WESTMINCOM: Enlightened LTG members yield in Maguindanao

Posted to the Western Mindanao Command (WESTMINCOM) Facebook Page (Jul 18, 2020): Enlightened LTG members yield in Maguindanao

Camp Navarro, Calarian, Zamboanga City- July 18, 2020.

The military's focused operations and peace mechanisms convinced five local terrorist group members to surface and lay down their weapons at 10am, July 17.

Kiram Abdullah, a.k.a. Abu Jihad/King Boy/King Alfa; Tong Salik, a.k.a. Kitim; Gublas Sabay Abdullah, a.k.a. Dumlas; Gianid Mindo Abdullah; and Aladin Abdullah submitted themselves to the troops of the 1st Mechanized Infantry Brigade at the unit's headquarters in Barangay Kamasi, Ampatuan, Maguindanao.

Col. Jesus Rico Atencio, 1MechBde Commander, personally received the following rifles: one Colt M16A1, one M653, one M1 Carbine, and one cal. 50 barret sniper that were handed over by said personalities.

Also yielded were one Improvised Explosive Device (IED) made of 105HE UXO with triggering device and several magazines and ammunitions.

"Kiram Abdullah is a former Field Commander of the local terrorist group operating here in central Mindanao," said Col. Atencio.

"This five were involved in the different armed confrontations with the government forces including the most recent encounter last March in the area of Maguindanao," he added.

Subjects were then presented to the local officials in a simple ceremony held at 1MechBde headquarters.

"I commend the troops of the 1MechBn and 1MechBde for this very remarkable accomplishment," said Maj. Gen. Diosdado Carreon, JTF Central commander.

"My appreciation goes to the local government units, local leaders, and the populace for their untiring support that led to significant breakthroughs in all our campaigns," Maj. Gen. Carreon added.

Kiram and his comrades were placed under the custody of 1MechBde for debriefing and proper documentation.

"The spate of surrenders in Central Mindanao signifies triumph in our peace campaign," said Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, Joint Force Commander, WestMinCom.

"While we continue our focused efforts to crumble the remaining terrorists, we endeavor to end Terrorism and bring forth Tourism here in Mindanao, through our operations other than war," the dynamic commander added.

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6th Infantry Division - Kampilan601 Infantry - Unifier Brigade602nd "Liberator" Brigade603 Persuader Brigade1st Mechanized Infantry BrigadeUnang Marinong BrigadaTeam TabakJoint Taskforce BasilanHARIBON TEAMMagbalantay Cmo11 Infantry Division "Alakdan Troopers"2MBde Red ShieldGagandilan Siete1102 Infantry "ganarul" Brigade1st BCT AegisKwatromarinobrigada SuluJtf Tawi Tawi IndomalphiJoint Task Force ZamboangaJoint Task Force ZamboangaUnbeatable Ranger BattalionMatatag BattalionTow Westmin CmoTow Westmin PioNaval Forces Western MindanaoCmou Western MindanaoKatapatan Pangkatihan-Dagatan33rd Infantry Makabayan Battalion57th Infantry Masikap Battalion1st Mechanized Lakan Battalion90th Infantry Bigkis Lahi BattalionSeventh Infantry Tapat BattalionReliablecmo R Section6IB Redskin37IB - Conqueror Battalion40 Infantry "Magiting" Battalion2nd Mechanized Infantry-MAKASAGBattalionOnlyOurBest MbltFive38th Infantry We Clear Battalion@Arvin John Gullos Encinas Breathe HeartRuel CasanesAr-ar GalvezAfman Rosales Jr.Antriosanjh Espenida NeneaSancus Princy NecessitasLa Independencia Filipinas

https://www.facebook.com/afpwestmincom/posts/1793762744099107?__tn__=K-R

https://www.facebook.com/afpwestmincom/photos/pcb.1793762744099107/1793755814099800/?type=3&theater

https://www.facebook.com/afpwestmincom/photos/pcb.1793762744099107/1793755787433136/?type=3&theater

https://www.facebook.com/afpwestmincom/photos/pcb.1793762744099107/1793755954099786/?type=3&theater

https://www.facebook.com/afpwestmincom/photos/pcb.1793762744099107/1793755994099782/?type=3&theater

https://www.facebook.com/afpwestmincom/

NDF/Sison: AFP and NPA can unite to defend Philippine sovereignty and realize a program of genuine land reform and national industrialization

Jose Maria Sison propaganda statement posted to the National Democratic Front Philippines (NDFP or NDF) Website (Jul 20, 2020): AFP and NPA can unite to defend Philippine sovereignty and realize a program of genuine land reform and national industrialization



Jose Maria Sison, Chief Political Consultant
It is possible for the patriotic and democratic-minded officers and enlisted personnel of the AFP to unite with the NPA in opposing and ousting from power a regime that is tyrannical, anti-national and anti-democratic.

The NPA welcomed the actions of the AFP officers and enlisted personnel who withdrew support from the fascist dictator Marcos in 1986 and the corrupt bureaucrat Estrada in 2001. I presume that the NPA would welcome the efforts of AFP officers and enlisted personnel to withdraw military support from the tyrant Duterte.

The enlisted personnel of the AFP and the rank and file of the NPA come mostly from the working class and peasantry. They can have a common ground for unity and for a just peace in a program of genuine land reform and national industrialization.

In fact in its peace negotiations with the GRP, the NDFP proposed the aforesaid program and its financing by income from the development of oil and gas resources in the exclusive economic zones of the Philippines in the West Philippine Sea, with technology provided by the oil company of Norway, one of the best in the development of undersea energy resources.

The expected income of USD 26 trillion from said resources is so many times the amount needed to carry out genuine land reform and national industrialization. But Duterte played the role of traitor to the Filipino people and a puppet to China. He sold out to China the sovereign rights of the Filipino people over the marine and mineral resources in the West Philippine Sea. China has usurped ownership over the marine resources worth at least USD 1.5 trillion and prevented Filipino fishermen from fishing in their own sea.

For more than four years, Duterte has laid aside the 2016 judgment of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in accordance with the UNCLOS and in favor of the Philippines against the false claim of China. And he has allowed China to build and militarize seven artificial islands in the EEZ of the Philippines and prevent the development of the oil and gas resources of the Philippines.

Instead, he preferred to beg from China USD 24 billion worth of foreign loans for overpriced infrastructure projects under the complete control of China in an all-round way (engineering contracts, equipment, supplies and labor) merely because he and his cronies expected to receive bribes from the loan and construction contracts. So far, China has fallen far short of its promise of intolerably onerous loans.

The NPA and AFP can unite to defend national sovereignty and hold Duterte to account for his traitorous act of surrendering the sovereign rights of the Filipino people to China and preventing the realization of a just peace grounded on a program of genuine land reform and national industrialization.

Duterte has deliberately terminated the GRP-NDFP peace negotiations in order to scapegoat the CPP and NPA and realize his scheme of fascist dictatorship, his obsession to gain absolute power for the purpose of absolute corruption in favor of his dynasty and his oligarchic allies at the expense of the Filipino people.###

https://ndfp.org/afp-and-npa-can-unite-to-defend-philippine-sovereignty-and-realize-a-program-of-genuine-land-reform-and-national-industrialization/

NDF/Sison: On the CBCP Pastoral Letter

Jose Maria Sison propaganda statement posted to the National Democratic Front Philippines (NDFP or NDF) Website (Jul 20, 2020): On the CBCP Pastoral Letter



Comment by Jose Maria Sison, NDFP Chief Political Consultant, July 20, 2020

I welcome the pastoral letter of the CBCP. I hope that the Church can exercise effectively its moral leadership and encourage the people in and out of government to resist the tyrannical, traitorous, genocidal and corrupt character of the Duterte ruling clique and to withdraw support from it as it insists on using state terrorism to silence the people and impose a full-blown fascist dictatorship on them.

As in the ouster of the fascist dictator Marcos in 1986, the Church and the CBCP can play a major role in bringing about a combination of anti-fascist forces that can oust the tyrant Duterte. He has gone too far in oppressing and exploiting the people. In so short a time, he has caused the mass murder of more then 30,000 people and is now proceeding to the application of Oplan Tokhang methods in listing, labelling, abducting and killing his critics and political opponents with impunity.

I look forward to the rise of gigantic mass actions by all patriotic and democratic forces and the broad masses of the people to encourage the democratic-minded officers and enlisted personnel of the AFP to withdraw support from Duterte and effect a constitutional succession before the physically, mentally and morally deranged tyrant can accomplish a charter change and rigged plebiscite to constitutionalize the unconstitutional nullification of the Bill of Rights in the so-called Anti-Terrorism Act.

https://ndfp.org/on-the-cbcp-pastoral-letter/

CPP/NPA-Quezon: Hindi terorismo ang paglaban para sa demokrasya, makatwiran ang magrebolusyon — NPA-Quezon

Propaganda statement posted to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Website (Jul 20, 2020): Hindi terorismo ang paglaban para sa demokrasya, makatwiran ang magrebolusyon — NPA-Quezon

CLEO DEL MUNDO

SPOKESPERSON

NPA-QUEZON

APOLONIO MENDOZA COMMAND

NEW PEOPLE'S ARMY

JULY 20, 2020

Kaisa ng sambayanang Pilipino ang rebolusyunaryong kilusan ng Quezon sa mariing pagkundena sa pagpirma ni Presidente Rodrigo Duterte sa batas na “kontra-terorismo”. Nagsilbi itong huling pako sa ataul ng demokrasya sa bansa.

Walang modo ang militaristang rehimeng ito kahit sa apila ng United Nations na magtimpi muna si Duterte sa pagpirma sa naturang panukalang batas dahil pinalabo ng Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 ang pagkakaiba-iba ng kritisisimo, kriminalidad at terorismo.

Ngayong ganap nang batas, inaasahang magdudulot ito ng walang kaparis na pagsupil at paglabag sa mga karapatang-tao sa kanayunan at kalunsuran ng lalawigan at saan mang panig ng bansa.

Walang binago sa inihapag at inamyendahang batas na Human Security Act – mabangis na instrumento ito laban sa mga sibilyan na tumutuligsa sa palpak na palakad ng gubyerno bilang bahagi ng kanilang demokratikong karapatan – imbes na tunay na tapusin ang terorismo sa bansa na gawa rin mismo ng nakaluklok na gubyerno.

Naging ligal na ngayon ang pag-aresto ng walang warrant, mahahabang detensyon kahit wala pang kaso ang inaresto, red-tagging, sarbeylans at extrajudicial killing.

Sa lalawigan, mahigit isang taon nang umiiral ang nabanggit dahil sa paglabag sa karapatang-tao dulot ng Joint Campaign Plan Kapanatagan ng sundalo at pulis. Ang mga focused military operations at kunwaring community service program ang pamamaraan ng pasistang Armed Forces of the Philippines at Philippine National Police para durugin ang CPP-NPA na itinuturing nilang teroristang organisasyon. Subalit sibilyang populasyon ang naging biktima nila.

Kahit sa panahon ng lockdown at community quarantine dulot ng pandemyang Covid-19, hindi nahinto ang operasyong militar sa kanayunan ng Quezon. Sa halip na ituon ng gubyernong Duterte ang lahat ng makinarya ng kanyang pamahalaan sa pagsugpo sa sakit pinalala lamang nito ang kalagayan ng mamamayan.

Ang inaasahang solusyong medikal laban sa nakamamatay na sakit ay itinuon sa militaristang lockdown sa anyo ng general at enhanced community quarantine na walang anumang siyentipikong batayan at pinangunahan ng sundalo at pulis, at hindi ng mga ekspertong medikal at siyentista.

Lubhang nakakapangamba para sa sibilyang populasyon ang pagiging ganap na batas ng Anti-Terror Act of 2020. Siguradong wala itong sasantuhin sa hanay ng mamamayan sa layuning puksain ang di-matalo-talong CPP-NPA. Sinumang tutuligsa sa nakapusisyong pamahalaan, at yaong may kaugnayan sa rebolusyunaryong kilusan, tuwiran man o pinaghihinalaan pa lamang – ang tiyak na target ng batas.

Siguradong nagdiriwang ang mga promotor at probokador ng di-deklaradong batas militar. Habang nagluluksa naman ang mamamayan sa inilibing na demokrasya at karapatan nila.

Ang tungkulin ngayon ng sambayanan ay patuloy na labanan ang Anti-Terrorism Law.

Nananawagan din kami sa mga kongresista at iba pang lingkod-bayan na totoong kumikilala sa karapatang tao na irehistro ang kanilang pagtutol sa nasabing batas. Hindi pa huli para ipamukha sa rehimeng US-Duterte ang pagiging anti-mamamayan at palsipikado ng naturang batas laban sa terorismo.

Lalo ngayong napapanahon ang maghimagsik. Makatwiran ito. Hindi terorismo ang paglaban para sa demokrasya at karapatan. Makatwiran ang magrebolusyon.#

https://cpp.ph/statement/hindi-terorismo-ang-paglaban-para-sa-demokrasya-makatwiran-ang-magrebolusyon-npa-quezon/

CPP/NPA-Sorsogon: Terorismo ng estado, matapang na haharapin ng mga rebolusyonaryong pwersa sa Sorsogon

Propaganda statement posted to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Website (Jul 20, 2020): Terorismo ng estado, matapang na haharapin ng mga rebolusyonaryong pwersa sa Sorsogon

SAMUEL GUERRERO

SPOKESPERSON

NPA-SORSOGON

CELSO MINGUEZ COMMAND

NEW PEOPLE'S ARMY

JULY 20, 2020

Mula nang pumasok ang buwan ng Hulyo, tuluy-tuloy ang dumog na presensya ng mga pwersa ng AFP at PNP sa napakaraming baryo sa mga bayan ng Irosin, Bulan, Matnog, Juban at Magallanes.

Walang pakundangang pinapasok ng mga reaksyunaryong sundalo at pulis alinmang bahay na makursunadahan at tinatangay ang anumang bagay na mapag-interesan. Libu-libong halaga ng pera, sarisaring mga gadget, pati lapnisan (agar wood) na pinagtiyagaang tipunin ng magsasaka upang pagkakitaan ay ninanakaw ng mga pasistang walang ipinapakita ni katiting na respeto sa karapatang-tao.

Pinagbabantaan ng mga pwersa ng estado ang mga taumbaryo. Ang mga sibilyan daw ang gagantihan nila oras na atakehin ng NPA ang mga tropang militar at pulis. Maging mga upisyal ng mga barangay council ay tinatakot na sila ang mananagot kapag walang napasukong NPA sa loob ng dalawang buwan. Dinadaan ng estado sa paninindak ang desperadong kagustuhan nitong wakasan ang rebolusyonaryong pakikibaka ng sambayanan bago matapos ang termino ni Rodrigo Duterte.

Mga tropa ng 22nd IB, 31st IB at 91st CMO Battalion ng Philippine Army; 9th Special Action Battalion, 2nd PMFC at mga municipal unit ng PNP ang naghahasik ng lagim sa probinsya. Ginagawa nila ito kasabay ng walanghiyang pangangalandakan ng mga tagapagsalita ng Malacañang, mga senador at mga konggresista na hindi maaabuso ng mga awtoridad ang bagong Anti-Terrorism Law. Ang bangis na ipinamamalas ngayon ng mga reaksyunaryong armadong pwersa ay senyales ng mas matinding terorismong paiiralin ng estado sa ilalim ng bagong batas.

Dumaraing ang mga taumbaryong ginigipit ng mga pasista. Ngunit saan sila dudulog kung pati mga local government unit ay tila nagbabahag ng buntot o nagtutulug-tulugan sa harap ng lansakang pang-aabuso sa mga karapatan ng kanilang mga nasasakupan? Nakalulungkot at nakababahala ang nakabibinging katahimikan ng mga alkalde, mga sangguniang bayan at maging ng gubyernong probinsyal. Kahit ang mga pulitikong dati-rati ay maingay na nagtutulak ng hungkag na “localized peace talks” ay walang imik sa tahasang pagtarget ng militar at pulisya sa mga sibilyang walang kalaban-laban.

Hindi namin ito maipagwawalambahala. Inatasan na ng Celso Minguez Command ang lahat ng yunit ng NPA sa mga apektadong lugar na sagpangin ang lahat ng pagkakataon para parusahan ang mga tropang militar at pulis na imbwelto sa mga operasyong ito. Alinsunod dito, nakapagsagawa na ang mga yunit ng NPA ng mga opensibong aksyon nitong mga nakaraang araw laban sa mga nag-ooperasyong militar at pulis sa Bulan, Juban at Magallanes. Hindi kukulangin sa isa ang napatay at tatlo ang nasugatan sa hanay ng mga reaksyunaryong tropa. Ikinalulugod ng mamamayan ang mga aksyong ito ng NPA.

Lalong nagiging malinaw ngayon na ang rebolusyonaryong kilusan lamang ang matatakbuhan ng tao upang maipagtanggol ang kanilang mga karapatan at maitindig ang kanilang dignidad. Malugod naming niyayakap at tinatanggap sa aming hanay ang lumalaking bilang ng mga Sorsoganon na namumulat sa pangangailangang lumahok sa rebolusyonaryong pakikibaka ng sambayanan.

Kasama ang kanilang rebolusyonaryong Hukbo, matapang na haharapin ng masang Sorsoganon ang nag-iibayong terorismo ng estado.

https://cpp.ph/statement/terorismo-ng-estado-matapang-na-haharapin-ng-mga-rebolusyonaryong-pwersa-sa-sorsogon/

Wife of Slain Philippine Militant Turned Over to Indonesian Authorities

From BenarNews (Jul 20, 2020): Wife of Slain Philippine Militant Turned Over to Indonesian Authorities (By Richel V. Umel and Froilan Gallardo)

A general view of the port in the southern Philippine city of Marawi, which was devastated during a five-month battle in 2017 between government forces and IS-linked militants, April 10, 2018  Richel V. Umel/BenarNews

Philippine officials confirmed Monday that the widow of Filipino militant Omarkhayam Maute was turned over to Indonesian officials for possible repatriation, after a court found insufficient evidence she possessed bomb-making materials at the time of her arrest three years ago.

Minhati Madrais, 39, an Indonesian national whose husband was a leader of Islamic State’s 2017 takeover of Marawi city in the southern Philippines before he was killed in fighting there, was transferred to Indonesian officials here after being freed from Philippine custody last Friday, police said.

“She was released to [embassy] officials,” said Col. Michael Pareja, the chief of police in Iligan City, where a regional court in late June had ordered Minhati to be freed.

Indonesian embassy and consulate officials did not immediately respond on Monday to requests for information from BenarNews. On July 17, a senior official at Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs told a news conference in Jakarta that the ministry and other government agencies were discussing what action to take on Minhati’s release and possible repatriation.

Court decision angers local officials

In a nine-page resolution dated June 26, the Regional Trial Court of Lanao del Norte ordered the Indonesian woman released, Philippine sources told BenarNews.

Minhati’s lawyer, Antonio Amarga, asked for the court to dismiss the case against her client due to insufficient evidence on charges of possession of explosives, a motion that the prosecution did not challenge, the sources said.

The court’s decision to free Maute’s widow upset local officials, including the mayor of Marawi, which was largely destroyed during a five-month battle between pro-IS fighters and government forces after hundreds of militants seized the lakeside city in May 2017.

“[Minhati] was freed because it was found out that she had no direct participation in the Marawi [siege] or rebellion,” said Majul Gandamra, the city’s mayor who is also a trial lawyer who has been closely following the case. “She was implicated because she was related to Omar Maute, but she can’t be punished for that reason alone.”

Three years ago, Minhati’s late husband along with other Filipino, Southeast Asian and Middle Eastern militants, attacked Marawi in a bid to turn the Muslim city into the Islamic State (IS) group’s caliphate in the region.

They were led by Isnilon Hapilon, a leader of the Abu Sayyaf extremist group who had assumed the leadership of the Philippine branch of IS. Both Maute and Hapilon were killed in October 2017, at the end of a battle where the military wrested the city back from the militants.

When Minhati was arrested in November that year in Iligan city authorities alleged then that they had recovered bomb-making materials found in her possession. However, the acting presiding judge in the case, Ali Ombra Bacamaran, ruled that the seized items were not admissible in court.

Celso Regencia, the mayor of Iligan City, which borders Marawi and where many of that city’s displaced residents were given sanctuary during the 2017 siege and battle, was visibly disappointed that Minhati had walked free.

“Many people were killed and yet they still could not provide strong evidence,” he said.

He declined to comment further.

Rommel Banlaoi, who leads the Philippine Institute for Peace Violence and Terrorism Research, said that Minhati would likely be flown back to Jakarta, where she was expected to be “fully rehabilitated.”

“Her release reflects the weakness of the Philippine intelligence to gather strong evidence to implicate her in the Marawi siege,” he told BenarNews.

“But her release can also provide opportunities for the rehabilitation of individuals associated with terrorist events,” he said.

Another analyst who has knowledge of Minhati’s case, but who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak about it, told BenarNews that she was likely freed as part of a quid pro quo trade between the two governments of suspected militants in their respective custody.

The court decision to let Minhati go free came after both houses of Congress in June passed a toughened up anti-terrorism bill aimed at fighting the scourge of militancy in the Philippines, especially in the southern Mindanao region.

President Rodrigo Duterte signed the bill into law on July 3, and it officially took hold on Saturday. Human rights groups have raised objections about the law, saying that the police and military could also use it to go after critics of the Duterte administration.

Another militant falls
Meanwhile, a Filipino militant with alleged links to the IS was killed in a shootout with authorities on Sunday in Polomolok, a town in South Cotabato province, regional police spokesman Col. Lino Capellan said.

He identified the slain suspect as Ben Usman (also known as Tons Usman), and a known leader of the Ansar Khilafa Philippines, a small homegrown network of Filipino militants based in the south.

Ben Usman was the brother of Basit Usman, a well-known militant who once operated training camps for militants in the southern Philippines and was killed in a gunbattle with government troops in 2015.

Ben Usman had also allegedly developed a network of militants who he was training for bomb attacks in the south, Capellan said.

“During the said operation, the subject sensed the presence of the operating lawmen, immediately grabbed his firearm and fired at arresting officers, and a shoot-out ensued,” where he was killed, Capellan said.

https://www.benarnews.org/english/news/philippine/Maute-widow-07202020143020.html

Former rebels in Gen. Nakar receive P464K livelihood assistance

From the Philippine Information Agency (Jul 20, 2020): Former rebels in Gen. Nakar receive P464K livelihood assistance (By DOLE Quezon Provincial Office)

LUCENA CITY, Quezon, July 20 (PIA) --About 25 former rebels from General Nakar who recently returned to mainstream society received their much awaited livelihood assistance from the Department of Labor and Employment Quezon Provincial Office (DOLE QPO) July 17, 2020.

The livelihood assistance such as Bigasan Project and Sari-Sari Store worth a total amount of P464,864.25 part of DOLE QPO's commitment to the Sectoral Unification Capacity Building Empowerment and Mobilization cluster under the Provincial Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (PTF ELCAC) in which DOLE QPO chairs.

“Commitment delivered, promise fulfilled,” DOLE QPO Head Edwin T. Hernandez viewed the release of livelihood assistance to the first batch of rebel returnees in the province of Quezon.

The livelihood aid was awarded to the former rebel group members to ensure their successful reintegration to the society and improve their socio-economic status.

General Nakar Mayor Eliseo R. Ruzol committed to provide additional capital should the projects of the former rebels proved to be sustainable after six months of operation. In addition, Mayor Ruzol also announced the LGU will give each family of the former rebels a sack of rice as part of their relief assistance during this time of pandemic.

Mayor Ruzol thanked DOLE and the Philippine National Police (PNP) for their effort to bring fresh hope to the former rebels as they renounced rebellion against the state and embraced the path towards peace.

“Minsan nangarap din ako katulad ninyo na baguhin ang mundo pero napag-isip-isip ko na magagawa lamang pala ito kung magtutulungan tayo at susuporta sa adhikain ng ating gobyerno,” Mayor Ruzol mentioned in his message.

(Once, I also wished like you to change the world but realized it could only happen if we help each other and support the government's goals.) (PIA-4A/DOLE Quezon Provincial Office)

https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1048045

Cops slam another ruthless killing of NPA in Surigao

From the Philippine Information Agency (Jul 20, 2020): Cops slam another ruthless killing of NPA in Surigao City (By PNP-Caraga)

SURIGAO CITY, Surigao del Norte, July 20 -- Police Regional Office (PRO) 13 strongly condemned the acts of the New People’s Army (NPA) terrorists who murdered another two innocent civilians in Sitio Tabasngan, Mat-i, this city, on July 11, 2020.

Brigadier General Joselito Esquivel, Jr., regional director of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Caraga, identified the victims as Jandi Limbona, 23 years old, a farmer, and Noel Estampa, 49 years old, a barangay Tanod. They are both residents of the said place.

Investigation revealed that the victims, along with their five companions, were at the mountainous area to cut lumber when the fully armed NPA members appeared and shot them at around 10:00 a.m.

The victims sustained gunshot wounds in the different parts of their bodies which claimed their lives while their companions managed to fled straight away after they were ordered by the assailants to leave.

"We will be working with our force multipliers and the intelligence community to help us track down these godless individuals. The full force of the law shall give justice to the victims and their family," BGen. Esquivel said.

The government's security forces launched a joint operation to capture those responsible for the killing. (PMaj. Renel E. Serrano, PIO, PRO13/PIA-Surigao del Norte)

https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1048036

Teachers’ forum demonstrates unity in ending communist armed conflict

From the Philippine Information Agency (Jul 20, 2020): Teachers’ forum demonstrates unity in ending communist armed conflict (By Gideon C. Corgue)



PAGADIAN CITY , 20 July (PIA)— Ending the communist armed conflict requires a strong collaborative community effort which the officials of the Department of Education (DepEd)-City Schools Division and the 1st Civil-Military Operations (1CMO), Battalion of the 1st Infantry (Tabak) Division, Philippine Army demonstrated in the recent holding of a teachers’ forum in the City.

Mayor Samuel Co in his message delivered by City Councilor Vincenzo Cagampang said the forum is a very timely occasion to inform the teachers and other stakeholders on the alleged abuses made by the Communist Party of the Philippines- New People's Army (CPP-NPA).

“In this forum, we display our noble purpose, our courage and determination to show our unity and concern for one another in ending local communist armed conflict,” Cagampang said quoting the mayor.

Co said the infiltration of the CPP-NPA in schools and other learning institutions lead to the death and destruction of our youth and young adults.

“The tentacles of these communist terrorist groups (CTGs) have reached the academe, church, media, Congress, civil society, labor unions, farmers groups, women and labor sector,” he added.

The local chief executive is optimistic that putting an end on the issue of CPP-NPA’s infiltration and recruitment is relevant in achieving lasting peace not only in Mindanao but in the entire country, as well.

He appealed to the teachers and youth leaders to be vigilant and to immediately report to the law enforcement and authorities the presence of a suspicious character in the schools and barangays.

He also said that the participation of the citizenry and other stakeholders is very important to attain peace and progress in the city.



Meanwhile, Deputy Regional Director Bonifacio Pulgo of the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA-9) described the CPP-NPA as more lethal than the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic saying that for 51 years they have killed thousands of lives, destroyed many families, and disturbed the peaceful and prosperous lives of Filipinos.

“For 51 years our people have suffered and our progress is being stunted by the small band of communists who still believed in the fake ideology,” Pulgo said quoting President Rodrigo Duterte.

He also presented President Duterte's Executive Order No. 7O and informing them of the creation of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) which aims to address the root causes of insurgency to end local armed conflict in the countryside.

He said that the government is now conducting an intensive information campaign to counter the black propaganda of the CTGs and to inform the public on the programs and projects and to let them feel that the government is working for them. (RVC/GCC/PIA-Zamboanga del Sur)

https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1048000

Whole of nation approach instrumental in the surrender of 2 NPA rebels

From the Philippine Information Agency (Jul 20, 2020): Whole of nation approach instrumental in the surrender of 2 NPA rebels (By Freddie G. Lazaro)

SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union, July 20 (PIA) - - Army Brigadier General Audrey L. Pasia, the commander of the army’s 702nd Infantry Brigade, cited that the whole of nation approach of the government was instrumental in the surrender of the two New People’s Army (NPA) rebels to government authorities.

On July 16, 2020, two NPA rebels identified as Rey L. Galleto, 44, and Bernardo C. Calumpit, 47, both residents of Barangay San Marcos, Alfonso Lista, Ifugao, surrendered voluntarily to the operatives of the Police Regional Mobile Force Battalion 1 (RFMB1) at Camp Brigadier General Oscar M Florendo, Parian, City of San Fernando, La Union.

The elements of the RFMB1 worked with the different field units of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the police, the La union Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO), and the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) for the surrender of the two rebels.

“I would like to congratulate the joint troops of the various units of the police, the AFP, and the other government agencies for their relentless efforts encouraging the two rebels to return to the folds of the law,” said Pasia in a phone interview.

“The voluntary surrender of the two rebels is an off-shoot of the intensified implementation of the Executive Order Number 70 or the whole of nation approach to end the local communist armed conflict (ELCAC) in the countryside,” he added.

According to a police report, Galleto is a member of the Antonio Licawen Command of the NPA’s Kilusang Larangang Guerilya – Abra, Mountain Province and Ilocos Sur (KLG-AMPIS) while Calumpit is a member of Nona Del Rosario Command former KLG – Ifugao. The two NPA’s groups are under the Ilocos-Cordillera Regional Committee (ICRC).

The said NPA rebel-returnees renounced their membership from the communist group as they took their allegiance to the government. Also, they surrendered to authorities an improvised 12-gauge shotgun and one MK2 fragmentation hand grenade with a canister.

Meanwhile, the government authorities are now working on the some requirements for the provisions of livelihood assistance for the two rebel surrenderees. (JCR/FGL, PIA1)

https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1048028

4ID chief urges businessmen, politicians to stop giving money to NPAs

From the Philippine Information Agency (Jul 20, 2020): 4ID chief urges businessmen, politicians to stop giving money to NPAs (By Jasper Marie O. Rucat)

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, July 19 (PIA) - In a CORDS X podcast hosted by Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin Andanar, MGen. Andres C. Centino of the 4th Infantry Division has urged businessmen and politicians alike to stop giving money to the New People’s Army (NPA), as this only sustains the longest-running problem of insurgency in the country.

Centino explained during the interview that the money they [NPAs] are extorting from quarry operators, construction companies and politicians would enable them to continue their terrorist activities despite the efforts of the government to end the 50-year old problem of armed conflict.

"Even if the military is able to terminate all NPA fighters, but they can still get money from businessmen or politicians, they will still thrive and survive,” Centino said.

4ID Major General Andres Centino urges all sectors to help solve this 50-year old problem of insurgency by not giving money or funding support to these NPAs. He pleads with the private companies to stop giving money to the NPAs to help end local communism. (FB screenshot)

He said extortion is a lifeblood of the NPAs and the very reason why they still exist. The problem of insurgency can be addressed by blocking off their resource generation particularly extortion.

Centino admitted that some companies are forced to give money to these terrorist groups because of fear. As result, this money will serve to entice new recruits, feed the group and used to purchase new firearms and even explosives.

The army was able to gather from former rebels and recover documents containing a list of companies and politicians who are financially supporting these armed groups.

For the year 2020, around 50 were apprehended and arrested through military operations. The army has also identified 990 members of armed group and support elements. Out of these, 188 CPP-NPAs were neutralized or killed.

Centino also disclosed that they have recovered a total of 103 firearms NPA surrenderees from January to present.

“We realize somehow, insurgency can be solved if we also solve the resource generation through extortion. If we can address the inflow of their financial resources and continue military operations, hopefully the level of insurgency will go down. But this alone, we cannot on our own, we need the cooperation of all sectors to end this 50-year insurgency problem of the country,” he concluded. (JMORucat/PIA10)

https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1047985

67 FRs in Bukidnon get NHA housing assistance

From the Philippine Information Agency (Jul 20, 2020): 67 FRs in Bukidnon get NHA housing assistance (By Camille M. Bumatay, CMO 8IB)



A total of 67 former rebels (FRs) avail of the National Housing Authority (NHA) Housing Assistance Program during the NHA orientation at the Headquarters, 8th Infantry (Dependable) Battalion, Impasugong, Bukidnon on July 16, 2020. (CMO, 8IB, 403Bde, 4ID, PA)

IMPASUGONG, Bukidnon, July 20 — Sixty seven former rebels (FRs) have availed themselves of the National Housing Authority's (NHA) Housing Assistance Program during the NHA orientation at the Headquarters, 8th Infantry (Dependable) Battalion, Impasugong, Bukidnon on July 16, 2020.

Under this program, an FR can avail of housing benefits as part of the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP).

The NHA Housing Assistance Program consists of three types of assistance which the FRs can choose from. First, the NHA housing project worth P450 thousand located nationwide. Second, construction of new house in a location chosen by the FRs, which is also worth P450,000. Lastly, the repair or renovation of an existing house worth P100 thousand.

One of the FRs, alias Jam, expressed her heartfelt gratitude saying “Naghinam-hinam kami nga puhon naa na kami'y kaugalingo’ng balay. Nagpasalamat ko sa gobyerno sa walay katapusan nga supporta sa amoa. Nakatabang gyud kanamo ang tabang pinansyal sa among pagsugod sa bag-ong kinabuhi ug karon makabaton pa kami ug kaugalingon namo nga balay. (We are excited that soon we will have our own house. I thank the government for their unending support. The financial assistance really helped us start a new life, and now we will be having our own house).”

“Kini nagapamatuod nga ang atong mga kaigso-onan nga mipili sa pagbalik sa sabakan sa atong bala-od, wala pasagdi sa atoang gobyerno. Kini nga yunit kauban ang uban pang ahensya sa gobyerno ania magpadayon sa paghatag ug supporta ug giya sa atoang mga FRs (This is a proof that our brothers and sisters who chose to return to the folds of the law are not neglected by the government. This unit together with other government agencies are here to continuously give support and interventions to our FRs),” said Lt. Col. Edgardo V. Talaroc Jr, Commanding Officer of 8th Infantry Battalion.

The former rebels went home with hearts full of gratitude to the government and hands full of food packs from the Department of Social Welfare and Development. (CMO, 8IB, 403Bde, 4ID, PA/PIA Bukidnon)

https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1048043

Ex-Militia ng Bayan in NegOr receive livelihood kits from DTI

From the Philippine Information Agency (Jul 20, 2020): Ex-Militia ng Bayan in NegOr receive livelihood kits from DTI (By Roi Anthoni Lomotan) 

A female DTI-PBG beneficiary recevies her sari-sari store voucher from Philippine Army 302nd Infantry Brigade Commander Col. Noel Baluyan (left) and DTI - Negros Oriental Provincial Director Nimfa Virtucio during the DTI-PBG Livelihood Kit Turnover Ceremony held July 18, 2020 at the 11th Infantry Battalion Headquarters in Salag, Siaton. Witnessing the turnover is Provincial Public Information Officer Bimbo Miraflor (back). (PIA7-NegOr)

NEGROS ORIENTAL, July 20 (PIA) -- Forty individuals identified to be former militia ng bayan in this province are thankful to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) after receiving their livelihood kits which would enable them to start their own businesses.

DTI, in partnership with the 11th Infantry Battalion (IB) of the Philippine Army, turned over P10,000 worth of livelihood kits to the beneficiaries of their Programa para sa pagBangon at Ginhawa (PBG) coming from barangays who are covered by the government’s whole-of-nation approach to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (ELCAC).

PBG is DTI’s livelihood seeding program which aims to help micro, dmall, and medium rnterprisers (MSMEs) in calamity-hit areas including communities affected by local communist armed conflict to re-start or build their business.

From the said number, nine recipients are from Brgy. Mayabon while six are from Brgy. Calango in Zamboanguita town, four from Brgy. Dobdob in Valencia town, 13 from Brgy. Tayak in Siaton, and three are from Brgy. San Pedro in Sta. Catalina.

The said places are included in the province’s ELCAC priority areas.

“Nagpasalamat kaayo mi ug dako anong maong proyekto sa gobyerno na ilang gihatag namo. Salamat maaky sa inyong gihatag kanamo na mga kaayuhan. Rest assured na kaming nakadawat, amo gyud ning ampingan ug amo palambuon. Bason na lamang makahatag (ni) ug kaayiuhan sa among tagsa-tagsa ka pamilya ug sa community (We are thankful to the government for this project or livelihood kits they turned over to us. Rest assured that we, the recipients of this, will do our best for our businesses to prosper. We hope this initiative will improve the lives our respective families and in our community),” said Bart (not his real name), one of the PBG beneficiaries from Brgy. Tayak, Siaton.

Bart received a voucher which he can exchange for feeds in a local agri-vet store.

He plans to put up a feeds business with the livelihood kit he received.

Letty (not her real name) is another resident of Brgy. Tayak who plans to put up a sari-sari store because people in her village live far from one another and they have to travel far to go to their town’s central district to buy basic necessities.

With the sari-sari store she is putting up, residents of her village would no longer need to go far to buy their daily needs.

“Salamat sa inyong gikatabang namo. Makatabang (ni) sa among kalisod (Thank you for the livelihood kit you have provided us. This will help uplift our lives),” Letty shared.

The voucher which she received can be exchanged for sari-sari store goods in a DTI-accredited grocery store.

Aside from giving vouchers for those who want to establish their own sari-sari stores, DTI also gave farm animals with feeds good for three months, fertilizers, and sugarcane seedlings for those who would like to engage in farming or agriculture.

Tiago (not his real name) from Brgy. Dobdob in Valencia town received a pair of goats which he plans to raise and breed.

“Padaghanon nako ni sila kay para negosyo man ni. Ibaligya na ko kon modaghan na (I will breed them and once they have multiplied, I will sell some of them),” he disclosed.

He also received feeds for the goats from DTI.

Two DTI-PBG beneficiaries in Zamboanguita town take a photo with their livelihood kits in the form of young female cows after a turnover ceremony held July 9, 2020. Each of them took one female cow which they will raise and eventually breed. (PIA7-NegOr)

On the other hand, Emong (not his real name) from Brgy. Mayabon in Zamboanguita town received one young female cow from DTI which he plans to use to kick-off a cattle-raising business.

“Nagpasalamat mi kaayo ug nakadaawat mu ug tabang sa gobyerno. Dako mi ug kalipay na niabot sa among barangay ang mga tabang (I am grateful to the government for the help they have extended to us. I am happy that their efforts have reached our barangay),” said Emong.

A total of 16 goats, nine sari-sari store vouchers, six cattles, and two piglets with feeds were given to PBG beneficiaries along with sugarcane stem cuttings and sacks of feeds and fertilizers.

Based on the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Administrative Order No. 10 regarding the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (ECLIP), militia ng bayan refers those who have been indoctrinated and may or may not be directly involved in violent armed struggle but when organized, can provide mass support to alleged rebel groups.

The turnover was held in two batches. The first one was on July 9 in Zamboanguita town and the other one was held July 18 at the 11th IB Headquarters in Salag, Siaton.

DTI Provincial Director Nimfa Virtucio said it was the beneficiaries who chose which livelihood kit they would like to avail of, adding that the department gives the livelihood kit in kind than in cash.

“Kanang among gihatag ninyo, sinugdanan ni siya and kamo na ang bahala mopalambo. Kaning mga ingon ani na programa, angay nato i-take advantage. Angay nato attenan ug sultian ang uban (These livelihood kits we have provided you will help you start your own business. It’s now up to you to develop this. We urge you to take advantage of this program and also inform other people about it),” Virtucio told the PBG beneficiaries.

DTI also engaged the PBG beneficiaries in an entrepreneurship seminar before they turned over the livelihood kits so that they will have some basic knowledge about running a business.

Meanwhile, 11th IB Commander LTC. Ramir Redosendo said this endeavor is a product of the joint efforts of government agencies on ELCAC.

“Ito na yung mga produkto ng mga effort natin. Kung iko-connect natin we have the Community Support Program last year. Na-identify natin iyong mga kapatid natin na gustong bumalik sa normal life of the society so ito na yun. Ito na yung produkto ng ELCAC (This is a product of the efforts of the government agencies. If you recall, we did a Community Support Program last year. We have identified some of our brothers and sisters who would like to return to the normal life in the society. This is it),” Redosendo told PBG beneficiaries during the turnover ceremony in their headquarters.

On the other hand, 302nd Infantry Brigade Commander incoming BGEN. Noel Baluyan also announced that the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) in the province is processing the necessary requirements so they can be covered by the benefit packages of E-CLIP as an added incentive for them.

Baluyan said they can use the additional incentive to develop the livelihood kits given to them.(ral/PIA7-Negros Oriental)

https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1048098

Ranking ‘NPA leader’ in Caraga killed in encounter

From the Philippine News Agency (Jul 20, 2020): Ranking ‘NPA leader’ in Caraga killed in encounter (By Alexander Lopez)



BUTUAN CITY – An alleged top leader of the communist New People’s Army (NPA) in Caraga Region was killed in an encounter, the 401st Infantry Brigade on Sunday (July 19) said.

In a statement, the Army identified the alleged NPA leader as Marcelino Navarro y Tampos, alias Marsing, current deputy secretary and head of education and propaganda of the North Eastern Mindanao Regional Committee (NEMRC) of the NPA.

1Lt. Krisjuper Andreo J. Punsalan, civil-military operation (CMO) officer of 3rd Special Forces Battalion (3SFBn), told the Philippine News Agency Sunday that Tampos was among those killed in an encounter last July 7 but his dead body, together with another NPA rebel still not identified, were recovered only on Sunday by the government troopers.

The cadavers were recovered by the 3SFBn troopers who have been conducting security operations since Saturday (July 18) in Andap Valley Complex in Barangay Diatagon, Lianga, Surigao del Sur.

The security operations were conducted in response to information of residents on the supposed plan of NPA rebels to burn the newly-constructed Department of Education (DepEd) Indigenous Peoples’ school in Sitio Simuwao, Diatagon.

“We received reports that Tampos was among those severely wounded during the July 7 encounter. His cadaver was later found by our troopers. He, and another companion, were abandoned and left dead by their retreating comrades from the pursuing troopers,” Punsalan said.

The dead body of Tampos was positively identified by former rebels (FRs) while the Army is still processing to determine the identity of the other cadaver.

Operating troops also recovered near the site two AK 47 rifles, ammunition, anti-personnel mines, bomb-making materials, one portable generator, assorted medical supplies, laptops, cellphones and handheld radio.

“We have intensified our security operations in the said area after receiving successive reports from the IP communities that a large group of Communist NPA Terrorists (CNTs) is intruding inside their ancestral domains and threatening them,” Brig. Gen. Allan D. Hambala said in a statement Sunday.

Hambala added that the NPA rebels have already killed four innocent tribal members in the area since July 6, 2020.

“The CNTs also planned on burning down the newly built DepEd IP School at Sitio Simuwao. These vicious plans and terroristic actions of the terrorist NPAs must be stopped,” Hambala said.

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

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1109406

Army steps up drive to convince Reds to give up fight

From the Philippine News Agency (Jul 20, 2020): Army steps up drive to convince Reds to give up fight (By Jason De Asis)



INFO DRIVE. The 91st Infantry (Sinagtala) Battalion of the 7th Infantry Division, Philippine Army, air drops Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) leaflets in the coastal barangays of San Luis, Aurora on Sunday (July 19, 2020). The move is part of the continuing efforts to convince New People's Army (NPA) bandits to return to the fold of the law and avail programs and services of the government. (Photo courtesy of the Army's 91st Infantry Battalion)

BALER, Aurora – The Army’s 7th Infantry (Kaugnay) Division (7ID) has intensified its awareness campaign against communist terrorist groups by air dropping Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) leaflets and conducting visitations along the coastal areas of San Luis town in this province on Sunday.

The move is part of the military's continuing efforts to convince the remnants of Komiteng Larangang Guerrilla (KLG) Sierra Madre of the New People’s Army (NPA) to return to the fold of the law and in support of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).

The Army troops took off at Dr. Juan C. Angara Airport, commonly known as Baler Airport, using two choppers of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) to drop 500 leaflets designed to entice those active NPA bandits to abandon the armed struggle and be reunited with their families.
Lt. Col. Reandrew Rubio, Commanding Officer of the 91st Infantry Battalion (9IB), visited Barangay Dimanayat in San Luis to boost the morale of soldiers and check on the operational condition of troops assigned in the area.

He also visited the indigenous peoples’ community in the village to determine livelihood programs that can be implemented in the area, in collaboration with the concerned government agencies.

“The coastal area of San Luis can be a potential tourist destination in the near future due to its attractive and beautiful nature sites,” Rubio said.

He noted that the presence of government troops in the area is not just to protect the communities from the NPA threats but also to secure the government projects and facilities.

Brig. Gen. Andrew Costelo, commander of the 703rd Infantry (Agila) Brigade of the 7ID, commended the Sinagtala troopers for securing the far-flung communities that are vulnerable to NPA infiltration.

“I urge my men in the ground to continue doing good and closely work and collaborate with the different agencies and stakeholders towards lasting peace and development,” he said.

Last July 14, operating troops of the 91IB discovered nine containers with rice believed to be owned and abandoned by the members of KLG Sierra Madre in the hinterlands of Barangay Dimanayat in San Luis.

Since January this year, several food caches have been recovered by joint elements of 91IB and Philippine National Police in Nueva Ecija and Aurora provinces.

“The discovery of another NPA bandits' food cache will significantly degrade the latter’s logistical resources and they are now on the run due to intensified joint operations in the area,” Rubio said.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1109467