From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 23): Gov't preparations for ASEAN Summit, state visits of Widodo, Bolkiah in full swing
The Philippine government has stepped up preparations for the 30th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and the State Visits of Indonesian President His Excellency Joko Widodo, and His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah, Sultan and Yan Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam in Manila this week.
President Rodrigo Roa Duterte will chair this year's 30th ASEAN Summit on April 29 involving the Heads of States/Governments of 10 ASEAN Member States, namely Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Preparatory meetings, involving ASEAN Ministers and Senior Officials, will take place from April 26 to 28.
The 30th ASEAN Summit is the first of two leaders-level meetings that the Philippines will convene this year as Chair of ASEAN. The second one, the 31st ASEAN Summit and Related Summits, will be held in November and will be participated in by the ASEAN's Dialogue Partners, such as Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, Russia and the United States.
Before the actual Leaders' meeting on April 29, His Majesty Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and His Excellency Widodo will hold state visits in the country on April 27 and April 28, respectively.
"Preparations are now in full swing for all activities scheduled [this] week in Manila," said Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella in a statement on Sunday.
"The President looks forward to meeting His Majesty the Sultan and President Widodo, respectively, to build on the gains achieved during President Duterte's visits to Bandar Seri Begawan and Jakarta," Abella added.
In an earlier press conference in Malacañang, ASEAN 2017 Director-General for Operations Ambassador Marciano Paynor Jr. said the agenda for the separate meetings of President Duterte with the two leaders will be specific to issues that relate to both countries.
"For Indonesia I think it will be a follow-up of what President Duterte and President Widodo had talked about in Jakarta when the President went there for a visit. This is a return state visit of President Widodo. And I would imagine that security of our sea lanes, cross-border traffic and patrol, agriculture, I think, may be one of the issues that will be discussed with Indonesia," Paynor said.
"With Brunei, similar issues that I feel will just be reiterated and perhaps further elucidated," he added.
Duterte visited Indonesia in September last year as his first-ever state visit as President. He then visited Brunei Darussalam in October also for a state visit.
Paynor said Widodo is also expected to join Duterte in the launch of the Davao-General Santos-Bitung Roll-on Roll-off sea linkage route in Davao City on April 30.
In time for the summit, Malacañang has declared suspension of work in the government sector in the cities of Pasay, Makati, and Manila on April 27 and in government and private sectors in Metro Manila on April 28.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=981925
Sunday, April 23, 2017
FVR cites WWII veterans for gallantry in defending democracy
From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 23): FVR cites WWII veterans for gallantry in defending democracy
Former President Fidel V. Ramos has cited the bravery of thousands of Filipino and American veterans, who fought the much superior Japanese Imperial Army during World War II in defense of freedom and democracy.
Ramos made the statement to commemorate the just-concluded 75th anniversary of the Battle of Bataan that “prevented the invasion by the Japanese Imperial Forces of the crucial but vulnerable islands of the Pacific such as Guam, Australia, and the Hawaiian group which are stepping stones to the prize targets on the US mainland.”
The former Chief Executive turned newspaper columnist made a long narration of the sacrifices of Filipino and American veterans in the Second World War that lasted for over three years.
He cited the bravery of three die-hard warriors -- Wendell Fertig of Mindanao, Macario Peralta of Panay, and American Russel Volckmann of northern Luzon, who waged guerrilla war against the Japanese forces in said areas.
“No, Bataan and Corregidor did not fall -- they fortified and the Filipino-American spirit of resistance, such as strength of will and audacity is known to our former Japanese adversaries, who are now among our strongest allies,” Ramos said.
Veterans’ Week, held in the month of April, is spearheaded by the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO) presently headed by retired Lt. Gen. Ernesto G. Carolina.
“As freedom-loving Filipinos -- whether young or old, rich or poor -- it is our obligation to encourage friends and relatives to properly pay tribute to our World War II heroes who endured the suffering of the Bataan Death March, and somehow survived more than 100 kilometers. Of brutality under a scorching summer sun to reach the P.O.W. prison camp in Camp O’Donnell, Capas, Tarlac,” Ramos said, who himself is a former veterans of the Korean and Vietnam wars.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=981929
Former President Fidel V. Ramos has cited the bravery of thousands of Filipino and American veterans, who fought the much superior Japanese Imperial Army during World War II in defense of freedom and democracy.
Ramos made the statement to commemorate the just-concluded 75th anniversary of the Battle of Bataan that “prevented the invasion by the Japanese Imperial Forces of the crucial but vulnerable islands of the Pacific such as Guam, Australia, and the Hawaiian group which are stepping stones to the prize targets on the US mainland.”
The former Chief Executive turned newspaper columnist made a long narration of the sacrifices of Filipino and American veterans in the Second World War that lasted for over three years.
He cited the bravery of three die-hard warriors -- Wendell Fertig of Mindanao, Macario Peralta of Panay, and American Russel Volckmann of northern Luzon, who waged guerrilla war against the Japanese forces in said areas.
“No, Bataan and Corregidor did not fall -- they fortified and the Filipino-American spirit of resistance, such as strength of will and audacity is known to our former Japanese adversaries, who are now among our strongest allies,” Ramos said.
Veterans’ Week, held in the month of April, is spearheaded by the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO) presently headed by retired Lt. Gen. Ernesto G. Carolina.
“As freedom-loving Filipinos -- whether young or old, rich or poor -- it is our obligation to encourage friends and relatives to properly pay tribute to our World War II heroes who endured the suffering of the Bataan Death March, and somehow survived more than 100 kilometers. Of brutality under a scorching summer sun to reach the P.O.W. prison camp in Camp O’Donnell, Capas, Tarlac,” Ramos said, who himself is a former veterans of the Korean and Vietnam wars.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=981929
Nothing wrong with DND chief's visit to Pag-asa Island
From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 23): Nothing wrong with DND chief's visit to Pag-asa Island
Ranking Philippine defense and military officials see nothing wrong with their decision to visit Pag-asa Island, the largest feature in the Kalayaan Island Group, last April 22.
Earlier, Chinese officials expressed concerns on the visit as it has negated the important consensus reached between Chinese President Xi Jinping and President Rodrigo Duterte on how to settle the South China Sea issue.
"The visit to Pag-asa is part of (Department of National Defense) Secretary Delfin Lorenzana's many responsibilities as Head of the DND. He routinely inspects all facilities under the Department's administrative supervision," DND public affairs office chief Arsenio Andolong said in a message.
Pag-asa Island is one of those facilities, he added.
"The trip was meant to see what is needed to improve the living conditions, safety and personal security of Filipinos on the island, who rely on their government to see to their welfare in such a far-flung place," Andolong stressed.
In regards to the Chinese protest on the above-mentioned visit, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief-of-staff Gen. Eduardo Año said it is the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA)'s purview to deal with such matters.
"(It is) within the purview of the DFA. Foreign policy question. As far as the AFP is concern, we visited our troops manning our territory," he added.
"There is nothing wrong with our visit. It's part of my job. We never land in any island except ours where our troops are stationed. Pag-asa is a municipality of Palawan," the AFP chief stressed.
Last Friday, Lorenzana, Año and other ranking officials of the military, along with a select group of media practitioners, visited Pagasa Island.
During the visit, the DND chief bared plans to upgrade existing facilities in the island to the tune of PHP1.6 billion.
Construction projects eyed for Pag-asa Island include the concreting of the 1.2 kilometer-long Rancudo Airstrip, development of ports, installation of additional solar panels and generator sets, desalination plants, new quarters for military personnel and establishment of Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources marine research and shelter center, and an ice plant for storing and preserving the fish caught by the islanders.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=981937
Ranking Philippine defense and military officials see nothing wrong with their decision to visit Pag-asa Island, the largest feature in the Kalayaan Island Group, last April 22.
Earlier, Chinese officials expressed concerns on the visit as it has negated the important consensus reached between Chinese President Xi Jinping and President Rodrigo Duterte on how to settle the South China Sea issue.
"The visit to Pag-asa is part of (Department of National Defense) Secretary Delfin Lorenzana's many responsibilities as Head of the DND. He routinely inspects all facilities under the Department's administrative supervision," DND public affairs office chief Arsenio Andolong said in a message.
Pag-asa Island is one of those facilities, he added.
"The trip was meant to see what is needed to improve the living conditions, safety and personal security of Filipinos on the island, who rely on their government to see to their welfare in such a far-flung place," Andolong stressed.
In regards to the Chinese protest on the above-mentioned visit, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief-of-staff Gen. Eduardo Año said it is the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA)'s purview to deal with such matters.
"(It is) within the purview of the DFA. Foreign policy question. As far as the AFP is concern, we visited our troops manning our territory," he added.
"There is nothing wrong with our visit. It's part of my job. We never land in any island except ours where our troops are stationed. Pag-asa is a municipality of Palawan," the AFP chief stressed.
Last Friday, Lorenzana, Año and other ranking officials of the military, along with a select group of media practitioners, visited Pagasa Island.
During the visit, the DND chief bared plans to upgrade existing facilities in the island to the tune of PHP1.6 billion.
Construction projects eyed for Pag-asa Island include the concreting of the 1.2 kilometer-long Rancudo Airstrip, development of ports, installation of additional solar panels and generator sets, desalination plants, new quarters for military personnel and establishment of Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources marine research and shelter center, and an ice plant for storing and preserving the fish caught by the islanders.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=981937
Reds attack popular tourist spot in Davao Oriental
From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 23): Reds attack popular tourist spot in Davao Oriental
Communist New People’s Army (NPA) rebels staged an attack at Aliwagwag Falls, one of the main tourist destinations in the province of Davao Oriental, at around 4:30 a.m. Sunday, an official said.
“No tourist was injured in the attack,” Captain Rhyan Batchar, chief information officer of the 10th Infantry (Agila) Division, said in a phone interview.
Aliwagwag Falls is located in Cateel town.
Batchar said a team of 67th Infantry Battalion was assigned to the tourist spot to secure visitors, as the place is frequented by tourists during summer.
He said that around 40 members the NPA's Southern Mindanao Regional Command staged the harassment.
A member of the 67th IB was wounded during the attack, but his name was withheld pending the notification to his family members.
Batchar said the 67th IB team was able to defend their position while the NPAs withdrew northwest of Aliwagwag Falls.
The encounter lasted for almost an hour, he added.
“The place is secured right now. Pursuit operation is ongoing against the fleeing rebels,” he said.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=&sid=&nid=&rid=981878
Communist New People’s Army (NPA) rebels staged an attack at Aliwagwag Falls, one of the main tourist destinations in the province of Davao Oriental, at around 4:30 a.m. Sunday, an official said.
“No tourist was injured in the attack,” Captain Rhyan Batchar, chief information officer of the 10th Infantry (Agila) Division, said in a phone interview.
Aliwagwag Falls is located in Cateel town.
Batchar said a team of 67th Infantry Battalion was assigned to the tourist spot to secure visitors, as the place is frequented by tourists during summer.
He said that around 40 members the NPA's Southern Mindanao Regional Command staged the harassment.
A member of the 67th IB was wounded during the attack, but his name was withheld pending the notification to his family members.
Batchar said the 67th IB team was able to defend their position while the NPAs withdrew northwest of Aliwagwag Falls.
The encounter lasted for almost an hour, he added.
“The place is secured right now. Pursuit operation is ongoing against the fleeing rebels,” he said.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=&sid=&nid=&rid=981878
Saturday, April 22, 2017
Army, jihadists clash anew in Lanao Sur
From the Manila Times (Apr 22): Army, jihadists clash anew in Lanao Sur
Government forces and jihadists aligned with the notorious Islamic State (IS) clashed anew in Lanao del Sur before dawn on Saturday in Piagapo town near the camp of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
Army Captain Jo-ann Petinglay, spokesperson of the Zamboanga-based Western Mindanao Command (WestMincom), confirmed the clashes but did not provide further details about the “ongoing engagement.”
She said they were still identifying the “armed group” that clashed with the troopers.
The Manila Times’ sources from the intelligence communities said the encounter occurred at around 3 a.m. when the military, using air strikes, bombed a site in the village of Gakap.
The sources said a local group of militants, jihadists who have pledged allegiance to the IS and known to authorities as the Maute group, converged in the town recently.
The militants were joined by non-Maranaos, including Maguindanaoans, Tausugs and “Balik-Islam” or Muslim converts who went to the area for hijra or migration in what they call the “land of jihad,” the sources said.
It was not immediately known whether the military was alerted of their presence in the area, but the sources said efforts were made by civilians, local leaders and the MILF to ask the jihadists to leave town.
The MILF rebels, who have signed peace accords with the government, had disowned members involved in the Maute group’s activities.
Hundreds of families in Gakap and other nearby villages were displaced by the recent firefight.
The relief team of Lanao del Sur and other humanitarian organizations dispatched groups to attend to the needs of the evacuees.
Last month, the military clashed with the same group in Ragayan, Poona-Bayabao. A detachment was installed in the area following last year’s firefights in Butig, which was briefly taken over by the jihadists.
http://www.manilatimes.net/army-jihadists-clash-anew-lanao-sur-2/323585/
Government forces and jihadists aligned with the notorious Islamic State (IS) clashed anew in Lanao del Sur before dawn on Saturday in Piagapo town near the camp of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
Army Captain Jo-ann Petinglay, spokesperson of the Zamboanga-based Western Mindanao Command (WestMincom), confirmed the clashes but did not provide further details about the “ongoing engagement.”
She said they were still identifying the “armed group” that clashed with the troopers.
The Manila Times’ sources from the intelligence communities said the encounter occurred at around 3 a.m. when the military, using air strikes, bombed a site in the village of Gakap.
The sources said a local group of militants, jihadists who have pledged allegiance to the IS and known to authorities as the Maute group, converged in the town recently.
The militants were joined by non-Maranaos, including Maguindanaoans, Tausugs and “Balik-Islam” or Muslim converts who went to the area for hijra or migration in what they call the “land of jihad,” the sources said.
It was not immediately known whether the military was alerted of their presence in the area, but the sources said efforts were made by civilians, local leaders and the MILF to ask the jihadists to leave town.
The MILF rebels, who have signed peace accords with the government, had disowned members involved in the Maute group’s activities.
Hundreds of families in Gakap and other nearby villages were displaced by the recent firefight.
The relief team of Lanao del Sur and other humanitarian organizations dispatched groups to attend to the needs of the evacuees.
Last month, the military clashed with the same group in Ragayan, Poona-Bayabao. A detachment was installed in the area following last year’s firefights in Butig, which was briefly taken over by the jihadists.
http://www.manilatimes.net/army-jihadists-clash-anew-lanao-sur-2/323585/
Cops recover motorbike used in Maguindanao town mosque bombing
From the Sun Star-Davao (Apr 23): Cops recover motorbike used in Maguindanao town mosque bombing
Police in Maguindanao recovered a motorbike used by two men, who lobbed grenades at the Talayan mosque Friday noon, April 21.
Eight persons, including Mayor Nathaniel Midtimbang of Datu Anggal Midtimbang town, his father, former mayor Kagi Midtimbang and six others, were hurt in the blast as they emerged from a noon prayer.
The Regional Darul Ifta (Islamic House of Opinion) condemned the terror attack while worshippers were leaving the Mosque premises after the Friday congregational prayer.
“We call upon the authorities to investigate to ascertain the motive and to arrest the perpetrators,” the Darul Ifta said in a statement.
Maguindanao Police Director Agustin Tello, said police are determining the owner of the motorbike.
Tello said the attackers fled on two motorcycles, one of which was recovered later along the national highway.
The elder Midtimbang sustained shrapnel wounds in both legs and was airlifted, along with his son Mayor Nathaniel to Davao City for further medical treatment.
Police said the other grenade failed to explode and was properly defused by army bomb experts.
The attackers abandoned the motorbike at the highway and boarded a waiting white Toyota Innova with no license plates, said residents who ran after them.
Talayan has been subjected to grenade and improvised bomb attacks in recent years after it hosted a Peace Summit denouncing extremism in town.
Police eyed the involvement of religious fanatics who attended extremism and jihadist talks by suspected foreign terrorists in Maguindanao.
Tello said also considered persons of interests were members of the outlawed Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters operating in Talayan and nearby towns.
Police in Maguindanao recovered a motorbike used by two men, who lobbed grenades at the Talayan mosque Friday noon, April 21.
Eight persons, including Mayor Nathaniel Midtimbang of Datu Anggal Midtimbang town, his father, former mayor Kagi Midtimbang and six others, were hurt in the blast as they emerged from a noon prayer.
The Regional Darul Ifta (Islamic House of Opinion) condemned the terror attack while worshippers were leaving the Mosque premises after the Friday congregational prayer.
“We call upon the authorities to investigate to ascertain the motive and to arrest the perpetrators,” the Darul Ifta said in a statement.
Maguindanao Police Director Agustin Tello, said police are determining the owner of the motorbike.
Tello said the attackers fled on two motorcycles, one of which was recovered later along the national highway.
The elder Midtimbang sustained shrapnel wounds in both legs and was airlifted, along with his son Mayor Nathaniel to Davao City for further medical treatment.
Police said the other grenade failed to explode and was properly defused by army bomb experts.
The attackers abandoned the motorbike at the highway and boarded a waiting white Toyota Innova with no license plates, said residents who ran after them.
Talayan has been subjected to grenade and improvised bomb attacks in recent years after it hosted a Peace Summit denouncing extremism in town.
Police eyed the involvement of religious fanatics who attended extremism and jihadist talks by suspected foreign terrorists in Maguindanao.
Tello said also considered persons of interests were members of the outlawed Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters operating in Talayan and nearby towns.
Maguindanao clans end 20-year conflict
From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Apr 22): Maguindanao clans end 20-year conflict
Warring clans in Maguindanao province ended two decades of armed hostilities involving family members by signing a peace pact in an Army camp in Sultan Kudarat province last week.
The settlement of “rido” (clan war) and reconciliation of the Balindong and Montaner clans at the Army’s 603rd infantry brigade headquarters came after years of efforts to convince the clans’ elders to settle their misunderstanding “for the sake of their children.”
Col. Jesus Sarsagat, 603rd brigade commander, and Lt. Col. Ruben Aquino, 6th Infantry Battalion commander, initiated the negotiations early this year until the families agreed to forge peace.
The animosity involving the clans was triggered by misunderstanding over politics and other personal issues, reports said.
More than two dozen supporters and family members from both clans had died in sporadic clashes that spanned 20 years.
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/890994/maguindanao-clans-end-20-year-conflict
Warring clans in Maguindanao province ended two decades of armed hostilities involving family members by signing a peace pact in an Army camp in Sultan Kudarat province last week.
The settlement of “rido” (clan war) and reconciliation of the Balindong and Montaner clans at the Army’s 603rd infantry brigade headquarters came after years of efforts to convince the clans’ elders to settle their misunderstanding “for the sake of their children.”
Col. Jesus Sarsagat, 603rd brigade commander, and Lt. Col. Ruben Aquino, 6th Infantry Battalion commander, initiated the negotiations early this year until the families agreed to forge peace.
The animosity involving the clans was triggered by misunderstanding over politics and other personal issues, reports said.
More than two dozen supporters and family members from both clans had died in sporadic clashes that spanned 20 years.
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/890994/maguindanao-clans-end-20-year-conflict
Military, terror groups engage in gun battle in Lanao del Sur
From ABS-CBN (Apr 22): Military, terror groups engage in gun battle in Lanao del Sur
Military forces engaged joint members of the Maute and the Abu Sayyaf groups in a gun battle in Barangay Gakap, Piagapo town in Lanao del Sur on Saturday morning.
No casualties were reported as of posting time.
The firefight was the result of continuous military operations against the terrorists, the army said.
Lieutenant Colonel Jo-ar Herera, Tabak 1st Division spokesperson, confirmed that the Maute and Abu Sayyaf have joined forces as both groups are historically allies.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines used airstrikes to overwhelm the two groups.
Herera said Joint Task Force Kampilan, led by Brigadier Generals Joselito Bautista and Nixon Fortes, has been conducting operations to contain the terrorists in the area, adding that the military is following directives from President Rodrigo Duterte.
Herera said they are also confirming whether the Abu Sayyaf is still led by Isnilon Hapilon, who was first reported killed in Butig 2 months ago.
The military has also secured vital installations that may be targeted by the terrorist group to divert the authorities' attention.
The local government unit has evacuated about 200 families.
http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/04/22/17/military-terror-groups-engage-in-gun-battle-in-lanao-del-sur
Military forces engaged joint members of the Maute and the Abu Sayyaf groups in a gun battle in Barangay Gakap, Piagapo town in Lanao del Sur on Saturday morning.
No casualties were reported as of posting time.
The firefight was the result of continuous military operations against the terrorists, the army said.
Lieutenant Colonel Jo-ar Herera, Tabak 1st Division spokesperson, confirmed that the Maute and Abu Sayyaf have joined forces as both groups are historically allies.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines used airstrikes to overwhelm the two groups.
Herera said Joint Task Force Kampilan, led by Brigadier Generals Joselito Bautista and Nixon Fortes, has been conducting operations to contain the terrorists in the area, adding that the military is following directives from President Rodrigo Duterte.
Herera said they are also confirming whether the Abu Sayyaf is still led by Isnilon Hapilon, who was first reported killed in Butig 2 months ago.
The military has also secured vital installations that may be targeted by the terrorist group to divert the authorities' attention.
The local government unit has evacuated about 200 families.
http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/04/22/17/military-terror-groups-engage-in-gun-battle-in-lanao-del-sur
'Collusion' between Abu, NPAs eyed
From the Visayan Daily Star (Apr 22): 'Collusion' between Abu, NPAs eyed
Navy Capt. George Ibarra, Task Force Deter commander, theorized that Abu Sayyaf Group bandits may be talking with the New People's Army in a bid to pursue their mission to kidnap prominent personalities in the Visayas.
Ibarra does not discount the possibility of a situation where NPA rebels will do the kidnapping and then sell their victims to the ASG, who will in turn demand for millions of pesos in ransom money from the families of their victims.
Ibarra is hoping the situation will not reach to this point while the task force is validating and processing intelligence information about sightings of armed individuals in parts of Sta. Catalina.
Gov. Roel Degamo was told that the armed individuals, who were sighted in Fatima and Omanod, Sta. Catalina, are NPA rebels who fled Bohol after the encounter, and on their way to Negros Occidental through Payaw-payawan.
Degamo stressed during a meeting yesterday with coastal barangay captains from Basay to Manjuyod, including their mayors, that the ASG threat is not only the concern of the governor, the mayor or the law enforcers, but for everybody to unite so the province will be sealed from this group of terrorists.
http://www.visayandailystar.com/2017/April/22/negor2.htm
Navy Capt. George Ibarra, Task Force Deter commander, theorized that Abu Sayyaf Group bandits may be talking with the New People's Army in a bid to pursue their mission to kidnap prominent personalities in the Visayas.
Ibarra does not discount the possibility of a situation where NPA rebels will do the kidnapping and then sell their victims to the ASG, who will in turn demand for millions of pesos in ransom money from the families of their victims.
Ibarra is hoping the situation will not reach to this point while the task force is validating and processing intelligence information about sightings of armed individuals in parts of Sta. Catalina.
Gov. Roel Degamo was told that the armed individuals, who were sighted in Fatima and Omanod, Sta. Catalina, are NPA rebels who fled Bohol after the encounter, and on their way to Negros Occidental through Payaw-payawan.
Degamo stressed during a meeting yesterday with coastal barangay captains from Basay to Manjuyod, including their mayors, that the ASG threat is not only the concern of the governor, the mayor or the law enforcers, but for everybody to unite so the province will be sealed from this group of terrorists.
http://www.visayandailystar.com/2017/April/22/negor2.htm
Lorenzana to Gina Lopez: Ask your NPA friends to 'lay down their arms'
From Rappler (Apr 22): Lorenzana to Gina Lopez: Ask your NPA friends to 'lay down their arms'
The defense department is still awaiting official communication on how it can help the DENR establish E3 (ecological, economic, and educational) zones across the country
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Saturday, April 22, urged Environment Secretary Gina Lopez to encourage her friends from the New People's Army (NPA) to "lay down their arms, stop all their criminal and terroristic activities, and become legitimate citizens of the Philippines."
"Kung gusto talaga tumulong ng CPP-NPA, bitawan na nila ang kanilang mga armas, itigil ang extortion, at magbalik-loob na sa lipunan," Lorenzana said on Saturday. (If the CPP-NPA really wants to help, they should lay down their arms, stop extortion, and return to society.)
His statement comes after Lopez was quoted this week as saying she already asked President Rodrigo Duterte if she can work with the NPA, whom she "likes."
According to an Inquirer report, the environment secretary plans to develop Agusan del Sur into an E3 (ecological, economic, and educational) zone.
In August 2016, Lopez said addressing social injustice is needed to bring peace to Mindanao.
Back then, she said she considered the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and former NPA members she had met as "really good people" who are, in fact, "better than some businessmen" who "just want to rape the country."
Lorenzana on Saturday commended Lopez for her commitment to protecting the environment and promoting sustainable development in the country.
He said the Department of National Defense is still awaiting official communication on how it can help the Department of Environment and Natural Resources establish the E3 zones across the country.
"The Department of National Defense welcomes all initiatives that will help uplift the lives of our countrymen and bring livelihood to our communities. In fact, the main goal of our Philippine Defense Transformation Roadmap 2028 is the attainment of a more credible defense posture that will lead to national development,” Lorenzana added.
Duterte in February scrapped the peace talks after the NPA halted its ceasefire, but he changed his mind and the camps agreed to reopen negotiations in March. (READ: PH, NDF reopen talks after bitter impasse)
http://www.rappler.com/nation/167633-delfin-lorenzana-gina-lopez-npa-dnd
The defense department is still awaiting official communication on how it can help the DENR establish E3 (ecological, economic, and educational) zones across the country
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Saturday, April 22, urged Environment Secretary Gina Lopez to encourage her friends from the New People's Army (NPA) to "lay down their arms, stop all their criminal and terroristic activities, and become legitimate citizens of the Philippines."
"Kung gusto talaga tumulong ng CPP-NPA, bitawan na nila ang kanilang mga armas, itigil ang extortion, at magbalik-loob na sa lipunan," Lorenzana said on Saturday. (If the CPP-NPA really wants to help, they should lay down their arms, stop extortion, and return to society.)
His statement comes after Lopez was quoted this week as saying she already asked President Rodrigo Duterte if she can work with the NPA, whom she "likes."
According to an Inquirer report, the environment secretary plans to develop Agusan del Sur into an E3 (ecological, economic, and educational) zone.
In August 2016, Lopez said addressing social injustice is needed to bring peace to Mindanao.
Back then, she said she considered the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and former NPA members she had met as "really good people" who are, in fact, "better than some businessmen" who "just want to rape the country."
Lorenzana on Saturday commended Lopez for her commitment to protecting the environment and promoting sustainable development in the country.
He said the Department of National Defense is still awaiting official communication on how it can help the Department of Environment and Natural Resources establish the E3 zones across the country.
"The Department of National Defense welcomes all initiatives that will help uplift the lives of our countrymen and bring livelihood to our communities. In fact, the main goal of our Philippine Defense Transformation Roadmap 2028 is the attainment of a more credible defense posture that will lead to national development,” Lorenzana added.
Duterte in February scrapped the peace talks after the NPA halted its ceasefire, but he changed his mind and the camps agreed to reopen negotiations in March. (READ: PH, NDF reopen talks after bitter impasse)
http://www.rappler.com/nation/167633-delfin-lorenzana-gina-lopez-npa-dnd
Cop hurt in Masbate blast
From the Cebu Daily News (Apr 22): Cop hurt in Masbate blast
A policeman was wounded when an improvised explosive device (IED) planted by communist rebels hit a unit of local police which was on its way to respond to a shooting incident in Uson town in Masbate province on Friday, police said yesterday.
Police Officer 1 Celito Amistad suffered shrapnel wounds when the IED exploded on the side of the road in Barangay Badling, Uson, at around 4 a.m.
After the explosion, the nine-man police team was engaged in a 20-minute firefight by more or less 80 suspected members of the New People’s Army, SPO4 Manny Marcaida, the team leader, said.
http://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/130440/cop-hurt-masbate-blast
A policeman was wounded when an improvised explosive device (IED) planted by communist rebels hit a unit of local police which was on its way to respond to a shooting incident in Uson town in Masbate province on Friday, police said yesterday.
Police Officer 1 Celito Amistad suffered shrapnel wounds when the IED exploded on the side of the road in Barangay Badling, Uson, at around 4 a.m.
After the explosion, the nine-man police team was engaged in a 20-minute firefight by more or less 80 suspected members of the New People’s Army, SPO4 Manny Marcaida, the team leader, said.
http://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/130440/cop-hurt-masbate-blast
On edge in Inabanga
From the Sun Star-Cebu (Apr 23): On edge in Inabanga
Army soldiers and police reinforcements take shelter in one of the houses in Barangay Napo in Inabanga town, Bohol in the middle of an air strike directed at Abu Sayyaf fighters. Residents were evacuated and told to stay away from their homes at night. (SunStar Photo/Alex Badayos)
A SOLDIER, whose tired arms clutched a high-powered rifle, kept nodding gently in what seemed to be a troubled sleep.
A six-year-old child, looking silently in the glare of the hot afternoon, gazed at the mountains where her village sat, still impassable.
These were among the scenes that greeted anyone brave enough to be in that moment in Sitio Ilaya, Barangay Napo, Inabanga, Bohol when government forces clashed with Abu Sayyaf members during the Holy Week.
“When we heard about the encounter, we felt excited. But we cleared our heads to know our enemy, to catch them, and to protect the residents,” a member of the Philippine National Police (PNP) told SunStar Cebu.
Local police, who had just reached home after being de-ployed in Cebu City for international meetings, were sent to Inabanga as reinforcements to the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
Near the abandoned houses in Ilaya, one could hear the chirping of birds and noises of hungry farm animals, left in a hurry when the gunfire started.
“Pagkadungog namos nirakrakay, nanagan nami (When we heard the gunshots, we ran),” said Lauriana Jamil. She showed a wound that marked her knee after she fell on the ground while fleeing.
Supt. Mark Solero, chief of the Regional Health Service who was tasked to check on the evacuees, said that the Police Regional Office 7 will send, apart from a doctor, a psychologist who can help the local government’s social workers de-brief the residents stressed by the encounter.
“We are concerned about the evacuees in case they have to stay longer here in the center. (We’re concerned) especially about the psychological aspect,” he said while visiting the Southern Inabanga National High School, one of the 12 evacuation centers.
Children suffering from fever and stomach aches worried parents. “They were traumatized by the bullets and bombs. They don’t belong in our land,” said Rosemarie dela Torre said.
As a way to flush out the bandits, the Air Force dropped bombs on part of Inabanga town.
The military advised the residents to go back to their houses in the morning to feed their animals but not to linger until nighttime. “Because that is when the Abu Sayyaf move,” a military official said.
After the clash, the whole stretch of the Inabanga River was dotted by soldiers and local police, who searched for eight other Abu Sayyaf fighters, who were heavily armed with guns made in the United States.
“Ma’am, if you value your life, please don’t cross the river,” a soldier called out when journalists tried to go to the scene where three members of the Abu Sayyaf, including Abu Rami, lay dead. Rami was described as the group’s leader.
Two elderly residents were among those killed, and an investigation is ongoing to find out whether they had helped the ASG or were caught in the crossfire.
Three military officials and a policeman were killed in the first encounter last Holy Week. (As of 11 last night, at least four persons were reported killed in another clash, this time in Clarin town.)
Despite the encounter in Inabanga, a conference of Southeast Asian officials took place without any incident last week in Panglao, Bohol Province’s popular resort town.
For now, government troops are still tracking down the ASG starting from Sitio Ilaya where they docked their boats last April 11, straight to Barangay Napo where the encounter happened.
The Abu Sayyaf were situated in Canlinte, surrounded by tall coconut trees and a lush forest.
“They are constantly moving around Inabanga but we as-sure the public that they are contained,” the military official said.
Wounded, they sought refuge in an abandoned house in Barangay Lumboy after the residents had evacuated.
“They used some of my medicines and their blood was all over my backyard,” Silvestre Millares said.
After he alerted the Army, troops bringing a K-9 unit followed the scent of the blood leading to Cawayan and final-ly to Lonoy Cainsican, where Joselito Melloria, the guide, had reportedly made contact with a friend. (Melloria was among those killed in yesterday’s encounter in Clarin, a town near Inabanga.)
A few meters from his house was another suspected Abu Sayyaf member, buried in a shallow grave.
Lonay Cainsican also has two caves known to be passable, although dangerous, which lead all the way to Lonoy Roma. The fighters were suspected to have passed through these caves and were reportedly sighted in Dagohoy by some residents.
Their last known location was in Ilihan.
“Maynta’g madakpan na sila para mahusay na ang among pamuyo (I hope they will get caught soon so that we can go back to our lives),” Jamil said, as she her child closer. “Pero di na gud mausab ilang gibuhat diri sa Bohol (But what they did to Bohol will never change),” she added.
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/feature/2017/04/23/edge-inabanga-537998
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/feature/2017/04/23/edge-inabanga-537998
Troops clash with 2 Abu Sayyaf members in Bohol
From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Apr 22): Troops clash with 2 Abu Sayyaf members in Bohol
The body of Abu Sayyaf leader Joselito Melloria has been recovered inside a cave in Barangay Bacani, Clarin town, Bohol where the bandit group was believed to have stayed after they were pursued by government troops. Photo by Leo Udtohan/INQUIRER VISAYAS
It was thanks to a habal habal (motorcycle for hire) driver that the police and the military learned of the presence of two Abu Sayyaf Group members in Clarin, the town adjacent to Inabanga in Bohol.
The two were among the eight fighters of the bandit group who managed to escape from government troops responding to a siege on April 11 that killed six of their comrades, according to Clarin deputy police chief SPO4 Romeo Petecio.
READ: Hunt on for Abu Sayyaf bandits in Bohol clash
As of this writing, the firefight in Clarin is still ongoing, with at least one of them was reported to have been killed.
Petecio, in an interview over dyLA Cebu, said the habal habal driver alerted the town police at around 7 a.m. that two disheveled men, both around 25 to 30 years old, rode his motorcycle in Barangay Bacani of the town.
Soldiers are hunting down the remaining six Abu Sayyaf members who have fled to Barangay Bacani, Clarin town, Bohol after their leader, Joselito Melloria and another member were killed. Photo by Leo Udtohan/INQUIRER VISAYAS
He said he immediately suspected that they could be some of the ASG remnants the police and military were hunting as they were speaking in mix dialects and smelled a lot as though they had not taken a bath in ages.
READ: Hunt for Abus in Bohol clash reaches Cebu island
The body of Abu Sayyaf leader Joselito Melloria has been recovered by the military following a clash in Barangay Bacani, Clarin Bohol on Saturday. Photo courtesy of Provincial Administrator Alfonso AE Damalerio
The two men asked to be brought to the adjacent town of Tubigon because they wanted to buy bread. The driver then suggested that it would be better to buy the bread in the town center of Clarin since it was closer.
According to Petecio, the driver waited for the two men who bought around P400 worth of bread and brought them back to Bacani.
From there, the habal habal driver proceeded to the town police station and told them about the two men he drove to Bacani.
The Clarin police alerted the Bohol Provincial Police Office, which, in turn immediately coordinated with the military.
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/891108/troops-clash-with-2-abu-sayyaf-members-in-bohol
The body of Abu Sayyaf leader Joselito Melloria has been recovered inside a cave in Barangay Bacani, Clarin town, Bohol where the bandit group was believed to have stayed after they were pursued by government troops. Photo by Leo Udtohan/INQUIRER VISAYAS
It was thanks to a habal habal (motorcycle for hire) driver that the police and the military learned of the presence of two Abu Sayyaf Group members in Clarin, the town adjacent to Inabanga in Bohol.
The two were among the eight fighters of the bandit group who managed to escape from government troops responding to a siege on April 11 that killed six of their comrades, according to Clarin deputy police chief SPO4 Romeo Petecio.
READ: Hunt on for Abu Sayyaf bandits in Bohol clash
As of this writing, the firefight in Clarin is still ongoing, with at least one of them was reported to have been killed.
Petecio, in an interview over dyLA Cebu, said the habal habal driver alerted the town police at around 7 a.m. that two disheveled men, both around 25 to 30 years old, rode his motorcycle in Barangay Bacani of the town.
Soldiers are hunting down the remaining six Abu Sayyaf members who have fled to Barangay Bacani, Clarin town, Bohol after their leader, Joselito Melloria and another member were killed. Photo by Leo Udtohan/INQUIRER VISAYAS
He said he immediately suspected that they could be some of the ASG remnants the police and military were hunting as they were speaking in mix dialects and smelled a lot as though they had not taken a bath in ages.
READ: Hunt for Abus in Bohol clash reaches Cebu island
The body of Abu Sayyaf leader Joselito Melloria has been recovered by the military following a clash in Barangay Bacani, Clarin Bohol on Saturday. Photo courtesy of Provincial Administrator Alfonso AE Damalerio
The two men asked to be brought to the adjacent town of Tubigon because they wanted to buy bread. The driver then suggested that it would be better to buy the bread in the town center of Clarin since it was closer.
According to Petecio, the driver waited for the two men who bought around P400 worth of bread and brought them back to Bacani.
From there, the habal habal driver proceeded to the town police station and told them about the two men he drove to Bacani.
The Clarin police alerted the Bohol Provincial Police Office, which, in turn immediately coordinated with the military.
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/891108/troops-clash-with-2-abu-sayyaf-members-in-bohol
Abu Sayyaf deaths up to 3 in new Bohol battle with gov’t troops
From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Apr 22): Abu Sayyaf deaths up to 3 in new Bohol battle with gov’t troops
Map show Clarin town (shaded in red), where the clash took place, in Bohol. (Image from Google Maps)
CLARIN, Bohol — Three more members of Abu Sayyaf were killed in another battle with government troops who had been pursuing them since noon on Saturday (April 22).
The suspects were killed during the clash in the mountain village of Caboy in Clarin past 8 p.m., a military source said.
Caboy is at least 3 km from Barangay Bacani where government troops shot and killed Joselito Melloria, an Abu Sayyaf leader, while they were fleeing.
READ: Gov’t troops kill Abu leader in new clash with bandits in Bohol
One of the bandits was shot in the neck while two others were hit in the body.
The three bodies were retrieved from the clash site past 10 p.m. and brought to Clarin Funeral Homest.
Melloria is a native of Barangay Napo in nearby Inabanga town who left the village a few years back to marry a daughter of an Abu Sayyaf leader
He returned last April 10 with a group of 10 other Abu Sayyaf members. They were purportedly planning to set up a base from where they could conduct terror activities in nearby provinces and disrupt the ongoing Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit in Panglao town in Bohol.
The summit, however, ended on Saturday.
Four Abu Sayyaf members were earlier killed during the gunbattle in Barangay Napo, which lasted for about 24 hours and involved at least 10 airstrikes by the Philippine Air Force.
The government troops were still hunting down the remaining four other Abu Sayyaf members who fled with Melloria to Clarin. They are believed to have hidden inside a cave in the town’s Barangay Bacani.
The military had cordoned off the cave and the surrounding areas in an attempt to prevent the bandit group from escaping.
Authorities find the body of slain Abu Sayyaf leader Joselito Melloria following a clash in Barangay Bacani in Clarin, Bohol on Saturday, April 22, 2017. (Photo courtesy of Bohol provincial administrator ALFONSO A.E. DAMALERIO)
Bodies of the three Abu Sayyaf members killed in a clash in Clarin town, Bohol are brought to the funeral parlor for processing. Leo Udtohan, Inquirer Visayas
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/891146/abu-sayyaf-deaths-up-to-3-in-new-bohol-battle-with-govt-troops
Map show Clarin town (shaded in red), where the clash took place, in Bohol. (Image from Google Maps)
CLARIN, Bohol — Three more members of Abu Sayyaf were killed in another battle with government troops who had been pursuing them since noon on Saturday (April 22).
The suspects were killed during the clash in the mountain village of Caboy in Clarin past 8 p.m., a military source said.
Caboy is at least 3 km from Barangay Bacani where government troops shot and killed Joselito Melloria, an Abu Sayyaf leader, while they were fleeing.
READ: Gov’t troops kill Abu leader in new clash with bandits in Bohol
One of the bandits was shot in the neck while two others were hit in the body.
The three bodies were retrieved from the clash site past 10 p.m. and brought to Clarin Funeral Homest.
Melloria is a native of Barangay Napo in nearby Inabanga town who left the village a few years back to marry a daughter of an Abu Sayyaf leader
He returned last April 10 with a group of 10 other Abu Sayyaf members. They were purportedly planning to set up a base from where they could conduct terror activities in nearby provinces and disrupt the ongoing Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit in Panglao town in Bohol.
The summit, however, ended on Saturday.
Four Abu Sayyaf members were earlier killed during the gunbattle in Barangay Napo, which lasted for about 24 hours and involved at least 10 airstrikes by the Philippine Air Force.
The government troops were still hunting down the remaining four other Abu Sayyaf members who fled with Melloria to Clarin. They are believed to have hidden inside a cave in the town’s Barangay Bacani.
The military had cordoned off the cave and the surrounding areas in an attempt to prevent the bandit group from escaping.
Authorities find the body of slain Abu Sayyaf leader Joselito Melloria following a clash in Barangay Bacani in Clarin, Bohol on Saturday, April 22, 2017. (Photo courtesy of Bohol provincial administrator ALFONSO A.E. DAMALERIO)
Bodies of the three Abu Sayyaf members killed in a clash in Clarin town, Bohol are brought to the funeral parlor for processing. Leo Udtohan, Inquirer Visayas
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/891146/abu-sayyaf-deaths-up-to-3-in-new-bohol-battle-with-govt-troops
TINGNAN: Kweba sa Bohol kung saan umano nagtago ang mga Abu Sayyaf
From ABS-CBN (Apr 23): TINGNAN: Kweba sa Bohol kung saan umano nagtago ang mga Abu Sayyaf
Courtesy of Municipality of Inabanga
Sa maliit na kwebang ito sinasabing nagtago umano ang mga bandidong Abu Sayyaf sa Bohol.
Ito'y matatagpuan sa Sitio Lagsing, Barangay Bacani sa boundary ng mga bayan ng Clarin at Inabanga.
Natagpuan din sa labas ng kweba ang mga bote ng softdrinks, sako at tsinelas.
Unang inilabas sa publiko ang mga larawang ito sa Facebook page ng lokal na pamahalaan ng Inabanga.
Natagpuan 100 metro mula rito ang bangkay ni Joselito Melloria, tinaguriang sub-leader ng teroristang grupo.
Ayon kay Military Central Command chief Lieutenant General Oscar Lactao, napatay si Melloria bago makarating sa Inabanga kung saan nagkasagupa ang militar at Abu Sayyaf nitong nakaraang linggo.
http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/04/22/17/tingnan-kweba-sa-bohol-kung-saan-umano-nagtago-ang-mga-abu-sayyaf
Courtesy of Municipality of Inabanga
Sa maliit na kwebang ito sinasabing nagtago umano ang mga bandidong Abu Sayyaf sa Bohol.
Ito'y matatagpuan sa Sitio Lagsing, Barangay Bacani sa boundary ng mga bayan ng Clarin at Inabanga.
Unang inilabas sa publiko ang mga larawang ito sa Facebook page ng lokal na pamahalaan ng Inabanga.
Natagpuan 100 metro mula rito ang bangkay ni Joselito Melloria, tinaguriang sub-leader ng teroristang grupo.
Ayon kay Military Central Command chief Lieutenant General Oscar Lactao, napatay si Melloria bago makarating sa Inabanga kung saan nagkasagupa ang militar at Abu Sayyaf nitong nakaraang linggo.
http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/04/22/17/tingnan-kweba-sa-bohol-kung-saan-umano-nagtago-ang-mga-abu-sayyaf
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