Junking of Reds-linked groups' plea vs. PH gov't a win for rule of law

From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 25, 2024): Junking of Reds-linked groups' plea vs. PH gov't a win for rule of law (By Priam Nepomuceno)

MANILA – The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) welcomed the Supreme Court's (SC) decision junking various petitions filed by communist front groups against former and current officials of the Philippine government.

In a statement Wednesday night, NTF-ELCAC executive director Undersecretary Ernesto Torres Jr. called the ruling a "significant legal victory", which proves the judiciary's unwavering commitment to justice and fairness.

"The decision serves as a vindication for the Philippine Government and its law enforcers who have faced baseless allegations of extralegal killings and enforced disappearances," Torres said.

“This a resounding victory for the rule of law,” he added.

In its April 18 decision, the SC upheld the Court of Appeals's decision dated June 28, 2019 junking the petition for writs of amparo and habeas data against former president Rodrigo Duterte and other officials making up the NTF-ELCAC.

Besides Duterte, the other respondents in the petition are then Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, then National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr., former presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo, former Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Undersecretary Lorraine Badoy, Presidential Human Rights Committee Secretariat Undersecretary Severo Catura, former Armed Forces of the Philippines Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Civil-Military Operations, Maj. Gen Antonio Parlade Jr., former Presidential Task Force on Media and Security executive director Joel Sy Egco and other ranking military and police officials.

The petitioners, including the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines, Inc. and the General Assembly of Women for Reforms, Integrity, Equality, Leadership, and Action (Gabriela), aimed to establish accountability for Duterte, as commander-in-chief, under the doctrine of command responsibility.

The SC, in its ruling, said the petitioners failed to "sufficiently demonstrate any reversible error by the Court of Appeals that would warrant the exercise of this court's discretionary appellate jurisdiction".

The court also stressed that the issuance of writs of amparo and habeas data requires concrete grounds and clarified the President's immunity from suit in this context.

SC Division Clerk of Court Ma. Theresa B. Sibulo officially notified the anti-insurgency body's Legal Cooperation Cluster (LCC) about the decision last March 14.

Torres stressed that the NTF-ELCAC remains steadfast in upholding the rule of law and ensuring the safety and well-being of all Filipinos.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1223387

Insurgency remains among NICA’s priorities despite NPA weakening

From the Philippine News Agency (May 2, 2024): Insurgency remains among NICA’s priorities despite NPA weakening (By Darryl John Esguerra)

National Intelligence Coordinating Agency Deputy Director General for Special Concerns Abelardo Villacorta. (PTV Facebook Screengrab)

MANILA – Gathering crucial intelligence against communists’ activities remains among the priorities of the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) despite the weakening of the terrorist group’s armed wing.

In an interview over Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon public briefing on Thursday, NICA Deputy Director General for Special Concerns Abelardo Villacorta said communist recruitment activities persist, targeting students and the youth sector.

He said the agency, as head of the National Task Force to End the Local Communist Armed Conflict’s (NTF-ELCAC) Situational Awareness and Knowledge Management Cluster, focuses on monitoring these attempts to lure the youth to take up arms against the government.

“There are so many of our youth, the students that are being recruited into the CPP-NPA-NDF at kawawa sila, iyong mga pangarap nila, ambisyon nila ay nasisira (their dreams and their ambitions in life are being destroyed) because they are being deceived to join the movement and become members of the NPA,” Villacorta said.

He added that many parents are now cooperating with NICA to help foil the communists' recruitment activities.

“Tumutulong sila sa amin (They help us) in our situational awareness and knowledge management, at napakalaking tulong nila (and they are a big help),” he said.

Previously, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief General Romeo Brawner Jr. said the state forces' relentless operations against communists have been very effective in decimating the active New People’s Army (NPA) guerrilla fronts.

As of the latest information from the military, the number of guerrilla fronts of the terrorist group has declined to 11.

Future opportunities

Meanwhile, Task Force Balik Loob (TFBL) chair Undersecretary Angelito De Leon outlined future opportunities for former rebels and former violent extremists during the road mapping Workshop of the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program or E-CLIP and Amnesty Program (EAP) Cluster.

"As concurrent Undersecretary for Capability Assessment and Development of the Department of National Defense, De Leon highlighted the pivotal shift in the government’s reintegration strategy that veers away from a military-centric method toward a more comprehensive approach to ending the local communist armed conflict in the Philippines," Defense spokesperson Arsenio Andolong said in a statement Thursday.

Citing the gains of the E-CLIP, which began in 2018, De Leon congratulated the lead and partner agencies on the sixth anniversary of the task force for their efforts in helping address the underlying socioeconomic, political, and psychological roots of local armed conflicts.

“The TFBL, on its sixth anniversary, will be more active and we will look for opportunities for us to have convergence mechanisms and how we can help our brothers who will return home,” De Leon said.

He also congratulated the AFP for a job well done in dismantling communist-terrorist guerrilla fronts across the country.

“Imagine when we were still in the active service, we were addressing 89 guerrilla fronts. Especially, they were saying that the last fight would be in Compostela Valley or Samar. But now, I'm happy to note that these are thriving communities already. And we can see that peace will be restored. So once again, to TFBL, Happy 6th Anniversary,” De Leon said.

The road mapping workshop was conducted to assess and address the gaps in the implementation of the E-CLIP, and craft a new implementation plan that will set the direction of both government programs for 2024-2028 under the umbrella of the NTF-ELCAC. It also aims to sustain the coordination and collaboration of all agencies and stakeholders to ensure the effectiveness of efforts towards sustainable peace development. (with reports from Priam F. Nepomuceno/PNA)

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1223928

Viscom: 40 rebels ‘neutralized’ in April

From the Philippine News Agency (May 2, 2024): Viscom: 40 rebels ‘neutralized’ in April (By John Rey Saavedra)

NPA ARRESTED. Authorities arrest Romulo Micabalo, an alleged leader of the New People's Army Regional Guerilla Unit-Eastern Visayas, in Barangay Pitogo, Consolacion town in Cebu on April 8, 2024. Visayas Command commander Lt. Gen. Fernando Reyeg on Thursday (May 2) said NPA suffered a huge setback as the military in central Philippine regions neutralized 40 of their members, including Micabalo, during last month’s operations. (Photo courtesy of Viscom PIO)

CEBU CITY – A total of 40 New People’s Army (NPA) members were neutralized in just one month of focused military operations from April 1 to 30, an Army official said.

Lt. Gen. Fernando Reyeg, commander of the Visayas Command (Viscom), said the number was a reflection that the NPA continues to bear significant losses due to the unified command’s relentless effort to implant peace in three central Philippine regions.

Of the number, 22 were apprehended, 16 surrendered, and two died during encounters.

A total of 26 assorted firearms and an anti-personnel mine were seized during the same period.

“There will be no let-up in our efforts. We will never hold back nor will hesitate to use our full force to finally put an end to this decades-long menace that has been terrorizing our country and our people,” Reyeg said.

The Army official said Viscom stands firm in its commitment to ending the local communist armed conflict in the Visayas regions very soon.

Reyeg called upon the few remaining members of “the NPA terrorist group to learn from the mistakes of their fallen comrades and heed the call of the government to return to the folds of the law before it’s too late.”

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1223872

2 top NPA leaders in Caraga surrender

From the Philippine News Agency (May 2, 2024): 2 top NPA leaders in Caraga surrender (By Alexander Lopez)

NPA LEADERS SURRENDER. Joel Maca (3rd from right), the deputy secretary of the NPA Guerrilla Front 30 of the North Eastern Mindanao Regional Committee, and his wife, Linebeth Mahinay (3rd from left), the finance and logistics officer of the same rebel unit, and four other companions after their surrender to the 36th Infantry Battalion in Surigao del Sur on April 26, 2024. Army officials said they also gave the locations of 12 high-powered firearms concealed in different areas, which were recovered by the Army troopers. (Photo courtesy of 4ID)

BUTUAN CITY – The communist New People’s Army (NPA) in the Caraga Region has suffered another major blow as two of its ranking leaders and four active members recently surrendered to the military in Surigao del Sur.

In a statement on Thursday, the Army’s 4th Infantry Division (4ID) identified the rebel leaders who surrendered as Joel Maca, the deputy secretary of NPA Guerrilla Front 30 (GF-30), and his wife, Linebeth Mahinay, the unit's finance and logistics officer. They surrendered to the Army’s 36th Infantry Battalion on April 26.

Four other rebels who surrendered along with the couple were identified as Mandy Trinidad Juagpao, a platoon medic; Jonmar Bagnol Mahinay, a squad leader; Joseph Montenegro; and Eloy Juagpao Suazo.

In the same statement, Brig. Gen. Arsenio Sadural, 901 Brigade commander, said a follow-up operation was immediately conducted after the surrenderers disclosed the location of firearms concealed by their comrades in the peripheries of Tago and Lanuza towns and Tandag City, all in Surigao del Sur.

Twelve high-powered firearms and other war materiel were recovered from the three areas.

Meanwhile, two other NPA guerrillas also turned themselves in to the Army’s 3rd Special Forces Battalion (3SFBn) in Lianga, Surigao del Sur on April 30. They turned over to authorities an M653 rifle with ammunition during their surrender.

Maj. Gen. Jose Maria Cuerpo II, the 4ID commander, welcomed the surrender of the two top NPA leaders and six others, saying the "imminent defeat" of the communist rebels in Surigao del Sur was at hand.

“The government’s comprehensive whole-of-nation approach addressing the insurgency has been yielding remarkable results and is in the final phase in eliminating (NPA rebels) in our area of responsibility,” he said.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1223877

3 NPA fighters yield in Davao Oro, reveal arms cache location

From the Philippine News Agency (May 2, 2024): 3 NPA fighters yield in Davao Oro, reveal arms cache location (By Che Palicte)

NPA SURRENDERERS. Three New People's Army fighters belonging to the Dismantled Guerrilla Front 2 turn themselves in to the Army's 25th Infantry Battalion (25IB) in Monkayo, Davao de Oro, on Wednesday (May 1, 2024). The group also revealed the location of hidden firearms in Maco town, Davao de Oro, resulting in the recovery of a revolver and two improvised explosive devices. (Photo from 1001Bde)

DAVAO CITY – Three fighters of the communist New People's Army's (NPA) Dismantled Guerrilla Front 2 (DGF2) who have since lied low surrendered to the Army's 25th Infantry Battalion (25IB) headquarters in the Davao de Oro town of Monkayo on Wednesday.

In a statement Thursday, Brig. Gen. Ronnie Babac, commander of the Army's 1001st Infantry Brigade (1001Bde), said surrenderers "Kulas," "Eme," and "Dido" also revealed the location of a cached DGF2 war materiel in Maco town, also in Davao de Oro.

Troopers from the 25IB immediately launched a recovery operation on the same day and discovered two improvised explosive devices and a .38-caliber revolver.

"Our call to the rebel remnants and those who went lie low, coupled with our intensified efforts through combat operations and other lines of efforts, has paid off. This can be manifested through the surrender of these three personalities," Babac said.

He noted that only recently, the 1001Bde also accepted nine rebel remnants who surrendered to the 60IB and 25IB.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1223908

Institutions urged to invest in bolstering cyber defenses

From the Philippine News Agency (May 2, 2024): Institutions urged to invest in bolstering cyber defenses (By Miguel Gil)

(PNA file image)

ODIONGAN, Romblon – The private sector Philippine Computer Emergency Response Team (PH CERT) has urged the administration of Romblon State University (RSU) and other big organizations recently attacked by hackers to establish permanent cybersecurity departments with well-trained and well-equipped personnel.

In an interview on Thursday, PH CERT president Lito Averia said it is about time for institutions that keep huge volumes of sensitive data to invest more of their resources on bolstering cybersecurity.

He said it is not enough to have personnel who will detect and repel potential cyber-attacks, thus it is also necessary that every organization establish an incident response team that can act quickly to mitigate the damage in the event of a successful data breach.

“Aside from acquiring better cybersecurity tools and hiring highly-trained IT (information technology) people, institutions must also adopt policies that will penalize its personnel for negligence in ‘cyber hygiene’ or who will put the whole organization at greater risk from cyber criminals,” he added.

PH CERT is an anti-cybercrime advocacy group made up of cybersecurity professionals from various organizations.

The group has advised members of Congress in crafting cybersecurity and data privacy laws.

Meanwhile, the administration of RSU said its initial investigation into Monday’s data breach showed that the hackers posted a series of screenshots of the alleged data that was hacked from the university’s old internal system.

In an online statement on Wednesday, school authorities said the breach was apparently triggered by an alleged wrongdoing of a faculty member.

RSU did not confirm earlier reports that personal data of students and faculty members were also stolen by the cyber criminals.

“As a government institution, the university recognizes its inherent obligation to ensure that personal information in its information and communications systems are secured and protected… The university has likewise already reported the matter to the National Privacy Commission in compliance with its issuances. In cooperation with law enforcement agencies, we shall also endeavor to make the perpetrators accountable for this incident,” the RSU administration said.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1223942

CPP/Ang Bayan Daily News & Analysis: National-democratic groups greet first day of Balikatan 2024 with protests

Ang Bayan Daily News & Analysis online propaganda article posted to the Philippine Revolution Web Central (PRWC), the website of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) (Apr 23, 2024): National-democratic groups greet first day of Balikatan 2024 with protests

 

This article is available in Pilipino

April 23, 2024

National-democratic groups protested before Camp Aguinaldo, headquarters of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, in Quezon City on April 23. The protest marked the start of Balikatan 39-24. This year’s Balikatan, the 39th since the 1990s, will be the largest in its history with 11,000 American troops participating. It will involve 14 US allied countries as participants and observers.

Led by the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan), the groups denounced the war games, which they percieve as a “shameful proof of the subservient foreign policy of the government of Ferdinand Marcos Jr.”

Since its inception, Balikatan has not been designed to promote the national interest of Filipinos, according to the groups. Its real aim is to allow the US to power-project and preserve its hegemony in this part of the world.

“During this period, Balikatan has only reinforced our self-defeating dependence on US military aid and supply of weapons,” according to the group. “It prevented us from developing a comprehensive security program anchored on the principle of asserting an independent foreign policy.”

Balikatan is also destructive to the environment, according to Bayan. Public resources are squandered instead of prioriry needs of Filipinos, it said. Apart from this, these war games also allow the US to drag the Philippines into its inter-imperialist conflict with China, the group explained.

“We call on the people to resist Balikatan, oppose US provocations in the region, expel US military facilities and other foreign troops, and condemn the Marcos government for shamelessly undermining our sovereignty,” it concluded.

https://philippinerevolution.nu/angbayan/national-democratic-groups-greet-first-day-of-balikatan-2024-with-protests/

CPP/Ang Bayan Daily News & Analysis: Ilocanos reject the Balikatan Exercises 2024—NDF-Ilocos

Ang Bayan Daily News & Analysis online propaganda article posted to the Philippine Revolution Web Central (PRWC), the website of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) (Apr 24, 2024): Ilocanos reject the Balikatan Exercises 2024—NDF-Ilocos

 

This article is available in Pilipino

April 24, 2024

“Ilocanos are against Balikatan 2024,” Rosa Guidon, spokesperson of the National Democratic Front (NDF)-Ilocos, declared. She said Ilocanos are fearful because some parts of the Balikatan 2024 war games will be held at the 4th Marine Brigade camp at the beach of Barangay Bobon, Burgos, Ilocos Norte.

Like last year, the AFP and the US will most probably stop fisherfolk in Ilocos Norte from going to the sea to give way for war games in the area. “Communities in Burgos [and neighboring towns] will be agitated again,” she said.

Last year, live fire exercises were launched in this area, disrupting and causing unrest among the people. They also conducted simulation exercises here involving the participation of civilians in war games, such as lifting American soldiers as mock war casualties.

This year, they will conduct a sea exercise between the naval and coast guard ships of the Philippines, the US and France. A live-fire exercise (maritime strike LFX) is also scheduled for May 8 in Laoag City.

“The Ilocano masses are aware that this biggest war games of the imperialist US is preparation for war against China,” Ka Rosa said. Because of this, Ilocanos now say the words “let no one sleep, sooner or later there will be war in our yard!”

The war games double the suffering of the Ilocano people, especially the fisherfolk and peasants due to the damages they already suffer from the current El Niño. “The catch is low…and the crops are withered and the land is barren and…now they [are] even facing the danger of a war in the Philippines at any time, in their backyard in Ilocos Norte,” according to Ka Rosa.

To alleviate the pain and destruction brought by the Balikatan 2024 war games, the camp of the 4th Marine Brigade transformed its camp to a a “military tourism park”. The military invites the public to enter the camp to show off the military complex, planes and war equipment. Since its construction, American soldiers have been setting up their monitoring facility inside the camp to monitor China’s movements.

On April 22, the US 356th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Group and the 355th Aviation Engineer Wing of the Armed Forces of the Philippines boasted of directing the construction of a “school facility” in La Union. Dubbed “humanitarian aid,” the school, like other civilian structures, are all for show to divert the attention of the people of Ilocos away from the shootings and bombings in their region.

“The Ilocanos are united with the Ivatans, Cagayanons and other Filipino people in opposing the ongoing Balikatan Exercises that are harming the people,” Ka Rosa declared.

https://philippinerevolution.nu/angbayan/ilocanos-reject-the-balikatan-exercises-2024-ndf-ilocos-2/

CPP/Ang Bayan Daily News & Analysis: Mga manggagawa, nagtungo sa embahada ng US para iprotesta ang Balikatan

Ang Bayan Daily News & Analysis online propaganda article posted to the Philippine Revolution Web Central (PRWC), the website of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) (Apr 27, 2024): Mga manggagawa, nagtungo sa embahada ng US para iprotesta ang Balikatan (Workers, went to the US embassy to protest Balikatan)

 

April 27, 2024

Nagmartsa patungong embahada ng US ang mga manggagawang kahapon, Abril 26, para tuligsain ang isinasagawang Balikatan war games. Ang pagkilos ay pangatlo sa serye ng inilunsad ng mga manggagawa sa Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) na Red Friday Protest ngayong buwan.

Tinuligsa ng mga manggagawa ang anila’y pagpopostura para sa gera ng US na lalong nagpapatindi sa tensyon sa West Philippine Sea. Kinundena nila ang paggamit ng China ng “gray tactics,” at ang paggamit ng US sa mga insidenteng ito para ipaarangkada ang tensyon sa rehiyon ng Asia-Pacific.

“Talo na si Genocide Joe (US President Joseph Biden) sa Ukraine at Gaza, at nabunyag na niya ang kanyang sarili bilang tagapaghatid ng gera…,” pahayag ng KMU.

Ang presensya ng US sa Pilipinas ay bahagi ng mga pagsisikap nitong panatilihin ang mga interes nito sa ekonomya sa bansa at sa buong Asia, ayon sa grupo.

Nagbabala ang KMU na bahagi nito ang iniraratsada ng rehimeng Marcos na charter change na nagbebenta sa Piipinas sa mga dayuhan.

“Inilalagay ni Marcos ang mga Pilipino sa gitna ng nag-uumpugang United States at China, at tinitiyak niyang puno ang kanyang bulsa ng mga Amerikanong dolyar habang ginagawa ito,” anito. Panawagan ng KMU na magkaisa ang mga patriyotiko, demokratiko at mapagmahal sa kapayapaang Pilipino at mga internasyunal na alyado nito na tutulan ang panghihimasok ng US sa ekonomya, pulitika at militar sa Pilipinas.

https://philippinerevolution.nu/angbayan/mga-manggagawa-nagtungo-sa-embahada-ng-us-para-iprotesta-ang-balikatan/

CPP/Ang Bayan Daily News & Analysis: Bagong missile system ng US, dinala sa Pilipinas

Ang Bayan Daily News & Analysis online propaganda article posted to the Philippine Revolution Web Central (PRWC), the website of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) (Apr 28, 2024): Bagong missile system ng US, dinala sa Pilipinas (New US missile system, brought to the Philippines)

April 28, 2024

Dumating sa Pilipinas noong maagang bahagi ng Abril ang Typhon Missile System (TMS), ang missile launcher na may kapasidad na magpakawala ng misayl sa layong 1,600 kilometro. Dinala ang naturang launcher sa isang “base militar sa hilagang Luzon” at ginamit una sa Salaknib exercises at sa kasalukuyang lumalargang Balikatan war game.

Sinasabing ang TMS na ito ay una sa gayong klaseng launcher. Tinawag ng US ang pagdating nito sa Pilipinas bilang “una sa kasaysayan” hindi lamang sa bansa kundi sa buong Asia. Sinimulan ang pagmanupaktura ng gayong missile system noon lamang 2019 matapos ibasura ng noo’y administrasyong Trump ang 1987 Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, isang kasunduan sa pagitan ng US at Russia. Ipinagbawal ng kasunduang ito ang produksyon, pag-iimbak at paggamit ng mga misayl na may malayong kapasidad.

Ayon sa mga tagamasid, ang armas na ito ay magdudulot ng “estratehikong pagbabago” sa balanse ng seguridad sa rehiyon at lalong nagpapataas sa posibilidad ng pagsiklab ng gera sa pagitan ng dalawa imperyalistang bansa. Ang pagpwesto nito sa Pilipinas ay pagbibigay ng US ng senyales sa China na maaari at kayang-kaya nitong magpwesto ng mga opensibong armas (offensive weaponry) na nasa striking distance sa mga pasilidad nito sa South China Sea, hilagang bahagi ng China at Taiwan Strait.

Noong Abril 25, sinabi ng China na ang paglalagay ng gayong sistema sa Asia ay “banta sa istabilidad at kapayapaan” sa rehiyon. Nagbanta itong gagawa ng “mapagpasyang kontra-hakbang” sa galaw na ito ng US. Inakusahan din nito ang US na naghahabol ng “unilateral na bentaheng militar” sa tarangkahan mismo ng China. Anito, ang ganitong mga armas ay nagpapataas sa posilidad ng mga “maling pagtaya at miskalkulasyon.”

Binalaan din ng China ang Pilipinas na “maging mapagbantay sa tunay na layunin ng US at sa maaaring kahinatnan sa pagsunod (sa mga hakbang) nito.” Anito, kailangang pag-isipan ng Pilipinas ang pagpapagamit sa US sa kapinsalaan ng sarili nitong seguridad.

Noong unang linggo ng Abril, inamin na ni Gen. Charles Flynn, kumander ng US Army Pacific regional command ang balak ng US na permanenteng magpwesto ng gayong missile launcher sa Asia-Pacific sa katapusan ng taon.

Ang Typhoon Missile System ang core component (susing bahagi) ng mga Multi-Domain Task Force (MDTF) ng US, ang binuo nitong mga espesyal na yunit laban sa China at Russia. Binubuo ang missile system na ito ng apat na launcher, isang command center at kaakibat na mga sasakyang nagdadala ng mga bomba. Ginagamit ito kasabay ng paggamit ng High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) at Dark Eagle Hypersonic System.

May kapasidad itong magpakawala ng ballistic misayl para tumarget ng mga barko sa layong 370 kilometro at magpakawala ng Tomahawk Land Attack Missile, na may kapasidad namang lumipad nang hanggang 1,600 kilometro. Gawa ang missile launcher na ito ng Amerikanong kumpanyang Lockheed Martin.

https://philippinerevolution.nu/angbayan/bagong-missile-system-ng-us-dinala-sa-pilipinas/

CPP/Ang Bayan: Correspondence//Indiscriminate bombings, a scourge on Agusanons and Surigaonons

Propaganda article from the English language edition of Ang Bayan posted to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Philippine Revolution Web Central (PRWC) Website (Apr 21, 2024): Correspondence//Indiscriminate bombings, a scourge on Agusanons and Surigaonons

 

This article is available in Pilipino

April 21, 2024

Last year, the New People’s Army-Northeast Mindanao recorded at least five incidents of indiscriminate bombing and strafing by the Armed Forces of the Philippines in Agusan and Surigao del Sur. Information gathered by the NPA-NEMR in the affected communities said one civilian was injured and another remains missing. The bombings left residents, especially children and the elderly, traumatized as well as it damaged their crops and the environment. This further infuriated the Agusanons and Surigaonons against the abusive soldiers.

The bombings coincided with intensive and coordinated military operations and deceptive programs called the Retooled Community Support Program (RCSP) and Enhanced Community, Livelihood and Integration Program (E-CLIP). These programs serve as cover for military harassment and intimidation of peasants, as well as illegal arrests and secret detentions, and forced surrenders. (Read the article Military “quarantine,” prison of “surrendered” civilians in Surigao del Sur in the April 7, 2024 issue of Ang Bayan.)

These operations are behind the AFP declarations that Agusan and Surigao del Sur are “insurgency-free”. These are serious violations of international humanitarian law and protocols that value the welfare and safety of civilians during armed clashes.
Incidents

On March 15, 2023, at 6 p.m., the military fired a rocket and for six times strafed the farms and mountainous areas of Barangay Pili, Bayugan, Agusan del Sur. Bombs from helicopters fell near homes leaving bomb casings in their land. Because of the danger, residents were forced to evacuate to the barangay gymnasium.

Earlier, on March 14 at 2 p.m., the NPA opened fire on the 65th IB troopers operating in Barangay Pinanggalaan, in the said province. Two soldiers were killed.

In Barangay Maitom, San Martin, Prosperidad in the same province, peasants quickly left their homes after four bombs were dropped from a Super Tucano while cannons were fired an estimated five times on May 18, 2023. It happened at a distance of 200 meters from their huts.

In Barangay Bigaan, Tagbina, Surigao del Sur, the Philippine Air Force dropped two bombs in July 2023. A resident says one of their villagers was injured when the bombs exploded near his house. Another resident remains missing to date. Fearing public exposure of their crime, the AFP asked the local government secretly to treat the wounded civilian. After the incident, the police forced residents to evacuate by scaring them about being used by the people’s army as “human shields.” Before the bombing, the NPA fired at the 67th IB troops in the mountainous part of the said village killing two and wounding another.

In September 2023, the powerful explosion of four aerial bomds shook residents who were out in their fields. The explosion happened a mere 300-500 meters away from their huts. The farmers immediately fled the field for fear of being hit.

In Barangay La Purisima, Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur, coconut, banana and other fruit crops were destroyed in farms that were hit by four bombs using a Super Tucano in the early morning of September 30, 2023. Eight artillery shells were fired in the direction of an NPA unit’s resting place. After the bombing, the NPA encountered the 3rd Special Forces Company troopers where two corporals, a sergeant and a Private First class were reported killed.

[Ang Bayan is the official news organ of the Communist Party of the Philippines and is issued by the CPP Central Committee. It provides news about the work of the Party as well as its analysis of and views on current issues. Ang Bayan comes out fortnightly and is published in Pilipino, Bisaya, Ilokano, Waray, Hiligaynon and English.]

https://philippinerevolution.nu/2024/04/21/indiscriminate-bombings-a-scourge-on-agusanons-and-surigaonons/

CPP/Ang Bayan: 2 farmers killed in succession in Masbate

Propaganda article from the English language edition of Ang Bayan posted to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Philippine Revolution Web Central (PRWC) Website (Apr 21, 2024): 2 farmers killed in succession in Masbate

This article is available in Pilipino

April 21, 2024

This April, two farmers were murdered in Masbate. They are the 27th and 28th farmers killed by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in the island under the Marcos regime.

Four CAFGU members abducted Elorde Almario, 43, from his farm in San Carlos, Milagros on April 2. His relatives found him dead later that day. According to his family’s report, his body bore gunshot wounds and showed traces of torture.

On April 4, the same CAFGU group abducted Nonong Monteseban, former barangay captain of San Carlos. After being beaten, he was released by the fascists allegedly because of a mistaken identity.

On April 11, the AFP killed Jimmy Pautan in Sitio Tadloy, Barangay Luna, Placer. As in many cases, the AFP falsely claimed Pautan was a Red fighter killed in an encounter.

Meanwhile, elements of the 4th IB shot Jay-el Banay Maligday, a student at Grace Mission College and a resident of Sitio Soryawon, Barangay San Roque, Bulalacao, Oriental Mindoro on April 7. The military falsely claimed that he was an NPA member after a platoon of soldiers stormed his house.

Abduction. William Lariosa, known organizer of Kilusang Mayo Uno-Southern Mindanao, was abducted and has not yet been surfaced by military agents. Lariosa, 63, was abducted on April 10 in Barangay Butong, Quezon, Bukidnon. Lariosa and his family have long been harassed by the military, prompting him to seek sanctuary in Bukidnon.

Attempted eviction. A local resident of Lupang Tartaria in Silang, Cavite was injured and lost consciousness on April 16 when guards from Jarton Security Services forcibly entered the farming community.

Guards stormed Tartaria and forced back residents in an attempt to fence off the land. The guards serve as private goons of the Ayala-Aguinaldo tandem, who have long been laying claim to the land. The farmers say the fencing is illegal while the decision on land ownership is still pending in the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and the Supreme Court.

Demolition. The combined forces of the National Housing Authority and Quezon City police illegally demolished the houses in San Isidro, Quezon City on April 18. About 700 families are affected by the demolition in the community behind the Philippine Children’s Medical Center. A parking lot is set to be built in this area.

[Ang Bayan is the official news organ of the Communist Party of the Philippines and is issued by the CPP Central Committee. It provides news about the work of the Party as well as its analysis of and views on current issues. Ang Bayan comes out fortnightly and is published in Pilipino, Bisaya, Ilokano, Waray, Hiligaynon and English.]

https://philippinerevolution.nu/2024/04/21/2-farmers-killed-in-succession-in-masbate/

CPP/Ang Bayan: Correspondence//The face of the rectification movement in Masbate

Propaganda article from the English language edition of Ang Bayan posted to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Philippine Revolution Web Central (PRWC) Website (Apr 21, 2024): Correspondence//The face of the rectification movement in Masbate

 

This article is available in Pilipino

April 21, 2024

Branches and committees of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), New People’s Army (NPA) units and the entire revolutionary movement in Masbate are striving to carry out the rectification movement initiated by the Central Committee in December 2023. Assessments and studies are in full swing since the first quarter of the year.
Study movement

As an initial step, the NPA and the masses held various consolidation and study meetings to celebrate the 55th anniversary of the Party and the NPA. They also distributed pamphlets and posted as many as 1,000 streamers in many parts of the province. They took the opportunity to inform the masses and comrades about the call for the rectification movement.

On the anniversary of the Party and the Army, guerrilla fronts reported that eight joint cultural programs and mass meetings were held attended approximately by 300 people. They presented various cultural performances such as songs, dances and plays, that told the history of the revolutionary movement in the province.

Various local Party branches, mass organizations and Army units held studies on the Central Committee’s statement on the 55th anniversary of the Party. Several front committees also studied the Party’s statement on the 55th anniversary of the NPA. The campaign to renew pledges among Party branches accompanied this activity. Party units and committees are also reviewing the constitution.

Party committees at various levels also launched assessment meetings to include the rectification movement in their programs and action plans. These meetings included the study of important documents summarizing the Party’s experience in the past year and other documents relevant to the experience in the province.

Meanwhile, one front completed a batch of Basic Party Course this quarter.
Identifying errors and rectification

In line with the call of the Central Committee, various Party committees in the province sincerely identified the shortcomings of the movement in leading the revolutionary struggle of the Masbatenyos. Every committee and every Army command candidly assessed the internal weaknesses in various areas of work.

They outlined the initial summing-up of revolutionary work. They also launched the campaign to carry out a comprehensive social investigation and class analysis.

Front units of the people’s army are also correcting the conduct of their maneuvers. The aim is to avoid unnecessary and defensive battles. Provincial units have also started expanding into areas they had not reached before. Comrades are slowly making their presence felt again among the masses in places where the people’s army had not been for a long time.

On the island of Ticao, helping the masses in production became part of the Red army’s methods. The masses are pleased that comrades help them finish their copra production.

The revolutionary movement in the province now faces the challenge of intensifying the armed struggle to strengthen the Army and the mass movement. The Party committee called on all units of the Army to launch sustained tactical offensives to weaken and frustrate the reign of terror of the armed forces of the US-Marcos regimes.

The committee also specifically emphasized the need to launch anti-feudal struggles and livelihood campaigns as foundation for strengthening the Masbatenyos mass movement.

The revolutionary movement emerged in Masbate in 1983 with the arrival of three comrades armed only with two weak rifles. In the following few decades, the Masbatenyo masses proved that they could truly rely on the people’s army and are their ally in reclaiming their land and defending their democratic rights.

[Ang Bayan is the official news organ of the Communist Party of the Philippines and is issued by the CPP Central Committee. It provides news about the work of the Party as well as its analysis of and views on current issues. Ang Bayan comes out fortnightly and is published in Pilipino, Bisaya, Ilokano, Waray, Hiligaynon and English.]

https://philippinerevolution.nu/2024/04/21/the-face-of-the-rectification-movement-in-masbate/

CPP/Ang Bayan: Presence of foreign troops in the Philippines stirs protests

Propaganda article from the English language edition of Ang Bayan posted to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Philippine Revolution Web Central (PRWC) Website (Apr 21, 2024): Presence of foreign troops in the Philippines stirs protests

 

This article is available in Pilipino

April 21, 2024

Various groups protested before the US embassy on April 11 to condemn the “trilateral summit” between the Philippines, Japan and the US held in Washington D.C. The groups know that this meeting was part of the US plan to expand its presence in the first-island chain under the guise of “security” and “freedom” in the South China Sea.

In the US, protests by Filipino-American groups greeted Marcos and the trilateral summit on April 11 and 12. They denounced the role of the US in funding and military support to the Marcos regime.

On April 9, various organizations marched to the Chinese consulate in Makati City to condemn China’s continuous harassment of Filipino fishermen and ships and its seizure of territory in the West Philippine Sea. The groups called on China, as well as the US, to stop militarizing the WPS.

[Ang Bayan is the official news organ of the Communist Party of the Philippines and is issued by the CPP Central Committee. It provides news about the work of the Party as well as its analysis of and views on current issues. Ang Bayan comes out fortnightly and is published in Pilipino, Bisaya, Ilokano, Waray, Hiligaynon and English.]

https://philippinerevolution.nu/2024/04/21/presence-of-foreign-troops-in-the-philippines-stirs-protests/

CPP/Ang Bayan: Cope Thunder exercises strike fear among Cagayanons

Propaganda article from the English language edition of Ang Bayan posted to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Philippine Revolution Web Central (PRWC) Website (Apr 21, 2024): Cope Thunder exercises strike fear among Cagayanons

 

This article is available in Pilipino

April 21, 2024

Although Balikatan 2024 has not yet officially opened, Cope Thunder exercises launched by the US Air Force and Tactical Operations Group (TOG) troops on April 17 have already sown fear and distress among the citizens of Cagayan and Apayao. Residents of Gattaran, Sto Niño, and Lasam in Cagayan said low-flying jet fighters caused mayhem in schools especially in daycares and kindergartens sending children scampering back to their homes. Infants were also awakened, livelihoods were disrupted, and even domestic animals were frightened and distressed.

Residents complained that they were not informed in advance, causing people to run and stumble in extreme fear since the exhibitions were staged right near schools and barangay halls. A mother said her 7-year-old son prevented her from leaving the house fearing she would be hit by a bomb. They also complained about the extremely loud rumble and deafening noise of jet fighters. “My chest felt like it was going to explode when it passed over us,” said one.

Residents could not help but think of the possibility of a real war breaking out especially since the AFP has been actively recruiting in the barrios, even among the elderly. “This was just a drill, but what if it’s true,” worried a resident. Another commented that American soldiers will surely leave many women pregnant because of the presence of military bases in their area.

People in these areas are traumatized since these were also bombed by the 5th ID and TOG2 last year. It will be recalled that the residents of Sto Niño were evacuated in April 2022 in the middle of Holy Week when an airstrike using an OV10-Bronco was conducted to cover up the massacre of three Red fighters in Piat.

Baggao residents also suffered anxiety during Balikatan 2022. “We ran in fear. We thought we were going to be bombed. It seemed our roofs would tear off because the jet fighters flew so low and so close to the houses,” said a farmer.

[Ang Bayan is the official news organ of the Communist Party of the Philippines and is issued by the CPP Central Committee. It provides news about the work of the Party as well as its analysis of and views on current issues. Ang Bayan comes out fortnightly and is published in Pilipino, Bisaya, Ilokano, Waray, Hiligaynon and English.]

https://philippinerevolution.nu/2024/04/21/cope-thunder-exercises-strike-fear-among-cagayanons/