War in Mindanao: How did Estrada's all-out war against the MILF fare? Part 1 of 3

From InterAksyon (Feb 17): War in Mindanao: How did Estrada's all-out war against the MILF fare? Part 1 of 3 (by Jose Antonio A. Custodio)

 

Camp Darapanan of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. FILE PHOTO BY EREL CABATBAT

[Editor's note: Jose Antonio A. Custodio is a security and defense consultant and was a technical adviser for a US defense company working for the US Pacific Command. He also specializes in military history and has post-graduate studies in history from the University of the Philippines. He also teaches history and political science at several universities in Metro Manila.

After the Mamasapano tragedy, calls for all-out war against the MILF have been made. Did Estrada’s all-out war campaign succeed? This is the question that Custodio is going to answer here. In his succeeding pieces, he will answer the questions: Is the military prepared to go on an all-out war? What would be the MILF response? What are the internal and external repercussions of returning to a war footing with the Moros? The next two parts will come out February 18 and 19.]

Following the Battle of Mamasapano, there has been a very loud clamor by many individuals and some sectors for more decisive action to be taken against the secessionists. The manner in which the proposed action to be taken ranges from either limited punitive operations to an outright and more ambitious all out total war against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

The question that should be asked is if the Armed Forces of the Philippines is really up to the task of browbeating the MILF into submission or more ambitiously, eliminating it in an all-out total war effort. How effective is the government’s war-making tool?

A bit of a historical reminder is when the 2000 Abubakar Campaign concluded, it was proclaimed by the Estrada administration that it was a great victory. True enough, the MILF camps had been captured and the losses were high among the rebels.

However, the bulk of the MILF survived the government onslaught as it reverted to guerrilla warfare and a short time later began rebuilding its forces and ironically establishing new camps.

The Philippine military on the other hand was in possession of former MILF territory but it came at a price. With the AFP heavily concentrated at Mindanao and having stripped Luzon and the Visayas for deployment to Southern Command, the NPA took advantage by undertaking ambushes and operations further overstretching the military.

On Rizal Day of the year 2000, Al Qaeda-linked operatives carried out multiple bomb attacks against targets in Metro Manila causing numerous civilian casualties.

The operational levels of aircraft, vehicles, and equipment of the AFP plummeted to alarmingly low levels and the AFP Modernization Plan was eventually reprioritized to internal security operations just to rebuild the numbers of the depleted and worn out equipment of the military.

This would eventually lead to the total abandonment of external security in the years to come to the delight of the Chinese who were increasing their operations at the West Philippine Sea.

Of equally serious concern, the capture of the camps and the battles with the MILF did not leave the military unscathed and it sustained the highest level of casualties since the 1980s and as it turned out, operations against the MILF continued because the rebels did survive everything including the kitchen sink that the AFP threw at them.

The AFP then experienced something that everyone thought had gone away. It experienced the return of dissent - dissent that would lead to open rebellion against President Joseph Estrada in 2001 and mutinies against the Arroyo administration in 2003 and 2006.

The AFP strength

Can the AFP, 15 years after the inconclusive campaign against the MILF in 2000, do any better this time around should there be a resort to military means to deal with the secessionism?

From a manpower standpoint, the AFP today numbers a little over 120,000 men of which 85,000 are in the Philippine Army and 8,500 in the Philippine Marine Corps.

However, such numbers are misleading as there is a cardinal rule that in order to get the combat effectives of any army or ground force, one must divide by at least a third the total number of personnel.

So in the case of the Philippine Army the total number of men serving in the field in an actual combat capacity numbers at a little less than 30,000 scattered all over the Philippines. The rest are in various administrative capacities and frequently are too old to do anything else but stay in the camps and do office work. Now the same goes for the Philippine Marines and less than 50 percent of that force is in the front. So at most, the Philippine military has approximately 35,000 or so men with very few women serving in an actual frontline capacity.

The 148,000-strong Philippine National Police, which is projected to take over the primary responsibility of counterinsurgency should the internal security situation get any better, oftentimes attaches small units of the Special Action Force to the military. The majority of the police force is ill-equipped and not trained to take on rebels especially the heavily armed secessionists and the regular police already have their hands full tackling criminality in the country.

As a force multiplier, there is the Citizens Armed Forces Geographical Units or CAFGU which numbers 60,000, again scattered throughout the country, and whose reliability is spotty to say the least but useful in establishing a presence in areas threatened by rebels. Being indifferently trained and paid makes the reliability of this force suspect and when used in combat or in operations they may cause problems especially in areas concerning human rights. Furthermore, given the convoluted nature of the situation in many rural areas, there is always that clear possibility that there are CAFGU units that have been compromised by rebel infiltration. Worse, there are cases that these CAFGU units are not under the supervision of the military but are the private armies of provincial warlords who themselves are the main causes of rebellion in the provinces due to their feudal ways that cause great socio-economic disparities and injustices.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/105247/war-in-mindanao-how-did-estradas-all-out-war-against-the-milf-fare-part-1-of-3

Off Subject/Of General Intelligence Interest: Four US littoral combat ships to operate out of Singapore by 2018: US Navy

Off subject but of general intelligence interest. From InterAksyon (Feb 17): Four US littoral combat ships to operate out of Singapore by 2018: US Navy

 

The USS Fort Worth (LCS 3) docks at Sembawang Wharves during a port of call in Singapore on February 17, 2015. AFP / ROSLAN RAHMAN

Four US warships designed to fight in coastal areas similar to Southeast Asian waters will be operating out of Singapore by 2018, up from one currently, a senior US Navy official said Tuesday.

The "rotational deployment" of the vessels, called littoral combat ships (LCS), comes as China continues to flex its muscles in the South China Sea and tensions remain on the Korean Peninsula.

"We will soon see up to four LCS here in Singapore as we rotationally deploy Seventh Fleet ships," said Rear Admiral Charles Williams.

"We envision four ships here by May 2017 to sometime in 2018... but I think what you have is that by 2018, four LCS ships will be rotationally deployed here to Singapore."

Williams, commander of the Seventh Fleet's Task Force 73, was speaking to reporters aboard the USS Fort Worth, an LCS on a 16-month deployment to Southeast Asia.

It replaced another LCS, the USS Freedom, which recently ended an eight-month tour of duty.

The USS Fort Worth is set to take part in exercise Foal Eagle, a joint military drill with South Korea from February 24-March 6.

It will also join regional navies in the annual Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training exercises and the International Maritime Defence Exhibition.

Fast and agile, LCS vessels can be adapted for specific missions through a system of interchangeable modules and crew.

The US Navy plans to build 52 LCS vessels at a total cost of $37 billion but the programme has become controversial due to cost inflation, design and construction issues.

In 2012 the then-US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced that Washington would shift the bulk of its naval fleet to the Pacific by 2020 as part of a new strategic focus on Asia.
http://www.interaksyon.com/article/105275/four-us-littoral-combat-ships-to-operate-out-of-singapore-by-2018-us-navy

Not US, but DFA execs will be called to Mamasapano probe, says Poe

From InterAksyon (Feb 17): Not US, but DFA execs will be called to Mamasapano probe, says Poe

Officials of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), not the US Embassy in Manila, will be summoned to the next hearing on the Mamasapano incident to explain the country's commitments in the campaign against international terrorists, Senator Grace Poe said on Tuesday.

In an interview before the executive session began, Poe said “as much as the public needs to know the involvement of the US in the Mamasapano incident, the panel is just being careful not to taint the country’s relationship with other countries.”

Right now, she added, no one has moved to summon US officials, but there is a suggestion to call the DFA to explain what kind of agreements the country has entered into with regard to the interdiction of terrorists.

 The DFA officials "will be part of the next hearing," she added.

Poe stressed the senators are treading carefully, “for it involves also diplomatic relations. We want peaceful ties with countries; we want their cooperation to be able to help us secure ourselves as well. We’re not trying to make more enemies in this thing but we also have to be accountable.”

She insisted the panel is not trying to hide anything on the alleged US participation - a subject of speculation - but still wants to know the extent of foreign involvement. “But we are with you in wanting to know the extent of foreign involvement because if there’s nothing to hide, if there’s nothing wrong, then there’s no reason why we should hide the information. We’re just being careful on when we’re going to release and to what extent,” she explained.

Meanwhile, Poe said the panel will weigh issues of national security, justice and sovereignty in the Mamasapano incident, saying every issue is important.

 “There’s always that precarious balance of all and that we really have to weigh which one at the particular moment is called for,” Poe said

 “I’m sorry I cannot say categorically [whether] one is important over the other, because that will already [signal] our points of view with regard to this,” she added.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/105265/not-us-but-dfa-execs-will-be-called-to-mamasapano-probe-says-poe

Witness: Palparan was behind torture, abuse of missing UP students

From GMA News (Feb 16): Witness: Palparan was behind torture, abuse of missing UP students 

The prosecution's first witness in the kidnapping case of retired Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan Jr. on Monday claimed that the former Army official was behind the torture and rape of two missing female UP students, a report on GMA News TV's “Balitanghali” said.

During the four-hour hearing of the Bulacan Regional Trial Court Branch 14 on Wednesday, witness Raymond Manalo positively identified Palparan as the person who was behind the disappearance of Karen Empeño and Sherlyn Cadapan in 2006.

[Video report: BT: Mahigpit na seguridad, ipinatupad sa Bulacan Hall of Justice sa pagdinig ni Palparan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHNZwC3kGdY]

The report said Manalo was able to provide details on how the missing students were tortured and raped under Palparan's watch. Manalo told the court he found out about the situation of the two students when he was about to bring food to their hut.

Manalo was quoted as saying in the report as saying that he saw Empeño and Cadapan being hit by hard objects while they were naked. Cadapan was also raped, according to Manalo.

Empeño's mother, Concepcion, was present during the hearing.

“Ang hapdi nang ginawa sa mga anak namin. Hindi ko matanggap. Kaya kanina nang nagte-testify si Raymond, hindi ko mapigilan ang luha ko,” she said in the report.

The defense panel is scheduled to cross-examine Manalo next week, the report said.

After three years of hiding, Palparan was arrested on August 12, 2014 in Sta. Mesa, Manila.

Notorious for his alleged human rights violations on suspect communist rebels and sympathizers, Palparan has denied all the charges filed against him and stressed that the two students were members of the New People's Army.

Palparan was the commander of the Army 7th Infantry Division in Fort Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija, when Empeño and Cadapan went missing.

Aside from kidnapping, Palparan is also facing serious illegal detention charges.

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/437880/news/nation/witness-palparan-was-behind-torture-abuse-of-missing-up-students

Duterte to talk to NPA rebels over Mati police station attack

From GMA News (Feb 17): Duterte to talk to NPA rebels over Mati police station attack



PNP bomb experts inspect the items recovered from the back of a truck abandoned by suspected New People's Army rebels after a raid on the Mati City Police station on Sunday, February 15. At least four soldiers and one NPA rebel were killed in the ensuing firefight. EastMinCom/PIO

Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte is willing to talk to communist rebels over the attack on a police station in Mati, Davao Oriental  last weekend.

GMA Davao's LJ Lindaan reported Tuesday that Duterte plans to talk to National Democratic Front Mindanao spokesman Jorge Madlos a.k.a. Ka Oris.

 

"I expect to see Ka Oris," said Duterte, who chairs the Davao region's Regional Peace and Order Council.

 

He said he was dismayed over the insurgents' use of IEDs (improvised explosive devices), including land mines, against government troops.

 

Such explosives killed at least four soldiers pursuing the rebels who attacked a police station in Mati, Davao Oriental.

 

"Ang problema, we do not know where to bring these charges... Walang government panel," Duterte said.

 

He also said that as chair of the regional peace and order council, he does not want violence in the region.

 

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/439063/news/regions/duterte-to-talk-to-npa-rebels-over-mati-police-station-attack

Leftist rebel commander captured in S. Philippines

From Xinhuanet English News (Feb 17): Leftist rebel commander captured in S. Philippines

One leftist rebel commander has been captured by government troops following a foiled attack on a police station in southern Philippines of Davao Oriental province, military said on Tuesday.

Wendel Olofernes, the rebel leader was captured after residents tipped soldiers about a man wearing an army uniform in the hinterland village, almost a day after the suspect led some 50 New People's Army (NPA) rebels storming Mati City police station in Madang village, Bienvinido Datuin, commander of the army's 701st Infantry Brigade told Xinhua by mobile phone.

Olofernes is the commander of the NPA's Sentro de Gravidad- Front 18 unit, the main rebel force that assaulted the police facility on Sunday.

The attack and ensuing running gun battle left four soldiers and an insurgent dead as well as seven others wounded, police and military officials said.

The suspect was now under government custody for further interrogation, the military official said.

The 4, 000-strong NPA, armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, has been fighting a leftist insurgency in 60 Philippine provinces since 1969.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2015-02/17/c_134003604.htm

Misuari convenes 2-day meeting

From Tempo (Feb 17): Misuari convenes 2-day meeting

As the fate of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) hangs precariously, the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) founding Chairman Nur P. Misuari has convened a two-day meeting somewhere in Jolo, Sulu.

But it is not about disrupting peace in Mindanao as the fallout of the incident in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, continues to bedevil the peace nearly 18-years-old peace process between the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

Habib Mujahab Hashim, who chairs another group called the Islamic Command Council (MNLF-ICC), said this in an interview yesterday.

He said MNLF leaders from mainland Mindanao, particularly in Lanao del Sur, and from the island provinces of Basilan and Tawi-Tawi attended the meeting on February 14 and 15.

“Pending the final abrogation of the 1976 Tripoli Agreement, the mainstream MNLF is still about a peaceful resolution of the Mindanao problem,” said Hashim, an ally of Misuari, who has gone hiding since the September 2013 siege of Zamboanga City.

http://www.tempo.com.ph/2015/02/17/misuari-convenes-2-day-meeting/

Opinion: Blaming Americans will set back peace process

Excerpt from the SPYBITS By Babe G. Romualdez in the Philippine Star (Feb 17): Blaming Americans will set back peace process

The so-called WikiLeaks cables purportedly revealing US involvement in the botched PNP Special Action Force operation in Mamasapano that resulted in the death of 44 SAF troopers is clearly being manufactured by leftists to shift the blame on a foreign government, a retired intelligence analyst informed Spy Bits. Certain groups known for being anti-US are using the opportunity to do some finger pointing of their own, claiming that the US has been funding the country’s counter-terrorism efforts against extremist groups that include the Jemaah Islamiyah and other al-Qaeda linked terror groups.

No such thing, our sources from the intelligence community said, telling us that American involvement in the Mamasapano tragedy was limited to sharing intelligence information – something that they also do with other countries that are waging war against extremists. The Mamasapano operation was launched to arrest Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir a.k.a. Marwan, an expert bomb maker who is believed responsible for numerous bombings in the Philippines. 

Marwan belongs to a family of terrorists, with a brother now jailed in Indonesia while one is detained in a prison facility in the US. After the Bali bombing, Marwan hid in Mindanao, training local and foreign militant groups about bomb making – with Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters member Basit Usman (who evaded arrest in Mamasapano but was reportedly seriously wounded and is now in hiding) as one of his top students.

Aside from the US, other countries have been exchanging intel information with the Philippines to enhance counter-terrorism efforts, including Australia that was also after Marwan’s head because of the 2002 bombing in Bali, Indonesia where over 200 people were killed, most of them Australian tourists. In fact, intelligence sharing between countries is being heightened to counter the creeping influence of ISIS, with jihadists spreading out to target countries after obtaining training in Syria and Iraq.

A lot of Filipinos are actually relieved that the US is helping the Philippines in the fight against terrorism by way of training for Filipino troops and in the use of sophisticated technology. It was with the help of US intelligence and technology that the Philippine military was able to pinpoint Abu Sayyaf strongholds, resulting in the rescue of hostages and the capture of Ghalib Andang alias Commander Robot in 2002.

But to claim that the Americans orchestrated and directed the operation in Mamasapano is simply ridiculous, the intelligence source emphatically said, adding that putting the blame on the US will set back the peace process and the passage of the BBL. No US drones were used contrary to the claims of so-called witnesses – unless the PNP now has its own drones, the source said.......

********

http://www.philstar.com/business/2015/02/17/1424491/blaming-americans-will-set-back-peace-process
 

(After attempt to bolt City Jail) ASG inmates to be moved to San Ramon

From the Zamboanga Today Online (Feb 17): (After attempt to bolt City Jail) ASG inmates to be moved to San Ramon

Thirty eight Abu Sayyaf detainees will be transferred to a minimum security wing at the San Ramon Penal Colony after the foiled rescue attempt of high risk prisoners last January at the Zamboanga City Jail.

 

This after an order by the Regional Trial Court ordering the transfer of the Abu Sayyaf inmates out of the crowded reformatory center to a prison facility in San Ramon.

 

Zamboanga City Police Office Chief Sr Supt Angelito Casimiro confirmed the report and explained that the Abu Sayyaf inmates cannot be transferred to a maximum security facility in San Ramon because they have not yet been convicted.

 

The inmates are facing charges ranging from kidnapping with serious illegal detention to Murder.

 

“The detainees cannot be mixed with the convicted,” explained Casimiro.

 

Casimiro however said that they have been conducting a series of meetings to study the renovation of detention facilities in San Ramon where the Abu Sayyaf inmates will be transferred.

 

Among the changes discussed are the construction of separate cells, the putting up of grills and a higher fence at the San Ramon Penal Colony.

 

Discussions also include security arrangements in preperation for the transfer of the inmates.

 

Casimiro said that they have recommended for the transfer not to take place unless the facilities in SAn Ramon are in place to house the detainees.

 

The transfer of the Abu Sayyaf detainees to the San Ramon Penal Colony followed reports of a foiled attempt to rescue Abu Sayyaf inmates at the Zamboanga City REformatory Center by their comrades from Basilan province.

 

The plan, which is said to have targeted the brother of Basilan-based Abu Sayyaf leader Furuji Indama, could have led to the release of 56 Abu Sayyaf inmates and several other detainees.

 

Three 45 caliber pistols including several rounds of ammunition were discovered hidden in two concrete stoves and were said to have been smuggled inside the facility.

 

Casimiro said that although initial reports placed the number of detained Abu SAyyaf personnel at 56, the court only ordered the transfer of 38 inmates after determining that the rest were merely lawless elements.

 

http://www.zamboangatoday.ph/index.php/top-stories/20112-after-attempt-to-bolt-city-jail-asg-inmates-to-be-moved-to-san-ramon.html

Context: The US in PH anti-terror campaigns

From Rappler (Feb 17): Context: The US in PH anti-terror campaigns (by Maria Ressa)

Let’s start with a basic fact: the US has been involved in counterterrorism operations in the Philippines for more than a decade



EXCLUSIVE: Marwan's ties that bind: Aljebir Adzhar aka Embel
EXCLUSIVE: Marwan's ties that bind: Ren-Ren Dongon
EXCLUSIVE: Marwan's ties that bind: From family to global terrorism

MANILA, Philippines – Several anonymous, single-source stories have been published since the January 25 Mamasapano clash – devoid of context and ending with often incendiary, incorrect conclusions.

Let’s start with a basic fact: the US has been actively involved in counterterrorism operations in the Philippines for at least 13 years. When the US special forces operatives landed in Zamboanga City in January 2002, I was on the tarmac chasing the soldiers as they got off the plane. When I asked them what they were doing, their answer was identical – and has remained that way over the years: “We’re here to train, advise and assist Philippine forces.” There’s a reason why.

In this 3-part series, Rappler looks at how US forces and resources have been used in counterterrorism operations in the Philippines within a global context. We speak with Filipino and American operatives and officials and look at examples of past operations to see the protocols in place for cooperation between the two countries. Many of those we spoke with asked for anonymity given the sensitive nature of the operations they were part of.

A day after the deaths of the 44 police Special Action Forces (SAF) operatives in Mamasapano was announced, I spoke with a former US special forces soldier who worked in the Philippines.

Explaining why the Americans could not be “boots on the ground,” the former Special Forces soldier said: “We’re allowed to provide support, intelligence, command and control support, mentoring, but we can’t be involved in direct action. I can tell you I never once witnessed something where American forces were conducting direct action. Some of us wished the Abu Sayyaf would engage us directly, but they would intentionally not attack us when they saw our Humvees on a patrol with the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) because they know that if they shot at us, it was done! We would call in a quick reaction force, and we would’ve killed them.”

This partnership dates back to the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty. A former colony of the United States, the Philippines has an ambivalent attitude towards “Big Brother,” often fluctuating between love and hate.

In 1991, the Philippine Senate voted 12-11 to revoke the Military Bases Agreement between the two countries, closing down Subic Naval Base and Clark Air Force Base.

Reality check

The reality, though, is that Philippine security forces are one of the weakest in Southeast Asia, and Philippine officials have long turned to Washington for training and equipment as well as for support in conflicts like the South China Sea (what the Philippines calls the West Philippine Sea).

In 1995, partly because China built structures on Mischief Reef, Philippine President Fidel Ramos invited US forces back. Three years later, both countries signed the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), a controversial deal fought by the Catholic Church, leftist politicians and some members of the academe and civil society. It was ratified by the Philippine Senate in 1999. That agreement prevents the US from establishing a permanent base of operations in the Philippines and stipulates that US troops take a non-combat role – that they are in the Philippines “to train, advise and assist.”

In 2002, President Gloria Arroyo signed a Military Logistics and Support Agreement (MLSA), loosening the VFA terms. Now the US can use the Philippines as a supply base for military operations, and US special forces were deployed to help Philippine troops with counterterrorism operations.

In the next decade, the US military, the FBI and the CIA would begin training programs with their Filipino counterparts.

“The American forces love working with the Filipinos,” another former US special forces soldier said. “We are as good friends, allies, as it gets, and we can really help them. They do so much with so little.”

A Filipino officer said in an interview with Rappler, “We would be nowhere without them. You know we even have to count our bullets? So we can’t even do target practice if they weren’t here. Talking to them, working with them, training with them – all this helps us.”

A former commander of the US forces explained that training must go hand in hand with Philippine military-wide reform, as he cited sub-par or non-existent supplies because of a combination of corruption and inefficient processes.

“You know that the soldiers feel better going into conflict knowing that one of our choppers can medi-vac them out if they get shot. Some soldiers die bleeding after they’re shot because they can’t get help,” he said. “Look at the doctors with the troops. You know, there was a time when the doctor assigned to the fighting units was a dermatologist?”

In April, 2014 under President Benigno Aquino III, the Philippines and the US signed a framework agreement for EDCA or the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, which allows increased US presence on a non-permanent basis and gives US troops greater access to Philippine military bases.

The Congressional Budget Justification for Foreign Operations, FY2014, said: “Security assistance supports the Administration’s strategic rebalance toward Asia by helping the Philippines become a more capable partner in promoting regional security.” Again, partly because of tensions with China, the Obama administration planned to nearly double Foreign Military Financing (FMF) in 2014.



Of course, there were tensions between the Philippines and the United States.
On the part of the Filipinos, there was friction when sometimes competing interests inside US agencies worked at cross-purposes, as the FBI and CIA did in the earlier years.

Over time, however, as workflows stabilized and parameters became clearer, that became better, according to officials familiar with the evolving partnership. There were also differences in priorities of threat assessments – with the Philippines long considering the communist threat its top priority while the Americans were prioritizing Islamist terrorism.

There were other issues. At one point between 2008 and 2013, the US Congress placed restrictions on about $2 million-$3 million of Foreign Military Financing (FMF) annually because of extra-judicial killings by the Philippine military.



Delivery of smart bombs

Between 2002 and 2013, the US gave the Philippines a total of $312 million in military assistance as well as military equipment, including smart bombs or Precision Guided Munitions (PGMs).

In the chart above from the Security Assistance Monitor, you can see the spike in arms sales from 2009 to 2010, when the US approved the delivery of at least 22 smart bombs to the Philippines.

In mid-2010, Washington pledged $18.4 million of precision-guided missiles funded under a US Congressional Act, which allowed its defense department to train and equip foreign military allies.

A classified document from the Philippines is explicit: "Fiscal year 2010 assistance for the Philippines provides a precision-guided missile capability to assist Philippine Armed Forces' counterterrorism efforts in southern regions to combat the activities of the Jemaah Islamiyah and Abu Sayyaf Group."

In February, 2012, the Philippines, working with the US, launched its first smart bomb attack targeting Malaysian Zulkifli bin Hir, better known as Marwan. (READ: Marwan and the ties that bind). While that attack failed, the classified chart below shows the meticulous planning and coordination between two separate countries and teams of special forces operatives.

In order to launch a smart bomb in the Philippines, the commanders and leaders of the two countries decided that it would take two keys to actually launch a bomb against a target.



From a high of nearly 2,000 US special forces in 2003 to an average of about 500-600 troops since about 2005, the Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines or JSOTF-P worked in western Mindanao with their Filipino counterparts.

JSOTF-P states its mission, hammered out based on bilateral agreements, simply: “At the request of the Philippine Government, JSOTF-P works together with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to fight terrorism and deliver humanitarian assistance to the people of Mindanao. US forces are temporarily deployed to the Philippines in a strictly non-combat role to advise and assist the AFP, share information, and to conduct joint civil military operations.”

Many of these operations are classified, with 4 major counterterrorism objectives against terrorists and insurgents: deny sanctuary; deny mobility; deny access to resources; and separate the population from the terrorist.

Retired Col. David Maxwell, had 2 tours of duty in the Philippines, first as commander of 1st Batallion, 1st Special Forces group with JSOTF-P's precursor, JTF-510, then later as the JSOTF-P commander. Maxwell is adamant in his email sent February 3, 2015: “The US does not control any operations conducted by Philippine forces.” Named "a son of Basilan" in his first tour of duty, Maxwell is now the Associate Director of the Center for Security Studies at Georgetown University and makes it clear he has no inside information about what happened with Marwan.

“All the advice and assistance cannot prevent every tragedy,” he adds, “Especially if the Philippine military and police do not coordinate operations.”

Role in Mamasapano

Was there US involvement in Mamasapano?

"At the request of the AFP, US service members serving in JSOTF-P responded to assist in the evacuation of casualties after the firefight in Maguindanao," said Kurt Hoyer, US embassy spokesman and press attaché.

Still, if you look closely at provisions of the existing agreements and workflows between the two countries, the mechanisms are in place for, at the very least, intelligence gathering and command-and-control support. Another former US forces operative told me, "The PNP would not do it without the Americans."

That's bolstered by the admission of Philippine police officials that the proof that the covert operations achieved its goal, the cut-off finger of Marwan, bypassed Philippine police hierarchy and was instead given directly "to the FBI."

What's not as well-documented in US public records is the extent of American involvement in counterterrorism operations involving the Philippine police, which began with the Anti-Terrorism Assistance Program or ATAP then intensified after 2008.

Did the US control the Filipinos as some reports suggest? Both American and Filipino forces involved in past operations I've spoken with say they think that would be impossible: the Filipinos would never allow it; and the Americans would never ask.

If there’s one case the Americans would’ve wanted to control, it would’ve been Operation Daybreak, the rescue operations for American hostages Martin & Gracia Burnham in 2002. Later at the sidelines of a conference at West Point, I spoke for several hours with American operatives who criticized the operations which killed Martin Burnham. Their repeated refrain: “They wouldn’t listen to us.”

The covert operations in Mamasapano are particularly tricky.

“We have long tried to avoid any appearance of US involvement in any operation that could hinder the peace process with the MILF,” said Maxwell. The Moro Islamic Liberation Front or MILF ended 17 years of negotiations and signed a peace agreement with the Philippine government in 2014.

The peace process has been a long-term goal for both the Philippines and the United States. Analysts and officials from at least half a dozen countries I’ve spoken with say there’s no choice but peace because the Philippine police and military cannot win the war.

The incompetence of the Mamasapano operations sparked strident political rhetoric and demagoguery – all of which may doom the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law or BBL, the last part of the peace deal.

If that happens, the MILF central leadership will lose credibility and control over about 12,000 armed men in a part of the Philippines where governance and security are weak at best.

This could potentially create a power vacuum – an open invitation to more extremist and violent groups from the region and around the world. The greater danger is the devolution of the radical ideology that once powered al-Qaeda. Now loose on the Internet, it has become a social movement that has sparked attacks from Iraq and Syria to Boston to Paris.

To be continued

[ Maria A. Ressa is the author of Seeds of Terror: An Eyewitness Account of Al-Qaeda's Newest Center of Operations in Southeast Asia and 10 Days, 10 Years: From Bin Laden to Facebook.]

http://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/in-depth/84105-us-involvement-anti-terror-philippines

Military to go after BIFF rebels who clashed with MILF

From GMA News (Feb 16): Military to go after BIFF rebels who clashed with MILF

The military is set to go after members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) who figured in a recent clash with Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in Pagalungan town in Maguindanao, an official said Monday.

In an interview with “News To Go,” 6th Infantry Division spokesperson Capt. Jo-Anne Petinglay said they are assessing the situation since government troops were not involved in the clash over the weekend, but added that "we will go after the BIFF for sure."

"We are properly assessing the situation as of the moment kasi legitimate rin naman 'yung lakad diyan ng MILF for the peace advocacy," Petinglay said.

She added that the military is "looking into possibility of going after the BIFF at the soonest."

However, she admitted, "Pursuing them is medyo difficult kasi sa marshy area 'yung pinagtataguan."

A commander of the MILF 108th base command was killed during the firefight on Saturday. Petinglay said they are still confirming the total number of casualties. No civilian was hurt or killed.

The BIFF is a splinter group of the MILF opposed to the peace negotiations with the government.

The clash was the third in a week, Petinglay said, adding it was not a continuing firefight since BIFF forces had several times retreated to the marshy area.

BBL info drive

According to Petinglay, commandos of the MILF were in the area for a peace advocacy campaign related to the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL). Some residents there, however, are members of the BIFF.

"Nagkaroon ng tensyon dahil ang MILF nag-conduct ng peace advocacy or activity na kung saan gusto nilang isulong ang mga provision, 'yung information drive among their people, their supporters, kung anong nilalaman nitong BBL," she said.

"Obviously the BIFF is not supportive of the ongoing peace process kaya gusto rin nilang manggulo siguro sa ginagawang advocacy," she added.

However, Petinglay clarified that the clash was not related to the Mamasapano incident last January 25, adding that those involved in the recent clash were part of a long-standing rido or clan war.

Evacuation

Meanwhile, hundreds of residents of Pagalungan and nearby Pikit town in North Cotabato have left their homes following Saturday's encounter, after barangay officials advised them to evacuate because of the growing presence of armed men in the area.

Petinglay said at least 1,300 people have evacuated as of Sunday night.

She said it is not advisable yet for residents to go back to their houses since authorities are still determining the details of the situation, as well as their action against the BIFF troops involved.

"Sa ganitong pagkakataon, we are assessing the situation because of what happened over the past few days, nagiging sensitive po o nagpapanic po 'yung mga tao the moment na may movement ng military na nakikita na hindi related sa Mamasapano incident," she said.

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/437680/news/regions/military-to-go-after-biff-rebels-who-clashed-with-milf

De Lima: Let US comment on American claiming $5-M Marwan reward

From GMA News (Feb 16): De Lima: Let US comment on American claiming $5-M Marwan reward

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on Monday said it is the US government that should respond to a claim by an American "political consultant" that the $5 million informant's reward for the arrest of Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan should go to him.

 

De Lima said concerns about the claim made by Marcus Allen Frishman, 56, should be best addressed to the US Embassy in Manila.

 

"Let the concerned agency or the concerned embassy also respond to that, kasi it pertains to an American citizen. Let them respond to that," said De Lima.

 

De Lima said it would be "premature and improper" for her to comment on the matter, especially since she has "no knowledge on those things."

 

Earlier, a report published by The Philippine Star said Frishman flew to Manila last week to claim that he had provided information to the US State Department that enabled authorities to track down Marwan.

 

Marwan was said to have been killed in the January 25 armed encounter in Mamasapano, Maguindanao where more than 60 people, including 44 elite police commandos, were killed.

 

The Federal Bureau of Investigation earlier said initial results of the DNA test conducted on a specimen forwarded by Philippine authorities showed that the sample taken supposedly from the finger of Marwan matched that of the suspected terrorist's brother.

As far as the Department of Justice is concerned, De Lima said they consider reward claims, like those of Frishman, as "peripheral matters."

 

"Those peripheral matters, such as the reward or yung issues sa reward, mayroon bang reward, sinong nagke-claim, ano yung basis ng reward, etc, I consider them right now as peripheral matters, which at the moment is outside the scope of our investigation," said De Lima.

 

De Lima said the DOJ probe by a joint task force from the National Bureau of Investigation and the National Prosecution Service is focused on the armed clash itself, and who should be held criminally and administratively liable. 

 

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/438032/news/nation/de-lima-let-us-comment-on-american-claiming-5-m-marwan-reward

Gloria Arroyo’s security adviser admits role in calls for PNoy to step down

From GMA News (Feb 17): Gloria Arroyo’s security adviser admits role in calls for PNoy to step down

Norberto Gonzales Jr, former national security adviser and defense secretary of ex-President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, denied Tuesday his involvement in coup plots against President Benigno Aquino III but admitting being part of an initiative calling for the latter to step down.

 

“I will not be engaged in any coup and I will never support a coup because that is against my own principle,” Gonzales said in a television interview. 

 

He, however, said Aquino should step down. 

 

“Ako, aaminin ko, meron akong initiative na sinasalihan. Mga initiative ng Catholic and Protestant calling Pres. Aquino to step down. Hindi resign but step down. Ang ating religious leaders very precise. Hindi resignation ang gusto nila,” he said.

 

Gonzales said he attended a meeting in Cebu with Archbishop Emeritus Ricardo Cardinal Vidal. 

 

Gonzales said he wanted another people power revolution.

 

“I’m mobilizing our people. It is not a coup. It’s people power. Di ba kailangan natin yan?” he said, adding that he wanted to stabilize the nation.

 

He added that it should be the National Transformation Council that should take over.

 

Asked who would choose the members of the council, he said everything should left to God.

 

“Basta gusto natin Diyos na mamili ng mamumuno. We don’t trust anyone,” he said.

Gonzales said there were indeed plans from at least one more group for a coup.

 

"I wish I could help discourage them,” Gonzales said, adding that he never talked with any military official.

 

Senator Antonio Trillanes IV on Monday tagged Gonzales as one of those planning to oust the President. 

 

Gonzales said he knew some of the persons planning a coup but added that he was confident it would not push through.

“May mga meron akong kakilala pero wag ka mag alala, di matutuloy because they are not credible,” Gonzales said.

He added that the government should take seriously what Sen  Miriam Defensor Santiago is saying regarding the alleged coup.

 

“She does not talk out of thin air. If she speaks, she has basis,” Gonzales said. 

 

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/438986/news/nation/gloria-arroyo-s-security-adviser-admits-role-in-calls-for-pnoy-to-step-down

PNP spokesman: Nothing wrong with US help

From GMA News (Feb 17): PNP spokesman: Nothing wrong with US help

The spokesperson for the Philippine National Police on Tuesday said he sees nothing wrong with the United States' supposed assistance in extricating the injured police commandos following the January 25 clash with Moro guerillas in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.

At a press briefing, PNP spokesperson Chief Supt. Generoso Cerbo Jr. said US assistance to local security forces should not be questioned.

“The US has been our partners in policy [and] law enforcement,” he said. “'Di ko nakikita yung dahilan para itago.”

He, however, stressed that there is still no confirmation whether US forces indeed had a role in the deadly clash, which left 44 PNP-Special Action Force (SAF) troopers and 18 Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) members dead.

“Tulad ng paulit-ulit na sabi, tignan natin kung 'yan ay tatalakayin o ma-touch ng BOI,” he said, referring to the Board of Inquiry currently investigating the clash. “Hintayin natin, 'di naman proper na magbigay ng initial updates kung 'di pa kumpleto ginagawa ng BOI.”

He said the MILF, the SAF, and the Philippine Army's 6th Infantry Division have not indicated any involvement of US troops during the Senate and House hearings on the deadly clash.

“'Yung pagtulong [ng US], statement 'yan ni [relieved SAF chief Director Getulio] Napeñas, subject 'yan ng investigation ng House, Senate at ng ginagawa namin sa BOI," he said. "Hintayin natin 'yung resulta."

Last week, Napeñas admitted before senators that he sought the help of US forces in the Mamasapano clash but only in extricating the injured policemen from the area of encounter.

"Nung bandang tanghali na nakatanggap na kami ng reports na may mga sugatan na, I took the initiative na humingi ng tulong sa US fores to provide us medical evacuation,” he told the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs.

The US assistance was not sought in the actual operation against Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan, he stressed.

He said his asking for assistance was in connection with the ongoing exercises with the US forces based on the fight against terrorism. He said the US troops were just in Zamboanga that time.

Philippine law prohibits the participation of foreign soldiers in actual combat in the country.

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/438896/news/nation/pnp-spokesman-nothing-wrong-with-us-help

Palace won’t probe MILF’s alleged ties with Marwan, supposed war exercises

From GMA News (Feb 17): Palace won’t probe MILF’s alleged ties with Marwan, supposed war exercises

Malacañang will not launch its own probe on the Moro Islamic Liberation Front's (MILF) alleged links to Malaysian terrorist  Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan, and the group’s supposed war exercises despite the peace process with the government.

At a press briefing on Tuesday, Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said these matters should be tackled by various bodies investigating the infamous operation in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, which left 44 police commandos dead.

"Batid natin na marami nang pagdinig na isinasagawa sa kasalukuyan kaya hinihintay natin ang kabuuan ng mga ito para mabatid ang buong katotohanan,” Coloma said when asked if the Palace plans to look into allegations against the MILF.

He encouraged individuals who have pieces of evidence against the MILF to submit these materials to bodies conducting probes, including Congress and the Philippine National Police's Board of Inquiry (BOI)

"Kung sino man po ang may impormasyon na makakatulong doon sa pag-alam ng katotohanan doon sa naganap noong Enero 24 at 25 doon sa Maguindanao, dapat lang siguro na isumite ito doon sa pagdinig na kasalukuyang ginaganap para makasama iyan sa pagturing ng mga mahahalagang kaganapan at sa pagbatid ng katotohanan,” he said.

Ties with Marwan?

On Monday, Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano presented a copy of the warrant of arrest and indictment filed by the United States government against Marwan's brother Rahmat Abdhir, as well as emails between the two brothers allegedly detailing Marwan's ties with the MILF.

During a Senate hearing last week, MILF chief peace negotiator Mohagher Iqbal denied that his group had coddled Marwan, who was killed in the Mamasapano operation.

A video footage obtained by GMA News meanwhile showed how MILF forces supposedly recruited members and conducted military exercises last year while peace talks with the Philippine government are ongoing.

Last year, the Philippine government and the MILF signed a comprehensive peace agreement, which seeks to create a new Bangsamoro political entity to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

The peace deal, which will also specify wealth- and power-sharing arrangements between the national government and the Bangsamoro political entity, will be embodied in the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law currently pending in Congress.

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/439007/news/nation/palace-won-t-probe-milf-s-alleged-ties-with-marwan-supposed-war-exercises