Kidnap victim freed by Abu Sayyaf; will be presented to Duterte in Davao City

From MindaNews (Jun 24): Kidnap victim freed by Abu Sayyaf; will be presented to Duterte in Davao City

The lone Filipina among four victims kidnapped from a resort in the Island Garden City of Samal was freed by the Abu Sayyaf early Friday morning in Jolo, Sulu and will be presented to President-elect Rodrigo Duterte this afternoon.

Freed after nine months and three days in captivity, Marites Flor was dropped off by her captors in front of the residence of Sulu Governor Abdusakur Tan II in Barangay Asturias at around 4:30 a.m. Friday, Bong Abing, Sulu Provincial Information Officer told MindaNews.

Returning Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza fetched Flor in Jolo, Sulu at noon and will present him to Duterte at the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) here.

“We’re here, we’ve landed at the Central Bank (Davao City) and are on our way to the DCPO) Dureza told MindaNews in a telephone call at 2:13 p.m.



President-elect Rodrigo Duterte arrives at the Davao City Police Office parade grounds for the turnover of command of the city police. Freed kidnap victim Marites Flor will be presented to him shortly, by returning Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza. Dureza fetched Flor in Jolo, Sulu Friday noon. MindaNews photo by Carolyn O. Arguillas[

Duterte, who will take his oath as President at noon on June 30,  arrived at the DCPO parade grounds at 2:34 p.m for the turnover of command rites from chief of police, Sr. Supt. Vicente Danao, Jr. to Sr. Supt. Michael John Dubria.

Days after the kidnapping, Flor’s parents appealed to Davao City Mayor Duterte to help them secure the release of their daughter. Duterte was not yet a Presidential candidate then.

Armed men on board two pumpboats stormed the Holiday Oceanview Samal Resort in Barangay Camudmud, Babak, Island Garden City of Samal in Davao del Norte at 11:30 p.m. on September 21, three foreigners and Flor. .

Abducted were Kjartan Sekkingstad, 56, a Norwegian, and Canadian nationals John Ridsdel, 68 and Robert Hall, 50, and Hall’s Filipina partner, Marites Flor.

Hall was executed on June 13 and Ridsdel on April 25 after failure to pay the Abu Sayyaf’s demand for ransom of 300 million pesos.

Hall was executed by the Abu Sayyaf after the 3 p.m. June 13 deadline for payment of ransom lapsed. His severed head was recovered near the Cathedral of the Lady of Mount Carmel in Jolo, Sulu that evening and was brought to the headquarters of the 2^nd Marine Brigade.

Hall was the second Canadian beheaded by the Abu Sayyaf in two months. On April 25, mining executive Ridsdel, was executed, his severed head also thrown that evening by motorcycle-riding men towards a group of basketball players near the municipal hall.

Day of reckoning
President Benigno Aquino visited Jolo two days after Hall’s beheading and vowed that the government will not stop until the threat posed by the Abu Sayyaf ends.

“The full resources of the State are being brought down on the ASG. Our primary objective is to rescue the hostages and ensure the safety of our civilian population. We will leave no stone unturned and are studying every instrument, both military and legal, to ensure success in our areas of operations and wherever else required,” he said in a statement.

On June 21, Duterte warned the Abu Sayyaf of the day of reckoning soon.” He told business leaders in Davao City that while he cannot do it immediately, “there will be a time, there will be a reckoning.’

When it comes, “I will just say ‘Surrender unconditionally. Release all prisoners, hostages or we fight.”

Justice, however long it takes

In a statement on June 13, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his government is holding the Abu Sayyaf “fully responsible for this cold-blooded and senseless murder” of his nationals and vowed to work “with the Philippine government and international partners” to pursue the perpetrators and “bring them to justice, however long it takes.

“The vicious and brutal actions of the hostage-takers have led to a needless death,” Trudeau said.

“We are more committed than ever to working with the Government of the Philippines and international partners to pursue those responsible for these heinous acts and bring them to justice, however long it takes,” Trudeau said.

http://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2016/06/24/kidnap-victim-freed-by-abu-sayyaf-will-be-presented-to-duterte-in-davao-city/

Sayyafs free Filipina hostage (Photos)

From the Mindanao Examiner (Jun 24): Sayyafs free Filipina hostage (Photos)

 

Freed Filipina Maritess Flor speaks to Sulu Governor Totoh Tan (left) in his house and Vice Governor Sakur Tan (right) and military officials following her release on June 24, 2016 in this photo obtained by the Mindanao Examiner Regional Newspaper from an aide of the governor in Sulu province. 
 

 

Maritess Flor with Sec. Jesus Dureza and Sulu Vice Gov. Sakur Tan in Davao City. (Courtesy of Sec. Jesus Dureza)

Abu Sayyaf militants have freed early Friday a kidnapped Filipino woman after more than 9 months in captivity in the southern Philippines following a series of negotiations, officials said.

Officials said the hostage, Maritess Flor, was brought to the house of Sulu Gov. Totoh Tan – the head of the Crisis Management Committee – around 2 a.m where she was immediately secured and fed. Tan phoned the military to say that Flor had been freed.

“She is okay. She was fed and examined medically and is so happy to be out of the jungle. She spoke with Governor Totoh Tan and his father, Vice Governor Sakur Tan, and thanked them for their efforts and hospitality. Military officers who rushed to house also spoke with Flor,” one of Tan’s aides told the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner.
 

Flor was handed to the group of Secretary Jesus Dureza, peace adviser of President-elect Rodrigo Duterte, who sent a private plane to Sulu to fetch the woman. Flor’s family in Bukidnon province had previously appealed to Duterte to help secure the safe release of the woman.

Dureza said the elder Tan helped in securing the safe release of Flor following instruction from Duterte, and is also negotiating with the kidnappers for the freedom of Norwegian Kjartan Sekkingstad who is still being held in captivity in Sulu, one of 5 provinces under the Muslim autonomous region.

“We have direct instructions from President Rodrigo Duterte to secure the freedom of Maritess Flor and Kjartan Sekkingstad. Maritess is here with me now. There is an ongoing negotiation for Sekkingstad release,” Dureza told the Mindanao Examiner.

Flor was presented to Duterte in Davao City during a police ceremony. Duterte said the elder Tan helped in securing the release of Flor. “Governor Sakur Tan helped us,” he said while shaking hands with the vice governor. Duterte said Sekkingstand may also be freed soon.

Flor and Sekkingstand were kidnapped along with Canadians John Ridsdel and Robert Hall on September 21 at a posh resort on Samal Island in Davao del Norte province. Both Ridsdel and Hall, Flor’s fiancé, were beheaded separately by the Abu Sayyaf after their family and Canadian government rejected P600 million ransoms demanded by the militant group.

Dureza said no ransom was paid for the release of Flor. “No, there was no ransom paid for Flor’s safe release,” he said.

The release of Flor came days after Duterte strongly warned the Abu Sayyaf to free all their hostages. The military said operations against the Abu Sayyaf continue in Sulu.

Flor also spoke to the press and narrated her ordeal – sobbing in between her story – but at the same time happy to be out of her misery.

She said her captors woke her up to say that she would be released. “Ginising lang ako kaninang madaling araw at sinabi nila na Maritess gising ka, sabi ko bakit, sabi niya tanggalin mo yan posas sa paa mo at sabi niya ihahatid kita so yun lang,” she told reporters after meeting with Duterte.

Flor said they constantly walked in the jungle for long hours especially at night to evade security forces. “Sa gabi naglalakad kami ng matagal at hindi ko kabisado ang lugar, wala akong alam kasi hindi rin nila,” she said.

She sobbed after being asked about her feelings following Hall’s brutal murder. “Yun pinatay nila si Robert, kasi alas 3 (ng hapon) yun ano nila (deadline) so naghihintay sila ng tawag doon sa media so pagtapos ng phone calls doon na sila nag decide na patayin si Robert,” she said.

“Sobrang sakit kasi nakikita ko sila bago pinugutan sila ng ulo, sobrang sakit at pinapanood nila, masaya sila, para masaya silang gagawin nila yun. Nilagyan lang nila ng posas at dinala sa unahan at doon na ginawa, wala na akong alam. Hindi ko nakita ang (pagpugot sa ulo.),” Flor added.

Flor said the Abu Sayyaf is threatening to execute Sekkingstad if his family fails to pay P300 million ransom. “Yun ang sabi nila kung hindi maibigay yun demand yun ang sabi nila, yun ang hinihingi nila dati yun ganoon ransom,” she said.
 

http://mindanaoexaminer.com/sayyafs-free-filipina-hostage/



 

Task Force Detainees urges release of political prisoners from all rebel groups

From InterAksyon (Jun 24): Task Force Detainees urges release of political prisoners from all rebel groups

 

Juanito Itaas, then and now. (TFDP photos)

As it welcomed impending formal peace talks between the incoming Duterte administration and communist rebels, a human rights group urged both parties “to consider the release of all political prisoners coming from all rebel groups as a major step towards peace and reconciliation.”

Among those Task Force Detainees of the Philippines wants released is Juanito Itaas, the longest-serving political prisoner in the country, who has been behind bars for more than two decades after he was convicted for the killing of American military adviser James Rowe in April 1989.

The Duterte government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines, which represents rebels led by the Communist Party of the Philippines, are slated to resume formal negotiations in the third week of July.

Indications are President-elect Rodrigo Duterte might release more than 500 political prisoners, including a number of NDFP consultants, ahead of an amnesty law he has said he wants to see enacted.

“TFDP welcomes the release of political prisoners through amnesty,” the rights group said in a statement. “We welcome the immediate release of those who are sickly and those who are covered by the JASIG,” or Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees, the agreement that protects rebel and government negotiators and their staff from arrest and prosecution for the duration of the talks.

However, TFDP said while it was “fully aware that a great number of the political prisoners come from the NDF bloc … we are aware too that a significant number come from our Moro brothers and sisters” as well as other long-serving prisoners aside from Itaas such as Gerry Butial, and Basilides Badion “who have languished in jail since the time of Cory Aquino and Fidel Ramos.”

“There are also those coming from other rebel groups such as the RPM-RPA-ABB, the RHB, the MLPP-ABB,” which are breakaway factions from the New People’s Army.

“All of them deserve freedom. All of them long to embrace their loved ones,” TFDP said.

It also said “any meaningful amnesty proclamation must cover all political prisoners coming from all rebel groups” and “any release of political prisoners should not discriminate against their political affiliation and must not exclude any by virtue of a limited period of coverage.”

http://interaksyon.com/article/129505/task-force-detainees-urges-release-of-political-prisoners-from-all-rebel-groups

Abu Sayyaf free Marites Flor as Indonesia says 7 more sailors snatched in Sulu Sea

From IntterAksyon (Jun 24): Abu Sayyaf free Marites Flor as Indonesia says 7 more sailors snatched in Sulu Sea

(UPDATE - 1:10 p.m.) The Abu Sayyaf has released Marites Flor, the Filipina girlfriend of Canadian Robert Hall, who they executed early last week, an intelligence report said Friday.

News of Flor's release came the same day Indonesia confirmed that seven sailors were kidnapped from a tugboat in the Sulu Sea early this week.

The raw report, made available by a police intelligence source who goes by the nickname Pokemon, said Flor was released by Abu Sayyaf gunmen under Mujer Yadah to Sulu Governor Abdusakur Tan Thursday night.

"Info received from single source on or about 240730H June 2016, that the ASG under Mujer YADAH had released Filipina Samal KV Flor on the night of 23 June 2016 to Gov TAN," it said.

A ransom was allegedly paid for Flor’s freedom, the report added.

Hall and Flor were among four persons kidnapped by the Abu Sayyaf from Samal Island in September last year.

The kidnappers executed their first hostage, Canadian John Ridsdel, in April after a deadline for a P600 ransom for each of the hostages lapsed.

Both Ridsdel and Hall were beheaded, their heads left in Jolo, Sulu.

Flor’s release makes Norwegian Kjartan Sekkingstad the last remaining Samal hostage still in the hands of the Abu Sayyaf.

In Jakarta, Indonesian foreign minister Retno Marsudi said the crew were towing a coal barge in the Sulu sea on Monday when their tugboat was hijacked by armed groups.

Seven sailors were taken hostage in two separate attacks on the vessel around an hour apart, Marsudi added. The six other crew aboard the tugboat were left unharmed.

"The government will do everything possible to free these hostages," Marsudi told reporters.

"The safety of these seven Indonesian citizens is our priority."

A spokesman for the foreign ministry said he could not confirm whether a ransom demand had been made, or if the Abu Sayyaf was responsible for the abductions.

Earlier this year the group kidnapped four Malaysian seamen and 14 Indonesian sailors, holding them in their stronghold in the southern Philippines. They were freed several months later but there was no information on whether a ransom was paid.

A spokesman for the Philippine government said they were working to verify the report.

If confirmed, it would be the third kidnapping of Indonesian sailors this year.

The defence ministers of the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia agreed this week to consider coordinated steps including possible joint patrols to tackle a wave of seaborne crime in the Sulu and Celebes seas, which together form a key waterway among the three countries.

http://interaksyon.com/article/129508/abu-sayyaf-free-marites-flor-as-indonesia-says-7-more-sailors-snatched-in-sulu-sea

Abu Sayyaf's Filipina captive freed in Sulu

From the Philippine News Agency (Jun 24): Abu Sayyaf's Filipina captive freed in Sulu
 

Marites Flor, one of the four hostages taken by Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) bandits during their attack in Samal Island last Sept. 21, is now in the hands of military authorities in Sulu.

This was confirmed by Western Mindanao Command spokesperson Major Filemon Tan Friday.

Flor, the girlfriend of beheaded Canadian citizen Robert Hall, is now at the custody of Joint Task Force Sulu as of noon.

Tan said Flor is now undergoing medical check-up and debriefing at the unit's medical facility.

Hall was beheaded last June 13 while fellow Canadian John Ridsel was executed by the bandits last April after the Philippine and Canadian governments snubbed the ASG's ransom demand.

It was still unknown on whether ransom was paid to secure Flor's release. Still at the hands of the bandits is Norwegian Kjartan Sekkingstand.

Initial reports indicated that Flor was freed 3 a.m. in front of the home of Sulu Gov. Sakur Tan in Busbus, Jolo.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=&sid=&nid=&rid=898258

Pinay hostage Marites Flor released last night by Abu Sayyaf

From Coconuts Manila (Jun 24): Pinay hostage Marites Flor released last night by Abu Sayyaf

The lone Filipina part of the group abducted by the Abu Sayyaf from a resort on Samal island in Sep 2015 was released on the evening of Thu, Jun 23. 

It is not clear if ransom was paid for her freedom.

According to CNN Philippines, Marites Flor is now under the custody of Sulu Gov. Abdusakar “Totoh” Tan II.

Flor was abducted together with Canadians Robert Hall and John Ridsdel, who have both executed by the militant group, and Norwegian Kjartan Sekkingstad, who is believed to still be alive and being held by the group.

Founded in the early 1990s with seed money from Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden, the Abu Sayyaf gained international notoriety for kidnapping dozens of foreign tourists for ransom in the early 2000s.

The group has also been blamed for the country's worst terrorist attacks, including the bombing of a ferry off Manila Bay in 2004 that killed more than 100 people.

It is believed to have just a few hundred gunmen, but thrives in lawless sections of the southern Philippines where Muslim rebels have for decades fought for independence or autonomy.

The Abu Sayyaf is known to be holding three other foreigners -- two Malaysians and a Dutch man, according to the military.

An Italian ex-priest, Rolando del Torchio, was also abducted from his pizza restaurant in the southern port city of Dipolog last month.

The Abu Sayyaf is widely believed to be holding him, but authorities have not confirmed this.

And a 74-year-old South Korean kidnapped in January was found dead on Jolo at the weekend. The military said the Abu Sayyaf abandoned the hostage after he died from a "severe illness".

Philippine military spokesman Colonel Restituto Padilla declined to comment to AFP on Wednesday about the new video.

The Philippine government has repeatedly said it has a "no-ransom policy". But parties linked to captives frequently pay.

In October last year, the Abu Sayyaf claimed it received 250 million pesos ($5.3 million) in exchange for two German hostages they held captive for six months. Security analysts said a large ransom was paid.

http://manila.coconuts.co/2016/06/24/pinay-hostage-marites-flor-released-last-night-abu-sayyaf

Abu Sayyaf frees Filipina hostage

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Jun 24): Abu Sayyaf frees Filipina hostage

The Abu Sayyaf Group on Friday released Marites Flor, the Filipino kidnapped with three foreigners on Samal Island in September last year.

Citing initial information, a report by Radyo Inquirer 990AM said Flor was brought to the house of Sulu Governor Abdusakur Tan after being freed Friday morning.

As of 12 noon, Flor is in the custody of Joint Task Force Sulu for medical checkup, according to Western Mindanao Command spokesperson Maj. FIlemon Tan.

Flor is the girlfriend of Canadian Robert Hall, who was beheaded by the bandits last week after the deadline for his ransom expired. Another Canadian hostage, John Ridsdel, was beheaded in April.

Flor was kidnapped with Hall, Ridsdel and Norwegian resort manager Kjartan Sekkinstad from a marina on the Island Garden City of Samal in Davao del Norte in September last year.
.http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/792224/abu-sayyaf-frees-filipina-hostage

Abu Sayyaf free Marites Flor - intel report

From InterAksyon (Jun 24): Abu Sayyaf free Marites Flor - intel report

The Abu Sayyaf has released Marites Flor, the Filipina girlfriend of Canadian Robert Hall, who they executed early last week, an intelligence report said.

The raw report, made available by a police intelligence source who goes by the nickname Pokemon, said Flor was released by Abu Sayyaf gunmen under Mujer Yadah to Sulu Governor Abdusakur Tan Thursday night.

"Info received from single source on or about 240730H June 2016, that the ASG under Mujer YADAH had released Filipina Samal KV Flor on the night of 23 June 2016 to Gov TAN," it said.

A ransom was allegedly paid for Flor’s freedom, the report added.

Hall and Flor were among four persons kidnapped by the Abu Sayyaf from Samal Island in September last year.

The kidnappers executed their first hostage, Canadian John Ridsdel, in April after a deadline for a P600 ransom for each of the hostages lapsed.

Both Ridsdel and Hall were beheaded, their heads left in Jolo, Sulu.

Flor’s release makes Norwegian Kjartan Sekkingstad the last remaining Samal hostage still in the hands of the Abu Sayyaf.

http://interaksyon.com/article/129508/abu-sayyaf-free-marites-flor---intel-report

1 dead, 4 wounded in BIFF attacks

From the Manila Times (Jun 23): 1 dead, 4 wounded in BIFF attacks

The jihadists’ Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) resumed attacks in North Cotabato and Maguindanao, killing one soldier and wounded four others, including a bystander.

The recent attack was a roadside bombing on Wednesday in Midsayap town, North Cotabato injuring two soldiers and a student bystander.

Midsayap Police chief, Supt. Tom Tuzon, identified the wounded as Private First Class (PFC) Jestoni Bauzon and Sergeant Edwin Soria, all belonging to Army’s 62nd Reconnaissance Company, 6th Infantry Division; and high school student Miriam Akis who was hit by shrapnel.

 

Tuzon said the blast occurred near the Dabpil Sampulna High School in Barangay Ulandang when troopers, aboard an Army vehicle, were traversing the area at around 5 p.m.

The bomb was made of 105mm howitzer shell and rigged with nails, metal sheets and mobile phone, as its triggering device.

The BIFF group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

It happened the same day when the Islamic State (IS or ISIS) released its propaganda video online signalling their fighters in the country to wage war against “crusaders.”

Another attack was recorded in Sitio Matilac, Barangay Butilen in Datu Salibo town, Maguindanao that killed Sgt. Alexander Salgado and wounded PFC Brian Callaga.

http://www.manilatimes.net/1-dead-4-wounded-in-biff-attacks/269534/

Next AFP chief defends Rody’s military aircraft priorities

From the Philippine Star (Jun 24): Next AFP chief defends Rody’s military aircraft priorities



Critical of the procurement of the supersonic FA50 fighter jets, president-elect Rodrigo Duterte said that the jets are no match to China’s aircraft and the government had just wasted money in acquiring the aircraft. KAI/Released

Incoming Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Lt. Gen. Ricardo Visaya defended yesterday president-elect Rodrigo Duterte’s stand on prioritizing acquisition of modern helicopters instead of fighter jets to address the country’s internal security problems.

Visaya said Duterte wanted to first bolster the military’s internal defense capabilities before gradually shifting to external defense.

“The president-elect only wanted the military to have modern helicopters with night-flying capability as well as naval fast craft for internal security operations,” Visaya said.

He added that the AFP modernization program will still push through, but the priority would be internal security operations first.

Critical of the procurement of the supersonic FA50 fighter jets, Duterte said that the jets are no match to China’s aircraft and the government had just wasted money in acquiring the aircraft.

The Aquino administration has invested billions of pesos in the AFP modernization program in light of the current security situation in the region spawned by China’s bullying and aggressive occupation of the country’s maritime domain in the West Philippine Sea.

Duterte has declared that he will not go to war with China on maritime issues, saying he will not risk the lives of Filipino soldiers in pushing the country’s claim over Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal.

Visaya said the AFP needs more helicopters that could fly at night and could be used against lawless elements.

“We don’t have enough helicopters with night-flying capabilities. The president-elect noticed that during the Samal abduction, the AFP lacked the needed equipment,” Visaya said.

Abu Sayyaf bandits kidnapped three foreigners and a Filipina in a resort in Samal Island in Davao last year and the bandits brought the hostages to Sulu.

Currently, the Air Force has 50 operational helicopters but only a few have night-flying capability, while the Navy has 60 fast-attack craft, including patrol gunboats.

“The president-elect might just be misinformed or ill-advised as to the objective why we have procured these aircraft,” an Air Force official, who asked not be named, said.

The official stressed that these FA50s are a vital component of the Air Force capability upgrade and modernization program that is aimed at rebuilding the country’s air power that is now lagging behind other countries in the region.

He said that the two delivered jets are trainer aircraft to prepare Filipino fighter pilots in handling supersonic fighter jets.

“If we want other countries to respect us, we should be also carrying a big stick and we are already heading towards that objective,” he said.

However, he said that if the modernization program is shelved, the AFP as a professional organization would have no other choice but to follow the wisdom of the country’s political leadership.

Under the modernization program of the Aquino administration geared towards territorial and external defense, the AFP is also working out the acquisition of two brand-new frigates worth P18 billion, two long-range patrol aircraft worth P5.9 billion, two anti-submarine helicopters for P5.3 billion and surveillance radar worth P2.6 billion.

Incoming defense chief Delfin Lorenzana said that he believes that insurgency is not solely a military problem but that of the community as well, but he is leaving this to current commanders of the AFP to formulate the strategy regarding security concerns.

He belied reports that he is planning to replicate the anti-insurgency tactics that involved the community aspect that he employed while still an Army battalion commander in Davao.

Lorenzana, then commander of the 2nd Scout Ranger Battalion based in Davao in 1987, closely supported then Davao City mayor Duterte in clearing the city of insurgents and criminal syndicates.

“The insurgency situation in 1987 is very different from today. It could be a model (his own approach before) in a way that it involved the community in a very big way – meaning insurgency is not solely a military problem but a community’s. We can only succeed in fighting it if we are in it together – the people, local government, and the police,” Lorenzana said.

As this developed, Visaya ordered Bicol-based troops not to relax or lower their guard but to sustain their anti-insurgency operations.

 http://www.philstar.com:8080/headlines/2016/06/24/1596154/next-afp-chief-defends-rodys-military-aircraft-priorities

Abu Sayyaf’s Hapilon recruiting members

From the Manila Times (Jun 23): Abu Sayyaf’s Hapilon recruiting members

A FACTION of the Al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) identified with sub-leader Isnilon Hapilon has been recruiting new members in the name of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in Basilan province during the past weeks, a source from the police intelligence community disclosed on Wednesday.

The Manila Times source, an intelligence officer based in Camp Crame, said that the recruitment of new members is centered in the hinterland villages of the towns of Tipo-Tipo and Al-Barka, both in Basilan.

The same source said that the recruitment of the Isnilon group is continuing, indicating that they have their own funding.

“They have already recruited at least 20 new members, mostly belonging to the Yakans,” the intelligence source said, adding that the group was limiting recruitment to no more than 20 members to avoid detection.

This is so, the source added, since Isnilon, who comes from Yakan tribe, is favoring the recruitment of his fellow tribesmen for better command and control.

The recruited Yakans are jobless and hail from hinterland villages.

The source, who uses the code name Pokemon, said that recruits are promised to be paid P5,000 cash, plus an M-16 rifle for every meeting they attend. So far, they have already held three meetings.

ASG is one of the Islamic militant groups in Southern Mindanao that have pledged allegiance to ISIS, an offshoot of the Al-Qaeda network of Osama Bin Laden which has taken huge swathes of territories in the Middle-East.

The other known Islamic militant groups in the Southern Philippines that have pledge loyalty to ISIS are the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and the radical Rajah Solaiman Movement (RSM).

http://www.manilatimes.net/abu-sayyafs-hapilon-recruiting-members/269532/

Second trilateral meeting on Sulu threat fast-tracked to next week

From the Malay Mail Online (Jun 23): Second trilateral meeting on Sulu threat fast-tracked to next week



















Hishammuddin said the meeting was brought forward due to the urgency of the matter\. — Picture by Kamles Kumar

The next trilateral meeting among defence officials from Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines to strategise ways to contain militant threats from the Sulu region will be held in Jakarta next week.

Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said the meeting was brought forward due to the urgency of the matter.

"The next will be at the end of the month. It has been fast-tracked," he told reporters after launching the 2017 edition of the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition here.

The three nations had met on Monday to discuss measures to tackle rising security challenges in the waters bordering their countries.

"Let’s wait for the (other) meeting first," Hishammuddin said.

Monday’s meeting, the second such discussion among the three nations, saw the countries agreeing in principle to explore several measures to boost maritime security, including setting up a designated “transit corridor” within maritime areas of common concern.

The countries also agreed to step up air and sea patrols in common maritime areas to fend off potential hijacks, kidnaps and robberies.

Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines had in 2002 signed a pact to tighten security against cross-border attacks by militants from the notorious Abu Sayyaf terror network.

Most recently, the network said to be responsible for numerous kidnappings off Sabah’s porous borders, released four Malaysian captives after holding them hostage for over two months.

http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/second-trilateral-meeting-on-sulu-threat-fast-tracked-to-next-week

Southeast Asian Islamic State unit being formed in southern Philippines — officials

From GMA News (Jun 24): Southeast Asian Islamic State unit being formed in southern Philippines — officials

Southeast Asian militants who claim to be fighting for Islamic State in the Middle East have said they have chosen one of the most wanted men in the Philippines to head a regional faction of the ultra-radical group, security officials said on Thursday.

The claim was made in a video that was recently posted on social media, possibly last week, a military intelligence official in the Philippines told Reuters.

The video is significant, experts say, because it shows that Islamic State supporters are now being asked to stay home and unify under one umbrella group to launch attacks in Southeast Asia, instead of being drawn to the fight in the Middle East.

Authorities in the region have been on heightened alert since Islamic State claimed an attack in the Indonesian capital Jakarta in January in which eight people were killed, including four of the attackers.

In the 20-minute video seen by Reuters, young men and some children in military fatigues are shown carrying and training with weapons, and holding Islamic State flags.

A section of the video showed some of these men engaging in gunbattles in jungles but it was not clear where and with whom.

The video also showed three men apparently being executed, but it was not clear where and who they were.

The authenticity of the video and when it was taken could not be independently verified.

In the video, a man authorities in Malaysia have identified as Mohd Rafi Udin, a Malaysian militant currently in Syria, says in Malay: "If you cannot go to (Syria), join up and go to the Philippines."

In the video, Udin also urges Muslims to unite under the leadership of Abu Abdullah, a Philippine militant leader who pledged allegiance to Islamic State in January.

Abu Abdullah, also known as Isnilon Hapilon, is a leader of the Philippine militant group Abu Sayyaf. He is on the FBI's most wanted list for his role in the kidnapping of 17 Filipinos and three Americans in 2001 and carries a bounty of $5 million.

The video was released to mark Islamic State's acceptance of allegiances from jihadists in the Philippines, the first formal recognition of a Southeast Asian group, said Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay, chief of Malaysia's police counter-terrorism unit.

"This video is not just propaganda, but is a serious threat. We are definitely expecting more attacks in this region," Pitchay told Reuters.

Hapilon is known to be based in the interior hills of the island of Basilan in the Mindanao region of the southern Philippines.

In April, at least 18 Philippine soldiers were killed and 53 wounded in an attack on his followers on the island.

KIDNAP GANG

For decades, Abu Sayyaf has been known for extortion, kidnappings, beheadings and bombings, and is one of the most brutal Muslim rebel factions in the south of the largely Christian Philippines.

The group has posted videos on social media sites this year pledging allegiance to Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria.

The latest video appears aimed at recognising Hapilon as the Southeast Asian leader of the group, anti-terrorism experts said.

"I think this is a very significant video," said Sidney Jones, a Jakarta-based security expert.

"This acknowledges support from Indonesia and Malaysia."

"It suggests there will be more efforts to get people to actually go to Mindanao to launch operations from there."

The Jakarta attacks in January were claimed by Islamic State. But the attack did not bear the hallmarks of other spectacular strikes by the radical group - the militants lacked sophisticated weaponry and were amateurish in the execution.

Some security officials fear a more organised and better trained militant group could launch far deadlier attacks in the region.

But Philippine military officials dismissed these concerns, saying the video was just propaganda and should be ignored.

"People should not be bothered by this," said Philippine military spokesman Restituto Padilla "Authorities are working on this. They can be identified, and they can be hunted down." 

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/571116/news/nation/southeast-asian-islamic-state-unit-being-formed-in-southern-philippines-officials

Indonesian, Malaysian IS Figures Recognize Philippine Leader in Islamic State Video

From BenarNews (Jun 23): Indonesian, Malaysian IS Figures Recognize Philippine Leader in Islamic State Video



Philippine soldiers display an Islamic State flag that they captured while overrunning a militant camp in Butig, a town in the southern Philippine province of Lanao del Sur.

In a new Islamic State propaganda video, Malaysian and Indonesian fighters declare their support for an IS leader in the southern Philippines and urge IS supporters in their home countries who have been unable to travel to Syria to go to the Philippines instead.

The two men and a Filipino also carry out what appears to be the beheading of three prisoners who kneel in front of them, hands bound, in orange jumpsuits. If real, they would mark the first filmed beheadings by Indonesian and Malaysian members of the so-called Islamic State.

The 21-minute video, viewed by BenarNews, combines footage apparently shot in the Middle East and a Southeast Asian country. It was recently uploaded to social media, possibly last week, Reuters reported, citing a military intelligence official in the Philippines.

The three executioners take turns addressing followers in their own countries. One of the three is Mohd Rafi Udin, a member of Kumpulan Mujahiddin Malaysia (KMM) who went to Syria in 2014, according to the Malaysian newspaper New Straits Times.

“People in Bukit Aman, you will not be safe. We will slaughter you … when we return. Our friends back home will hunt you down,” he says, warning members of the Royal Malaysia Police that they will be targeted in attacks.

He urges IS supporters at home to use any means to kill non-Muslims and non-believers “wherever you meet them.”

One step closer

The video also names Abdullah al-Filipini – also known as Isnilon Totoni Hapilon – as the leader of IS’s Southeast Asian wing Khatibah Nusantara.

Isnilon is a former deputy leader of Abu Sayyaf Group based in the southern Philippines island of Basilan, whose followers pledged allegiance to IS chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in 2015.

Sidney Jones, director of the Jakarta-based Institute of Policy Analysis of Conflict (IPAC), called the video significant.

“[F]or the first time, Indonesians and Malaysians are indicating that they accept an emir from the Philippines (Isnilon Hapilon, ex-Abu Sayyaf), bringing us one step closer to the declaration of a Southeast Asian province (wilayat) of IS,” she told BenarNews.

Rohan Gunaratna, director of the International Center for Political Violence and Terrorism Research at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, said counter-terrorism forces in Malaysia had so far disrupted nine attempted IS-directed or inspired attacks in the country.

“With IS plans to declare a wilayat in the southern Philippines, the Malaysian government will have to work very closely with their foreign counterparts to assist the Philippines to fight the threat,” Gunaratna, who is also a BenarNews columnist, said Thursday.

“The threat to Southeast Asia and beyond will grow dramatically unless the Manila government neutralizes the IS nucleus in Mindanao, as Southeast Asian and other nationalities will travel to the Philippines when it is difficult to travel to Syria and Iraq,” he said.

Ready

About 1,000 Southeast Asians had joined IS in Iraq and Syria by the end of 2015, according to the U.S. State Department.

IS claimed an attack in downtown Jakarta in January 2016 that left eight people dead, including the four attackers.

More attacks are likely in the region, security officials said, with IS aiming to prove its potency as its so-called caliphate is beaten back in Iraq and Syria by the governments of those countries and international forces.

“We are preparing for potential attacks within six months by two sources, Khatibah Nusantara in the Philippines, and central IS,” Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay, the head of the Malaysian police’s counter-terrorist special branch, told the New Straits Times, commenting on the new video.

“Targeted attacks will likely be carried out the minute the pledge of allegiance to IS from these groups outside Syria is accepted and the areas they operate in are declared theirs,” he added.

Malaysian Inspector General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar said his forces had kept IS threats at bay thus far.

“Malaysian police are ready at the very highest level for any eventual attacks by IS,” he told BenarNews.

Philippine military officials, meanwhile, dismissed the threats, according to Reuters.

“People should not be bothered by this,” the news agency quoted Philippine military spokesman Restituto Padilla as saying. “Authorities are working on this. They can be identified, and they can be hunted down.”

http://www.benarnews.org/english/news/malaysian/is-leader-06232016160716.html

Joma Sison: Gina Lopez as DENR chief is acceptable

From Rappler (Jun 22): Joma Sison: Gina Lopez as DENR chief is acceptable

The Communist Party of the Philippines founding chairman describes Lopez as a 'dedicated activist against abusive mining'



GREEN THUMB. ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation chairperson Gina Lopez (L) presses her thumb on the Green Thumb Coalition banner during the coalition's launch in UP Diliman on February 5, 2016. File photo by Greenpeace Philippines

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) may have initially been offered to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), but the party's founding chairman does not mind that it ended up in Gina Lopez's hands.

"Gina Lopez is acceptable because she is a dedicated activist against abusive mining that ruins the indigenous communities, environment, agriculture, and our chances of processing the mineral ores and industrializing our country," Jose Maria "Joma" Sison told Rappler in an online interview.

Sison, the chief political consultant of the National Democratic Front (NDF), which selected the nominees for the posts offered to the Left, recognized Lopez's stance "against the dirty types of energy that result in global warming and more frequent and worse droughts and typhoons."

Lopez, the daughter of the late ABS-CBN chairman emeritus Eugenio Lopez Jr, heads the ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation.

During the campaign, Lopez helped launch the Green Thumb Coalition, a network of over 40 civil society organizations that raised the following 9 environmental issues with presidential bets:

• Biodiversity and ecosystem integrity
• Natural resource and land use management and governance
• Human rights and integrity of creation
• Climate justice
• Mining, extractives and mineral resource management
• Energy transformation and democracy
• Sustainable food sovereignty
• People-centered sustainable development
• Waste

Then-presidential bet Rodrigo Duterte vowed that he would only allow mining if environmental laws are strictly followed.

 

ACTIVIST SECRETARIES. President-elect Rodrigo Duterte earlier announced that 4 departments are up for grabs for the Left, including the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. The Left does not mind that the DENR post was eventually offered to environmental activist Gina Lopez.

Duterte's prerogative

There was talk that Bayan Muna Representative Carlos Isagani Zarate was the Left's choice for the post. However, Sison said he understood that it was ultimately up to Duterte to decide.

The president-elect offered the DENR post to Lopez on Monday, June 20. The environmental advocate accepted the next day, June 21.

"The CPP and NDFP have declared that they are pleased so long as a position goes to someone highly qualified and who is patriotic and progressive," Sison said.

He also noted that the activist environmental group Kalikasan People's Network for the Environment (Kalikasan) earlier expressed support for Lopez.

Duterte has already named at least 3 personalities endorsed by the Left who will join his administration. They are University of the Philippines professor Judy Taguiwalo (Department of Social Welfare and Development secretary), former Anakpawis party list representative Rafael Mariano (Department of Agrarian Reform secretary), and Joel Maglunsod, a leader from the progressive labor group Kilusang Mayo Uno (Department of Labor and Employment undersecretary).

http://www.rappler.com/nation/137268-joma-sison-gina-lopez-denr-chief-acceptable