From The Standard (Jun 25): Albay relief exercise set
Albay hosts a new round of joint humanitarian partnership program on June 27 to July 11, involving some 1,000 troops from the US Navy and Australian Navy, among others, and the world’s largest hospital ship, the USNS Mercy.
Dubbed “Pacific Partnership,” the program started during the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and its consequent deadly tidal waves or tsunami, Pacific Partnership features an annual deployment of forces from the US Navy’s Pacific Fleet in cooperation with regional governments.
The activity in Albay is under the auspices of the the Philippine-US Mutual Defense Treaty. The visiting troops will be joined by the Philippine Navy in South Luzon, and will be received by Albay Gov. Joey Salceda in ceremonies at the Albay Astrodome here city on June 27.
Salceda said Pacific Partnership provides an opportunity to enhance goodwill and cooperation among the region’s military forces and governments, needed during disaster relief operations, and at the same time deliver humanitarian and engineering assistance to local stakeholders.
He said Pacific Partnership also opens up an opportunity for Albay to show off its eco-tourism wealth, being a multi-awarded and fastest growing global tourism destination in the country. Albay, a Unesco World Biosphere Reserve is itself a UN global model for Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), and a pioneer of novel strategies in disaster resiliency with its Green Economy program.
The world’s largest hospital ship, USNS Mercy, serves as the centerpiece of the humanitarian activity.
Equipped with state-of-the-art medical facilities, its medical personnel with local troops, will treat some 4,000 local patients aboard the ship and in designated areas around the province.
The Pacific Partnership engineering troops are also scheduled to build or improve school rooms, water deposits and hand washing stations, and beach cleanups.
The troops and local resource persons will conduct seminars on DRR, sanitation, environment protection and sports events.
“It is an honor for Albay to host this activity, and have the world’s largest and famous hospital ship USNS Mercy to lend humanitarian attention to Albayanos, and people from neighboring areas,” said Salceda, a UN senior champion for CCA and DRR.
Albay had consistently hosted past humanitarian activities with US and other friendly troops, notably the Philippines-United States annual joint “Balikatan” military exercises in 2014, the Amphibious Landing Exercises or Phiblex in 2012, the US Pacific Angel in 2010, the RP-US Balikatan in 2009, and the visit of USS Peleliu in 2007.
USNS Mercy’s last visit to the country was in 2013, in Roxas City, following the onslaught of Typhoon Yolanda. Reputed as the world’s largest mercy ship, it measures 272.5 meters (894 ft.) long, 32.2 m. (105 ft. 8 in.) across, and has a full load displacement of 62,922 tonnes, according to the Guinness World Records.
In accordance with the Geneva Convention, USNS Mercy and its crew do not carry offensive weapons, although defensive weapons are available. Firing at the Mercy would be considered a war crime.
As part of Pacific Partnership’s 10th anniversary, the US Pacific Fleet has announced USNS Mercy’s readiness to participate in the ongoing series of Disaster Preparedness missions, “to Prepare in Calm, to Respond in Crisis”. It has been invited by Timor Leste, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam.
From the Sun Star-Bacolod (Jun 25): 62nd IB to intensify ops vs NPA
THE newly-appointed commander of the Army’s 62nd Infantry Battalion based in Sagay City, Negros Occidental vowed to intensify efforts in focused military operations against the New People’s Army (NPA) in northern Negros.
Lieutenant Colonel Darrell Bañez succeeded Lt. Col. Arnel Cabugon during the turnover rites held Wednesday at the 62nd IB headquarters in Barangay Bato.
He said in a press statement that they aim to “further pressure the NPA bandit group in northern Negros to go back to the folds of the government.”
Bañez’s takeover comes weeks after a series of rebel atrocities in the area of 62nd Battalion claimed the lives of both soldiers and civilians.
He added that they will “continue to support the initiatives of the local government units and to further strengthen cooperation and collaboration with the stakeholders in line with the AFP Internal Peace and Security Plan “Bayanihan” in bringing peace and development in the countryside.”
Before his current assignment, Bañez, a member of the Philippine Military Academy Class 1994, was executive officer of 303rd Infantry Brigade based in Murcia town.
For his part, Cabugon said he is grateful for the opportunity to serve the people of Negros and for the support of the stakeholders during his stint as commanding officer.
Brigadier General Harold Cabreros, commander of the 3rd Infantry Division, who presided the turn-over of command, said “the change of leadership in the 62nd IB is very important in coping with the dynamics of the 3rd D organization.”
Cabreros expressed his full trust and confidence in the leadership of Bañez.
His competence as an infantry officer and extensive knowledge in development and security will bring significant results in the 3rd ID’s peace and development efforts, particularly in Negros Island Region, he added.
“I am confident that Lt. Col. Bañez will deliver to meet or even exceed the expectations of the people in his area of responsibility,” Cabreros said.
From Tempo (Jun 25): Duterte: No mass release of NPA
Incoming President Rodrigo R. Duterte said talks with the Communist Party of the Philippines will adhere first to the initial agreements and terms of the preliminary talks, when the new administration assumes power next week.
“I will give their leaders sponsors to allow them to take part in the talks,” he said.
“But there will be no mass release of the NPA,” Duterte said, correcting reports that alleged the promise.
The president-elect said that he would adhere to the initial agreements that allowed free passes to imprisoned leaders of the Communist Party of the Philippines to take part in the negotiations.
“They will only be released if things do good,” he said. “Fine, baka sakali, if they are ready to surrender their arms and assume their normal roles in society.”
“Then maybe, I will consider with Congress granting them amnesty.”
Meanwhile, Duterte gave a counter offer to the rumored bounty on him and PNP Chief Ronald dela Rosa.
“If they give you P50 million, dagdagan ko yan, P60 million,” he said. “Slaughter them.”
Duterte even offered to up the offer by P120 million if the bounty reaches P100 million for the killing of those who plan on the bounty.
In an interview with Manila Bulletin, Dela Rosa said that those who want him and Duterte dead have already been identified.
Duterte was a guest at the turnover of command ceremonies held at the Camp Leonor Domingo, the headquarters of the Davao City Police Office here.
From GMA News (Jun 25): Duterte clarifies position on release of political prisoners
President-elect Rodrigo Duterte has clarified that he will not release political prisoners ahead of the passage of amnesty law by Congress, as he hit the media anew for supposedly twisting his statements.
Speaking at the change of command ceremony at the Davao City Police Office on Friday, Duterte slammed a newspaper report which quoted incoming Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III as saying that he will grant freedom to several political prisoners upon his assumption of office on June 30.
“Ang sinabi ko noon I will only agree during the preliminary stage of these Oslo talks with the Communist Party of the Philippines. Kung dito sa Pilipinas I will give the leaders, the Tiamzon spouses, a free conduct pass outside to allow them to take part in the talks,” said Duterte, referring to spouses Benito and Wilma Tiamzon, who are considered peace consultants by the communist group.
“But there will be no mass release of the NPA (National People’s Army) sa ating custody ngayon. They will only be released if things go good, fine, then baka sakali. If they are ready to surrender the arms and resume their normal role in the society then I might consider with Congress amnesty,” he added.
The report said that according to Bello, they will seek the release of those covered by the Joint Agreement on Security and Immunity Guarantees and the elderly and sick. Rights group Karapatan said that there are 543 political detainees.
Of the number, 18 are consultants of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines, 88 are ill, and 48 are already in their senior years.
Formal peace negotiations between the incoming Duterte government and communist rebels will begin in the third week of July in Oslo, Norway, where both sides met for a preliminary meeting on the sidelines of a peace forum last week.
The formal round of negotiations would focus on five points, including the affirmation of previously signed agreements, amnesty proclamation for the release of all political prisoners subject to the concurrence by Congress, and mode of an interim ceasefire.
Meanwhile, Duterte maintained that he will no longer grant media interviews until the end of his term knowing that some members of the press have the "penchant" of slanting their stories.
"Sila ‘yan eh, sila ‘yang mga bunganga, kanilang laro ‘yan. They would always place you in a bad light sa trabaho natin," Duterte said.
Media groups earlier criticized Duterte for insinuating that corrupt journalists deserved to be killed. He was also criticized for catcalling GMA News reporter and anchor Mariz Umali during a recent press briefing.
From the Daily Tribune (Jun 26): IS bares RP pivot
The
jihadist Islamic State (IS) had advised its followers to troop to the Philippines as a stage of terror operations in
Southeast Asia as it created a “province” in Mindanao with Abu Sayyaf Group
leader Isnilon Hapilon as emir of the “Islamic State in the Philippines.” According to the US-based Long War Journal of the Foundation for Defense of
Democracies which was an offshoot of the 911 terror attacks in 2001, the IS has
officially created a province in the Philippines “after months of buildup which
included pledges of loyalty from various local groups.” A newly released video from the region, which was produced in the same style as
all other Islamic State provinces, offered confirmation of the new province, it
added. The video begins by showing several “battalions” of the ASG pledging allegiance
to the Islamic State. The supposed battalions included the Abu Dujana Battalion, Abu Khubaib
Battalion, Jundallah Battalion, and the Abu Sadr Battalion. “These battalions joined others from ASG, including Jund al Tawhid, Ansar al
Sharia, and Marakah al Ansar in pledging bayah to the Islamic State.
Additionally, some of ASG’s leader, including overall leader Hapilon, have
pledged to the jihadist group,” according to the paper.
The video also issued a warning to President-elect Rodrigo Duterte of their
potential activities as they have urged their followers to target the Philippines. The 20-minute video showed a Pilipino-speaking member of IS mentioning Duterte
saying that IS followers shouldn’t be cowed by his tactics.
“Take care and be strong, do not be swayed by the deceptive tactics of the
newly-elected [President Rodrigo] Duterte. May he be cursed by Allah,” one of
the terrorists said in Pilipino. In the same video which was, according to reports, shot in Syria, Mohd Rafi
Udin, a Malaysian IS leader, told their followers and potential recruits to go
to the Philippines instead of going to their main jihad front Syria. “If you cannot go to (Syria),
join up and go to the Philippines,”
Udin said. Udin also urged Muslims to unite under the leadership of Hapilon who is also
named Abu Abdullah who pledged allegiance to Islamic State in January.
Hapilon is on the FBI’s most wanted list for his role in the kidnapping of 17
Filipinos and three Americans in 2001 and carries a bounty of $5 million.
Last Friday, Duterte in a meeting with Marites Flor, a Filipina held hostage by
the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) terrorists but released early last Friday, said that
a day of reckoning is coming under his administraion for the ASG as he will
order the launch of military offensives.
“To my Moro brethren I do not want to fight with anybody, but there will be a
time that I have to go after Abu Sayyaf,” Duterte said.
“Kidnapping must stop. It has given us a bad image,” he emphasized.
State security forces, in previous reports, consistently dismiss such threats
as mere propaganda from the Islamic radicals. Hapilon was declard by the IS as the leader of all of its forces in the Philippines. “In an April issue of the Islamic State’s weekly newsletter Al Naba, the
jihadist group said that Hapilon had been appointed as emir. In a portion of
the video featuring a Filipino fighter in Raqqah,
Syria, he confirms the Al
Naba report,” the US
paper said.
Hapilon is the senior most figure to have joined the IS. The video also
confirms that a formal leadership structure for the Islamic State has indeed
been put into place, exemplifying its expansion in the country. “This was also
seen earlier this month in an infographic released by the ‘Amaq News Agency,
one of the jihadist group’s news outlets. The infographic included several
important facts from the Islamic State in the Philippines, including the number
of groups that have pledged allegiance and where they operate,” long War
Journal said
“While the infographic contains numbers from April 2015, it also notes the
first official announcement of Filipino jihadist groups pledging allegiance to
the Islamic State occurred in January 2016. Videos and reports of groups
pledging bayah have emerged since 2014, shortly after Abu Bakr al Baghdadi, the
leader of the Islamic State, claimed the creation of a caliphate,” it added. The video in January, however, was the first time the Islamic State publicly
accepted these pledges. A month later, the Islamic State’s Furat media outlet
released another video showing more groups pledging allegiance. IS groups include BIFF These groups include the ASG battalions, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front
(MILF)-breakaway group Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), Ansar
Khilafah in the Philippines, the Islamic State in Lanao, Jamaat al Tawhid wal
Jihad (a group formerly loyal to al Qaeda), and parts of the MILF itself. “Their claimed areas of operation largely correspond with the reported areas of
the aforementioned groups. This includes the southern areas of Basilan, South
Cotabato, Sulu, Sarangani, Lanao del Sur, and the northern province of
Isabela,” according to the report. The report said several of these groups, including Ansar Khilafah, the Islamic
State in Lanao, and the Jamaat al Tawhid wal Jihad (JTJ) have publicized
training camps in the region. “Ansar Khilafah was the first to do so last December, while the latter two
groups did so last month and in March, respectively. A video from JTJ’s
training camp, the “Osama bin Laden training camp,” also publicized its loyalty
to Abu Bakr al Baghdadi,” it added.
In addition to the pledges to the Islamic State in the months building up to
yesterday’s video, the Islamic State has claimed several attacks in the Philippines in
recent months, it said.
It added that one of these attacks was featured in the video, which showed IS
fighters engaging in a firefight with Filipino security forces.
“Several vehicles and weapons are shown to have been captured by the jihadists.
Additionally, the video pays tribute to several fighters who have been killed
in clashes with the Filipino military. This includes Abu Khattab, a Moroccan
bomb expert within ASG, who was killed in April,” it added. While the video was made to announce a Philippines
province, a good portion of the video was filmed in Syria. Indonesian, Malaysian, and Filipino fighters in Syria’s
Raqqah province are shown discussing these pledges and encouraging others to
follow suit in Southeast Asia. “The three are
later shown simultaneously beheading three Assad regime soldiers somewhere in
Raqqah,” the report said.
The Islamic State has also inroads in the wider Southeast
Asia region, an area that has historically featured al Qaeda
activity. “Jemaah Islamiyyah (JI), al Qaeda’s historical branch in Southeast
Asia, has also suffered defections to the Islamic State. Shortly
after Baghdadi’s announcement of the caliphate in 2014, Abu Bakar Bashir,
the spiritual leader and co-founder of JI as well as the emir of its offshoot
Jemaah Ansharut Tauhid, pledged allegiance to Baghdadi,” it added. “However, Bashir’s two sons and several other leaders left and formed their own
group, Jemaah Ansharusy Syariah. According to the Jakarta Post, more than 50
percent of Bashir’s followers abandoned him and joined Jemaah Ansharusy
Syariah. It is directly part of al Qaeda’s global network now, according to its
leader,” the report said. (See LWJ report, Islamic State launches suicide
assault in Indonesia’s
capital.) Yet another group in region, Mujahideen Indonesion Timor (MIT), is also loyal
to the Islamic State. Abu Warda Santoso, the MIT leader, swore allegiance to
the Islamic State in 2014, it said. It added his group was previously listed by the US as a terrorist group last year.
Last month, the US Department of State added Santoso to its list of global
terrorists, it added.
From ABS-CBN (Jun 21): Former marine general blames gov't over Abu Sayyaf resurgence
These are the faces of the men who once spread terror in the jungles of Mindanao, extending throughout Southeast Asia.
They were the leaders of terror groups Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiyah.
The list included Indonesian Dulmatin, one of the masterminds of the 2002 Bali bombings, also once believed to have sought refuge in the Philippines.
Then there was Abu Solaiman, suspected mastermind of the 2004 Superferry bombing, also the one who beheaded American national Guillermo Sobero, and who abducted Martin and Gracia Burnham.
And there was Khaddafy Janjalani, then the highest leader of the Abu Sayyaf.
Faces with red X’s mean they have either been killed or captured by government forces.
Retired Lieutenant General Juancho Sabban proudly said that most of these X’s can be credited to the men he once commanded in Sulu and Basilan; and also, for the large part, because of the people-centered strategy they took.
"Unang-una kasing strategy namin is to get the people on our side. Sa umaga, nandun kami, para kaming mga doctor, mga engineers, nagka-karpintero. Pero sa gabi, nandun kami sa kabundukan, at hinahanap namin yung mga Abu Sayyaf. Nagsusumbong sa amin yung mga tao. That is because may kumpiyansa sila sa amin,” he said.
Sabban was the commander of the Third Marine Brigade when the unit killed Janjalani in 2006.
He was commandant of the Philippine Marines, when the marines killed sub-leader Albader Parad, also in Sulu, in 2010.
He was also once the commander of Task Force Comet, the combined unit tasked to secure the entire province of Sulu.
Before this, he commanded Task Force Thunder, also against the Abu Sayyaf, but that time in Basilan.
Sabban recalled that when he left Mindanao in 2010, no more hostages remained in the captivity and there were only a handful of Abu Sayyaf leaders left to neutralize, like Radulan Sahiron and Isnilon Hapilon.
The retired general lamented that the continued existence of the Abu Sayyaf as a threat group and the resurgence of kidnapping for ransom as a cottage industry of sorts is a result of the local populace choosing to support terrorists instead of government forces.
This, he said, is the military and the government's own doing.
"For the past 6 years, wala silang nakuhang high-value target. Nagpasabog ka ng mga isanlibong bala ng kanyon, wala ka namang tinamaan. Baka sakali tinamaan mo pa mga civilian communities.
Lalong dadami yung kalaban mo diyan. Ang nangyayari kasi, ang tingin nila sa military, sa government forces, invaders na; hindi na sila yung protector at saka partner ng mga tao," Sabban said.
But the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) denied this.
Their records reveal that nine sub-leaders of the Abu Sayyaf have been either killed or arrested since the start of the Aquino administration.
Colonel Noel Detoyato, Public Affairs Chief of the AFP admitted there were indeed more community projects during Sabban's time because the budget for community relations at the moment is limited, and that military forces in Sulu previously enjoyed the assistance of the U.S. Armed Forces.
But Detoyato explained that the local landscape has changed too, making it more difficult for the AFP to win the people over.
He said the local community is now getting a share of the large amounts of ransom money being paid.
"Yung pagre-receive nila ng ransom, ay ipinagmayabang pa nila; pinost pa nila, 'di ba? Nakaka-receive tayo ng impormasyon, na 'kaya wala kayong makukuhang impormasyon diyan,' sinasabi sa amin, 'kasi mga tao diyan ay naka-parte na',” he said.
Detoyato said AFP is now giving more attention to activities for the community.
Sabban meanwhile,thinks it's time for the next administration to consider forming a task force under which all agencies of government will work together to first eradicate poverty in Sulu.
Sabban believes this will be the only way to convince people to completely shun the practice of kidnapping for ransom and to abandon the doctrine of the Abu Sayyaf.
From the Philippine News Agency (Jun 25): Army's 901st IB to sustain operations vs. NPA rebels
The Philippine Army's 901st Infantry Brigade based at
Barangay Villahermosa in Daraga, Albay said it will sustain its combat
operations against the New People’s Army (NPA) in its area of responsibility
after incoming Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Lt. Gen. Ricardo
Visaya ordered Bicol-based troops not to relax or lower their guard but to
sustain their anti-insurgency activities.
The order came on the heels of NPA ambuscades against the
Philippine National Police (PNP) that left one cop killed and two wounded,
including a student in Masbate, on June 5
while two cops were killed and another civilian was wounded in an ambush in
Bulan, Sorsogon on June 3.
“There are groups in the New People’s Army which do not
follow order from their higher-ups despite an agreed ceasefire,” Brig. Gen.
Claudio L. Yucot, 901st IB commander, said during a press conference at the Air
Force’s Tactical Operations Group 5, Friday morning.
“I came to know this hard lesson for the last 30 years
fighting communist rebels,” he said, adding that there are NPA units which are
engaged in banditry.
The brigade’s operational control is in Albay, Catanduanes
and Camarines Sur’s third, fourth and fifth districts -- including the towns of
Castilla, Pilar, Donsol in Sorsogon province.
“Yes we are always ready while the peace talk is being
worked out,” Yucot said.
He said it is a welcome development that the government is
entering another peace talk with the Communist Party of the Philippines,
the National Democratic Front and the New People’s Army in the country.
“But this does not mean that we will put our guards down
because there are rogue elements in the NPA who will take advantage of the
situation to make a fast run against us,” the Army official said.
Based on military intelligence, Yucot said, there are less
than 30 NPA regulars operating in his command's area of operation.
“I want them (the rebels) to avail of the comprehensive
local integration program. It’s sad to think Filipinos are fighting and killing
each other because a group wants to impose a bankrupt communist ideology,” he
said.
Yucot added that this program will give a new chance for
their families to live a peaceful and normal life.
Although there is no formal order yet for a ceasefire, they
might take advantage to attack far-flung and weak areas, he said.
“Once the order is given to start the peace talks with the
accompanying cessation of hostilities, we will follow the order. Whatever order
is given to us by our new AFP Chief of Staff we will follow it to the letter,”
the Army official said.
Yucot added that there is no problem with the incoming AFP
Chief of Staff because he is a very competent commander and a very good leader.
Visaya flew to Camp Elias Angeles, the headquarters of the
9th Infantry Division in Barangay Tinangis, Pili, Camarines Sur on June 20 to
bid farewell and personally thank the officers, men and women of the Army’s
best infantry division.
He was received by 9th Infantry Division Commander Major
Gen. Ferdinand F. Quidilla with the rest of the Team 9ID.
There was a command conference on the current status of
division’s internal security operations which was attended by field commanders.
It was followed by a talk from Visaya to impart some
guidance of President-elect Rodrigo Duterte.
He said his job as Southern Luzon
commander was made easier because of “your cooperation and support."
Visaya will assume the post as AFP Chief of Staff on July 1.
From the Philippine News Agency (Jun 25): AFP to give Pres. Aquino final tribute Monday
As President Benigno S. Aquino III's term formally ends on
June 30, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) will render a final tribute
Monday afternoon to the outgoing Commander-in-Chief who gave much support to
the military's capability upgrade program.
The event will take place in front of GHQ Grandstand, CampAguinaldo,
Quezon City,
AFP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla said in a message to the PNA
Saturday.
"The AFP as a whole will render its final tribute to
the outgoing President & Commander-in-Chief (CinC) this Monday afternoon.
All the AFP's top brass as well as those who served under his administration as
AFP senior leaders are expected to attend," he added.
Other government dignitaries were also invited to attend the
activities.
The tribute is also to show the AFP's appreciation for
Aquino's efforts in the military capability upgrade program.
"The AFP capability build up under the outgoing
administration has been the best so far for the AFP and greatly exceeds the
support provided by the last three administrations combined," Padilla
pointed out.
As of this posting, fruits of the AFP's ongoing
modernization program include the two Hamilton-class cutters, six multi-purpose
assault craft, 113 armored personnel carriers, three brand-new C-295 medium
lift aircraft, two C-130 heavy transports, two FA-50PH light-interim fighter
aircraft and eight attack versions of the AgustaWestland AW-109
"Power" helicopters, five landing craft heavies and two strategic
sealift vessels to name a few.
"However, in contrast to previous parades, there will
be no Air Force fly-by during this testimonial for the CinC this Monday. The
toned down ceremonies are in keeping with the desire of the outgoing CinC to
keep the ceremonies as simple as possible without sacrificing the necessary
military protocols, customs and tradition entailed during the activity,"
Padilla stressed.
He added Monday's ceremonies will be the final military
parade to honor and pay tribute to the CinC and is the AFP's expression of
gratitude for the leadership and support provided by the Honoree for the
institution.
From the Philippine News Agency (Jun 25): Senior defense leaders to provide Lorenzana with formal transition briefing
Senior defense leaders are scheduled to provide a formal
transition briefing to incoming Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary
Delfin Lorenzana who will formally assume office on July 1.
Dr. Peter Paul Galvez, DND spokesperson, said Lorenzana will
be briefed on the Defense System of Management, the ongoing AFP Modernization
Program, the International Defense and Security Engagement Program, and the
Philippine Defense Transformation Roadmap, among others.
The discourse will also include the Department’s financial
and human resources management.
This is part of the preparations being undertaken by
Lorenzana to ensure a smooth transition as outgoing DND Secretary Voltaire T.
Gazmin ends his term on June 30.
Gazmin and Lorenzana are actively participating in the
transition activities of the DND.
In fact, both were present in the recently conducted
Trilateral Meeting of Defense Ministers with Indonesia
and Malaysia,
where the leaders discussed important security issues in the region.
Lorenzana will assume his post as the 36th Secretary of
National Defense after serving as Special Presidential Representative and Head
of the Office of Veteran Affairs at the Philippine Embassy in Washington DC,
USA from 2004-2009 and 2010 up to present.
He is responsible for developing and implementing the
Philippine lobby effort to secure veterans benefits for Filipino soldiers who
served under the US Army during World War II, which includes the grant of the
Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation (FVEC) and the equipment grant to the VeteransMemorialMedicalCenter.
Prior to his post as OVA Head, Lorenzana served as the
Defense Attaché in Washington from 2002-2004,
during which he helped craft the Terms of Reference for the Balikatan Exercise
in Basilan between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the US Pacific
Command.
As a career soldier, Lorenzana headed the Special Operations
Command of the Philippine Army from 2001-2003 after serving as the Commanding
General of the Philippine Army Light Armor Brigade and concurrent Ground
Commander of the Task Force Libra in 2001.
His military career included a posting at the Presidential
Security Group and as Deputy Presidential Assistant for Military Affairs.
Lorenzana also held a number of command and staff positions
at the Headquarters of the Philippine Army and later, of the AFP, following his
assignments at the Southern Command and the Visayas Command. He also served as
instructor of ranger tactics at the ScoutRangerSchool
and infantry tactics at the Philippine Army Training Command.
A graduate of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1973,
Lorenzana’s highly-decorated military career involved leading anti-terrorist
operations and trainings, securing the MalacañangPalace
from coup attempts, commanding campaigns against insurgents, and capturing
notorious kidnap-for-ransom group leaders.
Lorenzana earned his post-graduate degree of Master of
Business Administration, major in Operations Research, from the Ateneo Graduate
School of Business.
He also finished a number of courses and trainings both here
and abroad, including strategic studies at the AustraliaUniversity in Canberra,
a seminar for Senior International Leaders at HarvardUniversity,
and crisis management at the US Department of State.
Lorenzana was born on Oct. 28, 1948 and hails from Midsayap,
Cotabato. He is married and has four children.
From the Philippine News Agency (Jun 25): Peace panel tells CPP-NDF to submit names of detained consultants to be given safe conduct pass
The Communist Party of the Philippines - National Democratic
Front (CPP-NDF) need to submit the names of their consultants who will be part
of the negotiating panel to be issued safe conduct pass when peace talks starts
mid of July.
Hernani Braganza, a senior member of the Government of the
Republic of the Philippines (GRP) peace panel over the weekend said at least 21
consultants and their staff who are presently locked behind bars and declared
as political prisoners need to get safe conduct pass from the Joint Agreement
on Security and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG),
“We are only given 12 months to finish the job. We, in the
peace panel under the Duterte administration are veterans of peace talks and
what we need is to continue what we have finish to end the 47 years of
insurgency in the country,” Braganza told reporters at the weekly Saturday News
Forum at Annabel’s.
He said what they had agreed in the last three
administrations must prevail and those agreement which need Congress approval
should be followed.
Braganza, a former solon of Pangasinan, said progressive
bloc in the House of Representatives may sponsor a measure in seeking to grant
total amnesty to all political prisoners.
"May mga kailaganng procesong dapat sundin. May mga
progressive blocs naman sa Congress. They take the initiative of filing 'yung
batas na yun. How long will that take in Congress? Alam mo naman sa Congress
kulitan dyan 'di ba? Tignan natin," Braganza pointed out.
Progressive bloc who won and will be part of the 17th
Congress were party-lists of Bayan Muna, ACT Teachers, Anakpawis, Kabataan, and
Gabriela who has a total of eight members.
The bloc has yet to decide on whether it should join the
supermajority being formed by incoming House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez to
facilitate President-elect Rodrigo Duterte's legislative agenda.
Braganza, together with their chairman, Silvetre “Bebot”
Bello III and Jess Dureza, went to The Netherlands to convinced Jose Maria
Sison and Luis Jalandoni to come home to the Philippines to start talking peace.
Another way is by amnesty proclamation by the President, he
said, but still this is subject to concurrence by Congress.
He even recalled that this happened in 2010 when President
Benigno Aquino III pardoned military and police officers who took part in
failed attempts to unseat then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo from 2003 to
2007.
When asked how many political prisoners are now in
captivity, the peace negotiator said there were 543.
He said, 18 were NDF consultants that were reportedly
covered by JASIG, 88 were ailing, and 48 were already in their senior years.
Braganza said both the NDF and the government panels would
assess who should be included in the amnesty list.
"When you talk about the JASIG, hindi lang yung mga
ilalabas sa kulungan, pati yung mga tao nila that will comprise their experts
na haharap sa experts ng mga gobyerno, yung security personnel nila, yung
secretariat nila will also be covered by JASIG so that they can also move
freely and consult with their constituency," he added.
As agreed by both the government and the NDFP panels, formal
peace negotiations between the government and NDF will resume in the third week
of July in Oslo, Norway.
From the Mindanao Times (Jun 25): Soldier who killed cop charged for illegal gun
POLICE yesterday filed illegal possession of firearm against an army corporal who allegedly gunned down a police officer in a road rage Wednesday afternoon in Tagum City, Davao del Norte.
But investigators are still solidifying its case against Cpl. Alonto Malawani for the death of PO3 Sisneros Dano as they are still determining either to file a murder case or a lighter homicide case.
C/Insp. Anjaneatte Tirador, spokesperson of Tagum City Police Office, said they immediately forwarded to the prosecution office the case for violation of RA 10591 (Illegal possession of Firearms) against Malawani as the suspect could not present proper documents for the .45 caliber pistol.
“Based on the investigation, his firearm lacks documents,” Tirador said in an interview.
Malawani, 47, a soldier assigned to the 534th Engineering Battalion operating in Davao del Norte and Compostela Valley, allegedly gunned down Dano, 37, a policeman assigned at New Corella Municipal Police Station in Davao del Norte, at the public market of Barangay Magugpo West in Tagum at 4:57 p.m. on Wednesday.
According to the report, both were on board their respective motorcycles when they almost bumped into each other. That resulted to a heated argument that led to the shoot-out.
“They could not hold back and they pulled their guns,” Tirador said.
According to the witnesses, Dano chased Malawani after they both disembarked from their motorcycle. A gun fight erupted.
In the CCTV video clip, Dano was seen running away from Malawani who fired his gun and made sure to finish the fallen police officer.
Malawani is still being confined at Davao Regional hospital in Tagum City to undergo an operation.
Dano, a resident of Villa Magsanoc Subdivision in Tagum, now lies in a funeral parlor.
In an earlier interview, Capt. Rhyan Batchar, spokesperson of 10th Infantry Division, said they will wait for the results of the police investigation.
Batchar said the incident will not affect the good relationship between the army and the police.
From Rappler (Jun 25): ISIS to followers in SE Asia: 'Go to the Philippines'
'If you cannot go to [Syria], join up and go to the Philippines,' Malaysian militant Mohd Rafi Udin tells followers. Malaysia's counter-terrorism chief says they expect more attacks in the region.
FIGHT IN PH? A new video shows ISIS calling on followers in Southeast Asia to fight either in Syria or in the Philippines. Screenshot from ISIS video
The Islamic State (IS, formerly known as ISIS or the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq) has called on its followers in Southeast Asia to fight for the terror group either in Syria or in the Philippines, a recent video showed.
The 20-minute video showed men in military fatigues carrying weapons and holding Islamic State flags, also engaging in gun battles. The video likewise showed the beheading of 3 Caucasian males, believed to be of Iraqi or Syrian descent, according to reports. The militants claim the men were "spies of the crusader alliance."
Reuters reported that a man in the video, identified by Malaysian authorities as Mohd Rafi Udin, said in Malay: "If you cannot go to [Syria], join up and go to the Philippines".
Udin is a Malaysian militant currently in Syria, according to Reuters.
Deceptive Duterte
Another man in the same video who spoke in Filipino urged his "brothers" not to hesitate in their fight. He also mentioned President-elect Rodrigo Duterte.
"Mag-ingat kayo at maging malakas, huwag kayong magpadala sa mapanlinlang na taktika ng bagong halal na…si [Rodrigo] Duterte. Sumpain siya ng Allah," he added.
(Take care and be strong, do not be swayed by the deceptive tactics of the newly-elected [President Rodrigo] Duterte. May he be cursed by Allah.)
Before the execution of the 3 men, a man who appears to be the same one who spoke in Filipino, warned the leaders of Malaysia, Indonesia, and "the worshippers of the cross in the Philippines."
"Know that you are not waging war against mujahideen, but you are waging war against Allah," he said in English.
Waging war on the Philippines
"Oh my enemy…today we are slaughtering these murtads and tomorrow, our brothers in your own land will slaughter you. For we have known that you don't know the language of human being, so we will use the language of swords and language of bullets."
"Our brothers in the path of Allah will soon rise in your own land, they will fight to establish the word of Allah. So we will continue on fighting and waging war upon you, terrorizing you, casting fear in your hearts," the same man in the video said. This part of the video had subtitles in Filipino.
The earlier part of the video in Filipino had the unidentified man calling on brothers to be merciless in their offensives and attacks against the enemy.
Fighters were urged to unite under the leadership of Abu Abdullah (also known as Isnilon Hapilon), a senior leader of the Abu Sayyaf Group who earlier swore allegiance to ISIS.
But Philippine military officials dismissed the latest video as propaganda, Reuters reported.
"People should not be bothered by this," Reuters quoted Philippine military spokesman Restituto Padilla as saying. "Authorities are working on this. They can be identified, and they can be hunted down."
But Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay, chief of Malaysia's police counter-terrorism unit, said the video "is not just propaganda, but is a serious threat."
"We are definitely expecting more attacks in this region," Pitchay told Reuters.
Pitchay also told the New Straits Times they are preparing for potential attacks with 6 months by two sources, "Khatibah Nusantara in the Philippines, and central IS."
Katibah Nusantara, he said, is a "dedicated Southeast Asian military unit" under ISIS.
From MindaNews (Jun 25): Former Abu Sayyaf captive to officials and media: Please be sensitive
A humanitarian worker who was held captive by the Abu Sayyaf for 61 days in 2008 appealed to officials and the media to please be sensitive in handling freed kidnap victims.
“There is a desperate need to understand the psycho-emotional state of Marites Flor or any traumatized person just coming out of a lengthy horrific captivity. It is most unfortunate that politicians and the media refuse to understand this,” humanitarian worker Milet Mendoza said.
Flor, who was freed Friday dawn after nine months and three days in captivity, was presented to President-elect Rodrigo Duterte onstage at the Davao City Police Office parade grounds, after the turnover of command to the new police chief.
Reporters crowd around freed kidnap victim Marites Flor (beside returning Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza) as she stepped down from the stage at the Davao City Police Office parade grounds Friday afternoon, after she was presented to President-elect Rodrigo Duterte some 12 hours after she was freed by the Abu Sayyaf in Sulu. Flor was held captive for nine months and three days. MindaNews photo by TOTO LOZANO
“One’s dignity and privacy are of primary importance. Exposing her to the public eye is being insensitive. Marites was compelled to do so as an unconscious expression of gratitude which one tends to naturally feel after coming out of such terrible situation.
She should have been brought immediately to her family and have someone she trusts to hold her hand and give her advice on what to do and say. One should not take advantage of this vulnerability. Doing so victimizes her doubly. It is about time to stop this disaster pornography. It makes people less humane. Show mercy and compassion.,” Mendoza said.
“I have been there once so I know. This is the time to be sensitive and not doubly victimize her,” she added.
Flor was among four victims seized from a resort in the Island Garden City of Samal in Davao del Norte near midnight on September 21, 2015 and were brought to Sulu.
She was the lone Filipina among the victims that included two Canadian nationals John Ridsdel and Robert Hall, and Norwegian national Kjartan Sekkingstad.
Ridsdel was executed on April 25 for non-payment of P300 million ransom demanded and Hall, Flor’s fiancé, on June 13, for the same reason.
The Abu Sayyaf warned the Norwegian and Flor would be next.
Mendoza hopes government and civil society advocating for women, peace and security would exert serious efforts to come up with concrete programs of assistance for victims and survivors of kidnapping by the Abu Sayyaf. “The survivors and the families of the captives who have been killed are left to fend for themselves despite the continuous fear that will stay with them for a long time,” she said.
61-day ordeal
On September 15, 2008, Mendoza and four of her colleagues had just come from a meeting with leaders of displaced villagers in Tipo-tipo, Basilan when they were taken at gunpoint by seven heavily armed young men along the road from Tipo-Tipo to Lamitan town at around one o’clock in the afternoon. Three were released hours later but she and Espie Hupida, program director of the Basilan-based Nagdilaab Foundation, were taken the Abu Sayyaf.
Hurpida was freed on October 30 that year while Mendoza was released two weeks later, on November 14.
In April 2010, Mendoza wrote a series on her 61-day in captivity under the Abu Sayyaf. (Read ‘The Agonies of an Abu Sayyaf victim” and “Post-Lenten Reflections of an Abu Sayyaf victim” — links below)
Mendoza said she wrote about her captivity “in the spirit of sharing to raise understanding to the plight of the kidnap victims – past, present and future – particularly by those who are able to provide moral, spiritual, psychosocial support to the victim, and policy support to this pressing concern.”
The series, she said, highlights “the context of the kidnapping problem and the sensitivities involved in dealing with kidnap victims.”
“I wrote this only in the hope of giving inspiration to others, and making people in authority and the general public understand better the plight of kidnap victims in the hands of the much-dreaded Abu Sayyaf Group,” Mendoza wrote.
Her 61-day journey is one marked with fear, frustration, helplessness, even to the point of contemplating suicide, but these negative feelings were replaced with what she refers to as “little miracles,” including being given two pieces of candy by one of her abductors, and how Mother Mary and Mendoza’s friend and mentor, Fr. Rey Roda who was killed in Tawi-tawi in January 2008, helped her through.
Mendoza has been doing humanitarian work in Mindanao since the drought of 1998 in South-Central Mindanao, as Executive Director of Tabang Mindanaw and later when the Estrada and Arroyo wars against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) displaced hundreds of thousands of predominantly Moro communities in 2000 and 2003.
She also helped Pagtabangan BaSulTa (Help Basilan Sulu Tawi-tawi) and had been frequenting these three island provinces.
Before her work with Tabang Mindanaw, Mendoza was with the National Unification Commission, secretariat of the government peace panel in the negotiations with the National Democratic Front, and Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process.
Mendoza is a recipient of the 2005 Ozanam Award conferred by the Ateneo de Manila University and is a founding member and steering committee member of the Asian Disaster Reduction and Response Network (ADRRN), a coalition of dedicated Asian humanitarians with experience and expertise and emergency humanitarian work and disaster reduction programs.
98 victims in 5 years
The Abu Sayyaf has kidnapped hundreds of persons, including foreigners, in the last two decades.
Victor M. Taylor, who has been monitoring events in Sulu in the last 50 years wrote a commentary in April, “Time to end KFR in Sulu,” where he noted that the kidnap for ransom (KFR) incidents in Sulu had gotten out of hand.
“It appears that the Government is powerless to do anything about it and can only react after the fact, after victims have been abducted and they and their families are subjected to physical and psychological torture,” he said.
Citing published reports, Taylor counted at least 98 victims kidnapped in the last five years –f rom 2011 to April 2016 : 11 in 2011, nine in 2012, 12 in 2013, 26 in 2014, 20 in 2015 and 18 in March and April 2016.
“While there have been a few instances where the authorities have succeeded in pressuring the kidnappers so that the victims have been either released or have escaped, in the vast majority of cases – over 75% it would appear – KFR victims have been released because ransom has been paid,” he wrote.
Taylor has been involved in various capacities in the BaSulTa area for close to fifty years. He started as an instructor at the Notre Dame of Jolo College in 1967 where many of his students ended up becoming commanders in the Moro National Liberation Front while others pursued careers in the Philippine military and police]
Between 2001 and 2010, Taylor had occasion to deal with the Abu Sayyaf on behalf of four kidnap victims who were eventually released. In one of those cases he held one-on-one negotiations with the ASG commander concerned. He is currently assisting an MNLF community on mainland Mindanao wishing to develop its area while at the same time providing inputs aimed at resolving the current Samal Island hostage crisis.)
From the Mindanao Examiner (Jun 24): Bandit leader slain in Zambo clash with cops
Police forces killed a bandit leader and captured 2 others
following a firefight that also left injured a policeman on Friday in Zamboanga
del Norte’s Sibuco town in southern Philippines, officials said.
Officials said Jamaruddin Alih alias Boy Takas was shot dead
in the village of
Lakiki where the fighting
erupted. Alih’s son Nurjin and Danny Kairal were both wounded in the clash and
eventually captured.
Policeman Samman Iyoh was rushed to hospital after being hit
by shrapnel from a grenade fired by Alih. The gang, police said, was
involved in extortion and behind numerous murders in the town.
From the Mindanao Examiner (Jun 24): Jakarta confirms abduction of Indon sailors off Southern Philippines
Jakarta
has confirmed on Friday the abduction of 7 Indonesian tugboat crew members and
said 6 other sailors had been freed and on their way home.
The sailors have been identified as Ferry Arifin, the
skipper of tugboat Charles OO; M. Mahbrur Dahri, Edi
Suryono, Ismail, M.Nasir, M.Sofyan and Robin Piter. The
boat – owned by PT Rusianto Brothers – was heading to Samarinda in East
Kalimantan following a trip from the Philippines when gunmen intercepted
it on June 29.
The crewmen were earlier reported to have been split into
two groups, but Jakarta
said the others had been released and that only 7 were taken captive.
Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi confirmed the
reports at a news conference in Jakarta.
Marsudi said the government will do everything possible to ensure the safe
release of all the hostages.
Indonesian media reported that the boat captain phoned his
wife and told her that they were intercepted at sea by gunmen, who introduced
themselves as Abu Sayyaf and were demanding 20 million ringgits for their safe
release.
The Abu Sayyaf previously kidnapped 14 Indonesian tugboat
crewmembers in separate attacks at sea and brought them to Sulu province and
eventually released through the intercession of the Moro National Liberation
Front. It has beheaded a Malaysian man and two Canadian hostages in Sulu, one
of 5 provinces under the Muslim autonomous region in Mindanao.
