Key Abu Sayyaf leader with $500,000 bounty nabbed in Paranaque

From InterAksyon (Jun 11): Key Abu Sayyaf leader with $500,000 bounty nabbed in Paranaque



The page containing information on Kahir Mundos at the Rewards for Justice website of the US State Department (http://www.rewardsforjustice.net/english/khair_mundos.html)

A key leader of the Abu Sayyaf who carried a $500,000 bounty from the US government was arrested Wednesday morning in what authorities said was his hideout in Paranaque City.

Major General Eduardo Ano, chief of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, said the capture of Khair Mundos in Barangay San Isidro around 9:45 a.m. was the result of surveillance-drive efforts by the Philippine Army.

“It’s our Army intelligence unit that worked hard to pinpoint the whereabouts of this notorious Abu Sayyaf leader and they were able to pin him down at his safe house in Paranaque,” Ano said, adding that the police’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group assisted in the arrest.

The US Department of State “Rewards for Justice” website describes Mundos as a “key leader and financier” of the Abu Sayyaf who was arrested in May 2004 on money laundering charges.

At the time, Mundos supposedly confessed to arranging fund transfers from Al Qaeda to Abu Sayyaf leader Khadaffy Janjalani for use “in bombings and other criminal acts throughout Mindanao.”

However, Mundos escaped from the provincial jail in Kidapawan City in 2007.

Aside from the US bounty, the Philippines also offered P5 million for Mundos’ arrest.

Ano said Mundos was forced to flee Mindanao because he was already “too hot to handle” for relatives and supporters in Basilan and Sulu.

“Hinahabol-habol sa Mindanao ‘yan. Dahil sa pressure kaya pumunta rito sa Manila para magtago. May mga relatives ‘yan dito sa Manila, eh (He was being hunted in Mindanao. Because of the pressure he came to Manila to hide. He has relatives in Manila),” the ISAFP chief said.

He quickly dismissed the idea Mundos was on a bombing mission in Metro Manila.

“No, no that’s not true. He’s here to hide,” he stressed.

Ano predicted the arrest of Mundos would be a big blow to the morale of his followers.

“Sa Abu Sayyaf si Khair Mundos ay malaki ang pagrespeto nila sa kanya. Dahil kasi malakas ang loob, siya ang nagsasagawa ng bombing, saka spiritual leader din nila. Talagang may standing siya sa (In the Abu Sayyaf, there is great respect for Khair Mundos. This is because he is daring, he carries out bombings, and is also their spiritual leader. He really has standing within the) ASG. Now, those people lost one of their leaders, siyempre makakaramdam ang mga ‘yan ng insecurity dahil ‘yung boss nila na si Mundos nahuli (of course they will feel insecure because their boss Mundos has been captured).

These past few days a good number of ASG leaders and members were arrested in different operations,” Ano said.

He described Mundos as one of the “best students” of the Indonesia-based terror movement Jemaah Islamiya.

“He is a true-blue Abu Sayyaf trained for bomb-making by the JI. The JI loves him very much. Kaya madalas kasakasama siya ng mga (Which is why he is a constant companion of the) JI,” Ano said.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/88868/key-abu-sayyaf-leader-with-500000-bounty-nabbed-in-paranaque

NOT 1 BUT 5 | China carrying out land reclamation work in more areas in Spratly Islands

From InterAksyon (Jun 11): NOT 1 BUT 5 | China carrying out land reclamation work in more areas in Spratly Islands



Calderon Reef is seen in this Philippine Government photo circa 2003, when the Chinese started building the structures.

China is carrying out land reclamation operations in not just one but a total of five areas in the disputed Spratly Islands – areas that are well within the Philippine zone, according to sources.

The Aquino Administration had revealed in March that China was carrying out land reclamation activities in Mabini Reef, internationally known as Johnson South Reef, which is part of the Kalayaan Island Group. The Department of the Foreign Affairs released a series of photographs to show how the small Chinese garrison has been expanded to almost 9 hectares in just two years.

Then, there were speculations China would build an airstrip in Mabini Reef and once operational, Beijing can enforce an Air Defense Interdiction Zone (ADIZ).

Apparently, however, China was busy carrying out reclamation work in four more areas: Cuarteron Reef, Hughes Reef, Gaven Reef and Eldad Reef.

Senior Aquino administration officials confirmed to TV5 the Chinese activities, pointing out recent surveillance flights over the area confirmed the presence of dredging and “material displacement” ships. President Aquino has seen the surveillance photos, which were taken in March and April this year, and was reportedly surprised at the extent of China’s activities.

Despite these recent developments, President Aquino and Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Zhao Jianhua exchanged conciliatory statements at Tuesday night's twin celebrations hosted by the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry Inc. (FFCCCII), and both stressed the territorial disputes do not define the “thousand-year-old friendship” of Manila and Beijing.

Senior Aquino Administration officials showed to TV5 the surveillance photos taken at Gaven Reef, Cuarteron Reef and Keenan Reef.

Work in progress at 3 reefs

At Gaven Reef, which the Philippines calls Burgos Reef, three dredgers and an ocean tug were seen. One of the dredgers, identified as Tian Jing Hao, has deployed a long hose to suck up seabed material and redistribute this to the reclaimed area. Another dredger, the Nina Hai Tuo, can also be seen working in another area of Gaven Reef.

China had built a troop and supply garrison at Gaven Reef as far back as 2003. The garrison has several gun emplacements, including a large bore naval gun. The garrison also had a platform where supply ships can dock.

Officials said the reclamation operations at Gaven Reef are expected to last to a month or more, “barring any environmental setbacks.”

At Hughes Reef, which the Philippines calls Kennan Reef, a lone dredger can be seen, and a sizeable area has already been reclaimed. Several construction equipment can be seen on the reclaimed area. China has built a permanent reef fortress and supply platform, which also have several gun emplacements and a helicopter landing pad.

At Cuarteron Reef, which the Philippines calls Calderon Reef, a dredger equipped with a long black house can be seen spreading seabed material over a wide area. The reclamation work is being done near the Chinese garrison which has been built up into a permanent reef fortress, which is equipped with radar and communications equipment.

At Eldad Reef, which the Philippines calls Malvar Reef, a ship can be seen anchored off the reef and a backhoe is seen moving seabed materials.

Philippine government officials estimate that reclamation activities at Calderon and Eldad reefs will last for a month.

At Johnson Reef, which the Philippines calls Mabini Reef, the reclamation work was completed last March. The reclaimed area is estimated to be around 90,000 square meters and the perimeter has been secured to prevent erosion.

Located in one corner of the reclaimed area is a Chinese garrison, which also serves as a communications and radar facilities and is equipped with naval guns. A helicopter landing pad was built in the garrison as well as a small dock.

Aquino, Zhao conciliatory

In their respective speeches Tuesday night before the Federation of Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry on the occasion of Filipino – Chinese Friendship day, President Aquino and Ambassador Zhao expressed confidence that the disputes can be settled peacefully, though Zhao harped on bilateral negotiations as a mode - affirming Beijing's stand to reject arbitration in a UN tribunal where Manila had filed a complaint.

Ambassador Zhao described the Philippine-China territorial disputes as “temporary… compared with our thousand year old friendship and extensive cooperation.”

“China always attached great importance to its relationship with the Philippines, and I believe that we have the wisdom, the patience and the courage to settle the disputes through negotiations and consultations. I am fully confident about the future of China-Philippines relations,” Ambassador Zhao stressed.

President Aquino appeared to have been taken by surprise at Ambassador Zhao’s conciliatory tone, describing it as “very poignant and well thought.”

“Our relationships are based on so many more things, not just on this dispute, and that peace and stability are necessary component for our own – for everybody’s – progress,” the Chief Executive said in his extemporaneous remarks. He recalled that in his 2011 meeting with Chinese President  Hu Jintao, the latter reiterated maritime border issues and territorial disputes “should not be the sum total of our relationships.”

“To hear that reiterated today truly fills our heart,” the President added.
http://www.interaksyon.com/article/88889/not-1-but-5--china-carrying-out-land-reclamation-work-in-more-areas-in-spratly-islands

Kidnapped Filipino hardware store owner freed

From the Mindanao Examiner BlogSpot site (Jun 11): Kidnapped Filipino hardware store owner freed

Police have recovered a kidnapped hardware store owner after he was freed by the Abu Sayyaf after almost eight months in captivity in the southern Philippine province of Sulu, officials said Wednesday.

Officials said the 29-year old Archie Hablo, whose family owns Sincere Enterprises in the capital town of Jolo, was recovered in the village of Gandasuli in Patikul town. He was kidnapped on October 19 last year.

“Hablo is now reunited with his family and we don’t know if there was ransom paid to the kidnappers, but we have deployed forces in the town to track down the kidnappers who are believed to be members of the Abu Sayyaf,” Senior Superintendent Abraham Orbita, the provincial police chief, told the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner.

No other details were made available by the police on Hablo’s release or his state of health. There was no immediate statement either from the town mayor or Hablo's family.

Hablo was travelling on a motorcycle with his brother Miko when the gunmen, who were in a jeep, blocked their path. Hablo was seized while his brother managed to run and escape and reported the incident to authorities.

The Abu Sayyaf rebels have been largely blamed for many ransom kidnappings in the southern region.

http://www.mindanaoexaminer.net/2014/06/kidnapped-filipino-hardware-store-owner.html

NPA attacks Lumad camp

From the Manila Standard Today (Jun 11): NPA attacks Lumad camp

After raiding Carmen town in Agusan del Norte on Sunday, around 60 New People’s Army rebels attacked Monday the Tagbagani Camp of lumads in Barangay Panikian, Carasscal in Surigao del Sur, authorities said.

Col. Gregory Cayetano, 401st Infantry Brigade Commander, said the group targeted  the compound of Marcventures Mining and Development Corp. in Barangay Gabuyan also in Carasscal more than a kilometer away from the lumad stronghold.

He said intelligence reports enabled the army to field troops to secure the mining site as a preventive measure.

“They diverted their attack to Tagbagani Camp of the lumads guarding their ancestral domain now mined by different mining firms” Cayetano told Manila Standard when reached by cellphone.

The brigade is under the army’s Fourth Infantry Division based in Cagayan de Oro City.

4th ID spokesman Major Christian Uy in a phone interview Tuesday morning said the rebels took four .45 caliber Smith and Wesson pistols, two 5.56mm M4 assault rifles, one .30 caliber M2 carbine, one 5.56mm AR-18 rifle, one shotgun and a .38 caliber pistol along with assorted ammunition.

Uy said he had no report about the presence of Datu Rayan Hunog, leader of the lumad armed security group when its camp was attacked nor information whether the lost firearms were licensed.

But he said the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act of 1997 allowed tribes to protect their ancestral land noting that mining firms owned licensed firearms that were assigned to lumads hired to guard their mining concessions.

But Cayetano said the Philippine National Police was in a better position to determine the status of armed lumads or tribes.

“I think the PNP has its own office dealing with licensing and issuing permits to carry and owned firearms. Maybe it is the PNP that can answer if those other firearms possessed by Tagbagani were licensed or not,” he told Manila Standard.

Chief Supt. Dominador Eslava Aquino, PNP Caraga regional director, was unavailable for comment when contacted by phone on Tuesday; calls to the information office in Camp Rafael Rodriguez were also unanswered.

According to the Mines and Geosciences Bureau, Marcventures holds a mineral production sharing agreement for a 4,799-hectare tenement located in Cantilan, Surigao del Sur.

http://manilastandardtoday.com/2014/06/11/npa-attacks-lumad-camp/

Army troops in Surigao Norte recover 4 AK-47 rifles

From the Philippine Information Agency (Jun 9): Army troops in Surigao Norte recover 4 AK-47 rifles

Troops of 30th Infantry “Python” Battalion (30IB) recovered four AK-47 rifles after a clash against more or less 20 members of Sandatahang Platun Pampropaganda 16 (SPP16C) at the vicinity of Brgy Cambuayon, Bacuag, Surigao del Norte at 10:40 a.m., Sunday. 

A platoon from 30IB led by CPT Reynaldo B Guillermo were conducting combat operations when they encountered more or less 20 members of the SPP16C at the vicinity of Brgy Cambuayon, Bacuag, Surigao del Norte.

The firefight lasted for about 20 minutes afterwhich the enemies scampered towards different directions. This was after persistent reports from the civilian populace that a group of armed men led by a certain aka “X” was harrasing and extorting money from them.

The troops recovered four AK-47s, two hand grenades, one rifle grenade, one handheld radio (yaesu), six bandoliers for AK47, 15 magazines loaded with 30 rounds of live ammunition each, four improvised explosive device (IEDs)  and six backpacks containing of personal belongings.

Last week, troops of the 30th infantry Battalion also encountered the SPP16B at Brgy Tagbuyawan, Mainit, Surigao del Norte. The troops recovered one AK-47, one M653 and one M14. Three dead NPA bodies were also recovered. One of them a female IP which was left for dead by her comrades 400 meters from the encounter site.

LTCol Arsenio Sadural, Commanding Officer, 30IB said “Through the various informations we have gathered from the civilian populace and thorough examination of these areas, we have pinpointed their locations and engaged them decisively.”

“We will be launching more combat operations in order to decimate their group,” he added.

Meanwhile, Col Ferdinand Quidilla, Commanding Officer 402nd Infantry Brigade praised the troops for the successful combat operations. “I congratulate the troops of 30th Infantry Battalion for their steadfast and swift victory against the remaining members of Guerilla Front 16 (GF16). This is what we are trained for, to find and crush the NPAs in order to prevent them from harming our fellow Filipinos," said Quedilla.

MGen Ricardo Visays AFP, Commander, 4ID said, “We will ensure that the enemy will get what it wants if they continue to pester the people. There will be no let-up in our combat operations against these NPAs.”

“However for those who are tired of their non-sense ideology and want to return to the folds of the law, bring down your arms and the government is willing to help you start a new beggining,” he added.

http://news.pia.gov.ph/index.php?article=1701402290975

Army 67IB to conduct Area Clearing Validation in SurSur town

From the Philippine Information Agency (Jun 9): Army 67IB to conduct Area Clearing Validation in SurSur town

The Army 67th Infantry Battalion under Lt. Col. Michael Banua is set to conduct an Area Clearing Validation (ACV)  at 1:00 p.m. on June 10 at the Municipal Social Hall of Lingig, Surigao del Sur.

The activity aims to get “an honest to goodness validation and assessment of the peace and order situation of the whole municipality” through a plenary discussion which is in line with the Peace and Development Outreach Program (PDOP) that the battalion is currently undertaking, according to Lt. Col. Banua.

With the theme, “Kalinaw, Kahiusa ug Kalambuan sa Lingig, Surigao del Sur (Peace, Unity and Development in Lingig),” Governor Johnny Pimentel is invited to grace the occasion and to give a closing remarks.

Unlike other cities and municipalities in the province, it was learned that Lingig town, the southernmost municipality of Surigao del Sur, 204 km. south of Tandag City; also, 29 km. south of Bislig City, is the only local government unit (LGU) to have been included in the area of responsibility (AOR) of an army battalion holding camp outside of Caraga region.

Meanwhile, based on the official invitation, high ranking army officers will also have their respective parts in the program proper.

BGen. Roberto Domines, Jr., Asst. Division Commander of the 10th Infantry Division is set to deliver a message and Col. Benjamin Madrigal, Jr., 701st Brigade Commander is likewise tasked to give a welcome remarks.

http://news.pia.gov.ph/index.php?article=1741402275339

'US, allies not going to war vs. China'

From the Philippine Star (Jun 9): 'US, allies not going to war vs. China'



Armed Forces of the Philippines and U.S. Marines practice engaging the enemy during convoy operations training April 7 at Camp O’Donnell, Philippines, as part of exercise Balikatan 2013. US Marines/Courtney White

The United States' policy of rebalancing to Asia and deepening its ties with regional allies including the Philippines is not designed to provoke an armed confrontation with China, an American analyst said at a forum on Monday.

Robbert Sutter, professor of International Affairs in George Washington University, said that China can neither afford to have a conflict with Washington despite its economic growth and unprecedented military expansion.

"We are not going to war," Sutter said in a forum in the University of the Philippines on Monday, addressing speculations that the Obama administration's foreign policy is an effort to contain China.

He said President Obama is "not interested" in confronting China, its largest trading partner, as the prospect is unpopular with the American public.

The US also sees that containing China is "not a viable fantasy" as it needs more than one million troops for the job.

The challenge Washington takes up, however, is toggling between dissuading China from using force and coercion in the disputed waters and trying to build a relationship with the Asian giant.

"The bottom line here is quite clear--the US wants to engage with China. The US in in the middle of a balancing act, like all governments in Asia are doing," Sutter, who did work for the Central Intelligence Agency, said.

China, on the other hand, is "failing in its foreign policy" by trying to convince its neighbors it aims to rise peacefully while sowing distrust and suspicion through its unilateral actions in the waters, which is why China is unprepared to confront the Western power, Sutter said.

"China has a terrible legacy in Asia," Sutter argues, citing events such as the Tiananmen massacre and the more recent Scarborough Shoal and Senkaku Island standoffs that dented its reputation. "Are they influential? Yes. Do they have countries to count on? Are there countries 'bandwagoning' for China? I can find none."
He added that China has serious internal issues that threaten its stability and needs to sustain its economic growth to project legitimacy of the ruling communist party.

"[Chinese president] Xi Jinping doesn't want big problems with the US. This a government [that is] legitimate insofar as it produces good results.

They have 100 to 200 mass demonstrations every year. They have a big gap between the rich and poor. China is using four times the amount of oil to grow its economy that the US does. This is hard to sustain," Sutter said.

For Sutter, these weaknesses that China is going lengths to cover will make its Asian policies including its claims in South China Sea to fail, though it seems to be succeeding in the interim.

"The People's Republic of China is the only government in the world of its size that has not admitted a mistake in foreign policy. They are never at fault ... As a result they cannot deal with these issues effectively." he said. "... This, I think, is a big constraining factor in China."

Sutter admitted that the US' global position is on a decline, but believes it remains to be the leader in Asia as it provides the most important factor in wielding influence.

"Is Asia stable? Not really. Because they say, [countries] don't like each other and don't trust each other. We get together to collaborate ... [but] it means that they have to get their stability somewhere else," Sutter said.

He said that the US is in the other side of the Pacific but is willing to achieve stability in Asia.

"Americans don't do this because they love Asia, but because it is in their interest to do so," he said.

http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2014/06/09/1332843/us-allies-not-going-war-vs.-china

Authorities eye resolution to Moro-Ilonggo feud in Kidapawan

From the Philippine Star (Jun 9): Authorities eye resolution to Moro-Ilonggo feud in Kidapawan

Local officials and the police are scrambling to organize a multi-sectoral group to pacify armed ethnic Moro and Ilonggo settlers in Kidapawan City that twice figured in bloody encounters last week.

The animosity between the two groups  --- squabbling for control of patches of arable lands in a government reservation at the borders of Barangays Patadon and Amas --- escalated last week with the alleged decapitation of Moro farmer Kenti Diagao, 44, by Ilonggo peasants.

Diagao was reportedly hauling newly-harvested corn using a Carabao-drawn cart from his farm to his house when shot from behind with gauge 12 shotguns and beheaded.

Bobby Benito, executive director of the Mindanao Human Rights Action Center (MinHRAC), recommended an immediate diplomatic intervention by North Cotabato's religious and  political communities to prevent an escalation of the conflict.

The MinHRAC is involved in the civilian protection efforts of the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

Relatives of Diagao retaliated three days after he was killed by attacking Sitio Nazareth at the boundary of Barangays Amas and Patadon from different directions, sparking running firefights with village watchmen and armed residents.

Three barangay tanods were killed while two responding policemen, SP01 Edwin Maglate and Police Inspector Randy Apostol, were wounded in the  encounter.

The security situation in the area reportedly started to deteriorate when Moro farmers began asserting ownership, following the October 15, 2012 signing of the government and the MILF of the Framework Agreement on Bangsamoro, of rice and corn farms on lands separating Kidapawan City’s Barangay Amas and Patadon, where the Department of Agriculture has demonstration farms.

The disputed lands are inside a government property, which neither of the groups legally own.

Local officials on Sunday urged the joint government-MILF ceasefire committee to deploy a peacekeeping contingent between the feuding groups after learning that the attack on Sitio Nazareth was led by a Moro commander named Satar Manalundong.

Manalundong, a member of the MILF, and his men had also figured in hostilities in 2013 in North Cotabato’s Matalam town with members of the Moro National Liberation Front, which signed a peace pact with government on Sept. 2, 1996.

Even the police director of North Cotabato, Senior Supt. Danny Peralta, had recommended an immediate intervention by the joint government-MILF ceasefire committee to stave off possible escalation of the conflict in Barangays Amas and Patadon.

The office of North Cotabato Gov. Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza had organized a crisis committee to help the city government of Kidapawan resolve the conflict.

http://www.philstar.com/nation/2014/06/09/1332833/authorities-eye-resolution-moro-ilonggo-feud-kidapawan

Peace bears fruit in Basilan coastal town with footbridge project

From Business World (Jun 9): Peace bears fruit in Basilan coastal town with footbridge project

For the former combatants of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in the island-provinces of Basilan and Tawi-Tawi, the struggle for Bangsamoro’s right to self-determination does not end with gaining political power over their ancestral lands.

The real challenge is to effectively bring progress to the people and sustain stability across their historical territories.

Bara S. Jikiri, a former MNLF junior officer, once led hundreds of Moro fighters at the height of the Moro revolution in Basilan in 1970s. His new battle, he said, is to advance the welfare of the Moro natives without the use of guns.

“The aspiration of having a genuine governance over our ancestral lands does not exclusively lie on how well you fought for it, but how will you bring the needed humanitarian progress to our fellow Bangsamoro people and non-Moros residing in our areas,” Mr. Jikiri said in the vernacular.

“But the word ‘progress’ is not only confined to the economic aspect alone. Progress means people can live devoid of fear; children can be children; and society is stable,” he added.

Mr. Jikiri said the best legacy his generation could leave are improvements on the lives of the Bangsamoro people -- the very constituents to whom the Moro fighters dedicated their quest for genuine self-rule.

“That kind of legacy is still a challenge for us to fully realize. Gradually, we are living that dream by engaging with proper government agencies in bringing the needed developmental projects to our communities,” said.

Mr. Jikiri is now a village councilor of Barangay Port Holland in the town of Maluso in Basilan.

He and other leaders are helping bring progress to the community by rehabilitating their community’s footbridges, which are fast becoming unreliable. Viewed from afar, Port Holland, which faces Sulu province, looks like a typical fishing community.

Up close, however, one can see that the houses are built on stilts connected by a complex network of wobbly footbridges that are the soul of the community.

The vulnerability of the wooden footbridges makes life perilous for the residents.

Fishers in the village have to depend on small diesel motor boats to transport their catch.

Abdurahman Minong, the barangay chairman, noted that a huge portion of the fishers’ income is eaten up by high operating cost in transporting their catch since the wooden footbridges could not bear heavy loads.

“Many of the footbridges here are dilapidated. It has been worn out over the years. The maintenance and repair, required every two to three years, are also costly. The wooden bridges even pose dangers to the residents here, especially to the children,” said Mr. Minong.

Gajer S. Jamadin of village youth sector lamented that before the construction of the rock causeways, several students failed to perform well in schools as they face difficulties in crossing the footbridges when heading to schools. This is eminent especially during bad weather, where seawater rises, which then submerged large portions of the age-old footbridges, making it impassable.

“There are instances where elementary students fell on those footbridges. Those incidents caused not only physical injuries but trauma to the children. Some have even lost their desire to go to school simply because they are afraid of crossing those unstable footbridges,” he narrated.

Sitticalma Mangsan, who leads the women’s group in the village, said the narrow footbridges sometimes trigger conflict among the villagers. “The wooden bridges are quite narrow. When someone is in a hurry and carries heavy loads and chance upon a resident who is also walking in an opposite direction, chances are conflict will erupt,” she recounted.

With the entry of Pamana (Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan), one of the government’s key developmental programs in conflict-affected areas, concrete causeways were built to replace the wooden footbridges, providing stable links among the houses.

After Mr. Minong met with the Pamana area managers, he immediately called a meeting with the local community. “We (residents) immediately convened and proposed an infrastructure project that will ease the burden of the villagers, and that is to have safe and stable access roads within the community,” Mr. Minong said.

The swampy coastal village is one of the many in Basilan province that the national government is providing assistance to through Pamana, an initiative of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process and its partner government agencies.

The program, which was launched after Benigno S. C. Aquino III assumed the presidency in 2010, has been providing vital developmental projects in areas that have been impoverished due to armed conflict.

For the autonomous Muslim region, the implementation of Pamana programs is part of the government’s lasting commitment to the Final Peace Agreement it had signed with the MNLF in 1996. With the program in full swing, residents of Port Holland worked together to construct several causeways using boulders, sand and cement.

The paths are more than a meter wide and could accommodate a tricycle transporting goods around the village. Each rock causeway stands more than four meters long to prevent it from submerging during high tide. Since it is made of concrete, it can withstand strong waves even during bad weather. “We use a portion of our annual barangay budget as our counterpart to finance the rock causeways. This is to augment the P1.5 million that the Pamana program provided us for the constructions,” Mr. Minong said.

http://www.bworldonline.com/content.php?section=Nation&title=Peace-bears-fruit-in-Basilan-coastal-town-with-footbridge-project&id=88844

AK-47s: PH Reds weapons of choice

From the Asian Correspondent (Jun 10): AK-47s: PH Reds weapons of choice

Long before the Philippine National Police (PNP) disclosed that 1,004 AK-47 rifles may have been sold to the New People’s Army (NPA), a senior cadre of the rebel group intimated that hundreds of the sturdy rifle are now in the hands of Red fighters.

 

Photos of NPA rebels brandishing AK-47s began appearing with regularity a couple of years ago, about the same time when the Philippine police said a broker purchased the rifles purportedly for security forces of mining companies in Mindanao.  The broker, identified as Isidro Lozada, then sought clearance and licenses from the the PNP Firearms and Explosive Office.

 

Turned out that the names where these weapons were to be delivered were fictitious.  By the time the PNP discovered the anomaly, the AK-47s have already been test-fired by the NPAs in ambushes and encounters with government police and military forces.

 

Efficient

 

Ka Efren, spokesman of the National Democratic Front (NDF) in Far South Mindanao Region, said they find the Chinese variant of assault rifle efficient and durable.

 

The AK-47 was designed by Russian inventor Mikhael Kalashnikov and put into mass production in 1947.   The Avtomat Kalashnikov (Kalasnikov’s Automatic) has since undergone little changes.

 

It has become an iconic weapon of liberation armies and rebel forces throughout the world.

 

The NPA’s red flag even has an AK-47 in its emblem although for years, Asia’s longest running communist insurgency has relied on government standard M-16 rifles.

 

 

The sturdy reliable AK-47 is a weapon of choice for Philippine communist guerrillas.Pic by Edwin Espejo

 

In an interview somewhere in Cotabato province middle of last year, Ka Efren said they were able to procure caches of AK-47s from gunrunners and government sources.  Police and military authorities said an AK-47 costs P52,000 in the open market.

 

Throughout Mindanao, especially in the Davao, Caraga and Cotabato regions, young NPA guerrillas are now slinging the Soviet era-designed Kalashnikov rifle.

 

Some say about 30 percent of the issued firearms of NPA regulars are now AK-47 rifles.

 

Enough to arm a brigade

 

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesman Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala said if the number of AK-47 rifles now in the hands of the NPA rebels is accurate, it could arm a standard Army Brigade.

 

Maj. Gen. Ricardo Rainer Cruz, commanding general of the AFP’s Eastern Mindanao Command had earlier ordered the investigation of the proliferation of AK-47s in the hands of NPA guerrillas after they seized a handful of these firearms during encounters with the rebels.

 

His order came after the Army’s 27th Brigade intercepted 4 AK-47s at a checkpoint in Tboli, South Cotabato.  The arms were supposedly transported by the NPAs from Tulunan in Cotabato for its guerrilla front in the said province.

 

Cruz said they have been monitoring cargo ships making port calls in Surigao provinces where there are heavy mining activities, mostly mineral ore extraction by Chinese mining companies.

 

Cruz believed the AK-47s came from China.

 

Early smuggling attempts

 

The AK-47s used to be issued only to top cadres of the communist underground movement but are seldom used and fired because of difficulties procuring ammunition.

 

This first batch of AK-47s to land in the hands of the NPAs was what little was left in the failed MV Karagatan gun smuggling case in 1972 where more than 1,200 M-14 and AK-47 rifles were shipped from China.

 

China then was actively supporting and arming communist insurgencies in Asia.

 

The ship however ran aground off the shores of Palanan in Isabela and was spotted by a reconnaissance plane of the AFP.  As former Army lieutenant-turned NPA rebel then again government soldier Col. Victor Corpuz recounted, a fierce encounter took place before the guerrilla unit he was commanding could finish unloading the smuggled firearms.

 

Corpuz and his band of NPA guerrillas retreated after suffering casualties and were only able to recover a few hundred of rifles, some of them Soviet-made AK-47s.

 

Durable

 

The AK-47 is a favorite assault rifle because of its durability even under different extreme conditions and simple mechanism with an accuracy rated as “good enough.”

 

Around 75 million AK-47s and their variants have been manufactured.  In contrast, the standard M16 rifles used by Western countries and their allies have built only 8 million.  Including their variants, the AK-47s now in use worldwide could number up to 100 million, or almost 1/5 of the world’s manufactured assault weapons.

 

The gas-fired assault rifles uses a 7.62mm cartridge, similar to the M14s but slightly shorter with its shell casing a bit bigger in diameter.

 

It can fire up to 600 rounds per minute and has an effective range of 400 meters at semi-automatic firing and 330 meters when fired at full automatic mode.  When fired, it has a muzzle velocity of 715 meters per second. 

 

While these specs are slightly behind the M16s which can fire up to 950 rounds per minute at velocity of 948 meters per second, the AK-47s have been said to fire even when soaked in mud or water for extended period.

 

“It doesn’t break, jam, or overheat. It’ll shoot whether it’s covered in mud or filled with sand,” as Yuri Orlov described in in the Lord of Wars movie starred by Nicolas Cage.

 

Most armies have found the AK-47 easy to operate and clean.  No wonder it is also the world’s most smuggled assault rifle and is also a favorite among criminals and syndicates.

 

Ammo

 

With police authorities and the military now keeping a tight watch on more AK-47s landing in the hands of the state enemies, the NPAs could find themselves toting assault rifles with limited supply of bullets.

 

Unless the NPAs have their own ordnance production team, they might soon discard their iconic weapons and revert to ‘cleaning up’ M-16s during ambuscades and raids.

 

Ammos for the AK-47s are likely also imported too as the Philippines produces only 5.56 cartridges for M16 rifles and the bigger 7.52 of the M-14s.  The NPAs are however noted to be very economical in firing their weapons with the orientation of making sure the target is within sight and range.

 

Still, they will have to look for other means to find bullets for their weapons of choice.

 

http://asiancorrespondent.com/123630/ak-47s-ph-reds-weapons-of-choice/

Army says 4 BIFF die in Maguindanao clashes

From the Philippine News Agency (Jun 10): Army says 4 BIFF die in Maguindanao clashes

The military announced Tuesday that four members of renegade Moro rebel group were killed in a series of firefights with the Army that started Tuesday dawn in Maguindanao.

Three civilians, including a minor, were also hurt in attacks carried out by Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), according to Colonel Dickson Hermoso.

Hermoso, speaking for the regional military unit, said it was the second day of sporadic attacks by the BIFF in various Army positions in the province.

At 5:30 a.m. Tuesday, BIFF rebels ambushed combatants of the 45th Infantry Battalion in Mamasapano, Maguindanao which triggered an hour-long firefight.

The BIFF then retreated toward the marshland of Maguindanao bringing with them wounded comrades while leaving behind their four fatalities when Army reinforcements from nearby military base arrived.

Hermoso said the dead BIFF guerillas were turned over to village officials.

The Army forces, led by Lt. Col. Donald Hongitan of the 45th IB, and Col. Gener Del Rosario, commanding officer of the Army’s 1st Mechanized Brigade, conducted follow-up operations which led to the arrest of four BIFF bandits, one of them a woman.

After interrogation, Hongitan said, the captured bandits led the soldiers to their hideout where several improvised roadside bombs, a .50-caliber Barret sniping rifle and a firing tube for 60-mm mortar projectile were found.

Government forces also recovered a stolen Toyota air-conditioned van at the hideout of the gunmen, led by a certain Commander Bonggo.

On Monday, three BIFF bandits were killed while a soldier was wounded in fierce firefight following an attempt by Moro guerillas to overrun an Army reconnaissance base in Barangay Ganta, Shariff Saydona town, also in Maguindanao.

Hermoso said the atrocities carried by the BIFF also resulted in the injury of three civilians, including a minor in three adjoining towns.

On Monday dawn, Hongitan said, the BIFF set off a roadside bomb fashioned from 60-mm mortar along a highway in Barangay Lower Salbu, Datu Saudi Ampatuan that wounded a man passing on board a motorcycle.

On Saturday, a minor was hurt in a grenade attack carried out by suspected BIFF toward an Army base in Barangay Elian, also in Datu Saudi Ampatuan town.

A 35-year-old woman, Bai Saida Lakin, was hurt when BIFF strafed an Army base in Barangay Damalabas, Datu Piang, Maguindanao on Monday night.

Hermoso blamed the strafing to BIFF members led by Commanders Quiapo and Leki, known field commanders of BIFF founding chair Omra Ameril Kato.

Abu Misry Mama, BIFF spokesperson, admitted they initiated the attacks but denied suffering casualty.

Hermoso said the highway linking Cotabato City and Sultan Kudarat province remained passable but commuters were advised to refrain from using the road network at night or early morning.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=652104

2 BIFF members killed in Maguindanao clash

From the Philippine News Agency (Jun 10): 2 BIFF members killed in Maguindanao clash

Two members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) were killed while improvised bombs, .50 caliber Barret sniper rifle along with unexploded artillery shells and other bomb components captured after troopers of the 45th Infantry Battalion attacked their base in Barangay Libutan, Mamasapano town, Maguindanao, early Tuesday.

Major Dante Gania, 6th Infantry Division public affairs office chief, said their assault was backed up a mechanized company.

This took place around 5:40 a.m. Fighting lasted for more than an hour.

The bodies of the slain rebels were recovered.

Soldiers have yet to report how many "ready-to-fire" IEDs were found at the site, while the unexploded artillery munitions include mortar and 105mm howitzer rounds.

A Toyota Grandia van believed to have been stolen was also recovered at the site, Gania said.

Members of the BIFF attacked security forces' outposts in Shariff Saydona Mustapha and Datu Piang, and detonated improvised explosive devices in Datu Saudi Ampatuan, from Sunday night to early Monday.

The attacks left three rebels dead and injured a soldier and a civilian.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=652006

Rifles recovered from rebels were stolen from PNP – AFP

From the Manila Times (Jun 10): Rifles recovered from rebels were stolen from PNP – AFP

THE Armed Forces of the Philippines-Eastern Mindanao Command (AFP-Eastmincom) on Tuesday said the AK-47 assault rifles it recovered in various encounters with the communist New People’s Army (NPA) were among those stolen from the arsenal of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and believed to be sold to the underground movement.

Eastmincom spokesman Capt. Alberto Caber said they have been aware of the situation for a year. Eastmincom chief Lt. Gen. Ricardo Rainier Cruz called the attention of the police and coordinated with the PNP Firearms and Explosive Division (FED) in tracing the source of the AK-47 rifles.

“Yes [they were part of the AK-47s stolen from the PNP]. Our commanding general, Lt. Gen. Ricardo Rainier Cruz, demanded an investigation after a series of AK-47 rifle recoveries following several encounters between the soldiers and CPP-NPA,” Caber added.

In Eastern Mindanao alone, he pointed out, government troops have been able to recover 45 AK-47 rifles in clashes in some parts of Cotabato and Bukidnon provinces, Caraga and Davao Regions since 2013.

Out of 45 rifles, 14 were surrendered by Maoist rebels who availed of the AFP’s Guns for Peace Program.

The latest recovery of four AK-47 rifles on June 8 followed an encounter between soldiers from the 30th Infantry Battalion and NPA elements in Bargy. Cambuayon, Cacuag, Surigao del Norte.

Similar type of assault rifles were also recovered in encounters in Negros Oriental, Negros Occidental, Sorsogon, Surigao del Sur, Bukidnon, South Cotabato, Wesstern Samar, Agusan del Norte and Compostela Valley, among others.

It was in March this year that PNP Director General Alan Purisima ordered the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) to investigate the missing AK-47 and Armalite rifles.

Last week, CIDG Director Benjamin Magalong announced that 1,004 AK-47 assault rifles were missing from the FED.

The CIDG linked at least 19 PNP officials, including four active police generals, and 10 civilians to the anomaly.

But following the CIDG announcement, PNP spokesman Chief Supt. Reuben Theodore Sindac immediately defended the beleaguered police officials, saying that the statement of the CIDG chief was “premature.”

Sindac even quoted Purisima as saying that “in the absence of any hard evidence,” everything was considered “speculations and hearsay.”

Among those earlier linked to the anomalous disappearance of the rifles were PNP Civil Security Group Director Gil Meneses; Police Regional Office 3 commander, Chief Supt. Raul Petrasanta; Chief Supt. Tom Rentoy of the Supervisory Office for Security Investigation Agencies; PNP Directorate for Comptrollership executive director, Senior Supt. Regie Catiees; and Senior Supt. Eduardo Acierto Jr.

All five have denied the allegations against them.

Meneses and Petrasanta were former directors of the PNP-Firearms and Explosives Office (FEO) while Catiis and Acierto were former chiefs of the licensing division of the PNP-FEO.

Rentoy officially retired last February 26 while Meneses is due to retire this month and has already filed for non-duty status.

Magalalong earlier explained that the missing firearms were not procured by the PNP but by JTC Mineral Mining Corp. for the use of its security forces against the NPA and other lawless elements.

The high-powered firearms reportedly were originally imported by Twin Pines Inc., a license importers of firearms, gun parts, ammunition and shooting accessories, and later sold to JTC.

However, when the PNP conducted a nationwide gun check, it was discovered that the weapons were missing from JTC’s inventory.

http://www.manilatimes.net/rifles-recovered-from-rebels-were-stolen-from-pnp-afp/103122/

NPA bombs transloading station of mill

From the Visayan Daily Star (Jun 10): NPA bombs transloading
station of mill 

Suspected New People’s Army rebels raided and bombed again another transloading station of the Lopez Sugar Corp.-this time in Sitio Santa Ana, Brgy. Mabini, Escalante City, Negros Occidental.

Senior Supt. Milko Lirazan, provincial police director of Negros Occidental, said yesterday that the suspects, who introduced themselves as members of the New People’s Army, placed Improvised Explosive Devices or homemade bombs, in two cranes and the core sampler laboratory.

 

Lirazan said the explosions damaged a crane and the core sampler laboratory, which is used to determine the quality of the sugarcane. The other IED that was placed in another crane, however, did not explode.

 

On March 16, 2008, the NPA also burned and destroyed the transloading stations of Lopez Sugar Central and Victorias Milling Company in Brgy. San Jose, Toboso, police records show.

 

Lirazan said the damage has not been determined yet, although the core sampler laboratory is valued at P10 million. Each crane also costs P5 million.

 

Also damaged were a platform weighing scale, gas pump and one Fuzo hauler truck, that had been peppered with bullets by the fleeing NPA rebels.

 

Lirazan said the rebels also disarmed the security guard of his 12-gauge shotgun with 20 rounds of ammunition, and also took two ICOM radio handsets.

 

However, the armed suspects did not harm the security guard, a watchman, a mechanic and his family, who reside within the vicinity of the transloading station, he added.

 

They told the civilians, who were herded to one place, that they are only after the sugar milling properties and a certain Ballesteros, Lirazan also said.

 

The unexploded IED was recovered by the police.

 

The Army’s 3rd Infantry Division yesterday condemned the latest NPA atrocities, saying “This is a gross violation of the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law by the CPP-NPA, of which the communist group is a signatory”.

 

Major General Aurelio Baladad, 3ID commander, said the CPP-NPA leadership that has direct knowledge (of the incident) continues to tolerate such acts.

 

Baladad said information they have gathered showed that the bombing of the transloading station is part of the NPA punitive action against the sugar milling company, to (make them) give in to their extortion demands.

 

Last year, the NPA also raided the Philex Mining Corp. compound in Brgy. Camindangan, Sipalay City, burned its drilling machine, employees’ bunk houses, and a generator set, military records showed.

 

http://www.visayandailystar.com/2014/June/10/topstory3.htm

CPP/NPA: 60th IB exacts revenge by killing Kapalong motorcycle driver, placing on OB five others

NPA propaganda statement posted to the CPP Website (Jun 9): 60th IB exacts revenge by killing Kapalong motorcycle driver, placing on OB five others

Aris Francisco
Spokesperson
NPA Comval-North Davao-South Agusan Sub-region Sub-regional Command

 

The barbaric killing of motorcycle driver Wilfredo Estrebillo, in Sitio Pandulian, Barangay Mabantao, Kapalong, Davao del Norte last June 4 showed that the notorious 60th Infantry Battalion is engaged in vindictive operations against civilians. The New People’s Army Comval-North Davao-South Agusan Sub-Regional Command condemns this fascist act and vows revolutionary justice for Estrebillo’s family.

Estrebillo was first to be killed among the list of six drivers in Kapalong that are on the military’s Order of Battle, a list that came out following the capture and subsequent release of Prisoner of War Corporal Rogelio Rosales last month in Brgy. Florida, Kapalong. Estrebillo is the latest casualty in the US-Aquino regimes counter-revolutionary and anti-people Oplan Bayanihan.

Early this year, Estrebillo had expressed that the military had placed him and his fellow drivers under surveillance because the latter accused them of transporting goods and food supplies to the NPA. Estrebillo said they were blocked and harassed by the military several times in its checkpoints.

Despite the threats, he and the drivers prevailed over their fears and went on with their daily routine. Other drivers that are being threatened by the military are Eleazar Batobato, Loloy Labaho, Undo Labaho, Dodong Labaho, and Ptr. Joy Eway. On June 6 at 6:30 evening, two men carrying .45 caliber pistol tried to barge in at the house of Eway.

While the NPA released Cpl. Rosales on humanitarian grounds and placed on archive his case of destructive logging and illegal drugs, the military, on the other hand, vented its ire against civilians like Estrebillo. Worse, they also planted drugs at the scene of the crime to wrongly insinuate that Estrebillo was a drug user.

Shamed that its member was into logging and drug use, the 60th IB exacted revenge by turning its guns to hapless civilians like Estrebillo. When the NPA captured Cpl. Rosales last May 3, Estrebillo who was a resident of Brgy. Florida, witnessed the arrest of the prisoner of war. Cpl. Rosales, now dismissed from AFP service, erroneously blamed Estrebillo for having participated in the NPA’s arrest. He and three companions were spotted at Estrebillo’s wake.

The revolutionary movement extends its heartfelt condolences to Estrebillo’s family and friends, in recognition of his contribution to the masses and its revolutionary cause.

Estrebillo or Pendong to his friends, was a long-time habal-habal driver in Kapalong, Davao del Norte and had dedicated his life in serving the community. He was one of the community’s honest and reliable drivers offering services for all kinds of passengers teachers, students, pastors and church people, government officials, traders, and farmers.

The NPA and the revolutionary movement are one with Pendong’s family in the pursuit of revolutionary justice and in the advancement of what Pendong had supported— genuine land reform through the people’s democratic revolution.

http://www.philippinerevolution.net/statements/20140609_60th-ib-exacts-revenge-by-killing-kapalong-motorcycle-driver-placing-on-ob-five-others