PAF seals F/A-50 contract

From the Philippine News Agency (Mar 28): PAF seals F/A-50 contract

Department of National Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said Friday the Philippine Air Force (PAF) is no longer the butt of jokes among aviation military circles with the signing of the Php 18.9 billion contract for the 12 F/A-50 "Fighting Eagle" jet aircraft.

"Our Air Force has found a promise of new life with the realization of our AFP modernization program. With the eventual delivery and acquisition of these new air assets our Air Force can already forget the lingering and naughty joke that it is all air without force," he stressed.

Gazmin made this statement shortly after Armed Forces of the Philippines chief-of-staff Gen. Emmanuel Bautista, Korea Trade and Investment Promotion Agency president and chief executive officer Young Ho Oh and Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), Ltd president and chief executive officer Ha Sung Yong formally signed the contract for the Php 18. 9 billion project.

"It is heartening to know that in the near future, we will see this air assets fly across the Philippines. To say that the journey was not easy would be an understatement, for those closely involved in the tedious process that we went through," he added.

"I am sure that personal sacrifices have been made, I'm happy to say however that all these seemingly endless discussions, long lines and never ending communications have paid of. I would like to thank the hard working men and women whose efforts have made this day possible. To our DND Special Bids and Awards Committee (SBAC) chaired by undersecretary Fernando Manalo, the DND SBAC secretariat and the technical working groups for the two acquisition projects. let me express my gratitude and warmest congratulations for a job well done," he added.

As this develops, Manalo said that the first two F/A-50 jet aircraft will be delivered 18 months after the opening of the letter of credit, the next two will be delivered 12 months later and the remaining eight jet planes to be delivered in staggered basis within eight months.

The F/A-50 has a top speed of Mach 1.5 or one and half times the speed of sound and is capable of being fitted air-to-air missiles, including the AIM-9 "Sidewinder" air-to-air and heat-seeking missiles aside from light automatic cannons.

The F/A-50 will act as the country's interim fighter until the Philippines get enough experience of operating fast jet assets and money to fund the acquisition of more capable fighter aircraft.

The F/A-50 design is largely derived from the F-16 "Fighting Falcon", and they have many similarities: use of a single engine, speed, size, cost, and the range of weapons.

KAI's previous engineering experience in license-producing the KF-16 was a starting point for the development of the F/A-50.

The aircraft can carry two pilots in tandem seating. The high-mounted canopy developed by Hankuk Fiber is applied with stretched acrylic, providing the pilots with good visibility, and has been tested to offer the canopy with ballistic protection against four-pound objects impacting at 400 knots.

The altitude limit is 14,600 meters (48,000 feet), and airframe is designed to last 8,000 hours of service.

There are seven internal fuel tanks with capacity of 2,655 liters (701 US gallons), five in the fuselage and two in the wings.

An additional 1,710 liters (452 US gallons) of fuel can be carried in the three external fuel tanks.

Trainer variants have a paint scheme of white and red, and aerobatic variants white, black, and yellow.

The F/A-50 "Fighting Eagle" uses a single General Electric F404-102 turbofan engine license-produced by Samsung Techwin, upgraded with a full authority digital engine control system jointly developed by General Electric and KAI.

The engine consists of three-staged fans, seven axial stage arrangement, and an afterburner.

The aircraft has a maximum speed of Mach 1.4-1.5.

Its engine produces a maximum of 78.7 kN (17,700 lbf) of thrust with afterburner.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=630381

'Bayanihan' reducing insurgency in the Philippines

From the Philippine News Agency (Mar 28): 'Bayanihan' reducing insurgency in the Philippines

The implementation of the Armed Forces of the Philippines' (AFP) Internal Peace and Security Plan (IPSP) "Bayanihan" has helped curb insurgency in the country.

Guided by the IPSP "Bayanihan", which advocates for a whole-of-nation approach in ending conflict, the Philippine Army was able to carry out focused military operations against the communist terrorists as well as peace and development initiatives all over the country.

The PA strongly condemns the various human rights violations committed by the NPA.

The NPAs are responsible for various crimes committed against the people, among which are ambuscades and improvised explosive device (IED) attacks, that harm not only soldiers but innocent civilians as well.

In the first quarter of 2014 alone, the PA recorded a total of four IED attacks that killed and wounded security forces and civilians.

Last March 2, soldiers from the 39th Infantry Battalion and civilian volunteers from the Philippine Red Cross and the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council were wounded in an IED attack perpetrated by the NPA's Guerilla Front 51, Southern Mindanao Regional Committee.

In another incident on March 7, troops from the 69th Infantry Battalion were landmined by NPA rebels in Barangay Malabog, Paquibato District, Davao City.

Luckily, the Army troops survived the incident unscathed.

Seven soldiers were killed and eight others were wounded in another IED attack in Barangay Saboy, Matan-ao, Davao Del Sur on March 10.

The soldiers were in route to support the Matan-ao Police Station in Barangay Poblacion which was attacked early that day, wherein two policemen and two rebels were killed.

Another landmine incident occurred in Compostela Valley on March 12 that resulted in the death of one soldier, and the wounding of four others.

The soldiers were verifying reports of civilians regarding the presence of armed men in Barangay Panoraon when the NPAs detonated the landmine.

Just recently, two Army soldiers were killed when they were fired upon by NPA rebels in the boundaries of Barangay Binahian A and Barangay Cogorin, Ilaya, Lopez, Quezon on March 24.

The troops were on their way to a medical mission in Barangay Vegaflor, Lopez when they were fired upon by the rebels.

Four others were also wounded in the incident.

Meanwhile, elements of the 41st Infantry Battalion discovered a mass grave believed to be that of the NPAs in Barangay Dominglay, Licuan-Baay, Abra on March 7.

This indicates that the vicious cycle of internal purging in the NPA is continuing.

The PA also accounted various incidents of harassments, arson, and robbery against civilians.

The acts committed by the rebels speak volume of the NPA’s criminal nature with no traces of principled ideologues.

Forty five years of fighting and opposing the Philippine government only brought suffering instead of the ideal society the communists had been advocating.

Theirs is not a story of triumph in the struggle for liberation, freedom and democracy, but a tale of abuse, harassment, and exploitation against the very people they vowed to protect.

After 45 years, it is now high time for the NPAs to abandon the armed struggle and follow the path towards peace and development.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=630395

AFP chief accepts formal surrender of 72 rebels

From the Philippine News Agency (Mar 28): AFP chief accepts formal surrender of 72 rebels

Armed Forces of the Philippine (AFP) chief-of-staff Emmanuel Bautista on Friday formally welcomed the surrender of 72 New People's Army (NPA) fighters who wanted to live peacefully and productively with their families.

Aside from this, the ex-rebel surrendered 69 high-powered firearms.

The military said the 72 former rebels were regular NPA members while others were members of the Militia ng Bayan (MB) operating in the mountainous areas of CARAGA and Region 10 composed of 48 individuals from Bukidnon, 18 from Agusan Del Sur, three from Surigao Del Sur, one from Agusan Del Norte, and two from Misamis Oriental.

This was held at 4th Infantry Division headquarters in Camp Evangelista, Cagayan De Oro City.

Besides Bautista, Army commander Major Gen. Hernando DCA Iriberri was present in the ceremonies which was dubbed as "Pagbabalik-Loob 2".

Also present during the ceremony were local officials of Northern Mindanao who have always been effective partners of the Philippine Army in its peace and development advocacies.

For surrendering their weapons, the former rebels will paid a significant sum each.

And as a demonstration of support to the former rebels as they join the mainstream society, the Philippine Army through the 4th Infantry Division will grant them a parcel of land which they could use for their livelihood.

Under the government's social integration program, former rebels are provided access to economic and social opportunities including capability building and skills training, livelihood and employment opportunities.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=630410

If favorable ITLOS decision is rendered, it will add weight to PHL position on sea dispute --Palace official

From the Philippine News Agency (Mar 28): If favorable ITLOS decision is rendered, it will add weight to PHL position on sea dispute --Palace official
 
A Malacanang official said on Friday that if a favorable decision is rendered by the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) on the country's challenge to China's claims over the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea), it will add weight to the Philippine position.

The Philippine government is filing a memorandum, called Memorial in international law, challenging China's territorial claims over the West Philippine Sea. The Memorial will be filed on Sunday before the Tribunal of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) at The Hague in the Netherlands.

Its purpose will be to oppose China’s nine-dash line territorial rule, which dotted line refers to the demarcation line used by China for its claim to the South China Sea.

“...Assuming that a favorable decision is rendered, then that is additional weight for the Philippine position when it comes,” Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said in a Palace media briefing.

She said that the tribunal is empowered to pass judgment on the sea claims based on international law, which is upheld by most countries that subscribed to it.

Valte said that for the Philippine government, all factors have been taken into consideration when the discussions were held on the matter of arbitration and the only thing left to do was wait.

“Let’s wait for whatever happens after the filing (of the memorial),” Valte said.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=630385

DND, suppliers to sign multi-billion contracts for trainer jets, attack choppers

From InterAksyon (Mar 28): DND, suppliers to sign multi-billion contracts for trainer jets, attack choppers



The Department of National Defense (DND) will be signing on Friday contracts with suppliers for the manufacture of 12 training jet fighters worth P18.9 billion and 8 attack helicopters worth P4.8 billion.

South Korea’s Korean Aerospace Inc. (KAI) will be supplying FA50 jets and the Canadian Commercial Corp. will manufacture Bell 412 combat utility helicopters.

The defense materials are all intended for use by the Philippine Air Force (PAF).

President Benigno Aquino III had approved a total amount of P75 billion for the DND and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to achieve at least a “minimum credible defense” in the face of China’s aggressive incursions in the West Philippine Sea where it illegally posting Philippine territories.

Since the standoff in 2012, China’s naval, maritime and fishing vessels have virtually roped off Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal or Bajo de Masinloc off Zambales which is well within the 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone of the country. Since last year, Chinese ships have been maintaining their presence at Ayungin Shoal, Kalayaan Island Group, Palawan despite the decades-long presence of a Philippine Marine detachment on a grounded landing ship tank (LST) there.

Manila has filed a complaint before the United Nations’ arbitration tribunal over the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea where China has to prove the legality of its 9-dash line over the entire South China Sea including portions of the West Philippines Sea.

In an interview, PAF spokesman Col. Miguel Ernesto Okol said the acquisition of the FA50s is a good start to enhance the present air capability of PAF.

“Well, the FA50s will greatly enhance our air defense capability. This would signal the start of our territorial defense initiatives so that brings us closer to what we want to attain, what we plan to achieve which is the minimum credible defense. Definitely, this is a positive start towards that end,” he said.

But Okol said the acquisition of the FA50s does not stop there because the aircrafts are just training fighter jets.

“Eventually we will be acquiring multirole fighter (MRF) jets when the time comes, and that is another level of territorial defense,” Okol said.

With the FA50s, the DND has yet to decide which Long Range Surveillance Radar System it will buy, whether the United States-made TPS-77 or the Israel-made ELM 2288.

PAF is planning to acquire 3 radar units worth about P3 billion for the country’s air defense and to also fit with the FA50s.

“The radars provide situational awareness so they look far beyond the horizon to see if somebody is infringing on our territorial sovereignty. The maritime patrol aircraft, the long range patrol aircraft are the ones looking into our maritime domain awareness,” Okol said.

The DND is also eyeing the purchase of 4 anti-submarine helicopters worth P5.4 billion for its BRP Gregorio del Pilar and BRP Ramon Alcaraz, two 47-year-old decommissioned Hamilton-class cutters the Philippine Navy acquired from the US Coast Guard.

The helicopters, AW 159 “Wildcat”, are manufactured by Augusta Westland.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/83653/dnd-suppliers-to-sign-multi-billion-contracts-for-trainer-jets-attack-choppers

THE GUNS FALL SILENT | Awaiting the signing of the CAB at Camp Darapanan

From InterAksyon (Mar 28): THE GUNS FALL SILENT | Awaiting the signing of the CAB at Camp Darapanan

The afternoon sun was searing as hundreds of Moro Islamic Liberation Front fighters and their supporters gathered at Camp Darapanan, in Sultan Kudarat town, Maguindanao Thursday to await the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro.

Despite the heat, the fighters did not break ranks.

Silence gripped the crowd as the ceremonies began and, one by one, presidential peace adviser Teresita Deles, MILF chairman Murad Ebrahim, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak and, finally, President Benigno Aquino III, spoke.

And then, the moment they had all been waiting for -- the signing of the CAB by MILF chief negotiator Mohagher Iqbal and government peace panel chair Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, sealing an end to decades of conflict.
Cheers and shouts of “Allahu akbar (God is great)” erupted, followed by prayers of thanks.

At long last, war was over.



Smiling MILF members flash peace signs as they wait for the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro.



Women sit together under a canopy in Camp Darapanan to wait for the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro.



MILF fighters in formation.



MILF fighters sit on the grass to await the CAB signing.



MILF fighters raise their weapons as they cheer the signing of the CAB.



MILF fighters pray in thanksgiving after the CAB is signed.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/83655/the-guns-fall-silent--awaiting-the-signing-of-the-cab-at-camp-darapanan

RAISING THE STAKES | Defying China warning, PH pursuing arbitration case over West PH Sea

From InterAksyon (Mar 28): RAISING THE STAKES | Defying China warning, PH pursuing arbitration case over West PH Sea



Pag-asa Island in the Spratlys (Reuters)

Defying a fresh warning by Beijing, the Philippines said Friday it will file its formal pleading on March 30 against China at an arbitration tribunal on the South China Sea dispute, subjecting Beijing to international legal scrutiny over the increasingly tense waters for the first time.

Manila is seeking a ruling to confirm its right to exploit the waters in its 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone as allowed under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, its team of US and British lawyers said.

A ruling against China by the five-member panel of the Permanent Court of Arbitration could prompt other claimants to challenge Beijing, experts said.

But while legally binding, any ruling would effectively be unenforceable as there is no body under UNCLOS to police such decisions, legal experts said.

Philippines to defy China

Manila said Friday it planned to defy Chinese warnings and pursue a case in the United Nations challenging Beijing's claim to most of the South China Sea, which Manila calls West Philippine Sea.

Manila is to file as scheduled its "memorial", or formal pleading on Sunday (March 30), which would allow the UN arbitral tribunal to study the Philippine argument that the Chinese claim covers parts of Filipino territory, officials said.

Abigail Valte, a spokeswoman for President Benigno Aquino, said the government was pursuing the case despite official Chinese warnings of fallout in bilateral relations.

"At least for the Philippine government we can say that all factors have been taken into consideration when the discussions were being had on the matter of the arbitration," she told reporters at a briefing.

China claims most of the strategically important body of water as well as islets and reefs which border major sea lanes and are reputed to sit on vast oil and gas reserves.

The Philippines, whose forces are dwarfed by its giant neighbor in an increasingly tense stand-off over some reefs and shoals, sought UN arbitration in January 2012 to settle the dispute, but China has rejected the move.

Warning from Beijing

China's foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei warned the Philippines on Wednesday against proceeding with the UN case.

"China will never accept nor participate in the international arbitration unilaterally initiated and pushed by the Philippines, and China's position has a solid basis in international law," Hong told a news conference in Beijing.

"We hope that the Philippine side... returns to the right track of resolving the dispute through negotiation and consultation as soon as possible, (and) stops going any further down the wrong track so as to avoid further damage to bilateral relations."

Valte said the Aquino government was aware the UN tribunal may not be able to enforce its ruling if it decides against China.

"(But) at least assuming that a favourable decision (for the Philippines) is rendered, then that is additional weight for the Philippine position," she said.

The Philippine case alleges that Chinese claims to areas of the South China Sea and its seabed cover areas as far as 870 nautical miles (1,611 kilometres) from the nearest Chinese coast, and are thus illegal under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Both countries are signatories to the 1982 treaty.

In the latest hostile encounter between the two, Chinese coastguard ships this month blocked two Filipino-flagged vessels headed for Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly group, around 200 kilometres (125 miles) from the western Philippine island of Palawan.

The Philippines said the vessels were bringing supplies to Filipino marines aboard a decrepit navy ship that it beached on the shoal in 1999.

The Philippine has also accused China of firing water cannon at Filipino fishermen near Scarborough Shoal, another South China Sea outcrop.

Nine-dash-line claim

China, which has refused to participate in the case, claims about 90 percent of the South China Sea, displaying its reach on official maps with a so-called nine-dash line that stretches deep into the maritime heart of Southeast Asia.

The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have claims to parts of the potentially energy-rich waters.

The UN convention gives a country 12 nautical miles of territorial control with claim to sovereign rights to explore, exploit and manage natural resources within 200 miles. China claims several reefs and shoals in Manila's EEZ.

The head of the Philippines' legal team, Paul Reichler, a lawyer at US law firm Foley Hoag, told Reuters a submission would be sent electronically on Sunday, meeting a March 30 deadline set by the tribunal. Manila filed an initial complaint in January 2013.

Legal experts said it could take months for the panel to weigh the case.

Diplomats and experts who follow the tensions in the South China Sea said Manila was going ahead despite pressure from China to delay or drop its submission.

"They've crossed a significant line here ... the pressure to withdraw before actually mounting an argument has been intense but they've stayed the course," said Carl Thayer, from the Australian Defense Force Academy in Canberra.

Arbitration would clarify Manila's rights to fishing and other resources in its EEZ as well as rights to enforce its laws in those areas, Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said.

"We see arbitration as an open, friendly and durable solution to the dispute," Del Rosario told a business forum recently.

China reiterated this week that it would not take part.

"We demand the Philippines ends it mistaken actions and stop going further down this wrong path to prevent bilateral relations from being further harmed," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei told a news briefing on Wednesday.

"China's determination and resolve to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity is unwavering."

Tensions growing

Diplomats said the case was the focus of growing interest across East Asia and beyond given China's assertiveness in both the South and East China Seas.

Washington has stiffened its rhetorical support for Manila's action, even as it insists it does not take sides in regional territorial disputes.

The State Department warned this month of the "ambiguity" of some claims to the South China Sea and called for disputes to be solved legally and peacefully, through means such as arbitration.

Tensions have been on full display in recent weeks.

Earlier this month, Manila protested action by Chinese coastguard ships to block two Philippine civilian vessels resupplying marines on the disputed Second Thomas Reef.

The Philippines instead airdropped supplies to the marines, who live on an old military transport ship rammed onto the reef in 1999 to mark Manila's territory.

While Chinese vessels regularly surround the reef, it was the first time China had blocked a routine re-supply mission, a move Thayer said could have been related to the arbitration case.

Further north, the two sides have traded angry words over the Scarborough Shoal, where in January Philippine officials said a Chinese coastguard ship fired water cannon at Filipino fishermen.

Manila says both reefs lie within its EEZ. China says they are part of its territory.

Much further to the south, Chinese naval ships staged exercises in January at the James Shoal, a submerged reef within Malaysia's EEZ.

Less visibly, China has applied pressure behind the scenes, attempting to isolate the Philippines within the Association of South East Asian Nations, one regional diplomat said.

"China has let us all know that they are very angry ... The message is clear -- you must not support this in any way," said the envoy, who declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the issue.

Diplomatic sources in Vietnam have told Reuters that China put pressure on Hanoi over joining the case at the tribunal.

A Vietnamese Foreign Ministry spokesman last month said Hanoi reserved the right to apply "all necessary and appropriate peaceful means" to protect its sovereignty.

Malaysian officials have given no indication they are planning to join the action or launch their own case.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/83657/raising-the-stakes--defying-china-warning-ph-pursuing-arbitration-case-over-west-ph-sea

Israeli firm bags P368-M deal to supply artillery to Army

From InterAksyon (Mar 28): Israeli firm bags P368-M deal to supply artillery to Army



Elbit Systems Land and C41, a defense material manufacturer based in Israel, won the bid to supply the Army more than P368 million worth of artillery, a source privy to the bidding said.

“Elbit offers P368,837,332 for 12 pieces of 155 Howitzer canons with accessories and ammunition,” beating Bosnian firm BNT, the source said.

The second conference that concluded with the choosing of the winning bid was held in Camp Aguinaldo.

The defense department’s Bids and Awards Committee for the project is led by Assistant Secretary Efren Fernandez.

Elbit offered its Athos howitzer system.

Bids for the contract were opened on December 5 last year, following a pre-bid conference on November 22.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/83658/israeli-firm-bags-p368-m-deal-to-supply-artillery-to-army

Anakpawis solon wants very pregnant Andrea Rosal seen by doctors, companions released

From InterAksyon (Mar 28): Anakpawis solon wants very pregnant Andrea Rosal seen by doctors, companions released



Militants picket the NBI main office in Manila on Friday to demand the release of Andrea Rosal and two others. Rosal, daughter of the late spokesperon of the communist movement Gregorio "Ka Roger" Rosal, is due to give birth soon. LESTER LOPEZ, INTERAKSYON.COM

A party-list lawmaker on Friday slammed the arrest of a village chairman who was among those caught with alleged rebel Andrea Rosal in Caloocan City as militants picketed the NBI to demand the release of the woman whom they said is due to give birth soon.

Barangay Captain Ruben Gatchilian is a local chapter officer of the party-list Anakpawis, according to Anakpawis Rep. Fernando Hicap. The village officer was arrested along with two suspected rebels at his home on BF Homes, Brgy.168 Caloocan City by the National Bureau of Investigation on Thursday (March 27).

In a statement, Hicap sought the immediate and unconditional release of Andrea, daughter of the Communist Party of the Philippines spokesperson, the late Gregorio ‘Ka Roger’ Rosal, and Rafael De Guzman. Rosal is 9-months’ pregnant, he said.

Hicap said the NBI should immediately have Rosal undergo medical care as the latter is giving birth anytime soon.

“Anakpawis condemns the arrest of Brgy Capt. Ruben Gatchilian, Andrea Rosal and Rafael De Guzman. The arrest according to human rights group Karapatan violated the rights of the three for a legal counsel, contact to human rights group and immediate relatives” he said.

The series of arrests conducted by the Aquino government on members of the underground movement was meant, in Hicap’s view, to further strain the already fragile status of the peace talks between the government and the Communist Party of the Philippines.

He accused Mr. Aquino of giving his blessing to “state agents to arrest [people], whether members of the negotiating team on the peace talk representing the NDFP like the Tiamzons and other members of the revolutionary movement. Clearly, the arrest was to intimidate and provoke the CPP-NPA-NDF to abandon the peace talks. It only exposed his double talk on the peace talks.”

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/83687/anakpawis-solon-wants-very-pregnant-andrea-rosal-seen-by-doctors-companions-released

NPA AT 45 | CPP looking forward to '25,000 fighters, 200 guerrilla fronts'

From InterAksyon (Mar 28): NPA AT 45 | CPP looking forward to '25,000 fighters, 200 guerrilla fronts'



A New People's Army unit negotiates a mountain stream in Negros (photo from http://www.philippinerevolution.net/)

On the eve of the 45th founding anniversary of the New People’s Army, the Communist Party of the Philippines said it looked to its armed wing’s “rapid expansion to 25,000 fighters and the growth in the number of its guerrilla fronts to 200, covering every rural congressional district.”

The NPA was founded March 29, 1969, three months after university professor Jose Ma. Sison founded the CPP.

“From nine automatic rifles upon its founding in 1969, the NPA is well on its way to having 10,000 high-powered firearms,” the CPP said in a statement.

While giving no exact figures on the NPA’s strength, the CPP claimed “thousands of Red fighters” operate in “more than 110 guerrilla fronts covering significant portions of 71 provinces,” augmented by “tens of thousands of people’s militias and hundreds of thousands of the masses’ self-defense forces.”

The Armed Forces of the Philippines has consistently downplayed the communist rebels’ strength, claiming its operations have whittled down the NPA from a peak of more than 24,000 in the 1980s to an “inconsequential” 4,000 or so fighters.

However, 2001 to 2010, despite two counterinsurgency campaigns -- Oplans Bantay Laya I and II -- it said were sure to decimate the NPA, the military ended the decade admitting failure.

It is currently implementing “Internal Peace Security Program Bayanihan,” which Army spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Noel Detoyato said, “advocates for a whole-of-nation approach in ending conflict … as well as peace and development initiatives all over the country.”

In recent months, the NPA has stepped up offensives in several regions, most notably Mindanao, although one of the rebels’ latest attacks was practically at Metro Manila’s doorstep.

On March 20, the NPA’s Narciso Antazo Aramil Command in Rizal ambushed troops of the 59th Infantry Battalion, killing two soldiers, including an officer, and wounding four others.

But the military has also scored big lately with the arrest last weekend of CPP chairman Benito Tiamzon and his wife Wilma Austria in Cebu, and just this Thursday of the eight-month pregnant Andrea Rosal, daughter of the late rebel spokesman Gregorio “Ka Roger” Rosal, who authorities claim is a leading cadre of the movement in Southern Luzon.

However, rebel leaders, including Sison, while demanding the release of the Tiamzons because of their status as consultants of the National Democratic Front peace negotiating panel, have also dismissed government’s assertion that the arrest of the couple had dealt a major blow to the revolutionary movement and left a vacuum in its leadership.

Sison said the rebels have a “deep bench.”

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/83692/npa-at-45--cpp-looking-forward-to-25000-fighters-200-guerrilla-fronts

AFP probing military officer linked to arrested US senator

From the Sun Star (Mar 28): AFP probing military officer linked to arrested US senator

MALACANANG on Friday said that the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is already looking into allegations that a military official had dealings with United States Senator Leland Yee who has been arrested for firearms trafficking and corruption charges.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said that the government has been trying to get more information regarding the supposed involved military officer.

"There is no need for the directive," she said, citing that she already talked with Lieutenant Colonel Ramon Zagala, AFP chief public information officer, and she was told that the military is already looking into that particular report.

"We have also been trying to get a name or at least more information about the alleged involvement of a supposed military officer," she said.

Valte said there is still no significant information produced by the ongoing investigation but she said the Palace trusts that the AFP will get to the bottom of it.

If true, Valte said it is alarming that a military official is involved in such a highly organized crime.

Lee allegedly visited the Philippines for the scheme.

Valte said the Department of Justice would also look into this considering that the Bureau of Immigration is under the DOJ.

US federal prosecutors unsealed an indictment Wednesday against Yee, accusing him of conspiring to commit wire fraud and traffic firearms.

Twenty six people, including a former school board president were indicted on charges related to an extensive crime ring headed by well-known Chinatown figure in the US.

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/breaking-news/2014/03/28/afp-probing-military-officer-linked-arrested-us-senator-335425

NDF to Muslims: We meant no disrespect

From ABS-CBN (Mar 27): NDF to Muslims: We meant no disrespect

The National Democratic Front on Thursday said it meant no disrespect when its supporters mounted a lightning rally in Mendiola while Muslims were praying and reading the Koran ahead of the historic signing of a peace pact between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

In a statement, the NDF said the clash between NDF supporters and Bangsamoro people, which left 10 people injured, was a misunderstanding.

"It has been a yearly tradition for the National Democratic Revolutionary forces to hold gatherings and rallies in the country's capital to commemorate the anniversaries of the [New People's Army], the [Communist Party of the Philippines and the NDFP," the group said.

"It was a peaceful gathering of revolutionary forces which did not, in any way, intend disrupt the ongoing protest of our Bangsamoro brothers and sisters. The untoward incident that transpired, was a case of misunderstanding between the organizers of both protests."

On the other hand, the NDF criticized "provocateurs" from the Bangsamoro protesters for starting the scuffle between the two camps.

It said the failure of Bangsamoro protest organizers to calm down and hold their ranks forced the leftists to protect themselves.

"We stand firm that the misunderstanding could have been resolved peacefully," the NDF said.

The group also said it is not discounting the possibility that the violence was provoked by agents of the Philippine National Police and the government's intelligence group "as the attackers came from beside the watching Police forces and uniformed state intelligence personnel."

The NDF noted that truckloads of police forces from the PNP's Civil Disturbance Management company only stood and watched the scuffle and did not intervene.

A Muslim imam earlier told radio DZMM they felt insulted when the NDF supporters suddenly mounted a rally in Mendiola even while the Muslims were praying and reading the Koran.

The NDF supporters are calling for the release of CPP-NPA leaders Benito and Wilma Tiamzon.
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/03/27/14/ndf-muslims-we-meant-no-disrespect

Army accused of seizing boy, tagging him a rebel

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Mar 28): Army accused of seizing boy, tagging him a rebel

A nongovernment organization has accused the military of abducting a 14-year old boy in Magpet, North Cotabato, and later presenting him as a child combatant of the New People’s Army (NPA).

The Davao City-based Children’s Rehabilitation Center (CRC) Southern Mindanao said the boy was taken into military custody while wandering in a forested area of Barangay (village) Bantak in Magpet on March 24.

The boy was later presented by the 57th Infantry Battalion (IB) as an NPA combatant, who had surrendered to authorities in Kidapawan City, also in North Cotabato.

“Military officials said that [the boy] has been active for two years in the communist movement,” Rius Valle, CRC advocacy officer, said.

But Valle said what the military did was “blatant abduction and branding.”

Lt. Col. Nilo Vinluan, 57th IB commander, said the military has proof that Balong was a child rebel.

“He can even memorize and sing the NPA song,” Vinluan said by text message.

Valle said the boy was a graduating student of Bangkal Elementary School, also in Magpet.

Valle said the CRC could not simply believe the military line that the boy was a child soldier because he has been in school for the past two years.

Valle said the boy’s adviser in his Grade 6 class has complete class records of the boy.

But Vinluan said while it might be true that the boy has been attending classes, it does not weaken the military proof that the boy was a child rebel.

He said the boy was well versed about the NPA, including the NPA unit to which the boy supposedly belongs. The boy, said Vinluan, “can even identify the commanders and vice commanders of the group.”

CRC said another puzzle in the boy’s case was the military’s failure to present him to his family as soon as he was taken into custody.

“This is not just a branding case but a case of abduction,” Valle said.

The boy is in the custody of the Magpet Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) but CRC said it does not erase the fact that he was abducted by the military. http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/589691/army-accused-of-seizing-boy-tagging-him-a-rebel

MNLF asks OIC to terminate review of 1996 accord

From the Philippine Star (Mar 28): MNLF asks OIC to terminate review of 1996 accord



The Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) yesterday asked the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to call for a tripartite meeting to terminate the review of the implementation of the government’s 1996 final peace agreement with the rebel group.

The MNLF made the call on the heels of the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) by the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

MNLF spokesman Emmanuel Fontanilla said the termination of the review process will unbind the government and the MNLF and allow the CAB to move toward its goal.

“The termination of the review will also untie our hands so we could go back to our original political objective which is independence,” he said.

The MNLF’s appeal was sent to the Egyptian embassy in Manila, which chairs the southern Philippines peace committee of the OIC.

MNLF peace panel member Absalom Cerveza earlier told The STAR that the 1996 final peace agreement practically hindered international recognition of the declaration of independence of the Bangsamoro Republik in Mindanao.

Still cynical

 

Meanwhile, residents of Basilan have remained skeptical on the future of the province even with the signing of the CAB.

“While we believe that the agreement will bring lasting peace, the problem is the MNLF,” said Alton Angeles, adding that the group must also be included in the government’s peace overtures.

Angeles, a Yakan native and municipal development coordinator of Tipo-Tipo town, said residents were also apprehensive that the signing would mean the takeover of MILF commanders in areas that will fall under the new Bangsamoro region.

He said residents were also skeptical if the MILF leadership under the new Bangsamoro region could bring the needed development in all areas under it.

http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2014/03/28/1306034/mnlf-asks-oic-terminate-review-1996-accord

Royal Sultanate Force beats war drum

From the Mindanao Examiner blog site (Mar 28): Royal Sultanate Force beats war drum

Members of the Royal Security Force of the Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo have warned Manila on Friday that violence may erupt in the southern Philippines if President Benigno Aquino fails to support their long-standing historical claim on the island of Sabah which is now part of Malaysia.

In a statement sent to the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner, General Panglima, who claims to be a leader of the so-called Royal Security Force, accused the Aquino government of ignoring claims by the Sultanate of Sulu to reclaim Sabah, whose historical name was Borneo.

“Nananawagan kami sa pamahalaan na sana po gawin nila o hanapan na lang ng paraan ang isyu na ito at huwag naman nila ito isantabi. One year na kami sa giyera at naghihintay mula ng sumiklab ang gulo sa Sabah noon February 2013 at 2014 na ngayon ay wala pa rin action ang pamahalaan ukol dito sa Sabah claim,” General Panglima said.

In February last year, the ailing Sultan Jamalul Kiram III, of the Sultanate of Sulu, sent about 200 followers headed by his brother Raja Muda Agbimuddin Kiram to Sabah to exert their claim and historical rights over the island, which is also being claimed by Malaysia.

Sultan Jamalul’s group has rejected Malaysian demand for them to surrender peacefully and a fighting erupted in Lahad Datu town where more than 60 of the sultan’s men had been killed and over 300 Filipinos arrested on suspicion they were supporting or aiding the group of Raja Muda Agbimuddin.

Malaysia also put Sultan Jamalul and his brother on its wanted list and branded them as terrorists for intruding into Sabah and killing and decapitating 10 policemen and soldiers in separate clashes on the island.

Raja Muda Agbimuddin managed to escape the Malaysian assault in Sabah, while Sultan Jamalul died in October last year from a lingering illness at age 75.

General Panglima also said that Manila failed or refused to help sultanate members and Filipinos illegally detained in Sabah in connection to the fighting last year.

“Binalewala nila ang aming isyu (sa Sabah). Masakit man sa amin na pumanaw na ang mahal namin pinuno na si Sultan Jamalul Kiram III at hindi rin sila nakinig. Kung kaya’t gulo lang ang gusto nilang pag-usapan o pakinggan ng pamahalaan, kaya din namin gumawa ng malaking gulo o karahasan sa buong Mindanao kahit na minamaliit pa nila ang aming puwersa o grupo kaya nananawagan kami sa pamahalaan na tulungan kaming hanapan ng paraan ang isyu ma ito. Magtulungan at magkaisa tayo at laban na ito para sa buong Pilipino, Kristiyano at Muslim ay magkapatid at iisang dugo,” he said.

The threats came following the signing of the peace agreement between the Philippines and the country’s largest Muslim rebel group Moro Islamic Liberation Front which Malaysia has brokered.

The Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo continues to lay claim to Sabah. It obtained Sabah from Brunei as a gift for helping put down a rebellion on the Borneo Island. The British leased Sabah and transferred control over the territory to Malaysia after the end of World War II.

But the Sulu Sultanate said it had merely leased North Borneo in 1878 to the British North Borneo Company for an annual payment of 5,000 Malayan dollars then, which was increased to 5,300 Malayan dollars in 1903.

The Sultanate of Sulu was founded in 1457 and is believed to exist as a sovereign nation for at least 442 years. It stretches from a part of the island of Mindanao in the east, to Sabah, in the west and south, and to Palawan, in the north. North Borneo was annexed by Malaysia in 1963 following a referendum organised by the Cobbold Commission in 1962, the people of Sabah voted overwhelmingly to join Malaysia.

Malaysia continued paying an annual stipend of 5,300 ringgits to the Sulu sultanate on the basis of the sultanate ceding the Borneo state.

http://www.mindanaoexaminer.net/2014/03/royal-sultanate-force-beats-war-drum.html