Sulu vs Abu Sayyaf on beheading threat: Who will blink?

From Rappler (Oct 16): Sulu vs Abu Sayyaf on beheading threat: Who will blink?

Sulu officials are closely monitoring the Abu Sayyaf deadline amid a battle of resolve between the government and the notorious group

PRESSURE. The Abu Sayyaf released this photo of German hostage Stefan Viktor Okonek on Wednesday, October 15, 2014, as it stepped up its pressure on the government to yield to its demands.

 

The Sulu provincial government is "closely monitoring the deadline" set by the Abu Sayyaf for authorities to comply with its demands for the release of a German hostage, a local official said.

 

Sulu public information officer Sonny Abing III made the statement as the local Crisis Management Committee (CMC) divided inself into subgroups per municipality to "contain" information on all possible movements of the group.

The CMC, which includes all town mayors, made the decision to ensure that any information obtained on the Abu Sayyaf and the hostages would not be leaked, so as not to compromise any possible government response that it may recommend to military and police authorities.

"Para naman maiwasan ang paglabas ng information na hindi naman dapat nalalaman ng iba. Kung ano ang magiging effort (This is the avoid any leak of information that others shouldn't know about, on what the effort would be)," Philippine military vice chief of staff Lieutenant General John Bonafos. 
 
The Special Action Committee was also created, composed of the governor as chairman, the vice governor, the mayor of the local government unit involved, the poilce, the military, the religious sector, and the prosecutors' office.

The Abu Sayyaf has threatened to behead 71-year-old German hostage Stefan Viktor Okonek at 3 pm on Friday, October 17, unless they get a P250-million ($5.58 million*) ransom payment and Germany withdraws from the US-led war against the Islamic State (ISIS) in the Middle East. (READ: 2 days before deadline, Abu Sayyaf steps up pressure on German hostages)

 

Okonek has been separated from the other German hostage, 55-year-old Henrike Dielen. They were taken by the Abu Sayyaf in April 2014 while they were on board a yacht off Palawan. Little was heard about them until the Abu Sayyaf issued the threat to behead Okonek.

The military and the police have declared they are ready for a rescue mission. Their commanders have been attending daily meetings in the provincial capitol to monitor the situation.

If and when the situation calls for it, Sulu Governor Totoh Tan II will order a "focused, selected operation."

The military said it prefers the release of the hostages without a firefight, but in statements to the media and in talks inside the capitol, the military declared they are ready for a rescue mission.

Armed Forces chief General Gregorio Catapang Jr himself arrived in Sulu on Sunday, October 12. Philippine National Police chief Director General Alan Purisma was also there on Tuesday, October 14, to meet with local leaders and to inspect the readiness of the local cops.

"We are prepared to conduct rescue. We are just awaiting orders," Catapang reiterated in an interview in Manila on Wednesday, October 15.

The military has chosen to respond to the Abu Sayyaf threat with a counter-threat. It has increased troop presence in Sulu, where there are now up to 2,000 soldiers. There are 5 Marines battalions, two Army battalions, a company of K-9 units, and a hundred of the elite Special Forces ready for deployment.

Negotiations

It's a battle of resolve as the clock ticks to 3 pm, Friday. The Abu Sayyaf also stepped up the pressure on Wednesday, October 15, putting the German hostage on radio via RMN in Zamboanga to air another appeal to authorities.

The Abu Sayyaf also released photos of Okonek sitting in the middle of a freshly dug grave, surrounded by masked men pointing their rifles at him and holding the black flag first identified with the Al-Qaeda and now the ISIS.

Authorities deny there are ongoing negotiations although the the radio interview of Abu Sayyaf spokesperson Abu Rami in the same radio station revealed as much. The Abu Sayyaf, however, seemed unhappy with the talks and expressed its desire to talk with the "administrator" of the Department of Foreign Affairs to facilitate their demands, as the politicians and the cops are "corrupt."

Rami told the same radio station they are serious about beheading Okonek if they do not get what they want.

But are they, really? This is the question that local authories are asking.
"Isa 'yun sa pinag-aaralan natin kung talagang tototo ang kanilang sinasabi. Maraming sinasabing date. Gaya noong una, sinabi nila [October] 14. It's supposed to be yesterday. Nothing happened. We are studying it," said AFP vice chief of staff Lieutenant General John Bonafos, who attended the last CMC meeting in Sulu. (It is one of the things we're looking at. Are they telling the truth? They have floated a number of dates. They first threatened to behead the hostage on the 14th [of October]. That was supposed to be yesterday. Nothing happened. We are studying it.)

The government regards the Abu Sayyaf as a kidnap-for-ransom group that is only interested in the ransom they can collect.

The leaders of the Abu Sayyaf, involved in a spate of kidnappings and terrorist activities in Muslim provinces in Mindanao, have pledged allegiance to ISIS. According to the military, they are holding a total of 15 hostages including the Germans.

On July 23, a video of senior Abu Sayyaf leader Isnilon Hapilon along with masked men was posted on YouTube, showing them swearing allegiance or “bay’ah,” an oath, to ISIS and its head, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

Military officials regard the act as mere propaganda. "Nagpapapansin lang (They're only trying to get attention)," said a high-ranking military officer.

The US Rewards for Justice Program has offered a $5-million bounty for the arrest of Hapilon, who was indicted in the District of Columbia for “terrorist acts against United States nationals and other foreign nationals.”

In the radio interview, Rami repeatedly demanded a P250-million ransom for Okonek but mentioned sparingly the other demand to the German government. There was no discussion on ISIS ideology.

More hostages

Aside from the Germans, among the other hostages believed to be with the Abu Sayyaf include European birdwatchers Ewold Horn and Lorenzo Vinciguerra. They were abducted in February 2012.

The last high profile hostages released were the 2 Bansil sisters in February 2014, Jordanian journalist Baker Atyani in December 2013, and Australian Warren Rodwell in March 2013.

All four hostages were released, not rescued. In the case of Atyani, the police admitted protracted negotations for ransom although he would later deny that ransom was paid.

http://www.rappler.com/nation/72114-will-abu-sayyaf-blink

Sulu Gov orders troops to prepare for operations vs Abu Sayyaf

From Rappler (Oct 16): Sulu Gov orders troops to prepare for operations vs Abu Sayyaf

The military says it is not cowed by the Abu Sayyaf's threat to behead German hostage Stefan Viktor Okonek


READY: Sulu island commander Colonel Allan Arrojado says the troops are ready to rescue the hostages. Rappler photo

A day before the Abu Sayyaf's deadline, Sulu Governor Abdusakur Tan II on Thursday morning, October 16, ordered the military and the police to prepare for "law enforcement operations" to secure the release of the German hostages.

Armed Forces of the Philippines vice chief of staff Lieutenant General John Bonafos said the plan is to serve specific members of the Abu Sayyaf warrants of arrest and "relatedly rescue" the hostages.

Bonafos explained: "This is a kidnapping activity. This is against the law. We asked for the help of the police so they can launch the law enforcement operations. Those personnel involved in the kidnapping activities were issued warrants of arrests. Through this, there will be an action that will relatedly rescue the hostages."

The vice chief of staff said they will not be cowed by the Abu Sayyaf's deadline. "Hindi naman talaga patitinag sa ganitong sitwasyong pagbabanta ng lawless elements. Patuloy na i-implement ang kakayahan na i-establish peace and security in the area," he said. (READ: 2 days before 'deadline,' Abu Sayyaf steps up pressure on German hostages)

(We will not be cowed in situations where lawless elements are threatening us. We will continue to implement our capability to establish peace and security in the area.)

'Anytime'

The military's island commander Colonel Allan Arrojado said the order is "to start moving and preparing for law enforcement operations," which can happen "anytime."

"In the military point of view, the Abu Sayyaf Group is serious with their threats against German kidnap victims. We have plans already to support the PNP (Philippine National Police) law enforcement operations," Arrojado added.

The Sulu Peace and Order Council created the Special Action Committee (SAC), a smaller unit that is tasked to oversee the law enforcement operations the council has laid out.

The special unit will monitor the deadline and get reports from the field. "The existence of the special unit is only for this particular situation, it is deemed dissolved automatically, once situation is resolved or cease to exist," reads the statement of the Sulu provincial government.

Bonafos said the safety of the hostages is a priority. "That is a prime consideration. Isa yun sa pinag-iingtan natin mabuti. Ano man ang ating i-launch na law enforcement activity, isa yun sa magiging consideration ng ating tropa na dapat ay makuha ng ligtas ang mga hostage victims," he said.

[Video report: Catapang on Abu Sayyaf deadline on Germans
http://www.youtube.com/watch?list=UUdnZdQxYXnbN4uWJg96oGxw&v=feg3lYbcru4
Aside from the Germans, among the other hostages believed to be with the Abu Sayyaf include European birdwatchers Ewold Horn and Lorenzo Vinciguerra. They were abducted in February 2012.

The last high profile hostages released were the 2 Bansil sisters in February 2014, Jordanian journalist Baker Atyani in December 2013, and Australian Warren Rodwell in March 2013.

All 4 hostages were released, not rescued. In the case of Atyani, the police admitted protracted negotations for ransom although he would later deny that ransom was paid.

The last high-profile rescue operation launched against the Abu Sayyaf was in 2002. American missionary Gracia Burnham was rescued but her husband Martin died in the firefight.

http://www.rappler.com/nation/72209-sulu-german-hostages-rescue-operations

Catapang on Abu Sayyaf deadline on Germans

From Rappler (Oct 16): Catapang on Abu Sayyaf deadline on Germans

Philippine military chief Gregorio Catapang and Western Mindanao Command Lieutenant General Rustico Guerrero have gathered their forces to confront the Abu Sayyaf and its threat to kill one of their German hostages

Philippine military chief Gregorio Catapang and Western Mindanao Command Lieutenant General Rustico Guerrero gathered their forces to confront the Abu Sayyaf and its threat to kill one of their German hostages.
Carmela Fonbuena reports.

Sulu, the troubled island in the southern Philippines is back in international headlines.

 

Local terrorist group Abu Sayyaf uses its 2 German hostages to ride on the ISIS ideology sweeping the Middle East and attracting followers all over the world. The Abu Sayyaf is asking for P250-million in ransom, that and a commitment from Germany to withdraw its support from the US-led war against the ISIS.

 

The Philippine military chief arrives in Jolo, Sulu five days before the Abu Sayyaf's deadline. If their demands are not met by Friday, they say they will kill one of the hostages. The mission is clear: hunt down the terrorists and secure their release.

 

It is General Catapang’s first trip to Sulu since he became Philippine military chief. He says trust him and his classmate, Western Mindanao Command Lieutenant General Rustico Guerrero.

 

GEN. GREGORIO CATAPANG, AFP CHIEF: Pinagsananib na namin ang aming lakas ni General Guerrero. All support ako sa kanya sa lahat ng mga ginagawa nya dito kaya tandaan nyo, Catapang na guerrero pa ano. So medyo malakas lakas na yan ano, Catapang na Guerrero pa. (General Guerrero and I have gathered our forces together. I give him my full support so remember, Catapang and Guerrero are working on this with combined strength.)

 

The military moved battalions from Luzon to increase troops presence in Sulu. He even brought in K-9 tracker dogs to help.

 

GEN. GREGORIO CATAPANG, AFP CHIEF: Basta pag in-order-an kaming i-rescue, we will conduct a rescue. (When we are ordered to rescue, we will conduct a rescue)

 

The Philippines has its own history of extremism in Mindanao. It is no surprise that the ISIS ideology is attracting followers here and other parts of the county. But the military maintains there are no operational links between ISIS and the Philippines. What the Abu Sayyaf is doing is get international attention.

 

The Abu Sayyaf may pay lip service to the jihadist movement, but the government sees it as a kidnap-for-ransom group.

Repeat photo of German hostages Analysts say the Abu Sayyaf is only interested in the ransom.

 

Like others before him, Catapang dreams of ending the Abu Sayyaf threat and bringing peace to Sulu.

He and his classmate have a lot of work to do.

http://www.rappler.com/video/reports/71936-catapang-abu-sayyaf-german-hostages-deadline

Mistaken for rebels, father and son shot dead by soldiers in Compostela

From InterAksyon (Oct 16): Mistaken for rebels, father and son shot dead by soldiers in Compostela



Soldiers said to be part of a "humanitarian assistance operation" shot dead a 40-year-old man and his 16-year-old son after mistaking them for rebels in Sitio Taytayan, Barangay Andap, New Bataan, Compostela Valley.

The troops were under the command of Lt. Col. Michael Logico of the Army's 66th Infantry Battalion, and were on routine patrol at 4 a.m. on October 12, said a report from the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

The commander of the Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom), Lt. Gen. Aurelio Baladad, has directed the commander of the 10th Infantry Division to conduct a full investigation of the incident.
"The investigating team will be headed by a senior military officer of the said command alongside the police that will jointly investigate the circumstances of the incident and submit after investigation report with their findings and recommendations," said Capt. Alberto Caber, Eastmincom spokesman.

A report by barangay officials identified the victims as Lando Sabado and his son Felix, both residents of Purok 7, of Barangay Andap.

"Apparently, the soldiers were on security patrol along the routes of Barangays Andap and Manurigao as part of the humanitarian assistance operation to be held in Manurigao on October 14, when the incident transpired," Caber said.

He said the command has extended assistance to the Dangasan family "and will fully cooperate in the conduct of the investigation on the incident".

Because of the incident, Baladad directed all military commanders under his command to comply strictly the Rules of Engagement (ROE), and Rule of Law (ROL), protection of human rights, and adherence to International Humanitarian Law (IHL) in the conduct of combat and non-combat operations, Caber said.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/97370/mistaken-for-rebels-father-and-son-shot-dead-by-soldiers-in-compostela

Govt security forces poised to move vs ASG in Sulu

From InterAksyon (Oct 16): Govt security forces poised to move vs ASG in Sulu

Government security forces in Sulu on Thursday received the green light from Governor Sakur Tan to mount "law enforcement operations" against Abu Sayyaf fighters who have threatened to execute two Germans they are holding hostage.

Colonel Allan Arrojado, the military's Sulu Island commander, said Tan gave the go-ahead at a meeting of the "special action committee" late Thursday morning, for "all concerned agencies to start moving and preparing for law enforcement operations."

Asked if the decision was prompted by the Abu Sayyaf’s threat to kill Stefan Viktor Okonek by Friday unless their demand for a P25-million ransom for the hostages is met, Arrojado said: "From the military point of view, the Abu Sayyaf is serious in their threats, but we already have plans to support the Philippine National Police."

News reports say Okonek has been separated from his wife Henrike Dielen and is now kept in a pit where he is supposed to be executed.

But Arrojado refused to call the operations a rescue attempt, although he acknowledged that getting the hostages back safely would be the priority.

"We will not use the word 'rescue'," he stressed, but added that, "law enforcement includes that, so, if the kidnap victims are there, the priority is the safe rescue of the hostages."

He also refused to say when the operations would start, only indicating, "we are launching anytime. We are verifying the exact location of the sub-group leaders and other Abu Sayyaf."

Arrojado said he had no idea whether negotiations had taken place for the release of the hostages or if these had broken down.

"I am not knowledgeable on that matter," he said.
http://www.interaksyon.com/article/97391/govt-security-forces-poised-to-move-vs-asg-in-sulu

Philippines seeks Japanese help in jumpstarting Bangsamoro economy

From InterAksyon (Oct 16): Philippines seeks Japanese help in jumpstarting Bangsamoro economy

The Philippines has asked Japan to buy more products from areas that would form part of the Bangsamoro region in a bid to jumpstart its economy.

Finance Secretary Cesar V. Purisima today told reporters that he discussed the matter with Japanese counterpart Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso during a recent Tokyo road show by Philippine economic managers.

"We talked about giving the Philippines’ produce in the Bangsamoro region preferential access in Japan so that we can jumpstart investments in that area, but there are no final agreements yet," Purisima said on the sidelines of the International Association of Financial Executives Institutes World Congress.

"If anything, the process has to start and I think that meeting was the first discussion," he said, adding that the Bangsamoro area could export agricultural and natural resource products.

The matter of increasing exports to Japan was among the issues discussed that also include assistance for rebuilding areas devastated by Typhoon Yolanda.

The Philippines and Japan have an economic partnership agreement, which covers bilateral trade in goods and services.

Japan is one of the Philippines' top export markets, importing fresh fruits, tuna and other natural resource-based products, many of which are produced in Mindanao.

The Aquino administration successfully forged a peace deal with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, and is pushing for the creation of the Bangsamoro area in Mindanao, the legislation for which is pending in the Senate.

http://www.interaksyon.com/business/97396/philippines-seeks-japanese-help-in-jumpstarting-bangsamoro-economy

Philippines: Al-Qaida-Linked Terror Group Abu Sayyaf Subject German Hostage to Mock Execution

From the International Business Times (Oct 15): Philippines: Al-Qaida-Linked Terror Group Abu Sayyaf Subject German Hostage to Mock Execution



Stefan Victor Okonek in what his captors said was his 'grave'(Twitter/@JulietSAlipala)

A photo has emerged today on social media, allegedly showing one of the two German hostages being held by Abu Sayyaf, an al-Qaida linked terror group, being subjected to a mock execution.

 

Stefan Viktor Okonek appears surrounded by four masked Abu Sayyaf gunmen and is kneeling in a freshly dug grave.

 

The 71-year-old later said in a local radio interview organised by his captors: "I'm here in a hole, it's a big hole 3 metres by 5 metres, they told me this is my grave. They push me inside the hole."

 

The German hostage, who is a retired university academic, was kidnapped along with his partner, Henrike Dielen. They were believed to have been taken hostage after trying to sail their yacht from Palawan to Sabah in mid-April this year.

 

The Filipino militant group have been demanding a 250 million peso (£3.4m) ransom. It has also demanded that the German government end its support for the US led coalition, which has been carrying out air strikes in Syria and Iraq, asking for:

 

"The government of Germany to stop helping America do its killings of our Muslim brethren in Iraq and Sham [Syria], Jordan, Lebanon and Palestine, and all the mujahideen brothers in Dawlah Islamiyah [Islamic State]."

 

Okonek revealed: "I have not seen anyone from the government to get into the situation that tries to get us out of here. They told me on Friday they will kill me."

 

Abu Sayyaf had previously set a 15 day deadline for 17 October, declaring they would execute Okonek "at exactly 3pm if they can't avail our demands."

 

Abu Rami, Au Sayyaf's spokesman, said in the local radio station interview: "We would like talk to the foreign affairs chief because his agency is not corrupt. We would reiterate to him our demands."

 

General Gregorio Catapang Jr, Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff, said that he did not think Abu Sayyaf will rush into executing the hostages while talks with local officials continue to happen.

 

"They will not do that because they know that if they maintain their negotiations for their demands with the German government and the local crisis management team [they may be met]."

 

It is believed the al-Qaida linked group is holding the two German hostages in Sulu, a small autonomous island province.

 

Hundreds of Filipino forces have been deployed on Sulu island, in preparation for the forthcoming deadline.

 

Abu Sayyaf are primarily based in the southern Philippines and were founded in the early 1990s. They have developed a reputation for their use of kidnapping, extortion and bomb attacks.

 

The group currently holds 10 foreign hostages including Lorenzo Vinciguerre and Ewold Horn, wildlife photographers from Switzerland and Holland, who were abducted two years ago. 

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/philippines-al-qaida-linked-terror-group-abu-sayyaf-subject-german-hostage-mock-execution-1470206

Abu Sayyaf suspected of shooting fishing boat

From The Star Online (Oct 16): Abu Sayyaf suspected of shooting fishing boat



Troubled waters: Police officers talking to the fishermen after their rescue in Sabah.- NORMIMIE DIUN / The Star

KOTA KINABALU: Gunmen linked to the Abu Sayyaf might be behind the shooting of a Sabah-registered fishing vessel in the border waters between northern Kudat and the Philippines.

Two of the vessel’s 10 Vietnamese crew sustained gunshot wounds as they evaded the gunmen and fled towards Sabah in the 9am incident on Tuesday, some 22 nautical miles east of Pulau Banggi.

Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Jalaluddin Abdul Rahman said the two injured men, Nguyen Nain Len, 47, and Huynh Thanh Tuan, 33, were recovering from bullet injuries to their knees and ribs at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital 2 after they arrived at the marine police jetty here at about 9.30am yesterday.

Four heavily-armed men were in the 17m speedboat that attacked the fishing boat.

The Vietnamese crewmen managed to escape to Sepanggar Island off the city here and were rescued by marine police a day later.

Jalaluddin said they had informed the Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) and went on full alert around Pulau Banggi.

Earlier, some of the crewmen at the jetty indicated with the aid of gestures to journalists their frightful ordeal and clasped their hands to indicate they were thankful.

Philippine intelligence sources said they were looking at whether the Abu Sayyaf was behind it.

Among the suspicions were that gunmen linked to the Abu Sayyaf might be moving north to find victims for ransom due to the tight security and curfew in eastern Sabah.

Filipino officials have noted the trend since the April 25 kidnapping of a German couple, Henrite Dielen and Dr Stefan Viktor Okonek, from their yacht near the southern Philippine island of Palawan (north of Pulau Banggi).

The couple were abducted by Tawi Tawi-based gunmen who moved north after they failed to make way through Malaysian security.

The couple were handed over to al-Qaeda-linked militants, who threatened to behead Dr Okonek by 3pm on Oct 17, if their demands for ransom, the withdrawal of US troops in Syria and Iraq, as well as calls to the Philippine government to support the global coalition of Islamic State (IS) were not met.

Two Malaysians, marine police Kons Zakiah Aleip, 26, and fish breeder Chan Sai Chuin, 32, are still being held by Abu Sayyaf-linked kidnap-for-ransom groups.

http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2014/10/16/Abu-Sayyaf-suspected-of-shooting-fishing-boat/

Armed forces of the Philippines rotates, reassigns troops

From the Sun Star-Zamboanga (Oct 15): Armed forces of the Philippines rotates, reassigns troops

THE Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has initiated rotation of troops here in the area of responsibility of the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom).

The rotation of troops came after the AFP reassigned two Army battalions as well as an infantry brigade from Luzon to the Westmincom area and placed them under the Army's First Infantry Division.

Among the troops that were rotated and reassigned were the Army's 21st, 41st, 32nd, and 35th Infantry Battalion, and the 501st Infantry Brigade.

The Army's 21st, and 41st Infantry Battalions came from Luzon and have replaced the 32nd and 35th Infantry Battalions in Zamboanga del Sur and Lanao del Norte, respectively.

Army's 1st Infantry Division Information Officer Captain Franco Suelto disclosed Wednesday the 21st and 41st Infantry Battalions arrived last October 2 and October 9, respectively.

The soldiers of 21st and 41st Infantry Battalions underwent series of orientation to familiarize them their new area of operation to include cultural sensitivity seminars "to inform our soldiers of the custom and traditions of the different tribes in Western Mindanao."

The Army's 32nd and 35th Infantry Battalions were deployed to Sulu as they have replaced the Marine Battalions that were reassigned to Palawan.

Suelto said the 32nd and 35th Infantry Battalions were sent to Sulu last October 4 and October 11, respectively.

The Army's 32nd and 35th Infantry Battalions were placed under the command of the 501st Infantry Brigade that was reassigned from Luzon to Sulu.

"As soldiers, we must be used to move from one assignment to the other. I also experienced what you are experiencing right now. It is part and parcel of the military profession," Army's 1st Infantry Division commander Brig. Gen. Gerardo Barrientos Jr. said as he assured the troops that they will be surprised to know that Mindanao is beautiful, peaceful and hospitable.

"The Luzon-based units are most welcome to the home of the premier Division (First Infantry Division) of the AFP. The soldiers of 21st and 41st Infantry Battalions will not have hard a time adjusting to their new area because there are several Ilocanos who opted to settle here in Mindanao," Barrientos added.

Barrientos said their expertise on peace and development activities in Luzon will also be applicable and "I know your skills are at par with 32nd and 35th Infantry Battalions that will certainly sustain the gains of the Division in terms of peace and security."

"I know that Army units in the country are equally capable in addressing various threats whether man-made or natural such as terrorism, disaster, environmental, and support to law enforcement and many others," he said.

He said he is confident that the 32nd and 35th Infantry Battalions can continue the thrust in "Winning the Peace" in the province of Sulu.
He said the two battalions can sustain the gains that the Marine units established during their stint in Sulu.

He said the Army contingent will work side by side with the remaining Marine units and most importantly with the stakeholders led by the Local Chief Executives and traditional leaders "so that peace and development will reign in every community in the island."

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/zamboanga/local-news/2014/10/15/armed-forces-philippines-rotates-reassigns-troops-371170

Sulu leadership praised, peace and development efforts pushed

From the Mindanao Examiner BlogSpot site (Oct 15): Sulu leadership praised, peace and development efforts pushed

















Top military and police officials visit Sulu province. And participants to the recent Peace and Order Council Meeting in Sulu province in southern Philippines. (Photos by Franzie Sali)

SULU – Top police and military officials have expressed support to the local provincial leadership as Sulu continues its efforts to promote peace and development.

Sulu Governor Totoh Tan has recently presided over the Peace and Order Council meeting participated by representatives from various sectors here. Heads of regional government agencies also visited Sulu and met with Governor Tan and discussed projects for the province.

Engineer Pama Dimapanat, regional head of the Department of Transportation and Communication, also led senior officials to the province where they discussed with Governor Tan and Vice Governor Sakur Tan on how to further improved the operations of the local airport and seaport, and other offices under it, including the provincial Land Transportation Office, the Maritime Industry Authority, among others.

The officials also joined the Peace and Order Council meeting together with the different mayors and security officials.

Lieutenant General John Bonafos, the Armed Forces’ Vice Chief of Staff, and Rear Admiral Reynaldo Yoma, chief of the regional naval forces, was also present during the meeting. Yoma was accompanied by Major Jose Wilfredo Panes, of Joint Task Force Group-Sulu and Colonel Alan Arrojado, of the Philippine Army.

They were joined by Chief Superintendent Noel Reyes, of the regional police force, and Marine Colonel Maximo Ballesteros, the local brigade commander, and other officials.  Undersecretary Nabil Tan was also present in the meeting. 

Police Director General Alan Purisima also visited Sulu and met with the governor and vice governor before inspecting the provincial police office where he spoke to policemen. Governor Tan and his vice governor introduced Purisima to the different town mayors who were there to welcome the police chief.

Purisima also handed over several patrol vehicles to the different police chiefs in Sulu. His visit to the province left the police force with high morale and renewed their all-out support to Purisima’s leadership. Purisima vowed to also support the provincial police force in its effort to maintain peace and order in Sulu.

Governor Tan thanked all those who visited Sulu and their support to his leadership and in return he said he will continue to rally behind the various programs of the police and military authorities, and the regional government agencies to bring the province to a greater height in terms of peace, development and progress for the benefit of the people.

http://www.mindanaoexaminer.net/2014/10/sulu-leadership-praised-peace-and.html

More troops arrive in Mindanao to fight for peace

From the Mindanao Examiner BlogSpot site (Oct 16): More troops arrive in Mindanao to fight for peace









Luzon-based troops arrived in Mindanao and deployed in Sulu and other provinces in western Mindanao.

More troops have arrived in the southern Philippines to replace marines in Sulu and other provinces in Mindanao and help fight insurgency and terrorism and at the same time win hearts and minds of civilians in an effort to support the government’s peace and development efforts in the troubled region.

Brigadier General Gerardo Barrientos, commander of 1st Infantry Division, welcomed the troops who arrived here from Luzon Island in two batches.

The soldiers, who are members of the 21st – under Lieutenant Colonel Niceforo Diaz, and 41st Infantry Battalions headed by Lieutenant Colonel Virgilio Noora - took over the 32nd Infantry Battalion in Zamboanga del Sur and Zamboanga del Norte and the 35th Infantry in Lanao del Norte. 

Both the 32nd and 35th Infantry Battalions have replaced marine battalions in Sulu province. The marines were reassigned to Palawan province.

“The repositioning of units is part of the strengthening of the military forces to address the emerging threats in the region,” Barrientos said. “Army units are equally capable in addressing various threats whether man-made or natural such as terrorism, disaster, environmental, and support to law enforcement and many others.”

Barrientos said the two units of 1st Infantry Division deployed in Sulu will continue the thrust in “winning the peace” in the province. He said some of the soldiers sent to Sulu are natives of the province who will hopefully be a tool in creating a bridge between the local communities and the military.

“The Command will sustain the gains that the Marine units established during their stint on the island, and the Army contingent will work side by side with the remaining Marine units in Sulu and most importantly with the stakeholders led by the local chief executives and traditional leaders so that peace and development will reign in every community on the island-province,” he said.

Barrientos said the soldiers also underwent a series of orientation and lectures, including cultural sensitivity seminars, and custom and traditions of different indigenous tribes in western Mindanao, to familiarize them to their new area of operation.

http://www.mindanaoexaminer.net/2014/10/more-troops-arrive-in-mindanao-to-fight.html

Malaysian police arrest 13 with links to jihadists

From the Manila Standard Today (Oct 16): Malaysian police arrest 13 with links to jihadists

KUALA LUMPUR—Malaysian police have arrested 13 people believed to have “links” with the Islamic State, a report said Wednesday, as concern grows over the extremist group’s appeal in the moderate Muslim country.

The Star newspaper quoted national police chief Khalid Abu Bakar as saying the 13 Malaysians were arrested in a raid on a restaurant in a Kuala Lumpur suburb.

He added they bring the number of people arrested since April this year over suspected IS links to 36.

“We are constantly monitoring these kinds of activities. Militancy and terrorism have no place in this country,” he was quoted saying.

The story gave no further details on the nature of the alleged IS links. Khalid and other senior police officials could not immediately be reached for comment.

Authorities have previously confirmed at least 30 to 40 Malaysians had already joined the bloody civil war in Syria, and that IS supporters were actively seeking more recruits via social media.

Officials fear recruits will become radicalised and bring back violent extremist views.

The story did not say whether the 13 arrested had planned to travel to Syria.
In August, Malaysian police said they foiled a plot for a wave of bombings drawn up by radical Islamic militants inspired by the Islamic State group.

More than a dozen people arrested from April to June were formulating plans to bomb pubs, discos and a Malaysian brewery of Danish beer producer Carlsberg, police said, adding that some had planned to travel to Syria first.

Local media have previously reported that 26-year-old Malaysian factory worker Ahmad Tarmimi Maliki killed 25 elite Iraqi soldiers in a suicide car-bomb attack there in May.

Malaysia has previously been home to several suspected key figures in groups such as al-Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah, a Southeast Asia-based organisation blamed for the deadly 2002 Bali bombings and numerous other attacks.

But the activities of such regionally based groups have been greatly diminished by counter-terror actions over the years.

http://manilastandardtoday.com/2014/10/15/malaysian-police-arrest-13-with-links-to-jihadists/

AFP hospital revamp: 3 more sacked

From the Manila Standard Today (Oct 16): AFP hospital revamp: 3 more sacked

Armed Forces Chief  Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. has revamped the AFP Medical Center and sacked three more hospital officers after ousting their  commander following charges of irregular purchase of supplies.

Ordered relieved were special disbursing officer Lieutenant Colonel Florencio Ritchie I. Capulong, management and fiscal Office chief Major Neil D. Bugarin, and acting chief of logistics Colonel Rogelio S. Del Rio.

Earlier, Catapang fired Brig. Gen. Normado T. Sta. Ana Jr. as AFPMC commander  who was being investigated for allegedly using P80 million to buy medical supplies without a public bidding.

“There was a complaint file before the Office of the Ombudsman,” Catapang told reporters in Camp Aguinaldo.
             
“I asked the TJAG [The Judge Advocate General] and the office said there is a prima facie evidence, so I ordered him relieved from his position as he might bungle the ongoing investigation.

The complainant Renato Villafuerte filed a case  before the Office of the  Ombudsman alleging that the four military officers might have conspired in the purchase of medical supplies worth P80 million without the government’s required public bidding.

He claimed only “favored” suppliers were able to corner the multi-million project.

According to AFP Public Affairs Office chief Lt. Col. Harold Cabunoc, Catapang issued the relief orders of Del Rio, Capulong and Bugarin on Tuesday night.

“Their relief orders are effective  Wednesday,” Cabunoc told Standard Today.

Catapang on Monday ordered an investigation of Sta. Ana’s case, basing his order  on an alleged irregular purchase of medical supplies  involving the head of the AFP Medical Center and three other officials.

Sta. Ana is said to be an adopted member of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1981 of which Catapang is a member.

There is talk that Col. Joseph Acosta, the AFP Medical Corps chief, is being eyed to replace Sta. Ana.

 It was learned that the “parallel investigation” by the AFP headquarters had been going on for more than two weeks, but the military continued to keep secret the composition of the investigating body.

http://manilastandardtoday.com/2014/10/16/afp-hospital-revamp-3-more-sacked/

The personal myth of ‘The Butcher’ Jovito Palparan

From GMA News (Oct 7): The personal myth of ‘The Butcher’ Jovito Palparan

[Editor’s note: Dano Tingcungco has been a news reporter for GMA News since April 2007. He is a journalism graduate from the College of Mass Communication in UP Diliman. This article contains excerpts from his undergraduate thesis 'The ‘Butcher’: A political profile of Retired Major General Jovito Palparan Jr.”]

On August 12, 2014, NBI operatives finally captured retired Major General Jovito Palparan in Sta. Mesa, Manila after he spent two years in hiding. He is facing charges of kidnapping and serious illegal detention for the disappearance of UP students Karen Empeño and Sherlyn Cadapan in 2006.

Palparan became known in activist circles as "The Butcher" after he was linked to numerous cases of enforced disappearances and killings during his military assignments in Mindoro, Samar and Central Luzon.

I came face to face with Gen. Palparan seven years ago, when I interviewed him for my undergraduate thesis.

When I heard the news of his arrest, it was almost instinctive: I dusted off my thesis and began to reread what I wrote then. The main premise of my thesis was simple: why was he singled out as the 'berdugo' or butcher?
 

Palparan in Sulu

In 2006, the Arroyo administration was at the height of its counter-insurgency campaign. At the time, many believed Palparan was at the helm of the campaign, his contributions so vital that Arroyo gave him special mention in her 2006 State of the Nation Address.
 

But the success of his campaign is still being debated until now. Along with the decline in rebel activity, why was there also a rise in torture cases and extrajudicial killings? There were just too many to ignore.
 

For me to understand all of this, I needed to get into the mind of the man himself.
 

One of the psychological theories I used for my thesis was Carl Jung’s theory of the personal myth. It explains that all of us have a myth about ourselves. This myth stems from an experience that eventually defines our entire blueprint. This is the same myth we use for our decisions and actions throughout our lives.

During my interview with him in March 2007, Palparan told me that his first deployment in Sulu defined his life in the military. This was his baptism of blood and fire. Between 1974 and 1979, Palparan lost more than 200 of his men in bloody encounters against the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF.) He said he stopped counting after his 200th soldier died.

He almost died too. One memory he could not forget was a close brush with an M79 shrapnel:

"Tinamaan sa hita yung katabi ko. Gumulong siya, gumulong din ako, siya natamaan. Kung nagkapalit kami ng posisyon, ako yung gumulong, ako yung may tama. Nagsisisigaw siya: ‘Nanay ko, nanay ko.’ Kinabukasan, patay.”

From his deployment in Sulu to his other battles, his personal myth was born --- that of being a trailblazer. He wanted to take the road less traveled. From a reluctant soldier in his younger years, he took to the battlefield with bravado, willing to risk his life for his personal campaign: to hunt the enemies of the state.

Truth or propaganda?

This myth would have an imprint on the aggressiveness of his campaign. In the 1980s, he began to adopt the counter-insurgency strategy known as the Special Operations Team (SOT), particularly against the communist New People’s Army or NPA.

Under this strategy, government forces would "neutralize an area" by dismantling the political backbone of the place or left-wing sympathies, as he calls it.

At the same time, Palparan categorically denied any involvement in human rights abuses, branding them all as propaganda designed to smear his reputation:

 

“None of the allegations against my soldiers has been proven. The communists are doing this only because the biggest damage for them is the loss of the people’s support” 

                           

To explain the killings blamed on him in Mindoro, Palparan said:

 

“Hundreds ang pinatay nila (NPA) bago ako dumating. Hindi na nga naire-report... Wala nang intelligence report na nanggagaling doon. 'Yung mga intelligence (officers) namin, pinagpapatay nila. Nawala na. Umalis na roon. Sila (NPA) ang nag-dominate sa area... Lumala na talaga 'yung NPA doon. Lumaki na talaga sila. Dominated yung area. ‘Yung ayaw tumulong sa kanila, pinapatay. Yung pulis, walang magawa doon... Halos lahat ng munisipyo doon in-attack nila. So tinakot talaga nila ang buong Mindoro. 'Yung ayaw siyempre hindi lahat magsusuporta sa kanila. ‘Tsaka yung pinagdududahan na kamag-anak na sundalo, pinapatay nila. Ganoon sila kasiga bago ako dumating. Sa newspaper wala ka makita.”

Palparan believes he earned the “Butcher” moniker not because of human rights abuses, but because of his willpower:

 

“Kasi consistent ako. Karamihan kasi ng mga commander ayaw magkamali, ayaw masira ang credibility sa public. In-open ko ang sarili ko sa media. Kasi pag nakatago ka, sila lang (NPA) ang palabas nang palabas. Hindi ka makaka-respond. Maraming ganyan (aggressive in counter-insurgency), pero hindi sila consistent. Umuurong yung iba.”
 

Mrs. Palparan

Seven years after my interview with Palparan, I would hear practically the same things from his wife, Dr. Evangelina. I interviewed her a week after the arrest of her husband for my exclusive report on State of the Nation with Jessica Soho. She insists all the accusations against her husband are mere propaganda: 

“He is wrongly accused; wala siyang hand doon. Lahat na lang ng namamatay gusto nilang isisi kay General (Palparan)… kasi naging effective siya sa kanyang campaign on anti-insurgency.”
 

She honestly believes her husband is innocent. She said the retired general was willing to face the charges head-on when his arrest warrant came out in December 2011, but things took a different turn when, according to her, President Noynoy Aquino ignored her husband’s surrender feelers. They were losing confidence that the authorities would keep her husband safe in the event of a surrender. She made it clear it was this loss of confidence, and not guilt, that pushed her husband into hiding.

“You have to think of ways to cope, and leave a room for whatever happens. What are we preparing for? We’re preparing for the worst— death.”

 

Denial

Seven years after my thesis, I also encountered the stories of these fallen activists, whose deaths still await justice:
 

• Edilberto Napoles, Jr., Bayan Muna Mindoro Oriental Coordinator

• Eden Marcellana, Karapatan-Southern Tagalog Secretary General

• Eddie Gumanoy, Katipunan ng Samahang Magbubukid-Timog Katagalugan Chairperson

• Milagros Belga, Karapatan-Laguna volunteer

• Felidito Dacut, Bayan Muna-Eastern Visayas Coordinator

• Rizal and Dino Matri, Mangyan leaders

There are many more like them.

In the cases of Empeño and Cadapan, until now nobody knows where they are or whether they're still alive, even with Palparan’s arrest.

In my 2007 interview with Palparan, he denied any hand in the abductions, saying he only learned about it on TV. However, when he checked with his soldiers, they said there was a raid in a house in Hagonoy, Bulacan where two women NPA members were abducted, but none of them were named Cadapan or Empeno:

 

“Sabi ng tao ko, may ni-raid lang na bahay, at yung dalawang babae at isang lalake, kinuha. May pangalan, sina Ka Tanya at Ka Sierra. Pero nagtanong ako sa mga tao doon, natutuwa sila sa (abduction). Kasi sila yung nangongolekta at nananakit sa NPA, kasama sila sa pumapatay at nagse-seminar.”

On the day of his arrest, Palparan pretty much said the same thing:

 

"Ang report ay Ka Tanya, laging lumalabas. Walang Cadapan at Empeno. Ka Tanya at isa pa, sila yung nandun daw na involved sa violent incidents at pangingikil. Matagal na silang nandun, 3-5 years. Kung UP student sila, di sila 3-5 years. Propaganda lang yan. Walang involved na military at that time so di ko tiyak kung sino yun. Marami din kasi silang kalaban. Madaming nasagasaan... I am sure hindi involved ang mga tao ko doon."

The disappeared

Lorena Santos of the human rights group Desaparecidos told me the arrest of "the Butcher" is bittersweet news to the families of Palparan's alleged victims:
 

“Kahit sabihin kong ‘di ka guilty (referring to Palparan), pinatagal mo pa rin ang justice. Taon pa rin ang binilang ng mga nanay… 'Di ibig sabihin na nakuha na, tapos na ang impunity. Di pa siya nako-convict.”

Contrary to the statements of Palparan and his wife, the group believes evidence in court will prove his accountability:

 

“Tingnan natin yung mga ebidensya na nagtuturo kung sino ang kumuha doon sa dalawang estudyante. bakit may mga witnesses na tumatayo at nagsasabi na may hand si Palparan sa pagdukot at pag-torture at pagkawala ng dalawa? Andaming witnesses nun, first- hand, ibig sabihin nakita nila face to face.”

Torture witness

In 2012, I interviewed Raymond Manalo, a victim of abduction and torture in February 2006. He sued Palparan in 2008.
 

According to Manalo, armed men captured and loaded him into a van then rammed him with an M16 rifle. He eventually learned he was taken to Fort Magsaysay. There, he was seared several times with a hot tin can and water-cured in his nose, among other forms of torture.

He recalls meeting Palparan in July 2006. Manalo said the general offered him these conditions if he and his brother wanted to stay alive:

• if he doesn’t show up at his own habeas corpus case filed by his parents

• if he doesn’t join rallies

• if he refuses to speak to the human rights group Karapatan

Manalo managed to escape a year later, in August 2007.

But before his escape he was taken to Limay, Bataan where at one point, he said he heard a screaming woman. He traced the voices and found two women, whom he recognized as Empeño and Cadapan. He said he saw Cadapan hogtied to a chair upside down. Beside her, men were raping Empeño with wooden sticks, burning her skin with cigarettes at the same time.

Manalo wants nothing more than to see Palparan in jail.

Accountability of the military

In 2006, President Arroyo formed the Melo Commission to investigate the killings of activists and media practitioners. Even with Palparan's denial, the investigative body found him accountable based on the principle of command responsibility.

Command responsibility is the “liability of the officer if he knew about the crime of his subordinate, or had the capability or reason to know about it, but did not do anything to avert or address the crime in question.” The Melo Commission cited Articles 28 and 28(a) of the Rome statute of the International Criminal Court.

In 2007, United Nations Special Rapporteur Philip Alston also found the military accountable for extrajudicial killings.

In an unprecedented move, the US Senate and the Netherlands-based Permanent People’s Tribunal conducted their own investigations during the same year. They came out with the same findings as Alston.

Unanswered questions

We may have previously attempted to answer the questions, but up to now, these answers only scratch the surface of the story.
 

How is it possible that eight years after I finished my thesis, my questions then are still questions now? When I reread my thesis, I also took out all my interview tapes with Palparan and listened to them again. It was almost like a memorial of questions that, eerily enough, remain unanswered.
 

Even with Palparan's arrest, there are still no answers on when Karen Empeño or Sherlyn Cadapan would be back in the arms of their waiting and hopeful mothers. It will not bring Eden Marcellana, Eddie Gumanoy, Leima Fortu or Milagros Belga back to life. It will not erase Raymond Manalo’s memory, or the scars on his body.
 

The killings and disappearances attributed to Palparan will forever be there: a grim and difficult reminder of the human cost of war. It is larger than him or the institution he once represented.
 

Fortunes have changed and roles have been reversed. Now, it is not only the families of the fallen and the missing who are looking for answers and closure. Even the family of the man they call "The Butcher" wants vindication from the same system that made them fear for his life.
 

On the day of his arrest, Palparan said he is confident he will win the case:

 

"I have no regrets for what I have done. What I did is for the good of the people."
 

It remains to be seen whether the courts will agree with him or not. But even if the victims find justice, nothing will ever bring the fallen back to life. Their deaths were unacceptable. These are contradictions in blood.

The victims are real; their stories, visceral. It no longer matters which version we adopt. Nothing changes the reality of their cold bodies. No amount of gavel pounding in court will ever bring back the color in their faces. Their stories will forever be a memory.

A longer version of this article first appeared in subselfie.com, a collective blog and a passion project of nine news professionals from GMA Network.

Photos courtesy of Dano Tingcungco

 

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/382510/news/specialreports/the-personal-myth-of-the-butcher-jovito-palparan

Soldiers probed for alleged wrongful killing in ComVal

From GMA News (Oct 15): Soldiers probed for alleged wrongful killing in ComVal

Two soldiers from the Army's 66th Infantry Battalion are being investigated for the alleged wrongful killing of two persons in Compostela Valley last Sunday.

 

Kin of Lando and Judah Dagansan are calling for justice following the fatal shooting in Barangay Andap in New Bataan, GMA Davao reported Wednesday.

 

The report said the relatives are considering pursuing the case before a tribal court where the punishment for the crime would be death.

However, the imposition of the death penalty in the country has been suspended.

 

"Sa customary law, noon, sa batas ng aming mga ninuno, kung nakapatay ka, ganun din ang parusa doon sa mga sundalong nakapatay. Ganun talaga yan kasi bata pa ito eh, 17 pa lang ito. Halos tadtad ang mukha sa bala," said Resty Lino, a relative of the victims.

[Video report]

 

Police in New Bataan investigating the incident said relatives of the victims may pursue homicide charges against two soldiers.

 

"Kung sakaling magdedesisyon ang mga kaanak ng biktima na pagsampa ng kaso, homicide ang ikakaso natin. Hindi kasi ito sinadya, nagkabulagaan kasi sila doon sa area," New Bataan police station head Senior Inspector Ernesto Gregore said.

 

The report also said the head of the Army's 66th Infantry Battalion admitted the soldiers mistook the two victims for New People's Army rebels, saying the area was dark and the two shone a flashlight at the soldiers and cried, "Sundalo! Sundalo!" and startled the soldiers.

 

"Yung lead element natin, nabulag sa along the trail nang biglang silang flinashlight, dalawang flashlight, sabay nakarinig siya ng sigaw na sundalo-sunalo. So upon his immediate instinctive reaction, akala niya mga kalaban, nag-open fire siya doon sa general direction," said 66th IB commander Lt. Col. Michael Logico.

 

The two soldiers were not immediately named. They have been restricted to barracks, while the battalion said it is willing to cooperate in the investigation and turn over the two soldiers if needed.

 

"Nasa custody pa rin namin, they are being kept here for safekeeping and at any time for proper disposition, handa rin kaming i-turnover sila," Logico said. 

 

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/383700/news/regions/soldiers-probed-for-alleged-wrongful-killing-in-comval