‘Ironclad’ PH-South Korea alliance seen with signing of TOR on armies’ cooperation

From Rappler (Jan 21, 2021): ‘Ironclad’ PH-South Korea alliance seen with signing of TOR on armies’ cooperation (By JAIRO BOLLEDO)

Philippine Army chief Lieutenant General Romeo Brawner Jr. hopes the TOR will pave the way for 'an ironclad alliance' with South Korea 'that is ready to face security and defense challenges not only in our respective countries but as well as in the Indo-Pacific Region'

The Philippines is looking forward to an “ironclad alliance” with South Korea following the signing of the terms of reference (TOR) on the scope of their armies’ cooperation.

Philippine Army (PA) chief Lieutenant General Romeo Brawner Jr. and his South Korean counterpart, Republic of Korea Army (ROKA) chief General Nam Yeongshin, signed the TOR on Thursday, January 20, the Army said in a statement.

”I have this hope that through this TOR, the Republic of the Philippines and the Republic of Korea will have an ironclad alliance that is ready to face security and defense challenges not only in our respective countries but as well as in the Indo-Pacific Region,” Brawner said.

PHILIPPINE ARMY CHIEF. Commanding General, Philippine Army Lieutenant General Romeo Brawner Jr. shows his signed copy of the PA-ROKA Terms of Reference that will strengthen the military-to-military engagements of both Armies.

The Army said that the PA-ROKA TOR “establishes an Army-to-Army level collaboration that is in accordance with the June 2018 Memorandum of Understanding between the Philippines’ Department of National Defense and South Korea’s Ministry of Defense.”

The TOR defined the following areas of cooperation between the two armies:
Reciprocal visits
Mutual exchange of army-related insights and information
Military education and training
Logistics and maintenance
Humanitarian assistance and disaster relief
Military medicine and medical support
Subject matter expert exchanges
Military technology cooperation
Research and development
Military sports and cultural activities, and other areas of mutual interest

SOUTH KOREA’S ARMY CHIEF. Republic of Korea Army chief General Nam Yeongshin speaks during the virtual ceremony.

In August 2021, the navies of the two countries shared best practices in the fight against COVID-19.

The strong alliance between the Philippines and South Korea dates back to the Korean War in the 1950s, when the Philippines, as part of the United Nations Command, deployed over 7,000 military personnel to help South Korea.

In 1994, the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding on logistics and defense industry cooperation.

https://www.rappler.com/nation/philippines-south-korea-armies-cooperation-january-2022/

LOOK: China donates P1 billion worth of equipment to PH military

From Rappler (Jan 21, 2021): LOOK: China donates P1 billion worth of equipment to PH military (By JAIRO BOLLEDO)

The formal turnover of donated military equipment will be done next month, the defense department says

Despite disagreements in the West Philippine Sea, the Department of National Defense (DND) said on Friday, January 21, China has donated over a billion pesos worth of equipment to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

According to the DND, the first batch of the P1,052,395,057 (130 million Chinese Yuan Renminbi) total donations, already arrived in Manila on January 16. The initial tranche was worth P615 million (76 million Chinese Yuan Renminbi).

The second batch of donations worth P437 million (54 Chinese Yuan Renminbi) will be delivered on a later date.

Donated ambulances

The DND did not specify the arrival date of the second batch of donations. Meanwhile, the defense department said the equipment would be formally turned over to them and to the AFP next month.

The donations include:
Rescue and relief equipment
Drone systems
Detectors
Water purification vehicles
Ambulances
Fire trucks
X-ray machines
Explosive Ordnance Disposal robots,
Bomb disposal suits and transport vehicles
Engineering equipment such as backhoes, dumptrucks, forklifts, and earthmovers

DND Assistant Secretary Jesus Rey Avilla inspects the newly-arrived equipment donated by the People’s Republic of China.

Under President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration the Philippines had closer ties with China despite the latter’s baseless claims on some of the country’s maritime features. As commander in chief, Duterte never enforced the 2016 Hague ruling, which invalidated China’s claims in the features located within the Philippine exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

 

Engineering equipment from China.

In 2021 alone, the Philippines experienced different threats from China within the country’s EEZ.

 

Another set of engineering equipment.

Hundreds of Chinese vessels swarmed Julian Felipe (Whitsun) Reef in the West Philippine Sea in March last year. Only a few months after the swarming incident, Chinese coast guard vessels blocked and used water cannons on Philippine boats en route to Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal in November 2021. –

https://www.rappler.com/nation/photos-china-donates-equipment-philippine-military/

AFP orders capture of last remaining NPA Palawan leader within 5 months

From Palawan News (Jan 22, 2022): AFP orders capture of last remaining NPA Palawan leader within 5 months (By Aira Genesa Magdayao)

Armed forces chief of staff General Andres Centino (PN photo)

Armed forces chief of staff General Andres Centino has given the 3rd Marine Brigade (3MBde) five months to capture the last known NPA leader in Palawan.

General Centino issued the ultimatum during his address at the Western Command headquarters Friday to preside over WESCOM’s Change of Command ceremony.

Vice Adm. Ramil Roberto Enriquez turned over his command to Rear Adm. Alberto Carlos.

“For the one person remaining, I think five months is enough,” Centino said.

Brigadier General Jimmy Larida, commander of the 3rd Marine Brigade (3MBde), in response said “five months are enough” to capture the NPA leader identified as Ka Miggy. He added that they are still “giving him a chance to surrender”.

After a series of encounters and the surrender of numerous NPA members in the province, notably Justine Kate Raca (alias Ka Mira) and Jose Maria Masong (alias Ka Degret), only NPA leader Sonny Rogelio (alias Ka Miggy) remains at large.

“Challenge accepted. Nakikita na natin na ang Palawan ay magiging insurgency-free. Umabot tayo dito sa point na sunod-sunod ang pagsuko, engkwentro, recovery ng kanilang war materials sa kanilang former hide outs. Iisa na lang ang ating hinahanap, ang commander Ka Miggy. Ang limang buwan ay tamang-tama,” Larida said.

Larida emphasized that if Ka Miggy refuses to surrender, there will be no other option but to undertake a manhunt to apprehend him.

He stated that they also have knowledge about Ka Miggy’s whereabouts based on information provided by his former colleagues in the leftist movement.

“The next phase to comply with the deadline is the manhunt. Isa na lang siya kaya lahat ng puwersa ay nakatutok na sa kanya. Mayroon tayong mga lead [kung nasaan sya] base na rin sa mga revelation ng mga former rebels,” Larida said.

https://palawan-news.com/afp-orders-capture-of-last-remaining-npa-palawan-leader-within-5-months/

Rear Adm. Carlos assumes as new WESCOM chief

From Palawan News (Jan 21, 2022): Rear Adm. Carlos assumes as new WESCOM chief (By Aira Genesa Magdayao)

Rear Adm. Alberto Carlos gives his speech at the change of command between him and Vice Adm. Ramil Roberto Enriquez on January 21, 2022. (Photo from WESCOM)

Rear Admiral Alberto Carlos has replaced Vice Admiral Ramil Roberto Enriquez as the new commander of the Western Command (WESCOM). A change of command ceremony was held at the WESCOM Headquarters on Friday.

Carlos, the concurrent commander of the Philippine Fleet, is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy in 1989 and is also a member of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Class of 1989. He also completed his General Staff Course at the Naval Command College-People’s Liberation Army-Navy in China in 2008.

Carlos’ elder brother, Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief of Police General Dionardo Carlos, was present at the ceremony.

(From left) Vice Adm. Ramil Roberto Enriquez, AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Andres Centino, and Rear Adm. Alberto Carlos during the change of command. (Photo from WESCOM)

Carlos vowed to continue the protection of the country’s western territory, sustained inter-agency collaboration in support of the National Task Force on the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS), strengthening of the physical presence in all occupied islands in the WPS, and the conduct of naval and air patrols.

He also vowed to pursue the aim of dismantling all terrorist threats in Palawan as part of WESCOM’s internal security operation.

“We learned sir Iking’s (Enriquez) keen support for the principles of the NTF-ELCAC, so the neutralization of the NPA top leaders paved the way for the mass surrender and withdrawal of support for the CTG. He also unselfishly utilized the general funds given to him by higher headquarters for the victims of typhoon Odette,” Carlos said during his assumption speech.

“Asahan po ninyo ang lubos kong pagkilala at pag galang sa inyong mga naumpisahan na mga programa at gawain dito sa WESCOM,” he added.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff, General Andres Centino, presided over the change of command ceremony and the retirement ceremony of Enriquez, who will end his military service on January 24, 2022.

“The accomplishments of the Western Command under Vice-Admiral Enriquez are indeed a testament to his competence and leadership,” Centino said.

Meanwhile, Enriquez thanked the AFP leadership and government officials for the support he received during his stint as WESCOM commander.

“My [time] as the commander of Western Command is challenging yet fulfilling. The area of Western Command has been challenged not only external and internal threats but also the pandemic and typhoon that devastated Palawan,” Enriquez said.

https://palawan-news.com/rear-adm-carlos-assumes-as-new-wescom-chief/

13 Iloilo towns ‘areas of immediate concern’

Posted to Panay News (Jan 20, 2022): 13 Iloilo towns ‘areas of immediate concern’ (By Ruby P. Silubrico)

Thirteen municipalities in this province face serious armed threat from the New People’s Army (NPA), according to the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO).

They are thus deemed as “areas of immediate concern” vis-à-vis the May 9, 2022 elections, said Police Colonel Adrian Acollador, IPPO director.

The 13 towns are Sara, Bingawan, Lambunao, Maasin, Janiuay, Alimodian, San Joaquin, Tubungan, Igbaras, Miag-ao, Leon, Lemery, and San Dionisio.

They belong to the “orange category” in the Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) classification of election hotspots.

However, according to Acollador, “May mga changes pa ina. So far amo lang pa lang ini ang category.”

These are Comelec’s classification of election hotspots:

* green – areas that do not have security concerns and are generally peaceful and orderly

* yellow – areas of concern; these areas have histories of election-related incidents in the last two elections and intense political rivalry; these areas were previously placed under Comelec control

* orange – areas of immediate concern; there is serious armed threat posed by the NPA, Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, Abu Sayyaf Group and other lawless elements

* red – areas of grave concern; they exhibit combined factors under the yellow and orange categories that may warrant Comelec control motu proprio

Of the 13 towns under the “orange category” Miag-ao had the most recent violent incident – NPA rebels clashing with government troops on Dec. 1 in Barangay Alimodias. Sixteen rebels died.

After the Dec. 1 encounter, according to Miag-ao police chief, Police Captain Marvin Buenavista, the rebels became silent.

“So far wala kita ka-monitor sang ila movements. Pero indi lang kita mag-relax. Naka-ready kita permi and we are thankful sa aton counterpart nga Armed Forces of the Philippines kay ara sila gabulig sa aton,” Buenavista said.

So far, only the municipality of Calinog is deemed an “area of grave concern” in the province.

“Calinog is in the red category because of the presence of New People’s Army (NPA) rebels there and election-related incidents in the town years ago,” Acollador told Panay News.

Calinog police chief, Police Major Dadjie Delima confirmed the presence of NPA in his turf and election-related incidents in the past that the rebels were supposedly behind.

Just this Jan. 9, the 2nd Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army had an encounter with some 15 rebels in Barangay Marandig, Calinog. There were no casualties.

https://www.panaynews.net/13-iloilo-towns-areas-of-immediate-concern/

Negros army official reiterates call on NPA rebels to surrender

Posted to Panay News (Jan 22, 2022): Negros army official reiterates call on NPA rebels to surrender

A top official of the Philippine Army in Negros Island is urging the remaining members of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) here to surrender.

Brig. Gen. Inocencio Pasaporte, commander of the 303rd Infantry Brigade based in Murcia town, issued the call anew on Friday after two cadres of the NPA’s Northern Negros Front surrendered to the 79th Infantry Battalion in Sagay City, Negros Occidental and another rebel from the Central Negros Front yielded to the 94th Infantry Battalion in Ayungon, Negros Oriental earlier this week.

“We are calling on those still hiding in the mountains to lay down their arms and avail of the government’s Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP),” he said.

Pasaporte added the Negrenses and the troops in Negros are much willing to accept those who decide to yield and embrace peace in the mainstream society.

The Army official said the recent surrenders show the CPP-NPA is falling apart and those who have abandoned the armed struggle made the best decision of becoming productive and law-abiding citizens.

The two who surrendered to the 79IB said they were abused by their leaders, faced hardships in the mountains, and lost confidence in their cause, prompting them to leave and pursue the path to peace and be with their loved ones again.

Both are now in military custody while they are processing the documents to avail of the benefits from the government.

Under the E-CLIP, a former rebel is entitled to receive immediate assistance of PHP15,000; livelihood assistance, PHP50,000; firearms remuneration, PHP12,000 to PHP500,000; half-way house assistance; PhilHealth enrollment and medical assistance; education assistance; housing assistance; legal assistance; and healing and reconciliation initiatives.

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

The Anti-Terrorism Council also formally designated the National Democratic Front as a terrorist organization on June 23, 2021, citing it as “an integral and separate part” of the CPP-NPA that was created in April 1973.

https://www.panaynews.net/negros-army-official-reiterates-call-on-npa-rebels-to-surrender/

4 rebels surrender in Surigao

From the Mindanao Times (Jan 22, 2022): 4 rebels surrender in Surigao (By RHODA GRACE SARON) 

Photo courtesy of Eastern Mindanao Command

FOUR MEMBERS of the New People’s Army (NPA) surrendered to the soldiers of the 30th Infantry Battalion following a series of military operations in Surigao del Norte on Jan. 16 to 17.

Meanwhile, various firearms and subversive documents were recovered.

The military identified them as alias Beboy/Ervin and two minors, both 17, who were all members of Guerilla Front (GF) 16, North Eastern Mindanao Regional Committee (NEMRC) who surrendered to the soldiers in Barangay Mahanub, Gigaquit, Surigao del Norte on Jan. 16.

Another rebel, identified as alias Rex/Abby, surrendered to the troops of 8IB under the 403rd Infantry Brigade in Bukidnon on the same day.

According to the military, Pepito was the team leader of Team Baking, Squad 1, Platoon Dario, one of the remnants of the dismantled GF89, Sub-Regional Committee 2 (SRC2), North Central Mindanao Regional Committee (NCMRC), which was absorbed by the headquarters Force Neo (HQF-NEO) of the Regional Sentro De Gravidad Compaq (RSDG COMPAQ).

Following an encounter from troops of 901st Bde’s 30IB seized an AK47 rifle, 11 magazines with ammunition, a rifle grenade, five 40mm ammunition, two sets of anti-personnel mines, and six backpacks with personal belongings from the CTG’s Sandatahang Yunit Pampropaganda 16C1 and 16C2, both under the GF16, SRC Northland, NEMRC in Barangay Motorpool, Tubod, Surigao del Norte on Jan. 16.

On the same day, combined troops of the 403Bde’s 8th Infantry Battalion and 2nd Scout Ranger Battalion also seized an M16A1 rifle, a modified R4 rifle, eight backpacks, eight ponchos, four sacks of rice, and three backpacks of assorted food supplies after an encounter with rebels under the RSDG Compaq, NCMRC in Sitio Nahawan, Barangay Busdi in Malaybalay City, Bukidnon.

In a separate incident, combined forces of 1003rd Brigade’s 27IB, 56IB, 89IB, 3IB, and intelligence units recovered three M16 rifles, an M653 rifle, an M203 grenade Launcher, nine magazines, and five 40mm ammunition from the remnants of Sub-Regional Guerilla Unit of SRC5, Southern Mindanao Regional Committee. The cache of firearms was found in Sitio Palisan, Barangay Palma Gil, Talaingod, Davao del Norte on Jan. 17.

Almerol lambasted the communist rebels for their continued recruitment of child soldiers, which is a blatant violation of the International Humanitarian Law. He added that they will coordinate with the Social Welfare and Development Office for the safety of the minors.

The commander also said that EastMinCom’s intensified combat operations are in response to the bulk of information that was shared by former rebels and concerned citizens to the troops.

“This accomplishment is part of our ramped-up initiatives against the CTG in order to meet the goal of ending the local communist armed conflict by 2022,” he added.

He said the surrenderees told the soldiers that more rebels are planning to surrender due to hunger, lack of leadership, and successive defeats.

“These former rebels revealed their bitter and unfair experience in the hands of their CTG leaders. It made them surrender and decide to return to the folds of the law,” he said.

Meanwhile, the EastMinCom commander once again urged the remaining rebels to come forward and lay down their arms and avail of the government’s assistance being offered to them.

“Now is the time to make peace with the government and embrace its offer of a comfortable life through the Enhanced Comprehensive Integration Program (ECLIP),” Almerol further said.

https://mindanaotimes.com.ph/2022/01/22/4-rebels-surrender-in-surigao/

Turnover of P614-M China military aid to PH set February

From the Philippine News Agency (Jan 21, 2022): Turnover of P614-M China military aid to PH set February (By Joyce Ann L. Rocamora)

The Chinese government has allocated PHP1 billion worth of military assistance to the Philippines, with the first batch of equipment worth around PHP614 million delivered a week ago.

Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian said the equipment, mostly vehicles, would be formally turned over in February.

"The first batch of the military equipment worth RMB76 million arrived in Manila on January 16, including rescue and relief equipment, which will be formally turned over to the DND (Department of National Defense) and AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) in February. The second batch worth RMB54 million will be delivered on a later date," he said in a statement on Saturday.

The donation was part of Chinese President Xi Jinping's 2019 commitment to assist and support the Philippine government in its counter-narcotics and counter-terrorism campaign.

In 2020, Chinese State Councilor and Minister of National Defense Wei Fenghe formally pledged RMB130 million (PHP1 billion) worth of military donation to the country.

"I hope that the donation would play a role in maintaining peace and fighting terrorism campaign as well as providing humanitarian assistance and disaster response mission of typhoon Odette," Huang said.

"China will continue to support the Philippines’ disaster relief and recovery efforts and the AFP capability building to the best of its ability," he added.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1166131

NPA recruitment to prosper under UP Security bill: youth group

From the Philippine News Agency (Jan 21, 2022): NPA recruitment to prosper under UP Security bill: youth group (By Lade Jean Kabagani)

University of the Philippines-Diliman (Photo courtesy of UPD Facebook)

The bill institutionalizing the 1989 University of the Philippines (UP) - Department of National Defense (DND) accord into the UP Charter will allow communist terrorist groups to continue recruiting more students into the armed conflict.

Kabataan Kontra Droga at Terorismo (KKDAT) national spokesperson Franz Arabia, in a statement Friday, said the long history of disappearances of UP student leaders has been linked to the underground recruitment of the Communist Party of the Philippines’ (CPP) legal front organization inside the state university.

"To institutionalize the UP-DND Accord is to free the terrorist from terrorizing the students and the youth. This is our collective stand, as the youth of this nation. The KKDAT denounces the institutionalization of the UP-DND Accord. We look at the University of Philippines as a home for young professionals, whom we idolize because of their intelligence, skill, and capacity to banner the nation's pride and honor of producing globally competitive Filipino Students," read Arabia’s Facebook post.

He said they denounce the bill “to promote a safer, better, and more secured University of the Philippines. This is for a better academic institution, for the rising generation".

Arabia noted that the CPP and its armed wing, New People's Army (NPA), are getting more members by swaying the youth into believing false ideologies.

"The KKDAT strongly believes that UP and its students must be protected from any form of harm, abuse, and harassment," he said.

House Bill 10171 or the UP Security bill, which seeks to amend Section 11 of Republic Act 9500 (University of the Philippines Charter of 2008), was approved on final reading on Sept. 21, 2021, getting 179 affirmative votes.

Nine days later, the approval was rescinded and the bill was brought back to the Rules Committee for its disposition.

Cavite 7th District Rep. Jesus Crispin Remulla made the motion to rescind the approval, saying the legislative process for the UP Security Bill was rushed and did not undergo much scrutiny and deliberations.

The UP-DND accord is an "executive agreement that should be left alone and left to the Executive", Remulla said, stressing that lawmakers should not meddle with the affairs of another branch of government.

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

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

The DND-UP Agreement, signed on June 30, 1989, prohibits the military and the police from entering all UP campuses without prior notice to its administration, but the agency terminated the agreement effective Jan. 15, 2021.

DND Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the arrangement was "obsolete" and was the CPP-NPA’s means to turn UP into a breeding ground of "intransigent individuals and groups whose extremist beliefs have inveigled students to join their ranks to fight against the government".

Arabia, also the National Youth Commission ambassador for National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict Affairs, emphasized the need to stand up against terrorist recruitment, particularly inside academic institutions.

"The state should protect the rights and welfare of all Filipino students through the humane and legal implementation of laws that prioritize the safety and security of the students and the citizens at large. We need to protect students against the terrorizing actions of the CPP-NPA-NDF (National Democratic Front)," he said.

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

The Anti-Terrorism Council also formally designated the NDF as a terrorist organization on June 23, 2021, citing it as “an integral and separate part” of the CPP-NPA that was created in April 1973.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1166121

Terrorists will benefit from HR Defenders bill: group

From the Philippine News Agency (Jan 21, 2022): Terrorists will benefit from HR Defenders bill: group (By Marita Moaje)

NO TO YOUTH RECRUITMENT. Members of the League of Parents of the Philippines and Yakap ng Magulang reiterate their call for the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army to stop the recruitment of minors and students during a rally at the University Belt in Manila in 2021. They also called for an end to insurgency that has been plaguing the country for over 50 years. (PNA photo by Avito Dalan)

A civic organization has expressed opposition to House Bill (HB) No. 10576, also known as the Human Rights Defenders Bill, saying it was drafted to protect human rights offenders like communist terrorist groups (CTGs).

In a statement issued on Thursday, the group Hands Off Our Children (HOOC) said if the bill is approved, CTG front organizations such as Karapatan Alliance for the Advancement of People's Rights and the National Union of Peoples' Lawyers, which defends Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) officials, would “defend” their distorted version of human rights.

“Every citizen of this country needs someone or a law that can defend our human rights as a citizen of our country. But the question is, is this really for the good of Filipino people, or is it made just to defend their own interest and agenda?” the HOOC statement read.

“As parents of the children who were victimized by the front organizations of the CTG, are we not more qualified to be the representatives of human rights rather than those deceitful groups?” the statement added.

On Monday, the House of Representatives approved on third reading HB 10576, or An Act Defining the Rights and Fundamental Freedoms of Human Rights Defenders, Declaring State Responsibilities, and Instituting Effective Mechanisms for the Protection and Promotion of These Rights and Freedoms, with 200 congressmen voting for the bill.

Principal author, Albay (1st District) Representative Edcel Lagman, said the enactment of the bill will put to an end alleged extrajudicial killings and harassment.

The National Task Force to End Local Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), in a recent statement, blasted the bill for being "dangerous" and potentially "unconstitutional".

NTF-ELCAC spokesperson for sectoral concerns, Undersecretary Lorraine Marie Badoy, said that the bill would serve and protect the interest of terrorist organizations such as the CPP, New People's Army (NPA), and National Democratic Front (NDF) and “open the floodgates of abuse and torment on our people by terrorists”.

“It will make the Anti-Terrorism Law that was recently declared constitutional by the Supreme Court ineffective and toothless,” Badoy stated.

HOOC said the authors of the bill are supposed to be public servants but they also let CTGs destroy the government.

“Huwag na po tayo maging bulag sa katotohanan. Hindi na po tayo magpapaloko (Let us not be blind to the truth. Let us not be deceived). We know who they are. We have to unmask them to prevent more victims,” the group said. “Kung hindi tayo kikilos mas maraming pamilya at kabataan ang masisira ang buhay at kinabukasan (If we will not act now, more families and the youth will have their lives and future destroyed).”

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

The Anti-Terrorism Council also formally designated the NDF as a terrorist organization on June 23, 2021, citing it as “an integral and separate part” of the CPP-NPA that was created in April 1973.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1166100

United States Department of State Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs//Limits in the Seas No. 150//People’s Republic of China: Maritime Claims in the South China Sea

Posted to the US Department of State Website (Jan 2022):United States Department of State Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs//Limits in the Seas No. 150//People’s Republic of China: Maritime Claims in the South China Sea

[For full report go to the following URL: https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/LIS150-SCS.pdf]

Executive Summary 

This study examines the maritime claims of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in the South China Sea. The PRC’s expansive maritime claims in the South China Sea are inconsistent with international law as reflected in the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (“Convention”). 

The PRC asserts four categories of maritime claims* in the South China Sea: 

• Sovereignty claims over maritime features. The PRC claims “sovereignty” over more than one hundred features in the South China Sea that are submerged below the sea surface at high tide and are beyond the lawful limits of any State’s territorial sea. Such claims are inconsistent with international law, under which such features are not subject to a lawful sovereignty claim or capable of generating maritime zones such as a territorial sea. 

• Straight baselines. The PRC has either drawn, or asserts the right to draw, “straight baselines” that enclose the islands, waters, and submerged features within vast areas of ocean space in the South China Sea. None of the four “island groups” claimed by the PRC in the South China Sea (“Dongsha Qundao,” “Xisha Qundao,” “Zhongsha Qundao,” and “Nansha Qundao”) meet the geographic criteria for using straight baselines under the Convention. Additionally, there is no separate body of customary international law that supports the PRC position that it may enclose entire island groups within straight baselines. 

• Maritime zones. The PRC asserts claims to internal waters, a territorial sea, an exclusive economic zone, and a continental shelf that are based on treating each claimed South China Sea island group “as a whole.” This is not permitted by international law. The seaward extent of maritime zones must be measured from lawfully established baselines, which are normally the low-water line along the coast. Within its claimed maritime zones, the PRC also makes numerous jurisdictional claims that are inconsistent with international law. 

• Historic rights. The PRC asserts that it has “historic rights” in the South China Sea. This claim has no legal basis and is asserted by the PRC without specificity as to the nature or geographic extent of the “historic rights” claimed. 

The overall effect of these maritime claims is that the PRC unlawfully claims sovereignty or some form of exclusive jurisdiction over most of the South China Sea. These claims gravely undermine the rule of law in the oceans and numerous universally-recognized provisions of international law reflected in the Convention. For this reason, the United States and numerous other States have rejected these claims in favor of the rules-based international maritime order within the South China Sea and worldwide. 

* Islands in the South China Sea over which the PRC claims sovereignty are also claimed by other States. This study examines only the maritime claims asserted by the PRC and does not examine the merits of sovereignty claims to islands in the South China Sea asserted by the PRC or other States. The United States takes no position as to which country has sovereignty over the islands in the South China Sea, which is not a matter governed by the law of the sea.

https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/LIS150-SCS.pdf

PH Army next to get BrahMos missiles under AFP modernization

From the Philippine News Agency (Jan 21, 2022): PH Army next to get BrahMos missiles under AFP modernization (By Priam Nepomuceno)

The Philippine Army (PA) is set to get Indian-made BrahMos medium-range ramjet supersonic cruise missiles within the third horizon of the Revised Armed Forces of the Philippines Modernization Program (RAFPMP).

"PA’s acquisition of BrahMos is programmed under the 3rd Horizon (Year 2023-2027) of the RAFPMP. Hence, the PA is yet to acquire said units since we are still on the 2nd Horizon (2018-2022) wherein some of the programmed acquisitions are still (in) process," PA spokesperson Col. Xerxes Trinidad said in a message to the Philippine News Agency (PNA) on Friday.

He added that the Army is programmed to get two BrahMos batteries which will be used for coastal defense missions.

"The acquisition of two batteries will serve as the general support artillery unit in coastal defense that will (complement) the joint force in territorial defense," Trinidad said.

He also said the BrahMos answers the PA requirement of Ground-Based Anti-Ship Missile (GBASM) and the mission of the field artillery to destroy, neutralize and suppress the enemy through cannon, rocket fires.

"The concept of coastal defense implies the application of an in-depth defense. As such, defenses have to provide much further into the sea to weaken advancing enemy forces and much further inland to protect against envelopment and isolation," Trinidad said.

The BrahMos cruise missile can be launched from a ship, aircraft, submarine, or land and has a top speed of around Mach 2.8 (around 3,400 km. per hour), and is capable of carrying warheads weighing 200 to 300 kilograms.

The GBASM system is a mobile system with long-range precision capability to destroy hostile warships in territorial defense.

"Said GBASM system will form part of the layered defense strategy and will be under the Army Artillery Regiment. The weapon will also provide area denial as the operational situation requires," Trinidad said.

The GBASM is designed to be launched from land to hit targets at sea with high speed and precision.

It has an all-weather, long-range capability of 250-300 km. Its launch platform consists of two missiles in a ready-to-launch configuration on containers. The system also uses a radar and fire control system for coordinating the launch.

Earlier, Department of National Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the deliveries of the BrahMos for the Philippine Navy (PN)'s Shore-Based Anti-Ship Missile System Acquisition Project is expected to start within a year.

The BrahMos project is worth USD374,962,800 (around PHP19 billion).

On December 31, Lorenzana signed the Notice of Award for the Navy BrahMos' acquisition project which is a government-to-government deal signed with India.

"It includes the delivery of three batteries, training for operators and maintainers as well as the necessary Integrated Logistics Support (ILS) package. Conceptualized as early as 2017, the Office of the President approved its inclusion in the Horizon 2 Priority Projects in 2020," he added.

A missile battery typically consists of three mobile autonomous launchers with two or three missile tubes each, along with the tracking systems.

Lorenzana said the Philippine Marine Corps' Coastal Defense Regiment will be the primary user of the BrahMos missile system.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1166017

PH welcomes US report reaffirming 2016 arbitral award

From the Philippine News Agency (Jan 21, 2022): PH welcomes US report reaffirming 2016 arbitral award (By Joyce Ann L. Rocamora)

Department of Foreign Affairs façade (PNA photo by Avito Dalan)

The Philippine government, through the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), on Friday welcomed the reaffirmation of the 2016 Arbitral Award in a study released by the United States last week.

"We welcome the affirmation of the 2016 Arbitral Award by the US State Department's Limits in the Seas No. 150: People's Republic of China: Maritime Claims in the South China Sea," the DFA said in a statement.

The 47-page State Department report said Beijing's maritime claims in the South China Sea, "especially considering their expansive geographic and substantive scope, gravely undermine the rule of law in the oceans and numerous universally recognized provisions of international law" reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

One example, it said, is China's claims to sovereignty over maritime features that do not meet the international law definition of an “island” and fall entirely beyond a lawful territorial sea.

"This includes any claim to sovereignty over entirely submerged features like James Shoal, Vanguard Bank, and Macclesfield Bank. It also includes any claim to sovereignty over low-tide elevations, such as Mischief Reef and Second Thomas Shoal, which fall entirely beyond a lawful territorial sea entitlement and which are not subject to appropriation under international law," the report read.

It noted that China's "historic rights claims" in the area are also "plainly inconsistent" with international law.

"The PRC’s (People's Republic of China) historic rights claim has been protested by the United States and many other States and was rejected by the tribunal in The South China Sea Arbitration," it said.

"The overall effect of these maritime claims is that the PRC unlawfully claims sovereignty or some form of exclusive jurisdiction over most of the South China Sea," it added.

The DFA said Washington D.C.'s reaffirmation is consistent with the Philippines-US Joint Vision Statement issued last November 2021, including the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) ruling, which it described as "legally binding" on both Manila and Beijing.

Beijing continues to claim over 80 percent of the resource-rich South China Sea under its so-called "historic rights".

The Hague-based PCA in a 2016 decision said Chinese navigators and fishermen, as well as those of other countries, had historically made use of the islands in the South China Sea, but there was no evidence that China had historically exercised exclusive control over the waters or their resources.

The Tribunal eventually concluded that there was no legal basis for China to claim historic rights to resources within the sea areas falling within its "nine-dash line".

Last week, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said Beijing maintains its position in the contested waters while calling the landmark ruling "illegal, null and void".

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1166039

PH, SoKor armies to further strengthen collaboration

From the Philippine News Agency (Jan 21, 2022): PH, SoKor armies to further strengthen collaboration (By Priam Nepomuceno)

Photo courtesy of Philippine Army

The Philippines and South Korea further strengthened military ties through the signing of a term of reference (TOR) which calls for an Army-to-Army level collaboration.

Philippine Army (PA) chief, Lt. Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. and Republic of Korea Army (ROKA) chief-of-staff Gen. Nam Yeong-shin signed the TOR in a virtual ceremony on Thursday.

This is in accordance with the June 2018 memorandum of understanding between the Philippines’ Department of National Defense and South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense.

”I have this hope that through this TOR, the Republic of the Philippines and the Republic of Korea will have an ironclad alliance that is ready to face security and defense challenges not only in our respective countries but as well as in the Indo-Pacific Region,” Brawner said in a statement.

The TOR covers the following areas of cooperation -- reciprocal visits, mutual exchange of Army related insights and information, military education and training, logistics and maintenance, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, military medicine and medical support, subject matter expert exchanges, military technology cooperation, research and development, military sports and cultural activities, and other areas of mutual interest.

Prior to the signing of the TOR, Nam congratulated Brawner for his recent promotion. He also thanked the PA for deploying forces to defend South Korea during the Korean War in the 1950s.

Meanwhile, the PA chief conveyed his gratitude to Nam for ROKA’s arsenal and equipment support to the Philippine Army.

The PA also sent a delegation to the Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibit in October 2021.

Brawner added that the PA is looking forward to future collaborations with ROKA and the successful execution of bilateral engagements.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1166014

Indonesian terrorist Zulkarnaen sentenced to 15 years’ jail

Posted to the Mindanao Examiner (Jan 20, 2022): Indonesian terrorist Zulkarnaen sentenced to 15 years’ jail (By Amanda Hodge / The Australian)

A TOP Indonesian terror suspect who evaded capture for 18 years despite a $7 million bounty has been sentenced to 15 years’ jail – though not for his alleged role in the 2002 Bali bombings after a Jakarta court found the statute of limitations for those charges had expired.

Aris Sumarsono, 58, or Zulkarnaen, former military commander of Indonesian militant group Jemaah Islamiyah, was facing a possible life sentence for charges related to the Bali attack, in which 202 people were killed including 88 Australians, as well as for his alleged role in establishing a terror training camp in the Philippines.

The militant was named a suspect soon after the October 2002 attacks on Padi’s Pub and the Sari nightclub in Bali’s Kuta tourist strip but eluded capture until his 2020 arrest in Lampung, the same southern Sumatra town where JI bombmaker Taufik Bulaga was arrested a week earlier.

A three-judge bench in the East Jakarta District Court dismissed charges that Zulkarnaen masterminded the deadly Bali attack but found him guilty of harboring fellow terrorist Taufik Bulaga, and of withholding information of terrorism plans and ­activities.

The same court sentenced ­Bulaga to life imprisonment last month for his involvement in three terrorist strikes on central Sulawesi between 2004 and 2006 that killed 29 people. He too avoided indictment on Bali bombings-related charges.

District Court Chief Justice Alex Adam Faisal said the bench had no choice but to dismiss charges submitted by prosecutors ­related to the Bali bombings – which Zulkarnaen had denied – “because they had passed their time limit”, which was 20 years.

“The verdict is still ­related to the Bali bombing in the sense that the defendant had the information about that incident but hid it,” Justice Faisal said, adding the senior JI operative – who attended sentencing via Zoom – “was aware of all JI activities”.

“Before the Bali bombing he was very involved in JI activities but he began to distance himself before the incident. He was not involved in the incident but, yes, he had the information. He was also aware of the equipment used. He also hid Taufik Bulaga though he knew he was on the run.”

Zulkarnaen argued during his trial, which began last September, that he was a leader of JI’s military wing but had little involvement in the Bali bombings because he was focused on sectarian conflicts in Ambon and Poso, and in the southern Philippines.

Other militants convicted for their roles in the Bali attacks, ­including Umar Patek and Ali Imron who were sentenced to 20 years and life in jail respectively, also gave evidence that Zulkarnaen knew about the plot but played no operational role.

Still, for more than two decades Zulkarnaen was one of Indonesia’s most senior terrorism figures, and the only Indonesian to be included on the US ­“Rewards for Justice” program that offered a $A7 million bounty for his capture.

He became JI’s operations chief in 2003 after the arrest of his predecessor, Encep Nurjaman, also known as Hambali, in Thailand, and has been on a UN ­Security Council al-Qa’ida sanctions list since 2005 for associations with Osama bin Laden or the Taliban. 

http://mindanaoexaminernewspaper.blogspot.com/2022/01/indonesian-terrorist-zulkarnaen.html