Wednesday, September 22, 2021

Army general in propaganda fiasco gets new command

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Sep 22, 2021): Army general in propaganda fiasco gets new command (By: Jeannette I. Andrade)



Maj. Gen. Benedict Arevalo takes the helm of the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division on Sept. 20, 2021 at Camp General Macario Peralta in Jamindan, Capiz. OACPA

The Armed Forces of the Philippines general relieved of his post earlier this year for posting on social media an unverified list of names of alleged communist rebels, all University of the Philippines (UP) graduates, who were either killed or captured by the military, has been promoted.

Maj. Gen. Benedict Arevalo, former AFP deputy chief of staff for civil-military operations, was installed commander of the 3rd Infantry “Spearhead” Division (ID) in a ceremony held on Tuesday at Camp Gen. Macario Peralta Jr. in Jamindan, Capiz.

The 3rd ID conducts counterinsurgency operations in the Visayas region, mostly in Central and Western Visayas, and provides support to the Philippine National Police’s anticriminality operations.


Army chief Lt. Gen. Andres Centino led the rites where Arevalo took over from Brig. Gen. Noel Baluyan.

As head of the staff for civil-military operations, Arevalo released on social media in January a list of supposed communist rebels who graduated from UP who were killed or captured in military operations.

However, one of the supposed slain rebels, came out publicly to denounce the list, saying he was a lawyer and that contrary to the AFP’s claim, he was very much alive and, in fact, was never a member of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army.

Several others whose names were also on the list turned out to be a former government official, teacher and journalist.

‘Unpardonable’Arevalo later apologized for what Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana described as an “unpardonable gaffe.”

He was relieved of his post along with AFP deputy chief of staff for intelligence Maj. Gen. Alex Luna, whose office had provided the list.

Both officials were subsequently ordered reinstated in March by Lorenzana who said they were not directly responsible, although liable under the principle of command responsibility, for the blunder.

Lorenzana also warned that such a gaffe “cannot and should not happen again.”

Arevalo is a member of the Philippine Military Academy’s “Bigkis Lahi” Class of 1990. He was commander of the 303rd Infantry Brigade in Negros Occidental and the 301st Infantry Brigade in Iloilo before he was designated AFP deputy chief of staff for civil-military operations.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1491648/army-general-in-propaganda-fiasco-gets-new-command

How Will the Taliban Affect Violent Extremism in Mindanao?

 Posted to The Diplomat (Sep 22, 2021): How Will the Taliban Affect Violent Extremism in Mindanao? (By Kenneth Yeo)

Violent extremists in the southern Philippines have generally remained aloof from global jihadist currents, but Manila should not be complacent.



Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, center, Al-Hajj Murad, left, chair of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), Ghazali Jaafar, MILF vice-chair, and other leaders flash v-signs for peace during a ceremony for the submission of the draft of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) at Malacanang Palace, July 17, 2017 in Manila, Philippines.Credit: AP Photo/Bullit Marquez

On August 16, the Taliban seized control of Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan. While the Taliban has not demonstrated any intent to lead a global jihadist coalition, the same is not true of its ally al-Qaida (AQ). AQ was formed in 1998 and rallied Islamists to its cause of waging international jihad against Western targets. It plotted the 9/11 terror attacks in the United States in 2001, which led Washington to declare a global “war on terror” and pushed it to overthrow the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. Since the Taliban’s reconquest of the country, security observers have raised concerns that it could bring about a global resurgence of extremist attacks.

Prior to 2001, the Taliban harbored Osama bin Laden, then leader of AQ. The AQ-Taliban alliance persists to date, and AQ elements have publicly celebrated the Taliban’s victory in Afghanistan. As a result, many political pundits are anticipating a global revival of Islamist terrorism through AQ networks as a result of the Taliban’s victory.

However, the potential increase of terrorism due to the Taliban’s victory in Afghanistan depends very much on the local context. Analysts tend to overlook local counterterrorism capabilities when they are making assessments. A case in point is Mindanao, in the southern Philippines, which might be less affected than other regions due to the absence of AQ elements here and the Philippines’ relatively effective counterterrorism measures. However, terrorism is a transnational threat, and the Philippines must not be overconfident in its local counterterrorism capabilities.

Whether or not the Taliban victory leads to a resurgence of Islamist terrorism depends above all on AQ’s local influence. In Southeast Asia, the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) has long been AQ’s local conduit. The group has been active since the mid-1990s, and has since established a network across Southeast Asia. The JI was linked to militant groups in Mindanao including the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). However, JI’s influence in Mindanao has declined since 2008.

Today, the previously JI-linked MILF is no longer a terrorist group. Since entering peace negotiations with the Philippines government, MILF has purged JI elements from its ranks. These negotiations began in 2008, resulting in MILF being co-opted to govern the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) in 2012. MILF militants had since undergone militant disarmament and reintegrated into society.

Moreover, militant groups in Mindanao tend not to be ideologically aligned to global Islamist forces. They are prone to breaking away from their parent organizations or shifting their allegiance because there is always a radical faction within militant groups that cannot accept engaging in peace talks. The MILF and ASG, for example, split off from the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) after the latter accepted a semi-autonomous status from the Philippines government in 1987. Both ASG and MILF appeared to subscribe to the AQ ideology in order to capitalize on the global militant Islamist movement for recruitment and financial sponsorship.

Today, the region’s active militant groups are no longer aligned with AQ. After the emergence of the Islamic State (IS) in 2014, extremist groups in Mindanao splintered into smaller, more violent outfits aligned with IS. The notorious Maute Group and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) broke away from the MILF after it entered peace talks with the government in 2008. Similarly, Isnilon Hapilon and Hajan Sawadjaan splintered from the Radullan Sahiron-led ASG to form their respective pro-IS factions in 2014.

Overall, AQ’s influence in Mindanao has ebbed due to peace talks and the active groups’ realignment to IS. While there is a possibility of further splintering within active militant groups that produces new alignments with AQ, the weakened militias might not have sufficient strength to pose a substantive threat to the region.

The Philippines authorities have also made significant improvements in their counterterrorism efforts in Mindanao. Islamist groups in the region have been subjected to relentless military assaults, and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) have made significant territorial gains at their expense. In February 2021, the AFP overran the ASG, BIFF, and Maute bases.

The AFP further weakened militant groups by appealing for active militants to surrender. The government has urged militants to take advantage of reintegration programs to return to their families. Due to the perception of defeat, there has been an increasing number of militant surrenders in Mindanao since 2019. The reasons cited for defection include starvation, fatigue, disillusionment with leadership, and waning financial support. Hence, instead of aligning with AQ or IS, militants have the third option of surrendering to the government and receiving an amnesty. Militants from the ASG, BIFF, and Maute Group continue to surrender to the Philippines authorities in large numbers.

There is also no doubt that terrorist groups and networks in Southeast Asia have suffered from COVID-19. The pandemic has impeded terrorist operations in Mindanao. Travel restrictions in many countries has hindered terrorists’ transborder movement. Meanwhile, nationwide quarantines to curb the spread of COVID-19 has restricted the number of people allowed to congregate in any one place, restricting terrorist targets. With current COVID-19 restrictions, it is difficult for terrorist groups to mobilize, recruit, and coordinate attacks. Therefore, terrorist activity declined significantly since 2019, as reflected in the Southeast Asia Militant Atlas.

Nonetheless, the Philippines is not out of the woods yet. The United States’ abrupt retreat from Afghanistan raises questions about the trustworthiness of U.S. global leadership in counterterrorism. President Rodrigo Duterte has publicly displayed anti-American sentiments, and recent events could potentially reinforce his pre-existing skepticism of Washington.

The U.S. has been a significant security partner for the Philippines. Its special operations forces (SOFs) launched Operation Enduring Freedom-Philippines (OEF-P) in 2002 to support counterterrorism efforts in Mindanao. As the SOFs were prohibited from engaging in combat, they supported the AFP with civil-military operations, information operations, and capacity building under the foreign internal defense (FID) package.

In February 2020, Duterte threatened to end its military cooperation with the U.S., though the threat was later withdrawn. With the Philippines’ recent successes in counterterrorism and Duterte’s waning faith in Washington’s geopolitical leadership, the Philippines may become overconfident in its ability to manage terrorism domestically, and threats to end military cooperation may resurface. Nonetheless, it is still too early to tell how the Philippines leadership will respond to the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

The absence of AQ elements and effective counterterrorism efforts in the Philippines have suppressed violent Islamist fervor among the region’s terrorist groups. However, terrorism is a transnational threat and thus requires a multinational strategy. Mindanao had been and continues to have the potential to be a hotspot for training and operations for both JI and pro-IS foreign fighters in Southeast Asia.

Hence, the Philippines should remain vigilant and take no chances with its counterterrorism policies. The country will need to maintain its existing multinational counterterrorism commitments with the U.S. and other nations in the region if it is successfully to prevent the escalation of terrorism in Mindanao.

[Kenneth Yeo is a Research Analyst from the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR), a specialist centre of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) based in Singapore.]

https://thediplomat.com/2021/09/how-will-the-taliban-affect-violent-extremism-in-mindanao/

19 DFA execs, 32 military senior officials get CA nod

From the Manila Times (Sep 22, 2021): 19 DFA execs, 32 military senior officials get CA nod (By Bernadette E. Tamayo)

THE Commission on Appointments (CA) on Wednesday approved the nomination and ad interim appointments of 19 Department of Foreign Affairs officers and 32 senior officials in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

It also approved the nomination of retired Justice Catral Mendoza as member of the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC), representing the retired justices of the Supreme Court for a term expiring on July 9, 2025.

Mendoza attended the meeting through video conferencing due to his advanced age and co-morbidity.

The CA approved the appointment of Mario Chan, a retired military official, as Philippine Ambassador to Brazil, with jurisdiction over Colombia, Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela.

Chan replaced Marichu Mauro who had been dismissed from the service after a leaked video footage was shown on a local television station in Brazil showing her maltreating her unidentified Filipino househelp.

The panel also accepted the appointments of 11 chiefs of mission, five career ministers, and two foreign service officers.

The CA also approved the nomination of Rear Admiral Danilo Fuentes, Jr.; Major Generals Edward Libago and Francisco Ariel Felicidario 3rd; Brigadier Generals Ferdinand Razalan, Julius Tomines, Jaime Abawag Jr., and Florante Sison; and Commodore John Garaña.

Among the AFP officers included for confirmation were Col. Ruben Guinolbay, who was once a candidate for Medal of Valor, the highest military award, for neutralizing a group of Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) bandits who ambushed him and his troops in Lamitan, Sulu in 2001.

After the clash with the ASG, Guinolbay, a member of Philippine Military Class of 1994, and his men were able to rescue some hostages held by the ASG. In 2011, Guinolbay was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Star instead.


READ
16 NPA rebels killed in Eastern Samar clash

The youngest son of former Joseph "Erap" Estrada, Jude Ejercito, a reserve officer in the Philippine Air Force, was promoted to the rank of Colonel.

Sen. Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr., said that true to his Estrada roots, Ejercito, brother of former senator Jose "Jinggoy" Estrada, has a heart for the needy.

He noted that Ejercito got a Bronze Cross Medal in 2020 for his volunteer work in Metro Manila and for spearheading the deployment of the Reservist Task Unit to those with the highest number of Covid-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) cases.

https://www.manilatimes.net/2021/09/22/news/19-dfa-execs-32-military-senior-officials-get-ca-nod/1815677

6 NPA members dead; 15 firearms seized in 2 separate clashes

From the Sun Star-Cagayan de Oro (Sep 21, 2021): 6 NPA members dead; 15 firearms seized in 2 separate clashes (By JO ANN SABLAD)



MINDANAO. The military recovered 15 firearms in two separate clashes against the rebels in Mindanao on Monday, September 20, 2021. (Contributed photo)



MINDANAO. The military recovered 15 firearms in two separate clashes against the rebels in Mindanao on Monday, September 20, 2021. (Contributed photo)



MINDANAO. The military recovered 15 firearms in two separate clashes against the rebels in Mindanao on Monday, September 20, 2021. (Contributed photo)

SIX members of the New People's Army (NPA) were killed in two separate clashes in the areas of responsibility of the 4th Infantry (Diamond) Division (4ID) on Monday, September 20, 2021.

The 4ID reported that five NPA members were killed after an encounter between the rebels and the Army's Special Forces Battalion (1SFBn) and the 8th Infantry Battalion (8IB) at the mountainous area of Sitio Cogon Cogon, Barangay Manalog, Malaybalay City in Bukidnon around 6:45 a.m.

The troops clashed against more or less 15 rebels who were believed to be armed elements of Headquarters Forces Neo and Regional Sentro De Gravidad Compaq.

No casualties were recorded on the military side. They recovered 11 high-powered firearms, consist of six AK47 rifles, two M16 rifles, three M653 rifles and one caliber .45 pistol along with various war materials.

Another clash occurred around the forested area of Barangay Bugsukan, Butuan City in Agusan del Norte around 3 p.m. of the same day.

The military reported that one NPA member was killed, identified as Alias Jimboy of of Sandatahang Yunin Pampropaganda 21A, after a 15-minute firefight.

Also recovered from the encounter site were three high-powered firearms, such as two M16 rifles with magazines and one M203 40MM grenade launcher.

Major General Romeo Brawner Jr., commander of 4ID, said the Philippine National Police (PNP) is working side by side with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in the conduct of intensified focused military operations against the NPA to help end the insurgency in the area.

"The CTG (Communist Terrorist Group) will never win in this fight. With the PNP making their presence felt in the anti-insurgency campaign, we expect more and more CTG members and leaders to heed our call for peace after the series of setbacks they suffered in the past days in Bukidnon," Brawner said.

"Voluntary surrender is imminent and choosing to return to the peaceful path to avail the Enhance Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) would be the better option for the CTG," he added.

The 4ID commander also appealed to the terrorist group leaders to stop the senseless fight and "give peace a chance."

[1 of 5 free articles for month of September. Subscription normally required for full articles]

https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1907985/Cagayan-De-Oro/Local-News/6-NPA-members-dead-15-firearms-seized-in-2-separate-clashes

5 ex-rebels surrender in Northern Samar

From the Sun Star-Tacloban (Sep 22, 2021): 5 ex-rebels surrender in Northern Samar (By RONALD O. REYES)



Photo from 43rd Infantry Battalion- Philippine Army

FIVE alleged members of the New People’s Army (NPA) voluntarily surrendered to the police and Philippine Army’s 43rd Infantry Battalion (IB) in Lope de Vega, Northern Samar Tuesday, September 21, 2021.

Authorities i
dentified the surrenderers as alias Perlito, alias Duwaring/Homer, alias Jomary, alias Rico, and alias Ungal, all full-time members of Squad 3, sub-regional committee Emporium.

They also turned in one caliber 7.62mm M14 rifle with serial number 612807 with two magazines and 75 rounds of ammunition for 7.62mm and bandolier; three caliber .45 with defaced serial numbers, four magazines and 25 rounds of ammunition for caliber .45; two caliber .38 revolvers with 10 rounds of ammunition and defaced serial numbers; two anti-personnel mines; anti-tank mine and 15 meters firing wire with firing device.


The Police Regional Office-Eastern Visayas lauded the efforts exerted by the police personnel and the Philippine Army in the surrender of the five alleged rebel personalities.

“I hope to have more brothers and sisters who will turn their backs from their armed struggle,” said Brigadier General Rommel Bernardo Cabagnot, regional police director.

The former rebels surrendered through the joined efforts of Lieutenant Colonel Manuel Degay, commanding officer of 43rd IB, and Major Edwin Oloan Jr, force commander of 1st Northern Samar Provincial Mobile Force Company.

Eastern Visayas, particularly the poverty-stricken Samar Island, has remained a hotbed of insurgency with the continued presence of the NPA who has been waging a Maoist-inspired guerrilla war since the late 1960s.

[1 of 5 free articles for month of September. Subscription normally required for full articles]

https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1908097/Tacloban/Local-News/5-ex-rebels-surrender-in-Northern-Samar

NDF: Tyrant Duterte has surpassed Marcos in terms of terrorism and plunder

Posted to the National Democratic Front Philippines (NDFP or NDF) Website (Sep 22, 2021): Tyrant Duterte has surpassed Marcos in terms of terrorism and plunder

Communist Party of the Philippines

September 21, 2021

We join the Filipino people in commemorating the 49th year of the declaration of martial law today. Indeed, we must never forget one of the worst periods of the country’s history in which Ferdinand Marcos grabbed absolute power, reigned as a dictator for 14 years and engaged in relentless plunder, corruption, and fascist suppression. He bankrupted the government, led the country to unprecedented ruin and buried the people under mountains of debt.

It is extremely important and urgent that we look back and draw lessons from the dark days of martial law as the country today is ruled over by the tyrant Duterte who has unabashedly declared admiration for Marcos and openly harbors ambitions of imposing a fascist dictatorship.

In a short span of five years, Duterte has surpassed Marcos’s 14-year rule in terms of the worst parameters. Since 2016, the number of people murdered by state forces under Duterte’s bogus “war on drugs” is estimated at more than 30,000, close to ten times more than the 3,000 people killed in the massacres and “salvagings” perpetrated by military and police forces under the Marcos dictatorship.

Today, the same military and police, now led by then young officers of the Marcos dictatorship, foment the same anticommunist hysteria as pretext for carrying out massacres and extrajudicial killings, abductions, torture, illegal arrests, filing of trumped up charges and prolonged detention against dissenters and critics of the corrupt and terrorist regime. Supported by US-supplied drones and fighter jets and military funding, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has stepped up its campaign of aerial bombardment and artillery shelling in the rural plains and mountainous areas endangering people’s lives in violation of the international laws of war.

Away from the cities, state terrorism is more brazen and cruel, with the AFP and the militarized bureaucracy under the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) imposing open military rule over peasant and indigenous communities. The peasant masses suffer from rampant abuses and violations of human rights that come with the militarization and hamletting of their villages. Invoking counterinsurgency, the AFP has banned all forms of democratic and patriotic organizations to force the peasants and ethnic minority groups to “surrender” their rights and acquiesce to worsening forms of oppression and exploitation including the grabbing of their lands by big mining corporations and plantations, and energy and ecotourism projects.

Duterte and his cohorts are set to surpass the conjugal dictatorship of Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos in terms of corruption and plunder, especially in collaboration with Chinese big capitalists and criminal drug and smuggling syndicates. The tyrant railroads and bamboozles his way through to pocket fat commissions by diverting hundreds of billions of pesos to anomalous government contracts involving Chinese-funded infrastructure projects. Through his dummies, Duterte continues to amass large amounts of wealth. His generals and police officers are also having a heyday by plundering billions of pesos in counterinsurgency and AFP “modernization” funds. The diversion of billion of pesos of public funds to favored companies during the pandemic is among the worst and unforgivable acts of plunder.

Duterte has surpassed the Marcos regime for the rate of accumulating government debt. Philippine debt grew at around ₱65 billion a year ($1:₱50) for 20 years under Marcos. From ₱6.09 trillion at the start of Duterte’s term, government debt skyrocketed to ₱11 trillion and expected to reach ₱13.42 trillion by 2022, growing by ₱1.22 trillion annually, almost 20 times faster than the Marcos regime.

He has funneled more and more public funds to debt servicing, counterinsurgency and infrastructure projects. Like Marcos, education and health services remain the least of state priorities. Duterte has accelerated import liberalization of agricultural products, particularly rice and meat, leading to bankruptcy of palay farmers and livestock producers, rising prices of food and other daily commodities. Fuel prices continue to rise unabatedly. While people are burdened with consumer taxes, big corporations are being incentivized with tax reductions and exemptions resulting in wider gaps between the very rich and the poor comprising the majority of the Filipino people.

Behind the facade of the “war on drugs,” Duterte has gained the position of being the biggest drug lord by forcing every drug syndicate on their knees to pray for his protection. He has put a stop to the local production of “shabu” to compel local drug lords to source their illegal wares from China which has been exposed as going through the military-controlled gates of the Bureau of Customs. In exchange for billions of pesos in protection money, big Chinese drug syndicates have been allowed to continue their operations within the national penitentiary under the watch of Duterte’s trusted lieutenants.

In exchange for promises of Chinese money, vaccines and protection, Duterte has surrendered vast parts of the West Philippine Sea (WPS) to the Chinese military and giant fishing industry. Under Duterte, China has fortified its military stronghold in the WPS by erecting at least seven military facilities in reclaimed lands. Giant sea vessels have engaged in swarming and overfishing in the area resulting in the depletion of marine resources to the detriment of Filipino fishermen.

At the same time, Duterte continues to extend extraterritorial rights to the US military through the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) and other lopsided military agreements. In exchange for the sale of new attack helicopters, rockets and bombs, as well as vaccines hoarded by the US, Duterte has bowed to the US demand to allow the expansion of its military facilities within AFP camps for stockpiling and forward deployment of drones, communication equipment and other war matériel.

Duterte has now equalled Marcos for international notoriety. The decision of the pre-trial chamber of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to push forward the investigation of crimes against humanity for the thousands of killed under Duterte’s sham “war on drugs” reinforces Duterte’s negative standing as an international pariah. The broad masses of Filipino people await the day that Duterte is formally charged before the ICC, tried and sentenced for his crimes.

In the eyes of the Filipino people and people across the world, Duterte is infamous for his fascism, misogyny, the worsening drug problem, aversion against human rights and contempt for the poor.

Duterte’s reign of terror, corruption and oppression of the broad masses of workers and peasants has exposed the rotten core of the ruling semicolonial and semifeudal system. His tyranny has drowned the country in darkness. However, it has made the light of the people’s democratic resistance shine more brightly, illuminating especially the path of revolutionary armed struggle towards national and social liberation.

Down with the US-Duterte regime!
Carry forward the people’s democratic revolution!
Long live the Filipino people!

https://ndfp.org/tyrant-duterte-has-surpassed-marcos-in-terms-of-terrorism-and-plunder/

CPP/Ang Bayan: Pagpatay gamit ang mga drone at pambobomba mula sa himpapawid

Propaganda article from the Tagalog language edition of Ang Bayan posted to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Website (Sep 21, 2021): Pagpatay gamit ang mga drone at pambobomba mula sa himpapawid



Isang madugong krimen ang iniwan ng militar ng US sa Afghanistan bago tuluyang lisanin ng mga armadong tropa ang bansa matapos ang 20 taong gera ng pagsakop dito. Noong Agosto 29, nagpakawala ang mga armadong drone nito ng mga 20-libras na Hellfire missile sa isang residensyal na lugar sa sentrong syudad ng Kabul na pumatay sa sampung sibilyan, kabilang ang pitong bata.

Sa harap ng hindi mapasusubaliang ebidensya, napilitang aminin ng US Central Command noong Setyembre 17 na ang pambobomba ay isang “kalunus-lunos na pagkakamali.” Ito ay matapos ang ilang linggong paggigiit na matagumpay nilang napatay ang isang teroristang kabilang diumano sa ISIS-K. Sangkot diumano ang taong ito sa suicide bombing sa paliparan ng Kabul noong Agosto 26 na pumatay sa ilampung tao kabilang ang 13 sundalong Amerikano.

Bago aminin ang pagkakamali, ipinaggiitan ng mga upisyal militar ng US na “98% sigurado” sila na matagumpay ang kanilang pambobomba at na wala na daw silang kailangang ipaliwanag o patunayan. Gamit ang drone, maghapon diumano nilang sinubaybayan ang kilos ng pinagsususpetsahan nilang terorista at nakita daw nilang bumisita ang biktima sa mga kilala nilang “hideout.” Iginigiit ng militar ng US na napigilan nila ang isa pang teroristang atake dahil ang lalaking tinarget nila ay nagkakarga noon ng mabibigat na bagay sa likuran ng kanyang kotse na pinaniniwalaan nilang mga eksplosibo.

Ang totoo, ang napatay ng mga bomba ng drone ng US ay si Zemari Ahmadi, empleyado ng Nutrition and Education International, isang pangkawanggawang organisasyong Amerikano. Kadarating lamang ni Ahmadi mula sa maghapong pagtatrabaho ng paghahatid-sundo ng mga kawani sa kanilang upisina. Nang sumabog ang misayl ng US, nagdidiskarga siya noon ng malalaking container ng maiinom na tubig para sa kanyang pamilya. Kabilang ang kanyang mga anak sa napatay.

Umamin na lamang ang US matapos ibunyag sa isinagawang imbestigasyon ng mga mamamahayag sa Afghanistan katuwang ng kilalang pahayagang New York Times at Washington Post sa US. Tinukoy nila na si Ahmadi ay kabilang sa mga Afghan na nakipagtulungan noon sa pananakop ng US at nagbabalak sana na makapunta ng US matapos agawin ng Taliban ang poder noong nakaraang buwan.

Bago nito, ilang beses nang napilitan ang US na umaming nagkamali sila at mga sibilyan ang kanilang napatay. Kabilang dito ang pagbomba sa isang kasalan noong 2002, pagpatay sa mahigit 100 sibilyan sa prubinsya ng Farah noong 2006 at pagbomba ng isang ospital noong 2016 kung saan 42 duktor ang napaslang.

Ayon sa Bureau of Investigative Journalism, hindi bababa sa 16,900 na ang napatay at 3,900 ang nasugatan sa Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia at Yemen mula nang unang gumamit ang US ng mga drone noong 2001. Wala itong eksaktong datos sa kaswalidad sa paggamit ng US ng drone sa Iraq, Syria, Nigeria, Mali, Libya, Gaza at West Bank sa Palestine, sa rehiyon ng Kurd sa Turkey at sa Pilipinas.

Sa nagdaang 20 taon, nagtetengang kawali ang mga upisyal militar ng US sa sigaw ng libu-libong pamilya ng mga biktima ng kanilang pambobomba mula sa himpapawid gamit ang mga drone. Makaisang panig na ipinagmamalaki ng US ang teknolohiya at bentahe nila sa paggamit ng drone sa larangan ng digmaan. Pilit nilang binabalewala at ibinabaon sa kanilang propaganda ang katotohanang ang paggamit ng mga drone ay labag sa mga batas ng digma at ginagamit sa kanilang panghihimasok sa iba’t ibang sulok ng daigdig.

Ang mga drone ay mga sasakyang panghimpapawid na nagdadala ng malalakas na kamera, thermal sensor (nagmamatyag sa pamamagitan ng pagsukat sa pagkakaiba ng init ng mga bagay) at iba pang kagamitan para sa pagmamanman o pag-eespiya. May mga drone na nagdadala ng mga misayl o bomba.

Isang MQ-9 Reaper drone ang ginamit ng US sa pagbomba nito kay Ahmadi. May kapasidad itong lumipad nang 42 oras na may dalang 450 kilo ng pasabog. Kinokontrol ito mula sa mga kampo militar sa loob ng US at pwedeng paliparin sa iba’t ibang panig ng mundo gamit ang komunikasyong dumadaan sa mga satelayt sa kalawakan. May mga “drone command center” ang US sa Las Vegas, Nevada at iba’t ibang kampong militar sa loob ng US at 27 kampo nito sa iba’t ibang panig ng mundo, kabilang ang apat sa Afghanistan at isa sa Pilipinas.

(Itutuloy sa susunod na isyu.)

[Ang Bayan is the official news organ of the Communist Party of the Philippines and is issued by the CPP Central Committee. It provides news about the work of the Party as well as its analysis of and views on current issues. Ang Bayan comes out fortnightly and is published in Pilipino, Bisaya, Ilokano, Waray, Hiligaynon and English.]

https://cpp.ph/2021/09/21/pagpatay-gamit-ang-mga-drone-at-pambobomba-mula-sa-himpapawid/

CPP/Ang Bayan: Panukala laban sa panggigipit sa mga unyon, inihapag

Propaganda article from the Tagalog language edition of Ang Bayan posted to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Website (Sep 21, 2021): Panukala laban sa panggigipit sa mga unyon, inihapag



Inihapag ng blokeng Makabayan ang Union Independence Act of 2021 noong Setyembre 19 sa Kongreso para parusahan ang sinumang makikialam, haharang, manggigigpit o mamimilit sa sinumang manggagawa o unyon. Reaksyon ito sa sunud-sunod na red-tagging sa mga unyon sa loob ng mga export processing zone at pamimilit sa mga manggagawa na kumalas sa Kilusang Mayo Uno.

Pasimuno sa red-tagging at walang awat na panghaharas sa mga manggagawa at unyonista ang National Task Force to End Local Communict Armed Conflict at ang Joint Industrial Peace and Concerns Office o JIPCO na itinatayo nito sa loob ng mga sona ng paggawa.

Hiwalay pa rito ang mga pagtatangka ng Philippine National Police na makialam sa ilalim ng ipinanunukalang Alliance for Industrial Peace and Program Office kung saan bibigyan ng kapangyarihan ang mga pulis na makialam sa mga sigalot sa pagitan ng mga manggagawa at maneydsment ng mga kumpanya.

Ayon sa mga grupong manggagawa, magbubunsod ang JIPCO at AIPPO ng mas malawak at sistematikong pagsikil sa karapatan ng mga manggagawa sa pag-uunyon. Lalo nitong palalalain ang pagsasamantala at gipit na kalagayan ng mga manggagawa sa loob ng mga export processing zone.

[Ang Bayan is the official news organ of the Communist Party of the Philippines and is issued by the CPP Central Committee. It provides news about the work of the Party as well as its analysis of and views on current issues. Ang Bayan comes out fortnightly and is published in Pilipino, Bisaya, Ilokano, Waray, Hiligaynon and English.]

https://cpp.ph/2021/09/21/panukala-laban-sa-panggigipit-sa-mga-unyon-inihapag/

CPP/Ang Bayan: Mga mandirigmang Moro, disgustado sa BARMM

Propaganda article from the Tagalog language edition of Ang Bayan posted to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Website (Sep 21, 2021): Mga mandirigmang Moro, disgustado sa BARMM



Disgustado ang mga mandirigma ng Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF), ang hukbo ng Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), sa mga pangakong napako ng Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). Marami sa kanila ang wala pang trabaho hanggang ngayon, sa kabila ng pagsasalong nila ng mga armas, alinsunod sa pagdekomisyon (pag-alis sa serbisyo sa hukbo) na nakasaad sa pinal na kasunduan sa pagitan ng MILF at Gubyerno ng Pilipinas.

Lumakas ang kanilang disgusto sa harap ng pagpapaliban ng eleksyon ng Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) mula 2022 tungong 2025. Palalawigin nito ang termino ng kasalukuyang mga lider na ayon sa mga mandirigma ay solong nakikinabang sa BARMM. Anila, walang pakinabang ang BARMM sa “totoong” mga mandirigma na ilang dekadang nakipaglaban para sa karapatan sa pagpapasya-sa-sarili ng mga Moro.

Nitong Setyembre, nasa 12,000 na sa 40,000-lakas na BIAF ang nagsalong ng kanilang mga armas kapalit ng di pa napalilitaw na mga trabaho. Mayroon pang 14,000 na nakatakdang magsuko rin ng armas.

Disgustado rin ang di Moro na mga mamamayan sa pamamalakad ng BTA. Ayon sa Loyukan, isang organisasyon ng mga Lumad sa Far South Mindanao, walang ginagawa ang BTA sa serye ng pamamaslang sa mga Lumad na Teduray at Lambiangan. Mula Hulyo 2018 hanggang Hulyo 2019, napakagtala ang grupo ng 11 lider-Lumad na pinaslang sa Maguindanao. Ngayong taon, 12 na ang napaslang na Lumad dulot ng mga sigalot sa lupa. Saklaw ng BARMM ang 127,000 di Moro na mamamayan na nakatira sa 208,258-ektaryang lupang ninuno sa Far South Mindanao.

Lahat ng mga upisyal ng BTA ay itinalaga ni Rodridgo Duterte at tumatanaw ng utang na loob sa kanya.

[Ang Bayan is the official news organ of the Communist Party of the Philippines and is issued by the CPP Central Committee. It provides news about the work of the Party as well as its analysis of and views on current issues. Ang Bayan comes out fortnightly and is published in Pilipino, Bisaya, Ilokano, Waray, Hiligaynon and English.]

https://cpp.ph/2021/09/21/mga-mandirigmang-moro-disgustado-sa-barmm/

CPP/Ang Bayan: Abugado, pinaslang sa South Cotabato

Propaganda article from the Tagalog language edition of Ang Bayan posted to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Website (Sep 21, 2021): Abugado, pinaslang sa South Cotabato



Isang abugadong tagapagtanggol ng karapatang-tao at isang Pulang mandirigma na wala nang kakayahang lumaban ang pinaslang ng mga armadong ahente ng estado sa nakaraang linggo.

Binaril at pinatay ng dalawang armadong lalaki si Atty. Juan Macababbad, pangalawang tagapangulo ng Union of Peoples’ Lawyers in Mindanao at kasapi ng National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers, sa harap ng kanyang bahay sa Surallah, South Cotabato noong Setyembre 15.

Abugado si Atty. Macababbad ng mga lumad, guro, bilanggong pulitikal at iba pang sektor sa rehiyon. Myembro din siya ng partidong Bayan Muna.

Sa Camarines Sur, tinortyur at pinaslang noong Setyembre 12 ng mga pulis at sundalo si Dioscorro L. Roma (Ka JR), isang mandirigma ng Bagong Hukbong Bayan (BHB) na wala nang kakayahang lumaban. Nadakip si Roma sa labas ng kampo ng BHB sa Tible, Lupi habang kumukuha ng suplay.

Ayon sa pamilya, halos hindi na makilala ang mga labi ni Roma dahil sa tindi ng tortyur na dinanas niya. Basag ang kanyang mukha, mga daliri at bayag at nangingitim sa pasa ang kanyang buong katawan.

Samantala, inaresto ng Philippine National Police-Labo ang dalawang upisyal ng Barangay Dumagmang, Labo, Camarines Norte noong Agosto 30. Pinaratangan sina Barangay Kagawad Angelita F. Talla at Julieta Clores Dela Cruz, 65, ng pagkakasangkot sa armadong aksyon ng BHB sa naturang barangay noong nakaraang Marso. Sinampahan sila ng kasong direct assault at frustrated murder.

Inaresto at inakusahang kasapi ng BHB ang magsasakang si Toto Moreno, residente ng Sityo Uyangan, Barangay Budlasan, Canlaon City, Negros Oriental, ng mga sundalo ng 62nd IB noong Setyembre 14.

[Ang Bayan is the official news organ of the Communist Party of the Philippines and is issued by the CPP Central Committee. It provides news about the work of the Party as well as its analysis of and views on current issues. Ang Bayan comes out fortnightly and is published in Pilipino, Bisaya, Ilokano, Waray, Hiligaynon and English.]

https://cpp.ph/2021/09/21/abugado-pinaslang-sa-south-cotabato/

Kalinaw News: Provincial government to pour aid on fishermen

Posted to Kalinaw News (Sep 22, 2021): Provincial government to pour aid on fishermen



BALER, Aurora-The provincial government of Aurora through its provincial agriculture office and the 91st Infantry “Sinagtala” Battalion, Philippine Army will continue to extend assistance to 22 fishermen who were all members of the peoples’ organization (PO) namely “Alasanay Bagong Pag-asa” at Sitio Alasanay, Barangay Dimanayat, San Luis, Aurora.

During the dialogue on Monday, September 20, 2021, the troops of 91st IB and the personnel of the office of the provincial agriculturist (OPAg) made a dialogue to Alasanay Bagong Pag-asa President Michael Delcozar and its members and discussed about the ongoing project of OPAg led by Gina Anaje for the fiberglass banca and fishing nets to be awarded to them.

Provincial agriculturist Arnold Novicio said that the provincial government has directed to release at the soonest time possible for the said PO to help them in their livelihood and other possible assistance for another source of income.

“Sa hangarin ng Pamahalaang Panlalawigan at ng Panlalawigang Tanggapan ng Pagsasaka na maipaabot ang mga tulong pang agrikultural sa lahat ng dako ng lalawigan. Tumuloy ang aming tanggapan kasama ang 91st IB sa mga baybaying Barangay ng San Luis upang makadaupang palad ang mga kapatid nating mga magsasaka at mangingisda at Mga organisadong grupo na alamin ang kanilang mga pangangailangan na tuwirang tutugon sa pag-angat ng kanilang kabuhayan. Sa panayam n isinagawa, inilatag ng ating kasundaluhan at ng Provincial Agrculture ang ibat-ibang progrma para sa lahat ng batayang sektor lalong higit ang kalalagayan ng mga taga coastal area,” Novicio said.

The said PO was organized by 91st IB as part of the on-going Retooled Community Support Program (RCSP) and donated 1 sack of rice and 10 packs of cheese cake to the group.

The 91IB extended transportation assistance to the personnel of OPAg by transporting their personnel and equipment from Sitio Alasanay, Barangay Dimanayat, San Luis to Baler Port.

Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Aurora Lawyer Ofelio Tactac Jr., said that officials and personnel the national government, to the local government units (LGUs) from the province down to the barangays has the obligation to support and to do their share in ending local communist armed conflict to finally put an end to this 52nd-year long insurgency problem.

“Hindi po maikakaila na ang armadong pakikipaglaban na itoy ay walang idinulot kundi kahirapan, pighati, malaking pinsala sa ariarian at higit sa lahat pagkasira at pagkawala ng maraming buhay. Itoy nagtagal hindi dahil sa paniniwala sa ideolohiyang kumunista na alam po natin ay walang practikal na silbi sa moderno at pangkasalukuyang pamamahala o pagpapatakbo ng gobyerno na siya na rin tinalikuran ng mga bansang dating gumamit at nagtaguyod nito. Ito’y hindi rin nagtagal dahil sa prinsipyo o paninindigan ng mga Pinuno na nagtatag ng lokal na komunista kong saan lahat, liban kay Joma Sison, ay sumuko na, nagbalik loob sa gobyerno ,tinalikuran ang armadong pakikibaka at namuhay ng tahimik. Itoy po nagpapatuloy dahil sa kahirapan at kamangmangan na ginagamit ng lokal na kumunista upang mamanipula ang mga hirap sa buhay na magalit, sisihin at labanan ang pamahalaan,” Tactac said.

He added that President Duterte’s Executive Order No. 70 which institutionalized a whole-of-nation approach in dealing with insurgency through the creation of National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) lay a key role in wiping out the decades-old local communist problem.

“Ang pagpapalabas ng E.O. No 70 ni Presidente Rodrigo R. Duterte o ang tinatawag nating whole nation approach to end local communiat armed conflict at paraan para tuluyan nang masugpo ang armadong pakikipagdigma ng lokal na komunista sa pamamagitan ng pagtugon mismo ng pamahalaan sa mga pangunahing rason at dahilan kong bakit may sumasali at sumusuporta sa armadong grupo, ito ang kahirapan, ang pakirandam at maling pagkakaintindi na sila ay binigyan ng halaga at pinabayaan na ng pamahalaan,” Tactac said.

He furthered that the whole-of-nation-approach (EO 70) addresses the root causes of insurgencies and other armed conflicts and threats by prioritizing and harmonizing the delivery of basic services and social development packages by the government.

It also looks into facilitating societal inclusivity, and ensuring the active participation of all sectors of the society in the pursuit of the country’s peace agenda.

“Sa whole of nation approach lahat po ng ahesnya ng gobyerno, nasyonal at lokal hangang sa barangay ay tututok sa pangangailangan ng bawat kumunidad na napasok o naimplwensyahan ng mga lokal ng komunista, at kikilos para ito ay matugunan. Ito ay nakikita nating ngayon sa ating lalawigan sa pagkilos ng Provincial Government ng Aurora, kasama ang 91st infantry Battalion ng Philippine Army sa pagbibigay tulong kabuhayan sa mga mangingisda na miyembro ng Alasanay Bagong Pagasa at mga magsasaka sa mga baybaying barangay ng San Luis, Aurora na kasama sa mga target barangays na makakatangap ng iba’t-ibang kaukulang diretsong proyekto, programa at tulong mula sa national at lokal na pamahalaan sa ilalim ng E.O. 70 o ang Whole of Nation approach to end local communism. Ang DILG Aurora lubos na nagpapasalamat sa lahat na kumikilos at sumusuporta sa E.O. 70, naway makamtan natin ang adhikain ng pagkakaroon ng tunay na kapayapaan at katiwasayan sa darating na panahon,” Tactac ended.



[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/provincial-government-to-pour-aid-on-fishermen/

Kalinaw News: Groundbreaking of BDP Project Worth P20M Farm-to-Market Road in Brgy Bonacao, San Fernando, Bukidnon (SFB)

Posted to Kalinaw News (Sep 22, 2021): Groundbreaking of BDP Project Worth P20M Farm-to-Market Road in Brgy Bonacao, San Fernando, Bukidnon (SFB)



SANTO TOMAS, Davao del Norte- Various government agencies converged during the Groundbreaking Ceremony of P20M worth farm to market road opening from Sitio Kisayab to Sitio Bayabas of Brgy Bonacao under the Barangay Development Program (DBP) held at Covered Court, Brgy Bonacao, SFB on September 21, 2021.

This endeavor is part of the operationalization of EO 70 known as the Whole of Nation Approach to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (TF-ELCAC) that will surely open the gate of opportunities in the aforementioned sitios and nearby communities as it will provide convenience in transporting their farm produce and accessibility in delivering basic services offered and provided by the LGU.

LTC DONALD P GAFFUD INF (GSC) PA, Bn Commander, 89IB, in his message, extended his gratitude to all the participants and the Local Government of San Fernando and Local Council of Brgy Bonacao for their unrelenting commitment in the realization of the project. He also encouraged the members of the community to continuously support and help the government in protecting the heavy equipment against CTG’s atrocities.

Certainly, Makatao Battalion will remain steadfast in its commitment to help the disadvantaged communities in pursuit of peace and development to pave the way for socio-economic development in order to establish conflict-resilient communities.

[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/groundbreaking-of-bdp-project-worth-p20m-farm-to-market-road-in-brgy-bonacao-san-fernando-bukidnon-sfb/

Kalinaw News: Army clash with NPA in Surigao Sur, two NPA killed.

Posted to Kalinaw News (Sep 22, 2021): Army clash with NPA in Surigao Sur, two NPA killed.



Carmen, Surigao del Sur – members of the Communist NPA terrorist were killed again
in an encounter with the Army’s 36th Infantry (Valor) Battalion at the hinterland’s vicinity of Sitio Agsam, Brgy Cabas-an, Cantilan, Surigao del Sur on September 21, 2021 at around 5:15pm in the afternoon.

With the reports tipped off by locals and nearby communities, the CNTs who were
conducting extortion and posing threat on the said area were encountered by troops of 36IB. The unit immediately responded to the said reports and conducted combat
operation in the said area.

A 10-mins gun battle ensued between the elements of the Army’s 36th Infantry (Valor) Battalion and more or less 10-armed group believed to be members of the Pltn 2, Guerilla Front (GF30) under Noel Tumarlas Alacre @Megan. Afterward, the enemy scampered and withdrew to different directions leaving their comrades behind.

The gun battle resulted in the recovery of two cadavers of unidentified NPA fighters and seized one (1) M16A1 rifle, one (1) AR18 rifle, one (1) carbine, one (1) bandolier loaded with two (2) long magazines and one (1) short magazine of M16, four (4) backpacks, two (2) Nokia Cell phones, medical paraphernalia, personal belongings, and other subversive documents.

Lt Col Michael Rey S. Reuyan, the Acting Commanding Officer of 36IB reiterated that it is the result of the relentless combat operations and the support of the communities in the 36IB area of operation.

“With the support of the locals and communities, we could easily track down the enemy. It is a manifestation that the growing support of the communities is a response that they don’t want the CPP-NPA in their area,” Ltc Reuyan said.
He further added that the 36IB unit grieves with the slain NPAs as they are also victims of futile arm struggle and failed ideology.

“I call on the remaining CPP-NPA terrorist to surrender now and return to the folds of the law. Lay down your arms and return to your families. Avail the Enhanced Comprehensive

Local Integration Program (E-CLIP), the government intervention package for former
rebels” he added.

The cadavers of the killed NPA were turned over to the PNP and local government units for identification and post-mortem examination.

[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-clash-with-npa-in-surigao-sur-two-npa-killed/\

Kalinaw News: Disgruntled Rebels Surrender Bringing Along 4 Firearms

Posted to Kalinaw News (Sep 22, 2021): Disgruntled Rebels Surrender Bringing Along 4 Firearms



MAWAB, Davao De Oro – Developmental efforts in communities and their observed treatment of earlier rebels who already surrendered since 60IB’s deployment in Agusan Del Sur prompted seven CPP-NPA terrorists to finally surrender last September 20,2021, bringing along four high powered firearms.

All members of Weakened Guerilla Front 3, Sub Regional Committee 4, Southern Mindanao Regional Committee (SMRC), they voluntarily surrendered to LtCol Ronaldo P Sarmiento, commanding officer of 60th Infantry (Mediator) Battalion based at Sitio Tawinian, Brgy Gupitan, Kapalong, Davao del Norte.

The surrenderors are:

1) Toto Morgades Tumagsa alias “JIBOY” and “Rafael”, team leader, Abe, Segunda, Basil Platoon, WGF 3, SRC 4, SMRC, 21 years old, single, Ata-Manobo Tribe member and resident of Sitio Muling, Brgy Gupitan, Kapalong, Davao Del Norte;

2) Rene Tumagsa Tiklonay alias “John/Alex, team leader, Abe, Primera, Basil Platoon, WGF 3, SRC 4, SMRC, 19 y/o, single, a former student of MISFI Academy, Ata-Manobo tribe member and a resident of Sitio Muling, Brgy Gupitan, Kapalong, Davao Del Norte;

3) Jeboy Manlahag Lahindao alias Oto/Echo/Paul, Supply Officer, Segunda, Andoy Platoon, WGF 3, SRC 4, SMRC, 16 years old, single, an Umayamnon-Manobo tribe member and a resident of Brgy Kasapa 2, La Paz, Agusan Del Sur;

4) Lyka Casal Velis alias Marian/Mary Ann/Yawe, Team Medic, Abe, Primera, Andoy Platoon, WGF 3, SRC 4, SMRC, 23 y/o, single, Agusanon-Manobo tribe member from Sitio Macopa, Brgy San Vicente, Loreto, Agusan Del Sur;

5) Myrna Langgaron Mantog, alias Marga/Amihan/Kazumi, Team Medic, Baking, Primera, Andoy, WGF 3, SRC 4, SMRC, 15 y/o, single, a member of the Ata-Manobo Tribe, Sitio Bagtok, Brgy Gupitan, Kapalong, Davao Del Norte;

6) Ronafe Catarata Adregado alias Chacha/Ritchie/Gareb, Platoon Medic, Andoy, WGF 3, SRC 4, SMRC, 19 y/o, single, Bicolana/Cebuana, Purok 1-Lucita, Brgy Cebulano, Carmen, Davao Del Norte; and

7) Monding Tilocan Balanban alias Bato/Lubas, Abe, Primera, Basil Platoon, WGF 3, SRC 4, SMRC, 48 years old, Umayamnon-Manobo tribe member and a resident of Sitio Kalampayan, Brgy Kasapa 2, La Paz, ADS.

According to the them, they left the WGF 3, SRC 4, SMRC under the leadership of Alfie Olbis Trabado alias Coco/Cardo/Sulay, Secretary at Dinakot River, Brgy Kasapa 1, Loreto, Agusan del Sur last 16 September 2021 due to hunger, fear and stress brought about by the relentless focused military operations of the 60IB in the boundary of Brgy Kasapa 2 and Brgy Angeles both of La Paz, Agusan del Sur. Likewise, Datu Muloy Malasag of Sitio Bagtok, Brgy Gupitan, Kapalong helped them in the facilitation of their surrenders.

In addition, the 60th Infantry battalion facilitated the medical examination and coordinated with the Kapalong Municipal Police for the Police Blotter Report. Coordination with MSWDO Kapalong was made also for the proper disposition of the two minor-aged surrenderees. As of this writing, the Intel operatives of 60IB is currently conducting custodial debriefing in requirement for the enrollment to the Enhanced Local Integration Program (E-CLIP). The said battalion also coordinated with the Philippine National Police counterparts for the filing of appropriate charges against the Weakened Guerilla Front 3 personalities for their recruitment of minors – a clear violation under Violence Against Women and Children.

Meanwhile, the Commander of 10th Infantry (Agila) Division, Major General Ernesto C Torres Jr congratulated the troops of their accomplishment, “without firing a single bullet, we were able to persuade our enemies to lay down their arms and return to the folds of law. Truly, developmental effort is one of the contributors for a just and lasting peace in our community” he 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/disgruntled-rebels-surrender-bringing-along-4-firearms/

Kalinaw News: Government troops score anew against NPAs in Cagayan

Posted to Kalinaw News (Sep 22, 2021): Government troops score anew against NPAs in Cagayan



CAMP MELCHOR F DELA CRUZ, Upi, Gamu, Isabela- Operating troops of the 501st Infantry Brigade (501IBde) under the 5th Infantry “Star” Division (5ID) clashed against CPP-NPA Terrorists (CNT) early morning of Sept 21, 2021 at the mountainous part of Brgy Dungeg, Sta Teresita, Cagayan.

Responding to the information on CNT hideouts in the said area, the operating troops of the Joint Task Force Tala encountered more or less 40 CNTs belonging to the Komiteng Probinsiya Cagayan, Komiteng Rehiyon – Cagayan Valley (KR-CV). Intermitent firefight ensued which lasted for about two hours. Close air and fire supports were immediately delivered to support the ground troops from enemy counter fires and anti-personnel mines (APM). After the firefight, the CNTs scampered to different directions leaving their dead comrades and their firearms behind.

Pursuit operation is still ongoing as of this time. The operating troops were able to recover five (5) cadavers of CNTs, three (3) high powered firearms, five (5) Anti-personnel Mines (APM), five (5) handheld radios, four (4) cellphones, assorted medical supplies and equipment, subversive documents and other CNT belongings.

The accurate information provided by the locals and the timely, precise and well-coordinated actions of the ground troops and the Philippine Air Force led to this decisive engagement against the terrorist NPAs without any casualties on the government forces and the civilians.

The recovered APMs clearly shows the CNTs’ continuous violation and complete disregard of the International Humanitarian Law particularly the Ottawa Treaty which prohibits the production and use of anti-personnel mines.

Early on, the 5ID has been calling the remaining CNTs to surrender and rebuild their future through the livelihood programs offered by the different government agencies and other benefits from ECLIP. Many of their mass supporters have also withdrawn their support from the Communist Terrorist Groups (CTGs) and are now cooperating with the government.

Prior to the encounter, there were alarming reports of extortion activities perpetrated by the CNTs in the area.

MGen Laurence E Mina, Commander of 5th Infantry “STAR” Division said that 5id remains steadfast in working with the people and the Local Government Units in ensuring peace and development in its Area of Responsibility. “I am once again calling the remaining communist rebels to lay down their arms and return to the folds of the law. The government is always ready to help you live a new life,” he concluded.

[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/government-troops-score-anew-against-cnts-in-cagayan/

NPA rebel slain in Surigao Sur clash

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 22, 2021): NPA rebel slain in Surigao Sur clash (By Alexander Lopez)


Google map of Tago, Surigao del Sur

A New People's Army (NPA) rebel was killed in an encounter with military forces in Tago, Surigao del Sur on Tuesday.

In a report on Wednesday, the Army’s 75th Infantry Battalion said military forces engaged five rebels in a five-minute firefight in Km. 22, Barangay Caras-an at about noon.

One of the rebels, whose identity has yet to be identified, was killed in the encounter, but the other four fled, leaving their slain comrade behind.

No casualties were reported in the military who recovered several high-powered firearms, anti-personnel mine, and ammunition.


READ: 6 NPA rebels slain in Bukidnon, Agusan Norte clashes

The rebels belonged to the NPA's Sandatahang Yunit Pampropaganda Platoon of Guerrilla Front 19, North Eastern Mindanao Regional Committee, the report said.

The military forces were dispatched to the area after receiving reports about the presence of fully-armed insurgents.

The Communist Party of the Philippines - 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/1154257

MSU prof wounded, 2 attackers killed in ambush try

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 22, 2021): MSU prof wounded, 2 attackers killed in ambush try (By Noel Punzalan)



Google map of Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao

A faculty member of the Mindanao State University (MSU) escaped death after a botched ambush try but his two attackers got killed in the encounter in Datu Odin Sinsuat (DOS) town, police said Wednesday.

Lt. Col. Rommel de la Vega, DOS police chief, said the wounded victim, identified as MSU-Maguindanao professor Daud Kadon, sustained a gunshot wound on the left side of his abdomen after engaging in a brief shootout with his assailants along the highway in Barangay Kurintem at 5 p.m. Tuesday.

“The victim was hit but was able to draw his firearm and fired back at the suspects, also hitting them in the process,” de la Vega said in a statement.

Through their recovered identification cards, the slain suspects were identified as Montanao Silungan Usman and Abdul Ambel Mama of the towns of Talitay and DOS, respectively.

Initial investigation showed that Kadon was driving his Toyota Fortuner on his way home when tailed and fired upon at close range by the suspects who were on board a motorcycle.

Police brought Kadon and his assailants to the hospital but the attackers were declared dead on arrival.

De la Vega said investigation on the incident is ongoing.

“We have yet to determine the motive behind the attack but the victim is still undergoing medication at the hospital,” he said.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1154258

245 new soldiers undergo Infantry Orientation Course in Sulu

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 22, 2021): 245 new soldiers undergo Infantry Orientation Course in Sulu (By Teofilo Garcia, Jr.)



NEW SOLDIERS. Some 245 new soldiers stand in formation at the grounds of the 11th Division Training School in this undated photo. They are currently undergoing a 60-day Infantry Orientation Course, a prerequisite before their deployment to the different line units of the 11th Infantry Division. (Photo courtesy of the 11th Infantry Division Public Affairs Office)

Some 245 new soldiers are currently undergoing a 60-day Infantry Orientation Course at the 11th Division “Mastal” Training School (11DTS) at Camp Bud Datu, Barangay Tagbak in Indanan, Sulu.

Col. Leomar Jose Doctolero, 11DTS commandant, said Wednesday that the orientation course is a prerequisite before the newly-graduate soldiers will be deployed to the different line units of the 11th Infantry “Alakdan” Division (11ID).

Doctolero said those who are undergoing the infantry orientation course belong to the Candidate Soldier Course “Makagilas” (Muslim At Kristiyano Alakdan Galing Isip Liksi Aming Sandata) Class 656-2021, and just graduated Monday from a four-month enlistment training.

“They will be deployed to the line units of the 11ID after completion of the Infantry Orientation Course,”
Doctolero said.


He said that the Class 656-2021 comprised of 234 males and 11 females. Nine are from Luzon, four are from Visayas, 66 are from mainland Mindanao, and 166 are from the province of Sulu.

“The members of the class were individuals who came from different backgrounds,” he added.

Meanwhile, Maj. Gen. William Gonzales, 11ID commander, commended the members of Candidate Soldier Course “Makagilas” Class 656-2021 for hurdling the rigorous and tremendous military training for four months.

Gonzales challenged them to perform their task in accordance to their oath to protect and serve.

“The completion of your training doesn’t mean that the difficulties you encountered are also over. Power comes with big responsibility. Our responsibility is our duty to protect our country, the people and the place we serve particularly the province of Sulu,” Gonzales told the members of the “Makagilas” class.

Private Nerna T. Arip, a 23-year-old female Tausug from Barangay Kaha, Parang, Sulu, graduated on top of their class with a general average of 95. 50 percent.

The second and third-highest ranking graduates are also Tausugs, namely, Private Salip Nadir C. Sawadjaan and Private Nuriza S. Mohammad with a general average of 95.38 percent and 94.88 percent, respectively.

Private Awie J. Mohammad, who is also a Tausug, got the highest rating in the Physical Fitness Test (Tarzan) with a general average of 97.78 percent.

Gonzales also extended his gratitude to the staff, training directorate, family and the new members of the 11ID.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1154306

5 bodies of alleged NPA rebels found in Cagayan clearing ops

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 22, 2021): 5 bodies of alleged NPA rebels found in Cagayan clearing ops (By Villamor Visaya, Jr.)



Infographic courtesy of 5ID, Philippine Army

Army soldiers on Wednesday found five bodies of suspected New People’s Army (NPA) rebels, who were believed killed in a gunfight on Tuesday, during the clearing operations in Barangay Dungeg, Sta. Teresita, Cagayan.

Army Maj. Jekyll Dulawan, 5th Infantry Division (5ID) spokesperson, said aside from the bodies, the soldiers also found and recovered three high-powered firearms, three anti-personnel mines, five handheld radios, four mobile phones, assorted medical supplies and equipment, anti-government documents and personal belongings.

He recalled that soldiers uncovered a rebel hideout where anti-personnel mines were manufactured by the NPA-Komiteng Rehiyon-Cagayan Valley after Tuesday's firefight.


The Army did not suffer any casualties in the firefight against some 40 communist rebels.

“The accurate information provided by the locals and the timely, precise and well-coordinated actions of the ground troops and the Philippine Air Force led to this decisive engagement against the NPAs without any casualties on the government forces and the civilians,” Dulawan told the Philippine News Agency in a phone interview.

The recovered explosives “clearly shows the NPA's continuous violation and complete disregard of the International Humanitarian Law particularly the Ottawa Treaty which prohibits the production and use of anti-personnel mines,” he noted.

Maj. Gen. Laurence Mina, 5ID commander, on the other hand, said the division remains steadfast in working with the people and the local government units in ensuring peace and development in its area of responsibility.

"I am once again calling on the remaining communist rebels to lay down their arms and return to the fold of the law. The government is always ready to help you live a new life," he said.

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

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1154303

5 more rebels surrender, yield firearms in Northern Samar

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 22, 2021): 5 more rebels surrender, yield firearms in Northern Samar (By Sarwell Meniano)



LEAVING NPA. The five fighters of the New People's Army with military, police, and local government officials during their surrender in Lope de Vega, Northern Samar on Tuesday (Sept. 21, 2021). The rebels also turned over several firearms. (Photo courtesy of Philippine Army’s 43rd Infantry Battalion)

Five members of the New People’s Army (NPA) have surrendered to the military in Lope de Vega, Northern Samar, turning over several firearms.

Reports reaching the Philippine National Police (PNP) regional office here on Wednesday said these rebels surrendered at the headquarters of the Army’s 43rd Infantry Battalion (43IB) in Lope de Vega town on Sept. 21.

The surrenderers were identified as alias Perlito, alias Duwaring, alias Jomary, alias Rico, and alias Ungal. They all belong to the same squad which was not identified but operating in Northern Samar.

They handed over a caliber 7.62mm M14 rifle, two magazines and 75 rounds of ammunition for 7.62mm and bandolier, three .45 caliber firearms with four magazines and 25 rounds of ammunition, two .38 caliber revolvers with 10 rounds of ammunition, two anti-personnel mines, an anti-tank mine, and 15 meters of firing cable with firing device.


Lope de Vega Mayor Anna Palloc and town councilor Anita Jaca, chairperson of the committee on peace and order, witnessed their surrender.

“Based on the result of the initial tactical interview, the surrenderers decided to surface from hiding because of the diminishing mass base support due to relentless Community Support Program (CSP) operations at their former stronghold village and the series of encounters from government forces. The use of advanced military technology made them believe that they have no more place to hide,” the Army’s 43IB said in a statement.

CSP is the Army's people-centered program which aims to bring peace and development in conflict-affected barangays and an initiative to bring the government closer to the people through an immediate delivery of basic services especially to grassroots communities.

PNP Eastern Visayas regional director Rommel Bernardo Cabagnot, in a separate statement, said convincing the NPA to abandon the communist ideology is a result of joint efforts of the police, military, and the local government.

“I commend all the hard work exerted by the police personnel and that of the Philippine Army in the successful surrender of these NPA members who were once blinded by wrong ideologies. I hope to have more brothers and sisters who will turn their backs from their armed struggle,” Cabagnot added.

Northern Samar is considered an NPA lair in Eastern Visayas due to its poor road network, thick forests, high poverty incidence, and low level of education among residents.

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)-NPA, which has been waging a five-decade armed struggle against the government, 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/1154322

7 NPA rebels in Davao Norte yield, turn over firearms

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 22, 2021): 7 NPA rebels in Davao Norte yield, turn over firearms (By Che Palicte)



REBELS YIELD. Seven members of the New People’s Army surrender to the 60th Infantry Battalion in Davao del Norte on Monday. The seven, including two minors, also turned over high-powered firearms. (Photo courtesy of 10th Infantry Division)

Some seven guerrillas of the communist terrorist New People’s Army, including two minors, surrendered to the 60th Infantry Battalion (60IB) in Davao del Norte, bringing with them four high-powered firearms, the 10th Infantry Division (10ID) said in a statement Wednesday.

All are members of the Weakened Guerilla Front (WGF) 3, Sub Regional Committee (SRC) 4, Southern Mindanao Regional Committee (SMRC).

They were identified as Toto Morgades Tumagsa alias Jiboy, 21, team leader; Rene Tumagsa Tiklonay alias John/Alex, 19, team leader; Lyka Casal Velis alias Marian/Mary Ann/Yawe, 23, team medic; Ronafe Catarata Adregado alias Chacha/Ritchie/Gareb, 19, platoon medic; Monding Tilocan Balanban alias Bato/Lubas, 48; a 16-year-old member who served as a supply officer; and a 15-year-old member who served as a team medic.

The 10ID said the seven voluntarily surrendered to Lt. Col Ronaldo Sarmiento, 60IB commanding officer based at Sitio Tawinian, Brgy Gupitan, Kapalong, Davao del Norte on September 20.


Capt. Mark Anthony Tito, 10ID spokesperson, told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) on Wednesday that three M16 rifles and one M653 rifle were also turned over by the group.

According to the surrenderers, they left the WGF 3, SRC 4, SMRC under the leadership of Alfie Olbis Trabado alias Coco/Cardo/Sulay in Loreto, Agusan del Sur last September 16, 2021, due to hunger, fear, and stress brought about by the relentless focused military operations of the 60IB in the area.

The 60IB is currently facilitating a medical examination and coordinating with the Kapalong Municipal Police and the Municipal Social Welfare Development Office (MSWDO) for the proper disposition of the two minor surrenderers.

“The Intel operatives of 60IB is currently conducting custodial debriefing as their requirement for the enrollment to the Enhanced Local Integration Program (E-CLIP). The said battalion also coordinated with the Philippine National Police counterparts for the filing of appropriate charges against the WGF 3 personalities for their recruitment of minors – a clear violation under Violence Against Women and Children,” the 10ID added.

Meanwhile, Maj. Gen. Ernesto Torres Jr., commander of the 10ID, lauded the troops for their accomplishment.

“Without firing a single bullet, we were able to persuade our enemies to lay down their arms and return to the folds of the law. Truly, the developmental effort is one of the contributors for a just and lasting peace in our community," he said.

The Communist Party of the Philippines - 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/1154320

Clash kills 2 NPA rebels in Surigao Sur

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 22, 2021): Clash kills 2 NPA rebels in Surigao Sur (By Alexander Lopez)



DEAD REBELS. Two unidentified NPA rebels were killed in an encounter with the troopers of the 36th Infantry Battalion on Tuesday in Sitio Agsam, Barangay Cabas-an, Cantilan, Surigao del Sur. The dead rebels belonged to Guerrilla Front 30, North Eastern Mindanao Regional Committee of the NPA. (Photo courtesy of Cantilan Municipal Police Station)

Some two New People’s Army (NPA) rebels were killed in an encounter in Surigao del Sur on Tuesday, the Cantilan Municipal Police Station reported Wednesday.

The clash took place in the mountainous area of Sitio Agsam, Barangay Cabas-an in Cantilan past 5 p.m.

“The 36th Infantry Battalion (36IB) of the Army informed this police station that their troops were conducting combat operations in the area when they encountered around 10 members of Communist Terrorist Group,” the local police said.

It added that the rebels belong to Guerrilla Front 30, North Eastern Mindanao Regional Committee of the NPA led by a certain Alias Mega.

After the 10-minute skirmish, the rebels scampered and abandoned their position leaving behind two of their wounded comrades.


The 36IB troopers brought the wounded rebels to Madrid District Hospital in the town of Madrid but were declared dead by the attending physician.

Authorities, with the help of the local officials in the area, are still determining the identities of the slain rebels.

The clash happened just hours after a separate encounter took place in Tago, Surigao del Sur Tuesday noon that resulted in the death of an NPA rebel and the confiscation of high-powered firearms, ammunition, and explosives.

The Communist Party of the Philippines-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/1154337

Former RPA-ABB rebels in NegOcc receive more livelihood aid

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 22, 2021): Former RPA-ABB rebels in NegOcc receive more livelihood aid (By Nanette Guadalquiver)



MORE PROGRAMS. The Kapatiran para sa Progresong Panlipunan Inc. based in Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental received a sugarcane juicer machine worth PHP500,000 from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority as part of the package under the Sustainable and Resilient Livelihood Program. The equipment was turned over by TESDA officials during an activity that also launched a training program for its members under the Poverty Reduction Livelihood and Employment Cluster of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict, held at the peace and development community site in Sitio Mambinay, Barangay Locotan on Sept. 17, 2021. (Photo courtesy of TESDA-Negros Occidental)

Members of the Kapatiran para sa Progresong Panlipunan Inc. (Kapatiran) based in Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental continue to receive more livelihood assistance from the government through the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

The beneficiaries are former rebels under the Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa-Pilipinas/Revolutionary Proletarian Army-Alex Bongcayao Brigade (RPM-P/RPA-ABB) Tabara-Paduano Group (TPG), which assumed the name Kapatiran as part of its institutional transformation.


As of Wednesday, some 25 members and their families, living in the peace and development community (PDC) site in Sitio Mambinay, Barangay Locotan, have been identified to undergo the Shielded Metal Arc Welding National Certification I training set to start soon.

In a statement, TESDA-Western Visayas regional director Jerry Tizon assured the Kapatiran of continuing support by providing them with technical and other relevant skills.

“Our aim is to provide enhancement and capability training to create sustainable livelihood for the likes of you,” he said.

The training will be funded under the Special Training for Employment Program allocation of 6th District Rep. Genaro Alvarez Jr., wherein the participants will be trained for free, and will also be provided free competency assessment and entrepreneurship training, one-year accident insurance, internet allowance, health/personal protective equipment allowance, training support fund/allowance of PHP160 per day, and starter tool kits.

It was launched by the TESDA under the Poverty Reduction Livelihood and Employment Cluster of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) during an activity held on September 17 at the PDC site.

In the same event, the agency turned over a sugarcane juicer machine worth PHP500,000 to the Kapatiran as part of the package under the Sustainable and Resilient Livelihood Program implemented since last year.

Romelia Nuezca, acting provincial director of TESDA-Negros Occidental, said the equipment will be used for production of home-based natural muscovado to provide additional source of income.

Previously, the TESDA partnered with the Central Philippines State University, which served as the training provider, for the four sets of training for 25 Kapatiran members from November 2020 to January this year.

The skills training sessions included Organic Sugarcane Production, Organic Vegetable Production, Raising Organic Chicken, and Installation of Solar Irrigation System, all funded under the agency’s Training for Work Scholarship Program.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1154345

Bill institutionalizing UP-DND accord gets final House nod

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 22, 2021): Bill institutionalizing UP-DND accord gets final House nod (By Filane Mikee Cervantes)



UP campus in Diliman, Quezon City (Photo courtesy of UP Diliman Facebook page)

A bill institutionalizing the 1989 University of the Philippines (UP) - Department of National Defense (DND) accord into the UP Charter hurdled third reading approval at the House of Representatives.

During Tuesday's plenary session, the chamber overwhelmingly approved with 179 affirmative votes House Bill 10171, which seeks to amend Section 11 of Republic Act 9500 or the University of the Philippines Charter of 2008.

The bill seeks to prevent state security forces, such as the Philippine National Police (PNP) and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), from entering and enforcing its operations in all UP campuses without prior notice to “the President or the Chancellor of the constituent university or the dean of the regional unit concerned” except “in cases of hot pursuit and similar occasions or emergencies.”

It mandates university officials, whenever requested by law enforcers, to extend the necessary assistance in law enforcement within the premises of the UP campuses.

House Deputy Speaker Eddie Villanueva, a principal author of the bill, expressed hope that its enactment would foster “more youth idealism” in the country.

“In these dark times of the pandemic, what the country needs is an abundance of the youth’s ideas for national recovery. Young people, especially mga iskolar ng bayan, must be encouraged, not discouraged, to be more vocal, more visible, and more vigorously participative in the national discourse. An ailing nation needs more of the youth’s ideas and idealism, not less. More young people are speaking out, not less,” Villanueva said, noting that UP is a model of academic freedom to all educational institutions in the country.

“Its being one of the world’s best universities is owed to its culture of openness to diversity of beliefs, debate of opinions, and discussion of viewpoints," he said.

The bill shall prohibit subjecting any student, faculty member, or employee to custodial investigation without prior notice to the university president or chancellor of the constituent university or dean of the regional unit concerned.

Members of law enforcement agencies shall be prohibited from interfering with peaceful protest actions by individuals or groups within university premises.

The DND-UP Agreement, signed on June 30, 1989, prohibits the military and the police from entering all UP campuses without prior notice to its administration.

The agency decided to terminate the agreement effective Jan. 15, 2021, with Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana calling the arrangement "obsolete".

Lorenzana said the agreement was used by the Communist Party of the Philippines - New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) to turn UP into the breeding ground of "intransigent individuals and groups whose extremist beliefs have inveigled students to join their ranks to fight against the government."

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/1154254

Gov’t peace initiative gains ground: Palace exec

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 22, 2021): Gov’t peace initiative gains ground: Palace exec



NTF-ELCAC spokesperson Undersecretary Severo Catura (File photo)

The government’s peace initiative has been gaining ground as more former leaders and members of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) returned to the fold of the law, an official of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) said.

“Our campaign for peace that is free of armed conflict is gaining ground. And we thank former leaders and members of the CPP-NPA-NDF for heeding the government’s call and for claiming their right to peace as well,”
said Undersecretary Severo Catura, spokesperson of the NTF-ELCAC on human rights, peace process and international engagements, said in a recent virtual dialogue with non-government organizations and civil society groups that sought clarification on the status of the country’s peace process.


Catura, also executive director of the Presidential Human Rights Committee Secretariat, said stories must be told behind the thousands of former members of the CPP-NPA-NPA who have surfaced and availed of projects under the Philippine government’s reintegration program.

“This is not just about people who, for various reasons, once fought the government and have decided to come back to the fold of the law, it is about people who want peace for themselves, their families and their communities, and seeing that this peace can be achieved at this time by ways of peace,“ Catura said. “They are people who are claiming their right to live in peace.”

Recent records of the NTF-ELCAC’s Task Force Balik-Loob revealed that more than 18,000 confirmed CPP-NPA-NDF members have surfaced and turned themselves in.

Executive agencies concerned have provided housing assistance, social welfare grants, livelihood and skills training, employment, bank credit assistance for crop and livestock production, and medical assistance under a consolidated reintegration program.

“Let’s give credence to these former CPP-NPA-NDF members for their courageous decision to get back into society’s mainstream,” Catura said. “Let us acknowledge their wish to give the government’s reintegration program and its community development components a fair chance to work.”

The NTF-ELCAC’s Barangay Development Program (BDP) has successfully rolled out development projects in 822 former village strongholds of the CPP-NPA-NDF that have been cleared.

Each of these villages is provided with the BDP’s five core projects, namely farm-to-market roads, school buildings, water and sanitation, health stations, and livelihood programs, of which more than 2,000 of these projects have been implemented by Executive offices concerned.

“While the peace process allows for sustained armed response to threats to national security, the option to address these threats by peaceful means remains always open,” Catura said. “And that peaceful option where we welcome back our fellow Filipinos with open arms is what we will always prefer.”

“All members of our armed forces and police are more than willing to give their lives in defense of our country and our people, but how they would wish it would not mean taking the lives of fellow Filipinos.” “Our people serving in our armed forces and police – they who have seen the horrors of conflict – are the ones who want peace more than anyone else,” he added.

Catura, a career service executive, was one of the pioneering junior officials of the Office of the Peace Commissioner in the first Aquino administration and the National Unification Commission in the Ramos Administration. After a brief stint as director of the Commission on Human Rights in the Estrada administration, he later served as executive director of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process in the Arroyo administration.

“In my 32 years in government, my work has always been anchored on the peace process, and anyone who has worked that long and even longer – as many of NTF-ELCAC colleagues have – could only pray that peace can indeed be realized in our lifetime,” Catura said.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1154329