MILF, peace advocates seek probe into death of 9 guerrillas in anti-drug ops

From the Philippine Star (May 28): MILF, peace advocates seek probe into death of 9 guerrillas in anti-drug ops

Peace advocates want a third party probe into the deaths of nine members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in a police anti-narcotics operation in Matalam town Saturday.

Officials of the MILF, which is engaged in a peace process with Malacañang since the 1990s, said in separate statements Monday that the victims, who belonged to their 105th Base Command, were not involved in drug trafficking, contrary to assertions by the police.

The North Cotabato provincial police announced on Saturday that the team that raided their lair in Barangay Kilada in Matalam, North Cotabato to search for narcotics was forced to neutralize them when they opened fire.

Von Al-Haq, spokesman of the MILF’s Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces, said the allegations that the nine guerrillas provoked the encounter were unfounded.

Citing their initial findings, Butch Malang, chairman of the MILF’s Committee on General Cessation of Hostilities, said the victims had all been disarmed before automatic gunfire reverberated through the scene.

“No illegal drugs were found on the spot where the alleged encounter happened,” Malang said Monday.

The Philippine National Police, the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the MILF are bound by a security accord—the 1997 Agreement on General Cessation of Hostilities—to cooperate in resolving security issues besetting conflict flashpoint areas in southern provinces.

Various peace advocacy organizations in central Mindanao have flooded the Facebook walls of their friends in the media community with appeals for a “third party” probe into the incident.

The alleged shootout is feared to stifle anew the bilateral peace initiatives of the government and Malacañang, meant to put a negotiated closure to the now five-decade Mindanao Moro problem.

Bobby Benito, a directorate staff in the Regional Reconciliation and Unification Commission-Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, said the real circumstances on the deaths of the nine MILF members can easily be determined with the help of probers in the Malaysian-led International Monitoring Team.

The foreign peacekeeping contingent, comprised of military and police officers from Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia, and civilian conflict resolution experts from Norway, the European Union and Japan, has been helping oversee since 2004 the enforcement of the now 21-year ceasefire agreement between the government and the MILF.

Malang and Al-Haq separately said Monday the MILF has called on the government’s ceasefire committee to look into the incident.

Local officials in Matalam said all the slain MILF members, Dadting Hassan, Muhamidin Hassan, Burrah Salping, Muhalidin Salping, Tiyo Mantik, Orom Mantis, Deng Malunok and Pakat Abo had all been buried in keeping with Islamic tradition of burying the dead within 24 hours from the time of death.
Army to assist ceasefire panel

Brig. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, commander of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, said he has directed the 602nd Brigade, which has jurisdiction over Matalam town, to help the joint government-MILF ceasefire committee investigate on the incident.

The joint committee, comprised of representatives from the MILF, the PNP and the AFP, resolves misunderstandings between state and guerrilla forces on the ground based on established security protocols.

“The 6th ID adheres to IHL (International Humanitarian Laws) and values the primacy of the peace process. We just have to give the joint ceasefire committee enough time to carry out its task of resolving that issue,” Sobejana said, referring to the incident in Matalam last Saturday.

The Palace, meanwhile, said the ceasefire panel should be allowed to do its work.

"They (MILF) already filed a formal protest. There are mechanisms and there will be an investigation," presidential spokesman Harry Roque said in a press briefing. "Let us wait for the results of the investigation to determine if some members of the MILF are really implicated in the drug trade," he added.

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2018/05/28/1819417/milf-peace-advocates-seek-probe-death-9-guerrillas-anti-drug-ops
 

China Warns 2 American Warships in South China Sea

From the New York Times (May 27): China Warns 2 American Warships in South China Sea

China’s military announced on Sunday that it had dispatched warships to challenge two United States Navy vessels that sailed through waters in the South China Sea that China claims as its own.

The Chinese confronted the American ships and warned them to leave, the Ministry of National Defense said in a statement posted on its website, but other details of the encounter were not immediately clear.

The American vessels — the Higgins, a destroyer, and the Antietam, a cruiser — passed within 12 nautical miles of the Paracel Islands, an archipelago in the northern part of the disputed waters of the South China Sea off the coast of Vietnam.

The chief spokesman for China’s Ministry of National Defense, Senior Col. Wu Qian, said that the United States “gravely violated Chinese sovereignty.”

The high-seas confrontation, while not unprecedented, came as tensions have been rising between the United States and China on a number of fronts, from trade to the on-again-off-again talks with North Korea over its nuclear program.

In recent months, China has appeared more determined to defend its claims in the South China Sea, reinforcing and arming its bases in the Paracel Islands and farther south in the Spratly Islands, even though the various islands, reefs, shoals and other outcroppings are also claimed by Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan and others.

On May 18 China announced that it had for the first time landed its H-6K strategic bomber on an outpost in the Paracels, Woody Island. Earlier in the month the United States also formally protested the deployment of missiles and radar equipment on three artificial islands China has built in the Spratly Islands.


A satellite photo of Woody Island in March. CreditPlanet Labs Inc, via Reuters

American officials accused Beijing of breaking a promise the Chinese leader, Xi Jinping, made in 2015 when he said China did not intend to militarize the disputed territories. In retaliation for the deployment, the Pentagon last week rescinded an invitation for China to participate in a multinational naval exercise this summer near Hawaii.
The two American warships involved on Sunday were carrying out maneuvers known as “freedom of navigation operations.” The operations, which the Obama administration curtailed somewhat but which picked up again under President Trump, are intended to exercise what the United States says are its rights under international law.

The two ships passed within 12 miles of four islands — Tree, Lincoln, Triton and Woody — according to an American defense official.

A spokesman for the United States Seventh Fleet, Cmdr. Clay Doss, did not discuss the details of the Chinese challenge but said that in 2017, American warships conducted similar operations in the waters of 22 different countries, including allies of the United States.

The operations “are not about any one country,” he said in a statement, “nor are they about making political statements.”

China, whose claims on the islands in the Paracel and Spratly Islands are not recognized, argues that passage within 12 nautical miles constitutes a violation of the country’s territory under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. In April, Chinese ships and aircraft challenged three vessels of the Australian Navy as they traveled to port calls in Vietnam.

“The United States naval vessels Antietam and Higgins entered without Chinese government permission into territorial waters” around the islands, which China calls the Xisha Islands, Colonel Wu said in the statement.

China’s military, he said, would be “firm and unwavering in its determination to strengthen sea and air operational preparedness construction” on the islands.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/27/world/asia/china-us-navy-paracel-islands.html

Drug raid kills 9 in Matalam, North Cotabato

From MindaNews (May 26): Drug raid kills 9 in Matalam, North Cotabato

Nine suspected drug personalities were killed in an hour-long firefight with government troops in Matalam, North Cotabato, around 11:30 p.m., Friday.

Senior Superintendent Maximo Layugan, provincial director of the Cotabato Police Provincial Office (CPPO), said his men engaged the group of Dadting Kasan and Intan Aban, both targets of a search operation, when they raided their houses in Sitio Biao, Barangay Kilada in Matalam town.

None among the government troops was hurt during the operation, Layugan said.

Operatives of the CPPO, Matalam municipal police station, and other police units in North Cotabato, and the 7th Infantry Battalion of the Army, were armed with two search warrants issued by Judge Alandrex Betoya of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) branch 16 based in nearby Kabacan town.

A search warrant was issued against Kasan, whom the police tagged as their “Target Number 1”; and another warrant was issued against Aban, tagged as PNP’s “Target Number 2.”

Layugan said that even before they could reach the area, they were fired at by the group armed with high-powered firearms.

He said the troops had no choice but to return fire.

Layugan has yet to identify those slain in the firefight but was sure the list included Kasan and Aban, their main targets.

They recovered from the crime scene assorted high-powered firearms and ammunition, including a homemade 50 sniper rifle and a rocket-propelled grenade.

The police have yet to ascertain if Kasan and Aban and their followers have links with drug syndicates operating in North Cotabato and in other areas in south and central Mindanao.

For Layugan, their “Friday mission” was successful because they were able to neutralize a group believed engaged in drug trafficking.

The raid on Friday night was the second biggest, in terms of the number of persons killed during the operation.

Early last year, at least 11 suspected drug personalities were killed after they also engaged with the authorities during the search operation, also in Matalam town.

On July 9, 2016, eight persons were killed and one was arrested in a police operation against an alleged notorious group involved in illegal drugs in Sitio Quiapo, Barangay Poblacion in Matalam, on the first days of the Duterte administration’s war against illegal drugs.

Maj. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, who assumed as the new chief of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division on Saturday reiterated the military’s support to President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs.

“We will sustain our active support in the PNP and PDEA’s (Philippine Drugs Enforcement Agency) campaign on illegal drugs,” he said.

http://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2018/05/drug-raid-kills-9-in-matalam-north-cotabato/

NPA rebel dies, 3 soldiers wounded in Davao Oriental clash

From the Philippine News Agency (May 27): NPA rebel dies, 3 soldiers wounded in Davao Oriental clash

A New People's Army (NPA) rebels was killed while three soldiers were wounded in an encounter in the Davao Oriental town of Lupon on Saturday afternoon.

Chief Insp. Milgrace Driz, Police Regional Office 11 spokesperson, identified the wounded troopers as Sgt. Benjie A. Ortizano, Pfc. Juniel P. Liasgo and Pfc. Warren A. Amora, all members of Army's 2nd Scout Ranger Battalion.

Driz said that based on the report of the Lupon Municipal Police Station, the soldiers were conducting military patrol in Purok Kinawasan in Barangay San Isidro when they chanced upon the rebels.

Army Capt. Victor Inting, the Army's 28th Infantry Battalion civil-military operations officer, said the troops recovered the body of an NPA casualty following the encounter.

He added that the firefight may have resulted in multiple casualties on the part of the rebels.

Inting said the troops also recovered improvised explosive device, wires, blasting caps, rifle grenades, ammunition and personal belongings of the rebels.

He said the wounded soldiers were immediately evacuated by helicopter to Camp Panacan Station Hospital for treatment, while the body of the slain rebel was turned over to local officials for proper disposition.

"All internally displaced persons, as a result of the encounter, were swiftly attended to by the local government officials and agencies," he added.

Inting urged the rebels, especially the wounded, to surrender so that they can be given proper medical care.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1036593

PH to deploy ships, helicopter in 'world's biggest maritime war games'

From the Philippine News Agency (May 27): PH to deploy ships, helicopter in 'world's biggest maritime war games'

For the first time, the Philippine Navy (PN) will deploy two ships and a helicopter to participate in this year "Rim of the Pacific Exercise" (RIMPAC) that will be held off Hawaii.

The maneuvers are considered the world's largest international maritime war games and is led by the US Navy's Pacific Fleet.

Navy spokesperson Capt. Lued Lincuna, in a text message to the Philippine News Agency (PNA) on Saturday, said the PN will deploy one landing dock, one frigate, and one AW-109 helicopter for RIMPAC.

Lincuna, however, declined to identify the participating ships for security reasons but said these vessels and their crew will leave for Hawaii first week of June.

Some 30 navies are expected to participate in this year's RIMPAC, which is usually scheduled for June and July and held every two years.

The naval exercises seek to enhance inter-operability among Pacific Rim armed forces.

Earlier, PN flag-officer-in-command Vice Admiral Robert Empedrad said the Philippines will deploy 700 sailors and marines for RIMPAC 2018.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1036584

Repair of Pag-asa runway ‘consistent with nat’l sovereignty’: Roque

From the Philippine News Agency (May 27): Repair of Pag-asa runway ‘consistent with nat’l sovereignty’: Roque

Malacañang on Saturday welcomed the start of repairs of the runway on Pag-asa Island in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

“Repair of port facilities in Pag-asa is consistent with our national sovereignty and jurisdiction,” Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in a statement sent to media.

Roque made this remark after think tank Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI) announced on its website that the Philippines started long-delayed repairs to its crumbling runway at Pag-asa Island.

According to the AMTI, “Satellite imagery from May 17 shows two barges anchored just off the western edge of the Thitu (Pag-asa) Island runway, which collapsed into the sea years ago.”

“It appears that a grab dredger, consisting of a crane with a clamshell bucket, is installed on the smaller barge to the west, while the other carries a backhoe. Loose sediment from dredging can be seen in the water around the two barges and freshly-deposited sand is visible along the northern edge of the runway,” it added.

The AMTI noted that this method of dredging is similar to that used by Vietnam at many of its outposts in recent years, noting that it affects surrounding reefs at a smaller scale .

According to the AMTI, Philippine defense officials in April 2017 announced that they would be upgrading facilities at the country’s occupied islands and reefs, but little work was apparent until now.

Roque earlier said that Duterte is expected to visit Pag-asa Island within his term to show the country’s claim over the Kalayaan Group of Islands.

“I think, time will really come that the President will visit the Pag-asa Island,” Roque said in an earlier video interview.

Roque said a visit of the President to the Pag-asa Island would serve as a statement of sovereignty.

“If the President will not do it now, I think, before his term will be finished, he will go there, not only to show to the world our entitlement in Kalayaan but to visit our soldiers and our countrymen living there,” he said.

Pag-asa Island is part of the Kalayaan Group of Islands, which is also being claimed by China.

In July 2016, the United Nations-backed Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) ruled in favor of the Philippines’ arbitration case saying that China’s nine-dash line map has no legal basis.

Duterte temporarily shelved the PCA’s decision to give way to friendly and peaceful dialogues with China.

He, however, vowed not give up any of the county's territorial claims in the West Philippine Sea amid China’s alleged militarization of the disputed area.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1036577

18-year-old Abu Sayyaf member in Basilan surrenders

From GMA News (May 26): 18-year-old Abu Sayyaf member in Basilan surrenders

A member of bandit Abu Sayyaf Group has surrendered to authorities in the town of Tipo-Tipo in Basilan province.

Police said Saturday the 18-year-old ASG member who surrendered was identified as Nurin Ajalan, alias "Kureret Usuluddin", married, and a resident of Barangay Sungkayut of Ungkaya Pukan town.

Ajalan also yielded 1 M16 rifle, and 1 M203 grenade launcher. He is now in the police custody.

Police Chief Superintendent Graciano Mijares, director of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Police Office, said the campaign to convince ASG members to return to the fold of law has continued.

"We urge members of the Abu Sayyaf Group to return to the fold of the law and live a normal life," Mijares said during the turnover of Ajalan to local authorities.

Also, he said that collective efforts by Tipo-Tipo officials, elements of the 18th Infantry Brigade of the Philippine Army, and the Tipo-tipo Police led to Ajalan's surrender.

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/regions/654634/18-year-old-abu-sayyaf-member-in-basilan-surrenders/story/

China deploys new weapons systems to Paracel Islands

From Rappler (May 26): China deploys new weapons systems to Paracel Islands

Nearby, the Philippines begins 'long-delayed repairs' to its runway on the Spratly Islands in the West Philippine Sea, says the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative

NEW WEAPONS. China deploys new weapons systems to Woody Island, their base on the Paracel Islands. Photo from CSIS/AMTI/DigitalGlobe

China has deployed several new weapons systems to its largest base on the Paracel Islands in the disputed South China Sea, a Washington-based think tank said.

The Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI) of the Center for Strategic and International Studies reported about these new military platforms on Thursday, May 24.

The AMTI based this report on satellite imagery of Woody Island in the Paracels, taken on May 12.

"Since they are covered, it is difficult to definitively identify the new platforms, but they likely include truck-mounted surface-to-air or anti-ship cruise missiles and accompanying radars," the AMTI said.

The AMTI said the platforms were likely brought in for military drills that took place on May 9, but their prolonged stay suggests that they will be there permanently. China has also deployed two trucks, 4 covered vehicles, and a combat aircraft to Woody Island.

The Paracels, which are occupied and controlled by China, have been claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam, but not the Philippines.

Still, the AMTI said China's movements on Woody Island serve as a blueprint for their deployments to the Spratly Islands, where the Philippines and China are two of 6 claimants.

This report comes after Chinese bombers landed for the first time on May 18 on Woody Island. The AMTI said that "nearly all of the Philippines falls within the radius of the bombers."



Photo from CSIS/AMTI/DigitalGlobe



Photo from CSIS/AMTI/DigitalGlobe
In a separate report, the AMTI released satellite images showing that the Philippines has started "long-delayed repairs" to its runway on Pag-asa Island, the biggest of their 9 outposts in the Spratlys.

The Spratlys can be found in the West Philippine Sea, the part of the South China Sea that belongs to the Philippines.



Photo from CSIS/AMTI/DigitalGlobe

Two dredgers are clearing an area to build a small harbor for large ships to approach with the machinery needed to fix the runway.



Photo from CSIS/AMTI/DigitalGlobe

The runway was constructed in the '70s and is officially 1,300 meters long, but is actually 1,200 because its western end collapsed years ago.

Satellite imagery also shows minor upgrades on Rizal Reef, Lawak Island, and Panata Island. There is a new round-roofed shelter on Rizal reef, a helipad on Lawak Island, and a hexagonal shelter on Panata Island.



Photo from CSIS/AMTI/DigitalGlobe



Photo from CSIS/AMTI/DigitalGlobe



Photo from CSIS/AMTI/DigitalGlobe

China already has 1,652 buildings in the South China Sea, 800 of which can be found in the West Philippine Sea, according to a recent report by Reuters. Some of China's largest outposts have infrastructure that can hold thousands of troops.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has emphasized a "meek and humble" approach to win the favor of Chinese President Xi Jinping, but Acting Chief Justice Antonio Carpio and former Philippine foreign secretary Albert del Rosario have urged the Philippine government to file a diplomatic protest over the Chinese bombers on Woody Island.

https://www.rappler.com/nation/203391-china-weapons-systems-paracel-islands-amti-csis

Gituohang commander sa NPA mi-surrender sa Sasa PNP

From the Radio Mindanao Network (May 26): Gituohang commander sa NPA mi-surrender sa Sasa PNP



Davao City – Boluntaryong mitahan sa kaugalingon ang gituohang usa ka commander sa New People’s Army alas 12:30 sa kaadlawon didto sa presinto sa Sasa Pnp.

Sa report gikan sa Sasa Pnp naila ang surrenderee nga si Marco Partosa alyas Randy, 18 anyos nitibo nga taga Mabini Comval Province.

Atol sa pagtahan ni Partosa iyang gisaysay ug giangkon atubangan sa kapolisan nga usa siya ka sakop sa NPA nga nag- operate sa duha ka probinsya didto sa Comval Davao Oriental ug Davao del Norte.

Dugang niini nga ikaduha na ka higayon nagka-engkwentro didto sa Maco ug Mabini batok sa mga kasundaluhan sulod sa tulo ka tuig niya isip usa ka team leader sa maong kalihukan.

https://rmn.ph/gituohang-commander-sa-npa-mi-surrender-sa-sasa-pnp/

3 soldiers hurt in clash with NPA rebels in Davao Oriental

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (May 27): 3 soldiers hurt in clash with NPA rebels in Davao Oriental

Three soldiers were wounded when government troops and suspected New People’s Army rebels clashed in Lupon town in Davao Oriental on Saturday, the police said.

Soldiers from the Army’s Scout Ranger Battalion were conducting combat operations in Purok (Community) Kinawasan in San Isidro village at 3:24 p.m. when they chanced upon an undetermined number of insurgents, triggering an hour-long firefight, Chief Insp. Milgrace Driz, the spokesperson of the Southern Mindanao police, said.

Quoting a military report, Driz identified those wounded as Sgt. Benjie Ortizano and Privates First Class Juniel Llasgo and Warren Amora.

It was not immediately known if the rebels suffered any casualty.

Saturday’s clash was the latest between government troops and suspected NPA rebels in Southern Mindanao and happened amid fresh hopes of a final peace agreement between the government and the communist rebels to end the nearly half-century communist rebellion that has killed over 40,000 and stunted economic growth in the countryside.

READ: Gov’t, Reds OK interim peace pact

Last week, five soldiers were also wounded in a landmine blast set off by NPA rebels in Mabini, Compostela Valley.

In Tago, Surigao del Sur, suspected communist guerrillas harassed the camp of the 36th Infantry Battalion but had been thwarted on Friday.

Capt. Francisco Garello, the spokesperson of the 36th IB, said at least three NPA rebels – believed to be members of Guerrilla Front 30 – on board a motorcycle fired rifle-launched grenades towards the camp.

“The bravado of communist rebels showed their true nature of insincerity towards the resumption of the peace talks. The NPA had continuously instigated atrocities, not only against military targets but also to innocent civilians,” Lt Col. Xerxes Trinidad, the commander of the 36th IB, said.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/994617/3-soldiers-hurt-in-clash-with-npa-rebels-in-davao-oriental

Sison sets conditions for returning home

From The Gulf News (May 26): Sison sets conditions for returning home

Founder of Communist Party says he will change his mind if the government and NDF sign a comprehensive agreement on reforms

Self-exiled Jose Maria Sison, founder of the 50-year old Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed-wing, the New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) rejected President Rodrigo Duterte’s invitation for a 60-day of peace talks in the Philippines, adding he would change his mind if the government and the National Democratic Front (NDF), CPP-NPA’s negotiating arm, sign a proposed comprehensive agreement on economic and social reform.

“I have always declared that I will return home when substantial progress is already achieved in the peace negotiations and my comrades and lawyers are satisfied with the legal and security guarantees,” Sison told ABS CBN, a TV network.

He referred to the Comprehensive Agreement on Social and Economic Reforms (CASER) which calls for independent foreign policy, massive implementation of agrarian reform programmes, and national industrialisation (in the face of globalisation).

Explaining another reason why he rejected Duterte’s call for him to return to Manila, Sison said, “I would also be placing myself and the entire peace negotiations in the pocket of Duterte and at his mercy,”

“Any peace spoiler or saboteur would be able to destroy the entire peace negotiations by abducting or harming any NDF panellist or consultant,” argued Sison.

There were initial plans for Duterte to attend the signing of the ceasefire agreement in Oslo, capital of Norway, said Sison, adding the government negotiating panel, however, suggested that Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea will represent Duterte in Oslo,

As an alternative, the NDF suggested that Duterte and Sison meet in Hanoi, but the Philippine government and the special envoy of Norway, a peace broker, rejected the plan, said Sison.

Uptil to now, the two camps have not yet agreed on the venue of the meeting, said Sison, adding these were the things that happened before Duterte asked Sison to come home for a two-month of peace talks.

But the holding of peace talks in Manila would be against the original plan to hold them in a foreign and “neutral venue,” argued Sison.

Government and NDF peace negotiators have been holding informal and back channel talks in the Utrecht to hammer provisions of the ceasefire agreement after negotiators signed its framework agreement in the Netherland last April5.

The signing of the detailed ceasefire agreement was scheduled on June 28, Sison said on TV, adding there will be amnesty proclamation for all political prisoners,

Last November, Duterte stopped the holding of peace talks and criticised leftist rebels for attacking government troops and civilians.

Former President Corazon Aquino released Sison from prison in 1986. The waging of failed coups by right wing rebel soldiers (who ousted former President Ferdinand Marcos and propped Aquino to power) prompted Sison to escape to the Netherlands in 1987. Sison was Duterte’s professor in Manila’s Lyceum University in the 70s.

The country’s longest running insurgency has claimed 45,000 since the late 60s.

The government-NDF peace talks started in 1992. For a long time, the two camps have been negotiating on provisions of comprehensive agreements on social and economic reforms and on political and Constitutional reforms — before tackling bilateral ceasefire.

Criticising the great divide between the rich and the poor, the CPP-NPA reached 25,000 in 1968, during the time of former president Marcos; dwindled to 5,000 in 1986 during the time of Aquino. But a 3,800 strong CPP-NPA has remained in control of several “red zones” which hardly receive government services.

https://gulfnews.com/news/asia/philippines/sison-sets-conditions-for-returning-home-1.2227177

PH starts repairs on Pag-asa airstrip

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (May 27): PH starts repairs on Pag-asa airstrip



LONG-NEEDED UPGRADE A May 17 satellite photo (left) from the Washington-based think tank, Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative, shows two barges off the western tip of the airstrip on Pag-asa Island dredging the seabed to repair the dilapidated runway. The May 16 photo at right shows a closer view of one of the barges at work on the 1.3-kilometer crumbling coral airstrip that has become dangerous to aircraft.

The Philippines has started planned upgrades and the repair of the dilapidated runway on Pag-asa (international name: Thitu), the biggest island controlled by Filipino troops in the West Philippine Sea, according to a Washington-based think tank.

Work on the “crumbling airstrip” of Pag-asa appears to have started, the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (Amti) of the Center for Strategic and International Studies said on Saturday.

In a brief statement, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said: “The repair of port facilities in Pag-asa is consistent with our national sovereignty and jurisdiction.”

A military officer who spoke on condition of anonymity would neither confirm nor deny the Amti report, but said that maintenance work on the airstrip had always been done, “otherwise the runway would shorten.”

Amti said satellite images from May 17 showed two barges off the western edge of the runway, which has been eroded over the years.

“It appears that a grab dredger, consisting of a crane with a clamshell bucket, is installed on the smaller barge to the west, while the other carries a backhoe. Loose sediment from dredging can be seen in the water around the two barges and freshly deposited sand is visible along the northern edge of the runway,” Amti said.

It said this dredging method was similar to what Vietnam, another territorial claimant in Spratlys, had been doing at some of its outposts.

“While still harmful to the marine environment, it affects surrounding reefs at a smaller scale and is far less environmentally destructive than the suction cutter dredging undertaken by China, which destroyed thousands of acres of reef from late 2013 to early 2017,” it said, referring to Beijing’s artificial island-building spree.

9 PH-occupied islands

Pag-asa is one of the nine Philippine-occupied islands in the Spratlys, inhabited by about a hundred civilians and a small number of troops. The Philippines was the first to build an island runway among claimants in the Spratlys.

In April 2017, the Philippine government announced that it would repair the runway on Pag-asa and construct a beach ramp or a port to allow ships to bring in construction materials.

Later that year, then Chief of Staff Gen. Eduardo Año cited a nonbinding agreement between China and Southeast Asian countries that allowed the improvement of areas already occupied by claimants, but not new occupations.

Repairs of the eroded airstrip have been stalled for a long time over fears it would displease China. The previous administration had allotted P1.6 billion for the upgrades.

The eroded 1.3-kilometer coral airstrip built in the 1970s has become risky for landing big planes, including several whose tires blew out due to intense braking to prevent them from overshooting the short runway.

Muddy problem

The airstrip also becomes too muddy whenever it rains and pilots have to wait at least three days before they can land.

Early this month, the Inquirer published several close-up photos showing other claimants outpacing the Philippines in fortifying its outposts in the West Philippine Sea. But all their efforts still pale in comparison to China’s garrison-building.

Amti’s satellite images from February 2017 show minor upgrades in Pag-asa last year, including at least seven new buildings and a “fresh coat of paint” on the island’s basketball court.

A satellite photo on May 1, shows a new round-roofed shelter had been built on the eastern size of Rizal Reef (Commodore).

Amti also noted that an empty field on Lawak Island (Nanshan) had been converted into a helipad as of Feb. 20 this year. On Panata Island (Loaita Cay), a new hexagonal shelter was spotted from a May 17 satellite image.

The rest of the Philippines’ outposts in the Spratlys—Kota Island (Loaita), Parola Cay (Northeast Cay), Likas Island (West York), Patag Island (Flat) and Ayungin Shoal (Second Thomas Shoal)—showed no visible upgrades, Amti said.

Lit like Makati

A former commander of the Palawan-based Western Command (Wescom), which oversees the West Philippine Sea, lamented how the Philippines was “far behind” its neighbors in maintaining its outposts in the Spratlys.

“[Our neighbors] have piers and they have long runways similar to international airports. At night we have no lights while theirs is like Makati,” said the former commander, who spoke to the Inquirer on condition of anonymity.

He also said the fear of China had further emboldened the Asian giant to encroach upon the country’s territory.

“As a former Wescom commander, I feel our efforts defending, preserving our territorial integrity became useless,” he said.

“We stood our ground and we were aggressive then—David against Goliath. We saw that they hesitated in bullying us because if they did, they knew we were willing to sacrifice our lives,” he said. “They also knew the international repercussion if they did massacre us. The whole allied nations will gang up on them. They will lose. All we need is to show them we have balls!”

The former Wescom chief said China would not risk starting an armed confrontation but the Philippines must assert the UN-backed international tribunal’s ruling throwing out Beijing’s claims to nearly all of the South China Sea.

‘Psywar’ already lost

He said China knew it would face international sanctions if it made hostile acts against Filipino forces, but Manila already lost the “psywar” (psychological warfare) to Beijing.

“China won’t wallop our islands just like that because other countries will respond,” he said.

He said, however, the country’s allies, including the United States, cannot be expected to start any fight with China. “If you look at the Mutual Defense Treaty, our ally will only come in when we are attacked but they won’t start the fight for us,” he added.

He also disputed the President’s notion that war was the only option to settle the territorial claims.

“There are diplomatic means,” he said. “You can also boost your defenses to show the aggressor that you are willing to put up a fight. Even if you are at a disadvantage, you will face them head on. It’s called patriotism.”

http://globalnation.inquirer.net/167254/ph-starts-repairs-pag-asa-airstrip

Philippine repairs sea outposts

From the Manila Standard (May 27): Philippine repairs sea outposts

The Philippines has begun long-delayed repairs to its crumbling runway in the country’s territory in the disputed Spratly Islands, Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative reported.

The renovation in the Philippines’ nine outposts came amid increasing Chinese military reclamation in the disputed Spratly Island.

The AMTI said the commotion was monitored in February 2017 and May 17, 2018, by its satellites which showed minor improvements to facilities on Pagasa Island (Thitu Island) and three other of its post in 2017 until the present.

“In addition to the runway repairs, a comparison of recent imagery with photos from February 2017 shows minor upgrades to facilities on Thitu and three other outposts in the last year,” the AMTI said.

Pag-asa or Thitu Island is the second largest of the Spratly Island chain with an area of about 91 acres.

The country has already occupied or built structures, and raised the flag over the islands of Pag-asa, Lawak, Patag, Likas, Parola, Panata, and Kota.

Meanwhile, acting Supreme Court Chief Justice Antonio Carpio warned Friday warned that Subi Reef (Zamora Reef) could soon see foreign bombers and fighter jets landing on its runway.

The magistrate, a foremost advocate of the Philippines’ claims in the South China Sea, said this is in light of a recent report that the island was now home to a small town with “sports grounds, neat roads, and large civic buildings,” and could possibly host China’s first troops in the area.

Carpio told reporters the presence of military-grade runways, hangars, hardened storage for ammunition, and retractable roofs for anti-cruise missiles in Chinese military installations in the South China Sea all point to the presence of fighter jets and bombers in the near future.

“What will they do with close-in weapons if not to protect valuable aircraft? All military analysts agree that China will bring their fighter jets and bombers,” he said on the sidelines of a special exhibit of the Murillo-Velarde 1734 Map at the Manila Polo Club in Makati City.

The map was among the close to 300 ancient maps the Philippines submitted to the United Nations arbitral tribunal in pursuing its case against China’s expansive claims to the South China Sea.

The Philippines military has also occupied, controlled, and raised the flag over Rizal Reef and Ayungin Shoal.

Some of these were permanently occupied as early as 1970 (Lawak Island); the latest (Ayungin Shoal) in 1995.

The Island is also home to 100 Filipino civilians—just over 12 nautical miles from China’s air and naval base at Subi Reef.

In April 2017, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana announced the Philippines would be upgrading facilities at the country’s occupied islands and reefs.

“But little work was apparent until now,” the AMTI said.

Satellite imagery from May 17 showed that two barges anchored just off the western edge of the Pagasa Island runway, which reportedly collapsed into the sea years ago.

Grab dredger, consisting of a crane with a clamshell bucket, is also installed on the smaller barge to the west, while the other carries a backhole.

AMTI said there were loose sediment from dredging can be seen in the water around the two barges and freshly-deposited sand is visible along the northern edge of the runway.

“This method of dredging is similar to that used by Vietnam at several of its outposts in recent years,” the US think tank said.

The think tank noted that such repair might be harmful to the marine environment but stressed that China’s suction cutter dredging is more environmentally destructive than the Philippines, destroying thousands of acres of reef from late 2013 to early 2017.

“The coral reef surrounding Thitu makes it impossible for large ships to approach, as evidenced by the rusting hulk of the BRP Lanao del Norte, which ran aground off the northwest edge of the reef in 2004 and is still present,” the Think-tank added.

When repairs to the Thitu runway were previously proposed in 2014 under President Benigno Aquino III’s administration, officials said a channel would need to be dredged to allow larger ships to deliver heavy machinery and construction materials to the island.

The AMTI said it was like that dredging such a channel is still part of the plan under President Rodrigo Duterte’s leadership.

The airstrip at Thitu Island was originally constructed in the 1970s and was the first runway in the Spratly Islands.

It is officially 1,300 meters long, but the real figure is closer to 1,200 due to the collapse of the western end.

That, along with the poor condition of the runway surface, makes landings and takeoffs difficult for Philippine C-130s like the one that carried Gen. Gregorio Catapang Jr., then chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, to the island in May 2015.

In addition to the start of work on the runway, the AMTI said other upgrades were visible around Thitu.

At least seven new buildings have been constructed in the last year, with four near the residential area on the eastern side of the island, one near the administrative facilities at its center, another along the northern shore, and one at the western end next to the island’s basketball court, which has received a fresh coat of paint.

Lorenzana said in November the country had started building a new beach ramp to more easily bring in supplies, but that site could not be seen in the May 17 imagery due to cloud cover and no new ramp was visible as recently as February.

In addition to the upgrades on Thitu, AMTI before-and-after imagery shows minor upgrades at; Commodore, or Rizal, Reef; Nanshan, or Lawak, Island; and Loaita Cay, also called Panata Island.

A new round-roofed shelter has also been constructed on the eastern side of the small Philippine outpost on Commodore Reef, visible in imagery from May 1 showed.

As of Feb. 20, 2018, an empty field on Nanshan Island has been converted into a helipad.

Images also showed that a small sandbar, an additional hexagonal shelter has joined the modest outpost in Loaita Cay on May 17, 2018.

The Philippines mostly administers Loaita Cay from nearby Loaita, or Kota, Island to the southeast.

“The location of this outpost, which the Philippines calls Panata Island, is often misreported as being on Lankiam Cay, to the east of Loaita Island,” the AMTI said.

While reports suggest Lankiam was once a small sandy cay, it appears to have been washed away, leaving only a submerged reef and a small, shifting sand bar.

“If there was ever a Filipino facility there, it was moved to Loaita Cay and took the name ‘Panata Island’ with it,” the think tank said.

While the other five Spratly outposts of the Philippines such as the Loaita Island, Northeast Cay, West York Island, Flat Island, and Second Thomas Shoal. Where the purposely grounded BRP Sierra Madre serves as a permanent facility, show “no visible upgrades in the last year,” the think tank said.

China has been claiming 90 percent or the whole features and waters of the South China Sea, citing the nine-dash line of its so-called ancient Chinese map.

During the Aquino administration, the two countries had a standoff after Chinese fishermen were caught illegally poaching sea turtles and other endangered species.

The Foreign Affairs Department, then led by DFA chief Albert del Rosario and a legal team, filed an arbitration case against China, requesting the International court to declare Beijing’s excessive claim as illegal and a violation against the United Nation Convention on the Law of the Sea.

China, however, did not participate and refuse to acknowledge the ruling and continue to reclaim what they think is theirs.

Duterte, when he assumed his office, shifted the country’s alliances from the US to China and agreed to negotiate the issue bilaterally.

http://manilastandard.net/news/top-stories/266624/philippine-repairs-sea-outposts.html

Air Force played key role in Marawi liberation: AFP chief

From the Philippine News Agency (May 27): Air Force played key role in Marawi liberation: AFP chief

The Air Force played a major role in the government's victory over Maute Group terrorists in the five-month battle to liberate Marawi City, the head of the Philippine military said.

"These airmen demonstrated power that was felt 24/7 wherever they were needed. In the five-month campaign, the Air Force flew more than 1,350 sorties, transported nearly 7,000 soldiers and police personnel, and transported around 700 wounded personnel," Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief-of-Staff Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr. said during the commemoration of the Marawi air campaign held at the Edwin Andrews Air Base, Zamboanga City on Friday.

About 1,000 Air Force personnel, including pilots and ground crews, helped in the Marawi campaign, which began May 23, 2017 and ended in October.

Galvez also acknowledged the efforts of the 205th Tactical Helicopter Wing that provided various types of missions day and night, along with the 220th Airlift Wing that transported military and civilians, supplies, ammunition, and relief goods during the siege.

The 250th Presidential Airlift wing was also recognized for ensuring the safe flight of the Commander-in-Chief, President Rodrigo Duterte, during his visits to the afflicted areas.

“Thank you Philippine Air Force for saving the lives of our soldiers. Thank you for your dedicated service,” Galvez said.

The AFP chief earlier said the Air Force's newly-acquired FA-50PHs contributed much to the battle to win back Marawi, noting that without air support, government losses in the campaign would have been much higher.

About 165 soldiers and police officers were killed in the five-month battle, while some 1,000 Maute-Group terrorists, including the Islamic State "emir" in Southeast Asia, Isnilon Hapilon, and Maute co-founder, Omar Maute, were killed in the government offensive.

"The roar of the FA-50(PH) is the roar to victory. The PAF is the 'Game Changer' during the Marawi campaign. Hanga ako sa (I admire the) Air Warriors for flying day and night just to provide all the needed support of our troops on the ground during the entire campaign. Without our very skilled, focused and hard working pilots, air crew and air controllers, our casualties could have been more,” Galvez said.

The FA-50PHs had its baptism of fire in the Marawi City campaign where it was heavily used for close-air support mission roles along with the venerable OV-10 "Bronco" turbo-prop attack aircraft, SF-260 light bombers and various attack helicopters of the PAF.

The FA-50PHs has a top speed of Mach 1.5 or one-and-a-half times the speed of sound and is capable of being fitted air-to-air missiles, including the AIM-9 "Sidewinder" air-to-air and heat-seeking missiles aside from light automatic cannons.

A total of 12 aircraft were acquired from Korea Aerospaces Industries for PHP18. 9 billion. Delivery commenced in November 2015 and was completed in May 2017.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1036587

Sobejana named as new commander of Army’s 6th Infantry Division (Bio Data)

From the Manila Bulletin (May 27): Sobejana named as new commander of Army’s 6th Infantry Division

Armed Forces of the Philippines-Joint Task Force (AFP-JTF) Sulu commander Brig. Gen. Cirilito E. Sobejana has been designated as the new commander of the Army’s 6th Infantry “Kampilan” Division, during the Change of Command ceremony held at Camp Siongco, Awang, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao.



(Photo via 603 Persuader Brigade Facebook page / MANILA BULLETIN)

A well-decorated military officer, Sobejana replaced Lt. Gen. Arnel B. Dela Vega who recently took the post as commander of the AFP’s Western Mindanao Command (WesMinCom) in Zamboanga City.

No less than Army chief Lt. Gen. Rolando Joselito D. Bautista, graced the turnover ceremony.

The ceremony was highlighted by the giving of plaques of recognition to supportive stakeholders followed by the inauguration and blessing of staff officers’ quarters and pinning of ranks to newly promoted enlisted personnel of the Command.

Sobejana is one of the distinct living heroes of the country being a recipient of “Medal of Valor” for demonstrating bravery and heroism in actual combat. It is distinct and prestigious in the sense that there are only 41 recipients of the most coveted highest military award in the country since 1935.

The new commander of the 6th ID is a professional and well-rounded officer having served in various positions and capacities in the AFP to wit: company and battalion commander, school commandant, and deputy for operations, all with the Army First Scout Ranger Regiment.
He also served as group commander of the Civil-Military Operations Group, executive officer of the Army Resource Management Office, head of the Plans, Policies and Materiel Development Division of the Army Support Command, deputy to the Assistant Chief of Staff for Civil-Military Operations, G7, and chief of the Firepower Division at the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, J4, AFP.

In 2003 to 2004, he also had the chance to serve with the United Nations Mission in East Timor (UNMISET) as military observer.

A proud member of Philippine Military Academy (PMA) class of 1987, Sobejana is also a graduate of various specialized trainings and courses both local and abroad such as Scout Ranger, Special Forces Qualification, Airborne and Scuba Diver courses. He also underwent Nuclear, Biological, Chemical Training at Defense School in Sweden; Operations Research Systems Analysis Course at US Army Logistics Management College, Fort Lee, Virginia; Advanced Security Cooperation Course at Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies, Honolulu, Hawaii; Command and General Staff Course at AFP Command and General Staff College; and Executive Course on National Security Administration.

He is a bemedalled officer earning voluminous awards such as Medal of Valor, Distinguished Conduct Star, two Distinguished Service Stars, Gold Cross Medal, two Bronze Cross Medals, Wounded Personnel Medal (Purple Heart), and several Military Merit and Commendation Medals. He is also a recipient of numerous Certificates of Appreciation and Recognition. Most significant to his accolades is his being adjudged as The Outstanding Philippines Soldier (Combat Category) in 1995 and in 2012 and the Award of Excellence for Public Service from the Governor of his province, Negros Oriental.

Prior to his post, he was the commander of Joint Task Force-Sulu (JTF-Sulu) with the mandate of addressing the threat of terrorism and oversees the imposition of martial law upon President Duterte’s pronouncement and guidance in Sulu archipelago. This aims to facilitate the establishment of peace and tranquility as well as enhance the process of integration, reconciliation and conflict resolution in the area.

His effort resulted in the snowballing of surrenderers comprised of 76 Abu Sayyaf Group. (ASG) members and turnover of 700 firearms which was presented to the President in one of his visits to Patikul, town of Sulu.

In his message, Bautista encouraged all the “Kampilan troopers” to accord Brig. Gen. Sobejana the same support and commitment that they had given to the former commander. He also encouraged everyone to move forward in unison, and keep in-step to achieve greater heights.

Bautista also emphasized that through teamwork great things can be accomplished.

“The Philippine Army is transforming to become a world-class Army with a world-class system and processes. Recently, we were just inducted in the Palladium Balanced Scorecard Hall of Fame. To sustain this, we need the support and participation of the stakeholders for us to create a more sustainable development in support of the Peace and Development Roadmap of the government under the able leadership of President Duterte” Baustista said.

 https://news.mb.com.ph/2018/05/27/sobejana-named-as-new-commander-of-armys-6th-infantry-division/