From the Philippine News Agency (Jan 17): PNP to arrest, hunt down Tiamzon couple: Palace
Malacañang on Wednesday said the Philippine National Police (PNP) has the duty to serve the warrant of arrest on three rebel leaders, including the Tiamzon couple, after a local court granted the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) motion for the cancellation of their bail following the collapse of peace talks between the government and communist rebels.
In a January 11 decision, Judge Thelma Bunyi-Medina of the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 32 granted the motion of the DOJ and issued a warrant of arrest for communist leaders Benito and Wilma Tiamzon and Adelberto Silva.
In a statement, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. said the police “will have to serve warrant of arrest on them” and were duty-bound to conduct manhunt operations against the three communist leaders if they go in hiding or refuse to surrender.
“Police must hunt them down. That's what is expected of them,” Roque said.
The Tiamzons are facing murder charges over the killing of 15 civilians found in a mass grave in Leyte.
Benito Tiamzon is identified as the chairman of Communist Party of the Philippines-New Peoples' Army (CPP-NPA) while his wife Wilma is the secretary-general of the group.
They were granted bail in 2016 to allow them to participate in formal peace talks as consultants of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP).
On Nov. 23, 2017, President Rodrigo Duterte signed Proclamation 360 declaring the termination of peace talks with the communist rebels due to the NPA's continued violent attacks on government forces and civilians.
The President also labeled the CPP-NPA as terror organization.
In the RTC order, the court stated that the recommitment and cancellation of the respective bail bonds of the rebel leaders “are warranted under the facts at hand."
"Inarguably, the sole reason for their grant was to enable said accused to participate in the peace process," the order said.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1021951
Wednesday, January 17, 2018
4 Reds yield to Army
Posted to Tempo (Jan 17): 4 Reds yield to Army
Two armed New People’s Army (NPA) terrorists and two members of Milisya ng Bayan (MB) voluntarily surrendered last week to the Army’s 66th Infantry (Kabalikat) Battalion (66th IB) in New Bataan, Compostela Valley (ComVal) province, 66th IB commander Lt. Col. Palmer M. Parungao said.
In a statement sent to The Manila Bulletin late afternoon yesterday, the 66th IB commander said the two NPA terrorists also gave up their one caliber .45 pistol loaded with live ammunitions and one 38 mm pistol loaded with live bullets, improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and other bomb-making materials including blasting caps and electrical wires to the 66th IB.
Their identities were temporarily withheld for security reason, but Parungao said they (surrenderees) were regular fighters of guerilla-Front Committee 27, SRC2 of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)-NPA Southern Mindanao Regional Committee (SMRC).
The two MB, who also belong to the same guerilla front committee, surrendered to “Alpha” Company of the 66th IB after also realizing the futility of what they are fighting for, Parungao also said.
On Jan. 9, combat maneuvering troops of the 66th IB seized several war materials from the NPA terrorists after their armed engagements in Sitio Spur Dos, Barangay Ngan, Compostela town, ComVal province.
“The unit’s sustained efforts prompted the said NPAs to surrender bringing along with them the war materials,” Parungao said.
“The 66th IB, continually runs after the NPA terrorists groups and we have been successfully reducing the manpower and equipage of our adversaries.
http://tempo.com.ph/2018/01/17/4-reds-yield-to-army/
Two armed New People’s Army (NPA) terrorists and two members of Milisya ng Bayan (MB) voluntarily surrendered last week to the Army’s 66th Infantry (Kabalikat) Battalion (66th IB) in New Bataan, Compostela Valley (ComVal) province, 66th IB commander Lt. Col. Palmer M. Parungao said.
In a statement sent to The Manila Bulletin late afternoon yesterday, the 66th IB commander said the two NPA terrorists also gave up their one caliber .45 pistol loaded with live ammunitions and one 38 mm pistol loaded with live bullets, improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and other bomb-making materials including blasting caps and electrical wires to the 66th IB.
Their identities were temporarily withheld for security reason, but Parungao said they (surrenderees) were regular fighters of guerilla-Front Committee 27, SRC2 of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)-NPA Southern Mindanao Regional Committee (SMRC).
The two MB, who also belong to the same guerilla front committee, surrendered to “Alpha” Company of the 66th IB after also realizing the futility of what they are fighting for, Parungao also said.
On Jan. 9, combat maneuvering troops of the 66th IB seized several war materials from the NPA terrorists after their armed engagements in Sitio Spur Dos, Barangay Ngan, Compostela town, ComVal province.
“The unit’s sustained efforts prompted the said NPAs to surrender bringing along with them the war materials,” Parungao said.
“The 66th IB, continually runs after the NPA terrorists groups and we have been successfully reducing the manpower and equipage of our adversaries.
http://tempo.com.ph/2018/01/17/4-reds-yield-to-army/
Negros remains Army’s top priority in anti-insurgency
From the Sun Star-Bacolod (Jan 17): Negros remains Army’s top priority in anti-insurgency
NEGROS remains the priority of the Philippine Army in its anti-insurgency campaign for 2018. Brigadier General Dinoh Dolina, commander of the 3rd Infantry Division, said there is still a need to clear insurgency in Negros so that the people could feel real progress and development.
“Negros is full of resources and for the people to experience progress and stability we have to clear the area from insurgency,” said Dolina, who paid a courtesy call on Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. at the Provincial Capitol in Bacolod City Tuesday.
He added that he has been coordinating with the local government units (LGUs) all over Central and Western Visayas as the newly-installed commander of the 3rd Infantry Division.
The army official also said the mass base support of the New People's Army remains strong in Negros Occidental.
“We have to sustain our gains. We have firmed up plans on how to go about the mass base of the rebels. We have known their plans and intentions and we have our plans to curb that plans,” he said.
Dolina said the Army understands the root cause why the mass base remains strong.
“There are still unresolved issues in Negros that’s why we fully coordinate with the provincial government and other LGUs and other agencies that have the capacities to resolve the issues, ” he added.
Dolina said that within this month, an additional battalion from Mindanao will be deployed in the province to strengthen the campaign against insurgents.
On the alleged human rights violations issues against the Army, Dolina said it is already an old issue that has been hurled against them by the fronts of the communist group.
“The Armed Forces of the Philippines have changed and we have done our best to raise our credibility. Through the years, transformation has been happening. We have to take care of the gains in our credibility because we are truly the soldiers of the people,” he added.
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/bacolod/local-news/2018/01/17/negros-remains-armys-top-priority-anti-insurgency-584356
NEGROS remains the priority of the Philippine Army in its anti-insurgency campaign for 2018. Brigadier General Dinoh Dolina, commander of the 3rd Infantry Division, said there is still a need to clear insurgency in Negros so that the people could feel real progress and development.
“Negros is full of resources and for the people to experience progress and stability we have to clear the area from insurgency,” said Dolina, who paid a courtesy call on Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. at the Provincial Capitol in Bacolod City Tuesday.
He added that he has been coordinating with the local government units (LGUs) all over Central and Western Visayas as the newly-installed commander of the 3rd Infantry Division.
The army official also said the mass base support of the New People's Army remains strong in Negros Occidental.
“We have to sustain our gains. We have firmed up plans on how to go about the mass base of the rebels. We have known their plans and intentions and we have our plans to curb that plans,” he said.
Dolina said the Army understands the root cause why the mass base remains strong.
“There are still unresolved issues in Negros that’s why we fully coordinate with the provincial government and other LGUs and other agencies that have the capacities to resolve the issues, ” he added.
Dolina said that within this month, an additional battalion from Mindanao will be deployed in the province to strengthen the campaign against insurgents.
On the alleged human rights violations issues against the Army, Dolina said it is already an old issue that has been hurled against them by the fronts of the communist group.
“The Armed Forces of the Philippines have changed and we have done our best to raise our credibility. Through the years, transformation has been happening. We have to take care of the gains in our credibility because we are truly the soldiers of the people,” he added.
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/bacolod/local-news/2018/01/17/negros-remains-armys-top-priority-anti-insurgency-584356
NPA claims daring assault in Duterte country
From the Manila Times (Jan 17): NPA claims daring assault in Duterte country
Communist insurgents staged a daring attack on President Rodrigo Duterte’s hometown in Davao City where they destroyed trucks owned by fruit companies.
Rubi del Mundo, a spokesman for the New People’s Army (NPA), said the weekend assault was a punitive action against the Japanese Sumitomo Fruits Corporation and Ayala-owned Highland Banana Corporation. Rebel forces torched three trucks and pushed them off a cliff in Calinan district.
“Workers and peasants in corporate plantations around Southern Mindanao are rejoicing Saturday’s punitive action,” he said, adding, the attack is part of its revolutionary movement’s policy to penalize big bourgeois comprador companies, which continue to exist with impunity by inflicting unimpeded environmental destruction and exploitation of peasants and workers.
Del Mundo branded the two companies as notorious and accused the Sumitomo Fruits Corporation and Highland Banana Corporation of exploiting workers’ welfare by dishing out barely liveable wages, subjecting them to inhuman working conditions, union busting and other repressive labor practices, particularly in their farms in Davao City where Duterte’s daughter, Sara, is also the mayor.
“Both companies push plantation workers to work almost 12 hours, sometimes 16 hours daily under different schemes meant to extract super-profit. Packing plant workers are also made to work the same length of hours without sufficient safety implements. SUMIFRU and Highland, likewise, continue to utilize toxic chemical fertilizers and pesticides in their boom truck sprayers. Workers report that they are routinely exposed to the harmful chemicals being sprayed by boom trucks,” he said.
Del Mundo said peasant families who initially expected to be alleviated from poverty by entering into agri-business venture agreements with SUMIFRU and Highland were faring no better under highly-exploitative arrangements that eventually cost them their lands. “With no control over production, they fall prey to the companies’ exclusive and manipulative management schemes that have buried them deep into indebtedness and have resulted in the seizure of their lands,” he said.
There was no immediate statement or reaction from neither the mayor nor the two companies on the accusations against them by the rebel group, which has been fighting for decades for a separate state in the country.
http://www.manilatimes.net/npa-claims-daring-assault-duterte-country/374829/
Communist insurgents staged a daring attack on President Rodrigo Duterte’s hometown in Davao City where they destroyed trucks owned by fruit companies.
Rubi del Mundo, a spokesman for the New People’s Army (NPA), said the weekend assault was a punitive action against the Japanese Sumitomo Fruits Corporation and Ayala-owned Highland Banana Corporation. Rebel forces torched three trucks and pushed them off a cliff in Calinan district.
“Workers and peasants in corporate plantations around Southern Mindanao are rejoicing Saturday’s punitive action,” he said, adding, the attack is part of its revolutionary movement’s policy to penalize big bourgeois comprador companies, which continue to exist with impunity by inflicting unimpeded environmental destruction and exploitation of peasants and workers.
Del Mundo branded the two companies as notorious and accused the Sumitomo Fruits Corporation and Highland Banana Corporation of exploiting workers’ welfare by dishing out barely liveable wages, subjecting them to inhuman working conditions, union busting and other repressive labor practices, particularly in their farms in Davao City where Duterte’s daughter, Sara, is also the mayor.
“Both companies push plantation workers to work almost 12 hours, sometimes 16 hours daily under different schemes meant to extract super-profit. Packing plant workers are also made to work the same length of hours without sufficient safety implements. SUMIFRU and Highland, likewise, continue to utilize toxic chemical fertilizers and pesticides in their boom truck sprayers. Workers report that they are routinely exposed to the harmful chemicals being sprayed by boom trucks,” he said.
Del Mundo said peasant families who initially expected to be alleviated from poverty by entering into agri-business venture agreements with SUMIFRU and Highland were faring no better under highly-exploitative arrangements that eventually cost them their lands. “With no control over production, they fall prey to the companies’ exclusive and manipulative management schemes that have buried them deep into indebtedness and have resulted in the seizure of their lands,” he said.
There was no immediate statement or reaction from neither the mayor nor the two companies on the accusations against them by the rebel group, which has been fighting for decades for a separate state in the country.
http://www.manilatimes.net/npa-claims-daring-assault-duterte-country/374829/
Court orders rearrest of communist couple
From the Manila Times (Jan 17): Court orders rearrest of communist couple
A LOCAL court has ordered the arrest anew of communist leaders Benito and Wilma Tiamzon after it granted a motion by the Department of Justice (DOJ) for their recommitment to detention following the failure of the peace talks between the government and the leftists.
In its January 11 ruling, which was released to media on Wednesday, Presiding Judge Thelma Bunyi-Medina of Branch 32 of the Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) said:
“In light of President Rodrigo [Rodrigo] Duterte’s express and categorical declaration, with the issuance of Proclamation 360, formally terminating the peace talks with the CPP/New People’s Army/National Democratic Front [NDF], which issuance said accused does not dispute, the Court finds no reason to further allow their temporary liberty,” the court said.
The Tiamzons were released from detention after posting a P100,000 bail on August 2017 when they were added to the list of consultants for the peace talks. They are charged with multiple counts of murder for the alleged deaths of civilians whose bodies were discovered in a mass grave in Leyte in 1986.
On January 10, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said: “We are monitoring them. We will wait for the order of the President. If he orders their arrest, then we are going to arrest them.”
The President called off peace talks in 2017 after the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) ordered its military arm, the New People’s Army (NPA), to intensify attacks on government troops.
http://www.manilatimes.net/court-orders-rearrest-communist-couple/374831/
A LOCAL court has ordered the arrest anew of communist leaders Benito and Wilma Tiamzon after it granted a motion by the Department of Justice (DOJ) for their recommitment to detention following the failure of the peace talks between the government and the leftists.
In its January 11 ruling, which was released to media on Wednesday, Presiding Judge Thelma Bunyi-Medina of Branch 32 of the Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) said:
“In light of President Rodrigo [Rodrigo] Duterte’s express and categorical declaration, with the issuance of Proclamation 360, formally terminating the peace talks with the CPP/New People’s Army/National Democratic Front [NDF], which issuance said accused does not dispute, the Court finds no reason to further allow their temporary liberty,” the court said.
The Tiamzons were released from detention after posting a P100,000 bail on August 2017 when they were added to the list of consultants for the peace talks. They are charged with multiple counts of murder for the alleged deaths of civilians whose bodies were discovered in a mass grave in Leyte in 1986.
On January 10, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said: “We are monitoring them. We will wait for the order of the President. If he orders their arrest, then we are going to arrest them.”
The President called off peace talks in 2017 after the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) ordered its military arm, the New People’s Army (NPA), to intensify attacks on government troops.
http://www.manilatimes.net/court-orders-rearrest-communist-couple/374831/
Army soldiers, suspected NPA rebels clash in Lopez, Quezon
From GMA News (Jan 15): Army soldiers, suspected NPA rebels clash in Lopez, Quezon
Soldiers from the Philippine Army's 85th Infantry Battalion clashed with 20 suspected members of the New People's Army in Lopez, Quezon on Monday morning.
The gunfight lasted for 20 minutes in Barangay Jungo, according to Colonel Elias Escarcha, acting commander of the PA's 201st Infantry Brigade.
The suspected rebels were said to be led by a certain Ka Mando.
Members of the Philippine Army's 85th Infantry Battalion clashed with suspected New People's Army rebels in Lopez, Quezon on Monday, Jan. 15, 2018. Philippine Army 85th Infantry Battalion
No one was hurt on either side, but traces of blood were seen in the area where the suspected rebels were located before they withdrew.
Recovered from the site was an M-16 rifle.
Soldiers are conducting follow-up operations as of posting time.
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/regions/639718/army-soldiers-suspected-npa-rebels-clash-in-lopez-quezon/story/
Soldiers from the Philippine Army's 85th Infantry Battalion clashed with 20 suspected members of the New People's Army in Lopez, Quezon on Monday morning.
The gunfight lasted for 20 minutes in Barangay Jungo, according to Colonel Elias Escarcha, acting commander of the PA's 201st Infantry Brigade.
The suspected rebels were said to be led by a certain Ka Mando.
Members of the Philippine Army's 85th Infantry Battalion clashed with suspected New People's Army rebels in Lopez, Quezon on Monday, Jan. 15, 2018. Philippine Army 85th Infantry Battalion
No one was hurt on either side, but traces of blood were seen in the area where the suspected rebels were located before they withdrew.
Recovered from the site was an M-16 rifle.
Soldiers are conducting follow-up operations as of posting time.
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/regions/639718/army-soldiers-suspected-npa-rebels-clash-in-lopez-quezon/story/
Man with MILF ID held for shabu
From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Jan 17): Man with MILF ID held for shabu
A 24-year-old man, who carried an identification card reportedly issued by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), was arrested during a drug-buy bust operation in Barangay Banale here on Wednesday.
In a report, the police identified the suspect as Asmin Andam, a resident of Barangay Payong in Sultan Naga Dimaporo town, Lanao del Norte province.
An agent-poseur reportedly transacted with the suspect and allegedly managed to acquire a sachet of suspected shabu when they met near Aide Compound in Purok Arabic around 1 p.m.
Members of the Zamboanga del Sur Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit arrested the suspect as he was reportedly transacting with the agent-poseur.
When frisked, Andam yielded three more plastic sachets containing suspected shabu and the marked money, the police report said.
Also found in his possession was an ID card that showed he was a platoon leader of the MILF’s 105th Base Command under the Central Mindanao Front.
Andam told the Inquirer he was not selling illegal drugs although he had used it in the past.
He also said he had surrendered as a drug user a few months ago.
The police said charges for violation of section 5 and 11 of the Anti-Illegal Drugs Act were now being prepared against the suspect, who was detained at the holding facility of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (Pdea) here.
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/961247/man-with-milf-id-held-for-shabu
A 24-year-old man, who carried an identification card reportedly issued by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), was arrested during a drug-buy bust operation in Barangay Banale here on Wednesday.
In a report, the police identified the suspect as Asmin Andam, a resident of Barangay Payong in Sultan Naga Dimaporo town, Lanao del Norte province.
An agent-poseur reportedly transacted with the suspect and allegedly managed to acquire a sachet of suspected shabu when they met near Aide Compound in Purok Arabic around 1 p.m.
Members of the Zamboanga del Sur Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit arrested the suspect as he was reportedly transacting with the agent-poseur.
When frisked, Andam yielded three more plastic sachets containing suspected shabu and the marked money, the police report said.
Also found in his possession was an ID card that showed he was a platoon leader of the MILF’s 105th Base Command under the Central Mindanao Front.
Andam told the Inquirer he was not selling illegal drugs although he had used it in the past.
He also said he had surrendered as a drug user a few months ago.
The police said charges for violation of section 5 and 11 of the Anti-Illegal Drugs Act were now being prepared against the suspect, who was detained at the holding facility of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (Pdea) here.
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/961247/man-with-milf-id-held-for-shabu
NPA video shows abducted police officer still alive
From the Manila Times (Jan 15): NPA video shows abducted police officer still alive
SHARIFF AGUAK, Maguindanao: The communist New Peoples’ Army (NPA) on Monday confirmed they have in their custody the police officer they abducted on December 28 and emailed a “proof of life” video to authorities and local journalists based in Kidapawan City, North Cotabato.
Rigoberto Sanchez, spokesman of the NPA Southern Mindanao Region, said Senior Inspector Menard Cui, deputy police chief of President Roxas municipality in North Cotabato and Magpet town resident, had been abducted and is being tried by the NPA kangaroo court “for his offenses against the masses.”
Sanchez said in a statement that Cui was abducted by “Red Fighters” of Mount Apo Sub-Regional Command Front 53 from a KTV bar at 8 p.m. on December 28 in Barangay Poblacion, President Roxas, North Cotabato.
The NPAs sent Cui’s video to prove he was still alive amid reports that he had been executed. However, as of this writing, The Manila Times is still trying to get a copy of the video to prove the veracity of the proof of life video.
In the video sent 15 days after his abduction, Cui was telling viewers that he is being treated well by his captors in the mountains of North Cotabato.
Sanchez also said that Cui was in good hands and they are treating him as a “prisoner of war.”
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The video showed cui appealing to the 39th Infantry Battalion to suspend the military operations against the NPA while he was still in captivity.
Kidapawan Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo also appealed to the NPA to free Cui whose wife Florelie died on January 2 and will be buried on January 19. The relatives are hoping Cui would be able to attend his wife’s funeral in Magpet.
Bagaforo formed a team of religious leaders led by Fr. Pol Paracha, to facilitate Cui’s immediate release. It was Florelie whom the President Roxas police first informed about his abduction. Her health had deteriorated since then due to severe depression and she was rushed to the Kidapawan hospital where she died two days later.
Felomina, Cui’s mother, said Florelie had been suffering from breast cancer.
http://www.manilatimes.net/npa-video-shows-abducted-police-officer-still-alive/374495/
SHARIFF AGUAK, Maguindanao: The communist New Peoples’ Army (NPA) on Monday confirmed they have in their custody the police officer they abducted on December 28 and emailed a “proof of life” video to authorities and local journalists based in Kidapawan City, North Cotabato.
Rigoberto Sanchez, spokesman of the NPA Southern Mindanao Region, said Senior Inspector Menard Cui, deputy police chief of President Roxas municipality in North Cotabato and Magpet town resident, had been abducted and is being tried by the NPA kangaroo court “for his offenses against the masses.”
Sanchez said in a statement that Cui was abducted by “Red Fighters” of Mount Apo Sub-Regional Command Front 53 from a KTV bar at 8 p.m. on December 28 in Barangay Poblacion, President Roxas, North Cotabato.
The NPAs sent Cui’s video to prove he was still alive amid reports that he had been executed. However, as of this writing, The Manila Times is still trying to get a copy of the video to prove the veracity of the proof of life video.
In the video sent 15 days after his abduction, Cui was telling viewers that he is being treated well by his captors in the mountains of North Cotabato.
Sanchez also said that Cui was in good hands and they are treating him as a “prisoner of war.”
|
The video showed cui appealing to the 39th Infantry Battalion to suspend the military operations against the NPA while he was still in captivity.
Kidapawan Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo also appealed to the NPA to free Cui whose wife Florelie died on January 2 and will be buried on January 19. The relatives are hoping Cui would be able to attend his wife’s funeral in Magpet.
Bagaforo formed a team of religious leaders led by Fr. Pol Paracha, to facilitate Cui’s immediate release. It was Florelie whom the President Roxas police first informed about his abduction. Her health had deteriorated since then due to severe depression and she was rushed to the Kidapawan hospital where she died two days later.
Felomina, Cui’s mother, said Florelie had been suffering from breast cancer.
http://www.manilatimes.net/npa-video-shows-abducted-police-officer-still-alive/374495/
Military hot on heels of NPA gun smugglers
From the Manila Bulletin (Jan 15): Military hot on heels of NPA gun smugglers
Government troops have launched manhunt operations against New People’s Army (NPA) rebels who tried to smuggle assorted high-powered firearms through Magsaysay, Davao del Sur over the weekend.
Col. Roberto Ancan, 1002nd Infantry Brigade commander, said soldiers belonging to the 73rd Infantry Battalion intercepted at a checkpoint at least four NPA rebels riding two motorcycles in Barangay Tacul, Magsaysay, Davao del Sur.
He said the rebels engaged the soldiers in a 10-minute firefight before they withdrew and left behind assorted high-powered firearms consisting of six M-16 rifles, four AK-47 rifles, and an M-14 rifle, and an improvised explosive device (IED) and the two motorcycles.
Military authorities said the suspected NPA rebels tried to smuggle the firearms intended for NPA guerilla forces operating in Makilala, North Cotabato.
Ancan the military had set up a dragnet to intercept the firearms after it received information that the NPA will transport the firearms to beef up the firepower of its forces in North Cotabato.
Last year, the 1002nd Army Brigade commander, had stepped up its security operations against NPA rebels in the provinces of North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, South Cotabato and Davao del Sur which resulted in the surrender of some 130 NPA rebels and 160 firearms.
https://news.mb.com.ph/2018/01/15/military-hot-on-heels-of-npa-gun-smugglers/
Government troops have launched manhunt operations against New People’s Army (NPA) rebels who tried to smuggle assorted high-powered firearms through Magsaysay, Davao del Sur over the weekend.
Col. Roberto Ancan, 1002nd Infantry Brigade commander, said soldiers belonging to the 73rd Infantry Battalion intercepted at a checkpoint at least four NPA rebels riding two motorcycles in Barangay Tacul, Magsaysay, Davao del Sur.
He said the rebels engaged the soldiers in a 10-minute firefight before they withdrew and left behind assorted high-powered firearms consisting of six M-16 rifles, four AK-47 rifles, and an M-14 rifle, and an improvised explosive device (IED) and the two motorcycles.
Military authorities said the suspected NPA rebels tried to smuggle the firearms intended for NPA guerilla forces operating in Makilala, North Cotabato.
Ancan the military had set up a dragnet to intercept the firearms after it received information that the NPA will transport the firearms to beef up the firepower of its forces in North Cotabato.
Last year, the 1002nd Army Brigade commander, had stepped up its security operations against NPA rebels in the provinces of North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, South Cotabato and Davao del Sur which resulted in the surrender of some 130 NPA rebels and 160 firearms.
https://news.mb.com.ph/2018/01/15/military-hot-on-heels-of-npa-gun-smugglers/
Displaced residents scared to return home after BIFF attacks
From the Philippine Star (Jan 17): Displaced residents scared to return home after BIFF attacks
Maguindanao relief workers distribute packed meals to displaced Teduray children.
MAGUINDANAO, Philippines — Indigenous Tedurays displaced by deadly attacks by the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters are reluctant to return to their homes for fear of their safety.
More than a thousand Teduray families were forced to abandon their homes when BIFF gunmen attacked their villages around Mt. Firis in Maguindanao province last December, set houses on fire and laid improvised explosive devices along farm trails to prevent them from coming back.
Evacuees told members of the People’s Medical Team of the provincial government of Maguindanao Tuesday they are apprehensive that the BIFF gunmen that harassed them repeatedly last month would come back and again drive them away once they return to their tribal enclaves at Mt. Firis.
Mt. Firis is a sacred site for Tedurays. It is in the heart of their ancestral homeland surrounded by Maguindanao’s adjoining Datu Unsay, Shariff Aguak, South Upi and Datu Saudi towns.
Lynette Estandarte, chief budget officer in the office of Maguindanao Gov. Esmael Mangudadatu, and personnel of the provincial government distributed on Tuesday five truckloads of relief supplies to the evacuees now in squalid evacuation sites far from reach of marauding BIFF forces.
Estandarte, who is helping manage the provincial medical and emergency response team, said dozens of evacuees afflicted with various ailments were also treated and provided with medicines.
“It’s the children and the elderly Tedurays we pity most,” Estandarte said.
The team also distributed food rations to more than 200 Teduray children, many of them now out of school, during Tuesday’s outreach missions at Mt. Firis.
Mangudadatu, chairman of the inter-agency provincial peace and order council, had earlier urged the joint ceasefire committee of the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front to help address the nagging security woes besetting the Teduray communities at Mt. Firis.
The BIFF boasts of allegiance to the Islamic State and is not covered by the 1997 Agreement on General Cessation of Hostilities between the government and the MILF.
The government and the MILF are bound by the interim security pact to help each other maintain law and order in potential conflict flashpoint areas in southern provinces.
“Mt. Firis rightfully belongs to our Teduray siblings. We must help one another ensure that they are safe there,” Mangudadatu said during a meeting of the provincial security council last January 10.
Teduray farmers told reporters Tuesday there is no truth to claims by the BIFF that its bloody attacks last month were in protest of the encroachment of Ilonggo, Ilocano and Cebuano settlers into strategic areas around Mt. Firis.
Moh Dandi Dayeh, a 45-year-old farmer, said there would have been non-Teduray evacuees in the evacuation sites if the BIFF’s assertion is true.
“Wala pong ni isa mang hindi Teduray sa mga bakwit. Puro kami mga Teduray. Gusto lang nila kaming palayasin para makapag-lagay sila ng kampo diyan sa aming lugar,” he said.
http://beta.philstar.com/nation/2018/01/17/1778654/displaced-residents-scared-return-home-after-biff-attacks
More than a thousand Teduray families were forced to abandon their homes when BIFF gunmen attacked their villages around Mt. Firis in Maguindanao province last December, set houses on fire and laid improvised explosive devices along farm trails to prevent them from coming back.
Evacuees told members of the People’s Medical Team of the provincial government of Maguindanao Tuesday they are apprehensive that the BIFF gunmen that harassed them repeatedly last month would come back and again drive them away once they return to their tribal enclaves at Mt. Firis.
Mt. Firis is a sacred site for Tedurays. It is in the heart of their ancestral homeland surrounded by Maguindanao’s adjoining Datu Unsay, Shariff Aguak, South Upi and Datu Saudi towns.
Lynette Estandarte, chief budget officer in the office of Maguindanao Gov. Esmael Mangudadatu, and personnel of the provincial government distributed on Tuesday five truckloads of relief supplies to the evacuees now in squalid evacuation sites far from reach of marauding BIFF forces.
Estandarte, who is helping manage the provincial medical and emergency response team, said dozens of evacuees afflicted with various ailments were also treated and provided with medicines.
“It’s the children and the elderly Tedurays we pity most,” Estandarte said.
The team also distributed food rations to more than 200 Teduray children, many of them now out of school, during Tuesday’s outreach missions at Mt. Firis.
Mangudadatu, chairman of the inter-agency provincial peace and order council, had earlier urged the joint ceasefire committee of the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front to help address the nagging security woes besetting the Teduray communities at Mt. Firis.
The BIFF boasts of allegiance to the Islamic State and is not covered by the 1997 Agreement on General Cessation of Hostilities between the government and the MILF.
The government and the MILF are bound by the interim security pact to help each other maintain law and order in potential conflict flashpoint areas in southern provinces.
“Mt. Firis rightfully belongs to our Teduray siblings. We must help one another ensure that they are safe there,” Mangudadatu said during a meeting of the provincial security council last January 10.
Teduray farmers told reporters Tuesday there is no truth to claims by the BIFF that its bloody attacks last month were in protest of the encroachment of Ilonggo, Ilocano and Cebuano settlers into strategic areas around Mt. Firis.
Moh Dandi Dayeh, a 45-year-old farmer, said there would have been non-Teduray evacuees in the evacuation sites if the BIFF’s assertion is true.
“Wala pong ni isa mang hindi Teduray sa mga bakwit. Puro kami mga Teduray. Gusto lang nila kaming palayasin para makapag-lagay sila ng kampo diyan sa aming lugar,” he said.
http://beta.philstar.com/nation/2018/01/17/1778654/displaced-residents-scared-return-home-after-biff-attacks
Military claims there are 48 foreign terrorists in Mindanao
From the Philippine Star (Jan 17): Military claims there are 48 foreign terrorists in Mindanao
The government has monitored 48 foreign terrorists operating and recruiting in Mindanao, the military told the Supreme Court on Wednesday.
Maj. Gen. Fernando Trinidad, Armed Forces of the Philippines deputy chief of staff for Intelligence, said that there has been an "influx" of foreign terrorists, "in the guise of tourists and businessmen," in the southern Philippines.
Maj. Gen. Fernando Trinidad, Armed Forces of the Philippines deputy chief of staff for Intelligence, said that there has been an "influx" of foreign terrorists, "in the guise of tourists and businessmen," in the southern Philippines.
At the resumption of oral arguments on the extension of martial law, Trinidad made a presentation to justify the AFP's request for a year-long extension of martial law in Mindanao.
Four petitions have been lodged before the SC claiming President Rodrigo Duterte's request for a year-long lacks factual basis.
The petitioners raised that, following military statements that they are fighting only "remnants" of the terrorist groups, military rule is not needed in Mindanao for another year.
READ: Duterte wants martial law extended one more year
He said that, last November, 15 terrorists from Indonesia and Malaysia entered Mindanao to augment the Maute terrorist group in Sarangani. In December 2017, another 16 Indonesians entered the country to train the members of the Abu Sayyaf groups in Basilan, and Maute Group in Lanao del Sur.
Four petitions have been lodged before the SC claiming President Rodrigo Duterte's request for a year-long lacks factual basis.
The petitioners raised that, following military statements that they are fighting only "remnants" of the terrorist groups, military rule is not needed in Mindanao for another year.
READ: Duterte wants martial law extended one more year
He said that, last November, 15 terrorists from Indonesia and Malaysia entered Mindanao to augment the Maute terrorist group in Sarangani. In December 2017, another 16 Indonesians entered the country to train the members of the Abu Sayyaf groups in Basilan, and Maute Group in Lanao del Sur.
In January 2018, Trinidad said that it was reported that an Egyptian national also entered the country.
The new recruits, said Trinidad, are being trained in tactics and marksmanship, while those who displayed advanced skills are undergoing training in making IEDs and in urban operations.
He added that there are about 400 terrorists in Mindanao. Around the same numbers that mounted the Marawi siege in May 2017 although the government had initially estimated the number of terrorists in Marawi at 50-100 during the early days of the siege.
"Abu Sayyaf groups, in the presence of remnants, supporters, protectors and sympathizers of DAESH (another term for the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, ISIS), pose a clear and present danger to national facilitation of rehabilitation, recovery and reconstruction in Marawi, and hinder peace in Mindanao," Trinidad said.
He appealed to the SC to uphold the granting of the year-long extension in Mindanao so that the AFP "can hasten accomplishment" of the agency's mandate to secure Mindanao
The SC continues its oral arguments on four consolidated petitions challenging the constitutionality of Duterte's martial law extension in Mindanao on Wednesday.
The new recruits, said Trinidad, are being trained in tactics and marksmanship, while those who displayed advanced skills are undergoing training in making IEDs and in urban operations.
He added that there are about 400 terrorists in Mindanao. Around the same numbers that mounted the Marawi siege in May 2017 although the government had initially estimated the number of terrorists in Marawi at 50-100 during the early days of the siege.
"Abu Sayyaf groups, in the presence of remnants, supporters, protectors and sympathizers of DAESH (another term for the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, ISIS), pose a clear and present danger to national facilitation of rehabilitation, recovery and reconstruction in Marawi, and hinder peace in Mindanao," Trinidad said.
He appealed to the SC to uphold the granting of the year-long extension in Mindanao so that the AFP "can hasten accomplishment" of the agency's mandate to secure Mindanao
The SC continues its oral arguments on four consolidated petitions challenging the constitutionality of Duterte's martial law extension in Mindanao on Wednesday.
Philippines checks if key Malaysian extremist survived siege
From ABC News (Jan 17): Philippines checks if key Malaysian extremist survived siege
Philippine troops are trying to validate intelligence information that a Malaysian militant leader survived the defeat of an Islamic State group-linked siege and is helping restart efforts to establish an extremist alliance, a military official said Wednesday.
Brig. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana said troops were trying to validate reports that Amin Baco was wounded during the siege of southern Marawi city but managed to escape to Sulu province, where he is hiding with Abu Sayyaf militants.
Rebel leader Yusop Jikiri of the Moro National Liberation Front, which has a peace treaty with the government, told The Associated Press that his group received information that Baco is being protected by Abu Sayyaf commander Hatib Hajan Sawadjaan, the Malaysian militant's Filipino father-in-law, in the mountains off Sulu's Patikul town. Sawadjaan is a notorious kidnapper linked to several abductions of foreign tourists.
"We also got that information and we're validating it," Sobejana said. "Our efforts against this group have been relentless."
Abu Amri Taddik, the rebel intelligence chief of Jikiri's group, said Baco was involved in renewed efforts to establish an IS-linked alliance of several groups including the Abu Sayyaf.
A Sulu-based Abu Sayyaf commander, Yassir Igasan, is a key candidate to succeed Isnilon Hapilon, who led an emerging IS-affiliated alliance in Southeast Asia until he was killed when government troops crushed the five-month Marawi siege in October, Taddik said.
Military officials had said that Baco, who was hiding in the southern Philippines for years, was among the militants killed in Marawi although his body was not found.
A longtime rebel fighter who has served as Sulu governor and later as a congressman, Jikiri heads one of two major factions of his rebel group and had organized nearly 400 fighters to help the military combat kidnappings and terrorism.
"We'd like to clean the name of Sulu and the Tausugs," Jikiri said, referring to Sulu's dominant ethnic group. "I hope the Abu Sayyaf will stop kidnappings and all sort of criminalities to avoid any more bloodletting."
Sobejana welcomed the rebel move and said arrangements were being finalized to determine how the guerrillas could help troops.
"What is clear is they are already providing us with information," he said.
The United States and the Philippines have separately blacklisted the Abu Sayyaf as a terrorist organization for its involvement in kidnappings for ransom, beheadings and bombings.
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/philippines-checks-key-malaysian-extremist-survived-siege-52399608
Philippine troops are trying to validate intelligence information that a Malaysian militant leader survived the defeat of an Islamic State group-linked siege and is helping restart efforts to establish an extremist alliance, a military official said Wednesday.
Brig. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana said troops were trying to validate reports that Amin Baco was wounded during the siege of southern Marawi city but managed to escape to Sulu province, where he is hiding with Abu Sayyaf militants.
Rebel leader Yusop Jikiri of the Moro National Liberation Front, which has a peace treaty with the government, told The Associated Press that his group received information that Baco is being protected by Abu Sayyaf commander Hatib Hajan Sawadjaan, the Malaysian militant's Filipino father-in-law, in the mountains off Sulu's Patikul town. Sawadjaan is a notorious kidnapper linked to several abductions of foreign tourists.
"We also got that information and we're validating it," Sobejana said. "Our efforts against this group have been relentless."
Abu Amri Taddik, the rebel intelligence chief of Jikiri's group, said Baco was involved in renewed efforts to establish an IS-linked alliance of several groups including the Abu Sayyaf.
A Sulu-based Abu Sayyaf commander, Yassir Igasan, is a key candidate to succeed Isnilon Hapilon, who led an emerging IS-affiliated alliance in Southeast Asia until he was killed when government troops crushed the five-month Marawi siege in October, Taddik said.
Military officials had said that Baco, who was hiding in the southern Philippines for years, was among the militants killed in Marawi although his body was not found.
A longtime rebel fighter who has served as Sulu governor and later as a congressman, Jikiri heads one of two major factions of his rebel group and had organized nearly 400 fighters to help the military combat kidnappings and terrorism.
"We'd like to clean the name of Sulu and the Tausugs," Jikiri said, referring to Sulu's dominant ethnic group. "I hope the Abu Sayyaf will stop kidnappings and all sort of criminalities to avoid any more bloodletting."
Sobejana welcomed the rebel move and said arrangements were being finalized to determine how the guerrillas could help troops.
"What is clear is they are already providing us with information," he said.
The United States and the Philippines have separately blacklisted the Abu Sayyaf as a terrorist organization for its involvement in kidnappings for ransom, beheadings and bombings.
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/philippines-checks-key-malaysian-extremist-survived-siege-52399608
Tuesday, January 16, 2018
4 NPAs killed
From the Mindanao Times (Jan 17): 4 NPAs killed
FOUR members of the New People’s Army (NPA) were reportedly killed yesterday in an encounter with the soldiers of the 28th Infantry Battalion in Sitio Palo 2, Barangay Marayag, Lupon, Davao Oriental.
Capt. Andrew Linao, the civil-military operations (CMO) officer of 701st Infantry Brigade, told TIMES that around 1:30 p.m., government troopers conducting combat operation in the area encountered at least 20 members of the Pulang Bagani Command (PBC) 6 of the NPA’s Southern Mindanao Regional Committee (SRMC).
Linao said the firefight lasted for about 10 minutes.
Four bodies were recovered by the government soldiers. No casualty was reported on the government side.
Troopers also recovered one M16 rifle, four short firearms and one improvised explosive device (IED), subversive documents, nine rice containers, four backpacks and other NPA personal belongings.
Meanwhile, a soldier was wounded in the encounter in Sitio Banban, Barangay Lumiad, Paquibato District on Monday morning.
Linao said the firefight lasted for about 10 minutes.
Four bodies were recovered by the government soldiers. No casualty was reported on the government side.
Troopers also recovered one M16 rifle, four short firearms and one improvised explosive device (IED), subversive documents, nine rice containers, four backpacks and other NPA personal belongings.
Meanwhile, a soldier was wounded in the encounter in Sitio Banban, Barangay Lumiad, Paquibato District on Monday morning.
Wounded was PFC Ryan Millet, a member of the 16th Infantry Battalion. He was hit in his left thigh.
Lt. Ian Calopez, head of combat patrol cleaning operation, said they encountered undetermined communist terrorists, under Ka Jinggoy of PBC 1 at 11:40 a.m.
The encounter lasted for 40 minutes.
Hot pursuit operation is still conducted by government troopers.
Lt. Ian Calopez, head of combat patrol cleaning operation, said they encountered undetermined communist terrorists, under Ka Jinggoy of PBC 1 at 11:40 a.m.
The encounter lasted for 40 minutes.
Hot pursuit operation is still conducted by government troopers.
Communist attack
From the Mindanao Times (Jan 15): Communist attack
NPA holds 6 workers, torches 3 spray trucks
THREE trucks owned by agricultural companies were torched by alleged members of the New People’s Army (NPA) Saturday morning in Sitio Tigon, Barangay Tamayong, Calinan District.
Before the burning, the rebels held six workers in Barangay Manuel Guianga, Tugbok District, where they took the trucks.
Sr. Supt. Alexander Tagum, Davao City Police Office (DCPO) director, said around 30 NPAs forcibly took two boom trucks owned by Sumifru Corp. and one sprayer truck owned by TriStar at around 7:30 a.m. Saturday at Sitio Dominguez and Dipag Dos, both in Barangay Manuel Guianga while the vehicles were travelling toward Tamayong.
The Davao-based Sumifru, with office at Pryce Tower along JP Laurel Avenue, is engaged in exporting various fresh fruits, primarily cavendish bananas, pineapple and papaya. TriStar is said to be the banana exporting arm of the JVA Group owned by the Ayala family of Davao.
Lt. Col. Raymund Dante Lachica, commander of 3rd Infantry Battalion, said the members of the NPA’s Guerilla Front 54, Sub Regional Command 3, Southern Mindanao Regional committee (SMRC), led by certain Alias Ka Nasser, staged the attack.
The NPA held the truck drivers and workers for over an hour as they were freed at around 9 a.m.
The workers said their abductors burned the trucks in Sitio Tigon.
The NPA also peppered one of the trucks with different high-powered firearms.
Lachica said the “brazen act of terrorism” by the communist rebels has “once again disrupted the living condition of the locals, leaving them traumatized.”
The army commander likened the attack to the Apr. 29 Lapanday Foods Corporation assault in Buhangin District that caused residents to lose their jobs and livelihood. That attack killed a fish vendor who hit a landmine placed by the rebels along Tigatto Road.
Lachica said they are condemning the evil deeds of the communist group.
He said 3rd IB troopers are currently conducting pursuit operation against the perpetrators.
Personnel of the Calinan Police Precinct also conducted an immediate security deployment and mobile checkpoint operation around the area.
http://mindanaotimes.net/communist-attack/
NPA holds 6 workers, torches 3 spray trucks
THREE trucks owned by agricultural companies were torched by alleged members of the New People’s Army (NPA) Saturday morning in Sitio Tigon, Barangay Tamayong, Calinan District.
Before the burning, the rebels held six workers in Barangay Manuel Guianga, Tugbok District, where they took the trucks.
Sr. Supt. Alexander Tagum, Davao City Police Office (DCPO) director, said around 30 NPAs forcibly took two boom trucks owned by Sumifru Corp. and one sprayer truck owned by TriStar at around 7:30 a.m. Saturday at Sitio Dominguez and Dipag Dos, both in Barangay Manuel Guianga while the vehicles were travelling toward Tamayong.
The Davao-based Sumifru, with office at Pryce Tower along JP Laurel Avenue, is engaged in exporting various fresh fruits, primarily cavendish bananas, pineapple and papaya. TriStar is said to be the banana exporting arm of the JVA Group owned by the Ayala family of Davao.
Lt. Col. Raymund Dante Lachica, commander of 3rd Infantry Battalion, said the members of the NPA’s Guerilla Front 54, Sub Regional Command 3, Southern Mindanao Regional committee (SMRC), led by certain Alias Ka Nasser, staged the attack.
The NPA held the truck drivers and workers for over an hour as they were freed at around 9 a.m.
The workers said their abductors burned the trucks in Sitio Tigon.
The NPA also peppered one of the trucks with different high-powered firearms.
Lachica said the “brazen act of terrorism” by the communist rebels has “once again disrupted the living condition of the locals, leaving them traumatized.”
The army commander likened the attack to the Apr. 29 Lapanday Foods Corporation assault in Buhangin District that caused residents to lose their jobs and livelihood. That attack killed a fish vendor who hit a landmine placed by the rebels along Tigatto Road.
Lachica said they are condemning the evil deeds of the communist group.
He said 3rd IB troopers are currently conducting pursuit operation against the perpetrators.
Personnel of the Calinan Police Precinct also conducted an immediate security deployment and mobile checkpoint operation around the area.
http://mindanaotimes.net/communist-attack/
Sison hopes to broker peace with Duterte gov’t
From the often pro-Communist Party of the Philippines online publication the Davao Today (Jan 15): Sison hopes to broker peace with Duterte gov’t
Communist of the Philippines founding chairman Prof. Jose Maria Sison and President Rodrigo Duterte (davaotoday.com)
The founder of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) on Sunday, January 14, welcomed President Rodrigo Duterte’s offer to a one-on-one talk, in the hope to resume peace negotiations.
In a statement sent to the media, Prof. Jose Maria Sison said Duterte’s offer is “more important than his still angry words” in his recent interview with MindaNews.”
Earlier, the President once again gave a hint that he is willing to resume the talks with the communists, saying that to make it possible, the CPP-NPA need to “go lower” and that they would need to watch their language.
The founder of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) on Sunday, January 14, welcomed President Rodrigo Duterte’s offer to a one-on-one talk, in the hope to resume peace negotiations.
In a statement sent to the media, Prof. Jose Maria Sison said Duterte’s offer is “more important than his still angry words” in his recent interview with MindaNews.”
Earlier, the President once again gave a hint that he is willing to resume the talks with the communists, saying that to make it possible, the CPP-NPA need to “go lower” and that they would need to watch their language.
“Gusto ko si Sison pumunta dito. Kaming dalawa mag-usap, kaming dalawa lang dito sa kwarto” (I want Sison to come here. The two of us will talk. Only the two of us here in this room),” Duterte told MindaNews on January 12.
Duterte recalled the incident that triggered him to call off the peace talks last year. He referred to that November 11, 2017 incident, where a police officer and a four-month-old infant died in an ambush by the New People’s Army (NPA) in Barangay Tikalaan, Talakag, Bukidnon.
The NPA issued a statement saying it would indemnify the families of the victims and expressed remorse over the unfortunate incident.
Following that, Duterte issued Proclamation No. 360 on November 23, canceling the participation of the government’s peace panel in the negotiations with the NDFP and later declared the CPP-NPA as “terror groups”.
READ: Days before Duterte thrashes talks, GRP, NDFP initialed draft documents on social, economic reforms
He also admitted that declaring them as terrorists would not solve the problem but “it can lessen their number”.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) vows to end the communist insurgency before the year ends.
Asked if the doors are totally shut for the resumption of peace talks, Duterte said,”I don’t know but it would need more than just a show of good faith.”
In response, Sison said he is willing to talk with Duterte “for the sake and purpose of resuming the peace negotiations.”
“It would indeed be a waste if we would not interface even once, considering the success of the four rounds of formal talks since 2016,” Sison said.
Sison said they could meet in a neighboring country considering “mutual convenience and sense of prudence” for both parties.
The peace negotiations between the government and the NDF under the Duterte administration have reached “unprecedented advancements” including the agreement on reforms like free land distribution that will benefit millions of farmers.
The NPA issued a statement saying it would indemnify the families of the victims and expressed remorse over the unfortunate incident.
Following that, Duterte issued Proclamation No. 360 on November 23, canceling the participation of the government’s peace panel in the negotiations with the NDFP and later declared the CPP-NPA as “terror groups”.
READ: Days before Duterte thrashes talks, GRP, NDFP initialed draft documents on social, economic reforms
He also admitted that declaring them as terrorists would not solve the problem but “it can lessen their number”.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) vows to end the communist insurgency before the year ends.
Asked if the doors are totally shut for the resumption of peace talks, Duterte said,”I don’t know but it would need more than just a show of good faith.”
In response, Sison said he is willing to talk with Duterte “for the sake and purpose of resuming the peace negotiations.”
“It would indeed be a waste if we would not interface even once, considering the success of the four rounds of formal talks since 2016,” Sison said.
Sison said they could meet in a neighboring country considering “mutual convenience and sense of prudence” for both parties.
The peace negotiations between the government and the NDF under the Duterte administration have reached “unprecedented advancements” including the agreement on reforms like free land distribution that will benefit millions of farmers.
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