Kalinaw News: Another Militia ng Bayan surrendered to the 75IB

Posted to Kalinaw News (Sep 5, 2019): Another Militia ng Bayan surrendered to the 75IB

BISLIG CITY, Surigao del Sur- Camp Jaime N Ferrer Sr, Brgy Maharlika, Bislig City (Stn) – A Member of Militia ng Bayan surrendered voluntarily surrendered to the 75th Infantry (MARAUDER) Battalion, Philippine Army through the joint efforts of Bravo Company and Battalion Intel Operatives under the supervision of LTC JAIME R DATUIN INF (GSC) PA, Commanding Officer, 75IB on September 2, 2019 at 8 o’ clock in the morning.

The surrenderee was identified as Romy Paquito Dela Serna aka Salvador, a Former Tack-in member of Team Abe, Squad 1, Platoon 1 of Weaken Guerrilla Front 14, North Eastern Mindanao Committee with one (1) calibre .45 pistol and with live ammunition.

In his statement, aka Salvador said that he left the group due to the continuous massive military operations, tired of running away of it, discrimination among the group and feared to be killed with nothing. “Dina na gusto nga muabot pa ang panahon na gumikan sa kasuko sa komindad, ako mapatay sa walay kapuslanan kay ang mga sibilyan wala nay simpatiya sa kalihukan, mao nga ni balik ko sa panggamahan sa gobyerno.”

With this LTC JAIME R DATUIN INF (GSC) PA, Commanding Officer of 75IB said “once again, I am calling the remaining Communist New Peoples’ Army to surrender and grab the opportunity to live a normal life with their family and the benefits from the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program of the government for the Former Rebels”, Datuin ended.

75th Infantry Battalion 4th Infantry Division Philippine Army
Cpt Edwin Leo Francisco
CMO Officer, 75IB, 4ID, PA
Bislig City, Surgao del Sur
09778474763

[Kalinaw News is the official online source of information on the pursuit for peace by the Philippine Army. It provides information on the activities of Army Units nationwide in the performance of their duty of Serving the People and Securing the Land. This website is a property of the Civil-Military Operations Regiment, Philippine Army located at Lawton Avenue, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.
Contact us: contact@kalinawnews.com]

https://www.kalinawnews.com/another-militia-ng-bayan-surrendered-to-the-75ib/

Kalinaw News: NPA’s Food supplies siezed in Lanao del Sur

Posted to Kalinaw News (Sep 5, 2019): NPA’s Food supplies siezed in Lanao del Sur

CAMP SANG-AN, Pulacan, ZDS – Communist NPA Terrorist’s (CNTs) food supplies were seized by the operating troops of 82nd Infantry Battalion in the hinterlands Tagoloan II, Lanao del Sur, Wednesday, September 4, 2019.

“Reported by a concerned civilian, eight 24-Liter black containers buried and filled with one hundred sixty (160) kilograms of rice were discovered and sized by our troops”, said Ltc Rafman Altre, 82nd Infantry Battalion commander.

It was on April 2019 when the troops of 82IB also discovered twenty one (21) black containers also filled with rice in Brgy Sigayan of the same municipality.

According to Brig. Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., 103rd Infantry Brigade commander “Our focused military operation in Lanao del Sur is relentless, and we will not allow these CNTs to sow terror in the hinterland communities”.

“We urged them to surrender and return into the mainstream society. The discovery of the food reserves will made them hungry in the hinterlands”, added Brawner.

Meanwhile, Maj. Gen. Roberto Ancan, the 1st Infantry Division and Joint Task Force Zampelan (Zamboanga Peninsula and Lanao Provinces) commander, commended the efforts of the troops and the brave resident who reported the CNT’s food caches.

“We recognized the courageous action of the resident. We are just one text away, your Army is ready to respond and quell all threat groups in our area of responsibility”, Ancan said.

Source:  103rd Infantry Brigade Philippine Army

 

https://www.kalinawnews.com/npas-food-supplies-siezed-in-lanao-del-sur/

Kalinaw News: 29IB, PNP, LGU and Youths converge for peacebuilding forum in AgNor

Posted to Kalinaw News (Sep 5, 2019): 29IB, PNP, LGU and Youths converge for peacebuilding forum in AgNor

DEL PILAR, Cabadbaran City- Around 280 youths from the three different barangays of Balang-balang, San Antonio and Tagbongabong gathered for a peacebuilding forum with a theme “Youth Unity for a Better Society,” conducted at the municipality of Remedios Trinidad Romualdez (RTR), Agusan del Norte on August 31, 2019.

The forum was participated in by the 29th Infantry “Matatag” Battalion, 13th Regional Mobile Force Battalion (RMFB), POINTY Young “Matatag”, and the Local Government Unit of RTR.

The forum aimed to acquaint youth leaders with the current situation of peace and security in their area as well as to insulate them from the deceptive tactics of recruitment of the New People’s Army (NPA). A series of team building activities were also conducted which aimed to help the youths to develop and enhance their unity and leadership skills.

Hon. Vicente Cuestas, Barangay Captain of Balang-balang highlighted the importance of the forum to the youths, especially their vital role to play for nation-building towards peace and development.

Meanwhile, Hon. Bernarditha Daquipil, Sangguniang Bayan member of RTR emphasized that the youth is the most vulnerable sector in society that is susceptible to the NPA’s deception, recruitment and exploitation. And it is, therefore, justifiable to focus more on preparing and strengthening the youth, so they may have enough strength to resist the enticing lies of the enemy.

Moreover, Lt. Geoffrey A. Escanlar, Company Commander in the area, called on the youth leaders to spend time in educating themselves, “Rebellion and revolutions won’t stop the insurgency but will just ignite the fire. What you need to focus on is educating yourselves with the right knowledge and information so you won’t easily be caught in the snares of the NPA. Strive to be an advocate of peace and development in your area rather than being a burden to your community,” Escanlar ended.

29th Infantry Battalion, 4th Infantry Division Philippine Army
MAJ RONALD C PUTOL (INF) PA
Civil Military Operations Officer
Contact Number: ‎09173065872

Kalinaw News is the official online source of information on the pursuit for peace by the Philippine Army. It provides information on the activities of Army Units nationwide in the performance of their duty of Serving the People and Securing the Land. This website is a property of the Civil-Military Operations Regiment, Philippine Army located at Lawton Avenue, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City
Contact us: contact@kalinawnews.com

https://www.kalinawnews.com/29ib-pnp-lgu-and-youths-converge-for-peacebuilding-forum-in-agnor/

Philippines: Dozens of Foreign Militants Have Eluded Capture in South

From BenarNews (Sep 4, 2019): Philippines: Dozens of Foreign Militants Have Eluded Capture in South

Excavators tear down buildings and clear debris in the southern Philippine city of Marawi in front of what remains of the city’s Grand Mosque, Sept. 4, 2019.  Froilan Gallardo/BenarNews

Dozens of foreign militants have fanned out in the Philippine south to evade capture, a military commander said Wednesday, as an analyst warned that extremists could mount a large-scale attack reminiscent of the Islamic State siege of Marawi in 2017.

Government forces should watch out for more attacks from foreign extremists who have infiltrated the southern region and are moving to radicalize locals, said Jose Antonio Custodio, a security and defense analyst at the Institute for Policy, Strategy and Development Studies, a Philippine think-tank.

“A non-neutralization of the ISIS foreign militants will allow them to increasingly radicalize local groups and then this may lead to more Marawi-style attacks or suicide bombings,” he told Benar News, using another acronym for Islamic State and referring to a five-month siege carried out in the southern Philippine city by militants linked with IS.

The military commander for Western Mindanao, meanwhile, said troops were searching the region for about 60 suspected foreign militants, including people from Bangladesh, Malaysia, Indonesia, Morocco and Afghanistan.

“They are scattered in our areas. They don’t have popular support. In due time, using our capabilities, we will neutralize them,” Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana said, reiterating an earlier pledge that the foreign fighters would be accounted for by year’s end.

He said the foreigners were believed to be in areas where Philippine militant groups, including the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), were operating.

BIFF, numbering hundreds of fighters, split from the 12,000-member Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in 2008 and has since pledged allegiance to IS. Earlier this year, MILF assumed the leadership of an autonomous Muslim region in the southern Philippines as part of peace agreement with Manila.

Sobejana said a first batch of MILF fighters who trained under the military had been deployed to certain areas in the south to help government security forces catch the foreign suspects.

“Their role will be important as the role of every member of security forces. They will help us fight terrorism so that peace will be restored,” Sobejana said of the MILF fighters.

Custodio also commented on the new role for the MILF fighters.

“We can only hope that they will be effective. That will depend on the quality of training, the trust on them put by the military, the manner in which they are deployed, the competence of the AFP commanders and the reliability of the initial vetting process,” Custodio said.

Foreigners were among the hundreds of militants who laid siege to Marawi two years ago, but Philippine authorities have increased their vigilance for more militants from abroad infiltrating the south after an Indonesian couple killed 23 people in suicide bombings at a church in southern Jolo island in January, according to officials from both countries.

The two bombers had aligned with Abu Sayyaf fighters under the command of Hatib Hajan Sawadjaan, touted as the new IS leader here following the death of Isnilon Hapilon in Marawi, authorities said.

https://www.benarnews.org/english/news/philippine/militant-concerns-09042019124955.html

Malaysia: Two Suspected Abu Sayyaf Members Killed in Shootout

From BenarNews (Sep 4, 2019): Malaysia: Two Suspected Abu Sayyaf Members Killed in Shootout

Hazani Ghazali, chief of the Eastern Sabah Security Command, answers questions during a news conference in Sabah, Malaysia, Sept. 5, 2019.  Handout/Royal Malaysia Police

Malaysian police said security forces gunned down two suspected members of the southern Philippine-based militant group Abu Sayyaf during a shootout at sea off Sabah state, police said Wednesday, days after Indonesia had warned about movements by armed groups in area waters.

Sabah state Police Commissioner Omar Mammah said members of a law-enforcement team, including the Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCOM), were on patrol Tuesday night when they spotted two boats about 10 nautical miles (18.5 km) off Lahad Datu district.

“The team tried to intercept the two boats when the perpetrators fired shots at them,” Omar told BenarNews. He said the officers did not get hit, but returned fire.

Gunmen on one of the boats managed to flee as they entered Philippine territorial waters, he said, adding that the suspects left behind one of the boats, where the law-enforcement team found the body of a man with gunshot wounds.

“As soon as the shooting stopped, we inspected a boat where we found one dead body in it, while another body was found floating nearby,” Omar said. “We believe that the suspects were from the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG).”

Abu Sayyaf is a ragtag band of militants based in and around Jolo and Basilan islands in the southwestern part of the Philippines. Authorities could not determine the nationalities of the slain men as they did not carry identification documents, Omar said.

Other police officials later told reporters that the duo were between 30 and 40 years old. Security forces seized a vintage Garand rifle with a magazine and two live bullets, authorities said.

Sabah has been under a dusk-to-dawn sea curfew during the past few months as authorities took steps to curtail movements of armed groups involved in kidnap-for-ransom activities.

The alleged shootout took place just days after the state-run news agency Bernama reported that the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia had issued a “letter of notification” to local authorities, warning about the movement of armed groups between the southern Philippines and the east coast of Sabah, one of two Malaysian states on Borneo Island.

Bernama quoted Krishna Djelani, the Indonesian consul-general based in Kota Kinabalu, as saying that the warning was important to ensure that Indonesians, especially those working as fishermen and crew members of ships, took safety precautions.

During the past 19 years, more than 20 kidnapping incidents involving Indonesian victims had taken place, resulting in the deaths of almost 40 people, Krishna told Bernama. She did not elaborate.

“We were initially informed that there was a movement of armed groups from southern Philippines that had to do with kidnapping for ransom,” she said, adding that the notification was aimed at warning about 300,000 Indonesians living in Sabah.

“Any information that we receive, we have to warn the Indonesians there as a precaution lest they become victims (of abduction),” she said.

The killing of the suspects occurred days after Malaysia’s national police chief, Abdul Hamid Bador, told BenarNews in a wide-ranging interview that the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA), along with maritime police, had “strengthened their presence in Sabah waters” in an effort to track down kidnap-for-ransom gangs operating along the state’s eastern coast.

“[W]e are focusing on mobility and the ability to block escape routes, to engage with the kidnappers while they are on the run,” Abdul Hamid said. “We have dozens of [coastal] check points. ... At each checkpoint there could be up to 30 security personnel.”

https://www.benarnews.org/english/news/malaysian/malaysia-philippines-09042019165524.html

Army lauds LGUs for declaring NPA 'persona non grata'

From the Philippine Information Agency (Sep 5, 2019): Army lauds LGUs for declaring NPA 'persona non grata' 

MGen Pablo M. Lorenzo, commander of the 5th Infantry Division, urges rebels to surrender and avail of the various government programs during one of the episodes of the Tipon-Tipan sa PIA program hosted by Oliver Baccay. (Photo by PIA-2)

TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan -- The commander of the 5th Infantry Division, Philippine Army has lauded the initiatives of the different Local Government Units (LGUs) regionwide that have declared the New People’s Army (NPA) as “persona non-grata”.

Major General Pablo M. Lorenzo said he commended the decision of the local officials in passing resolutions declaring the NPAs as unwanted and unappreciated people in their respective communities.

He, however, clarified that they have no hands in the declarations and the resolutions are purely initiative of the barangay and municipal officials.

“We never dictated nor forced any official to pass a resolution declaring these rebels as persona non grata in their respective localities,” Lorenzo stressed amid accusations of the left groups that the Armed Forces are behind the declarations.

He said the whole of Rizal town, and some barangays of Lasam and Sto. Nino towns in this province have already passed resolutions to this effect as well as some barangays of Cauayan City, Sta Maria, San Mariano and Ilagan City in Isabela province.

“Maybe, these are the results of the inhumane acts done by the rebels in their communities, thus, local officials had find ways to voice out their resistance to insurgencies. This is a clear manifestation that they are longing for peace, security and progress in their locality,” Lorenzo said.

He also said that the NPAs’ 50 years of rebellion and revolutionary battle against the government promoted deception and resulted in the loss of lives and destruction to property.

On the other hand, Lorenzo urged NPA members to return to the fold of the law and to restart living normal lives.

He said there were already 220 rebels who surrendered in the last 2 years.

This year, he added that the benefit claims of at least 74 rebel-returnees under the government’s Enhanced Comprehensive Localized Integration Program (E-CLIP) are on process through the assistance of various government agencies and LGUs. (ALM/OTB/PIA-2 Cagayan)

https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1026819

AFP: NPAs recruit students from SUCs

From the Philippine Information Agency (Sep 5, 2019): AFP: NPAs recruit students from SUCs

MGen. Pablo M. Lorenzo, commander of the 5th ID,PA, explains to the media the recruitment tactics of NPAs. (Photo by PIA-2)

TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan -- The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) warned parents and guardians of students to be vigilant as left leaning groups conduct massive recruitment activities particularly in State Universities and Colleges nationwide.

Major General Pablo M. Lorenzo, commander of the 5th Infantry Division, Philippine Army, confirmed cases of mass-based groups recruiting students in campuses to join in their revolutionary movement against the government.

Lorenzo said majority of the recruited students were from big and highly reputable public universities and colleges and are mostly enrolled in popular and high standard degree courses while others are writers and contributors of school papers.

“There were those who joined the armed wing of the NPAs but they surrendered after realizing that they were deceived by the rebel group. Some of them continued their studies and they are now helping our government in encouraging the rebels to surrender,” Lorenzo said.

He said the rebel-recruiters belong to the legally organized fronts called “militia ng bayan” who may or may not be directly involved in armed struggle in the jungle but they provide mass-based support to the NPAs.

“They go to the campuses and indoctrinate the youth. When they got the sympathy of the young ones, they will first let them join street rallies until they will be trained to be combatants,” Lorenzo said.

He also confirmed that there were some students from Cagayan Valley who were recruited by the left groups, some have already surrendered whom they give security.

“If they will surrender, we assure them that they will be given a dignified exit from the rebellious society. Aside from the benefits that the government gives them, we also help them pursue their dreams,” Lorenzo said as he urged student rebels to surrender. (ALM/OTB/PIA-Cagayan)

https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1026825

Tagalog PR: Grupo nang isang datu sumuko upang harapin ang kanilang kaso

From the Philippine Information Agency (Sep 5, 2019): Tagalog PR: Grupo nang isang datu sumuko upang harapin ang kanilang kaso

BAYAN NG TAGO, Surigao del Sur, Setyembre 5 (PIA) -- Matagumpay ang ginawang boluntaryong pagsuko dala ang mga armas ng armadong grupo na pinamumunuan ni Jasmen Acevedo alyas “Datu Jasmen” kasama ang siyam na kasamahan nito na ipinipresenta sa mga media nuong Lunes, Setyembre 2, 2019 sa 36th Infantry Battalion Headquarters, Barangay Dayo-an, Tago.

Ito ay matapos ang ilang serye ng diayalogo sa pamamagitan ng mapayapang negosasyon na ginawa ng mga kinauukulan.

Ang grupo ni Datu Jasmen ay mga lumad na residente ng Barangay Umalag na sakop ng bayan ng San Miguel.

Ayun sa militar, ang mga ito ay dating mga kaanib ng NPA na nagbalik loob na sa gobyerno.

Isinuko ng nasabing grupo ang mga sumunod: isang M16 rifle, isang Carbine rifle, tatlong homemade shotguns at dalawang .45 na calibre ng baril.

Ayon kay Datu Jasmen, kaya sila ay gumamit ng armas ay dahil na rin sa banta ng mg NPA na nais kamkamin ang lupain ng kanilang mga ninuno.

Sinabi ni Datu Jasmen na sila ay mga “Bagani” ng kanilang tribong Manobo sa kanilang lugar, na kumakampi sa ating gobyerno.

Para na rin sa kanilang seguridad, ang grupo nila ay dinala sa headquarters ng 36IB, sa bayan ng San Miguel kasama ng mga lokal na opisyal, mga pulis, sundalo at IP leaders na tumutulong sa negosasyon.

Dito na rin pormal na inihain ang warrant of arrest sa nasabing grupo na binasa at ipinaliwanag sa kanila ni Police Lt. Colonel Allan Macapagal, ang Deputy Provincial Director for Operation (DPDO) ng Police Provincial Office (PPO) ng Surigao del Sur.



Ang mga sumuko ay nahaharap sa kasong “three counts of robbery with homicide” base sa pinalabas na warrant of arrest noong December 5, 2012 ni Presiding Judge Rufo Naragas. (PIA-Surigao del Sur)

https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1026844

2 killed, 2 injured in NoCot shootings

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 5, 2019): 2 killed, 2 injured in NoCot shootings

COTABATO CITY – The North Cotabato police has stepped up its visibility in Kidapawan City and the 17 municipalities of the province on Thursday following the resurgence of riding-in-tandem gunmen preying on hapless civilian victims in the area.

Col. Maximo Layugan, provincial police director, issued the directive following the separate incidence of shooting carried out by lawless riding-in-tandems in the towns of Kabacan and Pikit on Wednesday.

In Kabacan town, spouses Danny and Jonna Racquel were aboard a motorbike going to the town public market when tailed and fired upon by gunmen onboard a separate motorcycle along Maria Clara Street at the Poblacion around 4:30 a.m.

“Jonna was dead declared on arrival at the hospital while Danny remains under close observation in the same infirmary,” Major Realan Mamon, Kabacan police chief, said in a report to Layugan.

Found at the crime scene were empty shells for a .45-caliber pistol. Police investigators are still digging deeper into the case.

Meanwhile, shortly before midnight on the same day, gunmen onboard a motorbike strafed a house in Barangay Silik, Pikit, killing a farmer-businessman and wounding his son in the process.

Capt. Mautin Pangandigan, Pikit police chief, identified the fatality in the incident as Ampog Tejiro, 55, while the wounded was Padido, his 27-year-old son.

The victims were inside their house when the riding-in-tandem zipped by and strafed them with bullets from an M16 Armalite rifle around 11:45 p.m.

Pangandigan said they are looking into personal grudge as a possible motive behind the incident.

Layugan directed the police offices of Kabacan and Pikit to quickly resolve the twin shooting incidents.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1079605

BIFF leader-cum-drug pusher nabbed in Cotabato City hospital

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 5, 2019): BIFF leader-cum-drug pusher nabbed in Cotabato City hospital



ARRESTED. Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters sub-commander Samad Masgal while confined at a hospital in Cotabato City following his arrest Wednesday by police and anti-narcotics agents. Masgal is facing charges for multiple murder, multiple frustrated murder, illegal possession of firearms and explosives and illegal drug peddling. (Photo by PDEA-BARMM)

Police and anti-narcotic agents arrested on Wednesday a leader of the Islamic State (IS)–linked Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), who moonlights as a big-time drug peddler to fund their terror activities.

Juvenal Azurin, director for the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (PDEA-BARMM), said authorities have been hunting Samad Masgal, a sub-leader of BIFF operating in the borders of North Cotabato and Maguindanao the past three years until they ended up in their search for him at a hospital here.

“The long arm of the law finally caught up with him,” Azurin told reporters hours after PDEA and police read the arrest warrant for Masgal, also known as BIFF commander Madrox.

Masgal, who was facing charges for multiple murder, multiple frustrated murder, illegal possession of firearms and explosives and illegal drug peddling, was seriously injured in a recent clash with another group of armed men in Midsayap, North Cotabato.

He sustained a severe blast injury in his left arm that led to its amputation.

“It’s over for Masgal,” Azurin said, adding that the elusive leader was known as supplier of illegal drugs in Maguindanao and North Cotabato.

Military intelligence officials said Masgal provided funds for the IS-inspired BIFF – the Abu Toraife faction in Central Mindanao - out of his illegal drug trading business.

The PDEA, backed by soldiers and police, tried but failed to arrest Masgal during a law enforcement operation in Nabalawag, Midsayap in August 2014.

Masgal and his men killed two soldiers and a police officer during that operation that also forced the military to launch air and ground assaults.

However, the elusive Masgal managed to escape and allegedly hid in a community on Bongo Island, Parang, Maguindanao under a false identity.

Azurin said PDEA and other security forces received a tip from residents of Barangay Nabalawag that Masgal was confined at a hospital in Cotabato City.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1079609

PH Army conducts free cervical cancer screening

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 5, 2019): PH Army conducts free cervical cancer screening



Photo from Philippine Army Facebook page

In line with efforts to combat cervical cancer, the Office of the Army Chief Surgeon (OACS) in partnership with the Philippine Army Officers Ladies Club Incorporated (PAOLCI) conducted its first free cervical cancer screening for female military personnel, their dependents, and civilian employees in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City Wednesday.

The screening was done by pap smear employed by obstetricians from the OB Department of the Army General Hospital (AGH), PA spokesperson Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala said in statement.

This was conducted by the OACS, headed by Army Chief Surgeon Col. Memerto H. Losa, in partnership with the AGH and the PAOLCI, with its president, Anna Cruz and its adviser, Jessica O.Alberto.

More than 70 women benefited from the program.

“As part of our immeasurable duty as your health service provider in the Philippine Army, we would also like to ensure the health and wellness of our female military personnel, dependents and Civilian Employees, and extend our hands in preventing disease like cervical cancer,” Losa said.

According to the Department of Health (DOH), cervical cancer is the second leading cause of death among Filipino women, with an estimated 7,277 new cases and 3,807 deaths every year.

The DOH recommends that women take the Pap smear every two to three years.

“[This] pap smear [is a good project because] a lot of our women usually take it for granted to take care of their health, mothers and single working women, wala silang (they don't have) time. It’s a good chance for them to take a break from their work and (undergo) check-up,” Cruz said.

This is the first time that the OACS hosted a free cervical cancer screening for its stakeholders.

The office is also set to conduct a free cervical cancer vaccination this September.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1079595

Army hosts visiting Sri Lanka Defense Services Command

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 5, 2019): Army hosts visiting Sri Lanka Defense Services Command



Photo from Philippine Army Facebook page

The Philippine Army (PA) on Wednesday hosted representatives of the Defense Services Command and Staff College of Sri Lanka, who formally paid a visit to its headquarters in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City as part of efforts to boost up military ties between the two nations.

"The activity aims to foster bilateral training and military diplomacy through the exchange of command experiences, knowledge, and strategies of both forces in defeating insurgencies in their respective countries," PA spokesperson Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala said in a statement.

Also, PA chief-of-staff, Major Gen. Jesus B. Sarsagat, spearheaded the forum that tackled Disaster Response Training, Development of Cyber Security Operations, Civil-Military Operations, Counter-terrorism strategies as well as the importance of Army, Navy, and Air Force cooperation in addressing internal and external threats.

Group Captain Varuna Thushara Sampath Sirimanne and the other delegates also emphasized the vital role of the government and its leaders, not just in responding to threats but also in winning populace support, especially during their experience in the Sri Lankan Civil War that ended in 2009.

“The foreign academic travel is an appropriate opportunity for our defense forces to exchange ideas and information and build on our common aspirations and concerns to strengthen and friendship, as individuals, as institutions and as nations. Our transformation journey has taught us to put a premium and expertise that we learn from our allies and counterparts in the defense establishments,” Sarsagat said.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1079596

NTF ELCAC lauds DepEd sec for defending Salugpungan suspension

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 5, 2019): NTF ELCAC lauds DepEd sec for defending Salugpungan suspension



Major General Antonio Parlade Jr., Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff for Civil-Military Operations

An official of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF ELCAC) on Thursday lauded Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Leonor Briones for successfully defending the suspension of 55 Salugpungan Ta’ Tanu Igkanogon (Salugpungan) tribal schools in Southern Mindanao schools during a recent budget hearing at the House of Representatives.

“The whole of government is working effectively in ending this local armed conflict by not succumbing to the pressure of Kamatayan (Makabayan) bloc that is using the power of the purse to reverse the decision of DepEd on the school's suspension,” Major General Antonio Parlade Jr. told the Philippine News Agency.

By standing by its decision, Parlade said, DepEd is able to help the government stop the exploitation and recruitment of indigenous children into the ranks of the New People’s Army (NPA).

Briones, responding to Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Eufemia Cullamat query on why the 55 schools catering to indigenous peoples (IPs) were closed and what procedures were undertaken by the agency to justify the closure, said the 55 Salugpungan Ta’ Tanu Igkanogon (Salugpungan) schools were “temporarily suspended” due to their failure to comply with the requirements set down DepEd for private schools to be given a permit to operate.

“Rep. Cullamat is an IP and she should know that it’s her fellow IP leaders who are demanding for the closure of their schools, for the reasons cited, among several defects enumerated by DepEd,” Parlade said. “So why is Rep Cullamat insisting on this issue?”

He added that it is because of the millions of euros which they will miss from their foreign donors that not only goes to the training of these child warriors, but also to the other front organizations of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) that seeks to destroy the government.

Parlade, who is also Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff for Civil-Military Operations, identified the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines (RMP) and Mindanao Interfaith Services Foundation Inc (MISFI) as the organizations running these Salugpungan schools, with officials who are spouses of NPA leaders in Mindanao.

“Ibon Foundation, on the other hand, produces their manuals with radical literature and with editors who are spouses of CPP NPA personalities as well,” he said.

He added that it is ironic that Cullamat or any of the Makabayan bloc, especially Kabataan party-list Rep, Sara Elago did not question DepEd on the ongoing recruitment of young children, aged 13-16 in many high schools in Metro Manila and the provinces by communist-front groups.

“CPP records say that as of Sept 2015 they have recruited 8,635 children to Anakbayan and some to Kabataang Makabayan (KM), its underground mass organization, and eventually the NPA. These hypocrites in Congress are invoking UN conventions on the protection of children when in fact their organizations are clearly the one exploiting them,” he said.

The AFP, he said, cannot end this insurgency alone, but with help from civil society and parents to stop recruitment and foreign funding, the NTF ELCAC is confident it can deliver its mandate.

“But first we need each other's help in unmasking these criminals disguised as legal fronts or 'social activists' as Jose Ma Sison lamely defends them,” he added.

He said more than 50 years of deception should be enough to finally wake up everyone and Filipinos have suffered long enough from communist propaganda.

“Watch how they will again ignite our children's idealism by capitalizing on the Sept 21 anniversary of a Martial Law they designed to be declared by bombing Plaza Miranda,” Parlade added.

The CPP-NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, European Union, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1079633

Esperon vows to pursue perjury raps vs. Red front groups

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 5, 2019): Esperon vows to pursue perjury raps vs. Red front groups



National Security Adviser Hermogenes C. Esperon, Jr., (PNA photo by Benjamin Pulta)

National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon, Jr., on Thursday said he is bent on pursuing the perjury complaint he initiated against members of communist-front groups.

"I am going to pursue this case continuously," Esperon told reporters shortly after a hearing at the Quezon City Prosecutor's Office, which is conducting a preliminary investigation into the case.

"Respondents assert that they have not committed perjury because the elements of the crime are not present. Contrary to such assertion, the ultimate facts as narrated in the affidavit complaint substantially established that a crime under the Revised Penal Code has been committed," he added in his reply.

City Prosecutor Nilo Peñaflor has scheduled the next hearing on the case on October 3.

Esperon noted that the offense is committed by persons who knowingly make untruthful statements before a competent person authorized to administer an oath.

In his complaint, Esperon, also concurrent vice-chairperson of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), said respondents Cristina Palabay, Sr. Elenita Belardo, Romeo Clamor, Gabriela Krista Dalena, Editha Burgos, Jose Mari Callueng, Wilfredo Ruazol, Elisa Tita P. Lubi, Reylan B. Vergara, Sr. Maria Cupin, Joan May Salvador, and Gertrudes Ranjo-Liang all swore to a notary public that the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines (RMP) is duly-registered non-stock, non-profit organization registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

"Contrary to the verification and certification, executed by petitioners, the SEC already revoked the certificate of RMP on August 20, 2003, for its failure to submit the required General Information Sheets and Financial Statements from 1997 to 2002. The revocation took effect on September 23, 2003," Esperon said.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1079622

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