US proposes South China Sea provocation freeze

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Jun 12): US proposes South China Sea provocation freeze

A US official proposed Wednesday that China and Southeast Asian nations call a moratorium on actions seen as provocative in a bid to cool tensions in the South China Sea.

Danny Russel, the top US diplomat on East Asia, said he made the suggestion as “food for thought” and not as a formal proposal as he met regional counterparts in Myanmar to prepare for a regional summit later this year.

“The claimant states themselves could identify the kind of behavior that they each find provocative when others do it, and offer to put a voluntary freeze on those sorts of actions on the condition that all the other claimants would agree to do so similarly,” Russel, an assistant secretary of state, told reporters on a conference call.

“So for example, would they be willing to make a pledge as simple as not to occupy any of the land features in the South China Sea that are currently unoccupied?”

The United States has pushed for years for a code of conduct to lay out rules to prevent the escalation of incidents in the South China Sea, an economically vital waterway in which China has overlapping claims with several other nations.

But Russel acknowledged that tensions have been “going up quickly” in the sea. Riots erupted in Vietnam last month in anger against China’s deployment of an oil rig in contested waters.

The Philippines, a US ally, has also seen increasingly tense tussles with China over control of islets and reefs in the sea.

Russel said that the Chinese delegation at the talks in Myanmar offered a “spirited and vigorous defense” of its position, but voiced hope that Beijing understood that other nations’ statements were “offered not in the spirit of condemnation, but in the spirit of compromise.”

President Barack Obama is expected to travel to Myanmar in November for the East Asia Summit on his second visit to the country formerly known as Burma, a onetime Western pariah which has embraced democratic reforms.

Secretary of State John Kerry is likely to visit Myanmar in August in preparatory meetings for the meetings, which also include a summit of the ASEAN bloc of Southeast Asian nations.

http://globalnation.inquirer.net/106273/us-proposes-south-china-sea-provocation-freeze

Bayan Muna: Edca won’t help PH stand up vs China

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Jun 12): Bayan Muna: Edca won’t help PH stand up vs China

The Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (Edca) will not help the Philippines stand up against the aggressiveness of China, a militant group reiterated on Thursday.

“We should stand on our own feet and get the support of all countries who respect our sovereignty, not just the US and not through the return of US troops,” Former Bayan Muna Partylist Representative Teddy Casiño told reporters.

“Edca will only worsen the situation and escalate the possibility of conflict in the region,” he said.

Militant groups marched to the US Embassy Thursday to commemorate Philippine Independence Day and to protest the Edca.

Edca was signed by the Philippines and US last April 2014 paving for the increased rotational presence of US troops that will be stationed in “agreed locations” throughout the country.

The agreement is widely regarded as a deterrent to China’s aggressive territorial claims in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).

Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) secretary general Renato Reyes Jr. said that Edca allows US troops to stay indefinitely because of its provision allowing automatic renewal after an initial period of 10 years.

He said the agreement “grossly undermines” Philippine Independence.

The protesters were blocked by police in front of the National Library of the Philippines in Manila where they held their program.

http://globalnation.inquirer.net/106296/bayan-muna-edca-wont-help-ph-stand-up-vs-china

Japan slams China over close encounter of jets

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Jun 12): Japan slams China over close encounter of jets

Japan lodged a diplomatic protest with Beijing on Wednesday after Chinese military jets flew near Japanese military aircraft over the East China Sea, an official said.

Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera said two Chinese SU27 fighters approached as close as 30 meters (100 feet) to Japanese aircraft on Wednesday morning. He said the Chinese planes posed a danger to the Japanese aircraft and a serious incident could have occurred.

He said the Japanese planes were on a regular surveillance mission in international airspace, and that Japan would continue to defend its territory.

Calls to the Chinese defense ministry’s press office rang unanswered.

The two countries have increased patrols by ships and military planes to press their conflicting territorial claims in the East China Sea. They had a similar incident on May 24.

Tensions between the two Asian rivals worsened in recent years over a group of uninhabited islands in the East China Sea called Senkaku in Japanese and Diaoyu in Chinese. Japan controls the islands but China also claims them.

Japanese fighter jets were scrambled in response to foreign aircraft 810 times last year, more than half of them Chinese, according to a recent Defense Ministry report.

In Washington, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Wednesday all states should ensure they respect the safety of aircraft in flight.

“Any attempt to interfere with freedom of overflight in international airspace raises regional tensions and increases the risk of miscalculation, confrontation and unintended incidents,” she told reporters.

http://globalnation.inquirer.net/106293/japan-slams-china-over-close-encounter-of-jets

China land reclamation may soon cover 3 more sites, seen as tool for 'supremacy'– report

From InterAksyon (Jun 12): China land reclamation may soon cover 3 more sites, seen as tool for 'supremacy'– report

China’s ongoing land reclamation in five reefs in the disputed Spratly Islands is widely seen by the Philippine Government as preparation for more land reclamation operations, this time in three areas closer to the Philippines.

And, per the latest separate assessment by local and foreign experts, China will use oil exploration and reclamation to project its supremacy in the region, as a proxy for its navy which is still not yet fully equipped "to overcome the logistical challenges" like distance in asserting its will.

A confidential Malacanang report detailed the land reclamation activities of China in five areas, namely, at Johnson South (Mabini) Reef, Cuarteron (Calderon) Reef, Hughes (Kennan) Reef, Gaven (Burgos) Reef and Eldad (Malvar) Reef.

The report noted China has focused its land reclamation operations in areas which are “farther” from the Philippine mainland. No such activities were monitored in three other areas - Fiery Cross (Kagitingan) Reef, Subi (Zamora) Reef and Mischief (Panganiban) Reef - where China had built military garrisons and communications facilities.

The report, however, does not rule out the possibility of China doing land reclamation in these three areas once the work is done in the first five reefs.

Reclamation, oil exploration to project supremacy

The assessment by both local and international observers is that the expansion of China’s existing garrisons in these areas is part of Beijing’s ongoing efforts to impose its supremacy over the area.

The Malacanang report estimates Beijing will likely start land reclamation work at Fiery Cross Reef and Subi Reef first. China has built a formidable garrison at Fiery Cross Reef, where some 200 Chinese troops are stationed and which contains air and surface search radars as well as satellite data transmission facilities. The Fiery Cross Reef garrison also has helicopter landing pads and a wharf.

The Fiery Cross Reef garrison is heavily armed with naval guns and is considered as China’s main headquarters within the Philippines’ Kalayaan Island Group.

The Chinese garrison in Subi Reef also has around 200 troops stationed, as well as helicopter landing pads.

Senior Aquino Administration officials noted, however, China may hold off from any activity at Mischief Reef due to its proximity to the Philippines. Officials said Beijing expects Manila to adopt a more aggressive diplomatic stance and attract more international attention should there be any land reclamation activity at Mischief Reef.

The Philippines and China already had several clashes over Mischief Reef. From several octagonal structures on stilts that first drew Manila’s uproar in 1995, China now has at least four building complexes in Mischief Reef, and over a hundred soldiers guarding the communications facilities, docks and landing pad.

The geopolitical analysis website Stratfor pointed out China is using the strategy of oil exploration activities and land reclamation activities to enforce its claim over the disputed Spratlys and Paracel Islands.

 In its recent paper on rising tensions between China and Vietnam over the Paracel Islands, Stratfor said Beijing’s use of oil exploration activities is one example of how “it is firming up its presence and gradually eroding other claimants’ ability to challenge its supremacy.”

Stratfor says Beijing will continue to push its boundaries using this strategy as it still has to build up its navy’s logistical capability. “China’s navy is not good enough to overcome the logistical challenges such distances present, so its ability to project its dominance throughout the maritime sphere is limited,” Stratfor said.

According to Stratfor, Beijing will continue with its three-step strategy:

1. Use the nine – dash line as a historical justification for its continued operations in disputed waters;

2. Enforce its claim in “tactically advantageous areas where it has an actual presence,” such as the Paracels and Scarborough Shoal;

3. Continue to develop its military and technological capability to carefully push its maritime boundaries farther “without antagonizing all of its neighbors at once.”

 

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/88958/china-land-reclamation-may-soon-cover-3-more-sites-seen-as-tool-for-supremacy-report

Marines hunt 10 Abu Sayyaf members plotting kidnapping in Palawan

From InterAksyon (Jun 12): Marines hunt 10 Abu Sayyaf members plotting kidnapping in Palawan

Marines are hunting down at least 10 members of the Abu Sayyaf an intelligence report said had been sighted in southern Palawan and were planning to pull off a kidnapping.

The report has been confirmed by two ranking security officials, both speaking on condition of anonymity, who differed on whether the information should be made public.

“Yes, meron kami niyang intel report na ‘yan pero medyo ilang araw na ang nagdaan. Mas maganda kung ilabas na siguro ‘yan sa publiko (Yes, we have that intelligence report although it is days old. It is better if it is made public) to warn everybody, especially for the sake of local and foreign tourists na nandiyan sa (who are in) Palawan,” said one of the sources, a ranking military officer.

The second source worried that making the information public could “imperil the ongoing operations” even as he conceded: “Pero dahil nandiyan na ‘yan, wala na tayong magagawa (But since it’s there, there’s nothing we can do).”

The original information, forwarded in a text message, said: “Subj: ASG Kidnapping Plan – IRST MOL 10 Patikul/Talipao-based ASG mbrs led by AL AROD were sighted at Balabac, Palawan since 06 Jun 2014, Acdgly, they are planning to abduct unident businessman/businesswoman in d area. Said ASG mbrs will utilize black watercraft to transport their victim to Sulu province.”

However, Lieutenant General Roy Deveraturda, who heads the Puerto Princesa-based Western Command, refused to confirm or deny the information but assured they are on top of the situation in Palawan.

He likewise dismissed the reported Abu Sayyaf “intrusion” in Balabac, which lies off the southern tip of Palawan and is only some 50 kilometers from Sabah, Malaysia.

“Wala naman, normal situation sa Balabac area (There is none, the situation is normal in the Balabac are),” he said in a text message.

Palawan’s noted resorts have been targeted by the Abu Sayyaf in search of victims to kidnap for ransom.

Among the notable cases was the May 2001 kidnapping of 20 persons from the Dos Palmas Resort in Honday Bay, among them American missionaries Martin and Gracia Burnham and tourist Guillermo Sobero.

Sobero was beheaded by the Abu Sayyaf on June 12 of the same year while Martin Burnham died during an assault to rescue the remaining hostages in July 2002.

On Wednesday, Army intelligence and police arrested key Abu Sayyaf leader Khair Mundos in Barangay San Isidro, Paranaque City.

Mundos, who carried a $500,000 bounty from the US government, is described as a bomb expert and spiritual leader of the Abu Sayyaf.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/88933/marines-hunt-10-abu-sayyaf-members-plotting-kidnapping-in-palawan

MILF: No space for extremists in Bangsamoro

From the Manila Bulletin (Jun 11): MILF: No space for extremists in Bangsamoro

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) assured participants at a public forum here over the weekend that the proposed Bangsamoro government will have no room for extremists.

“The Bangsamoro authority and leaders will not allow anybody, anyone, or any groups to destroy peace within the Bangsamoro territory,” Vice Chairman for Political Affairs Ghazali Jaafar said, amid resounding applause among hundreds of mixed audience from Muslim, Christian, and Lumad sectors.

“The Bangsamoro government is a democratic government where the rights of the people are guaranteed and everybody can enjoy religious freedom,” he added.

Jaafar’s assurance followed a warning aired by Orlando Cardinal Quevedo a day earlier at an international interfaith dialogue in Cotabato City that extremism, if not addressed squarely, could “hijack” the intents and visions under the Bangsamoro entity.

Quevedo, the archbishop of Cotabato and the first cardinal appointed by the Vatican from Mindanao, bared his sad experiences with extremist elements during his stint in the Sulu archipelago.

The prelate, described by government and MILF authorities as “the Cardinal for Peace,” has been actively campaigning for the transformation of the Muslim Mindanao regional autonomy to people’s higher degree of self-determination under the Bangsamoro political entity.

http://www.mb.com.ph/milf-no-space-for-extremists-in-bangsamoro/

Ex-NPA rebel shot dead

From the Manila Bulletin (Jun 12): Ex-NPA rebel shot dead

A former New People’s Army (NPA) rebel was shot dead by unidentified men in Brgy. Daan Pare, Orion, Bataan.

Sr. Inspector Ronnie Fabia, chief of police, identified the victim as Julius Ortojan, alias Ka Jomar, 43, of 248 Sitio Pias, Duale, Limay.

Investigation showed that the victim was on his way home on board a motorcycle when unidentified suspects riding a Toyota Innova shot the victim several times hitting him on the different parts of his body.

Police recovered from the crime scene the victim’s wallet, a Samsung cellular phone, and sun glasses.

Further investigation showed that the victim was a rebel returnee and was allegedly implicated in several illegal activities.

http://www.mb.com.ph/ex-npa-rebel-shot-dead/

US urges China to provide evidence on South China Sea claim to Hague court

From the Manila Bulletin (Jun 12): US urges China to provide evidence on South China Sea claim to Hague court

A senior United States diplomat has called on China to provide evidence to back up its claim to 90 percent of the sea, believed to be rich in energy and minerals.

US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and the Pacific Daniel Russel urged China to seize the “significant opportunity” of a call from an international court last week for evidence to back up its claims.

“This… opens the door to the removal of some ambiguity regarding China’s claim that has helped fuel tension and uncertainty in the region,” Russel said in a telephone briefing with reporters in Hong Kong. Russel said he had raised the issue with regional officials at a meeting in Myanmar of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

A judges’ panel at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague said last week that it was giving China six months to respond to a case filed by the Philippines in March. China’s Foreign Ministry last week restated its refusal to participate.

China rejects any international solution to the territorial disputes and calls for individual talks with claimant countries. The Philippines, Malaysia, and Brunei each claim some of the Spratlys, while China, Taiwan, and Vietnam claim the whole chain.

Servicemen from the Philippines and Vietnam staged a get-together last weekend on a Vietnamese-administered part of the archipelago, playing soccer and volleyball and drinking beer. China denounced the gathering as a “clumsy farce.”

A Philippine navy spokesman told reporters Manila would host a get-together next year on a Philippine-run island, with all claimant countries invited. “If the end is to maintain good relations and amity with a neighboring nation and sports is one of the means to attain it, then the navy will have to pursue it,” Col. Edgard Arevalo said. “The least of our intentions is to pick quarrels with anyone. Definitely, it’s not meant to pick on China.”

China said on Tuesday that it wanted to counter Vietnam’s “slander” to the world about what was happening in disputed areas of the South China Sea, after Beijing asked the United Nations to circulate documents outlining its position.

Tensions have been running particularly high between China and Vietnam, focusing on China’s positioning of an oil rig near another disputed archipelago, the Paracel Islands, which has lead to rammings at sea and anti-Chinese violence in Vietnam.

China and Vietnam have traded accusations about the behavior of their ships, including the use of water cannon and intentional rammings.

Chinese state news agency Xinhua said that Wang Min, China’s deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, had asked UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in a letter to circulate documents outlining China’s position to all UN member states. China, he said, sought to “tell the international community the truth and set straight their understanding on the issue.”

Foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said Vietnam had been stepping up its harassment at sea and trying to vilify China on the international stage.

“On the one hand, they have been increasing their damaging and harassing activities on the scene, while internationally everyone has seen they have been unbridled in starting rumors and spreading slander, unreasonably criticizing China,” she told a daily news briefing.

A policy document released at the weekend accused Vietnam of ramming its ships more than 1,000 times in the oil rig dispute, though it said Beijing wanted good relations with its neighbor.

The spat is the most serious deterioration of relations between the Communist states and traditional rivals since a brief war in 1979 following Vietnam’s invasion of Cambodia.

http://www.mb.com.ph/us-urges-china-to-provide-evidence-on-south-china-sea-claim-to-hague-court/

MILF: BLMI concludes TAF’s funded capacity building programs

From the MILF Website (Jun 11): BLMI concludes TAF’s funded capacity building programs



On June 5, 2014, the Bangsamoro Leadership and Management Institute (BLMI) concluded the two remaining capacity building programs funded by The Asia Foundation (TAF) with support from the Australian Agency for International Development (Aus-AID).
  

On May 29-31, 2014, forty three male participants from line agencies of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) representing various regions in the Bangsamoro attended a three- day activity with the theme:  “Empowering Bangsamoro Potential Leaders & Communities” held at the BLMI Training Center at Crossing Simuay, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao.

Sheikh Mahmod S. Ahmad, BLMI Executive Director welcomed the participants and appealed for their support for the general welfare of the Bangsamoro People.

Prof. Esmael Abdula, BLMI Training Unit Officer together with Salik Abdullah facilitated the program. Abdula shared his experiences and expertise on community engagements.

Dr. Tarhata Guiamalon, lectured on internationally accepted work etiquettes and other related topics that every Bangsamoro leaders and managers must be acquainted with especially when interacting with foreigners. 

Dr. Ruth T. Diang lectured on international protocol and diplomacy that need to be instilled to Bangsamoro future leaders.  

On June 3-5, 2014, the Training for Trainers (TOT) for Community Leaders was also held at BLMI with similar number of participants. Officials of the MILF-BIAF from different areas in Mindanao were among the participants.

The topics include advocacy and strategies in community engagements as a way of preparing them for the challenges that lay ahead once Bangsamoro is in place.

Dr. Abdul S. Pagayao touched on the ministerial form of government. Dr. Tarhata Guiamalon once again delved on work etiquettes and international protocol; underlining its essential contributions for the success of Bangsamoro.  On the last day, Dr. Taugan Kikay, Bangsamoro Sajahatra official touched on the prospective Bangsamoro governance that includes political party formation and electoral system under a ministerial form of government.

The participants also engaged in cordial discussions, sharing of views and concerns with the speakers.

In the closing program the participants expressed their appreciations and gratitude to BLMI Management, speakers; The Asia Foundation (TAF) -Aus – Aid for their continuing support to BLMI, the peace process and the envisioned Bangsamoro Region.

 http://www.luwaran.com/index.php/welcome/item/1032-blmi-concludes-taf’s-funded-capacity-building-programs

Military links BIFF attacks to presence of terror suspect

From the Mindanao Examiner (Jun 11): Military links BIFF attacks to presence of terror suspect

The military had linked fresh attacks by the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) in Maguindanao to the alleged presence of a suspected terrorist in the ranks of the breakaway rebel group.

Abdul Basit Usman, reportedly a bomb expert with Jemaah Islamiyah, was spotted during a raid on a BIFF camp in Barangay Libutan, Mamasapano town Tuesday, BGen. Edmundo Pangilinan, chief of the 6th Infantry Division said.

Pangilinan said that during the joint police-military raid on the BIFF’s alleged bomb manufacturing facility Usman was wounded but managed to escape “as per report from our operating troops.”

This proves BIFF is not only coddling Jemaah Islamiyah, but it seems they have strong ties,” he added.

He said the discovery of the BIFF camp came after persistent intelligence work and while running after the rebels who attacked military detachments and planted improvised explosive devices along routes taken by government troops.

Pangilinan further said they were still trying to confirm reports that two relatives of Usman were killed during the raid.

The raid on Tuesday was carried out by the 1st Mechanized brigade, 45th Infantry Battalion and the Maguindanao police.

Lt.Col. Donald Hongitan, commander of the 45th Infantry Battalion said the rebels fired rocket-propelled grenades but scampered away as the government forces closed in.

But BIFF spokesperson Abumisry Mama denied his group had links with Jemaah Islamiya.

“From what we learned there was strafing incident in Libutan and we have no troops there, maybe they are looking for somebody else”, Mama said.

Four women were arrested after the raid and were referred to the Maguindanao police women’s desk for interrogation.

The US State Department has offered a $1-million bounty for his killing or capture for his alleged involvement in a spate of bombings in the country. In January 2010, he was reported killed by an American drone aircraft near Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan.

But the Philippine military later said Usman, who was with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front but was expelled from the group for carrying out unauthorized bomb attacks, was alive and hiding in Mindanao.

There has been no conclusive proof on what really happened to Usman after reports came out that he had joined the BIFF.

http://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2014/06/11/military-links-biff-attacks-to-presence-of-terror-suspect/

PH flag to fly in all 9 occupied Spratly islands

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Jun 11): PH flag to fly in all 9 occupied Spratly islands



PROUD COLORS  The Philippine flag flies proudly on the deck of the rusting BRP Sierra Madre, which houses a Marine detachment in the disputed Ayungin Shoal where Chinese Coast Guard ships are on regular patrol. On Thursday all the nine Philippine-occupied territories in the Spratly Islands in the West Philippine Sea, including theBRP Sierra Madre, will raise the national flag simultaneously with other military camps on the mainland in celebration of Independence Day. GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE/INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

On Thursday all the nine Philippine-occupied territories in the Spratly Islands in the West Philippine Sea, including the rusty BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal (Second Thomas Shoal), will raise the national flag simultaneously with other military camps on the mainland in celebration of Independence Day.

The flag-raising ceremony will take place at 7 a.m. in all Kalayaan Island Group (KIG) detachments, Navy spokesman Lt. Cmdr. Gregory Fabic told the Inquirer on Wednesday.

Fabic said the time in the KIG detachments—Ayungin Shoal, Pagasa (Thitu) Island, Lawak (Nanshan) Island, Parola (Northeast Cay) Island, Patag (Flat) Island, Kota (Loaita) Island, Rizal (Commodore) Reef, Likas (West York) Island, and Panata (Lankiam Cay) Island—as well as in all units of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) were synchronized with Philippine Standard Time.

While the flag ceremony is done every year in these territories, military historian Jose Antonio Custodio says it has become more significant today in the face of China’s belligerence in the West Philippine Sea, part of the South China Sea within the Philippines’ 370-kilometer exclusive economic zone.

China claims 90 percent of the South China Sea, and has been harassing the small Marine garrison on Ayungin Shoal, Filipino fishermen at Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal off Zambales province, and reclaiming land on Mabini (Johnson South) Reef, Gavin (Gaven) Reefs, Calderon (Cuarteron) Reef and Malvar (Eldad) Reef.

The Philippines has submitted the territorial dispute to the United Nations International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea for arbitration.

The court has ordered China to comment on the Philippine case by Dec. 15.

Toning down rhetoric

China has refused to take part in the proceedings, but has toned down its rhetoric, with Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Zhao Jianhua saying on Tuesday, Filipino-Chinese Friendship Day, that the dispute between the two countries was “temporary.”

Malacañang on Wednesday welcomed the “change in tone,” but said that “would not stop the Philippines from seeking international arbitration to settle the dispute.”

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda acknowledged the “different levels of exchange” between the Philippines and China, but said that “doesn’t mean just because China is investing in this country, it should stop us from asserting or filing an arbitration case against them.”

He said, however, that except for the territorial dispute, the Philippines’ relations with China have been “very positive.”

Custodio said that Thursday’s Independence Day rites in the Kalayaan group were intended to celebrate the sacrifices of the Filipino revolutionary heroes who fought for freedom from colonial rule, the lack of weapons notwithstanding.

“Fast forward to the present, courageous Filipino soldiers are facing off against the armed coercive might of the Chinese who jealously covet our territories to fuel their imperial ambitions. Lacking sophisticated weapons, with no modern surface warships, missiles and jet fighters, Filipino soldiers in far-flung island garrisons and aboard the rusty hulk of the Sierra Madre are our first and only line of defense against Chinese aggression,” Custodio told the Inquirer in an e-mail.

“A century since independence, the courage and indomitable will of the Filipino remain intact and today in our commemoration of Independence Day this is renewed in our pledge to defend the country and in the example of our Filipino soldiers standing on the sands of the islets of the [Kalayaan Island Group] and within the rusting hulk of the BRP Sierra Madre,” Custodio said.

Holding the line

Despite its decrepit condition, the BRP Sierra Madre holds the line for the Philippines in the dispute for territory with China in the West Philippine Sea.

The Philippines grounded the Sierra Madre on Ayungin Shoal in 1999 in response to China’s illegal occupation of Mischief (Panganiban) Reef four years earlier.

The Sierra Madre remains “very important to us,” said Philippine Fleet commander Rear Adm. Jesus Bernardino.

“It is an extension of our territory. Everywhere it goes, it represents our territory. She is at Ayungin Shoal now. Nobody can contest that it is still our territory,” he said.

Bernardino trained on the Sierra Madre as a young Navy ensign. He was part of the ship’s crew when it transported Filipino performers to various Southeast Asian cities as part of a cultural exchange program sponsored by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).

Former hospital ship

The Sierra Madre was originally the LST 821 Harnett County, a bemedaled hospital ship that saw action in World War II.

It was transferred to South Vietnam under the Security Assistance Program in 1970 and was named RVNS My Tho (HQ-800).

The United States gave it to the Philippines in 1976 under the Military Assistance Program and the ship was renamed BRP Sierra Madre.

Should the Philippine Navy decide to decommission the Sierra Madre, it would have to inform the US military before it could use parts of the ship.

As the one that did the tactical design of the Sierra Madre, “[the United States] would be part of the process of decommissioning for security reasons to ensure that the scraps of metal won’t be used for other purposes,” Philippine Fleet spokesperson Lt. j.g. Rommel Rodriguez explained.

Bernardino said he remained proud of the Sierra Madre despite its present condition.

“I am still proud of it. It is still serving the Navy. It is still serving the country as a platform for our troops there. Even if [people say] it’s in an advanced stage of deterioration, it is still serving its purpose,” Bernardino said.

Bernardino also said that contrary to popular belief, the Sierra Madre “can still last many more productive years.”

“It looks rickety, but, no, it’s not,” he said.

Fabic said that after the 7 a.m. flag-raising ceremony, the troops in the Kalayaan group would “go back to their daily tasks.”

And it’s no easy task, to defend a country’s sovereignty.

http://globalnation.inquirer.net/106254/ph-flag-to-fly-in-all-9-occupied-spratly-islands

US donates Post-Blast Investigation Kits to Philippine National Police

From the Mindanao Examiner Website (Jun 11): US donates Post-Blast Investigation Kits to Philippine National Police



The United States donated Post-Blast Investigation Kits to the Philippines as part of its support to the Aquino government and the national police force.

The donation, made under the Anti-Terrorism Assistance Program of the US Embassy Diplomatic Security Service, was turned over to Police Director General Alan Purisima in a ceremony attended by senior police officers at Camp Crame in Quezon City.

Ronald Dizon, the Resident Program Manager, led the handover of 16 pallets of kits to Purisima.

The kit will help post-blast scene technicians in their work and investigation. The US also has been providing various training programs for the Philippine National Police in an effort to further equip it in its investigation and other functions.







Police Director Alan Purisima and Ronald Dizon sign donation documents for Post-Blast Investigation Kits.

Abu Sayyaf bomb expert sent to jail

From the Philippine Star (Jun 11): Abu Sayyaf bomb expert sent to jail

A suspected Abu Sayyaf bomber captured by the government security forces has been sent to jail following orders from the local court in Zamboanga City, an official said.

Senior Inspector Joseph Ortega, spokesman of Police Regional Office 9, said the court under the sala of Judge Gregorio dela Cruz Peña also recommended no bail for the detention of the suspect identified as Nujir Ahidji alias Abu Jomar, a native of Jolo, Sulu.

Ortega said the court issued the commitment order last Monday for Ahidji who is charged for illegal possession of explosives.

The suspect, tagged as a bomb expert of the Abu Sayyaf group, was captured by the combined intelligence forces of the Philippine National Police, bomb squad, Task Force Zamboanga and Military Intelligence Group 9 last May 17 in a village just outside the military headquarters of Western Mindanao Command in Barangay Upper Calarian.

City Police Office director Senior Superintendent Angelito Casimiro said the arrest of Ahidji thwarted the bombing plot of the Abu Sayyaf group in Zamboanga City.

Casimiro said three days after tracking, police and military intelligence group recovered one of the improvised explosive devices laid by the terror group in the city.

http://www.philstar.com/nation/2014/06/11/1333616/abu-sayyaf-bomb-expert-sent-jail

BIFF bandits’ lairs yield guns, bombs, stolen motorbikes

From the Philippine Star (Jun 11): BIFF bandits’ lairs yield guns, bombs, stolen motorbikes



MAGUINDANAO, Philippines – Government troops pursuing Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) bandits behind Tuesday’s dawn attack in Mamasapano town recovered firearms, improvised explosives and stolen motorcycles in the hideouts they had abandoned in haste.

Col. Dickson Hermoso, spokesman of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, said military units in Mamasapano and surrounding towns are now bracing for possible retaliation by the BIFF for its losses in a series of encounters since Monday.

BIFF bandits attacked patrolling government troops in Mamasapano on Tuesday, and villagers said four of them were slain in clashes with Army soldiers, although only two bodies have been recovered.

Hermoso said the bandits’ lairs yielded three M-16 assault rifles, a shoulder-fire rocket launcher, a dozen roadside bombs, and seven stolen motorcycles.

Soldiers earlier recovered a Barret .50-caliber sniping rifle, a launching tube for 60-millimeter explosive projectile, and bomb-making materials along the bandits’ escape route.

“What I can confirm is that our soldiers had recovered two cadavers of the enemies. Talk is rife among villagers that there are two other slain BIFF bandits (whose bodies were) taken away by their escaping companions, but that is something we still have to validate. The information relayed to us by local officials and barangay leaders, seemed true,” Hermoso said.

Hermoso said troops led by Lt. Col. Donald Hongitan of the Army’s 45th Infantry Battalion, and Col. Gener del Rosario, commanding officer of the 1st Mechanized Brigade, also recovered a laptop containing files on the BIFF’s extortion and bomb fabrication activities.

Soldiers also arrested four women while roaming around the bandits’ enclaves in the middle of rice fields at the boundary of Mamasapano and Shariff Saidona towns.

The four, believed to be wives of bandits, were found carrying explosives and assorted ammunition. They were turned over to the police, Hermoso said.

http://www.philstar.com/nation/2014/06/12/1333684/biff-bandits-lairs-yield-guns-bombs-stolen-motorbikes

Photo: Captured ASG leader Khair Mundos

From Rappler(Jun 11): Photo: Captured ASG leader Khair Mundos



CAUGHT. Philippine police arrest Khair Mundos, who was previously arrested for facilitating the transfer of funds from the al-Qaida to Abu Sayyaf Group leader Khadaffy Janjalani. Photo courtesy of the PNP PIO

http://www.rappler.com/nation/60290-abu-sayyaf-leader-arrested