Transition commission postpones Bangsamoro Assembly

From Rappler (Oct 29): Transition commission postpones Bangsamoro Assembly

The Bangsamoro Transition Commission does not specify the reason for the postponement of the event, originally scheduled November 3 to 4

POSTPONEMENT. The Bangsamoro Transition Commission postpones the Bangsamoro Assembly. File photo from BTC Facebook page

The Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) announced Sunday, October 29, that the slated gathering of some 500,000 people for the Bangsamoro Assembly this week will be postponed.

"We regret to inform that due to reasons beyond our control, the said Bangsamoro Assembly has to be postponed," said Ghazali Jaafar, chairperson of the BTC, a commission tasked to draft the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).

The BTC earlier set November 3 and 4 as the dates for the assembly, which aims to muster support from various sectors for the passage of the proposed BBL.

A revised version of the BBL was filed at the House of Representatives earlier this month.

The BBL is the culmination of a peace deal signed between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the administration of President Benigno Aquino III. Aquino had wanted it passed before he stepped down, but a botched police operation in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, in 2015 derailed its passage.

The BBL is among the measures expected to be prioritized by Congress this year.

Jaafar, also vice chairman of the MILF, said they are looking to hold the assembly in the 3rd week of November.

"In the meantime, all the preparatory works of the Standing Committees will continue," he said.

In an earlier announcement which has since been taken down from Luwaran.com, the MILF had said it is expecting President Rodrigo Duterte to attend the assembly.

The event will take place at the old provincial capitol of Maguindanao in Sultan Kudarat.

https://www.rappler.com/nation/186749-transition-commission-postpones-bangsamoro-assembly

Marawi heroes honored in Fort Magsaysay

From the Philippine News Agency (Oct 29): Marawi heroes honored in Fort Magsaysay

Maj. Gen. Felimon T. Santos, commander of the Philippine Army's 7th Infantry Division (7ID, PA) led the hero's welcome for 79 -strong 72nd Division Reconnaissance Company (DRC) who served as rear defenders during the Marawi battle in ceremonies here Friday night.

“In going there, their task is to defend the rear. Ibig sabihin, pinu-protektahan nila ang likod upang hindi ma-reinforce ang kalaban (it means, they have been protecting the rear so that the enemies cannot reinforce) which is very important,” Santos said, “especially in our military tactics.”

“They’ve played their role, they’ve played it well,” Santos stressed.

He said the company also conducted checkpoints to prevent Maute from moving from one place to another and cleared houses.

The company has even recovered 12 high powered-firearms, improvised explosive device, 16 radio communication equipment and based radio, one binocular, among others, during a clearing operation, he said.

Santos hailed that the troops, led by 1Lt. Beethoven Cabanlit, commanding officer, came home safe.

"Nandito sila nang buong-buo. walang kulang at wala ring sobra (They are here intact. No less, no more," the commanding general said.

Still, he expressed regret that the 7ID's Scout Ranger force had suffered a loss with the death of Private First Class Nesty Tecson and 69th Infantry Battalion had two wounded men.

Tecson, he said was killed by the enemy during the final assault.

Cabanlit, for his part, said they really had to fight the feeling of being away from their family and unfamiliarity with urban warfare.

“Natural sa amin yung nangungulilala but with the leadership of my fellow officers sinasabi ko sa kanila na palagi i-motivate yung mga tao natin (it is natural for us to yearn but with the leadership of my fellow officers, I have been telling them to always motivate our men),” he said.

With a green rosary on his right breast, Cabanlit said they had to pray before every operation.

"Itong rosary na ito symbolizes ang paniniwala sa Panginoon na kahit na anong hirap at suungin namin na panganib, pu-protektahan niya kami (This rosary symbolizes our faith in God that no matter how difficult or dangerous the situation is, He will protect us), ” he said.

Private First Class Harold Luis, who served as an automatic rifleman, thanked God for protection as well as his family and the government for support.

Another private first class named Manabat said that despite the tragedy he himself witnessed in Marawi, he would support the dream of his son, who came in fatigue uniform, to be a soldier in the future.

Santos said after debriefing, the soldiers would be given a month-long vacation.

He said while no one from the 72nd DRC was killed, they have witnessed and joined the rescue of wounded comrades. That sight, he said, was not easy for soldiers.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1014261

Guerrero orders troops to finish off remaining threats

From the Philippine News Agency (Oct 29): Guerrero orders troops to finish off remaining threats

Newly-appointed Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Rey Leonardo Guerrero ordered all troops to eradicate all threats to peace and security in the country.

In a statement Sunday, AFP public affairs office chief Col. Edgard Arevalo said this move echoes President Rodrigo Duterte’s order to eliminate lawless elements following the liberation of Marawi City from the hands of the Maute group.

“Lt. Gen. Guerrero welcomes his new responsibilities with strong momentum from his leadership of the Eastern Mindanao Command (EMC), a similarly tall order given the area’s susceptibility from terror threats and insurgency,” Arevalo said.

Guerrero, who is concurrently EMC Commander, was tasked to dismantle New People’s Army (NPA) bands that are concentrated in the Davao Region, Caraga Region, and Northern Mindanao.

At the same time, he was also tasked to curb the spread of violence and terrorism in his area of responsibility, especially during the Marawi City siege.

“The priorities in the area of peace and security are clear: finish the remaining terrorist groups, neutralize the communist insurgency threat, and support law enforcement against lawless armed groups,” Guerrero said in his assumption speech during the AFP change of command ceremonies on Thursday.

He also vowed to continue reform programs in the military, improve its capability, and revisit war-fighting doctrines in light of new “battlefield environments.”

“We will aggressively implement our modernization program and fast-track the procurement of advance weapons systems that provide cost-effective and precise target engagement, long-range and high-endurance unmanned systems, and modern air and naval platforms,” he said.

The new AFP chief also seeks to “refine internal processes including improvements on services and transparency and accountability of transactions”.

“My gratitude knows no bounds, and I think that the best way to show our President and our countrymen is to serve our country with selfless dedication and to lead the AFP with purpose,” Guerrero added.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1014254

Cops, Army seize war materials, NPA flag in Agusan del Sur

From the Manila Bulletin (Oct 29): Cops, Army seize war materials, NPA flag in Agusan del Sur

Combined elements of police and Army swooped down on the houses of six suspects and seized war materials in San Luis town, Agusan del Sur province, a flash report reaching the regional police headquarters here on Sunday said.



Agusan del Sur Map (Photo courtesy of Google Map)

A report received by Northeastern Mindanao Police Regional Office 13 (PRO 13) regional director Chief Supt. Rolando B. Felix said operating forces from the police and Army seized 2 fragmentation grenades, 1 caliber ’38 revolver, 4 improvised explosives devices (IEDs), 4 blasting caps, 2 detonating cord, 2 rifle grenades, 1 shotgun and a New People’s Army (NPA) flag.

Felix said operating troops are still determining if those arrested are part of NPA movement in the area. “Investigation is still ongoing,” the region’s police chief said.

Chief Supt. Felix, identified the arrested suspects as Julito Otacan, 44; Jonas B. Acosta, 37; Marlon O. Talatayod, 37; Enrique A. Baluado, 45; Joel S. Trasuna, 45; and Noli M. Tahudan, 28, all of Barangay Balit, San Luis, Agusan del Sur.

The Caraga region police chief said the suspects were arrested after operating police and Army troops served six search warrants issued by Judge Lou A. Nueva of Regional Trial Court, Branch 7, Bayugan City, Agusan del Sur, all dated October 25, 2017for alleged violation of Republic Act 10591 also known as Illegal Possession of Firearms and Ammunition.

“The operation resulted in the arrest of the six suspects,” Chief Supt. Felix said.

Arrested suspects and confiscated items are now in the custody of San Luis MPS, Agusan del Sur for proper disposition, he added.

https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/10/29/cops-army-seize-war-materials-npa-flag-in-agusan-del-sur/

5 facts about Marawi’s liberation and its aftermath

From GMA News Online (Oct 28): 5 facts about Marawi’s liberation and its aftermath (By Richard Javad Heydarian)

After more than 150 days of heavy fighting, our valiant soldiers and members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) managed to liberate Marawi from Islamic State (IS)-affiliated militants. We owe nothing but our utmost gratitude to their sacrifice as well as the unremitting determination of the Duterte administration to nip the dystopia of IS Wilayat (governorate) in the bud.

There are, however, five factors to keep in mind vis-à- vis the liberation of Marawi and challenges ahead.

1. Thanks to President Duterte’s “independent” foreign policy doctrine, we managed to secure assistance from all major powers, both in the West and in the East.

We should thank our traditional allies, particularly the United States and Australia, for providing much-needed equipment, training and real-time intelligence, which allowed our troops to surround and pound enemy positions with minimized civilian casualties.

We should also be thankful for the assistance from Russia, which provided intelligence as well as training, as well as China, which has provided more than $1 million for treatment of injured soldiers and about $14 million in defense equipment aid.

Same also goes for our Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), namely Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. As Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana put it, “We’d like to thank the nations that helped us — China, United States, Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia, also Brunei and Singapore;”

2.) The prospect of an IS wilayat has been contained, at least for now. The death of Isnilon Hapilon, the designated emir of IS fighters in Southeast Asia, and the Maute brothers, Abdullah and Omar, who oversaw military operations in Marawi, deprives the extremists of a capable and nimble leadership.

Other fighters such as Furuji Indama are expected to take over Hapilon’s position, but it’s doubtful if they can mobilize the same diverse and potent coalition of extremists across ethnic-geographic faultiness of Muslim Mindanao as Hapilon deftly managed to;

3.) The IS-affiliated movement in the Philippines will likely shift its strategy by focusing on so-called “spectacular terror attacks”, with focus on soft targets and major urban centers. The aim is to prove the movement is still alive and kicking.

A similar thing happened with the IS in the Middle East, when they decided, around late-2014, to shift to major terror attacks in the West as they lost conventional battles in the heartland of the Caliphate in the Middle East. This is why the focus of the Duterte administration should be on cracking down on sleeper-cells and preventative intelligence and counter-terror operations;

4.) The bigger challenge, however, is the reconstruction of Marawi city. As many as 600,000 individuals have been displaced by war, and the city has been reduced to rubbles after intense fighting over five months. It is crucial for the Duterte administration to get the reconstruction process right devoid of corruption and excessive delays, lest a new group of disenchanted, radicalized residents emerge in the near future;

5.) Battling extremism will require both development and peace, thus it is crucial for the Duterte administration to rekindle whimpering talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and other major rebel groups, which have offered to help the government against extremist groups and are concerned about radicalization among their ranks if peace talks continue to linger in uncertainty.

[Richard Javad Heydarian is resident political analyst at GMA Network and author of “The Rise of Duterte: A Populist Revolt Against Elite Democracy” (Palgrave Macmillan).]

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/specialreports/631205/5-facts-about-marawi-s-liberation-and-its-aftermath/story/

More than 2,000 bombs, IEDs recovered in Marawi

From the Philippine Star (Oct 29): More than 2,000 bombs, IEDs recovered in Marawi                 



A soldier stands near a ‘Peace is Possible’ mural painted by Mindanao State University students along a main highway of Pantar, Lanao del Norte yesterday. The mural is intended to be a symbol of the call for peace after the end of the assault against pro-IS militant groups in Marawi. KRIZJOHN ROSALES

Government troops have recovered more than 2,000 pieces of unexploded bombs and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in Marawi City while working to restore basic services in the war-devastated city.

Lt. Col. Emmanuel Garcia, commander of the 4th Civil Relations Group of the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom), said the recovered bombs and IEDs were disposed of under military-supervised controlled detonation operations.

The main battle area is still off limits to civilians as soldiers have yet to completely clear the area of booby traps left by the Maute group.

Garcia said even the technicians dispatched by a telecommunications firm to fix a damaged cell tower in the main battle area were prevented from proceeding to the area.

“They were prevented from going inside as ground forces are still clearing the area of IEDs as well as unexploded munitions,” he added.

The Maute group linked to the terrorist organization Islamic State attacked and occupied Marawi City last May 23.

 The Maute group depended on their stockpile of IEDs to forestall the advance of government forces to their occupied positions, forcing the military leadership to attack them from the air.

The military said more than half of the 165 soldiers who died in the fighting were killed in IED explosions planted by the Maute group.

The Employees’ Compensation Commission (ECC) issued an order for the speedy processing of benefits for the soldiers and policemen who died or were injured in the battle in Marawi.

ECC executive director Stella Zipagan-Banawis the government set aside P2.39 million for the solders injured or killed during the five-month fighting in Marawi.

Banawis said of the P2.39 million, P1.75 million is for disability benefits while the remaining P640,000 million is for death benefits.

Meanwhile, Sen. Joseph Victor Ejercito called on government agencies involved in the reconstruction of Marawi City to strive to make the war-torn city a model for the rest of the country to follow.

Ejercito, chairman of the Senate committee on urban planning, housing and resettlement, said he intends to visit Marawi with Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council chairman Eduardo del Rosario and some key urban planning experts in order to assess the scope of the reconstruction effort there.

He said that the rebuilding of Marawi is probably more challenging than the reconstruction effort for the areas hit by Typhoon Yolanda because this time around, all that is left of the area is rubble.

“We want to do it properly this time. We don’t want another Yolanda. Marawi could emerge as a model LGU (local government unit),” Ejercito said.

Military leaders yesterday commended and thanked the 225 members of three elite companies of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division that fought militants in Marawi City.

Officials of the 6th ID, led by Major Gen. Arnel dela Vega, took turns thanking the personnel of the division’s 61st, 62nd and 63rd Reconnaissance Companies that helped in liberating Marawi City from the Maute group and Abu Sayyaf.

The three companies arrived past 10 a.m. at Camp Siongco in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao from Marawi City.

Officials of the three companies said it was difficult fighting terrorists in urban settings, but their men zealously persisted in clearing the areas they were tasked to reclaim from enemies against all odds.

Dela Vega told The STAR six of the soldiers they dispatched to Marawi City – Sergeants Vergel dela Cruz and Marlon Hechanova, Private 1st Class Jayson Palma and Privates Aljon Jimenez, Ryan Tamonan and Joshua Gerald Cagud – were wounded in encounters with Maute terrorists.

“Our men are lucky, none of them perished in their combat engagements there. We are thankful to those who prayed for their safety and welfare,” he added.

http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2017/10/29/1753523/more-2000-bombs-ieds-recovered-marawi

DWDD: CONGRATULATIONS | Chief Master Sergeant Lito A Tompayogan (INF) PA

From DWDD AFP Civil Relations Service Radio Website (Oct 29): CONGRATULATIONS | Chief Master Sergeant Lito A Tompayogan (INF) PA



CMS Lito A Tompayogan (INF) PA
Newly Designated Sergeant Major
Armed Forces of the Philippines

http://dwdd.com.ph/2017/10/29/congratulations-chief-master-sergeant-lito-a-tompayogan-inf-pa/

DWDD: GOODWILL VISIT | Two Indonesian Vessel to dock in GenSan on Oct 29

From DWDD AFP Civil Relations Service Radio Website (Oct 29): GOODWILL VISIT  |  Two Indonesian Vessel to dock in GenSan on Oct 29

NAVAL STATION FELIX APOLINARIO, Panacan, Davao City (DWDD) – Two Indonesian navy ships is slated to arrive in General Santos City for a Goodwill Visit.

The two Diponegoro-class corvette combat vessels namely: KRI Sultan Hasanuddin – 366 and KRI Sultan Iskandar Muda – 367 will arrive today, October 29, 2017 and will stay until November 1, 2017. They are also here for the ongoing Unilateral Fleet Training Exercise of the Naval Forces Eastern Mindanao.



KRI Sultan Hasanuddin was named after Sultan Hasanuddin Tumenanga Ri Balla Pangkana, the 16th Ruler of The Sultanate of Gowa as Sombaya Ri Gowa XVI from 1653 to 1669.

He was proclaimed as Indonesian National Hero on November 6, 1973. The Dutch called Sultan Hasanuddin “the fighting cock of the East” as he was described as aggressive in battle.



KRI Sultan Iskandar Muda is named after the 12th Sultan of Aceh. He was quite the bellicose sailor himself and kicked the tripe out of the Portuguese once or twice. He’s still fondly remembered by the people of Aceh and has plenty of things named after him, including this boat and the Aceh airport.

All the Indonesian Navy Vessels are named with the KRI Initial (Kapal Perang Republik Indonesia) which means Navy Vessel of the Republic Of Indonesia. The class are often named after lead ships.. AES/MCAG

http://dwdd.com.ph/2017/10/29/goodwill-visit-two-indonesian-vessel-to-dock-in-gensan-on-oct-29-2/

DWDD: HONORING WARRIORS | Soldiers, Police in Marawi to receive Awards

From DWDD AFP Civil Relations Service Radio Website (Oct 28): HONORING WARRIORS  |  Soldiers, Police in Marawi to receive Awards


”The five-month stand-off yielded to the neutralization of more than 900 terrorists, the rescue of 1,780 hostages, and recovery of more than 800 high-powered firearms and almost 2,000 unexploded ordnances, improvised explosive devices and booby traps of the terrorists.

“Congratulations, Marawi troopers, for making the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Filipinos proud. Your commitment and gallantry liberated the City of Marawi and the Maranaos from terrorism,”

LTGEN CARLITO GALVEZ JR, 
WESMINCOM Commander

http://dwdd.com.ph/2017/10/28/honoring-warriors-soldiers-police-in-marawi-to-receive-awards/

DWDD: CMO OPERATORS | Graduation of CMO Basic Course Class 04-17

From DWDD AFP Civil Relations Service Radio Website (Oct 28): CMO OPERATORS  |  Graduation of CMO Basic Course Class 04-17



 MARINE BARRACKS RUDIARDO BROWN, Bonifacio Naval Station, Taguig City (DWDD) – After 16 weeks of training to become eligible Civil-Military Operations operators, a total of 31 students of the CMO Basic Course Class 04-17 formally graduated with the Chief, Public Affairs Office, Armed Forces of the Philippines Marine Col Edgard A Arevalo as the Guest of Honor and Speaker held at the Acero Hall, Marine Barracks Rudiardo Brown, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.

The CMO Basic Course is under the curriculum of the Civil Military Operations Group-Philippine Navy (CMOG-PN) headed by Col Nestor R Marcelino through its Civil Military Operations School. CMG-PN/MCAG

















http://dwdd.com.ph/2017/10/28/cmo-operators-graduation-of-cmo-basic-course-class-04-17/

MILF: CCCH-MILF protests raid by PNP-Sultan Kudarat of houses owned by members of Inner Guard Base Command-National Gurd Front

Posted to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front Website (Oct 29): CCCH-MILF protests raid by PNP-Sultan Kudarat of houses owned by members of Inner Guard Base Command-National Gurd Front



International Monitoring Team (IMT) (right) Mr. Butch Malang, Chair of Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of the Moro Islamic Liberation front (CCCH-MILF) (left)

Mr. Butch Malang, Chair of Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of the Moro Islamic Liberation front (CCCH-MILF) in a memo dated October 26, 2017 to BGen. Earl D. Baliao, Chair of CCCH-GPH protested a raid conducted by elements of PNP-Sultan Kudarat province led by P/Supt. Raul S. Supiter of houses in an MILF Community in Barangay Maguid, Palimbang, Sultan Kudarat on October 12.
The raiding team took One (1) M-14Rifle, One (1) M-203 Rifle, and One (1) M-16 Rifle owned by the BIAF-MILF’s inner Guard Base Command, National Guard front.

Chairman Malang said that the raid and the confiscation of the firearms constitute serious violations  of specific provisions of the Implementing Operational Guidelines of the GPH and MILF Agreement on the General Cessation of Hostilities (AGCH) signed in 1997.

Chairman Malang requested the Joint CCCH together with the International Monitoring Team (IMT) to conduct joint verification on the said raid.

He also requested for the return of the firearms confiscated by elements of the PNP-Sultan Kudarat.

http://www.luwaran.com/news/article/1064/ccch-milf-protests-raid-by-pnp-sultan-kudarat-of-houses-owned-by-members-of-inner-guard-base-command-national-gurd-front-

Troops secure infra projects from militants

From the Philippine Star (Oct 28): Troops secure infra projects from militants

This overland artery in an upland area in Bayang town is one of dozens of ARMM projects in Lanao del Sur. STAR/John Unson

Authorities are now guarding high-ticket infrastructure projects vulnerable to sabotage by militants after suffering from a severe defeat in Marawi City this month.

Lt. Gen. Carlito Galvez, Jr. of the Western Mindanao Command said on Saturday that it is part of an effort to help ensure the completion of on-going projects in remote areas in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao by its regional government.

"These projects will improve the lives of people, generate livelihood for them, give children easy access to schools and make convenient the delivery of health, education, social welfare and other basic services to them. That is what militants do not want to happen," Galvez said.

The Maute group and its allies, the Abu Sayyaf and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, are rabidly opposed to infrastructure projects that could weaken their influence on peasant communities from where they forcibly collect money for food and other needs.

The three militant groups are using the flag of global terror group Islamic State as their revolutionary banners.

Police Chief Superintendet Graciano Mijares, director of the Police Regional Office-ARMM, said on Saturday that law enforcement activities in many far-flung areas are a lot easier with new roads and bridges built in the past four years.

"Securing on-going infrastructure projects of the ARMM government is one serious concern for us," Mijares said.

 

New bridges
Drone recordings and a matrix obtained from the Department of Public Works and Highways-ARMM indicated that in Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur alone, the agency constructed 24 bridges in the two provinces from 2014 to late 2016.

The 24 bridges, costing P686.1 million, now connects once isolated farming enclaves to town centers where farmers sell their farm products that in the past rotted in their barns during rainy days. The products could not be transported to markets due to the absence of all-weather overland arterial networks.

The bridges were built by the office of ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman and the regional public works department, through the district engineering offices in Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur, using allocations from the region's yearly infrastructure budget from the national coffer.

Records from state auditors indicated that the Hataman administration spent P211.5 million for the 16 bridges built in Lanao del Sur in the past three years.

Eight larger bridges costing P474.5 million were also built in Maguindanao during the period.

Galvez said officials of component-units of WestMinCom based in Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur where the 24 bridges were constructed have noticed dramatic improvements in the lives of local residents.

"That is something violent religious extremists are trying to prevent from happening," Galvez said.

Galvez and Mijares, who assumed as ARMM police director only last October 20, separately told The STAR they will cooperate in securing on-going infrastructure projects in the autonomous region from militant groups using poverty, neglect and underdevelopment as talking points in recruiting potential members.

Units of WestMinCom and the ARMM police tightened security last week in areas where workers are constructing strategic stretches of the P1 billion worth "transcentral road" in Basilan due to threats of attacks by the Abu Sayyaf.

 

The more than 60-kilometer thoroughfare will traverse the remaining enclaves in Basilan's Sampinit and Punoh Mahadje areas of remnants of the Abu Sayyaf.

ARMM police officials said more than a hundred suspects in heinous crimes were arrested from between 2015 to October 2017 in remote areas in towns that were made accessible to patrol cars and military armored vehicles by roads and bridges constructed by the regional government in recent years.

http://www.philstar.com/nation/2017/10/28/1753333/troops-secure-infra-projects-militants

Military rounds up lumad rights defenders in Agusan del Sur – religious group

From InterAksyon (Oct 28): Military rounds up lumad rights defenders in Agusan del Sur – religious group



 Law worker Julito Otacan (photo courtesy of RMP-NMR)

A religious organization has raised the alarm over the arrest of five members of the Banwaon tribe of Agusan del Sur and a field worker for a European Union-funded project on indigenous peoples’ rights.

The Rural Missionaries of the Philippines-North Mindanao Region said in a statement that soldiers who had arrived in Barangay Balit in San Luis town early Friday morning, October 27, onboard two military trucks, a” war tank,” two patrol cars, and two white vans, first seized Julito Rivera Otacan, a lay worker it had engaged for the EU-funded Protecting and Promoting Indigenous Human Rights in the Philippines project undertaken in partnership with Relief International, from his home.

Otacan was taken to the village’s covered court where he was joined by Alejandro Barluado, Jonas Acosta, Noli Tahudan, Marlon Talatayod, and Joel Trasona, all members of the Banwaon organization Tagdumahan.

Like other lumad organizations throughout Mindanao, “Tagdumahan has long been targeted by the military because of their vocal assertion of their rights to the Banwaon’s ancestral domain targeted by logging and mining companies,” according to the indigenous peoples’ rights group Katungod Lumad Monitors.

During the Balit roundup, Katungod said the soldiers claimed to have found grenades, firearms, and other equipment in their homes.

In many instances in the past, the government and state security forces have openly accused lumad organizations and communities of supporting or being part of the communist rebel movement, often using this to justify arrests or the occupation of villages and facilities such as schools.

Maridel Fano, program coordinator of RMP-NMR’s Rural Poor Organizing Support Program and manager of the Protecting and Promoting Indigenous Human Rights in the Philippines project, said in the statement that Otacan’s work involved “going around the Banwaon communities in Agusan del Sur, to organize and facilitate the training of community members in their capacity as human rights defenders.”

However, she noted, since President Rodrigo Duterte declared martial law in Mindanao on May 23, soon after fighting broke out in Marawi City, “attacks against (human rights defenders) had been heightened, with community organizers and legitimate community meetings put under surveillance of state forces.”

Katungod also confirmed that “since the declaration of martial law in Mindanao, military personnel have been going to Otacan’s house, looking for him.”

Although community members immediately flocked to the covered court, they “were not allowed to go near the detainees,” who were eventually taken to the police station in Rubako, San Luis, except for Tahudan, who was reportedly brought to the headquarters of the 26th Infantry Battalion in Talacogon town.

“We are demanding their immediate release and for the government to ensure their protection while they are doing their legitimate work for indigenous peoples’ rights,” RMP-NMR said.

http://www.interaksyon.com/military-rounds-up-lumad-rights-defenders-in-agusan-del-sur-religious-group/

BRP Andres Bonifacio back in PH after sailing to Brunei, doing maritime drills with Malaysia

From InterAksyon (Oct 28): BRP Andres Bonifacio back in PH after sailing to Brunei, doing maritime drills with Malaysia



The BRP Andres Bonifacio docks at the South Harbor in Manila after nearly a month on Southeast Asian seas. HANDOUT PHOTO, PHIL. NAVY

The BRP Andres Bonifacio (FF17) returned to the Philippines on Saturday (October 28) after a month-long sojourn to ASEAN neighbors Brunei and Malaysia, where the Philippine Navy participated in a joint maritime training with their counterparts as part of the united effort of ASEAN countries to better secure waters of Southeast Asia.

The BRP Andres Bonifacio, under the helm of Captain Dennis Rommel G Quines, arrived at Pier 13, South Harbor, Manila, with Rear Admiral Gaudencio A Collado, Commander of the Philippine Fleet, welcoming the 200-person contingent – the ship’s crew, medical team, students, and training staff, and a team from the Naval Special Operations Group and Naval Air Group.

Other senior officers, families, and friends of the contingent were also there to witness the event.

The FF17 departed September, and first conducted four-day goodwill visit at Maura, Brunei Darussalam and participated in the celebration of the Golden Jubilee of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah.

This was followed by the Maritime Training Activity (MTA) Malaysia-Philippines (MALPHI) LAUT 20-17 with the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) at Region I, Kuantan Naval Base from October 16 to 25, where the Philippine and Malaysian forces tested their interoperability in enforcing maritime security and fighting transnational crime.

The (MALPHI) LAUT 20-17 is the 20th iteration of an annual training exercise between the Southeast Asian countries since they signed a memorandum of defense cooperation in 1994.

Commodore Albert Mogol, commander of the Fleet-Marine Ready Force, said in his message welcoming back the FF17 crew that the bilateral naval exercise is concrete proof of the excellent relations between the two navies.

http://www.interaksyon.com/brp-andres-bonifacio-back-in-ph-after-sailing-to-brunei-doing-maritime-drills-with-malaysia/

U.S. Congress honors Filipino veterans of World War II

From Rappler (Oct 29): U.S. Congress honors Filipino veterans of World War II

US Congress awards the Congressional Gold Medal to more than 250,000 Filipino veterans in recognition of their service and sacrifice during World War II

US RECOGNITION. US Speaker of the House Representative Paul Ryan shakes hands with Dean Delen, a Filipino veteran representing guerrilla units, as other officials look on during a Congressional Gold Medal presentation ceremony on October 25, 2017. Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images/AFP

The United States Congress honored Filipino veterans of World War II by awarding them the Congressional Gold Medal, one of America's highest civilian awards.

In a ceremony at the US Capitol Visitor Center in Washington DC, Senate and House leaders presented the award to representatives of Filipino war veterans on Wednesday, October 25.

The veterans were recognized for their service and sacrifice during World War II.
More than 250,000 Filipinos fought alongside American soldiers against the invading imperial Japanese forces in the Philippines from 1941 to 1945.

"This is a day that is long, long overdue," House Speaker Paul Ryan said in his remarks. "We are here to immortalize the legacy of great liberators, who have paved the way for generations to follow."

"Let this ceremony serve to ensure that those who fought for freedom are never forgotten, and always remembered," Ryan added.

"In victory, they marched on. In defeat, they kept hope close. In resistance, they held aloft the spirit of a people, for all the world to see – unbent, standing tall, enduring still," added Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

 

WAR VETERANS. Celestino Almeda (C), a Filipino veteran representing the Philippine Commonwealth Army, is greeted by other guests during the ceremony. Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images/AFP

 

He continued, "When General [Douglas] MacArthur was forced to evacuate the Philippines, he made a solemn promise, 'I shall return.' Now, 75 years later, the United States is returning to recognize the Filipino veterans of the Second World War."

Wartime US President Franklin Roosevelt promised full benefits to Filipinos who enlisted for the war. But the administration of President Harry S. Truman rescinded this promise after World War II, reported CNN.

"We made a grievous error but we recognize it and pledge to never let it happen again," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer was quoted as saying.

In December 2016, US President Barack Obama signed the Filipino Veterans of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2015.

https://www.rappler.com/nation/186695-us-congress-honors-filipino-veterans-world-war-ii