Generator sets donated to 5 Talaingod IP schools

From the Mindanao Times (Aug 18, 2020): Generator sets donated to 5 Talaingod IP schools (BY RHODA GRACE SARON)

THE EASTERN Mindanao Command (EastMinCom) collaborated with different organizations to distribute generator sets to several schools in Talaingod, Davao del Norte where access to electricity remains a challenge.

Teachers from five IP community schools–Central Baguan Elementary School, Ibugay Lamburan Elementary School, KM13 Primary School, Malapanit Elementary School, and Nasilaban Integrated School–received the equipment during a turnover ceremony held at the EastMinCom headquarters on Aug. 11.

The solar-powered generators were donated by the Philip Morris and Fortune Tobacco Corporation (PMFTC) and Jaime V. Ongpin Foundation, Inc. The ceremony was witnessed by Brig. Gen. Leopoldo A. Imbang Jr., deputy commander of EastMinCom; Mayor Johnnie A. Libayao of Talaingod; Lt. Col. Norman E. Valdez, commanding officer of the 56th Infantry Battalion; and Talaingod Department of Education district supervisor Justiniano D. Cubar.

Major Alex Mindalano, the newly designated spokesperson of EastMinCom, said the new gen-sets are expected to help the IP communities adapt to the new normal practices being imposed by DepEd to secure the safety of students from COVID-19.

During the ceremony, Libayao and Cubar thanks the donors and the military for their continued support for the Lumad communities, particularly during the pandemic.

Imbang, representing EastMinCom commander Lt. Gen. Jose C. Faustino Jr., also expressed his gratitude to the PMFTC and Jaime V. Ongpin Foundation for their generosity to the people of Talaingod, particularly the IP students.

“Aside from building resilience in the face of risk and the dynamic growth condition, you have pursued your corporate responsibility to a whole new level as you bring difference to the lives of our IP brothers and sisters in Talaingod,” the deputy commander said.

Imbang also noted the importance of convergence between the public and private stakeholders in the development of communities, especially those affected by the atrocities of the New People’s Army.

“It bears repeating that development could be hardly pursued without the active participation of all sectors, including the members of the target recipient communities,” he said.

https://mindanaotimes.com.ph/2020/08/18/generator-sets-donated-to-5-talaingod-ip-schools/

Grandma in NorthCot nabbed for having ties with NPA

From MindaNews (Aug 18, 2020): Grandma in NorthCot nabbed for having ties with NPA (By MALU CADELINA-MANAR)

KIDAPAWAN CITY (MindaNews / 18 Aug) – Authorities nabbed on Monday in a remote village in Magpet, Cotabato a grandmother suspected to have links with the New People’s Army (NPA), a police officer said.

Magpet, North Cotabato. Map courtesy of Google

But a daughter said her mother was too old to be with the NPA and could no longer carry firearms nor walk through the woods just like a guerilla.

Major Jujie Barotas, chief of Magpet municipal police station, identified the suspect as Gloria Lanutan, 61, of Purok-Dos, Barangay Noa, Magpet.

He added that Lanutan’s live-in partner, identified as Florean Pineda Ledesma, eluded arrest when police raided the house around 8:30 p.m.

Barotas and his men seized from Lanutan’s hideout an improvised explosive device (IED), seven 5.56mm ammunition cartridges, and three pieces of bullet clips of caliber .30 revolver.

The police officer hinted that Lanutan was active in the communist movement in Magpet, which her daughter vehemently denied.

The daughter, who requested that her identity be withheld, reminded media here that her mother is already a senior citizen. “They just created false stories about my mother. I pity her. She is already old yet she was arrested and placed inside the cell,” she said in the vernacular.

Lanutan’s arrest was based on Search Warrant number 350-2020 issued on August 13 by Judge Arvin Sadiri Balagot of the Regional Trial Court branch 17 based in Kidapawan City.

Barotas said they already filed on Tuesday complaints of violation of Presidential Decree 1866 or Law on Illegal Possession of Firearms and Explosives as amended by the Republic Act 9516 (“Codifying the Laws on Illegal or Unlawful possession, manufacturing, dealing in, acquisition or disposition of firearms, ammunition, or explosives, and imposing stiffer penalties for certain violations”) against Lanutan.

The suspect was placed inside the Magpet PNP lockup cell for temporary custody. (Malu Cadelina Manar / MindaNews)

https://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2020/08/grandma-in-northcot-nabbed-for-having-ties-with-npa/

“Wanted” activists visit police stations to file blotter and CHR to file supplemental complaint over “vilification posters”

From MindaNews (Aug 19, 2020): “Wanted” activists visit police stations to file blotter and CHR to file supplemental complaint over “vilification posters”

Leaders of progressive groups, including a Bishop and a medical doctor whose names and photographs are among those featured in a poster branding them as “wanted,” ”human rights violators,” “berdugo at pumapatay ng tribu” (executioner and tribe killers), went to the San Pedro and Sta. Ana police stations here on Monday to report the matter and to the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to file a “supplemental complaint” to a similar complaint filed on July 27 over yet another “vilification poster.”

Jay Apiag, Karapatan Southern Mindanao Region Secretary-General, in his letter-complaint addressed to CHR chair Jose Luis “Chito” Gascon and coursed through CHR Regional Director Edmundo Albay, said they find it “extremely alarming” as the new poster came “just less than a month since the Anti-Terror Act came into being.”

Six of nine activists whose names and photographs are featured in the latest “Wanted” poster for allegedly being “human rights violators” on Monday went to the San Pedro and Santa Ana police stations in Davao City to file a blotter (showing copies here outside the San Pedro station) then proceeded to the Commission on Human Rights to file a supplemental complaint to a similar complaint on July 27 over the “vilification posters.” From L to R: Carlo Olalo of KMU-SMR, Jay Apiag of Karapatan-SMR, UCCP Bishop Hamuel Tequis, Meggie Nolasco of Salugpongan, Jong Monzon and Dr. Jean Lindo. Photo courtesy of Karapatan-SMR

Accompanied by five of the nine named in the poster, Apiag said the series of harassments is “gradually creating a detrimental atmosphere for the human rights defenders, development workers and cause-oriented groups.”

A copy of the blotters from the San Pedro Police and Santa Ana police stations and photographs of the posters were attached to the complaint.

The colored posters, some of them printed on newsprint, the others glossy, show the word “Wanted” above photographs of the nine and their representations and under these, “Human Rights Violators,” “Berdugo at Pumapatay ng Tribu,” were posted outside Sta. Ana Shrine Parish at Sta. Ana Avenue and along Cabaguio Avenue, Dumanlas Road, and JP Laurel Avenue on Thursday morning, August 13.

On the same day, August 13, news from Malaysia jolted the police and military here when The Star newspaper reported that a terrorist “wanted” by both Philippine and Malaysian governments, was “spotted” with Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) chair Nur Misuari in Davao City, hometown of President Rodrigo Duterte.

The city police chief led a team that went to the residence of Misuari and negotiated for two hours – from 6 to 8 p.m. – to serve the 34 pending warrants of arrest for murder, frustrated murder and kidnapping on Abduljihad “Edang” Susukan, who flew into the city from Jolo, Sulu with Misuari on Sunday morning, August 9 aboard a private jet usually used by President Rodrigo Duterte in his domestic travels and travels to neighboring ASEAN countries.

“Wanted” poster for allegedly being “human rights violators” features nine personalities, four of them also included in yet another “vilification poster” last month.

The August 13 “vilification posters” again bore the names and photographs of Apiag, Carlo Olalo of Kilusang Mayo Uno-Southern Mindanao Region (KMU-SMR), Jong Monzon, Secretary-General of PASAKA; and Tony Salubre of Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas-SMR (KMP-SMR) – who were among nine featured in a poster last month for being “wanted” allegedly for being “terrorist recruiter” (sic).

The four “terrorist recruiter(s)” are now “wanted” also as alleged “human rights violators” along with five others: Bishop Hamuel Tequis of United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) who was identified in the poster as “CPP member” (CPP stands for Communist Party of the Philippines); anaesthesiologist Jean Lindo, environmental activist and Gabriela-SMR chair; Meggie Nolasco, Executive Director of Salugpongan Te Tanu Igkanugon Community Learning Inc. (identified in the poster as “STTICLI -Haran), Kharlo Manao, former Secretary-General of the children’s rights groups Salinlahi based in Manila, and Mariles Rafiola of KMP-SMR. Olalo of KMU is identified in the July 22 and August 13 posters as representing Bayan-SMR.

On July 27, Karapatan-SMR went to the CHR regional office to complain about a “wanted” poster with nine names and photographs pasted on walls or posts of establishments along Maa, Matina Crossing, Cabaguio, Buhangin, and Panacan on July 22, declaring them as “Terrorist Recruiter” (sic).

Posters bearing the faces of human rights and leftist leaders and branding them as “terrorist recruiters” were pasted on walls, buildings, and electic posts around Davao City on 22 July 2020. Photo courtesy of Jay Apiag

The July 22 posters included Apiag, Olalo, Monzon and Salubre; and Romelito Pablo, and Pj Dizon of KMU-SMR; Cora Espinoza, Gabriela-SMR vice chair and former commissioner of the Philippine Commission on Women; Mary Ann Sapar of Gabriela- SMR; and Pilar Barredo, Union Secretary of Alliance of Concerned Teachers Davao Region.

The July and August posters did not indicate who had these personalities declared “wanted.”

Not one among the 14 persons in the two posters has a pending warrant of arrest, Apiag said. Nolasco has a pending case for alleged child abuse in connection with the alleged detention of Lumad children in Talingod, Davao del Norte in November 2018.

In a statement on August 14, Apiag said the “wave of attacks indicates the state’s full-scale execution of Duterte’s own draconian act – a pompous show of unbridled power used against his critics that the state is afraid of to engage in discourse and governance.”

Apiag said he believes the police and military were behind the posters, noting that several Facebook and Twitter accounts managed by state forces “habitually post and share such harmful, baseless, malicious attacks on progressive organizations and its leaders and even on journalists and Lumad as ‘terrorists’ or ‘terrorist sympathizers.’”

“We can only point squarely to the rabid mercenaries in the state, who have glaring records of attacking activists and rights defenders with lies,” he said.

Major Alex Mindalano, spokesperson of the Eastern Mindanao Command, said Karpatan should prove their allegations in court.

“It has always been Karapatan’s old narrative, especially in social media, to accuse the military,” he said, adding that the people “are already aware of Karapatan’s characer and all its allied organizations. Again, we have nothing to do about it. Let Karapatan group prove their allegations in court,” Mindalano told MindaNews on Tuesday.

MindaNews also sought the comment of the police but Capt. Rose Aguilar, spokesperson of the Davao City Police Office, has yet to send her reply.

UCCP Bishop Hamuel Tequis and Dr. Jean Lindo remove posters vilifying them as “human rights violators” after visiting the police stations to file blotters and the Commission on Human Rights to file a supplemental complaint to a similar complaint in July. Photo courtesy of Karapatan-SMR

Apiag said Karapatan and its personnel have been the subject of malicious and harmful accusations for being vocal against the abuses of the rights of the marginalized and the majority of the Filipinos.

“We and the groups that are tagged in these vilification posters denounce this attack on democratic rights. We are fully aware of the gravity of such attacks and its possible repercussions with the spate of repression aided by the Anti-Terror Law. But this is not the time to be cowed or silent. It is a call of duty for us rights champions to stand firm by our mandate, and our conscience, to fight for the rights of the people amidst the shrinking democratic space under this regime,” he added.

After going to the police stations and the CHR on Monday, Apiag, Olalo, Lindo, Bishop Tequis, Nolasco and Monzon went around to personally remove the posters.

Lawyer Mary Ann Arnado of the Mindanao Peoples’ Caucus called on “all the women in Davao to protect and defend Dr. Jean Lindo and all human rights defenders.”

“In the spirit of Kadayawan, let us all join hands in solidarity with this brave and courageous Dabawenya. Mabuhay ka Doc Jean,” Arnado said as she quoted the slain student activist Lean Alejandro’s “the line of fire is always a place of honor.”

Arnado said she has witnessed Doc Jean’s serving “numerous medical missions to treat Moro evacuees in Pikit and Maguindanao during the raging wars with the MILF” (Moro Islamic Liberation Front) and how she served medical missions in farflung Lumad communities and even in war-ravaged East Timor in 1998.

“Despite threats and difficulties, Doc Jean went out of her comfort zone and chose the road less travelled to be able to serve the people. For her to be accused as a human rights violator and a berdugo is not only preposterous but the exact opposite of her impeccable track record spanning three decades of selfless service to the people especially women.” (Carolyn O. Arguillas and Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)

https://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2020/08/wanted-activists-visit-police-stations-to-file-blotter-and-chr-to-file-supplemental-complaint-over-vilification-posters/

Eastern Samar clash foils NPA landmine planting

Posted to the Mindanao Examiner (Aug 18, 2020): Eastern Samar clash foils NPA landmine planting

THE RECENT clash between the Philippine Army and the communist terrorist group, which resulted in the death of a rebel and wounding of two soldiers, has stopped the planting of improvised explosive devices (IED) in Eastern Samar.

In a press statement sent to reporters on Tuesday, Lt. Col. Oliver Alvior, commander of the Philippine Army’s 78th Infantry Battalion, said government troops recovered IED and a hand grenade from the body of a rebel slain in a firefight pre-dawn on Sunday on the outskirts of Dolores, Eastern Samar.

“Local residents reported to us that they have been disturbed by NPA’s (New People's Army) plan to plant IEDs since there had been many incidents in the province wherein innocent civilians were killed just like what happened in Borongan City," Alvior said.

The official was referring to the December 13, 2019 incident where a policeman and an elderly woman were killed, while three minors, including an infant, were injured by a roadside bomb planted by a communist terrorist group in Borongan City.

Several IEDs planted by the NPA targeting front-liners during the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) crisis were also recovered by government troops in Samar Island, according to Alvior.

On Sunday, troops of the Army’s 78th Infantry Battalion had a five-minute clash with about 20 armed rebels planting an IED in Cagtabon village, Dolores town.

The encounter resulted in the death of NPA fighter Dino Dabila, 25, a resident of Cagtabon village. Joint police and army troops recovered his body at the encounter site. Two soldiers were wounded in the clash.

In a statement, Brig. Gen. Camilo Ligayo, commander of the 801st Infantry Brigade has expressed sympathy to the family of the slain NPA member as they hold the terror group accountable for his death.

"The death of another Filipino is a waste of life. We condemn the NPA for luring people into their fake revolution and planting bombs that indiscriminately kill or injure even civilians," Ligayo said.

The NPA, which has been waging a five-decade armed struggle against the government, is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines. (By Sarwell Meniano)

http://mindanaoexaminernewspaper.blogspot.com/2020/08/eastern-samar-clash-foils-npa-landmine.html

Army in Negros Occ. commits to International Humanitarian Law

From the Philippine Information Agency (Aug 18, 2020): Army in Negros Occ. commits to International Humanitarian Law (By Lorenzo O. Lambatin, Jr.)

NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, Aug. 18 (PIA) -- The 303rd Infantry Brigade, 3ID, Philippine Army, under its Commander Colonel Inocencio Pasaporte, vows anew its commitment towards the promotion of the International Humanitarian Law (IHL),

According to Colonel Pasaporte, during the recent celebration here, the army is again reaffirming its strong condemnation of violations of international humanitarian law committed by all parties to armed conflict as well as violations and abuses of international human rights law.

In a press release, he said they are concerned about the violations of the Communists NPA terrorist (CNTs) of the international humanitarian law including attacks targeting civilians, starving civilians as a method of warfare and unlawful denial of access to humanitarian assistance and humanitarian personnel.

He noted CNTs attacks on medical personnel and medical facilities especially the recent attacks during the time of COVID-19 pandemic are unacceptable.

“We call upon all parties to comply with their legal obligations,” Pasaporte added.

The Department of National Defense (DND) is hosting this year’s national celebration of the IHL Month with the theme “Preserving Human Dignity in Times of Armed Conflict: A Shared Responsibility (Pangangalaga sa Dignidad ng Tao sa Gitna ng Armadong Labanan: Sama-Samang Responsibilidad)," it added

Since 1999 the DND and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) co-chair annually a government inter-agency ad hoc committee to formulate and implement activities to commemorate the IHL Day every 12 of August.

“The Philippines, as a Contracting Party to the Four Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, subscribes to the basic principle of disinterested humanitarian aid to all victims of war and armed conflict without discrimination and accepts direct responsibility for the application of IHL when involved in an armed conflict,” Pasaporte said. (303rd Infantry Brigade/JSC/Lljr/PIA6 Negros Occidental)

https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1050595

DILG Lanao del Norte releases financial assistance to 3 former rebels

From the Philippine Information Agency (Aug 18, 2020): DILG Lanao del Norte releases financial assistance to 3 former rebels (By DILG-Lanao del Norte)

Three former rebels receive Php 86,000 each as financial assistance under the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP). Kapatagan Mayor Barry Y. Baguio and LGOO Merychell Seronay of DILG Lanao del Norte turnover the checks during Launching and Operationalization of Executive Order (EO) No. 70 at Brgy. San Isidro, Kapatagan. (DILG)

KAPATAGAN, Lanao del Norte, Aug. 18 (PIA) - Amidst the fight against COVID-19, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Lanao del Norte is still steadfast on its efforts to end local communist armed conflict and released the financial assistance worth Php 256,000 to three former rebels (FRs) here.

Through the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) of the DILG, the FRs received Php 86,000 each, comprised of immediate assistance worth Php 15,000, livelihood assistance worth Php 50,000, and reintegration assistance worth Php 21,000.00 for them to start anew with their families in the mainstream society.

Cash assistance will also be given for their firearm remuneration.

DILG 10 Regional Director Arnel M. Agabe commends the FRs saying, "We laud our FRs here in Lanao del Norte for heeding the call of the government to return to the folds of the law and start a new life."

He further urged them to encourage other rebels they have been with to surrender while financial assistance is still being provided.

The awarding of assistance was given on August 14 during the Launching and Operationalization of Executive Order (EO) No. 70 at Brgy. San Isidro, this municipality.

Kapatagan Mayor Barry Y. Baguio stated that after four months of anticipating for EO 70 to be launched in Barangay San Isidro, the activity was even made more symbolic because of the turn-over of E-CLIP assistance to the FRs by the DILG, together with the Municipal Government of Kapatagan.

The E-CLIP grants a full package of assistance to FRs who abandon armed struggle to become productive members of the society.

DILG-Lanao del Norte Provincial Director Bruce Augusto Colao, through his representative, LGOO Merychell Seronay, assured the people of San Isidro that the province imparts this goal with them and he is positive that more rebels will surrender through this program.

He added that the E-CLIP financial assistance is one of the strategies of the “Whole-of-Nation Approach” to end local communist armed conflict which aims to address the root causes of insurgencies and other armed conflicts and threats by prioritizing and harmonizing the delivery of basic services and social development packages by the government.

To capacitate the FRs, government agencies such as the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and the National Housing Authority (NHA) work together to identify and supply their needs. (DILG Lanao del Norte/PIA ICIC)

https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1050622

Conflict-affected farmers in Lanao Sur receive goats for livelihood

From the Philippine Information Agency (Aug 17, 2020): Conflict-affected farmers in Lanao Sur receive goats for livelihood (By Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Agrarian Reform - Lanao del Sur)

MARAWI CITY, Lanao del Sur, Sept. 16 -- The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Agrarian Reform (MAFAR) in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) continues to deliver livelihood assistance to farmers in conflict-affected areas of Lanao del Sur.

Ammal D. Solaiman, MAFAR - BARMM Assistant to the Minister for Policy Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (PME), led the distribution of 458 heads of goats to 46 farmers from Piagapo (25) and Marawi City (21).

Each of the beneficiaries received 10 heads of upgraded goats.

The distribution is part of the first batch of the livestock dispersal activity, funded under the Task Force Bangon Marawi (TFBM) Recovery and Rehabilitation Program. The fund was coursed through the DA-Regional Field Office 10, and the delivery of animals was facilitated by TFBM DA-Region10 Focal – Engr. Harris Paporo.

Another batch of goats will also be distributed to 25 pre-identified and validated farmer-beneficiaries in the municipality of Butig.

The dispersal is aimed at restoring the livelihood of farming households affected by the Marawi siege in the municipalities of Piagapo, Butig and Marawi City. (MAFAR-LDS/PIA10)

https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1027403

Eastern Samar clash foils NPA landmine planting

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 18, 2020): Eastern Samar clash foils NPA landmine planting (By Sarwell Meniano)



LANDMINE ATTACK FOILED. A grenade found in the body of a rebel slain in a clash in Dolores, Eastern Samar early Sunday (Aug. 16, 2020). The recent clash between the Philippine Army and the communist terrorist group that killed a rebel and wounded two soldiers has stopped the planting of improvised explosive devices (IED) in Eastern Samar. (Contributed photo)

The recent clash between the Philippine Army and the communist terrorist group, which resulted in the death of a rebel and wounding of two soldiers, has stopped the planting of improvised explosive devices (IED) in Eastern Samar.

In a press statement sent to reporters on Tuesday, Lt. Col. Oliver Alvior, commander of the Philippine Army’s 78th Infantry Battalion, said government troops recovered IED and a hand grenade from the body of a rebel slain in a firefight pre-dawn on Sunday on the outskirts of Dolores, Eastern Samar.

“Local residents reported to us that they have been disturbed by NPA’s (New People's Army) plan to plant IEDs since there had been many incidents in the province wherein innocent civilians were killed just like what happened in Borongan City," Alvior said.

The official was referring to the December 13, 2019 incident where a policeman and an elderly woman were killed, while three minors, including an infant, were injured by a roadside bomb planted by a communist terrorist group in Borongan City.

Several IEDs planted by the NPA targeting front-liners during the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) crisis were also recovered by government troops in Samar Island, according to Alvior.

On Sunday, troops of the Army’s 78th Infantry Battalion had a five-minute clash with about 20 armed rebels planting an IED in Cagtabon village, Dolores town.

The encounter resulted in the death of NPA fighter Dino Dabila, 25, a resident of Cagtabon village.

Joint police and army troops recovered his body at the encounter site. Two soldiers were wounded in the clash.

In a statement, Brig. Gen. Camilo Ligayo, commander of the 801st Infantry Brigade has expressed sympathy to the family of the slain NPA member as they hold the terror group accountable for his death.

"The death of another Filipino is a waste of life. We condemn the NPA for luring people into their fake revolution and planting bombs that indiscriminately kill or injure even civilians," Ligayo said.

The NPA, which has been waging a five-decade armed struggle against the government, is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1112602

NPA 'disintegrating' in Bukidnon: 88IB chief

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 18, 2020): NPA 'disintegrating' in Bukidnon: 88IB chief



SURRENDER. Twelve former communist New People's Army fighters pose for posterity in front of the Army's 88th Infantry Battalion headquarters in Maramag, Bukidnon, following their surrender on Aug. 14, 2020. Lt. Col. Franklin Fabic, 88IB commander, said on Tuesday (Aug. 18, 2020 that the communist rebel movement in the province is disintegrating with the constant stream of surrenderers in recent years. (Photo courtesy of 88IB)

The chief of the Army's 88th Infantry Battalion (88IB) said Tuesday the communist New People’s Army (NPA) in Bukidnon province is on the verge of "disintegrating", given the sustained number of guerilla surrenderers in the past few years.

Lt. Col. Franklin Fabic issued the prediction after he welcomed 12 NPA surrenderers at the 88IB headquarters here last August 14.

“For those who choose to remain as threats (to) our peaceful communities, we will not hesitate to exhaust all our capabilities to hunt and destroy you with all our might for the protection of peace-loving citizens of Southern Bukidnon,” Fabic said in a statement Tuesday.

He said the 12 surrenderers were under the NPA's Guerilla Front-Malayag operating in Cabanglasan town that was involved in several skirmishes with government forces early this month.

The unit, Fabic said, suffered "losses and debacles" in recent months, forcing its members to abandon the rebel movement.

One of the surrenderers, identified only as Rolen, said they were compelled to yield after experiencing "hunger and misery."

"We were also scared when our comrade died in an encounter and we might have the same fate. I don’t want to die, I want to do better things together with my child and my family," Rolen said in the vernacular.

In a series of armed encounters late last month, government forces killed an NPA fighter and seized the group's hideout in the municipalities of San Fernando and Cabanglasan.

Government troops also recovered firearms, ammunition, and subversive documents.

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

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1112600

16 BIFF members yield in Maguindanao

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 18, 2020): 16 BIFF members yield in Maguindanao (By Noel Punzalan)



SURRENDER. One of the 16 surrendering members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters hands over his rifle to Mayor Datu Pax Ali Mangudadatu (3rd from left) of Datu Abdullah Sangki, Maguindanao during surrender rites held at the town’s multi-purpose hall on Monday (Aug. 17, 2020). The former rebels said they wanted to start life anew with their families after getting tired of always being on the run from military forces. (Photo courtesy of DAS LGU)

Sixteen members of the Daesh-inspired Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters yielded to military and local officials of Datu Abdullah Sangki, Maguindanao on Monday.

The surrenderers, who also brought with them assorted firearms, belong to the BIFF faction of Guiabar Simpal operating in the marshy areas of the province, military officials said.

“They grew tired of fighting a futile cause,” Mayor Datu Pax Ali Mangudadatu told reporters on Monday.

During simple surrender rites held at the town’s multi-purpose hall, the surrenderers yielded two .50-caliber sniper rifles, two .30-caliber Garand rifles, an M14 rifle, an M16 rifle, and a homemade 60-mm mortar launching pad with ammunition.

“We just wanted to go back home to our families and live normal lives again.” Hakim, one of the surrenderers, said in the vernacular.

Maguindanao Governor Bai Mariam Sangki-Mangudadatu said she was elated over the surrender of the BIFF fighters, saying peace "is slowly achieved in hostile parts" of the province.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1112616

Slay of abducted cop in Surigao Norte condemned

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 18, 2020): Slay of abducted cop in Surigao Norte condemned (By Alexander Lopez)



JUSTICE. The Surigao del Norte Police Provincial Office demands justice after the body of PSSgt. Restie R. Dandan was found Tuesday morning (Aug. 18, 2020) in Barangay Matin-ao, Mainit, Surigao del Norte. Dandan, a member of Sison Municipal Police Station in Surigao del Norte, was abducted by armed men believed to be members of the New People's Army (NPA) last July 31 in Barangay San Isidro, Sison town. (Courtesy of the SDNPPO Facebook Page)

Various quarters have condemned the killing of Police Staff Sgt. Restie Dandan, a member of Sison Municipal Police Station in Surigao del Norte.

The body of Dandan was found around 7 a.m. Tuesday (Aug. 18) in Sitio Napo, Barangay Matin-ao in Mainit, Surigao del Norte.

Dandan was kidnapped by armed men believed to be members of the communist New People’s Army (NPA) last July 31 in Barangay San Isidro, Sison town.

“We condemn the senseless killing of PSSgt. Dandan. We believe that this was done by the communist NPAs,” Sison Mayor Karissa Fetalvero-Paronia told the Philippine News Agency on Tuesday.

Paronia said she fetched Dandan’s wife Elenita Tuesday morning and brought her to the area where the policeman's body was dumped.

“She cried upon seeing the lifeless body of her husband. She could not understand why the abductors need to kill him. The NPAs did not regard that Dandan is also a family man, with three children whose future now turns uncertain with his death,” Paronia said.

According to Paronia, Elenita called her husband's abductors last week, begging them to release him unharmed as his family--especially the children--were are already affected by the incident.

“The family of SSgt. Dandan suffered for more than two weeks after his abduction. Now, their sufferings will linger as his abductors mercilessly killed him,” Paronia said.

The mayor added that the local government of Sison, together with the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Army, will work together to bring to justice those responsible for Dandan’s killing.

The provincial government of Surigao del Norte also condemned the killing in a statement Tuesday.

“The Provincial Government of Surigao del Norte strongly condemns the abduction and killing of Police Staff Sergeant Restie Dandan, PNP assigned in the Municipality of Sison MPS, and offers its deepest condolence to the bereaved and grieving family,” it said.

Dandan was abducted while he was on his way to work in Barangay San Isidro, Sison.

“The Provincial Government of Surigao del Norte appeals to the public for prayers for the eternal repose of the soul of Staff Sgt Dandan, as well as for emotional strength of his immediate family,” the statement said.

The Surigao del Norte Police Provincial Office (SDNPPO) immediately sent a team of Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) to the crime scene.

“According to the investigation of SOCO, PSSgt. Dandan sustained three gunshot wounds in the body,” Maj. Shalom Faye Cornelio, of the SDNPPO information office, told PNA Tuesday morning.

The SDNPPO also condemned the killing and vowed to help give justice to Dandan.

Other provincial and municipal police stations in Caraga Region also condemned the killing in their respective Facebook accounts on Tuesday.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1112617

Surigao Sur IP leaders decry 'biased' TV documentary

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 18, 2020): Surigao Sur IP leaders decry 'biased' TV documentary (By Alexander Lopez)



Datu Rico Maca, the Indigenous People Mandatory Representative of San Miguel, Surigao del Sur. (Photo courtesy of the Armed Forces of the Philippines' Facebook Page)

Surigao del Sur's Indigenous People's (IP) leaders decried on Tuesday a television documentary aired over GMA-7 last August 14, saying it allegedly presented a one-sided story that disrespected the rights of the Manobo tribe for free and prior informed consent (FPIC).

In a statement, Datu Rico Maca, the Indigenous People Mandatory Representative (IPMR) of San Miguel, Surigao del Sur, condemned TV personality Atom Araullo for his alleged “blatant propagandistic documentary” entitled “Ang Iskul kong Bakwit”.

“As a legitimate leader of the IPs here in Surigao del Sur, Mindanao, I strongly condemn Mr. Atom Araullo in the episode ‘Ang Iskul kong Bakwit,” Maca said in Filipino.

Maca said the segment violated their rights under the Indigenous People’s Rights Act (IPRA) and made a mockery of their customary laws.

He also called on the National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP) to take legal action on the documentary’s use of the IP children to mislead their viewpoints.

Consent violated

“Did Mr. Atom Araullo follow the required FPIC process to get approval from the concerned Indigenous Cultural Communities (ICCs) and their parents before proceeding with the interviews and filming of the IP children?” Maca said.

He scored the documentary for "failing to grasp the real situation and the problems" that the IP communities face in Surigao del Sur and other IP areas in Mindanao.

“We, as the legitimate leaders of the IPs in Surigao del Sur, live with our tribe in communities and we are aware of the problems that we face nowadays, the heaviest of which is the exploitation of our youth and the radicalization of some of our tribal members by the Communist New People’s Army Terrorists (CNTs),” Maca said.

He added that front organizations are also being used by the NPA rebels to implement the ‘Taktikang Bakwit’ or evacuation tactic every time the military would pursue the NPA rebels in the area.

“The CNTs are also in killing spree here in Surigao del Sur as they already killed a number of our leaders this year, the latest victim was Barangay Kagawad Michael Montenegro Duazo of Barangay Mampi, Lanuza, Surigao del Sur last August 8,” Maca said.

He also lambasted the NPA rebels for conducting extortion activities inside the ancestral lands of the IPs in Surigao del Sur.

Biased

Two other IP leaders in the town of Lianga, Surigao del Sur expressed support to the call of Maca.

“We consider the documentary presented by Araullo as prejudiced and misleading as it failed to raise the side of the legitimate IP leaders,” said Jawudon Jumar Bucales, the Indigenous People Mandatory Representative (IPMR) of Lianga told the Philippine News Agency Tuesday.

He pointed out that the documentary did not portray the atrocities of the NPA rebels, including the killings that force the IPs to leave their communities.

“Evacuation has plagued some IP communities in Surigao del Sur and in other parts of Mindanao. These evacuations are caused by the terroristic activities of the CNTs. When the CNTs enter our communities and harass the IPs, they ask the military for help. When encounters happen during the response of the military, the IPs would secure themselves. But it is not the military that forces us to abandon our communities. It’s the CNTs who attack us that make our lives miserable. The military is there to respond to our distress to protect us from further atrocities of the CNTs. Yet, the front organizations of the CNTs would blame the military,” Bucales said.

He stressed that the documentary should have presented their side to inform the public that it is the NPA that actually harass, intimidate, and force the IPs to abandon their communities.

Communist agenda

“Unfortunately, the tune of the documentary of Mr. Araullo is not on our side. The show promoted the agenda of the CNTs and propaganda on their beliefs why they are fighting our government,” Bucales said.

He added that some of the IP children featured in the documentary came from Surigao del Sur and were taken by the Save Our School (SOS) from their communities and brought to Manila.

“There was no process followed, especially the FPIC when these IP children were featured in that documentary of Araullo,” Bucales said.

Datu Constancio Duhac, the Manobo tribal chieftain of Lianga also censured the documentary saying that it is the same with the usual propaganda of the front organizations of the NPA.

“The CNTs and their allies use the media as a primary tool to create scenarios to discredit government interventions in IP communities especially the support of military when the CNTs make harassments,” Duhac said.

He added the documentary is a ploy to divert the attention of the media, to discredit the military and the government, and to cover the killings that the NPA rebels perpetrated to the IP leaders and members in Surigao del Sur and in Mindanao.

“We ask the media, the Congress, the Senate, the local and international human rights groups, and the public not to be deceived. All the CNTs want is to stop the operations against them so that they can continue to terrorize the IP communities in our province and the rest of Mindanao,” Duhac said.

The three IP leaders said they are also contemplating to declare Araullo as persona non-grata in the whole tribal community of Surigao del Sur and in the ancestral lands in Mindanao citing that his documentary creates more confusion, conflict, and division among tribes.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1112630

Army welcomes new IP militiamen in Agusan Norte

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 18, 2020): Army welcomes new IP militiamen in Agusan Norte (By Alexander Lopez)



IP CAFGU MEMBERS. The Army’s 29th Infantry Battalion welcomes into its headquarters in Kicharao, Agusan del Norte, the 60 new members, including indigenous peoples (IP), of the Citizen Armed Forces Geographical Unit. Lt. Col. Isagani Criste, commander of the Army's 29th Infantry Battalion, in a statement Tuesday (Aug. 18, 2020), underscored the importance of IP militiamen in the Army ranks, saying their presence places the tribal communities in a stronger position to protect their ancestral domains and lands. (Photo courtesy of 29IB)

The Army's 29th Infantry Battalion in Agusan del Norte welcomed the 47 Manobo and Mamanwa tribe members who recently graduated from their Citizen Armed Forces Geographical Unit (CAFGU) training.

Lt. Col. Isagani O. Criste, 29IB commander, said on Tuesday that the 47 indigenous peoples graduated from months of rough military training together with 13 Visayans last August 14 in Sibagat, Agusan del Sur.

“I am truly elated to know that you were all able to complete the training. My congratulations go to all of you. I am seeing in you valiant warriors as well as great heroes of our day,” Criste said in a statement.

He also reminded the new CAFGU members to keep in their mind and heart all that they have learned during the training. “Let us work together not just to end the armed conflict but also to achieve the peace which we have long aimed for," he said.

Criste said the new CAFGUs were among the applicants from the quotas of different barangays and municipalities in the provinces of Agusan del Norte and Agusan del Sur under the jurisdiction of the 29IB.

“The 60 new graduates were also joined by other CAFGU aspirants from other battalions in Caraga Region such as the 65th IB, 23rd IB, 28th IB, and from the 4th Special Forces Battalion,” he added.

Criste underscored the importance of IP militiamen in the Army ranks, saying their presence places the tribal communities in a stronger position to protect their ancestral domains and lands, "over which they have the rights of ownership and the right to develop, as stipulated in the Indigenous Peoples’ Right Act of 1997 (IPRA)."

The IPRA law, Criste pointed out, recognizes and promotes all the rights of Indigenous Cultural Communities (ICCs) in the country.

Of the 47 new militiamen, five are tribal chieftains who offered themselves to become regular CAFGU members to serve the IP communities in their areas, the Army official said.

Among those who completed the training was Datu Layson J. "Panlabao" Sandag, a Manobo tribal chieftain in Barangay Pangaylan, Santiago, Agusan del Norte.

“As a leader of our tribe, we have the responsibility not just to maintain peace in our area but also to protect our tribe against the wicked and deceitful Communist New People’s Army Terrorists (CNTs),” Sandag said in the same statement.

He also recognized the risks they would face, including the dangers on their lives, as they fulfill their duties and responsibilities.

“As CAFGU members, we now have the confidence to serve and protect our people and our communities,” Sandag said.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1112622

Hawaii 'drills' good training for combined naval ops: NTG chief

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 18, 2020): Hawaii 'drills' good training for combined naval ops: NTG chief (By Priam Nepomuceno)



RIMPAC 2020. The Philippines' first-missile frigate BRP Jose Rizal (right) participates in the Rim of the Pacific 2020 off the waters of Hawaii on Monday (Aug. 17, 2020). Naval Task Force 80.5 and BRP Jose Rizal (FF-150) commander, Captain Jerry Garrido, said the ongoing naval exercises is a great opportunity for training and planning for combined naval operations. (Photo courtesy of the Naval Public Affairs Office)

The ongoing "Rim of the Pacific" (RIMPAC) naval exercises is a great opportunity for training and planning for combined naval operations.

"RIMPAC20 is a great avenue for our Navy to train participating commanders, staff, and forces in planning and execution of combined naval operations. It will likewise provide an opportunity for officers and crew of FF-150 to work in conjunction as a team since most of them have undergone separate, individual trainings," said Naval Task Force 80.5 and BRP Jose Rizal (FF-150) commander, Captain Jerry Garrido, in a statement Tuesday.
RIMPAC20 formally started on Monday and will end on August 31.

BRP Jose Rizal, which arrived in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on August 15, is part of the Task Group composed of USS Lake Erie, USCGC Munro, and HMAS Arunta.

Garrido said the RIMPAC will provide "resources and environment that permits international participants like the Philippines to achieve their individual and collective training objectives."

Due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic, RIMPAC20 will be purely executed at sea to ensure the safety of all participating military forces.

Participating nations for this year's RIMPAC exercises include Australia, Brunei, Canada, France, Japan, New Zealand, the Philippines, Republic of Korea, Singapore, and the United States.

RIMPAC20 is led by the United States Pacific Fleet that is considered as the world's largest and premier joint combined naval exercise.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1112607

Military ops vs. Reds to continue: SolCom chief

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 18, 2020): Military ops vs. Reds to continue: SolCom chief (By Priam Nepomuceno)



Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade, Jr., Southern Luzon Command (SolCom) chief (PNA File photo)

The military's Southern Luzon Command (SolCom) chief, Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade, Jr., on Monday said military operations against communist terrorists and their allies in his area-of-jurisdiction will continue until all of them are forced to surrender.

"We will continue to dislocate the NPA Regional Operations Command and its maneuver elements until all of them are forced to surrender, as many havdone already," he said in a statement forwarded to the Philippine News Agency.

As of date, Parlade said, two members of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-NPA) "Special Operations Group" in Mindoro along with six members of the "Main Regional Guerilla Unit" (MRGU) in Laguna and Quezon have already surrendered.
He added that Southern Tagalog Regional Party Committee (STRPC)'s SRMA 4C Maria Caraig alias "Jethro" has been killed in recent military operations along with Dioscorro Celio alias "Thermo", platoon leader of MRGU, along with two others.

"We will not allow the STRPC to be able to establish a new HQ (headquarters) in Mindoro, much less allow them to get away from the island to seek refuge elsewhere. The only way for them is to accept our offer for their peaceful return to the folds of the law," he added.

Parlade said these people cannot just reintegrate with peaceful society as many of them are suffering from the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).

"One MRGU leader, a Fil-Am, recently died and was brought surreptitiously to a hospital in San Jose (Occidental Mindoro) and was extricated again by cunning efforts, using aliases after he died from Covid-19. He is a terrorist contrary to reports by GMA that he is an activist. This will be the subject of further investigation to determine the culpability of those who supported a terrorist member and those who violated IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force) protocols on Covid-19 patients," he added.

The Provincial Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict of Occidental Mindoro, he added, went to one of the most remote sitios of the province to bring services to the isolated Indigenous Peoples (IP) of Monte Claro, San Jose.

"Along with (Occidental Mindoro) Governor Eduardo Gadiano were Col. Jose Augusto Villareal, Commander of 203rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, Lt. Col. Alexander Arbolado of the 4th Infantry Battalion, 2ID and the representatives of following NGAs (National Government Agencies): DSWD, NCIP, DA, PhilHealth, DILG, DOH, and PNP," he added.

Also airlifted by the Tactical Operations Wing SolCom were representatives of respective provincial offices: OPA, PVET, PSWD, PHO, PEO, IPAO, PGO of SAMARICA (San Jose, Magsaysay, Rizal and Calintaan all of Occidental Mindoro).

The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF ELCAC), he said, shall stay in the cluster of IP communities to properly listen to their concerns so that the government can sustain services through livelihood and economic programs which should be appropriate to their culture.

"It must be recalled that 11 IPs recently surrendered after the killing of CTG (Communist Terrorist Group) Lorrelaine Saligumba alias 'Fara,” he said. “They revealed that IPs were being 'hostaged' by the NPAs to forcibly join them, initially to fetch water or carry their goods but will no longer be released for years.”

The victims, he added, are minors and this is not acceptable.

“I cannot allow this violation of the IHL (International Humanitarian Law) by the STRPC leadership who forced them to relocate in Mindoro Islands as more and more of their former mass bases have been won by the NTF ELCAC through good governance," Parlade said.

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

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1112713