Chinese base to arise from Johnson South Reef -- DND chief

From the Philippine News Agency (May 15): Chinese base to arise from Johnson South Reef -- DND chief

Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Voltaire Gazmin on Thursday said that the ongoing Chinese construction activity in Johnson South Reef will definitely result in the completion of a base.

"(And) for whatever purpose we still do not know, but we are almost sure that there will be be a base (at Johnson South Reef)," he said.

Johnson South Reef lies about 263 nautical miles away from Puerto Princesa City, Palawan and 190 nautical miles from the tip of Balabac, also in Palawan.

Aerial photos obtained by Philippine air patrols revealed that the Chinese are conducting "earth moving" activities in the area.

Gazmin said construction works were spotted sometime in February.

The DND said the activity contravenes the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, which was signed by China and members of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) on November 4, 2002.

"This activity contravenes the spirit of the DOC and a security concern of all the region," DND spokesperson Dr. Peter Paul Galvez said of the ongoing construction works in Johnson South Reef.

The DOC which was signed by the Philippines, Myanmar, Vietnam, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei, Thailand, Cambodia, and China, stipulates that all parties involved will exercise self-restraint in the conduct of activities that would complicate or escalate disputes and affect peace and stability.

This includes refraining from action of inhabiting the presently uninhabited islands, reefs, shoals, cays, and other features and to handle their differences in a constructive manner.

"These provocative acts, which they should immediately stop, further disturbs the fabric of regional peace and stability," Galvez said.

Gazmin added that this incident furthers spells the need for the Philippine military to modernize its capabilities.

He added that the ongoing "Balikatan" exercises, which is schedule to end this May 16, is one way to address these deficiencies.

Sources said the Armed Forces of the Philippines currently lacks modern aircraft and ships to protect its vast territorial waters.

Aside from this, existing units have limited radar equipment, making it difficult to spot and detect intruders on a timely fashion.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=644003

AFP chief identifies 3 PHL bases American forces can use

From the Philippine News Agency (May 15): AFP chief identifies 3 PHL bases American forces can use
 
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief-of-staff Gen. Emmanuel Bautista has identified three military bases which American forces can use based on the provisions set by the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).

EDCA was signed by ranking US and Filipino military leaders on April 28.

These are Fort Magsaysay in Palayan City, Nueva Ecija; Naval Station San Miguel in San Antonio town, Zambales and Oyster Bay in Bahile, Palawan.

"I like to say the possibilities where I like them to be, for instance in Fort Magsaysay (Palayan City, Magsaysay), (Naval Station) San Miguel in Zambales and Oyster Bay (Bahile) Palawan. These are the bases we can offer them (as) these are also the bases we need to develop," Bautista said in an interview.

He clarified though that these are the facilities he deemed best in his opinion.

Bautista added that Oyster Bay is very important for the Philippines as it provides direct access to the disputed areas in the West Philippine Sea.

"It is easier for us to support our patrols in the West Philippines Sea and it allows us to address the issues and threats in the West Philippines Sea.

Oyster Bay is now undergoing improvements which will allow it to accommodate large ships of the Philippine Navy like the BRP Gregorio Del Pilar (PF-15) and BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PF-16).

Incidentally, Naval Forces West is based in Ulugan Bay which is around four kilometers away from Oyster Bay.

" We have a base there (Oyster Bay) but facilities are not that good yet. For example, we need to improve the pier, we need to improve living facilities and support facilities. Well, we have allocated funding for that maybe not enough if we want to develop it to be a real base for our Navy or bilateral exercises," the AFP chief stressed.

He added that giving Americans access to the said Filipino facilities will help in the development of the said areas.

"For example, in developing the airport or the pier, they can help do that. They have big aircraft, but for example, the air strip in Fort Magsaysay may not be able to accommodate this big aircraft for support facilities for this aircraft and so they may help us in that respect to develop that airport or air strip. It benefits the both of us; it allows us to have more activities, more training activities in those bases," Bautista concluded.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=643975

F/A-50s to be PHL's most heavily-armed aircraft

From the Philippine News Agency (May 15): F/A-50s to be PHL's most heavily-armed aircraft

The South Korean F/A-50 "Golden Eagle, those sale contract the Department of National Defense (DND) signed last March 28, will be the most heavily-armed jet aircraft of the Philippine Air Force (PAF).

This contract is worth Php 18.9 billion.

The F/A-50, as per technical specifications obtained from the DND, showed that the jet aircraft can carry a total of 10,500lbs of weapons including an internal 20mm internal automatic cannon, two short-ranged air-to-air AIM-9 "Sidewinder" missiles and air-to-surface AGM-65 missiles for close-air support.

A guidance kit called the JDAM (joint direct attack munition) is also installed into the F/A-50, allowing it to convert unguided or "dumb bombs" into all-weather smart munitions.

These bombs are outfitted with an inertial guidance system that is tied to a global positioning system receiver to guide the deployed munition intended to precisely hit a specific target, and to minimize collateral damage.

This is the first ever PAF aircraft to employ such weapons as the Northrop F-5 "Tiger" and Vought F-8 "Crusader" which are the country's first and last supersonic fighters do not have the above-mentioned capabilities.

Both planes are only armed with 20mm cannons, air-to-air missiles and unguided bombs and rockets.

The Philippines retired its F-8 fleet in 1990 due to maintenance costs with the F-5 squadron decommissioned in 2005 due to airframe attrition and difficulty in acquiring spare parts.

Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI)'s F/A-50 has a top speed of Mach 1.5 or one and half times the speed of sound.

The F/A-50 will act as the country's interim fighter until the Philippines get enough experience in 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.

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=643936

Militant groups warned over safety of ‘ex-rebel’

From the Visayan Daily Star (May 15): Militant groups warned over safety of ‘ex-rebel’

The Commission on Human Rights in Negros Oriental yesterday warned militant groups that they will be held accountable if something happens to a rebel returnee who did a flip-flop recently.

CHR special investigator Jess Cañete was referring to the conflicting statements of Gennie Labrador, a former member of the New People’s Army, who had earlier received financial assistance from the provincial government under the Social Integration Program for former rebels.

Labrador was one of the 30 rebel returnees who received cash incentives from the province during the declaration of Negros Oriental as “conflict manageable and development ready province” last week.

But several days after the declaration, he announced at a press conference called by the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan and the Karapatan that he was not a former NPA member but was urged to admit it by government officials.

The militant groups criticized the declaration as misleading, and said the basic social problems, particularly poverty, have not been addressed by the government, so the insurgency problem will still persist.

Yesterday afternoon Labrador did a back-flip and confirmed that he was, indeed, a former NPA member, Cañete said.

In an interview in the presence of Cañete and provincial Social Welfare and Development Officer Alice Legarde, Labrador claimed that he was under pressure, allegedly from the militant groups who pushed him to say otherwise.

Cañete said he believes Labrador was telling the truth that he was a rebel returnee.

His surrender and entitlement to the financial assistance were thoroughly and properly documented by the provincial SWD.

Cañete appealed to the militant groups to give peace a chance to prosper in Negros Oriental. “We should not be faultfinders and not derail government programs to improve the lives of the people,” he said.

Labrador had told the CHR about his activities in the NPA, but admitted that he was fearful of retaliation from his former comrades.

Cañete said that if Labrador’s claim of not being a rebel returnee is true, the CHR will subpoena those concerned to explain why he was made to pass himself off as a former NPA member.

http://www.visayandailystar.com/2014/May/15/negor1.htm

Old letter of US envoy details US pledge to defend West PH Sea

From Rappler (May 15): Old letter of US envoy details US pledge to defend West PH Sea

It's the turn of the members of the House of Representatives to ask questions about the PH-US Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement

What good is the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) if there is no categorical statement from the US that once the disputed territories in the West Philippines Sea (South China Sea) come under attack, Washington will come to the defense of the Philippines?

The House of Representatives committee hearing on the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) on Wednesday, May 14, brought the discussion back to the one big question: Does the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) cover the disputed territories in the West Philippines Sea?

"I find it disturbing that we have an agreement that is very unclear about what we all know to be the principal purpose of this agreement as articulated by administration spokesmen, which is supposed to be the defense of Philippine territory," said Akbayan party-list Representative Walden Bello.

The Philippines sought US military assistance in the wake of escalating maritime disputes over the West Philippine Sea. The panel was also grilled by senators on Tuesday, May 13. (READ: 'EDCA allows US military to build anywhere in PH' and Senators pinpoint 7 flaws in EDCA)

Ambassador Hubbard's letter

Bello asked the panel for "specific comments during the negotiations... that say the US will consider an armed attack on the Kalayaan Island Groupo as an attack that the US must respond to because it is in the MDT."

Panel member Ambassador Eduardo Malaya pulled out a 1999 letter of former US Ambassador Thomas Hubbard to then Foreign Affairs Secretary Domingo Siazon.

Hubbard's letter to Siazon cited a statement issued by then US Defense Secretary William Cohen that addressed whatever vagueness the MDT has.

"Last August, in response to questions issued during his visit to the Philippines, US Defense Secretary William Cohen stated that US considers the South China Sea to be part of the Pacific Area," Hubbard's letter reads.

Hubbard's letter sought to correct a newspaper story quoting then US Pacific Command Dennis Blair that the West Philippines Sea is not covered under the MDT.

"I'm concerned that US policy has been seriously misconstrued... As you can see the body of the article does not support the headline US offers no security blanket," Hubbard wrote.

But Bello said even Hubbard's letter was not enough. It still fell short of categorically stating that US will defend territories in the West Philippine Sea.

"Ambassador Hubbard's statement simply says that the South China Sea is part of the Pacific Ocean. It is a specific statement that by nature is true. So I come back because this is a very important position with respect to this recent agreement," Bello said.

Bello cited a more recent statement by retired US Navy Rear Admiral Michael McDevitt.

McDevitt wrote in a 2013 paper that the MDT "does not obligate Washington to take sides over the sovereignty question of Scarborough Shoal."

Bukidnon Representative Jose Miguel Zubiri also questioned the weight of both statements.

US President Barack Obama could have eased doubts during his visit but he evaded the question coming from the media. He did give a strong statement recognizing US obligation under the MDT to defend the Philippines against external armed attacks, but he was not ready to give a statement about the West Philippine Sea the way he gave Japan a categorical statement on the Senkaku Island. (READ: How far will the US go to defend the Philippines? and Obama: US commitment to PH 'ironclad')

The question was not a matter for the EDCA to address. EDCA sets the rules to govern two new activities with US troops: construction of military facilities inside Philippine bases and the storage and preposition of defense assets.

Panel chairman Defense Undersecretary Pio Lorenzo Batino said it was not discussed when Bello asked him if the negotiating panel talked about it.

MDT language

Signed in 1951, the MDT obligates the US and the Phiippines to defend each other in cases of external armed attacks. The treaty itself is not categorical about the islands in the West Philippine Sea, however.

The treaty covers external armed attacks on "metropolitan territory of either of the Parties, or on the island territories under its jurisdiction in the Pacific Ocean, its armed forces, public vessels or aircraft in the Pacific."

Categorical statement from the US

The first categorical statement from an active military officer came in February 2014 – from US Navy chief Admiral Jonathan Greenert. This was not discussed during the hearing.

He was asked if the US would help the Philippines in the event that China decides to invade territories in the West Philippine Sea, say Pag-asa Island. Greenert replied: “Of course we would help you.”

But the more important part of Greenert’s statement was what followed, a security official interviewed by Rappler said.

Greenert continued: “I don’t know what that help would be specifically. We have an obligation because we have a treaty. But I don’t know in what capacity that help is….,” Greenert said.

The assistance of the US Navy in the tense mission to rotate troops trapped for 5 months in the disputed Ayungin Shoal helped eased doubts. Using a telephoto lens, a photographer who joined the mission to Ayungin Shoal spotted a plane marked "US Navy" directly above the civilian ship while they were on their way to the shoal. (READ: US helped PH Navy in Ayungin mission)

http://www.rappler.com/nation/58048-edca-hearing-congress

What is EDCA? Look at Zambo's PH-US joint operations

From Rappler (May 15): What is EDCA? Look at Zambo's PH-US joint operations

As the defense agreement is scrutinized on the national stage, the issues raised by local officials with 'semi-permanent US presence' are repeated



JSOTF-P COMMANDER: US Army Green Beret Colonel Robert McDowell

When the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) was signed, a politician in Zamboanga City asked on Twitter: "I wonder what consequences it will have on LGUs who host semi-permanent US facilities?"

While Manila debates the benefits and possible repercussions of the return of American troops, EDCA has been everyday life in Zamboanga City and other parts of Mindanao in the last 12 years through the US Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines (JSOTF-P). It is directly under the US Pacific Command.

The difference is EDCA, for Filipinos, is meant to counter a growingly aggressive China and to prepare for disaster resonse. JSOTF-P was formed to help the Philippine military respond to threats of violent extremist organizations.

US Army Green Beret Colonel Robert McDowell, the commander of the JSOTF-P, is proud of the results of the joint operations in Mindanao.

"We call it one of the most successful foreign internal defense counterterrorist operations that we’ve ever had the pleasure to be a part of," McDowell told repoters in a rare interview in Nueva Ecija, where he joined Balikatan 2014 activities.

Nothing new

Those who are familiar with US military activities in Mindanao find nothing new in the provisions in the new deal. As EDCA is scrutinized on the national stage, the issues raised by local officials with "semi-permanent US presence" are repeated.

For EDCA, the locations have yet to be determined. For JSOTF-P, US troops put up facilities in Camp Navarro in Zamboanga City, Camp Siongco in Maguindanao, and Camp Bautista in Sulu.

At its peak, up to 1,200 US troops have rotated in Mindanao 6 months at a time. The numbers have since declined. They are not supposed to participate in combat. They are there to train, assist, and advice Filipino troops.

"The mission that we were helping to do with the counterterrorism has greatly improved since the beginning. We still have many people in the southern Philippines who are lawless. They want to bring harm to the Philippines. That still creates a problem down there," said McDowell.

Even as maritime security takes center stage, McDowell said counterterrorism exercises will continue.

"Nothing will change that we are already doing right now. We are working very closely with the navy. We work with the Coast Guard. We work with the Armed Forces in general," he said.

"If anything, we will find ways to increase the cooperation that we do for the security of the Philippines," he added.

Smart bombs in Sulu

The training exercises in Mindanao are sophisticated. In February 2012, the Philippines launched the first smart bomb attack against the Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiyah terrorists, following 15 months of training and technology transfer from the US.



ATTACK. A smart bomb is used against the Abu Sayyaf. Rappler file photo

Philippine Air Force OV-10 Broncos dropped the smart bombs – PGMs or Precision-Guided Munitions kits – that targetted two senior Jemaah Islamiyah leaders Malaysian Zulkifli bin Hir and Singaporean Mohammed Abdullah Ali.

Zulkifli bin Hir carried a US$5-million reward on his head, while Mohammed Abdullah Ali carried a $500,000 reward. (Read the exclusive report of Rappler executive editor Maria Ressa here.)

A live feed from a Scan Eagle unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or drone showed what was happening inside an Abu Sayyaf camp in Sulu, allowing a joint team of Filipino and US troops to compare the thermal image with what a double agent was texting them.

A July 6, 2012 New York Times article by Mark Mazzetti, "The Drone Zone," also claimed that the US conducted lethal drone operations in the Philippines. This was denied by US and Philippines officials, however.

Drones are used only for surveillance, they said.

Access to bases

McDowell sought to assuage fears of EDCA. "We are not going to create new bases. We serve at the pleasure of the Philippine government and we work in numbers that are acceptable to the Filipino people as a whole and what the government allows," said McDowell.

But the issue repeatedly raised against JSOTF-P is how it refuses Filipino troops access to its facilities. The US troops have a small facility inside Camp Navarro in Zamboanga City, the headquarters of Western Mindanao Command (Wesmincom).

EDCA is supposed to address this issue. It allows designated officials access to locations that will be offered for the use of the Americans. But there are doubts this will happen.

"You and I know that we are not going to be allowed to check those facilities," Senator Sergio Osmeña III said during a Senate hearing on EDCA on May 13. They were discussing the prohibition on the entry of nuclear weapons.

More congressional hearings are scheduled to look into the constitutionality of EDCA. While many lawmakers support defense cooperation with the US military, there are several concerns against the "one-sided" deal.

Time is not a luxury, however. The longer the debate on EDCA takes, the longer it will take the Philippines to identify the locations it will give the US troops, and the longer it will take the US to build the facilities they need to bring in their defense assets that the Philippines wants prepositioned in the country.

As the maritime disputes escalate to a fever pitch, security officials highlight the need to have those assets as soon as possible.

http://www.rappler.com/nation/57985-edca-zamboanga-jsotf-joint-operations

PH says China likely building a military base in Spratlys

From Rappler (May 15): PH says China likely building a military base in Spratlys

Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin admits China's activities on Mabini Reef were not immediately monitored because of the country's limited assets



'30 HECTARES.' The Philippines slams China for its 'excessive reclamation' as shown in this photo dated March 11, 2014. Photo courtesy of DFA

Philippines Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin is quite certain China is reclaiming land on Mabini (Johnson) Reef not only to build an airstrip but to establish another military base in the West Philippines Sea (South China Sea).

"They have been conducting reclamation. For whatever purpose, we still do not know.... But we are almost sure that there'll be a base," Gazmin told reporters on Thursday, May 15, on the sidelines of joint military exercises between Filipino and American troops here.

The construction activities were first monitored by the Philippines in February 2014. On Thursday, May 15, the Department of Foreign Affairs released photos of China's "destabilizing" moves in the disputed seas. (See photos here)

The Philippines said China's “extensive reclamation” on Mabini Reef in the Spratly Islands violates the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) signed by China and ASEAN member-nations in Cambodia on November 4, 2002.

The DOC states: “The Parties undertake to exercise self-restraint in the conduct of activities that would complicate or escalate disputes and affect peace and stability including, among others, refraining from action of inhabiting on the presently uninhabited islands, reefs, shoals, cays, and other features and to handle their differences in a constructive manner.”

Gazmin admitted the reclamation on Mabini was not immediately monitored by the Philippines because of the country's limited assets.

He emphasized that this is where the PH-US Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) can come in, to address gaps in military equipment. The new deal allows the US military to store and preposition defense assets and to build facilities inside Philippine military bases. "Kulang tayo sa capability natin kaya nga kailangan natin ng mga makakatulong natin gaya nitong mga Amerikano para sa ganoon ay ma-address natin mga gaps na wala tayo," Gazmin said.

http://www.rappler.com/nation/58116-china-base-mabini

PH wants US to use bases facing West PH Sea

From Rappler (May 15): PH wants US to use bases facing West PH Sea

The Balikatan 2014 war games continue in Crow Valley in Tarlac. In a maritime security scenario, Philippines and US troops operate to take over a key enemy position.

A US aircraft dropped bombs and marines tore forward under artillery fire in war games in Crow Valley in Tarlac City on Thursday, May 15 – weeks after the allies signed a defense deal against a backdrop of flaring Chinese tensions with its neighbors.

"It's a maritime security scenario," Filipino Navy Captain Annaleah Cazcarro said. "We don't have a target country," she emphasized.

As F/A-18 and A-10 aircraft unloaded their payloads, US Marines spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Jay de la Rosa added, "We're training to take over a key enemy position."

The live rounds made a dull thud and kicked up dust as they rained down on a dry riverbed in the northern Philippines at the start of the hour-long maneuvers, involving about 100 American and 200 Filipino marines.

Artillery shells also poured down from nearby hilltops before V-22 Osprey aircraft and conventional military helicopters made paratroop drops of marines on the simulated battlefield, later joined by colleagues aboard armored vehicles.

PH offers US bases facing South China Sea

Bound by the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty, the Balikatan annual war games are yearly activities held by the two militaries to improve their interoperability.

The newly-signed Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement steps up their defense cooperation allowing two new activities: storage and prepositioning of defense assets and building or upgrading facilities inside select Philippine military bases.

Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff General Emmanuel Bautista had enumerated 3 military bases that will be offered for the use of US troops:

 

Naval detachment in Palawan's Oyster Bay. It faces the West Philippine Sea and it's near the disputed Kalayaan Group of Islands (Spratlys). The government has allocated P313.6 million to improve the pier, harbor, and to construct support facilities there. (READ: PH to upgrade naval detachment facing Spratlys)

 

Naval Education & Training Command (NETC) in San Antonio, Zambales. It also faces the West Philippine Sea and is near the disputed Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal.

 

Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija. It is one of the biggest military bases in Asia and where Balikatan war games are usually conducted.

All 3 provinces have been the site of Balikatan activities this year although activities in Palawan's Western Command were off limits to the media.

Escalating tension with Beijing

The war games in Crow Valley on Thursday came at the end of 10 days of annual war games between the US and the Philippines, involving 5,500 troops. They happen this year, addressing security issues in the flashpoint South China Sea.

China is engaged in increasingly tense rows with both the Philippines and Vietnam in the area, which is believed to harbor vast oil and gas resources and which China claims almost in its entirety.

Thursday's event was held at Crow Valley, a former gunnery range for American forces stationed at two nearby large military installations until 1992.

The allies signed a deal in April to give US forces greater access to Filipino bases in the former US colony.

The US has said it does not take a position on the territorial disputes, but has criticized what it said were "provocative" acts by China to assert its claims. (READ: How far will the US go to defend the Philippines?)

US President Barack Obama, in a state visit to Manila in late April, also made an "ironclad" pledge to defend the Philippines.

The Philippines released photographs on Thursday to back its claim that China is reclaiming land on a disputed reef in the South China Sea, in an apparent effort to build an airstrip.

In Vietnam, anti-China riots on Thursday triggered by the communist neighbors' own territorial dispute left a Chinese worker dead and 100 injured.

The Chinese claims to the South China Sea also overlap those of Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei.

http://www.rappler.com/nation/58114-edca-bases-agreed-locations

Another soldier burned in Fort Bonifacio blast dies

From Rappler (May 15): Another soldier burned in Fort Bonifacio blast dies

The Philippine Army has created a Board of Inquiry to investigate the blast. Based on the schedule, the probe should be completed by May 18



EXPLOSION. Smoke rises from a building in the Philippine Army ASCOM compound in Fort Bonifacio on May 7, 2014. Photo by Marga Deona/Rappler

Another soldier hurt in the fire that broke out last week at the Explosives and Ordnance Disposal (EOD) headquarters of the Philippine Army in Fort Bonifacio died Tuesday, May 13.

Master Sergeant Ferdinand Rapal, 51, died at the East Avenue Medical Center, according to Philippine Army chief Lieutenant General Hernando Carmelo Iriberri.

About 80% of Rapal's body was burned in the blast. He was among those who were in critical condition.

He is the second soldier to die from the blast. Corporal Bernabe Mota, 30, died at the V. Luna Medical Center in Quezon City 2 days after the May 7 fire.

The Philippine Army has created a Board of Inquiry to investigate the blast. Based on the schedule, the probe should be completed by May 18.

EOD is a unit of the Army Support Command (ASCOM). Iriberri has ordered its transfer to Camp Aquino in Tarlac province.

http://www.rappler.com/nation/58127-another-soldier-burned-in-fort-bonifacio-blast-dies

Dramatic transformations of Chinese garrison at Mabini Reef

From InterAksyon (May 15): Dramatic transformations of Chinese garrison at Mabini Reef



DFA photo

From a small outpost, China is now carrying out a major reclamation project at Mabini Reef which has widened its footprint to as much as 20 hectares.

DFA Spokesman Assistant Secretary Charles Jose acknowledges that authorities discovered the Chinese reclamation activity when a Philippine military aircraft, tasked to help in the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, flew over the area.

The Philippine Government is now in the process of determining the purpose of the expansion of the Chinese military garrison at Mabini Reef, internationally known as Johnson South Reef but which China calls Chigua Reef.

A senior Aquino Administration defense official said they have estimated the reclaimed area to measure between 15 to 30 hectares.

Manila’s initial reckoning was that China was building an airstrip, but the defense official noted that the area may not be big enough to accommodate warplanes.

The other scenario is that China could be building a bigger, more permanent structure to allow it to support and maintain a more persistent naval presence in the disputed Spratly Islands.

Other officials point out that the reclamation operations appear to be long-term undertaking, as China has stationed a dredging ship in the area and also deployed several bulldozers.

The dredging ship’s mission to suck soil and other solid materials from the surrounding areas and pour this on the reclaimed area.

The Philippine Government has not monitored any similar activity at the other Chinese garrisons located within the Philippine zone of the disputed Spratly Islands.



The DFA released a series of surveillance photos to show the dramatic transformation of the Chinese military garrision at Mabini Reef.

China’s presence at Mabini Reef was first disclosed in an exclusive report by News5 in May 2011.



That report, citing confidential photographs and documents, showed that China has gradually built military installations at Kagitingan Reef (Fiery Cross Reef), Calderon Reef (Cuarteron Reef), Zamora Reef (Subi Reef). Gaven Reef, Mabini Reef (Chigua Reef) and Panganiban Reef (Mischief Reef).

A photo of Mabini Reef, taken around 2005, shows the presence of a permanent reef fortress and a supply platform. Seen on the garrison are a radar and communications antennas, observation posts as well as naval guns and weapons platforms. The platform is used to support ships.

Also seen in the 2005 photograph are two octagonal buildings, which are widely believed be support structures for expansion and additional buildings.

In another photo taken on March 2012, the permanent reef fortress could be seen and that platform had been expanded, which can now support helicopters and bigger ships.

In the February 2013 photograph, it can be clearly seen that the garrison’s platform is now bigger and that the main building has also been expanded to house more personnel.

Also seen on the roof are more parabolic discs and radar dishes. It could be seen that China has “planted” steel rods and beams into the reef apparently to serve as foundation for additional structures.



The February 2014 photograph shows the Chinese dredging ship anchored off Mabini Reef.

It can be clearly seen that the ship is suck up solid materials and “re-distributing” these on the area near the garrison. It can also be seen that China has built additional platforms off the garrison, presumably to accommodate additional personell and supplies to support the reclamation project.

Also present is the start of a perimeter wall (long black strip on the left side of the reclaimed area).

In the March 2014 photograph, it can be seen that the bulk of the dredging operation is finished, although work is still being done to control erosion.

Retaining walls being built and earth moving equipment, such as bulldozers, can also be seen.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/86893/dramatic-transformations-of-chinese-garrison-at-mabini-reef

US displays air power in war games with PH

From InterAksyon (May 15): US displays air power in war games with PH



A US F/A-18 Super Hornet (AFP file)

US aircraft dropped bombs and marines tore forward under artillery fire in war games with the Philippine military on Thursday, weeks after the allies signed a defense deal against a backdrop of flaring Chinese tensions with its neighbors.

The live rounds made a dull thud and kicked up dust as they rained down on a dry riverbed at the start of the hour-long maneuvers, involving about 100 American and 200 Filipino marines.

"We're training to take over a key enemy position," US Marines spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Jay de la Rosa told AFP from a nearby ridge observation point, as F/A-18 and A-10 aircraft unloaded their payloads.

Artillery shells also poured down from nearby hilltops before V-22 Osprey aircraft and conventional military helicopters made paratroop drops of marines on the simulated battlefield, later joined by colleagues aboard armored vehicles.

"It's a maritime security scenario," Filipino Navy Captain Annaleah Cazcarro said.

"We don't have a target country," she emphasized.

Thursday's maneuvers came at the end of 10 days of annual war games between the US and the Philippines, involving 5,500 troops and this year addressing security issues in the flashpoint South China Sea.

China is engaged in increasingly tense rows with both the Philippines and Vietnam over the sea, which is believed to harbor vast oil and gas resources and which China claims almost in its entirety.

Thursday's event was held at Crow Valley, a former gunnery range for American forces that were stationed at the then Clark and Subic military bases until 1992.

The allies signed a deal last month to give US forces greater access to Filipino bases in the former American colony.

The United States has said it does not take a position on the territorial disputes, but has criticized what it said were "provocative" acts by China to assert its claims.

US President Barack Obama, in a state visit to Manila in late April, also made an "ironclad" pledge to defend the Philippines, with which it has a mutual defense treaty, if attacked.

The Philippines released photographs on Thursday to back its claim that China is reclaiming land on a disputed reef in the South China Sea, in an apparent effort to build an airstrip.

In Vietnam, anti-China riots broke out.

The Chinese claims to the South China Sea also overlap those of Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/86891/us-displays-air-power-in-war-games-with-ph

Ka Roger’s pregnant daughter to be transferred to PGH

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (May 15): Ka Roger’s pregnant daughter to be transferred to PGH



The late New People’s Army spokesman Gregorio “Ka Roger” Rosal. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

A local court granted a request by the daughter of a deceased leader of the New People’s Army to be transferred to the Philippine General Hospital where she will give birth, her lawyer said Thursday.

“Naturally, we are relieved,” said lawyer Edre Olalia of the Taguig court’s favourable ruling on the request by Andrea Rosal, adding that “time is of the essence” as she may soon go into labor.

Olalia said they were only waiting for the administrative procedures before the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) transferred Rosal from Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan to PGH.

Rosal was arrested in March on charges of kidnapping and murder, which she has denied.

Olalia of the National Union of People’s Lawyers told INQUIRER.net that their urgent resolution was granted in open court and that they “expect and demand” Rosal’s transfer to the hospital within the day.

The nine-month pregnant daughter of Gregorio “Ka Roger” Rosal, the late spokesperson of the Communist Party of the Philippines – New People’s Army (CPP-NPA), was accused by the military of being the secretary of the NPA in Southern Tagalog.

Earlier this May, Rosal’s lawyers asked the Taguig regional trial court Branch 266 to allow her to be confined in a hospital soon because she was due to give birth on May 28.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/602395/ka-rogers-pregnant-daughter-to-be-transferred-to-pgh

DVIDS: Philippine, U.S. forces provide additional aid to Tacloban after Yolanda disaster

From DVIDS (May 14): Philippine, U.S. forces provide additional aid to Tacloban after Yolanda disaster


U.S. Army Maj. Rory Wally prepares prescriptions for local community members May 10 during a cooperative health engagement in Tacloban, Philippines. The CHE provided additional medical relief and assistance to an area devastated by Typhoon Yolanda on November 8, 2013 as a part of Exercise Balikatan, an annual bilateral humanitarian civic assistance and training exercise between the Philippines and U.S. that strengthens the bond and interoperability between the two allied nations. More than 390 community members received medical treatment and health classes during the engagement. Wally is the cooperative health engagement officer in charge with 1st Corps.

TACLOBAN, Philippines – Members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and U.S. armed forces traveled to Tacloban, Philippines for a cooperative health engagement May 10 as a part of Exercise Balikatan.

Six months prior, on Nov. 8, 2013, Typhoon Yolanda struck the Philippines affecting more than half a million people and causing more than $2 billion worth in damages. A relief force, led by a Philippine and U.S. contingent, responded within hours of the storm hitting to provide aid to those affected areas, Tacloban being of the most impacted.

“I was at the airport during the storm last year,” said attorney Irene Chiu, executive assistant IV of Tacloban mayor Alfred S. Romualdez. “The first people I saw were U.S. Marines flying in to help. We’re all so thankful for the Americans coming back again today.”

More than 390 community members received medical treatment and health classes during the engagement. Medical assistance included physical check-ups for all ages, prescribed medications, physical therapy and veterinary care, with classes in the same areas.

“Most of the patients we’ve been seeing are children needing help,” said Cdr. Robert Barthel, a physician from Navy Medical Center San Diego. “In addition to aid, we’re also providing classes and teaching the community. Our goal is the locals being able to support themselves when we are gone.”

In addition to being able to provide aid to those in need, the importance of being able to do so as a combined Philippine-U.S. partnership means better ability to respond in the future, just as was necessary and evident during original relief efforts following the super typhoon, according to Brig. Gen. Neil Nelson.

“Our ability to provide a rapid response, to work as one team with one purpose, led to the best possible outcome – lives being saves,” said Nelson, commanding general 3rd Marine Logistics Group, III Marine Expeditionary Force. “We are here today as people helping people. And it’s together we will realize all that we seek to achieve.”

http://www.dvidshub.net/news/129720/philippine-us-forces-provide-additional-aid-tacloban-after-yolanda-disaster#.U3SfvsZOWAI

China Begins Construction in Spratly Islands

From the Wall Street Journal (May 14): China Begins Construction in Spratly Islands

Beijing Claims Building is Normal in 'Chinese Territory'



Philippine Marines, part of a military detachment stationed aboard the BRP Sierra Madre, take part in a flag raising ceremony in March at the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, part of the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. Reuters

China has begun a construction project in the disputed Spratly Islands, drawing a formal protest from the Philippines, which said the move violates a longstanding pledge not to build on any of the South China Sea's contested islands.

The project is the latest example of Beijing's increasingly assertive behavior in the South China Sea, a week after it boldly deployed a large oil rig, guarded by a flotilla of ships, to disputed waters east of Vietnam.

That action sparked anti-Chinese protests and violence against factories in Vietnam, and prompted U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to criticize Beijing's "aggressive" and "provocative" moves.

The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that Wednesday that it had lodged a formal protest with China on April 4 regarding the construction work at Johnson South Reef in the Spratlys. China had rejected the protest, it added. The DFA didn't respond to questions about how it knew about the construction work, or what it suspected China of attempting to build there.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying confirmed Wednesday that China is indeed building on Johnson South Reef, saying that the "reef is Chinese territory" and such activity was normal.

"Construction by the Chinese side on an island in Chinese territory is entirely a matter that comes under Chinese sovereignty," she said.

She declined to say what China was building there.

In 2002 China and Asean issued a non-binding declaration in which they undertook to avoid making any provocative moves in disputed territory, including construction on disputed features. Long-running attempts to establish a binding code of conduct have borne little fruit.

China has occupied Johnson South Reef since capturing it from Vietnam in 1988 in a clash that killed around 90 Vietnamese sailors. The Philippines also claims the reef.

Philippine reports of Chinese construction at the reef are therefore also expected to spark an angry reaction in Hanoi, which is already furious about the appearance of a Chinese drilling platform in what it regards as Vietnamese territorial waters.

At an Asean summit meeting in Myanmar on Sunday, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung branded China's deployment of the rig as an "extremely dangerous action."

Ms. Hua said Mr. Dung was wrong to use the Asean summit to air his grievances.

Last year, Philippine Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin accused China of placing concrete blocks at Scarborough Shoal—another disputed area of the South China Sea—with a view to constructing permanent facilities there. However, he later retracted the remarks when it became apparent that the barnacle-covered blocks must have been positioned there some years earlier.

Sino-Philippine relations have been severely strained ever since a maritime standoff at Scarborough Shoal in 2012. The confrontation ended with Chinese ships taking control of the area of reefs, which lies some 130 miles west of the Philippine island of Luzon—well within what Manila claims as its 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone.

The Philippines subsequently referred the issue of China's claim to most of the South China Sea to the United Nation's International Tribunal of the Law of the Sea at The Hague, arguing that the so called "nine-dash line," which China uses to mark out its claim, has no legal basis. The arbitration process—in which China has refused to participate—is still ongoing.

China is deliberately increasing its presence in the South China Sea in order to ramp up pressure on rival claimants, especially the Philippines and Vietnam, said Renato Cruz De Castro, a professor of international studies at De La Salle University in Manila.

"The Philippines has been waiting for the right opportunity to persuade Vietnam to join it in the arbitration case," Mr. De Castro said. "This could be it."

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304908304579561123291666730

Philippine rebels demand release of arrested leader

From the Mindanao Examiner BlogSpot site (May 14): Philippine rebels demand release of arrested leader



NPA regional leader Roy Erecre

The National Democratic Front of the Philippines has condemned the arrest by police and military authorities of a senior communist rebel leader in Davao City.

It said the arrest of Roy Erecre, who was nabbed with his girlfriend Judith Niog on May 7, was illegal and demanded his immediate release from jail. The NDFP, political wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, said Erecre, being its consultant to the peace talks with Manila, is immune from arrest.

It said Erecre, who holds an NDFP Document of Identification No. ND978243 under the assumed name of Vide Alguna since 2001, is covered by the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG) signed by government chief peace negotiator Silvestre Bello. JASIG serves as safe conduct pass for all consultants and members of the communist group.

“We condemn the Armed Forces of the Philippines and PNP units for disregarding Roy Erecre’s NDFP Document of Identification, which he had in his possession upon the illegal arrest. We demand his immediate and unconditional release. For the meantime, his rights to be visited by his relatives and lawyers must be respected.”

“We hold the Aquino regime accountable for this latest gross violation of the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees. In addition to the illegal arrest and detention of NDFP Consultants Benito Tiamzon and Wilma Austria, and the continued violation of the rights of more than a dozen other NDFP consultants and JASIG-protected personnel, this continued refusal of the Aquino regime to comply with its obligations according to the JASIG and the Comprehensive Agreement of Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law is a big obstacle to the holding of peace negotiations between the regime and the NDFP,” it said in a statement.

Benito Tiamzon is the current chairman of the Communist Party of the Philippines, while his wife Wilma is its Secretary-General. Both were arrested in Cebu province in March.

The military said the communist group has been invoking the JASIG on every arrested high ranking members of the rebel group New People’s Army although majority or all the names in the list were aliases and there is no way to determine their real identities.

Erecre, who is allegedly a politburo member of the Communist Party of the Philippines and regional leader of the New People’s Army in Central Visayas region, is being held in Bohol province where he is facing a string of criminal charges.

Captain Alberto Caber, a spokesman for the Eastern Mindanao Command, said Niog was released from military and police custody. He said both were arrested in the village of Sasa where undercover agents tailed them undetected for one week while vacationing in different beach resorts and hotels in Davao.

He said authorities seized communist propaganda and P352,000 in cash from Erecre. He said the money may have come from extortion activities of the NPA in central Philippines and was supposed to go to the coffers of the rebel group, but had been absconded by Erecre.

“We still don’t know where he got the money, but it can end up in the coffers of the NPA or wired directly to Jose Maria Sison or finance terror attacks and it is clear that he absconded the money,” Caber said referring to the founder of the Communist Party of the Philippines now in exile in the Netherlands.

Caber said Erecre had a P5.4 million bounty for his capture.

Government peace talks with the NPA collapsed in 2004 after rebels accused then President Gloria Arroyo of reneging on several agreements, among them the release of all political prisoners in the country and the removal of the terrorist tag on the Communist Party of the Philippines and its political wing, the National Democratic Front of the Philippines, and the NPA.

Manila also suspended the JASIG after the peace talks failed. The rebels have been fighting for decades now for the establishment of a Maoist state in the country.

http://www.mindanaoexaminer.net/2014/05/philippine-rebels-demand-release-of.html