Army, PNP remain on alert after NPAs marked its founding anniversary

From the Philippine News Agency (Mar 30): Army, PNP remain on alert after NPAs marked its founding anniversary

Police and military authorities in North Cotabato remained on alert a day after the National Democratic Front and its military arm the communist New Peoples Army (NPA) celerated its 45th foundation anniversary Saturday.

"No untoward incident related to the communist guerillas in North Cotabato," a statement from the 6th Infantry Division based in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao said Sunday.

"Everything appears to be quite," the Army said, adding that government forces remained on alert and will not lower its guard for possible "post-celebration attacks."

The 6th ID covers the provinces of North Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat, two provinces known to have communist-infiltrated villages. Maguindanao, the bailiwick of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is also under the operational control of 6ID.

Police and military authorities in these areas have been placed on heightened alert for possible “disturbances” as the rebels marked (their) founding anniversary.

Mobile checkpoints and stationary choking points were set up on major highways and government forces checked all vehicles traveling at night time.

Communist guerrillas normally attack police outposts and military installations at dawn or shortly after midnight.

In North Cotabato, polic provincial director Senior Supt. Danilo Peralta told reporters that its units remained on alert.

“Normally, the communist guerrillas make moves and harass civilian and military installations before, during, and after (their) founding anniversary,” Peralta told reporters in the vernacular.

As of Sunday night, communities known to be the area of operation of the NPAs are Makilala, Magpet, Tulunan, Arakan, Antipas, Matalam, Mlang, Carment, President Roxas, and the borders of North Cotabato and Davao del Sur.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=630817

Philippine Navy intercepts boat loaded with smuggled Malaysian rice

From the Mindanao Examiner blog site (Mar 30): Philippine Navy intercepts boat loaded with smuggled Malaysian rice





A Philippine Navy photo shows soldiers inspecting an intercepted boat loaded with smuggled Malaysian rice in the middle of the sea off Zamboanga City.

A small boat suspected of carrying a cargo of smuggled rice was intercepted by a Philippine Navy patrol ship off the southern port city of Zamboanga, officials said.

Officials said the boat was loaded with 8,000 bags of Malaysian rice when intercepted by the navy patrol.

Rear Admiral Jesus Millan said the cargo, estimated to be worth over P7 million, was handed over to the Bureau of Customs in Zamboanga City for proper documentation and filing of appropriate charges.

“This new apprehension is again part of the intensified conduct of law enforcement and maritime security operations by the Naval Forces Western Mindanao as part of our assistance to the Bureau of Customs in curbing smuggling in Zamboanga City,” he said.

The navy has seized many smuggled cargos, mostly rice and fuel, in southern Philippines the past years, despite the lack of patrol ships and modern equipment to monitor and secured the long coastal areas in the region.

http://www.mindanaoexaminer.net/2014/03/philippine-navy-intercepts-boat-loaded.html

2 cops killed, 2 injured in Mt. Province clash on NPA anniversary

From InterAksyon (Mar 30): 2 cops killed, 2 injured in Mt. Province clash on NPA anniversary

Two policemen were killed and two others wounded in an encounter with communist rebels in Bandong Hill in Barangay Dalican, Bontoc, Mt. Province on Saturday, the 45th anniversary of the New People’s Army.

Policemen from the Regional Public Safety Battalion and Company and soldiers of the 54th Infantry Battalion were conducting a tactical operation around 3:30 p.m. “in the vicinity of Bandong Hill to check on the reported camps there of the New People’s Army when fired upon by the rebels,” said Supt. Davy Vicente Limmong, spokesman of the Police Regional Office-Cordillera.

Police Officer 1 Jefferson Sari of the RPSB and PO1 Marcelo A. Kilasen of PPSC were killed in the ensuing encounter.

Wounded and taken to the Bontoc General Hospital were PO1 Romeo Fakat Jr. of PPSC and PO1 Benido Magan from the RPSB.

Security forces had said earlier the government was ready for possible attacks by the NPA either in relation to their March 29 anniversary—traditionally marked with high-profile attacks---or in retaliation for the March 22 arrest of Benito Tiamzon, alleged chairman of the CPP-NPA, and his wife Wilma Austria, the alleged secretary general, in Carcar, Cebu.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/83781/2-cops-killed-2-injured-in-mt--province-clash-on-npa-anniversary

'Communist army irrelevant in 5 years'

From Rappler (Mar 29): 'Communist army irrelevant in 5 years'

The New People’s Army (NPA), the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), marks its 45^th anniversary on Saturday, March 29, in the wake of the arrest of its chairman Benito Tiamzon and wife Wilma Austria.

In spite of the setback, the NPA commands nationwide are scheduled to fall in formation and parade the flags of the CPP, NPA, and its political wing, the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP). They will give a 21-gun salute to honor fallen comrades.

"Let us make use of the upcoming 45th anniversary of the NPA’s establishment to celebrate the people’s victories in waging revolutionary armed struggle," the CPP said in a statment posted on its website on the eve of its anniversary.

The military, however, predicts that the arrest of the Tiamzons will signal that Asia’s longest communist insurgency is about to end.

“After 5 years, they will be irrelevant. Hindi aabutin ng 5 years. (They won’t last another 5 years),” Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief General Emmanuel Bautista told reporters on Friday.

The CPP seeks to overthrow the government to establish a people's democratic state to that will work to institute land reform, industrialize the country, develop socialist industry, and agricultural cooperation.

But Bautista dismissed the NPA, its armed wing, as a “bandit group without any ideological mooring.” He said they are focused on extortion activities, referring to the revolutionary tax that it is collecting in areas it control.



[Video: AFP chief says NPA will be irrelevant in 5 years
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGo_QLyGEjs]

Vacuum of leadership?

The communist party, supported by various militant organizations, have slammed the arrest of the Tiamzon couple as a sign of the government abandoning the peace process. The party leaders are supposed to be immune from arrest as NDFP consultants under the Joint Agreement for Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG).

The government of President Benigno Aquino III is not budging, however. It maintains that the couple is not covered by immunities because the verification process failed in July 2012. The Department of Justice (DOJ) has approved the indictment of the Tiamzons for illegal possesion of explosives.

Rey Casambre of the Philippine Peace Center said it is "more evident from government actions that it has no interest in resuming genuine peace talks with the NDFP."

Tiamzon, who the military says e-mails his orders to the different NPA commands nationwide, is supposed to be responsible for the "landmining, the killings, and the violence of the NPA."

Rights group Karapatan slammed the military rhetoric against the NPA and the Tiamzons. "Demonification is the approach of the government. Kung walang kuwenta ang kakausapin bakit kailangan pang kausapin?," said Karapatan secretary-general Marie Hilao Enriquez. (If the other party is not sincere, why even talk to them?)

The military believes the arrest of the Tiamzon couple will result in a "vacuum of leadership." The CPP taunts this statement as "hallucination" – the party has a "deep bench" of leaders, it says.

SURRENDER: Jong Manlantagan, 17, receives from AFP Chief General Emmanuel Bautista compensation for the firearm he surrendered to the Philippine Army. Photo by Bobby Lagsa

The AFP considers the NPA the biggest threat to internal security and aims to make it irrelevant by 2016, the end of President Aquino's term. As territorial disputes escalate in Southeast Asia, the AFP highlights the need to focus on external defense. (READ: Finish insurgency, AFP chief tells commanders)

The AFP also hopes that the signing of the peace deal between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) will signal the end of the Muslim rebellion in Mindanao.

The communist underground reached its peak under the regime of President Corazon Aquino, with close to 25,000 armed regulars, according to the military. But the fall of communism, factionalism, as well as strategic and battlefield blunders have reduced communist strength and influenced over the years. Government estimates put the NPA down to about 4,000 armed regulars.

The Tiamzon couple's arrest on March 22 was followed by the arrest on March 27 of another alleged NPA ranking leader Andrea Rosal, the pregnant daughter of the late NPA spokesperson "Ka Roger" Rosal.

On Friday, the military also announced the supposed surrender of 72 former NPA rebels based in Bukidnon in Northern Mindanao, one of the remaining strongholds of the NPA.

Collapse of the peace talks

The administration of Benigno Aquino III revived the peace talks in 2010. There was a high moment when the government claimed CPP founding chairman Jose Maria Sison agreed to a "special track" that would have sped up the process. A ceasefire would be immediately in place and the panels would discuss the reforms that CPP wanted.

The talks collapsed, however, when Sison reneged on his commitment and brought back the "regular track," former government chief negotiator Alex Padilla said. Sison wanted the government to first put in place the necessary reforms and then the NPA would lay down their arms. The government declared this is unrealistic.

In February 2013, talks hit an impasse and the word war began.

Government representatives declared they had lost interest in the peace talks unless the CPP agreed to a new framework.

The NDFP denied the government narration. It said the "special track" and the "regular track" are complementary. NDFP spokesperson Fidel Agcaoili said it was the government that abandoned the peace talks when it walked out of the talks in February 2013. (READ: Joma wants peace, the 'ground' doesn't — Padilla and NDF exec in PH to get Aquino's 'real sentiments' on peace talks)

In December 2013, the CPP also announced it was abandoning the peace talks under the Aquino administration. These statements by the government and the CPP were never formalized, however.

Malacañang stressed that the continuation of peace talks will depend on CPP's intentions.

"On the side of government, we have always expressed willingness to sit down and to talk. In the words of Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, Teresita Deles, we have always asked the CPP-NPA-NDF to come up with a clear-cut agenda for the talks," deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said over state-run radio dzRB on Saturday.

"This is a formula that has worked for us in several other negotiating tables and I think we've proven that the government can be trusted when it comes to negotiations," Valte added.

In February 2014, Norway sought to intervene to resume the talks, but to no avail. And then the Tiamzon couple was arrested.

Carol Araullo of the leftist Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) slammed the government's "unilateral" move to remove their immunities as a sign they are insincere in pursuing peace negotiations. "They think they can impose all sorts of unilateral preconditions on the NDFP, including literally revising bilaterally agreed upon agreements like the JASIG, the Hague Joint Declaration, and other agreements," she said.

Debate on JASIG

Both camps have accused each other of insincerity. The government scored the continuing violence perpetrated by the NPA. The CPP scored the government's continued refusal, even before the arrest of the Tiamzon couple, to release arrested leaders that they say are covered by the JASIG.

The JASIG is an issue that continues to hamper the peace talks. It was put in place to protect the "underground" members who are tasked to cascade the negotiations down to its members on the ground.

The Tiamzon couple, being the top leaders of the party, have the power to sway its members to either support or oppose the talks.

Padilla said the government would have given the Tiamzon couple protection under the JASIG when the talks were ongoing. But he blames the NDFP for failing to open the file that would have listed the aliases and attached the photos of underground members that needed protection under the JASIG.

But Casambre said there are other ways to verify people who should be covered by the JASIG.

"It may be true that the verification has temporarily failed those with aliases but, certainly, those who are publicly known to be involved in the peace process [should be covered]. There may be other ways of verification," Casambre said.

Ed Olalia, counsel for the Tiamzon couple, claimed that the government deliberately filed false charges against them to "undermine and remove them from the protection of the JASIG." He said the firearms and explosive confiscated inside the vehicle of the Tiamzons were planted.



[Video: Tiamzon counsel Ed Olalia details government violations
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wffC8BnTR0Y]

The government doesn't think the Tiamzon couple is helping the peace talks, however. On the contrary, it believes they are the ones who supposedly prevailed on Sison to renege on the special track. It's a claim that Sison has dismissed as an "intrigue."

Casambre is calling on the government to respect the JASIG, release the Tiamzon couple, and go back to the negotiating table. He said their release is not a precondition to the peace talks but a mere implementation of existing agreements.

Padilla doesn't think so. "Even if peace talks resume, the release of [Benito] Tiamzon and Wilma is completely separate. Only upon the conclusion of a final peace agreement would, possibly, personalities of this stature be released," he said.

http://www.rappler.com/nation/54154-new-peoples-army-45th-anniversary

PH strikes back, files pleading vs China

From Rappler (Mar 30): PH strikes back, files pleading vs China

DAVID VS GOLIATH. A Chinese coast guard ship (top) and a Philippine supply boat engage in a standoff as the Philippine boat attempts to reach Ayungin Shoal, a reef claimed by both countries, on March 29, 2014. Photo by Jay Directo/AFP

The Philippines struck back at its Goliath on Sunday, March 30, as it filed a historic pleading against China's claims over the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).

Dwarfed by China in terms of military strength, the Philippines submitted the nearly 4,000-page document, called a memorial, to end decades of alleged bullying by the rising superpower. It sent the memorial to a United Nations-backed arbitral tribunal incidentally after China on Saturday, March 29, harassed a Filipino ship again.

"With firm conviction, the ultimate purpose of the memorial is our national interest. It is about defending what is legitimately ours. It is about securing our children's future. It is about guaranteeing freedom of navigation for all nations. It is about helping to preserve regional peace, security, and stability," Philippine Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said in a media briefing Sunday.

"And finally," Del Rosario said, "it is about seeking not just any kind of resolution but a just and durable solution grounded on international law."

The Philippines cannot publicize the memorial, however, until the arbitral tribunal gives its go-signal.

It filed the memorial in the face of incentives from China, as well as possible sanctions from one of the Philippines' biggest trading partners.



CHALLENGING CHINA. A much smaller Philippine ship arrives at the disputed Ayungin Shoal. Photo by Jay Directo/AFP

10 volumes long

Del Rosario said the memorial is composed of 10 volumes.

He said Volume I, which is 270 pages long, analyzes laws and evidence in relation to the case.

It also shows that the arbitral tribunal “has jurisdiction” over the case – a major question that the Philippines needs to address. It proves the merits of the Philippines' every claim.

Volumes II to X, on the other hand, contain “the documentary evidence and maps that support the Philippines' claims.” These comprise the longest part of the memorial – more than 3,700 pages.

The memorial comes with “all documentary, witness, expert, and other evidence” that the Philippines intends to rely on, according to the Rules of Procedure set by the designated arbitral tribunal supported by the United Nations.

It also has as attachments the “legal authorities (such as treaties, laws, decrees, or judicial decisions) cited in their submissions.”



PHILIPPINES' GUARDIAN. An aerial view shows a Philippine Navy vessel that has been grounded since 1999 to assert their nation's sovereignty over Ayungin Shoal, a remote South China Sea reef also claimed by China, on March 29, 2014. Photo by Jay Directo/AFP

No escape for China

While Beijing has rejected the arbitral proceedings, it has no escape from Manila's pleading. China will receive it in any case.

Like the arbitral tribunal, China will find the memorial on its doorstep through e-mail and courier. The hard copies should come with “a complete electronic copy” in a USB flash drive or another electronic device, “if possible in searchable Adobe PDF.”

Protested in the Philippines' memorial, China's claims encroach on the Philippines' exclusive economic zone (EEZ). This is an area 200 nautical miles from a country's baselines within which a state has the sovereign rights to explore and exploit, and conserve and manage natural resources, among others. (READ: What's at stake in our case vs China)

Included in the document is the Philippines' claim over Ayungin Shoal.

This is a disputed area that has seen China harassing Philippine vessels for at least 11 times since 2013. Such incidents include a case of harassment on Saturday.

On that day, China tried to drive away a Philippine contingent that aimed to resupply provisions and personnel onboard the BRP Sierra Madre, the Philippines' grounded ship in Ayungin.

In the face of bigger Chinese ships, the Filipinos succeeded.

http://www.rappler.com/nation/54259-philippines-files-memorial-china-case

US gun smuggling: Who is Dr Wilson S. Lim?

From Rappler/Newsbreak (Mar 29): US gun smuggling: Who is Dr Wilson S. Lim?

THE BIG 4. (From top left to right) alleged Chinatown gang leader Raymond Chow, former San Francisco School Board member Keith Jackson, California State Senator Leland Yee, and Dr Wilson Lim are indicted on federal corruption and conspiracy to smuggle weapons to the United States. Photo from Chow's Facebook, Lowell High School in San Francisco and Agence France-Presse

Who is Wilson Lim? And how is he connected to arrested California State Senator Leland Yee, the lawmaker with thousands of loyal Filipino-American constituents who helped him get elected to office?

According to a complaint affidavit submitted by US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) special agent Emmanuel V Pascua – following a 5-year undercover investigation – at least two Filipinos are involved in a scheme to smuggle illegal firearms allegedly worth $2 million. One of them is named Dr Wilson Sy Lim.

The affidavit detailed an ambitious scheme to purchase illegal weapons in the southern Philippines and smuggle them to ports in the US then on to Italy and North Africa. Lim, it turns out, was a key link of Yee to rebel groups and other illegal arms dealers in the Philippines.

Among 26 defendants, Lim – with the exception of 8 – has been arrested for "Conspiracy to Traffic in Firearms Without a License, and to Illegally Import Firearms."

Yee was known to be a progressive Democrat who pushed for gun control bills. He was also an ally of Filipino-Americans who wanted equal benefits for Filipino World War II veterans and who sought better working conditions for themselves.

Invisible, wealthy dentist

The California Board of Dentistry shows that Lim is a legitimate dentist, but the reviews on popular website yelp.com show that many of his customers are less-than-happy with his practice. “If there was a zero star, this guy will get it,” Richard W’s review read. “Wilson Lim is a fraud,” he added. “And his accountant will bill your insurance for everything and things that you never knew about.”

Several sources told Rappler Dr Lim is a mysterious personality in Filipino-American community circles. He would often show up at community events and not say much. Despite being a dentist, an appointed county commissioner and one of the 4 main suspects named in the Yee investigation – along with Keith Jackson (former San Francisco School Board member) and alleged Chinatown gang leader Raymond “Shrimp Boy” Chow – his online footprint is minuscule.

Lim was a member of several Filipino associations in the San Francisco Bay Area, including the Filipino American Chamber of Commerce in San Mateo County. Several sources who have encountered Lim before told Rappler they believe that he was “all talk” and was as desperate for money as his friend Yee.

But property records reveal that the Lim couple used lived a more luxurious lifestyle. In 2005 owned at least 2 multi-million dollar properties in the wealthy Bay Area community of Hillsborough, California.

He and his wife Wilma were listed as property owners of a home at 542 Craig Road worth $1.6 million (or about P71.7 million) and another property on 308 Darrell Road worth $2,338,000 (or P104,906,600) at the time of sale in 2005.

Northern California court documents show that the mysterious dentist was going through some money problems with his business.

US sources told Rappler Lim suffered a major heart attack in 2011.

 

According to the San Jose Mercury News, Lim was in a coma for a month, and couldn’t make mortgage payments on his house. He initially filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in April 2013 and settled it earlier this March, coinciding with the time Lim, Yee, and Jackson met at a San Francisco restaurant to discuss their plans to smuggle the rifles outside of the Philippines.

Chapter 11 bankruptcy is normally filed when a business is unable to pay its debtors, but allows owners to continue to operate their business and pay back their debtors over time.

Gun trail

Lim was quoted in the affidavit as saying that it was his nephew, whom he did not identify, who would help obtain the weapons. Lim also said an unnamed Philippine military captain would provide the weapons to his nephew.

In the affidavit, Yee described Lim as being "originally from the Mindanao region of the Philippines." He also said that "Mindanao was largely populated by Muslim rebel groups who were fighting the federal government" and that Muslim rebels had no problem "kidnapping individuals, killing individuals and extorting them for ransom." He visited Mindanao about two years ago upon the invitiation of "the Mindanao government." When he arrived, he was "surrounded by numerous armed guards carrying automatic rifles."

Previously, Lim's contact for weapons, a "Philippine citizen," sold guns to individuals from Florida. That same contact delivered a shipment of weapons to the port of Cagayan de Oro, the largest port in Mindanao.

 

Unidentified individuals from Florida picked up these weapons and shipped them to an unknown location, the affidavit said. This arrangement, according to Yee, was the "ideal way of handling" the guns that would be smuggled.

An undercover agent told Yee he had holding companies in the Port of Newark in New Jersey. He said he would pick up the weapons in the Philippines and ship them back to Newark. From there, some of the weapons would be shipped to Sicily and then on to North Africa.

The agent – only referred to as "UCE 4599" in the affidavit – asked Yee what type of weapons Lim's contact in the Philippines had access to. He specifically asked about shoulder-fired automatic weapons. Yee replied, saying that the automatic weapons are the equivalent of the "M16" automatic service weapon. The agent later asked to speak directly with Lim, whom Yee described as a "gun lover" who had "no moral arguments" about selling weapons.

A meeting was arranged in a San Francisco restaurant on March 11 with Keith Jackson, Yee, Lim and the agent to discuss an arms trafficking transaction.

When asked what kinds of weapons he had access to, Lim replied, "All kinds of things, we just have to look for it." The undercover agent, who was posing as the buyer of the weapons, would furnish a list of weapons he wanted to Jackson, Yee's longtime campaign adviser and school board member. Jackson was also arrested last week.

Lim would not go to the Philippines without Yee, and Yee said he would not go until after the 2014 midterm elections in November.

Yee and Lim told the agent they needed time to "set up the infrastructure necessary to complete the weapons deal." Yee said, "I want to protect the entire enterprise" and needed to shield Lim, his contact, and anyone else involved in the weapons deal. He wanted to build in "several layers of protection to shield Lim and anyone else who may be involved with the weapons deal," Yee was quoted as saying in the affidavit.

When asked about major Muslim organizations in Mindanao, Yee mentioned the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in the affidavit, and explained there were several factions within it. Lim said he would meet with “the head of a Muslim group” without specifying if it was a member of the MILF or some other Muslim group. Neither was the MILF directly linked to the arms deal during their conversations.

On March 14, 2014, Yee met with 3 men in another restaurant in San Francisco – Jackson, Jackson’s associate and the same undercover agent – to discuss how they would break up the money paid by the agent into "legitimate campaign donations.”

Instead of smuggling all $2 million worth of weapons to the US, Yee advised that the weapons be imported in “smaller amounts” so as not to attract any attention.

Yee’s lawyer said he plans to plead not guilty on 6 counts of defrauding the public of honest services, and one count of conspiracy to traffic firearms.

Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said on Saturday, March 29, that she would ask Justice Secretary Leila de Lima to check whether Yee had actually visited the Philippines in 2012, as mentioned in the affidavit. The Bureau of Immigration is under De Lima and can confirm if Yee actually entered the country at that time.

http://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/54156-us-gun-smuggling-wilson-lim

China slams PH 'hype' over West PH Sea

From Rappler (Mar 30): China slams PH 'hype' over West PH Sea



DAVID VS GOLIATH. A much smaller Philippine ship arrives at the disputed Ayungin Shoal. Photo by AFP

China denounced the "hype" the Philippines created in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) a day before Manila submits on Sunday, March 30, its historic pleading against Beijing.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei made this statement after a Philippine ship successfully reached the disputed Ayungin Shoal (Ren'ai Reef) on Saturday, March 29, despite China's efforts to block it.

Reports reaching the Philippines' Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said at least two Chinese coast guard ships tried to drive the Philippine vessel away. The Philippine contingent, which included journalists, aimed to resupply personnel in the Philippines' stranded ship in Ayungin.

Hong said the "Philippines' action aimed to hype up the South China Sea issue, so as to serve its attempt to illegally seize the Ren'ai Reef," China's state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

"The Philippines' action cannot change the fact that China owns sovereignty over the Nansha (Spratly) Islands, including the Ren'ai Reef, and cannot shake China's resolve to safeguard its national sovereignty, said the spokesman," according to Xinhua.

The Philippines, however, has dismissed China's statements.

In a statement on Saturday, DFA spokesman Charles Jose said, "We condemn the harassment by the Chinese coast guard of our civilian vessels which are on their way to Ayungin Shoal to resupply provisions to our personnel stationed there."

'HYPE.' Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei scoffs at Manila's moves on the eve of the filing of its pleading against China. File photo by AFP



PH vs China 'threat'

The DFA stressed that Ayungin Shoal "is part of the Philippines' continental shelf." Therefore the Philippines "has sovereign rights and jurisdiction over it."

"We demand that China cease taking actions that are a threat to our security," Jose added.

Not only is the Philippines condemning China's actions on Saturday. It is also filing on Sunday a written pleading, called a memorial, that is expected to agitate Beijing. (READ: PH readies 'convincing evidence' against China)

It will file the memorial in relation to its historic case against China, filed in 2013, over the West Philippine Sea.

Philippine Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said the memorial, more than 100 pages long, contains "very convincing" evidence against China's claims over the West Philippine Sea.

Del Rosario is set to brief the media about the memorial at 2:30 pm on Sunday.

China's claims encroach on the Philippines' exclusive economic zone (EEZ), an area 200 nautical miles from a country's baselines within which a state has the sovereign rights to explore and exploit, and conserve and manage natural resources, among others. (READ: What's at stake in our case vs China)

The Philippines says Ayungin is within its EEZ.

http://www.rappler.com/nation/54236-china-slams-ph-hype-west-ph-sea

Breakaway rebel leader vows to fight after signing of peace pact

From InterAksyon (Mar 29): Breakaway rebel leader vows to fight after signing of peace pact



File photo of Abu Missry Mama, BIFF spokesman. EREL CABATBAT, NEWS5

A day after his former comrades in arms signed a treaty to end 42 years of bloodshed in the Philippines, an ageing Muslim guerrilla leader packing a rusty handgun vowed to fight on.

"We want independence... through armed struggle," Abu Missry Mama, spokesman and senior leader of the breakaway Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), told AFP on a visit to his rural stronghold in the south.

Mama's former comrades in the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) signed a peace treaty Thursday that is expected to see them gain power under a self-rule setup in the Catholic nation's Muslim-populated southern areas.

Mama, 62, is the public face of the BIFF, which split from the 10,000-member MILF in 2008 amid a row on how best to advance the interests of the 10 million Filipino Muslims.

The Muslim rebellion that began in 1972 left tens of thousands of people dead and consigned the area of the proposed autonomous region to brutal poverty and lawlessness.

Wearing rubber flip-flops, horn-rimmed glasses and a colourful scarf atop a bronzed and craggy face, Mama casually rode a motorcycle Friday through dirt roads bisecting green rice paddies.

A rusty .45-caliber pistol was stuck in his holster as he led visitors to an empty schoolyard, about three-and-a-half hours' drive from a major southern city.

Fifteen similarly dressed guerrillas, carrying assault rifles, emerged from nowhere to stand guard as he spoke to AFP for half an hour.

Nearby, a group of young men played basketball and residents sat by their windows or in front of their wood and straw huts in the late afternoon.

"The MILF have their own way and we have mine too," said Mama, who spoke fluent English and Filipino, the country's official language.

He said he fought for the MILF and was now the number-three leader of the BIFF under its founder Ameril Umrakato, who the military said has been incapacitated by illness.

The BIFF founder was accused of leading his men in attacks across the south in 2008 that left more than 400 people dead and displaced hundreds of thousands of civilians.
The farming region, more than a thousand kilometers (600 miles) south of Manila, is dotted by small military camps and checkpoints.

Small military units and motorists have been frequent targets of deadly BIFF attacks as the group sought to disrupt the peace process, somehow withstanding repeated government assaults against it.

Peace spoilers warned

As he presided over the peace treaty signing in Manila on Thursday, President Benigno Aquino vowed that armed opponents of the pact "will be met with a firm response based on righteousness and justice".

After more than 50 of its members were killed in a major military operation in late January, the BIFF has about 460 guerrillas left, military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Ramon Zagala told AFP.

"We have diminished their threat but we are still monitoring them because of the possibility that they will continue to spurn the peace," Zagala said, adding they were now led by a man named Mohiden Animbang, alias "Karialan".

Zagala said Mama was apparently an alias and the man was considered by the military as a BIFF spokesman.

Mama said the BIFF would only consider peace talks if the government would allow the creation of a separate Muslim nation, something Aquino has ruled out.

"There would be no condition in the talks. They just have to leave our homeland," Mama said.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/83732/breakaway-rebel-leader-vows-to-fight-after-signing-of-peace-pact

Chinese President Xi Jinping: No trouble in South China Sea - unless others ask for it

From InterAksyon (Mar 29): Chinese President Xi Jinping: No trouble in South China Sea - unless others ask for it

Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Friday his country would not act aggressively regarding territorial claims in the South China Sea - called the West Philippine Sea by Manila - but was determined to safeguard its interests there.

"On the issue of the South China Sea, we will not provoke trouble ourselves but we will not fear troubles provoked by others either," he said in a speech during a visit to Berlin.

"When it comes to our sovereignty and territorial integrity we will strongly safeguard these interests," said Xi.

China's claims over islands, reefs and atolls in resource-rich waters of the South China Sea have set it directly against Vietnam and the Philippines, while Brunei, Taiwan and Malaysia have claims too.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/83727/chinese-president-xi-jinping-no-trouble-in-south-china-sea---unless-others-ask-for-it

Chinese vessels harass, but fail to stop, resupply mission for PH Navy ship at Ayungin Shoal

From InterAksyon (Mar 29): Chinese vessels harass, but fail to stop, resupply mission for PH Navy ship at Ayungin Shoal



Aerial view shows the BRP Sierra Madre as strategically located in Ayungin Shoal, in a Philippine government report obtained by News5.

The Department of Foreign Affairs protested the act of  Chinese government vessels that harassed Saturday a civilian resupply ship enroute to the BRP Sierra Madre, the old Philippine Navy ship serving as a Marine outpost at Ayungin Shoal, initially preventing it from carrying out its mission.

Over an hour later, however, the Armed Forces of the Philippines team, on board the civilian fishing vessel somehow managed “to re-supply, re-provision and rotate troops on board BRP Sierra Madre (LT-57) at Ayungin Shoal,” said a text message from Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda, quoting Col. Demy Zagala.

The incident happened a day before the Philippines is set to submit its “Memorial” or summary of arguments before a UN Arbitral Tribunal in the Hague, formalizing its complaint against what it called China’s “excessive claims” in the South China Sea, defying the latest warnings from Beijing.

Chinese vessels routinely harass Philippine ships suspected of re-supplying the BRP Sierra Madre, which Beijing wants towed out of the area. Manila, which placed the rusting warship in the Ayungin area years ago, has ignored the demand, saying it is well within Philippine territory in the West Philippine Sea.

DFA to Beijing: stop threatening our security

The Department of Foreign Affairs condemned the harassment by Chinese vessels of the Filipino boat trying to transport some supplies in the Ayungin shoal.

"We condemn the harassment by the Chinese coast guard of our civilian vessels which are on their way to Ayungin Shoal to resupply provisions to our personnel stationed there," newly appointed DFA spokesman Charles Jose said in a statement.

He demanded that China "cease" from "taking actions that are a threat to our security".

China has been virtually claiming 90 percent of the West Philippine Sea, citing the nine-dash-line of ancient Chinese maps.

The Philippines, which is filing its Memorial or summary of arguments before an arbitral tribunal in The Hague on Sunday (March 30), has insisted that China should not encroach on its 200-km nautical exclusive economic zone (EEZ) provided by the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos).

Jose reminded China that Ayungin Shoal is part of thr Philippines' continental shelf and "therefore [Manila] has sovereign rights and jurisdiction over it".

Standoff between Chinese ships,  1 PH fishing boat

A journalist from Agence France-Presse, riding on a Philippine military plane flying above the area, saw the dramatic standoff between the Philippine soldiers aboard the civilian fishing vessel and Chinese coastguard ships.

Four Chinese vessels had encircled Second Thomas Shoal [Ayungin Shoal] as the Philippine vessel approached, according to the AFP reporter.

Two of the vessels, with "Chinese coastguard" written on the side of the boats, then chased the Philippine boat and tried to block it from reaching the shoal.

The vessels appeared to get within a few hundred meters of each other.

The Philippine ship finally slipped past the Chinese blockade to reach Second Thomas Shoal, where a handful of Filipino marines are stationed on a Navy vessel that has been grounded there since 1999 to assert their nation's sovereignty.

The Philippine military said the ship, a fishing vessel with soldiers on board, had completed its mission to deliver fresh supplies to the navy ship and rotate the troops.

"They were able to pass through the Chinese coastguard vessel and the mission is a success," Cherryl Tindog, a spokeswoman for the military's western command, told AFP.

"We have successfully re-supplied and rotated the troops."

The Philippines grounded the old Navy ship, the BRP Sierra Madre, at Second Thomas Shoal in 1999, four years after China built structures on nearby, Filipino-claimed Mischief Reef.

Filipino troops have kept a presence on the ship ever since.

However, until this month, China had never sought to block the Philippines from re-supplying or rotating its soldiers there.

China successfully turned away a Philippine re-supply boat on March 9. Saturday's mission was the next attempt.

Although the military does not release figures on the number of soldiers stationed at Second Thomas Shoal, there are believed to be fewer than 10.

PH govt report: more aggressive Chinese presence

An exclusive report by News5’s DJ Sta. Ana, posted in Interaksyon.com last Jan. 17, 2014, had cited a confidential Philippine government report that a more assertive and aggressive Chinese military presence has been monitored near the Philippine garrison on Ayungin Shoal, located in the disputed Spratly Islands in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).

The report, obtained by TV5, indicates the "assertive and aggressive" stance of China could be part a renewed and possibly a more determined effort to remove Philippine military presence on Ayungin Shoal and from the whole Spratly Islands group. A dilapidated Philippine Navy Ship, the BRP Sierra Madre, was grounded on the shoal in 1999 and now serves as the barracks and command facility of Philippine Marines deployed there.

China had accused the Philippines of intentionally grounding the BRP Sierra Madre as part of what it claimed was an occupation strategy. Since then, China has made repeated demands that the ship and soldiers be removed. In 2013, Beijing offered to remove the BRP Sierra Madre at no cost to the Philippines.

Ayungin Shoal, internationally known as Second Thomas Shoal, is located 108 nautical miles from Palawan and is only 13 nautical miles southeast of Mischief Reef, where China has built a formidable garrison.

The confidential report states that China has been consistent with its demand that Manila remove the BRP Sierra Madre. It points out that in 2013, Beijing began stepping up the pressure.

On April 19, 2013, China sent a strongly worded communication demanding that the Philippine government remove the BRP Sierra Madre on Ayungin Shoal “but this time, they are also insinuating the removal and/or dismantling of all Philippine structures in the entire West Philippine Sea – citing the area as Chinese territory.”

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/83734/chinese-vessels-harass-but-fail-to-stop-resupply-mission-for-ph-navy-ship-at-ayungin-shoal

Gov’t remains open to peace talks with Reds, says Palace

From the Daily Tribune (Mar 30): Gov’t remains open to peace talks with Reds, says Palace

Presidential deputy spokesman Abigail Valte said the Aquino administration remains open to hold peace talks with the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) in light of calls from the the Philippine Ecumenical Peace Platform after the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro by the government with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

“On the side of government, we have always expressed willingness to sit down and to talk,” Valte said.

Valte reiterated the statement of Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) Secretary Teresita Deles that the communists should have present a clear agenda to the government peace negotiating table to resolve the decades old armed conflict.

“We have always asked the CPP-NPA-NDF to come up with a clear-cut agenda for the talks. This is a formula that has worked for us in several other negotiating tables and I think we’ve proven that the government can be trusted when it comes to negotiations,” Valte said.

She cited that the CPP leadership in Utrecht, the Netherlands had declared that they would no longer want to talk with the Aquino administration and that peace negotiations would only resume with the next administration after the 2016 elections.

Valte said the CPP should have a firm stand on what they would want to bargain with the Philippine government.

“Well, that is something that should be a concern to them in the sense that they should have clear messages, at least, for the public,” Valte said.

Valte said the OPAPP had its own experience of hardships on the negotiating table with the MILF but they were able to come up with the CAB after several months of tedious discussions in Kuala Lumpur.

“There were many challenges that were confronted in the talks with the MILF but the panels were able to hurdle those challenges. We’ve always been a believer in good faith when it comes to peace talks and we’ve proven that through the signed peace agreement,” Valte said.

Valte said the government has no resolve but to have a peace negotiation with the communists.

“We’ve always subscribed to peace negotiations as a way to put an end to their struggles. And we’ve always advocated peaceful means to settle any dispute, whether it’s local or whether it’s international,” Valte said.

Valte said the CPP would know what they intend to do with themselves now that the government has achieved peace negotiations with the MILF.

Lawyer Alex Padilla, chief negotiator of the government peace panel for the CPP, said it is irrelevant to talk with anybody with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines unless officially appointed by the CPP leadership from Utrecht, or if not Jose Maria Sison or Luis Jalandoni themselves.

Padilla explained that everything in the Philippine communist fronts had been coming from the CPP in Utrecht that made for the GPH to decide holding talks directly with the CPP leadership and not from the NDFP.

Padilla said the heads of the legal organizations which are members under the umbrella of the NDFP, are all considered communists.

He added the arrest of the couple Wilma Austria and Benito Tiamzon has nothing to do with the peace negotiations with the government because Tiamzon had never been a peace negotiator.

http://www.tribune.net.ph/nation/gov-t-remains-open-to-peace-talks-with-reds-says-palace

BIFF leader vows to fight after peace pact

From the Daily Tribune (Mar 30): BIFF leader vows to fight after peace pact

A day after his former comrades in arms signed a treaty to end 42 years of bloodshed in Mindanao, a senior leader of the breakaway Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) vowed to continue pursuing independence.

“We want independence... through armed struggle,” Abu Missry Mama, also the spokesman for the BIFF, told Agence France Presse on a visit to his rural stronghold in the South.

Mama’s former comrades in the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) signed a peace treaty last Thursday that is expected to see them gain power under a self-rule setup in the Muslim-populated southern areas.

Mama, 62, is the public face of the BIFF, which split from the 10,000-member MILF in 2008 amid a row on how best to advance the interests of the 10 million Filipino Muslims.

The Muslim rebellion that began in 1972 left tens of thousands of people dead and consigned the area of the proposed autonomous region to brutal poverty and lawlessness.

“The MILF has its own way and we have mine too,” said Mama.

He added he fought for the MILF and was now the number-three leader of the BIFF under its founder Ameril Umra Kato, who the military said has been incapacitated by illness.

The BIFF founder was accused of leading his men in attacks across the south in 2008 that left more than 400 persons dead and displaced hundreds of thousands of civilians.
The farming region is dotted by small military camps and checkpoints.

Small military units and motorists have been frequent targets of deadly BIFF attacks as the group sought to disrupt the peace process, somehow withstanding repeated government assaults against it.

As he presided over the peace treaty signing in Manila last Thursday, President Aquino vowed that armed opponents of the pact “will be met with a firm response based on righteousness and justice.”

After more than 50 of its members were killed in a major military operation in late January, the BIFF has about 460 guerrillas left, military spokesman Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala told AFP.

“We have diminished their threat but we are still monitoring them because of the possibility that they will continue to spurn the peace,” Zagala said, adding they were now led by a man named Mohiden Animbang, alias “Karialan.”

Zagala said Mama was apparently an alias and the man was considered by the military as a BIFF spokesman.

Mama said the BIFF would only consider peace talks if the government would allow the creation of a separate Muslim nation, something Aquino has ruled out.

“There would be no condition in the talks. They just have to leave our homeland,” Mama said.

But Malacañang urged naysayers to give peace a chance in Mindanao after the Philippine government and the MILF signed the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) this week.

In a radio interview, deputy presidential spokesman Abigail Valte yesterday said those doubting the peace pact should look into the documents agreed by both sides.

“We invite you to look at the annexes or the documents that we have put up online in the interest of transparency. This will be the basis of the crafting of the Bangsamoro Basic Law that will hopefully be passed by Congress,” she said.

“And let’s give it a chance. There are so many groups that are supportive of this peace deal. Let’s give it a chance,” the Palace official added.

Meanwhile, addressing the concerns of the employees of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) who fear they may lose their jobs once a new Bangsamoro political entity is established, Valte said the stakeholders considered their welfare during the negotiation for the peace agreement.

Prior to this however, ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman assured government workers in the autonomous region that they will be retained in their positions.
http://www.tribune.net.ph/headlines/biff-leader-vows-to-fight-after-peace-pact

CPP/NPA: The NPA in Panay vows to persevere in the people’s war, exact justice for the victims of the US-Aquino regime and be at the forefront of the people rising from their typhoon-ravaged state

NPA propaganda statement posted to the CPP Website (Mar 29): The NPA in Panay vows to persevere in the people’s war, exact justice for the victims of the US-Aquino regime and be at the forefront of the people rising from their typhoon-ravaged state

CPP Panay Regional Committee

 

Regional Party Committee,
Panay Region

 

Coronacion Chiva (Commander Waling-waling) Regional Operational Command, NPA-Panay

 

The NPA in Panay, together with all the revolutionary forces in Panay, vows to persevere along the road of armed revolution on its 45th year. With weapons raised high, we swear unto death on the graves of our martyrs and heroes. We swear by the millions of people who continue to suffer the ravages of Typhoon Yolanda and abandoned by the Aquino regime. We swear by our people who were robbed of trillions by bureaucrat-capitalists which the Aquino regime continues to protecteven as itpursue its ‘anti-corruption campaign’ against opponents while monopolizing and expanding its own pork.

For all the regime’s empty boasts of achievements, foremost would be his pimping the country away to foreign investment and the US military while engorging themselves on the bulk of the domestic product growth of 7%. It could even boast about capturing some of our leaders and buy out the MILF leadership to surrender but nothing would stop the revolutionary people’s movement from giving the Aquino regime a taste of how the Marcoses were toppled from power.

Last March 15, 2014, Romeo Capalla, a legitimate businessman exporting organic muscovado sugar abroad so as to ensure a better price for small farmers and workers was gunned down in cold blood at the very doorstep of the police department of Otontown in Iloilo. Also, equipment and the small sugar mills supervised by Capallawere torched down in Janiuay town. His death splattered the Aquino regime’s “human rights” facade for sanctioning of OplanBayanihan—a US-inspired counter-insurgency program which include selective neutralization of legal leaders of people’s organization protesting against the regime. The US practiced this program in Vietnam and Latin America.

Capalla was only the latest of such extrajudicial killings. In July of 2010, Councilor Fernando Baldomero of LezoAklanwas assassinated becoming the first extrajudicial killing of the Aquino regime. Luisa Posa and NiloArado were forcibly abducted and disappeared in April 2007 under hispredecessor’s failed anti-insurgency program, the OplanBantayLaya. Hundreds of other less known murders, tortures, rapes and enforced disappearances of common people were perpetrated by the same state security agents under the Aquino regime using the same practices that were instituted widely under the Martial Law regime of Marcos.

The fascist nature of the Aquino state apparatus became apparent when, under the chronic crisis of the Philippines, millions of people are becoming restive and tens of thousands victims of Supertyphoon Yolanda took to the streets including some 7000 in Panay. Millions of our people have seen that while they suffer constant want, their taxes were stolen in their name, in the guise of “relief and rehabilitation” and “aid to agriculture and the poor” and lined the pocket of most politicians.

In such a situation, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)’s call for surrender of the NPA could only fail to convince the Red Fighters to stand down. On the contrary, squads, platoon and companies of new recruits are coming to enlist in the NPA rolls. Tens of thousands would take to the streets to denounce and demand compensation from the regime or join the revolutionary underground. Brutal repression by the Aquino regime, even as he lamely denies it, will only hasten the trend.

On its 45th Anniversary, the NPA in Panay vows to implement the following task:

1. Heed the cry of the people for justice and launch a coordinated campaign of tactical offensives against the brutal state security apparatus primarily in and around the guerilla fronts and secondarily in the enemy’s own areas of control. The NPA aims to seize the tactical initiative within the 301st Infantry Battalion’s strategic campaign of encirclement and suppression by striking it with tactical offensives at any time and anywhere when the enemy operating troops least expect it.

Last year, the NPA has already achieved the capacity to coordinate a series of attacks on simultaneous military operation of the enemy in all major guerilla fronts. It has even developed the capacity to strike the commander of the paramilitary RPA-ABB, Demetrio Capilastique, in his own homeground surrounded by his own armed men.
The NPA has expanded its area of operation to two-thirds of the Madyaas range and hills facing the most populous areas of Panay and thereby widened its scope of operation by as much. The 301st Brigade and other military forces are spread thinly and are exhausted in operating as well as garrisoning its troops to defend its political centers and lines of communication.

The military intelligence ‘dirty jobs’ department of the regime resorted to assassination of Romeo Capalla to strike terror and intimidate the rising hungry people of Panay. On the very 59th anniversary of the expulsion of the cruel Japanese invaders, the regime’s security agents unleashed its version of the Japanese Kempetai policy of “For every Japanese armed soldier killed by guerillas, ten civilians heads will be cut off by samurai.” When the military intelligence armed agent Demetrio Capilastique of the surrendered RPA was ambushed by the NPA, Aquino’s military establishment countered by killing the civilian Capalla and plans to follow this up with other civilian victims.

The Aquino regime forgot the historical lesson of the Japanese invasion and fascism or even the Marcos dictatorship: For every martyr killed, hundreds and thousands will take their place along the road to liberation.

During the funeral of Romeo Capalla, more than 5000 from all walks of life overflowed unto the Plaza from Leon’s church, and 100 vehicle accompanied Romeo’s body to his grave. Ten thousands more would march to the streets in the following weeks and months to demand justice. Thousands will also quietly join the underground movement to engage in revolution in a more direct way, to serve as the backbone of the underground movement against the Aquino regime and to assist the armed struggle in the countryside.

2. Hundreds of activists will seek a more direct road to justice and will enlist in the ranks of the full time guerillas. Hundreds more would join the local militia in the countryside barangays.

The NPA would most welcome the numerous new recruits and would complete the institution of a systematic recruitment process that would constantly replenish and strengthen the NPA ranks. Rest assured, the NPA ranks would cherish the new forces within their rank, take care of them until they are fully integrated as full time Red fighters.

3. The NPA will be redoubling its effort at being at the forefront of the people’s struggle to rise from the ravages of typhoon Yolanda and the criminal inutility of the US-Aquino regime in the face of rampant poverty and hunger. In its area of operations the NPA will exert more effort in taking the lead in the reconstruction of people’s lives, relying on the people’s own capacity to rise from their destitution together with the people’s provisional government.

The NPA would assist efforts towards the implementation of land reform, cultivation of idle landlord and public land, lowering or outright cancellation of interest for destroyed crops, raising of prices for farm produce and production drives.
Justice for Romeo Capalla and all other human rights victims will be exacted from a regime bent on pursuing its fascist agenda. Immediately, the investigation of the case has already begun and definite leads especially of those who were involved in casing Capallawere already identified. Thisin spite of the attempt of the military and police to find fall guys to divert attention from those actually responsible—aswith Baldomero’s case.

It may take a while but your people’s army never forgets. As we have declared, we may not be able to protect you as only a massive popular struggle and a solid underground movement could. But we could exact justicefrom those who were responsible in the end.

The overthrow of a hated dictatorial system, as Romeo Capalla and Fernando Baldomero attempted during Martial Law, was only the first step towards social justice. When they pursued their service to the people through bourgeois politics or legal business enterprise and be effective at that, while joining protest actions in a legal way as human rights advocates, the regime felt threatened and it would cut down some selected leaders to contain the rising people. Only by overthrowing the ruling system through armed means and popular risings would eliminate the fascism embedded in this system. These are the definitive lessons imparted to us by Romeo Capalla.

The NPA vows to take these lessons to heart, persevere in armed revolution inspite of difficulties, casualties and arrest of leaders. The people are now rising together with its people’s army.

http://www.philippinerevolution.net/statements/20140329_the-npa-in-panay-vows-to-persevere-in-the-people-s-war-exact-justice-for-the-victims-of-the-us-aquino-regime-and-be-at-the-forefront-of-the-people-rising-from-their-typhoon-ravaged-state