NBI nabs suspected terrorist in Bataan

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (May 23, 2019): NBI nabs suspected terrorist in Bataan

BALANGA CITY, Bataan — A suspected terrorist working as a security guard in Bulacan and Bataan provinces was arrested by agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) inside a fast food restaurant in Balanga City, police said.

NBI agents arrested Musa Sampang, 45, from Manila on Monday after they have been tipped off that Sampang was a member of a terrorist group in Mindanao, said Police Col. Eduardo Guevarra, Balanga City police chief, in a belated report.

Guevarra refused to give details of the arrest, saying the operation was carried out by NBI agents.

Sampang’s wife Ana visited her husband at the NBI detention cell in Taft Avenue, Manila on Wednesday and confirmed Musa was being tagged as a member of a terrorist group, which the couple denied.

Sampang once worked as a security guard during the construction stage of the one-stop shop building in the provincial capital of Bataan.

But Sampang said he used to be a member of the Moro National Liberation Front of Nur Misuari.

The NBI tagged Sampang as the driver of a getaway vehicle involved in the Basilan bombing last year, which Sampang also denied.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1122428/nbi-nabs-suspected-terrorist-in-bataan

Marawi’s fallen soldiers remembered on 2nd anniversary of conflict

From GMA News Online (May 23, 2019): Marawi’s fallen soldiers remembered on 2nd anniversary of conflict

The valiant soldiers who offered their lives for Marawi City's liberation from terrorists in 2017 were commemorated at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Taguig during the second anniversary of the start of the five-month conflict on Thursday.

“By commemorating the lives of uniformed personnel who perished during the siege of Marawi City, civilians and uniformed personnel alike, we remind the Nation that together as in one people, one nation, in the name of God, the Filipino can and the Filipino is invincible,” said former Joint Task Force Marawi commander and incumbent Social Welfare and Development Secretary Rolando Joselito Bautista in a speech.

More than 160 soldiers and policemen were remembered in a holy mass and a wreath-laying ceremony at the Marawi Pylon in the cemetery.

Family members of the fallen troops were also present.

Philippine Army

on Thursday

Army commemorates Marawi Siege anniversary

FORT BONIFACIO, Metro Manila – The Philippine Army commemorates the 2nd Marawi Siege anniversary today, May 23, 2019 to honor the government forces that liberated Marawi City from the Islamic State-inspired Maute terrorists.

Active and retired Marawi commanders, personnel involved in the Marawi campaign, civilian employees, and dependents of fallen Marawi soldiers gathered together in a holy mass and wreath-laying ceremony at the Mar...

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Two years ago, members of the ISIS-inspired Maute Group besieged the Islamic City. The firefight lasted for five months, claiming lives of government security forces and some civilians, and displacing thousands of families.

Task Force Bangon Marawi chairperson Eduardo del Rosario said that the government targets to complete the rehabilitation efforts in December 2021.

Clearing of unexploded pieces of ordnance in the main battleground is ongoing while the massive demolition of bullet-ridden structures is expected to start in June.

Residents will be allowed to start rebuilding their houses inside the most affected area in July.

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/695459/marawi-rsquo-s-fallen-soldiers-remembered-on-2nd-anniversary-of-conflict/story/

Parlade renews call for Makabayan to condemn CPP-NPA amid killings

From the Philippine News Agency (May 24, 2019): Parlade renews call for Makabayan to condemn CPP-NPA amid killings

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Deputy Chief-of-Staff for Civil-Military Operations, Major Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr., on Friday renewed his call for the Makabayan bloc in Congress, and human rights defenders to condemn the Communist Party of the Philippines - New People's Army (CPP-NPA) after the recent killings in Agusan del Norte, and Surigao.

"There is an upsurge of killings in Agusan and Surigao by the communist terrorist groups CPP-NPA. Again why haven’t we heard from Joma's (Jose Maria Sison) stooges from Bayan Muna, NUPL (National Union of Peoples Lawyers), Karapatan, Kabataan, etc.?," Parlade said in a statement.

Parlade cited the recent spate of killings in the three provinces and the participation of the left in the said killings.

He also tagged the CPP-NPA for the murder of Marino Cabag last May 16 in Brgy. Guinabsan, Buenavista, Agusan del Norte.

"He was suspected to be an asset of the government when in truth, he is not," he said on Cabag's murder.

Parlade also cited the case of Datu Rodeto Buklas, a Mamanwa leader, who was allegedly kidnapped by NPAs in Sitio, Dakulang, Bangonay, Jabonga, Agusan del Norte on May 20. Buklas’ body was found with multiple stabbed wounds hours later in Sitio Amontay, Bangonay.

"On the same day, CAFGU (Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit) member Fijie Ignalig was shot dead by NPA terrorists in Sto. Rosario, Bacuag, Surigao del Norte. The next day, May 21, 2019, another CAFGU member, Ronald Borja Contemplo, was shot dead by communists in Brgy. Anomar, Surigao City," he added.

Left's arrogance

Parlade, also a ranking official of the National Task Force to end Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), called out the arrogance of the Makabayan bloc even after losing their hold in the 2019 midterm elections.

"After obviously being shamed and discredited by millions of their former supporters during the last election, these gangsters have continuously shown their arrogance and the blatant disregard of the human rights of our fellow Filipinos without let up," he said.

Left-leaning groups that once dominated the party-list race fell back in the 2019 mid-term polls, giving way to the Tulfo brothers-backed Anti-Crime and Terrorism through Community Involvement and Support (ACT-CIS) to rise on top.

Parlade said he expected the non-condemnation of the CPP-NPA by the leftist Congressional bloc. He said the left is supporting the armed struggle while trying to take advantage of the parliamentary struggle.

"And now that the people have shown their disgust over this duplicity, they start to rant about being cheated in the electoral exercise. They want to have their cake and eat it too," he said.

The people, he said, are against the type of government that the leftists are trying to push for.

"These people fight their government because what they want to establish is a proletarian dictatorship. And yet they charge the government of being a tyrant. They want to put up a People's Democratic Republic, like that of North Korea and Vietnam which do not believe in election, yet they participate in a democratic electoral process," he said.

"The people have made its judgment and then they convene Kontra Daya because the masses they claim to be theirs supported the candidates of a regime they perceive to be a tyrant," he added.

Parlade said the people themselves will condemn the CPP-NPA and Makabayan bloc in the future.

"More people are now aware of these revolutionary dual tactics of the Kamatayan (Makabayan) bloc and the CPP-NDF. It’s only a matter of time when people will start to condemn you. Before that happens, you'd better start denouncing these violence and killing spree of the terrorist CPP-NPA-NDF, if you are not part of them," he said.

The CPP-NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, European Union, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1070608

8th TSC Commander visits Manila, hopes to increase exchanges with Philippine Army

Posted to the Defense Video Information Distribution System (DVIDS) (Apr 30, 2019): 8th TSC Commander visits Manila, hopes to increase exchanges with Philippine Army



Photo By Staff Sgt. John Portela | Maj. Gen. Charles R. Hamilton, Commanding General for the 8th Theater Sustainment (left) and Lt. Gen. Macairog Alberto, Commanding General of the Philippine Army discuss opportunities for more subject matter exchanges and training opportunities between both armies. Hamilton visited the Philippines from April 28-30 to increase dialogue in the topic of sustainment. He also emphasized the importance of interoperability between the U.S. and the Philippines military forces as being essential to maintaining stability in the Pacific region.

MANILA, Philippines – Maj. Gen. Charles R. Hamilton, Commander of the 8th Theater Sustainment Command, based in Fort Shafter, Hawaii visited the Philippines, April 28-30, to seek more training opportunities and subject matter exchanges with the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

The 8th TSC serves as the military’s senior logistics command for Indo-Pacific Command’s area of responsibility, ensuring sustainment conditions are set for a stable and secure Pacific region.

Hamilton met with Lt. Gen. Macairog Alberto, Commanding General of the Philippine Army and also had engagements with Maj. Gen. Rizaldo B. Limosa, Philippine Army Vice Commander; Maj. Gen. Byron H. Calimag, Commander for Army Support Command; and Maj. Gen. Pio Q. Dinoso III, the Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, J4.

Hamilton emphasized the need for more dialogue in the topic of sustainment as an opportunity to tap into the talent and knowledge base that resides in both armies.

“We all know the challenges of the Pacific region and understand that we cannot overcome these challenges alone,” said Hamilton. “Interoperability between our forces is essential to solving regional problems and maintaining stability in the Pacific.”

Throughout his visit, Hamilton also highlighted the strong and historic bonds shared by the U.S. and the Philippines.

“These engagements are the foundation to sustaining the strong partnerships and friendships between our countries and armed forces,” said Hamilton. The Philippine and U.S. military collaboration has served as the cornerstone for stability for the Pacific region for decades.”

https://www.dvidshub.net/news/323682/8th-tsc-commander-visits-manila-hopes-increase-exchanges-with-philippine-army

Envoy: PH-US military pact crucial to keeping region stable

From the Manila Standard (May 24, 2019): Envoy: PH-US military pact crucial to keeping region stable

The military alliance between the United States and the Philippines remains critically significant to maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, including in the hotly contested South China Sea, US Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim said Thursday.
Because of this, the US will continue to conduct joint military activities with the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Kim said.

The United States, he added, had a serious interest in and was closely monitoring developments in the South China Sea.

In 2016, the Philippines won a favorable decision from the Permanent Court of Arbitration when it junked the “nine-dash line” claims of China over the South China Sea, but Beijing refused to recognize the arbitral ruling.

Apart from the Philippines, the other claimants of the disputed territory include Taiwan and ASEAN member-states Brunei, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam.

At the same forum, Kim said US concerns with the Chinese firm Huawei Technologies are very serious.

“It’s important as a friend, as a party, and as an ally to share our concerns with the Philippines and other partners with the region and beyond. You know these are very serious concerns,” Kim told reporters.


But the US envoy said that they are leaving the decision up to policymakers and private sector leaders in the country on how they will address Huawei issue.


US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo earlier warned the Philippine government against partnering with the Chinese tech firm amid allegations that it could be spying for the Chinese government.

Kim said that they have widely shared their information on Huawei and that the policymakers and private sector leaders in the Philippines are aware of the supposed security threat.

“Frankly, it’s not just concerns of the United States. I think many countries share those concerns,” the US envoy said.

On Wednesday, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. said the government would get a new imagery satellite in July to improve maritime security amid reports that Chinese clam harvesting vessels were back in Philippine-claimed areas of the South China Sea.



http://www.manilastandard.net/news/top-stories/295495/envoy-ph-us-military-pact-crucial-to-keeping-region-stable-.html

Duterte’s anti-Red strategy now in Central Luzo

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (May 23, 2019): Duterte’s anti-Red strategy now in Central Luzon

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO — President Duterte has brought to Central Luzon his “whole-of-nation” approach in ending the insurgency.

Executive Order No. 70 established the new approach.

Led by presidential peace adviser Carlito Galvez, the body called Cabinet Officer for Regional Development and Security (Cords) met in this Pampanga capital on Wednesday.

In a statement by the Office of Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, Galvez said Duterte tasked 16 Cabinet members to oversee Cords, which was created on May 6.

Galvez said the cabinet officials would “assist the President in the speedy, efficient and orderly resolution of problems in government operations.”

The first meeting gathered top officials of the military, police, and line agencies to synchronize their efforts to “eradicate the threat of insurgent group.”

Galvez explained that the whole-of-nation approach came after President terminated the peace talks with the Communist Party of the Philippines, its front, and military arm, the New People’s Army.

So far, the towns of Doña Remedios Trinidad in Bulacan and Carranglan in Nueva Ecija have pioneered in declaring the communist rebels persona non grata (unwelcome persons) last March.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1122581/dutertes-anti-red-strategy-now-in-central-luzon

Three leftist rebels killed in Philippine clash

From Xinhua (May 23, 2019): Three leftist rebels killed in Philippine clash

Three leftist rebels have been killed in a clash with the government troops in the Philippines, the military said on Thursday.

Patrick Jay Retumban, the spokesman of the Philippine Army's 2nd Infantry Division, said fighting broke out at around 9:41 a.m. on Wednesday between government security forces and some 20 New People's Army (NPA) rebels in a village in Occidental Mindoro province, killing at least three guerrillas.

Government troops also recovered five improvised explosive devices and other weapons from the NPA soldiers, he added.

The NPA rebels, the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, have been trying to overthrow the government for 50 years. The military said the group has an estimated 3,500 cadres.

Several attempts were made since the 1980s to forge a peace pact between the government and the NPA rebels but failed.

The current administration leading by the Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte also made an attempt but also failed. Fresh peace talks between the Duterte government and the NPA were suspended again in 2017.

The Philippine president said in March that he had no more plan to reopen the talks during his term which ends in 2022.

http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-05/23/c_138083277.htm

NPA owns slay of cop in Agusan del Norte

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (May 23, 2019): NPA owns slay of cop in Agusan del Norte

BUTUAN CITY — The New People’s Army (NPA) has claimed responsibility for the killing of a police officer in Carmen town in Agusan del Norte on Wednesday, May 22.

Omar Ibarra, spokesperson of the NPA Guerrilla Front 4A under the North Central Mindanao Region Committee, said they wanted to “arrest” Police Executive Master Sergeant Jimmer Omisol but was killed when he resisted.

Omisol, who was assigned at the Carmen Municipal Police Station, was gunned down in Barangay Tagcatong around 6:30 p.m.

“The NPA owns the death of Omisol, but our main motive was only to arrest the police officer to formally answer the accusations laid against him by the people,” said Ibarra in a statement released May 23.

The statement added: “When Omisol was going out of his vehicle, our operatives approached him and asked [him] to come with them but he showed motive to fire on our operatives, so they have no choice but to shot him first.”

Ibarra said they wanted Omisol to face an NPA “tribunal” supposedly to answer complaints that the policeman was allegedly involved in planting drug evidence against civilians who were targets for arrest, in planting firearms on those tagged as communists, and for allegedly “forcing those arrested to drink urine before bringing them to detention.”

The Police Regional Office in Caraga (PRO-13) called the killing “barbaric.”

“The entire police force condemn[s] in the strongest manner the latest hostility launched by the [Communist Party of the Philippines]-NPA on PEMS Jimmer Omisol. This dastardly and barbaric act prove[s] that there is no justice and rule of law in the armed struggle,” PRO 13 director Brigadier General Gilberto Cruz said in a statement.

“The rebels tried to kidnap our police officer but sensing he was in danger, he was able to shot and hit his assailants as evidenced by the bloodstains at the waiting shed where the five NPA members serving as look-outs were waiting. Although outnumbered, the hero cop fought until his last breath,” added Cruz.

Cruz negated the NPA’s claim that painted Omisol as an abusive policeman, as he was known to be a humble and hardworking police officer. Even in his previous assignments, he did not have records of illegal activities, he said.

“The statement of Ibarra is a fabricated story to justify the evil acts of his men,” said Cruz.

Omisol’s killing happened a week after a top leader of Guerrilla Front 4A was killed with his son in Buenavista town, Agusan del Norte.

Police Lt. Col. Christian Rafols II, spokesperson of PRO13 said murder charges would be filed against certain NPA personalities “since they have already claimed responsibility for this barbaric action.”

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1122584/npa-owns-slay-of-cop-in-agusan-del-norte

Maute bandits down to 25, AFP says

From GMA Newes (May 23, 2019): Maute bandits down to 25, AFP says

Two years after the ISIS-inspired Maute Group laid siege in the Islamic City of Marawi, the terrorist group's force have significantly dwindled, according to the military on Thursday.

"The number of Maute remnants, they're now down to 25," said Col. Romeo Brawner Jr., commander of the 103rd Infantry “Haribon” Brigade in a press briefing in Marawi City.

"They will not be capable of launching an attack with the magnitude of what they did here in Marawi City during the Marawi siege," he added.

Brawner, however, said that the state security forces are not letting their guards down as these bandits may still launch "limited attacks."

"Their capabilities are diminished. However, they still can conduct limited terroristic attacks like bombings, they can attack soft targets, and also, they can kill members of the AFP and the PNP," he said.

Further, he said that the support of the international financiers for the Maute Group has already stopped and that this has been a blow to the terrorists' recruiting activities in the province.

The Maute Group's takeover of the city on May 23, 2017, prompted President Rodrigo Duterte to declare martial law in Mindanao.

It has since been extended thrice, with the latest having its effectivity until the end of 2019.

Brawner said that martial law has been effective in lowering the crime rate and curbing the terroristic attacks in Lanao del Sur where Marawi City is situated.

"With the martial law, we are able to implement additional security measures. If you go around the city, there are several checkpoints that we have established. We have also established curfew hours," he said.

"We have to make sure that we will not be infiltrated by elements of terrorist groups as well as foreign fighters," he added.

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/regions/695460/maute-bandits-down-to-25-afp-says/story/

Shattered Philippine city a tool for jihadist recruitment

From AFP/Yahoo News (May 22, 2019): Shattered Philippine city a tool for jihadist recruitment



Marawi was badly damaged during months of fighting, and progress to rebuild it has been slow (AFP Photo/TED ALJIBE)

Two years after the Philippine city of Marawi was overrun by jihadists it remains in ruins, with experts warning that stalled reconstruction efforts are bolstering the appeal of extremist groups in the volatile region.

The May 23, 2017 invasion by gunmen waving the black flag of the Islamic State group sparked a five-month battle that shattered swathes of the southern city.

Demolition of blast-pocked buildings has finally begun, but after several false starts the government does not expect rebuilding to be finished before the end of 2021.

The delays have left about 100,000 residents in squalid relocation camps or sharing homes with relatives, feeding simmering anger among the displaced and providing a recruiting tool for extremists.

"The narratives (to join IS) used to be about the Middle East and the plight of Muslims around the world," said Mouhammad Sharief, who co-founded a support group for Marawi's youth.

"Now it's closer to our hearts because the narrative is Marawi," said 32-year-old Sharief, who was himself displaced by the fighting.

Marawi is symbolically important because it is the Muslim capital of the nation's south, which has been locked in a cycle of poverty and extremism as separatist insurgencies have raged for decades.

It is all the more significant as IS works to maintain a presence via its global affiliates following the fall of its self-proclaimed "caliphate" in the Middle East.

IS regularly claims responsibility for killings of Philippine government troops and took credit for the January bombing of a Catholic cathedral during Sunday mass that was the nation's deadliest attack in years.

- Duterte's orders -

The organisation has links to local extremist networks, including the kidnap-for-ransom group Abu Sayyaf, that have long operated in the Philippines' restive south.

In this context, an angry displaced population in Marawi is not a risk that can be ignored, experts say.

"The government needs to be concerned about the threats of ISIS attracting young (locals) because of the ongoing resentment from the failure to rebuild and general anger over the destruction," analyst Sidney Jones told AFP.

Fixing the city has been repeatedly delayed. A Chinese-led consortium initially tapped to spearhead the rehabilitation plan was disqualified over legal and financial issues.

The clearing of debris, the first step before the actual construction, also hit a snag due to legal problems and the government hopes it will finally be finished in November.

"This will be used as an example again of government discrimination against Muslims and the government neglect for the responsibility of rebuilding Marawi," said Francisco Lara, an adviser with peace group International Alert.

The government says it is making progress in repairing the city, which was pounded by military air strikes and artillery as it struggled to dislodge the jihadists.

"We are following the guidance and instructions of the president that he will see to it that Marawi will rise as a prosperous city again," Eduardo del Rosario, a retired general overseeing the rebuilding efforts, told journalists this week.

"We... are all undertaking the task given to us as per instruction of the president," he added.

Though President Rodrigo Duterte has tried to portray himself as sensitive to the Philippines' Muslim minority, he has sent mixed signals about Marawi.

He has claimed the city was home to illegal drug activity, a very serious accusation from a leader whose narcotics crackdown has killed over 5,300 alleged dealers and pushers.

"I don't think that I should be spending for their buildings. People there have a lot of money," he said in reference to Marawi in an April speech.

https://news.yahoo.com/shattered-philippine-city-tool-jihadist-recruitment-030131824.html

AMLC: PH a destination of illicit funds

From the Manila Times (May 23, 2019): AMLC: PH a destination of illicit funds

The Philippines has become a destination of illicit funds generated from criminal activities including terrorism, the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) said in its latest risk assessment report.

The AMLC on Wednesday said the assessment was based on 161,650 suspicious transaction reports (STRs), received from January 2013 to December 2017, that involved a total of over P17 trillion in funds.

“The study indicates that . . . illicit funds from … the following unlawful activities: violation of environmental law; illegal trafficking of persons; kidnapping for ransom; and terrorism and conspiracy to commit terrorism” were sent to the Philippines, it said.

Financial activities involving terrorism and conspiracy to commit terrorism accounted for 268 STRs or 50.19 percent of the total transaction value.

The majority of external transactions — 172 STRs or 32.2 percent of the total transaction value — transpired from 2015 to 2017 and comprised remittances from Malaysia, Trinidad & Tobago, the United States and Indonesia.

“Said transactions are allegedly related to the Abu Sayyaf Group and ISIL/ISIS (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant/Islamic State in Iraq and Syria)-linked groups or were based on referrals from FIUs (financial intelligence units) and LEAs (law enforcement agencies),” the agency said.

It said the main channel used to finance terrorism was commercial banks (77.18 percent), while money changers and remittance agents accounted for 11.94 percent.

“Since the characteristics of financing of terrorism involves frequent sending of funds in small amounts, it is apparent that remittance agents are being utilized because of their feasible locations and affordable services,” the AMLC said.

https://www.manilatimes.net/amlc-ph-a-destination-of-illicit-funds/558369/

Tribal leader seized by Reds found dead

From the Philippine Star (May 23, 2019): Tribal leader seized by Reds found dead

2

JABONGA, Agusan del Norte, Philippines — A tribal leader kidnapped by suspected New People’s Army rebels on Monday was found dead on Tuesday.

Lt. Sael Teroy, town police chief, identified the victim as Mamanwa tribal chieftain Rodito Buklas, 41, a resident of Sitio Tagbuaya, Barangay Bangonay. His body bore stab wounds.

Teroy said Buklas was snatched from his farm in Sitio Tagbuaya.

https://www.philstar.com/nation/2019/05/23/1920074/tribal-leader-seized-reds-found-dead

Paramilitary forcing Lumad evacuees to go home, group claims

Posted to the often pro-Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) online publication the Davao Today (May 22, 2019): Paramilitary forcing Lumad evacuees to go home, group claims

(Photo courtesy of PASAKA-SMR)

DAVAO CITY, Philippines — The Lumad group PASAKA slammed the military and paramilitary group Alamara for forcing Lumad evacuees to return to their communities amidst the height of intensive and continuing military operations in the hinterlands.

The group reported the presence of the leaders of Alamara and military personnel in civilian clothes outside the UCCP Haran on Saturday last week and forcibly made some families of evacuees leave the Haran Compound by having them aboard in trucks.

PASAKA identified the Alamara leaders Datu Basing Balanban, Dol-om Tumagsa, and Jovelyn Tiklunay, all coming from Kapalong, Davao del Norte.

The group added that certain Awing Apoga, leader of Alamara in Talaingod, Davao del Norte also came over the next day and made a call on leaders and evacuees to return to their communities.

Apoga also made a warning that more Alamara leaders will be coming in the next few days.

Lumad families staying at Haran Compound may go home at any time they wish, PASAKA Secretary-General Jong Monzon clarified.

Monzon’s clarification came to belie the allegations that some Lumad families had already escaped from the UCCP Haran Compound.

“We recognize the right of every Lumad and we do not refuse such request,” Monzon said.

He also expressed fear the Alamara and the military will use Lumad families they forced to go home against their fellow evacuees who are still inside the evacuation center in Haran.

“They will possibly be declared as fake surrederees, and accuse other IPs (Indigenous Peoples) staying in Haran as members of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA),” Monzon said.

Monzon’s group also emphasized that the continuing harassments of Alamara and military in the countryside are the very reason why Lumad families fled from their homes and communities.

In 2014, over a thousand Ata Manobo from the hinterlands of Talaingod evacuated after army troopers occupied their communities and launched aerial bombings.

The Lumad families who evacuated also reported of harassment made to them by the soldiers and members of Alamara.

Since then, hundreds of Manobo families continued to seek temporary refuge inside the UCCP Haran compound.

“In the past four years, we experienced how they harassed and killed our fellow Lumad and students, how they intimidated our students and teachers, how they forced Lumad to surrender and recruited them into the Alamara,” PASAKA said in a statement.

Monzon said that “even in the evacuation center, the Lumad are still facing harassments from the military and Alamara.”

Forcing the evacuees to go home also took place in the past, citing the case when Congresswoman Nancy Catamco had a dialogue with them in 2015.

Monzon said Catamco also forced the evacuees to go home despite the real threats to their lives.

PASAKA also accused agents of the military and Alamara as those behind the burning of the evacuation houses inside the compound sometime in 2016.

Asked for comment on the issue, Captain Jerry Lamosao, spokesperson of the Army’s 10th Infantry Division told Davao Today on Wednesday that “there were no military in the UCCP Haran last weekend.”

On the other hand, Col. Eugene Osias, assistant chief of staff for Civil-Military Operations (CMO) of the Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom) was quoted in a report of Philippine News Agency dated May 21, confirming the “rescue” of IPs on Saturday.

“For a long time, the call of the Lumad evacuees is for them to return home. They have been staying here for more than four years. They will only go home if their demands are met, that includes the pull out the soldiers from their communities, the end to the attacks in Lumad schools, disarm and disband the paramilitary group, and put an end to martial law,” the group’s statement said.

http://davaotoday.com/main/human-rights/paramilitary-forcing-lumad-evacuees-to-go-home-group-claims/

With Duterte allies in 18th Congress, peace talks are doomed — Joma

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (May 22, 2019):  With Duterte allies in 18th Congress, peace talks are doomed — Joma

LUCENA CITY, Philippines – Top rebel leader Jose Maria “Joma” Sison was convinced that the peace talks are now doomed because the majority of the upcoming members of the 18th Congress are die-hard allies of President Rodrigo Duterte.

“There is no chance for the resumption of peace negotiations in accordance with The Hague Joint Declaration for so long as the tyrant Duterte is in power,” Sison, Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founder, said in a solicited reaction from his base in Utrecht in the Netherlands.

Sison based his assessment from the result of the senatorial and congressional elections, which he alleged were rigged to ensure the victory of the administration candidates.

“As a result of his rigging the May 13 elections, Duterte has more than two-thirds majority in the Senate and is in a position to dictate the realization of his fascist dictatorship through charter change to bogus federalism and declare martial law nationwide at his whim,” he said.

Five reelectionist senators, along with four first-timers and three former senators were proclaimed Wednesday morning by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and would join the 18th Congress, which opens in July.

READ: 5 reelectionists, 4 new faces, 3 returning proclaimed senators

Majority of the newly elected members of the House of Representatives, including party-list representatives, were also candidates and allies of the Duterte administration.

With the result of the election, Sison expects the continued “underdevelopment of the country, unemployment, mass poverty, soaring prices, the plunder of natural resources and social wealth, mass murder with impunity, and the worst forms of deception.”

Sison predicts the resurgence of intensified protest actions “as in the time of fighting and defeating the Marcos fascist dictatorship.”

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1122197/with-duterte-allies-in-18th-congress-peace-talks-are-doomed-joma

Philippines: Bangsamoro accepts transition plan

From the Anadolu Agency (May 22, 2019): Philippines: Bangsamoro accepts transition plan

Proposed Transition Plan to lay foundation for autonomous region's laws on elections, local government, administration

The provisional government in the newly-autonomous southern region of Bangsamoro in the Philippines has accepted a proposal for a transition to a permanent government.

Al-Hajj Murad Ebrahim, Interim Chief Minister of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority accepted the Proposed Transition Plan (PTP), agreed between the central government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, Philippines News Agency reported.

The plan will involve the formation of a technical working group with the hope of eliciting "vital learning or lessons in bureaucratic norms, ethics, practices, and experiences," Ebrahim explained.

The PTP includes the critical priority rules that the transitional government should legislate about elections, local government, administration, education, revenue, and civil service, the report said.

"It is crucial for the codes to be passed into law to provide the necessary structure when crafting the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao," it added.

The priority areas of the transitional authority will be education, health and sanitation, food security, and environmental protection.

Autonomous government

A historic referendum was held on Jan. 21 and Feb. 6 in southern Mindanao, granting autonomy to Moro Muslims in the Philippines.

On Feb. 26, Ebrahim took his post as regional premier from the central government’s governor in an official ceremony.

He was appointed by Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte to administer the Bangsamoro Transition Authority through to 2022.

With the comprehensive autonomy, Muslims will be free in their internal affairs, being able to establish and administer courts of Islamic law within their jurisdiction and manage their surrounding waters jointly with the central government.

They will be bound to the Philippines in foreign policy, though with some flexibility.

In addition, former fighters of the MNLF as well as those from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front will be eligible to join the official armed forces.

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/philippines-bangsamoro-accepts-transition-plan/1484689