1 dead, as Army and NPAs clash in Caraga

From the Philippine News Agency (Jan 30): 1 dead, as Army and NPAs clash in Caraga

A New People's Army (NPA) member died, while an improvised explosive device (IED) and two high caliber firearms were recovered by the government troops in two separate clashes between soldiers and the rebels here in Caraga region Wednesday and Thursday.

Report from 1 Lt. Joe Patrick A. Martinez, commanding officer of the Philippine Army's 42nd Civil-Military Operations Company, 4ID, said that Army troops under the command of Lt. Col. Adonis Ariel G. Orio of the 29th Infantry Battalion, conveyed that his troops encountered some 20 rebels in Sitio Camarin, Barangay Tagmamarkay, Tubay Agusan del Norte at 8:45 a.m. Thursday.

Reports said that a concerned civilian tipped off the soldiers on the location of the NPAs in their area.

Lt. Col. Orio, upon receiving the report, dispatched a team to proceed to the said area. While on their way to the said place, the Army troops were fired upon by the NPAs, "who were unmindful of the civilians in the vicinity."

This accordingly caused the soldiers to maneuver to a place which will keep the civilians away from the crossfire. A twenty-minute firefight accordingly ensued, after which the NPAs withdrew to some unknown directions.

The government forces overrun the place where the NPAs had positioned themselves and recovered an Ak 47, an improvised explosive device (IED) and three backpacks containing personal belongings and some subversive documents.

Bloody tracks were also observed by the pursuing troopers at the encounter site where the rebels had positioned themselves. "Using IEDs and employing indiscriminate strafing are violations of the provisions under Art. 2, Sec. 15 of the Comprehensive Agreement On Respect Of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL). Because of this, the people in the area are living in fear (of the rebels)," Martinez quoted Lt. Col. Orio as saying during his interview with the official.

"The recent clash tells us again that violence is not the solution to whatever problems that NPAs have. This is a lose-lose situation when another Filipino loses his life in this nonsense fight," said Lt. Col. Orio as quoted by Martinez.

Martinez also said that the 29th IB chief has called on the rebels to bring to the nearest hospital their wounded comrades for immediate medical attention and even offered the medical facilities of the nearby Army camps "so that their wounded can be saved from their gunshot wounds," Orio accordingly said.

Meanwhile, a rebel was killed and an M14 rifle was recovered in a separate Army and NPA encounter at a hinterland village in Tandag City in Surigao del Sur 11:55 a.m. Wednesday.

Surigao del Sur Police reports that Philippine Army Scout Platoon under 1Lt. Jude Ken Roche, while on a combat operation encountered an undetermined number of the rebels in the vicinity of Carbon, Maitum, Tandag City.

A 25-minute firefight ensued, where the enemies withdrew towards the southern direction after pursued by the government troopers. The pursuing troops recovered the body of a dead rebel and an M14 rifle.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=611136

AFP: 3 more BIFF members killed as clashes continue in Maguindanao; GPH urges BIFF to join mainstream

From the Philippine News Agency (Jan 30): AFP: 3 more BIFF members killed as clashes continue in Maguindanao; GPH urges BIFF to join mainstream

The military here said three more Moro bandits were killed while six soldiers were wounded in Datu Piang, Maguindanao as skirmishes between members of the outlawed Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and government forces entered the fourth day Thursday.

Three more government forces were wounded, raising the number of injured government troops to 13, according to Colonel Dickson Hermoso, 6th Infantry Division spokesperson.

“Based on the information provided by the local government officials that 40 BIFF bandits were killed since last Monday," Hermoso said.

"Last Wednesday, there were 37 casualties on the side of the BIFF and by 6:30 a.m on 30th of January, three more bandits were killed," Hermoso added.

Local officials in Datu Piang, Shariff Saidona, Mamasapano and Rajah Buayan towns, all in the second district of Maguindanao, said 14 BIFF bandits have also been wounded in the ensuing firefights.

Twelve of the wounded bandits were evacuated by their companions to a marshy area at the border of the neighboring Maguindanao and Sultan Kudarat provinces, Hermoso said.

Relief officials of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) said more than 11,000 villagers have been displaced in four Maguindanao towns.

Workers for the Humanitarian Emergency Assistance and Relief Team (HEART) of ARMM have been distributing relief goods and food stuff to evacuation centers in Datu Piang, Shariff Saydona, Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Mamasapano and Raja Buayan, all in Maguindanao.

“The fighting has slowed down Thursday as the BIFF had been contained in one marshy area of Barangay Ganta, Datu Piang,” Hermoso said.

Hermoso earlier announced Wednesday that the punitive action against BIFF was scheduled to end by Friday morning. He said only two civilians, a pregnant mother and a girl, were wounded in a bomb attack by the BIFF at a public terminal in Datu Piang.

Chief government negotiator Professor Miriam Ferrer-Coronel, issued a statement Thursday, condemning atrocities by the BIFF while peace negotiations were ongoing in Malaysia.

She said for the past nine months, the BIFFs have harassed soldiers and terrorized local communities. The rebels planted roadside bombs, sniped at soldiers, took school teachers as hostages, and in one instance, even beheaded a civilian captive. A few days ago, in the midst of the fighting, they commandeered a private vehicle and forcibly used it as a roadblock.

"The ongoing military operations are geared at degrading the BIFF’s capability to continue to cause harm to the government forces, civilians and the peace process," Ferrer said in a statement.

Ferrer said that prior to the conduct of the operations, the ceasefire mechanisms of the GPH and the MILF have ensured the safety of civilians in surrounding areas. Relief provisions have been on standby to meet the basic needs of those who have been temporarily displaced.

She said the government and the MILF have taken the necessary steps to ensure that the operations will not spill over to involve MILF combatants or cause unnecessary or prolonged hardship to civilians. The MILF is assisting in the operations by helping the government contain the movements of the BIFF.

"We call on the members and the leaders of the BIFF to put down their arms and be part of the process. We ask them to listen to the plea of their own brothers and sisters to give peace a chance," Ferrer said, adding that the government is ready to receive those who would like to silence their guns and "participate in the different programs we will be undertaking as part of the implementation of the peace agreements."

"We know that BIFF members can also contact supporters or local ground commanders of the MILF who could facilitate their return to normal lives. These and other avenues are open for those among the BIFF who are ready to join us in our peace efforts," the government chief negotiator said.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=611205

All pilots, flight crews of PN's AW-109 now ready

From the Philippine News Agency (Jan 30): All pilots, flight crews of PN's AW-109 now ready

The pilots and flight crews of the Navy's two attack AgustaWestland AW-109 "Power" helicopters have already completed their flight and maintenance training and are ready to handle the aircraft.

Philippine Navy (PN) spokesperson Lt. Cmdr. Gregory Fabic Thursday said these individuals were among the Navy personnel sent in three batches to train in Cesto Calende, Italy last year.

"All training for the pilots and crew of the five AW-109s are already completed," the PN spokesperson stressed.

The Navy last December received and commissioned into service three of the five AW-109s it had ordered.

The remaining two, which are the attack versions, is expected to be delivered by third quarter of this year.

Fabic said that weapon systems training for their attack helicopters will be determined at a later date.

"The only training left (for the crewmen of the two attack AW-109s) will be on the operation of the armament/weapon system," he stated.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=610939

Army tells wounded BIFF men to surrender

From the Philippine News Agency (Jan 30): Army tells wounded BIFF men to surrender

Saying that they will be given adequate medical care and treatment, the Maguindanao-based 6th Infantry Division on Thursday is urging all wounded Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) to surrender immediately.

"We are calling to them (wounded BIFF) to surrender so that their wounds can be adequately treated in hospitals," 6th Infantry Division spokesperson Col. Dickson Hermoso said.

He added that their troopers have seen newly-unearthed graves, possibly of BIFF men killed in the fighting but did not dig it anew to avoid offending cultural sensitivities of our Muslim brothers.

As of this posting, around 40 brigands were killed while government forces sustained one dead and 12 wounded.

Hermoso added that cordoning units have already captured BIFF facilities in Barangays Ganta and Bakat in Shariff Saydona Mustapha town in Maguindanao. These includes headquarters, training centers, and facilities for making improvised explosive devices.

And instead of releasing reports to the media of their willingness to negotiate with the government, the 6th Infantry Division spokesperson urged the BIFF to surrender and answer for their war crimes.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=610972

6ID Spokesperson assures more than sufficient troops at hand to deal with BIFF

From the Philippine News Agency (Jan 30): 6ID Spokesperson assures more than sufficient troops at hand to deal with BIFF

Col. Dickson Hermoso, spokesperson of the Maguindanao-based 6th Infantry Division, said there are more than sufficient troops at hand to deal with the remaining "Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters" (BIFF) brigands in their area-of-operations.

The 601st Infantry Brigade is the sole military unit conducting operations against the bandits.

He added that there is no need to reinforce this outfit as it is more than enough for the task at hand which consists of blocking and pursuit operations against the BIFF.

The 601st Infantry Brigade is a field unit of the 6th Infantry Division. It is composed of three battalions or roughy equivalent to 2,000 officers and enlisted personnel.

Hermoso said that as of Thursday, no heavy fighting has taken place between military and BIFF members aside from the sporadic exchange of gunfire in Barangays Bakat and Ganta, Sharif Saydona Mustapha and Barangay Dambalas in Datung Piang, all in Maguindanao.

The 6th Infantry Division spokesperson added that the only difficulty being experienced in this campaign is the terrain which is swampy and hilly at the same time.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=611079

VP Binay orders NHA to ensure quality of AFP/PNP housing

From the Philippine News Agency (Jan 30): VP Binay orders NHA to ensure quality of AFP/PNP housing

Vice President Jejomar Binay on Thursday reminded the National Housing Authority (NHA) to ensure the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) housing projects are not substandard before they are turned over to intended beneficiaries.

Binay issued the directive after he received a report that some units in the AFP/PNP housing project in Pagadian, Zamboanga del Sur are substandard.

He also clarified that the NHA has yet to turn over the housing units in Pagadian because they still need to go through final inspections before they are given to the beneficiaries.

"The AFP/PNP Housing project in Pagadian is not yet complete. We need to finish all the units first before we turn them over to the beneficiaries,” Binay told reporters in an interview.

He also said that out of 1,300 housing units, the NHA found only six substandard housing units in Pagadian.

“We have inspected the units constructed in the AFP/PNP housing project in Pagadian and found that only six units have problems,” he pointed out.

“We saw that the technology used in the units were not up to standard so we will demolish and rebuild them,” he added.

In April 2011, President Benigno Aquino III signed Administrative Order No. 9 creating the AFP/PNP Housing Project. The AO mandated the NHA to implement and manage housing projects for more than 260,000 military and police personnel which was also expanded to include other units of the AFP and PNP.

Each house is a two storey unit designed in row houses constructed in a 40 square meter lot and worth some P140,000 each. The selected beneficiary will have to pay P200 per month for the first five years and the remaining 30 years of payment will be computed with a compounded interest method to produce equally affordable amortization ranging from P400 to P800 only.

Phase 1 of the AFP/PNP Housing Project was already completed in 2011. Some 8,000 units were constructed in Bulacan for military and police personnel in Northern Luzon, 8,000 in Cavite and Laguna for Southern Luzon, and another 5,000 in Rizal.

The NHA continues to implement Phase II of the AFP/PNP Housing Project though the development of 30 projects across the country, which generated 20,680 units. To date, 29,810 units are under various stages of completion for Phase II of the project.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=611124

President Aquino receives Malaysian facilitator in Malacanang

From the Philippine News Agency (Jan 30): President Aquino receives Malaysian facilitator in Malacanang

President Benigno S. Aquino III received Malaysian facilitator Tengku Dato Ab Ghafar Tengku Mohamed in a courtesy call on Thursday following the signing of the final annex on the framework agreement on the Bangsamoro between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) last weekend.

Tengku served as the facilitator of the peace negotiation from 2001 to 2002 and from April 2011 until today.

Also present during the event were Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda, Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr., government peace panel head Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, peace adviser Teresita Deles, and foreign affairs Undersecretary Jesus Yabes.

After meeting Tenku, the President also met the members of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission.

Among those present were: MILF peace negotiator Mohagher Iqbal, Bangsamoro Transition Commission members Melanio Ulama, Asami Tamang, Said Shiek, Fatmawati Salappudin, Akmad Sakkam, Hussein Munoz, Froilyn Mendoza, Raissa Jajurie, Pedrito Eisma, Abdulla Camlian, Talib Benito, Robert Alonto, and Ibrahim Ali.

Other officials present were Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, Secretary Edwin Lacierda, Prof. Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, Defense Undersecretary Fernando Manalo, and Interior and Local Government Undersecretary Rafael Santos.

Government peace panel members Senen Bacani and Yasmin Busran-Lao were also present.

Last week, the President welcomed the signing of the final annex of the peace agreement, the annex on normalization that will pave the way for the crafting of a comprehensive agreement on the Bangsamoro.

With the signing of the final annex, the government will now focus on crafting the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law that will be submitted to Congress. The measure will then be subjected to a plebiscite.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=611152

AFP, PNP follow rules of engagement in measures vs. BIFF --Palace

From the Philippine News Agency (Jan 30): AFP, PNP follow rules of engagement in measures vs. BIFF --Palace

As the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Philippine National Police (PNP) continue to track down members of Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), Malacanang assured Thursday that rules of engagement will be followed.

A splinter group of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), BIFF earlier wreaked havoc in Maguindanao following the signing of a peace annex between the MILF and the government.

The annex is seen to pave the way for a comprehensive peace agreement, which in turn is expected to lead to the establishment of a Bangsamoro political entity.

Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr., in a Palace briefing, said that the objective was to keep the BIFF from intruding and nothing more.

He added that both the military and the police will do their best to make sure that they do not act indiscriminately against BIFF members. .

“We have to understand that the top concern of the AFP and PNP is to ensure the safety of our people," Coloma said in Filipino.

“We can be sure all the movements of our law enforcement agencies follow those principles," he stresed.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=611126

U.S. guided missile cruiser to visit Cebu Friday

From the Philippine News Agency (Jan 39): U.S. guided missile cruiser to visit Cebu Friday

The USS Shiloh (CG-67), a Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser, will arrive in Cebu City on Friday for a routine port call.

This visit highlights the strong historic, community, and military connections between the United States and the Philippines.

The port call will allow the ship to replenish supplies as well as give the crew an opportunity for rest and relaxation.

While in Cebu the sailors of the USS Shiloh will participate in mangrove planting this coming Feb. 1, at 6 a.m. in Sitio Lubi, Barangay Canjulao, Lapu-Lapu City, Mactan.

The USS Shiloh is part of the U.S. Pacific Fleet and is homeported in Yokosuka, Japan.

The ship is commanded by Capt. Kurush F. Morris and crewed by approximately 390 sailors, of whom 90 are Filipino-American.

The ship is named after the Battle of Shiloh in the American Civil War.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=611169

Child rights group slams AFP 'occupation' of Compostela Valley School

From InterAksyon (Jan 30): Child rights group slams AFP 'occupation' of Compostela Valley School



A photo by Human Rights Watch shows a military detachment set up inside a school

An organization that provides support to children in situations of armed conflict has accused the military of “occupying” a tribal school in Compostela Valley and harassing members of the community.

The accusation leveled by the Children’s Rehabilitation Center against the Army’s 25th Infantry Battalion came a day after Kabataan party-list Representative Terry Ridon sought a congressional inquiry into a Department of Education memorandum that he said allows the military access to public schools and would be “inimical to the protection of children’s rights.”

A statement released by the CRC Thursday said troops of the 25th IB led by Lieutenant Heroben Romare occupied the Salugpongan Ta’ Tanu Igkanogon Community Learning Center, Inc. located in Purok 4-B, Barangay Mangayon in Compostela town from January 25 to 28, or from Saturday to Tuesday.

Quoting a report from its Southern Mindanao regional office, the CRC said the troops turned the school into an encampment and disrupting classes despite the insistence of school personnel and members of the community that this was against STTICLCI policy.

CRC executive director Jacquiline Ruiz also said many community members stopped tending their farms after the soldiers harassed residents and subjected several to interrogation.

She added this was not the first time troops from the battalion had terrorized the school and the community.

Last year, she said, more than a hundred soldiers set up camp near the school, arresting four students, three of them minors, who were interrogated and forced to act as guides.

“The students also experienced physical and mental torture as they were threatened to be killed by their captors,” Ruiz said.

She said the heighted militarization of the area “is believed to be related to the ongoing preparation for mining exploration of Agusan Petroleum and Minerals Corporation.”
Ridon, announcing that he had filed House Resolution No. 725 seeking the probe into DepEd Memorandum 221, worried that the edict issued by Secretary Ermin Luistro would lead to situations such as that in STTICLCI.

The DepEd memo was issued in response to Armed Forces of the Philippines Letter Directive 25, which lays down the guidelines for military activities in schools and hospitals.

(Click here to read both DepEd Memorandum 221 and AFP Letter Directive 25)

Before the AFP directive was issued, there had been several complaints by both local and international organizations about military units occupying and turning schools into camps in violation of international humanitarian law.

Complaints have also been rife about soldiers using school symposiums to vilify organizations and individuals accused of being “enemies of the state,” many of whom later end up victims of abuses such as extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances.

Although both the DepEd and AFP memorandums purport to limit the activities allowed in schools to civil-military operations, Ridon nevertheless said, “Allowing military presence in educational institutions is tantamount to increasing risks for children, especially those living in situations of conflict."

He also noted loopholes in both memos that could pave the way for abuses.

Ridon cited Guideline No. 7 of the AFP directive, which says: "If there is a need for the force protection unit(s)/personnel to be inside the school, due to exigencies of the prevailing security situation and/or activity and/or request, they must be deployed and limited/contained to the pre-identified/pre-approved within the school/hospital premises."

"The said provision is unclear on who determines the presence of the 'need for force protection units,' which is the AFP's euphemism for armed soldiers and is thus open for abusive interpretation," the lawmaker said.

He added that the AFP directive also "justifies and legitimizes military surveillance in schools," by requiring the photo and video documentation of any activity.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/79765/child-rights-group-slams-afp-occupation-of-compostela-valley-school

AFP has another 72-hour extension to defeat BIFF

From InterAksyon (Jan 30): AFP has another 72-hour extension to defeat BIFF

The military was given another 72-hour extension to destroy the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) as some of their temporary camps were already overran by advancing government troops in Maguindanao, the spokesman of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division said on Thursday.

 The military-MILF Adhoc Joint Action Group (AHJAG) has extended for another 72 hours the joint military-police law enforcement operations effective Wednesday morning against the beleaguered BIFF,” Col. Dickson Hermoso said.

He said there were sporadic gunbattles Wednesday night until the wee hours of Thursday near communities of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

Hermoso said the joint mechanism is also open for another extension, if necessary.

He said the BIFF splintered into small groups but the military is familiar with such guerrilla tactics, for which elite units such as the Scout Ranger (SR), Special Forces (SF), and the police’s Special Action Force (SAF) have prepared. These government security forces are now conducting relentless pursuit operations while infantry soldiers concentrate in offensives to capture BIFF lairs.

The military and police are focused on clearing the Reina Regente Mountain from BIFF encampments, he said.

“This area is in the tri-boundary of Datu Piang and Sharif Saydona Mustapha, both in Maguindanao and Pikit, North Cotabato. Nag-break sila into small groups at running gunbattle ang nangyayari ngayon (is happening now). But we’ve elite units to go after these splinter groups,” Hermoso said.

“Nakubkob na natin ang kanilang mga stronghold sa Barangay Ganta at Barangay Bakat sa Sharif Saydona Mustafa. Bumagsak na ang kanilang ginagawang headquarters dito at hindi na natin hahayaang makabalik pa sila sa mga lugar na ito.
May training area sila dito at may sarili silang paggawaan ng improvised explosive device (IED), makukuha na natin ang mga ito,” he added.

“We’ve surrounded their stronghold in Barangay Ganta and Barangay Bakat in Sharif Saydona Mustafa. The headquarters they were building here has collapsed and we will not allow them to return to these places. They have a training area here and a factory for improvised explosive devices; we will get them.”

The military on Monday deployed at least three battalions or more than 1,500 soldiers to provide support for the local police to go after the BIFF following a series of ambush operations conducted by the group against soldiers and policemen who were to issue arrest warrants last Sunday against some BIFF elements.

Mounting casualties

Hermoso said the casualties on both sides were mounting.

“As of 6 a.m. today, we’ve 13 wounded soldiers and one killed. On the BIFF side, the confirmed killed is 40 and 12 wounded,” Hermoso said.

On Wednesday, Hermoso said some of the dead BIFF combatants were “child soldiers” aged 14 to 17. He called on the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and other interested groups to look into the case of BIFF using minors as combatants.

The BIFF was formed in 2012 by former MILF commander Ameril Umbra Kato. The military claimed Kato has followers of 250 fighters but the BIFF claims they have up to 1,000 regular fighters.

The BIFF was involved in attacking communities, taking civilian hostages and even beheading their victims.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/79751/afp-has-another-72-hour-extension-to-defeat-biff

Military says MILF wants it to crush BIFF, 'spoilers of peace'

From InterAksyon (Jan 30): Military says MILF wants it to crush BIFF, 'spoilers of peace'



The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) wants the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to do nothing less than crush the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), tagged as “spoilers of peace” in Mindanao.

“Hindi tantanan, hindi hintuan (operation) dahil ‘yung mismong MILF din ang nagre-request na tapusin ‘yung BIFF para wala silang problema later on [There will be no let-up in the operations, because it’s the MILF itself that has asked us to crush the BIFF so that they won’t have a problem later],” said Colonel Dickson Hermoso, spokesman of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division.

This, as MILF fighters are supporting government forces by denying any retreating BIFF fighter sanctuary in MILF-controlled areas, according to Hermoso.

“We’re employing right now three battalions under the 601st Infantry Brigade, at least more than 1,500 soldiers excluding attached forces such as mechanized units,” he said. “We’ve more than enough troops against this lawless group BIFF,” he added.

The BIFF, with an estimated force of 250 fighters, was a faction of the MILF led by Ameril Umbra Kato whom the MILF Central Committee expelled in 2012 for rejecting the peace talks. Months later, he led attacks on communities, killing innocent civilians in Central Mindanao.

Last Monday (Jan. 27), fierce fighting erupted in some areas in Maguindanao and North Cotabato. So far, 40 BIFF fighters have been killed, including “child soldiers,” and 12 others wounded. On the military side, one soldier was killed and 13 wounded.
The encounters erupted on the heels of the weekend signing of the Annex on Normalization between the peace panels of the government and MILF in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

President Benigno Aquino III, who ordered the military to crush the BIFF, said earlier the government operations will not stop until the BIFF is completely defeated.

The AFP and the MILF’s Adhoc Joint Action Group (AJAG) had agreed on Wednesday to extend for another 72 hours the military offensives being conducted against BIFF forces that have found a sanctuary in the Reina Regenta Mountains at the boundary of Datu Piang and Sharif Saydona Mustapha, both in Maguindanao and Pikit, North Cotabato. Skirmishes are still ongoing in the Reina Regenta Mountain.

The AJAG is still discussing the second extension, according to Hermoso.

Hermoso also appealed to the BIFF to just lay down their arms and surrender peacefully. He said the BIFF has many wounded comrades and “we encourage them to coordinate with local officials and barangay officials, to have their wounded treated, for humanitarian considerations. They are still Filipinos, after all,” he said.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/79778/military-says-milf-wants-it-to-crush-biff-spoilers-of-peace

40 BIFF killed in encounter with govt forces in Maguindanao, North Cotabato - military

From InterAksyon (Jan 30): 40 BIFF killed in encounter with govt forces in Maguindanao, North Cotabato - military



Young BIFF fighter. ROMY ELUSFA FILE PHOTO

Forty members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters have been killed in encounters with government forces in Maguindanao and North Cotabato following the signing of the peace agreement between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

The BIFF is the splinter group of the MILF.

Aside from those who were killed, 12 BIFF members were also injured in the encounter, according to the spokesman of the 6th Infantry Division Col. Dickson Hermoso.

One soldier was also killed in action while 13 from the military were injured.
The number of civilians who have left the area has increased, as they fear getting caught in the middle.

Among the affected towns in Maguindanao are Sultan Sa Baronggis, Datu Piang, Mamasapano, Rajah Buayan, and Datu Abdullah Sangki. At the same time, some families from the towns of Midsayap and Pikit in North Cotabato have also left their homes, according to the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao’s Humanitarian Emergency Action Responce Team.

In a related development, BIFF spokesman Abu Misrie Mama said that he and his men will not surrender to authorities, saying they are prepared to fight to death for their beliefs.

He also belied the military figures, saying only five BIFF members were killed in the encounters, not 40.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/79748/40-biff-killed-in-encounter-with-govt-forces-in-maguindanao-north-cotabato---military

'PUT DOWN YOUR ARMS' | BIFF rebels invited to join peace process

From InterAksyon (Jan 30): 'PUT DOWN YOUR ARMS' | BIFF rebels invited to join peace process

The government peace panel negotiating with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front is inviting members and leaders of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), an MILF splinter group, to take part in the peace process even as the peace talks were concluded last Saturday.

In a statement, Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, head of the government peace panel, said: “We call on the members and the leaders of the BIFF to put down their arms and be part of the process. We ask them to listen to the plea of their own brothers and sisters to give peace a chance.”

Encounters between military and BIFF forces escalated as soon as news of the conclusion of the peace talks in Kuala Lumpur reached the Philippines. 

How could BIFF forces join in the peace process? “Local government officials are ready to receive those who would like to silence their guns and participate in the different programs we will be undertaking as part of the implementation of the peace agreements,” Ferrer said.

“We know that BIFF members can also contact supporters or local ground commanders of the MILF who could facilitate their return to normal lives. These and other avenues are open for those among the BIFF who are ready to join us in our peace efforts,” she said.

Ferrer explained that the ongoing military operations “are geared at degrading the BIFF’s capability to continue to cause harm to the government forces, civilians, and the peace process.”

In an interview with reporters Tuesday night, she said that the escalation of hostilities was expected.

“Prior to the conduct of the operations, the ceasefire mechanisms of the GPH and the MILF have ensured the safety of civilians in surrounding areas. Relief provisions have been on standby to meet the basic needs of those who have been temporarily displaced,” she said in the statement issued Thursday.

“Government and the MILF have taken the necessary steps to ensure that the operations will not spill over to involve MILF combatants or cause unnecessary or prolonged hardship to civilians,” she said.

Moreover, Ferrer said, “the MILF is assisting in the operations by helping the government contain the movements of the BIFF.”

The conclusion of the peace talks is hoped to bring peace in Mindanao, which has been the site of centuries’ old battles between Moros, who have been fighting for self-determination, and the Philippine government, which has sovereignty over the island.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/79790/put-down-your-arms--biff-rebels-invited-to-join-peace-process

Abductor of school official falls in Zamboanga province

From the Mindanao Examiner blog site (Jan 29): Abductor of school official falls in Zamboanga province

Police captured one of the alleged abductors of a school official in Kumalarang town in the southern Philippine province of Zamboanga del Sur.

Police said Ryan Tumalas, 22, was captured in the village of Picanan and is being implicated in the recent abduction of Rudy Luna, a supervisor of the Department of Education.

Tumalas was tracked down by the police after a village councilman Virgilio Bayona spotted him acting suspiciously and phoned the authorities.

Luna’s wife, who escaped from the abductors in the same village, has identified Tumalas – a native of Zamboanga del Norte’s Siayan town - as among 8 gunmen who barged in their house and seized her husband.

Police are interrogating Tumalas, but officials would not say whether the man is a member of a rebel group or a kidnapping syndicate, saying the investigation is still going on.

Luna’s fate is still unknown and the abductors have not contacted his family or demanded any ransom.

http://mindanaoexaminer.blogspot.com/2014/01/abductor-of-school-official-falls-in.html