Soldiers, police block Lumad protesters from Bukidnon

From MindaNews (Dec 11): Soldiers, police block Lumad protesters from Bukidnon

The two boys in front are all eyes to the cultural groups performing during the rally marking the International Human Rights Day in Divisoria, Cagayan de Oro City on Tuesday, December 10, 2018. MindaNews photo by FROILAN GALLARDO

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — Government forces set up several checkpoints along a key highway in Bukidnon to stop a caravan of hundreds of indigenous people from coming down to this city to protest militarization in their villages, but denied allegations they harassed the protesters.

The Manobos from Bukidnon coincided their protest rally with the celebration of the International Human Rights day.

Police detained seven minors who were traveling with the caravan without their parents.

Fr. Allan Khen Apus, spokesperson of Karapatan Northern Mindanao said the caravan was also harassed by military trucks full of soldiers and policemen as it traveled along the Sayre Highway from the Pantaron mountain range in Bukidnon to Cagayan de Oro.

Apus said many of the lumads were forced to sleep Sunday night along the highway on the backs of the trucks that ferried them to Cagayan de Oro.

“All these efforts are made to impede the voices of lumad protesting the militarization in their villages,” he said.

Philippine National Police Northern Mindanao spokesperson Supt. Surki Serenes denied the Army and PNP harassed the caravan of lumads.



Activists wave the banner of Anak Pawis partylist on top of the statue of Katipunan founder Andres Bonifacio in Divisoria in Cagayan de Oro City during the rally marking International Human Rights Day on Monday, December 10, 2018. MindaNews photo by FROILAN GALLARDO

Serenes said the Army and police set up three checkpoints in Malaybalay City and Impasugong town in Bukidnon and Barangay Baloy in Cagayan de Oro.

“We just reinforced these checkpoints. We did not have the intention of stopping the caravan,” he said.

He said the police personnel checked the vehicles for firearms and asked the lumads for identity papers.

He said after checking for guns and identity papers, the caravan was allowed to proceed.

He said the minors were detained at the checkpoint in Baloy when the police found they were traveling without their parents.

Serenes said they were later turned over to the Cagayan de Oro Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) for proper disposition.

He said the CSWDO required the parents of the children to be present during their release.

If the parents could not come, the agency will bring the children back to their villages, he added.

“The PNP is aware of the juvenile justice in our country. We did not detain any minors,” he said.

Lawyer Czarina Musni of the National Union of People’s Lawyers said they have agreed with the CSWDO proposal.

“The CSWD will have the children in custody and if their parents could not come for one reason or another, they will be the ones who will bring them back to their parents,” she said.

Two weeks ago, police and Army soldiers arrested 18 people including former Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo and Act Teachers Rep. France Castro for allegedly taking children from a school for lumads in Talaingod town, Davao del Norte without the consent of their parents.

http://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2018/12/soldiers-police-block-lumad-protesters-from-bukidnon/

Malaysia foils terror attacks, arrests 2 Sayyafs in Sabah

From the Mindanao Examiner (Dec 12): Malaysia foils terror attacks, arrests 2 Sayyafs in Sabah

Two Filipinos who are members of the pro-ISIS militant group Abu Sayyaf, had been captured in Sabah in a fresh crackdown by Malaysian terrorist police in the eastern state near the Philippine border of Tawi-Tawi.

The operation, carried over several days last month, also led to the capture of 5 Malaysian nationals who have links with ISIS in Syria and Jamaa Ansharut Daulah, its largest affiliate in Indonesia. The arrest of the suspects foiled terror attacks in Malaysia, according to a report by Channel News Asia.

Quoting Police Inspector Fuzi Harun, the report said the Abu Sayyaf members – whose identity was not made public – said one of the Abu Sayyaf militants was involved in at least three serial kidnappings in southern Philippines and Sabah.

“The suspect is a member of the Abu Sayyaf group who was involved in at least three serial kidnappings in southern Philippines and Sabah. He is occupied as an individual who is requested by the Eastern Sabah Security Command to assist in criminal investigation in the Eastern Sabah Security Zone,” Fuzi said.

One of the Filipino, 48, was arrested along with his 40-year old Malaysian wife, in Tenom, Sabah. They were also accused of hiding information about the presence of Abu Sayyaf in Sabah.

The capture of the suspects prevented potential terrorist attacks, particularly in non-Muslim sites of worship in Malaysia, as two of its citizens had received orders from the Islamic state to launch attacks in the country.

No other details on the Filipinos were made available by Malaysia or the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila.

https://mindanaoexaminer.com/42886-2/

Tagalog News: IPs sa Agusan Norte kinondena ang mga NPA; nanawagan sa gobyerno na palawigin pa ang Martial Law

From the Philippine Information Agency (Dec 12): Tagalog News: IPs sa Agusan Norte kinondena ang mga NPA; nanawagan sa gobyerno na palawigin pa ang Martial Law

LUNGSOD NG BUTUAN - Kasabay ng selebrasyon ng ika-70 anibersaryo ng Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) dito sa lungsod, mariing kinondena ng mga Indigenous Peoples (IPs) sa Agusan del Norte ang pang-aabuso ng New Peoples Army (NPA) sa kanila at sila ay nanawagan sa pamahalaan na palawigin pa ang pagpapatud ng Martial Law sa Mindanao.

Ayon kay Datu Bawang Eddie Ampiyawan, IPMR ng Agusan del Norte, isang peace rally ang kanilang isinagawa dahil gusto nilang isiwalat ang kasamaan, kasinungalingan at pang-aabuso ng NPA sa mga katutubo.

“Sila (NPA) ang totoong umaabuso. Dahil sila ay pumapatay o pumatay sila sa mga katutubo na wala man lang kadahilanan lalu na sa mga lider namin. Gusto naming ipanawagan sa ating Pangulong Duterte na sana tuldukan na niya o tapusin na niya ang CPP-NPA-NDF. Hanggat may NPA pa lalu na dito sa ancestral domain sa tribu walang katahimikan, walang kapayapaan lalu na walang mangyayaring magandang kinabukasan sa mga katutubo,” pahayag ni Datu Ampiyawan.

Nakiusap din si Datu Ampiyawan sa pamahalaan na palakasin ang pagpapatupad ng seguridad dahil na rin sa patuloy na banta ng terorismo sa Mindanao.

Samantala, binigyang-diin ni Julieto “Tatay Boom” Canoy, na dating naging miyembro ng NPA, layon din ng aktibidad na ialerto ang publiko para makaiwas malinlang sa panloloko ng mga ito.

“Para sa amin na nanggaling sa CPP-NPA-NDF, alam namin na ang pag-martsa sa December 10 ng mga teroristang komunista ay paglinlang lamang sa masa, pero itong martsa/rally na ginagawa namin ngayon ay hindi paglinlang sa masa kundi isang recovery sa mga dati ng nalinlang at sumama sa grupo,” sabi ni Tatay Boom.

Maayos na natapos ang nasabing peace rally ng IP community sa lungsod ng Butuan at nagpalipad ng mga puting lobo na simbolo ng hangaring matamasa ang kapayapaan sa mga katutubo.

https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1016019

Congress grants martial law extension until end of 2019

From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 12): Congress grants martial law extension until end of 2019



The Philippine Congress on Wednesday overwhelmingly voted to extend martial law in Mindanao for the entire 2019.

The Senate and House of Representatives, convening in a joint session, granted President Rodrigo Duterte's request for the extension of martial law and the suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus in Mindanao for a period of one year, from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2019.

A total of 235 members of Congress voted to approve the motion to further extend the proclamation of martial law in Mindanao for another year, while only 28 voted against it. There was only one abstention.

On the part of the Senate, a total of 12 senators voted in favor of the motion, five were against it, and only one abstained.

As for the House, 223 representatives approved the motion and 23 rejected it. No congressman abstained.

Under the Constitution, the Congress, voting jointly, has the sole power to extend martial law. A majority vote of the two chambers is needed to pass the motion.

Majority Leader Rolando Andaya Jr. said the House believes that the security assessment submitted by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) to the President “indubitably” shows the “continuing rebellion in Mindanao,” which compels the further extension of martial law.

In his letter to Congress dated Dec. 6, Duterte cited the security assessment submitted by the AFP and the PNP, indicating that rebellion still persists in Mindanao and that public safety requires the continuation of martial rule in the area.

Duterte said terrorist groups, such as the Abu Sayyaf Group, Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, and Daulah Islamiyah continue to defy the government by perpetrating hostile activities during the extended period of martial law.

"A further extension of the implementation of martial law and suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus in Mindanao will enable the AFP, the PNP, and all other law enforcement agencies to finally put an end to the ongoing rebellion in Mindanao and continue to prevent the same from escalating in other parts of the country," Duterte said in his letter.

"We cannot afford to give the rebels further breathing room to regroup and strengthen their forces. Public safety indubitably requires such further extension in order to avoid the further loss of lives and physical harm, not only to our soldiers and the police, but also to our civilians," he added.

Duterte placed Mindanao under martial law on May 23, 2017, following attacks launched by the terrorist Maute Group in Marawi City.

At the height of the six-month Marawi conflict in July last year, the House granted Duterte’s request for martial law extension until Dec. 31, 2017.

The House and the Senate granted anew the President’s request for the extension of martial law and the suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus for a year, from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2018.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1056438

DND, AFP laud Congress nod on ML extension in Mindanao

From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 12): DND, AFP laud Congress nod on ML extension in Mindanao

The Department of National Defense (DND) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Wednesday welcomed the decision of Congress to extend martial law in Mindanao for another year.

"The Department of National Defense and the Armed Forces of the Philippines are grateful for the overwhelming vote of confidence of our legislators as well as the strong support of the Filipino people, especially of the Mindanaoans, which made possible the third Congressional Extension of Martial Law in Mindanao," Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said in a statement to reporters Wednesday.

He added that the AFP will continue to uphold its mandate of defending the sovereignty of the state, upholding the integrity of Philippine territory and protecting the democratic way of life of the Filipino people, with full respect for human rights, international humanitarian law and the primacy of the rule of law.

"Pakaiingatan po namin ang tiwalang ito mula sa sambayanan at makakaasa po kayo na hindi ito masasayang (Rest assured that we will uphold the people's trust)," Lorenzana said.

Lorenzana's statements were echoed by AFP spokesperson Brig. Edgard Arevalo.

“We appreciate this grant that lengthens the period of martial law implementation mindful that it is impressed with enormous responsibility on the part of the Armed Forces of the Philippines to quell the rebellion that persists in Mindanao and prevent lawless violence by local terrorist groups from spreading to other parts of the country," he added.

In a 235-28-1 vote, Congress, in a joint session, voted to approve the extension of martial law in Mindanao until Dec. 31, 2019.

“Apart from that reason, the extension seeks not only to sustain the economic gains owing to the peace and security in Mindanao, it also responds to positively to the clamor of local government executives to extend martial law implementation in the island because of law and order it provides to their constituents," Arevalo added.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) also welcomed the Congress' decision.

"This is a good day for the people of Mindanao to be assured of another full year of peace and security against the imminent threat of violence from extremist and communist terrorist forces," PNP chief, Director General Oscar Albayalde, said in a statement.

Albayalde assured that there will be no let-up in police operations against lawless elements.

The AFP recommended another year-long extension of martial law in the above-mentioned island in a bid to totally neutralize terror groups still operating in Mindanao.

Earlier, Malacañang said it would depend on the recommendation of the AFP on whether martial law will be extended after the end of the year. Martial law in Mindanao was declared on May 23, 2017 following attacks launched by the Maute Group in Marawi City.

The House of Representatives, in a special joint session in July last year, granted the extension of martial law until Dec. 31, 2017 at the President's request.

In another joint session in December 2017, granted the Chief Executive's request for the extension of martial law and the suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus for a period of one year from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2018.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1056451

Balangiga Bells on display for public viewing at PAF museum

From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 12): Balangiga Bells on display for public viewing at PAF museum



The newly-returned Balangiga Bells will be on display and public viewing at the Philippine Air Force (PAF) Aerospace Museum at Villamor Air Base, Sales Road, Pasay City until Thursday.

In a statement Wednesday, Defense spokesperson Arsenio Andolong said that entry is at Gate 4 of the military facility.

"Visitors are advised to observe the dress code, which prohibits the wearing of sandos and slippers, and to refrain from touching the displays, using flash photography, capturing videos, or bringing food and drinks, when they enter the museum. Foreigners are required to present identification cards or their passports," he added.

The Balangiga Bells were returned by the United States to the Philippines through a handover ceremony between the US Department of Defense and the Department of National Defense (DND) held at the PAF Grandstand on Tuesday.

"Interested parties are requested to contact the Philippine Air Force Aerospace Museum to inform them of their intent to visit the Balangiga Bells as well as the Museum. The Museum can be reached through their office cellphone numbers which are 0917-680-8098 and 0939-256-1100," Andolong added.

“After one 117 years, the bells of Balangiga are coming home and will once again take its place in the Balangiga Church,” Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana earlier said.

The bells were seized and declared as war trophies by US troops during the aftermath of the infamous Balangiga Massacre which took place in Sept. 28, 1901.

“There was once a time when the bells of Balangiga pealed to a different beat, encompassing a dark and painful episode in history which nonetheless teaches a lesson that nobody wins in war.”

Two of the three bells used to be enshrined at Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, Wyoming while the third bell was at Camp Red Cloud in South Korea.

The Balangiga Bells were at the crux of the struggle of the people of Samar, amid a dark period in the Philippine-American relationship during the war at the turn of the twentieth century.

Lorenzana asserted that, after more than a century, the return of the bells to the Philippines from the United States now symbolizes the two countries’ “shared histories and ideals, new beginnings, renewed friendships and a stronger brotherhood.”

http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1056459

Tribal leader survives gun attack in Maguindanao

From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 12): Tribal leader survives gun attack in Maguindanao



DATU ODIN SINSUAT, Maguindanao  – Gunmen shot and injured a tribal leader in Ampatuan, Maguindanao on Tuesday evening, police said.

Senior Supt. Madzgani Mukaram, Maguindanao police director, identified the victim as Oscar Andig, 62, of Barangay Saniag, Ampatuan, Maguindanao.

Mukaram said Andig, a tribal leader of Teduray community, was to take his horse at about 8 p.m. when an armed man approached and shot him four times.

The gunman fled with the victim’s horse as Andig fell to the ground with four bullet wounds. Villagers rushed the victim to the Maguindanao provincial hospital in nearby Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao.

“Andig was transferred to a Cotabato City hospital where he is now in stable condition. We are still trying to determine the motive of the attack,” Mukaram said in a phone interview.

Meanwhile, gunmen shot dead a former village official of Duguengen in Shariff Saydona Mustapha town of the same province.

Senior Insp. Benjie Abellera, town police chief, identified the victim as Solaiman Ismael, 46, former village councilor of Duguengen.

Abellera said the victim was on board his motorbike when waylaid by M16-wielding gunmen in the area Tuesday.

“The victim did not reach the hospital alive,” Abellera said. Police investigators are still trying to identify the people behind the ambush.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1056424

3 settlement sites awarded to former breakaway rebels in NegOcc

From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 12): 3 settlement sites awarded to former breakaway rebels in NegOcc

ASSISTANCE TO EX-REBELS. Former members of a breakaway rebel group in Negros Occidental receive settlement areas as part of the government’s commitment to the peace pact signed 18 years ago.(From left) Environment Assistant Secretary Joan Lagunda, Negros Occidental Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr., Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Special Assistant to the Secretary Milo Ibrado Jr., and Kapatiran chair Veronica Tabara attended the Community-Based Forest Management Agreement Awarding Ceremony held at the Social Hall of the Provincial Capitol in Bacolod City on Tuesday (December 11, 20118).  (Photo courtesy of Richard Malihan/Negros Occidental Capitol PIO) 
 

BACOLOD CITY -- Former members of a breakaway rebel group in Negros Occidental were awarded settlement areas as part of the government’s commitment to the peace pact signed 18 years ago.

The profiled beneficiaries belong to the Tabara-Paduano Group of the Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa ng Pilipinas/Revolutionary Proletarian Army-Alex Boncayao Brigade (RPM-P/RPA-ABB), which took on the name Kapatiran para sa Progresibong Panlipunan Inc. as part of its institutional transformation.

“Tutulong ang OPAPP (Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process) sa amin para magkaroon ng housing (The OPAPP will assist us in putting up housing),” said Kapatiran chairperson Veronica Tabara, who represented her group during the Community-Based Forest Management Agreement (CBFMA) Awarding Ceremony held at the Social Hall of the provincial capitol here on Tuesday.

She noted that under the peace agreement, they have agreed to stay together in one area as part of the cessation of hostilities.

“We will build houses and set up livelihood projects based on the tenurial instrument under the guidelines of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Community Resource Management Framework Plan,” she said.

Environment Assistant Secretary Joan Lagunda and OPAPP Special Assistant to the Secretary Milo Ibrado Jr., with Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr., led the awarding of the peace and development community sites.

The three settlement areas covered by the CBFMAs are located in Kabankalan City, for 80 beneficiaries; Cadiz City, 73 beneficiaries; and San Carlos City, about 180 beneficiaries.

The CBFMA is covered by the memorandum of agreement as tenurial instrument within the protected area where members of the Kapatiran serve as forest guards.

Lagunda said the DENR is committed to provide employment to the beneficiaries by hiring them as forest guards.

Ibrado said the aim is to fulfill the commitments of the peace agreement between the government and the RPM-P/RPA-ABB before the end of President Rodrigo Duterte’s term in 2022.

“There was an implementing document during the time of former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, but it was not very clear. We have a final implementing document that will define all aspects of implementation and majority of these programs and projects will be implemented in three years from now,” he added.

The RPM-P/RPA-ABB, a breakaway group of the New People’s Army (NPA), signed the peace agreement with the government on December 6, 2000.

They later split into two -- the Tabara-Paduano Group (TPG) led by Veronica Tabara and Stephen Paduano, and the Nilo de la Cruz Group.

Eventually, it was only the TPG which continued the process of finalizing a draft closure agreement with the government.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1056421

Woman abducted in Camarines Sur

From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 12): Woman abducted in Camarines Sur

A woman was snatched by a group of armed men from her residence located in a remote village of Bula town in Camarines Sur province, around midnight on Tuesday.

Chief Insp. Maria Luisa Calubaquib, Police Regional Office-5 spokesperson, identified the victim as Judy Asaula, 47, married, of Barangay Palsong in said town.

Judy's husband Philbert was hurt when one of the 10 armed men fired at him and hit his right hand, Calubaquib said.

The police has sought the help of the military in conducting a search and pursuit operation against the attackers.

Calubaquib also said investigators are still determining the motive of the abduction.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1056448

Martial law extension a 'victory' for Mindanao IPs

From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 12): Martial law extension a 'victory' for Mindanao IPs

Saying they need protection from communist insurgents, a group of Indigenous People (IP) leaders hailed the extension of martial law in Mindanao.

Datu Armando Bravo, founder and executive director of Lumad Mindanao Movement for Peace and Development, said Wednesday's decision of both chambers of Congress to extend martial law on the island was a victory for tribal groups, which have long suffered from the "atrocities" of the New People's Army (NPA).


Bravo said the real enemy of the tribal communities is the NPA -- the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines -- which he blamed for a number of human rights abuses, particularly in Bukidnon province.

"We are a peace-loving people. But why are the NPAs killing us? The military is their enemy -- not us," the IP leader said.

On Dec. 10, Bravo and his group -- along with other pro-martial law advocates -- staged a rally in the city in observance of the International Human Rights Day.

Also on that day, the Regional Peace and Order Council in Region 10 (RPOC-10) issued a resolution in support of martial law extension.

However, an RPOC-10 member -- the Balay Mindanaw, a non-government organization -- opposed the resolution, describing martial law as a threat to the "democratic rights of citizens.”

Instead, Balay Mindanaw called on Congress to pass "a new and more humane Human Security Act to effectively counter the threats and address the roots of the problems, rather than the government resorting to blanket martial law declaration."

Enacted on February 8, 2007, Republic Act 9372 or the Human Security Act of 2007 is the country’s primary anti-terrorism law aimed at addressing internal security threats, such as terrorism.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1056514

Davao officials hail extension of martial law in Mindanao

From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 12): Davao officials hail extension of martial law in Mindanao



Government officials in Davao Region on Friday welcomed the extension of martial law in Mindanao, saying it would help sustain the gains in the local governments’ peace and development initiatives.

Compostela Valley Governor Jayvee Tyron Uy noted that since martial law was declared in Mindanao last year, crime rate has gone down in the province while it encouraged the surrender of New People’s Army (NPA) rebels.


The stable peace and order situation, Uy said, has created a climate conducive for business and investments.

“We attributed this success to enhanced security measures implemented due to martial law declaration,” Uy said in a statement released by the Provincial Information Office.

“Keeping peace is not an easy business. It requires no less than the unity of vision and coherence in every action,” Uy added.

Davao del Norte (2nd District)  Rep. Antonio “Tonyboy” Floirendo Jr. said he fully supports the extension of martial law in Mindanao, saying it has helped put a stop to "the proliferation of lawless elements" on the island.

“It is high time, an opportunity, for our security forces, local government units and the people to unite and stop the plague of terrorism from spreading like wildfire,” Floirendo said.

According to Floirendo, martial law would ensure the growth of the communities including industries, especially that the government's “Build, Build, Build" program is making headway in Mindanao.

He said martial law will generate "infrastructure projects in the provinces like roads, bridges, seaports and a train system, not to mention the rehabilitation of Marawi City."

In an earlier statement, Davao Occidental Governor Claude Bautista said an extension of martial in Mindanao was a positive move for the government to keep track of bad elements "who are just lying low,  waiting for the right timing to make another strike."

Bautista said martial law resulted in the remarkable decline in recorded crimes in the province, including drug-related cases.

“With the continued implementation of martial law, peace and development will be sustained for the coming years not only in my province but also the rest of the provinces in Mindanao,” Bautista said.

In a joint session on Wednesday, members of the House of Representatives and the Senate approved the extension of martial law in Mindanao and the suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus until December 31, 2019.

In another joint session in December last year, the Senate and House of Representatives granted the Chief Executive's request for the extension of martial law and the suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus until Dec. 31, 2018.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1056517

Motorcycle-riding gunmen kill project engineer in Basilan

From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 12): Motorcycle-riding gunmen kill project engineer in Basilan

Riding-in-tandem gunmen killed Engineer Elvin Sabdulla, 44, of the Triple H construction firm that is undertaking a government road construction project, on Wednesday in Isabela City, Basilan. (Photo courtesy: Isabela City Police Station) 

Police are investigating the killing of an engineer overseeing the implementation of a government project in Basilan province.

Senior Insp. Arnold Espares, Isabela City police chief for investigation, identified the victim as Engr. Elvin Sabdulla, 44, a resident of Barangay Balas, Lamitan City, Basilan.

Espares said that Sabdulla was shot dead by motorcycle-riding gunmen around 10 a.m. Wednesday in Barangay Cabunbata, Isabela City, the capital of Basilan province.

Espares said Sabdulla was a project engineer of the Lamitan City-based Triple H Construction Firm that is implementing a government road construction project in Isabela City.

Sabdulla succumbed to eight gunshot wounds fired from a caliber .45 pistol. Eight empty shells were recovered at the crime scene.

Police said the suspects sped off towards the direction of Lantawan municipality.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1056475

Tribal leader ambushed in Surigao Sur town

From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 12): Tribal leader ambushed in Surigao Sur town



An Indigenous Peoples (IP) leader who has vocally opposed the presence of the New People's Army (NPA) in tribal lands escaped death following an ambush by still undetermined number of armed men believed to be communist rebels in the Surigao del Sur town of Lianga Wednesday.

Datu Jumar Bocales, 46, the Manobo leader of of Barangay Ganayon and his companions were on board two motorcycles when  attacked in Barangay San Isidro, Lianga, at around 1:40 p.m. while on their way home.

Capt. Francisco Garello Jr., civil-military officer of the Army's 36th Infantry Battalion, said it was fortunate that Bocales escaped even if he sustained a gunshot wound on his left arm.

Garello said Bocales was able to reach Lianga police station and reported the incident to policemen, who immediately rushed him to the hospital for treatment.

A member of the Council of Elders, Bocales was also a former NPA member but surrendered to government forces recently. He has been vocal in opposing the presence of communist rebels in Lianga, where he said they continued to commit various atrocities against the IPs.

Recently, Bocales joined other IP leaders in rallies in Manila and Talaingod, Compostela Valley, to condemn NPA atrocities. He was with tribal leaders who met with President Rodrigo Duterte last month to seek help against the communist rebels.

“As a tribal leader he is deeply involved in protecting his tribe’s ancestral domain with the support of the local government unit of Lianga,” Garello said.

Bocales was one of the 42 tribal leaders who signed a manifesto early this month condemning the NPA for violating IP rights by entering ancestral lands without the clan’s permission, and for forcing IP youths to join the communist rebel movement.

He also alleged that NPA and its political arm--the Communist Party of the Philippines--have already "infiltrated  tribal lands in Mindanao, creating divisions and sowing chaos in the rebels' goal to topple the government through violent means.

IP leaders issued the manifesto following the alleged trafficking and exploitation of 14 IP children in Talaingod town at the hands of Bayan Muna leader Satur Ocampo and 17 other companions.

Bayan Muna and other leftist organizations have long been suspected by the military of being "fronts" of the NPA, which is listed by the United States as a terrorist organization.

The incident in Talaingod prompted the Mindanao Council of Elders to ban all non-government and even government organizations from tribal lands without first obtaining "free and prior informed consent" from their leaders.

Garello said the attempt on Bocales' life is now being investigated by a joint police and military team.

The Surigao del Sur Police Provincial Office has also directed its units to ensure the protection of IP leaders in the province.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1056525

NPAs declared ‘persona non grata’ by NoCot villagers

From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 11): NPAs declared ‘persona non grata’ by NoCot villagers




Officials and residents of Barangay Datu Ladayon, Arakan, North Cotabato, had declared communist New People’s Army (NPA) rebels as "persona non grata" or unwelcome, unacceptable people.

The declaration was issued during a peace rally held at the village on Sunday.

“We have long been suffering from the abuses of the NPA in our area,” Jonathan Ramirez, village chairman, said over a local radio station Tuesday.

He said their lives have been severely affected by the frequent visits of members of the NPA’s Guerilla Front 53 and Pulang Bagani Command in their area for the past several months.

“They have been demanding revolutionary taxes from the villagers and this is too much,” he said in the vernacular.

The village is known as the "strawberry capital" of Arakan and North Cotabato.

It is also famous for its Matigol Falls, which is frequented by tourists in the village’s Sitio Matigol, a Manobo tribal community.

Ramirez said they only felt relief following the recent arrival of the Army’s 19th Infantry Battalion (IB) in their area.

“With the Army now here with us, we are somehow relieved from the fear of the NPA coming in and out of our village anytime,” he said.

The Army 19th IB, headed by Lt. Col. Elrich Paraso, has set a detachment in the area to fend off NPA rebels from disturbing the serenity of the village.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1056303

Return of Balangiga Bells heralds US-PH ties' future: envoy

From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 11): Return of Balangiga Bells heralds US-PH ties' future: envoy

HISTORIC RETURN OF BALANGIGA BELLS. Military personnel arrange the three Balangiga bells upon arrival at the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City on Tuesday (Dec. 11, 2018). After 117 years, the bells, taken as war booties by US troops during the height of the Philippine-American War, have returned to the country. (PNA photo by Joey O. Razon)
As the United States and the Philippines "closed a painful chapter" in their history with the return of the Balangiga Bells, the two nations' ties are poised to grow even stronger from its already ironclad relations, Ambassador Sung Kim said Tuesday.

"The return of the Bells of Balangiga lets us reflect on the US-Philippine relationship -- where we have been, where we are, where we are going," he said during the arrival ceremony of the bells at the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City.

Kim said the war artifacts' repatriation demonstrates Washington's determination to honor the past and the sacrifices made together by Filipinos and Americans.

"And it heralds our bright future as friends, partners, and allies," he stressed.

Since former President Fidel V. Ramos first raised the issue of the bells with then US President Bill Clinton in 1993, Kim said "virtually every Philippine president" has pressed for the bells’ return.

When President Rodrigo R. Duterte made an appeal for the bells’ return during his 2017 State of the Nation address, Kim said he was there and "heard his passionate call loud and clear."

Kim said the chief executive, who then followed up with a personal appeal to Secretary of Defense James Mattis, recognized that returning the bells is "the right thing to do."

On Tuesday, the three Balangiga Bells arrived in Manila from the Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan. Duterte is expected to personally see the delivery of the bells back to Eastern Samar on Saturday (Dec. 15).

Following the "Balangiga Massacre" in 1901, the bells were taken as war booty from Balangiga’s San Lorenzo de Martir Church.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1056328