AFP taps 7,000-strong force vs. Abu Sayyaf

From CNN Philippines (Sep 2): AFP taps 7,000-strong force vs. Abu Sayyaf



About 7,000 government troops are in Sulu to fight around 400 to 500 members of the Abu Sayyaf group (ASG).

That is tantamount to dedicating 14 soldiers to engage one Abu Sayyaf fighter.

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief Gen. Ricardo Visaya said this is the biggest force tapped against the Abu Sayyaf group since it was formed in the early 1990s.

Visaya said one of the biggest challenges in combatting the Abu Sayyaf is the complicated terrain in the jungles of Sulu, which is unknown to soldiers coming from different parts of the country.

“But we can overcome as time goes by,” Visaya said.

He also said another setback is the lack of support from communities in conflict areas. The Abu Sayyaf are known to have a good relationship with residents because they give the people money from the ransom they get.

Visaya said he personally met with local chief executives to appeal to them so they won’t support the Abu Sayyaf group.

Sulu Gov. Toto Tan told CNN Philippines the pouring in of soldiers to fight the Abu Sayyaf is not new and has been the strategy of previous administrations. All failed to eradicate the terror group.

But the AFP is determined to accomplish the decades-old mission this time.

“The AFP is committed to use all the resources of the AFP para matapos na talaga ito (for this to end),” Visaya said Friday in an interview with CNN Philippines.

[Video report: Malawakang Opensiba Laban ASG sa Sulu]

Preventing spill-over

Some 15 soldiers and 30 Abu Sayyaf members have been killed in heightened military operations in Sulu since last week.

Some 2,000 families or 6,000 individuals have been evacuated, AFP Spokesman BGen. Restituto Padila told reporters on Friday.

Visaya said there is no immediate threat of the conflict spilling over to areas outside Jolo, but said the government forces are ready for anything.

He said AFP met with the Philippine National Police and the Coast Guard last Monday to ensure the security of all key cities in the country.

Notorious group

Although small in number, the ASG is considered as the “most terrifying Muslim extremist group in the Philippines,” said international security analyst Prof. Rommel Banlaoi. He has published several scholarly papers on the ASG.

The Abu Sayyaf has gained notoriety for ransom kidnappings, beheading hostages and bombings.
Related: Who are the Abu Sayyaf?

A few days after assuming office, President-elect Rodrigo Duterte said there will soon be a “day of reckoning” with the Abu Sayyaf and promised to dismantle the group after it beheaded two Canadian nationals in April and June.

http://cnnphilippines.com/news/2016/09/02/AFP-vs-Abu-Sayyaf.html

ComVal sustains USAID’s HealthPro

From the Philippine Information Agency (Sep 2): ComVal sustains USAID’s HealthPro

A representative of the Department of Health XI praised the provincial government of Compostela Valley for sustaining the Health Promotion and Communication Project (HealthPro) of the US Agency for international Development (USAID) through the conduct of Family Health Fair.

Arvin Albin, a development management officer of DOH XI, disclosed yesterday in a press briefing that out of the 20 projects sites of the USAID-HealthPro, only Compostela Valley managed to keep it going and bringing same services to all its municipalities.

He said that the program started in 2008 and had its closing-out ceremonies in Manila last 2012.

According to the HealthPro Annual Report on 2008, the overall objective of project is to assist local government units in improving, expanding, and strengthening the quality and sustainability of health promotion and communication efforts.

Albin said that beyond the services they offered, information and education services is the main focus of the fair.

“Kung maayo pagpasabot, makabalo sila unsaon paglikay (sa sakit),” he said. (If it was well understood, they will know how to prevent (the disease.)

According to the provincial health office, the next host of the fair for next year may be Mawab.

http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/2871472799675/comval-sustains-usaid-s-healthpro

Pres. Duterte grieves over ASG barbarism

From the Philippine Information Agency (Sep 2): Pres. Duterte grieves over ASG barbarism

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte expressed his utter frustration over the continuous acts of barbarism and brutality by the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), all the while sharing his grief not only to the families of the 15 fallen soldiers who died in the August 29 operations in Patikul, Sulu, but to include those of the killed bandits.

“Ako ayaw ko talaga every time may makita ako, ke Abu Sayyaf, nasasaktan ako, totoo lang,” President Duterte told those who were present in the wake of the fallen soldiers, including their immediate families and relatives at the Western Mindanao Command (Wesmincom) here Wednesday (August 31).

“Walang panalo dito, puro talo tayo lahat,” he said. (Nobody wins here, all of us lose.)

“I don’t have a conflict with Nur (Misuari), we agreed in principle na mag-usap to resolve the conflict in Mindanao, wala din akong problema sa MILF (I also do not have a problem with the MILF),” he added, but said the problem is with the Abu Sayyaf. “They are terrorists.”

He expressed dismay over the mutilation of the bodies of the dead soldiers by the terrorist group, who resorted to acts of “barbarism”, for all the world to see.

“Putolan ng ulo, sundalo man o sibilyan,” he said.  (They cut off the heads, soldier or civilian.)

The President called on all Moro tribes to talk peace. “We have to understand each other, and then we craft a Philippines kung saan walang nalulugi.”

(We have to understand each other and then we craft a Philippines where nobody is left behind.)
Earlier, the President ordered the military to “destroy” the terror group which has been operating in the southern islands for years.

Meanwhile, the families of the fallen soldiers are set to receive scholarships, automatic 4Ps inclusion, rice subsidies, employment for the widows, among other benefits.

President Duterte recognized the reality of war, that soldiers die, but he called on the Abu Sayyaf to respect the bodies of the dead. “Fight, but do not add grief to the family by destroying the bodies.”

http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/2651472775648/pres-duterte-grieves-over-asg-barbarism

Troops seize 3 unregistered speedboats as focused military operations continue in Sulu

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 2): Troops seize 3 unregistered speedboats as focused military operations continue in Sulu

Troops of the Joint Task Force Sulu have intercepted three speedboats with expired registration amid the ongoing intensified focused military operations against the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) brigands, a military official announced Friday.

Maj. Filemon Tan Jr., Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) spokesperson, said the speedboats were intercepted near Maimbung Bay by the Navy ships that are conducting barrier negations patrol to prevent the ASG brigands from using the coastal and high seas as escape and reinforcement routes.

Tan said that two of the speedboats, namely M/B Lingisan and M/B Fumancho, are powered each by two 200-horsepower outboard motors while the third one, M/B Emperor has three 200-horsepower outboard motors that can speed up above 30 miles per hour.

He said the apprehension was a result of the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine National Police (AFP-PNP) and other government agencies, deputizing the AFP in the enforcement of regulations on the use of high-speed watercraft, at three gross tonnage and below, confiscating unregistered sea crafts, intensifying security in local ports, and dismantling illegally constructed ports in order to mitigate the movement of terrorists and criminal groups and to conduct acts inimical to national security.

The other signatories of the MOU are the Department of Transportation and Communication, Department of Interior and Local Government, Department of National Defense, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Maritime Industry Authority, Office of the Transportation Security, Philippine Coastguard, Philippine Ports Authority and Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Tan said the crew members of the speedboats, after profiling and documentation, were brought to the Municipal Office of Maimbung, Sulu, for proper disposition.

He said the three boats are in the custody of the Anti-kidnapping Group pending presentation of registration documents and be subjected to further validation with different intelligence agencies to confirm whether they are utilized in kidnapping foreign nationals on board seacrafts in the tri-border areas of Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines.

The ASG brigands have engaged in cross-border kidnapping of foreigners and herd the victims to the hinterlands of Sulu.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=919599

President Duterte recognizes struggles of IPs and Lumads for self-determination – PCO ASec. Banaag

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 2): President Duterte recognizes struggles of IPs and Lumads for self-determination – PCO ASec. Banaag

Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Assistant Secretary (ASec) for Legal Affairs Ana Marie Banaag on Thursday said President Rodrigo Duterte has high regards for Indigenous Peoples (IPs) and Lumad concerns, giving emphasis on their clamor for recognition and desire for self-determination under a federal form of government.

Banaag, in a press conference, said the President recognizes the clamor of the IPs and Lumads to freely exercise their rights over their domain and resources.

Banaag, a lawyer and the former Municipal Mayor of Natonin, Mountain Province, said “the President, being a lawyer himself, is aware of the struggles of the Cordillera people and Bangsa Moro for self-determination.”

Banaag said the President feels that both regions were neglected by previous administrations, in terms of development.

The President will make sure that both regions will be treated as separate federal states once the shift from the present presidential form to federal form of government will be achieved in the future, Banaag added.

Banaag accompanied Assistant Secretary Ramon Cualoping who represented PCO Secretary Martin Andanar in the 107th Baguio Charter Anniversary program at the Baguio Convention Center.

“We support the Abueva (Dr. Jose Abueva) version of dividing the country into federal states because it includes separate federal states for the Cordillera and the Bangsamoro in recognition of the struggle of the IPs and Lumads for self-determination after being neglected by the government over the past several decades,” she said.

Banaag added, “there is nothing wrong if the Cordillera Region will continue to enhance its advocacy on autonomy vis-à-vis the shift to federal form of government by the Duterte administration.”

Banaaag encouraged the leaders of the Cordillera Region to continue the enhanced clamor for regional autonomy in order to gain attention from the advocates of federalism on the need to treat the region as a separate independent state.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=919598

General situation in South China Sea, transnational crime, human trafficking and regional security top issues in Asean summit

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 2): General situation in South China Sea, transnational crime, human trafficking and regional security top issues in Asean summit

The General situation in South China Sea, transnational crime and human trafficking are among the issues which will be raised in the forthcoming 28th and 29th Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) Summit in Laos.

Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Assistant Secretary Ma. Helen de la Vega said during Friday’s pre-departure press briefing in Malacanang.

“On the particular issue on the South China Sea, discussions there might be anchored on the general situation in the South China Sea, maritime security, and the rule of law and United Nation Convention Law of the Sea (UNCLOS),” the DFA official said.

She added that the Summit will be a vehicle for local leaders “to promote our (Philippine) key priorities or messages which include: a drug-free ASEAN, respect for the rule of law, our aspiration for a legally-binding code of conduct, emergency response and disaster management, protection of migrant workers, combating trafficking in persons, peace and reconciliation efforts, and combating terrorism.

President Rodrigo Duterte will lead a 30-man delegation to the event where he is expected to push for the adoption of a genuine change especially in the area of the fight against illegal drugs.

The DFA said some teams are already flying to Laos on September 3 for a Senior Officials Meeting followed by the ministers meeting.

“ The ministers represent also the council, the council called for instance the ASEAN Political-Security Council. These are ministers who would have to look at the developments happening at the ASEAN Political-Security pillar,”De la Vega said.

De la Vega said the Summit will also aim to strengthen the ASEAN Secretariat, the creation of units that could help promote our ASEAN Centrality in as far the region’s relations with the world.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=919518

Obama 'won't pull punches' on human rights in talks with Duterte

From Rappler (Sep 2): Obama 'won't pull punches' on human rights in talks with Duterte

When a journalist remarked that President Rodrigo Duterte ‘is quite an unorthodox politician,’ US Press Secretary John Earnest says, ‘That’s putting it mildly’



BILATERAL TALKS. US President Barack Obama (left) and Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte are expected to meet at the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit and related Summits in Laos in early September 2016.

US President Barack Obama "is certainly not going to pull any punches" on human rights during his upcoming meeting with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said.

Referring to Obama, Earnest said in an interview with reporters on Wednesday, August 31, "I think the President is going to speak quite directly about our shared interests with the Philippines."

"Both countries benefit from effective cooperation on a variety of issues, including maritime security. But the President is certainly not going to pull any punches in raising well-documented and relevant concerns when it comes to human rights," Earnest added.

He explained that Obama is known not just for his ability "but willingness to speak bluntly – even on those issues where there might be some daylight between the United States and our allies."

During this interview with reporters, a journalist also remarked that Duterte is "quite an unorthodox politician that can be quite unpredictable in some of the things that he says."

Earnest answered, "That’s putting it mildly."

The meeting between Duterte and Obama is expected to take place on Tuesday, September 6, on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations t (ASEAN) Summit and related Summits in Vientiane, Laos.

The agenda of their meeting includes not only human rights issues, but also the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) dispute.

On human rights, Duterte said Obama has to first "understand" the situation on the ground before they can discuss the issue.

"I would insist, 'Listen to me, this is what the problem is,' then we can talk about that. No problem," Duterte said on Wednesday. (READ: Duterte willing to talk human rights with Obama? 'It depends')

Their meeting on Tuesday comes after the US released a list of concerns under the Duterte administration.

The US concerns include the rise of extrajudicial killings and Duterte calling US Ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg "gay" and "a son of a bitch."

http://www.rappler.com/nation/144974-obama-meeting-duterte-human-rights

CPP breakaway faction wants to pursue talks with Duterte gov’t

From Rappler (Sep 2): CPP breakaway faction wants to pursue talks with Duterte gov’t

The Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa is asking the Duterte government to reopen the stalled peace process with the group



A breakaway faction of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) has asked for peace talks with the Duterte administration, saying the 16-year-old deal it had signed with the Estrada administration has yet to be fully implemented.

Ka Mark, spokesman of the Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa, told Rappler in a recent interview that the first round of talks between the government and their former communist comrades in Oslo, Norway, helped create a climate of peace that he hoped would also cover other rebel movements like the RPM.

 

The RPM is the political arm of the Alex Boncayao Brigade (ABB). It was the urban partisan arm of the CPP for many years until the hit squad broke away from the party in the 1990s. The ABB was behind a spate urban assassinations during the administrations of President Corazon Aquino and President Fidel Ramos.

 

In 1998, the group held peace talks with the Estrada administration and signed a preliminary agreement with it in December 2000. The deal compelled RPM to stop its attacks, allowed government to issue 100 members licensed firearms and release detained RPM members, and implement livelihood projects in their communities.

 

Ka Mark said the agreement has not been completely implemented, and they disagreed with the administration of President Benigno Aquino III on the execution of some of its provisions.

 

“We challenge President Duterte to deepen his pronouncement on being a leftist and address fundamental issues on social justice,” Ka Mark said.

 

Letter to Dureza

 

The group wrote Chief Peace Adviser Jesus Dureza in July to “formally convey our decision and optimism for the continuation of our engagement in the peace process.”

 

The RPM told Dureza: “It has been 5 years since our last official engagement in the peace table. The previous administration didn’t provide the policy regime nor the management we deemed necessary to pursue the implementation of the 2000 Peace Agreement.” Despite this, they have respected the ceasefire that they committed to the Estrada government, the RPM said.

 

RPM units are mostly in the Visayas, with Panay and Negros islands as the base of most of its members.

 

The bitter split

 

The possible reopening of talks between the Duterte administration and the RPM would, in some ways, also reopen old wounds in the CPP.

 

The CPP had accused RPM leaders of betraying the revolution and sentenced its key leaders to death.

 

The biggest casualty from the RPM ranks was former communist leader and RPM founding chairman Arturo Tabara, who was gunned down in Metro Manila in 2004. The CPP claimed responsibility for his death.

 

Previous to this, other communist leaders who had broken away from the CPP leadership were also killed, such as former New People’s Army chief Romulo Kintanar (2003) and former Manila-Rizal Regional Party Committee boss and the ABB’s political chief, Felimon Lagman (2001).

 

Ka Mark said the death sentence on their members continues since the CPP also continues to brand them “counter-revolutionaries.” The RPM's last casualty died in December 2015 on Panay Island, he said.

 

“The attacks emanated from them (CPP),” Ka Mark said. “Joma (Sison) was quoted as saying that they are extending the hand of reconciliation. Then they should respect plurality because they have no monopoly of the revolution. They should be more tolerant of contrary views.”

 

In the mid-1990s, Sison, who lives in exile in The Netherlands, led a massive back-to-basics "rectification campaign" within the CPP that expelled key leaders and units deemed “counter-revolutionaries” and “military adventurers.”

 

The bitter split preceded a bloody purge within the party.

 

Since then, the movement has seen its prominent leaders join either the “reaffirm” faction led by Sison and the couple Benito and Wilma Tiamzon, or the “rejectionist” groups led by the late Kintanar and Lagman, now both dead.

 

Hope in Oslo

 

The CPP-led National Democratic Front just concluded the first round of talks with the Duterte government, with the New People's Army and the Philippine military declaring a ceasefire. The Oslo talks also witnessed the historic reunion of Sison and the Tiamzons after 3 decades.

 

The ceasefire is indefinite while the talks continue and as long as either side does not break it.

 

Ka Mark said he's not that optimistic about how the government's talks with the NDF would turn out, given the CPP's continued focus on armed struggle as its primary form of struggle. "Other units would be open to a negotiated settlement, but some would still pursue the armed struggle even if they sign a peace deal," he added.

 

But he conceded that Duterte is the game changer in all this. "Duterte changed the dynamic. It's the man himself. They (communists) trust him," he added.

 

Does he expect the Duterte administration to hold simultaneous talks with RPM then? "It's up to the government. The ball is in their court," Ka Mark added.

 

http://www.rappler.com/nation/144847-cpp-breakaway-faction-wants-peace-talks-duterte

Lianga killers still free as Surigao del Sur lumad prepare to go home

From InterAksyon (Sep 1): Lianga killers still free as Surigao del Sur lumad prepare to go home



402nd Infantry Brigade commander Col. Isidro Purisima tells lumad evacuees his troops will be pulled out of their villages. (photo courtesy of Karapatan Caraga)

More than 2,000 lumad refugees will begin their journey back to the homes they fled exactly one year to the day when members of a military-backed militia murdered a well-loved school head and two of their leaders in Lianga town, Surigao del Sur.

But while the military, whose presence in their community had held them back from going home sooner, has promised to pull out of Barangay Diatagon, the men who slit the throat of Emerito Samarca, director of the award-winning Alternative Learning Center for Agricultural and Livelihood Development, in the school he ran, and executed Dionel Campos, chairman of the Malahutayong Pakigbisog Alang Sa Sumusunod (Persevering Struggle for the Next Generation or MAPASU), and his kinsman Datu Bello Sinzo in front of hundreds, including children, remain free.

In fact, in the months following the Lianga murders, when up to 4,000 lumad evacuated from their hinterland villages in several Surigao del Sur towns to the sports center in the provincial capital Tandag City, witnesses, including local government officials and church leaders, said the militia that called itself the Magahat-Bagani continued to operate openly with military units, among them brothers Bobby Loloy Tejero, and Margarito Tejero Layno, who have been charged for the murders and are the subjects of standing warrants.



The suspects in the Lianga murders of September 1, 2015 are shown in a wanted poster created by the human rights group Karapatan.

In December last year, Bobby Tejero even released a video in which he threatened to ambush journalists covering the anniversary of the Communist Party of the Philippines.

The Army has admitted that troops were camped nearby when Campos and Sinzo were executed but did nothing to prevent their deaths or apprehend the killers.

And during a House inquiry into the Surigao del Sur evacuations late last year, Marcos Bocales, who the Lianga killers named as their leader, who appeared escorted by military officers, he justified the murder of Samarca for "poisoning" the minds of lumad youth with communism.

The military has also long accused ALCADEV and the Manobo community that hosts it of supporting communist rebels, a charge it has also leveled against other tribal schools set up and operated in lumad villages by religious and civil society groups.

The Friends of the Lumad in Caraga, in a statement issued Thursday, said the returning refugees come from 22 communities in five Surigao del Sur municipalities.

The group, which declared September 1 "Eydow Tu Pakigsantuya Tu Tumindok Kane't Caraga" (Day of Struggle of the Indigenous Peoples of Caraga), said in the year they stayed at the Tandag sports center, five reufgees, three of them children, have died.

On the other hand, "86 mothers gave birth and 86 children started their lives as evacuees," the statement attributed to United Church of Christ in the Philippines Bishop Modesto Villasanta said.

On August 30, Colonel Isidro Purisima, commander of the Army’s 402nd Infantry Brigade, told some 500 lumad who trooped to the unit’s headquarters that their troops would pull out of their communities in Diatagon. In fact, he promised to “hand over” the communities to the returning residents on September 2.

 

The human rights group Karapatan said on August 24, 260 members of various advocacy groups visited Diatagon for an ocular inspection ahead of the refugees’ return.

Karapatan said “documentation teams noted that military camps and presence of soldiers were in the middle of Km. 9 and in the ALCADEV school grounds in Sitio Han-ayan,” where they had already been documented by an international fact-finding mission last October.

Despite the presence of government representatives, Karapatan said the soldiers refused to be interviewed.

The ocular inspection team reported that “all houses of the residents were damaged, either burned, ransacked or vandalized; their household and personal belongings destroyed or looted; and all primary and ALCADEV school buildings and facilities were structurally damaged, and school equipment and education materials irreparably destroyed,” according to Karapatan.

“Houses situated close to where the military encamped were among the worst damaged and looted as observed during the ocular visit,” it added.

Among the new damage observed, it said, were bullet holes in the house of Campos and the ALCADEV gym that “were not present during the 2015 IFFM.”

http://interaksyon.com/article/131997/lianga-killers-still-free-as-surigao-del-sur-lumad-prepare-to-go-home

Duterte: new Chinese barges at Scarborough; talks with Beijing to be premised on UN ruling

From InterAksyon (Sep 2): Duterte: new Chinese barges at Scarborough; talks with Beijing to be premised on UN ruling

President Rodrigo Duterte revealed Friday that he has received a report that China had recently brought in new barges to disputed areas in the Scarborough Shoal, wondering aloud if there is any new construction about to take place there, but said he will not initiate multilateral discussions on the South China Sea at next week's ASEAN meeting.

Nonetheless, the President said, he will make it clear to Beijing officials, should a one-on-one occasion arise, that he will keep all talks strictly within the ambit of the UN arbitral tribunal ruling that Manila won last July 12.

"I do not intend to raise the issue of [the South China Sea] before the ASEAN," despite the continuing acts of China signalling it stuck to its position to ignore the ruling handed down by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague.  That ruling, won after a three-year initiative by the Aquino administration, rejected China's "nine dash line" claim in the SCS, which Manila had called "excessive."

"I hope China realizes that we went out of our way, we walked the extra mile to keep the peace."

Speaking at the inauguration of the Davao International Container Terminal, Duterte credited his predecessor, Benigno Aquino III, for securing the UN tribunal ruling.

Duterte said. though, that he will not, on his own, raise the issue of the SCS when he attends next week's ASEAN Summit in Laos. "But you can be very sure of this, that when we face bilaterals, pag magkaharap na kami [referring to Beijing] there will be a time when I will say that this is the [UN] arbitral ruling and if you want to talk to me, this will be my platform, and we do not go out of the four corners of this document."

He added, "whether or not I will proceed, and my predicate for my willingness to talk to you, is the [UN tribunal] judgment in our favor."

He said he will not go saber-rattling despite a report from the Coast Guard that Chinese barges were being brought in anew to the Scarborough (Panatag) Shoal off Masinloc, Zambales, which China has de facto occupied since 2012 and has blocked access to Filipino fishermen.

"We are all for peace. I don't want to ignite anything there," he said.
http://interaksyon.com/article/132053/duterte-new-chinese-barges-at-scarborough-talks-with-beijing-to-be-premised-on-un-ruling

Guns fall silent in Sulu, but number of war refugees swell

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 2): Guns fall silent in Sulu, but number of war refugees swell

While fighting between security and Abu Sayyaf in Sulu province subsided on Friday, the number of villagers who evacuated their homes continue to rise as more families fled for their safety, officials said.

Officials said at least 5,000 people – mostly from Patikul town – have fled their villages and sought safe refuge in other areas far away from the violence. Many of those affected by the fighting came from the villages of Latih, Bungkahung, Tugas and Maligay.

Sulu Governor Totoh Tan, who heads the crisis management committee, ordered social workers to look at the welfare of the civilians and ensure they get food aid from the provincial government. Tan already dispatched truckloads of rice and other provisions, and medicines to the refugees.

Tan, also chairman of the provincial disaster risk reduction and management office, also called on town mayors to look into the plight of the civilians, especially women, children and elderly people and coordinate with the Department of Social Welfare and Development and other aid agencies to ensure their welfare and safety.

“The active participation of all local government units is a must. Our task must be properly coordinated to avoid confusion and chaos. Our priority is to provide assistance and relief to our displaced citizens,” he said.

Some 8,000 soldiers were sent to Sulu, one of 5 provinces under the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, to help local troops and policemen destroy the Abu Sayyaf, blamed by authorities for the spate of terrorism and ransom kidnappings.

Dozens of soldiers and militants had been killed and wounded in fierce clashes the past weeks in Sulu where the Abu Sayyaf pledged allegiance with the Islamic State. The Abu Sayyaf is also believed coddling Indonesian and Malaysian jihadists in the province.

President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the military to destroy the Abu Sayyaf and at the same time convinced Nur Misuari, chieftain of the former rebel group Moro National Liberation Front to support the campaign and not provide refuge to the militant group, whose members were mostly ex-fighters of the MNLF which signed a peace deal with Manila in September 1996.

Misuari is also wanted by authorities on rebellion charges following deadly attacks by his followers in Zamboanga City in 2013. Duterte ordered security forces not to arrest Misuari and allow him to move freely in Sulu where he is hiding.

Duterte also invited Misuari for a dialogue in an effort to boost the peace process in the restive region where Muslims are demanding for the establishment of their own homeland or a wider autonomy over Mindanao which is rich in natural resources.

http://mindanaoexaminer.com/guns-fall-silent-in-sulu-but-number-of-war-refugees-swell/

NPA man linked to Pandi ex- vice mayor slay falls in Bulacan

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 2): NPA man linked to Pandi ex- vice mayor slay falls in Bulacan

Police intelligence operatives captured an alleged member the New People’s Army of the Communist Party of the Philippines/National Democratic Front (NPA-CPP-NDF), who is also said to be engaged in gun-for- hire activities during an operation in Barangay Poblacion, Wednesday night.

Report received by Chief Supt. Aaron Aquino, regional director of Police Regional Office 3 (PRO-3) from Bulacan police acting provincial director Sr. Supt. Romeo Caramat Jr., said the arrested suspect was identified as Ariel Lorenzana y Valmocina, alias "Ogie," 36, a farmer and a resident of Valmocina St. in Barangay Pinaod, San Ildefonso.

Lorenzana was arrested by operatives of the Bulacan Police Intelligence and Investigation Branch (PIIB) by virtue of warrant of arrest in a murder case he committed before the former local official slay inside an online casino in Barangay Poblacion, San Ildefonso, Wednesday before midnight.

Caramat said Lorenzana  was  tagged as the prime suspect for the killing of former Pandi Vice Mayor Roberto "Ruben" Rivera, who was shot dead by the suspect on board his Nissan pickup while on his way home in Barangay Manatal in Pandi, Bulacan on April 18, this year.

The victim died on the spot due to multiple gun shotwounds in his head and  body.

He said the suspect was arrested by operatives of the Provincial Intelligence branch headed by Supt. Marlon Santos  by virtue of warrant of arrest issued by  Judge Hermenegildo C Dumlao II of RTC, Br., 81, Malolos City, Bulacan  for the crime of murder with no bail recommended. 

Caramat said the arrest warrant was served by personnel of the Bulacan PIIB inside an E-Game-Online Casino where he was subjected for a prolong monitoring and surveillance.

Santos said based on intelligence records, it showed that the suspect was a member of a notorious gun for hire syndicate and alleged member of CNN (Communist/ National Democratic Front/ New Peoples Army) operating in some provinces in Central Luzon such as  Bulacan, Bataan, Pampanga and Nueva  Ecija. 

Former Pandi Mayor Enrico Roque offered a PHP100,000 cash reward for the immediate arrest of the lone suspect.

Roque was among those accused in the said crime but no substantial evidence was presented against him.

The former mayor said he is still willing to give the reward.

"The suspect was already arrested. Probably, all the charges being hurled will be cleared. Let us wait for the result of the judicial process," Roque said in a telephone interview.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=919436

'Massive combat operations' vs ASGs in Sulu still ongoing

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 2): 'Massive combat operations' vs ASGs in Sulu still ongoing

Massive combat operations are now taking place in Sulu as part of government's efforts to totally eradicate the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) menace in the province.

Armed Forces of the Philippines(AFP) public affairs office chief Col. Edgard Arevalo in press briefing Friday said the ongoing operations include the use of air, artillery and naval firepower and a prepoderance of combat troops which he now placed at 6,500 to 7,000 in Sulu alone.

Arevalo said these combat troops are all under Joint Task Force Sulu and consist of Army, Air Force and Navy units.

And while combat operations have taken place in Maimbung and Indanan Thursday, no casualties have been reported on both sides, he added.

Pursuit operations are ongoing against the bandit group as of this posting.

And due to heavy military pressure, Arevalo said they are now receiving reports that the terrorists are now splintering into smaller groups to mix with the civilian population.

While this would make it harder for the military to hunt the ASG, it would also make the terrorists more vulnerable to attacks by government forces.

Arevalo said intelligence and civil-military operations are now underway to stall this ASG evasion tactic.

Around 15 troopers were killed and 12 others were wounded after military units clashed heavily with ASG bandits, headed by Radullan Sahiron, in Sitio Kan Jalul, Barangay Maligay, Patikul, Sulu last Aug. 29.

A total of 30 terrorists were reported to have been killed during the ongoing focused military operations against the ASG which started last week.

Another 11 brigands were reported wounded in the series of clashes with government forces.

The offensive was the offshoot of the bandit group's brutal beheading of 18-year-old Patrick Jhames Almodavar last week.

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http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=919477

AFP more than ready to meet ASG total war threat

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 2): AFP more than ready to meet ASG total war threat

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is more than ready to meet the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) total war threats against its units conducting "focused military operations" against the bandits in Sulu.

This was disclosed by AFP public affairs office chief Col. Edgard Arevalo Friday.

"The AFP is more than ready to respond to ASG total war threats," he added.

Arevalo said the "sea denial" concept being practiced by the AFP off Sulu waters will also help counter these threats.

At the moment, a naval task group composed of sea, air and land assets is ensuring no sympathizers of the ASG can reinforce, resupply or provide an escape path to the beleaguered terrorists.

The naval task group will also provide the military the punch needed to go after unlicensed speedboats, unmarked fishing craft and wharves and docks illegally operating in the Sulu area, Arevalo added.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=919487

Hyundai Heavy Industries wins DND's missile-armed frigate project

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 2): Hyundai Heavy Industries wins DND's missile-armed frigate project

The Department of National Defense (DND) has awarded its two missile-armed frigates project to Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI).

This was confirmed to the PNA Friday by DND public affairs service chief Arsenio Andolong.

"NOA was given to HHI as GRSE (Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd) was post-disqualified after it was determined that their Net Financial Capacity was insufficient and therefore not in compliance with Republic Act 9184 (Government Procurement Policy Board)," he added.

GRSE along with HHI was one of the six proponents in the DND's frigate program.

In the NOA, HHI offered PHP15,744,571,884 for the two frigates.

Andolong said there is still no schedule on when the actual contract will be awarded.

The DND has allocated the sum of PHP18 billion for the acquisition of two missile-capable frigates, with PHP16 billion going to the construction of the ships and PHP2 billion for its munitions.

The ships will be armed with a variety of sensors and weapons capable of detecting and neutralizing air, surface, and submarine threats.

It will be also capable of electronic warfare.

Aside from this, the frigates, according to their technical specifications, must be capable of performing of extended maritime patrol with an embarked naval helicopter and extended maritime surveillance capability through air-and-surface-search radar, and sound navigation and ranging (sonar) for sub-surface search.

It will be armed and fitted a variety of air-to-air, anti-ship, and anti-submarine weapons.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=919428