US, Philippine warships practice ‘division tactics’ near flashpoint in South China Sea

Posted to the Stars & Stripes (Sep 5, 2023): US, Philippine warships practice ‘division tactics’ near flashpoint in South China Sea (By ALEX WILSON)

The guided-missile destroyers USS Ralph Johnson and BRP Jose Rizal steam through the South China Sea during a joint exercise, Monday, Sept. 4, 2023. (Philippine armed forces)

Guided-missile destroyers from the U.S. and Philippine navies recently carried out “close proximity” maneuvering drills near a contested island chain in the South China Sea, according to both services.

The USS Ralph Johnson joined the BRP Jose Rizal on Monday for “division tactics” training to help build “the confidence of the bridge teams to manage more challenging sailing conditions,” the U.S. 7th Fleet said in a same-day news release.

The training took place west of Palawan, a Philippine island approximately 170 miles southwest of Manila and 195 miles east of the contested Spratly Islands, the Armed Forces of the Philippines said in a Monday news release.

The exercise allowed the allied navies to “test and refine existing maritime doctrine and demonstrate their defense capabilities in line with the shared commitment of upholding peace and security in the Indo-Pacific Region,” according to the Philippine release.

The Philippines led the exercise, according to a Tuesday email from 7th Fleet spokeswoman Cmdr. Megan Greene, who referred all questions to that country’s armed forces. They did not respond Tuesday to an emailed request for further comment.

A dispute between China and the Philippines over the Spratlys, an archipelago of more than 100 small islands and reefs, is becoming heated. The entire chain is claimed by China, Vietnam and Taiwan; portions are claimed by the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei.

About 45 islands in the Spratlys are occupied by small military outposts from China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.

The Philippines has garrisoned Second Thomas Shoal, where the deliberately grounded World War II-era ship BRP Sierra Madre has become a flashpoint between Beijing and Manila.

On Aug. 5, Chinese coast guard vessels temporarily delayed resupply of the Philippine troops at the shoal by blocking the path of chartered supply vessels and Philippine coast guard escorts. One Chinese vessel used a high-powered water cannon on one of the supply ships.

The Philippine coast guard at the time called on Beijing to “restrain its forces.”

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said China’s actions undermined the status quo and “directly threaten regional peace and stability.”

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller, in an Aug. 5 statement, reaffirmed that an armed attack on Philippine vessels would trigger the U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty.

Second Thomas Shoal will likely remain a point of contention between the two countries, largely due to the presence of the Sierra Madre, according to Carlyle Thayer, an emeritus professor at the University of New South Wales and a lecturer at the Australian Defence Force Academy.

China has repeatedly demanded the removal of the Sierra Madre, he told Stars and Stripes in an Aug. 9 email. “China invariably responds when the Philippines tries to reprovision the soldiers at Second Thomas Shoal.”

The Philippines grounded the Sierra Madre on the shoal in 1999 as a response to China’s occupation of Mischief Reef in 1995, he said, and a “strategic move to pre-empt further occupation in the West Philippine Sea.” The two features are approximately 21 miles apart.

[Alex Wilson covers the U.S. Navy and other services from Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan. Originally from Knoxville, Tenn., he holds a journalism degree from the University of North Florida. He previously covered crime and the military in Key West, Fla., and business in Jacksonville, Fla.]

https://www.stripes.com/branches/navy/2023-09-05/navy-philippines-warships-south-china-sea-11269918.html

Quezon town mourns deaths of 5 militiamen in NPA ambush

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Sep 5, 2023): Quezon town mourns deaths of 5 militiamen in NPA ambush (By: Delfin T. Mallari Jr.)

PAYING RESPECTS The Philippine flag in the municipal hall of Tagkawayan, Quezon, flies at half-staff starting on Monday for five days to mourn the deaths of five militiamen killed in a New People’s Army attack on Sept. 1. —TAGKAWAYAN TELERADYO VIDEO GRAB

LUCENA CITY—Mayor Carlo Eleazar of Tagkawayan town in Quezon province on Monday ordered the Philippine flag at the municipal building flown at half-staff for one week to mourn the deaths of five government militiamen from his town who were killed in an attack by communist New People’s Army (NPA) rebels on Sept. 1.

In his speech during the flag-raising program, Eleazar said the local government was recognizing the heroism of the five militiamen who lost their lives and their three other colleagues who were injured in the incident.

He also called for a peace and order council meeting to tackle the rebel attack, which he described as a “human-induced disaster,” as there had been no insurgency-related incident in his town in the last two decades until last Friday’s ambush.

On Sept. 1, a band of NPA rebels attacked a team of Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit (Cafgu) and Army soldiers who were about to conduct a patrol in Sitio Pagasa in Barangay Mapulot at 7 a.m., the police and military reported.

The battle site was about 500 meters from the boundary of Tagkawayan and the town of Labo in Camarines Norte.

Five Cafgu members, all residents of the locality, were killed while two militiamen and an Army soldier were wounded during the assault.

Eleazar said it saddened him that shortly after the province was declared to be “insurgency-free,” the first act of violence by communist rebels in Quezon occurred in Tagkawayan.

“Our fellow citizens were the targets and victims. They were not regular soldiers,” the mayor said.

Condemned

He noted that the NPA rebels were strangers in the locality who simply entered their town “to commit violence.”

“I and the local government strongly condemn the attack. The violence has no place in the town of Tagkawayan,” he stressed.

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), through public information officer Marco Valbuena, had claimed responsibility for the attack that it claimed was carried out by Red fighters from the NPA’s Apolonio Mendoza Command based in Quezon province and not from the Bicol region as reported by the police and military.

In June, the local government, police and military officials in Quezon declared the province free from the influence of communist insurgents.

They said the province had attained “stable internal peace and security” status, which meant that the CPP, the National Democratic Front of the Philippines and the NPA were no longer a threat to the peace and order in its localities.

According to Eleazar, the attack was a cause for mourning as the town have had no incident involving the communist rebels for the past 20 years.

“If there were any encounters before, it was just by chance. It was only now that a planned attack happened,” he said.

Eleazar vowed to provide assistance to the families of the slain militiamen and encouraged all local government officials and employees to pay their last respects to the slain militiamen. INQ

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1826571/quezon-town-mourns-deaths-of-5-militiamen-in-npa-ambush

DepEd spox: Metro Manila public schools used for NPA recruitment

From CNN Philippines (Sep 5, 2023): DepEd spox: Metro Manila public schools used for NPA recruitment (By CNN Philippines Staff)

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 5) — Some 16 public high schools in the National Capital Region are engaged in recruitment activities for the New People's Army (NPA), Department of Education (DepEd) spokesperson Michael Poa claimed.

Poa made the allegation during the Senate hearing on DepEd's proposed 2024 budget on Monday, as the agency led by Vice President Sara Duterte pushed for its request for ₱150 million in confidential funds.

Vladimir Quetua, chairperson of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers, dismissed Poa's claims as "purely wild hallucination" to justify confidential funds.

RELATED: Senate panel okays OVP budget, grills Duterte on ₱500-M confidential funds

"The numbers, for example, for recruitment, 12.3% of the rebels — those who surrendered in 2016 to 2020 — were minors, 12 to 17 years old," Poa told the hearing.

"In fact, we have information that 16 schools just within Metro Manila are involved in recruitment activities, these are public high schools," he added without providing evidence.

The DepEd official said the 12.3% figure came from the military's Eastern Mindanao Command, while the information on public high schools involved in recruitment activities came from the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency. He did not give a list of these schools to senators.

On Tuesday, Poa said that the DepEd is addressing the issue in coordination with law enforcement agencies, as well as crafting awareness programs for students.

The department insisted that confidential funds will help it provide a safe and enabling environment, especially with the current "threats" faced by learners, teachers, and non-teaching personnel.

Aside from communist rebels' recruitment, Poa said threats include drug-related cases that involve minors. He also cited incidents of school violence and sexual exploitation.

In her interpellation, Sen. Risa Hontiveros argued that security agencies have the mandate to conduct intelligence operations even in the context of education, and not the DepEd.

The Senate finance committee on Monday approved the ₱758.6 billion proposed 2024 budget of the DepEd, including ₱150 million in confidential funds.

https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2023/9/5/deped-metro-manila-public-schools-used-for-npa-recruitment.html

DepEd insists information on alleged NPA recruitment in 16 schools has basis

From ABS-CBN (Sep 5, 2023): DepEd insists information on alleged NPA recruitment in 16 schools has basis (Joyce Balancio)

Communist rebels celebrate the 49th founding anniversary of the Communist Party of the Philippines in 2017. Mark Saludes, ABS-CBN News/file

MANILA — The information on Metro Manila schools allegedly engaged in New People’s Army recruitment has basis and was vetted by the country's intelligence agency, the Department of Education (DepEd) insisted Tuesday.AFP: Only one active NPA guerrilla front remaining in Philippines

At Monday's Senate hearing on the proposed education budget for 2024, DepEd Undersecretary Michael Poa claimed that there is NPA recruitment in 16 schools in the National Capital Region to justify the DepEd's P150 million confidential fund request for next year.

Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte has said that there is a need for confidential funds in the DepEd because "basic education is intertwined with national security" — an idea that was challenged by some lawmakers.

Lawmaker asks: Where did DepEd's P150-M confidential funds go?

Poa said he could not reveal the names of the schools "due to the sensitive nature of the issue," adding that the information was vetted by the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency.

"We have no specific information at the moment as to when these activities started. As mentioned, this is an ongoing operation and we are getting as much info as we can," he said.

“We are addressing the issue with the relevant law enforcement agencies and crafting awareness programs for our learners,” he also said.

When pressed for more details, Poa said they would provide the media with the relevant details "as long as it will not interfere with operations to put a stop to these recruitment activities."

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/05/23/deped-info-on-alleged-npa-recruitment-in-schools-has-basis

Ferrer paving the way for women in peace-building

From the Philippine Star (Sep 6, 2023): Ferrer paving the way for women in peace-building (By Daphne Galvez)

MANILA, Philippines — The path to peace is long and winding – and often dominated by men.

Being a female peace-builder is admittedly difficult, as attested by Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, recently named one of the 2023 Ramon Magsaysay Awardees for her work in promoting the role of women in peace-building across the world.

In peace talks, women are usually restricted to handling women’s issues instead of “dealing with the hard stuff,” according to Coronel-Ferrer.

“Sometimes, when you package your group as a women’s group, you get stuck with women’s issues when what you want to do is really deal with the hard stuff, which has usually been dealt with by men,” she told reporters last Monday.

Coronel-Ferrer recounted an experience in East Timor when her group of mediators were supposed to meet with the prime minister, but were instead referred to the Minister of Women’s Affairs.

“We certainly want to hear the women’s issues, but we wanted to talk to the top political leadership. You sort of get relegated to that position, and that’s what we want to break,” she said.

“Yes, we are women. We are mediators bringing in the women’s perspective but don’t box us only in women’s issues,” she added.

While she admitted that being a female peace-builder in the Philippines is “a little bit easier” due to the context of democratization and the fruits of women’s rights movements in the Philippines, there is still an initial hesitation in letting women take the lead in peace talks.

But when Coronel-Ferrer headed the government peace panel in 2012 – the first woman to do so – and led the negotiations with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, this paved the way for other women to follow suit.

The 2023 Ramon Magsaysay awardee said there were women who reached out to her and congratulated her for “making it.”

“They told me ‘now we know that women can do it as well.’ It’s really this accumulation of women who show that it can be done by women and it can be done well and it inspires other women,” she added.
Bangsamoro

Almost 10 years after the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) was signed, Coronel-Ferrer recalled that one of the key things that made the peace negotiation with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front successful was the political leadership of then president Benigno Aquino III.

She said that Aquino “really tried to open his mind” and accommodate, as much as possible, the requests of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

“If we didn’t have a leadership that did not try to understand the whole context and did not use his political capital, because this was not a popular initiative, then (peace talks) would not have been successful,” Coronel-Ferrer said.

Another key element is the “supportive public on the part of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front ,” which tried to find a peaceful settlement to the conflict, as well as compromise on their demands that could not be possible under the Constitution.

In dealing with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, Coronel-Ferrer said she learned that empathy is needed for the cause and respect should be shown to the other side of the table.

“Showing respect and also having a perspective that any agreement must be based on justice and dignity for all concerned, I think if that framework is not there, then there would be resistance in the whole negotiation process,” she added.

Creative solutions and good language engineering are also needed when talking about peace.

“An agreement is a text; you need to find the right words, you need to put it in a way that it does not create doubts or fear in any of your stakeholders, including the other party. So it’s a lot of creativity, and a lot of these are finding solutions and finding the right words for it,” Coronel-Ferrer said.

She recalled answering “everything” when asked what the most difficult part of the peace negotiations with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front was.

Looking back to it now, however, she said she just found some of the challenges they faced back then as “amusing.”

“You are just amused by this now because they did end up well in the end, but during the time, these are moments when everybody was still on edge,” she added.

While she admitted that she still has consultations with those involved in the negotiations in the Bangsamoro, Coronel-Ferrer said she is keeping a little distance.

“This is something that now belongs to them. They are now the primary actors, so I shouldn’t be intervening too much,” she said.

‘What you make it’

For the 2023 Ramon Magsaysay awardee, peace is “what you make it.”

“Think about it as an umbrella that puts together all the social movements, all the individual struggles that we do in order to make a better life for everyone,” she said.

She added that peace is something that is worked on an everyday basis, and an individual does not need to be a peace negotiator to be a champion of peace.

“Where you are is where you can start building peace in yourself, in your family and in your community,” Coronel-Ferrer said.

“We just need to stay connected so that all of these efforts become not just segmented efforts, but become a movement. We need a movement of people who are actually working and advancing peace and arguing in favor of peace,” she added.

Anyone can be a peace-builder wherever they are, according to Coronel-Ferrer.

“How did we all start? We started from where we were before we got to higher levels of involvement. But where we were, that’s where we started, and then we got connected,” she said.

A former United Nations senior mediation adviser, Coronel-Ferrer also co-founded the Southeast Asian Women Peace Mediators in 2020 “to ensure the protection of women’s rights during armed conflicts, mainstream the gender perspective in peacekeeping and peacebuilding and advance the role of women as peacebuilders at all levels.”

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2023/09/06/2294127/ferrer-paving-way-women-peace-building

Fight Back! News: Philippines: Marcos is daydreaming that he can defeat the New People’s Army

Posted to Fight Back! News (Sep 5, 2023): Philippines: Marcos is daydreaming that he can defeat the New People’s Army

Red fighters of the New People's Army. (Fight Back! News/staff)

[Fight Back New Service is circulating the following statement from the Communist Party of the Philippines.]

Officials of the Marcos regime are daydreaming when they make declarations of attaining “strategic victory” and defeating the New People’s Army (NPA). These wishful declarations are not new. They have been issuing exactly the same statements for three decades now and have repeatedly been proven wrong by facts.

General Año’s pronouncement yesterday of “ending the local communist armed conflict” within the term of the Marcos government rings hollow, especially after an NPA unit carried out a successful against the much detested 85th IB in Tagkawayan, Quezon last Friday morning, in which Red fighters seized five high-powered rifles and inflicted a number of casualties against the AFP. The ambush blasts recent claims that Quezon is already “insurgency free.” Together with the recent tactical offensives of the NPA in Masbate and Negros, the AFP’s much-hyped PR line that the NPA has “only active guerrilla front” is clearly a figment of their imagination.

The Filipino people and their people’s army will continue to wage armed struggle as long as US imperialism, oppression, bureaucratic corruption and social injustice prevails. The broad masses of the Filipino people are continually being roused to take up arms by widespread landlessness, grossly low wages, economic dislocation, environmental destruction, and rampant dispossession of their sources of income and means of production.

Over the past few years, the fascist reactionaries have waged an all-out campaign of state terrorism with the desperate aim of shattering the bond between the NPA and the broad masses of the Filipino people. But the more Marcos employs terrorism against the people, the more that this bond is tempered and reinforced. Indeed, without the NPA, the Filipino people have nothing to defend themselves with and will be left to the mercy of multinational corporations, the IMF and World Bank, big bourgeois compradors, landlords, and bureaucrat capitalists.

The aim of achieving complete victory might not yet be within the immediate horizon of the NPA. But it is determined to frustrate the AFP’s current campaign of encirclement and suppression, fight the Marcos regime’s rule of all-out state terrorism, and carry forward the armed struggle to even greater heights.

[Fight Back! News exists to build the people's struggle! We provide coverage and analysis of some of the key battles facing working and low-income people. We are not "neutral" or "even-handed" in our coverage. We are opposed to exploitation, discrimination, and oppression. We hold that the rich class of people who run the economy and government of this country are unfit to rule. We support all movements that challenge their power and privilege.]

https://www.fightbacknews.org/2023/9/5/philippines-marcos-daydreaming-he-can-defeat-new-people-s-army

New Westmincom chief assumes post

From the Philippine Star (Sep 6, 2023): New Westmincom chief assumes post (Roel Pareño)

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines — Maj. Gen. Steve Crespillo assumed his post yesterday as the new chief of the Western Mindanao Command.

Armed Forces chief Gen. Romeo Brawner led the change of command ceremony at Camp Don Basilio Navarro.

Crespillo took over the post from Lt. Gen. Roy Galido.

Brawner commended Galido for providing guidance to ground forces in crushing Abu Sayyaf bandits in Basilan and Sulu.

He said Crespillo and ground forces should now focus their efforts against the remnants of the Dawlah Islamiya and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters as well as sustain peace and order in Basilan and Sulu.

Brawner said Crespillo is no stranger to his new assignment, having served as brigade commander and senior staff member of the 6th Infantry Division and Joint Task Force Central in Maguindanao.

https://www.philstar.com/nation/2023/09/06/2294084/new-westmincom-chief-assumes-post

PH Navy to commission 2 ex-US patrol vessels Sept. 11

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 5, 2023): PH Navy to commission 2 ex-US patrol vessels Sept. 11 (By Priam Nepomuceno)

BOOSTING THE FLEET. The Philippine Navy's BRP General Mariano Alvarez (PS-38), formerly known as the USS Cyclone (PC-1), docked at Navy headquarters in Naval Station Jose Andrada, Roxas Boulevard, Manila in May 2012. The Philippine Navy (PN) on Tuesday (Sept. 5, 2023) said it would christen and commission into service two US-donated Cyclone-class patrol vessels on Sept. 11. (PNA file photo by Priam Nepomuceno)

MANILA – The Philippine Navy (PN) on Tuesday said it would christen and commission into service two US-donated Cyclone-class patrol vessels on Sept. 11.

In a statement, Navy spokesperson Captain Benjo Negranza said these ships will be known as the Alvarez-class patrol vessels once commissioned in service.

The christening and commissioning rites would be held at PN headquarters at Naval Station Jose Andrada, Roxas Boulevard, Manila.

"The PN will be conducting the christening and commissioning ceremony of the two newly-acquired Alvarez-class patrol vessels, namely BRP Valentin Diaz (PS-177) and BRP Ladislao Diwa (PS-178) with Honorable Gilberto C. Teodoro Jr., Secretary of National Defense as Guest of Honor and Speaker," Negranza added.

The US Navy transferred these two Cyclone-class patrol vessels upon decommissioning in Bahrain on March 28 and were delivered to the country last May.

The ships, the former USS Monsoon (PC-4) and USS Chinook (PC-9), were transferred to the PN through the Excess Defense Article (EDA) program.

These vessels are the sister ships of the BRP General Mariano Alvarez (PS-38), the ex-USS Cyclone (PC-1), which was turned over to the PN in 2004.

The 55-meter vessels will be able to complement the PN's patrol gunboats in ensuring safety and security within the "littoral waters of the porous borders and vast maritime environment of the Philippines, being equipped with the firepower and lethality for littoral operations."

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1209194

OPAPRU rallies Filipinos to promote, defend peace

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 5, 2023): OPAPRU rallies Filipinos to promote, defend peace (By Priam Nepomuceno)

OPAPRU Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. (Screengrab from OPAPRU Facebook live video)

MANILA – All Filipinos have a shared responsibility to defend and protect the country's gains in peace, the country's top peace adviser said Tuesday.

"The importance of ringing the 'Peace Bell' to the Comprehensive Peace Process cannot be over emphasized. The reverberation coming from the massive bell symbolizes peace, harmony, and solidarity. More importantly, this is a clarion call for all Filipinos regardless of religion, tribe or personal belief to play a key role in peace building," Office of the Presidential Adviser for Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said during the opening of the National Peace Consciousness Month which was highlighted by the ringing of the "Peace Bell" at the Quezon Memorial Circle in Quezon City.

Galvez said the ceremony aims to remind all Filipinos "to steadfastly defend, protect, and sustain the country's peace gains".

The OPAPRU chief said the "Peace Bell' was donated by the World Peace Bell Association, a Japanese organization that promotes world peace, to the Philippines in 1984.

"Last September 1, no less than His Excellency, Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. led the official launching of the 2023 National Peace Consciousness Month which coincided with the declaration of Palawan as insurgency-free," Galvez said.

He added this gesture highlights the resolve of the Marcos administration's commitment in bringing in peace and development all over the country.

Galvez said this can only be realized through the "concerted, inclusive and determined efforts of all our peace partners".

He noted that maintaining and securing the peace is not the task of a few chosen individuals but of everyone as highlighted by this year's National Peace Consciousness Month theme of "Kapayapaan: Responsibilidad ng Bawat Mamamayan".

"On the Comprehensive Philippine Peace Process, the Marcos Administration continues to push forward and sustain the gains due to the effective implementation of its Five-Point Peace and Reconciliation and Unity Agenda," he added.

Galvez also reiterated the Marcos administration to fulfill its commitment to implement all signed peace agreements with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the Moro National Liberation Front, the Rebolusyonaryong Partido Manggagawa ng Pilipinas, Revolutionary Proletarian Army-Alex Boncayao Brigade, the Tabara-Paduano Group known as Kapatiran, and the Cordillera Bodong Administration-Cordillera People's Liberation Army.

"For the communist group, this administration continues to make headway in carrying (out) our several localized peace engagements in the country," he added.

Galvez said all interventions under these peace tables will be carried out in the parallel with the complimentary programs of the OPAPRU and the Office of the Special Assistant to the President which include the "social healing and peace-building program or SHAPE, the catch-up socio-economic intervention under the "Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan" (PAMANA) program. (

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1209210

Gov't, MNLF to reconstitute joint body on 1996 peace pact

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 5, 2023): Gov't, MNLF to reconstitute joint body on 1996 peace pact (By Priam Nepomuceno)

MANILA – The government of the Philippines and the Moro National Liberation Front (GPH-MNLF) have agreed to reconstitute its joint peace coordinating committee into the Peace Implementing Committee to carry out the continued implementation of the pact signed in 1996.

In a statement Tuesday, the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) said Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. and MNLF vice chairperson Abdulkarim Tan Misuari signed a resolution on Monday to strengthen the composition of the GPH-MNLF joint peace implementing committee.

The two sides agreed to "submit the new composition of their implementing committees which shall be composed of seven members each" as follows:

• Chairperson

• Vice chairperson (who shall come from the four subcommittee chairpersons)

• Four chairpersons of the subcommittees as members

• Two alternate members who shall also serve as members of technical working groups, which shall be created based on need.

"The implementing committee shall have subcommittees to tackle specific concerns on security, socio-economic, confidence building measures, and transitional justice," stated the resolution, which “shall take effect immediately."

Galvez said the agreement is another milestone and came after the 27th year anniversary of the signing of 1996 Final Peace Agreement on Sept. 2, 1996.

"There is a need for us to solidify our engagement to fully implement our commitments in the peace agreement, and to ensure that no one will be left behind in this entire process," he said.

The implementation of the Bangsamoro peace agreements is one of the five-point Peace, Reconciliation and Unity Agenda of the Marcos administration.

"President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has vowed on his unwavering commitment to the Bangsamoro peace process," Galvez said.

He said the reconstitution is needed to strengthen their collaboration under the Marcos administration especially in implementing remaining commitments on the Bangsamoro Development Assistance Fund and Tripartite Implementation Monitoring Committee, as well as a transformation program for MNLF combatants, their families and communities.

The Transformation Program is anchored on Article 20a of the 1996 Final Peace Agreement which states that “there shall be a special socio-economic, cultural and educational program to cater to MNLF forces not absorbed into the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines), PNP (Philippine National Police), and the SRSF (Special Regional Security Forces) to prepare them for productive endeavors, provide for educational, technical skills and livelihood training and give them priority for hiring in developmental projects.”

The creation of the Peace Coordinating Committee for the government side was created through a Memorandum from the Executive Secretary issued in November 2019 under the Duterte administration.

Galvez said the government will seek the approval of the President for the reconstitution of the members of the GPH side to the Peace Implementing Committee.

"MNLF is one of the champions of peace. We will do our part to sanctify our agreements," Misuari said.

Bangsamoro Member of Parliament Randolph Parcasio, quoting founding chair Nur Misuari, said the MNLF believes that "time will come when firearms will not be daily activity and a culture – when carrying firearms will be considered a shame."

The MNLF-Misuari Group thanked the Marcos administration for its steadfast commitment to the Bangsamoro peace agreements.

To recall, the Bangsamoro peace process in Mindanao started during the time of the late president Ferdinand Marcos Sr., when he forged an agreement with the MNLF, the 1976 Tripoli Peace Agreement.

The pact became the basis of the succeeding peace agreements in the Bangsamoro such as the 1996 agreement and the Comprehensive Agreement on Bangsamoro signed in 2014 between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1209270

OPAPRU, QC LGU lead peace bell ringing ceremony

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 5, 2023): OPAPRU, QC LGU lead peace bell ringing ceremony

PEACE BELL. Presidential Peace Adviser Carlito G. Galvez Jr. (2nd from right) and Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte (right) lead the peace bell ringing ceremony at the Quezon Memorial Circle on Tuesday (Sept. 5, 2023). The peace bell is rung at the beginning of September as part of the opening activities of the annual National Peace Consciousness Month celebration. (Photo courtesy of OPAPRU)

MANILA – The Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity, in partnership with the Quezon City Government, spearheaded this year’s ringing of the Peace Bell on Tuesday at the Quezon Memorial Circle.

The Peace Bell, representing the Filipino people’s aspiration for a just and lasting peace, was donated in 1994 by the World Peace Bell Association, a Japanese organization promoting awareness of the world peace movement.

It is rung at the beginning of September as part of the opening activities of the annual National Peace Consciousness Month celebration.

“The importance of ringing the peace bell to the comprehensive Philippine peace process cannot be overemphasized. The reverberations coming from this massive bell symbolizes peace, harmony, and solidarity. More importantly, this is a clarion call for all Filipinos – regardless of religion, tribe or personal beliefs – to play a key role in peacebuilding,” Presidential Peace Adviser Carlito G. Galvez Jr. said in his welcome remarks.

For her part, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte shared the peacebuilding initiatives being implemented by the Quezon City government.

“The essence of peace is to allow everyone to have their voices [be] heard, to understand various perspectives, and to choose to live in harmony with one another,” she said.

Other dignitaries present during the ceremony include Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Senior Minister Abunawas “Von Al-Haq” Maslamama, representing the BARMM Chief Minister Ahod Balawag Ebrahim; KAPATIRAN Leader Veronica “Ka Inca” Tabara; Minister of Labor and Employment and Chairperson Muslimin Sema; Deputy Bangsamoro Transition Authority Parliament Speaker and Moro National Liberation Front Vice Chairperson Abdulkarim Misuari; National Historical Commission of the Philippines Chairperson Emmanuel Calairo; as well as representatives from various line agencies and the international development community.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1209289

Ex-rebel urges young pregnant NPA members to lay down arms

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 4, 2023): Ex-rebel urges young pregnant NPA members to lay down arms (By Mary Judaline Partlow)

YOUTH SUMMIT. Forty-seven young individuals completed the three-day 1st Youth Leadership Summit in Tanjay City, Negros Oriental on Sunday (Sept. 3, 2023). One of the participants and resource speakers was a former rebel and a young mother who surrendered last May and who shared her experiences while with the New People's Army in southern Negros Oriental. (PNA photo by Judy Flores Partlow)

DUMAGUETE CITY – A former rebel has called on pregnant members of the underground movement to give up their cause and surrender to authorities so they could give their children a good future.

Clarice (not her real name), a 21-year-old mother of a four-month-old, gave her testimony as a speaker/participant in the three-day 1st Youth Leadership Summit (YLS) in Tanjay City, Negros Oriental which concluded on Sunday.

In an interview with the Philippine News Agency, she called on at least four other young pregnant New People’s Army (NPA) members to rejoin mainstream society.

She said these young women, if they still remain with the NPA, are bound to leave their newborn babies with families unknown to them, with the risk of not ever seeing their children again.

She also urged youth leaders in Tanjay City to be wary of the deceptions and lies of the NPA that she had personally experienced.

“I am a victim of the lies and deceptions of the NPA. I was exploited and I fell prey to their false promises of better living conditions. Do not be fooled by what they tell you,” Clarice said in the local dialect.

Recounting her experience in the underground movement, she said that she became a vulnerable target of the NPA because of her lack of education as well as her family background.

Separated from her seven siblings at two years old after their mother died, Clarice said her father brought her to Silay, Negros Occidental where she lived until she was 19.

She returned home to Tamlang Valley, Sta. Catalina.

She said she had to fend for herself in Silay, working as a house help because her father already had a second family.

Her siblings in Sta. Catalina came across her on social media and convinced her to come home so she decided to go back to her roots.

Once there, she enrolled as a “visitor” in third grade at an elementary school but never completed the school year because of fear of being rejected.

She suffered the stigma and around this time, two women recruited her to join the NPA, telling her that life would be easier if she were to join the insurgency movement.

But things were far different from what she had expected. There were plenty of restrictions and she said she carried a firearm even when she was not running errands for the higher-ups.

Clarice met her husband, Jose (not her real name), last year and they were “married” by the NPA, although she knew the ceremony was not legally binding.

It was only when she conceived that they realized the dangers of having a baby while in the underground movement.

Clarice and Jose finally made arrangements for their surrender to the Army’s 11th Infantry Battalion (IB) based in Siaton, Negros Oriental last May. They are now happily settled in a safe place.

During the Youth Leadership Summit, Clarice said she learned a lot of new things which opened her eyes to the real world of peace and freedom.

The YLS is funded by the Tanjay City government and facilitated by the 11th IB headed by commanding officer, Lt. Col. Michael Aquino, with the help of the provincial Youth for Peace. It graduated 47 aged 15 to 25, including Clarice.

The activity prepares the young participants as future leaders with lectures on the environment, illegal drugs, terrorism and the role of youth in nation-building.

Jestoni Cuadra, president of the Negros Oriental Youth for Peace, said he is honored and privileged for being chosen to lead the group.

“It is a responsibility to be able to serve the youth and the biggest challenge is to get their attention because the reality is in this current generation, they have little memory retention,” he pointed out.

Earl John Tocao, chairman of the Tanjay YLS chapter, said “it is very transformational and I am now more empowered to lead the group, especially as I am a member of the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgende and queer) and I hope to see equal treatment among all”.

Tocao said he will be working closely with the LGU and other sectors to promote the welfare and future of the youth in Tanjay.

Jeannette Quila, chairperson of the Youth Development Program of Tanjay City, said the event “molded the character of the participants and inspires us to do what we thought we were not capable of doing in terms of leadership."

Quila admits a “change of personality” after the training, saying she used to have little self-confidence.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1209177

DPWH employee slain in North Cotabato ambush

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 5, 2023): DPWH employee slain in North Cotabato ambush (By Edwin Fernandez)

AMBUSHED. The identification card of ambush victim, Jerry Largo Jr., who was tailed and shot dead by motorcycle riding-in-tandem gunmen along the highway in Midsayap, North Cotabato, on Tuesday morning (Sept. 5, 2023). Inset photo shows motorists and civilians milling around the body of the victim, who is an employee of the Department of Public Works and Highways-North Cotabato First Engineering District Office. (Photo by Maja Limuyak of Midsayap)

MIDSAYAP, North Cotabato – Motorcycle-riding gunmen shot dead an employee of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) North Cotabato 1st Engineering District along the national highway here Tuesday morning.

Lt. Col. John Miredel Calinga, municipal police chief, identified the victim as Jerry Largo Jr., an employee of DPWH-Midsayap and resident of Barangay Cabayuran, Libungan, North Cotabato.

Largo was driving a motorbike heading for work at the DPWH district office when tailed and fired upon by two men riding on motorbikes around 7:15 a.m. along the highway in Barangay Villarica.

He died on the spot due to multiple gunshot wounds on the chest and abdomen.

A police pursuit operation has been launched following the incident.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1209217

188 rebels 'neutralized' in C. Mindanao in past 7 months

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 5, 2023): 188 rebels 'neutralized' in C. Mindanao in past 7 months (By Edwin Fernandez)

Major Gen. Alex Rillera, the Philippine Army’s 6th Infantry Division commander. (Image courtesy of 6ID)

CAMP SIONGCO, Maguindanao Norte – At least 188 members of threat groups have been “neutralized” by the military in Central Mindanao since January this year, the Army’s 6th Infantry Division (6ID) said Tuesday.

During the same period, 486 guns were also recovered and surrendered to 6ID field units, said Maj. Gen. Alex Rillera, the 6ID commander and head of Joint Task Force Central (JTFC).

In a statement, Rillera described the achievement as a "remarkable feat" by military units in the provinces of Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur, Sultan Kudarat, South Cotabato, parts of Sarangani, North Cotabato, and Lanao del Sur.

Rillera said the radical groups “encompass a range of affiliations and ideologies, posing threats to the security and progress of local communities.”

To date, he said the 6ID neutralized 49 communist rebels and saw a notable decline in activities of the communist New People’s Army (NPA).

Of the 49, seven were apprehended, 12 died during armed clashes, and 30 decided to renounce violence and reintegrate into mainstream society.

Rillera said the outlawed Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) also faced a significant blow after one fighter was arrested, 17 died in armed clashes and 101 surrendered to authorities.

The Dawlah Islamiyah terror group also suffered losses with nine of its members rendered ineffective through a combination of arrests, casualties, and surrender.

Rillera said the persistent campaign of the security forces led to the apprehension of 11 members of private armed groups (PAGs).

The series of operations against PAGs also resulted in the confiscation of 213 firearms, crew-served weapons, and explosive materials.

Rillera acknowledged the support of local government officials who helped facilitate the surrender of unlicensed guns through the “Balik-Baril Program.”

Some 273 firearms have been handed over to various military units under JTFC from January to August this year.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1209220

P26.9-M aid released to ex-rebels in E. Visayas in 5 years

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 5, 2023): P26.9-M aid released to ex-rebels in E. Visayas in 5 years (By Sarwell Meniano)

ASSISTANCE. A former rebel receives a check from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) during a ceremony inside a military camp in Borongan City, Eastern Samar in this February 22, 2023 photo. DILG has released PHP26.92 million worth of assistance to 514 former rebels in Eastern Visayas in the past five years as part of its Enhanced Comprehensive Livelihood Integration Program (E-CLIP). (PNA photo courtesy of DILG)

TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has released PHP26.92 million worth of assistance to 514 former rebels in Eastern Visayas in the past five years as part of its Enhanced Comprehensive Livelihood Integration Program (E-CLIP).

During a forum at the Tacloban Convention Center on Tuesday, DILG Undersecretary for Peace and Order Oscar Valenzuela said their office has been active in assisting surrenderers from the New People’s Army (NPA) in the region since 2018 when the Office of the President formed the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).

“Recipients are regular members of the NPA and Militia ng Bayan (MB) who surfaced on April 3, 2018, onwards and have expressed the desire to abandon armed violence and become productive members of the society,” Valenzuela said.

In the region, 214 of the 514 former rebels who received the assistance as of August 2023 are NPA combatants, and 290 are MB members.

MB refers to indoctrinated individuals who may or may not be directly involved in violent armed struggle but, when organized, can provide mass support to NPA.

The package of support includes PHP15 million immediate assistance, PHP11.2 million for livelihood, PHP3.25 million for the remuneration of surrendered firearms, PHP5 million for reintegration assistance, and PHP15 million for the construction of three halfway houses.

Halfway houses help former rebels rebuild their lives shattered by years of armed rebellion.

They undergo social healing, reconciliation, and spiritual enhancement sessions inside the shelter for five to six months to prepare them for reintegration into the mainstream community.

The DILG-administered aid consists of immediate assistance of PHP15,000 to each surrenderer, PHP50,000 livelihood support to each former regular NPA member, PHP21,000 reintegration assistance, and firearms remuneration (double the amount of the surrendered firearms).

The E-CLIP is developed to avoid/prevent delays in the release of Financial Assistance to FRs and Receiving Units. The information and data derived from it are crucial in providing evidence-based analytics for decision-making, planning, program management, monitoring, and evaluation.

Since July 5, 2018, the DILG has been administering the provision of assistance packages to former rebels from the NPA and MB who surfaced and wanted to return to the fold of the law and become productive citizens of society.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1209262