The ‘post-truth’ on the Philippines-Bangsamoro war in Mindanao triggered by Philippine colonialism under President/Dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos has deeply rooted on duplicity and repeated betrayal of Mindanao peace.
The deception on achieving Mindanao peace was just triplicated by the succeeding Luzon-based Filipino colonialist leaders, Corazon C. Aquino, Joseph E. Estrada, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Benigno S. Aquino III. All the leading Filipino colonialist land-grabbers were only bent on perpetuating the ugliness of Philippine colonialism in Mindanao, continuing the imposed genocide war.
CHAIRMAN PROF. NUR MISUARI: Chairman Prof. Nur Misuari of the Central Committee of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) has always batted for the freedom, justice and peace of the oppressed Tri-People (Lumad, Muslim and Christian) of the Bangsamoro homeland of Mindanao, Sulu, Palawan and North Borneo. As the father of the Bangsamoro people’s revolution against the Luzon-based Filipino colonialist land-grabbers, he was also pragmatic to accept peaceful settlement of the Mindanao war. He steered the MNLF in conducting peace talks with Philippine colonialism under the Marcos, Aquino and Ramos government. But the peace agreements forged with the Manila government were never correctly implemented by the Marcos, Aquino, Arroyo and BSAquino III regime. The Manila-based Filipino colonizers instead opted in prolonging the Philippines-Bangsamoro war in war-ravaged Mindanao. They have only lured the MNLF in observing a peace process dictated by deception to further divide and rule the oppressed Bangsamoro people of Mindanao. Philippine colonialism under President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo conspired with Malaysia Mahathir government to discredit and imprisoned the MNLF chairman for almost five years. But similarly with Nelson Mandela and Fidel Castro he persevered to continue the Bangsamoro people’s revolution until today
 
MNLF-BAF SALUTE ONE BATTALION MILITARY GRADUATES IN 2016: The young generation leadership of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) conducted series of military training to prepare the historic role of the MNLF in defense of the Bangsamoro homeland either in peace and war. The MNLF-Bangsamoro Armed Forces (BAF) obligated the mobilization and training of one battalion troops in preparation for any defensive war-footing and peaceful eventualities
Thus, the Luzon-based Filipino colonialists’ deceptive stratagem and fabricated lies dealing on correct implementation of internationally-recognized peace agreements have engraved in the hearts and minds of the MNLF Mujahidin and Mujahidat. They have to prepare themselves for any unforeseen eventualities ill-conceive deceptively by imperial Manila that has imposed its colonial rule patterned after the Spanish, American and Japanese invaders in the past.
Indeed, the MNLF youth leaders have to prepare, mobilize and train more military forces for both defensive war and possible peace.
PROSPECT OF PEACE UNDER MINDANAO-BASED DUTERTE GOVERNMENT
CHAIRMAN NUR MISUARI AND PRESIDENT RODRIGO R. DUTERTE: While way back in years when President Rodrigo R. Duterte was still Davao City Mayor, Chairman Prof. Nur Misuari has already conferred notes with the visionary Mindanaoan leader on the prospect of ‘just and lasting’ peace in the Bangsamoro homeland of Mindanao, Sulu, Palawan and North Borneo. Most often declaring himself also a “Moro”, President Duterte has openly cited that the Mindanao war has to finally end by addressing the “historical injustice” inflicted by the Manila government. He has always stressed that Moros had lived in Mindanao before the Spanish invasion of Visayan Island by Ferdinand Magellan in 1521. Both leaders believe that the propriety right of the Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo (SSNB) over Sabah is historic reality.
After experiencing the betrayal of Mindanao peace by the Luzon-based Filipino colonialist land-grabbers, notoriously President Ferdinand E. Marcos, Corazon C. Aquino, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Benigno S. Aquino III, who only used the sanctity of ‘peace process’ to deceive the Bangsamoro people and other stakeholders, the present Mindanao-based President Rodrigo R. Duterte has promised peace for both Filipino and Bangsamoro communities.
Winning on an overwhelming mandate for complete change of the rotten political system created and patronized by past Filipino presidents, the Duterte government has embarked on an open declaration of ‘war’ on total eradication of massive corruption, illegal drug menace, criminality and establishing a foul-proof comprehensive peaceful settlement of Mindanao peace and that of the whole Filipino nation.
How is this possible?
On the positive track of ending the decades-long war with the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and military arm New People’s Army (NPA) under Jose Maria ‘Joma’ Sison, the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace Process (OPAPP) under Secretary Jesus Dureza has been given a marching order to engage peace talks with the umbrella organization National Democratic Front (NDF) in Oslo, Norway, to positively achieve peace. Simply put, this is to finally end the decades-long AFP-CPP/NPA/NDF war in the Philippines.
GPH AND NDF PEACE PANELS CONDUCTING PEACE TALKS IN OSLO, NORWAY: Under the auspices of the Norway government, the Jesus Dureza-led Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace Process (OPAPP) has peacefully engaged the NDF under Jose Maria ‘Joma’ Sison in Oslo, Noway. This is to end the AFP-NDF/NPA war in the Philippine archipelago that the past Luzon-based Filipino political leaders have not succeeded in halting the fratricidal war.
On the Philippines-Bangsamoro war in Mindanao, the Duterte government has undertaken crucial steps to achieve peace. Immediately after post-election period followed by the ascendancy of Mindanao-based President Rodrigo R. Duterte, the overwhelmingly-elected chief executive appealed to the MNLF leadership in solving the kidnap for ransom activities perpetrated by the dreadful Abu Sayyaf group.
MNLF-DUTERTE GOVERNMENT PARTNERSHIP TO FREE ABDUCTED FOREIGNERS
Showing positive signs to help both the Indonesian and Philippine government to free the Indonesian and Norwegian kidnapped victims from captivity from Abu Sayyaf captors, the MNLF chairman had to mobilize thousand-strong MNLF forces in pressuring the kidnapping group to release the victims.
Also in September, 2016, Chairman Nur Misuari mobilized thousand-strong MNLF forces in pressuring the Abu Sayyaf group to release the Norwegian kidnapped victim Kjartan Sekkingstad from month-long captivity in the jungle of Jolo Island.
On November, 2016, the MNLF chairman was personally invited to Malacanang Palace by President Rodrigo R. Duterte, who even publicly declared and suspended for six months the warrant of arrest imposed on the Bangsamoro leader by the previous discredited Aquino regime.
The warrant of arrest was concocted by the previous vindictive Aquino regime that only wanted to use ‘rebellion’ as a colonial strategy to erase the Bangsamoro freedom struggle against Philippine colonialism.
The so-called rebellion charge was based on the 19-day September, 2013 AFP-MNLF war in Zamboanga City that was caused by the banning of the local Climaco government of a peaceful assembly of MNLF members and supporters in staging a peace rally in support of the MNLF declaration of freedom and independence. Yet, peaceful rallies were previously conducted in Jolo, Basilan and Davao City without resulting to any untoward violence.
The same rebellion case was also used by the Arroyo administration in complicity with the Machiavellian Mahathir government in imprisoning the MNLF chairman for almost five years.The end view of the conspiracy was presumably to erase both Philippine and Malaysian colonialism coupled with obliterating the Sulu Sultanate-authorized Philippine Sabah claim.
The late Sultan Ismael Kiram of the Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo (SSNB) in the early 1960s authorized the Philippine Macapagal government to claim North Borneo (Sabah) from the newly-formed ‘Federation of Malaysia’, composing of Malaya, North Borneo (Sabah and Sarawak) and Singapore. Under Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Alhaj, federal Malaysia has since 1953 occupied North Borneo invoking ‘sovereignty’ based on land-grabbing to justify the immoral occupation inherited from British colonial rule. 
MNLF CHAIRMAN NUR MISUARI AND PRESIDENT RODRIGO R. DUTERTE MEETING IN MALACANANG, MANILA: President Rodrigo R. Duterte invited Chairman Prof. Nur Misuari of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) to Malacanang (‘People’s Palace’) in November 3 and again in November 28, 2016 in conferring with him the bright prospect of Mindanao peace.
Thus, the federal Malaysian colonialist land-grabbers under Najib Razak-led UMNO government contended with the March 2013 Lahad Datu (Sabah) war between the Malaysian soldiers and SSNB royal army under Rajah Muda (Crown Prince) Agbimuddin Kiram, younger brother of both the late Sultan Muhammad Jamalul Kiram III and Sultan Ismael Kiram II.
It was only quite strange that the Philippine Aquino government sided with the Malaysian colonialist land-grabbers in the Sabah war by reprimanding the late Sultan Jamalul Kiram III and demanding the surrender of the SSNB royal forces.
On this end, the MNLF leadership has expressed high expectations on the Duterte government to prove its worth as a consistent partner to usher Mindanao peace for the sake of the Muslim and Lumad natives, and Christian settlers of Mindanao. The MNLF leadership has again declared its willingness to hold in abeyance the militant struggle for complete independence of the Bangsamoro homeland to give historic opportunity to the Mindanao-based Duterte government to succeed in its political efforts to establish federal form governance based on equal representation and sharing of national wealth.
Indeed, the MNLF is again on firm revolutionary track to talk and walk extra miles of peace dialogue with the Duterte government to finally end the Philippines-Bangsamoro war in the Filipino-occupied territory.
 
CHAIRMAN NUR MISUARI AND MNLF FREEDOM FIGHTERS IN JOLO ISLAND: MNLF Chairman Nur Misuari and Mujahidin have shown steadfastness for the freedom struggle of the oppressed Bangsamoro people under Philippine colonialism. Today, the MNLF leadership has expressed support to talk and walk another arduous journey to achieve Mindanao peace under the prospect of an equalitarian federal rule under the Mindanao-based Duterte government. Chairman Nur Misuari has underscored the abandoning of militant struggle for national independence to give Duterte government the leverage to establish equalitarian federal system of government for the Filipino and Bangsamoro communities.
POST-TRUTH’ ON CONTROVERSIAL NORTH BORNEO (SABAH) ISSUE
On the side of the Bangsamoro youth of Filipino-colonised Mindanao, particularly the Tausug (Suluk) learned and professionals of the historical Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo, they have expressed tremendous support to the MNLF and the Duterte government to pursue by all means possible the Sulu Sultanate-authorized Philippine Sabah claim on regaining North Borneo from Malaysian colonialism.
Dismissing the ‘homecoming’ of Rajah Muda Agbimuddin Kiram and close to 200 kindred and associates to Sabah in September 2013 as ‘intrusion’ to the ‘sovereignty’ of federal Malaysia based on illegal land-grabbing, the Tandu Bato incident turned into a bloody war between the federal Malaysian soldiers and Sulu Sultanate royal security forces. The colonial attempt of federal Malaysia to forcibly occupy further and to trample on the historical propriety rights of the SSNB rightful owners has only exposed the worst of Malaysian colonialism to the whole humanity with the sudden indulgence of the United Nations (UN).
The corrupt-prone federal Malaysian government has only contented itself paying the annual rental of US$5,200 to the Sulu Sultanate heirs in continuing the immoral occupation of North Borneo (Sabah), which today is worth more than 60 billion U.S. dollars according to the conservative estimate of the SSNB legal team.
The UMNO-led Malaysian government has completely ignored solving peacefully the controversial land-grabbing issue with the “Sulu Sultanate heirs and successors” in the international criminal court, but instead resulting only to bribing Luzon-based Filipino political leaders to remain silent on the Sabah claim.
Nonetheless, it was common knowledge that during the past controversial ownership issue of the disputed Sipadan Island contested torridly by both Indonesia and Malaysia in the international court in Hague, the judgment of the Geneva International Court was crystal clear on the SSNB propriety rights.
The federal Malaysian government won the legal case against the Indonesian government on the solid ground that the Malaysian panel categorically reasoned out that Sipadan Island located in Sabah rightfully belongs to the Sultanate of Sulu.
The Sultanate of Sulu inherited the North Borneo territory from the Sultanate of Brunei in 1704 and was leased by SSNB Sultan Muhammad Jamalul Alam to a commercial British company represented by Gustavus Baron de Overbeck of Hong Kong and Alfred Dent, Esquire, of London in January 22, 1878.
In consideration of the lease, the representatives of the British company promised to pay “Maulana Sultan Muhammad Jamalul Alam and to his heirs and successors, the sum of five thousand dollars annually, to be paid each and every year” as documented in the 1978 lease agreement.
The British government years later forcibly annexed the Sulu Sultanate-owned North Borneo territories. Without any consultation with the SSNB rightful owners, United Kingdom included in transferring North Borneo for immoral occupation by ‘Malaya’ (formerly Malaysia) when it granted independence to its former colony. Under the Malaysian colonialist land-grabbers, the measly annual rental was increased to US$5,200.
SULTAN MUHAMMAD JAMALUL KIRAM III OF THE SULTANATE OF SULU AND NORTH BORNEO: The eldest son of the late Sultan Punjungan Kiram (official Administrator of North Borneo (Sabah) based on the Sandakan MacKaskie Agreement of 1939), late Sultan Muhammad Jamalul Kiram III of the Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo (SSNB) unequivocally supported the homecoming journey of his younger brother, Rajah Muda (Crown Prince) Agbimuddin Kiram, and close to 200 companions to the historically-owned North Borneo (Sabah) on February, 2013. But the federal Malaysian government under Prime Minister Najib Rajak forcibly blocked the entry. This resulted to the March, 2013 bloody war between the federal Malaysian soldiers and SSNB royal army in Lahad Datu (Sabah) that ended only with the spontaneous intervention of the United Nations (UN) Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and concerned global public opinion. MNLF Chairman Nur Misuari offered to mediate peacefully in the Malaysia-Sulu Sultanate war, but the federal government totally ignored the positive appeal.
On this historical episode, the Bangsamoro people and freedom fighters have high hopes on the Duterte government to achieve just and durable peace in the Bangsamoro homeland of Mindanao, Sulu, Palawan and North Borneo based on substantial peaceful settlement of the whole problem.
The Bangsamoro youth of Filipino-occupied Mindanao are in complete agreement with President Rodrigo R. Duterte that “historical injustice” against the Bangsamoro people by the Philippine government must be adequately addressed to achieve “just and lasting peace” to finally end Mindanao war. – rrr/bfs
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Thursday, December 8, 2016
MNLF: "Post Truth" on Philippines-Bangsamoro War in Mindanao
Propaganda article posted to the Moro National Liberation Front Website (Dec 6): "Post Truth" on Philippines-Bangsamoro War in Mindanao
http://mnlfnet.com/Articles/BYC_06Dec2016_Post%20Truth.htm
NDF: Treating political prisoners as trump cards is inhumane
Propaganda statement posted to the National Democratic Front Website (Dec 9): Treating political prisoners as trump cards is inhumane
NDFP Media Office
Statement from NDFP Peace Panel Chair Fidel Agcaoili
December 9, 2016
President Rodrigo Duterte’s allusion to the peace negotiations as a high-stakes poker game is deplorable, as it tragically leads to the inhumane treatment of close to 400 political prisoners as trump cards and the callous sweeping aside of justice by his deft playing hand.
His latest pronouncement is disturbing and disappointing, being a complete turnaround from the commitments he made to a high-level NDFP delegation last December 2 in Davao City, where he categorically committed to pardoning 40 convicted political prisoners and releasing 130 sick and elderly political detainees before Christmas.
Duterte’s rash accusation that the political prisoners are all NPAs betrays his adherence to his predecessors’ policy and practice of detaining political prisoners on the basis of trumped-up criminal charges and using them as hostages to leverage and pressure the NDFP into an indefinite ceasefire or negotiated capitulation. This is in gross violation of prior bilateral agreements such as the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL) and the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG) which his administration has reaffirmed. Being a former prosecutor, President Duterte knows that the criminalization of political offenses violates Philippine and international jurisprudence as well.
Thirteen political prisoners have died while in detention, twelve under previous regimes, another one barely two weeks ago. What brought about President Duterte’s change of heart in just a matter of days is for him to answer to the Filipino people, especially the families, relatives and supporters of the political prisoners whose hopes and trust in his word are fast eroding.
President Duterte can still redeem himself in their eyes, however, if he makes good this time on his word of releasing all of the close to 400 political prisoners soon after a bilateral ceasefire agreement is signed. His own pronouncements that he can release political prisoners within 48 hours belie previous statements by the OPAPP and GRP peace panel that they have been working in earnest for the release of 50-200 political prisoners but that the judicial processes require some time to effect the release.
The NDFP has already announced its willingness to sit down with the GRP peace panel and work on a bilateral ceasefire accord and have it ready for signing by the third week of January by the parties’ respective principals. The bilateral ceasefire can take effect in 48 hours, the timeframe within which the President said he would order the release of all the political prisoners.
The NDFP stands by its position that the release and amnesty of the political prisoners as a matter of justice and compliance with agreements will serve as impetus to a more stable ceasefire and vastly improve the atmosphere for negotiations on socio-economic reforms.
Email: media@ndfp.org
Tel. + 31 30 2310431
https://www.ndfp.org/treating-political-prisoners-trump-cards-inhumane/
NDFP Media Office
Statement from NDFP Peace Panel Chair Fidel Agcaoili
December 9, 2016
President Rodrigo Duterte’s allusion to the peace negotiations as a high-stakes poker game is deplorable, as it tragically leads to the inhumane treatment of close to 400 political prisoners as trump cards and the callous sweeping aside of justice by his deft playing hand.
His latest pronouncement is disturbing and disappointing, being a complete turnaround from the commitments he made to a high-level NDFP delegation last December 2 in Davao City, where he categorically committed to pardoning 40 convicted political prisoners and releasing 130 sick and elderly political detainees before Christmas.
Duterte’s rash accusation that the political prisoners are all NPAs betrays his adherence to his predecessors’ policy and practice of detaining political prisoners on the basis of trumped-up criminal charges and using them as hostages to leverage and pressure the NDFP into an indefinite ceasefire or negotiated capitulation. This is in gross violation of prior bilateral agreements such as the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL) and the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG) which his administration has reaffirmed. Being a former prosecutor, President Duterte knows that the criminalization of political offenses violates Philippine and international jurisprudence as well.
Thirteen political prisoners have died while in detention, twelve under previous regimes, another one barely two weeks ago. What brought about President Duterte’s change of heart in just a matter of days is for him to answer to the Filipino people, especially the families, relatives and supporters of the political prisoners whose hopes and trust in his word are fast eroding.
President Duterte can still redeem himself in their eyes, however, if he makes good this time on his word of releasing all of the close to 400 political prisoners soon after a bilateral ceasefire agreement is signed. His own pronouncements that he can release political prisoners within 48 hours belie previous statements by the OPAPP and GRP peace panel that they have been working in earnest for the release of 50-200 political prisoners but that the judicial processes require some time to effect the release.
The NDFP has already announced its willingness to sit down with the GRP peace panel and work on a bilateral ceasefire accord and have it ready for signing by the third week of January by the parties’ respective principals. The bilateral ceasefire can take effect in 48 hours, the timeframe within which the President said he would order the release of all the political prisoners.
The NDFP stands by its position that the release and amnesty of the political prisoners as a matter of justice and compliance with agreements will serve as impetus to a more stable ceasefire and vastly improve the atmosphere for negotiations on socio-economic reforms.
Email: media@ndfp.org
Tel. + 31 30 2310431
https://www.ndfp.org/treating-political-prisoners-trump-cards-inhumane/
Police rule out terrorist attack in Iligan City
From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 9): Police rule out terrorist attack in Iligan City
The local police on Friday has ruled out suspicions of a terrorist attack following a grenade explosion at the city plaza in Iligan City on Wednesday night.
In a report monitored from here, P/Supt. Leony Roy Ga, Iligan police chief, said that the explosion at the city plaza was not a handiwork of the terrorist “Maute Group.”
He said that the traces of the explosive did not bear the mark of the Maute group because the explosion was triggered by a fragmentation grenade.
Ga said that the Maute group use improvised explosive devices (IED) fashioned from mortar projectiles with an electronic triggering device that could be activated with the use of a mobile phone.
He said that police probers recovered the lever of the fragmentation grenade at the site of the explosion here, which slightly injured three bystanders.
Ga said that the police were looking into drugs and personal grudge as possible motives of the grenade attack.
“There were also suspicion that the suspect could just be trying to intimidate the police because the grenade was lobbed a few meters away from the city police station,” he said.
Ga said that the city government of Iligan has raised PhP 100,000 reward to anyone who could lead to the identity of the suspect as investigators started to examine the footage of the Closed Circuity Television (CCTV) cameras around the city plaza.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=947068
The local police on Friday has ruled out suspicions of a terrorist attack following a grenade explosion at the city plaza in Iligan City on Wednesday night.
In a report monitored from here, P/Supt. Leony Roy Ga, Iligan police chief, said that the explosion at the city plaza was not a handiwork of the terrorist “Maute Group.”
He said that the traces of the explosive did not bear the mark of the Maute group because the explosion was triggered by a fragmentation grenade.
Ga said that the Maute group use improvised explosive devices (IED) fashioned from mortar projectiles with an electronic triggering device that could be activated with the use of a mobile phone.
He said that police probers recovered the lever of the fragmentation grenade at the site of the explosion here, which slightly injured three bystanders.
Ga said that the police were looking into drugs and personal grudge as possible motives of the grenade attack.
“There were also suspicion that the suspect could just be trying to intimidate the police because the grenade was lobbed a few meters away from the city police station,” he said.
Ga said that the city government of Iligan has raised PhP 100,000 reward to anyone who could lead to the identity of the suspect as investigators started to examine the footage of the Closed Circuity Television (CCTV) cameras around the city plaza.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=947068
Duterte won’t release political prisoners: ‘They’re my ace’
From Rappler (Dec 8): Duterte won’t release political prisoners: ‘They’re my ace’
'I have conceded to the communists too much, too soon. As yet, I have yet to see a substantive progress in the talks,' says President Rodrigo Duterte
TALKING PEACE. President Duterte talks to National Democratic Front leaders. Photo from Presidential Photographers Division
President Rodrigo Duterte refuses to give in to demands of the National Democratic Front (NDF) to release around 130 political detainees, saying the government would lose its leverage in the peace negotiations if this happened.
"They're asking for 130 detainess to be released, all NPAs. Sorry, I cannot do that. I cannot do it kasi ubusin nila ang baraha ko (because they are finishing up my cards)," Duterte said in an ambush interview in Daraga, Albay, on Thursday, December 8, when asked about the repeated demand of the NDF.
"Sabihin ko sa inyo, ang alas ko 'yung nasa kulungan (Let me tell you, those people in prison are my ace)," added the President, who was in Daraga for the groundbreaking of the Bicol International Airport.
'I have conceded to the communists too much, too soon. As yet, I have yet to see a substantive progress in the talks,' says President Rodrigo Duterte
TALKING PEACE. President Duterte talks to National Democratic Front leaders. Photo from Presidential Photographers Division
President Rodrigo Duterte refuses to give in to demands of the National Democratic Front (NDF) to release around 130 political detainees, saying the government would lose its leverage in the peace negotiations if this happened.
"They're asking for 130 detainess to be released, all NPAs. Sorry, I cannot do that. I cannot do it kasi ubusin nila ang baraha ko (because they are finishing up my cards)," Duterte said in an ambush interview in Daraga, Albay, on Thursday, December 8, when asked about the repeated demand of the NDF.
"Sabihin ko sa inyo, ang alas ko 'yung nasa kulungan (Let me tell you, those people in prison are my ace)," added the President, who was in Daraga for the groundbreaking of the Bicol International Airport.
He said complying with the wishes of the NDF, the political unit of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), would give the government little room to maneuver in the peace negotiations.
Duterte repeated that he would only release the detainees if both parties ink a bilateral ceasefire deal that would last for an "indefinite period until such time that we can solve our differences."
"We're playing a poker game here, maubos baraha ko (I'll lose all my cards). I-release ko lahat 'yan, ano pa pag-usapan natin (If I release all of them, what would be left to talk about)?" said Duterte.
The President reiterated that the government has already conceded too much to the other party.
"I have conceded to the communists too much, too soon. As yet, I have yet to see a substantive progress in the talks," he said.
The government panel aims to to have a bilateral ceasefire deal signed by December 10 after the two sides failed to meet the October 27 deadline.
Meanwhile, the has given the Duterte administration until January next year to fulfill its promise to release all 432 political prisoners or risk rebel attacks.
The Duterte administration hopes to broker peace with the NDF which would put an end to Asia's longest running insurgency.
Taking Stock of the Alliance as the Philippines Prepares for Trump
From the Asian Maritime Transparency Initiative (Dec 7): Taking Stock of the Alliance as the Philippines Prepares for Trump
Despite months of anti-American rhetoric and threats from Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte to undermine the alliance, cooperation between the United States and the Philippines remains surprisingly strong. The defense relationship has borne the brunt of the fallout, which so far has been limited to a reduction in military exercises.
Given the extent of Duterte’s threats, this should be seen as a victory for the patient approach of the outgoing Obama administration. Key agreements and relationships remain in place for an alliance reset under the incoming Donald Trump administration, but there are reasons to be skeptical about whether the relationship can be put back on an upward trajectory.
The reported downgrade in the defense relationship is restrained in comparison with Duterte’s threats to “separate” from the U.S. alliance, end joint exercises, and remove U.S. troops from the Philippines. The cancellation of Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) and the Philippines Amphibious Landing Exercise (PHIBLEX) is a blow to efforts to build capacity in the Philippine Navy and Marine Corps.
However, the preservation of the flagship Exercise Balikatan—even in a scaled-back form—will allow continued contact and cooperation between the U.S. Pacific Command, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and multilateral partners like the Australian military. Key U.S.-Philippine defense agreements like the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement and the Mutual Defense Treaty remain intact. Rotational U.S. deployments to the Philippines, such as the counterterrorism support mission in the southern Philippines, seem unaffected. Things could easily have been much worse, and the decision to reduce the joint exercise schedule can be revisited in the future.
Duterte’s outreach to China is also not a blow to U.S. strategy in Asia, as it is often depicted. While Duterte seems too willing to undermine the Philippines’ key U.S. alliance and ignore his country’s legal victory on the South China Sea at The Hague in exchange for promises of future Chinese cooperation and investment, it is ultimately good for all parties if Manila and Beijing can agree to manage contentious issues such as the Scarborough Shoal peacefully and constructively. The U.S.-Philippine relationship is robust enough to weather some short-term disruption as Duterte attempts to chart a more “independent” foreign policy.
If Duterte’s attacks on the alliance have been part of a plan to create diplomatic space for his rapprochement with China, one might expect a follow-on effort to repair the damage after the next U.S. administration takes office. Indeed, there have been hopeful noises from Manila regarding a reset of relations with President-elect Trump. Duterte spoke well of Trump following the U.S. election, Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay suggested that Duterte and Trump are temperamentally suited to work together, and Trump’s Manila business partner, Jose E. B. Antonio, has been named the Philippines’ special trade envoy to Washington. These signals are promising and hopefully will be followed by a concerted effort to improve ties, but there are reasons to believe that the downward trend in relations could continue after Trump takes office.
It will likely prove difficult for Duterte to back away from the fiery anti-American rhetoric that has been a hallmark of his administration. While his actions can be explained in part by diplomatic calculation, they also seem driven by his hostility to criticism and a personal animus toward the United States. At the very least, Duterte likely will continue to lash out at U.S. critics of his drug war and the extrajudicial killings used to prosecute it. The Obama administration’s bemused resignation to Duterte’s attacks on America is unlikely to continue under the next administration, and Trump may be inclined to fire back at any insults from Duterte. Similar temperaments may not be a recipe for harmony in this relationship.
Criticism in Washington of Duterte and his drug war will continue, even if he and Trump manage to get along. Duterte may believe that the inauguration of Trump—who “has not meddled in human rights,” according to the Philippine president—will remove extrajudicial killings as a point of contention in the relationship, but that is not how the U.S. system works. Congress is a coequal branch of government and controls the power of the purse, making congressional support vital for the continuation of U.S. aid and capacity-building programs in the Philippines.
The State Department’s recent halt of a U.S. rifle sale to the Philippine National Police in response to congressional opposition is unlikely to be an isolated incident if the Philippine drug war continues. Further damage to the defense relationship is still possible if the Philippine military gets involved in the drug war or overall perceptions of the Philippines in Washington decline, jeopardizing future funding for Foreign Military Financing, the Southeast Asia Maritime Security Initiative, and military construction projects in the Philippines.
While the onus will remain on Duterte to moderate his behavior and policies to preserve good relations, he may also have to adapt to deal with a more demanding partner. It is still too early to predict what Trump’s foreign policy will look like, but it seems plausible that the president-elect’s skepticism about alliances was not just campaign rhetoric. Duterte so far has undertaken his diplomatic maneuvering and attacks on the alliance while dealing with an administration that values the U.S. alliance system and is predisposed to reassure even troublesome allies.
What will Trump, who questioned the contributions of firm Asian allies like Japan and South Korea, make of the Philippines? Duterte, if he does not seriously desire an end to the alliance, may soon find himself in the unfamiliar position of having to defend the value of the alliance to the United States rather than the other way around.
While concerns about the future of the U.S.-Philippines alliance remain warranted, there is no need for undue pessimism. The relationship has weathered Duterte surprisingly well so far. Perhaps relations under Trump will surprise us as well.
(This Commentary originally appeared in the December 1, 2016, issue of Southeast Asia from Scott Circle.)
Despite months of anti-American rhetoric and threats from Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte to undermine the alliance, cooperation between the United States and the Philippines remains surprisingly strong. The defense relationship has borne the brunt of the fallout, which so far has been limited to a reduction in military exercises.
Given the extent of Duterte’s threats, this should be seen as a victory for the patient approach of the outgoing Obama administration. Key agreements and relationships remain in place for an alliance reset under the incoming Donald Trump administration, but there are reasons to be skeptical about whether the relationship can be put back on an upward trajectory.
The reported downgrade in the defense relationship is restrained in comparison with Duterte’s threats to “separate” from the U.S. alliance, end joint exercises, and remove U.S. troops from the Philippines. The cancellation of Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) and the Philippines Amphibious Landing Exercise (PHIBLEX) is a blow to efforts to build capacity in the Philippine Navy and Marine Corps.
However, the preservation of the flagship Exercise Balikatan—even in a scaled-back form—will allow continued contact and cooperation between the U.S. Pacific Command, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and multilateral partners like the Australian military. Key U.S.-Philippine defense agreements like the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement and the Mutual Defense Treaty remain intact. Rotational U.S. deployments to the Philippines, such as the counterterrorism support mission in the southern Philippines, seem unaffected. Things could easily have been much worse, and the decision to reduce the joint exercise schedule can be revisited in the future.
Duterte’s outreach to China is also not a blow to U.S. strategy in Asia, as it is often depicted. While Duterte seems too willing to undermine the Philippines’ key U.S. alliance and ignore his country’s legal victory on the South China Sea at The Hague in exchange for promises of future Chinese cooperation and investment, it is ultimately good for all parties if Manila and Beijing can agree to manage contentious issues such as the Scarborough Shoal peacefully and constructively. The U.S.-Philippine relationship is robust enough to weather some short-term disruption as Duterte attempts to chart a more “independent” foreign policy.
If Duterte’s attacks on the alliance have been part of a plan to create diplomatic space for his rapprochement with China, one might expect a follow-on effort to repair the damage after the next U.S. administration takes office. Indeed, there have been hopeful noises from Manila regarding a reset of relations with President-elect Trump. Duterte spoke well of Trump following the U.S. election, Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay suggested that Duterte and Trump are temperamentally suited to work together, and Trump’s Manila business partner, Jose E. B. Antonio, has been named the Philippines’ special trade envoy to Washington. These signals are promising and hopefully will be followed by a concerted effort to improve ties, but there are reasons to believe that the downward trend in relations could continue after Trump takes office.
It will likely prove difficult for Duterte to back away from the fiery anti-American rhetoric that has been a hallmark of his administration. While his actions can be explained in part by diplomatic calculation, they also seem driven by his hostility to criticism and a personal animus toward the United States. At the very least, Duterte likely will continue to lash out at U.S. critics of his drug war and the extrajudicial killings used to prosecute it. The Obama administration’s bemused resignation to Duterte’s attacks on America is unlikely to continue under the next administration, and Trump may be inclined to fire back at any insults from Duterte. Similar temperaments may not be a recipe for harmony in this relationship.
Criticism in Washington of Duterte and his drug war will continue, even if he and Trump manage to get along. Duterte may believe that the inauguration of Trump—who “has not meddled in human rights,” according to the Philippine president—will remove extrajudicial killings as a point of contention in the relationship, but that is not how the U.S. system works. Congress is a coequal branch of government and controls the power of the purse, making congressional support vital for the continuation of U.S. aid and capacity-building programs in the Philippines.
The State Department’s recent halt of a U.S. rifle sale to the Philippine National Police in response to congressional opposition is unlikely to be an isolated incident if the Philippine drug war continues. Further damage to the defense relationship is still possible if the Philippine military gets involved in the drug war or overall perceptions of the Philippines in Washington decline, jeopardizing future funding for Foreign Military Financing, the Southeast Asia Maritime Security Initiative, and military construction projects in the Philippines.
While the onus will remain on Duterte to moderate his behavior and policies to preserve good relations, he may also have to adapt to deal with a more demanding partner. It is still too early to predict what Trump’s foreign policy will look like, but it seems plausible that the president-elect’s skepticism about alliances was not just campaign rhetoric. Duterte so far has undertaken his diplomatic maneuvering and attacks on the alliance while dealing with an administration that values the U.S. alliance system and is predisposed to reassure even troublesome allies.
What will Trump, who questioned the contributions of firm Asian allies like Japan and South Korea, make of the Philippines? Duterte, if he does not seriously desire an end to the alliance, may soon find himself in the unfamiliar position of having to defend the value of the alliance to the United States rather than the other way around.
While concerns about the future of the U.S.-Philippines alliance remain warranted, there is no need for undue pessimism. The relationship has weathered Duterte surprisingly well so far. Perhaps relations under Trump will surprise us as well.
(This Commentary originally appeared in the December 1, 2016, issue of Southeast Asia from Scott Circle.)
Progressive groups up in arms about Año’s appointment as AFP chief
From GMA News (Dec 7): Progressive groups up in arms about Año’s appointment as AFP chief
Several groups on Wednesday criticized the appointment of Lt. Gen. Eduardo Año as chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, citing his involvement in various human rights violations, and urged President Rodrigo Duterte to reconsider his decision.
In a statement, the National Union of Students of the Philippines called Año’s appointment as a “direct assault” to victims of human rights violations.
“The appointment of a culpable killer in a naturally-violent institution is a direct assault to the victims of this slaughter: Jonas Burgos, Leoncio 'Ka Parago' Pitao, among others,”
NUSP spokesperson Kevin Castro said. Burgos, the son of late press freedom fighter Jose Burgos, was abducted in 2007 and is presumed dead, while Pitao, a New People’s Army commander, was killed by the Army’s 10th Infantry Battalion that Año led.
Castro said Año appointment only proved the government’s disregard for the legitimate demands of the Filipinos.
“Once again, the Duterte administration has shown that his government is not for just and lasting peace; that it is traversing the path of violence and bloodstained service to the ruling elites,” Castro said.
The College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP) also condemned Ano’s appointment.
“We are infuriated with the appointment of Lt. Gen. Año as new AFP chief of staff, under whose involvement peasant activist and CEGP alumnus Jonas Burgos was abducted,” said Jose Mari Callueng, CEGP national president.
“This only highlights the culture of impunity in which human rights violators get away with their crimes and even stay in power,” he added.
According to Callueng, Año’s track record of human rights violations will only let “the intensifying counterinsurgency operation Oplan Bayanihan” continue.
Youth group Anakbayan shared the same view. “General Eduardo Año is a fascist Palparan protégé and was involved in extrajudicial killings and human rights violations in his stint as Army Chief under former President Noynoy Aquino,” said Anakbayan national chairperson Vencer Crisostomo.
Crisostomo said Año’s implementation of the Oplan Bayanihan created terror in the rural areas.
“No doubt with him as AFP Chief of Staff, the massacres, military occupation of civilian communities, and harassment of activists will continue,” he said. .
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/591609/news/nation/progressive-groups-up-in-arms-about-a-ntilde-o-s-appointment-as-afp-chief
Several groups on Wednesday criticized the appointment of Lt. Gen. Eduardo Año as chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, citing his involvement in various human rights violations, and urged President Rodrigo Duterte to reconsider his decision.
In a statement, the National Union of Students of the Philippines called Año’s appointment as a “direct assault” to victims of human rights violations.
“The appointment of a culpable killer in a naturally-violent institution is a direct assault to the victims of this slaughter: Jonas Burgos, Leoncio 'Ka Parago' Pitao, among others,”
NUSP spokesperson Kevin Castro said. Burgos, the son of late press freedom fighter Jose Burgos, was abducted in 2007 and is presumed dead, while Pitao, a New People’s Army commander, was killed by the Army’s 10th Infantry Battalion that Año led.
Castro said Año appointment only proved the government’s disregard for the legitimate demands of the Filipinos.
“Once again, the Duterte administration has shown that his government is not for just and lasting peace; that it is traversing the path of violence and bloodstained service to the ruling elites,” Castro said.
The College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP) also condemned Ano’s appointment.
“We are infuriated with the appointment of Lt. Gen. Año as new AFP chief of staff, under whose involvement peasant activist and CEGP alumnus Jonas Burgos was abducted,” said Jose Mari Callueng, CEGP national president.
“This only highlights the culture of impunity in which human rights violators get away with their crimes and even stay in power,” he added.
According to Callueng, Año’s track record of human rights violations will only let “the intensifying counterinsurgency operation Oplan Bayanihan” continue.
Youth group Anakbayan shared the same view. “General Eduardo Año is a fascist Palparan protégé and was involved in extrajudicial killings and human rights violations in his stint as Army Chief under former President Noynoy Aquino,” said Anakbayan national chairperson Vencer Crisostomo.
Crisostomo said Año’s implementation of the Oplan Bayanihan created terror in the rural areas.
“No doubt with him as AFP Chief of Staff, the massacres, military occupation of civilian communities, and harassment of activists will continue,” he said. .
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/591609/news/nation/progressive-groups-up-in-arms-about-a-ntilde-o-s-appointment-as-afp-chief
‘Do not hostage political prisoners,’ government told
From the pro-CPP online propaganda publication Bulatlat (Dec 7): ‘Do not hostage political prisoners,’ government told
“Political prisoners are not bargaining chips.”
On their fifth day of fasting and hunger strike, families and supporters of political prisoners scored the Duterte administration for not fulfilling its obligation to release all political prisoners.
There are more than 400 political prisoners in various jails all over the country, according to human rights alliance Karapatan. Nineteen have been freed in line with the peace talks.
Gloria Almonte, wife of political prisoner Dionisio, lamented that not one of the 130 elderly and ailing political prisoners have been released since the talks resumed between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines.
Cristina Palabay, Karapatan secretary general, reminded President Rodrigo Duterte that the release of political prisoners is an obligation. “This is not charity or a favor. This is not a gamble,” Palabay said in a press conference this morning, Dec. 7 at the foot of Chino Roces (formerly Mendiola) bridge.
In the same vein, former political prisoner Sharon Cabusao warned the Duterte administration against “treating political prisoners as hostages in pushing for a bilateral ceasefire agreement.”
“Political prisoners are not bargaining chips,” Gabriela Women’s Party Rep. Arlene Brosas said.
NDFP peace consultant Concha Araneta-Bocala said the existence of political prisoners is a violation of the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL) and Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (Jasig).
CARHRIHL upholds the Hernandez political doctrine, which prohibits criminalization of political dissent. Majority of over 400 political prisoners have been slapped with common nonbailable offenses, Palabay said.
Jasig, on the other hand, provides immunity and safety guarantees to all the participants in the peace talks. The NDFP consultants were released on bail; their cases remain pending in courts.
Cabusao took offense in Peace Security Adviser Jesus Dureza’s statement criticizing the “delayed” release of political prisoners.
Dureza said “putting undue public pressure on the government which has already taken unprecedented steps may not yield their intended results.”
Cabusao said, “It is our right to express our sentiments on this issue.”
For relatives of political prisoners, every day is too long.
Pilar dela Peña, wife of political prisoner Gerardo dela Peña travelled all the way from Bicol while Maria Ortiz, whose sons Dennis and Jovy are detained, came from Macalelon, Quezon to join the protest in Manila.
At least 76 political prisoners have gone on hunger strike today while 122 others vowed to continue their fasting, Palabay said.
http://bulatlat.com/main/2016/12/07/not-hostage-political-prisoners-government-told/
“Political prisoners are not bargaining chips.”
On their fifth day of fasting and hunger strike, families and supporters of political prisoners scored the Duterte administration for not fulfilling its obligation to release all political prisoners.
There are more than 400 political prisoners in various jails all over the country, according to human rights alliance Karapatan. Nineteen have been freed in line with the peace talks.
Gloria Almonte, wife of political prisoner Dionisio, lamented that not one of the 130 elderly and ailing political prisoners have been released since the talks resumed between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines.
Cristina Palabay, Karapatan secretary general, reminded President Rodrigo Duterte that the release of political prisoners is an obligation. “This is not charity or a favor. This is not a gamble,” Palabay said in a press conference this morning, Dec. 7 at the foot of Chino Roces (formerly Mendiola) bridge.
In the same vein, former political prisoner Sharon Cabusao warned the Duterte administration against “treating political prisoners as hostages in pushing for a bilateral ceasefire agreement.”
“Political prisoners are not bargaining chips,” Gabriela Women’s Party Rep. Arlene Brosas said.
NDFP peace consultant Concha Araneta-Bocala said the existence of political prisoners is a violation of the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL) and Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (Jasig).
CARHRIHL upholds the Hernandez political doctrine, which prohibits criminalization of political dissent. Majority of over 400 political prisoners have been slapped with common nonbailable offenses, Palabay said.
Jasig, on the other hand, provides immunity and safety guarantees to all the participants in the peace talks. The NDFP consultants were released on bail; their cases remain pending in courts.
Cabusao took offense in Peace Security Adviser Jesus Dureza’s statement criticizing the “delayed” release of political prisoners.
Dureza said “putting undue public pressure on the government which has already taken unprecedented steps may not yield their intended results.”
Cabusao said, “It is our right to express our sentiments on this issue.”
For relatives of political prisoners, every day is too long.
Pilar dela Peña, wife of political prisoner Gerardo dela Peña travelled all the way from Bicol while Maria Ortiz, whose sons Dennis and Jovy are detained, came from Macalelon, Quezon to join the protest in Manila.
At least 76 political prisoners have gone on hunger strike today while 122 others vowed to continue their fasting, Palabay said.
http://bulatlat.com/main/2016/12/07/not-hostage-political-prisoners-government-told/
HR rally Saturday to tackle FM abuses
From the Visayan Daily Star (Dec 8): HR rally Saturday to tackle FM abuses
The 68th anniversary of International Human Rights Day will be marked in Bacolod City with a rally to denounce, among others, human rights violations committed under the US-Marcos dictatorship, Clarizza Dagatan , Karapatan Negros secretary general , said yesterday.
The issue of the Marcos abuses are being raised in the wake of the recent burial of Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, which they strongly oppose, she said.
We are calling for just peace and the release of all political prisoners, Dagatan added.
Dagatan said members of Karapatan and other allied groups are participating in an ongoing fasting that started December 3 until Saturday in solidarity with the political prisoners to press for their release.
The Karapatan-led rally that is expected to draw a crowd of 3,000 will kick off from the Capitol Lagoon Park in the north and the Lupit Church in the south at about 1 p.m. to converge at the Bacolod Public Plaza at 2 p.m.Saturday for the rally, she said.
Karapatan will also hold a Tribute to Martyrs vigil from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Friday at the Fountain of Justice in Bacolod City.
“We are calling for justice for all victims of human right violations, especially the martyrs,” she said.
The rally will be joined by members of of the Northern Negros Alliance of Human Rights Advocates who will join a caravan to Bacolod for the rally on Saturday.
Despite the unilateral ceasefire the Army's 62nd Infantry Battalion based in Central Batao, Sagay City, is continuing to conduct operations in rural areas causing the dislocation of farmers, NNAHRA spokesperson Marianito Amacan claimed.
A NNAHRA fact-finding mission report distributed to the media yesterday alleged that 62nd IB men committed human rights violations in barangays Jonob-Jonob, Malasibog and Paitan in Escalante City, Negros Occidental.
The report alleged that residents freedom to organize, belief and abode were endangered because the Army tagged them as supporters and worst leaders of the an underground organization affiliated with Communist party of the Philippines-New People's Army.
NNAHRA demanded the immediate pull-out of the military in communities where people live and work peacefully.
http://www.visayandailystar.com/2016/December/08/topstory6.htm
The 68th anniversary of International Human Rights Day will be marked in Bacolod City with a rally to denounce, among others, human rights violations committed under the US-Marcos dictatorship, Clarizza Dagatan , Karapatan Negros secretary general , said yesterday.
The issue of the Marcos abuses are being raised in the wake of the recent burial of Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, which they strongly oppose, she said.
We are calling for just peace and the release of all political prisoners, Dagatan added.
Dagatan said members of Karapatan and other allied groups are participating in an ongoing fasting that started December 3 until Saturday in solidarity with the political prisoners to press for their release.
The Karapatan-led rally that is expected to draw a crowd of 3,000 will kick off from the Capitol Lagoon Park in the north and the Lupit Church in the south at about 1 p.m. to converge at the Bacolod Public Plaza at 2 p.m.Saturday for the rally, she said.
Karapatan will also hold a Tribute to Martyrs vigil from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Friday at the Fountain of Justice in Bacolod City.
“We are calling for justice for all victims of human right violations, especially the martyrs,” she said.
The rally will be joined by members of of the Northern Negros Alliance of Human Rights Advocates who will join a caravan to Bacolod for the rally on Saturday.
Despite the unilateral ceasefire the Army's 62nd Infantry Battalion based in Central Batao, Sagay City, is continuing to conduct operations in rural areas causing the dislocation of farmers, NNAHRA spokesperson Marianito Amacan claimed.
A NNAHRA fact-finding mission report distributed to the media yesterday alleged that 62nd IB men committed human rights violations in barangays Jonob-Jonob, Malasibog and Paitan in Escalante City, Negros Occidental.
The report alleged that residents freedom to organize, belief and abode were endangered because the Army tagged them as supporters and worst leaders of the an underground organization affiliated with Communist party of the Philippines-New People's Army.
NNAHRA demanded the immediate pull-out of the military in communities where people live and work peacefully.
http://www.visayandailystar.com/2016/December/08/topstory6.htm
CPP won’t extend unilateral ceasefire unless Duterte ends Oplan Bayanihan
From the often pro-CPP online publication the Davao Today (Dec 7): CPP won’t extend unilateral ceasefire unless Duterte ends Oplan Bayanihan
The Communist Party of the Philippines would not extend its unilateral ceasefire unless President Rodrigo Duterte ends or suspends the military’s counter-insurgency program called “Oplan Bayanihan.”
The CPP, in a statement Wednesday, insisted that Duterte must end “the continued suppression operations against the people and the revolutionary government.”
“He [Duterte] must order the Armed Forces of the Philippines to withdraw its armed combatants from the guerrilla zones and areas under the control of the revolutionary government,” the communist group said.
CPP said if Duterte fulfills this by January, it guaranteed an extension of its unilateral ceasefire declaration and it would also “encourage the revolutionary forces to forge with it a bilateral ceasefire to boost accelerated negotiations for a just and lasting peace.”
CPP also scored the AFP for deploying armed units in civilian communities while the unilateral ceasefire is in effect.
“The AFP has deployed armed units and maintained armed presence in centers of civilian communities in violation of the CARHRIHL and international protocols which protect the welfare of civilians in times of war,” it said.
The CPP warned that if Duterte won’t stop the continued military deployment in the communities and areas believed to be strongholds of the communist rebels, a war may erupt soon.
“Duterte will be virtually setting the stage for widespread armed clashes with the New People’s Army as Red fighters will be forced to engage in active defense and defend the people against abuses by the forward-deployed combat troops of the AFP. He will only have himself to blame if this forces the hand of the CPP to terminate its unilateral ceasefire declaration,” it said.
Apart from demanding an end to the government’s counter-insurgency program, the CPP demanded that the President “must also fulfill his promise to free political prisoners en masse through an amnesty proclamation.”
The CPP statement came.after Duterte instructed members of the government panel on Monday to come up with a signed bilateral ceasefire agreement before he will release political prisoners.
“Produce to me a signed bilateral ceasefire agreement and I will release them within 48 hours. You can take my word for it,” GRP panel chief and Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III quoted the president as saying.
While Duterte promised to release a number of elderly and ailing detainees before Christmas, he also told Malacañang Palace that the government has “conceded far enough” to the NDF.
“The president told us that once he receives even just a facsimile copy of the signed agreement, he will immediately order the release of communist rebels,” Bello said.
The government panel holding peace talks with the NDF has submitted a list of 200 prisoners who are eligible for release under the new guidelines of the Presidential Committee on Bail, Recognizance and Parole (PCBREP). Twenty-five (25) of them are elderly, sick and women.
Karapatan Alliance for Human Rights said there are 400 political prisoners detained all over the country.
http://davaotoday.com/main/politics/cpp-wont-extend-unilateral-ceasefire-unless-duterte-ends-oplan-bayanihan/
The Communist Party of the Philippines would not extend its unilateral ceasefire unless President Rodrigo Duterte ends or suspends the military’s counter-insurgency program called “Oplan Bayanihan.”
The CPP, in a statement Wednesday, insisted that Duterte must end “the continued suppression operations against the people and the revolutionary government.”
“He [Duterte] must order the Armed Forces of the Philippines to withdraw its armed combatants from the guerrilla zones and areas under the control of the revolutionary government,” the communist group said.
CPP said if Duterte fulfills this by January, it guaranteed an extension of its unilateral ceasefire declaration and it would also “encourage the revolutionary forces to forge with it a bilateral ceasefire to boost accelerated negotiations for a just and lasting peace.”
CPP also scored the AFP for deploying armed units in civilian communities while the unilateral ceasefire is in effect.
“The AFP has deployed armed units and maintained armed presence in centers of civilian communities in violation of the CARHRIHL and international protocols which protect the welfare of civilians in times of war,” it said.
The CPP warned that if Duterte won’t stop the continued military deployment in the communities and areas believed to be strongholds of the communist rebels, a war may erupt soon.
“Duterte will be virtually setting the stage for widespread armed clashes with the New People’s Army as Red fighters will be forced to engage in active defense and defend the people against abuses by the forward-deployed combat troops of the AFP. He will only have himself to blame if this forces the hand of the CPP to terminate its unilateral ceasefire declaration,” it said.
Apart from demanding an end to the government’s counter-insurgency program, the CPP demanded that the President “must also fulfill his promise to free political prisoners en masse through an amnesty proclamation.”
The CPP statement came.after Duterte instructed members of the government panel on Monday to come up with a signed bilateral ceasefire agreement before he will release political prisoners.
“Produce to me a signed bilateral ceasefire agreement and I will release them within 48 hours. You can take my word for it,” GRP panel chief and Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III quoted the president as saying.
While Duterte promised to release a number of elderly and ailing detainees before Christmas, he also told Malacañang Palace that the government has “conceded far enough” to the NDF.
“The president told us that once he receives even just a facsimile copy of the signed agreement, he will immediately order the release of communist rebels,” Bello said.
The government panel holding peace talks with the NDF has submitted a list of 200 prisoners who are eligible for release under the new guidelines of the Presidential Committee on Bail, Recognizance and Parole (PCBREP). Twenty-five (25) of them are elderly, sick and women.
Karapatan Alliance for Human Rights said there are 400 political prisoners detained all over the country.
http://davaotoday.com/main/politics/cpp-wont-extend-unilateral-ceasefire-unless-duterte-ends-oplan-bayanihan/
MILF commander denies claim his arrested uncle has ISIS links
From GMA News (Dec 7): MILF commander denies claim his arrested uncle has ISIS links
A Moro Islamic Liberation Front commander has denied allegations that his uncle has links to international terror groups, GMA News' Chino Gaston reported Wednesday on "Balitanghali."
MILF's Abdullah Macapaar alias Commander Bravo confirmed his relation with Haji Amir Omar who was arrested in a police raid early on Tuesday. But he said Omar has no links to the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
According to Bravo, Omar is a member of the MILF North West Mindanao Front based in Lanao del Norte under his command and not a terrorist.
Police arrested Omar during a raid in Marawi City on a house of the Maute family, some of whose members lead the ISIS-inspired Maute Group.
Authorities said Omar yielded explosives during his arrest.
Amiruddin Usman of the MILF Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) in the Lanao Region backed Macapaar's claim that Omar is not a Maute Group member.
Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao police possess multiple search warrants against the Maute family for charges linked to illegal possession of firearms and illegal drugs.
In Butig, Lanao del Sur, at least a 100 members of the Maute Group are engaged in combat with government soldiers.
At least five Maute members have been reported killed and three soldiers injured in fresh skirmishes in the town, the Balitanghali report said.
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/591570/news/regions/milf-commander-denies-claim-his-arrested-uncle-has-isis-links
A Moro Islamic Liberation Front commander has denied allegations that his uncle has links to international terror groups, GMA News' Chino Gaston reported Wednesday on "Balitanghali."
MILF's Abdullah Macapaar alias Commander Bravo confirmed his relation with Haji Amir Omar who was arrested in a police raid early on Tuesday. But he said Omar has no links to the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
According to Bravo, Omar is a member of the MILF North West Mindanao Front based in Lanao del Norte under his command and not a terrorist.
Authorities said Omar yielded explosives during his arrest.
Amiruddin Usman of the MILF Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) in the Lanao Region backed Macapaar's claim that Omar is not a Maute Group member.
Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao police possess multiple search warrants against the Maute family for charges linked to illegal possession of firearms and illegal drugs.
In Butig, Lanao del Sur, at least a 100 members of the Maute Group are engaged in combat with government soldiers.
At least five Maute members have been reported killed and three soldiers injured in fresh skirmishes in the town, the Balitanghali report said.
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/591570/news/regions/milf-commander-denies-claim-his-arrested-uncle-has-isis-links
‘Retreating Maute group to carry out bombings’
From the Manila Times (Dec 7): ‘Retreating Maute group to carry out bombings’
A COMMUNITY intelligence report revealed that a spate of bombings will be carried out by retreating members of the Maute group and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) command led by Kumander Mohammad Jaafar Maguid, alias Tokboy, a known supporter and organizer of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
Maguid, who is now with the Maute group, was seen by residents withdrawing directly to the town of Kalamansig and Palembang, the strategic boundaries connecting Lanao del Sur and Isulan, Sultan Kudarat.
Maguid was trained by the fallen Jemaah Islamiya terror cell leader Abdul Basit Usman. He was reported to have joined the Maute group and has become its leader.
The report said Maguid and his ISIS recruits will carry out their bombing missions in North Cotabato, Cotabato City, Sultan Kudarat, Midsayap, Kidapawan, Carmen, Pegkawayan and Maguindanao, Marawi, Lanao del Sur and Lanao del Norte including Sultan Kudarat, South Cotabato, Sarangani and General Santos City.
Senior Supt. Raul Supiter, Sultan Kudarat police provincial director, said it is possible the retreating group of Maguid will pass the strategic towns of Kalamansig and Palembang in Sultan Kudarat.
Supiter added that the recent explosion of an improvised explosive device (IED) that injured several civilians and killed three others in Esperanza town was the handiwork of Kumander Manuel of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).|
An officer of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces (ISAFP) who requested anonymity also revealed that there will is possibility that the group of Maguid already in the towns of Kalamansig and Palembang was actually made up of the two withdrawing groups and they were only creating a diversion to mislead pursuing government troops.
He said vital government facilities, private corporations and the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines’ towers have long been targeted for bombing by the group.
Reports reaching The Manila Times said residents in the towns of Palembang and Maitum in Sarangani province saw two groups of heavily armed men wearing black uniform in remote coastal areas.
According to reliable sources, the towns of Maitum, Kiamba and Maasim are possible targets, as well as the communication lines of two mobile networks and vital government facilities.
Maasim Mayor Anecito Lopez Jr. expressed fear that the military operation in Lanao del Sur will escalate considering that Maguid is a resident of Kiamba town and the boundary of Lanao del Sur is near the boundary of Sultan Kudarat province.
Chief Supt. Cedric Train, Police Regional Office 12 director, could not be reached for comment at press time but during a recent interview about Maguid’s group he said the fugitives have no capability to attack the area.
Meanwhile, General Santos City police chief Maximo Layugan said they are ready for any eventuality whether the alleged bombings will be carried out or these are just threats.
Region 12 has been placed under triple alert status with checkpoints installed in strategic areas and troops deployed there.
The intelligence reports also confirmed by a certain Kaharuddin Akmad known as Yusop from Lanao del Sur and who is also Maguid’s former Muslim recruit revealed there is a possibility that war in Lanao del Sur will escalate in the towns of Sarangani because there are areas strategically connected to the boundaries of Sultan Kudarat.
Thousands of families have fled their homes for fear of being caught in the crossfire between the military and the Maute rebels and have evacuated to the towns of Carmen and Pikit, as well as Cotabato City.
Akmad or Yusop, who has evacuated his family to a safer place, said that, according to their Iman, Maguid has been planning a spate of bombings since 2015.
http://www.manilatimes.net/retreating-maute-group-carry-bombings/300507/
A COMMUNITY intelligence report revealed that a spate of bombings will be carried out by retreating members of the Maute group and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) command led by Kumander Mohammad Jaafar Maguid, alias Tokboy, a known supporter and organizer of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
Maguid, who is now with the Maute group, was seen by residents withdrawing directly to the town of Kalamansig and Palembang, the strategic boundaries connecting Lanao del Sur and Isulan, Sultan Kudarat.
Maguid was trained by the fallen Jemaah Islamiya terror cell leader Abdul Basit Usman. He was reported to have joined the Maute group and has become its leader.
The report said Maguid and his ISIS recruits will carry out their bombing missions in North Cotabato, Cotabato City, Sultan Kudarat, Midsayap, Kidapawan, Carmen, Pegkawayan and Maguindanao, Marawi, Lanao del Sur and Lanao del Norte including Sultan Kudarat, South Cotabato, Sarangani and General Santos City.
Senior Supt. Raul Supiter, Sultan Kudarat police provincial director, said it is possible the retreating group of Maguid will pass the strategic towns of Kalamansig and Palembang in Sultan Kudarat.
Supiter added that the recent explosion of an improvised explosive device (IED) that injured several civilians and killed three others in Esperanza town was the handiwork of Kumander Manuel of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).|
An officer of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces (ISAFP) who requested anonymity also revealed that there will is possibility that the group of Maguid already in the towns of Kalamansig and Palembang was actually made up of the two withdrawing groups and they were only creating a diversion to mislead pursuing government troops.
He said vital government facilities, private corporations and the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines’ towers have long been targeted for bombing by the group.
Reports reaching The Manila Times said residents in the towns of Palembang and Maitum in Sarangani province saw two groups of heavily armed men wearing black uniform in remote coastal areas.
According to reliable sources, the towns of Maitum, Kiamba and Maasim are possible targets, as well as the communication lines of two mobile networks and vital government facilities.
Maasim Mayor Anecito Lopez Jr. expressed fear that the military operation in Lanao del Sur will escalate considering that Maguid is a resident of Kiamba town and the boundary of Lanao del Sur is near the boundary of Sultan Kudarat province.
Chief Supt. Cedric Train, Police Regional Office 12 director, could not be reached for comment at press time but during a recent interview about Maguid’s group he said the fugitives have no capability to attack the area.
Meanwhile, General Santos City police chief Maximo Layugan said they are ready for any eventuality whether the alleged bombings will be carried out or these are just threats.
Region 12 has been placed under triple alert status with checkpoints installed in strategic areas and troops deployed there.
The intelligence reports also confirmed by a certain Kaharuddin Akmad known as Yusop from Lanao del Sur and who is also Maguid’s former Muslim recruit revealed there is a possibility that war in Lanao del Sur will escalate in the towns of Sarangani because there are areas strategically connected to the boundaries of Sultan Kudarat.
Thousands of families have fled their homes for fear of being caught in the crossfire between the military and the Maute rebels and have evacuated to the towns of Carmen and Pikit, as well as Cotabato City.
Akmad or Yusop, who has evacuated his family to a safer place, said that, according to their Iman, Maguid has been planning a spate of bombings since 2015.
http://www.manilatimes.net/retreating-maute-group-carry-bombings/300507/
Video: Scout Rangers join hunt for Maute group
From ABS-CBN (Dec 9): Video: Scout Rangers join hunt for Maute group
The army's elite Scout Rangers have joined the hunt for Maute rebels who have fled the center of Butig, Lanao del Sur. However, the militants set an ambush for their pursuers. - The World Tonight, ANC, December 8, 2016.
http://news.abs-cbn.com/video/news/12/08/16/scout-rangers-join-hunt-for-maute-group
http://news.abs-cbn.com/video/news/12/08/16/scout-rangers-join-hunt-for-maute-group
Risking Beijing's ire, Vietnam begins dredging on South China Sea reef
From InterAksyon (Dec 8): Risking Beijing's ire, Vietnam begins dredging on South China Sea reef
Vietnamese-held Ladd Reef, in the Spratly Island group in the South China Sea, July 19, 2016, in this Planet Labs handout photo received by Reuters on December 6, 2016. Trevor Hammond/Planet Labs/Handout via REUTERS
Vietnam has begun dredging work on a disputed reef in the South China Sea, satellite imagery shows, the latest move by the Communist state to bolster its claims in the strategic waterway.
Activity visible on Ladd Reef in the Spratly Islands could anger Hanoi's main South China Sea rival, Beijing, which claims sovereignty over the group and most of the resource-rich sea.
Ladd Reef, on the south-western fringe of the Spratlys, is completely submerged at high tide but has a lighthouse and an outpost housing a small contingent of Vietnamese soldiers. The reef is also claimed by Taiwan.
In an image taken on Nov. 30 and provided by US-based satellite firm Planet Labs, several vessels can be seen in a newly dug channel between the lagoon and open sea.
While the purpose of the activity cannot be determined for certain, analysts say similar dredging work has been the precursor to more extensive construction on other reefs.
"We can see that, in this environment, Vietnam's strategic mistrust is total ... and they are rapidly improving their defenses," said Trevor Hollingsbee, a retired naval intelligence analyst with Britain's defence ministry.
"They're doing everything they can to fix any vulnerabilities - and that outpost at Ladd Reef does look a vulnerability."
Reuters reported in August that Vietnam had fortified several islands with mobile rocket artillery launchers capable of striking China's holdings across the vital trade route.
Vietnam's foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment.
The vessels at Ladd Reef cannot be identified in the images, but Vietnam would be extremely unlikely to allow another country to challenge its control of the reef.
Greg Poling, a South China Sea expert at Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), said it remained unclear how far the work on Ladd Reef would go. Rather than a reclamation and a base, it could be an attempt to simply boost access for supply ships and fishing boats.
Ladd could also theoretically play a role in helping to defend Vietnam's nearby holding of Spratly Island, where a runway is being improved and new hangars built, he said.
"Vietnam knows it can't compete with China but it does want to improve its ability to keep an eye on them," Poling said.
Vietnam has long been fearful of renewed Chinese military action to drive it off its 21 holdings in the Spratlys - worries that have escalated amid Beijing's build-up and its anger at the recent Philippines’ legal action challenging its claims.
China occupied its first Spratlys possessions after a sea battle against Vietnam's then weak navy in 1988. Vietnam said 64 soldiers were killed as they tried to protect a flag on South Johnson reef - an incident still acutely felt in Hanoi.
Building burst
The United States has repeatedly called on claimants to avoid actions that increase tensions in the South China Sea, through which some $5 trillion in world trade is shipped every year.
Vietnam has emerged as China's main rival in the South China Sea, actively asserting sovereignty over both the Paracel and the Spratly groupings in their entirety and undergoing its own naval modernization. Taiwan also claims both, but its position is historically aligned with Beijing's.
The Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative, run by the CSIS, says Vietnam has added about 120 acres (49 hectares) of land to its South China Sea holdings in recent years.
Regional military attaches say Vietnam's key holdings are well fortified, some with tunnels and bunkers, appearing geared to deterring easy invasion.
Vietnam's reclamation work remains modest by Chinese standards, however.
The United States, which has criticized China for militarizing the waterway, estimates Beijing has added more than 3,200 acres (1,300 hectares) of land on seven features in the South China Sea over the past three years, building runways, ports, aircraft hangars and communications equipment.
Beijing says it is entitled to "limited and necessary self-defensive facilities" on its territory and has reacted angrily to "freedom of navigation" operations by US warships near Chinese-held islands.
Chinese reclamation work damaged
In another image provided by Planet Labs, reclamation work in the Chinese-held Paracel Island chain appears to have been damaged by recent storms.
China began dredging and land filling earlier this year at North Island, about 12 km (7 miles) north of Woody Island, where it has a large military base and this year stationed surface-to-air missiles.
Satellite images in February and March showed dredging vessels working to build a 700-meter (2,300-ft) sand bridge connecting low-lying North Island with neighboring Middle Island.
But images taken after two powerful storms spun through the region in October show the narrow sand strip has been largely swept away.
The Paracels have been under Chinese control for more than 40 years after a battle towards the end of the Vietnam War, when Chinese forces removed the then-South Vietnamese navy. Analysts say they play a key part in protecting China's nuclear armed submarine fleet on Hainan Island, to the north.
China has not commented publicly on the work at North Island and the foreign ministry did not
respond to requests for comment.
http://interaksyon.com/article/135074/risking-beijings-ire-vietnam-begins-dredging-on-south-china-sea-reef
Vietnamese-held Ladd Reef, in the Spratly Island group in the South China Sea, July 19, 2016, in this Planet Labs handout photo received by Reuters on December 6, 2016. Trevor Hammond/Planet Labs/Handout via REUTERS
Vietnam has begun dredging work on a disputed reef in the South China Sea, satellite imagery shows, the latest move by the Communist state to bolster its claims in the strategic waterway.
Activity visible on Ladd Reef in the Spratly Islands could anger Hanoi's main South China Sea rival, Beijing, which claims sovereignty over the group and most of the resource-rich sea.
Ladd Reef, on the south-western fringe of the Spratlys, is completely submerged at high tide but has a lighthouse and an outpost housing a small contingent of Vietnamese soldiers. The reef is also claimed by Taiwan.
In an image taken on Nov. 30 and provided by US-based satellite firm Planet Labs, several vessels can be seen in a newly dug channel between the lagoon and open sea.
While the purpose of the activity cannot be determined for certain, analysts say similar dredging work has been the precursor to more extensive construction on other reefs.
"We can see that, in this environment, Vietnam's strategic mistrust is total ... and they are rapidly improving their defenses," said Trevor Hollingsbee, a retired naval intelligence analyst with Britain's defence ministry.
"They're doing everything they can to fix any vulnerabilities - and that outpost at Ladd Reef does look a vulnerability."
Reuters reported in August that Vietnam had fortified several islands with mobile rocket artillery launchers capable of striking China's holdings across the vital trade route.
Vietnam's foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment.
The vessels at Ladd Reef cannot be identified in the images, but Vietnam would be extremely unlikely to allow another country to challenge its control of the reef.
Greg Poling, a South China Sea expert at Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), said it remained unclear how far the work on Ladd Reef would go. Rather than a reclamation and a base, it could be an attempt to simply boost access for supply ships and fishing boats.
Ladd could also theoretically play a role in helping to defend Vietnam's nearby holding of Spratly Island, where a runway is being improved and new hangars built, he said.
"Vietnam knows it can't compete with China but it does want to improve its ability to keep an eye on them," Poling said.
Vietnam has long been fearful of renewed Chinese military action to drive it off its 21 holdings in the Spratlys - worries that have escalated amid Beijing's build-up and its anger at the recent Philippines’ legal action challenging its claims.
China occupied its first Spratlys possessions after a sea battle against Vietnam's then weak navy in 1988. Vietnam said 64 soldiers were killed as they tried to protect a flag on South Johnson reef - an incident still acutely felt in Hanoi.
Building burst
The United States has repeatedly called on claimants to avoid actions that increase tensions in the South China Sea, through which some $5 trillion in world trade is shipped every year.
Vietnam has emerged as China's main rival in the South China Sea, actively asserting sovereignty over both the Paracel and the Spratly groupings in their entirety and undergoing its own naval modernization. Taiwan also claims both, but its position is historically aligned with Beijing's.
The Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative, run by the CSIS, says Vietnam has added about 120 acres (49 hectares) of land to its South China Sea holdings in recent years.
Regional military attaches say Vietnam's key holdings are well fortified, some with tunnels and bunkers, appearing geared to deterring easy invasion.
Vietnam's reclamation work remains modest by Chinese standards, however.
The United States, which has criticized China for militarizing the waterway, estimates Beijing has added more than 3,200 acres (1,300 hectares) of land on seven features in the South China Sea over the past three years, building runways, ports, aircraft hangars and communications equipment.
Beijing says it is entitled to "limited and necessary self-defensive facilities" on its territory and has reacted angrily to "freedom of navigation" operations by US warships near Chinese-held islands.
Chinese reclamation work damaged
In another image provided by Planet Labs, reclamation work in the Chinese-held Paracel Island chain appears to have been damaged by recent storms.
China began dredging and land filling earlier this year at North Island, about 12 km (7 miles) north of Woody Island, where it has a large military base and this year stationed surface-to-air missiles.
Satellite images in February and March showed dredging vessels working to build a 700-meter (2,300-ft) sand bridge connecting low-lying North Island with neighboring Middle Island.
But images taken after two powerful storms spun through the region in October show the narrow sand strip has been largely swept away.
The Paracels have been under Chinese control for more than 40 years after a battle towards the end of the Vietnam War, when Chinese forces removed the then-South Vietnamese navy. Analysts say they play a key part in protecting China's nuclear armed submarine fleet on Hainan Island, to the north.
China has not commented publicly on the work at North Island and the foreign ministry did not
respond to requests for comment.
http://interaksyon.com/article/135074/risking-beijings-ire-vietnam-begins-dredging-on-south-china-sea-reef
Award-winning Mindanao docu-film screens at MFF
From the Philippine Information Agency (Dec 8): Award-winning Mindanao docu-film screens at MFF
A documentary film which won a prestigious award in the Busan International Film Festival in South Korea will be screened at the 12th Mindanao Film Festival.
“Crescent Rising” by filmmaker Sheron Dayoc will have three screenings starting today at 6 p.m at Gaisano Mall Cinema 6.
The other screening schedule at the Mindanao Film Festival will be on December 9 at 11 a.m. and on December 13 at 8 p.m. The December 13 screening serves as the culimating activity of the Mindanao Film Festival, a forum will be held during the final screening organized by the film’s producers Anak Mindanao (AMIN) Partylist.
"The documentary follows three stories from Mindanao—a man who denies that the Jabidah Massacre is a lie, rebel fighters who believe that jihad should be a way of life, and a woman caught in the conflict.
It won the BIFF Mecenat Award in the 2016 Busan International Film Festival, which is awarded to the best Asian documentary from Korean and Asian documentaries shown in the Wide Angle Section.
The film premiered in the 2015 QCinema International Film Festival where it won Best Documentary Prize. It is also the Urian Award winner for Best Documentary in 2015.
The Mindanao Film Festival is one of the longest-running regional film festivals in the country. It is organized by the Mindanao Film and Television Development Foundation Inc. (MFTDFI) in partnership with the National Commission for Culture and the Art (NCCA), Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) and the Philippine Information Agency Regional Office-XI .
http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/1541481177108/award-winning-mindanao-docu-film-screens-at-mff
A documentary film which won a prestigious award in the Busan International Film Festival in South Korea will be screened at the 12th Mindanao Film Festival.
“Crescent Rising” by filmmaker Sheron Dayoc will have three screenings starting today at 6 p.m at Gaisano Mall Cinema 6.
The other screening schedule at the Mindanao Film Festival will be on December 9 at 11 a.m. and on December 13 at 8 p.m. The December 13 screening serves as the culimating activity of the Mindanao Film Festival, a forum will be held during the final screening organized by the film’s producers Anak Mindanao (AMIN) Partylist.
"The documentary follows three stories from Mindanao—a man who denies that the Jabidah Massacre is a lie, rebel fighters who believe that jihad should be a way of life, and a woman caught in the conflict.
It won the BIFF Mecenat Award in the 2016 Busan International Film Festival, which is awarded to the best Asian documentary from Korean and Asian documentaries shown in the Wide Angle Section.
The film premiered in the 2015 QCinema International Film Festival where it won Best Documentary Prize. It is also the Urian Award winner for Best Documentary in 2015.
The Mindanao Film Festival is one of the longest-running regional film festivals in the country. It is organized by the Mindanao Film and Television Development Foundation Inc. (MFTDFI) in partnership with the National Commission for Culture and the Art (NCCA), Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) and the Philippine Information Agency Regional Office-XI .
http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/1541481177108/award-winning-mindanao-docu-film-screens-at-mff
374K households benefit from KALAHI CIDSS projects
From the Philippine Information Agency (Dec 8): 374K households benefit from KALAHI CIDSS projects
About 374,007 households benefitted from various Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan–Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services or the KALAHI CIDSS projects in the island region.
KALAHI CIDSS now referred as KC- National Community-Driven Development Program has reached 713 barangays of the 37 out of 38 towns in the Negros Island Region, with the exception of the municipality of Ayungon in Negros Oriental.
The total projects amounting to more than P1-billion which aim to empower people and communities, reduce poverty and improve local governance.
KALAHI CIDSS deputy regional program manager Esterlita Villamor said the World Bank funded the P255,708,500 worth of projects while the Asian Development Bank spent P105,540,800 for this year alone.
“About P361,249,300 is directed to community grants benefitting the covered households, out of the P531 million allocation,” Villamor said.
DSWD – NIR records showed all special projects in 10 towns of Negros Occidental were completed as of September this year.
Villamor added that these programs and projects encouraged the barangays to actively participate in their area’s development, like bridges that connects far-flung barangays, health stations and schools, among others.
http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/1031481175164/374k-households-benefit-from-kalahi-cidss-projects
About 374,007 households benefitted from various Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan–Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services or the KALAHI CIDSS projects in the island region.
KALAHI CIDSS now referred as KC- National Community-Driven Development Program has reached 713 barangays of the 37 out of 38 towns in the Negros Island Region, with the exception of the municipality of Ayungon in Negros Oriental.
The total projects amounting to more than P1-billion which aim to empower people and communities, reduce poverty and improve local governance.
KALAHI CIDSS deputy regional program manager Esterlita Villamor said the World Bank funded the P255,708,500 worth of projects while the Asian Development Bank spent P105,540,800 for this year alone.
“About P361,249,300 is directed to community grants benefitting the covered households, out of the P531 million allocation,” Villamor said.
DSWD – NIR records showed all special projects in 10 towns of Negros Occidental were completed as of September this year.
Villamor added that these programs and projects encouraged the barangays to actively participate in their area’s development, like bridges that connects far-flung barangays, health stations and schools, among others.
http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/1031481175164/374k-households-benefit-from-kalahi-cidss-projects
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