From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Sep 8): NDF hails Duterte’s bashing of US
The National Democratic Front (NDF) lauded President Duterte’s anti-US statement, calling it “unprecedented” even as the rebel group urged the President to junk unequal agreements with the US.
“The National Democratic Front in Southern Mindanao commends President Duterte for his unprecedented statement,” said the statement signed by Rubi deal Mundo, spokesperson of the NDF in Southern Mindanao. “No other Philippine president has ever publicly censured and taken US imperialism to task for its atrocious crimes against sovereign nations and peoples of the world.”
The NDF said that the US, accustomed to high regard as a colonial master, only has “had nothing but blind kowtowing from previous Philippine puppet regimes,” referring to the previous administrations.
“Now at this critical time of its decisive hegemonic pivot to Asia and China’s challenge to its regional dominance, US imperialism’s sham ‘concern for human rights is being challenged with open hostility by a government it considers its reliable lackey,” the statement said, referring to the Philippines.
“The US government should be reminded and brought to justice for the millions of deaths in its hands, perpetrated in the name of consolidating its imperialist power over other sovereign states.”
The statement said the US is worried about the present developments unraveling in the Philippines— the prospect of peace based on social justice.
“It can lose its control of the country if the peace negotiations with the NDF, and its armed wing the New People’s Army (NPA) should translate to the socio-economic and sovereign interest of the Filipino people,” the statement said.
“Hence, it is in its best interest to exploit anti-Duterte forces to sabotage the peace negotiations with the NDFP and preempt any substantial talks with Moro revolutionary groups by fomenting anti-Moro sentiments with US-backed bombings and other terrorist attacks.” it added.
But the NDF said calling US imperialism a “two-faced terrorist” is a “fundamental step,” but it’s not enough.
“It must also translate to junking colonial agreements for the benefit of the Filipino people,” the NDF statement said. “President Duterte and his government must abrogate the Mutual Defense Treaty and junk the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement,” explaining that these policies only continue to “position the Philippines as a willing pawn for US imperialism’s wars of aggression.”
The NDF said Mr. Duterte must persevere with his anti-imperialist stance in the course of the Asean summit in Laos, chart an independent international policy by repudiating US intervention and neoliberal policies and enjoin other member-nations to do the same.
The NDF also urged President Duterte to seriously consider the central components of the proposed Comprehensive Agreement on Socio-Economic Reforms (Caser), the next substantive agenda in the recently resumed talks between the rebel groups and the government.
The statement said that Caser aims to “unchain the economy from the fetters of neoliberalism by advancing genuine land reform and national industrialization.”
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/813727/ndf-hails-dutertes-bashing-of-us
Thursday, September 8, 2016
FULL TEXT: INQ&A with CPP founder Joma
From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Sep 8): FULL TEXT: INQ&A with CPP founder Joma
Taking a break from the first round of peace talks with the president, Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founder Jose Maria “Joma” Sison granted INQUIRER.net a live interview via INQ&A last August 23.
Sison once told INQUIRER.net that he sees the continuation of the peace process if then Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte or Senator Grace Poe won the presidential elections. Now that Duterte is in power, both the government and the National Democratic Front (NDF) have declared unilateral ceasefires and returned to the negotiating table.
These days, the NDF chief political consultant is busy with the peace negotiations, which both sides have deemed an initial success.
In this INQ&A interview, hosted by INQUIRER.net Editor in Chief John Nery and Chief of Reporters Kristine Sabillo, Sison talked about the prospects of the peace process, the Marcoses and the president.
INQ&A is broadcast live every Tuesday, 8 to 9 p.m. via INQ 990 Television (Digital Terrestrial Television), Radyo Inquirer 990AM, and INQUIRER.net’s Facebook and other social media accounts. Inquirer 990 TV can be viewed on ABS-CBN’s TV Plus, RCA and Godan digital TV boxes.
Below is the full transcript of the interview with Sison.
Kristine Sabillo, INQUIRER.net Chief of Reporters: Our interview this evening is very timely and relevant especially with yesterday’s opening of the formal peace talks between the Philippine government and the National Democratic Front (NDF). Before we start with the interview, we would like to share three things that you might not know about our guest. The first one is that – I don’t know if, John, you know this already, but he previously released an album of poetry in songs titled “Songs of Love and Struggle.” He sang in that album, which was set to music by several artists. The second trivia is that he was President Duterte’s professor at the Lyceum of the Philippines University. And I think a lot of people know this already, but can you guess what subject it was?
John Nery, INQUIRER.net Editor in Chief: Political Science.
Sabillo: Yeah. It’s Political Science, but actually during my first interview with our guest, he said it was Political Thought. The last one is that, and this is a giveaway, his nom de guerre was Amado Guerrero when he wrote the book Philippine Society and Revolution or Lipunan at Rebolusyong Pilipino, which has become the manifesto of the Philippine revolutionary movement.
Our guest, ladies and gentlemen, is no other than Communist Party [of the Philippines] (CPP) Founder Joma Sison, who is now in Oslo, Norway for the formal peace talks.
Unfortunately our guest could not join us for the full hour today because they are in the middle of the talks actually in Norway.
Nery: Yes, right now it’s 8:18 pm in the Philippines. It’s 2:18 pm in Oslo. The royal Norwegian government is once again hosting the peace talks between the Philippine government and the National Democratic Front. Our guest left his place of exile in the Netherlands to join the rest of the NDF peace panel in Oslo.
Sabillo: We have been actually seeing a lot of videos and photos from Norway from the account of the government and the representatives of the NDF as well. And it seems that they are having a good time actually, meeting members of the peace panel, both sides were actually members of peace panel from previous talks as well. That’t one of the things that we would talk about later when we talk to Ka Joma, about what he thinks is the prospect of the peace process now that is ongoing again after being stalled for several years.
Nery: What excites us this particular INQ&A is that we are talking to this member of the peace panel who is taking some time away from the peace panel to talk to us. So, right now they are in that hotel in talk sponsored by Norwegian government. Last December, Tine was able to interview Ka Joma in the Netherlands.
Sabillo: Actually if you remember we were in Paris to cover the climate change negotiation, and after that we went to the Netherlands to have a quick interview with the CPP founder. A lot of the things I would ask today would be a follow up to the things that we discuss then. The time that elections was still a couple of months off and we asked him about what he thought about the different presidential candidates and one of them is President Duterte who eventually won.
Nery: Good afternoon, Ka Joma.
Joma Sison: Good evening po diyan.
Sabillo: Good afternoon.
Nery: Maraming salamat for taking time out from the peace negotiations. If we can go straight to our questions, I know you don’t have all the time. How was the first day and a half of the negotiations?
ON PEACE TALKS
Sison: The ceremony yesterday was very successful and then we started the, what you might call the work meeting. We were able to finish three of the five items and the agenda that set na yung (joint) na statement. We are running very well. But of course items four, five concerning amnesty and a mode of ceasefire will be more complex I suppose. What we have just finished doing is reaffirming the existing agreements between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines or GRP and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines.
At the second item that we were able to finish was the submission of the reconstituted list of the document holders who are entitled to the protection of the joint agreement on safety and immunity guarantees. And the third item concerns the accelerated plan in the peace negotiations and the panel-to-panel decision was to let the reciprocal working committees on social and economic reforms and the working groups on political and constitutional reforms and the working groups on end of hostilities and disposition of forces to hold a meeting this afternoon. And submit later the technical details of the scheduled plan of work.
Nery: Ka Joma, thank you. Yung sa agreement on the accelerated timetable sounds exciting. The last time there were negotiations, I think five or six years ago, there was also an attempt to have an 18-month timetable and so on. But they quickly ran aground. What makes this particular agreement now more solid?
Sison: President Duterte, in comparison to previous presidents, is more open to really accelerating the peace negotiations. The previous ones were more interested in the capitulation and pacification of the revolutionary forces under the guys of the protracted ceasefire. That was the problem. Now there seems to be greater determination on the part of the Manila government to make substantive agreements.
Sabillo: Ka Joma just going back to what you mentioned already. So, you have already finalized the list of the JASIG (Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees)-protected consultants. Has the government panel accepted it? Because I remember that was one of the reasons why the peace talks were stalled in the past. They had problems with the list. So now we have a new list it’s final?
Sison: Previously the other side before, during the time of Aquino, stood or took a position rather that the JASIG was inoperative and therefore did not serve to protect the NDF personnel involved in the peace negotiation. But there is now a reconstitution of the list of those who are entitled to the protection of JASIG and this was what the NDFP is asking from the so-called GPH side, from the side of the Manila government and the negotiators of Aquino they simply said JASIG was inoperative and that was a big obstacle to the peace negotiation, but now JASIG is considered as valid and operative and the NDFP has just submitted the reconstituted list and so those involved in the peace negotiation in the side of the NDFP enjoyed the protection of JASIG.
Nery: Ka Joma, yung sa accelerated timetable I know you started by saying while some agreements, marami pang kailangang pag-usapan. Gusto ko lang sna maintindihan talaga, how long does this process take?
Sison: Ang pinagkasunduan na the reciprocal committees is working to draft the comprehensive agreement on social economic reforms or CASER will try to finish their drafting job within the next six months. So there’s definite timeline and then at the same time the reciprocal working groups on political and constitutional reforms and on the end of hostilities would work at the same time. And one of the other, the reciprocal working committees shall be formed accordingly and in order to finalize what would be ready made draft agreements prepared by the reciprocal working groups, so more or less within six months you have the drafts of the comprehensive on the social and economic reform as well as preliminary drafts on political and constitutional reforms and end comprehensive agreement on the end of hostilities.
Nery: If I would try to understand that in simpler fashion, Ka Joma, when can we expect you back in the Philippines?
Sison: My going to the Philippines?
Nery: Yes, for a lot of people that’s a sign that the peace agreement is progressing.
Sison: The panels are supposed to meet in Oslo either on their own account or the supervision of their bodies that are responsible for drafting the comprehensive agreements. So, paspasan ang trabaho so I suppose I will be in Europe for the next six months to participate in the drafting work so there is no hurry and I was supposed to go the Philippines to attend the premier showing of Tibak, the story of Kabataang Makabayan. President Duterte and I supposed to attend the premier showing in order to receive the Gawad Supremo but that has to be postponed and instead I sent a video message, and I don’t know if President Duterte would be able to attend. So there was a definite target for my going to the Philippines but of course I give priority to the peace negotiations in Oslo.
Sabillo: Ka Joma how are the peace panels now? We’ve been seeing a lot of videos, it seems the two sides even if they are coming from the different parties, and they get along. I believe a lot of them have been involved in peace talks previously.
Sison: They’re laughing and well half of the time I suppose. And they manage to agree in the serious matter between exchanges of jokes. That’s the atmosphere. So anyway there is the spirit prevailing to make the agreements according to the time schedule.
Sabillo: When is the next round of talks and when can we expect after the six months when the agreements are finally drafted. The full agreements are represented.
Sison: I think the next meeting would be a meeting to draft the compressive agreements and I suppose after this meeting in Oslo, there is going to be another formal meeting next month or early October.
ON DUTERTE AND THE MILITARY
Nery: Ka Joma if you don’t mind we’ll talk about something not directly related to the peace talks. But may have an impact on them. I’m sure you heard reports that the Philippine military, some of the rank and file, are feeling a little restive especially with the release of the Tiamzon couple. How do you read?
Sison: You know in any army, the first rule is to obey all orders of the command. And so the commander in chief, the president of the Philippines, President Duterte made the decision that the army, the military, has to follow. There has been no objection and legal processes had been followed. And at the same time, the joint agreement on safety and immunity guarantees had been involved to justify the releases. Because indeed the consultants of the NDFP had been imprisoned for quite some time, had been arrested in violation of the JASIG. So it’s very important that the GRP side, the Manila government side, accepts the validity of the JASIG and in accordance with JASIG, the release had been made.
Sabillo: Ka Joma we have a question from Facebook. We’ve been getting questions from social media. This is not directly involved in the peace talks. But I think a lot of the young people, the young people involved in the political discourse right now especially online, they didn’t live through Martial law for example. They weren’t able to see how the revolutionary movement prospered at that time. So this question is from Jojo Castillo, he’s asking is the arm struggle still necessary?
ON ARMED STRUGGLE
Sison: The arm struggle is necessary, has been necessary, because of what President Duterte has described for himself as corrupt character, rottenness of the system. And you know he’s not far from the left in saying that the oligarchs have oppressed and exploited the people and of course he recognizes that the oligarchs are servile to foreign power like US. So he himself says that he is the first left president. So, that explains why he has a political will that goes along with the political will of the NDFP in the resuming the formal talks of the peace negotiations. It seems that he is determined and so we can hoe for better results and then previously, because the previous administrations were only interested in the capitulation and pacification of the revolutionary forces. President Duterte has expressly declared that he’s for justice.
He’s against the oppression and exploitations suffered by the people. So along this time the peace negotiations are being conducted and so the first comprehensive agreement that will be worked out in the time of President Duterte concerns social and economic reforms to be followed by political and constitutional reforms.
Nery: Ka Joma, the revolutionary movement was born in a particular context and that context was defined by the presidency of Marcos. I know that you already…
ON MARCOSES
Sison: The most brutal form of oppressive government was the fascist dictatorship of Marcos. Instead of this fascist dictatorship succeeding in suppressing the revolutionary movement, it stimulated it. It laid the ground. We used to call Marcos the chief transport and supply officer, the chief recruiter of the New People’s Army because of his oppressive rule, extremely oppressive rule, the people rose up and the New People’s Army became strong. But even after Marcos, even after the pseudo-democratic regimes from Cory Aquino to Noynoy Aquino came, there was only a masquerade that went on. There was the facade of democracy but in fact are behind it are the other worms of the rocking system. There is a continuous process of rotting and worsening of the prices, and the naturally because the people continue to suffer, exploitation and oppression. The New People’s Army has managed to become strong and forced to be reckoned with. There would be no peace negotiations if in the first place the New People’s government has no value whatsoever. The […] tribes among the people as an instrument for justice against oppression and exploitation. So you have peace negotiations. In other words, the pseudo, the false democratic regimes that followed the outrightly brutal anti-democratic regime of Marcos were not really democratic, especially in the very substantive terms. Peasants continued to be exploited. Land problem continue to be worse.
Nery: But it’s the same pseudo-democratic government system that elected you are now conducting peace negotiations with.
Sison: But you know this is a president that you might call that beat the system too. He is a product of the system, but he beat the system with much less money with other wealthier candidates. He won by properly adopting the campaign line. I’m not saying that he’s a sure fire perfect president, but you know among the candidates he was the one who effectively attacked the rotten Aquino regime and the candidate Mar Roxas. And then he adopted the campaign methods he would characterize a mass movement, and of course he availed of the social media.
Nery: Ka Joma, speaking of rotten regimes. You did classify the Marcos regime as the worst, and yet it is okay with you for Marcos to be buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani?
Sison: I said that my bottomline is Marcos should be buried in the Batac, because the real remains are already buried there beside the mother as he wish. What is going to be brought to the Libingan ng mga ‘Traydor’ at mga Bayani to be more precise about the Libingan ng mga Bayani, don’t just say it is an exclusive cemetery for heroes. It includes a lot of non-heroes. Most likely you’re going to have the wax here with a big mausoleum to be built to sort of to make a monument for the dictator.
ON RELATIONSHIP WITH DUTERTE
Sabillo: Ka Joma you mentioned a while ago that President Duterte is not the perfect president. I remember when I interviewed you in the Netherlands at the time I think Duterte wasn’t leading in the surveys yet. The two of you had a long relationship. He was your student and you said you don’t think he is the best president but you liked that he has strength of character but at the same time he has a loose mouth. And the past few months were a bit of a rollercoaster for the two of you. You were trading barbs for a while because of the unilateral ceasefire issue. And the last statement I read from is that you have reaffirmed you friendship. How is your relationship with the president with those controversial kinds of issues?
Sison: There was a miscommunication. I call it a communication leech so frankly our friendship that grew out of our student-teacher relationship has been able to prevail over the communications leech. I would say that President Duterte has been concerned anyway about the public welfare, what’s good for the people and that is the line that I also take. We’ve come to continue pushing the peace process forward. I’m the pointed out in the many instances that Duterte is a mixed bag, but he has shown in Davao city that for some three decades he was to able to cooperate with the revolutionary movement as well as the legal progressive forces and so he knows how to mix his fallacies. He tries to be inclusive and of course as I said he is not perfect. He is still born out of the system and what we have is the promise too fundamentally better than the previous presidents. Let us see. He’s only 5o days in his office. As far as the peace process is concerned, he beats the previous presidents except probably Ramos, because Ramos in his time, allowed some agreements to be made including the framework agreement, the […] declaration in 1992 and the comprehensive agreement on respect for the human rights and international humanitarian law. We still have to see whether during the time of Duterte we can have comprehensive agreement on social and economic reform. We still have to see if we can go further than that and really establish the ground for a just and lasting peace.
ON MARCOSES
Nery: Ka Joma, if I can go back to our earlier conversation about Marcos, about rotten system, pseudo-democracy that you say we are living in. My question really has to with apprehension of people who support the peace process fully, who still fear that is it is precisely by statements like this by you that will undermine support for both the peace process and by the Duterte administration. Statements like – I’ll give two examples – one, that this os just a pseudo-democracy and two, that maybe we should rename the Libingan ng mga Traydor at ng mga Bayani that is not a popular idea, I can tell you. How do you respond to this? Just to recap, the apprehensions of the people who support the peace agreement who are happy that the first day and half of talks have gone so well. And then they here statements like this, and they wonder is this just a continuation of the revolution by other means?
Sison: The revolutionary movement is open to the possibility of achieving […] democratic reforms. And what do I mean by […] democratic reforms? National independence and doing away with unequal treaties and arrangements; having democracy; empowering the working people; economic development through national industrialization and land reforms; expanded free education at all levels – public; a patriotic and progressive culture and international solidarity; trained and diplomatic relations at all countries. So, what is there that is not possible. Duterte himself says he is a socialist, but you know in the Philippines you cannot be a socialist without first accomplishing the […] democratic reforms. As what I’ve already stated, what is the content of the […] democratic reforms, those are not impossible in a combination of what you might call left and middle forces that is not impossible and even when the left and the middle combine, maybe the right can even be split and give them the chance. Some of them can have the chance to participate in the process of accomplishing what we have always called national democracy. It would be possible to even buy out the landlords at a fair expropriation price and their […] with industrial bounds they participate in industrialization. Those are […] democratic reforms adopted in other countries. So now you have a president, quite different from all the other presidents. He said he is going to revolutionize the government. I haven’t heard of other president saying that.
Nery: Except Marcos. Marcos did proclaim himself to be the architect of the revolution from the center.
Sison: Marcos, one of a master of deception. He said revolution is democracy; he is making revolution from the center and so on and so forth. But Marcos wasn’t acquisitive man even as a congressman, we came from the same region. I know exactly how he built a mansion in Batac. He built his mansion by making money on Chinese immigration and on the foreign exchange control. That’s Marcos and of course when he became the president, he accelerated the spending of […] and got the big cut. So people are impressed with big public works projects, but Marcos made unprecedented cuts from those projects. That’s Marcos and of course when he said he would make the country great again, it would be at the price of suppressing the patriotic and progressive forces that’s why there was immediately a clash between his ambitions and attempt to put up a dictatorship on one side and the patriotic and progressive forces in the country as well as the entire Filipino people.
ON DRUG KILLINGS
Sabillo: Ka Joma, I’ll go straight to the issue of drug killings, I think this issue has divided the Filipino people. Some are welcoming what has been happening with the drug campaign, with the anti-illegal drug campaign, while others are questioning the rising number of supposed extrajudicial killings. What is your stand on this?
Sison: I go along with the progressive forces. They have a critical views of this because when the numbers are rising, let’s say, you get standard explanation that they are resisting arrest but their family say that these people are being hit arbitrarily on the streets and on urban poor areas while the big drug lords get better treatment and they don’t get killed that way. Well that is something that Mr. Duterte has to answer for and he should answer you. I’m not his spokesman. But of course, honestly speaking you were asking me my opinion. My opinion is in the peace negotiations, we try to resolve radically different ideas and programs. And we try to seek common ground by evoking the interest of the Filipino people. Even in the peace process you must be able to recognize that it exist because of the armed conflict no less. The strongest kind of opposition to any government of the Philippines up to the time of Duterte is still the arm revolution. This matter, the arm conflict, can be settled only if you address the roots. And so the revolutionary forces with which I’m more associated more than anything else in the Philippines would stand its ground anywhere in any arena, debate and as well as in the arena of peace negotiations – peace negotiation is not a process so we’ll be into those in power, remember that.
Nery: Can you give us an example, Ka Joma, for instance sa usaping political and constitutional reforms. Can you give us an example of an issue that will be taken up in that particular category, that will be subject to negotiation sa political and constitutional.
Sison: There are two constitutions. There are two governments in the Philippines right now. You must recognize that there are two – the People’s Democratic government of workers and peasants; and the government of the big […] and landlords. So despite the talk of President Duterte against all the oligarchs so far he has not yet revolutionized really the existing state. So , there is a lot of hard work attend in trying in arrive possibly in something new. I think when it comes to political and constitutional reforms, then there will have to be an agreement. What’s the working paper? Is it the constitution of the […] and landlords or the constitution of the workers and the peasants. The third working paper remains to be same because we because we haven’t really began the negotiations. Duterte’s interested in radically changing the constitution in favor of federalism and most likely parliamentary system.
Nery: For instance Ka Joma, he wants to do away with the party list innovation. What are your views on this?
ON PARTY-LIST
Sison: As a concession to supposedly the marginalized, it’s a […] expression to refer actually to the majority of oppressed people. There are parties that stand for workers and peasants who don’t much say really within the system. So the party list should supposed to be an opening, but you look at the Congress now and there are so few of them. I don’t know how much better would be that Congress of […] and landlords agents, political agents of the oligarchy, would look if you remove the few party list progressives. If you remove the party list progressives, you may not hear anymore any patriotic and progressive sound. At least you get some of that sound now. We have to see what better system the Duterte government is trying to offer by doing away with the party list. But anyway I heard his argument; the party list system is now being taken over by the dynasties. That’s also a valid criticism. As a matter of fact there was concern on the part of the progressive party list groups that the dynasties might wipe the mouth and it remains to be seen whether the progressive can maintain their existence over time.
ON PEACE TALKS
Sabillo: My last question, Ka Joma, would be that some of the people are asking what are your bottomlines in the negotiating table? What are your non-negotiables? What are the things that will make you leave the negotiating table? And related to that maybe you could just answer, you already mentioned the party list groups. Some of the former party list representatives are with the Cabinet of President Duterte right now. What do you think would make them leave eventually? It’s the same with the peace talks, parang parallel lang to that. What should make them leave the administration, if ever, in the future?
Sison: If for instance the Duterte government is only interested in the prolonged ceasefire, so that it can forget the demand of the people for social, economic and political reforms, then the revolutionary movement has to consider whether it is still useful to go on with the peace process. As what I have already told you, the reforms being demanded are really attainable if those negotiating on both sides have the interest of the people in mind. What is wrong about national independence and the doing away with unequal treaties and agreements? What is wrong with giving more leeway to the workers and peasants to empower themselves? What is wrong with economic development through national industrialization or land reforms? If those things are clearly impossible in the peace negotiations then there’s no reason really for pursuing it. Peace negotiation is not a process of surrendering, just having peace and peace of oppression, exploitation – that cannot be, because so long as oppression and exploitation continue, then there is always fertile ground for arm resistance by the people.
Nery: Ka Joma, thank you very much for spending more time than we though we would have with you. Maraming salamat po. We hope to have more conversation with you.
Sison: Maraming salamat po sa ating mga kababayan. Sa inyong mga tagapakinig, sa inyong binigay na pagkakataon sa akin magpaliwanag.
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/813861/full-text-inqa-with-cpp-founder-joma-sison
Taking a break from the first round of peace talks with the president, Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founder Jose Maria “Joma” Sison granted INQUIRER.net a live interview via INQ&A last August 23.
Sison once told INQUIRER.net that he sees the continuation of the peace process if then Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte or Senator Grace Poe won the presidential elections. Now that Duterte is in power, both the government and the National Democratic Front (NDF) have declared unilateral ceasefires and returned to the negotiating table.
These days, the NDF chief political consultant is busy with the peace negotiations, which both sides have deemed an initial success.
In this INQ&A interview, hosted by INQUIRER.net Editor in Chief John Nery and Chief of Reporters Kristine Sabillo, Sison talked about the prospects of the peace process, the Marcoses and the president.
INQ&A is broadcast live every Tuesday, 8 to 9 p.m. via INQ 990 Television (Digital Terrestrial Television), Radyo Inquirer 990AM, and INQUIRER.net’s Facebook and other social media accounts. Inquirer 990 TV can be viewed on ABS-CBN’s TV Plus, RCA and Godan digital TV boxes.
Below is the full transcript of the interview with Sison.
Kristine Sabillo, INQUIRER.net Chief of Reporters: Our interview this evening is very timely and relevant especially with yesterday’s opening of the formal peace talks between the Philippine government and the National Democratic Front (NDF). Before we start with the interview, we would like to share three things that you might not know about our guest. The first one is that – I don’t know if, John, you know this already, but he previously released an album of poetry in songs titled “Songs of Love and Struggle.” He sang in that album, which was set to music by several artists. The second trivia is that he was President Duterte’s professor at the Lyceum of the Philippines University. And I think a lot of people know this already, but can you guess what subject it was?
John Nery, INQUIRER.net Editor in Chief: Political Science.
Sabillo: Yeah. It’s Political Science, but actually during my first interview with our guest, he said it was Political Thought. The last one is that, and this is a giveaway, his nom de guerre was Amado Guerrero when he wrote the book Philippine Society and Revolution or Lipunan at Rebolusyong Pilipino, which has become the manifesto of the Philippine revolutionary movement.
Our guest, ladies and gentlemen, is no other than Communist Party [of the Philippines] (CPP) Founder Joma Sison, who is now in Oslo, Norway for the formal peace talks.
Unfortunately our guest could not join us for the full hour today because they are in the middle of the talks actually in Norway.
Nery: Yes, right now it’s 8:18 pm in the Philippines. It’s 2:18 pm in Oslo. The royal Norwegian government is once again hosting the peace talks between the Philippine government and the National Democratic Front. Our guest left his place of exile in the Netherlands to join the rest of the NDF peace panel in Oslo.
Sabillo: We have been actually seeing a lot of videos and photos from Norway from the account of the government and the representatives of the NDF as well. And it seems that they are having a good time actually, meeting members of the peace panel, both sides were actually members of peace panel from previous talks as well. That’t one of the things that we would talk about later when we talk to Ka Joma, about what he thinks is the prospect of the peace process now that is ongoing again after being stalled for several years.
Nery: What excites us this particular INQ&A is that we are talking to this member of the peace panel who is taking some time away from the peace panel to talk to us. So, right now they are in that hotel in talk sponsored by Norwegian government. Last December, Tine was able to interview Ka Joma in the Netherlands.
Sabillo: Actually if you remember we were in Paris to cover the climate change negotiation, and after that we went to the Netherlands to have a quick interview with the CPP founder. A lot of the things I would ask today would be a follow up to the things that we discuss then. The time that elections was still a couple of months off and we asked him about what he thought about the different presidential candidates and one of them is President Duterte who eventually won.
Nery: Good afternoon, Ka Joma.
Joma Sison: Good evening po diyan.
Sabillo: Good afternoon.
Nery: Maraming salamat for taking time out from the peace negotiations. If we can go straight to our questions, I know you don’t have all the time. How was the first day and a half of the negotiations?
ON PEACE TALKS
Sison: The ceremony yesterday was very successful and then we started the, what you might call the work meeting. We were able to finish three of the five items and the agenda that set na yung (joint) na statement. We are running very well. But of course items four, five concerning amnesty and a mode of ceasefire will be more complex I suppose. What we have just finished doing is reaffirming the existing agreements between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines or GRP and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines.
At the second item that we were able to finish was the submission of the reconstituted list of the document holders who are entitled to the protection of the joint agreement on safety and immunity guarantees. And the third item concerns the accelerated plan in the peace negotiations and the panel-to-panel decision was to let the reciprocal working committees on social and economic reforms and the working groups on political and constitutional reforms and the working groups on end of hostilities and disposition of forces to hold a meeting this afternoon. And submit later the technical details of the scheduled plan of work.
Nery: Ka Joma, thank you. Yung sa agreement on the accelerated timetable sounds exciting. The last time there were negotiations, I think five or six years ago, there was also an attempt to have an 18-month timetable and so on. But they quickly ran aground. What makes this particular agreement now more solid?
Sison: President Duterte, in comparison to previous presidents, is more open to really accelerating the peace negotiations. The previous ones were more interested in the capitulation and pacification of the revolutionary forces under the guys of the protracted ceasefire. That was the problem. Now there seems to be greater determination on the part of the Manila government to make substantive agreements.
Sabillo: Ka Joma just going back to what you mentioned already. So, you have already finalized the list of the JASIG (Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees)-protected consultants. Has the government panel accepted it? Because I remember that was one of the reasons why the peace talks were stalled in the past. They had problems with the list. So now we have a new list it’s final?
Sison: Previously the other side before, during the time of Aquino, stood or took a position rather that the JASIG was inoperative and therefore did not serve to protect the NDF personnel involved in the peace negotiation. But there is now a reconstitution of the list of those who are entitled to the protection of JASIG and this was what the NDFP is asking from the so-called GPH side, from the side of the Manila government and the negotiators of Aquino they simply said JASIG was inoperative and that was a big obstacle to the peace negotiation, but now JASIG is considered as valid and operative and the NDFP has just submitted the reconstituted list and so those involved in the peace negotiation in the side of the NDFP enjoyed the protection of JASIG.
Nery: Ka Joma, yung sa accelerated timetable I know you started by saying while some agreements, marami pang kailangang pag-usapan. Gusto ko lang sna maintindihan talaga, how long does this process take?
Sison: Ang pinagkasunduan na the reciprocal committees is working to draft the comprehensive agreement on social economic reforms or CASER will try to finish their drafting job within the next six months. So there’s definite timeline and then at the same time the reciprocal working groups on political and constitutional reforms and on the end of hostilities would work at the same time. And one of the other, the reciprocal working committees shall be formed accordingly and in order to finalize what would be ready made draft agreements prepared by the reciprocal working groups, so more or less within six months you have the drafts of the comprehensive on the social and economic reform as well as preliminary drafts on political and constitutional reforms and end comprehensive agreement on the end of hostilities.
Nery: If I would try to understand that in simpler fashion, Ka Joma, when can we expect you back in the Philippines?
Sison: My going to the Philippines?
Nery: Yes, for a lot of people that’s a sign that the peace agreement is progressing.
Sison: The panels are supposed to meet in Oslo either on their own account or the supervision of their bodies that are responsible for drafting the comprehensive agreements. So, paspasan ang trabaho so I suppose I will be in Europe for the next six months to participate in the drafting work so there is no hurry and I was supposed to go the Philippines to attend the premier showing of Tibak, the story of Kabataang Makabayan. President Duterte and I supposed to attend the premier showing in order to receive the Gawad Supremo but that has to be postponed and instead I sent a video message, and I don’t know if President Duterte would be able to attend. So there was a definite target for my going to the Philippines but of course I give priority to the peace negotiations in Oslo.
Sabillo: Ka Joma how are the peace panels now? We’ve been seeing a lot of videos, it seems the two sides even if they are coming from the different parties, and they get along. I believe a lot of them have been involved in peace talks previously.
Sison: They’re laughing and well half of the time I suppose. And they manage to agree in the serious matter between exchanges of jokes. That’s the atmosphere. So anyway there is the spirit prevailing to make the agreements according to the time schedule.
Sabillo: When is the next round of talks and when can we expect after the six months when the agreements are finally drafted. The full agreements are represented.
Sison: I think the next meeting would be a meeting to draft the compressive agreements and I suppose after this meeting in Oslo, there is going to be another formal meeting next month or early October.
ON DUTERTE AND THE MILITARY
Nery: Ka Joma if you don’t mind we’ll talk about something not directly related to the peace talks. But may have an impact on them. I’m sure you heard reports that the Philippine military, some of the rank and file, are feeling a little restive especially with the release of the Tiamzon couple. How do you read?
Sison: You know in any army, the first rule is to obey all orders of the command. And so the commander in chief, the president of the Philippines, President Duterte made the decision that the army, the military, has to follow. There has been no objection and legal processes had been followed. And at the same time, the joint agreement on safety and immunity guarantees had been involved to justify the releases. Because indeed the consultants of the NDFP had been imprisoned for quite some time, had been arrested in violation of the JASIG. So it’s very important that the GRP side, the Manila government side, accepts the validity of the JASIG and in accordance with JASIG, the release had been made.
Sabillo: Ka Joma we have a question from Facebook. We’ve been getting questions from social media. This is not directly involved in the peace talks. But I think a lot of the young people, the young people involved in the political discourse right now especially online, they didn’t live through Martial law for example. They weren’t able to see how the revolutionary movement prospered at that time. So this question is from Jojo Castillo, he’s asking is the arm struggle still necessary?
ON ARMED STRUGGLE
Sison: The arm struggle is necessary, has been necessary, because of what President Duterte has described for himself as corrupt character, rottenness of the system. And you know he’s not far from the left in saying that the oligarchs have oppressed and exploited the people and of course he recognizes that the oligarchs are servile to foreign power like US. So he himself says that he is the first left president. So, that explains why he has a political will that goes along with the political will of the NDFP in the resuming the formal talks of the peace negotiations. It seems that he is determined and so we can hoe for better results and then previously, because the previous administrations were only interested in the capitulation and pacification of the revolutionary forces. President Duterte has expressly declared that he’s for justice.
He’s against the oppression and exploitations suffered by the people. So along this time the peace negotiations are being conducted and so the first comprehensive agreement that will be worked out in the time of President Duterte concerns social and economic reforms to be followed by political and constitutional reforms.
Nery: Ka Joma, the revolutionary movement was born in a particular context and that context was defined by the presidency of Marcos. I know that you already…
ON MARCOSES
Sison: The most brutal form of oppressive government was the fascist dictatorship of Marcos. Instead of this fascist dictatorship succeeding in suppressing the revolutionary movement, it stimulated it. It laid the ground. We used to call Marcos the chief transport and supply officer, the chief recruiter of the New People’s Army because of his oppressive rule, extremely oppressive rule, the people rose up and the New People’s Army became strong. But even after Marcos, even after the pseudo-democratic regimes from Cory Aquino to Noynoy Aquino came, there was only a masquerade that went on. There was the facade of democracy but in fact are behind it are the other worms of the rocking system. There is a continuous process of rotting and worsening of the prices, and the naturally because the people continue to suffer, exploitation and oppression. The New People’s Army has managed to become strong and forced to be reckoned with. There would be no peace negotiations if in the first place the New People’s government has no value whatsoever. The […] tribes among the people as an instrument for justice against oppression and exploitation. So you have peace negotiations. In other words, the pseudo, the false democratic regimes that followed the outrightly brutal anti-democratic regime of Marcos were not really democratic, especially in the very substantive terms. Peasants continued to be exploited. Land problem continue to be worse.
Nery: But it’s the same pseudo-democratic government system that elected you are now conducting peace negotiations with.
Sison: But you know this is a president that you might call that beat the system too. He is a product of the system, but he beat the system with much less money with other wealthier candidates. He won by properly adopting the campaign line. I’m not saying that he’s a sure fire perfect president, but you know among the candidates he was the one who effectively attacked the rotten Aquino regime and the candidate Mar Roxas. And then he adopted the campaign methods he would characterize a mass movement, and of course he availed of the social media.
Nery: Ka Joma, speaking of rotten regimes. You did classify the Marcos regime as the worst, and yet it is okay with you for Marcos to be buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani?
Sison: I said that my bottomline is Marcos should be buried in the Batac, because the real remains are already buried there beside the mother as he wish. What is going to be brought to the Libingan ng mga ‘Traydor’ at mga Bayani to be more precise about the Libingan ng mga Bayani, don’t just say it is an exclusive cemetery for heroes. It includes a lot of non-heroes. Most likely you’re going to have the wax here with a big mausoleum to be built to sort of to make a monument for the dictator.
ON RELATIONSHIP WITH DUTERTE
Sabillo: Ka Joma you mentioned a while ago that President Duterte is not the perfect president. I remember when I interviewed you in the Netherlands at the time I think Duterte wasn’t leading in the surveys yet. The two of you had a long relationship. He was your student and you said you don’t think he is the best president but you liked that he has strength of character but at the same time he has a loose mouth. And the past few months were a bit of a rollercoaster for the two of you. You were trading barbs for a while because of the unilateral ceasefire issue. And the last statement I read from is that you have reaffirmed you friendship. How is your relationship with the president with those controversial kinds of issues?
Sison: There was a miscommunication. I call it a communication leech so frankly our friendship that grew out of our student-teacher relationship has been able to prevail over the communications leech. I would say that President Duterte has been concerned anyway about the public welfare, what’s good for the people and that is the line that I also take. We’ve come to continue pushing the peace process forward. I’m the pointed out in the many instances that Duterte is a mixed bag, but he has shown in Davao city that for some three decades he was to able to cooperate with the revolutionary movement as well as the legal progressive forces and so he knows how to mix his fallacies. He tries to be inclusive and of course as I said he is not perfect. He is still born out of the system and what we have is the promise too fundamentally better than the previous presidents. Let us see. He’s only 5o days in his office. As far as the peace process is concerned, he beats the previous presidents except probably Ramos, because Ramos in his time, allowed some agreements to be made including the framework agreement, the […] declaration in 1992 and the comprehensive agreement on respect for the human rights and international humanitarian law. We still have to see whether during the time of Duterte we can have comprehensive agreement on social and economic reform. We still have to see if we can go further than that and really establish the ground for a just and lasting peace.
ON MARCOSES
Nery: Ka Joma, if I can go back to our earlier conversation about Marcos, about rotten system, pseudo-democracy that you say we are living in. My question really has to with apprehension of people who support the peace process fully, who still fear that is it is precisely by statements like this by you that will undermine support for both the peace process and by the Duterte administration. Statements like – I’ll give two examples – one, that this os just a pseudo-democracy and two, that maybe we should rename the Libingan ng mga Traydor at ng mga Bayani that is not a popular idea, I can tell you. How do you respond to this? Just to recap, the apprehensions of the people who support the peace agreement who are happy that the first day and half of talks have gone so well. And then they here statements like this, and they wonder is this just a continuation of the revolution by other means?
Sison: The revolutionary movement is open to the possibility of achieving […] democratic reforms. And what do I mean by […] democratic reforms? National independence and doing away with unequal treaties and arrangements; having democracy; empowering the working people; economic development through national industrialization and land reforms; expanded free education at all levels – public; a patriotic and progressive culture and international solidarity; trained and diplomatic relations at all countries. So, what is there that is not possible. Duterte himself says he is a socialist, but you know in the Philippines you cannot be a socialist without first accomplishing the […] democratic reforms. As what I’ve already stated, what is the content of the […] democratic reforms, those are not impossible in a combination of what you might call left and middle forces that is not impossible and even when the left and the middle combine, maybe the right can even be split and give them the chance. Some of them can have the chance to participate in the process of accomplishing what we have always called national democracy. It would be possible to even buy out the landlords at a fair expropriation price and their […] with industrial bounds they participate in industrialization. Those are […] democratic reforms adopted in other countries. So now you have a president, quite different from all the other presidents. He said he is going to revolutionize the government. I haven’t heard of other president saying that.
Nery: Except Marcos. Marcos did proclaim himself to be the architect of the revolution from the center.
Sison: Marcos, one of a master of deception. He said revolution is democracy; he is making revolution from the center and so on and so forth. But Marcos wasn’t acquisitive man even as a congressman, we came from the same region. I know exactly how he built a mansion in Batac. He built his mansion by making money on Chinese immigration and on the foreign exchange control. That’s Marcos and of course when he became the president, he accelerated the spending of […] and got the big cut. So people are impressed with big public works projects, but Marcos made unprecedented cuts from those projects. That’s Marcos and of course when he said he would make the country great again, it would be at the price of suppressing the patriotic and progressive forces that’s why there was immediately a clash between his ambitions and attempt to put up a dictatorship on one side and the patriotic and progressive forces in the country as well as the entire Filipino people.
ON DRUG KILLINGS
Sabillo: Ka Joma, I’ll go straight to the issue of drug killings, I think this issue has divided the Filipino people. Some are welcoming what has been happening with the drug campaign, with the anti-illegal drug campaign, while others are questioning the rising number of supposed extrajudicial killings. What is your stand on this?
Sison: I go along with the progressive forces. They have a critical views of this because when the numbers are rising, let’s say, you get standard explanation that they are resisting arrest but their family say that these people are being hit arbitrarily on the streets and on urban poor areas while the big drug lords get better treatment and they don’t get killed that way. Well that is something that Mr. Duterte has to answer for and he should answer you. I’m not his spokesman. But of course, honestly speaking you were asking me my opinion. My opinion is in the peace negotiations, we try to resolve radically different ideas and programs. And we try to seek common ground by evoking the interest of the Filipino people. Even in the peace process you must be able to recognize that it exist because of the armed conflict no less. The strongest kind of opposition to any government of the Philippines up to the time of Duterte is still the arm revolution. This matter, the arm conflict, can be settled only if you address the roots. And so the revolutionary forces with which I’m more associated more than anything else in the Philippines would stand its ground anywhere in any arena, debate and as well as in the arena of peace negotiations – peace negotiation is not a process so we’ll be into those in power, remember that.
Nery: Can you give us an example, Ka Joma, for instance sa usaping political and constitutional reforms. Can you give us an example of an issue that will be taken up in that particular category, that will be subject to negotiation sa political and constitutional.
Sison: There are two constitutions. There are two governments in the Philippines right now. You must recognize that there are two – the People’s Democratic government of workers and peasants; and the government of the big […] and landlords. So despite the talk of President Duterte against all the oligarchs so far he has not yet revolutionized really the existing state. So , there is a lot of hard work attend in trying in arrive possibly in something new. I think when it comes to political and constitutional reforms, then there will have to be an agreement. What’s the working paper? Is it the constitution of the […] and landlords or the constitution of the workers and the peasants. The third working paper remains to be same because we because we haven’t really began the negotiations. Duterte’s interested in radically changing the constitution in favor of federalism and most likely parliamentary system.
Nery: For instance Ka Joma, he wants to do away with the party list innovation. What are your views on this?
ON PARTY-LIST
Sison: As a concession to supposedly the marginalized, it’s a […] expression to refer actually to the majority of oppressed people. There are parties that stand for workers and peasants who don’t much say really within the system. So the party list should supposed to be an opening, but you look at the Congress now and there are so few of them. I don’t know how much better would be that Congress of […] and landlords agents, political agents of the oligarchy, would look if you remove the few party list progressives. If you remove the party list progressives, you may not hear anymore any patriotic and progressive sound. At least you get some of that sound now. We have to see what better system the Duterte government is trying to offer by doing away with the party list. But anyway I heard his argument; the party list system is now being taken over by the dynasties. That’s also a valid criticism. As a matter of fact there was concern on the part of the progressive party list groups that the dynasties might wipe the mouth and it remains to be seen whether the progressive can maintain their existence over time.
ON PEACE TALKS
Sabillo: My last question, Ka Joma, would be that some of the people are asking what are your bottomlines in the negotiating table? What are your non-negotiables? What are the things that will make you leave the negotiating table? And related to that maybe you could just answer, you already mentioned the party list groups. Some of the former party list representatives are with the Cabinet of President Duterte right now. What do you think would make them leave eventually? It’s the same with the peace talks, parang parallel lang to that. What should make them leave the administration, if ever, in the future?
Sison: If for instance the Duterte government is only interested in the prolonged ceasefire, so that it can forget the demand of the people for social, economic and political reforms, then the revolutionary movement has to consider whether it is still useful to go on with the peace process. As what I have already told you, the reforms being demanded are really attainable if those negotiating on both sides have the interest of the people in mind. What is wrong about national independence and the doing away with unequal treaties and agreements? What is wrong with giving more leeway to the workers and peasants to empower themselves? What is wrong with economic development through national industrialization or land reforms? If those things are clearly impossible in the peace negotiations then there’s no reason really for pursuing it. Peace negotiation is not a process of surrendering, just having peace and peace of oppression, exploitation – that cannot be, because so long as oppression and exploitation continue, then there is always fertile ground for arm resistance by the people.
Nery: Ka Joma, thank you very much for spending more time than we though we would have with you. Maraming salamat po. We hope to have more conversation with you.
Sison: Maraming salamat po sa ating mga kababayan. Sa inyong mga tagapakinig, sa inyong binigay na pagkakataon sa akin magpaliwanag.
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/813861/full-text-inqa-with-cpp-founder-joma-sison
Philippines positions naval blockade against Abu Sayyaf
From UPI (Sep 8): Philippines positions naval blockade against Abu Sayyaf
The Philippine navy deployed its newest and largest ship to establish a blockade around the island province of Sulu to prevent the Islamic State-linked Abu Sayyaf from fleeing.
The BRP Tarlac will lead the blockade in the Sulu Sea after President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the country's military to destroy the terror-linked group. Abu Sayyaf has claimed responsibility for a bombing that left 15 dead in Davao City and for multiple beheadings in the past months.
Brig. Gen. Arnel dela Vega, commander of a joint task force battling the group, said the ship will serve as a command and control center for naval operations. The navy is preparing to track down Abu Sayyaf members if they attempt to flee, he said.
[Video report: Inside PH Navy's newest and largest BRP Tarlac
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2jCaiWAETE]
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2016/09/08/Philippines-positions-naval-blockade-against-Abu-Sayyaf/2841473346630/
The Philippine navy deployed its newest and largest ship to establish a blockade around the island province of Sulu to prevent the Islamic State-linked Abu Sayyaf from fleeing.
The BRP Tarlac will lead the blockade in the Sulu Sea after President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the country's military to destroy the terror-linked group. Abu Sayyaf has claimed responsibility for a bombing that left 15 dead in Davao City and for multiple beheadings in the past months.
Brig. Gen. Arnel dela Vega, commander of a joint task force battling the group, said the ship will serve as a command and control center for naval operations. The navy is preparing to track down Abu Sayyaf members if they attempt to flee, he said.
[Video report: Inside PH Navy's newest and largest BRP Tarlac
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2jCaiWAETE]
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2016/09/08/Philippines-positions-naval-blockade-against-Abu-Sayyaf/2841473346630/
Philippines: Case of Italian kidnapped by Abu Sayyaf
From Al Jazeera (Sep 8): Philippines: Case of Italian kidnapped by Abu Sayyaf
Abner Muloc is accused of being involved in the abduction of a former Italian priest in the Philippines in October 2015.
![In 2014, Muloc was also accused of a separate kidnapping case [Ted Regencia/Al Jazeera]](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_sunxDNFGycuotOIqnIXdWjtQ6VcfjexBLRBJMmCGrMdoeD9Z9o5LmXXG5AiCwfylG6kQiknaDZ3oufukoF3_gyQEnJwU9fRwxGqyu2pqg7bGxM7j9m5aPGUEc_igScxP5kAxe1c26oSdppqGoulQkCg8Hww9Ne3zYBOHnRvqQWRgmeSk7avoEm3OmoLSJoL6-_9tHkN2g3yIk=s0-d "Philippines: Case of Italian kidnapped by Abu Sayyaf")
In 2014, Muloc was also accused of a separate kidnapping case [Ted Regencia/Al Jazeera]
Abu Sayyaf, whose name translates as "Bearer of the Sword", has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), and has been involved in a spate of kidnapping cases in Muslim-majority Sulu and elsewhere in the southern Philippines.
The group emerged in the early 1990s as an offshoot of a separatist rebellion being fought by minority Moro Muslims in the south of the predominantly Roman Catholic Philippines. Conducting bombings, kidnappings, beheadings and extortion, Abu Sayyaf's kidnap-for-ransom operations have become a lucrative business for the group.
In June and April, Abu Sayyaf claimed responsibility for the beheadings of two Canadians and is believed to be holding several other foreign nationals for ransom.
The group was also blamed for a bombing last week that left 14 people dead in Davao City, the hometown of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.
The bombing, which occurred as the military pressed its attack in Abu Sayyaf's stronghold in Sulu, prompted Duterte to declare a nationwide "state of lawless violence".
The president also ordered the deployment of thousands more troops to hunt and finally destroy Abu Sayyaf forces in Sulu. The Philippine navy has also reportedly set up a naval blockade around the island chain to prevent any of the fighters from escaping.
With the country on a heightened state of alert since the Davao bombing, Muloc's appearance in court on Thursday prompted several court personnel to skip work.
Some feared that Abu Sayyaf might attack and attempt to free the "high-value" defendant, three court staff told Al Jazeera.
Muloc's wife, Sarifa, told Al Jazeera that her husband's arrest and detention is politically motivated [Ted Regencia/Al Jazeera]
'Easy target'
Inside the court, armed guards kept close watch as Muloc sat with other defendants in handcuffs.
Listening to the back-and-forth between his lawyer, a government prosecutor and the judge, Muloc, who was wearing a prison-issued yellow t-shirt, jeans and red rubber sandals, stared mostly in the direction of the judge, occasionally bowing his head.
"I can tell you straight in the eyes that he is not a leader, or member of the Abu Sayyaf," Muloc's wife, Sarifa, told Al Jazeera.
Sarifa and Muloc's sisters, Nur-Ana and Selma, said his arrest and detention were politically motivated.
"He was not involved in the abduction," Sarifa said, adding that her husband was an easy fall guy for the military because he was a member of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
The MILF, the Philippines' largest Muslim rebel group, signed a peace agreement with the government in 2014. That deal, however, stalled following the death of several government special forces in during a botched operation in 2015.
Nur-Ana said her brother was maliciously identified as a "terrorist" by his "enemies", who were jealous of his business dealings with the local government.
"If we are terrorists, then we would not be even here showing our face in public," Nur-Ana told Al Jazeera, adding that authorities should review the CCTV footage, which recorded the abduction of del Torchio and would exonerate her brother.
Following his arrest in June, Major Filemon Tan Jr, spokesperson of the Philippine Army, told reporters that Muloc had direct links to Abu Sayyaf.
The next hearing of the kidnapping case against Muloc is set for November.
In the meantime, President Duterte's campaign against Abu Sayyaf appears to show no sign of slowing.
Speaking in Laos for a summit of regional leaders on Monday, Duterte said that he would "eat" Abu Sayyaf "alive, raw".
Muloc and other defendants in court on Thursday. [Ted Regencia/Al Jazeera]
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/09/philippines-case-italian-kidnapped-abu-sayyaf-160908031649591.html
Abner Muloc is accused of being involved in the abduction of a former Italian priest in the Philippines in October 2015.
In 2014, Muloc was also accused of a separate kidnapping case [Ted Regencia/Al Jazeera]
Zamboanga Peninsula, Philippines - With the largest ever mobilisation of government troops under way against Abu Sayyaf fighters in the southern Philippines, an accused member of the armed group has appeared in court.
Abner Muloc, known as "Commander Red Eye" by the Philippines military, was flanked by around two dozen armed security personnel during his hearing on Thursday in Dipolog City, on the southern Philippines island of Mindanao, where he denied involvement in the kidnapping of a former Italian priest last year.
Through his lawyer, Muloc, with his distinctive red, bloodshot, right eye, asked to be released temporarily, saying there was "no case for the prosecution" to detain him related to the kidnapping of Italian Ronaldo del Torchio, who was abducted in October 2015.
Authorities accuse Muloc of assisting Abu Sayyaf kidnappers "select and stalk" the former Italian priest who owned a restaurant in Dipolog. The Italian was released after six months in captivity, and after a ransom was reportedly paid.
Muloc, also known as Sehar Muloc, was arrested in June 2016, two months after del Torchio was released by Abu Sayyaf from their stronghold in the Sulu archipelago, where an ongoing military offensive has killed at least 32 fighters and left more than a dozen government soldiers dead.
The group emerged in the early 1990s as an offshoot of a separatist rebellion being fought by minority Moro Muslims in the south of the predominantly Roman Catholic Philippines. Conducting bombings, kidnappings, beheadings and extortion, Abu Sayyaf's kidnap-for-ransom operations have become a lucrative business for the group.
In June and April, Abu Sayyaf claimed responsibility for the beheadings of two Canadians and is believed to be holding several other foreign nationals for ransom.
The group was also blamed for a bombing last week that left 14 people dead in Davao City, the hometown of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.
The bombing, which occurred as the military pressed its attack in Abu Sayyaf's stronghold in Sulu, prompted Duterte to declare a nationwide "state of lawless violence".
The president also ordered the deployment of thousands more troops to hunt and finally destroy Abu Sayyaf forces in Sulu. The Philippine navy has also reportedly set up a naval blockade around the island chain to prevent any of the fighters from escaping.
With the country on a heightened state of alert since the Davao bombing, Muloc's appearance in court on Thursday prompted several court personnel to skip work.
Some feared that Abu Sayyaf might attack and attempt to free the "high-value" defendant, three court staff told Al Jazeera.
Muloc's wife, Sarifa, told Al Jazeera that her husband's arrest and detention is politically motivated [Ted Regencia/Al Jazeera]
'Easy target'
Inside the court, armed guards kept close watch as Muloc sat with other defendants in handcuffs.
Listening to the back-and-forth between his lawyer, a government prosecutor and the judge, Muloc, who was wearing a prison-issued yellow t-shirt, jeans and red rubber sandals, stared mostly in the direction of the judge, occasionally bowing his head.
 |
Sarifa and Muloc's sisters, Nur-Ana and Selma, said his arrest and detention were politically motivated.
"He was not involved in the abduction," Sarifa said, adding that her husband was an easy fall guy for the military because he was a member of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
The MILF, the Philippines' largest Muslim rebel group, signed a peace agreement with the government in 2014. That deal, however, stalled following the death of several government special forces in during a botched operation in 2015.
Nur-Ana said her brother was maliciously identified as a "terrorist" by his "enemies", who were jealous of his business dealings with the local government.
"If we are terrorists, then we would not be even here showing our face in public," Nur-Ana told Al Jazeera, adding that authorities should review the CCTV footage, which recorded the abduction of del Torchio and would exonerate her brother.
Following his arrest in June, Major Filemon Tan Jr, spokesperson of the Philippine Army, told reporters that Muloc had direct links to Abu Sayyaf.
The next hearing of the kidnapping case against Muloc is set for November.
In the meantime, President Duterte's campaign against Abu Sayyaf appears to show no sign of slowing.
Speaking in Laos for a summit of regional leaders on Monday, Duterte said that he would "eat" Abu Sayyaf "alive, raw".
Muloc and other defendants in court on Thursday. [Ted Regencia/Al Jazeera]
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/09/philippines-case-italian-kidnapped-abu-sayyaf-160908031649591.html
Farmers' group leader killed in Isabela
From Rappler (Sep 8): Farmers' group leader killed in Isabela
Ariel Diaz, who had actively campaigned against landgrabbing in Isabela, is the 5th farmer gunned down in Luzon in less than a week
A leader of a local farmers' group was killed by unknown assailants in Delfin Albano town in Isabela on Wednesday morning, September 7.
According to a police report submitted to the Cagayan Valley regional police, 3 "heavily" armed men shot dead Ariel Diaz in Villa Pereda village in Delfin Albano town at around 8 am on Wednesday.
Ariel Diaz, who had actively campaigned against landgrabbing in Isabela, is the 5th farmer gunned down in Luzon in less than a week
A leader of a local farmers' group was killed by unknown assailants in Delfin Albano town in Isabela on Wednesday morning, September 7.
According to a police report submitted to the Cagayan Valley regional police, 3 "heavily" armed men shot dead Ariel Diaz in Villa Pereda village in Delfin Albano town at around 8 am on Wednesday.
Diaz was the chairperson of the Danggayan Dagiti Mannalon (DAGAMI), a local chapter of Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) in Isabela and the inter-municipal Peasant Alliance Against Foreign Landgrabbing in Northern Isabela. He was also an organizer of the Unyon ng mga Manggagawa sa Agrikultura (UMA Pilipinas) in Delfin Albano.
UMA Pilipinas described Diaz as "active" in various campaigns to expose big land issues in the province, including cases in vast sugar and cassava plantations.
KMP expressed alarm over the "rising trend of extrajudicial killings against farmers under the Duterte administration." It noted that Diaz is the 5th farmer to suffer the fate in just 5 days.
On September 3, still unidentified men gunned down 4 farmers as they tilled an area inside the Fort Magsaysay reservation in Nueva Ecija, which is locked in a dispute between agrarian reform beneficiaries and the landowners.
KMP expressed alarm over the "rising trend of extrajudicial killings against farmers under the Duterte administration." It noted that Diaz is the 5th farmer to suffer the fate in just 5 days.
On September 3, still unidentified men gunned down 4 farmers as they tilled an area inside the Fort Magsaysay reservation in Nueva Ecija, which is locked in a dispute between agrarian reform beneficiaries and the landowners.
"Nakaburol pa nga ang mga magsasakang minasaker sa Fort Magsaysay noong Sabado, may magsasaka na namang binaril at pinatay sa Isabela," said KMP secretary-general Antonio Flores.
(The 4 farmers who were killed in Fort Magsaysay last Saturday are yet to be buried and here comes another farmer killed in Isabela.)
Flores believed that "both the killings in Isabela and Nueva Ecija are linked to agrarian disputes with the perpetrators believed to be either hired goons or state security forces that serve as private armies of land-grabbers."
"We call on the Duterte government to put a stop to these politically-motivated killings. It is highly-condemnable that farmers who defend their right to the lands are being killed," Flores said.
The KMP described Isabela as among the "hotbeds" of agrarian disputes in the country as land monopoly, land-grabbing, and land conversion are "rampant" in the province.
In another statement, UMA Pilipinas said the killing of Diaz is a “brutal but cowardly act done to silence our farmers."
"The killings come at a time when peace talks and the necessary socio-economic reforms such as land reform and labor issues are being discussed by the government and the National Democratic Front (NDF)," said UMA secretary-general Danilo Ramos.
Flores believed that "both the killings in Isabela and Nueva Ecija are linked to agrarian disputes with the perpetrators believed to be either hired goons or state security forces that serve as private armies of land-grabbers."
"We call on the Duterte government to put a stop to these politically-motivated killings. It is highly-condemnable that farmers who defend their right to the lands are being killed," Flores said.
The KMP described Isabela as among the "hotbeds" of agrarian disputes in the country as land monopoly, land-grabbing, and land conversion are "rampant" in the province.
In another statement, UMA Pilipinas said the killing of Diaz is a “brutal but cowardly act done to silence our farmers."
"The killings come at a time when peace talks and the necessary socio-economic reforms such as land reform and labor issues are being discussed by the government and the National Democratic Front (NDF)," said UMA secretary-general Danilo Ramos.
Randy Malayao, an NDF peace consultant in Luzon, also condemned the killing.
http://www.rappler.com/nation/145560-peasant-leader-killed-isabela
http://www.rappler.com/nation/145560-peasant-leader-killed-isabela
Japan to provide Vietnam patrol ships amid maritime row with China
From InterAksyon (Sep 8): Japan to provide Vietnam patrol ships amid maritime row with China
The Japanese government said on Wednesday it is ready to provide Vietnam with new patrol ships, in its latest step to boost the maritime law-enforcement capabilities of countries locked in territorial rows with China.
On Tuesday, Japan agreed to provide two large patrol ships and lend up to five used surveillance aircraft to the Philippines, another country at odds with China over sovereignty issues in the South China Sea.
Japan itself has been at loggerheads with China over a group of tiny, uninhabited East China Sea islets.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told his Vietnamese counterpart, Nguyen Xuan Phuc, of Tokyo's intention in their meeting on the sidelines of ASEAN-related meetings in Vientiane.
Japan has already provided six patrol ships to Vietnam, but they were all used ones, a Japanese foreign ministry official said, adding that details such as the timing of the delivery and the number of ships to be provided have yet to be fixed.
Japan plans to extend a low-interest loan under its official development assistance program to Vietnam to facilitate the acquisition.
China has laid claim to almost all of the South China Sea, where about $5 trillion worth of seaborne trade passes every year. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims in the sea believed to have rich deposits of oil and gas.
A court of arbitration in The Hague in July said China's claims to the waterway were invalid, after a case was brought by the Philippines. Beijing has refused to recognize the ruling.
http://www.interaksyon.com/article/132251/japan-to-provide-vietnam-patrol-ships-amid-maritime-row-with-china
The Japanese government said on Wednesday it is ready to provide Vietnam with new patrol ships, in its latest step to boost the maritime law-enforcement capabilities of countries locked in territorial rows with China.
On Tuesday, Japan agreed to provide two large patrol ships and lend up to five used surveillance aircraft to the Philippines, another country at odds with China over sovereignty issues in the South China Sea.
Japan itself has been at loggerheads with China over a group of tiny, uninhabited East China Sea islets.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told his Vietnamese counterpart, Nguyen Xuan Phuc, of Tokyo's intention in their meeting on the sidelines of ASEAN-related meetings in Vientiane.
Japan has already provided six patrol ships to Vietnam, but they were all used ones, a Japanese foreign ministry official said, adding that details such as the timing of the delivery and the number of ships to be provided have yet to be fixed.
Japan plans to extend a low-interest loan under its official development assistance program to Vietnam to facilitate the acquisition.
China has laid claim to almost all of the South China Sea, where about $5 trillion worth of seaborne trade passes every year. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims in the sea believed to have rich deposits of oil and gas.
A court of arbitration in The Hague in July said China's claims to the waterway were invalid, after a case was brought by the Philippines. Beijing has refused to recognize the ruling.
http://www.interaksyon.com/article/132251/japan-to-provide-vietnam-patrol-ships-amid-maritime-row-with-china
Obama says South China Sea ruling ‘binding’ but Asia leaders tiptoe around tensions
From InterAksyon (Sep 8): Obama says South China Sea ruling ‘binding’ but Asia leaders tiptoe around tensions
(Left to right) Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Thailand Prime Minister Prayuth Chano-cha, Vietnam Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, US President Barack Obama, Laos Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith, Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay, Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Cambodia Prime Minister Hun Sen, Indonesia President Joko Widodo and Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak pose for a photo at the ASEAN-US Summit in Vientiane. (photo by Jorge Silva, Reuters)
US President Barack Obama warned Thursday an international tribunal's ruling that China's sweeping claims to the South China Sea had no legal basis was "binding" after Beijing vowed to ignore the verdict.
"The landmark arbitration ruling in July, which is binding, helped clarify maritime rights in the region," Obama told a summit of Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Laos.
He was referring to the ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague on the case brought by the Philippines against China over disputed territories in the South China Sea.
Among others, the tribunal:
But Asian leaders played down tensions over the South China Sea in a carefully worded summit statement on Thursday and even before it was issued Beijing voiced frustration with countries outside the region "interfering" in tussles over the strategic waterway.
The heads of 10 Southeast Asian nations, as well as US President Barack Obama and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang among six other leaders, "reaffirmed the importance of maintaining peace, stability, security and freedom of navigation in and overflight in the South China Sea."
But the draft of a statement to be issued in Vientiane, Laos tiptoed around the regional strains caused by competing claims to areas of the strategically important sea.
"Several leaders remained seriously concerned over recent developments in the South China Sea," said the draft.
The statement, seen by Reuters, made no reference to The Hague ruling.
Obama's comments are sure to draw ire from Beijing, which has taken an increasingly belligerent stance on claims in the strategically important waterway.
"I recognize this raises tensions," Obama said referring to the ruling "but I also look forward to discussing how we can constructively move forward together to lower tensions and promote diplomacy and stability."
Even before Obama's comments, a dispute between the Philippines and China had overshadowed East and Southeast Asian summits in Laos.
Manila produced photos it said showed fresh construction activity at the flashpoint Scarborough Shoal, an accusation that was denied by Beijing and played down by Washington.
The area is just 230 kilometers (140 miles) from the main island of the Philippines, where US forces are stationed.
Officials said that talks on Wednesday between ASEAN leaders and China's Li had gone smoothly.
But in a statement later from China's Foreign Ministry, Li was paraphrased as saying China was willing to work with Southeast Asian countries in "dispelling interference ... and properly handling the South China Sea issue."
He did not elaborate, but such wording is typically used by Chinese leaders to refer to not allowing countries from outside the region with no direct involvement in the dispute, like the United States, from getting involved.
China claims much of the South China Sea, through which more than $5 trillion of trade moves annually. Taiwan and four ASEAN members -- Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei -- also have claims, making it a hot spot of regional tension.
The other ASEAN nations are Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Singapore and Thailand. Leaders from Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Russia, South Korea and the United States also attended the summit.
http://www.interaksyon.com/article/132253/obama-says-south-china-sea-ruling-binding-but-asia-leaders-tiptoe-around-tensions
(Left to right) Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Thailand Prime Minister Prayuth Chano-cha, Vietnam Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, US President Barack Obama, Laos Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith, Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay, Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Cambodia Prime Minister Hun Sen, Indonesia President Joko Widodo and Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak pose for a photo at the ASEAN-US Summit in Vientiane. (photo by Jorge Silva, Reuters)
US President Barack Obama warned Thursday an international tribunal's ruling that China's sweeping claims to the South China Sea had no legal basis was "binding" after Beijing vowed to ignore the verdict.
"The landmark arbitration ruling in July, which is binding, helped clarify maritime rights in the region," Obama told a summit of Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Laos.
He was referring to the ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague on the case brought by the Philippines against China over disputed territories in the South China Sea.
Among others, the tribunal:
a) said there is no legal basis for China's claimed historic rights and nine-dash-line, the U-shaped delineation it put on nearly 90 percent of the South China Sea;
b) recognized the traditional fishing rights of Filipinos (as well as other Asians, including Chinese) in the rich fishing grounds around Scarborough Shoal, but said China had disrupted exercise of such rights by its blockades and other acts against the Filipino fishermen;
c) said China caused harm to the marine environment with the persistent hauling by Chinese fishing boats of precious resources like corals, endangered species, fish--acts that the Chinese government did not stop.
d) said China's large scale reclamation and artificial islands spree were incompatible with the obligations of an UNCLOS signatory state during dispute resolution proceedings, and had caused irreparable harm to the environment.
But Asian leaders played down tensions over the South China Sea in a carefully worded summit statement on Thursday and even before it was issued Beijing voiced frustration with countries outside the region "interfering" in tussles over the strategic waterway.
The heads of 10 Southeast Asian nations, as well as US President Barack Obama and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang among six other leaders, "reaffirmed the importance of maintaining peace, stability, security and freedom of navigation in and overflight in the South China Sea."
But the draft of a statement to be issued in Vientiane, Laos tiptoed around the regional strains caused by competing claims to areas of the strategically important sea.
"Several leaders remained seriously concerned over recent developments in the South China Sea," said the draft.
The statement, seen by Reuters, made no reference to The Hague ruling.
Obama's comments are sure to draw ire from Beijing, which has taken an increasingly belligerent stance on claims in the strategically important waterway.
"I recognize this raises tensions," Obama said referring to the ruling "but I also look forward to discussing how we can constructively move forward together to lower tensions and promote diplomacy and stability."
Even before Obama's comments, a dispute between the Philippines and China had overshadowed East and Southeast Asian summits in Laos.
Manila produced photos it said showed fresh construction activity at the flashpoint Scarborough Shoal, an accusation that was denied by Beijing and played down by Washington.
The area is just 230 kilometers (140 miles) from the main island of the Philippines, where US forces are stationed.
Officials said that talks on Wednesday between ASEAN leaders and China's Li had gone smoothly.
But in a statement later from China's Foreign Ministry, Li was paraphrased as saying China was willing to work with Southeast Asian countries in "dispelling interference ... and properly handling the South China Sea issue."
He did not elaborate, but such wording is typically used by Chinese leaders to refer to not allowing countries from outside the region with no direct involvement in the dispute, like the United States, from getting involved.
China claims much of the South China Sea, through which more than $5 trillion of trade moves annually. Taiwan and four ASEAN members -- Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei -- also have claims, making it a hot spot of regional tension.
The other ASEAN nations are Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Singapore and Thailand. Leaders from Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Russia, South Korea and the United States also attended the summit.
http://www.interaksyon.com/article/132253/obama-says-south-china-sea-ruling-binding-but-asia-leaders-tiptoe-around-tensions
Duterte 'shocks' ASEAN delegates with pic of Filipinos killed by American colonizers - report
From InterAksyon (Sep 8): Duterte 'shocks' ASEAN delegates with pic of Filipinos killed by American colonizers - report
President Duterte delivers speech at the 2016 ASEAN Summit in Laos. AFP photograph.
At the East Asia Forum of the ASEAN Summit on Thursday, President Duterte, straying from a prepared speech, reportedly launched into a tirade about US military killings in the Philippines when it was an American colony from 1898 to 1946.
Veering off his prepared speech, Duterte launched into a tirade about US military killings in the Philippines when it was an American colony, according to three diplomats the Agence France-Presse spoke with who were in the room.
"The Philippine president showed a picture of the killings of American soldiers in the past and the president said: 'This is my ancestor they killed. Why now we are talking about human rights'," an Indonesian delegate said.
The Presidential Communications Office issued a statement that said, in part:
In the passionate intervention of President Duterte, he underscored the need to take a long historical view of human rights mindful of the atrocities against the ethnic people of Mindanao. Even as we continue to comply with our constitutional requirements in the observance of due process and respect for human rights, he is committed to combatting the spread of illegal drugs to ensure the security and well being of the next generation.
US President Barack Obama urged Philippine leader Rodrigo Duterte Thursday to conduct his crime war "the right way", as the pair clashed at an Asian summit over the crackdown that has claimed 3,000 lives.
Obama's call came shortly after Duterte gave what diplomats said was a "fiery" address to leaders of the 18-nation East Asia group, including Obama.
One delegate described the atmosphere in the room as "quiet and shocked".
The messages provided a fitting climax to a brutal few days of diplomacy that began with the famously acid-tongued Duterte branding Obama a "son of a whore".
After warnings from Duterte that he would not be lectured on his crime war – which is seeing police and shadowy assassins kill an average of 44 people a day – Obama urged the Philippine leader to respect the rule of law.
"As despicable as these (crime) networks may be and as much damage as they do, it is important from our perspective to make sure that we do it the right way," Obama told reporters when asked about his conversation with Duterte on the sidelines of Laos meetings.
"Because the consequences of when you do it the wrong way are innocent people get hurt and you have a bunch of unintended consequences that don't solve the problem."
'Normal Duterte'
Another diplomat described the speech as "normal Duterte".
Duterte set the tone for the week when, just before flying to Laos on Monday, he launched a barrage of insults at Obama in response to the US president's plans to question him over his war on drugs.
"You must be respectful. Do not just throw away questions and statements. Son of a whore, I will curse you in that forum," Duterte told reporters shortly before flying to Laos.
At the press conference marking the end of his trip to Laos, Obama said he was unfazed by Duterte's slur.
"I don't take these comments personally because it seems as if this is a phrase he's used repeatedly including directed at the pope and others," Obama said.
He added that such choice words were "a habit, a way of speaking for him".
Duterte has branded Pope Francis, the US ambassador to Manila and the United Nations as "sons of whores".
However Obama can celled a meeting with Duterte scheduled for Tuesday because of the outburst.
They met on Wednesday night before a leaders' dinner in what Obama described as "not a long interaction".
'More will be killed'
Duterte has said the Philippines is in danger of becoming a "narco state", and eliminating drugs in society is the top priority of his administration.
Duterte was elected to office in a landslide this year after pledging to kill 100,000 people in an unprecedented war on crime.
He vowed in the campaign that so many bodies would be dumped in Manila Bay that the fish there would grow fat from feeding on them.
Duterte has also repeatedly promised to protect police from prosecution if they are charged over the deaths and insisted human rights cannot get in the way of his war.
On the day he was sworn into office, June 30, Duterte urged people living in a Manila slum to kill drug addicts in their community.
His handpicked police chief, Ronald de la Rosa, last month called for drug addicts to kill traffickers and burn down their homes.
The United Nations special rapporteur on summary executions has warned incitement to kill is a crime under international law.
However Duterte has remained unrepentant.
"More people will be killed, plenty will be killed until the last pusher is out of the streets," Duterte said on Monday.
http://interaksyon.com/article/132262/duterte-shocks-asean-delegates-with-pic-of-filipinos-killed-by-american-colonizers---report
President Duterte delivers speech at the 2016 ASEAN Summit in Laos. AFP photograph.
At the East Asia Forum of the ASEAN Summit on Thursday, President Duterte, straying from a prepared speech, reportedly launched into a tirade about US military killings in the Philippines when it was an American colony from 1898 to 1946.
Veering off his prepared speech, Duterte launched into a tirade about US military killings in the Philippines when it was an American colony, according to three diplomats the Agence France-Presse spoke with who were in the room.
"The Philippine president showed a picture of the killings of American soldiers in the past and the president said: 'This is my ancestor they killed. Why now we are talking about human rights'," an Indonesian delegate said.
The Presidential Communications Office issued a statement that said, in part:
In the passionate intervention of President Duterte, he underscored the need to take a long historical view of human rights mindful of the atrocities against the ethnic people of Mindanao. Even as we continue to comply with our constitutional requirements in the observance of due process and respect for human rights, he is committed to combatting the spread of illegal drugs to ensure the security and well being of the next generation.
US President Barack Obama urged Philippine leader Rodrigo Duterte Thursday to conduct his crime war "the right way", as the pair clashed at an Asian summit over the crackdown that has claimed 3,000 lives.
Obama's call came shortly after Duterte gave what diplomats said was a "fiery" address to leaders of the 18-nation East Asia group, including Obama.
One delegate described the atmosphere in the room as "quiet and shocked".
The messages provided a fitting climax to a brutal few days of diplomacy that began with the famously acid-tongued Duterte branding Obama a "son of a whore".
After warnings from Duterte that he would not be lectured on his crime war – which is seeing police and shadowy assassins kill an average of 44 people a day – Obama urged the Philippine leader to respect the rule of law.
"As despicable as these (crime) networks may be and as much damage as they do, it is important from our perspective to make sure that we do it the right way," Obama told reporters when asked about his conversation with Duterte on the sidelines of Laos meetings.
"Because the consequences of when you do it the wrong way are innocent people get hurt and you have a bunch of unintended consequences that don't solve the problem."
'Normal Duterte'
Another diplomat described the speech as "normal Duterte".
Duterte set the tone for the week when, just before flying to Laos on Monday, he launched a barrage of insults at Obama in response to the US president's plans to question him over his war on drugs.
"You must be respectful. Do not just throw away questions and statements. Son of a whore, I will curse you in that forum," Duterte told reporters shortly before flying to Laos.
At the press conference marking the end of his trip to Laos, Obama said he was unfazed by Duterte's slur.
"I don't take these comments personally because it seems as if this is a phrase he's used repeatedly including directed at the pope and others," Obama said.
He added that such choice words were "a habit, a way of speaking for him".
Duterte has branded Pope Francis, the US ambassador to Manila and the United Nations as "sons of whores".
However Obama can celled a meeting with Duterte scheduled for Tuesday because of the outburst.
They met on Wednesday night before a leaders' dinner in what Obama described as "not a long interaction".
'More will be killed'
Duterte has said the Philippines is in danger of becoming a "narco state", and eliminating drugs in society is the top priority of his administration.
Duterte was elected to office in a landslide this year after pledging to kill 100,000 people in an unprecedented war on crime.
He vowed in the campaign that so many bodies would be dumped in Manila Bay that the fish there would grow fat from feeding on them.
Duterte has also repeatedly promised to protect police from prosecution if they are charged over the deaths and insisted human rights cannot get in the way of his war.
On the day he was sworn into office, June 30, Duterte urged people living in a Manila slum to kill drug addicts in their community.
His handpicked police chief, Ronald de la Rosa, last month called for drug addicts to kill traffickers and burn down their homes.
The United Nations special rapporteur on summary executions has warned incitement to kill is a crime under international law.
However Duterte has remained unrepentant.
"More people will be killed, plenty will be killed until the last pusher is out of the streets," Duterte said on Monday.
http://interaksyon.com/article/132262/duterte-shocks-asean-delegates-with-pic-of-filipinos-killed-by-american-colonizers---report
TFD has new commander, DCPO chief remains at post
From the Mindanao Times (Sep 8): TFD has new commander, DCPO chief remains at post
THE TASK Force Davao has a new commander today as Col. Erwin Bernard Neri takes over from Col. Henry Robinson who was sacked by Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio following the Roxas night market blast last Friday.
Speaking in yesterday’s AFP-PNP press conference held at Royal Mandaya hotel, Brig. Gen. Casiano Monilla, deputy commander of 10th Infantry Division, said that Neri was the chief of the Unified Command Staff of Eastern Mindanao Command (East Mincom).
Neri is a member of class 1988 of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA).
A change of command will be conducted today in the Task Force Davao headquarters.
Robinson has assumed the post last May 18 as the commander of TF Davao.
Meanwhile, the Police Regional Office (PRO-XI) has no list of names who will be endorsed to the mayor to replace Sr. Supt. Michael John Dubria, the director of Davao City Police Office.
Sr. Supt. Valeriano dela Cerna, deputy regional director for police operations, said they are still waiting for final guidance from PNP Chief Ronald Dela Rosa.
Dubria assumed the post last June 24.
“As of the moment, I will still perform my duty as city director because (vacating without proper replacement) is tantamount to abandonment of post,” Sr. Supt. Michael John Dubria told reporters in an earlier interview.
His current work, he said, includes the conduct of investigation on the market explosion.
Mayor Duterte said that her decision to replace the DCPO chief and the TFD commander had nothing to do with their respective performances. However, after the blast, she would not feel comfortable about coordinating with them.
“It’s not about them, it’s about me,” she said.
Security sector, MNLF call for cooperation in bringing Davao City back to its feet
From the Philippine Information Agency (Sep 7): Security sector, MNLF call for cooperation in bringing Davao City back to its feet
Members of the response and the security sector and the local members of the Moro National Liberation Front are hard press to bring back normalcy to the city’s peace and order following the explosion of an improvised explosive device at the night market along Roxas Avenue Friday night.
Brig. General Casiano Monilla, assistant commander of the 10th Infantry Division has ordered the Task Force Davao to improve its inspection on the entry points to the city particularly in Barangay Sirawan, Toril, Barangay Lacson, Calinan and Barangay Ilang, Tibungco to ease the traffic of people and vehicles.
He appealed to the public to cooperate in the security checks and to bear the inconvenience brought about by the inspection.
“I instructed the Task Force Davao to increase the number of inspectors in the entry points and to ensure lesser time during inspections,” Monilla said.
He also urged the public to be calm and vigilant by reporting to Task Force Davao and the police through calling 911, suspicious characters, baggage left unattended, and even bomb threats so that the they can act accordingly.
Monilla also revealed the official relief of Colonel Henry Robinson as commander of the Task Force Davao.
He said he will be replaced by Colonel Erwin Bernard Neri in a turn-over ceremony that will be held in September 8.
Senior Superitendent Valeriano De Leon, deputy director for operations of the Police Regional Office 11 and chief of the Special Investigation Task Group: Night Market confirmed the use of a 60 mm mortar round and 81 mm mortar round molded as one improvised explosive device in the blast last Friday night.
He said the IED was placed inside a bag and left deliberately by the perpetrator on the pavement.
De Leon said other government agencies composed of the police, the National Bureau of Investigation, and the military are helping pursue leads in their investigation.
He said one of the parts of the IED used was recovered in the body of one of the victims, resembling a part of a 60mm mortar round.
De Leon said further post blast investigation revealed that a bigger ring of an 81 mm mortar was also recovered by the investigators.
“We are certain that there is one IED composed of two containers of mortars from 60 mm and 81 mm concealed in one bag,” he said.
De Leon said they are still determining the identity of the perpetrators and the motive behind the incident.
Erna Sampiano, head of the disaster risk reduction and management unit of the Department of Social Welfare and Development XI said that the blast resulted to 14 deaths and 69 injured.
She said burial assistance at P10,000 and medical assistance at P5,000 were provided to the victims.
“Many victims are gradually coming out since a lot of them experience body malaise, hearing impairment and trauma,” Sampiano said.
She said families of victims may come to their office so that their needs are attended accordingly.
Sampiano revealed three of those killed hailed from Cotabato City, one from Caraga, one from Compostela Valley and one from Tacurong, Sultan Kudarat and the rest were residents of Davao City.
Rolando Ulamit, chair of the Moro National Liberation Front-Misuari Faction said their members are monitoring movement of people passing through the coast line of the city.
He stressed that the night market blast was never a handiwork of a follower of Islam.
“Let us all bring the normalcy to the city. Let us be aware but don’t panic,” Ulamit said.
http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/2381473236410/security-sector-mnlf-call-for-cooperation-in-bringing-davao-city-back-to-its-feet-
Members of the response and the security sector and the local members of the Moro National Liberation Front are hard press to bring back normalcy to the city’s peace and order following the explosion of an improvised explosive device at the night market along Roxas Avenue Friday night.
Brig. General Casiano Monilla, assistant commander of the 10th Infantry Division has ordered the Task Force Davao to improve its inspection on the entry points to the city particularly in Barangay Sirawan, Toril, Barangay Lacson, Calinan and Barangay Ilang, Tibungco to ease the traffic of people and vehicles.
He appealed to the public to cooperate in the security checks and to bear the inconvenience brought about by the inspection.
“I instructed the Task Force Davao to increase the number of inspectors in the entry points and to ensure lesser time during inspections,” Monilla said.
He also urged the public to be calm and vigilant by reporting to Task Force Davao and the police through calling 911, suspicious characters, baggage left unattended, and even bomb threats so that the they can act accordingly.
Monilla also revealed the official relief of Colonel Henry Robinson as commander of the Task Force Davao.
He said he will be replaced by Colonel Erwin Bernard Neri in a turn-over ceremony that will be held in September 8.
Senior Superitendent Valeriano De Leon, deputy director for operations of the Police Regional Office 11 and chief of the Special Investigation Task Group: Night Market confirmed the use of a 60 mm mortar round and 81 mm mortar round molded as one improvised explosive device in the blast last Friday night.
He said the IED was placed inside a bag and left deliberately by the perpetrator on the pavement.
De Leon said other government agencies composed of the police, the National Bureau of Investigation, and the military are helping pursue leads in their investigation.
He said one of the parts of the IED used was recovered in the body of one of the victims, resembling a part of a 60mm mortar round.
De Leon said further post blast investigation revealed that a bigger ring of an 81 mm mortar was also recovered by the investigators.
“We are certain that there is one IED composed of two containers of mortars from 60 mm and 81 mm concealed in one bag,” he said.
De Leon said they are still determining the identity of the perpetrators and the motive behind the incident.
Erna Sampiano, head of the disaster risk reduction and management unit of the Department of Social Welfare and Development XI said that the blast resulted to 14 deaths and 69 injured.
She said burial assistance at P10,000 and medical assistance at P5,000 were provided to the victims.
“Many victims are gradually coming out since a lot of them experience body malaise, hearing impairment and trauma,” Sampiano said.
She said families of victims may come to their office so that their needs are attended accordingly.
Sampiano revealed three of those killed hailed from Cotabato City, one from Caraga, one from Compostela Valley and one from Tacurong, Sultan Kudarat and the rest were residents of Davao City.
Rolando Ulamit, chair of the Moro National Liberation Front-Misuari Faction said their members are monitoring movement of people passing through the coast line of the city.
He stressed that the night market blast was never a handiwork of a follower of Islam.
“Let us all bring the normalcy to the city. Let us be aware but don’t panic,” Ulamit said.
http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/2381473236410/security-sector-mnlf-call-for-cooperation-in-bringing-davao-city-back-to-its-feet-
Veterans Affairs Office to lead medical outreach program in Pangasinan
From the Philippine Information Agency (Sep 8): Veterans Affairs Office to lead medical outreach program in Pangasinan
The Philippine Veterans Affairs Office and the Veterans Memorial Medical Center are set to conduct a medical outreach program on September 15 at the Narciso Ramos Sports Complex in Lingayen town.
The whole-day event anchored on the theme "“Serbisyo sa Beterano, Serbisyo sa Bayan” will run from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Natalie Pardo-Labang, senior veterans assistance officer of PVAO, said the outreach event is part of the Veterans Hospitalization and Medical Care Program (VHMCP) which aims to address the health care needs of the veterans and their dependents who do not have access to the facilities of the Veterans Memorial Medical Center, the lone hospital which caters to the needs of veterans.
“The program is especially for veterans who are from the provinces and far-flung areas. Through this, PVAO brings health care services closer to the veterans,” Labang said.
Services to be offered during the outreach program include: free check-up, dental, ophthalmology, psychiatry, rehab medicine, ear-nose-throat (ENT), ob-gyne, urology, ECG, pediatrics and general medicine.
For more information, veterans and their families can visit www.pvao.mil.ph.
http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/411473219927/veterans-affairs-office-to-lead-medical-outreach-program-in-pangasinan
The Philippine Veterans Affairs Office and the Veterans Memorial Medical Center are set to conduct a medical outreach program on September 15 at the Narciso Ramos Sports Complex in Lingayen town.
The whole-day event anchored on the theme "“Serbisyo sa Beterano, Serbisyo sa Bayan” will run from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Natalie Pardo-Labang, senior veterans assistance officer of PVAO, said the outreach event is part of the Veterans Hospitalization and Medical Care Program (VHMCP) which aims to address the health care needs of the veterans and their dependents who do not have access to the facilities of the Veterans Memorial Medical Center, the lone hospital which caters to the needs of veterans.
“The program is especially for veterans who are from the provinces and far-flung areas. Through this, PVAO brings health care services closer to the veterans,” Labang said.
Services to be offered during the outreach program include: free check-up, dental, ophthalmology, psychiatry, rehab medicine, ear-nose-throat (ENT), ob-gyne, urology, ECG, pediatrics and general medicine.
For more information, veterans and their families can visit www.pvao.mil.ph.
http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/411473219927/veterans-affairs-office-to-lead-medical-outreach-program-in-pangasinan
Army's 902nd IB foundation anniversar showcases community outreach, tree planting
From the Philippine Information Agency (Sep 8): Army's 902nd IB foundation anniversar showcases community outreach, tree planting
The 90nd Infantry Fight and Serve Brigade, 9th Infantry Spear Division, Philippine Army (PA) celebrated its 14th years foundation anniversary showcasing various community outreach and tree planting activities.
The 14th years founding anniversary at Camp Busig-on, Barangay Tulay na Lupa on August 15 has a theme “Pagsulong at Pag-unlad katuwang ang Mamamayan tungo sa Maunlad na Pamayanan”.
Brigade Commander Col. Rolando C. Manalo said that community outreach and tree planting was held in line with their Poverty Alleviation, Education, Alliance Building, Community Empowerment (PEACE) program.
He said that before and after the anniversary celebration, Community Outreach Program (COP) was conducted at the tribal community or kabihug families, day care pupils and orphanage of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Barangay Lugui, Mabilo 1 and II of Labo town.
A total of 18 kabihug families and 20 day care pupils benefited the groceries, assorted candies, feeding and film showing while 18 orphans enjoyed the feeding and fun games with Jollibee mascot.
The brigade also provided one medical first aid kit each to the Day Care Center and Our Lady of Guadalupe Orphanage.
On the other hand, a community outreach and seminar on peace and safety for Barangay Public Safety Officer (BPSO) were conducted on August 27 in Barangay Mancawayan, Vinzons participated by 1,050 barangay officials and residents.
They also distributed groceries like rice sardines and noodles; and conducted a clean-up drive and fun games.
On August 29, Brigade Commander Manalo along with Major General Manolito P. Orense, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Commander 9th Infantry Division, PA led a tree planting activity at the military reservation of Barangay Tulay na Lupa in Labo.
Meanwhile, Col. Ferozaldo Paul T. Regencia, deputy brigade commander of 902nd Brigade also initiated a tree planting during 902nd community outreach through the PEACE Program and cultural preservation at Barangay Belwang, Lupi, Camarines Sur on July 15 wherein the area is also under their jurisdiction.
The tree growing activity aimed at enhancing the good rapport among stakeholders particularly in the District I of Camarines Sur.
Aside from the tree planting several sub-activities were conducted by the brigade in partnership with stakeholders in Barangay Belwang Lupi, like the medical and dental mission, livelihood orientation, haircut, massage and reflexology, fun games, basic lecture on first aid, feeding, fun games, operation tuli, earthquake drill and clean up drive.
They also distributed wall clock, hygiene materials, relief goods, books and magazines, leaflets, school supplies, medical kit, comb and shampoo, medicines, kitchen utensils, toothpaste, tooth brush and vegetable seeds.
A lecture on basic information on disaster awareness, and National Security and AFP forum were also held.
A total of 1,932 residents benefited in the said activities.
This is in partnership with different stakeholders and agencies namely: Kolping Society of the Philippines Incorporated; Barangay Health Workers of Brgy Impig, Sipocot, Camarines Sur; Alpha Phi Omega Lupi Chapter; Tau Gamma Phi Poblacion, Lupi Chapter; Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Camarines Sur; Municipal Police Station of Lupi; Central Bicol State University of Agriculture-Sipocot; 1369th Dental Detachment; Camp Elias Angeles Station Hospital and the Local Government Unit of Lupi, Camarines Sur.
http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/871473207707/army-s-902nd-ib-foundation-anniversar-showcases-community-outreach-tree-planting
The 90nd Infantry Fight and Serve Brigade, 9th Infantry Spear Division, Philippine Army (PA) celebrated its 14th years foundation anniversary showcasing various community outreach and tree planting activities.
The 14th years founding anniversary at Camp Busig-on, Barangay Tulay na Lupa on August 15 has a theme “Pagsulong at Pag-unlad katuwang ang Mamamayan tungo sa Maunlad na Pamayanan”.
Brigade Commander Col. Rolando C. Manalo said that community outreach and tree planting was held in line with their Poverty Alleviation, Education, Alliance Building, Community Empowerment (PEACE) program.
He said that before and after the anniversary celebration, Community Outreach Program (COP) was conducted at the tribal community or kabihug families, day care pupils and orphanage of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Barangay Lugui, Mabilo 1 and II of Labo town.
A total of 18 kabihug families and 20 day care pupils benefited the groceries, assorted candies, feeding and film showing while 18 orphans enjoyed the feeding and fun games with Jollibee mascot.
The brigade also provided one medical first aid kit each to the Day Care Center and Our Lady of Guadalupe Orphanage.
On the other hand, a community outreach and seminar on peace and safety for Barangay Public Safety Officer (BPSO) were conducted on August 27 in Barangay Mancawayan, Vinzons participated by 1,050 barangay officials and residents.
They also distributed groceries like rice sardines and noodles; and conducted a clean-up drive and fun games.
On August 29, Brigade Commander Manalo along with Major General Manolito P. Orense, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Commander 9th Infantry Division, PA led a tree planting activity at the military reservation of Barangay Tulay na Lupa in Labo.
Meanwhile, Col. Ferozaldo Paul T. Regencia, deputy brigade commander of 902nd Brigade also initiated a tree planting during 902nd community outreach through the PEACE Program and cultural preservation at Barangay Belwang, Lupi, Camarines Sur on July 15 wherein the area is also under their jurisdiction.
The tree growing activity aimed at enhancing the good rapport among stakeholders particularly in the District I of Camarines Sur.
Aside from the tree planting several sub-activities were conducted by the brigade in partnership with stakeholders in Barangay Belwang Lupi, like the medical and dental mission, livelihood orientation, haircut, massage and reflexology, fun games, basic lecture on first aid, feeding, fun games, operation tuli, earthquake drill and clean up drive.
They also distributed wall clock, hygiene materials, relief goods, books and magazines, leaflets, school supplies, medical kit, comb and shampoo, medicines, kitchen utensils, toothpaste, tooth brush and vegetable seeds.
A lecture on basic information on disaster awareness, and National Security and AFP forum were also held.
A total of 1,932 residents benefited in the said activities.
This is in partnership with different stakeholders and agencies namely: Kolping Society of the Philippines Incorporated; Barangay Health Workers of Brgy Impig, Sipocot, Camarines Sur; Alpha Phi Omega Lupi Chapter; Tau Gamma Phi Poblacion, Lupi Chapter; Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Camarines Sur; Municipal Police Station of Lupi; Central Bicol State University of Agriculture-Sipocot; 1369th Dental Detachment; Camp Elias Angeles Station Hospital and the Local Government Unit of Lupi, Camarines Sur.
http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/871473207707/army-s-902nd-ib-foundation-anniversar-showcases-community-outreach-tree-planting
30 rebel returnees benefit from provincial livelihood program
From the Philippine Information Agency (Sep 8): 30 rebel returnees benefit from provincial livelihood program
Thirty former
rebels in the province continue to benefit from the Provincial Livelihood
Program for Rebel Returnees of the provincial government.
Based on the data
of the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO) here, this
Provincial Livelihood Program for Rebel Returnees started in 2011 with the late
governor Leonard Mayaen to partly address the concerns of former communist
rebels who returned to the folds of the law.
This is
implemented through a memorandum of agreement signed by the provincial and
barangay governments and the rebel returnees. The MOA is renewable every year.
Non compliance to the terms of the MOA means termination from the program.
Under this
program, each RR beneficiary receives a monthly allowance of P5, 000 in
exchange for community service in the barangay and he has to work from Monday
to Friday except holidays.
Barangay
chairpersons are tasked to supervise and sign the daily time records of the
returnees in their respective barangays.
Not all rebel
returnees are qualified for the program. The rebel returnees with pending cases
in courts involving crimes against chastity, rape, torture, kidnapping for
ransom, use and trafficking of illegal drugs and other crimes for personal ends
and violations of international law, are not qualified.
The program does
not also include RRs who refuse to send their children to school who
are of school age; those who fail to live within the norms of the community;
and those who continue their relation/contact with the underground movement
such as the New People’s Army or the Cordillera People Democratic Front.
Originally, there
were 42 rebel returnee beneficiaries of the program. Others were removed due to
non-compliance to the terms of the MOA they have signed.
Baguilat urges MNLF, MILF to help gather intelligence vs terrorism
From the Philippine Information Agency (Sep 8): Baguilat urges MNLF, MILF to help gather intelligence vs terrorism
Ifugao Representative Teddy Baguilat has called on the Moro National Liberation Front and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front to help gather useful intelligence that the government can use to stop terrorism in its tracks.
Reacting to the suspected terrorist attack on Davao City over the weekend, Baguilat said he supported the Duterte administration’s quick and strong response to the cowardly act that left innocent civilians dead and wounded.
“We should all get behind the administration’s strong action against terrorism. Now is the time for unity against these atrocities,” said Baguilat.
To help prevent more attacks, Baguilat said the MNLF and MILF can provide intelligence on possible threats outside Mindanao. “In the fight versus extremism, we are all on the same side. Everybody should get involved in keeping our country safe,” said Baguilat.
“If there are indeed suicide bombers or threats in Metro Manila, what is needed more than military response is precise and prompt intelligence, which the MNLF and MILF can perhaps provide.”
“In the long run, we all want to eradicate extremism. If they intend to govern their own land, the Bangsamoro, they could sart by eliminating future threats such as extremist forces. The MNLF and MILF can work together this way for the long term welfare of our country,” he added.
Baguilat was one of the legislators in the 16th Congress who vigorously supported the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law. He said he would continue to support such a law in the current Congress.
“I still believe in the cause of peace and development in Muslim Mindanao, a cause that I share with the President. I therefore appeal to these two groups for help in providing any intelligence that they may have. We are in this cause of keeping the country safe together,” he said. (PIA/Congressional Office)
http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/161473242699/baguilat-urges-mnlf-milf-to-help-gather-intelligence-vs-terrorism
Ifugao Representative Teddy Baguilat has called on the Moro National Liberation Front and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front to help gather useful intelligence that the government can use to stop terrorism in its tracks.
Reacting to the suspected terrorist attack on Davao City over the weekend, Baguilat said he supported the Duterte administration’s quick and strong response to the cowardly act that left innocent civilians dead and wounded.
“We should all get behind the administration’s strong action against terrorism. Now is the time for unity against these atrocities,” said Baguilat.
To help prevent more attacks, Baguilat said the MNLF and MILF can provide intelligence on possible threats outside Mindanao. “In the fight versus extremism, we are all on the same side. Everybody should get involved in keeping our country safe,” said Baguilat.
“If there are indeed suicide bombers or threats in Metro Manila, what is needed more than military response is precise and prompt intelligence, which the MNLF and MILF can perhaps provide.”
“In the long run, we all want to eradicate extremism. If they intend to govern their own land, the Bangsamoro, they could sart by eliminating future threats such as extremist forces. The MNLF and MILF can work together this way for the long term welfare of our country,” he added.
Baguilat was one of the legislators in the 16th Congress who vigorously supported the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law. He said he would continue to support such a law in the current Congress.
“I still believe in the cause of peace and development in Muslim Mindanao, a cause that I share with the President. I therefore appeal to these two groups for help in providing any intelligence that they may have. We are in this cause of keeping the country safe together,” he said. (PIA/Congressional Office)
http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/161473242699/baguilat-urges-mnlf-milf-to-help-gather-intelligence-vs-terrorism
Peace panel eyes 1-year talks, 5-years implementation of reforms
From the Philippine Information Agency (Sep 8): Peace panel eyes 1-year talks, 5-years implementation of reforms
The government (GRP) panel negotiating peace with the National Democratic Front (NDF) is committed in signing a final peace agreement with communist guerillas within one year, giving the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte five more years to start implementing key reforms mutually-agreed upon by both parties.
Government negotiator Hernani Braganza disclosed that the Duterte administration has set a self-imposed deadline to wrap up the peace talks in a year's time to allow the implementation stage of the peace process to take root before the President's term ends in year 2022.
"The negotiation stage may be difficult, but the real test of the peace process lies in the implementation of social, economic, and political reforms mutually-agreed upon by both parties," Braganza told participants of the Central Visayas People's Summit for Peace and Change held in Cebu City.
"The Duterte government and the NDF share a common mission: address the root causes of the armed conflict. Both panels are guided by this mission and we are serious in finding joint solutions to attain just and lasting peace," he added.
Braganza expressed optimism that both panels would be able to finish the negotiation within one year following an agreement in Oslo to accelerate the timetable that binds their Reciprocal Working Committees (RWCs) and Reciprocal Working Groups (RWGs) to complete work on the substantive agenda of the peace negotiations within specific timeline.
Part of the agreement was a commitment by the RWCs on Comprehensive Agreement on Socio-Economic Reforms (CASER) of both panels to "endeavor to complete work within a period of six months."
Discussions on CASER is expected to last the longest among items in the substantive agenda as these involve the most contentious issues such as agrarian reform, national industrialization, and foreign policy.
Braganza explained that CASER is considered the "heart and soul" of the peace negotiations between the GRP and the NDF, pointing out that work on socio-economic reform would determine the outcome of the talks.
"Fast-tracking discussions on CASER means accelerating the process of seeking political settlement with the NDF and ending almost half a century of armed conflict with communist guerillas," Braganza added.
Another agreement signed in Oslo requires the RWGs on Political and Constitutional Reforms (PCR) to abide by the following timetable:
* Exchange of drafts by September 2016;
* Common draft by October 2016;
* Discussions on common draft on November 2016;
* Drafting of common draft at RWC level by December 2016; and
* Completion of final draft by January 2017 for submission to respective Panels.
Also agreed upon was the timetable set by the RWGs on End of Hostilities/Disposition of Forces (EoH/DoF), which are required to commence their work on draft outlines by 24 October 2016, without waiting for the result of discussions on other substantive issues.
The other major agreements that were signed in Oslo include:
* Reaffirmation of previously signed agreements since The Hague Joint Declaration of 1992, including the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG), and the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL) "subject to further developments and enhancements as may be mutually agreed upon."
* Reconstitution of the JASIG List which was presented by the NDF Panel to the GRP Panel. The JASIG protects certain NDF leaders and consultants from arrest and prosecution in recognition of their participation in the peace process.
* Formal revitalization of the Joint Monitoring Committee, a mechanism crucial in the implementation of CARHRIHL.
* Commitment of the GRP to "cause the early release of prisoners (as listed by the NDF) who are sick, elderly, overly long detained, and women based on humanitarian grounds."
* Recommendation for President Duterte to "issue an amnesty proclamation, subject to concurrence of Congress, for the release of prisoners who are listed by the NDF and who have been arrested, imprisoned, charged, and/or convicted for alleged acts or omissions within the ambit of the Revised Penal Code or special laws in connection with crimes in pursuit of one's political beliefs."
Braganza, at the same time, called on ordinary citizens to get themselves involved and participate in public discussions related to ongoing peace talks between the GRP and NDF.
He noted that the government panel would continue holding public consultations with various groups in the Philippines to solicit their positions and inputs on issues that would form part of the agenda in the peace negotiations.
"We are negotiators for the Filipino people. We want to get their position on issues up for discussion so these can be taken into consideration during negotiation," Braganza said.
"This is not a mere discussion between two panels of negotiators. We want all voices to be heard and amplified in the negotiating table," he added. (OPAPP)
http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/1141473251385/peace-panel-eyes-1-year-talks-5-years-implementation-of-reforms
The government (GRP) panel negotiating peace with the National Democratic Front (NDF) is committed in signing a final peace agreement with communist guerillas within one year, giving the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte five more years to start implementing key reforms mutually-agreed upon by both parties.
Government negotiator Hernani Braganza disclosed that the Duterte administration has set a self-imposed deadline to wrap up the peace talks in a year's time to allow the implementation stage of the peace process to take root before the President's term ends in year 2022.
"The negotiation stage may be difficult, but the real test of the peace process lies in the implementation of social, economic, and political reforms mutually-agreed upon by both parties," Braganza told participants of the Central Visayas People's Summit for Peace and Change held in Cebu City.
"The Duterte government and the NDF share a common mission: address the root causes of the armed conflict. Both panels are guided by this mission and we are serious in finding joint solutions to attain just and lasting peace," he added.
Braganza expressed optimism that both panels would be able to finish the negotiation within one year following an agreement in Oslo to accelerate the timetable that binds their Reciprocal Working Committees (RWCs) and Reciprocal Working Groups (RWGs) to complete work on the substantive agenda of the peace negotiations within specific timeline.
Part of the agreement was a commitment by the RWCs on Comprehensive Agreement on Socio-Economic Reforms (CASER) of both panels to "endeavor to complete work within a period of six months."
Discussions on CASER is expected to last the longest among items in the substantive agenda as these involve the most contentious issues such as agrarian reform, national industrialization, and foreign policy.
Braganza explained that CASER is considered the "heart and soul" of the peace negotiations between the GRP and the NDF, pointing out that work on socio-economic reform would determine the outcome of the talks.
"Fast-tracking discussions on CASER means accelerating the process of seeking political settlement with the NDF and ending almost half a century of armed conflict with communist guerillas," Braganza added.
Another agreement signed in Oslo requires the RWGs on Political and Constitutional Reforms (PCR) to abide by the following timetable:
* Exchange of drafts by September 2016;
* Common draft by October 2016;
* Discussions on common draft on November 2016;
* Drafting of common draft at RWC level by December 2016; and
* Completion of final draft by January 2017 for submission to respective Panels.
Also agreed upon was the timetable set by the RWGs on End of Hostilities/Disposition of Forces (EoH/DoF), which are required to commence their work on draft outlines by 24 October 2016, without waiting for the result of discussions on other substantive issues.
The other major agreements that were signed in Oslo include:
* Reaffirmation of previously signed agreements since The Hague Joint Declaration of 1992, including the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG), and the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL) "subject to further developments and enhancements as may be mutually agreed upon."
* Reconstitution of the JASIG List which was presented by the NDF Panel to the GRP Panel. The JASIG protects certain NDF leaders and consultants from arrest and prosecution in recognition of their participation in the peace process.
* Formal revitalization of the Joint Monitoring Committee, a mechanism crucial in the implementation of CARHRIHL.
* Commitment of the GRP to "cause the early release of prisoners (as listed by the NDF) who are sick, elderly, overly long detained, and women based on humanitarian grounds."
* Recommendation for President Duterte to "issue an amnesty proclamation, subject to concurrence of Congress, for the release of prisoners who are listed by the NDF and who have been arrested, imprisoned, charged, and/or convicted for alleged acts or omissions within the ambit of the Revised Penal Code or special laws in connection with crimes in pursuit of one's political beliefs."
Braganza, at the same time, called on ordinary citizens to get themselves involved and participate in public discussions related to ongoing peace talks between the GRP and NDF.
He noted that the government panel would continue holding public consultations with various groups in the Philippines to solicit their positions and inputs on issues that would form part of the agenda in the peace negotiations.
"We are negotiators for the Filipino people. We want to get their position on issues up for discussion so these can be taken into consideration during negotiation," Braganza said.
"This is not a mere discussion between two panels of negotiators. We want all voices to be heard and amplified in the negotiating table," he added. (OPAPP)
http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/1141473251385/peace-panel-eyes-1-year-talks-5-years-implementation-of-reforms
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