2 die in checkpoint set up by 5 armed men

From the Philippine News Agency (May 10): 2 die in checkpoint set up by 5 armed men

Two riders were killed by five armed men in a checkpoint that the suspects put up at the boundary of Barangay Matagbac and Barangay San Carlos, Milagros, Masbate at about 6 p.m. Monday.

A report of the Milagros Municipal Police Station said the armed men also divested the victims -- Nestor Torrecampo, a resident of Ibañes Street, Masbate City, and Ricky Marcelo of Barangay Cabitan, Mandaon -- of their cash and other personal belongings.

The suspects then sped away from the crime scene.

The report said the victims were negotiating the highway on board their motorcycle when they were stopped and shot by the suspects at the checkpoint.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=884010

Sea trials for PN's first SSV successfully completed

From the Philippine News Agency (May 11): Sea trials for PN's first SSV successfully completed

Sea trials for the Philippine Navy (PN)'s first strategic sealift vessel (SSV) has been successfully concluded.

This was announced by PN spokesperson Capt. Lued Lincuna in a a message to PNA Wednesday morning.

"Sea trials were successfully concluded, tentative arrival of our first SSV is next week. We are still planning for her arrival ceremonies," he added.

Sea trials refer to the testing phases which aims to check the performance of all machineries and equipment of the SSV.

"It is also conducted to check and measure the ship's general performance and seaworthiness," he added.

The Philippines has a two-SSV order with PT PAL (Persero) for PHP3,870,000,000 which is sourced from the AFP Modernization Fund.

The SSV acquisition project for the PN was initiated upon the approval of Acquisition Decision Memorandum Number 2012-060 by Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin last Oct. 30, 2013.

The Department of National Defense declared Persero as the Single Calculated Responsive Bidder with a bidding price of PHP3,870,000,000 on Nov. 18, 2014.

The SSVs are programmed to be the PN’s floating command center carrying out their main purpose as military sealift and transport vessels and also for humanitarian assistance and disaster response.

The ships are estimated to weigh around 7,300 gross register tons.

Further, these vessels are critical assets for civil-military operations due to their capability of transporting large number of soldiers, logistics, and supplies.

Moreover, each SSV has the capacity to house three helicopters. The Navy’s Augusta Westland-109s are programmed to be on-board components of these vessels.

These forthcoming landing platform dock strategic sealift vessels will improve the transport capability of the PN and boost the defense capabilities of the country.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=884207

Navy gunboat tows stranded passenger banca to safety

From the Philippine News Agency (May 11): Navy gunboat tows stranded passenger banca to safety

Observing the mariners' code of helping fellow mariners in distress, Navy gunboat BRP Dioscoro Papa (PG-381) towed to safety an overloaded passenger banca those engine conked out off Tawi-Tawi waters Tuesday noon.

Philippine Navy (PN) spokesperson Capt. Lued Lincuna said the M/L Rabson, skippered by a certain Mudap Amidil, sustained engine trouble and has been stranded for more than three hours off the waters of Sibutu and Sitangkai Islands when it was spotted by the naval vessel.

The BRP Dioscoro Papa was conducting election-related patrols when it spotted the stricken banca which was transporting 120 passengers just voted at Sitangkai during the recently-concluded elections.

The patrol vessel immediately towed the M/L Rabson to Bongao, Tawi-Tawi.

Some of the passengers were also transferred to the assisting PN vessel.

All of them were also provided potable water, Lincuna added.

"The PN in addition to its tasks for internal and external security shall be an active partner of government in disaster response and relief operations," he added.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=884220

Indonesian navy rescues 21 on hijacked oil tanker, 9 detained

From the Straits Times (May 10): Indonesian navy rescues 21 on hijacked oil tanker, 9 detained






The MV Hai Soon 12 disappeared from radar in the Karimata Strait, said the Indonesian navy. The nine perpetrators climbed up the poop deck of the ship from a small boat in waters off Pulau Belitung.PHOTO: TNI-AL

An oil tanker rescued by the Indonesian Navy (TNI-AL) from an attempted hijacking on Saturday has anchored in the waters off the port city of Surabaya.

All 21 people on board the MV Hai Soon 12, comprising 20 crew members and one Indonesian passenger, are accounted for, Navy spokesman Suradi Agung Slamet told The Straits Times yesterday.

"The navy chased the boat for eight hours, secured it, and detained nine suspects," he said. "They did not put up any protest."

The vessel is registered in Kiribati, an islet in Cook Islands, according to the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP) Information Sharing Centre.

The ship was carrying 4,000 tons of marine gas oil to sell to fishing vessels in the Southern Ocean but had "deviated from her planned route".

According to ReCAAP, last Saturday, nine perpetrators climbed up the poop deck of Hai Soon 12 from a small boat in waters off Pulau Belitung. The crew were tied up in the mess room.

 

The passenger and crew, made up of six men from Myanmar, two from South Korea, 11 from China and one from Singapore, were "safe and unharmed", said Colonel Suradi.

He added that the MV Hai Soon 12 disappeared from radar in the Karimata Strait, which is a wide waterway between the Indonesian islands of Sumatra and Borneo.

The vessel later resurfaced on the Automatic Identification System, which tracks the positions of ships, and was located some distance away in the waters of Tanjung Puting in South Kalimantan under the name "KM Aiso".

Another spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Maman Sulaeman, said the nine Indonesian suspects "have confessed to stealing oil" and investigations are ongoing.


Last week, officials from Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines met in Yogyakarta and agreed to launch coordinated patrols and set up crisis centres in their respective countries to better respond to emergencies in piracy-prone areas in the Sulu and Sulawesi seas.

The meeting was called after a string of kidnappings in the waters off the southern Philippines, with the kidnappers believed to be from the Abu Sayyaf terrorist group.
 
http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/indonesian-navy-rescues-21-on-hijacked-oil-tanker-9-detained

Making peace with the Bangsamoro Basic Law

From the East Asia Forum (May 11): Making peace with the Bangsamoro Basic Law (By Teresa Jopson)

Securing a lasting peace in the southern Philippines has been an ongoing problem for the Philippine government. Marginalised Moros in the southern Philippines have legitimate grievances against the Philippine government. This much the Philippine government has recognised in signing peace agreements, most recently with the insurgent group Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

But the MILF is after something else, a law that enables them to determine their own future. The Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) implements the signed peace agreements by building a Bangsamoro ministerial government to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). The theory is that a self-governing Bangsamoro given more economic and political powers can uplift the Philippines’ poorest region. Endorsed by the President in September 2014, the BBL was expected to pass the bicameral legislature under the current Aquino administration.

But Aquino himself authorised Oplan Exodus in January 2015, an operation to pursue an alleged terrorist with a US$5 million bounty on his head in Mamasapano, without coordinating with the MILF. The result was the killing of 44 elite police, 17 MILF members, five civilians and the death of the BBL in Congress.

The Mamasapano clash demonstrated how the government talks peace with the MILF, but does not fully trust them as partners in Mindanao. Partly due to unethical media coverage, the dominant public discourses after Mamasapano betray a lack of concern among politicians and the general public about finding a lasting resolution to the conflict in Mindanao, and mirror the Islamophobia often present in global anti-terror campaigns. Perhaps one silver lining of the crossfire in Mamasapano might be renewed public interest in the BBL and its contents.

When Congress resumed BBL deliberations, it was in the form of the Basic Law on the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (BLBAR). A House of Representatives ad-hoc committee voted 50–17 in favour of the BLBAR in May 2015. The Senate, on the other hand, was in no hurry. The Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Codes reported that the BBL requires substantial revision to withstand Supreme Court scrutiny, delaying proceedings until it was too late. Senators who suspect that the BBL is unconstitutional include Miriam Defensor-Santiago and Grace Poe, who both ran for president in this week’s election, as well as Allan Peter Cayetano, Chiz Escudero and Bongbong Marcos, who are contenders for vice president.

Still, the binding peace agreements signed by the government and the MILF compel the next Congress to take up BBL and determine its form. Not just any law will do. Peace advocates and the MILF have criticised the current BLBAR as not being compliant with existing peace agreements. In the current version, the powers of the Bangsamoro entity are weakened by the presence of national government institutions. BLBAR grants the Bangsamoro government limited autonomy, only slightly besting the ARMM in sharing powers with the national government.

The most significant points of the BBL are provisions for economic policies based on social justice and sustainable development (Article XIII), which were pared down in the last version. So far, land reform and creation of new industries are still in the BLBAR. But if Philippine laws and contracts such as the Mining Act of 1995 and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade prevail in the Bangsamoro, these provisions will either cause contradictions in Philippine law or will be relegated to mere rhetoric.

If provisions for social justice and sustainable development are only rhetorically endorsed, this will be a disservice to the struggle of the Moro peoples. A rhetorical BBL will not solve the conflict in Mindanao, and will frustrate the Moro people’s hopes for peace and development in their remaining ancestral domains.

At most, a symbolic BBL will reconfigure the power holders in the Bangsamoro while reinforcing Moro elite rule. At worse, it will fuel the recruitment drives of armed groups such as the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters and the Abu Sayyaf Group. The MNLF’s renewed vigour and Abu Sayyaf’s escalated extremism suggest that the BBL alone will not stop violence in Mindanao.

The push to end the conflict in Mindanao must go beyond the BBL in the next Congress. The Transitional Justice and Reconciliation Commission (TJRC) recommends ‘dealing with the past’ as a joint endeavour of the national government and the Bangsamoro authorities and institutions.

Established by the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro, the TJRC was mandated to study and recommend steps towards reconciliation in Mindanao. Their thorough 2016 report demonstrates that with or without the BBL, historical injustices in the Bangsamoro, including land dispossession, serious human rights violations and impunity, must be addressed to provide the necessary conditions for peace in the southern Philippines.

[Teresa Jopson is a PhD candidate at the Department of Political and Social Change, Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs, The Australian National University.]

http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2016/05/11/making-peace-with-the-bangsamoro-basic-law/

Duterte ready to free communist rebels, resume talks: spokesman

From ABS-CBN (May 11): Duterte ready to free communist rebels, resume talks: spokesman

 

Presumptive president Rodrigo Duterte may release jailed communist rebels in an effort to restart peace talks aimed at ending a decades-old insurgency that has claimed tens of thousands of lives, his spokesman said Tuesday.

The aide said Duterte, set to be sworn into office on June 30 after a landslide election victory on Monday, signalled his readiness to discuss the release of a number of imprisoned rebels, a key factor in the breakdown of peace negotiations three years ago.

Incumbent leader Benigno Aquino ended talks with the Communist Party of the Philippines in 2013 over the rebels' demand for the unconditional release of their detained comrades that his government was unwilling to grant.

Duterte spokesman Peter Lavina said the president-elect would consider allowing exiled communist leaders to return for the talks, and review the status of "political prisoners".

Lavina suggested the new government would not be averse to releasing detained rebels so they could take part in the talks, and allow ailing ones get treatment outside of prison.

"It is important to release political prisoners suffering from ailments," Lavina said.

Duterte, who has been accused of running vigilante death squads, is a friend of Netherlands-based Jose Maria Sison, who set up the communist party in 1968. 

Last month during the election campaign Duterte won the release of five Davao policemen and a civilian taken hostage by the rebels' New People's Army guerrillas a week earlier.

At the start of the campaign in February, Sison said in a video interview with the Philippine Daily Inquirer newspaper that the rebels were pleased all the would-be Aquino successors backed peace talks.

Sison claimed Duterte, his student in a political science subject at a Manila university in the 1960s, would consider a "coalition" as long as the communists disarmed.

Running for almost half a century, the communist insurgency has claimed 30,000 lives, according to military estimates.

The rebels' strength has dwindled to less than 4,000 fighters from a peak of more than 26,000 in the late 1980s, according to the military.

http://news.abs-cbn.com/halalan2016/nation/05/10/16/duterte-ready-to-free-communist-rebels-resume-talks-spokesman

Philippines' Duterte calls for summit to solve South China Sea spat

From Reuters (May 9): Philippines' Duterte calls for summit to solve South China Sea spat



Presidential candidate Rodrigo ''Digong'' Duterte gestures as he speaks to reporters before casting his vote at a polling precinct for national elections at Daniel Aguinaldo National High School in Davao city in southern Philippines, May 9, 2016.   Reuters/Erik De Castro

The presumptive winner of the Philippine election on Monday said that if he became president he would settle rows over the South China Sea with multilateral talks that would include allies the United States, Japan and Australia as well as claimant nations.

Rodrigo Duterte, the tough-talking mayor of Davao City, said China should respect the 200 nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone granted to coastal states under international law and should team up with the Philippines to jointly exploit offshore oil and gas.

"I would say to China, 'do not claim anything here and I will not insist also that it is ours'. But then I will just keep (turn) a blind eye," he told reporters, as results of an unofficial vote count came in showing him winning a hefty 40 percent of the votes.

"If you want joint ventures, fine, we can get the gas and the oil," he said. "I believe in sharing."

Tensions between the Philippines and China have risen as an international tribunal in the Hague prepares to deliver a ruling in the next few months in a case lodged by Manila in 2013 that could undermine Beijing's claims to 90 percent of the South China Sea. China has rejected the court's authority.

Duterte, 71, has puzzled diplomats with what has so far been a contradictory position on how he would deal with China's assertiveness and a blockade by its coastguard of waters and islands claimed by the Philippines.

During one presidential debate he said he would call for dialogue with Beijing, but moments later added he would ride a jet ski to disputed Spratly islands occupied by China and plant a Philippine flag there.

But on Monday he said that talks were needed between claimant countries - the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Taiwan and China - plus big powers like the United States, Australia and Japan.

"They would want a multilateral roundtable discussion, probably this year," he said of Western countries.

"I do not think anyone is interested in going to war. Although we are allies with America, we will agree to, say, multilateral participation."

China's dominant presence in disputed waters has complicated protracted Philippine efforts to exploit oil and gas in coastal waters by local firms, which operate mostly with foreign partners.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-southchinasea-philippines-duterte-idUSKCN0Y01I1

U.S. sails warship near Chinese-claimed reef in South China Sea

From Reuters (May 10): U.S. sails warship near Chinese-claimed reef in South China Sea



Chinese dredging vessels are purportedly seen in the waters around Fiery Cross Reef in the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea in this still image from video taken by a P-8A Poseidon surveillance aircraft provided by the United States Navy May 21, 2015. Reuters/U.S. Navy/Handout via Reuters

A U.S. navy warship sailed close to a disputed reef in the South China Sea on Tuesday, a U.S. Department of Defense official said, prompting anger in Beijing which denounced the patrol as illegal and a threat to peace and stability.

Guided missile destroyer the USS William P. Lawrence traveled within 12 nautical miles of Chinese-occupied Fiery Cross Reef, Defense Department spokesman Bill Urban said. The so-called freedom of navigation operation was undertaken to "challenge excessive maritime claims" by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam which were seeking to restrict navigation rights in the South China Sea, he said.

"These excessive maritime claims are inconsistent with international law as reflected in the Law of the Sea Convention in that they purport to restrict the navigation rights that the United States and all states are entitled to exercise," Urban said in an emailed statement.

Beijing and Washington have traded accusations that the other is militarizing the South China Sea as China undertakes large-scale land reclamations and construction on disputed features while the United States has increased its patrols and exercises in the region.

Facilities on Fiery Cross Reef include a 3,000-metre (10,000-foot) runway and Washington is concerned China will use it to press its extensive territorial claims at the expense of weaker rivals.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said the U.S. ship illegally entered Chinese waters and was tracked and warned.

"This action by the U.S. side threatened China's sovereignty and security interests, endangered the staff and facilities on the reef, and damaged regional peace and stability," he told a daily news briefing.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-southchinasea-usa-china-idUSKCN0Y10DM

Elections in North and Northeastern Mindanao peaceful

From the Philippine News Agency (May 10): Elections in North and Northeastern Mindanao peaceful

Election and military officials issued a joint statement Tuesday, describing the conduct of the elections in Northern Mindanao and the Caraga Region as “generally peaceful.”

Capt. Patrick Martinez, spokesperson of the Army’s 4th Infantry Division (4ID), said in a statement released to the local media Tuesday that the 4ID covers Region 10 and Region 13.

“Except for the provinces of Lanao Del Norte and Misamis Occidental, and the municipal town of San Fernando in Bukidnon, the two regions are considered within the area of the responsibility of the 4ID,” Martinez said.

Renato A. Magbutay, Caraga Regional Election Director, also thanked the military and the police for a job well-done in ensuring security during the conduct of the national and local elections in Northeastern Mindanao.

However, Magbutay said, it is not yet time to “lower our guards” since the remaining phases of the election, which deal on the counting and canvassing of votes are more critical.

Wilfred Balisado, the Region's Election Director in Northern Mindanao, also lauded the military and the police of the active support in ensuring a free, orderly, honest, peaceful, and credible elections.

“Although there were minor instances of election related violent incidents”, Balisado said that the law enforcers manage the situation without affecting the conduct of the election and the voters.

Major Gen. Benjamin R. Madrigal Jr., Commander of the Army’s 4ID, said that the military and the police will continue to be vigilant as the counting and canvassing of the votes go on.

He also calls on everyone to respect the results of the national and local election.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=883961

Army: Central Mindanao polls generally peaceful, orderly despite some violent incidents

From the Philippine News Agency (May 10): Army: Central Mindanao polls generally peaceful, orderly despite some violent incidents

After voting precincts closed Monday afternoon, the Army's 6th Infantry (Kampilan) Division braced for another challenge in most parts of Central Mindanao in keeping security tight until the winners are officially declared, the military here said Tuesday.

The entire election day was spent by military and police men doing the round of precincts which were reported to have issues mostly on commotions between supporters of opposing candidates.

Incidents recorded since late night Sunday include explosions coming from rifle grenades hitting shanties and nearby structures of Datu Unsay public market in Maguindanao town, resulting in the death of one farmer, Habiri Katapukan, and wounding of another three persons.

As precincts of Tambunan Elementary School in Guindulungan, Maguindanao opened early Monday, uproars were felt between the Liberal Party mayoralty candidate supporters and UNA mayoralty candidate supporters which resulted in the death of two persons, Tagani Midtimbang, who died from physical injuries and a certain Ogay Pega who was shot dead by one of the supporters of the opposing party.

In Pagalungan town, a rocket-propelled grenade was also fired and exploded two meters away from Mamasabulod Elementary School around 6:45 a.m. However, it did not hamper the conduct of elections until voting was over Monday afternoon.

At past 9 in the morning, supporters of the incumbent Benzar Ampatuan and supporters of his opponent also engaged in a brawl that further turned into a firing of weapons and resulted to wounding of four persons namely: Saula M Usop 17, Ibrahim Usop, 23, Badriya Usop, 42 and Juhari Mohamad, 23.

Major Gen. Edmundo Pangilinan, Task Force Central commander and head of Task Force CHOP (Clean, Honest, Orderly and Peaceful) elections, said generally the peace and order situation of his area of jurisdiction was peaceful as compared to the 2013 national and local elections.

A total of 15 election related violence incidents (ERVI) had been recorded for election day alone, a significant decrease from the former 38 in 2010 elections and 24 in 2013 elections, respectively. These resulted in death of three persons and injuries of 10 others.

Pangilinan went around the entire area of operations to personally see the deployment of the soldiers and to check on any issues and concerns that might have come up requiring his decision the entire day.

“The massive peace covenant signing campaign prior the election day has greatly caused the decrease of the ERVIs,” he said.

“We have noticed that the candidates themselves detest violence and hone a clean and credible electoral process, which is a welcoming development,” he said.

“Despite the numerous challenges that have tested the security sector, the measures prepared for contingency plans were successful in hampering atrocious plans and actions,” Pangilinan said.

“The heavy presence of soldiers and police in areas which were identified as areas of immediate concern pre-empted election-related violence to prosper,” he added.

As early as the first week of May, troops were already pre-deployed and pre-positioned to different strategic areas that the command deemed necessary that troops be temporarily stationed.

The Task Force Kampilan CHOP which was led by Col Romeo Brawner Jr., and tasked as a rapid deployment force, was also sent to areas of immediate concern.

It was the same unit that stopped the riot between supporters of mayoralty candidates of Shariff Aguak Municipality a day before the election as well as to incidents in Datu Unsay and Guindulungan municipality.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=883850

2 troops hurt in Sorsogon ambush

From the Philippine News Agency (May 10): 2 troops hurt in Sorsogon ambush

Two soldiers, one of them a commissioned officer, were wounded after being ambushed by New People's Army (NPA) fighters in Matnog, Sorsogon Monday afternoon.

The wounded soldiers were members of the 203rd Infantry Brigade quick reaction force conducting security patrols for Monday's elections when attacked by rebels at 3:35 p.m.

Lt. Col. Angelo Guzman, Southern Luzon Command spokesperson, said the NPAs detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) while the soldiers' KM-450 truck was passing through Barangay Pangi, wounding two soldiers who were identified as 2nd Lt. Ariel Cayton and Sgt. Joventico Serafica.

After this, the rebels fired upon the troops, triggering a four-minute gun battle.

The wounded personnel were immediately taken to the Sorsogon Doctors Hospital in Sorsogon City for treatment.

Guzman said security operations being conducted by the ambushed troops was part of the efforts to secure the passage of board of elections inspectors and poll materiel.

The road to Barangay Pangi connects Barangays Salvacion, Irosin and Matnog.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=883869

Number of ERVIs now at 25 -- AFP

From the Philippine News Agency (May 10): Number of ERVIs now at 25 -- AFP

The number of election-related violent incidents (ERVIs) recorded by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has climbed to 25 as of Monday.

This was disclosed by AFP public affairs office chief Col. Noel Detoyato in a statement Tuesday.

Included in the ERVIs tally was the incident involving two troopers of the 9th Infantry Division who were ambushed and wounded while deployed for Monday's election duty in Matnog, Sorsogon.

The incident took place around 3:35 p.m., Detoyato said.

Government troops were aboard one KM-450 truck which was escorted by one V-150 "Commando" armored personnel carrier when mined and fired upon by 10 New People's Army (NPA) rebels.

The rebels retreated after a four-minute firefight.

The wounded were identified as 2nd Lt. Ariel P. Cayton and Sgt. Jovintino C. Cerafica and was quickly taken to the Irosin Municipal Hospital for medical treatment.

Detoyato said military is already conducting pursuit operations to hunt down the perpetrators.

Meanwhile, one civilian was killed while another was wounded in separate shooting incidents in Maguindanao and Zamboanga Sibugay.

The first shooting incident took place at Barangay Pageda, Talitay, Maguindanao at 8:34 p.m. Sunday when a still unidentified gunman shot and killed 29-year-old certain Bayan Buisan.

In the second incident, 63-year-old Serafin Crisostomo was shot and wounded on May 8 when four motorcycle-riding suspects unidentified armed men strafed a waiting shed near the home of Barangay Sta. Maria chair Amenardo S. Malinao in Alicia town, Zamboanga Sibugay.

Crisostomo and Malinao along with five others were talking in a waiting shed when four men aboard two motorcycles, appeared out of nowhere and fired on the group, hitting the former.

Troopers from the 44th Infantry Battalion quickly assisted their Alicia police counterparts.

On Monday, the AFP recorded 22 ERVIs which translated to 10 deaths and three wounded with most of the incident being recorded in the Western Mindanao Command area-of-responsibility.

This is from midnight to 2:00 p.m. Monday.

With these figures, the number of dead and wounded during the day before and during the May 9 polls has now climbed to 11 and six, respectively.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=883907

NDF/NPA: DALAWANG PAG-ATAKE INILUNSAD NG BHB LABAN SA PWERSANG PANSEGURIDAD NG PROYEKTONG MEGA DAM SA ILOG PAN-AY

New People's Army (NPA) propaganda statement posted to the National Democratic Front (NDF) Website (May 5): DALAWANG PAG-ATAKE INILUNSAD NG BHB LABAN SA PWERSANG PANSEGURIDAD NG PROYEKTONG MEGA DAM SA ILOG PAN-AY (The NPA launches two attacks against security forces protecting the Mega Dam in Ilog Pan-ay)

Jose Percival Estocada Command

Matagumpay na inilunsad ng dalawang yunit ng BHB sa ilalim ng JPEC, NPA-Central Panay ang dalawang magkasunod na harassment operations laban sa dalawang detatsment ng Philippine Army at Cafgu na bahagi ng pwersang panseguridad sa itatayong proyektong mega dam sa Ilog Pan-ay.

Batay sa panimulang ulat, ang unang pag-atake ay inilunsad laban sa PA-Cafgu detatsment sa Bgy. Abangay, Tapaz, Capiz, bandang alas otso ng gabi ng Mayo 4, 2016. Ang pangalawang pag-atake ay ipinatupad laban sa PA-Cafgu detatsment sa Bgy. Daan Sur, Tapaz, Capiz, bandang alas kwatro ng umaga ng Mayo 5, 2016. Ligtas na nakaatras ang mga yunit ng BHB matapos ang mga pag-atake.

Ang huling dalawang aksyon ay pangalawang bugso at pang-apat nang mga pag-atakeng inilunsad ng JPEC sa loob ng dalawang linggo. Ang unang bugso ay kinabibilangan ng harassment operation laban sa detatsment ng 6th Regional Public Safety Battalion ng PNP sa Bgy. Agcalaga, Calinog, Iloilo noong Abril 18, 2016 at ng ambus gamit ang command-detonated explosive laban sa 15-man operating troops ng 31st Division Reconnaissance Company (DRC), Philippine Army, noong Abril 21, 2016 kung saan hindi bababa sa lima ang kaswalti sa tropang militar.

http://www.ndfp.org/dalawang-pag-atake-inilunsad-ng-bhb-laban-sa-pwersang-panseguridad-ng-proyektong-mega-dam-sa-ilog-pan-ay/

CPP/NDF: On Duterte’s promise of truce, peace talks

Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) propaganda statement posted to the National Democratic Front (NDF) Website (May 5): On Duterte’s promise of truce, peace talks

Communist Party of the Philippines
May 4, 2016

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) acknowledges with keen interest Mayor Rodrigo Duterte’s promise to immediately declare a ceasefire in order to pave the way for peace negotiations if ever he wins the upcoming presidential elections.

Duterte’s promise, indeed, strikes a chord with the Filipino people who have long aspired for substantial progress in NDFP-GRP peace negotiations after more than 15 years of being stalled by GRP and AFP obstructionism.

Since 2001, the Arroyo and Aquino regimes prevented the NDFP-GRP peace negotiations to prosper. More than 20 peace consultants and personnel of the NDFP were imprisoned in violation of the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG). The Aquino regime has firmly shut the doors to peace negotiations by refusing to discuss such fundamental issues as land reform and
national industrialization which it summarily dismissed as “ideologically charged” in adamant refusal to recognize these as basic demands of the Filipino people.

Both regimes sought to defeat the revolutionary forces in the battlefield through military campaigns of suppression Oplan Bantay Laya I and II and Oplan Bayanihan. Arroyo and Aquino both miserably failed to stymie, much less defeat, the people’s armed struggle.

A Duterte presidency can push forward peace negotiations by upholding all previous agreements from the foundational The Hague Joint Declaration of 1992 to the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law(CARHRIHL) of 1998 and complying with the GRP obligations under the JASIG by ordering the release of all NDFP consultants and political detainees.

On Duterte’s intention to be RP’s first Left President

Speaking before NPA Red fighters last week, Duterte declared he will be the first “Left President” of the Philippines if he wins the elections. In the hope of boosting his chances of gaining popular support, he issues radical soundbytes about destroying the government and setting-up a new one.

Talk is cheap, however, especially during the electoral campaign. If he ever wins, he will still have to prove himself in practice: Will he be like Venezuela’s Chavez who stood up to the bullying of the US government and promoted nationalization, a social welfare state and the arming of the people in Venezuela? Or will he be like Greece’s Tsipras who defended the welfare state in political debate but who later acceded to IMF and EU austerity policy-impositions?

Despite his “radicalisms”, Duterte has, in fact, yet to espouse any fundamental shift from the general run of neoliberal economic policy of the past 30 or so years. On the contrary, he has promised to expand privatization and deregulation and declared plans to provide state funds to Lucio Tan and his ilk of big bourgeois compradors; and liberalization of trade by allowing the dumping of surplus steel from China.

The US government, through its ambassador, has expressed displeasure with Duterte over a joke he made at the expense of a rape and murder victim in 2009 recently exposed in social media. Such a remark, in fact, expresses the anxiety of US officials over Duterte who, with his shoot-from-the-hip statements, might prove a bit too unwieldy and unpredictable for the US.

It is also a not so subtle advise for Duterte to more firmly toe the US line, especially with regard establishing US military bases and expanding presence in the Philippines through the EDCA, and containing the expansion of China.

Aware that US control over the elections propelled Benigno Aquino III to the presidency in 2010, Duterte may be compelled to secure his ties with the US. Or he can choose to make a break and seek support elsewhere.

http://www.ndfp.org/dutertes-promise-truce-peace-talks/

NDF/NPA: LT. COL PEÑA — WALANG ALAM SA KASAYSAYAN NG 61ST IB

New People's Army (NPA) propaganda anti-military (61st Infantry Battalion) statement posted to the National Democratic Front (NDF) Website (May 5): LT. COL PEÑA — WALANG ALAM SA KASAYSAYAN NG 61ST IB   (LTC Pena doesn't know the history of the 61st IB)

Jose Percival Estocada Command
(Pahayag sa Pilipino at Hiligaynon)

Mahigit na sa anim na buwan, mula Oktubre 19, 2015, ng nanungkulan si Lt. Col. Leonardo Peña bilang commanding officer ng 61st Infantry Battalion, Philippine Army pero hanggang sa ngayon ay wala pa ring itong alam sa kasaysayan ng kanyang pinamumuang bataljon.

Sa isang pagtitipon ng mga mamamayan ng Bgy. Katipunan, Tapaz, Capiz na pinatawag ni Lt Col. Peña noong Abril 6, 2016 ipinagkaila nito ang mga karahasan at mga paglabag sa karapatang pantao ng mamamayan na kagagawan ng militarya laluna ng 61st IB, PA. Ayon kay Lt. Col. Peña na sa kapanahunan pa ng Philippine Constabulary (PC) nangyari ang mga karahasan at paglabag sa karapatang pantao na ipinaparatang ng mga mamamayan at hindi na raw nangyayari ito sa kasalukuyan dahil nagbago na at naging propesyunal na daw ang militära.

Para sa kaalaman ni Lt. Col. Peña, ang 61st IB, PA ay inilipat sa isla ng Panay mula sa isla ng Negros noong Nobyembre 2010 sa dahilang pinapalayas na ito ng mamamayang Negrense bunga ng kanyang mahabang listahan ng mga krimen laluna ang kasong pagpatay sa kay Benjamin Bayles, isang lider-manggagawa, sa Himamaylan City, noong Hunyo 14, 2010. Pinatunayan mismo ni Col. Edilberto Surante, Adjutant General ng Philippine Army, na ang dalawang suspek, si Pfc Rafael Cordova at Pfc Reygine Luas, ay pawang mga kasapi ng 61st IB, PA na pinamumunuan noon ni Lt. Col. Ricardo Bayhon.

Sa mahigit limang taon nang pananatili ng bedugong batalyong ito dito sa isla ng Panay nagpatuloy ang mga karahasan nito na lalong nagpahaba sa listahan ng kanyang mga krimen. Narito ang listahan ng mga malalaking krimen ng 61st IB, PA, laban sa mamamayang Negrense at Panayanon:

1. Nobyembre 11, 2002. Pagbihag at pagtortyur sa mga magsasaka na sina Moises Arcadeña, 62 taong gulang; ang kanyang mga anak na sina Eddie, Ely at Moreto; at sina Marcelito Romano at Demetrio Bitongga pagkatapos ng isang engkwentro sa pagitan ng NPA at Philippine Army sa Barangay Manlocahoc, Sipalay City.
Kasabay ng nabanggit na insidente ang pagharas sa mag-asawang sina Rodolfo at Gina Baylosis. Hinalughog ang tahanan ni Moreto Paborada at pinunit ang importanteng mga papeles kalakip na ang mga birth certificate, marriage certificate, diploma at mga dokumento ng kalabaw at motorsiklo. Ninakaw pa ang P500 nga nakatago sa aparador ng pamilya.

2. 2004: Pinatunayan ng isang fact-finding mission ng mga militanteng organisasyon at mga taong-simbahan ang 36 na mga kaso ng paglabag ng 61st IB sa karapatang pantao sa mga baryo ng Siaton, Negros Oriental.

3. Pebrero 2, 2004. Arbitraryo dinakip, pinailaim sa interogasyon at pagpreso sina Isabel Necesario, Julia Tabat at Medardo Sayosa, mga kasapi ng Bayan Muna at Anakbayan sa Bgy Molobolo, Cauayan, Negros Occidental. Pinagbintangan silang mga kasapi ng NPA matapos taniman ng bala at mga documento.

4. Mayo 28, 2006. Pagdukot sa kay Roberto Marapo at Dionelo Borres sa Bgy Andulaan, Ilog, Negros Occidental. Kinilala ang dalawang nagdukot na mga operatiba sa paniktik ng 61st IB.

5. 2006. Pamomomba, pag-istraping a ptaglikha ng iban pang karahasan, kasama sa 11th IB at 3rd Scout Ranger Company, sa 6 na barangay ng Calatrava, Negros Occidental na nagresulta sa pagbakwet ng 2,497 na mamamayan. Kasabay nito ang pagdakip at pagtortyur ng tatlong menor de-edad nga taga-Bgy Malanog, Calatrava at 2 pang sibilyan na sina Nathaniel Alesgar at Ruel Tapio.

6. Pebrero 22, 2010. Pagbaril sa kay Ronald Capitanea, public information officer ng Camindangan Small Farmers Association, sa Hacienda Mabuhay, Brgy Gil Montilla, Sipalay City, Negros Occidental.

7. Hunyo 14, 2010. Pagpatay sa kay Benjamin Bayles isang lider-manggagawa sa Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental.

8. Enero 11, 2011 – pananakot sa pamamagitan ng pagtutok ng baril sa kay Anabelle Loreno at sa apat nitong mga batang babae na mula tatlo hanggang 14 na taong gulang, sa Bgy Binolusan Grande, Calinog, Iloilo. Resulta nito, nasiraan ng pag-iisip ang 14-taong gulang na bata.

9. 2011 – 2012 – pagposisyon ng mga PDT units sa mga sentro ng baryo sa Tapaz at Calinog na naglagay sa panganib sa buhay ng mga mamamayan at gumambala sa kanilang pamumuhay. Sa panahong ito lumaganap ang pagkawala ng mga kalabaw at iba pang hayop ng magsasaka, dumami ang mga kaso ng pamomolestya at pagbuntis ng mga dalaga, lumaganap ang pornograpiya at pagdadala ng mga bayarang babae sa kanilang mga detatsment.

10. Marso 11, 2012 – pagpaputok ng M203 grenade launcher sa bahay ni Odloy Aguirre sa Tacayan, Tapaz, Capiz na nagresulta sa pagkapatay ng kanyang 6-taong gulang na bata na si Rodelyn Aguirre at pagkasugat ng 4-taong gulang na kapatid nito.

11. Oktubre 7, 2013 – pinaulanan ng putok ang bahay ni Kagawad Abelardo Diaz sa Nayawan, Tapaz, Capiz na ikinamatay ni Pastor Mirasol at pagkasugat ni Rolando Diaz, Sr..

12. 2013 hanggang sa kasalukuyan – Pananakot sa mga sibilyan laluna sa mga lider ng militanteng organisasyon ng katutubong Tumandok na mariing tumututol sa patuloy na pangangamkam ng 3rd Infantry Division, Philippine Army sa kanilang lupaing ninuno, lumalaban sa itatayong mapaminsalang proyektong mega dam sa Ilog Jalaur at Ilog Pan-ay, at sa mga nagpapatupad ng programa sa rehabilitasyon sa mga biktima ng superbagyong Yolanda.

13. 2010 hanggang sa kasalukuyan. Pamiminsala sang mga paray sa kaingin at iba pang pananim ng magsasaka sa panahon ng kanilang mga combat operations.
Ang nabanggit na mga pangyayari nagpapakita na sagad sa buto ng doktrina ng karahasan laban sa mamamayan ang mga opisyal at tauhan ng 61st IB, PA. Ang mga nakaraangg commanding officers nito, katulad kay Ret. Lt. Gen. Cabuay, ay mga bantog na pasistang ginantimpalaan ng matataas na posisyon dahil sa kanilang papel sa mga extrajudicial killings sa mga legal na lider-masa at progresibo na nagresulta daw sa pagpahina ng rebolusyonaryong kilusan.

Nagpapakita rin ito na “propesyunal” na sinungaling si Lt. Col. Peña. Hindi kataka-taka na wala ni kahit isang pumalakpak sa mga pinagyayabang ni Lt. Col. Peña pero napakalakas ang palakpak ng mga mamamayan ng Bgy Katipunan tuwing may magsalita at maglahad ng kanilang karanasan sa mga karahasang militar. Hindi rin kataka-taka na pinapalayas na ng taga-baryo ang 61st IB sa kanilang komunidad.

Ka Jurie Guerrero
Tagapagsalita
JPEC, NPA-Central Panay

http://www.ndfp.org/lt-col-pena-walang-alam-sa-kasaysayan-ng-61st-ib/