CPP/Ang Bayan Daily News & Analysis: Kabundukan sa Kalinga, binomba ng AFP

Ang Bayan Daily News & Analysis online propaganda posted to the PRWC Newsroom, the blog site of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Information Bureau (Mar 7, 2023): Kabundukan sa Kalinga, binomba ng AFP (Mountains in Kalinga, bombed by the AFP)

March 07, 2023

Walang-patumanggang binomba ng mga jet fighter ng Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) ang mabundok na bahagi ng Barangay Gawa-an sa Balbalan, Kalinga bandang alas-2 ng madaling araw noong Marso 5.

Ayon sa paunang ang ulat ng Cordillera Human Rights Alliance (CHRA), dinig hanggang sa mga bayan ng Upper Tabuk at Limos ang ingay ng mga fighter jet. Nakita rin ng mga residente sa lugar ang mga drone na pangsarbeylans. Kinaumagahan, dalawang helikopter naman ang umikot sa Balbalan.

Liban sa teroristang lagim na hatid sa mga sibilyang komunidad ng mga armas panghimpapawid ng AFP, iligal na dinakip ng mga sundalo ang siyam na residente ng Sityo Uta at Codcodwe ng Barangay Gawa-an. Dalawa sa kanila ay nagpapastol ng kalaba. Ang pitong iba pang sumaklolo sa kanila ay inaresto rin. Iligal silang idinetine ng pitong oras.

Dagdag ng CHRA, patuloy pang nagpapakat ng mga tropa ng militar sa bayan ng Balbalan na pinangangambahang magdudulot ng mga paglabag sa karapatang-tao. Mayroon ding ipinakat na howitzer sa Sityo Guesang, Poblacion na nakaharap sa Barangay Gawa-an.

Nanawagan ang grupo na tuluy-tuloy na tutukan at imbestigahan ang naturang insidente para tiyakin ang seguridad at kagalingan ng mga sibilyang komundiad.

https://philippinerevolution.nu/angbayan/kabundukan-sa-kalinga-binomba-ng-afp/

4 ex-soldiers, 8 others charged vs Degamo slay

From the Visayan Daily Star (Mar 7, 2023): 4 ex-soldiers, 8 others charged vs Degamo slay (By GILBERT P. BAYORAN)

Four ex-soldiers linked to the armed attack that claimed the lives of Gov. Roel Degamo and eight civilians were charged yesterday with multiple murder and multiple frustrated murder charges, before the Negros Oriental Provincial Prosecutor’s Office in Dumaguete City.

Additional charges for illegal possession of firearms and explosives were also filed against three suspects, who are now under the custody of the Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office, at the Bayawan City Prosecutor’s Office.

PLt. Col. Gerard Pelare, spokesperson of the PNP Special Investigation Task Group, disclosed that 10 to 12 suspects were involved in the shooting incident, based on the testimonies of witnesses and video footage of the incident.

Those facing multiple charges were identified by Pelare as former Army Sgts. Joven Javier and Joric Labrado, ex-Army Cpl. Benjie Rodriguez, and another former soldier, who was also arrested on March 5, but his identity has not been made available as of press time.

All of the suspects came from various places in Mindanao and Visayas, Pelare said.

Asked if they have already established a breakthrough in the identification of the mastermind, Pelare said they have good leads in their investigations.

Pelare also believes that the remaining suspects are still in Negros Oriental, as they sealed all the entry and exit points, including border areas, to prevent them from escaping the province.

As to the declaration of state of emergency in Negros Oriental, Pelare said that is beyond their authority. But he added that they will implement it, if there is an order.

As of this time, he added that the pursuit operations are still ongoing against the five to seven remaining suspects.

https://visayandailystar.com/4-ex-soldiers-8-others-charged-vs-degamo-slay/

Tarlac weapons arsenal gets big upgrade

From the Manila Times (Mar 8, 2023): Tarlac weapons arsenal gets big upgrade (By Jerry M. Hernandez)

CAPAS, Tarlac: The Philippine Army's weapons arsenal Armor Division is poised to maintain its good standing in terms of combat strength as it upgraded its capability through the initial delivery of new assets.

The new weapons are ACV 300 and ASCOD 2 Sabrah Light Tank, under Horizon 2 of the Revised Modernization Program of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Delivery of all equipment is expected to be completed by the second semester of 2023.

Maj. General Facundo Palafox 4th, Armor Division commander, noted that they enhanced the new assets in terms of engine, armaments, technology, and cannon to further shore up the country's capability to address threats and security challenges.

"We are trying to come up with a very credible and robust organization to be able to protect and defend our country. We do not expect any conflict in the immediate future wherein we will be deploying this equipment. The important thing is we have them in case we need them," he said.

"This will bring a positive impact in terms of combating terrorism and internal security threats, and conducting external defense operations," Palafox added.

Following this, Armor troops will undergo training to improve their skill set in utilizing the new assets.

Meanwhile, Palafox commended the accomplishments of the 3rd Mechanized Infantry Battalion (3MIB) based in San Jose, Tarlac for its notable counterinsurgency efforts.

The unit succeeded in its mission to defend and secure peace in its area of responsibility, particularly in the provinces of Tarlac and Zambales.

Palafox said 3MIB has become a show window for what the Armor Division has to offer in internal security operations.

"Soon, it may become the nucleus and a standard for a mechanized infantry-centric Army in Luzon that will help achieve the vision of the Philippine Army that has transitioned for territorial defense capability," he said during the battalion's 18th founding anniversary celebration.

Palafox encouraged officers and enlisted personnel to continue upholding integrity and strengthen cooperation in pursuing campaigns of the battalion.

Lt. Col. Jeszer Bautista, 3MIB commander, thanked national government agencies and private organizations who became their partners in civil-military operations.

https://www.manilatimes.net/2023/03/08/news/regions/tarlac-weapons-arsenal-gets-big-upgrade/1881732

Experts call for action plan vs China’s SCS ‘gray zone operations’

From the Manila Bulletin (Mar 8, 2023): Experts call for action plan vs China’s SCS ‘gray zone operations’ (By Joseph Pedrajas)

Various experts have come together to call on the government and the public to counter China’s “gray zone operations”—or activities short of being called as war—in the South China Sea amid its continuous aggression in the waters.

Delivering a keynote address at a forum organized by Stratbase ADR Institute on Wednesday, German Ambassador to the Philippines Anke Reiffenstuel warned against the gray zone operations in the South China Sea through non-military means in a bid to assert one’s territorial claims.

The non-military means included the deployment of Coast Guard vessels, maritime militias, and the fortification of islands and elevations.

The diplomat did not mention any country in particular, but China has been reported by Philippine authorities multiple times committing such actions.

For Reiffenstuel, such activities undermine international law and “pose a significant threat to regional security and stability.”

And since these actions “are mostly below the threshold of military conflict,” she said “adequate and yet balanced response is challenging.”

Screenshot from Stratbase ADRi Facebook Live

Renato De Castro, trustee of Stratbase ADRi, said that through gray zone operations, China is working to subjugate its neighbors before its eventual “major expansion.”

That is what he said “an authoritarian vision of maritime sovereignty inside China’s nine dash line.”

So for the Philippines to act against grey zone operations that undermine its sovereignty, De La Salle Associate Professor Charmaine Willoughby pushed to “demystify” it.

Willoughby said there is a need to break down its concept because “that is one way in which the Philippines can draft a more responsive national security strategy.”

“One way to do that is to understand that China uses coercion, whether militarised or non-militarised, to establish our reputation for result in defending its sovereignty,” she said, noting China’s consistent deployment of the Philippines’ economic progression information campaigns as well as the use of proxy forces, like maritime militia.

“We then need to look at the economic and geopolitical costs at play when it tries to exercise this result,” she added.

Multilateral cooperation or forming an alliance is one way to counter grey zone operations, according to De Castro. That is because it generates “assurances to reduce a weaker idealised sense of vulnerability by promising protection.”

But while it is a convenient way, a “political will” is also necessary. De Castro said it is important for President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to develop such will “stand up” against China.

“The challenge for the Philippines to show that it has political will is to take the offensive. So this required what I call conducting shaping operations against China,” he said.

In ongoing grey zone operations, De Castro asserted the Philippines should not always be the victim.

“You should take the initiative to take the battle to the other side. Of course, not to the military means, but simply… giving the other side a dose of their medicine,” he added.

Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Commodore Jay Tarriela, retired US Air Force Col. Raymond Powell and retired Rear Admiral Rommel Jude Ong also delivered their insights during the forum, while Jay Batongbacal of University of the Philippines College of Law made a pre-recorded remark.

They all called for the government and the public cooperation in countering such operations by continuously publicizing its aggressive activities, supporting the government by paying the right taxes for the country’s defense fund and to seek support from like-minded nations within the ASEAN.

https://mb.com.ph/2023/03/08/experts-call-for-action-plan-vs-chinas-scs-gray-zone-operations/

PH, US armies kick off joint special operations exercise in Bulacan

From the Manila Bulletin (Mar 8, 2023): PH, US armies kick off joint special operations exercise in Bulacan (By Martin Sadongdong)

The United States Army sent its troops to Bulacan to train on special operations with their counterparts from the Philippine Army (PA).

Photo: Philippine Army

Col. Xerxes Trinidad, PA spokesperson, said the PA and US Army kicked off Exercise SOCPAC Piston (ESP) 23-2 at Camp Tecson in San Miguel, Bulacan last Monday, March 6.

“The exercise is an annual bilateral training activity that focuses on cross-training and bolstering the interoperability of the Philippine Army Special Operations Forces and US Army SOCPAC,” Trinidad said on Wednesday, March 8.

Twenty-five personnel from the PA’s First Scout Ranger Regiment (FSSR) and US Army’s Special Operations Command Pacific (SOCPAC) participated in the joint training. The kickoff ceremony was by FSSR deputy regiment commander Col. Isagani Criste and US Army Captain Brandon Sourvayong.

Participants include troops from the PA’s 21st Scout Ranger (SR) Company; SR School; Scout Sniper Platoon; and US Army’s Special Forces Operational Detachment Alpha 1316, Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, and 1stSpecial Forces Group (Airborne).

This year’s iteration of the exercise will focus on sniper operations and target interdiction in the jungle and urban environment, Trinidad explained. It is expected to conclude within this month.

Exercise SOCPAC Piston is formerly called the Exercise Balance Piston, a regular bilateral training exercise between the special operation forces of the Philippines and the United States. It started in the early 2000s.

https://mb.com.ph/2023/03/08/ph-us-armies-kick-off-joint-special-operations-exercise-in-bulacan/

U.S. makes deals with smaller Pacific nations as its relationship with China worsens

Posted to Texas Public Radio Website (Mar 8, 2023): U.S. makes deals with smaller Pacific nations as its relationship with China worsens (American Homefront Project | By Jay Price)

Chad J. McNeeley

U.S. Department Of Defense U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin visits the Philippine Department of National Defense in Manila, Feb. 2, 2023. Austin announced an agreement to expand American military presence in the Philippines, calling the deal "especially important as the People’s Republic of China continues to advance its illegitimate claims in the West Philippine Sea."

The agreements with smaller countries are designed to expand American influence in the region, solidify existing relationships, and give the U.S. military more footholds.

The diplomacy war with China has heated up so much that the United States is suddenly cutting deals all over the Pacific to expand its influence, give the military more footholds, and keep existing allies in the fold.

The deal getting the most attention recently came in February, when Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin traveled to Manila to announce an agreement with the Philippines giving the United States access to four military bases there.

In a news conference, Austin cited China’s aggression in claiming control over parts of the West Philippine Sea.

Getting less attention, though, has been a flurry of other deal-making with tiny nations scattered across the Pacific.

Three preliminary agreements renew – and expand – long-term deals with the governments of Palau, the Marshall Islands, and Micronesia.

In addition, the State Department opened a new U.S. embassy in the Solomon Islands. It says it’s discussing two more embassies in Tonga and Kiribati and negotiating a security agreement with yet another island nation, Papua New Guinea.

“We are definitely in the business of trying to maintain the edge that we have influence-wise in the Pacific Islands vis-a-vis China,” said Derek Grossman, a senior defense analyst with Rand Corporation.

Many of these smaller nations are part of what’s sometimes referred to in geopolitical circles as “the second island chain.” It's a vaguely-defined group that’s farther from the Asian mainland – and Chinese missile launchers – than Taiwan and Japan, but close enough to help the U.S. project power into the region.

This “second chain” isn’t really a chain. It's more of a widely-spread patchwork that includes the U.S. territories of the Northern Marianas and Guam. Not coincidentally, the Marine Corps in January activated a base Guam - the Corps' first new base in 70 years.

Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan, who represents the Northern Marianas Islands in the U.S. Congress, said the recent deal-making in the region is crucial, because the United States needs to have the military groundwork in place if things heat up even more with China.

“We have to be friends with these island nations for that eventuality,” he said.

He said along the same lines, the United States needs to boost its infrastructure in the two territories as a deterrent to China.

“Some people in think tanks already are exhibiting with exhibitions of whose first gonna get destroyed and then who’s the second wave," he said. "We need to strengthen it before we get there."

It’s unclear how much this escalation in diplomacy will cost.

A State Department spokesperson said the United States now sends Palau, the Marshall Islands, and Micronesia together more than $300 million a year under unique deals with them, which are called Compacts of Free Association (COFA).

She declined to say how much it’s offering in negotiations to renew the 20-year compacts, but leaders of two of the countries have said the terms of the preliminary agreements would boost the payments by 75 percent or more.

The three COFA nations already are so closely tied to the US their citizens can live and work here and take advantage of benefits such as Medicaid and the U.S. Postal Service.

“In return, what we get as the United States is its near exclusive military access to the freely associated states,” said Grossman. "That means we can set up basing on their territories, we can fly over their territories …. There are very few limitations.”

The widely spread islands also would allow the U.S to establish redundancy in the region - multiple ways to disperse its forces. The U.S. Marine Corps has been redesigning and equipping some units for fighting in small, widely-dispersed islands.

Grossman says for their part, the island nations have little interest in the maneuvering between the U.S. and China. Instead, they’re looking to bolster their economies damaged by the pandemic. They also plan to use funds from the agreements to deal with climate change, which they regard as a much larger threat than China.

“They've come out kind of off to the side saying, ‘We get it…We know that this is about competition against China, but we also need to make sure that our own national interests are preserved,’” Grossman said.

This recent push to secure and expand U.S. influence in the region has been bipartisan. The Trump Administration pursued deals, then discussions accelerated under President Joe Biden, who hosted the first U.S.-Pacific Island summit last fall.

The importance of U.S. dealmaking in the Pacific was underlined last spring when one Pacific island nation, Solomon Islands, inked its own security agreement — with China.

“We want to make sure that we don't see Chinese bases cropping up throughout the region and Solomons,” Grossman said. “Solomons shook us to our core when it comes to our strategy in the Pacific.”

This story was produced by the American Homefront Project, a public media collaboration that reports on American military life and veterans.

https://www.tpr.org/military-veterans-issues/2023-03-08/u-s-makes-deals-with-smaller-pacific-nations-as-its-relationship-with-china-worsens

China's Maritime Militia Swarms Philippine-Held Island in South China Sea

From Newsweek (Mar 7, 2023): China's Maritime Militia Swarms Philippine-Held Island in South China Sea (By JOHN FENG)

The Philippines this week said it continued to track dozens of armed Chinese fishing vessels around a disputed island in the South China Sea, part of Beijing's "gray zone" efforts to assert sweeping claims in the energy-rich waters.

The now-common activity was documented over the weekend by the Philippine Coast Guard, which said 42 Chinese maritime militia vessels, accompanied by a "slowly loitering" naval and coast guard presence, were anchored neared the island of Thitu, which Manila calls Pag-asa and Beijing calls Zhongye.

Beijing asserts a "historic right" over the South China Sea and all of its associated features, but its ambitious maritime and territorial claims were dismissed in 2016 by an arbitral tribunal in The Hague for contravening the 1982 U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, of which China is a signatory. China's leaders have rejected the verdict ever since, leading to tensions with the U.S., which has said it is committed to freedom of the seas.

The unmarked fishing boats, which remained within the 12-nautical-mile territorial sea of the Philippine-controlled island on Monday, were conducting "a form of harassment," a Philippine official told the local press.

This image published by the Philippine Coast Guard on March 4, 2023, shows suspected Chinese maritime militia vessels anchored near Thitu, one of the contested Spratly Islands, in the South China Sea.   PHILIPPINE COAST GUARD

The true number of Chinese maritime militia—fishermen mercenaries who operate without clear identification—is unknown, and Beijing officially denies any affiliation with their actions, which in recent years have included confronting U.S. Navy warships in the South China Sea.

A 2021 report by the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI), under the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank, described the boats as "a force of vessels ostensibly engaged in commercial fishing but which in fact operate alongside Chinese law enforcement and military to achieve Chinese political objectives in disputed waters."

"Since the completion of China's artificial island outposts in 2016, militia boats have been deployed to the Spratlys in greater numbers and on a more constant basis than ever before," the AMTI report said.

Chinese fishing boats anchored near Beijing-administered Subi Reef, part of the contested Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, as seen from the Philippine-held island of Thitu on April 21, 2017.TED ALJIBE/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

China's preference is to keep territorial disputes at a bilateral level and it has taken issue with the U.S. multilateralization of regional sticking points including the long-running maritime territory dispute and its decades-long designs on Taiwan.

Since 2019, Washington has publicly reaffirmed that its mutual defense treaty with Manila—among its oldest allies in Asia—also covers attacks on Philippine forces in the South China Sea. However, the Chinese activity typically falls below the conflict threshold, in what is sometimes called the gray zone.

This includes last month's run-in near the Manila-controlled Second Thomas Shoal, also part of the Spratlys, where a Chinese coast guard ship was filmed aiming a military-grader laser at a Philippine vessel, whose crew was said to have been temporarily blinded.

An airfield, buildings and structures on the artificial island built by China in Mischief Reef on October 25, 2022, in the Spratly Islands of the South China Sea. China has progressively asserted its claim of ownership over disputed islands in the waters by artificially increasing the size of islands under its control, creating new islands, and building ports, military outposts and airstrips. At least three islands are thought to have been fully militarized.   EZRA ACAYAN/GETTY IMAGES

Thitu is the second largest of the naturally occurring Spratly Islands and the largest administered by the Philippines. China's claim to ownership also is nominally contested by Vietnam and Taiwan.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of the Philippines summoned China's ambassador and lodged diplomatic protests over the incident, which he said wasn't enough to invoke the country's defense pact with the United States.

Earlier in February, in response to rising regional tensions, Marcos Jr.'s government announced an agreement to expand U.S. military presence in the Philippines by granting access to nine locations across the country, including additional sites close to Taiwan.

Lindsey Ford, the Pentagon's deputy assistant secretary of defense for South and Southeast Asia, told a Hudson Institute think tank event on March 2 that Washington and Manila would be holding discussions in the coming months to jointly assess the need for additional infrastructure at the sites.

https://www.newsweek.com/china-maritime-militia-philippines-south-china-sea-thitu-pag-asa-zhongye-1786053

Philippines launches strategy of publicizing Chinese actions

From ABC News (Mar 8, 2023): Philippines launches strategy of publicizing Chinese actions (By JIM GOMEZ Associated Press)

A Philippine official says the country's coast guard has launched a strategy of publicizing aggressive actions by China in the disputed South China Sea, which has countered Chinese propaganda and sparked international condemnations that have put Beijin...



MANILA, Philippines -- The Philippine coast guard has launched a strategy of publicizing aggressive actions by China in the disputed South China Sea, which has countered Chinese propaganda and sparked international condemnation that has put Beijing under the spotlight, a Philippine official said Wednesday.

Manila's coast guard has intensified patrols in the disputed waters and taken extra efforts to document and publicize assertive Chinese behavior in the strategic waterway, including a Feb. 6 incident in which a Chinese coast guard ship aimed a military-grade laser that briefly blinded some crew members on a Philippine patrol boat off a disputed reef.

The coast guard protested and released a video of the incident, which sparked alarm in the Philippines, the United States and some other Western countries. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. summoned China's ambassador to Manila and later said the Philippine military has shifted its focus from fighting Muslim and communist insurgents and other internal threats to external defense amid long-seething South China Sea territorial disputes.

“I'd like to emphasize that the best way to address Chinese ‘gray zone’ activities in the West Philippine Sea is to expose it,” coast guard Commodore Jay Tarriela said, referring to China's use of ostensibly civilian fishing and research vessels to perform military tasks to avoid a military response from rival claimant states.

Tarriela used the Philippine name for the stretch of the South China Sea close to its western coast. He spoke at a Manila forum about China's “gray zone” operations in the disputed sea.

The Philippine coast guard's role as a mouthpiece against Chinese aggression “allows like-minded states to express condemnation and reproach which puts Beijing in a spotlight,” he said. “Chinese actions in the shadows are now checked, which also forced them to come out in the open or to publicly lie."

Tarriela said Manila's outrage over the laser-pointing incident prompted China, including its ambassador to Manila, to explain its position when asked about the incident at news conferences.

Chinese officials said the Philippine patrol vessel trespassed into Chinese territory and that the Chinese coast guard acted “professionally and with restraint” and used a harmless laser to track the Philippine boat's movement.

By making public unedited coast guard videos and photographs of such Chinese actions, “we can once again reshape public opinion to weigh things objectively based on facts and not just propaganda,” Tarriela said.

The U.S. State Department reacted to the incident by saying that China's “dangerous operational behavior directly threatens regional peace and stability” and "undermines the rules-based international order." It renewed a warning that it would defend the Philippines, a treaty ally, if Filipino forces, aircraft and ships come under attack in the South China Sea.

Raymond Powell, a retired U.S. Air Force colonel who has studied China's strategies, praised the Philippine coast guard's efforts to publicize China's actions in the South China Sea but warned that the Philippine government would come under Chinese pressure to "stop making so much trouble, stop releasing things.”

China claims virtually all of the South China Sea, putting it on a collision course with other claimants such as the Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia.

Despite friendly overtures to Beijing by former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and his successor, Marcos Jr., who visited Beijing and met President Xi Jinping in January, tensions have persisted, resulting in a strengthening of the military alliance between the Philippines and the U.S.

https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/philippines-launches-strategy-publicizing-chinese-actions-97704042

The stars have aligned for the Philippines in the South China Sea

Posted to Defense News (Mar 7, 2023): The stars have aligned for the Philippines in the South China Sea (By Collin Koh)

A Philippine Air Force service member removes a rocket from a T129 helicopter on display during a celebration of the armed forces in Quezon City on Dec. 19, 2022. (Ted Aljibe/AFP via Getty Images)

It’s not often one’s stars align, but the Philippines might be one of the rare examples.

China’s irredentist behavior in the South China Sea is a clear and present danger to Philippine maritime sovereignty and rights. And there is more or less a consensus — not just among the policy elites in Manila straddling across the civilian and military leadership, but also the population at large — about the need to safeguard those interests.


But if one of the aligned stars is not shining as brightly as it should be, it is the lack of funding for the Philippine military to acquire what it needs. Still, part of the armed forces’ shopping list has been gradually fulfilled — at a faster pace and in a wider scope presently compared to the past.

The Philippines’ national security focus in the past did not particularly fixate on problems in the South China Sea. Before Benigno Aquino III became president, his predecessors tended to oscillate between maritime disputes and internal security threats. Then, the emphasis was overall slanted toward the latter as the country grappled with militant threats emanating from various violent extremist groups and communist insurgents.

The April 2012 Scarborough Shoal incident with China served as a wake-up call to reinvigorate the national focus on the South China Sea. The Aquino administration at the time pushed for the Armed Forces of the Philippines Modernization Plan, which managed to affect some of the key acquisition projects, such as the guided-missile frigate and FA-50 lightweight fighter jet purchases from South Korea.



Korea Aerospace Industries ground crew inspect a pair of FA-50 multirole aircraft delivered to the Philippine Air Force at the Clark Air Base north of Manila in 2015. (Ted Aljibe/AFP via Getty Images)

Rodrigo Duterte’s presidency appeared to shift focus back to internal security, in large part due to his desire to downplay South China Sea tensions and promote an economic partnership with Beijing. Yet his policies on China and the South China Sea disputes failed to impress the increasingly skeptical domestic audience.

In early 2021, the Duterte administration presided over a major standoff in Whitsun Reef, also claimed by China. Nevertheless, to his credit, Duterte had continued with his predecessor’s military buildup plan, implementing preexisting programs while adding new ones. The COVID-19 interregnum delayed the process. Still, the armed forces managed to induct significant new capabilities, including the country’s first supersonic anti-ship cruise missile — the BrahMos — acquired from India.

The present administration under Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr., or “Bongbong” as he was affectionately called, builds on the legacy left behind by his predecessors. His administration handled the South China Sea problem with a more decisive, cleareyed perspective, having apparently learned from the past experience of failed rapprochement with Beijing over the disputes.

Following the Chinese lasing incident in the South China Sea last month, Bongbong made a clarion call for the Philippine armed forces to focus on external defense. Prior to that, building on Duterte’s rescinding of his plan to scrap the Visiting Forces Agreement with the United States, Bongbong went on to preside over the recent agreement between Manila and Washington on expanding American military access to Philippine bases under the Aquino-era Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement.


A joint patrol in the South China Sea with Australia, Japan and the U.S. is also in the works, which was an unthinkable prospect during the Duterte administration.

Within Manila policy circles, there is consensus on the extant challenge posed by China in the South China Sea, but not necessarily on the approach. Notably, there is some resistance within the Senate against foreign military presence in the country, including expanded American access under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement. If there is anything the Philippines can count on as internal policy consensus, it would be to persist with the modernization of both the military and the Coast Guard. This is where funding hurdles are not easy to overcome.

While the Philippine economy held up admirably during the trying pandemic years, uncertainties loom ahead, especially given the protracted nature of the war in Ukraine and its impact on the global economy, including inflation that is widely and deeply felt in the Southeast Asian country.

This is very plausibly going to bear significant impact on the military modernization plan, now into its final phase, dubbed Horizon 3. The military has shaken off its vintage label by inducting its first missile armaments, and the maritime forces especially are increasingly populated with newer assets. Recent years had been a bumper harvest for the Navy with the purchase of new corvettes and offshore patrol vessels all sourced from South Korea.


However, financial constraints mean that other outstanding, big-ticket purchases — particularly submarines — have to be put on the back burner for now. Seen altogether with accompanying moves to spruce up the military; support infrastructure, such as the Subic Bay facilities; and concert acquisition programs across the services, it is safe to conclude that the Philippines now has a militarily readier posture in the South China Sea.

That said, it is certainly still a work in progress for the armed forces. Politically, for now, the prevailing sentiments in Manila appear geared toward facing the Chinese maritime challenge. Violent extremism and insurgent threats continue to loom in the background, which may force a shift in focus back to internal security. Given the uncertain funding situation, there is no way for the military to quickly boost its capabilities and, in any manner, face up to Beijing’s military might alone in the South China Sea.

Hardware acquisition, evolving military doctrine to better assimilate new operational realities and acquired capabilities, enhanced interagency coordination and collaboration among security agencies, and closer defense and security engagements with likeminded external parties need to go hand in hand so as to help Manila secure its interests in the South China Sea.

[Collin Koh is a research fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, where he specializes in maritime security and naval affairs in the Indo-Pacific region.]

https://www.defensenews.com/opinion/commentary/2023/03/08/the-stars-have-aligned-for-the-philippines-in-the-south-china-sea/

Cash packages, aid pledges spur surrenders among Samar rebels

From Rappler (Mar 8, 2023): Cash packages, aid pledges spur surrenders among Samar rebels (By RICKY BAUTISTA)

Rebels returnees can receive between P10,000 to P200,000 depending on the quality of the firearms they surrender

CATBALOGAN, Philippines — Hard off-grid living and a revolution that seemed to be going nowhere forced “James” (not his real name) to surrender to Philippine National Police (PNP) authorities in Samar province, Eastern Visayas in February 2023.

“Mahirap ang buhay sa bundok. Pagod na rin ako sa kakatakbo kapag may patrolyang sundalo sa kabundukan,” the former New People’s Army (NPA) squad leader and native of Basey town explained on February 17. (Life is hard in the mountains. I grew tired of running away every time we saw a military patrol.)

The PNP presented him along with more than a hundred “rebel surrenders” to journalists at their regional headquarters in Palo, Leyte.

James, who now resides in Tacloban City, told Rappler in an interview that the last straw was when he got wounded during a recent encounter in Eastern Samar.

The former guerrilla could not give the exact date of the clash.

Army authorities said their most recent encounter with rebels in Eastern Samar was on October 7, 2022, when the New People’s Army attacked Brgy. Dorillo, Jipapad town. The rebels killed two soldiers and wounded three others, including a minor.

James was hit on his leg during their retreat. He said fellow cadres might have seen him as a liability as they tried to evade pursuing troops.

They left him in the care of some civilians, leaving P5,000 for medicines and other needs.

They never came back, he told Rappler.

 
War-weary

The AFP Joint Task Force Storm (JTS) on November 23 clashed with rebels in Las Navas, Northern Samar, 19 kilometers north from Jipapad town.

Six guerrillas, allegedly behind the October 7 NPA raid, died and government troops seized 16 high-powered firearms

After several weeks of surviving the worst of his leg wounds, James decided to seek treatment at a hospital in Tacloban City.

War-weary, scared, and disappointed, his next stop was the regional police headquarters in Palo, Leyte.

On Feb. 12, he surrendered to the 805th Mobile Company, Regional Mobile Force Battalion 8.

James turned over two sidearms and other firearms and ammunition, said the police.

There was no returning to his old post as leader of the small regional guerrilla unit (RGU) operation in the Samar towns of Sta. Rita, Besey, and Marabut, and parts of Eastern Samar.

CLEARING OPERATIONS. Soldiers from the AFP’s Joint Task Force Storm in Samar prepare to carry seized rebel belongings after a November 23 clash in Las Navas, Northern Samar.

James’ hopes were similar to that of 17 other cadres who were presented with him: a more settled life with his family, help with livelihood.

The returnees brought in weapons – caliber .45 and caliber .38 pistols, grenades, improvised hand guns, and ammunition.

Seven of them, including James, were from Samar; six from Eastern Samar; and five from Northern Samar.

Payout

On March 3, the provincial government of Eastern Samar and the Army’s 8th Infantry Division (8!D) paid out P760,000 under the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) to 24 former rebels during rites in Borongan City, Eastern Samar.

Eight former NPA regular members received P65,000, while 16 former Militia ng Bayan(MB) members each received P15,000.

At that time, the 8ID said it had processed 104 regular guerillas and 1,707 militia members in 2022.
Lt. Col. Allan Tria, head of the 78th Infantry Battalion on March 3 said the assistance extended to former rebels would help them restart their lives.

“We want you in our towns so that we can check that you are being cared for. It’s not just the local government; our national government also cares for you,” Eastern Samar Vice-Governor Maria Caridad Goteesan told the former rebels in a mix of Waray and English during the ceremony.

Before receiving E-CLIP, the beneficiaries also received government financial assistance through the Local Social Integration Program (LSIP), and the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development Office (DSWD). They also participated in various livelihood training.

NEW LIFE. Lt. Col. Allan Tria, commander of the Army’s 78th Infantry Battalion advises 24 former rebels enrolled in the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) in Borongan City Eastern Samar on March 3, 2023 to make use of the government assistance to forge new, peaceful lives, 8TH ID – DPAO

Weakened force

Like the surrenderers processed by the Army, James and others handled by the police have also received financial assistance, around P5,000 each, more a police director’s personal aid, not the official E-CLIP payout.

Eastern Visayas police director B/Gen. Rommel Marbil said that since James and his batch of ex-rebels had completed their “debriefing,” they would receive more aid once they passed the requirements of the E-CLIP.

The E-CLIP is a package of cash incentives aimed at enticing rebels to surface and start new lives with their families.

In the case of James, the gov’t will determine if the guns he turned over are still “serviceable.”

The remuneration will range from PHP10,000 to P200,000 for a high-powered firearm.

Most NPA guerrillas are peasants or agricultural and industrial workers, drawn from the well of alienated poor since the CPP-NPA-NDF rebellion started in 1969.

Asia’s longest-running insurgency had about 25,000 guerrillas at its peak in the late 1980s, but military officials in 2019 said its numbers had dwindled to about 4,000.

In January 2023, the 801st Brigade presented 13 “NPA leaders,” including the alleged former chief of the NPA’s Bugsok Platoon, a unit supervised by a Samar province-based sub regional committee of the Eastern Visayas regional committee.

Brigadier General Lenard Lelina, brigade commander, said their unit had processed 77 guerrilla surrenderers, 102 members of the local militia (part-time guerrillas), and 929 mass supporters in 2022.

TURNED OVER. The 13 rebels in Samar province who surrendered on January 12 turned over firearms, and these ammunition and medical paraphernalia to the military.

Doubts

The military and local government officials see the E-CLIP and the barangay development funds administered by the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) as critical to the anti-insurgency campaign.

The NTF-ELCAC rewards barangays that cooperate with the AFP to clear their communities of communist presence.

But critics, including senators, have slammed the NTF-ELCAC for poor stewardship of funds.

The NTF-ELCAC’s Barangay Development Program had a P16.4 billion budget in 2021, but only 26 out 2,318 projects were completed by the time the 2022 budget hearings got underway.

In August 2022, the Commission on Audit (COA) said the Department of Social Welfare and Development Field Office in Caraga (Region 13), could not substantiate the recipients of 330 persons who received P5.3- million from the cash aid program for former rebels, a year after their financial report was flagged.

That represents 10% of the reported 4,000-membership of the NPA.

https://www.rappler.com/nation/visayas/cash-packages-aid-pledges-spur-surrenders-rebels-samar/

PBBM reiterates support to military assets, defense capabilities upgrade

From the Philippine Information Agency (Mar 7, 2023): PBBM reiterates support to military assets, defense capabilities upgrade (By Trixie Joy Manalili)

CLARK AIR BASE, Pampanga (PIA) -- President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. reiterated his support to the modernization of assets, and enhancement of defense capabilities of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

In his speech during the Arrival, Turn-over, and Blessing of the C-295 Medium Lift Aircraft in Clark Air Base, Marcos said the AFP is called to constantly adapt to address challenges and hazards.

With this, he lauded the Philippine Air Force (PAF) for its acquisition of three C-295 aircrafts since 2022, which is in line with the commitment of his administration.

These augmented the four units that were earlier purchased by PAF in 2015 and 2019.

“While this equipment will boost the readiness of our Air Force to respond to any contingency, there is still a need to further improve our capabilities to effectively cover our territory. Equally important is to ensure the airworthiness of Air Force assets and the corresponding training of crew and personnel to guarantee the safety of all,” the Commander-in-Chief stressed.

The acquisition boosts PAF’s capability to immediately deliver and respond in times of need.

“Through the additional C-295 aircraft, the AFP will be able to provide more responsive support to government agencies, especially in emergency situations and on humanitarian assistance and disaster response operations,” Marcos noted.

Recently, PAF has been utilizing C-295 aircrafts in the conduct of evacuation operations, and transportation of emergency relief goods.

To conclude, Marcos urged the men and women of PAF to strengthen their passion in performing their duties.

“As we accept and bless this new C-295 Medium Airlift, may your passion to defend the country and to serve the Filipino people deepen as we strive to maintain the peace that we have fought so hard to achieve,” he told them.

The new C-295 Medium Lift Aircraft was acquired by PAF from the Kingdom of Spain. It is a twin-turboprop that is the newest generation of tactical airlifter or in the light and medium segment.

C-295 is combat-proven with high versatility as it operates under all weather conditions in all types of environments.

It will complement the capability of PAF and AFP to provide much needed airlift support during disasters and calamities. It will also supplement maritime patrols. (CLJD/TJBM-PIA 3)

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. reiterates his support to the modernization of assets, and enhancement of defense capabilities of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.  

https://pia.gov.ph/news/2023/03/07/pbbm-reiterates-support-to-military-assets-defense-capabilities-upgrade

AFP won’t tolerate ‘scalawags, misfits’ in ranks

From the Philippine News Agency (Mar 7, 2023): AFP won’t tolerate ‘scalawags, misfits’ in ranks (By Priam Nepomuceno)

AFP spokesperson Col. Medel Aguilar (File photo)

MANILA – The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Tuesday said it does not tolerate scalawags or misfits in its ranks as it sets the highest standards of discipline for all its members.

"The AFP continues to uphold the highest standards of discipline and will not hesitate to weed out scalawags and misfits from among its ranks," AFP spokesperson Col. Medel Aguilar said in a statement.

He issued the statement following reports that three of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo's killers were former military personnel.

"The tragic shooting incident that resulted in the death of Gov. Degamo in Negros Oriental last Saturday (March 4) reportedly involved former soldiers. The Philippine Army (PA) has already clarified that the suspects in the incident were former soldiers who were dishonorably discharged from military service years ago for various offenses," Aguilar said.

He was referring to the three former soldiers who were arrested by police and military personnel last Saturday -- Joric Labrado, Joven Aver and Benjie Rodriguez. All three have the rank of corporal prior to their removal from the PA roster.

Records showed that the three former soldiers arrested were separated from the military service for absence without official leave (AWOL) and involvement in illegal drugs, which is a serious offense that the AFP would never tolerate, he added.

Earlier, the PA said the ex-soldiers arrested and implicated in the killing of Degamo and eight others have long been booted out of the service for various violations of the Articles of War.

"The arrested suspects are former Army soldiers. Notably, they were dishonorably discharged from the military service several years back for serious violations of the Articles of War such as involvement in illegal drugs, AWOL, and disorder and neglect to the prejudice of good order and military discipline," PA spokesperson Col. Xerxes Trinidad said.

He added that the PA maintains a high standard of discipline in the performance of its mandate to serve the people and secure the land.

"These ex-soldiers were dishonorably dismissed from service as they did not fit into the noble profession of arms. Ever since, the Army leadership has been serious in weeding out scalawags in its ranks in order to provide the utmost and dedicated service to the people," Trinidad said.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1196790

PH, US team up vs. maritime sanctions evasion

From the Philippine News Agency (Mar 7, 2023): PH, US team up vs. maritime sanctions evasion (By Joyce Ann L. Rocamora)

WORKSHOP. A representative from the National Coast Watch Center briefs the workshop delegates on the center’s operations in countering maritime threats and enhancing the Philippines’ maritime domain awareness in this undated photo. Participants developed closer working relationships to jointly address sanctions evasion activities in the region, the embassy said. (Photo courtesy of US Embassy in Manila)

MANILA – The United States, together with Customs, Coast Guard and legal officials from the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam and Taiwan has sought to strengthen regional cooperation in enforcing international maritime sanctions, the US Embassy in Manila said Tuesday.

In a US-led workshop, held from Feb. 28 to March 2, participants developed closer working relationships to jointly address sanctions evasion activities in the region, the embassy said.

They also joined tabletop exercises where they applied skills in investigating and preventing sanctions evasion.

Delegates discussed the impact of sanctions on key stakeholders; regional examples of sanctions evasion; challenges to the enforcement of sanctions; and models for implementing relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions.

“This event is a great opportunity for the delegates to meet and share each nation’s response to maritime sanctions evasion activities. The workshop and relationships developed will provide contacts for future collaboration and cooperation,” the embassy’s Export Control and Border Security (EXBS) Program Regional Advisor Ransom Avilla said.

Philippine Strategic Trade Management Office (STMO) officer in charge Director Janice Dimayacyac recognized the initiative’s potential contribution in preventing illegal trade activities in the region, especially with Southeast Asia which is “located in a strategic area prone to various sanctions evasion tactics”.

While in Manila, the participants also visited the Philippine National Coast Watch Center for a briefing on the center’s functions and its best practices in countering maritime threats.

The EXBS program, under the Export Control Cooperation Office of the US State Department’s Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation, seeks to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, destabilizing and irresponsible transfers of conventional arms and illegal exports of strategic goods by building an effective national strategic trade control system worldwide.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1196818

PNP, AFP to identify, dismantle private armed groups nationwide

From the Philippine News Agency (Mar 7, 2023): PNP, AFP to identify, dismantle private armed groups nationwide (By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan)

MANILA – The Philippine National Police (PNP) will be working with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to identify, track down and dismantle all private armed groups in the country.

This was emphasized by PNP Spokesperson, Col. Redrico Maranan, who said the consolidation of police and military forces is in compliance with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s order following the series of high-profile attacks on local executives, including two governors, including the recent assassination of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo.

“We will be working with the AFP on this, to intensify the disbandment of private armed groups,” he said in an interview on Tuesday.

Maranan said they will come up with a list of political hotspots in the country where attacks on local officials are rife.

The PNP spokesperson said implementation will be nationwide and comes immediately after these hotspots are pinpointed.

On Monday, PNP chief, Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr., issued a directive to all police commanders to step up the assessment of critical areas in the country where attacks can likely occur.

“There were already critical areas that were identified during elections. So let us not wait for the election period for us to be strict on the implementation of security measures,” he said.

“Our police units in the field should start assessing their respective jurisdiction, if there is a need to implement checkpoints and at the same time, they should always communicate with the local officials as to where they would be going so that security will be provided in their destinations,” he added.

As this developed, the PNP will de deploying more personnel from its Special Action Force (SAF) to Negros Oriental province to help maintain peace and order as the pursuit operations continue against the perpetrators behind Degamo's slay.

At least eight other people were killed in the March 4 attack.

Azurin said the deployment is part of the measures to contain further violence in the province.

“We are sending additional SAF troopers to be part of the peacekeeping force in Negros Oriental,” the PNP chief said. (

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1196834

Marcos: C-295 aircraft to boost PH defense capabilities

From the Philippine News Agency (Mar 8, 2023): Marcos: C-295 aircraft to boost PH defense capabilities (By Azer Parrocha)

NEW AIRCRAFT. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. witnesses the acceptance, turnover and blessing of the C-295 Medium Lift Aircraft acquired by the Philippine Air Force (PAF) in a ceremony at the Clark Air Base in Pampanga on Tuesday (March 7, 2023). In his speech, Marcos said the aircraft is expected to boost the country’s defense capabilities. (PNA photo by Alfred Frias)

MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Tuesday led the acceptance and turnover of the last of three C-295 Medium Lift Aircraft units acquired by the Philippines from Spain, saying these planes are expected to boost the country’s defense capabilities.

This unit is one of the three brand-new C-295 Medium Lift Aircraft of which two units were delivered last year. They are expected to augment the four units previously acquired by the Philippine Air Force (PAF) in 2015 and 2019.

The PAF now has seven units in its inventory.

In his speech during the turnover ceremony at the Clark Air Base in Pampanga, Marcos congratulated the PAF for its successful acquisition of the newly delivered C-295 Medium Lift Aircraft.

“This attests to the progress of our nation in upgrading our defense capabilities,” Marcos said.

He also thanked the government of Spain for assisting the PAF in the acquisition, describing it as one of the “meaningful outcomes” of the longstanding relationship between the two countries.

Marcos said the additional C295 aircraft will allow the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to provide “more responsive support” to government agencies especially in emergency situations and on humanitarian assistance and disaster response operations.

He also welcomed the demonstration of the flight capability of the FA-50PH fighter jet, saying that these jets will improve the Philippine maritime patrol capability, aid air force in monitoring the development within the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone and provide close air support to combat troops.

“Our country’s archipelagic nature and geostrategic location is both a blessing and a challenge. As much as our maritime environment provides us with much needed resources, it also requires us to constantly adapt to become more mobile and agile,” he said.

While recognizing efforts to beef up defense capabilities, Marcos also cited the need to further improve capabilities “to effectively cover our territory.”

“Equally important is to ensure the airworthiness of air force assets and the corresponding training of crew and personnel to guarantee the safety of all. Hence it is this administration’s will to remain steadfast in pursuing our modernization efforts,” he said.

Marcos, likewise, called on the PAF and AFP to continue defending the nation and its people amid challenges such as various climate related hazards which can potentially paralyze government and business operations.

“As we accept and bless this new C295 medium airlift, may your passion to defend the country and to serve the Filipino people deepen as we strive to maintain the peace that we have fought so hard to achieve,” he said.

Marcos flew onboard PAF’s FA-50PH Fighter Jet to witness its capability in a flight demonstration, an activity conducted upon the invitation of PAF for the Commander-in-Chief to personally test the aircraft.

Lt. Col. Malbert Maquiling, who accompanied Marcos as his pilot in command, honored the President with a “Fighter's Toast” in celebration of a safe, successful, and triumphant flight, ensuing with a presentation of symbolic patches and certificate.

Manufactured by the Airbus Defence and Space, the C-295 twin-turboprop transport aircraft is the newest generation of tactical airlifter in the light and medium segment that can be utilized for various missions such as medical evacuation, paradrop/airdrop, civic and humanitarian airlift mission, among others.

According to the PAF, the aircraft will complement its capability, as well as of the AFP as a whole, in providing airlift support in times of disasters and calamities.

In its recent operations, the PAF has been utilizing C-295 aircrafts extensively to transport relief goods and equipment, and evacuate affected communities following the consecutive typhoons and floodings.

The C-295 aircraft has a cruise speed of 480 kilometers per hour and can endure 11 hours of flight.

It has a maximum operating altitude of 30,000 feet with a maximum range of 5,400 km.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1196832

PH, US special forces troops hold urban warfare sniping drills

From the Philippine News Agency (Mar 8, 2023): PH, US special forces troops hold urban warfare sniping drills (By Priam Nepomuceno)

(Photo courtesy of Philippine Army)

MANILA – Troops of the First Scout Ranger Regiment (FSSR) and the US Special Operations Command Pacific (SOCPAC) kicked off their joint training activity aimed at improving the sniping capabilities of both forces in jungle and urban environments.

Philippine Army (PA) spokesperson Col. Xerxes Trinidad, in a statement Wednesday, said the training began at the FSSR base in Camp Tecson, San Miguel, Bulacan on March 6.

"The exercise is an annual bilateral training activity that focuses on cross-training and bolstering the interoperability of the PA Special Operations Forces and US Army SOCPAC. The 2023 iteration of the exercise will focus on sniper operations and target interdiction in the jungle and urban environment," Trinidad said.

The training course known as Exercise SOCPAC Piston (ESP) 23-2, formerly known as Exercise Balance Piston, is expected to conclude within this month, he said.

"The ESP will be participated in by 25 personnel from the 21st Scout Ranger (SR) Company; SR School; Scout Sniper Platoon; and personnel from the Special Forces Operational Detachment Alpha 1316, Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne), US Army," he added.

Meanwhile, the Army Signal Regiment on Tuesday unveiled its new warehouse facility.

"The signal warehouse will be a storage of the Army’s signal equipment that is significant for combat effectiveness.

The facility will also serve as a depository of command and control communications, and cyber systems (C4S) assets prior to issuance down to Army units," Trinidad said.

Army Signal Regiment commander Col. Alejandro J. Papa said the new warehouse would help in the preservation and maintenance of the PA's C4S assets.

"This building is specifically built for the whole PA and let’s use it wisely and effectively. With this new development and your continuous efforts, I am sure that the command will scale new heights in all aspects,” Papa said.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1196882

5 women in Top 10 of PNPA Class 2023

From the Philippine News Agency (Mar 8, 2023): 5 women in Top 10 of PNPA Class 2023 (By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan)

(Photo courtesy of PNPA Facebook page)

MANILA – Five women are in the Top 10 of the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) "Masidtalak" Class 2023 composed of 208 cadets which is set to graduate on Friday.

These are Jail Cadet Mary Louise Moyano (Rank 3); Police Cadet Claire Gean Pambid (Rank 5); Police Cadet Gezelle Sadian (Rank 6); Fire Cadet Gillian Torlao (Rank 7) and Police Cadet Kimberly Cruz (Rank 10).

Moyano, who will join the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), will receive the Secretary of the Interior and Local Government Kampilan Award and the BJMP Kampilan Award. She will also be the recipient of the Servant Leadership Kampilan Award.

Meanwhile, Torlao will receive the Best in Forensic Science and Best in Laws and Jurisprudence awards.

This year's class valedictorian is 25-year-old Police Cadet Francis Geneta of Naujan, Oriental Mindoro.

Geneta said poverty inspired him to give all his best despite graduating magna cum laude in his Bachelor of Science in Education Major in Mathematics at the Mindoro State College of Agriculture and Technology-Main Campus.

“He was raised by a single parent. His mother, Sanny de Leon Geneta, is a seamstress by profession,” PNPA spokesperson Lt. Col. Louie Gonzaga said in an interview.

Geneta will receive the Presidential Kampilan Award and the Chief, PNP Kampilan Award.

Other cadets in the Top 10 are Police Cadet John Rafael Desiderio from Cubao, Quezon City (Rank 2); Fire Cadet Eden Jhun Santos from San Jose, Occidental Mindoro (Rank 4); Police Cadet Jefferson Mamauag from Cauayan City, Isabela (Rank 8); and Police Cadet Patrick John Alabado from (Rank 9).

Desiderio will receive the Vice President Kampilan Award, Best in Police Administration and Best Thesis award.

Santos, meanwhile, will be awarded with the Chief, Bureau of Fire Protection Kampilan for being the top cadet who chose the BFP.

In an interview on Tuesday, PNPA director Maj. Gen. Eric Noble said the PNPA "Masidtalak" Class 2023 consists of 174 males and 34 females.

Of this number, 186 will be joining the PNP upon graduation while 11 will be serving the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) and another 11 will be augmenting the ranks of the BJMP.

The PNPA Class 2023 was the batch undergoing its second year of training when the Covid-19 pandemic started in 2020.

Despite the restrictions imposed by the pandemic, Noble said this class soldiered on and managed to complete their training. Adjustments were made to ensure that these cadets got all the necessary education and training despite the pandemic.

“Amid the grim struggle of winning supremacy over oneself, they have displayed paramount competence and excellence both in tactics and in the field of academics,” the PNPA posted in its Facebook page.

“These soon-to-be officers of the nation epitomize utmost determination, perseverance, and tenacity in performing their duties and responsibilities as cadets,” it added.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1196881

Italian Navy eyes more interactions with PH counterparts

From the Philippine News Agency (Mar 8, 2023): Italian Navy eyes more interactions with PH counterparts (By Priam Nepomuceno) 

Italy's non-resident attaché to the Philippines, Naval Capt. Maurizio Pitton (left) and Philippine Navy Chief of Naval Staff Rear Adm. Jose Maria Ambrosio Ezpeleta (right) (Photo courtesy of Philippine Navy)

MANILA – The Italian Navy is looking at the possibility of having more engagements with the Philippine Navy (PN) in the future.

Italy's non-resident attaché to the Philippines, Naval Capt. Maurizio Pitton made this remark during his visit to PN headquarters in Roxas Boulevard, Manila where he was welcomed by Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) Rear Adm. Jose Maria Ambrosio Ezpeleta on Tuesday, PN spokesperson Capt. Benjo Negranza said in a statement Wednesday.

“We would like to take an opportunity to engage with the Navies we are visiting to explore possibilities of interaction among the crews and heavy exercises," Negranza quoted Pitton as saying.

Negranza added that Pitton and Ezpeleta also talked about matters involving Philippine-Italian relations.

This includes "future collaborations between the two nations with regards to the new concept and new generation patrol vessels" that will help the PN for its ongoing modernization efforts, he added.

"The CNS then expressed his gratitude for the visit of the attaché, and looked forward to the sustained collaboration with (the) Italian government and companies, as they are among the right people to help the Philippine Navy and the nation," Negranza said.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1196894

Military ordinariate backs call to dismantle private armies

From the Philippine News Agency (Mar 8, 2023): Military ordinariate backs call to dismantle private armies (By Ferdinand Patinio)

(File photo courtesy of OPAPRU)

MANILA – The Military Ordinariate of the Philippines (MOP) on Wednesday supported the call of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to dismantle private armies and confiscate illegal firearms amid the recent killing of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo.

Military Ordinariate chancellor Fr. Harley Flores supported the move of the government as it promotes peace and security, and prevent further killings and violence.

"Private armies and illegal firearms only serve to promote lawlessness and instability, and they threaten the peace and security of the communities they operate in. It is therefore the responsibility of the government to take strong action to dismantle these groups and confiscate their weapons," Flores said in a statement.

The Catholic priest said the recent incident only shows that there is a need to address such problem.

"These violent acts have no place in a civilized society governing a responsible citizenry under just laws," Flores added.

On March 4, Degamo and eight others were killed when gunmen opened fire at the governor's residence compound in Pamplona town, Negros Oriental province.

Marcos then ordered a crackdown against private armies and the confiscation of illegal firearms.

The MOP has ecclesiastical jurisdiction over the Catholic Churches serving in the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police and the Philippine Coast Guard.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1196897

Lawmakers express concern, urge reforms over PNPA

From the Philippine News Agency (Mar 8, 2023): Lawmakers express concern, urge reforms over PNPA (By Wilnard Bacelonia)

(File photo)

MANILA – The Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs on Wednesday expressed its determination to implement reforms at the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) through legislation.

This, after it came to the committee's attention that PNP cadets' status is equivalent to a job order (JO) employee of the government who is receiving salary without corresponding benefits.

National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM) Vice Chairperson and Executive Officer Alberto Bernardo said PNP cadets cannot be considered as regular employees in accordance with Republic Act 6975, otherwise known as the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Act of 1990.

"Meron po kasing provision yung Section 30 ng [RA] 6975 as amended na kinakailangan daw po kasing baccalaureate degree holder yung PNP kaya hindi po mai-consider ng Civil Service [Commission] kaya kailangan po talaga ng (There is a provision in Section 30 of RA 6975 as amended that PNP has to have to be a baccalaureate degree holder that's why the Civil Service Commission cannot consider it without a) legislation," Bernardo told the committee.

Senator Ronald dela Rosa, who is a former PNP chief and currently chairs the committee, filed a bill that seeks to consider PNP cadets as members of the PNP holding a position of Police Cadet who are entitled to benefits and salaries equivalent to that of a Police Executive Master Sergeant.

"Hindi niyo ito nakita noon? Kung hindi nagkadete yung anak ko, hindi ko ito nakita rin. Kawawa naman pala itong mga bata na ito. JO, kadete ng PNPA -- premiere police academy of the land tapos JO ang status (You did not see this before? If my child did not become a cadet, I would not know this either. These children are pitiful. JO, PNPA's cadet -- premiere police academy of the land but has a status of JO)," said Dela Rosa.

Lt. Gen. Rhoderick Armamento, a former PNPA Superintendent, said they have been pushing for the status of PNPA cadets to be recognized considering the benefits they can enjoy.

"Even up to this moment, wala pong nare-recieve na even medical benefits or any entitlements ang ating mga kadete. Kung may mga nangyayaring incident dun, nag-aambagan kami para lang makatulong kami dun sa mga parents nung kadete (Even up to this moment, our cadets do not receive even medical benefits or any entitlements. If there are incidents there, we just contribute to help the parents of the cadet)," Armamento said, which saddened Senator JV Ejercito.

"It's sad to hear na nagpa-pass the buck sila para lang makatulong kung may mangyaring aksidente o anuman ano (It's sad to hear that they are just passing the buck to help if there are accidents or whatever). That's really good to take into consideration," Ejercito said.

Maj. Gen. Jonnel Estomo, PNP Deputy Chief for Operation, suggested to provide the PNPA with "fiscal autonomy" to be able for the academy to manage its own budget like the Philippine Military Academy.

Bernardo also vowed to submit to the committee the NAPOLCOM's proposals to establish a "core of professors" in the academy.

At present, the PNPA has 1,101 cadets who are divided into four classes.

The PNPA's planned reforms was taken into consideration during the committee's discussion of the measures filed by Dela Rosa, Ejercito, and Senator Ramon Revilla Jr. seeking to amend some provisions of the Republic Act 6975 which created the PNP.

These proposed measures aim to strengthen and restructure the PNP and create additional police offices to ensure the effective discharge of their duties amid the emergence of modern crimes, rapid increase in population, and growing number of police personnel.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1196911

Expose Chinese activities in SCS to counter ‘harassment’, PH told

From the Philippine News Agency (Mar 8, 2023): Expose Chinese activities in SCS to counter ‘harassment’, PH told (By Joyce Ann L. Rocamora)

One of the buoys installed in the West Philippine Sea. (Photo courtesy of PCG)

MANILA – The Philippines must counter China’s “harassment” within its waters by exposing activities or the “gray zone operations” in the South China Sea, analysts said Wednesday.

In a Stratbase ADRI forum in Makati City, various security and maritime law experts said China had been using these “gray zone” tactics or activities that are below the threshold of what constitutes aggression to prevent the country from using self-defense.

While doing so, University of the Philippines Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea Director Jay Batongbacal said Beijing achieves its objectives that would have been attained by force.

“In the West Philippine Sea, we see these gray zone operations occurring on daily basis and they have at least two dimensions – one is visible seaborne operations,” he said.

This dimension, he said, could include the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s activities occurring in the background, the Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) invoking Beijing’s “rights” under its so-called historical claims over the South China Sea to the deployment of maritime militia and fishing vessels, which had swarmed over several areas in the Spratlys in the past.

The second dimension, he said, involves “information operation” to reinforce the narratives that these seaborne operations are intended to convey.

“(These are) narratives of powerlessness meaning that they are somehow persuaded and convinced that they cannot do anything about these competitive actions by the other state,” Batongbacal said.

Last month, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo confirmed that the Philippines has encountered “daily incidents” of harassment in the West Philippine Sea, which in many cases prevented the Philippines from maximizing its 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone.

Also on March 4, the Philippine Coast Guard recorded the presence of at least 42 suspected Chinese maritime militia ships, a CCG, and a PLA Navy vessel anchored in the vicinity of Pag-asa Island, which serves as the seat of the local government of Kalayaan, Palawan.

As of this posting, the Chinese Embassy in Manila has yet to comment on the reported PLA Navy ship near the island.

‘Gray turning black, white’

Chinese operations in the South China Sea are transforming and changing “from gray to black and white,” Batongbacal warned.

“Chinese activities, especially since 2019, are becoming more and more clearly hostile and aggressive. They are actually crossing the threshold for the threat or the use of force in legal terms,” he said. “We’re seeing the military forces of China in the maritime arena – the PLA Navy, the China Coast Guard, becoming more and more coordinated, especially with their maritime militia and they are acting in concerted manner against Philippine government ships."

He said the Philippines must act and put in place policies to “hold this slow incremental escalation.”

He said the country could establish a “policy of attribution” that clearly lays out what is considered to be Chinese government actions regardless of the color of the vessel or the type of the ship.

“(China) should not be able to make use of these so-called gray zones and legal loopholes because what makes gray zone effective is gaps and loopholes,” he said.

He said the government should also consider coordinating and engaging with allies in collective deterrence.

“We should be together engaging in contingency planning and coordinating our policies, our activities, our responses etcetera, so that we may all be acting under a kind of united front,” he said. “We should demonstrate to China that its gray zone activities and various other shenanigans will no longer be effective because there will be a united and collective response from all fronts wherever they may be.”

This was echoed by Stratbase President Dindo Manhit and retired Rear Admiral Rommel Jude Ong, who said support from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations is also necessary to overturn gray zone tactics.

The Stratbase ADRI supports an “all-out cooperation” in defending the rules-based international order in the region, Manhit said.

“As we move towards a complex, multipolar world, the Marcos Jr. administration must continue implementing an independent foreign policy that is driven by and that upholds national interest,” he said. “Responsive and strategic mechanisms to. strengthen rules-based order are critical in ensuring the country’s territorial integrity and national sovereignty.”

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1196939

AFP modernization key in safeguarding maritime territory: PBBM

From the Philippine News Agency (Mar 8, 2023): AFP modernization key in safeguarding maritime territory: PBBM (By Azer Parrocha)

MODERNIZATION. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. poses for a photo after flying onboard one of the Philippine Air Force's (PAF) FA-50 fighter jets at Clark Air Base in Pampanga on Tuesday (March 7, 2023). Marcos lauded the flight maneuver skills of PAF pilots, emphasizing the need to continue modernizing the country’s armed forces. (Screengrab from RTVM)

MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Wednesday lauded the flight maneuver skills of Philippine Air Force (PAF) pilots, emphasizing the need to continue modernizing and improving the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ (AFP) military capabilities to effectively safeguard the country’s maritime territory.

He made this remark a day after flying onboard an FA-50PH fighter jet at the Clark Air Base in Pampanga to witness its capability in a flight demonstration.

The activity was conducted upon the invitation of the PAF for the Commander-in-Chief to personally test the aircraft.

The fighter jet was piloted by Lt. Col. Malbert Maquiling.

“Ang gagaling talaga ng piloto natin (Our pilots are really skilled). That’s why we have to continue to encourage the modernization of our Armed Forces para ‘yung capabilities natin ay mas tumibay pa (so that our capabilities are beefed up),” he said in a media interview during the launch of the Kadiwa ng Pangulo para sa Manggagawa in Quezon City.

“And we saw some of the capabilities that were demonstrated to me during the flight and we can see how important this increase in our capabilities is going to be, especially in the defense of our maritime territory,” he added.

Marcos described his flight as a “fantastic” and “interesting” experience.

He said he “took advantage” of the chance to be a passenger in the fighter jet because he had always wanted to do it.

“Kasi nabanggit ko na noong lumilipad ‘yung mga fighter jets doon sa pag-uwi namin galing sa mga bisita, eh nabanggit ko sabi ko masarap siguro makasakay man lang. So pinagbigyan naman ako (I mentioned that it could be enjoyable to be able to ride a passenger jet so they allowed me to do it),” he said.

Asked if the fighter jet flew over the West Philippine Sea, Marcos said they only had the chance to fly over the sea’s coastline.

“Hindi naman, hindi kami masyadoong lumapit doon. We were – along the coastline lang kami (No, we didn't get too close there. We were just along the coastline),” he said.

On Tuesday, Marcos was in Clark Air Base to lead the acceptance and turnover of the last of three C-295 Medium Lift Aircraft units acquired by the Philippines from Spain, saying these planes are expected to boost the country’s defense capabilities.

This unit is one of the three brand-new C-295 Medium Lift Aircraft of which two units were delivered last year. These are expected to augment the four units previously acquired by the Philippine Air Force (PAF) in 2015 and 2019.

The PAF now has seven units in its inventory.

Manufactured by Airbus Defence and Space, the C-295 twin-turboprop transport aircraft is the newest generation of tactical airlifter in the light and medium segment that can be utilized for various missions such as medical evacuation, paradrop/airdrop, civic and humanitarian airlift missions, among others.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1196918

Maguindanao Norte ambush leaves 3 wounded

From the Philippine News Agency (Mar 7, 2023): Maguindanao Norte ambush leaves 3 wounded (By Edwin Fernandez)

AMBUSHED. Police cordon off the minivan driven by resort security officer Regan Blanan with his family after an afternoon ambush in Barangay Tapian, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte on Monday (March 6, 2023). Blanan and two other members of his family were wounded in the attack. (Photo courtesy of DXMS-Cotabato)

COTABATO CITY – A security manager of a famous beach resort in Maguindanao del Norte and members of his family have survived an ambush in Maguindanao Norte’s Datu Odin Sinsuat town, a police official said Tuesday.

Maj. Regie Albellera, Datu Odin Sinsuat municipal police chief, however, said Regan Blanan, 40, chief security officer of the Amaya Beach Resort in Barangay Kusiong, his wife Baby Jane Blanan, 35, and Jonimar Minted, 40, were wounded in the attack.

A relative, Lilit Udas, 52, and Blanan’s two-year-old son, were unscathed in the 4:30 p.m. Monday ambush along Barangay Tapian, Datu Odin Sinsuat town.

“They were heading home when ambushed. The motive and identities of the attackers remained unknown up to now,” Albellera said.

He said the victims were aboard a white minivan on their way home to Barangay Kusiong when two men riding on a motorbike opened fire using an M16 rifle and .45-caliber pistol.

The victims are recuperating in an undisclosed hospital in this city.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1196804

Army checks Leyte auxiliary forces’ capacity to fight Reds

From the Philippine News Agency (Mar 7, 2023): Army checks Leyte auxiliary forces’ capacity to fight Reds (By Sarwell Meniano)

READINESS. Philippine Army 802nd Infantry Brigade commander Brig. Gen. Noel Vestuir (center) talk to troopers during his recent visit to a patrol base in San Vicente, MacArthur, Leyte. The Philippine Army is checking the capability of patrol bases of the Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit Active Auxiliary to check their capabilities to maintain the insurgency-free status of remote communities in Leyte province. (Photo courtesy of Philippine Army)

TACLOBAN CITY – The Philippine Army is checking the capability of patrol bases of the Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit (CAFGU) Active Auxiliary (CAA) to check their capabilities to maintain the insurgency-free status of remote communities in Leyte province.

Army 802nd Infantry Brigade commander Brig. Gen. Noel Vestuir said he has already visited 12 of the 22 CAA patrol bases in Leyte this year to check their situation and boost their morale.

“Our CAAs are part of our Integrated Territorial Defense System. They have been securing the communities particularly former guerrilla bases and guerrilla zones or former mass base areas, block the New People’s Army (NPA) mobility corridors, and prevent recovery efforts in cleared areas,” Vestuir said in a phone interview.

Among the recently visited patrol bases are located in Cansiboy and Kagbana villages in Burauen town, San Vicente in MacArthur town, Lobelobe in Dagami town and Villa Conzoilo in Jaro town.

The brigade’s area of responsibility includes the provinces of Leyte, Southern Leyte and Biliran with a total of 865 irregular auxiliary forces.

“They serve as a physical and psychological barrier that would deny the Communist Party of the Philippines-NPA-National Democratic Front violent and non-violent activities against our people and the communities,” Vestuir added.

The official lauded the CAA for their effort to maintain peace since there have been no violent activities by rebels were recorded in the area being secured by the patrol base.

Vestuir said Leyte Island is not completely free from NPA threats since there are still remnants of rebels in the mountains. These remaining rebels have no capabilities to fight government forces, according to the official.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1196808

NPA rebel surrenders to gov't troops in Camarines Sur

From the Philippine News Agency (Mar 8, 2023): NPA rebel surrenders to gov't troops in Camarines Sur (By Connie Calipay)

NEW LIFE. A New People's Army member identified as "Percy" surrendered to police and military authorities in Camarines Sur province on March 6, 2023. He turned over a high-powered firearm and nine rounds of ammunition, saying he wanted to start a new life with his family. (Infographic from 9ID's Facebook page)

LEGAZPI CITY – A New People's Army (NPA) rebel has surrendered to government troops in Camarines Sur province early this week.

In a statement on Wednesday, the 9th Infantry Division (9ID) of the Philippine Army said the NPA rebel relayed that he wanted to leave their organization and start a new life because of the difficulties brought by the non-stop operations of the Joint Task Force Bicolandia (JTFB).

The 9ID added that the communist terrorist group (CTG) member surrendered to the combined forces of the 83rd Infantry Battalion and Camarines Sur Provincial Police Office on Monday.

"The rebel identified as “Percy” voluntarily surrendered to the soldiers and police carrying an M79 caliber 40-millimeter and nine rounds of ammunition. He is one of the members of the CTG conducting operations in the towns of Garchitorena, Caramoan and Presentacion in the province of Camarines Sur," the statement read.

“Sa totoo lang po, matagal ko na pong gustong sumuko para po sa aking pamilya, kasi nag-aalala na din po ako sa kaligtasan ko, dahil alam ko pong pinaghahanap kami ng batas. Ako po mismo ang magpapatotoo na mali ang aming pinaglalaban at hindi solusyon ang armadong pakikibaka. Bagamat ako po ay nalinlang noon ng maling ideolohiya ng NPA, humihingi po ako ng tawad sa aking mga kababayan kasabay ng aking pangako na itutuwid ang aking mga pagkakamali (Honestly, I have long wanted to surrender for my family, because I was also worried about my safety, because I know that we are wanted under the law. I myself will testify that what we were fighting for is wrong and armed struggle is not the solution. Although the wrong ideology of the NPA deceived me, I ask my countrymen for forgiveness and promise to correct my mistakes)," Percy said.

Maj. Gen. Adonis Bajao, commander of the 9ID and Joint Task Force Bicolandia (JTFB), is thankful for the trust given by "Percy" to the government which, he said, only shows the positive results of the tireless work of soldiers and police to achieve peace in the region.

"Ang pagbabalik-loob po ni Ka Percy sa ating otoridad ay pagpapakita lamang ng kanyang tiwala sa pamahalaan. Kaya sana yung mga kasamahan niya po na nanatili pa sa pakikibaka, sana ay sundan na rin ang kanyang ginawang desisyon. Hindi pa po huli ang lahat, maniwala kayo sa pangako ng ating Panginoon na kayo ay mabibigyan ng bagong buhay at pag-asa na may kapayapaan sa inyong mga puso’t isipan (Ka Percy's move to the go back to our authority is just a demonstration of his trust in the government. That's why we hope that his colleagues who remain in the armed struggle will follow his decision. It's not too late, believe in the promise of our Lord that you will be given a new life and hope with peace in your hearts and minds)," Bajao said.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1196905

2 more ranking NPA rebels yield to Agusan Sur cops

From the Philippine News Agency (Mar 8, 2023): 2 more ranking NPA rebels yield to Agusan Sur cops (By Alexander Lopez)

GOODBYE, NPA. Two ranking New People’s Army (NPA) rebels surrender to the Esperanza Municipal Police Station in Agusan del Sur province on March 6, 2023. The surrenderers, a squad leader and a medic, are now undergoing processing for their enrollment in the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program of the government. (Photo courtesy of PRO-13 Information Office)

BUTUAN CITY—A squad leader of the communist New People’s Army (NPA) and a medic have voluntarily surrendered to Esperanza Municipal Police Station in Agusan del Sur province earlier this week, a police official announced Wednesday.

In a statement, Brig. Gen. Pablo Labra II, director of the Police Regional Office in the Caraga Region (PRO-13), said the surrender of the rebels was the result of the "relentless efforts of PRO-13 and its operating units and stations to end the local communist armed conflict."

Labra identified the NPA surrenderers only as "Dernard," a squad leader of a unit under the NPA's Sub-Regional Command 3, North Central Mindanao Regional Committee (NCMRC).

The other surrenderer, identified only as "Karen," acted as a headquarters medic under the NCMRC.

Labra said the rebels handed over to authorities a homemade shotgun and a .38-caliber revolver.

“With the concerted efforts of PRO-13, the counterparts from the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and all stakeholders, the number of neutralized members and leaders of the Communist Terrorist Group in the region continues to increase,” the police official said.

In the last two months of the year, Labra said at least 43 NPA rebels have been arrested while 113 others also surrendered to the police all over Caraga Region.

During the period, at least 66 firearms and 49 explosives were also surrendered and recovered by authorities in the area.

He said the two recent surrenderers are now being enrolled with the government's Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1196931

CPP/Ang Bayan Daily News & Analysis: Magkasunod na operasyong harasmment, inilunasd ng BHB-West Camarines Sur

Ang Bayan Daily News & Analysis online propaganda posted to the PRWC Newsroom, the blog site of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Information Bureau (Mar 7, 2023): Magkasunod na operasyong harasmment, inilunasd ng BHB-West Camarines Sur (Consecutive harassment operations, launched by the NPA-West Camarines Sur)

 

March 07, 2023

Kambal na operasyong harasment ang inilunsd ng mga yunit ng Bagong Hukbong Bayan (BHB)-West Camarines Sur noong Pebrero 28. Pinatamaan nito ang dalawang detatsment ng militar sa bayan ng Ragay, Camarines Sur.

Unang pinaputukan ng mga Pulang mandirigma ang detatsment sa Barangay Baya bandang alas-12:30 ng hapon. Sindunang ito ng pag-atake sa detatsment sa Barangay Patalunan bandang ala-1:10 ng hapon.

Ang Barangay Patalunan at Baya ay magkatabing barangay lamang kung saan parehong may presensya ng mga pasista at berdugong sundalo ng 81st IB.

Ayon sa BHB-West Camarines Sru, ang detatsment ng militar sa Barangay Baya ay dating nakapwesto sa sentro ng barangay katabi ng paaralang elementarya, ngunit taong 2021 ay inilipat ito sa Sitio Okwaw ng parehong barangay na kasalukuyang nasa gitna rin ng kabahayan. Katulad rin nito ang kampo sa Baranggay Patalunan na ipinwesto malapit sa sentro para gawin na “human shield” ang mga sibilyan.

Paliwanag ng yunit ng BHB, ang armadong aksyon ay tugon sa kahilingan ng mga residente sa lugar bunsod ng mga dumadaming kaso ng paglabag sa karapatang-tao at karahasan na nagbubunga ng matinding takot at ligalig sa mga taumbaryo.

Sa nagdaang mga buwan, kumaharap ang mga sibilyan sa pauli-ulit na interogasyon, pananakot at saywar. Tinatarget ng miliar mga pinaghihinalaang kasapi at tumutulong sa BHB. Hindi iilang kaso ang naitala kung saan sapilitang pinatatawag ang mga reidente sa loob ng kampo militar.

Nangunguna rin sa mga anti-sosyal na gawain tulad ng pag-iinom, pagsusugal at iba pa ang mga sundalo. May mga kaso na rin ito ng pang-aagaw ng asawa at mga kabataang nabuntisan sa lugar.

Ang ginagawang okupasyon ng mga militar sa sentro ng mga komunidad ay labag sa internasyunal na makataong batas at Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law o CARHRIHL.

https://philippinerevolution.nu/angbayan/magkasunod-na-operasyong-harasmment-inilunasd-ng-bhb-west-camarines-sur/