Thursday, September 24, 2020

Gapay names UP, PUP as among the schools with NPA recruitment

From the Manila Bulletin (Sep 23, 2020): Gapay names UP, PUP as among the schools with NPA recruitment (By Aaron Recuenco)

Government security forces have been making their presence felt in colleges and universities in a bid to prevent recruitment of students to join the New People’s Army (NPA), a top military official said on Wednesday.

Gen. Gilbert Gapay

Gen. Gilbert Gapay, chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), said that while some groups and individuals repeatedly deny the recruitment of the NPA in colleges and universities, past clashes with communist rebels proved that college students are being convinced to join the armed struggle against the government.

“We go to various schools, universities to really inform them of the threat of the NPA recruitment. The front organizations of the rebels have been saying that it is not true but just recently, our troops on the ground have engaged in encounters with students (from) PUP (Polytechnic University of the Philippines) and UP (University of the Philippines),” said Gapay.


He said that aside from the students themselves, it is the parents that suffer the most based on past experiences wherein parents would only know that their children had been recruited after their deaths in the encounters.

“All along, they thought that their children were in school but they did not know that their children were already recruited and were being exposed to training in battle and being taught to shoot,” said Gapay.

But Gapay said that their presence in the schools along with the Philippine National Police (PNP) is more on leadership summits and other awareness programs.

“This is what we are addressing, the awareness program that this is the modus of the NPA. They would capitalize on youth idealism and adventurism and they cannot go out because they are being threatened that they would be killed,” said Gapay.

“We are doing this to really develop the students into responsible, patriotic citizens of our country. In all these activities, we are joined by the PNP in really protecting our youth from NPA recruitment,” he added.

https://mb.com.ph/2020/09/23/gapay-names-up-pup-as-among-the-schools-with-npa-recruitment/

CPP/IB: Gulfstream G280 arrival to satiate Duterte’s penchant for luxurious private jet flights

Propaganda article posted to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Website (Sep 24, 2020): Gulfstream G280 arrival to satiate Duterte’s penchant for luxurious private jet flights

INFORMATION BUREAU
COMMUNIST PARTY OF THE PHILIPPINES

SEPTEMBER 24, 2020



The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) today criticized the consummated purchase of the ₱2-billion Gulfstream G280 business jet ordered by Rodrigo Duterte and Defense Sec. Delfin Lorenzana from the US in October 2019. Theaircraft landed at the Clark International Airport in Pampanga last weekend. The jet plane had its inaugural flight to Davao City last September 21 to ferry cabinet executives scheduled to attend a meeting with Duterte and purportedly to deliver personal protective equipment.

“The dream of Duterte and his close cohorts of having their own luxurious jet has come true,” said CPP Chief Information Officer Marco L. Valbuena. “Their Gulfstream G280 is finally here! Now, they can ride in comfort in their Manila-Davao sorties, while delivering PPE [personal protective equipment] to boot… while the rest of the Filipino people suffer from their daily commute problems.”

The said aircraft was procured under the Horizon 2 of the AFP Modernization Program under the guise of boosting the airborne command and control operations of the military. Experts, however, pointed out that the jet is not equipped and unsuitable for such purposes. The CPP believes that the jet was actually bought by the regime to satiate Rodrigo Duterte’s penchant for luxurious private jet flights.

The luxury jet was purchased by the Philippine government under the US Foreign Military Financing program of the State Department.

“Not only is this jet plane costly in itself, but so is its operation,” pointed out Valbuena. “The flight cost per hour for the aircraft is P194,996 ($7,177) per hour. If it were to be used on a regular basis flying up to 450 hours per year, the regime is set to squander up to ₱88 million annually. This is extremely extravagant especially that the aircraft is only capable of transporting up to 8 passengers per flight.”

“Ever time that Duterte rides his Gulfstream, he is proving himself a liar and demagogue for breaking not only his campaign promise to stop the use of luxury vehicles for official use and his vow not to receive anything from the US,”
added Valbuena.

Gulfstream G280 jet planes are manufactured by Gulfstream Aerospace, a US company company which forms part of what is known as the military industrial complex of big monopoly capitalists who make billions of dollars in profit in US wars of aggression and proxy wars around the globe.

https://cpp.ph/statements/gulfstream-g280-arrival-to-satiate-dutertes-penchant-for-luxurious-private-jet-flights/

CPP/CIO: On Facebook’s takedown of Duterte-linked troll accounts

Propaganda article posted to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Website (Sep 24, 2020): On Facebook’s takedown of Duterte-linked troll accounts

MARCO VALBUENA
CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER
COMMUNIST PARTY OF THE PHILIPPINES

SEPTEMBER 24, 2020



As people have long suspected, Duterte’s claims to popular support is all a big hoax. This is now confirmed by the Facebook takedown of around 200 accounts and pages, many found to be based in Fujian, China, and with at least 55 directly linked to the Philippine military and police. These accounts have been found to be interlinked to close to 300,000 accounts where these carry out “coordinated inauthentic behaviour.”

It is now becoming exposed that the so-called Duterte Diehard Supporters is a manufactured trend generated by a state-funded troll-farm of hundreds of networked government-controlled Facebook and other social media accounts. These are maintained by a highly compensated copy-and-paste brigade. Its operations is being masterminded and bankrolled by the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC). No less than the account of the chief of the Philippine Army’s “Social Media Center” Andre Cabales was determined to be among those behind this fascist social media manipulation.

This network uses people’s money to manipulate public opinion with their false narrative of anti-democracy and anti-communism and promoting fascism and blind Duterte idolatry. This is inextricably linked to the Duterte regime’s dirty war directed against the people.

These accounts have been found to reflect the AFP and PNP official PR line which typically targets activists, human rights advocates and other critics of the Duterte regime. They invariably use Duterte-inspired foul language, engage in red-tagging and incite violence to threaten and intimidate. They are the online version of the Hitlerite Brownshirts of the 1930s which serves Duterte’s fascist ends. They are unarmed agents of the regime’s campaign of suppression.

It is fine that Facebook has taken down the network of fake accounts linked to the AFP and PNP. It is widely believed, however, that hundreds or thousands more of similar accounts are being run by state agents. Worse, the social media accounts of military and police agencies are themselves troll accounts which work hand in hand with Malacañang’s communication office and are in fact instigators of fascist propaganda and psywar operations.

https://cpp.ph/statements/on-facebooks-takedown-of-duterte-linked-troll-accounts/

Why the Philippines Needs to Revise Its National Defense Act

From The Diplomat (Sep 24, 2020): Why the Philippines Needs to Revise Its National Defense Act (By Jay Tristan Tarriela

An 80-plus year old law has allowed the Philippine Army near-unquestioned dominance over the military. That has to change.



President Rodrigo Duterte, along with the 2nd Infantry Division army troopers, does the fist gesture at Camp Capinpin in Tanay, Rizal on August 24, 2016.Credit: Presidential Communications Operations Office

Recently, Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana signed an order renaming the titles of the key officials of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). In his words, the change will help the AFP to “keep in step” with other military organizations, and it is also expected to change the military structure to one that is “more responsive to current and future non-conventional threats.” Nevertheless, such a vision could remain a distant goal if there are no structural reforms beyond the changing of titles.

The AFP was established following the passage of Commonwealth Act No. 1, also known as the National Defense Act of 1935. For almost 85 years now, this law has remained the legal basis for the AFP’s existence, mandate and even strategy. Though specific provisions of the law were rescinded by presidential decrees or executive orders, especially during the time of President Ferdinand Marcos, and different Department of National Defense (DND) department orders have been published over the years, the act itself has yet to face Congress’ meticulous legislative deliberations.

It is worth noting that this law is not just obsolete — it was passed during the Commonwealth period, where the United States had not yet given the Philippines full independence. The framers of the act expected that the American military would still be there to defend the Philippine Islands. Such an appreciation for the U.S. military can even be interpreted from the provision that the Philippine president can appoint a U.S. army officer as a technical adviser known as a field marshal. General Douglas MacArthur held this position until the start of World War II.

Army-Dominated Military Establishment

Even without discussing each provision in detail, it’s fair to say that this law does not equip the AFP with the ability to respond to either invading states or non-traditional security threats of the 21st century. However, beyond that, this unchanged defense act has another problem: it institutionalized the importance of ground forces in territorial security. Since 1935, the Philippine Army (PA) has dominated the entire defense establishment. Though other factors helped establish the PA’s leading responsibility, particularly the communist insurgency, secessionist Moro rebels, and now terrorism, it is essential to highlight that the PA has borne nearly the entire burden of national defense since the establishment of the AFP.

While the other branches of the military service were established in 1947, and the AFP was reorganized in 1950 through the issuance of presidential executive orders, the military was still largely dominated by the PA — not just in terms of leadership but also in fiscal support and even in terms of the size of its ranks. This was justifiable and accepted among the other services during the Cold War, given that the threat of communist insurgency was a primary concern at the time. Furthermore, since the U.S. 7th Fleet was stationed in Subic Bay and Clark Air Base hosted U.S. Air Force fighter planes, the army-dominated AFP chain of command saw the PA as the one military service the U.S. was not able to replace. Even if a meager budget was allotted to the Philippine Navy (PN) and the Philippine Air Force (PAF), with fewer sailors and airmen, it was expected that the U.S. would deter or subdue any external security threat.

However, when the geopolitical dynamics shifted after the Cold War, the U.S. bases were no longer permitted to stay in the Philippines. When the Americans left, it revealed the Philippines’ poor external defense capability, particularly with regards to the PN and the PAF. This was exposed when the Chinese took over the Philippine-occupied Mischief Reef in 1995. Such an incident could have been the turning point for lawmakers to reassess and evaluate the antiquated law that outlines the Philippines’ national defense structure. Instead, President Fidel Ramos pushed for the AFP Modernization Act, which laid out a 15-year plan for defense capability acquisitions for the PN, PAF and PA. However, due to the Asian financial crisis, military modernization was set aside, and once again, the American military was welcomed through the Visiting Forces Agreement in 1998.

Incidentally, during the near-decade-long term of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, there was no emphasis on revising the National Defense Act or modernizing the PN and PAF. The military has persistently been dominated by the PA, with 11 of Arroyo’s chiefs of staff coming from the army. Though an air force general was appointed on one occasion, he retired after barely three months in office. During the Arroyo administration, the AFP focused on counterinsurgency operations against the Moro rebels in Mindanao, which remained the justification for the army’s significant cut of the defense budget. Interestingly, Arroyo openly relied on retired army generals, who dominated her cabinet during her presidency.

Under Benigno Aquino, however, the guidance for the military was to concentrate on external defense and not on internal security operations. China’s aggressive behavior in the South China Sea could have been an opportunity to call for Congress to reevaluate the obsolete National Defense Act, but Aquino pushed for the extension of the AFP Modernization Act instead. Though this became an excellent opportunity for the PN and PAF to realize their shopping list, some acquisitions never materialized. A case in point is the scrapping of the shore-based missile system (SBMS) in favor of purchasing individual combat equipment like helmets, night goggles, body armor and radios, among other things. The change was supported by Aquino.

For the current president, Duterte is replicating Arroyo’s political playbook, which is relying on retired army soldiers to form part of his cabinet. On the other hand, he recognizes the importance of modernizing the AFP by supporting the acquisition of military assets for the PN and PAF. But the army’s sway has remained strong. In 2018, his defense secretary, a retired army general, approved the creation of a single army division that is estimated to be composed of 4,500 personnel, which is almost one-third of the troops of either the PN or PAF. And the top military positions remained a revolving cast of army generals.

Hitches of the National Defense Act of 1935

The biggest downside of Congress’ failure to amend the existing National Defense Act of 1935 is the Army’s entrenched domination within the AFP. The act’s focus on the ground forces gave the PA leeway to consistently position itself as the entire military organization’s strategic leader. Its ability to adapt to various developments involving the country’s strategic environment has made the army a domineering actor in setting policies that work to its own advantage, whether that concerns the budget, personnel complements, or even the acquisition of assets.

Looking at the AFP’s annual allocation, the most significant portion of defense spending still goes to the army, which accounts for almost half of the entire budget. Despite the clear and present danger beyond the Philippines’ shorelines, the PA still managed to convert the acquisition of missile systems into purchases of helmets. The overused argument that the army’s main contribution is countering insurgency and separatist movements is not convincing — those problems have never ended, despite the overwhelming focus on them.

In terms of troop size, it is worth mentioning that out of the 140,000-strong AFP, almost 100,000 troops serve in the army. Just about a quarter of troops are from the PN, which includes the Philippine Marines, and PAF. While other countries are building their navy and air force by training more sailors and pilots, the PA remains the priority for additional personnel quotas. In 2019, Duterte stated that the AFP needs an 25,000 additional soldiers to fight insurgency and terrorism; it can be assumed that a significant portion of these recruits will be given to the PA. Moreover, it is worth noting that the PA has an additional force multiplier through the Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit (CAFGU) Active Auxiliary Service, whose manpower is estimated to number around 60,000.

Likewise, chances remain slim of officers from the PN or PAF being granted the position of chief of staff. Currently, this serves as a sinecure for loyal army generals, and a means of incentivizing the AFP to remain loyal to the commander-in-chief. This was a strategy adopted by previous administrations, and it still pertains today. The failure of the National Defense Act to govern the particular term and selection of the military chief has allowed patronage politics to influence its leadership.

Lastly, though the PN and PAF are both prioritized for modernization efforts, it is evident that the PA is still able to lobby to alter some of the items in the procurement list. As explained, this is made easier since the PA and its senior commanders have direct access to power — currently, army generals serve as both the chairman of the joint chiefs and the defense secretary.

Policy Recommendations

It is about time for the Philippines to enact a new law for national defense, not just to be in tune with the contemporary threats it faces, but to push through reforms that de-institutionalize the domination of one branch of service within the military. The issue of fair budget distribution, rational programming of personnel increases and even strategic acquisition of assets could all be addressed by the passage of a new law. Congress could include specific provisions to evaluate the needed percentage distribution of the defense budget, subject to review every three or five years. Nevertheless, the most important upshot of a new law would be that Congress could limit the overarching supremacy of the army within the AFP. Furthermore, the new law could establish fixed term limits for the chairman of the joint chiefs and even introduce the requirement that the post should rotate between the three branches of the military. This setting could give equal opportunity for all the branches of the military to be represented at the upper echelons of command.

If a new defense act is not enacted soon, the PAF might have to compete with the growing Army Aviation Regiment to acquire aircraft, and the PN may be forced to wrestle with the Army Riverine Unit for fast boat procurement. Obviously, these army initiatives are not intended to strengthen the AFP’s capability as a whole, but are another pliable strategy for the PA to contend for limited resources with the Air Force and the Navy. Duterte’s enormous support in the Congress would undoubtedly let him pass a new defense act should he ask for an urgent bill — just look at how quickly the Philippine anti-terror law was enacted. However, with retired army generals surrounding him, it is difficult to tell whether a new defense act can be realized before Duterte ends his term in 2022.

[Jay Tristan Tarriela is a Philippine Coast Guard officer and is currently on study leave. He is a Ph.D. candidate and a Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) scholar at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) under the GRIPS Global Governance (G-cube) Program in Tokyo, Japan. He is also a Young Leader with Pacific Forum, Honolulu. All views expressed in this article are his own and do not necessarily represent the official stand of any particular institution.]

https://thediplomat.com/2020/09/why-the-philippines-needs-to-revise-its-national-defense-act/

Sotto: Reconsider VFA if US will pass bill suspending security aid to Philippines

From GMA News Online (Sep 24, 2020): Sotto: Reconsider VFA if US will pass bill suspending security aid to Philippines (By DONA MAGSINO)

Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Thursday said the Philippine government should reconsider its Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) with the United States if the latter will pass a law suspending police and military aid to the country.
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"We should reconsider the VFA if they pass that... It's actually a big IF. If they pass a bill suspending security aid to us, then what will the VFA stand for?" Sotto, a strong proponent of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, said in a message.

Pennsylvania Representative Susan Wild introduced the Philippine Human Rights Bill to the US Congress in response to the passage of the controversial Philippine anti-terror law which she saw as an attack against activists and political dissenters of the Duterte administration.

Senate committee on national defense chairperson Panfilo Lacson acknowledged that the filing of the bill was within the US lawmakers' rights as members of their own Congress but he warned that the US would also be at stake of losing something if it would approve the measure.

"If adopted and approved, it will not only be our loss but theirs as well considering that a major part of the security assistance being extended to the Philippines is used to combat terrorism which knows no borders nor timing, and they know that for a fact," Lacson, principal sponsor of the anti-terror law, said in a statement.

"And since the RP-US Visiting Forces Agreement is still existing, they may have to resolve that as a legal issue in their deliberations," he added.

After formally seeking the termination of VFA in February, the Philippine government backpedaled and suspended for six months the abrogation of the treaty which governs the presence of US soldiers conducting military exercises in the country.

Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin previously said the suspension of the military accord's abrogation was made in light of "political and other developments in the region."

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/757000/sotto-reconsider-vfa-if-us-will-pass-bill-suspending-security-aid-to-philippines/story/

OPAPP seeks higher 2021 budget as proposed P19-B fund gets reduced to P700M

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Sep 22, 2020): OPAPP seeks higher 2021 budget as proposed P19-B fund gets reduced to P700M (By: Katrina Hallare)



Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) Head Sec. Carlito Galvez Jr., physically attends Tuesday’s hybrid hearing of the Committee on Finance Subcommittee C September 22, 2020, to present the proposed budget of the agency. Senate PRIB photo / Henz Austria

The Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) on Tuesday urged for a higher budget for 2021 after its proposed P19 billion was slashed to only P700 million.

During the Senate finance committee hearing tackling OPAPP’s proposed budget for next year, Presidential peace adviser Carlito Galvez Jr. said that his agency originally proposed P19.4 billion, which will “cover major programs engagement with different former rebel groups.”


  “However, in consideration of the COVID-19 crisis, and the directive of [Department of Budget and Management] DBM to assess its 2021 proposal, OPAPP adjusted its proposal which now amounts to P10 billion,” Galvez said.

But as per the DBM recommendation, Galvez added, the National Expenditure Program (NEP) approved by them for 2021 was P700.946 million, or only 3.61 percent of OPAPP’s original proposal of P19.4 billion.

“While the NEP increase is very much appreciated, we are really appealing to pursue the core programs and commitments that the OPAPP has already been made since 2016,” Galvez said during the hearing.

“Please allow me to humbly submit our appeal for the adjusted OPAPP priority funding worth P9.3 billion,” he added.

With the proposed fund, Galvez said, P3.2 billion of it will be for the Bangsamoro normalization program, which will support phase three of the decommissioning of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) forces.

Under the program, MILF forces will be decommissioned in four phases.

Galvez said that the OPAPP is nearing its target of decommissioning 40,000 MILF forces.

Another P453.297 million of the proposed fund, Galvez said, will be for the support of the peace process with the Moro National Liberation Front.

Also part of the funding will be for the support of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict Conduct of Localized Peace Engagements, as well as for the completion of the peace process with Rebolusyonaryong Partidong Manggagawa ng Pilipinas/ Revolutionary Proletarian Army/ Alex Boncayao Brigade (RPM-P/RPA/ABB).

The fund will also be allocated for the peacebuilding in Marawi, and for the implementation of the OPAPP’s Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan program (PAMANA) program.


“In conclusion, we therefore respectfully request for the reconsideration and approval of the agency’s proposed budget for 2021 particularly for the normalization amounting to P3.2 million which will support the continuation of decommissioning process and provision of socio-economic assistance and development projects in the most neglected conflict vulnerable communities,” Galvez said.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1338516/opapp-seeks-higher-2021-budget-as-proposed-p19-b-fund-gets-reduced-to-p700m

NPA suspect in Inopacan massacre nabbed

 From the Manila Bulletin (Sep 23, 2020): NPA suspect in Inopacan massacre nabbed (By Marie Tonette Marticio)

TACLOBAN CITY – Another high profile member of the New People’s Army (NPA) allegedly involved in the Inopacan massacre was arrested, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG-8) announced Tuesday (September 22).

The accused was identified as Muco Lubong, also known as Venancio Lubong, and bearing the aliases Nathan, Nonoy, Ikit, Bebot, 57, a farmer, and a resident of Brgy. Campacion, Arteche, Eastern Samar.

He was wanted for 15 counts of murder by virtue of a warrant of arrest issued by judge Thelma Bunyi-medina, Presiding Judge of the National Capital Region Regional Trial Court Branch 32, along with the couple Benito and Wilma Tiamzon, Satur Ocampo, Vicente Ladlad, Randal Echaniz, Rafael Baylosis, Exusperado Lloren, and several others dated August 28, 2019 with no bail recommended.

He was arrested in a joint operation with Eastern Samar and Southern Leyte Police Provincial Intelligence Unit, Regional Intelligence Unit 8, PNP Special Action Force, 78 Army Infantry Battalion, Libagon and Arteche Municipal Police Stations.

Authorities said Lubong was allegedly part of the NPA operating in Leyte and Southern Leyte Provinces.


He was allegedly involved in the mass purging under the “Operation Venereal Disease” that killed more or less 300 people based on accounts of relatives and relatives sometime in the year 1985.

Skeletal remains of 67 individuals were unearthed from shallow graves at Subang Daku village in Inopacan town discovered by the Philippine Army on August 26, 2006.

Initial reports disclosed that the arrest was organized after a case build-up on the whereabouts of the accused.

Lubong was brought to Arteche Municipal Police Station for documentation and proper disposition.

https://mb.com.ph/2020/09/23/npa-suspect-in-inopacan-massacre-nabbed/

Ex-rebel leader ‘Ka Allan’ calls on NPA rebels in Palawan to surrender

Posted to the Palawan News (Sep 23, 2020): Ex-rebel leader ‘Ka Allan’ calls on NPA rebels in Palawan to surrender (Aira Genesa Magdayao)

In an interview Wednesday morning with Palawan News, Toting called on his former comrades to give up their cause, following the death in an encounter of Andrea “Ka Naya” Rosal, Bonifacio “Salvador Luminoso” Magramo, Noel “Ka Celnon” Siasico, and Ren “Ka Pandan” Manalo in Barangay Mainit, Brooke’s Point on September 3.



Alimar Libuna Toting, or “Ka Allan”, the former highest-ranking rebel leader in the province, has called on remaining leaders and members of the New People’s Army (NPA) to surrender peacefully to the local government.

In an interview Wednesday morning with Palawan News, Toting called on his former comrades to give up their cause, following the death in an encounter of Andrea “Ka Naya” Rosal, Bonifacio “Salvador Luminoso” Magramo, Noel “Ka Celnon” Siasico, and Ren “Ka Pandan” Manalo in Barangay Mainit, Brooke’s Point on September 3.

“Yong nangyari doon sa lima [noon] nakaraan ay kahit papaano nakakalungkot, kapwa Pilipino pa rin natin sila. Pero ilang beses na sila binigyan ng pagkakataon ng gobyerno pero naniwala sila doon sa maling prinsipyo nila na labanan [pa rin] ang gobyerno,” Toting said.

“Sa mga dati kong kasamahan na hindi pa bumababa ay bumalik na kayo. Hindi kayo sasaktan, magpadala kayo ng mensahe kung nag-aalangan kayo. ‘Wag na ninyo hintayin na mangyari sa inyo ‘yong nangyari sa kanila,” he said.

He also specifically called on “Ka Jerson”, or Jose Maria Masong, to surrender to the government.

Toting said Masong is a resident of San Vicente whom he is personally familiar with.

“Si Ka Jerson, kilala ko ng personal ang pamilya niya. Kung mababasa o mapapanood mo ito, sumuko ka na. Bumalik ka na. Ako mismo ang susundo sa ‘yo, kung gusto mo kasama pa pamilya mo. Hindi ka sasaktan, tutulungan ka na iiwan ang buhay mo dyan,” he added.

Ka Allan, who was also known as “Ka Peter, Ka Marga, Ka Kier, and Ka Vincent”, surrendered to the 3rd Marine Brigade (3MBde) in Barangay Pulot Center, Sofronio Española, on November 5, 2019.

He has since reunited with his son whom he had not seen for four years.

Around one month before he surrendered, the government captured a group of NPA rebel leaders — his party wife Jenny Ann Bautista (alias Ka Helen), Glendhyl Malabanan, Ronces Paraguso, and also ranking leader Domingo “Ka Tino” Ritas, Joelito “Ka Jebar/Ka Tangkad” Tanilon, Bener “Ka Bata” Rimbuwan, and Awing “Ka Gitna” Lumpat in Puerto Princesa City.

Toting is a native of North Cotabato. He came to Palawan in 2008 and worked at Agumil Philippines, Inc.

https://palawan-news.com/ex-rebel-leader-ka-allan-calls-on-npa-rebels-in-palawan-to-surrender/

Army raids NPA arms cache in Bukidnon; yields firearms, documents

From the Philippine Information Agency (Sep 24, 2020): Army raids NPA arms cache in Bukidnon; yields firearms, documents (By Rene M. Belmonte, CMO, 4O3rd Bde) 

MALAYBALAY CITY, Bukidnon, Sep 23—The Army’s 1st Special Forces Battalion (1SFBn)of the 403rd Infantry Brigade raided four hide-holes of the New People’s Army (NPA) at different sites in Bukidnon province last September 15.

Lieutenant Colonel Vercisio San Jose, commanding officer of the 1st Special Forces Battalion, said that the troops swooped down on the arms cache after a civilian divulged the buried firearms and other NPA belongings at uninhabited and forested areas of Barangays Kaatuan and Alanib all in Lantapan municipality, including those in Barangay Lacolac of Baungon town.

The 1SFBn troops also seized some of the NPA’s firearms and subversive documents in an area near Barangay Dalwangan that borders Malaybalay City and Lantapan town.

“Civilian populace in the area is fed up with their [NPA] extortion activities. They no longer support the communist agenda, thus provided us the information on the whereabouts of the arms cache. With the mass surrender of veteran NPA Terrorists, the loss of support from the masses, and the capture of their weapons and firearms, I can say that the NPA Terrorists in my AOR [area of responsibility] is in the brink of collapse,” Lt. Col. San Jose said.

The weaponry recovered were two (2) AK-47 rifles; two (2) M653 rifles; one (1) M203 grenade launchers; one (1) M14 rifle; and two (2) Garand rifles. Also discovered in said areas were improvised explosive devices and medical supplies.

Colonel Ferdinand Barandon, 403rd Infantry Brigade Commander commended the 1st SF Battalion for the successful operation while recognizing the efforts of civilians who helped in searching out the NPA’s hideaways.

“The recovery of the arms cache is a big blow to the communist terrorist groups (CTGs). It shows that they are no longer welcomed in the community. It also indicates that the sympathy and support of the civilians have shifted from the CTGs to the government. As always, we will be relentless in our efforts to hunt down the remaining members of the terrorist groups until they are incapable of sowing fear and panic to the people within our area of operation,” Barandon said. (CMO 403rd Bde, PA/PIA Bukidnon)

https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1054163

AFP, PNP conduct joint training on CSP-ComACT in Bukidnon

From the Philippine Information Agency (Sep 24, 2020): AFP, PNP conduct joint training on CSP-ComACT in Bukidnon (By Gebely C. Ranola, 403rd Bde, 4ID, PA)

MALAYBALAY CITY, Bukidnon, Sep 24 — Forty-one personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Philippine National Police (PNP) from different parts of Region 10 participated in the joint training on Community Action Team (ComACT) of the PNP and Community Support Program (CSP) of the AFP last September 10-11 at Veranda, Casisang, Malaybalay City.

As core members of Peace, Law Enforcement, and Development Support (PLEDS) cluster of the Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (RTF ELCAC-10), the Army’s 403rd Brigade and PNP Regional Office-10 crafted the training’s outline to awaken the spirit of Bayanihan among the police and military workforces.

The training’s theme bounded on how to capacitate the PNP personnel on Community Support Program (CSP) to prepare them for deployment and augment the Philippine Army troops in CSP implementation both in rural and suburban areas in Region 10.


Police Colonel Roel Lami-ing, PNP Bukidnon provincial director, in his message, thanked the 403rd Brigade of the Philippine Army for leading the said AFP-PNP Joint Training because it would add strength to the police forces on field while fulfilling their respective duties in protecting communities against insurgents and outlaws.

“We are thankful and grateful to the Philippine Army for providing us this kind of learning opportunity. This activity also shows to the general public that the PNP and AFP is one in uplifting the welfare and rights of the people and securing the peace and order not just in the Province of Bukidnon but also in the entire Region 10. Rest assured that the PNP will always support the AFP in its mandate specifically on its fight against insurgency,” Police Col. Lami-ing said.

Colonel Ferdinand T. Barandon, 403rd Brigade Commander, also commended the participants as he explained that the training is necessary to hone the personnel’s skills. He emphasized that training is the best morale that the Army can give to the troops, as it would help enhance their expertise and attitudes in conducting non-traditional and traditional activities.

For the calendar year 2020, twenty-five areas within Bukidnon province—both villages and sub-villages—are undergoing community support programs.

“We need to beef up our forces conducting Community Support Programs in some areas of Bukidnon and Misamis Oriental and we need the support of PNP on this. Thus, we conducted this training. This activity is also the result of the coordination of Peace, Law Enforcement and Development Support (PLEDS) Cluster of RTF ELCAC-10 that enhances the cooperation of the security forces to finally put an end to the insurgency problem in Region 10 by clearing the areas previously affected by the CTGs,” Barandon added. (403rd Bde, 4ID, PA/PIA Bukidnon)

https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1054209

4 ELCAC priority barangays in S. Leyte get P20-M each to fund local projects

From the Philippine Information Agency (Sep 24, 2020): 4 ELCAC priority barangays in S. Leyte get P20-M each to fund local projects (By Erna S. Gorne)

MAASIN CITY, Sept. 24 (PIA) -- Some four ELCAC priority barangays based in Bontoc, Southern Leyte will benefit from the Retooled Community Support Program (RCSP) funds next year.

The four upland barangays – Pamigsi-an, Olisihan, Hitawos and Hila-an – are recipients of P20 million each to fund projects for implementation in 2021, said Provincial RCSP Focal Person Jhonel Anavesa during the Barangay Development Planning held at the Bontoc Municipal Hall on September 21.

Assisted by personnel from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Provincial Office, who joined via virtual meeting, the groups were guided in the analysis of priority projects according to the RCSP menu of projects set by DILG Central Office.

During the planning-workshop, the respective members of the barangay development and barangay peace and order councils were made to analyze and prioritize local projects that are responsive to the needs of their localities.

As an off-shoot, the participants identified common local projects like the construction of farm-to-market roads and bridge, rehabilitation of dilapidated concrete roads, opening of new roads, expanding to Level III water systems, rehabilitation of abaca plantations, construction of classrooms, among others.

Said barangays were assisted by the 8IB Philippine Army last year in the identification of their common primary needs such as the lack of livelihood projects, low price of copra and other farm outputs.

While the secondary issues identified like improvement of water systems, lack of barangay facilities to include school buildings, need to construct farm-to-market roads should be addressed to support the primary needs, PA Lt Christopher Tataro reported during the workshop.

Anavesa further informed the group that the final list of projects shall be incorporated to the Barangay Annual Investment Plan and finally to the Municipal Annual Investment Plans (AIPs). (ldl/esg/PIA8 SoLeyte)

https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1054098

Tagalog News: Grupong dating binuo ng CPP-NPA, rehistrado na bilang bagong samahan ng mga magsasaka

From the Philippine Information Agency (Sep 24, 2020): Tagalog News: Grupong dating binuo ng CPP-NPA, rehistrado na bilang bagong samahan ng mga magsasaka (By Camille C. Nagano)

LUNGSOD NG CABANTUAN, Setyembre 24 (PIA) -- Rehistrado na sa gobyerno bilang bagong asosasyon ang grupong dating binuo ng Communist Party of the Philippines-New Peoples’ Army o CPP-NPA.

Pormal na tinanggap nitong Martes ng Bagong Pag-asa Farmer Association ang kanilang Certificate of Registration mula sa Department of Labor and Employment.

Sila ay mga dating miyembro ng Damayan ng Mamamayan Laban sa Kaapihan at Kahirapan na binuo ng CPP-NPA.

Ayon kay 84th Infantry Battalion Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel Honorato Pascual, Jr., ang kanilang pagkakatala bilang bagong samahan ay ang simula para sa progresibong pamumuhay na malayo sa dating ugnayan sa kaliwang grupo.

Sa pamamagitan din nito aniya ay magbubukas ang maraming oportunidad at benepisyong maaaring makamit mula sa mga programa ng gobyerno.

Pahayag ni Pascual ay mananatili at patuloy na aalalay ang mga kasundaluhan sa ikatatatag ng mga samahan sa komunidad upang mailayo sa impluwensiya at masamang maidudulot ng CPP-NPA.

Ang pagtutulungan ng iba’t ibang kagawaran ng pamahalaan upang magbigay ayuda sa mga katulad na organisasyon ay bahagi sa pagtupad sa Whole-of-Nation Approach sa ilalim ng Executive Order No. 70 na layong mabigyang solusyon ang mga suliraning dulot ng insurhensiya.

Pahayag naman ni Marites Balasoto, pinuno ng Bagong Pag-asa Farmer Association na mananatili silang papanig at susuporta sa mga gawain ng gobyerno tungo sa mapayapang pag-unlad ng grupo.

Kaugnay nito ay kanilang nilagdaan ang deklarasyong Persona Non-Grata sa makakaliwang grupong CPP-NPA.

Kabilang sa mga nakalinyang programa para sa bagong asosasyon ay ang financial literacy program na handog ng pamahalaang bayan ng Licab.

Ayon kay Mayor Eufemia Domingo, maaasahan ng grupo ang buong suporta ng pamahalaang lokal sa kanilang mga magiging gampanin.

Pinuri naman ni 7th Infantry Division Commander Major General Alfredo Rosario, Jr. ang mga hakbangin ng mga kasundaluhan at mga miyrembro ng Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict na pagbibigay ng panibagong simula sa organisasyon tungo sa tuwid na landas sa panig ng gobyerno.

Kaniya ding binibigyang halaga ang gampanin ng mga magsasakang miyembro ng bagong organisasyon na mga mahahalagang haligi ng komunidad at sektor ng agrikultura. (CLJD/CCN-PIA 3)

https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1054139

8 ASG members surrender in Sulu

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 24, 2020): 8 ASG members surrender in Sulu (By Teofilo Garcia, Jr.)



SURRENDER. An Abu Sayyaf surrenderer hands over a rifle to Maj. Gen. Reynaldo Aquino, Army vice commander, during his visit to the headquarters of the 1101st Infantry Brigade in Barangay Samak, Talipao, Sulu on Wednesday (Sept. 23, 2020). Eight Abu Sayyaf members have surrendered as government troops continue their focused military operation against the bandits in the hinterlands of Sulu. (Photo courtesy of the Joint Task Force Sulu)

Eight members of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) have surrendered as troops sustained their focused military operations against them in the province of Sulu, officials announced Thursday.

Lt. Col. Ronaldo Mateo, Joint Task Force (JTF) Sulu spokesperson,
identified the ASG surrenderers as Abdul Jihili, 28; Abu Yusop, 38; Sahira Sahibul, 28; Ali Jumsa, 38; Piedo Jumahari, 54; Mujib Jainal, 48; Abdul Abubakar, 34; and Ila Abbas, 47.

Mateo said the eight, who are followers of ASG leader Radulan Sahiron and Mundi Sawadjaan, surrendered to the 2nd Special Forces Battalion and 100th Infantry Battalion of the 1101st Infantry Brigade at about 2 p.m. on Wednesday.


He said they surrendered for fear of their lives as the 1101st and 1102nd Infantry Brigades have sustained their ground operation against the groups of Sahiron and Sawadjaan in the hinterlands of Indanan and Patikul towns on orders of Brig. Gen. William Gonzales, JTF Sulu commander.

The eight were presented to Maj. Gen. Reynaldo Aquino, Army vice commander, during his visit to the headquarters of the 1101st Infantry Brigade in Barangay Samak, Talipao, Sulu.

“This will be a life-changing event on your part as you will be processed by JTF Sulu to go back to the mainstream,” Aquino said as he welcomed them.

Gonzales said there would be no let-up in their focused military operation until the groups of Sawadjaan and Sahiron are neutralized.

He said the Social Integration Program of the Provincial and Municipal Task Force to End Local Armed Conflict (ELCAC) awaits ASG members who plan to surrender but the full force of JTF Sulu would be focused on those who continue to sow terror.

Gonzales also lauded the local chief executives for their continued support for the troops in the fight against the ASG.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1116447

Troops bring remains of slain NPA to kin in Dipolog

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 24, 2020): Troops bring remains of slain NPA to kin in Dipolog (By Teofilo Garcia, Jr.)



SLAIN REBEL. Military personnel bring Wednesday (September 23, 2020) the remains of communist New People's Army rebel Bernie Nuñez to his family in Barangay Sinaman, Dipolog City, Zamboanga del Norte. Nuñez was killed in a firefight with government forces Monday (September 21, 2020) in Barangay Marangan, Dumingag, Zamboanga del Sur. (Photo courtesy of the Army's 53rd Infantry Battalion)

Government authorities delivered the remains of a slain communist New People’s Army (NPA) rebel to his family in Dipolog City, Zamboanga del Norte Wednesday, two days after he was killed in a firefight.

Bernie Nuñez, a member of the NPA's Main Regional Guerrilla Unit (MRGU) of the Western Mindanao Regional Party Committee (WMRPC), was killed in a clash Monday
with the Army's 53rd Infantry Battalion in Barangay Marangan, Dumingag, Zamboanga del Sur.

Military personnel brought his remains to his family in Barangay Sinaman, Dipolog City, Zamboanga del Norte, Lt. Col. Jo-ar Herrera, 53IB commander, said Thursday.


Nuñez’s father, Ricardo, condemned the NPA recruitment of his son, saying he did not know his son had joined the rebels.

“What we only know is that he works in Manila after my wife, his mother, died in 2016. We did not hear from him since 2017,” Ricardo said as quoted by the 53IB in the dialect as saying. “We are poor, but I believe it is not a reason for him to join the NPA's terroristic activities."

Nuñez's funeral expenses were shouldered by the Dumingag Municipal Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (MTF-ELCAC) chaired by Mayor Joan Abejuela as well as by Dipolog City TF-ELCAC, chaired by Mayor Darel Dexter Uy.

Herrera thanked the local officials for their assistance.

“Our humanity and professionalism do not stop even after our enemy is dead. Even though they’re dead, we still pay them respect,” Herrera said. “The 53rd IB is grateful not just for the support of these TF-ELCAC chairpersons, but also for their warm hearts and kindness."

The burial of Nuñez is scheduled for Friday.

Herrera said has coordinated with Dumingag and Dipolog City local governments for possible financial assistance for the rebel's family.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1116478

3 soldiers hurt in Maguindanao blast

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 24, 2020): 3 soldiers hurt in Maguindanao blast (By Noel Punzalan)



Google map of Ampatuan town, Maguindanao province.

Three government troopers were wounded when an anti-personnel mine exploded in Ampatuan, Maguindanao on Thursday morning.

Maj. Gen. Juvymax Uy, the Army’s 6th Infantry Division commander, was unable to identify the injured soldiers pending notices to their respective families.

Uy said troopers of the 57th Infantry Battalion were conducting combat clearing operation at the time of the explosion that occurred around 7:15 a.m. in Barangay Salman of the municipality.

The wounded personnel were immediately evacuated to the Camp Siongco Hospital in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao, he said.

“We deployed additional troops to cordon the area and establish the circumstances,” Uy, concurrent head of Joint Task Force Central, added.

Initial reports from the military said the roadside bomb bore the signature style of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) operating in the area.

Additional troops were sent to the area to pursue the bombers who fled to the interiors of the village, Uy said.

On Sept. 18, a Marine soldier was killed while four of his colleagues were wounded when a roadside bomb also went off in adjacent Datu Hoffer town in the province.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1116483

Army recovers 1.5K ammos in remote Butuan village

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 24, 2020): Army recovers 1.5K ammos in remote Butuan village (By Alexander Lopez)



CACHE OF AMMOS. Government troops under the Army's 23rd Infantry Battalion recover Wednesday afternoon (Sept. 23, 2020) more than 1,500 rounds of ammunition for high-power firearms believed owned by the communist New People’s Army (NPA) in a forested area of Sitio Palo, Barangay Nong-nong, Butuan City. The military in the area has called on the remaining rebels to surrender. (Photo courtesy of 23IB)

BUTUAN CITY – Government forces under the Army's 23rd Infantry Battalion recovered more than 1,500 pieces of ammunition for high-power firearms in a forested area of Sitio Palo, Barangay Nong-nong here.

1st Lt. Roel Maglalang, 23IB civil-military operations officer, said
the cache of ammunition recovered during a combat operation on Sept. 23 are believed to be owned by the communist New People’s Army (NPA) operating in the area, in particular the Guerrilla Front (GF) 4A.


“Concerned civilians in the community informed our troopers on the presence of the Communist NPA Terrorist (CNT) members in the area and the location of a hideout being utilized by the rebels where assorted ammunition are concealed,” Maglalang told the Philippine News Agency Thursday.

Lt. Col. Julius Cesar Paulo, 23IB commander, thanked the residents in the area for “bravely providing the Army positive and timely information on the whereabouts of the enemies.”

"We are glad that the residents in barangays in Butuan City and the rest of Agusan del Norte are now supporting the government to end the local communist armed conflicts,” Paulo said in a statement.

He underscored the importance of "cooperation and active participation of civilians" in the discoveries of NPA hideouts as well as firearms and supplies in the area in August this year.

“In the past month, we also recovered, landmine depots, firearms, and supplies in different CNT hideouts within our area of operations through the information provided by the concerned residents,” the Army official said.

He also lambasted the remaining NPA rebels in the area for "adding more burden to residents amidst the hardships they face due to the impacts of the present pandemic."

“We once again call on the remaining CNT members and leaders to surrender now. Let's end the 51 years of hopeless armed struggle and embrace the true meaning of peace,” Paulo said, adding that the government is always ready to accept and support surrenderers through the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (ECLIP).

“But if you insist to stay with your weakening movement and fight the government, the army will not hesitate to use its arms to protect the people and the communities,” Paulo said.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1116512

Army condemns NPA's use of IEDs in Davao Oro

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 24, 2020): Army condemns NPA's use of IEDs in Davao Oro (By Che Palicte)



NPA BOMBS. Troops belonging to the Army's 71st Infantry Battalion recover three improvised explosive devices in Brgy. Cabuyoan, Mabini, Davao de Oro province on Monday (Sept. 20, 2020). The bombs are believed to be owned by the communist’s New People's Army, which has been condemned for using prohibited weapons under the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law. (Photo courtesy of 71IB)

The Army's 71st Infantry Battalion (71IB) condemned Thursday the communist’s New People's Army (NPA) for using improvised explosive devices (IEDs), which are prohibited under the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL).

The condemnation came after 71IB troops
recovered three IEDs in Brgy. Cabuyoan, Mabini town, Davao de Oro province, on September 20.

Each IED weighs around seven kilograms, enough to blow up a heavy vehicle or building once detonated, the 71IB said in a statement.

“The 'to-whom-it-may-concern' explosive was buried along a utility road which could kill a number of people within its fatal radius once triggered,” the Army unit said.


Aside from human rights violations, 71IB said the use of IED is also a violation of the Republic Act (RA) 9851, An Act Defining and Penalizing Crimes against Humanity especially on the Use of Weapons prohibited in Warfare such as Landmines.

Prohibited in the said act are "weapons, projectiles, materials, and methods of warfare which are of the nature to cause superfluous injury or unnecessary suffering.”

Lt. Col. Sonny Gonzales, 71IB commander, said the "NPA brazenly disregard the CARHRIHL and other related human rights laws by the continuous use of IED".

The 71IB recovered an IED together with two high-power firearms after an armed encounter in April.

The 71IB has operation jurisdiction of the municipalities of Mawab, Maco, Mabini, Pantukan, and four barangays of Nabunturan, all in Davao de Oro, including Tagum City in Davao del Norte.

The CPP-NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1116543

Gapay regrets shutdown of 'Hands Off Our Children' FB page

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 24, 2020): Gapay regrets shutdown of 'Hands Off Our Children' FB page (By Priam Nepomuceno)



STOP DECEPTIVE RECRUITMENT. Mothers, whose children were recruited by groups allied with communist terrorists, wear shirts that say "Hands Off Our Children". Armed Forces chief, Lt. Gen. Gilbert Gapay, on Thursday (Sept. 24, 2020) expressed regret over Facebook's decision to take down the page with the same name, whose advocacy is to prevent minors from being recruited into organizations espousing violent extremism. (Photo from Hands Off Our Children FB page)

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Thursday expressed regret over Facebook's decision to take down the page of "Hands Off Our Children", whose advocacy is to prevent minors from being recruited into organizations espousing violent extremism.

In a statement, AFP Chief-of-Staff, Lt. Gen. Gilbert Gapay, acknowledged that the page was instrumental to the campaign to raise awareness of the vulnerability of children in the hands of communist front organizations.

"The Armed Forces of the Philippines regrets the decision of Facebook to take down the page of Hands Off Our Children, a campaign launched by a group of parents who are fighting to protect their children against violent extremism," Gapay said. "Its arbitrary shutdown adds to the limited spaces afforded to them and the unsympathetic ears of some sectors."

The group's grievances are legitimate and calls against violent extremism are urgent, Gapay said, noting that communist terrorists have been known to recruit and victimize students, conditioning them to become cadres and members of the New People's Army (NPA), the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).

The CPP-NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines.

Facebook earlier shut down pages, accounts, groups, and Instagram profiles managed by people allegedly affiliated with the Philippine military and police for "coordinated inauthentic behavior."

Gapay said the military stands by the parents whose children were recruited by groups allied with communist terrorists.

"The AFP stands by and extends its immutable support to Jacqueline Mendoza, Relissa Lucena, Jovita Antoniano, and Elvy Caalaman, among countless other parents who have become the faces of Hands Off Our Children and were affected by this incident," he said.

Gapay said the AFP looks to a new partnership with Facebook Philippines that similar legitimate advocacies would be respected, if not uplifted, to prevent the spread of violent extremism and protect Filipino children from the communist terror group.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1116440

Teacher vocal about NPA youth recruitment hit by FB 'purge'

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 24, 2020): Teacher vocal about NPA youth recruitment hit by FB 'purge' (By Christine Cudis)



Hands Off Our Children founder Gemma Labsan

Gemma Labsan was among the more than 155 Facebook users whose accounts were recently suspended by social media giant Facebook.

She started using Facebook in 2009 mainly to connect with relatives and her husband, who is a seafarer.

Amid the pandemic, Labsan shared that she has been preparing learning modules and engaging her senior high school students as part of her job to teach Accountancy, Business, and Management Strand (ABM) in a public school in Quezon City.

She said she has also been busy coordinating with her colleagues at work and addressing concerns of parents of her students regarding the new mode of learning.

“Facebook Messenger is the easiest tool of communication that I share with my students, their parents, and the other teachers in my school. It is important for me as a teacher. I rely on it since everyone I need to connect with is also using it,” she told the Philippine News Agency in an interview on Thursday.

On September 22, Facebook’s head of security policy, Nathaniel Gleicher, said they have decided to remove some 155 accounts, 11 pages, nine groups, and six Instagram accounts for violating the company’s policy "against foreign or government interference which is coordinated inauthentic behavior on behalf of a foreign or government entity."

“This activity originated in China and focused primarily on the Philippines and Southeast Asia more broadly, and also on the United States,” Gleicher added.

The Facebook official said they have found two separate networks violating the policy against coordinated inauthentic behavior (CIB).

One of these networks originated in China and the other one, in the Philippines.

“In each case, the people behind this activity coordinated with one another and used fake accounts as a central part of their operations to mislead people about who they are and what they are doing, and that was the basis for our action,” Gleicher explained.

"When we investigate and remove these operations, we focus on behavior rather than content, no matter who’s behind them, what they post, or whether they’re foreign or domestic," he added.

Labsan, on the other hand, said with her 11 years on Facebook, she was only met with this kind of “wrongful accusation” when she started being vocal against the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its armed wing, the New People's Army (NPA).

Labsan first appeared in the public eye in a Senate hearing in 2019 on issues about missing minors who have been allegedly recruited by organizations with links to the communist terrorist movement.

Of the five sets of parents who appealed for the government’s help in the Senate, Labsan was the only one whose child is in her custody, while the rest of the children have reportedly become “fully-fledged” in the movement and refused to contact their families.

In the hearing, she was in tears showing copies of photos where her child went with a teacher and other students during street rallies while President Rodrigo Duterte delivered his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) last year.

She shared that she made it her mission to start an information drive for parents of incoming college students and those whose children have become “radicalized by the communist ideology”.

In the same year, Labsan founded "Hands Off Our Children" along with other parents whose kids were also reportedly taken by militant groups supportive of the ideologies espoused by the CPP-NPA.

Hands Off Our Children, she said, has expressed support to the plight of a fellow member, Relissa Lucena, who filed a writ of amparo and habeas corpus petition before the Supreme court in May against Anakbayan leaders, saying her daughter was "indoctrinated" and recruited by the militant group when she was still a minor, which led to her disappearance.

Labsan’s Hands Off Our Children group, along with the League of Parents of the Philippines and lawyer Ferdinand Topacio, cascade information on Facebook about Lucena’s petition against Kabataan party-list Rep. Sarah Elago and members and recruiters of Anakbayan.

“Hindi po fake ang Hands Off Our Children Page at mas lalo hindi fake na mga magulang, kami ay mga ordinaryong pamilya na naglakas ng loob ilantad at ibahagi ang aming totoong karanasan sa mga anak namin na ni-recruit ng Kabataan (Hands Off Our Children Page is not fake and we are most definitely not fake parents. We are ordinary Filipino families who risk our safety just to expose what the Kabataan group has done to our family),” she said.

The Facebook accounts of those supporting their causes, Anabelle Sabado, Luisa Espina, and her daughter, were also among those included in the so-called "purge".

“Mga admin din po sila ng page namin (They are administrators in our page),” she said.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1116505

US bill seeking to halt aid to PH police, military 'wild' idea

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 24, 2020): US bill seeking to halt aid to PH police, military 'wild' idea (By Azer Parrocha)



Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque (File photo)

Pennsylvania Rep. Susan Wild's introduction of a bill seeking to suspend the US security assistance to the Philippines over alleged human rights violations is a "very wild suggestion”, Malacañang said Thursday.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque made this statement after the US lawmaker filed the measure before the US Congress in response to the passage of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, which she said attacks activists and political opponents of President Rodrigo Duterte.

Roque said the Palace won’t meddle with affairs of sovereign countries such as the US but expressed confidence that the administration of US President Donald Trump recognizes the importance of maintaining security and defense cooperation between the US and the Philippines.

“Kampante nga tayo na sa tingin ko, kinikilala naman ng Estados Unidos ang halaga ng Pilipinas sa pagiging partner niya pagdating din sa mga usaping national security ng Estados Unidos mismo (I am confident, I think, that the US recognizes the importance of being a partner of the Philippines when it comes to matters concerning national Security of the US),” Roque said in a virtual Palace briefing.

He also pointed out that Duterte and Trump share close ties.

“Dahil sa malapit na pagkakaibigan ng ating Presidente kay President Trump ay nakikita ang halaga ng patuloy na kooperasyon sa parte po ng Estados Unidas at ng Pilipinas (Because of the friendship between our President with President Trump, they will see the importance of continued cooperation between the US and Philippines),” he added.

The Philippines is the only US treaty ally bordering the South China Sea.

According to Roque, a lawmaker could introduce any bill, but the chances of its passage are slim.

“Kahit sino naman pong kongresista pupuwedeng maghain ng panukalang batas pero ang chances na yang panukalang batas po na maisabatas ay napakaliit po (Any solon can file a proposed law but the chances are slim that it would be signed into law),” he said.

Roque said he would leave it to the US Congress to believe in Wild's “personal opinion”.

“Hayaan na po natin gumulong ang proseso sa Estados Unidos pero iisa lang po ‘yan out of ilang hundreds of congressmen and women ang nasa US Congress (Let the process in the US run its course but it’s only one of hundreds of congressmen and women in the US Congress),” he said.

Roque said the measure would also need the approval of the US Senate for concurrence.

“Kinakailangan aprubahan pa rin po ‘yan ng Senado dahil kapareho naman ng sistema ng America at Pilipinas pagdating sa legislation (It would still need approval of the Senate because the legislative system in the America and the Philippines is similar),” he said.

In the Philippines, around 30 petitions have been filed questioning the legality of the Anti-Terrorism law including those filed by former government officials, human rights advocates, and religious groups.

Malacañang has repeatedly defended the law, saying it has enough safeguards against possible abuses.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1116529

Army wants FB clarification on officer’s taken down page

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 24, 2020): Army wants FB clarification on officer’s taken down page (By Priam Nepomuceno)



The Philippine Army (PA) on Thursday said it would coordinate with Facebook to know why it took down the personal FB page of one of its officers.

PA spokesperson Col. Ramon Zagala made this comment in a virtual press conference
after Capt. Alexandre Cabales was identified by the Digital Forensic Research Laboratory (DFRLab) as one of the operators of a network of pages earlier taken down by Facebook for "coordinated inauthentic behavior".

Zagala said the PA might also communicate with DFRLab to determine the reason for taking down Cabales FB page.

He confirmed that Cabales runs the Social Media Center of the PA Civic-Military Operations Regiment and former spokesperson of the Compostela Valley-based 10th Infantry Division. He also runs the PA's social media platform "Kalinaw News".


"What Facebook said, I think they were mentioning (coordinated inauthentic) behavior. They did not mention content," he said.

Zagala said the social media giant has to tell them what content Cabales did put out to warrant the removal of his account.

"In the meantime, we will coordinate with Facebook and ask what Capt. Cabales (exactly) did, they're simply telling (coordinated inauthentic) behavior, that's your policy, you have to tell us what content did he put out there that warrant this take down," he added.

Zagala said they will wait for Cabales to return from Sulu for more explanations.

"We will wait for him to come and we will talk to him further," he added.

Zagala said Cabales admitted to being the administrator of the "Hands Off Our Children", one of the many pages Facebook took down earlier.

"Hands Off Our Children" is an advocacy consisting of parents whose goal is to prevent organizations with violent extremism leanings from recruiting children or minors.

"It is possible that the taking down of (Cabales') Facebook page is connected to that. So, we have to look further into it," he added.

Meanwhile, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesperson Marine Maj. Gen. Edgard Arevalo earlier said AFP chief-of-staff Lt. Gen. Gilbert Gapay asked Facebook Philippine Policy Team led by Clare Amador if it is possible for social media giant to restore "Hands Off Our Children".

"Specifically, he (Gapay) inquired if FB can restore 'Hands Off Our Children' and other groups of similar advocacies like preventing child exploitation and trafficking of minors, and combating terrorism that may have been taken down," he added.

Arevalo said the AFP chief urged Amador and her team to look into the process they observe in unilaterally removing accounts.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1116519

Chinese military presence doesn't mean SCS ownership: Palace

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 24, 2020): Chinese military presence doesn't mean SCS ownership: Palace (By Azer Parrocha)


File photo

Chinese military presence in territories claimed by the Philippines will "never ripen" into a valid legal ownership, Malacañang said Thursday.

In a virtual Palace briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the 2016 Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) ruling has already invalidated China's expansive claim in the South China Sea.

He said President Rodrigo Duterte, who invoked the arbitral ruling for the first time before the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) last Wednesday, reasserted that the arbitral victory cannot be erased or ignored since it is already part of international law.

“Ang tinutukoy po diyan ng ating Presidente, kahit anong physical military occupation nila sa mga isla na ang sabi naman ng Tribunal ay kabahagi ng ating (The President is saying that whatever physical military occupation they have in the islands, which the Tribunal ruled is part of our) exclusive economic zone (EEZ), will never ripen into a valid legal title,” he said.

He, however, recognized the presence of Chinese Coast Guards near the EEZ as part of freedom of navigation.

“Alam ninyo po sa EEZ kasi, lahat po ng mga sasakyan ay may kalayaang maglayag. So iyong paglalayag po mismo sa EEZ ay hindi po pinagbabawal (You know the EEZ, all ships have freedom of navigation. So navigating in the EEZ is not illegal),” he said.

Asked if the Philippines is open to proposing a resolution before the UNGA calling on China to respect The Hague ruling, Roque said "anything is possible."

“But there has not been any step to that effect ordered by the Palace yet,” he added.

Roque, meanwhile, welcomed praises from incumbent and former Cabinet officials on Duterte's speech, but reminded them that it was also “a restatement of an old existing policy.”

“Kampanya pa lang po, sinabi ni Presidente, hindi niya isu-surrender ang maski isang inch ng ating teritoryo, so iyan po ay pagiging consistent lamang na wala po tayong ipamimigay na teritoryo at paninindigan po natin iyong ating panalo sa (Since his campaign, the President was already saying he would not surrender even an inch of our territory, so he was just being consistent that we won’t give up our territory and we will invoke our victory at the) UN Tribunal of the Law of the Sea,” he said.

Don’t dictate

After Duterte invoked the arbitral ruling, former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario, who praised the President’s move, said the next step is to rally support from more countries.

Roque, however, dismissed del Rosario’s suggestion, saying he was not entitled to dictate on the President on what to do.

“He (del Rosario) is a Filipino, he is entitled to speak pero parang hindi po maganda na dinidiktihan niya ang Presidente. Hindi ko po alam kung ano ang special qualification niya para diktahan niya ang isang Presidente (it’s not good to dictate on the President. I don’t know what special qualifications he has to dictate on the President),” he said.

He again blamed the former Foreign Affairs chief for losing control over the Panatag Shoal (Scarborough Shoal) during the previous administration.

Despite Duterte’s invocation of the arbitral ruling, Roque said he does not think the sea row would be resolved anytime soon.

“I don’t think the resolution of the territorial dispute is forthcoming in our lifetime. So hayaan muna po natin iyan, basta nandiyan po ang desisyon diyan, malinaw kung ano ang nakasaad sa (let’s leave it be, the decision is there, it’s clearly stated in) international law,” he said.

The sea row, he said, is not the sum total of bilateral relations between the Philippines and China.

“The President has been consistent – we will move on matters that we could move forward on including trade and investments; and we will, for the time being, set this aside,” he added.

In his debut speech at the UNGA, Duterte asserted the Philippines’ arbitral ruling which invalidated China's expansive claim in the South China Sea.

Duterte said the arbitral ruling “is now part of international law, beyond compromise and beyond the reach of passing governments to dilute, diminish or abandon.”

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1116559

Palace believes AFP not involved in fake FB accounts

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 24, 2020): Palace believes AFP not involved in fake FB accounts (By Azer Parrocha)



MANILA – Malacañang believes that none of the fake accounts taken down by Facebook are accounts managed by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

“We have to believe the Armed Forces of the Philippines when they said that they have no official pages taken down by Facebook,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a virtual Palace briefing.

Roque said government officials also have the freedom to air their sentiments.

“You know, even government officials do have freedom of expression. What is prohibited is if this is done in official mediums maintained by the Republic of the Philippines,” he said.

He also noted that code of conduct extends to government officials’ social media accounts.

Facebook earlier took down over 100 fake accounts linked to police and military units for involvement in “coordinated inauthentic behavior.”

Nathaniel Gleicher, Facebook cybersecurity policy chief, claimed that the fake accounts revolved around criticism of the opposition, activism, and communism.

The accounts have been most active when talks about the Anti-Terrorist Act of 2020 started last year, he said.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) tagged as "unofficial and unauthorized" comments, opinions of individuals and groups not related to the agency's activities.

Likewise, the AFP said all of the military's social media accounts are "up and running".

Roque expressed hope that Facebook would exercise prudence in taking down accounts.

“We hope the social media giant would exercise prudence in all its actions to remove any doubt of bias given its power, influence and reach,” Roque said in a statement on Wednesday.

Roque said the taking down of the fake accounts is a matter that the government leaves to the “sound judgement and discretion” of the popular global social networking firm.

“We are one in advocating the truth and dismissing disinformation, lies or hatred,” he said.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1116560

Kalinaw News: Nagtipunan Resident surrenders M16 rifle to 86th Infantry Battalion thru Community Support Program

Posted to Kalinaw News (Sep 24, 2020): Nagtipunan Resident surrenders M16 rifle to 86th Infantry Battalion thru Community Support Program

Camp Melchor F Dela Cruz, Upi, Gamu, Isabela- The 86th Infantry Battalion, Philippine Army facilitated the surrender of a high-powered firearm believed to be owned by a member of Rehiyon Sentro de Grabidad, KR-CV on September 23, 2020 at Barangay San Ramos, Nagtipunan, Quirino.

A resident from the said barangay surrendered the M16 rifle that he kept since July 26, 2017. According to the resident, he found the M16 rifle at the site of encounter between the troops of 86IB and the communist terrorist group. The surrender of firearm was made possible thru the Community Support Program (CSP) of the government troops.

The continuous dialogue of CSP teams with the residents enlightened them to pursue peace and progress instead of supporting the rebels.

BGen Laurence E Mina PA, Commander, 5ID, thanked the residents of Barangay San Ramos for their trust and support to the 86IB CSP teams in the province of Quirino. “Cooperation and support of the people is a key factor in our campaign against insurgency. It is high time that everyone gets involved to end insurgency and work as one to pursue the genuine peace and progress that we truly deserve.”

The surrendered M16 was brought to 86IB Headquarters for documentation and proper disposition.

[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/nagtipunan-resident-surrenders-m16-rifle-to-86th-infantry-battalion-thru-community-support-program/

Kalinaw News: Bagani Training CL 04-20 sinimulan

Posted to Kalinaw News (Sep 24, 2020): Bagani Training CL 04-20 sinimulan

Malapatan, Sarangani Province – Sinimulan ang Bagani Training CL 04-20 na may 83 na partisipante ng Brgy. Algeria, Datal Anggas, Spring, Pag-asa at Brgy Paraiso ng Alabel, Sarangani Province kahapon, Setyembre 22, 2020 sa kampo ng Alpha Company, 73IB, 10ID, PA.

Binigyang-dangal ni Hon. Vic Paul Salarda, Alkalde ng munisipyo kasama si Manuelo Mangalon, IPMR, Pastor Bryan Aungon, Spritwal Adviser ng Sulong Sarangani at Punong Barangay ng Datal Anggas na si Roldan Salimama.

Binahagi naman ni Hon. Salarda ang kanyang pasasalamat sa pagpunta ng bagong grupo ng training. “Rest assured na pagkatapos ng inyong training ay magkakaroon kayo ng trabaho sa pamamagitan ng Bantay Kalikasan na popondohan ng LGU at DENR,” kanyang sabi

Saad naman ni Lt. Col. Ronaldo G Valdez, Kumander ng 73IB, na ang Bagani ay handa nang harapin ang isasagawang training at nawa’y pahalagahan ang lahat ng ituturo sa kanila.

Para sa inpormasyon ng lahat, nagkaroon ng Bagani Training CL 03-20 nitong Agosto 18, 2020 at magkakaroon din ng ibang training ang ibang munisipyo sa susunod na buwan.



[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/bagani-training-cl-04-20-sinimulan-2/

Kalinaw News: Army recovers cache of NPA ammunition in Butuan village

Posted to Kalinaw News (Sep 24, 2020): Army recovers cache of NPA ammunition in Butuan village

BUENAVISTA, Agusan del Norte – Troopers from the 23rd Infantry (Masigasig) Battalion seized thousands of ammunition concealed in a hideout abandoned by the members of the Communist New People’s Army Terrorist (CNT) in the forested area of Sitio Palo, Barangay Nong-nong, Butuan City on the morning of September 23, 2020.

Following a report given by concerned civilians on the activities of the CNTs and the location of a hideout in the area, the 23rd IB troopers immediately conducted a combat operation that led to the discovery and seizure of the cache of ammunition. The abandoned CNT hideout is capable of accommodating around ten (10) persons.

Recovered from the site are one thousand two hundred (1,200) rounds ammunition for Carbine rifle, three hundred ninety (390) rounds for Garand rifle, and one (1) long magazine for M16 rifle.

Lt. Col. Julius Cesar C. Paulo, the Acting Commander of 23rd IB expressed gratitude to the concerned citizens who bravely provided positive and timely information to the government forces regarding the whereabouts of the enemies.

“We are glad that the residents in barangays are now willingly and bravely supporting us in ending the insurgency in conflict-affected areas of Butuan City and Agusan del Norte,” Paulo said.

He added that through the cooperation and active participation of civilians, the Army is able to uncover another CNT hideout concealed with supplies and cache of ammunition for high-powered firearms.

“In the past month, we also recovered, landmine depots, firearms and supply cache in different CNT hideouts within our area of operations through the information provided by the concerned residents,” Paulo said.

He also lambasted the remaining members of the CNT in the area of their continuing terroristic activities such as extortion of money and food from poor residents in communities who have been suffering for months now due to the impacts of the pandemic.

“We once again call on the remaining CNT members and leaders to surrender now. Let us end the fifty-one (51) years of hopeless armed struggle and embrace the true meaning of peace,” Paulo said.

He added that the government is always ready to help those who will return to the fold of the law through the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP).

“But if you insist to stay with your weakening movement, the army will not hesitate to use its arms against you,” 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-recovers-cache-of-npa-ammunition-in-butuan-village/

Kalinaw News: NPA Guerrilla Front Secretary, Three others surrender in Sibugay

Posted to Kalinaw News (Sep 24, 2020): NPA Guerrilla Front Secretary, Three others surrender in Sibugay

CAMP SANG-AN, Zamboanga del Sur – An NPA Guerrilla Front Secretary and three of her comrades’ surrendered to Army’s 44th Infantry Battalion at their headquarters in Brgy. Lower Baluran, Imelda, Zamboanga Sibugay Province, Thursday, September 24, 2020.

Cinderella Yursua also known as alias “Ason/Alice/Cora/Sonia, the Front Secretary of the defunct Flex B and GF 13 of Western Mindanao Regional Party Committee, surrendered herself to Lt. Col. Don Templonuevo, 44th IB Commander.

Three others were identified as Mercy Fabillar y Alvares or known as “Cindy/Nicole” a team leader; Liezel Ann Culot y Caňete or known as “Mayang/Jessa” a Medic; while Candido Cabillo y Pormento, a known underground NPA organizer.


According to Lt. Col. Templonuevo, series of encounters with government forces and the relentless operations led them to surrender.

It was also found out during the custodial debriefing that husbands of Yursua and Alvares were both killed in a separate clash with the troops.

Brig. Gen. Leonel Nicolas, 102nd Infantry Brigade Commander who has operational jurisdiction of Zamboanga Sibugay, expressed his delight on the surrender of the four communist terrorist member.

“We always remind the communist terrorist group that the government is sincere in its programs and will expend all its efforts just to defeat the decades-long insurgency”, said Brig. Gen. Nicolas.

Maj. Gen. Gene Ponio, the 1st Infantry Division commander, urged the surrenderees to join hands with the government in its peace and development efforts.

“We all know how experienced you are in mass-based organizing, and we encouraged you to help us in our community development efforts, especially in the geographically isolated areas where you considered it as your safe haven and where most of your fighter came from”, said Maj. Gen. Ponio.



[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-guerrilla-front-secretary-three-others-surrender-in-sibugay/

Kalinaw News: CSAFP Statement on HOOC Facebook Page Shutdown

Posted to Kalinaw News (Sep 24, 2020): CSAFP Statement on HOOC Facebook Page Shutdown

The Armed Forces of the Philippines regrets the decision of Facebook to take down the page of Hands Off Our Children, a campaign launched by a group of parents who are fighting to protect their children against violent extremism.

Their grievances are legitimate, and their calls urgent. The recruitment machinery of the communist terrorist group has long been found to victimize students, conditioning them to become cadres and armed members of the New People’s Army.



Their Facebook Page was instrumental to their campaign to raise awareness on the vulnerability of children at the hands of communist front organizations. Its arbitrary shutdown adds to the limited spaces afforded to them and the unsympathetic ears of some sectors.

The AFP stands by and extends its immutable support to Jacqueline Mendoza, Relissa Lucena, Jovita Antoniano, and Elvy Caalaman, among countless other parents who have become the faces of Hands Off Our Children and were affected by this incident.

We hope that, as we look on to a new partnership with Facebook Philippines, that similar legitimate advocacies will be respected, if not uplifted, to prevent the spread of violent extremism and protect every Filipino child from the communist terror 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/csafp-statement-on-hooc-facebook-page-shutdown/

Kalinaw News: Brazen Disregard of Human Rights in Davao de Oro

Posted to Kalinaw News (Sep 24, 2020): Brazen Disregard of Human Rights in Davao de Oro

Mawab, Davao de Oro — Populace in Davao de Oro condemns the New People’s Army (NPA) for using improvised explosive devices (IED) which are prohibited in the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL).

The 71st Infantry KAIBIGAN Battalion (71IB) recovered 3 IEDs in Sitio Bunglas, Brgy Cabuyoan, Mabini, Davao de Oro last 21 September. Each IED weighs around 7kg, enough to blow up a heavy vehicle or building in a split second once detonated. The “to-whom-it-may-concern” explosive was buried along a utility road which could kill a number of people within its fatal radius once triggered.

The CARHRIHL clearly stipulates that the international human rights law should be applied to protect the rights of persons who do not take part in hostilities. However, the NPA laid the mines along the way of the locals of Sitio Bunglas to their farms. Luckily, a member of the NPA who surrendered to this unit lately divulged the location of the mines they laid in the said Sitio.

The use of IED is also a violation of Republic Act (RA) 9851, An Act Defining and Penalizing Crimes against Humanity especially on the Use of Weapons prohibited in Warfare such as Landmines. Prohibited in the said act are “weapons, projectiles, materials and methods of warfare which are of the nature to cause superfluous injury or unnecessary suffering.”

Locals in the said sitio were thankful to the 71IB for successfully removing the mines from their sitio while expressing condemnation to the NPA. For the past months, former members of the underground mass organization all over Davao de Oro declared the CPP-NPA-NDF as persona non grata and condemned them through peace rallies.

LTC Sonny Gonzales said that the “NPA brazenly disregard the CARHRIL and other related human rights laws by the continuous use of IED.” It can be recalled that the 71IB recovered an IED together with 2 high powered firearms after an armed encounter last April.

The 71st IB intensifies its military operations to finally end local armed conflict in the municipalities of Mawab, Maco, Mabini, Pantukan, and 4 barangays of Nabunturan, all of Davao de Oro and Tagum City of Davao 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/brazen-disregard-of-human-rights-in-davao-de-oro/