Philippine tribesmen threaten to evacuate villages occupied by military

From the Mindanao Examiner BlogSpot site (Aug 5): Philippine tribesmen threaten to evacuate villages occupied by military



Local tribesmen and various human rights groups have accused the military of using civilians as shield against its anti-insurgency operation in the southern Philippines.

They said government troops have put up encampments in civilian communities, especially near schools and churches and other public buildings making them vulnerable from attacks or fighting between government and rebel forces.

Now, tribesmen and villagers have threatened to leave their communities if security forces continue to stay in civilian areas.

Karadyawan, a local indigenous people’s organization in Kapalong town, also accused the military of killing a motorcycle taxi driver Wilfred Estrebillo and other human rights violations allegedly perpetrated by members of the 60th and 68th Infantry Battalion.

Lito Sampag, a spokesman for the Karadyawan, said: “The military is using our communities as shields; they are occupying our churches and schools, accusing and forcing some of us to surrender, and forcing our children to act as their guides in their pursuit of New People’s Army rebels.”

He said troops are currently encamped at Sitio Kapatagan, Taongatok, Upper Tagasan, Lower Tagasan, Mangkay, Maguimon, Aminipat and Ngan all in the village of Gupitan, and other areas nearby.

“Their presence brings threats and violations to the rights of the villagers. Their targets and vivid victims are us,” Sampag said. “If the military will not pullout from civilian areas, we shall be forced to leave our villages and protest this continued militarization.”

Human rights group Karapatan said it is documenting all reported cases of human rights violations in the areas identified by Karadyawan so that appropriate charges or legal actions can be filed against the perpetrators.

“But we will not rely on the filing of legal cases alone; the courageous protest of the people is more effective based on our experience because many of our government instrumentalities and offices are futile especially in addressing the complaints of poor people like the farmers and lumads.” Said Hanimay Suazo, Karapatan’s Secretary-General in Southern Mindanao.

Not true

 

But the military has denied all allegations and accused the NPA of human rights violations in the province.

Lt. Col. Norman Zuniega, commander of the 10th Civil-Military Operation Battalion, said the rebel group was behind numerous cases of killings, intimidation, coercion, extortion and recruitment of young villagers, including children to fight the government.

He said even local government agencies and officials have reported serious difficulties in the delivery of basic services and infrastructure projects in the villages due to the presence of rebels. He said tribesmen were also being intimidated and coerced by human rights groups, including Karapatan, Barug Katawhan and other front organizations of the Communist Party of the Philippines.

Zuniega said: “Residents reported the utilization of school classrooms by the NPA for anti-government propaganda and revolutionary activities, disrupting the schedule of students and causing fear among them.”

“Also, it was found that indigenous peoples are the most exploited and deceived, purposely isolated by the NPA from any service or help from the governments as are the main targets of recruitment to become NPA fighters. The rebels do not have any regard for the welfare of indigenous tribes and their customary laws and they brainwashed and arm them and teach them violence.”

He said the soldiers are continuing their peace and development outreach program in the province and are working closely with local governments in an effort to address the growing threats of the NPA.

“The 10th Infantry Division is mandated to secure the welfare of the people and we cannot allow this armed group to continue its exploitation of this area and its residents. We will continue to pursue this criminal group involved in extortion, exploitation of minors, deception, murder and the use of banned explosives. Regardless of whatever setbacks and unfounded accusations by groups with malicious intentions, the 10th Infantry Division will continue pursuing the peace and development that the citizens of the far-flung areas have long aspired for.”

“We assure the people that we will continue to work with the local government and its agencies to address the people’s concerns, and to help the people in the area live normally and freely, without the constant psychological fear caused by the NPA,” Zuniega said.





http://www.mindanaoexaminer.net/2014/08/philippine-tribesmen-threaten-to.html

Two key issues snag Bangsamoro talks

From the Manila Times (Aug 5): Two key issues snag Bangsamoro talks

Power sharing and autonomy are the key issues that stand in the way of a final draft of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), which will be the basis for the creation of a Bangsamoro entity that will replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

A source privy to the ongoing negotiations between the government and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) peace panels told The Manila Times that although autonomy and power-sharing had been defined in previous agreements, the two sides continue to wrangle over the final terms that will go into the draft to be submitted to Congress.

“The bone of contention is that there should be flexibility in making the BBL conform with the Constitution. That’s what the MILF wants. The other side, however, disregarded this flexibility and now wants a very restrictive BBL,” the source, a lawyer, said.

“More than being a legal issue, the peace process is a political agreement.

Therefore, there should be political will. The agreement comes first before anything else so that there should be flexibility to accommodate what were agreed upon in the first place. Right now, it’s the other way around. It’s like they (government negotiators) are saying that the agreement should strictly conform with each and every letter of the law. That is causing the delay,” the source said.

He lamented that the Office of the President (OP) “disregarded” much of the previously agreed and signed accords contained in the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB) and the more binding Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) and opted to make the draft BBL “very restrictive.”

He said the OP, on instructions from President Benigno Aquino 3rd, “deleted” provisions in the draft bill that were only “copied” from the contents of the CAB.

“What the BTC [Bangsamoro Transition Commission] did was to just copy the CAB provisions and put them in the BBL. However, when the draft was returned by Malacanang, these copied provisions were no longer there and the language is already different,” said the source, who is on the side of the MILF.

The Times asked Presidential Peace Adviser Teresita Quintos Deles to confirm or deny the lawyer’s claims. Deles said they also want the BBL to be compliant with the CAB.

“GPH [government of the Philippines] remains committed to full implementation of the [CAB], especially in the passage of the [BBL] that is fully compliant with the CAB. The fact that the two panels are now hard at work in Davao to come up with a mutually acceptable draft BBL to be submitted by the President for enactment by Congress by yearend speaks of the true state of the BBL and the serious commitment of the parties to see the process through to its just and peaceful conclusion,” she said.

According to her, the issues that are being threshed out by the panels are normal occurrences in the peace process.

“Peacemaking is not for the fainthearted. The parties choose to continue to forge ahead,” Quintos told The Times.

One month

In an interview on DZRH on Monday, MILF Vice Chairman Ghadzali Jaafar said the group is giving the government one month to submit the draft BBL to Congress. The Jaafar warned that failure to do so will have dire consequences.

According to him, many MILF field commanders are raring to go back to the armed struggle.

Asked to react on Jaafar’s pronouncements, Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said the MILF leader could be speaking on his own because not even MILF Chairman Al Haj Murad or MILF peace panel chairman Mohaqer Iqbal have spoken in the same manner.

“Mr. Jaafar is talking to his own crowd, his own audience—the MILF. But we are committed to pursuing and submitting a draft BBL to Congress. None of the personalities with the exception of Mr. Jaafar has spoken in such manner, not even the Chairman of the MILF peace panel, Chair Iqbal has spoken in that regard, neither did Chair Murad of MILF,” Lacierda said.

“So, both the MILF peace panel and the government peace panel are right now discussing and threshing our whatever differences they have ensuring that there will be a submission before Congress,” he pointed out.

On Sunday, a group of Muslims and Christians accused the President of mangling the draft BBL, an act they said showed his administration’s “insincerity” in pushing for lasting peace in Mindanao.

The Moro Christians People’s Alliance (MCPA) called the administration is “insincere, dishonest and deceptive.”

“[President] Aquino cannot flaunt in his fifth State of the Nation Address the success of the GPH-MILF peace talks,” the MCPA said in a statement posted on luwaran.com, the official MILF website.

But ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman said the supporters for the passage of the BBL outnumber those who are opposed to the peace deal.

“MCPA is identified as an ally organization of Bayan Muna, so it harps the same anti-President Noy sentiments. The [people on the ground] do not share their sentiment. For sure, them [people] on the ground is very much hopeful about the success of the BBL,” Hataman said in a text message.

“We respect their opinion, but that doesn’t reflect the situation on the ground.

Many are still positive on the ongoing process, especially in ARMM. Also, I believe that MCPA, from the start, has been expressing its opposition to the Mindanao peace process,” he said.

He noted that “workshops” between experts and stakeholders are ongoing “to ensure that the draft BBL is acceptable to all and that no possible or Constitutional issues may arise [from it].”

Hataman’s wife Sitti, who is also a member of Congress as an Anak Mindanao party-list Representative, also cautioned sectors against sowing intrigue and projecting the failure of the Bangsa moro law.

“I believe that the draft Bangsamoro Basic law remains to be a confidential document. Neither the Philippine Government nor the MILF have presented it to the public. Who can now say it was sabotaged? We must continue trusting each other and the process, if we are to achieve peace,” the lawmaker said.

“It will not do the peace process any good if we keep suspecting and preempting the actions of the government, the MILF and other parties involved,” she added.

Former Rep. Simeon Datuma nong somehow shared the Hatamans’ sentiments, noting that ensuring the Constitutionality of the BBL is important in its successful implementation.

“There are mixed feelings on the delay in the submission of the proposed law to Congress, but I see this as a calculated one to ensure its Constitutionality and easier passage in Congress,” Datumanong, also a former Justice Secretary, said.

“I hope the review will not drastically alter the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro because it may result to further delay and disturb the timeframe,” he added.

http://www.manilatimes.net/two-key-issues-snag-bangsamoro-talks/116574/

596 applicants from Region 2, CAR take PMA entrance exam

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 5): 596 applicants from Region 2, CAR take PMA entrance exam

The Isabela-based 5th Infantry Division on Tuesday announced that 596 applicants from different provinces in Region 2 and Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) took the Philippine Military Academy Entrance Examination (PMAEE) held at the Mamba Gym, Tuguegarao City, Cagayan on Sunday.

The applicants were composed of high school and college students, and even college graduates.

Examinees aspire to be cadets of the country’s premier military school and to be future well-rounded officers and leaders of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

PMA cadets are government scholars who enjoy the noble privilege of serving the country while studying before their commissionship with the Philippine Army, Philippine Air Force or Philippine Navy.

The PMAEE was simultaneously conducted in various examination centers nationwide covering the following subjects: Algebra and Geometry; Grammar and Composition; Reading and Comprehension; Verbal and Numerical Reasoning; and Pattern Analysis.

Further, the PMAEE was conducted by the PMA Mobile Team headed by Major Charles V. Calucag, with the assistance of the Army’s 5th Infantry Star Division represented by the Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff for Civil Military Operations, G7.

The result of the said examination will be posted in the PMA website soon.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=669428

Naval detachment to rise from Zambo siege ground zero

From Rappler (Aug 4): Naval detachment to rise from Zambo siege ground zero

'We will be putting up a forward operating base so that threats coming from outside Zamboanga City can be checked,' says AFP chief General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr


BURNED: More than 10,000 houses were damaged by fires inside the combat zone. Photo by LeAnne Jazul

A naval detachment will be constructed in barangays Rio Hondo and Mariki in Zamboanga City, sites of bloody gun battles between the military and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in September 2013.

The project is a component of the Zamboanga City Roadmap to Recovery and Reconstruction Plan to complement the existing patrol base in the area.

It will get a budget allocation of P143.67 million ($3.3 million) out of the total P3.5 billion ($80.4 million) budget of the entire plan, based on the latest situation report of the Zamboanga City Public Information Office (PIO). A part of the budget – P2.56 million ($58,850) was already spent for land acquisition and shelter, among others.

It's a very strategic site for the military, Armed Forces chief General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr told reporters during his visit to Zamboanga City on Saturday, August 2. He said he expects the project to be completed by 2015.

"We will be putting up a forward operating base so that threats coming from outside Zamboanga City can be checked. We can also use the white sand beach as a staging area. We will put guards here so that we will see those who are entering the city," Catapang said.

"It's a Navy forward operating base. There will be naval ships there and Marines will be deployed there. The approaches to the city will be controlled," he said.

Followers of MNLF commander Habier Malik on September 9, 2013, seized coastal villages of Zamboanga City with the aim of advancing to the city hall to hoist their own flag. Malik was lamenting then how the peace talks with rival group Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) would supercede the 1996 peace talks with the MNLF that created the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Completion of peace talks with MILF will abolish the existing ARMM to create the new Bangsamoro entity that will enjoy wider powers and autonomy.

The crisis that shut down Zamboanga City killed 183 MNLF fighters, 18 soldiers, 5 cops, and 12 civilians, based on military statistics. A total of 195 hostages were rescued and 292 MNLF fighters either surrendered or were captured. (READ: Zambo Crisis: Fog of war)

Up to 10,000 houses were burned. Ten months since the siege, up to 25,000 residents remain in evacuation centers, most of them are taking temporary shelter at the Joaquin Enriquez Memorial Grandstand. (READ: SONA Fact Check: 25,000 still in Zambo evacuation centers)

For territorial defense, too

The site is also strategic in terms of territorial defense, said Catapang.

"We need to secure our borders with Malaysia," Catapang said, citing global threats of trafficking and smuggling. "Our fellow Filipinos are being questioned and deported. These are all part of protecting our people in a very globalized world."

He said navy choppers will be housed there. The city's Majini Pier will also be developed.

Catapang also hopes increased military presence in the city will result in investors confidence.

"It's all part of winning the peace so that the investors will come in. We have big fishing areas here," he said.

The military and the city rehabiliation team have inspected the waterway where the facility will be constructed, according to a July 21 report of the Zamboanga City PIO.

"The group discussed on ground the status or development of the proposed military reservation facility. Together with the other stakeholders, the group also made a reassessment of the Rio Hondo and Mariki areas to determine the need for additional facilities or structures including housing sites if possible," reads the report.

http://www.rappler.com/nation/65269-zamboanga-siege-naval-detachment

Deported Australian denies recruiting terrorists in PHL

From GMA News (Aug 4): Deported Australian denies recruiting terrorists in PHL

A suspected Australian extremist who was arrested in Cebu and deported last month broke his silence Monday and denied involvement in alleged terrorist activities.

 

In posts on his Twitter account, Musa Cerantonio denied recruiting supporters for the Islamic State group, particularly in Sulu and Basilan.

 

"I have never been to either place, nor did I ever 'recruit' anyone," he said.

Musa Cerantonio @MusaCerantonio

Follow

The article says I was 'recruiting' in Sulu and Basilan. I have never been to either place, nor did I ever 'recruit' anyone and the --

7:30 AM - 4 Aug 2014

7 Retweets 7 favorites    

 He added even the Philippine National Police said it had "no proof of any such 'recruitment,'" yet this "fantasy spreads among shoddy journalists."

Musa Cerantonio @MusaCerantonio

Follow

-- Philippine National Police said that they have no proof of any such 'recruitment'. But this fantasy spreads among shoddy journalists...

7:31 AM - 4 Aug 2014

9 Retweets 7 favorites    

 Cerantonio was arrested in Cebu last July and was eventually deported.

 

He had allegedly supported "fighters" in Syria and Iraq, and was accused of using the Internet to promote extremism.

 

In arresting Cerantonio in Cebu, Philippine police and immigration teams served a warrant of deportation against him.

 

But his companion Joan Montayre insisted he was innocent and that it was unfair to link him to terrorism, according to a report by GMA Cebu's Bexmae Jumao-as and Alan Domingo.

 

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/373338/news/nation/deported-australian-denies-recruiting-terrorists-in-phl

Abu Sayyaf releases 1 of 2 female kidnapped victims in Sulu

From InterAksyon (Aug 5): Abu Sayyaf releases 1 of 2 female kidnapped victims in Sulu

The Western Mindanao Command on Monday announced that Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) brigands freed one of the two female victims they have kidnapped in Barangay Kaunayan, Patikul town, Sulu Sunday afternoon.

Capt. Rowena Muyuela, the command's spokesperson, identified the freed victim as Nursalyn Ahamudin Alih.

She was released at Sitio Kantitap, Barangay Danag, also in Patikul around 1 a.m. Monday.

Alih and companion Shekinah Hope Tan were snatched by three ASG members, of which two were identified as Ramsid Sali and Injie, around 2:30 p.m.

All three were aboard an unmarked motorcycle which quickly fled toward the direction of Barangay Taglibi.

Alih, 26, and a resident of Barangay Danag, Patikul, was escorted by Marine troops and her family to Camp Teodulfo Bautista Station Hospital for medical attention and later brought to her sisters’ residence in Muralla St., Jolo, Sulu.

Authorities have yet to confirm whether the family of the victims paid ransom money for the release.

Muyuela said authorities are still conducting pursuit operations to locate and recover Tan safely.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/92628/abu-sayyaf-releases-1-of-2-female-kidnapped-victims-in-sulu

US looks to calm South China Sea tensions

From the Philippine Star (Aug 5): US looks to calm South China Sea tensions

The United States will be looking to calm tensions stoked by recent Chinese oil drilling in disputed waters of the South China Sea at an upcoming meeting of the region's foreign ministers, a senior US official said yesterday.

Although the US claims neutrality in the disputes, China is unlikely to respond favorably.

Secretary of State John Kerry's trip in Myanmar, starting Saturday, comes after China angered Vietnam by deploying a deep-sea oil rig for two months near islands claimed by both countries.

Top diplomat for East Asia, Daniel Russel, told reporters that China's withdrawal of the rig in mid-July had removed an irritant but left a legacy of anger and strained relations with Vietnam and likely raised serious questions among China's other neighbors about its long-term strategy.

"China as a large and powerful nation has a special responsibility to show restraint. There is a big footprint that comes with military strength and it warrants setting your foot very, very carefully and treading very gingerly when you are in a sensitive area," Russel said.

At the meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in the Myanmar capital, Naypyitaw, Washington will be proposing that South China Sea claimants take voluntary steps to reduce tensions. The US suggests freezing actions that change the status quo, like seizing unoccupied islands and land reclamation.

Chinese officials have already made clear they don't support the proposal. China says it has a historical right to most of the South China Sea and resents what it sees as US meddling, viewing it as an attempt to contain its growing power. The other claimants include the Philippines, which is a US treaty ally, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei.

Russel said all the claimants, including Vietnam, can do more to clarify what they say is theirs in accordance with international law. He said the US would also urge conclusion of a long-delayed, code of conduct — another initiative China is unenthusiastic about.

Separately, while in the Myanmar, Kerry will be pressing Myanmar's leaders to apply greater safeguards for human rights. Kerry will also be gauging the former pariah nation's preparations for 2015 elections, Russel said.

Last week, more than 70 US lawmakers warned of worsening conditions in Myanmar, including anti-Muslim discrimination and violence, and urged the Obama administration to sanction those complicit in abuses and atrocities, and not to make further concessions to the reformist government unless there's significant progress.

After Myanmar, Kerry will travel to Australia to join Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and Australian officials for security talks.

http://www.philstar.com/world/2014/08/05/1354115/us-looks-calm-south-china-sea-tensions

Raps filed vs. Abus behind Eid massacre

From the Philippine Star (Aug 4): Raps filed vs. Abus behind Eid massacre

The local police in Talipao, Sulu will file on Monday afternoon charges of multiple murder, multiple frustrated murder, and multiple attempted murder against two Abu Sayyaf leaders and about 50 of its followers involved in the bloody Eid’l Fitr ambush, an official said.

Talipao police chief SPO4 Rudy Yusop said the case was a result of the investigation conducted by the Special Task Group and his office following the deadly ambush last July 28 at Sitio Lumapid, Barangay Lower Talipao that killed 23 civilians, mostly children and women, and wounded 14 others.

Yusop said the case will be filed before the Regional Prosecutor’s Office in Sulu against Abu Sayyaf leader Iddang Susukan and Sibih Pisih and around 50 followers who were all identified by witnesses.

Yusop said the 39 victims aboard two jeepneys were on their way to celebrate the end of the fasting period of Ramadan to celebrate the Eid’l Fitr when they were ambushed by the group of Susukan and Pisih.

He said the investigation pointed to retaliation as the root cause of the ambush, as the group was against civilians in Talipao for assisting the government forces and the town’s civilian volunteers dubbed as the Barangay Peace Action Team (BPAT) in operations against the militants.

“Talagang galit sila (Abu Sayyaf) sa mga residente dito dahil very supportive sila sa operations ng marines, civilian volunteers at police laban sa kanila,” Yusop said in a telephone interview as he was preparing to forward the case Monday afternoon.

Yusop dispelled reports about the conflict between the son of an Abu Sayyaf and BPAT member over a basketball game sometime in 2013 that triggered the bloody incident.

“No, it was not that incident because it happened last year but it was because of the continuous operations and they were angry at the civilians for providing information to the marines and BPAT,” Yusop said, citing the February encounter incident where six Abu Sayyaf members were killed and six BPAT members were wounded.

Meanwhile, pursuing operations have been ongoing as the military assisted the police forces in running after the ambushers, Lt. Gen. Rustico Guerrero of the Western Mindanao Command said.

Guerrero said the military is also supporting the police in the investigation and filing of charges against the Abu Sayyaf.

He said there is a direct coordination between the 2nd Marine brigade and the provincial director of the Philippine National Police. They also have the support of Chief Superintendent Agrimero Cruz, current chief of the Sulu anti-kidnapping task force.

“We are moving in support of the law enforcement operation and stabilizing the area with the local police and military forces in Talipao,” Guerrero said.
He said part of the effort is to prevent civilians from retaliating against the innocent families of those Abu Sayyaf members involved in the ambush.

Guerrero said they have coordinated with the Sulu Provincial Peace and Order Council to prevent any retaliation by the surviving relatives of the victims.

http://www.philstar.com/nation/2014/08/04/1353830/raps-filed-vs.-abus-behind-eid-massacre

MILF accused of violating peace pact

From the Philippine Star (Aug 5): MILF accused of violating peace pact

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines  – The city government has accused the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) of violating a peace agreement after members of the armed group reportedly conducted a mining activity in a village here.

This developed as authorities monitored the movements of some 40 to 50 unarmed MILF members in another village, also in this city.

Zamboanga City Mayor Ma. Isabelle Climaco-Salazar said the alleged illegal mining activity by MILF members, led by a certain Bob Jumadil, occurred in Barangay Baluno last July 31.

She said the MILF wanted to get samples of the village’s mineral products as they were reportedly given the authority to mine in any part of Mindanao.

“This is a clear violation of the peace agreement,” Salazar said.

Senior Superintendent Angelito Casimiro, acting city police director, said about 40 to 50 MILF members were monitored at the border of Barangay Tagasilay. 

Casimiro said the MILF men claimed they were in the area to attend the baptismal rites of a son of one of their members.

Salazar said Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Secretary Teresita Deles responded after the issue was brought to her attention. She said Deles, in a text message, said the movement was illegal under the peace agreement.

Deles described MILF’s move as “unacceptable and nowhere allowed or authorized under the peace agreement.”

Salazar said Deles ordered the government’s Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostility (CCCH) to look into the complaint and the Armed Forces to take action on the matter.

Deles told Salazar that the issue has been raised with MILF commander Malik Karil, who is in charge of Western Mindanao.

Karil reportedly advised Jumadil, MILF city political chair, to stop all activities including the mining exploration, that could adversely affect the ceasefire and the peace process.

Salazar said this is the second time the MILF violated the peace agreement. The first was when the group tried to put up a satellite office in Barangay Cawit, a village near Baluno.

http://www.philstar.com/nation/2014/08/05/1353809/milf-accused-violating-peace-pact

New group formed amid Bangsamoro uncertainty

From the Manila Standard Today (Aug 4): New group formed amid Bangsamoro uncertainty

A NEW Muslim group has been formed in Mindanao in an attempt to solve the problems in the region in light of the uncertainty over the peace deal between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

The “Bangsamoro National Transformation Council,” led by Datu Andong, an unarmed group, was created to promote peace in Mindanao in the face of the obstacles besetting the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law.

Andong says the BNTC is talking to people in the remote villages in various parts of Mindanao, particularly in the areas beset by conflict, to  achieve genuine and lasting peace.

Andong made his statement even as Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. the head of the Senate’s local government committee, said Congress might need to move the target deadline for the Bangsamoro Basic Law, which is still being reviewed by Malacañang.

In his fifth State-of-the-Nation Address on Monday last week, President Benigno Aquino III appealed to Congress to understand the delay in the drafting of the Bangsamoro Basic Law and promised to push for a law that is just, fair and acceptable to all.

Aquino asked Congress to pass the BBL by the end of 2014 when he gave the same address last year.

Drilon has said the Senate will immediately work on the proposed law that will create a new autonomous government in Mindanao.

“We cannot afford to fail as far as the Bangsamoro Basic Law is concerned,” Drilon said.

“We must have something in place so that the Bangsamoro Basic Law will provide stability and improvements in the economic life of the region.”

Andong says he is seeking the support of the military in his group’s effort to promote peace and understanding.

The military welcomed his initiative.

“The Armed Forces of the Philippines is open to coordination and collaboration with the BNTC’s effort to attain peace through non-violent actions,” Army spokesman Major Gen. Sonny Tutaan said.

“We can achieve just and lasting peace and development in Mindanao without resorting to violence.”

Andong serves as the development management officer of the Southern Philippines Council for Peace and Development, an administrative arm created by the government during the implementation of the Tripoli Agreement, an agreement entered into between the government and the Moro National Liberation Front and which was signed on Dec. 23, 1976.

He says the BNTC represents the majority of the inhabitants in Mindanao who are calling for a total transformation in the region.

“People don’t have to resort to armed struggle or promote violence,” Andong said.

 “We have discuss things to solve our problems and to attain peace.”

Andong discussed the aborted implementation of the 1996 final peace agreement with the Moro National Liberation Front and the rise of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, which triggered fighting  with the military and claimed thousands of lives.

“People from different groups, particularly armed elements, must lay down their arms and for a common goal through cooperation,” Andong said.

http://manilastandardtoday.com/2014/08/04/new-group-formed-amid-bangsamoro-uncertainty/

AFP: ASG stepping up abductions

From the Manila Standard Today (Aug 4): AFP: ASG stepping up abductions

The military chief has warned against stepped- up kidnapping activities of the  Al Qaeda-link Abu Sayyaf Group in a move to boost its capabilities and raise funds with which to buy arms.

General Gregorio Catapang said that the ASG members are ruthless and use their victims as human shields.

Catapang told journalists in Zamboanga City  that the abductions  that took place in Western Mindanao were part of the bandits “express kidnappings” mode to raise funds and build up their warchest.

“They are using kidnap victims as human shields and they are building up their capabilities by getting ransom money,” Catapang said as he reiterated his call on local communities for their support to prevent the kidnappings in the region.

The ASG is down to about 200 members, the military said, but its members are equipped with sophisticated weapons such as the shoulder-fired anti-tank, M60 sub-machine gun,  assault rifles, and M203 grenade launchers.

Catapang said while the ASG continues to prey on  victims mostly traders and well-off individuals, the military is doing its best to rescue all the captives.

 The bandit group suffered nearly hundreds of casualties in several encounters with state forces in Basilan and Patikul, Sulu and hundreds more captured including its disbursement officer, wanted by the US government, Khair Mundos with a bounty of $.5 million since the government waged a relentless campaign against them.

During the 1st and 2nd quarter of this year alone, 78 ASG members were killed in separate fighting with security forces in Basilan and Patikul, Sulu. At least 25 of those slain included Yasser Igasan, a prominent leader.

Catapang said the military had clashes with the ASG in Sulu, but the bandits cannot be simply attacked as they use civilians as shields.

“You know it’s very difficult for ground forces to rescue  kidnap victims in the jungle as the bandits are using the captives as human shields. We try to void  collateral damage as much as possible,” Catapang said.

He said the military and the Philippine National Police “are in closely coordinating their efforts in the areas of Sulu, Basilan and Tawi-Tawi” in the conduct of massive anti-terrorism efforts against ASG elements.

Recently, the Defense department disclosed the ASG is holding about 18 kidnap victims that include, two German and Australian nationals, two European birdwatchers, Malaysian policeman, a Japanese businessman and other local traders.

http://manilastandardtoday.com/2014/08/04/afp-asg-stepping-up-abductions/

China says can build what it wants on South China Sea isles

From WTAQ News/Reuters (Aug 4): China says can build what it wants on South China Sea isles

China can build whatever it wants on its islands in the South China Sea, a senior Chinese official said on Monday, rejecting proposals ahead of a key regional meeting to freeze any activity that may raise tensions in disputed waters there.

Southeast Asian foreign ministers this week hold security talks with counterparts, including those from the United States and China, in Myanmar, with escalating tensions over maritime disputes in Asia likely to be a major issue.

The Philippines will propose a freeze on all activity that raises tension in disputed waters in the South China Sea as part of a three-part plan at the ASEAN Regional Forum meeting, Manila's foreign minister said last week.

The United States, a close ally and former colonial power in the Philippines, has also called on all parties to halt activity in the disputed sea to ease tension.

Manila has accused China of carrying out reclamation work on at least three shoals in the Spratly Islands, where most of the overlapping claims lie, especially between China and the Philippines.

Yi Xianliang, deputy head of the Chinese Foreign Ministry's Boundary and Ocean Affairs Departments, told reporters that China had every right to build on its islands as a way of improving basic living conditions there.

"The Spratly Islands are China's intrinsic territory, and what China does or doesn't do is up to the Chinese government. Nobody can change the government's position," Yi said.

It was a double standard to bring this issue up now when other countries had been doing similar things for years, he added.

"Why is it that when other countries wantonly build airports, nobody says a word? But China has only this year started small and necessary construction, to raise living conditions on the islands - and so many people raise doubts."

Hong Kong media have reported that China is planning to build an air base on Fiery Cross Reef, though Yi said he was unaware of any such plans.
Yi said that proposals for a "freeze" on tension-raising activities were not helpful, and could be seen as an effort to undermine drawn-out efforts by China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) for a code of conduct in the South China Sea by acting as a replacement for the code.

If the United States had come up with such a proposal then he had not seen it, Yi said, adding that in any case the South China Sea was an issue for those countries directly involved.

"Trust in us Asian people to use Asian means and wisdom to resolve our own problems," he said.

China claims 90 percent of the South China Sea, which is believed to contain oil and gas deposits and has rich fishery resources. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan also lay claim to parts of the sea, where about $5 trillion of ship-borne trade passes every year.

China's placing of an oil rig in waters also claimed by Vietnam around the Paracel Islands in May added to regional concerns about China's intentions. However, China removed the rig last month.

http://wtaq.com/news/articles/2014/aug/04/china-says-can-build-what-it-wants-on-south-china-sea-isles/

Change of command as 3 generals to retire

From Business World (Aug 3): Change of command as 3 generals to retire

HALF of the six unified commands of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is set to be under new leadership as their respective commanders reach the mandatory retirement age of 56 this year.

In a phone interview, AFP Spokesperson Lt. Col. Ramon P. Zagala confirmed the leadership changes in its Western Command (WesCom) in Palawan, Southern Luzon Command (SolCom) in Lucena, Quezon, and Eastern Mindanao Command (EastMinCom) in Davao.

 

WesCom is headed by Lt. Gen. Roy O. Deveraturda, SolCom by Lt. Gen. Ronnie F. Ordoyo and EastMinCom by Lt. Gen. Rainier G. Cruz III.

“They’re set to retire sometime by this month, August, or by September,” Mr. Zagala told BusinessWorld in a phone interview.

 

Both Mr. Cruz and Mr. Ordoyo are graduates of the 1980 class of the Philippine Military Academy while Mr. Deveraturda is a graduate of the Aviation Cadet Program of the Philippine Air Force Flying School in 1980.

Mr. Zagala said the Board of Generals has submitted a recommendation for new appointees to AFP Chief-of-Staff Lt. Gen. Gregorio Pio P. Catapang.

 

Aside from the three military groups, the AFP has three more unified commands -- the Northern Luzon Command (NolCom) in Tarlac, the Central Command (CentCom) in Cebu and the Western Mindanao Command (WestMinCom) in Zamboanga.

 

http://www.bworldonline.com/content.php?section=Nation&title=change-of-command-as-3-generals-to-retire&id=92038

Retiring militiamen receive separation pay

From the Sun Star-Zamboanga (Aug 4): Retiring militiamen receive separation pay

THE Army’s 1st Infantry “Tabak” Division has released closed to P500,000 separation pay to 13 militiamen who belong to the 5th Infantry (CADRE) Battalion of the Tabak division, a military official announced Monday.

Army’s 1st Infantry Division Public Affairs Officer-in-Charge Captain Franco Suelto said eight of the 13 militiamen beneficiaries are from Lanao del Norte while the remaining five are from Zamboanga del Sur.

Suelto said the payment in a form of checks were personally handed over to the militia-retirees by “Tabak” Division Chief-of-Staff Colonel Agapito Carmelo Nagrampa Jr. in a simple ceremony last Thursday in a training center for militiamen in the village of Pigkalawag, Sultan Naga Dimaporo, Lanao del Norte.

Suelto said each of the 13 retiring militiamen received P32,850 in check as a separation benefits or gratuity from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

The recipients rendered more than eight years service, said Suelto.

The Civil Active Auxiliaries (CAAs) or better known in the community as CAFGUs (Citizens Armed Forces Geographical Units) are part-time soldiers who render duty for 15 days a month in detachments in the different areas.

Being a CAFGU entails services rendered in meeting local insurgency threat including disaster rescue and response, Suelto said.

Suelto said that the militiamen are automatically included in the ranks of reservists in Mobilization Center per provinces of the Ready Reserve units.
He added that there are more than 10,000 militiamen serving in seven provinces that fall within the 1st Infantry Division jurisdiction alone.

Meanwhile, Army’s 1st Infantry Division commander Brigadier General Gerardo Barrientos Jr. said “the services of our CAFGU are indispensible in the implementation of the Internal Peace and Security Plan (IPSP) Bayanihan.”

“They are the force multipliers of our regular soldiers to meet the demands of the Army’s deployment in far-flung areas where the services of our soldiers are needed most,” Barrientos.

“The gratuity and benefits received by the CAFGUs are fitting tribute to their selfless dedication and commitment to the country in pursuit of peace and development of their respective community,” he added.

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/zamboanga/local-news/2014/08/04/retiring-militiamen-receive-separation-pay-357823

Efforts on resuming GPH-NDF peace talks continue

From the Sun Star-Davao (Aug 4): Efforts on resuming GPH-NDF peace talks continue

EFFORTS for the resumption of peace talks between the Government of the Philippines and the National Democratic Front (GPH-NDF) continue, following the release of the former University of the Philippines (UP) professor Kim Gargar.

GPH-NDF negotiations have remained dormant with the Comprehensive Agreement on Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CAHRIHL) was since signed during former President Ejercito "Erap" Estrada's administration.

In a press conference at the Chowking yesterday, Gargar expressed his desire for the resumption of the peace talks which was already on the stage of drafting socio-economic and political reforms when it was stalled in 2011.

"I'm not just talking about a ceasefire. I am also talking about the socio-economic aspects of such peace talks. I believe that the armed conflict is a result of the malfunction of the socio-economic aspects of our society and should, thus, be addressed," Gargar said.

Gargar was erroneously identified in a news report here Monday as a UP-Mindanao professor. He is not. Rather, he worked with the University of the Philippines as Teaching Associate from June 2000 to May 2003; Mindanao Polytechnic State College (now Mindanao University of Science and Technology) in Cagayan de Oro City from 2003 to 2004 and head of the Department of Physics from 2004 to 2005; Polytechnic University of the Philippines from 2005 to 2006 and the Mapua Institute of Technology from 2007 to 2008, where he also served as Research Director for Computational Sciences.

Gargar said that peace negotiation is among their hope to address the situation of the political detainees like him. He said as of June, there are already 504 political detainees, of which 45 are women and 14 are National Democratic Front (NDF) consultants.

Marie Hilao-Enriquez, national chairperson of the Samahan ng mga Ex-Detainees Laban sa Detensyon at Aresto (Selda), also said that as to date, 204 political killings had already taken under the administration of President Benigno Aquino III.

"We are happy on the temporary release of professor Gargar and we are fighting to make this permanent. We hope that there would be no more names added to the list. We are disappointed with the president's lack of action not only on political detainees but also on these extrajudicial killings," Hilao-Enriquez said.

Meanwhile, Gargar remains resolved to continue his career as a physicist despite the risks.

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/davao/local-news/2014/08/04/efforts-resuming-gph-ndf-peace-talks-continue-357892