4th Inf Div: PRESS RELEASE | 2 CNTs dead, 2 high-powered firearms seized in 4ID's aggressive offensives against CTG in Misamis Oriental, Surigao del Su

From the Philippine Army 4th Infantry Division Facebook Page (Feb 12, 2024): PRESS RELEASE | 2 CNTs dead, 2 high-powered firearms seized in 4ID's aggressive offensives against CTG in Misamis Oriental, Surigao del Sur

CAMP EVANGELISTA, Cagayan de Oro City - Two (2) CPP-NPA Terrorists (CNTs) have died while two (2) high-powered firearms were seized after 4th Infantry (Diamond) Division troops' aggressive and no let-up operation resulted in successful encounters in the province of Misamis Oriental and Surigao del Sur on February 11 and 12, marking another significant impact in 4ID's campaign to end the local communist armed conflict.

 
On Feb. 11, continuous offensive of the troops of the 58th Infantry Battalion led by Lieutenant Colonel Christian C. Uy resulted in an encounter with more or less nine (9) members of the SRSDG MTG Eagles, SRC 1 of the communist terrorist group's North Central Mindanao Regional Committee (NCMRC) at Sitio Kayagan, Brgy. Quezon Heights, Balingasag, Misamis Oriental.

 
The firefight lasted for 10 minutes and resulted in the death of a certain Miguel Sereño alias Eman/Zoren/Bestre, a vice squad leader of squad 1 of said CNT group, and the seizure of one (1) Ingram, a detonating cord and blasting cap, backpack with personal belongings and assorted terrorist documents.

Subsequently, on Feb. 12, troops of the 3rd Special Forces Battalion led by Lieutenant Colonel Paulo Baylon, the Commanding Officer, clashed with members of the Regional Operations Command (ROC) and Regional Sentro De Gravidad (RSDG) of the North Eastern Mindanao Regional Committee in Brgy. Baucawe, Lianga, Surigao del Sur, which resulted in the death of one (1) CNT and the capture of an M60 machine gun and several CTG war materiel.

 
"After our troops thoroughly scoured and cleared the area due to heavy blood stains at the encounter site, we discovered an abandoned female CNT cadaver initially identified as alias Sunshine, Medic of ROC, NEMRC. It is very unfortunate that another life had been wasted because of the continuous deceit of CTG. We call upon the remaining CTG leaders to stop exploiting innocent civilians for their senseless and violent agenda," Lt. Col. Baylon added.

 
In a statement, Major General Jose Maria R. Cuerpo II, Commander of the 4th Infantry Division extended his sincerest condolences to the families of the dead CNTs as he recognized the need to use necessary force to protect the people and its communities against terrorist criminals. Likewise, he commended the troops' steadfast commitment in performing their duty to defend communities from the threats posed by the CTG. He emphasized that said successful operations further diminished the CTG's capabilities to operate and recover desperately their former influence areas.

"These achievements demonstrate a substantial blow to the CTG's abilities to carry out atrocities, particularly in vulnerable communities within our area of responsibility. With these gains, we have proved the effectiveness of collaborative efforts between our troops, our stakeholders, and our communities to defeat the CTG. As we continue in winning this campaign, we will not cease to aggressively fight against the remaining CNTs whom we have been giving ample chances to heed to the government's call for peace and unity. Nevertheless, we remain open and ready to embrace those who will choose to lay down their firearms and assure them of necessary assistance under the government's E-CLIP," MGen Cuerpo said.

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U.S. Marines Deliver Emergency Relief to Mindanao

From the US Indo-Pacific Command Website (Feb 12, 2024): U.S. Marines Deliver Emergency Relief to Mindanao (By Capt. Joshua Hays, III Marine Expeditionary Force CAMP COURTNEY, OKINAWA, Japan)

At the request of the Government of the Philippines, U.S. Marines from III Marine Expeditionary Force will support the U.S. Agency for International Development by providing foreign humanitarian assistance to the ongoing disaster relief mission in Mindanao, Republic of the Philippines, Feb. 12, 2024.

Marines from Marine Aircraft Group 12, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, will deliver requested supplies to the Armed Forces of the Philippines for distribution using KC-130J Hercules aircraft.

“Support to our Allies and partners, and their people in a time of need, is a non-negotiable,” said U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Roger Turner, the III MEF commanding general. “Working in direct coordination with the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Government of the Philippines, we stand ready to support those who need urgent assistance.”

The Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni-based aircraft group will deliver meals for distribution by the Armed Forced of the Philippines in Mindanao. The meals will provide temporary relief while the Republic of the Philippines works to restore essential services.

The forward presence and ready posture of III MEF assets in the region facilitate rapid and effective response to crisis, demonstrating the U.S’s commitment to Allies and partners during times of need.

Due to the nature of the disaster, additional details will be provided once operationally feasible.

For questions regarding this release, please email III Marine Expeditionary Force Communication Strategy and Operations at IIIMEFmedia@usmc.mil.

















https://www.pacom.mil/Media/News/News-Article-View/Article/3674711/us-marines-deliver-emergency-relief-to-mindanao/

13 alleged NPAs killed since January, says AFP

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Feb 14, 2024): 13 alleged NPAs killed since January, says AFP (By: John Eric Mendoza)

ELITE TROOPS Members of elite units of the Armed Forces of the Philippines march in Camp Aguinaldo in this 2016 photo. —FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — A total of 13 alleged New People’s Army (NPA) members were killed in several encounters from the beginning of the year, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said on Tuesday.

In a regular press briefing in Camp Aguinaldo, AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said that aside from this, a total of 172 Maoist fighters surrendered while 13 others were apprehended from January 1 until February 8.

Also, 79 high-powered and low-powered firearms and 18 improvised explosive devices were recovered from the said period while 14 NPA encampments were also seized, according to Padilla.

Padilla previously said the NPA vows to eliminate the NPA by the end of 2024.

READ: Padilla: AFP vows to eliminate NPA by end of 2024

As of Dec. 2023, the NPA is now down to about 1,500 fighters, far from its peak of around 25,000 in 1987, according to former AFP spokesperson Col. Medel Aguilar.

The Communist Party of the Philippines’ political wing National Democratic Front of the Philippines is now exploring the possibility of resuming peace talks with the government.

Established on March 29, 1969, the NPA has been waging the longest-running Maoist insurgency in the world.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1904010/13-alleged-npas-killed-since-january-says-afp

Video: IS-linked Maute terror group on brink of collapse – AFP

Posted to the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Feb 13, 2024): Video: IS-linked Maute terror group on brink of collapse – AFP

The Islamic State-linked Maute Group is on the brink of collapse following the death of its key leaders, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said on Tuesday. | 🎥 : Ryan Leagogo/INQUIRER.net

Video link:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9yyEGKnhw0&t=9s

Maute Group on brink of collapse — AFP

 From GMA News Online (Feb 13, 2024): Maute Group on brink of collapse — AFP (By JOVILAND RITA)

The Dawlah Islamiyah-Maute Group is expected to be dismantled soon after the series of military operations that killed its leader and some members, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said Tuesday.

In a press briefing, AFP spokesperson Colonel Francel Margareth Padilla said 12 Maute members were killed, three surrendered, and three others were arrested in these operations.

"Maute Group is already on a brink of collapse following a series of decisive military and joint law enforcement operations, particularly against the leadership and perpetrators of the Mindanao State University (MSU) improvised explosive device bombing," she said.

The AFP reported Monday that the alleged mastermind in last December's MSU bombing in Marawi City was killed in a military operation in Lanao del Sur.

The fatality was identified as Khadafi Mimbesa or "Engineer," also the amir or leader of Dawlah Islamiyah-Maute Group.

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"Statements from a surrendered terrorist, identified as KHATAB, a high-value individual in the DI-Maute Group who surrendered to the 2nd Mechanized Brigade on February 11, have corroborated the initial information on demise of the DI-Maute Group Amir and the mastermind behind the MSU bombing," the AFP had said.

'Significantly decapacitated'

Other fatalities were Saumay Saiden or Omar and Abdul Hadi or "Hodi Imam" or "Abday'n."

The AFP said Saiden was a subleader of Maute Group and the one who allegedly rigged and detonated the bomb at the MSU.

Hadi, meanwhile, was said to be an improvised explosive device (IED) expert and the one who assembled the bomb.

"??The death of Omar and Engineer as well as the surrender of Khatab brought the DI-MG leadership in disarray. ??Engineer who has good leadership and sympathy with his comrades and Khatab with wide network in Lanao del Norte due to family ties and strong personality greatly affected the group's ability to operate," Padilla said.

"??On their strength and capabilities, the neutralization of the DI-MG's trained bomber and combat skilled members rendered the group significantly decapacitated to launch large-scale terroristic attacks," she added.

'Greatly hampered'

The Islamic State-inspired Maute group stormed Marawi City on May 23, 2017, triggering a five-month armed conflict which resulted in over a thousand deaths and left the city in ruins.

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has vowed to continue rebuilding Marawi City, noting that P1 billion has been allotted for the victims of the Marawi siege.

The AFP said there are no significant activities monitored related to recruitment of Maute Group so far.

"??Overall, the intelligence and decisive military operation greatly hampered the DI-MG's capability to carry out another act of terrorism that could instill fear and intimidation in the community," Padilla said. — VDV, GMA Integrated News

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/897311/maute-group-on-brink-of-collapse-afp/story/

How the AFP neutralized Dawlah Islamiyah's Commander 'Engineer'

From the Manila Bulletin (Feb 13, 2024): How the AFP neutralized Dawlah Islamiyah's Commander 'Engineer' (By MARTIN SADONGDONG)

AT A GLANCE

The death of Khadafi Mimbesa alias "Engineer", the alleged amir or commander of the Dawlah Islamiyah-Maute Group (DI-MG), is a "decisive blow" to the terrorist group as they are now on the brink of collapse after apparently suffering from a leadership vacuum, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) announced on Tuesday, Feb. 13.

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla answers questions from the media during a press briefing at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City on Feb. 13, 2024. (Photo by Martin Sadongdong / MANILA BULLETIN)

The death of Khadafi Mimbesa alias "Engineer", the alleged amir or commander of the Dawlah Islamiyah-Maute Group (DI-MG), is a "decisive blow" to the terrorist group as they are now on the brink of collapse after apparently suffering from a leadership vacuum, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) announced on Tuesday, Feb. 13.

But how did the AFP penetrated the cells of the DI-MG, considered as one of the most sophisticated militant and terror groups in the country in the likes of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) and New People's Army (NPA), and neutralized its leader?

It turns out that one of the keys was Membisa's right hand man -- Arsani Membisa alias "Khatab".

Engineer's plan

Late last year, the AFP launched successful counter-terrorism operations against the Islamic State-linked DI-MG and other allied terror groups as part of intensified efforts to eliminate their threat in the country.

From Dec. 1 to the wee hours of Dec. 3, the Western Mindanao Command (WestMinCom) slain 12 DI-MG members including Abdullah Sapal, who at the time was the designated "amir" or leader of the DI-MG, in Datu Hoffer Ampatuan, Maguindanao del Sur; Abu Sayyaf Group leader Mudzimar Sawadjaan alias "Mundi" in Basilan, a notorious bomb-maker and the pinpointed brains behind the Jolo Cathedral bombings in Sulu in 2019 which killed 20 people and injured 102 others; and Alandoni Macadaya Lucsadatu alias "Lando" and "Abu Shams", the DI-MG sub-leader.

The setback apparently prompted DI-MG to hatch a plan to avenge the death of their commander and key sub-leaders by bombing the Mindanao State University, AFP chief General Romeo Brawner Jr. ahd said in an interview. Eventually, Mimbesa rose to the rank as the next amir of the DI-MG.

The codename Engineer was apparently given to Mimbesa as he was the one who plans and orchestrates the group's attacks.

"Engineer has good leadership [skills] and sympathy with his comrades," Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said at a press briefing in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.

The military had expected that the DI-MG will retaliate after the death of its leaders so troops in Mindanao were already alerted, according to Padilla.

But with a renewed faith on their new commander, the bomb attack at the MSU was carried out swiftly by the DI-MG and it was completed around one hour: from 6:09 a.m. to 7:11 a.m. on Dec. 3 while Christian worshippers were attending an Advent mass at the Dimaporo Gymnasium. In the said incident, four people died and 72 others were wounded.

After the bomb attack at MSU, the AFP conducted pursuit operations against the DI-MG as the military believes they were the ones who masterminded it.

The military launched another series of counter-terrorism operations against the DI-MG on Jan. 25 to 26 in Piagapo, Lanao del Sur which killed nine terrorists and critically wounded two others.

Of the slain DI-MG terrorists, the AFP confirmed that there were three who were directly involved in the MSU bombing: Abdul Hadi alias "Hodi Imam and Adbay'n", a bomb expert who assembled the improvised explosive device (IED) used in the attack; Saumay Saiden alias "Omar", a sub-leader of MI-DG who rigged and detonated the IED; and Mimbesa, who succumbed to gunshot wounds to the body days after the Lanao del Sur operations.

"Multiple sources reported that Mimbesa was wounded during the encounter in Lanao del Sur on 25 to 26 January 2024. He eventually died of his wounds sometime between January 28 to 30," Padilla said.

Khatab's surrender

However, the death of Mimbesa was only confirmed after the surrender of Arsani Membisa alias "Khatab", the deputy amir of the DI-MG, to personnel of the 2nd Mechanized Infantry Battalion on Feb. 11 -- nearly two weeks since the operations in Lanao del Sur.

"Khatab [has] wide network in Lanao del Norte due to family ties and [his] strong personality greatly affected the group's ability to operate," Padilla said.

During interrogation, Khatab issued statements which corroborated the initial information on the death of Membisa, according to Padilla, although the commander's body was never recovered by the military.

"In Muslim rites, they have to bury the body within 24 hours so with that, we cannot really say that we have the body. But all of the details that we got corroborate with the same information that he already succumbed to his wounds," Padilla said.

"The Daulah Islamiyah-Maute Group is already on a brink of collapse following a series of decisive military and joint law enforcement operations, particularly against the leadership and perpetrators of the MSU IED bombing," she added.

She said the AFP is continuously pursuing the remaining members of the DI-MG as a total of 12 DI-MG members were killed, three surrendered, and three others were arrested as of Feb. 12.

"Overall, the intelligence and decisive military operation greatly hampered the DI-MG's capability to carry out another act of terrorism that could instill fear and initimidation in the community," Padilla said.

https://mb.com.ph/2024/2/12/how-the-afp-neutralized-dawlah-islamiyah-s-commander-engineer#google_vignette

US Marine Corps planes transport 4.8K food packs to Davao de Oro

From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 13, 2024): US Marine Corps planes transport 4.8K food packs to Davao de Oro (By Priam Nepomuceno)

AID ON THE WAY. Family food packs of the Department of Social Welfare and Development are being unloaded from a US C-130 aircraft at the Davao International Airport on Monday (Feb. 12, 2024). Two US Marine Corps aircraft have transported a total of 4,800 family food packs for landslide-hit residents in the province of Davao de Oro. (Photo courtesy of AFP)

MANILA – The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has announced two United States Marine Corps (USMC) KC-130J "Hercules" cargo planes delivered 4,800 family food packs to Davao de Oro for distribution to landslide-affected communities.

AFP public affairs office chief Col. Xerxes Trinidad, in a statement Monday night, said the relief packs were from the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

"The goods were delivered in two sorties each and will be vital in providing aid to residents affected by recent flooding and landslides in the Davao and Caraga regions," he added.

Trinidad said 12 sorties are planned for the two US Marine Corps aircraft with the goal of delivering up to 15,000 family food packs by Wednesday.

"The joint effort highlights the shared commitment of the two countries to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, as also emphasized in the recently concluded US-Philippine maritime cooperative activity (which took last February 9 to 10 in the West Philippine Sea)" he added.

House probe

At least five members of the House of Representatives, including Davao de Oro 2nd District Rep. Ruwel Peter Gonzaga, have pushed for a congressional inquiry into the deadly landslide.

Aside from Gonzaga, House Deputy Majority Leader Erwin Tulfo and his fellow ACT-CIS Party-list Reps. Edvic Yap and Jocelyn Tulfo as well as Benguet Eric Yap and Quezon City 2nd District Rep. Ralph Tulfo asked an appropriate House panel to conduct an inquiry under House Resolution No. (HRN) 1586.

According to the Management of the Dead and the Missing (MDM) Cluster, rescuers have so far retrieved 55 bodies while 35 people were injured and dozens are still missing as of Monday night.

Erwin Tulfo said the tragedy could have been avoided if the “no build zone” had been properly implemented.

“Somebody has to take responsibility for this tragedy,” he added.

Tulfo also urged the House of Representatives to review the existing laws regulated by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

“Despite the implementation of the “no build zone” policy, numerous residential structures and establishments were erected within the prohibited area, contributing to the heightened risk and severity of the landslide incident,” he said after filing the HRN 1586 on Monday.

“It is imperative to investigate the circumstances surrounding the landslide, including the factors that led to the violation of the “no build zone” policy and the enforcement mechanisms employed by the relevant authorities,” he added.

Based on records, devastating landslides have also hit Davao de Oro province in the past, including those that occurred at the gold-rush village of Napnapan in 2012 and 2015, and in the village of Diwalwal from 2005 to 2007.

The MGB, they said, plays a crucial role in overseeing mining activities, geological hazard assessments, and land use planning to ensure the safety and welfare of communities residing in geologically sensitive areas.

“A comprehensive review of existing laws and regulations enforced by the MGB is necessary to identify gaps, deficiencies, and opportunities for enhancement to prevent similar tragedies in the future,” the SRN read.

“How many more lives must perish before our local leaders and government agencies realize that life is more valuable than income for the family or community or even for the state,” Tulfo said. (with a report from Zaldy De Layola/PNA)

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1218737

AFP shrugs off China's warning vs. hiked military presence in Batanes

From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 13, 2024): AFP shrugs off China's warning vs. hiked military presence in Batanes (By Priam Nepomuceno)

HEIGHTENING DEFENSE. Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. (center) and ranking military officials visit the AFP's naval detachment in Mavulis Island in Batanes province on Feb. 6, 2024. The AFP on Tuesday (Feb. 13, 2024) said it would continue beefing up its presence in the island province. (Photo courtesy of AFP)

MANILA – The Philippines has every right to boost its defense capabilities within its territories, a military official said Tuesday.

"Sa part po ng (On the part of the) AFP, that's our mandate. We have to fortify our defenses, (and) what we do, hindi na natin kailangan po yun (we do not need the approval of other countries)," Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said during a press briefing in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.

Padilla made the remark after China called out Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr.'s order for increased military presence in the country's northernmost province of Batanes.

Teodoro issued the directive during his Feb. 6 visit to the military's naval detachment in Mavulis Island to inspect the ongoing construction of the Naval Forward Operating Base Mahatao in Batanes' Batan Island.

Beijing earlier warned Manila "not to play with fire" regarding the issue of Taiwan, which is just near Batanes.

In a paper distributed to members of the media, the AFP said it would be guided by the "Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept" in enhancing its capability to defend the national interest, which includes upgrades in its facilities and deployment of personnel.

Earlier, the Department of National Defense (DND) said its mandate is to secure the sovereignty of the state and integrity of the national territory as enshrined in the Constitution.

"As such, we are pursuing a Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept to address our vulnerabilities and enhance our capability to defend our national interest through certain long-term plans, which include upgrades in our facilities and deployment of personnel," it added.

The DND also emphasized that Batanes is a Philippine territory and China has no business warning the Philippines about what it does within its territory.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1218754

DFA flags China’s continued misrepresentation of law, facts on SCS

From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 13, 2024): DFA flags China’s continued misrepresentation of law, facts on SCS (By Joyce Ann L. Rocamora)

Department of Foreign Affairs (PNA photo by Avito Dalan)

MANILA – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Tuesday rebuked China for what it called “continued misrepresentation” of law and facts on the South China Sea, days after a Chinese diplomat labeled the 2016 arbitral ruling as “illegal” while on a trip to Iloilo City for the Chinese New Year.

China’s Consul General in Cebu Zhang Zhen said the tribunal’s award is null and void and that China’s claims over the sea lanes are “deeply grounded” on facts and international law.

Local newspaper Panay News said Zhen also provided the press with a 41-page briefer on China's historic claims in the area to "set the record straight.”

“We take serious exception to China’s continued misrepresentation of the law and the facts. The Philippines and China are both parties to UNCLOS (UN Convention on the Law of the Sea),” DFA spokesperson Ma. Teresita Daza said in a statement.

“We have and will consistently call on China to act responsibly and abide by its obligations under UNCLOS and the final and binding 2016 Arbitral Award on the South China Sea,” she added.

The Arbitral Tribunal constituted under the UNCLOS issued a landmark ruling in 2016 that invalidated Beijing's nine-dash line.

These claims, the tribunal said, exceed the geographic and substantive limits of China’s maritime entitlements provided for by the UNCLOS.

The invisible demarcation outlines China’s extensive claims over the South China Sea, which also covers large parts of the Philippines’ 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1218778

PH to sustain transparency in WPS ops

From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 13, 2024): PH to sustain transparency in WPS ops (By Raymond Carl Dela Cruz)

(File photo courtesy of PCG)

MANILA – The Philippine government continues to uphold a policy of "assertive transparency" on the actions of the Chinese government in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), an official of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said Tuesday.

During a panel discussion organized by Stratbase ADR Institute, PCG Special Staff to the Commandant, Commodore Jay Tarriela said releasing information on the Chinese aggression in the WPS has been more “institutionalized” but their transparency initiative largely remained the same.

Tarriela said the de-escalation agreement between the two countries during the 8th Bilateral Consultation Mechanism (BCM) in Shanghai on Jan. 17 has not been a setback as transparency is “not something that is provocative or escalatory.”

“On the part of the Philippine government, there is no reason for us to de-escalate, it is them who is escalating the tension. And it is just us who is on the receiving end,” he said.

He highlighted the recent altercation between the PCG and the China Coast Guard (CCG), where Chinese boats crossed the bow of BRP Teresa Magbanua, a violation of International Collision of Regulation or the Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea.

“We still choose to publicize the aggressive actions of China, just like what we did last weekend, when the CCG did a dangerous maneuver, provocative behavior, crossing the bow of the PCG, those videos and photos were still released,” he said.

However, he said the information released to the public is now more “institutionalized” as they now need to go through the information working group (IWG) of the National Task Force-West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS).

“Not everything we experience in the WPS is openly released to the public. There are measured -- there is a strategic objective for every news that we inform the public about, something that we should measure to make sure that it will not result in panic or misinterpretation of the public,” he said.

The IWG is composed of the Department of National Defense, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Justice, National Security Council and PCG.

Once the IWG has processed the information, he said the decision to release it will be made by the NTF-WPS and National Security Adviser, Secretary Eduardo Año.

“We now have a procedure and it's not just a random thing we tell the public about -- the Chinese aggression,” he said.

On Sunday, the PCG reported an encounter with the CCG while BRP Teresa Magbanua was on a nine-day patrol in Bajo de Masinloc.

Aside from crossing the bow of the Philippine vessel, Chinese vessels shadowed the PCG forty times and blocked their ship four times.

The Philippines and China convened the BCM following an agreement between President Ferdinand R. Marcos and Chinese President Xi Jinping to ease and manage tensions in the WPS.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1218781

Remote, conflict-affected village in Agusan Norte energized

From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 13, 2024): Remote, conflict-affected village in Agusan Norte energized (By Alexander Lopez)

ENERGIZED. Residents of Sitio Salaming, Barangay Bokbokon, Las Nieves greet Agusan del Norte Governor Maria Angelica Rosedell Amante (2nd left) and Mayor Karen Rosales (left) upon their arrival on Monday (Feb. 12, 2024) for the energization activity. The Sitio Electrification Program of the National Electrification Administration has a budget of PHP17.4 million to energize six sitios in Bokbokon this year. (Photo courtesy of Agusan del Norte PIO)

BUTUAN CITY – Residents of a remote village in Agusan del Norte’s Las Nieves town have expressed gratitude to the government for energizing their community.

“Electrification has reached our small sitio because of the reign of peace and the cooperation of our residents to the government,” Agusan del Norte Governor Maria Angelica Rosedell Amante said in a statement Tuesday.

On Monday, the governor, together with Antonio Mariano Almeda of National Electrification Administration, led other officials on switch-on activity at Sitio Salaming, the home of the Higaonon tribe, in the town's Barangay Bokbokon.

The switch-on activity, which was under the Sitio Electrification Program (SEP) of NEA and the Agusan Del Norte Electric Cooperative, lighted up at least 30 houses in the sub-village.

The energization of Salaming alone considered the innermost sitio in Bokbokon, costs some PHP3.6 million from a total project cost of PHP17.4 million for six sub-villages of Bokbokon this year.

“Five other sitios (sub-communities) are expected to be energized as the groundworks are already being done,” Michael Mandahinog of the Las Nieves information office said on Tuesday.

Other sitios up for energization, he said, are Panabol with PHP4.2 million appropriation; Baligihan (PHP1.8 million); Bakidkid (PHP1.9 million); Binaway (PHP4.5 million); and Makabay (PHP1.2 million).

Around 200 more households from the five sitios will benefit from the program.

Las Nieves town Mayor Karen Rosales thanked the provincial government and the NEA for realizing the energization of the far-flung villages in the town.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1218752

NPA rebel killed, machine gun recovered in Surigao

From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 13, 2024): NPA rebel killed, machine gun recovered in Surigao Sur clash (By Alexander Lopez)

SEIZED. Government troops recovered an M60 machinegun and other war matériel after a clash with New People’s Army rebels in Lianga, Surigao del Sur, on Monday (Feb. 12, 2024). The cadaver of a female rebel was also recovered at the clash site. (Photo courtesy of 4ID)

BUTUAN CITY – A communist New People’s Army (NPA) rebel was killed after a clash in Surigao del Sur’s Lianga town, the military here said Tuesday.

In a report, the Army’s 4th Infantry Division (4ID) said troops from the 3rd Special Forces Battalion (3SFBn) clashed with NPA rebels in Barangay Baucawe, Lianga on Monday, after a tip from villagers.

After the encounter, the 3SFBn troopers recovered an abandoned cadaver of a female NPA rebel who was identified only as “Sunshine,” a medic of the NPA Regional Sentro De Gravidad (SRDG), North Eastern Mindanao Regional Committee (NEMRC).

Soldiers also found at the encounter site an M60 machine gun, ammunition, and personal belongings of fleeing NPA rebels.

On Feb. 11, the 4ID also reported that an NPA rebel was killed in an encounter with troops of the 58th Infantry Battalion in Barangay Quezon Heights, Balingasag, Misamis Oriental.

The slain rebel was identified as Miguel Sereño, a vice squad leader of the NPA Sub-Regional Committee 1, North Central Mindanao Regional Committee.

Recovered at the clash site were an Ingram machine pistol, a detonating cord, a blasting cap, backpacks with personal belongings, and assorted subversive documents.

Maj. Gen. Jose Maria Cuerpo II, the 4ID commander, said the recent clashes brought a substantial blow to the abilities of the NPA rebels to carry out atrocities, especially in vulnerable communities.

“With these gains, we have proven the effectiveness of the collaborative efforts between our troops, our stakeholders, and our communities to defeat the (communist insurgency),” Cuerpo said in a statement on Tuesday.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1218764