From the Manila Bulletin (Jul 13): US ambassador kicks off DRR program in Baguio
United States Ambassador Harry K. Thomas, Jr. announced here the other day that America remains committed to supporting the Philippines in preparing for and improving response to natural disasters as a result of climate change.
Thomas, the outgoing US ambassador, visited this city for the start of the third phase of the U.S. Government’s Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) program in Benguet.
“We are pleased to work with communities in Benguet and throughout the Philippines to improve their capacity to deal with the effects of natural calamities. Our efforts recognize that disasters could easily wipe out the assets that our families have worked hard to gain,” said the ambassador.
Accompanying him were U.S. Embassy Manila’s United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission Director Gloria D. Steele and representatives from the World Food Program (WFP), and the Jaime V. Ongpin Foundation, Inc.
They were welcomed by several officials from the local government, led by Benguet Governor Nestor Fongwan and representatives from the University of the Philippines-Baguio (UP-Baguio).
The USAID’s DRR program in Benguet, implemented in partnership with the WFP, began in 2011 and initially covered the municipalities of Tublay, Atok, Kibungan and Kapangan.
Among the activities under the program are a tree planting, development of early warning systems, and preparation of disaster contingency plans for each municipality.
Thomas noted that with the third phase of the DDR, the program is being expanded to cover six municipalities, including the municipality of Buguias and this so-called City of Pines.
The program will provide P17.6 million (US$ 420,000) to support the DRR implementation of practical and high-impact projects at the local level to help communities prepare for disasters.
The DRR program also includes the creation of a Knowledge and Training Resource Center in partnership with the University of the Philippines-Baguio.
Another partner in this activity is the Jaime V. Ongpin Foundation, which will provide training and information campaigns on effective disaster planning and response for local leaders and community members.
http://mb.com.ph/News/Provincial_News/21976/US_ambassador_kicks_off_DRR_program_in_Baguio#.UeFXUI7D8cA
Saturday, July 13, 2013
Wealth sharing stalls GRP, MILF talks
From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Jul 13): Wealth sharing stalls GRP, MILF talks
President Benigno Aquino III on Friday sent two Palace officials to Kuala Lumpur to boost the morale of peace negotiators, a day after talks to end four decades of Moro insurgency in Mindanao adjourned without an agreement.
The talks were supposed to end on Thursday, but negotiators for both the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) reached no agreement on the wealth-sharing provision of the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro that the two sides signed last October.
At the request of the government panel, however, the MILF panel agreed to extend the talks for one day.
On Friday, again at the request of the government panel, the MILF negotiators agreed to continue talking until Saturday.
Mr. Aquino sent presidential adviser on the peace process Teresita Deles and presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda to the Malaysian capital to affirm the government’s commitment to the preliminary peace agreement.
Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said the presence of the two officials was a “manifestation of the continuing commitment of the President as well as the support of the Cabinet for both panels and for us to fulfill the aspirations of the framework agreement,” Valte said.
A source with knowledge of the negotiations told the Inquirer that the MILF panel initially appeared reluctant to go to the negotiations on Friday.
Mohagher Iqbal, the MILF’s chief negotiator, said the talks appeared to be “headed for an impasse.”
Good sign
Still, the MILF panel showed up at the negotiations, which the source viewed as a “good sign.”
In a statement sent to reporters in Manila on Friday, chief government negotiator Miriam Coronel-Ferrer said the two sides “still need to find good compromises on key issues like taxation and revenue [sharing].”
“We seem to be caught up in the trees and missing the forest,” Ferrer said.
The Inquirer tried but failed to reach both Ferrer and Iqbal on Friday after learning that the two panels would continue the negotiations Saturday.
The gloomy end of Thursday’s talks appeared to have dashed any hope that a comprehensive peace agreement with the MILF would be signed before President Aquino delivers his State of the Nation Address on July 22.
After a delay of four months, the two panels resumed negotiations this week amid hopes that the question of wealth sharing would be resolved in a few days.
Revenue division
The disagreement between the two panels centers on the division between the government and the MILF of revenue from “energy sources” and tax collection in the proposed Bangsamoro territory, officials said.
The MILF has proposed a 75-25 percent sharing, with the larger share going to Bangsamoro.
The government wants a bigger share and, according to Valte, the state negotiators are working within the limits set by the government.
The document, initialed by the technical working group in February, underwent review by President Aquino and his Cabinet as part of “due diligence” by the government, Ferrer said earlier.
Until this week, the talks did not move, exacerbating the MILF’s frustration over the slow progress of the negotiations.
The two panels had reached an agreement on three of four annexes to the framework deal. The annex on wealth sharing is the last and it is proving to be the most contentious one.
The government wants a final peace agreement with the MILF before President Aquino’s term ends in 2016.
Time running out
But with negotiations on wealth sharing dragging on, the MILF says time is running out on a final peace deal with the Aquino administration.
Some members of the government technical working group returned to Manila on Friday. Those from the MILF are expected to return Saturday.
Staying in Kuala Lumpur are the government panel led by Ferrer and the MILF group led by Iqbal.
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/80605/wealth-sharing-stalls-grp-milf-talks
President Benigno Aquino III on Friday sent two Palace officials to Kuala Lumpur to boost the morale of peace negotiators, a day after talks to end four decades of Moro insurgency in Mindanao adjourned without an agreement.
The talks were supposed to end on Thursday, but negotiators for both the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) reached no agreement on the wealth-sharing provision of the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro that the two sides signed last October.
At the request of the government panel, however, the MILF panel agreed to extend the talks for one day.
On Friday, again at the request of the government panel, the MILF negotiators agreed to continue talking until Saturday.
Mr. Aquino sent presidential adviser on the peace process Teresita Deles and presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda to the Malaysian capital to affirm the government’s commitment to the preliminary peace agreement.
Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said the presence of the two officials was a “manifestation of the continuing commitment of the President as well as the support of the Cabinet for both panels and for us to fulfill the aspirations of the framework agreement,” Valte said.
A source with knowledge of the negotiations told the Inquirer that the MILF panel initially appeared reluctant to go to the negotiations on Friday.
Mohagher Iqbal, the MILF’s chief negotiator, said the talks appeared to be “headed for an impasse.”
Good sign
Still, the MILF panel showed up at the negotiations, which the source viewed as a “good sign.”
In a statement sent to reporters in Manila on Friday, chief government negotiator Miriam Coronel-Ferrer said the two sides “still need to find good compromises on key issues like taxation and revenue [sharing].”
“We seem to be caught up in the trees and missing the forest,” Ferrer said.
The Inquirer tried but failed to reach both Ferrer and Iqbal on Friday after learning that the two panels would continue the negotiations Saturday.
The gloomy end of Thursday’s talks appeared to have dashed any hope that a comprehensive peace agreement with the MILF would be signed before President Aquino delivers his State of the Nation Address on July 22.
After a delay of four months, the two panels resumed negotiations this week amid hopes that the question of wealth sharing would be resolved in a few days.
Revenue division
The disagreement between the two panels centers on the division between the government and the MILF of revenue from “energy sources” and tax collection in the proposed Bangsamoro territory, officials said.
The MILF has proposed a 75-25 percent sharing, with the larger share going to Bangsamoro.
The government wants a bigger share and, according to Valte, the state negotiators are working within the limits set by the government.
The document, initialed by the technical working group in February, underwent review by President Aquino and his Cabinet as part of “due diligence” by the government, Ferrer said earlier.
Until this week, the talks did not move, exacerbating the MILF’s frustration over the slow progress of the negotiations.
The two panels had reached an agreement on three of four annexes to the framework deal. The annex on wealth sharing is the last and it is proving to be the most contentious one.
The government wants a final peace agreement with the MILF before President Aquino’s term ends in 2016.
Time running out
But with negotiations on wealth sharing dragging on, the MILF says time is running out on a final peace deal with the Aquino administration.
Some members of the government technical working group returned to Manila on Friday. Those from the MILF are expected to return Saturday.
Staying in Kuala Lumpur are the government panel led by Ferrer and the MILF group led by Iqbal.
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/80605/wealth-sharing-stalls-grp-milf-talks
Soldiers, rebels clash in Negros Oriental
From the Philippine Information Agency (Jul 12): Soldiers, rebels clash in Negros Oriental
Soldiers of the 11th Infantry Battalion (IB) of the Philippine Army recently clashed with members of the rebel group New People’s Army (NPA) in the northern part of Negros Oriental.
A statement from the 11th IB said the encounter happened early in the morning of July 9 at Sitio Cansuhi, Brgy. Tacpao, Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental.
Military troops were conducting their regular security patrol in the area when residents approached them and informed them about the NPA presence in the vicinity of a nearby creek.
While verifying the information, gunshots erupted which reportedly came from more or less 15 armed rebels. This led into a fiery encounter which lasted for three minutes.
After three minutes, the NPAs withdrew from the battle while members of the military pursued them.
The soldiers recovered one caliber 357 pistol, one grenade, one improvised explosive device (IED) with detonating cord, five NPA flags and one backpack with subversive documents which the rebels left.
Meanwhile, Lt. Col. Willy Isaac, commanding officer of the 11th IB, thanked the residents of Brgy. Tacpao for informing them about the NPA presence in their area.
Isaac said he believes that the growing support of the residents of Brgy. Tacpao and neighboring Barangay Binobohan to 11th IB “Bayanihan” teams is a big help in maintaining peace and order in their area.
Isaac further urged the residents living in remote barangays in Guihulngan City to work hand in hand with them to attain peace and development.
He assured them that the army will not be deterred in conducting its peace and development activities there.
http://www.pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?article=2631373529410
Soldiers of the 11th Infantry Battalion (IB) of the Philippine Army recently clashed with members of the rebel group New People’s Army (NPA) in the northern part of Negros Oriental.
A statement from the 11th IB said the encounter happened early in the morning of July 9 at Sitio Cansuhi, Brgy. Tacpao, Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental.
Military troops were conducting their regular security patrol in the area when residents approached them and informed them about the NPA presence in the vicinity of a nearby creek.
While verifying the information, gunshots erupted which reportedly came from more or less 15 armed rebels. This led into a fiery encounter which lasted for three minutes.
After three minutes, the NPAs withdrew from the battle while members of the military pursued them.
The soldiers recovered one caliber 357 pistol, one grenade, one improvised explosive device (IED) with detonating cord, five NPA flags and one backpack with subversive documents which the rebels left.
Meanwhile, Lt. Col. Willy Isaac, commanding officer of the 11th IB, thanked the residents of Brgy. Tacpao for informing them about the NPA presence in their area.
Isaac said he believes that the growing support of the residents of Brgy. Tacpao and neighboring Barangay Binobohan to 11th IB “Bayanihan” teams is a big help in maintaining peace and order in their area.
Isaac further urged the residents living in remote barangays in Guihulngan City to work hand in hand with them to attain peace and development.
He assured them that the army will not be deterred in conducting its peace and development activities there.
http://www.pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?article=2631373529410
2 soldiers killed, 4 hurt in Maguindanao
From ABS-CBN (Jul 13): 2 soldiers killed, 4 hurt in Maguindanao
Two soldiers of the Army's 2nd Mechanized Battalion were killed and 4 other soldiers were wounded in a strafing incident in Barangay Kateman, Guindulungan, Maguindanao at about 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, the military said.
Col. Edgar Gonzales, commander of the Army’s 1st Mechanized Brigade, told ABS-CBN News through a phone interview that the soldiers were on board a KM450 military truck going to their detachment when they were fired upon by an unidentified number of gunmen from the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).
A firefight ensued for about 10 minutes. The military truck was badly hit by high powered firearms, the official said.
BIFF spokesperson Abu Missry Mama told ABS-CBN News that their troops were behind the attack.
Mama said no one was killed from their side.
“Dumaan ang mga tropa ng BIFF sa lugar tapos nagkataon na may dumaan din na sundalo kaya nagkaputukan,” Mama said.
The incident occurred 4 kilometers away from the national highway.
Pursuit operations are still ongoing.
The 2 fatalities were brought to the mortuary of the 6th Infantry Division while the 4 other wounded soldiers were brought to the hospital for treatment.
Col. Dickson Hermoso, the 6th ID spokesperson, said the names of the 2 dead soldiers and 4 other wounded soldiers will be released as soon as their family and relatives have been informed.
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/regions/07/13/13/2-soldiers-killed-4-hurt-maguindanao
Two soldiers of the Army's 2nd Mechanized Battalion were killed and 4 other soldiers were wounded in a strafing incident in Barangay Kateman, Guindulungan, Maguindanao at about 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, the military said.
Col. Edgar Gonzales, commander of the Army’s 1st Mechanized Brigade, told ABS-CBN News through a phone interview that the soldiers were on board a KM450 military truck going to their detachment when they were fired upon by an unidentified number of gunmen from the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).
A firefight ensued for about 10 minutes. The military truck was badly hit by high powered firearms, the official said.
BIFF spokesperson Abu Missry Mama told ABS-CBN News that their troops were behind the attack.
Mama said no one was killed from their side.
“Dumaan ang mga tropa ng BIFF sa lugar tapos nagkataon na may dumaan din na sundalo kaya nagkaputukan,” Mama said.
The incident occurred 4 kilometers away from the national highway.
Pursuit operations are still ongoing.
The 2 fatalities were brought to the mortuary of the 6th Infantry Division while the 4 other wounded soldiers were brought to the hospital for treatment.
Col. Dickson Hermoso, the 6th ID spokesperson, said the names of the 2 dead soldiers and 4 other wounded soldiers will be released as soon as their family and relatives have been informed.
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/regions/07/13/13/2-soldiers-killed-4-hurt-maguindanao
Govt, MILF resume talks, 'determined' to finish annex
From GMA News (Jul 13): Govt, MILF resume talks, 'determined' to finish annex
Amid the sticky issue of wealth-sharing, the government and Moro Islamic Liberation Front on Saturday morning resumed their formal peace negotiations.
Amid the sticky issue of wealth-sharing, the government and Moro Islamic Liberation Front on Saturday morning resumed their formal peace negotiations.
The Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process disclosed this in a post on its Twitter account at about 10 a.m.
"The GPH and MILF peace panels just started their session today, marking the sixth day of the 38th round of formal talks," it said on its Twitter account.
It added both parties had agreed to extend the schedule of negotiations, and are "determined and hopeful to finish an annex" it added.
The issue of wealth-sharing had been a pesky one for both sides, with the MILF reportedly not keen on the government’s proposed formula.
Meanwhile, in Malacañang, deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte confirmed the peace talks resumed but would not give further details.
Valte, in an interview on government-run dzRB radio, said they cannot disclose details of the talks as they are still ongoing in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
“Ang detalye hindi pa pwede pagusapan. Ang huling update na na-receive sa kasamahan natin, kasisimula ng paguusap (We cannot discuss the details yet. But the last update we got was that the talks just resumed),” she said.
This resumption comes soon after a report that the talks between the goverment and the MILF had been extended due to disagreements on the wealth-sharing issue last Friday.
This resumption comes soon after a report that the talks between the goverment and the MILF had been extended due to disagreements on the wealth-sharing issue last Friday.
Seven dead in Mindanao as fighting mars GPH-MILF peace talks
From GMA News (Jul 13): Seven dead in Mindanao as fighting mars GPH-MILF peace talks
Fresh fighting between Philippine troops and a renegade group of Muslim rebels left seven people dead Saturday amid peace talks aimed at ending a decades-old rebellion, the military said.
Fresh fighting between Philippine troops and a renegade group of Muslim rebels left seven people dead Saturday amid peace talks aimed at ending a decades-old rebellion, the military said.
The gunmen, who oppose the main Islamic rebel group's negotiations with Manila, ambushed an army truck on the main southern island of Mindanao, regional military spokesman Colonel Dickson Hermoso said.
Two soldiers were wounded in the initial volley, but the army gave chase to the retreating gunmen and killed five of them, he said in a written report.
He said the firefight occured in Barangay Kateman, Guindulungan town in Maguindanao. The firefight, which started at about 9:15 a.m., lasted for about 15 minutes.
But the pursuit operation left two soldiers dead and four other soldiers wounded, Hermoso added.
Hermoso said the gunmen were members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters.
The group had mounted attacks in Mindanao on July 6, two days before the government resumed peace talks with the region's main rebel group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.
The earlier fighting had left five soldiers and three gunmen dead and sparked fears that it would affect the peace talks.
The military however ended its pursuit of the renegade rebel force before the talks resumed in Malaysia on Monday.
The peace talks aim to create an autonomous region for the Muslim minority in Mindanao, the southern third of the mainly Catholic nation of 100 million.
The two sides signed a preliminary deal in October outlining the broad terms for a peace treaty that would be signed by 2016.
The Kuala Lumpur talks aim to spell out revenue-sharing terms with the national government in the self-rule area.
The talks were continuing on Saturday, President Benigno Aquino's spokeswoman Abigail Valte said in an interview on government radio.
The 12,000-member MILF has waged a guerrilla war for a separate Islamic state in Mindanao since the 1970s that has claimed an estimated 150,000 lives.
The BIFF is led by Ameril Umbrakato, a Saudi Arabia-trained cleric who was expelled by the MILF in 2011 for his hardline stance against the peace talks.
IEP: Latest Update (Jul 13)
From the Islamic Emirate of the Philippines (IEP) Facebook page (Jul 13): Latest Update
Around 8AM this morning, 7-13-2013, BIFF harrassed the enemies at Brgy. Kataman, Guindulungan Municipality, Maguindanao. 4 of the AFP soldiers died, wounded are not yet confirmed.
One American owned Kennedy vehicle was destroyed.
...
Meanwhile, in Bagan, Guindulungan Municipality, Maguindanao, along the highway, the BIFF Mujahideen ambushed the enemies. 6 of the enemy soldiers were dead and 3 were seriously wounded. Booty were collected but not yet confirmed what and how many.
We have confirmed One Shaheed from among the ranks of the Mujahideen.
We will be updating the UMMAH for more Fresh and Accurate news. Insha'ALLAH
Please make Du'a for our Honorable Mujahideen and don't forget to give everything that you can give in support to The Honorable Defenders of our DEEN.
Don't forget to take part in spreading the NEWS Of the UMMAH.
Hit Like and Share, Let the Muslim know the reality of the UMMAH Today, because the Infedels are hiding the TRUTH!
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=500753053335135&set=a.272752586135184.64480.268897169854059&type=1&theater
Around 8AM this morning, 7-13-2013, BIFF harrassed the enemies at Brgy. Kataman, Guindulungan Municipality, Maguindanao. 4 of the AFP soldiers died, wounded are not yet confirmed.
One American owned Kennedy vehicle was destroyed.
...
Meanwhile, in Bagan, Guindulungan Municipality, Maguindanao, along the highway, the BIFF Mujahideen ambushed the enemies. 6 of the enemy soldiers were dead and 3 were seriously wounded. Booty were collected but not yet confirmed what and how many.
We have confirmed One Shaheed from among the ranks of the Mujahideen.
We will be updating the UMMAH for more Fresh and Accurate news. Insha'ALLAH
Please make Du'a for our Honorable Mujahideen and don't forget to give everything that you can give in support to The Honorable Defenders of our DEEN.
Don't forget to take part in spreading the NEWS Of the UMMAH.
Hit Like and Share, Let the Muslim know the reality of the UMMAH Today, because the Infedels are hiding the TRUTH!
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=500753053335135&set=a.272752586135184.64480.268897169854059&type=1&theater
BRP Ramon Alcaraz docks in Hawaii
From the Philippine News Agency (Jul 13): BRP Ramon Alcaraz docks in Hawaii
The BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PF-16) arrived inHawaii
Hawaii is the Philippines Philippines
The BRP Ramon Alcaraz leftSan Diego , California for its Hawaii
The Filipino frigate docked at San Diego, California for re-fueling and re-provisioning last June 28 after departing Charleston, South Carolina last June 10.
The distance betweenSan Diego , California to Hawaii
The BRP Ramon Alcaraz also made a brief stopover at Mayport, Florida where it successfully test fired her 76-mm Oto Melara automatic cannon and speed trials of 25 knots without any difficulty.
The ship's top speed is placed between 29 to 31 knots.
On July 2, Concepcion D. Alcaraz, the widow of Filipino naval hero Commodore Ramon Alcaraz, visited the BRP Ramon Alcaraz, the namesake ship of her husband, during its port call atSan Diego ,
California
During her visit, Mrs. Alcaraz signed copies of the book "Mrs. Alcaraz, A Biography" and "Commodore Alcaraz; First Victim of President Marcos".
She was accompanied by granddaughter Hailey Marshall and daughters Ramona and Efigenia in their short tour of the Filipino frigate.
Commodore Alcaraz gained distinction in World War II by shooting down three Japanese Zero fighters who tried to attack his ship, the Abra (Q-112), during the first months of the war.
Consul General Maria Helen de la Vega and the Filipino-American community inCalifornia
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=543827
The BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PF-16) arrived in
The BRP Ramon Alcaraz left
The Filipino frigate docked at San Diego, California for re-fueling and re-provisioning last June 28 after departing Charleston, South Carolina last June 10.
The distance between
The BRP Ramon Alcaraz also made a brief stopover at Mayport, Florida where it successfully test fired her 76-mm Oto Melara automatic cannon and speed trials of 25 knots without any difficulty.
The ship's top speed is placed between 29 to 31 knots.
On July 2, Concepcion D. Alcaraz, the widow of Filipino naval hero Commodore Ramon Alcaraz, visited the BRP Ramon Alcaraz, the namesake ship of her husband, during its port call at
During her visit, Mrs. Alcaraz signed copies of the book "Mrs. Alcaraz, A Biography" and "Commodore Alcaraz; First Victim of President Marcos".
She was accompanied by granddaughter Hailey Marshall and daughters Ramona and Efigenia in their short tour of the Filipino frigate.
Commodore Alcaraz gained distinction in World War II by shooting down three Japanese Zero fighters who tried to attack his ship, the Abra (Q-112), during the first months of the war.
Consul General Maria Helen de la Vega and the Filipino-American community in
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=543827
Palace: PHL, US share view on resolving territorial row with China
From the Philippine News Agency (Jul 13): Palace: PHL, US share view on resolving territorial row with China
The recent statement of US President Barack Obama warningChina to refrain from using force or
intimidation to resolve the maritime disputes in the West
Philippine Sea is consistent with the Philippine government’s
position, a Palace official said Saturday.
Meeting Chinese officials inWashington
this week, Obama warned China
In a radio interview over dzRB Radyo ng Bayan on Saturday, Deputy Presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said she can’t predict how Obama’s statement will influence other countries in settling the dispute in theWest Philippine Sea .
But since the country brought the issue to international arbitration, Valte said there are a number of countries and institutions that have expressed support for the Philippine position.
“In the sense that we’ve taken it, we’ve gone through diplomatic channels, we’ve gone through the correct venue for the settlement of disputes such as this, and we’ve always advocated for a peaceful resolution,” she said.
“So we’ve received widespread support on the position that the country has chosen to take.”
The Philippine government has maintained that any maritime dispute in theWest Philippine Sea should be resolved under a
rules-based regime of the international law.
ThePhilippines and Vietnam charged that China
has used assertive means to exert claims in the West
Philippine Sea .
ThePhilippines said it
is contemplating on the possibility of allowing its allies, particularly the US
While saying it’s not taking sides, theUS
has said since 2010 that its national interest is ensuring freedom of
navigation in the West Philippine Sea .
Considering the ongoing tensions, theUS
has boosted military cooperation with Japan
and the Philippines as well
as with former war adversary Vietnam
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=&sid=&nid=&rid=543881
The recent statement of US President Barack Obama warning
Meeting Chinese officials in
In a radio interview over dzRB Radyo ng Bayan on Saturday, Deputy Presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said she can’t predict how Obama’s statement will influence other countries in settling the dispute in the
But since the country brought the issue to international arbitration, Valte said there are a number of countries and institutions that have expressed support for the Philippine position.
“In the sense that we’ve taken it, we’ve gone through diplomatic channels, we’ve gone through the correct venue for the settlement of disputes such as this, and we’ve always advocated for a peaceful resolution,” she said.
“So we’ve received widespread support on the position that the country has chosen to take.”
The Philippine government has maintained that any maritime dispute in the
The
The
While saying it’s not taking sides, the
Considering the ongoing tensions, the
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=&sid=&nid=&rid=543881
2 abducted women rescued, 2 captors arrested in Southern Philippines
From the Mindanao Examiner blog (Jul 13): 2 abducted women rescued, 2 captors arrested in Southern Philippines
Brig. Gen. Felicito Virgilio Trinidad, commander of the 1st Infantry Division
Security forces rescued two abducted women and arrested their two captors in Iligan City in the southern Philippines, army officials said Saturday.
Captain Jefferson Somera, a spokesman for the 1st Infantry Division, said the hostages - Kathlyn Jane Dapol and Jingle Bation Rebosora - were reunited with their families following Friday’s rescue at a road block put up by authorities along the highway in Iligan City.
He said the abductors, Mark Rebosora, 28, and Rogelio Bation, 60, were handed over to the police and are facing criminal charges. He said the abduction stemmed from a family feud.
Somera said the two men snatched the women while they were walking near an army base and dragged the duo to a waiting car that was eventually intercepted by soldiers at the road block.
“The timely intelligence information helped in the operation that led to the rescue of the two victims,” he said.
Brig. Gen. Felicito Virgilio Trinidad, commander of the 1st Infantry Division, lauded the rescue of the women and commended the troops and policemen involved in the joint operation.
“In time of needs, our people always look upon us to help them. Because they know that they are the reason why we are here and I applaud you for this successful operation, we helped and never failed them,” Trinidad told the soldiers, who are members of the 4th Mechanized Battalion, and the local police force.
http://mindanaoexaminer.blogspot.com/2013/07/2-abducted-women-rescued-2-captors.html
Brig. Gen. Felicito Virgilio Trinidad, commander of the 1st Infantry Division
Security forces rescued two abducted women and arrested their two captors in Iligan City in the southern Philippines, army officials said Saturday.
Captain Jefferson Somera, a spokesman for the 1st Infantry Division, said the hostages - Kathlyn Jane Dapol and Jingle Bation Rebosora - were reunited with their families following Friday’s rescue at a road block put up by authorities along the highway in Iligan City.
He said the abductors, Mark Rebosora, 28, and Rogelio Bation, 60, were handed over to the police and are facing criminal charges. He said the abduction stemmed from a family feud.
Somera said the two men snatched the women while they were walking near an army base and dragged the duo to a waiting car that was eventually intercepted by soldiers at the road block.
“The timely intelligence information helped in the operation that led to the rescue of the two victims,” he said.
Brig. Gen. Felicito Virgilio Trinidad, commander of the 1st Infantry Division, lauded the rescue of the women and commended the troops and policemen involved in the joint operation.
“In time of needs, our people always look upon us to help them. Because they know that they are the reason why we are here and I applaud you for this successful operation, we helped and never failed them,” Trinidad told the soldiers, who are members of the 4th Mechanized Battalion, and the local police force.
http://mindanaoexaminer.blogspot.com/2013/07/2-abducted-women-rescued-2-captors.html
Moro rebels ambush army truck in Southern Philippines
From the Mindanao Examiner blog (Jul 13): Moro rebels ambush army truck in Southern Philippines
At least 7 Moro rebels and soldiers were killed and 4 more wounded in fierce fighting on Saturday in the southern Philippines, the army said.
It said rebels attacked soldiers travelling in a truck on a highway in Guidulungan town in Maguindanao province. The ambush sparked a fire fight between troops from the 2nd Mechanized Battalion and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters.
The Western Mindanao Command which has jurisdiction over military forces in Maguindanao issued no statement about the fighting.
Col. Dickson Hermoso, a spokesman for the 6th Infantry Division, has confirmed the fighting and said the clash lasted about 15 minutes.
Hermoso, quoting army reports, said 5 rebels were killed in the clash and that soldiers recovered the bodies of the slain gunmen.
“The slain soldiers and the wounded are now in Camp Siongco Station Hospital in 6th Infantry Division. Their names are withheld (from the public) pending notification of their next of kin,” he told the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner.
He said troops were pursuing the BIFF gunmen who had clashed earlier this month with military forces in Maguindanao and North Cotabato provinces.
The BIFF is led by Ameril Umra Kato, a former leader of the larger Moro Islamic Liberation Front, which is currently negotiating peace with Manila.
Kato broke away with the MILF after accusing its chieftain Murad Ebrahim of abandoning their secessionist war in Mindanao, and formed his own group which is composed of mostly MILF rebels.
http://mindanaoexaminer.blogspot.com/2013/07/moro-rebels-ambush-army-truck-in.html
At least 7 Moro rebels and soldiers were killed and 4 more wounded in fierce fighting on Saturday in the southern Philippines, the army said.
It said rebels attacked soldiers travelling in a truck on a highway in Guidulungan town in Maguindanao province. The ambush sparked a fire fight between troops from the 2nd Mechanized Battalion and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters.
The Western Mindanao Command which has jurisdiction over military forces in Maguindanao issued no statement about the fighting.
Col. Dickson Hermoso, a spokesman for the 6th Infantry Division, has confirmed the fighting and said the clash lasted about 15 minutes.
Hermoso, quoting army reports, said 5 rebels were killed in the clash and that soldiers recovered the bodies of the slain gunmen.
“The slain soldiers and the wounded are now in Camp Siongco Station Hospital in 6th Infantry Division. Their names are withheld (from the public) pending notification of their next of kin,” he told the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner.
He said troops were pursuing the BIFF gunmen who had clashed earlier this month with military forces in Maguindanao and North Cotabato provinces.
The BIFF is led by Ameril Umra Kato, a former leader of the larger Moro Islamic Liberation Front, which is currently negotiating peace with Manila.
Kato broke away with the MILF after accusing its chieftain Murad Ebrahim of abandoning their secessionist war in Mindanao, and formed his own group which is composed of mostly MILF rebels.
http://mindanaoexaminer.blogspot.com/2013/07/moro-rebels-ambush-army-truck-in.html
Friday, July 12, 2013
U.S. Seeks Expanded Role for Military in Philippines
From the New York Times (Jul 12): U.S. Seeks Expanded Role for Military in Philippines
The negotiations for increased military access come amid simmering tensions between the Philippines and China over areas in the South China Sea claimed by both countries and moves by the United States to ensure it retains influence in the region even as China’s grows.
The Philippines, which has a small navy and air force, has been relying on support from the United States, a close ally, to modernize its military and upgrade its abilities. Part of this relationship has involved regular short-term visits by American military forces for joint training, humanitarian work and disaster response.
The arrangement under negotiation now would allow American forces to visit for longer periods and be stationed on Philippine military bases.
On Thursday, Adm. Samuel J. Locklear III, the head of the Pacific Command, said the United States was looking for access that would enable it to help the Philippines in its defense as well as to aid in responding to disasters. The admiral, who was responding to questions at a news conference, reiterated stated American policy that it would not reopen bases in the Philippines.
The United States maintained large military bases in the Philippines for nearly a century to counter imperial Japan’s expansion before World War II and, later, to ensure a regional presence in the cold war. But in 1992, the last American base in the country closed after street protests against what some saw as a painful reminder of decades of American rule, and a decision by the Philippine Senate to discontinue the American military presence.
But the presence of United States military forces in the Philippines remains controversial.
Raul Hernandez, a spokesman for the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs, reiterated that no new American bases were planned and said any new agreement would be in line with the Philippine Constitution. He said the discussions with the United States involved the use of “rotational” forces.
“We continue to talk and refine with the United States the modalities and parameters for increased rotational presence of United States forces in the Philippines,” he said.
James Hardy, Asia-Pacific editor for IHS Jane’s Defense Weekly, said a likely model for the use of such forces in the Philippines was the Joint Special Operations Task Force Philippines, a contingent of about 500 members of the United States military who come from various branches.
The task force, which focuses on counterterrorism, has been based on a Philippine military base in the southern Philippines since 2002 in a facility that is officially considered temporary.
The United States has also used its former naval base in Subic Bay for ship visits.
Subic Bay is a special economic zone catering to private investors. Last year a subsidiary of the United States defense contractor Huntington Ingalls Industries set up operation for the stated purpose of servicing United States Navy ships, suggesting to some that the American presence in the area would grow.
Mr. Hardy said the American military’s use of Subic and the rotational presence model used in the southern Philippines were both indications of what an American presence in the Philippines might look like.
“Certainly the buildup in Subic by companies that expect to support the U.S. military suggests an expectation that this is going to be a semipermanent presence,” he said.
Karapatan, NUPL hit Army chief
From the Visayan Daily Star (Jul 12): Karapatan, NUPL hit Army chief
Army chief Lt. Gen. Noel Coballes got the ire of human rights group Karapatan and the National Union of People’s Lawyers, for allegedly calling them “enemies”.
By calling Karapatan its enemy, the Armed Forces of the Philippines justified that the victims of human rights violations are also its enemies, its secretary general, Cristina Palabay, said in a statement they issued.
The NUPL, whose lawyer members are pro-bono counsels to the Morong 43, also said in a statement that the act of military tagging legal organizations as “enemies” is in open violation of the UN Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers and even the Philippine Code of Professional Responsibility.
Karapatan and NUPL had earlier slammed the AFP leadership for designating Brig. Gen. Aurelio Baladad as commanding general of the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division, that is in charge of the internal security operations in Negros and Panay island.
Coballes who came to the rescue of Baladad, was quoted in media interviews as saying, “ You don’t expect any positive statement from the enemy.
As commander of the 202nd Infantry Brigade, Baladad, was linked to the illegal detention and alleged torture of 43 health workers known as the Morong 43.
Karapatan called the appointment an "exemplary display of impunity under the Aquino government."
Karapatan claimed to have documented 142 cases of extrajudicial killings and 164 of frustrated killing; 16 incidents of enforced disappearance; 76 cases of torture; 293 cases of illegal arrest and detention.
The change of 3ID command from Brig. Gen. Jonas Sumagaysay, its general-officer-in-charge, to Baladad has been reset from July 12 to July 16, with Coballes as the expected guest of honor and speaker.
http://www.visayandailystar.com/2013/July/12/topstory10.htm
Army chief Lt. Gen. Noel Coballes got the ire of human rights group Karapatan and the National Union of People’s Lawyers, for allegedly calling them “enemies”.
By calling Karapatan its enemy, the Armed Forces of the Philippines justified that the victims of human rights violations are also its enemies, its secretary general, Cristina Palabay, said in a statement they issued.
The NUPL, whose lawyer members are pro-bono counsels to the Morong 43, also said in a statement that the act of military tagging legal organizations as “enemies” is in open violation of the UN Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers and even the Philippine Code of Professional Responsibility.
Karapatan and NUPL had earlier slammed the AFP leadership for designating Brig. Gen. Aurelio Baladad as commanding general of the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division, that is in charge of the internal security operations in Negros and Panay island.
Coballes who came to the rescue of Baladad, was quoted in media interviews as saying, “ You don’t expect any positive statement from the enemy.
As commander of the 202nd Infantry Brigade, Baladad, was linked to the illegal detention and alleged torture of 43 health workers known as the Morong 43.
Karapatan called the appointment an "exemplary display of impunity under the Aquino government."
Karapatan claimed to have documented 142 cases of extrajudicial killings and 164 of frustrated killing; 16 incidents of enforced disappearance; 76 cases of torture; 293 cases of illegal arrest and detention.
The change of 3ID command from Brig. Gen. Jonas Sumagaysay, its general-officer-in-charge, to Baladad has been reset from July 12 to July 16, with Coballes as the expected guest of honor and speaker.
http://www.visayandailystar.com/2013/July/12/topstory10.htm
AFP seeks NPA's supplier of AK-47s
From the Philippine Star (Jul 12): AFP seeks NPA's supplier of AK-47s
The Armed Forces of the Philippines has launched intensive intelligence gathering to identify the AK-47 rifle suppliers of the New People's Army (NPA).
The military said that the investigation was launched after a series of AK-47 recoveries after encounters between its troops and the rebels in Mindanao.
Lt. Gen. Ricardo Rainier Cruz III, Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom) commander, said that they are now coordinating with the Philippine National Police-Firearms and Explosive Division (PNP-FED) to trace the source of the communist-made assault rifles.
“We are conducting our own study but parallel with our efforts, we are coordinating with the PNP-FED because some of the AK47s we have recovered have defaced serial numbers,” Cruz said, adding that they more than a dozen communist rifles are in military custody.
Field military commanders leading the charge against the communist insurgents operating in Northern Mindanao and in Davao Region have also expressed their concern over recoveries of AK-47s in the field.
“Most of these rebels are now armed with AK-47s. And we don’t know where these foreign-made assault rifles are coming from,” one Army field commander, earlier told The Star.
The Army field commander said that in an encounter with rebels in Davao, troops were able to recover six brand-new AK-47 rifles.
“Naka-plastic pa ang nga handles. Mga bagong dating. Saan galing at sino ang nag-supply, 'yan ang inaalam pa namin," he said.
The Army commander said the last information the military had was that the NPA has stopped using AK-47 rifles in their decades-old fight against government because of bullet and spareparts supply problem.
First developed and manufactured in Russia during World War II, AK-47s or Kalaniskovs, named after its inventor Mikhail Kalashnikov, was later replicated and mass-produced by China.
The selective-fire gas-operated 7.63 assault rifle has become standard-issue of China’s military as well several other communist states.
Relatedly, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Emmanuel Bautista has gathered his top military commanders in Camp Aguinaldo, including Cruz, for a mid-year assessment on gains of its Oplan Bayanihan anti-insurgency campaign nationwide.
Bautista, in the presence of his area commanders, vowed to defeat the rebels, whose number has already gone down to only 4,000 nationwide, within a three-year period.
http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2013/07/12/964721/afp-seeks-npas-supplier-ak-47s
The Armed Forces of the Philippines has launched intensive intelligence gathering to identify the AK-47 rifle suppliers of the New People's Army (NPA).
The military said that the investigation was launched after a series of AK-47 recoveries after encounters between its troops and the rebels in Mindanao.
Lt. Gen. Ricardo Rainier Cruz III, Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom) commander, said that they are now coordinating with the Philippine National Police-Firearms and Explosive Division (PNP-FED) to trace the source of the communist-made assault rifles.
“We are conducting our own study but parallel with our efforts, we are coordinating with the PNP-FED because some of the AK47s we have recovered have defaced serial numbers,” Cruz said, adding that they more than a dozen communist rifles are in military custody.
Field military commanders leading the charge against the communist insurgents operating in Northern Mindanao and in Davao Region have also expressed their concern over recoveries of AK-47s in the field.
“Most of these rebels are now armed with AK-47s. And we don’t know where these foreign-made assault rifles are coming from,” one Army field commander, earlier told The Star.
The Army field commander said that in an encounter with rebels in Davao, troops were able to recover six brand-new AK-47 rifles.
“Naka-plastic pa ang nga handles. Mga bagong dating. Saan galing at sino ang nag-supply, 'yan ang inaalam pa namin," he said.
The Army commander said the last information the military had was that the NPA has stopped using AK-47 rifles in their decades-old fight against government because of bullet and spareparts supply problem.
First developed and manufactured in Russia during World War II, AK-47s or Kalaniskovs, named after its inventor Mikhail Kalashnikov, was later replicated and mass-produced by China.
The selective-fire gas-operated 7.63 assault rifle has become standard-issue of China’s military as well several other communist states.
Relatedly, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Emmanuel Bautista has gathered his top military commanders in Camp Aguinaldo, including Cruz, for a mid-year assessment on gains of its Oplan Bayanihan anti-insurgency campaign nationwide.
Bautista, in the presence of his area commanders, vowed to defeat the rebels, whose number has already gone down to only 4,000 nationwide, within a three-year period.
http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2013/07/12/964721/afp-seeks-npas-supplier-ak-47s
Muslim evacuees fear BIFF atrocities, reluctant to return home
From the Philippine Star (Jul 12): Muslim evacuees fear BIFF atrocities, reluctant to return home
Some 2,000 Muslim evacuees displaced by last week's rampage of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) are reluctant to return to their homes due to mounting threats of renewed harassments from the bandit group.
BIFF bandits have still been sporadically attacking Army detachments in Central Mindanao, in what local executives said were attempts “to get even” for their heavy losses in engagements with government forces last week at the border of Maguindanao’s adjoining Datu Piang and Saidona towns, and in Pikit and Midsayap towns in North Cotabato province.
“We are safer here in the evacuation centers. Here, we can observe Ramadan peacefully, pray five times a day without fear of getting caught in any crossfire,” a mother of three, Saripa Kamid, 29, said in the Maguindanaon dialect.
Kamid and members of her family are among the evacuees now confined in squalid makeshift relief sites scattered at the town proper of Datu Piang.
The evacuees are aware that since the BIFF does not recognize the July 1997 Agreement on General Cessation of Hostilities between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, it can carry out attacks at will.
The bandit group is led by clerics, some of them graduate of secular schools in the Middle East and Pakistan, who are known for their extreme interpretation of the Qur’an and their ruthless enforcement of a Taliban-style justice system in areas where they operate.
Social workers from the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, led by regional Vice Gov. Haroun Al-Rashid Lucman, found out during the distribution of relief goods on Thursday to evacuees in Datu Piang that the beleaguered villagers are afraid of returning to their homes for fear of their lives.
A 34-year-old farmer, who asked to be identified only as Mohaimen, said he and his relatives are certain that BIFF bandits will continue the harassments in retaliation for the casualties their group incurred during last week's clashes.
Lucman, who is also the ARMM’s concurrent social welfare secretary, said he is optimistic normalcy will start setting in while Muslims in the province are observing the Ramadan, which started July 10.
“We need peace during this season. We have to let our people fast and pray during the Ramadan in an atmosphere of tranquility, amity and fraternalism,” Lucman told reporters.
Muslims fast from dawn to dusk during the Ramadan, which lasts for one lunar cycle or about 28 to 29 days, is a religious obligation and a means of strengthening self-restraint to achieve spiritual perfection.
Security in the province remains tight to stave off any maneuver by the BIFF that can dislocate more innocent Moro villagers, according Major Gen. Romeo Gapuz, commander of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division.
Local executives in Maguindanao said the BIFF is known for its propensity to use civilians as “human shields” to forestall counter-attacks by the military and police.
http://www.philstar.com/nation/2013/07/12/964662/muslim-evacuees-fear-biff-atrocities-reluctant-return-home
Some 2,000 Muslim evacuees displaced by last week's rampage of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) are reluctant to return to their homes due to mounting threats of renewed harassments from the bandit group.
BIFF bandits have still been sporadically attacking Army detachments in Central Mindanao, in what local executives said were attempts “to get even” for their heavy losses in engagements with government forces last week at the border of Maguindanao’s adjoining Datu Piang and Saidona towns, and in Pikit and Midsayap towns in North Cotabato province.
“We are safer here in the evacuation centers. Here, we can observe Ramadan peacefully, pray five times a day without fear of getting caught in any crossfire,” a mother of three, Saripa Kamid, 29, said in the Maguindanaon dialect.
Kamid and members of her family are among the evacuees now confined in squalid makeshift relief sites scattered at the town proper of Datu Piang.
The evacuees are aware that since the BIFF does not recognize the July 1997 Agreement on General Cessation of Hostilities between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, it can carry out attacks at will.
The bandit group is led by clerics, some of them graduate of secular schools in the Middle East and Pakistan, who are known for their extreme interpretation of the Qur’an and their ruthless enforcement of a Taliban-style justice system in areas where they operate.
Social workers from the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, led by regional Vice Gov. Haroun Al-Rashid Lucman, found out during the distribution of relief goods on Thursday to evacuees in Datu Piang that the beleaguered villagers are afraid of returning to their homes for fear of their lives.
A 34-year-old farmer, who asked to be identified only as Mohaimen, said he and his relatives are certain that BIFF bandits will continue the harassments in retaliation for the casualties their group incurred during last week's clashes.
Lucman, who is also the ARMM’s concurrent social welfare secretary, said he is optimistic normalcy will start setting in while Muslims in the province are observing the Ramadan, which started July 10.
“We need peace during this season. We have to let our people fast and pray during the Ramadan in an atmosphere of tranquility, amity and fraternalism,” Lucman told reporters.
Muslims fast from dawn to dusk during the Ramadan, which lasts for one lunar cycle or about 28 to 29 days, is a religious obligation and a means of strengthening self-restraint to achieve spiritual perfection.
Security in the province remains tight to stave off any maneuver by the BIFF that can dislocate more innocent Moro villagers, according Major Gen. Romeo Gapuz, commander of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division.
Local executives in Maguindanao said the BIFF is known for its propensity to use civilians as “human shields” to forestall counter-attacks by the military and police.
http://www.philstar.com/nation/2013/07/12/964662/muslim-evacuees-fear-biff-atrocities-reluctant-return-home
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