd Negros Occidental Police Mobile Force Company; Police Major James Latayon, COP Hinigaran; Captain Kelvin Bayaban, Brigade CMO Officer and Captain Raymund Jamisal, CMO Officer of 62IB.

Representatives from different Local and National Government Agencies such as DILG, DSWD, DAR, DA, MHO, AFP and PNP facilitated the Community-Based-Dialogue as one of the activities during the program.

Brgy Captain Benjamin Yulo of Brgy Pilar led the Oath of Allegiance “Pagsumpa Para sa Kalinong” wherein it was followed by “Panumpa Para sa Katutum sa Republika Nang Pilipinas” headed by LtColonel Melvin Flores, Battalion Commander of 62IB.

Pastora Hope Biasca of Trinity Baptist Church spearheaded the Candle lightning activity and led a candle lighting prayer calling for the end of the armed conflict caused by the communists. It was followed by the symbolic signing of Persona-Non-Grata followed by messages from the heads of the 3 Farmers Organizations: Mr Primitivo Rallos, Chairman, Campi Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Association (CARBA); Mr Dioscoro Andrino, Chairman, Pilar Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Association (PARBA) and Mrs Leida David, Chairman, Raming Farm Workers Association (RAFA).

Mayor Jose Nadie Arceo said in his message, “The condition of our lives will not progress if we support the evil doings of the terrorists, in the end, the truth will always win. If there’s no peace, there’s no progress and development. As your Mayor and your local government head in Hinigaran, I fully understand your problems in different aspects of our community. My office are always open in all your concerns, please dont hesistate to come and approach my as I and our local agencies are willing to help and you with your concerns. We should also take this opportunity to be thankful to the presence of our AFP, PNP and different government agencies in this program. They are all here because you are all special to them, the people of Hinigaran are special to them. It only shows that our government is sincere in helping you. Dont be fooled by the NPA and dont allow them to destroy your lives. We want to end terrorism to achieve a lasting peace because the future generation deserves it. We are here to call for peace,” he added.

Police Colonel Romy Plague, Provincial Director of Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office in his message also said, “We should defend our barangays, our community and most especially our family from terrorists and drugs just like how strict we are in defending ourselves from this COVID -19 pandemic. We should defend our community against insurgency. The collaborative efforts of our LGUs, LGAs, Army and PNP never back down in giving you the assistance that you need. We should not back down. Let us all unite in this endeavor, ” he added.

Meanwhile, Colonel Inocencio Pasaporte, 303rd Brigade Commander lauded the united efforts of the local farmers and LGUs of Hinigaran in condemning Communists NPA Terrorist in their area. “Continue to support the government in condemning the NPA atrocities, especially the recruitment of minors and the killings of the innocent individuals made by the CNTs. We are here, your government, AFP and PNP because we don’t want the NPAs to use the people of Hinigaran in their wrong doings. We don’t want you to be victims of their atrocities. Do not hesitate to report the presence of any armed group in your area.

Your Army in Negros is willing to extend its hand to assist our people with their problems and concerns related to the different agencies of our government. We will bring your issues to concerned agencies. We are one with other agencies, LGUs and even your local officials in extending our services for you. Help your government and condemn these NPAs and its allies. Don’t let them manipulate you for eventually they will destroy your lives. You must look after the future of our children. Don’t just let your children be recruited by leftist groups for they will ruin the future of your children. ” Colonel Pasaporte added.
The CPP-NPA has been declared by the United States of America, European Union, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the Philippines as a terrorist group.

[Kalinaw News is the official online source of information on the pursuit for peace in the Philippines This website is a property of the Civil-Military Operations Regiment, Philippine Army located at Lawton Avenue, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City. Contact us: kalinawnews@cmoregiment.com]

https://www.kalinawnews.com/local-farmers-in-brgy-pilar-hinigaran-join-hands-and-denounce-cpp-npa-ndf/

Kalinaw News: 62IB Troops Seize NPA Arms Cache in Moises Padilla

 Posted to Kalinaw News (Sep 19, 2020): 62IB Troops Seize NPA Arms Cache in Moises Padilla

CAMP PERALTA, Jamindan Capiz – The Army’s 62nd Infantry Battalion seized CPP-NPA Terrorist’s arms cache containing twelve various firearms at the vicinity of Sitio Bungao, Barangay Macagahay, Moises Padilla, Negros Occidental on Thursday, September 17, 2020.

The troops were responding on a report about the presence of armed communist-terrorists in the area doing extortion activities, when they saw a suspicious person dropping his .38 caliber revolver after seeing the troops and ran away. This incident prompted the troops to conduct pursuit operation that resulted to the apprehension of certain Joselito Ebarle.

While scouring the area, the troops found two M16 rifles; eight cal.38 revolvers; two homemade shotguns; one magazine of M14 with ten rounds of live ammunitions; oneback pack containing subversive documents and one CPP-NPA flag inside the house of Ebarle.

Major General Eric Vinoya, the Commander of the Army’s 3rd Infantry (Spearhead) Division said, the seizure of arms cache of the CPP-NPA Terrorist is an indication of excess war materiel due to the dwindling number of communist-terrorists operating in Negros.

“The troops did not only inflict damage on the armed capability of the communist-terrorists but likewise prevented them to use the aforementioned firearms in casting terroristic activities,” said MGen Vinoya.

As he thanked the populace for their unwavering support to the Army by giving accurate and timely information, he also encouraged others to do the same to finally put the communist-terrorist group’s cruelty to its end.

“With the people backing us, we are optimistic that we can totally weaken not only the armed capability of the communist-terrorists, but also their will to fight,” he added.



[Kalinaw News is the official online source of information on the pursuit for peace in the Philippines This website is a property of the Civil-Military Operations Regiment, Philippine Army located at Lawton Avenue, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City. Contact us: kalinawnews@cmoregiment.com]

https://www.kalinawnews.com/62ib-troops-seize-npa-arms-cache-in-moises-padilla/

Kalinaw News: 29 NPAs, 80 MBs, and 212 Mass Supporters Abandon NPA Terrorist Movement in Agusan del Sur

Posted to Kalinaw News (Sep 19, 2020): 29 NPAs, 80 MBs, and 212 Mass Supporters Abandon NPA Terrorist Movement in Agusan del Sur

BANCASI, Butuan City – Twenty-nine (29) CPP-NPA Terrorist members, eighty (80) Milisya ng Bayan (MBs) members, and two-hundred twelve (212) Mass Supporters have abandoned the CPP-NPA Terrorist (CNT) movement in Esperanza, Agusan del Sur during the Peace Rally and Mass Withdrawal of support Ceremony on September 15, 2020 held at the Esperanza National High School Gymnasium, Brgy Poblacion, Esperanza, Agusan del Sur.

The former NPA members and the Communist Terrorist Group (CTG) supporters have openly denounced thru a march protest rally, the atrocities and continuous exploitation of the Communist Terrorist Group (CTG) of their communities. They expressed their sentiments against the CTG’s deception method and continuous hardship they have brought to them.

A total of three-hundred twenty one (321) members and supporters of the CTG composed of twenty-nine (29) regular NPA members, eighty (80) Milisya ng Bayan members, twelve (12) supporters, one hundred fifty-one (151) mass organization members, twenty-three (23) contacts, and twenty-six (26) couriers, all residents of Esperanza, ADS have pledged allegiance to the government and vowed to eradicate the influence of the CTG in their communities.

Guerilla Front (GF) 88, GF89 and GF4B of North Central Mindanao Regional Command (NCMRC) are the CTGs conducting agitation, organizing and recruitment in the said municipality to include extortion and threat.

Since January 2020, a total of six-hundred seven (607) CNTs were already neutralized (killed, apprehended or surrendered) thru combat operations, joint law enforcement operations and Community Support Program of the government.

The Municipal Task Force in Ending Local Communist Armed Conflict spearheaded by Hon Leonida M Manpatilan through the efforts of the Community Support Teams (CSTs) of the 26th Infantry (Ever Onward) Battalion under the operational control of the 402nd Infantry (Stingers) Brigade facilitated the Signing of Manifesto entitled “Manipesto sa Among Pagbugto sa Pagka-miyembro sa Kalihukan sa CPP-NPA-NDF Organisasyong Masa ug Militar”.

Mayor Manpatilan lamented the continuous threat brought about by the CNTs who sow fear by killing innocent civilians who refuse to support their movement in order to maintain control and influence in the communities. She also commended the courage and bravery of her constituents for coming back to the folds of the law and have now become peace partners of the government.

Fifteen (15) members received financial assistance worth fifteen thousand pesos (Php15, 000.00) each from the LGU of Esperanza while the rest will still undergo validation.

Meanwhile, Brigadier General Maurito L Licudine, the Commander of the 402nd Infantry (Stingers) Brigade, said that the shift of support of the former members of the CNTs and its mass supporters were already anticipated due to the strong advocacy of the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Esperanza led by their Municipal Mayor in facilitating the Whole of Nation Approach convergence to address the insurgency problem in their municipality.

“Local Chief Executives need to rise up and be the voice of their people in addressing this menace plaguing our communities for several decades. We are fortunate that Mayor Manpatilan and Vice Mayor Siohan together with their Sangguniang Members have joined hands with the security sector and recognized that only in an environment of peace that use can realize peaceful and progressive communities”, BGen Licudine said.



“We call on the other Local Chief Executives to strengthen their resolve to fight these terrorists. Much is expected from our local leaders as they are the key element in leading their respective constituents in driving away the communist terrorist from their communities. Together let’s fight these pests who hamper the socio-economic development potentials of communities for the past decades”, he added.

BGen Licudine also encouraged remaining members of the CTG to surrender and avail the E-CLIP that can provide opportunities for them to start a new life.

Also in attendance in full support to the activity of the MTF ELCAC were Governor Santiago Cane Jr, the Provincial Governor of Agusan del Sur, Lt Col Reynald Romel A Goce, 26IB Commanding Officer, and Datu Carlos “Balubaguio” Otacan, the Municipal IP Mandatory Representative of EADS.

[Kalinaw News is the official online source of information on the pursuit for peace in the Philippines This website is a property of the Civil-Military Operations Regiment, Philippine Army located at Lawton Avenue, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City. Contact us: kalinawnews@cmoregiment.com]

https://www.kalinawnews.com/29-npas-80-mbs-and-212-mass-supporters-abandon-npa-terrorist-movement-in-agusan-del-sur/