From ABS-CBN (Feb 25): Video: 50,000 killed, P700B lost in Mindanao war
Decades of armed struggle have derailed progress in Mindanao. The lost opportunities and widespread damage caused by the conflict have reached a staggering P700 billion pesos. Let's take a closer look at the cost of war in Mindanao, in the first part of this special report from Gigi Grande. - ANC, The World Tonight, February 25, 2015
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/video/nation/regions/02/25/15/150000-killed-p700b-lost-mindanao-war
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
7 dead as Philippine soldiers battle Abu Sayyaf
From ABS-CBN (Feb 25): 7 dead as Philippine soldiers battle Abu Sayyaf
A Philippine military assault against Islamic militants on a remote southern island triggered a day-long battle on Wednesday that left five rebels and two soldiers dead, authorities said.
The military said it used artillery and helicopter gunships as they pressed on with the latest stage of a months-long offensive to wipe out the Abu Sayyaf, which is blamed for the worst terrorist attacks in recent Philippine history.
"Our operations are now intended to totally eliminate the lawless element," Ensign Chester Ramos, spokesman for the military task force on Jolo island where the operation took place, told AFP.
He said the military, police and local government authorities "polished" their plans last year so they could launch a series of attacks against the group starting in December.
A "battalion-sized unit" of soldiers were involved in Wednesday's fighting against about 300 Abu Sayyaf fighters, according to the military's public affairs chief in Manila, Lieutenant Colonel Harold Cabunoc.
In the Philippines, about 500 troops typically make up a battalion.
"We are on the offence... we ambushed them. It is a running gun battle", Cabunoc said, adding the fighting started in the morning and continued throughout the day.
He said five Islamic militants were killed but two soldiers also died, and nine others were wounded.
The fighting took place near Patikul town on Jolo, a heavily forested island with a majority Muslim population that has been a longtime stronghold of the Abu Sayyaf.
It came after another clash on February 6 on Jolo in which the military said it killed at least eight Abu Sayyaf gunmen.
The government has been struggling for years against the Abu Sayyaf, which was formed in the 1990s with seed money from Osama bin Laden's Al-Qaeda network.
American special forces have for more than a decade helped to train Philippine troops how to combat the Abu Sayyaf.
The military says the Abu Sayyaf has only a few hundred gunmen.
But it has shown an ability to replenish its forces from the impoverished Muslim populace based in the south of the largely Catholic Philippines.
The Abu Sayyaf is infamous for funding its activities through kidnappings for ransom, including those of foreigners.
In October last year, the Abu Sayyaf released a German couple on Jolo that it had been holding for six months. The group said it released the couple after receiving the full 250 million pesos ($5.7 million) it had demanded for their freedom.
Last year, an Abu Sayyaf leader appeared in a video clip uploaded on the Internet in which he vowed allegiance to the Islamic State movement in the Middle East.
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/regions/02/25/15/7-dead-philippine-soldiers-battle-abu-sayyaf
A Philippine military assault against Islamic militants on a remote southern island triggered a day-long battle on Wednesday that left five rebels and two soldiers dead, authorities said.
The military said it used artillery and helicopter gunships as they pressed on with the latest stage of a months-long offensive to wipe out the Abu Sayyaf, which is blamed for the worst terrorist attacks in recent Philippine history.
"Our operations are now intended to totally eliminate the lawless element," Ensign Chester Ramos, spokesman for the military task force on Jolo island where the operation took place, told AFP.
He said the military, police and local government authorities "polished" their plans last year so they could launch a series of attacks against the group starting in December.
A "battalion-sized unit" of soldiers were involved in Wednesday's fighting against about 300 Abu Sayyaf fighters, according to the military's public affairs chief in Manila, Lieutenant Colonel Harold Cabunoc.
In the Philippines, about 500 troops typically make up a battalion.
"We are on the offence... we ambushed them. It is a running gun battle", Cabunoc said, adding the fighting started in the morning and continued throughout the day.
He said five Islamic militants were killed but two soldiers also died, and nine others were wounded.
The fighting took place near Patikul town on Jolo, a heavily forested island with a majority Muslim population that has been a longtime stronghold of the Abu Sayyaf.
It came after another clash on February 6 on Jolo in which the military said it killed at least eight Abu Sayyaf gunmen.
The government has been struggling for years against the Abu Sayyaf, which was formed in the 1990s with seed money from Osama bin Laden's Al-Qaeda network.
American special forces have for more than a decade helped to train Philippine troops how to combat the Abu Sayyaf.
The military says the Abu Sayyaf has only a few hundred gunmen.
But it has shown an ability to replenish its forces from the impoverished Muslim populace based in the south of the largely Catholic Philippines.
The Abu Sayyaf is infamous for funding its activities through kidnappings for ransom, including those of foreigners.
In October last year, the Abu Sayyaf released a German couple on Jolo that it had been holding for six months. The group said it released the couple after receiving the full 250 million pesos ($5.7 million) it had demanded for their freedom.
Last year, an Abu Sayyaf leader appeared in a video clip uploaded on the Internet in which he vowed allegiance to the Islamic State movement in the Middle East.
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/regions/02/25/15/7-dead-philippine-soldiers-battle-abu-sayyaf
Video: US forces train with SAF troopers in Negros (Occidental)
From ABS=CBN (Feb 25): Video: US forces train with SAF troopers in Negros
[Video report: US forces train with SAF troopers in Negros
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QGC3nJ0KVU
Sa gitna ng usap-usapan tungkol sa umano'y partisipasyon ng U.S. forces sa insidente sa Mamasapano umarangkada na ang isang linggong training ng PNP-SAF at tropa ng mga Amerikano sa Negros Occidental. I-Bandila mo, Barbara Mijares. Bandila, Pebrero 25, 2015, Miyerkules
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/video/nation/regions/02/25/15/us-forces-train-saf-troopers-negros
[Video report: US forces train with SAF troopers in Negros
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QGC3nJ0KVU
Sa gitna ng usap-usapan tungkol sa umano'y partisipasyon ng U.S. forces sa insidente sa Mamasapano umarangkada na ang isang linggong training ng PNP-SAF at tropa ng mga Amerikano sa Negros Occidental. I-Bandila mo, Barbara Mijares. Bandila, Pebrero 25, 2015, Miyerkules
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/video/nation/regions/02/25/15/us-forces-train-saf-troopers-negros
7 killed, 23 wounded in Army-ASG clash in Sulu
From MindaNews (Feb 25): 7 killed, 23 wounded in Army-ASG clash in Sulu
Seven people – five suspected Abu Sayyaf bandits and two soldiers – were killed while 23 others were wounded in a firefight Wednesday in Sulu, the military said.
Capt. Ma. Rowena Muyuela, Western Mindanao Command (WestMinCom) information officer, said the clash broke out around 9:20 a.m. Wednesday in Barangay Tanum in the municipality of Patikul.
Muyuela said joint forces from the 1st Scout Ranger Battalion and 16th Special Forces Company encountered 300 Abu Sayyaf bandits led by Hatib Hajan Sawadjaan while on law enforcement operation that triggered the firefight.
Muyuela said the Joint Task Group Sulu (JTGS) pounded the Abu Sayyaf bandits positions with artillery fire and air strikes that resulted in the death of 5 ASG members and 14 wounded.
Muyuela said nine soldiers were also wounded.
She said the JTGS have coordinated with the police as well as ordered the different detachments to set up blocking positions and checkpoints to prevent the escape of the Abu Sayyaf bandits from the clash site.
http://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2015/02/25/7-killed-23-wounded-in-army-asg-clash-in-sulu/
Seven people – five suspected Abu Sayyaf bandits and two soldiers – were killed while 23 others were wounded in a firefight Wednesday in Sulu, the military said.
Capt. Ma. Rowena Muyuela, Western Mindanao Command (WestMinCom) information officer, said the clash broke out around 9:20 a.m. Wednesday in Barangay Tanum in the municipality of Patikul.
Muyuela said joint forces from the 1st Scout Ranger Battalion and 16th Special Forces Company encountered 300 Abu Sayyaf bandits led by Hatib Hajan Sawadjaan while on law enforcement operation that triggered the firefight.
Muyuela said the Joint Task Group Sulu (JTGS) pounded the Abu Sayyaf bandits positions with artillery fire and air strikes that resulted in the death of 5 ASG members and 14 wounded.
Muyuela said nine soldiers were also wounded.
She said the JTGS have coordinated with the police as well as ordered the different detachments to set up blocking positions and checkpoints to prevent the escape of the Abu Sayyaf bandits from the clash site.
http://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2015/02/25/7-killed-23-wounded-in-army-asg-clash-in-sulu/
MILF guerrillas watch from a distance as PNP Board of Inquiry visits encounter site
From MindaNews (Feb 25): MILF guerrillas watch from a distance as PNP Board of Inquiry visits encounter site
SITIO ALILING, Tukanalipao, Mamasapano, Maguindanao –“Tingnan nyo, basta may coordinate, wala talagang problema (See, if there’s coordination, there is really no problem), Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) commander Haramen said as he and his men watched from behind a row of banana plants on Tuesday while members of the Board of Inquiry of the Philippine National Police (PNP) led by Director Benjamin Magalong walked across the cornfields where 35 of the 44 slain members of the Special Action Force (SAF) were found on January 25.
Unknown to the newly-arrived visitors, Haramen, operations commander of the 7th Brigade of the 105th base command of the MILF’s Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF), and his men – all of them armed – were, earlier that morning, mingling near the river with members of the PNP who were serving as the advance security team. By noon, across the river, elements of the Armed Forces of the Philippines who helped escort Magalong’s team would line up to stand guard when the BOI team arrived.
A member of the MILF’s Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces watches from a distance from under the shade of a banana plant the arrival of the Philippine National Police’s Board of Inquiry on Tuesday, February 24, at the cornfields where the bodies of 35 of the 44 slain SAF members were found. MindaNews photo by TOTO LOZANO
Shortly before the BOI arrived, the MILF commander ordered his men to leave the treeline — a row of coconuts and bananas — some 150 meters from the riverbank, so the PNP security forces in uniform and in plainclothes could take over. The treeline has a vantage view of the cornfields.
Haramen and his men moved back about a hundred meters away, behind a row of bananas, to provide a second layer of security for the visitors.
A village leader led MindaNews to where Haramen’s group was resting, minutes before the BOI arrived. Haramen and his men were sitting on banana leaves, another one resting in his hammock.
“Nakipag-usap ka raw sa mga pulis kanina? Di ka natakot hulihin?” (You talked with the police earlier? Were you not afraid that you’d be arrested?”) MindaNews asked.
“Bakit ako matakot? Di naman ako kriminal. Enkuentro yon pareho kaming armado” (Why should I be afraid? I am not a criminal. What happened was an encounter. We were all armed).
“Alam mo, kaming mga sundalo, naglalakad kami na ang isa paa ay nasa hukay” (You know, soldiers walk with one foot in the grave), he said.
A group of policemen sat on the grass at the corner of the trail leading to where Haramen was, about a hundred meters away. The MILF volunteered to have a banana plant felled so that the fruit could be boiled for the policemen’s lunch.
“Basta may coordinate, wala talagang problema,” Haramen told MindaNews.
The BOI’s ocular visit here was in coordination with the ceasefire mechanisms of the government and MILF.
Haramen, who claimed they were ambushed by the SAF as they were crossing the wooden bridge at around 4:30 a.m. on January 25, was alluding to how costly the price of non-coordination was that day, when 73 members of the 392-strong SAF deployed for Oplan Exodus entered barangays Pidsandawan and Tukanalipao before dawn to serve the warrants of arrest against Malaysian national Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwa and Filipino Basit Usman, both on the wanted list of the United States’ Federal Bureau of Investigation. Marwan was reported killed.
But 67 Filipinos were killed — 44 from the SAF, 18 from the MILF and five civilians – and the peace process between the government and the MILF adversely affected – following the tragedy that the MILF said could have been avoided had the SAF coordinated with the Ad Hoc Joint Action Group (AHJAG) and the Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH), as has been the practice for years.
The government and MILF last year signed the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) and are presently working on the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law that would serve as charter for the new autonomous political entity – Bangsamoro – that would replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
The peace panels have not been disbanded and will be disbanded only after an exit agreement shall have been signed, indicating that the CAB has been fully implemented. This includes the normalization process which involves decommissioning of firearms and the MILF as well as redeployment of the military and transitional justice and reconciliation.
The ceasefire remains between the government and the MILF.
Haramen and his men were among the first to clash with the 36 SAF members from the 55th Special Action Company (SAC) early morning of January 25. But Haramen said in a February 8 interview with MindaNews that they had no idea who they were fighting against until it was too late.
He said there was no advice from the CCCH and AHJAG about a government operation that day although at 4 a.m. he received a call from his superior that there were reports the military would operate and that they should proceed to their rendezvous base (RB).
Haramen said he and his men were on their way to their RB at around 4:30 in the morning of January 25 when they were ambushed, fired upon as they were crossing the wooden bridge. Two of their men were killed, he said.
He later ruled out the possibility that they were fighting government forces because if the armed men across the river were from government, the initial shots would have been followed by an air strike and artillery fire. But since there was neither, he said the enemies may have been a group who bore a “grudge” against them.
From an initial 35, Haramen said more MILF troops came to reinforce them until they had surrounded the 36 SAF members. Only one SAF commando survived.
Haramen said they turned over the firearms that they took from the bodies of the SAF commandos. But he declined to say how many came from his group. “Lahat-lahat yan galing sa 105th Base Command”).
He also denied having received payment for the firearms they turned over.
A total of 16 firearms were turned over to the ceasefire mechanisms including the CCCH, AHJAG and the International Monitoring Team last week. These were in turn handed over to the government peace panel and the Armed Forces of the Philippines which handed over the same to the PNP. Some parts of the firearms were reportedly “cannibalized.”
http://www.mindanews.com/peace-process/2015/02/25/milf-guerrillas-watch-from-a-distance-as-pnp-board-of-inquiry-visits-encounter-site/
SITIO ALILING, Tukanalipao, Mamasapano, Maguindanao –“Tingnan nyo, basta may coordinate, wala talagang problema (See, if there’s coordination, there is really no problem), Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) commander Haramen said as he and his men watched from behind a row of banana plants on Tuesday while members of the Board of Inquiry of the Philippine National Police (PNP) led by Director Benjamin Magalong walked across the cornfields where 35 of the 44 slain members of the Special Action Force (SAF) were found on January 25.
Unknown to the newly-arrived visitors, Haramen, operations commander of the 7th Brigade of the 105th base command of the MILF’s Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF), and his men – all of them armed – were, earlier that morning, mingling near the river with members of the PNP who were serving as the advance security team. By noon, across the river, elements of the Armed Forces of the Philippines who helped escort Magalong’s team would line up to stand guard when the BOI team arrived.
A member of the MILF’s Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces watches from a distance from under the shade of a banana plant the arrival of the Philippine National Police’s Board of Inquiry on Tuesday, February 24, at the cornfields where the bodies of 35 of the 44 slain SAF members were found. MindaNews photo by TOTO LOZANO
Shortly before the BOI arrived, the MILF commander ordered his men to leave the treeline — a row of coconuts and bananas — some 150 meters from the riverbank, so the PNP security forces in uniform and in plainclothes could take over. The treeline has a vantage view of the cornfields.
Haramen and his men moved back about a hundred meters away, behind a row of bananas, to provide a second layer of security for the visitors.
A village leader led MindaNews to where Haramen’s group was resting, minutes before the BOI arrived. Haramen and his men were sitting on banana leaves, another one resting in his hammock.
“Nakipag-usap ka raw sa mga pulis kanina? Di ka natakot hulihin?” (You talked with the police earlier? Were you not afraid that you’d be arrested?”) MindaNews asked.
“Bakit ako matakot? Di naman ako kriminal. Enkuentro yon pareho kaming armado” (Why should I be afraid? I am not a criminal. What happened was an encounter. We were all armed).
“Alam mo, kaming mga sundalo, naglalakad kami na ang isa paa ay nasa hukay” (You know, soldiers walk with one foot in the grave), he said.
A group of policemen sat on the grass at the corner of the trail leading to where Haramen was, about a hundred meters away. The MILF volunteered to have a banana plant felled so that the fruit could be boiled for the policemen’s lunch.
“Basta may coordinate, wala talagang problema,” Haramen told MindaNews.
The BOI’s ocular visit here was in coordination with the ceasefire mechanisms of the government and MILF.
Haraman, operations commander of the 7th Brigade of the 105th Base Command of the MILF’s Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces says if there is coordination,, there is no problem. MIndaNews photo by TOTO LOZANO
Haramen, who claimed they were ambushed by the SAF as they were crossing the wooden bridge at around 4:30 a.m. on January 25, was alluding to how costly the price of non-coordination was that day, when 73 members of the 392-strong SAF deployed for Oplan Exodus entered barangays Pidsandawan and Tukanalipao before dawn to serve the warrants of arrest against Malaysian national Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwa and Filipino Basit Usman, both on the wanted list of the United States’ Federal Bureau of Investigation. Marwan was reported killed.
But 67 Filipinos were killed — 44 from the SAF, 18 from the MILF and five civilians – and the peace process between the government and the MILF adversely affected – following the tragedy that the MILF said could have been avoided had the SAF coordinated with the Ad Hoc Joint Action Group (AHJAG) and the Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH), as has been the practice for years.
The government and MILF last year signed the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) and are presently working on the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law that would serve as charter for the new autonomous political entity – Bangsamoro – that would replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
Policemen waiting for the arrival of the Board of Inquiry at the cornfields of Tukanalipao in Mamasapano, Maguindanao last Tuesday, A hundred meters away from them, the MILF watched from a distance. The MILF offered to boil bananas for the policemen’s lunch. MindaNews photo by TOTO LOZANO
The peace panels have not been disbanded and will be disbanded only after an exit agreement shall have been signed, indicating that the CAB has been fully implemented. This includes the normalization process which involves decommissioning of firearms and the MILF as well as redeployment of the military and transitional justice and reconciliation.
The ceasefire remains between the government and the MILF.
Haramen and his men were among the first to clash with the 36 SAF members from the 55th Special Action Company (SAC) early morning of January 25. But Haramen said in a February 8 interview with MindaNews that they had no idea who they were fighting against until it was too late.
He said there was no advice from the CCCH and AHJAG about a government operation that day although at 4 a.m. he received a call from his superior that there were reports the military would operate and that they should proceed to their rendezvous base (RB).
MILF guerrillas rest under the shade of banana plants while other comrades watch from a distance the arrival of the Board of Inquiry at the Jan. 25 encounter site in Tukanalipao, Mamasapano, Maguindanao on Tuesday, February 24. MindaNews photo by TOTO LOZANO
Haramen said he and his men were on their way to their RB at around 4:30 in the morning of January 25 when they were ambushed, fired upon as they were crossing the wooden bridge. Two of their men were killed, he said.
He later ruled out the possibility that they were fighting government forces because if the armed men across the river were from government, the initial shots would have been followed by an air strike and artillery fire. But since there was neither, he said the enemies may have been a group who bore a “grudge” against them.
From an initial 35, Haramen said more MILF troops came to reinforce them until they had surrounded the 36 SAF members. Only one SAF commando survived.
Haramen said they turned over the firearms that they took from the bodies of the SAF commandos. But he declined to say how many came from his group. “Lahat-lahat yan galing sa 105th Base Command”).
He also denied having received payment for the firearms they turned over.
A total of 16 firearms were turned over to the ceasefire mechanisms including the CCCH, AHJAG and the International Monitoring Team last week. These were in turn handed over to the government peace panel and the Armed Forces of the Philippines which handed over the same to the PNP. Some parts of the firearms were reportedly “cannibalized.”
http://www.mindanews.com/peace-process/2015/02/25/milf-guerrillas-watch-from-a-distance-as-pnp-board-of-inquiry-visits-encounter-site/
Philippine Army seized 2 NPA encampments in Agusan Sur
From the Mindanao Examiner BlogSpot site (Feb 24): Philippine Army seized 2 NPA encampments in Agusan Sur
Government troops captured two rebel encampments of the communist New People’s Army following fierce clashes in southernPhilippines
http://www.mindanaoexaminer.net/2015/02/philippine-army-seized-2-npa.html
Government troops captured two rebel encampments of the communist New People’s Army following fierce clashes in southern
Officials said soldiers from the 26th Infantry
Battalion fought twice with rebels in the village called Padiay in Agusan del
Sur’s Sibagat town on February 23.
There was no report of military casualties and officials
could not say if there were rebels killed in the clashes that lasted nearly an
hour.
Maj. Christian Uy, a spokesman for the 4th
Infantry Division, said troops recovered at least four improvised explosives in
the encampments, including anti-government propaganda.
He said one of the encampment can accomodate at least 50
people. “We captured two NPA encampments and recovered at least four improvised
explosives following two separate clashes in the area,” he told the regional
newspaper Mindanao Examiner.
He also quoted Maj. Gen. Oscar Lactao, commander of the 4th
Infantry Division, as saying that the military operations against the NPA will
continue. “We are now fighting the NPA in their strongholds and we will
continue to hunt them,” Lactao said.
The NPA has been waging a separatist war for many decades
now in an effort to put up a communist state in the country.
http://www.mindanaoexaminer.net/2015/02/philippine-army-seized-2-npa.html
Philippine Army, MILF join forces to fight militant group
From the Mindanao Examiner BlogSpot site (Feb 25): Philippine Army, MILF join forces to fight militant group
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Philippine and MILF troops have launched a joint operation to flush out separatist rebels blamed for the spate of terrorism in the province of North Cotabato in the restive southern region of Mindanao, officials said Tuesday.
Officials said the soldiers had cleared several villages in Pikit town where government forces clashed recently with Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters. The rebels managed to escape from a massive military assault and fled to nearby Maguindanao province.
Rebel forces had burned houses as they fled from pursuing troops.
Various media reports said as many as 20 rebels were killed in the past clashes, but security officials would not confirm this.
The BIFF broke away with the MILF after it agreed to an autonomy offered by the Aquino government and accused its chieftain Murad Ebrahim of betraying the cause of Salamat Hashim, the group’s founder.
The rebel group is now fighting for Muslim independence inMindanao and vowed to continue the struggle left behind
by Hashim, who died of heart attack many years ago.
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Philippine and MILF soldiers join forces to fight Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters in North Cotabato province. (Mindanao Examiner Photo – Mark Navales)
http://www.mindanaoexaminer.net/2015/02/philippine-army-milf-join-forces-to.html
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Philippine and MILF troops have launched a joint operation to flush out separatist rebels blamed for the spate of terrorism in the province of North Cotabato in the restive southern region of Mindanao, officials said Tuesday.
Officials said the soldiers had cleared several villages in Pikit town where government forces clashed recently with Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters. The rebels managed to escape from a massive military assault and fled to nearby Maguindanao province.
Rebel forces had burned houses as they fled from pursuing troops.
Various media reports said as many as 20 rebels were killed in the past clashes, but security officials would not confirm this.
The BIFF broke away with the MILF after it agreed to an autonomy offered by the Aquino government and accused its chieftain Murad Ebrahim of betraying the cause of Salamat Hashim, the group’s founder.
The rebel group is now fighting for Muslim independence in
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Philippine and MILF soldiers join forces to fight Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters in North Cotabato province. (Mindanao Examiner Photo – Mark Navales)
http://www.mindanaoexaminer.net/2015/02/philippine-army-milf-join-forces-to.html
Commanders: AFP, PNP in Negros Oriental united
From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 25): Commanders: AFP, PNP in Negros Oriental united
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=739012
Commanders of the military and police in Negros Oriental
assured Wednesday that the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the
Philippine National Police (PNP) in the province remain united amid perceived
“animosity” between the two organizations following the Mamasapano debacle.
The commanders gave their assurance as the country
commemorated the 29th anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolution in 1986
that toppled the Marcos dictatorship with a Unity Walk attended by AFP and PNP
officials in Metro Manila Wednesday morning.
The country also observed the one month anniversary of the
clash in Mamasapano, Maguindanao that left 44 PNP Special Action Force
commandoe dead on the same day.
“The Unity Walk emphasized the continuing strong bond
between the AFP and the PNP,” said Col. Allan Martin, commander of the 302nd
Infantry Brigade of the Philippine Army based in Tanjay City
“Inspite of the Mamasapano incident, the good relationship
and coordination between the two organizations, especially in Negros Oriental,
will stay strong,” Col. Martin further said.
Another Army commander also reiterated Col. Martin’s
pronouncement, adding that they will continue to work hand in hand with the PNP
to achieve their goals according to their mandate.
“Your Philippine Army, particularly here in Negros , joins the whole nation in the celebration of the
EDSA anniversary. We shall remain united, professional and focused on our
mandate,” said Lt. Col. Harold Anthony Pascua, commanding officer of the 79th
Infantry Battalion, based in Siaton, Negros Oriental.
“We have established chain of command and sets of policies,
rules and regulations to follow,” Pascua added.
The same is true for the Negros Oriental PNP Provincial
Office, headed by OIC provincial director, Sr. Supt. Mariano Natuel, Jr., who
said that peace and order can be achieved in the province with both
organizations working together.
“We have a very, very good and harmonious relationship.
Peace and order can only be achieved if we are all united,” said Sr. Supt.
Natuel.
According to him, “authority emanates from the people and
(the) people’s voice may be the will of God”.
Natuel, speaking in behalf of the men and women of NOPPO,
vowed to uphold and abide by the law and strengthen their commitment to serve and
protect the people.
“Let us not be an instrument to lawlessness but rather an
instrument of peace,” Natuel stressed.
As an example of their unity to achieving peace, the
commanders pointed to the declaration of Negros Oriental as “conflict
manageable and development ready”, a status that has downgraded the insurgency
problem in the province to an insignificant level.
With this, some areas formerly affected by the insurgency
and which have been cleared are now under PNP coverage while the Army continues
to secure a few more areas still experiencing such problem.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=739012
Army division starts covert operations vs BIFF after 'all-out war' directive
From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 25): Army division starts covert operations vs BIFF after 'all-out war' directive
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=739065
CAMP SIONGCO, Maguindanao -- The Army's 6th
Infantry Division has started covert operations against outlawed Bangsamoro
Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), a regional Army spokesperson said Wednesday.
Capt. Joann Petinglay, speaking for the 6th Infantry
Division, said the directive of Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of
Staff Gregorio Catapang was clear.
"We appeal to the civilian populace in areas where the
BIFF operates to help the military neutralize this terrorist group,"
Petinglay said in a radio interview.
Catapang earlier directed Western Mindanao Command chief Lt.
Gen. Rustico Guerrero to spearhead the "all-out war" against the BIFF
which mostly operates in Maguindanao and North Cotabato .
"We are ready to use the military might,"
Petinglay said.
The BIFF is composed of about 1,000 armed men who are former
Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels that broke away in 2008 to push for
independence in Southern Philippines .
Headed by Ameril Umbra Kato, former head of MILF's 108th
base command, the group resorted to bombings, extortion and forced taxation
against civilian targets in Maguindanao, North Cotabato and Cotabato City
It recently figured in a clash with MILF forces in the
borders of Maguindanao and North Cotabato and
occupied at least 10 outskirt villages that forced the dislocation of about
20,000 civilians.
The MILF, through the joint ceasefire committees of the
government and the MILF, sought military assistance in flushing out the BIFF.
On Saturday and Sunday, the Army's 7th Infantry Battalion
launched artillery attacks against the BIFF, forcing them to abandon occupied
communities and fled deep into the Maguindanao marshland.
The civilians have slowly returned home to their communities.
Petinglay said the Army will not allow the BIFF to sow
terror among civilian communities and non-military targets through its
expertise - setting off improvised bombs.
Its spokesperson Abu Misri Mama said his group was not
afraid of the Army's "all-out war," saying the BIFF will fight to the
last drop of their blood.
"We will continue our guerilla warfare, we will not
face the Army head on, it is very strong, but through guerilla offensive, we
will defeat them," Mama said as if taunting the government forces.
Petinglay said the BIFF actually started getting back at
government forces when it ambushed elements of the 1st Mechanized Infantry
Brigade in Datu Anggal, Maguindanao while the Army was pounding the village of
Kabasalan, Pikit, North Cotabato with 105 howitzers.
"We are prepared, they will always conduct diversionary
offensives whenever the Army is hunting them down," she said.
In that operation, the Army recovered high powered firearms
abandoned by the BIFF after a brief firefight that included two M-16 Armalite
rifles, 12 gauge shotgun, a home-made Ingramm sub-machine gun and assorted
ammunition, Petinglay said.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=739065
Army, police tie up to curb insurgency in Calbayog
From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 25): Army, police tie up to curb insurgency in Calbayog
CALBAYOG
CITY --
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=738996
This, after two Army battalions that cover Calbayog City
Lt. Col. Seigfred Tubalado, 43rd Infantry Battalion
commander, reported that subversive documents recovered after an encounter with
NPAs in Carigara, Leyte in October of last year highlighted Calbayog City
Tubalado disclosed a conservative estimate of Php1.2 million
monthly tax collection of the Eastern Visayas Regional Party Committee (EVRPC)
from Calbayog City
That includes collection from business groups
(Php250,000.00), fisherfolks (Php200,000), transport organization (Php200,000)
and from the government itself in remote villages (Php250,000).
“Their collection ballooned this huge because some actually
give support to rebels for fear of their lives and their source of living. We
need your help to talk to these people that we are ever ready to extend and
sustain our security to them until enemies are burnt out,” Tubalado said.
Meanwhile, Lt. Col. Carmelito Pangatungan, 63rd Infantry
Battalion Commander, recommended for an intelligence fusion of the Army, police
and the local government, and likewise recommended to consider mechanisms that
can prevent the expansion efforts of the insurgents.
Pangatungan mentioned the Joint PNP-AFP checkpoints that can
seize NPAs initiatives especially that there’s a trending that NPA presence
becomes more prevalent whenever elections are approaching.
Supt. Glenn Oliver C. Cinco, city chief of police welcomed
the idea as this will also preempt criminality in the city.
To recall, this joint peace and security coordinating
council was formed before the 2013 Elections to discuss and resolve
election-related matters, but is pursued at present for more extensive
deliberations on peace and security concerns.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=738996
Guardians Brotherhood pushes for temporary martial law in Maguindanao
From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 25): Guardians Brotherhood pushes for temporary martial law in Maguindanao
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=739046
The Guardians Brotherhood, Inc. (GBI) Wednesday issued a
statement calling for a temporary declaration of Martial Law in Maguindanao
province as the country celebrated the 29th EDSA People Power anniversary
Wednesday.
GBI OIC national president, Dumaguete-based lawyer Joel
Obar, said they were calling on President Benigno Simeon Aquino III to declare
a temporary Martial Law in Maguindanao as an option rather than call for his
resignation.
Obar clarified that the group was not supporting calls for
Aquino to step down from office amidst the controversial Mamasapano clashes
last Jan. 25, where 44 members of the Special Action Force of the Philippine
National Police were killed while fighting with the Moro Islamic Liberation
Front (MILF) and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).
Also, the Guardians Brotherhood does not support
destabilization plots or any mass action against the President.
However, Obar said he believed that Congress and the
Filipino people would support a temporary declaration of Martial Law in
Maguindanao. Also, they are urging the President to strictly enforce a total
gun ban in that Mindanao province.
According to Obar, there is no constitutional basis for the
proposed multi-sectoral council to take over the state of government affairs as
proposed by the Makabayan Partylist and the national council of clergy.
He said he believed though that the President was the only
person who could make amendments or corrections to the missteps in the
Mamasapano debacle.
Obar said the brotherhood also supported the continuation of
the peace talks but they were seeking for the replacement of government
representatives in the panel.
He described the current government representatives as being
“eaten up by the system of the MILF”.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=739046
Military capable of conducting all-out offensive against BIFF, ASG
From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 25): Military capable of conducting all-out offensive against BIFF, ASG
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=738839
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) assured the public
that it has more than sufficient forces for an all-out offensive against
Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) in Maguindanao and North
Cotabato and conducting law enforcement operations against Abu
Sayyaf Group bandits in Sulu and Basilan.
This was stressed by AFP public affairs office chief Lt.
Col. Harold Cabunoc Wednesday.
"We have more than sufficient forces and reserves for
both operations," he said, adding that the military is in no danger of
over-extending itself.
The order to strike out against the BIFF took place a day
after the Senate concluded the hearings on the Mamasapano, Maguindanao incident
where 44 Special Action Force members were killed last Jan. 25 after battling
with Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and BIFF members for several hours.
The military offensive aims to protect the communities
against the armed attacks by the BIFF, AFP chief-of-staff Gen. Gregorio Pio
Catapang earlier said.
While the ongoing law enforcement operation against the ASG
in Sulu and Basilan are meant to totally neutralize the bandits from conducting
atrocities in the two provinces.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=738839
(Update) Number of wounded troopers in Sulu clash now at 16
From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 25): (Update) Number of wounded troopers in Sulu clash now at 16
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=738935
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) announced that the
number of troopers wounded in the law enforcement operation against Abu Sayyaf
Group (ASG) bandits in Barangay Tanum, Patikul town, Sulu Wednesday morning has
now climbed to 16.
This count is higher by four than the 12 reported earlier,
AFP public affairs office chief Lt. Col. Harold Ca Cabunoc said.
Number of soldiers killed in the engagement that started
9:20 a.m. still stands at two, he added.
Slain ASG bandits still stand at five and another 14
wounded.
Most of the wounded were hit by shrapnel fired from ASG
M-203 grenade launchers during engagements that took place 11 a.m. and 1:00
p.m.
He said government security troops were conducting law
enforcement operations against the lawless group when the fighting began with
an estimated 300 ASG bandits, which includes those from Basilan and headed by
Furiji Indama, along with two suspected members of the Jemaah Islamiyah.
He added that the Basilan-based ASG were forced to
consolidate with Sulu compatriots due to pressure exerted by local government
units and their security forces.
As of this posting, gun-battles are still ongoing.
Cabunoc said that the ASG sustained severe casualties in the
encounter as government forces were able to locate their locations and ambush
them.
He added that five ASG bandits were definitely confirmed
killed by pursuing soldiers but their compatriots were able to drag the bodies
along with those wounded.
Cabunoc said field artillery units and Philippine Air Force
MD MG-520 attack helicopters pounded bandit positions, further pressuring the
ASG.
Western Mindanao Command spokesperson Capt. Rowena Muyuela
said the ongoing operation aims to capture or neutralize ASG bandits headed by
Hatib Sawadjaan.
"Operation is a joint effort of the AFP , Philippine
National Police and LGU in Sulu to seize lawless elements responsible in the
series of kidnappings and other atrocities in the province of Sulu
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=738935
600 AFP, PNP personnel participate in 'Unity Walk'
From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 25): 600 AFP, PNP personnel participate in 'Unity Walk'
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=738903
As the nation celebrates the 29th anniversary of the
bloodless EDSA-1 Revolution, 600 members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines
(AFP) and the Philippine National Police (P)NP) marched together at the
historic highway to show their unity and continued solidarity in serving the
Filipino people.
This event was called as the "Unity Walk," AFP
Civil Relations Service commander Brig. Gen. Joselito Kakilala said.
“This shows that the AFP and PNP are united, cohesive, and
focused in our respective missions to protect the people and secure the
sovereignty of the state,” he added.
From Camp Aguindalo ’s Gate 2, soldiers met with some 300 PNP
personnel along MRT Santolan station where they link their arms together
signifying the spirit of “Kapit-Bisig” while marching towards the People Power
Monument
“This signifies the moment when we attained full democracy
and at the same time, the strength and unity of AFP and PNP was also
demonstrated during this momentous event,” Kakilala said.
The CRS chief led the contingent from the AFP composed of
its three major services, Army, Air Force and Navy; GHQ and HSC personnel; and
Reserve Forces.
Chief Supt. Nestor Quinsay, Police Community Relations Group
director, on the other hand, led the PNP contingent.
The activity is reminiscent of the 1986 “Salubungan” when
ordinary citizens and members of the religious sector stopped tanks along EDSA
and convinced other soldiers to join them in toppling the Marcos regime.
One of the participants from the PNP is PO2 Jennifer Estretra
who has been participating at the "Unity Walk" for the past seven
years.
“I am happy to be part of this activity that reminds us the
importance of our history,” she said.
For AFP Sergeant Major Guillermo Francisco, the activity not
only reminds our people about the history of EDSA People Power Revolution.
“This shows that there is unity among AFP and PNP members,”
he said.
Francisco has been a participant of the "Unity
Walk" for seven consecutive years.
At the front of the parade march are six female officers
from the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines, and PNP.
They were carrying the banner of the Unity Walk; in it is
the activity’s theme: “EDSA 29: Ituloy and Pagbabago!”
“We are here to give importance to the hardship and
sacrifices of our comrades in the AFP and PNP during the EDSA Revolution,”
Capt. Marin Bello, one of the participating female officers, said.
“This is also to show our people that whatever challenges or
adversity that may come to our organizations, there will always be unity
between AFP and PNP,” she added.
Leading the ceremony at the People Power
Monument
He led the wreath-laying ceremony at the sculpture of
towering people to honor the heroes of EDSA Revolution who fought against the
Marcos regime to bring back democracy for the country.
Aquino was joined by high-ranking security officials
including Secretary of National Defense, Voltaire T. Gazmin; Secretary of
Interior and Local Government, Mannuel Roxas; AFP chief-of-staff, General
Gregorio Pio P. Catapang Jr.; and PNP officer-in-charge, Deputy Director
General Leonardo Espina.
Also present were members of the EDSA People Power
Commission led by Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. and Commissioner Ogie
Alcasid.
The ceremony was simple and attended by more or less 300
civilians from different sectors and the marchers.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=738903
(Update) 2 soldiers, 5 ASG killed, 14 others wounded in Sulu clash
From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 25): (Update) 2 soldiers, 5 ASG killed, 14 others wounded in Sulu clash
Col.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=738833
Two members of the 1st Scout Ranger Battalion and five
members of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) were killed while 14 others were wounded
during a heavy clash with government forces in Barangay Tanum, Patikul town,
Sulu Wednesday morning, the military reported Wednesday.
Capt. Ma. Rowena Muyuela, Western Mindanao Command
(Westmincom) information officer, said the clash ensued at about 9:20 a.m.
Wednesday when the joint forces from the 1st Scout Ranger Battalion and 16th
Special Forces Company encountered about 300 ASG bandits, led by Hatib Hajan
Sawadjaan, which included those from Basilan and headed by Furiji Indama, along
with two suspected members of the Jemaah Islamiyah.
As of this posting, the fire fight continues, Armed Forces
of the Philippines (AFP) public affairs office chief Lt. Col. Harold Cabunoc
said.
As of 9:20 a.m. Wednesday, two government troopers were
killed and lightly injured 14 members of the 1st Scout Ranger Battalion, a
component of the Joint Task Group Sulu, Cabunoc said.
Cabunoc said the government security troops were conducting
law enforcement operations against the bandit group when the fighting began.
He said that the Basilan-based ASG were forced to
consolidate with Sulu compatriots due to pressure exerted by local government
units and their security forces.
Cabunoc said that the ASG sustained several casualties in
the encounter as government forces were able to locate their locations and
ambush them.
He added that five ASG bandits were definitely confirmed
killed by pursuing soldiers but their compatriots were able to drag clear the
bodies along with those wounded.
Cabunoc said field artillery units and Philippine Air Force
MD MG-520 attack helicopters pounded bandit positions, further pressuring the
ASG.
Arrojado said they immediately coordinated with the police
as well as ordered the different detachments to set up blocking positions and
checkpoints to prevent the escape of the ASG bandits.
He said the move was also aimed to prevent the ASG bandits
from extricating their wounded companions.
Muyuela, meanwhile said the ongoing operation aimed to
capture or neutralize ASG bandits headed by Hatib Sawadjaan.
"Operation is a joint effort of the AFP , Philippine
National Police and LGU in Sulu to seize lawless elements responsible in the
series of kidnappings and other atrocities in the province of Sulu
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=738833
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